The Mayor’s view

Following the local elections in May, I was delighted to be elected Mayor by my new colleagues on the Town Council.

My first official duty was to open a small franchise at Abridge Garden Centre for ACE Upcycling, run by Voluntary Action Epping Forest. Young people with special needs are taught to make goods from reclaimed wood to sell at various events, improving their social skills and self-worth. Next came the unveiling of the blue plaque and information board at St Margaret’s Hospital relating to the outbreak and treatment of jaundice in Epping in the 60s. Epping in Bloom’s Scarecrow Festival has become a firm favourite with our children and this year was a great success.

I was invited to judge the entries; a very difficult task indeed as the festival grows in size each year.

The main highlight of my Civic duties was a trip to Eppingen to celebrate 40 years of the twinning of our towns. I had the greatest honour, along with Barbara Scruton from The Epping/Eppingen Association and dignitaries from Eppingen, to sign a new declaration of our twinning.

Being very interested in opportunities for our young people,

I was delighted to attend a YES Partnership event in support of young people learning how to present themselves; encouraging them to speak, be heard and to have confidence. It was a joy to mix with these amazing young people and watch as they enjoyed learning about themselves.

What a brilliant Town Show this year. Thank you to Geraldine and Bill for the organisation and the Town Clerk and councillors that helped on the day. It was a truly wonderful day enjoyed by many of you.

Rotary’s Classic Car Show followed at Stonards two weeks later and was also a fantastic event.

I was pleased to attend the 15th birthday celebration of the Youth Council at the District Council. It was so interesting to hear from youth councillors, past and present and learn about the impact this project has had on our community. We are so lucky to have many community events in our town, I hope you will all try to support them. Although like so many others in these times we have had to trim our spending, we are still committed to providing an excellent and efficient service to the people of Epping. As a rather dreary summer gives way to autumn, we are already looking forward to Christmas, with the Christmas Market, trees and lights, which are all provided by the Town Council.

I look forward to meeting some of you as I’m out and about.

Christine Burgess

Epping Town Mayor and Deputy Mayor

Each year, Epping Town Council elect a Town Mayor and a Deputy Mayor from the 12 town councillors. The Town Mayor for the 2023/2024 Civic year is Cllr Christine Burgess. The Deputy Mayor for the 2023/24 Civic year is Cllr Cherry McCredie. The Town Mayor is the Chairman of the Town Council and Chairs Council meetings. The Deputy Mayor deputises for them in their absence. The Mayor acts as a key point of contact for the Town Clerk who manages the Town Council. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor will visit many local organisations and attend many events over the course of the Civic year (May to May each year). Their fellow town councillors also attend many events. You can find details of the town councillors 2023-2027, who were elected in May 2023, on the back page of this magazine, along with details on how to contact the Mayor should you wish them to attend or open a local event.

Epping petanque match

Each year, there is a petanque match between Epping Town Council and Epping Forest District Council. The match takes place at the petanque piste at Stonards Hill recreation ground. The Town Mayor represents Epping Town Council and fellow councillors from Epping Forest District Council compete for the trophy. The event is always light-hearted and fun. Unfortunately, it had to be cancelled due to the heavy rain. We look forward to its return next year.

Essex County Council support

Essex County Council have provided details of their micro-enterprise project. There is a directory of services which can be found using the Tribe App (the Tribe app connects local people offering support to the local people that need it.)

If you are a provider who wishes to be added to the directory, get in touch with Essex County Council.

For more details email: Micro.enterprise@essex.gov.uk

Epping Town Show: Sunday 2nd July 23

Hugh crowds visited the annual free entry Epping Town Show on Sunday 2nd July. More than 80 trader, crafts, community, charity stalls as well as food and drinks vendors attended with a variety of goods for sale as well as promoting good causes. Side shows included circus skills, donkey rides, photo booth caravan, facepainting, alpacas, bubbles demos and a dog agility area outside while there was a model railways display in the Jack Silley Pavilion. The entertainment programme included pipe and silver bands, local dance groups and a karate demonstration. The JJ Cocomelon and Mario characters dropped by to entertain the children. Town Mayor Cllr Christine Burgess said: “Epping Town Show 2023 was another great success for the Town Council. With good weather lots of people really enjoyed the day with lots to see and do, especially for young children. A big thank you to the management of St Margaret’s Hospital for allowing car parking on their grounds, and of course, to the Rotary Club of Epping for organising the parking. Thank you also to Mullucks Estate Agents for supporting us by loaning letting boards for our posters and supplying promotional leaflets.

A special thank you to the RAF cadets who assisted with a medical emergency and to the RAF for the Lancaster flypast which, because of the weather, was delayed until about 5.30 pm but was still enjoyed by many people. Lastly, a huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped make this an event to remember.”

We hope to see you all there again next year.

Epping Monday Market

Epping’s Monday Market has been part of the historic fabric of Epping since 1253.

The market has been put under pressure in recent years, but we still have a wide range of goods and services, such as pet food, plants, fruit and veg, dried fruit and nuts, clothes, hardware, houseware, gifts, cards, accessories, handbags, jewellery, glasses, windows, blinds, china, watch batteries and much more. Casual traders welcome by appointment. £35 per single gazebo.

Contact: info@eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk or telephone: 01992 579444 to check availability. Come and support our loyal traders, varied High Street and shop local.

Swaines Green May Fayre 2023

Luckily, after all the wet weather in April leading up to the May Fayre, the weather was fantastic on the actual day and a huge number of visitors were out in force having a wonderful time.

There was a good selection of stalls, selling food and drink, handicrafts and plants and there were chances to win coconuts and sweets. Although the beautiful Copped Hall Rolls Royce had mechanical trouble and couldn’t come, their wonderful classic Rover was brought instead, so all in all there was plenty of interest for visitors of all ages.

In the Arena, the ever-popular Punch and Judy show wowed the children, and the ferret racing got the crowd excited as usual. The various tug of war matches were hugely popular and very competitive in a fun and friendly way! The Anwaar Belly Dancers, as always, put on a wonderful and colourful show and The Maypole dancing was fantastic, well done to the children from Coopersale and Theydon Garnon CE Primary School. Events concluded with the ever-enthusiastic fun dog show. The Nature Walk led by our bird expert, Roger Emmens (and Epping’s Townsperson of the Year 2022), was a great success with everyone enjoying the guided walk around Swaines Green and learning about the area and what they could expect to see throughout the seasons. A big thanks to all who attended and spent money with us, benefiting not just the shows and stalls, but also of course the Friends of Swaines Green Conservation Charity enabling the continued upkeep of the Swaines Green land. A big thank you to all those who helped set up, helped run the event, and cleared away at the end, including the very hard-working 1st Theydon Garnon Scouts and Epping Forest Police Cadets and too many individuals to mention. Thank you to Richard Mortimer for being an excellent compere, to Morag and Jeremy Batchelor and team for running the beer tent and Louise and Lee Raphael and team for running the tea tent and Ping Pong game. Last, but definitely not least, a big thank you to Epping Town Council for allowing the May Fayre to be held on Lower Swaines recreation ground.

Please do visit our website at www.swainesgreen.org.uk or on Facebook ‘The Friends of Swaines Green’ to learn more about what we do, what you can find (animals, birds, wildlife, etc) at Swaines Green, how you can volunteer (volunteers are always needed), future events and photos from the Fayre. Save the Date! Next year’s May Fayre will be on Saturday 11th May (please note the May Fayres will now be on the Saturday after May Day). We hope to see you all again then.

Horticultural Society community picnic

Community Harvest Picnic

Come along to the Epping Horticultural community harvest picnic. We encourage growers to bring something they have grown so we can enjoy a feast together. Members who haven’t grown anything this year you are still welcome to join us maybe bake a cake or bring along some snacks!

Calling all our passionate growers, green thumbs, and plant enthusiastic members.

We invite you to a delightful community picnic on the meadow road allotments where we celebrate the bountiful fruits of our labour. Bring something you've grown to the picnic for us all to savour a taste of the sumptuous feast of fresh produce. A great chance to share the joy of our gardening successes so far and to talk about the growing challenges.

Date: Sunday 3rd September

Picnic bench at the top of Allotments

Meadow Road

Stories and Tips: Don't forget to pack stories and tips to share! We want to hear about your gardening adventures, the challenges you've overcome, and the wisdom you've gained along the way. Let's foster a nurturing space to learn from one another and strengthen our gardening community.

Feasting: Once all the dishes are laid out and everyone has showcased their homegrown produce, we'll embark on a magnificent picnic! Prepare to indulge in a mouthwatering array of flavours, textures, and colours that only nature's bounty can provide.

Garden Swap: Bring along any surplus seeds, seedlings, or gardening tools for a friendly exchange! Share your extras with fellow growers and take home something new to nurture in your garden. Let's come together, celebrate our green thumbs, and revel in the taste of our shared harvest. Join us at the community Harvest Picnic and let the aroma of homegrown goodness fill the air!

We will look forward to seeing you and your garden's treasures at our Epping Horticultural community Harvest Picnic!

What to Bring?

Whether it's plump, juicy tomatoes, vibrant bell peppers, fragrant herbs, or any other harvest from your gardening haven, bring your proudest accomplishments to showcase the diversity of our community's green thumbs.

Delicious Delights: In addition to your garden or allotment treasures, bring along homemade dishes, preserves, jams, pickles, or baked goods made with your own homegrown ingredients. Let's explore the delicious possibilities that arise from our shared love of growing.

Thank you very much to D Bagan-Jones for the lovely picture of sunset over Woodmeads, Epping on the cover. Please send us any pictures of Epping which shows its beauty. We are always looking for cover photographs, that are portrait, with no people in them and at least 5MB resolution.