Parish News - September 2024

News

Parish

Great Maplestead, Little Maplestead, Pebmarsh and Gestingthorpe

Church and Community together

September 2024

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Useful Village Contacts Parish Clerks Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Ann Crisp Paula Sillett Shelley Boydell Kevin B Money

01787 460 216 07975 571 253 07927 775 989 07810 781 509

Village Halls Gt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Liz Newton Kelly Thompson Steve Bagby

01787 461 308 lizatlucking@hotmail.com 07919 897 592 pebmarshvillagehall@gmail.com 07840 367 182 gestingthorpevillagehall@gmail.com

Footpaths Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Steve Harris Geraldine Holloway Michael Sharp Penny Bagby

01787 462 818 01787 476 530 07725 909 986 07840 367 172

steveharris@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk geraldineholloway2017@gmail.com michael@broomhills-farm.co.uk pbagby1@gmail.com

Gt Maplestead Task Force Playing Field Carpet Bowls Autumn Show Book Club

Rob Brudenell Joe Newton Janice Chaplin Carol Brownlie Alison Cantor

01787 829 524 01787 461 308 01787 469 600 01787 461 527 01787 462 537

robbrudenell@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk joenewton@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk bobandjanicechaplin@btinternet.com carolbrownlie@gmail.com acantor56@outlook.com

Carol Parker Pauline Andow Sandra Beaney Pauline Andow Jim Crayston

01787 269 996 taximother@googlemail.com 01787 228 790 01787 222 220 01787 228 790 01787 222 241 jim@craystonfarms.co.uk

Valerie Fullman Chris Ponty Penny Bagby

01787 462 755 07494 883 632 07840 367 172 pbagby1@gmail.com 01787 236 007 angeladavis99@outlook.com 01787 460 181 jean.bowers@wea.ac.uk 01787 461 527 carolbrownlie@gmail.com

Benefice Choir Scouts Guides

Angela Davis Jean Bowers Carol Brownlie Margaret Crudgington Gill Peskett Stuart Carter Kathy Hoy

Neighbourhood Watch Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Gestingthorpe

Ian Johnson Bill Piper Helen Skerratt

01787 461 109 i.johnson057@btinternet.com 01787 473 933 billpiper204@gmail.com 01787 237 297 helenskerratt@gmail.com

Parish News Representatives Gt Maplestead Lt Maplestead Pebmarsh Gestingthorpe

Ann Harris Jenny Bishop Luke Brown Penny Bagby

01787 462 818 07906 083 999 07919 375 341 07840 367 172

Pebmarsh Youth Club Ladies Club Card Making Carpet Bowls

anncrisp@greatmaplesteadpc.co.uk littlemaplesteadparishclerk@gmail.com pebmarshparishclerk@gmail.com gestingthorpepc@gmail.com

Gestingthorpe Tower Bell Ringing

Cricket Club Book Club All Villages Maple Leaves WEA Knitting Group Handbell Ringing

01787 476 259 01787 462 786 gillpeskett43@gmail.com 01787 461 149 01787 280 200

ann66harris@gmail.com jennyarchitect@icloud.com lhwbrown@hotmail.co.uk pbagby1@gmail.com

Editorial We would firstly like to offer our congratulations to Great Maplestead on becoming the inaugural outright winner of the Rural Community Council of Essex’s re-launched Essex Village of the Year competition – a remarkable and worthy achievement by all concerned. More about what influenced the judges’ decision can be found on Page 7.

In this issue of Parish News our series featuring fascinating facts about interesting people from the four parishes continues with the story of “a brave man and an English gentleman” from Gestingthorpe, whose selfless action to try and help other members of his team has become legend.

We’d like to continue with this feature if possible so, if you have an interesting story to share about your parish or the people who lived or live there, please e-mail it as a Word document of about 400 words, with any accompanying pictures, to the editorial address on Page 31.

In addition to the usual mix of articles on past and future parish events, gardening, nature notes and Council news, there are a couple of County Council articles on the subject of local transport that may be worth your attention: information on Central Connect’s running of the demandresponsive bus operation that replaced the F315 scheduled service at the end of July, for a trial period (Page 6), and a consultation, closing on 22nd September, about Essex’s Transport Strategy, seeking residents’ help in identifying and setting long-term transport priorities (Page 8).

Thanks for sending in aerial views of your villages – but for this edition we felt it appropriate to recognise Great Maplestead’s singular achievement

Cover Picture of the Essex Village of the Year from the air: Paul Mechaniow

A note of thanks from Lynda Guest on Neil’s passing.

You may know that my husband had an accident in the garden. After the best care at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, sadly he passed away.

We would like to thank those who sent cards and messages wishing him well initially and then sending condolences once he had passed. We would also like you to thank those who have offered assistance and those who provided assistance (and still do), particularly our lovely neighbours Jane, Bruce and Betty who helped with Mum while we were visiting Neil in hospital.

Thank you to those people who lined the street on the day of the funeral as we left for the crematorium and those who attended the service.

Finally, a thank you to those drivers who were patient enough to either turn around and use an alternative route or to simply and quietly pull to the side of the road and wait while we were arranged in the funeral vehicle on this most sad day.

Lynda, Lauren, Amy and Beryl.

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Letter from the Reverend Beverley Vincent I wonder if you, like me, have been glued to your TV screens watching the Olympics and Para-Olympics from Paris. Sitting on the edge of our seats as Adam Peaty, Keely Hodgkinson, Tom Daley and many others compete against the best sports people from around the world.

What has really interested me over this Olympics is the number of British athletes who have spoken about the importance of looking after not just their physical health but their mental health too.

If we look back to when the Olympics were last in Paris in 1924 you may be aware of the story of Eric Liddell’s rivalry with Harold Abrahams, made famous in the Film Chariots of Fire. Liddell had a strong faith and refused to race on Sundays, because that was the day set aside for God. He changed his distance from 100m to 400m, because the heats for the 100m were on a Sunday but the 400m heats were on a weekday, and went on to win Gold.

Ahead of this year’s Olympics Adam Peaty spoke openly to the BBC about his recent struggles with mental health. To deal with the intense pressure of being an athlete he says he had to take time out – winning medals wasn’t enough.

During that time, he not only found who he was when he wasn’t winning medals, he also found Christ. His Christian faith has helped him get through and appreciate life. “For me, the only fulfilment and the only peace is every Sunday at church. It gives me a nice balance”, he says.

As a church and as individuals we continue to have great compassion for people who struggle with their mental wellbeing. Clearly these athletes have found something that sustains them and feeds them which should be a role model to others. If we want our young people to find nourishment for their souls, we need to model for them a much healthier way in which we make time to attend to our own physical and mental wellbeing.

We might not be athletes; we might not even be able to take regular exercise, but we can prioritise our spiritual well-being. In the New Testament Jesus was well known for taking time out from his busy schedule to rest and pray, he also encouraged his disciples to do the same. If we want to rebalance our lives, to rediscover what is really important to us, taking time out will help us towards finding that peace which passes all understanding.

Rev’d Beverley Friends of Essex Churches Trust – Ride and Stride Every second Saturday in September thousands of keen cyclists, walkers and riders around the country set off to visit as many churches as they can and raise money from sponsors for the maintenance of our many ancient and beautiful churches.

Half the money raised goes to the home church of the rider/cyclist/walker and half to the Friends of Essex Churches, who last year distributed over £200,000 in grants to maintain places of worship in Essex. All four of our churches in the Knights Hospitaller group will be open this year on 14th September for the event.

This is a healthy, environmentally-friendly and enjoyable (at the very least when recovering afterwards!) way of contributing to the upkeep of our four splendid churches. Anyone can take part, as an active participant or as a sponsor or as a local steward to sign the riders in and provide refreshment.

Flyers will be posted soon on church noticeboards, or you can find out more from your churchwardens. Happy riding & striding!

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“A Brave Man and an English Gentleman” Lawrence Edward Grace "Titus" Oates (1880 – 1912) was a British army officer, and later an Antarctic explorer, who died from hypothermia during the Terra Nova Expedition when he walked from his tent into a blizzard. His death, which occurred on his 32nd birthday, is seen as an act of self-sacrifice: aware that the gangrene and frostbite from which he was suffering was compromising his companions' chances of survival, he chose certain death for himself to relieve them of the burden of caring for him.

The Oates family moved to Gestingthorpe Hall in 1891, when Lawrence was eleven, and he became Lord of the Manor following his father’s death from typhoid in Madeira in 1896. Oates studied at Eton but was academically challenged and, due to poor health, was transferred to an army ‘crammer’ school in Eastbourne. Joining the army, he served first in the 3rd West Yorkshire Regiment and then the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, being injured in the leg in an exchange of fire during the Boer War. Oates took part in Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s attempt in 1910 to be the first to reach the South Pole after paying £1000 and being accepted on the strength of his experience with horses. The journey to the Pole from the expedition’s base camp was 895 miles and relied on pre-placed depots of food for the men, their dogs and the ponies. Sixteen men set out from base camp; Scott eventually selected Oates to be one of the five to make the final push to the Pole, the remainder turning back to replenish the food depots for this team to use on their return.

On 18th January 1912 the five reached the Pole – only to discover a tent that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his four-man team had left behind. To Scott’s dismay, inside was a note informing him that Amundsen had reached the Pole on 14th December 1911, thirtyfive days earlier.

Scott's team faced extremely difficult conditions on its return journey, due to exceptionally adverse weather, poor food supplies, injuries sustained from falls and the effects of scurvy and frostbite. Oates had gangrene and frostbite in his feet and hands and Scott's diary entry of 17th March noted that Oates had walked out of the tent into a −40°C blizzard the previous day. Scott wrote in his diary: "We knew that poor Oates was walking to his death but, though we tried to dissuade him, we knew it was the act of a brave man and an English gentleman.”

According to Scott's diary, as Oates left the tent he said: "I am just going outside and may be some time." His selfless act did not ultimately save the lives of the rest of the team but his fellow soldiers unveiled a memorial brass plaque to commemorate him in Gestingthorpe Church in 1913. His mother Caroline cleaned it every week until her death in 1937.

Andy Craig Chair, Gestingthorpe History Group

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On The Buses The sudden closure on Friday 26th July of Arrows Taxis, which was due to start operating the DaRT3 demand-responsive replacement for the old F315 service from the following Monday, took everyone by surprise, causing considerable concern and confusion across the four parishes.

After a few days it was confirmed that Central Connect had taken over responsibility for the DaRT3 service but only for an initial trial period of 3 months.

Essex County Council appreciates that users will want certainty about their service so, during the trial period, it will be working to understand how best to provide this.

In the meantime it is worth remembering that DaRT3 needs to be prebooked: it does not run to a regular, or published, operating timetable and it is not a taxi service – it will only operate if 4 or more passengers want to do similar journeys at broadly similar times.

Doubts therefore remain about DaRT3’s suitability for people needing to be at their destinations by a particular time: there can be no guarantee about either pick-up/drop-off times – or even the duration of journeys – from one day to the next, as the service may need to accommodate differing numbers of passengers booked in different locations, dependent on demand.

DaRT3 operates Mondays to Saturdays between 6.00am and 8.00pm and any single journey costs £5. Concessionary bus passes are accepted after 9.00am Monday to Friday and all day on Saturdays.

To book, call: 0115 777 3187 or e-mail: dart@central-connect.co.uk.

Please note: e-mail bookings are not confirmed until you receive confirmation from the Booking Centre, as bookings are subject to availability, but they can be made up to 14 days in advance of your desired travel date.

The DaRT Booking Centre is open between 8.00am and 6.00pm Mondays to Saturdays.

You must book by 6.00pm on the day before you wish to travel.

Bookings for a Monday must be made by 6.00pm on the previous Saturday.

If you need to cancel a booking, contact the Booking Centre. Please give as much notice as possible in order to free up vehicle capacity for other passengers who may wish to use the service.

If you have any questions or require further information about the operation of the local DaRT3 service, you should call or e-mail the Booking Centre More information about DaRT3 can be found on the Travel Essex website: https://www.travelessex.co.uk/about-demand-responsivetransport/dart-services

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2024 Essex Village of the Year Great Maplestead has won the 2024 Essex Village of the Year Award in a competition run by the Rural Community Council of Essex.

The village was recognised for its strong community spirit and social achievements at an award ceremony during the RCCE’s Annual General Meeting on the 3rd July. The Parish Council Chairman Steve Harris and Clerk Ann Crisp were presented with a Commemorative Shield and an Award Certificate by the RCCE’s Patron, Mrs. Jennifer Tolhurst, HM Lord Lieutenant of Essex.

The RCCE’s assessment particularly noted how the village’s key organisations work together to ensure that residents are able to enjoy living in a cared for and thriving social environment.

There are interesting and varied activities on offer throughout the year, centred on the Village Hall, and residents enthusiastically participate in celebrations of local and national events. That, together with some unique village features, such as a plant exchange and the provision of a church warm room, were remarked on favourably.

The village’s achievement in fundraising over £100k from local donations and a National Lottery grant to refurbish the children’s play area and install a new, fully accessible pathway on its playing field was commended by the RCCE as being a notable example of successful cross-community collaboration.

The organisation was also impressed by the way the village has embraced and adopted social media, creating support and chat groups that enable residents to easily connect with one another for advice, support and general conversation.

Chairman of Great Maplestead Parish Council, Cllr. Steve Harris said: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the village. It is recognition for all the efforts of village volunteers, organisations, clubs and social groups to ensure that, despite a lack of key facilities, our village continues to thrive.”

With a population of around 300 Great Maplestead was one of the smallest villages entered in this year’s competition so its outright win, along with the success of neighbouring Castle Hedingham, who received a Highly Commended award at the same ceremony, seems to confirm that this part of North Essex is now being properly recognised as a rather special place to live.

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Transport Strategy Consultation Essex County Council has launched a public consultation on its Essex Transport Strategy, formally known as the Local Transport Plan.

The consultation focuses on key themes and outcomes and is an opportunity for the public to provide feedback, helping inform further development of the strategy, which will provide an overarching plan for transport across Essex and outline the Council’s vision. The consultation also proposes a new ‘Place and Movement’ approach, a more flexible and people-focused way to categorise Essex roads and streets.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said: “Transport is critical to all aspects of our everyday lives.

“Our new and emerging Essex Transport Strategy will play a vital role in setting important transport priorities for Essex. It reflects the opportunities and challenges we face now while building upon our Safer, Greener and Healthier vision. It will help inform future decisions and actions while unlocking funding opportunities to support us in providing the transport network our county needs. This public consultation is an early opportunity for residents to provide feedback on the key principles.”

The public consultation runs until Sunday 22nd September 2024, and can be accessed at: https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/essex-highways/essextransport-strategy/. To respond by e-mail or post you can request a copy of the survey document by e-mailing: SGH.routes@essex.gov.uk. Printed copies are available from Braintree Library.

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Things to do in Pebmarsh

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Events in September Maplesteads’ Autumn Show Saturday 7th September – Great Maplestead Village Hall.

The full schedule for the Autumn Show was distributed with the Maplesteads’ copies of July/August’s Parish News and the committee hope that you have already started your preparations to make this show even better than before.

If you didn’t receive a schedule, or have mislaid it, printed copies can be found in both Great and Little Maplestead’s churches and are also available from Myra Jeggo – contact m.jeggo@sky.com or telephone 07709 635 235.

It is also available to read/download from the Autumn Show pages of the Great and Little Maplestead Parish websites and Facebook.

There are 54 different categories to enter, including the largest sunflower seed head sponsored by Radiant Beauty. Bring your entries to the Village Hall on either Friday 6th, 6.30–7.30pm or Saturday 7th, 11.30am–2.30pm.

The Hall will be closed on Saturday for judging between 2.30–5.30 pm, after which it will open for viewing and refreshments, followed by the prize giving, produce sale and raffle. There will also be “The People’s Choice” competition, where you can vote for your favourite bloom in memory of Connie Hume, a much loved member of our committee for many years.

We hope that you and your family will stay for the evening; the bar will be open serving beer, wine, soft drinks, crisps and ice cream. There will also be Greggs hot sausage rolls for sale on a first come, first served basis.

We look forward to seeing you for what we hope will be a bumper show!!

For any further information please contact Carol Brownlie – e-mail carolbrownlie@gmail.com or telephone 01787 461 527.

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The Annual Service of the Knights Hospitallers Pro fide Pro Utilitate Hominum ‘For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity’ On a hot and sunny afternoon in June, nearly 90 people took part in the Knights Hospitallers Annual Service of Thanksgiving, held at the Round Church. Led by the County Chaplin Fr James McCluskey, it is seen as a very special and unique event by the order and its links to Little Maplestead. This year’s service also included an award ceremony for members of St John’s Ambulance.

We covered the history of the Hospitallers and their link to Little Maplestead in an article in the June magazine; in this article I wanted to briefly explain a little about the service and the significance of the procession.

The members of the procession belong to the Essex St John Priory Group.

At the head of the procession is carried the County Priory Banner; this remains at the altar for the duration of the service. The significance of this banner is two-fold: it represents all members of the order, both alive and now departed but also the order’s service to humanity. The insignia on the banner, the eight points of the cross, represents the eight Beatitudes from The Sermon on the Mount.

The members of the procession wear black robes. On the left-hand shoulder is the white cross, the eightpointed cross of the order discussed above. The reason they wear black with a white insignia, is to represent the original links of the order with the Benedictine tradition. It was the Benedictines who founded the original hospital in the early 11th century, at Jerusalem.

The Knights grew out of that Order and were instructed to take care of the poor, sick and pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land.

The procession, therefore, has symbolic links to the order’s rich past but also looks to the future too, with this year’s service including the participation of St John’s Youth wing – The Badgers and Cadets.

We would like to thank all those who helped make this a successful day.

For a more detailed history of the order of St John and the Round Church you can visit our website at www.theroundchurch.org. Also, the Hospitallers have a museum at St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell. Their website is: www.museumstjohn.org.uk You can also visit the website for the local Essex St John Priory group: www.sja-cpgessex.org

Mark Townsend 14

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Gardening Corner Before the daylight hours start to shorten too much, I would suggest now is a good time to take annual geranium cuttings. Choose a non-flowering stem about 4 inches in length, cut below a leaf joint and you can pot up into perlite and potting compost mixed at a 50/50 ratio. Use hormone rooting powder if you wish or simply place the cuttings into a container of water so that the water is half way up the stem; most of the cuttings will then root in 3 to 4 weeks, then pot on into good quality compost.

I thought a good old stalwart of many a garden, the Red-Hot Poker [Kniphofia uvaria], would be an apt choice for my recommended plant of the month. A hardy perennial, it looks good at the back of a flower border, it grows just over a metre tall and compliments any grasses. A ‘hot’ colour Red Hot Poker is at its best July to September.

In the vegetable garden start to lift main crop potatoes but do wait until the tops die off or go yellow. Continue picking runner and French beans. Greenhouse-grown tomatoes should be ripening well and I tend to cut down on weekly feeding. Remove the lower leaves on the tomato vines whether inside or outdoor grown as this helps the fruit ripen. Remember, do not strip the plants of every leaf!

Lawn mowing can now be reduced to once a week or less, according to the ground conditions. I tend to leave the grass box on the mower as it helps pick up the debris on the ground (leaves, bits of twig etc.).

When you have been around the flower borders with edging shears, continue round again with a flat hoe – it sharpens the edge of the bed and distributes the lawn grass over the ground, so no picking up to do!

Hanging baskets can begin to look tired around now, especially if they have not been fed regularly.

Try taking out one or two of the annuals that are past their best and insert the odd viola/pansy just to keep the basket looking colourful until autumn finally sets in.

Keep weeding!!

The Arborist.

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Nature Notes We have had a summer that most would describe as disappointing, although it is nice to have sufficient rain to keep the lawns green and also to have avoided the heat extremes (up to 40C!) that recent years have produced. My rain gauge has recorded 734mm from 1st July 2023 to 30th June this year, nearly 50% above the Essex average of 500mm.

There are many signs around us of the changing climate, although many of these are almost imperceptible. An odd little moth found in the trap recently was clearly identified as a Dark-Bordered Pearl (Evergestis limbata) but it is not listed in The Moths of Essex (Brian Goodey, 2004) as ever being recorded in the county. Online I saw that it wasn’t recorded in Norfolk either, so the ID was beginning to look suspect. Then, to my surprise, on the Essex Moth group Facebook page there were photographs of it being posted from numerous sites in the county: a new arrival, spreading northwards from the southern counties as the climate warms.

Bird activity often seems ahead of the seasons with ‘spring’ songsters often tuning up early in a chilly March. More noticeable is the departure of some migrants long before summer is over. Swifts are one of the last migrants to arrive and the first to leave. In the first week of August they were common in the skies over Sudbury, but now (9th August) they have disappeared. There is one record of an English bird that fledged on the 31st July and was recovered four days later in Madrid, having flown at least 1,500 miles in that time. Out of the nest and heading south, without a map!

Walking the patch at this time of year, it is noticeably quieter; birdsong is subdued and plumages are worn. One thing that stands out is the appearance of greater numbers of Swallows and House Martins overhead and resting on powerlines in small groups.

The House Martins have a distinctive call, which they utter continually as they circle and feed overhead – described as ’prt’ or ‘pr-prt’. It’s not loud but if you do pick it up and look up, you will see them high above.

Watching these birds, you will quickly realise that they are all heading south – even when circling you will notice the circles edging south. Take a moment and ponder the enormity of the challenge facing these tiny creatures; in a week or two they will be chasing insects over sub-Saharan fields and meadows. It is surely one of nature’s greatest spectacles – bird migration.

Patch Patroller 19

A Barbeque, a Quiz and an Interesting Talk…

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Gatherings for Coffee, a Barbeque and Grills Gestingthorpe ‘Gathering’ Coffee Mornings Hurrah! We have had some lovely warm and windless days. Just the weather to come and join us in the Village Hall for an enjoyable time chatting with friends and villagers over a hot or cold drink and some delicious cakes.

Please come along – we guarantee you a warm welcome!

‘Gatherings’ in September/October will be from 10.00am to 12 noon September : on the Fridays of 6th/20th October : on the Fridays of 4th*/18th Any funds raised go towards the upkeep and running of our Village Hall. *Friday October 4th : The money donated for drinks and cakes will be passed on to Macmillan Cancer Support – any additional donations you wish to make will also be passed to them. If you can Gift Aid your donations that would be great and will provide extra funds to help in providing care and support to those who are unfortunately afflicted by this dreadful disease.

Gestingthorpe Village Hall BBQ Join your friends in the Village Hall for drinks and a Late Summer BBQ on Friday 13th September, from 6.30 pm. The £10 entry fee buys you one drink and a burger or a banger in a roll plus a selection of salads.

There will be a (very) informal quiz during the evening – no teams needed – and also a Cash/Card Bar and Raffle.

For more details see the advertisement opposite.

There’s no need to book but please advise in advance any special dietary requirements: gestingthorpevillagehall@gmail.com or text 07840 367 172.

Gestingthorpe Grill The next Grill will be held on 7th September behind the Village Hall at the usual time of 9.45 to 11.00. Come along and admire the grillers in their stylish new aprons whilst enjoying a bacon roll and tea or coffee. Only £3.50.

The last Grill for the year is on the 5th October and will coincide with a Village Tidy-up/LitterPick organised by the Parish Council. All litterpickers will be entitled to a free bacon roll and tea or coffee.

Further details of the Litter-Pick will be posted on the Gestingthorpe Village Facebook page and on the village notice boards during September.

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Events for Your Diary Hedingham Heritage Society Thursday 5th September ‘Hatfield Forest and the Hedinghams’. The National Trust’s David Simmons will be giving an illustrated talk about our nearby – and only surviving medieval – royal hunting forest, with its connections to the Majendie family and the Hedinghams. The Forest is owned by the National Trust, is a site of Special Scientific Interest and also a National Nature Reserve.

7.30pm – Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall

Sunday 22nd September An autumn walk to Gestingthorpe and return via Delvyn’s Lane. A walk of about 5-6 miles, encompassing the Great Park, the home of Antarctic explorer Lawrence Oates, the Parish Bounds and a Special Roadside Verge.

Meet 10.30am – Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall

Thursday 3rd October ‘The Battle of Britain’. Neil Wiffen the Records Manager at the Essex Records Office will be giving the talk that was originally scheduled for July.

7.30pm Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall

Do join our local and natural history society. Annual membership is £15.

Members come free for all walks and talks : Non-Members - £5. Everybody is Welcome.

Contacts: Rob: 01787 460 664 : Trudi: 01787 462 889 E-mail: hedinghamheritage@gmail.com or visit www.hedinghamheritage.org.uk

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St Giles’ Updates We began a new and exciting initiative, called Meet, Cake, Create back in May to provide an opportunity to come together, with a very light touch gospel message, meet new people, indulge in delicious homemade cakes and have fun participating in some craft activities.

The group has proved hugely successful and is growing in numbers each month. It is open to people from all four and meets at St Giles Church on the fourth Saturday of each month between 2.00-4.00pm.

One of our guests said, they really look forward to coming: “It is an opportunity to meet new people and do something different”. Another stated: “It was a lovely afternoon. It really doesn’t matter if you are good or not at craftwork, spending time together is important, not to mention that it’s a good excuse for cake!”

Please feel free to come and join us – it is a lovely social occasion, with friendly and welcoming people. If you have any questions, or require transport, please contact Jacqui on 07773 627 897. Our next meetings are on: Saturday 28th September and Saturday 26th October between 2.00-4.00pm

Churchwardens’ Report Following our official inauguration in June at a lovely service held in Earls Colne, we are now on our second year in post. We continue to support the delivery of services at St Giles’ which, as well as the Holy Communion services, includes the less formal monthly service, Café Church.

There has been a focus this year on Caring for Creation and Eco Church, encouraging nature and wildlife to flourish in our churchyard. We delight in seeing wild animals and birds enjoying the natural habitat on offer and hope to couple this with a need for rest and reflection and, of course, for people to be able to visit and tend the graves of their loved ones.

During the summer period cutting hedgerows is not ideal, due to nesting birds, but we hope to be able to address this as we move into autumn and the restrictions lift. The Community Plant Stand and seed share has been restored and renewed and is available for everybody to use: our sincere thanks to Gary Kent for all his kind work.

Throughout the year we really appreciate the help we receive from the community for the churchyard tidy-up and the deep clean inside. Many hands make light work – we couldn't do it without you! Please do join us at church when you can; all the current month’s services are on Page 34 of Parish News, on the Maplestead Mates Facebook page and on the Church noticeboards. You are always most warmly welcome.

Denise & Paula, St Giles’ Churchwardens

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Education and Eating

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Parish News Information Advertising/Announcements/Articles The 2024 Parish News Business Advertising Rates for the year (10 issues, pro-rated as applicable) and for monthly single issues are shown below, along with copy deadline dates for each of the remaining 3 issues.

Articles Please submit by e-mail, preferably as a Word document attachment with separate images: ½ page: 150-160 words Full page: 400-420 words

Contacts: Advertising Editorial

Ann Harris Parish News Team

ann66harris@gmail.com parishnewsmaplestead@gmail.com

The Parish Representatives, to whom articles and event announcement submissions should be sent, are listed on the Inside Front Cover.

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The Four Parishes Benefice The Vicar: The Reverend Beverley Vincent The Rectory, Church Street Great Maplestead Halstead, C09 2RG khvicar@gmail.com

07944 200 132 01787 460 273

The Churchwardens: Great Maplestead Paula Sillett 07975 571 253 Denise O’Connell 07795 170 048

sillett92@gmail.com niciedenise@gmail.com

Little Maplestead Gestingthorpe Alice Nolda Peter Nice

01787 469 688 01787 460 126

peter.427nice@btinternet.com

Pebmarsh Sarah Burgess

01787 269 092

sarahburgess@btinternet.com

Church Services in September Sunday 1

9.30am 9.30am 11.00am

Holy Communion Morning Prayer Holy Communion

Great Maplestead Gestingthorpe Little Maplestead

Sunday 8th

10.30am 10.30am

Café Church Family Communion

Great Maplestead

Sunday 15th

11.00am

Benefice Harvest Festival*

Gestingthorpe

Wednesday 18th

10.00am

Holy Communion

Gestingthorpe

Sunday 22nd

9.30am 11.00am 4.00pm 4.00pm

Holy Communion Morning Worship Taketime Together Compline

Great Maplestead Pebmarsh Little Maplestead Gestingthorpe

Saturday 28th

2.00-4.00pm

Meet, Cake, Create

Great Maplestead

Sunday 29th

10.00am

Halstead Team Service + Flower Festival

Greenstead Green

st

St Andrew’s Halstead

*Harvest Festival Come and celebrate Harvest Festival on 15th September. The Service for all four parishes is at St Mary the Virgin, Gestingthorpe at 11.00am, followed by ‘bring your own picnic’ in the churchyard (inside the church if wet). All welcome.

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