LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

We are looking out over the last sprinklings of snow as we edit the magazine this month - waiting, like many residents, for warmer weather and the roll-out of the vaccines. Nonetheless, we did see our first snowdrops in Wethersfield Church last week - a promise of better times to come! Normally, of course, we take the opportunity of the editorial to high- light some of the forthcoming events. This has proved a bit difficult at the moment, as we do not know when it will be safe for the govern- ment to relax the COVID-19 restrictions and the ‘stay at home and protect the NHS’ message. This is a particular problem for events like our Fete and Car Display which have a long lead time. Many classic car clubs publish an annu- al calendar of forthcoming events, and we have to decide whether we want to be in it or not. To get round the problem, we have set up a new website dedicated to major forthcoming events in - stjamesgreatsal- ing.wordpress.com - and decided to tell car clubs that we are plan- ning for an event this year. The website will allow us to update people on changes to plans or specific government restrictions. And with regard to other adverts in the magazine - please phone and check their current status before making a journey! To all our readers, please stay safe, look out for your neighbours and let others know if you need help.

Contributions to the next edition by the15th of Feb to: [email protected]

2 From Revd Janet Parker A small booklet and card had been popped through Mary’s door on Christmas morning. Throughout the last ten months she had read anything she could get her hands on so for sev- en days she read the three pages set for that day. Over this week a childhood poem seemed to have hooked itself to her mind. My fairest child I have no song to sing thee, no lark could pipe in skys so dull and grey. And how dull and grey the sky has been and for so long. Yet, if you will, one lesson I will teach thee, for every day. These four were not natural com- panions but, having met at a luncheon club, throughout lockdown Mary, Rose, Daisy and May (not their real names) had been speaking most weeks on the phone - sharing and supported each other in their loneliness. ‘Tomorrow’, thought Mary, ‘is New Years Day and my res- olution is to be more positive, not just feeling better because others feel just as bad’. Be good sweet maid and let who can be cleaver, do lovely things not dream them all day long. Turning back to her little booklet two lines sprang out - Who do you know who is anxious about the coming year? And, what can you do to bring them light and life? ‘Oh for goodness sake’ Mary shouted as the booklet skidded across the floor only just missing the cat curled up under the radiator. ‘Just look at me, I cann’t do anything. It takes me half an hour to get to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. What can I do?’ Words kept repeating: ‘do lovely things, light and life’. ‘I’m going to ring Rose. Friday is talk to Rose day and today is only Thursday, but I shall go mad if I don’t talk to someone today. Rose is a sensible person’. Over the next few days all four ladies talked and they found they had all been having similar thoughts. They didn’t just want to talk about how ‘awful everything was’. One asked: ‘Do you pray’. Mary was the only one who said she didn’t. ‘Prayer is never answered’ she said. ‘Hows the cat?’, Daisy asked. ‘Thank God I missed him’. Mary felt her face turning red. ‘Ah!’ And so make life, death, and that vast forever, one grand sweet song. By Monday the ladies had a plan. They would continue to ring each other at least once a month but they would also ring two other people each week. They will share and listen to worries and concerns and about aches and pains but they now have a mantra, what May calls Mary’s blue sky mantra: ‘do lovely things, light and life’. Whenever they call someone they will have at least one positive thing to talk about and they will pray. At least until Valen- tine’s Day they will pray for each other, the people they are talking to and each day they will say ‘thank you’ for at least one good thing in their life.

3 Covid continues to disrupt our lives but what a lesson these four ladies can teach us. The way I have presented them may be theatrical but the story is true, the ladies are real. For me they show one of the ways that God works. Mary remains skeptical about prayer and praying and whether it is answered. But there can be no doubt that these four ladies are themselves the answer to prayer.

By the time you read this we will be nearer Valentine’s Day than Epiphany but the Bible Reading for Epiphany encompasses the ladies mantra: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God,..... as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testi- fy to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1: 5-9)

May God bless you all through this coming year.

Poem: My fairest child by Charles Kingsley. PILGRIM PARISHES Continguency Church

Church Service & Live Stream: to connect, go to YouTube and search for: “Pilgrim Parishes Contingency Church” There are services of different styles and live at different times, including all ages. This links to a YouTube page allowing access to all recent services as well as giving you access to be part of live streaming during the Lockdown. Please subscribe & allow notifications then you will get a message when a stream goes live. Churches remain open for Private Prayer. Please contact Lydia Roe to book: E: [email protected] Please do continue to contact our Parish Clerk, Cathy Carlisle: 07766 112536, [email protected] if you need help with shopping or the collection of prescriptions.

EMERGENCY: Please always dial 999 in an emergency. To report a non-emergency crime you can: Use our do it online service. Call our non-emergency number 101 or alternatively 01245 491491. Go to a police station. Deaf/hard-of-hearing - NGT TextRelay 18001 101

4 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing to thank you for your warm welcome following my announcement as the next Bishop of this morning.

Despite the fact I have not been able to visit the diocese in person, I have had a wonderful day, meeting with and starting to get to know people on Zoom.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting teachers and children at St Mary’s Prittlewell and watching the children’s musical performance. I have also had a chance to start to learn about your ministry in my meetings with curates and lay ministers in training and with those who are involved in the diocese’s refugee ministry.

I am very much looking forward to the New Year and a time when I can visit and East to continue meeting people face to face and getting to know you.

In the meantime, I want to assure you of my prayers and wish you and your loved ones a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Yours in Christ, Bishop Guli

5 THE SALINGS PARISH COUNCIL Clerk to the Council: Mrs Cathryn Carlisle Herkstead Green Bungalow Cornish Hall End Braintree Essex CM7 4HH T: 01440 731964 W: https://salingspc.org/ [email protected] Parish Councillor Contact Details Mr Peter Martin [email protected] 07801236461 Mr Colin Bennett [email protected] 01371 850320 Mrs Sue Baugh [email protected] 01371 850168 Mrs Kathy Jiggins [email protected] 07856563568 Mrs Jennifer O’Connell [email protected] 07872844961 Mr Richard Aggiss [email protected] 07912177279 Clerk Cathryn Carlisle [email protected] 07766112536 01440 731 964 PARISH COUNCIL NEWS The Clinical Commissioning Group that includes Freshwell Health Centre is now offering Covid-19 vaccinations. They will call you to book an appoint- ment when it is your turn. Vaccinations are currently taking place at The Pump House Surgery in Earls Colne. If you do not have your own transport or cannot organise transport to Earls Colne, please contact the Clerk on 01440 731964 and she will speak to BDC who will organise transport for you *** There were several (unpleasant and unhelpful) comments posted on Face- book last year concerning Eastlight’s painting white of the railings through the village. At our meetings with Essex Highways and , this was one of the measures suggested to help with traffic calming with the aim being to highlight to drivers that they are driving through a village and not along a race track. We do not know if it will work but, unless we try, we will not find out. At present they do look unsightly because they were painted in the rain and still need a topcoat. Eastlight are due to complete this work, weather permitting, anytime soon. We are working on other measures and are still awaiting approval from Essex Highways for these. All we ask is that you support us in our efforts to sort out this (and other) problems in the vil- lages. We hear time and again comments that the P.C. does nothing. On this issue alone we have in fact spent several months and many hours meet- ing with and talking to various Agencies trying to resolve this matter. The other option is, of course, to actually do nothing!

6 Is there anyone out there who enjoys knitting or crochet? A lot of towns and villages are now putting up knitted decorations to celebrate certain events. Dunmow puts out poppies every November and had a fantastic string of knit- ted Christmas lights going all through the town this year. We would like to do the same and as we are all locked down at the moment it would seem the ideal time to get started. We will supply the wool, and needles (there is a poppy pattern on the next page), if you will do the hard work! Use your imagi- nation – what about flowers growing around the notice board, birds or butter- fly’s on the bus shelter, strings of bunting to celebrate St Georges Day….the list is endless. Please get in touch with us if you are interested and we will get everything to you.

EASY PATTERN FOR KNITTED POPPIES (Or change your colour for other flowers) For best finish knit with a double knit (DK) yarn. The size of needles that you choose will determine how big the poppy will be but we recommend 3.5mm or 3.75mm Easy garter/knit stitch for beginners Colour A – red. (One ball will knit a lot of poppies) Colour B - black or use a button Body of poppy Using colour A cast on 120 stitches Rows 1 – 4 knit Row 5 knit 3 stitches together across the row (40 stitches) Rows 6 – 9 knit Row 10 knit 2 stitches together across the row (20 stitches) Rows 11 – 14 knit Row 15 knit 2 stitches together across the row (10 stitches) Cut yarn leaving a tail of about 20cm Thread tail through yarn needle and slip all the remaining live stitches onto the yarn tail and pull tight. Pull around into a circle and then stitch to seam for an invisible seam. Sew in ends. Centre of poppy Using colour B, cast on 16 stitches. Cast off. Coil into a tight spiral and sew base to the centre or use a black or green button.

7 8 A census has taken place in every ten years since 1801 (with the exception of 1941). A census gathers information about our society so that appropriate services can be put in place for everyone to enjoy now and in the future. Fans of TV programmes such as “Who Do You Think You Are” will know the value of historic census data to family historians and genealogists, but data from the census impacts our lives every day, often without us even realising it. Did you know that water companies use census data to anticipate peak water demand? Or that the NHS uses census data to plan a wide range of services such as hospitals and GP surgeries, mobile chiropodists and home support? Everything from schools to care home places are planned using census data to make sure that the needs of all age groups are met. Every aspect of our lives is impacted by the census, so it is vital that everyone participates to ensure the best possible understanding of the structure and needs of our society. By taking part, you can make sure that your community is represented and gets its share of public and other funding to ensure the provision of services now and in the future. The next census official census date is Sunday 21st March 2021, but Census 2021 will be the first time that everyone will be able to complete the census online at any time from the beginning of March 2021. You will receive a letter with your unique access code and will be able to complete the census online using any device. Help will be available if you need it by phone, email or text. You will also be able to use web-chat or social media, or drop into a Covid-compliant Census Support Centre. Guidance will be available in a range of languages and accessible formats, and the paper option will still be available if needed. The census is run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which operates completely independently of government and of any private sector interests. All information submitted for the census is stored securely and anonymised. No personal data is ever sold nor is it shared with any other government department. Information from the census is only released after 100 years when your descendants may be tracing their own family history. Please make sure that you support your community by participating in Census 2021. For more information go to https://census.gov.uk/ or on social media @Census 2021

9 Dear fellow Bardfielders and Salings residents,

Earlier this year I should have run the London Marathon that was due to take place on 26th April, I felt very lucky to be one of the privileged to have got a ballot place so was very excited.

I wanted to use the opportunity to raise money for a charity, Alzheimer’s Society which is very close to my heart and in support for my wonderful Mum and Dad. The marathon may not be running in its normal format this year which is very sad but quite understandably so. So I will be running the first ever VIRTUAL London Marathon on the 4th October for Alzheimer’s Society. Firstly, I want to say thank you everyone who has supported me so far and been so generous with your donations don’t worry they will remain on my JustGiving page which will stay live until I run the REAL London Marathon next October 2021. In the meantime, this year like I said I will be running the first ever VIRTUAL London Marathon on the 4th October for Alzheimer’s Society. I have updated my story on my JustGiving page as this year as some of you know has been a very difficult one for our family. https://www.justgiving.com/VMLMBallotPlace-JoeJones Please keep up your support, my family and I really can't say how much we appreciate all your donations, even the smallest donation will go a really long way. And if you see me running on the 4th as my route will be local, give me a wave and cheer me on, I think I’m going to need it!

10 A big thank you, my first ever marathon, Virtual London Marathon 2020, completed and I’m really pleased with the time especially considering the weather, rain and even more rain. I would like to say a massive thank you to all of you that have been so generous and donated to my charity page https://www.justgiving.com/VMLMBallotPlace-JoeJones raising money for Alzheimer’s Society. I can’t thank you enough; it means so much to my family and me. I must also say a big thank you to the support team that turned out in the awful weather for all those miles to cheer me on and keep me going when things got tough, I couldn’t have done it without you and you all made it so special. Lastly to all my neighbours who braved the weather to come out to see me cross the finish line in Durham Close, thank you.

Bring on October 3rd 2021 and hopefully the real thing in London next time Many thanks Joe Jones xx

11 12 13 THE SALINGS 100 CLUB

Good news for anyone who would like to join our club as we have a few spare numbers! Please get in touch with me on 01371 810887 or email me on [email protected]. It costs £2 per month and you can pay cash, by cheque or standing order.

As we are, yet again, in a lockdown I am having to postpone the monthly draws until it is safe to do them. I wish you all a happy new year, stay safe and well.

Maya Hatcher

14 SALINGS MILLENNIUM HALL A MODERN HALL WITH LARGE CAR PARK FOR PRIVATE & CORPO- RATE HIRE

PICCOTS LANE, GREAT SALING CM7 5DW

https://www.salingsmillenniumhall.co.uk/ Contact: Mr Colin Bennett: 01371 850 320, M: 07789770645 Email: [email protected] NO BOOKINGS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE VILLAGE HALL NEWS Dear all, As I’m sure you are aware, the hall is currently closed due to the Covid regulations. Despite this we are still experiencing some anti – social behaviour in the evenings. We will be discussing options to combat this at our next committee meeting and it is possible that we will start to lock the gate to the hall overnight. Should this be the case, the gates will be kept open during the day to allow villagers access to the bottle recycling and parking. If you are one of the individuals who park at the hall arrangements will be made to allow you access. Also we would like to kindly request that the individuals who are using the large commercial bin to dispose of their rubbish refrain from this practice as this is not a communal facility. On a positive note , during the closure the opportunity has been taken to repair the potholes in the car park and the railings. The materials and labour for this were supplied by Robert Bucknall and Colin Monk and we would like to thank them publicly for their time and efforts. We would also like to thank Carrie Hall for donating a bookcase for our growing collection of books for sale. Should anyone wish to raise an issue or comment on any matters connected with the hall , I can be contacted on the email address below. Martin Hughes [email protected]

15 16 17 18 19 Paul Euesden I hope you all had a Happy, healthy and safe Christmas and New Year. Sadly, the main topic of conversation is still Covid. However, there are sub topics such as the restrictions, testing and vaccination. Despite the very high number of infections in Essex, there are very small signs that the restrictions are starting to help. Overall, the rate of infection in Essex is showing very early signs of levelling off. This is also being seen in where the rate of infection has reduced by just over 7%, small but very welcome. Hopefully, this reduction will continue and will start to reflect in the number of Covid patients in our hospitals. We must continue to follow the re- strictions and stay at home unless our journey is essential, to help slow the spread of this virus. Essex has tested over 47,500 people per week on average in January, so far. 19.3% of these tests were positive for the first week in January. The positivity rate for Braintree District is slightly lower at 19% and shows a small but steady decline over the month so far. The good news is that 81% of all tests in the District last week were negative. During January, Covid Testing kits were avail- able for residents to collect from Causeway House. This proved popular and we are hoping that this can continue during February. The kits are supplied to us by Essex County Council and we will continue to issue them as long as we get supplies from ECC and there is a demand. It’s worth noting that the kits must be returned to Causeway House and not posted. You will see (p.17) warnings from Essex Police about current scams. Please be on your guard. Some good news is we now have 3 different vaccines approved for use in the UK and you will have seen on TV, in the Newspapers, on the radio and Social media that there is a rollout programme underway. You will be contacted by NHS or your surgery with an appointment and a venue when it’s your turn to get the vaccine. The vaccine is free to everyone and cannot be bought any- where. You will not be asked for credit card details or your NHS number. If you are, don’t give it! There are more Vaccination Centres being opened every week across the country. Locations are being determined by NHS and Primary Care Networks alone. Currently, Freshwell Health Centre patients are being vaccinated at the Pump House Surgery in Earls Colne. There will be other lo- cations in Braintree District in due course. Our MP announced in the press that Braintree Hospital and the Chelmsford Race course will also be used but there is no confirmation of that from NHS at the time of writing. Finally, can I remind you that the Parish Council are working on initiatives to enhance the village environment. Several trees have already been planted but if you have ideas of where additional planting of flowers, shrubs or bulbs would be beneficial, please contact them. If you can help with this effort in anyway, I know they will be pleased to hear from you. Keep safe and well and be kind to each other. Paul Euesden, [email protected]

20 Daily Exercise

Despite muddy footpaths and flooded roads: let‘s keep up with our local daily exercise! Let‘s meet other local residents who walk the same or opposite directions - walking with or without a dog. Let‘s continue to give each other a friendly greeting while hoping for better times.

21 22 1st SCOUT GROUP

There are four sections that meet in the Scout Headquarters, Finchingfield. Beavers 6-8yrs held on Wednesday evenings 5.45 – 7.00pm Cubs 8-10 1/2 yrs on Tuesday evenings 6.30 – 8.00pm Scouts10 ½ -14yrs on Thursday evenings 7.30 – 9.00pm and Explorer Scouts 14–18yrs on Monday evenings 7.30 – 9.00pm All sections are available to girls and Boys We are currently recruiting Adult helpers for all sections

To find out more contact Mark Wells - Group Scout Leader T: 01371 810447 E: [email protected]

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Our hopes for getting a lot done in December were largely dashed by the weather but the rains have filled the lilypond, so there is an upside! We are now planning to complete key essential winter maintenance jobs in January. A tree has come down and needs clearing, the entrance path needs relaying and there are more new trees that need to be planted too. As you will appreciate, it is particularly difficult this year to look forward with confidence. We are still hoping to be able to open for snowdrops in February, for a very restricted number of visitors, by ticket only, and with social distancing measures in place. The snowdrops are coming through and are not ahead of themselves, for once. We will be taking a decision at the end of January and details one way or another will be on facebook and on our website www.eastonlodge.co.uk. The good news is that the work on the restoration of the balustrade has been continuing. Stonemasons in Wiltshire have been turning the 91 balusters needed to replace the broken ones and our contractors, Herringbone, are still expecting to be working on site in March. Hopefully, in March we will be able to open for our weekly Open Thursdays, as planned, so visitors will be able to see the work in progress and the daffodils! It is still not too late to support our balustrade restoration project – details can be found on the website Restoration page: www.eastonlodge.co.uk/the-gardens/restoration. Stay safe! Jill Goldsmith

26 27 28 IF YOU ARE AFFECTED BY THE NOISE FROM GAS GUNS USED AS BIRD SCARERS, PLEASE VISIT http://www.b-ooom.co.uk/ B-OOOM is named for the noise of gas guns and from the saying

Bang Out Of Order Mate!!! The group is working to • encourage crop growers to use visual deterrents • eliminate nuisance noise pollution • build a better understanding between crop growers and people affected by noise in and around their homes and businesses Use this URL to report noise nuisance to Braintree Council or contact 01376 552525 to speak with a Environmental Health Officer: https:// www.braintree.gov.uk/forms/form/426/en/report_a_noise_nuisance On Facebook? Visit https://www.facebook.com/BoomBirdGasGuns Using Twitter? Look for @gasgunboom

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30 31 The local pub has long been a focal point of the community. Samuel Pepys in his diary described the pub as “the heart of England”. Beer was once much safer to drink than contaminated water. Many of our local pubs are centuries old, built when most of the population were illiterate. They had distinctive names and simple signs to identify them. As early as 1393 Richard II required landlords to erect signs so that ale houses were clearly visible to his inspectors, who judged the quality of the ale. Nowadays, not all have signs but there are many interesting names. The Saracen’s Head in , opposite the market place, is a 16th-century coaching inn. A Saracen was an Arab Muslim who in the Middle Ages fought against Christians for control of The Holy Land. The Blind Fiddler in Anstey takes its name from a tale of George the blind fiddler who for a bet entered a tunnel said to run from a pit to the castle mound a mile away. He was accompanied by his dog. A scream was heard, the dog reappeared singed from head to tail, but George was never seen again! In , The Three Hills dates from around 1800 AD and is named after the parish’s giant Roman burial mounds which also feature on the village sign. The Sword in Hand in takes its name from the coat of arms of the Greg family who once lived in the parish and were generous benefactors. It has an unusual and distinctive new sign. Let’s hope that we can soon all return to fully enjoying the hospitality of our local hostelries. Each of those mentioned here can be found on one of the walks described on the Society’s website. Ken McDonald, Secretary

32 Our area has a good number of so-called “ puddingstones”. I am not convinced that Hertfordshire has any real justification for claiming the puddingstone because examples can be found on both sides of the Essex / Hertfordshire county boundary. I recently acquired a copy of “Puddingstone Walks in Essex”, a neat little book that describes walking routes which in total pass more than twenty puddingstones or groups of puddingstones in the Essex part of . A puddingstone is a conglomerate of many small, rounded and colourful pebbles that appear to have been cemented together. Geologists explain that they were formed around 50 million years ago and were deposited in this area by a retreating glacier, possibly only 10,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. Some puddingstones lay where they were deposited, whilst others have been moved to more convenient locations and sometimes put to good use. and Arkesden have incorporated them into their war memorials. Others are visible in Arkesden in the stream of Wicken Water beside the bridge. Stones have been used as building material within walls in and , in ’s church tower and in St Helen’s Chapel at . One in Standon is proudly displayed, whilst a large puddingstone in Newport seems to have been unceremoniously abandoned beside the approach road to the station. Others stand in churchyard, by the pump at Green, in Museum’s grounds, by the Shell House in Hatfield Forest and beside the Yew Tree pub in . No doubt there are many more – I would be pleased to hear of any that I have missed – please email me at [email protected], if possible with a photo. Will we find more in Hertfordshire or Essex? Ken McDonald, Secretary.

33 34 DISCLAIMER: The magazine production team has the right to refuse, post- pone or to edit any material received for publication and it is assumed that anyone submitting contributions has the copyright of that material. Any LOOSE-LEAF inserts are permitted only at the prior approval of the main distributer, Mr. Greg Coe, E: [email protected] and need to be paid for. For any queries related to ADVERTISING in this magazine as well as donations towards the magazine cost please contact: Mr Julian Dyer, T: 07768 124418 , E: [email protected] NOTE: all advertising and contributions need to be in PDF, Word or JPEG format - i.e. camera-ready in A5 or A6 size and max. 2 pages You can also join the Salings Magazine Facebook group ELECTRONIC COPIES of the Magazine via www.salingspc.org https://salingspc.org/the-parish/salings-parish-magazine/

CHURCH NOTICEBOARD

Ministers: Area Dean: Revd. Helen Pelly, Purples, , T: 01371 810369 E: [email protected] Acting Priest in Charge:: Revd Sue Hurley. The Rectory, Park Road, , CM6 2JJ, T: 01371859158 E: [email protected]

Administrator Pilgrim Parishes: Caroline Wildgoose, T: 01371606110 E: [email protected] LITTLE SALING/BARDFIELD SALING Churchwardens: Mrs Helen Davies, Denbies, Bardfield Saling, T: 01371 850735, E: [email protected] Mrs Deborah Reed, Bluegate Hall, . T: 01371810985 E: [email protected] PCC Secretary: Mrs Moira Grierson Rickford, T: 01371 850503 E: [email protected] Treasurer: Mr Nick Hilton, T: 01371 850720 E: [email protected] GREAT SALING Churchwardens: Mr Robert Bucknell, Onchors Farm, T: 07860521548, E: [email protected] Mrs Lydia Roe, E: [email protected] Treasurer: Mr Julian Dyer, T: 07768 124418, E: [email protected] PCC Secretary: Mr Richard Gleed, E: [email protected]

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