Birdbrook Parish News
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Birdbrook Parish News Editorial The year 2020 was a turbulent year and 2021 has managers have been unable to re‐instate all the public started in a similar fashion, except we have the hope rights of way after ploughing within the two weeks that the vaccine will eventually alleviate our required. Let us hope that we have some pleasant predicament. It is going to be a long haul and every Spring weather so we can once again enjoy our one of us will have to play our part in sticking to the favourite walks using the public rights of way and guidelines and safeguarding all of those around us. observe the wildlife as described by our local resident The third lockdown will be hitting a lot of people very bird ringer and wildlife enthusiast, Barry, who is hard. If there is anyone in need of help and support contributing highly entertaining and informative please come forward and let yourself be known to a articles for our newsletters. Parish Councillor and we shall do all we can to assist. Dog walkers within the parish have suffered in recent Braintree District Councillor Diana Garrod has months with overfull “dog poo” bins and we have informed us that if you are struggling to pay bills after finally understood why! The bins should be emptied being asked to self‐isolate by the NHS Test and Trace weekly. Our newly appointed collector will shortly scheme, you may be eligible for a discretionary lump establish where all the bins are, including new bins sum payment of £500. For more details, see p2. installed near the entrance to Moynes Park. Hopefully, Since our last publication two months ago we have by the time you read this, the service will be back to enjoyed Christmas and the New Year and progress has operating smoothly. For any concerns on this matter continued at the Parish Council albeit slowly for please contact the Parish Council Clerk, Debbie obvious reasons. At the time of writing, we have just Hilliard: [email protected] who will pass held our January meeting in which we have confirmed on the issue to Braintree DC services. the budget for 2021/22 and reported on progress on Litter is a problem and it is worth noting that there our list of ventures. We are planning playground have been two successful prosecutions for car littering refurbishments over a number of years as the cost of in Braintree. Let us keep our hedgerows clear of litter replacing just the swings is in the region of £8,000. and follow the example of Councillor Alan Cook who The defibrillator for Baythorne End has been ordered regularly picks up all the litter he sees whilst on his and we are waiting for its delivery and to agree a date daily walk. for installation. At some point training will be arranged for members of our community when we Peter Smart, Chair, Birdbrook Parish Council can hold meetings face to face. In the meantime the apparatus has information attached on how to Many thanks to contact the necessary authorities and how to operate Charlie Richardson the equipment. The salt distribution was a very quiet from Stambourne affair in December with a few people collecting salt who volunteered to and we were able to make a donation of £50 plus tax rebuild and repaint relief to the East Anglia Air Ambulance Charity. the village signpost It is good to see that many people are venturing out as part of his Duke of for winter walks with many of us keeping to the Edinburgh Award metalled surfaces owing to the very wet conditions Scheme project. under foot on the public rights of way across farm Photo by Alan Cook land. The weather has been such that some farm February 2021 Warden whilst travelling behind him Hello From Your along Hatfield Road, Witham to Hatfield Peverel on the 22nd October District Councillor 2019. When the vehicle stopped, the Street Warden tried to deal with the Successful Prosecutions for Car offences however the occupants of Littering the vehicle would not provide details. Two successful car littering Mr Peacocke was identified as the prosecutions were secured in one day owner of the vehicle and requested at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on to provide the details of the Thursday 3rd December. offenders under the Environment Act Bircan Ay, aged 54 of Coggeshall Road, 1995, but failed to comply. Mr Braintree, was witnessed smoking in Peacocke failed to attend court and Cllr. Diana Garrod his licensed Hackney Carriage vehicle the case was heard in his absence. He on the 3rd February 2020 and then was found guilty, was fined and the rest of the Europe littering the cigarette butt while ordered to pay costs which in total combined, and the travelling along Coggeshall Road, came to £1,224. Government hopes that by Braintree. Mr Ay pleaded guilty to the Residents can report any instances of the middle of February a offences, was fined and ordered to pay fly‐tipping, dumped rubbish or litter first dose will have been costs which in total came to £282. to us via www.braintree.gov.uk or by offered to everyone in the Elliot Peacocke of Montfort Drive, calling 01376 552525. four top priority groups. Coronavirus related scams Great Baddow, was witnessed Covid‐19 Vaccine Scams depositing lots of waste from the which include ruthless Indeed, at the time of writing this the criminals calling, texting or passenger windows of his vehicle by a UK had vaccinated more people than Braintree District Council Street visiting individuals offering Alan Cook, Birdbrook Parish Council Business Support: The Covid‐19 outbreak still presents a significant challenge to businesses Covid‐19 vaccinations for large cash sums are the vaccine. A very small number of people who are increasing, so remain vigilant. These opportunistic at risk of Covid‐19 cannot have the vaccine and criminals are using this crisis to trick people. should discuss this with their GP if they are in any Remember a genuine NHS Covid‐19 vaccination doubt. This includes people who have severe booking will NEVER: allergies. Women of childbearing age, those who are Ask you for payment or any bank details. pregnant or breastfeeding should read the detailed Ask you to press a button on your keypad when on information on www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination and the phone. discuss with their GP. Ask you to send a text to confirm the booking. Let’s all do our part to keep our Bumpstead Ward as Covid‐19 Vaccine – Who CANNOT have the vaccine? safe as possible. Remember: Hands – Face – Space (if Public Health England information states that the you really need to go out!) vaccines do not contain living organisms, and so are With best wishes to all, safe for people with disorders of the immune Cllr. Diana Garrod system. These people may not respond so well to District Councillor – Bumpstead Ward Introducing Tarka’s Cafe wonderful team we have working in the café. It can The warm and welcoming Tarka’s Cafe is be very hard work a lot of the time, but the team are based in Baythorne End and is owned by the always so positive, friendly, professional and loyal. Unwin Family Karen and Ellie (Manager and Assistant Manager) have been in charge since we first opened and most our regular staff have been here for almost as long. With five generations of your family having farmed here, what made you decide to start Tarka’s Do you use any other businesses within the parish, if Cafe? We had been thinking about a café at so who? We always try to support local businesses Baythorne Hall since the Wine Merchants opened in where we can. All of our bread (Ben & Ella’s Bakery), 2014. Once we had started the process of creating a meat (Morgan’s Butchers) and wine (Baythorne retail destination here we recognised that one of the Wines) is purchased through other businesses at best ways of attracting more customers to the site Baythorne Hall, our personalised aprons were was to offer food and refreshments. produced by Kiiwii Clothing (Steeple Bumpstead) and much of our external landscaping has been done by What do you feel is the menu item all customers Jimmy Bolton (New England Landscaping). Oh yes, must try? Our Head Chef, Jon, has a strong and my brother would be very disappointed if I failed background in Italian cooking, and since he to mention the Accountants we use (Evolve Tax & convinced me to invest in a Pizza oven his pizzas Accountancy), also based at Baythorne Hall. have been the stand out items on the lunch menu. We also have two or three very keen cake makers It’s been fascinating getting to know a bit more amongst the staff, and one that has become a about such a lovely business & we hope to be able to customer favourite is our vegan chocolate cake. pop down and taste some of those pizzas very soon! After relaxation of Coronavirus restrictions do you have any plans for the future? We are always looking at ways to develop and improve the site, and one thing we would love to do at some point in the future is to slightly extend the indoor seating area, without reducing the outside seating which is very popular in the summer months. We also hope to run more evening events in collaboration with Baythorne Wines (wine tasting evenings etc.) What is your greatest memory since you have opened the business? It’s hard to pinpoint a single memory, but what I’m definitely most proud of is the Birdbrook Wild Life Column I hope some of you were lucky enough to see the Redwing and Fieldfare that frequented our gardens and hedgerows during the early part of January.