Firewalk Fundraiser for St Helena Hospice

The Firewalk Saw Orpen Hall Car Park Set Alight

The firewalk in flames before it settled down to red hot coals

Along with around 70 others, the Chair of West Bergholt Parish Council did a firewalk in the Orpen Hall car park last week. (See video below).

The fundraising event was organised by St Helena Hospice and proved very successful raising around £10,000!

The Hospice had arranged for a world record holding firewalker to brief the firewalkers in advance of braving the coals. This was quite an in-depth session taking about an hour ensuring that all participants would be safe walking barefoot over the coals.

Chair of the Council, Brian Butcher, said afterwards:

Continue reading “Firewalk Fundraiser for St Helena Hospice”

Bach to the Beach Boys with Concert Band

West Bergholt Concert Band performing in 2016

West Bergholt Concert BandBach to the Beach Boys

Graham Wilson reports on the Concert Band’s activities:

First Concert for 2017 Sunday 12th March

The band are well into rehearsals for our first concert of the year.  This will again be raising money for St Helena Hospice at Clacton’s West Cliff Theatre. This year’s concert features music from “Bach to the Beach Boys”, ranging from Vaughan-Williams, Henry Mancini and Waldteufel to South Pacific, Glenn Miller and the Beatles…so come along for a great afternoon of music on Sunday 12th March at 3pm.  Tickets are just Continue reading “Bach to the Beach Boys with Concert Band”

Women’s Institute August 2016 Update

WI-logoWomen’s Institute August 2016 Update

Recent activity in West Bergholt WI

Joint Presidents 2016
Joint Presidents Sheila Boxshall and Manya Barrow

Newly elected joint Presidents are Sheila Boxshall and Manya Barrow. West Bergholt W.I. Membership now stands at 55.

In June, members brought cakes, which they donate once a year to St Helena Hospice, for visitors and patients afternoon teas.  The speaker that month was Sheila Gunson with her talk entitled Continue reading “Women’s Institute August 2016 Update”

Concert Band Goes 1940s

Concert Band at West CliffConcert Bands Goes 1940s

The band’s 2015 started with a 1940s concert at Clacton’s West Cliff Theatre, with the Cavender Singers helping us to raise over £1,300 for St Helena Hospice. The concert also marked exactly 25 years since we performed a memorial concert for the band’s founder at the West Cliff, so it was both a successful and emotional afternoon. As ever at the West Cliff the band received fabulous feedback for both the programme and the performance, and we enjoyed the always interactive audience.

A few weeks prior to the concert we held the first of this year’s schools workshops, this time at Bishop William Ward school in Great Horkesley, which resulted in a number of musicians from the school joining Training Band, showing how popular and successful these workshops continue to be.

Band Stand

After the success of last year’s band stand concert and the fabulous weather we were blessed with, this year’s summer concerts again start with an outdoor concert. Just like the band stand last year, we’ll be playing at a brand new venue for the band, Marks Hall Estate on Sunday June 14th. We’ve got a varied and family-friendly programme including music from Batman, Frozen, and the Lego Movie, as well as music by Mancini, John Williams and Bizet for the grown-ups. It’s going to be a beautifully sunny day in a gorgeous venue so please come along for a really enjoyable afternoon of great music.

Coggeshall

We’re then returning to a wonderful venue for our Summer Concert on Saturday July 11th at 7:30pm – Coggeshall’s beautiful Church of St Peter ad Vincula. The programme includes our usual eclectic mix of music, this year ranging from Luigini & Shostakovich through to Sinatra, Sousa, Gershwin, Bon Jovi and more. Hopefully this year’s programme won’t result in the thunder & lightning we were subjected to when we played The Stripper there last year!

Can you play?

As ever the band continues to welcome woodwind and brass players of all ages and abilities, so if you’re interested in joining, or know anyone who is, we’ll be very happy to see you at any of our Friday rehearsals. Everything you need to know about the band is on our website www.wbcb.org, or you can call or email Graham on 01206 824157 or [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].

Deanna Walker BEM & other news online

Banner of the West Bergholt Village BulletinThe latest Village Bulletin is now on-line and available for download/reading on-line on the Village Bulletin page.  News updates not previously reported here include:

Deanna Walker BEM

A West Bergholt woman has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours awards for her services to Higher Education.  Deanna Walker has been awarded the BEM (British Empire Medal) for her work at the University of Essex where she is administrator in the Registry Department.  She joined the university staff 25 years ago in the Admissions Department working in several administrative roles before reaching her present position as Senior Academic Officer.  Her work has included mentoring junior colleagues which, she believes, also contributed to colleagues recommending her for the award.

Deanna is modest about her achievements. She says:

The award came out of the blue. When the letter came notifying me, I couldn’t understand why I was chosen as I just do an ordinary working job.

[More… in the Bulletin]

Concert Band’s Christmas Concert raises £1,500 for St Helena Hospice

The Concert Band’s 2013 Christmas Concert was a huge success, as one audience member commented:

the most enjoyable Christmas Concert I’ve been to in many, many years.

The report continues to tell how they have raised nearly £30,000 in recent years and about their plans for 2014.

[More… in the Bulletin]

Voluntary Group & Club Updates

Well, there were quite a few including:

  • Friends of St Mary’s Old Church;
  • Hillhouse Wood;
  • Care Network;
  • Friendship Club;
  • Women’s Institute;
  • History Group;
  • Bergholt Heath YFC;
  • Workers’ Educational Association;
  • Gardeners;
  • Indoor Bowls;
  • First responders;
  • Allotments;
  • Badminton;
  • Churches; and
  • Orpen Players.

[More… in the Bulletin]

Last, but not least, the weather

As if we needed reminding, 2013 was pretty much the wettest we can recall – the following chart tells you just how wet West Bergholt was:

2013 rainfall in West Bergholt

 

 

 

Coffee for St Helena Hospice

Poster for St Helena Hospice coffee morning November 2013The Final Push is almost here!   On Tuesday 19 November there will be a Coffee Morning with a Christmas theme in aid of St. Helena Hospice, at St. Mary’s Church Hall, West Bergholt  from 9am – 12pm.

As well as a play area for small children, we will be serving hot and cold drinks and offering a selection of scones – donations of £2 are requested for a drink and scone.

There will also be an opportunity to buy Christmas foods, decorations, tickets for a grand raffle, St. Helena Hospice Christmas cards, diaries and calendars.

Our goal is raise about £600 to bring the total of money raised for St Helena Hospice in 2013 to £4,000, in memory of our friend Maria. Please come and support us.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Coffee & Cakes for St Helena Hospice

A Coffee and Cake Morning, in aid of St. Helena Hospice, is being arranged for Tuesday 26th February (9am – 12pm).

At St. Mary’s Church Hall, Church Close West Bergholt, there will be freshly brewed tea and coffee, cold drinks, delicious home-made cakes plus a raffle will be on offer.  There will also be a play area for small children.

A donation of £2 for a drink and a cake is requested.

Land’s End to John O’Groats – The Sequel

Chris Stevenson will be attempting to cycle the 1000 miles or thereabouts, from Land’s End to John O’Groats between 27th April and 13th May. As well as being a personal challenge, he will be raising some sponsorship for St Helena Hospice http://www.sthelenahospice.org.uk/ in Colchester. He will be cycling with Erwin Deppe, a colleague from Essex Highways.

Many of you will recall that Chris attempted this challenge last year and encountered a dog after 3 days, breaking his collarbone in the process and ending the tour prematurely. He assures us that he will be on the lookout for mans’ best friend especially in sleepy country lanes in Devon!

If you would like to sponsor Chris it would be much appreciated and will raise much needed funds for the Hospice. If so there are two ways of doing this, either by:

As a suggestion if you were to sponsor Chris for 1p per mile that would equate to about £10, or just nominate the amount you would like to donate.  You can do this anytime in the next 14 days or so and he will contact you after he has (hopefully) completed the ride to ask for your donation.

If the technology works (and it did last year), Chris will be posting details and photos of their progress to Facebook and Twitter.  If you have a facebook account you should be able to follow progress by clicking on the link: http://www.facebook.com/Lejoggers. If you don’t have a facebook account, click on www.twitter.com/puffinus and you should be able to view their tweets and photos!

Chris’s final message is:

“Thanks for any support, and let’s hope the weather is kind to us, there are no mad dogs, and the wind keeps off when climbing the hills especially in the West Country and in Scotland!”

Lands End to John O’Groats for St Helena

Sadly Chris Stevenson’s attempt to cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats came to an abrupt end in a Devon country lane when, as Chris reported on his trip journal:

“I crashed heavilly, after a dog charged out of a driveway right under my wheels (the dog is fine!). At Barnstable A&E, I have been officially told that I have a broken collarbone, bruising to my right side etc. Oh yes, I also landed on my head too but the helmet saved me.”

It is Chris’ intention to try again next year so please watch this space and be prepared to dig deep then.

Women’s Institute – March Report

The president Pat Moran welcomed six invited W I’s from the surrounding area to our fashion show and make up demonstration. Seven models from our own institute paraded the cat walk wearing clothes from Country Casuals and Viyella. Their make up was from the Clarins range.

The president reported a very successful Birthday lunch last month held at the Balkerne Restaurant at the Colchester Institute.

Members are reminded that once again we are requested to make fresh cakes for St Helena Hospice to be brought to the April meeting.

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