Note 8

Looking to the future and have you noticed the improved photographs

I am pleased to say that the site is evolving well, but it is throwing up one or two little problems that are causing the loss of thread and impact of some of the articles. In an attempt to prevent this but keep the enthusiastic support I am asking you to follow a few rules.

  1. If you make comments on an article please keep them brief, if the article triggers your memory and you need to write a novel, please submit them as an article and we can provide a link from the comment to your article to show they are linked.
  2. If when making a comment it sets your memory starts running off at a tangent don’t just add it to the comment start off a new article then subsequent comment on your comment don’t change the thread of the original article. Also your new article could trigger other contributors memories and so on.
  3. Do not use an article as a chat room. It is great that we are renewing old contacts but please make your comments relevant to the article and do not distract from it. I am happy for the message board to be used as a where are they now and will with the approval of both parties forward e-mail addresses so that old acquaintances can be renewed. This will if you persuade them to contribute their memories enhance the understanding of the social history of our community.

If these few rules are observed it will assist me in speeding up the approval and posting of articles. I might even get time to add my own memories of living in Dunton and Laindon. I will over the next few months be trying to read through all the comments and where appropriate, take your comments andĀ either make a linked or new article.

We have one of our team who has been beavering away unseen in the background working on repairing and enhancing the photographs. I was recently reminded of how much work he was doing when I went to update some information and I give below the photograph that acted as the reminder of his hard work for us.

The photograph submitted

After Keith Jackson worked his magic.

Keith has improved a considerable number of the submitted photographs so if you have submitted a photograph with you article have a look as you may find that the damage has been removed by Keith. If you would like a digital copy of the repaired photograph pleas let us know and we will arrange for you to have one emailed to you.

Keith has just worked his magic on the 1956 Laindon High Road school photograph and is assisting me in trying to make it easier to link the name to faces.

If you have any suggestions as to how the site can be improved or items you would like pursued please let us know. It may not be be possible to take action on them immediately as there are a considerable number of projects already waiting completion, but they will be noted and included as time permits. Remember, the site is your repository for the social history of the community so please let us know if we are providing you with the sort of information you feel helps to tell the story of our community.

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  • Ian. Thank you for that. Point taken and appreciated. I think excitement and enthusiasm has sometimes taken over in the comment section of certain articles, causing the diversions. For example, I had noticed that under my article ‘Photo Album’, there are now at least 15 comments with absolutely no connection to the Laindon Postmen. In future, I too will keep any comments I make short and to the point – very good advice. The site is improving all the time, however, navigating to find previous articles is not always easy. I recently wanted to re-read the article about the Winston Club, but couldn’t find where it is saved by using the menu on the left of the screen. I did a search using the magnifying glass at the top right of screen which shows that it is saved in ‘Do you Remember’. I went back and clicked on ‘Do You Remember’ but The Winston Club article isn’t there. I could only get into the article by going back to the magnifying glass and clicking on ‘The Winston Club’ from there. Perhaps a visible link to it could be added under ‘Do you Remember’. I hope that can be easily ‘tweaked’ and doesn’t cause too much work in addition to that which you already have lined up. Thank you very much for all your hard work. Best wishes.

    Editor: I will be looking at the site navigation as I agree that it becoming more difficult as the site grows. I am considering creating an index page with links to all the articles. This is rather involved to get started but I will over the winter make a start. 

    I agree that the search facility is not very user freindly and the site provider has been made aware.

    By Nina Burton (17/11/2011)
  • Ian, thanks for your comments on keeping input brief. Also on not using the site as a chat room. I am probably one of those this is aimed at but I think it all adds to the magic of what you have created. I like the way the article on Surfeit of Old Butchers opened up into all kinds of topics, it is surely better to have this than no comments at all, with the contributor wondering if his article has even been read by anyone. Likewise with the magnificent LHR photo where people have not just identified the schoolchild but have entered a few words about the particular person. Comparing your site with the Basildon History one there is no comparison, yours is far and away better. I dont find any problem with the search device, it works. The only slight criticism I have is that the message board doesnt update quickly or give an indication that replies have come in, but hey we can live with that. We should be encouraging people like Gloria Sewell who has done a lovely job with her touching and personal memories which in turn have opened up so many contacts from the past – well done everyone.

    Editor: I do not want to restrict contributor providing their memories, all I am trying to avoid is me missing a lead that could create a new article that would in itself lead to more memories. Please remember that I have to read every article and comment when I put it on a site and I make notes of possible leads but then don’t have time to pursue them.

    With regards to the lack of notification on the notice boards this has been taken up with the site provider as I also have to go through it to see if there have been any changes, so that they can be posted for everybody to see.

    By Richard Haines (17/11/2011)
  • I too take your point Ian, but I also agree with Richard and Nina one topic seems to open up many memories for lots of people, this is what the site is all about and makes it all so interesting. The comments are all connected some way or another I believe to get there in the first place. I do not envy you at all the work you put into the site, but as a contributer it does get difficult to stick to the point when your memories flood back especialy at my age. The joy I feel just reading what people recall by something I have written is a wonderful feeling. I know I get carried away and one day maybe I will write a book but please accept it as part of my scatty and enthusiastic brain for now and feel free to smack my wrist when necessary, thank you again.

    By Gloria Sewell (17/11/2011)

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