Birchanger Magazine · 2019. 5. 27. · Birchanger Village Magazine 3 Making the Misery of Power Cuts Easier for Some! We have all experienced the difficulties of power cuts. They

Birchanger Village Magazine 1

Birchanger Magazine December 2016 Issue 167

Peter DawsonDies aged 80It is with great sadnesswe have to announce thepassing away of MrPeter Dawson, who diedsuddenly at home on the5th November 2016 aged80. Peter was born andbred in Birchanger. Onleaving school he wentstraight into farming butshortly after had a twoyear break for nationalservice. On his return he went back into farming, workingthe land in and around the village until his retirement. Peterwas very much part of village life and loved his bowls inwhich he became the president after he could no longercontinue playing. Peter will be sadly missed by his wifeMargaret, daughters Rosalind and Gill and son Richard. Hewas a much loved Father-in-Law, Granddad and Great-Granddad also. He will be greatly missed by his family, hisfriends and the village.

Most of the refugees are manual workers of some kind andthey are looking for this kind of work first and are keen tolearn. They want to work but do not want to take work awayfrom local people.

During their time in this community these men will beeducated about France, the way of life, the laws and thelanguage, so that they can be fully resettled into France.Their happiness was infectious. Local people were happyto talk to them, to include them in all the village events, andto offer clothing and support wherever they could. Therefugees were keen to tell their stories and to learneverything they could about their new country. It is apromising message for this time of year, so let us hope thatin the next few months they will all become established inFrance with their own work, home and supportivecommunity. I felt ashamed of recent attitudes to refugeesand trust that there will be more understanding in the futureon all sides. At least they will have a home for Christmaswhether they celebrate Christmas or not.

Elizabeth Godwin

We have all seen pictures of the camps at Calais. Wehave seen refugees living rough around the area, tryingto jump onto lorries and climbing onto roofs of trainsbut we have known very little about them as people. Wemay have thought that the destruction of the migrantcamps was wrong but for the people I met in Francerecently it has become their chance for a new way oflife and resettlement in a community.

The residents at the camps have been dispersedthroughout France. I have been privileged to have spenta few days living next to one of the places where theyhave been sent, in a small village in Northern France,no bigger than Birchanger. The people in question areall men from Dohar in Western Sudan. Their ages arefrom about 18 upwards. They are fit, healthy and veryhappy to be living in the village. They have lost theirhomes and in many cases their families and have no ideawhere they might be.

A new life?They are accommodated in what was, until this summer,an old people's home, whose residents have all beenmoved to new accommodation. For the refugees thereare bedrooms, bathrooms, and food is provided whenthey cannot afford to buy it themselves, a world awayfrom the conditions in Calais. Local people have giventhem warm clothing sheets and blankets, while thechildren have collected toiletries to give them. Therefugees radiate happiness at actually living in thevillage. They want to take part in all the village events,and they are all welcomed. They seem to speak Englishmuch better than French, but as part of their resettlementprogram, they are expected to learn or improve theirFrench.

A Home for Christmas

A letterfrom the Editor

Dear Readers,Christmas is almost upon us and hopefully you have already put up the lights, ordered the turkey and purchased thefamily’s Christmas cards and presents ready for the festivities. Or, perhaps like me you struggle to get started with thepreparations and leave everything to the last minute! The Christmas advertising and shop paraphernalia which tendsto start at the beginning of October drives me to despair and only serves to remind me of all the things I have to do inorder to produce another successful Christmas for the family. I am depressed by the 1st December! Luckily for me,every year and without fail, Mrs Editor comes to the rescue and with military precision takes charge of the proceedingsand without fuss or complaint everything just falls into place. She simply directs me to do those few manly things suchas putting up the outside lights, erecting the tree and collecting the turkey and drinks and everything else magicallycomes together without any major effort from me. Now I know why I married her!! So, to all you wives out therearranging Christmas as usual, you have my praise and respect and I raise my glass to you - Cheers!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Godwin who has just been appointed Vice President of the Birchanger Sports and SocialClub in recognition of the grants she helped secure for the club and other amenities in Birchanger. Well done Elizabeth.

Apologies to residents in Harrisons who didn’t receive last month’s magazine, unfortunately some copies were lost!

It may not be necessary to remind you but don’t forget to help those less fortunate around you, especially those seniorcitizens that are alone and who are perhaps in need of a bit of Christmas cheer and comfort, a kind word is evensometimes enough. On that note, and on behalf of the Birchanger Magazine Editorial Team, I would like to wish allour readers a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Kind Regards

Peter Sampson

Thoughtless ParkingDear Editor, I have a concern with regard to Birchanger residents parking their vehicles on our only pedestrian footpathat the south end of the village in Birchanger lane. One vehicle in particular is a “Connect scaffolding” van and thereare two other cars that park on the footpath. We continually have to walk the children's buggies and pets out into theroadway because selfish or unthinking residents park on the pathway. I know it is sometimes difficult to park on thenarrow roads in the village but parking on the pavements should not be at the inconvenience and safety of pedestrians.

Disgruntled grandparent, Birchanger (Name and address supplied) See parking and law - page 8

Fright Night!Dear Editor, Firstly let me say that I am most definitely not a killjoy and have no objection to people celebrating bonfirenight and New Years Eve with a display of fireworks. However, I do object most strongly to the constant barrage offireworks several days before and after the event that we are subjected to every year. Clearly I have a reason for myobjection in the shape of one very fearful border terrier who is so distressed, trembling and panting from the time hehears the first bang until several hours afterwards. I know I am not the only dog or animal owner who has this problem,so residents please have a thought for the animals and keep fireworks to the specified days.!

Cheryl Sampson, Birchanger

[email protected] 01279 813193 2 Harrisons, Birchanger


Letters to the editor


Making the Misery of Power Cuts Easier for Some!We have all experienced the difficulties of power cuts. Theyare never convenient, last far too long, muck up all oursystems and clocks and can cause serious risk to the elderlyor chronically sick. If you are elderly or have someone in yourhousehold who is chronically sick and who needs a warmhome, or has a new baby, you can contact UK PowerNetworks, the agency which is responsible for all the powernetworks in this country. It may not make the time you arewithout power any shorter, but they will give you a specialphone number to ring to use to report a fault in your electricitysupply and will try to prioritise resumption of normal suppliesto you as quickly as possible. To obtain a registration form, call 08456014516 or go on line at:www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority. It could help you!

Planning a Wedding?Not everyone wants to get married in a Church these days,but many find that using other venues for the actual ceremonycan be prohibitively expensive. The answer could lie with thenewly rebranded rooms available from Uttlesford DistrictCouncil. Uttlesford has three such rooms available. Thelargest, known as The Gibson Room, has a domed ceiling andcan seat up to 100 guests comfortably. The middle sized room,known as the Cutlers Room can seat 47 guests. It is light andairy and can have different configurations as required. If youwant a really small wedding, there is the Flitch Room whichwill accommodate up to 14 guests. If you are considering awedding, they might be worth a look.

Treat Yourself to a Christmas Afternoon Tea.Everyone is very busy in the run up to Christmas and mostof us would benefit from a few moments of relaxationwhen we could sit back, talk to others and enjoy a littlebit of the pampering feeling, which a cup of tea and ahome-made cake brought to you by someone else canprovide. This is what happens in the Village church hallevery Wednesday between 2.00pm and 4.00pm. There areother goodies on offer and children on their way homeoften pop in to buy some as well.

Carols in the ChurchThis is now very much a part of the Birchanger tradition.It happens on the last Friday before Christmas which thisyear will be December 23rd at 7.00pm. The church lookslovely and there are refreshments available at the end ofthe service. Favourite carols are guaranteed, in betweenreadings of the Christmas story. The evening marks thestart to Christmas, come, relax and be part of it all.

Keeping on Top of ThingsMost of us spend a great deal of money at this time ofyear. We have to buy presents, extra and special food forall those visitors, never mind drink, and we also have toshell out more cash for various seasonal festivities. Thatcan leave us all a bit strapped for cash. We may find thatwith all these other payments there have been insufficientfunds to pay the rent or mortgage.

The mortgage is sometimes easier to negotiate than therent. However, Uttlesford has a Tenancy SustainmentOfficer who can help council tenants get through suchdifficult times. It is far better to talk to him before youfind yourself facing his not so friendly sidekick, the RentArrears Recovery Officer. Prompt action saves a lot ofaggravation; this applies to your mortgage company andprivate landlords as well.

Come along and join us on the last Wednesday of every month inthe meeting room at the village church hall

Forthcoming Meetings:Wednesday 25th January 7.30 for 8.00

Annual General Meeting

A warm welcome to all newcomersTelephone for details Michelle-814481

Barbara-813007 Rosemary-814678

Santa’s Post BoxRumour has it that Santa will be putting hisChristmas post box in Birchanger this yearso that all of the children can get their Christ-mas lists to him. Keep your eyes open as itwill be in place very soon, somewhere near226 Birchanger Lane we are told!

VILLAGE NEWS


Armistice Day in NormandyIn France Armistice Day is remembered in every town andvillage across the country, but none can match the Remem-brance Day in Normandy where hundreds of thousands ofyoung soldiers from the United Kingdom and and many parts ofthe globe lie buried in military cemeteries all over NorthernFrance. Remembrance Day in France is always on November11th. The day is a bank holiday across France. Schools areclosed and everyone has a day off to remember two terribleworld wars. All the children come and take part in Croisilles. Asin Birchanger on Remembrance Sunday, the village gathersaround the War Memorial. The first thing you notice, thatalthough Croisilles and Birchanger are similar in size, most ofthe inhabitants are there in Croisilles along with the equivalentof an MP, the local council and a brass band, but there were norepresentatives from the Church. The British Contingent werewarmly welcomed.

The band plays, there is the silence, then commemoration, andspeeches from local dignitaries. Most of the assembly thendeparts to visit the municipal cemetery where many Frenchsoldiers were buried. This cemetery was bright with flowers asall the dead are remembered with pots of chrysanthemums onall Souls Day, which are placed at every grave. Official Re-membrance Day wreaths were placed at the memorial and thesecontained not only the bright red of the poppies, but also theroyal blue cornflower which is the symbol for RemembranceDay in France.

Next the dignitaries and villagers visited the biggest War GraveCemetery in Croisilles, where so many soldiers are buried.More wreaths were laid, and some visitors placed poppies ongraves even though they had no connection to them. Then it wasback to the Village Hall for champagne where more poppymemorabilia from the UK was given out to the children andSudanese Refugees who had just arrived in the village. They donot actually sell cornflowers in France as we sell poppies in theBritish isles.

It was a very friendly occasion, where all the newcomers andvisitors were welcomed and included in the events. There aremany similarities with Birchanger, but we do not have a BankHoliday, or a civic reception for anyone. Some of us may goback to the club, but that’s it. There are more villagers names onour war memorial, but we do not have 5 cemeteries wherethousands of British soldiers are buried. In Croisilles the wel-come for the visitors was warm and friendly and it felt right tobe there.

Elizabeth Godwin

The BAGS go crackers!The BAGS returned to the newly reopened and improvedmeeting room of the village hall for their Octobermeeting. They were lucky to have a visit from the talentedViv who demonstrated her crafting skills and showed anamazing array of tools she uses for cutting, punching andshaping paper and card in order to make some very specialChristmas crackers.She demonstrated what to do and then left the BAGS toget on with it. “There was quite a lot to remember” saidRosemary Wheatley “and once we got the hang of the

double-sided tape and managed to peel off the backingwe should have been fine. If only we could rememberwhich side to stick it on! Luckily Viv was on hand to helpus and in the end, everyone produced a cracking cracker!With plenty of tea, coffee and wine flowing and evensome delicious cakes, we had another great BAGSevening with a very good turnout and two new membersjoining us as well”.

BAGS (Birchanger All Girls Society) is a friendly groupfor all ladies of Birchanger meeting the last Wednesdayof the month in the meeting room of the village hall at8.00 pm. We have a wide range of activities from craftsto speakers, wine and cheese evenings, quizzes, ramblesetc. and we are always open to new ideas. New membersyoung and old are very welcome so do come along andbe part of the fun.

There will be no meeting in December as it’s too close toChristmas but we will meet again for our AGM onWednesday 25th January 2017.

Rosemary Wheatley

New Village Church Hall ManagerWanted

An exciting opportunity has opened in the village forthe position of Hall manager. We are looking for anew Manager to take over from 1 January 2017. Goodadministration and IT skills would be an advantage.Interested applicants should contact Elaine Wright formore information in relation to the role, and thehonorarium payable, on 01279 813474

December 2016

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25Christmas Day

26Boxing Day

27 28 29 30 31


BSSCChildren'sChristmas Party14.00-16.00.

Evening raffleand The 2FBS

Church hall:09.30 am Tai Chi14.00 Tea Room

St Mary'sChurch Matins

St Mary'sChurch Holycommunion

St Mary'sChurchChristingleService

St Mary'sChurch FamilyCommunion

BSSCWinnieBottle draw

Church hall:9.30 am Ballet foradults11.15 am ZumbaGold15.45 Ballet forJuniors




Church hall:12.45 Linedancing forbeginners13.45 Linedancing foradvanced

BSSC18.30 BigChristmas LightUp + BirchangerVoices & soloistJohn David

St Mary'sChurch Matins

Church hall:19.30 BAGSChristmas Party



BSSCLee RiversWheel of Fortune

BSSCGarry Gibson



BSSC LifemembersChristmas lunch13.00


BSSCThe RedheadBand

BSSCMembers Night +Wesley Presley &Free Raffle



BSSCScorpio RisingTreasure Chest

Church hall:

BSSCMelanie +whiskey raffle

Church hall:19.30 Ballroomand Latin foradults

Church hall:19.30 Ballroomand Latin foradults

Re-Cycle Bin

Non Re-Cycle Bin

No collection

Garden Bin

Re-Cycle Bin

Non Re-Cycle BinChurch hall:19.30 Ballroomand Latin foradults

Re-cycle Bin BSSCDisco DJ MartinBig ben atmidnight and“125”celebrationfireworks

BSSCPoker Night

1st Jan

St Mary'sChurch Carolservice 19.00

Live Entertainment - Great Food - Excellent Bar - Snooker - Darts - Pool - Football - Cricket - Bowls

Friday 16th

DecemberScorpio RisingExcitingInstrumental andvocal duoplaying all thehits.

2nd DecemberTreasurechest. Comeand join thispopulargame, you might just win asmall fortune. Also on the 16th

December.

Weekly EventsDay Event WhenSaturdays Meat Draw 1.00 pmSaturdays Bingo Lottery Ask bar staffMondays Quiz Night 9.00 pmWednesdays Steak Night EveningThursdays Bingo Night 08.30 pmFridays Bottle Draw Evening


Birchanger Sports & Social Club, 229 Birchanger Lane, Birchanger, CM23 5QJTel: 01279 813441 Email: [email protected] www.birchangerclub.com

Club Calendar at a GlanceFri. December 2ndChristmas light up 6.30 pm with the Birchanger

Voices and refreshments followed by soloist/bassistJohn David

Sat. December 3rd Red Head BandWed. December 7th Life members Christmas lunch 1.00 pm with

entertainmentFri. December 9th Winnie - popular soloist singer - Bottle drawSat. December 10th Members night including free raffle and Wesley

Presley on StageFri. December 16th Scorpio RisingSat. December 17th Children’s Christmas Party 2.00 – 4.00 pm, followed

in the evening with the Christmas raffle and the 2FBSFri. December 23rd Lee RiversSat. December 24th Gary GibsonSun. December 26th Boxing Day whisky raffle with the popular MelanieFri. December 30th Poker NightSat. December 31st New Year’s Eve Disco with DJ Martin, Big Ben at

midnight followed by 125 celebration fireworks

Friday 23rd Wheelof Fortune. Take achance, come andSpin the wheel.

Christmas is almost upon us and the club has beenbusy preparing a fun packed entertaining Decemberfor its members. There is something for everybodythis year, starting with the great Christmas light upon the 2nd, the life members lunch on the 7th, thechildren's Christmas party on the 17th. And to finishoff, the new years disco with fireworks on the 31st

December. In between there is a whole host ofentertainment to make your Christmas enjoyableincluding some new bands, duos and solo artists.

If you want to join the life members lunch you needto sign up at the club as soon as possible as there areonly a few spaces left.

On Saturday 10th December we are holding themembers night raffle. Don't forget to bring yourmembership card to get your free Raffle Ticket.Wesley Presley is live on stage to get those hipsmoving. And don't forget to join us for our NewYears Eve disco including Big Ben at midnightfollowed by the '125 Celebration' finale Fireworks.

Christmas Light upFriday Dec 2nd.Come and join us whenwe switch on the clubLights. We light up at6.30 pm followed by The

Birchanger Voices singing popular seasonal songs.mulled wine and mince pies are available and JohnDavid Soloist/Bassist will be playing hits from the60's, 70's, and 80's to get you dancing from 8.30 pm

Children’s Christmas Party Dec. 17th

Starts Saturday at 2.00pm until 4.00 pm. withPunch and Judy.In the evening, we willhold the GrandChristmas Raffle andour old favourite

entertainers, the 2FBS will be playing live on stage.All in all it should be a fabulous day!

2nd DecemberJohn DavidSoloist/Bassistplaying hits fromthe 60's, 70's,and 80's to getyou dancingfrom 8.30 pm

Don't forget to join us for ourNew Years Eve Discoincluding Big Ben at midnightfollowed by the “125”Celebration' finale Fireworks.

New Years Eve


BirchangerPrimarySchoolMulticultural week for studentsEach term we hold a cross curricular theme week where children across the school all work on the same topic. Westarted this half term with a whole school multicultural week. Eachclass chose a different country and based all their learning aroundthat country. This year classes looked at Egypt, Greece, SouthAfrica, Spain and the USA.In geography children developed their map skills and found outabout the mountains, rivers, coastline, cities and landmarks in eachcountry. In literacy children wrote information texts and exploredtraditional stories, myths and legends from different cultures. Onemorning we held a whole school story session - in mixed age housegroups children listened to stories from around the world.A highlight of the week was Dance Day when a professional dancerspent a day in school. Darren worked with each class, teachingthem a dance based on the country they were studying. The childrenperformed their dances to the rest of the school in a showcase at the

end of the day with traditional Greek dancing, an African hunters storyin 'lion king' style, flamenco and American line dancing. It was great tosee such enthusiastic performances from all the children.Our children love to cook and try different foods. Throughout the weekour lunchtime menusfollowed ourmulticultural themewith dishes such asMoroccan chickenand Paella. We alsoset up a 'world cafe'.Children, preparedfood from the

country they were studying, including different fruits andvegetables, savoury dishes and sweet treats. A big thank you tothe parents who helped with this. Stalls were set up in the halldecorated with flags and bunting and all the children triedtasters of food from around the world. It was lovely to see somechildren trying new things and talking about their favourites.

The week was verysuccessful with a real buzzaround the school aschildren tried differentthings, shared in jointactivities and learned a littlemore about countries,communities and peoplearound the world.

Helen Coop (Headteacher)


Church RepairsThose of you that attended the Remembrance Servicemay have noticed that the large window in the south wallwas boarded up. Fortunately, this was not because if anyserious damage or vandalism. Parts of the window havebeen removed for repair and cleaning. The window willbe returned in the New Year when the stained glasswindow behind the altar will be cleaned. There is alwayssomething that needs attention and over the next fewweeks the pyro cable under the pews will be replaced.The heating system should then be back working asusual. Finally, a few weeks ago the Watney Memorialfell from the wall where it had hung for 100 years. Itappears that there may have been a fault in the marbleback plate and over time, a stress fracture gave way.Fortunately, no one was in Church St the time. We areworking with insurers to effect repair.

Church services:4th December Matins11th December Holy communion18th December Christingle service23rd December Evening carol service at 7.00 pm25th December Family communion1st January MatinsWednesdays Tea room 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm

Village church hall meeting room

St Mary's Church News

Parking and the Law

Village Church Hall RetirementsIt was announced this week that hall manager TrudyRevell has stepped down from the position of hallmanager. She has worked really hard maintaining the Halland trying to raise its profile. We thank her for all of herhard work particularly during the time when buildingworks we're ongoing.

Pam Lee, who project managed the hall refurbishmentfrom start to finish, has also given her notice to retire. Thecolossal amount of work involved in getting the hall backto a pristine state has taken its toll health wise for bothPam and Trudy and we wish them both well. Theirsuccessors, whoever they may be will inherit a verypleasant workplace, which is available for hire forrecreational, educational, and all manner of socialoccasions.

In the meantime, and until a new hall manager isappointed, Pam Lee will continue to look after bookingsand enquiries. You can contact her on 07702171744 oremail; [email protected].

Drivers face £70 fine for parking on pavement(Extract from “TheTelegraph”18th April 2016)

Drivers could be bannedfrom parking onpavements under newGovernment plans toencourage people to walkand cycle. The ban hasalready been in place inLondon for the past 40years, but ministers arenow considering rollingit out across the countrywith potential fines of upto £70 for those who fallfoul of the measures.

Under existing measures,motorists are barred frompavement parking unlessexpressly permitted by alocal authority in thecapital. A spokesman

from The Alliance of British Drivers states: “You can’t havepeople blocking the pavement, but there are lots of placeswhere the roads are just not wide enough for the traffic toflow backwards and forwards if they park on the road.”

A pavement parking ban has been in force in London since1974 but outside the capital, mounting the kerb is generallyallowed apart from where vehicles are causing anobstruction, or on roads with other restrictions such asdouble-yellow lines. Local authorities can use existingTraffic Regulation Orders to ban pavement parking oncertain roads.

The Department for Transport is considering overhaulingthe rules to bring the rest of the country in line with thecapital. The Government has begun a study into theproblem, working with the organisation Guide Dogs for theBlind.

Disability groups have previously warned that pavementparking can be potentially hazardous, for example if a blindperson is made to walk into the road to avoid parked cars.A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We arecurrently considering the rules around pavement parking,including whether more can be done to make it easier forcouncils to tackle problem areas in a consistent way.”

Footnote! It is currently an offence to obstruct a footpathwhereby a pram, buggy or wheelchair cannot get through.To report an obstruction, contact the police on the non-emergency number.


Do you know who this is?This is a profile of a resident of Birchanger obtained through a series of probing questions:

Where were you born?Leytonstone in East London and I lived much of my early life above the Police Station.

Who are the upper branches of your family tree?Dad was a policeman and Mum, when young, although a housewife, would occasionally don Black leather and rideoff on her motorbike!

Who are the lower branches of your family tree?I have two Daughters and a Son together with 6 Grandchildren.

Where & when did you meet your significant other?At The Printer's Devil in Fleet Street, over coffee in the Swinging Sixties.

Can you name one person throughout History you would most like to meet?The artist Salvador Dali. It would be fascinating to hear how he used his amazing talent to produce such a widerange of wonderful, meaningful, yet thought provoking paintings.

Your favourite Book, Film or Game ( so that we all might enjoy it!)?The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It's thoroughly absorbing. Read it if you can!

If you had not done the job you do (or did!), what would be your fantasy profession?It has been a long-held fantasy of mine that I am the best “Song and Dance Lady” that the people of the UK nevergot to see!!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Where in the world would you like to have them?I would breakfast in the village of Beaulieu in the New Forest, followed by Lunch at Dedham Hall and in theevening I would dine with my family at Le Touquet in Northern France.

How do you think people see you, or how would you like to be seen?I think people might see me as quite quiet, shy and slightly reserved, but actually, lurking inside is a person full offun, passion, energy and enthusiasm for life.

How long have you lived here and can you see yourself ever leaving Birchanger?I have enjoyed all of my 17 years here, and, hopefully, I will be here for many years to come.

Did you guess right? If not the answer can be found on the back page

Christingle Service Sunday 18th December at 11.00 amThe Christingle has been used in Advent, Christmas and Epiphany services for manyyears but became better known in 1960's when it was adopted by the Children’s Society.The word Christingle means “Christ Light” and has its origins in the 1700's as a wayto explain Christ’s role and relationship with the world. In Birchanger, the primaryschool pupils make Christingle's for their own school service every year, and in StMary’s Birchanger a Christingle Service is also held each year at the end of Advent atwhich Christingle's are also given out. Why not come and bring your children to thislovely service and join us in a perfect start to the school Christmas holidays andfestivities.

Birchanger Sports &Social Club AGMMany of you must have noticed that this was amomentous year for the club as we celebrated our 125th

Birthday. The year started when Graham and Kim(steward & stewardess) informed us that they wereretiring to France in the December. This was a majorchallenge to the committee with the busy period ofChristmas and New Year fast approaching. Followingan extensive selection process a new club steward anddeputy steward were appointed. Del, the new steward,quickly settled into his new job and provided us with abeautiful Christmas menu which proved to be hugelysuccessful. Del and his team have gone on to provide uswith excellent food and drinks throughout the yearresulting in improved sales.

Throughout the year we ran special events for our 125th

Birthday, these proved to be hugely successful and theywill become annual events, look out for the car treasurehunt and beer festival to name but two. We prideourselves on being part of the community and supportingit where possible and this year we donated over £1000to charity from our well supported entertainments.From a business view point it’s been a very difficult year,we managed to absorb unexpected costs andunforeseeable income losses. With the exceptional workof Del, his staff, the bar & finance sub committee andthe entertainments team we ended the year with a smallloss.We set ourselves a major task of updating the Club RuleBook consulting with the members and UttlesfordCouncil Licensing Authority throughout the procedureresulting in the approval of the new Rule Book in June.We have shown a steady increase in membershipconfirming we must be doing something right.The three officers, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurerwere re-elected unopposed. We do struggle to getmembers interested in joining the committee and weended with 10 committee members, two short of our fullcomplement so if you are interested and have been amember at least one year make yourself known and wecan get you co-opted onto the committee for a one yearperiod.It gave me great pleasure to notify the members of thecommittee’s decision to make Elizabeth Godwin a Vicepresident of the club in recognition of her hard work inhelping the officers secure council grants enabling us tocarry out the extensive building work, the result of whichyou enjoy today.We have created a Sports & Social Club that is quiteunique especially for a village. Individuals and familiescan come and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with qualityfood and drink available. For the more energetic youcould join one of the sports activities available. You canbecome a member in January for just £25.I look forward to seeing you and welcoming you to theclub.Peter Booker (Chairman)


A house near Harrisons was burgled between 6.0pmand 10.0pm on the night of Thursday 9th November.Thieves got away with a number of machine toolsand personal valuables. “They removed the outsidelight and absolutely trashed one of the rooms” saidthe local angry resident. Police are looking for asilver grey Ford Focus that was in the area at thetime. If anyone saw anything suspicious on the nightplease inform the local police as soon as possibleand take care to lock up your house securely, evenwhen you are away for only a few hours.

Watch out there’s a thiefabout!

The Wonders of NatureAre you relieved thatthe lawns havestopped growing anddon’t need regularmowing? But now youhave the job ofsweeping up the leavesfrom under all thedeciduous trees aroundyou. Just pause in yourlabour and remindyourself of thee x c e p t i o n a l l yspectacular show thetrees put on for all ofus to enjoy. It startedearlier this year andlasted well intoNovember which wasmainly due to all those

warm sunny days we were having this autumn.

During the trees growing season chlorophyll (greenpigment) is constantly being replaced but starts to breakdown with prolonged sunlight and dark nights.This year it started to fade quicker and the carotenoids(yellow and orange pigments) which had been hiding inthe leaves all year were then exposed in all their gloriouscolours for us to enjoy.

The trees then start to produce sugars which producescells across the base of the leaves to prepare for fallingand to restrict sugar from moving back into the tree. Thissugar then converts to anthocyanin in the leaves givingthem red and purple colours. The leaves are then readyfor the gusty autumn winds to arrive to scatter them allaround and with the help of you and the worms putnutrients back in the soil and to help you with somehealthy exercise and fresh air!

By Heather Brown (Artist)

Birchanger Wood

Stansted off the Radar?

SSE 2017 CalendarThe 2017 edition of the ever-popular Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) CommunityCalendar is currently on sale, featuring stunning views of homes, heritage andtraditions in the local area. As always, all proceeds from the sales of the Calendar,the fifteenth to be produced, will be used in the continuing campaign to fight off thethreat of an extra runway or runways at Stansted. The Community Calendar not onlymakes an important contribution to SSE’s fundraising efforts but it also helps to raiseand maintain awareness of our outstanding local landscape and heritage – a reminderof what we are fighting to protect. As in previous years, the A3 format calendars arepriced at just £6 and are on sale at a network of stockist's across the area, the nearestto Birchanger being Stansted Post Office, Family News in Stansted and BarnesFlooring, Bishops Stortford. The SSE office can also arrange gift mailing at a smallextra charge - Tel (01279) 870558 or email [email protected] you can’t find one anywhere, you could try phoning Brian Ross on (01279) 814961.He has been known to keep a secret local stockpile for Birchanger residents!Brian Ross

Do you have a complaint?If you have an objection regarding noise or fumes etc from aircraft you can enter the details on the Stop StanstedExpansion (SSE) website at http://stopstanstedexpansion.com/noise_complaint_form.asp It takes less than a minute tocomplete the on-line complaint form If you would like regular updates on Airport matters, you can register free of chargeon the SSE website as an online supporter at: http://stopstanstedexpansion.com/mailing_list.asp


SSE’s response to Government’s announcement on Heathrow.After more than four years of deliberation, the Government has finally announced its support for a third runway at Heathrow andhas decided not to give its backing to a second runway at Gatwick (which was also short-listed), at least for now. This long-awaiteddecision follows the unanimous recommendation of the independent Airports Commission which was set up by the Governmentfour years ago and published its final report in July 2015.

The Government’s decision in favour of a third runway at Heathrow now needs to be published for public consultation and thenendorsed by MP's in a vote in the House of Commons. This protracted approval process is a statutory requirement. It will begin inJanuary and is expected to take up to 15 months. However, once the proposal is approved, the subsequent planning process wouldbe simplified and less prone to legal challenge or delay. Much to our relief, Stansted was not even mentioned in the Government’sannouncement. There may however, now be considerable pressure to make maximum use of the available capacity at Stansted. TheGovernment is expected to say more about this in January, when it publishes its draft National Airports Policy Statement (NAPS)for public consultation. SSE will obviously take a close interest in that. As you know, it’s not so long ago that Stansted was first inthe queue for a new runway. We fought that proposal tooth and nail for eight years until it was finally abandoned. There willundoubtedly be a similar campaign of opposition to a new runway at Heathrow and so it would be premature for anyone to assumethat this issue has now been settled.

Capacity to increaseIn any event, a new runway at Heathrow will take ten years to build, and with Heathrow and Gatwick already close to full capacity,there is bound to be pressure upon Stansted and other airports in the south east to accommodate any growth in demand in the comingyears. Stansted currently handles 24 million passengers per annum (mppa) and has planning permission to handle 35mppa. Stanstedcould potentially cater for up to 45mppa on its existing runway. However, this would need planning consent, and we would notexpect consent to be granted unless the airport could demonstrate that this level of throughput could be achieved without significantdetriment to local residents and the local environment. The potentially therefore is that Stansted’s throughput could grow by 21mppato 45mppa, almost 90% over the next 10-20 years, without any new runway, so there is no room for complacency. There will beimportant planning battles to be fought in the coming years.

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The Birchanger Magazine is published on behalf of the people of Birchanger, and distributed free to each household in Birchanger.The views expressed herein do not automatically reflect those of the Editor or any of the organisations or institutions represented.Editorial team: Peter Sampson Tel: 01279 813193, Email: [email protected], Elizabeth Godwin, Ken Wheatley.Submissions for editorial content are welcome but may be edited depending on available space.

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The Village People

Birchanger Nursery has some exciting plans forthe children in the build up to Christmas with atrip to Audley End to meet Father Christmas,some surprises for Mummies and Daddies, aparty and lots of creative activities in the buildup to the big day. We hope all the children enjoythese activities. Birchanger Nursery Staff andCommittee would like to wish all the childrenand their families a wonderful Christmas!

Telephone: 07799383403

Documents

Birchanger Magazine · 2019. 5. 27. · Birchanger Village Magazine 3 Making the Misery of Power Cuts Easier for Some! We have all experienced the difficulties of power cuts. They