Parish News - March 2024

News

Parish

Great Maplestead, Little Maplestead, Pebmarsh and Gestingthorpe

Church and Community together

March 2024

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Useful Village Contacts Parish Clerks Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Ann Crisp Paula Sillett Shelley Boydell Kevin B Money

01787 460 216 07975 571 253 07927 775 989 07810 781 509

Village Halls Gt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Liz Newton Kelly Thompson Steve Bagby

01787 461 308 lizatlucking@hotmail.com 07919 897 592 pebmarshvillagehall@gmail.com 07840 367 182

Footpaths Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Steve Harris Geraldine Holloway Michael Sharp Penny Bagby

01787 462 818 01787 476 530 07725 909 986 07840 367 172

steveharris@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk geraldineholloway2017@gmail.com michael@broomhills-farm.co.uk pbagby1@gmail.com

Gt Maplestead Task Force Playing Field Carpet Bowls Autumn Show Book Club

Dave Pike Joe Newton Janice Chaplin Carol Brownlie Alison Cantor

07885 788 855 01787 461 308 01787 469 600 01787 461 527 01787 462 537

davepike@greatmaplsteadpc.co.uk joenewton@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk bobandjanicechaplin@btinternet.com carolbrownlie@gmail.com acantor56@outlook.com

Carol Parker Pauline Andow Sandra Beaney Pauline Andow Jim Crayston

01787 269 996 taximother@googlemail.com 01787 228 790 01787 222 220 01787 228 790 01787 222 241 jim@craystonfarms.co.uk

Nick Duncan Valerie Fullman Chris Ponty Penny Bagby

01787 313 558 01787 462 755 07494 883 632 07840 367 172 pbagby1@gmail.com 01787 236 007 angeladavis99@outlook.com 01787 460 181 jean.bowers@wea.ac.uk 01787 461 527 carolbrownlie@gmail.com

Benefice Choir Scouts Guides

Angela Davis Jean Bowers Carol Brownlie Margaret Crudgington Gill Peskett Stuart Carter Kathy Hoy

Neighbourhood Watch Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Gestingthorpe

Ian Johnson Bill Piper Helen Skerratt

01787 461 109 i.johnson057@btinternet.com 01787 473 933 billpiper204@gmail.com 01787 237 297 helenskerratt@gmail.com

Parish News Representatives Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Ann Harris Jenny Bishop Luke Brown Penny Bagby

01787 462 818 07906 083 999 07919 375 341 07840 367 172

Pebmarsh Youth Club Ladies Club Card Making Carpet Bowls Gestingthorpe Village Amenities Tower Bell Ringing

Cricket Club Book Club All Villages Maple Leaves WEA Knitting Group Handbell Ringing

anncrisp@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk littlemaplesteadparishclerk@gmail.com pebmarshparishclerk@gmail.com gestingthorpepc@gmail.com

01787 476 259 01787 462 786 gillpeskett43@gmail.com 01787 461 149 01787 280 200

ann66harris@gmail.com jennyarchitect@icloud.com lhwbrown@hotmail.co.uk pbagby1@gmail.com

Editorial Welcome to the second edition of the new-look Parish News for 2024.

Whilst the feedback we’ve received on the February issue has been mainly positive, some have commented on the reduction in pages and suggested that, if this ‘slimming down’ was as a result of the change to colour, should we not revert to publishing a larger, monochrome magazine.

As we explained last month, the move to printing in colour was prompted by the positive reactions generated by our full-colour online and Facebook versions. In fact, it was the promise of the print magazine’s move to colour that encouraged the majority of this year’s 20 new advertisers (so far) to come on board – and, without them, even a ‘slimmed-down’ monochrome magazine would not have been viable. After seeing printed colour copies, more advertisers have signed up and are featured in this issue, while others have already indicated their intention to advertise in future editions. Please support our advertisers – and always mention Parish News when you do: without them there would be no magazine.

Parish News is now in a much healthier financial position than it was at the beginning of the year – as a result, we have been able to increase the size of this issue to 32 pages, with further increases possible in future.

But, please remember: Parish News is not just for recording things that have happened, or will happen, in each of the four parishes each month.

It is also a place for interesting articles, for example, about your pets, favourite recipes, memories of times past and local history, traditions or famous local personalities; the subjects are endless and your input is an essential part of the mix that keeps people reading Parish News.

Please send your articles in!

Cover Picture of March Hares: Frederic Desmette/Biosphoto

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Letter from the Reverend Beverley Vincent March is the month that for me signals the beginning of spring. I love seeing new growth on the trees and the bulbs popping up and the glorious yellow of daffodils appearing everywhere. It gives me a feeling of optimism and hope after the dark wet winter we have endured.

March is also an important and busy time for the Church. As I write this, we are about to enter the next season of the Church’s year, Lent. Historically Lent was the time when Christians fasted and gave up something that they enjoyed, but the purpose was to help them focus and prepare for the coming of Holy Week, to remember the death of Jesus on the Cross and then to prepare to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday, 31st March this year. Our churches have services all through Holy week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, so do join us you will be made very welcome.

I believe that the butterfly is a wonderful symbol of the resurrection. Who would imagine looking at the ungainly caterpillar or the dead larva that from this such grace and beauty would emerge? Whether you are a person of faith or not, taking time to stop and be still is good for our mental health. As a society we seem to focus on the next thing, and rarely are we just present in the moment. What do we miss if we are constantly looking ahead?

This month let’s take time to look around and be still and take in the beauty of God’s creation, and give thanks for those whom we love and who love us. In the words of one of my favourite hymns ‘Be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around’.

I pray it may be for you at this time that you can be still and, like the butterfly, something beautiful may emerge and bring you new life, new love and new hope.

Happy Easter.

Beverley

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Parish News Information Advertising/Announcements/Articles The 2024 Parish News Business Advertising Rates for the year (10 issues, pro-rated as applicable) and for monthly single issues are shown below, along with copy deadline dates for each of the remaining 8 issues.

Articles Submit by e-mail, preferably as a Word document with separate image attachments: ½ page: 150-160 words Full page: 400-420 words Contacts: Advertising Editorial

Ann Harris ann66harris@gmail.com Parish News Team parishnewsmaplestead@gmail.com

The Parish Representatives, to whom articles and event announcement submissions should be sent, are listed on the Inside Front Cover.

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Mindfulness/Sensory Garden Project This, the final stage of Great Maplestead’s Playing Field Development Project, has received a grant of £3,000 from BDC’s Community Gardens and Open Spaces Fund – part of the Government’s Levelling-Up initiative – which will be used for planting, seating, signage and any construction requirements.

The garden, which will be located in the south-east corner of the Playing Field, is intended as a quiet, tranquil, secluded area for people to be able to relax and socialise, offering health and mental well-being benefits for residents and visitors alike.

We are currently seeking volunteers with the skills/ability to help with hardscaping and creating some of the larger permanent structures. If you have the time, access to tools/materials and are able to assist we’d love to hear from you! Also, please get in touch if you’d be happy to grow a few drought-tolerant and deer-proof plants for us – we have the seeds for anyone prepared to do this in exchange for a share of the plants.

If you’d like to help and be part of a community creating this new space for all to enjoy, please contact Dorothy Weight: E-mail: dorothyweight@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk Phone/Text Message: 07528 910 700 Steve Harris – Parish Council Chairman

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Gardening Corner March is now with us and, after a long wet, stormy winter, the day-light hours are increasing and the clocks will be going forward at the end of the month, giving us a chance to undertake a little gardening in the evenings.

Tomatoes, peppers, and greenhouse cucumbers can be sown in a propagator or on a light, warm window sill. Please try and use peat-free compost, promoting green sustainability.

For my plant of the month, I will use the hellebore family – a perfect example of a spring perennial. They come in a range of contrasting colours, from dark reds through to white and pale green. Their round flowers look delightful if you trim off the old brown ragged leaves so that the flowers stand up and hang over slightly. Hellebores are best in partial shade at the front of a border and in a setting with deciduous trees before their leaves open. Mulch with garden compost – you will then find they seed profusely, providing many free small plants once established.

Keep off your lawn if it still feels wet and spongy under foot. If it has grown and is dry, you can run the lawn mower over the grass with the blades set quite high. This will also help to remove any twigs and debris from last autumn.

If you use water from an outdoor butt or cold tap water on indoor plants, let the temperature of the water reach room level first; cold water can ‘shock’ house plants and seedlings.

For those sowing sweet peas in a greenhouse, keep an eye open for mice.

They are partial to the young shoots and will gnaw them off at pot level.

In the vegetable garden, hold back on planting early potatoes until the end of the month. Check around broad beans to ensure they are firmly in the ground, firm the soil lightly around the base of each plant. Prepare the soil for sowing parsnips, carrots, and Swiss chard.

Check supporting wires on walls, re-fixing any that have become detached over the winter months.

Climbing roses, honeysuckle and so on are quite heavy once in full leaf and need firm support to show them at their best.

If you are working on a flower border or vegetable area, try placing some board on the ground to walk on – this will help avoid any soil compaction.

Remember, spring is nearly here!

The Arborist.

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Where Do The Willows Go? Many Pebmarsh residents and visitors to Pebmarsh find themselves wandering through or round the beautiful willow trees planted by The Nott Family Trust in Pond Meadow, which is located beyond the back of the village allotments towards Prestons' Lake.

The willows have been growing there for a few years and some of the saplings were planted by the school children from the St John the Baptist Primary School in Pebmarsh.

Do you know what happens to the willow trees when they have matured and are able to be felled?

Once the trees have been felled – which can take place any time of year – sustainable planting takes place between December and March to ensure new trees will grow. Meanwhile the felled trees are carefully transported to the workshops of JS Wright & Sons to be turned into... cricket bats.

JS Wright & Sons is a family firm, based in Chelmsford, which was started in 1894 when the company founder – Jessie Samuel Wright – was asked to supply cricket bats for W.G. Grace, no less! The company’s values and methods have remained unchanged since then and now they supply approximately 75% of English willow clefts (part-made bats) used to make quality cricket bats that are sold throughout the world.

Not all of a willow tree will become a cricket bat however – the wood not made into clefts will be turned into sawdust for mushroom growers while the wood and bark go into making biomass energy fuel pellets. Trees with large knots or misshapen trunks can be made into laminated bats, children's bats or gardening trugs.

To learn and understand more about how, what and where the Pebmarsh willows are distributed, The Nott Family Trust will be combining a visit to JS Wright & Sons with their next committee meeting.

If you would like to know more about the work of The Nott Family Trust, please do not hesitate to contact us: 01787 269 231 We look forward to hearing from you.

Perry Crimmins – Trustee The Nott Family Trust 10

Nature Notes One day I popped in the shed for something and, on opening the door, there was a flurry of little creatures running in all directions: we had mice!

I decided to sit and watch with my camera, as I’m always looking for new subjects. Sure enough they soon reappeared and, as long as I stayed still, they were unbothered. I left the light on to get them used to it and took some pictures, although it was a bit boring photographing them in a shed.

Some of my daughter’s old toys were stored in there so I put some out to see if they'd climb on them. At first they were nervous but I found if I put a blob of peanut butter on them they would willingly explore what was put out. In time, with a lot of patience and many hours sat in a shed smelling of mice, I got them on and into all sorts of things; a skateboard, a toy car, a motor scooter and so on. These made for some very funny photos and were popular on my Facebook page and as prints.

Unfortunately, after a while the mice had to be moved on; they’d chewed my husband’s motorbike jacket and crash helmet and the electrical wires in the shed…

However, it was fun while it lasted!

Heidi Page – Oak Farm Pebmarsh

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New Waste and Recycling Policy Braintree District Council will be introducing a new waste and recycling policy from 1st April, meaning bin-lorries will no longer collect waste that doesn’t fit into grey wheelie bins.

This new policy means that 'side waste' left out next to the grey bins will not be collected; what’s more, the bins won’t be emptied unless their lids are fully shut. Residents who continue to put out ‘side waste’, which typically contains recyclable materials wrongly presented for collection as general waste, could face being fined…

The ostensible reason for the introduction of this policy is to reduce the amount of non-recyclable rubbish people put out for collection and encourage an increase in recycling. Apparently the tonnage of grey wheelie bin waste collected in Braintree District – on average 463kg (½ ton) per household – is significantly higher than in other parts of Essex. Whether this objective will be achieved is moot.

Councillor for the Environment Tom Cunningham says the policy: "…will help save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, positively impact the environment and pave the way for a greener and more sustainable future for generations to come.”

Unfortunately, coming so soon after the 4th March launch of BDC’s controversial green bin surcharge, some people may think that this policy, introduced with no public consultation, is a way of further monetising a part of the waste collection service that was previously included within the overall Council Tax funding. BDC says a number of other local authorities, including some in Essex, have also banned collections of side waste.

Included within this new policy is the proviso that, if a resident’s bin is missed on the normal collection day, it will need to be reported to BDC after 3.00pm on the day of collection or no later than 12noon the next working day. The bin should be left at its normal collection point and the collection crew will empty it within two working days of receiving the missed bin report.

The good news is that there is still no restriction on the number of clear recycling sacks that can be put out for collection, provided they contain only the permitted items of waste.

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Exercising Mind and Body Hedingham Heritage Society Thursday 7th March The Enigma of Boudicca. Andrew Summers, author and public speaker, will be giving an illustrated talk exploring the known facts about Boudicca and her rebellion and examining the resultant heritage, legacy and mythology that has subsequently grown up around her.

7.30pm – Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall

Thursday 4th April ‘The Cuckoo Comes in April’. Drew Lyness from the British Trust for Ornithology will be giving the talk.

7.30pm – Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall Annual membership for 2024 is £15.

Members come free for all walks and talks : Non-Members - £5. Everybody is Welcome.

Contacts: Rob: 01787 460 664 : Trudi: 01787 462 889 : Peter: 01787 469 953 E-mail: hedinghamheritage@gmail.com or visit www.hedinghamheritage.org.uk

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Food – for Thought

7.00pm (7.30pm start) : Teams of 6 : Tickets £10/person Please join us in Gestingthorpe Village Hall for our annual Quiz Night.

Tickets include a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink on arrival and a cold buffet during the interval. A cash bar will keep you supplied with additional refreshments throughout the night.

The quiz is being held during Village Halls’ Week so expect questions about Gestingthorpe’s lovely Village Hall. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

To reserve tickets, please e-mail: gestingthorpevillagehall@gmail.com You can either make up your own table of 6 or, if you can’t get a team together, don’t worry – we’ll look to seat you with others on the night.

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Talking/Books Gestingthorpe ‘Gathering’ Coffee Mornings Come and join us in the Village Hall and have an enjoyable time chatting with friends over a hot drink and delicious cakes.

We would love to see you and we guarantee a warm welcome and lovely home baked cakes accompanied by a steaming cup of tea or coffee.

If you haven’t yet been to a coffee morning, please come along.

Our coffee mornings during March and April will be held from 10.00am to 12 noon March : on the Fridays of 1st and 15th (No coffee morning on 29th April as it is Good Friday Bank Holiday) April : on the Fridays of 5th and 19th Funds raised go towards the upkeep and running of our Village Hall.

First Tuesday Book Club and Book Exchange 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, laughs, wine & nibbles.

We are currently reading ‘The Night She Disappeared’ by Lisa Jewell.

If you’d like to join us, our next meeting is Tuesday 5th March @ 7.30pm.

The Book Exchange will be open 1st & 15th March 10.00am to 12 noon.

The bookcase is located next to the big window in the small hall. Bring a book to swap or buy a book for £1.

All proceeds to the Village Hall Funds Contact Penny pbagby1@gmail.com or 07840 367 172 for further details.

Jumble Sale - Saturday 10th February “Thank you” Steph Prior & Penny Bagby would like to thank everyone who donated items for the Jumble Sale as well as everyone who helped out, before or on the day. The sale was a great success and, as a result, over £700 was raised, which will be distributed equally between the Church of St Mary the Virgin and the Gestingthorpe Defibrillator to help cover its annual running costs.

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Points to Ponder: 

The fact that there is a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.

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Intentionally losing at Rock/Paper/Scissors is just as hard as trying to win 20

The Maple Leaves Present…

And don’t forget the Maple Leaves ‘Face of China’ talk on 7th March 21

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Playing Field, Paths and Potholes Little Maplestead’s Playing Field will hopefully be enhanced shortly by the addition of a Willow House – this will be like a living ‘den’ for children to play in. We are also hoping to add more equipment during the coming year; the extent of this however will depend upon the amount of external funding we can procure. A basketball net or zip wire are initial ideas but please contact the Council at littlemaplesteadparishclerk@gmail.com if you have any other thoughts or preferences.

A map of all the footpaths and bridleways in the village has now been compiled and this will be available on-line shortly. Please enjoy walking these paths but remember to close and secure gates after you. It is not a requirement to keep dogs on a lead but it is necessary to keep dogs under full control at all times, especially so when walking in close proximity to farm animals: horses, sheep, pheasants, partridges and so on.

Potholes have caused no end of trouble in the village this winter – they have affected us all, both as drivers and pedestrians. I believe that all the potholes have now been filled, although the severely damaged road edges along School Road still need attention.

Essex County Council have recently introduced a simple, straight-forward and accurate way of reporting potholes and any other highways defects, which anyone with a smartphone can use:   

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Download the ‘What3words’ app onto your phone Open the app, go to ‘Photo Mode’ and take a picture of the defect (pothole, blocked drain, damaged road edge, etc.) in the normal way Press ‘Continue’: this will automatically geo-locate the exact position of the road defect within a 3metre square, using the unique ‘what3words’ reference that is now synched to your photo Press ‘Save’ and you will have a copy of the photo with the 3-word location embedded.

You can then report the issue to ECC directly, uploading your annotated photo and completing any required information on the website at: essexhighways.org/tell-us

Bill Piper – Parish Council Chairman 23

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Cover Story – Signs of Spring There are many signs of impending spring, and one of the most dramatic is the mad dashing and stand-up boxing matches of “mad March hares”.

The hare is a farmland animal found commonly in pasture and quite frequently seen in our four parishes. Much larger than a rabbit, it is distinguished by its long legs and ears, with the ears noticeably blacktipped. Unlike the rabbit, the hare does not burrow and survives by hiding among long grass with flattened ears.

Normally solitary, they come together as early as January to find partners and mate.

Courtship involves boxing but this is not, as we would expect, males competing for females but unresponsive females fending off amorous males.

The young, known as leverets, are born above ground fully furred and with their eyes open. They (normally two) are secreted in shelters – which are really just indentations in the ground – called forms and left during the day; the mother returns at sunset to suckle them.

Hares elude predators by running away, reaching a top speed of around 35 mph.

This is generally fast enough to evade the main predators, which are buzzards and foxes, although, as Darwin dictates, an animal that is wounded, ill or old is likely to be taken. Hares can live for as long as twelve years.

Patch Patroller The days continue to lengthen…

…and Summer Time begins on the 31st March.

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Maplesteads’ WEA Spring Course The Maplesteads’ WEA finally reconvened after a year’s break and, from the 15th January, members enjoyed a 5week course on ‘Happy, Healthy Holidays on the Essex Coast’. This proved to be a popular way to spend dark winter Monday evenings and Claire Parker, an enthusiastic historian and our energetic lecturer, encouraged us to reminisce about memories of the ‘Sunshine Coast’.

The sessions took the form of discussions, guided by Claire, into various aspects of the development and growth of resorts all along the Essex coast – from Victorian and Edwardian times, when bathing machines were the order of the day, to modern beach huts and much else besides.

We discussed how people travelled to the coast, when and why they went and where they stayed when they got there. We considered the supposed health benefits of sea-bathing and talked about how people spent their time, particularly with the various entertainments to be had on the beach and on the piers. We also looked at how fashions in beach-wear changed over time, from hats and long dresses, suits, ties, socks and shoes to more glamorous practical costumes and bikinis.

Thanks to Claire it was a most enjoyable course, with WEA members from Halstead boosting the weekly attendances to nearly 30. We look forward to welcoming them again to future Maplesteads’ WEA courses.

Jill Newton – Chair, Maplesteads’ WEA

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The Four Parishes Benefice The Vicar: The Reverend Beverley Vincent The Rectory Church Street Great Maplestead Halstead, C09 2RG khvicar@gmail.com

07944 200 132 01787 460 273

The Churchwardens: Great Maplestead Paula Sillett 07975 571 253 Denise O’Connell 07795 170 048

sillett92@gmail.com niciedenise@gmail.com

Little Maplestead Gestingthorpe Alice Nolda Peter Nice

01787 469 688 01787 460 126

peter.427nice@btinternet.com

Pebmarsh Jim Crayston Sarah Burgess

07957 870 340 01787 269 092

jim@craystonfarms.co.uk sarahburgess@btinternet.com

Church Services in March Sunday 3rd Sunday 10th Mothering Sunday

Sunday 17th

9.30am 10.00am

Morning Prayer Holy Communion

Gestingthorpe Great Maplestead

10.00am

Holy Communion

Little Maplestead

10.00am 10.30am

Holy Communion Café Church

Gestingthorpe Great Maplestead

Palm Sunday: we begin Sunday 24

th

10.00am

at St Giles’ then walk or drive to the Round Church to continue the service

Great & Little Maplestead

Night Prayer Night Prayer Night Prayer Maundy Thursday Holy Communion Good Friday The Last Hour Easter Sunday Holy Communion

Gestingthorpe Great Maplestead Pebmarsh Great Maplestead

Holy Week: Monday 25th Tuesday 26th Wednesday 27th Thursday 28th

7.00pm 7.00pm 7.00pm 7.30pm

Friday 29th

2.00pm

Sunday 31st

10.00am

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Gestingthorpe Pebmarsh

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