onionbagblog

And so there you are, reclining in the reading room, large G & T in hand and monocle perched over your best eye, and y’know what? You haven’t actually got anything hyperlocal to read.

Bugger.

But wait! What’s this? The letterbox stutters like a dalek with a speech impediment, and then slowly slowly, the hyperlocal preferred newspaper of choice lands in your lap. Steady the buffers. Steady the G & T.

Yep - it’s only the January edition of the esteemed Organ of Truth and Justice, The Brightlingsea and Wivenhoe Chronicle. And y’know what? Start as you mean to carry on Scoop - it’s a bloody good read to welcome in the first month of 2012.

Scoop starts with something of a scoop for Scoop [steady] with the lead story of:

New Green Waste Local Collections Planned

“Following the recent closure of the recycling centre at Martin’s Farm, St Osyth, one of the region’s leading specialists in waste recycling has announced plans to launch a new venture for the local collection of green waste in bags. Run from Brightlingsea, the recycling would cover Brightlingsea, Wivenhoe and villages in north east Essex.”

Which is also pretty much Scoop’s news patch. Perfect. And a fine initiative as well. It’s either Dave’s Big Society filling the hyperlocal gap in service provision, or rampant commercialism comes to town. Either way, I rather like it:

“Launching of local green waste collections follows discussions between Brightlingsea based Eastern Waste Disposal Ltd and representatives from Brightlingsea Town Council, Tendring District Council Council and Essex County Council regarding problems created by the closure of the recycling centre at St Osyth’s.”

Note the absence of Wivenhoe Town Council and Colchester Borough Council. No worries. We are caught on the cusp here in Wivenhoe, not knowing if we are Arthur or Martha, but more than happy to pick up the scraps heading our way from across the Tendring border.

EDW are the fine people that very generously give up their resources and time to help out with the Wivenhoe Society riverbank clean up twice a year. So I like to think that they are more the smiling face of the Big Society, rather than rampant commercialism.

Fine work, fine story.

Just to clear up [aha] any flotsam and jetsam that be still littering [yeah, yeah] around the issue of re-cycling, The Chronicle also covers on p.2

County Council Closes Recycling Centre

Recycling old news, etc…

Not so amusing is the truly horrific headline of:

Violent Street Robbery in Wivenhoe

Many local folk are aware of this incident. It doesn’t sound any better with repeated reading:

“In a particularly violent assault in Wivenhoe, a 57 year-old man was robbed of his cash, and his bank cards were stolen from him. Three men were involved in the attack which took place in an alley leading from Clifton Terrace to the town’s railway station.”

Further disturbing details of the attack then follow. This was truly horrific, and it is no consolation when you remember that crime, or even the fear of crime is all-relative. A speedy recovery, and positive results from the police inquiry would be most welcome.

To add a little cheer, how about posting direct from a Chronicle advert? Nope - not for double-glazing or drain repairs, but something rather lovely that a regular reader was clearly inspired to take out paid advertising for:

“Wivenhoe resident, **** wants to thank those good Samaritans who came to the aid of her son on New Year’s Eve. He had been accompanying his mother on a shopping trip to the Co-op. Whilst suffering from the effects of his medication, he fell and injured his head. Several people came to his aid. An ambulance was called and immediate assistance was given. The staff at the Co-op were magnificent.”

Awww. That’s the Wivenhoe that we know.

The Chronicle also carries the formal objection from Wivenhoe Town Council with regards the *possible* positioning of the recycling and storage facility across the water in Fingringhoe:

Residents Have Fears over Noise and Pollution

“Wivenhoe Town Council has expressed its concerns over to Essex County Council over proposals to have a recycling and storage facility for construction and demolition waste at Ballast Quay, Fingringhoe. In its stand, the council is echoing the fears of many residents in lower Wivenhoe who are particularly concerned over the prospect of the noise which would be created from the unloading and crushing of waste building materials.”

The thing to remember here is that Fingringhoe has been ruled out as a preferred choice for the plant. But planning issues and common sense are never the best of bedfellows. The message coming out of WTC is that an active eye needs to be kept on this issue. A plan is needed, should Fingringhoe by default come back on the agenda. What is being proposed would certainly impact upon those living in Wivenhoe - a 24/7 plant, with all the noise and light that this would require.

Tai Chi Dave gets the nod and the wink on p.12, showcasing the success story of Dave Allen’s Great Bentley classes. The Open Mic session at the Rose and Crown on 6th February is also featured.

And that my friends is pretty much the re-cycling run through of the esteemed Organ of Truth and Justice. Waste disposal runs heavy - a week on Wednesday for your CBC collection of The Chronicle, assuming you don’t keep them filed away, ironed, prim and proper.

eBay gold, I tell you. eBay gold.