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The
Braxted
Bulletin
October
2014
VILLAGE INFORMATION
Clerks to the Parish Councils:
Great Braxted
Sarah Mann
Tel 01621 892821
Little Braxted
Gordon Musset
Tel 01376 520103
Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Great and Little Braxted Mandy Chapman
Email: thebraxtedsneighbourhoodwatch@yahoo.com
Non-urgent contact for Police: 101 or 0300 333 4444
Point of Contact Mobile*:
07970 844179
*This is picked up by the officer on duty.
Responsibility for Essex Highways
Essex County Council
0845 603 7631
Library Information
Wickham Bishops Library
School Road, Wickham Bishops, Witham CM8 3NU
Tel 01621 891216
Opening times
Monday 14.00 – 18.00
Wednesday
14.00 - 18.00
Saturday 09.00 – 13.00
Next Parish Councils Meetings
Great Braxted
8 pm - 6th November 2014
Little Braxted
11th November 2014
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BRAXTED GARDEN & SOCIAL CLUB
The members had a good day on Sunday 14th
September when they visited The Beth Chatto Garden
in Elmstead Market. We travelled in four cars and met
up for a coffee in the cafe before wandering round the
lovely garden.
There was a lot
of autumn colour, and the weather
was quite good with only a short
shower. All 16 members attending
enjoyed the day, and came home
with plants they had not intended
to buy!
The next meeting will be the Harvest Supper on the 18th October in
the Pavilion at 8pm. This will be Fish or Chicken and Chips and a
glass of wine, followed by the usual excellent choices of lovely
homemade desserts.
The price will be £10 per head, and is open to all villagers and their
friends. You do not have to be a member.
This is a chance for us all to get together for a fun evening and a chat,
before Christmas festivities begin. I hope as many of you as possible
will come along. Please let me know if you would like Fish or Chicken
when booking. The programme for next year will be available, and the
membership fee of £15 will be due if you wish to join.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Jenny Hornett
01621 891424 hornettk@hotmail.com
PROPOSED EXTENSION/IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FOR
GREAT BRAXTED PAVILION
A planning application for the
proposed development has now
been made to Maldon District
Council.
Full details and plans can be
seen on the council website at
http://www.maldon.gov.uk/site/
Reference FUL/MAL/14/00697.
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ALL SAINTS’ GREAT BRAXTED
CHURCH NEWS
OCTOBER 2014
October, now autumn is more or less here and
the nights are drawing in. The clocks change [fall
back] on 25th/26th. On Sunday 5th we will hold
our Harvest Festival. As in recent years we would like gifts of produce that
can be used for the Colchester Soup Run which provides sustenance for
the homeless and disadvantaged every night of the year. All Saints’ and St
Luke’s attend once a month. So cans of soup or tins of tuna or corned beef
[or money!] would be very appreciated.
We welcome Mike Puttick to the PCC and he has kindly agreed to be our
Fabric Officer, replacing Nick Crick who has moved to Suffolk.
As shown below, the wedding season carries on with three more this
month. That’s it then until next year.
The forthcoming services for the month of October are as follows:
Saturday 4th Oct
Wedding at 2.30 pm
Sunday 5th Oct
HARVEST FESTIVAL at 11 am
Saturday 11th Oct
Wedding at 3 pm
Sunday 12th Oct
Communion at 11 am
Sunday 19th Oct
Matins (Morning Service) at 11 am
Sunday 19th Oct
Baptism at 12.30pm
Saturday 24th Oct
Wedding at 1 pm
Sunday 26th Oct
Communion at 11 am
NOTE on Sunday 2nd November there will be a Dedication Communion
service as it is All Saints’ Sunday.
Contacts:
Rector
Revd. Anne-Marie Renshaw
01621 815260
Churchwardens
Ken Hornett
01621 891424
Philip Holmes
01621 818476
Curate
Revd. Liz Barnes
01621 813094
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BRAXTED ANNUAL GOLF COMPETITION
This annual event
was held at
Braxted Park Golf
Club on Saturday
27th September
in near perfect
conditions.
Many thanks to Braxted Park for
the loan of the course, which was
also superb.
This year there were new trophies
for each of the winners to
commemorate Angela Roast and
Fred Rodford, who both sadly
passed away earlier this year and
had played many times.
These have been kindly donated
by the families.
This was the 25th year of this
event and the two shields will be
maintained and engraved and kept
- possibly at Braxted Park Golf
Club or in the Braxted Pavilion/
Community Hall.
After paying for prizes, engraving
and minor expenses, this event has
raised just over £700 for the church
which will go towards urgent
repairs and the 900th anniversary
next year. Thanks to all who took
part; Woodlands at Tom’s Farm
Shop for the lunch venue; the
golf course; and everyone else
who helped.
The results were as follows:
WINNERS:
Ladies – Cyd Rodford [38]
Men – Paul Gillett [43]
Runners up: Ladies – Kate Humphreys [36] Men – Steve Baker [41]
Longest drives: Ladies – Sarah Mann Men – Freddie Rodford
Nearest the Pin: Pam Baldwin
Best front 9 Ladies – Sharon Bennett [19] Men – Peter Neal [21]
Best back 9 Ladies – Catherine Craddock {18] Men – Ian Philpot [23]
Junior prize – Josh Coleman [35]
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SUPERFAST SUPER SLEUTH! - RESIDENT
TURNS DETECTIVE IN SEARCH FOR THE
ELUSIVE FIBREOPTIC BROADBAND.
From Wickham
Bishops, they
find their way up Goat Lodge
Road, straight across and through
the wood into Great Braxted and
beyond. On a good day they bring
with them enough ‘oomph’ to watch
an episode of ‘The Great British
Bake Off’ on BBC iPlayer, or send
a couple of pictures via email to
friends or family.
On a bad day, we have time to
make several coffees whilst our
PCs struggle to engage with the
wider world.
I’m talking about our broadband
connections of course. Great
Braxted has enjoyed rubbish
performance for years, while the
rest of the UK population seems
to increasingly be enjoying the
fibre optic broadband benefits that
enable streaming high definition
films or TV catchup, uber fast
email and the ability to move large
documents and pictures to other
parts of the globe in an instant.
Great Braxted in the meantime,
whilst making significant
contributions to the Government’s
Council Tax and Business Rates
coffers, suffers with a service that
many would have been thrilled with
– 15 years ago!
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It was therefore enough to make
me jump for joy when, at a Parish
Council meeting in May this year,
it was announced that local MP
Priti Patel had stated that we are
provisioned to be upgraded to
‘superfast’ broadband between Jan
and March 2015.
Strange then that the BT & Essex
CC Broadband website at that time
said: “This area is covered under
the Superfast Essex Programme.
The programme will ensure that by
summer 2016 available download
speeds in this area will be at least
2Mbps. However, for technical
and financial reasons there are
currently no plans to deploy fibre or
alternative technologies to achieve
higher speeds.”
An email winged its way to Downing
Street - I wanted Ms Patel to
know that someone somewhere
was making her look a chump and
that she was sending misleading
information to our Parish Council.
Nothing changed during June
through August either despite
regularly checking the website.
Did Ms Patel take up my issue and
get stuck into BT? Or was it pure
coincidence that a couple of weeks
ago, driving through the woods, I
saw an OpenReach van installing
a new cable junction cover and
‘pulling through’ some cables.
On the way home I noticed a nice
new BT box near to the Du Cane
too. I checked the BT Broadband
web site for the new superfast
service. It read: “Coming soon Your area will be enabled within the
next six months and we’ll provide
more details nearer the time. At the
moment you can’t order Superfast
Fibre.”
Progress indeed.
Since then I have seen several BT
OpenReach vans locally ‘doing stuff’.
MATTHEW
RUFFLE
Chimney Sweep
Service
01621 810711
07938 439253
Finally, coming up to Mountains
Farm on19th Sept, I saw a BT
OpenReach van with ‘Fibre Cable’
Team, alongside which was a big
cable drum.
Am I getting all excited for nothing
or are we really going to be moving
into the 21st century with our local
communications?
Well, six months off takes us to
February/March 2015 so in the
meantime, keep your eyes open
for the OpenReach vans, ask then
what they are doing, and check
your own postcode on the site
below just to make sure the service
is still ‘coming soon’.
http://www.superfast-openreach.
co.uk/where-and-when/
Pilates Classes held weekly at
Great Braxted Pavilion, Wickham Bishops
and surrounding areas.
Also 1:1’s, 2:1’s and small private groups
available in the comfort of your own home,
office or in a studio.
Suitable for ALL Levels regardless of age,
gender and fitness level.
Pilates can help you strengthen your core,
lengthen and tone your body, increase
flexibility, improve posture, help lower back
pain and develop a greater body awareness.
Contact Jemma:
t: 07795 197 520
e: info@popup-pilates.com
w: www.popup-pilates.com
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MARQUEE TENTS FOR RENT TO BRAXTED RESIDENTS
Some while ago funds were obtained for the purchase of four sturdy and
attractive marquee tents. These are put to good use for such occasions
as the Braxted Fete.
They are also available to residents of the Braxteds, to rent for private
functions. Invaluable given the unpredictability of the Essex weather!
Sizes are:
2 tents @ 3 mtrs sq, and 2 larger tents @ 3x 6 mtrs.
They are fairly easy to erect and can be used with side panels up or down.
Please note: They must be completely DRY prior to repacking on return,
as storing them whilst damp leads to mildew.
A minimum donation of £20 per tent is the agreed amount.
If you are interested in hiring the marquees please contact:
Richard and Sheena Collins on 01621 893136.
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NEWS FROM GREAT TOTHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL
www.greattotham.essex.sch.uk
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BRAXTED NEWS
Tony Read who used to live at Lane
End Cottage and for many years was
Chairman/Secretary of the Braxted
Garden Club has sadly passed away
in hospital in Norfolk. Sympathy to
his widow Sheila and the rest of the
family.
Mr and Mrs James (Jim) Goody
have moved into The Old School
House, Braxted Park Road. It has
been the subject of major renovation
recently, and has been filmed for
showing on the Channel 4 programme
“Restoration Man” in the near future.
Also new to the village are Peter & Jane
O’Driscoll who have recently moved to
Holly Tree Cottage, Bung Row.
We wish them all well in their new
homes.
PROJECT 900
PROJECT
900
BRIDGE
AFTERNOON
BRIDGEWHEN?
AFTERNOON
WHEN?
Saturday 18th
October 2014
Saturday 2pm
18th- 5pm
October 2014
2pm - 5pm
WHERE?
Great
Braxted Cricket Pavilion
Great Braxted Cricket Pavilion
WHERE?
HOW
HOWMUCH?
MUCH?
£8
£8per
per person
person
Pay
the
day.Refreshments
Refreshments included
Pay
onon
the
day.
included
WHY?
WHY?
To aid the celebration of our beautiful Church’s 900th Birthday
To aid
the celebration of our beautiful Church’s 900th Birthday
Do come along for a relaxing afternoon of Bridge
Do come along for a relaxing afternoon of Bridge
To book your place, please contact:
To book your place, please contact:
Hilda Hazell
01621Hazell
892417
Hilda
ken_hazell@icloud.com
01621 892417
ken_hazell@icloud.com
Sue Copsey
01621 892697
Sue Copsey
randscopsey@hotmail.com
01621 892697
randscopsey@hotmail.com
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STOP PRESS - POSSIBLE
CHANGE OF DATE!
Further to publicising the next
Fete as 12 September 2015 in
the last issue, it has come to our
attention that the date may be
changed to the 5th September, due
to conflicting national events. Will
confirm definite date asap.
Whatever the final date, plans are
underway, so if you are interested
in getting involved, please contact
Ken Hornett on 01621 891424.
Content for the next
Braxted Bulletin by
Friday 24 October please to:
julie@thedesigningwoman.co.uk
01621 891241
Please contact me if you are
interested in advertising in the
Bulletin.
Any editorial gratefully received too
- Christmas Fayres; Quiz Nights;
Jumble Sales; etc. – happy to give
all a mention!
If you would also like to receive the
Bulletin via email in pdf format,
please send me your email address
and I will add you to the mailing list.
Braxted
Art Group
All levels welcome –
very friendly afternoon
group with tutors.
Watercolours,drawing
or any medium you are
interested in.
Great Braxted
Cricket Pavilion
For more information:
01621 891241
drjoyce38@btinternet.com
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