Winchelsea Wednesdays

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Happy stays, careful ways and warm days

In 1892, Joseph and Elizabeth Cunningham, staunch Presbyterians, opened a summer camp on the Isle of Wight for disadvantaged boys from Liverpool. Fast forward to 2022 and you wouldn’t think that this paternalism would affect the way we work and play today. Enter stage left, Billy Butlin.

After an insecure and peripatetic childhood, he ended up with his maternal family on the showgrounds, running amusement parks. He was gifted with business acumen and the flamboyance of a showman. These winning traits, coupled with his workaholic nature, turned him into a multi-millionaire, a household name and a peer of the realm when he was knighted in 1964.

It’s easy to look back and laugh at the Butlin’s holiday camps that he created, inspired by the Cunninghams. But many of his pioneering ideas are still very much part of our lives today; the all-inclusive holiday, the family activity holiday and the kids’ club. He gave Britain the first monorail, the first dry ski slope and the first celebrity chef.

October was my first anniversary in post as chair of the Second Wednesday Society. Exactly one year ago, Dr Kathryn Ferry, a specialist in seaside architecture and culture, had been our speaker. On that day, I had described her as “particularly engaging”, without having any idea whether she actually was or not. This time, I could introduce her with complete confidence, as she returned to entertain us with tales of Billy Butlin and the undeniable mark that one man left on us, societally and culturally. It was during the Q&A after her talk, that we discovered more about the real man. Like a lot of personalities, though unconventional in his private life, his public image was carefully crafted to reflect his business values and interests. And for such a consummate exponent of PR, he didn’t exploit his generosity or support for charity, for personal gain.

With the clocks about to go back, there’s no denying that the summer is over. The short days make the next few months feel the longest and the cold will definitely make them the most expensive. With my catering hat on, I can offer a couple of energy saving tips that may help.

Boiling the kettle with only the amount of water required is a well-known tip. But whereas tea needs a full boil, instant coffee doesn’t, so stop the kettle when the water is hot, rather than boiling.

When cooking vegetables, put them all together in the same pot, staggering them according to the time they need to cook.

Use a microwave, pressure cooker or air fryer, as they require or use less energy than an oven. If you are using the oven, use all the shelves.

And finally, keep the elements at the back of your fridge dust free if possible. The cleaner they are, the less hard they will have to work and therefore the less energy the fridge will consume.

Anyone in need of the warmth of good company or the heat of West African adventure, should look no further than Winchelsea New Hall on Wednesday, November 9. We’ll be joined by Brigadier Hugh Willing. He will introduce us to a very unconventional Victorian explorer. His talk is entitled “Mary Kingsley – friend of cannibals, fish and fetish”. Many of you will know Hugh from his regular local talks, the most recent of which was in May at Rye Community Centre.

So welcome autumn, embrace November and come and spend the afternoon of the 9th with us in Winchelsea.

Image Credits: Linda Graham/ Natasha Robinson .

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