| September 2011 |
18th September
The Haven Museum, Langdon Hills
Sunday 18th September.
Venue: An open day is being held at The Haven museum in Third Avenue on the former
Dunton Hills plotland estate in Langdon Hills.
The event takes place on Sunday 18th
September, from 11am 'til 4pm. The 1940s-themed event will include entertainment from The
Bretton Entertainers. There will also be stalls such as a home-made cake stall, coconut shy,
jam tasting and face-painting. Activities for children include pack a suitcase for a refugee
and ten things that shouldn't be in the museum.
Entry is £4 for adults and £2
for children. Free parking.
Address: Langdon Visitor Centre
Lower Dunton Road
Basildon
SS16 6EB
Telephone: 01268 419103
For more information about Essex Wildlife Trust please visit the link below.
Website: Langdon Visitor Centre |
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| March 2011 |
26th March
Laindon and District Community Archive
The Laindon and District Community Archive are holding the official launch of their Community
Archive Website.
This event takes place on:
Date: Saturday 26th March, 11:00am. Official launch scheduled for 11:30am. Admission Free.
Venue: Laindon Library, New Century Road, Laindon, SS16 6AG.
Contact Phone: 01268 542065
There will be an exhibition of old photographs of the community.
Open day event poster |
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From Corn to Cordite
The story of the British Explosives Syndicate Pitsea
A new book entitled 'From Corn to Cordite' telling the detailed story of the British
Explosives Syndicate has now been published.
The book on explosives called 'From Corn to Cordite' by John Williams is the result of 25
years painstaking research. The author is an industrial research chemist by background and
fully understands the manufacture of explosives.
The many social reasons for the establishment of the British Explosives Syndicate in Pitsea is
given in detail. In particular the repeal of the Corn Laws and the Enclosure Act that altered
forever the nature of farm ownership and the price of land. This fall in land prices brought
the British Explosives Syndicate and Plotlands to Pitsea.
The equipment, methods and chemical
processes that are part of the explosives industry are described together with detailed
description and photographs of the manufacture of Nitroglycerine, Dynamite and Cordite
including mixed acid and acetone recovery. The rise and fall in prosperity of the factory at
Pitsea near Canvey Island in Essex is described and gives a national picture of the industry
in general up to and from World War One to the 1920's. The book is the history of a small
company in a backwater that became Wat Tyler Park in Essex, but can be used as an example of
most high explosives factories and munitions plants, like the British Dynamite Company
Ltd. Trades Unions and wages are discussed. The fatal explosions are described in detail. The
list of names of employees will be useful for family history researchers. There are many
references to the Local history of Pitsea, Vange and Essex.
The book is of A4 Size with 550 pages and many illustrations.
How to purchase
The book can be obtained by post from the author via the website for £25.00 including postage
or collected from the Shop in Wat Tyler Park Information Centre for £20.00.
From Corn to Cordite website |
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The Essex Wildlife Trusts Plotland museum housed in The Haven at Third Avenue, Lower Dunton
Road, Basildon will be featured on BBC's The One Show.
Architect Sean Griffiths created a
short film in which he interviews Brian Mills (whose parents built the bungalow). Sean will
be at the studio to discuss his film with the presenters.
The film is currently scheduled
to be aired on The One Show BBC1 on Tuesday, 9th February, 2010.
Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon Hills Visitor Centre
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A new book on Basildon by local author Michael Healy is now available to purchase.
The
book is entitled "This is Basildon" and covers many aspects of Basildon's continuing
development.
It is fully illustrated with 191 pages and priced at £9.99. |
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For more information on both the book and the author please visit Michael Healy's website: This is Basildon Book.
Please click below to return to the homepage or use
the navigational site menu located
at the top of the page. |
basildon.com (2001 - 2012) |
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