Witham

Prounounced Wittam (or Wi'um, the ' being a glottal stop, in 'Essex-speak') unlike the river in Lincolnshire which isn't.

Fans of Dorothy L Sayers books should know that she lived and died here; it was in front of this house that I was stopped by a plain-clothes policeman in a Wolsey and taken home as he thought I might be running away from home as he'd passed me before walking along the road towards Witham two miles further back by The Fox at Rivenhall End. I was about seven years old.The Town recognised Dorothy L Sayers by naming a few streets after her and erecting this bronze of the lady with her cat Blitz (Thanks for the correction, Ruth. I think I need to get my eyes tested).

What was the cinema remained unused and empty for many years until it was transformed into a library and also contains the Dorothy L Sayers Centre.

The main thoroughfare is Newland Street. Some of the shops I remember from over forty years ago are still in business: Mundy's and Holt the butcher. Julian, my nephew, did a catering internship at the White Hart;

and the George and Red Lionremain but sadly the Spread Eagle, famous for the four gables, is no longer a pub.

Modern Witham grew up away from the mediaeval market town which grew up around St Nicholas' church, Chipping Hill. 'Chipping' is an old term designating a market as in Chipping Norton, Gloucestershire.

Two general views from each side of Newland Street looking towards London.

This is the school in Spink's Lane that I attended from 1962 to 1969.
This brick pedestrian bridge over the river Brain is a quiet corner of Witham below Chipping Hill which has not changed much; but the surrounding housing estate has.