Believe it or not, there was a time when Castle Point had a real gentleman as it’s MP – Sir Bernard Braine (later Lord Braine- and he was MP for Rayleigh too)
Find a tribute to him, oddly enough on the website of the Institute of Alcohol Studies
Believe it or not, there was a time when Castle Point had a real gentleman as it’s MP – Sir Bernard Braine (later Lord Braine- and he was MP for Rayleigh too)
Find a tribute to him, oddly enough on the website of the Institute of Alcohol Studies
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I remember Sir Bernard Braine on the occasion of the Queens Silver Jubillee in 1977 where he handed out signed, framed plaques to all the children of the Parish. At the time I and my husband had two daughters and my youngest Victoria was about one month old when she was presented with her plaque, and yes he was an absolute gentleman in every sense of the word.
It’s a shame that there are not more like him in politics.
I believe that his constituency covered Rayleigh. He is commemorated on the clock in the high street. My late Aunt told me that he would stand and speak in Rayleigh in the traditional manner. I am told that he had an excellent memory and would always remember people that he had previously met. Something far easier said than done when you meet as many people as a MP does. People still speak highly of him.
For a long time his constituency did include Rayleigh, but then it was split up and he went with the Castle Point part (partly because he was involved in a lot of Canvey issues)
I remember our family being in the Civic Suite in about 1996, waiting to go across for the Remembrance Sunday service. We found ourselves talking to him … he was Lord Braine by then, and he shook hands with our son, he was then six.. Lena could then tell her Mum that he’d shaken hands with an English Lord!
Chris, My friend Janet tells me that we are lucky in this country in that our politicians are accessible in a way that they are not in many other counties. It is nice to be able to say hello to various politicians when I see them in Rayleigh. Yourself included.
Will your son be 18 in time for this years elections?