newsletter of Southend opa

The Active Voice of The Over 55’s

Issue 31

The Post Office announced in January

that its branch in Rectory Grove Leigh

is one of a further 37 Crown Offices

that it was looking to close and

relocate into franchise partnerships.

This would see Rectory Grove Post

Office services relocated and become

an in-store franchise. The Post Office

has confirmed they have commenced

franchise talks with local businesses.

Should we be worried? Well yes... this

is a busy office offering a full range of

post office services in a thriving area

of the borough. The uncertainty

around the proposals is worrying for

all who use this branch but especially

for those who do not have access to

other post offices and the change will

most likely decrease the range of

services on offer, which at present

include currency, insurance, banking,

mortgages along with the usual

postal related services.

What’s more, the closure of such a

vital site may be detrimental to the

area, losing an important part of the

fabric of Leigh. There are not many

stores in the vicinity with adequate

‘spare’ retail area to accommodate a

full range of Post Office services and

provide a suitable environment for

the frailer or for the disabled .

Don't forget that despite all the

representation from residents,

businesses and other organisations

including your OPA plus the so

called listening via ‘consultation’

the Post Office is going ahead with

the closure of the Southend High

Street branch and relocation to the

first floor of WH Smith. This is, in

our opinion, clearly a major mistake

and one that disadvantages us older

folk. So if we don't want another

inappropriate franchise, this time in

Leigh, we need to speak out, lobby

our local councillors, write to

our MP Sir David Amess who

wants to hear your views -

email: amess@parliament.uk

and take part in consultation.

Your OPA will be a voice but

you also need to be heard so please

make your views known!!

Spring 2017

Cook’s Corner 2

NHS Digital - New On-Line Pilot

3

Brian’s Book Review 4

Funding the new Cliff Museum

5

Social Care/CCG - New Approach

6

History Corner - Houseboat at Leigh

7

Crime Stoppers 9

Humpty Dumpty -Fact or Fiction?

10

Easter Revised Waste

Collection Dates

11

New Member Form 12

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Summer 2016

Next Public Meeting

WEDNESDAY

22nd MARCH 2017

1.30 PM

The AGM

CIVIC CENTRE

COUNCIL CHAMBER

OPA Annual Report

Hospital Discharge Service

Oakhouse Food Products & Services

Members and Visitors Welcome

LEIGH’S RECTORY GROVE POST OFFICE COULD BE AT RISK OF CLOSURE.

Dear Readers, my Spring message to you has been curtailed so that we can let

you know the latest news on further post office closures. Please do read our

cover feature on the subject and let us know your views.

There is just space for a reminder too that the Spring Public meeting is our AGM

plus we have representatives from the Hospital Discharge Team attending. This

is YOUR opportunity to share your concerns and experiences with those who

manage the service. Oakhouse Foods are coming and will be bringing some

samples of their products . Please do support the AGM. Hope to see you.

I Say

Published by Southend Older People's Assembly (OPA) www.olderpeoplesassemblysouthend.co.uk

Page 2 Issue 31

Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes Serves: 4 Adjust quantities for two/three/five etc servings.

INGREDIENTS: 28gm unsalted butter, plus small amount to butter ramekins 1 shallot, finely chopped 4 slices unsmoked streaky bacon 4 large eggs 4tbsp single cream 4 sprigs thyme

28gm grated strong cheddar Salt and Pepper to season

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Lightly butter four small casserole or ramekin dishes. Melt

28gms butter in a small saucepan, add the shallots and cook until soft but not coloured. Grill or griddle

the bacon rashers until cooked but not crispy. Place one rasher in the bottom of

each dish with the softened shallots. Crack one egg into each ramekin, cover each

egg with 1 tablespoon cream. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the

cream in each dish ensuring evenly shared between the four ramekins. Stand the

ramekins in a roasting pan that has been half filled with hot water and bake in a

preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the whites are just set and the yolks still

runny. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and serve immediately. ENJOY...

Note: If serving to frail elderly ,toddlers, pregnant women or those unwell increase cooking time to ensure eggs are more firmly cooked.

Southend Carers launch

new Carers Hub Service

and say...

Do you care for a loved one with an illness or disability?

Carers in Southend-on-Sea have often had to struggle through a maze of

information and services to get the help they need. ‘This new service will

make it easier to get the support carers need’ Southend Carers Hub is a new partnership of six specialist local charities

who have joined together to create a one-stop-shop for carers. By working

together it will make it much easier for carers to access the right practical,

financial and emotional support.

To find out more contact Southend Carers:

Telephone: 01702 393933

Email: info@southendcarers.co.uk

Website: www.southendcarers.co.uk

Westcliff library

temporarily closed

to the public on 21st

January 2017 for

refurbishment.

The library will

reopen to the public

on Monday 3rd April

2017. In the mean-

time items can be

returned to any

other Southend or

Essex Library or

renewed via the

direct renewals line

on 01702 534151

The new twelve sided one pound coin comes into circulation on 28th March. The existing round pound coin remains legal tender only until 15th October. Savers are being advised to empty piggybanks, coin jars and check down the side of the sofa to ensure they are not left with coins that shops will not accept. Major banks have said they will continue to accept the old pound coin after October 15, but only from their own customers. So make sure you exchange yours in plenty of time. Vending machines and parking meters will be adapted over the coming months and many supermarket trolleys are already able to accept both.

Page 3 Spring 2017

Your OPA continues to be Actively engaged in being a voice for the over 55’s and we were very pleased to have

been asked to participate in the early stages of a new NHS Digital pilot project and thought that you our members

would want to know a little about this.

The pilot project is about offering an on-line alternative to the current process of having to visit a GP surgery and fill

in a form to register with a new or different GP practice. It’s intended once launched to be trialled at a number of

surgeries BUT the current system WILL continue for those who do not want to use the internet method. Your OPA

committee met with three representatives of NHS Digital to comment on the pilot and test the first stage development

of the on-line process.

Matthew Harrington, the project lead officer, explained more about the project and published the following on the

NHS Blog:

Matthew ..... “There’s more than one user of a service. We’ve written extensively on the NHS.UK blog about how

important user research is to all our products. Without talking to users early and frequently how can we know we are

building the right thing? We can’t. That’s why we build prototypes, start with paper and run research labs to learn

up front which could otherwise be expensive mistakes further down the line.”

“From the start of our work on registering with a GP practice we have been talking with practice managers,

clinicians and patients in waiting rooms amongst others. We’ve spoken with rural and urban practices, with people

who use online services and those who don’t. As a team we are really keen to understand different people’s roles in

GP registration and a recent trip to Southend gave us an opportunity to meet with people we hadn’t yet engaged

with. A Clinical Commissioning Group and a user representation group - Southend Older People’s Assembly.”

“We met with Southend Clinical Commissioning Group and this is the first CCG we have spoken to and it was great

to understand their areas of interest. Something that we hadn’t thought about was how a digital registration service

could help care homes to register patients. Southend has a high number of care beds for the population so this is

something particularly relevant to them. We also discussed the complexity of the health landscape. The geographical

borders of CCGs and local authorities may well be different from borders used by various technologies and systems.

Interoperability is essential and a better understanding of this landscape helps us to identify where our service might

best fit.”

“These are the sort of things we learn by talking with as many users as we can, truly understanding the problem, and

doing more than just digitising a form. After Southend Clinical Commissioning Group we met with the committee of

Southend Older People’s Assembly. They kindly let us attend one of their committee meetings to talk through our

plans for Registering with a GP and they spent some time with us testing our prototype.”

“Our time with the committee raised some really interesting points:

Our prototype has a section asking for “any health concerns you want the GP to know about” but what constitutes a

health concern? For example - type 2 diabetes might be deemed as a health concern by a practice, but if someone is

managing it well, it might not be a concern to them - therefore they might not think it necessary to mention it, so

would that be a problem?

They asked - What will happen with the information I’m supplying? Will it be used to make a decision about whether

or not I can join a different practice? It’s interesting to hear people’s concerns about how they might be “judged”

when providing health information (by whatever channel), and how this balances with their knowledge of their

rights.

Is having a personal email essential to register? Some people might not have an email address of their own, but be

happy to use online services such as those provide in a library or other public access area.

The closing of a practice can present real challenges to the patients left behind. They might be automatically

registered with another practice which they wouldn’t choose for themselves, or the new practice might not be on the

right bus route. These are real challenges and can leave users feeling like they have little choice in the process.

Some people don’t want to use technology. They have access to the internet and a computer, but would prefer do

things in person.”

Matthew concluded by saying “We really enjoyed our day in Southend and would like to thank both Southend CCG

and Southend Older People’s Assembly. We look forward to meeting with them again in the New Year, once we have

had a chance to incorporate these suggestions into our pilot.”

So dear members if you have any comments please do let us know so

that we can include your views at our next meeting with NHS Digital.

NHS Digital is the new name of Department of Health's’ Health and Social Care Information Centre

OPA Tests NHS Digital On-Line GP Registration Pilot Site.

CHANGING A HABIT......

I seldom purchase a book for me to read, relying on others to buy them as presents. However queuing to pay in Smith’s, I saw a notice ‘This book only £1 when purchased with the Daily Express’. ‘it was ‘Dark Winter’ by Andy McNab, ex SAS. I had the ‘Express’ in my hand, he is a good read, so the book went with my other purchase.

The storyline concerns Nick Stone ex SAS, also an ex

Government agent and now freelancing out of the USA where the money is better for the dangerous tasks asked of him.

There is plenty of gratuitous obscene language which I found not only distracting but boring because it came from the thoughts of the main character and not from his actions. I didn’t and haven’t finished the book!

My second book I found whilst wasting time wandering around Waterstones.

This time an autobiography - “Andrew Flintoff, Second Innings” (2015)

Autobiographies are I know, usually about the ego but this one went, in my opinion, way over the top.

It contained few anecdotes, plenty of ‘how good am I even when failing’, a longing to get back into cricket and wonderment that the newer and younger members of the cricketing fraternity do not look on in awe at him. Not what I expected to read.

I had changed the habit of a lifetime by purchasing those two books. Should I stick to the library in future?

Well No.........

Some three weeks later when I was back in Waterstones to purchase some book vouchers there beside the till I

saw ‘The High Street Southend-on-Sea’ by

local author Carol Edwards (2016)

This is a delightful book that takes the reader back to the beginning of the ‘south end’ of Prittlewell and forward to the present day.

It is a treat and particularly so for those of us who have lived in Southend for fifty plus years. There are writings about the people who shaped Southend and it tells us

about how lots of the buildings and shops came to be built.

For me, the pictures of the past showing the character of the buildings are the icing on the cake.

Some of that character can still be seen when looking up at the top of some of the High Street buildings. Sadly much of the character has been lost behind bland and flat faced frontage. Waterstone’s have however restored some character with their building.

Enjoy reading Carol Edwards delightful book about Southend, I certainly did.

Brian Dillon Janaury 2017

If you have recently read a book

that you think other OPA members

might like please let us know ..

southendopa@yahoo.co.uk

Page 4 Issue 31

Brian’s Book Review

Living with Hearing Loss - free advice sessions at Southend University Hospital.....

Hearing Help (Essex) in association with Hear Ability Essex will be holding friendly and informal ‘ALL EARS’ –

Living with Hearing Loss sessions for people who are new to wearing NHS hearing aids. Sessions will offer advice on

how to make the most of hearing aids, how to adapt to wearing them, managing hearing loss, communication tips, as

well as other practical, information plus demonstrations on some of the assistive equipment and latest technology that

is available. Session dates Mondays: 27th February, 22nd May, 24th July and 23rd October at 3pm, finishing at 5pm.

Refreshments will be served. Places are limited and must be reserved in advance. Attendees are welcome to bring a friend,

carer or family member. To book phone: 01245 496347; text 07950 406173; or email help@hearinghelpessex.org.uk

The town of Southend-on-Sea has continued to

develop as a Seaside resort. However during the

1960’s with the building of the vast office blocks in

Victoria Avenue it was hoped to promote the town as

a business and commercial centre. The construction

of City Beach and the expansion of Adventure Island

have endorsed the Seaside branding. But what of the

future and other plans for our town?

Much has been written about proposals for THE

CLIFFS MUSEUM which would help to endorse the

tourist aspect of the seafront - wouldn't it??

Southend Council are pursuing plans to create a

Museum and the plans to date feature a futuristic

looking building to be located on the site of the land

slip on the cliffs along the sea front. Plans appear to

suggest a ‘Marmite’ structure - you either ‘Love it or

Hate it’. The costs quoted seem very high,

somewhere in the £45 million pound bracket.

In October 2016 the council announced “it was

renewing its search for architects to deliver its

ambitious plans and subsequently confirmed that the

new museum is to be called The Estuary Experience

and will offer visitors an interactive touchy, feely and

smelly insight into the history of the Thames”. The

council say “It has got to be a live experience. We

want to do other things as well as the Saxon King and

the HMS London relics. It will be about the whole

estuary. We want people to experience a whole raft of

things, the experience brought to life by technology.”

But regardless of whether we love or hate the idea, its

design or its viability may I just dispel some

inaccuracies about the costs. So many people have

mentioned concern about funding and it would

seem there is misunderstanding about where the

money will come from . The monies to fund this

project will not come from our council tax. The

council intends to seek funding by obtaining grants

from the likes of the Heritage Fund, National

Lottery, Arts Council, European Funds and from

individuals and certain philanthropic millionaires.

So I ask ... Should Southend look to the future to

provide an iconic structure recognised nationally or

even internationally?? The London Eye and The

Eden Project Biome’s were both thought to be out

of place and context but both have proved to be

highly successful.

The main theme of the Southend Museum would be

to provide a history of the Thames with all its

nautical background. It would also provide space to

display Southend 's collection of arts and crafts,

over 70% of which is currently in storage plus there

would be lecture theatres, school study areas and an

outside performance area. Key to its success would

be the provision of adequate parking in the planned

underground car park and an entrance at cliff top

level for locals.

By definition a Museum is a place to LOOK BACK

but the other provisions would allow us to LOOK

FORWARD.

This would surely be an asset – wouldn’t it?

Do you have a view? The OPA would

be interested in what you think so

please either email or write to us.

Mike Grimwade - January 2017

Looking Back or Looking Forward?

Page 5 Spring 2017

Skippy and the Belgian Trip.

When I was told I was going to Ypres,

I was happy, euphorically so,

So I ticked off the days on my meter

and got myself geared up to go.

That April day was a nice one my whole body was polished and clean.

A spark from my engine on turn on

made me proud to be one of the team.

Bright and early we set off for Calais

for France Ooh la la and Wee Wee!

I felt slightly sick on the crossing.

to keep my oil levels down was the key!

Once we crossed the border I couldn’t see why

they had invented some new highway code.

It made me feel bad as they drove me quite mad

On the opposite side of the road!

At last at the rally, I’m nervous, excited

And my tappets are banging so loud.

I shudder as my engine’s ignited

And I’m off to the waves of the crowd.

It’s a tough route to follow with funny directions,

I digest gallons of fuel as I speed through the day.

There are lots of turnings and lots of corrections,

they just can’t seem to find the right way!

All day long I press on with my water near gone and my radiator steaming and hot.

At the end of the run there’s a steep hill to come,

If they think I’m going up there then I’m not!

But I give it my all up the hill, it’s no joke.

and I will reach the top if I must.

Then round the last bend I splutter and choke

and my engine feels near fit to bust!

I feel proud that I made it, I completed the run.

You might think that’s my lot, but oh no!

When a chance comes along I shall be very strong,

and I’ll say beam me up headlights, let’s go!

© Janet Denny 2006

Southend Council and Southend Clinical Commissioning Group tell the OPA about their new pilot to bring

community support services together in ‘localities’ across Southend Borough.

Sarah Baker, Group Manager for Service Transformation at Southend Council attended our Older People’s

Assembly December Public Meeting to update members on their pilot project which it is hoped will deliver

more co-ordinated services. Sarah began her presentation by explaining the background to the joint venture

and explained that Southend-on-Sea has a population of 180K and Southend Hospital has been ‘buckling

under the pressure’ of patient demand which is not aided by the increased demographic of an older

population. The ‘Locality Approach’ aims to relieve the pressure on our local hospitals by bringing some

more of the ‘routine stuff’ out into the community. She then shared details of the proposed service and

explained that the pilot is expected to ‘go live’ shortly and intended as a two year trial but will be

constantly monitored, re-assessed and developed. Sarah will return to a future OPA meeting to update

members on progress and outcomes.

More recently the CCG has released the following news update:

A NEW care co-ordination service has been launched in Southend offering early support and a co-ordination of

care for people with complex needs. The Complex Care Coordination Service is led by a team from the South Essex

Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) and aims to identify and support patients to maintain personal

independence, delay disease progression and improve overall outcomes.

The service has been commissioned by NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and will see health and

social care staff from a number of agencies working side-by-side including local GP practices, social care and

housing, community physical and mental health and substance misuse. The service aims to:

1. Support GP practices to improve the health and social wellbeing of those living with frailty and/or complex

needs from 55 years and over.

2. Maintain optimum levels of independence and recovery through the provision of effective and coordinated

health and social care services.

3. Prevent the individuals’ needs escalating and avoid increasing demand on health and social care services,

both pre and post hospital admission.

4. Provide a complex care coordinator as a dedicated and consistent point of contact .

5. Provide timely access to support and reconnection to local communities through dedicated complex care

navigators.

6. Work with complex care patients to help them understand what services may be available to them.

Sharon Houlden, Director of Adult Services and Housing, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, said: “I am really

excited about the introduction of the complex care service in Southend. Social workers and their health colleagues

will work side-by-side. This will help them have a strong understanding of their local community and engage wholly

with residents to maximise independence and inclusion and reduce marginalization.”

Southend’s NHS and Social Care Services are being arranged around four localities (West, West Central, East

Central and East) and the new service is initially being launched within East Central before being rolled-out in the

remaining three localities. Each locality will have a named Complex Care Coordinator and a named Complex Care

Navigator.

Dr Josè Garcia Lobera, Chair of NHS Southend CCG said: “We have identified a cohort of patients across the

borough whose needs we consider to be amongst the most complex and who already access a range of different

health and social care services, and may also have repeated hospital admissions. By delivering all their services

together through a multidisciplinary team of health and social care workers we can place the patient at the centre of

these services and better support them within their own home, delivering much better outcomes for them.”

The service is expected to be co-ordinated and integrated with other services which support and deliver care to

individuals with complex care needs, their carers and families including:

Community Geriatrician s, Community Falls Team ,Community Mental Health Services plus Voluntary Services and

Community Groups.

More information to follow as the service is developed and rolled out.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT & THE SOUTHEND LOCALITY APPROACH

Page 6 Issue 31

CAROL’S HISTORY CORNER

Page 7 Spring 2017

We are delighted to introduce a new feature by a new friend of Southend OPA .Carol Edwards, who will already be

known to many of you as a local author of many books about the history and area around Southend, will be focusing

on nostalgia and local history. Carol tells us in this edition about :

After the end of the first World War, there followed an economic slump and for many finding employment

and somewhere reasonably priced to live locally was virtually impossible.

Renting or building their own houseboats which were then moored on the creek

at Leigh, became the only option for many. Bawleys were particularly popular

but larger vessels such as barges and lighters were also commonly used. Their

number grew from 18 in 1921, increasing within 12 months to 36 houseboats of

all shapes and sizes. Incredibly the final number would reach 200.

Families such as the Copelands, Lawson's and Hughes , built these unusual

forms of accommodation with as many home comforts they could provide.

Sadly there was no running water or

electricity. The council of the day

were incensed with there ever

increasing presence and council

minutes of the day revealed how

hard they tried to evict them, but the

residents of these floating homes,

having nowhere else to go

stayed put, thanks to help

from the Salvation Army.

A well know fact is that the

Salvation Army bought

land near Hadleigh Castle

around 1896, but perhaps

not as well known is that in

the early years their empire stretched up as far as Belton Hills and

down to Leigh Creek. When the tide was out and the houseboats

rested on the mud, their landlords were the Salvationists. During the

ensuring decades much discussion passed between the council and the

Salvation Army in a bid to remove the houseboats, the residents

meanwhile settled into becoming a community (one family even

created a cafe/sweetshop in the 1940's on their boat the St Kilda)

some sent their children to the local schools. The milkman called

twice a day and the postman three times at 8 am, 11 am and then

again at 4 pm.

By the late 1930's the colony stretched from behind Leigh station towards Benfleet. When war broke out in

1939 some chose to remain but these were forced to leave a year later when German planes began dropping

bombs on the nearby station and Johnson and Jago's boat builders who were targeted because they were

supplying parts for submarines. Like on the Norfolk Broads, many Londoners in the 1930's had purchased

houseboats for holidays. In 1950 sadly, when the final chapter came and these floating homes had to go

the council discovered that many of the owners had died in the blitz. The remaining houseboats were either

demolished or moved to other moorings.

Stan (Squibs) Hughes on board the

Houseboat Kilarney

A Thames Bawley 1890

The Copeland Family

Life on the Houseboat

Carol Edwards (Jan 2017)

By popular request Derek returns to his travel journal

Page 8 Issue 31

My previous article ‘Oh What a Lovely Time We

Had’ about my time in Guyana was, I thought, the

end of my trip down memory lane but I have been

pleasantly surprised by the interest from readers who

have asked me to reminisce some more about my

travels. So here we go again…….

We set sail from Trinidad for home on the troopship

Dilwara and here’s my recollection of what it was

like to cross the Atlantic on one such troopship.

P&O it certainly was not! The British India

Steamship Company had several vessels that were

used as troopships, the Dilwara was a motor ship

weighing some 11,162 tons, with twin screws driven

by two Barclay Curle Doxford oil engines each

generating 3,000bhp. It was said that on her trials

she reached a speed of 16.25 knots and on our jour-

ney home most certainly proved she was still able to

do it as I will explain a bit later.

Life on board was pretty basic, much the same as

being in barracks except the parade ground moved a

and rolled about, sometimes quite a lot! The sleeping

arrangements were quite a long way into the bowels

of the ship and consisted of tiers of bunks, three high

and in long rows. There were no windows just

portholes which you did not open unless you wanted

to send the ship to the bottom of the Ocean. At night

you could hear the sea rushing past as the ship

ploughed through the waves, and when lights out

sounded you were plunged into veritable darkness

save for the blue lights situated at the point where

gangways crossed. The heat was stifling.

We were however, providing the weather was calm,

allowed to take our sleeping bags up onto the deck

and find a space to put our heads down for the night.

What a sight there was to see though, except for the

ships navigation lights, it was dark and so we could

see the stars shining so brightly, I bet that passengers

on modern day cruise ships don’t get to see such a

spectacular display as the ships of today are lit up

like floating cities.

Reveille was at 06.00 and we had to be washed,

dressed, breakfast consumed and ready to attend

muster parade by 07.00. Chores were allotted, but

the band seemed to be lucky and we were rarely

given anything to do.

Coming up on deck one morning after, about four

days at sea, I said to another band member

“we are going the wrong way!” “What makes you

think that?” he replied. “Well, I said, the sun is

usually on the starboard side and this morning it is

on the port side!” I was right - another ship had

radioed for urgent medical help for their Captain

who had developed serious complications with his

appendix. The Dilwara had a medical unit on board

and we were now on our way to rendezvous with

the ship and get him aboard for treatment. As I

mentioned earlier the Dilwara had excelled in

speed when launched, and that morning the

engines really were working hard. After about

three hours steaming we reached the ship. I recall

that it had large white letters painted on the hull,

“The Sugar Transporter” and as it was en route to

the West Indies the name speaks for its self. The

sea had quite a swell that day and when we were

about half a mile away one of our lifeboats was

lowered into the sea with a crew of ten and rowed

across to the ship, disappearing and re-appearing as

it encounter the heavy swell. The patient was then

successfully loaded and rowed back to us.

Now, once a life boat is launched in the open

ocean it’s not usual that you need to get it back on

board, but this we had to do. Once it was safely

alongside a great deal of effort was needed to con-

nect it back to the lowering ropes which were now

swinging dramatically from side to side and up and

down as the Dilwara rolled about in the swell. It

took fifty strong army lads to slowly haul the life

boat into its davit, and once secure the patient was

taken below and operated on almost immediately

and I’m pleased to report made a good recovery.

The Dilwara made for the Azores and I recall that

the patient was taken ashore, our bonus was a few

hours on dry land before resuming our journey of

another four or five days to the River Clyde.

Oh! One thing I did learn was NEVER miss a meal

on a sea voyage; a tip I was given by someone that

knew. Many, on that trip were ill the whole time

for the first few days. Yet no matter how rough the

sea got I always made it to the dining room and ate

food. Egg, fried bread, bacon, I was never sea

sick!!!

Another episode of my travel tale, maybe in the

next issue.

Troopship Dilwara

Its time for change from our usual Scam Smart item and following a very interesting talk by

Crimestoppers at our December Public Meeting we wanted all our readers to know more about this

charity and how we can all help to tackle crime and so here’s what they have to say....

Help Tackle Crime in OUR Community

Calls from Essex people to the independent charity Crimestoppers have helped police in their fight

against a range of crimes, including burglary, domestic abuse, sexual offences, drink driving and drugs

offences.

During 2016, Crimestoppers Essex received up to 4,000 pieces of information from residents - an

all-time record for the county - enabling the police to help keep local communities safer.

Crimestoppers encourages people to report information about crime anonymously by phone on a 24/7

hotline 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org with a 100% guarantee of complete

anonymity. Calls can’t be traced & neither can information given online. It’s a key role in solving

crime as information reported to Crimestoppers is passed to police or other law enforcement agencies,

and rewards are also offered for information, particularly for more serious offences.

Our Chairman, Stuart Rawlins, who is appealing for more people to become involved in supporting the

charity, said: “Quite often, members of the public will have seen or heard something about a crime, but

they are scared to contact the police and worried that becoming involved may impact on them or their

family”.

“Crimestoppers gives people the chance to report information 100% anonymously, without fear of

being identified in any way. We are not part of the police and we are not Crimewatch, that's the TV

programme. Calls are never recorded or traced, no-one will be asked for their name or any personal

details and they will not have to give a statement or go to court. Only you will know that you contacted

us.”

“It is often surprising how one small piece of information can be the missing part of the jigsaw and

could prove absolutely crucial to an investigation.”

“That’s why we appeal to everyone who cares about reducing crime in their local community and who

thinks they may have information about a crime, to pick up the phone or go to our website and contact

Crimestoppers in complete confidence that their anonymity is fully protected.”

Since Crimestoppers, which is a national charity, began in 1988,

it has received more than 1.7 million actionable calls, resulting in

more than 138,000 arrests and charges. Nearly £135m worth of

stolen goods has been recovered and nearly £326m worth of

illegal drugs has been seized. As a result of information provided

to the police, around 14 people are arrested every day and 1

person every 8 days for murder.

The Crimestoppers Essex group meets quarterly and is keen to attract

new members, so if you would like to find out more, please contact

Stuart Rawlins at: stuart.rawlins@crimestoppers-uk.org

Crimestoppers provides an anonymous and secure 24/7 service

for reporting crime. Anyone with information can call the free

0800 555 111 number or online:www.crimestoppers-uk.org to

report anonymously. Our website also provides useful

information about keeping safe and more details about how to

report crime safely and anonymously. Crimestoppers is not an emergency service and in the event of an emergency, you should always ring 999.

Page 9 Spring 2017

I can already hear some readers saying “what do you mean – vinyl returns”?

No I don’t mean that awful shiny fabric often used for macs and fashion boots, I’m referring to

those round black things with a whole in the middle!!!

Like most things they become popular again and LP records are back in vogue and being

enjoyed again as, in my opinion, the best way of listening to recorded music.

I well remember Saturday morning visits to the HMV Record shop in Oxford Street, London in

the early 1950s where this new way of producing recorded sound was a regular feature, and

the joy of being able to listen to a symphony etched into one 12” disc of plastic revolving at 33/3rd r.p.m

instead of 3 or 4 heavy shellac discs revolving at 78 r.p.m was a marvel. I personally never gave LPs up

and have a quite large range of music recorded on this medium. Some of these early discs are now very

collectable and many fetch high prices among dedicatees.

Interestingly when I started my collection I would have to pay £1.19s.6d a record. Half of my weekly

salary! Now new pressings of some of the early discs are retailing at £25+ BUT if you have time to

browse the boxes on the floor in local charity shops, bargains are still to be found. Collectors of classical

music LPs looked after their records so scratched surfaces are not so evident.

Next edition I will try to l tell you about a few of the exceptional Orchestral recordings of the early years that were

subsequently released on LP and CD along with a personal comment from me about the composer, the music and the

sound quality

Derek Iles - January 2017

VINYL RETURNS

Page 10 Issue 31

Recently I came across an interesting theory about Humpty Dumpty, the nursery rhyme and the fall

of Colchester. Instantly the words of the rhyme seemed to make more sense to me and so after 70 plus

years of an image in my mind of a large round egg-shaped body sitting on a wall I now see Humpty in

a new light and thought it an interesting bit of trivia to share with you.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall..... all the Kings horses and all the Kings men couldn't put Humpty together again.

but actually the rhyme does not explicitly state that the subject is an egg, that impression was created by Lewis

Carroll in 'Alice Through the Looking Glass', where Humpty Dumpty is shown as a round egg. However, the rhyme

is very old and dates from much earlier than Lewis Carroll's book.

Humpty Dumpty and the Fall of Colchester -Is any of the story based on fact? Historical evidence suggests that Humpty Dumpty was actually a cannon used by the Royalists during the English

Civil War. Humpty Dumpty was a common "nickname" used in 15th century England to describe large people. This

had led to many ideas as to who, or what, the Humpty Dumpty in the nursery rhyme really was. The idea that

'Humpty Dumpty' was a powerful cannon, used during the English Civil War (1642-49), is one of the ideas taken

most seriously. In 1648, Colchester was a town with a castle and several churches all protected by the city wall.

During the siege of Colchester, the 15th century tower of the church known as 'St Mary's by the Wall' was indeed

much damaged. This happened because, on June 15th 1648, the church was strengthened against attack, by putting a

cannon on the roof. Cannons, at this time, were very heavy and moving them, even the smallest distance took many

men.

This cannon, the story tells us, was known locally as Humpty Dumpty and a gunner known as 'One-Eyed Jack

Thompson' fired the cannon. Despite only one eye he caused a lot of damage to Lord Fairfax's attacking troops.

One Eyed Jack Thompson's success made many of the attacking Roundheads fire onto the church roof and, at

sometime on the 14th or 15th of July, Thompson and his gun came tumbling down. The Royalists (or Cavaliers, "all

the King's men") attempted to raise Humpty Dumpty onto another part of the wall, but the cannon was so heavy that

"All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty together again" and the damaged cannon could

not be raised up to the roof again.

This was one of a number of setbacks and, on August 28th 1648, the Royalists lay down their

weapons, opened the gates of Colchester and surrendered to the Parliamentarians.

The battle and the damage to St Mary’s by the Wall are well documented true facts but as to

this being the origins of Humpty Dumpty there is no documented proof that these events are

the origin of the nursery rhyme character other than local folklore. I however rather like this

theory and shall now always think of Humpty as a cannon - how about you? LKM 2017

FACT OR FICTION?

Page 11 Spring 2017

.

Not yet a member of Southend Older People’s Assembly - Join NOW

If you are over 55 and resident in the borough of Southend but not yet a member of the

Southend Older People’s Assembly why not join now and become part of the Active Voice of and

for the over 55’s . Together we can do so much more. We welcome new members and would love

to have you on board. Membership is free and it’s easy to sign up either using the application

form which can be found on the reverse side of this article or join on line via our website using

the link on the ‘contact us’ page www.olderpeoplesassembly.co.uk . where you can also find lots

more information about the OPA and its aims and objectives. Associate members

(representatives of statutory, voluntary and local businesses with a focus on Older People) are

also most welcome.

We are still also in urgent need of new committee members and others to help us remain the Active Voice of the

Over 55’s in Southend. So whether currently already signed up as a member or not we need you. Our views,

needs and concerns aired in such a public arena with dialogue direct with policy makers and service providers

is important and it is your OPA that enables this. So COULD YOU HELP ? If so please consider how you

might support us, perhaps join the Committee or help with administration, minute taking, use your IT skills to

assist with the newsletter, manage our email or facebook, promote the organisation at various venues and via

creative advertising. We are not a stuffy bunch, meetings are very informal. To find out more about how you

can help please speak to one of the committee, email us or download an application form from our website.

www.olderpeoplesassemblysouthend.co.uk email: southendopa@yahoo.co.uk

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ADVERTISE WITH US

The Assembly Times magazine and our website reflect the

aims and objectives of the OPA and provide a range of

information relevant to the over 55’s. They are effective media

for promoting services as well as access to literature and links

to other organisations. The magazine is widely read by both

our members and others and the website is popular with the

older community, their families and carers.

We welcome advertisements and articles from organisations

and businesses that promote services and opportunities relevant

to Older People.

Please contact us for more information

Email: southendopa@yahoo.co.uk

Website: olderpeoplesassemblysouthend.co.uk

EASTER WASTE COLLECTION DATES: We had hoped to provide advance notification but apologies that we are unable to obtain the information. Veolia tell us that yet they do not have the dates for the changed collections over the Easter bank holiday. They will however be advertising the information on both Southend Borough Council and Veolia's website but haven't given us a date when this can be viewed! So for those of you without internet please look out for the details in the local newspaper and bus shelters. For further information from Veolia please call 0203 567 6955.

Together We Can Do So Much

More

If you have an issue that is

relevant to the OPA and the

over 55’s that you want raised

at one of our public meetings

but do not wish to speak

yourself, please forward the

details to us either by email:

southendopa@yahoo.co.uk or

our website contact and we

will be happy to present it on

your behalf.

ASSEMBLY MEETING

DATES 2017 Come & Join Us at The Civic Centre

Council Chamber Victoria Avenue

SS2 6ER

1.00 pm Registration for 1.30 p.m. Start

WEDNESDAY 22nd MARCH 2017 (Annual General Meeting)

WEDNESDAY 7th JUNE 2017

WEDNESDAY 6th SEPTEMBER 2017

WEDNESDAY 6th DECEMBER 2017

Guest Speakers - Q&A

Details - See Meeting Agenda or

www.olderpeoplesassemblysouthend.co.uk

Back Issues of the Assembly Times are

available to view /download via our

website

To all Members & OPA Supporters ... Committee members & others to help with range of support tasks urgently needed - could that be you?? Contact us for more information.

www.olderpeoplesassemblysouthend.co.uk

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Membership is free and open to all Southend Borough residents who are 55 or over.

I would like to help make a difference and become a member of the OPA:

Title: _____________________________

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

________________________________ Postcode: ______________________

Email: ________________________________ Telephone: ______________________

Post completed form to : C/O MR D ILES 170 a BRIGHTWELL AVENUE , SOUTHEND ON SEA, SS0 9EH