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THE PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS 

NOVEMBER 2007

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS, NOT NECESSARILY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE VILLAGE OF THEYDON BOIS DURING NOVEMBER 2007 AND WHICH WERE RECORDED BY TREVOR ROBERTS, THE THEYDON BOIS LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS

The Blunts Farm issue literally burst onto the national scene when the Sunday Express national newspaper gave front page coverage to the disputed development. The paper disclosed that huge swathes of Britain were being turned into landfill rubbish dumps by developers who had planning permission to build golf courses but who had no intention of allowing golf to be played. Many planning applications for golf courses were just a means to exploit a loophole in the planning laws, and even green belt land was not safe. The Theydon Bois problem was central to the article with a photo of the dumped rubbish at Blunt’s Farm and with the comments made by leading protesters Mike Emmett (with photo) and Jacqueline Dodman of the Theydon Bois And Abridge Action Group (TBAAG). Later in the month, the Appeals against the Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) Enforcement Notices were withdrawn by the developers of Blunts farm who were now required to fill in the pits using existing material on the site.

There was considerable concern regarding the redeployment at Theydon Lodge, adjacent to the Village Green, and the Theydon Bois Parish Council (TBPC) had objected to the demolition of the building.

Concern over the proposed closing of sub Post Offices (POs) in Epping continued. Although the Theydon Bois PO was unaffected at present, the view of Eleanor Laing MP was that district POs in the Epping area would eventually close and this prompted many villagers to sign a petition against closures, as raised by the Epping Guardian and supported by Eleanor Laing. Together with Editor David Jackman she presented the 1,500-signature petition to Downing Street recently and the MP took the opportunity to attack Government policy on this matter claiming that communities such as Epping were in a “no win” situation when it came to POs. In Theydon Bois, the staff at the village PO were requesting villagers to petition the government directly and individually using locally produced proformas because many single petitions were more influential than blocks of signatures. Note: In Dec 07, the Postmistress of the Theydon Bois PO received written confirmation that this PO would remain open.

Villagers attended the Remembrance Sunday Parades held in the Village and also at Epping and Loughton. These events were very well supported and it was interesting to see that, as the numbers of attendees who had experienced 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 so wore their Royal British Legion poppies with pride.

There was a general consensus in the Village that criminal activity was getting out of hand. The Theydon Bois Village Hall (TBVH) had suffered, local buses attacked and two sheds on the allotments set on fire. Because of the lack of police response, Villagers were not reporting incidents and the Village was therefore not shown to be a “Problem Area” on police records. It was crucial that every incident be reported and an incident number obtained in order to “officially highlight” criminal activity in the Village.

The Fifth November Fireworks Night weekend commenced with a grand display at the Theydon Bois Village School, which included many rockets and “bangs”.  However, in common with other displays, there was no bonfire so as not to annoy local residents, and to help reduce carbon emissions which are partly responsible for the increasing problem of global warming. Many other displays and firework parties were held during the following days and the Hindu Festival of Diwali was also celebrated with fireworks, both in the Village and the surrounding area.

A young couple from Loughton, Ken Bartels – Flute- and Rachel Bartels – Harp- gave a semi formal recital for the TB Music Society’s November Meeting in the TBVH. They played a selection of music in a light vein, much of which was based on folk songs particularly suited to the harp. However their repertoire, surprisingly, included some lively jazz numbers in which Ken excelled.

Nearly 200 devotees of the Gilbert and Sullivan (G&S) operettas, together with supporters of the Copped Hall Trust and their friends, packed into the TBVH in mid November, for a memorable G&S evening as given by the New Savoyards of London. The six vocalists with leading and extensive operatic backgrounds were Yvonne Patrick- Soprano, Pamela Baxter – Mezzo Soprano,  Barry Clark – Tenor, Stephen Godward – Baritone, Ralph Meanley – Bass Baritone and David Menezes – Tenor. Pianist David Mackie’s wide experience as chorus master and conductor helped to provide a strong musical base for the singers and the success of the evening. The event was compered and produced by Garth Gwyn – Jones.

By mid November, local motorists were seeing a substantial increase in the cost of diesel and unleaded fuels for their vehicles. Over the past month diesel had risen by 5.6p to 105.4 p per litre and that for unleaded by 3.8p to 101.5p per litre. The basic reason was the increased cost of Brent Crude oil, the basis of motor fuels, which had risen to a high level of $90 a barrel at the beginning of the month.

Concern was expressed over the revision of the parking restriction times for the proposed Village parking scheme due to be adopted, especially on the TBVH side of the Village. Implementation was therefore delayed, as the changes had to re-advertised. However, additional roads were now earmarked for parking restrictions and the waiting time for parking in the shopping areas would be increased from one to two hours. 

The City of London (COL) reported that, in the last financial year, it received some £11,000 from film companies for using Epping Forest as a location for 29 films and 18 photoshoots. The COL Open Spaces Committee was currently reviewing the cost of providing licenses for these activities with a view to charging an administration fee as well. An equally popular and local location for filmwork continues to be the attractive Copped Hall Mansions and grounds, which has been the location for the production of popular films and some advertisements.

SNIPPETS

The Land Registry has granted an absolute freehold title to the TBPC for the land used by the Playground at Theydon.

The TBPC has provided financial help in installing the new fence by the Scout Hut. New grass cutting equipment has been purchased, 60% of the cost for which has been defrayed by a private donation.

The well known avenue of oak trees across the Village Green, which were planted to commemorate the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne, was the subject of a report from the City of London which stated that the trees “were in poor and declining health” with a number having already been felled during the past year.

HAPPINESS AND SADNESS

During November, the following entries were made in the registers of St Mary’s Church:

Baptisms

18 11 07     Robert Davenport          

Funerals

02 11 07  Fred Reynolds             
Grace Reeves
16 11 07  Wendy Brown
23 11 07  Gladys McBrayne

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THE PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS

OCTOBER 2007

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS, NOT NECESSARILY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE VILLAGE OF THEYDON BOIS DURING SEPTEMBER 2007 AND WHICH WERE RECORDED BY TREVOR ROBERTS, THE THEYDON BOIS LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS

 At the beginning of the month three members of the editorial committee of the Theydon Bois Village News (TBVN), Tony Ames (editor), Jim Watts and Madeline McCarthy, attended the community awards ceremony for the best village magazine in Essex as organised by the Rural Community Council of Essex in conjunction with the Essex Life magazine. The TBVN had been entered on a regular basis in this competition and this year was one of 13 finalists in a record total of 90 entries. The award for the best quarterly news went to the TBVN.  The judges also considered the TBVN to be “superb” and therefore awarded the accolade of overall winner to this publication (and the Village). The three representatives came away with two certificates and a cash award of £150. The remainder of the editorial team, Ken Cushing, Sue Jones, Martin Oliver and Trevor Roberts who could not attend were equally pleased. The TBVH was supported by excellent sponsorship from James Sears Estate Agents (lead sponsor), The Theydon Bois Pharmacy, The Theydon Bois Balti House, The Woodland and Wildlife Conservation Ltd and the Bull public house.

An agent of Blunt’s Farm Estates Limited, a subsidiary of the Aitch Group, informed the Planning Inspectorate that they wished to withdraw their appeals against the two enforcement notices served by the Epping Forest District Council (EFDC). The TBPC Chairman, Robert Glozier, said, “We believe that seeing the weight of evidence against them they (the appellants) have decided to withdraw. We hope that they will now obey the rules and we will be looking very carefully at any negotiations, which take place, to ensure that they’re in the interests of the residents”. The Theydon Bois and Abridge Action Group (TBAAG) warned that, although this was a victory for the Village, residents should be on their guard for any other moves which could ruin the Green Belt and pollute our countryside.

Andrew Newman, the new owner of Theydon Lodge situated on the corner of Coppice Row, and the Village Green, complained of the theft of a fireplace from the Lodge which is currently under renovation.   However, Susan Warren of Woodland Way was quick to point out that the property has been gutted over the last few months and reduced to a shell; moreover a planning application was pending to demolish the building and replace it with a three-storey property with a swimming pool in the cellar. The Lodge is a lovely Victorian building over 100 years old and on the local list. Jacqueline Dodman of TBAAG confirmed that Mr Newman had officially applied via planning application EPF/1737/07 to demolish and rebuild the Lodge. TBAAG must therefore assume that Mr and Mrs Newman were not interested in preserving this important corner stone in Theydon Bois. Mr Newman’s response was that, as a local lad, he was delighted to have been able to purchase the Lodge with the intention of restoration. The planning application was for a replica building.  However after further structural investigation it was clear that the job was far greater than ever anticipated and that was the reason for a planning application to rebuild.  The Theydon Bois Parish Council (TBPC) had objected to the proposal and a final decision will be made by the EFDC. A late comment came from Leslie Jerman of Coppice Row who thought that the building, and the “barn” which stood next to it, was an eyesore. It was only locally listed and the site, in his opinion, was good enough for a block of six flats when the country was desperately short of housing.

A large audience was present at the October meeting of the Theydon Bois Music Society to hear a piano recital given by Nigel Clayton. A professor at the Royal College of Music in London, Nigel’s recital included works by Scarlatti, Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin. His versatility was illustrated by a unique and accomplished performance of a Nocturne by Scriabin for the left hand only; and his spirited performance of a selection of pieces by George Gershwin was almost “magic”.

Prior to Halloween residents were advised on action they could take to guard against unwelcome callers demanding a trick or treat (TORT) on Halloween eve. The most important action for the elderly to take was to have an emergency alarm system installed in their home which would link the occupants with an operator in the Epping Forest Careline system. This would not only provide a general security link but could also be used as an emergency call system to cater for emergencies in the home eg. a sudden incapacitating fall. A further discouragement against the TORT nuisance would be to display a “NO TORT” poster, available from the EFDC or Police, in a prominent position. Some residents were quite happy for young children to call early for their TORT but nevertheless care had to be taken.

As part of national reorganisation, Post Office Ltd announced that some of its branches in the local area, especially at Moreton, Epping (sub branches), Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill will be closing and this caused consternation to the many local residents who use Post Office services. These branches were apparently selected because they were within one mile of an alternative branch. The Theydon Bois branch seems to escaped closure because the nearest alternative is the Epping main branch more than one mile distant. However some Post Office services, including making payments for car taxation, have been switched to electronic facilities now commonplace in the home and this has been the thin end of the wedge for local branches. Moreover, the recent postal strike affecting local deliveries of mail has only exacerbated this situation being another nail in the coffin for postal services generally. Local MP Eleanor Laing was taking up the issue of the local closures and the Epping Forest Guardian launched a “Save Our Post Offices” campaign.  The trend is to now allow large stores in towns to open sub offices and so a rural centre of business and social activity is lost to many villages. The future of the Theydon Bois Post office appears safe for the immediate future but this cannot be certain when the forces of privatisation are on the move.

SNIPPETS

The Theydon Bois Horticultural Society held a pumpkin competition at its October meeting. The winners, according to pumpkin weight, were First Place – John Mynott at 51.00 kg, Second – Barry Turner at 31.35 kg and third – Geoff and Tricia Haslehurst at 28.75 kg. An interesting, informative and humorous talk on sweet peas was given by Alan Gillingwater, who is an authority on this subject and a judge at the Society’s horticultural shows. Members were able to view the plan of the proposed site for the apple trees to be planted on the Village Allotments and purchased by plot holders, the TBWI and the TBPC.

In his Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) column in the Epping Forest Guardian, Loughton CAB member and local resident Tony Ames gave advice about the rejection of claims made against insurance cover taken out for the loss of employment due to ill health or redundancy. Later in the month he also advised about obtaining free prescriptions from the National Health Service (NHS).

The Playground At Theydon (PAT) charity received a publicity boost when the Twofour Communications (TC) organisation spent the morning filming the playground with children at play. TC would include the playground scenes in a publicity video being prepared for the Big Lottery organisation, which had recently made a substantial grant to PAT for its ongoing maintenance.

Karen McCann of Hornbeam Close joined more than 700 participants in a 17 mile all night walk though the centre of London to raise a personal £450 in support of the Maggie Cancer Caring Centres and the London Open House charities. The walk commenced at London’s Guildhall, progressed though the West End and even included a night trip on the London Eye, all by moonlight.

HAPPINESS AND SADNESS

During October, the following entries were made in the registers of St Mary’s Church:

Baptisms

21 10 07               Antony Girling and Hanna Hobbs     

Funerals

10 10 07               Robert Twine                   12 10 07     Leslie Osborne      

Burial of Ashes

07 20 07               Gwen Neal

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