Village News Issue 73 March 2011 Page 2 Rev. … March V News.pdf · Village News Issue 73 March 2011 Page 2 There is a new vicar resident in Theydon Bois, Rev Stephen Walker (pictured

Village News Issue 73 March 2011 Page 2

There is a new vicar resident in Theydon Bois, Rev Stephen Walker (pictured on our front cover), who has the combined role of being vicar to both Theydon Bois and Theydon Garnon.

Stephen was born in 1962 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and comes to Theydon Bois direct from his previous post as Team Rector of the Binsey Team in Cumbria covering some 150 square miles of deep rural countryside. There he had one full time paid and one part time self supporting colleague to minister to 9 parishes and 10 parish churches. The combined population across the nine parishes was less than Theydon Bois and the area contained no shops, doctors, dentists, vets, petrol stations, or post offices…… so it will be quite different being resident in Theydon Bois.

Stephen has not always ministered in rural areas though and over the past 20 years he has served in a training post in Kingston Upon Hull and also been a Team Vicar and a Team Rector there. He has in addition been a minister in an Ecumenical Partnership at Grove Green in Maidstone, Kent, (with Church of England, Baptist, Methodist, and URC Members) and a Children’s Officer for Canterbury Diocese.

Stephen is married to Jackie who has trained and worked as a Nurse and a Midwife in various roles in the NHS. Jackie has also long been involved in Guiding, setting up a Rainbow Unit among other things, and in the Mothers’ Union, an Anglican International Organisation that supports family life, as the local area (deanery) leader.

Stephen and Jackie married in 1983 and have two daughters, Hannah born 1985 and Ruth born 1988. Hannah is currently in Toronto, Canada where her partner Michael works for Toronto

University as a researcher in Health Economics. They are planning to be married in 2012. Hannah graduated from Nottingham University in Food Science in 2006 and completed a PGCE at Hull University in 2007. At present she is working with young children in a private nursery. Ruth graduated from Durham University in 2010 in

Biomedical Science and is at present doing a gap year on the Isle of Man with Scripture Union.

Stephen and Jackie are very much looking forward to being part of the village community, getting to know people and getting involved in village life. They moved into the Vicarage in early February and Stephen starts officially as vicar after being licensed by the Bishop of Chelmsford on Sunday 20th February.

Rev. Stephen Walker–Theydon Bois & Theydon Garnon’s New Vicar

Jackie

Ruth

Hannah with partner Michael


Parish Council - Planning Committee

Davenant Foundation School's Celebratory Concert

at The City Temple Holborn, London - Fri & Sat, April 1st and 2nd 2011 at 7.30pm.

The School choir at Davenant celebrates its 40th year this year. The choir was formed by John Powell in

1971 and there will be a final performance with John conducting in April. The work to be performed is Carl Orff's Choral piece "Carmina Burana" - an exciting piece for choir, 2 grand pianos, percussion, brass and soloists.

Many former Davenant students and staff are returning to join the present school choir on these two evenings. Part 1 of the concert will feature a variety of music from the school bands and other choirs.

Tickets (£10 adult) (£7 under 16's) are available from John Powell. Please contact the school on 02085080404 or email [email protected], or send a cheque and SAE to DFS Arts Fund at the school (Davenant Foundation School, Chester Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 2LD).

The Commuter Car Park

Planning permission for a Commuter Car Park in Theydon Bois has been refused by Epping Forest District Council.

An application had been submitted for the construction of a Commuter Car Park on land behind the railway station (ex Old Foresters Club). These plans provided for an initial 179 car parking spaces, an access road, access bridge, lighting, security centre, CCTV installations, landscaping and drainage works.

In summary, the reasons for refusal were as follows:

1. Inappropriate development in the Green Belt with no very special circumstances sufficient to outweigh the harm the development would cause to the Green Belt.

2. The lack of an adequate transport assessment on the impact the Car Park would have on local roads and the number of passengers using the Central Line.

3. The proposed Car Park would, without proper justification, permanently prevent the site being brought back into playing field use.

4. The proposal as a whole would amount to an urbanizing feature that would be conspicuous in the Green Belt and harm its openness.

5. The relatively high volumes of vehicular traffic along the proposed access road would be detrimental to the living conditions of those occupying the dwellings at Parsonage Farm.

The applicant does have the right to appeal against this decision. At the time of writing we are waiting to see if indeed that will be the case. CLLR. PETER GOOCH


Parish Council - Highways & Environment Committee We are pleased to report that over the past year we have managed to complete with success a number of carriageway and footway refurbishment works within the Village along with the continued co-operation of the EssexCC Highways Area West office.

Forest Drive £37,000 Avenue of Trees £29,000 Orchard Drive to Weind (east side only) £32,600

Through the Community Initiatives Fund (now cancelled) we bid for and received:

Abridge Road –new and enhanced footway from Viaduct to Cemetery and Woodland Trust site: (work still ongoing) £30,000

Piercing Hill (lower) widening of footway and new kerbing £15,000

In addition, we saw new haunched-in kerbing along sections of Harewood Hill and the refurbishment of the Viaduct. For the coming financial year there are reduced budgets both for capital and revenue, but we would like to see some works carried out in Poplar Row, Green Glade, The Abridge Road and perhaps Hornbeam Road .

In order to alleviate the flooding at the zebra crossing it has been agreed with the City of London & Highways that a new culvert will be dug with a headwall in the ditch on the North side of the Avenue of trees to discharge surface water into the road drain. At present the surface water runs over the kerb and increases the volume of water at the crossing. A manhole cover was recently placed on the corner by the City of London in error and will be removed when works begin.

Our tree wardens do a marvellous job keeping a vigilant eye as well as adding new trees to the street scene, and long may the litter picker volunteers keep up their hard work and commitment.

The parking reviews continue to torment us all, whilst the salt bin saga is slowly being resolved at the expense of the Parishes, and to conclude I would like to express my thanks to the other members of the Highway Committee for their support.

CLLR ANTHONY PURKISS

After a very successful ‘festive’ event which was held in late November, members of the Parish Council and Volunteers have a lot to live up to for our next event, which will take place on Friday 25th March between 2.00-4.00pm. We look forward to seeing as many of our senior residents as possible.

At the time of going to press, we have yet to confirm our entertainment for the afternoon, so please look out for the posters dotted around the village notice boards and for those with the internet, please check the village website – www.theydon.org.uk. To register your interest in attending our next Theydon Seniors event, please call Sally Crone, Parish Clerk on 01992 813442.

CLLR SUE SOWERBY

Theydon Bois Parish Council

Theydon Seniors Events

Parish Council - Community Liaison Committee


Well I’m sure that you have been hearing on the news how the NHS is changing it’s c o m m i s s i o n i n g arrangements. It’s coming our way in General Practice and at the moment we are trying to get to grips with what this means. In times when budgets are over spent there are going to be some tough decisions to be made! Closer to home I’m happy to say that we have had some useful feedback recently from the Parish Council about your local surgery in Theydon. I thought following this it may be useful to have a column in your newsletter just to let you know any changes/developments of relevance.

Surgeries - As of April 2011 I am pleased to tell you that on alternate Wednesday mornings you will have a surgery run by Dr Rana one week and Sr Pike (Nurse Practitioner) the following.

Repeat Prescriptions - We have ordered a ‘drop box’ for your repeat prescriptions as

apparently some of you had concerns that your script was not being collected in a box behind the surgery letter box.

Website - I’m not sure if you have visited our website but the address is

www.thelimesmedicalcentre.com.

Telephones - The new telephone system is settling in and last month over 280 patients cancelled appointments using the automated attendant and 80 patients made appointments in this way. This not only created capacity in the appointment system but also for our hard working receptionists.

Flu Vaccination - We are happy to report that over 72% of over 65’s this year registered

at the surgery and we had no problems with supply! Please feel free at anytime to call or write to me with your comments or suggestions. My direct dial is 01992 566555 or my email is [email protected]. In these changing and demanding times we need to be working even closer together to ensure that local services remain high quality, effective and relevant. We need your help in achieving this!

DEBBIE BODHANYA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LIMES MEDICAL CENTRE

Limes Medical Centre - Theydon Surgery News


Theydon Bois Village Association The Village Hall Executive has received a request from Vodaphone/02 to erect a telecoms base station and mast for mobile phones in the Village Hall grounds. This has been discussed in Committee and more information is being sought. No decision will be taken until a thorough consultation has taken place.

Many residents will no doubt have noticed that metal gates have been installed in the entrance and service areas of the Village Hall. The gates will be locked each night and opened each morning. Residents are asked to be aware that there is a notice stating that ‘Gates will be locked 15 minutes after the Hall closes’. They will not be opened before 7.30 am the next morning.

The work on replacing the flooring in the Gents and Disabled toilets has now been completed. It had been agreed to purchase a Salt Bin for the Village Hall to improve safety on the steps and pathway in times of snow and ice. This has now been delivered and was used to good effect in the recent icy weather.

We continue to have an excellent team under Frank Bell’s leadership as follows:-

New Caretakers - Roy Coombs and Sid Tear, who started work just before Christmas - are carrying out their job very efficiently. Village Hall Bookings - Tracey Dunstone, who is looking after the bookings of the Village Hall in Steve Middleton’s temporary absence, is also settling in very well indeed. Cleaners – Lorraine Gould and Barbara McCartney together with Linda Catlin and Rob Linge (our late night Cleaners) – continue to keep the Hall to a very high standard.

Hall Manager Frank Bell demonstrates the new gates


Village Association - Associated Societies & Clubs - as at February 2011

SOCIETY CONTACT TELEPHONE MEETS

Art Group Mr Barry Turner 01992 812652 Friday eve (irregular)

Badminton Mrs Marion Oliver 01992 812042 Monday afternoon

Badminton Mr Steve Golding 01992 813697 Monday evening

Baptist Church Mr. Jeremy Walling 01992 571153

Bowls (shortmat) Mr John Field 01992 812684 Wed eve & Thurs am & pm

Buxton Trust Mr Peter Gooch 01992 812908

Conservative Association Mrs Carole Risdon 01992 813724

Copped Hall Trust Mr Duncan Lowther 0208 508 0874

Country Dance Club Mrs Anne Eastwell 01992 813540 Tuesday eve

Drama Society Mr Martin Oliver 01992 812042

Golf Club Mr Jack White 01992 813054

Horticultural Society Mrs Jane Turner 01992 812652 Friday eve (irregular)

Imp Cancer Res - Friends of Mrs Jean Terry 01992 813480

Keep Fit Mrs A Todd 01279 723700 Friday morning

Lace Club Mrs Loes King 01992 812058 Tuesday afternoon

Music Society Mrs Barbara O’Connor 01992 573202 Thurs eve (monthly)

NSPCC Mrs Diana Rumsam 01992 815125

Playground at Theydon (PAT) Mrs Michele Arthur 01992 812397

Parochial Church Council Mr Richard Risdon 01992 813724

Rural Preservation Society Mr Peter Newton 01992 813708

Railway Circle (Epping) Mr David Karaskas 01992 573262

Singers Mrs Hilary Hedderick 01279 433098 Monday evening

Tennis Club Mrs Pat Walter 01992 813485

Trimby Dance Club Mrs Jennifer Schena 01992 812186 Tuesday afternoon

U3A-Epping Forest Mrs Carol Brighten 0208 505 2716 1st Monday of month

U3A-Roding Valley Mr Doug Harryman 0208 508 3454 3rd Monday of month

Wansfell 2 - Friends of Mr V Dowsett 01992 814740

W. Essex NADFAS Mrs Valerie Locks 0208 502 3998 1st Wed of month

Womens Institute Mrs Kay Rush 01992 813717 3rd Wed of month

Yoga Mrs Rosemary Stone 01277 890256 Tuesday morning

Below is a list of the Societies associated with the Hall especially for any new residents or those wishing to take on a new activity.

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR JOHN PHILIP - 812473

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR SUE JONES - 814548


District Councillors Column

[email protected] [email protected]

We would like to start this column by hoping that you had a happy time over the Christmas period and wishing you well for this New Year. It has been just over two months since we last wrote to you and since this included the holiday period it has been a relatively quiet time. We have already held our first two surgeries at the Queen Victoria but would be very happy if any more of you would like to come along. It is an opportunity for you to meet with us, either to ask questions, find out progress or to raise issues that you feel we should know about or could help with. We hold these on the first Saturday of each month starting at 11 am in the Queen Victoria, you should be able to see us as you come in through the front door.

This column has to go to print before EFDC will have had its full council debate on the budget for 2011/2012 so we cannot be certain of the final position. However the budget has been through a significant number of stages of review where we have been able to see the general direction of the work that is being taken. The first point to make is that it is the intention of the Council not to raise the level of Council Tax for the forthcoming year. This is planned to line up with similar freezes in both the County and the Parish Council parts of the Tax and therefore you should see your bills remaining at the same level as they did last year. This has not been easy for the Council to do as we did receive a significant reduction in the level of grant that we receive from Central Government. The result of the announcement of funding in December was that, on a like-for-like basis, it is reduced by 15.7% for next year and a further 11.4% in the following year. To put this in context it means that over two years the reduction is £2.2M.

Clearly this will have a significant effect on the Council’s ability to continue with everything that it is currently doing. It has been possible within next year’s budget to identify savings and efficiencies that, combined with other activities such as a recruitment freeze, will allow us to balance the budget next year. We do recognise the need to support our residents and local businesses so we have, unlike many other councils that you may have heard of in the news, been able to keep our council car park charges frozen for another year.

It is clear that the financial pressure will not reduce in the short term so over the coming months we will have to make many difficult decisions as to how we achieve a balanced budget for the following years. We would welcome input from you as to where you see that EFDC should be looking to make savings. Email, letters, calls or face to face are all welcomed as we want to make sure that we know where your priorities lie.

One area of the budget that has been examined at Cabinet recently is the provision of PCSOs within the district. You may not know but since 2005 EFDC has been funding six PCSOs within the district. The aim of this was to raise the number of PCSOs from the Police funded level of 26 to 32 overall. The current level in the District is actually only 26, and furthermore EFDC is one of three District Councils within Essex who will be funding PCSOs going forward. It was recognised that management of crime and disorder within the (continued at bottom of next page)


Local Police News & Neighbourhood Watch

USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS

Neighbourhood Officer - PC Andy Cook Community Support Officers - Norma Harrison & Lizal Scott,

All three are on mobile number - 0777 931 7211.

If this number is not answered , you can leave a message and your phone number on the answerphone and they will call you back as soon as possible.

The Police non emergency mobile number is - 0300 333 4444. All emergencies are of course - 999

Essex Neighbourhood Watch Administrator - Colin Freeman - 01279- 621862 Theydon Bois Neighbourhood Watch - Caroline Law - 01992 - 813905

District is important to you and as a result the decision was made to continue with funding a PCSO presence going forward but to reduce the level of contribution to four officers.

Finally we would like to bring to your attention the Safe and Sound project. Safe & Sound is a scheme by Epping Forest to reduce the numbers of falls by older people in their homes whilst making sure the property is secure and safe against intruders. It is part of the Epping Forest Falls Prevention Strategy. This is a jointly funded project with contributions from NHS West Essex, the Safer Communities partnership, and the County Council as well as the District Council. The scheme is run by Voluntary Action Epping Forest and details can be obtained from them. As the funding for the project for next year is not yet clear we would encourage you to take advantage of the scheme at the moment.

District Councillors Column (continued)

Epping Forest Neighbourhood Day--Saturday 5th March 2011,Epping Hall, St John's Road, Epping. !0am - 4pm.

Free Admission & a family event organised by Essex Watch and Neighbourhood Watch, involving local voluntary organisations, together with Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, Essex County Council, Epping Forest District Council, West Essex Primary Care Trust

and also some local businesses. Come along and see what local clubs and organisations offer the Community and find out how you can become involved.

There is a new website which is supported by Essex Police, which allows you to register your mobile phone details, so that it will help to try to trace stolen mobile phones. Further details can be found by going to www.immobilise.com. To find your mobile phone's IMEI number, key in *#06#. The IMEI number will appear as 14 to 17 digits on the mobile phone screen----this number will be unique to your phone.

At the time of writing, there are numerous doorstep sellers around the village. To do this , they must have a Pedlars Licence, without which , they should not be selling. If they prove to be troublesome, the advice is to telephone the Police on 0777 931 7211, or if you feel threatened dial 999.

CAROLINE LAW


Xxxxxxx

The Guides


News from County Hall In the last newsletter I wrote about the Epping Forest Home Improvement Agency C.A.R.E. which helps older and disabled owner occupiers to access repairs and disabled facilities grants. It had received sudden news from the county council that its grant of £46,000 per annum, one third of its funding, would cease in March 2011. I wrote to the Cabinet Member for Adult Care, and members and officers from Epping Forest District Council also made representations. C.A.R.E. has now been told that its funding will be maintained while discussions take place with all the Home Improvement Agencies in Essex about a new specification for the service. Essex County Council needs to find £300 million in savings because of the cuts in government grants. All services are carrying out reviews leading to restructuring. Sadly, the result of this is that some staff are being made redundant. New ways of delivering services are being considered. The county aims to move to be an organisation where services are commissioned rather than directly provided. As some of you will know one of the savings has been the decision to withdraw escorts on home to school transport. I and other councillors have been contacted by parents, especially of young children, who are very concerned about this. I am discussing with my colleagues what we could do to try to get the decision regarding primary school pupils changed. Another service that has been affected by the cuts is the Connexions service which provides face-to-face advice and guidance, including careers advice, to young people. It was proposed to keep only six staff who would provide a website information service to schools, colleges and young people. This decision was called in. A ’call-in’ prevents the decision being acted on until arguments against it have been discussed and the decision re-considered. The result was that some additional posts have been saved but the majority of Connexions staff will be made redundant. As you may have heard many local authorities are closing libraries. No Essex libraries will close but there will be a reduction in opening hours. No community will lose its mobile library though times may have to change. A public consultation on this takes place from 14 February to 27 March – details are available on www.essexcc.gov.uk or at libraries. The consultation on the Local Transport Plan has just closed. I attended one of the consultation sessions. Everyone who responded to the consultation was asked to support one of three options for the approach to transport delivery in the future – investing in growth in major towns such as Harlow, spreading the resources more widely across the county, or concentrating on measures for a low carbon future. The choice at my meeting was for the second option. I drew attention to the problems in this area of parking at tube stations. Consultations are frequent but are not well advertised. If you are interested in taking part you need to keep an eye on the county website.

Councillor Janet Whitehouse County member for Epping & Theydon Bois

Telephone 01992 812503 Email: [email protected]

http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/

23 Forest Drive, Theydon Bois, CM16 7HA Telephone 01992 813951

Email: [email protected]

www.jamessear.co.uk

[email protected]

Tel: 01992 560056

311 High Street, Epping,

CM16 4DA

James Sear Estate Agents is a family business with unrivalled

local knowledge and experience.

James Sear is a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents and has been selling homes in the area for 36 years.

If you would like a free valuation or advice about selling or purchasing property please contact our office. We look forward to hearing from you:

High quality affordable dentistry in a

friendly relaxed environment.

New patients welcome.

Dental hygienist service available.

Tooth whitening and cosmetic treatments available.

Dental implants.

Denplan approved practice.

Call or email us to make an appointment to suit your needs.


http://www.jamessear.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]



Days Out From Theydon - A Visit to the BBC Studios The BBC has its television operations at the Wood Lane Centre in White City and Shepherd’s Bush in West London housing most of the 5,000+ employees. You have been inviting the BBC into your homes for many years, why not take your turn to go to them. Shepherds Bush is on the Central Line and as an added bonus

is very close to the Westfield Shopping Centre which is presently London's largest shopping mall.

The Editor recently went along as part of a pre-booked guided tour. Tours last about one and a half to two hours and are open to anyone aged 9 years and over when accompanied by an adult. (There is a separate children's tour aimed at 7-12 year olds.) There are 12 tours a day, Monday to Saturday, but you do need to book ahead. It is not possible to just 'turn up' and get on a tour. Go to the BBC website www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours for further info and how to make a booking

You meet your tour guides at the Reception of Television Centre and there can be up to 20 people in each tour group. Security is important, so a register is taken and then everyone has to put bags through a scanner and go through a body scanner too, like the ones at the airport. It only takes a few minutes and then you get your pass to wear and you're inside the BBC! Cameras are allowed, but there are only a few places photography is allowed as this is a working building. The tour guides will always tell you when it's OK to take photos. On the way in you pass Dr. Who's Tardis (see photo right)

The tour guides work in pairs and take turns giving information and answering questions. The tour proper starts with an introductory film in a meeting room next to the Newsroom. There are 2,000 employed in the news of which 1,400 are working journalists, making it the largest news operation in the world with CNN second. Of particular interest in the news area was the breakdown of 80% planned news items and 20% breaking news items in a daily


Days Out From Theydon - A Visit to the BBC Studios (continued)

newscast and the fact that the news presenters are “real journalists” with 15-18 years experience in the field all over the world prior to their studio work.

Leaving news, we next went into the (empty at the time) historic Studio 8 (pictured right) which has seen productions over the years of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Only Fools and Horses, Friday Nights with Jonathan Ross and Mock the Week. Depending on the show, the studio audience seating can be pulled out or stored away providing for more studio space. Next time you’re wondering about cost, daily studio rental excluding production costs, studio staffing, talent, etc for the studio runs approximately at £40,000 pounds. We then saw (from a balcony viewpoint) a Studio that was being prepared for a TV pilot show very shortly.

We then visited a "star" dressing room and the guide chatted about the different guests who may have used the room, plus unusual requests from some 'divas'. The BBC is always willing to consider requests but only pays for the basics so will present a bill to the artist if they ask for too much.

As you know, we talk about the weather a lot in the UK so it was a treat to visit the area where the forecast studios are and we saw a weatherman giving the forecast in front of a blue screen. A few in the group even got to try the chroma key/blue screen technology for themselves.

The finale of the tour was the interactive studio where the group got to try making the news and a game show so someone had to be the News Presenter and then the game show needed contestants. The Editor's wife Linda (pictured left) managed to win the spoof game show and was presented with a BBC tour coffee mug. It was a lot of fun and everyone left happy and laughing.


The Past Winter in Theydon Bois The Past Winter in Theydon Bois, as described below, covers only a short period from early December 2010 to February 2011. But much has happened during that time, not least during the Christmas Season, the New Year celebrations and the appalling winter weather that was a new experience for the younger generation, but not to those of "vintage years".

Christmas officially arrived in Theydon Bois when, on the icy and snow-covered forecourt of the Theydon Bois Village Hall, the Villager of the Year Marian Mellis formally switched on the village Christmas Tree Lights. This event took place on a special covered stage where carols were sung by a choir of children from the Theydon Bois Primary School, and the Theydon Singers. The Christmas Message was given by the Pastor Sue Barclay from the Theydon Bois Baptist Church and then Chris Jones from the Essex Forest Citizen’s Advice Bureau appealed for support for this vital charity which has helped hundreds of people with various problems; a collection was then taken. Father Christmas, alias Phil Woods arrived in a large van as his reindeer were having a rest before the hectic run up to Christmas. Santa then took up residence in his grotto at the Village Hall and gave presents and sweets to the younger children; the sweets were provided by Champer and Pravin Khetiya the former owners of the Village Bookshop. Meanwhile the adults were served hot mulled wine by Sue Sowerby and her helpers. Mince pies, provided by the Theydon Bakery, were distributed by a number of helpers, including local resident and Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing.

Theydon Bois Music Society celebrated Christmas in the Village Hall with a welcome return of the Friends at Christmas group comprising Paul Chilvers – Piano, Victoria Soames Samek – Clarinet, Daisy Brown – Soprano and Catherine Carter – Mezzo. Their programme was varied and included Purcell’s “Hark! How the Songsters", Head’s “Little Road to Bethlehem” and Cole Porters’ “Every Time We Say Goodbye". The evening ended with resounding applause from the large audience present.

In early December the Theydon Bois Parish Council held a “One–2–One Consultation” evening in the Village Hall. Villagers were given the opportunity to raise matters of concern or particular issues, in confidence, with a Parish Councillor or a police officer. There was also the opportunity to have personal possessions made more secure by the application of personal markings.

The Theydon Bois Singers made their contribution to the Festive Scene with their annual Christmas Concert in the Village Hall. Their programme contained a miscellany of traditional


The Past Winter in Theydon Bois (continued) and classical Christmas music interspersed with seasonal readings. The large audience joined in the well known and favourite carols with considerable gusto. The proceeds from the evening went to support the charity Epilepsy Bereaved in memory of Eleanor Mary Davis, the young student granddaughter of two of the singers.

A cold but dry winter’s Tuesday afternoon saw relatives and friends of Joan Margaret Emily Palmer gathering at the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Theydon Bois, for a service of thanksgiving to commemorate her life. The Reverend Dr Anthea Cannell once again returned to the Village from her new ministry at Roydon to conduct a service for one of her previous parishioners. A family tribute to Joan was read by Christopher Palmer and Gemma Poole read the poem “Places We Love” which had been translated from the Serbo-Croat by Francis R Jones.

After a brief respite, the winter weather returned in mid December with a vengeance. Temperatures went down to minus 6 degrees C, a short but sharp blizzard on a Saturday afternoon deposited some 6 inches of snow within 45 minutes in the Epping area. Road traffic was reduced to the inevitable crawl and major airports across the South of England were closed for a time. Road gritting was non existent in

some areas as the sudden onslaught appeared to have caught the authorities unprepared for snow. Those caught on Piercing Hill promptly drove into the car park of the adjacent Theydon Bois Golf Club and set off on foot for home, carrying their Christmas (Tesco?) shopping bags.

Members and friends of the Baptist Church were invited to attend performances of the Christmas Pantomime “Humpty Dumpty” staged by Potter Street Baptist Church near Harlow. Those who supported the production in previous years found the pantomime to be a real delight to watch. The Baptist Church had received the donation of a bench from Philip Sams and family to be placed outside the Church in memory of Lily and Bob Sams. Marjorie Denny and family had donated a sum of money for the purchase of music books in memory of Chick Denny.

Residents in the vicinity of the Frank Foster Care Home in Loughton Lane were concerned that that the owners of the property were seeking planning permission to extend the premises. The home is a substantial building overlooking the smaller adjacent properties and was illuminated all night; this was a considerable intrusion in a Village where street lighting was absent, by popular vote, to preserve the rural environment. The planned two storey extension would contain seven bedrooms with a day room, and so would exacerbate the problem.


The Past Winter in Theydon Bois (continued) During the Christmas period, the death was announced of former Epping Town Councillor Dennis Ramshaw who had also been an Essex County Councillor for Epping and Theydon Bois. His political career spanned more than thirty years and in 1970 he stood as Conservative Candidate for Chester le Street. He served on many committees but in later years he developed bronchial problems and had a lung transplant. His resilience enabled him to return to charitable work, particularly with the “Breathe Easy Group", of which he was a founder member, and to work with local health professionals for the development of pulmonary rehabilitation in West Essex.

More than 25 thousand people, including many Villagers, travelled to Central London to celebrate the arrival of 2011 which was ushered in at the stroke of midnight by Big Ben and followed by a tremendous ten-minute fireworks display on the Thames, accompanied by music. The centrepiece of the display which cost some £1.5 million was, once again, the great wheel of the “London Eye” with fireworks appearing to radiate from it in all directions and illuminating the night sky for miles around, even as far as Theydon Bois where the display could be seen from high points in the village. Many revellers stayed on to view London’s other illuminations or even to ice skate on the several ice rinks created for the occasion eg. at Somerset House. The London Transport system operated throughout the night with free travel to facilitate the return home. Back in Theydon Bois the sky over the Village was also lit at midnight with numerous private displays, accompanied by the inevitable loud bangs, which lasted intermittently for some time and many houses remained illuminated all night with seasonal decorations, especially where New Year parties were in full swing. So, for many, the Old Year went out on a happy note.

Residents who were early risers on New Year’s Day found the hard, cold, light of a full moon illuminating a virtually deserted Village covered in a partial layer of snow and ice. The Tesco Express store and the Bookshop newsagents were open and shop fronts were still decorated for the festive season, as were some private residences, and staff were already busy in the Belgique coffee shop. Some Villagers attended the further celebrations in London where half a million spectators watched the New Year's Parade in Westminster. Marching bands, American cheerleaders, many floats from London Boroughs, all comprising some 8,500 performers proceeded along a 2.5 mile route along which included well known London landmarks which consequently appeared on TV, especially in America.

On a bleak and cold morning, relations and friends of Christopher (Chris) Paul Frankland


The Past Winter in Theydon Bois (continued) gathered at Forest Park Crematorium in Hainault, for a service of celebration for his life, which was conducted by the Reverend Anthea Cannell, formerly of St Mary’s Theydon Bois. The entry music was “Funeral for a Friend”, the tribute was given by Chris’s two sons Dean and David and James Gilmore gave the reading. Chris was a popular figure in the Village and had lived in Orchard Drive for many years. He was a central heating engineer with a friendly disposition and a caring manner especially towards the older generation; he would often turn out in the small hours (in winter!!) to help the elderly with domestic heating problems. Such was his popularity that all the standing room at the crematorium was taken and the Bull Inn in the Village was packed for a subsequent reception.

Following the recent snows, in came the thaw together with much rain (which could have been snow) and floods. The depression which had brought ice and snow to the UK moved away from the south (although the north of England and Scotland were still affected) and warm Atlantic winds were bringing in rain – lots of it! Some 50 inches had fallen in the Village during a period of ten days. Water “run off” from local fields was causing some minor flooding and rivers were in danger of overflowing especially the Roding at Abridge.

Once again fears were raised about passenger safety on the Central Line. It was claimed that stations including those at Theydon Bois, Debden and Chigwell were, on several occasions, unmanned especially for two hours late on Sunday 23 Jan 11. Rail users related their experiences including on one occasion at Chigwell when the station was closed early and passengers had to “climb their way out of the station”. At Theydon Bois, it is understood that the station barriers are kept open to allow passengers to leave when the station is unmanned. The policy of Transport for London (TFL) is to have stations staffed whenever they are open, but the Rail Unions claimed that cuts to staffing levels means that passengers are increasingly left to manage on their own.

The Village Hall was packed for the last performance of the three night Viva Variety show staged by the Theydon Bois Drama Society. This was the Society’s annual “pantomime” which this year took the form of a Music Hall type review comprising a series of scenes with monologues, music from the shows, dancing and comic turns, the latter bordering on the burlesque. The stage

craft was excellent and the fast pace of the production kept the audience highly entertained and on its toes.

The Rainbows


The Bull Inn in Theydon Bois was used as a backdrop for a feature length film being made in the Epping District. Entitled “Lost in Italy” the film’s theme relates to a man who wakes up in 1964 and has no idea what is going on. The producer was TV actor, Glen Murphy who also starred in the film; he said “I was an Epping lad until a few years ago and wanted to make it (the film) as local as possible”. Other local locations used were the Club 195 and the Unico Italian restaurant both in Epping.

The Theydon Bois Music Society held a coffee morning in the Village Hall. The event was well attended with a bring and buy stall and a raffle with numerous prizes. The proceeds were in aid of the Society’s funds.

At the January meeting of the Theydon Bois WI, fifty four members and one visitor were given an excellent talk by Colin Street about Charles Dickens in London. It was here that, as a journalist, Dickens saw at first hand the appalling social conditions of the great City in Victorian times, which undoubtedly influenced him in the writings for which he subsequently became famous.

St Mary’s Church reported that, as part of Operation Christmas Child, volunteers acting as shoebox packers and wrappers or item donors were able to dispatch 175 boxes of gifts to the world’s poorest children living in Belarus. The proceeds from the Church’s Autumn Soup Lunches was used to fund additional gifts such as toiletries and essential school items, and also helped with postage costs (£2.50 per box).

A large Christmas Box was also sent by St Mary’s to the Mission to Seafarers. This contained woollen items knitted by members of the Church, together with toiletries, jigsaw puzzles, books and other items for use during leisure time when at sea. The cost was partly defrayed by the sum of £310 raised at a previous Ploughman’s Lunch.

The sun has reappeared in this early February, the days are getting longer, snowdrops have arrived and daffodil bulbs are about to bloom. Local birdwatchers taking part in a national bird recording census have noticed that our avian friends are beginning to "pair” and two blackbirds in the writer’s garden are removing mud from his pond, presumably for their nest. Yes – spring is here – just!

TREVOR ROBERTS LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER FOR THEYDON BOIS

The Past Winter in Theydon Bois (continued)

News, Comments & Notices



Spotlight on the Shops - The Flower Yard Andy Goodwin proprietor of The Flower Yard in Loughton Lane, a Village N e w s S p o n s o r , approached Village News about running a special promotion for our readers in this issue. We took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about himself and the business.

How long has the b u s i n e s s b e e n operating? - A garden business under the name of the Flower Yard has been operating here since

2005 I took over the business 3 years ago. Initially we decided to change the name to Theydon Nursery because the business had a bit of a bad reputation because it was not open on a regular basis. In the three years we have been running it we have expanded the site and variety of plants and related gardening products that we sell. At the start we only had a very short lease, but now this has been extended we have taken the opportunity to put on an extra 60 foot of frontage for the display of plants as well as expanding the inside of the yard. The business is now much more visible to passing trade and it is a yard based business, we have restored its reputation so a return to the name ‘The Flower Yard’ seemed appropriate.

Where do you live and & what do you like about it? -I have previously lived in Ongar & Loughton and about 18 months ago we moved to Epping. We like it because it is still a pleasant market town with good facilities and of course it is close to work. I can be here in the yard in about 10 minutes from home. Recently we have taken over the garden stall opposite Tesco in Epping that runs on Saturdays and Sundays so it is handy for that as well.

Tell us a bit about your background and your family. I have always been interested in gardening and have been in the gardening business for about 20 years. Previously I was a market trader selling all sorts of items. I started by doing a bit of garden maintenance for a friend and it just expanded from there. I was preparing and selling hanging baskets etc. and as the demand increased I just outgrew working from my own garden with only a small potting shed and a little plastic Greenhouse. I then rented a much larger greenhouse at Roydon. I was growing plants there for a regular customer base of about 50. Word of mouth spread about the quality of our plants and with it the retail side of the business expanded so when this site became available we decided Theydon Bois would be a good place to locate our first proper retail outlet.

I now live very happily with my partner Michelle and her daughter Aimee and I adore both of them. I have two children from my previous marriage a son Jay, 19 and daughter Charli, 15. My only regret is as they now both live in the north of England with their mother I don’t get to see them as often as I would like.

What do you do in your leisure time? -Well as the yard is open seven days a week unfortunately I don’t find a lot of time for relaxation. Our daughter Amy who is 17 is wheelchair bound. She suffers


Spotlight on the Shops - The Flower Yard (continued)

from Marfan’s Syndrome which is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. She has serious complications causing defects of the heart valves, aorta and lungs. It’s likely that she will have to have a major operation this year. When the weather is good though she enjoys coming into the yard to ‘potter around’ with the plants and generally help out. If I do find the odd spot of time for leisure I like to go fishing. Perhaps I should give the Theydon pond a try as it’s on the doorstep?

What products do you stock? - Well you can see from our advertisement in this issue that we carry a wide range of plants, pots, garden ornaments and furniture. We are noted for the quality of our hanging baskets and this year we will be trying to expand on the materials for people who want to prepare

their own. 80% of all the bedding plants we sell are grown by us. All our plants are British grown. This is an important quality aspect ignored by many of our competitors and the larger garden centres. British grown plants have adjusted to our climate and because of that they are that much stronger than imports. These have often been forced by gas & air to bring them on quickly and when suddenly exposed to a cold breeze here they get knocked out. We know the quality of our plants because they are home-grown mostly by ourselves. Some people have managed to keep Geraniums supplied by us outside for 4 or 5 years. The price difference between British plants and imports is really not that much, we are talking pennies. You are much better value in the long term buying a British grown plant.

What’s different about the Flower Yard and why locate in Theydon Bois? - As I said we grow our own plants we are always able to give advice on what plants to grow and how to feed and care for them in local conditions. This personal service unfortunately is now lacking in a lot of businesses where there is just someone on the check out with no knowledge about what they are selling. We have even had gardeners and Landscapers working locally coming in for advice. We also do local home delivery and have even been known to plant out a flower or two for some of Theydon’s older and less mobile residents. A good business is always about one-to-one service. There are some really devoted and knowledgeable gardeners in Theydon as Open Gardens Day each year demonstrates. I think the people here appreciate the type of service we give.

Tell us about your Special Offer for Village News readers - We are a Village News Sponsor and like to feel we are part of the community. The recession and Vat increase this year is hitting us all. In this country we don’t get that much of a summer and it would be a shame if people cut back too much on their gardens and missed out on the little plants that cheer us all up throughout those summer months. Therefore we have decided to run a 10% discount on everything we stock during the ‘bedding season’. Most garden centres will think we are mad because this is the time they do most trade and people will pay any price. We think that this is the time that we can show the most support for our gardeners. So any Saturday and Sunday in May just show us the voucher from this issue to get a 10% discount and enjoy your garden.


Ken Hoy - Getting to Know Epping Forest Residents of Theydon Bois were among the invitees to a book launch held on 27th November 2010 at the Epping Forest Field Centre at High Beech. The author was Ken Hoy MBE, a former teacher and a man of many talents but, above all, a great naturalist and a lover of Epping Forest. He is the author of several books, the most popular of which is “Getting to Know Epping Forest”; consequently this has now been published as a second edition and was the subject of the book launch. This edition is lavishly illustrated with pictures and maps backed by Ken’s excellent text.

Among the many invited to this event were Barbara Newman, Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee of the City of London, Paul Thomson, Superintendent of Epping Forest, Michael Chapman, Deputy Lieutenant of Essex and a Verderer of the Forest, Judy Adams, Chairman of the Friends of Epping Forest, Peter Adams, also a Verderer of Epping Forest and others prominent in Forest and local community activities. In formerly opening the book launch, Barbara Newman congratulated Ken on his literary work which reflected his great knowledge of the Forest, and which was also a very good read.

In reply Ken thanked Barbara for her kind remarks, and also all those who had come along to support the event. He remarked that writing the book was comparatively easy, but its production was definitely not! A celebration cake was then cut and enjoyed by all present who then took the opportunity to view the Field Centre and

acquire a signed copy of Ken’s book. The event was organised by Judy Adams.

Ken Hoy has been involved with Epping Forest for most of his life. Born in Woodford in a house adjoining Epping Forest, he roamed the Forest as a child and began what was to become a life long interest in natural history. He taught for several years in a Chingford School before leaving to teach for 24 years in the Forest itself. Believing firmly in using the woodland environment as an educational source, he first taught Walthamstow children from the Jubilee Retreat Field Study Centre and was then Head of the Suntrap Field Study Centre for the London Borough of Waltham Forest until his retirement in 1986.

Ken signing copies of his book


Theydon Bois Cricket Club

6/2/2011 to 10/4/2011 Sunday night winter nets at St Aubyn’s School, Woodford. Colts/Juniors (aged 14 & under) 5.10 pm to 6.10 pm, Seniors (aged 15 and over) 6.10 pm to 7.10 pm. 1/4/2011 Colts Registration Night, 6.30 pm TBCC Clubhouse. (This is a chance for under 16s to join the Club). 29/4/2011 to 22/7/2011 inclusive. Friday night training sessions for colts 6.15pm to 7.45 pm (Qualified Coaches). 28/4/2011 to 21/7/2011 inclusive. Thursday night training sessions for seniors 6.30pm to 8pm. 3/7/2011 Colts Day at TBCC Ground commencing at 2pm (inter club game 28 overs).

The AGM of the Cricket Club took place on 31/1/2011 with the usual protagonists in attendance. The Committee were re-elected en-bloc. The meeting was concluded with the President Jerry Smith making the presentation of an engraved salver to Peter Gooch in recognition of his retirement as a player. Both Peter Gooch and Ian Stride were made Life Members of the Club for their years of service and contributions. Peter started playing in 1970 and Ian in 1969. As mentioned Peter has retired as a player but Ian is determined to continue as long as the body can cope!! Also Mrs Pat Whistler was made an Honorary Member for her service to the Club.

Mention was made on page 34 of the last Theydon Bois Village News under the heading Buxton Trust Gold Award regarding the work of Matt. It is worth noting that there are two people who should have been mentioned, Matt O’Reilly and Warren Hyde, who spend hours maintaining the field to a high standard. This is not by any means the first award received and no doubt their continued hard work, undertaken voluntarily, will reap rewards in the future. Mention should also be made of Paul Argent for his freely given assistance.

The winter nets commenced on 6/2/2011 and are fully subscribed.

Tea Lady / Gentlemen Required By Cricket Club

Theydon Bois Cricket Club is looking for someone to provide Cricket Teas on Saturdays and Sundays during the Cricket Season.

A generous allowance is provided which covers both ingredients and the person’s time. Interested?

Contact the Club Secretary Peter Gooch on 812908 or email [email protected] for further details.



Theydon Bois Golf Club Theydon Bois Golf Club opened on 5th March 1898 in a spot then known as Nightingale Valley. It was a nine hole course and was constructed by James Braid (for a fee of £3) who was the then professional at Romford Golf Club subsequently moving to Walton Heath, Surrey. Braid was an excellent course designer. He used his farming background to ensure that courses were well laid out and well drained. As a founder

member of the PGA and later its president, he was instrumental in laying the foundation of today's professional game. In recognition of his contribution to golf, the R&A honoured him with membership. Not only a course designer, Braid was a very successful tournament professional. In 1901 he won his first Open. Within 10 years he became the first man to win the event five times. He was runner up three times. Playing membership was 18, six ladies and twelve men. Interestingly during the course construction a horse drawn roller was hired from Theydon Bois Cricket Club for 5 shillings. There was no club house

with players turning up ready to play with meetings held in houses of members. But by 1901 the club’s expansion was greatly aided by the acquisition of its first club house. Mr L W Bamber who lived at “The Glen” one of a pair of semi-detached Villas owned by him, offered the other Villa known as “Avondale” to the club. This continued until 1923 when a purchase price of £923 was agreed and the club purchased both Villas from Mr Carson. Over the years many improvements were made to the clubhouse with a major extension in 1965 creating the lounge, dining room and kitchen as they are now.

Improvements are continuing to be made as reported in the last issue relating to the new terrace and as the sun shone for first time since the snow we were able to take the picture below. Further improvements were made to the bar area with a new cellar being installed with new equipment to keep all the drinks in prime condition. The club’s junior organisers are holding coaching sessions on Saturday afternoons from April through to September for those youngsters that would like to try their hand at golf, no previous experience required. Our two captains David and Melanie both raise money during their term and this year Macmillan Nurses and The Royal British Legion are the nominated recipients for the fundraising events. Unfortunately some members of the public walk on the part of the course which borders the back of Woodland Way, along Piercing Hill and Little Gregories Lane and although the land is owned by the Corporation of London it is private and unauthorised persons do so at their own risk as golf balls in flight can be very dangerous. For all enquires about any aspect of the club please phone 01992 813054 o r g o t o o u r w e b s i t e -www.theydongolf.co.uk

The Theydon Road clubhouse in the 1920’s

James Braid


Theydon Bois Tennis Club Spring brings fresh enthusiasm at the Tennis Club, but that doesn't mean the club has been quiet over the winter. The photographs show scenes from a club training session in late January. The weather was bitterly cold, yet 80 adults and juniors turned up for one of the eight sessions run on that day. Four Saturday junior coaching and an adult beginner class run all year, while three more adult classes run each fortnight through the winter.

The coming of the warmer weather and longer evenings does however mean that a c t i v i t i e s a t t h e c l u b increase. Friday night junior coaching starts again on 1 April, Wednesday evening club sessions also recommence in the same

week, and club league matches run from the end of April. The club will again be running evening adult beginner and improver coaching courses after Easter, full details of which will be on the club website or on leaflets in the clubhouse. (The above photos show Steve Russell demonstrating the volley to Mel Terrell and Phil Woods organising Ellen Darcy and friends into pairs for their lesson.) Please call Richard Crone on 01992 572566 or visit www.theydontennis.co.uk for details.



Theydon Bois Community & Youth Centre

To rent or help with the Centre please contact [email protected] .

To help with Theydon Youth or for enquiries regarding the Youth Club or Open Gardens’ Day

contact [email protected] .

The refurbishment works on the New Theydon Bois Community & Youth Centre are almost complete. As well as the CIF (Community Initiative Fund) grant of £19,979 and financial support from the Village Association we have had great support from local residents. Villager Rob Gooch has been the Main Contractor and involved other villagers to carry out plumbing and security work including John Davies of Detection Security Systems who supplied and fitted security alarms in the building. Members of Theydon Youth along with helpers and parents painted the exterior of the Centre (pictured above) and planted Daffodil bulbs around the borders. A Charitable Company has been formed and the Parish Council will be leasing the building to them. A Grand Opening of the Centre is being planned for early March.

Theydon Youth will be the main residents of the building and are hoping to start a Junior Night for 8 to 11 year olds. Theydon Youth were awarded a Grant by the West Essex Forum to help towards computer costs so that members will have internet access and are hoping to organise a ‘Basic Skills’ workshop which will be open to all Villagers. The workshop will involve the children teaching basic computer skills, how to set up an e-mail address, how to use Facebook etc.

There are many other groups booked in to use the Centre on a regular basis including Art classes, Boxercise, Zumba, Tiny Mites Group, Dancing, Drama, Yoga, Child Fitness & Nutrition. This wide range of groups enhances the activities available within Theydon Bois and offers something for everyone. The rental funds generated will mean that the Centre is totally self-funding and the running costs are easily covered without the financial assistance of the Parish Council.

Theydon Youth are once again organising the Open Gardens’ Day which, this year, will be held on Sunday 26th June. We will be looking for helpers on the day to make sure the day goes as smoothly as usual.




Copped Hall Corner APPRAISAL FOR COPPED HALL - The Epping Forest District Council has produced a draft Character Appraisal (CA) for the Copped Hall Conservation Area. This Area was designated in 1984 and its purpose is to define what makes the Area so special. It is intended to append an Action Plan (AP) to the final CA that will list ways in which various features, eg. landscapes and buildings can be restored and preserved; these features can range from park railings to small out buildings,

from areas of cobbles to types of roofing. Possible actions could include the replacing of missing specimen trees, shrubberies and the restoration of a stable. It is hoped that the AP will act as a “workshop manual”.

It is wonderful to see the Epping Forest Conservators reintroducing sheep and cattle to the Parkland. The Conservation Area is an historic site of national importance. These Areas are very sensitive and it should be remembered that, once historic landscapes and buildings are compromised by unsympathetic alterations, then it is much easier to argue later for more compromise as the original is no longer complete. It is this way in which the significance of a Conservation area is eroded. Ideally, ways should be found to ensure that these acts of restoration can be protected permanently by organisations such as the Copped Hall Trust and the Epping Forest Conservators, which are both charitable trusts.

GENERAL PROGRESS AT THE MANSION - As the result of constructional work carried out before Christmas 2010, the Dining Room space on the first floor of the Mansion is now accessible. The large cellar far below this space is now also accessible and was used in the late autumn for an art exhibition organised by the students of the Prince of Wales Drawing School. The Copped Hall Trust has received a grant of £40,000 towards the reconstruction of the floor and ceiling structures that enclose the Drawing Room. When this work is completed in the coming summer, visitors will be able to see more of the Grand Rooms on the first floor.

PAST EVENTS - The Sunday Morning Guided Tours and numerous visits by organised parties kept the Trust and Friends busy during the autumn. Despite the adverse weather, two Christmas carol concerts were held in the Mansion, and were well attended, but the other two had to be cancelled.

SITE AND GARDEN TOURS 2011 -Sunday Morning Tours of the Mansion and grounds/walled garden are held on the 3rd Sun each month (except in Dec). Tours 10.00 to 12.00 (gates open 10.00 to 11.00 only). Special Openings of the Gardens (Mansion closed) are held on 1st Sunday each month from Mar 6 to Sep 4 between 14.00 and 16.00.

MAJOR EVENTS IN 2011 - An extensive programme of major events is being arranged for 2011 and includes study days with William Tyler 7 Jun – The Imperial Country House, Peter Lawrence 11 Aug – Villages of East London, and Nigel Gervis 28 Oct – Repair and Upgrading of Ancient Buildings. Musical events include Copped Hall Choir – 22 May, Jazz Bros Quintet – 18 Jun, New Redbridge Wind Orchestra – 9 Jul, Hugh Rainey Jazz Band – 6 Aug, Light Opera – 20 Aug, Fitzwilliam String Quartet – 17 Sep and a Gala Georgian Evening – 24 Sep. The popular carol concerts will be held on Dec 10 11, 17 and 18 (tickets are already being sold for these last four events).


Theydon Bois Rural Preservation Society The Society is pleased to report that the application for a car park in the Green Belt beyond the railway has been refused, largely on the grounds set out in our letter of objection. It has always been our aim to preserve the line of the railway as an easily understood and clear line of demarcation between the built up area of the village and the open countryside beyond.

The vast majority of the 1800 village households in Theydon have joint or individual membership of the Society and this large proportion adds weight to any submissions that the Society makes in support of its aims and objectives. In the next month or two, collectors will call to collect subscriptions to renew membership of the Society or to join for the first time. Subscription is only £1 per year for a single person or £2 for a joint subscription for the whole household.

As usual the Society is organising a series of circular, guided walks in the countryside and forest around the village. The first will be on Sunday, 3rd April starting from the Village Hall at 2pm and lasting for about two hours and covering some four miles. Stout footwear is essential as it can be muddy in places, with clothes suitable for the weather, but the pace is steady with pauses to note views or items of interest. Dogs on a lead are welcome. If you are new to the village or unsure about exploring its surroundings this would be a good way to begin. Watch out for posters around the village giving details of further walks.

The Society has been represented on the Committee of the Village Design Statement since its inception and is pleased that after a lengthy gestation the Statement is now ready for consultation.

PETER NEWTON

FORTHCOMING EVENTS UP TO 30TH JUNE 2011 For further information please contact 01992 610713 or E Mail [email protected].

Unless otherwise stated, all events are held at the Copped Hall Mansion. Car parking is always available, as are refreshments. Vehicle access is only possible via the London entrance on the B1393 Upshire Road.

COPPED HALL TRUST

Copped Hall Corner (continued)

Mar 20 Alan Cox Lecture (Copped Hall Progress) (at Theydon Bois Village Hall)

Mar 20 Garden Workshop

May 28 WEAG Archaeology Dig Commences

May 29 Open Day

Jun 01 Summer Drawing Course (others to follow)

Jun 11 Music Workshop (Singing)

Jun 12 Greek Theatre Players (Love’s Labours Lost) (in the gardens)



The Village NewsDesk Youth Editor Interviews Yasmin Levy-Miller, aged 15, a Member of Epping Forest Youth Council

How did you get to be on the Epping Forest Youth Council? - I heard about Epping Forest Youth Council (EFYC) in assembly at school, I thought it sounded interesting so I decided to find out some more information. I asked my teacher for an application booklet, which told me all the information about what being a youth councillor

would involve. I decided that it would be a good cause to dedicate my time to. After all I am a young person living in the Epping Forest District, the issues that affect young people affect me too. I applied and I was lucky enough to get ‘elected’. There is a section in the application form which asks you to write down your ideas you have for the district and you have to write about why you would like to be a youth councillor and why you think you would be good at the job. If you’re lucky enough to get elected then you have a commitment to serve for 2 years.

What is your role being on the youth council? What sorts of things do you do? Our role as a youth council is to find out the issues that most affect young people in the district and try and do something about them. It’s about asking young people what they think of the area in which we live, what they don’t like, what they would like to be changed. We have meetings once a fortnight (or more if we’re working on a big project). We’ve done lots of training for chairing meetings, communication skills, team building and lots more.

Tell us about the recent Youth project the Youth council have done. The two big projects that we’ve done as a youth council are the Youth Conference in March 2010.We consulted with 80 year ten students about what the main issues they faced living in Epping Forest. This day was organized by the youth councillors, we had a quiz and even a live debate that was streamed on the internet where we debated whether or not the voting age should be lowered to 16. A good day was had by all and the youth council were able to gain a true picture of the issues that affect young people. The main issue that came out of the day was that there was a lack of things to do in Epping Forest. This gave us our idea for our new project. We decided to find all of the youth centres in the area and evaluated them; we then published a tube style map of all of the youth centres in the area. We held an awards evening for the youth centres to commend them for the great work they do. At the end of this project we found out that there really is so much to do in the area-you just need to look for it.

Would you recommend the Youth Council to other young local people? Why? The Youth Council has been a really worthwhile experience and I would recommend it to any young person who really wants to make a difference to Epping Forest. EFYC gives you skills that you will be able to use in later life –teamwork, communication and also it really helps you to think outside the box when we’re brainstorming ideas. I’ve made so many new friends through the youth council, that’s definitely one of the best bits, meeting new people. It has improved my confidence and given me the chance to use my public speaking skills. At some points EFYC has been hard work, like when we’re finishing our projects it can get a little stressful. But it’s worth it when you’ve finished a project as a team, there’s a real sense of pride and satisfaction.

Ellie Interviews a Member of Epping Forest Youth Council

ELEANOR BEDWELL VILLAGE NEWS YOUTH EDITOR

Yasmin Levy-Miller


Those of you that objected to Phase One of a 350 space Commuter Car Park on land known as the Old Foresters will have received confirmation that the application has been turned down by EFDC. We do however expect this application to be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate within the next six months. Those that did object will receive notice of the details of the appeal. TBAG did expect that the application may go to appeal and will be preparing a more detailed response to the PI if it proves necessary.

On 6th December, the Crown Court case, brought by EFDC against the leaseholder of the Old Foresters site, collapsed. This should have resulted in the removal of the unlawfully stationed portable buildings, which had been on the site since June 2008, and also a small structure which had subsequently been built without planning permission. EFDC were preparing a Crown Court case but were informed by their barrister at the last minute that a prosecution against the leaseholder, James Harris, was unlikely to be successful and they were advised to bring a case against the land owner, Parkeng (many of the directors of Parkeng are also directors of Blunts Farm Estates Limited and also own Blakes Golf in North Weald). EFDC had previously negotiated a deal with the land owner and directors of Parkeng, whereby they would not be prosecuted. EFDC have therefore to start again with formal legal proceedings against the correct party. This was the sixth occasion that the case has been thwarted at a Court hearing by the leaseholder/landowner, having been previously delayed and or postponed on five previous occasions. Mr Harris was however found guilty by Harlow Magistrates Court on 15th December for the offence of failing to respond to a planning contravention notice at a site known as Riverfield, Abridge.

TBAG are currently enquiring of the local authority as to what steps are being taken to ensure enforcement for the removal of unlawful portacabins etc at the Old Foresters site. We sincerely hope we have their substantive reply soon and a full report by the next issue of the Village News. We are particularly concerned that failures by the local authority to properly serve the notices in the first instance will lead to a 'loophole' in the law being exploited, that is the Four Year Rule. Hopefully, now TBAG have reminded the local authority about this Rule, this will not happen, but our vigilance is key to ensure irreversible mistakes are not made. It will soon be three years that these unlawful structures have been on this site and TBAG are becoming increasingly concerned that all is not as it should be at Civic Offices, causing not only such a delay in the proper administration of enforcement but a waste of public money in bringing legal proceedings against the wrong party.

It is also likely that the enforcement notices served against Blunts Farm Estates Limited in 2006, relating to their abandoned golf course development, requiring compliance to ‘fill the voids using the existing surplus, and the remainder distributed in the way least harmful to visual amenity’ may be signed off at the District Development Control Committee meeting on 5th April. TBAG will be preparing a report to EFDC officers highlighting any areas where we feel compliance has not yet been achieved, it you have any comments to make please get in touch – [email protected].

We remain vigilant to large scale planning applications that materially affect the village and its environs. TBAG - Protecting the Village of Theydon Bois - www.theydonbois-actiongroup.co.uk


http://www.theydonbois-actiongroup.co.uk


QI - Facts about Cold This past winter has been very cold indeed and is the third cold one in succession. Between 1991 and 2007 winters in the UK were mostly milder than the long term average, with the notable exception of 1995. Things changed in 2008/09 with the UK having its first cold winter for over a decade, and this was immediately followed by the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11 which for much of the country was worst since 1978/79, bringing widespread and heavy snowfalls. Given that background Village News thought it would bring you some Quite Interesting (QI) facts about the subject - COLD.

Absolute zero - Temperature is a measure of the speed of oscillation of a substance’s atoms and molecules. The slowest possible oscillation is a theoretical point called absolute zero, which is calculated at -459.67F (-273.15C). This has never been reached, although scientists have got close.

In 2000, a team from Helsinki University of Technology cooled a piece of the rare metal rhodium to a 10th of a billionth of a degree above absolute zero. Given that the average temperature of empty space today is 2.8 degrees above absolute zero, this made the lab in Helsinki briefly one of the coldest places in the entire universe.

Coldest place - The Boomerang Nebula, 5,000 light years from Earth, was first identified by Australian astronomers in 1979. It looks like a boomerang (or possibly a bow tie). At its core is a dying star, three times heavier than our own sun, that has been spraying out gas at a speed of 500,000 kilometres an hour for the last 1,500 years. Just as our breath cools when we force it through our mouths, the gas squeezed out of the nebula is two degrees lower than the

space it is expanding into. It reaches -455.8F (-271C), the lowest natural temperature recorded.

Coldest city - The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth is -128.56F(-89.2C), at Vostok station in Antarctica in 1983.

The coldest inhabited city is Yakutsk, the capital of the republic of Yakutia in the Russian Far East (formerly part of Siberia). Its average January temperature is about -40F (-40C), and it has been known to dip to -83.2F (-64C).

The 200,000 residents have learnt to cope with the cold: no one wears metal-rimmed glasses outside because the metal will stick to and tear the skin on the face, and cars are left running so their engines don’t seize up. Yakutia is almost the size of India; if it were an independent country it would be the eighth largest in the world. It crosses three time zones but is home to fewer than a million people. A cold Snag - The coldest temperature ever recorded in North America was at Snag airport, Yukon, Canada on February 3 1947. It was -81.4F All dressed up to go out in Yakusk


(-63C). The duty weather officer that day said that he could hear dogs barking in the village three miles away because the air was so dense and there was no wind. He could also follow where people had gone because their breath hung in the air for 15 minutes after they had left. He said: “Becoming lost was of no concern. As an observer walked along the runway, each breath remained as a tiny, motionless mist behind him at head level.” Sometimes his own breath froze and he heard a tinkling sound as it fell like powder to the ground.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in England was-15F (-26.1C) at Newport, Shropshire, on January 10 1982.

Cold mouth - Why does sucking a peppermint make our mouths feel cold? The menthol in mints and gum contains proteins that mimic the action of cold temperatures on our nervous system. Receptor neurons called TRM8s, which are usually stimulated into opening up by temperatures less than 53.6F (12C), bond with the menthol proteins releasing the same “it’s cold” signal to the brain.

Cold cucumbers - First used by the poet John Gay in a poem in 1732, the phrase “cool as a cucumber” isn’t just an indicator of a calm attitude. It’s also based on observable fact that at room temperature, the inside of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside air.

Cold heads - According to Professor Gordon Giesbrecht at the University of Manitoba, the world’s leading expert on cold weather survival, the head and neck are only 10 per cent of our body surface area and are no more efficient at losing heat than the rest of our skin.

The amount of heat released by any part of the body depends largely on how much of it is exposed. On a cold day, you could easily lose more body heat from a bare arm or leg. If our heads seem to get colder it’s because the concentration of nerve cells in our head and neck makes them five times as sensitive to changes in temperature as other areas.

Reproduced with permission from the QI column at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/qi/

QI - Facts about Cold

Council funded Insulation, ending soon

Epping Forest District Council backed energy efficiency scheme is going to close at the end of this March. So this is your last chance to take advantage of Council funded loft and cavity wall insulation at just £49 or FREE (If in receipt of a

qualifying means tested benefit).

Normally loft and cavity wall insulation could cost up to £250 per measure to be installed, but through HEEP Theydon Bois Parish homeowners and private tenants can get their lofts and cavity walls insulated for just £49 per measure or for FREE. Around half of the heat loss in a typical home is lost through un-insulated lofts and cavity walls.

By installing discounted insulation separately, loft insulation can save you around £145 and cavity wall insulation around £110 every year. Don’t miss out, call HEEP free on 0800 980

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/qi/8258009/QI-Quite-interesting-facts-about-the-cold.html



The Horticultural Society will welcome Christine Walkden on 7th April to talk

on “Gardens of the UK”. Christine who lives locally is very knowledgeable about many horticultural subjects, has her own television programme and has been on Gardener’s Question Time recently

7th April - Village Hall - 8pm - Admission at door £5 - ALL WELCOME

We have a challenge for families to grow the tallest sunflower. This is to be measured in situ in September. We are also running the heaviest pumpkin competition again - to be judged in October.

Finally we are pleased to have donated a seat (pictured left) in a quiet area of the cemetery sited to give views across the open countryside towards the City skyline.

All enquiries - Jane Turner 812652

Theydon Art Group was established in June 1962 with a membership just 10 (7 Messrs. and 3 Mesdames,) under the chairmanship of Charles Rush. The members enjoyed talks and outings to various art galleries as well as practical sessions, usually held in their own houses. The first exhibition was on 10th/11th May 1963 in the village hall, when 22 members exhibited & the takings, following sales, were the grand sum of £19,12s,0d.

In 1965 the society became affiliated to the Village association, and following this humble but enthusiastic start, TAG now has 49 active and enthusiastic members, with a waiting list for membership. Meetings in the village hall are usually practical demonstrations by a range of well-known artists using different mediums. In the summer many members visit selected local places of interest and paint, sketch or simply photograph their surrounding with a view to producing pictures for the annual exhibition.

This year is our 50th exhibition, (there were 2 exhibitions in 2002) and will show the talent of local members who use watercolour, acrylics, pastels or oils, as well as pencil sketches and pen work. The variety of styles and subjects makes the exhibition interesting and provides something for everyone to enjoy. Members also paint 10cms “Charity Squares” which sell at £5 each, and over the last 8 years have raised an average of £200 each year for local charities. This show is one of the best in the area as pictures are displayed well, and also provides an opportunity to invest and buy works as you can enjoy them in your own home.

TAG 50th Annual Exhibition Friday 13th May 2011 7 – 9 pm.

Saturday 14th May 2011 from 10 am till 5 pm. Entry 50p - Refreshments available

Parking free - info - Derek Springham 0208 504

THEYDON ART GROUP (TAG)

THEYDON BOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY


Nearly New Sale - Saturday 12th March 11am to 2pm Children’s Clothes (up to age 10)

Maternity Wear - Toys - Buggies & Prams All new or nearly new items individually priced

looking to be recycled to good homes Entrance 50p Tea & Cakes for sale

Sellers’ enquiries please contact Pre-School for more info or on www.theydonboispreschool.org.uk or

[email protected]

THEYDON BOIS DRAMA SOCIETY

PRESENTS

the beaux stratagem

AT THEYDON BOIS VILLAGE HALL

17, 18, 19TH MARCH 2011 Performances start @ 8pm

BOX OFFICE 01992 812250

Ladies Bingo Night Friday 1st April

Doors open at 7.30pm BYO Drinks

Bingo, stalls and lots of fun!

Tickets available - March 17 through a Committee

Member or email info@theydonboispreschoo


The Epping Forest Group is a local group of the national Alpine Garden Society and is for all those with an interest in alpine plants, whether in the wild or growing at home in the garden, frame or greenhouse.

The Group meets every month from September to May on the second Tuesday of the month. Meetings take the form of an illustrated lecture or a demonstration, followed by refreshments. There is also a plant raffle, sales table and an alpine plant display. We meet at Theydon Bois Village Hall, Essex, (CM16 7ER, on the north side of the Village Green), starting at 8.00 pm.

Tuesday 8 March - Plant Hunting in Western China - Ian Butterfield Tuesday 12 April - Hardy Orchids - Andrew Bannister Tuesday 10 May - A Spring Woodland Garden - Ben Potterton

Further information is available from: Keith Ballard, Tel: 01992 813231, Email: [email protected] - www.alpinegardensociety.net/groups/Epping-Forest

EPPING FOREST ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY

THEYDON BOIS PRE-SCHOOL GROUP AT THE SCOUT HUT

THEYDON BOIS DRAMA SOCIETY


Our Spring season starts on Wednesday 23rd March 2011. We

have vacancies for new members and if you are free for a couple of hours on the second and fourth Wednesday of months October to June then why not join us. We meet at Theydon Bois Baptist Church Hall at about 10.15 am and finish at noon. Our selected and enjoyable talks given by invited guests take place in a very friendly atmosphere. If you would like to know more about the Men’s Forum telephone Harry Memory 01992 812696. Our speakers for the next season are as follows


Theydon resident, Keith Harris, is undertaking a sponsored 21 mile walk for

Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital (GOSH) over the weekend of 17th - 19th June at Hadrian's Wall. He reports that he has sponsorship from nearly all of the businesses in the village and is looking for further sponsorship from any member of the public, who recognises this extremely worthwhile cause, so that he can meet his target of £1,000.

Anyone who wants to support Keith can donate through his Just Giving page at -www.justgiving.com/KEITH-HARRIS0-, a cheque in favour of GOSH or by cash. He can be contacted on 01992 812203

KEITH’S SPONSORED WALK FOR GOSH

JEFF SHORT BIG BAND & SINGERS

SATURDAY 21st MAY 8.00pm-11.30pm

T Bois Village Hall B.Y.O. drinks & nibbles

Tickets £16.50 available in advance from 01245 450 450 For more details please visit

www.jeffshort.co.uk

March 23 Wood through Thick & Thin Barry Turner

April 13 Roman N W Essex (from Harlow Museum)

April 27 No Meeting, Easter Week --------------------------

May 11 Horticultural Judging Bill Bossom

May 25 The City Livery Companies David Williams

Date Subject Speaker

June 8 Work in Construction David Yeadon

June 22 Hot Air Ballooning - Please note that meeting at Village Hall is followed by the Annual Lunch

Edward Lubbock & Sue Kid

THEYDON BOIS MENS FORUM SPRING SEASON

Keith with his 2 grandchildren

LADIES TENNIS DAY IN AID OF NSPCC

THURSDAY 12TH MAY

to be held at

Theydon Bois Tennis Club .

Contact Pat Walter on 813485

http://www.jeffshort.co.uk

The last few weeks have seen the new edge-beam and parapet on the South side underground spans being

constructed (see left) and the finishing of the concrete repairs to the underside.

The work is now moving into the final phase, with the majority of the remaining work being the removal and rebuild of the failing parapet to the North edge beam over the underground spans of the bridge. After this has been completed all that is to be done is the making good of the pedestrian footway over the bridge, and finally demobilisation and site clearance inc luding removal of the scaffolding. Unfortunately, due to

the very cold weather and snow just before and after Christmas, we have lost a couple of weeks on the programme meaning that the planned finish date for the entire works is now April. However, we are hopeful that the traffic management and traffic lights can be removed before then as the demobilisation, site clearance and removal of the scaffolding shouldn’t need the lane closure on the bridge.

JAMES KENNERLEY Assist. Structures Engineer - Highways Management



VIADUCT REPARS UPDATE

Last time we considered your response to partner's One Spade opening bid with this hand : ♠Q 10 5 ♥ A 6 [Q 10 6 4 2 ] 7 4 2 Your choices are 1NT, Two Diamonds and Two Spades. Despite having just three trumps, a raise to Two Spades is best. Partner might be able to

use your trumps to generate a trick or two by ruffing hearts in your hand. Also, knowing you have support in the suit can help in judging whether to compete further if the opponents get involved in the auction. Yes, you would like to have an extra trump but even if you play four-card major suit opening bids, an opening One Spade bidder often has at least five cards in the suit. Last but not least, raising to Two Spades makes it harder for the opponents. Next hand cannot now overcall at the two-level. If the opponents have a fit in hearts, they have less chance of finding it. If instead you respond 1NT or Two Diamonds, it is easier for them to compete.

Mike Whittaker Blue Chip Bridge - http://www.bluechipbridge.co.uk

http://www.bluechipbridge.co.uk


Village Activities 2011

Copy for Village News & Website Send to c/o Sally Crone, Parish Clerk, Parish Office

Theydon Bois Village Hall, Phone & Fax 01992 813442 or email the editors - [email protected]

NEXT VILLAGE NEWS COPY DEADLINE - 20th May 2011 Village News thanks its Sponsors - James Sear, Theydon Bois Pharmacy, Hetheringtons, Refresh Carpets, Theydon Bois Balti House, Indian Ocean,

The Flower Yard & Theydon Bois Dentists - pages 12, 13 & 21

Village News

Edited & Produced by Tony Ames e-mail

[email protected]

Village Website www.theydon.org.uk

Edited & Produced by Jim Watts e-mail

[email protected]

This diary is updated continually on the village website - www.theydon.org.uk

7th March Parish Council One-2-One - Village Hall - 6 to 7pm

12th March T Bois Pre-School Nearly New Sale - Scout Hut 11am to 2pm - see page 37

17-19 Mar T Bois Drama Society - Restoration Comedy “The Beaux Stratagem” - see page 37

25th Mar Theydon Seniors - Village Hall - 2 to 4pm

31st March Parish Council Meeting with Public Participation - Village Hall - 8pm

1st April T Bois Pre-School - Ladies Bingo Night - Scout Hut doors open 7pm - see page 37

3rd April T Bois Rural Preservation Society Walk - meet Village Hall 2pm

9th April Creative Fair - Village Hall 11 - 4pm

12th May NSPCC Ladies Tennis Tournament at T Bois Tennis Club

13/14th May T Bois Art Group - 50th Annual Exhibition - Village Hall - see page 36

21st May Jeff Short Big Band - Village Hall 8-11pm - see page 38

26th May Parish Council Meeting with Public Participation - Village Hall - 8pm

6th June Parish Council One-2-One - Village Hall - 6 to 7pm

9-11th June T Bois Drama Society - Comedy “Lloyd George Knew My Father”

17th June Theydon Seniors - Village Hall - 3 to 5pm

26th June Theydon Bois Open Gardens Day

various Litter Picks - meet Village Hall at 9am - on 2nd April, 7th May, 4th June

various Theydon Bois Cricket Club - see page 25 Epping Alpine Society - see page 37

various Copped Hall - see page 31 Men’s Forum - see page 38

7th May St. Clare Hospice Quiz - Village Hall - Tickets from Marion Oliver 812042

Documents

Village News Issue 73 March 2011 Page 2 Rev. … March V News.pdf · Village News Issue 73 March 2011 Page 2 There is a new vicar resident in Theydon Bois, Rev Stephen Walker (pictured