Who Was Constable William Raven?

Find out about William Raven, Buried in Old St Mary’s Churchyard

Constable William Raven
Constable William Raven

William Raven, a resident of West Bergholt, was born in Coggeshall in 1817, joined the Essex Constabulary in 1844 and died in 1911. You can now visit his, & his wife’s, grave in (Old) St Mary’s Churchyard but what happened in between those years?

Find out when Professor James Raven, from the Universities of Cambridge & Essex, gives a talk about his ancestor. He will touch on a number of topics that bear comparison with today such as:

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Orpen Players’ “Death By Fatal Murder”

death-by-fatal-murderOrpen Players’ “Death By Fatal Murder”

Orpen Players are back with another production on 14th – 16th May.  Written by Peter Gordon, this play is the third in the ‘Inspector Pratt’ trilogy of spoofs of the Agatha Christie ‘whodunnit’ genre.

Inspector Pratt’s record of crime detection at Bagshot House is not enviable. In his two previous visits the body count mounted disastrously as he looked on, helpless and hopeless. Now he’s back and, as usual, chaos reigns supreme!

During the course of his latest investigations, Pratt meets the new owner of the house, Nancy Allwright.  Soon he is embroiled in more mystery, aided and abetted by Miss Maple and Constable Thomkins.  Upper-crust Ginny and Italian gigolo, Enzo, help with enquiries but danger soon looms with an unexpected arrival and a frightening suggestion by Welsh busybody and clairvoyant, Blodwyn Morgan.

Dates & Ticket availability

Thursday 14th , Friday 15th, Saturday 16th May 8pm (Doors open at 7.30)
Tickets: Thursday £6  Friday & Saturday £7 Children £5 available NOW from:
  • Roger Milne 241048.
  • Online at www.orpenplayers.co.uk.
  • Ash’s Store from Saturday 2nd May.
  • On the door subjected to availability.
  • Supper & Show  – Dine at the Treble Tile before the performance from selected menu + show ticket for £20 per head – must be booked in advance with the Treble Tile 01206 241712.

Orpen Players – Deep Blue Sea

deep blue seaThe Orpen Players next production, running from 15th – 17th May, is The Deep Blue Sea by Terrence Rattigan.  Starting at 8pm each day, doors open at 7:30pm, tickets cost £6 for the Thursday and £7 for the Friday & Saturday performances.  Tickets can be bought either from:

  • Roger Milne – 241048;
  • Orpen Players’ website at www.orpenplayers.co.uk;
  • Ash’s Store (from 3rd May); and
  • On the door (subject t availability).

Supper & Show

For more of an evening out  dine at the Treble Tile before the performance from selected menu + show ticket for £20 per head – must be booked in advance with the Treble Tile 01206 241712.

Plot summary

The Deep Blue Sea begins with the discovery by her neighbours of Hester Collyer who has tried and failed to commit suicide.  Some time before, she left her husband, a respectable High Court Judge, for a semi-alcoholic former RAF pilot, Freddy Page.  The relationship was physical and passionate but his ardour has cooled, leaving her emotionally stranded and desperate.  The aftershocks of her attempted suicide unravel even the remnants of this relationship, but by the end she is brought to a hard decision to live, partly through the intercession of another resident of the tenement house, Mr. Miller, an ex-doctor, struck off for what seems to have been a homosexual offence.  These two outcasts, socially ostracised for their ‘excessive’ loves, find a curious and moving kinship.

An actor, who played Freddy recently had this to say:

It’s a play about love and lust. But also about what it was like to live after the war. Freddy was a Spitfire pilot in World War II. He came out of that a war hero and worked as a test pilot, but lost his nerve and hit the bottle. Before we join the play he’s met Hester and pours his heart out to her at a time when people were very closed up. We join them at the nadir of their relationship.

Source: Wikipedia.

Cinderella with Supper & Show

Cinderella's Ugly SisterCinderella at the Orpen Hall

Peter Cox has once again written and directed this fabulous interpretation of the classic Cinderella. This exciting and wonderful show will have you laughing and cheering right from the start. Our award winning cast return again and we also have some new faces to the Orpen Stage!

Cast

  • Scott Sophos & Ben Maytham as The Ugly Sisters,
  • Anne Sexton as The Fairy Godmother,
  • Holly Snowling as Buttons,
  • Phoebe Stringer & Kim Bennett as Prince Charming & Dandini,
  • Mike Poole as The Baron,
  • Niamh Bennet-Dix & George Dooley as Nip and Tuck,
  • Debs MacMahon as The Wicked Stepmother and
  • congratulations to Sophie Peterson who was a chorus member last year for securing the title role of Cinderella.

Tickets

This fabulous show will sell out so book early to avoid disappointment – as this news update is posted the matinee performances are already sold out!  Remaining performances are:

  • 31st January 8pm;
  • 1st February 8pm;
  • 7th February 8pm;
  • 8th February 8pm.

Tickets for the panto alone are priced £7 adults and £5 children with a 50p booking fee if booking online.  If you prefer you can buy your tickets from Ash’s store or by calling Orpen players on 01206 241048.

Supper & Cinderella

The Treble Tile and the Orpen Players have joined together in an initiative designed to provide a special night out in the village for their patrons. They are offering a special ticket that entitles the bearer to a meal followed by an evening’s entertainment.

The Treble Tile menu will consist of a choice from bangers and mash, fish and chips or a vegetarian option, a glass of house wine or pint of beer and a cup of tea or coffee.  The combination ticket of £20 will get you a meal at 6pm giving you time to take your (included) seats for the show, these tickets must be booked in advance directly with the Treble Tile on 01206 241712.

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