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Community Energy Event

Community Energy Event – Join in & save!

Community Energy Event Flyer

The Climate Working Party is organising organising a Community Energy Event in the Orpen Hall on the 12th March. This is to help others in the village start out on the road the Parish Council has been treading with the Orpen Memorial Hall Complex. You can read more about this on our Climate Emergency best practice webpage.

The event will start at 7pm when you can mingle and pick up refreshments before the presentations begin at 7.30pm. Cllr. Andrew Savage, chair of the Climate Working Party, will open the meeting and we then expect each speaker to talk for about 20 minutes. With a Q&A opportunity afterwards, we expect the event to finish round 9pm.

Speakers

Free Home Energy Assessment poster
  • Alex Templeton (Community Infrastructure Group) to discuss the Essex Pay As You Go energy scheme which involves solar & battery projects.
  • Darran Ford, Carbon Reduction Director at Simcott Renewables, on installing solar PV on your roof with a Pay As You Go scheme.
  • Ben Plummer, CCC Climate Emergency Officer, on local government grants & initiatives available.
  • Christopher Blomeley from Community Energy Colchester on home energy assessments (see image to the right). He has also produced a number of self-help YouTube videos.

Also, attending and manning an advice table will be Kerry Hackett – Session Supervisor and Energy Adviser from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Money-saving leaflets from Anglian Water will also be available.

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Old Church Annual Call to Mulled Wine & Mince Pies

Invitation To Enjoy Music, Mulled Wine & Mince Pies

This coming Sunday, 26th November, the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church invite you to enjoy ‘lunchtime’ Mulled Wine & Mince Pies with them. This is a free event and all are welcome between 11 am – 1 pm in the Old Church on Hall Road (CO6 3DU). This is also an opportunity to view the Mediaeval Paintings.

You might also want to take a winter walk before or after, if so you might want to check this history walk out on this website.

Fundraising

Mediaeval Painting

The Friends would be happy to receive donations, of course. This will help them with the maintenance of the Church and Grounds. In recent years they have received great support from the Churches Conservation Trust who funded significant structural repairs. There still remains, though, much work to be done including expensive conservation costs for the mediaeval paintings.

Continue reading “Old Church Annual Call to Mulled Wine & Mince Pies”
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Trees for Years 2019

Red Stem Dogwood, available in Trees for Years 2016

Trees for Years 2019

Colchester Borough Council is giving residents and groups who’d like to green-up their gardens a helping hand, with its annual ‘Trees for Years’ giveaway on Saturday, 2 February.  Turn up at Rowan House, 33 Sheepen Road between 10 am – 1 pm and you can take home up to 3 plants per resident (or 15 per school/community group or parish council).  Arrive Continue reading “Trees for Years 2019”

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Trees for Years 2016

Red Stem Dogwood, available in Trees for Years 2016

Red Stem Dogwood, available in Trees for Years 2016
Red Stem Dogwood, on the 2016 list

Trees for Years 2016

Returning for it’s tenth year, Colchester Borough Council have 2016 free trees and fruit bushes to give away in its popular Trees for Years giveaway.  The free plants are available to Colchester Borough residents, community groups and parish councils. Residents can collect up to three plants per household and up to 15 per community group, school or parish council.

Species available this year are:

  • Raspberry Canes.
  • Gooseberry Bush.
  • Acer campestre – Field Maple.
  • Betulapendula – Silver Birch.
  • Cornusalba ‘Siberica’ – Red Stem Dogwood.
  • Cornusstolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ – Yellow Stem Dogwood.
  • Blackcurrant Canes.
  • Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’.
  • Prunuspadus – Bird Cherry.
  • Corylusavellana – Hazel Cob Nut.​

If you are unsure about which plants would be suitable for your garden, members of the Parks Department will be available to give advice on which plants would be suitable for different size gardens.  There will also be a useful pamphlet giving care guidelines, the following is for the 2015 event which has some of this years plants as well:

The 2016 bare root trees and fruit bushes will be available on a first come first served basis.

Trees must be planted on private property. Postcodes will be recorded to monitor the distribution.

The event takes place on Saturday 30 January, from 10am to 1pm, in the car park of Colchester Borough Council’s offices at Rowan House, in Sheepen Road, Colchester.

Trees for Years has previously been funded through sponsorship by OfficeIS, but CBC are looking for new sponsors for future years.

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Summer Events at Beth Chatto Gardens

Summer Events at Beth Chatto Gardens

The Beth Chatto Gardens have recently been in touch with a summer offer:

Beth Chatto Water Garden
The Beth Chatto Water Garden

We’ve come to realise that a lot of the local community have never visited the Beth Chatto Gardens before and so we’re offering free entry to the garden for children under 14, throughout the summer holidays (3 children per paying adult at £6.95), and we’d also like to invite you to a FREE evening of music and art on the 20th September.

It would be lovely to welcome members of your parish to the gardens and if you’d like to sign up for the events newsletter, please do here: http://eepurl.com/bmfHyb.

More events are listed on their website at: http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/events/.

Beth Chatto Gardens are based on the ecological and creative principles of their founder. They aim to provide an inspirational and sustainable, quality experience for all visitors. Education and enjoyment underpin the gardens’ philosophy.  They are located at:

Elmstead Market
Nr Colchester
Essex CO7 7DB

Contacts & links are:

 

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Trees for Years 2015

Blossom of the Bird Cherry – one of the varieties on offer

Trees for Years 2015

Colchester Borough Council have 2015 free trees and fruit bushes to give away as the popular annual Trees for Years initiative returns for the ninth year in a row.

The free plants are available to Colchester Borough residents, community groups and parish councils. Residents can collect up to three plants per household and up to 15 per community group, school or parish council.

This year’s initiative includes a variety of fruit bushes, decorative shrubs and trees to help create a greener Colchester for all.  Species available this year are:

  • Raspberry Canes
  • Gooseberry Bush
  • Acer campestre – Field Maple
  • Betulapendula – Silver Birch
  • Cornusalba ‘Siberica’ – Red Stem Dogwood
  • Cornusstolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ – Yellow Stem Dogwood
  • Blackcurrant Canes
  • Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’
  • Prunuspadus – Bird Cherry
  • Corylusavellana – Hazel Cob Nut

The 2015 bare root trees and fruit bushes will be available on a first come first served basis.

Cultivation guidance will be available so that trees can be selected, taking into account the ultimate size and form of mature trees.

People collecting trees need to bring their own bags to put them in.

Trees must be planted on private property. Postcodes will be recorded to monitor the distribution.

The event, which is funded through sponsorship by officeis takes place on Saturday 7 February, from 10am to 1pm, in the car park of Colchester Borough Council’s offices at Rowan House, in Sheepen Road, Colchester.

 

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Christmas Craft Fayre with FREE entry

For more information see the website
 www.creationsfayre.blogspot.com

The Creations Christmas Craft Fayre will be on Saturday 1st December from 10:30am to 4pm at the Orpen Memorial Hall.

A Christmas shopping event showcasing the work of local artists and crafters. A great place to buy unique handmade gifts including cards, art, jewellery, soap, bags, jams, candles, wood crafts, children’s gifts and more!

Free entry. Refreshments. Free children’s craft table!

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Free Half Term fun – Thursday 2nd June

The Halfords Tour Series is coming to Colchester Thursday 2 June 2011, bringing with it a whole afternoon of festival activities for all to enjoy, in addition to the thrilling professional cycle race that will take place in the town centre streets from 7pm.

Castle Park will host an array of free activities from 2pm for people of all ages to play a part in, in the lead up to the evening race.

Head to Hollytrees Meadow, Castle Park, to trial the amazing 54 metre Northshore mountain bike track, bikes and helmets will be provided. Budding BMX riders can freestyle on the BMX Park or brush up your tricks with the skills sessions – bring your own bike.

Drop in on the Halfords Hub Arena where there will be all sorts of entertainment going on throughout the afternoon, and prepare to be amazed by the tricks and flips of Triple World Champion Ben Savage as he tackles the VooDoo Bikes Stunt Rig. There will be an opportunity to improve your cycle skills with some coaching from Ben himself.

Don’t miss all that Lower Castle Park has to offer including football skills sessions, kwik cricket, tennis and volleyball.

Hollytrees Lawn will host the entertainment and refreshments arena, come and try Zumba Latin workout, join the street dance workshop or relax and enjoy a programme of activity throughout the day.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net