At the centre of it all is Roger Wilkins, a burly, gregarious, faded Teddy Boy in overalls and wellies.

BBC: England's West Country: Still the apple of our eye

Local stories reflecting the decade include a small pox outbreak, the Promettes on the seafront and Teddy Boy fashion filtering down from London.

BBC: Memories of 1950s Brighton wanted for project

I'm the little boy that gives up his favourite teddy bear so that a stranger may be comforted.

BBC: What's your favourite poem?

"When I was a young boy, while my friends were playing with electric trains and teddy bears, I was out collecting decoys, " says Donal O'Brien, 71, former chairman of the National Audubon Society and part of the old guard, with shorebirds and waterfowl in his collection.

FORBES: The 2006 Collectors Guide