Cambria Trust

Faversham Stories

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It is a bit of a Faversham based post today starting with the fact that I have now received and been able to watch my copy of the latest film by Mike Maloney of ‘Red Sails’ fame; this one called Visions of a Creek. In this, which was never intended originally as a DVD for sale they tell the story of the controversial saga of Faversham’s Standard Quay being pretty much closed down as a barge-repair and maintenance centre (all be it we may see it retained as a safe haven for mooring in winter). It also discusses the current efforts to repair and reinstate the swing bridge which gives access to large craft to the Upper Basin and the project to establish the old gasworks Purifier Building as a  venue for Marine Trades and related apprenticeships. Well worth a look if you can get hold of a copy. I think there were a limited number made; I bought mine through Mike’s Countrywide Productions website (link from our useful links tab).

Faversham Nautical Festival stand
Faversham Nautical Festival stand manned by Hannah and Miranda Pihama with Cathy, Mark and Kess Chapman; Pic by Griselda Cann-Mussett

Earlier I advertised the Faversham Nautical Festival as a ‘date for your diary’. This has now happened this weekend and by the look of all the pictures on Facebook, many by Nathalie Banaigs, it was a bright, warm sunny event well supported by folks clad in summer wear. I have now had from Griselda Cann-Mussett (Faversham Creek Trust) a lovely picture of our own effort, the manning of the Cambria Trust Shop by (pictured here), Hannah and Miranda Pihama with Cathy, Kes and Mark Chapman. Nice to see you all, guys and well done on keeping on the Volunteer bit. It must have been nice to do a bit in warm sunshine for a change.

A Bridge Too Far

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Mast at Night
Mast at Night; Picture by Matt Care

Oh Dear. It seems that Faversham’s Swing Bridge is in need of repair or replacement and this has rather snookered the plans of Faversham Creek Trust to get the basin (upstream from the bridge) dredged and opened up for larger vessels as part of the campaign to give the area back its Maritime Trades. Faversham Council tell us that the repairs or replacement could be as long as 5 years away, so Faversham Creek Trust have had to park their plans to restore the Purifier Building as a centre for workshops and shipwright appenticeships. So says Faversham Creek Trust in their newsy website at http://favershamcreektrust.com/2012/10/21/trouble-at-bridge-but-there-is-a-way-forward/ .

Trust Chair, Griselda Cann-Mussett is quoted as saying “we have done some research into this and we know that a new lifting bridge could be supplied and fitted for a relatively modest cost”, so hopefully all is not lost.

The Trust AGM takes place in the Alexander Centre at 7:30 pm on Tuesday November 20th. I expect the bridge will feature high in discussions!

Griselda’s Traffic Census latest

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A blog is probably no place to be publishing a “stop press!” notice but just in case we can do any good.

 

Cambria's Deck prior to restoration
Deck prior to restoration

Griselda’s Traffic Census on Faversham Swing Bridge, you may have seen has been on and then off (Kent County Council were going to do it themselves). Well as of about 05:30 this morning, it’s back on, so if you were thinking of getting involved, please do now contact Griselda Cann-Mussett again. As she says, “New STOP PRESS. We DO need volunteers for a traffic census. We have two practice sessions: 9-10am this Saturday (16th June), and again Tues 19 June. The counts will be for 12 hours on the 24th, 26th and 30th of June. Shifts are 2 hours. Please contact me a.s.a.p. if you can help.”

 

Meanwhile, I am now playing on both the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ websites, so I hope you can see this blog in both places. If you know the location of the new pages and fancy getting involved as a ‘critic’ or checker, there is a ‘comments’ box on the new site. I appreciate some of you are probably getting frustrated not knowing where the new site is but that is because it is still under construction and testing and has not been fully released yet. Patience, friends. Everything of import will continue to be published on the ‘old’ site for now.