STEBBING PARISH COUNCIL Please Note That the Parish Council Website Has Moved to a New Address

StebbingStebbing SceneScene Your Village — Your Magazine

Edition No: 123 Autumn 2012

Those of us who are not great lovers of sport have found few places to hide this summer—and Stebbing Scene provides no refuge as the villagers of Stebbing recount their Olympic, and other, sporting exploits. A particular thank you in this respect to Judith Jolly (pictured above) for the way she conveys her enthusiasm when describing her role as Team London Ambassador (what a title!) on pages 31- 32. There are more pictures of colourful outfits and sporting encounters on the inside front and back pages and even the caption competition has been subpoenaed to attend the court of cricket. Thanks to The Vintner for another amusing annual report on the Church vs. Stebbing match. A big thank you to Michael Kingdom and Margaret Rufus for providing sustenance to those with other interests, and of course to all the usual contributors—without whom it wouldn’t happen. Richard Foot

I never thought I would wear a Stella McCartney outfit. London 2012 - what an exciting event! When they called for volunteers I thought, “Yes this is an opportunity not to be missed”. The selection process started in 2010 and I was lucky enough to be selected as a Games Maker. My role – Heathrow terminal 1, ensuring athletes, officials etc. reached their destinations safely. Did we lose a bus? Certainly not - the driver was using his initiative and taking our visitors on a tour of London! The other volunteers were great fun, from all over the world and all walks of life. Who did I see? – hopeful athletes, happy athletes and only one or two who were sad. The Brazilian football team came through on my shift, and many Picture - Dick Hughes and Sue Riley of the USA team, but for me the best was in their designer outfits. Pele. I’d thoroughly recommend volunteering; my Terminal 1 shift have all agreed to start evening classes in Portuguese this autumn – here we come Rio! Sue Riley Dick Hughes will be a Games Maker at the Paralympics

St Mary’s Cricket Xl vs A Stebbing Xl – 21st July2012 Some of you with keen minds, and memories to match, may well remember the state of the oil drum BBQ last year – the rain had done its utmost and had reduced it to lace – more holes than an MPs expenses alibi! This year, due to the good offices of Stebbing Cricket Club, we had an all singing, all dancing, gas

BBQ that was an absolute joy to use. So, many thanks to Gary Halls and David Bradbeer for their prowess at feeding the masses; about 110 people turned up. Grateful thanks also to Sarah Bradbeer and her team for all the catering arrangements in the Pavilion. St Mary’s fielded first and the bowling was soon being unceremoniously dispatched around the boundaries – Graham Jolliffe (30), Kevin Meakin (28) - and everyone helped the score along. Ian Cooper joined the St Mary’s team and soon his bowling pinned the batsman down and helped reduce the ever mounting score. God bless the Kemps – 4 wickets from Michael, one of which resulted in possibly the best catch we have ever witnessed – a high snick to leg side – our Reverend Tim Goodbody in the slips – running backwards, diving backwards and catching it one handed – it doesn’t get much better than that. The batsman was heard muttering, as he headed towards the pavilion, “Typical – Maradonna Goodbody – the hand of God!”. Young Will Brinkley came to the crease made 2 runs and saw the innings out; 113 for 6 was the village score. St Mary’s batted next and true to form there ensued what could only be described as a collapse unfolding before our very eyes – Kevin Meakin 3 wickets and the Brinkley boys, Dale and Will, getting a wicket each. Then James, the Vintner’s son and heir to his cellar and overdraft, approached the wicket: he had just flown in from Holland and, being a chef, was thoroughly disenchanted with the airline food and took it out on the bowlers. He was soon joined at the crease by his old man, the Vintner, who puffed and wheezed his way between the stumps to try and make it a respectable score. James scored 20 and, when the overs were complete, St Mary’s were 69 for 9. It must be noted for posterity that Kevin Meakin was very generous and allowed us to have about 14 batsmen! ...still didn’t help the score though! Many thanks to Steve Sparrow and Phil Barker for donning the white jackets and umpiring throughout - “are they allowed to sledge?” asked the Vintner! Many thanks to everyone who turned up to support the match: beautiful weather, great food, and a special mention to Sharon Sparrow and Teresa Taylor, who kept the drinks flowing from the bar and really added to the atmosphere. The Church lost again – never mind! The world is still spinning on its axis and God is in his heaven ... and Stebbing is still a wonderful place to live! See you all next year.

The Vintner.

Thanks to Iain Mills (Photosbyiain.com) for the photograph opposite and for the caption competition, which is taken from one of his photographs. A picture of villagers attending the SCC President’s Lunch, courtesy of Dave Hallams is included on the inside back page—Ed.

A Message from our Vicar, Tim Goodbody

Dear Friends, How often have you gone without? Many of our more senior readers will remember rationing, during and after the war, but for many of us, my hunch is that, for most of our lives, we have had a roof over our heads and some kind of food on the table. Often, times may have been hard, but we have mostly found a way to survive through hard work and good neighbours. Jesus of course lived a simple life and encouraged his first disciples to do the same thing. They did not live in a consumer society, in which at every turn we are offered the opportunity to buy things we ‘need’. I spend a lot of time avoiding adverts, in order not to be led into temptation! In the current economic downturn, there are many families who are struggling to make ends meet – either because of illness, redundancy or family breakdown (or a combination of these and other factors). A Group of Churches in Braintree have begun providing emergency food parcels for those literally on the bread line, by starting the Braintree Food bank, which is based at Christ Church, on London Road. Their main source of food is donations from other churches, and the food is handed out to those who are in possession of vouchers given out by social services, GP surgeries and the like. In this deanery and benefice we have begun to support the Braintree Food Bank (www.braintree.foodbank.org.uk) and I commend it to you as an excellent example of God’s love being shared in a practical way. It is not the intention of the Food Bank to cause families to become dependent on handouts, but simply to give those who are struggling a hand up. If you would like to donate, or volunteer, you can contact them on 01376 326628. Thank you Tim

Soul Space dates for rest of 2012

3rd Sunday of each month except December

7.30 at St Mary’s Church Stebbing

16 September ♦ 21 October ♦ 18 November

Stebbing Garden Club

Below is the schedule of classes for the spring Garden Club show which is being held on Saturday 23rd March 2013. Full programmes will be available in early 2013, and more details will follow in the December edition of Stebbing Scene. Start taking those photos now and think ahead when planting your winter vegetables and making your chutneys etc. Section A CUT FLOWERS A1 3 single trumpet daffodils of garden origin (One flower to a stem: trumpet or corona as long, or longer, than the perianth segments) A2 3 single large cupped daffodils of garden origin (Division 2) (One flower to a stem; cup or corona more than one-third but less than equal to the length of the perianth segments) A3 3 single short-cup narcissi of one variety (Division 3) A4 3 double daffodils of one variety (Division 4) A5 3 multi headed narcissi of one variety (Division 5,7,8) A6 3 single headed tulips of one variety A7 3 flowering stems from miniature spring bulbs of one variety – own vase A8 3 daffodils/narcissi of misc. variety not covered by foregoing divisions Section B PLANTS (GROWING) B1 Pot, bowl or basket of spring flowers B2 1 flowering house plant B3 1 foliage house plant Section C SPRING FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE C1 3 stems of flowering shrubs – one or more varieties – Rule 5 applies C2 6 blooms of pansies with stems in own container C3 3 stems of foliage – different varieties – Rule 5 applies C4 An arrangement of small flowers and foliage – not more than 9 inches overall – in own container C5 Own vase of not more than 3 varieties of herbaceous flowers, 9 stems in total Section D GARDEN PRODUCE D1 Spring vegetable – one variety: maximum of 3 D2 3 sticks rhubarb. Advice: keep base wings, cut tops to 3ins. Section E COOKERY E1 Jar of jam E2 Jar of fruit curd E3 Jar of marmalade E4 Jar of chutney E5 Any other preserves

RECIPES (in full programme) ON OWN PLATES E6 Savoury Flan E7 Ginger Cake E8 Plain Bread Rolls – Men and Boys E9 Easter Biscuits - Children under 11 years of age on 1/3/2013. Use own recipe. To be judged by Children’s Section Judge. Section F FLORAL ARRANGEMENT EASTER THEME Fresh flowers/produce – three accessories only. Space allowed – 18inches (457mm) in depth, width and height. SECTION G CRAFTS – New Trophy: ‘Diamond Jubilee Trophy’ G2 An item of needlecraft – including knitting/crochet etc G3 Anything you like – You made it – Let us see it! SECTION H PAINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY H1 Photograph – Your Favourite Flower 1 Photograph (black/white or colour) maximum photo size 10 x 8 inches mounted on card H2 Painting – a picture – any medium not more than 24 inches square (Not previously exhibited at Stebbing Garden Club Show) Section I CHILDREN’S SECTION (Age on 1st March 2013 applies) I1 Under 4’s Chocolate/Cornflake Nests with 3 choc eggs I2 4,5,6 year olds Colour picture in brochure I3 7,8,9 year olds Animal Mask I4 10,11 year olds See Cookery E9 above All Stebbing Primary School entries will be collected from the school on Friday 22nd March Linda White – Chairman 01371 856756 Joan Matthews – Secretary 01371 856041

Programme of speakers and events for rest of 2012 Meetings Held At The Village Hall, Mill Lane, Stebbing At 8pm

September 24th Herbs In The Garden Margaret Easter

October 22nd Bumble Bees John Taylor

November 26th Small Trees For The Small Garden Graeme Proctor

Essex County Council Stebbing Primary School Stebbing Dunmow Essex CM6 3SH Headteacher Mrs Karen Wallace

Telephone 01371 856260 Fax 01371 856091 Email [email protected] August 2012 We have all been working hard this term looking at the Ancient Greeks and the history behind the Olympics. We finished the school year with a whole week of sporting activities. Starting with a dance workshop for each class where they learnt a dance from a country that will be at the 2012 Olympics. Later in the week we held swimming races and grouped into our houses to prepare for our own Sports day. The children were very industrious making banners and composing chants and slogans to cheer their house on.

On Friday we invited the parents in for our annual Sports Day, which we started with an Olympic- style parade by the children in their houses along the race track. We then held all our traditional races, the bean bag race, dressing up race and our year 6 rite-of- passage race “the slow bike race”. All the children were entered into the flat races; these were our special medal races -and we even had our own podium!

Our parents stayed for a picnic lunch and then joined us for a closing ceremony in the hall. The children entertained us with a sample of the jazz music they play each week in music lessons and some songs that they have learnt from their chosen Olympic country. There were also a few songs which we had chosen for their inspirational messages and words.

It was a fantastic week, a lot of hard work for the staff but worth it. It was interesting having our parents in school with us for the whole day, but everyone I spoke to afterwards said what a fantastic day they’d had. In our last week we were visited by Master Malakin who is a judo master in the area. She had just had the privilege to be one of the runners with the Olympic torch. She came in wearing her official outfit and with her

precious torch. All the children (and staff) had the opportunity to have their photograph taken holding the torch. Hopefully we have inspired some of the children to strive to become Olympians of the future; if nothing else we sent home many well informed little individuals, who have a lot of relevant knowledge about the history and facts about the Olympics. I hope you are enjoying the sport; as I type we have just moved into 3rd place in the medal table.....Go Team GB!!!!

Yours sincerely Karen Wallace Headteacher

DORCAS SOCIETY

“An independent Group, sharing in and supporting our village community of Stebbing”

Harvest Lunch

Friday 19 October 2012 @ 12.30p.m

Stebbing Village Hall, Mill Lane

Buffet Lunch, wine: £6.50 Raffle

The Harvest Lunch is the Dorcas Society’s Annual Fund Raising Event

Please support us. – Tickets: Tel (01371) 856476, 856341 or 856155 by 7th October

Tennis Coaching Season 2012

Junior Saturday morning coaching sessions re-start immediately at

Stebbing Tennis Club, all ages welcome - time to be arranged

Adult refresher doubles coaching/coffee mornings to be started soon on Fridays at the Club

Call Peter Newell LTA licensed coach on 01371 856 157 or 07884104202 for more details

Houghton Safety Services Ltd. Health and Safety Consultants. Stress Management Solutions.

Health and Safety Consultancy Services Please contact: Brian or Paula Houghton.

Houghton Safety Services Ltd., 24 Brookfields, Stebbing, Dunmow, CM6 3SA Telephone / Fax: Email: [email protected] (01371) 856833 Web site: www.hsafety.co.uk

Registered in England & Wales No. 6459799. Registered Office: 12 West Street, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9EE.

OLD FRIENDS’ MEETING HOUSE HIGH STREET, STEBBING

HALL TO LET Suitable for Children’s Parties, Meetings etc

REASONABLE PRICES phone Stebbing (01371) 856464

Driving Lessons Pass Plus ♦ Intensive Courses Instructor Training ♦ Advanced Lessons Your Local Instructor with a National Reputation Andy Milne B.Phil.Ed, Cert.Ed, Inst.Ad.Mot AA Driving School Former Head Teacher and Chief Training Officer (Instructor College) Fully Qualified ADI Grade 5 Punctual, Patient and Reliable Stebbing and immediate environs, AA price per hour discounted by 20%. Free Road Safety Presentations to Sixth Forms /Youth Groups. 07762 775265 or 07738 797728. [email protected]

THE MAD MEDIC

Hello everyone, I hope that you enjoyed the few glimpses of sunshine; what a summer! I have just been on study leave, but it was a very hectic couple of weeks, with lots to do. On Tuesday, I handed in other coursework [who needs sleep anyway?] for a new challenge to do with young people, which is exciting and will fit in with my other work nicely. Now, given how busy my life is, this will not come as any surprise to any of you, I was on the phone to one of my patients and, whilst listening intently, I absent- mindedly scratched my head with my gel pen. Yes, you've guessed, the lid was off and my scalp was black. The daft thing was that I didn't actually have an itch. Can I possibly get any worse? I couldn't even keep a low profile, so had to walk around like a menopausal badger until it washed off. Things are progressing well with my plans for Mumbai. Dunmow Primary, headed by my dear friend Sylvie Ruck, donated over £400 raised by pupils, parents and staff towards my building project, and another friend, John, from Dunmow has pledged help in buying some building materials. An old colleague of mine from the airport, Bob Prior, is an engineer-come plumber/electrician, and has volunteered to go with us to work on the renovations. So far four definites are going with me, and maybe Ross as a further possibility—if all goes well. I am so happy, as I thought that I was going to have to do everything myself and have to hire Indian workers. Please can everyone send out positive thoughts that my project goes well, as it will change lives for some amazing young people who have suffered for so long without complaint. Not long now, and still masses to do, but hopefully it will all be worth it. If I can make children happy and safe, then I don't mind how hard I have to work - but sleep would really be a treat. In November I may book a hall to have a pre-Christmas sale to fund bedding for the leprosy hospital. If so we will try to have lots of craft work and hand made cards/gift bags and labels plus pretty diaries and notebooks, cakes, dolls clothes, dolls house food, fridge magnets, decorations, craft embellishments, 'nearly new' adult and children's clothes [ we don't need any more ], 'nearly new' action figures and dolls, hand made soaps, scarves etc...so watch out for updated info. If you support the sale, even by spending 20 pence, everything helps. £1.99 will buy a soft face flannel for someone, £4.00 will buy a pillow, £10.00 will buy bedding and a soft towel. I always have so much to tell you but space is limited, so if my little blogs are a bit boring, thank you for reading about my plans and allowing me to share my passion. Hopefully I can get loads more of my book written soon because so many of you ask what my work in Mumbai entails. Take care all of you - lots of love to Beverley Harrod, who has been extremely ill for months, and to Tim and Ruth, who have always found time to comfort others. love and hugs Valerie xxxxxxxxxxx

Valerie Mulcare-Tivey (Office address): Gingerbread Room, 14 Warehouse Villas, Stebbing, CM6 3SU e-mail: [email protected]

A Menace To The Community? Reg Frost was born in Stebbing in 1924 and was the youngest of seven children (5 boys, 2 girls) living with parents in Honeysuckle Cottage. An older sister had already left home to go into service. The house was crowded and, in common with many at the time, it was necessary to use the upstairs landing for sleeping. After a day’s work his mother had to prepare a meal and care for them all. The work was necessary as “labourers’ wages weren’t nothing that time o’ day”. One of Reg’s earliest memories, when accompanying his mother pea-picking, is of seeing an airship for the first time. On Reg’s first day at the village school, he arrived home in the middle of the morning, telling his mother he’d had a good first day. She explained that he’d only been sent out for playtime, not to come home. He soon got used to the routine and remained there until he left at 14. On his final day the schoolmaster, Mr Taylor, told him, “Frost, you’ll be a menace to the community.” Reg never forgot this. An older brother played in the cricket team and, “in that time o’day”, they had to remove the cowpats from the field and mark out the boundaries before the game. Although the pitch was roped off from the cows in the summer, it doubled as the half way line for the football field in the winter. The highlight for 6 year old Reg was the cricket match tea. They used to bring cakes up from Newman and Whitmore, a shop at the bottom end of the village, and Reg waited in the hope he could have one when the players had finished. Stebbing was a very different place for the young Reg Frost than the one we know today. He would take a jug down to Minnie, at Pratt’s farm, to get milk and watch the cats drinking out of the pan of milk as she dipped the jug into it. Bill Pratt had a cat which sat next to him while he was milking and he’d say, “You want some?” and he’d squeeze a spray of milk into the cat’s mouth. There were very few cars and the village was largely self-sufficient in terms of shops and delivery services. It was still the steam age and W&H Marriage, the flour millers, used to bring loads to the mill on trucks pulled by traction engines. There were also many labour intensive activities we don’t see today. Stan Haslen had two “thrashing tackles” for separating the grain from corn and the children used to chase and kill the mice attracted by the activity. The man who ran the engine for the thrashing table used to ask the boys to collect the mice for him. He cooked them on a shovel over the hot coals of the steam engine and ate them. The war started when Reg was 15, and a year later the Germans dropped an oil bomb on Pratt’s Farm and hit a barn containing chickens. Although most survived, many had no feathers and were badly burned. An unexploded bomb landed on the row of cottages where the bowling green now sits and people were evacuated before it went off in the early hours of the morning. Further bombs from the cluster went off in the fields towards the mill. The tenant of the cottage closest to the vicarage was one Ginny Young, who was thought by some to be a witch

because some years earlier she had fallen out with a villager called Mrs Lagden and told her, “I hope you get bedridden and never get out”. Not long after this Mrs Lagden had a stroke - and hence the idea that Ginny had put a curse on her. Reg started work at the bacon factory in Great Dunmow in 1938 and, being the new boy, he was required to go to the manager’s house every day for an hour to clean and tidy and to light the boiler for the manager’s bath. One day he was just leaving when the maid came to the top of the steps above him and threw a pair of dirty boots onto the floor he had just cleaned and said, “Clean them boy.” Reg was not prepared to take orders like that and he refused and went home. Later he received a message to ask him to go in and see the under-manager, who told him that he was silly to give up a job with good prospects – but as Reg would still have to go and accept orders from the maid, he chose not to return. Although a time of high unemployment, Reg soon got work with Dan Bolden, a butcher in the village, for 5s a week. He had a half day off on Wednesday but had to work until 10.30 pm on Fridays, preparing orders, and until 8pm on Saturdays delivering them. The slaughter house was at the rear of the shop and Reg questions some of the practices of the time but, “That time o’ day, with war coming, there were never inspectors came by Stebb’n”. It was at Bolden’s where he first encountered Olive, who was then the little girl who came with a friend to take the manager’s black Labrador out for walks. The job came to an end when he wanted to go to a wedding on a Saturday and asked Mr Bolden for the day off, and was refused. For the second time he left a job because he felt unfairly treated - and again he quickly found another, this time as a farm hand working for Will Chopping at Collops Farm. One of his early tasks was to thatch some hay and corn stacks because he and another lad had told the farmer that they knew how to do it - in fact neither had a clue. At first, their attempts just kept falling off, but fortunately Reg’s dad, who was also a farm hand, came by and showed him what to do - he got 10s extra for finishing the job. One day in December 1942 his sister came to tell his parents that her husband had been killed after just 6 weeks in action - and on the same day Reg was called up. After going to Lincoln for 6 week’s training, he was assigned to Ordnance and spent the war packing and shipping supplies. As he had worked on the Reg At Collops Farm land, he got an early release in 1945 and returned to work on the farm - where he once more encountered Olive, who was working there. She was no longer the little girl Reg had known before the war and, before long, they went out together. The Chopping’s older boy, David, was killed in an accident on the farm. He was leading a horse which was hauling a loaded cart when hornets stung the horse, causing it to bolt. The shafts of the cart hit him in the chest and he never

recovered. There are more amusing memories of life on the farm however. William Chopping always wore a white hat and smock when milking, and on one occasion when trying to relieve a cow’s constipation, he poured black treacle down its throat and the cow choked and coughed it all back over him. On another occasion a young farm hand was trying to load a cart and complained to Reg that the cart kept tipping. It turned out that he’d stacked the back of the cart, which had Reg and Olive started to lift the horse up in the air. After a day harvesting, some of the men would go down to the off-license on Stebbing Green where they would be given a bottle and a pint mug, which they would take to the ditch at the field boundary because they were not allowed to drink on the premises. The actor, Michael Denison, was sometimes there and used to “push the boat out” and buy drinks for the others. When William Chopping was taken to hospital with a severe ear infection, he asked Reg to do whatever necessary to look after the cows (in spite of his previous assertions that “cows don’t pay”). When he returned, he told Reg that the car was full of petrol and he should take Olive out for the day – so they went to Clacton. They were married at St Mary’s in July 1950 and had the reception on the lawn at The Mill, which was owned by Olive’s father, Bert Hynds. Following a honeymoon in Wales they started life in a one-up-one-down Mill House with a small kitchen at the back. There was no electricity, so they relied on oil lamps, coal fires and an oil stove for cooking. They stayed for a couple of years before moving to one of the new houses in Bran End Fields – a couple of doors down from where they live today. Reg left the farm after the death of his father, with a very good reference from William Chopping, and returned to work at the bacon factory for a while, but he ended up in hospital with severe kidney problems and was advised to seek lighter work. He worked at the mill on such tasks as grinding cereals, crushing oats and driving lorries. One day Tony Lanyon came in with 2 very large railway sacks of beans for grinding to feed cattle. After Reg had carried a bag into the Mill he weighed it and found that it came in at 23½ stone – well over twice his weight. His health didn’t seem to suffer however and he continued to work at the Mill until after Bert Hynds died. In his early 60’s Reg went to work at Lowes in Thaxted, a shop dealing in garden supplies and pet food. He was 70 by the time he finished work for good. Reg and Olive have a lot of happy memories of their years in Bran End Fields, including of course raising their two children, Glynis and Colin. They have fond memories of neighbours and have done their share of helping others.

One next door neighbour, Percy Swan had bone cancer and, Reg and Glynis at the mill

when he became weak, he asked Reg if he would help him shave – which Reg did every day for the next 8months. Percy had been a keen churchman and told Reg one day, “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this”. Reg replied, “There’s a lot who go to church wouldn’t have shaved you.” In spite of his advancing age, Reg has continued to be active in village life and today he still runs the afternoon carpet bowls in the village hall. He first became interested in bowls as a young man when he and Olive used to watch her father play behind the vicarage, in the days before the green was developed on its present site. Reg agreed to join the club and Olive’s father got some woods for him. At only 26, Reg captained the club in the year Stebbing won the league. He had a term as the club secretary, and is the only living member from the time when the club acquired the new green. Later Reg went on to bowl for Thaxted and picked up some 30 trophies in 14 years. He started the carpet bowls in the new village hall in 1996 and it grew from just 3 on the first night to around 30 people. A life fully employed in work, bringing up a family, having fun, helping others - not such a menace to the community then!

RSF 27/7/12

STEBBING VILLAGE FETE

Sunday, September 23rd 2012 Mill Lane - 1.30 pm.

Arena Events -Stalls -Side Shows

Games -Bouncy Castle -Children’s Roundabout

BBQ -Beer Tent -Teas and Refreshments

and much more

Free Admission and Parking

The Stebbing Society Are holding a FASHION SHOW on Saturday 24TH November 2012 at Stebbing Village Hall, Mill Lane, Stebbing

Commencing at 6.30pm with a Reception Drink and Ploughman’s Supper

Mixed Event Ticket Price £10

Sponsored by Gloria Passannante of Philomena, Ingatestone and The Stebbing Society

All proceeds to the Stebbing Mini Bus Fund

Tickets from: Dulcie Quinnell 01371 856114 Jenny Nichol 01371 856401 Rae Sutton 01371 874474

Lady Gardener Enthusiastic mature lady gardener with a love of plants General gardening duties within the Dunmow area Contact: Vicky - 07885 406 082

 Intimate, hot wax hair removal by an expert trained therapist.

 Private, hassle free experience, easy parking.

 Fully trained and insured therapist

 Professional Nails, Eyelash and Eyebrows

 Neals Yard Organics and Peron Rigot Wax Luxury Products

For More information and booking call Liz Williams on

Stebbing 856965 or Mobile 07866 312070

Unrequited love in the grass……

The national press proclaimed 2012 a bumper year for bee orchids, and Stebbing has been no exception, with sightings of flowers from all around the village. If you were lucky enough to have chanced upon a bee orchid in flower during June and July (loosely termed summer) you are unlikely to forget its exotic colours and bizarre markings.

A bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) Photograph courtesy Joan Matthews 2012

The bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) is one of the more common orchids of the British Isles; its success most probably due to its ability to adapt to a diverse range of habitats. It naturally occurs on dry open grassy slopes usually on limestone or calcareous sand, but will tolerate other base-rich soils. Bee orchids like a bit of disturbance and are equally at home in urban and rural environments - they can be found growing on common land, in disused quarries, on roadsides, motorway embankments, or old industrial sites and waste ground in towns. They may even make a sudden appearance on a garden lawn.

Native to Europe, bee orchids occur in Great Britain, Ireland and the Mediterranean eastwards to the Caucasus, across Turkey to northern Iran, the Middle East and North Africa. Preferring warm and dry conditions, they are commoner in the southeast of England but, as the climate warms across the UK, they have been spreading northwards and can now be found in southern Scotland. The bee orchid, as its name suggests, has flowers that mimic the body of a bee feeding on a flower. In fact, this flower was once called the "Humble Bee" orchid (Humble being a variation of Bumble). The sepals and petals of this orchid have evolved to look like a female bee sitting on a flower. The outer three sepals, which

are pale lilac or pink, form the 'flower' while the bottom petal is folded back on itself to form the body of a bee. The latter is velvety brown in colour, with yellow bands in the shape of a 'U' from one side of the lip to the other. The last two sepals, which are also pale lilac or pink, are curled to form the antennae of the bee.

The reason this elaborate deception has evolved is to attract the attention of an amorous male bee and dupe it into trying to mate with the strangely unresponsive mimic bee (a process known as pseudo-copulation, if you really want to know). Male bees unwittingly pollinate the orchid by transferring pollen to the female parts of the next flower they visit. Unfortunately for the bee orchid, the bee that it mimics never visits the British Isles, so it must rely on self- pollination to reproduce: the pollen- bearing pollinia, which hang on a thread, are blown against the receptive surface of the stigma. Happily, the bee orchid also grows in areas of Europe where the Eucera bee lives and pollination proceeds in a more traditional manner.

Why is it, though, that they appear as from nowhere and in considerable numbers some years and not others? Bee orchids can flower for up to eight seasons before finally dying. Whatever the mechanism of pollination, a single plant can produce millions of dust-like seeds in its lifetime that can be wind blown for several kilometres. That any bee orchids manage to complete their life-cycle is astonishing in itself. Orchid seed germination, in common with other plants, requires the correct combination of moisture, oxygen and light and warmth, but there is also a requirement for the seed to associate with a mycorrhizal fungus. As the minute orchid seed carries no food reserves within its structure, this fungus provides the seeds with the nutrients they require to germinate and grow. Growth is slow and, from germination, it takes around four years before the first leaf is produced. In subsequent years a basal rosette of leaves is produced each autumn and, as the underground tubers develop and the plant matures, its dependence on the fungus is reduced until it is eventually expelled from the plant. Thus, a profusion of bee orchids can make an apparently sudden and unexpected appearance, even though none have been seen growing in the neighbourhood for years.

So if bee orchids prefer warm and dry conditions in well-drained soils, why did they do so well this year? Did the copious amounts of rain this year cause their mass flowering? Experts think that this is unlikely since the wet conditions encouraged slugs and snails that munch orchids and caused the rank growth of grass that could smother them. It is far more likely that flowering by these warmth-loving orchids was triggered by the mild winter and early warm dry spring weather that helped them overcome the later appalling conditions.

Margaret Rufus Aug 2012

Stebbing and its Not- Listed Buildings

Sometime ago, the editor published my notes on Stebbing and its Listed Buildings. It seemed logical to follow this with an article on its many interesting buildings which are not listed.

The Arts and Crafts movement is often mentioned. This encompassed furniture, jewellery, fabrics and books as well as buildings. The movement started in the late 19th century but ran out of steam by the start of World War II. The guiding principles were individualism, the use of local materials, harmonious design and the dignity of the craftsman’s work – an antidote to the loss of dignity brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Building designs varied widely. A good example however is the pair of cottages at the entrance to Lashley Hall Drive.

Perhaps the most often taken for granted Arts and Crafts examples in Stebbing are our red telephone box in the High Street and the War Memorial in front of Church Farm. The telephone box is a listed building so has no place in this article. The War Memorial is ‘The Cross of Sacrifice’, in Portland stone, designed by Sir Re- ginald Blomfield. The Memorial came in various sizes, from 18ft to 32ft. Ours is the smallest. The clear lettering, without any fancy serifs, designed by Eric Gill, is an Arts and Crafts innovation. There are over 1,000 such memorials in British Cemeteries around the world. Many from Stebbing have visited the British ceme- tery at Thiepval in northern France, and cannot fail to be moved by the memorial arch, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, arguably the most highly regarded of the Arts and Crafts architects. A short walk away is the impressive largest version of our memorial.

At the other end of the village is Brook House. In the 1970s this replaced a tiny red brick cottage, built off the bank of the brook. As well as a family home, it served for some time as the chapel of rest. It was replaced by Brook House, designed by the Essex architect John Wylie, and is very much in an Arts and Crafts style, long after the style was said to have finished.

Wylie was also the architect for Wimpy Homes, the firm that built the houses in Gardenfields, Park Side and Pound Gate, during the 1960s. At that time, Wimpy had a reputation for much higher quality building than its competitors. For example, when housebuilders were using breeze blocks wherever they could, Wylie designed houses were 100% brick.

In 1973, Essex County Council produced its Design Guide for Residential Areas. This pioneering work, its principles later adopted by most planning au- thorities in England, encouraged a more intimate style of development, with curved roads, mews courts and private drives. It encouraged the use of local materials for roofs and walls, harmonious design and landscaping. Brookfields was the very

first development to be built in accordance with these principles, which many build- ers then considered revolutionary (and worrying). By the time Marshalls Piece was built, the design principles were taken for granted.

Probably the most substantially built houses in the village are those by the former Dunmow Rural District Council - Hornsea Villas, Bran end Fields, Warehouse Villas and Collops Villas. Downs Villas were built as ‘Homes for Heroes’ after World War I. All, with their large gardens, were built under the watchful eyes of a clerk of works and site foreman. The Council used various architects, but often settled on Stanley Bragg of Colchester and An- thony Dannat of Chelmsford (Father of Sir Richard Dan- nat, former Commander in Chief of the British Armed Forces and well known for his plain speaking).

Two or three parishes away, at Broxted, there is a 1930s building which really should have been listed. Hill Pasture was designed by the modernist/brutalist architect Erno Goldfinger. Rather in the style of the bridge of an ocean liner, flat roofed, with an atrium and well lit. The design for the kitchen units would not be out of place in the Ikea catalogue today. Erno Goldfinger, born in Hungary, came to Eng- land just before World War II. He purchased a row of Georgian cottages in Willow Road, Hampstead, scheduled by the London County Council as of historic interest, in a scheme that was the forerunner of the present listed building legislation. He ap- plied to the council to demolish, and replace with a large home for himself, in his ‘brutalist’ style. (Now very fashionable, Erno Goldfinger was 70 years ahead of his time.) Local residents opposed the demolition, but approval was given. One resi- dent, Ian Flemming, retaliated. When he wrote his James Bond books, he named the bad guy ‘Goldfinger’. So Erno is known by just about everyone on Earth, but not known by many of them for his cutting edge architecture.

There is much more of interest in Stebbing’s not-listed buildings, but this seems enough for one article.

Michael Kingdom 21.08.2012

...so hopefully there'll be more in future issues—Ed

Farming Diary

Mark Lanyon is otherwise engaged - but has promised a report on this year’s harvest in the next issue. The editor is informed that the wheat is all in, and Mark is believed to be somewhere in a field of rape at time of writing.

Dementia Support Workers are happy to offer free help, advice and support to people with dementia and their carers. Home visits possible. Please contact us on - 01371 872519 Or e-mail at:

uttlesford@alzheimers.org.uk

STEBBING MINI-BUS Stebbing’s own Mini-bus has been taking Villagers into Dunmow for Market day on Tuesdays, for many years. The driver will pick up passengers anywhere in the village and, at around 9.30a.m, set off to Dunmow, dropping off in the High Street. It then goes to Tesco for those wanting to shop there and returns to the Co-op car park at 12noon, to head back to passengers homes in Stebbing. So, if you need to visit the Doctor, Dentist, Chiropodist, Hair Salon, Library or Dunmow’s excellent market; the mini-bus is for you. Everyone is welcome to use this voluntary facility and we urge you all to take up this opportunity. We ask for a minimum donation £2 towards the running costs. With ever increasing costs of fuel and insurance, we are not covering all the costs of the mini-bus. We must make more use of it to generate more revenue. We plan to contact other villages in the area to make them aware of our bus’s availa- bility, as they do not have the luxury of owning their own mini-bus. In the coming months we shall organise fund raising events too, so if you feel you can help with this, or have suggestions for fundraising, please contact one of us. The Stebbing mini-bus is also available for hire at any time as a self-drive, providing you have the qualifications set out below. It is the perfect solution for special days out with all the family, or any big event, and seats 14 people. We may be able to provide a driver if given sufficient notice. For rates, please call Adrian (856 892) or Jenny (856 401) Volunteers needed – urgently! We need volunteer drivers for Stebbing mini-bus. If you have a clean licence, are aged between 25 -70yrs, have a class D on your licence, and can be available approximately once each month to drive the Tuesday Dunmow Run, we want to hear from YOU! You will have time to do your own shopping, go to the library or just visit one of the town’s many watering holes for a cup of coffee whilst waiting. If you can give a couple of hours of your time, please contact Adrian (856 892) or Jenny (856 401)

Stebbing Village Community Bus Hire a 14 seat Mini-Bus Drive yourself or book a Driver For details, please telephone: (01371) 856 401 or (01371) 856 892

My Team London 2012 Ambassador Experience

My Team London Ambassador experience began in July 2010. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, launched a programme to recruit 8,000 “dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers” to man 43 visitor hot spots and travel hubs in and around London during the Olympic and Paralympic Games to guide and ensure that every single visitor would have the best possible experience. Brian and I both volunteered! Of the 33,000 interested applicants, 16,000 were shortlisted and invited to recruitment events during the spring of 2011. We were tested on our knowledge of London, given visitor/ambassador role-play scenarios to act out and had to stand up and talk on a given subject for two minutes. Finally we had a one to one interview. By the end of September 8,300 volunteers had been selected, including Brian and myself, and by Christmas security checks were underway, uniforms ordered and shift duties confirmed. We eagerly awaited the New Year of 2012 and the beginning of training. All London ambassadors were required to complete three full days training which were spread out between January and July. They were very intensive, but great fun. We learnt a lot about London at Games time and what sort of queries and problems we might expect from visitors. We met fellow Ambassadors, whose ages ranged from 16 years to over 70, and once again there were plenty of role-play activities, quizzes and presentations. By July 2012 we were ready and raring to go, all kitted out with a bright pink/mauve uniform, trilby hat, literature and back pack, water bottle and security pass. My shifts were from the 8th until the 12th August, 1pm – 5.30pm and I was assigned to a City Flying Squad. This meant that I could be sent anywhere that needed help, either because of staff shortage or the sheer volume of visitors in the area. Each day I was required to report to my Area Manager at Somerset House for further instructions unless told otherwise. Brian had chosen to volunteer at Stansted Airport. The 8th August dawned bright and sunny and I set off feeling very excited but quite nervous for my first day as a Team London Ambassador. I needn’t have worried as London was certainly in carnival mode and my bright pink and mauve uniform sparked off conversations and Games/London related questions from fellow travellers even before I had boarded the train! By the time I had reached Liverpool Street Station I felt relaxed and ready and took a number 11 bus to Somerset House. About 30 members of the Flying Squad had reported for duty and after we had chatted and got to know one another our Area Manager took us through important issues for the day and sent us out in small groups to help at busy locations. Six of us, myself included, were assigned to Covent Garden so we duly set off on the five minute walk to report to the Location Manager at the Ambassador Pod located on the edge of the market on Henrietta Street. Covent Garden was simply buzzing with activity, with thousands of tourists milling around, passing through, or just relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere at one of the many restaurants and bars. I was soon caught up in the amazing excitement of the place and got stuck into handing out maps and leaflets and chatting to visitors about the history

and culture of Covent Garden and directing them to where they planned to go next. Time flew, and by six o’clock I was on my way home, exhausted and hot but very happy. My second day was spent at the Tower of London and I loved being there even more than at Covent Garden, with the backdrop of the spectacular and iconic Tower and fabulous views of Tower Bridge spanning the River Thames. Being so rich in history and tradition, the area was alive with tourists, many with young families enjoying the sunshine and our wonderful heritage. Quite a few told me that, although they had been unable to get tickets to a sporting event, they had just wanted their children to come and experience the ‘atmosphere’ in London during Games time. They certainly were not disappointed. One American mother with a young daughter had flown that morning from Majorca (where they had been on holiday), to Gatwick, taken a tour of London on an open topped bus, followed by a river trip to visit the Tower, and was finally asking for help as to the quickest way to get to Heathrow for a flight back to the States! They had had a fabulous day. On Friday, my third day, I went to the South Bank and there again it was an entirely different experience to the previous two days. With so much going on the area was awash with visitors enjoying the culture and events organised by the many venues located all along the river bank. It was so exciting just to be there and to soak up the vibrant carnival mood. The children were especially enjoying themselves watching artists at work and being spooked by a whole host of amazingly colourful ‘Living statues’. The view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben across the river provided the perfect skyline for souvenir photographs. For my final two days I was sent to The Tower, as visitor numbers were expected to increase dramatically over the weekend, and the Pod there was understaffed. I was really delighted, especially as the Men’s Marathon would be passing through Leadenhall Market on its way to the Tower on Sunday. At least now I would get to see some sport at first hand (having been unlucky in all the ticket ballots) and I made sure I would arrive really early at Liverpool Street Station so as not to miss the first loop. As I made my way on foot towards The Tower I was jostled along with excited spectators hoping to see something of the race and had to battle my way through a vast crowd of people to reach the Pod. Once there I joined my fellow ambassadors standing on a large concrete block to watch for a while and cheer on the runners. What an exciting atmosphere for the final day of the Olympic Games. It felt as if the whole world was there on the banks of the River Thames, with Tower Bridge standing proudly in the sunshine, resplendent with the five Olympic rings and I felt immensely lucky to be part of it. It was wonderful, that last day, chatting with Londoners, overseas visitors, tourists and Olympic athletes out sightseeing before returning home. They had all come together to make London 2012 such a resounding success and everyone was smiling. My role as a Team London Ambassador may now be over, but my wonderful memories of joy and comradeship will remain with me for ever. I am so very glad I volunteered.

Judith Jolly: August 2012

STEBBING PARISH COUNCIL Please note that the Parish Council website has moved to a new address. The new address is: www.StebbingParishCouncil.org.uk PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS 2012-2013

Date Planning Public Parish Council 2012 Meeting Meeting th 13 Sept 7.15 7.30 7.45

th 11 Oct 7.15 7.30 7.45

8th Nov 7.15 7.30 7.45

13th Dec 7.15 7.30 7.45

2013 th 10 Jan 7.15 7.30 7.45

14th February 7.15 7.30 7.45 th 14 March 7.15 7.30 7.45

11th April 7.15 7.30 7.45 th 9 May ANNUAL ASSEMBLY 7.00

7.30 Annual Meeting of the Council 8pm

Clerk’s e-mail address Please note that the e-mail address for Linda White, Clerk to Stebbing Parish Council, is [email protected]. For all other matters not relating to the Parish Council please continue to use [email protected].

VACANCY – PARISH CLERK Stebbing is a rural parish with a population in the region of 1,400, nine councillors and a precept of approximately £33,000. It is an active Parish Council which is seeking to appoint a new Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer who will support the Council’s activities. The appointment is to fill a vacancy following the retirement of the current Clerk, who will be leaving on 15th October, after ten years in the post. The position is currently for 6 hours per week, to be reviewed after 6 months. An hourly rate in accordance with nationally agreed conditions is payable, as well as mileage, office expenses and an allowance for the use of the Clerk’s home as an office. Experience of working in local government would be an advantage but not essen- tial. The Parish Council hopes to appoint a new Clerk to start work on 15th October. There is provision for the successful applicant to work alongside the present Clerk to ensure a smooth handover. If you are interested please contact the present Clerk – Linda White on 01371 856756 to discuss this position further or send your CV to Mrs Jane Goodwin, Chairman, Stebbing Parish Council, 2 Ruffels Place, Stebbing CM6 3TJ. th Closing date for applications – 20 September 2012

STEBBING PARISH COUNCIL PARISH COUNCILLORS/CLERK 2012-2013 CHAIRMAN Cllr Jane Goodwin 856843 VICE CHAIRMAN Cllr Christina Cant 856334 COUNCILLORS Mr Ernest Howard 856325 Mr Peter Finlay 856570 Mr Philip Hawkes 07976 925 203. Mrs Sandi Merifield 856527 Mr Brian Martin 856664 Ms Margaret Rufus 856122 Mrs Jackie Kingdom 856572 CLERK Linda White, Chalks, Rosemary Lane, Stebbing, CM6 3RR 856756 COMMITTEES HIGHWAYS AND LIGHTING COMMITTEE Cllr Jane Goodwin 856843 Cllr Ernie Howard 856325 Cllr Brian Martin 856664 PLANNING COMMITTEE Cllr Jane Goodwin 856843 Cllr Margaret Rufus 856122 Cllr Sandi Merifield 856527 GREENS COMMITTEE Cllr Sandi Merifield 856527 Cllr Margaret Rufus 856122 Cllr Dr Peter Finlay 856570 Cllr Ernie Howard 856325 Cllr Jackie Kingdom 856572 Cllr Christina Cant 856334 PLAYGROUND COMMITTEE Cllr Ernie Howard 856325 Cllr Margaret Rufus 856122 Cllr Jackie Kingdom 856572 DISTRICT COUNCILLOR Cllr. Mrs Christina Cant, West Side, The Downs, Stebbing 856334 COUNTY COUNCILLOR Simon Walsh e-mail: [email protected] 01371 810451 MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst, Conservative Association, The Old Armoury, Saffron Walden, Essex 07799 850391 House Of Commons SW1A OAA

Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst M.P. Surgery Dates 2012

Saturday 1st September STANSTED 10.45 - 11.30 am Parish Council Office, Crafton Green SAFFRON WALDEN 12.00 - 12.45 pm The Old Armoury, 3 Museum Street

Friday 12th October BROOMFIELD 5.15 to 6.00 pm Broomfield Community Centre 158 Main Road DUNMOW 6.30 – 7.15 pm Foakes House, Town Council Office 47 Stortford Road

Friday 9th November THAXTED 5.45 – 6.30 pm Guildhall, Thaxted SAFFRON WALDEN 7.00 – 7.45 pm The Old Armoury, 3 Museum Street

Friday 7th December WRITTLE 5.15 - 6.00 pm Writtle Main Hall 18 The Green DUNMOW – Allow extra time for parking 6.30 – 7.15 pm Foakes House, Town Council Office 47 Stortford Road

Friday 11th January 2013 STANSTED 5.45 – 6.30pm Parish Council Office, Crafton Green SAFFRON WALDEN 7.00 – 7.45 pm The Old Armoury, 3 Museum Street

Friday 8th February 2013 BOREHAM 5.15 – 6.00 pm Village Hall, Main Road DUNMOW 6.30 – 7.15 pm Foakes House, Town Council Office 47 Stortford Road

Friday 8th March 2013 THAXTED 5.45 – 6.30 pm Guildhall, Thaxted SAFFRON WALDEN 7.00 – 7.45 pm The Old Armoury, 3 Museum Street

Friday 12th April 2013 WRITTLE 5.15 – 6.00pm Writtle Main Hall 18 The Green DUNMOW 6.30 – 7.15 pm Foakes House, Town Council Office 47 Stortford Road

No appointment necessary but if you require any assistance please ring 01799 506349

By the wayside….

Without doubt, the Victorians were an innovative lot. When they weren’t inventing, constructing or writing, they turned their attention to their gardens. As a well off middle class emerged in society, they moved away from the squalor of industry to the outskirts of towns where the air was fresh and they could display their wealth with exotic plantings. In the 1830s John Claudius Loudon wrote about and promoted natural form and movement, relying on bold imported specimen plants such as Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica). Sadly, although well intentioned, all these plants have now become incredible pests. Giant Hogweed, or wild rhubarb grows up to 5m. The sap can cause severe skin inflammation in humans; resulting in blisters and even scarring. If even a minute amount of sap gets in your eye, it can lead to blindness. Children should be kept away from it and protective clothing should be worn if you are removing it from a field. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, makes it an offence to plant or cause Giant Hogweed to grow in the wild. Himalayan Balsam is a much more benign plant; mainly cultivated for its attractive pink hooded flowers and sometimes known as Po- liceman’s Helmet, which they resemble. From Victorian times, people would buy the seeds to grow their equivalent to the orchids produced in the greenhouses of the rich. Its anti-social behaviour is in the aggressive seed dispersal and growth, which can swamp and eradicate native plants, particularly near rivers and other damp areas. Some wildlife trusts even organise “balsam bashing” days to try to control the plant. The real ‘Baddie’ of this trio is the Japanese Knotweed. It is listed as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive species. The root system and strong growth can damage concrete foundations, buildings and roads. Over 70 million pounds was spent removing it from the Olympic site in East London in preparation for this year’s Games. The thick dense clumps will kill off any other herbaceous species and it is virtually indestructible. Its rhizomes can survive to -35˚C, ex- tend 7m and burrow 9m deep. It can be grown legally on only a few sites for scientific research, such as Kew Gardens. If you have even the smallest piece of Japanese Knotweed, it is illegal to dispose of any part of the plant in garden waste. A decision was taken in 2010, to release into the wild an insect, Aphalara itadori whose diet is highly specific to Japanese knotweed and shows good potential for its control. Now we wait to see what the side effect of this may be. History presumes there is one. One thing in the Knotweed’s favour: it is an excellent source of nectar for bees! JAK

The Woodwind of Dunmow We are an adult amateur group who play free for charities, for people in retirement homes and for those with disabilities. We meet at St Mary’s Church Centre, Great Dunmow each Wednesday at 7.00pm. We need more Clarinettists of any grade and a tenor saxophonist We play all types of music – Jazz to Classical, Waltzes to Marches

Call 01799 521642 for more details

Stebbing Bowls Club

Another bowling year is almost over, following a most successful season which started in April. We have had a busy fixture list with friendly matches most week-ends with a variety of Clubs both local and further afield. We are also in the process of completing our own Club competitions for several trophies.

The Club is always looking for more players and welcomes new members of all ages. No experience is needed and free tuition is readily available.

The Club will be holding an Open Afternoon on the day of the Village Fete on Sunday 23 September 2012, and many members will be there to welcome you and give you guidance.

So, if you are at all interested, why not pop in for a cup of tea and a chat and try your hand at bowling in readiness for a start next season. We look forward to seeing you then.

John Pitkethly (Secretary - 01371 856155)

6th July = Over 60’s

3rd August = Donkey Sanctuary

7th September = Crafts (Maureen)

5th October = Crafts (Angie)

2nd November = Cards (Dorcas Soc.)

7th December = Crafts (Maureen)

Feel good, look great

REPS REGISTERED

Want to have the body you dream of?

Want to feel better about yourself?

but don’t want to join a gym? …………………………………………………….

…… then book a 1 – 1 session with Glenn

Get 3 for the price of 2 or 12 for the price of 10 sessions

………………………………………………...

07581366963 or [email protected]

Weight loss – Toning – Change your body shape – Get fitter Limited offer: only £20 per hour

The Rodings and Surrounding Area U3A

The final monthly meeting to be held at Aythorpe Roding Village Hall was treated to a roller-coaster ride through the centuries, when Tony Tuckwell, former headteacher of KEGS and currently a governor of New Hall School, Chelmsford, spoke about the history of this most interesting building, detailing its ownership and its place in the context of English history. A group of Rodings U3A members are looking forward to visiting New Hall later in the year. The Study Days programme continues. An engrossing day, devoted to dendrochronology, took place at the end of July, in an ancient barn, lead by Dr Martin Bridge. Unlike many U3A branches, we do not slow down, let alone stop, in the summer. The Boules Group, always keen to celebrate its French credentials, enjoyed a Gallic style picnic after one session and did not let the rain dampen their spirits. The Membership Secretary is busy re-enrolling members ready for the new subscription year which starts on September 1st. New members are very welcome. Future monthly meetings will take place at The Room in the Rodings, Beauchamp Roding on the first Tuesday of the month, at 2.00 p.m. There are still a few tickets available for Thursford Christmas Spectacular on the 21st November, and non-members may apply. Further information can be obtained from: www.u3asites.org.uk/the-rodings-area or from Louise Searl 01277 362043

Village Shop

There is a possibility that the village shop could re-open. Many people have shown regrets that the shop is no longer there and have “blamed” themselves for not using it more. Talks are on-going as to the feasibility of the shop re-opening and this brief article is to ask for suggestions and/or help to carry this project forward. If you feel that you can offer assistance in any way - be it thoughts, time or enthusiasm please contact :

Peter Hall 856 682/410, e-mail : [email protected]

Tim Goodbody 856 080, e-mail : [email protected]

SALINGS MILLENNIUM HALL GREAT SALING CM7 5DW www.essexinfo.net/thesalingshall MODERN HALL WITH LARGE CAR PARK PRIVATE & CORPORATE HIRE WELCOME Contact: Mrs. Jo Peake 01371 850 260 Mon-Sat 09:00 - 19:00 email: [email protected]

STEBBING BOWLS CLUB Welcomes new members of all ages Experience not needed - free tuition - come and try it at our very friendly club

Contact: Ken Copping 01371 856338 Dennis Hustwitt 01371 856137

STEBBING AFTERNOON CARPET BOWLS THURSDAYS 2.00–4.30PM at the Village Hall Cost £1.50 including tea and biscuits NEWCOMERS WELCOME Informal instruction and encouragement given

Contact: Reg Frost 856 712

STEBBING EVENING CARPET BOWLS THURSDAYS 7.30PM at the Village Hall Cost £1.50 including tea and biscuits Guidance, encouragement and a warm welcome, come free Contact: Carol & Eric Sainsbury (01371) 810 337 [email protected]

TUESDAY AFTERNOON BADMINTON CLUB - PLAYERS NEEDED!!! The Tuesday afternoon badminton club is looking for more players to swell numbers. We play in the Village Hall, Mill Lane, 2pm - 4pm If you are interested in joining us, please contact David Arnold; tel: (01371) 856 271

WEDNESDAY EVENING BADMINTON

Wednesday evenings (except 4th Wednesday of each month) In the Village Hall, Mill Lane

Contact Richard Pellat (01371) 856 218

Your advert could be right here….

Contact: Jackie Kingdom, Sub-Editor & Advertising [email protected] or Judith Jolly at: [email protected]

Did you know that this issue and back copies are available to download from the Stebbing Parish Council Website? www.StebbingParishCouncil.org.uk

The Scene Crossword—123

Solutions available from the Editor at the end of September email: [email protected]

Across 7 Cone or alpine shaped Gland (6) 8 Golden bird? or one-nil to the French (6) 9 Mate turns to side (4) P U M P G L A D R A G S 10 Herb, High St. Cottage and Bran End Lane (8) A O G I O D H 11 Have fun with writer to keep baby safe (7) R A D I A N T W H I T E 13 Cottage said to be dye in Watch House Road (5) K E R T N P D 15 Divine messenger goes to cottage in High St. (5) S E L F D E L U S I O N 17 Cottage in Mill Lane? What a sauce! (7) I E E T S P 20 Not much upstairs in 1&4 down home (8) D E F E N D D E L E T E 21 Cultivate 1&4 down home (4) E U F S R A 23 Ada includes information on things to be done (6) S C R I P T W R I T E R 24 Unfashionable legislation for Robin Hood (6) H H E Y A R T Down E A S E L L A C Q U E R R I D E E C E 1 Roof, wall and floor material followed by 4 and 20 B R A E S I D E H E R E or 21 on Stebbing Green (4) Solution to Crossword in Issue 2 Change from ye to Cottage on The Downs (6) 122 3 Lord changed - yes on Stebbing Green (3,4) 4 Hold on initially to use dwelling (5) 5 Kiss lost second and met fate (6) 6 Clan race around High St. Cottage (8) 12 Local Area Network & broken gauge -French perhaps (8) 14 Tree and group of trees in Saling Road (7) 16 E.g. nine turn to power source (6) 18 Order feast on unknown lack of risk (6) 19 Enigmatic lager for this composer (5) 22 Dora turned to find way (4)

Stebbing Ladies

Just in case you don’t know, Stebbing Ladies is a group that meets once a month, on the last Wednesday at 8pm in the Village Hall - unless we are out and about. Its purpose is for the enjoyment of its members; enabling women of all ages from Stebbing and the surrounding area to meet, learn new things and have some fun. In the last year we have had speakers on such diverse subjects as bird watching, fair trade and wine tasting (this naturally included sampling as well). We had a visit to a local garden, and the summer finale was a “Diamond Olympic” evening at the Cricket ground and Pavilion, for which our partners and guests joined us and the only sport was eating a buffet provided by the members - and drinking Pimms.

If you wish to find out more and come along for a free taster evening - see us at our stall at the Stebbing Village Fete 23rd September, or contact Jane on 856843. We are currently planning our future programme, so in the mean time below are the remaining 2012 events.

Date Subject Speaker 26th September The Work of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau Kellie Dorrington

24th October My incredible journey. What a privilege June Milne

28th November Christmas Social Evening December No meeting

FOR SALE New mobility scooter – never used

Pride Celebrity de luxe xl8 model Offers over £250 welcome Please contact: 01371 856 572

English Tuition

Julie Bull B.Sc. (Hons.), Dip. E.L.S., C.R.B. checked

I am a highly experienced English tutor, recently moved to Stebbing, and currently able to take on new students.

Tuition is offered from age 8 to adult, covering 11+ and school entrance exams, GSCE & A levels, or to help build confidence in the subject.

Please contact E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 07890 540059 or 01371 856768.

Letters to the Editor

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee I attach a draft of a poster recording a quarter peal rung by Stebbing ringers, which will be hung in the ringing room of St Mary's Church. As a point of interest to historians of the village, similar events took place on June 21st 1887 in celebration of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee & on June 26th 1897 for the diamond jubilee. The names of the ringers were recorded and include an Emery, a Barker and a Hynds, whose descendants will be known to many. Regards Dick Hughes

Stebbing Village Hall Available for hire, for all sorts of occasions: Family event ♦ Birthdays ♦ Funerals ♦ Christenings ♦ Wedding Receptions Village clubs ♦ Carpet Bowls ♦ Badminton ♦ Table Tennis ♦ Pilates ♦ Zumba Meetings ♦ Stebbing Ladies ♦ Garden Club ♦ Friday morning Market ♦ Over 60s ♦ History Society ♦ NCT pre-natal classes ♦ First Aid Courses ♦ Quiz Nights Why not start a new group? Chess, Bridge, Music, Dance, Craft, Floral or anything else? We have vacant slots on Monday morning and afternoon, Tuesday & Thursday mornings in the main hall. The Pelham Room is available for smaller gatherings. We have lots of pre-school toys, suitable for a Toddler Group or a Parents & young children Coffee Morning. If any of the above interest you, contact our Steward Donna - Tel: (01371) 856 607

OLD FRIENDS’ MEETING HOUSE STEBBING

OPEN TO VIEW

ON SATURDAY & SUNDAY

8TH & 9TH SEPTEMBER

11AM TO 4PM

AS PART OF HERITAGE OPEN DAYS

Heritage Open Days is your chance to visit thousands of buildings and places across England which are usually closed to the public or charge for admission. To find out what’s on in your region, go to www.heritageopendays.org.uk or call English Heritage on 0870 333 1181

THE ALPHA COURSE

If you want a no-holds-barred, open and honest discussion, you can bring all the questions and things that annoy you about anything to do with Christianity or religion to Alpha. You can ask it, listen to what has got to be said and then make a decision. IF YOU NEVER ASK THE QUESTIONS – YOU’LL NEVER GET THE ANSWERS .... and if you never give it a go you’ll never know whether it was right or wrong, good or bad. Ever wondered what it’s all about ? Over 2 million people in the UK and 14 million worldwide have attended an Alpha course, an opportunity to explore the meaning of life, running in tens of thousands of churches of all denominations across the world. Alpha is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions with a day away. People attend for a wide variety of reasons – some want to investigate whether God exists, others may have attended church occasionally but feel they have never really understood the basics of the Christian faith. The course is based around small groups of around 8 people and will begin with supper – a chance to get to know others in the group. Each week the talk looks at a different aspect of the Christian faith, followed by a discussion in small groups. There is no charge for attending the Alpha course. The Alpha course starts on Thursday 13th September at St Mary’s Church, Stebbing, from 7.00pm until 9.30pm. If you are interested in attending please contact one of the three names below so that we can have an idea on numbers for catering purposes. If you are still not sure what it’s all about and want to have a general chat or would like to receive more literature relating to it then please either contact Rev Tim Goodbody 856080, Sue Crick 822166 or Cathy Beaven 856378 or visit www.alpha.org . Alpha Course Reviews: “What Alpha offers, and what is attracting thousands of people, is permission, rare in secular culture, to discuss the big questions – life and death and their meaning”. The Guardian “What distinguishes Alpha from other initiatives is the easy-going, relaxed feel of the proceedings – that, and its astonishing success”. The Times “Many claim Alpha has changed their lives and appear genuinely happier for the experience”. Time Magazine “Alpha is an unqualified triumph”. The Daily Telegraph “Alpha makes Christianity relevant to modern life”. The Daily Express

Stebbing Local History Society Dates for meetings in 2012 (8pm in the Village Hall):

10th Sept - Current research projects

12th Nov - “The Next Moon” - Nikki Bennett of Dunmow talks about her father’s exploits in the French Resistance in WW2

Inspired by London 2012? Or fed up with it? Throughout the year Uttlesford District Council and the Essex Legacy Team from ECC have been running a series of 12 mile walks around the Uttlesford district. You still have time to participate in the final walk of this year’s series which will start and finish in Stebbing on Sunday 30th September. Come rain or shine, come suitably attired and bring your sense of humour. Start 10.00am at the Friends Meeting House Stebbing CM6 3SE Just turn up, or if you have any queries call, Brian Martin Church Cottage Church End Stebbing 01371 856664

Superfast Essex Broadband Project – Delivering Next Generation Access Broadband to Greater Essex - July 2012 update

Background Government’s ambition is for the UK to have the best broadband connectivity in Europe by 2015 with 90% of the population being able to access Superfast Broadband and the remainder having access to substantially improved broadband at speeds of no less than 2Megabits per second.

In order to achieve this, Government are making £530million of public money available to invest in telecoms infrastructure and county councils are expected to take the lead in procuring a telecoms sector delivery partner to provide the necessary upgrades.

Essex has been allocated £6.46million by Government which Essex County Council has agreed to match. The yet to be selected delivery partner will be expected to match this public sector sub- sidy with £13million of their money so totalling £26million of investment in telecoms infrastructure.

Significant developments Since the bulletin in March there have been a number of significant developments for the Pro- ject:

 On 26th June, the Secretary of State approved Superfast Essex, the Local Broadband Plan for Essex, Southend and Thurrock. The document will be available on-line and a county-wide sur- vey will be carried out to assess where the demand for superfast broadband is.  The Superfast Essex Broadband Board took the view that the procurement of the delivery partner would be done via the National Procurement Framework. This Framework has been set up in line with European Commission and World Trade Organisation competition and state aid rules. The suppliers on the framework have been selected subject to rigorous capacity and re- source criteria and have had to satisfy government that they have the ability to deliver the necessary upgrades on a national scale.  Two suppliers are now known to be willing and are qualified to be on the national framework; BT and Fujitsu. The framework was signed by BT and Fujitsu week commencing 2nd July however the European Commission is still to grant state aid approval so no contracts are allowed to be awarded off that framework.  Government are keen, however, to bring all county councils up to a stage where they are in a position to go out to tender as soon as state aid approval has been granted. A procurement process will then be undertaken that will award a contract to the supplier that best fulfils the aims and aspirations of the Local Broadband Plan.

Rural Community Broadband Fund A further tranche of the Rural Community Broadband Fund was announced by Government in April. The deadline for this is 6th July however until the public market consultation has been carried out, it is still unclear what locations are eligible for state aid funding. To that end, whilst the parishes that may be eligible have been alerted to the fund, it is envisaged that any applications will be made to the third tranche in the autumn.

Ultrafast Cities Further to the Government’s rural broadband programme, in May a new initiative was launched to fund £50 million to 27 cities nationally. This money is to be used to increase broadband capacity in city centres so that ultra-fast speeds (80-100Mbps), can be more widely received.

England’s newest city, Chelmsford, qualifies for this funding and the City Council is currently considering a bid, the more detailed parameters of which are being worked up.

Any Questions? Do not hesitate to contact Philip Wilson at Essex County Council (01245 434283, phil- [email protected]) for further information.

Stebbing Directory AFSS/Stebbing School Office 856260 Badminton Richard Pellatt 856218 or David Arnold 856271 Beavers Maxine Walker 856232 Bell Ringing John Gilbert 856516 Bowls Club Ken Copping 856338 Brownies Loraine Irani 07788 412813 Carpet Bowls Reg Frost 856712 Church – St Mary’s Tim & Ruth Goodbody 856080 Church Flowers Hazel Kerr 856993 Cricket Club Adrian Farr 856691 Cubs Wendy Kibblewhite 856470 New Dorcas Society Joan Bazlinton 856495 First Aid Training Val Mulcare-Tivey 856076 Flitch Youth FC Phil/Marina Bull 856560 Footpath Rep Brian Martin 856664 Friday Morning market Sue Tekell 873225 Friends Meeting House Angela Newbrook 856464 Garden Club Joan Matthews 856041 History Society / Archive Derek Towler 856680 Guides Sue Brown 07915 648952 Guides-Senior Section Sarah White 856032 Judo Club David Walsh 856770 Ladies Group Maxine Walker 856232 Library Direct Pauline McAllister 856478 Meals on Wheels Eve Stephenson 856293 Medi-Call EMS Val Mulcare-Tivey 856076 Minibus Adrian Greenway 856892 Toddlers Helen Mason 821511 Over 60s Peter McGuinness 856254 Parish Clerk Linda White 856756 Police All non-emergency 101 Rainbows Liz Hooper 856814 Scouts Andrew Lipski 07595690009 Stebbing Society Jenny Nichol 856401 Taxi Bev Harrod 856440 Tennis Club Keith Chapman 856632 Village Hall Donna Kiberd 856607 White Hart Nick Eldred 856383

We can only stay up to date if you tell us about changes – Richard Foot 856122

Relaxing at Stebbing Cricket Club President’s Lunch Photograph by Dave Hallams 2012

Caption Competition

Can you write a caption for this photo? A bottle of wine for the best one we receive. (in the Editor’s opinion!)

Please send entries to: The Editor: Richard Foot [email protected]

Closing date is 1st October 2012. Results will be published in the next issue.

Winner of the Summer 2012 (#122) Competition 'Stebbing Scene’s version of Spot The Ball might need a bit of fine tuning !!' Sent in by Paul Gibson—who wins the wine.

Nick Eldred deserves a mention for spotting the Bacon Frazzle

Stebbing Scene is your magazine and we hope that you enjoy receiving it each quarter. Thanks to our advertisers, we are able to produce a professionally printed magazine, which is delivered free to every household in Stebbing. Our first priority is to entertain and inform village residents, but we hope that in doing so we can ensure that advertising with us is worthwhile. For most people in the village, when seeking local tradesmen or services, the natural first source of information is the Scene. If you own a small, or large business, why not place an advert in ‘Stebbing Scene’. Prices range from £15-£75. We can only produce a magazine that meets the needs, and satisfies the interests of Stebbing residents if you continue to send us articles and reports of events and social activities in the village. We welcome photos, reports and announcements covering all aspects of life in Stebbing. Let us have your views on the magazine and on how we can improve and develop. If you have an opinion, a moan, or a suggestion then please contact one of the team. Please send contributions to: Richard Foot (articles, reports and letters) [email protected] Jackie Kingdom (advertisements & obituaries) [email protected] John Pitkethly (queries about delivery) [email protected] Copy date for next issue is 15th November 2012 All contributions are welcome. E-mail is preferred where possible, but even handwritten contributions are accepted (if we can read them).

DISCLAIMER The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Every care is taken to ensure that the contents of the magazine are accurate but the Publishers cannot assume responsibility for errors. As you will know, Stebbing Scene is free and its existence depends on our advertisers. However, the Publishers cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions.