Making a noise

Does anyone have any information about the incessant throbbing noise coming from Felixstowe docks all this weekend? Please comment if so.

A positive Image

As Images of Shotley was two weeks ago now, you have hopefully forgotten the gossip you all unknowingly potentially shared with the whole community. But so have I!

I must say the event seemed to be a great success. By my reckoning a large proportion of the community, plus quite a few ex-pats, looked around at all the pictures and crafts, and most of all chatted.

The highlights for me were:

• the always popular children's art competition. Hundreds of kids had attempted to depict Shotley or the peninsula to tourists - creating what in affect was a piece of art in itself.
  
• the sheer variety of (mostly) more grown up art showing the local area - I particularly liked the panoramic photographs by a local student


• cream teas!
  

However, the best attraction, and the most in demand, was David Armes' computer running a slideshow of historic pictures of the village, collected recently from various people and scanned.

The collection started growing as a result of an ad in Noticeboard, and no doubt the huge interest during the Images weekend will generate many more. These will apparently be made available soon on or via MyShotley.com.

As for the other aspects of the weekend, the dawn nature walk with Ian Peters is for real men (and women), so instead I tried my hand at the quiz on Saturday evening (our team came second but ShotBlast takes no credit).

And to end on an even more positive note, I'm sure everyone agrees the food that evening was genuinely delicious and excellent quality.

The whole thing demonstrates again what the community can do working together as a team.

Things to look forward to

It is remiss of me not to have posted for a month, following the trend set by MyShotley.com. With little news to share, we have both taken a break. We are now back, and up for the Shotley Spring.

Like most of the village, having to suffer the chill coming off the estuaries, I always relish the warmer months. But this year I think we have a little more to anticipate.

In case you haven't heard, another contractor is able to repair the Stour path breach within manageable costs, and work should start within the next couple of weeks.

And with our grand new promenade, we will have more visitors generally, and it will feel good to walk safely along it with the sun glinting on the harbour.

Each year brings a selection of increasingly well established events in the Shotley calendar, which hopefully more and more residents are taking advantage of.

Perhaps the best of these is next weekend - Images of Shotley. This is always an interesting coming together of the community. Even if morris dancing isn't your cream tea, there is lots to look at, and people to catch up with. I will be posting my own report after this year's Images, so if I see you there, be careful what gossip you share!

Then there is the brilliant Shotley Open Gardens (21 June), coordinated by the ever enthusiastic Maggie Warner. The Annual Parish Meeting (22 May) is an under-rated evening; the second Pow Wow will be fun if it can keep up last year's energy; there is a gig by Rogue Traders, and the Rose fete always draws the crowds.

This (and other stuff) will enable a regular flow of news to share over the coming months. To the extent that even if like many Shotley people you don't actually get out of your arm (or computer) chair, you will be able to experience a piece of it.

[Picture by Elizabeth Graham]

In a hole

Well, it did seem too good to be true.

Being able to repair the breaches in the Shotley cliff path on the Stour, now seems impossible. [see 'Stepping into the breach'] Despite all the best efforts of various people, the contractor whose quote the Parish Council accepted, is now unable to fulfill it due to a technicality relating to providing the insurance documentation necessary to secure public funding.

As explained in my previous post on this, it was a unique opportunity. But now the costs from alternative contractors are likely to be beyond the means of the Parish Council and other potential contributors.

Who knows what the future holds for this vital path...and ultimately the cliff and houses above it.

There's a storm ahead.

Cutting remarks

It's good when Shotley residents take pride in their property, and want to enjoy the benefits of living in this special place.

One in particular might have taken it upon themselves to maximise the view from their house, by (allegedly) removing a significant area of woodland - approx 20 square metres.

This is at the end of Stourside, at the beginning of the path leading west towards the brickyard cottages and Erwarton. The land is presumably publicly owned, but in any case woodland is an important amenity for all of us (and this might even be in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?).

The even more surprising thing, is that the contractor has been meticulous and comprehensive - by including the new and official footpath sign in their clearing work! I assume it is only temporary pending replacement???

(Disclaimer: I don't know the facts of who cut the trees and post down, or what their status is, or whether permission was gained, or who owns the land, but commenting here would be a chance to explain!)

Going to the Prom

I was honoured on Wednesday to witness the official opening of the new 'Shotley Promenade' a.k.a. King Edward VII Drive.

As I had indicated before, my view is that this new road joining the rest of the world (via Queen Victoria Drive) to the marina, heralds a new dawn for our village. As well as distinguished local celeb Eric cutting a ribbon, this milestone was marked with the publication of a rather classy printed brochure which they gave to all the guests, displaying a pictorial history of this road.

The story isn't finished though - the Marina company will now need to achieve some ROI for the substantial costs of this new facility.

Meanwhile, I hope everyone enjoys the increased access, safety and elegance that the prom will bring us. (And share your views by commenting here?)

Don't miss the bus

One of the issues that almost always attracts the public to parish council meetings, is the local bus service.

This week 16 people watched and participated at the start of the meeting (and also interacted with each other with some passion!). They wanted the Parish Council to support Far East Travel's possible reinstatement of the Kingsland / Queensland part of the 97H route.

For your background - this rather bizarrely took the full sized buses through the narrow streets of the village's largest housing estate, including around the children's play area. Many complaints were made about the safety implications of this, but conversely many people expressed their support as it enabled some of the area's more vulnerable residents to access the town without having to walk to and from The Street with their heavy bags. After a short time, and prior to attending a debate at the Parish Council in December, the company decided to drop this part of the 97H for their own commercial reasons.

Despite the parish council having no power over bus services, the well organised campaign persuaded Far East to reinstate the route if the parish council would support them doing so, thus placing the PC in a slightly awkward position particularly given the division in views expressed.

The outcome could be a very positive one for the village, however. The PC had the idea to enter into a formal understanding with Far East Travel, in which both parties would commit to consult each other on proposed services changes, and share views. Both the PC and the company have agreed to this, and thus, this week the PC felt able to consider any Kingsland route reinstatement. On a vote, it was agreed to support two services a day going through the estate, throughout the year. This is now down to the bus company.

But longer term, we now have a situation where, perhaps for the first time anywhere in the land, the parish council and local bus operator work in open partnership for the benefit of parishioners.

Given the dependence many people have on the bus, and the fact that we live at the end of a peninsula with too many car journeys being made, this can only be a positive development.

And maybe it will also drive an improvement in behaviour of some of the bus drivers - at least in the perception of a number of residents who have complained.

It is a pity that most of the bus 'passengers' leave their seats after the bus discussion at parish council meetings. They miss out on other interesting discussions, and decisions being made, about other matters which directly affect them.