April/May 2017 by Sarah Banks

Free

The

April/May 17 Issue 75

connection magazine magaz ine Inside this issue...

Win a fam ami miilllyy tic tiicck keeett too see k seee

What’s On Over seventy

The Rockabellas

events to choose from!

per erfor r orm r att Hed edi diin ng n gh g ha h am a m Cas Ca asstttlllee! e

Easter recipes Chocolate and orange hot cross buns!

Interiors

Getting ready for Spring

Jane’s Walk

Eleven Colchester walks

Gardening with Pippa Greenwood Growing from seed

Also...

Hobbies Has the Great Pottery Throw Down got you all ﬁred up?

The Connection is delivered free to homes in Aldham, Fordham, Great Tey, Chappel, Wakes Colne, White Colne, Colne Engaine, Countess Cross, Pebmarsh, Earls Colne, Bures St Mary, Bures Hamlet, Mount Bures , Wormingford, West Bergholt, Eight Ash Green, Copford, Braiswick, Lexden, Coggeshall, Kelvedon and Feering. Also available in Halstead, Sudbury, Assington, Stoke by Nayland, Nayland, and Waitrose in Colchester.

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Inside

Hello

4 - Recipe Don’t you just love this issue’s front cover? 6 - Interiors The lady on the front is Sarah Lindsey who is a member of The Rockabellas and in 8 - Hobbies - Pottery this issue you have the chance to win a family ticket to go to an event at Hedingham Castle in May where The Rockabellas will be performing. Throughout the magazine I 12 - Recipe have hidden ten Easter Rockabella bunnies and to give you a head start there’s one on 14 - 21 What’s On 22 - Book Reviews this page! More details about this competition are on page 21.

This issue is full of interesting articles, we have gardening with Pippa Greenwood, a recipe for chocolate orange hot cross buns and ideas to freshen up your interiors. Also, have you, like me, been enthralled by the BBC series The Great Pottery Throw Down? See page 8 for some ideas of where you can go to enjoy this great past time. As usual, the What’s On pages offer plenty of things to do and on page 25 you will find a list of 11 interesting walks in Colchester. They all have a theme. Take a look as there might be something of interest to you. Finally, local plantsman Oliver Wass of Olivers Plants will soon be celebrating his 10th year in business! I remember writing an article for the Connection when he first launched his plant centre business and it’s great to see him doing so well. See page 26 for an update on his progress.

24 - Notice Board 24 - Gardening 25 - Jane’s Walk 26 - Olivers Plants 28 - Gardening 30 - Sudoku 32 - Pop up cafe at Firstsite 34 - Spot the Difference 36 - Useful Numbers 37 - Country Mutters 38 - Index

I hope you all have a great Easter!

Sarah.

Please get in touch if you want to advertise your business. Call me on: Editor and Publisher: Sarah Banks Editorial Assistant: Amanda Findley Contributors: Amanda Findley , Pippa Greenwood, Ann Haldon,Alison Runham and Katherine Sorrell. Advertising and Editorial: 01787 210701 / 07527 489847 Email: editor@theconnectionmagazine.co.uk Address: Applegarth, Whitestreet Green, Boxford, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 5JL

01787 210701

Competition winner

www.facebook.com/ TheConnectionMagazineColchester

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted in any form -electronic, mechanical , photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission of the publisher.

£25 cash sudoku winner - Chris Williams from West Bergholt.

Next issue: June/July 2017 Publication date 18th May 2017

Deadline date for advertising: 5th May Deadline date for What’s On entries : 5th May

or email:

editor@theconnectionmagazine.co.uk

Advertise from £30 plus VAT Delivered to over 20 villages See map on page 38

Cake and Bake Chocolate & Orange Hot Cross Buns

Give the classic hot cross bun a delicious twist with the addition of chocolate chips, orange zest and piped chocolate crosses!

Ingredients:

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt, mixed spice, orange

• 500g strong white plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2. Bring the milk almost to the boil in a small pan then stir in the butter

• 1/2 tsp salt • 2 tsp ground mixed spice

until melted. Leave the liquid to cool until it’s just hand hot. Pour the liquid into the well with the beaten egg and mix with a round- bladed knife to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

3. Place the dough in a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover with oiled

• Zest of 1 orange • 50g caster sugar • 1 x 7g sachet easyblend or fast-action dried yeast • 300ml hand-hot milk • 55g butter, cubed • 1 large egg, beaten • 75g dried mixed fruit • 50g dark chocolate chips

FOR THE GLAZE AND CROSSES • 1-2 tbsp warmed golden syrup • 50g dark chocolate, melted

Makes 12 Ready in 2 hours, 45 minutes

zest, sugar and dried yeast. Make a well in the middle.

cling film. Leave the bowl in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flatten out with the palms of your hands and scatter over the dried fruit and chocolate chips. Fold and knead the dough until the fruit and chocolate chips are incorporated. Divide and shape the dough into 12 even-sized buns and place on a large greased baking sheet.

5. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until the buns have risen by at least half again and are almost touching each other - this will take about 45-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C, 180C fan, Gas Mark 6.

6. Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until risen

and golden brown. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Brush with the warmed golden syrup whilst the buns are still warm.

7. When the buns are cold, spoon the melted chocolate into a small

disposable piping bag, snip off the end and pipe a cross on each bun. Leave until set then serve.

TIP

These buns are best eaten on day they’re made, but if you have some left over the next day simply split and toast and serve with butter or chocolate spread.

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Home & Interiors Refresh Your Home For Spring shelves and light fittings, shampooed rugs, washed loose covers and curtains and taken duvets to the launderette? To say nothing of cleaning mirrors and windows – and scrunched-up newspaper and white vinegar will give them a wonderful sparkle.

As our gardens start to grow and blossom fills the trees, it’s time to think about refreshing and re-energising our homes ready for a stylish spring. Clear the clutter There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned tidy up! Heavy winter duvets, furry throws and cable-knit hot water bottles can all be stored out of the way, while at the same time this is a good opportunity to go through shelves and cupboards and get rid of anything you no longer need. If it’s broken, mend it or throw it away; don’t let worn out, unusable and unnecessary items take up space. Clean house After clearing space, you will probably notice that some of your house could do with a deep clean. How good will you feel when you have washed down the front door, wiped

Have a brush with paint Has your paintwork seen better days? Perhaps windows need sanding and repainting, or door frames need touch-ups where they’ve had knocks and bashes? Or maybe a whole room could do with a makeover? Painting is a relatively quick and inexpensive DIY job that creates an overall impression going above and beyond the effort involved. Introduce colour Now’s the time to ditch dark winter shades and get fresh with spring-like colour. Yellow, blue and green are all associated with spring – and Pantone’s colour of the year is gorgeous ‘Greenery’, described as ‘a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew’. Use with plenty of bright white for a really clean, fresh look. Include a dash of pattern Your backdrop of pale spring colours is perfect for adding pops of pattern to make an impact. Chevrons, triangles and geometrics in general

By Katherine Sorrell (especially if they have a tribal feel) are still current, as well as tropicals, textures (think chunky knits or grassy weaves), graphic botanicals such as ferns and leaves and the natural patterns of marble and stone. Up your game with accessories Replace old accessories with on-trend items such as cushions and throws, duvet covers, vases, prints, small storage containers, mirrors, clocks, table lamps and plants. You don’t have to spend a fortune to overhaul your look dramatically. Add some scent Instead of artificial air fresheners, use natural wax scented candles. Alternatively, try reed diffusers with essential oils, or simply arrange locally sourced, scented flowers (those from abroad don’t tend to smell so good). And, try to dry laundry in the sunshine outdoors – you can’t beat that beautiful fresh smell. Bring the outdoors in Now the warmer weather is here, open the windows and get some air circulating around your home. It might even be warm enough to sit outside, so think about pressure washing your patio, scrubbing up your barbecue and cleaning down your outdoor furniture. After all, it’s not that long until summer… Ziel Design for Living in Earls Colne have a great choice in Spring fabrics and an abundance of home accessories to choose from. www.zieldesign.co.uk

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Hobbies

Has the Great Pottery Throw Down ﬁred you up? By Kate McLelland The BBC’s Great Pottery Throw Down is in its second series and like Bake Off, it has helped the British public to understand more about the creation of artisan products, whether that’s a sourdough loaf or a set of stackable breakfast bowls. Since the programme started many viewers have been eager to try pottery making for themselves. So if you’re thinking of joining a class, what are the basic things you should know before you start?

It’s Messy!

The two essential ingredients when making pottery are clay and water – combine that with a wheel that spins your wet clay object around, and you get the picture. Be prepared to wear old clothes and shoes, cut your nails, tie back your hair and bring an apron that covers from the chest down!

It’s not all about the wheel

There are two different methods for making objects out of clay, handbuilding and wheel throwing. You can use hand-building techniques to create a‘pinch pot’by making rolls of clay and combining them into a single shape. Alternatively make a‘slab pot’by rolling the clay into flat slabs to create a square or rectangular shape. The expression‘throwing’comes from the way the clay is thrown onto the centre of a flat, spinning tray (the potter’s wheel) and squeezed into shape as it revolves at speed. You’ll 8

need quite a lot of strength in your hands to do this, as well as patience to cope with those early failures!

It’s slow

When an object is first made it is loaded with water and must be thoroughly and evenly dried out before it is fired. That’s a minimum of a week for freshly made (or ‘green’) objects to become kiln ready.

It’s a science as well as a craft

A pottery oven (kiln) is not the same as a domestic oven and an apprentice potter will need to learn how clay and glazes react when heated to high temperatures. The process of heating clay and glazes to reach their optimal point of melting is usually achieved over two steps. Bisque firing is the first stage, where unglazed pots are heated just enough for them to be able to take the glaze that will give them their final, glossy finish. Once glazes have been applied the pots go back into the kiln for the glaze firing.

It needs space and investment

Down has helped us to understand the skill, passion and commitment required to make a simple pottery object that can be used and enjoyed for years.

Fancy having a go? Nicky Jones teaches pottery at Clayshape Studio in Wivenhoe e: wivenhoeclayshape@gmail.com t: 07595 742851 w: www.clayshape.co.uk Neville Tatham is a potter who teaches in Colchester and Thaxted t: 07950 785095 w: www.colchester.ac.uk/course/ ceramics/ www.nevilletathamceramics.co.uk Jo Wheatley runs one off half day throwing workshops at her studio on lower Wivenhoe t: 07926 463568 e: jo.the.potter@gmail.com

Once you’ve learned all you can in class Kate Reynolds runs courses in her and decide to go it alone, you’ll need to studio in Stutton near Manningtree find space for your hobby. Consider where you’ll put the wheel and the kiln, where t: 01473 780297 mob: 07516 435767 you’ll paint and glaze your pots and where e: info@kate-reynolds.co.uk you can leave them to dry. The equipment w: www.kate-reynolds.co.uk can be costly – expect to spend between £600 and £2,000 on a potter’s wheel Also the Wilson Marriage and and £1,000-£4,000 on a kiln, and that’s Colchester Institute have courses without all the accessories and materials available. you’ll need to make the pots themselves. https://courses.aclessex.com Once again, the BBC has opened our eyes http://www.colchester.ac.uk/course/ to a craft that has been largely overlooked ceramics/ in recent years. The Great Pottery Throw Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts

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olf Coaching

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Get into golf with Stoke by Nayland Golf Coaching in partnership with Stoke by Nayland Golf Club Whatever your age, whether you’re an experienced golfer or a beginner, you can choose from a range of different packages and programmes to help you improve your game. Each programme, all delivered by PGA professionals, includes different coaching options and activities such as: • Free taster sessions available • One-to-one coaching • Bespoke coaching packages • Junior Golf multi-sports days • And much more!

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Come to our Golf Open Weekend on Sat 8th /Sun 9th April. Free coaching clinics 10am – 12pm! o nd out more please call or email Golf oaching stokebynayland com Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa, Keepers Lane, Leavenheath, Colchester CO6 4PZ | Tel: 01206 262836

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Sunday 21st May 11am - 2pm

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Ricotta Stuﬀed Chicken Serves 4

Ready in 1 hour 10 minutes

This recipe is a great way to turn chicken fillets into something special. You can prepare them a couple of hours in advance and keep covered in the fridge, then simply cook when needed.

Ingredients: • 75g ricotta cheese • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves • 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest • 4 large skinless chicken breast fillets • 12 thin-cut rashers streaky bacon • 5 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar • 1tsp Dijon mustard • Pinch of sugar • 100g baby spinach leaves • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

TIP

❅

Instead of ricotta you could use low-fat soft cheese such as Philadelphia or a mild and creamy goats’ cheese.

Use a sharp knife to make a deep pocket in each chicken fillet, making sure not to cut right the way through. Place the ricotta cheese in a bowl and stir in the thyme leaves and the lemon zest. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place one-quarter of the ricotta mixture in the pocket of each chicken fillet. Use the back of a knife to stretch the bacon rashers. Wrap 3 rashers around each chicken fillet and secure with a metal skewer. Preheat the oven to 180C, 160C Fan, Gas Mark 4. Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken fillets over high heat for 2-3 minutes until the bacon is browned, turning once. Transfer to a roasting tin and cook for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Cover and leave in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes. To make the dressing, whisk the remaining oil with the vinegar, mustard and sugar in a small jug and season to taste. Slice each chicken fillet into 6 pieces and arrange on the salad leaves. Scatter over the toasted pine nuts and spoon over the dressing. Serve immediately.

❅❅

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What’s On General

Wormingford Annual Flower Festival At Saint Andrew’s Church, Wormingford (off B1508 between Colchester and Sudbury) Saturday 27th, Sunday 28th and Monday 29th May 10.00am – 5.00pm daily. Our intriguing theme for this year is‘Essex is the Only Way’(celebrating all things Essex). Wonderful and imaginative floral displays, Bric-a-brac sale in Wormingford Community Education Centre, teas, cakes, lunches and refreshments, Tombola with many exciting prizes. No entry charge. Flower Festival Celebration service in the Church 28th May at 6.30pm. For more information please contact Mike Crisp on 01787 227325 or 07747 623172 mike@mikecrisp.freeserve.co.uk

Pebmarsh Art Group Exhibition & Sale of Work At the Village Hall, Pebmarsh Saturday 1st April 11.00am – 5.00pm and Sunday 2nd April 11.00am – 4.00pm A wide variety of paintings and drawings in all media will be on display and for sale. Home-made cakes and refreshments available. Free admission. All profits to Ferriers Barn Art and Craft Centre for Disabled Adults. Call 228548 for further information.

Jumble Sale At St Francis Church Hall, Colchester Road, Halstead (opposite cemetery) Saturday 22nd April 9.30am - 11.30am 20p admission, parking behind hall. Good quality clothes for all the family, household goods, bric-

a-brac etc. Everything at bargain prices. For more information please contact Tina on 01787 827784.

Events at Aldham Village Hall Pamper Evening Friday 7th April 7.00pm – 10.00pm. Entrance £3.50 (includes glass of wine and nibbles). A variety of treatments, massages, Psychic readings, wine tasting and more. Tickets available on the door. Cream Teas and Plant Sale Sunday 14th May 3.00pm – 5.00pm Plants and other items for sale. Entrance free, Cream Tea £4 each. Coach Outing to RHS Wisley Flower Show Wednesday 6th September Organised by Aldham Village Hall Committee. Tickets £35 each including entry to the show. RHS members with a valid membership pay £20 for coach only. Coach leaves Aldham Village Hall at 9.00am and returns from Wisley at 5.00pm. Very popular outing, early booking advised. For more information or to book tickets please call Jackie Daines on 01206 242538.

Annual Duck Race At The Swan, Chappel CO6 2DD Sunday 14th May. First race 2.30pm There will be 4 races during the afternoon, first past the post wins £20! BBQ, outside bar, Bouncy Castle, cakes and lots more. Duck numbers can be purchased from Wakes Colne Post Office £2.50 each (your duck will be entered into all 4 races). Raising funds for Chappel CofE Primary School A fun afternoon for all the family!

Shopping Day in aid of Cancer Research UK At Chamberlin Hall, Chamberlin Close, Wattisham Road, Bildeston, IP7 7EZ Wednesday 26th April 10.00am – 2.00pm Hot Footed ladies quality shoes and sandals, ladies clothes, jewellery, accessories for all and more. Everyone welcome. The hall is well signed from the village. Ample free parking. £3 Entrance to Cancer Research UK (£2 after 1pm). Refreshments and light lunches available. Our Facebook link is: facebook.com/charityshoppingday

Approaching the Remote – exhibition by Simon Carter At The Minories, High Street Colchester CO1 1UE Exhibition open now until Saturday 8 April. Monday to Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm Simon’s paintings are impressions of the landscapes that he walks through and absorbs – drawings made on location lead to constructions of compositions, and the colours he uses relay the feel and mood of the places he has visited along with the journey he has taken to get there and back. Admission is free. More information at www.theminories.org.uk or 01206 712237.

Chappel and Wakes Colne Open Gardens Sunday 4th June 11.00am - 5.00pm About 12 beautiful gardens will be open. Admission £5 per person by programme from Chappel Church (children free). Teas and refreshments available throughout the day in a lovely garden setting. Scarecrow competition,

Grand Open Gardens Draw. In support of Church Funds for the Village Churches. For further details please call Richard on 01206 210799 or email richdcb@aol.com

Annual Plant Sale At Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt, CO6 3BW Saturday 20th May 10.30am West Bergholt Gardeners’ Association Annual plant sale with wide selection of trees, shrubs, vegetables, annual and perennial plants (subject to donations). Cash and cheques only please. For further information please contact Terry Claydon on 01206 241256 or terryclaydon@aol.com.

Events at Hedingham Castle At Hedingham Castle, Castle Hedingham, Halstead, Essex, CO9 3DJ A Vintage Affair Sunday 21st May 10.00am – 5.00pm With live music from the 40’s inspired vocal talents of The Rockabellas playing throughout the day, over 50 stalls of all descriptions, Lindy Hoppers, hair styling and a host of classic cars - all within the beautiful grounds of Hedingham Castle - the event offers a day of vintage indulgence for the whole family. Adults £8.50, Over 65’s £7.50, Under 18’s £6, Under 5’s free, Families £25.

What’s On continued over page

What’s On Jousting with the Knights of Royal England! Sunday 28th and Monday 29th May 10.00am – 5.00pm The ever exciting and popular Knights of Royal England return to Hedingham to recreate the classic Tourney in front of the Keep, an awesome spectacle of chivalry, hand to hand combat, mounted challenges and dark deeds! Surrounding it all will be a bustling arena with craft stalls, a range of food and a host of entertainment! Families £42, Adults £14, Under 18’s £10, Under 5’s, free, Over 65’s £12.50 For more information visit www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk, email: mail@hedinghamcastle.co.uk or call 01787 460261.

Coggeshall’s Paintbox Gardens the perfect afternoon out for the whole family! For more information go to: www.coggeshallopengardens.org.uk

Secret Vintage Fair At a secret Central Colchester Location Sunday 7th May 10.30am – 4.00pm Sign up to our mailing list at svfessex.com to get the secret location! Amazing vintage shopping, entertainment, live music, magic, vintage tea rooms and more! £3 entry. We are raising money for Autism Anglia this year, so you can support a local cause while having a fabulous retro day out.

Coggeshall Jumble Trail

At Ardleigh Village Hall, Station Road, Ardleigh CO7 7RS

Saturday 22nd April 10.00am – 1.00pm

Coggeshall’s Paintbox Gardens Sunday 4th June 2.00pm – 6.00pm During the afternoon local artists will be drawing and painting in some of Coggeshall’s open gardens. The activity gardens will entertain your children and you can find bargains on the plant stall. There will be model railways and vintage cars to admire and afternoon teas and ice creams to enjoy, making

Free Lunchtime Recital

Spring Craft Fair

St Andrew’s Church, Park Lane, Earls Colne. Thursday 6th April, 1.00 - 1.45pm Refreshments available. For more information contact Liz on 01376 561307

Gestingthorpe Village Hall Saturday 8th April at 10am-3pm Come and visit the Gestingthorpe Village Hall Craft Fair. Purchase a unique gift made by local crafts people. Tea, Coffee and Cakes are available throughout the day and there will be a raffle.

Glassware etc Call Claire Smith on 01787 469687 for more information.

Music

Ardleigh & District Horticultural Society Plant Sale

Saturday 20th May 9.30am – 11.30am

artists and food producers from around Colchester

At Coggeshall

Come and pick up a bargain in Coggeshall at our spring Jumble Trail. There will be lots on offer from bric-abrac to clothing, toys and more. An interactive map of addresses involved and what they are selling will be advertised in advance and you can pick up paper copies of the map at local shops on the day.

Bazaar At The Minories, High St, Colchester Saturday 1st April 11.00am – 4.00pm The fantastic Bazaar is a monthly market run by local designers, makers,

Clacton Choral at Easter 2017 At St James’church in Clacton Saturday 8th April 2017 at 7.30 pm Bach’s‘Little Fugue in G minor’played by Paul Siddall, extracts from the wonderful‘St John Passion’ and Bach’s arrangement of ‘All Glory, Laud and Honour’. Malcolm Williamson’s ‘Procession of Palms’and ‘Wondrous Cross’by Alan Bullard - a meditation based on the traditional‘Seven Last Words’of Jesus Christ. Enjoy celebrating Easter the traditional way – with live choral music in one of Clacton’s iconic churches. Tickets £8 including programme from 01255 221511 or debbietccs@ gmail.com or on the door.

Colchester Organ Society At Thomas Lord Audley School, Monkwick Avenue, Colchester CO2 8NJ. On the first Friday of each month 7.45pm - 10.15pm Live keyboard concerts with music to suit all tastes, featuring top musicians from around the country. Friday 7th April Dirk Jan Ranzijn Special Saturday afternoon 22nd April 2.45 pm Claudia Hirshfeld Friday 5th May Adrian Rose £4 members, £6 non members. Refreshments and raffle. Ample parking inside school grounds. Free entry for two non members upon production of this advert. Contact Alan Pilgrim on 01787 269458 or email alanwpilgrim@tiscali.co.uk for further details.

LeeStock Festival At Melford Hall, Long Melford CO10 9AA Saturday 27th May to Sunday 28th May. Music from midday The tenth year of LeeStock Festival, including headliners Newton Faulkner, Toploader and Wheatus plus many more, and a beer and cider festival. LeeStock has raised over £100,000 for the Willow Foundation. Day tickets from £12 + booking fee. Under 12’s go free. Visit LeeStock Festival for more information.

What’s On Drama and Dance

Events at The Mercury Theatre, Colchester The Magnificent Music Hall Thursday 3th April 2.30pm This two-hour afternoon gala performance will delight and entertain with the songs you love to sing and the jokes you love to hear. Carefree, cheerful and uniquely British! Spamalot Friday 21st April – Saturday 13th May Lovingly ripped off from the hugely successful 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot is a riotous comedy full of misfit knights, killer rabbits, dancing nuns and ferocious Frenchmen. Rory Bremner Thursday 2nd May Britain’s best-known satirical impressionist is back! With Trump, Boris and Brexit fresh in the memory, Rory’s on a mission to make sense (and nonsense) of it all. He will be joined by special surprise guests: some politicians, some comedians. Come and work out which is which! Lord of the Flies Friday 19th – Saturday 20th May A plane crashes on a deserted island. The only survivors are a group of students. They live in a land of bright exotic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are inhabited by a terrifying beast. Performed by Mercury Youth Theatre, Lord of the Flies is a tale of isolation, power, identity and violence. For more information or to book tickets, please call 01206 573948 or visit www.mercurytheatre.co.uk

God of Carnage At The Assembly Rooms, Dedham. Wednesday 26th to Saturday 29th April 7.45pm An award winning, sophisticated, contemporary black comedy by Yasmina Reza performed by the Dedham Players. Refreshments included. Tickets £8 from Shakespeare House Gallery, High Street, Dedham. Call 03336 663366 for tickets only with booking fee or online at www.dedhamplayers.org.uk including enquiries

Something’s Burning At the Orpen Memorial Hall, West Bergholt Thursday 11th to Saturday 13th May. Doors open 7.30pm for 8pm Curtain up. The Orpen Players West Bergholt proudly present a comedy by Eric Chappell. This delightful comedy centres on Nell, an attractive intelligent woman who has been deserted by her husband. She enters into an affair with a married teacher and minor poet George Rush, which appears to be going nowhere until the arrival of rich widower Jim Grant. This sets the cat among the pigeons and causes the affair to erupt into flames. Tickets £6 Thursday and £7 Friday/ Saturday are available by calling 01206 241048 now and at Ash’s Store West Bergholt from 29th April.

wonderful evening to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support in the newly refurbished function suite at The Crowne Plaza - Five Lakes. Tickets now on sale at £50 each for this popular black tie event which includes a drinks reception, three course meal, auction/raffle, entertainment and music/ disco. For tickets or more information please email crystalball2016@gmail. com, see www.facebook. com/macmillancrystalball or call 01376 571855 / 07786 934436.

Catherine Hoffman: Free Lunch with Stenchwench At Colchester Arts Centre, Church St, Colchester Wednesday 26th April 7.30pm Charting the drive for survival and fitting in, the StenchWench shares stories of growing up as one of the‘feral underclass’ whilst precariously existing in Austerity Britain today. Cheap clothes, thrifty bread, cold baths, and debauched disadvantaged dancing are unleashed as she natters and sings about how to get by. Expect a one-woman flea circus doled up with live songs, faded glory, austerity pants, mouldy scones and hot chocolate. A cross between Performance art, stand-up, a gig and a call to arms. For more information visit www.colchesterartscentre.com

Cinema

Macmillan Crystal ‘Mid-Summer’ Ball

Leavenheath Village Hall Digital Cinema

At The Crowne Plaza Five Lakes, Tolleshunt Knight, Colchester Saturday 17th June Feering & Coggeshall Macmillan Fundraising Group are delighted to announce details for this year’s fundraising event. Come and join us for a

At Leavenheath Village Hall, Wrights Way, (signposted from the High Road) Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Refreshments (wine, beer, soft drinks, tea and coffee) will be available before the film starts and during the

interval. Tickets £3.50 per adult and £2 per child. You can now reserve your seat online at www.leavenheath. org.uk or please call Lesley 01206 262505 or Ken 01206 263266 for tickets. Saturday 1st April ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’ (12A) Starring Luke Treadaway, Joanne Froggatt and Bob the Cat. Based on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.

Dedham Films At The Assembly Rooms, High St, Dedham Dedham films screens a monthly feature on the third Wednesday of each month. The format of the monthly film evening will usually be 7.00pm doors open for refreshments, 7.30pm film begins. If there is a suitable break in the film, there is a 15 minute intermission for drinks at the bar and ice cream. The times and programming for live broadcasts varies with the event. There is open seating at all our screenings, so get there early to bag your favourite seat. Tickets are £4. There are usually a few tickets for sale at the door, but this cannot be guaranteed so please buy your tickets at the previous screening or as soon as you can from Shakespeare House Gallery, Dedham High Street or online from the link on our website at www.dedhamfilms.co.uk

What’s On continued over page

What’s On Wednesday 19th April ‘The Eagle Huntress’ Docudrama of a coming of age story and a reminder that we all should dream big. In the film, Aisholpan and her family introduce us to the incredible culture and tradition of the Kazakh nomadic herding people who live in the Altai Mountains region of western Mongolia, on the border of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. Wednesday 17th May ‘La La Land’ With modern day Los Angeles as the backdrop, this musical about everyday life explores what is more important: a once-in-a-lifetime love or the spotlight.

Talks, Courses and Workshops

Wormingford Community Choir At Wormingford Community Education Centre, Church Lane, Wormingford CO6 3AZ Tuesday evenings 7.00pm - 8.45pm We sing popular songs, have a good mix of male/ female voices and are a friendly bunch. No need to read music, no auditions. All ages welcome. £5 per session but 1st night free to see if you like us. For more details contact Elaine 07718 886997.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Lecture At Raydon Village Hall Saturday 22nd April A Lecture by Mark Mitchels on Suffolk’s most remarkable lady In her centenary year. She was the first woman to pass the exams to become a

doctor and opened the first hospital for women in London. She was the first Dean of the London School of Medicine for Women, the first female mayor in England in Adleburgh and was a leading political campaigner for women’s rights. Tickets available from 01473 310320. In aid of St Mary’s Church Fabric Fund.

Craft workshop At St Marys Church, Kelvedon Wednesday 5th April 10.00am – 4.00pm For anyone who likes doing crafts or would like to learn new skills. Most crafts are suitable for adults and junior school children but toys will be available for younger ones. As this is in the Easter holidays we will have a Easter theme. Light refreshments will be available or please bring a packed lunch. £5 for adults and £2 for children. For more information please call Cherry Smalley on 01376 573642 or Kascbs2011@gmail.com

Colne Valley Flower Club At the Orpen Hall West Bergholt The club meets on the third Wednesday of the month 7.30pm (not August or December) Visitors always welcome. For any further information please telephone 01376 564165.

West Bergholt Gardeners’ Association Talks At Orpen Hall, Lexden Road, West Bergholt, CO6 3BW ‘Spring into Summer’ Monday 10th April 7.30pm An illustrated talk by Ben from the Blacksmith Cottage Nursery.

‘Bees’ Monday 15th May 7.30pm A talk about by Barbara Sharpe, Chairman of the Brightlingsea Flower Club. For further information please contact Terry Claydon on 01206 241256 or terryclaydon@aol.com.

Colchester Anglo French Circle Events We are a group that has a love for, and interest in, France and all things French. We usually meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm at Christchurch, Ireton Road, Colchester. Wednesday 5th April Bastide villages in Aquitaine: an illustrated talk in English/French by Diana Naylor Wednesday 19th April Bordeaux: renaissance of a city: an illustrated talk in English/French by Christopher Howard Wednesday 3rd May Annual general meeting Wednesday 17th May Jeu de dictionnaire: a social games evening Wednesday 7th June An evening with Georges Pauli: a talk in French Wednesday 21st June Fête estivale: our summer evening party After our meetings tea and coffee are provided, all included as part of the evening, giving another opportunity to chat and socialise. Membership is £20 per year, with guest fees of only £4 for an evening. More information from Brenda Colman (Chairman) on 01206 657508 or Geoff Ingham (Treasurer / Membership) on 01206 861949.

Mindfulness for health and wellbeing At The Granary, Quay Lane Sudbury Weekly Friday 21st April to the 9th June 10.00am - 12 noon 16 class hours, 80 page handbook and personal meditation CDs. Contact Heather Rachel Johnston at enquiries@mindtrip. co.uk or call 017801 246113 and email www.mindtrip.co.uk

Colchester Sketchers Untutored Sketching Opportunities Colchester Sketchers have sketch meets in and around Colchester, at a different location each time for on-location observational sketching. Everyone welcome, all ages and experience. Bring sketchbooks and pencils, paints, crayons etc. There is £2 fee to participate and some venues may have an entrance fee. A DrinkDraw involves an evening in a pub, sketching whatever takes our fancy. Our drinks, each other, the pub but still observational sketches. Turn up when you can, leave when you like. Please buy a drink to support the establishment. Sketch Meet Saturday 8th April 2-4pm. Culver Square, Colchester CO1 1JQ. Meet at centre seating. If raining meet in Costa near TK Maxx.

What’s On Sketch Meet Saturday May 20th 2-4pm. Roman Circus Centre, Roman Circus Walk, Colchester CO2 7GZ. Meet at main entrance. Please note there is an entrance fee for this location. DrinkDraw Thursday 27th April Donkey & Buskins, Layer Road, Layer-De-La-Haye, Colchester CO2 0HU. Meet in the bar, sorry no children. Please support the pub and purchase a drink.

Easter Events Easter Egg Hunt

At Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre, Church Rd, Layer de la Haye, Colchester CO2 0EW Friday 14th to Monday 17th April 10.30am – 3.00pm Explore the nature reserve on an eggciting Easter egg hunt. Has the Easter bunny left any goodies for you to find? Make some Easter craft to take home. Drop in anytime but please book in advance. All ages welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. www.essexwt.org.uk

Eastertide At Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Sudbury CO10 9BA Friday 14th to Monday 17th April 11.00am – 5.00pm Tudor Eastertide with100 Tudors about the manor, under cover and in the grounds, celebrating Easter

Tudor-style. Attempt our infamous impossible Quiz challenge for the whole family for a chance to win a huge chocolate egg. View the Hall (some rooms downstairs will contain Tudors!), explore over 10 acres of garden, moats, ponds and woodland. Childrens’Easter Egg Trail - find all the wooden eggs and crack the code to win a prize, join the Storybook Trail in the Gardens and the Heffalump Hunt down on the Farm. Visit the farm to see this year’s lambs, chicks and piglets join the sheep, cows, pigs, goats and horses. All of our activities will go on, whatever the weather, and your visit can certainly fill a whole day. We’ll also be serving delicious lunches, teas and snacks in our Stableyard area. Adult - £16.75, senior - £15.75, child 5-15 - £12.75, under 5 – free, family £57.00. More information at www.kentwell.co.uk

The Great Dedham Vale Easter Egg Hunt

At Dedham Vale Vineyard, Green Lane, Boxted, Colchester C04 5TS Friday 14th April Easter Egg Hunt Tickets are £5 per child. Entry is free for adults and children not taking part in the hunt. We limit the number of egg hunters in the‘EggZone’ and when you arrive, you will be allocated a hunting slot within the time period in which you booked tickets. Hunting slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To keep you entertained, tea and

coffee, food, live music and Easter Games will be on hand at the Tasting Barn. For more information please call 01206 271136.

Easter self-guided Fun Trail

At Highwoods Country Park Visitor Centre, Turner Rd, Colchester CO4 5JR Saturday 15th – Monday 17th April 11.00am – 3.00pm Pick up a map from the visitor centre and follow our fun trail. £1 per child. For more information please call 01206 853588

TransportFest – Easter Classic Car Show

At Museum of Power, Hatfield Road, Langford, Maldon CM9 6QA Sunday 16th April All forms of pre-1985 transport. Live Music. Craft Stalls. Our giant steam engine‘Marshall’working under steam. Heritage engine exhibits. Miniature steam railway, model village and tea room open. Adults £6, Concessions £5, Children 5-15 £2, Children under 5 free. For more information please call 01621 843183 or visit www.museumofpower.org.uk

Farmers markets

Please note that some dates may be liable to change

so for more information contact individual markets for details.

Lavenham Farmers Market At The Village Hall, Lavenham Sunday 23rd April and Sunday 28th May at 10.00am - 1.30pm Contact Justine Paul 07704 627973

Colchester Farmers Market The Arts Centre, Colchester Friday 7th April and Friday 5th May at 9.30am - 12.30pm Contact Rowley Castiglione 01206 367776

Wivenhoe Farmers Market Congregational Hall, Wivenhoe Saturday 15th April and Saturday 20th May at 9.30am - 12.30 Contact Rowley Castiglione 01206 367776

Sudbury Farmers Market At St Peters Church, Sudbury Friday 28th April and Friday 26th May at 9.30am - 2.00pm Contact Justine Paul 07704 627973

The Connection has listed all the events in What’s On in good faith. We cannot accept responsibility for inaccuracies, changes to events or cancellations. It might be advisable to check with venues before attendance.

Next issue: June/July 2017 - published 18th May.

Feature your not for profit, village, community or charity events FREE OF CHARGE in our What’s On pages by emailing your listing to info@theconnectionmagazine.co.uk

Deadline date for entries in the next issue 5th May 2017.

We also welcome details of slimming groups, keep fit classes, language courses, farmers markets, boot sales and regular clubs, groups and societies.

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SPRING EVENTS 2017

HANDS ON DAY Sun 2 April Try your hand at being a guard, signalman, crossing keeper or experience a ride on the footplate of a steam engine!

EASTER DAY OUT WITH THOMAS TM Fri 14 to Mon 17 April Enjoy steam train rides on Thomas and friends, storytelling with the Fat Controller and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities in the Imagination Station all day.

MAY BANK HOLIDAY FUN DAYS Sun 30 April & Mon 1 May Join us for diesel train rides, bouncy castle, treasure hunt, Scalextric layout, live music and real ale from the local Colchester Brewery.

VISIT EARM.CO.UK FOR EVENT DETAILS

OPEN DAILY FROM 10:00 TO 16:30 Chappel Station, Colchester, Essex, CO6 2DS | 01206 242524 | www.earm.co.uk

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Win

With killer heels, killer curves and killer harmonies The Rockabellas have been described as today’s answer to The Andrew’s Sisters, stunning audiences around the country with their highly polished and entertaining sets. They visit Essex twice this spring with their acclaimed 40’s inspired vocal talents, performing at Hedingham Castle as part of A Vintage Affair on Sunday 21 May 2017 and at the Sausage and Cider Music Festival at Barleylands Farm, Billericay on Friday 26 May 2017. Pippa Gearing, Lizzie Deane and Sarah Lindsey make up The Rockabellas. Recognised at the coveted National Vintage Awards and applauded by Dame Vera Lynn for their“mellifluous harmonies”, The Rockabellas have performed on the‘Ruth Jones Easter Special’and acted as vocal consultants on BBC4’s‘What a Performance’with Suzy Klein and Frank Skinner. Their live sets have taken them all over the country, including high profile events such as the official Queen’s Jubilee Family Festival, The FA Cup Final, Epsom Ladies Day and The Battle Proms.

Inspired by the close harmony singing of the 1940s, The Rockabellas combine their unrivalled vintage vocals with cute choreography and top to toe pin up couture. Performing anything from toe-tapping vintage classics to their own quirky take on the bygone years with modern day pop from the likes of Kylie, The Beatles and even Beyonce. Their debut original album‘Bring it Back’has been described as“class from start to finish”(‘The Musician’magazine, Autumn 2015). The Rockabellas perform at Hedingham Castle as part of A Vintage Affair on Sunday 21 May and at the Sausage and Cider Music Festival on Friday 26 May 2017.

a family ticket to A Vintage Affair event!

There are 10 mini Rockabella Easter bunnies like the one above, hidden within the pages of this issue. To enter, send us a note saying which pages they’re on and the first correct answer picked out of the hat will win the prize. All entries have to be in by 1st May 2017. Please send entries to The Connection, Applegarth, Whitestreet Green, Boxford, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 5JL. Don’t forget to include your contact details in your entry. Telephone number, address and or email . *Terms and conditions apply

Colchester’s best loved vintage event the Secret Vintage Fair is back in Colchester this spring. Returning on Sunday 7th May 10:30 to a central Colchester location bringing the best vintage and retro men and womens fashion, homewares, vintage electrionics and more....but if the venue is secret how will you know where to find it?! Vintage Conspirator in Chief at the Secret Vintage Fair Essex, Janine Tompkins, explains that keeping the venue secret has been part of the concept since it started in 2013- “we release the venue to those on our

mailing list two weeks before the event. The fairs are more than just shopping but a whole experience of live music, entertainment and the secrecy of the venue beforehand has always added to the element of excitement! ” The fair always supports a charity each year- this year it’s Autism Anglia, with a proportion of the door fee going to them. Entertainment this time round includes live music from 1940s vintage female soloist, retro magic, electro-swing DJ Tallulah Goodtimes and a new 5 piece band inspired by Caro Emerald plus retro tea rooms and a vintage cocktail bar! Sign up to the mailing list at svfessex.com.

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Relationships This issue’s books are all about relationships, from first fi rst loves and fleeting families to fl eeting friendships. Lucky Boy – Shanthi Sekaran Mexican Solimar risks everything to start a new life in America, but as an illegal immigrant she has few rights. When she’s thrown into a detention centre, her son is placed in foster care. Kavya is an American-Indian chef desperate for a child. When she’s given Solimar’s toddler to care for it seems like a dream come true. One boy – two mothers, both of whom will do everything in their power in order to keep him. An emotional rollercoaster of a read, this looks set to become one of this year’s bestsellers. The Lonely Hearts Hotel – Heather O’Neill Pierrot and Rose grow up together in a Montreal orphanage. They bond over a shared love of entertaining people, but go their separate ways as teenagers. Reunited years later, they set out to realise their childhood dream of running their own stage show. Their path isn’t an easy one, however. They both have demons to face, and Rose’s wants her dead. A highly entertaining read, with beautiful, lyrical prose and characters you’ll be rooting for from the beginning.

A Big Dose of Lucky (Secrets) – Marthe Jocelyn When the Canadian orphanage they live in burns down in 1964, seven teenage girls set out to discover the secrets of their pasts. Seven authors have each chosen one girl’s story to write. The result is the Secrets series. In A Big Dose of Lucky, Malou heads to a small town in Ontario, hoping to find her birth parents. Malou is mixed race, shy and desperate to fit in. The truth of her birth may give her the family she craves, even if it’s not the one she imagined. An enjoyable read that will leave you eager to read the rest of the series. A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles The gentleman of the title is Count Alexander Rostov. Following the Russian Revolution, the Count is sentenced to house (or in this case, hotel) arrest, indefinitely. Given work as a waiter in the hotel restaurant, he forges close friendships with some of the other inhabitants. While his view is mainly confined to what he can see out of his tiny window, Rostov is able to observe and ruminate on a tumultuous Russia over the course of four decades. You’ll savour every word.

My Sweet Revenge – Jane Fallon When Paula finds out her husband is having an affair, she decides to win him back – so that she can be the one who breaks the marriage up. She befriends his mistress, Saskia, and sets out on a mission to lose weight, get fit and become the woman he wants. Paula recruits Saskia’s husband, Josh, to help and together they set out to make the cheaters’ lives a misery. An easy read that’s perfect for lazy sunny afternoons. See You in the Cosmos – Jack Cheng 11 year old Alex loves everything to do with space. So he builds a rocket and sets off for a rocket festival in Mexico. His plan is to launch his rocket into space, attached to an iPod on which Alex is recording his thoughts and feelings about his family and the people he meets on his journey. While it’s been catalogued as a children’s book, See You in the Cosmos definitely has crossover appeal. Fresh, imaginative and full of energy, this is perfect for fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

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Stanway Hopper Bus Service

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We love our conservatories BUT...

CCVS and Colchester Borough Council are working together in partnership to provide the Stanway community with a concessionary bus service, dedicated to making sure that no one in the area risks isolation from vital amenities. Running two routes twice a week on a Wednesday and Friday, using a fully-accessible minibus and friendly drivers, the Stanway Hopper Bus is a safe affordable option for those who would otherwise struggle to travel. The service links Sainsbury’s, Boots and the Tollgate Health Centre with other facilities in the area and is open to members of the public for the low cost of a £3 return trip. Residents with a bus pass may travel for free. For more information about this service and an up-todate timetable, please call the CCVS transport team on 01206 216600 or visit www.ccvs.org

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Notice Board Celebrating 50 years in situ for Bulmer St Andrew’s Primary School.

On 2nd December 2016 children and staff of Bulmer St Andrew’s Primary School celebrated 50 years in their current premises in Church Lane, Bulmer. The new school was of an architecturally modern octagonal design, with the centre being created as a hub of activity, where lunches were served, PE lessons run and assemblies taken, now it is the school library and IT resource centre. At the celebrations were pupils and teachers from the past and present, parents, residents and school governors. The Chair of Governors, Mrs Jan Hoogewerf cut the celebration cake and opened the event so that everyone could browse the memorabilia laid out in the school hall.

‘Colchester in the Great War’, by Andrew Phillips

Andrew Phillips is a local historian who has previously published eight books about Colchester and its history. He has been active in heritage initiatives in the town for many years, including the collection of oral history and historic photos. For thirty-four years he has published a monthly local history feature in the Essex County Standard. Now retired, he was formerly Head of Humanities at the Colchester Institute. It is his passion for local history which has led him to publish his latest book, ‘Colchester in the Great War’. Highly illustrated and expertly written by an experienced author, this book

will be an enriching read for anybody wishing to take a glimpse beneath the surface of life on Colchester’s home front.

Colchester Anglo French Circle

We are a group that has a love for, and interest in, France and all things French. We usually meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at Christchurch, Ireton Road, Colchester. The evenings start from 7.30pm, allowing 30 minutes for conversation and catching up (English or French). We usually have a speaker from 8.00pm for approximately one hour, speaking in French about potentially absolutely anything, alternatively in English about something to do with France, be it French food, wine, places, art or artists, history, music etc. On occasions we have a “Member’s night” where members of the Circle will talk about a subject or run a quiz night or a fun games night. After the meeting tea and coffee are provided, all included as part of the evening, giving another opportunity to chat and socialise. Membership is £20 per year, with guest fees of only £4 for an evening. More information from Brenda Colman (Chairman) on 01206 657508 or Geoff Ingham (Treasurer / Membership) on 01206 861949. Please see What’s On pages for information on talks.

Earls Colne allotment association

Fancy growing your own fruit and vegetables? We have vacant plots available. Our allotments were established in 2010 and are situated in a quiet location on the outskirts of the village near the airfield. Full size

plots are 10m x 5m and cost £25 per year. Half plots 5m x 5m are £15 per year. If you’d like to find out more please contact Jan on 01787 224104.

St Helena Hospice Midnight Walk 2017 Saturday 27th May At Weston Homes Community Stadium, United Way, Colchester CO4 5UP

St Helena Hospice’s 9th annual Midnight Walk of 3 or 7.5 miles will see hundreds of women following the call of the disco ball on an incredible night time walk around Colchester. Many walk in memory of a loved one, while others take part in a fun night out that raises money for a great local cause. The theme is Disco Diva, so anything goes, from funky flares to a disco dancing dress but comfy walking shoes are essential! For more information please call 01206 931468 or visit www. sthelenahospice.org.uk

Magazine Distributors Required

Like walking? Get paid to exercise! We are looking for adult, mobile distributors for the Fordham Heath, Halstead Road and Coggeshall area. Please register your interest by emailing; editor@theconnectionmagazine. co.uk

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An international weekend of local walks led by local people, celebrating the legacy of the urbanist and activist Jane Jacobs (1916 -2006). It’s a great weekend for staying in town!

Friday May 5th 1. All Trees Great and Small (University of Essex): An introduction to 30 of Wivenhoe Park’s finest trees, with Christopher Howard. Meet 5pm, The Silberrad Centre (2hrs)

Saturday May 6th 2. ‘7 am with Anthony Roberts’ - early morning walk, celebrating the 7 am photographs Ant publishes on Facebook (1.5 hrs). Meet 7am, 10 Inverness Close, CO1 2SA (Ant’s House) 3. Riots, Rebellions and Protests (Part 1): From Boudica to Suffragettes. Walk and street theatre, with Dorian Kelly. Meet 11.30 am, The war memorial. (2hrs). 4. From the Castle to the Tower (and on to the Stadium!), with Robert Johnstone. Meet 12 noon, Colchester Castle entrance. 5. Riots, Rebellions and Protests (Part 2): Poll Tax, Iraq War and beyond. With Mike Harwood and Brian Light. Meet 2.30 pm, The Marquis of Granby pub, North Hill (2 hrs)

Sunday May 7th 6. ‘Landescape’: The Defence of the Ancient Tribal Kingdom (foraging and history along Grymes Dyke), with Mitch Mclean. Meet 11 am, Leather Bottle PH, CO3 4RH (3 hrs). 7. Sunday Trading: capturing Colchester’s Streets - a walkshop with photographer Jonathan Doyle. Meet 11.30am, Space Studios, 37 Queen St, CO1 2PQ. 8. All Trees Great and Small (Colchester Castle Park): A tour of the park’s many beautiful trees, with Christopher Howard. Meet 12 noon or 4pm (repeats), Castle entrance (2 hrs). 9. Wild Hythe Riverside Ramble with Belinda Federl. Meet 12 noon, Hythe Community Centre. Bring your sandwiches! (2.5 hrs) 10. A botanical walk around the Roman Walls with Mick and Christine Lavelle. Meet 2pm, by the boating lake, Castle Park (2.5 hrs) 11. The Forgotten Churches and Graveyards of Colchester’ with Robert Johnstone. Meet 4pm, Wild Light Space, next to Queen St Brewhouse (2 hrs) For more walks: http://janeswalk.org/united-kingdom/colchester/ or contact: Rowena Macaulay (Walk Colchester): 07710 474999, Email: walkcolchester@rocketmail.com

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Celebrating 10 Years! This Easter, Olivers Plants in Earls Colne will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. The last ten years have been filled with constant development and expansion of the existing ranges. What has changed at Olivers Plants over the last ten years? Oliver: We have built a Production Nursery, which boasts a large 16,000sq ft glasshouse and outdoor growing beds. A lot of time has been spent developing our nursery facilities to make them highly efficient efficient and effective effective in the process of growing quality plants. Our propagation room has been designed to incorporate heated benching, a precision

seeding machine and state of the art LED grow lights. These facilities give us the capability to grow most plants from seed or cuttings. The greenhouse has all of the necessary systems and equipment for growing quality plants on into a developed plant ready for planting out. These include thermal screening, air circulation fans, accurate dosing equipment for liquid feeding and a closely monitored pest and disease control program which allow us to maintain an optimum growth throughout the year for the growing plants. Tray filling filling and potting machines allow us to transplant/pot-on our plants efficiently efficiently and in large quantities. What do you consider to be your best achievement? Oliver: More recently, the Retail Plant Centre has been redesigned and now accommodates two large sales areas. Our Houseplant room includes climate control

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www.treetopservices.net info@treetopservices.net

An established Arborist & Tree Surgery Company based on the Essex/Suffolk borders FULLY INSURED AND N.P.T.C. QUALIFIED Tree Felling, Reductions, Pollarding, Thinning Crown Cleaning and Hedge Trimming Tom has over 15 years experience working as a professional arborist. Please call Tom Veater regarding any enquiries or for a free quote

Tel: 07758 305742 or 01787 267986

to maintain a consistent warm environment and is full to bursting with vibrant and exotic indoor plants. Behind the elegant glass sales area, the existing outdoor beds have been extended and show case everything from Roses, Fruit Trees, shrubs and larger specimen trees. Most of the original bedding, patio and vegetable range sold when we first opened can still be found alongside a large array of new additions. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your favourite part of your job? Oliver: Olivers Plants is proud to be a Plant Centre rather than a garden centre. Our team of knowledgeable staff carry the same enthusiasm for plants and often say the plants are the best part of the job, they keep you busy and it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like you are working! My favourite part of the job is receiving positive comments from customers.

What do you have planned for the next ten years? Oliver: Over the next 10 years we would like to continue to expand both the retail centre and production nursery to provide a more extensive range of good quality plants demand. There are various to keep up with demand. structures and new areas that can be developed to create an enjoyable and tranquil environment to browse the plants in all weather conditions. We think it is very important to continue to supply our customers with a high level of personal service, give good advice and provide good value for money. Olivers Plants is open 7 days a week to both retail and trade. The Black Horse Cafe is also open 7 days a week and serves fresh coffee, teas, homemade cakes, sandwiches and daily specials.

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Flower Power by Pippa Greenwood Blooming Hollyhock Flower You can inexpensively and easily grow a huge range of flowers from seed at home. Just about every perennial flower is available to grow from seed, and once they have reached flowering size they’ll just keep on performing! There are lots to choose from, including lupins, silene, Echinaceae, geranium, perennial poppies, delphiniums, gaillardia, hollyhocks, rudbeckia and salvia. Pay a visit to your local garden centre or use a seed catalogue and start planning; you could save a fortune, and all from a packet or two of seed. To start, you need containers to sow the seed into – I like to use half-sized seed trays, RootTrainers or smaller individual cells – and some good quality compost and your chosen seeds. It helps if you have something to tamp down the compost too, plus labels, a permanent marker, a dibber and some vermiculite (for covering seeds that need some light to germinate well). Sieve compost through a compost sieve to remove the larger lumps, leaving fine compost perfect for seed sowing. If you sieve it straight into the pots, cells or trays,

make sure you collect up any that falls on the surface below. Once the compost is in the tray or pot, firm it down so that there are no large gaps beneath the surface, and level it off to make it easier to sow the seeds evenly and at the same depth. You can make your own tamper using a piece of wood with a small block of wood nailed to it to make a ‘handle’. It is easier to look after seedlings if the seed has been sown in straight rows; make the rows using a plastic plant label. Check the packets for the correct depths for the seeds, and if you are sowing seeds in small cells then it is easier to make the holes using a dibber (or a pencil if you don’t have one). RootTrainers are ideal for larger seeds such as sunflowers. Don’t sow too densely or the seedlings will need more thinning out and will be more likely to become drawn, leggy and weak. Once in place, just cover the seed with compost. If you are sowing larger seed into cells, just pop the seeds in to the prepared holes and cover to the required depth. Next, use a watering can with the rose attached and water

thoroughly. If the seed sown was quite small, it is best to stand the tray in a shallow tray or bowl of water, so the compost absorbs water from below – this way the seeds are less likely to be displaced. Finally, label your seed trays clearly, ideally with a permanent marker. Many perennials need heat for the seed to germinate reliably. Put the trays, pots or cells into a propagator, standing each on moist capillary matting. Once the seedlings appear, gradually lower the temperature and then prick each one out into its own pot. Keep them fed and watered as they grow and in just a few weeks or months you will have some great plants ready for the garden. Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood. com to buy gorgeous UK grown vegetable plants accompanied by weekly advice emails from Pippa, or to peruse the really useful selection of Pippa’s favourite gardening items including SpeedHoes, SpeedWeeders, raised bed kits, Nemaslug and other nematode controls for leather jackets, vine weevils and other pests, pull-out EasyTunnels, signed books and lots more besides.

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Sudoku Competition

How to play

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 to 9, with no repetition! That’s all there is to it. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic - there’s no maths involved and no adding up.

WIN £25 Fill in and cut out and send to: Sarah Banks, The Connection, Applegarth, Whitestreet Green Boxford, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 5JL The first correct entry out of the hat will win the prize.

Closing date 5th May 2017

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For a free quote or any enquiries please call Chris on 07704 572982 or 01787 223120 wynn_j_chris@yahoo.co.uk

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Syrian Pop Up Café @Firstsite Refugee Action – Colchester have worked in Colchester and Calais for around two years as the tragic events in Syria, Yemen and many other places around the world unfolded. In response to the Syrian crisis, Colchester Borough Council unanimously voted to support the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme and 11 families came to Colchester over the past year and a half. There are many other refugees and asylum seekers arriving on their own or in small family or friendship groups. They don’t have the benefit of Government support and often have a short time in which to claim asylum, find work, learn English and get settled. Maria Wilby, of Refugee Action – Colchester says, ‘We have been delighted to play a part in their resettlement and assist in a successful integration between our new arrivals and the people of Colchester. Our dedicated volunteers help very directly with everything from helping find lost family members, applying for travel documents, driving licences, housing and work, to emotional support and advocacy.’

Their menus are designed by people who have grown up eating these ingredients and know how to get the best from them. The Syrian cooks prepare and serve the food with pride, both in celebrating something positive from their country and a sense of being able to contribute towards the work of Refugee Action work so that others arriving here from both Syria and other countries are supported in turn. Maria says,‘Firstsite Gallery have been our best collaborators, offering advice and genuine support to those who need it most while encouraging them to provide delicious, healthy food for the people of Colchester.’ Two of the Syrian participants have managed to find work directly as a result of the pop ups showcasing their abilities. Others are now keen to take up Food Hygiene classes and can see a future for themselves in the catering business. One of the most popular dishes at the cafe is the sweet dessert baklava (pictured) which consists of layers of filo pastry, nuts and doused with syrup. Photography - Marwan Sallouta

One of their most successful projects has been initiating food hygiene classes with an interpreter present so that people can get qualified to work with food. It was this initiative that encouraged Firstsite to approach the group about a Pop up event. So far there have been 4 Pop up café events which have served over 3,000 people with delicious and authentic Syrian food. It’s been so popular that queues have lasted over an hour! 32

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Lady Interior Decorator 20 years experience Does your home need decorating, but you have no time to do it?

Ring Alison Walters 01787 221937 Good Work/Quick & Tidy Colour & Design advice available

Louise Dominy MAAT Friendly, professional accountancy services for: Sole Traders, Limited Companies, Partnerships, Personal Tax Payers Services provided: Annual Accounts, Corporation Tax, Self-Assessment, Personal Tax, VAT Returns, CIS Returns, Payroll and Book-keeping

Mobile: 07956 012223 Telephone: 01787 227582 E-mail: louise@rubyblueaccountancy.com

Could you be a Foster Carer? Could you make that difference to a Childs life?

Children First is an independent fostering agency. Our aim is to provide quality care and achieve the best outcomes for children by working in partnership with our foster carers, local authorities and the children. Children need foster carers for many reasons. Some families have periods of instability due to life issues including sickness and family breakdown. Children may experience harm from family members, including being exposed to inappropriate behaviour or risk. By providing a safe, caring family environment, you could help turn their lives around. All sorts of people become foster carers. You can be single, in a partnership or divorced, and come from diverse cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. You can be a home owner or tenant. What you do need is patience, understanding, time and energy to invest in a young person. Each foster child will need to have their own bedroom in a welcoming and safe home, giving them space for their possessions and to allow them to study, play and be part of your family. As a foster carer with Children First, you will receive a regular allowance and have the support of our team at all times. We also offer continual training and development. If you want to find out more about fostering, go to www.cffa. co.uk or call 0808 178 1144. For a more personal chat call Kim on 01268 567330

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There are ten differences - can you find them?

Spot the DiďŹ&#x20AC;erence 1.Shirt Colour 2.Finger missing 3.Cats eyes

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Useful Numbers Local Schools

West Bergholt Surgery

Rivers/Floodline

Tel: 01206 241137

Tel: 0845 988 1188

Marks Tey Surgery

Citizens Advice Bureau

Tel: 01206 213513

Tel: 0870 126 4065

Tollgate Health Centre

Samaritans/Colchester

Tel: 01376 561231

Tel: 01206 710030

Tel: 01206 561234

Kelvedon St. Mary C of E Primary School

Stanway Surgery

Volunteering Opportunities

Tel: 01206 572372

Tel: 01206 505250

Tel: 01376 570411

The Pump House Surgery/Earls Colne

Al Anon Family Groups Helpline

St. Peter’s C of E Primary School Tel: 01376 561328 Honywood Community Science School

Feering C of E Controlled Primary School

Tel: 01787 222022

Tel: 01376 570296

Bures Surgery

Earls Colne Primary School and Nursery

Tel: 01787 227529

Tel: 01787 222205

Tel: 01787 227529

Colne Engaine C of E (Aided) Primary School Tel: 01787 222717 Bures C.E V.C Primary School Tel: 01787 227446 Chappel C of E School Tel: 01787 222296

Branch Surgery Hardwick House Group Practice Tel: 01787 310000 Nayland Surgery Tel: 01206 262202

Support

St. John the Baptist C.E.V.A Primary School

Crimestoppers

Tel: 01787 269300

ChildLine

Great Tey C.E Controlled Primary School

Tel: 0800 1111

Tel: 01206 210415

Tel: freecall 116 123

Fordham All Saints C of E Primary School Tel: 01206 240251 Copford C of E Primary School Tel: 01206 210439 Stanway Primary School Tel: 01206 574819 St. Mary’s Lower School Tel: 01206 211242 Stanway Fiveways Primary School Tel: 01206 574849 Holy Trinity C.E. Primary School Eight Ash Green & Aldham Tel: 01206 240880 Soaring High Montessori Coggeshall Tel: 01376 564392 Stoke by Nayland C.E. V.C.P School Tel: 01206 262418 Nayland Community Primary School

Tel: 0800 555 111

Samaritans Cruse Tel: 0844 477 9400 NSPCC Tel: 0808 800 5000 Missing Persons Helpline Tel: 0500 700 700 National Debtline

Coggeshall Surgery Tel: 01376 561242

Ministry Of Defence Police Tel: 01206 782917

Councils Colchester Borough Council Tel: 01206 282222 Braintree District Council Tel: 01376 552525 Kelvedon Parish Council Tel: 01376 570285 Feering Parish Council Tel: 01376 572882 Coggeshall Parish Council Tel: 01376 562346 Stanway Parish Council Tel: 01206 542221

Post Offices Tel: 01206 330451 Marks Tey

Tel: 0808 2000 247

Tel: 01206 210314

Victim Support

West Bergholt

Tel: 0845 30 30 900

Tel: 01206 240355

Inland Revenue

Fordham Village Store and Post Office

Tel: 0845 010 9000 RSPCA Tel: 0870 55 55 999 AA Breakdown Tel: 0800 887 766 Floodline

Tel: 0800 111 999

Tel: 01376 574560

Tel: 0300 333 4444

Fiveways Post Office

Doctors

Kelvedon Surgery

Essex Police (non-emergency calls to all stations and departments)

National Domestic Violence Helpline

Tel: 0845 9881188

Tel: 01376 572906

Police Contacts

Tel: 0808 808 4000

Tel: 01206 262348

Kelvedon and Feering Health Centre

Tel: 0207 403 0888

Transco emergency service Rail Enquiries Tel: 08457 484950 AA roadwatch Tel: 09003 401100 BT Faultline Tel: 0800 800 151

Tel: 01206 240391 Earls Colne Post Office Tel: 01787 222258 Wakes Colne Post Office Tel: 01787 222449 Bures Post Office Tel: 01787 227252 Stoke by Nayland Park Street Stores and Post Office Tel: 01206 262335 Nayland Post Office Tel: 01206 262210 Stratford St Mary Post Office Tel: 01206 322150 Dedham Post Office Tel: 01206 323543

Village Halls Aldham Village Hall Tel: 01206 240682 Mount Bures Tel: 01787 228055 Bures Community Centre Tel: 01787 227278 Nayland Tel: 0774 895 3175 Dedham Assembly Rooms Tel: 01206 323921 Stoke by Nayland Tel: 01206 262943 Wormingford Tel: 01787 227631 Little Horkesley Tel: 01206 271841 Leavenheath Tel: 01206 263301 Assington Tel: 01787 211162 Stanway Village Hall Tel: 01206 545062 Feering Community Centre Tel: 01376 572467 Marks Tey Village Hall Tel: 01206 213250 Great Tey Village Hall Tel: 01206 210248 White Colne Village Hall Tel: 01787 221919 Colne Engaine Village Hall Tel: 01787 223668 Earls Colne Village Hall Tel: 01787 224370 Bures Community Centre Tel: 01787 227278 Eight Ash Green Village Hall Tel: 01206 540245 Copford Village Hall Tel: 01206 211235 Chappel and Wakes Colne Tel: 07771 622525

Airports Stansted General Enquiries Tel: 0870 000 0303 Stansted Express Tel: 0845 850 0150 Gatwick General Enquiries Tel: 0870 000 2468 Gatwick Express Tel: 0845 850 1530 Heathrow General Enquiries Tel: 0870 000 0123 Heathrow Express Tel: 0845 600 1515

Country Mutters Behind the lines... Unfortunately I’ve run out of face cream again, which means it’s time to get the hiking boots out to resume my search for the fountain of youth. What shall I try this time? Should I concentrate on keeping my face hydrated, nourished, or expunged of free radicals? Serum, cream, or lotion? Is my priority to colour correct, to intensively purify or enhance my inner radiance? Or, the most vexed question of all, to BB or not to BB? After 10 minutes of scanning any cosmetic counter I become terminally bewildered and end up grabbing the nearest pot of stuff under a banner which says ‘Protect and Survive’, or something like that. Even Husband once unwittingly succumbed to the hype. Looking around increasingly desperately for stocking fillers one Christmas, he found a jar of snail gel facial cream and picked it up thinking, ‘Ha ha - what a great novelty item to amuse her indoors’. He nearly fell over when the shop assistant told him how much it cost but it was too late to do anything but smile nonchalantly and hand over the credit card while a silent scream filled his head. On the rare occasion we go out shopping as a family, my menfolk seem to accidentally lose me quite often. ‘You disappeared behind some shiny things’, they say unconvincingly, and ‘We spent ages looking for you’. I point out I’m unlikely to be found in the model railway shop where they’ve spent the

By Lady Muck

last hour looking at Klingon Bird of Prey ships and engaging in interesting conversations with men in anoraks about the merits of 1/570 scale. They come out scoffing about the failings of model kits, ‘How can you sell a Battle of Britain Spitfire with a grey and green paint scheme?’ I reply, ‘How indeed?’ which seems to be an acceptable response. I’ve learned to use these disappearances to my advantage now. Instead of tracking my menfolk down to the nearest shop with a window full of sun-faded boxes laced with cobwebs, that’s when I head off to do my miracle cream shopping. Five missed calls later they find me in the skincare section of the department store. Husband looks nervous. ‘It’s all right’, says my youngest, ‘Mum’s only got a small carrier bag.’ Husband figuratively pulls up a couple of packing cases, sits son down over a bottle of rye, pushes back the brim of his hat and explains; “Boy, in these kind of shops, the smaller the bag, the more expensive the thing in it’. I once took part in a product trial for face cream. After 30 days of lavishly slapping on the gunk twice a day I was forced to report that sadly it had not diminished even one jot of the 7 signs of ageing, which apparently affect all women of A Certain Age. Imagine my surprise when I saw the subsequent advert featuring an air-brushed film star proclaiming 9 out of 10 women said it had magically restored their youthful glow. Which just goes to show that when it comes to face cream, you can fool most of the women all of the time.

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Index of Advertisers Accountant Artist Architect Brewery Book-keeping Building Services Carpentry Chiropodist Children's Nursery Cleaning Services Computer Services Decorators Estate Planning Facial Massage Floristry Courses Florist

Flooring Garden Design Garden Services Golf Club Golf Coaching Hairdressers Home Improvements Illustrator Interior Design IT Specialist

33 14 35 14 33 13, 23 5 9 2 30 34 33 39 23 14 29

5 29 31 9 9 10 13, 23 14 7 34

Kitchen Fitters Kitchen Manufacturers Landscaping Livery Yard Optician

5 5 31 7 40

Oven Cleaning 13 Pest Control 31, 35 Probate Services 39 Planning Services 35 Podiatrist 9 Property Maintenance 31 Plumber 31 Removals 35 School 2, 10 Storage 31 Sports Massage 23 Swimming Pool 34 Tree Surgeon 27, 29, 30 Veterinary Centre 11 Window Repairs 13 Willow Fences 29

SUDBURY

River

Assington

Stour

A131

Stoke by Nayland

Bures

Pebmarsh

Riv

er C

HALSTEAD oln

Greenstead Green

Nayland

Colne Engaine

Earls Colne

White Colne Wakes Colne Chappel

Great Tey

A131

Aldham

Fordham River

Colne

Stratford St Mary Dedham

Little Mount Horkesley Bures Wormingford

Boxted

A12

West Bergholt Braiswick

A120

Eight Ash Green

COLCHESTER Copford

A120

Coggeshall

Feering Kelvedon

Lexden A12

��

Magazines delivered to selected homes in these areas

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Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All adverts are published in good faith using information supplied by each company, on the understanding that relevant permissions for copy and images have been obtained. The Connection does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted in any form - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission of the publisher

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