Ken Malseed - Malseed Engineering
At the rear of the old Clarke & Carter premises in Coast Road, tucked around the corner out of sight, one can find the Island's engineering Mr fix it. Ken is a local lad from Colchester. Born in Northgate Street he attended Hamilton Rd. School, infants St.Johns Green, junior and finally Alderman Blaxill School was followed by a full 5 year apprentiship with R.E.M.E 36 Command. On completion of his apprenticeship he sailed as engineer in the Boston deep-sea trawling fleet out of Lowestoft. Finding the motion of the ocean in a lively fishing boat a bit much he transferred to a much more sedate vessel in the Union Castle Line. He partly swallowed the anchor and joined Peter French and oystering in 1974. He then ran the engineering workshop with Clarke and Carter. He eventually set up on his own in the building that was originally the Shipyards saw mill. Here you can see large lathes and a multitude of engineer's kit. Ship's engineers by definition are multi skilled and Ken is a credit to traditional training. At sea, as I know from my own experience when things go wrong you can't ring up the AA to fix the beast. One has to be self sufficient. Most of his work is of a Marine nature, you will often find one of our fishermen in his shop having something fixed and many yachtsmen are grateful of his skill in mending kit and if you want a new engine Ken is your man.
The Man on the Bike
From Mistral. Journal of the Mersea Island Society. 2010 Page 22.
Date: March 2010