July - December 2014 News

The Village Website & Village News wish you all a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Theydon has certainly been enjoying the seasonal events in the run up to Christmas Day. A few are pictured below.

Fairlop Brass Band with our Primary School Head, Leslie Lewis, on Cornet (pictured above centre) entertained an enthusiastic audience in the Village Hall on the 16th December with a 'Christmas Crackers' selection.

Cakes and presents galore were available from the Theydon Bois Primary School Christmas PTA fair held at the school on the 13th December.

On the 5th December a Christmas Event for our Seniors was held by the Parish Council in the Village Hall with tea and cakes and entertainment provided by the Brick Lane Music Hall.

Saturday 13th December was an important Tree Planting Day in connection with the Theydon Bois Tree Strategy. Four specimen trees were planted in various locations around the Green in the hope that these in years to come will become 'Landmark Trees. The first two trees were planted near the Village Hall and the further two near the pond. The trees have been planted with the permission of the Conservators of Epping Forest (the City of London).

The first Tree an OAK was sponsored and planted by Eleanor Laing MP. Also present were Gordon Haynes Chairman of City of London Open Spaces, Chair of TB Parish Council John Phillips who was also representing EFDC and Preservation Society Committee member and Tree Warden Robert Levene.
The 2nd Tree a Hornbeam was sponsored by TB Drama Society - celebrating its 90th year. Jo Shephard and Aimee Nicholson & others from their committee carried out the planting.
The 3rd Tree a White Willow was sponsored by The Village Association. Chairman Martin Oliver various committee members did the planting watched Gray Lowman age 4 & Casta Lowman age 2 who asked if they could be involved as they missed the previous Willow so much.
The 4th Tree an Alder was sponsored by the Levene Family -with the children Mitzy age 7, Harry age 6 & Robert Age 2 helping with the planting.

In all 47 Street trees are to planted over this winter with the help of EFDC. Theydon Bois Rural Preservation Society has sponsored over 20 of these and other village groups and Individual sponsors have paid for the rest . It is hope that similar new plantings will take place in the winter of 2015/2016. Sponsorship forms are available here.

The start of this Christmas season has seen some excellent opportunities for us all to purchase our Christmas presents for loved ones without even leaving the village. St. Mary's Church Fayre was held on 29th November and next Saturday 13th December Theydon Bois Primary School PTA hold their Christmas Fayre from 11am - 2.00pm at the school.

The big pre Christmas event for Theydon Bois was again the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and the 4th Christmas Market. The traditional tree lighting ceremony was held this year in the car park of the Queen Victoria pub as the planted tree outside the village hall has died and had to be removed. This was closer to the Christmas Market held in Forest Drive and the Parish Council hoped this would further encourage people from all sectors of our community to join the event and it would also give local traders an opportunity to promote their businesses.

Apart from a few technical difficulties the Christmas Tree Lighting managed to take place on time. The Market had all the usual attractions with the choir from the Primary school singing a selection of Christmas songs, rides for the children, many stalls with food or gifts and of course Santa's Grotto. Thanks is due to Parish Councillor George Howard who oversaw the event and did much of the work to make it happen this year, but it was the efforts of stall holders, shopkeepers and volunteers that made it another successful evening.

The event and the following Saturday street collection raised a total of £682.43 for St. Clare Hospice. Again thank you to all those who turned out to support the event and make it such a happy occasion.

The overall winner in this years Christmas Card Competition for the pupils of Theydon Bois Primary School run by the Parish Council in conjunction with Theydon Newsdesk was Ella Berry of class 5/6 L and her entry is the Parish Council's card for 2014. The standard seems to get better and better each year with some wonderful entries from the children, so it was a very close contest making it again hard work for the judges.

There is both an Infants/Reception Winner and a Junior Winner who received a prize donated by the Parish Council. Blossom Samper Richards of class 1/2 C was the Infants/Reception winner the Junior winner and overall winner was Ella Berry. All the class winners can be seen in our Gallery of Cards with Winners Names here.

It’s been a tradition at St Mary’s for more than 12 years & over the last 5-6 years we’ve expanded it to include all families in Theydon who want to join in. We now also take the dolls to the Pre-school, Montessori and Theydon Bois primary, where Fiona Bradley uses the dolls to introduce the children to the Nativity story using the figures.

The St. Mary's Posada figures of Mary and Joseph travel from home to home in Theydon (so in effect Mary and Joseph travel around Theydon looking for a place to stay). There’s a “journey rota” which shows the families who will be delivering Mary & Joseph, the night they are to look after them and the people they are to take them to. They start their journey on the first Sunday in Advent & arrive back in St Mary’s at the Christingle service on Christmas Eve. They travel with a Christmas story book and a collection envelope (which is also a fundraiser for the Church Army).

So what is The Posada and what’s involved? The Posada at St Mary’s is based on an old Mexican tradition. Knitted figures of Mary & Joseph travel throughout the village staying in a different home every night. The idea is a simple way of introducing the Christmas story to children in a tangible, enjoyable, interactive way. We now have on average 70 families who take part every year.

Just before it’s your turn to look after Mary & Joseph you will be contacted by the person before you. Arrange a suitable time to handover the figures. When handing over there’s a prayer the children or adults can say to welcome the figures into their home. There’s also a book of the Nativity story you can read to your children and a collection envelope to raise funds for the Church Army. The next day you’ll need to contact the next person on the list, and so Mary and Joseph travel on. They finally arrive in St Mary’s church during the Christingle service on Christmas Eve.

Elizabeth Thomas is the new girl at the Parish Council. She has taken up the role of Minute Secretary & Assistant to the Parish Clerk recently and was formally introduced at the last full Parish Council Meeting. A resident of Epping for 17 years she said, "I originated on Tyneside and reached my current status as an adopted Essex girl via Cardiff, Wales; Sydney, Australia; Boston, Massachusetts and Ealing Broadway".

"Since graduating university, I’ve worked as a journalist and PR, and in local government as a director-level administrator: I now combine all of this in my own company, Zebra PA Solutions, which is proud now to number Theydon Bois PC as one of its associates. As if this wasn’t enough to keep me occupied, I am the custodian of an adorable old house just on the border of Epping and Theydon, complete with resident ghosts; and I’m the proud mother of three sons aged 15, 14 and eight, two cats, countless shubunkins and some very idiosyncratic hens".

As part of the Theydon Bois Tree Strategy four trees are to be planted in different locations on Theydon Bois Green at 10.45am on Saturday 13th December 2014.

The Theydon Bois and District Rural Preservation Society has also this year sponsored 20 street trees which are to be planted at different times this winter around the Village. In addition several residents have sponsored individual street trees in the Village for planting at different times.

Today is Armistice Day and this year it also commemorates the 100 anniversary of the First World War and the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. Last Sunday (9th November) the annual Remembrance Sunday Service took place at the War Memorial by St. Mary's Church where both young and more senior villagers gathered to pay their respects.

11th November:The Essex Great War Archive Project at the Essex Record Office:

In November we stop to remember the sacrifice made by our armed forces in defence of our country. This Great War Project

year is more poignant as it is 100 years since the start of the Great War. To mark this, the Record Office has joined with The Friends of Historic Essex in creating the Essex Great War Archive Project which will run from 2014 to 2018.

The Record Office will collect items relating to Essex during the war such as photographs, letters, diaries and community records and official documents from wartime organisations. The Friends will raise funds to conserve, catalogue and digitise the archives, both new acquisitions and some that are already held at the ERO.

Theydon Bois Drama Society's next production is based on the original characters devised by Talbot Rothwell and Sid Colin for the Frankie Howerd BBC comedy, this hilarious romp through ancient Pompeii brings back all of the television favourites in this play by Miles Tredinnick.

As Lurcio attempts to deliver his prologue and begin proceedings, he’s quickly caught up with the myriad sexual liaisons in all quarters of his master’s house. Why does Ludicrous not leave for the Senate meeting in Rome? Why does his wife return so quickly from the country? Who will take care of the escaped slave girl, Voluptua, and will Nausius’s love poetry improve? Whilst growing chaos ensues, an increasing rumbling is heard in the distance – what could that possibly be? A riot from start to finish.

11th November:Parish Council Vote to Transfer Freehold of Youth & Community Centre to
TBCAYT Trust:

The future of the Freehold of the Youth and Community Centre off Loughton Lane has been a matter of negotiation by both Theydon Bois Parish Council and the Youth Centre Trust for some time. Both parties have taken advice from solicitors to help find the best way forward.

At the Parish Council Meeting of 30th October last the following resolution was put forward by Councillor Peter Hammond:

"That we the TBPC resolve that the Freehold of the land roadway and parking areas, currently occupied by the Scouts and TBCAYT should be transferred to the TBCAYT and that a restrictive covenant be placed on the land by TBPC.

That the land and buildings shall only be used for community uses, and that no part of the land can be used for residential or commercial purposes.

TBPC will retain ownership of the strip of land from the northern kerb edge of the roadway to the boundary with land to the rear of Rozelle and that a restrictive covenant be placed on that land by TBCAYT that it cannot be used by pedestrian or vechicles for access behind Rozelle.

Subject to the constitution of the Community and Youth Trust being amended to ensure that the trustees are composed of at least 75% Theydon Bois Parish Residents.

That we instruct our Solicitors to provide the necessary conveyance documentation forthwith".

There was considerable discussion and the resolution was ammended (to the above) before the vote. In end the resoultion was adpted by TBPC with 7 in favour and 3 against with no abstentions.

Certificates of Merit were awarded to the Buxton Trust by the Essex Playing Fields Association at there recent AGM. Richard Crone attended the AGM on behalf of the Trust and accepted the Awards as Chairman. The awards were Gold Merit in Class 1 - Serving a population of 2,500 or more and Class 4 - Cricket Grounds on which a winter game may not be played.

11th November Could your perfect pooch be the star of St Clare Hospice’s Winter Walkies?

St Clare Hospice is searching for the perfect pooch to be the face of its Winter Walkies event.

The Hastingwood-based charity is calling on local pet owners to enter their cute canines as part of a competition to find a top dog to front its 2015 fundraiser. The winner will star in St Clare’s posters, leaflets and other promotional material in the run up to our annual cross-country Winter Walkies on Sunday, February 22.

St Clare fundraising manager Dominique Brunning said: “Our Winter Walkies is one of the most popular events in the Hospice fundraising calendar and this year we want to give one lucky dog the chance to take the lead by featuring in our publicity campaign.

“Dozens of walkers and their canine companions take part in Winter Walkies every year so we know our supporters are barking mad for their pets, so this is a wonderful opportunity for your pooch to be our Winter Walkies star.

“We are inviting all dog owners to submit their pictures of their handsome hounds and pretty pups to us and we will then be inviting the public to vote for their favourite via the St Clare Facebook page.

“The winning dog and its owners will take part in a special photo shoot here at the Hospice with Pawtrait of Your Pet photographer Vikki Lince, will be invited to start our walk on February 22 and will also be presented with a canvas from their photo shoot.

“If you think your pet has what it takes then don’t paws for thought, enter today!”

To enter our Winter Walkies competition, please send a picture of your pet to the St Clare fundraising team by email at [email protected]. The deadline for entries is midday on Thursday, November 20. Please include your dog’s name, age and breed as well as your name, address and contact phone number.

Voting opens via www.facebook.com/stclarehospice on Friday, November 21 at 8am. The dog that receives the most ‘Likes’ will be named the winner. The winner must be available to attend our Winter Walkies photo shoot at the Hospice on Tuesday, November 25 at 6.30pm.

The St. Clare's Hospice Christmas Fair will have lots of goodies for christmas presents for sale on the 15th November as well as refreshments. Our Parish Council will be hosting an event with entertainment for our seniors with the excellent Brick Lane Music Hall entertaining on Friday 5th December. To book a place or transport for this please phone Julie our Parish Clerk on 01992 813442.

Great fun was had at Theydon Bois Primary School assembly this morning when the Guys for Guy Fawkes Night were judged. The children entered 11 Guys homemade by themselves plus there were two human Guys (seated at left and right above)!

Small prizes were awarded for the best Guys. First (centre above) was Eloisa, Harriette and Isabella with their 'Despicable Guy' and prize of a tin of sweets. 2nd prize went to Gray (left above) and 3rd was Jamie (right above). All the guys will be on display at tonight's school fireworks evening.

5th November:Parish Council Announce Road Closure for Christmas Market on Friday 28th November:

Notice of Application for a Road Closure Town & Police Clauses Act 1847 section 21

Notice is given this day 28th November 2014 that Parish Clerk of Theydon Bois of The Parish Office, Coppice Row Theydon Bois has applied to the Licensing office of Epping Forest District Council for a Road Closure in respect of Forest Drive, Theydon Bois.

The proposed Road Closure is for Christmas Market 16:3021:00

If you have any representations about the closure please contact the Licensing Office of Epping Forest District Council, Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, Essex, CM16 4BZ. Anyone wishing to oppose this application must give written notice to the Licensing Office within 21 days of this notice.

It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application which could lead to a fine on summary conviction (maximum £5000).

From Monday 3rd November, newly-appointed contractor Biffa Municipal has started collecting Epping Forest’s household recycling and refuse, heralding some changes to help the district recycle even more.

These changes won’t alter Epping Forest’s well-proven system of 2 wheeled bins (1 for refuse, the other for food and garden waste), recycling sacks (for ‘dry’ recyclables like paper, cardboard, metal cans and plastic containers) and a blue box (for glass containers), or collection frequencies.

Biffa, whose 40-plus local authority clients already include some of England’s best recycling authorities, will starts collecting from Theydon Bois Friday 7th November the usual collection day for most of our village. There will be one immediate change – residents will be able to add food and drink cartons (commonly known as tetrapaks) to their recycling sacks.

A bigger change comes next April when Biffa will start what are known as ‘one pass’ collections. Made possible by new, more efficient, collection vehicles that have 2 separate compartments, the one pass service will collect both dry recyclables and glass containers together every fortnight, providing a same day, same time, collection for all dry recyclables.

This will mean fewer collection vehicles, less traffic congestion, and lower vehicle emissions.

April 2015 will also see the start of a new weekly service to collect small items of waste domestic electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as irons, kettles, toasters, audio equipment etc. All residents need do is put their small WEEE in plastic bags alongside their mixed food and garden waste bin, and Biffa will take care of the rest.

From next May, Biffa will deliver 100 clear recycling sacks every year to every Epping Forest household, enough for an average of 2 recycling sacks each fortnight. Residents needing more clear sacks will still be able to collect them from the usual outlets.

As the seasons change, the nights close in and the weather turns cooler St. Mary's Church are delighted to invite villagers and visitors to partake in their three November Soup Lunches. These started today (Tuesday 4th November) and run from 12pm in St Mary’s Church Hall.

The nine female & one lone male (John Eaton) volunteer chefs & helpers at the St. Mary's Soup Lunch

The St. Mary's volunteer chefs and helpers served a wide selection of nourishing home-made soups with fresh roll and butter and delicious home-baked desserts with cream, accompanied by tea, coffee or a soft drink. All for £5 per adult, £1.50 per child. All the volunteers were kept extremely busy with today's lunch as it proved to be very popular and most tables were full with both adults and children enjoying the delicious meals. One of these was former Parish Council Chairman, Joy Wainwright who will be 96 next Tuesday and intends to enjoy another Soup Lunch on her birthday.

There was a bring and buy stall for early Christmas shopping, a Christmas raffle and an opportunity to purchase the home-made mini Christmas cakes. As is the tradition they were also serving for free freshly baked mince pies with your tea and coffee.

The next November lunch dates are Tuesday 11th November and Tuesday 18th November. Please come along and bring a friend or neighbour. Children of all ages are very welcome.

4th November:Theydon Villagers Were Out and About Trick-or-Treating this Halloween :

Friday October 31st Halloween celebrations seemed to have been taken more seriously in Theydon this year. These included parties where guests were often expected to arrive in a costume to reflect the day's theme. Other villagers gathered together to watch horror films, either at home or at a cinema.

Quite a few children accompanied by adults, some also in costume, were out around the village trick-or-treating. This involved dressing up and going to other peoples' houses, knocking on the door for a treat of sweets or a snack. Those who do not give out a treat were sometimes tricked with a joke instead. It seems most paid up with sweets, some of which were in ghoulish wrappings.

Halloween has its origins in pagan festivals in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. People believed that, at this time of year, the spirits of dead people could come 'alive' and walk among the living. They thought that it was important to dress up in costumes when venturing outside, to avoid being harmed by the spirits. This may be the origin of the Halloween costumes seen today.

In Puritan times, Halloween celebrations were outlawed, but they were revived in later times and are becoming quite common in the UK. again. Part of this is probably due to the many stores and businesses that see Halloween as a chance to promote products with a Halloween theme. It can't be bad for the sale of pumpkins either.

Theydon Bois Primary School PTA are holding a Fireworks Night on Wednesday,5th November in the school grounds. The gates open at 6.30 pm and entry is £5.00 per person on the night, pre-school children are free. Family tickets at £14.00 and individual ones at £4.00 can be purchased in advance; again the last date for requesting these is Monday, 3rd November.

St Clare Hospice is recruiting volunteers as it prepares to officially open its new shop in Loughton this week. The outlet in High Road is the first new store the Hastingwood-based charity has opened for six years and will be the first in Loughton to support a local charity that has been providing incredible care and support to those living in the community it serves for the past 25 years.

Offering good quality pre-loved fashion, accessories, books and artifacts, the shop will be welcoming its first customers through the doors from 11am on Thursday (Oct 30).

St Clare is seeKing volunteers to help with the Loughton shop and their other shops in the district. Their volunteers make an invaluable contribution to the work of the Hospice, with shop helpers across the seven existing shops within the St Clare catchment area helping raise £510,000 for the charity in 2013/14 through the sale of donated goods, such as clothes and furniture. Typical duties for our shop volunteers range from sorting stock to serving customers.

St Clare volunteer Janet Mortali has been helping at the Hospice’s Scarlet shop in neighbouring Buckhurst Hill since April this year. “I really look forward to my Saturdays in the shop; I was made to feel so welcome right from the start and part of the St Clare family,” she said. “I love getting to know our regular customers and especially seeing people leave with a bargain while having done something wonderful for a local charity. “There is so much to be gained from working in a charity shop and my advice to anyone thinking about volunteering for St Clare is to go for it. It’s incredibly rewarding and I hope what I do has some bearing on the Hospice and the great work it does supporting local families.”

For more information about joining our new Loughton shop team, call St Clare voluntary services manager Christine Crump on 01279 773722 or [email protected].

29th October:Epping Forest District Council Grant Aid Scheme for, Clubs, Societies and Community Groups:

Funds are available to support local leisure and community groups in their work. Epping Forest District Council provides financial help in the form of grants. Applications are welcome from local groups for funding towards a project that will improve facilities within that group such as: equipment purchase, capital projects and new initiatives – large or small.

Applications are accepted from community-based organisations within Epping Forest District, which operate for the benefit of Epping Forest residents providing they meet certain criteria. Priority will be given to groups, which achieve at least some of the criteria:

are charitable and non-profit making
are based, or are active, in Epping Forest District
provide services to meet key social needs within the district
are non political
can show clear aims and objectives and effective strategies for achieving these
have considered alternative funding sources or put forward schemes as part of ‘matched’ funding proposals
promotes equal opportunities
promotes good community relations/involvement

Further details of eligibility criteria and conditions are given on the Council’s application form for grant aid and on the District Council website at www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk.

Application forms are available from Nicola Wilkinson, Policy and Research Assistant, Epping Forest District Council, Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, CM16 4BZ. Telephone 01992 564484 or e-mail: [email protected] for further details.

On Saturday 18th October, a group of 10 young people gathered in the car park of St Mary’s Church Hall, to take part in “Slum Survivor”. This is an activity designed to enable young people to empathise with those living in inadequate accommodation and raise awareness of the issues around extreme poverty. The group successfully spent the night in dwellings they had fashioned out of materials such as old pallets and tarpaulins, kindly donated by church members. Nearly £800 was raised which will be sent to the charity Soul Action which works alongside other charities to provide relief to those living in extreme poverty.

After the event, the young people were asked for their reflections, and they included these comments: -

Felt I did something good for charity
Meeting new people, helping those in need, raising money and awareness for a good cause
Met amazing people
Met new people and got closer to friends I used to have
I enjoyed doing something different – stepping outside my comfort zone
I enjoyed the sense of community – how everyone came together when our slum fell apart.

Thanks must go to the Red Balloon family (www.redballoonfamily.co.uk), without whose input the weekend would not have been possible. Watch this space: (http://www.redballoonfamily.co.uk/theydon.htm) for further activities from the new St Mary’s youth group, which is known as “Action”, which aims to empower young people to make a difference, in the local community and further afield.

21st October: Theydon Teacher's Singers Concert at Corbett Theatre in Loughton:

Last Sunday the 19th October was a fantastic afternoon at Loughton's Corbett Theatre filled with repertoire from stage, film and Pop/RnB Chart. Singers (boys and girls) aged between 5-18yrs, many from Theydon Bois, performed for the audience at this sold out concert. Some were new to stage, whereas others have performed before and had sat LCM singing exams with Catherine Sheehy the Theydon Bois Singing Teacher who organised the concert.

Catherine (in the wings above) said " I personally couldn't have asked for anything better. At times I'd liked to have been in the audience to capture it first hand and reassure them with a smile but how lucky am I to have rehearsed such wonderful songs with my fabulous singers. I've been very tearful through many lessons/classes and I think the audience can understand why now! I'm a very proud teacher who has the pleasure of inspiring children (and adults) with their favourite songs. My love of song comes to life through them... Here's to next year!"

Catherine's Singers Classes run on Fridays in Theydon Bois Village Hall and further details are available from her website:http://csheehysingingteacher.webs.com/ with some more show photos in the gallery here.

The final closing date for entries to the Landmark Tree Competition is October 21st. So there is still time to enter and details and entry forms are available from the competition page here.

16th October:Important Special General Meeting of the Village Association Charity:

The Village Association will be holding a Special General Meeting on Wednesday 29th October at 8.00pm in the Village Hall, Beech/Poplar Room. The agenda will include important resolutions about the charitable status of the association for consideration and if thought fit passing. All village members are encouraged to attend this important meeting. The Agenda for the meeting is here.

16th October:Police Commissioner for Essex to Speak at Epping Forest College:

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex will be holding the next District meeting in Epping Forest on Wednesday 22nd of October. The event will be held in Epping Forest College, Borders Lane, Loughton, Essex, IG10 3SA and will begin at 6.30pm finishing at 8.30pm.

The local district meetings specifically address issues that the community are facing, and the Police and Crime Commissioner will bring the community together with the local district commander and the local community safety partnership manager to hear the concerns of the community, and discuss the work the police and CSP are doing to address these. The Police and Crime Commissioner will be there to help the local community get the answers they need about crime and safety in their local area. The Police and Crime Commissioner aims to visit each district in the county each year to hold an event like this and bring local policing teams together with the community

The Police very much hope you will be able to attend, and would be grateful if you could encourage your family, friends, colleagues and communities you work with to likewise join in this important debate.

If you would like to ask a specific question of the Chief Constable of Essex Police, they would be grateful if you could email it in advance to: [email protected]k

7th October:Theydon Bois 'Fused Glass' Artist Exhibits at Loughton Arts Centre:

Theydon Bois Artist Karen Meyer presently has a solo exhibition of her fused glass art work running at the Loughton Arts Centre, Lopping Hall in Loughton High Road. The exhibition is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm and has run from 26th September and will be there until 9th October, so there is still a chance to catch it.

Karen was born and raised in London and Essex and has always had an interest in drawing and crafts. Her career choice led her to work in the City working as an IT Systems Implementation Manager for the likes of Barclays Bank and Deutsche Bank. Although she enjoyed her career, it was not a passion for Karen!

After her children were born, she moved to Loughton then Theydon Bois where she has had a few office roles local to home allowing her to be near her children for school pick up times. Her heart however, was to do something more creative. After trying various crafts, Karen discovered the art of Glass Fusing and the rest for her is history.

Karen has been glass fusing now for just over 4 years beginning with a small kiln making gifts as a hobby. Now with a much larger kiln she has fulfilled her dream of making wall art and other glass pieces to brighten people’s homes. She specialises in making bespoke items to order.

Prior to the Loughton Arts Centre exhibition Karen has previously exhibited at Theydon Bois Golf Club as well as various local craft fairs.
For more information, see her website www.wavefusion.net or her facebook page www.facebook.com/wavefusionnet

Villager John Plume who lives in Forest Side reached his 100th birthday yesterday on the 5th October. John has made many contributions to the village over his long life. He served on the Rural Preservation Society Committee for many years until 2006 and as a retired barrister specialising in planning law he was specially valued for his expert advice.

He was a keen apiarist and at one time had as many as three beehives around the village. For ten years he also organised and helped in the maintenance of St Mary’s Churchyard.

John spent his birthday quietly at home. Congratulations and thank you John for all your work for our village over many years.

Be Extra Vigilant:
Motorists: accidents on the roads involving deer increase at this time of year and drivers should be extra vigilant where there are deer warning signs and slow down when driving through the forest.

Dog walkers: dogs should be kept on a lead. It is important to keep disturbance of the deer to a minimum and dog owners should be aware that deer can feel threatened by dogs and may also disrupt the deer breeding pattern.

Visitors: walkers are advised to keep at least 50m away from deer, never get in between 2 deer and avoid feeding or photographing them at close range.

Rutting:
Male deer, or bucks, are often highly aggressive as they are full of testosterone, clashing antlers in an attempt to fight off rivals and attract as many females as possible. They become less aware of the dangers around them, such as cars and bikes on the roads.

27th September:St Mary's Church Christmas Fair 2014:

St Mary's Church will be holding their annual Christmas Fair on Saturday 29th November, 11am-2pm, at St Mary's Church Hall, Theydon Bois. There will be lots of stalls for all the family including festive refreshments, toys, Christmas gifts (for adults and children), lucky dip, jewellery, toiletries, bottle tombola, raffle and lots more besides! Please come along and join in the fun!

For further details, or to donate items for the Fair, please contact Phil or Amanda Simmance on 01992 813732 or [email protected].

22nd September:Brownies Celebrate 100th Anniversary of the Organisation and 45 Years of the Theydon Pack:

Theydon Brownies help Eleanor Laing MP to blow out the candles on the anniversary cake

The Theydon Bois 3rd Brownie Pack Had a a double anniversary celebration with an afternoon tea on Saturday in St. Mary's Church Hall. The event celebrated both the organisation's 100th anniversary as well as the pack 45th birthday. It was a busy afternoon with the brownies running various stalls at which visitors were invited to decorate biscuits, tie knots, have a go at solving puzzles and toast marshmallows. Visitors were also served refreshments and a delicious variety of sandwiches, cakes and biscuits by pack members.

Past and present members were invited to the celebration alongside parish councillors and Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing, who cut the large birthday cake baked by 'Brown Owl'.

Mrs Laing said: "I was delighted to celebrate with the Brownies in Theydon Bois their 45th anniversary and the centenary of the founding of the Brownie movement.
"I was a Brownie long ago and I still remember a lot of the things that we were taught."
She added: "I congratulate all the people who work so hard - the Brown Owl and all her helpers - to keep our local Brownie pack so lively and so interesting. It's a really important part of our local community."

19th September:E15 Singers to Perform at Corbett Theatre in Loughton in October:

Catherine Sheehy the Theydon Bois Singing Teacher is to showcase local talent at the E15 Corbette Theatre on Sunday 19th October at 3-5.45pm. She is holding a repeat performance as the last went so well ( 5 shows to date) and they have been in demand ever since!

She runs this completely by herself teaching all her students in her home music studio or in Theydon village hall and at present she has some 60 singers, all from Epping Forest, aged from 5 to 18yrs. There will be 40 performing solo, duet, group and also ensemble repertoire. This includes songs from Oasis, Elaine Paige, John Legend, Cyndy Lauper, Lily Allen, Adele, Birdy, Sam Smith and many West End Musicals hits.

Some of her students have gone onto the RAM, Guildhall, CPA, Epping and Loughton Performing Arts courses and Sylvia Young. Also many are now taking part in West End auditions and some are appearing in the XFactor. They are all amazing, individual and growing in talent each year.

19thSeptember:MARJORIE CHAPMAN RECEIVES FLAME OF HOPE HONORARY FELLOWSHIP FROM CANCER RESEARCH UK:

Marjorie set up the Theydon Bois and District Friends Group in 1972 with her friend Eileen Wilson. Marjorie started fundraising in her friend’s living room after hearing that two people from the village had been diagnosed with cancer. The first event the committee organised was a jumble sale which raised £90. The group continued to grow and to raise incredible funds through collections and events and in August 2012 they surpassed the fantastic milestone of £500,000! Although 96 years of age now, Marjorie is still an integral member of the group and is still the President. In fact, up until she was 88, Marjorie was still out and about with the group at their various fundraising events! Marjorie is an incredible lady, a true inspiration and an outstanding fundraiser. She has donated 42 years of her life to helping us beat cancer sooner and at the age of 96 and with ailing health deserves a huge thank you.

St. Mary's Church will be holding a Garage Sale on Saturday 13th September 2014 from 10am-2pm. Garages will be open throughout the village and a map of participating garages will be available for a small donation from St Mary's Church Hall, Theydon Bois on the day.

Refreshments will also be available. Please come along and grab a bargain! For further details, or to open your garage (minimum donation £10) please phone Joy Simmance on 01992 814410 or e-mail Amanda Simmance.

Haven House Childrens Hospice are holding a fun, family 5k or 10k walk with exciting themed activities on Sunday 26th October from 2.00 pm.

Come along to the Pumpkin Plod with your family and friends and enjoy a range of fun, pumpkin themed activities before plodding through the local streets, dressed as pumpkins, to help raise awareness of Haven House.

The event will start at Haven House Children's Hospice, High Road, Woodford Green, IG8 9LB.

For more information please visit The Haven House web page: http://www.havenhouse.org.uk/news-events/events/337

29th August: Former Chigwell Jazz Club Is Now Officially The Theydon Jazz Club:

On 29th May we reported that the Chigwell Jazz Club was now meeting at the Theydon Bois Golf Club and now it is official, the former Chigwell Jazz Club has become Theydon Jazz Club after successfully completing a two month trial period at its new golf club venue. Club organisers Dave and Sheila Dyer told Village News that they are delighted with the news that the golf club have extended the current arrangement for a further twelve months.

The programme for the next few months is on the Theydon Bois Website Club Details Page, where there is also a link to the Jazz Club's own website and current dates are on the Diary Page. If you have any queries you can ring Dave & Sheila on 01945 588325, mobile 07903 870209.

Since migrating from Chigwell Hall to the Theydon Bois Golf Club, the new “Theydon Jazz Club” has gone from strength to strength, and has attracted new members both from the golf club and from the village. I’d always been aware of a great enthusiasm for jazz among my Theydon friends, and it seems they’re now delighted to have top quality jazz concerts available so regularly, handily – and in such pleasant surroundings.

It would be difficult to better the dozen first class bands lined-up ready to entertain you during September, October and November, starting on the 1st September with Peter Baker & his Half Dozen and followed on September 8th with Graham Hughes and his youthful, exuberant Sunshine Kings and then on the 15th by Dave Grant & his Carlton Jazz. If you haven’t done so already, do come to the club and enjoy yourself.

Doors open from 6.30 pm for meals and the bands play from 8.00pm - 10.30pm. ALL are welcome, Members £6.50, Visitors, £7.50.

In the third of Phil Wilmott's critically acclaimed series of musical comedies based on the BBC's 1940s radio serial, a mysterious “Johnny Foreigner known only as the “Latin Love Lothario" has struck London, wooing women with his dance moves before stealing their jewels. Worse still, he has got hold of a dossier containing the whereabouts of Wilco and Rodger, Britain's finest secret agents and Judy Garland experts, putting them in severe danger from EFIL (Evil Foreigners in London). Fortunately Dick Barton, everyone's favourite special agent, is on hand to save the day with his faithful sidekicks, Snowy and Jock. But before Jock can reclaim the valuables of his beloved, Daphne Fritters, Snowy must somehow remember a familiar tune that will help to expose the identity of the devious Casanova.

23,24,25 October 2014
TICKETS £8 - ON SALE FROM 23rd September 2014
PERFORMANCES START 8PM
THEYDON BOIS VILLAGE HALL
COPPICE ROW, THEYDON BOIS
BOX OFFICE Tel: 01992 812250

21st August: Butcher John Phillips Retires:

John Phillips Retires

Theydon's well loved butcher John Phillips has retired after working at this family for business for the last 55 years. His last official day in the shop was on Saturday 16th August, but we were told that he intends to pop back from time to time to ensure a smooth transfer of the business. The shop is to continue as usual under new owner Les Green and further information about this will be posted on the Village Website in due course.

The shop (formerly a house and abattoir) opened on 26th November 1959 and was run by John’s father. John started working in the shop whilst he was still at school, gave it try on leaving school and has been there every since after taking over from his father. John hopes retiring will now allow him more time for gardening, walking and getting out in the countryside.

TB&DRPS last walk this year will be on 14th September, entitled “The Ancient History of Theydon Bois told through its Landmarks.” It starts from the Village Hall at 2pm, lasts about two hours and covers some four miles.

Everyone in the Village is invited to join us for our next free talk on Friday, 10th October at 8pm in the Village Hall when Tony O’Connor will give an illustrated talk entitled “A new dawn in Sun Street” on the extension and refurbishment of the EFDC Museum in Sun Street, Waltham Abbey. Tony’s talk replaces the previously advertised talk by Chris Pond.

Despite the threat to library services we are fortunate in still getting the mobile library in the village.

At the moment the mobile library visits the village every other week - Wednesdays at the Scout Hut from 9.30 - 10.00 and Thursdays at the Village Hall from 14.35 - 16.35 and then at Robert Daniels Court for 30 mins.

This will change September so that it will visit every week on a Friday - one week at the Scout Hut the next at Robert Daniels Court and the Village Hall.

e.g Friday, 5th September at the Scout Hut from 9.30 to 10.00
Friday, 12th September at Robert Daniels Court from 13.30 to 14.00
and then at the Village Hall from 14.10 to 16.10.

And so on week by week. It will have a new vehicle and a new driver/librarian called Tom.

The Horticultural Society Village Show returned on Sat 26th July with great success.

The committee were worried that as there hadn’t been a show in 2013 that there might be a dearth of entries, but they needn’t have worried. There were plenty of entries in the plant and cookery sections with Diane Badcock, Victoria Robertson and Colin Crudgington taking prizes. The number of entries in the vegetable and flower sections suffered because the deluge in the weather on the preceding Friday prevented a lot of competitors from collecting their exhibits, however Geoff Hazelhurst, Barry Turner and Colin Crudington taking cups in these sections. Cups were also won by Julia Edmunds for the art and Handicraft section and Barry Turner for photography.

It was very satisfying to see so many entries in the Junior section, with young Antony Girling taking the Shield.

Now that the show is definitely back and hall booked for 25th July 2015 it is hoped that the village will start thinking about what they can enter so there will be a bigger and better show next year

This years Donkey Derby was held under beautiful sunshine once again. After a morning downpour the weather brightened up for the annual Theydon Bois Scout Group event.

Thousands of people came to the derby on the village green to watch the young jockeys ride the donkeys around the course in the seven races. There were also many side stalls for people to enjoy from the guides homemade produce tent to the preschools smelly wanting competition.
This year local groups including the schools PTA, St Mary's Church, Playground At Theydon and nearby scout groups were offered stalls to run so they could individually profit from the event.
For this reason the annual total was down on last years bumper figure but it still raised approximately £11,000 for the scout and guide groups in the village.

Donkey derby committee chairman Phil Koczan said: "We had an excellent day made possible by the support of many people providing time on the day, helping with the organisation of the event, advertisements and sponsorship. Without this fantastic support the event would not happen."

He will be standing down as chairman this year and anyone who is interested in reaching him or joining the committee can contact him at 01992 815629. The committee meets monthly from January in the Queen Vic pub in the village. It gained had several new members last year and hope to do so again this year.

Theydon Bois villagers turned out in force on Monday 7th July to watch the Tour de France race through our district. Some made their way to Epping where large crowds had gathered to see the stage three sprint points awarded. Here to get a good view the onlookers perched on walls, bins, post boxes and some even brought stepladders.

The closest point to Theydon was the junction at the end of Theydon Road by the Bell Hotel and as early as 11.00am many villagers were spread all along route through the forest between Epping and Buckhurst Hill. There were English Flags, French Flags and balloons everywhere and members of the crowd were leaping to grab memorabilia thrown from the promotional vehicles that past through prior to the race.

There were thousands of people spread along the road by 2.00 pm and it seemed a lot of money was being made selling drinks and eats. The nearby pub The Forest Gate Inn and the Bell hotel both had barbeques and they could not keep pace with the demand and long queues. Prices were not too expensive, but they must have still made a small fortune with the number they sold.

The cyclists finally came past the junction at about 3.20 pm. Two riders were about 45 seconds in front at this point and then the whole bunch (peloton) went past in less than 20 seconds! Was it worth a 3 or 4 hour wait as they all wissed past so fast? It seemed for most people it was. Many commented on the ‘great atmosphere’ and it being a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ that will never happen here again. It certainly brought out the community spirit and it may pay off in the future with those who were watching on TV now considering Epping Forest and Theydon Bois a interesting place to visit.

There was another 100th Birthday Celebration at Frank Foster House on Thursday 26th June when Lily Evans reached that remarkable age. She was surrounded by her family including daughter Rosemary and her great granddaughters Milly and Evie who enjoyed looking at the card she had received from the Queen and the bouquets of flowers presented by family members and Runwood Homes, the Managing Company of Frank Foster House.

Lily’s son-in law provided the musical entertainment for the afternoon party and this and the 100th Birthday cake was enjoyed by all the residents of Frank Foster House who were able to attend the party.

On Sunday June the 22nd , Theydon Youth, led by Thea Buisson and Karen Collins, organised and ran the annual Theydon Bois Open Gardens’ Day. The event has now been running for over 30
years and is visited by people far and wide. The number of gardens was slightly down on previous years, but the number of visitors was up and the selection of gardens to view was still more than enough to fill the visitors’ day. The gardens included a wonderful selection from all over the village, from the stunning formal gardens of Larkmead and Ray Cooney to the beautiful bungalows in Forest Drive.

We had two new gardens this year in Coppice Row and Hornbeam Close, which were very popular. The weather was kind & the sun shone all day! Special thanks goes to not only the gardeners, without whom the event simply could not take place, but also to the Village Association, for letting us use the hall, the Rural Preservation Society, for providing a wonderful display in the hall and not
forgetting all our helpers throughout the day.

Open Gardens’ Day is the main fundraiser for Theydon Youth and this year we made in excess of £2,700. The money will go towards buying new equipment and subsidising trips for members of the Youth Club. Theydon Youth finished the Summer Term with a water party for each group, which saw hundreds of water balloons being thrown and a giant waterslide being the main attraction! The number of members continues to grow, with our weekly Tuesday night and monthly Junior night having a regular attendance of over 30 village children each session. We are in desperate need of new helpers from September to run on our monthly rota as due to work and/or family commitments a number of our helpers have had to step down. If you feel that you can spare a couple of hours once a month, please contact me Thea Buisson on 01992 815982 or email: [email protected].

Chairman of the Parish Council, Councillor John Philip announced the Villager of the Year 2014 is Mr Roland Frankel. In making the award Cllr John Philips said of Roland "He has spent many years leading the scouts, he stepped down but then returned. He has now stepped down again probably for the last time, but no guarantees of that. He very frequently steps forward to do things around the village and most of us have seen examples of him dishing up candy floss in support of the Donkey Derby where we expect to see him again this year. He organises the songs of praise on the village green for the Open Gardens Day and is very involved at St Mary's Church where he sings in the choir on a regular basis and is also on the PCC. Roland is always willing to step forward and do things around the village. It is my very great pleasure to award Roland Frankel, The Theydon Bois Villager of the Year Rose Bowl."

On accepting the award Roland said "Thank you ever so much, it’s a very great honour. I have always tried to do whatever I can for the villagers; I just don’t like to say no. I think the greatest pleasure and greatest satisfaction I have had of is in serving the young people, they are our greatest asset without a doubt and I would say that probably a cleverer person than me thought up the phrase ‘there our promise for the future and our blessing for today’ so everything that we do for children and young people is and will be a huge benefit to our village. Thank you very much’.

In closing Cllr John Philip reminded Roland of his new duties; "I will just remind you of your duty to be at our Christmas fair this year for two things, switching on the lights and judging the window display."

Theydon Bois Village Web Site

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