With the hearing for our Village Green application imminent, Free the Quay is pleased to announce the first two of a series of new fundraising events for 2011

Sunday 13 March, 10am – 4pm: The Great Mistley Garage Sale

For the first time this event will include a Boat Jumble, where you can find all sort of boating essentials, as well as the usual kids’ books, toys, fabric, clothes and shoes, books, jewellery, tools, pictures, tableware and much more, plus refreshments. Shop from the Mistley Towers (on the Walls, at the bottom of New Road) and all around Mistley.

Friday 1 April 7pm till late: Swish Night: it’s all the rage!

Swap your nearly new clothes and get a whole new look. Never swished before? These are the rules:

1. Bring between two and five (nearly new) clothes, shoes or accessories.
   
2. Arrive at 7pm
3. Swish commences 8pm
4. Strictly no fighting!

£5 entrance fee includes glass of wine and canapés. Mistley Church Hall (on New Road by the Towers, ample parking).

When we launched our legal bid to enshrine in law public access to the quay, by applying to Essex County Council to have the quay registered as a village green, FTQ chairman Simon Bullimore said: ‘Thanks to the overwhelming generosity and support of local people over the past two years, FTQ has been able to obtain the best legal advice on the several legal courses open to us. Registration as a village green will give the quickest and least costly result; we are confident that we will succeed.’

BACKGROUND

* In 2007 TWL caused alarm by removing safety ladders and life buoys at the quayside.

* On 17 September 2008, despite the regular and established use of the quay by the local community and leisure craft, and in the face of widespread protest from locals and sailors, TWL erected a 2m-high barrier entirely blocking access to and from the river. 

* On  18 August 2010 Free the Quay launched its legal bid to have the quay declared a village green.

For more background and the history of the protests visit www.freethequay.org

Or follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FREEMISTLEYQUAY

FURTHER INFORMATION AND IMAGES:

Kate Worsley  mob 07973 298975   tel  01206 395 877 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Protest group Free the Quay is launching a legal bid to restore access to Mistley Quay on the River Stour, on the second anniversary of the erection of a controversial fence at the quayside.

FTQ is applying for the quay, to which the public have enjoyed free access for hundreds of years, to become a village green under the 2006 Commons Act.

On Friday 17 September FTQ published an open letter to quay owners TWL Logistics, asking it to join in the application and to take the fence down, saying FTQ would pay for a suitable alternative barrier if necessary.

Mistley resident Ian Tucker made the application to Essex County Council on behalf of local residents on 18 August 2010.

FTQ’s chairman Simon Bullimore said: ‘Thanks to the overwhelming generosity and support of local people over the past two years, FTQ has been able to obtain the best legal advice on the several legal courses open to us. Registration as a village green will give the quickest and least costly result; we are confident that we will succeed.’

Essex County Council has indicated that an inquiry into the application would be
fast-tracked if Free the Quay paid the costs of the inquiry.

FTQ treasurer William Meston said: ‘Mistley is a unique village with a strong maritime heritage, which only exists because of the quay, and it’s only right this should be recognised. We are confident that we have sufficient pledges of financial support to meet the costs of any inquiry.’

On Saturday 18 September at 10am, local families will gather at Mistley Quay to mark the occasion by demonstrating their legal use of the quay for leisure pastimes.

BACKGROUND

In 2007 TWL caused alarm by removing safety ladders and life buoys at the quayside. Despite the regular and established use of the quay by the local community and leisure craft, and in the face of widespread protest from locals and sailors, on 17 September 2008 TWL erected a 2m-high barrier entirely blocking access to and from the river.