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Village News

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Women’s Institute – Quarter Update

Emmeline Pankhurst in
 less-fashionable
Prison attire

June was an ‘Open Meeting’ with the president Pat Moran welcoming visitors from other W I’s. During the refreshment break everyone was able to view the displays of press cuttings on our 90th birthday celebrations, together with old programmes and minutes.

Ex mayor, Sonia Lewis, talked about her mayoral year and included a typical day. She spent none of the council’s money whilst in office and her audience were keen to hear about her various outfits worn for the variety of official duties she carried out. Two walks were organised and members then enjoyed a lunch at Barn Plants.

The July outing was a visit to Perrywoods garden centre where members enjoyed browsing around the extensive area before lunch.

August‘s meeting was an ‘Open Meeting’, vice-president, Bea Girkin, welcomed members and visitors. Mrs Louise Reed was introduced as Emmeline Pankhurst. She wore the fashion of the 1920’s and gave an in-depth insight into life in prison and the traumas of trying to obtain suffrage for women.

The West Bergholt WI are looking forward to meeting past members on 15th September in the Methodist Hall from 2pm to 4pm to celebrate their 90th year. Invitations will be distributed this month.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Brownies raise money for LEPRA

1st West Bergholt Brownies recently turned a badge challenge into a fund-raising opportunity.

In performing to  family and friends in order to win their Entertainers Badges they raised a wonderful sum of £120.00 for LEPRA (a Colchester-based charity specialising in fighting diseases of poverty principally in the 3rd world) .

Well done girls!
This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Be heard – Colchester services survey

CBC Survey – Sample page

Colchester Borough Council has launched a Customer Service Survey to understand why residents access Council Services in the way that they do. From 11th July the Council begun to gather customer feedback to ensure it is providing the right services at the right location. Customers visiting the Customer Service Centre, High Street will be asked to take the opportunity to have their say, by participating in the survey and shaping the future delivery of Council services. The Customer Service Survey asks:

  • Why customers prefer to visit the CBC offices rather than use the phone or email and
  • Where they have travelled from and what mode of travel they use when they come into town to visit CBC.
  • Whether they would prefer to access Council Services within their local community from locations such as library or Parish Council premises.

Cllr Beverley Oxford, Portfolio Holder for Customers, said: “The Council is committed to providing excellent customer service to residents and the business community, and wants to future proof its services so that we can ensure we are providing customer service in a format and location that meets our customers changing needs. “Residents’ views are very important in helping us to shape the future of Council services. Complete our customer survey and communicate your priorities and needs to the Council.”

Customers can also complete the survey online at www.colchester.gov.uk/customersurvey until 2 September 2011. Following the 2 September we will collate and consider responses as part of the first stage of the Council’s customer services consultation.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Essex Police 101 & other updates

From July 1st, Essex Police becomes one of the first forces to switch to the new, national, police non-emergency 101 telephone number (replacing 0300 333 4444).  You can use this number if you need to contact Essex Police about any non-emergency crime issue, to contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team, to seek crime prevention or personal safety advice, contact your nearest police station or to speak to us about any other non-emergency issue.

Please be assured that the emergency 999 number remains. unchanged and should continue be used if you have an emergency

Essex Police is currently undergoing a major change programme in order to save money, whilst continuing to provide a first class service to the public, and has already begun to make positive changes. The views of those who visit, live or work in Essex are extremely important to Essex Police and Essex Police Authority to enable them to take this programme forward and they would therefore be grateful if you could take a couple of minutes to answer the questions in their public on-line survey.  To do this, please go to www.essex.police.uk/authority and click on the Reform Survey link which will take you into the survey, or go directly to www.surveymonkey.com/s/7GSFLG5. This public survey is open to everyone and they are committed to seeking the views of as many people across Essex as they can and hope representation will be wide and varied. So, if you know of someone who you think might be interested in having their say and making a difference in their community, could you please take a moment to pass these details on to them and ask them to do the same with their contacts?

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Gardening – Beeleigh Update

Beeleigh Abbey Gardens

An historical and peaceful retreat of three acres of riverside gardens in a delightful setting dating from the 13th century was enjoyed by 32 members of teh west Bergholt Gardeners Association on their July evening visit to Beeleigh Abbey Gardens, Maldon.  The original abbey was founded in 1180 for white robed canons of the strict Premonstratensian order.  The energetic commitment to Beeleigh by the owners and their staff was reflected in the splendid show of English old roses; mixed borders; cottage garden; wild flower meadow; river walk; vegetable and fruit production and water features.

Interested in visiting the gardens? They are next open on 8 & 22 July; 5 & 19 August and 2 & 30 September 10.30am to 4.30pm – entry £4. Refreshments available/ free parking. Information available on http://visitmaldon.co.uk/beeleigh-abbey/ – telephone: 07779 223321.

For details on the Gardener’s Association’s meetings and outings contact Valerie Lofthouse, Chair: tel. 01206 855450 – [email protected] or Terry Claydon, Treasurer: tel. 01206 242124 – [email protected].

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Summer Wildlife Walk at Hillhouse Wood


Joe Firmin and Philip Smith will lead this walk starting at the Old Church at 10am on 10th July.  Being in and near the wood the walk offers a chance to see butterflies (including whiteletter hairstreaks), dragonflies, damselflies and other colourful insects, as well as summer wildflowers and resident birds.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Gershwin to Gaga

is the theme of the next West Bergholt Concert Band concert.  Featuring music from the likes of Gershwin, of course, Coldplay, John Williams, Stevie Wonder, Wicked & Gaga the concert will be held on Saturday July 16th, 7:30pm, in St Mary’s Church Hall to mark its re-opening.

As always, all of the band’s concerts are raising money for local & national charities. This year’s charities will include Myasthenia Research, Coggeshall Youth Work Trust, Clacton Family Support, Headway, Lepra and our local Church Charities.

To find out more check out the Band’s website.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Ebullient & exuberant gardens

Ebullient and Exuberant – aptly described the Old Vicarage Gardens, East Ruston when 52 members and guests visited this week. As we left one beautiful ‘themed’ garden we were enticed into the next. We felt we had travelled many continents seeing Echium pininana from the Canary Islands; Eschonaria yuccoides from Mexico; agaves, aloes, puyas and cacti in the Arizona ‘Desert Wash’; native cordylines and phormiums in the New Zealand garden and a South African flavour in the Exotic section.

Aeoniums and succulents in
the North Garden

Feeling more at home, we ambled through areas of woodland; adored the fragrances in the rose garden; admired with envy, ʽmega’ sized lettuces in the highly productive vegetable patch. A walk into a meadow of cornflowers threw out a blue haze whilst in the wildflower meadow hardy geraniums and other herbaceous plants competed with the grass. And this is just a brief description of all we sampled and enjoyed.

Beeleigh Abbey Gardens, Maldon – will be our next outing on the evening of Tuesday 5 July. The three acres of riverside gardens are set in a picturesque and historic setting dating from the 13th century.

For details on our meetings and outings contact Valerie Lofthouse, Chair: tel. 01206 855450 – [email protected] or Terry Claydon, Treasurer: tel. 01206 242124 – [email protected].

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Blown away…

Garden sacks marked with address

… garden waste sacks are a real nuisance.  CBC has provided advice on reducing the problems experienced by local residents after their sacks are emptied on windy days and sometimes blow away.
Prevention is always better than cure so advice to prevent permanent loss of these sacks are:

  • have a large stone, brick or similar weighty object nearby so the crew can weigh the sacks down once emptied, and 
  • always write your address on the side of them, this way if they do blow away anybody finding them can return them to you.

If the worst happens and you need replacement garden sacks residents can purchase their sacks online for home delivery by clicking on the link below. This link can also be used by residents to order clear recycling sacks and green boxes which are not chargeable:

Garden sacks can also be purchased from a number of outlying collection points across the borough. The link below will take residents directly to a full list of locations:

Residents may also use sacks similar in size and construction to those available from the Council, however they must have emptying handles on the side and the bottom.  Alternatively you could consider composting garden waste, details of this option can be found by residents by clicking the link below.

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net
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Historic Vehicle Show 2011

At Nayland Road once again this annual event continues to offer a stunning range of activities and displays for all tastes. kicking off on Friday evening, 29th July, at 7:30pm with a FREE Country & Western Concert, starting at 10am on Saturday the show sees over 500 historic vehicles of all descriptions, a wide range of trade & charity stands, static exhibitions and funfair with a Massive Kite Display. Saturday evening entertainment is in the form of a Last Night of the Proms Concert (tickets from Manns Music, Colchester, or A Dickens on 07887 934726).

Sunday ups the ante with the show being opened at 10am by BBC Radio’s Richard Spendlove MBE and includes the Massed Bands of the City of Coventry, Jez Avery Honda Buggy & Trials Bike Stunt Show and The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Parachute Freefall
Team “The Tigers”.

Licensed Bar running throughout.

Any enquiries to M J Culham on 01206 271253

This material has been developed for the West Bergholt Village Website at http://www.westbergholt.net