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Family Fun, Coffee & Craft

Family fun - kiddies craft - colouring inThe Methodist Church will be providing family fun activities for young families at their Coffee and Craft mornings during the school holidays.   The sessions are targeted towards children, ages 0-11, but please remember bring a parent along, sorry no unaccompanied children.

These will take place in the West Bergholt Methodist Church Hall, Chapel Lane from 10.30 – 12.00 on the following Mondays:

  • Aug. 5th
  • Aug. 19th
  • Sept. 2nd

… and all for just £2-50 per family.  The activities will vary each week including, such as mosaic coasters, painting, beadwork, fabric painting etc.. and are designed to allow families with differing ages to all be accommodated with age appropriate activity.  Look out for posters for further details or contact Susie Connor who started running these sessions near her own home some years ago because she found it so difficult to find a single activity that all ages could enjoy together.  Either call her on   07585 457215 or email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].

30th Anniversary Historic Vehicle Rally

West Bergholt Historic Vehicle RallyThis weekend sees the 30th Anniversary Historic Vehicle Rally.  As well as hundreds of  historic vehicles of all descriptions there will also be many trade stands, charity stalls and fun fair not to forget the free country & western concert on Saturday evening (see original post for more details).

Other star attractions include:

The Royal British Legion Band & Corps of Drums, Romford

Royal British Legion Band at the Winter Palace
Royal British Legion Band at the Winter Palace

This band was formed in 1952 by Mr Peter Richardson BEM and is one of the longest running independent youth bands in the UK today. The Band is of a full Military Wind band line up with a Corps of Drums and our uniform is based on Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Band.

The Band is of a very high standard and as a result of that has performed at  many top events both in the UK and Europe.  They are the most decorated Youth band in the UK with 9 gold medals and 3 silver medals from the World Music Championships.

The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team

White Helmet's fire jump at Chatsworth
White Helmet’s fire jump at Chatsworth

Perhaps better known as the White Helmets The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team has been acknowledged  as the oldest, best known and most accomplished motorcycle display team in the country, if not the world.  The Team formed in 1927 when they performed displays of horsemanship and  motorcycling skills.  Horses gave way completely to motorcycles in the display in 1937 and in  1963 the Team adopted the world famous name ‘The White Helmets’.

The Team’s 25 riders on classic 750cc Triumph Tiger machines, Honda CRF 450’s and quads provide a fast paced, action packed display.  Wearing the full dress uniform of the Royal Signals along with their famous White Helmets the riders will perform a combination of high speed  crossovers, spectacular jumps, skilful feats of balance and numerous reverse rides.  This exciting display requires a high standard of concentration, discipline and teamwork which demonstrates the courage, skill and versatility of the modern Royal Signals soldier.

Online survey deadline extended

Logo of the West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan project
Our village & parish life in our hands
Click to complete survey.

The Parish Council would like to thank everybody who has already completed the village survey, in particular the online survey; so far they have received in excess of 450 responses.

With these responses crucial to the future of the village, however, the Parish Council, and in particular, the Neighbourhood Plan Group, are keen to get more responses and so the deadline has been extended until 10th August for online survey responses, so if you still want to complete the on-line survey you still have a chance.

Have your say in the future of the village!!!!

Drawing & Learning How to “See”

A line & perspective drawing by Anna BoonNew Drawing Classes in West Bergholt

Do you want to learn to draw or improve on your ability?

If so, a new class is starting in St Mary’s Church Hall, West Bergholt on 17th September and running for 6 weeks (although if there is enough demand will continue to run on thereafter).  In this six-week course you will learn all about line, tone, negative spaces and perspective.  All tools to help you translate what you actually “see” to paper and help build confidence in your skills and achieve great results.

Anna promises small, friendly classes with an experienced tutor who will give encouragement and advice.  This short course will cost just £45.

For more information and register your place please contact Anna Boon BA (Hons) Fine Art on 01206 262780 or by email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].  If you would like to see some of Anna’s work you can also visit her website at http://www.annaboon.co.uk/.

More about Anna

Anna grew up in Cornwall, moved briefly to Glasgow and has since settled in Suffolk.  After a career in the travel industry, and bringing up two children, she fulfilled a long held ambition to study art and gained a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art from Colchester School of Art and Design.

At present Anna is building a portfolio of work to exhibit and teaching adults the joys of drawing and painting.

Anna is also a founder member of “Quartz” a group of artists who meet regularly to exhibit and to help and encourage each other in their individual practice.

Latest Village News Online – Focus on Traffic Plan

Heathlands-Primary-Road-Markings
The Traffic Safety Plan focuses strongly on congestion around the school

The latest village news has been made available locally and is also posted here online together with other News Bulletins.  As well as a reminder to respond to the neighbourhood plan survey, this issue draws attention to the West Bergholt Traffic Plan which was discussed at a Public Meeting on 4th July.  All residents are encouraged to read the plan and those who attend Heathlands are strongly encouraged to consider walking to school wherever possible..

Neighbourhood survey on track, one last push needed

Logo of the West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan project
Our village & parish life in our hands
Click logo to complete survey.

The Neighbourhood Plan survey has drawn in an encouraging 300 responses to date, many of these online using the electronic survey.  The Steering Group have a target of 500 responses in mind as this would represent about a third of all households.  With this in mind the survey period has been extended to 19th July.

So if you haven’t responded yet, or if there are others in your household you could encourage to respond, please take the 10 minutes needed to complete the questionnaire ideally on line!  If you prefer to respond on paper then remember the questionnaire was included as an insert in June’s Village Bulletin.  If you need extra copies of the survey, the paper copy is also available to download here – WB HH Questionnaire ver 15.

Extra prize draw for under-18 survey respondents

Remember you can enter our prize draw with a chance to win a Co-op hamper!  As an added incentive for younger members of the community to respond, we are creating a second prize of a £20 Amazon gift voucher available for respondents aged under 18.

Anna’s Hillhouse Wood Diary

Log in streamOne of the Friends of Hillhouse Wood‘s younger members has decided that, for her Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, she will spend the next 6 months or so going through Hillhouse Wood collecting litter and making observations.  Her first two visits have now been recorded on her online diary, part of the Hillhouse Wood sub-site, and can be followed here.

Speedwatch Campaign

Speed sign - 30 NOT 50

Are you concerned with Speeding traffic through the village?

Your Village needs YOU.

Many people in the village have complained about the speed of some motorists as they drive through the village.  Speedwatch is a small group of volunteers who have been trained by the local Police, and who are able to check speeds of vehicles using an official radar speed gun.  We are able to go, when we are able, to locations which have been assessed as safe, and to note the details of cars or other vehicles travelling above a speed threshold.  These motorists will then receive letters from the Police.

The two villages of Eight Ash Green and West Bergholt work jointly on this and our locations include  the A1124 (Halstead Rd), Spring Lane, B1508 (Colchester Rd), sharing people and equipment.  Any session requires a minimum of two volunteers but extra people are helpful to collect details.  If you could spend a hour or so, when convenient to you, and would be interested in joining us, then could you let me know as soon as possible.  If we receive enough volunteers, then we can arrange another training session with the local police.

We are not anti-motorist, most of us are motorists ourselves.  We aim to get all to obey the speed limits, for the safety of all road users.  There are many places with restricted views in these villages, one motorist well in excess of the limit at one of these motivated me to get involved with this project.

If you are interested and would like to join us, please contact me as soon as possible by phone on  (01206) 571910 or email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].

 

Anthony C Robin

Ipswich Road/East Street Closure 17-21 June 2013

Essex County Council have notified us of a future road closure in Ipswich Road from the East Street junction in Colchester.  This will start at 08:00 on 17 June 2013 and last for 5 days.  The closure is required in order to “repair consequential damage”.

The road will be closed from its junction with East Street, in a generally north-easterly direction for a distance of approximately 50 metres.  The alternative route will be via Ipswich Road, A133, East Street and vice versa.

Access to properties for residents and emergency vehicles will be maintained during the closure but may be subject to delay whilst the works area is made safe.

Online survey launched by Neighbourhood Plan group

Logo of the West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan project & link to survey
Our village & parish life in our hands
Click to complete survey.

The Neighbourhood Plan is in its formative stages.  A Steering group has been formed to produce the plan, and the area to be covered by the plan has been determined.  A preliminary workshop has been undertaken with members of the community and from all the information assembled to date a community questionnaire/survey has been produced.

Please complete the survey.

We now need you, the members of our community, to let us have your views on a range of topics by completing our online survey (click the link).   The survey will take you just 10-15mins to complete, and any members of your household can participate.  Your views really will help us to determine how the village and wider parish area should change over the coming years and what improvements the community see as being important to pursue.

If you would like to find out more then visit these pages on this website:

So don’t stand back, come forward, complete the questionnaire and be a promoter and guardian of West Bergholt, and share in and shape our vision for the future. Completed surveys are eligible for entry into a prize draw with a chance to win a food hamper courtesy of the Co-op.

Contacts

Chris Stevenson ([antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]) or Murray Harlow ([antibot mailto=”[email protected]”])