Eric Bunting 

Eric was the son from Alfred Bunting's second marriage and started work in the business with his father and half-brother, Reginald shortly before the 1914 - 18 war. At the outbreak of war he enlisted as a private soldier in the Essex Regiment and quickly gained a commission.

He had a distinguished record, serving in France throughout most of the war and was twice mentioned in Despatches. He was a Captain and Adjutant of his battalion when he was gassed and sent home to convalesce and finished his service in Ireland.

Following his "demob" in 1919, Eric set up a branch nursery at Marks Tey, also specialising in cultivation under glass and settled down in Lexden. In 1920, Reginald left the business to emigrate to New Zealand leaving Eric and his sister, Winifred, to run the business with his father, Alfred.

Alfred had parted company with his brother William Ellis shortly before the turn of the century and the name Bunting & Sons had gone to William Ellis and subsequently passed to his son William Whorlow. 

William Whorlow died childless in 1922 and left the house, 28 Lexden Road, the nursery and the entire business to his manager, a Mr E J Barnes, with the proviso that William's widow should receive an annuity of £250 from the profits. No doubt this act did not ease relations between the two sides of the family, however, it seems that William Whorlow had overestimated Mr Barnes' abilities for within 4-5 years the business failed and was closed down. The Barnes family moved to Clacton and Eric Bunting stepped in to purchase the Bunting & Sons name for £100. William Whorlow's widow, Alice died in 1927.

With the family business name now back in the family, the business went from strength to strength under Eric's energetic management. Eric married Ivy Agnes Richer and they had one child, Peter Eric (b1924) who subsequently joined him in the business at the end of the second world war, in which Eric also served as a commissioned officer in the regular army leaving Alan Richer, Ivy's brother to manage the nursery during his absence.