We've got a beach clean coming up - on Saturday 21st Jan. 10am onward - when we will be clearing around the Tosher on the half-sunk dry dock. The CIC bought the dry dock, formerly part of the Cinderella, and have given over a year's notice to tidy it up. Now bits of detritus, plastic and worse, are falling in the river and floating off at high tide. It is a big step forward but also one that feels like crossing an invisible barrier or breaching a taboo. For more background, and another angle on the regeneration story, it is worth watching the two fantastic documentaries made last year - From The River, by Paul Mulraney and Thom Axon, and Sailors Creek, by Saskia Sichermann. There were links to both on the last blog - but if you want to watch them with others, and have the opportunity to ask questions afterwards, they are being screened at the Flushing Sailing Club on Tuesday 24th Jan. at 8pm. Entry is free and open to all.
Many questions have been thrown up following the receipt of a death threat and a fake parcel bomb by one of our Directors - which caused the village to be evacuated while the bomb squad took care of it - but one thing that I did reflect on was the compassionate manner in which we have undertaken the progress towards a regenerated creek. I am proud of the efforts we have taken to be inclusive, to move at an organic pace, although clearly no change in the creek is neutral.
So if I had one theme to take forward it would be: gentle persistence! With a year under our belt we are looking forwards - especially to training sessions & instruction. We hope to be running some education sessions open to all: in fibreglass construction; foraged basket weaving; wooden spoonmaking. More info to follow - but if you are interested in any of these, or in using the environs of Sailors Creek to run your own education session, do get in touch.
Lastly thanks for your messages of support - if you have had an email about membership renewal please follow it up - we rely on you to keep on with the good work that is happening! See you at the Creek!
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