Community, Parish Council & Village
The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 14th June 2024 with topics including:
General Election 2024 will be the first one to require mandatory photo ID. As ever, our polling station will be in the Orpen Memorial Hall, Lexden Road, CO6 3BW.
You can find out about acceptable forms of Photo ID at How to vote: Photo ID you’ll need – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
There are a few really important deadlines you need to be aware of in this General Election.
Did you know that about one-third of young people eligible to vote have NOT registered? This is about the twice the amount for the population as a whole (14%).
You can register online in as little as 5 minutes at Register to vote – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Even if you think you might not want to vote, at least you can keep your options open.
This Cèilidh edition of St Mary’s News starts with Revd. Heather looking at how ten years of Archbishop Welby’s call to prayer through his ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ message has fared. It then continues with:
The usual listings of services and contacts.
As I write this, in the churches we are in the 10 days between Ascension, when we remember Jesus returning back to heaven after the resurrection and Pentecost, when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Continue reading “St Mary’s News – The Cèilidh Edition”
The Dawn Chorus 2024 walk , which is taking place on Saturday 18th May, will be led by Steve Hallam. Organised by the Friends of Hillhouse Wood, this walk affords the opportunity to see Nightingales and many other brilliant dawn choristers. Steve says:
If you haven’t tried this you’ll find it a rewarding and delightful experience at a very special time for the wood’s varied birdlife.
Read last years report here to see what you might hear and/or see.
It will mean an early start, meeting at the Old Church at 3:45 am (weather permitting). You are should bring warm clothing, stout footwear, a flask of hot drink and a torch.
This walk follows on from the recent Spring Flowers Walk.
Wouldn’t life be boring without some variation and unpredictability? You can rely on the Hillhouse Wood guided walks to provide this – even the ones that are supposed to be the same, such as the Spring flowers walk. This year’s walk was no exception, both positively and less so.
Continue reading “Walk the Dawn Chorus 2024”
This Walking edition of St Mary’s News starts with Revd. Anne’s message considering her recent hospital experience and relating it to how Jesus looked after his disciples on the first Easter. It then continues with:
The usual listings of services and contacts.
A few weeks ago, Easter was joyfully celebrated in Christian churches around the world with a message of hope, and life in abundance in this world and in the next. And Jesus’ appearing to his disciples, and to many hundreds of others, after his death and resurrection, gave me extra cause for reflection this year.
Continue reading “St Mary’s News – The Walking Edition”
Vocal Zones Choir are going to Sing to Save Lives at their RNLI 200th Anniversary Concert. The concert will have a distinctly watery theme comprising Shanties and songs of Rivers and Oceans (some samples below). There will be some songs for all to sing along with.
To support this event, which is taking place in the Orpen Hall on Friday 10th May from 7:30 pm, you can buy your tickets at the door for just £10 (Under 18s £5). This includes a free glass of wine or juice in the interval.. All proceeds, including any donations, will go directly to the RNLI.
[Chorus] Heave a ho, boys! Let her go, boys!
Swing her head round, and all together.
Heave a ho, boys! Let her go, boys,
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
The Annual Parish Meeting takes place on Wednesday 24th April 2024 starting from 7:15pm. The venue, of course, is the Orpen Hall. Free light refreshments are available
Members of the public and press are welcome to attend. The agenda is set out below and will be chaired by Councillor Brian Butcher, Chair of West Bergholt Parish Council.
Copies of the Charitable Trust Accounts for the Orpen Memorial Hall, New Allotments, Lorkin Daniell Field, Poor’s Land and Village Green (Heath), of which the Parish Council is Sole Trustee, will be available to all attending.
The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 11th April 2024 with topics including:
Following the successful Winter Bird Walk in March ( see report below), the next Guided Walk is the annual Spring Flower Walk on Saturday 27th April. Steve Hallam will lead the walk in and near Hillhouse Wood. Previously called the Bluebell Walk, it has become difficult to pick the optimum ‘bluebell’ date for the walk although there will always be plenty of Spring Flowers to see. The walk will start at the Old Church at 2pm.
Other upcoming Friends of Hillhouse Wood activities are:
Of all the guided walks that I lead, the winter bird walk is the most unpredictable. The weather can be variable and off-putting, whilst at this time of year the birds move around looking for food. So, you can be never sure which species you will encounter and whether you will be able see or hear them through the driving rain or howling gale.
Continue reading “Spring Flower & Winter Bird Walks”
The West Bergholt Volunteer of the Year 2023/24 is a new Community Award. It will be presented to an individual volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to the village of West Bergholt, its residents, or just one resident. That person will have demonstrated exceptional commitment to an unpaid activity.
Examples may include;
Continue reading “Volunteer of the Year Award 2024”