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A bit of a rounded blog post, taking in the wonderful Wivenhoe Bookshop, Moving Image and some mosaics. Oh, and a possible opportunity for local groups to grab some free books.

Blimey.

That’s what happens when you cast yourself a little too wide over Wivenhoe - updates start to come in on all fronts. Many thanks to all for the various heads up. Funny to see how they are all inter-related. Keep them coming…

First off on this #hyperlocal literary tour and we take in the Wivenhoe Bookshop. Pantomime action sadly kept me away from the Drum unplugged gig at the weekend. All reports however suggest that this was an incredibly successful and intimate evening. More of the same please.

But sometimes a bookshop has to do what a bookshop has to do - y’know, sell books ‘n all that. In the Wivenhoe Bookshop mailout for this month, there is news on the Perfect Seasonal Read:

“Still time to bag a space on An American Tale For Winter, our short course on Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, which begins on 3rd February.

The six informal study sessions on this dramatic Gothic novella include a screening of the film with Liam Neeson and Patricia Arquette, and homemade cake.”

Yummy.

If you fancy yourself as something of a scribe yourself, then how about Finding the Writer Within?

“Following the success of our recent Memory - Place - Belonging writer’s course, tutor Thorunn Bjornsdottir Bacon joins us again from 25th Feb.

This time Thorunn, founder of Raven Creative Writing, is offering a six week Short Story Writing course. Places are limited, so early booking is advisable.”

A bit of book cross-pollination, and the Wivenhoe Bookshop also gives a heads up to PoetryWivenhoe:

“Acclaimed poet Katrina Naomi returns to poetrywivenhoe on 27th January, supported by popular local writer and poet Mike Harwood

Her latest pamphlet of poems, Charlotte Bronte’s Corset, penned whilst Writer in Residence at the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth, and very well received, will be available in the bookshop, and on the night.”

Phew.

Time for a sharp intake of breath before turning the next page…

Ever wanted to see the Wivenhoe Bookshop in mosaic form?

“Anne Schwegmann-Fielding loves to recycle the old into the new. In her skilled hands buttons, crockery, shattered glass, tools, and utensils take on new life and are transformed into vibrant and beautiful sculptures, collages and mosaics.”

Anne’s work will be on show until February in our favourite local bookshop.

Next challenge: produce an accurate mosaic model of the old Engine Shed in all its glory.

Only joking…

Keeping with the story-telling theme however and here comes a rather lovely project, with a little help from @firstsite and our very own Moving Image, the independent community run cinema for Wivenhoe:

“The Vintage Mobile Cinema Bus:

Firstsite can proudly introduce a unique slice of cinema and automotive history. The Vintage Mobile Cinema Bus is touring around Colchester and Essex, showing free screenings of fascinating archive footage of twentieth-century Essex.

The luxuriously appointed mobile 22 seat cinema, converted from a unit built for the Ministry of Technology in 1967, is a unique slice of cinema and automotive history.

Rescued from a field in Essex, it’s the only remaining bus from a fleet of seven, and the renovation includes 1930s velvet cinema seats, HD projection, and Dolby surround sound.”

Sunday 6th February is the date that Wivenhoe can welcome this venture. The Station will be the location, with screenings at 11am, 11:45 am, 12:30pm, 2pm, 2:35pm, 3:30pm and 4:15pm.

And finally, a literary related word from the good George McKissock, known to some around these parts as *ahem* Squire Adamant (a role which suits the fine fella rather well…)

George has been incredibly successful in being able to secure from World Book Night just under fifty copies of Selected Poems by Seamus Heaney. This is a community led institutive, with the idea to bid for books that can then be released back into your own local patch.

George hopes to spread the good words of Seamus Heaney out amongst PoetryWivenhoe, the Library, Tudor Tea Rooms and The Station (I think he means the railway station, but you never know. Chin chin…)

The message from George is that there may still be time for others within Wivenhoe to apply for a particular book. With all these austere talk of cuts to libraries, this may be the start of a new form of community distribution of reading material.

Although the deadline has officially passed, an email from World Book Night states:

“Nevertheless we are still asking people to sign up as givers on the World Book Night website or by calling 0207 467 0855 to ask for an application form. If you know somebody who you think would make a great giver, please let them know that the deadline is rapidly approaching.”

Broomgrove? Millfields? Um, The Greyhound?

20,000 books in total are up for grabs. Many thanks to the Squire for the heads up.

Read all about, blah blah blah…