Essex Has More To Offer Than A Truffle

The emergence of Truffle Magazine made me curious about its competition. Amazingly, there are several freely-distributed, high-end glossies with professional production values reflecting the connection to and commitment of the editorial and contributing staff to their communities. This list is by no means exhaustive; but if a bite of Truffle Magazine leaves you with an appetite for a meal, you can check out some of the competition:

Essex Works eMagazine

SO Essex

Essex Style

Essex Life

West Essex Life

In-Magazine

RM Magazine

Eyes Wide Open

As the end of the year approaches, I’ve been reflecting on the ongoing efforts of those in the Friends group on Ravelry, our allies and partners and recognizing that the struggle we’ve been engaged in for most of 2012 (and many before then) has been a struggle for justice.  

It is an injustice that designers, writers, photographers, employees, contractors, printers, many commercial vendors, advertisers, landlords, subscribers, lace, sock, and amigurumi club members either:

• Weren’t paid for goods or services they provided
• Weren’t provided goods they paid for
• Didn’t have their goods transferred to be published by the purchaser of the magazines sold by the Administrator
• Didn’t have their goods submitted for payment and publication returned as promised
• Had patterns sold on without payment or in violation of contract or where no contract existed
• Had work published without permission or payment
• Saw goods paid for provided to the public free for download from the Internet
• Allegedly had advertising run without agreement
• Were engaged to collect disputed or uncollectible debts

For a history and more detail: Click

AND MORE THAN ANYTHING

To have the reasons for and the defense of the above and more be that mistakes were made and the companies’ liability is limited under UK law. To quote the oft quoted Mr. Bumble from Oliver Twist:

“…the law is an ass—an idiot. If that’s the eye of the law, the law is a bachelor; and the worst I wish the law is that his eye may be opened by experience—by experience.” 

There are those who still sleep, doze, or continue to imbibe the intoxicating potion ladled out by those whose refuge has been and remains the crenellated walls of the law and who publicly swear that certain individuals have done no wrong. Personally, I wish you well with that. Hope it works for you. But I fear, and think I speak for many more than you know, that one day you will reap Mr. Bumble’s wish and find out the worst: that your eye has been opened by experience.