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Bergholt Heath YFC match reports & fixtures – 14th April 2013

Under 8 vs Brooklands (Away)

Our Under 8s were playing away against Brooklands and started brightly playing some decent football. However the hosts took the lead from a powerful long range effort. A similar story unfolded for the second Brooklands goal when another shot from outside the area bobbled awkwardly on the bare patch of pitch in front of Daniel and squirmed through his grasp. Sandwiched in between these goals was a good attack from Bergholt resulting in a shot from Theo that whistled past the post.

Given the good performance in the first half, the Bergholt manager was hoping to push forward in the second, but it was Brooklands who stepped up, rattling another 5 goals past the shell-shocked Bergholt team who seemed to lose their shape and concentration for some explained reason.

Bergholt Heath ‘man of the match’: Thomas Lloyd – some great tackles and clearances.

Under 10 vs Reed Hall Sentinels (Away)

The Under 10s played the proverbial game of two halves away to Reed Hall Sentinels.  The first half display could easily be blamed on the wind, but this was not the case: there was a distinct lack of off the ball effort that let the team down.  That, combined with poor marking and tackling, let Reed Hall through far too easily and they made Bergholt pay by taking their chances making the half time score line read a resounding 4-0 to the home team.

The second half was a far better display as the boys started to pass the ball – and mostly to each other, which was a bonus!  More time was spent in the Reed Hall half and the chances came. Tyler had numerous shots, as did Matt, Dan and Tom. Unfortunately none went in, but the boys should be pleased that they were creating the opportunities.  As the game wore on, Bergholt pushed higher up the pitch which left it open at the back, however they tracked back with far more urgency than in the first half and managed to stop Reed Hall from scoring.

The boys realised the difference between their displays in the two half’s. Next weekend they have the chance to put it right.

Bergholt Heath ‘man of the match’: Jonah, for releasing the ball far better today.

Under 14 vs Stanway Rovers (Home)

The Under 14s were playing Stanway Rovers for the third time in 2013, this time at home in the league, having beaten the visitors on the previous two occasions: away in the league in January and just a few weeks ago in the Cup. The visitors came fired up to try and prevent a hat-trick of losses and took the game to Bergholt from the kick off. Within the first 10 minutes they had created a number of chances and a combination of good defending and ‘keeping, plus the bar, kept the score at 0-0. Having weathered the storm, Bergholt began to play their way back into the match, and any good passing moves were being seen from the home team – although chances either end were at a premium. A few minutes before half time, another wonderful passing move resulted in James Holden being played through and he finished confidently to put Bergholt 1-0 up at half time.

The second half started much the same way as the first, with Stanway first to every ball looking to equalise as soon as possible. Unfortunately Bergholt didn’t battle as hard to impose themselves as they had done in the first, and the visitors were cutting out the midfield to pile pressure on an over-worked Bergholt defence time after time. From one of several corners, the ball was cleared towards the edge of the area and, as the Bergholt players stood and watched, the ball was hit powerfully into the roof of the net without a challenge for the equaliser. For the last 5 minutes it was the visitors who looked the more likely to grab a winner , however there was no addition to the scoring with the match finishing 1-1.

Bergholt Heath ‘man of the match’: Cairan Donnellan – for his good positional play and tackling.

Open Cup Semi-Final – 21st April

Bergholt Heath’s Under 14 team have successfully reached the semi final of both the League and Open Cups this season. The first of these semi finals is against Stanway Villa FC and will be played at Wivenhoe Town Football Club this coming Sunday 21st April, kick off 12 noon. All Bergholt supporters are welcome to attend and help make it a memorable day for the boys.

Under 18 vs Boxford Rovers (Away)

Our Under 18’s, having finished their last ever league campaign in youth football, just had the Cup to extend their season, playing away to Boxford Rovers in the quarter final of the League Cup. As the season drifted away, the usual problem of getting a full team of 18 year olds on the pitch was evident, and the manager Iain Turner could only field 10 players. The home side took full advantage of this and despite a valiant effort, Bergholt went out of the cup with Boxford Rovers winning the tie 7-3.  That’s it for the current under 18 squad unless any of the matches postponed earlier in the season are rescheduled rather than points awarded by default…

Next weeks fixtures – Sunday 21st April:

  • Under 8 vs Rowhedge Juniors KO 11am
  • Bures United vs Under 10
  • Under 14 vs Stanway Villa, Open Cup Semi Final, Wivenhoe Town FC, kick off 12 noon (change to original league fixture)
  • Under 18 – No game
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Bluebell Walk in Hillhouse Wood

Bluebells in Hillhouse Wood
Bluebells in Hillhouse Wood

Following an unseasonably cold March and early April, the Friends of Hillhouse Wood have decided to delay their annual Bluebell Open Day and Spring Nature Walk by one week.

The event will now take place on Saturday 4th May with the guided walk starting from outside St. Mary’s Old Church, Hall Road, at 2pm.

This is a Free Event and all are welcome.

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Women’s Institute April 2013 Update

Edinburgh Woollen Mill logoThe president Susan Leng  welcomed 8 invited local Women’s Institutes and many visitors to their annual fashion show.  Eight members  from the West Bergholt WI modelled four chosen garments each from casual to smart wear from the Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop in Colchester.   The secretary gave a commentary.  The staff from the shop were each presented with a pot of daffodils.

A bring and buy plus large raffle made for a successful fund raising evening.  In October 2014 the shop will present their autumn/winter collection.

May is the annual meeting and the committee is looking for more members to join them.

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Talking Heads – Orpen Players new production

Alan Bennett's Talking HeadsAlan Bennett sealed his reputation as the master of observation with a series of ground breaking monologues originally filmed for BBC Television. Darkly Comic, tragically poignant and wonderfully uplifting. Talking Heads is widely regarded as a modern classic.

The Orpen Players have transformed Talking Heads from just a monologue to an acting form taking three of Bennett’s plays A Lady of Letters, A Chip in the Sugar and Bed Among the Lentils onto the stage at the Orpen Hall, West Bergholt.

Talking Heads places Alan Bennett in the highest tier of English dramatic writers

New York Times

Bennett’s genius is his ability to satirize humanely, his prose is like stained glass: if you star at it, you see things you missed

New York Times Book Review

It’s hardly a revelation to say that Alan Bennett has proved himself a master of modern dramatic monologue… One of the finest dramatic achievements of the past decades

The Scotsman

Talking Heads is being performed at the Orpen Hall on Thursday 9th, Friday 10th & Saturday 11th may with doors opening at 7:30pm for performance start at 8pm.  Tickets are £6 on Thursday, £7 Friday & Saturday (children £5 all performances) and are available now:

The show is being produced by arrangement with Samuel French Ltd.

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Bergholt Heath YFC – Results & Fixtures 7th April 2013

The weather finally allowed Bergholt Heath to play games this weekend, although only two of our four teams were scheduled to play as the league starts to juggle outstanding fixtures.

With a squad decimated by holidays and sickness, the Under 10s could only field 6 players in their 7-a-side league match away to Stanway Villa.  The team forewent a striker for the game knowing that they would be camped in their own half for the majority of the game.  Stanway Villa tried to carve their way through to goal, but a combination of good defending and ‘keeping kept them out.  Bergholt’s only chance of scoring would be by making a swift counter attack, and indeed the best chance of the first half fell to Bergholt when Matt set Dan free on the left.  Dan’s shot fell to Nathan at the far post with the ‘keeper stranded at the other post.  Unfortunately, Nathan could not direct his shot into the goal. Though tired, the Bergholt boys came off at half time delighted to have kept the score to 0-0.

The second half was backs to the wall as Villa pushed forward and threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Bergholt to try and make their numerical advantage count.  With a herculean effort the boys kept them out, although it was very close at times.  The match finished 0-0, although you would have thought Bergholt had won it the way the boys celebrated at the end!

Well done boys for a fantastic display.  It seems lately that when we are really up against it everyone steps up a couple of gears. We really need this type of display every week.

Man of the match went to Louis for a great display between the sticks.

The Under 14s travelled the short distance to Clairmont Road to play Brooklands in the league, looking to make it 10 wins in a row. However after 2 weeks without a game it seemed that the lads had forgotten who their team mates were as there was a distinct lack of communication in the first half.  It was mainly because of this that the hosts created a couple of chances in the first quarter of an hour and the team had Connor in goal to thank, with 2 excellent saves. Going forward the boys lacked a little drives, but they still managed to create chances for Owen, Mickey and Max, but they all failed to hit the target.  As always Bergholt were dangerous from corners, but with a narrow pitch, some were over hit.  Max’s long throw ins also caused the Brooklands defence some uncomfortable moments. As the half progressed, Sam headed a corner wide and Jamie went close when he had a shot after picking up a cleared corner.  The end of the first half saw Owen break down the right and send in a great cross that looked destined to fall for Mickey at the far post, but a defender stretched out a leg and was fortunate to divert the ball up and over his cross-bar rather than into his own net from little more than 3 yards out.   A half that balanced itself out finished all square.

After a positive team talk the boys certainly upped their game in the second half and dominated play for much of the remainder of the match.  It was scrappy at times, but they showed a lot more desire and worked hard to stop Brooklands from playing, whilst making several opportunities too.  Mickey, Jake, Ollie and Ben had shots that all cleared the bar, but Jake came close to opening the score as he turned his man and hit a great shot that came back off the bar.  Soon after, a good move down the left lead to James Hirst crossing to an unmarked James Holden who headed over from 6 yards: getting the ball under the crossbar seemed to be Bergholt’s main issue today! Max’s throw ins continued to lead to chances, but the Brooklands ‘keeper pulled off a really impressive save from Jake, who had diverted Sam’s flick on towards goal, and another header from Sam was cleared off the line by a Brooklands defender.  The home ‘keeper made two more outstanding saves to deny Bergholt a goal – 1 from a lobbed shot by Ollie that looked destined for the top corner until he stopped it, and another from his own defender who miss-hit a low cross from Mickey that headed arrow-like towards the bottom corner, but he got down really well to turn it round the post.

So the match finished all square at 0-0 and Bergholt didn’t make it 10 wins in a row which was a little frustrating, but the way the lads went about the second half was good to see.  Work on finishing is required at the next training session!

Man of the match: Goalkeeper Connor Welfare, for great saves in the first half and a confident performance.

Next weeks matches – Sunday 14th April

  • Brooklands v Under 8
  • Reed Hall Sentinels v Under 10
  • Under 14 v Stanway Rovers KO 10.30am
  • Boxford Rovers v Under 18 LC QF
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Obituary – Joe Firmin

It is with sadness that I report that our colleague and friend, Joe Firmin, passed away at his home in West Bergholt on Monday 18th March.  Joe was well known for his articles in the Village Bulletin as well as leading many varied nature walks through Hillhouse Wood where people benefited from his great love of birds, beetles, insects and plants.

Who will ever forget a ‘Dawn Chorus’ event with Joe where around 20 people would meet up at 3:45am to listen to the songs of many birds including nightingales?

Joe will be greatly missed, and our thoughts are with Joe’s widow, Linda, and his daughters.

Joe’s funeral will be held at Colchester Crematorium on Wednesday 27th March at 9.30am.  It will be a humanist service and Linda requests no flowers.

Andrew Savage
Chair of The Friends of Hillhouse Wood

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Bergholt Heath YFC – Match update

Due to the extremely cold and snowy weather, all the Bergholt Heath YFC matches scheduled for this weekend were postponed.  As next weekend is Easter, no games will be played, so the next fixtures will take place on Sunday 7th April when (hopefully) the weather will have improved.  Details of these fixtures will be posted when known.

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Women’s Institute March 2013 Update

The WI - Inspiring WomenWest Bergholt Women’s Institute President Susan Leng welcomed members  and all agreed that the 92nd birthday lunch had been a great success.  The Fashion Show on  3 April will be an open meeting with guests starting at 7.15pm.   Members can bring cakes for St Helena Hospice to this evening; bought or home-made are equally welcome but no previously frozen cakes please.

The evening was then run by the members with the committee being thanked and given flowers.  The speaker Jacqui Crombie was introduced as Warrant Officer 2 (Sergeant Major) who works at the Military Training Centre,  Colchester.  The audience was given an insight into  the everyday routine the soldiers experience.

The evening ended with a grand raffle.

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Bergholt Heath YFC – Results & Fixtures 17th March 2013

Bergholt Heath Under 8s travelled to Bures after having a week off due to the weather. Bergholt mounted the first attack almost straight from the kick off, however most of the first half play was spent in the Bergholt half as Bures had corner after corner – but the Bergholt defence held firm.  The one time the defence was breached Daniel pulled off a fantastic save, diving full length to push the ball round the post.  Half time: 0-0.

The Second half saw Bergholt take advantage of the wind and the slight slope.  They managed more possession than the previous 15 minutes and pinned their hosts back in their half of the pitch for the majority of the half.  This allowed the Bergholt full-backs to get forward to support the midfield, which was pleasing. There were no goals in this half either – Bergholt had the potential to change this, but a last ditch rugby tackle by the Bures defender saw Theo tumble to the ground just outside the area.

Final score: 0-0 – a fair result.  Bergholt Heath ‘man of the match’ went to Joseph Watkins for great performance in both defence and supporting the attack.

The Under 10s were also playing after an enforced break, at home to Long Melford.  The game was a bit of déjà vu as a couple of weeks ago a defensive error after a couple of minutes let Melford take the lead.  Bergholt then had a good period of possession but were guilty of holding onto the ball too long; too many of the boys wanted the glory themselves when a better option was available.  Just before half time a corner from Matt fell kindly for Tyler in the box, who finished well.  GOOOAALL!

The second half was end-to-end with both teams having chances. Melford had several good runs down the right – some were stopped, some went wide and some had fingers crossed and Bergholt got away with.  At the other end, just as in the first half, options were there but the boys hurried shots far too many times.  The one time Bergholt did play the right ball, Dan had a great chance in the area.  He shot across the ‘keeper to the far corner but unfortunately the ball went wide. Finally Bergholt got the breakthrough. Good work by Nathan on the right saw him cross for Richard who poked home.  2-1.   Melford were not downhearted though, and all their good work down their left finally paid off with an equaliser.

A good game and a 2-2 draw was probably a fair result.  Bergholt Heath ‘man of the match’ went to Tyler who was one of the few who really battled today.

The Under 14s hosted Stanway Rovers in the Open Cup Quarter Finals. It was a slow start by the Bergholt boys and Stanway were looking the more likely to score, but after 10 minutes Max Booth set James Holden clear down the left and he cut inside and finished coolly from a narrow angle to open the scoring. Soon after, a hopeful ball into the Stanway penalty area was not dealt with and with the Stanway defence looking at each other to deal with the bouncing ball James Holden took advantage of the situation and headed over the advancing keeper to put Bergholt 2-0 up.

Stanway’s pacey front men kept the back 4 on their toes, but Bergholt were relatively comfortable for the remainder of the half and started the second in similar fashion. Leo Tiffney and Ben Ashurst had efforts on goal that were deflected wide. Approaching midway through the half a corner from Max Booth was flicked on by Sam Clark and a Stanway defender was unlucky to head the ball past the keeper and into his own net for 3-0.

It was now just a case of staying in control while getting all the players some game time as Stanway gave a good push to get back in the game. They broke down the left and when they beat Connor Welfare in the Bergholt goal, Aaron Marley did well to get back but he couldn’t quite clear the shot away and it was 3-1. Neither side really created another clear opportunity although Jake Adams was blatantly brought down by the Stanway keeper, but the referee failed to award Bergholt the penalty. It didn’t matter in the end though as Bergholt moved into the semi-finals of the Open Cup, after reaching the same stage of the League Cup in their previous game.

Final score: Bergholt Heath 3 – 1 Stanway Rovers.  The parents awarded Connor Welfare the Man of the Match for his excellent handling and the way he commanded his penalty area.

Unfortunately the Under 18s had to cancel their last ever league game in youth football as the manager could not raise a team due to injury and other commitments. That just leaves at least one cup match to come before most hang up their boots.

Next weeks fixtures, Sunday 24th March:

  • Under 8 v Oyster Youth KO 11am
  • Stanway Villa Green v Under 10
  • Under 14 v Stanway Rovers KO 10.30am (league)
  • Boxford Rovers v Under 18 – LC QF