ID: ML2014_009_P60 / Ron Green

TitleMersea in August
AbstractMy Cousin who lives in Ongar says 'There is always something going on in Mersea' and August was certainy no exception. The first week-end, as always, saw a clash between the Five Parishes Show on the Fingringhoe Ranges and the East Mersea Fete and Art Show.

As Wendy and I put in entries into the 5 Parishes which have to go in on the Saturday Afternoon, we don't always get to the Fete but we did just make it in the last half hour so saw some of it this year. It was very well supported and, I hear, made a good sum of money. Such a beautiful venue too.

The 5 Parishes Show on the Sunday I thought was one on the best yet. The weather was hot and sunny with a good breeze to keep things comfortable. As well as all the fine exhibits in the marquee which always seem more 'Traditional' under canvas, I found the sort of musical chairs for dogs and their owners highly amusing. The dogs were walked around a ring of straw bales and both dog and owner had to jump up onto a bale when the music stopped.

All six feet had to be on the bale. After each pause a bale was removed from the ring and caused a very amusing spectacle of two owners and two dogs trying to balance on one bale - eventually someone has to give in. This was a very popular event and ran to two heats.

Another amusing event involved a sheep dog rounding up a group of runner ducks which were also guided through a number of obstacles. This event was in progress when we arrived so we missed most of it. The East Mersea art show did well and I was pleased to have sold two of my paintings.


Round the Island Race 2014. David Green's boat SUGARSCOOP at the Strood - it was the peak a very high tide and there would have been enough water to sail across.


The prize for the crew with the oldest combined age, of 148. Paul Godfrey on the left and David Green on the right. Photographs by Carole Green.

There was plenty of wind for Mersea Week - too much on the Sunday and the Dabchicks Regatta had to be cancelled. It was eventually sailed on the Thursday.

The Round the Island Race on the Wednesday always promised to be a special one with a 5.9m tide forecast and, as the day turned out, plenty of wind to go with it. A group of us went to watch and left it a bit late to get on the high ground for the best view. My friends waded through but the tide was running up the road so fast that I, carrying a couple of folding chairs decided not to chance it. I did try another route which involved climbing over a barbed wire topped fence still carrying my chairs. I could see myself getting caught up on top of the fence in front of an audience of people sitting in their cars waiting for the tide to go so I abandoned that idea.

Congratulations to David Green in his little gaffer SUGARSCOOP finishing eighteenth overall and together with his crew Paul picked up the award for the oldest crew, a combined age of 148 years.

Putting all of that to one side, David, who has entered this race more times than he cares to remember, came he believes, the closest he will ever get to achieving his ultimate ambition of actually SAILING all the way round. This includes actually sailing across the Strood. Although he and Paul stayed in the boat they did get some assistance but the boat didn't touch bottom throughout the race.

The Cobmarsh Island Marathon on August 16th was well supported and blessed with fine weather and now lets hope we have a nice day for the West Mersea Town Regatta on the 30th August

Published in Mersea Life, September 2014

AuthorRon Green
PublishedSeptember 2014
SourceMersea Museum
IDML2014_009_P60
Related Images:
 Mersea Round the Island Race 2014. David Green's boat SUGARSCOOP at the Strood - it was the peak a very high tide and there would have been enough water to sail across.
 Photograph by Carole Green  GRD_RND14_012
ImageID:   GRD_RND14_012
Title: Mersea Round the Island Race 2014. David Green's boat SUGARSCOOP at the Strood - it was the peak a very high tide and there would have been enough water to sail across.
Photograph by Carole Green
Source:Mersea Museum / David Green Collection
 Mersea Round the Island Race, 2014. The prize for the crew with the oldest combined age, of 148. Paul Godfrey on the left and David Green on the right.  Photo by Carole Green.  GRD_RND14_019
ImageID:   GRD_RND14_019
Title: Mersea Round the Island Race, 2014. The prize for the crew with the oldest combined age, of 148. Paul Godfrey on the left and David Green on the right.
Photo by Carole Green.
Date:13 August 2014
Source:Mersea Museum / David Green Collection