Wickham Bishops Parish Magazine September 2019

Produced by St Bartholomew’s Church www.churchinwickhambishops.org.uk

Church Services for September

At St Bartholomew’s and St Nicholas

SUNDAY 1 Trinity 11 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Parish Eucharist

MONDAY 2 8.30 am Parish Prayers at the start of the month

WEDNESDAY 4 10.15 am Holy Communion

SUNDAY 8 Trinity 12 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Parish Eucharist 4.00 pm Messy Church Teddy Bears’ Picnic

WEDNESDAY 11 10.15 am Holy Communion

SUNDAY 15 Trinity 13 9.00 am Parish Eucharist at St Nicholas, Lt Braxted 10.30 am Pet Service on the Church Field

WEDNESDAY 18 10.15 am Holy Communion at St Mary’s Chapel, Lt Braxted

SUNDAY 22 Trinity 14 8.00 am Holy Communion (1662) 10.30 am Parish Eucharist

WEDNESDAY 25 10.15 am Holy Communion

SUNDAY 29 St Michael and All Angels 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.30 am Parish Eucharist

Parish Register

Baptisms None

Marriages None

Funerals None

Parish Contacts

Revd Hilary The Rectory, 1 Church Road, 01621 892867 Le Sève Wickham Bishops CM8 3LA Hilary’s day off Priest in Charge [email protected] is Friday.

Revd Derek Clark The Leas Farm 01245 380627 Wickham Bishops Road Priest / Curate Hatfield Peverel 07860 235778 CM3 2JL

Barry Cousins 3 Harvey Road 01621 891355 Great Totham CM9 8QA Churchwarden [email protected] Graham Wingrove 8 Arbour Lane 07398 025442 Wickham Bishops Churchwarden CM8 3NS

Peter Bates 10 Church Green 01621-893173 Wickham Bishops Magazine Editor [email protected] Kath Adkins [email protected] 01621-891143

Church Hall Bookings

Letter from Reverend Hilary

Standing on the ridge marking the Col de la Rocheure (2911m in the Parc de la Vanoise (France)) marked the highest part of a two-week figure of 8 walk in the Alps last month made with my immediate family. We were blessed with magnificent views across glaciers, long rubbled moraines, clouded-blue rivulets of glacial runoff and vistas of miniature worlds in distant valleys. Closer to, it was the flowers that took our breath away - Yellow Gentian, Cotton Grass, Edelweiss and Cobweb Houseleek amongst many, many others. At Entre Deux Eaux, farmer and cheesemaker Catherine Richards shared her Beaufort cheese as well as bunkroom accommodation. That the experience has been exhilarating is an understatement. Overcoming struggles with altitude, blisters and sun burn we found ourselves gaining in muscle tone and confidence as each day passed. Passing storms and intense rain served only to add contrast to the great weather we enjoyed. This Eden of course has its challenges. Last in the park in 2004, we noticed the shrinking of snow fields and glaciers. Areas grazed by the cows had less diversity of foliage. Walkers, skiers, mountain bikers and other visitors to the park bring much needed income but have also impacted the natural environment especially as paths erode. Intelligent management is in place to alleviate some of these issues. Notwithstanding for us, the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity of walking daily, refuge food, early nights and regular exercise has left us refreshed and thankful. I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121)

Drop in for soup and a chat

Saturday 19th October

12 noon - 2pm

St. Bartholomew’s Church Hall

£2.50

All Welcome!

This month’s front cover photograph was taken by Roy Jones and highlights the neatly mowed grass and trimmed hedges - work carried out by the volunteer ‘Mowers and Strimmers’

Wickham Bishops Men's Badminton Club

We are a social badminton club and play at Wickham Bishops Village Hall on Tuesday evenings at 8pm and welcome new players of all standards.

First few weeks are free and yearly subs are £60. Just turn up on the night or email Bill on [email protected] for more information.

WICKHAM BISHOPS ART GROUP

We are looking for new members to join us.

We meet on Wednesdays from 2 pm - 4 pm at St. Bartholomew’s Church Hall and are a friendly, informal group with varying abilities.

Please contact

Jenny on 01621 891246 or Rita on 01621 891130.

We look forward to meeting you.

Women’s Christian Fellowship ... At our meeting, on an extremely hot day in July, we took to the cool interior of our lovely village Church, St Bartholomew's, where our speaker Mr Terry Hiscock, told us of the origins of the charity "Save the Children". Eglantyne Jebb may not be a household name but it was she who first campaigned on behalf of starving children in Germany after the Great War and founded the organisation, against much opposition, which is now represented in one hundred and twenty countries. Eglantyne died in 1928 at the young age of 52 without a memorial to commemorate her name, but her legacy lives on through the United Nations Declaration of Rights for Children. Mr Hiscock was so interesting and clearly passionate about the charity and its current work and brought with him many slides to demonstrate the help given throughout the world today and how charities join forces to provide assistance where needed, be it natural disasters or war torn areas, wherever children need help. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 25th September at the usual time of 2.30pm when Mr Peter Layzell will be taking us on a nostalgic trip to the 1960s when he joined the police cadets. We will also be holding a Bring and Buy sale to help with our charitable funding. Do come and give us a try, visitors are always welcome. Denise Yelland.

Drop-in For Tea and Cake On the second and fourth Monday afternoons.

We meet from 2.30pm to 4pm ST BARTHOLOMEW’S CHURCH HALL Transport is available - please ask Sue We look forward to seeing you - Sue (892032)

Alpha - this September

So, what is Alpha? Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone's welcome. No two Alphas look the same, but generally they have three key things in common: food, a talk and good conversation.

First up there's - Food Whether it's a group of friends gathered around a kitchen table, or a quick catch up over coffee and cake, food has a way of bringing people together. It's no different at Alpha. All our sessions start with food because it's a great way to build community and get to know each other.

Talk The talks are designed to engage and inspire conversation. Usually around thirty minutes long and delivered over about eleven weeks, they will be played as a video. They explore the big issues around faith and unpack the basics of Christianity, addressing questions from; Who is Jesus?; and How can we have faith?; to Why and how do I pray?; and How does God guide us?

Discussion Probably the most important part of any Alpha: the chance to share thoughts and ideas on the topic, and simply discuss it in a small group. There's no obligation to say anything and there's nothing you can't say (seriously). It's an opportunity to hear from others and contribute your own perspective in an honest, friendly and open environment.

We would love for you to join us. The course commences on Tuesday 10th September 2019 at 7pm and will run every Tuesday until 19th November 2019. It doesn’t matter if you are unable to attend every week but we hope that you will want to! There is also an optional Away Day on Saturday 26th October. If the course is something you would like to give a try it would be helpful if you could drop a quick e-mail or text message to Graham Spearman on [email protected] or on 07721 505296. This will assist us with the catering! We look forward to hearing from you.

Cotton Scatterers 5th Patchwork & Quilting Exhibition Sales Table 28th & 29th September 2019 Tombola 10 am to 4 pm Trade Stands Quilt Raffles Admission £3 Light refreshments children under 12 free Demonstrations

Wickham Bishops Village Hall Contact Liz Bickers Witham, Essex, CM8 3JZ on 01245 690260 Or Wendy McWhirr Proceeds to on 01621 891055 local charities

Bikes Changing Lives ...

Take a used bike from the UK, ship it to Africa where it is really needed & teach the local people the skills to fix and maintain it.

Re-Cycle is a small charity based in Essex that takes unwanted bicycles and parts from the UK and ships them to trusted partners in Africa. We believe in an Africa unlimited by transport. Our sustainable bike re-use model has a dual benefit:  Bikes that have been languishing, unwanted in garages all over the UK are donated and put to good use, rather than ending up in landfill sites.  These bikes are then shipped to Africa, providing a cheap, sustainable and eco-friendly form of transport for people and communities who have no other way of reaching each other. In 2018 we sent 16 container loads to Africa, containing 8,000 bikes. THE NEED FOR BIKES 649 million people live in rural communities in Africa, and many of these people must walk for long distances to reach crucial services and social support networks. Not only does this take a toll on health, it can also prevent children from reaching their place of education, denying them a good start in life. Bikes provide an economical, easy to maintain form of transport. Having access to a bike can increase a family’s income by up to 35% and help to keep children in school. Other forms of transport can be either non-existent, or prohibitively expensive. Re-Cycle choose not to refurbish donated bikes in the UK, and instead, after being quality checked, they are shipped to Africa and refurbished by qualified mechanics. In this way, our UK team have more time to source, check and ship bikes – and overseas bike mechanics (employed by partner organisations) have employment and can provide a place for new bike owners to take their bike for small repairs. Bikes are cheap to repair, can last a lifetime when well cared for, and can be used by the entire family. It’s not uncommon for African children to face a 10-mile walk to school. This often results in students being exhausted before class has even started. With a bicycle, this journey time can be reduced by 75% so students have more time and energy to focus on their lessons.

Salifu Bah is a fourteen-year-old Grade 8 student and attends St Bosco basic school in Sintet in The Gambia. He received his bike on 1st October 2018. Before he got his bike, it uses to take him an hour to walk the 5 kilometres to get to school. He would sometimes have to leave before it got light and would often be late arriving. Not only did Salifu receive a bike, but he also attended Re-Cycle’s one day workshop, where students are taught how to maintain their bikes and when to take them to the mechanic. This means that students can identify problems before they become expensive to fix allowing their bikes to last longer. Now enjoying school, Salifu’s favourite subject is English and he wants to become an education minister when he is older. He is also very happy that when he has finished his schooling, he will be able to give his bike to his brother so that he can use it to travel to school. We aim to improve more lives, like Salifu’s through bicycle re-use. Not only are we providing quality, affordable and sustainable bike transport in Africa, we are also reducing the amount of bikes ending up in landfill in the UK which has a positive impact on the environment. Shipping over 100,000 bikes to Africa is no mean feat; and Re-Cycle are fortunate enough to be heavily supported by volunteers, many of which give up their spare time to help on a weekly basis and are extremely vital to the running of the charity. We receive no government funding and rely on the support of the trusts, corporate organisations, groups and associations, individuals and our own fundraising. For further information on how you can support us or if you would like to make a donation of a bike or funds visit www.re-cycle.org PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO COLLECT BIKES IN THE COLCHESTER AREA. The charity offers talks to groups/associations, schools and churches. Please email [email protected]

Wickham Bishops Women’s Institute ... We are a friendly village group that would always welcome new members, and encourage anyone to come along as a visitor, to see what we are about! It’s a great way to meet up with friends and make new ones! The next group meeting is 26th September at 2pm, where “Doppelgängers Read Poetry”. We are celebrating our Centenary this year and have planned a special celebration in August, and I’ll let you know how we got on next time! In July an amazing number of ladies turned out in the sweltering heat to hear our speaker Ann Matthews MBE give us her narrative on a lifetime in Girl Guiding. We heard how her life experiences aided her in obtaining a position at headquarters after being a Brown Owl for many years, and how she developed the procedures for protecting our youngsters from harm by lobbying the Government and updating the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) forms to digital. She also successfully campaigned to have these essential checks made free of charge for volunteers. I sincerely believe that the world is a safer place due to the immense efforts of this lady and her team. This and her life’s work in the Guiding Movement was recognised by The Queen in her honours list of June 2016. This was especially poignant as it was a special birthday year for both Ann and Her Majesty! Ann says that the number of children wanting to join has not diminished and there are waiting lists in some area, an issue which is compounded by the shortage of leaders. Becoming a leader is an enjoyable and worthwhile vocation. You would initially start as a helper and be supported throughout your training. To find out more about enrolling a child or becoming a helper / leader you can go to the website www.girlguiding.org.uk and click on “Get Involved”. There’s plenty of information to get you started. Due to the heat of the day, we adjourned to the church for the remainder of our meeting and enjoyed a natter and a cup of tea or refreshing cold drink. We usually meet on the last Thursday of most months in St Bartholomew’s Church Hall between 2 and 4pm. Some of our ladies come along to the craft group every Friday at the same venue. This stops during August, but will restart on Friday 6th Sept at 2pm. If you feel energetic, a walking group meet in Church Road, opposite the village hall at 9:30am on Monday mornings for a pleasant hour long walk around the village and surrounding areas. For more information, please call our secretary Sharon O’Connell on 01621 891631, or if you would just like to pop along to try us out, I am always on the door to greet you and offer a warm welcome. Best wishes Jayne Kneale

Chelmsford’s 3K Family Fun Run and Marathon ...

On Sunday 20th October, The J’s Hospice is holding its first Chelmsford 3K Fun Run. This family-friendly event is suitable for all ages and abilities - you can walk, jog or run the 3K course and prams and well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome. The route starts and finishes in Central Park, taking in some of the city’s beautiful parks, and everyone who takes part will be given a medal when they cross the finish line. The 3K Family Fun Run is raising money for The J’s Hospice which is part of Havens Hospices. The J’s supports young adults with life-limiting conditions and their families across Essex, providing specialist care in the comfort of their own homes and in the community. It only costs £5 per person to take part and children under 5 can join in for free. It’s a great, fun way to get the whole family exercising together while raising money for a local hospice charity. To find out more and sign-up online, go to www.havenshospices.org.uk/chelmsfordfunrun If you’re looking for a greater sporting challenge, The J’s Hospice Chelmsford Marathon is also on Sunday 20th October. The 26.2 mile course is on road and tarmac paths that take you through the city and out into the nearby countryside before returning to Central Park to finish. Online registration is open now at www.havenshospices.org.uk/chelmsfordmarathon

From the Parish Council … There was no general meeting of the Parish Council in August. The There have been several incidents recently of fly-tipping, particularly in Planning Committee met on the 16th and minutes of the meeting can Grange Road. This is illegal and costs the District Council considerably be found at to clear it up. If you do have any information, or see any vehicle which www.wickhambishopsparishcouncil.org may be involved, please report it to either the Parish Council or Maldon District Council. Residents may like to know that the Parish Council are consulted on all planning applications from within, or close to, the village and will The next General Meeting of the Council will be held on Tuesday 3rd discuss these at either a general meeting or a planning committee September in the Village Hall boardroom and a Planning Committee meeting, the agenda for which are posted on the website (address as meeting will be held if requires on Friday 20th September at 11.30 am. above) or on the Council notice board adjacent to ‘One Stop’. It is, Councillors may be contacted individually, or via the Parish Clerk on however, Maldon District Council who determine the applications - we 07542 190176, or by email are consultees. [email protected]

Participants in the 2018 Chelmsford Marathon

The J’s Hospice is looking for volunteers to help make both events a big success. If you can help with the pre-event organisation or you can volunteer on 20th October (e.g. at a water station, as a marshal or helping with baggage, t-shirts and at the finish funnel) please contact Lucy: [email protected] or 01245 475474. Thank you to the Chelmsford office of Aon, the professional services firm, which is kindly sponsoring both events.

There have been several incidents recently of fly-tipping, particularly in Grange Road. This is illegal and costs the District Council considerably to clear it up. If you do have any information, or see any vehicle which may be involved, please report it to either the Parish Council or Maldon District Council. The next General Meeting of the Council will be held on Tuesday 3rd September in the Village Hall boardroom and a Planning Committee meeting will be held if requires on Friday 20th September at 11.30 am. Councillors may be contacted individually, or via the Parish Clerk on 07542 190176, or by email [email protected]

A New Dancing Class … Emma, who runs the Starlight Dance School, is running weekly Ballroom and Latin dancing classes in the Village Hall, on Wednesday evenings from the 18th September. All are welcome and, as Emma says, the first week will introduce the social foxtrot which is an ideal dance for those with “two left feet”. She adds that “Dancing is so wonderful, it helps you keep fit physically and mentally and has been proven to help fight dementia.” So, come along and give it a go.

Men’s Assembly … A group of local men meet on the second Wednesday of each month for an informal evening of discussion, beer and refreshments. We alternate between the ’Prince of Wales’ in Great Totham and the ’Green Man’ in little Braxted. The meeting in September is scheduled for Wednesday 11th from 8 pm onwards, at The Prince of Wales in Great Totham and all are invited to join us - no rules, no membership forms to fill-in, just £10 on the night to include two drinks and some top-notch bar snacks. For more details please contact Lester Firkins on 01621 892913 or by email: [email protected]

Yomelelani Bridge Day

Tuesday 26th November 2019

We are delighted that Richard & Barbara have agreed to repeat the very enjoyable Bridge Day which they held in December 2018. As last year, the event will be in support of the Yomelelani Trust which provides a crèche and pre-school education for 150 children in a South African township where poverty and hardship are commonplace. This year’s event will be held in St Bartholomew’s Church Hall in Wickham Bishops, commencing at 10.30am. A welcome coffee and a light lunch with a glass of wine will be provided. Tickets are £20. Numbers are limited so if you would like to receive further details and an invitation please phone 01621 891546 or 01621 891125 as soon as possible. Bryan Littlewood

Yomelelani Trust – www.yomelelani.co.za

WICKHAM BISHOPS JAZZ CLUB

presents Richard Leach's 7 Stars of Jazz

at Wickham Bishops Village Hall CM8 3JZ Saturday 14th September

Doors open at 6.30 pm for a 7.30 pm start. Finish at 10.45 pm

Tickets £12.50 per head. No Bar - bring your own drinks.

Contact Peter on 07548 775777 or [email protected]

Members had a most enjoyable visit, on a fine Saturday morning, to ‘Alafin’. This is a private house and garden, on the very boundary between Wickham Bishops and Langford, where the owner, David Griffin, grows an amazing variety of exotic and tropical plants, many of which you would not expect to see in our own village. His collection includes palms, bamboos and hardy exotics. You can visit ‘Alafin’ next year as David plans to open as one of the ‘Open Gardens’ on June 14th. Although slightly away from the centre of the village, there is plenty of car parking space and it is well worth a visit. Some members also joined a ‘Bee and Butterfly’ walk on Tiptree Heath, organised by the Friends of Tiptree Heath. The group is organising a ‘Bat Walk’, again at Tiptree, on the evening of 13th September, which a number of us plan to join. Please email the Club for further details. On September 6th, members hope to visit Beeleigh Abbey Gardens, just beyond Maldon, when they are opening under the National Garden Scheme for charity. Chris Cork, who is the Head Gardener at Beeleigh, will be our guest speaker in November. Our next talk will be on Wednesday 18th September, at 7.30 pm in the Church Hall when Maike Windhorst will speak on ‘Vegetable self- sufficiency all year’. You are most welcome to join us for an evening of good company with refreshments. For more details please email [email protected] or telephone Stewart on 893360

Update on the Library …

Essex County Council and the leader Cllr Finch have said that no libraries in Essex will close for the next five years. However, they still expect the smaller libraries, such as in Wickham Bishops, to be run in premises owned by the community. Therefore, it would seem that the future of the library will only be secured if we can purchase the building. The Library Working Group are continuing to press ECC for a valuation of the building, without which it is hard to progress our plans. Issues relating to staffing are not so clear and we will continue to seek answers. Professional library staff working with volunteers is clearly the way forward and we will be pushing for that as part of a solution for our village We intend to hold an ‘Open Day’ on Saturday 19th October, at the library, at which residents are invited to attend to ask questions, register as a volunteer, join or help to run one of the new clubs that are being launched such as: A Reading Club A Code Club - to teach young children to program computers. An Ancestry Tracking Advice service A Bridge Club (for beginners to learn the game) A Scrabble Club A Warhammer Modelling Club A French and/or Spanish Discussion Group More details will be given in the next issue of this magazine, but please reserve the date and attend if you possibly can, between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm. In the meantime, please continue to show your support for the existing library and its services, as any future support from ECC is likely to depend on current usage. Thank you

Back Words … In August 2015, Reverend Hilary approached me to take on the job of editing the Parish Magazine. “It will just be for six months”, she said. I should have known - I am now entering my fifth year of editorship with no sign that it will ever be otherwise. For the most part, it has been fun. I have had some great moments, none more so than when, late one winter’s evening, Kathy Brooks’ sister called and presented me with a signed copy of Kathy’s book of memories in Wickham Bishops in the 1950’s. I have also followed the diaries of Kate Luard, a celebrated nurse of the First World War, who is buried here at St Bartholomew’s and again, have been presented with a book of her letters and memoirs. In conjunction with a few other residents, I have helped a Professor of Mathematical Sciences trace her great-great-grandfather’s roots, as he was one of the construction workers who built the Witham to Maldon railway, and put a former resident who now lives in Ingatestone in touch with a long lost friend in the USA. So here’s to another year of fun ...

Items for the October 2019 magazine should be submitted to the editor by Thursday 12th September 2019 Please send items by email if possible to: [email protected] or place in an envelope marked ‘Parish Magazine’ and deliver to 10 Church Green, Wickham Bishops Priority goes to church events and information connected with Wickham Bishops.

If you would like to place an advert in this magazine please contact John Baker on [email protected] or Tel. 01621 892928

For enquiries regarding distribution of the magazine, please phone Jayne Jennings on 01621 891396

© Wickham Bishops & Little Braxted Parochial Church Council (PCC) Published by the PCC of St Bartholomew Wickham Bishops and St Nicholas Little Braxted. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the PCC nor can the Church guarantee the credentials or performance of any of the advertisers within this publication.