The Magazine of the villages of The Great & Little Bromley _____________________________________ Messenger December 2017 & January 2018 Vol: 1 No: 12 The Cross Christmas Card Competition ( see page 5) by Liam Durrell Merry Christmas & Happy New Year To all our Readers THE FIRST PAGE ‘Christmas is coming and the goose is down with getting fat’. This is the only time of the immediate year I think of this nursery rhyme and it effect so, runs round my head in a loop. I please, if haven’t eaten goose for a long time but there is it is a delicious meat. When I had the anyone in muscovy ducks we quite often had Little duck at Christmas. Last year I had a Bromley pheasant. I haven’t got as far as this who could Christmas yet - I have the family take on this Christmas get together this year in a task please couple of weeks - siblings, cousins, ring Richard children, grandchildren which I always on 01206 thoroughly enjoy but it will be 230537. It interesting how we will all fit into my doesn’t have new house. Some of them can’t come to be one person as the more people so I might just have enough chairs! who share the load the easier it is. You may have noticed that while Henry We had hoped to have a colour cover is indisposed Richard and I (but really this year but we didn’t realise we had to mostly Richard) has stepped in to give the printers more notice to get it cover his distribution areas and we do done in time but we are thinking of it as hope nobody was missed. Henry and a possibility in the future. Ann have the whole operation very ably and efficiently covered and Richard It just remains for me to wish you all a and I now know how much work they very happy Christmas and a a do each month on your behalf and how wonderful and healthy 2018. much time it all takes.. I would like to take the opportunity here to thank Anita Leonie Spall for all her work delivering for many years The Messenger in Little Bromley. She has decided to step MATERIAL for the DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 edition of 'The Bromley Messenger' should reach the Editor, Leonie Henderson, by 14th NOVEMBER 2017 please. Contributions from anonymous sources will not be printed. Whilst the editor welcomes contributions, photographs etc this is on the understanding that there is no obligation to publish, that the item may be edited and that there is no breach of copyright. Publication is in good faith and neither the editor nor the publisher accept any liability in respect of the content of any article, photo or advertisement, including any error or omission, responsibility for which remains with the author. Copy can be delivered by hand, sent by post or e-mail (see inside back cover) or via the link on the websites www.greatbromley.org.uk or www.littlebromley.org.uk For details of availability and costs for ADVERTISING in the ‘The Bromley Messenger’ please contact the Treasurer on 01206 230537 IN THE GARDEN WITH KATE We have weather is not too wet or frosty, any digging recently can still be done- and weeding of course! been given two new It is worth cutting foliage for decoration residents early in the month and storing in a bucket of for the water in an unheated greenhouse before garden - the bushes are stripped by the birds. Other two young foliage such as holly can be stored this way hedgehogs, too. rescued by the Hardy family, and returned from the hedgehog sanctuary. Thanks to Other important jobs include lagging my husband's early Christmas present to outdoor taps, emptying and storing garden himself, we have seen on our new night hoses, preventing your garden pond from vision camera that they are feeding freezing by floating a ball on the surface, regularly at the feeding station and and ensuring that birds are fed regularly, generally making themselves at home! and that any bird baths have a regular Over the last couple of nights, however, supply of clean water. they have eaten very little of the food and I suspect they are preparing to hibernate. December is also an excellent time of year Like most people I love hedgehogs and to browse the seed catalogues that have no value the contribution they make to the doubt been landing on your doormat, plan reduction of slugs! your garden for next year, and work out which garden tools need replacing, so when I seem to be very busy at the moment the inevitable question" what do you want clearing up leaves, pruning and tidying the for Christmas" arrives, you have a ready borders and generally making ready - prepared list! winter is coming! It amazes me though how some plants are looking at their best The Messenger is not produced in January, despite the weather. The acers have so I would like to wish everyone a Happy beautiful red and orange leaves, the witch Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year. hazel the prettiest orange flowers, and the Enjoy your garden! cyclamen are looking lovely. In the tubs the pansies and violas are flowering, and the Kate Strowbridge primulas coming into bloom. My hellebores have been shorn of their old leaves, and soon the flowers will be unfolding despite the cold weather. There are, of course still many jobs to be done during the short winter days. The Post Office at Some plants will require extra protection The Cross during frost and snow, and can be insulated with straw or, if small, deep mulch. Leaves Wednesday mornings 10 - noon need raking off lawns, and any diseased leaves should be burnt, but don't forget to check the bonfire for those hibernating hedgehogs! The remaining leaves can go in the leaf bin to produce mold. Any used flower pots should be scrubbed clean and left to dry and stored under cover. If the 3 The Bromley Cross Great Bromley CO7 7TL Now re-opened as a community-owned, community-managed and community-run village pub Pub Opening Times Thursday, Friday, Saturday 6:30 – 11:00 Sunday 12:00 – 3:00 Cafe/Post Office Wednesday 10 – noon December Fri 1 Dec Decorate the Cross for Xmas on our 1 st Anniversary Sat 2 Dec Fish & Chip Van 6.30 to 9ish Sun 3 Dec Dog walk - starts at 11am Sat 9 Dec Xmas Carols with Southend Festival Chorus from 7pm Thu 14 Dec Xmas Charity Quiz - 8pm Sat 16 Dec Live Music (loud) with The Red Hot Radiators - 8:30pm Thu 21 Dec Open Floor Music Night Sun 24 Dec 12-3 then 6:30 till late Mon 25 Dec Xmas Day 12-3 Sun 31 Dec 12-3 then NYE 6:30 till late with burgers and dancing January Wed 3 Jan Post Office Coffee Shop Open 10 to noon Mon 8 Jan Monthly Monday Club (2 nd of the month). Open 6:30 - 11 Thu 11 Jan Monthly Charity Quiz - 7:30 8pm. Booking essential Thu 25 Jan Open Floor Music Night. All welcome to sing play or listen from 8pm Sat 10 Feb Fundraising Race Night. 7:30 for 8 pm start. Contact us to sponsor a race http://www.greatbromeycross.org.uk/ [email protected] 4 FRIENDSHIP CLUB Names were taken at the October meeting could attend an incident, and of the various of those wishing to attend the Christmas equipment in use to deal with any situation meal at The Cross Inn on Tuesday 5th they may face. We do hope Paul will make December. a return visit in the future. Several members enjoyed a visit to Gt. Next month will be our Christmas Bromley school to be entertained by pupils party. Please bring along a plate of sweet singing their Harvest praise. Following this, or savoury nibbles and a raffle prize for our tea and biscuits were served by the children bumper draw. and boxes of harvest produce distributed to January meeting will basically be our AGM our members. Many thanks to the staff and when subscriptions become due. children for their hospitality. Sylvia Ward At the Quiz night recently Brenda and Richard represented the Club and came second. Very well done to them! HELP PLEASE Our speaker for the afternoon was retired It has been suggested that as our fire officer Paul Bowers a local Committee members are all getting older resident. Paul gave an excellent talk on the perhaps someone living locally might like work of the Fire service in general and the to offer help with some of the general way in which things changed during his running of the Club, If anyone feels they thirty five years service. It was very could help in any way, please do contact reassuring to hear how rapidly a fire crew Beryl Hurst (01206 230578) The Great Bromley Cross Christmas Card Competition The Bromley Cross invited pupils of St. George's C of E School to design their 2017 Christmas card. From 130 children we received 33 entires. The entries were roughly split between key stage 1 and 2. The winners were, key stage 1 Liam Durrell, key stage 2 Torri -Sorcha MacRae and runner up Mia McLellan. Prizes were presented to the winners at a special assembly on Friday 17th November. A collage of all entries will be displayed in the Bromley Cross for all to view. A big thank you to everyone who entered, there were some amazing designs.