Around town magazine rayleigh edition december 2015 by Black Square Print Media Limited

H E I G Y L A R 1 5 . 2 0 1 2

IT EM OF CO AL M L CA S A COM E W BO LL RE P I X FO AL LIM TH A DEA EN B LS R SO M S TA OT OR O E LD RY W TLE IN S IN FO EP RM AR E. A AT TE IO LY N! -

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C O M P A NY

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CHRISTMAS BOX DEALS 41/2 - 5kg Turkey Crown Boneless Wrapped in Bacon

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41/2 - 5kg Turkey Crown Boneless Wrapped in Bacon 2.21/2kg English Leg of Lamb 4.5kg Whole Gammon Smoked or Unsmoked 21/2kg Turkey Crown Boneless Wrapped in Bacon 1lb Sausage Meat Plain or Cumberland 11/2kg Boneless Loin of Pork 30 Pigs in Blankets 11/2kg Honey Roast Ham ple One Jar Cranberry Sauce 10 Pigs in Blankets 10-15 -6 Peo 4 P e ople One Jar Mint Sauce One Jar Cranberry One Jar Pickled Onions One Jar Pickled Onions One Jar Red Cabbage One Jar Goose or Duck Fat 1kg Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese One Jar Goose or Duck Fat

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PRIZE WINNING FREE RANGE BRONZE TURKEYS WEEKS TURKEYS 2015 PRICES 3kg 4kg 5kg 6kg 7kg

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These turkeys will be placed in carry home boxes, wrapped in grease proof paper with a sprig of rosemary, along with cooking and storage instructions and a pop up cooking timer.

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*New Venue for 2015* Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than just a Santa Run! Join us at Wat Tyler Country Park in Basildon and raise funds for Little Havens Hospice. 2k Reindeer Run - 11am 4.5k Santa Fun Run - 12.30pm Santa in his Grotto Much more! Book now at havenshospices.org.uk/santarun or call Cerena on 01702 221 669

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CONTENTS 13 14

6 Mark Francois 6 Competition! 9 The Cook Report 11 Know Your Tradesmen info@essex-bathrooms 12 Rotary Club / Lions Club 27 www.essex-bathrooms. 07712 674877 | 01702 2 16 Martin Lewis 20 Around Town Sports 24 A View from the Church 26 Recipe 30 Nature Notes 31 Useful Numbers Political Update

Around Town Selfie Competition

Get Out and About Around Town

Hockley Flooring

Organisations Around Town

Money Saving Expert

Review of 2015

Rev. Mike Lodge

Edition 25

WI Christmas Recipe

EWT Volunteer Neil Sumner

Around Town Magazines Graphic House, Radford Way, Billericay CM12 0DX

To advertise contact our Sales Team today, details below. Booking deadline for our January edition is: Monday 14th December

Copyright 2015. Around Town Billericay is an independent magazine and does not endorse the products or services that appear in the magazine. Opinions expressed in Around Town do not necessarily represent those of the editors of Around Town Magazines. Around Town Magazines are published by Black Square Print Media Ltd produced by Black Square Litho Ltd.

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a sixth form, I am therefore delighted that this has now been approved and is due to open from September 2016.

MARK FRANCOIS ConservativeParliamentary MP for Rayleigh & Wickford

Around Town Rayleigh readers may recall I wrote a piece some months ago saying I was backing FitzWimarc’s bid to become

I have been supportive of the school’s attempts to form a sixth form for some time and met with the Headteacher, Mr Robert Harris, over the past year where I was briefed on the schools proposals and provided with updates on their progress. The school received well over 400 supportive responses to its recent consultation on this issue, including one from me as the local MP. Rayleigh has previously benefited from having two

“outstanding” secondary schools, which have now both converted to Academy status and from the introduction of a new sixth form at Sweyne Park in 2014. I think it is fantastic that students in and around Rayleigh will now have another high quality sixth form at FitzWimarc too, which they can choose in order to remain studying locally if they wish. I would like to congratulate all those who have been involved in this important project and to wish Mr Robert Harris and all of the staff and pupils who will now be attending the sixth form all the very best for the future.

#AroundTownSelfie Competition! To celebrate our new look, we have placed posters ‘around town’ of our NEW logo in various locations. If you come across one, take a selfie with the poster and send it to us! We have teamed up with Manford’s Comedy Club at the Rayleigh Mill, who are offering up two pairs of tickets for Around Town Readers! The winner will be chosen at random, from all entries, after the closing date 20th December 2015. We look forward to seeing your selfies, good luck!

Text: 07410 172096 Email: admin@aroundtownmagazines.co.uk Upload it to Facebook or Twitter using #AroundTownSelfie /AroundTownMagazines

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Cloudy2Clear Windows – Service With A Smile!

It’s been a crazy few months for Cloudy2Clear Windows. The company which specialises in repairing windows which are steamed up, broken or damaged by replacing the panes – not the frames has grown rapidly as homeowners take advantage of their services. Managing Director Chris Miller feels that it’s all about service. ‘Our product is simple. If your double glazing is misted up we can replace the glass at a fraction of the cost of a new window, in any type of frame, and with a new 5 year guarantee. But it’s not just about saving

people money, although that obviously helps. Many tradespeople have struggled since last year and I honestly feel that during the good times a minority perhaps didn’t focus on customer care as much as they should have done. We make sure we turn up when we say we will, do the job the customer requires and leave their house as clean as a whistle. I often get comments back from customers on how they really didn’t expect that sort of service which, in a way, is very sad for the service industry as a whole.’ Cloudy2Clear service Rayleigh and Chris is finding that his approach

is a major factor in his success.‘The truth is that it’s not just the personal satisfaction that I get from doing a good job but also it makes good business sense. I get a huge amount of business from friends and family of people I’ve

done work for, which just goes to show how much a little bit of effort is appreciated.’ So, if your windows are steamed up, broken or damaged give Chris a call for a free quotation on 0800 61 21 118 and he’ll be happy to help!

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Cook Report Written By Jo Cook

Get out & about Around Town this December For Christmas enthusiasts like me, the beginning of December not only signals an onslaught of endless social events and late night shopping, mulled wine and mince pies, but is also a chance to get out and about ‘Around Town’ to support the local community and attend Christmas events in and around the area. This year will be no exception, with a number of events happening in and around Rayleigh, particularly if it is live music or the traditional pantomime that gets you in the festive spirit. First up at The Mill Arts & Events Centre from Thursday 3rd December to Saturday 5th, the Rayleigh Operatic and Dramatic Society’s present their production of Dick Whittington. Fun for all the family, the pantomime tells the story of the young hero Dick Whittington’s quest for fame and fortune in London, with the usual comedy, singing, dancing and audience participation you can expect from such productions. Tickets are £10 for adults and £8 for concessions. Tickets are available on 01268 771751 or at www.fusion-lifestyle. com/centres/The_Mill_Hall_Arts_and_ Events_Centre. Alternatively, if you

are after something a bit more social and a little less theatrical, the centre are hosting their own Christmas parties on Friday 11th, Friday 18th and Saturday 19th December. Tickets are from £19.95 per person which includes a festive finger buffet & professional DJ. You can visit their website for further details. The following week sees the area play host to two Christmas music events, the first being a Christmas charity concert held at the Plaza Centre, Southchurch Road, Southend, on Saturday 12th December. The concert starts at 7.30pm and features top local talent, including Taylor Higgs, resident pianist at The Savoy, opera singer Anton Van Der Merwe and the Southend Youth Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are £8.50 for adults and £6.50 for concessions and the event is being held in support of the Southend Vineyards Building Fund and the Alzheimers Society. You can buy tickets by calling 07532 191814 or 01702 712900. Additionally, a little closer to home, is the Gospel Rocks Community Choir Christmas charity concert, held at Holy Trinity Church, Rayleigh, from 3pm on Sunday 13th December. Entrance is free with donations welcome on the day. Tea and mince pies will be available and all proceeds will go to Little Havens Hospice and J’s Hospice. There are also plenty of local bars & restaurants getting into the spirit, with live music at Marcos Tapas bar the weekend before Christmas on Friday 18th & Saturday 19th December and a Soultown Christmas Eve special the night before the big day itself. So with plenty on offer for adults and children alike, why not head out Around Town this December and get your celebrations off to a great start.

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of commercial Michael David has over 25 floors. We supply the full range years experience in floor service including carpet flooring projects of all sizes. fitting and set up Hockley fitting, uplifting and disposing We have the knowledge Flooring to offer a wide range of old flooring, moving and and experience to deliver of carpets, real wood and replacing furniture and the perfect commercial flooring solution’. A lot of vinyl flooring to customers upholstery cleaning’. throughout Essex. With two Michael’s business generates showrooms on Main Road, For Michael and the team, from recommendations, and we uplift your old flooring and dispose Hockley, Michael and his no job is too big or too it’s clear from the glowing move and replace you as furniture appliances team pride themselves on small, and as well lookingincluding client kitchen testimonials on the the quality of products they after installed domestic clients, company’s all newly areas left clean and vacuumed website that offer, as well as their extensive they also offer commercial customers are pleased with we guarantee to beat any genuine written quoteHockley Flooring range of fitting services. flooring solutions in Hockley, the service He said ‘We specialise in Rayleigh and surrounding provides. For further details providing quality flooring areas. Michael said ‘Over on the products & services solutions through provision of the years, Hockley Flooring on offer, you can visit www. supplied and installed cial flooring all commer stylish carpets and wooden have completed a wide hockleyflooring.co.uk.

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ROTARY CLUB OF RAYLEIGH MILL For most weeks in the year, we meet on Mondays as a club, with our members enjoying a meal at The Rayleigh Club near Hullbridge, Essex. It is followed by a particular kind of meeting such as ‘committee’, ‘business’ and ‘speaker’ - the latter gives us an opportunity to invite a well-known personality or charity organisation to keep us informed about their work or life. We have a members’ raffle at the end of the evening and our Sergeant-At-Arms is an appointed member of the club who manages to extract small amounts of money from us in friendly fun from personal observations of us which goes to our charity box. The evening is run by our President who sits at the top table with his Secretary and we welcome our visiting guests too. Toasts are made to the Queen and our Rotary organisation. We have a Treasurer to manage our accounts and appointed officers to involve us in the more gentle sports, a press officer to publicise our events, an IT specialist to handle our information, a webmaster to run this website and particular members who take on responsibility for an event eg. our Charity Golf Day and our social trips and dinner dances. Our Foundation officer looks to promote the work of Rotary eg. Purple Pinkie support to End Polio Campaign.

RAYLEIGH LIONS CLUB The Lions Club of Rayleigh hopes everyone enjoyed this years Firework Display which is looking to be our most successful one yet, bringing in over £6000 to be donated to local ‘good causes’. Thank you for your support! However in order for us to carry on this good work we urgently need new members. If you have just a few spare hours each month and would like to find out more about The Lions please contact us on 01268 775068 or via our Facebook page or website.”

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HANDYMAN DAVE As a company we offer real value to our bathroom customers. We love nothing more than to bring an old tired bathroom back to life, by installing high end to budget products that simply transform your room.

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EssexMaintenanceApr14 07 April 2014 15:38:43

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WINTER A stark warning, not just for Game of Thrones fans… winter is coming. Yet don’t leave it till we’re knee deep in white stuff to sort bills, as changes can drag-on (sorry). So dust off your long johns, grab a cup of Bovril and snuggle up with my checklist to keep your costs down and the heat up. 1. Save £250+ on energy bills. Winter is of course the highest-use energy period. So the key is to ensure you’re on the cheapest possible deal – that may be changing tariff with your existing provider, it may be switching. The move across takes 17 days, so do it now to ensure you’re on the right deal before the cold snaps. Those who worry about this, don’t – it’s the same pipes, gas, meter and safety, and you don’t lose supply. The only difference is price and customer service. But savings can be huge. About 70% are on their provider’s standard tariff – across the big six this is an average of £1,095/year based on typical usage. Yet the cheapest open market’s deal is around £830 a year – that’s £260 a year saved, much of that in the winter months. However, as your exact cheapest depends on what you use and where you live – to find out, always do a comparison. Just make sure you select ‘all tariffs’ on a comparison site. You can use mywww.CheapEnergyClub.com which also gives switchers up to £30 cashback and then monitors you tariff after to check no one beats it, or anyOfgem.gov.uk approved comparison site. 2. Switch energy now and you could get £100s back. If you pay by direct debit, it’s likely you’re in credit after the low-use summer. Most providers give it back automatically, but if they don’t, call and ask. If you’ve switched in the

past five years, your old supplier may still owe you too. Asking for it back is simple and here’s a success to encourage you: “The balance owed to me from 17 months ago (which they never got back to me about) was £1,364.22. A brilliant result but I do feel an idiot for not knowing how much I’d overpaid, so I urge everyone to do the same as me and check.” – Col.escargot. 3. Free winter car check. Halfords.com is offering a free £15 winter car check, which includes checks to your battery, bulbs, wiper blades, oil and screenwash levels. You don’t need to book in advance, though you can online if you want, and the check should take about 15 minutes. There is no obligation to buy anything, but be prepared that staff might try to upsell you. The winter car check is on until spring next year. 4. Are you entitled to any extra winter help? Winter is a tough time for many as the cold sets in. But there are funds which may help… a) Winter fuel payments. If you were born on or before 5 January 1953 (and met other qualifying criteria throughout the week commencing 21 September 2015), you’re eligible for the up to £300 winter fuel payment. If you get certain benefits, eg, state pension, pension credit or jobseeker’s allowance, you’ll usually get it automatically – otherwise you may have to claim it. You do that by calling 03459 15 15 15. b) Cold weather payments. Anyone on certain benefits, eg, specific income support, jobseeker’s allowance, pension credit, gets £25 for every seven days where there are subzero temperatures. It’s paid automatically from 1 November this year. c) Choosing between heating and eating? If you’re seriously behind, or in general financial

hardship, you may be eligible for special tariffs/help. Try theHomeHeatHelpline.org.uk on 0800 33 66 99. 5. Do you know where your water cock is? Everyone should know where their main water off-switch is, otherwise known as a stopcock. Frozen pipe bursts create an average of £4k of damage, worse if you can’t find the off switch as your home floods. So if you don’t know, spend five minutes now finding out – typically it’s under the kitchen sink, in the boiler cupboard, or outside.

KEEP YOUR COSTS DOWN AND THE HEAT UP. 6. Full service car breakdown cover £41, basic for £16 – and if you’re renewing, haggle. Problems are more likely in winter and the consequences are more severe. For breakdown, home start and onward travel cover,AutoAidBreakdown.co.uk charges £41/ year, though if it sends a truck and driver you pay, then reclaim. Or if you’ve got cover and are at renewal, haggle. In a recent poll I conducted, 84% of AA and 78% of RAC customers who tried got lower rates, like Graham did: “Thanks for the haggling advice. Just spent five minutes on the

martin L E W IS Money Saving Expert

phone to the RAC and got my renewal slashed from £252 to £151. Just over £100 for about five minutes’ work – that’ll do nicely!” Full help to do this in www.mse.me/breakdown. For basic policies, buy through a cashback site like Topcashback.co.uk or Quidco.com and you can reduce the cost, eg, RAC basic is £27.99 a year and you get around £12 cashback, AA is a little more. 7. Free loft/cavity wall insulation, open to all. Energy firms face sanctions if they don’t meet Eco quotas, so some, eg,British Gas. co.uk,EDFEnergy.com and Npower.com give free insulation to anyone in England, Scotland or Wales with a suitable home (you don’t have to be their customer or on a low income). If you paid for this commercially, it could cost around £700. The savings can be huge. The Energy Saving Trust estimates you’ll see a reduction in bills of £300 a year compared with a typical uninsulated home. On average it takes 3-4 weeks to book a survey and a further two weeks for the insulation to be fitted (though it can take longer).

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2015 REVIEW A debate broke out in the office a few weeks ago, we passed it off as a brainstorming session, and the main topic was “Which nation is the best all-round sporting nation?” My pessimistic, British, journalistic mind immediately started listing other countries, USA, Russia, Germany, China, Australia etc. However, my colleague really got the cogs turning when he suggested it was little old England/Britain. Surely not!? See below a review of our sporting year and lets put it to the test, are we winning or are we failing? Athletics – The Super Saturday three from 2012 flew the flag in the World Championships. Ennis, Rutherford and Farrah once again ensured that Britain left their stamp on a thrilling World Championships in China and solidified team GB’s status as one of the most competitive teams in the world, especially for a country so small! Boxing – A massive year again for the British boxers. Currently, we can boast no fewer than 10 world champions across the different weight divisions. James DeGale, Lee Selby, Liam Smith, Anthony Crolla, Terry Flanagan and Lee Haskins have all been crowned World Champion this year. Cricket – Regaining the Ashes has to be the jewel in an old rusty crown in 2015. It was an ‘against all odds’ victory as Australia were back in ominous form sweeping aside everyone and moving back up to number one in the world, and England had failed to beat New Zealand and West Indies in previous tests. Also we had another disappointing world cup display, crashing out in the group stage. Pakistan then laid the boot in by beating the English 2-0 in the UAE and not even a Jos Buttler masterpiece of 100 in 46 balls could gloss over the turbulent 2015. Football – As a nation we have been pretty good! England have qualified for Euro 2016 by winning every one of their qualifying matches. Shame to say the English sides struggled in the Champions

League, not one of them making it through to the Quarter Final stage. We lost to Spain recently, but they are quite good at football.

Formula 1 – Lewis Hamilton has become the World Champion for the 3rd time. He joins Jackie Stewart on 3 championship wins and is aiming next season to join an elite club of 4 drivers that have achieved 4 or more. Netball – The England Netball team went to Australia with real hopes of reaching the final. They are the third best team in the world and seeing as they are up against New Zealand and Australia who play the sport professionally in their home countries, it is an impressive position to be in. They lived up to the expectation and went out only to the eventual winners Australia in the semi finals. They also went on to secure third place by beating Jamaica in the play off! Success story all round, if only more people would tune in and help the sport take-off. Rugby – Despite being in the top 4 or 5 teams in the world, we failed miserably at this year’s world cup. However, we showed the world that we can host a tournament, every cloud! Tennis – Andy Murray hasn’t had an amazing year, however in the prestigious team form of the game ‘The Davis Cup’, we have reached the final, can’t do much better than that...... we could win it I suppose?! I would love to cover all sports, but as you can see I am running out of room. My colleague has certainly made a great case for us being considered the allround leading sporting nation. The above Baromter is just a bit of fun, however even in Rugby and Cricket England are still a force to be reckoned with. Rowing, Cycling and Snooker are another three that Britain are clearly the top of the leader pile, how many more can we make a case for? Roll on 2016!

Put the spotlight on your local sports team, contact Zaki Hasan, via email, zaki@aroundtownmagazines.co.uk

Rochford Hundred Rugby Club Rochford Hundred Rugby Club is a local rugby club formed by three local residents in 1962 and today showcases rugby across all ages, abilities and both genders covering over 20 teams. The 1st XV play in the RFU London 2 North East league and the club’s main focus is developing local players to as high a standard of rugby as it possibly can.

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Revd Canon Mike Lodge

It’s a boy…! The birth of a baby is, quite rightly, a time of great anticipation and excitement, not to mention the many weeks of preparation beforehand, decorating the nursery, choosing names! Modern medical techniques allow us to know with reasonable certainty when the baby is due and whether it will be a boy or girl.

and with nowhere to stay. Jesus was born in a stable and laid in an animals’ feeding trough. Soon after a few humble shepherds came to see him… ‘And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Luke Chapter 2, verses 8-12.

Around two thousand years ago, a young woman from Nazareth eagerly awaited the arrival of her first baby. She knew already that it would be a boy and that she would give him the name Jesus. The birth of this very special baby was certainly long anticipated. His advent had been foretold by prophets centuries before. He was to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.

Within a relatively short time He became a refugee (or ‘migrant’, as we might say in modern terms), fleeing to Egypt to escape the political manoeuvrings of Herod. As Jesus grew up and went about preaching and teaching, he fearlessly induced controversy and at times clashed head-on with the authorities, whilst at the same time attracting a huge following of ordinary people who were able to see the extraordinary in him.

Between the end of the Old Testament, in which the prophets had spoken out about the expected saviour and the actual birth announcement as recorded in Luke’s gospel, there was what must have seemed a frustratingly long wait of some four hundred years. It was as if the world were holding its breath in expectation…

At Christmas time we rejoice again in celebrating the incarnation, God himself, coming into the world in the person of Jesus, to restore our damaged relationship with Him, to bring healing to the sick, comfort to the lonely, refuge to the outcast and the offer of forgiveness to all.

The circumstances of Jesus’ birth were neither easy nor comfortable, although he was welcomed into the world by a chorus of angels! Mary and Joseph had been travelling for days and arrived in Bethlehem weary

At the heart of Christmas is a message of hope, acceptance, restoration and the most intense love. This Christmas, may you know God’s blessing and the peace that is truly beyond understanding… Yours in the love of Jesus, Parish Office 01268 742151 info@parishofrayleigh.org.uk

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RECIPE The Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institute Mince Pies This recipe is made using Pate Sucre, sweet enriched shortcrust pastry, but it is not difficult to make, just whiz it up in the processor!

Ingredients: 225g Plain Flour 135g Butter 50g Caster Sugar 1 Egg Yolk Good Quality Mincemeat

Tips: The pate sucre can be used to create fresh fruit tartlets at other times of the year, just bake blind until the pastry is cooked but not brown. The pastry could also be used to make posh jam tarts or a flan case to fill with a sweet filling.

Method: 1. Preheat the oven 180C, Gas Mark 4. 2. Put the flour into a food processor, chop the butter and add to the flour. 3. Separate the egg and mix the yolk with the sugar and 4 tsps cold water and mix. 4. Process the flour and butter to fine crumbs and with the machine still running add the liquid as quickly as possible. Process until it forms a ball

5. 6. 7. 8.

in the centre. Do not over process. Remove from the processor and chill for half an hour. Roll out thinly and cut out into circles. Place in a greased bun tray and add a spoonful of mincemeat. Bake 12 - 15 mins, depending on the size until the pastry is cooked. Cool a little then carefully remove from the tray.

See more at: www.thewi.org.uk/what-we-do/recipes/baking/mince-pies

If you would like your recipe to appear in Around Town Magazines then contact our sales team on: 01277 658444 or email: sales@aroundtownmagazines.co.uk

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Nature Notes Written by Neil Sumner

Limited

Neilsumner123@aol.com twitter.com/neilsumner123 Many of our Christmas traditions originated in Victorian times and not least those that are associated with nature. Silver Fir trees, cut from the forest, became a favourite use for a Christmas Tree, their use originating in North Eastern Europe. Holly, Mistletoe and Ivy were all used originally in the pagan Winter Solstice festival and then adopted as Christian symbols. Common and freely growing in the countryside, their bright berries and resilience made them natural choices for indoor decorations. Holly is our commonest native evergreen. It can grow profusively and has to be managed in some ancient woodlands as it would shade out woodland flowers and the saplings off deciduous trees. But it is a great benefit for wildlife, the berries being a food source. The Mistletoe is a parasite but often a welcome one: the berries are food for thrushes and wintering blackcaps. It has declined in Essex since the mass removal of orchards in the 70s and 80s so its always good to find a clump in our local countryside. Ivy is a prolific native plant which provides huge benefits for wildlife. In Spring, Caterpillars feeds on the flower buds and the dense tangles are good nesting sites for birds. In summer and autumn, bumblebees and butterflies drink the nectar and in winter it shelters invertebrates which, along with the berries, are food for small birds and mammals. The Robin is one of beneficiaries of these hardy plants and also one that we associate with Christmas, being a favourite on cards and replicated as tree decorations. This year it was voted as Britain’s national bird. My view is that we chose it because it is often visible. It is relatively fearless of people, following us around and hoping to pick up grubs and worms that we disturb in the way a wagtail follows horses or cattle. Whilst we enjoy the festive celebrations in the warm or outside well-wrapped, a Robin may remind us of our wildlife’s day by day struggle for survival during the winter months.

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01268 361350 POLICE Rayleigh Police Station HOSPITALS Brentwood Hospital Basildon Hospital Broomfield Hospital Essex Nuffield Hospital Queen’s Romford Southend Hospital Spire Hartswood Hospital HELPLINES Alcoholics Anonymous Childline DIAL Disability Helpline Drugline Essex In Focus (family disabilities support)

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