Posted on by dave

High Woods, Bowls, Turner

High Woods Visitor CentreHigh Woods Walks and More News

A roundup of some recent news items to come our way including:

High Woods Health Walks

Led by fully trained volunteer walk leaders these free walks are an ideal way to improve fitness or mobility in a sociable atmosphere and are held in a regular fortnightly pattern on alternate Fridays and Sundays throughout the year.  The walks start from the Visitor Centre off Turner Road. Paid parking available. Tea and coffee sold for £1.00 afterwards. Cash only. Stout footwear is advisable.

  • FRIDAY HEALTH WALK:  Meet at the Visitor Centre at 11 am.
    A short circular walk suitable for all abilities, including beginners. Each circuit will take between 20 and 30 minutes and can be repeated for those who wish to walk up to an hour in total. The next walk is on October 9th and then fortnightly.
  • SUNDAY STROLL:  Meet at the Visitor Centre at 11 am.
    A walk lasting up to 1 1/2 hours, covering more of the park’s area, on surfaced and un-surfaced paths with some steeper inclines in places. The next walk is on October 18th and then fortnightly.

Please note that due to government guidelines limited spaces are available for each walk. You will need to book, and places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. For more information and to book please contact the Centre on 01206 853588 or email [email protected].

Woods Bowls ClubWoods Bowls Season

Woods Bowls Club managed, in the end, to rescue something from their COVID-affected season.  Once the exercise and lockdown restrictions were eased, sports like Bowls were given the go ahead to resume provided social distancing was put in place.  The club had 2 internal club league competitions during the summer which many members took part in, and these gave members great friendly matches to look forward to and to help keep them in the swing.

New Members

Despite a lack of proper competition this year, the club welcomed a number of new members.  One new member had bowled before, all the others hadn’t but are now playing nicely and ready to hopefully take part in more games next year.  Most people find bowls an easy sport to start playing, the basic skills are not hard and it does not require any great physical strength or athletic ability.

If you are interested and would like to try the game, please contact the club through their website or by emailing [email protected].

Turner's Walton Bridges
Walton Bridges were a common subject for Turner – this is another study c 1807.

A Turner At The Castle

Colchester Castle is thrilled to announce an English masterpiece by J M W Turner is now on display until the 28 March 2021.  The artwork entitled ‘Walton Bridges’ was painted by Turner in 1806 close to his home on the River Thames.  ‘Walton Bridges’ was in danger of leaving the country, following its sale to a foreign buyer, but in July 2019 a rescue bid was launched involving Colchester + Ipswich Museums and the Norfolk Museum Service to help save it for the nation. With the aid of major grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and a private donor as well as the support of the Friends of Colchester Museums, this important painting was successfully saved for the East of England and the nation.

Book your ticket by calling 01206 282939. Your timed entry ticket will allow full access to Colchester Castle Museum which includes Turner At The Castle.  Please note the Castle has safety measures in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Find out more at https://colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/exhibitions/turner/

Councillor Julie Young, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Performance and Deputy Leader of the Council says,

The acquisition of ‘Walton Bridges’ is of great cultural significance to the East of England and will undoubtedly boost the tourism and cultural economy of the East of England as a result. I am immensely proud that Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service were involved in helping to save this painting for the nation. I would urge as many people as possible to head to Colchester Castle to view this rather special painting.”

West Bergholt & Pollution Watch

Anglian Water has launched a Keep It Clear Behavioural Change Programme to raise awareness of issues they are having with blockages. There have been problems particularly in the Albany Road area of West Bergholt, with blockages in pipes and our systems caused by sanitary waste which should not be flushed such as wipes and food, fats, oils and grease put down the sink. Eighty per cent of pollution incidents are caused by avoidable blockages.

If you spot anything unusual like discolouration, foaming or even toilet waste causing problems in rivers, lakes or streams, you can report it through their website, by phone or social media:

Online Tutorials with Colchester BC

The Digital Access Support Team at Colchester BC are providing Online Tutorials and encourages residents to sign up.  Partnered with The Good Things Foundation “Learn My Way” as an Online Centre, they aim to support residents in gaining vital digital skills.  They will be running a variety of tutorials that will run and change approximately every 3 months.  The first batch providing information on using:

  • Facebook,
  • Emails,
  • Video Calls,
  • Online Forms, &
  • Search Engines.

All tutorials will include interaction between the tutor and learner.  These may be via a variety of activities and questions, this will be to support their learning further. They will include wherever they can guidance on how to stay safe online and keeping device’s safe.

The tutorials are scheduled to run for two hours each.  This includes time for the learner to set up, get comfortable and ask questions; but mostly is to ensure that the tutor does not rush but spends quality time ensuring that attendees understand and get the most of each session.

To find out more information, view the calendar of events or to book onto a course then please visit our website via this link.

Skip to content