In their review of 2021, Woods Bowls Club recorded competitive success and growth in membership numbers!
Woods started playing competitive games against other clubs again in early May. Then the focus was on their annual open day, which this year was timed to coincide with Bowls England’s ‘Bowls Big Weekend’. The club even managed to feature on BBC Essex’s ‘The Quest’ on Sunday 23rd May by being the final destination; Barry & Liana made it in time to win their challenge!
Following this, the open day was a MASSIVE success with 50 people trying bowls out (they nearly ran out of Tea, cake and Bowls!) Around 30 people have now joined the club.
October – December 2021 Schedule for Baby & Toddler Group
The West Bergholt Baby & Toddler group’s schedule for October – December 2021 includes a wide range of activities from handmade kids clothes to professional photography The full list is shown below, please be aware that some events may change at short notice.
You can follow the group’s activities on their secure Facebook or WhatsApp Groups.
The Schedule
11th October
Nay-Nay Makes (handmade baby and children’s wear)
18th October
Sally Parkinson Photography (offering 5 minute mini photo shoots of your child)
So there will be lots of visitors this term, leading up to Christmas; hopefully they might help with some gift ideas or just give you something to browse while the children play.
In the case of Jacks, just off the High Street, builders dug six shafts to create foundations to stabilise this 17th century building. This gave the Trust 6 windows on the past; find out what they found in Shaft C at Jacks.
Charlie Haylock talk about his role in the Netflix film “The Dig”
Local Suffolk celebrity, Charlie Haylock returns to the Local History Group for their first talk in person since March last year. This time it is to talk about his work as the dialect coach in the production of the recently released film “The Dig”.
The film tells the story of how local amateur archaeologist Basil Brown, played by Ralph Fiennes, discovered the Anglo Saxon Royal ship burial at Sutton Hoo. Suffolk Landowner, Edith Pretty, employed Basil, an amateur archaeologist, in 1939 to satisfy her suspicions that the numerous mounds on her property had secrets to tell.
Find out about William Raven, Buried in Old St Mary’s Churchyard
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:
The Gardeners 2021-22 Programme Started in Wrabness
Despite being unable to meet up since early 2020 the Gardeners’ Club have tried to keep in touch with members; they have done this via email newsletters and also through a self drive visit to Strandlands, Wrabness. Strandlands is an NGS garden; the visit gave them a chance to meet in the lovely setting of an unique, natural garden overlooking the estuary. They also had a stall at the Village Fete in July to publicise the group and to attract new members. They reassured visitors that they are a very informal and friendly club of enthusiastic amateurs; their joint ambition being to gain inspiration and advice from interesting and experienced speakers.
Now that Autumn is rapidly approaching, with shorter days and cooler weather and with the ending of social gathering restrictions we plan to resume monthly meetings from September. They have already booked a full programme of speakers for 2021/2022 dependent upon Covid regulations. All being well, they look forward to being back in the Orpen Hall on Monday, 20th September at 7.30 pm. They look forward to welcoming existing and new members. The full programme will be available at that meeting; it will include a very short AGM and a talk by Roger Pawsey, a rose grower.
After that, on 18th October, Richard Grant, Head Gardener from Madingley Hall, Cambridge will be their speaker. In November they will be learning how to make a Christmas Wreath and they will finish the year with their annual Christmas Quiz evening in December.
Sutton Hoo in Local History Group’s Resumption Plans
Although West Bergholt is a substantial still growing village, it has an interesting history. Members of the active Local History Group continue to investigate, research and document it. They usually meet at the Orpen Hall on the second Wednesday of each month from September through to April, except December. In the months of May through to August they try to arrange group visits to places of local historical interest.
As with most groups, the COVID-19 Pandemic interrupted group activities since March 2020 but, hopefully, that is now changing.
Help raise money to give Heathlands’ Year 6 leavers a good send-off this year. Kelly, who runs regular High-Intensity Interval Training classes in the village, is running a special Zoom fundraising session on Monday 7th June at 7:30 pm. Kelly describes her HIIT sessions as:
OK, so you’ve had enough of reading about Census 2021 on Facebook already but we have just received some new information that you might find of interest. First of all, though, Bowls.
Bowls is Ready to Go
Being an outdoor bowls club, the green light was given for organised sport to recommence from 29th March. Therefore, Woods Bowls Club are delighted to report that they are able to have a full season, competing against other clubs once again. Some minor restrictions may be necessary until 21 June.
Christmas Party 
