Postcards from the Future

Postcards from the Future was the name of the competition at Holding Back the Tide’s ‘ Down Memory Lane’ stall for this year’s Summer Fete, Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School.

The winning entry was written by Harry Bush (seen here with Suzanne Gattrell, project coordinator). When asked to write a message from the future about what Burnham’s waterfront was like, Harry wrote’ I’m really enjoying it here in the future. I would really like it if the human’s here would leave the river for a while to let the fish and sea creatures a chance to breed.’

The stall also provided the chance for people to learn about Burnham in the ‘old days’ as well as share pictures and stories that will contribute to Holding Back the Tide’s story of change on the East Coast.

Portside Memories

Time and Tide’s Oral History Volunteers are set to interview people about their experiences of Portside life, today and in the past,  as part of a joint initiative between CoastNet and Great Yarmouth’s Time and Tide Museum, for Holding Back the Tide and the Our Great Yarmouth - Our Town Project. 

They would like to hear from people who have have memories of working at Great Yarmouth Port or work there today. They also want to hear from people who may have memories of visiting the Port and watching the ships

Natural History Explorers!

As part of their whole-of-school approach to Holding Back the Tide, pupils from St Lawrence’s Primary School have been looking at the natural heritage of their village.

They have been finding out about which animals and plants can be found in and around the river and estuary, considering if changes in Rowhedge are effecting the wildlife and also putting their ideas forward in a letter to the local Councillor about the waterfront, as they think about their village in the future.

A display of their work was on show as part of the Holding Back the Tide stall at the Rowhedge Regatta as pictured here.

Down Memory Lane……….

Is where the Holding Back the Tide team took attendees at this year’s Rowhedge Regatta. Visitors to the stall were invited to learn more about the village’s heritage through the display of old photographs prepared by Dorothy Garratt of Rowhedge’s Museum Group including an aerial image of Rowhedge’s waterfront in the 1920’s.

Nestled on the banks of the tidal River Colne, Rowhedge is still very much a seafaring community today with locals enjoying the opportunity to sail, motor, kayak or row from the village quayside. Estuaries and tidal rivers are iconic to the Essex coastline and Rowhedge itself has a rich martime history, enjoying its own ship building heyday between 1890 and 1914.

The stall also provided the opportunity for people to share their knowledge and experience of life in the ‘Saltwater Village’ (the actual name of a book about Rowhedge itself) which will then lead to more in depth oral history interviews in particular about the Sand and Iron Works which used to operate along the waterside.

Down Memory Lane at Rowhedge Regatta

Aging well - Wellington Pier, Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth’s Wellington Pier was the highlight of a previous post ‘Two Miles of Seafront Attractions’ and the focus of a seafront inspired art project by students from Great Yarmouth High School’s ‘Gifted & Talented’ Art and Design Group.

Courtesy of Great Yarmouth’s Time and Tide here and below are a suite of pictures of the Pier over the last century.

 

Making Bunting at Youth Group

The Last Resort Youth Group (for Rowhedge and surrounding area), meets every Wednesday night to catch up with friends and have fun. There is football, pool, table-tennis plus plenty other games to play, magazines to read, a tuck shop and always some type of art activity to be getting on with!

In preparation for last months village Regatta, the group helped out with making a new set of bunting to adorn this annual quay side celebration. The bunting was sewn together from a combination of triangular flags made out of upholstery swatches and square flags painted by youth group members with designs inspired by the River Colne and maritime heritage of the village.

See the pictures below for the final product on show!