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Clergy Contact via the Benefice Office: administrator@thesixvillages.org. 07934 260978. Church Officers - St Mary's, Hatfield Broad Oak www.thesixvillages.org Churchwarden: Churchwarden: Mr Mark Haddon Mrs Liz Webber 10 Duke’s Orchard 14 Medlars Mead Hatfield Broad Oak (718236) Hatfield Broad Oak (717980) Secretary: Treasurer: Mrs Kerry Stedman Mrs Kerry Stedman Langafel, 6 Hammonds Road Langafel, 6 Hammonds Road Hatfield Broad Oak (07890 235130) Hatfield Broad Oak (07890 235130) Services Times of services are as listed in the Church Calendar inside the front cover of the magazine. Weddings and Holy Baptism by arrangementPlease see the website www.thesixvillages.org or contact the Verger: Mrs Edna Halls (01279 718231) Church Officers - St John's, Bush End www.thesixvillages.org Churchwarden: Churchwarden: Mr David Robson The Woods Hatfield Broad Oak (718452) Dr Fiona Perrott-Humphrey Salix, Jack’s Lane Takeley (871668) Secretary: Treasurer: Mr David Robson The Woods Mrs Emma Biaggi The WoodsHatfield Broad Oak Hatfield Broad Oak (718452) Services Times of services are as listed in the Church Calendar inside the front cover of the magazine. Articles to reach Janet Pugh, 8 Medlars Mead, Hatfield Broad Oak, CM22 7JB, telephone 01279 718435, or e-mail: janet.hbo@btinternet.com by noon on 15th of the month preceding publication. Please note: Although About the Parishes is funded by St Mary’s Parochial Church Council, opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the PCC, nor is the PCC responsible for claims (express or implied) made in advertisements. St John the Evangelist Bush EndA Monthly Newsletter of Church and Village Affairs St Mary the Virgin Hatfield Broad Oak2024
Church Calendar May 2024 Saturday 4th May 9.30am St Mary’s—Church cleaning Sunday 5th May—Sixth Sunday of Easter 9.00am St John’s—Matins (1662) 10.30am St Mary’s—Holy Communion Thursday 9th May—Ascension Day Sunday 12th May—Seventh Sunday of Easter 9.00am St John’s—Holy Communion (1662) Sunday 19th May—Pentecost 10.30am St Mary’s—Morning Worship 6.30pm Holy Trinity, Hatfield Heath—Evensong Saturday 25th—Monday 27th May St Mary’s Flower Festival (see inside pages) Sunday 26th May—Trinity Sunday 9.00am St John’s—Matins (1662) Tuesday 28th May 10.30am St Mary’s—Cuppa Club Sunday 2nd June—First Sunday after Trinity 9.00am St John’s—Matins (1662) 10.30am St Mary’s—Holy Communion Details of services in all churches of the Six Villages can be found on the Six Villages website www.thesixvillages.org. Clergy May 2024 The Revd Dawn Jewson Associate Priest of the United Benefice of St Mary the Virgin, Hatfield Broad Oak St John the Evangelist, Bush End Holy Trinity, Hatfield Heath St Mary the Virgin, Sheering St Mary’s Church, Little Hallingbury St Giles’ Church, Great Hallingbury Licensed Lay Minister to the Six Villages Mrs Caroline Harding Contact details via the Six Villages Benefice Administrator: Alison Uncle administrator@thesixvillages.org 07934 260978 FALLS RESPONSE CAR SERVICE If you have fallen or have someone who has fallen and you require assistance, and are registered with a West Essex GP, please call the Care Co-ordination Centre on 0300 123 5433. If deemed clinically appropriate and the service has capacity, it will attend within two hours.
Page 36 ABOUT THE PARISH E S BROAD OAK STORES CURRENT OPENING HOURS: Telephone: 01279 718256 Monday: 6.30am to 7pm Tuesday : 6.30am to 7pm Wednesday: 6.30am to 7pm Thursday: 6.30am to 7pm Friday: 6.30am to 7pm Saturday: 6.30am to 7pm Sunday: 8.00am to 4pm Fresh Bread every day. Phone and Gas/Electric Top Ups. Newspaper delivery service to our local customers. And more... POST OFFICE OPENING HOURS: Telephone 01279 718809 Monday: 9am to 3pm Tuesday: 9am to 3pm Wednesday: 9am to 3pm Thursday: 9am to 3pm Friday: 9am to 3pm Please note the Post Office accepts British Gas Pay and Top Up. Please pop in and support your local Shop and Post Office! HATFIELD BROAD OAK NON-ECCLESIASTICAL CHARITIES The Hatfield Broad Oak Non-Ecclesiastical Charities exists to make grants to villagers in financial need. Application forms may be picked up from the Post Office, or from any of the trustees: Mr Martin Broad, Mr Martin Bedwell, Mrs Penny Flack, Mr Roger Simons. Page 1 ABOUT THE PARISH E S From Caroline Harding LLM Qu: How many Christians does it take to change a lightbulb? Ans: None. The Church of England does not believe in change. This is one of a series of jokes which being, “How many X does it take to change a lightbulb”. And what makes these jokes funny is the element of truth they contain. It is true that the Church, like many other areas of society, does not like change. We cling on to the good old days, how things used to be, remembering them through rose tinted spectacles and refuse to face up to inevitable change as we journey through life and as society adapts to each new generation and the hopes, aspirations and inventions that it brings. In last month’s issue, Revd Dawn Jewson announced that she is retiring in June and that Revd Sophie Weller has been appointed to succeed her in the new role of Priest in Charge of the Six Villages. In addition to the very local change, the churches of the Six Villages will become a single benece (group of churches lead by one priest in charge) and the Deanery of Harlow, which we are part of, will come under the Archdeaconry of Stansted in the Colchester Episcopal Area. For most of us this will have little eect on our perception of church. There will be fewer local priest-led services as we learn to share the ministry of Revd Sophie, and it is going to need us all to step into roles we may not previously have done in order to keep the churches going. But overall there may be little dierence in how the churches function day to day. What we do all hope however is that the churches will continue, or maybe renew, their place at the heart of the communities. The churches will still oer a place of prayer and peace for all members of the villages that they serve. And maybe, by the grace of God, the church will bring new members through their doors who are curious to learn more about their faith, more about the love and saving grace of Jesus. To God be the Glory. Caroline Dawn’s nal service in the Six Villages will be at 10.30am in St Giles’ Church, Great Hallingbury on Sunday 30th June 2024. Anyone who has been touched by Dawn’s ministry and who would like to make a contribution to a leaving gift should contact their Churchwarden.
Page 2 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Warm Spaces With the advent of summer we will hopefully have lots of natural Warm Spaces. Consequently aer our session on 31st May, we shall take a break unl Wednesday 2nd October. Our thanks go to the Village Hall Management Commiee for providing this facility and to the volunteers who go along week by week to prepare and serve tea, coee and cake. In the meanme, do join us for the remaining sessions throughout May. We are a friendly, chay bunch and there is room for more people. No age limit and it’s free!!! The Neighbourhood Plan The Steering Committee have arranged a meeting in the school, 19.30 hours on Thursday the 9th of May. We will be joined by Nicky Joshua of The RCCE, who will be explaining the why's and wherefores' of the making of the Plan. This is a Working Group meeting without the formality of a committee meeting, so public participation will be actively encouraged, and not just for 15 minutes! Please come along if you would like to know what the making of the Plan is all about and what we have been up to so far. If you can’t make the meeting, then do look out for us over the late May Bank Holiday Flower Festival weekend!’ DEADLINE FOR ‘ABOUT THE PARISHES’ JUNE 2024 EDITION The deadline for the next edion is strictly 12 noon on 15th May 2024 Page 35 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES
Page 34 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 3 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES St Mary’s Church and Haield Broad Oak WI “Haield Broad Oak Community Cuppa Club” Free admission but donations to cover costs are very welcome When: 10.30am. Tuesday 28th May, 2024 and every 4th Tuesday thereaer Where: St Mary’s Church, HBO Who: Anyone who would like to come! Maureen Geddes and family wish to thank everyone who has sent cards, exchanged kind words and expressed condolences over Mike’s death on Saturday 30/03/24. The funeral will be on Thursday 2nd May - 2pm at Old Park Meadow Natural Burial Ground followed by refreshments there. We are going to set up a link for those who can’t be there in person but haven’t got details as yet. We will put the information on the Village Facebook page as soon as we have them and would be grateful if you could spread the word to those who don’t subscribe to it. Sincere thanks Maureen. I would like to thank all the kind folk who sent cards, gifts and good wishes on the occasion of my 90th birthday. I had lots of visits from friends and family and I had a really lovely time. Thank you. Edna
Page 4 AB O U T THE PAR I S H E S DISTRICT COUNCIL Easter has been and gone; it was a lile early this year but as usual there were plenty of eggs in the shops well in advance. We hope that you enjoyed the break and the eggs for those that can eat them. Waste Collecon As you are aware the council now has a new operator licence in place and business is back to normal, if with a couple of slight hic-ups. Missed bins have occurred due to sta sickness, however, more than 90% of planned domesc collecons are being completed by Friday, with catch up collecons carried out over the weekend/Monday. The message is to leave your bins out so as they can be collected by the catch-up crews, although as with any operaon involving machinery, people, and roads there may be the odd gremlin in the operaon. The UDC Scruny Commiee ‘Task and Finish’ group have completed their work, and this will go before the Scruny Commiee on Tuesday, 16th April, 2024, 7.00 pm and to full council on Tuesday 23rd April, 7.00 pm, both meengs are held in public. Localised Council Tax Support Scheme (LCTS) The start of the new Council Tax year is upon us with the rst payments due in March, for those of you who budget on a monthly basis. Each Local Authority gets a xed yearly payment from Central Government to pay the Local Council Tax Support to the entled residents. Government funding allocated to councils for LCTS has fallen to below 90% of its previous Council Tax Benet spend. Ulesford District Council has worked in conjuncon with other Essex Authories to determine who would be entled to have their Council Tax charge reduced, taking into account the funding cut and protecng pensioners. Protecons for pensioners The people protected from this scheme are: - Single people who reached the qualifying age for state pension credit so long as they are not claiming Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance. Couples where at least one member has reached the qualifying age for state pension credit and neither are claiming Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance. These protected pensioners get LCTS, which is sll means tested, and the calculaon is on a very similar basis to the Council Tax Benet and Second Adult Rebate rules. The scheme for working age people It has been decided that the current scheme for Ulesford District Council will include the following restricons/changes: - Maximum support will be 87.5% Page 33 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES LONG BURNING TROPICAL HARDWOOD TIMBER OFF CUTS PERFECT FOR FIREWOOD Reclaimed Oak Fender Seats made to order Hardwood Railway Sleepers Sea Groyne Boards Structural Timber for Pergolas Eclectic, decorative feature pieces Contact our team to discuss your ideas on 01375 892576 info@ashwelltimber.com View our gallery at: www.ashwelltimber.com BARRINGTONS COAL MERCHANTS 01279 794246 Reeves Lane, Roydon Hamlet Harlow, Essex CM19 5DE www.barringtonscoalmerchants.co.uk Broken Windows Repaired Misted Double Glazed Units Replaced Traditional Leaded Lights made and repaired Mirrors Laminated & Toughened Glass Free Estimates and Advice Domestic and Commercial Work Undertaken Telephone: Mark Webber on 07973 238071 e-mail: markwebber14@outlook.com ANCIENT & MODERN GLAZING LTD
Page 32 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S HOLISTICARE PHYSIOTHERAPY & MYOFASCIAL RELEASE Specialist treatment for all ages Gently working with your body to find and treat the cause of your symptoms • Relief from back, neck and joint problems and sports injuries • Relaxation of tight, painful muscles • Effective treatment for migraines, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantarfasciitis, achilles tendonitis, fibromyalgia, sciatica, arthritis, IBS • Help for breathing difficulties and stress related problems • Gentle treatment in pregnancy and for new mothers and babies • Relief from symptoms of women’s health problems To make an appointment or for more information, please call us on 01279 718331 To book your place or for more information, please call us on 01279 718331 info@holisticare.co.uk www.holisticare.co.uk Brook View, Town Farm, Hatfield Broad Oak CM22 7LF Page 5 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Ulesford District Council Will also protect anyone entled to Personal Independent Payments, Disability Living Allowance or Carers Allowance. Working Age non protected people will have to pay at least 12.5% of their Council Tax bill. Can't pay your Council Tax? If you are having any diculty in paying your Council Tax don't just stop paying! Get in touch with the Council Tax team immediately so that we can oer you advice. Don’t be proud, either contact UDC for details, check out the website (hps://www.ulesford.gov.uk/) or ask someone to do so on your behalf. Local Plan The comments from the consultaon have been made available for public inspecon as of 18/03/2024. hps://www.ulesford.gov.uk/ Comment Public Inspecon Instrucons Click the “What People Say” Tab at the top of the page. To nd the Comment IDs that relate to a parcular topic (Chapter/Policy/Evidence Base) or consultee, use the excel spreadsheet tled ‘Search by Topic or Consultee.xlsx’ in the supporng les tab on the le side of the page. To Search by Comment ID, use the search bar on the top right of the page. I will say that using this spread sheet is not for the faint hearted. Changes to postal vote handling Postal votes are due to go out early next week and they are to be posted back via a Royal Mail post-box. New handling rules mean that they must not just be put in the internal post or just dropped o to us without the person doing this compleng a postal vote handling form. Any ballot papers not delivered correctly will be rejected. The maximum anyone can deliver to our recepon or to us in the elecon oce or at a polling staon on elecon day is 6 i.e. 5 plus their own postal vote. Turn to Page 6
Page 6 AB O U T TH E P A R IS H E S Connued from Page 5 Saron Hall Spring £5 Oer! Saron Hall has recently celebrated their 10th Birthday. This Spring, Saron Hall are oering a limited number of ckets across their enre programme to new bookers for just £5. There is something for everyone in their programme of events, so do take a look. Please refer to the informaon below about how to access this oer and their Spring/Summer event calendar. £5 ckets are limited and if the discount code doesn’t work, it’s likely that the oer has sold out on this concert. Full price ckets may sll be available. They look forward to welcoming you to the Hall soon. hps://www.saronhall.com/ Learn where to nd grants and nance opons to support your business. As part of Ulesford District Council's Economic Recovery Plan, they are helping to deliver sustainable economic growth by supporng businesses within the district and by protecng and growing town centres as economic hubs and increasing tourist spend. Need help working out which grant, or nance opon is right for you and your business? There is help available, contact the team and we can refer you to services to help advise you on the best soluon for your business. hps://business.ulesford.gov.uk/ Ward surgeries Please note that these surgeries are for you to discuss issues that you may have with UDC, that we as your District Councillors can help with, or represent you where possible. Please do come along and have a chat, you do not need to arrange an appointment, they are walk in surgeries. See below for locaon and mings: The rst Tuesday of each month at Great Hallingbury Village Hall, 2 – 4pm (7th May) and the third Friday of each month at the Dukes Head PH, Haield Broad Oak also between 2 – 4pm (17th May). And the normal reminder that should you need to contact us, you can email us on the following addresses. cllrdriscoll@ulesford.gov.uk or cllrreeve@ulesford.gov.uk Page 31 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES
Page 30 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Rick Lloyd French Polisher Traditional Hand Polishing Antique and modern furniture Doors and Porches Staircases FREE ESTIMATES 01279 718366 Page 7 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES PARISH COUNCIL Greetings, residents of Hateld Broad Oak and Bush End! As the vibrant colours of May grace our villages, we bring you updates and opportunities to further shape the future of our community together. First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you resonates throughout our village to all who dedicated their time to complete the neighbourhood plan questionnaire. Your voices form the cornerstone upon which our collective vision will be built. The neighbourhood plan steering committee and dedicated working groups are diligently crafting the beginnings of our neighbourhood plan. But we're not done yet – volunteers with diverse skill sets will soon be sought after. If you feel called to contribute, please reach out to the parish clerk at parishclerk@hbopc.co.uk. Exciting developments are underway as the results from the neighbourhood plan questionnaire are currently undergoing analysis by the Rural Community Council of Essex. We eagerly anticipate having these results published. Be sure to keep an eye out for the results and further public engagement events where we'll be eagerly awaiting your input on how you envision Hateld Broad Oak. After all, this plan should be a true reection of our collective dreams and aspirations. In the realm of technology, we're thrilled to announce the impending launch of our new domain for our website! With a government oicial web domain address –www.hateldbroadoakpc.gov.uk – this platform will serve as a central hub for all things Hateld Broad Oak. Keep an eye out for further updates on Facebook and our current website as we transition to this new digital space. Infrastructure improvements continue to enhance our village's accessibility and safety. By the time this article reaches you, the vehicle entrance project will be complete, providing a much-needed upgrade for emergency vehicles and overow parking, just in time for the bustling events of the Flower Festival and the upcoming 10K race. Furthermore, we kindly remind residents with canine companions to continue their eorts in keeping our beloved village green clean by promptly cleaning up after their dogs. Your co-operation ensures a pleasant environment for all to enjoy. In matters of public transportation, the parish council has raised concerns with Essex County Council regarding the reliability of the 305-bus service. Rest assured, we are actively working towards resolving these issues to ensure eicient and dependable transportation for all residents. Lastly, a signicant number of road gulleys in and around Hateld Broad Oak remain blocked. We have urged authorities to address this concern promptly to prevent potential ooding and ensure the safety of our roads. As we bask in the warmth of May's embrace, let us continue to unite in our eorts to shape the future of Hateld Broad Oak. Together, we are the architects of the community, and your involvement is paramount to our shared success. Until next time, let's keep the spirit of collaboration alive and thriving within the village. Warm regards, Hatfield Broad Oak Parish Council
Page 8 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 29 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES CHIROPODIST Mrs Julie Golden HPC Registered/State Registered Home Vising Pracce Est. 1994 01279 873492 07916 075451 A professional service at a compeve price GLYNN’S CHIMNEY SWEEPS VACUUM AND BRUSH NACS MEMBERS HETAS APPROVED 01279 424983 www.glynnschimneysweeps.com Church cleaning at St Mary’s will take place on Saturday 4th May starting at 9.30am Come and join us! Coffee, tea and cake available. NUMBERS CLUB MAY 2024 1st Chris Leeman (No. 56) 2nd Freya Durham (No 21) 3rd Martyn Richards (No. 40) Would you like to see your business advertised in ‘About the Parishes’? This space could have your own company name, logo and detail. If so, please contact secretary.stmaryschurchhbo@gmail.com for further details.
Page 28 A B O U T TH E P A R IS H E S Bathrooms Kitchens Conversions Fully Qualified Tradesmen All other aspects of building Office: 01279 814296 Mobile: 07714 300920 Email: camwoodhome@outlook.com www.camwoodhome.co.uk TONY WOOD Qualified Registered Electrician All electrical works undertaken Re-wires, new circuits, extensions Replacement Consumer Units Electric showers, additional sockets Internal and external lighting Free advice & estimates References available Competitive rates Fully insured Please ring Tony on 07714 300920 01279 814296 Or e-mail camwoodhome@outlook.com NICEIC Registered Page 9 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES
Page 10 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 27 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES The most important public consultation for a generation about the future impact of Stansted Airport is currently underway. At stake is the prospect of the Government removing all of its current statutory restrictions on night flights at Stansted, which have been in force for over 40 years. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is pressing hard for the removal of the current Government restrictions, which currently allow a maximum of 13,700 Stansted night flights a year. SAW Noise Advisor, Martin Peachey, commented: “If MAG is successful there could be no limit on the number of night flights at Stansted and this would adversely impact the health of local residents especially vulnerable groups. Aircraft are inherently noisy machines and particularly so compared with the low ambient noise levels at night in the countryside surrounding the airport. It is vital for local residents, local councils and other local organisations to reply to this consultation and make it clear to the Government that we want fewer night flights, not more!” Responding to the consultation: The link to the consultation document is https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/night-flight-restrictions-heathrow-gatwick-and-stansted-airports-from-october-2025. You can respond online but an email response allows more flexibility to make your own points, rather than just responding to the pre-set questions. The email address is night.flights@dft.gov.uk. Night flights are the biggest single cause of noise complaints by local residents. This consultation is an opportunity to make your voice heard. The closing date is 22 May 2024. As a reminder, the email address for replying to the consultation is night.flights@dft.gov.uk.
Page 26 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S Haield Broad Oak Cricket Club After a weekend of sunshine it has started to feel like the cricket season is around the corner, although for anyone who has played the sport you always go into the first game of the season looking forward to it but equally looking to see how many jumpers you can find to squeeze on to keep you warm. As we approach the start of the season our aim is to build on the success of the last 3 years, the start of the season’s preparations have gone well led by our Chairman and volunteers from the club. For anyone who has run any form of club, they will know that if it is not for the people behind the scenes working hard then there wouldn’t be a club and this is a thank you for all the people who do the unseen work. We will start to publish updates on our social media channels of our fixtures and also will put up copies of our fixture list around the village, it is so nice to get support when we play we are a village club after all. When the sun is shining why not come over bring a bottle of something cold and watch us; last year we did get some support when we played away fixtures as well which was fantastic. We are working on a plan to offer some colts (junior) cricket to the village this year, this is very work in progress: we will update once we know more. Again this shows the growth the club has had over the last 3 years. If anyone would like to get involved this year then please get in contact, even if it’s not in a playing capacity. We are always after people to help and support from umpiring, groundwork, colts, the list goes on and trust me we will find you something if you can volunteer any of your time. On the playing side we go into the start of the season injury free but when the majority of your team are over a certain age it won’t be that long until someone pulls up (2nd Game of season is most likely). Tour preparations are going well and we are booked to travel to Thetford (Magaluf if any of the players’ partners ask) again this year in July. We have for the second year running entered into the local T20 cup competition: if we get past the first round this year then we would have seen an improvement from last year. I’d like to wish Crispin Homer (1st Team Captain) and Paul Murphy (T20 Captain) all the best for the season in leading our club on the pitch. We would like to wish anyone reading this a fantastic Summer. For me the village really comes alive with the flower festival and we are playing at home on the green on the Sunday of this weekend, so grab a cake and a cold drink and wander over and see us…. In memory of England’s greatest spinner (Derek Underwood MBE) let’s be fierce of arm, gentle of heart…. Thanks Anthony Challis Fixture and Social Secretary HBO CC Page 11 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES The WI will be serving teas in the marquee on Sunday afternoon 26th May. 2—4pm ’’’
Page 12 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 25 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES STORT VALLEY NATURE GROUP We have a new logo designed by one of our members, Mary Brown... We have also published our summer programme. Events for May include Sunday 5th May. Big Forest Bird Watch. 7:30am main car park entrance to Hatfield Forest. This is an annual survey to monitor changes in the bird population. Members will be dispersed to various parts of the Forest to record birds. This event is available to people who want to learn more about bird recognition as they will be paired up with a knowledgeable birder. Please let us know in advance if you will be attending as the gate will need to be locked behind us. Saturday 18th May. 2.00pm. Bat Willow Hurst Country Park, Bishop’s Stortford. TL 49581 23232 W3W lessening. podcast. worms. This will be a mini bioblitz where we shall see how many plants, insects and other wildlife we can record. This is a learning exercise for all of us using the Field Study Council foldout guides. Friday the 31st May. Nature Reporter on Zoom 8,00pm. Saturday 1st June. River Day at Sheering Mill, Sawbridgeworth. 12-4.00pm.This is a small annual event where our contribution will be to do some 'pond dipping' in the river for families and children. For more information please see our website www.stortvalleynaturegroup.net, our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083984901626 or email stortvalleynaturegroup@gmail.com
Page 24 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S THE HUNDRED PARISHES SOCIETY www.hundredparishes.org.uk As day length increases and the air becomes warmer, plants put out new shoots. Many insects emerge and birds pair up, preparing to breed. Since the 1960’s the average minimum winter temperatures have been rising. Snow fall is now a rarity, and frosty days are much less frequent. The current growing season is almost a month longer than 50 years ago. Primroses and bluebells are opening earlier. Researchers recorded that the rst owering of some 406 plant species has advanced by almost a month since 1986! This has a knock-on eect for the me of emergence of pollinang insects such as bees and bueries; some are adapng to the warmer climate. Hedgerow shrubs and trees are leang and owering earlier too, providing food for so many hungry caterpillars which are ideal food for nestlings. Hedgerows are a valuable wildlife habitat, oen providing a living framework to the landscape and our rural heritage. Long-established hedges grow in soil that is rich in stored carbon and older trees within the hedgerow also hold large stores of carbon. A recent planning applicaon to fell an ancient hedgerow oak close to Clavering led to a vigorous and successful campaign by residents to save it. This tree is now registered on the Ancient Tree Inventory, a record similar to the one for listed buildings. There are more trees in local hedgerows that could be recorded - details of how to do this can be found on hps://a.woodlandtrust.org.uk/how-to-record. Naonal Hedgerow Week organised by the Tree Council runs from 6th May to 12th May and is med to showcase hedgerows resplendent with fresh new growth and full of wildlife. Please enjoy one or more of the many walks listed on the Society’s website - and consider recording some of our wonderful old trees. Tricia Moxey, Trustee Page 13 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Nature Notes Buff Tailed Bumble Bees (Bombus Terrestris) This lovely bumble bee is the largest and earliest bee to emerge in Spring. It is one of the most common throughout Europe. They are black and fluffy with dark yellow bands at its front and middle with a buff-coloured tail. The early bumbles we see are queens that have emerged from their Winter hibernation. She would have mated with a drone (male bee) prior to this, in the Autumn. If she hasn't hibernated in one, she will look for a hole in the ground like an empty mouse home, to make her own nest. Bumble nests are quite a complicated thing! I didn't realise quite what goes on underground. In a nutshell, this is what I think happens. (I'm definitely NOT an expert.) The queen lays eggs which are workers and all female. These bees vary in different sizes. (Not baby bumbles as I thought, when I saw a small one!) Then in the height of Summer, the queen 'switches' and lays eggs that become future queen's and drones. The male bumbles leave the nest to become independent and forage for themselves. They will look for the queen's as they emerge too. Bumbles like all sorts of flowers but especially daisy types or alliums which have lots of little flowers. They prefer blue or yellow. A favourite has to be the buddleia (butterfly bush). Bumbles are known as 'nectar robbers'. If they can't reach it, they will make a hole at the base of the flower and get to the nectar that way. Bumbles are not aggressive as some honey bees, preferring to just fly away. They only sting in defence. These bees are used for pollination in lots of large commercial greenhouses across the world. Escapees are making homes in countries they are not native to. Last year, we had 3 nests in our garden. An advantage of a slightly unkempt, messy one! One nest was in the wall under my kitchen window. It was lovely watching the bumbles coming and going. They would line up like the aeroplanes waiting to land at Stansted Airport. The queens returned to this spot for quite a few years but sadly not this year. I think it has been too wet. Hopefully next year?!? I remember this poem by C.J. Heck from school. It teaches us not to get too close! Today I saw a bumble bee, she was on a pretty rose. I leaned in to look at her and she stung me on my nose! I wasn't going to squish her, only watch her and see.... But I'll never get that close again to a grouchy grumble bee. Take care everyone, J.K.
Page 14 AB O U T THE PAR I S H E S The Village Vet—Celebrating Dogs Those of us who are lucky enough to work with dogs every day appreciate how fortunate we are, but for many of us, dogs are also our hobby as well as our jobs. Although dogs are thought to have evolved from wolves, the now extinct branch of wolves that evolved into dogs split from the modern day wolf branch between approximately 27,000 and 40,000 years ago. It is thought that domestication could have started somewhere between 14,000-29,000 years ago, with these wolves following nomadic people and living o their leftovers. At around the time of the Bronze Age, there seemed to be distinct dog types including guarding dogs, herding dogs, sight hounds and hunting dogs. Since then, through natural selection and selective breeding dogs by man, we now have the enormous variation of shapes, sizes and breeds we have today. Knowing the origin of a dog breed's purpose can help us understand their behaviour, help with training and can aid in selecting a suitable breed to full human needs. It can also allow us to manage our expectations of what our canine friends are capable of and what could cause them stress or harm. Whatever the shape and size of your dog, or even if you just want to spectate, we are looking forward to celebrating dogs at the HBO Flower Festival Dog Show on Saturday 25th May. We look forward to seeing our doggy and human friends, old and new, on the day. Pauline Sell runs a veterinary service for the Hateld Broad Oak and Hateld Heath area and can be contacted on 07970 651710 or at mobilevet@btinternet.com. Fortnightly Garden Waste Collection Service SATURDAYS 12.45 - 1.45pm 12th and 24th May —Barnfield Free to all - Funded by the Parish Council NB: There are weekly Sunday collections from Broomfields, Hatfield Heath between 1.30 and 2.30pm and on Sundays from Little Hallingbury Village Car Park 11.45am-12.45pm. Page 23 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES HATFIELD BROAD OAK VILLAGE HALL Events Before the Trustees held the AGM on 26th March, the resignation, for personal reasons, was acknowledged of Neil Durrant and thanks were recorded to him for his invaluable assistance in running and recently updating our website and for being such a supportive, loyal Trustee during the past 3 or so years. Tony McLean had previously been elected unanimously as Chair and all other Trustees indicated they would remain on the committee and continue in their roles. Pamela Sharp conrmed she will stay as the minute taker. The Chair and Treasurer gave reports for 2023 to the 7 Trustees and 5 members of the public present. The Trustees are looking for volunteers to help with occasional bar work and health and safety tasks of the hall premises. If you would like to help please drop us a line at hbovillagehall@hotmail.co.uk The Dolly Parton Story on 15th June This Country and Western tribute act is paying homage to Dolly Parton and to all of the fantastic music she has written and performed over the years. Tickets are £17.50 pp Noel Dacosta on 10th August Noel is a soulful singer and entertainer. He has been the frontman for a variety of soul-cover bands. Tickets are £17.50 pp Please check out our refreshed website www.hbovillagehall.com. Details of all our 2024 events can be found on the website or on our Facebook "Hateld Broad Oak Village Hall" page. Events can only be booked via email hbovillagehallevents@gmail.com If you wish to be added to our mailing list please email that same address. Regular clubs and activities run in the Village Hall. Check out the website for more details on: Tai Chi (Tues), WI (monthly Tues), Ballroom dancing (Weds), Warm Space (Weds 2-4pm), Line dancing (Thurs), Yoga (Thurs), Puppy Training (Thurs eve), Stay & Play (twice monthly term time Fri), Friday Club (monthly Fri) and Japanese Calligraphy (Sun). The website also contains details on how to book the hall for your event (be it a party or just a social gathering).
Page 22 ABO U T THE PAR I S H ES HBO Youth Football Club We had 60 children under 12 at our Easter holiday celebration having fun playing football based games and challenges. We have had some lovely sessions in sunshine and are looking forward the next few months. The pitches are largely coping after a crazy winter; the desperate need for a ring drain is very obvious for all to see. First Summer 5 a-side tournament In support of the Flower Festival we are holding our rst ever mini soccer First Summer 5 a-side tournament on Saturday May 25th. There will be 4 categories in separate tournaments of 8 teams, 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. This is an exciting new step for the club. Team News It is good news all round for team numbers. Currently we are working on having 2 under 6 teams, to go with under 7s, under 8s, 2 under 9s, under 13s and under 16s for the remainder of the season. The children have fun and grow through the experiences they share together. Saturday Training The open training sessions for children between 4 and 11-year-olds have been going well and run every Saturday morning from 09.15 for a 9:30am start to 10.30am and often run for longer if the weather is nice. Help Wanted Perhaps over this time of reection and new start you are consider ing ways to get more involved. We are always looking for more help, so we can do things better for the children and the community. Not all the help has to be weekends some of our background roles can be done at any time. There are many ways you can help from coaches, coach assistants, pitch care/grounds work, fund raising, social media, sponsors liaison and other admin background tasks. It is an incredibly rewarding thing to do so please get in touch. If you are interested in helping and being part of our community youth football club please call me on 07825 940645 or 01279 717169 or email youth@hbofc.co.uk. Mark Strutt Page 15 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Happy New (financial) Year! A range of changes have recently come into force, so it is worth checking that you are aware of, and receiving, all the support that is available to you. Welfare Benefits - changes since the beginning of April may mean you are eligible for benefits where you weren’t previously. You can check quickly and easily, using an online benefit calculator such as the one on the UDC website: https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/article/5078/Online-Benefit-Calculators Managed Migration - Tax credits are coming to an end and will be replaced by Universal Credit. Look out for your Universal Credit Migration Notice from DWP and don’t ignore it! It is very important to claim by the deadline you are given, but DON’T claim before you receive your letter or you could be worse off. Call our advisers if you are unsure. Funded Childcare - From April, you’ll get 15 hours of funded childcare the term after your child turns 2 years old, if you’re eligible. From September 2024 the scheme will be extended to include children aged 9 months and older.https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/education/claiming-the-new-15-hours-of-free-childcare-for-2-year-olds/ Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income and is separate from your state pension. You can claim online, over the phone or by post and will qualify for a higher amount if you’re severely disabled or a carer. Go to https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator or just give our advisers a call. The National Living wage (NLW) and other minimum hourly rates of the NMW increased from 1 April 2024. Salaried workers are also impacted by this increase, so workers doing 35 hours per week must now be paid at least £20,821 a year. https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates New rules around flexible working requests also came into force on 6 April 2024. https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working If you have a disability or care needs there are non means tested benefits to help with the extra costs of disability or long-term health conditions. Our specialist disability benefits team can help with applications for PIP, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (for children under 16). Low income households may also be eligible for reductions in Council Tax, water rates and broad-band tariffs as well as help with NHS costs, healthy start vouchers and free school meals. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/cost-of-living/get-help-with-the-cost-of-living/ You can find more information online at www.citizensadvice.org.uk. If you can’t easily access the internet, or need a little extra help, call our friendly advisers on 01799 618840 or email help@uttlesfordca.org.uk and they will carry out a benefit check for you. Our advice is always free and confidential. Uttlesford Citizens Advice Barnards Yard, Saffron Walden CB11 4EB 01799 618840 help@uttlesfordca.org.uk www.uttlesfordca.org.uk
Page 16 AB O U T TH E P A R IS H E S Hatfield Regis Local History Society President: Patrick Streeter At our March meeng we had a quick AGM session resulng in David Parish being re-elected as Chairman, Mark Ratcli moving over to cover the vacant Secretary’s role and Quenn Spear taking over his Vice Chairman’s posion. We were then able to sele back and wallow in Brian Carline’s bier sweet memories of growing up in 1950’s Salford. Whilst a large manufacturing town experience may be foreign to many of us, there are many common shared community experiences and products. Brian introduced us to the 1950’s Salford Lanes, the back to back lines of terraced housing where you stepped straight out into the road and relied on washing lines strung across the road on a pulley to dry your washing. The area had suered some bombing as it was close to the Traord Park industrial area and the Manchester ship canal docks so there were scaered shells of houses to play in. The street scape was cobbled roads with cast iron lamp posts and narrow streets as designed around a horse and cart transport system, not cars. A pram was handy to carry items in rather than a child, especially a bag of scavenged coal from the railway yard curve. The idea of ITV’s ‘Coronaon Street’ was based on the writer’s experience of mill town communies and the parcular set layout was derived from a parcular row of houses in Archie Street, Ordsall. A mill town had its own disnct sounds as well, from clog wearing mill workers walking to work and the ‘knocker-upper’ doing the rounds at 5.30am to get them up. Naonal events had the same response as elsewhere. The Coronaon in 1953 gave rise to street pares everywhere, similar to the VE Day celebraons. In 1947 the start of the NHS was a great step forward for the workers and Matron was a force to be reconned with in the running of their wards. Also, the street games of skipping, hopscotch, football (with a rag ball rather than leather!) and conkers in season. At Primary School, due to the smog blong out the sun and allowing rickets to develop in children, they had a weekly trip to stand in front of sun lamps for half an hour as compensaon. When it came to the nal few thoughts, members were well up to giving the correct answers for adversing slogans, lm stars and theme tunes, showing how much they had enjoyed being taken down memory lane by our speaker. Our next meeng will be on Tuesday 21st May, at 7.30pm in the Haield Heath URC Church Hall. Douglas Coe will be talking about Eric Ravillious, an arst with local connecons and the rst Ocial War Arst to die in WW2. Page 21 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES HATFIELD BROAD OAK FRIDAY CLUB The Friday Club meets in the V-illage Hall on the first Friday of the month at 2.30pm unless there is an outing or Bank Holiday. Visitors are welcome. 3rd May Life on the Farm. With farmers facing pressures to produce more home grown food while caring for the environment and wildlife, Jonathan Lukies tells us how he faces challenges at Cammas Hall Farm. 7th June Ivy Cottage Honey. Beekeeper Trevor Shenston takes us into the fascinating world of the honey bee. Bees are essential pollinaters in producing 60% of the food we eat! There will be honey, soaps, hand creams and other home products to buy on the day. 5th July Trip to Wroxham and Mississippi Paddle Steamer. Join us for a memorable river experience. After time for lunch in Wroxham we travel to Horning to board ‘The Southern Comfort’, a double-deck paddle boat. ‘The Southern Comfort’ is a luxury river cruiser and runs along the River Bure to Ranworth Broad and back. Throughout the trip there is an excellent commentary from the boat’s skipper. A fully stocked cash bar serves drinks, snacks and souvenirs. Cost: Members £18; guests £28 subject to seat availability If you would like to join us and for further informaon, please contact either Barry, Chair on (01279 718450) or Viv (01279 718738) or reach out via Haield Broad Oak (H.B.O) Facebook page.
Page 20 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S Hatfield Broad Oak Women’s Institute The Mobile Library usually visits Broad Street Green between 2.15pm and 2.45pm every third Wednesday. Next visits 8th and 29th May HBO WI’s April meeting was, as always, a friendly, interesting and fun evening. This month, alongside welcoming some new members, we were joined by Simon White from Peter Beales Roses. Simon entertained the membership with an extraordinary display of knowledge about all things roses. He explained how the roses are propagated by harvesting onto root stock. This root stock is taken from the simple dog rose that one see’s growing wild in our countryside. Peter Beales grow 250,000 roses a year and will have 2 years of plants in the ground, so 0.5m roses growing, alongside a further 40,000 potted roses at any one time. Simon talked us through compost options, soil preferences, feeds, soil preparation, pruning, planting and disease and pest control. Simon’s encyclopaedic knowledge was extraordinary and gave us all plenty of ideas to take away with us alongside a few new roses that he had bought with him that were eagerly snapped up by members for immediate planting. Our May meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Tuesday 7th in the village hall and anyone who wishes to come and join us are very welcome to do so. Please contact Sue Brown on 01279 718620 if you would like to come along and don’t know any members of the HBO WI. We will make sure you get a warm welcome. Looking ahead, the HBO WI will be pleased to welcome you to the Tea Tent on the Flower Festival weekend. Lots of homemade cakes to enjoy with your cuppa on Sunday 26th May from 2pm until 4pm. We hope to see you all there. Melanie Wharton Page 17 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Members and potential members of Dunmow u3a are invited to our next monthly meeting on Wednesday 29th May, 1.30pm for 2pm start at Foakes Hall entitled "Creating Talliston House & Gardens". Join John Tarrow for an inspirational journey talking about the 25-year transformation that turned an ordinary house into "Britain’s Most Extraordinary Home" (The Times). Talliston took the house John could afford (a three-bed semi in Dunmow) and built inside all the houses he really wanted to live in. Hear about the project and see amazing before and after photographs. Are you new to the area and want to meet local people? Maybe you are looking for a new hobby. Are you are also no longer in full-time employment? If so, now is the time to make the most of life in your 'third age'. Dunmow u3a gives you the chance to develop your interests, make new friends and enjoy yourself. We are part of the UK-wide u3a movement and offer opportunities for members to learn a new skill, expand existing interests and share knowledge with other members in a friendly and informal environment. Dunmow u3a has almost 40 member-led interest groups from arts to exercise and languages to sports, with indoor games, discussion groups and outdoor activities in between. To find out more, contact us on 07385 879846 or go to Du3a's website https://u3asites.org.uk/dunmow/welcome Registered charity number: 1168310
Page 18 A B O U T THE PAR I S HE S ESSEX LIBRARY SERVICE If you have a child who is 14 or over and is looking for something to do in the summer holidays, then Essex Library Service has the answer. Come and volunteer for our Summer Reading Challenge 2024! It’s a great chance to get some work experience, meet new people and gain valuable life skills. Apply via our online form and get more information. (Link: libraries.essex.gov.uk/news/summer-reading-challenge-volunteering.) This June, the Essex Book Festival celebrates 25 years of bringing top-quality authors to venues in Essex. Brochures listing all the events are available in all our libraries – or visit the Festival website, essexbookfestival.org.uk. The library service is proud to be hosting seven public events as part of the Festival, at Basildon, Chelmsford, Harlow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, Witham and Wivenhoe Libraries. Find out more about the library events and book. (Link: libraries.essex.gov.uk/news/get-your-tickets-for-the-essex-book-festival.) May is Local and Community History Month - so it’s a perfect time to start looking into your family tree. The Library Service is ready with free resources to aid you in your search. Our family history web page includes two key tools – Ancestry and Find My Past. They contain birth, marriage and death records, censuses and much, much more. Subscribing to either would set you back well over £100 a year – but with your library card, you can get access free of charge (although you do have to come into an Essex library to use them). (Link: libraries.essex.gov.uk/digital-content/entertainment-free-courses-and-reference-services/reference/biographical-historical-and-family-history.) Page 19 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES News for May 2024 We managed to open on the last two Thursdays in March, setting us up well for the new season starting in April. It was lovely to see visitors again, after that miserable wet snowdrop season! May is a lovely month in the Gardens. It is when the cowparsley and foxgloves take over. Other highlights at the beginning of the month are the camassia in the mini orchard in the kitchen garden, the blossom on the ornamental cherries and the fresh leaves of the acers. At the end of the month the laburnum walk bears gold, the handkerchiefs waft on their branches in the breeze and the wild orchids start to bloom on the bank to the Glade. For our Sunday 19 May Open Day we are delighted that Jane Frederick is showing her Garden Seekers exhibition. Jane’s artistic lens was focused on six historic gardens in Essex, including Easton Lodge. We will be displaying the relevant history from our archives and Jane’s inspirations as well as her art works. It is also our Nature Day at the Gardens, and we will be joined again by an expert biologist for pond dipping and other nature activities and stalls for all the family. The Gardens are also open every Thursday, with our produce stall selling fresh vegetables from the walled kitchen garden – perhaps rhubarb and asparagus? The Gardens are open from 11.00 and our volunteers provide refreshments. Tickets can be bought in advance for Sundays. There is no charge for children under 16 years old. Visitors can bring picnics and dogs on leads are welcome. For more information about tickets, times, activities and refreshments go to www.eastonlodge.co.uk/whats-on Jill Goldsmith March 2024
Page 18 A B O U T THE PAR I S HE S ESSEX LIBRARY SERVICE If you have a child who is 14 or over and is looking for something to do in the summer holidays, then Essex Library Service has the answer. Come and volunteer for our Summer Reading Challenge 2024! It’s a great chance to get some work experience, meet new people and gain valuable life skills. Apply via our online form and get more information. (Link: libraries.essex.gov.uk/news/summer-reading-challenge-volunteering.) This June, the Essex Book Festival celebrates 25 years of bringing top-quality authors to venues in Essex. Brochures listing all the events are available in all our libraries – or visit the Festival website, essexbookfestival.org.uk. The library service is proud to be hosting seven public events as part of the Festival, at Basildon, Chelmsford, Harlow, Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers, Witham and Wivenhoe Libraries. Find out more about the library events and book. (Link: libraries.essex.gov.uk/news/get-your-tickets-for-the-essex-book-festival.) May is Local and Community History Month - so it’s a perfect time to start looking into your family tree. The Library Service is ready with free resources to aid you in your search. Our family history web page includes two key tools – Ancestry and Find My Past. They contain birth, marriage and death records, censuses and much, much more. Subscribing to either would set you back well over £100 a year – but with your library card, you can get access free of charge (although you do have to come into an Essex library to use them). (Link: libraries.essex.gov.uk/digital-content/entertainment-free-courses-and-reference-services/reference/biographical-historical-and-family-history.) Page 19 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES News for May 2024 We managed to open on the last two Thursdays in March, setting us up well for the new season starting in April. It was lovely to see visitors again, after that miserable wet snowdrop season! May is a lovely month in the Gardens. It is when the cowparsley and foxgloves take over. Other highlights at the beginning of the month are the camassia in the mini orchard in the kitchen garden, the blossom on the ornamental cherries and the fresh leaves of the acers. At the end of the month the laburnum walk bears gold, the handkerchiefs waft on their branches in the breeze and the wild orchids start to bloom on the bank to the Glade. For our Sunday 19 May Open Day we are delighted that Jane Frederick is showing her Garden Seekers exhibition. Jane’s artistic lens was focused on six historic gardens in Essex, including Easton Lodge. We will be displaying the relevant history from our archives and Jane’s inspirations as well as her art works. It is also our Nature Day at the Gardens, and we will be joined again by an expert biologist for pond dipping and other nature activities and stalls for all the family. The Gardens are also open every Thursday, with our produce stall selling fresh vegetables from the walled kitchen garden – perhaps rhubarb and asparagus? The Gardens are open from 11.00 and our volunteers provide refreshments. Tickets can be bought in advance for Sundays. There is no charge for children under 16 years old. Visitors can bring picnics and dogs on leads are welcome. For more information about tickets, times, activities and refreshments go to www.eastonlodge.co.uk/whats-on Jill Goldsmith March 2024
Page 20 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S Hatfield Broad Oak Women’s Institute The Mobile Library usually visits Broad Street Green between 2.15pm and 2.45pm every third Wednesday. Next visits 8th and 29th May HBO WI’s April meeting was, as always, a friendly, interesting and fun evening. This month, alongside welcoming some new members, we were joined by Simon White from Peter Beales Roses. Simon entertained the membership with an extraordinary display of knowledge about all things roses. He explained how the roses are propagated by harvesting onto root stock. This root stock is taken from the simple dog rose that one see’s growing wild in our countryside. Peter Beales grow 250,000 roses a year and will have 2 years of plants in the ground, so 0.5m roses growing, alongside a further 40,000 potted roses at any one time. Simon talked us through compost options, soil preferences, feeds, soil preparation, pruning, planting and disease and pest control. Simon’s encyclopaedic knowledge was extraordinary and gave us all plenty of ideas to take away with us alongside a few new roses that he had bought with him that were eagerly snapped up by members for immediate planting. Our May meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Tuesday 7th in the village hall and anyone who wishes to come and join us are very welcome to do so. Please contact Sue Brown on 01279 718620 if you would like to come along and don’t know any members of the HBO WI. We will make sure you get a warm welcome. Looking ahead, the HBO WI will be pleased to welcome you to the Tea Tent on the Flower Festival weekend. Lots of homemade cakes to enjoy with your cuppa on Sunday 26th May from 2pm until 4pm. We hope to see you all there. Melanie Wharton Page 17 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Members and potential members of Dunmow u3a are invited to our next monthly meeting on Wednesday 29th May, 1.30pm for 2pm start at Foakes Hall entitled "Creating Talliston House & Gardens". Join John Tarrow for an inspirational journey talking about the 25-year transformation that turned an ordinary house into "Britain’s Most Extraordinary Home" (The Times). Talliston took the house John could afford (a three-bed semi in Dunmow) and built inside all the houses he really wanted to live in. Hear about the project and see amazing before and after photographs. Are you new to the area and want to meet local people? Maybe you are looking for a new hobby. Are you are also no longer in full-time employment? If so, now is the time to make the most of life in your 'third age'. Dunmow u3a gives you the chance to develop your interests, make new friends and enjoy yourself. We are part of the UK-wide u3a movement and offer opportunities for members to learn a new skill, expand existing interests and share knowledge with other members in a friendly and informal environment. Dunmow u3a has almost 40 member-led interest groups from arts to exercise and languages to sports, with indoor games, discussion groups and outdoor activities in between. To find out more, contact us on 07385 879846 or go to Du3a's website https://u3asites.org.uk/dunmow/welcome Registered charity number: 1168310
Page 16 AB O U T TH E P A R IS H E S Hatfield Regis Local History Society President: Patrick Streeter At our March meeng we had a quick AGM session resulng in David Parish being re-elected as Chairman, Mark Ratcli moving over to cover the vacant Secretary’s role and Quenn Spear taking over his Vice Chairman’s posion. We were then able to sele back and wallow in Brian Carline’s bier sweet memories of growing up in 1950’s Salford. Whilst a large manufacturing town experience may be foreign to many of us, there are many common shared community experiences and products. Brian introduced us to the 1950’s Salford Lanes, the back to back lines of terraced housing where you stepped straight out into the road and relied on washing lines strung across the road on a pulley to dry your washing. The area had suered some bombing as it was close to the Traord Park industrial area and the Manchester ship canal docks so there were scaered shells of houses to play in. The street scape was cobbled roads with cast iron lamp posts and narrow streets as designed around a horse and cart transport system, not cars. A pram was handy to carry items in rather than a child, especially a bag of scavenged coal from the railway yard curve. The idea of ITV’s ‘Coronaon Street’ was based on the writer’s experience of mill town communies and the parcular set layout was derived from a parcular row of houses in Archie Street, Ordsall. A mill town had its own disnct sounds as well, from clog wearing mill workers walking to work and the ‘knocker-upper’ doing the rounds at 5.30am to get them up. Naonal events had the same response as elsewhere. The Coronaon in 1953 gave rise to street pares everywhere, similar to the VE Day celebraons. In 1947 the start of the NHS was a great step forward for the workers and Matron was a force to be reconned with in the running of their wards. Also, the street games of skipping, hopscotch, football (with a rag ball rather than leather!) and conkers in season. At Primary School, due to the smog blong out the sun and allowing rickets to develop in children, they had a weekly trip to stand in front of sun lamps for half an hour as compensaon. When it came to the nal few thoughts, members were well up to giving the correct answers for adversing slogans, lm stars and theme tunes, showing how much they had enjoyed being taken down memory lane by our speaker. Our next meeng will be on Tuesday 21st May, at 7.30pm in the Haield Heath URC Church Hall. Douglas Coe will be talking about Eric Ravillious, an arst with local connecons and the rst Ocial War Arst to die in WW2. Page 21 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES HATFIELD BROAD OAK FRIDAY CLUB The Friday Club meets in the V-illage Hall on the first Friday of the month at 2.30pm unless there is an outing or Bank Holiday. Visitors are welcome. 3rd May Life on the Farm. With farmers facing pressures to produce more home grown food while caring for the environment and wildlife, Jonathan Lukies tells us how he faces challenges at Cammas Hall Farm. 7th June Ivy Cottage Honey. Beekeeper Trevor Shenston takes us into the fascinating world of the honey bee. Bees are essential pollinaters in producing 60% of the food we eat! There will be honey, soaps, hand creams and other home products to buy on the day. 5th July Trip to Wroxham and Mississippi Paddle Steamer. Join us for a memorable river experience. After time for lunch in Wroxham we travel to Horning to board ‘The Southern Comfort’, a double-deck paddle boat. ‘The Southern Comfort’ is a luxury river cruiser and runs along the River Bure to Ranworth Broad and back. Throughout the trip there is an excellent commentary from the boat’s skipper. A fully stocked cash bar serves drinks, snacks and souvenirs. Cost: Members £18; guests £28 subject to seat availability If you would like to join us and for further informaon, please contact either Barry, Chair on (01279 718450) or Viv (01279 718738) or reach out via Haield Broad Oak (H.B.O) Facebook page.
Page 22 ABO U T THE PAR I S H ES HBO Youth Football Club We had 60 children under 12 at our Easter holiday celebration having fun playing football based games and challenges. We have had some lovely sessions in sunshine and are looking forward the next few months. The pitches are largely coping after a crazy winter; the desperate need for a ring drain is very obvious for all to see. First Summer 5 a-side tournament In support of the Flower Festival we are holding our rst ever mini soccer First Summer 5 a-side tournament on Saturday May 25th. There will be 4 categories in separate tournaments of 8 teams, 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. This is an exciting new step for the club. Team News It is good news all round for team numbers. Currently we are working on having 2 under 6 teams, to go with under 7s, under 8s, 2 under 9s, under 13s and under 16s for the remainder of the season. The children have fun and grow through the experiences they share together. Saturday Training The open training sessions for children between 4 and 11-year-olds have been going well and run every Saturday morning from 09.15 for a 9:30am start to 10.30am and often run for longer if the weather is nice. Help Wanted Perhaps over this time of reection and new start you are consider ing ways to get more involved. We are always looking for more help, so we can do things better for the children and the community. Not all the help has to be weekends some of our background roles can be done at any time. There are many ways you can help from coaches, coach assistants, pitch care/grounds work, fund raising, social media, sponsors liaison and other admin background tasks. It is an incredibly rewarding thing to do so please get in touch. If you are interested in helping and being part of our community youth football club please call me on 07825 940645 or 01279 717169 or email youth@hbofc.co.uk. Mark Strutt Page 15 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Happy New (financial) Year! A range of changes have recently come into force, so it is worth checking that you are aware of, and receiving, all the support that is available to you. Welfare Benefits - changes since the beginning of April may mean you are eligible for benefits where you weren’t previously. You can check quickly and easily, using an online benefit calculator such as the one on the UDC website: https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/article/5078/Online-Benefit-Calculators Managed Migration - Tax credits are coming to an end and will be replaced by Universal Credit. Look out for your Universal Credit Migration Notice from DWP and don’t ignore it! It is very important to claim by the deadline you are given, but DON’T claim before you receive your letter or you could be worse off. Call our advisers if you are unsure. Funded Childcare - From April, you’ll get 15 hours of funded childcare the term after your child turns 2 years old, if you’re eligible. From September 2024 the scheme will be extended to include children aged 9 months and older.https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/education/claiming-the-new-15-hours-of-free-childcare-for-2-year-olds/ Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income and is separate from your state pension. You can claim online, over the phone or by post and will qualify for a higher amount if you’re severely disabled or a carer. Go to https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator or just give our advisers a call. The National Living wage (NLW) and other minimum hourly rates of the NMW increased from 1 April 2024. Salaried workers are also impacted by this increase, so workers doing 35 hours per week must now be paid at least £20,821 a year. https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates New rules around flexible working requests also came into force on 6 April 2024. https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working If you have a disability or care needs there are non means tested benefits to help with the extra costs of disability or long-term health conditions. Our specialist disability benefits team can help with applications for PIP, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (for children under 16). Low income households may also be eligible for reductions in Council Tax, water rates and broad-band tariffs as well as help with NHS costs, healthy start vouchers and free school meals. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/cost-of-living/get-help-with-the-cost-of-living/ You can find more information online at www.citizensadvice.org.uk. If you can’t easily access the internet, or need a little extra help, call our friendly advisers on 01799 618840 or email help@uttlesfordca.org.uk and they will carry out a benefit check for you. Our advice is always free and confidential. Uttlesford Citizens Advice Barnards Yard, Saffron Walden CB11 4EB 01799 618840 help@uttlesfordca.org.uk www.uttlesfordca.org.uk
Page 14 AB O U T THE PAR I S H E S The Village Vet—Celebrating Dogs Those of us who are lucky enough to work with dogs every day appreciate how fortunate we are, but for many of us, dogs are also our hobby as well as our jobs. Although dogs are thought to have evolved from wolves, the now extinct branch of wolves that evolved into dogs split from the modern day wolf branch between approximately 27,000 and 40,000 years ago. It is thought that domestication could have started somewhere between 14,000-29,000 years ago, with these wolves following nomadic people and living o their leftovers. At around the time of the Bronze Age, there seemed to be distinct dog types including guarding dogs, herding dogs, sight hounds and hunting dogs. Since then, through natural selection and selective breeding dogs by man, we now have the enormous variation of shapes, sizes and breeds we have today. Knowing the origin of a dog breed's purpose can help us understand their behaviour, help with training and can aid in selecting a suitable breed to full human needs. It can also allow us to manage our expectations of what our canine friends are capable of and what could cause them stress or harm. Whatever the shape and size of your dog, or even if you just want to spectate, we are looking forward to celebrating dogs at the HBO Flower Festival Dog Show on Saturday 25th May. We look forward to seeing our doggy and human friends, old and new, on the day. Pauline Sell runs a veterinary service for the Hateld Broad Oak and Hateld Heath area and can be contacted on 07970 651710 or at mobilevet@btinternet.com. Fortnightly Garden Waste Collection Service SATURDAYS 12.45 - 1.45pm 12th and 24th May —Barnfield Free to all - Funded by the Parish Council NB: There are weekly Sunday collections from Broomfields, Hatfield Heath between 1.30 and 2.30pm and on Sundays from Little Hallingbury Village Car Park 11.45am-12.45pm. Page 23 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES HATFIELD BROAD OAK VILLAGE HALL Events Before the Trustees held the AGM on 26th March, the resignation, for personal reasons, was acknowledged of Neil Durrant and thanks were recorded to him for his invaluable assistance in running and recently updating our website and for being such a supportive, loyal Trustee during the past 3 or so years. Tony McLean had previously been elected unanimously as Chair and all other Trustees indicated they would remain on the committee and continue in their roles. Pamela Sharp conrmed she will stay as the minute taker. The Chair and Treasurer gave reports for 2023 to the 7 Trustees and 5 members of the public present. The Trustees are looking for volunteers to help with occasional bar work and health and safety tasks of the hall premises. If you would like to help please drop us a line at hbovillagehall@hotmail.co.uk The Dolly Parton Story on 15th June This Country and Western tribute act is paying homage to Dolly Parton and to all of the fantastic music she has written and performed over the years. Tickets are £17.50 pp Noel Dacosta on 10th August Noel is a soulful singer and entertainer. He has been the frontman for a variety of soul-cover bands. Tickets are £17.50 pp Please check out our refreshed website www.hbovillagehall.com. Details of all our 2024 events can be found on the website or on our Facebook "Hateld Broad Oak Village Hall" page. Events can only be booked via email hbovillagehallevents@gmail.com If you wish to be added to our mailing list please email that same address. Regular clubs and activities run in the Village Hall. Check out the website for more details on: Tai Chi (Tues), WI (monthly Tues), Ballroom dancing (Weds), Warm Space (Weds 2-4pm), Line dancing (Thurs), Yoga (Thurs), Puppy Training (Thurs eve), Stay & Play (twice monthly term time Fri), Friday Club (monthly Fri) and Japanese Calligraphy (Sun). The website also contains details on how to book the hall for your event (be it a party or just a social gathering).
Page 24 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S THE HUNDRED PARISHES SOCIETY www.hundredparishes.org.uk As day length increases and the air becomes warmer, plants put out new shoots. Many insects emerge and birds pair up, preparing to breed. Since the 1960’s the average minimum winter temperatures have been rising. Snow fall is now a rarity, and frosty days are much less frequent. The current growing season is almost a month longer than 50 years ago. Primroses and bluebells are opening earlier. Researchers recorded that the rst owering of some 406 plant species has advanced by almost a month since 1986! This has a knock-on eect for the me of emergence of pollinang insects such as bees and bueries; some are adapng to the warmer climate. Hedgerow shrubs and trees are leang and owering earlier too, providing food for so many hungry caterpillars which are ideal food for nestlings. Hedgerows are a valuable wildlife habitat, oen providing a living framework to the landscape and our rural heritage. Long-established hedges grow in soil that is rich in stored carbon and older trees within the hedgerow also hold large stores of carbon. A recent planning applicaon to fell an ancient hedgerow oak close to Clavering led to a vigorous and successful campaign by residents to save it. This tree is now registered on the Ancient Tree Inventory, a record similar to the one for listed buildings. There are more trees in local hedgerows that could be recorded - details of how to do this can be found on hps://a.woodlandtrust.org.uk/how-to-record. Naonal Hedgerow Week organised by the Tree Council runs from 6th May to 12th May and is med to showcase hedgerows resplendent with fresh new growth and full of wildlife. Please enjoy one or more of the many walks listed on the Society’s website - and consider recording some of our wonderful old trees. Tricia Moxey, Trustee Page 13 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Nature Notes Buff Tailed Bumble Bees (Bombus Terrestris) This lovely bumble bee is the largest and earliest bee to emerge in Spring. It is one of the most common throughout Europe. They are black and fluffy with dark yellow bands at its front and middle with a buff-coloured tail. The early bumbles we see are queens that have emerged from their Winter hibernation. She would have mated with a drone (male bee) prior to this, in the Autumn. If she hasn't hibernated in one, she will look for a hole in the ground like an empty mouse home, to make her own nest. Bumble nests are quite a complicated thing! I didn't realise quite what goes on underground. In a nutshell, this is what I think happens. (I'm definitely NOT an expert.) The queen lays eggs which are workers and all female. These bees vary in different sizes. (Not baby bumbles as I thought, when I saw a small one!) Then in the height of Summer, the queen 'switches' and lays eggs that become future queen's and drones. The male bumbles leave the nest to become independent and forage for themselves. They will look for the queen's as they emerge too. Bumbles like all sorts of flowers but especially daisy types or alliums which have lots of little flowers. They prefer blue or yellow. A favourite has to be the buddleia (butterfly bush). Bumbles are known as 'nectar robbers'. If they can't reach it, they will make a hole at the base of the flower and get to the nectar that way. Bumbles are not aggressive as some honey bees, preferring to just fly away. They only sting in defence. These bees are used for pollination in lots of large commercial greenhouses across the world. Escapees are making homes in countries they are not native to. Last year, we had 3 nests in our garden. An advantage of a slightly unkempt, messy one! One nest was in the wall under my kitchen window. It was lovely watching the bumbles coming and going. They would line up like the aeroplanes waiting to land at Stansted Airport. The queens returned to this spot for quite a few years but sadly not this year. I think it has been too wet. Hopefully next year?!? I remember this poem by C.J. Heck from school. It teaches us not to get too close! Today I saw a bumble bee, she was on a pretty rose. I leaned in to look at her and she stung me on my nose! I wasn't going to squish her, only watch her and see.... But I'll never get that close again to a grouchy grumble bee. Take care everyone, J.K.
Page 12 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 25 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES STORT VALLEY NATURE GROUP We have a new logo designed by one of our members, Mary Brown... We have also published our summer programme. Events for May include Sunday 5th May. Big Forest Bird Watch. 7:30am main car park entrance to Hatfield Forest. This is an annual survey to monitor changes in the bird population. Members will be dispersed to various parts of the Forest to record birds. This event is available to people who want to learn more about bird recognition as they will be paired up with a knowledgeable birder. Please let us know in advance if you will be attending as the gate will need to be locked behind us. Saturday 18th May. 2.00pm. Bat Willow Hurst Country Park, Bishop’s Stortford. TL 49581 23232 W3W lessening. podcast. worms. This will be a mini bioblitz where we shall see how many plants, insects and other wildlife we can record. This is a learning exercise for all of us using the Field Study Council foldout guides. Friday the 31st May. Nature Reporter on Zoom 8,00pm. Saturday 1st June. River Day at Sheering Mill, Sawbridgeworth. 12-4.00pm.This is a small annual event where our contribution will be to do some 'pond dipping' in the river for families and children. For more information please see our website www.stortvalleynaturegroup.net, our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083984901626 or email stortvalleynaturegroup@gmail.com
Page 26 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S Haield Broad Oak Cricket Club After a weekend of sunshine it has started to feel like the cricket season is around the corner, although for anyone who has played the sport you always go into the first game of the season looking forward to it but equally looking to see how many jumpers you can find to squeeze on to keep you warm. As we approach the start of the season our aim is to build on the success of the last 3 years, the start of the season’s preparations have gone well led by our Chairman and volunteers from the club. For anyone who has run any form of club, they will know that if it is not for the people behind the scenes working hard then there wouldn’t be a club and this is a thank you for all the people who do the unseen work. We will start to publish updates on our social media channels of our fixtures and also will put up copies of our fixture list around the village, it is so nice to get support when we play we are a village club after all. When the sun is shining why not come over bring a bottle of something cold and watch us; last year we did get some support when we played away fixtures as well which was fantastic. We are working on a plan to offer some colts (junior) cricket to the village this year, this is very work in progress: we will update once we know more. Again this shows the growth the club has had over the last 3 years. If anyone would like to get involved this year then please get in contact, even if it’s not in a playing capacity. We are always after people to help and support from umpiring, groundwork, colts, the list goes on and trust me we will find you something if you can volunteer any of your time. On the playing side we go into the start of the season injury free but when the majority of your team are over a certain age it won’t be that long until someone pulls up (2nd Game of season is most likely). Tour preparations are going well and we are booked to travel to Thetford (Magaluf if any of the players’ partners ask) again this year in July. We have for the second year running entered into the local T20 cup competition: if we get past the first round this year then we would have seen an improvement from last year. I’d like to wish Crispin Homer (1st Team Captain) and Paul Murphy (T20 Captain) all the best for the season in leading our club on the pitch. We would like to wish anyone reading this a fantastic Summer. For me the village really comes alive with the flower festival and we are playing at home on the green on the Sunday of this weekend, so grab a cake and a cold drink and wander over and see us…. In memory of England’s greatest spinner (Derek Underwood MBE) let’s be fierce of arm, gentle of heart…. Thanks Anthony Challis Fixture and Social Secretary HBO CC Page 11 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES The WI will be serving teas in the marquee on Sunday afternoon 26th May. 2—4pm ’’’
Page 10 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 27 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES The most important public consultation for a generation about the future impact of Stansted Airport is currently underway. At stake is the prospect of the Government removing all of its current statutory restrictions on night flights at Stansted, which have been in force for over 40 years. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is pressing hard for the removal of the current Government restrictions, which currently allow a maximum of 13,700 Stansted night flights a year. SAW Noise Advisor, Martin Peachey, commented: “If MAG is successful there could be no limit on the number of night flights at Stansted and this would adversely impact the health of local residents especially vulnerable groups. Aircraft are inherently noisy machines and particularly so compared with the low ambient noise levels at night in the countryside surrounding the airport. It is vital for local residents, local councils and other local organisations to reply to this consultation and make it clear to the Government that we want fewer night flights, not more!” Responding to the consultation: The link to the consultation document is https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/night-flight-restrictions-heathrow-gatwick-and-stansted-airports-from-october-2025. You can respond online but an email response allows more flexibility to make your own points, rather than just responding to the pre-set questions. The email address is night.flights@dft.gov.uk. Night flights are the biggest single cause of noise complaints by local residents. This consultation is an opportunity to make your voice heard. The closing date is 22 May 2024. As a reminder, the email address for replying to the consultation is night.flights@dft.gov.uk.
Page 28 A B O U T TH E P A R IS H E S Bathrooms Kitchens Conversions Fully Qualified Tradesmen All other aspects of building Office: 01279 814296 Mobile: 07714 300920 Email: camwoodhome@outlook.com www.camwoodhome.co.uk TONY WOOD Qualified Registered Electrician All electrical works undertaken Re-wires, new circuits, extensions Replacement Consumer Units Electric showers, additional sockets Internal and external lighting Free advice & estimates References available Competitive rates Fully insured Please ring Tony on 07714 300920 01279 814296 Or e-mail camwoodhome@outlook.com NICEIC Registered Page 9 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES
Page 8 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 29 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES CHIROPODIST Mrs Julie Golden HPC Registered/State Registered Home Vising Pracce Est. 1994 01279 873492 07916 075451 A professional service at a compeve price GLYNN’S CHIMNEY SWEEPS VACUUM AND BRUSH NACS MEMBERS HETAS APPROVED 01279 424983 www.glynnschimneysweeps.com Church cleaning at St Mary’s will take place on Saturday 4th May starting at 9.30am Come and join us! Coffee, tea and cake available. NUMBERS CLUB MAY 2024 1st Chris Leeman (No. 56) 2nd Freya Durham (No 21) 3rd Martyn Richards (No. 40) Would you like to see your business advertised in ‘About the Parishes’? This space could have your own company name, logo and detail. If so, please contact secretary.stmaryschurchhbo@gmail.com for further details.
Page 30 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Rick Lloyd French Polisher Traditional Hand Polishing Antique and modern furniture Doors and Porches Staircases FREE ESTIMATES 01279 718366 Page 7 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES PARISH COUNCIL Greetings, residents of Hateld Broad Oak and Bush End! As the vibrant colours of May grace our villages, we bring you updates and opportunities to further shape the future of our community together. First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you resonates throughout our village to all who dedicated their time to complete the neighbourhood plan questionnaire. Your voices form the cornerstone upon which our collective vision will be built. The neighbourhood plan steering committee and dedicated working groups are diligently crafting the beginnings of our neighbourhood plan. But we're not done yet – volunteers with diverse skill sets will soon be sought after. If you feel called to contribute, please reach out to the parish clerk at parishclerk@hbopc.co.uk. Exciting developments are underway as the results from the neighbourhood plan questionnaire are currently undergoing analysis by the Rural Community Council of Essex. We eagerly anticipate having these results published. Be sure to keep an eye out for the results and further public engagement events where we'll be eagerly awaiting your input on how you envision Hateld Broad Oak. After all, this plan should be a true reection of our collective dreams and aspirations. In the realm of technology, we're thrilled to announce the impending launch of our new domain for our website! With a government oicial web domain address –www.hateldbroadoakpc.gov.uk – this platform will serve as a central hub for all things Hateld Broad Oak. Keep an eye out for further updates on Facebook and our current website as we transition to this new digital space. Infrastructure improvements continue to enhance our village's accessibility and safety. By the time this article reaches you, the vehicle entrance project will be complete, providing a much-needed upgrade for emergency vehicles and overow parking, just in time for the bustling events of the Flower Festival and the upcoming 10K race. Furthermore, we kindly remind residents with canine companions to continue their eorts in keeping our beloved village green clean by promptly cleaning up after their dogs. Your co-operation ensures a pleasant environment for all to enjoy. In matters of public transportation, the parish council has raised concerns with Essex County Council regarding the reliability of the 305-bus service. Rest assured, we are actively working towards resolving these issues to ensure eicient and dependable transportation for all residents. Lastly, a signicant number of road gulleys in and around Hateld Broad Oak remain blocked. We have urged authorities to address this concern promptly to prevent potential ooding and ensure the safety of our roads. As we bask in the warmth of May's embrace, let us continue to unite in our eorts to shape the future of Hateld Broad Oak. Together, we are the architects of the community, and your involvement is paramount to our shared success. Until next time, let's keep the spirit of collaboration alive and thriving within the village. Warm regards, Hatfield Broad Oak Parish Council
Page 6 A B OU T THE PAR I S H ES Connued from Page 5 Saron Hall Spring £5 Oer! Saron Hall has recently celebrated their 10th Birthday. This Spring, Saron Hall are oering a limited number of ckets across their enre programme to new bookers for just £5. There is something for everyone in their programme of events, so do take a look. Please refer to the informaon below about how to access this oer and their Spring/Summer event calendar. £5 ckets are limited and if the discount code doesn’t work, it’s likely that the oer has sold out on this concert. Full price ckets may sll be available. They look forward to welcoming you to the Hall soon. hps://www.saronhall.com/ Learn where to nd grants and nance opons to support your business. As part of Ulesford District Council's Economic Recovery Plan, they are helping to deliver sustainable economic growth by supporng businesses within the district and by protecng and growing town centres as economic hubs and increasing tourist spend. Need help working out which grant, or nance opon is right for you and your business? There is help available, contact the team and we can refer you to services to help advise you on the best soluon for your business. hps://business.ulesford.gov.uk/ Ward surgeries Please note that these surgeries are for you to discuss issues that you may have with UDC, that we as your District Councillors can help with, or represent you where possible. Please do come along and have a chat, you do not need to arrange an appointment, they are walk in surgeries. See below for locaon and mings: The rst Tuesday of each month at Great Hallingbury Village Hall, 2 – 4pm (7th May) and the third Friday of each month at the Dukes Head PH, Haield Broad Oak also between 2 – 4pm (17th May). And the normal reminder that should you need to contact us, you can email us on the following addresses. cllrdriscoll@ulesford.gov.uk or cllrreeve@ulesford.gov.uk Page 31 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES
Page 32 ABOUT TH E P A R IS H E S HOLISTICARE PHYSIOTHERAPY & MYOFASCIAL RELEASE Specialist treatment for all ages Gently working with your body to find and treat the cause of your symptoms • Relief from back, neck and joint problems and sports injuries • Relaxation of tight, painful muscles • Effective treatment for migraines, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantarfasciitis, achilles tendonitis, fibromyalgia, sciatica, arthritis, IBS • Help for breathing difficulties and stress related problems • Gentle treatment in pregnancy and for new mothers and babies • Relief from symptoms of women’s health problems To make an appointment or for more information, please call us on 01279 718331 To book your place or for more information, please call us on 01279 718331 info@holisticare.co.uk www.holisticare.co.uk Brook View, Town Farm, Hatfield Broad Oak CM22 7LF Page 5 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Ulesford District Council Will also protect anyone entled to Personal Independent Payments, Disability Living Allowance or Carers Allowance. Working Age non protected people will have to pay at least 12.5% of their Council Tax bill. Can't pay your Council Tax? If you are having any diculty in paying your Council Tax don't just stop paying! Get in touch with the Council Tax team immediately so that we can oer you advice. Don’t be proud, either contact UDC for details, check out the website (hps://www.ulesford.gov.uk/) or ask someone to do so on your behalf. Local Plan The comments from the consultaon have been made available for public inspecon as of 18/03/2024. hps://www.ulesford.gov.uk/ Comment Public Inspecon Instrucons Click the “What People Say” Tab at the top of the page. To nd the Comment IDs that relate to a parcular topic (Chapter/Policy/Evidence Base) or consultee, use the excel spreadsheet tled ‘Search by Topic or Consultee.xlsx’ in the supporng les tab on the le side of the page. To Search by Comment ID, use the search bar on the top right of the page. I will say that using this spread sheet is not for the faint hearted. Changes to postal vote handling Postal votes are due to go out early next week and they are to be posted back via a Royal Mail post-box. New handling rules mean that they must not just be put in the internal post or just dropped o to us without the person doing this compleng a postal vote handling form. Any ballot papers not delivered correctly will be rejected. The maximum anyone can deliver to our recepon or to us in the elecon oce or at a polling staon on elecon day is 6 i.e. 5 plus their own postal vote. Turn to Page 6
Page 4 A B OU T THE PAR I S H ES DISTRICT COUNCIL Easter has been and gone; it was a lile early this year but as usual there were plenty of eggs in the shops well in advance. We hope that you enjoyed the break and the eggs for those that can eat them. Waste Collecon As you are aware the council now has a new operator licence in place and business is back to normal, if with a couple of slight hic-ups. Missed bins have occurred due to sta sickness, however, more than 90% of planned domesc collecons are being completed by Friday, with catch up collecons carried out over the weekend/Monday. The message is to leave your bins out so as they can be collected by the catch-up crews, although as with any operaon involving machinery, people, and roads there may be the odd gremlin in the operaon. The UDC Scruny Commiee ‘Task and Finish’ group have completed their work, and this will go before the Scruny Commiee on Tuesday, 16th April, 2024, 7.00 pm and to full council on Tuesday 23rd April, 7.00 pm, both meengs are held in public. Localised Council Tax Support Scheme (LCTS) The start of the new Council Tax year is upon us with the rst payments due in March, for those of you who budget on a monthly basis. Each Local Authority gets a xed yearly payment from Central Government to pay the Local Council Tax Support to the entled residents. Government funding allocated to councils for LCTS has fallen to below 90% of its previous Council Tax Benet spend. Ulesford District Council has worked in conjuncon with other Essex Authories to determine who would be entled to have their Council Tax charge reduced, taking into account the funding cut and protecng pensioners. Protecons for pensioners The people protected from this scheme are: - Single people who reached the qualifying age for state pension credit so long as they are not claiming Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance. Couples where at least one member has reached the qualifying age for state pension credit and neither are claiming Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance. These protected pensioners get LCTS, which is sll means tested, and the calculaon is on a very similar basis to the Council Tax Benet and Second Adult Rebate rules. The scheme for working age people It has been decided that the current scheme for Ulesford District Council will include the following restricons/changes: - Maximum support will be 87.5% Page 33 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES LONG BURNING TROPICAL HARDWOOD TIMBER OFF CUTS PERFECT FOR FIREWOOD Reclaimed Oak Fender Seats made to order Hardwood Railway Sleepers Sea Groyne Boards Structural Timber for Pergolas Eclectic, decorative feature pieces Contact our team to discuss your ideas on 01375 892576 info@ashwelltimber.com View our gallery at: www.ashwelltimber.com BARRINGTONS COAL MERCHANTS 01279 794246 Reeves Lane, Roydon Hamlet Harlow, Essex CM19 5DE www.barringtonscoalmerchants.co.uk Broken Windows Repaired Misted Double Glazed Units Replaced Traditional Leaded Lights made and repaired Mirrors Laminated & Toughened Glass Free Estimates and Advice Domestic and Commercial Work Undertaken Telephone: Mark Webber on 07973 238071 e-mail: markwebber14@outlook.com ANCIENT & MODERN GLAZING LTD
Page 34 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Page 3 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES St Mary’s Church and Haield Broad Oak WI “Haield Broad Oak Community Cuppa Club” Free admission but donations to cover costs are very welcome When: 10.30am. Tuesday 28th May, 2024 and every 4th Tuesday thereaer Where: St Mary’s Church, HBO Who: Anyone who would like to come! Maureen Geddes and family wish to thank everyone who has sent cards, exchanged kind words and expressed condolences over Mike’s death on Saturday 30/03/24. The funeral will be on Thursday 2nd May - 2pm at Old Park Meadow Natural Burial Ground followed by refreshments there. We are going to set up a link for those who can’t be there in person but haven’t got details as yet. We will put the information on the Village Facebook page as soon as we have them and would be grateful if you could spread the word to those who don’t subscribe to it. Sincere thanks Maureen. I would like to thank all the kind folk who sent cards, gifts and good wishes on the occasion of my 90th birthday. I had lots of visits from friends and family and I had a really lovely time. Thank you. Edna
Page 2 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES Warm Spaces With the advent of summer we will hopefully have lots of natural Warm Spaces. Consequently aer our session on 31st May, we shall take a break unl Wednesday 2nd October. Our thanks go to the Village Hall Management Commiee for providing this facility and to the volunteers who go along week by week to prepare and serve tea, coee and cake. In the meanme, do join us for the remaining sessions throughout May. We are a friendly, chay bunch and there is room for more people. No age limit and it’s free!!! The Neighbourhood Plan The Steering Committee have arranged a meeting in the school, 19.30 hours on Thursday the 9th of May. We will be joined by Nicky Joshua of The RCCE, who will be explaining the why's and wherefores' of the making of the Plan. This is a Working Group meeting without the formality of a committee meeting, so public participation will be actively encouraged, and not just for 15 minutes! Please come along if you would like to know what the making of the Plan is all about and what we have been up to so far. If you can’t make the meeting, then do look out for us over the late May Bank Holiday Flower Festival weekend!’ DEADLINE FOR ‘ABOUT THE PARISHES’ JUNE 2024 EDITION The deadline for the next edion is strictly 12 noon on 15th May 2024 Page 35 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES
Page 36 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES BROAD OAK STORES CURRENT OPENING HOURS: Telephone: 01279 718256 Monday: 6.30am to 7pm Tuesday : 6.30am to 7pm Wednesday: 6.30am to 7pm Thursday: 6.30am to 7pm Friday: 6.30am to 7pm Saturday: 6.30am to 7pm Sunday: 8.00am to 4pm Fresh Bread every day. Phone and Gas/Electric Top Ups. Newspaper delivery service to our local customers. And more... POST OFFICE OPENING HOURS: Telephone 01279 718809 Monday: 9am to 3pm Tuesday: 9am to 3pm Wednesday: 9am to 3pm Thursday: 9am to 3pm Friday: 9am to 3pm Please note the Post Office accepts British Gas Pay and Top Up. Please pop in and support your local Shop and Post Office! HATFIELD BROAD OAK NON-ECCLESIASTICAL CHARITIES The Hatfield Broad Oak Non-Ecclesiastical Charities exists to make grants to villagers in financial need. Application forms may be picked up from the Post Office, or from any of the trustees: Mr Martin Broad, Mr Martin Bedwell, Mrs Penny Flack, Mr Roger Simons. Page 1 ABOUT T H E P A R IS H ES From Caroline Harding LLM Qu: How many Christians does it take to change a lightbulb? Ans: None. The Church of England does not believe in change. This is one of a series of jokes which being, “How many X does it take to change a lightbulb”. And what makes these jokes funny is the element of truth they contain. It is true that the Church, like many other areas of society, does not like change. We cling on to the good old days, how things used to be, remembering them through rose tinted spectacles and refuse to face up to inevitable change as we journey through life and as society adapts to each new generation and the hopes, aspirations and inventions that it brings. In last month’s issue, Revd Dawn Jewson announced that she is retiring in June and that Revd Sophie Weller has been appointed to succeed her in the new role of Priest in Charge of the Six Villages. In addition to the very local change, the churches of the Six Villages will become a single benece (group of churches lead by one priest in charge) and the Deanery of Harlow, which we are part of, will come under the Archdeaconry of Stansted in the Colchester Episcopal Area. For most of us this will have little eect on our perception of church. There will be fewer local priest-led services as we learn to share the ministry of Revd Sophie, and it is going to need us all to step into roles we may not previously have done in order to keep the churches going. But overall there may be little dierence in how the churches function day to day. What we do all hope however is that the churches will continue, or maybe renew, their place at the heart of the communities. The churches will still oer a place of prayer and peace for all members of the villages that they serve. And maybe, by the grace of God, the church will bring new members through their doors who are curious to learn more about their faith, more about the love and saving grace of Jesus. To God be the Glory. Caroline Dawn’s nal service in the Six Villages will be at 10.30am in St Giles’ Church, Great Hallingbury on Sunday 30th June 2024. Anyone who has been touched by Dawn’s ministry and who would like to make a contribution to a leaving gift should contact their Churchwarden.
Church Calendar May 2024 Saturday 4th May 9.30am St Mary’s—Church cleaning Sunday 5th May—Sixth Sunday of Easter 9.00am St John’s—Matins (1662) 10.30am St Mary’s—Holy Communion Thursday 9th May—Ascension Day Sunday 12th May—Seventh Sunday of Easter 9.00am St John’s—Holy Communion (1662) Sunday 19th May—Pentecost 10.30am St Mary’s—Morning Worship 6.30pm Holy Trinity, Hatfield Heath—Evensong Saturday 25th—Monday 27th May St Mary’s Flower Festival (see inside pages) Sunday 26th May—Trinity Sunday 9.00am St John’s—Matins (1662) Tuesday 28th May 10.30am St Mary’s—Cuppa Club Sunday 2nd June—First Sunday after Trinity 9.00am St John’s—Matins (1662) 10.30am St Mary’s—Holy Communion Details of services in all churches of the Six Villages can be found on the Six Villages website www.thesixvillages.org. Clergy May 2024 The Revd Dawn Jewson Associate Priest of the United Benefice of St Mary the Virgin, Hatfield Broad Oak St John the Evangelist, Bush End Holy Trinity, Hatfield Heath St Mary the Virgin, Sheering St Mary’s Church, Little Hallingbury St Giles’ Church, Great Hallingbury Licensed Lay Minister to the Six Villages Mrs Caroline Harding Contact details via the Six Villages Benefice Administrator: Alison Uncle administrator@thesixvillages.org 07934 260978 FALLS RESPONSE CAR SERVICE If you have fallen or have someone who has fallen and you require assistance, and are registered with a West Essex GP, please call the Care Co-ordination Centre on 0300 123 5433. If deemed clinically appropriate and the service has capacity, it will attend within two hours.
Clergy Contact via the Benefice Office: administrator@thesixvillages.org. 07934 260978. Church Officers - St Mary's, Hatfield Broad Oak www.thesixvillages.org Churchwarden: Churchwarden: Mr Mark Haddon Mrs Liz Webber 10 Duke’s Orchard 14 Medlars Mead Hatfield Broad Oak (718236) Hatfield Broad Oak (717980) Secretary: Treasurer: Mrs Kerry Stedman Mrs Kerry Stedman Langafel, 6 Hammonds Road Langafel, 6 Hammonds Road Hatfield Broad Oak (07890 235130) Hatfield Broad Oak (07890 235130) Services Times of services are as listed in the Church Calendar inside the front cover of the magazine. Weddings and Holy Baptism by arrangement Please see the website www.thesixvillages.org or contact the Verger: Mrs Edna Halls (01279 718231) Church Officers - St John's, Bush End www.thesixvillages.org Churchwarden: Churchwarden: Mr David Robson Mr Martin Peachey The Woods Yew Trees, Brewers End Hatfield Broad Oak (718452) Takeley (870374) Secretary: Treasurer: Dr Fiona Perrott-Humphrey Mr David Robson Salix, Jack’s Lane The Woods Takeley (871668) Hatfield Broad Oak (718452) Services Times of services are as listed in the Church Calendar inside the front cover of the magazine. Articles to reach Janet Pugh, 8 Medlars Mead, Hatfield Broad Oak, CM22 7JB, telephone 01279 718435, or e-mail: janet.hbo@btinternet.com by noon on 15th of the month preceding publication. Please note: Although About the Parishes is funded by St Mary’s Parochial Church Council, opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the PCC, nor is the PCC responsible for claims (express or implied) made in advertisements. St John the Evangelist Bush End A Monthly Newsletter of Church and Village Affairs St Mary the Virgin Hatfield Broad Oak 2024