Jubilee Bunting, Teddy Bears & Booze
To the KGV! …on Bank Holiday Monday for the Wivenhoe Town Council Jubilee FUN Day celebrations. No FUN Day is complete without the official HEAR YE! HEAR YE! welcoming from Wivenhoe’s new Town Crier Steve Godwin, ahead of the official opening by Madam Mayor, Cllr Penny Kraft.
11am as advertised, not a minute before, not a minute later.
Phew.
It would have been a shame to ask the civic folk to recreate the moment after a last minute dash and a morning spent grooming ahead of the big Jubilee FUN Day.
Let’s get the weather situation out of the way first. Over a year in planning, and then last minute panics at the Town Council as big grey clouds descended around these North Essex estuary parts.
Pah.
There was to be no *something or other* on the parade of WTC.
Hurrah!
Wellies were around, but more to do with the wanging [steady] contest, rather than sensible footwear. Come the close of the FUN Day sometime around 5pm, flip-flops had even made an appearance. Stunning though they were, they weren’t the most suitable footwear for a Tug of War contest, Sir.
Musikate for the younger members of the community came first. This was new to me, but delightful all the same. The little ankle biters seemed to love all the clapping, jumping and hugging.
“I’ve found a worm!”
…perhaps wasn’t part of the official programme, but well done you, young fella.
You can always gauge how much FUN a FUN Day is going to be by the time that the bar is open. 11am for your finest WTC officially endorsed beer seemed to be a good barometer. Brewed hyperlocally [oh yes] by the fine folk of Sticklegs Brewery, £10 for three bottles was just the taster that was needed ahead of Tatty Bumpkin.
EH?
Yet more charming activities for the members of our community, who aren’t quite old enough to experience the FUN that can be found within a WTC officially endorsed bottle of beer. It seems that Mss Bumpkin is a charming character that likes to take the children out on an adventure with her. By half-past eleven and Mss Bumpkin had managed to take the little ankle biters of Wivenhoe on a West Coast surfing trip. And we’re not talking Mersea Island, either.
Meanwhile, Welly Wanging was strategically placed away from Mss Bumpkin and her army of ankle biters. But with welly sizes ranging from incredibly small, to incredibly large, this was a FUN activity for all.
Even Madam Mayor threw her hat into the ring, as well as throwing a welly that almost floored her delightful Escort.
Whoops.
And so Musikate, Mss Bumpkin and welly malfunctions; it’s not exactly the cutting edge of hyperlocal journalism. Tell us about the meat on the bone…
That will be the hog roast then, serving particularly large sized portions shortly after midday. There’s no FUN in a FUN Day without feeding the masses ahead of the afternoon celebrations coming up.
One of the success stories on the day was undoubtedly the hog roast, which had been eaten to the bone by 3pm. Impromptu family picnics were soon set up, and you could see how the vision of WTC to facilitate [oh yes] the FUN day, and then allow locals to celebrate the Jubilee in their own chosen way was starting to work out.
“Cllr Steve Ford to the Teddy Bear Tree, please. Cllr Steve Ford to the Teddy Bear Tree.”
Blimey.
It was hardly the division bell back in Westminster, but then smiling Cllr Steve Ford is hardly a savage political beast on the prowl; some might say more of the cuddly teddy bear of hyperlocal politics - which made the good councillor the ideal choice to lead the Wivenhoe local kids on a Teddy Bear Hunt through the wood.
It wasn’t quite a Pied Piper of Wivenhoe scene, but the eagerness of the young folk to follow Cllr Ford suggested a strong belief when it comes to teddy bear ideology. There are future votes in those teddy bear followers, dontchaknow…
Here Comes the Sun played out on the KGV PA [hurrah!] and soon it was time to bury the WTC Jubilee time capsule. Madam Mayor led the ceremony to stash away a snapshot of Wivenhoe life in the summer of 2012. Speeding signs, new houses and empty pint glasses apparently don’t feature.
Following the ceremony in front of the flashbulbs of the town’s hyperlocal media, the capsule will be re-buried in a secret location in the Jubilee / Wildlife Garden [depending on who you talk to...] at a later date. The exact location will be lodged with the good Town Clerk, and then added to the job description to safeguard this piece of hyperlocal history.
Today’s Tatty Bumpkin dancer is tomorrow’s guardian of the time capsule.
Also leaving a legacy [GEDDIN] on the FUN Day was the ACE Wivenhoe Jubilee Jigsaw. This is a true collaborative project that has united many different geographical and social elements of the town. Superbly organised by Marika Footring - both online and offline - the official unveiling of the Jubilee Jigsaw sees the completion of a hyperlocal project that is perhaps unique to the town.
Representatives from all the pieces were invited to come up and place their contribution in the frame.
Whaddya mean one of the pieces is missing?
Only joking…
It’s a postcard waiting to happen I tell you [oh yes] as well as soon to be mounted outside the Co-op, another symbol of co-operation.
“Can any children who want to take part in the Mini Games please make their way to the Main Arena“
…came the call. Having unfairly missed out on a Silver Jubilee sporting medal back in the day (it was a FIX) - now was the time to take my glory. I considered rolling my trousers up and waddling over to the Main Arena on my knees. But I think that this was more the fighting spirit of the WTC officially endorsed beer talking, rather than any genuine sporting endeavor.
The Parade of Nations was ACE - all flags had been produced in the local schools. A few false starts in the two - three year-olds category (always the case) but soon the Mini Games were giving the Olympics a good run for their money.
The Egg and Spoon Race descended into Wivenhoe’s It’s A Knockout; the Mums, Dads and Grandparents Challenge joined up the generations for what the highlight of the Jubilee FUN Day. Hilariously commentated upon, and each race seemingly ending with competitors collapsing at the finish line. London 2012 take note.
The sporting theme continued up towards the top of the field with the Tug of War competition. Organised with military precision by our friends from the Garrison, as well as a huge contribution from good egg Paul and others, up for grabs was the gleaming trophy, very kindly purchased by The Station Hotel.
Which sorta made the competing Station team extra keen to defend their trophy and honour. The Greyhound was also represented, with the truly international angle coming from a team travelling across the water from, um, Rowhedge.
It sometimes became a little unclear as to which team was competing - some of the characters seem to drink in every local boozer. Add in the comedy value of the KGV slope, and the Tug of War kept in spirit with the FUN Day.
It was to be Team Greyhound that triumphed. Have a drink on us.
Chin chin.
And finally, who let the dogs out?
Woof woof.
Late afternoon and the canines of Wivenhoe collectively assembled on the KGV. The Jubilee Dog Show made the event truly inclusive. Lovers of cats are probably FUN-less [oooh] after all.
Prizes were awarded for categories including the Dog with the Waggiest Tail, the Most Handsome Male and the Prettiest Bitch.
Note the lack of jokes.
Rosettes were awarded; prizes were very kindly supplied by the lovely, lovely Pet Shop Girls down at Wivenhoe Pets at the Business Centre.
Is that sufficient FUN for ya?
Staging the Jubilee Fun Day has been a process that has been in place for over a year now. Wivenhoe Town Council formed a working party once the idea was established, with careful planning to try and stage an event for all in the town to share. This was explained in more detail by Madam Mayor, in-between bouts of medal giving, welly wanging and Jubilee beer tasting:
This was a truly inclusive event. Something for everyone, blah blah blah cliché, but the community came out to support what WTC has worked so hard to stage over the past Year. The Jubilee was of course the cohesion for this, but the Monarchy angle wasn’t forced upon you. For every God Save the Queen there is a stray welly wanger about to take your head off.
The roll call of thanks is too long, and reflects the community co-operation. Cllr Bob Needham first came up with the idea; Cllr Fran Richards has been largely responsible for making the FUN Day happen. Plus don’t forget all the volunteer stewards, bucket shakers, stall holders etc.
It wasn’t just about Wivenhoe though. As well as our friends from Rowhedge, the FUN Day attracted international interest from Hawaii.
Blimey.
Talk about hyperlocal etc.
FUN kinda day.
Full flickr feed.
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