Mersea-island.com News

Charity BBQ & Quiz Night

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Following a very successful quiz night a month ago, Causeway is holding another night on the 3rd of August.

The BBQ and Quiz Night will be held at The Victory on Coast Road in West Mersea, and will feature the 'Open the Box' style quiz.

This quiz is a rollover, so there's more money to win!

"If you'd like to eat, bring your own burger and we'll cook it for you!" said Joe Haward, who runs Causeway.

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What's Young got to do with it?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

It' not good for us to be alone. We’re not created to be on our own, away from other people. We prosper as people and in turn, prosper our community, when we have good relationships with people, people we trust, people who are honest with us, people who we can spend time with, laughing with and crying with and simply being with.

As people we grow and develop, our relationships change and evolve. Our circle of friends changes and develops and who we are as people is transformed by our life experiences. What doesn’t change (at least it appears to me) is our desire to meet with people and build relationships. When I look at my daughter, already, at only 18 moths old, she desires to be in relationship with other children and with other people. Something within us wants to be in relationship with others. At school we want to have a best friend. At work, the relationships formed there are important. If they are not good it makes work so much harder. In life, relationships are key to who we are and what we do.

What has all this got to do with the young adults on the Island?

Well it appears to me that all they want to do is form good relationships with people who understand them. So they meet together each and every night. They understand each other, trust each other and enjoy spending time together. When one of them hurts, they all hurt. That' the nature of good relationships. Not only that, but good relationships mean that you will stick together through thick and thin. Good relationships mean that when one is treated a certain way, you declare that we will all be treated in this way, because we stand together. Not only that, but when society tells us what is expected of us, we give society what it tells us. Think of the way we dress, what we buy and what we watch on television. So often we are controlled by what our society expects of us. In the same way, if the young adults on the Island are labelled as the troublemakers then chances are they may live up to what society expects of them, not because they want to be that way, but because this way they are taken notice of. This way they have a voice. The truth is however; none of us have clean hands within our community. We are not all victims. Each of us in our own way can make our community a hard place to live in because we do not accept our own responsibility within it. The truth is that while the teenagers may sometimes do things that cause hurt, we have all done things that have a negative effect on our community. My actions do not affect only me; they affect the community around me. When we make bad decisions its effects are felt on a much larger scale than we would like to think. If Mersea is going to be a positive community, we have to work together for the better and understand that the choices we make as individuals do not merely affect only the individual. If we are unsatisfied with Mersea as a community, we must not look to blame anyone, but look to how together we can ensure Mersea is a united community with a common goal. That means we must listen to each other, debate and reason with each other, understand our diversity and then look to unity within such diversity.

I am not condoning mindless acts of vandalism. These acts should not and must not happen because they are extremely upsetting on those whom it affects. It must be stopped. Buts these acts of vandalism are not the only things going on within our community that causes grief and is painful. When the needs of the poor, young, elderly or sick are not met, then our community suffers. When gossip and slander are passed on from person to person, our community suffers. When we do not treat each other the way we desire to be treated, our community suffers. I believe it is important that crime does not prevail and that it is dealt with swiftly and properly, but that we must recognise it is not always those things that are against the law that can be most damaging to this Island and our nation. Sometimes we need to examine the plank of wood in our own eyes before we comment on the speck of dust in our neighbour's eye.

I have lived on Mersea my whole life and believe it to be a beautiful and amazing place to live. I love the community and desire that it go from strength to strength. I promise to do my piece in helping Mersea become an even better place to live. I promise to do my piece in listening to the young adults and looking for ways in which we as a community can help them. But my piece is not enough; only when we work together and bring our pieces together will the whole picture make sense.

Joe Haward

Shell Garage Lowers it's Fuel Prices

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

As of today the Shell Garage (Old Forge) in Kingsland Road has lowered the price of it's fuel in line with national average.

Unleaded petrol is now at 1.15, high-octane at 1.21 and diesel at 1.29.

The fuel drop has not been national, so it's speculated by locals that the opinions expressed on the Mersea-island.com Poll regarding the fuel prices may have triggered the situation.

Whatever the reasons, we thank The Old Forge Garage for helping the people of Mersea fill-up with a bit less stress.

Mersea Reunion 2008 Announced!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Today we're announcing the initial details for the Big Mersea Reunion 2008. This year's reunion will be welcoming everyone from last year, along with anyone else who wants to catch up with old school and work friends from Mersea and the surrounding areas (including Monkwick).

So what can we tell you about this year? We'll, we can say the following for certain...

It will be held on the 6th of September 2008.
The venue will be The Victory Pub on Coast Road in West Mersea.
Parking arrangements have been made, so don't stress about a repeat of last year!
Food and drink will be available on the day.

Last year's Reunion was fantastic, but we really didn't expect so many people to arrive. This year however, we're prepared for the numbers so expect a more organised affair.

More details to follow soon!

NOTE: We massively appreciate all the help our users give us with the Reunion, but we need everything we tell the press and the community to be concise and unified. So please avoid passing these details directly to the press for publishing - we'll be issuing a press release in due course.

Parking in West Mersea

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

I drove into the village a couple of days ago and could not find anywhere to park. So I thought I would have a look at parking in West Mersea. Seaview Avenue car park seems to be nothing more than an overspill car park for Charleston and Fairhaven Courts. It also doubles up as a used car sales lot, and small lorry park. If you pass it overnight it is always half full. This is fine to get cars off the road, but make them pay for the privilege.

Willoughby car park, what a waste of space that is. Apart from Carnival day, and the annual visit by the circus, when it is put to almost full use, I have never seen more than about twenty five cars in there! Why not use the top half for a doctors surgery, or a skateboard/BMX park for the kids. Oh I forgot, we don't encourage youngsters to do anything on the island, then we can feel justified to moan about their mischief.

The Co-Op Car Park, whatever you do don't go shopping when there is a clinic of some sort at the Doctors. All these sick people seem perfectly able to drive and are quite nippy at crossing the car park if the queue is building up outside the surgery. Also avoid trying to park here at school opening and closing times. The car park will be full of mums dropping off or picking up their little darlings. They have to park there now they have been thrown out of Rushmere Close. I don't know why they can't walk to school, it would do them a darn sight more good.

The library car park is very hit and miss. You can often park there in winter, but come the warmer weather it's always overflowing with holiday makers cars, and the bus pass crowd. These are the people who drive to the village and park up, then clear off for the day on their bus passes.

Barclays Bank car park is the same, it's always full, and when you finally get parked and walk into the bank there are only two customers in there. And I know for a fact there are not that many bank staff using it.

I can't wait to get my mobility scooter, then I can really annoy motorists by making them slow down, and as a bonus park it anywhere!

Be Lucky!
- Grumpy

St Helena Hospice to Get New Website

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

This summer, work starts on an exciting new website for St Helena Hospice, which will provide anyone in the local community with the opportunity to understand much more about the important services of this respected charity. This has been made possible thanks to a very generous offer from Mersea based website design company Red Tiger.

Chris Hill, Fundraising & Marketing Director said "Ensuring that the public have up to date, easily accessible information about Hospice care is a vital element , particularly for people thinking about using our services for the first time. Thanks to Red Tiger�s support our re-developed site will help us achieve this and so much more. It will have a fresh easy to use layout and have new features such as on line giving which will be invaluable for fundraising."

The news comes as Red Tiger marks its seventh birthday in business. Offering branding, design and print services to businesses across many different sectors, the reputable agency has seen recent success after winning work for the Nine12 Group and Essex County Council.

Creative entrepreneur Alexander Ward - who started the company in 2001 - commented "St Helena�s is such a worth while charity supporting so many patients and their families that it was an easy decision to celebrate our birthday by working with them on their new web site, what a fab birthday! Red Tiger is committed to helping our local community and charities that do the same." He summed up by saying "They�re going to love the new site, and we can�t wait to get stuck in!"

In its 23rd year St Helena Hospice continues to be a beacon of excellence in providing care and support for people with advanced illness and terminal conditions across North East Essex. Expert nursing care and support is provided at dedicated centres in Colchester and Clacton, and in communities through nursing teams and Hospice at Home whom provide home based care.

Whilst services are free of charge to patients and their families the organisation needs �4.5 million a year to keep going. Chris went on to say, �with only 28% of funding from NHS we rely heavily on the generosity of the local community, both for donations and support to help maintain our services. Keeping our costs to a minimum is vital, so we are delighted that Red Tiger is helping us helping in this way�.

Sheer Foolishness About Petrol Prices

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

There have been some e-mails circulating about a proposed boycott of Shell and BP garages with the avowed aim of carrying on "UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE 69p a LITRE RANGE".

Get real people!! Are you really this delusional? Here are some facts that you might like to ponder.

1. The Western oil companies have very little control over the oil price, for the simple reason that they control very little oil.

The companies that control the world's flow of oil are the national oil companies of Russia, Venezuela and the Middle East. Feel free to share with them the plight of the western consumer.

2. The UK government has much greater say over the price of our petrol, but THIS IS A GOOD THING. I'm not in favour of high taxation generally, but the fact that our petrol is so heavily taxed means that the increase in the cost of crude is muffled. In other words, a doubling of the oil price does not mean, for us, a doubling in the price that we pay at the pump. This means that our economy is less likely to go to the wall, and people's jobs will be more secure. THIS IS A GOOD THING.

3. The fundamental reason why the cost of fuel is increasing is PEAK OIL. If you haven't taught yourself what this is yet, then I'd recommend Googling the phrase. There are only two essential facts you need to know:

Worldwide production of conventional crude oil hit a plateau three years ago and not only is there no prospect of this production increasing but it is certain that this production will be decreasing significantly over the coming years;
Worldwide demand for oil is increasing, principally due to the industrialisation of Asia.

Supply is stagnant; demand is increasing - this is why the price of oil is going up! It will continue to go up until there has been enough 'demand destruction' to balance supply and demand. In other words it will carry on getting more and more expensive until most of us can't afford it any more. It's got nothing to do with BP and Shell trying to gouge the consumer.

4. As a result of Peak Oil, and the painful but unavoidable truth that humanity knows of no possible substitute for oil capable of reproducing all the work that oil presently does in our civilisation, oil will first become more and more expensive (see 3 above) and then more and more scarce. The habits of life, centred on the car, which we have built up over the last two generations will be forced to finish ABRUPTLY as we simply won't have the energy to keep them going. Our future is local, sustainable and resilient. For more information on that, Google the phrase 'Transition Town'.

Boycotting Shell and BP is not only pointless foolishness, it is a distraction from the much more serious and far-reaching changes in our patterns of life that we need to start on NOW! It's time to get real, and to leave the comfortable politics of protest behind us.

Feel free to circulate this e-mail to as many people as have received the others.

Visit Sam Norton's Blog

Quiz Night a Success!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

On Sunday 18th May Causeway hosted their first quiz night down the Victory Pub on Mersea. It was well attended with a variety of people, from Mersea to the foreign fields of Ipswich (!), taking part.

Quiz masters on the night were Ben and Sarah Jones who did an amazing job testing the contestants on a variety of subjects from Food and Drink through to Sport. A total of eight teams took part in eight rounds, with The Unlikely Lads being crowned eventual winners.

The quiz was to raise money for the fight against breast cancer with 3 Causeway members (Carol Moncur, Gill Laver and Anna Laver) and members of Bosom Pals taking part in the Moonwalk, a 26 mile walk round London in the early hours of Sunday (18th May) morning. They started at 12.30am and finished approx 8.30am. Huge congratulations are to be given to all those that took part in the Moonwalk raising thousands of pounds towards the ongoing fight against breast cancer.

A total of �114 was raised on the quiz night. General feedback from the night was that it was a great success with the hope of Causeway Quiz nights down the Victory becoming a more regular event, so watch this space!

For more information about Causeway and what we are about then contact Joe on 01206 383067 or email evangelist@wmfc.org.uk

1st Mersea Guides!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

We are the 1st Mersea Guides! We meet every Friday evening at 730pm in the Scout Hut. We welcome girls aged 10-14 years old.

Our evenings are planned by our young leader who is currently working towards becoming a leader. She has been with us now for 7 years and is hoping to become a leader in October when she turns 18.

We offer opportunities such as the Baden Powell challenge for Guides who are 13 years old or who have been with use for up to 3 years. This is a fantastic opportunity and allows the guides to take part in planning evenings for the other girls and going on adventures. As part of this challenge the girls go away for an adventure weekend. Other fantastic opportunities are completing badges and Go For its!! We like to complete at least 2 badges or Go For Its!! In a year. Last year we completed out Passion 4 Fashion Go For It!!! And Healthy Living Badge. This involved the girls running a fashion show and learning about how to keep their bodies healthy. The girls have the opportunity to complete the badges at their own leisure. They can complete any badge they wish to at home.

Within our division we have a beach hut in which we share between our groups. This summer the guides will be making numerous visits. In June we will be teaming up with the brownies and rainbows of Mersea and taking part in a challenge to help support the charity, Children with Leukaemia. This is always a popular event between the packs and is always a laugh!

Once you have decided that you enjoy guides and are interested in staying we will enrol you as part of our pack. This involves the girls making a promise. This can be made at a special event or on a guides evening. Once the girls make their promise they will be presented with a promise badge and be welcomed as a member of our pack!

If you are interested in becoming a Guide Contact

Mo or Lisa Diprose
01206 386104

New Mersea Site Goes Live!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

The new Mersea-island.com website is here, packed full of new features to help make your life on Mersea/visit to Mersea much easier!

We won't deny it's been a long time coming, but we've been working hard at getting things just right!

Once you've taken a look around the site, please take the time to give us some feedback.

Business Listings are Now FREE!

Businesses of Mersea will be pleased to know that Business Listings are now FREE OF CHARGE! For more information, check out the Business Directory!

Simon Cowell is Not God

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

I want to share a radical idea with you. A really radical idea. And the radical idea is this: Simon Cowell is not God.

Now I must confess that I didn't properly know who Simon Cowell was until very recently, and for those of you still in the blissful state of ignorance with regard to him, he is one of the judges on X Factor and similar programs. Now the reason why Simon Cowell is not God - or, to be a bit clearer, why God is not like Simon Cowell - is that Simon's job is precisely to apply some standards and judgements. He is the one who brings a severe understanding of reality to bear upon people's hopes and dreams, and who often has to shatter those hopes and dreams by saying 'No, you're not good enough'. God is not like that; God's standards are not like that. With Simon Cowell the standard, ultimately, is 'will this person succeed in selling records'? In other words, the standard is something outside the person. With God the standard is internal. When we get to the Pearly Gates God will ask us how good we were at being ourselves - he will say to Sarah 'how good were you at being Sarah'; he will say to John 'how good were you at being John' and so on. He won't ask whether we've been successful in the eyes of the world.

God's concern is very different. God's concern is quite clearly on what will enable each person to become who they were meant to be, to fulfil their potential. Jesus said that he came that we might have life, and have it in all its fullness. That doesn't mean there aren't standards, but so often we hear those standards in the wrong tone of voice. Think of the Ten Commandments - so often we hear them shouted by a Simon Cowell figure pronouncing our doom - when in fact we should hear them in the tone of voice of a mother calling to a child not to step into the road when there is a car coming. God's tone of voice is loving, one that is concerned for our flourishing. So in human relationships we need to relate to each other in a Godly way, by sharing in this loving tone of voice and helping each other to become more truly ourselves. There is never any sense of one of us saying "pass" or "fail" to another. That's not how God works, and that's not how human beings are made to work.

At the heart of the Christian faith is a testimony that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. To be a disciple is to have the windows opened and see the glory of God revealed in the face of a human being. When this happens, when we see the face of Christ revealed then the face of Christ within our deepest selves wakes up and seeks expression too. In other words we were each made to be as glorious as Christ is. If we accept the pain of turning towards the light - if we allow God's searching light to reach in to our innermost hearts and unearth all the things which disfigure our souls - then God will work with us, the grace of God will go with us and help us share in his glory. And it will be so much more glorious than winning X-Factor. Glory is what we were made for, Glory is what we are called to, Glory is what we most want to be.

We do have a choice, a freedom to choose between sleep and wakefulness. The world would like us to sleep - to continue to spend our days working all the hours God sends, to raise the money to pay the bills which keep the wheels in motion, to keep us watching the glowbox in the corner where other people are trying to please Mr Cowell. To spend our time consuming - and that need not involve too much time spent in the shops. To not pay any attention to what comes for free in life. To pay attention to our wants, rather than our needs. That is to sleepwalk through this life, to not notice the things that are truly important, to fall into a rut of comfortable habits, safe from the bracing fresh air of reality. That is to not see the light. It is not the life that God has planned for us.

For God sent his Son in order that we might see the light, that we might start to share in the glory that is promised to us, that we might truly love one another as Christ loved us. Then - and only then - we might start to take responsibility for this glorious world we have inherited, and work to make God's glory manifest in the world.

Tesco Monstrosity

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Taking a quick look around the first thing that strikes me is Tesco's Monstrosity. How can such a Metal Mickey of a building blend in with its village surroundings? It does not even remotely resemble anything in the village or anywhere on Mersea. How did planning let them get away with it!? Probably beacause we do not have a local representation on the planning committee like other areas do.

And what about the roof? I bet 'they' couldn't find a brighter red for it if they tried. You can see how well that blends in with the surroundings, I don't think! If you want to build a house you are told what tiles to use and what colour, so that it blends in with surroundings. But it would seem the same rules do not apply to some buildings.

Not forgetting the donation to the school. Good luck to the school, but I would have thought a donation to the MICA Centre would have been better. At least then all of the islanders would have benefited. Finally, what on earth is that lump of scrap iron out front supposed to represent. Obviously another waste of money, it looks like a collection of souvenirs taken from an aircraft wreck.

Well I've said my piece and I can assure you I will not be crossing the threshold and helping to pay for such an eysore. So until next time when I've cast my eye about, be happy.

Grumpy.

Mersea Dance Goes Extra Mile for Sport Relief

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

On Sunday the 16th of March more than 200 Sport Relief mile events took place across the UK. The event was a tremendous success as many people took part despite the pouring rain and bitter cold.

Mersea Dance was represented by principal Helen Key, fittingly dressed as a ballerina, and was joined by students Abi Haward, Sarah Haward and Amie Lord.

So far the school has raised 80 pounds. The money rasied goes towards helping vunerable people across the UK and the world.

Mersea Dance would like to thank everyone for taking part and helping this very special cause.

Finally, Sun Reaches Mersea

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

In Britain, it's quickly becoming a case of bitter-cold, flood or heatwave, and after several months in the bitter-cold area Mersea is now glouriously bathed in sun.

Whilst we all work hard and try to remember the DIY-jobs around the house, let's not forget the stunning place we live in.

Take an hour's break and relax down the beach in Victoria Esplanade, or take a short trip to Cudmore Grove and see how high you can get the kite!

Leading Chef Puts Sights on Local Work

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

After many years as Group Executive Chef for a leading London hospitality firm, Michael Hetherston left the city for a better life with his family on Mersea Island.

Now, three years on, Hetherston Food & Events continues to retain its London clientele (such as the House of Lords and the Lord Mayor of Westminster) but is setting its sights on expanding locally.

Hetherston Food & Events delivers exceptional levels of food and event hospitality solutions to the private, corporate and government sectors throughout the UK and internationally; exceeding expectations for executive lunches, weddings, corporate parties, launch events and private dinners.

"Working with people locally really gives my staff and I a real sense of community, and I look forward to expanding on that." Michael went on to say "It�s very important to me that we continue to benefit people locally and give them fantastic food and event hospitality, which in turn makes their event a truly memorable experience."

After training at Braintree College in 1986, Michael went on to secure jobs in many London, Essex and Cambridgeshire hotels before becoming Head Chef for a large London catering business. He then went on to be a Head Chef at another leading catering firm in London, before moving into the Group Executive Chef position.

If you'd like to see how Hetherston Food & Events can make your event a cut above the rest and make the impression you want, call 01206 384658 or visit www.hetherston.com

New Bereavement Support Group for West Mersea

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

The East of England Co-op has set up a support group in West Mersea to offer bereaved relatives and friends the opportunity to meet others in a similar situation and offer help and understanding at a difficult time.

The idea behind it was to provide a safe environment where people who have been bereaved can go to be with others in a similar situation, and understand what they are going through. The group is not a counseling service, but a self help and support group where people can share their experiences and help others come to terms with their loss. The group is one of five bereavement support groups run by the Society in Essex; the others are in Colchester, Clacton, Witham and Maldon. The first session was held last Friday, 5th January 2007, and those who came along said they found it helpful and would be back for the next session on Friday, 2nd February. Evelyn Rutter, from the Co-operative Funeral Service said: �Sometimes it is the only time people get to talk, as they can become very isolated. Many people have said it has been a life saver for them. Be brave and come, it is a safe place and it does help.� The group is open to all, even if people are not Co-op members, but is only suitable for adults, not children. Refreshments are available. The West Mersea Bereavement Support Group meets on the first Friday of the month, from 1.15pm to 3.15pm at Harrison Court, Grays Close, West Mersea. For more information contact Evelyn Rutter on 01206 797196 or go to www.eastofengland.coop

Open Event at West Mersea Funeral Home

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

An Open Event will be held at the East of England Co-operative Society�s Funeral Home in West Mersea on Saturday 27th January 2007, from 2.00 pm to 4 pm, when local people can take a look at the newly refurbished premises.

The Funeral Home has received a number of improvements, including new decoration, furniture, carpeting, lighting and air conditioning as well as redecoration to the exterior of the building creating a light and comfortable environment for clients to make funeral arrangements. The work was completed at the end of last year and the premises will be re-dedicated at a special service in the morning, which will be led by Reverend Sam Norton and other local clergy. The President of the Society, Mrs Gillian Bober, will unveil a plaque to commemorate the occasion and the re-dedication service will be attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of West Mersea. Brian West, Funeral Services Controller (South), invites anyone interested in finding out about their local funeral home to visit on the afternoon of Saturday 27th January when there will be opportunity to talk to staff and view the premises.

Ian Clarke's Bradwell Meeting Review

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

I attended the meeting on the Bradwell decommissioning and oultined various concerns on flooding by tidal surge, contaminated land, discharges into the sea both supported by offical reports and prosecutions.

While the team at Bradwell are to be congratulated on coming to Mersea and explain the process and answer questions, their presentation posed further questions about the possible development of a regional radioactive waste storage facility at Bradwell, the effect of the intended privatisation of the site operators British Nuclear Group, and options for the long term use of the site including new build of another nuclear power station adjacent to the site. In a co-incidence to concerns expressed the meeting occurred at the same time as an unusual tidal surge on the coast with beach huts being swept away in nearby areas.

A written answer received before the meeting disclosed that the average daily discharge of diluted radioactive waste into the River Blackwater was 20 tonnes about 8,000 tonnes a year or 350,000 tonnes during the operating life of the plant to date, with discharges continuing at the same rate during the decommissioning phase. Concern was expressed by several of those at the meeting including myself of the cumulative effect of those discharges on the sea bed thoughout the river as discharges earlier occurred at all states of the tide. I will ask the NDA to provide the analysis of the accumated discharges in terms of radioactibve and non-radioactive pollutants and undertake both a theoretical exercise using tidal flow models to determine any hot-spots of contamination supported by a comprehensive sampling of the seabed and foreshore. This will fulfill the obligation of the site under the NDA Strategy document to identify any areas of contamination in addition to those earlier identified and ensure that it does not affect the environment or local population.

The team at Bradwell indicated that they would be pleased to provide a presentaion in Mersea on an annula basis and address concerns there or by contact with their Site Communications Manager at any time.

East of England Co-op Supports Mersea Community

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

The East of England Co-operative Society is supporting the community of Mersea Island as it hosts the Royal Yachting Association�s East Zone Championship for young sailors.

The East of England Co-operative Society is supporting the community of Mersea Island as it hosts the Royal Yachting Association�s East Zone Championship for young sailors.

The event, which takes place next weekend (30th September � 1st October) and will involve nearly 200 competitors, is a major one for the Island which has become the largest youth sailing centre away from Britain�s south coast.

The reason Mersea is so successful with its programme is the help and support that comes from across the Island community, the factor that was key to the Co-operative Society�s decision to support their endeavours this time.

Communications and Community Manager, Miriam Harrup, said the Society, which is owned solely by local people and has the largest supermarket on the Island, is keen to support its members and their communities and that it had been impressed by the part individual Mersea Islanders played in encouraging and nurturing young local sailors.

�We are the largest community retailer in the Eastern Region and support the Island through our store,� she explained. �Part of our ethos is helping communities to become stronger through co-operation. This event is bringing together a group of parents, friends and even grandparents - some who have never ventured afloat � who are providing the support network necessary for local children to flourish through the sport of sailing.

�There are the obvious coaches and safety and support boat crews but there are also helpers on the beach, in the kitchens and in the back office, all working towards a single goal. It is a unique set up and I can see why the RYA chose the Island to host its East Zone Championships and the combined Clubs to run them.

�The Championships themselves may be for the more experienced of the Island�s dinghy sailors, but such is the nature of the Mersea community that it will ensure there are opportunities for the less experienced to get involved and to learn from their peers. It is this inclusive spirit of co-operation that we applaud.�

The East of England Co-op has an active Mersea Island Co-operative Community Group, and its Member Development Officer will attend the weekend event to host a Fairtrade stand.

The Society is the main sponsor of the Championships, which are expected to involve nearly 200 competitors from across the East of England Society trading area. Dinghy sailors and windsurfers will be competing not only for the title of champion but also for a place in one of the RYA�s winter coaching squads.

Mersea Hosts RYA Championship

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

The River Blackwater will be a picture of colour and action next weekend as dinghy sailors and windsurfers from across the East of England compete in the Royal Yachting Association�s East Zone Championship.

The River Blackwater will be a picture of colour and action next weekend as dinghy sailors and windsurfers from across the East of England compete in the Royal Yachting Association�s East Zone Championship.

More than 150 young sailors have entered the East of England Co-operative Society sponsored event competing in dinghies ranging from Optimists and Toppers to the double handed Mirrors, Cadets and Fevas as well as in four windsurfer classes.

The Championship is a high profile event for Mersea Island and local businesses as well as Colchester Borough Council are supporting the Dabchicks Sailing Club and West Mersea Yacht Club who have joined forces to host the event in conjunction with the RYA.

�We are delighted to be able to showcase how well suited the River Blackwater is for top level racing and what great events Mersea is able to host,� said Event Chairman Paul Jackson.

�It is also a great opportunity for our own dinghy sailors and windsurfers to learn from more experienced sailors from across the region and to get a glimpse of the opportunities available to them.�

The East of England Co-op RYA East Zone Championships will run on Saturday and Sunday (30th September - 1st October) with the first races due to get underway around mid-day on Saturday.

The Brightlingsea Foot Ferry

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Getting to Brightlingsea doesn't have to be boring anymore, thanks to the foot ferry that's celebrating it's third season. The ferry provides easy access between Brightlingsea, Point Clear and East Mersea communities for both local and visitors.

This popular Ferry provides not only a means of crossing the creek but opens up opportunities to explore the vast number of attractions and facilities the area has to offer. You can visit the Historic town of Brightlingsea and discover it�s long Heritage, friendly town centre shops and eating places, or enjoy the busy waterfront and �Blue Flag� beach. Alternatively you can visit Cudmore Grove Country Park at East Mersea, the Aviation Museum, housed in a Martello Tower and wide beach at Point Clear, which is approximately two miles from the Historic Village of St Osyth.

The custom built 21� ferry boat has a ramp which can be lowered to allow easy access for wheelchair users and cycles, as well as foot passengers using the service.

Use of the ferry greatly reduces road miles travelled in the region, typically the roundtrip journey between Brightlingsea and Point Clear is 20 miles, which takes just 3 minutes on the ferry, the roundtrip to East Mersea is 40 miles and takes approximately 9 minutes. The environmental benefits by use of the ferry as a real alternative to road travel, are clearly recognisable.

The success of the ferry has been partly attributed to the close working relationship between the ferry partnership members, working together to provide a professional service, but also largely due to the support given by local residents and visitors taking advantage of this important asset.

This season we will be providing clear signage to and at all ferry departure points to make it easier to access and enjoy using the ferry during the Summer of 2006 and beyond.

This season we look forward to welcoming passengers old and new, using the ferry to discover our three communities or enjoy a pleasure trip to explore the diverse natural beauty of the area.

Ferry trip timetables will be available shortly from local shops, Tourist Information Centres and various other outlets in the region.

Further details are available on the Brightlingsea Ferry Website www.brightlingseaferry.co.uk or the Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners on 01206 30220 or Bob Shotton on 01206 302669.

Ted Milgate’s Whale

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

(from 'Harvest Adventure' by J. Wentworth Day, 1946; describing an event I well remember)

Ted gazed steadily out of the window at military motor-boats attempting to form fours. 'Web-footed sojers' he muttered. My mind went back to a night in Mrs Hone’s, when that illustrious mistress of distinguished cookery had been asked if she could provide a whale steak. “What was that about a whale you caught?”
“Same as a whale!”
“Yes—yours.”
“Who towd ye I ketched a whale?”
“No one,” I lied.
“’Cos there’s bin a lot o’ bloody lies about that there whale o’ mine, an’ the damn’ thing nearly landed me in the clink. Ferreted out the whole village, that did.”
He slewed his eyes round with sudden challenge.
“Don’t you go an’ put that in one of your books, now. ‘Cos I know if we chaps spin you a yarn you don’t half varnish it up!”
“I won’t promise, Ted. Spit it out.”
“Well, I was out in the motor-boat with the missus, trawlin’, when up comes three bloody whales on the tide—dead. Reckon they’d been killed by a mine! I took a look, an’ I sez to the missus, ‘Never ketched a whale yet. I reckon I’ll hev one of them b—-s.’
“I runs me boat alongside the biggest one, gits aboaqrd him— he drawed about three and a half foot and two foot freeboard—and stuck the fluke o’ me anchor in his eye. I took a turn or two o’ the cable round me sternpost an’ towed him back to the foreshore. Rare big tide, so I got him up by the coast-road.
“Next morning’ they was all down a-garpin’ at him. Hundreds o’ folk. Sojers, orficers, flyin’ chaps, an’ sum of the Navy from Brighlingsea. All the locals too. I reckon I could ha’ took a bucketful o’ shilling's if I’d charged ‘em. Har! I missed the money there.
“Tides took off next day, an’ there he lay. Hot tew. Tha started it!”
“Did he stink?” I asked.
“Har! Suffin’! Bin dead a week or tew maybe. Wind went round to eastward, and they reckoned they smelt him in Colchester., ten mile off!
“Next day I was havin’ my tea, settin’ in the back place, when rap! rap! goes some one on the door.
“Away goo the missus! Back she cum:
“Policeman want you,’ she say. ‘Reckon it’s about that whale o’ yourn.’
“Away I goo. Copper stood there, big as a ship’s figurehead.
“ ‘Name o’ Milgate?’ he say.
“ ‘ Yis,’ I say.
“ ‘You gotter a whale,’ he say. ‘Do you take the b—— away or I’ll summons ye.’
“ ‘There’s money in that there whale,’ I say.
“ ‘An’ a stink!’ he say. ‘Near enough knocked me off my bike comin’ up the coast-road! Bus chaps say they ‘on’t bring the owd bus no nearer than the church. Goo you on—did riddy on it! Do ye don’t ye’ll be up to court.’
“So I finishes me tea, an’ away I goos to the Hard. Yew could smell that owd whale all
oover the village by then! My heart, that did stink! Oily!
“ I goos in the Victory to git some chaps to help me haul it down the beach, an’ damn! They nearly chucked me out! Real savage! They’d had to shut all the doors and winders and then that ruined the beer. “That cost me five quarts to git me pals— pals! — to git rollers under that whale and crank it down to the water. “I stuck me anchor in it, an’ away we goos. Towed it out a couple o’ mile — lets go — and away back home. Hopes old Hitler gits it for his breakfuss in the morning’. “ ‘ Bowt fower next morning’, starlight, there comes a rare bangin’ on the back door. I sticks out me snout an’ hollers, ‘Who’s there?’ “That was Mr Foster, that London gennelman what had taken a houseboat on the salts —ten guineas a week, tew. “ ‘Yar name Milgate?’ he hollers. “ ‘Yis!’ “Yew gotter a whale?’ “ ‘No, I haint, mate. I had one, but the b—-’s gone to sea.’ “Well, he’s come back agin, and he’s nearly stove in my houseboat. Do you come an’ haul it orf, or I’ll County Court you!’ “Away I goos. Bright moon. Big tide, whale a-bumping up agin his boat. Stink! That’d ferreted him and his missus out orlright! They had to git up off to the pub in their pyjamas. "Well, I gits out me motor-boat an’ I tows that damn whale three mile out to sea— an’ you don’t git no petrol allowance for towin’ whales about these days.Tew days later I was settin’ up in me back place tea-time, with a nice plate o’ winkles and the vinegar, when rap! rap! rap! “Away goo the missus. Back she come. “ ‘Chap want you,’ she say, ‘ ‘bout that whale o’ yourn.’ “ ‘Tell him I ain’t home, an’ I hain’t got no whale,’ I sez. “ ‘Thass the police inspector from Colchester,’ she say. Away I goos. There stood the copper. “” ‘Yar name Milgate?’ he say. “ ‘ Yis. mate!’ “ ‘Yew gotter a whale?’ “ ‘No, mate. I had a whale time or tew, but the b—-’s gone to sea!’ “ ‘Har! Well—he’ve come beck and blowed up nine bullocks!’ “ ‘How’s that?’ “ ‘Come ashore down at East on a big tide s’mornin’,’ he say. ‘Sailed in over the minefield, went clean through the barbed wire, and landed up in Mr Smith’s medder. Soon as the tide dropped nine o’ his bullocks git through the wire and was blowed up. Yer whale done it, and yew gotter piy!’ “ ‘Piy! I ‘on’t piy, not if I goo ter jile,’ I sez. ‘I never bred the damn whale. I never took out a licence for it, and that ain’t got no collar on with my name on. I’ve took that out to sea twice, an’ what that do now ain’t no consarn of mine. Do you git the sojers on the job,’ I sez, ‘there’s for ever on ‘em about wi’ nothing’ to do!' “So away he goos, and they gits some sojers and blows that there whale up wi’ dynamite and burns the b—- down wi’ lime, an’ that were the end o’ he. “That done me wi’ ketchin’ o’ whales!”

The Last Pirates In England

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Cycling to school at The Nothe, via the Coast Road during the war, I well remember the Mersea oystermen. They could make you late, as they went two abreast carrying huge forks and wire baskets. On antiquated bikes at a leisurely speed. You could overtake them, but they might choose that moment to spit out a yellow stream of chewed tobacco.

One of the keenest, George Stoker, had paid GBS 1000 for Cob Island, which he bought from Willoughby John Bean, an oyster-merchant who lived at The Firs. Then there were of course Algar Mussett and Zebedee Milgate, father of Ted. Perhaps ´Algar´ was a corruption of ´Elgar´. I still have a school diary in which our teacher (Miss Webb) required us to enter the weather, including readings from the barometer in the Coast Rd, near Captain´s Rd. It is for 1941, and records (among other things) the burning of The Victory hotel, and my mother kicking a row of incendiaries into the gutter along Yorick Rd - they had missed the houses, and were still burning, spoiling the tarseal. You took your ARP bucket of sand and shovelled sand on each, like doggie doo´s. Didn´t put them out, but looked better!

Around this time, but I don´t know the date, occurred the great sea-fight. The following is a description from "Harvest Adventure on Farms and Sea Marshes of Birds Old Manors and Men", by J.Wentworth Day, 1946:-

"They [Zebedee´s relics] told the story of the Breton ancestors. But they did not tell the story of Zeb´s part in the famous sea-fight off the Naas End, when a Tollesbury smack and a Mersea smack, both oystermen, ran alongside a big forty-six-ton marauding Burnham smack, boarded her, beat up her crew with hand-spikes and fists, and threw her cargo overboard and her dredges after it. It was a great fight, the shouting and the fisticuffs, the oaths and black eyes, on the slippery deck in the clear sea-sunlight, with the smacks grinding and cracking together on the swirling tide, their sails flapping and burgees dancing. In the end the Burnhamers, bloody-nosed and beaten, hauled up their anchor, set sail, and squared away down by the Batchelor´s Spit and the Buxey Sand for home, defeated men. But that was not the end of it, not by a bagful of winkles.The case came up in the High Courts of Justice away up in London, and old Zeb, with two bloody wounds on his bandaged head, was one of a motley crew of Mersea men and Tollesbury chaps who stood, caged but incorrigible, in the dock on a charge of piracy on the high seas - the last trial for piracy in England. They were convicted, but remain innocent in the eyes of all right-thinking men to this day. "Ye see, it was like this here," said Ted, settling himself on a stool and laying his gun carefully in the corner. He had been on a fox-shoot over six square miles of cattle-marsh where the assorted populace of three villages had blazed B.B. and S.S.G in all directions from muzzle-loaders. Five foxes had died bloodily, and at least a dozen, "big as hosses," had escaped. Here in Mrs. Hone´s, with a quart pot between us, he relaxed, safe, but foxless.

"Yes, yes," said Ted, puffing cigarette smoke at the stuffed heron. "Them Burnham chaps had been a-drudgin´ shingle and oyster culch off the Naas End for days. That belong to Mersea an´ Tollesbury, all that culch - and Dad and some on ´em towd ´em so. But that warn´t no go. They cum agin and drudged up tons o´ shell. So away go tew o´ our smacks, an´ ran alongside ´em. There warn´t no more than tew men showin´ on deck on each smack, one at the hellum and one on the runners. Dad an´ them was down below. They tumbled up, soon as the gunwales touched, an´ was aboard that Burnhamer in like oneo´clock, man o´ war boardin´ style! There was a rare set-toal - arms an´ legs a-´goin´ and anything they could lay hands on. They fit like tom cats an´ gied them Burnhamers suffin tew take home. There warn´t one but got a black eye, an´ some had tew. "Rum going´s on - but Mersea´s a head place for rum ´uns and rum goes".

The affair of Ted Milgate´s whale is another story related in this book; I´ll add it some time. That I remember, but not the year; it was after the time the sea froze and there was pack-ice on the beach, and the aurora borealis, soon after war broke out.

John Barton

Was Mersea "Prospero's Island"?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Mersea was immortalized as Mehala by the one-time Rector of East Mersea, Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould. Is there a possibility it was also immortalized by 'Shake-Speare' as "Prospero' Island"?

Many authors have tried to identify that island; but in every case, with regard only to what the play, The Tempest , seems to geographically require. And without regard that the writer may have been drawing on imagination and using some real place that he had visited. It must be in the Mediterranean - why? We are told Prospero was exiled far from his native Naples. Corfu is one suggestion - by Laurence Durrell.

But I know Corfu, it is NOT cold, bleak, or near-uninhabited. There is no reason why the playwright shouldn't have chosen to describe an island he knew well, however inappropriate to the plot, since he didn't name it. Prospero being exiled safely far from Italy, to England. Without any reference to who "Shake-Speare" was, the island is nothing like the rocky ones of the west coast. Lundy, etc. There is a tradition that a few Shake-Speare plays, including "Macbeth", were written at Castle Hedingham. A long way from Stratford-on-Avon. And presumably as the guest of Edward de Vere, whose seat it was.

Mersea is the nearest island of any size to Castle Hedingham, and sufficiently close -20 miles as the arrow flies- for a person of leisure living there to be acquainted with. Sufficient detail is given in The Tempest to make one assume it may have some putative real location, at the back of the author's mind, and apart from artistic licence. If you want to see a reconstruction based on the text, with no such views imposed, visit: http://www.islomania.com/tempest/prosperosisle.html , disregard the shape, and rotate it 90 degrees anticlockwise. Then compare it with Tudor Mersea."Shake-Speare" shows in his plays an intimate knowledge of Italy, with descriptions of Milan, Venice, and Verona gleaned (according to Stratfordians) from travel books.But Prospero"s/Caliban"s island stands in sharp contrast. Twenty-four passages in The Tempest allude to the island.It is cold, bleak, surrounded by foul mudflats, windy, and has a wild sea. It"s water is salt and brackish, apart from a fresh-water well. It grows mushrooms, berries, scamels (limpets), filberts, crabs, broom, briers, and furzes. Together with sheep, wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, etc. The sands are yellow, the shore sterile and rock-hard. There are nettles, docks, mallows, stinking bogs and fens, and cowslips. It is practically uninhabited (the population was around 1500 when I lived there). Almost inaccessible, and with a "strong-based promontory".(The Stroud?") Hardly like the Isle of Wight, or the Scillies.None of which have, I think, an Artesian well. Nor for that matter, a church nearby named (in Romeo and Juliet) St. Peter"s, as the 7th century one at Bradwell.

Could it be an Elizabethan pun that Gonzalo shouts, when his boat first strikes the island, Mercy on us! -we split, we split! Perhaps Mersea was indeed on them. At all events, the word 'mercy' is used rather often in this play - at least nine times if a "merciful" is included. JOHN BARTON 188 Carrington Street, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Namibia-aid.org.uk

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

www.namibia-aid.org.uk is the newly launched website of The Catherine Bullen Memorial Fund. The site describes the origins of the Fund, gives details of past and current projects, and ways of donating to the Buy a Brick - Build a Clinic Appeal.

The Appeal was launched last November to raise ?20,000 to build a Medical Clinic in the village of Otjimanangombe in the Omaheke region of eastern Namibia. Currently the area is devoid of medical facilities causing hardship and suffering. The nearest clinic is 70 kms away and can only be reached by a dirt road, either on a donkey cart or in the back of a pick-up truck. If the local community could provide a building the government would provide the equipment and staff. Most of the village and the surrounding area exist on subsistence farming and do not have the funds to finance such a project. Therefore the Memorial Fund nominated the building of the Clinic to be it?s current project after Catherine?s parents, Roger and Linda visited the area.

Fund raising has already commenced, with the staff of Aldham Ward, Colchester General Hospital where Linda works initiating a number of activities while Roger?s colleagues at Polestar Colchester made donations in lieu of sending Xmas cards last year. Already ?1500 has been raised in the past six weeks and future fund raising activities are planned including a Summer Charity Ball.

The 'Buy a brick - Build a Clinic' appeal encourages donations to buy bricks for ?2 each. The donors name will be entered in a register which will be placed in the clinic on completion. Donations should be sent with the donor's name and address to 'The Catherine Bullen Memorial Fund, c/o Barclays Bank, Yorick Road, West Mersea, CO5 8HX. Donations can also be made online. In addition the Fund would welcome any offers of fund raising activities from individuals and organisations and it can be contacted on 01206 383368 or email info@namibia-aid.org.uk.

The Memorial Fund was set up in 2002 in memory of Catherine Bullen, a fifth year medical student from West Mersea, Essex, studying at Bristol University who died suddenly in Namibia while on safari prior to working in hospitals in Zambia and Tanzania. It?s first project was completed in 2004 when a borehole was refurbished providing fresh water for Omuhaturua Primary School and Otjimanangombe village. A registered Charity, it?s aims are to relieve poverty, and support health and educational initiatives in rural Namibia. More than half the population survives on about ?45 a year from subsistence farming. Thirty five per cent are unemployed and almost one in four adults has Aids. By working with local community based organisations in the country, the trustees are ensuring all funds go straight to the nominated projects where a relatively small amount of money makes a big difference to improve the quality of life.

Capturing Mersea's Beauty

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

How often have you walked along Victoria Esplanade or Coast Road to be presented by a stunning view created by the natural elements?

These views can vary greatly from day to day, hour to hour or minute by minute due to the ever changing unique weather conditions that are brought upon us by living on an island. Such beautiful fleeting scenes can linger in our memory and remind us of why Mersea Island is such an attractive place during all of the seasons that nature has to offer. But often, as time moves on, memories can fade and the stresses brought about by everyday work can easily make us forget about the area we live in, causing us to be careless in the way we treat such a fragile ecosystem.

Over the last year and half I have been documenting the visual attraction of Mersea Island through digital photography, capturing the imagery so that these views will not become fading memories or disappearing locations as the Island's population continues to grow and affect our surroundings. Living so close to the water many of Mersea Island's inhabitants will participate in water-sports such as sailing, windsurfing or simply just swimming. You may have even been cut off from the mainland by the rising tide. This close relationship with the sea should encourage us to take good care of our island so that future generations can also enjoy these activities in safety. This is why I have developed a website to promote the visual attraction of Mersea Island. A proportion of any sales made from these photographs will be donated to the UK based non-profit organisation Surfers Against Sewage who campaign, for the benefit and safety of all water users, to bring to an end to the discharge of raw and partially treated sewage into our seas and inland waters.

It is hoped that by visiting my website you will appreciate the stunning visual attraction that Mersea holds and the importance of keeping our oceans clean. I hope that the photos remind you of views you have may witnessed briefly, and that you wish to share with others. At the same time any purchases you make will help to preserve clean seas which are a key part in the visual aspect of Mersea Island which would otherwise be lost.

Visit www.capturingmersea.co.uk for images of Mersea Island.

Editor's Note: Mersea-island.com is working with Martin to get his products onto the Online Shop which will be launched very soon. The shop will feature Martin's photography, along with local crafts and general cute things.

Local Craft, Examined

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

My name is Sally Savage and I have lived on the island for nearly 30 years. For about 25 of these years I worked in Colchester . For the last 18, I worked for a firm called Tarmac.

It was during my final year with them that, as part of my employment package I, along with my partner went on a pre retirement course being held at a hotel in Torquay.

The course was designed to help newly retired people cope with their finances and their leisure time.

James, my other half and myself found the course very good. In the mornings we attended lectures given by doctors, financial advisors, dieticians etc.

In the afternoons all kinds of leisure activities were held. You could swim, have a Jacuzzi or attend all manner of activities.

On my first three afternoons, having a real hankering to learn to paint, I joined the art classes. Still life. On the third afternoon I gave up the art classes. My painting of a pineapple looked as though it was something that had landed from outer space.

My next afternoon was taken up in the gardening class. I learnt all about double digging, mulching and compost. This didn't really inspire me. All my gardening these days is done in pots. Easier to weed. When one lot of flowers have finished flowering I can hide the pot behind the shed and bring out another in flower. Next I went along to the vets class to learn how to care for my cat. Anyone with a cat will know that we don't own the cat, they deign to live with us. Our cat Suki really rules our lives. . She is a most loving and wonderful companion. Not so great when she wants to go out at four in the morning.

I only stayed part of the allotted time in this class as I felt I knew more about looking after my pet than the vet did. So at a loose end decided to wander along to the other classes.

I went into a card craft class. There were all these ladies beavering away making all manner of cards.

I spent a very enjoyable hour watching what was going on and then the class finished for the day.

At exactly 2p.m.the next afternoon I was at the door of the class, eager to learn more. The class was called "How to make Parchment Craft cards". After 2 hours I was hooked.

Parchment craft is a very ancient craft. I have traced the original form back to the late 1400's.

The craft was used in its earliest stages by monks for decorating religious scripts.

The original Parchment was thought to be stretched goatskins and the inks were made from plants etc.

The craft has now become very popular. It is still taught in the convents in Spain. If you look on the Internet you can find lots of sites showing work from Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Holland and lots more besides. The Brazilian and Spanish work uses a lot of cut work and quite a lot of their work still uses some of the original religious designs.

Nowadays we have man made parchment paper (this looks a bit like thick greaseproof paper). Special tools, inks, oil pastels, paints, and coloured pencils. In fact we make use of anything we can find.

It's not easy to get materials and tools at competitive prices at the moment so I am always on the look out for suppliers.

To make a card we trace or draw a pattern using a mapping pen and ink. We then colour and emboss. It is the embossing that gives the card the raised effect. This is done using various tools and techniques. Embossing is basically stretching and working the parchment. The more you emboss the whiter the parchment becomes. Once the art of drawing and embossing is achieved we go on to more difficult things. Using special tools and curved scissors we can turn parchment into highly decorative lace. Although these cards take a long time to make they are beautiful. The wonderful thing about this craft is that every card you make is individual to you. I teach classes twice a week and I can give my ladies the same card to make and get 6 different interpretations of it.

The craft isn't just for making cards. Anything you can make with paper you can make in parchment. One of my specialities is gift envelopes for sending vouchers, cheques or cash; these are worked in parchment with various patterns on the outside. We also make little carrier bags, mainly at Christmas for small presents. Boxes, again for small gifts. These are nice filled with pot-pourri. The ideas are endless.

I am very lucky to have a couple of outlets for selling all my products on the island. I also hold a couple of tabletop sales in the British Legion Hall at Christmas and in the spring. These sales enable me to buy all my materials and any new products that come on the market. The tools don't come cheap. My latest acquisition is a Sun tool at the cost of ?11.95. I might only use this tool three of four times a year.

I also make cards to order for "that special occasion". These I can personalise by printing inserts on the computer, or placing photo's etc within the pattern of the card.

One of my early specials was a card for a 40 th Wedding Anniversary. I produced a lace-fronted card and framed a small wedding day photo of 40 years before within the lacework.

If you wish to see samples of my work you will find cards and envelopes in two shops in the village: The Reading Room and Chrisylden Crafts.

I hope that I have managed to catch the imagination a little about working with parchment. So many people automatically think that I mean calligraphy worked on parchment. My craft is so very different.

I am always willing to discuss the craft and can be contacted by e-mail.

Dedicated to Helping People

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Two years ago, our daughter Catherine, a fifth year medical student at Bristol University travelled with a fellow student to Namibia via Dubai and South Africa to go on a safari prior to taking up elective placements in Zambia and Tanzania. Two days into the safari, she became ill with a virulent strain of gastro enteritis. Despite the valiant efforts of her friend to save her, she died in Oshivelo near the Etosha National Park on 23 August 2002.

Her family, her friends, the university and we were devastated by the death of our daughter who was destined to become by all accounts, a brilliant doctor. The waste of her life was incomprehensible to us all. There was a feeling that something positive must emerge from this appalling tragedy and within a matter of days, the Catherine Bullen Memorial Fund was launched.

Last November, we travelled to Namibia and South Africa to follow in her footsteps and to meet the Komeho Namibia Development Agency who were overseeing the bore hole project for which Catherine's Memorial Fund provided the finance.

Initially the Fund was launched with the aim of providing equipment for the clinic where she spent her last moments. However, this turned out to be impracticable, and so with the assistance of the Deputy British High Commissioner we were able to identify a suitable project. During her stopover in Johannesburg she witnessed on the one hand the arrangements connected with the Earth Summit being held there, and on the other the poverty of the townships with their lack of sanitation. One of the outcomes of the Summit was the commitment to provide freshwater for communities in Africa. We felt this was something the Memorial Fund could get involved in.

The fund nominated such a project in Eastern Namibia. It has now provided fresh water for the Omuhaturua Primary School and hostel in the Omaheke Region, by equipping an existing bore hole that was not in use. As well as providing water for the school, it has enabled them to irrigate a vegetable plot to provide fresh produce, and serve as a reserve supply for the nearby village of Otjimanangombe. The school has 220 pupils aged from five to fifteen, of which fifty per cent are boarders. It is administered by the local community who contribute what they can to sustain the hostel which also receives a supply of maize through the Schools Feeding Program. Previously the school and the village shared one borehole, which could not cope with demand, and it was not uncommon for them to be without fresh water for periods of up to two days at a time.

On 21 April 2004, a plaque was unveiled in memory of Catherine by the British Vice Consul. This ceremony also marked the completion of the water project. The local community have been so touched by Catherine's story that they have decided to name the school's boarding hostel after her and a number of orange trees were planted there as part of the ceremony.

The trustees of the Memorial Fund hope to continue funding projects linked with the school and nearby village together with similar ones in Namibia where a relatively small amount of money makes a big difference to improve the quality of life.

If you wish to make a donation, please send it to the Catherine Bullen Memorial Fund, c/o Barclays Bank, Yorick Road, West Mersea, Essex, CO5 8HX.

Regatta Goes with a Bang!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Come 5pm on the 21st of August the Mersea-island.com volunteers gathered at Tiger House to prepare for the 2004 Regatta; blowing up and tying nearly 500 balloons, readying leaflets, putting on their groovy purple shirts and checking their cameras.

But how did it all go? Well, in a word - superbly! The balloons were lapped up by members of the public and went down a real treat with the attending under ten's.

Our team had a great time amusing the public and handing out the cool things; one of our main aims at the event was to generate more entries into the Free Prize Draw, which will be drawn at the tail end of August.

The Regatta itself went great, with the usual ceremonies, competitions, boat racing (results to follow shortly!) and of course, the fireworks, all going on as trandition dictates.

The Fireworks were spectular as usual and the crowds were even more evident as the fireworks came to a stop and thousands made their way home.

All in all, this year's event was great for the promotion of Mersea-island.com and we'd like to thank Adam, Allan, Alex, Chlo?, Chris, Dale, Jamie, Jo, Kelly, Lawrence, Natalie, Sophie, Suzy, Paul and Vivien for helping out.

Big thanks also go to the Regatta Committee for letting us spread our wings at the event.

Legion in the Community

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

The Royal British Legion in Essex is launching a new awareness campaign called Legion in the Community . The campaign will run across the summer and aims to increase public awareness of the Legion's welfare work and membership activities. Special events and activities are being organised by Legion clubs and branches such as receptions, entertainment and organised events.

The campaign resulted from research that showed that while the Legion's Poppy Appeal raises a lot of money for the charity each year, fewer people were aware of what the money raised is actually spent on. Research also showed that many people did not know that, as well as being a charity, The Royal British Legion is also a membership organisation which anyone, whether ex-Service or not, can join.

Speaking about the new campaign, Alan Broker said "Although the Legion has a high profile in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day due to the Poppy Appeal, many people do not know that our welfare work with the ex-Service community in Essex continues 365 days a year. We are also making people aware of the many different ways they can support, get involved with and benefit from the Legion in their area."

Mersea Gets a Taste of the Legion

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Royal British Legion Essex has launched its new campaign, the Legion in the Community and as a result Mersea Island are opening their Club and inviting people to come and join them on Bank Holiday Monday 30th August 2004.

The Royal British Legion Essex is launching a major new campaign to emphasise the Legion?s place in the community. Essex is one of the 10 counties chosen across the UK to take part in the pilot project.

The Legion in the Community initiative will underline the continuing welfare work that the Legion undertakes locally in support of ex-Servicemen and women, their families and their dependants. It will seek to increase and widen the membership, emphasising the fact that you do not need a service background to be a member of the Legion.

The Club has two bars, which will open at 11am, and a Hall where people can meet, socialise and find about more about the Legion that works in their community and how it will benefit them.

Tony Minns comments, "This is a new and exciting initiative and Essex has been chosen to help launch it. The scheme will be of great benefit to the ex-services personnel and the community in the Mersea Island area. Everyone, ex-forces or not, can apply for membership and be part of the Royal British Legion community. We hope that everyone will come and join us on Monday."

Mersea is Swarming!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Well the weekend's over and the swarms of Hoverflies that emerged in the Mersea air have practically disappeared.

Just before the weekend (1st August 2004) swarms of the little devils clammered over to the Eastern Shoreline looking for salt water.

Rather dissappointingly for local residents - sweat was top of the specials list as oppose to the Blackwater and within a few hours of Friday's afternoon, people were already overwhelmed.

The Hoverfly, in a family of 250 different species, were reported to be in exceedingly large numbers this year after they fell lucky enough to obtain a good supply of food and perfect temperatures throughout the year.

Leona Green of BBC Essex told us how Andy May - Conservation Manager for the Essex Wildlife Trust - commented "...they are completely harmless" and advised people "...not to squash them."; sadly the advice came a little late for many annoyed residents who believed they we're Hornets or Wasps.

Best to remember the wise words though, the swarm is likely to hit the East again next year if food supply and temperatures are similar.

Other areas hit with a case of the creeps include Harwich, Colchester, Great Yarmouth, Wivenhoe and Walton.

Do you want to share your opinion about the annoying little things of yellow and black? Email us at news@mersea-island.com

Thanks to BBC Essex, and BBC News: Look East for the details.

Mersea and the WW2 Army Service Corps

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Mersea Island and the Royal Army Service Corps Motor Boat Coys during the Second World War.

The birth of the Motor Boat Coys, Royal Army Service Corps can be traced to the period immediately after Dunkirk . The threat of invasion was very high and this necessitated the Royal Navy to operate yachts and picket boats in patrolling river estuaries and backwaters to prevent the landing of enemy agents to commit acts of sabotage. As the threat of invasion receded, the Royal Navy removed their personnel, relinquished its responsibilities and handed its boats over to the newly formed Motor Boat Coys who had already taken responsibility for the fleet of ships belonging to the War office.

No 2 Motor Boat Company was formed at Moreton-in-March, Gloucestershire on 22nd July 1940 and moved to West Mersea on 20th October 1941, where it began patrolling the Colne and the Blackwater. During February 1942, the unit hosted the Gaumont British Film Corporation which filmed No 2 Section in action.

With the expansion of the R.A.S.C. fleet due to new demands, it was decided that a training base should be set up, and West Mersea was chosen due to its excellent boating facilities for shallow craft, although later it would have a problem when larger deep draft boats arrived. In autumn 1942, No 2 Motor Boat Company was withdrawn for duty and transferred to the First Army. It was replaced by No 1 Motor Boat Company, whose role was to be that of training establishment only, with a possibility of limited patrolling.

In December 1942, just a few boats were in evidence, but when training got into full swing in 1943, both channels became full with a varied assortment of cabin cruisers, harbour launches together with a D.U.K.W and Alligators based on Coast Road near Clark and Carter's boatyard. The Company had four of the latter which had been designed and manufactured in America , from an original design intended to be used for rescue purposes in area of the Florida Everglades. From this amphibious vehicle, which was propelled both on land and water by its tracks, the L.V.T.1 (Alligator) was developed being eventually produced in considerable numbers and used by the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific from late 1942. On Mersea, these were used for training purposes and transporting personnel and stores (and the odd ride by the local schoolboys). Unfortunately these vehicles not only played havoc with the Island 's roads but continually became stuck in the mud and they were withdrawn after D-Day. The engineering workshop was a shed at the back of the boatyard. Osea Island became the workshop and engineer training base in March 1943. Boat Sections were formed for training purposes according to the level of instruction required, whether it be basic seamanship, navigation, morse or semaphore etc.

Staff billets for 'A' Section were in Victory Road , the 'Beacon and Sundown' Section HQ was 'Bessom House' at the bottom opposite the Victory. Other billets were in the semi detached houses opposite the Blackwater Hotel. 'Port Bower', Yorick Road , was the Company Headquarters and it also contained the lecture rooms. The Officers and Sergeant's Mess was down the road opposite. Refreshments were available from the Women's Voluntary Service canteen in one of the small cottages near ' New Orleans '. The NAAFI was to arrive in June 1943, taking over a large house in Coast Road adjacent to the Army cookhouse and more lecture rooms next door. A fully rigged 'Fleet' flag mast was sited on the present car park near the 'Hard' and opposite was the Quartermaster's stores. Beach House was also requisitioned.

At 05.55 hrs on 17th December 1943, Handley Page Halifax LW280 crashed on the salt marshes, half a mile south of Pennyhole Flats. No. 1 Motor Boat Coy was alerted to search for wreckage and survivors. A former crewman recollected the incident as follows:

'Our boat H.202 was detailed to search Tollesbury creek. Visibility was very poor - half light and mist - only about twenty yards, no more. The tide was with us as we crept slowly up the creek, reaching perhaps half way up the 'Tolly', when a large round object loomed up out of the mist - starboard bow. Taking no chances as we had been warned, a quick reverse and 'hedge' anchor over. We drifted back, was it a bomb or mine? It was one of the aircraft's wheels stuck in the bank. On the opposite bank was a large gorge in the mud, the undercarriage must have been down on impact. As I had my 'sea boots' on, we decided to check the port side first although the main body of the plane would be on the wheel side, if that was correct at least we could inform the R.A.F. where to look. John moved '202' into the port side bank and I clambered over for a look. It was obvious that this plane had not been carrying bombs. There was ammunition of various types scattered around along with gelignite packs etc. I could not see any of the crew - live or otherwise - but struggling back to the boat I spotted in the mud a container which had split open spilling small red booklets about 6"x 4" in size. They were sabotage instructions detailing how to blow up this and that printed in French. I thought one would fit in my pocket nicely, you never know. We returned to West Mersea with haste as survivors - if any - would be on the Peldon side presumably. The R.A.F. had to be alerted where to look. John and I had just time to grab some breakfast before the Military and Civil Intelligence boys arrived. They very quickly read out the riot act to John and I in no uncertain terms. Needless to say I lost my 'red book' and got a rollicking to boot. What happened afterwards was a 'closed shop' for us at No. 1 Motor Boat Company. We assumed the plane was tackled from the Tollesbury and Peldon area.'

The Halifax was returning from an aborted mission to supply the French Resistance when it ran out of fuel. The crew of eight baled out of which four survived. Later that day the remains of the fuselage were dragged on to the 'Hard' under strict security and transported off the Island .

In January 1944, Mersea relinquished its training role and once again became a base for operational Coys as part of preparations for D-Day. No 1 Motor Boat Company (246) left for Rothesay in Scotland and the Island became the base of CRASC No 42 Transport Column which comprised the Motor Boat Coys which would assist on the Normandy beaches.

Arrivals were as follows:

February 1944: HQ CRASC CTC from Rothesay to East Mersea . 10 March 1944: 624 Motor Boat Company from Inverrary to West Mersea . 16 March 1944: 571 Motor Boat Company from Woolwich to West Mersea and 626 Motor Boat Company from Rothesay. 4 May 1944: 9501, 9505, 9509, 9513, 9514, 9515, 9516 - Fire Boat Sections from Catterick to West Mersea . 7 May 1944: 9505, 9506 (Med) Fire Boat Sections from Catterick to West Mersea . 9510 (Large) Fire Boat Section from Catterick to West Mersea . 11 May 1944: HQ 109 FF Coy (Overseas) from Catterick to West Mersea . 22 May 1944: 9521, 9529 Fire Boat Section from Catterick to West Mersea . 9531 Fire Boat Section (Lge/Med) from Catterick to West Mersea . 5 June 1944: 9503, 9504, 9507, 9511, 9512, 9519 (Med) Fire Boat Section from Ealing to West Mersea . 9517, 9520 (Lge) Fire Boat Section from Ealing to West. Mersea.

George Rutherford was an officer with No 571 Motor Boat Company which arrived on the Island in March 1944.

'Now 571, having been relieved of our landing craft by the Royal Navy - they always tended to treat us seafaring pongos with scant respect - for the Sicily landings, descended on West Mersea with a splendid mini fleet of Military Fire Vessels. These were 50ft motor fishing vessels that had been converted at Tarbert , Scotland , as fire fighting craft, a somewhat bizarre decision by the War Office seeing that they were built of wood! We also retained the pick of the training company's more sophisticated launches, ideal for jaunts up the Blackwater to Maldon and Heybridge basin where our sister Company, No 624 was stationed.

Apart from 571 personnel there was little military presence on the Island . There was a small contingent of Royal Artillery based mainly at East Mersea under a single officer, Dick Collins, an Australian. In fact, it always concerned me that the Island was poorly defended and the few concrete pillboxes along the foreshore could well have sported 'to let with vacant possession' notices. The Strood causeway was similarly devoid of any fortification.

Billeting was no great problem as most of 571 personnel lived aboard our craft although the officers lived ashore. Our favourite mess - its name escapes me - was the splendid last house on the left in Seaview Avenue fronting the sea. For the most of my wartime sojourn I was fortunate to live out with my wife, having 'smuggled' her in to what was then a restricted area with the connivance of the local copper, Sergeant Tom Waylett.

What did 571 personnel do off duty? Well, as is probably still the case, nightlife on the Island was in its infancy so the White Hart and The Fountain had a bonanza. We officers were fortunate to be made honorary members of the Yacht Club. The Sailing and Social Club between the Yacht Club and Clark and Carter's boatyard, dubbed the S and S or the Sordid and Sexual was also a haunt of the officers. We arranged a sprinkling of concerts and dances at the village hall and, being a keen cricketer, I and a fellow officer were roped in to boost the local club, skippered by Bill Farthing, the local milkman who then delivered by horse and cart.

We certainly were made welcome by the local population and morale appeared to be remarkably high. Considering it was wartime, Mersea seemed to have an air of tranquillity and with oysters at half a crown a dozen life was not at all bad!'

With D-Day imminent, all Coys and Sections left Mersea Island and made their way to Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight via the Straits of Dover from where they made their journey across to the invasion beaches. On 23 September 1944, No 624 Company briefly returned to the Island before sailing to Tilbury in January 1945 to be despatched as deck cargo to Antwerp . So ended Mersea Islands association with the Motor Boat Companies of the Royal Army Service Corps.

Here Comes the Regatta!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Well it's nearly time for this year's long-awaited West Mersea town Regatta, in fact it's less than a month away (should we also mention it's less than 5 months until Christmas?); so what can people look forward to seeing this year, when's it all happening and how perked should your ears be?

The Regatta is one of those very few large events still remaining in British Villages, concentrating it's primary theme on boat racing around Mersea Island; but don't despair, even if you're not into boat racing, boats or in fact, water, there's still something to keep you occupied and at the same time, bring a smile to your face.

Okay enough babble and overseer - what's happening and when's it happening? Well the week before the Regatta 'big night' is named 'Mersea Week', and in this week is a joyful bundle of events ranging from boat racing to nights out.

The weekend gets off to a kick-start as it rolls onto the Saturday night - the "Regatta Big Night" as we like to call it. This full night of fun includes fairground rides (some bearing on white knuckle at times), games, beer tents and bars, lots of food bars and vans (perhaps even a Hog Roast this year) and of course the massive abundance of people attending. The night draws to an end with a large, beautiful (and from what rumours speak of, very expensive) fireworks display at the Marina . Expect loud bangs, lots of colour and jaw-drops.

The 'big night' takes place at the Marina and you won't be able to park anywhere near the area after about noon, so make sure you get your transport tucked away early (or prepare for the long walk from the car parks into the area).

Once the fireworks finish you should expect the massive crowd of people to begin vacating Mersea - so watch out for traffic (both human and vehicle) and make sure you've got your escape route planned.

Oh and one other thing - we'll be there in force so keep an eye out for our team. There will be around 20 of us sporting purple polo shirts, balloons, handouts and armed with cameras - fingers crossed you may even become famous and get your picture on Mersea-island.com!

People Gather for Tea at Three

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Over 50 people flocked to the charity Tea At Three event in Fairhaven Avenue on Saturday the 19th, making it more than double the success of last year's.

The event was sponsored by mersea-island.com and raised well over ?50 for St. Helena's Hospice.

Allan, Vivien and the Mersea-island.com team would like to thank everyone that supported their Tea at Three afternoon. With special thanks going to Mrs Gibbons and Mr & Mrs Smart for running their stalls and helping make the afternoon more interesting.

We're already working on next years event, which we hope will do even better!

Website Owners Beware

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

"Are you a Web Publisher who needs to generate additional revenue through your site and opt-in newsletters?"

You know where this is leading, don't you? Sometimes it can be completely legitimate, which is fine. Other times it can be a sneaky lure to draw you into a full blown scam. I'm talking about banner advertisements and affiliate programs. (Please bear in mind that I do not refer to these affiliates in the same league as affiliate companies. It's different altogether.)

People tend to view these at several different angles, depending on how they wish to interpret them. Some people see them as a business venture and build a website full of banners ready and waiting to be clicked on in order to make a bit of extra cash (more on that later). Others use them to boost their revenue as the top statement suggest. Then, there are others still who see the whole thing as a scam or an annoyance or even a trap.

Personally, I neither use them nor like them. If I see affiliate adverts splattered on a website, it spoils the experience, especially the Flash ads that lead your attention away from the actual content itself. It's said that these ads do help in some way. People do click on the adverts if they're interested and it can create a little revenue. Imagine what the people who click on them would do on a site that's full of them. This leads me nicely on to the view of the first group of people I mentioned.

"I had this great idea the other day. I've signed up to a few of these sites that say you get paid if you read email. Since them I've had loads of emails and made around $2! I've created a website now with a whole load of adverts on just waiting to be clicked on." - at first, I would have thought that this was a little extreme until I heard it from a friend who has done just that. All because she is bored on the Internet she has succumbed to the "wrong side" of affiliate programs and banner advertisements. She was hooked from the first time she saw something and now she's on a little business venture to make as much money as possible.

This classic idea of making big money fast has led to all the annoyances of the Internet rolled into one. You get the spam from all the emails you receive (300 at one count), you get the flashy banner advertisements to annoy you to death and you also get the lovely first- and third-party cookies flying your way, which is always a bonus.

Don't get me wrong, these things can also be made to be unobtrusive to the reader of the site and can be a bonus to the site owner. A healthy supply of adverts can indeed bring in a healthy bit of change every now and again. If you get on their good side and know how to play the game wisely, these affiliates can prove a good asset.

I would say that this article was a kind of warning to others.

Don't get drawn in too much to the "money making" side of programs. Generally, they don't actually produce that much revenue. Think of the future of your website. Do you really want to have a big advert plastered on the home page? If you decide to run with such things, go with something that relates to the content of your site. Don't just pick anything. If you have a website promoting your antique furniture company, what use is it having an affiliate advert claiming to sell Eminem's latest album at bargain price? If someone sees an advert that has a relationship to your site, they'll be more likely to click on the ad.

This article may seem a little biased but I did express my personal opinion at the beginning. Sometimes these affiliate programs can draw you and the profile of your website underground, so be careful - if you're looking to gain hits through affiliate programs, talk to any expert beforehand.

PS: Pass this on to 350 friends and get paid ?0.01 per friend (no, i'm not serious!)

Osteo-Arthritis - Revisited

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Osteo-arthritis (OA) is a term that describes a condition affecting the joints of the body. It is sometimes referred to as 'wear and tear' or degeneration and is distinct from other forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid or psoriatic.

In a normal joint the bone ends are covered in a smooth, slippery cartilage that allows efficient, friction-free movement. In OA the cartilage becomes thinner and rougher leading to movements that are stiffer and less efficient. In severe cases the cartilage may be worn away completely so that bone rubs on bone.

Although OA occurs as part of the natural ageing and wear and tear process there are factors that can predispose an individual to its onset. High levels of physical activity over a period of years can lead to a greater degree of wear and tear, especially later in life. OA can also result from an injury, not usually at the time of the injury but some years later. This is common in the younger person when OA would not normally be a problem. Other factors, such as sex and obesity, can also influence the predisposition to OA with women being more affected in their hands and knees than men. Obesity puts weight-bearing joints like hips and knees under excessive strain for long periods which can, not only lead to OA but speed up it's progression once it has started.

X-rays are often used to help with the diagnosis, however, it must be borne in mind that an x-ray cannot predict or indicate the degree of pain that an individual may suffer or how quickly the condition may progress. For example, someone with an x-ray showing marked OA may not have any pain or limitation of movement. Conversely, another may have what appears to be a normal x-ray but may be in some degree of pain.

It is a very individual condition that affects people differently. Although to a greater or lesser extent wear and tear is something that will occur in all of us as we get older the main difference is that some people get pain and others do not.

Current research is attempting to discover the cause of OA as well as what makes it progress, however, at present there is no 'cure'. What is known is that the most effective approach is to 'manage' the condition through keeping active to maintain joint mobility and prevent stiffness as well as exercising to maintain muscle strength. This is essential as weakness in the muscles that surround an arthritic joint will cause the joint to move abnormally thereby increasing the stresses on an already stressed joint.

As a physiotherapist, my role in the treatment of OA is to educate the individual as to the causes of their pain as well what they can do to help themselves. As no joint works in isolation it is necessary to look at the joints above and below the affected joint as these can influence the symptoms. An exercise program is usually given for strengthening and often relief can be gained through the use of 'hands on' techniques to assist with joint mobility.

Half the battle in coping with OA is knowing about the condition and realising that there is plenty that can be done to keep it 'under control'.

Pain - Cause or Symptom?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

There is no doubt that the main driving force behind people seeking treatment is pain. I do, on occasion, see people who come purely because of restricted movement or the need to exercise to increase muscle power for example, however, the majority of people have some degree of pain.

What is pain? You can't see it or measure it. Pain is an individual's interpretation and response to a harmful stimulus (ie you prick your finger with a pin and it hurts), and because it is an individual's interpretation it differs from person to person. What one person finds painful another may not.

However, we do know that different structures of the body produce pain in certain patterns and knowledge of these pain patterns often helps with diagnosing the source of the pain. Once the source of the pain has been identified effective treatment can begin.

An important point to reiterate is that pain is a response to a stimulus. It is a symptom. Pain doesn't start without reason. It can, and often does, lead to other problems but there is always an underlying stimulus producing the pain.

As an example: you twist your ankle straining the ligaments (harmful stimulus). This gives you pain in the ankle (symptom). This may cause you to limp putting the knee, for example, under increased pressure which may lead to pain in the knee.

For many conditions treatment is aimed at helping to reduce the symptoms, ie pain. These can include painkillers, heat, cold sprays, gels, TENS units etc. Pain relief may be an important part of the overall management but it must be remembered that if the underlying cause isn't identified and treated the symptoms (ie pain) may not reduce.

Another example: you bend over and strain a joint in your back (harmful stimulus). This gives you pain across the lower part of your spine (symptom). Often associated with low back pain is muscle spasm (symptom). This is when the muscles go hard and painful and occurs to prevent further movement of the underlying strained joint. If you treat the muscle spasm with heat or gels and the pain with painkillers this may reduce the symptoms but the underlying strained joint still persists. Therefore the symptoms are likely to return unless the strained joint is treated.

As a chartered physiotherapist my role is, where possible, to identify and treat the source of the pain. Often you need to look beyond the site of the pain to find the cause as the body is very good at 'referring' pain to other areas. An example would be a problem in the neck producing arm pain. This doesn't suggest there is a problem with the arm and any treatment to the arm would be of little value.

If you are suffering with pain that hasn't responded to rest, painkillers or other treatments then may be the source of the pain hasn't been identified.

Spinal Pain

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Spinal pain can be defined as any symptom that arises from the spine (back bone), however, in many cases that does not necessarily mean that the pain is felt in the spine itself. The spine, more so than any other structure, commonly gives rise to pain in areas away from the source of the problem. A typical example would be 'sciatica' where the aching, painful leg is caused by a structural problem in the back, usually a disc, exerting an abnormal pressure on the sciatic nerve. This is called 'referred pain'.

My role as a physiotherapist is to determine whether the symptoms being felt are part of a 'referred pain pattern' from the spine or whether there is a local problem giving rise to the pain. This can only be done after a thorough assessment to determine how and when the symptoms started as well as physically testing all the relevant structures. The 'how and when' is particularly important as it often gives a clue to the type of structure(s) involved. A common finding is that spinal pain can start without reason or injury and last for many months. The referred pain is often described as a muscular pain. With this type of history it is less likely to be of muscular origin as there has been no injury and muscle strains often heal themselves within a few weeks. In this situation it is likely that the spine will be involved to some extent giving rise to referred pain. In my experience 60-70% of people who present with shoulder, arm or leg pain without any injury will have a spinal component contributing to their symptoms.

Of course, in reality many people have a combination of factors that contribute to their pain. To achieve a full recovery it is important to identify the relevant structures involved so that they can be treated and managed in the correct way.

As approximately 80% of the adult population suffer with spinal pain at some stage in their lives it represents the main cause of loss of work in people under the age of 45 years. Many of the people have recurrent episodes and report that there is little or no traumatic reason for their pain. This must point to the fact that spinal pain is largely influenced by lifestyle and not necessarily preceded by some traumatic event. In fact, the spine is often under a greater degree of pressure when static, ie sitting, than it is when on the move. It is, therefore, no surprise that spinal pain remains a huge problem despite that fact that modern lifestyles tend to be more sedentary with the increasing use of computers and cars. Fortunately for many, spinal pain is quite preventable providing one or two lifestyle changes are made.

The Painful Shoulder

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Shoulder pain is a very common problem. It can start for no reason or it can start as a result of an injury. But to understand the complexity of shoulder pain it is useful to consider the anatomy of the shoulder joint and the surrounding structures.

The shoulder complex is made up of several joints that have to be working normally to allow full, pain free movement of the shoulder and arm. These include joints between the arm bone and the shoulder blade, the collar bone and the shoulder blade, the collar bone and the breast bone, and the shoulder blade and the rib cage. A problem at any of these joints or surrounding structures can lead to shoulder pain and restricted movement.

However, problems that occur in the shoulder complex often produce pain that is felt in areas other than just the shoulder joint. These may include arm pain, chest pain, shoulder blade pain and even symptoms such as pins and needles or tingling.

The shoulder joint, more than any other, relies on good muscle power for normal use and to prevent the top of the arm bone 'dropping' away from the socket. Therefore, any weakness in the muscles is going to alter the mechanics of the shoulder and, potentially, lead to pain and restricted movement. This is particularly true of a group of 4 small muscles in the shoulder called the Rotator Cuff muscles. These act, primarily, as stabilisers of the shoulder and are commonly injured or weakened.

Shoulder pain does not have to arise as a result of a direct problem with the structures of the shoulder. Many blood vessels and nerves pass close to the shoulder joint as they travel down into the arm. If these structures are squashed or stretched for any reason because of the area's very tightly packed anatomy this can also lead to shoulder and arm pain. The spine is also very closely linked to shoulder pain, especially in those whose pain starts for no apparent reason. In many cases there is a combination of contributory factors. Seventy percent of people that I treat for 'shoulder' pain actually have a spinal component.

It is clear that shoulder and arm pain is far from a simple matter and it has to be borne in mind that pain that is felt in the shoulder or arm does not necessarily mean that there is a problem with those structures. The body is very good at 'referring' pain away from the source to other areas. This is particularly important when treating shoulder pain. Treatment aimed solely at the point of pain will, in many cases, fail to address the underlying cause of the problem.

Low Back Pain

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Low back pain (LBP) affects approximately 80% of the adult population, being the main cause of limited activity and loss of work in people under the age of 45 years.

In the past there has been the dilemma of how to treat LBP: heat or cold; exercise or rest. Research suggests that the majority of LBP has a mechanical cause, ie something isn't working as it should do, and many of today's treatments do have a mechanical component to them. However, the incidence of LBP has not reduced. For most people LBP is a recurring problem. This would suggest that manipulation alone does NOT lead to long-term relief. There must be other external factors playing a part. Much research has been done to recognise that normal daily activities put the spine under pressure. Activities such as bending, lifting, sitting and driving all serve to increase this pressure. In isolation these activities are often harmless, however, they are for many, in accumulation, a problem waiting to happen.

As a chartered physiotherapist a significant part of my role is to educate the individual as to the cause of their pain and the structures involved, as well as self-help techniques to reduce their LBP and prevent recurrences.

The advice along with appropriate mobilising techniques can be very effective in the management of LBP. There are no cures or 'quick-fixes'. No single manipulation will rid the individual of pain instantly. The onset of LBP causes a chain of physiological events that time alone will resolve. That said, with the correct treatment and advice LBP for many needn't be the debilitating problem it can be. One of the main factors is the need for early intervention. Human nature often tells us that the problem will settle on it's own, and for many it does. However, for others it can drag on and by the time the problem is addressed weeks and months may have gone by. As ever the sooner help is sought from a chartered physiotherapist after the onset of LBP the better the likely outcome.

Acupuncture and Physiotherapy

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:32:32 GMT

Members of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) have a wide range of treatment methods at their disposal. These include manipulation, exercise, self-help advice, heat/ice and electrical equipment to assist in the healing of many painful conditions. Increasingly, acupuncture is being considered as 'another tool in the toolbox' to help, especially in situations when more conventional treatments may not be having the desired effect. Having recently completed an AACP approved course I am now able to offer acupuncture for pain relief at my clinic.

What is Acupuncture?

It is one of the oldest forms of medicine having been developed by the Chinese over 3000 years ago. Traditionally, the Chinese believed that the body was made up of 12 channels of energy (Qi). When one or more of these channels becomes blocked the flow of Qi stagnates, thus leading to pain. Acupuncture treatment is aimed at stimulating the relevant acupuncture points with the use of very fine needles in order to restore the flow of Qi.

Research has shown that acupuncture stimulates the brain to produce natural pain relieving chemicals. These assist the body with healing and pain relief. It has also shown that up to 70% of people gain pain relief from acupuncture. As with any treatment technique acupuncture does not help everyone but more people are turning to alternative, drug free methods of healing and pain relief.

As a C hartered Physiotherapist, much of our aim is to restore the body's normal movements and mechanisms to allow it to work in a pain free manner. An optimum treatment plan is only decided upon after a thorough assessment has been carried out. This is based on an extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology (how the body works). Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with other physiotherapy techniques to maximise the pain relieving effect.

If you have had acupuncture before, with good effect, or have been receiving conventional treatment with little effect, it may be worth considering acupuncture to help with those aches and pains.