Village News and Events
in Boxted and Langham
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Stay safe everyone.
Lockdown update
Kate Crossman gives a progress report on life in lockdown.
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Since our last update regarding working life during coronavirus, we are still working from home and anticipate that we will be for little while longer.
The firm we work for wishes to make absolutely certain that the office is a safe place and that social distancing measures can be put in place,before anyone returns. We appreciate that many will find working from home not too easy, especially if you have young children, or a busy household. However, for us, it has been brilliant and we feel that our work/life balance has improved.
We think coronavirus will change the way many companies operate going forwards, for example, switching to digital processes instead of paper, conducting more meetings via video call, and making more documents available online as opposed to posting them. We have just started to use online digital signature software, which allows clients to sign documents online, without having to print and post a hard copy to us. Whilst the traditional methods will still be available for those who wish to use them, there are still lots of positive changes that will come out of this.
Although the roads are still much quieter than they would usually be, we have noticed a slight increase in traffic on Straight Road. Sadly, some drivers and motorcyclists use the road to speed and drive inconsiderately. Understandably, this is a risk to pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and other motorists pulling in and out of driveways and businesses.
On a brighter note, we got engaged! And Ties has grown a beard because of not having to go to the office.
NHS Track and Trace advice
With the development of Track and Trace, many people have been asking for advice around how this works.
Please find below the official advice from the GOV.UK website on how the system works and advice on how to avoid being the victim of any possible scams as a result of the implementation of this system.
When we contact you
- If the NHS test and trace service contacts you, the service will use text messages, email or phone.
- All texts or emails will ask you to sign into the NHS test and trace contact-tracing website.
- If NHS test and trace calls you by phone, the service will be using a single phone number: 0300 013 5000.
- All information you provide to the NHS test and trace service is held in strict confidence and will only be kept and used in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.
Contact tracers will:
- call you from 0300 013 5000
- send you text messages from ‘NHS’
- ask for your full name and date of birth to confirm your identity, and postcode to offer support while self-isolating
- ask if you are experiencing any coronavirus symptoms
- provide advice on what you must do as you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus
Contact tracers will never:
- ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to us (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
- ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product of any kind
- ask for any details about your bank account
- ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
- ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
- disclose any of your personal or medical information to your contacts
- provide medical advice on the treatment of any potential coronavirus symptoms
- ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
- ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS
For the full guidance/information please check the GOV.UK website – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works
Remember our advice
If in doubt use the A, B, C of scam awareness:
A – Never Assume a caller, email or text is genuine.
B – Never Believe a caller, email or text is genuine.
C – Always Confirm by contacting a trusted number, family member, friend, your bank’s fraud department or the police to check if it’s genuine
Essex Libraries
Phased re-opening of Essex libraries
You may have seen the recent news that we’re preparing for a phased re-opening of libraries.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you back, but safety of visitors and staff is paramount. All libraries will be prepared, and risk assessed before they re-open to allow customers and staff to maintain social distancing and stay safe. Once open, regular cleaning measures will be in place.
From Monday 6 July we will open 16 libraries, those which are co-located with Registration Offices. The libraries will initially offer a reduced service; customers will be able to return and borrow books only. Other services will be reviewed frequently so that they can be offered again as soon as it is safe to do so.
In line with Government guidance, visitor numbers will be limited to allow customers and staff to maintain social distancing and stay safe.
Further libraries will re-open as they are made safe and ready; with as many as possible opening by mid-August 2020. Since libraries were closed in March, we have seen a huge increase in demand for our online library resources and the number of people joining online to access these. We encourage people to continue to use these digital reading resources where possible.
We’ll update you with further information on our plans and available services as they develop and will soon be updating our website with FAQs to answer any queries.
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Build your empathy skills with Empathy Day, 9 June
Empathy is understanding and caring how someone else is feeling. It’s an important skill that can help us in all parts of our lives.
Empathy Day on 9 June helps children build this vital skill; to understand and experience the power of empathy through books. Stories can train our brains to build real-life empathy skills. The more we empathise with characters, the more we can understand other people’s feelings.
On Empathy Day we’ll be sharing two special sessions that can help you start building empathy with your little ones. In the morning we’ll have an Empathy Day rhymetime, a fun way to start talking with children about their feelings. In the afternoon we’ll have an Empathy Day story time, where the book we’ll be featuring will encourage children to explore and talk about characters’ situations and feelings.
Empathy Lab will be running online events and fun home-based activities on their website on Empathy Day. You can also download their free Empathy Day Family Activity Packavailable now. Look for our Empathy Day special rhymetime and story times on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels on 9 June. Subscribe and follow us to see our latest videos as soon as they appear.
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It’s time to get silly, Summer Reading Challenge 2020 starts 5 June!
The Summer Reading Challenge 2020 launches on 5 June and this year we’re getting silly! The theme is Silly Squad and every child aged 4 to 11 can take up this year’s digital challenge. Sign your child up to the amazing new summer reading challenge website at sillysquad.org.uk to start their summer of reading. Children can set their own reading goals and get rewards, play games and earn badges as they discover awesome books to read!
Anything they read counts and our eLibrary offers a wide variety to help them reach their reading goals. We’ve e-books and e-audio with many unlimited titles so you can download them now, no need to wait! There’re also e-comics with over 1500 titles, from Marvel, Disney and other top publishers so it’s good you can download as many as you want, whenever you want! Reading our e-magazines counts towards their reading goals too and we have a range of popular titles on gaming, comics, crafts and more. All this is available free with your Essex library card, so if you haven’t already register the whole family free online now.
Join a host of famous faces on Summer Reading Challenge Facebook page for the “Let’s Get Silly” virtual launch event on 5 June. From 4pm there’ll be jokes, magic, readings, crafts and more from stars including CBBC’s Sam and Mark, authors David Baddiel, Ben Fogle and Konnie Huq, and the BBC’s Katie Thistleton and Hacker T Dog. Get the whole family involved this summer with getting silly and getting reading!
Missing cat
Bella has gone missing from the Boxted area. She is 2 years old and is microchipped. She is a medium-haired cat with a brown, blond and red tortoiseshell coat. She is very friendly.
If anyone has seen Bella or knows of her whereabouts, please contact her owner, Stacey Hogg at staceyhogg@hotmail.co.uk or by phone on 07568 587680.
Plea from a tree update
Arabella Brentnall gives her account of the day.
The “Save our playing fields new trees” operation which took place recently was such a resounding success that I have been asked by some willing volunteers to do another one !
I cannot thank enough Ian Alvey, (pictured) and Lyn Chase (pictured also in the far distance). Thanks also go to Mr and Mrs Giblin, and all the other householders of Songers Cottages, Dedham Road who have been so brilliant in coming forward and strimming/weeding and watering our new babies!
Download the Boxted Parish Council agenda here.
The next meeting takes place on Wednesday 10 June 2020 at 7:30pm via Zoom
Any members of the public who wish to join the Zoom meeting for the public participation slot please email
Karen Thompson, the Parish Council Clerk for the id and password at boxtedparishcouncil@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
Colchester Online Public Meeting
June 9th 7pm – 8pm – Live on Facebook
Find out more:
https://www.facebook.com/PFCCEssex
Church services
Pictured above: Boxted Church in 2015 being prepared for a wedding service.
1 Corinthians Chapter 13 v 4 – 7
Churches can longer be kept open as places for prayer and solace.Therefore all churches will be locked and will remain so until further notice.
Should you require prayer please contact Revd Mandy Elmes via email lwb.wb.gh.parishes@gmail.com.
Sunday services are now on the Langham and Boxted Church Website for all to view under Streamed Services. https://lb-churches.co.uk/streamed-services/ They will be uploaded on Sunday afternoons for as long as services are streamed.
Download the services booklet here
Zoom meeting
Sunday Service
7 June, 09:50 am
Click here to join the Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 870 1556 7549
Password: 155314
Alex and Marguerite McCann, who are OMF Missionaries in Cambodia, will be telling us about what they will be doing when they return to Cambodia after their current Home Assignment, and Alex will be preaching on Sunday. There will be an opportunity to speak with them in the break-out group at the end of the service.
Boxted Village Website 