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Summer Music

Summer Music in Winstred Hundred – One Day, Two Events

July 4th this year saw the Wiggies going Yankee and Peldon indulging in the sense of summer arriving.  They reported as follows:

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Wiggies Go Yankee

What a wonderful afternoon was had by all with St Stephens decked out in American flags and bunting, a packed house sat down to be entertained by the talented LMT Singing School dressed in vintage costumes, hair styles and make-up celebrating the great American song book.

A delicious buffet ran throughout the afternoon with traditional American food and, while the singers had a chance to eat, the Ladies Barbershop Quartet “Velvet Rose” took over.

People overflowed outside enjoying the hot weather where a Craft and Cake stall was busy, raffle tickets were being sold and children were playing games.

The GW Events Committee would like to give special thanks to the singers who made our afternoon, all the people who cooked and served the delicious food, cleaned and helped putting up tables and the inevitable clearing up. Together they made it a very successful event.

GW Events Committee

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Music on a Summer’s Day in Peldon

On 4th July the Peldon Village Hall Management Committee ran yet another very successful and enjoyable evening with the Crissy Lee All Star band in the garden of Brick House Farm. We managed to raise nearly £7,000 with tremendous support from over 260 people.

We started the glorious evening with a young steel band which got the evening off to a great start as the sound of steel drums rang out gently across the garden. This was followed by wonderful music from Crissy’s band with two great and renowned singers, Liz Oki and Victor Bynoe complementing each other perfectly, an excellent backing group and Crissy playing unbelievably. She also did an amazing drum solo with the help of one of her young music pupils which aised a further £250 for Cancer Research UK.

Everyone had a great two course supper, and the licenced pay bar also added greatly to the fund, with the Pimms in great demand. This was followed by a successful raffle and an entertaining auction where some unusual and once in a lifetime items were sold.

Bob Holmes

 

 

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PAWS July – Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

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Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

41 members and 2 visitors attended our July annual social night. This year’s theme was the “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party”.  This was an opportunity for those who wished to dress as their favourite character from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ or ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ to do so and indeed they did. A collection of rabbits, mad hatters, the queen of hearts and 2 Alices to name but a few arrived early, “Not late” for another lovely evening.  There was themed tea party food including sandwiches and a variety of cakes washed down with a “Drink Me” bottle of fizz and I’m glad to report we did.

There were 3 quiz’s to be completed, the joint one was won by the team consisting of  Helene Gooding, Jean Hicks, Pam Leggett, Marianne Smith, Wyn Oxton and Caroline Wilson with 17 points out of a potential 20 and the best dressed was awarded to Jean Hedger as the outstanding “Mad Hatter” of the night.  Also the game “Pinning the moustache on the Cheshire Cat” was won by Angela Clark.

As we don’t meet in August our next get together is on the 22nd September when Edward Lubbock and Sue Kidd will tell us about “Hot Air Ballooning”. Membership is currently full but visitors are very welcome at a cost of £5.00.

Details of all our meetings and speakers can be found on the diary of the home page of the Winstred 100 website. If you would like further information about P.A.W.S please ring either of the following committee members: Alice Holmes 01206 735510 or Jane Anderson 01206 735505.

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Summer at Beth Chatto Gardens

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Summer Events at Beth Chatto Gardens

The Beth Chatto Gardens have recently been in touch with a summer offer:

We’ve come to realise that a lot of the local community have never visited the Beth Chatto Gardens before and so we’re offering free entry to the garden for children under 14, throughout the summer holidays (3 children per paying adult at £6.95), and we’d also like to invite you to a FREE evening of music and art on the 20th September.

It would be lovely to welcome members of your parish to the gardens and if you’d like to sign up for the events newsletter, please do here: http://eepurl.com/bmfHyb.

More events are listed on their website at: http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/events/.

Beth Chatto Gardens are based on the ecological and creative principles of their founder. They aim to provide an inspirational and sustainable, quality experience for all visitors. Education and enjoyment underpin the gardens’ philosophy.  They are located at: Elmstead Market Nr Colchester Essex CO7 7DB.

 Contacts & links are:

 

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ECC & CBC News Updates

Essex & Colchester News updates – July 2015

This is a summary of a number of recent announcements made by Essex & Colchester Councils during July 2015:

Listen to council meetings how and when you want

A new audio webcasting system is now in place streaming live from some of our council meetings and debates, available through our website and twitter feed, or you can choose to catch up later.

Links to the audio are from the ‘Your Council’ tab of essex.gov.uk with recordings available alongside meeting details and agendas. You can jump straight to a specific agenda item if that’s all you want to hear again.The Full Council meeting broadcast is planned for 14 July and committees of the council have also started to come online. Look out for tweets with links to the audio stream at the beginning of each meeting on the @ECC_DemSer twitter feed.

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Transparency on calls to ECC’s Contact Centre

Telephone calls to Essex County Council’s Contact Centre now start with a recorded message about call charges. This follows new legislation introduced by the communications regulator Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority for 084, 087,09 and 118 numbers, as part of the national UK Calling scheme.

Callers to the Contact Centre on all 0845 numbers are informed that calls cost 5p per minute plus the access charge from respective service providers.

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Road rollerEssex ahead on pothole repairs

The number of unrepaired potholes on county roads has fallen. In the three months leading to June 30, unrepaired potholes and carriageway defects on the county’s busiest roads have reduced by 70 and 75 per cent respectively, compared with the same period last year. According to Essex County Council figures, potholes and other carriageway defects were maintained at under 350, with 137 on the county’s busiest roads and 206 on main and key roads. Outstanding carriageway defects on local roads have also fallen over the same period, from 5,212 to 4,626, with 2,581 potholes repaired, continuing the positive trend seen over the previous three months. Since the same period last year, carriageway defects on local roads are down by 23 percent, from 6,001 to 4,626. To report a pothole or carriageway defect visit http://www.essexhighways.org/tell-us-pothole.aspx.

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Essex Outdoors children's activitiesHave a summer holiday to remember with Essex Outdoors

Essex Outdoors exciting 2015 summer holiday programme for 8-16 year olds has been released. Centres in Bradwell, Danbury, Harlow and Mersea will be running School Holiday Activity Days, which include up to four activities in one day, between 23 July and 28 August. Activities include aerial trekking, archery, bouldering, BMX, canoeing, caving, climbing, kayaking, low ropes, orienteering, zip wire and much, much more. Harlow is running additional climbing days as well as canoe and kayak days between 23 July and 28 August, with Bradwell also running a canoe day on 18 August. Activity days are the perfect way for children and young people to try the challenge and excitement of new activities. Activity days cost £30 per day or buy four days and get the fifth free. Dates, times and activities vary per centre so please check the website for full details or contact your nearest centre.

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Aiming High for Disabled Children – summer programme

Essex Outdoors will be running the ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’ programme this summer. The programme offers a range of day and overnight activities for free to disabled children and young people who are aged 8 to 18, as well as their carer. The programme includes:

  • Activity days at Harlow from 24 July to 28 August
  • Activity days at Danbury on 28 and 30 July
  • Sailing/crabbing day at Bradwell on 25 July
  • One night break in either Bradwell or Danbury on 15 August.
  • Mersea Island Festival overnight (five nights from 23 August)
  • Mersea Island Festival day visits from 25 to 30 August

Please note participants must live within the administrative boundary of Essex County Council to qualify for free places. For eligibility as well as dates, times and activities per centre please check the website.

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Family fun at Bark in the Park

Bark in the parkJoin us at this special dog themed fun day for dogs and their owners on Sunday 9 August in Colchester’s Castle Park.

Bark in the Park will transform the open space in Colchester’s park into a dog and dog owner’s extravaganza.  This event, led by Colchester Borough Council’s Animal Control Team, will offer everything man’s best friend needs. There will be plenty to keep the whole family (and their dogs) amused throughout the day and visitors are assured of a great day out.  Owners will also have the chance to enter their pet pooches into the various dog show events that will take place during the day.

Dog Show Categories

  • Best Young Handler
  • Smiliest Staffy
  • Most Gorgeous Rescue
  • Handsomest Dog
  • Prettiest Bitch
  • Calmest Tail
  • Best Trick
  • Overall Best in Show

 There will be entertainment and demos, competitions and prizes, K9 Aqua Sports, dog agility, doggie trade stands and much more! Make sure you register online (for free) to enter one of the seven pet Dog Shows on the day!  Find out more here.

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Have you watched CBC’s latest video?

A brand new tourism video promoting Colchester has been created to showcase everything that the Borough has to offer! If you haven’t had a chance to watch it on their YouTube channel yet, then click the link:

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Summer Reading Challenge 2015

guinness-world-recordsSummer Reading Challenge 2015

Help make this a record breaking summer

Every year the national Summer Reading Challenge aims to keep the country’s children reading throughout the holidays and as this year’s theme is ‘Record Breakers’, Essex Libraries wants as many pledges of support as possible to set a new Guinness World Record™ for ‘the most number of pledges received for a reading campaign’, and to contribute to an Essex record.

Children pledge to visit their local library, read six books of their choice and collect stickers in six categories to secure medals. Adults and volunteers pledge to support children to read. Older children can take part in a reading and arts programme called ImagiNation.

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

Getting more children to read for pleasure during the summer holidays will be a fantastic achievement. This record attempt will be used to highlight the importance of reading for pleasure as well as the importance of libraries in communities. I want to see Essex playing its part in creating this new world record.

The Summer Reading Challenge is produced by The Reading Agency in association with Guinness World Records™ and delivered by libraries, bringing together fact and fiction and helping young readers to discover some wonderful and truly amazing records from around the world.

Record Breakers and ImagiNation run from 11 July to Saturday 5 September in all Essex libraries and mobile libraries.

Note – the Mobile Library’s next visits are scheduled for 29th July, 12th August, 26th August and 9th September visiting The Glebe (Peldon), Creek View Cottages (Gt Wigborough) and The Street (Salcott)  on each of those mornings.

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PC Minutes 14th July 2015

WINSTRED HUNDRED PARISH COUNCIL

Peldon   Great Wigborough   Little Wigborough   Salcott   Virley

Draft minutes of the meeting of Winstred Hundred Parish Council held at Peldon Village Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14th July 2015

Present: John Walker, Nicky Ellis, Bob Holmes, Jinny Gale, Lynne Simmons, Phil Gladwin, Liz Davidson, Rob Surface, Netty Knill-Jones, Robert Davidson, Andrew Ellis and 5 members of the public

Apologies for absence: Kevin Bentley

Minutes of the last meeting were agreed by all and signed by the chairman

Zone Wardens Report – None received

Borough Councillors: Attempts will be made to repair and replace missing road and village signage with the help of CBC personnel as we are unable to get any action from ECC.  Abberton and Langenhoe are replacing their play equipment and surfacing so the old is available and will be viewed by us for possible interest.  A Casualty Reduction Team Officer is willing to attend a future meeting of ours which will be arranged.  A CBC Planning Officer will also visit in due course to listen to the parish council’s views on the Local Plan and proposed sites.

Public-Have Your Say: The installation of speed survey strips was discussed at length and a request had been made for all three roads in Peldon, Lower, Church and St Ives to receive this speed assessment measure and enquiries will be made to this end.  A request for litter picking bag hoops was repeated and will be chased up.  ECC Highways will be contacted for an overgrown verge in Peldon.

Declarations of Interest – None

1. Playgrounds and Playing Fields: Work at Moss Hay is on-going, the growth along the footpath has been cut back and quotes to resurface the footpath are being sought for which grants will be investigated for funding. The new zip wire will be tightened. Extra playground maintenance courses were considered not to be necessary.

2. Emergency Plan: Progress has been made and hopefully this will be completed for our next meeting.

3. Standing Orders and Code of Conduct: Up to date versions will be looked at from appropriate bodies with a view to adding our specific requirements.

4. Small Project Ideas: Peldon Borough Councillor fund could possibly be used to help fund Moss Hay footpath.  Ideas for Salcott and the Wigs will be gathered.

5. Grass cutting: The cutting of the small area of grass in front of Peldon Church has become an issue therefore a rota of volunteers will be sought and our insurance looked into.  The loose rubber on Moss Hay has been a problem for cutting the grass but Liz has managed a brilliant job for which we thanked her. The grass at Salcott meadow will be cut for the two events we have had requests for.

6. Operation of Speed Watch: No one further has come forward showing an interest in training to carry out this operation. We will answer an email we received about this.

7. Neighbourhood Watch Schemes: Having received a small interest enquires will be made as to the possibility of a scheme in this neighbourhood.

8. Salcott Flooding: Having now heard back from Environmental Agency with several emails including photos of ditches etc and their view on matters at their suggestion a meeting, to include Andrew will be arranged, at their offices to discuss matters further and inform them of what we consider to be their misinformation, a summary of the situation so far will be sent to Priti Patel.

9. Abberton Reservoir Rights of Way: There had not been a meeting of this committee since last month but a site meeting at Lodge Lane, Peldon is to be arranged.   

10. Actions and Reminders List – updated and taking note that we have not received a full answer to our letter to the Police Crime Commissioner for Essex about local crimes as yet and that the matter of crime will be brought up by our representative attending the Essex Rural Strategy Consultation Event later this month. Also we will make enquiries about the suitability of a clothes bank requested by Air Ambulance to help with funding the operation which is hugely expensive.

Planning Applications:
151462 Proposal: Cart lodge at The Anchorage, Lower Road, Peldon
Planning Decisions:
150726 (and 150727 Listed Building application) Proposal: Demolition of existing greenhouse and construction of a single storey residential annexe at East Anglian Farm Rides, Moor Farm, Colchester Road, Peldon – Approve conditional
150927 Proposal: Two dormer windows to first floor to improve internal daylight/ventilation bedroom environment at Fourways Farm, Barnhall Road, Salcott – Approve Conditional
150866 Proposal: Construction of a new B2 industrial building at Hosplant Ltd. Unit 1, St Ives Farm, St Ives Road, Peldon – Approve conditional
15111 Proposal: Alteration of existing garage outbuildings to form 2 bed dwelling at Bucklands, Copt Hall Lane, Little Wigborough – Refuse

Finances:

101836 Peldon PCC – churchyard upkeep£200.00
101837 Salcott PCC – churchyard upkeep£200.00
101838 Great and Little Wigboroughs PCC – churchyards upkeep£400.00
101839 R S Pullen – July salary£375.65
101840 Peldon Village Hall – hire£80.00
101841 PKF Littlejohn LPP – external audit£240.00
101842 T Simmons – play insp, 2 x cuts, Salcott hedge, Moss Hay footpath£170.00

The next meeting will be on Tues 8th Sept 2015 at 7.30pm at Salcott Village Hall

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Quality Care Commission Visit Colchester

Something to say about NHS Care?

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tell-us-about-your-care

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and social care in England.  They have powers to register, monitor and inspect all health & care services and, in September, they are visiting Colchester to find out what you have to say about local services, in particular those provided by the Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. Taking place on Monday 7th September between 6pm – 7:30pm, at Colchester Town Hall (in the Grand Jury & West Committee rooms), you are invited to meet with the CQC’s inspectors and share your experiences with them.  Of course, if you can’t wait until then, you are able to share your experiences anonymously at any time by contacting the CQC on:

The CQC’s inspection method when reviewing a hospital or other service is focussed around 5 key questions:

  1. Are they safe? Are you protected from abuse and avoidable harm?
  2. Are they effective?  Do they provide your care, treatment and support achieving good outcomes, helping you to maintain quality of life and based on the best available evidence?
  3. Are they caring? Do staff involve and treat you with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  4. Are they responsive to people’s needs?  Are  services organised so that they meet your needs?
  5. Are they well-led? Does the leadership, management and governance of the organisation make sure it’s providing high-quality care that’s based around your individual needs, that it encourages learning and innovation, and that it promotes an open and fair culture?

   

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Wigs Village Hall Delayed AGM

Date of Annual General Meeting

Our Governing Document states that:

 …. if in any year an AGM shall not be convened and held in the month of June the AGM for that year shall be held as soon as practicable after the month of June.

Since the previous AGM in November 2014 the committee has struggled with agreeing a recommended way forward for what has become a very challenging problem.

Given the schisms in both the community and the committee we sought help from the Charity Commission in the good management of the Charity and advice from a lawyer who specialises in Charity Commission work.

The lawyer stated that the Charity has been in breach of its objectives since the hall first became unusable over 20 years ago because the trustees have not managed the hall for residents to use nor provided the alternative benefits which the Governing Document allows for.  He therefore advised that selling the land to enable the release of alternative benefits was a priority task to comply with the objectives of the Charity.  Further that if residents did not agree to sell the land the Charity would effectively become  ungovernable because the trustees would be unable to take action to correct the breach of duty.  In that case the Charity Commission would advise on what action should be taken.

We are currently seeking further help from the Charity Commission and the lawyer.

The committee and the community have suffered from ill-founded rumour in the past and the trustees want to be sure that any information given is both correct and legal.

We feel that although this is delaying the AGM it is in the best interests of the Charity to resolve the outstanding issues before moving forward.

 

Jinny Gale
Chairman WVHMC

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