onionbagblog

This is rather decent - a Google map from the good folk of Transition Town Wivenhoe, detailing the known places around the town where it is possible to scrimmage an apple, plum, or pear - plus many other free foraging opportunities.

Mother Nature’s egalitarian approach to ignoring private and public boundaries contains a message for us all about free love and understanding. Well, that’s my chat up line sorted to see me through the run of Christmas parties anyway.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to Wivenhoe locals to find that blackberries and blackthorns are in abundance. Even with the recent vandalism by the Environment Agency, the walk out to Alresford Creek can still return a tuppaware full of freebies.

What I like about the TTW cartography though is the appearance of quince trees, sweet chestnuts and “possible plums.” I could possibly be up for that.

The penny-pinching produce isn’t just isolated to the green and good down by the estuary wilds. The old Cedrics site apparently delivers rather well when it comes to getting your grubby hands around a juicy pair.

The work of Transition Town Wivenhoe continues as the calendar comes round to the depressing time when images of sun kissed beaches in, um, Clacton are replaced with rather barren wintry landscapes of Wivenhoe.

The Station Master’s Community Garden is in need of a little pre-winter love. A Sunday afternoon working party has been called for the 4th December, with the pruning and winter planting starting at 3pm.

Meanwhile, back on the map front and I here of ambitious (and brilliant) plans to capture Wivenhoe as a mosaic style map as part of the town’s Jubilee celebrations of next summer.

The Jubilee Jigsaw will be to Wivenhoe what the Bayeux Tapestry is to… Bayeux. Forget about King Harold taking one in the eye - what about piecing together the planned zebra crossing that is soon to grace the Co-op?

As the good Marika helpfully explains:

“A map of Wivenhoe will be projected onto a plywood sheet of that size and the sheet divided up into jigsaw pieces. The individual pieces will then be distributed around the town to groups of interested residents. Each group will organise the finishing of their piece with representations, drawn and painted in, of the area of Wivenhoe covered by that piece: streets, houses, cars, boats, dogs, people, play grounds, gardens, lakes, any special features, whatever.

On Monday 4 June, as part of the planned activities on the KGV, there will be a ceremonial fitting together of all the finished pieces. Some time later it will go on display and become a permanent feature of our town.”

What a wonderful way to create something collectively, that will hopefully have some worth, long after the last fireworks have been let off from the KGV as part of Brenda’s Big Day.

Fruit of your labours, ‘n all that

I’ve managed to have a better look at the proposed development of the land to the east of the Greenstead Estate by our friends from over the border at Tendring District Council.

The Tendring Peninsula can boast many fine golden beaches and charming country lanes for bicycle rides; it can’t however claim to have a user friendly website that is able to serve residents and *cough* near neighbors.

Concern was raised at the Wivenhoe Town Council meeting on Monday evening that the Tendring website isn’t able to volunteer any information about the land grab that is being proposed in our backyard. An even greater concern was that WTC hasn’t been formally consulted.

I picked up at the meeting however that there is a little bit of back history regarding the current landowner and local developments in the area. An FOI was dispatched, only to find that Tendring District is just as rubbish at handling this legal requirement, as it is at running a modern interweb site.

No worries - the report that has been passed my way confirms that it is both Architectural Building Services and Mersea Homes that have grand ambitions to build 3,000 new homes close to the Wivenhoe border.

Localism matters, Comrades, and so does the Localism Act. The coalition government is keen, or is keen to be seen to be giving more powers back to local communities. Rules and regulations are obviously required - any local authority wanting to declare localism as a deterrent for any developers needs a Local Development Framework in place.

Colchester Borough Council does has a firm LDF in place; Tendring is at least consistent in being pretty poor at being ahead of the game. You won’t find any mention of an LDF on the Tendring website because (a) the website is rubbish, and (b) it doesn’t have one.

Which leaves us precisely with the prospect of developers behaving in a predatory manner, circling any site in the UK that looks like it could house 3,000 or so homes, safe in the knowledge that the local authority has yet to get to grips with this localism lark. Colchester’s strength may yet be its downfall.

GET ORFF MY LAND - bugger off across the border where the locals aren’t so well organised.

And so what of the document that has been passed forward my way? The Local Development Framework Committee met on 2nd November, specifically to draw up a report addressing the Tendring Consultation on Housing Development.

“The Local Development Framework Committee is asked to note the Tendring Public Consultation on Housing Development and to agree any comments to be returned at this stage of consultation.”

Although we are talking about Tendring, the proximity to Colchester means that the development will impact upon Colchester as much as it will on Tendring, possibly more in some areas - I can’t see the good folk of Frinton being too troubled by the land grab:

“The Committee could choose not to respond, but the consultation includes two sites which border Colchester, one of which includes land within the borough and will require a cross-boundary approach.”

The CBC report recognises the weakness that TDC has in keeping developers at bay:

“Tendring District Council (TDC) adopted its Local Plan in December 2007. It embarked on the preparation of a Core Strategy, but is now seeking to develop a Local Plan in line with the new Draft National Planning Policy Framework. TDC has invited landowners, developers and the general public to put forward their ideas and suggestions for which sites could be earmarked for housing or mixed-use development.”

Catch up time.

The CBC Committee elaborates more on the consultation, as well as the decision not to formally respond:

“The consultation includes a questionnaire seeking views on housing numbers, housing types and potential locations for new housing which was targeted to local residents. The Council was not formally consulted and has not therefore responded to this consultation which ended on 28 October.”

Which is more or less the same situation that Wivenhoe Town Council finds itself in. Concern was raised at the meeting on Monday evening that it was only via the Wiv Soc grapevine that members of WTC first heard of the scale of the development. It now seems that CBC was also left off the TDC mailing list.

And so before we start putting up barricades along Broad Lane, whereabouts exactly are we talking about?

“Two proposals in the consultation are in a location and scale to warrant comment by Colchester Borough Council:

1. Plains Farm, Plains Farm Close, Ardleigh (33.27 ha) – Adjoins A120 and Bullock Wood at the north eastern edge of the built up area of Colchester. Proposal submitted by Architectural Building Services (Essex) Ltd (who are based in Thorpe).

2. Land east of Colchester between A120 and A133, Elmstead Market and Ardleigh, (400.87 ha). One third of the site lies within Colchester. Submitted by planning consultant ADP on behalf of Mersea Homes.”

Which rather conveniently answers my bouncing FOI about precisely who is behind the land grab. It has been suggested to me by a local that the wife of a leading local MP is involved with Mersea Homes. Any confirmation, Comrades? Google is no friend here, and my FOI approach is firing blanks.

The green belt nature of these sites is recognised in the CBC report:

“Colchester’s adopted Local Development Framework provides for new development to be focussed within identified Growth Areas centred around the urban area of Colchester. Growth Areas do not include any areas to the northeast of Colchester, where the above developments are proposed.

Additionally, LDF policies (ENV1 in particular) provide that development in open countryside is to be strictly controlled to conserve the environmental assets and open character of the Borough. In general terms, the development above two sites is accordingly not considered to be compatible with adopted Colchester planning policies.”

The report I have seen concludes with:

“It is proposed that the LDF Committee send a brief response to the Tendring District Council consultation on potential housing development sites noting the current lack of policy support for any large scale development on the eastern edge of Colchester within Tendring and the need for joint working on any sites adjacent to the Colchester boundary.”

Which brings us back to GET ORFF MY LAND.

This looks like being a long-term stand off between CBC, TDC and the developers. Locals from the Greenstead and Wivenhoe might well be caught up in the crossfire. TDC seems to hold the balance of power. It remains a firm target for developers however until a firm LDF is put in place.

I’m refreshing the TDC website on the hour, every hour…

Edited to add: Blimey - a rather robust response from Wivenhoe Town Council, Comrades.

To the Town Council offices! …on a miserable Monday evening for the monthly meeting of Wivenhoe Town Council [new website ahoy!].

But first, what of a slight diversion? Down the High Street (always DOWN the High Street) and what’s this that I could hear? An open window at the William Loveless Hall [where else?] and a loud WHOOSH!!!! and whaddya know - I almost entered the Wivenhoe Zumba class, rather than the more sedate civic top table.

It all seemed rather lively. Some of our local Councillors should perhaps try it.

Moving on and I made my way up to the council chamber. A packed top table with the full quota of thirteen WTC Cllr’s was indeed encouraging to see. I’m not quite so sure about the outbreak of Movember that seems to have infested itself on one fine Cllr. We’re talking about a male member, by the way…

A crushing hammer to blow - something of a theme throughout the evening - and Mayor Needham opened the meeting with his best B & Q mallet. Matters arising addressed the seasonal matter of WTC taking delivery of a salt spreader. Some might say muck, but you can take that with, well, a pinch of salt, Comrades.

As ever, Reports from the County and Borough Councillors was the warm up act ahead of the wonderful Wivenhoe Working Wood Party.

Comrade Julie Young, the Labour red flag waver at Essex County Council kicked off, so to speak.

“Work on the new pedestrian crossing by the Co-op is imminent. We are still waiting for the new bus shelter along Rectory Road. I am told that this will be in place by the end of the year.”

Which is a bit like the number 74 bus.

Comrade Young then produced a handy cut out keep graph, highlighting the gap in funding for future projects given the recent Coalition government austerity measures. This *wasn’t* at all a party political point scoring exercise. No Sir, not here, never mind… as Cllr Young waved it in the direction of Conservative Borough Cllr Ann Quarrie.

But back to localism - back to the Localism Act:

“This puts more responsibility in the hands of Councillors. Health is a good example of this. Local people have an input into health related decisions. I want to flag this because our town Councillors may not understand what is being driven down.”

What’s not to understand about the continued delay in not building the new Wivenhoe surgery?

Land grabbing just outside the town boundary was on the mind of the good Cllr Vaughan, who took Cllr Young to task about the recent headlines regarding 3,000 possible new homes on the green land just to the east of the Greenstead.

“Why wasn’t Wivenhoe Town Council consulted on the Tendring development? We had a tip off from the Wivenhoe Society, but that was all. Has Essex County Council and Colchester Borough Council been consulted?”

Oh Lordy…

Talk about knowing your pecking order in the political planning food chain. Cllr Young responded by adding:

“The deadline for the consultation has now been extended until 25th November.”

That will be this Friday, then. Best put the civic pen to the WTC headed notepaper, ASAP.

Cllr Mark Cory, the LibDem ward representative for the Cross at Colchester Borough Council was able to add a little more meat to the bone:

“The Tendring consultation is not a solid document - it has simply been put out there and is open to offers. It will become firmed up as we move along. A submission from WTC will hold more value later on.”

Keep yer powder dry, ‘n all that. Best not put on the lip gloss just yet, Comrades. Those Tendring dolly birds don’t know what is about to hit them.

Cllr Cory added:

“It was not a deliberate decision in ignoring WTC. CBC was spoken to by Tendring as the neighbouring borough. CBC put it in frank terms that the Tendring document doesn’t sit with our own plans for the future of the area.”

Ultimately I suspect that it all comes down to Section 106 wonga. The brown envelopes will be lining the civic pockets of that other lot on the Tendring side, and not for the benefit of Sunny Colch. This point was alluded to in passing around the WTC top table, but in something of a covert nod and a wink way.

Time to put in that FOI request, Comrades, assuming that Tendring District Council actually has the online infrastructure to handle such tech based requests.

Oh, bugger.

Sitting in the dark but smiling as ever was the good Cllr Steve Ford, the Labour representative for the Quay ward at CBC:

“I have had no emails asking about my views on the Tendring document.”

Awww…

That’s one to take up with yer Lib / Lab senior coalition partners, Comrade.

Cllr Ford however was keen to keep it hyperlocal - hurrah!

“Four hundred and eighty responses were compiled ahead of the Wivenhoe Community Day of Action which takes place this Thursday. The door knocking campaign took place over two days. This is the eleventh time that CBC has carried this out - Wivenhoe has produced to date the highest response rate.”

Which is either a comment on the pride that locals have in the town, or a sign that something is seriously wrong. I suspect the former.

Cllr Ford continued by detailing the top five priorities that have been put forward by Wivenhoe locals to be addressed during the Community Day of Action:

“1. parking,

2. speeding,

3. dog fouling,

4. overgrowing trees and bushes,

5. litter.”

Cllr Ford concluded with a hyper hyperlocal matter regarding a missing cherry tree along the High Street:

“A cherry tree was recently removed by CBC from outside 73 the High Street. The householder has asked if CBC can replace this at no cost. I have arranged for this to happen, as well as a memorial bench to be placed nearby.”

Presumably not for the missing cherry tree. Localism matters - good work, all the same.

Back up in the Cross ward and back over to in the LibDem hyperlocal patch, Cllr Jon Manning updated with his observations from the past month:

“Because CBC has such a strong Local Development Framework, I fear that we may be fighting off over the border land grabs for some time to come. Districts such as Tendring have yet to put in place an LDF. This makes them an easy target for developers.”

There is a twisted logic in bolstering up yer own backyard, only to allow mass building programmes to take place over the border because of your relative strength. It’s the local authority equivalent of the Three Little Pigs, huffing and puffing until the nasty developer finds the way through the weakest link.

Which most certainly isn’t CBC:

“The Capital Programme for the year ahead has now been finalised. New pavilions at both the KGV and Broad Lane have both been included. These come in at £12,500 and £14,500 respectively.”

A similar project is apparently also in place for the Cricket Club at Rectory Road. Slight confusion then followed, with the £5,000-ish amount thought to be too low to warrant inclusion in the official forecast.

What’s £5K amongst sporting friends?

Finally, Conservative Cllr Ann Quarrie of the Quay ward recovered from having an austerity graph flashed in her face, to deliver her State of the Nation address for the past month:

“I have emailed Bernard Jenkin to come and see us to sort out the health centre situation.”

Well done you.

And then it was a case of exit stage left for three of our four Borough Cllr’s - or even exit stage centre right. Comrade Ford bedded down for the duration.

Time for the WTC monthly business, and there’s no better place to start than with Planning. A site meeting at Cook’s Shipyard took place last Saturday. All four fishing boats have now taken up their place in the WTC supervised wet dock.

Cllr Lodge observed that a stray boat and canoe [not guilty] are also still in place in the wet dock area. These need to be “diplomatically removed.”

Um, good luck.

Cllr Sinclair suggested that WTC should first try and find out who owns them, and then have a polite word. Which sounds about right.

Not so simple is the continued saga in the decade long delay to build a new health centre for Wivenhoe. A letter was read out from Sheila Bremner, the NHS North East Essex Chief Executive, addressed to WTC.

Explaining away the lack of activity in replacing a bungalow with a state of the art health centre, it stated:

“We have had to re-think the requirements. This does not mean that schemes such as the one proposed for Wivenhoe is no longer needed. We are engaging with the practice actively to seek a solution that will not leave a financial legacy.”

Engaging, solution, legacy - it all sounds terribly like Mr Tony speak - and we all know what a twaddle of the Third Way Nu Labour farce turned out to be. Lip service for the locals, with an iron grip firmly around the purse strings.

Would Sir like to gently cough for me, please?

Meanwhile, I hear that yer man Bernard has been going round telling local folk that the dosh IS there to build the new Wivenhoe health centre.

Confused? Me too, Comrades.

Speaking of keeping one eye on the balance sheet, the Best Value Committee has received a request from the Wivenhoe Fair Trade group to enhance the Welcome to Wivenhoe signs around the boundary of the town with a Fair Trade strap on, so to speak.

Payment will come from the Fair Trade group; permission is required from Essex Highways. WTC unanimously agreed to back the proposal.

Not so clear-cut for the untrained eyes and ears was the Estates Working Party. Not privy to the WTC documents, I can’t comment further on Cllr Lodge’s question of:

“What is happening with the Montessori issue?”

For the record, the answer from Mayor Needham was:

“An email was received at 6pm this evening. We are keen to bring this matter to a conclusion. We are waiting legal advice.”

Sometimes you just need to stretch your legs and get away from it all; sometimes you just need a wander into Wivenhoe Wood to observe the lovely little fluffy creatures that leave you with a warm glow inside and a little present along the wood path in which to mess up yer size 9′s.

What of the Wivenhoe Wood Working Party?

Cllr Sinclair commented:

“Squirrels are diminishing, trees are thriving.”

Awww… Say it ‘aint so, Sir.

What we need now Comrades is the healing power of the Munty Bus. The lovely, lovely folk of the Quay Quilters, fresh from a fantastic weekend exhibition at the Loveless Hall [where else?] have only gone and made a VERY generous donation to everyone’s favourite Communty Bus.

£2,200 - WOW!

Genuine appreciation followed from all around the table. “Fantastic stuff,” added Mr Mayor.

Just down the High Street from the Loveless Hall [where else?] and we find ourselves outside the old police houses. Or the ex-police houses and soon to be council property.

“We now have the keys - the purchase is well on the way”

…commented Cllr Lodge. As well as offering up possible WTC office space and extra parking, the plan is for WTC to let out the two properties to gain extra income. One of the houses is said to be available to rent now, the other requires some electrical work.

Hopefully the dosh delivered from this extra income source can help finance the flushing of toilets. A figure of £1,000 has been quoted for WTC to hire six portaloos for the occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Now I’m no flag waving Royalist, but SIX toilets to lodge my distaste for the Establishment? That does seems a little excessive.

Ah - I see. The plan is for WTC to stage a week long celebration of Brenda’s Big Moment next year. This will span May Fair weekend, all the way through until the following Saturday. It is an ambitious programme of events that is being proposed - a party in the park, children’s athletics, teddy bears picnic, tug of war, a dog show, a brass band concert and hopefully a fireworks display to finish it all off.

There is great concern however that public toilets for the weekend will be at a premium. It’s a dirty business, but someone has got to do it. Planning is in place for the portaloos. We’ll have to wait and see if WTC can, um, deliver.

Now wash your hands, please.

Mayoral activity for the past month was as ever impressive: the Wiv Soc Craft Fair, the Wivenhoe Civic Service, the Colchester Oyster Feast, Colchester and Wivenhoe Remembrance Services and the Shane Diggens production of Fawlty Towers at the Loveless Hall [where else?] over the weekend:

“This was fantastic for Wivenhoe. All shows were absolutely sold out - two more performances could have been included. Well done Shane!”

Community Safety and Police Matters reported back on the recent meeting of Neighborhood Watch. And the conclusion? Not enough of a police presence around Wivenhoe, apparently.

Finance left the meeting with a frosty feel. The budget is being set on 14th December. A “couple of projects” will have to be stalled. Where’s the graph toting Cllr Young when you need her?

And finally…

Something much more warming, which started off with a “what…?” but ended with a “woh…”

A letter has been received from the good Rev Irwin of St Mary’s thanking WTC for the very generous donation of £100 towards the purchase of some sweets ahead of the arrival of Saint Nicholas at the Quay at 11am on Saturday,

Hang on - £100?

It was agreed at the last WTC monthly meeting - and after considerable debate - that £75 out of the requested £100 could only be afforded on this occasion.

It seems that an anonymous donor has rounded the sweet fund up to the fighting figure of £100.

Sweet.

To Colchester Arts Centre! …on Sunday afternoon for what is fast becoming something of a regular showtime session. Treading the boards this weekend was the dear old thing Henry Blofeld, delivering a lecture, answering some questions and generally playing to the appreciative Colchester gallery in his role at chief cricket goon.

Splendid.

The most rock ‘n roll of riders was on display upon entering the lobby at St Mary’s at the Walls. Cases of bolly, lovingly bottled by the fine Colchester Wine Company, and produced with the Great Man in mind were on sale. Blowers’ 11 is looking like being a vintage year.

Seventy-two years of age and Henry Blofeld can still command the crease. The afternoon event attracted gentlemen of a certain age, not to mention a certain style. I was unsure at first if this was a cricketing afternoon or a convention for cravat lovers.

No one is claiming that Colchester is a cricket town - likewise I’m sure Chelmsford would be hard pressed to boast of the many cultural assets that Britain’s Oldest Recorded Town can rightfully celebrate. But for such a bat and ball barren town, the old aisles at the Arts Centre were full to capacity.

@AnnaJCowen and I treated the event like any other cricket match that we attend; a picnic hamper (of sorts) was produced. I advised the Girl that it was probably best to leave the old Ribena to red wine Test Match trick back at base.

As for the Dear Old Thing?

“Good afternoon, my dear old things”

…was the opening line spoken by Blowers as he greeted Colchester with the confidence of a chap that knows his tall tales are going to go down like Shane Warne being slogged for six at Lord’s.

“Colchester is a bugger to find a parking space”

…at least kept the conversation hyperlocal.

What followed was a batting and bowling session, with a drinks break served up in-between. First of all was the lecture from Blowers. Cricket was strangely absent for the majority of the boundary tales. The life of a chap growing up with a recognised privileged upbringing offered an insight into the other side of the Upstairs Downstairs equation.

But Blowers is no snob. Stories of mixing with the Queen Mother and fancy family foreign holidays seamlessly blended into the slog that he has had to endure, along with a considerable cricketing work ethic.

We heard all about the foreboding Mother Blofeld figure, aptly named Grizzle; a boyhood bicycling incident that cut short a promising cricket career, plus a well observed resemblance of the Media Centre at HQ with the wife of a former Prime Minister.

Wearing a pair of splendid scarlet red slacks to match the much loved red London busses that Blowers always eulogies about when working at The Oval, our host was a captivating figure, keeping the Colchester crowd alert with a lecture for well over an hour.

Following the drinks break, and it was time for the Q and A with the crowd. Essex Boy Alastair Cook was recognised as an “outstanding player,” and another line in great England captains that the County has produced. My question on matching fixing, fixture congestion and alcohol restrictions at Test match venues raised a smile from the old fella.

Come the close of play and Blowers encouraged the audience to remain at the Arts Centre and to share a few personal stories, as well as the odd glass of Blowers bolly. This is a man who hopefully has many summers remaining at the crease, with a mischievous insider take on the Establishment and a genuine love of the game.

Splendid, my Dear Old Thing.

And so the morning after the night before and it was return to the scene of the hyperlocal high spirits with a visit to the monthly Wivenhoe Farmer’s Market. Twelve hours previous and the Congregational Hall had hosted the wall-to-wall salutations of the Wiv Soc Wine Tasting evening.

Back to basics on Saturday morning. Back to the beetroot.

Blimey.

The Wivenhoe Farmer’s Market deserves a dedicated spot on Autumn Watch. It is well placed to observe the changing of the seasons, with the departure of the summer guard and the welcoming of the produce for the winter months ahead.

Strawberries were out; potatoes stock was in. I still managed to sneak in a frozen pizza from the Co-op en route to the Congregational Hall. That should go down rather well with a generous serving of stewed cabbage.

Many of the regular stall holders reflected this change, offering up for sale the delights that these darker months has now delivered. Our friends from the Friday Frinton Farmer’s and Craft Market were well stocked for carrots, cauliflowers and onions. I bagged mine up - and then blogged about it.

It is always good to see some new traders try out their fine produce on an appreciative Wivenhoe shopping crowd. The Cantonese Wok and Roll stall was as enthusiastic as the pork was tender, all at 9am on a Saturday morning as well.

Christmas cakes were positioned towards the top end of the hall, somewhere roundabouts near to the red wine section from the Wiv Soc Wine Tasting the night before. There’s probably a Master Chef message in there, Comrades.

Chin Chin.

The lovely folk from the Colne Soap Makers had a fine selection of locally produced products on sale. @AnnaJCowen surprisingly scrubs up rather well, especially after a mouthful of Christmas cake and a swig from the red wine bottle. I bought the girl something to help her along with this cleaning up process, come Christmas Day.

And so sometime just after twelve hours since the last drop of Wiv Soc plonk was washed down, we left the Congregational Hall having now been fed on a hangover diet of sausages from Great Bentley, Irish soda bread and Cantonese pork.

Never turn down a free breakfast, or even a free sample from the welcoming traders that come to Wivenhoe each month. That soap actually almost looks edible, especially after a night out on the Wiv Soc lash.

To the Congregational Hall! …on Friday evening.

“Come along to the Wiv Soc Wine Tasting evening,” they said. “Sample the finest wines known to humanity, aka the Co-op along the High Street,” they added. “Squeeze in a cheeky king size saveloy from Papa’s on the way home” sealed the deal.

What about… forget that you have been drugged up to the eyeballs on Ibuprofen for the past fortnight, and any alcohol passing your pert lips is going to leave you in danger of performing a naked midnight moonlight dance outside The Nottage?

Apologies, Madam.

I was pleased to see to see the presence of a bucket, strategically placed beside each table at the Congregational Hall. This is my kinda drinkers I thought - live hard, play hard.

“You may like to spit or swallow,” remarked the Wine Toaster Supreme.

Blimey.

“We are not here for drinking,” he added. It was around this time in the evening that Ibuprofen started to kick in and all sense of rational thought was soon lost, come the first sip of the Co-op’s finest rose.

The Wiv Soc Wine Tasting Evening was actually a rather splendid, and thankfully reserved affair. Guided by the excellent and reassuring Dave Harrison, on offer at the Congregational Hall was a sample of three whites, three reds and a rose, all available at a very reasonable price from the Co-op, the very kind sponsors for the evening.

Having taken up a tactical position at the front of the Hall, @AnnaJCowen and I were first up for the sampling, each time that the charming Maidens of Wine went on their walkabouts.

I note that @AnnaJCowen didn’t spit.

Questions such as “what does the aroma remind you of” …or “what are you getting from your taste buds?” made the evening a genuinely co-operative event for the fifty or so Wiv Soc wine tasters.

“Is anyone picking up a whiff of gun flint?” came the call from the Wine Toaster Supreme.

Nope, but I did feel like I have been floored following the heady mix of Les Charmilles Pouilly-fume and Ibuprofen. The Congregational Hall playgroup pics of happy smiling families along the rear wall grew a wider grin as the evening progressed.

The session was paced perfectly, with the pitch between knowledge and guidance sitting just right as the Rioja started to flow. The Co-op offers all wines on a sale or return basis - you can buy up a crate of plonk, and then after the first bottle, decide that you would prefer four cans of Special Brew and get your money back.

Not many Wivenhoe folk know that; not many Wivenhoe folk ever have the need to carry this through.

We were told about the difference between “new world and old world wine.” I’m not exactly sure where Wivenhoe is placed in this geographic equation of glug, but the Congregational Hall was the centre of my wine world for Friday evening.

Many thanks to Wiv Soc, Dave Harrison and the Maidens of Wine for such an enjoyable experience.

Chin chin.

To the Hythe! …on possibly the dullest day of the year to date. I don’t pick these photographic moments deliberately. The cunning plan was to try and capture the area around the old Coldock warehouse as a snapshot of an overcast November morning. Nothing more, nothing less.

Nothing less proved to be closer to the truth when it came to the time to edit my images.

My attention has been alerted of late to a two-man team carrying out some work around the abandoned Coldock front. This is either a couple of engineers simply securing the site, or the slowest demolition of an old industrial structure in the history of civil engineering. Panel by panel has been painfully removed, often no more than one per day.

Safety or structural removal - either way, now was a good time to try and capture a little piece of Colchester industrial history on camera. The Hythe has a regeneration speedometer that is even slower than my cycling along the Wivenhoe Trail, but somehow I can’t see Coldock still standing in fifty years time.

A BIG project is certainly needed as a grand gesture to kick start the regeneration that is so badly needed. This type of showboat political and economic approach characterised the late ’90s New Labour era when it comes to the transition of a town. The outcome is a run of Buy to Let properties, all the way down from the Hythe following the muddy banks of the Colne.

It remains something of a paradox how the heritage of Coldock can lay dormant, whilst on the opposite bank of the river the new Reflections development is nearing completion. The marketing blurb and boardings boast of bright young things living some contemporary urban lifestyle, Colgate teeth to match the Coldock decay.

Betcha half of the properties will still be empty by this time next year.

The Hythe has a few near misses of late. The old warehouse adjacent to Coldock was granted planning permission for Halstead Antiques Center to move in. The space seemed perfect; the demand for housing local traders was assured by the company.

But with a chilly eastern wind blowing down the Colne, and serving as something as a metaphor for missed opportunities, Halstead Antiques Centre recently pulled out, citing “heating costs.”

Brrrrr.

I hope that the images below don’t misrepresent the area as it currently stands - the camera never lies, but a few little tricks in Photoshop certainly help to accentuate your argument. I wasn’t trying to shoot the latest cover for some chic, Hythe Tourist Board, simply aiming to present Coldock and the surrounds as it currently stands.

It’s not all black and white…

Full flickr feed.