Rayleigh december edition 2014

www.aroundtownmagazines.co.uk December 2014 Edition 13

“WE’VE GOT YOUR TOWN WRAPPED UP!”

Delivered to 15,000 Homes & Businesses in Rayleigh

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Christmas & New Year party nights at The Mill Arts & Events Centre & The Freight House FRIDAY 12TH DECEMBER Freight House only FRIDAY 12TH DECEMBER SATURDAY 13TH DECEMBER Freight House only The Mill only £19.95pp SATURDAY 13TH DECEMBER FRIDAY 19th DECEMBER The Mill only £50pp

Both £19.95pp SATURDAY 20th DECEMBER £29.95pp

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For further information and to book, please phone or visit us at: The Mill Arts & Events Centre

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Bellingham Lane, Rayleigh, Essex SS6 7ED

Bradley Way, Rochford, Essex SS4 1BU 01702 548 977

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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, ability and both genders covering over 20 teams. The 1st XV play in the RFU London 2 North East league and the clubs main focus is developing local players to as high a standard of rugby as it possibly can.

Main 1st XV Sponsors

Upcoming 1st XV Home Fixtures in November

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Saturday 6th December vs Holt 2pm kick off Saturday 20th December vs Basildon 2pm kick off

- MAGNOLIA ROAD - HAWKWELL - ESSEX SS4 3AD Telephone 01702 544021 - Website WWW.ROCHFORDRUGBY.COM Twitter @ROCHFORDRUGBY - Facebook FACEBOOK.COM/ROCHFORDRUGBY THE RUGBY PARK

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... Around Towners to YOUR Rayleigh community magazine!

It’s Christmaaaaas!

With good cheer buzzing ‘around town’ and the High Street shining bright with its Christmas lights, all we are missing is the big fella dressed in red and several reindeer pulling his sleigh. However, it is the most wonderful time to start your Christmas shopping and this year, it’d be great to support our local Rayleigh businesses.

Ordering presents online or from superstores can take away the magic of Christmas - So let’s get back into our exceptional High Street and buy local this December!

From everyone at Around Town Magazines, we wish you all a very merry, warm & relaxing Christmas time - see you next year!

From the Around Town Team

Features 8 Mark Francois MP Political Update 10 Rayleigh Lions Club / Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill Organisation ‘Around Town’ 14 Nature Notes EWT Volunteer Neil Sumner 19 Know Your Tradesmen L. McCarthy 21 Martin Lewis The Money Saving Expert

24 The Cook Report Getting into the spirit of giving this Christmas 26 A View from the Church Rev. Mike Lodge 28 Around Town Sports Focuses on American Football 30 Interview with a Chef The Grey Goose 31 Useful Numbers

Why Advertise?

We hand deliver 15,000 copies every month to homes and businesses covering the whole of Rayleigh. This includes several thousand copies available from venues throughout the town and an online edition.

To Advertise Contact our details below.

Sales

Team

Booking deadline for our December edition of Around Town is: Friday 12th December.

Copyright 2014. 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.

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

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WHY I’VE OBJECTED TO COUNTRYSIDE’S PLANS FOR 500 HOUSES IN WEST RAYLEIGH Countryside Properties have recently submitted an application to build around 500 houses on land in West Rayleigh, between Rawreth Lane and London Road.

Having read through this planning application with a fine tooth comb, I have now formally registered my objection to this application with Rochford District Council. I thought as local residents you might like to know why.

I objected because the developers have not provided any firm guarantees or pledges of money to deal with the infrastructure issues that will come with these additional houses, such as additional pressure on the highway network or the

By Mark Francois MP need to upgrade infrastructure to deal with flooding, in the event of heavy rainfall.

We do need some new housing in the area, not least to enable young people to find a place to live, but that should only go ahead if the related infrastructure is provided.

The developers have used lots of warm words in their proposal but they have given no firm guarantees.

I do not believe they should be given planning permission unless

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I understand the planning application is now likely to be decided upon by our local Councillors sometime in the New Year. I very much hope they will heed my objections - and indeed those of many others living in Rayleigh as well - and reject these plans unless and until the necessary infrastructure is guaranteed.

Rt Hon Mark Francois Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford

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and until these guarantees are provided in writing, with firm sums of money to accompany them. In short, no new houses without the associated infrastructure.

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RAYLEIGH LIONS CLUB Firstly the Lions Club of Rayleigh would like to thank everyone who attended our firework display and trust you enjoyed, despite the weather.

In respect of fund raising this month we have donated funds to both Fitzwyamarc and Holt farms schools for their winter warmer packs which are being distributed for over 150 needy people in our area.

A donation was also made the charity London Widows and Orphans Fund for a Christmas party for the children.

Also we made a donation for 20 adult and 20 child carers so they could have a respite and an interrupted Christmas meal with various activities.

Are you interested in becoming a Lion, i f so please email us at membership. rayleighlions@gmail.com, and one of our membership committee will give you a call.

ROTARY CLUB OF RAYLEIGH MILL The Club held its first Comedy night last month at the Hullbridge Community Centre, 120 people attended and enjoyed the six comedians. £430 was made for the clubs charities from this event.

Based on its success we will look forward to repeating it next year.

As Christmas approaches we have a number of social events planned. A ‘Bowl and Bite’ evening of ten pin bowling at CJ’s in Hockley when the ‘skill’ of our Rotarians and their partners will be on show! The Christmas Dinner dance at the Arlington Rooms in Southend is also an annual event that we all look forward to.

Our weekly meeting takes place at Mamma’s Romantica Restaurant in Rayleigh High Street at 7.30pm on Monday nights. If you wish to visit us or know more please contact Andrew Shackleton on 01702 201783 or robertashackleton@googlemail.com.

Our website and Facebook page can also help you see what we do. www.rotary-ribi.org/ clubs/homepage.php?ClubsID=1797 or put ‘Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill’ into Facebook.

May I, on behalf of our club, wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

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When is wildlife in Britain not British? Over the centuries new species have arrived and spread themselves amongst our native wildlife, either by accident or design. Many have found their place in the ecosystem without causing undue damage but others are less welcome.

Of the many game birds and geese and duck that we have gained, some are deliberate introductions, such as the RedLegged Partridge, others escaped from collections. Some are numerous, others remain locally rare and exotic like the Mandarin Duck (pictured) that used a kestrel nest box near Galleywood this year.

We certainly didn’t mean to bring in Zebra Mussels, which came up the continental canals on boats and are now a cost to our economy, clogging up pipes and drains. New colonisers have been hitching a ride with us for years. The Brown Rat, according to the newly published ‘Mammals of Essex’, arrived in 1728 in shipments from Russia, displacing the Black Rat, now almost extinct in our county. The Brown Rat is highly successful but unpopular, unless you are a predator. Barn Owls find them to be a useful food source and I saw a Heron catch by one by the Wid recently and swallow it whole.

Generally, unnatural introduction is risky. The American Mink escaped from fur farms and are now a problem as they predate local wildlife that has little defence against them.

Without the efforts of the Water for Wildlife programme controlling mink we would probably lose our Water Voles.

Also along the riverbank, that pink Himalayan Balsam may look very attractive but shades out native vegetation which in turn causes bank erosion.

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The Grey Squirrel is an American import which was deliberately introduced, displacing our Red Squirrels, which died out in Essex in the 1970s, although attempts are being made now to re-introduce them. Muntjac Deer may be a pleasing site in small numbers but they remove the lower vegetation, saplings and coppice shoots in the wood, so we lose nightingales and dormice and the woodland itself will not re-generate.

Natural colonisers, such as the Cettis Warbler and Little Egret are responding to our warming climate and new wetland nature reserves. We can expect more too, like the Great White Egret that has been enjoyed by birdwatchers recently at Wat Tyler Country Park. Mediterranean Gulls are regularly seen along the beaches at Southend where Anchovies were caught for the first time this year. The Ivy Bee is exercising its right for movement in Europe, now being seen in Essex and, being a bee, its workers should benefit our economy. Will there be a detrimental impact?

We don’t really know but generally the natural colonisers can simply be enjoyed.

‘Mammals of Essex’ is available from Essex Wildlife Trust – I couldn’t wait for Santa to bring mine perhaps he’ll bring you one.

Neilsumner123@aol.com follow me twitter.com/neilsumner123

We are a Hockley based family run business

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Electrician Lewis McCarthy decided to go-it-alone and set up L McCarthy Electrical four years ago, after wanting to offer a more personalised service to his Essex customer base.

L McCarthy Electrical, offers 24/7 call out services with a call out charge after 7pm only, and also offers free quotes. Lewis prides himself on the longstanding relationships he builds with his customers and said ‘I am very competitive on my prices…I’m reliable, friendly and will always

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EssexMaintenanceApr14 07 April 2014 15:38:43

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Brrrr... The mercury has started to tumble, summer’s warmth seems a distant memory and the central heating is starting to kick into gear. As it’ll only get colder, now’s the time to ensure you’re set up for winter to keep the cost down and the heat up. Here’s my checklist…

Find out where your stopcock is.

Everyone should know where their mains water off switch is. Frozen pipe bursts create an average £7,000 of damage, made worse if you can’t find the off switch as your home floods.

As Angie wrote on my Facebook page: “I know where mine is but only due to a burst pipe and collapsed floor a few years ago. Took us & the council 2hrs to find.”

So find it now before you’ve problems.

Mine is behind a kitchen cupboard, but you’ll also typically find yours in bathrooms, shared corridors in flats, boiler cupboards and more. To help locate yours there’s a nice Thames Water video at www.mse.me/stopcock.

Switch energy now and you could get £100s back. This is a great time to switch energy supplier if you pay by direct debit, as it’s likely you’re in credit after the low use summer months.

Therefore switch now, and provided you ask for it – so ask - you’ll likely be given cash too (switch after winter and you may be in debt).

Yet while the switch-over takes time, the work to compare and activate a switch doesn’t. For fun, I put a stopwatch on four new members of my team trying to compare and switch - the quickest took 202 seconds, the longest 376 seconds.

The average was 310 seconds with a £226 saving.

When comparing you may’ve heard of the recent scandal about ‘hiding top deals’ on some comparison sites.

This is true – though my own www. cheapenergyclub.co.uk always shows all tariffs. Yet it means if you are using a different www.ofgem.gov.uk approved comparison site, when you get to the “Do you only want to see tariffs you can

switch to today” question – say ‘no’ – that way all will display.

Switching isn’t a big deal, it’s the same pipes, gas, meter and safety scheme - the only difference is price and customer service. You can do it even if you’re on a prepayment meter/ electricity only/ Eco 7.

Paying energy by monthly direct debit is cheaper. It discounts your bill by up to 6%. Firms then estimate your annual usage and divide it by 12 so you’re likely to build up credit after summer and be a little in debt after winter. Always do regular meter readings for accuracy, as your bill is estimated. And if they try to push your direct debit up unfairly (eg, you’re heavily in credit) you’ve a right for it to be fair, just call and ask for it to be lowered.

Full service car breakdown cover £40. Breakdown is more likely at winter, and the consequences more severe. Yet policies can be very cheap.

For breakdown, home start and onward travel www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk is £40 a year, though it’s a ‘pay and claim’ policy so here it sends a local pick-up truck that you have to pay, then you can reclaim the cash later. Feedback and call out times are good, though you need to remember to claim.

as their landlord’s likely responsible.

Check. b) Ensure you know what cover you need, choose between boiler-only, or central heating cover. c) To find the cheapest compare via www.uswitch.com and if you have more time add www.energyhelpline. com and www.moneysupermarket.com for a wider comparison.

More help in www.mse.me/boilercover.

Are you entitled to any extra winter help. Winter is a tough time for many as the cold sets in. Therefore there are some funds which may help... a) Winter fuel payments. If anyone in your house was born on or before 6 Jul 1952 and gets a state pension, pension credit or jobseekers allowance you automatically get the up to £300 winter fuel payment (providing you met this qualifying criteria by 21 Sept 2014).

Some on other benefits may be eligible too, but will need to claim if new to it. b) Cold weather payments. Anyone on specific income support/jobseeker’s allowance/pension credit gets £25 for every 7 days it’s sub-zero. It’s paid automatically from 1 Nov 2014. 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 the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.

If you’ve got cover and are at renewal, then HAGGLE - 90% of AA customers and 78% with the RAC lowered their rates by bartering. For more deals see www.mse.me/breakdown.

Cut boiler costs by £100s - you don’t need your energy firm’s cover. Many energy firms use our fear of losing heating to charge hefty insurance costs.

They also want us to think there’s some link between our energy provider and our boiler cover. There isn’t - you’re not locked in. In short… a) Renters usually don’t need it,

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23

Getting into the spirit of giving this Christmas December is here and while we’re busy preparing for the onslaught of Christmas parties and present buying, and shedding a tear or two over a cute little penguin called Monty, two local charities are embarking on special projects this December.

Hopeworx started as a community outreach project from the Christian Growth Centre Rayleigh, and focuses on seeking the needs of the local community and finding ways to alleviate those needs. Initially providing food parcels to those in crisis in Rayleigh and the surrounding areas, in recent months the charity has concentrated on collecting and donating furniture and electrical appliances. Based in Brook Road is the charity’s 6,000 sq ft warehouse, which is open to the general public who can go along and browse or donate. Those that can evidence they are

24

receiving certain benefits are able to purchase items at a reduced cost, and the charity also offers a free collection service to members of the public looking to donate. The organisation is on the look out for volunteers to assist with various aspects over the Christmas period. The charity’s website www. hopeworx.org provides further information.

Another local charity getting into the festive spirit is Little Haven’s Hospice.

Opened in Thundersley in March 1998, Little Haven’s Hospice cares for lifelimited children and their families throughout the journey of their illness, and since opening has cared for over 1,000 families.

On Sunday 7th December, the wooded grounds of the children’s hospice will be transformed into a winter wonderland for the charity’s annual Run Santa Run event. Volunteers can take part in a 5k Santa Run

or 3k Reindeer Race, and there will be an Elf Trail, Santa’s Grotto and toy and Christmas tree sale, for those with young children and looking for something a little less active. Entry for the Run Santa Run event is £12 for adults and £5 for children, and entry for the Reindeer Race event is £7 for adults and £5 for children. Entry also includes festive hats, Santa suits, reindeer antlers and a flashing nose! Further information can be found at the charity’s website, www. havenhospice.org.uk.

Further details of local charity and Christmas events happening in and around the area can be found at www.visitessex. com or on Rayleigh town’s Facebook page, w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / RayleighEssex.

By Around Town Journalist Jo Cook

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25

Peace at Christmas…

“A merry Christmas, uncle!

God save you!” cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge’s nephew…. “Bah!” said Scrooge, “Humbug!”

The words of the character Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ book ‘A Christmas Carol’ may reflect your sentiments as we approach Christmas and particularly when the beginning of this festive season was kicked off by many retailers in August! The conversation between Scrooge and his nephew continues with an exchange of views on their feelings about Christmas.

In making his point to his nephew Scrooge blurts out, “What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books…?” Like Scrooge, Christmas can be a time when we can feel under pressure. But for many people Christmas is a

time to celebrate again the birth of Jesus, where there are no costs attached, where there is no price to pay on our part, where there is a looking forward with anticipation; Christmas bringing a message of love, new life, hope and especially peace…

This theme of peace has been with us over the past few months as we have been remembering the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, with a peaceful truce descending on the first Christmas of the War. Late on Christmas Eve 1914, men of the British Expeditionary Force heard the Germans singing carols and patriotic songs and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches. Messages began to be shouted between the trenches.

The following day, British and German soldiers met in No Man’s Land and exchanged gifts, took photographs and some played football. They also buried casualties and repaired trenches and dugouts. Some officers viewed the truce as a chance to improve living conditions in the trenches, while others worried that such unwarlike behaviour would undermine fighting spirit. The High Commands on both sides took measures to ensure such fraternisation would not happen again and the 1914 Christmas Truce remained a unique event on the Western Front. The

uniqueness of this brief truce helps us to know that peace is not only important, but vital in all parts of our lives.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus, described as the ‘Prince of Peace’. The whole of Jesus’ life demonstrated the reality and importance of living at peace with each other. He showed the value of caring, with the certainty that genuine love can transform lives. We can experience for ourselves the change that Jesus can make and in turn make a difference in the world. This is especially relevant in difficult times when we might experience uncertainty and little or no genuine peace.

As we think about the birth of Jesus we are given the ideal opportunity to discover again the message of peace that Jesus brings, finding out how this peace can be a reality with a real sense of expectation and hope for the future. In doing so, we can then share this peace with those around us; family, friends, colleagues and neighbours…

As you celebrate Christmas this year I pray that you may know the love, new life, hope and peace that is to be found in Jesus and in the words of Tiny Tim in ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘God bless Us, Every One!’ May I wish you all a very Peaceful Christmas and may God bless you.

01268 742151 info@parishofrayleigh.org.uk www.parishofrayleigh.org.uk

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27

A storm is gathering above sports enthusiasts all over the country as American Football is starting to increase in popularity by the day.

Wembley, the home of Football as we know it, is seized upon at least 3 or 4 times a year by followers of the pulsating, tactical and extremely physical game. The sell-out crowd is forcing the NFL in America to keep renewing their contracts to stage more matches here in England and that same demand and popularity is happening on our doorstep in Essex.

I have been lucky enough to catch up with the Essex Spartans who play in the British American Football Association National League (BAFANL). Their home ground is at Hannakins Farm in Billericay and not only are they playing as a recreation, they are attracting a regular crowd who willingly pay to watch, a sure sign of the popularity increasing.

Essex Spartans have evolved over many years and now have an academy ranging from ages 14 to 19 as well as the senior team. I was lucky enough to catch up with a few of the players, Danny Shilling, Mikey Porter, Oli Huke and Wes Bourke. I got to ask them some questions that, I feel, are burning issues within the sport locally and nationally.

With

the

Wembley

matches occurring with more frequency now and coverage increasing on our sports channels, is this having a positive effect on the sport locally?

Danny said “Yes as people are gaining more exposure to the sport whilst playing at Wembley makes it accessible to more and more people to actually go and watch professionals play (I think I saw the average attendance is 88k since 2007 when it started, and yet England Football games rarely breach 70k!)

Interestingly when asked the same question, Wes gave me a very different answer. This I feel shows how the sport is really sparking debate amongst its faithful in this country.

Wes said “I disagree totally, its now more so a spectator sport, because of the Wembley games! Sky has been covering NFL for years and Channel 4 before that. When I was playing in the early 90’s, Sky were up and coming and we, as UK teams, were promised that the local game would get more coverage and would gain massively from that extra TV coverage by Sky. 20 years later, we are still struggling outside of the main large cities to get new blood into the sport.”

How did you get playing/coaching for the Spartans?

Oli told me “I was recruited by my university team (Coventry) knowing reasonably little of the sport at the time. After a winter of playing in the midlands I fell in love with game so looked up my local team the moment the university season ended. It was welcoming and well run so I kept coming back” Basketball is considered an American sport and is played regularly in schools, do you think American football has a place in our

local schools and why do you think it hasn’t yet been included?

Mikey answered with “The fundamental problem with the sport being played in schools is the cost. The schools not only need to buy equipment but also need to train PE staff. It is a technical sport that requires proper coaching. The health and safety aspect alone is a huge barrier. Schools often only have a limited amount of staff to coach other collision sports such as rugby. I know the school I work at did have some lessons last year and did try some contact games with rugby tackling rules. I think if the game is to spread into schools it needs to compete with basketball and other indoor sports rather than football and rugby.”

The Spartans are certainly raising the profile of the game within Essex and while it is growing on a national stage I think the juggernaut that is American Football will continue to capture the audiences here in England and Essex.

The Essex Spartans welcome anyone to come along and watch them in action and also any people that wish to have a go and play. Please see below their website that has all details of games, training days and events alike. Seeing as all money for programmes and merchandise go to charity I say we all take a look and try and see what the fuss is about.

By Zaki Hasan www.essexspartans.co.uk www.facebook.com/pages/EssexSpartans-American-Football-Team

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

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29

INTERVIEW with the Chef...

Chef Craig Walsingham brings hearty comfort food and a touch of class to The Grey Goose Re-opened in September this year, The Grey Goose in East Street, Rochford, is offering hearty homecooked food and sweet, delicious desserts to local residents.

Chef Craig Walsingham recently joined the team there, and has used his extensive experience and creative flair to create a menu that offers simple, hearty dishes with a touch of elegance and class.

Having spent three years at catering college, Craig gained valuable experience training with Gordon Ramsay’s Sous chef Marcus Wareing, recently seen on BBC television show Masterchef: The Professionals. Craig said, ‘Home Economics was always a subject I really enjoyed at school and excelled at, so it seemed natural to move on to

catering college. I’d always been inspired by Gordon Ramsay’s culinary projects, so being able to work with Marcus Wareing was really exciting.’ Craig spent the early part of his career working in various different roles in the catering industry, including front of house, waiting tables and bar management, before settling in his chosen career as a chef. He said ‘I worked in various different jobs in local restaurants throughout my twenties.

It’s been really exciting to come here (The Grey Goose) and be involved in the re-launch of the restaurant and new menu.

I am looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing what the project brings’.

The Grey Goose is open seven days a week, serving lunch between 11.30am and 3pm and dinner from 6pm to 9.30pm Monday to Saturday, with food served from 12pm – 8pm on a Sunday. A set menu is available at both lunchtime and in the evening, and the restaurant also offers an A La Carte menu, featuring

dishes such as pan-fried sea bass, T-Bone steak and mushroom risotto. Of the food, Craig said ‘We offer hearty home-cooked dishes with that something a little bit special that diners wouldn’t necessarily cook for themselves at home’.

And the evidence in that is the chef’s signature dish.

‘White chocolate and amaretto crème brulee served with a twill biscuit and raspberry coulis’. Full menus are available on the restaurant’s website www. thegreygooserochford.com and you can call: 01702 544797 to book.

Now Taking Bookings For December Christmas Parties Open 7 days a week for lunch, dinner and drinks Visit our website or call for more information on our forthcoming special events and menus Live music every Saturday in December DJ Every Friday night in December

New Owners – New Menus – New Ideas The Grey Goose Bar and Restaurant 7-9 East Street | Rochford | Essex | SS4 1DB 01702 544797 | www.thegreygooserochford.com

USEFUL NUMBERS

BIRTH, DEATH MARRIAGES REGISTRATION

01268 361350 01268 361351

POLICE Rayleigh Police Station

0300 333 4444

HOSPITALS Brentwood Hospital Basildon Hospital Broomfield Hospital Essex Nuffield Hospital Queen’s Romford Southend Hospital Spire Hartswood Hospital

01277 695000 0845 1553111 01245 443673 0800 688699 0845 1304204 01702 435555 01277 232525

HELPLINES Alcoholics Anonymous Childline DIAL Disability Helpline Drugline Essex In Focus (family disabilities support)

Narcotics Anonymous Parentline Samaritans S. Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre Victim Support Essex Women’s Refuge

CHEMISTS Boots the Chemist, Rayleigh 01268 771883 Audley Mills, Rayleigh

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Lloyds Pharmacy, Rayleigh

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Grange Pharmacy, Rayleigh 01268 784192 Hambro, Rayleigh

01268 781623

Yardley Chemist

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BLOOD TEST Booking Line NHS Direct

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ROAD & TRAVEL UPDATES Essex Travel www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/essex COUNCILS Rochford District Council

01702 546366

Rayleigh Town Council

01268 741880

TRANSPORT Bus Service

0870 6082608

Rail Service

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TAXIS Rayleigh Taxi Bestax Abba Cars Cab Call

01268 531888 01268 777300 01268 771666 01268 777300

UTILITIES Anglian Water 0345 145145 Electricity – Power Supply Problems 0800 7838838 Gas – Urgent Calls / Gas Escapes 0800 111999 Minicom – Transco 0800 371787 Thames Water (Supply or Wastewater Services) 0845 9200800 Three Valleys Water 0345 823333 Water – Essex & Suffolk Water 01245 491234 VETS YourVets Vets4Pets Rochford Veterinary Surgery Downes Vets Medivet LIBRARIES Rayleigh

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