BILL White, who spend 30 years as the lock keeper at Hoddesdon Lock on the Lee has died.
Originally from East London Bill moved to the area in 1968 out of the city, but with no experience of working on the waterways, he took up the post of lock keeper and moved into the lock house, at the time when the area suffered flooding, Alan Tilbury reveals.
Use a boat
At times of floods he was unable to reach the lock house by land, so had to use a boat.
His daughter told that it was hearing a friend's conversation saying they were looking for a lock keeper, decided him to apply for the job, to get his family out of the city and into a different lifestyle, which was quite a shock after the bustle of London.
He lived in the lock house the whole of the 30 years until he retired at 65, and until he died still stayed in Hoddesdon.