july 2020 parish news · three villages gardening club members will be aware that all meetings and...
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July 2020
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Vocabulary Test
If someone asked you six months ago to define a key worker, what would you have said? A social worker? Someone who fixed your shoes or cut your spare keys in Timpson’s? Since COVID-19 transformed all our lives, we’ve
had to learn a new set of words and phrases: coronavirus, lockdown, antibody test, social distancing… And amongst those, the spotlight has often shone on key workers.So much so that they’ve replaced the models and celebrities as Vogue’s July cover story. The three women on the cover are a train driver, a community midwife, and a supermarket worker. Wearing their work clothes, they have been beautifully photographed and their images form part of a 20-page photographic feature, honouring the people who have kept us all going during lockdown. It’s important to celebrate these everyday heroes - great to say thank you to the people who - because they were in medical scrubs or a high vis jacket - we may before have passed by and barely noticed. But that’s not enough. The people who have been putting on their uniforms and doing those essential jobs in the most difficult circumstances are often the lowest paid. Many of those who work in the social care sector are on zero hours contracts and, if they fall ill, have no safety net. Christian teaching affirms the worth of all people – Jesus describes God’s total care for us and stresses that in the same way we should care for each other. Sometimes that means standing up for the rights or needs of others. But of course, we’re not alone in looking at things this way. Citizens UK (a community organising charity) brings together people of all faiths and none to make a difference. They’re campaigning for better funding for social care, so that care workers can be paid a real living wage in line with the real cost of living. If you think things should change, please sign the online petition at https://www.livingwage4keyworkers.org.uk/
Best wishes
Parish News is issued on behalf of the PCCs of Layer Breton with Birch and Layer Marney. Editor: Sue Walsham, Oakfield, Mill Lane, Birch CO2 0NH email: [email protected] Community websites: www.birchandlayer.org.uk www.layerchurches.org.uk www.bretonheath.me.uk www.thurstablewinstreechurches.org
Rev’d Lydia Smith The Vicarage, Malting Green Road, Layer de la Haye CO2 OJJ Telephone: 01206 738759 [email protected] @RevLydiaSmith
Community News ● Local Events ● Council Updates ● Local Businesses ● Features
PARISH NEWS
Lydia
The deadline for submissions to the August digital issue of Parish News is on Friday 24th July
Inside ….
Lockdown News pp2 & 3
Church at Home p4
Council Updates p5
Memory Lane p6
Important Notice The Parish Council are aware that there could be vulnerable people in our village. Most people living on their own do have family or friends to keep an eye on them but, in the present situation, there may be a need for extra help. If you know someone who needs assistance with shopping, collecting medication etc, then please contact Elaine Bowtle on 01206 330388. Also, please contact Elaine and leave your name and telephone number if you are available to volunteer to help with this. But remember – no-one should put themselves at risk. Stay safe, and keep washing your hands.
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July 2020
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Three Villages Gardening Club
Members will be aware that all meetings and events have been cancelled for the next few months. However, members are keeping in touch via email, and members now have a private Facebook page. There are some good video tours on the National Garden Scheme website: NGS.org.uk , or to see the local gardens and blogs, look at essexngs.co.uk
Geoff Russell Grant
Lockdown News
St Mary’s Church, Birch and Layer Breton
100 CLUB Matthew has drawn the 100 club winners
as follows
Monthly Draw JUNE WINNERS 1st £100 Caroline Arbuckle 2nd £50 Cliff Cracknell 3rd £25 Annie Stewart
WE HAVE SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS BUT ALWAYS NEED YOUR SUPPORT! JOIN THE WAITING LIST!
Phone Liz Dingle (☎330531)
GOT TO BE IN IT TO WIN IT!
Birch & Layer Breton 100 CLUB
The 100 Club Monthly Draw will be taking place as usual and Liz will post the winning cheques through peoples’ letter boxes. Instead of the winners drawing out the numbers for the following months, her son will draw all numbers for the foreseeable future. The winners’ names will be put on the church notice board in front of St Mary’s, Layer Breton. Any queries: phone Liz Dingle (☎330531)
Local Online Fitness Classes
Even though face to face training in gyms and fitness classes has been suspended until further notice, it is still possible to join online classes to ensure that you keep as fit as possible while social distancing. For further details about local online fitness classes, email Charlotte Monks at: [email protected]
Local Meat Delivery
Wigborough Traditional Meats is offering a free, local home delivery service every Thursday. Phone Kate Gladwin on 07790 095052
Birch Memorial Hall
Birch Memorial Hall is being redecorated both inside and out and a new fence is being erected in the garden area. New bookings will not be accepted until September due to the current restrictions on halls and meeting places.
Adopt a Donkey
Twenty five years ago Elizabeth Svendsen who founded the Donkey Sanctuary came up with the idea of a donkey adoption scheme. The idea was to offer supporters a close-up view of the care that the sanctuary takes of every donkey that comes into it’s care. “Zena”, the
donkey that we have adopted was born in Sidmouth and hand raised. Other donkeys for adoption include “ Shocks” in Birmingham who was brought in suffering traumatic wounds and was restored to full health. “Ripple” in Leeds who has a quivering bottom lip and “Tiny Tim” in Manchester who has the confidence to fall asleep in a crowd. Each is a character in it’s own right. If you are interested in adopting a donkey yourself you can do so by getting in touch with: Adoptions, The Donkey Sanctuary, Slade House Farm, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU Or by email contacting: [email protected]. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter4:- Facebook.com/AdoptADonkey or twitter.com/AdoptADonkey. By adopting a donkey in the UK you are not only supporting your one but also directly helping to support donkeys facing extreme hardship around the world. The adoption of a donkey for a year makes an excellent and unusual gift.
July 2020
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The Hare & Hounds
If you are self isolating and need help, for example with collecting shopping or prescriptions, dog walking, or would like regular phone contact, call Kerry, Steve or Bea at The Hare & Hounds.
They have many volunteers who live locally and want to help out. Call at any time on the numbers below. Kerry: 01206 330459, Steve: 07974 162981 Bea: 07771 1331442 Your safety comes first, so when you have called and requested help, you will be given a reference number - only you, and your allocated volunteer will have this this specific number, keeping your address and personal details completely confidential. Please note: this is an emergency co-ordinated response to the current situation, so if you are well, live locally and want to volunteer, please get in touch. If you have particular skills eg electrician, carer, childminder etc and are DBS checked, please contact Kerry.
Takeaway and delivery service The Hare & Hounds is also operating a takeaway and delivery service which runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 noon till 5pm. Sunday roasts are also available, but for collection only, and you will need to take your plate and container for gravy to the pub by 5pm on the Friday before. Call 01206 330459 to order.
Virtual Village Voices - Still Singing!!!
Yes, we still meet online and Zoom every Wednesday at 8pm to sing and catch up. No need to worry about singing out loud - we mute everyone, so you can sing as loud as you like! We also have the odd quiz evening, just to keep us on our toes and it’s guaranteed not only to educate? but it’s good fun too. So if you want to join in please email [email protected] and I'll send you an invite.
Debbie Walsham
Cycle Security Advice From Essex Police
Cycle security is always a problem, with thefts from a variety of locations including the town centre, residential areas, and educational establishments. Commonly, bicycles are either not secured or not secured properly, and this makes it easy for thieves.
Where do they go? A number of places: in a container abroad, to another part of the country, stored in premises or sold as either a cycle or cycle parts via the internet, or third parties. Taking some appropriate precautions and using good quality security products, and using them well, should help keep your property safe. Use the best security you can afford. Don't secure a £2,000 bicycle with a £20 lock! As a guide, look to spend 10% -15% of the value of the item on its security. Look for a “Sold Secure” certified chain and padlock or “D – Lock” preferably gold rated but certainly not below silver. Consider what you chain it to, whether at home or whilst out. Is that secure? Is it well overlooked to provide good natural surveillance? Make a note of the frame number and security mark the cycle. There are a number of different methods available such as www.bikeregister.com, www.datatag.co.uk , and www.retainagroup.com. Take a photograph of the cycle and any areas of damage or marks of identification - some insurance companies may require one with the owner in the picture with it. At home, remove that first attraction to the thief or burglar: 1) don’t leave garage doors open for long periods
showing your expensive cycle and other property. 2) consider a “Ground anchor” or “Shed shackle” within
your shed or garage to secure your cycle to. 3) look at your shed or garage security and ensure you
have good locks and that the hinges are protected. 4) consider a shed alarm. If you can, its worth getting your children or grandchildren into good habits - keeping their bikes secure and not leaving them discarded on the front lawn may save problems in the future. Check with your insurance company to see what security standards they require for your insurance cover to be valid. For suitable security products see www.securedbydesign.com or www.soldsecure.com . For further advice see https://www.essex.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/theft-of-a-bicycle/how-safe-is-your-bike/
July 2020
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Church at Home
Pray at home We can still pray in our homes. Find resources for prayer and worship at home at https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
Virtual Church
This week’s service is at https://youtu.be/psafg0KW8VA from 9am on Sunday. We are using YouTube and Facebook Premiere, so if you watch at 9am on either platform, you’ll be able to chat with others who are also watching at that time. And the video will still be available afterwards if you’d rather have a lie-in!
Bible Study Group
For anyone who wants to read the Bible with others.
We have started a new group meeting via Zoom to study the Bible and pray together. We meet on Thursdays at 5.30pm for 40 minutes. If you’d like to join, please email me at [email protected] or phone me on 01206738759.
For Families
JB Tots, the toddler group in Layer de la Haye, has gone online. If you have pre-school children at home, why not join us on Zoom for songs and a story on Fridays at 10am. Contact Lydia [email protected] for joining information. This week’s Messy Church activity sheet is about the next part in the story of Abraham and Sarah and has a song, prayers and related craft ideas for families to do together. If you, or anyone you know would like a copy of our weekly activity sheets, please email Lydia – [email protected]
Opening the Doors
St Mary the Virgin Church, Layer Marney will be open for individual private prayer from Sunday 21st June for our usual hours (10am to 4pm), initially on Sundays and Wednesdays only. This allows us to balance the greatest amount of access with the least amount of cleaning (there
being about 72 hours between sessions, which substantially limits the risk of transmission of the virus from surfaces). If you are visiting the church, please observe the government’s social distancing guidelines and use the hand sanitiser provided. To keep others safe, please do not enter if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Those who are shielding or self-isolating also should not visit. Our services and other activities continue online. Please see our website and Facebook page for details. The churches in Layer de la Haye, Copford and Easthorpe will also be open on Sundays and Wednesdays.
JB Tots goes online! 30 minutes of active songs and a
story and some chat for children aged 0-4 and their parents on Zoom on
Friday mornings at 10am. If you’d like to join in, contact Lydia
([email protected]) for details.
Church Giving
Thank you to everyone who continues to give to us, by whatever means: it is much appreciated. If you would like to help us with our costs while we are unable to hold services, whether by standing order or other means, please contact Lydia (call 01206 738759 or [email protected]).
July 2020
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Public Access Defibrillators in Birch, Layer Breton and Layer Marney are located at: * Birch Memorial Hall, Birch Street, Birch * The Hare and Hounds Public House, Layer Breton * Junction of Newbridge Road and Stockhouse Road, Layer Marney
Birch Recycling & Rubbish Collections Update
Normal recycling and rubbish collections have resumed. Saturday Household Drop-Off Service cancelled Following Government guidelines during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the seasonal Saturday Household Drop-off Service that was due to start on 18th April has unfortunately been cancelled until further notice. The above is based on information extracted from Colchester Borough Council’s website (at www.colchester.gov.uk/coronavirus/residents/recycling-and-rubbish
The council has produced a community response pack to help communities during this time. It not only provides useful links about keeping well, but also gives information on how to access help and also how you can volunteer to help. There is vital information on community safety for residents, with advice on seeking help if suffering from domestic violence. The pack can be viewed here along with other information https://www.colchester.gov.uk/coronavirus/communities/ On another note, as we are well aware, many people are passing away before their time during this pandemic and the usual ‘end of life’ rituals for all faiths can no longer happen. ECC are collating information about bereavement and mental health support that different community groups have set up (or was already available), to support one another during this difficult time. If you are aware of anything specific that you or someone within your community/faith group are offering by way of emotional or practical support, please do let me know.
Yovone Cook, Coronavirus Community Response Team & Community Enabling Officer
Communities, Colchester Borough Council01206 282965or07976794786
Council Updates
Birch Parish Council
The Parish Council will meet on 7th July in Birch
Memorial Hall but the public are asked NOT to attend in order to conform with current restrictions.
If anyone has a problem they wish to discuss with the Council, they can contact the Parish Clerk, Angie
Balcombe at [email protected] or Elaine Bowtle on 01206 330388. The Parish Council doesn’t meet in
August so hopefully, by September, everything will be back to normal.
July 2020
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Shopping for Britain
After three long months of lockdown, shops all over the UK are starting to reopen. So, with the current national focus firmly on shopping and its importance to the functioning of the economy, we take a fond look back at Woolworths, the cheap and cheerful chain that became a quintessentially British institution with a presence on every high street and a unique place in the hearts of the nation's shoppers.
Is there anybody who doesn’t miss dear old Woolies? The shop that had everything you could ever want, all in one place, whether it was stationery, clothes, cheap toys, dressing up outfits, kitchen equipment, ironing boards, music or Pic ‘n’ Mix – the high street just wasn’t the same when it disappeared. Millions of us have wandered down its aisles in search of our first record or to choose a pair of cheap football boots. It was a sad, sad day for the high street when Woolworths closed its doors for the final time in 2008 after the much-loved chain went into administration. Losing the Woolworth’s name from the UK’s high street was a real blow to many people. Not only because they had grown up with the shop but also because the closure of such a familiar
name made everybody realise just how unstable the economy really was at that time. And while there were many other places that you could buy
value products, Woolworths did it first and did it best. You could get literally ANYTHING there, no matter what you needed – whether it was a new eyeshadow, a fleece blanket, a packet of obscurely sized batteries or random household gadgets that you never knew you needed but just couldn't resist – Woolies was bound to have it. So much of my pocket money was spent there: I have very fond memories of counting out my change in order to buy a couple of vinyl singles from Woolies on a Saturday afternoon. This was In the days when we still bought singles and thought that Now That's What I Call Music! compilation CDs were the height of cool. And craft lovers couldn't go wrong with a trip to Woolworths. Whether you were after some new ribbon, a bunch of buttons or the best selection of Dylon dyes in town, Woolies was there to fulfil all our haberdashery needs. Farewell Woolies, we still miss you!
Memory Lane
Maldon Woolworths, 1932
The wonder of Woolies, in its 1950s heyday