Builder Dave Garnham has every reason to be a proud man, for he has completed laying more than 2,000 drainpipes on Bata Estate, to the entire satisfaction of the local authority’s inspectors , and without any breakage or leakage.

For this excellent service he has been awarded a special cash premium which was presented to him by Chief-engineer A Marcanik.

Although he has laid the majority of the pipes on Bata Estate, and indeed of the factory itself. Garnham is a fully experience builder, who is an expert on all building jobs.

Born in 1890, he started work with a builder immediately he left school, and leaned all the jobs right from the start. The ‘14-18 war interrupted his work, and he found himself in France with the 3rd Essex Regiment.

Starting at East Tilbury in 1935, Mr Garnham’s first task was helping to build Community House. Since then he has helped in the building of some 200 houses on the Estate.

He has the full confidence of Foreman Joseph Wallace, who has known him for more than twenty years.

“There is not a single job on the Estate,” said Foreman Wallace, “that couldn’t be carried out by Dave. He has done every job connected with the building trade and I always know whatever tasks I give him will be carried out conscientiously and thoroughly.