Skip to content

Village News

Posted on

Silver Sunday – Invitation to Tea

Silver Sunday – Invitation to Tea

This invitation has been issued by the West Bergholt Methodist Church who have said:

Silver Sunday TeaThere has been considerable publicity about the fact that the proportion of our population that are elderly is increasing. Also that there is a significant proportion of elderly people who live alone and can be lonely and become isolated. A charitable trust has set up “Silver Sunday” in an attempt to raise this issue and try to take steps to address it (www.silversunday.org.uk). We became aware of this and felt we as a Church would like to respond.

As a follow up to the popular March tea  we are holding another simple afternoon tea on Sunday June 14th at 3.00pm and inviting folk to attend.

We recognise that it could be quite difficult to reach elderly, lonely isolated people and encourage them to come to such an event. We are contacting as many relevant organisations with contacts in the village as possible to seek support with this and are encouraging them to let us know of anyone they feel could be invited.

While it is likely that many of our target audience will not have access to the web it is possible that we might reach some this way or at least neighbours who may know someone to invite.

Invitation

Being held for the older members of our community this event will be at the Methodist Church Hall, Chapel Lane on Sunday afternoon June 14th at 3.00 pm.

Particularly if you are elderly, living alone and not fortunate enough to have family and/or friends living nearby this could be for you. You are warmly invited to an Afternoon Tea with folk in a similar situation to yourself. We will provide transport to pick you up from your home, bring you to the tea and return you to your home when the tea has finished.

If you, a neighbour or someone else you know, would like to come to the tea please phone Judith Fletcher (01206 241969) or Andrew Wilks (01206 242511).  If you can let us know you are coming it will help with our arrangements.

 

Posted on

Essex News update – May 22nd 2015

Essex County CouncilEssex News update – May 22nd 2015

Essex County Council has issued the following news update covering half term events, their Let’s Get Moving scheme promoting healthier lifestyle, Foster Care fortnight,  Small Grants Scheme update and grass verge trimming:

Have an action-packed half term with Essex County Council

Join in the fun at our huge range of action-packed activities for children of all ages this half term. From canoeing to a dinosaur recycling day, there is something for everyone (and all weathers!) taking place near you at Country Parks, Essex Libraries, Essex Outdoors centres and Hadleigh Park Mountain Bike Centre –  some activities are free!

Date Activity Location Cost
Saturday 23 May Nature Club. Monthly club for children aged 7 to 11. Danbury Country Park £3 per child
Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 May Magical Mysteries Trail. Have fun exploring and experiencing the woods, enjoying the magic and mystery. Thorndon Park South £3 per trail guide
Animal Detective Trail. Work out which animals have been visiting the park and what they’ve done. Belhus Woods Country Park £3 per trail guide
Monday 25 May Iron Age Roundhouse open afternoon. Hadleigh Park Free
Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May Activity Days. Try four outdoors adventure activities in a day. Essex Outdoors at Danbury, Harlow and Mersea £30 per child a day (buy four days get fifth free)
Tuesday 26 May Nature Rangers Event. Wickford Library Free
Essex Summer Evening Series – Travers Bikes. Mountain bike race. Hadleigh Park £13 Senior Riders, £8 Under 16 (£2 extra if you need a day license)
Climbing Day. Essex Outdoors at Harlow £30 per child
Activity Day. Essex Outdoors at Bradwell £30 per child
Wednesday 27 May Wild Wednesday Danbury Country Park Free
Pirate and Princess Treasure Trail. Pick up a treasure map and lead yourselves through the woods. Come in costume. Thorndon Park South £4 per child
Kite making. Make your own kite, then test it in the park. Belhus Woods Country Park Free
Canoeing and Kayaking. Essex Outdoors at Harlow £30 per child
Survival for Softies: Make a shelter and light a fire. Cook your lunch on your own campfire. Hadleigh Park £7 per child
Wednesday 27 May and Thursday 28 May Jester School. Juggling skills, jester themed crafts, scratch art magnet, make a mask/hat or follow the trail. Cressing Temple £7.50 per child
Thursday 28 May Climbing Day. Essex Outdoors at Harlow £30 per child
Canoe Day. Essex Outdoors at Bradwell £30 per child
Dinosaur Recycling Day. Colchester Library Free
Friday 29 May Canoeing and Kayaking. Essex Outdoors at Harlow £30 per child
Sunday 31 May Birds, Bugs and Blooms. Discover a wealth of plant life and wildlife. Hadleigh Park £4 per adult, £2 per child

Find out more here.

23,000 more people getting active across the county

The Essex Let’s Get Moving schemes aims to get up to 23,000 residents leading healthier lifestyles. Starting in a week’s time in the West of the county, we’ve got physical activity experts lined up and ready to help people benefit from getting more active. Support on offer includes one-to-one sessions with exercise professionals, community activities and peer-led group sessions.

Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Anne Brown said:

Evidence shows that nearly half of Essex residents do not take part in any sport or recreational activity. We know that inactivity can have a serious impact on people’s health, with an inactive person spending on average 38% more days in hospital than an active person.

More information about Let’s Get Moving can be found here.

Could you be an Essex foster carer?

Could you offer a child a loving home? Foster Care Fortnight kicks off on 1 June, and features a Fostering Fiesta on Sunday 7 June at Danbury Centre for Outdoor Learning. Activities are taking place across Essex where you can meet foster carers and their families and find out more.

Councillor Dick Madden, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said:

There are still many myths about who can foster but all that really matters is that carers have the time, commitment, space and personal qualities to offer a secure and stable home to a child or children who have been separated from their birth family.

Find out more about Foster Care Fortnight here. 

Culture benefits from cash boost

Essex Boys and Girls Clubs are the latest group to be awarded a grant of nearly £2,500 for cultural activities, thanks to the Essex Small Grants Scheme. The grant is one of 16 awards worth £30,000 which will benefit 16 culture-based projects.

County Councillor Roger Hirst, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Libraries, Planning and the Environment, said:

Culture in Essex is thriving and it is important that we contribute to it by encouraging and incentivising through grants such as these. I look forward to hearing outcomes from all of the projects that have benefitted during this round of grants.

Read about the other grants awarded here.

Summer grass verge and weed trimming programme begins

Motorists are being asked to be extra careful as Essex County Council begins its summer roadside grass verge cutting programme.  Grass verges on all of Essex’s priority routes are cut to improve safety and the appearance of the highway. The cutting programme includes verges next to footways and roads, as well as central reservations and sightlines at junctions. Around 6,100 miles of verge will be cut throughout the programme.

Posted on

Colchester Events – Half Term & Early Summer

Colchester Events – Half Term & Early Summer

Colchester Borough Council have just issued details of a number of events and activities, including some for this half term, as follows:
Half Term Fun

Half term fun with Colchester Museums

Banish half term boredom with Colchester Museums this May, as we host activities that are a break from the norm!Get your creative juices flowing with the twisted history of Colchester in cartoon, enjoy a feast for the ears with tales of Roman Food or prepare your very own shell-fishy hand puppet to take home! Find out more here.
Summer Screen

Summer Screen

Two weeks of Summer Screen in Castle Park between 29 June and 12 July will be covering everything from live Wimbledon, Amélie, Mamma Mia and Shaun the Sheep: The Movie; all accompanied by a licensed bar, pop up food kiosks, bands and more! Wimbledon is FREE, film tickets just £2, under 3yrs FREE. Find out more here.
King of Pop

King of Pop, The Legend Continues

‘NAVI’ the world’s No.1 Michael Jackson performer will be recreating the magical classics from the early Jackson 5 songs to the mega-hits such as Thriller and Smooth Criminal. A great night of entertainment suitable for the whole family. Tickets £17 and £10 for children 16 years and under. Find out more here.
Street Wise

Be more streetwise about your well-being

Street Wise, is offering all things ‘street’ and more, for families to enjoy for free this summer – in a bid to help local people become more streetwise about their health and well-being.Street dance, street food and street sports such as football, basketball and skipping are just some of the free activities and attractions on offer at the event on Saturday 13 June, 10am-4pm at the Colchester Institute. Find out more here.

Full Listings

Even more events are listed at http://www.visitcolchester.com/.

Posted on

Heritage Watch Launched

Heritage Watch LogoHeritage Watch Launched

Influential figures in Essex’s heritage industry came together on 23rd of April at Stow Maries First World War Aerodrome to launch a new police initiative aimed at protecting the past. Heritage Watch is an Essex Police led partnership between agencies that are committed to protecting our heritage, as well as members of the public who want to help preserve our heritage.

The watch scheme looks to maintain and preserve important places of interest, encouraging vigilance and reporting of suspicious activity around sites. This is to prevent any theft or crime that may damage assets beyond recovery, which may lead to the loss of a piece of history for this and future generations.

Heritage Watch locations would include ancient earth works and archeological sites, listed buildings, museums, galleries, religious buildings, historic visitor attractions and others.

Dominic Petre of the Historic Houses Association said he was ‘very pleased’ about the initiative, adding:

When heritage is lost, it is lost forever.

Crimes against heritage are not just crimes against the owner. They are crimes against future generations and culture in general.

Chief Superintendent Carl O’Malley said:

In Essex we have some really significant sites, from the Roman remains in Colchester to Audley End House in Saffron Walden.

The key element for any watch scheme is to involve a broad range of different partners and bring them together. Through expert advice and assistance, we can all help one another. It is about communication, sharing, understanding and reporting.

For further information contact your local Essex Watch Liaison Officer using the Police 101 non–emergency telephone number.

Posted on

2015 Parish Meeting Well Attended

Refreshments before the meeting
Refreshments before the meeting
Opportunity to review the Neighbourhood Plan exhibition boards
Opportunity to review the Neighbourhood Plan exhibition boards
Public at 2015 annual meeting
Much debate between members and villagers
Discussions with parish councillors
The opportunity to talk to councillors was definitely taken up

2015 Parish Meeting Well Attended

The 2015 Parish Meeting saw over 100 local residents attending to receive the annual report from the Parish Council, the draft minutes of the meeting have already been published online but the following are highlights of the event.

Chairman’s Report

In his last Annual Meeting as Chairman, John Gili-Ross reflected on the importance of the Neighbourhood Plan in ensuring West Bergholt develops in accordance with the wishes of the local community.  On the subject of community, John also discussed the important part played by the many local volunteers:

Our future lies firmly within the many volunteers who help provide a vibrant and interesting village life.  Imagine how different our village would be without the many volunteers who provide our village with clubs, recreational pursuits, youth organisations, church communities, institutes and associations. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all our village volunteers.

Other areas he covered included the Superfast Essex broadband project, the achievement of the Local Council Quality Award, and the commitment of local councillors.  In winding up his Introductory messages he gave thanks to Val Walsom who will be retiring as Parish Clerk after many years, also to Vicky Beckwith-Cole, Halls Administrator and Stephen Cook, village handyman.

Committee Reports

Environment & Highways

Harry Stone reported on the wide span of responsibility this committee covers including:

  • The Allotments where he addressed the improvements in management and support with the rotavator and replacement of water tanks,
  • The Village Green & Poors Land which require regular maintenance,
  • The 3 ponds which need regular clearance of reed mace,
  • General maintenance in and around the village,
  • Traffic congestion and parking, updating on progress with the Traffic Safety Plan,
  • Highway Maintenance, liaison with Essex Highways attempting to prioritize those areas most needing attention,
  • MUGA & Sports facility which, whilst well used, has sometimes been abused but remedial action appears to be working,
  • Dog Fouling, Snow Clearance and Tree Conservation.

Premises & Recreation

Phil Walby reported on the halls and the high levels of lettings and events, not least by regular groups.  Projects undertaken in the past year included the resurfacing  and new LED lights for the car park, interior hall redecoration and provision of all-weather football facilities.  Projects planned for the upcoming year (funds permitting) include safety improvements to play equipment, stage curtains, floor treatments and introducing new regular events such as film nights.

Planning & Development

Chris Stevenson reported that the busiest part of this portfolio related to 43 planing applications in the past year (20% higher than the previous year) where the committee supported 19, objected to just 5 but made observations on a further 19.  Longer term, more strategic, activities included consultations with the Borough Council on Local Planning and provision of design guidance.  The committee was also deeply involved with the Orpen Hall car park resurfacing project.

Parish/Neighbourhood Planning

Chris Stevenson was able to report that most elements of the Parish plan, produced in 2008, have now been addressed and that progress has been made on its successor, the Neighbourhood Plan, through collection of evidence, analysis and eventual plan production – it is planned for a draft consultation document to be issued by the end of 2015.

Finance, Policy & Personnel

Andrew Savage reported that the 2013/14 accounts were signed off by the external auditor.  Financial activities in the past year were dominated by the Orpen Hall car park resurfacing which cost over £60k, but other projects have also been progressed including new chairs for both halls.  Projects like these are often fully or partly funded by grants, and indeed, some grant income did support these, but these are becoming increasingly difficult to secure and so to continue moving forward a small increase in the parish precept has had to be made.

Posted on

Free Dog Chipping

Dog ChippingFree Dog Chipping

Safer Colchester Partnership

The Safer Colchester Partnership are offering free dog chipping in the Colchester Exhibition Unit which will be located at School Road Green Space, Monkwick, CO2 8NN on 26th May between 9:30am and 2pm.

Local wardens will either chip them then and there or, if it isn’t convenient, issue you with a voucher to be used at a later date (booking an appointment for a warden to visit).  If your dog hasn’t been chipped it makes sense to follow well know dog trainer Cesar Millan’s advice, especially when the chipping is free:

I think it’s so much safer than other forms of identification. If your dog gets lost, he might lose his collar and tags; if your dog is stolen, the thief might remove his collar and tags. With a microchip, you can help people who find your dog find you and if someone else says it’s their dog, you can prove the dog is yours.

They make some neat stuff that works with your dog’s microchip, too. Like a pet door that recognizes your dog’s chip and lets him into the house (but not the raccoon that comes by later). The microchip won’t track your dog though. Your dog has to be taken somewhere to be scanned.

… not that we need to worry about too many racoons in Colchester.

As well as chipping, there will also be an ‘advice surgery’ on dog’s behaviour, so come along and talk about him if your terrier is a terror.

 

Posted on

Parish Council Election 2015 Results

Election 2015Parish Council Election 2015 Results

The Returning Officer for Colchester has now published the results of the Parish Council election held last Thursday.  With 12 candidates for 11 seats and all incumbents standing for re-election,  the membership of the Parish Council remains unchanged. Election of Chair, Vice Chair and committee membership will be decided at the first meeting of the newly constituted council on 20th May (see Agenda when issued later this week).

Name of Candidate

No of Votes*
BUTCHER Brian Tony, 738 Elected
CHURCH Jennifer Ann, 885 Elected
GILI-ROSS John, 962 Elected
HARLOW Murray James, 788 Elected
HEWITT Lee Andrew, 503
HOWARD Rachel Mary Patricia, 732 Elected
JAMES Rosemary Irene, 755 Elected
SAVAGE Andrew Philip, 731 Elected
STEVENSON Christopher Daniel, 675 Elected
STONE Harry, 952 Elected
TYRRELL Bob, 771 Elected
WALBY Philip John, 598 Elected

* If elected the word “Elected” appears against the number of votes.

Posted on

Early start for Dawn Chorus Walk 2015

Dawn Chorus Walk 2015Dawn Chorus Walk 2015

Once again Steve Hallam will be leading the Dawn Chorus Walk 2015 around Hillhouse Wood, offering the chance to see and/or hear nightingales and many other brilliant dawn choristers. Previous years’ walks have seen and/or heard over 20 species, for example, in 2013 the following list was collected:

  • Tawny Owl.
  • Whitethroat.
  • Robin.
  • Nightingale.
  • Blackbird.
  • Wren.
  • Pheasant.
  • Rook.
  • Wood Pigeon.
  • Blackcap.
  • Blue Tit.
  • Chaffinch.
  • Canade Goose.
  • Chiffchaff.
  • Goldcrest.
  • Mallard.
  • Jackdaw.
  • Great Tit.
  • Buzzard.
  • Green Woodpecker.
  • Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

The walk will start from the Old Church at 3:45am on Sunday 17th May.  You should bring warm clothing, stout footwear, a flask of hot drink and a torch – please note that the walk will only go ahead weather permitting.

If you haven’t been on one of these walks before you will find it a rewarding and delightful experience at a very special time for the wood’s varied wildlife; if you would like to know more then check out this report from the 2013 dawn chorus walk.

Other useful links are:

 Woodland Trust  Colchester Natural History Society Essex Wildlife Trust

Posted on

Village News Edition 22

Village News Edition 22.  May/June 2015

West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan

The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group held 3 exhibitions in March and April explaining the development of the Plan. They were well attended by many village residents and by Parish Councillors from other nearby villages and were most successful. This has resulted in more questionnaires being completed – the more we receive the more we can represent village views. The collection box will remain in the Post Office in the Coop until 21st May. So, if you haven’t sent yours in yet – do it now!!!  Alternatively, you can complete it online (which will save the Steering Group time transcribing paper copies).

The results will be collated and analysed by the steering group to produce a definitive Neighbourhood Plan and will be made public to all residents later in the year.

For further information on the NP contact :- Chris Stevenson NP chairperson at:- cdstevenson @gmail.com or visit the Neighbourhood Plan webpages.

The White Hart

It is great to see this local village Pub is now doing well. It has been taken on by Mark Killick as the landlord and you will always receive a cheerful welcome from him and his staff. Mark has seen the pub refurbished and it now looks very bright and inviting and very family friendly.

Mark is a trained chef and has previously worked in several Essex village pubs as a chef so you can be sure the meals on offer will be really good.

The opening times of the pub are:-

  • Monday to Saturday, 12md – 11pm.
  • Sunday, 12md – 6pm.
  • Lunches are served on Mondays and Tuesdays from 12md – 4.0pm
  • Meals served on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12md – 8.30pm
  • The famous Sunday roasts are from 12md – 4pm.

The beers on offer are also very good with a great selection!!

More Village News

Read archive Village Bulletins and News on the Village Bulletin & News webpage.

Posted on

Open Gardens 2015

Coggeshall Hidden Gardens 2015Open Gardens 2015

In previous years West Bergholt Gardeners have opened their gardens to the public in aid of charity, most recently in 2014 where well over £3,000 was raised for teenage cancer charities.  This year the organizers are taking a break, hopefully to be back reinvigorated next year, but for those still hoping to visit local gardens and get some ideas, we have recently received details of another similar event:

Coggeshall Hidden Gardens 2015

Sunday, 7 June 2:00 PM To 6:00 PM

This year Coggeshall is opening its garden gates so that you can visit walled gardens, kitchen gardens, tiny gardens, gardens that will delight and inspire you. There’s lots to do and see for young and old alike. Follow the children’s trail, visit the plant stall, enjoy a delicious home-made tea – a perfect afternoon out for the whole family! For more information visit the website at www.coggeshallopengardens.org.uk.

If You Can’t Make Coggeshall

There are some 23 Villages/Parishes running Open Gardens in Essex this year, a small sample includes some relatively local:

  • Walton-on-the Naze – 27th & 28th June – Various gardens open in Walton-on-the-Naze for the benefit of Walton in Bloom. Come and spend a wonderful day by the sea. Refreshments, tombola, raffle, plant sales and crafts for sale.  – http://www.waltoninbloom.org/.
  • Chappel & Wakes Colne – 7th June – About 12 beautiful gardens open in and around the Essex Colne Valley. Lovely garden location for refreshments.
  • Earls Colne – 21st June – A number of gardens will be open to visit, all within easy walking distance with garden trail for the young ones. St. Andrews church and tower will be open for views across the beautiful Colne valley. Refreshments on sale. http://www.colnevalley.com.
  • Tollesbury – 27th & 28th June – Over twenty gardens will be open, from small courtyard gardens to larger gardens, from community gardens to gardens as yet unseen by the public.
  • Pebmarsh – 7th June – This Trail includes a variety of gardens. Snipelands is a stunning two-acre garden in a peaceful setting, on the outskirts of Pebmarsh, at 10 Mill Lane are mature shrubs, herbaceous borders, and a fern garden under trees whilst Matson Lodge is a 1½ acre garden developed for wildlife.  http://www.redcross.org.uk/opengardens.

There are more listed at the Open Gardens website.