In 1939, Arthur Jary & Sons opened its Gorleston office at 43 High Street. The building dates from 1716, built by William Killett, the local Brewer. Later it became the Earl Grey Public House, which closed in 1934. The floor joists in the original part of the building were made from old masts from fishing boats and many of the walls were constructed from ballast brought in by the same boats. The building fronts on to the High Street, but the gardens at the back go down to Riverside Road and have steps leading all the way down. In days gone by the fishermen used to climb these steps to collect their wages from the property.
Kitty Wilson (nee Jary), one of Arthur’s children was the first member of the Jary family to live in the property and run the office.
After her, her brother Lenny lived there with his second wife Olive (Olly). Lenny’s second son David then moved in with his wife and children for about seven years before Lenny and Olly moved back in until their deaths in the 1980s.
Since then, the ground floor was taken over by the increasingly busy office and the living accommodation was restricted to the upper floor only.