PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS
DECEMBER 2006
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS, NOT NECESSARILY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE VILLAGE OF THEYDON BOIS DURING DECEMBER 2006 AND WHICH WERE RECORDED BY TREVOR ROBERTS, THE THEYDON BOIS LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER.
PRINCIPAL EVENTS
A sad occasion, so near to Christmas, was a Service of Praise and Thanksgiving (funeral) on 14 Dec 06 held in St Mary’s Church for Eileen Foster Johnson who died suddenly on 2 Dec 06. The service was conducted by Canon Colin Travers and attended by a large congregation including a number of TBPC Councillors, serving and retired. The Revd Althea Cannell gave the address in which she revealed that Eileen had served the Village in various capacities for more than fifty years. A Yorkshire lass from Bately, Eileen was born on 3 Nov 29 into a Presbyterian family and retained strong religious beliefs all her life. She initially worked in the catering business, married Stan Johnson in 1959 and moved into the Village in 1961 where she developed a great interest in floral work and gardening. Stan’s profession took him overseas and she became quite widely travelled by accompanying him to North African countries and cities eg. Khartoum. She served on the Theydon Bois Parish Council (TBPC) as Councillor and Chairman for some years, was diligent and particular about her duties. She was always ready to give advice but, when necessary, could be quite blunt with individuals in her typical Yorkshire manner regardless of their standing. She was instrumental in organising many Village activities including NADFAS, Young Wives Group, Open Gardens and was a leading light in the Theydon Bois Conservative Association. Following the service, Eileen was cremated, privately, at the Parndon crematorium at Harlow.
Christmas officially arrived in Theydon Bois on 1 Dec 06 when the two conjoint Villagers of the Year, Tony Ames and Trevor Roberts formally switched on the Village Christmas Tree Lights outside the Theydon Bois Village Hall (TBVH). A choir of children from the Theydon Bois Primary School sang carols and the Revd David Penegar from the TB Baptist Church told the children a story about the two stars of Christmas. The Canon Revd Colin Travers from St Mary's followed with a short prayer and wished the many in attendance a Happy Christmas. Then in “walked” Father Christmas because the Epping Round Table had borrowed his sleigh for the night. He talked to many of the younger children and gave them sweets (kindly supplied by Champer and Pravin Khetiya, the former owners of the Village Bookshop newsagents) while the adults quickly moved into the TBVH to enjoy mulled wine and mince pies. The Theydon Bois Singers led the carol singing and the Master of Ceremonies was Robert Glozier, Chairman of the TBPC.
The controversy over the Blunts/Parsonage Farm golf course development rumbled on with Mike Emmet of Abridge Road claiming that the granting of the original planning permission by the Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) was quite inexplicable. The developer had now submitted a further planning application for completion of the course, for which there was no justification in the first place. This application would entail some 16,000 truck movements (32,000 return trips) for which the developer would receive some £720,000 for topsoil imported in this way.
The Local Government Ombudsman, Tony Redmond, issued a report following a complaint made by the Theydon Bois and Abridge Action Group (TBAAG) regarding a planning application granted by the EFDC for a new house on an isolated site in the Metropolitan Green Belt near Theydon Bois. The new house was intended to replace an existing property but this was not done and there were now two houses on the site due to the omission in the planning consent of a condition requiring demolition of the original property. He recommended that the EFDC pay £250 to TBAAG to reflect the time and trouble it had taken in pursing its complaint and the sense of outrage that was felt.
Complaints about wheelie bins continued. V. Wildman of Green Glade, a strong supporter of recycling, having used the recycling bins in the station forecourt (for glass, paper, rags etc.) for some years, found that the wheelie bin supplied was too small for the usual six bags of domestic waste. A request to the EFDC for a larger bin was met with instructions to complete a request form. Dr John Warren of Woodland Way objected to the fortnightly instead of weekly collections of “smelly, pathogenic and germ forming residual domestic wastes from village residencies. He contended that it was vital for the EFDC to accept that it had a primary “Duty of Care” responsibility to ensure the safety of the public health of its residents.
There was general concern about the future of the oak trees along the avenue across the Village Green. A survey commissioned by the City of London, the responsible authority for the Green, had found that four of the trees should be felled and others be monitored. The TBPC accepted that this was necessary but was concerned about the eventual loss of this important visual aspect of the Village. It was therefore in favour of the planting, within the coming year, of a second line of trees to maintain this aspect when the current oaks had eventually gone
The weather in early December was very wet but warm such that flowers, which should have been long gone, still remained to brighten the dull days of autumn and gardeners could not mow still growing lawns. Moreover some villagers installed their external Christmas illuminations alongside rose bushes which were still blooming. But later, a three-day fog blanket covered most of the country and seriously disrupted air travel and therefore the holiday arrangements of some villagers. Worst affected was London’s Heathrow Airport where all short haul flights were cancelled and only limited long flights were operating. Hundreds of passengers had to either be "bussed out" to other airports or accommodated in hotels; the remainder were stuck at the terminal. This situation lasted for some three days with passengers queuing to join successive queues to get nowhere; at one time marquees (unheated) were erected outside the terminal building to give cover for those queuing to gain access to the terminal. The transfer of passengers to elsewhere caused congestion across most of the country, especially on railways and roads. The fog finally lifted on Friday night 22 Dec and to add insult to injury, the weather dropped a dollop of snow on the Epping Forest area in the process, which then quickly dispersed.
Christmas Day dawned cloudy and relatively mild following the recent hard frosts. In the early darkness Theydon Bois was silent except where, in many homes, excited children were opening presents and busy housewives preparing festive meals. The Bookshop newsagents and the Tesco convenience store were closed on this one day. The station stood deserted but brightly lit for security reasons and resplendent in new coats of paint following its recent major refurbishment. The station car park stood empty and no rail or road traffic disturbed the peace of this early Christmas morning. Nature was able to assert herself; the twitter of robins in the hedgerow, the song of the mistle thrush, that harbinger of spring, and the calls of the wildfowl on the pond could once again be heard without interruption. Early worshippers emerged in the morning gloom to hurry by foot or car past the Village Christmas Tree outside the TBVH en route to St Mary’s Church, or to the Baptist Church where they were welcomed by a pulsating Christmas star at the front of the building. The Village came alive at midday with people on the move to enjoy Christmas dinner in one of the several pubs in the Village, or elsewhere with family and friends. By afternoon, families were out in force with the favourite destinations being the pond, to feed the wildfowl, or the playground and the village green where young legs and lungs could be exercised to the full. By late evening the village was once again quiet, lit only by the bright festive decorations which illuminated the outside of many homes.
Relentless as ever, the weather ensured that 2006 roared out with ferocious winds and driving rain across most of the UK so that many “end of year” celebrations, including Edinburgh’s hogmanay, were cancelled. In London however, apart from driving rain, the weather relented so some villagers were able to join the 250,000 who saw the New Year ushered in at the stroke of midnight from Big Ben with a tremendous ten minute fireworks display on the Thames. The centrepiece of the display was the great wheel of the “London Eye” with fireworks appearing to radiate from it in all directions. The pictures of school children who had successfully competed in an environmental competition were projected onto the OXO and Shell buildings by the river. The night sky was illuminated for miles around, even as far as Theydon Bois where the display could be seen from high points in the village. The London Transport system operated throughout the night with free travel to facilitate the return to home. In the Midlands however, a rail strike resulted in limited travel facilities for revellers and prevented many from attending those celebrations that had not been “blown out”. It being Sunday, the significance of the year’s ending was remembered at morning services in the places of worship in the Village.
SNIPPETS
The Christmas meeting of the Theydon Bois WI was presided over by Kay Rush, the new President. Instead of a speaker, the members were entertained with readings given by Ruby Parrott, Sheila Gaymer, Doreen Snell and Kay Rush. It was announced that the visit to the theatre for a performance of “Crazy for You" on 24 Mar 07 was almost fully booked, and that the speaker at the Jan 07 meeting would be Brian Curtois talking about his Thirty Years as a BBC Reporter
The Theydon Bois Singers celebrated their fortieth anniversary with their annual Christmas Carol Concert in the TBVH. This event was well supported by an enthusiastic audience who enjoyed a feast of festive music sung in a very professional manner. The conductor was the indefatigable Janet Cass and Phil Chivers was the hard working pianist.
The Theydon Bois Country Dancing Group, which meets regularly on Tuesday evenings in the TBVH, spent the afternoon at the Frank Foster Home in the Village to give a demonstration of country dancing. One of the residents present was May Andrews, a former leader of the Group, and she with other residents joined in several of the dances.
In his monthly column in the Epping Forest Guardian, local resident Tony Ames of the Loughton Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) discussed the issue of unpaid loans, and the rejection of claims for Incapacity Benefit.
Tributes were paid to Frederick Burton, who died last month aged 98 in the Robert Daniels Court in Theydon Bois. Frederick was born at Great Parndon and moved with his family to Toot Hill before joining the Royal Norfolk Regiment and serving in China and India where he became a sportsman of considerable ability winning many trophies and awards. He was well known in both Epping and Theydon Bois not only for his entries in horticultural shows, but also in the farming community through his function as a rodent officer.
With dog thefts on the increase and many pet owners so losing their family pets, it was heartening to learn of one animal, which had been reunited with its owners. Benjie, a 12-year-old black Labrador, owned by Peter and Yvonne Morgan of Coppice Row, was frightened by fireworks and disappeared into the local forest. An appeal for his return published in The Epping Forest Guardian resulted in the dog being found at High Beach and eventually returned to his owners via the Battersea Dogs Home in London.
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PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS
NOVEMBER 2006
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS, NOT NECESSARILY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE VILLAGE OF THEYDON BOIS DURING NOVEMBER 2006 AND WHICH WERE RECORDED BY TREVOR ROBERTS, THE THEYDON BOIS LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER.
PRINCIPAL EVENTS
Julia Gregory, the planning inspector who presided over the Wansfell College planning appeal held on 29 Sep 06, announced her findings. She conceded that the development would not be harmful to highway safety despite resident’s fears over increased traffic and roadside parking. But she rejected the appeal on the grounds that 22 flats would represent inappropriate development in the green belt. She also found that the replacement of the caretaker’s house, while not inappropriate development in the green belt, would be “harmful to its purposes. Anne Gregg, the Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, was delighted with the decision and commented that, once the educational role had disappeared (from Wansfell), the EFDC felt that some form of residential development would be the best alternative for the community, but this application was simply too much.”
A rumour that the Arriva Bus Company 500 route bus service, which runs from Harlow to Romford, would be diverted away from Theydon Bois, brought a contingent of elderly residents on to the Village streets to protest. Led by Joy Wainwright of Coppice Row and supported by Ruth Parker, Sheila Gymer and Lily Minot, the group’s picture (by the bus stop) made the front page of the Epping Guardian. Joy explained that many elderly residents used the service to attend the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow and to shop in Epping. An alternative journey would be to take the Central Line Rail service from Theydon Bois Station to Epping but this would entail a long walk up a steep hill from Epping Station to the town centre. EFDC Councillor Janet Whitehouse had raised the matter with the Arriva Bus Company who advised that there were no plans to change the service this year.
Despite living in Essex, many Theydon Bois residents were treated at the Whipps Cross University Hospital at Leyton in Greater London. This facility is under the threat of serious changes or even closure because of financial shortcomings in the National Health Service (NHS). Eleanor Laing, the Epping Forest MP, therefore wrote to the government Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, complaining that she, with other local MPs, had not been included in the consultation process. Most of her constituents who lived in the southern part of Epping Forest District used this Hospital and it was therefore not reasonable to not include her and the other MPs in the consultation process.
Villagers attended the Remembrance Sunday Parades held in the Village and also at Epping and Loughton. These events were very well attended and it was interesting to see that, as the numbers of attendees who experienced and served in WWII were declining, their places were being taken by the younger generations especially those in their teens who either paraded with youth organisations or were genuinely interested in that momentous period of history, and also wore their Royal British Legion poppies with pride.
A adverse criticism by Lawrence Stringer of Chipping Ongar, regarding the EFDC planned curbs on street parking in the village by one hour no- parking periods, bought a sharp response from Jane Elliott of Harewood Hill. She claimed that commuters had turned Theydon Bois from a pleasant village into a massive car park with vehicles left on street corners often for days while (it was rumoured) their owners were elsewhere, possibly abroad. In response to Mr Stringer’s further comment that the absence of parking commuters would adversely affect local retail business, she claimed that the current parking situation prevented her from parking near the shops and actually supporting local business in the way she would wish. The Sowerby Family of Forest Drive were equally critical of indiscriminate commuter parking and cited a recent incident where the refuse disposal vehicle similar vehicles had great difficulty in gaining access to the Drive.
The Theydon Bois Village Hall (TBVH) echoed to the sound of high quality live music when the Theydon Bois Music Society held its November meeting. The reason was an evening performance given by the Classic Opera Group comprising Julie Gray - Soprano, Michelle Harris – Mezzo Soprano, Daniel Harding – Pianist and Adrian Gray – Master of Ceremonies. Their comprehensive programme comprised works by Vivaldi, Mozart, Verdi, Offenbach and Jerome Kerne among others. The artists displayed their musical versatility with their performances especially the pianist Daniel who, also as an accomplished jazz pianist, allowed his fingers to occasionally stray during his accompaniment of the more serious works.
The TBVH was again the centre of activity when the Epping Railway Circle held its bi- annual Model Railway Exhibition. The Hall and anteroom were packed with males, young and not so young, including a fair sprinkling of the opposite sex who were fascinated by the display of twelve working layouts and numerous stalls. Of particular interest was the large Alban Rail 45mm steam layout intended for outdoor operation but more impressive when steaming away in the Hall. Another was the Elkington on Sea, 0 – 16.5 gauge model tram layout with authentic detail down to a very fine scale. Dave Karaskas, the hard working Chairman of the Circle, said that he was very pleased with the success of the event and its proceeds, which would support the Society.
The TBVH was the venue for entertainment of a different kind when the Chiefly Yourselves Old Time Musical Group staged a one evening performance in memory of their past chairman and producer, Peter Wells, who died last year and was a well known Epping solicitor. Most of the players from Peter’s days were able to, once again and for perhaps the last time, present an enjoyable evening of entertainment in the music hall style, in which amateur players invariable excel. The evening raised some £2,700 for the Brittle Bones Society charity.
A member of the British Brick Society, Lt Col Dick Bolton, an authority on bricks and brickwork generally, gave the second of the Copped Hall Autumn Sunday Evening Lectures held by the Copped Hall Trust in the TBVH. He first gave a short history of bricks from Roman times up to the present day and described their manufacture using local clay. The best clay is found in Kent, Sussex and Essex, especially at Bulmer where the Society has working brickworks. Dick then described the evolving use of bricks and showed pictures of many fine buildings featuring structural and decorative brickwork including Hampton Court, Eton College and, nearer to home, Layer Marney Towers near Maldon in Essex.
Just after Sunday breakfast time near the end of the month, an exceptionally strong storm blew up with torrential rain and hail; this was followed by a series of further storms until the entire area was drenched and water logged. Flooding occurred in Debden, Loughton and Theydon Bois. The central crossroads near the station at Theydon Bois was under several inches of water and this gave cause for some alarm being the first serious flooding there for some years, when this area was regularly under several feet of water after heavy rain. This local flooding was stopped in the late 1980s by the construction of a flood drain running from Loughton Lane, across the Green, into the Slade End area and down to the brook near Garnish Hall. The recurrence of flooding here was thought by some to be the result of a disturbance to the flood drain area by the construction of the golf course at Blunts Farm.
At the end of the month the dreaded Wheelie bins finally arrived. These black and almost malevolent monsters invaded via an EFDC lorry and one was dumped in the forecourt of each residence. Some bins were incapable of keeping out marauding animal and avian scavengers because the lids did not fit properly; the EFDC Environmental Services advised that lids would eventually close with use. Sticky labels were issued on which to write the relevant house number and secure it to the bin; the EFDC disapproved of the number being painted on the bin. Precise details were given regarding their location on collection days ie. on the property boundary with the handles facing towards the road. A list of collection dates for all domestic waste and recyclable material was also provided and it was noted that the bins would only be emptied fortnightly including the hottest months of the summer, despite assurances from the EFDC to the contrary. Most householders promptly secreted these monsters away but, as was feared, others were left where first deposited to create an eyesore in the attractive Village of Theydon Bois, which would now become less so especially when the bins were overfilled with dubious domestic waste.
With the return of frosty winter mornings, the police warned against the practice of leaving a car unattended with the engine running while the windows defrosted and the interior warmed up. This, was not only illegal but also an open invitation for the car to be stolen. This happened several years ago to the owner of a Rolls Royce, who left his car with the engine running outside a local shop while he was inside buying a newspaper. The Rolls promptly disappeared at high speed and it was doubtful if the insurance company would meet his claim; a very expensive mistake to make!
SNIPPETS
Commuters had a bad start one Monday morning when the Central Line failed with only a number of shuttle services operating; further into London other underground lines also failed, consequently. Transport for London blamed the chaos on Metronet, the company responsible for maintenance of the line. Metronet apologised for the delays and claimed that the problem was due to the loading of updated timetable information into their computer system.
Catherine Grosstephan of Sidney Road, who was murdered in her home last May, was remembered by her son Roderick and Melanie Grosstephan who took part in the recent Pedal to Paris cycle ride. Their entry, in memory of Catherine, supported the Royal British Legion (RBL) for which charity they raised £3,100.
At the Village Association meeting in October, it was announced that Mr Frank Bell had been appointed as the new Administrator of the TBVH. Frank would be responsible for the daily administration of the Building. John Field would remain as Bookings Manager, and Roger Badcock and John Sheldrake continue as Caretakers/Keyholders.
Pupils from Theydon Bois County Primary School helped members of the Epping Forest Country Care organisation to plant a hedgerow and trees at Great Gregories Farm. This work was carried on the Epping Forest buffer land adjacent to the Farm in conjunction with the nationwide National Tree Week.
The Theydon Bois Branch of the Epping Forest Conservative Association held a wine tasting evening in the TBVH. Under the expert direction of Colin Hooker, the large number present enjoyed "sampling" some eight wines (it was noted that the spittoons were little used). The Ladies of the Branch provided an excellent buffet at half time, which helped to offset the effects of a possible excess of alcohol for some.
The AGM of the Theydon Bois Horticultural Society took place in the TBVH. A Pumpkin Competition was held and the members were given a talk about the function and work of Countrycare.
HAPPINESS AND SADNESS
During the months of October and November, the following entries were made in the registers of St Mary’s Church.
Confirmation : 08 11 06 by the Bishop of Barking
Minors: Eleanor Bedwell, Louise Brough, Annabel Debenham, Laura Grant, Kaye Harvey, Olivia Powell and Ashley Robertson.
Adults: Fiona Bennett, Ellen Cannon, Karen Davies, Ruth Eaton, Thomas Gregory, Lucy White and Ricky White
Marriage
28 10 06 Frederick Shelton & Janet Shepherd
Baptisms
29 11 06 Ricky White, Lucy White, Phoebe White, Matthew Davies, Thomas and Daniel Cannon
11 11 06 Charlotte Bye
Funerals
09 11 06 Peter Barraclough
13 11 06 Betty Hibbert
16 11 06 John Cassidy
23 11 06 Jean Barrett
Burial of Ashes
05 11 06 Irene Gillies
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THE PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS
OCTOBER 2006
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS, NOT NECESSARILY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE VILLAGE OF THEYDON BOIS DURING OCTOBER 2006 AND WHICH WERE RECORDED BY TREVOR ROBERTS, THE THEYDON BOIS LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER.
PRINCIPAL EVENTS
The Theydon Bois Rural Preservation Society held a lecture evening in the They don Bois Village Hall (TBVH) featuring the history of the London Underground Central Line which serves the Village. The speaker was Mike Ashworth, the London Underground Design Services and Heritage Manager who gave an in depth presentation to a large audience about the Central Line from its origin as the Central London Railway to the changes taking place to accommodate the Olympic Games being held in East London during 2012. During the interval the video of old Theydon Bois, recently presented to the Society by Tudor Ap Madoc from America, was screened for general interest and the possible identification of the scenes depicted.
Richard Thomas who spoke about the River Lea gave the first of the Copped Hall Autumn Lectures, held by the Copped Hall Trust, in the TBVH. He described the River from its multi-spring source near Luton to Old Ford downstream near Bow in London. En route he described many interesting locations, especially the gunpowder mills at Waltham Abbey, and the many industries for which the Lea provided both access and transportation by water, as did the associated Stort Navigation.
At the first autumn meeting of the Theydon Bois Men’s' Forum, Martin Ayres spoke about the Development of Child Care. As a current Government Inspector for child welfare in Kensington and Chelsea, he was well qualified for this task by having spent his early years in a Dr Barnardo's Home; this provided a stable home environment which many children often lacked today. He highlighted the dilemmas often experienced by social workers when debating if the right decision was to remove a child from its existing environment.
The Karrilon Trio comprising Susan Fitzgerald - flute, Alice Pullen - oboe and Marcus Andrews - piano played before a large audince at the October Meeting of the Theydon Bois Music Society held in the TBVH. Their extensive programme included music by Telemann, Mozart, Schubert and Kalliwoda.
Two men were trapped in the wreckage of their Lotus sports car, one evening, when it was in collision with a Toyota Yaris saloon car on the bridge in the Abridge Road over the Central Line. The occupants of both cars required hospital treatment. Coppice Road in the Village was closed for nearly two hours one afternoon following an accident when a Fiat Brava was in collision with a Ford Scorpio before colliding head on with a Ford Fiesta. The driver of the Scorpio sustained chest and ankle injuries and had to be cut free by the Fire Services. A 21-year-old man from Ilford was subsequently arrested in connection with the accident and charged with drink driving, driving without insurance and other traffic offences.
Following the act of vandalism to a garden in Theydon Park Road during September, Miranda Piercy, a Road Coordinator in the Theydon Bois Neighbourhood Watch (TBNW) Scheme, believed that the formation of a recognised neighbourhood watch association would benefit the Village. Such an association would formulate annual action plans to combat crime and obtain the necessary funding, obtain access for proper training for Road Coordinators and enable them to be properly covered by public liability insurance. Her comments resulted in a strong response. Caroline Law, the Overall Road Coordinator for the TBNW pointed out that she (Caroline) was the only designated area coordinator in the Epping Forest District and so was aware of the function of other local schemes in operation. She worked closely with the local Crime Reduction Officer and the Epping Police who fully supported the TBNW. Jill Oakley of Coppice Row pointed out that the TBNW Scheme had just been reinstated with police support and, although not yet covering the Village fully, was a good substitute for a village police officer, which the Village lacked. Joy Wainwright, also of Coppice Row, said that Miranda Piercy, as a newcomer to the Theydon Bois, had no idea of the community spirit in the Village where neighbours looked after one another. Trevor Roberts, of Orchard Drive, pointed out that the Village had a low crime rate relative to neighbouring areas and that the current TBNW Scheme had the approval of the Theydon Bois Parish Council (TBPC) as well as the local police.
Concern continued to be expressed about safety issues at the Blunts Farm golf course development in Coopersale Lane where security fencing had been constantly breached by children, who then swam in the excavated pits. The TBPC had written to UK Golf Leisure outlining concerns over the fencing, which, it contended, was inadequate in keeping the public out and preventing an accident. Blunts Farm Estates claimed that security was difficult to implement due to vandalism by adults and children. Furthermore, the safety measures requested by the Health and Safety Executive had been carried out. The company claimed to have also requested the closure of the adjacent footpath during the construction work but to no avail.
Subsequent to the decision of the TBPC to extend controlled parking to more of the Roads in the Village, Lawrence Stringer of Chipping Ongar complained that that this action could adversely affect Theydon Bois generally. He claimed that the commuters using the Village station would be forced to go elsewhere, in his case to Epping Station. This could provide London Transport with an excuse to close the Theydon Bois station due to declining commuter use, and general trade in the Village could also fall for the same reason. An Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) Councillor pointed out that adequate parking space existed at the next stations down the line ie. Debden and Loughton, and that the commuters clogging the roads in the Village did so because parking was free.
In his monthly column in the Epping Forest Guardian, local resident Tony Ames of the Loughton Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) discussed bailiffs and their working practices. The powers of bailiffs were set out in a complex series of archaic laws some dating back to 1267. There are few controls over their operation and bailiffs are acting as a law unto themselves with devastating effects on people’s lives and CAB evidence shows that bailiffs often misrepresent their powers. The organisation believes that there must be more emphasis on debt recovery practices that ensured repayment at affordable and sustainable rates rather than pushing people ever deeper into endless debt. CAB would therefore like to hear from anyone experiencing trouble with bailiffs.
The weather continued to follow an unusual pattern with autumn being restrained by a continuing summer with noonday temperatures well into the high sixties F. With only ten weeks to Christmas the country was still enjoying the longest summer period since records began. Nature was responding with much foliage remaining in heavy summer green and shrubs and roses continuing to bloom. However, wet and cooler weather with snow on the hills in Scotland arrived towards the end of the month.
SNIPPETS
The Indian Ocean Indian restaurant in Coppice row announced that the recent charity meal held there in support of the Royal National Institution for the Blind (RNIB) raised £2,735 for the charity.
A street collection for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Theydon Bois, North Weald and Epping raised some £1,090 during the RNLI flag day in September.
Two Villagers, Quentin Dawe, 64, and his daughter Penny, 24, riding on a especially adapted tandem cycle, joined more than 130 cyclists taking part in a 20 mile sponsored ride in support of the Home Farm Trust (HFT) Charity. The event raised some £10,000 for the HFT £2.3m Herts and Essex Appeal for the development of HFT services at Orford House in Ugley.
Olympic champion Kelly Holmes paid a recent visit to the Theydon Bois Primary School to feature in a cable TV film being made for Teachers TV. The School was selected for the filming because of its high level of PE activity in both its curriculum and extra curricular activities.
A coffee morning was held at the home of Audrey Redfern in Forest Drive to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Children’s Society, and to raise funds for this charity. Later, the group took part in a nationwide prayer for the Society led by the Rev Peter Trendall at St Mary’s Church in Chigwell.
A 48 year old woman appeared before Harlow magistrates in connection with the death of David O’Keefe who was a front seat passenger in a Ford KA Car which struck a tree near Theydon Bois Golf Club on Saturday 29 Apr 06.
Vanessa Harvey, 16, of Harewood Hill was busy raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Charity, which helps adolescent cancer patients by setting up specialist treatment units for them in UK Hospitals. She had already organised a strawberry fair earlier this summer, which raised some £500, and hoped to increase this sum at the Girls Brigade Autumn Fair at the Theydon Bois Baptist Church.
St Mary’s Church was the scene of a sad occasion when a Thanksgiving Service was held for the life of Irene Joyce Gillies who died on 25 Sep 06. The service was conducted by Canon Colin Travers, the Vicar of St Margaret’s, during which Irene’s daughter Julie read the lesson.
London Underground announced that the current refurbishment of the Theydon Bois Central Line station should be completed by January 2007. CCTV coverage had been increased, additional passenger help points added, lighting improved and a new public address system installed.
Villagers arriving at the TBVH for an evening event were surprised to find the seat by the entrance occupied, not by truculent and noisy youths as is often the case, but by a courting couple; and spring is still a long way off!
HAPPINESS AND SADNESS
During the months of September and October, the following entries were made in the registers of St Mary’s Church.
Marriage
14 10 06 Ian Graham and Eve Morgan
Baptisms
24 09 06 Daniel Noble
Funerals
06 10 06 Kenneth Richman
09 10 06 Irene Gillies
19 10 06 Peter Harbott
Burial of Ashes
22 09 06 Sylvia Blanks
15 10 06 Patricia Best
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Copyright 2006/7. Trevor Roberts, Local History Recorder.
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