onionbagblog

To the Town Council Offices on a miserable Monday evening. The weather didn’t reflect my mood - who can fail to feel uplifted at the prospect of an hour or so of formal civic discussion?

Mr Mayor, or so it would seem.

An apology of absence (he’s a VERY busy fella, donctha know…) and instead we were under the splendid stewardship of the good Lady Deputy Mayor, Councillor Kraft.

Ruling as the Matriarch of Wivenhoe for the evening, the Lady Deputy Mayor ran a tight ship. It wasn’t quite as tight as her crab line from the day before at down at the Quay, but the bait of WTC mints proved too much for me to resist once again.

First off was the formal business of welcoming the two new Wivenhoe Town Councillors - Cllr Asa Aldis and Cllr Nick Tile. The new blood / bait have very kindly stepped forward and been vigorously interviewed as co-opted Cllrs.

We wish them well.

Correspondence from the public kicked off the conversation. High praise for Wivenhoe in Bloom came from Brian Thomas, noting the co-operation between the local green fingered gardening group and WTC in providing such a wonderful display outside by the Co-op / Jardine / Eyecare Wivenhoe - Bermuda Triangle.

Reports from the local political representatives followed. Cllr Julie Young, Labour’s representative for Colchester on Essex County Council (not THE representative, but not too far off either, Comrades) has had a busy month:

“We held a Scrutiny meeting last week. It was revealed that ECC has an UNDER spend of £480,000 for the previous financial year.”

Woh.

Run that through me once again, Comrade…

An UNDER spend of close to half a cool million. The good Cllr Young is pitching in to try and take £10k of this to spend on new toilets up at Broad Lane. I know a man who will feel quite flushed with that idea.

Cllr Young continued:

“The 20mph zone for lower Wivenhoe is set to come into operation on 25th July.”

Hurrah!

All those flash Tom, Dick and Harry’s racing through the town in their poncey sports cars will hopefully soon be thwarted. Speaking of which:

“We held a Full Council meeting last Tuesday where a motion was passed not to pay the allowance to the disgraced and jailed Lord Hangingfield, the former Leader of Essex County Council.”

This matter is NOT related to the £480,000 UNDER spend, I understand.

Cllr Young was keen to put on the record that she personally doesn’t take any freebie foreign trips that may come her way as part of the political cut and thrust. That’s what the 74 bus is for, Comrades.

With the Red Flag still flying over the Town Council Offices, the charming Cllr Steve Ford, Labour’s man down in the Quay ward at Colchester Borough Council, was next to update the meeting:

“Colchester Borough Council has now divided up the street service zones. What this means is that St Anne’s, Greenstead and Wivenhoe now has a dedicated team of three street wardens to look after waste issues, etc.”

Which is just as well, seeing as though confusion still surrounds the cutting back of refuse collection from a five day a week to a four days service throughout the Borough:

“A few teething problems have been reported to me in Wivenhoe. Some residents have complained that the rubbish hasn’t been collected by 3pm on Wednesdays, the new day for most of lower Wivenhoe. It may be that 5pm is now the latest that the bins will be collected in the Borough.”

Um, rubbish!

At least it means an end to that early morning 7am hike out in the jim jams to separate the leftovers from the curry incident from the night before.

On planning matters, Cllr Ford added:

“An application has now been submitted to knock down the old St John’s Ambulance building on Chapel Road, and then to build a new one bedroom / one studio facility. Questions need to be asked if this will actually enhance the existing structures on the street.”

Indeed they will. And indeed they were, later on in the meeting. This also leads to the presumption (NEVER presume, Jase) that the land has been secured by the private bidder, rather than the local group that was trying to purchase the property for community use.

Finally Cllr Ford got in flap over foliage. And quite rightly so:

“I am concerned that a lot of branches and bushes from gardens are being let to overgrow onto the street. These can be a hazard to elderly folk walking around the town. I would ask for all residents to take a responsible approach.”

Hear, hear *cough* lower end of Park Road…

With the business of the Borough and County Cllr’s covered (no Love Me I’m a Liberal lot this month; some scribbled notes came our way from the True Blue Cllr Quarrie) and then it was on to WTC Planning matters.

A date of 4th August has been set to bash the heads together between all thirteen WTC Cllr’s and our four CBC representatives in the two town wards. Nothing to do with political posturing, but simply an issue of co-operation when it comes to divvying up the dirty dosh that is Section 106 wonga.

This is basically a legal back hander when corporate organisations such as the University, or Taylor Wimpey, want to roll out its latest development. You scratch my back, we’ll close Clingoe Hill for a month, build private residential property and cover it up all in the name of International Conflict Resolution.

Cripes.

Previously the brown envelopes have been very a much a north and south issue, allocated on a boundary basis to either the Cross or Quay wards. The joined up thinking now is for co-operation to see where in Wivenhoe the money can best be best allocated.

Which all sounds like the best outcome for what can be a very underhand business.

Which brings us nicely to Cook’s Shipyard. The good Cllr Sinclair has been going through the (as yet unsigned) lease with all the dedication of a man that is as financially frugal as he is friendly.

“It appears that the supply of electricity and water down in the dry dock is something that WTC is expected to not only provide, but also to pay for. We need to consider this…”

But for all the talk of developments rolling out faster than the delayed 9:23 to Liverpool Street, it was a return to one particular piece of planning that still appears to be slightly off the rails:

The proposed new Health Centre.

Cripes.

Mr Mayor has held a “constructive” phone conversation with Bernard Jenkin, the MP for Harwich and North Essex. Yer man Bernie wanted some finer local Wivenhoe details ahead of a meeting about the delayed facility.

Here’s hoping Wivenhoe is still in good health.

But failing that, then there’s always the final resting place of the cemetery along Rectory Road. It’s not quite the Plan B for the Health Centre confusion, but rest easy, coffin dodgers - a Plan C is in place.

Put bluntly, WTC is running rather short on burial space. That’s what happens when a town is allowed to expand from a population of 2,000 to 10,000 over a twenty-five year period [said the Wivenhoe newcomer. Arf.]

The solution from WTC is to stack ‘em up high. The meeting was shown some pictures of what can best be described as a high rise for stiffs. Costing £4,725, the lofty structure allows sixteen individual ashes to be contained within.

It gives a new meaning to the phrase Ashes to Ashes.

In the blink of a heartbeat (steady) and WTC unanimously agreed to purchase the tower block for the dearly departed. To his credit, Cllr Read noted concern that the high rise should be made more personal.

Back in the land of the living and the William Loveless Hall Working Party reported back on grand plans to add a permanent backdrop to the stage. A local artist has been approached [sorry - didn't catch your name] and has returned with a truly splendid design to be put in place.

The artwork catches the view from Anchor Hill looking up. The Tudor Tea Rooms and On the Corner Cafe even get a nice little bit of free advertising. The painting really is rather good [said he with a CSE Grade 3 in Art.]

WTC formally passed the motion commission the full-scale painting. A backdrop will also be provided, for use when local groups need a more neutral background for various productions.

The Estates Working Party confirmed the date of 27th August for a 2pm unveiling for a much welcome plaque for Joan Hickson. This will be formally unveiled on Rose Lane, the site of the former actress’ home address.

Wivenhoe Woods Working Party reported back on a recent successful clearing of Ferry Marsh, with six new volunteers very kindly giving up their evening. It was noted that the mid-week scheduling of this event seems to be staged at a more convenient time.

Mr Mayor provided a written statement of his formal duties over the past month. These included a rare victory for the Mayor’s cricket team over Wivenhoe Town Cricket Club. It was claimed this was a first in living memory.

Still waiting in the wings - possibly with the intention of simply correcting the record - and Cllr Ford corrected the minutes by stating that the WTC team also triumphed during his period of Mayoral civic service.

Mayor Needham also reported that he had:

“Recorded a broadcast of Wiv Chat for Radio Wivenhoe.”

Well I never.

On to more serious matters with Community Safety and Police. Three matters were reported back to WTC:

(i) Lorries accessing Cook’s shipyard continue to break the restrictions governing their route down to the Quay. Part of the stipulation is that there is a 9am curfew. Any local resident who witness a breach of this is encouraged to take down the registration and report it.

(ii) The recent crime figures for Wivenhoe would appear to show that crime is actually on the increase. Don’t have nightmares - it seems that more crimes are being reported, hence the spike in crime stats.

(iii) Wivenhoe Neighbourhood Watch has been formally approached by Colchester Neighbourhood Watch to merge. This approach was politely turned down. Long live localism.

Meanwhile, in North Essex Estuary Boating News [didn't get the full name of the specific committee] and this is rather interesting: Brightlingsea Harbour has ambitions to run a new ferry service, running along the estuary route of Brightlingsea, Wivenhoe, Rowehedge and the Hythe.

This is not seen as a threat to the existing (and most excellent) Wivenhoe, Fingringhoe and Rowhedge Ferry - the Brightlingsea Harbour boys want to work together with the current crew. European funding is currently being sourced.

The fine Town Clerk then reported of repairs having been carried out to the damaged basketball court. A vandalised bench has also been repaired.

Finance noted the formal name change of the Mayor’s Charity Fund to the Mayor’s Appeal Fund. No charitable status, yet no less worthy.

And then finally Highways heard how the Paget Road railway crossing is going to be closed as from 26th July for an unspecified period whilst maintenance is carried out. Which should at least save half a dozen wandering cats.

The meeting then cleared the public gallery (um, the good Cllr Ford, his son and myself) to discuss some business in private. No worries. With a chaperone of smiling Steve to see me safely back to base, we talked about them, as they no doubt talked about us.

Only joking.

Se ya next month, Comrades.

I knew that I had hit hyperlocal oral history gold when I first heard about the possibility of talking with Victor Williamson. Vic is a very proud, dignified member of the local Wivenhoe community.

He has a tremendous history associated with Wivenhoe Town Football Club throughout the 60′s and 70′s. He is also very humble, and so his story isn’t out there perhaps as much as it deserves to be.

How then to approach a recorded interview with a gentleman who has so many stories to tell, yet maybe wants to be rightfully guarded about his fine achievements within the town?

I needn’t have worried. We sat down, pressed the record button and then took if from there. It turns out that there was a completely different story also to explore, going back to wartime Wivenhoe and the tale of an evacuee from the East End of London.

I wasn’t expecting this, and so just went with the flow and allowed Vic to explain his own tale. We hear about the fourteen year-old Bethnal Green boy arriving in Fingringhoe, a distaste for country dancing at the KGV (!) and then after two decades back in London, Vic ends up back in North Essex for another four decades.

This is where the real value in Vic’s Wivenhoe story starts to be told. He was promoted almost by default to the role of Chairman of Wivenhoe Town Football Club. Despite offering to take on this job for a couple of weeks, twenty years later and he was still working behind the scenes during perhaps the most successful era in the history of the Dragons.

Vic explains during our chat about how the move to Broad Lane came about, and how this coincided with an all-conquering team on the pitch that rose up the non-league pyramid ladder.

There is a hint of sadness at the end of our conversation, with Vic explaining how “no one knows him” now. Times change and people move on, but I really hope that there is still a place for Vic at Wivenhoe Town FC. A certificate awarded to him by the Essex FA in recognition of his fine achievements is still on display in the clubhouse at Broad Lane.

Many, many thanks to Vic for also allowing me to publish the private photos below, appearing I believe for the first time in public. It is fascinating how little has changed up at Broad Lane, yet equally everything *has* changed.

The gates to the ground remain the same now as they were when Dave Poore, Vic Williamson, Ian Saunders and Bill (Jock) Hill posed for the picture ahead of the opening.

It strikes me that Broad Lane Future could do with the energy and commitment that Vic devoted to the Dragons to help the club through the next successful stage of transition.

It’s quite some story Vic - many, many thanks for sharing.

Wivenhoe Town? Arsenal Ex-Pro’s & Celebrities ????

(4-1 to the Arsenal when we buggered off back to base shortly after HT…)

To Broad Lane on Sunday lunchtime for the first game of the new football season.

Hurrah!

Having spent Saturday morning recording a Wiv Chat broadcast with a distinguished gentleman who was responsible for building Broad Lane (more to follow…) there was a sense of local history as @AnnaJCowen and I cycled past the iconic (steady) blue gates.

The Dragon’s Den has seen some change since the last ball was kicked in anger / apathy back in May. Broad Lane Future may *or may not* be still happening (my sources suggest quite strongly that it is) but blow me - Broad Lane has only gone and got itself a complete bicycle rack makeover.

Blimey.

With Arsenal *cough* Ex-Pro’s and Celebrities in town (North London Z-List XI as one wag observed) there was actually a queue at the turnstile (singular.) I rather liked the hyperlocal ticketing planning that was in place - £4 for Wivenhoe locals from the High Street Post Office, or £8 on the gate for Z-List XI glory hunters from out of town.

Safely inside the hallowed turf of Broad Lane (the grass really isn’t greener - it was slightly burnt to be honest) and the next surprise awaiting us was that the away terrace has been torn down.

Not in a fit of anger by the angry mob of away from Walsham-le-Wilows, but probably just as a pre-season spring clean, possibly related to the grander Broad Lane Future plans.

A junior game was in progress on the pitch - this was what was really great about the afternoon, seeing the whole club community getting a chance to showcase the good work being put in place at Broad Lane.

Local cheerleaders followed, all enjoyed by the growing crowd, which came close to the 1,000 mark. A couple of smiling coppers enjoyed conversation with Mr Mayor, and there seemed to be a higher headcount of Wivenhoe Town replica kits, rather than that of the Arsenal.

Spotting a couple of gents wearing replica tops with a wider girth loitering around the changing room, @AnnaJCowen remarked that me must have missed a vets match.

Um, that’s the main Wivenhoe team for the afternoon, luv.

Whoops.

I don’t know how they do pre-match preparation at The Emirates these days, but I’d wager that the might of the Anti-Nowhere League doesn’t get a blast out of the stadium PA.

The forty-five minute warm-up for the home team was worrying. Some of the local chaps looked in need of A & E before the game even kicked off. No sign of the Arsenal celebs until the formal team photos - they must have been bathing in a communal bath of champagne back in the changing room, or something.

And then shortly before 3pm, both teams were led out of the changing rooms by local mascots, and we were soon underway. The game itself was so so, with Paul Davis still controlling the midfield in his late 40′s, without even breaking sweat.

Some young urchin from Eastenders was looking lively up front for the away team. The Wivenhoe way for combating the skill and energy was for the young coaches to ask “how ya feeling, fella?” every five minutes. This is Wivenhoe local talk for “yer time’s up, Granddad.”

The Arsenal celebs took an early lead and never really looked - yep, THEY NEVER REALLY LOOKED BACK ‘cos most of the action was being played out in front of them in their own attacking half.

The Wivenhoe ‘keeper had a decent game, and kept the score to a respectable 4-1 at half time. @AnnaJCowen and I had to bugger off back to base to catch the close of the cricket.

The level of support on the afternoon shows that interest and awareness in the Dragons is there in the local community. The trick is how to sustain this as the season progresses.

My recording earlier in the weekend with the 85 year-old former Wivenhoe Chairman reflected on regular crowds of 500 and an all-conquering team that came close to touching the Football League.

Times change, and so does Broad Lane. Having bicycle racks is a great start. Here’s hoping that Broad Lane Future, and the team, can continue to move in the right direction.

Full flickr set over here.

With Wivenhoe Regatta still yet to grace our estuary shores, surely this must mean that it is time for… the start of the new football season?

Cripes.

Close, but no big fat Chairman’s cigar (except that Chairman Karl up at Broad Lane doesn’t look like your stereotypical cigar smoker.) Nope, the season doesn’t get underway proper until 13th August, although there are a number of pre-season friendlies coming up.

In preparation for another season of triumphant struggle and punching above its weight in the glory that is the Ridgeons Premier League, the Dragons are raffling off the opportunity to have a local company name displayed on the back of the home and away shirts for the 2011 / 12 season.

It’s a marketing idea that Essex boy Sir Alan would no doubt be proud of. It is certainly worthy of the £50 punt to take part. Any local organisation that takes out a pitch side banner or player sponsorship for £50, will then be entered into the shirt sponsorship draw.

A prize draw with a difference will be taking place on 31st July. Up for grabs is:

“First Prize: Your name or logo on the back of the First Team shirts plus a full page advert with our match day programme plus a logo on our official website plus 2 season tickets to all home league games for the up and coming 2011/12 season.

Second Prize: Full page advert within the programme.

Third Prize: Company Logo on the Clubs Official Website.”

Application forms for the sponsorship can be downloaded over here.

Keeping with the optimism and I hear the Broad Lane Future project is back on track once again. You may remember how the mystery Mr X and his £1.4m was reported to be in doubt last month. @TheGazette reported this story, leading many (including me) to believe that the deal was dead.

Not so.

A slight bit of confusion behind the scenes (which I am hopeful of clarifying this weekend) and it seems that The Gazette was fed false information under rather murky circumstances.

An incredible amount of hard work has been going on behind the scenes over the summer. Mr X and his £1.4m is still very much up for grabs, as long as the community comes on board with the scheme.

I have expressed concern as to exactly how this can be registered. The feedback I am receiving from the Football Club echoes this concern, but it is attempting to be addressed. Communication has been poor, but it is hoped that this will be improved over the coming weeks.

A good starting point to register an interest in the future of Broad Lane would be to attend the pre-season charity match against an Arsenal Celebs team taking place this Sunday.

“The game will be part of a joint family day organised by Wivenhoe and Arsenal to raise money for a selection of charities including the Sports Charity Trust, Football In The Community as well as regeneration funding for Wivenhoe’s ground and training facilities, as well as Arsenal’s charity partners.”

The gates open at Broad Lane at midday, with a 3pm kick-off. This is being run as very much a family day out with plenty of activities lined up ahead of the game. Tickets are £8 for adults and £4 for children - or even half this price if you get a move on and buy them in advance from the Post Office along the High Street.

Live the dream…

And so it seems that the Wivenhoe Secret Millionaire, the mystery Mr X who wanted to donate £1.4m to help improve Broad Lane, has taken his ball and gone back home.

And who can blame him?

@TheGazette is reporting that the anonymous benefactor has put his generous offer “on hold because of residents’ apathy.”

Oh Lordy. Where to start here?

I’m always weary of anonymous benefactors. I’m not doubting the existence of Mr X’s millions, but for Wivenhoe residents to return the goodwill and show something other than apathy, then something more tangible needed to be put in place.

What exactly were we supposed to be backing in the first place?

There has been a huge time investment behind the scenes by the incredibly hard-working team that somehow manages to keep Wivenhoe Town FC punching above its weight. To understand how this enthusiasm has been met with such a wall of apathy in the town is not easy to understand.

I would argue that Mr X should have been more transparent to Wivenhoe locals. £1.4m is an incredibly generous donation. To dangle it in front of the town - but without any quantitative means to demonstrate the level of support in return - was clearly a mistake.

“The benefactor wanted to see if there was a will from the community,” was the only means in which to measure our interest. This was the message that came out of the packed public meeting held at the William Loveless Hall back in October.

Parameters should have been put in place that would pass the requirements of Mr X. What level of will exactly was he looking for in Wivenhoe? Pub gossip that this was a good idea? Some form of formal show of support? One thousand folk turning up to a community football match open day?

I personally have been very positive about the scheme ever since that first meeting back in October. But apart from bangin’ on about it on m’blog, or trying to navigate and make sense of the broadlanefuture.com website, I’m not entirely sure what other avenues were available for me to register my interest.

The publicity and PR has sadly been lost. Yep, we’re a sleepy estuary town, but it doesn’t mean that we are off the Essex news radar - witness the the screaming headlines that the May Fair non-story was able to generate.

The Chronicle rightly led with Mr X after the first meeting, but where to next to show your support? A follow up meeting was promised by the end of the year. Christmas came and went, and apart from a presence at the St Mary’s Christmas lights turn on, it appears that Broad Lane Future disappeared.

May Fair of course would have been the main calendar event in which Wivenhoe locals could register a show of support for Mr X. I was rather tired and emotional for most of the afternoon, but I didn’t see or hear anything about Broad Lane Future during my lost wanderings.

The broadlanefuture.com website itself sadly made it difficult to put across any positive show of support. When you are eventually able to find some meaningful content, it’s not exactly acting as a flag waver for Broad Lane Future:

“What kind of a website is this where there is only voting on what developments you want?

What about all the people who live on Elmstead Road who DO NOT WANT ANY DEVELOPMENT as we are well and truly sick and tired of traffic racing along this road and do not want to see ANY development taking place.”

Ouch.

Maybe the grand scheme of a possible swimming pool, a multi-use gym and a community centre etc was just too… broad for Broad Lane. Is it really what the community wants up at the top end of the town? The project hasn’t exactly been the word on the street, something that Mr X had hoped to hear after the first headlines appeared.

With the University offering a recently refurbished gym right next door, I would argue that all that is really needed in Wivenhoe is a swimming pool. Which is the exact same conversation I remember having back in 1990 during my first appearance around these parts…

Which is all such a shame because the space up at Broad Lane has plenty of potential, not to mention the unquestionable goodwill of those that are currently putting in a great deal of time and effort. The Society for Children Affected with Neurological Symptoms is now using the clubhouse during the week as a social base in which to meet.

Meanwhile:

“Some plans for the site were in the pipeline, including allotments, with a £50,000 grant application going to Essex County Council’s Big Society Fund.”

Ah - there’s no such thing as society, just… #bigsociety.

Blimey.

Is it too late for Wivenhoe to try and convince Mr X that Broad Lane has a future? Does Broad Lane have a future without Mr X? What might that be, and how the chuffers do we actually put across our views?

All questions, no answers I’m afraid.

A weekend downpour of Biblical proportions, which can only mean that it’s time for the summer publication of Wivenhoe News.

Blimey.

Sea Defences Saga Flows On is the lead story.

See what they’ve done there?

“There has been much anger and dismay caused by the stripping of vegetation from the seawalls in Wivenhoe alongside our tidal river, both downstream and upstream from the flood barrier.”

The bad science justification that was bungled out by the Environment Agency is also re-published, as is a very kind plug for *cough* the Wivenhoe Forum thread.

What’s new here is the offer by the Natural England - the spineless body that rubber stamped the destruction - to re-plant 5,000 “compensatory trees” - you break our legs and we say thank you when you offer us crutches.

Eight hundred and fifty have been put aside for the North Essex estuary. Don’t go getting your digging spades out just yet, Comrades:

“In the Colne Estuary they [Natural England] have provided 850 small tress to Brightlingsea Town Council for a site to the east of the town.”

If you stand at White House Beach on a clear estuary morning, and then squint out over the water with one eye closed, you may just be able to see the benefits of the trees bestowed upon our beloved Brothers in Brightlingsea.

Cheers.

No worries. What we need is a smiling picture of a lovely local lady to add some cheer to the sea defence doom:

“Workers of Wivenhoe - Shelia Scammell, Lollipop Lady.”

Lovely.

Wivenhoe May Fair 2011 gets the p.2 treatment, in something of an after the Lord Mayor’s Show airing. Time to move on, time to plan and time to restore May Fair as a community event for 2012.

Speaking of Mayor’s, Cllr Sinclair is captured in one of his final acts of civic duty in what has been a busy year. The Guide’s Wedding Party is all part of wearing the Wivenhoe civic chains.

But it’s not all about the Brownies or Girl Guides. On a more serious note, there is a plea on p.2 for a new Scout Leader for Wivenhoe:

“Let’s not beat about the bush: twenty youngsters, full of energy and enthusiasm [and then some] raring to take up the opportunity offered by the Scouting movement.”

This is a BIG role that really needs filling. The Wivenhoe News editorial on p.3 plays with similar themes:

“Off the Rails seems to be looking for pretty much a whole new team, the Wivenhoe Society is limping along with no Secretary and a very small committee, the WEA has been without a Chair for a year and is about to lose its Secretary.

One of the things that you often here in praise of Wivenhoe is ‘there’s so much going on here.’ Well folks - things only happen because people organise them.”

Wise word, but maybe it is a reflection of the work / life balance? There are only so many hours in the day and bills still need to be paid. It’s no secret that I have had to severely cut back on my out of hour’s unpaid activity of late.

On a more lighter note and any news article that contains the phrase: “superb French folk music, played on hurdy-gurdies [geddin there!] and bagpipes” has to be a winner. The Town Meets Gown event gets a mention on p.3.

Dr Philippa Hawley and Halcyon Palmer pen a simply superb local historical account on the various Wivenhoe surgeries dating back over the past Century. It is apt timing, what with the STOP / START / STOP farce of the new Wivenhoe surgery by the Fire Station continuing to stall.

I’m not going to re-publish any of the copy here - this article is worthy of your purchase of Wivenhoe News alone. More of the same please.

The Two Ronnies of Wivenhoe local politics, Cyril Liddy and Dave Purdey, are given the It’s Goodbye From Me, and It’s Goodbye From Him headline.

With sixteen and eight years respectively serving as unpaid Town Councillors, both Cyril and Dave are rightfully given a short column to say a fond farewell.

Of sorts…

Along with Sheila Scammell and her lovely Lollipop Lady tales on p.8, Alison Kent also carries an ACE interview with Ray the Rubbish, the retiring litter picker of Wivenhoe:

“I think you should try to keep the front of your property clean, like the old days. Have pride in where you live.”

Hear, hear.

I didn’t realise that the job was only fourteen hours a week - Ray has seemed to be ever-present during my short stay here. Good luck to James, Ray’s replacement.

Aquatic matters are the concern on p.11. Lifeboat Week gets a deserved plug, as does the Wivenhoe branch of the Royal British Legion:

“Remembrance is a very large part of the Legion’s ethos. Those who attend the Legion Wednesday evenings will know that those who have given their lives in Afghanistan and other places in the service of their nation are individually remembered.”

The building fund for the Legion has been boosted by a donation of over £2,000 from the Boxing Day walk staged by WORC. £690 was also raised at the ACE fireworks display. October 29th is already in the calendar for one of the best nights that Wivenhoe is able to offer.

Next door but one at The Nottage and there is a plug for Water Marks - the Summer Exhibition, featuring local artists Alison Stockmarr, Barbara Peirson and Pru Green.

The exhibition is open on Sundays from 2pm - 5pm until 11th September, and on Regatta Day on 23rd July. It is VERY good. There’s a blog post already being lined up…

Speaking of the Regatta, Wivenhoe News reports:

“There will be the usual wacky races and about thirty stalls and a brass band. The pram race will take place on 22nd July.”

Wivenhoe Youth Hub continues to grow and develop new ideas and partnerships. Page 12 updates with reports on the gig at the Philip Road Centre by local band Rising Soul, a go-karting event organised with Brightlingsea’s 4Youth (reckon we got the better name…) as well as the ACE archery and rowing evening.

What is rather humbling about The Hub is that those involved offer so much more back into the community. There was a considerable presence at the WivSoc riverbank clean up, help offered at May Fair, as well as support for the Crabbing Competition next month down by the Quay.

Likewise good news coming out of the ADP Theatre School:

“Angie Diggens has booked the Colchester Charter Hall for a show with her Wivenhoe students, combining the best of her last two shows at Clacton.”

Saturday 25th June at 7:30pm, £12 a ticket, details on 282020.

Helen Chambers writes a review of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society production of Oklahoma! at the Loveless Hall:

“The singing was faultless, the whole cast strong and talented.”

And keeping with the Wivenhoe artistic feel, Andy Brooke writes a well-deserved homage to Moving Image:

“It’s great to see people you know in the audience and have a genuine community atmosphere, rather than renting a DVD at home.”

Further details of the Moving Image summer schedule are up on m’blog over here.

The rock ‘n roll rollicking rollercoaster ride that is Radio Wivenhoe (blimey) get a plug on p.14, as does a call for “journalists, bloggers and poets” for Off the Rails. The Wivenhoe Poetry Prize looks forward to the 2011 results as part of the poetrywivenhoe evening at The Greyhound on the 23rd June. Meanwhile a new University of the Third Age art group is starting at the Loveless Hall on 14th September.

All ‘appening - all ‘appening I tell ya.

The good folk of Wivenhoe Bookshop have an entire page to plug future activity, such is the depth of the programme that is on offer. Too much to condense into a throwaway blog paragraph - my suggestion would be to head to the Bookshop for a perusal and a polite chat.

Or even access the new Wivenhoe Bookshop @audioboo account.

Blimey.

Fine work, ladies, mighty fine work.

Open Gardens on p.16 is caught between the publishing deadline and the sheer splendour that was the most splendid event this spring. It remains the highlight to date of My Year in Wivenhoe - wonderful, wonderful community spirit and pleasure.

Keeping it green fingered and Wivenhoe Bloom explain a little more about the brilliant use of dead space on the Wivenhoe Triangle that is overlooked by the Co-op, the opticians and Jardine:

“The site belongs to Highways - it’s classed as a verge - but WTC has a licence to plant. Jardine has contributed a very generous donation of £250 towards the cost of materials and plants.”

I have no shame in plugging local businesses that put something back into the community. An excellent gesture and kind contribution, Cristian. Jolly good work, Jardine.

The Parish Paths Partnership column penned by Helen Evans on p.16 puffs out a huge PHEW after finding out that Essex County Council continues to support the hyperlocal initiative.

Three Wivenhoe rights of way have been worked on by P3 to day: the side of Broomgrove Schools, the back of the houses in Broome Grove and the path along the top of the sea wall - you might have already heard about the latter…

So successful is the Wivenhoe P3 project that the group has now become a roving project. It is the A-Team of parish paths partnerships. If you have a problem with some overgrown bramble around the North Essex estuary, this crack team of cleaners should be first on your To Call list.

Cripes.

The joyous news coming out of p.17 and the WAGA update is:

“Spring is finally here.”

Hurrah!

Mayor Needham (woh!) explains more about the recent Beating the Bounds walk around Wivenhoe:

“The tradition of beating the bounds came from a time when no one, except the rich, could leave the parish without permission. It was a method of ensuring that local youngsters knew the limits of their parish.

It involved choir boys, the Parish Clerk and clergymen, leaving from the church armed with wands or sticks.”

Splendid. Soft lot, nowadays. The tradition was restored on 5th June this year. No young child was hurt in reviving this most excellent local tradition.

Wivenhoe bird watcher supreme Richard Allen explains very helpfully the difference between swifts, swallows and martins on p.18. Recent local sightings include:

“Nightingales have arrived in good numbers with a particularly vocal bird near the railway underpass along the Trail. Butterflies have enjoyed the good early weather.”

The ever-observant @AnnaJCowen (blimey) has also spotted a Jay along the Trail.

It all gets rather saucy at the foot of p.18 with Spoons, Spurtles and Spatulas.

Oh Lordy.

“Members of the Wivenhoe Woods Working Party recently attended a day’s course in green woodworking. Instruction was given on how to turn wood on a pole lathe and make spoons and other utensils using knives and a shave horse.”

Phew.

A Personal View of Transition Town Wivenhoe by the good Bob Mehew on p.19:

“I considered Wivenhoe a good place for a Transition Town: strong community spirit; a great awareness of climate change, environmental and sustainability issues; a willingness to get involved, to learn, to educate, to participate.”

TTW continues to grow and innovate. Wivenhoe is all the better for it.

The Wivenhoe Townscape Forum (*not* the Wivenhoe Forum…) gets a deserved article on p. 19:

“There is much in Wivenhoe of historic interest. There are 73 buildings in the town which are included in the English Heritage list of buildings of national interest.

The local list of historic assets is being carried out with the support of WTC and WivSoc, in order to list some of the best historical features of Wivenhoe which have not yet been recognised so that they do not become forgotten in the huge amount of new building and development.”

Bill Ellis writes a brilliant personal account of life at Cook’s Shipyard when the order books were full, with comparisons of the modern day site. Photos of the new jetty accompany this on p.22.

We return to the seawall clearance on p.24 with Peter Kennedy, the esteemed Editor of Wivenhoe News, explaining the depth of debate that this has delivered:

“We have received many pages of emails and submissions, and I shall attempt some sort of overview.”

A summary of comments and complaints follow. The consensus is that the Environment Agency has been crap at communication.

Fine work then from Wivenhoe News, which has put some direct Q’s to the EA, and received some rather direct answers:

“Q: Were any badgers found during the Wivenhoe work?

A: No - there were no badgers found for the Wivenhoe work.

Q: Are any of the proposed sites for compensatory replanting located in the Wivenhoe area?

A: No. Wivenhoe Marsh has found to be unsuitable.”

That’s what happens when you rip the entire natural habitat out, fellas.

Whoops.

The Surgery Saga Grinds On is the p.25 message from Bernard Jenkin, MP. Nothing to do with your national coalition NHS policy, I trust, Sir?

To be fair to the MP for Harwich and North Essex, our Conservative colleague airs a sense of frustration over the continued delay:

“The Government’s decision to review its health legislation raises the immediate concern that the new Wivenhoe GP surgery will be beset by even more uncertainty. There is no case for this. There is no excuse for further delays, and I have made this clear to the CE of the PCT.”

Speaking of the impact of coalition policies on a hyperlocal level, p.26 explains more about the £9k (!!!!) tuition fees that @Uni_of_Essex proposes to introduce.

Some PR fluff from the University is then re-printed. Twenty-one summers ago and I was fishing around for a University place. £9k (or the inflationary equivalent) would have put me off considerably. I wouldn’t have heard of Wivenhoe. I wouldn’t have moved here.

Oh how fickle is the Invisible Hand that pushes and prongs us through the life’s great adventures.

Blimey.

Town and Gown fiscal relations are restored with news of the £2,200 raised at November’s dinner at the Nottage, and now handed over as a bursary to five grateful local Wivenhoe students.

Broomgrove Infants updates on p.28 with reports of the Royal Wedding celebrations; Broomgrove Juniors explain more about the Outside / In project with Slack Space in Colchester.

Celebrations also at Millfields - a fond farewell to Angela Eglington after twenty-five years of teaching, as well as the school’s very own 30th birthday.

WivSoc rightfully reflects on the success of the riverbank clean up, with seventy volunteers stepping forward to help clean up the Colne. The sad winding up of the Wivenhoe Youth Theatre is lamented, with more positive news coming from the Colne School Choir’s recent performance in Wivenhoe.

Councillor Sinclair reflects upon his past year of civic service wearing the gold chain on p.30:

“I would have like to have seen a healthy election this year as we are entitled to 13 Councillors. Sadly there were only eleven candidates, hence no WTC election.”

Plus:

“A planning application has been lodged to demolish the St John Ambulance Hall for replacement with a privately owned project. I am part of a project to save the building. A group of people have come together, with funds, to keep it as a usable community facility.”

Mayor Needham writes on p.30 about the challenges that lay ahead for his administration:

“The proposed medical centre, a future for the former police station; reaching a satisfactory conclusion to the planning gains associated with the Cook’s Yard development and keeping an eye on the gains that maybe derived from any further development.”

The local politicos were caught cold ahead of publication deadlines. Columns from Essex County Councillor Julie Young, Colchester Borough Councillors Steve Ford and Mark Cory, were all penned before the re-election of the latter two.

Great fun to watch from the sidelines, mind.

On the sporting front and Wivenhoe Tennis Club has a call for new members; Andrew Nightingale, the Chair of the Wivenhoe and District Sporting Facilities Trust is also asking for help - financial help - for Broad Lane. Anymore updates on the mystery Mr X and his millions?

And to finish on some hyperlocal happiness - Wivenhoe Helping Hands publishes a rather humble piece, explaining more about the volunteer work of this organisation and how it is genuinely helping folk around the town.

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

Many congratulations to local Wivenhoe writer Anthony Clavane who has deservedly won the Best Football Book at the 2011 British Sports Book Awards. Promised Land ties up perfectly football fandom from a personal perspective with the wider social and cultural importance of a football club.

The Promised Land may have just scooped a prestigious national prize, but Anthony chose the setting of the Wivenhoe Bookshop in which to launch the book. He also held a reading and Q & A session up at Wivenhoe Town FC for the launch of Broad Lane Future back in October.

With the day job involving writing about sport, Anthony told the Dragons’ fans that he gains more excitement from the community element at Broad Lane compared to watching any top flight Premier League match.

I would add in various online links, stating you can buy the book over here, blah blah blah. But simply take a stroll down to the Wivenhoe Bookshop, and buy the prizewinner at the place where it was launched.

Still not sure about Leeds United, mind…

Plus: Speaking of local sporting books, with apt summer timing, here comes the definitive story of Wivenhoe Town Cricket Club:

The Story of Wivenhoe Cricket by Jon Wiseman is published on 28th July, priced at £20. The extensive research covers Wivenhoe cricket from the mid-eighteenth century through to the present day, and tells how the “spirit of the Hoe” came into being.

With over sixty illustrations and ninety tables of stats, it looks like being perfect boundary reading material up at Rectory Road. You can download an order form on the club website, or reserve a copy via email over here.

And so that’s Wivenhoe football and cricket literary works covered. Now then - who wants to write a 20,000 word masterpiece all about crabbing down by the Quay?

To Broad Lane early on Friday evening, to tag along on the coat tails of the Royal Wedding bunting with a beer festival.

Blimey.

Actually, that’s not quite accurate. The Station was in our sights first, with a nuptial themed tea party / booze up taking place. The splendid Judith Chalmers popular local beat combo were playing their stuff, with a suitably wedding-tastic version of the Dark Side of the Moon adding to the happy happy joy joy sound upon our arrival.

A quick pint down at the bottom of the town, and then to the good fortune of @AnnaJCowen and I, a Broad Lane (ish) 61 bus rolled up for our convenience. It wasn’t quite the carriage of choice that the happy Establishment couple had boarded earlier in the day, but then Buckingham Palace wasn’t hosting a beer festival.

We were warmed along the route to encounter the good Mr Mayor elect hosting a garden tea party. An outrageously patriotic shirt, both equally splendid and intoxicating to the eye, was the order of the day. I’ve always said that the Town Council chamber needs livening up. Expect strobe lights ahead of the first meeting of the new administration.

A short walk along Elmstead Road, and then it was all about Broad Lane and booze. The biggest crowd of the season has assembled at the football club for the community day. We missed out on the main activity of the community football match, but soon made up for it at the bar.

Eight local Essex real ales were on offer; it would have been poor etiquette to the local economy not to sample each one. I became slightly tired and emotional after pint number three. My fourth trip to the bar led to my mental note of “hamster cage beer” to best describe the beautiful wooden aroma.

The live music was a mixed bag - lively, and both generational and genre crossing. A blues band was jamming when we arrived. This soon gave way to local Wivenhoe sensation Lou Terry - an outrageously talented local lad who was well supported by a group of yoof. A more traditional folk band brought us back down to earth. Or maybe it was the hamster cage beer?

Keeping with the Royal pageant theme, the dancing queen for the evening was a young princess wearing a tiara. Her partner was a young chap, dressed splendidly as, um, Superman. It sure beats all the Establishment costume twaddle of earlier in the day.

Another charming chat with the good Mr Chairman, and it seems that the Broad Lane vision of being opened up for all in the community to use is already being but into fruition. The Society for Children Affected with Neurological Symptoms are now using the clubhouse during the week as a social base in which to meet. Fantastic work for all involved, and hopefully the facilities can now start to expand.

And so twelve hours later after the happy Establishment couple had said “I do” in front of a worldwide audience of two billion, I repeated the same words to @AnnaJCowen in front of a Wivenhoe folk band.

“Do you want to wobble back to base?”

“Um, I do…”

Chin chin.

I’ve blogged about this before, but here’s a timely reminder that the very good folk of Wivenhoe Town FC are putting on a beer festival to help celebrate / escape the Royal nuptials of the Establishment couple on Friday.

I plan to be at Broad Lane, and propose a toast to the happy elitist couple each time the BBC shows some fawning shot of a minor Royal confusing one nation identity with an opportunity for a p*** up.

Or something.

Chin chin.

Wivenhoe Town 1, Stanway Rovers 1

To Broad Lane on Monday afternoon for the final time this season. Actually, that’s not true; Wivenhoe Town are celebrating the nuptials of the future King and Queen of England this weekend with a beer festival.

Blimey.

I’ll drink to that, etc. I thought it only rude not to turn up on Easter Monday and acclimatise myself to the ritual that is getting slowly sloshed whilst up at Broad Lane. Stanway Rovers were the local derby visitors, in a game that the Dragons really needed to get something out of if they want to banish any fears of the drop.

I’m sure that the future King and Queen of England were returning the special relationship favour, drinking cans Special Brew in some Berkshire country estate and toasting the survival of the Dragons in the Ridgeons Premier.

A rare early arrival for @AnnaJCowen and I was all the fault of a couple of visiting Friends in the North. We were rewarded with the sight of the ref and two linos warming up, raising a thigh muscle slightly too high above the advertising barrier.

Whoops - one of the boys has just popped out of the barracks, boy.

Keeping with the topical theme of outdoor celebrations ahead of the big event (Royal Wedding, not a Ridgeons grudge derby) and our little colonised corner of Broad Lane became a picnic sanctuary.

With the last food order just missed at the Horse and Groom, One Stop sells exceedingly nice sarnies for a Bank Holiday Monday afternoon. With everyone’s favourite local shop (yeah, right…) about to be re-branded as a Tesco, I don’t think that it was any coincidence that one of our Friends in the North confessed for an irrational fear of cold sandwiches.

We took up our usual place in the away end (it’s a long story…) and were joined by a couple of old boys from Stanway. I blame the Greenstead roundabout, which takes the best part of an afternoon just to circle around one of the satellites.

Stanway Rovers looked rather poncey in their pre-match ritual of playing patter cake, patter cake baker man. The Listen With Mother tactical approach clearly paid off, with the first half hour of the game giving little joy for the Wivenhoe massive.

Much like the lost Stanway supporters back on the Greenstead, the team from down the road were running rings around the Dragons. The response from Wivenhoe was to launch the dogs of war, i.e. the late arrival of the lovely mutt that also stands in the away section.

With a playing surface on par with Ballast Quay, this wasn’t an afternoon for yer fancy Dan passing game. And thank heavens for that. It wasn’t even an afternoon for studs (steady) with beach football on a rock hard surface being the best description.

Taking in the glamour of Broad Lane and the surrounds, our Friends in the North confused the portakabin down the side of the pitch for the corporate hospitality section.

Cripes.

This is *ahem* Wivenhoe, Madam.

The one chance that fell to the Dragons in the first half was an open goal that of course had to be missed. “Watching bad football being played badly is brilliant,” remarked a Friend in the North, before we both agreed that we would be one hundred times worse if we actually walked it like we talked it.

The highlight of half time was a spectacular multi-coloured tank top being paraded around in the bar. It wouldn’t have looked out of place on Swap Shop on a Saturday morning. I’d wager I’d be hallucinating if the knitwear makes a return appearance after five pints in the bar on Royal Wedding day.

The game finally opened up in the second half, with the heat and challenging pitch adding to the excitement. Our Friends in the north (not N Essex) cheered louder than @AnnaJCowen and I when Wivenhoe were awarded a penalty.

Almost orgasmic celebrations followed from the Friends in the North when the ball was calmly slotted home. I shot my own load at 4:45, with an ill-timed 5pm Bank Holiday work shift starting back at base.

No worries. 1-0 to the Dragons, and with less time than it takes a blushing Royal bride to say “I do” left to play, the game was over. Strange then to find that some five pints later down in The Station, and with a dodgy 3G iPhone signal fired up, buried away on the Ridgeons Premier League site was:

Wivenhoe Town 1, Stanway Rovers 1.

Bugger.

The end of season pitch invasion was presumably abandoned to apathy.

But keep the faith, you fan (s) of non-league North East Essex football. The beer festival has got to be the BEST way to celebrate the Royal nuptials in Wivenhoe. I might even stay until the end.

Chin chin.

Full flickr set over here.