April heralds the onset of spring, a season of optimism offering much for us to appreciate: the clocks going forward at the end of March, allowing more time in the evenings to enjoy the longer hours of daylight; warmer weather (hopefully!); trees, plants, flowers and hedgerows starting to blossom; and new animal and bird life beginning to emerge.
The month starts with April Fools’ Day, the origins of which are unclear. One theory is that it may have originated in ancient Roman times with a festival called Hilaria, an event celebrating the arrival of spring with lighthearted festivities and mischief-making. Another is that it began in 16thC France as a result of the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Before this, New Year’s Day was celebrated at the time of the spring equinox, around the beginning of April. Moving New Year’s Day to 1st January led to confusion and those who continued to celebrate the New Year in April became subject to practical jokes.
This year’s Lyrid meteor shower begins on 16th April and runs over Easter, reaching its maximum on 22nd April. In clear conditions, and with no Moon, conditions should be ideal for observing the shower at its peak.
Observation is also key in attempting to keep Littering and Fly-tipping in check – find out more on Page 12. Elsewhere: on Page 5 we have an example of what volunteers, working together with the right community spirit, can achieve; on Pages 7 and 13 information regarding changes affecting two of our Parish Councils; and on Page 17 a reminder of the phone line Digital Switchover and what you need to do to prepare.
Details of how to submit articles for future issues of Parish News are on Page 31. We are also looking for local or seasonal photographs that we can credit and use for front cover illustrations. Please e-mail jpeg pictures (with the location identified, if necessary) directly to the editorial address. So, get writing and snapping!
Greater Essex Devolution Consultation
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is asking local residents, businesses and organisations to contribute to an important, ongoing consultation regarding the proposal to establish a Mayoral Combined Authority for the local government areas of Essex, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea.
More information and a link to the consultation, which closes on 13th April, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/greateressex-devolution/greater-essex-devolution-consultation
Cover Picture: Six Signs of Spring by Steve Harris
Letter from the Reverend Beverley Vincent
Do you like rollercoasters? Personally, I’m not a fan.
Rollercoasters thrill and terrify in equal measure. There’s a whole mixture of emotions – anticipation, excitement, trepidation, fear, exhilaration, joy – before the ride is over.
This month we enter Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday; the week can be described as something of a rollercoaster of emotions. It is a time when we reflect on some utterly awful moments, fear and profound darkness, as witnessed on Good Friday. But then there is joy, elation and hope. The feeling of Easter Sunday is incomparable.
But to truly appreciate the gift of Easter Sunday, we need to experience the whole rollercoaster journey. We can only grasp the joy of Easter when we have travelled to the darkest depths of Good Friday. If we skip from the anticipation of Palm Sunday straight to the celebration of Easter Sunday, we miss the whole point. The cross shows the depths of God’s love and the resurrection shows us the power of God’s love, which banishes all fear.
Currently, I feel like we are on a global political rollercoaster – I’m not sure what the situation will be by the time you read this. We are certainly experiencing the trepidation and fear of a rollercoaster, not knowing when the next big dip will come. But, as with a rollercoaster, when we go down, we have the joy of coming back up. My Christian faith gives me the assurance that with every plummet I can be sure there is hope that we will re-emerge with a sense of joy.
This Holy Week you are invited to join a different kind of rollercoaster as we follow Jesus’s last week. There is worship of some kind each day in one of our churches. You may not be able to join in all of it but please join some of it and follow it in your own way through Bible reading and prayer.
Holy Week isn’t easy. There will be a whole range of emotions. But it is only by riding this rollercoaster week, that we can truly celebrate the amazing joy of Easter Day.
God bless you all this Holy Week and Easter.
Raking the Rough with the Smooth…
Great Maplestead’s Playing Field car park was enlarged in 2016, effectively doubling its capacity. The benefit was a reduction in the onstreet parking and consequent congestion during school pick-up/drop-off times – the downside was that the resulting heavier use caused more surface wear and tear.
An on-going programme of re-grading the surface and filling potholes was only temporarily preventing more serious deterioration and the car park’s worsening condition was starting to inhibit its use. Its poor appearance was also detracting from the major improvements made to this amenity over the last few years.
The Council therefore agreed that an attractive, low maintenance durable, surface that was robust, long-lasting and could cope with more frequent use while not deteriorating significantly, was required. Having secured funding in 2024, a window of opportunity presented itself during this spring’s school half-term holiday to undertake the resurfacing project.
An enthusiastic team of willing volunteers, with rakes, spades and an aptitude for Lego, fuelled by coffee and cake – and with a Manitou, a whacker, a small grader and a digger – managed to spread and level some 50 tons of sand, piece together and lay nearly 5670 interlocking plastic grid panels and spread some 50 tons of small stones across the 630m2 of the car park in just under 4 days…
This magnificent effort was a great advertisement for what can be achieved with the right community spirit and people working together for the common good. The playing field now has a car park befitting of a valued village amenity that, since its redevelopment, is well-patronised, with consequent physical and mental health benefits for all its users.
Steve
Harris – Parish Council Chairman
Litterers are on the loose!
Littering and fly-tipping are anti-social, inconsiderate acts that have a detrimental, destructive impact on the environment in which we all live. These activities now seem to be occurring more frequently, posing a problem across all four parishes that is both unpleasant and time-consuming to deal with.
It is becoming apparent that not only is there an increasing amount of roadside litter, apparently discarded from cars, but there are also more instances of what appear to be deliberate acts of bulk rubbish fly-tipping.
Braintree District Council’s Street Scene crew, when notified, are good at clearing away larger quantities of fly-tipped rubbish on public land and locally organised litter picks at Parish level, either carried out by organised groups or individually on an ad hoc basis, can also be helpful in keeping littering under control – however, such actions do not get to the root cause of the problem.
BDC’s Environmental Officer thinks that if residents got actively involved in monitoring and reporting littering and other fly-tipping activities across each parish, instances of this unsociable behaviour would reduce.
Parishioners could help by keeping a lookout for offenders, particularly in the local areas where littering and fly-tipping is prevalent, and reporting those doing it so they can be traced, charged and fined. The vehicle registration numbers of offending drivers, backed by pictures if possible, should be noted, along with the time of the offence and reported to BDC, using the form on their website: https://www.braintree.gov.uk/xfp/form/287
People over the age of 18 who are identified as having committed a littering offence will receive a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). If this is not paid within 14 days legal action may be taken and, if found guilty, the offender may receive a fine of up to £2,500, plus costs.
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Offenders can receive an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison, if found guilty.
A Warm Welcome Awaits…
Stay Switched On…
Essex County Council is continuing to raise awareness that residents and businesses need to prepare for a significant upgrade to their phone lines.
The Essex telephone network will be switching to a new system as analogue phone lines are replaced by digital landlines. The UK is expected to have fully adopted digital landlines by the end of 2027, with many residents and businesses already having made the switch.
The change should be straightforward: existing broadband users should just be able to plug their digital landline into their router.
However, ECC’s Digital Essex is urging residents to contact their provider for more information about what needs to be done if they, or people they know:
don’t have broadband at home
use healthcare devices such as personal alarms
have additional needs
live in areas with no mobile signal
are over the age of 75
Your telephone provider should be able to tell you about any additional steps that will need to be taken ahead of the Digital Switchover.
ECC is also warning people to be wary of scams surrounding the switchover and report suspicious requests for money to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Digital Essex has attended 12 events and spoken with over 1,000 people to raise awareness of the forthcoming change. Its campaign has so far reached over three million residents and businesses.
Community groups are invited to help spread the word by getting in touch at www.essex.gov.uk/landline-switch
Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Economic Growth and Prosperity at Essex County Council, says: “It is important that no one gets left behind during this digital switchover. Local communities should be well prepared and supported through this transition, especially the most vulnerable in society.
“We’re urging residents to look out for their friends, family and neighbours and, if they think they could be affected, ask them to contact their telephone provider to make sure they’re fully informed.”
Gardening Corner
April is a growing month, with longer days and increased light levels prompting plants to put on a growth ‘spurt’. It’s now a good time to check that trellis and arches are secure and able to take the weight of vines, roses, honeysuckle and so on. Gravel paths can also be given a top dressing and a thorough weed before summer takes hold.
If you are planting pots with summer bulbs, I would suggest placing your containers in a warm position so that they benefit from heat and sunlight. My recommended plant of the month is Forsythia: its branches are packed with golden yellow flowers prior to the leaves taking over.
A Tree Peony also makes a splash of colour in a spring garden – there are a number of varieties and a blush pink [Pæonia suffruticosa] stands out quite well. Tree Peonies rarely grow more than 5ft in height.
In the vegetable garden early potatoes should be planted now, with main crop following in another three to four weeks. Bean canes can be erected ready for runner beans, either directly sown or grown in pots, to be planted out in mid-May, once the risk of frost has passed. Sow carrot seeds next to onions or plant bedding marigolds either side of the carrot drill; this will deter carrot fly.
For those of you with house plants, now is the time to repot them. It’s best to just go up one size pot, as it saves space – the plant will respond more if it has a smaller area to grow in rather than a large pot, where the roots sit in the middle of the container possibly with air pockets. With cacti I would suggest you use a branded cacti compost that contains the correct nutrients.
Some plants, perhaps on a window sill or table, are extremely sensitive to a change in location –African Violets [Saintpaulia] for instance will not tolerate a north window or a cold draught. If, after potting on, you can leave your house plants where they were originally you should not be disappointed.
If you have a greenhouse give the glass a good wash inside and out to remove any Verdigris and, on the inside, insect pests – red spider comes to mind – from the panes. The staging also benefits from being removed, brushed and washed over using a little washing up liquid.
Enjoy the warmer days
The Arborist
Nature Notes
The message this month is overdue, but if you haven’t already cleaned out your nest boxes then please attend to it as soon as possible. By doing so you remove parasites and give this year’s pairs a fresh start. Even more important is a message that is being put out by the RSPB and other conservation groups: avoid the use of flat bird tables. There is a disease that is affecting UK birds, including Chaffinches and Greenfinches, and its spread has been associated with flat bird tables. The preferred feeders are the hanging ones and even these should be taken inside and given a good scrub on a regular basis.
On a happier note, spring is well under way and birdsong fills the morning air. Tawny Owls are hooting, even during the day, and the song thrushes are in full voice even before sunrise. The first singing Chiffchaff was heard on 18th February, but the first Blackcap is yet to be heard. The weather has been on the cold side, with lots of frosty mornings, but we did have a week of very warm weather that got the birds fired up. It also brought the early spring moths out and while the number of species is modest, individual numbers have been good. The seasonality of many moths has been transferred to their names; the March Moth (left) and Spring Usher are about now and no guesses about when we expect the July Highflyer, August Thorn or September Thorn!
A rather elusive bird in our area is the Mistle Thrush. I heard one singing recently but couldn’t find it. The song is loud and ringing, far carrying and musical. It is quite different to the slow, warm, fluty Blackbird or the ever-changing phrases of a Song Thrush. They do like to broadcast their song, which is often delivered from the very top of a tall tree. It is the largest thrush of the region, greyer than the Song Thrush and with larger spots. In flight it shows white underwings. Another bird that I hadn’t seen for over a year is the Little Egret but this was rectified when I spotted one from my bedroom window in a field at the back of my house. Now widespread, they are more commonly associated with wetlands.
Last month I wrote about Fallow Deer and lamented never having encountered an adult male with palmate (flattened) antlers. A little over two weeks later I saw a small group with two majestic stags! It was though I had summoned them to be ticked off my wish list.
Patch Patroller
Gestingthorpe Goings-on
Gestingthorpe Village Hall Coffee Morning & Book Exchange
Fortnightly on Fridays from 10.00am to 12 noon
Please join your friends and neighbours in the Village Hall for tea, coffee, cake and a chat. Tea or coffee and cake £2.50. Bring a book to swap with one from our library or buy a book for £1. Our bookcase is located next to the big window in the small hall.
The next Coffee Mornings and Book Exchange will be on 11th & 25th April and 9th & 23rd May
with the 9th May being our special VE80 celebration coffee morning (see notice opposite)
All funds raised go towards the running & maintenance of the Village Hall.
Gestingthorpe Book Club
The Gestingthorpe Book Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month in the Village Hall. Our meetings are very informal with lots of chat, wine and laughs and of course discussion about the previous month’s book and other books we’ve been reading.
The book we’re reading this month is the Psychopath Next Door by Mark Edwards.
If you would like to join us, please contact Penny pbagby1@gmail.com or 07840 367 172 for more information.
Save the Date
Cocktails, Canapés & Cheese
Gestingthorpe Village Hall
Saturday 5th July at 7.30pm
More information in the May Parish News or contact Keith 07506 182 834.
Village Hall Quiz Night
The Village Hall Annual Quiz was held on Friday 7th March. The teams of six enjoyed a free drink on entry and beautifully prepared cheese platters. The questions were on a number of topics including Sport, Music and Famous Donalds. The winning team took home giant Toblerones and the last place team received hand crafted wooden spoons. Importantly, after costs, we raised on the night in excess of £800. This will go towards the purchase of a new (and larger) shed for the courtyard to replace the one which is in very poor condition. Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the evening such a great success.
Forthcoming Local Activities
Hedingham Heritage Society
In the next few meetings we’ll be covering some natural and local history, including a snake or two, an ancient forest and a Roman museum:
Thursday 3rd April
Sunday 6th April
‘Snake Encounters’. Sue Coleman, who has run a snake sanctuary for over 30 years, will be bringing some of her snakes with her and talking about these and some of our other native snake species.
7.30pm – Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall
A Visit and Guided Walk in Hatfield Forest with National Trust guide, David Simmonds – the walk will last about 2 hours.
Hatfield Forest National Nature Reserve is the best surviving example in Britain of an almost complete Royal Hunting Forest. Transport available from Hedingham – please contact Rob, Trudi or Mark for further details.
Meet at 10.30am in Hatfield Forest Car Park, Takeley, Essex CM22 6NE.
Thursday 1st May
Meeting to be held at Hill Farm Museum and Guildhall, Gestingthorpe.
Transport available from Hedingham – please contact Rob, Trudi or Mark for further details.
Meet at 7.30pm – Hill Farm CO9 3BL.
Do join our local and natural history society. Annual Membership for 2025 remains at £15.
Members come free to all walks and talks : Non-Members - £5. Everybody is Welcome. Contacts: Rob: 01787 460 664 : Trudi: 01787 462 889 : Mark: 07906 472 636
E-mail: hedinghamheritage@gmail.com or visit www.hedinghamheritage.org.uk
Preserving Earls Colne’s Heritage
Earls Colne Heritage Museum is located in The Old Water Tower of the former Atlas Works – the R. Hunt agricultural machinery foundry – which was pivotal to the development of the village from purely agricultural to industrial in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Founded in 2005, the Museum is home to artefacts from the Neolithic to the 21st century and is also a centre for village historical and family research.
The Museum is actively engaged with the village and beyond, with a programme of walks, talks, school visits and liaison with other museums. The Museum welcomes both visitors and online enquiries.
In March we hosted two successful WW2 talks on Operation Varsity, The SAS in Earls Colne and The Rosemary Britten Story. Rosemary was a WAAF Officer who, along with 16,000 men, participated in Operation Varsity but her story has been kept quiet for 50 years!
We have also completed a project to rejuvenate The Atlas Park adjacent to the Museum and in May, hope to complete the installation of four storyboards telling of the rich industrial and social heritage of R Hunt and Co’s Atlas Works and of other industries, which in the future will be included in a Village Heritage Trail
April sees the start ‘OUT AND ABOUT with John Stedman’ – life-time resident and local historian John heading a series of walks around the local area in his own inimitable style.
Monthly, from April to October, the Museum have, with John, put together old and new walking tours for the third Saturday in each month, starting at 2.00pm. Each tour lasts approximately two hours and tickets, at £5.00 per person, are available from the museum.
The season kicks off with a tour of The Atlas Works on Saturday 19th April at 2.00pm. Meet at the Museum, 1 Reuben Walk, CO6 2SZ.
All our events can be found on the museum’s website: www.echm.org.uk
Follow us on facebook for all the current news: https://www.facebook.com/earlscolneheritagemuseum
WEA Courses Under Threat…
The organisation of the national WEA is changing radically and, as a result, finding tutors for the Maplesteads Branch has become very difficult.
We were fortunate last autumn to have Roger Cooke give us a taste of his course “Defending Britain with Fortifications” and his two weeks on Iron Age and Roman Britain were both popular and enjoyed by a goodly-sized and appreciative audience.
Unfortunately, since then, the situation regarding tutor availability, locally or nationally, has not improved – at this time we are still awaiting a promised list of tutors who can provide future courses. This has meant that the Committee has been unable to schedule a spring course this year.
It is a sad state of affairs – our Branch has been holding two courses each year since 1982, with only a break for the pandemic, and we had hoped to be able to continue to do so but the outlook does not look good.
We understand that only three of the twelve WEA branches in Essex are currently offering courses so, even though that is not much comfort, at least we are not alone!
The Committee will be reviewing the situation in August to see whether it will be possible to run an autumn course or, indeed, any in future.
Jill Newton – Chair, Maplesteads’ WEA
Getting everyone together…
Great Maplestead’s Parish Assembly is being held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 16th April at 7.30pm.
This is an ideal opportunity for people from the village to socialise, meet fellow parishioners, find out what is going on locally and hear about future plans. Refreshments will be provided, so do come along and say hello.
The Parish Council will be reporting on its actions during the past year and the meeting will include contributions from village institutions and various local event and social activity organisers.
St Giles’ Church, along with the School, will each be reporting on their past year’s activities while invitations to contribute have also been extended to the Village Hall trustees, the WEA organisers, the Knitting Circle, the Carpet Bowls Club, the Maple Leaves and the Autumn Show Society. PCSOs John Thorne and Joanne Cooper have also been invited along to report on and discuss rural crime.
Ann Crisp – Clerk, Great Maplestead Parish Council
Parish News Information
Advertising/Announcements/Articles
The 2025 Parish News Business Advertising Rates for the year (10 issues, pro-rated as applicable) and for monthly single issue advertisements and fundraising event announcements are shown below, along with the Copy/Artwork Deadline dates for the next seven issues of Parish News:
Contacts:
Articles
Please submit these by e-mail, preferably as a Word document attachment with separate images:
½ page: 150-160 words + images
Full page: 400-420 words + images
The Parish Representatives, to whom articles and event announcement submissions should be sent, are listed on the Inside Front Cover.
Churchwardens’ Reports
St John the Baptist – Pebmarsh
While we still await warmer weather and our Easter preparations begin. We have welcomed the school and parents to the church for Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent. The school held a concert with the Stour Valley Choir on the 26th March. In the same week we also welcomed Halstead Rotary for a concert with the Hedingham Singers.
We extend our congratulations to Mr and Mrs Smith who recently married at the church and said a sad farewell to Malcom Hughes, who had lived in the village for many years. Our new handrail in memory of Derek and Betty Pearson is now in place. This was made by Matt Hogsberg and funded by a very generous donation from the family.
Although we will not be holding an Easter Sunday service at Pebmarsh we will have a prayer service as part of Holy Week on Wednesday 16th April at 7.00pm. It is a very quiet and reflective service and all are welcome.
We are monitoring the cracks in the porch in preparation for its future repair. This will be a long process due to cost but are looking forward to working with the Friends to raise the finances to achieve it. As soon as the weather permits the wall in the graveyard behind the church should be repaired.
Sarah Burgess – Pebmarsh Churchwarden
St Giles’ – Great Maplestead
Following the inauguration of Rev Mark Payne as Team Rector, a programme of Workshops was announced for anybody in the Halstead Area to attend. The first of these was held recently and although I'd lost my piece of paper telling me what the workshop was about I had that inner calling to ensure I was there irrespective of the topic! Fortunately for me, older children, work commitments and health enabled me to attend and I am thankful that I did.
The workshop was about Listening Skills – listening to others and listening to God – delivered by a much qualified instructor, our own Reverend Beverley. Listening Skills was an apt topic for me, particularly that week; in school we had been visited by the 'Sound Man' who introduced the children to the sounds of his musical instruments, delivered with the simple instruction of "listen". As an Early Years teacher I doubted my 4-year olds would cope with 45 minutes of "listen" but was pleasantly surprised. I continued this theme with my Talk Boost training in class, working on 'listening skills' by listening to and identifying household sounds... "we like this game Mrs Sillett".
Listening...Listening to others...Listening to ourselves and...Listening to God.
There are more workshops being offered throughout the year and a Lent course which is running now too. The discussions which are held at these courses are inspiring. The thoughts stirred and provoked give much for us to consider. Ultimately we look to improve our wholeness as humans by being in a relationship with God who, in return, gives us Love, Peace and Hope. When you see courses and workshops running do join us if you can and don’t be afraid to dip in and out as life creates opportunity.
Paula Sillett – St Giles’ Churchwarden
Remembering Those No Longer With Us…
Our churchyards are places of rest to offer comfort whilst being close to God; for both those who have gone before us and those who come to visit. They are places of the past, present and future and so how we look after these sacred places is of importance. In these beautiful, peaceful and calm settings we wish to provide a space of tranquillity, where people can come to contemplate and cherish memories.
Parish clergy have a legal responsibility to uphold the law that relates to the church and churchyard. Though families often want to make a place of memorial special and unique with ornaments and decorations, legally, nobody is allowed to place objects of any kind on a grave, within a churchyard, without permission from the Chancellor of the Diocese.
To help make sure the churchyard is a pleasant, safe and fair space for all, the Diocese of Chelmsford have published guidelines to help us. Below are just a few of the main points as a reminder of how we should be looking after our churchyards together:
Headstones
An application needs to be made before a headstone can be erected to ensure it is compliant with the regulations set out by the Diocese of Chelmsford. Applications are authorised by the Rector or Vicar as they need to be of a certain design, size and type of non-polished stone. The wording chosen on a headstone is often the most meaningful part of the memorial. In order to ensure the churchyard reflects Christian beliefs, we ask for wording to be kept simple and in keeping with Christian values.
Interment or burial of ashes
Most churchyards have an area set aside for the burial of cremated remains. Sometimes called a Garden of Remembrance. Ashes can also be interred into an existing grave of a family member with the next of kin’s permission. Ashes will preferably be poured directly into the ground and it is the role of the Minister (Rector, Vicar or Curate) to oversee the burial. Churches will advise you on a suitable plaque that is compliant with churchyard guidelines.
Upkeep of burial space
We are delighted to see fresh flowers and greenery in our churchyards; however we do not allow plastic or artificial flowers. This is because they are not in keeping with the changing seasons of nature. Fresh flowers may be placed in a single vase that is set within the headstone. Additional plastic, glass or stone vases or memorial stones left on graves cause a health and safety risk to those strimming and mowing the grass. Likewise, no edging, fencing, or chippings are allowed.
At Christmas, Remembrance Day (if applicable) and on a death’s anniversary, wreaths may be placed for a limited time of two weeks. Over time, the burial plot will naturally settle and become level with the grass. We encourage this to enable us to keep the churchyards neat and well maintained.
Churchyards are consecrated and therefore holy ground. We invite our whole community to respect this and contribute to the upkeep of these special places.
