SATURDAY PITSTOP WITH ESSEX FORD BILLERICAY - 9.2.8

We had two guests sharing their views on the week's news by phone:  Colin Cleminson, of Glendene Cycling Club, on no 2012 mountain biking in Brentwood, and Christine Brewster, curator of Billericay's Cater Museum which is celebrating a £41,000 lottery windfall.

Olympic fallout

Glendene Cycling Club represents over 100 Brentwood bikers, riding both on and off road.  Speaking from a club training weekend in Majorca, Colin said the delay between Stratford, and Brentwood Weald Park, being announced as 2012 Olympics venues and the Weald Park decision being reversed was inexcusable.

London 2012 literature dated as early as September 2004 cited Weald Park as ideal for the mountain biking event. When the Olympics' international biking inpectors visited the site last month, they declared it too flat.

As well as finding the late change of heart frustrating, Colin questioned whether more could have been done to make Weald more challenging to competitors.  Meanwhile, if Essex is to retain the event within its borders, Langdon Hills Country Park, on the edge of Basildon, is one option being pursued.

Glendene CC:  www.glendenecc.org.uk

Lotto lolly

The outside appearance of Billericay's Cater Museum, at 74 High Street, will become more befitting of its
historical contents thanks to £41,000 from the heritage lottery fund.  The musuem's twentieth century pebble dash is to make way for lime mortar with an eighteenth century look.

Christine also reported improved facilities for the disabled as a result of the handout.  An on-screen virtual museum tour will enable visitors to see first-floor exhibits without the need to go upstairs.  Work is due to start in April.

Until then a museum exhibition called 'A Good Read' will open up an archive of 450 historic books to
public scrutiny.  The only proviso is visitors have to wear gloves to protect the centuries old pages from
natural oils on even the cleanest of hands.  'A Good Read' is on through February and March.

Cater Museum:  www.catermuseum.co.uk

From Essex Ford Billericay

Essex Ford Billericay has its new Ford Focus launch weekend on February 16/17.  For a sneak preview, and more info about the outgoing 1.6 Focus Zetec Climate model at £11,495, phone James on 01277 652242 mentioning Phoenix FM.

For service offers of £40 of M&S vouchers free with a Ford Value Service (see last week's show page) and a set of four Continental tyres for the price of three (see Jan 12 show page), phone Carol on 01277 652242 quoting Phoenix FM.

Essex Ford:  www.essexford.com

Article by Oliver Rowe, 11 Feb 2008
Posted in Saturday Morning with Oliver Rowe

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