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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.

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

240507

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.

240306

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.

250206

Thanks Jess! I grew up in Colchester and spent much time in the castle. I also spent many hours staring at the mummy in the Hollytrees, scared to death of it!

I have learned much about the history of my hometown since leaving many years ago. It's been some years since my last visit. Your virtual tour is wonderful - educational, entertaining, and beautifully written and presented. I have enjoyed my little tour this evening and will visit again.

Thanks again! Patty Keffer - MS, USA

031105

I found your site an interesting (and in the case of the catalogue of destruction of the town's heritage over the years, sad) browse. I've added my voice to the chorus of complaint over the VAF in the Essex County Standard but it feels rather like shouting at traffic - it affords temporary relief but you get the feeling that it's going to get you nowhere. To my mind this monstrosity is the biggest waste of money that has ever been considered for this town - we have a fantastic facility in the Minories already, but what's the fallback plan for this if the brass banana goes ahead? The Victor Batte-Lay Trust seem to be keeping quiet on this, but if you have any news I'd love to hear it.

I find the whole thing very depressing, to be honest. I first came to Colchester in 1973 when I started work at Post Office Telecommunications (later BT) and lived in Newtown for some years before pitching up in West Bergholt where I still reside. The town was an absolute jewel-box in those days - small, interesting shops and adequate parking. Now what do we have? Exactly the same as every other town in the UK - tanning salons and nail bars, chain stores and a systematic squeezing out of the individual traders through the sort of development that only attracts the big spending stores.

Thank God for Gunton's, say I, but how much longer will that survive? The signs are not good. It seems to me that there are a lot of folk like myself who will once in a while have a rant in the Standard about the plans for the VAF, but who would welcome the chance to be involved in a more coordinated effort to head off these obscene plans - do you know of anything concerted that is aimed at getting a referendum on the subject? If so I'd love to know about it.

I've written to both my local councillors, but of course haven't received a response.

Jeff

jeffmunngiddings@btinternet.com

011105