Southend U3A

From riches to rags - Joan Bond

February 2012

I have always seemed to see Ned Lomas with his horse and cart trailing around the streets, ringing his bell; always on the lookout for anything anyone wanted to rid themselves of . . . beds, chairs, bottles, bins, any old rubbish. He never paid for anything, but in earlier years, before by-laws re. negligence to animals' feelings, he gave kids a goldfish in a bag, which to the householder was another bit of nuisance they had to dispose of.

Some few years ago when his son, Montmorency, known as Mart joined the business, all was modernised and a smart new lorry was brought in for the job. Well, business expanded, as now they could deal with old Hoovers, washing machines and much larger items. I wanted to rid myself of a greenhouse at one time. I removed all the panes of glass myself and got my son to help by sawing one side of the metal structure to enable us to flatten it. We no sooner put it out the front when, through some sort of telepathy, up turned the lorry and the younger fella saying, 'Do you want to get rid of this, darling?' I told him he could have it if he took the glass as well. 'Oh, I' m rather full at the moment, but I will come back for the glass later.'

My son laughed when I told him and said, 'You won't see him again.' He was right. He lived in an ordinary house and I passed his yard once. I couldn't believe the rubbish stacked 5ft high ,you couldn't see the house and I thought, he is barmy. But he was waiting for the good times when the price of metal soared. He must have been taking everything, having to pay cash now, though, and as churches lost lead, and manhole covers disappeared and all the gates in the area went; he bought a Mercedes.

I think he gathered a bit of power for he was never brought to heel by anyone but he never needed to use the lorry around the streets collecting house rubbish anymore. Old Ned retired to the Costa Brava and his son bought a really large property in which to live, married a glossy blonde and bought two Mercedes.

Unfortunately he must have gone too far when memorial plates were being ripped off Church walls and the 'Lovers meeting' statue disappeared from outside Southend Station and he was copped. He was jailed for four years and all his property was confiscated.

He came out in three and, with his record and no other experience to assist him find decent employment, he went back to collecting old clothes for the paper manufacturers. Proper riches to rags story I felt and I was a bit sorry for him at times, especially every time I look out into my garden in that special hidden arbour and admire my lovely statue, that I always admired as I passed it on the bus when I went to Southend.