NEWS FOR BROXTED & CHICKNEY

from the Five Parishes' Magazine

DECEMBER 2009

CHURCHWARDENS’ CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Bob and Liz would like to say sincere thanks to the members of Broxted Church Committee for the tremendous support they have received over the past six months as they were settling into their role as Churchwardens. They also wish to express their grateful thanks to all the many helpers who contribute so much of their time and energy to Broxted Church. The Broxted team send their best wishes to everyone, and wish them a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year.

CAROL SINGING

A warm welcome awaits you for carol singing at the Prince of Wales pub on Tuesday 22nd December from 7 to 8pm.

BROXTED PARISH COUNCIL

The next meeting of the Council is on Thursday 10th December, at 8.15 pm in the Village Hall. All meetings of the Council are open to members of the public, and this is an opportunity to come and make your voice heard about life in our village.

Minutes of the meetings can be viewed on the Council’s web-site at www.essexinfo.net/broxted. Other information about the village is available on this site, www.broxted.org

BROXTED & DISTRICT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

Children’s Christmas Party

A final reminder about The Community Association annual Children’s Christmas party in the Village Hall on Sunday 13th December from 3 till 5pm. There is no charge for the party which is funded by Community Association events throughout the year, and all children of primary school age and under are welcome to come, with or without their parents. All that is asked is that parents donate an item of food for the party tea.

This year there will be a children’s entertainer as well as party games, tea and a visit from Santa Claus. Quite a few families have moved into the village recently – this is a great way to get to know everybody else. So please do come along! Please call in the first instance the editor on 01371 872894 as soon as possible to let her know that you are planning to come.

Pensioners’ Parcels

For many years the Community Association has provided a small parcel of groceries to the older members of Broxted community at Christmas, but it is aware that not everyone who is entitled to a parcel is receiving one. If you have parents, or neighbours, that you think should be a recipient please contact in the first instance the editor on 01371 872894.

POSSIBLE EXPANSION OF ELSENHAM QUARRY

Regrettably the site reference number given in last month’s magazine was wrong, this should have read Schedule A, Site A25, not A2. To be clear, we are repeating that maps and details can be viewed at the Essex County Council website www.essex.gov.uk/MDD-consultation quoting site reference Schedule A Site A25. The public consultation period has been extended for Henham and Elsenham to 12th December 2009 but it is now only possible to reply by email to mineralsandwastepolicy@essex.gov.uk, by fax to 01245 437213 or by letter to:

Head of Environmental Planning,
Minerals and Waste Planning,
Essex County Council,
Freepost CL3636,
County Hall,
Chelmsford,
CM1 1QH.

SSE CHRISTMAS CARDS AND 2010 CALENDARS

A reminder that the SSE cards, notelets and calendars can be purchased locally from Chapel End Nursery and in the first instance the editor on 01371 872894.

THE MOBILE LIBRARY

This service will visit Broxted on Wednesdays 9th and 23rd December, arriving at Cranham Road at 10.30 am, departing 10.50 am and arriving at the Prince of Wales at 11.00 am, departing at 11.20 am. It will be at Molehill Green Post Office on Friday 11th December at 1.50 departing at 2.05 pm.

WEEKLY SESSIONS IN THE VILLAGE HALL

Monday	2.00 pm	Walking for Health starts here
	7.30 to 8.30 pm	Country & Western Line Dancing
	8.30 to 9.30 pm	Partner Latin & Ballroom (Beginners)
Tuesday	10.00 to 11.45 am	Broxted Cherubs
	7.00 pm	Ladies Latin Line Dance Class
Saturday	8.00 am	Keep Fit Class

NEWS FOR ALL PARISHES

STANSTED AIRPORT EXPANSION PROPOSALS

AIRSPACE CHANGES TO BE POSTPONED – YET AGAIN

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has announced another postponement of changes to flight paths and aircraft stacking areas across East Anglia. SSE reports that the official reason is the downturn in the air travel market over the past two years, but community opposition to the plans is also a key factor. In February last year NATS published the first round of highly controversial proposals, causing uproar amongst communities in Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. So great was the opposition that NATS agreed to re-consult. Although scheduled for July this year, the consultation was subsequently pushed back to the end of 2009. Now, it is understood that it will be another year before revised proposals emerge.

The practical effect of this is that all the six existing departure routes from Stansted will be kept in place instead of two of them being changed to overfly more of the region. Also there will be no additional impact in the region from flights from Luton, Northolt and London City Airports. The two new stacking areas proposed between Ipswich and Stowmarket and to the north of Saffron Walden to Newmarket are off the agenda – for the time being.

CHRISTMAS IN THE FIVE PARISHES

The Magazine team of Angela, Claire, Andrew and Phyllis send very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all readers, contributors, village correspondents, distributors and advertisers. Thank you everyone for the contribution you made during the year, be it help with distribution, feedback or donations. This support makes the production of our Magazine so worthwhile and ensures its on-going success.

Please come and join the many and varied Christmas activities on offer. Details of the carol singing evenings are given below. Our landlords promise a warm welcome and these evenings are fun for all the family.

In addition to the Christmas services, there are two special evenings featuring carols and the Christmas story, at Tilty church on Sunday 13th December and at Broxted on Sunday 20th December. See cover for details.

CAROL SINGING AROUND THE PARISH

7 - 8pm each evening

Tuesday 15th December	The Stag, Little Easton
Thursday 17th	The Three Horseshoes, Duton Hill
Tuesday 22nd	Prince of Wales, Broxted
Wednesday 23rd	The Swan, Great Easton

A warm welcome awaits you.

THE COUNTESS OF WARWICK’S SHOW

Plans are already being made for the next show on Sunday/Bank Holiday Monday 29th/30th August 2010. The need for more catering venues is being discussed: the options being for “in-house” catering or for an outside catering firm renting a pitch.

It was recognised that there would be a much greater profit margin for the show if this could be done in-house, that is, if a team could be found to run a catering stall. An example that is favoured is a jacket potato stall. This would require several people to cook potatoes and prepare fillings. Maybe someone would be willing to take on the role of co-ordinator or knows where an oven could be borrowed or hired. Any offers or suggestions should be given to Canon Ivy as soon as possible please, on 01371 872509. Thank you.

MOTHERS’ UNION

On Wednesday 16th December at 2.30 pm members will celebrate Christmas with some carol singing, exchanging of Christmas cards, light entertainment and a special seasonal tea. They look forward to friends joining them for the afternoon and are pleased to be able to meet at Easton Farm. They send grateful thanks to him for his generous hospitality in letting meetings take place there throughout 2009. For more information, please contact in the first instance the editor on 01371 872894.

THE FRIENDS OF THE FIVE PARISHES

Grant Given to Little Easton Church

The Friends Executive Committee recently awarded a grant to Little Easton church committee of £10,000 towards the cost of renovating the stained glass windows in the Bourchier Chapel. The Friends have now given over £43,000 to our churches since the charity’s inception. Further calls upon them are expected in 2010 as the other churches all undertake necessary maintenance work.

A Night of Magic & Mystery

This year’s event was once again a huge success, not only being most enjoyable for everyone who attended but also for The Friends as over £3,450 was raised, the best ever. They send their grateful thanks to those who supported them. The following report from a guest is typical of the comments received:

“WOW! They did it again! Brian and Audrey, Magic Circle colleagues and Friends of the Five Parishes gave us another fantastic evening on the 30th October. Great Easton village hall was transformed and we were greeted by some very creepy characters (was that butler real?) – scary pirates and a small mad monk. The wine flowed, suppers vanished, wonderful Tombola prizes won and we were baffled by the table magic of Dennis Patten and Michael Alderman.

“With the theme Pirates, the audience had dressed in black, red and gold with many going that extra mile to wear Fancy Dress for the competition which was won by Vlada, a Russian dancer from Little Canfield. Second was Vicky from Cambridge followed by Pirate Geoff from Henham. There were parrots galore, perched on shoulders, in pockets and a noisy jumping one who distracted us all.

“Compere Brian, assisted by Audrey, kept the show rolling. Young, talented Jonathon Shotton gave a polished performance, followed by Mel Harvey’s comedy and magic which raised lots of laughs. Finally we were mystified and entranced by the debonair Past President of The Magic Circle, Alan Shaxon. How do they do it? Many, many thanks for a superb evening.”

Annual Evensong

The congregation at this annual service were delighted to welcome Canon Roger Royle, broadcaster and writer, as guest speaker. He made the themes for the evening’s readings seem applicable to us in today’s world, at the same time, showing glimpses of his famous humour. The church looked lovely with beautiful flower arrangements, the choir accompanied the service and sang the anthem magnificently and a tempting array of refreshments had been donated. The evening raised just over £500 for Friends’ funds and grateful thanks go to everyone for their generous support.

St George’s Day Dinner

An innovation for The Friends’ in 2010 will be a very special Dinner arranged by Brian and Audrey to mark St George’s Day on Friday 23rd April. More details in due course but please put the date in your diary now.

THE FRIENDS OF THE FIVE PARISHES 50% CLUB

It is not too late to join the 50% Club. The Club raises funds to help to maintain our churches in the Five Parishes. A cheque for £8 will buy a subscription from January until the end of August 2010. The odds are better this year but the prize is smaller! Please send your cheque, made payable to The Friends of the Five Parishes 50% Club c/o Old House, The Broadway, Dunmow, CM6 3BH. The winner of the October draw was Mrs Mortimore.

EASTONS & TILTY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

The meeting in December will be the Christmas lunch. The new programme for 2010 is very varied – why not go along for an afternoon? For more information, please contact in the first instance the editor on 01371 872894.

CELEBRATION SERVICE FOR PETER

At the time of going to press, Peter Street was about to celebrate 50 years as an ordained minister with a special evening service of celebration in St Mary’s church, Dunmow on Sunday 29th November. A write-up of this event will follow in next month’s Magazine; meanwhile we would like to offer him our warmest congratulations.

THAXTED FLOWER CLUB

The theme of the demonstration on Tuesday 1st December will be Christmas. Held at the Thaxted Centre for Disabled People at 7.30 pm, visitors are always welcome.

AN APPEAL FROM THE DONKEY SANCTUARY

Can you, or someone you know, even beyond the Five Parishes, provide a good home for two donkeys? The Donkey Sanctuary is desperate to find additional homes due to an influx of rescued donkeys from Ireland. The basic requirements are a paddock with a warm, dry shelter and loads of loving care.

Please consider providing a home for two of these gentle, intelligent and amusing creatures. In return, you and your friends will be rewarded with endless hours of pleasure from these lovely animals. For more information contact Sue Field on 01206 262805 or for a local contact please contact in the first instance the editor on 01371 872894.

LIGHTS TO REMEMBER SERVICE

On Thursday 3rd December at 7pm a Lights to Remember service is being held in Thaxted Parish church, led by Revd Raymond Taylor in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. Refreshments will be provided afterwards. For more details call Nicky or Anne on 01920 468956. This special event allows family and friends to remember and share precious memories in a way that helps terminally ill patients and their families to make the most of the time they have left together. It is not only a time to reflect and remember the past; it is also a time to look to the brighter year ahead.

LIGHT UP A LIFE 2009

Services for Farleigh Hospice in our area will be held in Braintree on Thursday 3rd December meeting at Market Square at 6.10 pm and on Friday 4th December at 7pm outside the Cathedral. For all details contact the Hospice on 01245 457300. St Clare Hospice’s service in Dunmow is on Friday 11th December at 6.30 pm at The Starr, Market Place.

St Clare also have a 4km Santa Run on Sunday 6th December in Harlow Town Park. Sign up online by visiting www.stclarehospice.org.uk or call Tracy Meale, Events Fundraiser, on her direct line 01279 773758.

music@stansted

music@stansted’s concert on Sunday 13th December at 3pm in St John’s Church, Stansted will be given by Cambridge Chorale, BBC adult choir of the year finalists 2008.

The choir was formed in 1994, originally under its founding director, Michael Kibblewhite, and has been directed since 2005 by Julian Wilkins. Entitled Joy to the World, the concert will feature glorious choral music from Gregorian Chant to Lauridsen; Russian vespers by Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky; choral masterpieces by Debussy and Mantyjarvi; exhilarating folk songs, jazz, and uplifting spirituals.

Tickets are available from Stansted Carpets, Chapel Hill, Stansted; Nockolds Solicitors, Market Square, Bishop’s Stortford; Sonia Levy, 31 Chapel Hill, Stansted on 01279 815282.

DUNMOW LATE NIGHT SHOPPING

Dunmow’s Christmas Late Night Shopping event is on Friday 18th December all around the town centre. The High Street and Market Place will be closed to vehicles from 5.30pm as stalls are set up.

CHRISTMAS IN HATFIELD FOREST

Events in Hatfield Forest should give the park a magical feel this festive season. On Saturday 5th December, Father Christmas will leave a magical trail to his grotto in the trees. Children can see him, receive a gift, have a drink and a biscuit at 10.30 am, 11.30 am or 1.30 pm. Booking is essential, call 01279 870678, the price is £6.50 per child.

Join the rangers and staff on Saturday 19th December at 2.30 pm for carol singing at the Shell House. The lakeside house, located in the centre of the medieval forest, provides the perfect venue for such an occasion. There will be mulled wine and mince pies available at the Forest Café. Entry is free.

GREAT EASTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

For a primary aged child December is probably the most exciting month of the year and for a primary teacher it’s probably one of the busiest! Assemblies start to take a festive theme, the advent wreath is lit and hymns are replaced by carols. As the excitement levels build, the numerous Christmas related activities and events will begin.

First we have our Christmas concerts which will be held in the school hall on the evenings of Tuesday 8th and Thursday 10th December and during the afternoon of the Wednesday 9th December. The concerts will feature all 140 of our children and will include numerous festive favourites. Further details and ticket arrangements will be available from the school office. On Friday 11th December another Great Easton tradition will happen as the visiting Pantomime Group will perform to the whole school. This year’s show is Pinocchio.

Great Easton church is the venue for our family nativity service on Thursday 17th December at 10.30am. Our Year 1 children will tell the Christmas story and the rest of the school will support as we sing a mixture of traditional carols and modern favourites. Last year the church was full to bursting and I hope to repeat this again and that as many of you as possible will be able to attend. After the service the children and staff return to school for a traditional Christmas lunch. Last year our chef and her team cooked and served over 150 lunches in just under an hour and I am sure that this year will not be any different.

Finally, the children will return to school on the evening of Thursday 17th December for their end of term discos organised by the PTA.

Somehow the staff manages to organise and fit all this in whilst maintaining the usual curriculum lessons and finishing off this term’s topic books, all before our final celebration assembly on the final day of term! Then staff and children can enjoy their well earned break before returning to school on Tuesday 5th January.

Finally to finish this month and on behalf of everyone at Great Easton Primary School, I would like to wish all members of the five parishes community a restful, relaxing and enjoyable Christmas.

Damian Pye

Headteacher

See also www.greateaston.essex.sch.uk.

UDC CHRISTMAS COLLECTION ARRANGEMENTS

Please make your refuse/recycling available by 7am on collection day. On 23rd, 24th and 25th December there will be no collection of kitchen waste but there will be a collection of non-recyclables only. The revised collection days are below:

Normal Collection Day	Revised Collection Day
Monday 21st December	Normal Collections (both bins)
Tuesday 22nd December	Normal Collections (both bins)
Wednesday 23rd December	Normal Day (Black Bin Only)
Thursday 24th December	Normal Day (Black Bin Only)
Friday 25th December	Wednesday 23rd (Black Bin Only)

If your black bin is not collected on Wednesday 23rd, please leave it out on Thursday 24th.

On 28 and 29 December 2009 there will be NO collection of kitchen waste. There will be a collection of Dry-recyclables only.

Monday 28th December	Tuesday 29th (Green Bin Only)
Tuesday 29th December	Tuesday 29th (Green Bin Only)
Wednesday 30th December	Normal Collections (Green and Brown bins)
Thursday 31st December	Normal Collections (Green and Brown bins)
Friday 1st January 2010	Saturday 2nd January (Green and Brown bins)

Normal collections will resume from Monday 4th January 2010.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Sunday 29th November	Sunday Lunch with Terry Waite, Little Easton
Sunday 29th November	Service of Thanksgiving for Peter Street, Dunmow
Thursday 3rd December	Lights to Remember Service, Thaxted
Friday 4th December	Copy Date for January issue
Friday 11th December	Light Up A Life service, Dunmow
Sunday 13th December	Broxted Children’s Christmas Party
Sunday 13th December	Little Easton Children’s Christmas Party
Sunday 13th December	Candlelit Crib Service, Tilty
Sunday 13th December	Cambridge Chorale at Stansted
Tuesday 15th December	Carol Singing at The Stag, Little Easton
Tuesday 15th December	Senior Citizens’ Christmas Dinner, Duton Hill
Thursday 17th December	Gt Easton School Nativity Service in church
Thursday 17th December	Carol Singing at The Three Horseshoes
Friday 18th December	Dunmow Late Night Shopping
Sunday 20th December	Candles by Candlelight, Broxted
Tuesday 22nd December	Carol Singing at Prince of Wales, Broxted
Wednesday 23rd December	Carol Singing at The Swan, Great Easton