Wednesday 13th October 1937

Reading my mail (in bed) this morning, I suddenly sat up and enthusiastically whistled a bar of “The British Grenadiers”. It was a copy of a letter written to a builder in response to his enquiry. Quite a routine sort of letter; but it bore the initials SJD in the space where the representative’s initials should be. And the address – John Hollings, Builder and Public Works Contractor, Harold Cottage, Frinton on Sea, Essex.

So Frinton was now mine! And naturally, all towns along the coast between! Excitedly I stared at the map. The deuce of a strip of territory! Maldon, Danbury, Burnham on Crouch, Brightlingsea, Clacton and Colchester.

This morning I made the first invasion of the new area, driving into unknown country beyond Wickford. And delightful country too. Not the blatant seaside atmosphere of Southend, or the bleak fenland of Foulness; not the industrial type of town-country which lies around Vange and Thundersley. Just unspoilt, picturesque greenery!

An area which will be hard to work at first, however. It will be like the early Southend days again. Worse. We are absolutely without customers and many prospects have never heard of the Company!

Scanned Danbury and Maldon today. Travel further later in the week.