Everything Epping Forest Page 1 of 38 everythingeppingforest.co.uk covers the Epping Forest district in Essex and features regularly updated news - in words and pictures - has a what's on listings section to highlight local events, a Local Business Directory and a section which allows clubs and organisations to publicise their activities free of charge Home | News | Sport | Your News Views | Events - What's On Diary | Clubs - Organisations | Local Business Directory | Jobs | Food & Drink Monday, 2 July, 2012 News Archive click here Sport Archive click here Tell us your news... Publicise your event... Promote your business... Have your say... Buy copies of photos that appear here... email: [email protected] tel: David Jackman on 07710 447868 02/07/2012 Everything Epping Forest Page 2 of 38 What do you think? Have your say on the news articles that appear on this page. Email [email protected] or send your comments via Twitter - @eefnews ADVERTISING LINK - Expert motorcycle training in Harlow from CAMRider http://www.camrider.com/locations/harlow.html BGT pair sign record deal 2.53pm - 31st May 2012 BRITAIN'S Got Talent runners-up and former West Hatch High School students Charlotte Jaconelli and Jonathan Antoine have signed a record deal with Simon Cowell, it has been revealed. Their first album will be released on September 3, according to a message posted by Charlotte on her Twitter feed today. She wrote: "Thank you for the lovely messages guys! The album will be out on September the 3rd! So excited that we've signed with @SimonCowell !!!" Jonathan, on his Twitter feed, posted the message: "Thank you to everyone for all the lovely comments! Very exciting! " The pair were favourites to win this year's ITV show but were second to performing dog Pudsey and his handler Ashleigh. Among those congratulating the singers are Britain's Got Talent finalists Aquabatique, the syncronised swimming quartet, who posted a Twitter message saying: "We are SO pleased for @JonChar_bgt @JonAntoine @char_jaconelli! Can't wait to buy their album on 3rd September :) #amazingtalent." Art society prepares for exhibition 8.49pm - 31st May 2012 EPPING Art Society is preparing for its next exhibition, as part of the Epping Festival on Saturday, July 14. The society will also be displaying members' work in the reception area at the Civic Offices, Epping. At the Copped Hall open day on Sunday, August 30, society member Peter Cartwright will be painting a huge picture of Copped Hall, leaving space for visitors to add something to the painting - an animal, person, bush, tree, flower or whatever they choose. The society meets twice a month on the first Friday and a Wednesday later in the month with a different topic or subject for each meeting. Members work in any medium they prefer, maybe watercolours or acrylics, pen and ink, or oils. Meetings are held at 7.30pm in the hall underneath the Methodist Church with a break at about at 8.30pm for a cup of tea. At the end of the meeting photographs are taken of the work for inclusion in the monthly newsletter. The next Friday practical is on Friday, July 6, with a life drawing session with model Amanda. Friday meetings are for members only (£2). The Wednesday meeting at Pelly Court always has a speaker or demonstration. Doors open at 7.30pm. On Wednesday, July 11, Graham Slimming will be talking about Barcelona, the birthplace of Modern Art. Admission is £3 for non-members (members £2). New members joining now will be offered a reduced subscription of £5 from July. For more information, visit www.wix.com/eppingartsociety/details , email Roger at [email protected] or ring Sally on 01992 560807. Flash floods hit Epping 8.46pm - 30th May 2012 PARTS of Epping have been hit by flash floods following this evening's torrential rain. Everything Epping Forest has received one report that at least one property in The Orchards, off Bower Hill, has been flooded while another has flood water in its porch. Sally Ford (@sally_x_ford on Twitter) posted this picture of The Orchards on Twitter saying: "I cannot believe what I'm seeing." Another Twitter user commenting on the picture thought the water was the result of a burst water main. Meanwhile a large area of the town green near the Civic Offices is under water. A fire crew was called to deal with a reported incident in High Road, North Weald. At the height of the downpour, which included hailstones, drivers had to pull over along Epping New Road such was the force of the torrential rain. George Booth, of the Epping Weather Station - www.eppingweather.co.uk - recorded 0.75ins (19.1mm) of rain in 20 minutes. Dawn Maliqi (@DawnMaliqi on Twitter) sent Everything Epping Forest this picture of the water coming through the road in Bower Hill, Epping click here Natalie Chevin (@NatChevin on Twitter) wrote: That picture of The Orchards is incredible. Have you any pictures of this evening's flash floods? Email [email protected] Four schools receives Artsmark award 5.15pm - 30th May 2012 FOUR schools in the district have achieved an Artsmark in the latest round of the awards programme. Alderton Infants School, Debden Park High School, Leverton Infant and Nursery School, Nazeing Primary School are among 32 schools and colleges in Essex to receive the award. Artsmark is the national programme that enables schools, further education colleges and youth justice settings to evaluate, celebrate and strengthen a quality arts offer. The programme aims to support and recognise formal education institutions that deliver rich and high quality arts provision. Essex county councillor Stephen Castle, cabinet member for education, said: "Congratulations to all the Essex schools who have been awarded an Artsmark. "It is pleasing to see so many education settings building arts provision into their curriculum, giving even more young people the opportunity to experience what the arts can offer." 02/07/2012 Everything Epping Forest Page 3 of 38 For more information visit at www.artsmark.org.uk MP welcomes election register shake -up 5.02pm - 30th May 2012 A PROPOSED shake-up of the election registration system is "long overdue", according to Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing who is backing changes designed to improve the accuracy of the register. At the moment, the head of a household fills in the details of those living in a property but ministers want people to register individually to combat fraud. Those refusing could be issued with a "parking-style" fine by local councils. Labour said fines could only be justified if they were an incentive to register and they must be "reasonable". Speaking in a debate on the issue, Mrs Laing - who has been pressing for this change for many years and has raised the matter in debates in the House of Commons many times - said the Bill which contains the proposed changes is "will improve the electoral register's comprehensiveness and accuracy". Mrs Laing said: "It is long overdue. It is absurd that, in the 21st century, a person's right to vote depends on the head of household filling in a form". She added: "Each individual member of our society should be responsible for registering themselves to vote and should have the vote that they deserve. "I have never understood why the Labour party has been so reluctant for the last two Parliaments to go ahead with that obvious modernisation of our electoral administration system." Mrs Laing added: "My greatest concern is the idea that young people will not register to vote if their mother or father does not fill in the form for them. What absolute nonsense! "I shall go further: if a young person cannot organise the filling in of a form that registers them to vote, they do not deserve the right to vote. "If someone is responsible enough to exercise their right to vote to decide the Government of this country, or at any level of local government, they should be responsible enough to register to vote." Football club seeks sponsor 10.00am - 30th May 2012 AN Epping football team is hoping to net a sponsor ahead of the new season. Epping Athletic, a Sunday team, is appealing for business support to help cover the £500 cost of training equipment and new kit which will carry the sponsor's name. Coach Liam Stedman said: "We have a great bunch of local lads ranging from 17 to late 30s. The club has been running for about eight years and could really benefit from a sponsor. "With anything these days there is growing financial costs to running such clubs and I'm worried for the future of the club if we do not receive some financial support." Any businesses who would be interested in supporting Epping Athletic can email Liam at [email protected] Lodge supports village scout group 7.27am - 30th May 2012 THE 3rd North Weald Scout Group has 32 new chairs and three new tables after it was given £500 by the North Weald Bassett Lodge. The previous chairs and tables were not foldable so had to be kept in the main hall at all times making the playing of certain games impossible during winter months. Thomas Moore and Derek Tringham presented the cheque to Nikki Smith-Pryor on behalf of the North Weald Bassett Lodge. The scout group is very grateful for such a large donation and the children thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. Thomas said: "In my office as Charity Steward it is always a great pleasure presenting donations of this kind. This one, however, was something very special.