John Beales and Pat Deane told the Hickling Local History Group a bit more about Ben Lacey.

John Beales said that old Ben Lacey - a 20 stone ex-navy man, and a good juggler - also lived here [on Staithe Road] for a while, but eventually he moved out and lived in a boat on the Staithe.

Pat Deane added:

“At the end of the Parish Staithe there was an old tarred boat about 14 feet long. It was on a grassy mound on the shore and inhabited by a retired seaman called Ben Lacy. 

He lived there with his black and white mongrel called Popeye. He always wore rubber boots, a navy Guernsey and a cap. He smoked a clay pipe and walked with his stick to the garage to collect his daily paper. 

Ben ended his days around 1944 and the old boat was burned.”