January 2003

January 2003 THE MAGAZINE THAT KEEPS YOU IN TOUCH PRICE 25p

YOUR VILLAGE NEEDS YOUR VIEWS! Volunteers spruce up the
The Parish Council is sponsoring the preparation of a
Parish Plan to capture your vision of what you want Village Sign
Hatfield Heath to be in the future. The costs of
producing the plan will be substantially met by a grant Several people have passed complimentary
from the Countryside Agency. However, for the plan to comment on the refurbished Village Sign.
be of value we need YOUR views. What should be The old sign was looking a little the worse for wear and when
introduced? What should change? What should remain I asked a visiting friend what her fee would be to paint a new
as it is? sign she said she would do it for the freedom of the village!
We will hold a public exhibition and consultation in (Lynn is Canadian and I think the extreme temperatures over
the Village Hall on Saturday 22 February 2003 – there can make them a little eccentric at times). So the
10am – 4pm. Make a note in your diary now. There challenge was to get the signboard to her; there was nothing
will be attendance by representatives from the Rural planned in the Council budget for the sign so I called in
Community Council of Essex to answer detailed favours, deposited bottles of wine and generally exploited
questions on the process. The impatient can find further people’s good nature to get the bits for next to nothing.
information and examples of what other villages have So thanks to Jon Ackland for supplying the aluminium sheet,
done by visiting the website at to Andy Stevens for powder coating the sign for climatic
www.countryside.gov.uk/vitalvillages. durability, to Andy Donovan for making the hinge blocks, to
We will send out reminders closer to the date, please Bernard Kettridge for dismantling the old sign and installing
try to attend the new and special thanks to Lynn Leroux for producing a
Parish Council. splendid reproduction of the old village sign.
Everbody did everything I asked of them so all compliments
to them, any complaints should be directed at me alone.
Meanwhile Lynn is free to roam the Heath at will for
perpetuity.
Mel Sullivan

HELP LINES

Police (local) ..............................……....…….. 01279 730 388
Calls are automatically re-directed when necessary

Doctors - 5 CHRISTMAS 2
Gilchrist Orton & Orton ........……...……... 01279 730 616
Dr Miller & Partners…………………………01279 723 172 8.00 Holy Communion HT
O.A.P Warden..........................……….…….........01279 730 450
Playgroup.....................................…….……...…..01279 730 544 9.30 Family Service with Baptism HT
The Samaritans..............................………...……...01279 421 110
Hatfield Heath C.P. School .........……..…….01279 730 382 10.30 Family Worship with Communion URC
H/Heath Half Hour Helpers......………..…..07944 748 478
6.30 Evensong HT
Mon-Fri, between 10 & 12 (outside these hours you will get our answerphone).
7 Start of new term for School and Pre-school.
 ¡¢¢¡£¤¥¡¦§¨ ¤
2.00 Bridge Club I
Please send me your views on any subject, especially if they
relate to the village. You can send your information hand 8 10.30 Holy Communion – 1662 The Close
written, floppy disk, or CD disk. Drop this off at the
magazine tray at PBM Printers or direct to me at Manor 2.15 Pram service HT
Lodge Chelmsford Road Hatfield Heath CM22 7BD You
8.00 Bridge Club H
can also e-mail me on [email protected]
9 7.00 Aerobics H
Copy must get to me by the 20th of the month.
12 EPIPHANY 1
*** Please note change of E –mail Address ***
9.30 Holy Communion HT
E-mail: -
[email protected] 10.30 Family Worship URC

MAGAZINE DETAILS 14 2.30 Welcome Club H

Editor: Bruno Scheggia 01279 730 498 2.00 Bridge Club I
Treasurer: Ivan Wybrew 01279 730 465
Distribution: Sue & Glen Saban 01279 730 440 15 10.30 M.U. Holy Communion HT

Produced by- PBM Marketing House, Hatfield Heath, 1.45 Hatfield Heath Under 5s H
Nr. Bishop's Stortford, Herts. CM22 7EB. 8.00 Leisure Hour 40th Anniversary URC

Telephone 01279 730 444 • Fax: 01279 731 271 16 7.00 Aerobics H

17 8.00 Football Club Quiz H

19 EPIPHANY 2

8.00 Holy Communion HT

9.30 Matins HT

10.30 Family Worship URC

6.00 Service at The Close

21 2.00 Bridge Club I

22 1.45 Hatfield Heath Under 5s H

7.45 Gardening Club H

8.00 Bridge Club I

23 7.00 Aerobics H

26 EPIPHANY 3

9.30 Holy Communion HT

10.30 Family Worship URC

4.00 Service for Christian Unity with refreshments URC

27 8.00 PCC I

28 2.00 Bridge Club I

29 1.45 Hatfield Heath Under 5s H

8.00 Bridge Club H

30 7.00 Aerobics H

Feb 2 THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST

8.00 Holy Communion HT

9.30 Family Service HT

10.30 Family Worship URC

6.00 Evensong HT

5 1.30 Hatfield Heath Under 5s H

8.00 Bridge Club H

H-Village Hall / CR-Committee Room H / HT-Holy Trinity Church

/ URC-United Reform Church / I-Institute / S-School

U R CHURCH

© ! "# $# !%

is being held at the U R Church at
4.00pm on Sunday 26th January

Preacher to be announced
Refreshments will be available
Please give this event your support

MESSAGE FROM THE TREASURER

Subscriptions are now due for 2003.
£2.50 for twelve copies (£2.00 for senior citizens).

(Definitely “Cheap as Chips” Ed.) 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Please help your distributor by paying promptly. Wednesday 15th January 8am

New subscribers are most welcome; please ring Cheese & Wine with surprise Entertainment
Bruno Scheggia (Editor) 01279 730 498 or Visitors most welcome
Ivan Wybrew (Treasurer) 01279 730 465
STANSTED TOY MUSEUM Wednesday 5th February
Most Advertisers’ renewals are also due in January. I 8.00pm.Bring your old toys along
shall be sending out Invoices in the New Year. Please Val Jevans
let me or PBM know if you want your advert changed
or you no longer wish to reserve space NEW YEAR………….NEW EDITOR
I.Wybrew – (Treasurer) Tel: 01279 730465 The Hatfield Heath Village Magazine Committee would
like to record their thanks to Breda for her work as
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL Magazine Editor during the last seven years.
The District 2002 Poppy Appeal raised £4500 and We welcome as her replacement Bruno Scheggia and trust
£1075.69 in Hatfield Heath. Slightly down on the that everyone in the Village will give him support as he
previous year*. Thanks to all those that helped and endeavours to continue to make the Magazine an interesting
contributed and worthwhile publication
Sandra Saban (H H Organiser)
19th Century Broomshawbury (Hatfield Broad Oak)
*This was probably due to the theft of the Poppy Farmer and Local Magistrate.
Appeal box from Alldays on Monday 11th
November. You just have to feel sorry for this 7th January 1858
pathetic character. A fox burrowed a hole into the hen house and killed 13 fowls
I. Wybrew (RBL Treasurer.) with 5 store ducks. Found the fox alive in the morning. Kept
him till 16th January then killed him as the Hunters refused to
LITTER PROBLEM ON THE HEATH? pay for the poultry killed during the season - via upward of
I think the litter on the Heath is becoming a problem. I one hundred head value £5 - 5s.
have noticed that the rubbish bin at the bus stop has not
been emptied for over three weeks and the rubbish is A
overflowing
John Jackson

PASSION FOR GARDENS

LEISURE HOUR

The Hatfield Heath Gardening Club will start off their 2003 programme on Wednesday 22nd. January
with a talk with slides by Richard Stephen on the
preparation of an exhibit for the Chelsea Flower Show
on behalf of a local council. It is not only a matter of
getting the right plants in flower at the right time but
also constructing the mechanical structures to display
them all in a very short period with limited resources –
in total a nail biting experience!

GARDENING CLUB 2003 PROGRAMME

January 22nd Chelsea Richard Stephen

February 26th. Useful Plants, new and old. Brian Bland

March 26th. Designing with Trees,

April 23rd. Shrubs and Perennials Ken Akers
May 28th. Bees Roy Cropley
June 25th. Audley End Gardens Martin Duncan
Outing
July 23rd. European Orchids Harry Gill

August NO MEETING

September 24th. Forestry and Philately Bill Wittering
Aubrey Barker
October 22nd. AGM

November 26th. Bark and Berries

(Hopleys)

December 5th. Christmas Social

Meetings of the Gardening Club take place in the
Hatfield Heath Village Hall at 7.45 p.m. and new
members are always welcome.
If you would like to know more contact the Chairman,
Ian Murray, on 01279 724836.

Taking The Plunge For

Charity

Last Christmas three intrepid lads from the Stag Public
House travelled to Whitby to jump into the North Sea
on Boxing Day morning to raise money for charity.
This year five of these insanely generous people take

the plunge for the same cause.
The trip is run in conjunction
with Harlow Shared Care –
providing respite care for
children with disabilities, with
one case specifically in mind;
Callum aged five. Callum is as
any other five year old and
enjoys playing in the park
swimming but most of all he enjoys riding his
bike. However Callum has a rare chromosomal
disorder and a learning difficulty, and therefore
has to have a specially
adapted bike, which is so
expensive that it must be
kept on the school
premises. The aim of
Jakes Whitby Dippers is
to raise money for
Callum to have his own bike, which could be kept
with his family in Harlow.
Unfortunately, following undertaking the task of
braving the ice-cold sea last year, Jake, the boy who
received a new bike from the dippers sadly passed
away a short while ago. These tragic occurrences
have not phased our brave dippers but they have
grown more determined to raise more money for
their cause and have taken Jakes name to ensure
the aim of their cause is not lost and so the memory
of young Jake and the happiness his new bike
brought him lived on. At least we can take comfort
in the fact that Jake……

received the one thing he had dreamed of and had time to
enjoy himself.
All donations to “Jake’s Whitby Dippers” can be made
at the Stag public house and all donations of five pound
are entered into the draw for a bountiful Christmas
hamper containing a variety of luxury foods. The draw
will be made on the 20th December 2002, so get your
entries in fast. However all donations will be graciously
received at any time in the build up to and following
Boxing Day.
We welcome your support and hope to see you in the Stag
soon.
Nick Saunders
On behalf of Jakes Whitby Dippers

Joke page

1.Doctor, doctor, I’m shrinking!
Well you’ll have to be a little patient!
2.What do you call a skeleton that refuses to do any
work? Bone-idle!
3.What dogs do vampires have as pets? Bloodhounds!
4. If athletes get athletes foot what do astronauts get?
Missile toe!
5. Who brings Christmas presents to werewolves?
Santa claws!
Sent by Jack Scheggia age10

For Sale or Exchange

Is there something you wish to sell or exchange?
Please send me the details and I will include them in the next
issue. You contact me by leaving details in writing at PBM
printers, through my letterbox Manor Lodge Chelmsford
Road, Phone 01279 730 498, or
E- mail: [email protected]

INDOOR BOWLS AT HATFIELD I
HEATH
am shore your pleased two no
JEFF WEBSTER 01279 655 604 Its letter perfect awl the weigh

Are you interested in playing bowls in a relaxed and
friendly atmosphere? Club Afternoons and evenings are
held locally in Hatfield Heath Village Hall. Bowls are
provided by the club, there is no dress code, but so as not
to damage the mats, shoes without heels are preferred
(household slippers are ideal). Games last for one and
half hours Mondays and Thursdays there are afternoon
games from 4.00pm – 5-30pm Monday evening games
are at 7.30pm and 9pm No evening games on Thursday
The 9pm game is for league players, there are teams of
Four Leagues.
Evening games annual subscription is £15 then its £2 per
session Afternoon games annual subscription is £10 then
its £1 per session The money goes to the Village Trust
and things like a new mat bowls etc. The season is from
September to June. If you would like to come along for a
trial afternoon or evening or would like to join Phone:
Edith Maley 01279 724 833 for afternoon sessions
Phone: Jeff Webster 01279 655 604 for evening
sessions

Jeff Webster

Spell Checker Ode

Eye Halve a spelling Chequer
It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue
Miss Steaks eye kin knot sea

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight for it two say

Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea wrong Eye have run this poem threw it

Lepra Cookies for a Cure
 ¡¢£¤  ¥¦¢¡§¨  ¥¥©

20th - 26th January 2003

Can you cook up a cure?

Join in the Greatest Cookie Party Ever and help

cure people of leprosy LEPRA – the Leprosy Relief Association - is

asking people to hold a Cookies for a Cure Party during World Leprosy
Week - 20th January to 26th January 2003. All the money raised will go

towards supporting LEPRA's vital medical development programmes in

Asia, South America and Africa. Simply bake (or even buy!) some

cookies, and invite your friends, neighbours and colleagues to join in the

fun at coffee break, lunchtime, afternoon or evening. We'll send you, free

of charge, all you need to make your Cookie Party a success! By

collecting 'cookie contributions' at your party you will soon raise the £21

it costs to cure one person of leprosy, restoring their health, hope and

dignity. If you wanted to be really ambitious you could make it a real

community Cookie Party by inviting everyone in your neighbourhood!

Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases in the world, with

references to it in the New Testament. Yet around 700,000 cases are still

diagnosed annually and an estimated 4 million people have dreadful

disabilities as a result of the disease. Every minute of every day one more

person is found to have leprosy and some of these will already be severely

disabled. Yet leprosy is easily curable and the complete eradication of the

disease is the stated aim of LEPRA and the reason that the charity exists.

So do something wonderful - change lives by helping to cure leprosy! To
receive your party pack, which includes, poster,

balloons, invitations, collecting box and special

cookie recipe, please complete the clip-out form:

………………………………….

I would like to take part in the Greatest Cookie Party Ever! Please send me a
party pack Name...........................................................

Address...........................................................Postcode...........................................

Telephone number..................................

e-mail.............................................…………

 Please send me more information about

LEPRA Return to: LEPRA, FREEPOST,

Fairfax House, Causton Road, Colchester,

CO1 1YYContact: Sally Ormond, Community Contact

Assistant Tel:01449 710 073 Reg. Charity No. 2

FROM THE MINISTER

Christmas is over, or it will be by the 6th January, the last
day of Christmas, and leaving the decorations up after
twelfth night is supposed to bring bad luck. It’s not bad luck,
which makes us decide when to take our decorations down.
It’s the need to clear up and get tidy again. There comes a
time when all those decorations, which once made the house
look so festive, begin to look a mess. That ever-growing pile
of needles on the carpet under the tree, the strings of lights
pulled off the tree every time the dog wags his tail, and those
cards which keep falling down when someone opens a door.
Then, out come the boxes, the tree is stripped, the
decorations and cards are taken down, and everything is
packed away ready for next Christmas.
Christmas can't go on forever, and the decorations do, of
course, have to come down and be packed away for another
year. Be careful, though. It's ever so easy, as we take down
the cards, the tinsel and the lights, and then throw out the
tree for the dustmen, to also pack away, or throw out, all the
good things that go to make up what we call the Christmas
spirit.
The goodwill, the kindness, the generosity, and the love that
is at the heart of Christmas. Above all this New Year, with
all the talk of war with Iraq, the peace that the Christ-child
came to bring. That is the most precious gift of all.
Nigel Rogers.

EAST HERTS AND WEST ESSEX GUILD OF
SPINNERS, WEAVERS AND DYERS

Come along and enjoy the company of a friendly group of
people and learn a new craft at the same time. Our group
meet monthly throughout the year, usually at Harlow
Museum, Muskham Road, off First Avenue, Harlow but also
at other venues as appropriate to our workshops. We have
equipment, videos and books for loan; also members with a
great deal of expertise.
Our first meeting of 2003 is on Saturday 11th January at Harlow
Museum 2pm - 4pm so come along and sample a new craft,
or perhaps pick up one you did some time ago and would
like to indulge in again.
For further details phone 01279724503
Hazel Mead

A.G. (SUGAR) PERRY

Since Dec 31st 1992 we have all missed you - Hatfield Heath
Football Club and the Local Pub. Your Sportsman’s Cup is
still presented, it’s everything you represented.
Margaret and all the family

Welcome Club November

It was good to get out to see our friends this afternoon at the
Welcome club, especially as it was such a miserable day!
Our Chairman spoke to us on the subject of being a prison
visitor the talks he had with the inmates they told him about
their families and their hopes for the future when they were
eventually released. Jean our secretary gave us a quiz with
some interesting questions on personalities, birds, animals
and well-known buildings. These are always a good memory
tickler, we were rewarded with a chocolate bar. We had a
bring and buy, a raffle and a welcome cup of tea with a home
made cake. Our Hostesses were Jenny and Sylvia who had a
little help with the washing up from our Chairman.
Our next meeting will be Thursday 12th December when we
will be entertained by our local schoolchildren. This is
something we always look forward to.
Keep Smiling Ivy Scott

IT'S OUR COMMUNITY HISTORY GROUP

CALENDAR LAUNCH I went on Monday 9th Dec to the social evening of the
History Group. They had many tables covered with
DISPLAYS A SELECTION OF LOCAL LANDMARKS photograph albums containing photographs and
& HERITAGE SITES CURRENTLY UNDER THREAT postcards of Hatfield Heath and surrounding Villages
from the days when there were working Windmills
SUPERB COLOUR PHOTOS 30CM X 20 CM and roads were just muddy tracks, to the present day.
Better still we had people like Ernie Field who grew
Recently I helped launch the Community Calendar, with up locally and have also researched the local history
all proceeds going towards the STOP STANSTED in detail.
EXPANSION campaign. If you have already purchased Ernie was telling us the story of the ghost of his local church
your copy thank you, if you haven't they are still at Great Hallingbury. Fred said that they had put up some
available from a variety of local outlets by calling the pictures in the church but some time later had found they
campaign office number below. As you are a reader of our had disappeared. They were eventually found in the church
village magazine, you will undoubtedly have a good behind heating pipes. What had happened was the string had
understanding of the word 'community'. You will also be frayed and broken and the pictures had fallen out of sight
aware of the threat to our community, with the release this behind the pipes. When they put the pictures back they used
July of the government’s aviation document 'SERAS'. It is wire cable instead of string, but some time later, again the
not paranoia, but highly likely that if these proposals form pictures had fallen down and the wire was frayed and
the basis for the white paper next year then our fate will be broken.
sealed. If you enjoy the pleasant journey that takes you to Was there a Ghost at work? They decided to use chain so
nearby Broad Oak through rural settings, Sunday afternoon that now there would be no chance of any more accidents.
visits to Hatfield Forest, then you may need to do something Some time later – yes, you guessed it - they were down
to protect that. Indeed, the likes of Eric and Jean Piercey again. This time the chain wasn’t broken but Ernie thought
Bruno and Barbara Scheggia, and Irene Delderfield have there was a chance that he hadn’t put the chain on properly
done more than their fair share, along with many others. If and it was slightly kinked, so that any vibration would have
you are in any doubt what having the worlds busiest airport jolted it off, but what would have caused this amount of
on your doorstep would mean, then consider the following; vibration?
as recently as October, Hillingdon council's principle Well when the planes take off from Stansted and fly over the
environmental health officer stated that unless steps were church, the sound is funnelled down the church, bounces off
taken to tackle pollution around Heathrow, some parts of an end wall causing the pictures to vibrate. This was, they
nearby Hayes and West Drayton might be unsuitable for imagined, the answer to why the string and wire frayed.
humans to live in by 2005. He went on to say 'At the So it wasn’t a ghost!!!
moment there is nothing to suggest that the air quality
problems we have can be controlled and I would actually say When we lived in London we found that the lorry
they are unmanageable'. The analogy between Heathrow and engines revving high, caused our house to vibrate in
Stansted is clear, although maybe not in their current forms. harmony. Ed
If Stansted were to grow to more than twice that of
Heathrow, the implications for all of us are clear. Large scale
urbanisation, and massive house and road building
programmes on your doorstep. There is of course still time to
act, so if you are concerned and want to help please join up
with STOP STANSTED EXPANSION now. You can do this
by calling the office during normal work hours on 01279
870558.It is your community, please help to preserve it
Thank you,
Kevin Adams (local resident, and campaigner).

Hatfield Heath C.P.School If you cannot get to a Tesco store then drop them off at
2 Cox Ley and I’ll see that they get there.
Performance League Tables Thank you

I’m quite sure that many of you are aware that the Richard Barnett
School Performance League Tables have recently been
published. There are many differing views as to their  ¡¢ £¢¤¥¢ ¥¡¦§¨
merits as school test scores can vary for a host of
reasons. Absence, size of group and pupil abilities can Presented By the School Juniors
all influence the % at each level. If you weren’t lucky to have seen this you missed a treat. If
Our school/pupils have always worked hard someone in your family, or a friend has the video you have to
and maintained a high position in the tables. see it. Plenty of volume when talking and singing. They sang
This year we were 17th out of all the schools in perfect rounds, and even a treble round at the end. The solo
Essex (nearly 400), which is a fantastic singing was as good as anything you will hear at Hunters
achievement. Meet!
Interestingly, this year also saw the first
publication of the ‘Value Added’ National League Brendan will have to agree his daughter was in it
Tables. These were reported in a number of papers
including, The Daily Telegraph. The Value Added
Table shows the actual progress that pupils make
by taking their test scores at age 7 as the baseline.
The pupils are then tested again at Year 6 and then
their progress is compared to national
expectations. In these tables, taken from the DfES
Pilot Project, we came second in the country and
were noted as being in the top 5% of schools.
The progress made by last years Year 6 was
over one year ahead on normal expectations.
Indeed, many of our Year 6 pupils were
working at secondary level and one child even
achieved a Level 6, which is equivalent to a mid
grade GCSE.
We all know that the abilities of children vary
from year to year but the value added helps keep
an eye on the progress made by all abilities as they
go through the school.
The excellent results are a cause for celebration
and thanks. Thank you to all the staff, pupils,
parents/guardians, governors, PFA and wider
community for all they do to help us achieve the
success that we do.
Thank you.

J.H.Clements

Head teacher

SAVE A TREE WITH CHRISTMAS CARDS
What do you do with all the Christmas cards that
you will pull down on Twelfth Night? Have you
thought about giving them to a charity? Tesco are
collecting cards between 6th January and 2nd
February in support of the Woodland Trust to
help conservation, just take them to a Tesco store
and place them in the special bins provided. In
2002 they collected 16.8.million cards, or 330
tonnes, which is the equivalent of saving 5,610
trees.

CONGRATULATIONS

 ¡  ¨¡¢ £ ¤¨£¢¥ §¦ £ ¡§§¦ £ ¨¢¥¡£©

HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY DAD
GRANDDAD ON 6th JAN.

LOTS OF LOVE JOHN, LOUISE,
GLENN & JOSH
xxxx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUNE
ON 19th JAN

LOVE MUM AND B&B
xxxx

CONGRATULATIONS
TO BREDA
WHO HAD A BABY GIRL ELIZA ON THE 6th DEC
WEIGHING IN AT 8LBS

xxxx

Beehive Court
Competes with Regent Street

Well done to everyone in “Beehive Court” who
have once again decorated their houses in the Christmas
Spirit – its well worth a visit after dark