Celebrating Colchester's City Status

Jumbo on the Hill

The people of Colchester are so proud of their one and only hill that they have named it four times: from the south it is Headgate, from the west, Balkerne Hill and, from the other two compass points, it is North Hill and East Hill.

It is the same hill and it is crowned with The Town Hall, The Castle and ‘Jumbo’ the water tower, which is Colchester's answer to the Eiffel Tower or London’s Telecom Tower – formerly known as the Post Office Tower before Buzby Thatcher renamed it in the eighties.

Currently, Colchester is consulting the People about what to do with Jumbo. It has been derelict for about 20 years and a grant has just been awarded to refurbish it and put it back to good use – though not as a water tower.

My suggestion would be a revolving restaurant at the top like the one that the Post Office Tower used to have before the zealous and jealous IRA put paid to it in the seventies.

Colchester’s city status

The good people of Colchester are proud of acquiring city status after 20 or more years of trying. Status was granted in 2022, which was about the time that the government pronounced that all cities would be getting ULEZed by 2030. (Be careful what you wish for.)

As a Green and a cyclist, I’m in favour of the ULEZ (and I’m pretty sure my 2017 car will pass).

Remember, Colchester has more CO2 any other city in the country and indeed Abbeyfield where Thine Truly lives has more CO2 than any other part of Colchester.