Grand Fireworks Display - 3d November

On Saturday 3 November Heathlands Primary School will be holding a Grand Fireworks Display with gates opening at 5.30pm and fireworks beginning at 7pm. Tickets from local stores price £3 with £4 on the night. Many side stalls, entertainment and a wide variety of food on sale.

Craft Fayre - 10th November

On Saturday 10 November from 10am to 3pm St Mary's Church is holding a Craft Fayre in the church hall. Many individual stalls with ideas for Christmas gifts. Refreshments available. Free admission with proceeds to church funds.

Service of Rermembrance

On Sunday 11 November St Mary the Virgin church together with the Methodist church are holding a joint service in the Orpen Memorial Hall Lexden Road at 10.45am. The Reverend Ruth Ridge will lead the service.

Coffee Morning - 14th November

On Wednesday 14 November the above will take place at the Methodist Hall from 10am to 11.30am. Gifts for cake and general stalls would be appreciated. Greetings cards will be on sale.

Support Speed Watch

Concerned at the problem of speeding in the village, a number of villagers are keen to see the village establish a Speed Watch Team such as that already active or under way in some other Essex villages and towns.

Working in pairs, after full training has been given, Speed Watch volunteers will typically be allocated a short shift each month during which time they will measure the speed of offenders and provide a record of those exceeding the limits to Essex Police. Essex Police will then issue warning letters to the owners of the offending vehicles and if two such warnings are issued will actively target the offender themselves.

If you think this is a good idea and want to become involved then please contact John Ford who will co-ordinate responses. He can be contacted through the Neighbourhood Watch webpage here.

Gardeners Club - October Update

The next meeting of the association is on Monday 15 October when Steve Canham will talk about Tree Cultivation. Please note that the childrens' paintings and pumpkin growing competition will be judged in the Orpen Memorial Hall on Saturday 27 October.

Women's Institute - September Report

President Joyce Woolhead welcomed visitors and new members. She asked for volunteers to organise Member's Meeting. The AGM next month will be guided by WI advisor Judith Rose. This will be followed with entertainment from our drama group. Quizzes on tree names are available at 50p from the treasurer. Outings secretary is hoping to organise a coach to Chelmsford Cathedral WI Carol Service at 2.45pm on 19 December with time for lunch/shopping beforehand. Please contact 01206 241969 as places are limited.

Peter Webb made a welcome return with his talk on The Good Life part 2. Members enjoyed hearing about his conservation and the return of barn owls as well as anecdotes about his livestock on the smallholding.

Orpen Players - Autumn Production

The autumn production is Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward with director, Tony Saitta who is chair of the Headgate Theatre. Performances are Thursday 25/26/27 October. Doors open 7.30pm with curtain up at 8pm. Tickets £4.50 on Thursday £5 Friday and Saturday can be purchased from Ash's Shop, Colchester Road from Saturday 13 October or contact Roger Milne on 01206 241048.

Village Plan Now Online

The new Parish Plan is now well under way in its production and a full update on progress is now available on the Village website here. There are a number of FAQ's answered as well as interesting downloads of survey results.

Neighbourhood Policing

The local Neighbourhood Watch group have long campaigned for a greater presence of police around the village since only with such a presence are criminals, vandals and others exhibiting anti-social behaviour likely to be deterred. Indeed they consider the dedicated police officer to be the kingpin of Neighbourhood Policing.

The most recent initiative to come from Essex Police would involve the manning of local police stations by local volunteers which would have the effect of allowing uniformed officers to spend more time on the streets.

Is this a good or a bad thing? Do police stations need be manned to establish a presence in any event? Are there not better ways to contact local police when you need them?

If you have strong feelings on this subject why not contact the local neighbourhood watch group. You can find out more about them and their contact details here.