Uttlesford
Design in Uttlesford: you can have your say!
Tuesday 9 August 2022
Would you like to help shape new design code for Uttlesford? Uttlesford District Council has been successful in its funding bid to produce a district-wide design code. It will be produced over the next few months and be a planning document used by local people, planning officers and developers in the preparation and assessment of […] Read more >
The big beast that does things very much its own way…
Thursday 28 July 2022
Much though we all love country life, it does have its moments… Normally chilled photographer Gordon Ridgewell reports: “I can’t even sit in the garden tonight, with the big beast making loads of noise and everything covered with dust.” Read more >
William Smith, basket maker
Thursday 28 July 2022
We have gone too long without the beautiful writing of Anne Boileau, so here’s a delightful piece to lighten our summer spirits… Delving into Trevor Disley’s fascinating book of old photographs of Coggeshall, I discover William Smith, basket maker, who supplied our town with all manner of baskets from his workshop in West Street. Before […] Read more >
Gordon snaps a quirky moment… now it’s YOUR chance to whip out the camera and join our competition
Friday 24 June 2022
We offer you Gordon Ridgewell’s latest quirky observation on life… “I have heard about the cat amongst the pigeons, but when I looked out the window I saw our cat amongst the partridges! “He is guarding the drive as the partridges find small seeds to eat in strange places.” As most of you will be […] Read more >
Shades of Green
Tuesday 17 May 2022
From Gordon Ridgewell… “A short walk around the village on a lovely spring afternoon took me by the cattle grazing in the water meadows near the River Cam. “It’s just amazing how many shades of green are showing. This gives me more pleasure than jetting off to some Greek island and lying on a scorched beach […] Read more >
Every cloud has a silver lining (usually!)
Saturday 14 May 2022
A lovely image from photographer Gordon Ridgewell… but the back story is less enchanting… “The storm clouds gather over the mill and the water meadows are waiting but still no rain. It has been very dry over this part of Essex and the crops in the fields are beginning to show the lack of water. Read more >
Can an entire village be decarbonised? Trial scheme at Littlebury might give us the answer
Thursday 5 May 2022
Littlebury’s favourite son, Gordon Ridgewell, sends us the following tale from the village, where a pilot energy scheme is being trialled… What would be needed to decarbonise a whole village? This is the question it is hoped will be answered by a project taking place in Littlebury. Littlebury Parish Council has been asked by Essex […] Read more >
Uttlesford council blocks plan for solar farm
Tuesday 19 April 2022
Uttlesford District Council has refused permission for a solar farm that would have crossed into another local authority area. The scheme, proposed by Endurance Energy, would have covered 115 hectares near Bishop’s Stortford in a development called Wickham Hall Solar Farm straddling Uttlesford and East Herts district councils. However, on Wednesday, April 13, Uttlesford District […] Read more >
Gordon gives us a taste of spring from Newport
Monday 11 April 2022
We haven’t been treated to a Gordon Ridgewell picture for a while, so let’s put that little anomaly to rest… He tells us: “I went to Newport church yesterday to photograph a Role of Honour they had found and Imperial War Museums Memorials asked if I could get a picture. “After leaving the church I […] Read more >
Concerns over wildlife impact, road safety and nearby power lines sink plans for solar farm
Thursday 10 February 2022
So they can be stopped… Plans for a solar farm to be built between Manuden and Berden, on the Essex-Hertfordshire border, have been blocked by Uttlesford District Council. Low Carbon Solar Park 6 had applied to both East Herts and Uttlesford district councils for permission to develop its Pelham Spring solar park but failed to […] Read more >