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Selected highlights from the recently published Wivenhoe News…

If you think that editing down a FORTY page hyperlocal newspaper for a hit and miss blog post is hard work, what about actually editing Wivenhoe News? Mighty fine work, as ever from the esteemed team that produces the quarterly publication around Wivenhoe. The Winter 2011 edition marks Peter Kennedy passing on the role of Chief Editor. Something tells me that his days of sourcing every last drip of hyperlocal news each quarter haven’t quite come to an end just yet…

And so what of the content within?

Woh – where to start…

The Cricket on the Hearth occupies the front page:

“The well known and well liked storyteller, Robert MacCall returns to St Mary’s on 6 December. Charles Dickens’ novella [geddin there!] The Cricket on the Hearth, is a comedy of errors.”

It also starts at 7:30pm, for the not so princely sum of £7.

Workers of Wivenhoe salutes everyone’s finest purveyor of king size saveloys, and now also the proprietor of a coffee shop along East Street: Theo Papadamou is my hyperlocal personal hero every Friday night.

There’s a cut out and keep (sort of) pic special on all that was ACE about the Church Ale – which is pretty much everything. The Editorial then explains the new Wivenhoe News Diary format. Essentially *too* much is happening in Wivenhoe. The diary has almost doubled in size.

Hurrah!

The historical overview of Station Road, superbly written by Jane Hughes, is worth the £1 purchase price alone.

Ian Valentine rings in the changes with an explanation of how to perform the perfect Quarter Peal from the big bells at St Mary’s. Sitting back with my first glass of port on a Wednesday evening at around 8pm, all sounds ding-dong and delightful from just up the road.

The charming Pet Shop Girls invite all customers to their first year celebration, taking place on Saturday 10th December from midday onwards down at the Business Centre. Here’s hoping that this becomes something of a celebratory annual event.

Pam’s Dam’s magnificent Minories exhibition is given a keen watchful eye by Peter Kennedy (“an enchanted glade of a picture…“) whilst Tom Roberts writes about the recent emotional Laying of the Standard at St Mary’s.

Arts ahoy! …on pages 12 – 13, as would expect from a small town that probably cleans its paintbrushes each morning, before it cleans its teeth. The Moving Image makeover season is explained by Michael Padmore, the return of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society to the William Loveless Hall (where else?) in March with Ruddigore is previewed, and Mad Dogs and Englishmen is once again booked in by Wiv Soc for a midsummer appearance.

Jon Wiseman’s simply superb The Story of Wivenhoe Cricket is reviewed (“I recommend this book to anyone who loves the game…“) the Multi-Use Games Area gets the thumbs up at the Hub and Wivenhoe WEA puts on a cheery face ahead of the forthcoming Moral Dilemmas in Nazi Germany ten week course at the Methodist Hall.

poetrywivenhoe gets the p.14 treatment – HONK! poetrywivenhoe is on the move in the New Year, with The Legion being the new (and old) venue for the first gathering on 24th January.

The Bookshop fills a page with launches, regular events and tales from the knitting circle. Betcha the Bookshop could fill an entire publication of Wivenhoe News with all the wonderful activities on offer – and that’s before they have even started to sell any books.

Wivenhoe in Bloom update with the recent work at the One-Stop garden. Meanwhile the Wivenhoe Bermuda Triangle down by Jardine / Eyecare and the Co-op is continuing to brighten up the area.

WAGA News reflects on the splendour of the summer show, Richard Allen confirms the first sightings of the black-tailed godwits and further down (or up?) the estuary and Richard Moulson, the Borough Council Ranger, celebrates the return of water voles to Ferry Marsh.

Tom Robert’s View from the High Street looks slightly outside of the patch with a report from the rejection by residents of Wivenhoe of the “generous offer” from Jenny Moody Properties. Linda Canham tempts us with tales of the Transition Town Wivenhoe Food Group – apple presses available to borrow.

The quite stunning Quay Quilters exhibition held at the Loveless Hall (where else?) gets a lovely write up. Over £4,000 was raised over the September weekend. An incredibly generous donation of £2,200 has been made to Wivenhoe Town Council.

Poignant, yet somehow inspiring obituaries are penned for Richard Joel, Jonathan Williams, Joe Allard and Doug Meyers. This is a role that Wivenhoe News always undertakes with great sensitivity. Remembering folk of the town, and then celebrating their life in print is a task that could be undertaken by no other publication.

The University updates with developments on Wivenhoe House (new manager appointed) a Wear it Pink Day (breast cancer awareness) and the new design for the student residences (bloody awful.)

The Sailing Club celebrates the success of the Cadets Regatta and the Open Day, whilst Wivenhoe Town FC is also building from the bottom up, with fifty teams competing in the youth pre-season tournament.

Broomgrave School is GOOD – and that’s official, according to that nice Mr Ofsted. Millfields meanwhile has suffered with a despicable break-in and theft of ICT equipment, yet somehow managed to pull the school community together with some great fundraising activities.

Our esteemed MP, Bernard Jenkin, manages to devote a full half page bangin’ on about his favourite hyperlocal pet subject – um, the collapse of the Euro. I’m sure it is all relevant when it comes down to Bernie’s main day job of trying to deliver a new Health Centre for Wivenhoe.

Mr Mayor meanwhile knows his manor from top to bottom, as anyone who has spotted Cllr Needham quietly going about his daily inspections will know. Halfway through his wearing of the civic chains, Mr Mayor reflects on the rejection by residents for the cash offer by Jenny Moody Properties for the Millfields land, the purchase of the police houses by Wivenhoe Town Council and the signing of the leases for the shipyard.

Not a bad six months…

Smiling Cllr Steve Ford also packs in a very busy schedule (and a day job – good man…) Cllr Julie Young of Essex County Council has also been carrying out some fine work with the zebra crossing outside the Co-op and a new bus shelter outside William Sparrow Court.

Mr Mule’s superb The Stars on a Tray (“well-placed jaunt across the less well-travelled contours of the places, people and events that help to make up Essex“) gets the Wivenhoe News seal of approval.

The Cricket Club reflects on a superb summer, finishing third in the division, the Tennis Club is going all high tech with a “bubble” planned for the courts in 2012. Wivenhoe Bowls Club continues throughout the winter months with a move indoors.

Blimey.

And that is pretty much Peter Kennedy’s final sign off for Wivenhoe News. Not a bad way to end a tremendous contribution to community reporting. I hear that the Spring edition deadline of 1st February is creeping up on us. Um, Peter – can you knock up 1,000 words please all about how Wivenhoe has simply so much happening that it is *almost* impossible to write about it all?

Splendid.

Wivenhoe News is sold at the Co-op, Crossways, the Post Office, Bryans Newsagents and the lovely Wivenhoe Bookshop.