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Prior to my most recent Wiv Chat recording, Peter Hill and I had yet to cross paths. I had heard, and read plenty about this popular local figure, but somehow our Wivenhoe wanders had taken a different way.

Or possibly a different pub.

Time to put this right I though. With twenty-five years unpaid civic service on Wivenhoe Town Council, an interest in supporting young folk and a passion for online publishing - I just knew that Peter and I would find some common ground.

Peter likes to talk of how he has now taken a step back from local activity, after an unbroken quarter of a century serving as a Town Councillor. It sounds more like a life sentence than civic service.

But as we explored various ideas within the chat, it soon became clear that Peter is just as busy now as he was some five, ten or even fifteen years ago. I wanted to find out the motivation for this - Peter put it perfectly early on in the conversation when he stated:

“People change when they come to Wivenhoe.”

Quite.

I don’t think he meant in a metaphysical bodily transformation (but then again…) - more like you have to be something of a social hermit to not want to participate and experience the many levels of activities that Wivenhoe life has to offer.

Our dialogue starts in 1972 with Peter and his wife Bonnie moving to the town from Southend. Searching to find a social scene, Peter immediately started helping out with the Wivenhoe Scouts and Guides movement - a connection that still remains in place today.

This led to further connections, a formal introduction to Wivenhoe Town Council, an active part in promoting the Wivenhoe Carnival and perhaps Peter’s finest hyperlocal achievement, the setting up of the Wivenhoe Encyclopaedia.

“It’s all about meeting new and different people…”

Which is something that I am finding out for myself.

Having undergone some superb Radio Wivenhoe training the previous Saturday, this was my first attempt at taking up the advice of being more direct.

“You need a structure - you need to nag away and ask those tricky questions.”

Um, yeah, www-welll, tell me about blah blah blah…

I did ask Peter about the mystery Mr X, and the promise to pump £1m into the Broad Lane Trust, something that Peter was instrumental in establishing. I also approached head on the incredibly delicate issue of the St John’s Ambulance building and the rival community bid to Pru Green’s private planning application.

The famous phrase of “Wivenhoe is full” also cropped up - which I believe the origins can be traced back to Tom Roberts?

And then just as I was prepared to put on my serious Paxman persona - whaddya know: @murphie_kitten did a whoopsie.

Whoops.

We picked up the pieces (but not the litter tray) and tried to compose for the conclusion of the conversation. The bells of St Mary’s can be heard towards the end - a fitting finale to end an interview with a fella who has fought for Wivenhoe in the past, and continues to do so, even after officially taking a step aside.

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…

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.