Jan - June 2017 News

The charity are holding a pub quiz to raise money for the Playground. There is a maximum of 6 people per team (no minimum), minimum donation for the charity is £4/person entering. If you would like to participate and support this worthwhile charity then please email [email protected] or call Shellly Dix on 07919 215465 to reserve a table.

22nd June 2017 Theydon Bois & District Rural Preservation Society Free Talk & AGM:

As we announced in advance below Voluntary Action Epping Forest (VAEF) had a stall next to Barclays Bank at Monday Epping market this week to promote their new chargeable Handyman Service that is available to over 60 year olds, vulnerable or disabled people and those in receipt on benefits.

VAEF Handyman, Mark Dalton was kept busy giving information on handyman jobs covered by the service and also offering many DIY tips. As well as Mark also on hand was VAEF’s Gardening co-ordinator and benefits expert, Jina Symes, along with Maggie Gilchrist, Head of Volunteering.

The new Handyman Service can help with many small jobs around the home that people have difficultly with including fitting grab rails and key safes, securing carpets, changing light bulbs, hanging pictures, gardening and much more. As a Charity their rates are very reasonable and all their friendly team are very experienced and police checked.

There is further information about VAEF services or about how to volunteer help to this very worthwhile local community service see the VAEF Website or to book the handyman service you can phone 01992 564178.

Voluntary Action Epping Forest Benefits is one of the groups on the shortlist of the Tesco and Groundwork community funding scheme, which sees grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to local community projects. Voting is open in Tesco stores (Epping, Ongar Express and Theydon Express) throughout July and August. Customers can cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

COME AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF VAEF’S NEW SERVICES ON MONDAY 19TH JUNE AT THE INFORMATION STAND IN EPPING HIGH STREET

On Monday 19th June 2017 from 10am-3pm, local organisation Voluntary Action Epping Forest (VAEF) will have an information stand in Epping High Street, with experts available to talk about the new Handyman and Gardening services, as well as all of the other vital services which VAEF offers to the local community. The stand will be positioned near Barclays Bank and Costa Coffee.

On the stand will be VAEF’s very own Handyman, Mark Dalton, who will be available to talk about types of handyman jobs covered by the service and even offer DIY tips. Also available with be VAEF’s Gardening co-ordinator and benefits expert, Jina Symes, along with Maggie Gilchrist, Head of Volunteering.

The new chargeable Handyman service is available to vulnerable or older people in the community and offers help with small jobs which they may find difficult, such as repairing gates and doors, replacing light bulbs, replacing batteries or assembling flat pack furniture for a very reasonable £25 for the first hour and then £12 per hour thereafter. Also being highlighted will be VAEF’s payable Gardening service, where older or vulnerable people can pay a small charge for jobs in the garden. These would include hedge cutting, shrub pruning, weed and bramble removal and mowing lawns.

Please come along and have a chat with us about VAEF, our new chargeable services and volunteering.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Jacqui Foile from VAEF, please contact:
Lisa Sharp on 07736234401
Or by email on: [email protected]

CON majority: 18,243 Turnout: 67.9%

There were also a display of early photographs by Theydon Bois and District Rural Preservation Society, stalls and sideshows at the Church Hall to feed and entertain adults and children alike. With a little help from above, the weather just about held and a great time was had by all. As well as important fellowship and outreach, the event is the main fundraiser of the church and raised over £3500.

Thanks to all who came along or contributed in any way to another successful Flower Festival.

2nd June 2017 Annual Parish Council Meeting Says Farewell to Parish Clerk Julie Taylor:

At the Annual Parish Council Meeting last week a presentation of flowers and a voucher for art materials was made to our Parish Clerk of the last four years Julie Taylor, by re-elected Parish Council Chairman, John Phillip. Julie's always smiling and friendly face will not disappear from the village though as her new job is with Butler and Stag the new estate agents in Forest Drive. The Parish Council are advertising for a new Parish Clerk to replace Julie and the closing date for applications is 26th June. See Below.

As noted above the meeting also re-elected Cllr. John Phillip as Chairman and Cllr. Peter Gooch as Vice Chairman and there are also a few changes to Parish Council Committee membership that will be reflected on the Parish Council's Committees Page soon.

The Playground At Theydon (PAT) Charity had a highly successful spring fair in May and managed to raise £3,030 despite sudden downpours of rain.

The PAT committee put on a bumper show with lots of stalls including the penalty shoot-out, cakes, shooting gallery, face painting and other games. Families turned out in droves to support the event despite a couple of heavy downpours of rain. Theydon DJ Tony Poole kept spirits up with his DJ set, which he played for free. New estate agent in town, Butler and Stag, sponsored the boards to publicise the event.

The money raised will go towards replacing the entire playground equipment and flooring which is all coming to the end of its useful life. As such the toddler slide has now been condemned as unsafe and will be removed. PAT is trying to raise circa £114,000 for a complete refit and has so far managed to raise just over half that total. The committee has been overwhelmed by the support of local businesses in donating prizes and local residents who have given very generously to the appeal.

PAT chair Shelley Dix said: "We are so pleased with the response we have had to our appeal. the spring fair was our bigger fundraiser to date despite the weather. I would like to thank everyone who came to show their support, all the businesses that donated prizes to us, the volunteers, Tony Poole and Butler and Stag for their help."

Theydon Bois Pre-School Summer Fete Theydon Bois Scout Hut, Loughton Lane 13.00 - 15.30 Free entry Come along for bouncy castle, face painting, nearly new sale, hook a duck and lots more. Please come and support your local Pre-School.

2nd June 2017 Essex Police Seek Active Citizens:

Essex Police are looking for members of the community to become Active Citizens.

The volunteers should be a movable group of reliable and professional people, keen to make a difference in the community and become a valuable local resource.

They should be a visual deterrent and a link between the public and Police, to achieve more cohesive communities, interact with residents and help to make Policing more transparent.

If you are interested in Volunteering for Essex Police or want more information then see the link at - Police Volunteers

You can emaill your interest to [email protected]

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St. Mary's Church PLANT SALE - all your plant requirements catered for!
Saturday 20th May: 10am - 2pm at St Mary’s Church Hall.
Selections of quality nursery-grown traditional and unusual perennials, bedding plants, plants for baskets and containers.
Many cottage garden favourites.

Tea, coffee and cakes will also be available.
Theydon Bois delivery service. Contact Joy Simmance to check for availability or other details

Playground at Theydon
PAT Spring Fayre. Many stalls, side shows and attractions. Come along to help us fundraise for the rebuilding of the playground.

It has been full steam ahead for the fundraising team on the Playground At Theydon committee who have raised just over half of the total needed of £113,400. The committee are determined to raise the full amount to be able to replace all the equipment in the playground which is now beyond its guaranteed life and is becoming dangerous or constantly in need of repair. So far PAT have raised £56,800. The Parish Council has agreed to fund the replacement flooring, which will cost circa £40,000, which really kick started the fundraising.

The Theydon Bois Village Association has also agreed to donate £5,000, which is very much appreciated along with a £1,000 donation from the Theydon Bois Rural Preservation Society. Other private individuals have very, very kindly donated £7,000 between them which has been overwhelmingly generous of them. The team on the committee, which is a charity, have also secured a deal with Tesco from their Bags of Help initiative. So anyone who shops in their stores in Theydon, Epping or Ongar throughout May or June will be given a token and can choose for Tesco to make a donation on their behalf for Playground At Theydon. The charity can gain up to £4,000 though this initiative so the committee would be most grateful if shoppers could make sure they ask for the token every time they go to Tesco and pop it in the PAT box. Other applications are also being pursued with large firms and the committee hope to have some good news from at least one of them.

The Bull kindly let the committee use the pub for a charity quiz event in March and provided a special menu for the evening. The event was great fun and raised approximately £825. The PAT committee also held a Spring Fair in the playground on May 20th with lots of stalls, crafts and a large raffle.

A leaflet has gone out across Theydon outlining the Playground at Theydon's campaign. These were delivered by Hilary Burbank and her friend Carole Cole who kindly offered to do this rather onerous task.

Shelley Dix, chair of the Playground At Theydon committee, said: "The support we have had has been astonishing. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people and we hope to make our dream of giving the playground a new lease of life come to fruition this year. We would also like to thank Hilary and her friends who kindly hand-delivered leaflets for the playground to every house in the village."

If anyone would like to donate, please log onto or if anyone would like to become a member of the PAT committee and join our friendly team, please email [email protected] or call Shelley on 07919 215465.

Annabel returns to the home she left 35years previously to claim her father’s inheritance, there is little inkling of the dark deeds committed both in the recent and not-so-recent past. The comedy in the sparky, tetchy relationship between Annabel and her sister Miriam (Susie Blake) soon gives way to introspection and confession: Miriam’s revelation that she has neither loved nor been loved (or so it would seem in this play of shifting relationships) is one of the most touching scenes. The third woman in the intrigue – Alice Moody (Rachel Atkins) – is a former employee of the Chester family with apparently her own agenda.

We know there are many keen walkers in our village, but not all of them may be aware of all the Public Rights of Way near our village that are well worth exploring. Essex Highways now has a great Interactive Footpath Map for Essex:

Essex Highways Footpath Map Link This is The Public Rights of Way Map of each footpath which is identified on the map by a code number both for the parish and the path. For example 'PROW 208_3' is in Theydon. This code number can be seen by clicking on the path along with the grid reference at the point you click. If you have any comments about this path, you quote this code when contacting Essex Highways to enable the Public Rights of Way team to deal with your query more easily.

You can either use the zoom in/out function to find a specific area of interest on the map or use the search facility. You can check on who can use the different paths on the map by clicking on the 'Asset' Category on the left hand menu.

10th May 2017 Parish Council Agrees to Public Participation Session at the End of Every Full Monthly Meeting:

At the April Full Parish Council Meeting it was agreed that there will now be a Public Participation Session at the end of all Full Monthly Parish Council Meetings. This will allow villagers to speak on any matters of concern and it is hoped will encourage greater attendance and participation by villagers at these meetings. The Parish Councillors always wish to listen to the widest number of villagers opinions when making decisions that may effect the future of our village. So please come along to find out what is happening in Theydon and make your opinion known.

Not many people know about the Epping Community Transport Bus Service called ‘The Abridge Shopper’ that runs as a minibus from Theydon on Mondays and Wednesdays (except Bank Holidays) and offers more time in Epping than taking the often late and sometimes unreliable 418 service.

The section that serves our village comes from Abridge and continues to Epping High Street and St Margaret’s Hospital- leaving at 10.05 am from the bus shelter opposite Tesco and returning from St Margaret’s at 12 noon, collecting from the stop outside Specsavers, Epping at 12.10pm arriving back at Theydon at 12.20 pm

Apart from getting to Epping and back more quickly and straightforwardly and leaving more time there the minibus service offers courteous drivers who will help you in and out of the minibus and stow your shopping trolley away safely, whether full or empty and lift it down to the pavement when you get off. This is very helpful for those who find it difficult to get on and off the 418 bus with their shopping without help.

The atmosphere on board is very pleasant, people greeting each other and our neighbours from Abridge and chats are usual on journeys.

The minibuses seat 14 and on Mondays ( Market Day) usually has 3 or 4 people onboard from Abridge before reaching Theydon, only once have we seen it full and then the youngest person gave up their seat to an older lady, so there are usually spare seats.

A single Journey is £3.50 and a return costs £5.00. Children aged 5 – 16 travel for half price and children under 5 free. Concessionary bus passes are also accepted for travel.

There is a danger that the Wednesday bus could be withdrawn as at present it is underused as it has no one from Abridge aboard usually and presently just a few from here, but it's a great service and we don't want to lose it. It goes to St Margaret’s so one can not only go to an outpatients appointment, but to am appointment at the Limes too.

Epping Forest Community Transport also supplies transport across the District to the elderly, the disabled or those who are rurally isolated and unable to access public transport and is need of more volunteers.

This year the Donkey Derby will be celebrating its 30th year. The event was first set up by Peter Simmance in 1987 to raise money for the scout hut - and has continued ever since.

Peter got the idea from the old donkey races which used to be held by Gerald Buxton at Birch Hall at the end of the 1890s.

Although much has changed since those times, the art of donkey riding has not and the donkeys still have to be ridden without a saddle - though participants are not allowed to carry their donkeys over the line anymore!

The event will be on Sunday July 9th on the Green starting at 12noon with the last race at 4.30pm.

To celebrate our 30 years, Phil Hughes who kindly compiles all the music for the event will be throwing in a few numbers from 1987 - so keep an ear out for those.

There will be a host of other stalls and attractions, including the ferris wheel and swing boats and inflatables.

The event raises money for the Scouts and Guides groups locally but but lots of other village charities will have stalls at the event too including the Playground At Theydon, Theydon Bois Horticultural Society, Loughton Astronomical Society, St Mary's Church, Rural Preservation and the Amateur Radio society so it really is a "village" event.

However, it takes a colossal amount of volunteers and many of the same faces help out year after year and the 1st Theydon Bois Scout Group would like to say a huge thank you to those who do. Your help is always appreciated.

To any newcomers to the village, it is a great way to get to know people, so if anyone can spare some time setting up on the Saturday, manning a stall on the Sunday or packing away afterwards, please contact Stephen Rochester on 07825 270832.

We are also looking for bric-a-brac and old plates etc for the Smash The Crocs stall - a fantastic way to get rid of a bit of pent-up energy!

If anyone has any that needs collecting, please contact Bob Penman on 07873 873732. If anyone has larger items, such as old bicycles, we can do them up before the event for sale on the day. Please call Pat Gill on 07970 551360.

Nik O'Flynn, joint chair of the Donkey Derby committee said: "We are thrilled to be celebrating 30 years of this event - it is an established part of the Theydon Bois calendar. To any newcomers who have not been before please come along, or better still, help out on the day.

"We hope everyone enjoys it and I would like to say a big thank you in advance to all those who help us make this event happen."

6th May 2017 Full Theydon Bois Essex County Council Elections Results 2017:

Chris Whitbread gains Epping and Theydon Bois for Conservatives from Liberal Democrats

After 6 years of fund raising by the school PTA the new school changing rooms for the swimming pool finally arrived yesterday (6th April). These were delivered as a complete unit and carefully lowered into the prepared space leaving only the services to be connected. The full story of the changing rooms will be added here soon, but in the meantime we have a gallery of pictures showing them being lowered into place HERE.

Update: After six years of fundraising Theydon Bois Primary School PTA finally took delivery of its new swimming pool changing rooms.

The pre-fabricated building was lifted into place on a new landscaped base using a crane at the site in Orchard Drive.

The changing rooms will be plumbed in and ready for the children to use when they go back to school after the Easter break.

Joanne Bird, chair of the PTA said: "it's great news! Thank you to our contributors of local businesses sponsoring our PTA raffles and events, our parents past and present for supporting our efforts and for our lovely children for being so patient waiting for this new facility to help them enjoy the use of our pool.

"Theydon Bois Primary are so lucky to have their own swimming pool as it is a curriculum requirement and we don't need to ship the children to the local pools to have this life saving lesson.”

"The PTAs main task is to fund and maintain this pool, and we wish to thank all the parents who have also helped sell raffle tickets, serve teas and hot dogs etc., without your help we wouldn't have been able to raise enough money at all."

Joanne Bird & Nicola Tait

PTA Chair & Vice Chair

7th April 2017 Notice of Election of County Councillors for County Divisions within the Epping Forest District:

Notice of Election

Forms of nomination for County Elections may be obtained at Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, CM16 4BZ from the Deputy County Returning Officer who will, at the request of an elector for any electoral area, can prepare a nomination paper for signature.
Nomination papers must be personally delivered to the Deputy County Returning Officer, Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, CM16 4BZ on any day after the date of this notice but no later than 4 pm on Tuesday, 4th April 2017.
If any election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday, 4th May 2017.
Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, CM16 4BZ by 5 pm on Tuesday, 18th April 2017.
Applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, CM16 4BZ by 5 pm on Tuesday, 25th April 2017.
Applications to vote by proxy at this election applied for on grounds of physical incapacity, where that physical incapacity occurred after 5 pm on Tuesday, 25th April 2017, must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, CM16 4BZ by 5 pm on Thursday, 4th May.

The campaign to raise £113,400 to replace the playground equipment and rubber flooring has received some significant boosts since it was launched at the beginning of the year. See below.

Shelly Dix of the PAT Committee receives a £1,000 Cheque from TB&D RPS Chairman Peter Newton

The latest one was a £1,000 cheque from the Rural Preserevation Society. This was presented by Ivor Chinman (Treasurer) and Peter Newton (Chairman) of the society to Shelley Dix, Nik O'Flynn, Sam Welland and Alison Dawkes, in a small ceremony - fittingly in the playground.

There have been several other high nomination cheques and smaller donations from a number of local residents, who have given to the charity anonymously, all donations of which are gratefully received and are making a valuable contribution to toward the playground improvements.

The Playground At Theydon committee also held a very successful pub quiz in The Bull in March which raised £825. Sixteen teams battled it out to win the coveted first place, with We Thought This Was Speed Dating being named champs. Nik O'Flynn compered the event. She said: "It was great fun. It was the first time I had compered a quiz and it was quite daunting especially as the teams kept on coming in. We were very grateful for the pub allowing us to use their venue and the staff did a fantastic job waiting on the tables to save people going up to the bar. It was heaving, but everyone had a great time and forgot all about it being a Tuesday night. There may have been some sore heads at work on Wednesday!"

The PAT committee is also applying for larger grants from other sources and is currently going through the necessary paperwork.

PAT chair Shelley Dix said: "We have made a fantastic start to our fundraising efforts, with 45% of the monies already raised. We are looking forward to further fundraising events over the coming months, including our annual Spring Fair in May, a further pub quiz and a haircut-athon”.

26th March 2017 London Terrorist Attack and Increased Police Visability in Essex:

Acting Assistant Police Chief Constable Andy Prophet said:

"On behalf of Essex Police I want to offer the thoughts and prayers of the entire force to members of the public killed, injured or affected by the incident in London today. We of course also join our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police Service in grief for the loss of a serving officer.

This has been declared a terrorist incident in London and is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command.

In Essex from 22nd March, and until further notice, there will be increased visible police patrol including additional armed officers and other specialist resources.

I urge the public to be alert but not alarmed. Police forces and our partners are doing everything we can to help protect the security of our citizens, public institutions, critical national infrastructure, and businesses and places.

This is a time for communities in Essex to remain resilient, compassionate and supportive of each other. Should anyone have any concerns or see anything suspicious I would urge them to report it immediately by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency."

As for our own experience: We were delighted by your very welcoming and helpful response to my query. As a foreign journalist you are used to not always getting answers, but this time I was lucky. As I had seen parts of your village when I took some photos of the tube-station for my ongoing project on Facebook, I wanted to see more. And we were so lucky not only to meet the editor of Village website, but also important members of the local community.

We had a great day, despite it being sometimes disrupted by other news that I had to cover briefly. Rather than staying on in the village to film in the dark, we had to go to Westminster to do a live outside parliament and then return. We were greeted welcoming by everyone we met and spoke to, and I have had some lovely response afterwards – also from local residents. Almost 800.000 people saw the tv-story when it went out. Several thousands have watched it online since. 63 people have shared the link to the tv-story

May Ruth Kaardal: "I love stories from everyday life such as this. We need more like this".

Cathrine Brynhildsen: "It was beautiful. I volunteer to take down the average age by moving there"

Many villagers were intrigued on Monday of last week when they saw a film crew working in Theydon. They were from the Norwegian TV broadcasting network NRK, the national licensed like our BBC, TV network. Espen Aas the UK and Ireland Correspondent had come across Theydon Bois while putting together another story about the Central Line tube stations. He liked the character of our village and was interested in our 'Dark Skies Policy' that adds to the particular character of our village. He had looked at our Village Website and contacted Jim Watts the Website Editor to see if he could help them with a short film story for the Norwegian broadcaster.

Cameraman Johan Bull & UK NRK TV UK & Ireland Correspondent Espen Aas film in Theydon

Jim was happy to help and fixed up a number of villagers for them to meet and places in the village that they might be interesting in filming.

Espen and Johan arrived in Theydon on Monday 17th March and spent the whole of the day from 9am - 4.30pm filming accompanied by Jim and also Peter Newton, Chairman of Theydon Bois & District Preservation Society.They also did one TV and two radio broadcasts live to Norway from here about the Scottish Referendum that was breaking news on that day. Then at 4.30pm they went back to do another broadcast about this from Westminster at 6pm, returning again to Theydon at 8.30pm to photograph our 'Dark Skies', the thing that had intrigued them about Theydon in the first place.

While here they interviewed a number of the villagers Jim had arranged for them to meet, attended and filmed a Village Association meeting in our Village Hall, visited St. Mary's Church, Green's Butchers, Esquires hairdressers and of course The Bull for lunch. All this filming made over the whole day in the end had to be edited down to just 4 minutes. They had hoped for 5 minutes, but schedules meant it had to be cut further and so some interviews were cut out entirely, although information from them is related in the online story that accompanies the film.

Espen tells the Village Website that he has already had some very nice responses about Theydon Bois and the program. He intends to translate them and let us have them soon together with his own experiences of 'Life in Theydon Bois'.

There was a good turnout of villagers at the Village Hall last night to hear speaker David Bevan's illustrated talk on how to create a Butterfly Garden. There was also a bring and buy plant sale, a raffle and refreshments were served at the end of the evening.

15th March 2017 Neigbourhood Watch Meeting on Saturday 25th March:

A meeting has been arranged for all Road CoOrdinators and Villagers who are interested in Neighbourhood Watch. The date is Saturday 25th March at 3.p.m. at the Youth Centre off Loughton Lane. The District CoOrdinator, Sue Taylor, will be there together with Laura Chilcraft who will be speaking about the Active Citizen programme. We have also invited a representative of the Police to attend.

Please mention the meeting to your neighbours and friends in the Village. Notices about the meeting will be appearing on Facebook, the Village Website and Notice Boards.
I do hope you can attend.

Madeleine McCarthy
Theydon Bois NW CoOrdinator

Theydon’s own racing driver Lochlan Bearman starts his 2017 campaign at Brands Hatch on April 9th.

Lochlan who is only just 15, has won 5 karting Championship Titles, has raced internationally and has had many wins, fastest laps and lap records.

Last season at just 14 and the youngest on the grid he contested the Ford Fiesta Junior Championship racing drivers up to 17 years old at speeds of up to 125mph at circuits such as Silverstone and Brands Hatch and narrowly missed out on finishing 3rd overall in his first season of car racing. This season he has been signed by the top team in the Championship and it will be the first time he has run with a professional team. He has had two test sessions with the team and he has been very impressive, coming out fastest both times. “The difference being with a professional team is amazing, we review data, they have a data analyst, a driver coach and a chief engineer and they set the car up perfectly.”

Lochlan will be qualifying on Saturday the 8th and competing in two 20 minute races on Sunday 9th of April in Rounds 1 & 2 of the Championship. The races are also Televised on Motors TV.

Anyone who wants to come along and support him or get involved will be very welcome. You can contact his father John via [email protected] or via his web site www.lochlanbearman.com

12th March 2017 Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing is Extremely Optimistic About Future of Policing in Epping Forest District:

Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing says she is "extremely optimistic" about the policing of the Epping Forest district having met with new the District Commander.

Acting Chief Inspector Lewis Basford met with Mrs Laing and county councillor Valerie Metcalfe at Loughton Police Station today.

Mr Basford said: "I was delighted to meet Mrs Laing and have the opportunity to update her on local crime initiatives and the current trends, the successes we have achieved in recent weeks and I am committed to work alongside her and the work she is doing in the area."

Mrs Laing said: "I am very pleased to have formally met our new District Commander and I am encouraged by the plans that he has for the policing of our area.

"We all appreciate what a difficult job he and his officers have but I am extremely optimistic about his plans for the future."

8th March 2017 Theydon Bois Short Mat Bowls (Wednesday Evening Group) is Seeking New Members:

This Wednesday evening Bowls Group now have vacancies for New Members. They are a very friendly group, non competitive, and no special clothing is required apart from soft flat soled shoes. The first four weeks are free, there are spare sets of Bowls kept at the hall for new people to use. Advice and friendly coaching can be given to those who feel the need.

They meet in Theydon Bois Village Hall every Wednesday at 7.30pm and finish at approx. 9pm with refreshments. Why not go along and join or give bowls a try, you will receive a very warm welcome and it's a real social evening.

St Mary’s Lent Soup Lunches (organised by the Mission Committee) take place on Tuesdays at 12 midday, starting on 7th March and continuing weekly throughout Lent until April 11th.

On offer a choice of tasty home-made soups, fresh roll and butter, delicious home-baked desserts with cream, and tea, coffee or a soft drink to finish, all for just £5 per person, £1.50 for children. There is a bring and buy stall and plenty of fun and fellowship. Proceeds from these lunches are donated to charities and organisations supported by St Mary’s at home and overseas, including The Box in Epping, St Clare Hospice, the Church Mission Society and the Mission to Seafarers. Please come along if you can, and bring a friend or neighbour.

19th February 2017: ST MARY'S SPRING SUPPER - "CASSEROLES AND CREPES":
On Saturday 4th March St. Mary's will be holding a Spring supper for all the family. They have run this before and it was a lovely event which provided a great opportunity for fun and fellowship. Whether you have been a member of St Mary's congregation for 50 years or 5 minutes, you will be very welcome to come along and socialise with other members of their Church family.

The event will take place at St Mary's Church Hall, starting at around 4pm with some games for the kids and we will aim to eat at around 5pm. All food and soft drinks will be provided and you will be welcome to bring your own drink and glasses if you should like something a little stronger. We will be asking for a donation towards costs on the night, of at least £2 per adult or £5 per family, and you will need to sign the sheet at the back of church in advance so that we know how many to cater for.

18th February 2017 'All Things Theydon Bois' - Facebook Group Photo Competition 2017 Winners:

The winner of the 'All Things Theydon Bois' - Facebook Group Photo Competition 2017 (see below) run by Tippy Cornish and her group organisers has now been decided. The winning photo was submitted by Rob Hughes from Waltham Abbey. Rob took his picture of the 'sunrise over the village pond' on his way to work on a recent frosty winter morning.

It was though a very closely run contest and from the 40 finalists selected from an initial entry of well over 200 photos two entries at first tied for first place. After a couple of recounts of the over 400 votes, cast by Facebook Group members and other villagers to make sure, the tie was confirmed so Tippy gave a casting vote to someone who was not part of the contest and who had not voted resulting in Rob's victory.

Check out more of Rob's photos on Instagram account:https://www.instagram.com/robhughes25/

The close second place was then Emma Langschild and she had also taken a photo of the frozen pond with the ducks, but somewhat different from Rob's.

Tippy presented the award of a magnificent trophy she had made (and a cash prize) to Rob Hughes in The Bull pub this morning. Because the result was so close she has also awarded a prize to Emma for her photo. Unfortunately Emma could not make the presentation ceremony.

18th February 2017 Playground at Theydon (PAT) is Working Hard Fundraising to Overhaul the Playground:

Playground at Theydon (PAT) is one Theydon charity that will be working extra hard this year in an effort to fundraise around £100,000 + VAT to overhaul the playground. This popular corner of Theydon Bois, opposite the duck pond, is a lovely feature in our village which anyone with young children will no doubt have enjoyed. As well as being a great meeting place for children and parents it also attracts many visitors to the village.

What many people do not realise is the upkeep of the playground is run by a charity, and more importantly, by a group of committed parents. The committee members fundraise to pay for repairs to the equipment with stalls at key events within the village - the Donkey Derby, Christmas Fair and they have their own Spring Fair which this year will be on Saturday 20th May.

The members also empty the bins on a rota basis, trim the hedges and generally try to tidy up the foliage. However, the maintenance costs are rising as the equipment is very old and the wood is starting to rot.

The present equipment was first installed in the early 90’s with new and second-hand equipment but is now getting past its useful life.

It is inspected yearly by RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) but the last report in May 2016 stated “serious risks” within the equipment and cited the rotting timber as one of the main criteria.

An independent report by the National Playing Fields Association in 2003 stated that the life expectancy for the chain mail frame, wood log slide, toddler slide and both swing sets was under five years and the main frame had under ten years left.

The committee has managed to prolong the life of the equipment; however, the time has come when it now needs to be replaced.

The current Playground At Theydon committee have researched several firms for replacement equipment and have selected the one they feel gives the best selection of substantial equipment which will be interesting for all ages from two to 11. The firm is Playdale and the price is £94,500 excluding VAT.

Some quotes they received were cheaper but the equipment seemed less substantial and it would then need to be replaced sooner, and it would be less varied for the children.

They were drawn up with consultation from the playground users who were given the opportunity to give feedback on the planned equipment and what facilities they would like to see in the new scheme. To make it more accessible the plan is to include more disability-friendly equipment within the area.

Under the new plans the committee would like to install a new bench with a plaque dedicated to Cllr Joy Wainwright, who sadly passed away before Christmas, to commemorate the effort she put into setting up the PAT charity, fundraising, getting the original playground open and ensure the legacy she started lives on.

The Parish Council has kindly offered to donate a minimum of £20,000 to kick start the fundraising efforts. It owns the land the playground is on and leases it to the PAT committee.

The PAT committee are now applying for grants from other official bodies, in the hope they sufficient monies will be allocated to help them reach the total as well as carrying out the usual fundraising and additional fundraising events, including a quiz night at The Bull, date to be announced soon.

If anyone has any contacts who would be able to make a donation, then please pass them onto Shelley Dix (07919 215465).

If you are able to help with a donation there is a JustGiving Page (link TBA) and a Total Giving Page (http://www.totalgiving.co.uk/charity/playground-at-theydon-association) for any residents to make a contribution to the costs of the refurbishment - all donations will be very gratefully received no matter how large or small.

PAT chairman Shelley Dix said: "This is a very exciting time for the Playground at Theydon, we have spent a lot of time liaising with providers of playground equipment and 2017 is the year we are targeting to raise the funds and build a new playground for our village. The money from the Parish Council is a big kick start, we now just need to keep the momentum going so that we can keep this important part of our community open."

18th February 2017 Theydon Bois Women’s Institute is 98 and Still Alive & Kicking!:

Contrary to some current rumours, Theydon Bois Women’s Institute that is now in its 98th year is still alive and kicking, but they are seeking new members. They meet at the Village Hall at 2 pm on the third Wednesday of every month, except in August. There are some very good speakers most months and other events in the yearly programme.

In February they were greatly entertained by Mark Lewis who gave an illustrated talk on ‘Seasonal Customs of Essex.’ As usual each month there was a competition and February’s theme was ‘Essex Memorabilia’.

The programme for 2017 has now been fully booked and few of the up and coming dates are listed below. Why not join us? We are sure you will find us a friendly and interesting group.
March 15th
Roy Tyzack - ‘The Police Forensic Officer’
April 19th
Annual Meeting and Handicraft Exhibition

Contacts till the April AGM are Kay Rush, President Tel: 01992 813717 or Mary Leng, Secretary Tel: 01992 578174.

These are based in Epping but are genuine community groups which could be of interest to Theydon residents.

1. Epping at the Movies launches on Sunday 5th March and will be showing 3 films throughout the day. One for children, a classic matinee and an evening blockbuster. This is a new not for profit organisation, a community cinema with screenings at Epping Hall. See www.eppingatthemovies.org and facebook page same name. They have already announced the first three films they will be showing on 5th March.

2. There's a new Epping Folk Club www.eppingfolkclub.com with monthly events at st. John's Church. Tickets can be purchased from Little Sew n Sews in Epping. The founder is the chap who works in there. We think this is another worthwhile venture that Theydon Residents may want to try.

Voluntary Action Epping Forest now face very challenging times with the withdrawal of various funding streams by Essex County Council and EFDC. Presently, the Handyman Service is provided to EFDC tenants in partnership with EFDC but EFDC are taking it in house and we believe their funding will cease imminently. The Handyman employed by VAEF receives many glowing references and feedback and we believe it is an excellent project deserving of extension.

"It is often difficult for old folk to find someone trustworthy to do these small jobs. So, the intention is to extend our employee's contract for a further period whilst we try and promote his services to the local elderly population (not limited to Council Tenants) who would pay for his work on a private basis. The details of the present scheme can be found on VAEFs website www.VAEF.org.uk. You will also see some of his testimonials reproduced here".

St Mary’s Church are holding a Table Top Sale on Saturday 22nd April from 11am to 2pm at St Mary’s Church Hall. This event has been run before and it was a great success, with tables being snapped up well in advance, so if you want one then get in quick! The cost to have a stall is £15 and you can sell whatever you like (within reason!) so why not have a post-Christmas clear-out? If you would like to have a table at the event please contact Sarah Eaton on 814693. More importantly, please do come along and support our event. You may even pick up a bargain! Entry costs 50p but kids (under 15) go free. Refreshments and raffle available.

4th February 2017 'All Things Theydon Bois' - Facebook Group Photo Competition 2017:

We have added the 40 finalists selected from the over 200 entries received to a gallery we have made on this site for the 'All Things Theydon Bois' - Facebook Group Photography Competition 2017. This selection of 40 finalists was made by Tippy Cornish and her Facebook Group organisers. The gallery here is to make it easy for you to view all the finalists together (click the index page thumbnails for a large image) and vote for the one that you think is best. If you are signed up to Facebook and the 'All things Theydon Group' you can vote directly via the link to the group. If you are a villager, but are not a Facebook user or signed up to the Facebook Group you can vote in person at the Post Office in Tesco.

The competition runs from 4th February to 12 Mid-Night 15th February 2017. Please vote now. Please only vote once and only for one numbered photo entry (number above each photo) and only in person at the Post Office or via the the Facebook Page linked from the photos and index pages in the gallery. The Gallery is here:

There is a cup for the overall winner and as well as being announced on Facebook the winners will appear here and in the March edition of Village News. This is the first collaborative event between 'All Things Theydon Bois', Theydon Bois Village Website and Village News. (See below).

Tippy Cornish who runs the Facebook Group and organised the contest said; "I noticed that a number of residents were displaying beautiful photographs of the village and thought it would be an idea to host our first ever 'All Things Theydon' photography competition with a small monetary prize and a gorgeous award, which I have had made.

"The response has been overwhelming, with hundreds of entries received. I did not want to put any rules on the number of entries a person could submit or their topic, just as long as they were relevant to our village. I decided to get help in short listing the entries and we have come up with a final 40, which we believe, are all worthy winners!"

"I really wanted it to be a 'whole village' endeavour so with the help of Theydon Newsdesk I have put the final 40 photos 'out there' for all villagers to vote on - although obviously, you can only have one vote per person and only for one photograph. Please ensure that you vote via either our Facebook Group website page or if not signed up to our group you can vote in person at the Post Office - all votes will be collated and a winner will be announced around about the 20th February - I believe the closing date (15th Feb.) gives people plenty of time to vote and allows us time to publish the winners in the next Village News in early March. I plan to host this competition as a yearly one, starting every January".

"Closing date for the competition is 15th February at 12 Mid-Night.This gives all village residents a reasonable time to vote for their favourite photo and will allow us to publish the winners in Village News".

Tippy Cornish who runs the excellent 'All Things Theydon Bois' - Facebook Group Website that at present has nearly 1,300 members and is still growing has now joined the Theydon Newsdesk committee. This is the committee of volunteers who oversee the production of this website and Village News Magazine'. All Things Theydon' will remain independent, but this collaboration should help all of us to ensure that as much News, Information, A Diary and Details of events etc. get to as many people in the village as possible.

Tippy moved to the village fourteen years ago, she has worked at the Post Office in Coppice Row for eight years and is currently the manager since the departure of Lorna Farrell, who she still meets up with Every Friday afternoon along with a motley crew in The Bull Public House! for a natter and a slap up lunch. Since joining the village Tippy has participated in some of its many clubs including badminton in the village hall on a Monday evening and the Theydon Bois tennis club in Sidney Road. She is a mother of two and a grandmother of one. One of her children still living in Theydon and one in Epping. Tippy also featured in the June 2015 issue of Village News (page 36).

Tippy decided to start a group on facebook when she noticed that a lot of villagers would come into the Post Office and tell her things of importance that she needed to 'get out there' quickly. "I used to display posters for information' she says 'but quickly realised that not everyone was benefiting from this, I decided to call our Facebook Group website 'All Things Theydon Bois' and allow resident villagers to join . I wanted it to be a place for information and sharing - for notices about upcoming events and to give us a kind of virtual neighbourhood watch.

It has been very successful, some villagers have even got jobs from it! Our number has grown to approximately 1300, although this figure is very general as we have people joining everyday, some who have even left the village but still wish to keep in touch with what's going on".

"There are a number of other events which I am currently trying to negotiate which would benefit our villagers involvement and will let you all know about in the next issue Village News issue or on this Village Website and/or on our own":

'All Things Theydon Bois' - Facebook Group Website

26th January 2017:St. Margaret's Hospital League of Friends Spring Luncheon:

Just turn up at the Village Hall on Saturday 25th March to have an excellent lunch and browse the stalls.

The 418 bus route new has a new timetable and a revised route that now serves Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow. This will be a benefit to our more senior car less residents who have been struggling to get to the Hospital from Theydon. Parish Cllr. Annie Wood has been instrumental in getting Essex County Council and Galleon Travel/Trustybus to restore this direct route to the hospital.

Many people in our area have lost their life time savings to scammers who phone them claiming to be from their bank, the police or from other trusted organisations such as utility companies.

Often, after several calls, victims are persuaded to transfer money into a bank account. When they do, their money disappears, never to be seen again. Victims are left feeling ashamed and unlikely to report the fraud to the police or tell anyone else about it.

Epping Forest Neighbourhood Watch is supporting the launch of a major new campaign designed to tackle financial fraud. Called the ‘Take Five’ campaign', it encourages people to think about fraud as a real possibility, and not be too trusting if someone phones or writes to them or calls at their door.

1. Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full password – it’s never okay to reveal these details.

2. Don’t assume an email request or caller is genuine – people aren’t always who they say they are.

3. Don’t be rushed – a genuine bank or organisation won’t mind waiting to give you time to stop and think.

4. Listen to your instincts – if something feels wrong then it is usually right to pause and question it.

5. Stay in control – have the confidence to refuse unusual requests for information.

You can follow Epping Forest Neighbourhood Watch on facebook at Epping Forest NHW Notices, and on twitter @EppingForestNHW and our website is http://www.eppingforestnhw.org.uk/index.html

13th January 2017:A Reminder of the Loughton Astronomical Society New Year Events:

Had a telescope for ages, or just got a telescope for Christmas? Still trying to get to grips with it? Come along to our public observing sessions to learn how to drive it. All meetings in the Scout Hall, off Loughton Lane. See www.las-astro.org.uk for more details. The Society also has a number of free public observing for the whole family during January & February. See also previous post below.

Essex Youth Offending Service are actively seeking volunteers from the community to help them in their work of preventing re-offending by young people aged between 10 and 17 years.

We are searching for people like you who have skills and are looking to learn new skills that can talk to young people, their parents and sometimes the victim of the offence to draw up a contract to address the young person’s offending behaviour. The contract is designed to prevent young people from re-offending, but also looks to try to repair the harm caused which can benefit both the victim and the community.

• You would receive full training and support.

• You would be able to fit this role around your existing commitments.

• You would be welcomed in to a friendly and supportive team who care about the community in which they live.

If you are aged over 18, live in Essex and are interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity, please contact Jodie Fenemer at [email protected] or ring on 03330139773

A new, updated, independent care services directory has recently been published which gives crucial information on how to access, and pay for, care services throughout Essex.

With Government plans to cap the costs of social care now postponed, it’s never been more important to have impartial information to guide you through choosing and paying for care and support. The directory helps readers to understand their options, highlights where to go for advice and gives information on how the paying for care system works.

With no cap on care costs at present, this independent information is invaluable to help navigate the system.

The new edition of the independent publication and accompanying website give information on all aspects of arranging care and support in Essex. It includes how to stay independent for as long as possible, the different care and support options available and what to look for when choosing a care provider. It also offers guidance on important issues such as paying for care and what financial assistance may be available from the local authority. There are comprehensive listings of all registered care services throughout Essex, plus checklists to help you ask the right questions when visiting services.

The directory will be available throughout the region from outlets including carers’ centres, hospitals, GP surgeries, Age UK and the Alzheimer’s Society. It can be downloaded from www.carechoices.co.uk and is also available in spoken word. Copies of the directory, further help and information can also be accessed via the directory’s free telephone helpline on 0800 389 2077.

Robert Chamberlain, Managing Director of the directory’s publisher, Care Choices, commented: “This is an invaluable source of information for anyone considering short or long term care in Essex, and contains vital information to help people decide what type of care and support is best for them.

“With no cap on the cost of care, finding a care service for yourself or a loved one that meets their needs and is affordable can be a daunting and unfamiliar task. This new independent directory has been compiled to help people understand the process and offer them reassurance at every step of their journey.”

13th January 2017:Hospice Calls on Supporters to Volunteer in One of Eight St Clare Charity Shops:

St Clare Hospice is supported in caring for local people with life-limiting illnesses by over 500 dedicated volunteers, with more than 250 of those kind-hearted individuals supporting the Hospice’s eight charity shops. The charity’s shops help to raise a combined total of more than £380,000 each year – a vital contribution towards the Hospice’s running costs.

As part of a New Year campaign, the West Essex charity is calling on Epping residents to support their local Hospice in 2017 by signing up to join their ranks of shop volunteers. The shop volunteer recruitment campaign aims to recruit another 50 retail volunteers across their eight shops, each signing up to give a regular weekly shift.

Fiona Eaton, St Clare Head of Retail, said: “Our volunteers in the St Clare shops really are the lifeblood of the Retail Team. Without their dedicated commitment to volunteering as cashiers, sorters and customer service assistants, we simply could not operate. Although we have a fantastic number of volunteers we are always in need of more people to join us. As our shops grow and donations increase, we are in ever greater need of new people of join our teams.”

Commenting on the benefits of volunteering in a St Clare charity shop, Fiona Eaton said: “Volunteering in a St Clare charity shop does more good than you might imagine – for the volunteer themselves, as well as the hospice. Scientific studies have shown that volunteering has a whole range of health benefits – lowering blood pressure, reducing stress and boosting happiness. So volunteering really does make you feel good, when you do good!”

Fiona Eaton continued: “Volunteering in a charity shop is also a great way to gain experience and new skills in a retail environment. We are able to offer Duke of Edinburgh placements to students looking for a volunteering opportunity, and it is also a great way for people to enhance their CV and gain vital on-the-job experience.”

Jeanne Towns, the Shop Manager of the Epping St Clare charity shop, said: “We are currently seeking new volunteers to join our team in the Epping shop. Whether you are recently retired and are looking for a worthwhile way to keep busy, or have a few spare hours while your children are at school, we would love to hear from you. Could you give a shift?”

Jeanne Towns continued: “The team at the Epping shop is such a close-knit group and we really support each other. Volunteering in a St Clare charity shop is a great way to make friends and gain new skills, or put current skills to good use! What better way to spend your spare time than by helping your local Hospice continue to provide its compassionate care – which is available for free to all the people of Epping.”

If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering in the St Clare Hospice shop, 182 High Street, Epping, CM16 4AQ, phone the Shop Manager on 01992 575092 or email [email protected]

To find out about volunteering in any of the other eight St Clare Hospice shops, visit www.stclarehospice.org.uk/shop or call the Retail Team on 01279 773732

Theydon Bois Village Web Site

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