rory's blog

Go here to read the full story, which is pretty funny.

The other week I gave a presentation at the MediaShed. Here is a report of the event and picture of me. Go there by clicking here.

SS Richard Montgomery

I was just surfing the internet and I found some information about what lies off the shore of Southend. It's all pretty worrying especially when you read that it may contain weapons such as mustard gas.

Background Information

Video

World War II Caisson (Mulberry Harbour)

This is a ‘Phoenix’ caisson, its back broken, lying on the West Knock sandbank about 1.8 km off Thorpe Bay. The caisson is a section of temporary ‘Mulberry Harbour’ intended to be used in the Normandy landings following D Day, for the rapid re-supply of troops. The Mulberry Harbours were planned to extend 3.5 km along the coast and extend 1.75 km out to sea. The Mulberry Harbour formed at Arromanches played a crucial role in on the success of the landings. This caisson was being towed from Immingham, on the Humber, to Southsea in the run up to D Day, when it sprang a leak and was brought into the Thames estuary and allowed to sink.

The Mulberry Harbour also gives its name to the Mulberry Restaurant, Roslin Hotel in Thorpe Bay.

I went to the Beer Festival which is held at the Freight House with Ian and had the following:

• Famous Bladder Stout - Cottage 4.2%
• Norman Conquest 7.0%
• Triple fff - Pressed Rat & Wharthog 3.8%
• Herefordshire Dry Perry - Boome Farm 6.5%
• Badgers Botton - Gloucestershire 6.5%
• Somerset Broadoak 8.4%

All in all a very good evening was had...hic!

Here is a copy of an article in the Southend Echo. This is of interest to those of you who have stayed at the Roslin which is on the sea front at the bottom of our road. I am not sure of the long term prospects for the hotel. Regis don't have a very good reputation, see here.

One of Southend's premier hotels has been sold for a figure believed to be in excess of £2million.

Keith Oliver and his family, who owned the Roslin, on Thorpe Esplanade, Thorpe Bay, sold the three-star hotel after running it for more than 30 years.

The 49-bedroom hotel features the 65-seat Mulberry Restaurant.

The buyer is one of Southend's largest property owning companies, Regis Lodgings, which is part of the Regis Group, based in Warrior Square.

Paul Seager, a spokesman for Regis Group, said: "We are pleased to be committing a management team to immediately take over and continue running the Roslin as a hotel and we are currently putting together a substantial refurbishment plan."

Mike Gray, managing director of Dedman Property Services, which handled the sale, said: "I am delighted the hotel has been sold to a company which will continue to run it as it has been run and is aiming to make improvements to the existing facilities.

"The new owners have already put in place a new management team who will continue to run the hotel and continue to honour all existing bookings."

Mr Gray said the Roslin would continue to cater for both holiday-makers and business customers and expansion in the future was a possibility.