Issuu

Issue 42

Cover photo by Jon Sturdy Photography

Bricklesea Bygones By Roy Birnie SPINSTER AUNT’S, MITTENS-SOCKS and SCARFS Born a Brightlingsea lad in 1948 in a large house in Stanley Avenue. Living with a family of Aunts and an Uncle, retired and near retirement all unmarried and my Mum and halfbrother, just 3 years after WW2, I grew up not questioning why we all lived together, quite happily by growing our own fruit and vegetables, having our own chickens, lots of eggs and a cockerel for Christmas and Easter dinner. Mum was a recent divorcee who during WW2 married a Scottish soldier based in Brightlingsea moved to Scotland had her son John and spent 18 months in a munition factory, Unfortunately she developed severe dermatitis and returned home and divorced shortly afterwards. Mum went to live with Grandma Prior in Tower Street, soon after the infamous Dornier Bomber crashed on the Western Marsh near the sewage works after dropping a bomb in Tower Street flattening the family

home and three others, three nights later taking the life of my Great Grandma Prior, the only civilian lost at home in this town in WW2. Uncle Fred a British Rail Traveling Head Clerk who lived at home with his Mother was now homeless and also on the point of retirement. With just a little furniture left, and no home he along with his three sisters of which two were already retired they purchased 15 Stanley Park, (now avenue). Which was fully furnished. I was born three years later and the Priors kindly took us in and there we stayed through family bereavements and serious illness until I married my dear Cath in 1970. As time went on as I grew up in 15 Stanley I was told or realised how we all came to be living there and there were two main factors WW1 and WW2, thousands of casualties created a shortage of young males hence my three dear Aunties without a husband although Alice had

bombing brought all our family together in the several years of rationing after peace was declared in 1945. My Mums father Albert fought in the first battle against the Germans in France in WW1, mounted with Sabre and Pistol he was demobbed at Colchester Garrison, was in poor health and was nursed by his wife’s Sisters in his final days. The two World Wars were not in my time but certainly the stories on how my family were affected by them and they fascinate the more I find out, and I bet there are dozens of similar stories in our little town. Roy

Colne Medical Centre Annual reviews

NHS App

• Town Pier development plans being brought forward

The practice is sending out letters reminding patients with diabetes, asthma or COPD and those who are due a mental health or rheumatoid arthritis to make an appointment for a review. Please take the time to read the letter carefully and contact reception to book the appropriate appointment. It is very important to keep up to date with these reviews to ensure that you are receiving the best treatment for your condition.

The new, simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet. Use the NHS App to Check your symptoms, find out what to do when you need help urgently, book and manage appointments at your GP surgery, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP medical record securely, register to be an organ donor or choose how the NHS uses your data.

• Town Plan being updated

Text messaging service

• Continued addittions to the Lido

The practice provides a text messaging service which sends appointment reminders, health review or vaccination invitations and messages from your GP. With many of these messages you are given the option to DECLINE the review or vaccination offered, saving you time and enabling us to quickly update your medical records. If you wish to sign up to the service please collect a form from the surgery or download one from the practice website.

It is not unusual to see Fred the cat in the queue for morning surgery! Whilst he is a lovely natured cat and very friendly please could we ask that if you see him in the surgery you alert a member of staff who will escort him from the building. Some of our patients suffer with allergies which can be exacerbated by cat hair. Thank you for reading. Caroline Bowden, Practice Manager

Town Council Update After the sad news I mentioned in last months issue we move on to hopefully better times,so happy new year to all. Following on from the good news Cllr Graham that the Hospice support group Steady handed over a cheque for £18000 and the Christmas Tree Exibition raising approx. £8000 we move on into 2020 in a positive frame of mind.The council are looking to build on past success”s to this end we look forward to the following being delivered:

a sweetheart a Rear Admiral who their Mum died from septicaemia and Edith the youngest had obtained a wonderful position as a Housekeeper with a wealthy Fruit Farming Family in Norwich and as they retired they returned to their now new family home In Brightlingsea, While Fred their Brother having spent the war as a traveling Head Rail Goods Clerk, which was a War exempt position. Those three wonderful Aunts of mine Knitted and Crocheted literally hundreds of Gloves, Mittens, Balaclava’s and Socks for the armed forces of both Wars. So the awful fatalities of men in the two World Wars and the Tower Street

• Enviromental Policy being fully implemented

• Highways issues public consultation being completed • Operation Quasar in conjunction with the police to be extended Planning for these is already under way and we will continue to give updates.

Fred

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Issue 43: 27/01/20 Issue 44: 25/0/20

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News Update from County Councillor Alan Goggin As many of you may know, apart from being your elected County Councillor,I also have the honour of being appointed as the Deputy to the County Councilor Cabinet member for “Education and Alan Goggin Skills. What does that cover - I hear many ask? It’s a big department with too many departments for such a short report. So I thought a good way to introduce you to some of what we do, would be to take notes from an end of year newsletter. Admissions to schools were positive this year, with 96% of children getting their first or second choice when applying for a school place at Primary school, while 91% got their first or second choice at Secondary School. Our schools building programme continues and through the fantastic work done on the 10 year plan Essex is able to map out future projections for school places, and to ensure that we have the school places for children to attend a school close to where they live. We have created 3,264 school places this year - which is another fantastic effort.

So far this year, youth work sessions have increased 200% since last year and outcomes achieved saw a 36% increase. The Youth Strategy groups have commissioned countywide awareness raising programmes such as Chelsea’s Choice (child sexual exploitation) reaching 11,143 young people and 455 professionals and volunteers. County Lines drama productions reached 14,500 young people as well as 5 performances for teachers, volunteers, social workers, police officers, cabinet members, senior officers at ECC’s and other professions working with young people. A national report highlights that 58,000 children in the UK are being home schooled. Essex has seen an increase in the number of those home-schooled, with a national trend which, some may argue, is linked to the ease with which parents can opt to remove their child from a school roll in favour of elective home education. There is also a practice that we have become aware of called ‘off rolling’ where a school recommends to parents that they should home school. This is a big problem and we propose looking at recommendations to reduce any negative impact whilst accepting that in some cases home schooling is an excellent option.

It’s been another fantastic year for ECC’s youth service. The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s (PFCC) violence and vulnerability unit commissioned 2 x FTE detached youth workers in Basildon Hospital to work with victims of knife crime. This has now increased to 4 FTE youth workers, until April 2020. We have worked with Essex Police to develop an education package around online safety and awareness of online grooming and launched the Brecks last game workshops to 400 young people and their teachers across the county. For many years my particular passion is for the area dealing with Children with special needs. I call them special children with extra needs! Essex County Council is undertaking a major programme of investment in special needs education. The aim is to provide over 350 new places for children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan. The total investment in special needs places in Essex is likely to be around £85million. The Council has already created and opened: • 8 units of specially resourced provision in mainstream schools for children and young people with autistic spectrum disorder needs. • 8 units of specially resourced provision in mainstream schools for children and young people with social emotional and mental health needs. • Lexden Springs Special School has been rebuilt to provide a modern, purpose-built learning environment, providing 80 additional places including 30 Monday to Thursday boarding places • Glenwood Special School has been rebuilt with stimulating new facilities for 210 children and young people. Accommodation is under construction to provide 20 Monday to Thursday boarding places • Oak View Special School has been expanded to provide 24 new purpose-built places for children on the autistic spectrum with moderate learning difficulties • Kingwode Hoe School has 12 additional places for children with moderate learning difficulties in KS1. • Harlow Fields School has been expanded to provide address existing overcrowding and create 5 additional places. The following projects are currently being designed or constructed: • A new special Free School for 75 children with autistic spectrum disorder needs in the Braintree area

• A new special Free School in Chelmsford for 64 children with Social Emotional and Mental Health needs including 15 Monday to Thursday boarding places • A new special Free School in Chelmsford for 70 children and young people with autistic spectrum disorder who have complex needs with 10 Monday to Thursday boarding places • A special school in Harlow for children and young people with social emotional and mental health needs including 15 Monday to Thursday boarding places • Southview School will have an additional 24 places for children with physical and neurological impairments, including 10 Monday to Thursday boarding places. • Ramsden Hall School will have 8 additional day places for children with SEMH in Year 6. The Council’s special needs capital programme seeks to ensure that each child and young person will be able to access the specialist provision he/she requires within his/her own community. As at July 2019 some of the OFSTED ratings were:• Primary - Schools judged Good or Outstanding – 90.1% compared to 87.5% nationally • Primary - Pupils attending a school judged good or outstanding – 90.0% compared to 87.7% nationally • Secondary - Schools judged Good or Outstanding – 84.4% compared to 75.9% nationally • Secondary - Pupils attending a school judged good or outstanding – 85.8% compared to 79.7% nationally • All - Schools judged Good or Outstanding – 89.1% compared to 86.0% nationally • All - Pupils attending a school judged good or outstanding – 88.3% compared to 84.6% nationally. Improving outcomes for vulnerable pupils, particularly the disadvantaged remains an Essex priority. Fourteen schools are being helped. These are schools that are struggling to produce sustained improvements for disadvantaged learners but have the capacity to improve and are engaged in their school led partnership. Passenger transport comes under this portfolio and Essex launched a very successful refresh of our in-house fleet brand and new recruitment campaign for drivers and passenger assistants ensuring some of our most vulnerable residents get really high quality journeys that enhance their wellbeing. Overall the supported local bus Continued on Page 14.

Colchester Borough Council’s biggest tree giveaway yet! The annual ‘Trees for Years’ giveaway, where Colchester Borough Council gives away trees for free to residents, returns on Saturday 22 February 2020. This year, as part of the Colchester Woodland Project and to mark the start of a new decade, there will be ten thousand trees given away instead of the planned two thousand and twenty! Colchester Borough Council is offering residents a big helping hand to green-up their gardens and the borough, by extending its annual ‘Trees for Years’ giveaway this year. As part of the Colchester Woodland Project ten thousand free native trees, shrubs and fruit bushes, chosen for their ability to promote wildlife in gardens and value to our local bee population, will be made available to residents, community groups, schools and town or parish councils on the day. Normally the event would see the number of trees match the year. To support this extended number of trees, the event will this year take place in the car park of Colchester United JobServe Community Stadium, United Way, Colchester CO4 5UP. The trees are only available to borough residents, who will be asked to show proof of living in the borough with a utility bill or similar. Residents should also bring their own bags. Now in its 14th year, the scheme has been made possible thanks to £2,000 sponsorship from idVerde, which works in partnership with the council to maintain the borough’s green spaces, as well as through funding from the Better Colchester campaign as part of the Colchester Woodland project. On the day, residents can arrive from 10am and trees will be given away on a first-come-first-served basis. Each household will be able to choose up to ten plants to take away – remaining stock dependant. Schools and community groups can take up to fifty, and town and parish councils should contact parks@colchester. gov.uk to discuss their requirements before the day if greater than fifty. Trees include Field Maple, Silver Birch, Red Stem Dogwood, Yellow Stem Dogwood and for residents with less garden space there will be a variety of shrubs including Lavender, Bird Cherry, Blackcurrant, Gooseberries and Raspberries. All trees are bareroot and range in height from 50cm

to 1.2m. Residents can also collect a free planting guide and members of the council’s parks team will be on hand to advise on the best plants to suit residents’ gardens. The event will run until 2pm or until stock runs out. To celebrate this extended giveaway, there will also be several stalls and exhibitors on site from across the borough, including other council departments, a local children’s author, community groups, garden centres and more. There’ll be goodies and lots of information available – plus idVerde will have some impressive machinery and cutting equipment on display. Andy Fulcher, of idVerde, said: “We are extremely pleased to support Trees for Years once again. Not only is this a great scheme to help residents and community groups to green up their gardens for free, but the day is always a great opportunity for our team to meet and get to know Colchester’s residents.” Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Environment and Transportation, said: “A big thank you to idVerde for their continued support and sponsorship of this inspiring initiative, which gives residents a chance to help create a greener borough and boost healthy habitats for insects and wildlife. “We’re really pleased to be able to extend the giveaway this year, too, thanks to the Colchester Woodland Project. Having a number of exhibitors on site is going to make this year’s event extra special.” Cllr David King, Portfolio Holder for Business and Resources, added: “Trees for Years is always really well attended and trees and plants get snapped up quickly, so it’s fantastic to be able to give away even more this year thanks to the Colchester Woodland Project. “Through the Woodland project we want to create a network of volunteers to help us create and maintain a greener and Better Colchester. Our simple message to the people of Colchester has always been to love your trees and play your part in helping us green our beautiful borough. Trees for Years is the perfect opportunity for residents to do just that.” To find out more about the event visit www.colchester.gov.uk/ treesforyears.

Full list of trees A full list of trees available is detailed below, and for residents with less garden space there will be a variety of shrubs available too (also listed below). All trees are bare-root and range in height from 50cm to 1.2m.

Residents can also collect a free planting guide and members of the council’s Parks team will be on hand to advise on the best plants to suit residents’ gardens.

• Acer campestre

• Quecus robur

• Betula pendula

• Blackcurrant

• Corylus avellane

• Raspberry

• Ilex aquifolium

• Gooseberry

• Prunus padus

• Lavender

• Fagus sylvatica

• Crataegus monogyna

• Carpinus betulus

• Salix caprea

• Cornus alba

• Malus sylvestris

• Cornus S Flaviremea

• Amelanchier lamarckii

• Sorbus aucuparia

• Prunus avium

• Tilia cordata

We Are Colchester aims to unlock Colchester’s economic potential A dynamic partnership involving public, private and voluntary organisations has been set up to develop a long-term vision for unlocking more jobs and prosperity for Colchester. We Are Colchester - made up of Colchester Borough Council, Essex County Council, local businesses and other organisations - will draw up a wide-ranging and forward-thinking plan building on the borough’s already vibrant economy and making the best use of the historic, cultural and other assets the borough has to offer. It will be used to bid in for up to £25 million from the Government’s Town Deal, with Colchester being one of 100 areas across the country given the opportunity to bid for money from this fund. It would also be used to seek to lever in funding from other sources to help turn the agreed vision into reality. The plan will also look at helping overcome some of the challenges Colchester faces in ensuring its future economic growth including its reliance on retail and service sectors, the current transport infrastructure and continuing deprivation in parts of the borough which are among the 10% most deprived areas in England.

We Are Colchester will be chaired by an independent representative from Colchester’s business community. Leader of Colchester Borough Council, Cllr Mark Cory and Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development Cllr Tony Ball of Essex County Council will act as vice-chairs. Among the key areas the partnership will look at include how to better connect Colchester’s digital and transport infrastructure, how to grow the borough’s economy in an inclusive way, and how to make Colchester an even better place to live. To ensure the plan is as robust, sustainable and innovative as possible experts will be called in to advise the board. Communities will also have their chance to help shape the vision at a wide range of events being planned for the Spring, ahead of a funding bid being submitted to the Government in the summer. Cllr Tony Ball said: “One of our strategic priorities at Essex County Council is to target economic development to areas of opportunity. “Colchester is the fastest growing town in the East of England. It is a

town of opportunity and it is vital we all work together in partnership to secure this Government funding to attract companies, create jobs and increase prosperity.” Cllr Mark Cory said: “We are committed to maximising Colchester’s economic and cultural potential, which will benefit our local businesses and everyone living in the borough. “We are working step-by-step to make a better Colchester. Improvements can already be seen and felt. The Town

Deal offer shows that Colchester is seen as a place worth investing in. “We have been hugely successful in helping to attract new money into the borough to further our ambitions and support a host of high-profile projects. Residents should be excited by this new development. Working with Essex County Council and others, Colchester Borough Council will develop a vision helping not only secure as much as possible from the Town Deal, but also unlock the future potential of this great borough.”

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Winter Ready Neighbourhoods

– plus an incredible total of 74,000 winter bedding plants have been planted in Castle Park.

With the darker days and colder weather at this time of year many of us are busy with seasonal jobs and lists. The situation is no different for Colchester Borough Council’s Neighbourhood Services who work hard to ensure Colchester is ready for winter.

Over the winter months, the service will host 28 market days which includes four additional market day trials on Wednesdays in Lion Walk, a successful Colchester Christmas Market with over 80 stall holders as well as the usual Friday and Saturday markets.

Councillor Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Environment and Transportation, said: “Our Neighbourhood Services undertake a huge amount of work behind the scenes and winter is no exception.

For months before Christmas, Neighbourhood Services were busy preparing for the Christmas and New Year recycling and rubbish collections. They made sure the resources and plans were in place for all 80,000 households in the borough to receive their weekly collection during this time.

The service also supported the preparation for the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On and managed the Colchester Christmas Market.

In one week alone, the Service makes 240,000 collections! There’s also a lot of demand on the service this time of year and last December and January the service collected an additional 110 tonnes of recycling – that’s the equivalent weight of a blue whale! The service is also responsible for gritting eight of the council-owned town centre car parks while their vehicles -particularly the recycling and rubbish collection trucks -require more maintenance to cope with the winter weather too.

Neighbourhood Services also carry out their quarterly operational inspections at all 76 playparks in the borough. This will include our largest play area in Castle Park and the most recently installed play area at Mile End Recreation Ground. With playparks being used less during the winter, it’s also the perfect time of year to carry out annual maintenance tasks such as laying artificial surfacing where needed. As well as assisting with the Better Colchester ‘Colchester Woodland Project’ the Service will also collect 2-3 tonnes of leaves from footpaths in Castle Park and use these to create mulch for planting the following year

“It’s an incredibly busy time for the Service and we want to highlight

some of the work that’s carried out at this time of year which helps to create a better Colchester for residents, businesses and visitors. “Some of the work taking place now, such as bulb planting, creating our own mulch and annual playpark maintenance won’t be noticeable until the Spring but it’s important that all these tasks are planned and carried out at the best time of year to make the service as efficient as possible”

Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre

Visitors can enjoy walks on Essex Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve; with stunning panoramic views across the reservoir and surrounding villages as well as superb views of the water’s edge from three bird hides. The nature reserve has a 900m accessible circular footpath and there are wheelchairs available for use. The Visitor Centre offers a tearoom which is open seven days a week providing a variety of hot and cold food, most of which is locally sourced; easy access toilets & baby changing facilities; and a well-stocked shop which has binoculars, telescopes, bird food, feeders and a range of gifts. Essex Wildlife Trust runs a programme of events throughout the year for all ages as well as children’s outdoor birthday parties and a weekly toddler group available during term time; booking is required for all of our events. The visitor centre has a room that groups can hire and can accommodate 35 adults conference style; refreshments can be supplied by arrangement. Essex Wildlife Trust

is a charity and relies on donations to carry out its work for the wildlife and people of Essex. There is suggested entry donation of £2 for Adults £1 for children and £5 Family. The huge expanse of Essex & Suffolk Water’s Abberton Reservoir plays host to some 40,000 wetland birds each year all attracted to the shallow muddy margins and large areas of rough grassland, which provide the ultimate habitat for a plethora of wildlife and waterfowl. The Visitor Centre is 6 miles SW of Colchester on the B1026 (a minor road linking Colchester and Maldon) just South of Layer de la Haye - follow the brown and white “Abberton Reservoir visitor centre” signs. Group visits are welcome at Abberton Reservoir. We have a coach drop off area and coach parking; please contact the centre team prior to visiting so that your trip can be booked in. www.essexwt.org.uk/reserves/ abberton-reservoir

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Issue 61: 27/01/20 Issue 62: 27/02/20

Quick Crossword Puzzle Plans for major upgrade to enhance and extend CCTV coverage in the town Colchester Borough Council’s Cabinet is set to discuss plans to install and extend a new state-of-the-art digital CCTV system in the Town Centre, when it meets on 29 January. Members will look at proposals to replace the existing analogue CCTV network with a modern, highdefinition digital monitoring system. Under the proposals, £250k of funding would be allocated to replace the existing analogue system with an advanced digital platform with new and additional capability and capacity to monitor areas in the Town Centre and beyond, including Castle Park and the Northern Gateway.

ACROSS 1 Harp on about taking a long time to provide place for unfortunate children (9) 6 Leaders of western Europe accept king is powerless (4) 9 Angrily I scold student at start of year (7) 10 One giving kiss or punishment (7) 11 Top champion nets millions (4) 12 Unfortunately star has men pestering (10) 14 Bergman’s part in fighting Marxism (6) 15 Describes bad beer and a gin very badly (8) 18 Two lags will discover what aircraft leaves behind (8) 19 Fool is to show derision about good man (6) 22 Be clearly bothered about carbon, being environmentally friendly (10) 24 Some timber includes northern pine (4) 26 Loving self-introduction by Conservative? (7) 27 Old vehicle needs new tacho – right one is installed (7) 28 Shows affection for dogs perhaps (4) 29 Losing her head, Beryl met ex – worried? Very! (9) DOWN 1 Paperwork from old equipment given to mate in Paris (7) 2 Quietly replaced a migrant bird (9) 3 On returning, some remained anchored in port (4) 4 On vacation touring New York no matter what (6) 5 Really happy with heads of English commerce still (8) 6 We harvest when ordered, gathering nothing at all (10) 7 Kelvin gets stuck into lean cooked joint (5) 8 Quite attractive (6) 13 Unpredictable cop is a cur, I fancy (10) 16 Confirm writer is English (9) 17 Some memory of a bit to eat, say, after concert (8) 18 Cornflakes perhaps mentioned in a row (6) 20 Correctly and cheerfully ignoring leader (7) 21 Bring out legal drug first (6) 23 Stop opening of Comic Relief (5) 25 Proscribe oriental poison (4)

The current network of cameras, covering more than 100 locations, is monitored day and night by a team of operators working across both CCTV and the Helpline service and is managed and operated by Colchester Amphora Trading Ltd (CATL). If agreed, CATL would deliver and continue to operate the new digital system, utilising ultrafast fibre infrastructure being rolled out following a successful bid, on behalf of the council, for £3.45m from the Government’s Local Full Fibre Network Fund to improve Colchester’s digital connectivity. Councillor Theresa Higgins, Portfolio Holder for Commercial Services, said: “We are committed to investing in our Town Centre, to make it a safer and even more welcoming place where people feel comfortable to shop and enjoy their leisure time. “Our ongoing work to deliver ultrafast broadband across the borough will enable us to deliver new state-of-theart digital CCTV more economically than would have otherwise been possible.

“We know our current analogue cameras are coming to the end of their life span and don’t always provide clear enough images to help the police with prosecutions. If approved, the new digital system will play a key role in helping to reduce crime and the fear of crime across the Town Centre and other locations in the borough not yet served by existing CCTV. “We recognise that CCTV can divide opinion, but residents and visitors should be reassured that we will continue to adhere strictly to the Codes of Practice that regulate public surveillance, to help prevent and detect crime and antisocial behaviour, protect vulnerable individuals and promote social and economic wellbeing, which are so important for any successful and thriving community.

SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1 orphanage. 6 weak. 9 irately. 10 smacker. 11 acme. 12 harassment. 14 Ingmar. 15 vinegary. 18 contrail. 19 jester. 22 recyclable. 24 long. 26 amatory. 27 chariot. 28 pets. 29 extremely. DOWN: 1 origami. 2 ptarmigan. 3 Aden. 4 anyway. 5 ecstatic. 6 whatsoever. 7 ankle. 8 pretty. 13 capricious. 16 authorise. 17 gigabyte. 18 cereal. 20 rightly. 21 elicit. 23 cease. 25 bane.

Meet the new faces of Adorn: Jewellery, The Human Story Adorn: Jewellery, The Human Story has had its final participants added to the exhibition at Colchester Castle. This time, there will be eight people showcasing a range of different forms of adornment worn by Colchester residents.

These final eight contributors have fascinating and unique stories to tell, each reflecting the objects in the rest of the exhibition. From pageant crowns to mourning jewellery, these final stories help contextualise the historic objects on display.

Adorn is Colchester Museums’ first major exhibition since it reopened in 2014. It showcases the diverse ways people have decorated themselves for over 3,000 years. From Bronze Age gold to modern bling, over 300 objects are showcased in this stunning exhibition.

Councillor Julie Young, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Performance and Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “Adorn is packed full of remarkable objects with the most incredible stories associated with them. I would urge anyone to head to view the exhibition before it closes on the 16 February.”

The Your Stories display attempts to contextualise the stories that the curators of the exhibition cannot possibly tell about the objects in the rest of the exhibition. With many of the objects, they can only speculate as to why and how people in the past would have owned and made this jewellery.

Entry to Adorn: Jewellery, The Human Story is included in Castle admission. Find out more at https://colchester. cimuseums.org.uk/adorn/

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Quick Crossword Puzzle Happy To Share My

Table cards in cafes across Colchester Colchester Borough Council is taking further steps to tackle social isolation and loneliness, by launching a new scheme to encourage people to come together and get talking. Happy To Share My Table has been launched, with table cards being used by 11 cafes in Colchester. The table card, which simply says ‘Happy To Share My Table’, can be used by those that would like to be joined by others who may also be looking for someone to share a table and have a conversation.

ACROSS 3 Throw from playing field (5) 8 One who tries to impress with tricky question about university (6) 9 Start rioting perhaps when taking time out (6) 10 Affectionate term for attractive woman (4) 11 Athlete wounded golfer with gun (4-6) 12 Recall amazing wine collection (6) 13 Milan team in France is to provoke curiosity (8) 16 Everywhere is in a disorganised muddle (3,4,3,5) 18 So pleb is reformed? That can be done (8) 21 Take no notice of foreign fellow missing at sea (6) 23 Fault-finding editor promises to pay (10) 25 Remaining in port (4) 26 Llama from mountain starts to annoy certain associates (6) 27 Shellfish is unknown in new store (6) 28 Tower discovered by some happy Londoners (5)

Cllr Mike Lilley, Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Communities, Wellbeing and Public Safety, said: “I’m really pleased that we’re working with cafes across Colchester to launch the Happy To Share My Table project, which complements our CAFE ‘Colchester and Friends Events’ campaign, which launched in May 2019. “The table card is a simple idea to create a space for people to talk;

whether it is for five minutes or an hour of good conversation. I know from experience that a quick chat a with someone else can really brighten your day, so I hope it gets everyone talking.” All kinds of venues are being encouraged to sign up to the Happy To Share My Table project. Venues wishing to order table cards can find out more on the council’s website at colchester.gov.uk/sharemytable. You can also follow Happy To Share My Table at Enjoy Colchester on Facebook and @YourColchester on Twitter. One of Colchester Borough Council’s main priorities is to help make Colchester an even better place to live and support those who need most help. Happy To Share My Table is just one of the projects the council provides to support vulnerable people and help to create a Better Colchester.

DOWN 1 After the pub head of economics makes a scene (6) 2 Revolting roué libels Dicky (10) 3 Keep quiet over book (8) 4 Give up with whole rotten mess (5,2,3,5) 5 Dish stolen by dope (6) 6 Some upstanding prominent figures show talent (4) 7 Miscellaneous birds (6) 12 Guy entertains Mark and Victor (5) 14 Stern engineer advanced a smaller sum (10) 15 Article by me provides topic (5) 17 English girl backing Number One release (8) 19 Finished and emptied lorry too (6) 20 Friend has to polish up material (6) 22 Instinctive reaction from referee gets the Frenchcross (6) 24 Introduction of speed camera’s not half a con (4) SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 3 pitch. 8 poseur. 9 origin. 10 babe. 11 shot-putter. 12 cellar. 13 interest. 16 all over the place. 18 possible. 21 ignore. 23 censorious. 25 left. 26 alpaca. 27 oyster. 28 pylon. DOWN: 1 locale. 2 rebellious. 3 preserve. 4 throw in the towel. 5 hotpot. 6 gift. 7 divers. 12 champ. 14 relentless. 15 theme. 17 emission. 19 overly. 20 burlap. 22 reflex. 24 scam.

A dozen new council homes agreed Twelve new council houses were given the green light by Colchester Borough Council last night (Thursday) forming part of the authority’s commitment to delivering up to 350 new affordable homes over the next five years. A meeting of the council’s Planning Committee backed applications made on behalf of the council by Colchester Amphora Homes Ltd (CAHL) and Colchester Borough Homes - the council’s housing development company and housing management company.

well as two affordable homes that will be owned by the council as part of the first mixed-tenure housing development being undertaken by CAHL in Creffield Road. All of the 350 new affordable homes being delivered by the end of 2024 will be owned by Colchester Borough Council and managed by Colchester Borough Homes to help house some of the nearly 3,000 people on the council’s housing register. Among the other steps being taken to achieve this aim are:

12 two-bedroomed flats will now be developed on two former garage sites in Buffett Way and Scarfe Way. Both sites will be affordable homes for rent by local people, built to make better use of land. Any garages currently on the sites will be demolished.

• CAHL delivering 30% (over 120 homes) new affordable homes as part of larger mixed-tenure developments across sites at Creffield Road, Mill Road and St Runwald Street

These developments form part of the second phase of the council using former garage sites to help provide much-needed housing. In phase one 34 homes were built and further sites are being looked at to provide more muchneeded homes.

• re-developing and modernising the sheltered housing site at Elfreda House

These dozen new affordable homes follow the agreement of eight homes to be developed through CAHL for Military Road at the end of last year, as

• bringing forward a third phase of developments on former garage sites later this year

• purchasing former council homes that have been sold and homes that are on the open market In total, borrowing of up to £75 million over five years has been agreed to

support the delivery of these muchneeded homes. This would then be recouped over a longer period through the additional rental incomes received. This was made possible by the Government scrapping its one per cent rent reduction which has been in place since 2015, as well as removing a previously imposed “debt cap” so that councils can once again borrow funds to build affordable homes. Councillor Adam Fox, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “While this is a vibrant and prosperous borough there are still pockets of deprivation and many people

needing our help and support. “This is clearly highlighted in the demand for affordable homes in the borough and we are committed to providing the much-needed council homes. “While these developments may appear to be small steps, they are part of a much bigger package we are working on in partnership with Colchester Amphora Homes Ltd, Colchester Borough Homes and others to deliver the homes our residents need and want.”

Plant Your Tree Over the next 5 years we plan to plant 200,000 trees across the borough as part of the Better Colchester campaign, helping to offset 32,000 tonnes of carbon in the lifetime of the trees! Trees and woodlands are a vital part of our eco-system and we are committed to preserving them and helping them to flourish. This is at the very heart

of the Colchester Woodland Project. We want to make our borough even greener and we want to help our community know, love and use our woods and parks, benefitting from the environmental, health and well-being, and societal benefits they bring. 20 sites across Colchester have been identified for the first year of tree planting (2019 -2020), and they are listed below along with dates planting will take place. If you’d like to come along and help plant at any of the locations please register your interest by emailing parks@colchester.gov.uk, and don’t forget to bring a spade/fork with you! *Please be aware that all planting days are dependent on the appropriate weather conditions and are therefore subject to change.

We are also looking for a site for a new community woodland, with hopes to begin planting this major part of the scheme at the end of 2020. We are working towards a Community Orchard at Colchester Cemetery, which has Green Flag status, and creating a Mayoral woodland in March 2020; plus, we will extend our annual Trees for Years giveaway in February 2020 by thousands of trees!

Parish Councils and Local Schools There are a number of trees available to Parish Councils and local schools to plant on their own land, if you’d like to find out more email parks@colchester.gov.uk.

Continued from Page 4. network invests £8m and delivers around 3 million passenger journeys a year taking people to the doctors, hospital, work, school, training, shopping and enabling them to meet friends and enjoy their hobbies. 396 children have been trained to travel on public transport, making journeys they and their families never believed they would make, giving them skills for life. We are currently getting ourselves ready for new opportunities from central government to bid for investment in electric buses in our

towns and demand responsive transport in our rural areas. As I say this is just a snapshot of some of the work undertaken on your behalf to maintain and improve the quality of life for you, your family and friends. The views expressed in this column are my own personal opinions. They are not necessarily the same views as those of the full County Council, or indeed any other Councillor. I always welcome feedback in both positive and negative areas equally. Please feel free to express your views direct to the editor of the magazine or direct to me at cllr.alan.goggin@essex.gov.uk.