PARISH COUNCIL MEETING – THURSDAY 19TH JULY 2012THE JULY meeting of Stambourne Parish Council took place on Thursday 19th at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, Stambourne.

Pavilion - the pipes in the loft have been lagged and vents near the pipes blocked, which should prevent any further freezing of water pipes in the winter. Some minor repairs have been carried out. A first-aid kit is to be provided.

Playing field - The bark has been delivered and put on the playing field. It may need topping up again.

Highways – The Parish Council is aware of the poor state of the roads locally and regularly reports on the potholes requiring repair. However, getting the repairs carried out is a continuing problem. The Parish Council will contact Cllr Finch to see if he can help with the situation.

Sandbags – We are glad that the supply of sandbags has been used by some of you during the recent wet weather. Michael Crago still has a supply if anyone within the parish requires them. He can be contacted on 01440 785288. At time of writing the summer has finally begun so we all hope they will not be needed!

Jubilee Mugs – I have a last few jubilee mugs available if anyone would like one. Under eighteens in the parish can receive one free if they have not already had one and anyone else can purchase them for £4.25 each. Please contact me if you would like any.

Jubilee celebrations – The Jubilee celebrations in Stambourne were a great success despite the poor weather. The scarecrows were excellent and many people came from outside the village to take a look. The lunch was well attended and very much enjoyed. Thank you to all the team who worked so hard to put on these events and everyone else who took part in them.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 20 September 2012 at 7.30pm in the village hall, Stambourne.

Full minutes and agendas are available on the Stambourne Parish website www.Stambourne.com.


Debbie Hilliard, Parish Clark

01440 785629 Email: Debbie.Hilliard@duffields.co.uk

ST. PETER & ST. THOMAS BECKET PARISH CHURCHAt the time of writing the Olympics are nearly upon us. It will be a time of great joy for the winners and tears for the losers. I don’t know about you but I was almost in tears when Andy Murray lost the Wimbledon Final. Some people have said it is embarrassing to watch a man cry, but tears are often a good thing. They are a release, a release of frustration or anger or grief or sadness. If we repress these emotions it can result in depression.

Crying is a very human thing to do and our Lord Jesus was known to shed a tear or two. My mum used to go to the local cinema with her friends in the 1960’s to watch what she called a ‘good weepy’ and she and her friends all used to have a good cry at the film and then come home feeling heaps better. It didn’t do a lot for their makeup though!

August is upon us and for many it is holiday time. For those of us who are not going away the Community Cafe will be open in Great Yeldham between 1pm and 4pm on Thursdays in the Reading Room during August with lots of activities for the children to do.

Finally I wish everyone a long and happy summer and I pray that it is a warm and sunny one.

Barbara Dennis


Parish Church Service Times

Sunday 5th August 9.30am Holy Communion, Rev Richard Caink
Sunday 12th August 9.30am Holy Communion, The Vicar
Sunday 19th August 9.30am Morning Prayer, Ministry Team
Sunday 26th August 9.30am Holy Communion, The Vicar

Sunday 2nd September 9.30am Morning Prayer, Ministry Team
Sunday 9th September 9.30am Holy Communion, The Vicar
Sunday 16th September 4.30pm Harvest Festival at the Chapel
Sunday 23rd September 9.30am Holy Communion, David Brown
Sunday 30th September 10.00am Benefice Communion, Toppesfield

STAMBOURNE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Adrian Burr 07983 656166


From the Chapel

This, our 350th year, is proving very interesting. Remember the windswept village fete where gazebos were blown away? And contrast that with the Anniversary service where over 50 people attended on 22nd July and we were led by our resident band in the sunny warmth of a summers day!! Takes me back to some of the historic writings that have said the worship was led from the gallery by people playing stringed and wind instruments including a serpent! Wonder if someone still has one up in the attic somewhere!  More recently worship was led by instruments in the gallery playing an oboe and a violin.  Now it is led by guitars, organ and saxophone with the occasional flute!  So we really are going back to roots!
 
However, the subject of our worship never changes. We still worship the God who has been faithful over the last 6000 years or so! And how we do that is not the key.  It as we come with a heart ready and open and willing to give our worship that we will know that God has received.
 
However, God wants us to know more of him and to understand His ways and His message, and so we plan to do that in a few meetings on specific subjects. Is there a hot topic you would like to understand more off?  A few examples might be:
Why is there violence in this world? 
Why does God let people die?
Don’t all faiths lead to God?
Doesn’t science explain everything?
 
These will be informal social gatherings where we will explore the subject and listen to all points of view and just enjoy exploring “the meaning of life”. Let me know when you can meet up and what you would like to know more of!  We would love to hear!
 
Finally our thanks to all who have collected and delivered aluminium cans – please keep going! There is a dustbin behind the chapel to drop cans into...  
 

Adrian Burr Minister, Stambourne Chapel  07983 656166
 

CHAPEL DIARY
AUGUST

This year our Holiday Club for rising 5’s to 11 years olds in the chapel is on theme of “On your Marks!” – an Olympic theme!. There are still a few places so if you are around on Tue 21st, Wed 22nd or Thur 23rd of August we would love to see you at chapel, but please book in first!  We need to make sure we have enough resources!  The club runs from 10-12 and there will be a BBQ on the Thursday at 12 noon (for adults as well!).
 
SEPTEMBER
The Harvest celebration this year will be at the chapel at 4pm on the 16th September.  We do pray that all will be “safely gathered in” by then and that most of the preparation for winter planting will be completed.  So do come and join in a traditional harvest service.  We hope to hold a Harvest supper in the chapel on the 17th at 7pm, so do contact us to book your tickets.

 
Services and Preachers
All services at 10:45 unless otherwise stated.
August
5th         Harry Creswell
12th       Adrian Burr, Communion
19th       Mark Inman
26th       Adrian Burr – all age service with the Worship Band
September
2nd        Franco and Wendy Podlesny
9th         Adrian Burr
16th       Joint Harvest Festival at Chapel
23rd       Shoe Box Service with Danny and Jill Moores
30th       Janet Wootton, director of Studies at the Congregational Federation
 
The Chapel is open for coffee, a chat, and prayer on Tuesdays from 10-12pm

1st and 3rd Tuesdays include prayers for our village and our neighbours and whatever is on our hearts at the time.

 
We are here to help at times of need and for Funerals, Weddings, Christenings and Baptisms, and all your life events.


STAMBOURNE FETE – A Big Thank You

Stambourne Village Hall Committee would like to thank everyone who took part in the Fete on the 24th June. Despite inclement weather, the sun came out at 2pm.

Our wonderful ladies who cook cakes surpassed themselves and all donations were gratefully received. We had lots of enthusiastic helpers and it was nice to have some young ones as well.

We made £1,363 on the day. This goes towards the upkeep and maintenance of our village hall which has been redecorated and can be hired for a very reasonable £10 per half day. It has a kitchen and toilet facilities. If you would like any information about its availability, please ring Mrs. Anita Albery on 01440 785 118.

Once again, thank you. Cath and Liz.

PILATES CLASSES Michelle 07956 256924

Six weeks of Pilates classes start at the Village Hall on the 11th September from 11am for an hour. The cost is £6 per session paid in advance for six weeks. Please contact Michelle on 07956 256924



Dr John Brandon Enticknap – A commendation

John Enticknap had a notably distinguished life. From his schooldays it was apparent he was destined to be one of life’s achievers, when he won a scholarship to the Royal Grammar School Guildford and quickly made his mark both academically and at sport. Gaining the Merriman Medal for academic excellence in his final examinations led to a place at university, a mould-breaking move for a boy whose grandfathers were a blacksmith and a carpenter. Then John displayed the forceful decisiveness which was to be apparent throughout his life, opting to study medicine against the wishes and advice of his parents.

He won a scholarship to read medicine at King’s College London and Charing Cross Hospital, and then decided to specialise in pathology. His professional life started with periods as a houseman at St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping and as a registrar at Guy’s Hospital in London, this work being interspersed with national service in West Africa with the RAMC. Research conducted at Guy’s culminated in an MD. He spent the rest of his career as a National Health Service consultant at East Ham and then Whipps Cross hospitals.

He married these professional skills with an enduring passion for motor racing by serving as a medical marshal at meetings throughout the 1950s and 1960s at venues including Silverstone, Goodwood, Snetterton, Brands Hatch and Crystal Palace. This was an era when motor racing was truly dangerous and his expertise was frequently called into play.

John liked modestly to describe his major spare time activity as “manual labour”. His dexterity, infused with the skills inherited from those craftsmen ancestors, allowed him to transform his and Pauline’s simple 17th century labourer’s cottage in Stambourne into a fully equipped modern home, more than doubling its size with a series of hand-built extensions, and to run a variety of exotic sports cars which would otherwise have been beyond his means, including a Healey, a Jaguar, a Bentley and two Bristol limousines.

In retirement he put this craftsmanship to use as churchwarden of the parish, ensuring the church and its grounds were always in pristine condition. He also researched the history of Stambourne and its church, which led to its rededication to Thomas Becket. His history of the village stands as a lasting memorial to him.

We shall remember John for his almost Churchillian and undoubtedly sometimes intimidating personality, for the undiplomatic and often unprintable vocabulary he used to express his decided views, and for his sardonic sense of humour which remained with him to the end. But above all he will be remembered by Pauline, his sons and his grandchildren as a vigorous, larger-than-life, warm, generous, responsible, affectionate human being, a real gentleman in the best sense of the word.

Alasdair Enticknap and Family, July 2012

Church Warden’s notice

When we first moved to Church Farmhouse, Stambourne eighteen years ago we first met John and Pauline Enticknap at church and were soon invited to one of our many suppers with them at their cottage. These were always interesting and often enlivened by John’s sardonic sense of humour. He was still working on his remarkable history of the church and village and gave me a CD of it which I had printed out so that anyone who is interested can look through it. It is also available on the www.stambourne.com website. He was a church warden with Andy Garrett from 1983 - 1995
































Toppesfield School Kim Hall, Headteacher

The summer term is always busy and this year is no exception. Both children and adults had a fun day at our annual sports morning. Luckily the rain only lasted for a short time and didn’t interrupt the activities.

This year our theme was The Olympics; with children competing in Olympic themed events; finished with a whole school relay. It was great to see such a large turnout once again; this really makes a difference to the children and staff.

Thank you to the TSA who once again provided some lovely cream teas for refreshments. Well done to the Green team who were the overall champions.

Our year 5 and 6 children had a wonderful time at Bradwell Activity Centre in Southminster for their school journey this term. Taking part in various activities including sailing, canoeing and challenging themselves on the high ropes!
The children had a fantastic time and were a real credit to themselves and the school.

I would like to say a special thank you to Mrs Andrea Paget, Mrs Rebekah Smith and Mr Steven Smith who took the children to Bradwell and looked after them so well.

I am very excited about the building work due to start here during the summer holidays. We are extending the rear of Class 1 to ensure that the children have more space to allow for free flow from their different activities.
The finished extension will be ready for the start of the autumn term. The children have been very excited (and so have the parents), surrounding the new addition to our front playground.

The TSA have been able to purchase a covered shelter for the children to use during break times if they would like a quiet place to relax.

This wouldn’t have been possible without the support from our parents and carers in raising money for our school. The children have been asking for a quiet zone for a considerable time and it is fantastic that the TSA have been able to provide this. Thank you.

Once again, our year 6 children have worked really hard and achieved well in their recent SATs results. More details of the levels will appear next time; however I and all the teachers and staff are very proud of how hard the children have been working and focusing on their learning this term, well done.

Of course, it is time for our Year 6’s to move on! I would like to wish, Lauren Beaney, Jamie Bull, Eloise Conway, Owen Curry, Billy Cutts, Sam Davey, Ethan Hansell, Ronan Davies-Hatton, Katie Landon, Clement Leworthy, April Norris and James Smith the best of luck in their new schools.

We have also had to say goodbye to Sam Baynham and Daisy Ambrozevich and wish them well as they start their new schools in September.

We have so much support from a wonderful group of parents, carers and members of the community at St Margaret’s; I cannot thank you enough for the dedication, time and effort you have provided for our school. It is a true reflection of the community spirit we have, whenever support is needed, volunteers are queuing up at the doors!

To all those that have had a part to play in any of the many class and whole school activities, thank you so much.

I wish everyone a great summer, let’s hope the sun stays!

Toppesfield and Gainsford End

Village Show
*****

Sat 15th Sept 2012
2.00pm
Toppesfield Village Hall
*****************
Competitive Show
Art Exhibition

Lots of Stalls Games Sideshows

Grand draw Refreshments
***********
Cricket Match
Toppesfield -V- Old Southendians
2.00 start on Toppesfield Playing Field

A great afternoon for all the family

Further Info :Ann Read 01787 237464

DIARY DATES
AUGUST
8th Stambourne Ladies Group, Village Hall, 7.30pm

SEPTEMBER
11th Pilates Class, Village Hall, 11am
12th Stambourne Ladies Group, Village Hall, 7.30pm
15th Toppesfield & Gainsford End Village Show, 2pm


Items for the next Newsletter by 17th September please
Steve Platt Tel : 01440 785638 or Mobile : 07767 357016
email : me@stephenplatt.com