George Street was once continuous with Northgate Street and Blind Middle
Street, and according to Palmer it was previously called "Conge
Street". It is surprising to see how it would join with Northgate Street,
this is best demonstrated by standing on the high part at the north end, west
of Falcon Court, and looking across the new Fuller's Hill cut down to a lower
level. The Conge as it is was created by the clearance of 1936-9, and remained
thus throughout the war, without a
single house on it. Now it is a haven of small but unsightly warehouses. The
new job centre, opened in 1993, is a pleasant modern building in red brick of
some quality, although it cannot
compare with the hundreds of old and interesting properties removed by the
pre-war clearance.
James Simmons of 38 George Street worked for Smiths confectioners, he
drove a horse and cart for them and then a small lorry, one of the first in the
town. James Simmons' children included - May, Gladys, Sidney and Harry and
Arthur. Henry Gordon Simmons was born 1/2/25 at this house. Arthur James was
his father, who worked for the corporation, latterly as foreman, married to
Lilly Kathleen, nee Powley, daughter of a Caister trawler skipper. No.38 was a
private house, from where Arthur moved his family in 1933 to Row 34, no.6. The
house in George Street had a heavy front door, that led up four steps into a
hall. a door to the right led into the front room, and another further down,
also on the right led into a kitchen, with its stove and a couch and other
furniture. Through the kitchen was a doorway to the back yard. Out into the
yard one proceeded under a lean-to. Up one step was the wash-house, through
which was another door leading to another small yard that was out of bounds.
There was a copper and fishing tackle in the wash-house. There were wide stairs
leading up from opposite the kitchen leading to a large single bedroom above.
Further up another flight of stairs were several more rooms. Father was abroad
in the army at this time, and therefore the family left behind were staying
with the children's grandparents, and all slept in the same room.
When father returned and left the army, they moved out to row 34,
nearby. Arthur then worked on re-setting the road (when they removed the wooden
blocks I think), and this work was day and night, but ended with him injuring
his shoulder so badly that it needed two years treatment, and he was never able
to work again, other than a spell on a farm during the war when evacuated. Thus
Henry Gordon was out to work from the age of ten years, commencing at
Middleton's the newsagents, and worked four years before officially leaving
school, at 14, then going to Porter's woodyard at Cobholm, which he found
exceedingly dangerous with huge piles of inflammable sawdust, and being struck
by a flying timber on his first day of work.
Ronnie Marshall the boxer, (see row 4) was related through marriage to
the Simmons, and if he won a fight, there would be a celebration at no. 34.
Sometimes Ronnie would tap-dance on
the table in the front-room, merry with the drink, he habitually drank too
much.
page 3, issue 11
At the junction of George Street and
the Conge today is Futter's furniture shop. The name of Futter is of long
standing in the town. Frank Futter started his furniture business on St.
Nicholas Road (see Row 27), but his father had a coal haulage business, and the
name of Futter was seen on the side of the coal trucks that ran along South
Quay. Frederick Futter had seven sons, including Frank and the youngest, Ralph,
who became a bookmaker in Rugby; a son who was a coal merchant; one son went to
sea, and died in Colombo aged 17, James; Frederick; Cyril; and a daughter, who
married Jack Seago the scrap Merchant, of row 133. Frank Futter married Julia
and they had two boys, one named Frank, the other Jeffrey, who now runs the
shop on the Conge. This shop was previously Middleton's, but prior to that on
the same site, Julia Futter ("Nellie", born 1911, from Soham, Cambs.,
whose mother married a Yarmouth man when Julia was a girl) lived in a row house
where the sitting-room was on the very same ground where now is the furniture
showroom. There was a shop in Gorleston on the corner of High Street and Priory
Road, now closed. The firm also has a shop in Lowestoft