Feb to Apr 2024 Issue 98 Funded by Myland Community Council FREE The Mylander KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED Myland Community Council Budget 2024/25 Christmas Celebrations in Myland Help Us Look Back on 25 Years in Myland Could You Help the Planning & Highways Committee?
2 Myland Community Council The Chair Alison Jay 07761 729054 Vice Chair David Clouston 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 Ellora Roy 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 10. Churches 15. From inside the community 29. Learning and growing
Chair’s Report Myland Community Council continues to work hard on your behalf. Our office remains very busy providing recycling kit supplies and our Clerk is available to answer residents’ queries, as well as supporting Councillors in their work. Please feel welcome to drop in with any concerns. I want to thank all Councillors for those things we have achieved in the last few months, especially Cllr De Smith for the new planting of the rose beds on Nayland Road, which we will be maintaining going forwards. Huge thanks also to Cllrs David Clouston and Pete Hewitt for the detailed and challenging work involved in the Neighbourhood Plan review, along with interested residents, which was approved in a Colchester City Council meeting in October. I was able as a Ward Councillor to speak on this item and offer my full support for this document, which enables communities to play a strong role in shaping the areas they love and work, and sits alongside the Colchester Local Plan for planning applications. Since my summer report, as usual at this time of year, your Council have been reviewing our finances and setting a budget for 2024/25 from April. This year we took a slightly different approach and worked up from what we needed to spend on overheads, maintenance of Parish assets (such as the bus shelters) and projects we are committed to, including the Youth Club, to produce our annual spending plan. We then moved on to allocating the reserves we have put aside to meet projects we have all agreed upon in the future, but don’t need to be in the budget this year. Detailed figures are on our website for those that are interested but our banked reserves, in addition to those are required to maintain and a small general reserve we can use for contingencies, is below: Community Minibus 10,000 Health & Wellbeing 4,000 Village Green - Legal Costs 10,000 EV Charging Points 30,000 Community Centres 200,000 Cultural & Heritage 5,000 SUB TOTAL 259,000 4
The largest allocation of reserves of £200,000 is to allow us to continue to work with the City Council on the proposed Kingswoods Heath Community Centre and also with an eye to future support of the Chesterwell and St Mark’s potential developments. We continue to recognise the value of community facilities and meet regularly with officers who are welcoming of our views. We are also meeting with officers on the handover of the open space where the Mill Road Rugby Club playing grounds used to be. This has been much delayed by Covid and the City Council review of the plans for the developments in this location, but we are making good progress and a more definite timetable will be available early this year. The Full Council in November recommended a precept demand to the city council of £120,000 to meet the budget once reserves have been accounted for and this is the same as the demand for 21/22 and 22/23. This is the amount we ask from residents through our proportion of your council tax and should mean a similar annual amount for everyone to last year. This was based on what we felt we could focus on in 24/25, whilst recognising the cost-of-living pressures which we all continue to face. As the first tier of Government and recognising the pressure on the higher tiers, we are working on ways we can preserve services for residents. Finally, thank you to those working on our committees. We are pleased to welcome Cllr Phil Coleman as lead of the new Sports and Leisure Working Group, which is looking to improve Myland’s health and wellbeing through sports, leisure and recreational activities and opportunities. This working group is open to residents so please contact us or join us if you have views on what is missing and what you would like to see in your area. As always we are interested in your views on what you would like to see us do in the Parish, so please email me or the Clerk or contact the office directly. Cllr Alison Jay Chair of Myland Council Chair’s Report 5
6 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. Meetings: 7th Feb, 6th Mar, 3rd Apr, 7.30pm at 101 Nayland Road 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. Meetings: 21st Feb, 20th Mar, 17th Apr, 7.30pm at Well Methodist Church Hall 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. Meetings: 28th Feb, 27th Mar, 24th Apr Agendas are posted on the council website the week prior.
Council Reports Myland Access Committee Another year: time to look back on what we’ve done and time to look forward to what we would like to do in 2024. As far as Active Travel goes, and despite what Essex County Council (ECC) and Colchester City Council (CCC) might say, it has not been a particularly good year. We’ve seen a further reduction in the length of public footpaths, we’ve seen no improvements to the necessary cycling infrastructure, and we’ve seen confusing changes to our bus services in order to “improve punctuality”. We have seen ECC, once again, ignoring government guidelines on cycling and increasing the amount of “shared use” pavements. We have seen CCC ignoring government guidelines on planning and protecting our public rights of way. Active travel – walking, cycling or public transport - has been severely disrupted by the construction of the Rapid Transport Route along the Northern Approaches. As if that wasn’t enough, the year ended with huge amounts of rain, causing flooding of many ditches in the Chesterwell area. Looking on the bright side, we did have a very successful Midsummer’s Day walk in June last year around the Myland Orbital, as well as a beautiful walk around roughly the same route on Boxing Day in December. The Myland Access Committee is about to have our first meeting of the year and we will be looking at providing short monthly walks around the area, two longer walks around the parish in June and December, and maintaining footpaths where we can. We shall also be keeping a close eye on planning and highway development, keeping active travel at the forefront of our thinking. We would also like to form a closer working relationship with the County and City, as well as with our several bus companies. If any if this interests you and you have an hour or two to spare – just give us a call! Robert Johnstone Chair, Myland Access Committee 7
8 Council Reports Myland Heritage Group On the 1st April 2024, an event will be held in the St Michael’s Church Halls to look back at the last 25 years in Myland. The event also celebrates the 25th Anniversary of establishing Myland Community Council on 1st April 1999. Myland is a place that for some has been home for many years, often a lifetime. For others it has become a more recent, and we hope, happy arrival. Some will have witnessed change and others may be interested in the recent history of the place they now call home. The purpose of this article is to invite you, our friends and neighbours to contribute to the event. You may have photographs taken in the past 25 years, or you may have recent artefacts, or stories to tell that could all add up to an interesting display. For example, we may have some before and after views of Chesterwell such as these, and no doubt there are some of Severalls/Kingswood Heath and other parts of Myland. Stories could also be written up and displayed.
Council Reports If you would like to participate, please see the contact details below where Marina will be happy to take your call and discuss how you may wish to be involved, including loan or copying arrangements for e.g. photos or documents: Marina de Smith - 07791463080 [email protected] Cllr Pete Hewitt Myland Heritage Group Planning & Highways Committee The Planning and Highways Committee is still operating but all members need to be in attendance for the committee to be quorate. We hope that other members of the Community Council will be able to join in the future so that we can continue to meet monthly and be effective. Some large-scale developments that went through the planning process some time ago are coming to completion or are well underway. These include the hotel and leisure facilities at the Northern Gateway and the construction of the Rapid Transit Route on the Northern Approach. Final planning for signage at the Northern Gateway has recently come in front of the committee. The council as a whole is aware of the issues residents are having with the construction on Northern Approach. The committee is responsible for providing funding for contractors to manage hedgerow overgrowth so that access via footpaths is maintained. Please contact Myland Community Council if you are aware of an area that needs attention. If the overgrowth is not from private property an assessment can be made to see if it is in the remit of the council and if it is then the request will be discussed at one of the Planning & Highways meetings. If agreed, a quote will be obtained and the processed. We look forward to having more resident participation in the activities of the Planning & Highways Committee. Cllr Gary Braddy 9
10 Churches St Michael’s Church As always we had a superb Christmas Season. We kicked off Advent by having Christmas Trees delivered from Fred’s Christmas Trees on Friday 1st December. The following day the Church was a hive of activity as the local hall groups and members of the congregation came along for a morning of fun to decorate the trees, ready for our “Lighting of the Christmas Tree” service at 4pm the next day. Things did not stop there; we held our “Christmas Coffee and Cake Morning”, where our Grand Draw took place. We had lots of prizes donated including a hamper from Myland Fisheries, a Pantry 61 voucher, prizes from Asda, Waitrose, Tesco, Perrywood, Westminster Care and more. There were visits to the local schools for Christingle Services, delivery of Posada boxes and we hosted them for their concerts in Church. Our “Carols by Candlelight Service” was held on Sunday 18th December, where we sang traditional carols whilst the trees were lit along with our candles. The evening concluded with light refreshments, including a nice glass of wine. The highlight for us has to be Christmas Eve. It fell on a Sunday, which meant we had five services in one day. We kicked off the day with a simple Said Service at 10.15am. 3pm came and we held our short Nativity Service, where we started with Jingle Bells. Reverend Ray Gibbs then told the story suitable for under 5’s. Children were invited to dress up and this year we had a very beautiful angel amongst others. The “12 Days of Christmas” Service at 5pm was a fun and lively family service. Reverend Ray Gibbs had everyone laughing, whilst getting them to join in with his hilarious song “The 12 Days of Takeaways”, including verses such as
Churches “5 onion rings and 1 Wagamama bang bang cauliflower sitting by my Christmas Tree”. The congregation loved this so much that it was repeated at the 7pm “Carols by Candlelight” Service. The evening concluded with Midnight Communion, starting at 11.30pm. Overall on Christmas Eve with saw 435 people in the Church. Thank you all. Sarah King Office Administrator During the winter months Myland Parish Halls is currently open for Weekday Services as follows: • Tuesday: 9.15am for Morning Prayer; • Wednesday: 10.15am for Morning Prayer; • 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) February Saturday 10th February – Valentine’s Coffee and Cake Morning Wednesday 14th February (Ash Wednesday), 9.30am & 8pm: Holy Communion with Ashing March Sunday 10th March, 10.15am: Mothering Sunday Family Parade Service 11
12 Easter Services and Events Friday 29th March, 12 noon: Good Friday Quiet Hour Saturday 30th March, 8pm: Easter Eve Vigil Sunday 31st March, 10.15am: Easter Day Family Communion Service Lent Lite - Lunches Myland Mothers’ Union will be serving a simple light lunch of bread, cheese and fruit at 1pm on the following Fridays during Lent: 14th, 21st & 28th February, 6th, 13th & 20th March in Myland Parish Halls Spring Plant Sale (in Myland Parish Halls) Saturday 11th May , 11am - 12.30pm: Plant Sale Saturday 11th May, 10am - 12noon: Coffee & Cake in Church Please keep an eye on our website and the Church noticeboards, or call the Church Office on 01206 855040 if you would like further information. Please do check our website HERE for more information, this will be updated regularly. You can also follow us on Facebook: St. Michael’s Church & Myland Parish Halls. If you would like to speak to any of us, our staff can be contacted, as follows: Churches 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]
Churches The Well Methodist Church We hope it is not too late to wish you a Happy New Year! Thank you to all in the community who gave donations for our Caring Service in November, when we collected items for local charities. These were distributed between Colchester Engagement and Next Steps (formerly Night Shelter) and Myland Community Pantry. We celebrated Christmas with the Preschool Christmas concert (delightful), our own Carol Service, and, a joint service on Christmas Day at The Ark, Highwoods. As Churches Together we sang Carols outside the Co-op on Chesterwell, which was well received. £80.50 was collected for Action for Children - thank you to all the customers who gave so generously. During the Christmas holidays, MakeLunch Myland provided a hot meal on our premises. A reminder that The Community Pantry (fortnightly) and the Warm Welcome (weekly) continue during the school term on Tuesdays from 12noon to 4.00pm. These two activities are open to everyone and details are on our outside notice board and on the website. We have a morning service each Sunday at 10.30 with Bible stories for children. If you need to contact our Minister, Rev Chris Preece, for Baptisms, Marriages or Funerals then her telephone number is Colchester 545253. Obviously, it is not possible to give up-todate information about all our activities in this article, but you can find out more by visiting our website HERE or, if you are passing our premises, there is a weekly notice sheet displayed outside. We pray regularly for places where readers of this magazine live. If you have a particular prayer request, please let us know. Keith and Di Thompson Tel: Col 844252 [email protected] 13
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From inside the community Mill Road Surgery Welcome to 2024 and Happy New Year to you all. We hope everyone has enjoyed the festive period and for those who may have set themselves a New Year’s resolution such as losing weight, exercising more, stopping smoking, reducing alcohol and improving mental wellbeing, then it may be well worthwhile having a chat to one of our Health & Wellbeing Coaches who work for North Colchester Primary Care Network (which includes Mill Road Surgery). We have introduced them before in previous issues, but their work here is invaluable so thought it may be worth a little reminder! They can offer invaluable support in these areas, as well as helping anyone who may find themselves in social isolation which can be worse during the winter. You can ask to be referred to them during your appointment with a clinician or contact them directly via email ([email protected]). During the winter period it is common to get cough and cold symptoms as various viruses, as well as bacteria circulate. Around 1 in 5 of us will get a cough during winter and most of the time it will go away on its own or be eased by remedies available from your local pharmacies. Most coughs clear within 3 weeks, but can last for up to 8. Should you get any of the symptoms below though then you should be assessed by a clinician face-to-face at the surgery: • a cough lasting more than three weeks • coughing up blood • chest or shoulder pain as well as coughing • breathlessness • weight loss for no reason over the last six months • hoarseness or changes in your voice for longer than three weeks and persists once the cough is better • new lumps or swellings around your neck and above your collarbones. As well as helping with the common coughs and colds, some pharmacies can also now supply the contraceptive pill as a patient new to the pill as well as continuing providing it for those already on it, this makes it much easier for those with a busy lifestyle to start or continue contraception, without having to try and make an appointment to see a clinician at the surgery. Ashley Moore, Paramedic Practitioner / Nurse Manager 15
From inside the community Women’s Institute As we look forward at the start of another year, we recall the last three months of our W.I. meetings. Our committee had quite a challenge for our November meeting when Edinburgh Woollen Mills had to cancel the planned Fashion Show at the very last minute. Our amazing committee managed to book David Webb, an actor who had appeared in Hi-de-Hi! Some members had heard him speak at another W.I. meeting earlier in the year so knew that he would give us a very entertaining talk with slides and video footage of his time working on this popular show. He did not disappoint! Our December meeting took the form of a Christmas Lunch at The Cricketers, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. There was even a slight covering of snow which set the scene for us. The following week two of our members attended the W.I. Carol Service, which was held in Chelmsford Cathedral. It certainly helped them to feel ready for Christmas as they joined in singing Carols and listened to songs performed by a female soloist, Nancy May, and a delightful couple of songs provided by Elmwood Primary School’s KS2 Choir. The first meeting of 2024 was a slide show given by Liz Huxley. She had some beautiful photos of various birds and other wildlife, which can be found on the Essex coastal marshes in winter. A quote from her website states; “I share beautiful images of God’s amazing creation. He puts it there and I just press the camera shutter”. Our next three meetings will start in February with a Film Show by John Jones – always a very popular event—in March, Dawn and David King will be talking about the Headgate Theatre and in April, Oliver Wright will be speaking about the Hearing Care Centre. Hopefully these events will have whetted your appetite to join us. We do welcome everyone and have always got space for new members. Just come along to High Woods Community Centre on the first Friday of each month at 7.15pm. Don’t be shy - you would be SO welcome! Sandra Jones 16
17 From inside the community Nature Notes I like to be able to distinguish between the seasons. Autumn seemed to arrive a little late this year but its arrival was certainly heralded when I and three friends took a walk around Arger Fen, near Wormingford, in mid-November. As my photo shows it was like walking into a cathedral of autumn colour. Two special highlights occurred during the walk, firstly the sight of a bright yellow brimstone butterfly flitting about in the late sunshine. Apparently late season flights are not uncommon for the brimstone. The next highlight was to see, low and silently gliding, a majestic red kite, turning gracefully at the twitch of its tail. Of course we can find autumn colours in our own gardens. Our hazel hedge, cherry tree and contorted willow have been particularly attractive. The willow leaves are a twisted shape too, long and golden they spiral gently and quietly to the floor. The aftermath of falling leaves is the job of raking them off the lawn. Good exercise and good for the lawn as the raking aerates the grass. Carrying out this job one cold morning, I paused to look at the sun trying to pierce a shroud of misted cloud, a veil was drawn across its warming path. The sky was trying to clear in places but in the far distance there was a long strand of misted horizon. However, this still had its own beauty to my eye, it was certainly a winter sky and that is probably why I was happy to see it, a sign of autumn moving into winter. Looking at the sky can often stop me in my tracks. I recall while walking home, (quickly because of a dark and threatening sky), I spotted in the distance the white, almost silver under-leaves of a white poplar twisting in the breeze, presenting an unbelievably sharp and dancing contrast against the blackening cloud. I felt a spot of rain and walked on only to stop again when three or four white gulls came into contrast against that same blackness.
18 An aerobatic display of grace and movement standing out as if lit for my personal pleasure. I did get a bit wet, but so what? Even more exciting just before Christmas was to saw the ’rainbow clouds’, beautiful amidst black threatening weather. A rare sighting indeed. Returning to the garden and the hazel hedge, I later noticed that although it was now bear of leaves there were pairs of small ’lambs tail’ catkins, and there too our small hedge of winter jasmine was beginning to flower. This also grows up a trellis post and here there was a cascading waterfall of small trumpet flowers of yellow smiles. Finally, an invitation to anyone who would like to contribute to the records of Myland flora and fauna - birds, animals, flowers etc, that have started to be listed on the Community Council Website. The small beginnings we have made can be found on the Website under About Myland and then Myland Nature. We will be providing a link to High Woods Country Park’s extensive records and their information on the Park itself. For the rest of Myland we will have sections on Chesterwell, Severalls/Kingswood Heath, Cymbeline Meadows and Other Places. If photos are available that would be wonderful, but if not, just details of what has been seen will be great for the record. If you wish to contribute please contact me, Pete Hewitt on 07745 333368, or ring the Clerk on 01206 853400. Thank you. Pete Hewitt From inside the community
19 From inside the community High Woods Country Park High Woods Country Park has officially opened its new adventure playground, following a formal unveiling by Councillor Martin Goss on Thursday 7th December. The playground, designed and installed by Kompan Ltd, is the result of a £130,000 investment, funded by developers’ Section 106 contributions. It offers an exciting and inclusive play experience for children up to 12 years old. The decision to replace the old playground stemmed from the recognition that it had come to the end of its natural life. The previous structure had served its purpose for just over a decade and was closed in January 2023. The new playground incorporates advancements in design and inclusivity. The design of the playground was determined through active community involvement, with residents and visitors participating in the decision-making process, ensuring that the playground meets the preferences and needs of the diverse user base. The equipment used in the new playground is designed to enable everyone to play together. Notable additions to enhance accessibility include a pathway leading around the playground and additional rubber-bonded surfaces. Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Waste, said: “The investment in improved play facilities at High Woods Country Park is a testament to our commitment to the health and well-being of our community, especially our children. The playground is a fantastic addition to our beloved park, and I encourage everyone to come out and experience the fun it has to offer.”
From inside the community 20 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
Learning and growing 21 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
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23 From inside the community Colchester Countryside Volunteer Rangers Our annual Christmas buffet was held at the Prettygate pub for the CCVR volunteers, Big Garden (Together We Grow) folks, and of course the hard-working High Woods Country Park Rangers. A huge thank you to Lisa for providing such an amazing spread — unfortunately our numbers were well down, but it was still an enjoyable evening and quite a few people got to take home a doggy bag. Our New Year’s Day walk was very successful; on a lovely sunny morning about 50 people attended, and about 30 of those came back for the refreshments being served in the Visitor’s Centre. For £5 they could have a sausage or cheese and onion roll a mince pie and either mulled wine or spiced fruit punch. All of these items were supplied by some of our local supermarkets and a huge thank you to the following: • Ellis - Mile End, Co-op • Elaine - Asda, Turner Rise • Marie - Tesco, Highwoods Not forgetting, of course, another huge thank you to Ranger Nicola and her husband for leading the walk and all the volunteers who assisted during it, as well as in the Visitor’s Centre preparing the refreshments. To find out more about the Colchester Countryside Volunteer Rangers (CCVR) please visit CLICK HERE Paul Horwood PIANO TUITION & MUSIC THEORY ALL AGES AND STANDARDS STUDENTS ENTERED FOR RSM IF REQUIRED TREVOR CORDWELL 01206 844087
24 From inside the community Colchester Sports Park Did you know that in Myland we have a fantastic Sport, Leisure and Recreational facility? We have a 78 acre Colchester Sports Park, which opened in 2021. It is located just off Junction 28 of the A12, opposite the Park and Ride. It boasts free car parking, a multi-use sports centre, 1-mile Cycle Track, Cycle Pump Track and a Learn to Ride cycle area providing a safe space to learn to ride for all ages. There are also 3G pitches for football, grass pitches, a Technogym fitness suite, an exercise studio, an indoor cycle studio, indoor cricket, badminton, table tennis, futsal and safe walks around the site. It is also host to Colchester Rugby Club and Colchester Archery Club. The Sports Park hosts kids parties and school holiday camps. Visitors can enjoy Paddy & Scott’s cafe for coffee, tea, sandwiches and cakes. Anyone interested in finding out more about hiring the sport facilities, starting a membership, having a coffee or exploring the open green spaces can visit: Colchester Sports Park website HERE Or call with any queries on 01206 282000. There are regular updates on the Facebook page, which can be found HERE
25 From inside the community Myland Mother’s Union In December, we held our Carol Service followed by refreshments. Our thanks to Rev Ray Gibbs for leading the service, to Joe Richardson for accompanying us and to all who took part in the service, those who joined us and to the members who hosted the tea. Our next meeting will be our AGM on 7th February, when Officers and Committee are elected, and reports presented. Also in February we commence hosting “Lent Lite”. A simple meal of Bread and Cheese, Fresh Fruit. A Lenten Discipline. These take place in the small hall 1pm on Wednesdays, February 14th, 21st, 28th, and March 6th, 13th, 20th. No set charge, with donations accepted on the day—all proceeds to Christian Aid and St Michael’s Church. Everyone is welcome, we would love to see you. A quiet time of reflection is planned for our March meeting and Post Easter Communion in April. After a lot of prayerful thought I have decided to step down as Branch Leader in February. I wish my successor well and trust they will receive all the help and support I have had, for the continued growth of MU in Myland and Worldwide. Ivy Dix Branch Leader Pantry 61 Congratulations to Pantry 61, which celebrated 5 years of business serving delicious bespoke and traditional cakes and desserts near Myland. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 9pm—5pm, you can pop in to the shop on Straight Road, Boxted, to see the selection of fresh bakes, grab a hot drink and take a look at the gift selection on offer too. A very happy birthday!!!
From inside the community Slimming World If you’ve set yourself a New Year’s resolution to improve your diet, increase exercise or lose weight, you may be looking for further support. Slimming World has been running for over 50 years and supports over 800,000 members within its weekly support groups. Groups are run by a network of 4,000 community-based Slimming World Consultants, who receive specific training in the role of diet and physical activity in weight management. And in December 2023, Dean launched the Myland Slimming World group which runs every Saturday from 8am – 9.30am, supporting Myland residents to make lifestyle changes. Dean joined his local Slimming World group in Romford 8 years ago and lost 2.5 stone using the Slimming World method. Since training as a Consultant for Slimming World, he now wants to help other people make similar changes and support their weight loss goals. Contact your local Slimming World Consultant and join a friendly and super-supportive group today! new2024 member pack! 24th Dec 2023 to 27th Jan 2024 recipe book when you commit to a Countdown course* worth £4.95* FREE slimmingworld.co.uk *At participating groups. Terms and conditions apply. Visit slimmingworld.co.uk/offers for more information. slimming-friendly spag bol Saturdays 08:00 & 09:30 am, Myland Parish Hall, CO4 5DY
27 From inside the community Dean says: “It’s a privilege for me to be able to pass on the experience, insight and understanding that helped me, so that I can give my members the support they need to get to target.” “Support is really the most important thing. It all starts with feeling that you’re not alone. I couldn’t have lost 2.5 stone without the weekly help, encouragement and understanding of my own consultant and group.” “As someone who has lost weight myself, I know the challenges people can face, which is why, along with the group, I will be there to support every one of my members all the way to their chosen target weight. Setting targets, sharing recipes and other ideas, and working together as a group to overcome challenges and celebrate success is so important to a successful journey. That’s why, at my Slimming World group, there is tons of support, encouragement and fun from me and my amazing members.” Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, is designed so you cut calories without counting them—giving you a list of ‘Free Foods’ that you can eat as much as you like and a daily number of Syns for foods you fancy like biscuits and sweets. And to give you a good balance of nutrients there are ‘Healthy Extras’ that you can eat alongside the Free Foods. Slimming World’s phased activity programme, Body Magic, eases you into activity until it becomes an intrinsic part of your daily routine and is a good way to slowly introduce lifestyle changes alongside your diet. Dean’s Slimming World group will be held at Myland Parish Hall every Saturday at 8am and 9.30am. For more information or to join Dean’s group either pop along or message him on 07494237817. Or: For more information visit Slimming World website HERE or call 0344 897 8000.
28 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
29 Learning & Growing 1st Myland Guides On Tuesday we held our last Guide meeting of the year, we always finish a little early at Christmas due to the busy lives of our girls with lots of school events, performances, and parties. We ensured we finished with a bang though and had a Christmas party, lots of good party food, games, and dancing. It was a rather special evening as we presented one of our eldest Guides, Isabella, with her Guide Gold award which is the highest achievement a Guide can receive. This is something we have only given out once before. Our new girls have settled in well and made a good start to the term. We are back up to capacity with 24 girls. We’ve been up to lots this term already! In October we took our girls to Ten Pin in Colchester for 2 games of bowling and dinner – funded fully by a Jack Petchey award received by Holly. Kim & I had the honour of watching Holly be presented with her award at Charter Hall just last month, we are extremely proud. In early November we played our annual wide game ‘Zombies’ where I chase the girls round in the dark tagging them, lots of happy screams and a lot of running – on mine (and the girls’) part. As always, we attended Remembrance service at the church, we really appreciate the girls turning out in their uniform and for making such an effort.
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31 Learning & Growing We have enjoyed a board game night, a Christmas craft evening making bead snowflakes and further work on the Skill Builders we’ve been working on this term. Last weekend we had a great turn out from the girls to help decorate the Christmas Trees in the church, Florence even won first prize on the raffle which made her day! On Sunday we are off to Clacton to watch the Panto… oh yes we are! From all of us at 1st Myland Guides wishing you a very Happy Christmas. Lizzy Steward Queen Boudica Primary School Happy New Year! At the time of writing, we have just returned to school after the Christmas holiday, and are so pleased to be able to catch up with everyone’s news. May 2024 be full of good health, peace and happiness for everyone. Our end of term was full of festive and fun-filled activities: it was lovely to see so many members of our school community participating. FAFA (our Parents’ Association) held some very successful ‘Winter Glow Parties’ which were enjoyed by children of all ages. Thank you to everyone who helped at those events.
32 Pupils in Reception performed a lovely Nativity play, and pupils in Year 2 shared their production of Christmas Around the World. Our Year 4 pupils reminded us of the story of Christmas, as they sang songs and carols at St. Michael’s Church. Well done to all our pupils for their wonderful performances, and thank you to their family members for supporting them and helping them to prepare. It was lovely to see so many families joining in. We also greatly enjoyed our first ‘Carols on the Green’ event - thank you if you were able to attend. Children, families and local residents met on the grassy area outside school to sing carols and enjoy some refreshments after school, and it was lovely. A particular thanks must go to the School Choir and Mrs. Pomeroy, and also to the group of brass players who led the music. Thank you so much to everyone for supporting this new festive event: it’s definitely one to repeat! In school, our catering team provided everyone with a delicious Christmas Lunch on Friday 15th December, which was made even more festive as we wore our Christmas jumpers. The food was amazing and everyone looked wonderful. Thank you to Monika and our fantastic cooks for such a lovely meal. It was a pleasure to meet many new prospective families last term, as we prepare for our next year’s Reception intake. If you weren’t able to visit us (but would like to) Learning & Growing
33 Learning & Growing then please get in touch with the office team at any time, who will be only too pleased to book an individual tour for you and your family. We are preparing for another term of Forest School, and are really looking forward to the longer hours of daylight slowly starting to creep in. It makes such a difference to our wellbeing, and we love seeing the Spring bulbs start to pop up around our site. We all enjoy gardening and are excited to start the new year of growing very soon. We all wish you and your family a very Happy 2024 - please do get in touch if you’d like to talk about any projects that school could be involved in - we always like to try new initiatives and join in with community events whenever possible. Clare Woodward Headteacher
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Learning & Growing Myland Preschool CIC We would like to wish all readers a Happy New Year! As usual we had a busy lead up to Christmas with lots of things going on! The week of 13th – 17th November saw us dressing up in our Pudsey tops and raising £12 for Children in Need. On 23rd November, staff completed 6 hours of face-to-face first aid training (having already completed 6 hours of online training). We are pleased to say that everyone passed and now has an updated first aid qualification. We decorated a Christmas tree in St Michael’s Church on 1st December, ready for their lighting of the Christmas trees and 1st carols of Christmas service on the 3rd December. Monday 4th to Friday 8th December saw us taking part in the Christmas Jumper Day organised by Save the Children fund. Everyone looked good in their Christmas jumpers, dresses and headgear and tinsel and we raised £30 for Save the Children. We held our Nativity play “Christmas Counts” in the Church on the 13th December. This was very well attended by family and friends and the children were amazing and all stole the show! After the performance we welcomed family and friends back to the hall for refreshments and received lots of praise and positive comments on the children’s performance. Term finished on Friday 15th December with our Christmas party. The children played musical statues, musical bumps and pass the parcel and then had a party lunch, which was followed by ‘Stick Man’ on DVD and then a visit from Father Christmas’s helper, who had a gift of a book for each child. We returned to pre-school on Monday 8th January 2024 and have welcomed a few new children to our midst. They are settling in well. Through this term we will be celebrating Winnie the Pooh day, Burns Night, Australia day, National Storytelling Week, Chinese New Year, Shrove Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, World Hippo Day, National Polar Bear Day, Fairtrade Fortnight, St. David’s Day, World Wildlife Day, World Book Day, Mothering Sunday, World Frog Day and Easter. We look forward to doing lots of activities linked to them. 35
Learning & Growing We also look forward to trying some different snacks too such as haggis, neeps and tatties and Welsh cakes! We are registered with easyfundraising – click HERE so if you shop online please register with them and support pre-school while you shop! It doesn’t cost you anything but we get credited various percentages depending on who you shop with! Our page is HERE Should you wish to contact us a reminder that our email is: [email protected] We only have one telephone number now which is 07544 830780. You can follow us on Facebook by liking our page – Myland Preschool CIC. Diane Woodrow Manager 1st and 2nd Myland Rainbows Both Myland Rainbow units are looking forward to a fun 2024, especially as the highlight of a Spring term is Girlguiding’s annual Thinking Day celebrations. This year, we are joining other units in Braiswick District in discovering the world centres in UK, Africa, India, Switzerland and Mexico, while celebrating all Guiding and Girl Scout members worldwide. Through fun, friendship, adventure and challenges, it remains our aim to encourage all our Rainbows to try their best in 2024 and beyond. Both units are full with growing waiting lists so if you are considering Rainbows, please do not delay in registering on the Girlguiding website. Likewise, Girlguiding are always interested in hearing from prospective adult volunteers, so check the website for more information. Lorraine Boyle Myland Rainbow Guider 36
37 Learning & Growing 1st Myland Scout Group 1st Myland Scout Group The group have been having a great time. They enjoyed a group night at Thorrington using the bouldering hut, 3D maze, adventure run and a sing around the campfire. We also attended the Remembrance service and made decorations for the Christmas trees. Beavers The Beavers have been looking at healthy eating, completed different challenges and cooked pizzas. They have also been to the District Christmas party. Cubs The cubs have competed in a District dodgeball tournament, had a visit from guide dogs for the blind, been to Langham woods to play wide games and have cook on a fire, had a rocket science sleepover and also had a great time at the district Christmas party.
39 Learning & Growing 1st Myland Scout Group Scouts The scouts have been tracking, den building and been out on a night hike, they had a visit to the fire station and made guys for bonfire. The scouts have been away camping in October to Bradfield Combust and also attended winter camp in December at Thorrington. We are looking for some new leaders to join our beaver colony team if you think you can spare a few hours a week to help the young people of Myland have a fantastic time and also have fun yourself learn some new skills and give something back to the community, please get in touch. I would like to say a big thank you to all my volunteers who give up their time each week to deliver an amazing programme to the young people in Myland. Michelle King, Group Scout Leader www.1stmylandscoutgroup.org.uk [email protected]
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