Page 1 Issue 51

Sept 2005

Issue 51

Theydon Bois Village News

Produced for residents of Theydon Bois

Hands Off Our Green Belt!

Village News is sponsored by James Sear Estate Agents, Theydon Bois Balti House, Woodland & Wildlife Conservation Co Ltd & S & F Electrics - see pages 14 & 15

Campaign to Protect Rural Essex's "Hands off Our Green Belt" walk and protest meeting , Sunday 21st August.

CPRE (England) organised a nationwide series of walks in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Green Belt, and as a protest against its proposed destruction, especially in this area. The walk started at Chingford Station at 10.30am and reached Theydon at about 2.45pm. About a 100 people most who had walked the full distance heard Terry Callahan (CPR Essex) - front left of picture of protestors (above) on the steps of the Village Hall after the protest meeting - call for an end to the current threats to the Green Belt. Parish Council Chairman John Eaton arranged for the Village Hall to be opened to receive the walkers and many Parish Councillors turned out for the protest meeting. Protestors on the steps of the Village Hall after the protest meeting are pictured above.

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Playground at Theydon (P.A.T) Appeal

The Playground at Theydon organisation (P.A.T.) was formed in 1990 when the members of the local community led by Cllr Joy Wainwright and local village constable David Simms sought to make better use of the derelict land at the corner of Poplar Row and Green Glade and provide the children of the village and surrounding areas with their own playground. Following three years of Jumble Sales at the Church Hall, Quizzes and Coffee Mornings and with financial support from the District Council, local people and businesses as well as the Parish Council and Grange Farm Trust, the Playground was opened on 13th March 1993 by television presenter Andi Peters and has now become as much a part of the village as the Village green and sign!

The playground is established as a registered charity and managed by a committee of unpaid volunteers who have raised in excess of £50,000 over the past 15 years to keep the playground open. Over the years the playground has received continued

Page 3 Issue 51

Playground at Theydon (PAT) Appeal (continued)

financial support from the Theydon Bois Parish Council to help with annual running costs as well as other organisations from within the village including The Theydon Singers, Women�s Institute and Theydon Masonic Lodge as well as the villagers themselves who have often attended the playground�s fund raising events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Santa�s Grotto and most recent Teddy Bears picnic.

Re-surfacing Project

In 2002, the committee raised over £20,000 to replace the park centre piece & is presently trying to raise money for a complete re-surfacing of the play area.

Having discussed various options open to them, the committee has decided to replace the existing soil and bark surface with a surface known as the wet pour rubber solution. Liquid rubber is poured onto the play surface, which quickly sets to provide a soft, safe and hard wearing surface which should last up to 15 years. There are a number of benefits to this surfacing including better access for disabled users, a cleaner and more hard wearing surface as well as a huge reduction in annual maintenance as the Scouts and Guides who have always helped in the past, will no longer need to help rake over the bark and soil on an annual basis, as well as no longer needing to pay for the annual cost of replenishing the bark which currently stands at £3000 per year.

Unfortunately with the cost of raw materials rising all the time the current cost at time of going to press for the new surface is approximately £35,000, however depending on the time taken to raise the funds this could rise to as much as £37,500 by the time the funds have been raised or even more. The committee have approached various funding organisations including the National Lottery Fund, Epping Forest District Council and the Essex Environment Trust and are currently awaiting several funding decisions.

PAT is intending to entirely fund the surface replacement by means of grant-aid applications. With a generous grant of £5,000 recently approved by the Parish Council at their meeting on 28th July, a gift of £2,000 from the Open Gardens and a grant of £1,000 from the Charles S. French Charitable Trust, the committee has so far raised £8,000 towards the cost of the project. However there is a facility for businesses and individuals to make direct donations to the fund should they wish to and the committee has recently applied for the facility to accept Gift aid donations as it is a registered charity.

Readers wish to help with the fundraising or make a donation to the re-surfacing fund please contact PAT Chairman

Mrs Joy Wainwright, Wain, Coppice Row - Phone 01992 813219

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As I sit here typing this report, I see out of my window red apples hanging heavily on the bough of the apple trees and I realise that summer will shortly be drawing to a close. This year has been particularly difficult for our Village with several major challenges threatening its very existence as we know it. I refer of course to the East of England Plan which together with the Stansted Expansion Plan sets out the Government�s house building projections for the next 15 years which will provide an additional 500,000 houses in the south east.

Parsonage Golf Course (now referred to as Blunts Farm Estate) continues to challenge the Village and many people, especially the residents of the Abridge Road who have to endure up to 300 lorries a day trundling up to the site. Further development of the site is sought by the developers but the Parish Council is vehemently opposed to any building in the Green Belt other than permitted development. You can read more about the Parsonage Golf development in an article written by Councillor Sue Jones, Chairman of Planning Committee on page 8.

The Parish Council�s position on any proposed development in the Metropolitan Green Belt is crystal clear. We oppose it totally and will fight each and every application. The Green Belt was established 50 years ago to protect the countryside and prevent conurbations occurring and we enthusiastically support the original concept. I sincerely hope this reflects the views of every man, woman and child who live here.

The introduction of Wheelie Bins with collection every other week has also generated a lot of correspondence. A number of people seemingly not wanting the bins but a large majority very concerned at the prospect of fortnightly collections of residual waste. This they see as being not hygienic especially in the hot summer months, particularly considering what goes into this waste these days. Councillor Ken Cushing, who took on this brief, has expanded on the use and

proposed collection of waste from wheelie bins elsewhere in this issue of Village News.

We did not do quite as well as last year in the Calor Best Kept Essex Village Award but we did at least notch up a merit award. The winners were Earls Colne. However, we are not totally out of the race as we have been selected by the Rural Community Council of Essex (who run the Calor Best Kept Village Award), to represent Essex in

Parish Council Chairman�s Report

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the ICT (information communication technology), category of the Calor Village of the Year competition 2005. Details are scarce at the moment but it seems we will be judged on our village web site and the way we utilise it to involve and inform the community on village affairs and to make information about the village and its affairs available to others. Theydon Bois will be one of more than 40 villages from England competing for the honours. Judging will take place between 30 September and 19 November 2005.

The latest �old design� finger post has been erected at the crossroads of Coppice Row and Piercing Hill and the jumble of old and rusting iron work it replaces, taken away. What a wonderful improvement. Again, thanks go to Councillor Anthony Purkiss who has found sponsorship and energy to see this improvement through.

At the time of going to press, we have no further news of developments involving Essex County Council�s currently stalled plan to demolish the Youth Community Centre and build up to ten houses on the plot.

Although I reported in the December 2004 issue that the Community Bus Service had commenced, a promotional visit was made to Theydon Bois by the bus and those involved in running it, including the Mayor of Epping. We will be organising an information morning at the Village Hall in the coming weeks so that those interested can find out more about the service, how it works and what it costs.

Finally, a date for your diaries. On Saturday, 22 October, we will be celebrating 200 years since the Battle of Trafalgar which was the scene in 1805 of the naval battle in which the French were defeated by the English under Lord Nelson, who was killed in the action. The day is to celebrate the life of Lord Nelson and his outstanding leadership and victory.

The event details are not yet finalised but the Saturday is designed to be a fun day especially for the children. It is envisaged that the day will commence at about 11am with a treasure hunt round the village designed to specifically for the children but to involve all the families. This will be followed by a barbeque in the grounds of the Queen Victoria Public House. In the afternoon there will be events for the children and a tug of war competition, subject to the weather and of course volunteers for the tug of war.

Parish Council Chairman�s Report (continued)

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During the afternoon, Wendy Mitchell will be organising a Hornpipe Dance demonstration with the pupils of Theydon Bois Primary School. She will be inviting, or perhaps more appropriately, press ganging members of the male fraternity into joining in.

To finish the day�s celebrations, there will be the lighting of the beacon which will be on the Village Green at about 8pm. The village pubs are being encouraged to join in the events by putting on special food with a nautical flavour.

On Sunday 23 October, there will be a service at St Mary�s Parish Church to celebrate the life of Lord Nelson. The service will be targeted specifically as a family service for the children.

JOHN EATON Parish Council Chairman

Parish Council Chairman�s Report (continued)

Vacancy � Clerical Assistant Theydon Bois Parish Council

Theydon Bois Parish Council requires a part-time clerical assistant to support the Parish Council and its Clerk.

Applicants will be required to have proficient administrative skills and knowledge of IT, including word processing and the use of e-mail. In addition, they need to dem-onstrate good communication skills.

Hours will be 8 hours per week, plus attendance at occasional evening meetings. Salary by arrangement.

If you are interested in applying please send your CV to John Eaton, Chairman, Theydon Bois Parish Council,

Parish Office, Village Hall, Coppice Row, Theydon Bois, Essex CM16 7ER.

E-mail: theydonboisclerk@supanet.com or if you require further information please contact

the Parish Clerk on 01992 813442.

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the cha r i t y for you r c om m uni t y w w w . lo u g hto n ca b . co . uk

Citizen�s Advice Page

I have received a bill for £320 on top of the usual £14.99 a month I pay for Internet use. The bill shows that I have been connecting to a premium rate number. I am the only person who uses the Internet as I live alone. I cannot understand why this number has appeared on my bill and I can't afford to pay. What should I do?

I am afraid that you have been the victim of an Internet scammer. Sometimes when you close a pop-up box or press 'no' when asked to view a website, scammers are disconnecting you from your usual Internet Service Provider (ISP) and reconnecting you to a premium rate number without you realising.

Often the premium rate number stays in your dialler, meaning that every time you connect to the Internet, the dialler will dial up the premium rate number. It is only when you check the dialler that you will be able to tell that the number has been changed; it is then a case of manually changing the dial-up back to your original provider. This is why you have received an exorbitant phone bill.

Firstly you should speak to your phone company to discuss your bill, explaining that you think you have been a victim of an Internet scam.

You should then contact ICTSTIS who will be able to investigate the service to find out whether the number on your bill is an illegal service. Any company found operating without a licence could then be cut off.

Finally in order to prevent this happening again you should sign up for number barring with your phone provider. Most phone providers provide a number barring service, which should enable you to bar both national and international premium rate numbers.

SUE BRITTON Manager

For more information contact us at Loughton Citizens Advice Bureau on 020 8502 0031 or call in and see us at St. Mary�s Parish Centre, High Street Loughton.

Our opening hours may be found on our website (address below) where you will find our full details and links to many advice pages

The Citizens Advice service helps members of the public solve their legal, consumer and other problems by providing free advice, and by influencing policymakers.

Page 8 Issue 51

There have been several plans submitted to Epping Forest District Council recently that have caused great concern to local residents.

The first applications of note were for a Tennis Academy and Commuter Car Park on the Old Foresters site on the other side of the railway. Understandably many residents were most concerned about the detrimental effect this massive development would have on our rural community. The Parish Council had an opportunity to discuss the plans with residents and representatives from Theydon Bois Rural Preservation Society before the Planning Meeting. At the Planning Meeting, attended by over 120 residents, the Planning Committee unanimously decided to strongly object to both planning applications. The Planning Committee were pleased that this meeting was so well attended as in our submission to the Planning Department we were able to comment upon the number of residents attending the meeting thereby adding weight to our objection. As many of you already know the application was almost immediately withdrawn by the developers.

It would be lovely if I could finish the account by saying that is the last we heard from the applicants. Unfortunately we have recently received another application to reconfigure and extend the golf course that is presently being constructed at Blunts Farm. The situation is more complex because a golf course is considered an appropriate use of land within the Metropolitan Green Belt so we cannot use the same arguments about the sanctity of the Green Belt as we did on the earlier applications. We are also very aware of the nuisance that the present construction has caused in terms of noise and lorry movements. The Planning Committee of the Parish Council are presently seeking advice on how best to respond to this application. If residents would like to express their opinions on this planning application they can do so by writing to the Planning Officer overseeing the application, Mr Chris Embling, at Epping Forest District Council Planning Department, Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, Essex, CM16 4BZ. The details for the application are as follows: Ref EPF/1363/05 Extension to 18 hole golf course approved under EPF/765/99 and alterations to routing of layout EPF/765/99.

Now to other planning issues. Many of you will be aware that the Tennis Club appealed to the Secretary of State against the refusal by Epping Forest District Council to grant planning permission for the installation of floodlights and an extension of the hours of use of their Clubhouse. We have been informed this week that the Planning Inspectorate refused their appeal in relation to the floodlights. In his report the Inspector commented on the fact that there are no street lights in Theydon Bois and stated that, �in my view the general absence of public lighting makes a significant contribution to the character of the area.� The appeal was upheld in relation to the increased opening hours of the Clubhouse.

CLLR SUE JONES, Chair Planning Committee

Recent Planning Applications

Page 9 Issue 51 USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS

DISTRICT COUNCIL SERVICES ADVICE, HELP & INFO

Epping Forest Dist Council 01992 564000 Citizen�s Advice B-Loughton 0208 502 0031

Epping Sports Centre 01992 564564 Citizen�s Advice B-Epping 01992 574989

Loughton Sports Centre 01992 564574 Samaritans 020 8520 9191

Waltham Abbey Sports C 01992 716733 Local Police (non-urgent) 01279 625442

Waste Management 01992 564320

COUNTY COUNCIL SERVICES TRAVEL & TOURISM

Registrar Births & Deaths 01992 572788 Arriva Herts & Essex 0870 728818

Registrar of Marriages 01992 572789 Gatwick Airport 08700 000303

Education Office 01245 436231 Heathrow Airport 08700 000123

Loughton Library 020 8502 0181 Luton Airport 01582 405100

Social Services 020 8508 9311 Stansted Airport 08700 000303

HEALTH & HOSPITALS London Regional Transport 020 7222 1234

Abridge Surgery 01992 812961 National Express (Victoria) 0990 808 080

Epping High St Surgery 01992 572012 PUBLIC UTILITIES

Epping Forest PCT 01992 902010 British Gas Gas Emergency Freephone

01279 429571 0800 111999

Holly House Hosp (Private) 020 8505 3311 Eastern Electricity 0800 783 8838

Limes - Epping (Appointment) 01992 573838 VILLAGE

Limes - Epping (Emergency) 01992 566500 Village Hall Bookings 01992 815150

Limes - Epping (Enquiries) 01992 566501 Village Hall Caretaker 01992 813771

Limes - Epping (Cancellation) 01992 566502 Parish Office 01992 813442

Limes - Theydon(Appointment) 01992 812450 Cemetery Burial Clerk 01992 813100

Limes (Primecare) weekends 01245 444486 CINEMAS

Princess Alexandra Hosp 01279 444455 ABC (South Woodford 0208 989 3493

St Margaret�s Hospital 01992 561666 Odeon (Gants Hill) 0208 554 2452

The Rivers Hosp (Private) 01279 600282 Odeon (Harlow) 0871 224 4007

Theydon Pharmacy 01992 812130 UCG (Harlow) 0871 200 2000

Page 10 Issue 51

Copped Hall Corner THE MANSION - Work continues with the ongoing task of restoration. This has been helped by a grant from the Essex Environmental Trust for structural work in the Victorian Extension to stabilise the walls and provide waterproofing. Future plans include the restoration of the room above the kitchen in the main Mansion and the kitchen itself.

THE ARTS - The summer season of cultural activities included a one evening outdoor performance of Shakespeare�s� Othello presented by the Greek Theatre Players, which was much appreciated by the large audience suitably clothed against the �cool� of an English May evening. The weather was much kinder for the two evening �Glyndebourne" performances given by the The Opera Live Company on the terrace of the Mansion. The many present were treated to a feast of fine singing to music by composers ranging from Donizetti to Rossini.

OPEN DAYS - The two open days in May and August were well supported. A special feature of the August event was an open-air exhibition, in the Rockery, of sculptures by the Epping Art Society and, in the Racquets Court, an exhibition of paintings by local artists.

ARCHAEOLOGY - A two-week Copped Hall Trust Archaeology Course was held in the grounds of the Mansion during late August/ early September this year. This was led by the well-known archaeologist/ TV personality Dr. Neil Faulkner and was centred on the foundations of the Tudor and Medieval Mansions.

LECTURES - The coming autumn season of Copped Hall Lectures will be held in the Theydon Bois Village Hall, commencing at 8 pm on 9 October when William Tyler will be talking about �Life in an Edwardian Country House � An End of an Era�. On the following 20 November, Anne Padfield will speak about �Hill Hall - Its Architecture and People� (01992 619834).

CHRISTMAS CAROLS - The Copped Hall year of events will end on Saturday 17 December when an evening carol concert will be held in the Copped Hall Mansion. Further details will be made known later (01992 619834).

OTHER EVENTS - Regular Sunday Morning tours of Mansion and Grounds between 10 and 10.45 am. on 18 September, 16 October, 20 November and 11 December.

TREVOR ROBERTS Copped Hall Trust

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The 25th Open Gardens� Day was held on the 26th June this year. As reported elsewhere, this was a very successful and happy occasion once again. There were 22 gardens open to the public, and the Village Association is extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication of their owners. There were, as usual, a few new gardens to see and this was particularly encouraging. The profit this year was £3,645 and will be divided between the Playground at Theydon receiving £2,000 and the rest used for the maintenance of the Village Hall�s grounds. The VA Committee is most grateful to Graham and Carol James for their management of the entire event.

At the last meeting of the Executive Committee, the Chairman reported that skateboarders had returned to the Village Hall car park. They had also been joined by motorized bike-riders. Disturbances in the early hours had occurred and broken bottles had been found outside the entrance used by the Montessori School. This was not acceptable behaviour and the Police have been notified.

After much debate and consultation, the application forms required to register the Village Hall under the new Licensing Laws were duly completed and posted. Societies and other hirers will be informed in due course as to any changes they will need to be aware of, in order to comply with the new provisions. So far, it has cost the Village Association £626 to fulfil the necessary requirements.

Theydon Bois Village Association

NSPCC QUIZ NIGHT to be held in Theydon Bois Village Hall

Friday 23rd Sept 7.30-10.30 pm

£10 per ticket includes Cod or Chicken & Chips or Veg Pancake Roll & Chips

Call Linda Jenkin on 01992 571122

Theydon Bois & Abridge Action Group

The Group has been formed to address the ongoing concerns of

development within the villages of Theydon Bois, Abridge & their

environs which are not covered by the Theydon Bois & District Rural

Preservation Society

For further details please email Jacq.dodman1@btinternat.com or tel: 01992 813304 or 815846

Page 12 Issue 51

We are pleased to have succeeded in erecting a new traditional traffic direction sign or �fingerpost� on the crossroads at the junction of Piercing Hill and Coppice Row, after encountering many obstacles from EFDC and Essex Highways. It is similar in construction as to the one erected last November at the junction of Coopersale Lane and the Abridge Road and is made from a solid oak post, and built by Mathew Cable from Rye Hill who holds the �grandfather rights� from Highways to install these type of signs.

There had always been a fingerpost at this junction up until twenty years ago when after an accident it was removed and replaced with metal signs which for the past years were left in a dilapidated condition. We are most pleased with the support given by the Corporation of London, the Church and the Rural Preservation Society. The fingerpost is now an �asset� of the Parish although it was paid for by kind donations from New World Builders of Cheshunt, Tesco and the Rural Preservation Society.

By coincidence the call to save fingerposts is contained in a new traffic advisory leaflet entitled Traditional Directional Signs, launched on the 2nd August 2005 by DofT in partnership with English Heritage, the Countryside Agency and CPRE (the Campaign to Protect Rural England). It calls for fingerposts to be regularly maintained by local authorities� Highway Departments and where appropriate, re-introduced as part of Village Design Statements, Parish Plans and the Quiet Lanes initative.

In addition we have been actively engaged with Essex Highways Burton Road office, Debden who are now responsible for the installation of street name signs and their maintenance, disabled parking and litter bins. This newly created function is run very efficiently by Michael Jezzard and Lynne Linton, and has been separated from the Essex Highways �signs and lines� department. As a result the majority of Theydon's street name signs have been replaced or reset after years of neglect.

We are continuing discussions with Paul Hardy , the newly appointed head of Essex Highways Area (West) about the poor condition of many of our roads and pavements, and to date it has been agreed to re-furbish the crossroads area and zebra crossing in the centre of the Village by early October. We are also looking to have some input as to what roads are refurbished in and around the Village (if any) in the next financial year.

ANTHONY PURKISS

A Future for Fingerposts

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Since the parking restrictions were implemented in March many residents are at last enjoying residential roads free from commuter parking. Unfortunately this has not brought about an end to the problem as commuters have simply moved to adjacent roads. Residents in Morgan Crescent have been particularly affected as this seems to have become many commuters� first choice as an additional car park. It was always understood that this would be the situation but restrictions in the worst affected roads was the only solution on offer from EFDC at the time. We have also been advised that in some roads originally planned for restrictions but removed because of the receipt of objections (e.g. Thrifts Mead) a number of residents are concerned because of the increased level of parking in these roads. Responsibility for parking has now been transferred to ECC and they advise that they will consider introducing parking restrictions in additional roads in the village when resources or finances are available. They have already agreed to reconsider Thrifts Mead, Morgan Crescent and Avenue of Trees. Additionally, at the same time, they will investigate the possibility of extending the yellow lines at the junction of Thrifts Mead and Poplar Row. Residents with concerns about parking in their roads should make their views known to the Area Highways Manager, ECC, West Area Office, Warwick House, Roydon Road, Harlow, CM19 5DX copied to Councillor D Spinks , EFDC 323 High St, Epping, CM16 9SA. It would be helpful if you could also copy the Parish Clerk at the Village Hall. Given past history regarding the introduction of parking restrictions it seems unlikely that there will be any activity in the short term unless Highways are inundated with requests.

KEN CUSHING

Parking Restrictions

Morgan Crescent

Page 14 Issue 51

At the time of going to press the debate continues about the introduction of wheelie bins in the district. In July there was an open forum at the civic offices attended by a number of local residents who were opposed to the council�s proposals. As a result the cabinet re-considered their proposals but made only two minor changes to the scheme. These are to drop the charges for additional sacks for green waste (these can now be

obtained free of charge from the Bookshop) and to use best endeavours to introduce a plastics and tin foil door-step collection.

Your Parish Council have debated this issue several times and fully accept the need to improve re-cycling in the district. Failure to do so will result in increased local taxes following the imposition of central government fines. However we remain very concerned regarding hygiene issues caused by the proposal to introduce only a fortnightly collection of residual rubbish. We are also very aware that wheelie bins can be very unsightly if not properly managed.

We believe that many homes in the village are very good at re-cycling already and for this reason we wrote to EFDC to propose that our performance over the coming year be monitored to see if we can meet the target of 40% re-cycling without the imposition of wheelie bins and fortnightly collection of residuals. We stated that, if it is proven that we did not meet the required targets, we would not oppose the original initiative which has the effect of forcing re-cycling.

Notwithstanding receiving encouragement from a recent article in the Gazette which quoted John Knapman, Leader of EFDC implying that our proposals were being considered we have now learned from Derek Jacobs, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Protection that our proposals will not be entertained. Whilst any major changes in refuse collection in Theydon Bois are not going to be introduced until 2006, in the meantime, we urge all residents to fully utilise the current door-step collections or various collection banks in the village. We would advise you , however, that recyclable items taken to the local amenity points do not count in the statistics attributed to EFDC.

KEN CUSHING

S & F ELECTRICS ALL ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS

Lighting - Heating - Power - Points, etc

5 Forest Road Loughton, Essex IG10 1DR

tel: (020) 8508 7426

Most Domestic Appliances Supplied

Repaired & Maintained

Wheelie Bin Update

Page 15 Issue 51

James and Heather Sear, proprietors of James Sear Estate Agents, were born and raised in Theydon Bois and have now worked together in the property industry for some 28 years and their combined experience together

with other family members gives them an unrivalled knowledge of the business.

They have been at 311 High Street Epping for the past 7 years and they specialise in property in Epping, Theydon Bois, North Weald & all of the

'surrounding areas�. They employ staff with good local background & specialist knowledge of the local marketplace an important consideration for house-

hunters who rely on local agents with local knowledge. website: www.jamessear.co.uk

THEYDON BOIS BALTI HOUSE TANDOORI

RESTAURANT

FULLY LICENSED & AIR CONDI-TIONED

STATION APPROACH COPPICE ROW

THEYDON BOIS ESSEX CM16 7EU

TEL: 01992 813850/814104 10% Discount on take aways

Opening hours 5.30pm till 11.30pm everyday

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The Woodland & Wildlife Conservation Co.

Page 16 Issue 51

Pictured opposite right are members of the Robert Daniels Day Club who meet every Wednesday from 10.30 to 2.30 pm at Robert Daniels Court. The combined ages of the Day Club members (including the three that were missing at the time of the photo-call) add up to a staggering 888 years, and they are all still going strong!

All the members agree that Wednesday is their best day of the week, they really look forward to it. They love the happy atmosphere, good company opportunity to make new friends. There a is a variety of interests to pursue such as card playing, good conversation, musical mornings and friends who visit from time to time.

All the Club Members had nothing but praise for the team of volunteer helpers who make them all feel special and although it was Wednesday, they are all looking forward to the following Wednesday already!

888 years and still going strong!

Our local Cricket Club have emulated the success of our national team this season by winning the 1st Division of the Herts & Essex Observer Cricket League. In an amazing run of consistency Theydon won 15 out of their 18 league games to finish comfortably ahead of their nearest rivals.

The success has been based on the strength of their batting line led by South African Jaco Storm (pictured opposite right) who scored over 1,000 runs in the league this season. He was well supported by 1st Xl Captain Paul Sartoretti, Peter Gooch and Franz and Jaques Pieters who were all century makers during the season. On the bowling front, spin bowler Brett Sanders was Theydon�s leading wicket taker.

The 2nd Xl had a satisfactory season maintaining their status in the 4th Division of the Herts & Essex League. The opportunity was taken to introduce several promising younger players into the team which can only bode well for the future. Steve Jones with his bowling and Adam Marnoch with his batting looked particularly impressive.

Success on the field has also been mirrored off it with the completion of the Club�s new roof project for the Clubhouse. The new roof greatly enhances the appearance of the Clubhouse and adds to the already impressive facilities on offer at the Loughton Lane ground.

The Colts Section of the Club also goes from strength to strength and provides professional coaching and organized matches for boys and girls from eight years old upwards. Anyone requiring further information on the Colts should contact Ameet Sharma on 01992 813274.

Cricket Club Crowned Champions!

Page 17 Issue 51

If you are interested in cricket and would like to become a member, either as a player

or as a social member, then the Club is always interested to hear from you. Further information on Theydon Bois Cricket Club can be found on their web site at www.tbcc.co.uk

or contact Club Secretary

Page 18 Issue 51

Page 19 Issue 51

SUMMER FUN DAYSUMMER FUN DAYSUMMER FUN DAY SAT JUNE 25SAT JUNE 25SAT JUNE 25ththth

12pm 12pm 12pm ��� 4pm 4pm 4pm

Page 20 Issue 51

Page 21 Issue 51

What a great day! 22 gardens open. 1006 visitors with assorted children. Over 50 helpers from the village giving the visitors teas, cakes, lunches and doing the admini-stration in the hall, driving the mini-buses, directing parking and helping with infor-mation. But what was really amazing was that everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves and best of all, the sun shone!

People came from far and wide to visit our village. The farthest we heard of was from Bedford in the north to Hampshire in the south with some people returning year after year. One of the gardens in Woodland Way was selling tea and cakes with the money going to a children�s leukaemia charity and the profits from the Open Day will be split between the Playground at Theydon (PAT) and the Village Hall.

From our point of view, we were greatly relieved everything went smoothly on the day as this was the first year we had been involved in organising the event. Now we know what is involved our admiration for Joy Wainwright, who has organised the event for the last 10 years is immense.

CAROL & GRAHAM JAMES

Open Gardens Day 2005

Plant a Tree for a Loved One - We will shortly be planning the next phase for tree planting to enhance our village, this should be carried out between November and next March.

For the past two years we have been able to offer our residents the opportunity to have a tree planted in the village in memory of a loved one. This proved to be of great interest and details of those planted are displayed in the Village Hall. If you would like a Memorial Tree for our next planting please register your interest as soon as possible, just drop a note into the Parish Office in the Village Hall. We do have a note of some residents who enquired after the list closed for the planting carried out earlier this year. If you are one of those it would be helpful if you could just re-confirm your interest with a short note, or telephone call to the Parish Office 813442.

It is anticipated that the cost of a tree for the next phase will be in the region of £125 per tree which includes the planting with a water tube and compost.

Annual Meeting - of TBTS will be held on Thursday 6th October at 10am in the Village Hall. Attending will be reps from EFDC, Country Care, Corp. of London (Epping Forest), TB Parish Council, Tree Wardens, TB Preservation Society & the Horticultural Society. We will review the progress in our 5 year plan from 2003 & decide our policy for the next year.

WILFRED S. SHALES

Theydon Bois Tree Strategy (TBTS)

Page 22 Issue 51

District Councillor John Spencer Telephone 01992 560025

Email: john.spencer@essexcc.gov.uk

Essex County Council are well in to their stride following the elections in May. New initiatives have been introduced and planned reorganisations have taken place with the objective of improving service. The Highways and Transportation for Essex has now been arranged in four regions responsible to County Hall. The geographic areas are East, Mid, South and West Essex. The West area comprises Uttlesford, Harlow, Epping Forest and Brentwood. A new office has been set up in Harlow where all the staff previously located in our district have been moved to. Most staff in the West Essex area have now moved to this new location and you should not have been inconvenienced by the change. I had the opportunity of touring the offices and meeting with the staff. A wide range of Council services can now be accessed at www.essexcc.gov.uk. The Council is also improving telephone access to services and ContactEssex is the brand new Contact Centre for Essex County Council, providing front-line telephone customer service for all the services of the Council, revolutionising the way we answer enquiries. The Contact Centre is based in Colchester and employs a team of staff trained to deliver excellent customer service in the variety of services offered by the Council, using on-screen technology. This project is part of an increased focus on Customer Service and is an excellent opportunity to improve our customers� experience of contacting us. ContactEssex now enables the Council to plan developments that will bring further improvements to Customer Service and to the people of Essex. Essex County Council was selected by Help the Aged for the roll-out of a new service from their Handy Van scheme and I was invited to attend the presentation at the launch of the pilot. The new service enables people to obtain a chargeable service for the installation of security locks etc. where they do not qualify for the free service. Costs are kept to the minimum and the devices are installed by Help the Aged fitters. I would be happy to refer any enquirer to this service.

News from County Hall

Page 23 Issue 51

Theydon Bois Music Society The Society�s 2005/6 season starts on 8th September, 2005 at the Village Hall at 8.00 p.m. We have booked excellent artists for our late autumn programmes as listed below. The Society has vacancies for new members and

if you have an appreciation of good music then why not join us or come as a visitor � you will be welcome. We meet on 2nd Thursday of every month September to June.

8th Sept Lucille Burns (Flute), Laurette Pope (Harp)

13th Oct Carl Murray (Baritone), With Piano accompaniment

10th Nov Marcus Andrews (Piano)

8th Dec Xmas with Friends (a very Musical Evening)

For further information and a copy of our 2005/6 programme please contact our membership secretary, Harry Memory (tel: 01992 812696), who will be pleased to tell you more about us.

Theydon Bois Drama Society The Society�s next production, from 27th to 29th October, will be �The Roses of Eyam�, a play by Don Taylor. It tells the remarkable, moving � and true �

story, with names taken from the parish register, of the Derbyshire village stricken with plague in 1665-66, through the arrival from London of a box of

clothing; of their determination, under the persuasion of the present and former rectors, to prevent its spread by remaining within the village and containing the disease within its bounds at the certain risk of their lives; of the human tragedies � and even occasional comedies � that ensued; of the strange, uncomfortable alliance between the conflicting rectors; of the idealism, and the � courage required to live with the consequences of that idealism�.

Theydon Bois Drama Society is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2005 and we hope that this production, the Society�s 240th, with a record cast of thirty nine, will be the crowning highlight of the year.

Tickets are available from Carol James 01992 812250

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My thanks to everyone who attended the Service of Commemoration on 10th July at St. Mary�s Church and to our curate, Anthea, for conducting the Service. It was a pleasant evening. A cheque from the offertory in the amount of £182.68 has been sent to The Royal British Legion.

About The Royal British Legion - Founded in 1921 as a voice for the ex-service community it has become the UK�s leading charity providing financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the British Armed Forces and their dependants. The Legion has a membership of some 500,000 members. Anyone can be a member regardless of whether they have served in the armed forces or not (contact Kevin Toole, Epping Branch, Tel: 01992 571442 for an application form).

In 1922 poppies were found growing in abundance amid the crosses and burial grounds in the fields in Flanders and became the symbol of The Royal British Legion.

Some Interesting Facts - Our poppy factory in Richmond employs many disabled service people who produce 35 million poppies, plus wreaths and crosses each year. Your car number plates were probably made by a disabled ex-service person at their factory in Kent. More than 12,000 British service men and women have been killed on active service since 1945. There are 180,000 poppy sellers, all volunteers, so please do give generously when you see them in the streets or they call on you at your homes, and please do wear your poppy with pride.

For further information: E-mail: infoatbritishlegion.org.uk or call Legionline: 0845 725 725.

Website: www.BritishLegion.org.uk

Remembrance Day - Our annual Service of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 13th November, 2005. Starting at the War Memorial St. Mary�s Church, Coppice Row at 10.45 a.m. and continuing in the Church for the main part of the service. In the event of inclement weather the entire service will take place in the Church.

Medals may be worn and standards carried. Please do join us.

It is hoped that all of us will pause for 2 minutes at 11.00 a.m. on Friday 11th November. Just to Remember. Thank You.

HARRY MEMORY

Royal British Legion

Page 25 Issue 51 Forthcoming Village Events

Sept 8 Theydon Bois Music Society - Concert Village Hall - (see page 23)

Sept 10 St. Mary�s Church Open Day - refreshments in Parish centre 11am-4.30pm

Sept 23 NSPCC Quiz Night - Village Hall - 7.30 pm

Sept 29 Parish Council Open Meeting - 8pm - Village Hall

Oct 1 Litter Pick - Equipment Provided - Meet Village Hall -9am

Oct 6 Theydon Bois Tree Strategy Annual Meeting - Village Hall - 10am

Oct 13 Theydon Bois Music Society - Concert Village Hall - (see page 23)

Oct 21 Rural Preservation Society -Village Hall 8pm - History Hainault Forest

Oct 22 Trafalgar Celebration Day (see Chairman�s report page 5)

Oct 27-29 Theydon Bois Drama Society - Roses of Eyam - Village Hall

Nov 4 Fireworks Night at Theydon Bois Primary School (see back page ad)

Nov 5 Litter Pick - Equipment Provided - Meet Village Hall -9am

Nov 10 Theydon Bois Music Society - Concert Village Hall - (see page 23)

Nov 13 Annual Remembrance Service - start War Memorial 10.45 am

Nov 24 Parish Council Open Meeting - 8pm - Village Hall

Dec 2 Xmas Tree Lighting at Village Hall from 6.30 pm

Dec 3 Litter Pick - Equipment Provided - Meet Village Hall -9am

Dec 8 Theydon Bois Music Society - Concert Village Hall - (see page 23)

Various Friends of Copped Hall Events - (see page 10)

Oct 15 St. Mary�s -Murder Mystery Night - Village Hall - ring 812707 for details

Dec 3 St. Mary�s Christmas Mini Market in Church Hall

If you would like your event included in the forthcoming events section either in Village News or the Village Web-Site please notify the Parish Clerk on 01992 813442 or by e-mail at theydonboisclerk@supanet.com. Entries for Newsletter diary must be received by the relevant copy date and are NOT automatically rolled over to the next diary. Onus is therefore on the organiser to re-confirm for the next village news.

Page 26 Issue 51

District Councillors Column

District Councillor Kay Rush

rglozier@btinternet.com kay@kayrush0.wanadoo.co.uk

District Councillor Robert Glozier

Before the start of the summer breaks the Council resolved several of the ongoing issues of interest to local residents. Firstly a company, SLM Ltd, has been selected to manage the Council�s leisure centres. Guarantees concerning quality and prices have been built into the contract and much needed funds will be injected, by SLM, to improve the services. Secondly the go ahead for a new school building, adjacent to the current St John�s site, has been given. The cost of the new school will be met from a housing development, largely on the existing foot print of the school. Thirdly, after a further thorough review, the decision to adopt a �wheelie bin� based system of domestic waste collection has been re-affirmed. There will be alternate week collections of recyclable products and residue waste. This system is currently operating in several local areas and is being introduced widely in the near future. It is the only proven system that can deliver current, and anticipated, levels of government required re-cycling, at a reasonable cost. Probably Theydon will switch to the new system next spring but it may not be until the following autumn. Plenty of notice will be given and leaflets to all residents will clearly explain the system. To prepare for the new system the current collection rounds are being altered and some residents might get new days. However the day will be the same day for re-cycling and black bags each week. Also, to increase current recycling, we are pleased to say that the charge for extra bags for �green waste� has been cancelled. These are still available from the village bookshop, as before.

A new development, still to be finally confirmed, is that a scheme to re-cycle plastic bottles is going to be launched. This will greatly cut down the volume of residual waste going into the wheelie bins.

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An early indication of summer was when Jean Terry of Theydon Park Road once again opened her garden to the general public for a plant sale in aid of the Theydon Bois Branch of Cancer Research UK. From then on, village summer events, mostly outdoors, continued in a steady flow. Summer arrived in mid June with a vengeance when a mass of warm air moved in from the "Caribbean!" and sent temperatures soaring to 33 degrees C. (90 degrees F.). The sun shone continuously through a weekend encouraging many to head for the cool of the coast, or stay at home and enjoy the outdoor life with alfresco meals.

The Parent Teacher Association of the Theydon Bois County Primary School held their Family Funday in the School Grounds. The many activities included a hot air balloon in an Inflatable Area, Quad Bikes and an Excavator among others. Dr Who�s Daleks and Tardis, Stomp Rockets and a Remote Control UFO also proved

popular. The proceeds of the event were donated to the Essex Air Ambulance charity and its helicopter was able to make a brief landing on the village green during the day. The 25th Theydon Bois Village Open Gardens Day was held under the new management of Carol and Graham James of Hornbeam Close, worthy successors to Joy Wainwright who, with expert and single- handed management, had nurtured this event for many years. Twenty-two gardens were open for viewing and many front gardens had also been tidied and groomed to compliment the attractive nature of Theydon Bois. Ploughman�s lunches and afternoon teas were available in the Village Hall and the event closed with the Churches of Theydon, accompanied by the Salvation Army Band, holding a Songs of Praise service on the Hall patio. The Day raised some £3,500 to support both the Playground At Theydon charity and the Village Association.

Once again the Plain in Epping Forest off Coppice Row resounded to the laughter of children and the braying of donkeys when the Theydon Bois Scout Group held its annual Donkey Derby. Peter Simmance retired as �Chairman� of the event after 15 years, and was succeeded by Phil Koczan. Seventeen races were held with titles ranging from �Silver Jubilee Stakes� to �Hire Standard Hurdles�. And the runners were similarly named eg. "Lost My Way" by Map out of Date, "Getting Married" by Bachelor out of Excuses, and "Masons" by Tuesday Meeting out of Scout Hut. The

The Past Summer in Theydon Bois

SUMMER FUN DAYSUMMER FUN DAYSUMMER FUN DAY

SAT JUNE 25SAT JUNE 25SAT JUNE 25ththth

Page 28 Issue 51

steeds acted true to form with some throwing their riders, resulting in a few sore bottoms, to balking at the start and then being partly dragged around the course. The events proceeded at a spanking pace under the direction of Philip Simmance, the Race Commentator, which helped make the event its usual resounding success.

Not to be outdone, the Theydon Bois Branch of the Epping Forest Conservative Association held its summer garden party at Thrifts Farm TB by kind permission of the owners Robin and Jean Llewellyn-Jones and some 140 members and guests enjoyed a buffet lunch in glorious weather. The Ladies of the Theydon Bois WI held a Strawberries and Cream Tea afternoon in support of the Fleming Ward (Cardiac Care) at Princess Alexander�s Hospital in Harlow. More than eighty attended, mostly ladies; but some husbands/partners, who had reluctantly succumbed to feminist pressure to attend, found that the teas were much to their liking. The Playground at Theydon by the village green held a Teddy Bear�s Picnic in the Playground. Children had to find paper teddy bears hidden in the Playground and, when successful, were rewarded with the real article. The proceeds contributed to the £35,000 needed to replace the floor of the Playground with a more modern and resilient rubber based material, which would be especially suitable for handicapped children. The Parish Council subsequently made available £5,000 towards this cost.

The last major event of high summer was the annual Theydon Bois Horticultural Society�s Show, attended by some 500 people who viewed the exhibits in 137 categories entered by some 50 adults and 110 children. Geoff Haslehurst was the most successful entrant winning the Banksian Medal (most successful exhibitor), Frank and Josie Way Memorial Cup (best fuchsia) and the Ted Long Memorial Cup (best cactus).But there were many other winners especially among the children.

But behind this scene of calm semi-rural life, lurked several contentious issues, one of which is the Blunts Farm/Parsonage golf course development. There had been local concern for some time regarding the extent of this development and especially the great number of large earth carrying vehicles, of some 600 movements a day, which were depositing mud on the Abridge Road, causing traffic congestion and possible damage to the road bridge at Abridge. Moreover the residents of Forest Drive, nearest the site, had complained for some time about the noise, and general disturbance emanating from the development. Matters came to a head at the Parish Council Planning Committee meeting, normally a quiet affair, which became the opposite when villagers crammed into the Beech Room of the Village Hall to hear

The Past Summer in Theydon Bois (continued)

Page 29 Issue 51

the Council�s consideration of two planning applications associated with the Parsonage Golf development, and to voice their objections. These are reported in this issue of Village News by Sue Jones on page 8.

Another concern was the simmering issue of the change to domestic refuse collections, as proposed by the Epping Forest District Council, with the aim of increasing the incidence of recycling and which included the introduction of the dreaded �wheelie� bins. See page 14 of this issue for a report by Ken Cushing.

Another hot potato was the Wansfell College saga. The educational element of the College continued to function successfully elsewhere as Wansfell II under the leadership of Marylyn Taylor, and the continuing support of the Wansfell Friends. But the buildings remained silent and empty, with the once attractive grounds now overgrown, despite attempts to sell the property reportedly for more than 2.25 million pounds. Criticisms of this action were numerous including the comment that the decision to close was �barbaric�. The property was built in 1871 as a residential house but was converted by the Essex County Council in 1945 into an adult educational centre.

However these matters were eclipsed by terrorist activity in central London, which was plunged into total horror and disruption, when four bombs were detonated in Central London at the height of the morning rush hour; three were placed on trains in the underground system at Liverpool Street, Kings Cross and Edgware Road and a fourth in a London Bus in Tavistock Square; 52 people were killed and 700 injured. The train and bus systems in the area were shut down and the capital became traffic grid-locked for a time. Many villagers work in London and commute via the Central Line and so were involved in the chaos; others, either late for work or otherwise delayed arrived to find the Station locked up and the rail tracks deserted. The efficiency of the emergency services ensured that the incidents were quickly dealt with and some degree of normality was restored by midday; but many commuters either stayed in London overnight or had difficult journeys home, which entailed a lot of walking!

The Sixtieth Anniversary of the VE (Victory in Europe) and VJ (Victory over Japan) Days concluded in London with a Thanksgiving Service in Westminster Abbey and a Grand Commemoration Show on Horse Guards Parade, both attended by the Queen. The Show concluded with a Commemoration Flypast of historic aircraft including a

The Past Summer in Theydon Bois (continued)

Page 30 Issue 51

Lancaster bomber, which dropped a million poppies along Pall Mall leading up to Buckingham Palace. The Queen also held a lunch at the Palace for War Veterans and those invited included ex RAF member Peter Twinn and his wife Marjorie from Dukes Avenue TB. In the evening the village held its own Special United Commemoration Service in St Mary�s Church at which the Rev Dr Anthea Cannell officiated, and which was attended by ex service men and women resident in TB.

The residents of Theydon Bois, the lifeblood of the village, continued to make the news. Ralph Weston, 88, and Vera Weston, 83, of Woodland Way celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. They met in the Building Research Station, Watford, during WWII where Vera was already working and Ralph was seconded from the Laboratory of the Government Chemist. Ralph eventually became the Senior Scientific Officer at the Government Laboratory and was awarded the OBE after 43 years service. They have two children and two grandchildren. Local resident and Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing was promoted to the front bench in the House of Commons as the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and continued to hold her existing office of Shadow Minister for Women. The death of Jack Farmer, a great village stalwart, brought to a close a particular era of Theydon Bois history. In addition to being the owner of Wood and Krailing village garage, he was very active in the community as a part time fireman, organist, freemason and family man. However he was probably best known for the knowledgeable books he wrote about Theydon Bois, and other locations, which have become works of reference.

Support for the Arts in the village continued when the Theydon Bois Drama Society staged their production of �A Month of Sundays�. A two-part musical/visual presentation by Ian Noble was the feature of the last musical event in the current season held by the Theydon Bois Music Society. The Theydon Singers gave a summer�s evening concert in the Village Hall entitled �Turn of the Century�; the programme included a number of popular

vocal items appropriate to the time of year, together with recitations. The Epping Forest and Roding Valley Branches of the University for the Third Age continued to hold packed, regular monthly meetings in the Hall. And, at the other end of the scale perhaps, the Hall was also the venue for a �collectors evening" of model trains, cars and toys supported by many enthusiasts, both young and old, where both rare and modern models were on display or for sale; this is now becoming a regular event.

The Past Summer in Theydon Bois (continued)

A month of Sundays

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The village featured in the national press when a photo was published of a rat attacking a mallard duck by the village pond on the green. This was taken by local press photographer, Shaun Curry, who received an award as runner up in the Regional Press Awards of the National Photographer of the Year competition. Shaun happened to be present during the incident and took the split second dramatic shot, which recorded the event.

Although it is now late August with the Bank Holiday here, the village is relatively quiet with the schools closed and many away on holiday. But even now nature is beginning to don her autumn garb with leaves becoming tinged with brown and the last roses blooming in company with the fall of ripe apples.

TREVOR ROBERTS Local History Recorder for Theydon Bois

The Past Summer in Theydon Bois (continued)

Having received only 11 nominations for the competition, the Horticultural Society Committee walked all of Theydon�s roads to produce a list of some 40 gardens and commercial flower displays for the consideration of the judges. Judging took place on 13th June when, despite difficult growing conditions, many colourful displays were to be seen. Results were as follows

B.J. TURNER President Theydon Bois Horticultural Society

1st �Midhill� Coppice Row 1st 35 Baldocks Road

2nd 15 Orchard Drive 2nd equal 48 Orchard Drive

3rd 14 Hornbeam Road 2nd equal 8 Hornbeam Road

FORMAL INFORMAL

1st 10 The Weind 1st The Bull

2nd 8 Woburn Avenue 2nd Queen Victoria

3rd 104 Dukes Avenue 3rd Premier Valet

Front Garden Competition 2005

HARDSTANDING with PARKING COMMERCIAL

Page 32 Issue 51

THE FOUNTAIN AND DRINKING TROUGH ON THE VILLAGE GREEN

In the latter part of the nineteenth century, the local transport available was usually a horse, bicycle or �shanks pony� (by foot). In the summer this could be quite thirsty work especially when using the hilly routes of Coppice Row and Piercing Hill. There was also much horse drawn traffic through the village eg. farm carts, local delivery vehicles and, particularly, horse drawn brakes. The latter were large passenger transport vehicles containing up to some 20 people who came to the village, from as far afield as London�s East End, for a day in the country and a visit to the Retreats in Coppice Row. The passengers could slake their thirst at one of the Retreats but the horses were possibly watered from a bucket provided by a local householder or else drank from the village pond, as probably did cattle being driven to Epping Market.

Therefore in 1893, an ornate drinking fountain and animal-drinking trough, providing clean drinking water for the use of the general public, was erected by a Mrs Moss on the western corner of the green at the junction of Coppice Row and Piercing Hill. Jack Farmer, in his book �Theydon Bois and All That" describes the Fountain in detail but, basically, it was a neat, blue grey, granite structure with two drinking positions with chained metal mugs and an area at the bottom for small animals to drink. In the mid nineteen thirties, it was replaced by a small utility model with a vertical drinking jet and after the general decline of visitors to the village after WWII (the Retreats having been destroyed by bombing), it was removed.

It is interesting to note that Epping also lost its public drinking facility after the war. Fortunately it was rediscovered in the old Cottis works yard, refurbished and now stands proudly in Epping High Street. We have seen a recent resurgence of interest in the Theydon Bois village scene with the restoration of the �finger" signposts for Coopersale Lane and Piercing Hill; so why not a similar scheme for the replacement of the Fountain and Trough in Theydon Bois? But then who was Mrs Moss, do the Fountain and Trough still exist, where are they, can they be retrieved, restored and replaced? Hopefully, someone, somewhere has answers to these questions. If so, there is a possibility that a fountain and trough may once again be seen on the Green to complement the attractive area of the hoppit, old school house, church and churchyard. It will also show that Theydon Bois is proud of its history and cares for the environment.

Anthony Purkiss or Trevor Roberts would welcome any information on this subject, either directly or via the Parish Clerk (01992 813442).

The Village Drinking Fountain - Where is it Now?

Page 33 Issue 51

Apparently there was a later drinking fountain that replaced the original with the horse trough in the previous photo. It is thought that the original was removed in about 1903 and the later one just before the second world war, about 1938.

Page 34 Issue 51

A typical English day and thanks to the effort of the exhibitors we were able to keep alive the tradition of the 'village show'. Over 130 children and 50 adults entered nearly 500 exhibits in classes for flowers, vegetables, craft, wine, photos and cookery. The standard was high, showing a superb variety of flowers, from orchids, fuchsias and gladiolli, to a huge marrow which Jamie Oliver could have fed the whole school on. A variety of handicraft showed the skills which are still flourishing in the village. The cookery section proved there are many who enjoy baking, and as usual the standard of wine was exemplary. The photo section showed a range of interpretation for the subjects, and next year�s classes were available so you can plan ahead. Sutton seeds donated broad beans, which were distributed earlier this year to all Theydon Bois Primary pupils. Well done to the 10 children who managed to tend, water and enjoy the experience of growing something for themselves. It was an effort to bring the pots to the show, so well done to the parents who took the time and struggled to help their offspring bring in an exhibit. The Horticultural Society also gave each class at school a tomato plant, compost, fertilizer and pot earlier in the year. Congratulations on a magnificent range of plants, which were exhibited at the show, in various stages of growth, with ripening tomatoes. What a shame no one came to collect them from the school so they could enjoy the fruits of their labours. Some 'new comers' to the village may not know about the horticultural society, which has been established in the village for over a hundred years. Please contact with any committee member to find out more about the society, the talks and outings which are held throughout the year and to get involved with the next show. It is the committee and volunteers who worked so hard to make this show a success, thank you all.

It's your village..........it's your village show.

GEOFF & TRICIA HASLEHURST Phone: 01992 812177

Horticultural Show July 30th

Page 35 Issue 51

Page 36 Issue 51

Copy for Village News & Village Website to be sent to

Madeleine Murphy Parish Clerk, Parish Office Theydon Bois Village Hall

Phone & Fax 01992 813442

Village Website www.theydon.org.uk Edited & Produced by Jim Watts

Village News

Edited & Produced by

Tony Ames

theydonboisclerk@supanet.com

Next edition copy deadline 30th Nov 2005

YOUR VILLAGE NEWS & WEBSITE

The Village Association

is looking for a keen and enthusiastic gardener to look after the Hall grounds. Please contact

the Chairman, Norman Stanley on 01992 81 3073

if you would like further information. Hours and pay by arrangement