Spring Flower Walk 2023

Spring Flower Walk 2023 with Friends of Hillhouse Wood

Early Purple Orchids similar to those seen

This is one of a few guided walks the Friends of Hillhouse Woods run each year. They work with The Woodland Trust to look after this beautiful remnant of ancient woodland.

Last years’ Spring Flower Walk identified nine flowers in the first few yards, also many birds and other natural delights. The stars of the walk were Early Purple orchids that were flowering in profusion on the bank above the top pond. Walkers saw a total of 29 plants and trees in flower, which shows what a rich little patch of nature we are lucky enough to have.

Don’t miss this years’ walk!

April 1, 2023April 1, 2023

St Mary’s News – the “He is not here” edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with Heather’s “He is not here” message and then continues with:

Holy week services
Prayer spaces,
FISH Club, and
the usual listings of services and co n t acts.

He is not here, he has risen – Rev. Heather’s Easter Message

April begins in a rather playful mood, with April Fools day. Be it on TV, radio or in the papers, over the year, there have been some rather clever April fools jokes played on us, the unsuspecting public.

April Fools Pranks

Who can forget, Richard Dimbleby’s report in 1957 on a particularly bountiful crop of spaghetti in Switzerland, due in part to the disappearance of the pesky spaghetti weevil.

March 16, 2023March 16, 2023

Gardeners’ Newsletter January 2023

West Bergholt Gardeners’ Newsletter – January 21st 2023

Hello and a Happy New Year from your Committee!

Talking of whom, we have had a meeting to discuss Speaker and subject ideas for our next season from this September through to May 2024. I know it sounds a long way off as we’ve only just jumped into 2023 but Speakers are rapidly becoming booked up! We hope we shall do our best for you all and make choices that will enthuse and interest you in anything horticultural!

March 13, 2023March 13, 2023

Environment & Highways – 9th March 2023

The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 9th March 2023 with topics including:

installation of new signs,
Parking,
Potential vandalism of signs in School Road,
Great British Spring Clean,
Problems entering the MUGA/Tennis Courts.

Environment Committee Minutes

March 4, 2023March 4, 2023

St Mary’s News – the Daffodils & Hope edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with Daffodils & Hope and then continues with:

Daffodils - By Genet, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24680708

Eco Church,
Lent Soup Lunches,
Vocations Evenings,
Lent Compline, and
the usual listings of services and co ntacts.

Daffodils and Hope

As March beckons, spring bursts onto the scene. The words of William Wordsworth might come to mind as we see the daffodils emerging from beneath the ground:

January 28, 2023January 28, 2023

St Mary’s News – the “Love Is All Around Me” edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with “hopes for 2023″Love is all around me”, and continues with other news including:

FISH Club,
Pancake Party,
Church Hall Decoration,
Wedding Celebration, and
the usual listings of services and co ntacts.

Love Is All Around Me

‘I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes, Christmas is all around me and so the feeling grows’

… say the lyrics of the Christmas film, which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary, Love Actually.

It doesn’t seem five minutes since we were celebrating Christmas, and yet in the world of advertising and card manufacture, we have definitely moved on, into a season more appropriately linked to the original lyrics of the song, first performed by the Troggs in 1967 ‘I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes, Love is all around me, and so the feeling grows.’

December 13, 2022December 13, 2022

Candlelit Service Returns to the Old Church

Return of the annual candlelit service at St Mary’s Old Church

For the first time since 2018, the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church are holding a Candlelit Service in the Old Church. Following the success of their Mulled Wine & Mince Pies event, the Friends look forward to welcoming you on Sunday 18th December at 2:30 pm. The service is free and open to all and there’s now dedicated car parking opposite the church. Reverend Heather Wilcox will lead the service.

In 2019, the Friends were able to hold a Carol service but, because of redecoration works at the time they could not run it by candlelight. Since then, of course, the services have been unable to run due to Covid. So do come along and welcome this annual tradition back to the village.

Dress for the weather!

December 11, 2022December 11, 2022

Celebrate Christmas with Vocal Zones Choir

Join Vocal Zones Choir as they Celebrate Christmas

Next Friday 16th December Vocal Zones Choir invite you to join them to celebrate Christmas. The event starts at 7:30pm in St Mary’s Church, New Church Road.

As well as the singing, there will also be wine and mince pies! Entry is free, there will be a raffle with some great prizes to be won.

About Vocal Zones

November 23, 2022December 29, 2022

Old Church Invite to Mulled Wine & Mince Pies

Invitation to Mulled Wine and Mince Pies with a side order of music by Octavia

Invitation To Enjoy Music, Mulled Wine & Mince Pies

Next Sunday, 27th November, the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church invite you to enjoy Mulled Wine & Mince Pies with them. This event will also afford you the opportunity to renew or join the friends.

Music

Octavia will be performing during the event, which runs from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Octavia is a ‘sub-group’ of Quire.

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022

Firewalk Fundraiser for St Helena Hospice

The Firewalk Saw Orpen Hall Car Park Set Alight

The firewalk in flames before it settled down to red hot coals

Along with around 70 others, the Chair of West Bergholt Parish Council did a firewalk in the Orpen Hall car park last week. (See video below).

The fundraising event was organised by St Helena Hospice and proved very successful raising around £10,000!

The Hospice had arranged for a world record holding firewalker to brief the firewalkers in advance of braving the coals. This was quite an in-depth session taking about an hour ensuring that all participants would be safe walking barefoot over the coals.

Chair of the Council, Brian Butcher, said afterwards: