The Future of Essex Policing

The future of policing in Essex will be the subject of a public lecture given later this month by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

In a public lecture as he approaches the end of his term in office PCC Nick Alston will reflect on his time as PCC as he looks ahead to how Essex police will need to respond to the changes in crime across Essex and to the many other demands on police resources.

The lecture, entitled “Policing in Essex: The way ahead and the role of the PCC”, will also look at the developing role of the PCC and at the crucial links between Essex Police and other agencies in seeking to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.

The event takes place on Thursday March 17 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Chelmsford’s Anglia Ruskin University.
The lecture will take place in the Lord Ashcroft building at Anglia Ruskin University in Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, CM1 1SQ.

Refreshments will be available from 6pm with the lecture beginning at 6.30pm.

The event is free and open to all. To book your place visit the EventBrite website. If you have any questions please contact [email protected]

11th February 20163rd May 2016

February Half term 2016

February Half Term 2016

With February half term next week Colchester Museums, Leisure World and Essex Outdoors are all running extra activities to keep the kids occupied:

Colchester Museums

Colchester Museums have events running every day with art and craft workshops at Hollytrees Museum, storytelling and castle making at the Castle and monkey and fossil activities at the Natural History Museum:

Date	Venue	Description	Times	Cost	Booking
Mon 15 Feb	Hollytrees Museum	Portraits in Shadow Work as a group to turn your shadow into a striking silhouette portrait. Minimum age 4 years old	Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm	£3 per person	Required, please call 01206 282941
Mon 15 Feb	Colchester Castle	Queen of the Iceni Come and meet Boudica, the brave warrior Queen.	Storytelling at 11am, 1pm and 3pm	Free after normal admission price to the Castle	Not required
Tue 16 Feb	Hollytrees Museum	Mini Model Homes Be inspired by our Victorian doll’s house and make your own room in miniature.	Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm	£3 per person	Required, please call 01206 282941
Wed 17 Feb	Natural History Museum	Monkey Business Celebrate the Chinese Year of the Monkey with us at the Natural History Museum. Create, personalise and take home your own glove monkey.	Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm	£3 per person	Required, please call 01206 282941
Thurs 18 Feb	Natural History Museum	Go Live! Fantastic Fossils Are you fascinated by fossils? Come and meet the fossil experts and have your own fossils identified.	Drop in 10-12pm and 2-4pm	Free event	Not required
Fri 19 Feb	Colchester Castle	Crafty Castles From rubbish to ramparts, discover how the Normans built Colchester Castle out of recycled material. Make your own castle out of recycled items.	Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm	£2 per person after normal castle admission	Required, please call 01206 282941

Leisure World

As well as its regular activities, Leisure World (call 282000 for bookings and more information) offers further half-term ones including art & craft and sports related as follows:

Date	Times	Activity	Ages	Cost
Mon 15 Feb	1.30 – 3.00	Arts & Crafts – Fun and mess with hands on activities using creativity and imagination	5 – 11 yrs	£5.80
Tue 16 Feb	3.00 – 4.00	Creative Dance – Come along and sing and dance. Use your imagination while developing skills of movement and dance	1.5 – 4yrs	£4.20
	4.00 – 5.00	Mini Street	5 – 7 yrs	£4.20
	4.00 – 6.00	Whiz Kids – Fun activities for children with disabilities, including trampolining, bouncy castle, basketball, football and much much more	0 – 16 yrs	£4.60
Wed 17 Feb	1.30 – 3.00	Team Games – Join in with a variety of sports and games: running, jumping, throwing and catching, but most off all having fun!	7 – 12 yrs	£6.50
Thurs 18 Feb	1.30 – 3.00	Badminton & Short Tennis – Two fun ways to enjoy racket sports and learn new skills	7 – 12 yrs	£6.50
Fri 19 Feb	1.30 – 3.00	Arts & Crafts – Fun and mess with hands on activities using creativity and imagination	5 – 11 yrs	£5.80

Base Camp

With different activities every day including such as multi sports, leisure pool, cinema visit etc., Base camp runs from 58am until 5:30pm for £30 a day.

Kid’s Camp

For school years 1 – 6 only these offer action packed days running from 9am to 3pm for £25 or 8am to 5:30pm for £30 per day.

Essex Outdoors

Essex Outdoors’ action-packed activity day experiences run at our 4 centres during the school holidays and are the ideal way for young people aged 8-16 to try exciting new experiences in the outdoors!
Working in groups of around 10 young people, your child will have the opportunity to take part in up to four fun and challenging activities each day, ranging from archery, canoeing and climbing to mountain biking, high ropes and zip wire.
Constant supervision during the day by our professional instructors will give parents peace of mind and ensure kids have a memorable day! All technical equipment is provided – participants just need to bring, comfortable (and waterproof!) clothing and footwear as well as a packed lunch and a drink.
Special offer for February Half Term – School Holiday Activity Days will be just £15 per child, per day, a saving of 50%.

Bradwell

Tuesday 16th February – High Ropes & Archery. Book online.

Danbury

Monday 15th February – Archery, Aerial Trekking, Bushcraft & Obstacle Course
Tuesday 16th February – BMX, Zip Wire, Problem Solving & Climbing Wall
Wednesday 17th February – Low Ropes, Climbing Wall, Archery & Zip Wire
Thursday 18th February – Mountain Biking, Orienteering, Bushcraft & Aerial Trekking
Friday 19th February – Archery, Bushcraft, BMX & Zip Wire

Book online.

Mersea

Monday 15th February – Aerial Runway, Archery, Climbing & Team Challenge
Thursday 18th February – Climbing, Aerial Runway, Low Ropes & Team Challenge
Friday 19th February – Adventure Course, Aerial Runway, Archery & Caving.

Book online.

Short Breaks for Disabled Children

Saturday 13th February – Activity Day at Mersea
Thursday 18th February – One Night Break at Bradwell

More information here.

Essex County Council

Fri 12 Feb 5.30pm	Lantern Walk on Hadleigh Downs, Hadleigh Park	Make a colourful lantern then join other families in a lantern-lit walk across the Olympic mountain bike venue.	£5 per child Book now to attend phone 0345 603 7624. Suitable for age 3+
Sat 13 Feb 10am – 5pm	Raspberry Pi Event, Chelmsford Library	We will have interesting activities for all ages and abilities and activities suitable for primary school children/beginners upwards in using a Raspberry Pi. Put on by Essex Libraries and the Southend Raspberry Jam.	Book now to attend for free. Phone 0345 603 7628
Sat 13 Feb to Sat 21 Feb 10.15am – 2pm	Secret Story Walk, starts from Thorndon Country Park South Pavilion Café	Explore and experience the woods on this this self- guided trail. The story of your own creature develops as you enjoy our play activities in the outdoors. You can really use your imagination.	£3 per trail guide. No need to book. Suitable for children ages 3-9
Sat 13 Feb to Sat 21 Feb 10am – 3pm	Mini rangers trail, Weald Country Park	Buy a Trail booklet from the Visitor Centre, follow the map and stamp each page as you complete your Ranger jobs. Then return to the Visitor Centre to collect a well done gift. Please dress for a walk in the park with lots of mud. Body carriers are advised for small children as not all paths are suitable for buggies.	£3 per booklet, no need to book
Mon 15 Feb 10.30am – 3pm	Art Workshop at Loughton Library	Come along to lessons in drawing and colouring, held by professional artists.	£6 per person. Book now by phoning 0345 603 7628 Suitable for Ages 7+ (Parents welcome although they must book and participate)
Mon 15 Feb 10.30am – 3pm	Recycle Themed Dinosaur Events, Witham Library	Come and visit Steggy, the Stegosaurus Rex made up completely from recycled electronic materials. Come along for quizzes, treasure trails and more	No need to book; drop in any time for free entry
Mon 15 Feb 2 – 3pm	Harry Potter Night of Spells, Wickford Library	Join us to celebrate the magic of the Harry Potter series with crafts, colouring, and activities to entertain young witches and wizards aged 7 and up. It would be Riddikulus to miss this!	Ages 7 and over. No need to book; drop in any time for free entry.
Mon 15 Feb	Pop up Drama, Harlow Library	A unique drama and art workshop that will stretch your child’s imagination, build their confidence and teach them invaluable art and drama skills.	Book now by phoning 0345603 7628. £10 per child
Mon 15 Feb 11am	Teddy Bears picnic at Southminster Library	Make your own Paddington Bear, quiz trail and other activities. Bring a snack and decorate a cake for a teddy bears picnic storytime.	Free of charge, no need to book. Suitable for under fives However elder siblings are welcome.
Mon 15 Feb 10.30am – 12 noon and 1.30pm – 3pm	How to Draw and How to Colour, Loughton Library	Children’s workshops	Must book before-hand. Phone 01992 564000
Mon 15 Feb to Fri 19 Feb	Bear Hunt, Great Baddow library	Going on a Bear Hunt’ themed week including Teddy bears story time – bring your teddy, find the famous bear trail and teddy bear crafts.	Open to all children aged 0-11 years old. No need to book. Drop in for free.
Mon 15 Feb to Sat 20 Feb	Harry Potter Week, Chelmsford Library	Drop in to participate in a load of fun, Harry Potter related activities such as word scrabble, colouring, and making your own Hogwarts tie	No need to book. Drop in any time for free entry.
Tue 16 Feb 10am – 12pm	Knex workshop, Frinton Library	Create Knex models using your problem solving skills, imagination and communication.	Limited spaces. Pop in or phone to book a place on 01255 672581.
Tue 16 Feb 10.30am to 12.00pm	Bugs and Other Creepy Crawlies, Maldon Library	Event will involve story time, making bug related craft, and making fresh fruit kebabs.	Children up to 11 years old. Free entry and no need to book.
Tue 16 Feb 2pm – 3pm	Real Life Fireman, Sible Hedingham Library	Come and meet a REAL fireman, hear some great stories and make your own fire engine!	Aimed at under sevens and is free of charge. No need to book.
Tue 16 Feb 2pm to 4pm	Knex Workshop, Clacton Library	Create Knex models using your problem solving skills, imagination and communication.	Ticketed event. To book, phone 0345 603 7628.
Wed 17 Feb 10am – 11.30am	Where’s Wally? trail, quizzes, crafts and fun, Broomfield Library	Be the best dressed Wally in red and white	Free entry and no need to book. Suitable for ages up to eight.
Wed 17 Feb 11am – 1pm	Harry Potter Event, Rayleigh Library	Come in costume and join in with the activities for children	No need to book. Drop in any time for free. Suitable for children ages 5-9.
Wed 17 Feb 11am – 2pm	Wild Wednesday, Danbury Country Park	Free children’s activities, including making dens and mud pies, wading in the stream, splashing in puddles, kicking leaves, forest crafts, finding fish and more.	Free of charge. No need to book.
Wed 17 Feb 3pm	Paddington Bear story time and Activities Event, Wickham Bishops	Join in with story time, colouring and craft activities	Free entry and no need to book. Suitable for under fives. However, elder siblings are welcome.
Wed 17 Feb 2pm	Family Bike Ride, Hadleigh Park	This is a fun ride for families, taking in the beautiful landscape of the Hadleigh Downs and Thames estuary. Helmets MUST be worn – “no helmet, no ride”. Please ensure your bike is in a safe riding condition.	Book now to attend. Phone 01702 551076. This event is free if you bring your own bike. Alternatively bike hire is available – please reserve a bike in advance by phoning 01702 551076. Suitable for families with children aged 10+ (all children must be accompanied)
Thu 18 Feb 10am – 12 noon	Kite Making, Hadleigh Park	Make your very own kite with the help of the rangers, then send it soaring over the downs.	Suitable for ages 4+£5 per kite. No need to book.
Thu 18 Feb 10am – 12 noon	Drop in Pirate and Princess Event, Brightlingsea Library	Drop in Pirate and Princesses Event at Brightlingsea Library. Children welcome to dress up. Story time at 11am. Crafts between 10 –12.	No need to book. Drop in anytime for free. Children of all ages welcome.
Thu 18 Feb 2pm	Harry Potter Event, Brentwood Library	Come along and take part in our Harry Potter quizzes and join us as we make a spell trail	No need to book. Drop in any time for free entry.
Fri 19 Feb 2pm – 4pm	Owls From Plop to Hedwig, Danbury Library	Free children’s crafts – make an owl. Share a story. Learn more about owls by following our puzzle trail.	No booking required. Drop in for free.
Sat 20 Feb 10am – 12 noon	Hour of Code Event, Rayleigh Library	Take the opportunity to spend a fun hour learning to code with Star Wars, Minecraft or Frozen.	For children aged 7-11.
Sat 20 Feb 2.30pm – 4.30pm	Reading Dangerously, Colchester Library	Come along to an afternoon with the Year of Reading Dangerously team, who will be sharing their enthusiasm for writers from around the world, through a number of activities, including speed- dating with books. Includes afternoon tea and a chance to chat to other readers.	Drop in for free. No booking required.
Sun 21 Feb 1pm – 3.30pm	Iron Age Roundhouse Open Afternoon, Hadleigh Park	Explore our replica Iron Age roundhouse and learn how your ancestors lived 2000 years ago. Find out how charcoal was made – without it, there wouldn’t have been an Iron Age. Drop in event.	Free entry to Roundhouse.

4th February 20163rd May 2016

Wigboroughs’ February Church Update

In the entrance porch of St. Stephen’s Church, Gt Wigborough, we now have a Prayer tree. If you have a prayer request for yourself, or someone else, you are invited to hang a leaf upon our prayer tree with your request and we will include it in our prayers on a Sunday morning. You will find the leaves and pens in the porch. Your request need not be named; we can still pray for you.

Another new event is the Café service which we are starting on 28^th February! This will be relevant for all ages, with particular activities for children.

The services planned for the next few weeks are…

31 Jan., 10am, Benefice service at Rowhedge church (postcode: CO5 7EB), led by Revd Patrick McEune
7 Feb., 11am, LW, Holy Communion led by Revd Brian Snelling
14 Feb., 9.30am, GW, Morning Prayer with Bible discussion led by Anne and Peter Owen
21 Feb, 9.15am, GW, Holy Communion led by Revd Patrick McEune
28 Feb, 10am, GW, Café-style all age worship with activities for children, led by Anne and Peter Owen

The next Messy Church will take place at 2.30pm on Saturday April 2nd at St Stephens church, Great Wigborough. This is the weekend after Easter, so hopefully lots of families will be able to come! We are planning this event together with Peldon, and will be holding the following Messy Church in Peldon at Harvest time.

Plans for the Zeppelin Commemoration event around Copt Hall, Little Wigborough, on September 24 and 25 are progressing, with the National Trust keen to be involved. Contacts from the WW1 Aerodrome at Stow Maries are also helping us. Please let us know if you would like to volunteer and be involved in any way!

With best wishes,
Anne and Peter

Anne Owen
Tel.: 01206 383843

26th January 20163rd May 2016

Five Parishes AGM

Five Parishes AGM 2016

The AGM of the Five Parishes Show Committee will take place at 19:30 in Peldon Village Hall on Tuesday 2nd February 2016.

All are welcome. Why not come along and hear what happened during 2015 when we had, by common opinion, one of our best shows ever. Use the chance to ask questions, make suggestions and maybe even volunteer to get involved.

Jinny Gale
on behalf of Mike Watson (President) and Paul Bryan (Chairman)

31st December 20153rd May 2016

R&B/Jazz Musical Delight

Crissy Lee, Jazz and R&B drummer — Crissy Lee

R&B/Jazz Musical Delight

If R&B or Jazz rocks your boat then you are in for a treat at the Peldon Village Hall on Friday 15th January 2016.

Organised by the Peldon Village Hall Management Committee, The Crissy Lee Quartet will be playing between 8-11pm with tickets available for just £10. As well as Crissy Lee, who is widely acclaimed as being the UK and Europe’s finest female drummer, the evening will also feature Jackie Rawe, former Shakatak member, who has also supported stars such as Suzi Quatro, Sheena Easton & Imagination. There will also be a licensed bar.

To book tickets, please call 01206 735510 or 735505 or email [email protected]. You are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.

8th December 20153rd May 2016

Christmas Events Around Essex

As well as activities around the local parish local there are many other Christmas events around Essex, the following are a small selection:

Christmas at the Castle

As a seasonal treat, Colchester Castle will be opening its doors for FREE on Wednesday 9 December from 3pm. Come and soak up the Christmas atmosphere with Christmas carols, entertainment and an opportunity to meet Santa (£3.50 with gift). Capture the atmosphere with a professional festive photograph set in our specially decorated Christmas chapel.

All Aboard the Santa Special

12, 13, 19, 22, 20, 23 and 24 December. Epping Ongar Railway, departing from North Weald.

Mince pies, mulled wine, music and magician; juice and treats for the children as Santa makes his way through the carriages with his elves, handing out gifts to all good boys and girls.

Departures from North Weald are at 09:45, 11:25, 13:05, 14:45* & 16:25* (*excluding 24 December). Buses will depart from Epping Underground and locations in Ongar approximately 50 minutes earlier, so as to conveniently connect with these trains.

Our vintage buses will collect you from Epping or Ongar (if requested when booking) and will transport you to North Weald station, where our Santa Special trains will start. Here, adults will receive a complimentary mince pie and a glass of mulled wine, whilst children receive a juice drink and chocolate bar.

Once aboard the train, let the steam engine take the pressure; Santa will make his way through the carriages, accompanied by his elves, and hand out a gift to all the good boys and girls. There will be live music to add to the atmosphere, and a magician to entertain the children whilst they await their journey. Maybe there will even be time for a photograph with Santa at one of the stations…

Tickets are now on sale; standard prices for adults & children have been frozen at £16 & £13 respectively, but we have a slight increase in price on our busier days for adults. Full website details are at http://eorailway.co.uk/events/santa-specials/.

If you are interested in one of our compartments, please click here. Our compartments offer you an exclusive space away from the other passengers, where Santa will visit and present gifts by name! Limited compartments sizes are available for 6 or 8 people, and are priced at £130 & £150 respectively.

Late Night Shopping & More in Colchester

Late night shopping in Colchester is back every Wednesday in December. You can snap up all those special gifts and must-have essentials with Colchester’s fantastic mix of big name stores and independent retailers. Plus, you can park for FREE after 3pm (at selected car parks).

Other great winter attractions in Colchester include the Winter Wonderland and Ice Rink, new this year, located in Castle Park. You are advised to pre-book via the event’s website.

Jingle All The Way at Barleylands

Every day in December to 24th December – spend a day exploring the Farm Park and joining in Christmas activities including the brand new Giant Christmas Snow Globe that you can go inside to have a picture taken.

Father Christmas will be making a one hour appearance twice a day, meeting and greeting in the Festive Barn. There’s also Christmas Crafts, Snowy Owl flying displays and free hot chocolate! Open until 1pm on Christmas Eve.

To find out more or to book your visit go to their website at http://www.barleylands.co.uk/calendar.html.

17th September 20153rd May 2016

Saltmarsh 75

The following information on this event was provided to the Parish Council by Saltmarsh 75’s organizers – this looks like being a great event and worth either volunteering or, at least, popping along to track their progress. The folowing twio downloads might help in either of these endeavours:

Announcement from Maldon District Council (the organizers)

Saltmarsh 75 is a 2 day 75 mile walking/running event covering the entire coastal footpath of the Maldon District. The aim of the event is to raise the profile of the Maldon District and to encourage more visitors to the area.

The event starts at Marsh Farm Country Park, South Woodham Ferrers on Saturday 3rd October 2015, and finishes at Salcott-cum-Virley Village Hall on Sunday 4th October 2015. There will be an overnight stop on Saturday at the Star Inn in Steeple.

Competitors will be making their way through parishes/towns via the coastal footpath, with a few minor diversions, as shown in the table below. A provisional route map can be found on the reverse of the leaflets enclosed. (Ed. see link above)

Saturday 3rd October 2015	Sunday 4th October 2015
Stow Maries	Steeple
North Fambridge	Mayland
Purleigh	Latchingdon
Latchingdon	Mundon
Althorne	Maldon
Burnham-on-Crouch	Heybridge
Southminster	Goldhanger
Dengie	Tolleshunt Major
Tillingham	Tolleshunt D’Arcy
Bradwell-on-Sea	Tollesbury
St lawrence	Tolleshunt Knights
Steeple

Practically, this means that if any of your residents take to the coastal footpath that weekend, they will see a number of unfamiliar faces. There may also be a selection of cars, land rovers and minibuses that travel through your parish in order to transport competitors, marshals and other . support staff. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause you. Please be assured that we will do our very best to cause as little disruption to you and your parish as possible.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could begin informing your residents, and particularly local businesses, of our event. With approximately 200 competitors expected to take part, this presents an excellent opportunity for accommodation providers and local shops to increase their trade out of season. Please encourage them to become involved by displaying some of the leaflets enclosed; if you need more leaflets for your local businesses, please contact us.

lt would be fantastic if local residents came out to cheer on Saltmarsh 75 participants as they pass by and estimated timings for the event are enclosed for this purpose. We are always in need of volunteers for our event, so if any of your residents would like to become more involved, please pass our contact details to them and ask them to get in touch.

If you have any queries please contact us on 01621 854477 or email [email protected]. More information on the event can be found at www.saltmarsh75.co.uk.

26th August 20153rd May 2016

Sports, Heritage & Apples

Sports, Heritage & Apples are the subject of recent leisure-time news from Colchester Borough Council:

Summer Sports Festival at Highwoods

Taking place on Sunday 30th August at Leisure World, there is an opportunity for all the family to join in with a range of FREE sports activities including:

Football – with Colchester United Football in the Community,
Parkour – with Team Traceur,
Volleyball – with Volleyball England,
Netball – with KATS Netball Club, and
Tennis – free hire of tennis courts at Leisure World Highwoods.

Heritage

Heritage Open Days

This year’s Heritage Open Days takes place across the weekend of Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2015. You can discover Colchester’s heritage in a weekend of FREE activities and entry to more than 20 historic properties:

firstsite,
Roman Circus,
St. Helen’s Chapel,
St. Peter’s Church,
Quaker Meeting House (St. Mary’s House),
Mersea Barrow,
Roman Theatre,
Castle Museum,
Town Hall,
Sparlings Solicitors,
Audley Chapel,
St Martin’s Church,
St John’s Abbey Gatehouse,
Trinity Street,
Bourne Mill,
Super Home,
St. James the less & St. Helen’s Church,
Holy Trinity Church,
Peake’s House,
Colchester Cemetery,
War Memorial,
St. Mary at the Walls Church (Arts Centre), and
Colne Light Ship.

More details and opening times are available at http://www.cimuseums.org.uk/article/16584/Heritage-Open-Days-2015.

{Colchester Presents} Celebrate Heritage

On Saturday 12th September, between 9am and 5pm, the clock will be turned back as you stroll through the High Street and Upper Castle Park.

Enjoy a stroll down the High Street (closed to traffic) and take time to admire the wonderful architecture of the many fascinating buildings which adorn the High Street, from the Town Hall to to the Red Lion Hotel. Watch out for historical characters that you pass along your way, you may bump into Marcus Favonius!

Soak up the sounds of the historic music, dance and drama and enjoy some story telling and the iconic British Punch and Judy Show. Colchester has it’s very own Mr Punch living at Hollytrees Museum, take a visit and see this very special puppet, dating from 1945.

Take a wander through Colchester’s Charter market, dating back to 1189 and you will find stalls selling everything from artisan bread to clothes. There will be plenty of food stalls to fill your appetite.

Step back in time to the award-winning Castle Park which will be hosting historic market stalls, traditional side shows, puppet theatre,talks and demonstrations, all within the backdrop of Colchester Castle which will be open for free.

Apple Day at the BIG Garden, High Woods Country Park

Taking place on Saturday 26th September you can drop in at any time between 12pm & 3pm (donation requested). Come and celebrate the local apple harvest! Enjoy tasting some heritage fruit varieties and try your hand at crushing and pressing local apples to make delicious juice. Family games, crafts and apple cakes and bakes to sample.

Details of these and many more activities are on the Colchester website.

18th August 20153rd May 2016

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:

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

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

23rd July 20153rd May 2016

Summer at Beth Chatto Gardens

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: