THE PLAQUE ABOVE WAS PLACED AT THE LOCATION ANONYMOUSLY IN 2015 , SLIGHTLY EDITED DOWN FROM THE ORIGINAL WORK, BUT STILL A HUGE COMPLIMENT TO BOTH ARCHIE AND MYSELF. EVERY YEAR WILD FLOWERS ARE PLACED AROUND THE PLAQUE, THIS IS ALSO DONE ANONYMOUSLY.
WHEN I WAS A KID, MOST WEEKENDS I USED TO GO AND STAY WITH MY COUSIN TONY AND AUNTIE LYNDA. THEY LIVED AT PARK STREET IN SOUTHEND-ON-SEA. TONY WAS THE SAME AGE AS ME AND WE WERE MORE LIKE BROTHERS THAN COUSINS. HIS DAD WAS A MUSICIAN CALLED MAC, HE PLAYED SAXOPHONE. MAC WENT ON A WORLD TOUR IN THE 80'S WITH SHAKIN STEVENS AND NEVER CAME BACK. MY AUNTIE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT BUT I WAS ALWAYS SO EXCITED TO BE THERE WITH THEM BOTH. THE FLAT SMELT MUSTY, IF I COME ACROSS THAT SMELL NOW I'M TAKEN RIGHT BACK TO PARK STREET.
AT THE END OF THE ROAD THERE WAS A RAILWAY BRIDGE AND A BENCH WERE A TRAMP NAMED ARCHIE LIVED. HE WAS A REAL TRAMP, NOT A BEGGAR. HE DIDN'T WANT YOUR MONEY, HE DIDN'T DRINK AND HE DIDN'T DO DRUGS. ARCHIE JUST DECIDED TO LIVE ON THE STREETS, ON THAT BENCH. ON A SUNDAY MORNING MY AUNTIE WOULD MAKE TONY AND ME A BACON SANDWICH. LOTS OF CRISPY BACON, TOAST DONE ON ONE SIDE WITH LOTS OF BUTTER AND A HINT OF TOMATO SAUCE. WE WOULD SHARE ONE AND SAVE THE OTHER ONE FOR ARCHIE. HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING BUT I KNOW HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THAT SARNI, I KNOW WE DID. TONY AND ME WOULD SIT ON THE BENCH WITH HIM AND LISTEN TO STORIES OF HIS ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD. HE WAS IN THE ARMY, AND TOLD US ABOUT HIS TIME IN THE JUNGLES OF AFRICA AND THE FAR EAST, INTO THE HEART OF DARKNESS. LOOKING BACK NOW, I'D SAY ARCHIE WAS AN OLD SCHOOL GENTLEMAN.
ONE SUNDAY MORNING WE WENT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ROAD, AND THERE WERE POLICE CARS BLOCKING OFF THE SPACE. IN THE NIGHT A GROUP OF SKINHEADS HAD THROWN ARCHIE OVER THE BRIDGE AND ONTO THE LINES BELOW, HE LAID THERE ON HIS OWN AND DIED OF HIS INJURIES. HE WAS FOUND BY THE POST OFFICE TRAIN DRIVER AT ABOUT 4;30 A.M. I LEARNT SOMETHING THAT MORNING, I THINK TONY DID TOO. EVERY TIME I WALK OVER THAT BRIDGE I GET THAT SAME SINKING FEELING, BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH, JUST LOOKING AT THAT BENCH.