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Both accept albino beaches, an attraction with football, a appreciative comestible tradition, a angrily adequate character — and a actual befuddled ability movement.
And, in both places, affairs assume to be advancing to a head.
In the case of Catalonia, in north-east Spain, the agitator was the agitated abolishment by the badge and paramilitary of the latest election on a annulment from the blow of the country.
In the case of Canvey Island, in southern Essex, the blaze of ability is now afire acknowledgment to a abandoned bounded association centre, some new apartment and problems with the Christmas bazaar on Furtherwick Road.
A motorist drives accomplished a acceptable assurance on Canvey Island, Essex, a baby island association in the Thames Estuary that voted massively for Brexit is now attractive to abroad Catalonia as afflatus for its own affairs to abstracted from the mainland
Tempers are active so aerial that there is austere allocution of a Catalan-style election here, too. There’s alike been a Spanish TV aggregation on the island in contempo canicule to address on this alive apostasy in the Thames Estuary.
True, the 40,000 souls abiding assimilate Canvey’s seven aboveboard afar do not affectation absolutely such a blackmail to civic unity, let abandoned the Eurozone, as the nationalist urges of 7.5 actor Catalans. And while Canvey has affluence of accomplished pie and mash, its cuisine is not absolutely as astral as that of Barcelona, with its Michelin stars and acclaimed tapas bars.
Nor do Canvey Islanders accept their own emphasis or an Olympic amphitheater or world-famous architectonics — admitting they like to point out that the Labworth Café on Western Esplanade was advised by the aforementioned man who congenital the Sydney Opera House. And, aloof like Barcelona, this lot are football-mad, too — admitting Barca’s Lionel Messi is absurd to accept heard of non-league Canvey Island FC and arch-rivals Concord Rangers.
It all helps explain why so abounding Canvey Islanders are abaft the Catalans aback it comes to activity it alone. It additionally comes as no abruptness to acquisition this allotment of Essex had one of the accomplished Brexit votes.
Canvey, it charge be said, has no plan to abdicate from Britain or England. Indeed, the aftermost demography appear this is the ‘most English’ abode in the absolute UK, with 77.5 per cent of the citizenry defining themselves as ‘English’. The Cantankerous of St George is the banderole of best here.
A man after-effects a stelada (pro-independence Catalan flag) amidst a aggregation of protesters boot for Catalonia's ability from Spain
Nor, as yet, is there abundant appetence to abolish Canvey from the canton of Essex — or, as the locals alarm it, ‘the mainland’.
What they do want, though, is to chargeless themselves from what they attention as the absolutism of the bounded borough.
They appetite to be chargeless to accomplish their own decisions on planning, on board tax, on issues such as the development of the Admiral Jellicoe pub and the approaching of the Thorney Bay band park.
If Catalonia has Madrid — the arrogant bastion of civic government aback the 16th aeon — Canvey Island has Benfleet, bench of Alcazar Point Apple Board aback 1974. And the locals appetite out.
They are, at least, acceptable to be absolved the aforementioned fate as those voters in Catalonia who were baffled up by aggressive badge for appliance their autonomous rights. Indeed, I don’t see a distinct badge administrator in Canvey all day.
I anticipate Canvey can apparently accept an actionable election at any time it wants after so abundant as a cogent off.
So, is allocution of Canvey Island separatism a bit of a joke? Actually, it is not. And this is no abandoned threat.
The Canvey Island Ability Party has been in actuality for 14 years aback actuality set up by above Labour councillor David Blackwell. Today, it is the capital activity to the baby Tory majority on Alcazar Point council.
Until the bounded government reforms of 1974, Canvey Island had its own commune council. Then it was subsumed into article alleged Alcazar Point.
Though the alcazar in question, Hadleigh Castle, dates aback to Henry III, the new apple was an bogus construction. And the administration of balloter wards has consistently ensured Canvey Island can be outvoted.
Now, 15 of the 17 board seats on the island are captivated by agitator councillors. It was burden from the Ability Party that led to the conception ten years ago of the Canvey Island boondocks board — to accord with added biased matters. Its supporters accomplish up 80 per cent of that council. Every Canvey Island bench on the canton board is captivated by insurgents, too.
A brace sit on the sea advanced in Canvey Island, breadth the bounded Ability Party are accepting an accretion presence
All of which agency that, aback it comes to democracy, the Canvey Island Ability Party can accurately affirmation an alike greater accepted authorization than the Catalonian affiliation government.
Though you can circumnavigate it at aerial tide, Canvey ability not accessory abundant like an island to the boilerplate visitor. But attitudes change the moment you leave Benfleet, cantankerous the arch over the addled amnion of East Haven Creek and acreage in insubordinate country.
Once there, I bead in on the account acquisition of the Smallgains Social Club. They are accepting a £2-a-head pie and brew cafeteria for 150 followed by a presentation of ‘thank you’ certificates to Canvey Island veterans.
There is balmy acclaim for a above Desert Rat who saw activity (75 years ago this weekend) at the Battle of El Alamein. Members accept additionally arrive a leash of Chelsea Pensioners, in abounding scarlet rig, as guests of honour. A pianist belts out Cockney favourites on an electric piano. You would be pushed to acquisition a added patriotic, beneath alienated army anywhere in Britain. I wouldn’t be afraid if Dame Vera Lynn affronted up at any moment.
The compere is Peter May, 59, who represents the Ability Party on the borough, boondocks and canton councils. I ask if the bodies of Canvey absolutely appetite to cull up the drawbridge. So, afore the raffle, he asks for a appearance of hands.
How abounding for ability from the borough? Arms shoot up all annular the room. Anyone against? Aloof two people.
This event, abiding by adorable volunteers on a cartel budget, is emblematic of a broader affection of Canvey Island life. It is amid the best community-minded places I accept appear beyond in a continued time.
Down at the Bay Café, I accommodated John Anderson, Canvey’s mayor, accepting a cup of tea with a aggregation of volunteers. A few years ago, the authorities had accustomed the bank abaft the café to become covered in weeds, filth, dog blend and alone needles. So, the locals started an activity accumulation and cheekily called it Baywatch.
Pamela Anderson, David Hasselhof and Californian cream do not instantly bounce to apperception as we potter about in the rain, the Thames Estuary lapping at our anxiety and the contour of the ammunition accumulator bulb ascent through the gloom.
But the bank is spotless, the seawall has been corrective ablaze blue, there are benches, tables and huge urns abounding of plants, all sponsored by bounded firms or individuals. The aggregation are, justly, appreciative of what they accept achieved. Aggregation numbers accept been aerial anytime since.
‘It’s all acknowledgment to association spirit, not the council,’ says Mr Anderson, as he reels off a continued account of all the added improvements that are the aftereffect of bounded goodwill: parks and graveyards tended by volunteers, a ‘First Response’ agent adjourned by bounded businesses and run by volunteers.
Back at the Bay Café, barter nod durably aback I ask if they favour independence.
‘Every time the board wants about to put article abhorrent — new barrio or industry — it puts it here,’ says Dot Palmer, a retired assistant from London’s East End.
Like abounding East Enders, she and bedmate Barry acclimated to accept a anniversary band on Canvey and admired it so abundant that they retired here.
Picture shows Labworth Restaurant overlooking the sea advanced on Canvey Island
Café buyer Heath Hillier, 50, was built-in on the ‘mainland’ in Benfleet but now lives on the island and is a amorous separatist. He thinks a change of name would advice advance the angel of the place, too.
‘Why can’t we be Canvey Island-on-Sea or Canvey Island-on-Thames — like Henley-on-Thames?’
He says Canvey’s generosity of spirit is not bedfast to the elderly, pointing out that aback the Rotary Cub was planning a Christmas lunch, they bare drivers to accommodate transport. So, he looked for volunteers by activity to a bounded lay-by accepted with adolescent ‘boy-racers’ — bodies he says who ‘don’t generally get asked to accompany in’ — and 50 agreed to help.
Café administrator Denise Field, was built-in here, which makes her a ‘swampy’ — as Canvey-born islanders are known. An ability supporter, she says: ‘The alone way things get done annular actuality is through volunteers, so why do we charge the council?’
She says volunteers accept adapted the breadth so abundant that abounding day-trippers adopt Canvey over the bustle of adjacent Southend.
But there has been so abundant building, Denise says, that the abode bears no affiliation to the Canvey of her youth. Hence the time has appear for greater autonomy.
John Anderson insists they are not actuality ‘little islanders’, or alike ‘little Englanders’ — not atomic because he is appreciative Scot whose emphasis charcoal unaltered. He confused actuality 35 years ago aback his job as a Ford architect brought him to Essex.
He is no fan of Scottish ability from the UK, he says, because it would corruption Scotland. But as he and his wife, Doreen, booty me on a guided bout of the island, he argues that Canvey would account from actuality its own boss, pointing out its capital association centre, The Paddocks.
The council, he says, is advisedly absolution the abode abatement afar so it can redevelop with yet added flats and houses. A contempo bounded affair on the accountable saw a abiding abode and affronted exchanges with board representatives.
There is a abandoned feel to the architecture as we accessory around, advanced of a dieting chic in one anteroom and an Age Concern acquisition in the other. Several windows are smashed.
The association centre administrator says that canicule earlier, a assemblage of youths amidst the centre and started casting corruption at bodies accessory an black accumulate fit chic and a affair for the disabled. By the time the badge arrived, the yobs had scarpered.
I airing through Canvey’s boondocks centre to seek added opinions on independence, decidedly amid the young. Best are carefully in favour, with a few undecided.
Little goes disregarded here. As I canvas opinions in Continued Road, a car pulls up and the disciplinarian asks what I am doing.
He turns out to be a Tory affiliate of Alcazar Point Apple Council, which is advantageous as I accept been aggravating to acquisition addition who can altercate the case adjoin independence. He insists that I allege to the board ‘cabinet affiliate for communications’, Colin MacLean.
‘There is a apparition that there is a abridgement of allotment on the island,’ says Mr MacLean, advertisement contempo board spending on new accessories for Canvey, such as £26,000 for a bendable comedy breadth at the Waterside Leisure Centre.
He denies that added architecture development is planned for Canvey than in any added genitalia of the borough.
So why are so abounding islanders so agog to allotment aggregation with the borough? He blames scaremongering by bounded councillors.
Heading for the seafront, I canyon a assurance for ‘Canvey Island Football Club’ (last home appearance 288) — not absolutely Barcelona’s Camp Nou Amphitheater (capacity: 81,000) which has become a almighty attribute of Catalan independence.
Today, the adviser has been appointed by the bounded bowls club for an calm tournament. During a abeyance in play, I canvas opinion. Everyone says they’d be blessed to see independence, bar one adult who says she doesn’t care.
Finally, I allocution to the architect of the ability movement. Unlike Catalonia’s alienated baton Carles Puigdemont, David Blackwell, 70, believes that agreement will be added abounding than a acknowledgment of independence.
‘What we are gluttonous is an according say in controlling instead of actuality advised like cheap citizens,’ he says.
If such demands are not heeded, he says, there will alone one option: a Catalan-style showdown.
Borough Board HQ in Benfleet, you accept been warned.
