FEEDBACK

Here follows the various comments that have been received since October 2005. I thought that they should be shared with you browsers out there.

Hello,

I have just been reading your website with tears in my eyes. I cannot believe what has been done to the town in which I lived with my Mum and Grandparents when I was little.

I grew up in the house outside the front of Culver Street Methodist Church, where my Grandad was the caretaker. I can remember the holly tree in the front that he cut into the shape of a ball. I can remember, too, the hall at the back of the Church where the snooker tables were. He used to heat flat irons and iron the tables with them. I stuck a dart into a socket in there and got an electric shock. My arm went black and I ran home past the side of the Church to my Mum!

I can remember the hall to the right of the Church where my Grandma used to take part in the "amdrams".

I can remember walking with Grandad to a level crossing where we used to wave to the train drivers, and on other occasions to a waterway (possibly a canal?) where there were boats with red sails and the electricity wires used to hum in the wind. I remember walking to Woolworth's with Grandma and buying a 2d packet of seeds with 8 farthings.

Now it's all gone.

My history, our history, counts for nothing any more. The planners won't be happy until the whole country is covered with garish multi-coloured metal boxes in a concrete desert.

I feel as though I have been left behind - very old-fashioned and totally bereft. Even the English language is changing, with every sentence ending in "innit?" and the letter t missing from the middle of our words.

Could I ask a favour? Can you tell me of anywhere that I could find some pictures of Culver Street, and most especially the Methodist Church with my house in front of it? I've attached one of me in my St. John's Green School uniform, with the Church gates in view.

Thank you for at least trying to stand up to the despots who are destroying our world.

Nigel (Nick) Muir.

August 2009

What a fascinating informative site.Coming to visit Colchester soon and was looking for hints as to what, if anything, there was to see.That 's me told! Makes me ashamed at how little I know of our own history. Congratulations on the site and keep cracking on at the ignorant who are given the great privilege of guarding our past and are unworthy of the honour. What a terrible waste. You 'my friend are doing battle on behalf of us all. Thank you. Geoffrey

June 2008

My wife and I visited Colchester this past July. We took along the entire guided tour and followed along the wall. We spend an incredible afternoon enjoying the commentary in the tour and being able to find each new section of the wall. Because of the existence of the wall, we spent an additional day in Colchester. This would include the extra night's accommodation at the Holiday Inn, meals including a terrific dinner at the Lemon Tree, a few pints in the Hole in the Wall, postcards, etc.

We wish you all success in maintaining and improving the wall.

Tom and Maureen

September 2007

JESS...... INTERESTING SITE, CHEERS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN IN COLCHESTER BUT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT REMEMBER MY OLD PLACE. I USED TO RUN "JULES SUPERSTORES" IN DUGARD AVE IN THE SEVENTIES . IN '76 WE HAD A VERY HOT SUMMER AND MOST OF THE AREA PUBS WERE KEPT OPEN BY MY SUPPLIES AS TRUMAN , GK ETC HAD NO BEER. I WAS THE FIRST TO BRING RUDDLES AND SAM SMITHS TO ESSEX AND THE FIRST TO START BAILEYS IRISH CREAM DISTRIBUTION ON A LARGE SCALE BEFORE GRAND MET TOOK OVER SUPPLIES. GROLSH SILLY TOP BOTTLES , ORANGEBOOM LAGER ........ MINE TOO. I HAD STRONG TIES AT THE TIME WITH GEOFF WHO HAD THE 3 HORSESHOES AT FORDHAM AND WE STARTED DOING OUTSIDE BARS WITH CHEAP PRICES AND ALMOST CLEARED UP THE TRADE FOR WEDDINGS ,DANCES ETC. HE LATER TOOK MY OLD NEWSAGENTS AND TURNED IT INTO A BUTCHERS. BILL ,NOW DECEASED BLESS HIM , TOOK THE SHOES AND LATER THE COOPERS IN ALDHAM .. HIS DAUGHTER MARRIED CLIFF'S BROTHER , CLIFF BEING THE OLD LANDLORD OF THE CROWN IN COLCHESTER ....... HE OF ONE LEG AND ROLLS ROYCE FAME !!!! THE ANGEL AT HECKFORD BRIDGE ONCE SOLD IT'S OWN SPRING WATER WHEN STAN & HIS LASS RAN IT BUT THE SALES DRIED UP (HAHA) WHEN IT WAS FOUND THE SO CALLED SPRING RAN UNDER THE TOILETS AND THE BOTTLES WERE FILLED AT THE BOTTOM END SO TO SPEAK. I WAS THE LANDLORD OF THE BULL IN CROUCH STREET IN 1984 BUT LEFT AS I WORKED MY WAY THROUGH A NUMBER OF PUBS IN THE UK.

THE BOOZE TRADE IN AND AROUND COLCHESTER IN THE '70'S & EARLY '80'S WAS GREAT TO BE PART OF AND I KNEW MOST OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS IN IT. EVEN 1 OF THE DRAYMAN FROM ALLIED BREWERY IS A FEW DOORS AWAY OUT HERE RIGHT NOW . I HAVE MANY STORIES ABOUT ESSEX PUBS SOME OF WHICH SHOULD REMAIN UNTOLD MAYBE BUT WITHOUT NAMES THEY WOULD MAKE INTERESTING READING.

LONG TIME SINCE THE DAYS OF THE ALBERT WHERE I MET MY FIRST WIFE WHEN SHE WORKED ON THE FOOD COUNTER FOR IAN. LONG TIME SINCE MY OLD PINK JAGUARS WHICH I USED FOR DELIVERIES OF CHAMPERS. THE PFEFFERS WINE BAR WHICH STARTED UNDER THE CINEMA IN CROUCH ST AND MOVED TO CHURCH WALK. THE NIGHT CLUB UNDER THE OLD MILL. THE KINGSFORD PARK WHEN IT WAS OWNED BY THE GUY WHO HAD AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT NEAR THE OLD POLICE STATION. (MARCO) . THE SWAN AT CHAPPEL WHEN THEY HAD 2 LOTS OF BEER AS THE RATS HAD BITTEN THROUGH THE PIPES IN THE OLD CELLAR . THE OLD LANDLORD THERE HAD THE BRICK AND TILE BEFORE AND MOVED TO THE SWAN STANWAY AFTER.

ANYHOW ....... GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SITE

JULES

170607 from Thailand

Just looking at above web page and feel very much obliged to e-mail you to

say what an excellent site you have created.

Regards

Graham Dover

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What a fantastic web site, you should be proud of what you have created. As someone who collects old postcards I particularly enjoyed your own examples and thats how I first found the site but I also loved the history and archaeology sections. I think the article on King Arthur is a great suggestion and makes perfect sense to me! The site is now saved in my favourites list and will be visited regularly as a source of reference. Thank you and keep up the good work.

Best regards

Bob Moore

Kelvedon, Essex.

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I just want to say how much I enjoyed your virtual tour of Colchester. Possessing, as I do, limited patience, it completely gripped me and I read every word and carefully examined every picture. My only negative comment would be, 'Why have you included no clearly defined facility for comments?'

. . . I had to hunt to discover this route to express my delight. Now I just HAVE to drag my wife (German) to Colchester to see the real thing! However, I must say that when I visited Colchester some years ago, I was disappointed to see what time and feelingless local authorities had done to the city - symbolic, I'm sorry to say, of many cities in this country. But your site has gone a long way towards neutralising their worst efforts.

Many thanks.

Ian Burnstock

ps, by the way, I learned of your site via the BBC History magazine.

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