issue 72 dec 2010 - theydon.org.uktheydon.org.uk/downloads/10 dec v news.pdf · theydon bois...

ISSUE 72 DEC 2010

Village News Issue 72 December 2010

REMEMBRANCE DAY SUNDAY NOVEMBER 14TH

SEE VILLAGE WEBSITE FOR A SHORT VIDEO at www.theydon.org.uk


Theydon Bois Village News - Best Community Magazine in Essex Community magazines from all over Essex (65 entries) again entered this year’s Essex Life Community Magazine Awards Competition run by the RCCE (Rural Community Council of Essex) sponsored by Essex Life Magazine, the Church of England, Diocese of Chelmsford and Newport News. Sixty five communities from every part of Essex had submitted entries for the competition this year and Village News was selected as one of the 16 finalists invited to the awards ceremony on 24th November held at The Peldon Rose, Peldon near Mersea Island. Theydon NewsDesk Editors Tony Ames (Village News) and Jim Watts (Village Website) together with our Parish Clerk and NewsDesk member Sally Crone attended the awards ceremony and prior to the presentation they browsed through samples of many of the entered magazines before Nick Shuttleworth Executive Director of RCCE opened the proceedings. It seemed that the overall standard this year was higher than ever, with some especially good entries, so they were doubtful that Village News could improve on its third place position in last year’s competition and the 1st place achieved in 2007 seemed well out of reach.

Firstly four merit awards were made and Village News failed to get mentioned and so they held their breath as time came for the final three. Third Prize went to Hatfield Peverel Review, Second to Wivenhoe News and t h e n t h e y w e r e delighted to learn that Theydon Bois Village News was First! - The T o p C o m m u n i t y Magazine in Essex, Winner of Newport News Prize.

The editor of Essex Life, Julian Read, presented the certificate and prize of £100 and this will go towards future improvements to the magazine. An article and photographs of the event will be published in a future edition of Essex Life magazine. See the Village Website for full results. Tony Ames in accepting the award on behalf of Theydon NewsDesk compared being an editor to that of a conductor. "You just hope that on the night your orchestra plays well". Many thanks to our "Orchestra" - all the players, from the editorial committee, to the providers of copy, to our sponsors and to the individuals who deliver our magazine. All are important parts of and contribute to, the continuing success of our Village News.


Parish Council Planning Committee - The Commuter Car Park In view of the importance of this issue to the Village, instead of the usual Parish Council Chairman's column, we include the report of the Chairman of the Planning Committee.

You will be aware, I’m sure, that an application has been submitted for the construction of a Commuter Car Park on land behind the railway station (ex Old Foresters Club). These plans provide for an initial 179 car parking spaces, an access road, access bridge, lighting, security centre, CCTV installations, landscaping and drainage works.

In recognition of the importance of the application to the village, the Parish Council Planning Committee arranged a dedicated Planning Meeting at the Village Hall on 21st October, which was advertised throughout the Village on the Parish Council Notice Boards and on the Village Website. The Meeting was indeed well–attended and various residents took the opportunity to express their views directly to the Committee. The Parish Council have strongly objected to these plans and I wanted to provide the reasoning behind why we are so strongly against this application.

Firstly, one of the Planning Committee’s primary objectives is to protect the Green Belt around the Village. All the land behind the railway station is within the Green Belt and therefore is protected by Green Belt legislation unless ‘very special circumstances’ can be proven whereby this legislation should be relaxed. It is our view that the construction of a Commuter Car Park does not constitute ‘very special circumstances’ and would be hugely harmful to both the rural character of the locality and the visual amenity.

The visual impact of the lighting proposals required for this car park would be exaggerated by the fact that Theydon Bois maintains a ‘dark skies’ policy. The numerous 6 metre high pylons proposed to light the car park would therefore be highly intrusive, particularly to the residents of Forest Drive who overlook the site. The applicant has also not taken into account the impact of the light spill from a large number of car headlights entering and leaving the car park during the winter months. Again, this would be exaggerated by the high relief of the proposed access road which is much higher than the general level of the Village.

The Council are also concerned about the inevitable increase in traffic on the already busy B172 road. There is already congestion during rush hour at the crossroads in the Village adjacent to the zebra crossing and also at Abridge where regular queuing to get over the bridge is evidenced.

The Applicant and a few residents in the Village have suggested that the provision of a car park will reduce the current commuter parking in our roads around the Village. We do not believe this to be the case, in fact a large car park may well make matters worse. More commuters will be attracted to Theydon in the knowledge that ‘as a last resort’ they may be able to park in a car park if they cannot find a space in our roads. Commuters will always try and park for free, evidenced by the fact that currently, on most occasions, car parking is available at the District Council Pay and Display Car Park in Burton Road, Debden for just £2.80 per day.

The Council also questions the whole viability of the project. To try and overcome the obvious logistical problems regarding the distance of the proposed car park from the Station, the applicant proposes the use of an electric bus to ferry the passengers to a point near the station. However, the small access road which leads from the site to the Station does not belong to the applicant and the owner has firmly indicated that he will not allow access along this road. The financial viability is also in question. With only 179 spaces and the need for high staffing levels for security and operating the electric taxes etc, the fees would have to be considerably higher than the suggested TFL pricing structure to cover development costs and show an operating profit. This only strengthens the Council’s view that this is a cynical attempt to devalue the Green Belt status of this


land in readiness for longer term development plans the applicant has for this site.

Finally, provision of commuter car parking should be part of an overall transport strategy for the whole area. We are aware of discussions to expand the car park at Epping station which would potentially negate the need for a large car park at Theydon Bois. Concerns have been expressed in the past and continue to be expressed about the prospect of overcrowding the trains at the beginning of the line and the obvious problems that will cause further down the line on an already overcrowded system. Transport for London have previously indicated to us that they remain unconvinced that the provision of additional car parking at Underground Stations is appropriate as it actually encourages people to use their cars rather than public transport. The central line is already running at capacity in rush hour and there are problems of over-crowding. To increase parking provision at the beginning of the line thus encouraging people to start their journey at an earlier point simply increases overcrowding further down the line. This very point has recently been made by Loughton Residents Association who have warned that “not only would any car park on Green Belt land in Theydon Bois make life worse for residents there but also residents of Loughton and Buckhurst Hill would find the already over-crowded rush hour trains even more uncomfortable to use”- clearly a no win situation not only for residents of Theydon Bois but transport users District wide.

CLLR. PETER GOOCH CHAIRMAN, PLANNING COMMITTEE

Parish Council Planning Committee - The Commuter Car Park (cont)

The Parish Council held another successful Theydon Seniors event in the Village Hall on Friday November 26th when, following generous helpings of delicious tea and cakes, the Seniors were entertained by children from Theydon Bois Primary School who delighted everyone with songs from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” More pictures and a short video of the event may be found on the Village Website at www.theydon.org.uk

Theydon Bois Parish Council

Theydon Seniors Events

Minutes of all Parish Council meetings may be found on the Village Website www.theydon.org.uk


Theydon Bois Village Association At the Autumn Council of Management Meeting of the Village Hall Trustees, Roy Newland gave those present a summary of the progress made towards purchasing and refitting the old Youth Club building in Loughton Lane. The site has now been purchased by the Parish Council, and the Village Association has supported this by making funds available for the legal fees required, and will also contribute to the refurbishing costs of the building.

Village Hall Manager, Frank Bell, listed some of the improvements to the Village Hall which had taken place recently, such as the re-decoration of the Small Hall and the fitting of new curtains there; the purchase of a new Water Heater for the Kitchen and a new Vacuum Cleaner. He also mentioned that the Front Entrance and Corridors were due to be re-painted around the Christmas period. The flooring in the Men’s and Disabled Toilets would be taken up and be replaced by new flooring shortly. The question of gates at the two Village Hall entrances was discussed and agreed by those present. These would be of steel and would be padlocked at night. Treasurer Allan Cox commented that next year the Booking Charges would remain at 2010 levels and the Subscription would stay the same, at £10 for each Affiliated Society Group.

Chairman Martin Oliver reported that he was saddened to receive a letter from Roger Badcock (pictured left - Keyholder and Assistant Manager), tending his resignation. Roger has worked tirelessly for the Association since the end of 1998 (12 years). He has been on duty on an almost daily basis – opening and closing the Village Hall and showing hirers around. He has performed a multitude of tasks which have been needed for the smooth running of the Hall. He has also been a tower of strength at the end of a number of evening bookings over the years, when some visitors have been very reluctant to leave the Hall! We shall miss him – but he (and his wife Di) deserve a well-earned rest.

Since the Trustees Meeting – the Keyholder position has been advertised round the Village. A number of applicants had come forward and it was agreed that it would be preferable to have a job-share. Two men, who are near neighbours in the Village, have been offered the position. They are Roy Coombs and Sid Tear (pictured opposite l to r) and we hope they will enjoy working for the Village Association.

Village Hall Bookings : Tracey Dunstone will be taking over part of the booking duties for the next few months. Contact details will still be the same 01992 81 5150 and [email protected]

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR JOHN PHILIP - 812473

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR SUE JONES - 814548


District Councillors Column

[email protected] [email protected]

It has been a busy period in the District Council since we last wrote to you and as a result there are many pieces of information that we would like to pass on, some of which, hopefully, you will already be aware of. However, to start with, we would like to remind you of our commitment to providing you with a regular opportunity to meet with us and discuss matters of interest. We are happy to say that starting in the New Year, we will be in the Queen Victoria on the first Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. till noon and we would be very happy to see you there. As the first Saturday in January is actually New Year’s Day we will (for January only) be available on the second Saturday, namely the 8th January.

We know that many of you will be interested and possibly concerned about the possible impact of the Government’s spending review on District Council activities. While we know in general terms what are the financial constraints being put on District Councils as a whole, it is, unfortunately, too early to tell what the actual changes in funding are going to be for Epping Forest. We do know that as a result of careful control of the budget over the last few years, the District Council is in a relatively sound financial position. We are aiming for a 0% rise in Council tax this year, and while there will be many difficult decisions to be made over savings, the aim is to protect front-line services and to continue to pursue the Council’s aim of keeping Epping Forest as somewhere we all want to live.

Another change that could have an effect in the village is the introduction of Fixed Penalty Notices for environmental offences. This comes into effect from 29 November 2010. These will allow the Council to deal directly with things like littering, graffiti, dog fouling, abandoned vehicles, fly-posting and noise nuisance. The Fixed Penalty Notice is an alternative to prosecution which reduces the administrative burden of tackling these relatively low level problems, which, none the less, can have a significant impact on our village and our life here. Fixed Penalty Notices will only be issued by uniformed council officers who will never ask for cash on the spot. The Fixed Penalty Notice will give details of how and where to pay.

Earlier in the autumn, concern was raised about a designation of a wildlife site, on Blunt’s Farm, in an EFDC document. By attending the meeting where the report was being discussed, and speaking on the subject, the committee was persuaded by the arguments put forward that it was inappropriate to describe the location as a brownfield site and resolved to remove the reference from the report. This is a good example of where positive contributions made by your councillors help to preserve our village. The District Council has now adopted a change to its procedures to permit residents to speak on items on the agenda of both the Cabinet and

Overview and Scrutiny Meetings. This, combined with the existing process for questions at Cabinet and also full Council, can be used to help inform Council opinion and to help us as your Ward councillors represent the village’s views.

Finally all that remains is for us to wish you all a Happy Christmas and good wishes for the coming Year.


Days Out From Theydon - A Visit to the Foundling Museum The Foundling Museum in London’s Bloomsbury – situated just a few hundred yards from the British Museum – is a fascinating and, at times, deeply moving record of England’s oldest Children’s Charity. The Museum, which re-opened in 2004 stands in Brunswick Square on part of the site of the original Foundling Hospital. Although the original buildings were demolished in 1926, the museum contains many of its best features, including the “Committee Room”, where mothers intending to

leave their babies would be interviewed for suitability and the entire rococo “Court Room” where the Court of Governors held their meetings, and many works of art which have been gifted to the charity over the centuries.

The Foundling Hospital was set up by Royal Charter in 1739 as the results of the efforts of Thomas Coram – a philanthropic shipwright and merchant who had traded in The Americas before returning home to London in the early 1720’s. He was deeply affected by the fate of the many abandoned babies and young children in London – often left to die on rubbish dumps or in the streets. The city was growing at a great rate and it is estimated that over 1,000 children and babies were abandoned every year. The mortality rate for abandoned babies was 90% even if they were accepted by parish poorhouses.

It took Coram 17 years to attract sufficient support, but he eventually managed to interest the ladies of the court and Queen Caroline in the cause, which led to the granting of the Royal Charter and attracted many wealthy and influential people to become Trustees.

The demand for places in the hospital was so great that, when it first opened in 1741, only one in three babies could be accepted and mothers had to “draw lots” to see if their baby would be lucky – a white ball meant your baby would be accepted – if healthy; a black ball meant failure and a red ball put

Thomas Coram


Days Out From Theydon - A Visit to the Foundling Museum (continued)

you on the “reserve” list. Once accepted the babies were sent out of London to be nursed and brought up by selected foster parents before, returning to the Hospital at the age of 5 to be educated and eventually apprenticed or placed in work.

For the first twenty years of its existence babies were accepted anonymously, but many mothers left “tokens” (coins, pieces of cloth or ribbons etc.) with their baby in order to identify them if they were able to reclaim them at a future date. Sadly, this rarely happened and these tokens are some of the saddest and most evocative displays, which also show the social conditions of the time, the history of the Hospital and the lives of the Foundlings.

However the Museum has far more to offer. The Foundling Hospital soon caught the public imagination and became a popular cause amongst the wealthy – William Hogarth, a friend of Coram – was a founding Governor and donated a number of works of art. Other artists followed him and it soon became fashionable to drive out to the Hospital to view the art, so that the Foundling Hospital became the first contemporary gallery of British art. Many of the paintings and works of art are displayed at the Museum

The composer Handel also supported the Hospital and gave benefit performances of his works in the chapel, including the Messiah. On his death he left them a full score of the work so that the tradition could continue. This interest helped to establish a strong tradition of musical education at the Hospital which resulted in many Foundlings entering military bands. The Museum houses a display relating to the work and life of Handel.

The Foundling Museum is open from 10am to 5pm Tues to Sat and from 11am to 5pm on Sundays Its website is www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk. Until the 6th March there is a special exhibition “Threads of Feeling” of the token ribbons and pieces of material and embroidery left by mothers to identify their babies. Other special events and concerts can be found on the website.

The Museum is a short walk from Russell Square tube (Central line to Holborn & Piccadilly Line). Next door, in Coram Fields, is a children playground which adults can only enter if accompanied by a child. The Museum also has a café and coffee shop.

Handel

23 Forest Drive, Theydon Bois, CM16 7HA Telephone 01992 813951

Email: [email protected]

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News from County Hall Requests for pavement and roadway repairs and problems about parking easily top the list of issues that residents raise with me, and it is frustrating how long it often takes to get a clear answer on what will be done and when. This was raised with Cllr Hume, the county Cabinet member for Highways recently who said a new system to be introduced should make it easier to track progress. Since June there has been a particular problem with many Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) as a consequence of problems with the Epping Parking Review. TROs have to be published in a local newspaper that covers the area affected by the TRO. Objections can then be submitted by residents and may lead to changes. The TROs for the Epping Parking Review were published in a newspaper that didn’t cover the relevant roads and the advertising was therefore invalid. This has resulted in many discussions between the district and county Cabinet members and officers. The district is not convinced that the new cheaper advertising proposals by the county meet the legal requirement and will therefore be funding some advertising itself in order to continue with the Epping Forest parking reviews. Work is resuming on the TROs but the county Highways service is undergoing a major restructuring and at present it is unknown which officers will continue to work on existing projects. The cost of the erroneous advertising was £20,000. A recent report stated that 35% of all highways schemes goes on statutory advertising. I wrote to Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pointing out that this was money that could be used on road maintenance and suggesting other ways the relevant households could be informed. However, he supports the role of commercial local newspapers and didn’t agree to change the statutory advertising requirement. In October the Chancellor George Osborne presented the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review which has brought big reductions in the grants that local government will receive, though much of the detail is still to come. The District Council’s Home Improvement Agency C.A.R.E. which helps older and disabled owner occupiers to access repairs and disabled facilities grants has been told by the county council that its £45,000 grant, which represents about one third of its income, will cease in March 2011. I have served on the management committee of C.A.R.E. and I know how the work that it does helps residents to maintain their independence and remain in their homes. I have asked the county Cabinet member for Adult Social Care to look into this, ideally to continue the grant but at least to maintain the funding for the coming year to enable C.A.R.E. to try to find alternative ways to maintain the service. The Box, the centre for young people in Epping High Street, has been told that its £25,000 grant from the county council will cease in March 2011. The innovative work it does with young people is widely recognised and valued. It has recently expanded into bigger premises and losing the grant at this time is a great concern. Some of the young people in Theydon Bois attend St John’s School, Epping. I visited the school recently and was impressed by the work being done in the classrooms, the improving examination results and pupils’ involvement in various projects. It is disappointing that the new school building has been so delayed. I have been involved in some of the stages, most recently with the Traffic Regulation Order for the necessary highway alterations. Hopefully a date will soon be announced for the start of the building.

Councillor Janet Whitehouse County member for Epping & Theydon Bois

Telephone 01992 812503 Email: [email protected]


The Past Autumn in Theydon Bois Nature smiled on Theydon Bois during the early months of autumn with an "Indian Summer" lasting several days, with warm and dry weather and wonderful autumn foliage on many trees. But by mid October the seasonal gales, heavy rain and frosts arrived to change the scene. In the Village, Halloween and Firework nights quickly came and went. There was the good news that the vacant Youth Centre in Loughton Lane had been acquired by the Theydon Bois Parish Council and would become a community centre. The bad news was the proposal for a car park in the green belt behind Theydon Bois Station. An additional avenue of oak trees was planted on the Village Green and work continued on the refurbishing of the railway viaduct over the Central Line. The Carriages pub became Theydons Bar and Restaurant, Quality and Excellence Butchers received an award for its products and Villagers were warned of the danger of eating strange mushrooms. So the semi rural community of Theydon Bois on the fringes of Epping Forest continued to be a hub of activity and interest.

This autumn, a hidden danger lurked on the floor of Epping Forest – the deadly “Devil’s Bolete" mushroom. Not easy to distinguish from among the many other one thousand varieties of fungi currently growing there, but if eaten could result in hospitalisation at the very least. Excessive mushroom picking had seriously affected the ecology of the Forest so the City of London had now banned all mushroom picking except for scientific research, and then only when licensed. So another hidden danger was that of being prosecuted and appearing in court.

In September the unfamiliar sight of large red double-decker buses on the local roads reminded Villagers that the annual Vintage Bus Display and Running Day organised by the North London Transport Society was again being held at the Village Hall. While this surprised and intrigued the younger generation, their elders suffered pangs of nostalgia on seeing the old London Transport RT Buses, its famous RML Routemasters, the smaller LS and RF Single - deck Class, and even Green Line vehicles trundling in and out of the Village Hall car park. Free rides along the old routes could be taken in these veteran but well maintained vehicles. The most popular was the single-decker Route 250 running from Epping to Romford via Theydon Bois, Abridge, Passingford Bridge, Stapleford Abbotts and Havering.

Sixty one members and two guests attended the September meeting of the Theydon Bois WI. The loss of two members in August was reported, Bobby Price and Betty Thompson. Communications were received from the Home Start charity for the WI donation of £500 and another, interestingly, from the BBC2 organisation requesting members who had work experience in the 1940s, 50s, 80s and 90s to get in touch regarding a BBC2 series about work.

Theydon Bois Baptist Church took part in the launch of a new monthly group for Christian children and young people from church congregations in Epping and the surrounding areas. Organised by the Epping Young Christians under the Joint Youth and Children’s Work


The Past Autumn in Theydon Bois (continued) Initiative, the first meeting was held at the Box Youth Centre in Epping and comprised a programme of games, friendship activities, discussions, worship and fun; moreover it provided the opportunity for Christian children and other young people to link up locally.

There were claims that crime in the Epping Forest District would rise if the magistrate courts at Epping and Harlow were to close as part of 103 planned closures across the country. This action would result in local police officers having to attend the Chelmsford magistrates court when an application for a warrant had to be made.

St Mary’s Church Harvest Flower Festival was held over the weekend commencing 24th Sept. The event began on the Friday evening with a Festival Preview Reception held in the Church followed by a concert given by the Crofton Singers. On the Saturday a mini fair was held in the Churchyard with stalls selling many items and refreshments available in the Church Hall. Many visited the Church to see the nineteen colourful and artistic floral displays sponsored by numerous villagers with most displays dedicated to deceased loved ones. The titles were both descriptive and sometimes touching, especially "Golden Fields,” “Harvest from Grandpa’s Allotment” and “Autumn Bounty". The event

concluded on the Sunday with a Family Communion Service and Festival Choral Evensong.

On a wet morning of the 6th Oct, relatives and friends of Stanley Duckworth Johnson gathered at the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Theydon Bois, for a service of praise and thanksgiving to commemorate his life. Once again the Reverend Dr Anthea Cannell returned to the Village from her new ministry at Roydon to conduct a service for one of her previous parishioners. A family tribute to Stan was read by Judith Wood, a reading was given by Joy Oliver and Anthea Cannell gave the address. Stan was the widower of Eileen Johnson who had been a leading and stalwart figure in Theydon Bois for many years, and also a member of the Parish Council.

Theydon Bois Village Association advertised for a Caretaker/Keyholder for the Village Hall following Roger Badcock’s announcement that he would retire at the end of the year.

On 30 Sep 2010, the Church Commissioners signed an order which created a new United Benefice of Theydon Bois and Theydon Garnon (a United Benefice is one where Parishes remain separate and distinct but share the same Vicar). This Pastoral Scheme came into effect on 1st Oct 2010 when Theydon Garnon ceased to be part of the Epping District Team Ministry.

Theydon Bois Rural Preservation Society held a lecture evening in the Village Hall when the speaker was Cath Patrick, the Senior Conservation Officer for the Lee Valley Park. She spoke about ”Wildlife in the Lee Valley” and the history and nature of the River Lee over many years and how it became a vital transport link to London, with the movement of agricultural produce for the City, and eventually a basis for industrial development along its banks. The Park


The Past Autumn in Theydon Bois (continued) became established in the 1960s and now comprises the river and the many lakes formed by gravel extraction.

The Marylebone Trio, comprising Jemma Bausor (oboe), Jessica Tipton (clarinet) and Alexandra Davidson (bassoon), gave a recital of music by various composers including JS Bach, Gordon Jacob, Alex Silverman and Mozart at the October meeting of the Theydon Bois Music Society. The audience warmly applauded the performance given by this Trio which was formed in 2003 by postgraduate students at the Royal Academy of Music. The Society continues to hold monthly meetings featuring artists of high musical calibre.

Plans were submitted for a proposed commuter car park near Theydon Bois Station and related to a 176 car park on green belt land at the former Old Foresters' Club off Abridge Road.

Villagers were warned of a “scam” which was being perpetrated at cash dispensing machines in the District by team of two or three thieves. As cash was being dispensed, one of the team would drop a £5 note at the feet of the withdrawer. As this person was looking down and possibly retrieving the note, another thief would take the cash from the machine and possibly take the user’s card as well. The thieves would then quickly disperse and quietly disappear into the crowd having chosen a busy time to commit the crime.

It was announced that the Parish Council had finally acquired the youth club building off Loughton Lane for use by the community. An update is published elsewhere in this edition of Village News.

The last night performance on 30th Oct of Murder Mistaken, staged in the Village Hall by the Theydon Bois Drama Society, was well supported. This drama by playwright Janet Green, also filmed as Cast a Dark Shadow, told the story of a charming man who gets rich by marrying and murdering older women until he meets his match.

The Mothers Union of St Mary’s Church launched Operation Christmas Child in the Church Hall. The aim was to collect items for the world’s poorest children, as suggested in presentations and displays in the Church Hall and the Church. The donated items were packed into shoe boxes (also donated) and financial assistance with postage/transport costs was also requested. In 2009 the church despatched 165 boxes, a record which it was hoped to exceed this year.

Carriages, the public house in Coppice Row which appeared to have closed, had now reopened as the Theydons Bar and Restaurant. The business invited patrons to enjoy the delights of Italy with food made with fresh and authentic ingredients.


The Past Autumn in Theydon Bois (continued) November 5th (Guy Fawkes Night) was celebrated in the time honoured way with many flashes and bangs throughout the Village and the customary bonfires. The Primary School in Orchard Drive held the usual organised display which was attended by many excited children together with their parents who enjoyed the social occasion.

The Epping Railway Circle held its annual Model Railway Exhibition in the Village Hall. Eleven working layouts were featured ranging from 2 mm gauge trams to a magnificent electric O gauge exhibit with modern Hornby locomotives and rolling stock. The City of London Open Spaces Committee paid a morning visit on 6th November to the Village for the planting of young oak trees on the Village Green, this being reported on the opposite page of this edition of Village News.

Quality and Excellence Family Butchers in Forest Drive announced that the business had received two awards in the 2010 British Pie competition run by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association. The first was the Presenters Choice Gold Award for the best savoury hot pie and the second, a Silver Award for its rabbit pie. The competition was sponsored by Colman’s Mustard with the aim of supporting British produce.

Fiona Dodd of the Baptist Church thanked all who had sponsored her in the recent British UK Run in London. Although it was hot day, over 26,000 people took part and although Fiona was not up with the running elite, she did complete the run in a respectable time. The money she raised would be forwarded to the Whitechapel Mission for the Homeless in London.

The festive season is on the horizon and soon the Village Christmas Tree will be lit, the Village and its shops will be decorated for the festive season and Christmas shopping will become a priority. And yet, incredibly, spring is not far behind! Meanwhile a Happy Christmas and New Year to all.

TREVOR ROBERTS LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER

Apologies to Parish Cllrs Wood and Howard and former Parish Cllrs Dodman and Emmett

The September 2010 Village News (Issue 71) contained articles on the result of the poll for the election of 2 Parish Councillors for Theydon Bois held on Thursday 17 June 2010. After investigation, Trevor Roberts, the Village Local History Recorder, now understands that the information sources used to create the articles and the final edits were incorrect in a number of respects. Trevor and the Theydon NewsDesk editors always try their best to ensure that all published reports are factually accurate and balanced but are volunteers with limited time and resources.

Trevor and The Village NewsDesk Committee would like to offer sincere apologies to Councillors Annie Wood, George Howard and the Liberal Democrats for any offence or embarrassments that may have been caused by the inaccuracy of the Local History Recorder’s Report relating to the Parish Council by-election.

The Village NewsDesk Committee would also like to extend these apologies to former Parish Councillors Jacqueline Dodman and Mike Emmett for the same articles.


The New Avenue of Oaks

The Guides

You will by now probably have noticed that a new second Avenue of Oaks has already been planted along the Village Green. This follows the public consultation for villagers carried out by the City of London, who are responsible for the Village Green (which forms part of Epping Forest), back in 2008. The semi-mature Oaks were chosen by Jeremy Dagley (see photo right) (City of London Conservation Officer), Keith Thompson of the City of London and Village representatives, including our Tree Wardens, on a visit to Barcham's of Ely in August for planting this winter.

The Parish Council are in the process of planning a major event for the whole of the village to take part in as a celebration of the inauguration of this new Avenue of Oaks. This will probably take place on a date in the spring when the weather is better and the days are longer and by then the trees may even have put out some new leaves. These semi-mature new oaks had to be planted by the City of London this winter because this is when the conditions are correct to give them the best chance of survival. The City of London Open Spaces Committee periodically visits particular projects in Epping Forest and they were due to visit various sites in the area on Saturday 6th November. It was expected that the planting of the new avenue was to be underway by then so they wanted to visit the Village Green, inspect the planting work and have a small planting ceremony. Their visit was intended to last only for an hour (9.30 - 10.30am) and because of the limited time on this occasion it was only possible to invite a small number of representative interested locals from the Rural Preservation and Horticultural Societies, our Tree Wardens, Tree Strategy Committee and Parish Council.

The City of London will join with the Parish Council next year in promoting t h e ‘ P r o p e r Inauguration and Celebration of the New Avenue of Oaks’ in an event to be enjoyed by all villagers that marks this very important event in the life of Theydon Bois. Watch the Village Website and Village News for details.


Brown Tailed Moth Caterpillar - Awareness

The Rainbows

Many villagers will remember the infestation of Brown Tail Moth caterpillars on an oak tree on the Green last May (2009). The tree was heavily pruned by City of London staff, who wore protective clothing as the caterpillar hairs can cause varying degrees of skin irritation. A fence was temporarily erected around the tree afterwards.

At the recent Theydon Bois Tree Strategy Meeting, a City of London representative explained that he was still monitoring the trees on The Green so that action could be taken to prevent a further outbreak. The caterpillars will eat practically any kind of tree or bush leaves, but they are fond of fruit trees, hawthorn, blackthorn and blackberry and it is quite possible that they could turn up in gardens around the village, particularly those close to the Green. The caterpillars hibernate during the winter, sometimes in large numbers, in a 'tent' of leaves bound with silk and emerge the following Spring. They are quite distinctive, with a white line down each side and two red dots on the back of the 'tail' and can strip a tree of its leaves in a very

short time. The barbed brown hairs contain a chemical which can cause skin and eye irritation. The hairs can also break off and be carried by the wind and may cause breathing difficulties if inhaled by people with respiratory problems, such as asthmatics.

The London Tree Officers have produced a useful information leaflet,

which includes health and safety guidelines for dealing with the caterpillar and its winter 'tents'. See the Village Website for a PDF leaflet at www.theydon.org.uk/Pages/news.htm or call in at the Parish Office for a photocopy of the leaflet.

Villagers may want to keep an eye on their gardens and warn children not to touch any caterpillars, just in case they are those of the Brown Tail Moth. Hopefully, the prolonged cold and icy weather we had last winter will have killed off most of the hibernating caterpillars, but if villagers are unfortunate enough to have an outbreak in their garden, we would advise them to contact Environmental Health at Epping Forest District Council. They have not, to date, been notified of any outbreaks.

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Local Police News & Neighbourhood Watch A reminder to residents that the Neighbourhood Action Panels (NAP’s)) are an informal liaison between the Police and the local community where they aim to find what is causing problems for a particular area. The NAP is comprised of local residents and members of our local Policing Team. New panel members of any age will be made very welcome our meetings, the last of which was

just before this issue of Village News. Please check the Village Website Diary for the date of our next meeting in early 2011.

There are still a few burglaries in the village, and now is the time of the year when there may be visitors to the village who want to do some free Christmas shopping. Please try to make your property look “lived in” even during the times when you are out, this can be done with timers that switch on lights and other things such as a radio, also automatic outside lighting will help deter uninvited guests. If you travel by tube please put your car away in the garage if you have one. Secure it and take the keys with you or lock them away.

We are still getting letterbox burglaries where occupants are leaving keys to the car and house close to the front door and burglars hooking keys with a long stick through the letter box. It becomes dark very early now and particularly in the streets away from the main road so please be vigilant and report anything you see that you feel is not right.

Also there have been a few thefts from sheds and out-buildings. Lawn mowers and other electrical items have been taken so please make sure you secure sheds and garages as these also usually contain all the tools to break into your house.

I will try to be at the village hall on the first Monday of every month at 18.00 to 19.00 for a joint Parish Council One-2-One and Police surgery where you can speak to me about problems or arrange for property marking to be done.

I would like to thank all of you for your help and support over the last year keeping the village safe. We the Police rely on you to be our eyes and ears so please report anything to us you are not happy with. All calls are confidential and we will not call on you if you do not want us to.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ANDY COOK PC 1474

USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS

Neighbourhood Officer - PC Andy Cook

Community Support Officers - Norma Harrison & Lizal Scott,

All three are on mobile number - 0777 931 7211.

If this number is not answered , you can leave a message and your phone number on the answerphone and they will call you back as soon as possible.

The Police non emergency mobile number is - 0300 333 4444.

All emergencies are of course - 999

Essex Neighbourhood Watch Administrator - Colin Freeman - 01279- 621862 Theydon Bois Neighbourhood Watch - Caroline Law - 01992 - 813905


Loughton Astronomical Society & Astrokyds The Loughton Astronomical Society is the home of all things astronomical in West Essex. It was started in 1968 by a group of people who were attending a telescope mirror-making class at Loughton College. Since then it has grown into a thriving Society and is one of the few societies in the UK to hold weekly meetings.

We now have over 65 members of all ages whose interests are reflected in the wide range of talks given by well known external speakers; t h e s e i n c l u d e v i s u a l astronomy, astrophotography, radio astronomy, the history of a s t ronomy, cosmology , theoretical physics, space flight, space exploration and the mythology of the constellations.

The best way to see the night sky is from a dark site. Theydon Bois has been a venue for meeting and observing for many years, it retains its village charm but importantly it is the first reasonably dark sky as you venture out from London. Very few people have seen the Milky Way, but it is easily visible from Theydon Bois on a clear night. It cannot be underestimated how important it is to retain a dark skies policy, for once lost it can never be reclaimed.

The centre piece of the observing year is the annual Autumn Equinox Sky Camp, a two week long observing event on the North Norfolk coast at Kelling Heath, featuring guest speakers and astronomy vendors over the main weekend. In addition to observing events, visits are organized to places of scientific interest, such as Jodrell

Bank, Newton's house, Hershel’s house, Greenwich, Leicester Space Centre and the Science Museum.

We also actively run a junior club, Theydon Bois Astrokyds, one of the few astronomy clubs for children in the UK (see photos right & on page 21). This is organized by a group of

Our Stand at the Village Donkey Derby

How heavy would a kilo of sugar feel on different planets?

A member’s photo of the Moon


Loughton Astronomical Society & Astrokyds (continued)

enthusiastic members for local children aged between about 6 and 12. Our emphasis is on short talks and practical breakouts, from making star-charts to messy activities which stimulate interest such as “craters” from flour and chocolate meteorites. During the winter months we drop some of the formal programme for the children to use telescopes. It is so rewarding when a child gets their first sight of Saturn hanging in space, or close-ups of the Moon’s craters through a telescope; promoting comments like “wicked” and “cool”.

If you're new to astronomy, or an experienced observer, I can recommend observing with a group of friends. Observing the night sky is probably the second most popular activity within the LAS (after socializing). Many of the members have their own telescopes, but the Society also owns a number of instruments which members can use. If you want some observing tips, an appreciative audience for your astronomical photographs, or just some company while observing, then why not join us.

Trying out telescopes and taking a 3D tour of the Solar System at the November meeting

The LAS meets every Thursday evening at 8pm at the Scout Hut, Loughton Lane, Theydon Bois. Astrokyds meets every second Friday of the month (in term time) at 6:30 pm

at St Mary’s Parish Church Hall, Coppice Row, Theydon Bois.

Contact Brian Morton on 01992 815804 for more information or visit www.las-astro.org.uk for our weekly programme


Spotlight on the Shops - Premier Valet Services Eren Mustafa (below) is the proprietor of Premier Valet Services. The editor popped in to talk to Eren and ask him a few questions.

Where do you live & what do you like about it? – I live in Brandon Groves in South Ockendon with my wife of 22yrs and 2 daughters aged 16&14. We were attracted to the Brandon Groves because of the open spaces; the development had to maintain 30% of the site as open communal spaces, thus creating a series of greens which gives the development a village feel.

Where did you go to school & tell us about your family? - I was born in Nicosia in Cyprus on the 18th March 1959 and joined my parents in Britain in October 1965 when I was 6 years old. My parents had moved to Britain in 1960 and 1961 respectively due to my father’s involvement with the British secret services. I attended Barclay Primary School in Leyton and then attended Chingford Junior and Senior High Schools after we moved to Chingford in 1970. I then studied architecture at the Polytechnic of Central London and took up a position with Harry Neal Limited as an Architectural Design Technician.

How long has the business been operating & what made you become a Dry Cleaner? – I opened Premier Valet Services in October 1991 after being made redundant due to the closure of Harry Neal Ltd. I was passing through Theydon on my way home when I noticed the shop was up for rent, after some deliberation I decided to set up the business having had several years of experience helping family members in their shops.

What has changed the most since you've been open in Theydon? – There have been many changes like the loss of Tidd’s Garage and the Citroen dealership to residential developments, other changes, however, like the loss of independent greengrocers and the like only to be replaced by eating establishments are a worrying trend.

What’s different about Premier Valet? – From the outset I decided that the business would provide a first rate service to the community and to this end we have been committed to the use of the best available equipment and chemicals. We also introduced a laundry and ironing service and free pick up and delivery, both being a first for a dry cleaner. Alterations and repairs have always been an important element of our business and in early December this activity will be carried out within the shop premises, following some basic structural alterations. This means a speedier turn-round time with advice immediately available from an in–house expert.


Spotlight on the Shops - Premier Valet Services (continued) How do you relax? - I like nothing more than enjoying the company of my family in what ever we do. When I find a moment to myself I enjoy reading science fiction and keeping up with developments in architecture and the motoring industry.

What is dry-cleaning and how does it work? Dry cleaning has been around since about 1855 when it was accidentally discovered in France as a cleaning process using a non-water based liquid solvent. Many changes and new ideas have vastly improved the basic process. As a result of continued innovations over the years the solvent now used, Perchloroethylene, which we call “perc” for short is safer and faster and being a recyclable solvent requires less massive equipment.

What’s the process then? When you drop your clothes off we go through the following steps:

1. Tagging and Inspection – we book in the garments taking the customers name and phone number and then we identify the garments by tagging them with the relevant ticket number, as we process an average of 400 garments a week it is essential to ensure all the garments are properly identified. The garments are then checked and placed in the relevant basket awaiting further processing.

2. Pre-treating stains – although the solvent is really good at lifting oil based stains it is no good at removing water based stains and it is therefore necessary to pre spot these stains. We have a selection of pre spotting chemicals that we use to treat the stains with and in most cases these will remove the stains before the garment is placed in the dry cleaning machine. Those stains that are more stubborn will normally come clean in the dry cleaning machine by the combined action of the pre spotting chemical and the perc. Unfortunately on some fabrics some stains can’t always be removed.

3. Dry Cleaning the cloths - once the garments have been checked to ensure that there are no foreign objects in the pockets and have been pre treated they are then ready for dry cleaning. The garments are placed in the Union dry cleaning machine, which you can see behind me in your photo (see left). The cleaning process is computer controlled so once we have set the relevant program and started the machine, solvent is pumped into the cage through the perforations and then circulated through a filter bank to remove the dirt. Once the cycle is complete the dirty solvent is pumped into a distillation chamber where the solvent is boiled and distilled into pure reusable solvent which returns back into the pure tank ready to be used again. The garments are dried at a steady temperature until 99.99% of the solvent has been evaporated and the garments are completely dry.

4. Finishing- Once the garments are clean they need to be finished by steaming and then hand pressing them. Sometimes during the finishing process some stubborn stains become visible again and require further attention.

5. Post-spotting – this is the process by which we work on the remaining stains by either using steam or retreating and re cleaning the garment again.


Theydon Bois Cricket Club

6/2/2011 to 10/4/2011 Sunday night winter nets at St Aubyn’s School, Woodford. Colts/Juniors (aged 14 & under) 5.10 pm to 6.10 pm, Seniors (aged 15 and over) 6.10 pm to 7.10 pm 1/4/2011 (provisional) Colts Registration Night, 6.30 pm TBCC Clubhouse

The senior teams maintained their places in the first and fifth divisions of the Herts and Essex League. The first eleven ended up some fifty five points above the sixth placed team - a couple more wins and anything could have happened! The second eleven ended a disappointing seventh but were only twenty seven points below the fourth placed side, again a couple more wins would have made all the difference. With the playing resources now available the only way, hopefully, will be up in the 2011 season.

The Colts/Juniors presentation evenings took place on the 8th October with close on 100 people in attendance. The three main awards were made to Owen McKelvey as player of the year, Charlie Ewing for the best performance and James Revell as the most improved player. All youngsters who played on Colts Day or represented one of the three sides received a commemorative medal. There were also numerous other awards to youngsters and adults who made outstanding contributions during the year including four youngsters receiving Jack Petchey awards. The Seniors presentation night took place on 9th October with a good

attendance and, like the Colts presentation night, fish and chip suppers were provided. The main awards went to Jacques Van Rensberg - first eleven player of the year and Warren Hyde - second eleven player of the year. It is a pity that, due to a persistent back problem, Peter Gooch has decided to hang up his boots after over forty seasons. Peter has been one of the most consistent performers over the years and, without a doubt, is one of the most naturally gifted batsmen the Club has had. It is no in doubt that Peter will remain fully involved with the Club and it is not unthinkable that he may be “wheeled out” for the odd “cameo” performance in future seasons! If anyone from the ages of seven to seventy wishes to play for or be involved with a very progressive Club please visit our website under www.tbcc.co.uk or come along to the Club to see the facilities.

LtoR - Charlie Ewing, Rob Bullivant (1st XI Captain), Owen McKelvey, James Revell.


Theydon Bois Tennis Club The end of the summer tennis season brings Senior and Junior Finals Day tournaments. The Men’s Singles Final was again contested by Ian Smith and Richard Taylor, Ian emerging the victor after a tight first set. The Women’s Singles saw a first finals appearance for Geraldine Tuck, but Heather Brady proved too strong in a marathon match. Heather teamed up with Meeta Lovage to defeat Geraldine and Clare Smith in the Women’s Doubles, and Mick Todd & Ian

Smith won the Men’s Doubles, beating Richard Taylor & Simon Terrell in straight sets. The Mixed Doubles title went to Ian Smith & Helen Hedin overcoming Ken Randlesome & Carol Hembury.

The following week brought the Junior Finals Day. Alex Nicoll won the Boys tournament, beating Billy Roche in a hard-fought final. Helen Spooner gained revenge for last year’s final by defeating Helena Tunks.

The tennis club doesn’t go quiet in the winter. Tuesday & Thursday morning adult coaching continues all year round, and alternate Saturdays brings three adult coaching sessions in addition to the four junior sessions that run every Saturday morning. For more information on all our activities please visit www.theydontennis.co.uk

THEYDON BOIS SINGERS CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Tuesday 14th December 2010 at 7.45pm

Theydon Bois

Village Hall Tickets £7 on door or phone 01992 812128

http://www.theydontennis.co.uk/


Theydon Bois Golf Club

Our AGM on 18th November was followed by a Horticultural Quiz which all enjoyed. At the AGM Officers and Committee were all re-elected and it was decided that membership would remain at £1. We are pleased to announce that those members present voted to donate £5,000 towards the new Avenue of Trees. This will be acknowledged by the Conservators with a new Information Board which will be placed on the Green outlining the history of the Avenue. We also give advance notice that we have booked Christine Walkden (she has had her own television series) to give a talk in April. The photographic classes for our show on 23rd July 2011 are as follows:

The club’s men's team succeeded in reaching the final of The Leslie Wood Competition after winning through five rounds against teams from all over Essex. In a very competitive final held at Crondon Park Golf Club against Channels G.C. Theydon were pipped at the post. As always in golf the whole day was played in a convivial atmosphere and both teams were a credit to their clubs. Nick Gates and Dave Hutton represented Theydon in an International

competition and came a very close fourth against pairs from national clubs, Dave Hutton also reached the semi final of the Alan Lockwood Trophy against players from all over Essex only losing on the final hole. Congratulations to all the players! Theydon also hosted the nine counties ladies championship this year which was a great success with many compliments being passed about the course.

On the home front the club have an expanding junior section organised by Steve Jackson and Richard Hall, our club Professional, who are encouraging both boys and girls with group lessons and competitions. All are welcome to try their hand at golf particularly those who have not played before.

A new addition to the facilities at the club is an outdoor terrace which adds a new dimension to the already popular function suite for both members

and visitors alike, including private events and parties.

Pictured right are the new captains elected for 2011 at the club’s AGM on December 3rd. The club Captain is David Bowles and the Ladies Captain is Melanie Grosstephan. The updated web site www.theydongolf.co.uk is now up and running and contains a wealth of information about all aspects of the club or enquiries can be made on 01992 813054.

Theydon Bois Horticultural Society

A Bumblebee (close up) A farmyard animal

A funny sign/notice On a Horticultural Society Outing

Flower power Bird’s eye view

Set of 3 photos - On the beach (any mount)


Country Dancing in Theydon Bois In the 1950’s Country Dancing classes were held in the old village hall in Loughton Lane. These were Adult Educational classes. As the new village halls were built in Coppice Row the classes were held in them. However in 1975 the teacher announced that the numbers had dropped, she would no longer get paid and the classes would close - Not a bit of It!! Luckily for Theydon Bois this did not happen. Mrs May Andrews agreed to be the caller and Mrs Sheila Gymer agreed to be the treasurer voluntarily. So you see the “Big Society” David Cameron talks about was alive and well in Theydon Bois.

The fees in 1975 were £3.50 and 50p for pensioners. I remember taking the cheques to Nicky Hogg and John Field, long standing treasurers of the Village Association. I have two photographs of this era which is of Miss May Hyde’s 80th Country Dancing birthday party. Her father was the Head Gardener at Wansfell when it was still a private house before it became an adult educational college. Fashion note - no trousers then!!

In 1987 Mrs Trish Haselhurst joined the group and she became the caller when May Andrews had to give it up and Trish is still our caller. I gave up being the treasurer in 2000 when the fees were £13 a year. Now Mrs Di Badcock and Mrs Gill Smith are the treasurer. I wrote the following poem in August 09 but it is still relevant.

I joined the class in 1958 and apart from a short break in 1969-71 when I had my third child I have been going continuously since then. I shall be 85 next month so how about it?

SHEILA GYMER

Tuesday nights why don't you come To the Village Hall to have some fun? There’s country dancing on the night The dancers make a pleasant sight.

Trish our caller gives a welcome to all To step inside the Village Hall But we don’t dance all night you see There’s always a break for a cup of tea

Now exercise is good for you It doesn’t matter what you do So leave your chair and come along Trish won’t groan if you go wrong

For more info about Country Dancing please phone Mrs Anne Eastwell 01992 813540

Sheila cuts her birthday cake

Litter Pickers 2010


Theydon Bois Community & Youth Centre The Parish Council invited builders to tender for the refurbishment works of the old Youth Centre building and received four quotes. Rob Gooch, a member of one of the oldest families in Theydon Bois, won the contract and has already started work, on what will now be known as

the Theydon Bois Community and Youth Centre. Work will be completed in early January. The money for the refurbish-ment has come from a grant that we were awarded for al-most £20,000 and from the Village Association who have been extremely generous and supportive of this project. Thanks must also go to Paul

Argent and the Cricket Club who have continued to look after the grounds. Theydon Youth are helping with design ideas and have a planned day to paint the exterior of the building. They are looking forward to starting their New Year in the Centre. From the Hearing for the planning of 10 houses on this site, which many villagers and group representatives attended, to where we are today, Theydon Bois has proved that coming together as a Community really can work. A Charity is being set up with a board of Trustees being formed with villagers Roy Newland, Roger Timms, Lucy Bostick, Jack White, Bob Pen-man, Roland Frankel, Kate Penegar, Lisa Kennealy, Thea Buisson and Parish Council-lors Peter Hammond and Paul Vincent agreeing to sit on the board that will look after the building and site. As well as the Board of Trustees the Cen-tre will need a Management Committee to take care of the day to day running of the building, e.g. hall bookings, supplies etc. The centre will be available to rent during the day and on the evenings that Theydon Youth are not using it. The cost of running the Centre will come from renting the building out and fundraising. Having seen how the other halls in our village are sustainable we are confident that this building will prove to be a fantastic asset for Theydon Bois. We are hoping that the Centre will become the home for various groups and will offer a variety of activities to our Community.

If you are interested in being part of the management committee or hiring the Centre please e-mail [email protected] or ring 01992 815982.



The consultation regarding the development of Phase One of a 350 space commuter car park on land behind Forest Drive and Slade End has now closed. Following on from a TBAG organised presentation that was attended by 50-60 local residents and difficulty experienced by many with the online comments submission page, an extension to the consultation was agreed with EFDC. There has been an overwhelming response from local people that are opposed to this development. EFDC have received over 200 objections and one letter of support from a resident of the village.

TBAG are particularly concerned with, as well as the obvious detriment to the Metropolitan Green Belt, the change of use from agricultural to D2 which includes ‘cinemas, concert halls, bingo halls, dance hall, swimming bath, skating rink, gymnasium or other area for indoor or outdoor sports or recreations, not involving motorised vehicles or firearms.’ The owner and leaseholder of this site are due in court on 6th December to defend enforcement notices issued by EFDC with regard to the unlawful positioning of portacabins, which were delivered to the site during May 2008. We know that there are extensive plans for the development of this privately owned land that could have an adverse impact on the entire area. An application for a ‘training and leisure facility for foster children and their carers’, on the site of the demolished pavilion, has been received by EFDC but at the time of going to press was not currently valid. With a change of use requested with the car park application we have to ask: What are the real plans for this area?

For example, EFDC planners have made it quite clear to TBAG that members of the council have in the past viewed the development of affordable housing as a ‘very special circumstance’ to grant applications to build in the green belt. As well as objecting to the commuter car park application, monitoring the situation on the Old Foresters site we have also recently responded to the Planning Inspectorate Appeal against refusal of stabling on Green Belt on Coopersale Lane. Since becoming a member of the National Organisation of Residents Associations (NORA) we have received a wealth of information on a variety of issues including important changes to planning, licensing and waste legislation. Through NORA we can comment on relevant consultations and working together with other residents groups throughout the country have more influence in effectively challenging government policy. For more information on issues that affect our village check out;

www.theydonbois-actiongroup.co.uk or email [email protected]

Judith Chalmers joined Parish Councillor Peter Hammond, his wife Joyce, daughters Thea Buisson and Donna White and granddaughters Jay & Emma White at Epping Forest College in Loughton, on behalf of the Lady Taverners Charity, to present a specially adapted mini-bus, to the college’s Preparation for Life & Work Unit. The department has over 145 students, some with severe mental and/or physical disabilities. The mini-bus will enable the students to make trips together and visit places in the community that have not previously been accessible to them. Peter and Joyce Hammond are Lord & Lady Taverners and have raised almost £50,000 for the charity. In recognition of this the mini-bus has been dedicated to their grandson Nicholas White, who passed away in January 2005.

Epping Forest College and the Nicholas White Minibus

http://www.theydonbois-actiongroup.co.uk



Copped Hall Corner GENERAL PROGRESS - An important major project is nearing completion in the Mansion. This is the construction of the floor structures to the right of the front door, with a temporary roof to be installed over the second floor. When completed, these works will enable three spaces to become dry, safe and usable i.e. the Dining Room on the first floor, the ground floor room below and the cellar storey beneath. In the new year, work will commence on improving access to the first

floor by a rebuild of the existing internal staircase and the provision of a new one. Work on the goods lift continues; this is reputed to be the first installation of its kind in a UK country mansion.

PAST EVENTS - The successful extensive programme of summer events finished with a mammoth success in October with record breaking autumn Apple Day. In glorious sunshine, the crowds descended on Copped Hall with cars pouring through the Mansion gates from mid morning, and it was estimated that more than two thousand visitors came to view the Mansion and grounds and enjoy the garden party atmosphere.

The prime interest was “apples” of many different varieties, which were on display and available for purchase. Members of the East of England Apples and Orchards Project were present to give advice on the cultivation of orchards and the growing of some 250 varieties of this popular fruit. The "garden party" attractions were many and included countryside features with shire horses, live poultry, ferret management, lace making, woodcrafts, haberdashery and even a straw bale castle for children to climb when not involved in "apple games". Music was provided by the Bow Creek Folk Group, piano accordionist Christine Beetlestone, and pianists Norman Lansdowne-Davis and Trevor Roberts who both played the Broadwood piano in the Saloon to provide an appropriate musical background for the Mansion. Most important, this was a family occasion and the event raised some £16,000 which will be used for the general restoration of Copped Hall.

MAJOR EVENTS IN 2010 AND 2011 - With the year nearly at an end, the 2010 programme is almost complete except for the four popular annual carol concerts on Dec 11, 12, 18 and 19 for which all tickets have now been sold. Regretfully, there are no public tours of the Mansion and grounds in December. However, the Trust and Friends are not resting on their laurels and an equally intensive programme for 2011 is being planned and will include most of the major activities which took place in 2010. For further information please contact 01992 610713 or E Mail [email protected].

SITE AND GARDEN TOURS 2011 - Sunday Morning Tours of the Mansion and grounds/walled garden are held on the 3rd Sun each month (except in Dec). Tours 10.00 to 12.00 (gates open 10.00 to 11.00 only). Special Openings of the Gardens (Mansion closed) are held on 1st Sunday each month from Mar 6 to Sep 4 between 14.00 and 16.00.

Unless otherwise stated, all events are held at the Copped Hall Mansion. Car parking is always available, as are refreshments. Vehicle access is only possible via the London entrance on the B1393 Upshire Road.

TREVOR ROBERTS COPPED HALL TRUST



Theydon Bois Rural Preservation Society As it has done since 1943, the Society continues to monitor all the planning applications applied for in our village and display them publicly on its notice board by the estate agents in Forest Drive. We regularly make objections to those applications that will adversely affect the village and surrounding Green Belt. Most recently the Society objected in great detail and at length to the latest proposal for construction of a car park in the Green Belt beyond the station that would breach the natural boundary formed by the line of the railway. Society committee members attended the special Parish Council Planning Meeting to ‘lobby’ them to object and made suggestions to strengthen the reasoning for a Parish Council objection. The Society has been contacted by many villagers concerned about this application with none wanting to speak in favour of it. Again as it has done for many years, the Society put on an exhibition of photographs of local and historic interest at the biennial Flower Festival held by St Mary’s Church in September. In October a well attended public meeting was held at which a Senior Conservation Officer, Cath Patrick, described the development and work of the Lee Valley Park, including the preparations for the wild water Olympic Games events in 2012. In November, the Society took part in the annual Theydon Bois Tree Strategy meeting with representatives of the PC, EFDC and Essex County Council to consider how best to ensure and enhance the treescape of the village – including the possibility of the Woodland Trust planting a hectare of trees if suitable space(s) can be found. Also in November the Society was represented at the visit by the Open Spaces Committee of the City of London to view the 52 new oak trees planted by the Conservators on The Green and it welcomes the plans of the Parish Council to organise a public inauguration of the new avenue in the spring involving all sections of the village community.

PETER NEWTON

The works to the majority of the non-railway spans are nearing completion with work now focusing on the railway spans.

You may have noticed scaffolding being erected over the underground lines, which will enable hand break out of defective concrete and repair.

The photo above gives you a good example of the condition of the concrete on one of the railway spans! Work has also progressed on the replacement parapet for the railway spans (see right). The parapet has been removed, and is ready to be replaced with a new parapet fit for purpose. The original was in very poor condition and had previously been braced.

JAMES KENNERLEY HT ASSISTANT STRUCTURES ENGINEER

Update on Theydon Viaduct Repairs


Back in July 2005, London

won the right to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the presentation in Singapore, London made a promise to the world that showed the commitment from London to use the power of the Games to inspire millions of young people to choose sport. This became known as the Singapore Promise. The Young Ambassador Programme was born and initiated in the summer of 2006 and a direct response to realising the Singapore Promise ……. Over now to Ellie to tell you more.

Hi there it's Ellie! If you've had a chance to browse over the youth section of the Village Website at www.theydon.org.uk, you'd already know a little bit about me. However, I'd like to take this chance to introduce myself further, and tell you a bit about my role as a Gold Young Ambassador for the West Essex District.

The role of a Young Ambassador is to bring the inspiration and magic of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to other young people in their community and schools, and raise awareness of this programme. It is also to increase participation of sport and promote healthy and active

lifestyles, as well as supporting talented young people and empowering and leading other young people to get involved and be inspired by the Olympic Games. I and fellow Young Ambassador, Ben Harvey, were lucky enough to be chosen for this role by applying through Davenant Foundation School's Sports Ambassador programme, and successfully being selected from a handful of other applicants from other local schools such as Debden Park, West Hatch, Roding Valley and St. Johns Epping. Qualities that must be shown for this role are efficient leadership skills, an interest in sport and the 2012 Olympic Games and the ambition to promote sport enthusiastically and successfully to young people and to be a good role model to all.

Since being selected back in September 2009, we have had a busy few months learning about this role ourselves, as well as trying to reach out to as many people as possible communicating and teaching about our role within schools and the community alike. We've been into a number of primary schools, ran our own assemblies in Davenant, been to two conferences in the London Oval with Olympians to improve & learn about our roles further, promoted our role at a local head teachers meeting (!) plus had the honour of visiting the new White Water Rafting site in Cheshunt & got our picture in the London Evening Standard for promoting sport! If you have any pictures or articles you would like to write about your favourite sport or if you know of any upcoming young stars locally, drop me an email at: [email protected]

ELLIE BEDWELL - OUR SINGAPORE PROMISE YOUNG AMBASSADOR

News, Comments & Notices

V i l l a g e News has

learnt that Councillors Purkiss and Hammond attended the West Essex Area Forum Meeting on 16th November and have reported back the fantastic news that Theydon Youth were successful in their recent grant application and are to be awarded £4000 towards equipment. Theydon Bois Cricket Club was also awarded £1400 for equipment as they had also made a successful bid.

Another example of ‘nothing ventured nothing gained’ with grant applications but the amount of work involved in drafting bids should not be underestimated so congratulations to all involved in putting the bids together

WEST ESSEX FORUM GRANT FOR THEYDON YOUTH & CRICKET CLUB

http://www.theydon.org.uk/Youth/[email protected]%20


News, Comments & Notices In September the Beavers went to Lippitts Hill to see the Police Air Base. We were all well informed about how the

police use the helicopters to rescue people, and to track down people. Everyone had a great time. Later this month the Beavers are going to have a fun quiz, meeting with other Colonies in the District. We will all be meeting up again just after Christmas when we go to see the Pantomime - Jack and the Beanstalk. Our Colony is working on its

Creative and Experiment badges this term, and will be seeing how depth charges work, volcanoes erupt, what turns litmus paper different colours and also will be growing cress if everything goes to plan!

The Beavers meet on a Thursday evening between 6.15 and 7.15 They are aged between 6 - 8 years old and can be male or female.

If anyone wishes to join us they should contact

Jane Ellison; [email protected]; or Beryl Frankel tel: 01992 613029.

THEYDON BOIS BEAVERS

As some of our readers will remember local girl Sarah Hannibal

was selected to compete for the Great Britain Telemark Ski Team last winter. She achieved 18th position overall on the World Cup circuit, a great achievement for her first season. She knows, however, that this would not have been possible without the very kind and generous support from all

the people who sponsored her.

Sarah's season came to a spectacular end at the end of March when she had a serious crash, breaking three vertebrae and lacerating her knee. All things considered she was extremely lucky and has more or less made a full recovery. Her preparation for the forthcoming season is going well, with solid strength and intense conditioning training over the summer and four weeks race training, in France, in the Autumn. Sarah has set her sights on making the top 15 next season, and hopes to make appearances in the top 10 at some races. It will be an action packed season; as well as the World Cup Series, the bi-annual World Championships are being held in Norway in March. You can keep track of Sarah's results at: www.gbtelemark.co.uk

As a winter athlete Sarah is once again having to fund everything herself. Anyone interested in providing sponsorship can get in touch with her directly on 07509 005 604 or via email [email protected]

THEYDON’S TELEMARK SKI GIRL SEEKS SPONSORS

http://www.theydon.org.uk/Youth/[email protected]


During the Autumn the Forest has once again been a wonderful vision of colour

as the early frost reacted with the leaves creating the splendour. This has been an excellent year for fungi, with ideal growing conditions. There has been a problem with the amount of fungi that has been collected which has resulted in some offenders being prosecuted under the Epping Forest bye-laws. There was a time when we tried to licence fungi picking but unfortunately the honesty of some of the licensees was very dubious and although they were only supposed to collect a small amount

on a given day they came back for several days until challenged to produce their licence. Commercial pickers became involved and several were stopped while carrying up to 4 full carrier bags. The Forest obviously cannot sustain this amount of harvesting and so it was agreed to stop all licences, except a few for educational events, and revert to zero tolerance. On one Sunday alone some of my colleagues confiscated over 100lbs of fungi, not all of it edible, and noted the offenders details prior to submitting a report to The Superintendent. There has been quite a lot of media interest in this story and staff have given interviews to The BBC, Channel 4 News as well as numerous newspapers including The Washington Post!

As you are no doubt aware a new avenue of oak trees has recently been planted parallel to the old avenue. This process although drawn out will mean that Theydon Bois will have an Avenue of Oaks, hopefully for many centuries to come. There is an opportunity to sponsor one of these trees, the cost being £140 each. Although no plaques will be alongside each tree there will eventually be a record of donations kept in the Village Hall along with a plan. The cost will also include care such as watering by a contractor for the first 2 years. Please contact Theydon Bois Parish Clerk, Sally Crone, if you wish to donate.

Unfortunately in the first week the trees were planted 2 of them were damaged and needed replacing, this is obviously very frustrating but we hope that as the trees settle they will not be seen as 'new' and will be left alone. Should anyone see damage being caused to the trees a call should be made to Essex police as it is criminal damage.

NICK BAKER SENIOR FOREST KEEPER, EPPING FOREST

Buxton Trust Playing Field was awarded a Gold Award in the

Essex Playing Fields Competition for 2010. This is in Class 1 for a Playing Field serving a population of 2,500 or more. Essex Playing Fields is an Essex charity, founded in 1924 and devoted to the creation, preservation, improvement and development of playing fields, play grounds and play areas, particularly for local children, young people and those with disabilities.

To achieve a Gold Award the judge will have given a score of 86 plus out of a possible 100 and the ground considered to be quite exceptional. Unfortunately we did not win the section outright which would have meant a cheque to go with the certificate. So a pat on the back for everyone, especially Matt for all his hard work.

A FOREST KEEPER’S VIEW


BUXTON TRUST‘S GOLD AWARD


On the 19th October at Civic Offices, Theydon Youth were awarded a 3 star rating by the Epping Forest Youth Council,

who had been carrying out unannounced visits on the Youth Clubs in the district and grading them. EFYC commented that ‘Theydon Youth provided a great atmosphere for local young people and the staff were friendly and helpful’.

Our Membership list continues to grow, all children in Years 7 to 11 living in Theydon Bois are welcome to come along on Tuesdays between 7 and 9pm at St. Mary’s Church Hall. We are looking forward to moving into the newly refurbished Community and Youth Centre in the New Year and are hoping to also have a ‘Junior night’ for Primary school years 3 to 6. It’s hard to believe that Theydon Youth will have been open for two years in January! In that time we have had a bike ride to High Beech, a circus skills fun day a disco a trip to a Skate Park, a drug awareness evening, a rowing competition, and a 4mtr wall climbing activity. Many of these activities were carried out with Essex Boys & Girls Club (EBGC) who we are affiliated to and who provide us not only with some great activities but help with our CRB checks and advice on running a youth club.

It would not be possible to run our Youth Club without the volunteer helpers. The rota currently means that each helper is only on duty every four weeks. We are looking for more helpers from January, as due to work commitments some of our helpers are having to step down, if you are interested in helping either on Youth or Junior night please e-mail [email protected] or call 01992 815982. We are also planning on organising the Theydon Bois Open Gardens’ Day again this year which will raise some much needed funds that will go to buying some desperately needed equipment for our new premises. 2011 promises to be a very exciting year for Theydon Youth.


THEYDON YOUTH AWARD

THEYDON BOIS DRAMA SOCIETY

Presents A Variety Show of

Song, Dance & Comedy

THEYDON BOIS VILLAGE HALL 13,14 & 15 JANUARY 2011

Performances start at 8pm Ticket Prices £8

Box Office: 01992 812250 (also for “The Beaux Strategem” 17-19 Mar)

www.theydondrama.org

EFDC Cllrs Anne Grigg & Kenneth Angold-Stevens (far left & right) centre - Thea Buison & Yasmin Levy-Miller




12th January Henry Williamson -a short biography Chris Jones

26th January Lost mansions of Essex Peter Lawrence

10th February Upper Lee Valley Richard Thomas

24th February Essex Air Ambulance (T,B.A.)

9th March Being a Verderer of Epping Forest Michael Chapman

Date Subject Speaker

23rd March Restoration of the Mary Rose Dennis Kelly

The winter season of men’s forum starts on Wednesday 12th January

2011. We have vacancies for new members and if you are free for a couple of hours on the second and fourth Wednesday of months October to June then why not join us. We meet at Theydon Bois Baptist Church Hall at about 10.15 am and finish at noon. Our selected and enjoyable talks given by invited guests take place in a very friendly atmosphere. If you would like to know more about the men’s forum telephone Harry Memory 01992 812696. Our speakers for the next season are as follows

THEYDON BOIS MENS FORUM WINTER SEASON

Village News reporter Tristan Palmer found himself by

chance at the Queen Vic early on a Monday evening and as luck would happen stumbled across the judging and prize giving of "The Inaugural Annual 'Biggest Onion' Competition of Theydon Bois". One of the locals had given out seeds from the same packet to the contestants at the beginning of the year and this was judgment day. There was cheese, wine; some attempted cheating and a good time had by all.

QUEEN VICTORIA REGULARS KNOW THEIR ONIONS


Which of the following hands do you think would be suitable for a response of 1NT after partner opens One Spade ?

1) ♠42 / ♥KJ984 / [7 / ]K10532 2) ♠5 / ♥AQ9764 / [1093 / ]873 3) ♠Q105 / ♥A6 / [Q10642 / ] 742

Many players would consider the first two hands as being too unbalanced but would happily bid 1NT with hand 3. If you agree with them, I'm sorry to tell you that you are wrong.

Yes, you would like to bid one of your long suits on hand 1 but you are not quite strong enough to respond at the 2-level. You don't want to Pass with 7 points, so 1NT it is. The same applies to hand 2 where a response of Two Hearts overstates your values. Instead, bid 1NT and hope partner rebids a minor suit. Now you can bid Two Hearts, showing a long suit and (because you didn't respond Two Hearts last time) a weak hand.

Responding 1NT with hand 3 is acceptable - I am sure it would be a popular choice - but, as any expert will tell you, Two Spades is a better bid. I will explain why in the next article.

Mike Whittaker Blue Chip Bridge - http://www.bluechipbridge.co.uk


Local salon owners Michael Memet and Sharon Henessey of Tikadi Theydon Bois and Ongar attended a presentation evening in Central London's Winter Garden at the Institute of Child Health on Tuesday 23rd November 2010 where the salon won the ‘National Small Business’ and ‘East England Small Business’ categories. Salon owner Michael Memet was also awarded a special ‘Extra Length’ Award for his inspiring and dedicated fundraising that resulted in the salon's contribution to the charity being the largest in their categories from staging a fashion show in June that was held at Woolston Manor Golf and Country Club 'The Tikadi Summer Ball'. The HAIRraising campaign has raised in excess of £500,000 to date for the Great Ormond Street Hospital, world re-known for helping children.

The Tikadi team will have a celebratory lunch with several celebrity hairdressers, and the well known and respected hairdresser Andrew Collinge in salon to host a special training session! Not only this, additionally the Essex salon owner will fly to Los Angeles to work with the John Frieda team for an entire week. Michael said ‘We are so thrilled to have been given these opportunities and can’t wait for it all to happen. Without the hard work of my team, and of course the people that supported us, this wouldn’t have been possible’. Ongar Salon Manager Sharon Henessey said 'I had a fantastic time at the special presentation evening, but we really enjoyed how we raised the funds, and its such an amazing charity'.

TIKADI FUNDRAISING SUCCESS FOR GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL

Catherine Sheehy has started Singing classes for children at St Marys Church Hall. Group

classes are small to ensure that students receive individual attention and class times are 4.15 to 5pm and 5pm to 5.45 pm - cost is £6. Catherine can also arrange private lessons. Her contact details are Tel: 07739 801676 Email : [email protected]

NEW SINGING TEACHER IN THEYDON

http://www.bluechipbridge.co.uk


Theydon Bois Primary School - Christmas Card Competition 2010

Joint Overall

Winners of the

Competition & the

Parish Council’s Cards

For 2010

Individual class winners

Elizabella Noyce Jessica Edmondson

Harvey Young

Felix Gregory

Luca David

Isaac Harrington

Harry Coton Bo Lamble


VILLAGE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING FRIDAY DECEMBER 3RD

THE CHRISTMAS CHARITY COLLECTION RAISED THE SUM OF £458.60 FOR EPPING FOREST CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU …... THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR GENEROSITY


Village Activities 2011

Copy for Village News & Website Send to c/o Sally Crone, Parish Clerk, Parish Office

Theydon Bois Village Hall, Phone & Fax 01992 813442 or email the editors - [email protected]

NEXT VILLAGE NEWS COPY DEADLINE - 12th February 2011 Village News thanks its Sponsors - James Sear, Theydon Bois Pharmacy,

Hetheringtons, Theydon Bois Balti House, Indian Ocean Restaurant, The Flower Yard & Theydon Bois Dentists - see pages 10, 11 & 25

Village News

Edited & Produced by Tony Ames e-mail

[email protected]

Village Website www.theydon.org.uk

Edited & Produced by Jim Watts e-mail

[email protected]

This diary is updated continually on the village website - www.theydon.org.uk

Theydon NewsDesk - What’s That?

Theydon Bois Village News and Theydon Bois Village Website work together as the Theydon NewsDesk to provide our Parish Council with an information outlet. Both also publish Community Information, News, Photographs and Details of Events in our village and the surrounding countryside.

The Village News Magazine is distributed to all the homes in our village four times a year (in March, June, Sept, & Dec. with copies available as PDF’s from the Website). Both Village News & Website are editorially independent of the Parish Council, but remain very grateful to them for their ongoing encouragement and administrative support. The Parish Council manage the finances of NewsDesk for the committee, but thanks to the work of all our volunteers and the very generous support of our sponsors, Village News and Website run at no cost to the Parish Council or village council tax payers.

The editors of Village News & the Village Website try to give fair and balanced coverage to all the views and opinions of community members, but these opinions are not necessarily the opinion of the editors. The editors welcome and encourage contributions relevant to Theydon Bois, but reserve the right to refuse or amend any content intended for publication. The NewsDesk committee meets at least quarterly to review past and potential content for each edition of Village News as well as the Website, and consists of two Parish Councillors, the Village Association Chairman, our Local History Recorder, Parish Clerk, Village News and Village Website Editors, Youth Editor and a local resident Reporter. The last but very vital link in the chain is our band of volunteer distributors who, in fair weather or foul, deliver copies to every house in the village.

13/14/15 Jan Theydon Bois Drama Society - V Hall - Viva Variety - see page 35

various Parish Council Meetings - with Public Participation (PP) - 27 Jan (PP), 24 Feb, 31 Mar (PP)

various Parish Council One-2-Ones - 5.30 to 7pm Village Hall - 7th Feb, 7th Mar

various Parish Council Litter Picks - 8 Jan, 5 Feb, 5 Mar

various Theydon Bois Cricket Club - see page 24 Mens Forum - see page 36

19 Feb Casino Night (in aid of St Clare Hospice) - V Hall 7.30 pm - see page 18

17-19 Mar T Bois Drama Society-V Hall-Restoration Comedy-The Beaux Stratagem - see page 35

issue 72 dec 2010 - theydon.org.uktheydon.org.uk/downloads/10 dec v news.pdf · theydon bois...

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