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To the canoes! …came the call at high water on Sunday morning. To Sunny Colch as well.

Cripes.

But first, what about carrying those ultra light kayaks down to the Quay without causing another nuclear domestic around the peripheries of Park Road? I think that the girl and I just about got away with, encased in black rubber from snout down to rubber socks. Fancy a toe suck, my dear?

The plan was to cadge a lift on the Colne, just as high water was starting to hit the muddy launch of the Sailing Club hard. A conversation here, a flirt there, and whaddya know – three hours later and we finally launched in an inch of water.

Well, not quite, but it just proves the theory that you can’t plan and time keep when in Wivenhoe.

I almost lost the old girl during the launch (the kayak, not @AnnaJCowen) but finally found arse, elbow and oar, all in ship shape sailing sequence as we made a majestic manoeuvre in full view of the Rose and Crown quaffers.

This is the catwalk of Wivenhoe – a comparison that works on oh so many levels. It is not the best place for an inexperienced canoe kid to put himself on show, poncing around with pretensions of 2012 in the water.

A wetsuit just got a little wetter.

Whoops.

Anyway, past the mouth of the Roman River, which was looking rather hungry and tempting as we considered cutting out Sunny Colch and keeping it hyper-hyperlocal.

But have high water, will travel.

We raised an oar up towards the Rowhedge land lovers – no high society catwalk expectations to live up to here – not so much a fashion show but a freak show. Ah, but from which side of the water?

And then it was all plain sailing.

Sort of.

The expanse and width of the Colne increases substantially as soon as you enter the stretch just past Wivenhoe Wood. The tidal current becomes choppy and you need to choose the right stream in order to make the water flow work for you.

@AnnaJCowen was rather, um, shit at this, taking the tidal current and becoming caught in the slipstream that sucked her right into the orifice that is the Pooh Factory reprocessing plant just ahead of the Hythe. It’s a dirty job, etc, and the mucky pup didn’t exactly come up smelling of roses.

The majestic lighthouse ship was the next landmark on the radar. The sheer size and nautical glory of this impressive lady can only really be appreciated whilst looking up at her old and faded beauty.

Reminds me of an ex- girlfriend I thought, as I pushed ahead and paddled on towards the new Hythe housing.

This then becomes the most interesting part of the exploration. Mother Nature gives way to manufacturing. You get to witness at water level the remains of what was once the industrial heartbeat of the Hythe.

Burnt out old hulls line up along the water, like a scene from a classical navy painting depicting some long lost Naval sea battle that ended up in carnage. The Colchester equivalent is probably just Yoof getting his kicks with a box of matches.

Old warehouse winches (not wenches) look down upon you, having long since lost the need, or means, to keep the Colne operational. The towpath is no longer trading. Instead it hides away all the old junk that the Hythe has to offer.

Destination Sunny Colch in sight, and we carried on with the canoe thing. Our Sunday morning North Essex paddle took on the twist of an Amazonian exploration, with the narrowing water requiring a delicate guiding of the girth of the canoe.

“That’s no river, Madam – it’s but a minor urine stream being released from the weak bladder of Sunny Colch.”

We took care not to disturb the splendour of the swans and their signet (shit scared, to be honest) and soon East Hill was on the horizon.

Um, and now what?

To Wivenhoe!

Hurrah!

We caught the Colne’s high water on the retreat, and drifted back downstream. Luncheon was being served on the decks, cyclists were carefree and car free along the Trail and the Ferry was doing the Rowhedge rendez vous thing.

Talk is of a Brightlingsea sailing before the season is out. Black rubber suits and a sausage in batter along the beach.

Brilliant.

To the Church! Um… To the Loveless Hall! Nope, make that… To Rectory Road!

The Wivenhoe Weekender had @AnnaJCowen and I in something of a flap on Saturday, as we attempted to fit into the waking hours an assortment of events that required, dedication, endurance and something slightly stronger than the mug of Horlicks that knocked us out the night before.

Only joking.

But with the Wiv Soc Fun Day, Art in the Church, the Wivenhoe Allotment and Garden Association Show, Cricket at Rectory Road and the King’s Speech being screened by Moving Image, last man standing was probably last man left with the saucer eyed stare come Saturday night.

The charming folk of Wiv Soc came a calling on Saturday morning. A pluck of a fiddly diddly folk guitar string, some plinky plonky piano and a raging (steady) hangover from the night before awoke us.

Never sleep with the window open in Wivenhoe. You never know what delights might greet you come the morning.

The girl scrubs up well, which is… just as well, seeing as a morning spent at St Mary’s was on the agenda. A most charming chat with Transition Town Wivenhoe all about kayak carrying etiquette, top tuneage from the Folk Club and even the appearance of the prettiest pig that the old churchyard has possibly seen.

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig, as I reminded @AnnaJCowen as we took up our place in the pew for Art in the Church.

Complimenting the religious artefacts within the sacred walls was some rather wonderful local paintings for one weekend only. We skimped on the £1 programme (lipstick to buy later) and took a gamble with a gander at the gallery.

Curiosity got the better of us; it must be all that post-Christianity guilt. A splendid cricket painting caught our eye, and we pondered at the price, and a possible purchase with the aid of a programme.

My mind was momentarily distracted by a full frontal nude from a 44FF charming local lady. Ah, I recognise her, I thought as I made my way over to the altar. Sadly not in the flesh, you understand, but a portrait painting that left little to the imagination of the art worshippers within.

Nice lipstick, as well.

Other noteworthy exhibits included David Needham (not bad for a European Cup winner with Forest…) Frank Baker’s unique Mediterranean interpretation of the Quay in watercolours and Gillian Baker’s acrylic re-working of the riverside front. The red dots indicating a sale matched the red richness of the acrylic textures.

But the time and tide of the quayside colourings wait for no man – or even no allotment crazed new kid on the block who has his heart set on securing a patch to plough the fields and scatter up towards the top end of the town.

And Now For a GOOD NEWS Wivenhoe Veg Story – phew:

The 47th WAGA show up at the Loveless Hall (where else) was everything that you could want from a good old honest country show. It came a close second to the splendour of Open Gardens for being our best moment so far in our Year in Wivenhoe [which is almost up for renewal...]

I knew that we would be in for a surprise as soon as we saw the scarecrow decorating competition just outside the car park. Broomgrove School had themed the entrants around the Royal Wedding. Sadly there wasn’t a firmed up straw backside of Pippa Middleton to pat, but Prince Charles looked like he was having a good time at the WAGA show.

I overheard @AnnaJCowen comparing sizes of courgettes with some green-fingered fella by the Loveless Hall entrance. I made a mental note to repeat back at base my earlier conversation about the pretty pig.

With the WAGA judging completed from earlier in the morning, all that was remaining now was to stuff your pockets with sweet corn and try and snaffle a king size chocolate cake to soak up all the booze.

But first – what about putting your name down on the Allotment waiting list?

Oh Lordy.

We had a charming, charming chat with a most charming, charming WAGA woman. Names and address on the back of a plate, and now we just need to wait for some old fella to think about tending that great allotment up in the sky.

We’ll need a wheelbarrow ASAP – not for all the beastly business of getting muck underneath your fingernails, but simply to transport the doorstep slices of fudge cake that were in Cafe WAGA. I’ve eaten less filling hog roasts.

A quick catch up of the tweets from earlier in the day [get you] and the girl pointed out that @Wtcccricket had been set a fine run chase by the friendly rivals up the road from Frinton.

To Rectory Road! … came the cricketing battle cry, as we lugged a bag full of beetroot up towards the Cricket Club. “I hope we don’t get a bag search,” said the girl.

Arriving fashionably late just after the tea / booze interval. Wivenhoe were chasing down an impressive 237. This was the Battle of Essex, with 3rd placed Wivenhoe taking on 4th placed Frinton. I’m not sure what the prize was, and nope, I’m not going to make any Essex girl jokes either.

“My dad is a big hitter, but only because he doesn’t like running…” has to be the cricketing quote of the season. Fair play, little fella for your fantastic boundary banter.

It even hit into the long grass @AnnaJCowen’s observation of:

“He’s injured – I’d hit upon him.”

I bet you would, my dear. But probably best to put on some lipstick first.

The skies began to bruise shortly before 6pm with Wivenhoe on 159-6. We made the strategic decision of buggering back to base and continuing with the booze.

The final leg of the Wivenhoe Weekend fell foul to the Fosters. The King was calling at Moving Image, but so were the lovely neighbours with a cunning plan to have a piss up disguised as a games evening.

Piggy in the middle?

It’s as you were for next weekend in Wivenhoe: the Church Ale, the Sailing Club Open Day, the Colne Barrier Open Day and the Transition Town Wivenhoe Barn Dance.

Blimey.

We’re buggering off to Lord’s to get away from all the frantic activity. Hard work this rural lifestyle.

Selected highlights from the recently published Wivenhoe News…

The news with Wivenhoe News is that all of this online prefacing is probably in danger of a word count on par with the fine publication itself.

Oh, y’know – JUST GO AND BUY A COPY – it will be the most worthy £1 that you can spend in Wivenhoe this weekend that doesn’t involve asking for a king size jumbo saveloy at Papa’s Fish Shop.

A showdown (of sorts) took place in the station car park over the summer months. Biros were put down, blogs were on hold. A [rather charming] member of the esteemed Editorial Team met with, um, a hit and miss hyperlocal blogger to discuss crossovers and collaboration.

Or something.

Actually it was a rather random meeting, and the lovely chat was more about how I can best get away with snaffling the entire diary pages from Wivenhoe News and pass them off as semi-original content over on the Wivenhoe Forum.

Whoops.

Anyway – a compromise was reached, hands were shaken and I looked forward to the autumn edition with all the anticipation usually reserved for a king size jumbo saveloy.

And whaddya know – here it is. A mighty fine read as well. Having explained how m’blog is going to preface and not quote word for word within, I’ve probably already spunked away 300 plus words on the intro alone.

Hey hoe.

So anyway – about those selected highlights from the recently published Wivenhoe News…

Jacqui Dankworth at St Mary’s Church is deserving of the front page treatment. It’s not everyday that the rising star of UK jazz calls in at Even Song at yer local village church. Not every small North Essex estuary town can boast the guitar genius of Chris Allard as a local either.

>Who? >What? >Where? >Why> When?

>skip >skip >skip >skip 8th October, 7:30pm, tickets from the Bookshop.

The Workers of Wivenhoe pin up this quarter is Sid the Fish, the charming fella who rolls up outside the Co-op each Friday morning with his selection of freshly caught local fish. As well as kippers, eels and elks, Sid can also satisfy the prawn peccadillo of particularly fussy cat.

Meowww.

May Fair 2011 Raises Over £4,500 for Charity… tells you all you need to know about the KGV coming together this year. Oh – and for all ye doubters out there, it is convenient timing to convey that Essex police announced this week that NO charges came out of May Fair 2011.

Splendid.

The ambitious Church Ale weekend gets a deserved plug (17th – 18th September), sitting opposite the Editorial, which helpfully de-myths the Wivenhoe News relationship with the Friends of St Mary’s (I think we’re all friends around here.) There’s also an appeal for reader’s to support Wivenhoe Town Council’s attempt to register the land opposite Millfields School as village green status (meeting at the Loveless Hall, 24th September, 2pm.)

Janes Hughes looks at the history of Colchester Road, Ian Valentine rejoices with bell ringing at St Mary’s and Jane Lee elaborates on the new town map located opposite The Greyhound.

If in doubt – head down the Colchester Road and listen for the sound of the bells…

Nottage News updates with… all news relating to The Nottage. The range of courses is impressive – as was the Nottage Summer Exhibition 2011, featuring Pru Green, Alison Stockmarr and Barbara Pierson, which also gets a review.

Moving Image reflect on the first year of staging an independent community cinema for Wivenhoe, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society explore the new production of Ruddigore. There’s also an ad for open auditions (now passed) for Wivenhoe’s Pantomime Group’s production of Robin Hood.

Looks like I’ve missed out on wearing the tights for another year.

Cricket Week and the launch of Jon Wiseman’s excellent The Story of Wivenhoe Cricket is covered, as is a favourable review of Around the World 2 – the recent show from Angie Diggens Productions.

The Wivenhoe Poetry Prize 2011 proudly prints the winning entry – Digitalis by Martin Malone. A written copy of the verse can currently be seen along the platform at Wivenhoe Station. You can also hear the poem (and others) being read out over here. No poetic licence required – just balls the size of melons for pointing a mic in the face of some performing poets.

Wivenhoe Bookshop cover, well, Wivenhoe Bookshop cover about bloody everything as per usual. Fine, fine work. Creative writing courses, readings, Philosophy breakfasts, book launches, reading groups – it’s a wonder they actually have time to sell any books.

Wivenhoe in Bloom put the green-fingered feelers out for possible bulb sponsorship. Open Gardens is reflected upon and WAGA look forward to the September show:

>Wivenhoe Allotment and Garden Association >annual show >Loveless Hall >why not >10th September.

Richard Allen looks ahead to the new birding season (first walk 10th September,) Sue Glasspool explains more about the Townscape Forum and Jo Wheatley from TTW addresses the big picture of peak oil and, um, the TTW barn dance.

Birds, historic buildings and a Barn Dance – blimey.

That’s not something that you are likely to read about in the next edition of OK magazine.

The Wivenhoe Diary 2011 is as vast as it is… plagiarised over on the Wivenhoe Forum. I hear that with so many new and emerging events around the town, a pull out A3 guide is currently under consideration for the next issue.

Diamond Jubilee preparations are well underway, writes the good Town Clerk, as are preparations for possibly the BEST night in the Wivenhoe calendar – Fireworks on the Quay, very kindly staged by WORC.

>WORC >fireworks and a fancy dress competition >the Quay >traditional >29th October, 6:45pm.

Margot Robertson, Don Smith and Andrew Nicholson are all lovingly remembered in wonderfully written obituaries.

The View from the High Street with Tom Roberts praises the “no brainer” decision of WTC to purchase the empty police houses along the High Street. Jokers to the left of me, clowns to the right – well the Loveless Hall and WTC offices – it seems the right move to make.

Cllr Robert Needham, the current Town Mayor, also reflects on this purchase, as well as managing the speed of change to the town that the University’s Knowledge Gateway is likely to bring to Wivenhoe.

“Potholes, pavements and planning concerns” are currently occupying the mind (and considerable time) of the good Cllr Steve Ford of Colchester Borough Council. The red flag waving Comrade of Cllr Julie Young of Essex County Council lambastes the failure to launch the 20mph limit in lower Wivenhoe.

Cllr Mark Cory of the Cross ward celebrates the success of The Hub, something which he hopes he can take with him in helping to put in place BRA (blimey) – the re-launched Broadfields Resident’s Association. 24th September is a date I’m hearing for the re-launch. The aim is to offer facilities for the yoof at the top half of the town.

Bernard Jenkin MP bangs on about the “surgery saga.” I suspect he will be doing the same in ten years time, should he still be holding public office.

The Sailing Club, Judo Club, Tennis Club, Bowls Club and Badminton Club all plug away with their sporting achievements. Over the page and the Chair of Wiv Soc admits to being “personally torn apart” over the planning issue for the old St John’s Ambulance Building.

Letters to the Editor praise the gravel garden opposite Wivenhoe Eyecare, bemoan Bernard Jenkin in making a party political point in Wivenhoe News and then concludes with something more positive in the Grand Garage Trail success.

And so that’s the preface out of the way – ready for the 5,000 word critical analysis written with a contemporary post-modern twist, as viewed from the perspective of a p-head down The Station?

Ah – I think I’ve just published it.

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

To the Rectory! [Oh Lordy] …on Sunday afternoon for the formal Open Gardens cheque presentation on behalf of the very fine folk of the Wivenhoe Society.

I say formal, but for a Sunday lunchtime, I scrubbed up as best as I could, forgetting about the 5, 6 and 7 ‘O clock shadow, and robustly trying to remember my P & Q’s in the splendour of such Saintly surroundings.

@AnnaJCowen arrived half-laced from the night before.

Only joking.

Just.

Wivenhoe Open Gardens 2011 was a huge success. It’s hard to quantify the magnificent feats achieved. Hard facts speak for themselves though: an incredible £3,400 was raised over the weekend.

The more qualitative angle (and I am a man that appreciates angles that are easy to qualify) would make more of the sheer delight of Wivenhoe folk allowing strangers to wander around their form and fauna for one weekend of the year.

The event on Sunday lunchtime was a celebration of this, as well as an opportunity to distribute all the dosh that had been raised. It was fitting therefore to stage the ceremony in the family home of the good Reverend Erwin Lammen, who very kindly welcomed folk into his patch on what must be a busy time for him back in the day job.

Food, as ever, is always the great socialiser; a generous pouring of something slightly stronger also added to les bon temps roulez.

Chin chin.

Whilst @AnnaJCowen was still dragging her best party frock around the lower end of the Sunny Colch nigh time entertainment circuit, the good ladies of the Wivenhoe Society were busy buttering their bread. And the rest.

I’m told that a 5am start was needed to lay the spread that would later feed the 150 (ish) in the back garden of the good Reverend’s family home. Fine work.

And then just as the bruising skies of Sunny Colch came blowing up the Colne estuary, the equally big and booming voice of Mayor Needham called to order the gathering, before giving way to the good Chair of Wiv Soc.

The funds raised from Open Gardens were divided equally between St Mary’s and Wiv Soc – who in turn very kindly handed over its £1,700 share to the very deserving Wivenhoe Helping Hands.

As well as Open Gardens, this year we were recognising the achievements of the Front of House competition. Entrants were initially slow, but a bit of active informal praise and prodding of the many Wivenhoe homes with charming hanging baskets, soon extended the competition to just over thirty locations for the judges to consider.

Prizes were passed on; photos were captured, more plonk followed.

Events such as Open Gardens and Front of House can only survive with the goodwill of the locals entering, as well as the tireless work of the Wivenhoe Society. The weekend still remains the genuine highlight of our Year in Wivenhoe.

Here’s hoping that we’re still around to sample the Sunday afternoon refreshments come next September.

Following the Saturday afternoon Hythe-a-thon with Mr Mule at The Greyhound a few weekends back, I took the good man’s advice and went for a mooch around Colchester’s forgotten industrial past, capturing it in photo form.

I use to make money (ish) from doing this sort of thing back in South London, photographing the area’s faded glory ahead of the rapid pace of gentrification. Something tells me that the same urgency of documenting the changing landscape of The Heygate hasn’t yet reached the Hythe.

Which has to be a good thing.

You can re-build at a pace that satisfies the developers, but it most certainly doesn’t satisfy the soul of the community. Even on a damp grey day down by the old industrial heartbeat of Colchester, and the Hythe still had something unique to offer amongst the uneasy alliance of rubble and buy to lets.

The area is far from dead I thought as I composed frame after frame, hoping to capture something of both the old and the new in a single shot. I lingered around the area opposite King Edward Quay, the former timber dock site that is now a dumping ground for old settees.

Plans are in place to open up a grand antique and architectural salvage yard around this patch. This is a sure sign that an area is set to change. I noted the appeal of the springless settees, and pondered that if they were perhaps given a good shampoo, they could be passed off as a piece of salvageable furniture, fit to sell on for folk who like something with a bit of character.

Strange, that.

Here’s hoping that the new money that is about to come into the Hythe won’t be put off by the salvageable, um, shit that is being planned by Anglian Water along the Shaven Haven Road.

Evidence was all around me of the way in which badlands caught between the old and the new sometimes takes a life of its own. The planners may be patient, but other forces occasionally help to speed along the pace of change. Burnt out buildings are rapidly becoming a heritage landmark around the Hythe.

I completed my morning of fancying myself as something of a flaneur [ooh - get you] by taking in the Hythe Station and the backdrop of words, images and thoughts, largely put in place by Mr Mule himself.

You won’t find any contemporary urban vision of a non-existent luxury lifestyle dream being sold here; instead the industrial history of the Hythe, exploring themes of the way the area once was, and how it might move forward with the same feeling, given a modern twist.

It’s not just art for art’s sake either. Even under the bruising skies of late August, primary school kids were sucking the last days of freedom out of the six week break, and clearly enjoying reading something slightly different on the railway billboards to the usual banal crappy advertising that is forced upon commuters.

The dampness of the day eventually did for the DLSR, and I headed back along the Trail and out towards Wivenhoe. As soon as you are parallel with the University South Towers and the Hythe becomes something that is out of site, out of mind.

It is almost as if a boundary has been put in place where the twisting muddy riverbanks of the Colne become at one with nature, rather than being tamed by the heavy industry that has characterised the Hythe of the past.

I can’t say that I’m a flag waver for a 16 metre high chimney flue that is going to pump out the stench of re-processed shit all day and all night, but at least a link with the industrial past will be put in place.

The Hythe has to change. Here come the salvaged settees, the short-term residents in the temporary accommodation and even the stench of the green apple splats being floated down the Colne from the aresholes of Colchester.

Same as it ever was.

Image copyright: Matt Keeling.

To Jardine Bistro! …as Bank Holiday Monday flickered a fading light to try and hold back the return of the working week. There is always something rather civilised and relaxed about walking through the doors on the Belle Vue Road corner. Work woes needed calming, with the clock counting down for twelve hours ahead.

@AnnaJCowen and I had picked the perfect evening for a friendly atmosphere and last tug away on the fag end of the Wivenhoe weekend. Local artist Matt Keeling was launching his splendid A Walk Through Wivenhoe exhibition, which can be viewed at Jardine until October 4th.

I know Matt through Sunny Colc circles and the creative hub @15QueenStreet. We’ve spoken about his work before, but purely in a professional capacity for both of us.

This was the perfect chance to corner Matt (quite literally) and ask him to open up about his very unique perspective on what can become something of a traditional and cliché view of the artistic Wivenhoe landscape.

I still find it hard to define precisely the work that Matt creates. I’ll take a stab by suggesting that it is recognisable local landmarks that are then given a new dose of life with a contemporary feel.

Even publishing the images online below doesn’t do justice to the colour clashes and striking balance that Matt is able to give to the local scenes with his hybrid of the old meets the new. You really do need to witness his work first hand.

Much like Matt’s appearance at Art on the Railings earlier in the summer, A Walk Through Wivenhoe has already been well received. Sales are healthy – two more were added on Monday evening…

These monthly Jardine viewings are really working out rather well. The bistro is usually closed on a Monday evening. It shows the commitment from Cristian and his staff to offer something a little more to the local community than the fine coffee and food.

You can catch a Walk Through Wivenhoe at Jardine until 4th October. It is best viewed when you need a work pick me up, and a wake up call away from some of the more picture postcard scenes of Wivenhoe. The start of the working day would be ideal…

All images copyright: Matt Keeling.

To the William Loveless Hall! …late afternoon on Sunday for a back to the future wander around John Stewart’s most excellent Wivenhoe Memories exhibition. I firmly believe in connecting the past with the present, in order to see where future perspectives may lie.

This philosophy may sound like some Third Way political twaddle rhetoric, but for me it means looking around you, seeing what is left from the past, and then thinking of ways to move forward and preserve all that is good from what has gone before.

I never did get to fulfil those Third Way political twaddle ambitions…

But anyway – Wivenhoe Memories:

Many folk around the town will be familiar with John and the amazing local artefacts that he managed to amass as a Wivenhoe labour of love. This love also extends to many private collectors, who recognise the importance of John’s desire to share these memories each year at the Loveless Hall.

All four sides of the Loveless Hall were lovingly filled with original photographs, maps, deeds and even items of clothing. The badminton court was also taken up with personal scrapbooks and reading material, all related to Wivenhoe local matters.

Many themes and strands started to emerge as I made my way around each display board. Booze figured highly. You could fill the Loveless Hall twice over with tales of Wivenhoe’s long lost boozers.

An old image of The Station, dated 1863, showed how remarkably the scene looking up Station Road remains as true today as it was almost one hundred and fifty years ago.

An image of Wivenhoe Station revealed a covered platform for folk waiting for the Clacton train. Further down the line and photographs of the old iron bridge linking across to Brightlingsea over Alresford Creek were also on display.

A couple of pillars either side of the Creek and the rickety rackety old railway hut are all that remain at the mouth of the Creek today. Weather torn and looking further battered by each winter; it would be a sad loss from the local historical landscape if these were ever to disappear.

Residential housing then featured as I wandered down the Loveless Hall. My hyperlocal historical nerdiness nearly gave way to a punch of the air, upon seeing for the first time a photograph of The Nook on the corner of Belle Vue and Park Road.

My inaugural Wiv Chat conversation with the charming Peter Green touched upon this. He had the old and wise historical ears and eyes; I was but the new boy on the block. Both of us however remarked on how it is strange that a photo of the house that gave way to the Dene Park estate appears not to be in the public domain.

Not so now – I only hope that Peter managed to get himself along to Wivenhoe Memories at some stage over the course of the Bank Holiday weekend.

Speaking of the old boys, and it was lovely to hear the elder gents and ladies of the town talking at the Loveless Hall throughout the weekend. Folk are getting on, and probably don’t get out as much now as they use to. Jon Stewart’s exhibition is also serving as a social focal point in which to meet up and share in their local memories.

It was hard to not to hear what they were talking about as I slowly made my way around Wivenhoe Memories. This is exactly the sort of people that I need to be linking up with for Wiv Chat. It felt intrusive on Sunday however to break into the old boy chat. Great to hear all the old stories, all the same.

An image of the Wivenhoe Regatta from 1905 also fascinated me. I recognised that sense of silliness, a lack of pretension and all round feeling of making a fool of yourself down at the front. It could almost have been the Wivenhoe Regatta of 2011.

One thought which I dwelled upon during my wanderings is exactly what is my personal favourite period from contemporary history? Wivenhoe Memories covered in great details life in the town over the past two hundred years.

I have long been attracted towards the tradition of the Edwardian period, both in terms of style – and the substance of what must have felt like a major new political and economic period that was fast approaching.

But then *my* personal history of the 1970′s and 80′s is equally engaging. This period was also covered in the exhibition. Memories are not yet so booze addled that the two decades when I was growing up are blanked out. There is a sense that you can almost reach back and touch this period, such is the deepness of your experience and recollection.

But I wasn’t in Wivenhoe during the 1970′s and ’80s – I was falling in and out of love with a football team, falling in and out of love with the current girlfriend of the week and then immersing myself in music.

What Wivenhoe Memories was able to do was to match up my own memories of the period with what was happening at the time around the town that I now call home. Shaking buckets for the miners in the Old Market Square in ’84? Yep, that was being done around these North Essex estuary wilds as well.

Various team photos from Wivenhoe sport over the different generations proved the point of how the history of a town can be told through sport. Many of the surnames remained the same, even two or three different generations down the line.

An original Sunday Times feature from 1938 was pinned up against a wall, reading:

“By Essex Waters – the Charm of Wivenhoe.”

Describing the town as:

“…typical of the charm of many quaint and drowsy [!] waterside villages.”

Some things never change.

Substantial documents were available to freely flick through. The Sainty family tree traced back ten generations of local folk, starting with Philip, b. 1754, and then providing a modern link with Rosemary Ann, b. 1970 in Colchester.

But the find of the afternoon for me was a personal photo album tucked away in one corner. It looked nothing special – I have similar items up in the loft, showing family holidays and new football kits being worn in the garden.

I almost didn’t pause to flick through, such was the splendour of the other exhibits lining the wall. Something triggered away on my mind though to have a brief browse. I’m lucky that I did as it provided me with my own Wivenhoe Memories personal gold for the afternoon.

On the inside cover was scribbled: Wivenhoe Arts Club, 1966 – 84. Jeannie Coverley had very kindly offered up for sharing her very personal photos of the farewell party that signified the end of the old Arts Club back in 1984.

I recognised many of the faces that were partying hard in the old Rectory – including one very prominent local Councillor, who seemed rather tired and emotional. Fine work, Madam.

In an age where taking a digital photo is as throwaway as eating a packet of crisps, I wonder what Wivenhoe Memories in fifty years time will be like? Still analogue based in a walk around Loveless Hall? Or maybe augmented reality as you sit at home and engage with whatever online medium of the day that is the preferred social tool of all the cool kids?

I hope not.

I hope I’m able to walk (or sit) in the Loveless Hall and reflect on them good old days of May Fair 2011, getting slightly tired and emotional at the Regatta and how we use to be able to cycle along the Trail and out towards Colchester.

Many, many thanks to John for giving up his whole Bank Holiday weekend to put on the exhibition. The past was connected; the future is… there to be made.

Third Way political twaddle ahoy!