Flower Club Celebrates Emerald Anniversary

The Colne Valley Flower Club celebrated its Emerald year (55) with table decorations to reflect the occasion. About 80 members and guests together with national and area representatives from NAFAS enjoyed fruit punch accompanied by shortbread with strawberries and cream.

The national demonstrator, Patricia Dibben, from Middlesex based her exotic arrangements around the title 'This Magical Earth' - (Ed Note: pictured plant is from 'This Magical Earth' blog) - which her captive audience thoroughly enjoyed and made this anniversary a truly memorable occasion.

The Club's meeting on Wednesday 16 July will be held at the home of Christine Jeffery from 6pm to 8pm. This is a fund raising event for the club's chosen charity Acorn Village for 2008. There will be stalls, raffle, art exhibition and a garden quiz. Entry fee for members and guests £5. There will be no meeting in August.

Do you recognise the bird?

Pictured giving people in Donard Drive an early morning call (5am) recently as it strutted along the rooftops our reporter had no idea where it came from or went to. If you have interesting pictures or stories to tell about life in West Bergholt, why not send them to the village webmaster?

Orpen players - Summer Workshops

The village drama group are running a series of summer workshops in the Orpen Memorial Hall on Friday 4/18 July and 8 August beginning at 8pm. The group is hoping to generate interest for people who would like to 'Tread the Boards' or design sets, help with make up, prompting etc.

For further information contact Colin on 01206 242265.

Annual Parish Meeting - 25th June

The Annual Parish Meeting will take place in
The John Lampon Hall
On Wednesday 25th June at 7.30p.m.

The Parish Council looks forward to hearing your views on issues important to you as residents of West Bergholt.

Details of the meeting can be found in the current edition of the Village Bulletin and on the village website at www.westbergholt.net.

There is also an opportunity to send in any specific questions before the meeting. Please use the reply slip in the latest edition of the Village Bulletin.

Essex County Council’s Youth Service, Youth Bus may be with us for the evening. There will be an opportunity for interested parents and youths to have a look at what will soon be made available to West Bergholt.

Agenda

1. Welcome and introduction from the Chairman – Mr John Gili-Ross
2. A short presentation on the completed Parish Plan and what this means for our community. This will be followed by questions and observations
3. a) Discussion on written issues sent in by residents
   b) Any issues raised from the floor
4. Concluding remarks
   

Following the formal part of the meeting refreshments will be available and an opportunity for you to have informal one to one discussions with your Parish or Borough Councillors.

Women's Institute - June Report

The president welcomed over 60 visitors and members who had dressed for Ascot. The speaker, Mrs Barbara Faulkener, entertained with her talk about Ascot and awarded a badge to the best hat worn at each table.

Cakes for the village fete on Saturday 21June may be taken to Mesdames Chittenden, Hollock or Fuell beforehand or after 1pm to the W I stall at Heathlands Primary School on the day.

The July outing is to Wrabness for a ploughman's lunch followed by a visit to Harwich or a garden centre. Members will use cars and there will be no meeting in the Orpen Memorial Hall on Wednesday 2 July.

A programme meeting will be held at the home of the president on 25 June at 2pm.

The meeting on Wednesday 6 August beginning at 7.15pm will be Gordon Bailey on "Treasure Beneath Our Feet."

Fancy being on ITV?

ITV want to hear from the ladies of rural Britain for a makeover programme with a twist!

Are you an active member of your village community?

Perhaps you are a bell ringer, farmer or a farmer’s wife, supporter of women’s societies, a parish councillor, the village eccentric, the proprietor of the village tea rooms or even the producer of the local prize-winning preserves?

Does your role in village society define or restrict the way you dress?

Perhaps you take pride in your appearance but stick to your comfort zone for fear of getting it wrong?

Whether you prefer pearls and cashmere or tweed and wellies, we want to hear from you.

And for those who wouldn’t naturally put themselves forward, but are intrigued to hear more, please do get in touch.

shona.baldwin@itv.com 020 7157 4862

For a full list of terms and conditions please visit the ITV website http://www.itv.com/termsandconditions/

Parish Plan Consultation Results

The Parish Plan Consultation exercise is now completed and the results have been analysed. Headline results are that:

• Approx. 150 household, clubs, organisations and businesses replied.
• Marginally more men than women filled in the form.
• Equal number of working and retired people participated in the survey.
• Households in survey sample have 233 adults and 58 children between them
• Priority categories (top 3):
• Housing and Planning;
• Environment;
• Democracy and Services.

This and much more is available to review in detail on our website here.

55th Anniversary for Flower Club

Colne Valley Flower Club will be celebrating its 55th anniversary on Wednesday 18 June with an Open Meeting beginning at 7.30 pm in the Orpen Memorial Hall. The evening is free for members with tickets for guests at £8.50. Pat Dibben a national demonstrator from Hillingdon, Middlesex will be welcomed to this special occasion with her arrangements entitled 'This Magical Earth'. Telephone Pat on 01206 240581 for tickets.

(Note: Picture is of 'Rose Lady Hillingdon')

Coffee Morning - 11th June

The next Methodist coffee morning is on Wednesday 11 June from 10am to 11.30am in the Methodist church hall. Coffee/tea and biscuits 50p. Gifts for cake and general stall would be appreciated. Greetings cards will be on sale.

Nearly New Sale - 14th June

There will be a Nearly New Sale from 10am to 12 noon on Saturday 14 June in the Methodist Church Hall Chapel Lane.