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Christmas Crime

Father Christmas
Father Christmas might not be the only guest to surprise you

Christmas Crime

Not everybody makes the same preparations at Christmas, some are planning to take advantage of the season with some Christmas Crime. Essex Police have previously offered the following advice:

With the Christmas holiday season almost upon us, now is a good time to remind ourselves to take steps to make sure our Christmas isn’t spoiled by criminals.

It creates opportunities for criminals.   The hustle and bustle of town centres as we rush around, the value of the goods we buy as presents and store in our homes until the big day. We might also be more trusting and generous at Christmas when requests for charity are made, giving the unscrupulous a chance to collect for their own causes.

So what can we do?

The advice below is often common sense, but you might overlook it in your haste to get everything ready.

Out Shopping

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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.

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Environment & Highways 10th November 2022

Highlights of Environment & Highways Meeting on 10th November 2022

Environment

The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 10th November 2022 with topics including:

  • 2023/24 Budget,
  • Poor’s Land restoration following firework display,
  • New sign on Heath,
  • Christmas Tree, and
  • Ponds refilling nicely.

Environment Committee Minutes

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Battle by Quiz

Gill Poole, captain of the winning quiz team, receiving trophy from Brian Butcher
At the end of the evening Brian Butcher, organizer and Chair of the Council, awarded the trophy to the captain of the History Group, Gill Poole.

Last weekend teams assembled in the Orpen Memorial Hall to do battle, by quiz, for the ‘Village Cup’. This was the opening fundraising action to buy new play equipment that is also suitable for children with physical or intellectual impairments. The intent is to install this new ‘inclusive’ equipment on the Lorkin Daniell field once sufficient money is raised.

The Quiz

The quiz comprised ten rounds with one ‘long round’. After five rounds there was a comfort break when the raffle was also held. One team “The only chance is the raffle” clearly saw this as their primary objective. 

The battle was fierce, with a maximum of 234 points up for grabs.  At the end of the evening the top three were:

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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:

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Do You Have Time To Spare?

Time to Become a Community Special Constable?

Spike did and he doesn’t regret using it as a Special Constable:

Recruiting Community Specials

The parish has a low crime rate but does suffer from occasional antisocial behaviour and parking issues, along with sporadic rural crime.  West Bergholt Parish Council are supporting Essex Police to increase local and visible policing in their area. 

Community Special Constables are more focussed than Special Constables, they dedicate their voluntary service to the area that matters most to them – their town or parish. In return, the local council will pay the allowances and expenses of their officers and they’ll have a say in the issues that their local Specials deal with.

If you already know you are interested then apply online:

What Are Community Specials?

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St Mary’s News – the Posada Edition

This edition of St Mary’s News starts with the Advent Experience of Posada, and continues with other news including:

The Advent Experience of Posada

Posada originates from Mexico where people dress as Mary and Joseph and re-enact the journey to Bethlehem, travelling from house to house asking for a place to stay (the word Posada means an inn). In recent years, this idea has been modified by churches in this country by sending the figures of Mary and Joseph and the donkey from house to house during Advent.

This year, we are offering the Posada experience in our village. From Sunday 27th November until Christmas Day, figures representing Mary and Joseph will travel round our community from home to home, stopping by arrangement, where there is a place for them and a warm welcome waiting.

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Warm Welcoming Space Opens 7th November

Social Club Room venue for the Warm Space

West Bergholt Care Network Announce Warm Welcoming Space Opening

The Care Network will open the doors to their Warm Welcoming Space project at 9:30am on Monday 7th November. On Monday and Friday each week the social club meeting room at the Orpen Hall will open to everyone in the village between 9.30am and 12.30pm. Free coffee, tea, biscuits and Wi-Fi are available. All age groups are very welcome – although under sixteens must be in the company of an adult.

There is no membership, entrance fee, or booking required. You can simply turn up with friends, meet others or just enjoy a little time alone. The ‘warm welcoming space’ can be whatever you want it to be.

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Halloween – Fun or Fear?

Halloween imagery

Essex Police are concerned that while many enjoy Halloween, some might not.  Also, below, is news of a Colchester Business Opinion Survey. If you run a small, or a large business, you might want to check it out.  First of all, though, what do Essex Police have to say about Halloween?

Halloween

Halloween is a fun and exciting time for many but some people can find it unsettling. It’s often a busy time for police too.  This Halloween they would like to remind everyone to think of others and be considerate around those not taking part. They say that they will take a robust approach to anyone causing problems.

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