june web magazine - great bentley€¦ · robert & janet taylor, dominica, moors close - 01206...
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Village Information
St Mary’s Church
VICAR:
Rev Sharon Miles
The Vicarage, The Bury, St Osyth,
CO16 8NY 01255 822055
CHURCHWARDEN
Wendy King
17 Larkfield Road - 01206 250852
CHURCHWARDEN:
Wendy Smith
Burnside, The Green - 01206 250098
TREASURER:
Penny Evans Jones The Old Rectory, The Green - 01206 250541
CHURCH VERGER:
Rita Baverstock
Stonybroke, Station Road - 01206 251271
LAY READER:
Wendy King
17 Larkfield Road - 01206 250852
PCC SECRETARY:
Chris Aplin
Newmay House, The Green - 01206 250385
STEWARDSHIP SECRETARY:
Rosemary Branch
4 Wents Close - 01206 250137
TOWER CAPTAIN:
Roger Carey-Smith - 01206 250521
SUNDAY SCHOOL:
Linda Hayes
Ivy Lodge, Frating - 01206 250207
VESTRY ROOM BOOKING SECRETARY:
Carole Allington
Poplar House, Station Road - 01206 251086
or ring Church Verger
PARISH MAGAZINE EDITOR/ADVERTISING/
DISTRIBUTOR:
Mary Maskell
Caldew Cottage, The Green
01206 250524
Carole Allington
METHODIST MINISTER Rev Crawford Logan 37 Southcliff Park, Clacton on Sea, CO15 6HH - 01255 423640
DOCTOR’S SURGERY: Drs F. Bhatti, R.S. O’Reilly, A. Nambi, and G. Pontikis. The Hollies, The Green - 01206 250691
CHIROPODIST: Terry St George - 01255 820885: Mobile: 07775 833200
POLICE: Clacton 0300 333 4444 24 hour Non emergency number 101
In an emergency ring 999
PC Dan Heard - Tel: 101 extension 440218
PCSO Julia Brandon - Tel: 101 extension 440356 [email protected]
PARISH COUNCIL: Chairman - Jonathan Hills,Grange Farm, Heckfords Rd, CO78RR - 01206 798666
Clerk to the Council - Kevin Harkin Correspondence to: The Clerk, Community Resource Centre, Village Hall, Plough Road, Great Bentley, CO7 8LD Telephone - 01206 256410
TENDRING DISTRICT COUNCILLOR: Lynda McWilliams, Boblyn, St Mary’s Road, Aingers Green - 01206 250732
COUNTY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE: Alan Goggin, Freshfields, Church Road, Brightlingsea, CO7 OQT 01206 308023 Mobile: 07860 519117 email: [email protected]
GOOD NEIGHBOURS TRANSPORT: Barbara Fookes - 01206 250431
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: Richard Nowak - 01206 250204
MEDICAL AIDS: Barbara Fookes - 01206 250431
TENDRING FURNITURE SCHEME: Rocket House, Gorse Lane Industrial Estate, Clacton: 01255 476068
VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS: Shelley Pizzey, 5 Keeble Court – 01206 252385
METHODIST HALL BOOKINGS: Robert & Janet Taylor, Dominica, Moors Close - 01206 250087
GT BENTLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL: - 01206 250331
COLNE COMMUNITY SCHOOL: - 01206 303511
VILLAGE HISTORY RECORDER: Heather Taylor, Granville, Plough Road - 01206 251004
COLCHESTER HOSPITALS: 01206 747474
CLACTON & DISTRICT HOSPITAL: 01255 201717
FOOTPATH REP: David Gollifer 01206 250309
DONATIONS FOR ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRE: Judy & Alan Bishop - 5 Morella Close, 01206 251702
VILLAGE TRANSPORT REP: Peter Harry - 01206 250511
VILLAGE CARETAKER: Bobby McWilliams, Boblyn, St Mary’s Rd, Aingers Green 01206 250732
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2017
CONTENTS
Editorial .. .. .. 1
Monthly Letters.. .. .. 2
Church Services .. .. 3
Church Rotas .. .. 4
Thank You .. .. .. 5
Congratulations .. .. 6
Carnival News .. .. 9
Deadline .. .. .. 9
Annual Diary .. .. .. 10
Peter’s Potterings .. .. 13
Surgery News .. .. 14
Nature Notes .. .. .. 15
Running Club .. .. .. 16
Pet Notes .. .. .. 18
Clubs & Organisations .. 19
Pre-School .. .. .. 20
District Councillor Notes .. 22
Parish Council .. .. 23/24
Wildlives .. .. .. 26
Children’s Page .. .. 27
Quiz .. .. .. .. 29
Farming Diary .. .. .. 30
Bus Timetable .. .. 31
Pages from the Past .. .. 32
Cookery Corner .. .. 33
History Society .. .. 33
Protect Gt Bentley .. .. 34
Youth Football .. .. 35
Cricket .. .. .. .. 35
Football Notes .. .. 36
Front Cover
Youth Kwik
Cricket Tournament
DISCLAIMER The statements, opinions and data contained in these publications are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the Churchwardens, Parochial Church Council, the Editor nor the publisher. The appearance of advertisements in the Great Bentley Parish News or the website is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety.
EDITORIAL
After the long dry spell, farmers and gardeners alike were delighted to receive around two inches of rain within a matter of days. With the lovely sunny weather we are now experiencing you can almost stand and watch plants growing. We have Open Gardens advertised in this months magazine which will I am sure appeal to many readers and Flower Festivals too. Great Bentley Gardening Club held their Annual Plant Sale in May in aid of Club funds and St Helena Hospice and thanks to the generosity of local plant nurseries and villagers who supported the sale a large amount of money was raised. The History Society report records an interesting meeting focussed on smuggling in Essex and we include part of a chapter from How Green Is Our Village by Carl Morton which highlights legends and incidents of smuggling in Great Bentley. Many local residents who have lived in the village for many decades will recall the tunnels which ran underground from local properties to the church yard. Once again I repeat the regret that I never wrote down the memories of Percy French who seemed to have a wealth of knowledge on this subject. The Village Hall celebrates its 30th Anniversary and a dance is being held on 10th of June. Full details included on page 21. In the afternoon on the same day Cream Teas will be available at St Mary's church along with an array of stalls. Please support these events if you can. We are very grateful to Lizzie Bodmer who compiles our Children's Page each month. Now we have another teenage correspondent, Ben Townsend who is on his travels. His first humorous and informative article is on page 31. Please note that the Annual Parish Council meeting is on 15th June and this will be followed by the Annual Parish Meeting at which the recipients of grants will be giving a brief report on how their money will be spent. Everyone is of course invited. (Normal Parish Council meeting is on 1st June). Our new Clerk is Karen Paradise and we welcome her back to Great Bentley. Last but not least, CARNIVAL DAY. This event is a whole year in the planning so we hope for a wonderful turn out of people, sunny weather, and an enjoyable time for all. The Fair will also be here, as usual. PLEASE NOTE ROAD CLOSURES WILL BE IN PLACE. Full details on page 9. Plenty to enjoy this month! Mary Maskell
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The Monthly Letters June 2017
No doubt you are aware of the 'mysterious circles that have been appearing in cornfields in certain parts of the country. Some people think it's the landing of space ships from other planets ... people have been known to stay up all night to keep watch to see if these strange happenings would occur again, other people say it's a hoax and claimed they were responsible.
We are only too well aware of what it means to be outside 'the circle'. Not a good place to be, to feel unwelcome, we don't fit in, we are not part of the group. Sadly this can happen - even within Christian fellowship, and we have to guard against it.
There is nothing strange though about the circle of God's love.
Paul says 'Everyone can fit into the circle of God's love' 'You who were once outside the pale are with us inside the circle of God's love and purpose.'
How often have you felt in times of sorrow the arms of God encircling you and supporting you.
It's a simple step of saying 'Yes' to God and being brought into the circle of his love.
He drew a circle and shut me out Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win We drew a circle and took him in (E.Markham)
May God encircle you with his wonderful love.
Rev'd Crawford James Logan
At the beginning of June we celebrate Pentecost, where we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples just as Jesus told them it would in John 14.16-18 – ‘And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.’
It is also the birthday of the Christian Church because as soon as the disciples received the Holy Spirit they were able to speak different languages allowing so many different people to hear about the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are told in Acts 2.37-42 about 3000 hearing and believing and dedicating themselves to the ‘Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers.’ Unfortunately, we do not see those numbers of people dedicating themselves to Christ at any one event these days but we are being encouraged by the Diocese to pray between Ascension (25th May) and Pentecost (4th June) especially for people to ‘Come to know Christ’ and form a relationship with him. Please do join in with this if you are able. It would be wonderful to welcome new members into God’s Family. Every Blessing Revd Sharon
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CHURCH SERVICES AND EVENTS IN
GREAT BENTLEY DURING JUNE 2017
METHODIST
CHURCH NEWS ST MARY’S CHURCH
Sat 3rd 9.00am Ladies Continental Breakfast, Vestry Room Sunday 4th June - Pentecost 9.30am Sung Eucharist & Sunday School Mon 5th Support in Loss - 10am, Vestry Room Tues 6th Bible Study, 11am, Vestry Room Sat 10th Queen’s Sapphire Cream Tea Sunday 11th June - Trinity Sunday 9.30am All Age Worship with Communion Sunday 18th June - 1st Sunday after Trinity 9.30am Sung Eucharist & Sunday School Mon 20th Bible Study, 11am, Vestry Room Fri 23rd Magazine Collating 9.30am
Sunday 25th June - 2nd Sunday after Trinity
8.00am Holy Communion
9.30am All Age Worship
See more detail on:- www.facebook.com/pages/Great- Bentley-Methodist-Church/776699562367528 We welcome you to worship with us during June. All activities at our Church in the centre of the Green. Morning worship will be held at 10.00am unless otherwise stated. The leaders of worship are set out below:-
June 4th
Rev Glanville Martin - Sacrament
June 11th
Robert Taylor
June 18th
Rev Glanville Martin
June 25th
Methodist Conference service
Events in June:
Coffee Morning 2nd
June raising funds for Remap a local charity which helps adapt homes for the disabled.
CAMEO 5th
June 6.30 A simple meal with a speaker or activity
Messy Church 13th
June Parents & children welcome from 3.30pm for activities on a Christian theme followed by a meal.
Luncheon Club 13th
& 27th
June 12 noon
Fusion Youth Club Sunday Evenings 5.30 Food and Fun. Term times for young people in year 6 and older.
Teen Youth Club 8th
June 7pm Adventurers Club welcomes children from year 3 upwards. 7pm on Fridays. Christian teaching plus games, crafts and outings. Ring 250087 for more details. Each week the following events are held at our
Church.
Ring these numbers for more information Luncheon Club Alternate Tuesdays 12 Noon 251330
Parent & Toddlers Group Thursdays 9.15 a.m. 250431 Closed in school holidays
Village Teen Youth Club alternate Thursdays at 7pm Annual Renowned Flower Festival the best in Tendring 1
st and 2
nd July, Jackie Kilby and the whole village join
in. Come to appreciate the wonderful flowers.
FUNERALS
2nd May Brian Edward Hills (Eddie) 4th May Jean Twyman 24th May Sylvia Young 26th May Phyllis Rivett
WEDDING
The wedding of Liz Moss and Chris Fossey will take place at
3.00pm on Friday 23rd June
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ST MARY’S CHURCH
SIDESPERSONS ROTA
Sunday 4th June - Pentecost Acts 2.1-21: John 20. 19-23: Sidespersons - Chris Aplin & Carol Kerridge
Intercessions - Carol Kerridge Sunday 11th June - Trinity Sunday 2 Corinthians 13 13. 11-end: Matthew 28.16-end Sidespersons - Pat Nunn & Eve Hickley
Intercessions - Jackie Thimbleby Sunday 18th June - 1st Sunday after Trinity Romans 5.1-8: Matthew 9.35 - 10.8: Sidespersons - Penny Evans Jones & Edna Black
Intercessions - Yvonne Gibson Sunday 25th June - 2nd Sunday after Trinity Romans 6.1b-11: Matthew 10.24-39: Sidespersons - George Wright & family
Intercessions - George Wright
COFFEE ROTA
4th Rosemary & David Branch
11th Stephanie Sadler
18th Edna Black
25th Pat Nunn & Eve Hickley
CLEANING ROTA
3rd Wendy King
10th Wendy Smith & Bev Adams
17th John & Jennie Moss
24th Chris Aplin & Carol Kerridge
LADIES CONTINENTAL
BREAKFAST
9.00am
Saturday 3rd June
Vestry Room
Please come along and enjoy
breakfast and a chat
JUNE PRAYER LIST Each day we will be praying for those that need help, those who give help and all the people who live in each road. That’s a lot of praying to be done. 1 Doctors Air Ambulance 2 Shair Lane Parent & Toddlers 3 Support in Loss Open Road 4 Weeley Road Fair Trade 5 The lonely Salvation Army 6 Aingers Green Trefoil Guild 7 Messy Church Victim Support 8 Woodgreen Estate Hamilton Lodge 9 Housebound Macmillan nurses 10 Elm Close District nurses 11 St Helena’s Hospice Beaver Club 12 St Mary’s Road Primary School 13 The Vicar Samaritans 14 Flagship Park Alzheimer Society 15 The grieving EMMAUS 16 Station Road Cub Scouts 17 Churchwardens Children’s Hospice 18 George Mitchell Close Teen Talk 19 Methodist Minister Joseph Court 20 Hill Cottages Alcoholics Anonymous 21 The sick Premature babies 22 South Heath Road Brownies 23 Church Sunday School Childline 24 Chapel Terrace Haven 25 The homeless First Responders 26 Robin Close Clinically depressed 27 Church Stewards The poor 28 Cedar Way Young carers 29 Adventurer’s Club Local food bank 30 Birch Avenue The abused
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ANIMAL BEDDING The lovely spell of sunshine and welcome warmth we were enjoying last month as we wrote our article was too brief. The ‘Merry Month of May’ has been very disappointing thus far, but we live in hope! It was a grey cheerless day when having loaded our car with a bumper amount of superb bedding, towels and most welcome donations of pet food we made the journey to The Blue Cross Rescue and Re-homing Centre in Wherstead, Ipswich. As we mentioned last time we went, it is a very new purpose built much needed facility. Previously located on the outskirts of Felixstowe it had limited capacity due to space. Their wheelbarrow was required again to transfer all the goodies from our car into the bright spacious reception area. The word ‘awesome’ was the reaction of staff once everything was stacked up, they couldn’t quite believe it! We passed a few volunteers exercising a variety of dogs awaiting new homes, from a skittish Jack Russell to a graceful sedate black Greyhound. Thankfully our depleted stocks have begun to build up once more and our ‘ladies who knit’ have been extremely productive. We were just about to write to ask if anyone had knitted squares that required sewing together as Judy would be most grateful. Would you believe it the door bell rang and there was our lady who regularly provides these, standing there with a huge bag of colourful little squares. So that should keep Judy quiet for a while! We shall be able to visit NAWT in Little Clacton and Brenda in Alresford over the coming days. The number of animals needing to come into care for rehabilitation and re-homing is endless, this includes Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits and larger ones such as Goats and Ponies. Too often the novelty of a new pet quickly wears off. Rabbits for instance freeze in the winter when bedding is not cleaned and replaced regularly and in hot weather they suffer when no shade is provided. We are so grateful for your unfailing support, it allows us to play our part in alleviating some of the pressure on rescue centres, please be assured we NEVER take it for granted. Judy & Alan Bishop, 5 Morella Close, 251702
THANK YOU Thank you for the cards, flowers and good wishes that I have received during the last eight months. They have helped me remain cheerful. I am feeling much stronger and am looking forward to seeing you again soon. Brenda Gourley
THANK YOU
I have been truly overwhelmed by the love, kindness and support I have received during the month that Ivan was in hospital, his time at home and since he passed away. Over two hundred cards and letters helped to keep my spirits up but more importantly to make me realise just how much Ivan was loved and respected. Thank you to; The doctors and staff at The Hollies surgery who were truly amazing, so caring and supportive. The out of hours Doctor and Fiona the District Nurse, both kind and thoughtful especially over the Easter weekend. Everyone who sent cards and letters and left plants, food and gifts on the doorstep. Michéle for her wonderful care of Ivan every day at home. Tim’s friends for helping with transport to and from the airport. Julie and the allotment holders who kept my plot in excellent condition! Rev Canon Pat Prestney for her help, support and for the beautiful services both morning and afternoon. To all at St Mary’s church for their kindness and Rita for her sound advice. Paskells Funeral Service for their sensitivity and help. Jackie for the beautiful flower arrangements in church. Maria for the amazing and creative floral tributes. My crafting ladies for their support and kindness. Fiona for playing the organ so beautifully. Everyone who attended the service to celebrate Ivan’s life. Liz and staff at The Deli for the wonderful sandwiches. Everyone at Restaurant 43 for the hospitality and amazing food enjoyed by all. Carole for taking on the May magazine. To everyone who donated to Macmillan Cancer Care and Cancer Research UK, the total stands at £1,585 Thank you really does seem such an inadequate word. I must especially thank Wendy, Chris and David who have been there for me every step of the way. Special thanks also to Debbie Smith for her moving tribute so beautifully delivered. Debbie is running the Edinburgh Half Marathon at the end of May in memory of Ivan and in aid of Cancer Research UK. You can follow her progress on her Just Giving Page. My wonderful sons, their wives, Ivan’s sister Sue husband Hugh, brother Stephen and wife Christine. I realise by naming people I may have missed someone out which would of course be totally unintentional. Ivan was a quiet, private and modest man. He did an awful lot for the village that people will be totally unaware of, without charge and fuss just because he loved Great Bentley and he was a kind and generous man. The road ahead will be unimaginably hard but living in such a caring community I know you will all help to ease the pain and keep my spirits up. I am so grateful to you all. Mary
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Wedding
Jennie and John Moss are delighted to announce the marriage of their daughter
Liz to Chris Fossey at 3.00pm on Friday 23rd June at St.Marys Church, Gt. Bentley.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Macie Jansma 13 on 21st of June
Happy Birthday Macie,
a teenager at last. Have a wonderful time on your special day.
Lots of love from Nan and all the family. xx
CHRISTINE HILL 3/6/37
Wishing the best Mum, Mother in law,
Nan and Great Nan a super happy 80th birthday!
We all love you so much, you are one in a million.
Love always, Mandy, Mel, Aaron, Sian, Emily, Isabella
Nigel and Leanne xxx
Great Bentley
Methodist Church
Flower Festival
"Poetry Please" Strawberry Teas & Stalls
Join in the fun Quiz
guess the author
Saturday 1st July
10am to 6pm
Sunday 2nd July
11am to 5pm
CALLING ALL
YOUNG PEOPLE
Beaver Scouts are young people usually aged between six and eight years old. They belong to the first and youngest Section in the Scouting family. Young people can join Beaver Scouts in the three months leading up to their sixth birthday. We meet on Mondays between 6pm - 7pm. Cub Scouts - there are loads of fun things that you can do as a Cub Scout. You will get a chance to try lots of different activities like swimming, music, exploring, computing and collecting. If you do them properly you will get a badge which you can wear on your uniform. We meet on Tuesdays between 6:30pm - 7:45pm For more info please see www.great-bentley.co.uk or call Jan on 01206 250877
FOUND
A gold bracelet was found
near the recycling bins.
If you have lost this bracelet,
please ring
251626
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ST HELENA HOSPICE
St Helena Hospice has recently relaunched its
Sponsor a Nurse campaign.
Sponsor a Nurse is the perfect avenue for supporters who wish to make a regular donation to the hospice. The charity provides support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year across north east Essex to people living with an incurable illness, and employs 117 nurses who work within the Inpatient Unit and out in the community. The hospice’s nurses provide vital support for patients and their families who need comfort, care and advice at a very difficult time in their lives. St Helena Hospice’s core services are free for people in the community to access, but the cost of running the hospice is around £8.7million a year. The hospice relies on the generosity of the local community, people like you to help raise two thirds of this amount. “In our role we help others; it allows us to provide comfort and support and make a difference every day. We are the nurses we are because of the patients we have been fortunate to meet and help; every patient we have the pleasure of caring for leaves an imprint. We can provide the comfort and dignity needed during a last breath.” Gemma Millington and Tracey Young, St Helena Hospice Nurses. To be part of the Sponsor a Nurse campaign, supporters are encouraged to contact the hospice, or donate an amount of their choice online, with all money going into hospice services. Please visit sthelenahospice.org.uk/nurse or call the fundraising team on 01206 931468.
FOR SALE
CATNIC LINTEL 5XA
Perforated metal box lintel 1200 x 750 £10.00
PARKER KNOLL RETRO BED SETTEE
Turquoise velour Sides and back fold out to 3’x 6’6”single bed.
Very comfortable fully sprung some wear and tear.
£30
SOLID PINE CIRCULAR PEDESTAL TABLE
116cm diameter extendable with additional 2
extra 50 cm wide leaves to 216cm x 116cm seating 10 persons.
Some wear and tear. £35.00
Tel. Julia Cottee 01255 830345
SCUBA DIVE EQUIPMENT
including Wet Suits, BCD, Regulator, Dive Computer,
Fins, Mask and Dive Travel Bag
Any reasonable offer considered
Reason for sale Can no longer dive due to health reasons
Tel: 07899 957175
RUNNING CLUB ANNUAL 5 MILE RACE - FRIDAY 7th July There will be some brief road closures around 6.30 pm for the children's race and a further closure on Plough Road at 7pm to allow us to get the race started.
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St Mary’s Church Great Bentley
THE QUEEN’S
SAPPHIRE JUBILEE CREAM TEA
Saturday 10th June 2.00pm - 5.00pm
Various Stalls Bric a brac: Cakes: Books: Tombola: Raffle: Plant Stall:
Children’s Activities: Bellringing Demonstration
We would appreciate donations of plants and cakes on the day.
St. George’s Church, Great Bromley
Flower Festival ‘Rainbows’
Friday 30th
June 10.00am – 5.00pm Saturday 1
st July 10.00am – 5.00pm
Sunday 2nd
July 12 noon – 5.00pm Monday 3
rd July 10.00am – 5.00pm
Art Exhibition, Stalls, Refreshments, Grand Raffle, Tower Tours, Music.
FREE ADMISSION
Contact Jenny Nicholls, 01206 230688 for more information
Also, Rainbow Themed Scarecrows around the villages.
AGM
Bentley Green Players
Monday 26th June at 7.30pm
The Vestry
Everyone Welcome
Good Neighbours
AGM
Monday 12th June at 7.30pm
Village Hall
All welcome.
OPEN GARDENS
The Hall, School Road, Tendring
Sunday 28th May/Monday 29th May
2.00pm - 5.00pm
FREE PARKING with wheelchair access, and well behaved dogs are welcomed on a lead.
Adults £5.00 entrance at the gate. Children under 12 free of charge.
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE
CLACTON ON SEA LIFEBOAT
Further information [email protected] or 01255 821759
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DEADLINE FOR THE JULY 2017 MAGAZINE
MONDAY 12th JUNE
Material to Mary Maskell, Caldew Cottage, The Green, 250524 AND Carole Allington, Poplar House, Station Road, 251086.
Please mark all material - “Parish Magazine”
email: [email protected] AND [email protected]
IMPORTANT - PLEASE SEND ALL INFORMATION TO BOTH OF US
Great Bentley Website: www.greatbentleyparishcouncil.co.uk
Great Bentley Carnival
On the 24th
June, Great Bentley will be hosting its 42
nd Carnival.
The theme this year is “When I grow upI”
There will be dancing, dog shows, a silent auction, raffles, a barbecue, display by the fire cadets, a variety of food, beer and prosecco, an awesome fun fair, lots of stalls, a tent building competition, loads of competitions and so much more. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy a fun day with the whole village.
The procession starts at 12:30pm and the rest of the events are hosted on the Green. All the
proceeds go to children’s groups in the village. If you would like to volunteer to help on the day, buy raffle tickets, sell raffle tickets, or you want any more information email [email protected] Thank you to all the local businesses that have supported us, and make sure you thank them too, by continuing to use their companies. Without them, and your support, this wouldn’t be possible. Please look out for a Carnival programme coming through your door, this year we will be delivering them for free; due to a kind donation by the printing firm. Make sure you come along and support the village and don't forget to enter the Programme Free Prize Draw worth £50.
The following roads will be closed (subject to permissions) on Carnival Day from 12.30
until 1.30pm. Plough Rd (from Keeble Court) to Thorrington Road/Weeley Road Thorrington Road (from De Vere Estate) through Weeley Road to the start of the Green. Heckford's Road (from Moors Close) to Weeley Road. Access into the village by vehicle will be severely restricted during the procession, so make sure any visitors arrive early so they don't miss the fun. Access around the village can be made via Tye Road and Lovers Lane through to Aingers Green or alternatively via Frating Abbey Farm Rd. The Road Marshalls donate their time for free and ensure our children are safe, so please respect them and the job they are doing, even if you do not want to participate in the days events.
We look forward to seeing you.
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ANNUAL DIARY
July
1st Grand Garage Sale 1st & 2nd Methodist Church Flower Festival 7th Friday 5 Race
September
2nd Village Show 16th/17th Flower Festival & Art Exhibition, St Mary’s Church 17th SESAW Autumn Fayre, Village Hall 23rd Talent/Variety Evening, Village Hall
October
1st Cat Show, Village Hall
November
4th Methodist Church Annual Fair
December
3rd Christmas Fayre, Village Hall 9/10th Christmas Tree Festival, St Mary’s Church
Great Bentley Wine Tasting Group
For further details please contact Colin and Roni
on 01206 252157 or
email [email protected]
The wine tasting group established in August 2012 continues to hold enjoyable and informative evenings. For details please contact the above. Free advice available too, so please do contact me. The following wines come highly recommended for you to try and are perfect for drinking now: Jansz Premium cuvee, Tasmania, Australia. Waitrose on line £16.99. Made using similar methods to that of Champagne. Some of the wine has been aged in oak to add extra depth of flavour. An excellent crisp, nutty and creamy sparkling wine that is fit enough to grace any celebration. If you haven't tried a wine from Tasmania this is a great chance and you will not be disappointed. Torres Salmos. Priorat 2014. Waitrose £18.99. This is a lovely red wine with super ripe flavours that are both smooth and harmonious. A lovely balanced red to enjoy now with hearty food and would even work with a BBQ. The wines from this part of Spain just get better and better and Torres is a master in all he does. This is sure to impress. We have a couple of spaces, so if you would like to come along in 2017 do give me a call or drop me an email. Next tasting is 30th June.
LOVE LANE
Love Lane, the smell of hay Two hearts entwined today
A young lover dressed in his best Should he propose, will she accept?
She does with a kiss! Wedding day, no longer a Miss.
Plovers in the field hide their nests But to new Mr and Mrs
Their new home is the best.
D. Gibbs
TENDRING SHOW
Saturday 8th July
Lawford House Park, Near Manningtree, Essex
Show starts at 9am
www.tendringshow.co.uk
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SYLVIA YOUNG
Sylvia was a resident of Moors Close, Great Bentley, for many years until she moved to the Cheviots Nursing Home in Colchester. She passed away in April. I am repeating the article we included to celebrate Sylvia’s 100th birthday. She was an amazing lady and a real inspiration to me personally. Ed. Sylvia Olive May Young (nee Murray) She was a was born on 21st June 1912 in the District of Fulham, London an only child to William McRae and Olive May Murray. Her father, a dental technician, brought a strict discipline and Scottish background to her upbringing and her mother by contrast, was a lady of kindness and gentleness. After the end of WW1 the family moved to Leigh on Sea, Essex where her education was predominantly at St Bernard’s Convent, Westcliff on Sea. These formative years introduced her to music and in particular singing and accompanying herself on the piano. After leaving school she became a secretary at a local firm of builders and during these early years enjoyed making friends, playing tennis and holidays in Germany. Aged 27 she married Gordon Young at St Clements Church, Leigh on Sea and set up home in a small house on the seafront. Her husband had eight brothers and sisters and for an only child marrying into the Young family became an experience she relished and always enjoyed. She was always proud that they were part of the Young’s Seafood Firm; Grandfather Young was known as the King of Whitebait - Young’s Potted Shrimps was the big advance in the 1920’s & 1930’s and her husband “invented” Scampi in 1936 with a famous chef at the Ritz. Aged 28, at the beginning of the war, she went to live in Exmouth and here her son Ian was born, then four years later a daughter, Angela. At 46 her husband retired and they planned a move to this part of Essex as they had been very friendly with the Miller family of Gt Bentley (Gosling) and settled at Spring Valley Mill, Ardleigh. These years at Ardleigh were very happy ones, enjoying the lovely garden, poodles and always a Persian cat. They joined the church, had fun and games with Meals on Wheels and holidays to Jamaica and South Africa as well as supporting the Cheshire Home at Bromley. At 64 Sylvia was widowed after her husband suffered a third heart attack and although The Mill was delightful there was always the fear that the pond might overflow so at 67 she purchased a plot of land along Moors Close and during the construction rented a house from George Mitchell, Jubilee Cottage, Aingers Green. Benetlea (her home) was very much to her design and she can remember the odd passing comment in the early stages of the build that someone had forgotten the front door! She was determined that all the rooms in daily use would enjoy the views of the Green and the sun. At 68 her new home was complete and so began the next happy 31 years. Since living in Great Bentley she has enjoyed her gardening, learnt and became very proficient at calligraphy, joined St Mary’s church, supported the annual Flower Shows and volunteered as a driver for the Good Neighbours scheme to take needy people to the hospital. In fact in her 80’s she would comment that she was taking old people to hospital. They were 70 year olds! She was an avid reader and latterly great supporter of the Mobile Library and read The Telegraph from cover to cover. At 80 she was invited to a surprise party at Stratford St Mary to meet 132 friends and family and decided to buy a new car. At 95 another party, this time with members of the Young family coming from all corners of the earth to celebrate. She gave a speech at the end to show her gratitude for the effort everyone had made. A slight disagreement between her car and the garage meant it was
time to “retire” from driving. She enjoyed her two children, 4 grandchildren and five great grandchildren and all the carers that looked after her and enabled her to stay at home and in the lovely village of Great Bentley.
14
FRIENDS OF THE GREEN A meeting took place on 25th April. A new member for the committee was proposed and accepted. It was noted that we still need more members to keep active. The next fund raising event is ‘The Grand Garage Trail’ on the 1st July. The entrance fee remains at a very reasonable £5 with all profits going to the upkeep of the Green. (See advert below). This year we again coincide with the Methodist Church Flower Festival. Talks are going on between the Conservation Group and our committee to discuss litter and how to solve the problem of getting it picked up and disposed of. The result of the anti social habit. On a happier note the committee sanctioned a cheque for £500 for the Village Hall Committee towards the costs of a new door out of the main hall for access to the toilets for the pre-school children, enabling the Michael Wright Room to be let during the week. For health and safety reasons this has not been possible in the past. Our next meeting is on June 27th. If anyone has any issues they would like to discuss or that we can help with regarding the Green please contact our secretary Roni on 01206 252157. Michael Dorling (Chairman)
FRIENDS OF THE GREEN
VILLAGE FUNDRAISING
GRAND GARAGE TRAIL
Entrance by trail map £1 from Deli-licious and Garage Trail sellers
Saturday 1st July
10am - 4pm
Please contact Michael Dorling to book your garage by 23rd June
Tel: 01206 250799
Cost £5
KENNY’S SESAW NEWS The house is like a woodland cottage lately. A pheasant chick, suspended above the Rayburn quietly cheeps. A recover ing blackbird gent ly taps on his cage. Hedgehogs rustle in their winter quarters awaiting release - then Ollie trots in with a baby rabbit in his mouth! Did he look silly when Mum returned it to the field after checking it over! Thank you to everyone who helped raise £2500 at our Spring Sale in Long Melford. Visitors enjoyed chatting to our Volunteers including local wildlife guru, George Millins and his assistant, Jules. I enjoyed modelling our new "Kenny Range" of jewellery, handmade by our talented crafters! Our next big event is our Open Day and Fun Dog Show on 30th July. All pooches welcome to join in the fun (with their humans) including a special class for ex-SESAW dogs. In the meantime, unwind at our Summer Dance featuring local band “Sound Brigade” 7.30pm on 1st July at Assington Village Hall. We will also have stalls on the 1st and 2nd July at the Vintage Fair at Melford Hall and on 9th July at the Long Melford Street Fair. Animals awaiting new homes include Bex, a shy, short haired tabby and white cat, dumped by her owner in London. By contrast, an active family is required for nine year old Poppy the Beagle, overlooked because of her age. She enjoys her walks and has lots of love and cuddles to give in exchange for a nice warm bed and a caring home. Time for me to go now because I can smell food! Must be dinner time for all the dogs, including me, Kenny (the Boss) Chihuahua. Suffolk & Essex Small Animal Welfare, Reg.Charity No.1124029, Stoke Road, Leavenheath, CO6 4PP. Tel: 01787 210888 www.sesaw.co.uk
Garage
Sale
15
Peter’s
Potterings
Is there a better time of the year to be out in the garden than May and June? The change in weather has had us basking in 20 degree plus temperatures, over a prolonged period and without any rain to speak of. We even had an Easter without rain! Firstly everything seems to be 2 to 3 weeks ahead of normal. The rhododendrons, azalea, wisteria are all in full glory and the apple trees down south are reported to be in blossom 2 weeks ahead of schedule. This should give a good set for the fruit, but will only benefit overall if we don’t get a late frost before we get into June. The RHS has received lots of calls asking what people can do about their poor parched plants. The advice given is as follows. Don’t waste your time and precious water supplies on the lawn. As soon as it gets a good rain, whenever that will be, it will start to recover. (I must admit to watering a small patch of my lawn that I returfed last autumn, although the main lawn has not had any assistance). The problem will be with anything that has been planted recently or last autumn. Plants that have been in the ground for two or more years should be okay. They may not flower or grow well this year but will recover and be alright next year. It is the plants that are newly planted that need encouragement to get established.
Give these plants a good soaking, then surround them with a layer of mulch to help retain the moisture. Ideally you are mimicking nature, as when they get a good rain it soaks down into the ground, right down to the roots and then they wait for a week or so for the next rainfall. A heavy drenching once a week is better than a little sprinkle every night. What about planting out your flower beds for the summer? This is usually a balance between eagerness and safety first, but late May early June is about the ideal time. Don’t forget that your plants, probably bought from the garden centre or DIY store will have been brought up with the right conditions and amount of water. For the first few weeks make sure they are kept well watered and the same applies as in previous comments, a daily sprinkling is no good, they need a good soaking. I tend to pinch out the flower heads when I plant and this makes the plant put its energies in the early stages into growing rather than flowering. It gives a much better plant and then many more flowers for the rest of the summer. Similarly if you are planting out sweet peas, or runner beans pinch out the top growth and this will make them shoot out lower down and send up 2 or 3 stems instead of just one. This is the same for cucumbers, marrows etc. but not for things such as tomatoes which with the traditional varieties will need the side shoots removed, not the flowering ones, and the main shoot tied to a supporting cane or stick. If you have bought patio type tomatoes they don’t need any side shoots removed as they have been bred to give lots of side shoots which will bear the fruit. Meanwhile get out in the fresh air in the garden and enjoy what nature is giving you. PETER ALLINGTON
BENTLEY IN BLOOM
The winter bedding is in the process of being removed ready to be replaced with the summer bedding. It is always a shame to pull up pansies which are still in good colour but it is necessary if the summer bedding is to perform satisfactorily. If you can spare an hour say once a week during the summer we would be very grateful if you could do some dead-heading and weeding. If you let one of the members of Bentley in Bloom know we will be pleased to add your name to our list and let you know which area needs attention. WATERING - If you have a tow bar on your car and would be happy to tow our water bowser occasionally to water the flower beds we would be pleased to add your name to our rota. Peter Allington - 01206 251086
16
PLEASE NOTE
The Parish Magazine is available on the Parish Council website If you do not wish your information to be published on the website please let us know
SURGERY NEWSLETTER As you saw from the figures we published last month we just keep getting busier and busier. Not only do we have to be careful to ensure GP appointments are carefully managed, but we are also now seeing issues with the number of nursing appointments available. As a result we have been looking at the reasons for
nurses’ appointments to see if we can better manage the demand and use the nurses’ appointments more wisely. We have found that there are a very large number of appointments used for ear irrigation (removing ear wax build up) which is preventing patients with more important medical needs getting the appointments they need in a timely manner. This is a problem in many surgeries and there has been a very successful pilot scheme completed at West Mersea Medical Centre encouraging patients to treat themselves safely using a bulb syringe (pictured to the right).
These can be purchased very cheaply online or in local pharmacies. Feedback from patients has been very positive, reporting that the process is both very easy and very effective. Of course we still want patients to book an appointment to see one of our nurses first to check their ears and medical history, to ensure this new method is safe for them. If using the bulb is not medically appropriate we will still provide irrigation at the surgery, or refer to ENT as we currently do. However, if the experience at West Mersea is anything to go by, we will save nearly 80 hours of nurse appointments every year which will improve the availability of our nursing team for all patients which has got to be a good thing.
As a result the GP partners have made the decision to follow this pathway here at Great Bentley Surgery with effect from 1
st July 2017 so we want to make as many patients as possible aware of this change.
The patient participation group will be meeting at 6.30pm as usual this month on Thursday 15
th June
2017, at the Great Bentley Village Hall.
The NHS is in crisis.
“On almost every front, the NHS is being asked to deliver more, with less. Less money, fewer staff, more patients. You don’t need to be a genius to work out this isn’t sustainable and that something has got to give. Short-term solutions to increasing demand, like using more agency staff or outsourcing work to the private sector, will plug holes in the service, but will ultimately lead to bigger financial problems in the future. The NHS is chronically underfunded, and the fact is that we can only get to grips with the pressure facing our health service if every part of the system — from general practice to social care — is adequately funded, supported and working well. Investment in the NHS needs to keep up with patient demand, staff shortages must be addressed and care must be better integrated. We need urgent investment in health and social care, and a long-term plan to protect patients enduring some of the worst conditions in decades.”
Jeeves Wijesuriya, chair of the British Medical Association Junior Doctors Committee
Please vote wisely
Richard P Miller – Practice Manager
17
NATURE NOTES
On the 13
th May I attended a Woodland Trust
memorial day at Marks Hall, Coggeshall for Oliver Rackham who died last year. Some readers will have read his History of the British Countryside that explains how natural forces and historical land-use have shaped our landscape. Woodland was his particular interest and based not far away at Cambridge he took an especial interest in the ancient woods of Essex, including those on this 2,500 acre estate. He refuted two long-held fallacies that our countryside was largely forest into historic times and that cutting down trees necessarily destroyed them. In fact by Roman times much open agricultural land existed and woods were sustainably cropped by cyclical coppicing with judicious felling of standard trees for larger timber and natural regeneration rather than planting favoured. Marks Hall with its impressive range of woods were originally given to Coggeshall Abbey by Queen Maud in the 12
th century and
retain a large proportion of native small-leaved limes. After the dissolution of the monasteries it was owned by the Honeywood family for almost three hundred years until the late 19
th with varying
fortunes. It was then bought by Thomas Phillips Price from a S Wales coal-mining family. He soon made an unusual bequest wishing it to be left to Kew Gardens, upon his own and his third wife’s death as there were no children. This was at least partly due to concerns that coal-burning was causing difficulties growing plants in cities like London, so he envisaged it as a potential rural adjunct to the famed royal botanic garden. The carrying out of his wishes was complicated by his wife outliving him by thirty–four years. In the meantime the impact of the 1930s depression, war-time airforce occupancy, demolition of neglected hall and church, felling of most ancient parkland oaks and Forestry Commission planting conifers all had a depressing impact. Kew had also acquired Wakehurst Place in Sussex to play the role Phillips Price had envisaged for his estate. A trust administering matters however has skilfully navigated a happy outcome along parallel lines that Price would surely have approved of. As well as the woods Rackham studied and lakes dug by Cromwellian soldiers before the siege of Colchester, the reinvigorated Marks Hall estate has a maturing arboretum and many horticultural delights. It is hard to believe but next year it will have been open to the public for twenty-five years. For your diary: Sun 25
th June 11-4 Open Activity
day at Cockaynes Wood nature reserve, Alresford – entrance signed off Wivenhoe Road. DRB
FISH & CHIPS WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY
NIGHTS
Find us located
near the old Red Lion Pub
on the edge of the Green
Riverside Fish & Chips Mobile
will be catering in your area
on Wednesday & Saturday
nights
From 4.30pm to 8pm
Frying top quality Fish &
Chips using locally sourced
products freshly cooked
to order as you wait.
Medium Cod &
Medium Chips £6.20
Medium Haddock &
Medium Chips £6.20
ONE-LINERS
My dog is a nuisance. He chases everyone on a bicycle. What can I do? Take his bike away. What’s a porcupine’s favourite food? Prickled onions
18
Great Bentley Running Club The weekend of the 29
th and 30
th of April was a busy time for the club. There were lots of different
distances attempted this week, including three at the same event: the Heritage Coast Run. Participants selected from the red route (26.2 miles) the yellow route (13 miles) and the dog-friendly blue route (6 ish miles). On the yellow route was Tom Fowler who placed in 21st with a time of 1:36:11. Taking on the mammoth red route was Gemma Colling who completed her marathon in 5:13:40 and 56th place and meant that she has clocked an impressive 200 miles this month. On the blue route were Benjamin Ficken and Davina Swindell, accompanied by faithful companions Janice and Charlie. 13 may be unlucky for some, but not for Ficken and Janice whose 13th place finish in a time of 41:29 gave Janice a pooch best. Swindell and Charlie finished in 46th in a time of 50:43, a pooch best for Charlie and a great comeback after a period of injury. Also going for a half marathon distance was Gary Hill at the Velopark half marathon. Hill completed 13 laps of the Lee Valley Velopark to finish in 1:59:43. Other distances were on offer
which meant that runners had to focus hard on their own pace to avoid going off too fast. Paul Blackwell completed 26.2 miles at the Milton Keynes marathon in 4:40:09. With a stadium finish, Blackwell commented that the race was well put on and the tech t-shirt received at the end made up for the medal being a bit small. Opting for 5 miles were Lee Clarkson, Chusa Bautista Fructuoso, Hien Hoang, Scott Young, Graham Clarke, Rebecca Conran and John Bush. The Witham Mayday 5 uses the same course as that used on Boxing Day, although the weather in May is a little warmer. Clarkson completed the course in 35:20, followed by Clarke in 36:37; and Young in 37:24. First home for the GBRC ladies was Fructuoso in 40:34, an improvement on the previous year. Hien Hoang also had a near best run in 41:07. Conran ran with a friend who achieved a personal best when they finished together in 44:19. Martin West was close behind in 45:39; chased by Belinda Palmer-Barnes in 45:54. John Bush broke the 50 minute barrier with a run of 49:27. This bank holiday weekend was also the weekend of the GBRC ‘forest adventure’ when members of the club converged on Thorpe Forest on the edge of Thetford. Being in the area meant that there was a surprise for the Run Director of Thetford parkrun when the blue vests started to descend en masse. 14 members ran on Saturday morning, 12 of whom were at the course for the first time. Running the course for the second time resulted in Deborah Cubberley recording a course personal best of 27:07. Sisters Megan Hughes and Caitlyn Hughes also smashed their personal bests for 5k at the run, with times of 27:05 and 32:52 respectively. Completing the team for the GBRC ladies at Thetford were Meera Rajoo-Oakley with 22:27; Katie Presland, who had paced Megan to her PB and finished in the same time of 27:05; Linzi Iddon who crossed the line in 40:38; and Milly Presland who was the first lady finisher at the run in a time of 20:46. Charlie Keitch was first Bentley man home in a time of 20:18. Phil Presland followed with a close-to-personal-best of 21:58. John Booty completed the course in 23:08; Brian Telford in 23:39 and David Iddon ran a personal best 5k in a time of 28:23. Matt and Michael Knowles were also out at the Thetford course however appear to have fallen foul of the no barcode no time rule! Also welcoming a large contingent from the club was Clacton Seafront parkrun. A personal best came for David Goldsmith, a second position finish and a time of 18:59. Paul Connell also ran a personal best for the course in time of 20:02. Ray Baggs finished in a time of 19:46; Kevin James crossed the line in 23:15; Scott Young completed the course in 24:47; Robert Thorpe finished in 27:20; and David Nugent ran his first ever parkrun in a time of 46:56. For the ladies at Clacton were Davina Swindell in a time of 32:25; Sandra James in 37:10; and Claire Reynolds, who stopped the clock in 37:11. At Colchester Castle parkrun seven GBRC members lined up by the bandstand. Jake Darkins led the way with a personal best run of 20:01. He was followed home by Andy Stephens in 25:12; James Mccullagh in 25:41; Chusa Bautista Fructuoso with a time of 26:13; Belinda Palmer-Barnes who stopped the clock in 29:51; John Bush in 30:31; and Sue Sorrell who completed the 5000m course in 37:25. At Harwich parkrun Antoinette Wilson was the third female finisher in a time of 24:14. She was joined by Malcolm Jarvis who crossed the line in 21:00 and Richard Moor who finished in 19:57. Basildon parkrun saw Louise Upston crack the top 10 with a 9th position finish in a personal best time of 27:23. At Junior parkrun this week Angel Jasper represented GBRC, finishing the 2000m course in 11:22. And onto the most hotly contested competition of the weekendT the GBRC Superstars event. Held at the Thorpe forest adventure centre the Superstars events were: base lines: best effort in 1 minute, 60 mtr sprint (run), 600 – 800 race (run), Bike sprint, Bike Pursuit, Press Ups best effort in 1 minute, Sit Ups best effort in 1 minute, Squat Thrusts best effort in 1 minute. Phil Presland took the Superstars trophy and won a luxury ride in Rodger’s trailer around the forest. Paul Carlisle
19
Pet Notes As summer arrives many of us will be looking forward to jetting off for a well deserved holiday. This month I’m going to discuss the requirements for our furry companions to travel with us. Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting whisking “Lucky” away on a family holiday by the pool in Tenerife, however there are occasions when travel outside of the United Kingdom may be warranted. For example, families who divide their time between Essex and a second property in France. I have also helped families to emigrate who couldn’t have done so without being able to take their beloved four legged family member with them. The rules for each country vary. Indeed the most challenging country I have come across was Dubai whose authorities gave me and the family emigrating many hoops to jump through in addition to the paperwork I complete routinely. This article will provide a general overview to travel out of – and most importantly back into the UK. Pet Passport Scheme The purpose of the Pet Passport Scheme is to protect both our pets and ourselves by preventing the introduction of diseases from abroad, such as rabies. Every dog and cat requires a passport in order to travel. In recent years the rules of the Pet Passport Scheme have been relaxed; most significantly the requirement for each pet to have a blood test following a rabies vaccination has been scrapped. Please note, certain countries still require this prior to allowing any pet to enter. These are the rules of the scheme:
• The pet must be microchipped and registered to their owner.
• The pet must be examined by a veterinarian, given a rabies vaccination and issued a passport in the presence of their owner who must sign the document.
• The pet may not travel for 21 days following the rabies vaccination.
• The UK rabies vaccination lasts for three years (compared to one year when given in some countries). If a booster vaccination is given prior to the last one lapsing, the cover is ongoing. If three years is exceeded, the pet will again need to wait 21 days following the vaccination before they may travel.
• The pet must be given an approved treatment against tapeworm between 24 and 120 hours prior to their scheduled arrival back in the UK.
The following are not rules but strongly advised when considering travel:
• Though the scheme only requires tapeworm treatment, it would be foolish not to protect the pet against the many other parasites and the diseases they carry whilst abroad. The standard protocol I recommend consists of:
1) Advocate – a spot-on against fleas, mites, ear mites, the intestinal worms except tapeworm and lungworm 2) Seresto/Scalibor – a collar providing protection against ticks. Seresto repels whereas Scalibor only kills ticks once they’ve attached, however the latter is also effective against sandflies so a good choice for travel to Spain
• Always check with the airline or ferry company if they have any special requirements. Some will not allow a pet to travel without a Practice Health Certificate (a certificate issued following a veterinary examination to say the animal is fit for travel) and they may dictate when this needs to be i s s u e d i n relation to the timing of travel.
• Though the “core” vaccinations are not a requirement of the scheme, again it would be foolish to travel without these as they protect dogs against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, P a r v o v i r u s and Leptospirosis, and cats against Flu, Enteritis and Leukaemia.
The question nearly every person asks me as I fill out their pet’s passport is “Does he/she need a photo?” They don’t need one, but there’s a space to put one if they’d like toT and almost everyone does. Dr April Mahoney MRCVS BVetMed BSAVA PGCert SAS
20
CLUBS &
ORGANISATIONS
GREAT BENTLEY GARDENING CLUB
My thanks to all who supported our plant sale in any way at all. We raised £770 so £385 to be sent to the Hospice. Our thanks to all who generously donated plants/goods, especially: Shrublands Nurseries, Alresford Hilltop Nurseries, Weeley Rainbow Nurseries, Weeley The Beth Chatto Gardens, Elmstead Market. Our June visit is to Strandlands at Manningtree. We shall meet in the Village Hall car park on 20th June at 1.45 pm. If you wish to attend please let Shirley Weeks know. 01206 255067.
BENTLEY GREEN LADIES
CLUB
Our meeting opened with Edna, our chairperson, relaying a letter which had been received from St Helena Hospice, expressing their thanks for the cakes donated by members in April. The speaker for the evening was the talented Sue Handscombe who proved to be an absolute fount of knowledge on the recorder. Most of us have memories, (and mixed feelings), of the recorder from school, however Sue showed us examples of the amazing range of recorders and the fantastic sounds which they can produce when played by an expert! She conveyed her real passion for the instrument and has gone a long way in popularising the recorder. Members can see photos and videos of Sue on our Facebook page thanks to Karin. After a vote of thanks to our speaker, refreshments and our monthly raffle followed. Dates for your diaryI.
• Tuesday 6th
June I monthly meeting at the Village Hall 7.30pm with Jenny Gibbs ‘A Turkish Shirley Valentine’
• Saturday 2nd
SeptemberI an early reminder please to sort out your good quality bric-a-brac for our stall at the Village Show
THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB
Our April meeting began with the 57th AGM of the club, when all last year's officers and committee members were re-elected with no new nominations. This was followed by some of our members relating stories about their special memories and treasures. These included showing us much loved family items from the past and why they were so precious, and a former pupil from a Clacton school gave an interesting account of being evacuated to the Kidderminster area at the time of Dunkirk. After refreshments, the afternoon ended with a game of Bingo organised by Billie. Our meeting on June 28th will see Bob Newman taking us with him on his latest travels. All those interested are welcome to come along. Joye
ESSEX WILDLIFE TRUST
For your diary: Sun 25th June
11-4 Open Activity day
at Cockaynes Wood Nature Reserve, Alresford – entrance signed off Wivenhoe
Road.
HISTORY SOCIETY
************************
Thursday 8th June at 7.30 p.m.
Our speaker will be popular local historian Roger Kennell. His talk will be “The 1904
combined services manoeuvres at Clacton”. This was a major exercise that
took place locally, recognising the threat of invasion even ten years ahead of WW1. As always visitors and guests are welcome –
entry £3 incl. tea and biscuits. Members £2.
21
Great Bentley Pre-school
www.greatbentleypreschool.co.uk
Firstly I would like to welcome Daisy and her family who started with us at the end of last month, we hope you have a wonderful and enjoyable time within our Pre-school and you have fun with the new challenges and activities you will experience during your Early Years Education.
Great Bentley Primary School Sessions
All children starting Great Bentley Primary School in September have attended a few of the transition sessions now and the feedback has been really positive. All children are setting a great example within the school and are really benefiting in experiencing the classroom environment. They are thoroughly enjoying the new challenges that are being presented to them and have demonstrated good confidence as they explore the new surroundings. This really is a beneficial opportunity for the children in their transition to Primary School and I would like to thank Miss Hull and the school for allowing us to support the children and accommodating us through this time.
Summer Trip
I can now confirm the summer trip has been booked for Wednesday 14th June and will be at Colchester Zoo.
This is a great day out in the Pre-school calendar as it is open to all Pre-school children that attend the group and we invite parents and carers to come along too so we can all enjoy a day out together. We just hope as many as possible can join us and the weather is kind too.
Carnival
Carnival month is finally upon us again so I hope you all have the date in your diary - Saturday 24th June.
We are busy creating our float within session with the children which is based around the theme ‘When I Grow Up I want to be TTT.?’ Look out for us as we pass you in the procession which starts at 12:30.
Autism Coffee Morning
Our next coffee morning is booked for Wednesday 28th June at 9:30 in the Village Hall. These sessions are held to support parents with children on the Autistic Spectrum or for parents who are concerned and want to find out more about it. We look forward to welcoming new faces so if you are interested please come along and join us, you don’t have to be a family that attends our Pre-school.
Sponsored Walk, Picnic and Sport Events
This will take place on Tuesday 11th July; Pre-school will close this morning at 11:15.
The sponsored walk will be in aid of Clic Sargent again. This charity helps children with cancer and the reason we like to support it is because over the past few years some of the children that have attended our group have suffered with some form of cancer. All children and parents are invited to meet on the Green outside the Cricket Club at 11:30/40 for the sponsored walk which will be a walk around that half of the Green, we will then have our picnic and the sports activities, including the adult races and will start at 12:30.
September Term Registers
I know it’s hard to believe but as we break up for summer next month I will start to look at the registers this month for the next term which starts in September. Although we are full on most sessions at present there are a lot of sessions released once the older children move onto Primary School. Already we have lots of new interest though and we also have lots of existing children wanting to increase their sessions too so if you would like to become part of this ‘outstanding’ Pre-school then contact me as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Thanks for reading. Julie Wiles
22
Great Bentley Village Hall
WOW!
Thank youTTTTT.Thank youTTTTT.Thank you Thank you every single person and group that responded to our appeal for items for the Tour de Tendring. What a response! We had four trestle tables full of sandwiches, rolls, cakes and chocolate donations most of which went when the cyclists started coming in. They were amazed when they saw what was on offer and very grateful, many asked who had made them all and when we explained it was people from the village they were staggered. Many asked that we pass on their thanks. The items that were left were bought by those remaining at the end and the left-over portions of cake were taken down to The Oaks at Aingers Green. So once again, many thanks indeed for your help and support and also to the people that stayed and helped during the morningT..oh yesT.the im-portant bitT.we raised £650 and there is still a little more to come in. A fantastic result!
So now on to our next event...
The Village Hall 30th
Anniversary Dance We are putting on a dance hopefully following along lines of the village dances that were held in the Hall many years ago. We have a live band and disco – Mementos – and they are fantastic. Look them up on their website to see what they play and come along with your families and friends and enjoy a great night in the Hall. All the details are belowT.
Village Hall 30th Anniversary Fund Raiser
Summer Dance
Featuring a live local band ‘Mementos’
and disco.
Saturday June 10th 7.30pm – 11.30pm
Tickets £15 per adult and £10 for under 12’s.
Bring your own drink.
Available from Bev Adams
Tel: 01206 250 724
23
A FEW NOTES FROM YOUR DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
Update on Tendring District Council’s Housing Supply Position At Tendring District Councils Full Council Meeting held on Tuesday 9
th May and at TDC’s Planning Committee
Meeting held on Tuesday 16th May 2017, the following statement was made; -
Officers have carried out the annual survey of housing completions and have updated the Council’s records of sites with planning permission. Tendring’s housing stock increased by 658 dwellings between 1st April 2016 and 31st March 2017 and the number of sites with planning permission for housing has risen significantly. The result is that the Council can now demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites and is no longer automatically expected to approve planning applications for housing that run contrary to Local Plan, as per the government’s ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ – which requires permission to be granted unless the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits. The updated calculation is as follows: Requirement 2017 to 2022 2750 (@550dpa) Shortfall (2013 to 2017) 836 Plus 20% buffer (NPPF para 47) 717 Total Requirement 2017 to 2022 4303 (861dpa) Supply 4381 (102% of the total requirement) Shortfall/surplus +78 Years supply 5.1 years (102% of 5) The full details of the calculation had been due for consideration by the Local Plan Committee on 23rd May 2017, but that meeting has been postponed until after the General Election. However, because the appeal hearing for the development at Centenary Way, Clacton/Little Clacton (for 175 dwellings) is scheduled for 24th May, Officers have written to the Planning Inspectorate with these updated numbers as they strengthen the Council’s case. To ensure a five-year supply is maintained into the future, the Council will need to continue to approve housing developments but will be in a stronger position to do so in line with the Local Plan, rather than having to consider speculative proposals. Tendring Blue Ribbon Business Awards The Tendring Blue Ribbon Business Awards Nominations are now required to celebrate and reward excellence of the very best businesses across the District; this event proved to be very popular last year in its first year. Organisers are keen for people to start putting names of individuals, teams and companies forward for the various categories for 2017. All the information anyone needs can be found on the website www.tendringblueribbon.org The awards are run by Jamesons Accountants, Barclays Bank and Tendring District Council, in association with Dream 100. The closing date is 19
th July.
The World Famous Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - the Red Arrows The Red Arrows will again this year be flying on both days at the Clacton Air Show, on the 24
th and 25
th
August. The team has been training throughout the winter at its home base of RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, and is made up of nine fast jet pilots, engineers and support staff. If you want any further information please go to the shows website www.clactonairshow.com PEP & CO comes to Clacton Clacton-on-Sea is the first town in Essex to introduce and welcome this High Street fashion brand, which opened on Friday 19
th May.
PEP&CO has teamed up with its sister company, Poundland at 43-45 Pier Avenue, to create a new shop-in-shop; it also means the store will open its doors onto West Avenue as well as Pier Avenue. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns; I am always very pleased to help and hear from you. Many thanks Cllr. Lynda McWilliams Tendring District Councillor to the Ward of Great Bentley and TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Partnerships email address [email protected] Telephone number 01206 250732
24
PARISH COUNCIL NOTES
UNAPPROVED MINUTES
Public questions: The Chairman invited questions from the members of the public in attendance prior to formally opening the meeting. It was asked if Kevin Harkin the Parish Clerk has formally left his post, yes answered the Chairman.
Present: Councillors J. Hills (Chair), B. Herbert, P. Drew, K. Plummer, and R. Taylor. Also in attendance were Karen Paradise, new Parish Clerk and 9 members of public.
05.17.026 Apologies for absence: TDC Cllr L McWilliams (Polling Station), Cllr George Wright, Cllr P Balbirnie, Cllr R Adams, Cllr L Edwards (work commitment, will be late) 05.17.027 Declarations of interest: None offered. 05.17.028 Minutes of last meeting: The minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2017 were proposed by Cllr Plummer, seconded by Cllr Drew and agreed as an accurate record of proceedings. 05.17.029 Planning Applications: To consider planning applications set out in the table below.
Planning Reference
Application Details Address/Location
17/00601/FUL Mr C Kirkman & Mr M James
Erection of replacement detached garage, incorporating guest accommodation.
Heckford House Heckfords Road Great Bentley CO7 8RR
Proposed: Cllr Drew, Seconded: Cllr Herbert. RESOLVED: To offer no observation and no objection.
17/00383/FUL Mrs Alicia Drysdale - Jasmine Place Experience Ltd
Change of use from a garage to a gift shop, with the addition of two internal doors.
Jasmine Place The Green Great Bentley CO7 8LY
The Parish Council supported the application and made no objection but the following observation was made: It is a good addition to a vibrant village and offers employment possibilities. There is however, much concern regarding parking. The Parish Council asks that the applicant informs customers that there is ample parking in the public car park and tries to dissuade customers from parking outside.
17/00384/LBC Mrs Alicia Drysdale - Jasmine Place Experience Ltd
Change of use from a garage to a gift shop, with the addition of two internal doors.
Jasmine Place The Green Great Bentley CO7 8LY
The Parish Council supported the application and made no objection but the same observation in the above planning application, 17/00383/FUL was made
17/00649/FUL TBS The Book Service
Proposed installation of security gatehouse and barrier
The Book Service Colchester Road Frating Colchester Essex CO7 7DW
Proposed: Cllr Drew, Seconded: Cllr Taylor. RESOLVED: To offer no observation and no objection.
17/00650/FUL TBS The Book Service
Proposed single storey extension and internal rearrangement to existing canteen
The Book Service Colchester Road Frating Colchester Essex CO7 7DW
Proposed: Cllr Drew, Seconded: Cllr Taylor. RESOLVED: To offer no observation and no objection.
23
25
Monthly report Great Bentley April 2017 from our PCSO
EP-20170327-0176- Colchester Road, Great Bentley- RTC EP-20170330-0237- Weeley Road, Great Bentley- Sus circs EP-20170330-0848- A120/A133- Highway Disruption. EP-20170331-1018- Birch Avenue, Great Bentley- Altercation. EP-20170331-1161- A120/A133- Highway Disruption. EP-20170403-0729- South Heath Road- RTC- Telegraph pole down. EP-20170403-1051- A120/A133- Highway disruption. EP-20170403-1239- A120/A133- Highway disruption. EP-20170404-0260- Colchester Road, Great Bentley- RTC with injuries. EP-20170404-0753- Robin Close- Asst other agency. EP-20170409-0244- St Marys Road- Sudden Death. EP-20170409-0741- A120/A133- Highway disruption/concern for welfare. EP-20170412-0248- Colchester Road- Mud on road, causing slipping. EP-20170413-0363- A120/A133- Highway Disruption. EP-20170415-0676- Flag Hill- Great Bentley- Dangerous Dog. EP-20170417-0426- Shair Lane, Great Bentley- RTC. EP-20170420-0785- A120/A133- ANPR Hit. EP-20170420-1020- Station Road, Great Bentley- Nuisance Youths. EP-20170421-0635- Plough Road- Driving Complaint. Report received from our Tendring District Councillor, Lynda McWilliams. I arranged a meeting for TDC officers to meet with PCSO Julia, myself and Councillor Bill Herbert regarding the parking issues in the village. Unfortunately there was a mistake with the date from TDC side but I did manage to be there for part of the meeting. We managed to talk about the problems and I left Julia, Ian and Mick to discuss further. I received the message below and I believe Julia has kept Parish Councillors informed. “We did manage a reasonable conversation with Julia, and Mick Simson, our Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) supervisor, who is arranging as much as he can with the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) - for new yellow lines outside Tesco’s and he is also asking for additional patrols from them, or permission to undertake some patrols on their behalf at around school times when parking is at its worst. Most of the parking issues do appear to be around peak times and are often due to lack of consideration and thoughtfulness. School times will always produce a frenzy of bad parking and experience has taught us that options for this can be limited. We will discuss options and get back to you.” Meanwhile the NEPP and TDC Enforcement Officers have already been in the village and I understand tickets have been issued. Regarding the application for Channel 4's Village of the Year, which I agreed with Kevin that Mary and I were happy to arrange, I sent the application form in on Tuesday evening; I received a phone call from the Assistant Producer, Jenni Crane, late on Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after I had sent the application. We spoke for nearly an hour about Great Bentley, she was very pleased that the application was sent in so quickly. She asked many questions about what had been written in the application. At the end of our conversation she highlighted areas that were of interest; which I am at present working on in case we are selected for filming during June and July. After the closing date of the 14th May the process begins with 76 villages being selected for filming. We shall not know definitely until after the closing date if we are selected. If we are Jenni will keep in close contact with me on a weekly basis. I give my grateful thanks to Bill, Mary and Derek Burdett, for their help with proof reading and picking up on anything that I may have missed. 05.17.030 Correspondence. None
05.17.031 Planning matters to report: None Meeting concluded at 7.15pm Public Questions: None
17/00651/FUL TBS The Book Service 17/00652/FUL TBS The Book Service 17/00698/TPO Mr Evans
Proposed single storey extension to existing toilet block including addition of a disabled WC. Single storey extension to reception area, removal of existing internal lobby space and installation of turnstiles. 1 No. Chestnut - Reduce and reshape by 25%. 1 No. Acacia - Reduce and reshape by 25%.
The Book Service Colchester Road Frating Colchester Essex, CO7 7DW The Book Service Colchester Road Frating Colchester Essex CO7 7DW The Maystead Weeley Road Great Bentley Colchester Essex
Proposed: Cllr Drew, Seconded: Cllr Taylor. RESOLVED: To offer no observation and no objection. Proposed: Cllr Drew, Seconded: Cllr Taylor. RESOLVED: To offer no observation and no objection. Proposed: Cllr Drew, Seconded: Cllr Plummer. RESOLVED: To offer no observation and no objection.
42/48494/17- St Marys Road- Theft of number Plates. 42/49858/17- The Tye Road- Theft of motor vehicle. 42/49934/17- Robin Close- Criminal damage to motor vehicle. 42/51376/17- St Marys Road- Assault. 42/53920/17- Linnet Way- Theft of flags from pots. 42/57374/17- Flag Hill- Dangerous dog-Under investigation.
Thurs 1st June Parish Council Meeting 7.00pm Planning: 7.30pm Meeting,
Village Hall
Thurs 15th June Annual Parish Council Meeting 6.30pm followed by Annual Parish Meeting
26
Coggeshall’s
Paintbox Gardens
Sunday 4th June
2.00pm – 6.00 pm
This year the gardeners of Coggeshall invite you to see their gardens through the artist’s eyes. Throughout the afternoon you will find local artists exploring the shapes, colours and textures that make up our gardens through their paintings and drawings. There will also be lots of activities for children, a plant stall for your bargains, vintage cars and model railways to admire, a look back in time at a printing press, ice-creams and, of course, Coggshall’s legendary cream teas and cakes. Altogether an afternoon for all the family! If you would like to extend your visit there are several places in Coggeshall where you can have morning coffee or lunch beforehand! Tickets are £5.00 per person and children under 12 are free. Tickets will be on sale in advance from The Chapel Inn and on the day in the Market Square as well.
Do visit our stunning website www.coggeshallopengardens.org.uk
Sarah Phillips
Kevin Flinn & St Helena Hospice say THANK YOU to Great Bentley
Many thanks to everyone who contributed towards
the £2,500 I raised for completing the London Marathon recently. Carrying an injury but still
managing a 5hr 20min finish achieved the goal for this great cause. A special mention goes to the
Pharmacy customers who placed over £50 in the tins and all my friends in the village for their kind
donations, including support towards the other fund raising events and raffles we held. A great
contribution by everyone made the pain worthwhile thank you so much!
Kevin Flinn
GOOSEBERRIES IN
ELDERFLOWER SYRUP
Gooseberries, blanched and carefully cooked so that they keep their colour and shape, are delicious in elderflower-flavoured syrup. Once elderflowers are over you could flavour the syrup with rose geranium leaves. Ingredients (4-6 people) 1lb (450g) green gooseberries: 6-8 oz (175-225g) sugar: 8 fl oz |(225 ml) water 1-2 heads elderflower Top and tail the gooseberries and throw them into a pan of boiling water, or pour a kettle of boiling water over them. Drain and refresh under the cold tap to set the colour. Prepare a syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water, and when completely dissolved boil for 1-2 minutes. Add the gooseberries to the syrup and cook exceedingly slowly and carefully until just tender but still whole. Remove the gooseberries to a serving dish, add the elderflower heads to the syrup and boil for a few minutes until you have a well flavoured thick syrup. Strain this through a fine sieve over the gooseberries and leave until cold or, better still, till the next day for the flavours to blend.
GOOSEBERRY ICE CREAM
4 eggs separated: 100g/4oz caster sugar 250mil/½ pint double cream: ½ teaspoon vanilla essence Whisk the egg yolks until well blended. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff, then whisk in the sugar a teaspoonful at a time. Whisk the cream until it holds a soft peak, then fold it into the egg white mixture with the egg yolks and vanilla. Stew 200g/8oz gooseberries with 50g/2oz or ¼ cup sugar and a little water, then puree in a sieve or liquidizer. Cool and add a little green food colouring before freezing. Stir into ice cream mixture. To freeze: turn into a rigid container, cover, label and freeze. To thaw and serve: leave to thaw at room temperature for 5 minutes.
ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING followed by
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING 6.30pm
Thursday 15th June in the Village Hall Everyone welcome
27
Wildlives Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre
‘Catkins’, Frating Road, Thorrington, Colchester CO7 8HT www.facebook.com/Wildlives-Rescue-and-Rehabilitation-Centre-319226511587244/
Opening hours: 9:00 – 5:30 01206 251174 / 07802 767016 Outside of Wildlives’ hours, please call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 or log on to our website for advice on what to do with a
sick animal until we are open again in the morning. See the web site for extra pictures too!
Registered Charity 1104167 Copyright Wildlives © 2017
Luna arrived to join the growing fox cub contingent, after she was found in a field, hanging by her head which was stuck in awater container. She had been there for some time, frantically trying to escape, as her neck was deeply cut by the container and infected. She was also very dehydrated and weak. When she arrived at Wildlives the neck wound was cleaned and she received antibiotics and pain medications. The wound is now clean and in the process of healing, and she is eating and doing well.
Venus, an adult fox, was found collapsed, scrawny and emaciated, and half the weight she should be. She regained her weight and health well, and was successfully released back where she was found.
Two new foxes and an update JUNE 2017
The fox cubs from last month are all recovering. Aurora’s tail has healed well, although she does chase the others’ tails a lot – perhaps she is jealous! Stardust and Moonlight are thriving, while Atlas, Celestial and Cosmic are healing from their concrete burns. Atlas has sustained permanent damage to the roof of his mouth and tongue, but is learning to cope and feed. The others still have bald areas around their faces, stomachs and paws where they were burned, but staff at Wildlives are hoping that the fur will eventually grow back.
Centre inundated by orphans
The centre is, as usual at this time of year, bursting at the seams with orphans and abandoned babies of all shapes and sizes. As well as the fox cubs, there are squirrel kits, rabbit kits, and baby birds of too many species to name. Sadly of these last 85% of the admissions are as a result of cat attacks. All these babies require feeding at regular intervals (birds every 20 minutes!) so currently all the volunteers and staff are rushed off their feet.
Clover released successfully
Tawny owl recovering
A tawny owl, about a week old, was brought to the centre cold and hungry. He has been eating well, and you can see how much he has grown in three weeks at the bottom left.
This year the centre has so far helped over 100 abandoned ducklings, and more arrive regularly! One mother duck was found with an injured leg and spine; although she was just able to care for her brood it was, fortunately, possible to catch her with her large family. She and the now mature ducklings have been successfully released.
Over 100 Ducklings so far (and risingT)
Clover the muntjac was successfully released where found, and went without a look back! Juniper and Blossom are still at Wildlives, as they are a bit younger. Blossom’s wounds have healed; they are both doing well and will be released when they are old enough.
28
The Children’s Page
June is the month which marks the beginning of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. June is thought to have been named by the Romans for one of two reasons. The first, and most common, is that June is named after Juno, the wife of Jupiter, since it is thought to be in June that these gods married. For this reason, June is traditionally thought of as a good month for marry-ing. The other reason is that May and June are named after the Latin for ‘elders’ (‘maiores’ = May), and ‘youngers’ (‘iuniores’ = June).
June is also the month in which the famous tennis tournament, Wimbledon, takes place. The world’s oldest tennis tournament, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event which takes place on grass. The tournament relies on round 250 Ball Girls and Boys who are selected from schools in local London boroughs. The average age is 15 years old. Until 2003, it was tradition from players to bow (or curtsey) in front of the Royal Box. This tradition remains in place if the Queen or the Prince of Wales are watching the match. The first time Wimbledon was broadcast on the TV was 21st June 1937.
WIMBLEDON LONDON UMPIRE
TENNIS TROPHY NET
COURT GRASS MATCH
W A T C O U R T E M
V I F O P S S A R G
D C M V N I B N I C
L W A B E N F A P J
O S T N L N R W M L
N S C S G E H S U N
D C H F N T D H O S
O B A G Y H P O R T
N D N E T U E R N A
Can you draw an accurate tennis court? What is each line called?
29
Advertising Apology
Apologies to Maria who is no longer painting and decorating but supplies made to measure curtains, blinds and furnishing projects but has been omitted from this month’s index. She is featured on page F.
NEW ADVERTISERS
MDH Gardening Services
Experienced gardener offering a professional, reliable,
affordable service, covering St Osyth
and the surrounding area.
All aspects of garden maintenance, lawn mowing,
soft and hard landscaping, fencing repairs
and replacement undertaken.
No job too small!
Please contact Matthew on 07925 896249
or alternatively via
e mail at [email protected]
1ST Great Bentley Brownies Sleepover
at the Science Museum. London: 18th March
We arrived at the Museum at about 7.30pm on the Saturday evening and were greeted by the staff, all the Brownies looked really tired already from all the travelling. Our first activity MATHANIMALS was seeing the animals and we got to touch a snail! The shell not the actual slimey part. We then had some questions on the board and we had to go to the corner that we thought was the answer. Next we went on a TREASURE TRAIL round the museum looking for answers to the trail on the tablets and saw inventions including the original Lotto machine. When you finished you had to take a picture and you were put on the leaderboard. Next we had our supper snack as all the Brownies were hungry by now. After supper we became POLYHEROs, making an awesome origami colour changing light which was neither easy or hard but great fun. Lastly on the night it was bedtime at about 11 pm. We all slept peacefully and there was even a visiting sleepwalker from the next group! On Sunday we got up, dressed, and brushed our teeth and we all had breakfast. Off to the WONDERLAND, which was so cool, we got to go on the friction slides and wind up chairs in the air! Lastly to the IMAX 3D cinema – the screen is the height of five double-decker buses and we watched an amazing film about nature. Before we knew it we just had time to visit the shop and we were on our way home. We enjoyed our sleepover and would love to go back. By Lillia Lawton
D. Spence Family Butchers
Please note we also have lots of marinated meats, barbecue packs and family deal packs available
Anglian Will Writing offer a professional, friendly, Will writing service throughout East Anglia. If you would like a Will, Trust, Power of Attorney drawn up, please contact Antony Tregenna, (Affiliate Member of Society of Will Writers and Fellow of Institute of Legal Executives) on 01603 865220 or 7484 738659 to arrange a free consultation.
Ellisons Solicitors is proud to be one of the East
of England’s oldest established legal practices with offices in Colchester, Ipswich, Frinton on Sea, Clacton on Sea and Dovercourt. We have developed a strong client base in Essex and Suffolk Call today on 01206 764477 or email: [email protected]
30
QUIZ
June is bustin’ out all over
1. From which Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is the title taken?
2. Which famous June plays EastEnders’ character Dot Branning?
3. On which date in June did D-Day take place?
4. If you were born on the 1st June, which star sign are you?
5. Whose ill-fated expedition to the South Pole left on June 1st 1910?
6. Which of Henry VIII’s wives was crowned in June 1533?
7. On which date was Queen Elizabeth II crowned?
8. In which town was Britain’s first legal casino opened in June 1962?
9. Which suffragette was trampled to death at the Epsom Derby in June
1913?
10. Name the first university museum which opened in Oxford on 6th June
1683?
11. Which famous June has played Terry’s wife and Edina’s mother?
12. Who wrote ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ first published in June 1949?
13. Which London landmark burned down in June 1873 after being open for
only 16 days?
14. Which famous annual race first took place on 10th June 1829?
15. On 11th June 1988, some 80,000 people attended a concert at Wembley
Stadium in honour of whom?
16. Which war ended on 14th June 1982?
17. What happened on 15th June 1215 at Runnymede?
18. On 18th June of which year did Wellington win the Battle of Waterloo?
19. Who became leader of the Labour Party in June 2007?
20. Who did the Duke of Windsor marry in June 1937?
Enter the quiz to win a family ticket to the Tendring Show.
This will include the entries from last month.
Answers to Caldew Cottage, The Green.
ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S QUIZ
1.Richard Chamberlain 2.Dr Christian Barnard 3.mosquito 4.electrocardiogram
5.German measles 6.short-sighted 7.ear 8.influenza 9.Hippocrates 10.aspirin
11.Bubonic plague 12.knee cap 13.Hattie Jacques 14.32 15.12 16.Crimean
17.Addenbrookes 18.Doctor Dolittle 19.insulin 20.rabies
31
FARMING NEWS
With the farming year in full swing now and nearly all cropping in the ground the work load varies greatly depending on what the farmers are growing. Cereal growers will have, or will be in the next few days applying their final fungicides to ensure they prevent any disease creeping into the crop which could dramatically affect the quality of the final yield. The quality of the harvested yield is very important as the millers and the bread makers have very stringent specifications which farmers work to all season to ensure their produce meets the standards required. Protein levels in the wheat grain can affect the quality of bread or too much nitrogen in barley can make it impractical in the brewing industry so it is important that farmers get these levels correct. After their final fungicide cereal growers will begin to look ahead to harvest ensuring that their grain stores are cleaned out ready to store the harvested crop and looking at trial results and varieties for the coming season ahead. Farmers who have root crops such as potatoes, carrots, onions or sugar beet are much busier at this time of the year. They will be concentrating on weed control to avoid competition between weeds and the crop. Competition between weeds and the crop can mean that the crop is unable to access nutrients, fertiliser and water all of which are vital in their growth and development. Many irrigators have started up in the past month applying water to potato and onion crops. You may have also seen cereal crops being irrigated as well this year due to the lack of rainfall during the first 4 months of the year. Applications of water are precisely planned with the use of neutron probes measuring the soil moisture deficit so that not too much water is applied which would result in lazy root development. Equally, potato crops must not dry out when the tubers are forming as this would lead to the development of scab making the potato unsellable. Farmers are also trying to prevent disease coming into the crop which can dramatically impact yield in the same way as the wheat example given in last month’s article. Blight is the biggest concern to all potato growers with total crop destruction occurring if it is not controlled. This comes at a cost of around £3bn per year to the potato industry. Farmers’ use various tools including national forecasting services which are e-mailed to them directly as the weather conditions that cause blight occur, using local knowledge and assessing crops regularly as and when spores start to move around in the air. Potato farmers have a narrow window from planting the potatoes to harvesting them to ensure that weeds and disease are controlled and making sure they have enough water and the right nutrition. Salad varieties such Charlotte or Maris Peer will only be growing for around 90 days at which point they will be desiccated (the crop is ‘topped’) to prevent further growth to ensure they meet the stringent supermarket requirements (similar to the cereal standards mentioned earlier) which stipulate a specific size, skin finish and skin blemishes. Other varieties such as Maris Piper or Estima are left to reach maximum size as their markets require large potatoes for chipping or baking. You will notice in the local area that there has been an increase in the number of fields in which maize is being grown. Some of this maize will be grown to feed cattle on farms, but a large proportion of it will be going into a local A.D. Plant (Anaerobic digestion plant). A.D. plants are becoming more widespread across the country. They carry out a natural process where plant and animal materials (biomass) are broken down by micro-organisms in the absence of air – hence the term anaerobic digestion. The A.D. process is when the biomass, of which there are many suitable forms including food waste, slurry and manure are put inside a sealed tank or digester. Naturally occurring micro-organisms digest the biomass, which in turn releases a methane rich gas (biogas) that can be used to generate renewable heats and power; this helps to cut fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The remaining material also known as digestate is rich in nutrients so it can be used as fertiliser. The AD process is not a new technology, it has been used in the UK since the late 1800s, but now an increasing number of AD plants are being built in the UK to generate clean renewable energy. Vicki Brooks
St Mary’s Church Queen’s Jubilee Cream Tea
Please do you have any bric a brac, books, tombola or raffle prizes? We would be really grateful to receive the above. Please leave at the back of the Church or ring Wendy Smith 250098 or leave at Burnside, The Green. Plants and cakes would be appreciated on the day.
32
MISSING IN ACTION
Before going abroad, I made sure not to pack anything into my thirty litre rucksack that was remotely expensive, sentimental, or worthy of stealing. Yet, during those innocent stages of planning and preparation, I was still naive to the fact that my situation regarding the care of my belongings, or perhaps, the lack of, would not be that simple. It began in Thailand with my adapter. A simple commodity that I only realised was a commodity, when it disappeared from the plug socket in my hostel. Frustrating, but inexpensive to replace. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to stop there. Before moving on to Pai from Chiang Mai (both in the far north of Thailand), I decided, naturally, to get the entire contents of my bag cleaned the night before, bar the clothes already on my back, so that I could arrive in fresh-smelling garb at my next stop. One word of advice that would seem like common sense to most, take note of where you leave your laundry. With no receipt or map reference, I’m still not, to this day, entirely sure how I expected to find my clothes again the next morning in a city as sprawling as Chiang Mai. Needless to say, the last remaining two hours before my bus was set to leave were spent frantically trying to buy myself a new wardrobe, which, whilst successful, raised some serious eyebrows in the fashion department. It could have been worse; I hadn’t packed any decent garments to begin with. Except, it did get worse. Fast forward a couple of months to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I was enjoying a tasty French-style baguette down a small side street which for the past two weeks I had considered my culinary home, when, tragically, on one evening around eleven, my trust was shattered, my heart broken, my Samsung stolen. Or, at least I think it was. Unless the Galaxy A3 2016 has a new ‘phantom’ component that allows it to mysteriously disappear from your table when you’re not looking, my conclusion is that it was indeed pinched. In a desperate frenzy the next day to obtain a police report and kick start my insurance claim as soon as possible, it had started to seem that the world was turning against me. Bearing in mind that I had a flight booked to the Philippines that evening, it was not a good day to also lose my passport. If the stress of a missing phone wasn’t enough, especially with what I was convinced was an endless stream of urgent messages piling up in someone’s pocket somewhere, looking into my bag and seeing that my most important item was no longer resting at the bottom, almost killed me. Sweat, not from the heat of the fast approaching Southeast Asian summer, but from my spinning head, kept me company on a frenzied half jog, half sprint around the city to all of the places I’d previously been to in the last few hours. The first port of call was the police station where I’d filed my phone report that morning. The officers, when they finally decided to look up, immediately showed me the door, no questions asked (or answered). I proceeded to burst into the electronics shop where I’d searched for a Samsung replacement, barely comprehensible to the staff as I choked out a plea for information. Still with no luck, I checked the shop where I’d bought water, a park bench that I had been seated on for a grand total of two minutes and checked my bag another fifty times, just in case I had suddenly developed very poor eyesight. Nothing. Veins popping and red hot visions of my passport thief playing in my head, I settled down in an internet cafe and made some desperate calls to the UK embassy. The woman on the line was genuinely very kind, it was just the things she told me that didn’t follow suit. “You’ll have to get (another) police report.” “Yes, you’ll have to come straight home on an emergency passport.” “No, you can’t spend a month in the Philippines first.” All hope lost, I sunk down even further into my seat and stared vacantly at the computer screen in front of me, the comforts of home creeping a little too close for my liking. Eventually, I paid my bill to the sympathetic looking staff and headed back to the police station where it had been agreed I would pick up my report at two. I must have been walking with my head down as I didn’t notice at first what the officer was holding in his hand. It took me a couple of seconds and then suddenly, my pulse returned. For a moment I considered hugging the man, before very quickly changing my mind. I had accidentally left my passport on a seat there that morning. I let out something close to a roar and although feeling very annoyed about the fact that nothing had been mentioned during my previous panicked search, I then sprinted victoriously through the park back to my hostel, laughing the whole way. The police never processed my statement, or investigated the theft of my phone, most likely due to the ridiculous scene that they had to witness and probably concluding, quite reasonably, that I’d simply lost it. Even so, I managed to catch my flight, (despite the emergency purchase of a return ticket that I wrongly assumed I could travel without) and I had a great time in the Philippines. Yet, still, the point was proven. Now, another two months on, I’ve been OK, safe from my extremely careless hands. Apart from a couple of petty scams and a flushed toothbrush, my belongings have remained intact. Fingers crossed. However, I’m still watching my bag intently, just waiting for the next item to say, “Bye bye! Ben Townsend Ben is a Great Bentley resident currently travelling solo in South East Asia during a gap year ...or two ...or three.
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PAGES FROM THE PAST
Taken from How Green is our Village by Carl Morton
Many villages have in the past been credited with a ghostly black dog which was alleged to have roamed the lanes at night. This dog, invariably known as Black Shuck was last seen many years ago as far as Great Bentley is concerned, between Honeypot Corner and Moynes Farm by a man only recently deceased, who described it as leaping the hedge on one side of the road and disappearing on the other. There is little doubt but that this was a real dog and that the owner was not far away waiting to receive the rabbit or hare from his poaching hound. One cannot help wondering whether the stories of these apparitions, more frequently told in coastal areas than inland, were circulated by the poachers and smugglers who preferred the roads free of observers as they plied their trades by night. An advertisement in the Ipswich Journal for November 11th 1767 reads ‘whereas the Game upon the Manor of Great Bentley in Essex has of late been very much destroyed by Poachers. This is to give notice that such unqualified Persons who shall be found destroying the Game upon the said Manor will be immediately proceeded against and any person giving information to Mr Benjamin Wilkin, Gamekeeper, of any such offenders, shall, upon their conviction be entitled to a reward of 3 guineas’. There were no subsequent reports of convictions, so it can be assumed that the poachers were too clever for Benjamin and that informers were few and far between. Smuggling was a very lucrative occupation in this area in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is well known that much contraband from Holland was landed at Jaywick, Clacton, in the Walton backwaters and along the Colne estuary, most of which was run inland at dead of night. There are those who dismiss stories of smuggling as fanciful tales but two examples taken from newspapers will prove otherwise. The first: ‘It is said that human bones, a shoe buckle and a token bearing his name, found under the floor of a house in Clacton in 1928 possibly belonged to a John Wilkins who was murdered when he came on a party of smugglers’. The second is a memo from the Local Collector to the Board of H.M. Customs and Excise, 1778, which points out ‘the impossibility of the Harwich revenue cutter “Argus” with the present weak complement being able to deal with eight well armed smuggling cutters who constantly run their goods upon the coasts of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk’ Not all smuggling was on such a large organised scale but was carried on by local fishermen as an ‘extra’ to their lawful income. In a recorded interview Mrs Atthill tells the story behind the brandy cupboard at Palfremans where the ‘groom’ in the story lived. This cupboard, which was photographed before alterations were made to the cottage, was let into the wall and had a wooden door plainly visible to anyone entering the room. On opening the door a searcher would have been presented with the sight of the usual household items such as china, cutlery, etc. It was only after removing these that a second door could be seen, behind which the contraband brandy was hidden. Here is the story: ‘As a little boy of five, the groom to Dr Atthill Senior, Doctor Frank’s father, was told on more than one occasion to take a horse and cart to Alresford Creek. The cart was loaded with hay and he was given one or two turnips to eat. He was told on no account to speak to anyone on the road or to watch what was happening when he got to his destination. Down at the Creek some hay was removed and the space filled with a keg of brandy. Arrving home at Palfreymans, where his father lived as a groom, he was again not allowed to watch as the spirits were taken into the cottage. These were hidden in the brandy cupboard, later being shared by the Doctor and the Parson’. There is another oft-told story, probably far less authentic, of the landlady of the Plough Inn, who, having received word that the Excisemen were in the village ordered some smuggled rum to be brought up from the cellar, placed it under her voluminious skirts and sat on it until they had gone! Two legends survive concerning the fields called Drawswords and Breakspears, the first of them being the most credible. It is said that when the Danish marauders sailed up the creek from Brightlingsea they first attacked St Osyth’s Priory capturing and beheading the Saint. They then proceeded inland to Great Bentley where the Saxons met them in defence of the village, the battlefields on either side of the road at Hill Farm thereafter being called Breakspears and Drawswords. The second legend is recorded in Kate Sizer’s History of the Village and tells of a serpent living on Drawswords which defied all who would dislodge her. The inhabitants tried strategy in the form of a vat of beer, from which the serpent drank and fell asleep. An unknown hero impaled her on his sword and bore her body in triumph to the Green. Unfortunately for him, a spot of venom fell from her fangs on to his foot and he died. To be continuedT...
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History Society
Essex Smugglers
“If you wake at midnight and hear a horse’s feet, Don’t go drawing back the blind or looking in the street, Them that ask no questions isn’t told a lie. Watch the wall my darling while the Gentlemen go by.
Kipling’s famous poem “A Smugglers Song” was our speaker Brian Billings’s introduction to the society’s May presentation and in so many ways embodies the double attitudes towards smuggling that prevail even today. That an establishment figure like Kipling should refer to them as “Gentlemen” implies an approval that is at odds with the normal view of law-breaking. From the outset, Brian emphasised that from its beginnings centuries ago, smuggling was a violent and bloody business that no amount of romanticising can disguise. In earlier centuries almost all produce was smuggled not just alcohol and tobacco, and all levels of society were complicit in the illegal trade:-
“Brandy for the Parson, ‘Baccy for the Clerk. Laces for a lady, Letters for a spy. Watch the wall my darling while the Gentlemen go by.”
All goods traded in and out of the country were taxable, since the 14th century British wool being one of the
most prized and therefore one of those most smuggled. The Government’s battle against the “free traders” as they came to call themselves led in 1683 to the Excise Dept being responsible for direct collection of the duty on goods. – “the Revenue Men” as they came to be known (they were assisted also by the dragoons where necessary). They were generally hated by the general public because of the duties required of them, and co-operation with them was discouraged:- “If you meet King George’s men, dressed in blue and red,
You be careful what you say, and mindful what is said.
If they call you “pretty maid,” and chuck you ‘neath the chin, Don’t you tell where no one is, nor yet where no one’s been!”
The Essex coastline being one of the most extensive, this county was among the most open to smuggling from the continent, and it was estimated in the 18
th century that 49,000 half-ankers of brandy were landed each year
on the Essex/Suffolk coastline. (“an anker” was a barrel measurement of approx.10 gallons). The most smuggled commodity, however, was tea because of its popularity and high cost at the time. Similarly popular was brandy which could be sold at over £1 per pound having cost only about 7p. Tobacco would likewise have had something like a 400 to 500% profit margin. The county’s three chief ports in the 18
th century were Harwich, Maldon and Colchester. They were thus
the most vulnerable to the contraband trade in goods, and sophisticated methods of concealment were constantly being developed. Buoys containing contraband were dropped offshore to be collected later by London gangs such as the so-called “Waltham Blacks” (an alternative group in Kent being “the Aldington Blues”). Another method of concealment was that of a double hold being built within the ship. The Coastal Blockade Service saw a huge increase in the numbers of revenue men. These were poorly paid in normal circumstances, a system of high reward for capture and discovery being thought to provide a greater incentive for conscientious work on their part. In 1797 the River Police were introduced as a guard against the incidence of smuggling along the many creeks such as Rainham and Barking, which had a particularly bad reputation. But the many small islands and coastal villages along the Essex coastline made it hard to defend, and Brian took us through a long list of some of the county’s black spots, revealing finally that the most notorious of all was Paglesham. The group thanked Brian for a good humoured and an obviously well researched talk.
************************ Next month’s meeting is on Thursday 8th June at 7.30 p.m.when our speaker will be popular local historian Roger Kennell. His talk will be “The 1904 combined services manoeuvres at Clacton”. This was a major exercise that took place locally, recognising the threat of invasion even ten years ahead of WW1. As always visitors and guests are welcome – entry £3 incl. tea and biscuits. Members £2.
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Here is the latest update on property development around the villageII. FANTASTIC NEWS!! In a recent council meeting the leader of TDC, Neil Stock, confirmed that TDC has NOW ACHIEVED ITS FIVE YEAR LAND SUPPLY for new housing in the District. This follows on from our piece last month where we were able to confirm that the Planning Officers felt they were close enough to the number to be able to recommend refusal for the new developments being proposed for the village. Of course this is now a situation which needs to be maintained on an ongoing basis, but does give TDC strength to their recommendations to refuse the applications and therefore some breathing space from the aggressive & opportunistic developers. Meanwhile the all-important Local Plan moves nearer to completion. It is expected that at the next Local Plan meeting the draft plan will be finalised before a short consultation period. Following this it will be put forward for public examination. It is still going to be 2018 before the process is complete, but each step forward strengthens the position against further over development of our village and many others like it in the District. Village Applications: Sturricks Lane is our only live application at the moment. Whilst the application is ‘only’ for 10 properties, this is enough for TDC to recognise it as a ‘large’ application. We recognise it as another housing increase the village does not need and will not benefit from. The application reference number is 17/00456/FUL – you can use this reference to find it on the TDC planning portal website to leave your comments. We understand that the developer for both Thorrington Road & Plough Road (West) will be submitting an appeal against TDC's refusal of both applications, but we have nothing official on this yet. Admirals Farm (50) has now been fully approved so we can expect work to begin on this in the coming months. There has been no further news on Plough Road (Station Fields 150) or Heckfords Road West. We still await detailed plans for these sites to be submitted and the outline approvals for 150 and 50 houses respectively are still in place. Finally no further news on the Admirals Farm 25 plus land for surgery. It really does seem that the tide is now turning and that the District is in a stronger position with regards to the local plan and projected housing numbers.
• Let the Parish Clerk know your views. Contact Karen on 01206 256410 or email:
[email protected] for items to be included on the agenda for Parish Council discussion, they need to be with the Clerk at least 1 week before the meeting.
• Keep informed, register on our website to receive news updates
• Attend your Parish Council Meetings on the first Thursday of every month. The next one is on
1st June at 7.00 at the Village Hall. Agendas are on the PC website and in the village notice boards 1 week beforehand.
• Let us know your views:
[email protected] www.protectgreatbentley.com
Protect Great Bentley
Property Development News Update
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YOUTH FOOTBALL So this month really has seen the football season edge towards its end and at Great Bentley Youth we are fortunate to still have teams with finals to look forward to. In what would be a great last game for the club Charlie Dorling's under 18 Blues take on Rowhedge in the League Cup final. After finishing runners up last season a final victory would be a perfect way for these boys to complete their youth football with the club. There are many of these boys who started playing football with us at the tender age of 6 the Callum's Lee and Warder, William Wai to name just a few. The final is to be played on Thursday the 18th May at Wivenhoe's Broad Lane stadium, I will let you know how they do in my next update. Our Under 15's under the guidance of Matt Peace, having already secured the A league title, have both the Open Cup and End of season Trophy finals to play. The first the Open cup is against Little Oakley Blues on Sunday the 14th May again at Wivenhoe. In the semi final they overturned Elmden Rovers 5-0 in a highly competitive match in which our boys were two up inside the first five minutes. Goals came from Bailey Farley (2), Luke Bracey (2) and Robert Dick. Our boys did well to just play their game whilst having to deal with some very aggressive tackling from their opponents and were a real credit to the club. Having watched this game I must say that I was very impressed by the centre half play of Jordan Chaplin who was strong, dominant and very assured when playing out from the back as well as Rhys Morley who gave a tireless display in midfield not giving his opponents any time to pick passes out. Overall, it was a very fine performance from the whole team and another like that in the final will see them winning another trophy. Following this match on Tuesday the 14th the under 15's play in the end of season trophy final. As the name would suggest this tournament is played as the season nears its end and again Matt's team have performed really well and have progressed to the final where they will once again play at Wivenhoe against opponents still to be confirmed. I will let you know the outcome of these 3 finals next time around. In terms of silverware this will be the most successful season for the club since we started 12 years ago assuming of course that we win at least 2 of these games. May also sees our end of season awards which is a great opportunity for us all to celebrate all the players that have played for the club throughout this season. They will all receive a trophy and then we will also have the hard part of selecting the various players of the year. I'm pretty sure if you ask the coaches and parents all the kids deserve an award for one reason or another but it is good for us to recognise and reward excellent performances. My next update will be a long one as I'll bring you details of the winners of these awards then too. Thanks for reading, Scott
Friday 19th
May KWIK CRICKET TOURNAMENT After a week of dreadful weather, we held our nerve, and luck was on our side for an evening of dry weather. We welcomed 20 teams to play cricket on the Green, with teams coming from Boxted, Long Melford, Copford, Coggeshall, Harwich & Dovercourt, West Mersea and Abberton and District Cricket Clubs. The children played at Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced level, but the emphasis was on fun, and joining in.
The Green in front of the clubhouse was full with five pitches of entertaining play. The cake stall was full of an impressive spread of delicious cakes and the BBQ and bar kept everyone fed and watered.
Great thanks must go to everyone who helped to make the evening happen: Peter Giles for his mastery with pitch plotting and strip cutting; Jenny and Debbie who collected tables, put up gazebos and ran the raffle; Richard, Anthony, Jo and Fiona on the BBQ; Jane and Holly on the cake stall; Lol, Gill, Dan, Lisa and crew on the liquid refreshments; and last but by no means least the Carparkers, Alicia, David and Richard. Don’t forgetting all the cake bakers and everyonelse who attended. It was a wonderful fundraiser for the Club.
We have great facilities on the biggest village green in the UK run by a committee of local residents, dedicated to keep the game of Cricket a part of the village life. For more information, come along to the Club House on The Green, or email Peter Giles [email protected] or Carol Kerridge: 01206 251781 [email protected]
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FOOTBALL CLUB NOTES
Great Bentley Village Hall Plough Road
Looking for a venue for your party, your wedding, your club?
Need a conference room for a meeting, a product launch, a workshop? Want a hall for a toy fair, food festival, an art show?
Then please contact us and we’ll try to help, perhaps arrange a viewing of the hall. We have a large main hall and two smaller side rooms available for hire.
Included in the hire is the use of a car park, a kitchen if needed and full facilities. WIFI services are coming soon, along with CCTV and parking controls for security
For further information on the hall or to make a booking contact
Shelley 01206 252385
www.greatbentleyvillagehall.co.uk
Border League Division 3 Result: Tues 25th April,
away Bures United, 0-3. North Essex Veterans League Results: 29
th April,
away Oyster, 3-5; 6th May, home Rowhedge, 1-9.
Great Bentley Football Club celebrated their most successful season for nearly 60 years when they held their annual Dinner/Dance and Awards night at Clacton Golf Club recently. Addressing the 80 guests, club chairman, Andrew Walker congratulated the first team on their marvellous achievement of winning the Border League Division Two title, and thanked all the players, management, committee and supporters throughout the club for all the hard work that had helped produce such a memorable campaign. The individual awards for the first team were as follows: Manager’s Player of the Year – Adam Brand, Players’ Player of the Year – Jack Burch, Supporters’ Player 0f the Year – Dale Brown, Joint top goal-scorers – Dale Brown and Calum Holyman The reserves awards went to:
Manager’s Player of the Year – Dave Gallant, Players’ Player of the Year – Dave Gallant, Young Player of the Year – Callum Warder, Top goal-scorer – Chris Morgan Winners of the veterans’ awards were:
Manager’s Player of the Year – Neil French, Players’ Player of the Year – Barry Hawkins, Top goal-scorer – Keith Young The chairman’s Cyril Buckle trophy for the person he thought had made the greatest contribution to the club’s season was presented to first team manager, James Meadows, and the Clubman of the Year award went to Tim Tricker.
Alternative awards supreme, Neil French followed up a truncated rendition of Tom Jones’ “Its Not Unusual” with a bunch of awards aimed, as much as anything, at re-engaging the audience, and they were as follows: The Judith Chalmers Wish You Were Here Award (a jar of sun-cream) for having too many holidays went to Ian Morton. The Mr. Angry Award (an anger management course) was presented, after a short argument, to manager, James Meadows, following his hysterical and totally out of character rant at his opposite number and various players and supporters during our cup-tie at Little Oakley. The Worst Haircut Award (a pair of scissors), somewhat surprisingly in my opinion, went to Tim Tricker. The Brian Owen Sicknote Always Injured Award (an icepack and plasters) was only ever going to one person, Tope Ayandokun, who needed the support of two helpers to pick up his prize. And finally, the You’ll Never Be As Good As Me Award was a cast iron cert to go to David “The Legend” Gray, who won a pair of his old boots, retrieved from a dustbin and painted gold. Carnival 5-a-side Tournament: We have about half the ideal number of entries, so far, for our annual 5-a-side on Saturday 24
th June, starting at 10 p.m., so
if you’re thinking of entering a team, please don’t hesitate to contact club secretary, Clive French on 01206 251000. Lucky Team Winner May: A.Walters (Everton) £25. Stoner.
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DIARY FOR JUNE
Sun/Mon 28/29th May OPEN GARDENS, The Hall, School Road, Tendring
Thurs 1st Parish Council Meeting, 7pm Planning: 7.30pm Meeting, V.Hall
Fri 2nd Coffee Morning, Methodist Church
Sat 3rd Ladies Continental Breakfast, Vestry Room
Sun 4th Coggeshall Open Gardens, 2-6pm
Tues 6th Bentley Green Ladies Club, Village Hall 7.30pm
Thurs 8th History Society, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Thurs 8th GENERAL ELECTION DAY
Sat 10th Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee Cream Teas, St Mary’s Church 2pm
Sat 10th Village Hall 30th Anniversary Dance, Village Hall
Mon 12th Good Neighbours AGM, Village Hall 7.30pm
Mon 12th Magazine Deadline
Thurs 15th Patient Participation Group, Village Hall 6.30pm
Thurs 15th Annual Parish Council Meeting 6.30pm followed by APM
Tues 20th Gardening Club Outing, Village Hall 1.45pm
Fri 23rd MAGAZINE COLLATING DAY, Vestry Room 9am
Sat 24th Carnival Day Procession commences 12.30pm
Sun 25th EWT Cockaynes Wood Open Day, 11am - 4 pm
Mon 26th Bentley Green Players AGM, Vestry Room 7.30pm
Tues 27th Friends of the Green Meeting.
Wed 28th Friendship Club,
Fri 30th Wine Tasting
Fri 30th/1st/2nd/3rd July Great Bromley Flower Festival
Sat 1st/Sun 2nd July Methodist Church Flower Festival