Colchester Engineering Society

Dear Colleagues. There are now many members who have e-mail addresses and the numbers are now significant enough to make an impression on the costs of distributing the Newsletter. This edition will therefore be the first to be distributed by e-mail instead of paper copy. Members who have not let me have e-mail addresses will receive the Newsletter through the post in the usual way. If you receive a paper copy of the Newsletter and are willing to use e-mail please let me have your e-mail address.

It is possible that there will be a few errors in the e-mail addresses held but these will be cleared up as a result of this first distribution.

December 2004 David Bull, President 2004

As our Diamond Jubilee Year draws to a close it is appropriate to look back, but also to look forward. To mark this special year we have successfully sponsored the Opportunities in Technology Lecture at the Mercury Theatre in April and the Mayor joined us for the summer visit to the Wivenhoe Flood Barrier in August. The Jubilee was also the theme of our annual dinner in October.

            As I indicated at the dinner, over the 60 years we have arranged approx. 600 meetings/presentations and 300 visits, remarkable totals which show the strength of the society over the years. The golden and diamond jubilee handbooks are a mine of information which show not just the quantity of events but their innovative range and variety. To take just one example of a theme, in 1952 a presentation entitled “Rocket Propulsion and Inter Planetary Flight”, was followed in 2003 by “Near Earth Objects and the National Space Centre”. The same originality and enthusiasm is evident for the visits that have taken place over the years, both local and national.

Tribute must be paid to all the organisers of such events; evidently much hard work has gone on behind the scenes.

            It has been my privilege to be President during this special year, and I would like to acknowledge the support I have received from all members of the council, and in particular from the officers, secretary Richard Perkins and treasurer Bob Light. Bob is stepping down after a dedicated 12 years prudently looking after our financial affairs. Subject to your agreement Peter Cannons has agreed to take on this important role.

            Thanks must also go to Bill Cory for our current winter programme, as it must to Mike Rumsey for organising the weekend visits in May and to Rick Shawcross for the last Summer programme. As I mentioned before Rick has had to resign so please give some thought to helping out. A number of members have come up with ideas for the next summer programme so the post of Programme Secretary (Visits), initially at least, will be more of a co-ordinating role.

            As mentioned in my previous notes we would like to try and improve communications with members, in particular, by making more use of E-mail. If you are willing to receive information by this method please reply to Les Handley at the above mentioned E-mail address. The work that Les is doing, not least in compiling this Newsletter, is much appreciated as is that of David Priest who has our website right up to date. www.colchesterengineeringsociety.co.uk is a good example of how modern communications can keep us abreast of the latest developments.

            To look to the future I would like to refer to our initiative “The Way Forward”, examining new ways to maintain the health and vibrancy of our Society. The work that has been going on within the Council has now been distilled down to four groups looking at: -

A) Providing a rich programme of events of all kinds

B) Fostering & encouraging the enjoyment of engineering in a spirit of friendly co-operation with all interested parties

C) Cultivating and maintaining effective interaction with local companies, authorities, academic communities, and organisations of all kinds who are associated in any way with engineering

D) Communicating and promoting the aims and activities of the Society to its members through all possible avenues, and growing the membership to maintain the health of the Society.

            If you have any strong thoughts about these matters please contact me or any member of the council; we will certainly welcome your comments. I hope you will be able to make a contribution by recruiting a new member, and by making our activities better know in the local community.

                In talking to the Presidents of the Chelmsford and Ipswich Eng. Societies it is evident that they are also looking to the future, especially because of the decline of major engineering organisations. We all agree that we should try and work more closely together. I hope you will be able to support some of the meetings of our neighbouring societies; whenever possible details will be announced at our meetings.

            Thank you very much for your support during the last year. It has been an interesting and enjoyable year which I shall remember with pleasure. On behalf of the Council I would like to wish you and your family a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

With best wishes, David Bull

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Visit to the Colne Barrier

A party of 30 CES members, visited the Colne Barrier at Wivenhoe on the Monday evening of the 23rd of August. We first met in the Wivenhoe Sailing Club where our President, David Bull welcomed the mayor, Councillor John Bouckley and his wife, and presented to them our Diamond Anniversary booklet. (N.B. Copies of this booklet are still available for a donation of £2 towards costs). The evening started in the control room and we were given a short talk on the reasons why the barrier was built. Following the East Coast floods of 1953 Colchester, Wivenhoe and Rowhedge needed to be protected should such a massive North Sea surge repeated itself. A non permanent barrier with two gates spanning 25 meters was considered at the most effective position, after considering all the environmental effects and user interests. The final was design was a 30 meter span costing £16 million to accommodate larger ships sailing into a proposed expansion of Colchester Port.

            At the end of the day the Colchester Port was closed, so the original design would have been adequate. There are 13 side gates, three on the Fingringhoe side and ten on the Wivenhoe side, which can be closed individually. The Barrier is built to deal with a tide height of 5.9 meters with the possibility of increasing the height further to 6.4 meters. The height of the east Cost flood was 5.6 meters. The hydraulically powered gates are pressured up to 3,200 p.s.i using rape seed oil, by a 55kw motor. In the event of a supply failure a 180 kva standby generator would be an alternative means of power. A trailer with all the necessary equipment to operate the gates can be manhandled onto the barrier but takes an hour or so to close the gates. The switch room contained the power intake panel as well cabling to all the various valves and motor, telemetry, security cameras electronics and an uninterrupted power supply panel with many banks of batteries.

            We were able to walk out on the barrier to watch the gates being closed and walk across to the Fingringhoe side once they were in position. Two of the side gates were closed, which dropped vertically. It was a typical warm summers evening and with the sun setting and reflections off the water it made for an excellent photo opportunity.

            A final question and answer session was held in the control room which highlighted the responsibility of the local staff to make the decisions when to close the gates based on information from national sources and local tide and weather conditions. A vote of thanks was given by Mike Rumsey who was standing in for Rick Shawcross who had organised the evenings visit, but was on holiday. We then returned to the Sailing Club to finish off a most interesting evening.

For lectures and events that have already taken place visit the meetings and events page by clicking here Lectures still to come include:-

Friday, 14th January A.G.M. and Presidents Address - Geothermal Energy by Mike Rumsey

Copies of the Annual Report will be available at the A.G.M. and subsequent meeting. Members who would like a personal copy should write to the Hon. Sec. Mr. Richard Perkins, enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope. Members have the right to nominate Honorary Officers of the Society and Council Members. (If you wish to nominate a member, the rules Para. 3 relates to the procedure). The nominee must be willing to serve and nominations must be received by the Hon. Sec. no later than 28 days preceding the A.G.M. i.e. 18 December 2004. A nomination slip is included with this letter.

Members should note that there have been several resignations from the Council and it is important that new Council members be forthcoming so that the Society can continue to provide the very popular functions that have been offered in the past. For example, a Summer Visits Programme Secretary is urgently required, otherwise there will be no co-ordinated programme of visits during 2005. Individual members of the Council might possibly arrange the odd visit but it will clearly not be as it has been in previous years. A “Volunteer” would be most welcome so use the nomination slip at the foot of this Newsletter. Following the formal business of the A.G.M. the Society’s newly elected President, Mr. Mike Rumsey, will deliver his Presidential Address: Geothermal Energy

Friday, 18th February The Dobel Steam Car by P. H. Lewis

Friday, 18th March The Development of Efficient Fast Surface Effect Ships A European Solution by Ulf Tudem (Joint meeting with I. Mar. EST S.E. branch)

April Meeting Geoffrey Bone by Denis Turner

The date for the weekend trip will be the 14th 15th and 16th of May 2005 and will be based at Portsmouth.

Leaving at approx 8.00a.m. on Saturday the 14th from Colchester, the first of the weekends visits will be to the Tangmere Aviation Museum, a famous World War 2 Battle of Britain Airfield, with a Ploughman’s or Sandwich lunch at the Gribble Pub/Brewery, leaving time when we arrive at the Holiday Inn for shopping in the afternoon.

Sundays visit will be to the Amberley Working Museum, which is a 36 acre site containing over 30 different buildings with a variety of working craftspeople. The site is serviced by a narrow gauge railway and vintage buses, to keep walking to a minimum. Lunch can be taken at the New Restaurant on site.

Monday will be the visit to the Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson in the morning and where lunch can be enjoyed before visiting the Rolls Royce Car works at Goodwood, then our return home.

Depending on the numbers the cost of the trip could be in the order of approximately £135 to £140 per person, which includes Coach, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast, all the visits, and lunch at the Gribble. There will be a single room supplement of £15 per room per night, but if anyone is willing to share this can be arranged.

To enable me to proceed with the necessary bookings, would you please return the attached slip to me by the required date.

Last year we had a full coach and if you are interested in this weekend please print the reply slip on the meetings and events page by clicking here and return it to me by the 6th December 2004. Mike Rumsey.

The President and Members of the Council have great pleasure in welcoming the following new Members to the Society: M. Alston, D. Cresswell, R. Abram and J. Munro

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I have been asked by the Society’s Council to attempt to increase the membership of the Society in order that there is a wider potential audience for the lectures, visits and functions that we organise.

One way to do this would be to ask all members to introduce a friend or former colleague to the Society.

I am therefore asking you to use the attached tear off slip to nominate a new member from among your circle of acquaintances. The annual subscription is only £6 this year and if you can introduce only one new member it will enhance our opportunity to improve the quality of the services provided to all members.

Please complete the slip on the "Apply for Membership" page (click here) and return it with the subscription to:-

Richard Perkins, Secretary Colchester Engineering Society,

92 Greenstead Road, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2SW

Many thanks in advance for any help you can give with this recruitment drive for the Society.
Best wishes,

John Hutton

Thanks to Les Handley for another comprehensive newsletter

Email: les.handley@btinternet.com

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NOMINATION (Highlight form and print Selection)

I wish to nominate the following member as Honorary Officer of the Colchester Engineering Society and confirm that he/she is in agreement with the nomination:

Name of nominee..................................Honorary Officer Post.........................................

Proposed by .......................................Signature .........................................................

                Note: To be returned, not later than 18 December 2004, to:-

                Hon. Secretary, Mr. R.A. Perkins, 92 Greenstead Road, Colchester, CO1 2SW

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NOMINATION (Highlight form and print Selection)

I wish to nominate the following member as Council Member of the Colchester Engineering Society and confirm that he/she is in agreement with the nomination:

Name of nominee ................................................................

Proposed by .......................................Signature............................................................

                Note: To be returned, not later than 18 December 2004, to:-

                Hon. Secretary, Mr. R.A. Perkins, 92 Greenstead Road, Colchester, CO1 2SW

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The basic subscription to the Colchester Engineering Society has been unchanged since 1992 but due to increased costs generally and additional activities in which your Society participates, it has been resolved by the Council that the basic subscription rate for the year 2005 should be £8.00. If you are not intending to pay your subscription in person at the AGM, would you please pay as soon as possible by completing the form at the foot of this page and making your cheque payable to the ‘Colchester Engineering Society’. Your co-operation in this matter would be very much appreciated

Membership cards will be included with our next Newsletter. If you are unsure whether you paid for 2005 during the year 2004, please telephone the *Treasurer (01255 861655) or email to him at peter.cannons@which.net

The 2005 Subscription Rates are

Members £8.00
Students £4.00

Cheques made payable to Colchester Engineering Society should be sent with the slip below to:

Peter Cannons Hon Treasurer
Colchester Engineering Society
The Gables
Landemere Road
Thorpe le Soken, Clacton on Sea CO16 0LQ.

*(Please note that Peter Cannons is the Council’s nominee Treasurer for the year 2005 on the retirement of Bob Light, and will be proposed for election at the AGM on 14th January 2005.)

(Highlight form and print Selection)
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Name…………………………………………………………………………..

Address………………………….……………………………………………

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………………..…………………………………….Post Code………………

Telephone………STD Code(……………) Number………………………

Email address…………………………………………………………………

I enclose my subscription of £…….……..for 2005
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Ron & Isabel Hook have produced a book summarising the activities of the Colchester Engineering Society over the last 10 years. This book matches the book that was produced for the Golden Jubilee covering the 50 years of the Society’s existence. The new book extends the coverage to the Diamond Jubilee and therefore is an essential continuation of the history of the Society.

The books are available from Ron Hook, 01206 822458, for a contribution of £2 towards printing costs.

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Do you have difficulty getting to the Friday meetings or could you provide transport to a fellow member living in your area? If the answer to either question is yes the please call Bob Bacon on Colchester 578825 who will then try to put members requiring, and those willing to give, lifts in touch with each other

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