Talk About Epping Winter 2021

TALK ABOUT EPPING

The Mayor’s view

Epping Monday Market

With the easing of the Covid restrictions, my wife Lorna and I have been able to fulfil many of the Mayor’s engagements in person which has been both enjoyable and rewarding. It was great to see the Monday market return to its normal self, and we are forever grateful to the loyalty and support of our traders. It was a great pleasure to unveil a blue plaque to local children’s author Jill Barklem who created the Brambly Hedge stories and it was nice to see so many of her family able to attend. The rededication of Epping War Memorial took place on the 21st of August, where the names of the fallen were read out and wreaths were laid to mark its 100th birthday this year. The Town Council’s Rosebowl was presented to the Theydon Oak public house for the best floral display for business premises this year. Thank you to all our wonderful entrants.

I was delighted to open the Epping Playground Association HappyFest event at Lower Swaines recreation ground which augmented their fundraising for a magnificent new playground, which is supported by Epping Town Council. The Playground Association continue to raise funds for the playground,

so please support them if you can. The Mayor’s tea party proved to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding evenings Lorna and I have spent so far, with awards being given to many local people and organisations for their great community work. A special award was given to Bill Towers for his 35 years of service to Epping Town Council and let’s hope for many more.

Lorna, Bill and I went to Bumbles Green to select a Christmas tree for Epping High Street. Epping Horticultural Society each year presents the Banksian Medal Award to the person who has won most horticultural prizes during the year. Due to Covid, no competitions were held this year and so it was decided the prize should go to Victoria Robertson and the Epping in Bloom volunteers for their amazing work keeping our market garden terrace community garden and other spaces in such good order I was absolutely delighted to present them with the medal. Look out for details of our Christmas Market, which will be held on Saturday 4th December, from 10am to 4pm, in Epping High Street. My thanks go to my fellow councillors, the Town Clerk, Beverley Rumsey and our amazing team of staff, for all their hard work in keeping the Town Council’s services running so well. I look forward to seeing you all in the build up to Christmas.

Michael Wright

Epping’s Monday Market is now fully up and running following the previous year’s health situation. Epping Town Council are extremely proud of our market and our loyal traders, who serve us week after week, in all weathers, often travelling from some distance away.

Many great businesses have started from markets, so if you have a business you would like to showcase on our market, do get in touch.

Casual stalls cost £35 per single per Monday. Many of our traders are licensed traders, who have been with us for many years.

The market is not only a great place to buy all sorts of merchandise, it is also a great way to meet others in the community and be part of our great town.

We are looking for buskers for the market. We will also shortly have a lovely old-fashioned events cart, which can be used for trading or as an events or community base. This was purchased by a very kind grant from Tesco.

Why not come and start Christmas shopping on the market? There are lots of great present opportunities on many of the stalls.

We need to give our traders and High Street all the support we can, so do remember to Shop Local if you can.

Epping Chorus

With the easing of the lockdown restrictions, the members of Epping Chorus, the choir which regularly performs concerts at St John’s Church Epping, have been keen to return to their Friday night rehearsals. Under the leadership of Simon Winters, their musical director, they have already planned two concerts over the next few months. On Friday 17th December they will be performing a Christmas concert which will include John W Peterson’s ‘Carol of Christmas’. It’s bound to be fun and enjoyed by audiences of all ages. This concert will commence at 7.30pm.

In January 2022, they will have their major winter concert. This will be at 7.30pm on Saturday 22nd January when they will perform Haydn’s ‘Creation’ as the main work, a fitting piece to mark the culmination of the last two years of difficulty. The choir will be joined by soloists for the solo parts with organ accompaniment. As always both concerts will be free to attend, with donations requested.

Interested in singing? If so, why not contact the choir via their website: www.eppingchorus.org They are always happy to welcome new singers, particularly sopranos.

Save the date: Saturday 4th December 2021. 10am to 4pm. Epping Christmas Market, Epping High Street. Lots of fun for all the family.

The Epping-Eppingen Association

The Association is a town twinning between Epping and the splendid medieval town of Eppingen which is set in the beautiful region of Baden Wurtenburg in Southern Germany. The centre of the town boasts some fabulous timber framed buildings. The town is surrounded by rolling countryside and many of the hillsides are covered with grapevines.

The principal aim of the association is to promote friendship between the two towns. Each year exchange visits take place and over the years many long term friendships have been established.

There has never been a better time to join the Association. After a number of disappointments over the past year, when we were unable to follow our normal programme of events we shall be entering 2022 with optimism and enthusiasm determined to make up for lost time.

The town of Eppingen had planned a wonderful garden show for this year which unfortunately had to be postponed until 2022. The show wishes to welcome visitors from the whole region and will run from May to October. The Association is planning to visit from July 8th to 11th July. The visit will also coincide with the Heimattage festival which is held in Eppingen every 10 years. Heimat means home so many people return to the town to celebrate their connection with it. Therefore put the dates in your diary; it will be a weekend not to be missed.

There is another important event next year which we will be celebrating.

We have been twinned with Eppingen for forty years and throughout the Association has been very active. A celebration had been planned for October but because of difficulties with travel we have postponed it to next year. We will welcome German friends and guests to an entertaining weekend so please put the 29th and 30th October 2022 in your diaries.

Apart from these two important events the association will run a number of other social occasions. The Kaffee and Kuchen (coffee and cake) afternoons are always popular and we shall be repeating these. We shall also be having supper evenings and a quiz so look out for information about these. The association also hopes to continue to be involved with the town show and the Christmas tree festival at St Johns. In 2023 we hope to resume our language and cultural courses. These have taken place on alternate years in Germany or here in Epping.

A small membership fee of £5 per family is all one pays for membership so get involved. I must emphasise there is no need to speak German however there are ample opportunities to do so if you wish to join a language course or on visits to Eppingen. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Please get involved ring Joy 01279 428622.

St John’s Church Christmas Tree Festival

Town Mayor Councillor Michael Wright will be opening this year’s Christmas Tree Festival at 1pm on Friday 3rd December 2021. There will be a fantastic display of over 70 beautifully decorated trees in the Church prepared by a range of schools, clubs, businesses, societies and local individuals. There will also be craft stalls, tombola, lucky dip and refreshments along with entertainment from children’s groups and other community groups throughout the weekend. So come along and enjoy the spirit of Christmas and see the dazzling display of decorated Christmas trees whilst enjoying a hot drink (including mulled wine) and homemade cake. What a truly wonderful way to start the Christmas season.

Opening Hours:

Friday 3rd: 1:00pm to 8:00pm

Saturday 4th 10:00am to 5:00pm

Sunday 5th 11.30pm to 4:00pm

Monday 6th 10:00am to 2:00pm

Free entry for young people up to 16 years accompanied by an adult. Students (16+) £1 with a student ID card. Adults £3.

You can always be sure of a warm welcome at St John the Baptist Church, St Johns Road, Epping CM16 5DN.

Please note that we will follow whatever the advice is at the time in relation to any Covid-19 restrictions.

Epping Garden Yoga event

Epping Open Garden held a yoga afternoon in aid of St Clare’s Hospice on Saturday 21st August. It was felt that this year we could not host open gardens due to Covid 19 so instead we held a garden yoga afternoon with two local yoga teachers Christ Brotherton of Epping Yoga and Lucinda Harvey of Live Happy Yoga. Both teachers gave their time to lead four one-hour classes in the garden of Les and Carol Burrows.

Several friends very kindly came and put up some gazebos for us so most of the people had cover (our thanks go to the people who loaned us the gazebos without these everyone would have got quite wet) it rained on and off most of the afternoon but despite this most of the people who booked turned up and participated. Everyone said how much they enjoyed their class, and it was lovely to get out and meet people again.

The event raised £2364.50 which included a raffle with many good prizes and thanks go to the people who donated these. We also had Indian Elephant themed handicrafts made by Elaine Davies which sold very well. We must also thank Hugh and Diane Pegrum for providing parking in the field opposite, Susan Axford for coordinating the event Sarah Roffey for her help on the day.

We hope that next year we will resume our Open Garden event along with a classic car show, which we have pencilled in for Monday 30th May, parking will be at Shaftesbury Farm, Lindsey Street where some classic cars will be. Please save the date and help us raise money for St Clare’s Hospice and a Dementia charity.

Five easy ways to reduce your risk of falls

Are you worried about falls? Either for your self or older relatives? As we come into autumn and winter, with slippery pavements from fallen leaves, wet weather and ice, it can feel like a vulnerable time to be out and about.

According to Age UK, falls are a big worry for older adults, with 36% saying it tops their list of concerns. The NHS says that around 1 in 3 adults over 65 will have a fall each year and following a year of lockdowns, it's understandable that many more vulnerable adults will have been less active and perhaps even more fearful. In our Active Ageing Pilates classes we’ve recently been looking into fall prevention and exercises to help reduce the risk. Staying active, maintaining a healthy muscle mass and cognitive function, staying mobile and working on coordination are all really important ways of reducing your fall risk as you get older.

If you can’t get to a specific active-ageing class, here are some easy things you can incorporate into daily life, which are an action plan against falls.

Take longer strides when you walk. It’s important to notice if you start to shuffle. This could be an indicator that you’re losing mobility in your ankles and muscle mass in your legs. Taking longer strides is important for leg strength and healthy joint movement.

Practice balancing at home. Balance isn’t just a thing you have, it’s something you need to work on. Try standing on one leg at home whilst you’re washing up or on the phone. Gradually build up the length of time you’re balancing or try closing your eyes for a challenge.

Build your bottom! Squats are a fantastic exercise but people can be wary of knees or hips. A great way to include leg and bottom strength into every day life is to make sure you get out from chairs without using your hands. Stand up using your legs and bottom.

Work on your coordination, not just fine motor skills but the big ones that are going to help you right yourself if you trip. Try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Try tennis or bowls for a fun way of working on your coordination in a sociable way.

Find an expert. Joining a fitness or Pilates class with an expert who understands the needs of an older body can really help keep you feeling young and confident. Remember something is always better than nothing. Yes, you can join in any exercise class but if you’re one of the 36% worried about falls, then find an expert you can trust to keep you active and confident.

Trips may happen but I’d love to think that you'd be able to right yourself by taking on a few of these tips. If you'd like any advice please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Karen is a Pilates teacher and co-directs Fit School in Epping with husband Chris. She writes regularly for national publications on exercise for older adults. Karen has two specialist classes for older adults every week as well as online classes. www.fit-school.co.uk/activeageingpilates

Epping Christmas Market: Sat 4th December

The annual popular outdoor Epping Christmas Market is being planned to take place Saturday, 4th December from 10am to 4pm this year. As the Covid-19 situation continues and will still be with us by then, there will still be social distancing and Covid-19 precautions in place.

The Town Council like to hold this event to mark the celebration of Christmas for residents and to help local businesses.

There will be a wide selection of festive themed merchandise, so an ideal time to do some Christmas shopping. There will be carol singing by our local school children, music, a range of food and drinks and more. We have heard Santa will be joining us in the grotto at Epping Fire Station. Santa’s reindeers will be also making an appearance in the Market Garden terrace community garden beside Marks & Spencer.

Also that weekend, there will be a wonderful array of Christmas trees in St John’s Church as part of their festival. Epping Town Council will again be lighting up the trees on the High Street in time for the festive season including having the annual central 25ft Christmas tree on the ‘piazza.’

There will be limited free car parking in Cottis Lane car park courtesy of Epping Forest District Council.

Epping Neighbourhood Plan

Epping’s Neighbourhood Plan is being modified, following the changes that have been made to Epping Forest District Council’s Local Plan. Epping’s Neighbourhood Plan has to be in broad conformity to the Local Plan, but full of details that are specific to Epping. The Plan is being worked on by a Committee of Town Councillors and residents. All meetings are open to the public. Contact: info@eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk for more details.

Epping in Bloom Award

Epping in Bloom are all feeling really proud and honoured to have been presented with the Banksian medal. They were voted for unanimously by members of the Epping Horticultural Society committee, for all the voluntary work they have done to keep the Market Garden Terrace community garden looking its best during the lockdown period for all to enjoy.

Epping Town Mayor Cllr Michael Wright presented us with the award on behalf of Epping Horticultural Society and he gave his personal thank you to us for our hard work, saying what an asset the garden is to our town and how much he enjoys seeing people enjoying the garden space.

Epping Ongar Railway volunteering

The Railway will celebrate its 10-year operating anniversary in 2022 and we are keen to recruit more volunteers to help operate our trains.

All volunteers are welcome at Epping Ongar Railway and no role is beyond their reach or aspiration, although certain safety critical positions, for example, train driver, signaller or station master, require the passing of specialist training and meeting medical standards.

There are so many jobs that volunteers undertake. Not all of them are obvious and some may go unnoticed, but they are all essential for the safe and smooth running of the Railway and creating an amazing customer experience.

As well as drivers, firemen, guards, maintenance teams and signallers there are a multitude of roles such as, porter, booking clerk, ticket inspector, and train steward. There are also the bus crews, plus the catering team, shop and stall teams. All of these people will be visible on running days. However, that is only part of the picture as so much equally essential work is done behind the scenes and on non-running days, which includes, but is not limited to:

• restoring, maintaining and cleaning the heritage rolling stock, station buildings, and gardens

• ensuring that the track is in good order and managing the vegetation and environmental ecosystems along the line

• stock taking and replenishing the merchandise at the catering outlets and shops

• dealing with customer ticketing and general enquiries electronically and by telephone

• preparing trains and tables for dining and other special events and cleaning up afterwards

Adult membership is just £20 per year and that includes 4 copies of our 44-page magazine Mixed Traffic. If you have a few hours to spare, please contact: membership@eorailway.co.uk Further information is also available on our website: www.eorailway.co.uk/membership/

By Mandy Hewlett Railway Volunteer.

The Music Den at Hemnall Social Club

After having to cancel events from March 2020 due to lockdown, The Music Den had its first event on 18th May this year with Mike Hatchard. This was followed by The Fran McGillivray Band on 8th June, The Heaters on 13th July and on 24th August Saints and Sinners, featuring The Spikedrivers, Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke.

The whole point of the Music Den is to bring a varied mixture of live music to Epping.

Events are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Hemnall Social Club, 50 Hemnall Street, Epping, CM16 4LS.

The next scheduled events for this year are as follows:

9th November The Heaters

12th April 2022 The Jigantics

14th December Bad Influence

For more details, please see Hemnall Social Club’s website. Facebook: The Music Den Epping, Hemnall Social Club

Tickets: wegottickets or direct from Hemnall Social Club

Contact: Dennis Timbers, Mobile 07768811706, email: dennistimbers@msn.com

New Christmas Lights Competition for residents

Epping Town Council are inviting Epping residents across the Parish to take part in the Epping Best Dressed Christmas Home Competition.

The initiative aims to help to spread festive community spirit across Epping, Coopersale and Fiddler’s Hamlet and it would be an opportunity for residents to show off their Christmas lights/decorative display to cheer up the parish, some of which are used for charity fundraising purposes.

For copies of the entry form and terms and conditions, please see Epping Town Council’s website at www.eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk, email: info@eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk or visit the office at Epping Hall on St Johns Road for a paper copy (by appointment). Residents would need to include one printed photograph of their home festive display attached to their application. The deadline date for entries is 10th December. Entries will be judged the week after the deadline and winners will be announced before Christmas. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor would make a shortlist of potential winners and then visit the homes to make their final decisions.

Bell ringing in Epping

Do you enjoy the sound of Epping Church Bells on a Sunday morning? Like many things we enjoyed, Bell ringing had to stop due to the Covid pandemic, but now that restrictions are easing, it is hoped that ringing will be able to return on a regular basis. Bell ringing has been described as the best workout ever and it can be both mentally and physically challenging. As with all new skills, it takes some time to master but is very rewarding and can open new opportunities to ring around the country and abroad. People ring for all sorts of reasons; the social side, exercise, teamwork and to be part of a long-standing tradition.

The group practises at Epping St John’s Church on a Monday night from 7.45pm for around an hour and rings on Sunday mornings before the Family service at 9.20am. There are often additional occasions to ring; celebrations (such as weddings), Royal Jubilees, notable anniversaries and of course Remembrance Sunday. You may also have heard the bell tolling for Captain Tom and Prince Phillip earlier this year. There is no obligation to attend all events, the larger the ringing band, the greater the flexibility. Neither is it a requirement to be a churchgoer, although the bells are part of the life of the Church.

Over the autumn and winter, there will be taster events so that anyone interested to learn more can come along to see what it is all about, chat to existing ringers and discover whether their interest is piqued enough to give it a try. If you are interested, please email: ian.apps112@gmail.com

Epping Rotary dog show for Children in Need

Epping Rotary organised a fun day in support of Children in Need held at Stonards Recreation Ground. Sunday 10th October was the start of the Countryfile Ramble and Epping ramblers went on a three mile ramble starting from Julie’s café. Unfortunately the weather was not kind to our ramblers and they had to don their waterproofs and brave the elements. All those who took part enjoyed the route which took them into Wintry Park Woods and Garnon Mead Nature Reserve. The Rotary gazebo was full of Pudsey merchandise including large bears, small bears, Pudsey ears and many other small items for purchase.

Many of our ramblers had dogs and in the afternoon the fun dog show was a great success. Epping Town Mayor, Councillor Michael Wright did the judging and gave out winning rosettes. He said it was probably the most difficult thing he had done in his year in office. Our young helpers Hollie and Rosie assisted by giving treats to every dog that entered.

The money raised through such events in aid of Children in Need can change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK and Epping Rotary is committed to support such charities. Throughout the afternoon a raffle for a large Pudsey, sale of Pudsey merchandise and generous donations raised £593.18, this added to a raffle for a large Blush bear during the Epping Playground Association’s Happyfest brings the amount raised so far to £863.23.

The BBC Children in Need Show is on 19th November and Epping Rotary we will continue to fundraise with a target of £1000. Pudsey merchandise is available to purchase at Julie’s café where you can also pick up a map of the route the ramblers walked and make a donation. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the day successful and we hope to make this an Epping Rotary annual event.

HappyFest family festival at Lower Swaines recreation ground - by Epping Playground Association

September saw Lower Swaines Recreation Ground transformed into a family festival by the Epping Playground Association.

The sun shone as the team were joined by volunteer helpers, local businesses and activity providers in order to officially launch their fundraising efforts to renovate the playground.

The event, #HappyFest, was managed by charity chair Siobhan Garrett and project manager Donna Hourihan. Local residents joined the fun with many staying all day to enjoy children’s activities, live music, games and storytelling.

‘I had only intended to stop for a short while,’ said local parent Kerry Ellis, ‘but it was so much fun we ended up staying all day.’

The parent volunteer led charity is working with Epping Town Council to renovate Lower Swaines Recreation Ground. A consultation process has been completed and plans for three integrated play areas, to cater for children from 0-teens, have been published.

The team want to raise £120,000 in an ambitious but much needed play and social space for the residents of Epping. It’s a project being run with full support of the local town council and with some grant money already promised from the town and district councils.

At the time of going to print, the total raised stands at £38,087. According to trustee David Garrett just over £3,300 was raised at #HappyFest.

The day was attended and opened by Epping’s Town Mayor Michael Wright. Town Councillors Mari-Louise Whitbread, District Councillors Les Burrows and Janet Whitehouse and District and County Councillor Holly Whitbread joined in the fun alongside members of Epping Rotary Club and special guests Buzz Lightyear, Olaf and Poppy the Troll.

‘Thanks so much Epping for coming out to support our first, solo fundraising event,’ says trustee Habibah Wise. ‘It was so well received we may have to do it all again!’

The deadline for fundraising is next May, 2022. If the charity can raise £60,000, they’ll be able to apply for larger national grants, like National Lottery funding.

‘For bigger, national grants, we also need to demonstrate a community need and that we’ve generated funds through community events like #HappyFest,’ says trustee Karen Laing, ‘so we’re delighted by the support shown so far by local residents and businesses’.

In addition to a number of stallholders, representing local service and catering businesses, the trustee team was helped on the day by volunteers including local parents and staff from the local Tesco store. Millers Estate Agents, Epping also generously sponsored the event. The charity team are planning future local events including fun at Halloween and a festive Santa dash. Do keep an eye on our social media accounts and the events page on our website: www.eppingplayground.org/events for up to date information.

If you can help in any way, as a volunteer, a business who could contribute to a piece of playground equipment or helping with grant applications, please get in touch with the team. We’re currently looking for £300 sponsorship so we could host a Christmas disco.

Mayor’s Thank You Afternoon Tea

On 16th September 2021, Epping Town Mayor Councillor Michael Wright held a thank you tea party to present all those who had won awards in 2020 and 2021, who had not been able to receive their awards at a Civic event due to the Covid-19 health situation. The evening was a great success as Cllr Wright and all members of Epping Town Council, were able to commend those who have done so much for our town and community.

The award winners were as follows:

Ms K Birk: best kept allotment at Lower Bury Lane: 2019, Mrs L Layne: best kept allotment at Lower Bury Lane 2020 Mrs C Hassall-Kingham: best kept allotment Meadow Road 2019 & 2020. John Whalley and Emma Phillips: Civic Award: for the sensitive refurbishment of 48 Hemnall Street. Townsperson of the Year: Liz Jones 2020 Jacqui Mortimer 2021. Community Award 2020: Churches Together, Community Award 2021: Voluntary Action Epping Forest, Young Townsperson of the Year: Julie Turrell & George Sack. 35 years long service to Epping Town Council: Bill Towers. Community Project: Epping Playground Association. Well done to them all.

Swaines Green Art & Photography Competition: the results

The Friends of Swaines Green ran an art and photography competition in support of the Epping Forest Festival of Culture 2021.

The very worthy winners amongst some fine entries were Maple Class from Coopersale and Theydon Garnon Church of England Primary School, Janet Seaton and Colin Monk. To see all the entries and find out more about the Swaines Green conservation area in Epping, please visit their website at: www.swainesgreen.org.uk

The Friends of Swaines Green run a conservation day on the 2nd Sunday of the month from October to March, volunteers are always welcome, no experience is needed and all equipment is supplied. Please see the website for more details.

Blue Plaque for Jill Barklem

The important contribution made to the literary and art world by author Jill Barklem through her Brambly Hedge childrens’ books has been recognised by Epping Town Council which has unveiled a blue plaque at one of her former homes.

Town Mayor councillor Michael Wright, who unveiled the plaque with Jill’s daughter, Lizzie, and son, Peter, said the plaque also highlighted her “special connection” with the town.

Jill Barklem was born Gillian Gaze at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping, on 23 May, 1951. Her father owned Pynes department store, now Wildwood restaurant, on the High Street for many years. She died on 15 November, 2017.

The Barklem family lived in Buttercross Lane and then in Theydon Grove until 1987. Her last home was on Church Hill where the plaque is located.

In 1980, Collins published four picture books by Jill.

‘Spring Story’, ‘Summer Story’, ‘Autumn Story’ and ‘Winter Story’ chronicle in astonishing illustrative detail, the lives and adventures of a community of mice who live in ‘Brambly Hedge’, an idyllic spot where old values flourish and seasonal self-sufficiency is the order of the day.

Speaking at the plaque unveiling, Town Mayor councillor Michael Wright said: “Jill originally conceived the idea for Brambly Hedge in the 1970s during her long commutes on the London Underground from her home in Epping to study at St Martin’s School of Art in London.”

Intended for small children, the books were an immediate success with readers of all ages and the books have been translated into more than 13 languages and have sold more than seven million copies.

“We understand that the Brambly Hedge series feature recognisable parts of the town and often refer to the forest.”

Councillor Wright added: “Many people who live in Epping, like many around the country and the world, have enjoyed Jill’s Brambly Hedge creations. I am delighted to unveil this blue plaque to permanently commemorate the important contribution that Jill Barklem made to the literary and art world and to mark her special connection to Epping.”

Jill Barklem’s daughter, Lizzie, said: “I’m so very grateful that the Council has put up this plaque in recognition of her contribution to childrens’ literature and illustration.

She loved the town very, very much and Epping Forest was such an influential part of her research and her writing and it’s lovely it has been recognised and will be there for a very long time.”

AbFabFit Club

A ladies-only gym with the mission to empower women to create life-long changes to their mind, body and health in 3 locations Thornwood, Waltham Abbey and Bishops Stortford. AbFabFit Club is not just a gym, it’s a place where ladies can get support to feel fitter, healthier and happier. Helping you ditch the diet for good, the team at AbFab encourages healthy habits and offers nutritional support along with body composition monitoring.

AbFab was founded by Jaine Alderson in 2018. “I set up AbFab in April 2018 as I wanted to remove the barriers to getting fit and healthy, many ladies, including myself, have attended gyms but don't feel a part of a community. I wanted to grow something that ladies could feel supported and encouraged regardless of shape or size”. She runs AbFab with her husband.

“Most gyms have mirrors and the last thing ladies want to do is to look at themselves whilst working out, so I set about creating a brand that I could grow & expand. Most members don't like going to a gym, but they love AbFab as we have created something special.”

“Joining AbFab is joining a family. We care about each and every member, I have an amazing team around me and the coaches and admin staff all support the AbFab ethos which is about community, support and results, our functional fitness training classes will not only get you feeling great but improve your overall fitness, guaranteed!”

To check out AbFab’s timetables or to arrange a call back, visit https://abfabfitclub.co.uk

Epping in Bloom news

The summer displays have been spectacular this year in the community garden and the regular positive feedback we have been receiving from our visitors and passers by has been very heart warming and rewarding. We received £1000 in sponsorship from Epping Town Council and have started receiving sponsorship from local businesses. We welcome our newest sponsors; Collops Carpets and Church’s Butchers. In the raised beds and pots in the garden we planted a wide variety of begonia and salvias in many colours. The barrels outside the fire station have been lovingly cared for by Eileen and Gaynor, who have been weeding and feeding the plants often. We are really enjoying being back together again as a voluntary group on Friday mornings and welcome any new volunteers to come along to join in with the gardening fun at 10am. No experience needed. We love talking to our visitors and often answer any gardening questions. If you just want to pop in for a friendly chat you will always be made to feel welcome. We said goodbye to our lovely volunteer Gema who has moved away. She has done so much to help us over the past 4 years. We shall look forward to seeing her soon.

We have had a challenging fruit and vegetable growing year on our allotment at Meadow Road. Many of our crops were wiped out early on due to slug and snail damage. Never before have the tops on our onions, shallots and even our garlic been munched away! Our sweetcorns were damaged, along with our runner beans, to name a few more. Despite that, we had a great result with our Turks turba squashes, courgettes, strawberries and crooked neck squashes. Many of the plants we had this year were donated from Herts and Essex community farm. In August, we held a special evening educating the girl guides and their leaders about our no-dig style of self sustainable growing methods on the Epping in Bloom plot. We set ‘taste the difference’ challenges and had pancakes. We shall look forward to welcoming them over to the plot again next year.

North Weald Airfield information

North Weald Airfield is an historic airfield owned and managed by Epping Forest District Council. It continues to be developed for aviation and commercial purposes to secure its future survival and prevent it being lost, as so many airfields have been, to housing development. This is a welcome vision for the area. As part of this continuing growth there are several flight schools operating from the airfield, offering training for pilots through courses which include up to 35 hours of flying time, and involve circuits of the airfield and take-off/landing practice. The training aircraft have a designated route around the airfield and are instructed to stay clear of residential areas in order to avoid objections about continuous, frequent and repetitive overflying, leading to noise disturbance. The flight circuit is illustrated by the blue line on the image and comes from the airfield’s Pilot Handbook, which is available online. Any complaints about aircraft wandering from the correct circuit and over residential areas should be directed to the Control Tower on 01992 524740 or The Gatehouse on 01992 564200 (including weekends). The Metropolitan Police helicopters have now returned to their original base at Lippets Hill.

Epping Town Council information

COUNCILLORS

2019-2023

Members - Hemnall Ward

Cllr N Avey nigel.avey@btinternet.com

Cllr C Burgess christine_burgess@hotmail.com

Cllr C McCredie 07831 501598

Cllr B Scruton 01992 572333

Cllr M-L Whitbread mlwhitbread1@gmail.com

Cllr J Whitehouse 01992 561875 jon@jonwhitehouse.org.uk

Members - St John’s Ward

Cllr S Baker 07948 767959 Simonbaker348@btintenet.com

Cllr J Duffell 07847 357493 johnduffell@live.co.uk

Cllr R Griffiths 07917 841823 griffiths74@gmail.com

Cllr H Pegrum 01992 572173

Cllr G Scruton grscruton@gmail.com

Cllr M Wright 07926 516097

Cllr N Avey, Cllr C McCredie and Cllr Jon Whitehouse are also District Councillors. Other Local Representatives

EFDC & ECC Cllr Chris Whitbread (01992 573557) Cllr.Christopher.Whitbread@essex.gov.uk

EFDC Cllr Les Burrows (01992 572003) cllr.lburrows@eppingforestdc.gov.uk

EFDC & ECC Cllr Holly Whitbread (07508 180426) holly.whitbread@btinternet.com

EFDC Cllr Janet Whitehouse (01992 812503) cllrjanetwhitehouse@gmail.com

MP: Dame Eleanor Laing MP (020 8508 6608) eleanor.laing.mp@parliament.uk

invitations for the m ayor

If you are organising an event which you would like the Mayor or a representative of the Town Council to attend, please email: info@eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk marked Invitation for the Mayor or tel: 01992 579444

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor attend many different events over the year to support our local groups, businesses and organisations.

talk about epping deadlines

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

Please note: meetings have now returned to in-person meetings, in accordance with government legislation (from 7 May 2021) and will be held at Epping Hall unless otherwise stated.

FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING, SEE EPPING TOWN COUNCIL’S WEBSITE FOR MEETINGS

Epping Town Council responsibilities

Bury Lane Cemetery Halls:

Monday Charter Market Epping Hall, St Johns Rd

Christmas Market Jack Silley Pavilion, Recreation Grounds: Stonards Hill

Stonards Hill

Allotments:

Ivy Chimneys Lower Bury Lane

Lower Swaines Meadow Road

Frampton Road Town Show

Parklands, Coopersale Continental Markets

Brook Road Bakers Lane Toilets

Talk About Epping (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter)

Consultee on Planning

Epping Town Council’s Planning Committee consider every planning & TPO (tree protection order) application in Epping and give their views to Epping Forest District Council, who are the local planning authority.

Articles for the next edition of Talk About Epping must be submitted before 10 January 2022 (Spring issue) and 18 April 2022 (Summer issue). Submissions should be sent to Epping Town Council via email: info@eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk clearly marked ‘Talk About Epping’. Please send in copy on a word document (200-300 words max). Please attach pictures as separate jpegs (not inserted into the word document) The editor may amend copy appropriately.

For more information, visit our new website: www.eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk

Follow us on twitter: @eppingtown

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/epping.towncouncil