Environment & Highways – 13th March 2025

The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 13th March 2025 with topics including:

Handymen’s Report including:
- Barley straw to be placed in ponds,
- New hedging at the corner of Armoury Road,
Replacing the dead Oak Tree on Poors Land,
Planning for the VE Day 80 commemoration,
With future discussions to be had on:
- Playground Inspections, and
- A Dog by-law.

Read the official minutes below.

Environment & Highways Committee Minutes

Meeting held on Thurs 13th March 2025 at 4.30pm in SC Mtg Rm

Members present:	David Short (DS) Katie Pulford (KP), Bill Pigeon (BP) Harry Stone (HS), Manya Barrow (MB) present and John Gili-Ross (JGR) remotely.
Also present:	0 members of the public

March 4, 2025March 4, 2025

St Mary’s News – The Spring Cleaning Edition

St Mary’s News – Spiritual Spring Cleaning

This month’s news starts with Revd Heathers Message on Spring Cleaning. Following this you can find out about events including:

Pancakes,
Soup & World Day of Prayer,
Lent Lunches,
Mothering Sunday,
Easter Flowers, and

… the usual listings of services and contacts.

Message from Rev Heather Wilcox

Time for a spring clean?

As the days are drawing out, and there is a sense that spring in the air, it seems to awaken the need to do a bit of a spring clean, even in the Rectory. Don’t get me wrong, I am not particularly house proud, and any cleaning would be a bonus most of the time, but in the spring, I seem to suddenly find myself wanting to organise even the most disorganised cupboards.

February 18, 2025February 26, 2025

Community Energy Event

Community Energy Event – Join in & save!

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

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.

January 31, 2025February 1, 2025

St Mary’s News – The Month of Light Edition

St Mary’s News – A Month of Light, Love and New Beginnings

A month of light reflecting the John 1:5 quote

This month’s news with Revd Emma’s Message on the a Month of Light, Love & New Beginnings. Following this you can find out about:

The King’s Ridge Parishes Big Breakfast,
A Wedding Celebration Service,
News of Lent Lunches,
A Thank You from the FiSH Team,
World Day of Prayer, and

… the usual listings of services and contacts.

Message from Revd Emma – February: A Month of Light, Love, and New Beginnings

As February unfolds, we find ourselves moving further into the promise of lighter days and the hope of new growth. Winter may still hold a chill in the air, but beneath the surface, life is stirring. Snowdrops, crocuses, and daffodils are beginning to pierce through the earth, their delicate heads reaching for the sun. It’s a reminder that even in the coldest of seasons, new life is emerging, and God’s creative power is at work in the world around us.

January 20, 2025January 20, 2025

Environment & Highways – 9th January 2025

The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 9th January 2025 with topics including:

VE-Day 80th Anniversary in May - planning kicked off at 9th January 2025 meeting

Handymen activities including:
- Winter programme,
- Litter picking,
- Fouling in the Youth Shelter, and
- General tidying.
Schedule for Ponds spraying,
VE-Day 80th Anniversary, and
2025-26 Budget.

Read the official minutes below.

January 5, 2025January 31, 2025

St Mary’s News – The Light Edition

St Mary’s News – The Light of the World

This month’s news with Revd Anne’s New Years Message on the Light of the World. Following this you can find out about:

… the usual listings of services and contacts.

Christmas Message from Revd Anne – The Light of the World

The shortest day in 2024 was 21st December and since then the days have been getting longer and we’ll get more daylight each day until we reach the longest day in June. During these sometimes gloomy months bulbs that start flowering early, such as snowdrops, crocus and hyacinths, grow away in the dark, pushing their way through the cold soil, until they reach the light and give us the joy of seeing their flowers.

Keep warm together

December 10, 2024December 10, 2024

Candlelight Carol Service at the Old Church

Join the Friends of St Mary’s at their Candlelight Carol Service

Once again the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church are holding a Candlelight Carol Service in the Old Church. The Friends look forward to welcoming you back on Sunday 15th December at 2:30 pm.

The service is free and open to all and there’s now dedicated car parking opposite the church. One of St Mary’s ministers will lead the service.

The Friends are also looking for someone to pump the church organ during the service, so if anyone is interested please contact Nicole Long on 01206 240443.

Dress for the weather!

November 30, 2024November 30, 2024

St Mary’s News – The Perfect Gift Edition

St Mary’s News – The Perfect Gift

This month’s news with Revd Heather’s Christmas Message on the Perfect Gift. Following this you can find out abougt:

Christmas Services,
Memory Tree,
Advent Trail,
Food in School Holidays (FiSH), and

… the usual listings of services and contacts.

Christmas Message from Revd Heather – The Perfect Gift

As I write this, it is the 11th November, Remembrance Day. Yesterday in our churches, we remembered, lest we forget, the sacrifice of so many that we might know peace and freedom in our time. But as is always the way, the world is pushing us on, and we are being bombarded by Christmas adverts on the television and through social media. It seems hard to imagine, that we could ever forget that Christmas is coming.

November 27, 2024November 27, 2024

Fungi Hunt 2024

A dry, still, November Saturday morning saw 15 enthusiastic people come together at St Mary’s Old Church. They had come from as far away as Chelmsford to enjoy our now annual guided ‘fungi hunt’ walk. This year they were led by one who set their level of expectations by confirming that as there are over 15,000 species of fungi in the UK, he had no intention of being dogmatic in any identifications. He was working on the principal that anything found, if eaten, would cause severe illness or even death! (You’re not getting the writer into a Coroner’s Court.)

First Finds

So, on that basis we started in the Church graveyard where we found numerous Waxcaps (probably Golden Waxcaps).

November 15, 2024November 15, 2024

Mulled Wine & Abbey Road

The Friends of St Mary’s Old Church are holding two events over the coming weeks.

Mulled Wine & Mince Pies

The Friends invite you to join them for Mulled Wine & Mince Pies at St Mary’s Old Church on Sunday, 24th November. This free event runs from 11:30am to 1:30pm and all are welcome! The highlight of the day will be an enchanting performance by Octavia, members of Quire, from 12:30pm to 1pm.