John Plane Walker (below) was born in 1881 in Norwich. At the age of 14 he was employed by the Wallace King furniture store, and when it opened a shop in Reepham he became the manager, making deliveries by horse and cart.

The December photograph (below) in the Reepham Life 2023 Calendar shows the buildings the company also used, part of which is now the takeaway and The Granary on Back Street. John Walker is standing on the far left.

In 1919 Wallace King decided to move its business back to Norwich and John took over the shop, moving the premises to the Old Maltings on the corner of School Road and Back Street. The picture below shows his advertising board with Sun Barn Pit in the foreground.

John was a staunch Methodist and became a well-respected local preacher. He founded and ran a branch of the Band of Hope in Reepham.

When larger premises were needed to accommodate a growing membership John and his friend Jesse Bircham purchased land from Harry Hawes and the Methodist Hall was built.

It later became the home of Reepham’s band and was known as the Band Hall until it was demolished and replaced by flats.

In 1927 John and his wife Laura wrote a seven-verse song for the Reepham Band of Hope entitled The Hope of Reepham, to be sung to the tune of My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.

It begins:

Oh listen, dear friends to my story,

A wonderful tale I will tell,

How the Temperance cause here in Reepham,

Has gripped many people so well.

Chorus:

Reepham’s hope, Band of Hope,

I’ll ever be loyal and true to thee,

My beloved Band of Hope.

I’ll always be faithful to thee.

John died suddenly of a heart attack on 5 November 1938 while sitting at his desk in the shop. A fireworks party at the Rectory planned for that night was cancelled as a mark of respect.

There was a huge crowd at his funeral at the Methodist Church, with the church hall being used for overspill and still more people standing outside.

Information sourced from Let’s Talk, 6 February 2013

Janet Archer

The Reepham Archive is open to the public on the first Wednesday and Saturday of the month from 10 am – 12 noon (or by appointment), upstairs in the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham.