Reports Presented to the Annual Parish Meeting May 2015

Report by the Chairman of the Parish Council ...... 2

Manuden Community Centre Management Committee ...... 3

Manuden School ...... 3

Manuden Pre-School ...... 4

Manuden Guides ...... 5

Report to the Parish Council on the Activities of the Parish Church ...... 6

Friendship Club ...... 7

The Manuden Singers Report of the Year 2014 - 15 ...... 7

Manuden Junior Football Club ...... 9

Manuden United Football Club ...... 9

Manuden Playing Fields Association ...... 10

Manuden Golf Society ...... 10

Manuden Womens Institute ...... 11

Manuden Footpaths ...... 12

Manuden & Berden History Society ...... 13

Manuden Cricket Club ...... 14

Manuden Fun Run ...... 14

Badminton Club ...... 15

The Manuden Park Group ...... 15

Appendix – Financial Report ...... 16

Report by the Chairman of the Parish Council This is the first report for some 8 or 9 years that has not been prepared by our sorely missed chairman Les Atkinson – much of what I report, as acting chairman, was achieved under his watch and guidance.

Last year Les reported on the flooding that occurred in early 2014. As a result of the village meeting we had, and largely through Les’ persistence with the various authorities, there has been at least some work done to alleviate the issues raised though frustrations do remain with the inaction and inability of Essex Highways to deal with some of their responsibilities. We continue to ask villagers to take some responsibility to report blocked drains and ditches – both to us and to the relevant authority.

There have been some changes to the Parish Council since last year, departures and arrivals. We should thank Chris Forster for his many years service to the Parish Council, his input on all things financial were invaluable – Jo Ellis was on the council for a shorter time but made an impact as well with her help on the defibrillator initiative. We welcomed Lizzie Mclean and Katrina Hardy to the council last year and already they are making their marks with the play park improvement plans.

As some of you will have noticed we had an election on the 7th. We advertised for potential councillors to throw their hats in the ring and Richard Dale-Cooke was the only nominee apart from the 6 sitting councillors. We were duly elected unopposed so we welcome Richard on board - his skills at baking shortbread are renowned and will be more than appreciated!

As regards highspeed broadband all I can say is the promise might be highspeed but the implementation distinctly lowspeed – we are still no further forward. One resident has taken BT to task about her very intermittent and inconsistent connection – the Parish Council will join her initiative in the general harassment of BT – lowspeed is one thing but no-speed and now-and-again-lowspeed should be reported – the more complaints they get the more likelihood we are to have the cabling looked at and hopefully replaced – eventually with fibre.

Frank Bengtsen has once again, at his own cost bought, and with the help of Richard Dale-Cooke, planted more crocuses on the green near the village sign – they looked fantastic this spring. We live in a very beautiful village. The Parish Council would welcome similar suggestions as to how we might make it even more attractive.

On the subject of beauty of our village the sale of the old almshouses went ahead and I believe that their re-development has completely altered the look of that part of the Street and for the better.

We must thank Dennis Bonney for his hard work on the bench and village notice board opposite the old village hall. We should perhaps say that the village hall has been sold for residential conversion, whatever the sign on its wall says!

Finally, as usual I would like to thank Charles, our Parish Clerk, for his unfailingly cheerful support and relentless endeavour on the village’s behalf. I will very happily let him reply if anyone has any questions about potholes! John Archer, May 2015 Manuden Community Centre Management Committee It is a year since the wonderful facilities here at the Manuden Village Community Centre first opened for business. And it has certainly been an eventful year with many highs and some lows.

Overshadowing the year was the loss of the inspiration and driving force behind the whole venture - our founding Management Committee chairman, Les Atkinson. His leadership, commitment, energy and endless contributions are sorely missed. But we were all delighted when he was awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours.

The Centre was officially opened on 13 September 2014 when we welcomed our local MP, Sir Alan Haselhurst to declare it open. We were also delighted to see so many people from the village who came to see the range of facilities the Centre offers and enjoy a family day in a great setting.

Another highlight was the visit by HRH The Princess Royal on 31 March to open the four affordable houses at David Collins Drive, a project driven by Manuden Parish Council in partnership with English Rural Housing Association, Pelham Structures and Uttlesford District Council. After being shown round Chris & Lizzie Hannington’s house, Princess Anne spent some time in the Centre meeting villagers and guests over wonderful refreshments provided by the WI.

We are very grateful for the grants we have received from Viridor, the Essex Community Foundation, Sport England and Stansted airport. These have allowed us to equip and furnish the Centre.

Bookings for the use of the Centre have steadily increased during the year. There are regular classes and clubs involving activities such as pilates, yoga, Zumba, karate, badminton, football and various forms of dancing, including pre-school movement for the very young. The Management Committee is working hard to increase these further. There are plans to screen a film in June in conjunction with Saffron Screen Pop- up Cinema and to show the Rugby World Cup game between England and Australia in October. The Committee also welcomes the initiatives by a group of local ladies who have some great plans to improve the play area.

The Centre is an amenity for the use of Manuden and the surrounding areas. If anyone would like to start a club, society or activity, or arrange a one-off event such as a party, dinner, concert or meeting, they should contact Chris Bailey, who will be happy to help in any way she can.

I would like to thank Chris Bailey, as well as our caretaker, Chris Hannington, and all members of the Management Committee for all their hard work. Without them, the Centre would simply not function.

We hope the Manuden Village Community Centre will continue to go from strength to strength and to be the amenity that Les envisaged.

Barbara Cheney, May 2015

Manuden School Once again it has been a very busy year at the school. It has been a time of change in education which the school has worked hard to embrace as well as continuing to provide the best learning opportunities that we can for the children in our care.

It has also been a time of sadness for the school as we lost our friend and colleague Maggie as well as our Handyman Colin.

Amongst the myriad of clubs we offer, we are now hosting an early morning tennis club, an archery club and re-established our links with the allotments by holding a gardening club.

Visits since the last report have included trips to Ingatestone Hall, Hedingham Castle, The Science Museum, Walton on the Naze, Celtic Harmony Iron Age Settlement, IWM Duxford, Saffron Walden Museum, The Cambridge University Observatory the Fitzwilliam Museum and Gibberd Garden.

The school continues to use the Government funded Sports grant to attend sporting functions for both our youngest and oldest children, boys and girls. We have taken part in cross country, athletics, tennis, hockey, football, netball, cricket, rounders, dodge ball, basketball and swimming tournaments. This Year the school was awarded the School Sports Bronze award.

As well as sporting events the school has taken part in both Maths and general knowledge quizzes.

The school has enjoyed using the community centre facilities. Class 3 used the centre to conduct aerobic science experiments and Class 2 used the outdoor facilities to practice their hockey skills.

Charities supported this year have been: National Air Ambulance Service, Children in Need 2014, Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 2014, NSPCC and Shelter.

We continue to have good relations with the Church. Reverend Margaret has continued to lead assemblies within the school. The church has hosted two popular musical ensembles for Christmas and Easter.

The PFA continues to be active within our school and raises vital money to support the learning that takes place. Our Christmas bazaar this year was a particular success being held for the first time at the community centre. PFA events are open to the entire community so feel free to get involved.

The staff and pupils of the school remain proud and privileged to be part of the village. Peter Randall – Headteacher

Manuden Pre-School As you may or may not know, Manuden Pre-school will be closing on Friday the 17th July 2015 after 42 years.

This has been an extremely difficult decision to make and one I have not taken lightly. The growing amount of restrictions regarding premises, times, funding and other criteria from OFSTED have led to this conclusion. We also have a great impact on Manuden School by taking up their hall space four mornings per week, ever since it was built.

Manuden Pre-school Playgroup was started in the “old Manuden Village Hall” during 1973 by Jean Gutteridge and Joanna McKee. Brenda Baker took over the ownership from Joanna and one year later during 1987 I was persuaded to take the reigns!!

1993 - 95 were the years of a very hard recession, people were not moving in and out of the villages – lack of children meant funds became very low, and because of this playgroup was very near to closing.

We approached Mr John Clements, the Head Teacher of Manuden School at this time and after negotiations, it was agreed (thankfully) that playgroup could operate from the old dining room of the school, how we managed this I do not know – we had no toilets in the building and had to take the children into the main school – the space was very limited and we had to bring all the equipment in and then out into a shed on the field, oh we did have such fun!!

Luckily before we were going to be closed down (due to no toilet facilities, space etc) the new school hall was built and we have been there ever since.

As we approach our last 7 weeks we have 38 children on our register, 5 of which joined us at the start of the Summer Term (amazing), with six members of staff (who are absolutely brilliant with their constant help and support). Our outing to Boydells Farm is booked for Tuesday the 7th July for parents, children and staff.

Our last day, which is Friday the 17th July 2015 will be at Manuden Village Community Centre. We would like to say a very big thank you to past and present staff, children, parents and anyone who have been involved with the pre-school. Everyone will be very welcome to come along and celebrate 42 happy years with us at some point during the day - the details of this celebration are included in the Manuden and Berden Parish magazine.

I owe a great deal to the pre-school staff, parents, children, and fundraising committees (past and present) and to all the Head Teachers/staff and Governors of Manuden School who I have worked along side, without whom it would not have been possible to have such a great pre-school.

We do sincerely hope that this is not the end, and sometime during the future an opportunity will arise for a new provision to carry on where we left off. It only remains for me to say a VERY BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who have made Manuden Playgroup/Pre-school a very happy place to have fun and thrive. I personally have had so much fun and laughter and will treasure such wonderful memories – we are going to be enjoying our last weeks with the children and hope to see you on the Friday the 17th July 2015. Anne Brown Manuden Pre-school

Manuden Guides Manuden Guides have had their usual busy year with a good range of activities and experiences. Since our last report we have moved to the new Community Centre and have enjoyed the opportunity to do new things, such as tennis on the MUGA, badminton and table-tennis, as well as take advantage of the superb kitchen. We may brave using the magnificent stage before too long. The Guide programme should be ‘girl led’ with a good balance of activities, and that’s what we try to do. Outdoor activities have included hiking to Stansted, a walk in the dark round the footpaths of Manuden, ending with sparklers on the field, and an annual visit to Harlow Outdoors for water sports. We have used the calendar as themes for some evenings- Christmas, New Year, Mothering Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day. We have achieved the Agility and World Culture badges. Service activities have included running stalls for Manuden-in-May, packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child, and helping give out t-shirts and medals at the Fun Run. A new experience for us was spending 3 days in London, staying at Pax Lodge, a World Guide Centre. From here we explored many of the sights of London, having a night ride on the London Eye and visiting London Zoo. We visited London on two other occasions- for our annual ice-skating trip, this year to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, and for the Big Gig, a pop concert exclusively for members of Girlguiding. Two of our older girls, Yasmine Birnie and Grace Powell achieved the Baden-Powell Challenge awards, the highest award available as a Guide, and also received Jack Petchey Awards for their commitment to Guiding. Our main residential event was a week in Norfolk for NORJAM, a jamboree for 6000 Guides and Scouts, which was a wonderful experience, giving us the opportunity to try new things and meet new people, some from other parts of the world. I’m sure I have missed some things out, but hopefully this will give you a flavour of what goes on at Manuden Guides. Glynis Prothero

Report to the Parish Council on the Activities of the Parish Church It has been an eventful year for Manuden Parish Church. It has been the first full year with the new Vicar, Revd Margaret Davis. There has been the almshouses development, in which the Parochial Church Council (PCC) was involved, the churchyard has needed a lot of work and our worship pattern has changed, partly in response to having to share the vicar with five other churches and partly in response to the needs of the village. The almshouses were sold last year for redevelopment and private sale. The project did not go as smoothly as hoped and there was great disruption to the life of the village and the church. It was anticipated that the developer would wish to sell the houses with parking to the rear and the PCC was prepared to allow joint access down the church drive for a moderate fee. However, this was declined and so, regrettably, all parking is now in The Street. In addition to the almshouses project, the churchyard had become an issue of concern to the village with the church members unable to keep it tidy enough on their own. We have worked with the Parish Council (PC) to find a solution and are grateful that the PC has taken on a contractor to mow and strim the churchyard towards which the church pays a contribution. Churchwarden Valerie Bartram has also arranged for young people undertaking community service to visit regularly for extra tidying not covered by the contractors. She and Simon George supervise the churchyard and ensure rubbish is removed. We also asked everyone to remove artificial flowers and other ornaments from graves and are grateful to all those who did so. We were very sad to see Amanda Barratt step down as churchwarden and Stephen Barratt as PCC member after working very hard throughout 2014 to meet the challenges of a new church organisation. Valerie Bartram is now sole churchwarden, a pattern that is increasingly common in rural parishes. In order to support Valerie many tasks are being devolved to the PCC and other church members. The popular Mums and Chums group and a large number of baptisms in 2014 generated a demand for a new family service. In consultation with the mums, a new service was designed and launched last September. It is held on the third Sunday of the month at 10.00 a.m. and led by church members. It is well attended with between 10 and 20 adults and the same number of children. At the same time a regular Evensong service was launched on the same Sunday of the month at 6.00 p.m. led by church member Ken Pratley assisted by Ian Priest. It is popular with those who enjoy a traditional service. The Vicar takes two Holy Communion services each month, one at 9.30 a.m. on the first Sunday and the other at 6.00 p.m. on the second Sunday. Unusually there were no weddings in Manuden last year, although 2015 promises to make up for it. There were, however, an unusually high number of funerals and we sadly said good bye to some well-known and lifelong residents of the village. Social events have included two concerts by the Manuden Singers and our annual Manuden in May fete. For the first time last year Mums and Chums had a stall. We celebrated harvest with a soup supper. Christmas services included a very well attended Carol Service, Crib service and Holy Communion at Midnight on Christmas Eve. We have also welcomed Manuden School to church for their Christingle Service and their Easter Service. The Vicar also takes school assembly each month. Manuden has become involved in the wider benefice of six parishes under the care of the vicar, attending the Away Day, hosting the monthly breakfast service in turn with the other parishes, and attending the quarterly benefice council meeting. The church has responded very positively to the challenges of the times and is looking ahead to the new challenges of renovating the organ, repairing the tower and building up our worshipping and community life. The minutes of the PCC meetings will be posted in the church porch for those who want to know more about what is going on in the church and we publish events and church services in the parish magazine. Revd Margaret Davis, 14th May 2015

Friendship Club During the past year the Club has held 8 monthly meetings – 4 in the old Village Hall, and 4 in the Club Room in the new Community Centre.

Members ran a successful Tombola stall at the Manuden-in-May event, and helped out at the Manuden Fun Run in October.

We have also had a successful Boat Trip on the Stort, and a good Summer Lunch at the Chequers.

We had a much-enjoyed Tea Party in August in Farnham, followed in September by a Garden Tea - thanks to Mena and Gerald Searing. Both events were very much appreciated by everyone.

2014 closed with our usual excellent Christmas Lunch at the Chequers.

Membership is currently 14.

The Club records its appreciation to our Christmas Lunch finance contributors, and the Fun Run Committee, for their generous donations. Bill Prothero - Chairman

The Manuden Singers Report of the Year 2014 - 15 As promised in our previous Report (2013-14) our first performance was the 14th ‘Village Glyndebourne’ picnic concert, traditionally held in the garden of Wilford House – subject to the weather of course! As the afternoon’s outdoor rehearsal progressed our audacity was increasingly challenged by a sky that appeared to be preparing for Armageddon; by 6pm, all those metallic brolly spikes pointing skywards no longer seemed a prudent response to the approaching lightning, so at the last minute we chickened out and repaired to the Church. There we enjoyed a varied and interesting programme which included Bach’s little known Peasant Cantata – the Master in lighthearted mood - about a village squire who treated his villagers in an uncharacteristically generous manner! Other items in the programme included a jazz interlude featuring the Standards Jazz Duo, with Emily Yarrow and James Priest, plus folk songs, a piano interlude and ending with a medley of Irving Berlin Showtime Favourites. Given the elements outside and nothing daunted, an appreciative audience enjoyed the music along with their wine and picnics, and generously raised in excess of £1100 to support the work of the St Clare Hospice.

We took the occasion of our Christmas concert to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of year the Manuden Singers first gathered in Charles & Pat Eves’s home to enjoy making music together and share this with friends by putting on performances. It seemed appropriate to do so with a performance of the Nation’s favourite choral masterpiece, Handel’s ‘Messiah’, a work that always presents a challenge to any choir for its length and complexity, but one which the Singers rose to magnificently with perhaps our most stirring performance to date. We were wonderfully supported by soloists, Emily Yarrow, Katy Edgcombe, Jeff Phillips and James Priest, as well as by the tremendous accompaniment of the Manuden Players, to whom we are always indebted for their generous contribution which enables us to perform such wonderful works. The church was packed and we were forced to add extra items to the church furniture… The concert enabled us to donate some £1300 to Church funds, to help refurbish the organ which we hope to be able to include in a future concert. As on a previous such auspicious anniversary, founder member Valerie Bartram prepared a magnificent birthday cake for all to enjoy.

For our Spring concert we revisited another of the great choral works, Josef Haydn’s ‘Seasons’, the Autumn and Winter sections of which we performed in 2011. Appropriate to the season, this time we completed the job with ‘Spring’ and ‘Summer’, and were once again presented with the demands laid on singers, soloists and players alike by Haydn’s inventive genius – full of colour, excitement and seasonally appropriate sounds of nature, including perhaps the most dramatic (and noisy!) depiction of a thunderstorm in all the choral repertoire. Our proceeds amounting to £800 were donated to the work of the Uttlesforde Citizens Advice Bureau which, contrary to popular belief, is not a government agency and depends substantially on voluntary donations.

Looking ahead, the focus of our 15th ‘Village Glyndebourne’ will be this year’s 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta. There being little surviving choral music from the early 13th Century (!), we shall instead be performing Kurt Weill’s imaginative 1930s ‘Ballad of Magna Carta’, featuring King John as pantomime villain. The theme of freedom will also be addressed with spirituals and with favourites from ‘Les Miserables’. Please put Sunday 19th July, 6pm in your diaries for this event, pack your picnics and brollies, and come and join us! Proceeds will be donated to the Village Playground Project

There has been a welcome influx of new young families into the village in recent years, amongst whom we are sure there are singers and musicians. We would love to have you come and join us. Enthusiasm, commitment and willingness to learn are the key desirables; the ability to read music comes with practice! All voices needed, but especially Tenors – always a scarce commodity. We are also always happy to hear from people who would like us to sing at weddings or other special occasions. Please feel free to contact us on [email protected] or 01279 647050. Details also on the back of the Parish Magazine.

It remains for us to thank you, our Audience, for your continued generous support throughout the past year and we hope that we can count on this in the coming one too.

Dates for your diaries:

Sunday 19th July 2015: The Fifteenth Village Glyndebourne – our traditional Summer Picnic Concert featuring ‘The Ballad of Magna Carta’, to take place in the Gardens of Wilford House, 70 The Street, Manuden; gates open from 6pm, concert starts at 6.30, with a long interval for you to enjoy your picnics. Entry by programme £10 (£5 children); if it’s wet or cold, we shall repair to the Church (with picnics!). Proceeds to the Manuden Park Group dedicated to improving and enhancing the play area near the village community centre.

Sunday 13th December 2015: Christmas Concert – programme to be announced

Tickets available for both concerts in advance from Choir members or phone 01279 812157, or on the door. All our concert proceeds will be donated to local charities

Manuden Junior Football Club The 2014/ 2015 Season has had its ups and downs, but I am pleased to say that all our Teams at competitive football levels have finished either mid-table or just below, with no promotions but more importantly no relegations either. Win, draw or lose we always want them to enjoy themselves and to enter the game with the right spirit.

We have seen an influx of new members throughout the season from our Minis ( 5-8 year olds ) upwards through the teams and our current membership now stands at 130 players.

For the 2015/ 2016 Season we will be entering the Royston Crow League again with teams at U9, U10, U11, U13, U15 and U18 with the Minis continuing to train and hold mini-matches on Sunday mornings.I would like to thank our new U11's sponsor Nick Thake of Cycle King for his kind offer of a new kit for this age group. Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to this year’s U18s most of whom are off to college and university and we wish them well in their forthcoming studies.Any U18s who wish to enter the world of Adult football will be invited to train with Manuden United, Reserves or Bentfields.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Will Robson for his hard work, dedication and total commitment to MJFC. Will joined us at the very young age of 5 when he trained with the Minis and moved up through all the age groups finally reaching the U18s. Last year he took over as Player/Manager and has done a tremendous job. On behalf of everyone at MJFC we wish Will all the best and look forward to his return at some point. Vaughan Atkinson Chairman

Manuden United Football Club Manuden United have had a fairly good Season finishing in 3rd Place in the Premier League and our reserve team finished 3rd in Division 1 both in the North West Essex Football League. On the 29th March of this year Manuden United got through to the final of the Senior Interdivisional Cup held at Bishops Stortford's Pro-kit Stadium at Woodside Park. The opponents were SC Birchanger but Manuden proved too strong and won the Cup Final bringing some silverware home.

Manuden United Reserves who play home games at Quendon will be sporting a new kit next Season sponsored by Fairweather Windows.

Both teams have had some new signings which have helped to improve the squad but we are constantly scouting for new players.

My thanks go to our Head Coach, Chris Rowe for his continued hard work and dedication and this year marks his 37th year with Manuden. My thanks also go to Rael Roberts our Reserve Team Coach for doing a great job this season and keeping the players happy.

We are looking forward to the 2015/2016 Season which will see the other Club who use our facilities, namely Bentfields FC and congratulations to them on winning the Division 1 League and being promoted to the Premier League.

And finally on behalf of everyone at the Junior Club and United I would like to thank the MVCC for their continued support in helping to provide the wonderful facilities that we all enjoy today. Vaughan Atkinson Chairman

Manuden Playing Fields Association There is very little to report from the playing fields since most of the work has been taken on by the MVCC. On the 20th October an open meeting was held in the new hall and a resolution was passed to discontinue the leasehold use of the Playing Field, the lease to be ended and the liquidation of the charity with its assets being transferred to Manuden Village Hall and Sports Trust – the charity responsible for the MVCC. The Charities Commission have approved the resolution but they still have some work to do before the charities are fully wound up.

However I should like to thank those who, over the years, have helped me to bring the field to the standard that it is now. Some of us remember the state it was in 20 years ago. Without this help and support I wonder where we would be. So thanks to the football clubs who’s continued support and match fees have helped Manuden keep it’s playing field in good order, especial thanks to Vaughan Atkinson the chairman of both Manuden United and the Junior FC. Martin Flintoff helped me for over 10 years with marking up and general maintenance – painting, digging and pruning trees! Bonney’s garage have , over the years, helped me with all sorts of things – from supplying batteries to making me special tools and equipment. Rhoda Bird has kept a watchful eye on the field and kept the bins empty and tidy. Finally I’d like to thank our treasurer Gill Ryan and secretary David Ashworth – we keep thinking that the last meeting was the last meeting – but there always seems to be one more to go. John Archer, May 2015

Manuden Golf Society We had lots of good golfing during 2014 : our first meeting at Haverhill in May had been postponed from the previous year. A good turnout saw Frank Bengtsen being overall winner, with Kay Barnett and Robin Moser being individual winners. Then in June we revisited Toot Hill which has proved to be a popular venue and on this occasion the overall winner was Sally Moser and the individual winners were Jenny Burgess and Mark Summers. There was also a team competition won by Peter Heap, Mark Summers and Chris Yates. In July, we were sadly beaten by the Quendon & Rickling team in our annual inter village competition, but we are now historically all square with them so the 2015 result will hopefully see Manuden back on top. In September, we had our next competition at East Herts when Trevor Downham was our overall winner with Kay Barnett and Tony Watson the individual winners. In October we had a long awaited return visit to Great Hadham when the overall winner was Errol Seryck and the individual winners Nikki Atkinson and Peter Heap. Our last competition of the year was the Christmas Cracker held at Saffron Walden when on a particularly gloomy and damp day the overall winner was Frank Bengtsen with Kay Barnett and Chris Yates being individual winners and Chris with Michael Wymer and Philip Marchant won the team competition. Our golfer of the year who won the Reed Trophy was Trevor Downham with 65 points from Errol on 63 points and Charles Bartram and Tony Watson on 62 points. I also feel that Frank and Kay deserve congratulations for playing such good golf throughout the year.

Sally Moser, Alan Stoyell, Peter Heap and Trevor Downham organised the fixtures in 2014. It has been a breakthrough for the Society to have such organisers and makes for a much fairer sharing of responsibility.

Since our society’s inaugural meeting in June 1999, we have had 15 successful and enjoyable years of playing golf and socialising together. It has been a venture that 20 years ago I would not have anticipated and I must thank John Burgess particularly for nominating me as ‘Lady Capitaine’ and thereby helping us to become the inclusive society that we are, rather than just a mens group or a womens group. It’s a lot more fun this way I believe! So thank you all for your support over the years and of course my special thanks to John and Frank for doing all the work.

In 2015, there will again be individual organisers/captains for each competition. We are grateful to Jeff Attfield who has agreed to take overall responsibility as secretary for the society and Frank Bengtsen who has agreed to remain the Treasurer.

Any newcomers to the village and indeed friends of villagers who would be interested to attend our meetings as guests are most welcome. Jeff Attfield, would be very pleased to hear from you. Please email him at [email protected] or phone him on 01279 812701.

The following dates and venues have been booked for 2015: 1.00 pm Monday 8th June : Toot Hill GC 1.00 pm Friday 10th July : Saffron Walden GC (match v Quendon & Rickling) 1.00 pm Thursday 17th September : Great Hadham GC 1.00 pm Friday 16th October : East Herts GC 9.30 am Thursday 3rd December Saffron Walden GC 7.30 pm Friday 4th December : AGM and Christmas Party Nikki Atkinson

Manuden Womens Institute Founded in 1919 Manuden WI continues to flourish. This year sees an increase in members from 35 in May 2013 to 42 in May 2014 it is pleasing to report that these new members are young and bring a breath of fresh air to our meetings.

Our meetings have been varied, from speakers on ‘The Street Pastors in Bishop’s Stortford and Eglantine Jebb, founder of Save The Children via John Ruskin ‘Did he lead the English Painters?’ and architecture in the form our ‘Favourite Building’ to the ‘Anatomy of Humour’ and Nutrition for Women. The work of ‘The Magistrate in the Community was a most informative talk in February. In June as his swan song we had the good friend of our Institute Canon Chris Bishop with his ‘Short Songs and Tall Stories’ not as taxing for the brain as his Treasure Hunts!

In October the committee took a back seat when Gill Robinson and other members arranged the meeting with a most interesting talk from a Waterways Chaplin working on the Lee and Stort navigation not only ministering to the spiritual needs of the boaters but also helping with social problems.

The July Garden Meeting was held at Cobbs by kind invitation of Nikki & Les Atkinson, the warm welcome and hospitality in their delightful garden took our mind off the chilly breeze that suddenly blew up after a warm day.

In December we held our final Christmas Party in the Village Hall, a rather sad occasion considering the length of time Manuden WI and Manuden Village Hall have been associated, the first meeting having taken place in the hall in 1923. However this did not dampen our spirits and a delicious meal was followed by games and enjoyed by all.

Regular fortnightly meetings of our Ramblers and Craft Groups continue with the Bookworms meeting monthly. Additionally the Ramblers enjoyed a two night walking holiday in Norfolk in May 2013 when 11 members enjoyed walking in Sheringham Park as it was extremely windy and the Norfolk Coastal walk would have been most uncomfortable, a brief excursion from the Park to the top of the Cliff saw several members lose their hats! As usual we walked to Wroxham on the afternoon of our arrival at Hautbois and some members caught the train back. On Wednesday morning before our departure we had a walk around Coltishall.

Weekly Pilates classes with Tricia and Line Dancing with Denise continue to prosper and we hope that the move to the new Village Community Centre will not affect the numbers attending.

Our new members have shown interest in preserves and baking so Saturday morning demonstrations by members of Marmalade making in January, Soda Bread in March and Choux Pastry in April have proved popular.

In the wider village, we have helped with the Open Gardens in June, had stalls selling produce, plants etc. at Manuden in May and the Music Festival in August, arranged Carol Singing on Christmas Eve, this being held in and around the Primary School as the uncertainty of the opening of the Yew Tree made planning difficult.

Away from Manuden, we have arranged outings to The Globe to see Macbeth in August, visited the Museum of London to see the Cheapside Hoard and the Tate Gallery for the Lowry Exhibition. Some members visited Buckingham Palace to see the Coronation Exhibition.

Essex Federation of Women’s Institutes hold many classes and demonstrations that members have attended including Beading, Box Making, Sugarcraft, Christmas Treats and a Spring Pamper day.

As we head into the new WI year of 2014/2015 we will be moving to the new Village Community Centre with a strong lively membership and look forward to celebrating our Centenary in 2019. Nationally the WI will celebrate its Centenary in 2015 and to this end our members a making a new WI table cover to mark the occasion.

Joanna McKee

Manuden Footpaths There have been no major issues in the last year with the footpaths around Manuden. Only one complaint was received which related to the state of the footpath running between the upper and lower churchyards in the centre of the village, the problem being that there appeared to be an unusual amount of rubbish and garden debris on this path. Our greatest problem, however, remains that Uttlesford District Council, with its budget constraints, is barely able to keep on top of the need for regular cutting of the paths to keep them open for walkers especially during the summer months. Given that this situation is unlikely to change, it may be that we need to consider taking on this challenge as a community. In the same way that we have a village tidy-up each year, we might consider organising a Footpath task force to tackle any overgrown paths immediately around the village. Depending upon how many volunteers we could muster, this should enable us to keep open the most frequently-used paths at the very least. Amanda Barratt May 2015 Manuden & Berden History Society January 2014 was our usual workshop in Manuden, which this year focused on researching the WWI soldiers from both Manuden and Berden by members from both villages.

Anne Padfield came to talk about the history of Almshouses in February, and showed examples of many different types of building in our area from the beautiful Tudor buildings at Mark Hall in Audley End, Saffron Walden to modern buildings in Essex.

In March we held an Open Evening in Manuden to welcome anyone with an interest in World War One and invited David Lee from Duxford Museum, who showed us some wonderful old photographs of equipment from that war. It became clear how dangerous it was to fly some of the very early ‘paper’ aeroplanes used in this war. Not really paper, but wood, and material painted with special paint – so almost as bad.

In April our meeting was in Berden Church Room when Malcolm White talked about Saffron Walden past and present as described in his book ‘Then and Now’. This was followed by a Blue Badge Guide Tour of Saffron Walden on 15 May. Our programme then closes down until September when the new series of talks and events begin.

Additional Event: On 16/17th July we had our annual dig in Manuden when Carenza Lewis and her team of specialists from Cambridge Archaeology brought in over 40 students and their supervisors from Bishop’s Stortford Schools. 2014 was an especially exiting dig in one garden as we found a male human skeleton from Norman or Saxon times. We were unable to excavate the whole skeleton, because a Home Office Certificate is required for this, so were unable to learn much more. However, the saga continues, as we will probably be doing geophys, to discover if there are other graves in the vicinity before trying to raise money to have a Community Dig to open up a trench around the skeleton.

In September, Barry Hillman Crouch gave a hands-on Dowsing Demonstration in Berden to which children over 7 yrs were invited.

In October both Mark & Fiona presented a talk in Berden about the soldiers on both our War Memorials.

In November, Bill Hardy came to Manuden to talk about Carpenters’ Marks on timber-framed buildings. Also in November, the Recorders Book about The WW1 Memorial of Uttlesford was launched in Saffron Walden Council Offices.

On 22 November, the society held an exhibition on WWI in Manuden Community Centre with details and photographs of the soldiers on the memorials in both Berden & Manuden. This was well supported.

And in December we had a fun open evening in Manuden when members were invited to bring articles from the Victorian and Edwardian era and explain their meaning and/or origins. No-one guessed the use for a box with a hole in one side which turned out to be a Victorian, mini, hand driven generator – which really did give a minor shock !

We hold spring and autumn gatherings in Berden Church Room where Mark Trapmore leads the meetings. Other meetings are held in Manuden Barn. We often have a fieldwalk in the autumn and an outing in May which closes our programme until September. Our numbers remain stable at about 30.

We always welcome new members to any of our events or talks and are especially looking for volunteers to have their garden ‘dug’ in July. AS THIS WILL BE THE LAST CAMBRIDGE DIG IN THIS VILLAGE. Call Fiona Bengtsen 01279 812167 or my email is in the magazine. Fiona Bengtsen Chair

Manuden Cricket Club Manuden CC’s return to playing its home matches in the village coincided with a significant upturn in its performances.

Of our six Sunday matches, we won four, drew one and lost one. Victories were recorded over Stocking Pelham (twice), Sandon Strollers and – our usual nemesis – Furneux Pelham. The draw was in a rain- affected game against Little Hadham, while Arkesden’s strong side beat us reasonably comfortably.

We also played two T20 matches, one an evening game against Arkesden and the other a combined adults and youth match with Stansted CC, where many of our youngsters play their junior cricket. We lost both games but they were played in a great spirit.

To cap it all, we held a hugely enjoyable cricket day in July, with three teams led by our current captain and two of his predecessors.

At Manuden, we pride ourselves in giving opportunities to teenage cricketers – particularly at that tricky age, 14-18, when regular junior cricket can be hard to come by and the gap to league cricket is hard to bridge. Almost half of the 49 wickets we took on Sundays were taken by junior bowlers. Matches in 2015 May 3 – Woodcutters May 10 – Furneux (a) May 17 – Arkesden (h) June 7 – Elmdon (h) June 21 – Stocking (h) June 24 (evening 20/20) – Arkesden (h) June 28 – Little Hadham (a) July 12 – Furneux (h) July 19 – Little Hadham (h) July 26 – Elmdon (a) August 2 – Sandon Strollers (h) August 30 – Stocking (a) Sept 13 – Sandon Strollers (a)

Phil Hoult

Manuden Fun Run The Manuden Fun Run 2014 took place on Sunday 28th September, and once again we were blessed with a pleasant sunny day, but not too hot for runners. The committee set too early in the morning to ensure that all km markers, registration and car park signage were in place, and we are extremely grateful to the School for allowing us to use the hall and reception classroom for registration and toilets, and to the Kemp family for agreeing to re-house the sheep for a few days to allow cars to park on the Downs. As in previous years, we were delighted that the Stansted Chiropractic clinic were in attendance, providing pre and post run massages, and that St Clare hospice set up a stall with collecting tins, as 50% of the funds raised were going to this local hospice. The Yew Tree agreed to provide refreshments on the day, and the atmosphere in the village was bustling and friendly. We relied again on our band of loyal marshalls, made up of brownies, guides, WI, Friendship club and cricket club members, to ensure that runners had plenty of water throughout the course and did not get lost along the way. The Red Cross were in attendance, as always, and fortunately not needed. In total, 249 runners took part in either the 10k, 5k or 1k runs, and as always we were complimented on our well organised and friendly run. We raised a total of £2,084 and paid out £100 each to Brownies, Guides, WI, Playing Fields Association, Cricket Club and Friendship Club, £550 to Community Centre and £1,150 to St Clare Hospice The Manuden Fun Run has become a renowned event within the village, with residents of all ages taking part in running or helping on the day; it has inspired many residents to take up running and a healthier way of life, so hopefully will continue for many more years. We are very grateful to our sponsors, Pelham Structures, as without their support the run would not be viable. The date for 2015 has been set for Sunday 4th October, with the intention of keeping all the money raised within the local community. Pauline Burnard

Badminton Club Although still in it’s infancy (having officially started on March 18th), the Manuden Badminton club is now up and running and meets every Wednesday night 7-8pm (except 2nd Wednesday of the month when the hall is in use). New members are always very welcome so do come and have a go! There’s usually 5 or 6 of us doing battle, so the lovely new singles court and equipment is put to good use working off the “rust” that many of us have around the court, not having played for some time. Always a very enjoyable hour, with a nice mixed group who all seem to relish the opportunity to have a good run round! Adam Wilder

The Manuden Park Group In December 2014 we formed a committee to raise money in order to improve and extend the play area on Manuden Playing Fields.

We have so far raised over £850 by holding a Coffee Morning, by having stalls at Manuden in May and through donations. Future fundraising events include a Scarecrow Trail at the end of May, the Manuden Singers' Village Glyndebourne in July and the Manuden Fun Run in October.

In order to gain opinions on what villagers would like the improved play area to look like we have carried out two questionnaires and held a Consultation Afternoon at the Community Centre. We have so far received over 35 letters of support and the feedback from both questionnaires show that there is a lot of support for the project.

We are now in the process of finalising the plans for the play area and have also started to complete the grant applications through which we hope to raise the majority of the money needed.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far either by attending or helping with our fundraising and consultation events or by completing a questionnaire or a letter of support. We would also like to thank all of those at the Community Centre who have helped us to complete the grant applications. We really appreciate your help. Lizzie McLean

Appendix – Financial Report See below:- MANUDEN PARISH COUNCIL

Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31st. March 2015

£ Opening balance c/f 31/03/14 £ 4,368.04 Receipts year ended 31/03/15 £ 28,618.80

Precept £ 8,250.00 LCTS Grant £ 276.00 VAT reclaimed £ 3,828.84 UDC War Memorial Initiative £ 550.00 Loans and donations from Parish Council Sub Committees MPFA (repayment of invoices paid) £ 2,844.97 MC&SC (repayment of invoices paid) £ 8,223.50 Manuden Fun Run (repayment of invoices paid) £ 1,192.70 Cricket Square (repayment of invoices paid) £ 1,035.00 Customer Services (Lloyds Bank) £ 250.00 New Home Bonus (from UDC) £ 666.66 Manuden and Berden Parish News £ 1,500.00 Bank Interest £ 1.13

Total Receipts £ 28,618.80

£ 32,986.84

Payments year ended 31/03/14

Administration Expenses Hire of Village Hall & Community Centre £ 69.00 Insurance £ 243.80 Grass Cutting (Parish Council) £ 480.00 Audit £ 300.00 UDC C/A Skip £ 797.36 Arbor Ops £ 810.00 Transfer to Petty Cash £ 240.94 D Bonney Plaque £ 32.19 Affiliation Fees Essex Association of Local Councils (EALC) £ 173.75 Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) £ 36.00 Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) £ 55.00 Friends of Historic Essex £ 10.00 Payments on behalf of Parish Council Sub Committees MC&SC Wilbey & Burnett £ 2,700.00 MC&SC Wilbey & Burnett £ 675.00 MC&SC Wilbey & Burnett £ - MC&SC Viridor £ 3,346.00 MC&SC Wilbey & Burnett £ - MC&SC Hewitsons £ 802.50 MC&SC Hewitsons £ 700.00 Manuden Fun Run £ 446.95 Manuden Fun Run £ 745.75 Playground Inspection £ 74.00 MPFA Ace of Spades Materials £ 380.97 MPFA Ace of Spades Grasscutting £ 2,290.00 Bourne Amenity (Cricket Square) £ 1,035.00

Clerk's Salary C Bartram £ 2,400.00 HMSC PAYE £ 600.00 Donations Essex Air Ambulance £ 250.00 British Legion £ 50.00 PCC Churchyard maintenance(2014-15) £ 800.00 VAT PAID this financial year £ 2,137.03

Total Payments £ 22,681.24

Balance at 31/03/15 £ 10,305.60

Bank Reconciliation 31st March 2015

Lloyds TSB

Treasurer's Account £ 8,019.31

Business Account £ 2,286.29

Closing Balance £ 10,305.60