Village News and Events
in Boxted and Langham
Happy New Year and welcome to the latest newsletter.
If you wish to have an item included in this newsletter, please email us at newsandevents@boxted.org.uk by Thursday 5pm at the latest. Thank you.
Church services
Sunday 2 January
9.30 am All Age Worship – St Mary’s Langham
*** Face coverings must be worn at all services***
Jerry: the Langham Church cat
Sadly, Jerry, the church cat, better known to his vet as Henry Tolhurst of Langham Hall, has passed away at the age of at least 21, to wait at mouse holes in the sky.
For some twenty years he has provided meet and greet services for St Mary’s church; all that was missing was a peaked cap with the label “security”. A regular attender at Sunday services, many will remember his echoing yowl if he found the sermon too long and wished to leave.
In the phraseology of the King James bible, “in my Father’s house are many mansions”. In that great house where there is room for all of us, perhaps there is a place for animals who have given devoted service.
Boxted Bridge on the tele!
TV presenter Dan Cruickshank has joined the fight to save historic bridge. Cruickshank, who lived in Essex for several years, said he believes the bridge is worth fighting for, and is backing a local campaign to save it.
He told ITV News Anglia: “It’s handsome and it works. From the engineering point of view, it’s fascinating. It’s more complicated and cleverer than maybe it looks.” SEE THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
***
Cllr Lewis Barber made a very good point in the Gazette article on 22nd December that “Essex Highways and the planning teams at both Essex County Council and Suffolk County Council will still need to justify replacement and widening when an independent survey commissioned by Essex Highways concluded refurbishment was a safe option”. (The Cleveland Bridge Report). READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
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If residents wish to lobby all the Essex County Councillors who sit on the Development and Regulation Committee ( which is ECC’s planning committee) CLICK HERE TO ACCESS EACH MEMBER’S CONTACT DETAILS (select the ‘Members’ tab)..
To find out everything about the campaign to save Boxted Bridge, go to;
https://www.change.org/p/essex-county-council-save-our-bridge
Essex Highways page shows progress of the project so far:
https://www.essexhighways.org/highway-schemes-and-developments/highway-schemes/colchester-schemes/boxted-bridge-wick-road-boxted-colchester
Mobile library
Thursday 6 January
10.10am to 10.40am
Boxted Village Hall car park
St Peter’s Churchyard Working Party
Saturday 8 January
The first working party will meet on Saturday 8th January (weather permitting) with three sessions starting at 10am, 12 noon and 2.00pm
It is planned to make a number of environmental improvements to the churchyard in various ways including
– cutting back vegetation along the borders to uncover graves and protect the brick boundary walls
– replanting the bedraggled boundary hedge on the north side with local native species
– migrating part of the churchyard to a bio diverse managed wild flower area
Anyone wishing to join in for one or more of the sessions please contact Dominic Sheil on 07748 305727 or Stephen Whybrow on 07891 749575.
All necessary equipment will be provided (other than appropriate clothing) as will refreshments. All that is needed are enthusiastic participants!
Thursday 13 January, 7.30pm
Langham Community Centre
Talk on “The History of Perrywoods Nursery”. Existing members will be able to renew their membership and anyone wishing to join is cordially invited to come along.
Enquiries to Gill on 01206 273286
Meeting postponed
The open meeting with Anglian Water and Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, due to take place 17 December 9.30 am at the Langham Community Centre, has been POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY; new date and time to be advised.
This is due to key members of the Anglian Water team being ill or having to self-isolate due to COVID exposure.
Langham Parish Council has provided Anglian Water (AW) with a list of questions that it would like addressed at the meeting.
2,000 listen to Band’s 20 Christmas events
An estimated 2,000 people listened to Boxted Methodist Silver Band during this month at 20 locations in the build-up to Christmas – the last at 9pm on Christmas Eve.
The events included Carol Services in Colchester at St Cedd’s Church, Shrub End, and Wimpole Road Methodist Church. A concert was held earlier in the month at St Botolph’s Church, Colchester.
Around 120 attended a concert in Stoke-by-Nayland Church, almost 100 at Great Horkesley Village Hall in support of the Women’s Institute, and 150 at Fillpots garden in Boxted Straight Road which is now the Band’s new headquarters following the closure of Boxted Methodist Church.
More than 100 crowded into Nayland High Street for an open air Carol Service, nearly double that outside Boxted Primary School as people attended a school event, and another large gathering outside Boxted Village Hall while a Christmas sale was held inside. Other outside events were at Leavenheath Village Hall and the Shelley Riding for the Disabled in Suffolk.
Smaller events with just several members included playing in the porch of Boxted Parish Church, outside the new Co-op supermarket on the Chesterwell estate at Mile End, Colchester, and in the yard behind Colchester Fire Station.
Several members played at different residential areas in Boxted, including for three hours on Christmas Eve.
Money collected will be divided between the Band and St Helena Hospice, with that at the Fire Station going to the Firefighters charity.
Boxted Methodist Silver Band is England’s only surviving silver band. It was formed in 1898. It has 30 members ranging in age from 14 to 89.
The £1 NHS appeal
Do you remember last February Boxted resident Robert Spittal launched an appeal to support our NHS workers? This was to give everyone the opportunity to make a donation to NHS workers in the same way as we say thank you for service at a restaurant, café, hairdresser or when we use a taxi, ie. we leave a tip to say “thank you”.
The pressure of NHS workers and their families has been relentless throughout 2021 and of course we know that as yet there is no end in sight to Covid-19.
Robert is again asking if you can make a donation to help these amazing people and their families. Click on the link above to donate. Thank you.
Diary dates and other items
Langham Community Shop
Opening times:
Saturday 1 January: 8.30am – 1pm
Sunday 2 January: 9.30am – 11.3am
Boxted Bingo
Every other Tuesday, 3pm
Boxted Village Hall
Carpet Bowls
Every Friday, 2pm
Boxted Village Hall
Mobile library
10.10am to 10.40am
Boxted Village Hall car park
Future dates:
- 27 January 2022
- 17 February 2022
- 10 March 2022
For all mobile library dates go to https://libraries.essex.gov.uk/mobile-library-service/boxted/boxted-village-hall/
The Art and Craft Club has restarted, meeting once a month on the third Wednesday of each month, 2-4pm at Boxted Village Hall. All welcome – come and join in!
The Zone for 6-11 year olds 5.30pm-7pm and the Edge for 12-18 year olds 7.30pm-9.00pm. Fortnightly during term time. Contact Dominic Sheil 01206 273324
St Peter’s Markets plants – raising funds for our local churches. Go to https://stpetersmarketplace.org/
Digital help at home
This service is available online. Michael Smith at Colchester Borough Council is still offering digital support via a remote service. See the Council’s webpage or, for further information.
- Colchester 01206 282 452/ Clacton 01255 686497
- Email: Digitalaccesssupport@colchester.gov.uk
Useful links:
Boxted Parish Council
Boxted Parish Council on Facebook
Boxted Village Hall
Boxted Village Website
Boxted Neighbourhood Plan
Boxted Primary School
Boxted British Legion
Langham and Boxted Churches
Boxted Cricket Club
Mobile Library Service
Boxted Runners
Boxted 10K
Boxted WI on Facebook
Boxted WI on Twitter
Boxted Airfield Historical Group
Langham Community Centre
Langham Community Shop
Langham Village Website
Langham Parish Council
2nd Langham Scouts
Dedham Vale & Stour Valley ANOB
Essex County Council’s PROW Interactive map
Colchester District Neighbourhood Watch
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newsandevents@boxted.org.uk
Newsletter editor: Angela McLauchlan : Design and layout: Shirley Szymanek
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