by Chan Walrus | Aug 10, 2026 | Blog
The Social and Economic Times Colchester is being relaunched with a clear purpose: to provide regular coverage of business, employment, investment and the wider economy across Colchester and the surrounding area.
Colchester is an important part of the Essex economy. It is a city with a large population, a significant number of businesses, a university, public services, established commercial areas and a growing range of investment and development projects. It also has strong links with London, Suffolk and the wider East of England.
Despite this, there is often no single place where local businesses, employers, workers and residents can follow the economic developments taking place in the area. The relaunch of The Social and Economic Times Colchester aims to address this gap.
The publication will concentrate on the practical issues that affect the local economy. These include business openings and closures, investment, employment, property, retail, hospitality, construction, transport, skills, education and regeneration. It will also look at the performance of established businesses and the prospects for new enterprises.
A changing local economy
Colchester’s economy is changing. Like many towns and cities, it has had to adapt to changes in retail, working patterns, consumer behaviour and the cost of doing business.
The traditional city centre remains important, but its role is changing. Retail is still a major part of the local economy, while hospitality, leisure, professional services and cultural activity have become increasingly important.
There is also substantial economic activity outside the centre. Business parks and employment areas provide space for companies involved in manufacturing, distribution, professional services and other sectors. Facilities such as the Colchester Business and Seedbed Centre, the Innovation Centre at the Knowledge Gateway and a number of established business parks are part of this wider commercial environment.
The city is also benefiting from its relationship with the University of Essex. The university is an important employer and an important source of graduates, research and business connections. The Knowledge Gateway provides another link between education, research and commercial activity.
These assets give Colchester a reasonably broad economic base. However, the city also faces challenges. Businesses have to deal with higher costs, recruitment difficulties, changing consumer expectations and competition from other locations.
For smaller businesses, these pressures can be particularly significant.
The importance of small businesses
Small and medium-sized businesses will be an important part of the relaunch.
Local economies are not built only around large employers. Independent retailers, tradespeople, professional firms, restaurants, cafés, manufacturers, technology companies and other smaller enterprises all contribute to employment and economic activity.
Many of these businesses receive little coverage unless they experience a major problem or achieve an unusually large success. The Social and Economic Times Colchester will aim to take a broader view.
A new company employing five people may not make national headlines, but it matters locally. If it grows to employ 20 people, it matters more. If it then takes additional premises, buys from other local companies and employs apprentices, its economic impact becomes considerably greater.
This is the type of activity that deserves attention.
The publication will therefore look at businesses from across the Colchester area, rather than concentrating exclusively on the largest companies.
Investment and regeneration
Regeneration will also be a significant area of coverage.
Colchester City Council says more than £40 million of government investment is being directed towards the continuing regeneration of the city centre through to 2030. The programme is intended to improve the city as a place to live, work and visit, while supporting businesses and improving infrastructure.
Regeneration is not simply a question of new buildings. It can affect property values, footfall, transport, employment and the willingness of businesses to invest.
The effects can also take several years to become clear. A new development may create construction jobs first, followed by permanent employment once businesses move in. Improvements to public spaces may take time before their effect on footfall becomes measurable.
The Social and Economic Times Colchester will follow these projects over time and consider their practical effects on businesses and residents.
Northern Gateway is another example. The area is developing as a combination of leisure, sport, housing and commercial activity. In 2026, new facilities including Vue and Clip ‘n Climb were progressing towards opening, with the council reporting that they were expected to create more than 75 jobs between them.
Such developments are relevant not only because of the individual businesses involved but because they contribute to the wider economy around them.
The city centre
The future of the city centre will be one of the main subjects covered by the publication.
High streets across the country have been under pressure for many years. Colchester is not immune to those pressures.
The challenge is to maintain a city centre that has a useful combination of retail, services, food and drink, leisure, offices, culture and residential activity.
Recent changes illustrate the process. Barclays, for example, confirmed in 2026 that its Colchester branch would move from the High Street to Culver Square. The move reflects changes in the way customers use banking services, while also maintaining a presence in the central retail area.
These changes may appear relatively small, but they form part of a much larger question about what people expect from a modern city centre.
The publication will therefore look beyond the number of empty shops. It will consider what businesses are opening, what businesses are expanding, how property is being used and whether investment is producing visible improvements.
Tourism, culture and the visitor economy
Colchester’s historic importance also gives it an economic advantage.
Tourism supports hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafés, shops, attractions, transport providers and event businesses. Cultural activity can therefore have a direct economic effect.
The Colchester Castle Summer Series provides an example. Colchester City Council reported in July 2026 that the previous year’s series generated £6.5 million in visitor spending and supported hundreds of jobs across hospitality, retail and transport. The wider Amphora Events programme was reported to have generated nearly £24 million in economic impact for Colchester.
These figures demonstrate why the visitor economy should be treated as part of the local economy rather than simply as entertainment.
The Social and Economic Times Colchester will cover the businesses and organisations involved in this sector, as well as examining how events, tourism and heritage contribute to the city.
Employment and skills
Economic growth ultimately depends on people.
Colchester needs businesses that can create jobs, but it also needs people with the skills required to fill those jobs. This makes education and training an important part of any discussion about the local economy.
The University of Essex has an obvious role, but schools, colleges, training providers, employers and professional organisations all contribute.
The publication will cover recruitment trends, apprenticeships, skills shortages and the relationship between education and employment.
There will also be attention given to the quality of employment. Wages, working conditions, career progression and opportunities for young people are all economic issues.
The aim will not be to present economic growth simply as an increase in the number of businesses or jobs. A successful local economy should also provide opportunities for people who live in the area.
Housing and infrastructure
Housing is another part of the economic picture.
Businesses need people to be able to live within reasonable travelling distance of their workplaces. If housing becomes too expensive or difficult to obtain, recruitment can become more difficult.
Infrastructure is equally important. Roads, rail services, public transport, cycling routes, broadband and digital services all affect the ability of businesses to operate.
Development therefore needs to be considered as a whole. New homes may increase demand for shops and services, while new employment areas may create demand for housing and transport.
Colchester’s economic future will depend partly on how well these different requirements are connected.
A local publication with a practical purpose
The Social and Economic Times Colchester will not attempt to compete with national business newspapers.
Its purpose is different.
The publication will concentrate on the decisions, developments and businesses that affect people in Colchester and the surrounding area. It will provide a place for local businesses to explain what they are doing, for organisations to discuss investment and for residents to understand how economic changes may affect them.
There will be room for good news, but there should also be room for difficult questions.
Why has a development been delayed? What happened to a promised investment? Why is a business closing? Are new jobs being created locally? Is regeneration improving the city centre? Are businesses able to recruit the people they need?
These are straightforward questions, but they are important ones.
The relaunch therefore comes at a useful time. Colchester has opportunities, but it also has economic challenges. Understanding both is necessary if the city is to make the most of its position in Essex and the wider East of England.
The Social and Economic Times Colchester will aim to provide that understanding through regular, local and practical coverage.
The objective is simple: to report on the businesses, people, investment and economic decisions that are shaping Colchester.
For a city that is continuing to change, there is plenty to report.
by Chan Walrus | Aug 19, 2024 | Whimsy
Butthurt is a very real problem in the world. When someone is miserable and confused and become unreasonably sad or offended by something, they may well suffer from being Butthurt. It manifests as a slight itch around the rectal cavity, and can reach the level of having a nuclear warhead going off in someone’s ass. This of course can go from a mild irritation to being rather alarming.
There is no soothing cream known to man that will remove someone’s Butthurt because it is purely a psychological manifestation of misery. Butthurt can be reduced in several ways which I shall catalogue for you later. But of course we have to properly analyse what Butthurt is first.
Butthurt is the pain and anguish felt in the butt by some people who are “big mad” about things, often which they cannot control.
When people post negatively online, they often reveal that they are either Butthurt or wish to become Butthurt about a specific topic.
Measuring the Intensity of Butthurt
How do you measure someone’s level of Butthurt? Butthurt is measured in Weh.
For every negative post about a topic, add one Weh.
Every time a person posts a threat or insult as part of the topic, add five Weh, this is inclusive of the original Weh.
Every time a person insults someone in a response, add 7 Weh. Inclusive of the response post. The additional Weh are indicative of someone’s state of deep antagonism, and their craving for more Butthurt.
Every time that insult includes a threat. Add five more Weh for each additional threat and three for each insult.
If a person responds in Butthurt, for every hour they take before the response add one Weh. Delayed response is indicative of the Butthurt growing within the individual, and usually is followed by a torrent of wrath and or premature ejaculation.
If their online avatar’s name contains something abusive or insulting, and/or a picture designed to cause offence or antagonize others, add 50 base Weh as a basic indicator of how originally Butthurt they were. If it’s part of an unchangeable name, this is serious so up that to 1000 standard Weh. This may seem drastic but this is someone who lives for Butthurt. They crave it so completely they’ve dedicated their entire online presence to obtaining it. This person is usually known as a rectal troglodyte.
If a person apologises to someone else sincerely, remove 20 Weh.
If a person has signed up to a social media platform specifically to troll, they naturally start off with 200 Weh, with 10 Weh additional for each month they have trolled. Not all people are Butthurt enough to troll constantly about one topic so this can be different from someone who has received such Brobdingnagian Butthurt that it has become their very life.
Rankings can determine the psychology of a person. I have ensured to include rankings from the military and naval forces to ensure accuracy. Note: Rear admiral is a higher rating because Butthurt happens in the rear, and it’s an integral part of the affliction.
Private Butthurt: 700 Weh.
Corporal Butthurt: 1,000 Weh.
Sergeant Butthurt: 1,500 Weh.
Lieutenant Butthurt: 2,300 Weh.
Captain Butthurt: 3,200 Weh.
Major Butthurt: 5,000 Weh.
General Butthurt: 9,000 Weh.
Admiral Butthurt: 16,000 Weh.
Butthurt Rear Admiral Butthurt: 23,000 Weh.
Butthurt Supremacist: 36,000 Weh.
School Shooter: 75,000 Weh.
Asshandling Butthurt Butt Bandito: 500,000 Weh.
Note: You may prang someone to increase their Butthurt. If you antagonise someone into insulting you, double their Weh from their Butthurt response. To forgive is to soothe, to Prang is divine.
Additionally: Conservatives are immune to Butthurt and anyone attempting to accuse a conservative of being Butthurt must have their Weh rating doubled. Claiming to be a conservative but not actually being one will slap you with 500 Weh. Conservatives don’t get Butthurt they just get tired.
Are you Liberal, angry and confused? There are three ways of reducing your Weh rating to acceptable levels.
1: Sherbet Lemonade can reduce your Weh and make you feel good about life. This is however only temporary and Sherbet Lemonade withdrawals can amp up your Weh. Use this technique only if you don’t have an addictive personality, as good Sherbet Lemonade is hard to find and withdrawals can lead to death.
2: Exercise regularly. For every mile you run, you will reduce your Weh by 1. You will feel better and be happier.
3: Close your Troll account and enjoy Real Life. This will temporarily reduce your Weh to 1 for the next three months, providing your account is not online raking in Weh. If you enjoy real life enough, your Weh rating will be completely removed. You will be reborn as a happier person.
The Medical Dangers of Butthurt
Butthurt is no laughing matter. Not only is it painful but it can lead to many medical conditions. Here are a few.
- Swollen Nipples
- Body Sores
- Drooling
- Inflammation of the Anus
- Inability to Close the Anal Sphincter
- Watching CNN
- Eating Pizza Rolls
- Addiction to and Cravings for more Butthurt
- Self Butthurt
- Self Loathing
- Cannibalism
- Death
The Addictive Properties of Butthurt
Some people develop a morbid fascination with becoming more Butthurt. These people actively seek out more things to hurt their aching buttocks. Be it politics, TV soaps, or an unfortunate cactus, the Butthurt must be felt intensely, and in greater stages. If you are suffering from Addiction to Butthurt, we recommend contacting Befrienders Worldwide. These are good people and will try and help you with your problems.
Mass Outbreaks and Buttmerging
Sometimes a group of people can be affected by a mass outbreak of Butthurt. If they are part of an echo chamber, this is at its most dangerous as they will wind each other up and become more and more Butthurt. The main problem with this is that Butthurt butts are drawn to each other and a large enough group may create what we like to call a Buttmerge.
The Buttmerge is when a group of Butthurt people become so antagonised that their butts are sucked towards each other and they become a seething wall of angry flesh. Towns, cities and even small countries have been destroyed by mass Butthurt outbreaks, when large groups of people have become part of a horrifying Buttmerge. There is little to be done to stop them flying out of their houses and through walls, cars and city blocks as their butts are drawn together magnetically. Keep a flamethrower on standby for such an occurrence.
Bivalve Prolapse
In rare cases, when the Butthurt reaches unfathomable degrees, the Butthurt individual may suffer a Bivalve Prolapse, where each buttock turns inside out and pulls the body through the anus into the lower intestine in an attempt to protect the individual from more Butthurt. The Bivalve Prolapse can be fatal, so if you feel your butt is starting to suck you into your own body, contact your nearest local mechanic immediately. They can help anchor your butt in place with wheel clamps and pull you to safety with tongs before you suffocate.
Rectal Fission
If experiencing Butthurt fills you with energy this could be a sign you are suffering from Rectal Fission. Rectal Fission is extremely dangerous as this means your ass may be becoming radioactive. You can acquire a Geiger counter relatively easily these days to measure the bequerel or curie that your Butthurt ass is giving off.
If you and a large group of friends need to be screened for a mass Butthurt outbreak and all are gaining energy from their Butthurt, a portal monitor needs to be employed. This is a machine used to screen large groups of people for radiation.
Caring for Someone Close to You With Butthurt
If a friend, colleague or family member is suffering with Butthurt, be it mild or agonising, there are some things you can do to help them.
- Get them off of Social Media
- Stop them watching CNN
- Remove all Newspapers
- Give them Science Fiction Books and Programs to Distract them.
- Tell them they are Butthurt and they need to get psychiatric help.
The most effective solution though is to prank them regularly giving them something real to be mad about that they can actually deal with. Steal their shoes, tape over their copies of The View, put their DVDs in alphabetical order but badly categorised. This will distract them from their Butthurt and give them something to do.
Keep them stocked up on Sherbet Lemonade during the recovery process. If they start to relapse or prolapse, call your nearest mechanic and keep them in the recovery position until the tongs arrive.
We hope this has helped you in learning more about the dangers of being Butthurt. Go outside, smell the flowers, enjoy the life you have. Feel the sun and rain on your skin. We only live once. There’s no point in becoming Butthurt, it’ll just turn you into an asshole
by Chan Walrus | Jun 16, 2024 | Blog
A red check next to a users profile – or avatar if you will, is a sign that the account is one that is of public interest. At the end I will explain how I verified my own identity in the hopes it will help new users. To acquire a Red check Verification on Truth Social, you need to match some of the following criteria:
Government/Politicians, Brands or Companies, Journalists, Athletes, People in the Entertainment World and more can acquire a Red verification Check on Truth Social.
As long as your account holds genuine public interest you can acquire one.
You can apply for yours through contacting Truth Social, though I got mine through support@truthsocial.com, the correct email is verify@truthsocial.com.
In order to get one, you need to be an active Truth Social account, one that is posted to regularly. You also need to complete your profile with. Profile name and image. It’s important to confirm your phone and email address as well.
You will need to prove your identity:
An official website that can be used to verify your identity is useful. You must provide a valid government issued identification such as a drivers license, passport or certificate of business ownership. Requests can be from an official email attached to your business, or from one that is displayed on your public profiles. A 6 month old post from your verified X account directing people to your account on Truth will also help.
How I got Verified:
I have worked as an indie film composer and actor for many years, have my own website and a small YouTube Channel on which I have a relatively small following (all great people!).
I contacted Truth Social support (though verify is better) and asked if I could have my account verified.
I added links to my Truth Social to my YouTube, Website, IMDB profile and send them my ID in the form of my passport and my learner drivers licence which for some reason hasn’t expired, my company’s incorporation certificate and information about myself. The back and forth took a few days but the team was very understanding.
I explained that I wanted Truth Social to be my main platform and that I had been removed from other platforms due to my vaccine injuries. Truth’s staff verified me and it means the world to me.
Truth Social accepts anyone for verification as along as they fulfill the required criteria. Even the Biden Harris HQ has a verification check, which does astound me considering it’s literally a misinformation monster for the enemy. But the platform is one of the fairest out there.
Ultimately, I’ve never felt so happy on social media as I have with the friends I’ve met on Truth Social.
If this is helpful to you, look me up at @chanwalrus.
Good luck and have a wonderful day!
