Talks & Craft Days

The Tollesbury WEA are running a number of Talks & Craft Days between September & May next year to which you are warmly invited. The events take place at either:

School Room, East St., Tollesbury, CM9 8QD (SR);
Tollesbury Sailing Club, Woodrolfe Rd, CM9 8SE. (TSC); or
Tollesbury Activity Centre, Woodrolfe Rd, CM9 8SE (TAC).

And are:

Talks

These are one day sessions running between 10 am – 3 pm on Saturdays and cost £18 each.

Essex Country Houses (Margaret Mills) 29th Sept at SR.
Why Shakespeare? (Ron Marks) 13th Oct at SR.
History Everywhere! – Interpreting the landscape (James Nicholas) 20th October at TSC.
Zero Nights: The first great escape in WW11 (Mark Felton) 10th November at TSC.
Geoffrey Chaucer: Civil Servant and Poet (Dr Graham Platt) 13th April at SR.
Imperial China (David Prynn) 11th May at SR.

They will also be running an 8-week course: A Russian Journey: An introduction to Russia, the land, its people and culture…. (Dr Anat Vernitski) This runs 10 -11.30 am on Tuesdays starting at SR on 8th January and costs £58.40.

Crafts

Christmas Wreathes (Deb Hart) Tuesday 4th December 10 am – 4 pm £26.50 at TAC.
Basket making – A symmetric basket (Deb Hart) Saturday 12th>January 9 am – 5 pm £52 at TAC.
Garden structures including obelisks (Deb Hart) Wednesday 1st May 10 am – 4 pm £29 at TSC.

More Information

For more information go to http://wea.org.uk and search for course name or your postcode. Online application available. Alternatively, you can call 0300 303 3464.

11th March 20163rd May 2016

The Future of Essex Policing

The future of policing in Essex will be the subject of a public lecture given later this month by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

In a public lecture as he approaches the end of his term in office PCC Nick Alston will reflect on his time as PCC as he looks ahead to how Essex police will need to respond to the changes in crime across Essex and to the many other demands on police resources.

The lecture, entitled “Policing in Essex: The way ahead and the role of the PCC”, will also look at the developing role of the PCC and at the crucial links between Essex Police and other agencies in seeking to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.

The event takes place on Thursday March 17 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Chelmsford’s Anglia Ruskin University.
The lecture will take place in the Lord Ashcroft building at Anglia Ruskin University in Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, CM1 1SQ.

Refreshments will be available from 6pm with the lecture beginning at 6.30pm.

The event is free and open to all. To book your place visit the EventBrite website. If you have any questions please contact [email protected]

29th March 201327th November 2015

Essex Folk Tales

Peldon History Lecture 2 – Tracking Down Essex Folk Tales

The Friends of St Mary’s are hosting a talk by Essex storyteller, Jan Williams on Wednesday 17th April starting at 7:30pm.

Having completed the editing of the new History Press book of Essex Folk Tales, Jan Williams will be talking about some of the stories she discovered during her research , as well as telling some of her favourite stories from the book.

The Essex coastline has endured invasion by plundering and bloodthirsty Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, and this mysterious landscape is still haunted by their presence. Their spirits, and countless others, have oft been reported – not least by smugglers determined to keep intruders away from their secret hideouts.

Even more dramatic stories of the supernatural lurk inland: accusations of witchcraft have been screamed around many picturesque market towns, dragons have terrorised the community, and a violent White Lady has struck at Hadleigh Castle. Indeed, it is the women of Essex who have stirred the imagination most – from brave Boudicca and beautiful Edith Swan-neck to the adulteress Kitty Canham. Amid the county’s infamous pirates, highwaymen and desperados, Essex can even boast a lady smuggler.

These lively and entertaining yarns will be vividly retold by Jan Williams Jan is a professional storyteller and member of the Essex Storytellers. Her passion and dogged determination have uncovered Essex’s hidden treasure trove of tales – tales which reflect the wisdom (and eccentricities) of this fascinating county and its people.

Tickets are £8.00 and can be reserved in advance from Bill Tamblyn (01206 735770) or Jane Anderson (01206 735505) or purchased on the door. Refreshments will be available.

7th March 201327th November 2015

Colchester’s Archaeological Heritage

The Friends of St Mary’s, Peldon will be presenting the first in the 2013 series of Peldon History Lectures on Wednesday 13th March, 7.30pm in the church. Entitled ‘Asset or Liability – Colchester’s Archaeological Heritage’, this talk by Mark Davies promises an interesting insight into Colchester’s Roman history and how this might be preserved in the future.

Following on from the talk, the Colchester Archaeological Society will present their recent findings from excavations at St Mary’s.

Tickets £8.00, including a glass of wine, available from Bill Tamblyn 01206 735770 or on the door. All proceeds to the Friends of St Mary’s Peldon.

2nd May 201227th November 2015

Quires in our Villages – Peldon History Lecture

peldon-history-quires With vocal support from members of Quire (The Colchester World Music Community Choir), Bill Tamblyn celebrates the work of local music historian, Chris Turner, revealing the wealth of music sung in West Galleries in our area from the 18th century onwards.

Come and join in a rumbustious song or two on Wednesday 16th May at 7:30pm in St Mary’s Church, Peldon! Tickets £8

Tel: Bill Tamblyn 01206 735770

This is NOT about Anglican choirs as we know them today. But interestingly enough, the story does reflect the antagonism between choir and clergy that goes way, way back into our folk history. Nothing new here!
Professor Bill Tamblyn begins with the mystery: What ever happened to the West Gallery at Peldon? All the evidence was cleared away when it was pulled down in the mid 19th century.. or was it?
Was there a West Gallery Quire of rustics who sang loudly from the gallery and ‘led’ the singing? If so, what did they sing? Can we sing it too?
Building on scraps of information from Peldon, and records from other parishes round the country, Bill creates a musical picture of a lively, rumbustious and irascible bunch who created a whole new form of music-making that was to liven up services and, as is still true to day in the North of England, liven up pub singing at Christmas.
Bill brings with him members of Quire – The Colchester World Music Community Choir to help us enter in to the spirit of the times. You will go out with a lively spring in your step and a song in your heart such that you will ask “why cant we sing like that in church these days?

28th April 201027th November 2015

Men of Bad Character

men-of-bad-character Peldon History Lectures, in association with Friends of St. Mary’s Peldon, present “Men of Bad Character – Farm burnings & rebellion” a story of hardship & discontent amongst farm workers in early 19th Century Essex as told by Jef Page.

Continue reading “Men of Bad Character”