THE centenary anniversary of a very significant event in the history of south-east Essex seems to have slipped by with little or no public acknowledgement or attention. It was on July 13, in 1915, the Ministry of Defence took over Foulness Island.

In those 100 years the island, has gone from boom to gloom, from a population of more than 750 at one stage to – well,amere fraction of that now.

It once had two pubs, a church, a school, a post office and shops. No longer. The church remains, an empty building dating from 1850. The 1894 school, now, thankfully is the wonderful heritage centre run by caring volunteers.

The cloud of secrecy that surrounds all of the Ministry’s establishments – now controlled and guarded by QinetiQ – listed as “one of the world’s leading defence technology and security companies” remains.

You need to be checked before allowed access by those who guard the way in from Wakering.

The thriving, independent, populated place of yesteryear is remembered, now, by those who personally knew it – and by the grand displays in the heritage centre.

I have visited and admired this a few times, the latest just the other evening, when 40 or so members of the Shoebury Society were greeted by Foulness farmer Peter Carr and fellow volunteers.

It is, quite simply, a fine, eyeopening, most impressive magnet of a place that has attracted visitors from as far as the United States, From April until September, it is open every first Sunday of the month. So there are a couple more opportunities this year to visit – and I urge you to do so.

Foulness deserves visitors.

It’s a four-mile drive from the guarded entrance to the island to the old school, which opened in 1846 and closed in 1988. As you travel the road, the flat fields on either side seem to stretch endlessly to some distant horizon. You are not far from our road-choked neighbourhoods. You seem to be in a different world.

In the old school, there are photographs and notices and advertisements and dresses and – well, far too many and varied items to list here.

Just perhaps to whet your appetite, I mention the wedding dress worn by farmer’s daughter Mary Bush, who was the church organist and ran the post office for several years, when she married Spencer Wallace in July 1926.

Then there is the certificate presented to Lily Bartram back in June 1908, for making full attendance at the school that year.

There is, too, reminder of the Broomway, the path across the Maplin Sands from Wakering Stairs to the island’s Fisherman’s Head. It was the only way on and off Foulness by foot before roads were laid.

The planted brooms, some 30 yards apart, marked a hazardous path passable for a few hours before and after lowwater. Friends of mine were recently taken on this adventurous walk – and pleased and relieved they were, that this was in summer and the weather was fine!

I hope that Foulness, a place with so remarkable a past, may have a brighter future, for those who live there and love it, and for those who may choose to join them.