2024 IS CERTAINLY TURNING OUT TO BE A YEAR OF SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS - READ ON?

 Already, some of our Essex Reading and Writing groups have celebrated special anniversaries this year and yet to come we have our special anniversary month in June celebrating Essex Book Festival's 25th birthday.  More details to come, but lots of opportunities to meet some of the best novelists, poets, photographers, artists, actors, storytellers and entertainers, but why not pop over to our website www.essexbookfestival and choose for yourself.  Something of interest for everyone.  I suggest you book early!    

25TH EDITION OF OUR ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL IS NOW LIVE AND PROGRAMMES ARE READY FOR YOUR DELECTATION

 

Essex Book Festival 2024 launches

We are delighted to be launching the programme for this year’s 25th Edition of Essex Book Festival. With over 250 amazing writers and artists in the mix, we urge everyone to log onto our website and find out what’s happening when the programme goes ‘live’ this Thursday!!

essexbookfestival.org.uk

The theme for this year is This Land. A nod to our wonderful county, its fascinating history and natural heritage, and most importantly, the people who inhabit it.

One event not to be missed is Festival Patron and University of Essex Chancellor Sarah Perry. Sarah will be talking to Festival Chair Peter Donaldson at University of Essex about her new book Enlightenment on 1st June. This event follows on from a day of activities on Campus to launch the festival.

Other activities on the day include our community Radical Essex Procession in partnership with internationally acclaimed arts organisation Kinetika. Following on from our Radical Walks in Essex and last year’s Radical Pilgrimage led by artist Lora Aziz, the Radical Procession will commence at St Leonard-at-the-Hythe Church, one of the iconic sites of the Siege of Colchester in 1648, and will conclude at University of Essex, which was founded in 1964 as a radical university, with its first vice-chancellor, Albert Sloman, committed to providing an environment that encouraged radical thought and taking students who would challenge prevailing orthodoxies.

To make it all the more special we are teaming up with internationally acclaimed arts organisation Kinetika, who will be bringing their 500 Beach of Dreams hand-painted natural dyed pennants to literally raise the flag on our 25th Edition. Anyone wanting to join in the fun and be one of our flagbearers for the day, please sign up here.

Other Festival Delights

With John Crace, Helen Lederer and Lionel Shriver all taking part in author events at Anglia Ruskin University; Mark Cocker and Joanna Glen in the line-up for our Restless Brilliance Day at Hylands House on 16th June (Father’s Day), we have an exciting range of events taking place in Chelmsford this June. Make sure you get in quick.

A HAPPY DAY AT WATERSTONES IN BRENTWOOD MEETING CHILDREN'S AUTHOR HOLLIE HUGHES (AND SIGNING A FEW OF MY OWN BOOKS)

 

SPONSORED WALK REMEMBERING D-DAY JUNE 6 1944 - BASILDON TWINNING

This is the general information about the sponsored Walk on the 8th June The plan is to walk the seven and a half miles (equivalent of Sword Beach to Pegasus Bridge in Normandy) The walk will start at Beauchamps School, Wickford and will finish at Wat Tyler Park Pitsea.

The added special item is that the walkers will be accompanied by a piper at some parts of the walk. Not just any piper, our piper is the best friend of the son of Bill Millins who was the piper on D-Day 80 Years ago. We are hoping that all the students going to Normandy in June with us will walk with us and get as many sponsors as possible to help us reach our targets.

We are looking for volunteers on the day in a variety of ways. First and foremost, we need a few marshalls on route for road crossings. We may also need a couple of people with cars in case we need to pick up any stragglers or injured students or take them across roads. (They would need to be DBS checked). We will also need people to hand out water on route too. We hope some of the students' parents will be around to help but we do need a plan B in case. 

The Sponsored Walk

Before we booked the trip to Normandy, we knew that we would need to fundraise for a shortfall of £3,000. The parents are contributing £10,500 towards the cost of the tour, Basildon Twinning have given a grant of £12,000, Basildon Rotary Club have donated

£500, The Race Night held last Saturday raised £1,000. This leaves £1,500 to go.

 Our plan is to raise this on the Sponsored Walk on Saturday 8^th June during the Commemoration of D-Day week. The start is at 2.00pm and it is scheduled to finish at 5.00pm

 We want to make it a special (Very Special) walk.

If anyone is willing to help out or if anyone wants to take part or sponsor, they can contact us at basildontwin@gmail.com 

BRENTWOOD ART SOCIETY'S SPRING EXHIBITION PREVIEW EVENING - WEDNESDAY 3 APRIL 7.00pm

 

Just a reminder that all BWC members and other friends are invited along to the Brentwood Art Society's Spring Exhibition Preview Evening at Bardswell Social Club, tomorrow, Wednesday 3rd April, at 7.00 pm. Complimentary drinks served while you enjoy the artwork on display.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LULU

 Wishing young Lulu a very happy birthday today.  She is as every bit as friendly and ordinary as when I met her some years back at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.  Even did a little posing for my camera, and didn't get cross when my camera decided to play up! Managed a short interview and learned a little about her own garden.    

NEW PROJECT - RESEARCH INTO ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND HIS FILMS

 

HOT OFF THE PRESS - OUR LATEST INFORMATION RE THE 2024 FUN WALK

 

A DELIGHTFUL MORNING MEETING A NEW ESSEX AUTHOR HOLLIE HUGHES AT WATERSTONES, BRENTWOOD

It's always a pleasure to visit Waterstones in Brentwood and sign the latest delivery of my books, courtesy of their super manager Ross and staff. 

Saturday morning was extra special in this bookstore as I had the chance of meeting Hollie Hughes, who writes beautiful books for children.  And what a packed audience she had when I arrived and was able to have a quick chat and talk to some of the little ones who were entranced as she also read extracts from her new book.