Joscelyne's Tales of Old Leigh and Chalkwell

In 1909 when Arthur Joscelyne was six his father emptied the family savings from the jug on the mantelpiece to buy 200 yards of beach on the north shore of the River Thames. Arthur helped run Joscelynes Beach for 20 years. In his 80th year he recorded his remarkable early life in two manuscripts. The first recalled the history of the family's private patch of sand and was published as Joscelyne's Beach. The second resurrected the colourful personalities he encountered in his youth and was kept separate for fear or causing embarrassment. It is published here as Joscelyne's Tales. In both books, Arthur's boyhood reminiscences vividly bring to life a world long disappeared. The tides, the gulls, and the dinghies set the scene for a cast of characters that will never be forgotten. Arthur Joscelyne died in 1993. See also Arthur Joscelyne's companion book, Joscelyne's Beach.