Aug to Oct 2023 Issue 96 Funded by Myland Community Council FREE The Mylander KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED VACANCY: Could you be a Councillor for Myland? Introducing the Myland Access Committee and Myland Heritage Group Myland’s Coronation Picnic in the Park SURVEY - Time to have your say on The Mylander
2 Myland Community Council The Chair Alison Jay 07761 729054 Vice Chair Pete Hewitt 853942 Office: 01206 853400 Email [email protected] Clerk: Katherine Kane [email protected] Editor: Katie Maddocks [email protected] Churches The Well Methodist Church, Rev. Chris Preece 545253 Church Hall hire, Keith Thompson 844252 St Michael’s Church, Rev. Ray Gibbs 843926 Myland Parish Halls Hire (Sarah King) 855040 / 07518 437488 St Joseph’s Church, Mgr. Chris Brooks 866317 Schools Queen Boudica 844654 Camulos Academy 588588 Myland School 852109 Other Colchester City Council – Enquiries 282222 Colchester Police Station 101 Highwoods Country Park 853588 One Colchester Hub 505250 Phone numbers are 01206 unless otherwise stated Pauline Bacon 07929 903484 Laura Cassidy c/o 853400 Gary Braddy c/o 853400 Catherine Clouston 07785 987 734 David Clouston 07748 064 562 Marina de Smith 07791 463 080 Pete Hewitt 853942 Winston Browne c/o 853400 Vanessa Moffat c/o 853400 Martin Goss 07912 396335 Phil Coleman 07808 530587 Alan Hayman c/o 853400 Alison Jay 07761 729054 Robert Johnstone 853204 Clare Williams c/o 853400 Mark Fried c/o 853400
3 Keep up to date with local news, updates and events on Facebook: facebook @Myland Community Council MYLAND COMMUNITY COUNCIL Office: 101 Nayland Road, Colchester, CO4 5EN Office Hours: 8.30 - 11.00am (Monday to Friday) Tel: 01206 853400 Website: www.mylandcommunitycouncil.gov.uk The Mylander Keeping The Community Informed The Mylander is funded by Myland Community Council as a community service. It is issued quarterly and distributed to every household in the parish. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Myland Community Council. Articles and information are reproduced in good faith. Contents 4. Chair’s report 6. Council reports 15. Churches 18. From inside the community 29. Learning and growing
Chair’s Report Finally, we have been enjoying some summer and the school break is ahead of us, with lots of activities available in Castle Park and at our leisure centres and museums, as well as our magnificent Northern Gateway, so please take a look at what’s on offer and support them. I would like to offer a warm welcome to our new councillors, Laura and Vanessa, who joined us after the recent uncontested election. We look forward to your positive contributions. Working with new members brings a fresh perspective and different priorities. We still have room for one more councillor so please come and join us at a meeting and see how it works, or email me or the Clerk for information and we would be pleased to have you join us. We have recently agreed to some committee changes and have two new groups; the Myland Access Committee and Myland Heritage Group. Residents are welcome to join both, and their reports are later in this edition, but their activities will help shape the future of access and history in our Parish. We are lucky to have experienced and passionate councillors involved, bringing great ideas and getting things done. Two of our councillors have worked above and beyond to push the legally necessary 5-year review of our Neighbourhood Plan to completion. We were one of the first Parishes in the country to have its own Neighbourhood Plan and the first to go to review and it is a way for us to have our say in the future planning of the area we live, work, shop and go to school in. It is in the final stages of consultation and approval, and has to be taken into account in planning at both City and National level, so of great benefit to us all. Discussions on our community facilities with CCC progress and we are making steps to confirm significant financial support for all 3 community centres proposed in Kingswood Heath, Chesterwell and at the Mill Road old rugby club site. We continue to fully support these and recognise their importance to our community. 4
Chair’s Report We are delighted to have funded the recent Coronation event, which saw a huge number of you picnic and take part in activities provided, an art workshop for local residents and our most recent decision to provide a much-needed swing at the Rosewood development. We also hosted our Annual Parish Meeting for residents attended by Cara Gosbell, Associate Director Estate Development at the hospital, and a colleague who updated us on the recent construction work and exciting plans for its development in the next few years. In a recent meeting between local householders, parents and Essex County Council Healthy School Streets team, we had an open discussion on plans and concerns over measures locally to allow safe access to Myland Primary school, with the aim of encouraging walking and cycling to school and creating a safer, greener and healthier environment for us all. Thank you to those who work so hard for us to bring these events to life. As a final note, many you will have known well our friend and colleague John Dickson, who sadly passed away earlier this year. We offer our sincere condolences to his family and close friends. He was a Myland councillor for many years and his quiet, reflective approach and humorous persistence and expertise on planning was much respected. He will be greatly missed. Cllr Alison Jay, Chair of Myland Council 5
Council Reports Your guide to Myland Community Council Meetings Myland Community Council (MCC) currently has three standing committees; Planning & Highways; Resources, Policy & Strategy; Myland Access Committee. Please see below for their upcoming meetings. 1. Planning & Highways MCC has the statutory right to be consulted on all planning applications, within the boundary of the parish. The Committee will look at each application and agree the response to be submitted to Colchester Borough Council, who will make the final decision. The applications range from small household extensions, right up to larger developments. Currently the Committee is also tracking progress on the Severalls and Chesterwell developments. Upcoming meetings: 2nd August, 6th September, 4th October 2. Resources, Policy & Strategy This Committee is responsible for keeping an eye on Council finances; making sure the Council is within budget and making plans for future years. The Committee each year will make recommendation to the full Council regarding the amount of the precept, which pays for MCC services. Upcoming meetings: 20th September, 18th October 3. Myland Access Committee This new Committee is responsible for all forms of travel, ensuring that both public and private modes of transport can exist together in a way that works for all, supporting environmentallyfriendly and sustainable travel within the area. It also looks at Public Rights of Way to keep these open and provides relevant and up to date information on these. 4. Full Council Meetings Full council meetings take place at Mile End Methodist Church. Upcoming meetings: 27th September, 25th October Agendas are posted on the council website the week prior. 6
7 Council Reports Myland Heritage Group The Original Church of St Michael’s, Myland By the time you read this article, we hope to have installed an interpretation panel where the original church stood in Rectory Close off Mile End Road. This has been a joint project with Colchester Council Museum and Myland Community Council. There is a wealth of information about the original Church, its history and why it was replaced by the current St Michaels in a booklet, A History of the Parish of Myland, containing articles by Patrick Mills and Marjorie I Richardson. There are also one or two drawings of the original Church on the wall of the new St Michael’s. I have pinched one or two snippets from the booklet and taken a photo of one of the drawings to provide an outline history and image of the church. Interpretation panels have limited space and I hope this article helps to expand the story. Mile End became a separate parish by 1254, under the patronage of St Botolph’s Priory, until the Dissolution by King Henry VIII. The Church never prospered in its early days being in poor rural environment. In 1443, the living at St Michael’s was vacant because of its poverty. It is said that in 1648 southern Mile End was used for fortified encampments for Oliver Cromwell’s troops during the Siege of Colchester.
Council Reports 8 It is suggested that a Colonel Fothergill’s Fort was placed to the north of the Church at a site that is now on the east side of Mile End Road. It is also possible another site, Fort Rainsborough may have been close by too. These ‘forts’ were really cannon placements. As a result of Civil War cannon firing, the original Church was damaged and rebuilt using existing material but to a smaller scale. In 1851 the rector, the Rev’d A E Julius, started a subscription fund for a new church. The Foundation Stone of the new St Michael’s Myland was laid on March 21st 1854. Designed by E Hakewill of London in the Early English style, it was built on the current site that had been donated by Thomas Philip Weddell, Earl de Grey. It is constructed from Kentish rag stone, with Caen stone dressings for the windows and porch, and was consecrated on 18th May 1855. A village focus developed round this new church and it remains well supported today. A school (now the Church halls) was built for 137 children using materials from the old church. It opened on 30th January 1871 and 50 children were admitted on the first day. Cllr Pete Hewitt An appreciation of Cllr John Dickson MCC Councillor, John Dickson, sadly passed away in March, shortly before the end of his fouryear term as a Myland Community Councillor. His funeral took place at Colchester Cemetery in May. As a Councillor, John was a fund of knowledge about local issues relating to Myland. Always friendly and approachable, he made a point of helping newer Councillors learn the ropes and start to contribute to Council meetings. John also served as a local magistrate in the Colchester criminal court, where it was my privilege to work with him as a Bench colleague. A vital, but unseen part of the trial process, is the magistrates’ discussion of a defendant’s guilt or innocence. This takes place in the Bench retiring room after all the evidence has been heard. In these debates, John would quietly ask one critical question: “But how do we know that?” His perceptive query would send us back to our notes to check if we really had been given evidence on a particular point, or were just making assumptions.
Council Reports At the inquest on his death in April, the Coroner recorded that John had been suffering from an industrial disease. This was caused by his exposure to asbestos as a young technician with BT. The resulting asbestosis took decades to appear and it eventually caused his lungs to fail. John’s passing has left a vacancy on the Community Council, and if you are interested in becoming a Councillor by co-option, please let me know. Councillor Alan Hayman Myland Access Committee Welcome to the first report from this new committee, and I will try and explain why we changed, what we aim to do and why it does matter! Firstly, our remit has got larger. We will be concerned with all forms of active travel – buses, cycling, (including scooters and electric bikes) and walking. All three types of travel are sustainable – in other words they are able to be continued economically, socially and environmentally without damaging any aspect of our lives. Given the current climate emergency, which is recognised to exist, it appears to be a sensible course of action to have a committee looking at encouraging and supporting all aspects of sustainable travel. Regarding buses, we are currently looking at the possibility of introducing a Myland “hopper” bus running regularly between locations such as the railway station, the hospital, supermarkets and the football stadium, for example. We are also considering “Dial a Bus” services, which are currently running in parts of Chelmsford and Braintree as part of a trial. They are a kind of a cross between a bus and a taxi, and do not have regular routes or timetables. The service is used by means of an app and may be shared with others doing a similar journey. I have also noticed recently with changes to our bus services occurring quite frequently, that some of the bus stops need timetables provided or updated. We also hope to create a dialogue with the several different bus companies serving Myland, in order to quickly iron out any problems. Cycling in Myland has always been fairly popular and the cycling track at the new Colchester Sports Park at the Northern Gateway – an all-weather floodlit cycle track, the largest in the East of England - is extremely welcome. However when you return home, the facilities are extremely poor. Either cycling on the pavement, or no consideration of cyclists in the design and road layout. This lack of good infrastructure is entirely the doing of Essex Highways and 9
10 we shall be insisting that they comply with the advice contained in “Gear Change” (published by the Dept. of Transport over three years ago!) On walking, we shall certainly be continuing to organise the Boxing Day Walk and the Midsummers Day Walk, and looking at the possibility of re-introducing monthly shorter walks around the area for people new to the area, or people who like to explore! We’ll also be keeping an eye on Public Rights of Way, as three footpaths have fairly recently been partially deleted, due to lack of concern for them during the planning stage. There may be a fourth one, as a recent planning application was approved with only a Public Footpath as the sole means of access for five houses! So this is what we will be doing; keeping footpaths open, campaigning for decent cycle infrastructure and a bus service we can all rely on. It does matter! There is plenty to be getting on with and if you are interested in any of it, please drop us a line or give us a phone call. Cllr Robert Johnstone Myland Coronation Picnic in the Park What a wonderful day was had by all at the Mile End recreation ground to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III on the 8th May. Over 1500 people are estimated to have come along on the day. We were honoured to have the Mayor Tim Young and Lady Mayoress open the proceedings with a rousing speech. We had several food and drink stalls, free bouncy castles, facepainting, balloon modelling and much more. We were very fortunate to have The Big Sing choir perform some songs after recently appearing on Britain’s Got Talent. They were fabulous! Hospital Radio and the Colne Endeavour Band also did a superb job of entertaining us and the highlight of the day had to be the best dressed under 12’s King and Queen, Charlie and Mila, who took home a cuddly keepsake Teddy bear each. Thankyou to everyone who volunteered their time to make this event a great success and to everyone who attended and joined in the sing-a-long and flag waving at the end. It was a day to remember! Cllr Marina de Smith Council Reports
11 Council Reports
13 Council Reports Planning & Highways Committee Since the recent elections, there have been some significant changes to the Planning & Highways Committee. Long-term member of the committee, Peter Hewitt, has decided to concentrate on heritage aspects in the community along with remaining on the Community Council. We thank Peter for his wise counsel in the past and wish him well for the future. The now reduced in numbers committee is looking to encourage participation from other Community Councillors to enable the smooth and effective running of the committee. There have been a few planning requests that have gone through lately where the City Council have agreed with the recommendation from the Planning & Highways Committee. Unfortunately, there have been a couple that they have not agreed with our recommendations. Members of the committee are pursuing some of these as the committee feels that the community would be best served by a locally preferred option. We look forward to having more resident participation in the activities of the Planning & Highways Committee. Cllr Gary Braddy
14 Council Reports Survey The Mylander is a magazine paid for by Myland Community Council, as a community service, with the aim of keeping residents informed. Myland has seen some big changes in recent years, and it is important that the community publication continues to reflect the views and interests of the local population. If you have a few moments, we would be grateful if you could answer a few simple questions. These will be collated, and hopefully your requests will feed into and be reflected in future issues of The Mylander. 1. Which sections of The Mylander do you enjoy reading? (Tick all that apply) MCC reports Churches Inside the community Learning & Growing What’s on Advertisements None of the above 2. Which sections of The Mylander do not interest you at all? (Tick all that apply) MCC reports Churches Inside the community Learning & Growing What’s on Advertisements All of the above 3. Please answer ‘Yes’/’No’ to the following statements: ‘I go to The Mylander when I am looking for local information’ Y / N ‘I find the contents interesting’ Y / N ‘It’s easy to find the sections I’m most interested in’ Y / N ‘I find the advertisements useful’ Y / N ‘I like the covers’ Y / N ‘I like receiving a physical copy of the magazine’ Y / N ‘I would be happy to access The Mylander online’ Y / N ‘I would miss The Mylander if it were discontinued’ Y / N ‘I never read The Mylander’ Y / N ‘I think the articles are too long’ Y / N ‘I would like more photographs and pictures’ Y / N ‘I would prefer a shorter magazine’ Y / N Please send your completed responses to: Katherine Kane, Clerk to the Council, 101 Nayland Road, Colchester CO4 5EN. Any other comments can also be emailed to [email protected].
Churches The Well Methodist Church The Community Pantry (fortnightly) and the Warm Welcome (weekly) continued during school terms on Tuesdays from 12noon to 4.00pm and will re-commence in September. Over the summer holidays, MakeLunch Myland is planned to provide a hot, healthy meal once a week on our premises for qualifying families. We had a Signing Service on 15th July to renew the Covenant of Myland Churches Together. Besides ourselves, the churches involved were: St Joseph’s, St Michael’s and New Growth Ministry. We said goodbye to Rev Joe Adams in July as he is moving to the Stoke–on-Trent area. Joe had pastoral charge of four churches on the south and west side of Colchester. To replace him, in September we welcome Rev Hannah Chun, who is newly ordained. On 22nd July we had ‘Tea at The Well’ for all our church family, bearing in mind particularly those who are unable to come regularly on a Sunday. And then, on 5th August we have planned a church family ‘Away Day’ near Dedham. Our main focus at present is Mission Planning. Our Minister, Rev Chris Preece, is leading us in discussions to determine how we best serve our community in the future. We pray regularly for places where readers of this magazine live. If you have a particular prayer request, please let us know. More information about our church is available on our website: www.thewell-myland.org.uk Keith and Di Thompson Tel: Col 844252 Email: [email protected] 15
16 Churches St Michael’s Church, Mile End Myland Parish Halls is currently open for Weekday Services as follows: • Tuesday 9.15am for Morning Prayer • Wednesday 10.15am for Morning Prayer with coffee/tea after • Friday 9.15am for Holy Communion. Sunday Services in Church start at 10.15am and follow a monthly cycle: • First Sunday: Holy Communion with prayer for Wholeness and Healing • Second Sunday: Family Service currently with Baptism • Third Sunday: Holy Communion and exploration of a current Big Issue • Fourth Sunday: Baptisms and Holy Communion • When there is a fifth Sunday in the month we will have a Family Service Special Services and Activities (Meet in the church unless otherwise stated) Sat 5th August Coffee Morning, 10am - 11.45am Raising funds for the Mothers’ Union; entrance £3.00 includes tea/coffee and cake….and free top-ups! (in Myland Parish Halls) Sun 8th October Harvest Thanksgiving Service with parade, 10.15am Our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Appeal will be launched at this service Please do check our website www.mylandchurch.org.uk for more information, this will be updated regularly. You can also follow us on Facebook: St. Michael’s Church & Myland Parish Halls. Please visit our website or email us: [email protected] for all Church and Hall enquiries. If you would like to speak to any of us, our staff can be contacted, as follows: Sarah King, Church Office Administrator Rev’d Ray Gibbs 01206 843926 [email protected] Rev’d Hazel Greenland 07707 894526 [email protected] Sarah King, Church Office Admin. 01206 855040 [email protected] Lesley Hindle, Churchwarden 07708 954990 [email protected]
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18 From inside the community High Woods Country Park If you are looking for something to entertain the kids this summer, then High Woods may have the answer with a series of summer events that are sure to keep little minds (and hands) active: Stream Side Fun Children’s Event Join the ranger for a walk to the small stream that runs through the park, pan for gold then make your own raft or boat too. We will be in the stream so wear wellies or sandals you can get wet. Date and time: Wednesday 16 August, 10.30am - 12.30pm. Price: £5.50 You will need to book for this event. Amazing Animals Children’s Event Help the ranger find signs of animal life in the park on our discovery trail, check the live small mammal traps and get creative making your own sock animal to take home. Suitable for ages 5+. Date and time: Wednesday 23 August, 10.30am - 12.30pm. Price: £5.50 You will need to book for this event. Summer Nature Trail Children’s Event Follow the map around the park looking for nature themed stamps, can you find them all? Date and time: Monday 28 August, drop in anytime between 11am - 3pm. Price: £1, purchase from the visitor centre. Autumn Wildlife Trail App Launch High Woods Country Park has its very own interactive 1 mile wildlife trail. All you need to do is download the app to discover fascinating facts about the wild inhabitants of the park and have a go at the wildlife crazy quiz. There is help at hand from the staff at the visitor centre if needed. Suitable for all age groups including adults but if you are 5yrs or under there is a simplified version available as well (£1). Date and time: Saturday 02 September, drop in anytime between 11am to 3pm. Prices: £1 for a printed version which can be purchased from the visitor centre, or use the app for free. For more information on the full High Woods Country Park activities programme and to book, visit colchester.gov.uk/parkevents.
From inside the community Nature Notes The weather has generated a burst of growth in the garden, especially it seems for the rambling roses. This one is intermingled with a honeysuckle and close to where quietly sipping a mid-morning coffee under a sunshade is a worthwhile occupation. The foliage of these entwined shrubs is a dense playground for the sparrow gang before they flock to the nearby feeders. For the more shy birds such as the wren and dunnock it is great cover while they decide whether to venture out. Keeping still and quiet reassures them and we have become friends. It is true too for the holly blue butterflies that are also in abundance this year. By mid-morning the sun is warm enough to entice them to join us and some will sit for a while on the large waxy leaves of the honeysuckle. The variety of nectar seeking bees is another fascination. It is a ‘garden safari’. It will be the turn of the buddleia (the butterfly bush) to flower soon, along with the lavender and others, then we should see other species of butterflies that emerge later as summer progresses. I mentioned in an earlier edition of these notes that I had begun to populate the MCC website with records, and sometimes photos, of wildlife species found in Chesterwell Wood and that this might be expanded. Coverage of the nature to be found across Myland is an aspect of your Council’s new Myland Heritage Group and expanding the website will, I think, be a good idea. Publicising what may be found when out walking adds to the pleasure of being ‘out and about’. Pete Hewitt 19
Art Group Alternate Fridays 7.00pm -9.00pm Myland Parish Hall (British Summer Time only) Michael Pinnock - 01206 842289 Morris Dancing Fridays 8.00pm The Well Methodist Church Hall Robin Tavener [email protected] Mothers’ Union First Wednesday monthly Ivy Dix - 01206 851743 Myland Foodbank Tuesday & Friday 8.30am to midday Myland Parish Hall Mile End Road, CO4 5DY [email protected] 01206 621998 Myland Parish Halls Sarah King 01206 855040 or 07518 437488 www.mylandchurch.org.uk [email protected] Myland Singers Wednesdays 7.30pm (term time) Katrina Brooks - 07539 321348 Severalls Bowls Club League matches Tues afternoon/Weds eve Club Night Friday 6.00pm Mill Road Peter Weeden - 07785 114348 Women’s Institute First Friday monthly H/Woods Sandra Jones - 01206 853594 From inside the community 20
Girlguiding Myland Rainbows Myland Brownies Myland Guides www.girlguiding.org.uk/joinus Myland Pre-School (Myland Parish Halls) Monday 9.00am-3.30pm Tuesday 9.00am-3.30pm Wednesday 9.00am-12.00pm Friday 9.00am-3.30pm (Term-time only) Diane Woodrow - 07544 830780 [email protected] Rainbow Pre-School Monday 9.30am-3.00pm Wednesday 9.00am-3.00pm Thursday 9.00am-3.00pm Friday 9.00am-3.00pm The Well Methodist Church Hall Gina Oxford - 07779 349128 Scouts 1st Myland St Michaels’ Scout Group Beaver Scouts Thursday Cub Scouts Thursday Scouts Thursday 1stmylandscoutgroup.org.uk Learning and growing 21
22 From inside the community Mill Road Surgery It’s nice to get feedback from patients that they always read the Mylander and the information that we put on our page, so as promised a big shout out to MG for her feedback! In previous issues we have focused on staff at the surgery other than the GP’s who may be helpful in assisting in your healthcare. For this issue I’d like to mention our hard-working Nurse Practitioners - Linda, Tracy and Tori. Both Linda and Tracy have been present at the surgery for a few years now and many of you will be familiar with them already. Tori is a welcome addition to the team and as a prescriber can help you in the same manner. Of course we understand that traditionally as a patient you would normally ask for an appointment with a GP first, however with the constant high demand on primary care, the workforce has adapted to include Nurse Practitioners and also recently Paramedic Practitioners to be able to assess and treat (including prescribing) patients to help relieve some of the extremely high demand on GP’s. So when making an appointment please consider it to be with either a Nurse Practitioner or Paramedic Practitioner, as they are able to deal with acute illness as well as help monitor and control some chronic illnesses. Some people worry about having an appointment with a Paramedic for non-urgent illness but we can assure you that we are trained in primary care as well as emergency care so nothing is deemed trivial! Consultations can be booked on the day from 8am and also in advance for non-urgent illnesses. For anyone under time constraints with the phone at 8am, then don’t forget you can also make an appointment in person at reception at 8am rather than hold. Hope you’ve enjoyed your summer so far! Ashley Moore, Paramedic Practitioner / Nurse Manager
23 From inside the community Women’s Institute Our Annual General Meeting was held in May. Once the business matters were dealt with members enjoyed a lovely spread in honour of King Charles 3rd coronation weekend. The committee had prepared a selection of cheeses, biscuits and baby tomatoes, homemade mini trifles served in wine glasses plus wines and soft drinks. The team had worked hard to make this a very special evening. Janet Edwards agreed to take on the post of President and Christine Maddock was thanked for doing a sterling job as President through Covid, which had been such a difficult time for us all. June saw an evening of much fun and laughter, as members enjoyed a games evening, having brought in their own favourite games to enjoy. We were divided into small groups and it gave us all an opportunity to get to know each other better. In July, Cherry Mullins gave a fascinating slide show and talk under the title ‘In The Land of the Maharaj’s’. Her account of her trip to India was riveting and contained many humorous stories! This same week we started off having a Fish ‘n’ Chip Garden party held at Avril’s. Despite a very breezy time, which ended with a short shower, a great time was had by all. Again, our wonderful committee had worked very hard to make everything run smoothly. Future plans include Alison Davey giving us a talk on Chutney, cheese and markets. On 18th August there will be an afternoon tea party at Isobel’s. In September Brenda Eyers will give a demonstration of Flower Arranging and then in October there will be a talk from a representative of Anglian Water. In addition to the monthly main meetings, there is a Book Group which meets regularly. It has been great to welcome several new members recently and one of them made a comment about the group saying how welcoming she found it and how much she had enjoyed all the meetings! Why not come along and find out for yourself?! YOU would be welcomed at the Highwoods Community Centre on the first Friday of the month at 7.15pm. See you there! Sandra Jones
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From inside the community 25 Myland Mother’s Union We meet at 2.30pm in St Michael’s Parish Hall on the first Wednesday of the month. In February Rev’d Ray Gibbs chaired our AGM when reports were presented and Officers elected. Rev’d John Chandler let our Quiet Hour and Reflection in March, and Rev’d Ray Gibbs presided over our pre-Easter Communion in April. During the six weeks of Lent we hosted weekly “Hunger Lunches” – proceeds to Christian Aid and St Michael’s Church. In May we had a social get-together enjoying lunch at the Cricketers, Fordham Heath. In June we welcomed our Diocesan President who spoke to us on the MU Project Transformation and in July we hosted a Strawberry Tea. We don’t meet in August, however we will be having a Coffee Morning on Saturday 5th from 10 – 11.45am in St Michael’s Parish Hall. (Entrance £3 includes tea/coffee, cake and free refills). All are welcome. On Wednesday 6th September we will commence at 2pm in church with a service of Celebration for 110 years of MU in Myland followed by refreshments in the hall. We are now the only branch in Colchester Deanery and would welcome your support in joining in our celebration or any of our events/meetings. Ivy Dix
26 From inside the community St Helena Hospice Will you support St Helena Hospice so patients and their loved ones can receive compassionate care at the end of their life? While she has been staying at the Hospice, Victoria Oliver has been missing her gelding fell pony, Dan the Man aka Greenholme Falcon, so Dan paid a visit. Victoria said: “It means the world to me to see Dan. I last saw him a couple of months ago, so it’s been a long time since I have been near a horse, the longest time ever, so it means a lot to me. “The other patients came out to see him too and stroke him, and that melted my heart. We managed to put smiles on so many faces.” St Helena Hospice helps families to make the most of the time they have together in a compassionate and caring environment. By donating to our spring appeal today, you can give more people the chance to live life how they choose, just like Victoria. We urgently need your support to continue to provide vital care to people across north east Essex and ensure we are here to support and care for future generations. Please donate today at: www.sthelena.org.uk/spring PIANO TUITION & MUSIC THEORY ALL AGES AND STANDARDS STUDENTS ENTERED FOR RSM IF REQUIRED TREVOR CORDWELL 01206 844087
From inside the community 27
Mayne Veterinary clinic is a small independent veterinary practice on Bergholt Road near North Station in Colchester. We’ve been making pets feel better since 1975, that’s just one reason why we’re such a popular family vet – we’ve looked after generation after generation of pets for local people. That special continuity of care and our famously warm personal service mean we get to know you and your pet well. We make every effort to make sure you see the same team member each time you visit, something that makes you feel even more comfortable and cared for. T: 01206 851 338 E: [email protected] A SMALL VETERINARY PRACTICE WITH A BIG HEART MV_Mylander_AD_148x105_CH.indd 1 23/04/2019 14:09 Reliable, high quality improvement, maintenance and repair in and around your home or property • Kitchen design and installation • Interior and exterior decorating • General ‘handyman’ services • No obligation quotes on request • Fully insured • References available Contact Steve Newton on 07963 753414 Email: [email protected] Take something o your ‘to do list’ by adding it to ours
Learning & Growing 2nd Myland Brownies We have had a great time outdoors over the summer term. In June we went on our annual trip to McLauchlans’ fruit farm, where the Brownies enjoyed picking (and eating!) strawberries. We were picking the “Hapil” variety, which are freakily shaped and had a great time trying to find the weirdest shape. We also explored the farm and learnt about what else is grown there. In July we joined in with Braiswick District Girlguiding for a weekend of adventurous activities at Essex Outdoors on East Mersea. We did climbing, caving, high ropes, archery and an assault course, as well as crafts and a campfire sing-along on the beach. It was pretty special seeing around 180 members of Girlguiding, from 5 - 60+ years, all singing along to the same songs and looking out to sea. We were blessed with hot sunny weather, but it did make the overnight in the sleeping huts pretty sweaty! To finish off our term we had a summer party with ice-cream and donuts and said goodbye to our two leavers who are moving up to Guides, now they are 10. Sam Borroff Brown Owl 29
30 #YesYouCanWithSlimmingWorld slimmingworld.co.uk SATURDAY Highwoods Highwoods Community School CO4 9SN, 8:30am & 10am Contact Dean for more details on 0749 4237817 THURSDAY St John’s & Highwoods St John’s and Highwoods Community Centre, 9:30am & 11am Tel: Linda 07837 186659 THURSDAY Great Horkesley Bishop William Ward School Great Horkesley, 6pm & 7:30pm Tel: Linda 07837 186659
Learning & Growing 31 1st Myland Guides Skills For My Future This term we have focussed our efforts on the Skills For My Future theme. We have completed lots of the unit meeting activities as this was an area we needed more minutes. The girls have learnt about the language surrounding money and bank accounts, they have been shopping and planning a menu on a budget, creating their own pasta sauces, and learning all the jobs within a company from factory worker to HR. We have also just started the Lead Skill Builder. 30 Days Wild We signed up again for The Wildlife Trust campaign, 30 Days Wild where we complete wild themed activities throughout the whole of June. Pawprint Badges again partnered with The Wildlife Trusts to produce a beautiful badge once the girls have completed the activities and part of the sale of the badges benefits The Wildlife Trusts at the same time. We had a beautiful walk through Cymbelline Meadows, where I helped the girls ID lots of different flora and fauna. They were shown how to use the iNaturalist and Merlin bird ID app – worth a download! A little early for 30DW, but we were taken on a nature walk by Nicky Payne from Essex Wildlife Trust through West House Woods to see the Bluebells and to learn about all the work they are undertaking there to keep the ancient woodland in tip top condition. Coronation Activities We spent an evening or two working on activities surrounding the coronation, the girls even made their own recycled throne out of cardboard. Outdoor Activities As always, we had a trip over to the recreation ground to play a game of caterpillar rounders. It’s always a fun evening for girls and leaders alike. Next week for our last meeting we will be heading to Mersea to the Guiding owned beach hut for some games on the beach and a kite-making session.
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33 Learning & Growing Camp Almost our whole unit attended the District Camp at the end of June at Go Outdoors in Mersea where they took part in a plethora of fun activities.
Date: every Wednesday 10.00– 12.30pm Location Colchester Hospital, Turner Road, CO45JL @RHSBloom @rhsgrassroots @rhscommunitygardening contact details: [email protected] 07738883664 Garden Club Wednesdays Come along to help at Colchester Hospital gardens Wednesday mornings find out about the New RHS Wellbeing garden, volunteer with others, learn about plants and have fun! Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided. Wear suitable clothing and footwear for outdoors
35 Learning & Growing Other news The girls again helped on the water stations at the Rotary Run 10K race handing out water to all the runners. We had lots of attendees to the Girlguiding screening of the new release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. We also need to congratulate Holly on receiving her Jack Petchey award in November as well as presenting 2 silver awards to our girls. We have given out another 2 bronze awards to girls as well. At the time of writing, we have a full unit of 24 girls with 6 on our waiting list. We had 3 new starters this term. Lizzy Steward Leader at 1st Myland Guides Contact Lizzy: 07308 306416 or [email protected]
36 Learning & Growing 1st and 2nd Myland Rainbows Our Rainbows have had opportunities to take part in some brilliant and fun activities this last term, in addition to our usual programme. 2nd Myland Rainbows visited the Mercury Theatre for a backstage tour in May for a peak behind the curtains to see what it takes to put on a show. Then in June, both units attended the Essex Police open day at Colchester station. Despite the heat and crowds, we had a great time checking out the vehicles, including the fire engine, the cells, finger printing etc. We had a big day out at Essex Outdoor Centre when we joined other Rainbows, Brownies and Guides for the Braiswick District Activity weekend in Mersea. The girls discovered interesting facts about tidal habitats, local marine life and the effects of pollution on our coast. Working in teams they also took part in scavenger hunts and made crafts to take home. The day was wrapped up with a campfire sing song. We’ve had lots of Rainbows completing many Interest badges at home too, which meant there has been a lot of awards to present this term as well, but deserving of a special mention, well done to a 2nd Myland Rainbow who whilst achieving a Gold award, also received a certificate for completing all 12 interest badges. Other highlights included our Coronation celebrations and an American Themed evening. We hope all our members have enjoyable Summer Break and we look forward to welcoming the girls back in September. Lorraine Boyle, Myland Rainbow Guider
Learning & Growing Myland Preschool CIC We have had a busy half term as we have explored themes such as Oceans, Dads, zoo animals, weddings, cream teas, sports, tennis and school. We had Rob Sambrook, photographer come into pre-school to take photos of the children on Tuesday 2nd May and this raised £56.56 in commission for the preschool. On Friday 5th May we celebrated King Charles III coronation by dressing in red, white and blue. We enjoyed a tea party with lots of yummy treats and we got to play some party games as well! We also did a display for the Coronation in St Michaels Church and made flowers for their large crown display. Friday 5th May also saw us say farewell to Elaine who had been a member of staff at the preschool for 11 and a half years. Monday 9th May saw us welcome Cristina as a new member of our staff team. After an absence of 3 years (thanks to Covid) Friday 19th May saw the return of our trip to Easton Farm Park, with all of the children leaving us to go to school. Sadly chicken pox hit hard and this meant we only took 18 children in the end, but we had a fantastic day with great weather and the children got to hug bunnies and have a tractor and trailer ride, as well as feeding the goats, kids, sheep and lambs. Tuesday 6th June saw us having an Ofsted inspection, as it had been 6 years since our previous inspection. It all went very well, and we are pleased that we received a ‘Good’ grading in every area. The report is on the Ofsted website should you wish to view it. On Wednesday 14th June we took part in the Barnardo’s’ Big toddle. This saw the children doing the toddle around the local area, raising funds for both Barnardo’s and the preschool. This was followed by a teddy bear’s picnic in our garden, where parents and younger siblings joined in as well. We raised £219.75 for Barnardo’s and £73.25 for preschool funds. Again, after a break due to Covid we were pleased to welcome some dads into preschool on Friday 16th June for our Father’s Day morning. They enjoyed joining in with our activities and we rewarded them with a bacon roll and a cup of tea or coffee! We really enjoyed having them in preschool with us. 37
ar gar e gar e We stock a wide range of store cupboard essentials, fresh local produce and frozen meals, ensuring you can pop in and have something tasty ready for dinner. All food served at Fillpots is cooked and baked on the premises by our team of dedicated chefs. Meet up for breakfast, lunch or tea. Come to Fillpots and whip your garden into shape this Spring. We have a wide selection of plants and bulbs and all the tools needed to get the job done 52 Straight Road, Boxted, Colchester CO4 5RB Telephone: 01206 273 834 www.fillpots.co.uk gar e gar e We stock a wide range of store cupboard essentials, fresh local produce and frozen meals, ensuring you can pop in and have something tasty ready for dinner. All food served at Fillpots is cooked and baked on the premises by our team of dedicated chefs. Meet up for breakfast, lunch or tea. Come to Fillpots and whip your garden into shape this Spring. We have a wide selection of plants and bulbs and all the tools needed to get the job done 52 Straight Road, Boxted, Colchester CO4 5RB Telephone: 01206 273 834 www.fillpots.co.uk gar e gar e We stock a wide range of store cupboard essentials, fresh local produce and frozen meals, ensuring you can pop in and have something tasty ready for dinner. All food served at Fillpots is cooked and baked on the premises by our team of dedicated chefs. Meet up for breakfast, lunch or tea. Come to Fillpots and whip your garden into shape this Spring. We have a wide selection of plants and bulbs and all the tools needed to get the job done 52 Straight Road, Boxted, Colchester CO4 5RB Telephone: 01206 273 834 www.fillpots.co.uk gar e gar e We stock a wide range of store cupboard essentials, fresh local produce and frozen meals, ensuring you can pop in and have something tasty ready for dinner. All food served at Fillpots is cooked and baked on the premises by our team of dedicated chefs. Meet up for breakfast, lunch or tea. Come to Fillpots and whip your garden into shape this Spring. We have a wide selection of plants and bulbs and all the tools needed to get the job done 52 Straight Road, Boxted, Colchester CO4 5RB Telephone: 01206 273 834 www.fillpots.co.uk gar e gar e We stock a wide range of store cupboard essentials, fresh local produce and frozen meals, ensuring you can pop in and have something tasty ready for dinner. All food served at Fillpots is cooked and baked on the premises by our team of dedicated chefs. Meet up for breakfast, lunch or tea. Come to Fillpots and whip your garden into shape this Spring. We have a wide selection of plants and bulbs and all the tools needed to get the job done 52 Straight Road, Boxted, Colchester CO4 5RB Telephone: 01206 273 834 www.fillpots.co.uk
Learning & Growing 39 For all the children taking the next step to primary school this year we completed transition forms and sent them to the schools and had the teachers from the various schools come into preschool to see the children here. On Wednesday 28th June we had our open afternoon and met with the children (and their families) who will be starting with us in September, and we look forward to welcoming them into the preschool as they start their educational journey with us. We are saying goodbye to 26 children who are graduating preschool to start primary school in September. We would like to wish them all every success in the future. We will be holding our Graduation ceremony for them on Friday 21st July. We return to preschool to start the autumn term on Monday 4th September 2023 with our first theme being “All about me”. On Friday 22nd September we have Rob Sambrook, photographer coming into pre-school to take photos of the children. We are hoping to have a Macmillan coffee morning on Wednesday 27th September so please keep an eye on our facebook page for more details. We would love to see you if you are able to come along. We have our next collection for Bag2School booked for Tuesday 7th November 2023 so if you are having a sort out over the summer then please bear us in mind!! You can find details of what is collected at: https://bag2school.com/what-we-collect Please note that as from 1st September 2023 we will only have one contact telephone number for the preschool and that will be 07544830780. Our email is [email protected] Diane Woodrow Manager
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