WINTER FEAST Tales of Squit by Hugh Briss
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WINTER 2016/17 EASTFOLK CHRONICLE Eastfolk Chronicle WINTER 2016 NO.6 FREE OF CHARGE FOR ALL FOLKS EAST A CRAZE FOR CRIME WINTER FEAST Tales of Squit by Hugh Briss As the nights draw in we turn to the various historic Ronald ‘Ronnie’ and Reginald ‘Reggie’ Kray playing the part of the fabled Eastfolk Countywide ceremonies that celebrate By our undercover reporter Detective Dinsdale Twins in the film ‘ Spandau Ballet’s Wishlist’ (1990) the dimming of the day and the waterlogging of the Superintention John ‘Jack’ Kerrison fields. Quite where these events came from, when they were started are lost in the mists of time, many The East End of London in the 1950s and 60s was a themselves in Hadleigh. They were billeted with a Mrs lay claim to Dwile Flonking’s origins, so much so that poor, predominately white working class area of the Styles at East House in George Street. rival sets of rules have sprung up (The Dwile League capital where families lived cheek by jowl in run-down and Flonking Union) and those lucky enough to be cramped housing. It was ruled by criminal gangs like sober may have spotted the Yanny Mac Original The Firm, led by the notorious twins, Reggie and Dwile Flonking Re-enactment (Y.M.O.D.F.R.) at Ronnie Kray who were involved in armed robberies, the recent Folk East Festival using members of the arson, protection rackets and assaults, with a top- Sealed Bartowel sporting period-correct dungarees dressing of extreme violence. It seems ironic that and feathers in the hat all named ‘Macaroni’. This was these two vicious killers, who ran organised crime in followed by the ever-popular Conker Championship London also had had a soft spot for Suffolk, Eastfolk held over 5 days at the Geldeston Locks Inn. Based and its beautiful bucolic countryside. on the Noman Trial-By-Wrist execution imported by The two brothers were born in Hoxton in 1933 to William The Conkerer in the mid 11th Century, the Violet and Charles Kray (Sr.) an itinerant scrap gold Hold on Reggie, there’s a snooping photographer, hand me your current version, though historically correct is now dealer, who was frequently absent from home as he catty nah! played throughout the land by school-children intent plied his trade around the country. The family, which on doing some damage to their opponents arms and included the twins’ older brother Charlie (Jr.) moved The young Krays embraced country life, busying wrists which is why steel gauntlets, chain mail and eye to 178 Vallance Road, Bethnal Green in 1938. Their themselves in the usual schoolboy pursuits such as protection is now insisted upon in order for a gaming father Charles was conscripted into the Army at the ritual bullying, scrapping and scrumping. Come license to be granted. beginning of the Second World War but decided it later life, Ronnie, whilst interviewed in Broadmoor Come early December the Rumburgh-based Old was not agreeable to him and went on the run, making Hospital for the Criminally Insane, recalled fondly Glory Molly Dancers and Musicians take to the streets sporadic reappearances but leaving their doting how he and his brothers and friends had tobogganed again, dancing a heavy step with faces disguised by mother to bring the children up alone. Frequent on Constitution Hill, on the Rushbrooke Estate, blackening with burnt cork, the woman musicians are raids by the police looking for him, at all hours, owned by the Rothschilds on the edge of Hadleigh. to be found playing instruments concealed behind any instilled a dislike for the forces of law and order from Photographs from the time with their new schoolmates available shrubbery. Money is demanded with Menaces an early age. depict a group of ordinary schoolboys, with no inkling by The Box Man who has an advantage in as much as of what the twins were to become. Brother Charlie he is disguised by the black face paint, whereas the initially found employment in a fish and chip shop in reluctant audience member is not and if he or she fails Scarper Hadleigh and later as a tea boy at a mattress factory. to donate they can expect their front lawn to be nicely When the Luftwaffe made its intent clear during He and his mother Violet did not share the twins love ploughed up later that dark night. Be sure to witness nightly bombing raids many children were evacuated of the Suffolk countryside, she hankered for her home the clash between old Glory and Northampton’s own to the safety of rural areas and it was at this time, and family in the East End. Charlie recalled later Witchmen who will take it upon themselves to raid in 1940, that the young Reggie and Ronnie along that the twins, who were registered in a local school, Continues on page 3. with elder brother Charlie and mother Violet found Continues on page 2. Eastfolk NOV16.indd 1 21/11/2016 17:40 TWO EASTFOLK CHRONICLE WINTER 2016/17 A CRAZE FOR CRIME continued upmarket nightclubs in the West End, hobnobbing would have been happy to stay in the countryside. In with the likes of George Raft, Judy Garland, Diana spite of their protests and with great reluctance the Dors, Barbara Windsor, Rocky Marciano and Frank Eastfolk boys moved back to Vallance Road. As they entered Sinatra. In their Suffolk local they certainly displayed their teens the twins began to box, encouraged by none of the traits and behaviour which had made their grandfather, “Cannonball” Lee, a former fighter. them the most feared gangsters in the country. On Chronicle Ronnie was a very talented amateur and was fearless, the contrary they lived the life of country squires, (not to be confused with War Cry magazine) while Reggie was regarded as having the potential to going on antique-buying trips, involving themselves become a professional. in charitable works in the community and giving Crowd Copyright. After school, the twins began their National Service but donkey rides to local children as well as buying them Established some time ago and registered with they found it almost impossible to accept discipline, ice creams. The past two activities may bear some re- all Fish and Chip outlets as potential spending much of their time in the Glasshouse Army visiting and scrutiny today. wrapping paper Prison. After the compulsory two years, Reggie and Ronnie moved back to Vallance Road and embarked Winter 2016/2017 Issue No. 6 on a career of crime. Using violence and intimidation Editor: Cally at Antar ([email protected]) they took over a number of night clubs, ran protection or (cally@hyreujfbcyehhjchdw if sending rackets, and rid lorries of their cargo of cigarettes. They complaints) were effectively untouchable by the police as witnesses were too afraid to testify. Ronnie was particularly Advertising Manager: Ruth Crome feared because of his extreme violence and instability, ([email protected]) he had been diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic just Hot metal setting: Nik Rose to add to the glamour of it all. In 1966, Ronnie Kray (www.nikrose.co.uk) went to the Blind Beggar pub in Bethnal Green and shot fellow criminal George Cornell dead because it Printed by Sharman and Company was believed he had killed a cousin of the twins. A year www.sharmanandco.co.uk 01 733 424 949 later, egged on by Ronnie, Reggie stabbed a fellow All material contained remains laughingly criminal, Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie to death in a vicious copyright 2016/17 by The Eastfolk Chronicle attack. McVitie had taken money from the twins for a contract killing he did not carry out. Foolishly he had who accepts very little responsibility for matters Tom Driberg and Lord Boothby enjoy cocktails arising or marriages ending from any of the kept the money and also made detrimental comments contents herein, heretofore and hereabouts. about them. Accurate accounts of these events are to Any similarity to International Times, The be found in the infamous Dinsdale sketches of Flying Cock Tales Waveney Clarion, Country Bizarre or Caught Circus:- M. Python. By 1968 the Kray’s fortunes were changing as the By the River is purely aspirational on our part. While secure in the knowledge that there would be no new head of the Flying Squad Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read For further details please ask for further details. witnesses the Krays decided to hide out for a while and made it his priority to ensure their reign of terror headed to Suffolk. They holed up at Gedding Hall, ended. For many years they had seemed untouchable www.eastfolkchronicle.co.uk owned by Geoffrey Allen, a criminal known as the and their criminal operations had been carried out Editorial address: The Old Printworks, ‘Godfather’ who was a friend of the twins. Only two with impunity. No-one who witnessed their crimes Marlinspike Hall, Walpole, Halesworth, weeks after the murder he allowed the twins to borrow would come forward with evidence. Homosexuality Eastfolk, IP19 9AR, Europe. the hall for a day to meet Frank Taylor, a famous film was illegal in those days (now ‘pardoned’ in 2016 as producer, who had produced The Misfits, starring if it were ever a crime) Ronnie Kray’s association with Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. Taylor wanted to members of the Establishment such as Tory peer Lord discuss the possibility of making a biographical film Boothby, a bisexual, and Labour MP Tom Driberg, about the twins’ life of crime. They felt that kidding a homosexual, served to protect them further. A him into believing that they owned the hall and lived newspaper story linking Ronnie and Boothby in a the life of country squires would make them more homosexual scandal was buried after Boothby sued appealing to him.