The Parish Magazine of &

Bluebells in Chalkney Woods may 2021

I am writing this letter immediately after Easter and reflecting on the challenge of Jesus and the challenges that lie ahead for us. The month of May includes three significant dates: Ascension Day, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, all of which are a challenge. On Ascension Day the reading tells us that Jesus said to his disciples: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1.8) We are promised the Holy Spirit but are then expected to use it to be a witness to Jesus. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the poet Malcolm Guite captured the feeling of joy and release in his sonnet for Pentecost when he wrote: "Today we feel the wind beneath our wings" 1 The first disciples were so overwhelmed by the wonderful feelings of joy and liberation that they literally shouted the message of joy in Jesus in every language. That is the call that comes down the years to us. In the list of services, the day after Pentecost has the note that ordinary time resumes and we mark that the following Sunday, Trinity Sunday. The word 'ordinary' caused me to reflect on the last year that has been anything but 'ordinary' and significant challenges are still with us in 2021. The word 'ordinary' is defined as regular, commonplace, not exceptional but our life at this time does not look like these definitions. Many great acts of kindness and care have taken place over this last year and these have helped to balance the difficulties that many have experienced; and communities need the time and support to regain a balance even though the grief will live on.

1 Taken from "Sounding the Seasons" by Malcolm Guite and available to read and hear on the internet. www.colnechurches.com 3 Most of us bear the scars of the last year: loneliness with the isolation, bereavement and not being able to share the grief, financial loss and more. We need to share the healing ourselves and to support those around during the healing process. I find strength in the words of Julian of Norwich when she wrote: God did not say "You will not be tempted, you will not be burdened" but he said "you will not be overcome." We have the strength and expectation to overcome what has happened and to look with confidence to the future. The future does not look like being 'ordinary', in the sense of what has gone before - and perhaps never will - so we will need to adjust to a new 'ordinary', whatever that looks like. Whatever happens we know that we stand on the rock that is Jesus Christ and may we take heart from the words of Malcolm Guite when he said about the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: "Today we feel the wind beneath our wings" May we know that to be true every day. Hugh

After writing this letter, the death has been announced of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke's devotion to his wife and his royal duties has been an inspiration; and the founding of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, sixty five years ago, which has equipped young people from all communities to build the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to make the most out of life remains a powerful legacy of a remarkable man. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.

4 www.colnechurches.com Sun 2nd 10.00 am Earls Colne # 10.00 am 10.30 am White Colne Wed 5th 9.30 am Earls Colne Sun 9th 10.00 am Earls Colne # 10.00 am Colne Engaine Wed 12th 9.30 am Colne Engaine Sun 16th 10.00 am Earls Colne # 10.00 am Colne Engaine 4.00 am White Colne 6.30 pm Earls Colne Wed 19th 9.30 am Earls Colne Sun 23rd 10.00 am Earls Colne # 10.00 am Colne Engaine Wed 26th 9.30 am Earls Colne Sun 30th 10.00 am Online

# - service also Live Streamed with Zoom and Facebook and later uploaded onto YouTube In addition to these services is available via Facebook and YouTube on Mondays and Saturday

Kath’s family would like to extend their sincere thanks to all of Mum’s many friends and acquaintances who sent such kind messages of condolence and came out onto to the snowy streets to wave her off on her last journey through the village. It was quite overwhelming! Enormous thanks also to the many people who donated in Mum’s memory to The Mission to Seafarers. The amazing sum of £1780.00 was raised. Many thanks, Libby Stone www.colnechurches.com 5 Building on Revd Hugh’s quotation from Malcolm Guite’s sonnet for Pentecost (see ‘The Letter for May’ p.3), Revd Mark writes: The month of May this year is a packed month. On the 17th we hope that Step Three of the Government Roadmap will see us, amongst other things, able to go back inside our pubs and restaurants; we hope that good weather will bless the two bank holidays on Mondays 3rd and 31st May; Sunday 30th sees the church celebrate the Holy Trinity and the Sunday before we celebrate the very birth of the Church at Pentecost. This first Pentecost recorded in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles saw the disciples changed as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They went from people knowing that our Lord was Risen to people empowered to take that news across the known world. The poet Malcolm Guite in his sonnet for Pentecost ‘Our Mother-Tongue is Love’ in his book ‘Sounding the Seasons’, makes a connection between the four elements of air, water, fire and earth and how the Bible talks about the presence of the Holy Spirit: Today we feel the wind beneath our wings Today the hidden fountain flows and plays Today the church draws breath at last and sings As every flame becomes a Tongue of praise. This is the feast of fire, air, and water Poured out and breathed and kindled into earth. The earth herself awakens to her maker And is translated out of death to birth. The right words come today in their right order And every word spells freedom and release Today the gospel crosses every border All tongues are loosened by the Prince of Peace Today the lost are found in His translation. Whose mother-tongue is Love, in every nation. And here’s what Malcolm has to say about his sonnet: “I was very struck by the way Scripture expresses the presence of the Holy Spirit through the three most dynamic of the four elements, the air, (a mighty rushing wind, but also the breath of the

6 www.colnechurches.com spirit) water, (the waters of baptism, the river of life, the fountain springing up to eternal life promised by Jesus) and of course fire, the tongues of flame at Pentecost. Three out of four ain’t bad, but I was wondering, where is the fourth? Where is earth? And then I realised that we ourselves are earth, the ‘Adam’ made of the red clay, and we become living beings, fully alive, when the Holy Spirit, clothed in the three other elements comes upon us and becomes a part of who we are.” May I encourage you this month to reflect on how the presence of God can be found within you. If you would like to respond to God’s love for you through being baptised (Christened) or you would like your children to be baptised please do get in touch –

Revd Mark ([email protected] or phone 01787 220347)

a. refuse stones used as fillings for old walls b. a strange unexplained noise c. a person who constantly complains a. looking faint or sick b. being exhausted by the heat c. well-fed, filled to repletion a. to pry or ferret about b. to stagger like a drunken person c. to snare or entrap

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c. to crowd together or swarm a. to disarrange or upset b. a cure for hiccups

www.colnechurches.com 7 Earls Colne Heritage Museum

Disorder in the Cloister You might expect that a medieval monastery would have been an oasis of tranquility but, in 1303, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Winchelsey, had to travel to Earls Colne to settle a long-running dispute. Colne Priory had been founded by Aubrey de Vere, the grandfather of the First Earl of Oxford, as an annexe or “cell” of the Benedictine abbey at Abingdon in Berkshire. The monks of the Priory complained that the mother abbey was taking all their best novices and sending them instead monks whose behaviour was in need of correction. The Archbishop upheld their complaint and instructed the abbey not to send monks to Earls Colne unless they were: “suitable, peaceful, honest and sufficiently instructed in their service. It seems dishonest and contrary to justice that the cell of Colne should take the name of prison and be set aside for the punishment of delinquents.” That seemed to settle the dispute, but the Archbishop went on to take the monks of Earls Colne to task for several lapses in their behaviour which he had noticed during his visit. Among other things, they were instructed not to take away the left-overs from meals for snacks in the dormitory; to observe the rule of silence “better than has been the practice”; and to have their accounts properly audited each year. The Millennium Cross Richard Gourlay was recently asked for information about the wrought-iron cross on a stone plinth which stands at the edge of the Priory grounds near the point where The Causeway takes a turn to the right as you come down the hill. The cross, made by John Tatam of , was commissioned by the Earls Colne Society both to commemorate the Millennium and to remind passers-by that the apparently empty field was a place of religious

8 www.colnechurches.com devotion for some 450 years and is still designated a national monument. The design was taken from a reliquary of St Helena who is thought to have been born in . At an ecumenical service in the church on 27th December 1999, the cross was blessed before being carried in a torch-light procession to the Priory site where it was placed on its plinth, which contains fragments of stone from the medieval Priory buildings, and dedicated. Some 200 villagers and guests then enjoyed refreshments and seasonal choral music performed by the Kelvedon Singers. The watercolour illustrations by Karen Abbie, reproduced here, are taken from a guide booklet and display board which were produced as a record of the occasion. The church “library” should have a copy of the booklet and further copies will be available from the Heritage Museum when it is able to re-open.

Karen Abbie’s imagined reconstruction of the Priory buildings with the twin towers at the western end of the Priory church in the centre. David Brown

Most mobile phones and other devices will connect automatically to the free Wi-Fi, but if not then look up settings and Wi-Fi and County Broadband should be displayed. Click on and you should connect. www.colnechurches.com 9 Firstly let me introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my role. My name is Spike Townsend and I am the new Community Special Constable (CSC) at Police for Earls Colne and Colne Engaine. The role is voluntary, but as Special Constables we do have full policing powers. The CSC is part funded by both parish councils and I primarily patrol our villages. I have made a commitment to be on duty for a minimum of 16 hours a month, providing visibility and reassurance of policing within the villages. I am a retired (2016) regular police officer, having served in The Metropolitan Police for 30 years. I commenced this role in December 2020 and by the middle of March 21 I had completed over 120 hours of uniform duty time. Many of you may already know me and it has been a pleasure getting to meet many more of the villagers during my rounds. I know from your many comments how positive it is to have a visible policing presence. As this role is voluntary, I sadly can not be on duty 24 hours a day (I do have another job and a home life) so I would like to take this opportunity of giving some advice in regard to reporting incidents to . Firstly, let me reassure you by saying that our 2 villages do not have any underlying crime issues, but recognise that sporadic crime events do occur and/or people have concerns about suspicious behaviour and activities. - If something is happening that is of a serious nature (threat to life or property) then you should always call 999. - If a crime has already occurred and it needs reporting than you can report this online via the Essex Police website. - If people are causing concerns (suspicious behaviour etc) then you can call 101 or use the Essex Police live chat via the website. Police will still attend. I would however PLEASE ask you not to use social media (FaceBook etc) as your first method of notifying someone. Contact the police first and if you then wish to warn others then do so after, and please mention that you have contacted the Police. If I am on duty then I will pick up the issue via my Police Radio. I do not monitor social media when on duty. 10 www.colnechurches.com As part of my role I also report back to both villages Parish Council Meetings on the activity I have undertaken. I will also do periodic updates for both Parish Magazines as well as providing crime prevention and other advice. Please stay safe and say hello when you see me. I look forward to building on our relationship and providing the visibility and reassurance of Policing our two wonderful communities. Spike Townsend CSC80707 Community Special Constable

From the Church Mouse . . .

So wonderful to see people again in the pews and to hear the choir singing. Incy Wincy is not happy! As the world returns to normal it would be good to keep remembering the wonderful prayer for peace and the part that we can all play in it every day: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring union. Where there is error, let me bring truth. Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy. Love Kooky, The Churchmouse

Marmalade and Chutney Available! Contact Beryl on 01787 223486, or have a word BERYL’S with Helen Sherfield or Margaret Hill at Church. MARMALADE Proceeds to Earls Colne Church Funds. www.colnechurches.com 11 Naturally with more people being at home during the Covid 19 pandemic, burglary numbers have fallen and internet purchasing has increased - resulting in new desirables in our homes. When you did get out, maybe someone was left in the house so locking up would not have been needed. As restrictions begin to be eased again and more of us venture out, we need to get back into our old habits: ensuring that when left empty our homes are secure. Burglars are opportunists seeking an empty house that is easy to enter. Whether just popping out for a moment or for longer, make it look like someone is in - even if no one is there - and always making sure you lock up when you leave. Just a few tips to remind you: ● Ensure that windows, doors, outbuildings and gates are closed and locked correctly; make sure all tools are put away too. Remember with PVCu and similar doors – when locking lift the handle, turn and remove the key. If you have a night latch and a mortice lock ensure that you lock both, not just the night latch. ● No keys outside in hidey holes please - the thief will find them no matter how well you think they are hidden. ● Create the illusion of occupancy: a radio on, a chair that looks like you have just got up, book or magazine open with a pair of spectacles and a mug next to it, a vacuum cleaner with the lead trailing out of sight (not plugged in) - the usual signs of habitation - and don’t leave it too tidy. ● Consider a doorbell that you can answer remotely on your smartphone. With a lot of these you can add further CCTV cameras that you listen and speak through too. ● Use automatic timer-switches to turn your lights on when it gets dark, also consider a “Fake TV” unit discreetly hidden from view. ● If you have an intruder alarm make sure that you set it before leaving and ensure that your neighbours know who the keyholders are.

12 www.colnechurches.com ● Keys to other cars: put them away and in a “faraday bag” if you have a keyless car. If you do get away for a longer period: ● Curtains open or curtains closed? – The worse thing is half open half closed - day or night the thief will know you are out. I go by the principle that some people do not close all curtains at night, but most are open during the day especially in those “lived in” rooms. So as long as you have evidence visible that looks like you are in the house somewhere then it makes sense to leave them open. ● Cancel any newspaper or milk deliveries, delay ordering online purchases before you go away or have them delivered to friends or family that are at home to hold until you return. ● Use the Royal Mail's 'Keepsafe' service - they keep your mail for up to 2 months while you're away. Mail sitting on your doorstep is a sign that you are away. ● Trusted neighbours may be able to help you by collecting your post, opening and closing curtains and they could park their car on your driveway. ● Avoid discussing holiday plans on public social networking sites. Watch what you are posting including - photographs (they may be date stamped) - while you are away too or you may find you are giving useful information that the burglar or fraudster may use. Don’t forget the car when you leave it unattended: ● Close the windows and lock it, verify it is locked by the sound, the flash of the lights or try the handle. ● Leave nothing on show, remember to the thief even the empty bag or jacket is inviting, they don’t know what they may contain until looking in it after damaging your car getting in. ● Choose a safe place to park, with lots of visibility over it, if you can look for a “Parkmark” accredited car park http://www.parkmark.co.uk/car-park-finder . Further advice can be found at www.essex.police.uk/cp/crime- prevention/ or www.securedbydesign.com/ Stephen Armson-Smith Essex Police Crime Prevention Advisor, Braintree, Uttlesford, Chelmsford & Maldon Districts www.colnechurches.com 13 � �

(or something like that !) This month is going to be mega busy in the garden (or not, if you plan on spending every available hour down the pub now they are open again!). The pruning that we planned on doing last month might need completing, and now as it is warming up and new soft growth is appearing on the shrubs. We could kill one bird with two stones (!) and take some softwood cuttings. Not only shrubs, but some herbaceous perennials will also be putting out new shoots as well which could be used. I look for a shoot about 6” (15 cm) long and cut just below a pair of leaves; it’s best to do this on a dull day rather than in full sun as the moisture levels will be higher both in the air and in the plants. If I am collecting a few cuttings I drop them into a plastic bag to keep them moist until I pot them up. I use general potting compost mixed with a small amount of sharp sand (about 20:80 ratio, sand to compost) in a 3” (7.5 cm) pot, filled to the top and firmed down. I prepare the cutting by removing the bottom leaves and others further up the stem, leaving the growing tip and a pair of leaves if possible. If the leaves are large, as with Hydrangea, then I cut them in half to reduce the surface area and reduce transpiration. I then dip the stem into a rooting hormone gel and make a hole in the compost with a dibber (otherwise known as a pencil or any suitable shaped stick!), I push them in deep enough to bury the nodes that are left from removing the lower leaves; these are the growing points that should produce roots. Three cuttings around the edge of each pot normally works - unless they are large leafed then I do two to a pot. Gently water them in. Some people place a polythene bag over the pot to create a mini cold frame, but I have an old aquarium with a lid, and I stand them in there - that way they don’t dry out. It is best if the cuttings are kept out of full sun as this can cause them to wilt suddenly and not recover. After anything from two to four months there should be a strong enough root system to allow re- potting into separate pots.

14 www.colnechurches.com One of the most important jobs, I think, at this time of year is plant support (I don’t mean standing and chanting `come on plants, come on plants`!) - getting stakes and canes in the ground around the perennials as they start to shoot upwards and outwards. Let’s face it, there is nothing worse than wrestling with floppy Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum), Delphiniums and Lupins (Lupinus) after a summer downpour and trying to tie them up and gather them into a half tidy display. So get in there now - push the canes in the ground around the emerging clumps and, as they grow (the plants, not the canes!), tie them in or use wire or string tied from cane to cane to create a type of basket support. There are a good number of different plant supports available to buy - all shapes and sizes. If the budget allows it is nice to be able to get some that are decorative in their own right and can be left in all year round; this also helps to mark where the plants are when they have died down for the winter. If there are still some areas of bare soil, mulching with fine chopped bark or organic soil improver will help keep annual weeds down and conserve moisture; about a 4” (10 cm) deep layer is good, but make sure the area is well watered first otherwise it could have the reverse effect if done after a recent dry spell. Keep tying in climbers and plants that are growing against a wall. Prune out shoots that grow inwards or off in the wrong direction - aim at encouraging sideways growth. Winter and early spring flowering Clematis can be trimmed back immediately after flowering; this gives it a whole season to develop next year’s flowers. Evergreens can be pruned and trimmed safely now, as they are putting on new growth and the risk of hard frost will have passed. Outdoor bedding and basket plants, on the other hand, should be left until as close to the end of May as possible, because a slight frost can set them back longer than the week or two that may have been gained from planting out early - just saying. We are well into lawn season now, so the blades can be lowered to the summer cutting height; depending on the mower that is one or two notches above the lowest level - about half to three quarter inch grass length. Feeding now with Nitrogen rich fertiliser will encourage plenty of green growth. Also, keep up with regular weedkiller; water the lawn in prolonged dry spells to keep it at its best - but as you know, even after a hot dry summer the grass nearly always recovers. Don’t forget, follow the www.colnechurches.com 15 instructions for lawn feed and weedkiller to the letter or it can do more harm than good. Spud is busy this month, hardly had time to talk, but I did get a few tips on what to get planting and sowing: Outdoor Sowing Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) Sow thinly in drills ½ inch deep. If it is cold and wet germinating is more successful if the seed is grown under cloches. Carrots (Daucus carota) Sow thinly in drills ½ inch deep; planting alternate rows of Spring onions and carrots can help deter carrot fly. Spring Onions (Allium) Sow thinly in drills ¼ inch deep. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) Sow thinly in drills 1 inch deep. Allow 12 inches between rows. French Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) Sow in drills 2 inches deep; place seeds 4 inches apart and leave 18 inches between rows. As they grow the plants will need support. Runner Beans (Phaseolus coccineous) Grown in the same way as French beans but on taller supports. Both these are great to get the kids growing. Talking of kids, don’t forget to try growing pumpkins with them for Halloween; best sown on an old compost heap if you can - they will go mad. Keep earthing up potatoes to encourage more root growth. Keep on top of the weeds - every weed you remove is a little more water and nutrients for the plants you want to grow. Pick One Plant. This month I am going for Granny’s Bonnets (Aqualegia chrysantha) or Columbine (Aqualegia vulgaris); the latter is often classed as a wildflower. Officially there are varieties that flower as early as March, but generally we will see them flowering through May and into June and July. They are herbaceous perennials which grow in clumps around 12” (30 cm) across and up to 4’ (120 cm) tall depending on the variety. They have delicate leaves on stems that don’t look strong enough to stay upright - but looks can be deceiving, as they stay standing for months after the flowers have faded and the seed has long been dispersed from 16 www.colnechurches.com the dried pods. The seeds will germinate freely and further afield than expected, but who doesn’t love a bit of naturalisation (or to put it another way, free plants!). The flowers too are delicate and, as the name suggests, look like bonnets bobbing on the long stems. The colours vary from the common mauve/violet of the Columbine to anything from white through yellows, reds, blue, pink and multi-coloured bloom: all beautiful in their own right. They grow quite happily in most soils but, as with many flowering plants, a good amount of sun gives better results. A definite must have for every garden especially a typical English country garden.

Aqualegia vulgaris Aqualegia chrysantha

Keep calm and carry on weeding ‘Laters taters’ � Gary Hoskin [email protected]@btinternet.com

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Earls Colne Church could benefit from your online shopping! www.easyfundraising.org.uk See the Editorial page for further details. www.colnechurches.com 17 St Andrew's Church Centre, Parsonage Street, . CO9 2LD Mondays 10 to 2 (except Bank Holidays) General Enquiries 01376 330694 E-mail [email protected] https://braintreearea.foodbank.org.uk/

The shopping list on the right hand side of this page is the items we are in need of. Any donation, big or small, will help someone in food poverty. You can also download our current list from the website.

We currently have large stocks of baked beans, cereals, pasta, pasta sauce, biscuits, rice, fish, soup, baby food and cereals, and we would ask if you could donate one of the items from our current list. : We ask for small packs as larger packs do not fit in our boxes making it difficult for our clients to carry home we are also unable (for hygiene reasons) to split large size or catering packs.

We are always pleased to accept monetary donations (these help with running costs) if you prefer or Supermarket Gift Cards. We follow the standards set by the Food Standards Agency. We can only accept donations of unopened and undamaged goods that are still well within their “use by” date (no less than six months if possible). Items which do not meet these requirements cannot be used and your donation may be wasted. Thank you 18 www.colnechurches.com visit our website: www.colnechurches.comw

Would you, or would someone you know, like a visit from a member of our pastoral care team? The team members are: Mrs. Beryl Amy 01787 223486 Mr. Terry Hawthorn 01787 223140 www.colnechurches.com 19 If you didn’t manage to get to Chalkney Woods last month you may still have time to see the Bluebells. The cold start to April will have pushed their flowering season back a bit and they should still be flowering into the first weeks of May. If you visit now you can enjoy the last of the flowers then carry on with this month’s walk! The walk from Chalkney Woods to is probably the best anywhere in the Colne Valley and certainly one of my favourites. The following description starts from the woods and you can choose any of last month’s routes to get there or even drive up to the main car park to start the walk. It’s just less than 4 miles in total but you’ll probably do some walking around Chappel and if you walk to and from the woods you’ll have to add another 3 miles. You can make it an enjoyable and interesting ‘day-out’ walk, exploring the woods then walking to Chappel for lunch or a picnic; then taking a gentle stroll back across the river meadows. 1. From the main car park take the left-hand path, just to the right of the black waste bin. Follow this path for some distance and pass the tree with rope swings. The path bends slightly right just before its next main junction, continue ahead, ignoring the left and right hand turns, if you have the correct path it should have a continuing slight incline. 2. Stay on this path to the very top end of the woods, where the path will start to descend and signs to the right state this last part of the woods is private property, the path continues between this private section and gardens or paddocks on the left, finally exiting on to Swanscombe Road. 3. Turn right and then in a short distance (about 30 steps!) turn left down a secluded footpath to reach a wooden bridge over a small brook and a gate into a field. Pass through the gate and climb the steep hill in the field directly ahead, up to another gate. You can stop to catch your breath at this point and enjoy the view back to the woods and down to the river with Wakes Colne beyond and White Colne church spire on the horizon; this is certainly one of my favourite spots!

20 www.colnechurches.com 4. Passing through the gate follow the left-hand field edge path by the end of the reservoir, then just before the concrete topped brick drain cross the field towards the woodland opposite. Just inside the wood cross the footpath that comes down the hill and continue into the woodland. You may see more Bluebells and wild garlic here too! 5. The path soon drops down to a small wooden bridge, then up the other side to some steps that exit the woodland. Follow the field edge path to the left, alongside the wood, then round the field to more steps down to Oak Road. 6. Follow the road to the left; this is a very quiet road but do take care. Soon you will get excellent views of Chappel and the viaduct. On the left-hand side, just before the house on your right, is a gate to a footpath that crosses the large field that drops down towards Chappel. The exact course of this path is often unclear but if you walk directly towards the white steeple of the church you won’t be too far out, then as you start to descend the hill the large gate in a gap between the hedges becomes clearer. These fields often have grazing sheep, so ensure gates are closed and dogs kept on a short lead and under close control. 7. Pass through the gate and immediately turn right and follow the path close to the right-hand field edge towards a stile in the hedge in front of you. This stile exits almost directly onto the road, so take extra care when using it, and when safe cross onto the opposite footpath just above Swan Grove. 8. Follow the road down to Chappel where you can enjoy the many things on offer. The millennium green, just behind the viaduct is ideal for picnics and games with children and dogs, while down by the river the board walk makes an interesting adventure for nature lovers. The Swan pub is ideal for lunch or refreshments while the village shop will help top up your picnic or finish it off with an ice cream! The more energetic or enthusiastic may want to walk up to the East Anglian Railway Museum, for its railway carriage café and many other facilities and attractions. 9. The return leg starts from the road opposite the entrance to the millennium green. Along with some impressive houses the small church dedicated to St Barnabas is along this road; it is often open www.colnechurches.com 21 and well worth a visit. At the end of this road continue on the footpath past the farm buildings; however an interesting brief diversion is to take the path to the right, to cross the river on the footbridge and investigate the area around the mill, returning to the river meadow path again by the footbridge. The return route is well signposted straight ahead through the river meadows. 10. As you continue across the river meadows if you lose the track of the path as it moves from the field edge near to some impressive mature oak trees, look for the railings beside a small wooden bridge over a brook, which immediately disappears underground! Continue on this path to the gate that leads to the bottom of Swanscombe Road and then turn right on the block path. In front of the farm house take the path to the left, with the brick wall on your right, that later becomes a boarded fence. 11. Follow the path through the next field and then continue on the path between Chalkney Woods and the mill stream. When you reach the path that leads down to the mill, turn left to enter the woods through the kennels. (If you walked to the woods a nice end to this walk is to turn right past the mill, then left across the fields, then by the river back to Colneford Hill). 12. To return to the car park turn immediately right on entering the woods, crossing a small brook (sometimes dried up) then follow the perimeter path behind the farm yard. Continue to follow this perimeter path to arrive back at the car park. On the lower, wetter parts of this path will be a lot of wild garlic and on the higher parts maybe some bluebells will still be flowering.

22 www.colnechurches.com I hope you will enjoy this walk and like me, make it one that you do over and over again. See below for details of this year’s Rogation Walks . Stay safe and enjoy your Walk-Abouts. Christopher Walker

Rogation Walks are a long established, traditional annual event, originally organised in the middle ages to confirm and pass-on the physical location of Parish Boundaries in the days before maps were readily available, so the tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ was established. Five weeks after Easter is also a time when crops are at the peak of their growth rate, so this was a good time to offer prayers of thanks for deliverance from the hardship of winter and for God’s blessings on the crops and those that work in agriculture and to produce our food. A complete walk around Earls Colne Parish boundary would be in excess of 18 miles, but keeping to defined rights-of-way, which are close to the boundary, reduce this to around 15 miles in practice today. Not all of us can manage that sort of distance so we choose different sections to explore each year. This year we have two walks, one in the morning and one after lunch, both starting from St Andrew’s church Earls Colne. The morning walk starts at 9:00 and explores a significant part of the northern and western boundaries. The total walk is about 6 miles long but there is an option to leave that is around 3 miles long. The afternoon walk starts at 2:30 and explores some of the eastern boundary and is about 5 miles long. As we need to conform with Covid regulations it is necessary to book your place on one or both these walks and numbers may be limited. Please contact Ray Wood on 07734 450221 (voice or text) or by email on [email protected] for more information and to reserve your spot. www.colnechurches.com 23 St Andrew’s Church, Earls Colne Saturday 15th May 2021 Walk 1 - starts at 9:00 Total distance 6 miles (with an opt-out at 3 miles) Walk 2 - starts at 2:30 Total distance is 5 miles. Please book your place on [email protected] or call Ray Wood on 07734 450221 (voice or text

St Andrew’s White Colne is an oasis of tranquillity and one of those ‘thin’ places where the gap between heaven and earth seems very thin indeed. How do you fancy lending to give it a ‘spring clean’ whilst enjoying this beautiful space? We’re meeting on Thursday 13th May, 9.30 – 11.30 am, come and along and offer whatever time you can.

Giving thanks for our farming communities and blessing the fields. Sunday 16th May 2021, starting at St Andrew’s White Colne at 4 pm, before walking through some of the local fields and culminating in drinks and nibbles at Berewyk Hall. Online Retreat Programme June / July 2021 ‘Windows on God’ [4 sessions, beginning 13th June] Each week will be a personal take on one Christian spiritual tradition or figure and the light they shed on relationship with God, our experience of life and our practice of prayer. Looking through these windows will challenge and refresh our usual ways of seeing. To take part you will need to register using this link, if you have not already done so. https://staugustinescollege.ac.uk/login 24 www.colnechurches.com Standing at his front door some years ago, a customer I was visiting surveyed the dozen or so houses belonging to his neighbours. ‘All human life is here’, he declared. ‘There are some people you would trust with your life’. If there were others of a less trustworthy nature, he did not say. The reference to ‘all human life’, in this context, did not immediately conjure up an image of drug-traffickers, prostitution, baby traffickers or international money-launderers. There were no obvious signs of deprivation or unemployment in this prosperous locality in the South- East of . Life here might not have provided the raw material for an extended police drama spanning eight series. The French television production SPIRAL [Fr: Engrenages], set in the suburbs of Paris, offers a vision of humanity that could justifiably be said to reflect all human life. The subject matter is infused with a desperate sadness. Although fictional there is a gritty realism in the way it is presented and it is difficult to escape the thought that one person’s misery becomes another person’s entertainment in this context. As the series unfolds the characters are seen in all their vulnerability. Few are spared and I find myself reflecting on my own vulnerability and good fortune in life. Amidst all the depravity, crime and corruption even the most hard-bitten characters perform acts of kindness in relative terms and something that approaches generosity, suggesting that nobody is beyond redemption. The series was conceived by Alexandra Clerc and the key protagonists are both women. Laure Berthaud [Caroline Proust] leads a team equivalent to the CID. She answers to a head of department, but permission to tap phones, for example, has to be sought from the investigating magistrate [le juge] in charge of a particular case. We follow one Juge Roban [Phillipe Duclos] through all the vicissitudes of his professional and personal life. The hierarchy of the justice department is not easy to fathom and possibly a clue as to why the French title of the series is Engrenages, which literally means ‘gears’ or ‘cogs’, although our word machinations is surely implied, and certainly gives an idea of what lies ahead. Spiral is no less effective a title. There are frequent moments in each series when things appear to be spiralling out of control and the viewer will be asking how much worse things will get before they get www.colnechurches.com 25 better. This is not necessarily down to the evasive tactics and native cunning of the criminal. The investigating team is responsible for some spectacular own goals and all, like Juge Roban, have considerable personal problems of their own. Challenging many aspects of police investigation is the other key protagonist, the lawyer Josephine Karlsson [Audrey Fleurot], whose brilliance is not in doubt any more than her ability to hold the police to account in court. Nobody comes out of this smelling of roses. The series frequently highlights the underhand methods used by a police force, under pressure to bring about successful prosecutions. Josephine, by contrast, sees it as her job to see her client acquitted. ‘Since when were you interested in the truth?’ is a rhetorical question and one of many moments of irony deployed by the writer; to be met by a look rather than any solid answer. Home grown police dramas seem a good way of switching off on a Sunday evening, in advance of a busy week to come. The best pose questions beyond simply ‘Who dun it?’ Foyle’s War asks whether justice should take second place to the demands of the war effort; Spiral, whether a criminal investigation should, for example, be hampered by France’s economic relations with Libya. Quite possibly we are being de-sensitised to the sight of dead bodies, complete or otherwise and to violence. There are sex scenes. None is used gratuitously, although many might wonder about that when a severed head is seen to be placed rather casually into a plastic bag. Understanding the French is a challenge. There are English subtitles. This is not the French we learned at school. This is not the Paris we would see when we visit. Few of us would make a detour to visit the suburb of Cléry-sous-Bois although many of us will know the Gare du Nord from Eurostar journeys and from which we witness one spectacular chase through the Paris Metro, when a suspect escapes. This is a series of consummate teamwork, offering an insight into the French justice system which is not always flattering. The casting is beyond reproach, the photography superb and the music hauntingly atmospheric. We are a long way from the cosy ‘A Year in Provence’ or two well-off celebrities on a canal boat in the Midi; but, at a time when we can’t travel, it’s France. Robin Greatorex.

26 www.colnechurches.com April 19 21 Earls Colne Lent So fa r a s it is pos s ible to judge by outwa rd a ppea ra nces , the s olemn forty da ys ha ve been duly obs erved. The s pecia l Prea chers ha ve a ttra cted la rge congrega tions , a nd we a re mos t gra teful to Mr. Stoney a nd Dr. Eva ns for their eloquent a nd helpful s ermons . The Vica r hopes to a rra nge for frequent excha nges during the yea r, but the difficulties of tra ns it a re grea t. Diocesan Fund At a meeting of the Church Council held on Wednes da y, Ma rch 9th, it wa s una nimous ly res olved tha t every effort s hould be ma de to ra is e our a nnua l contributions from £36 to £43, the a mount we a re now a s k ed to s ubs cribe. This ca n only be done by a cons idera ble a ddition to the lis t of s ubs cribers who a t pres ent number 50. We therefore ea rnes tly a ppea l to a ll Church people to s upport the Fund. New s ubs criptions , however s ma ll, if regula rly pa id, will ena ble us to dis cha rge our duty to the Dioces e . . . And from the ‘Gazette’ . . . First Class Amateur Theatricals The fines t dra ma tic performa nce given by a n Ama teur Compa ny in the neighbourhood for a t lea s t a qua rter of a century, wa s the una nimous verdict of thos e who ha d the grea t plea s ure to witnes s “Q uinneys ” a t the Ea rls Colne Villa ge Ha ll on Thurs da y evening . . . La s t week on beha lf of Lord Ha ig’s fund for dis a bled wa rriors . . . The comedy ha s the mos t a mbitious project ever underta k en by a ma teurs in the dis trict, a nd the compa ny ca me out of the ordea l with flying colours . Not only the work of the a ctors concerned, but the whole evening wa s a grea t s ucces s . Halstead R.D.C. - April 29 1921 The Earls Colne Houses The Clerk rea d a communica tion from the Minis try of Hea lth s a ying tha t they ha d no objection to the Dis trict Council’s propos a l to cha rge a n initia l rent of 10s per week , exclus ive of ra tes a nd wa ter cha rges , for hous es compris ing a pa rlour, living room, s cullery a nd three bedrooms . . . www.colnechurches.com 27 Protest Against More House Building at Earls Colne A letter was read from Mr. R. Stedman, clerk to the Earls Colne Parish Council, forwarding the resolution, which was passed at the meeting of ratepayers held there a short time ago, complaining of the heavy and ruinous rates that would be imposed on the parish by the building of the 20 houses that are proposed and asking that no more houses shall be built until it is definitely ascertained that those already in hand will find tenants. It was mentioned in the letter that so far only seven of these had been applied for, and it was considered unjust to force further expense upon the parish. The Parish Council added that in the face of the low rents at present charged for good cottages in Colne there is little probability of the houses being let at the rents proposed. Colne Engaine . . . The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will be held in the School on Saturday, April 9th, at 4 pm. The Measure passed by the General Assembly of the Church, defining the duties and powers of the Parochial Church Councils has not yet passed through Parliament, and until that takes place, the Councils have very little legal authority. The School is at the present time in some difficulty. The position is this: certain repairs are ordered by the Education authorities. The cost of these is £314 and if the repairs are not done, it is possible that the School may have to be handed over to the County Council. It will then cease to be a Church School, and the daily Religious Instruction will come to an end. As those who value religious teaching for the children consider the loss of it as disastrous, especially in the present state of the country, efforts will be made to raise the money. White Colne Notes on White Colne (continued) Sabert was the first Christian King of Essex, he died in the year A.D. 616. The difficulty of ascertaining any reliable history of the Saxon period is simply caused by the fact that the Saxons transacted their business by word of mouth, before witnesses, and took no written record, as for instance, Theydon Garnon is a corruption of Thoi Don, ‘I give it thee’ (see Genesis xxiii, 16). It was usual with the Saxons to give names of animals to their children, hence we trace the families of Fox, Lamb, Bear, Buck. Subsequently the fields were called by the names to which they were allocated, as Camp - the football field, Butts field - the practising ground for archers, Fair field - where the fair was held. People depended on the news from one place to another being conveyed in all probability by some gaberlunzie. [Is this a candidate for Neville’s next ‘Call My Bluff’? - Ed.]

28 www.colnechurches.com The earliest Churches in Essex were built by Bishop Cedd. S. Peter’s on the Wall in the Dengie Hundred and Tilbury, near the Thames, and it is not improbable that he preached in the Colnes, as Chad-well is a corruption of Cedd. The early English parish priests had only the tithe to support them, and this was absorbed when religious houses and monasteries came to be erected. (To be continued). May 1921 Earls Colne The Sunday School So far as it is possible in these days of uncertainty to make any arrangements for future events, the date of the excursion to Clacton has been fixed for Thursday June 23rd. Parents who wish to accompany their children are asked to send their names in writing to the Sunday School Teachers. Now that the Prayer Book is removed from the Day School, special attention is being paid to the Teaching of the Catechism and the doctrines of the Christian Faith. Miscellaneous The next Coal Club day is Tuesday, May 3rd. The Blankets must be returned on Tuesday, May 17th, between the hour of 11 and 12. It is hoped to have a Rummage Sale again for the Churchyard Fund. Gifts of any useful article will be acceptable, and may be sent to the Church Room, whenever convenient to Donors. Colne Engaine Parochial Church Council . . . On Sunday, May 1st, there are to be special collections throughout the country on behalf of the Central Fund of the Church of England. This Central Fund is to be administered by the General Assembly of the Church, and is to aid any part of the Church where there is special need, and where other funds are insufficient for the purpose. Thus Essex will have a special claim for aid owing to the need of ten new parishes to be provided for the new town of 200,000 people which the London County Council is building near Romford. The National Society has very kindly offered a grant of £35 towards the repairs needed at the school, so that we have £175 to start with . . . www.colnechurches.com 29 White Colne The Church The entry in a book entitled ‘Liber Regis’,which contains an account of the return of the Commissioners appointed by King Henry VIII to procure the value of the religious houses etc. in England, is found under the heading of Not in Charge. Clear yearly value £30. ‘Con Alba, alias White Coln, cur or Don. Decim, foen and lign. Mon Abindon, olim Prop. The KING 1731. Rebecca Knapp 1759 £22 11s certified value.’ It is here spoken of as a Curacy or Donative tithe hay and wood, formerly belonging to the Monastery of Abingdon. The Monastery of Abingdon was founded in Bagley Wood in the Parish of Sunningwell, about the year 630 A.D. by Cissa, viceroy of Centurin King of Wessex, but was totally destroyed by the Danes in the time of King Alfred. The Monastery of Abingdon was returned into the exchequer temp Henry VIII to be worth, in Tempora land Spiritual Property the clear yearly sum of £1876 10s 9d. The Priory of Colne was returned by the Commissioners to be of the annual value of £156 12s 4½d. Space will not permit of a lengthy explanation of Curacy and Donative, but it implies a cure of souls, so there must have been a Church at White Colne from an earlier period than that assigned to its dependence on the Priory of Earls Colne, as Colne Priory was only founded by the first Alberic de Vere who died in 1088 A.D.. And he made a formal grant of property in White Colne including the Church. Margaret Hill

Please mention Earls Colne & White Colne Parish Magazine when replying to advertisements!

THE KEVIN JOLLEY QUAKER MEETING HOUSE HOUSE, LOFT, SHED & GARAGE EARLS COLNE CLEARANCE is available for hire. Fully licensed waste carrier A warm and friendly venue for leisure PROPERTY MAINTENANCE and educational groups, tea parties, Painting, Decorating, Repairs etc. children's parties and alcohol free events. Tel: 01787 469355 £10.00 per hour Mobile: 07798 785559 Please call 01787 222993 for details.

30 www.colnechurches.com EDITORIAL NOTE Articles for the Parish Magazine from individuals or village organisations are always welcome! ● Copy may be emailed to: [email protected] or delivered to: 11 Morleys Road, Earls Colne ● Copy deadline: 4th of each month ● To subscribe to the Magazine, please contact: Sue de Berry (tel: 01787 222804) ● To advertise in the Magazine, please contact: Mervyn Rudkins (tel: 01787 222882 or email [email protected]) Advertisements in the Parish Magazine • Our Magazine goes out to over 300 homes in the area • The fees for 2021 (for 12 copies) are: Earls Colne/White Colne: From Outside Area: £ £ ½ Page 120.00 130.00 ¼ Page 60.00 65.00 ⅛ Page 30.00 32.50 ● Please send your new copy to: Mervyn Rudkins, 8 Coggeshall Road, Earls Colne, Colchester. CO6 2JP or email to [email protected] ● Please make cheques payable to: Earls Colne PCC. Just imagine . . . Earls Colne Church benefiting from your online shopping! Huge numbers of online shops such as Amazon, Viking and insurance companies will donate a percentage of your total shopping bill to your chosen charity. All you need to do is access your online shops through a designated website who will donate the percentage to St Andrew’s Church, Earls Colne. What next? 1. Go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk 2. Register as a user selecting Church of St Andrew, Earls Colne as your chosen charity 3. Find your chosen retailer in the listings 4. Start shopping, knowing you are benefiting the Church. Remember to add the site to your favourites and don’t forget to use it! 5. Please tell others . . . www.colnechurches.com 31 The Halstead Area Team Ministry (The Parishes of Halstead, Greenstead Green, Gosfield, Earls Colne, White Colne, Colne Engaine, , Gestingthorpe. Great Maplestead and ) Team Rector: The Revd Katie de Bourcier [email protected] 01787 478471 Team Vicars: The Revd Mark Payne [email protected] 01787 220347 The Revd Beverley Vincent [email protected] 07944 200132 Associate Priest: The Revd Rose Braisby 01245 361927 Priest: The Revd Hugh Mothersole 01787 222211 Team Curates: The Revd Sharon Quilter [email protected] The Revd Joanne Parrott [email protected] To find out more about the Halstead Area Team Ministry, visit the Team website: www.halsteadchurches.co.uk

Worship Through Your Phone Available 24 hours a day BCP Holy Communion with Revd Rose: 01376 317669 (less than 1p per minute).

32 www.colnechurches.com Churches of St. Andrew, Earls Colne & White Colne Who’s Who 2021 Team Vicar: The Revd Mark Payne [email protected] 01787 220347 Team Curate: The Revd Sharon Quilter [email protected] Priest: The Revd Hugh Mothersole 01787 222211 Churchwardens:

Mr. Ray Wood [email protected] 01787 224140 Ms. Helen Sherfield [email protected] 01787 222526

Mr. Christopher Chamberlain 01787 222200 PCC Secretaries:

Ms. Caroline Smith [email protected]

Mrs. Jacquie Church PCC Treasurers:

Mrs. Helen Brooks [email protected]

Mrs. Sally Scobie 01787 227915 Parish Magazine:

Ms. Sue de Berry 01787 222804

Mrs. Juanita White-Thomson 01787 222403 Mrs. Margaret Hill 01787 223843 Mr. Mervyn Rudkins 01787 222882 Church Choir (Earls Colne): Mr. Bret Johnson 01787 227988 Bell Ringers (Earls Colne): Mr. Trevor Beadle [email protected] 01787 223611 Sunday School (Earls Colne): Ms. Helen Sherfield 01787 222526 Church Cleaning (Earls Colne): Mr. Brian Hayward 01787 222706 Seekers and Bible Study Notes: Mrs. Ann Norris 01787 222015 www.colnechurches.com 33 ANGLICAN SOCIETY FOR THE WELFARE OF ANIMALS Membership £20 per annum /3 magazines per. annum ��Made to order for any occasion. Web-site sermons, book reviews, prayers, services etc A Christian organisation born of the Anglican church in 1970 ��I have 30 years’ experience of we believe animals are sentient beings, created and valued by cooking for people. God. Many are exploited for human use and often subject to appalling cruelty. Three quarters of viruses emanate from ��I have a Health and Hygiene factory farming/exploitation of animals. Certificate. Following the Anglican Churches’ stated mission, we ‘Strive ��Will deliver locally. to safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain the life of the earth’. Please call me for a quote on www.aswa.org.uk . Tel: 01252 843093 or E-mail: [email protected]

Gardening & General Would you like to place Maintenance Services an advert in this space? Phone Mervyn Rudkins on 01787 222882 or email 8 High Street, Earls Colne [email protected] Mobile: 07464 315278 Email: [email protected] See the Editorial page Follow us on Facebook and instagram for details of our prices. 34 www.colnechurches.com EDWARD PRESTON GRSM, ARCM, Dip Ed. PIANIST & TEACHER All age groups taught – currently from 4 to 84 years old. Piano as well as Music Theory Grades 1-8, GCSE, 'AS' & 'A' Music and Diploma Level (01787) 829843 or 07805310486 [email protected] Call or email to make an initial enquiry/ preliminary meeting.

��All Interior and Exterior Work Undertaken ��Specialist in Period & Listed Properties ��Wallpaper Hanging to the Highest Standards ��Restoration of Ornate Cornices & Ceiling Roses ��References Available ��Fully Insured Contact: Jeff Macdonald Tel: 07778 031505 - 01787 224674 Email: [email protected] www.jmac-interiors.co.uk