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THE PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS
JANUARY 2003
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MANY EVENTS, NOT NECESSARILY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER,
WHICH OCCURRED IN THE VILLAGE OF THEYDON BOIS DURING JANUARY 2003 AND
WHICH HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY TREVOR ROBERTS THE LOCAL HISTORY RECORDER
FOR THEYDON BOIS
“Sentimental Journey”, a revue presented by the Theydon Bois
DramaSociety played to almost full houses for four nights. The production
consisted of sentimental songs, old and new, associated with travel by
train in the good old days of steam. These were interlinked with dialogues,
monologues and general “chit chat”, the latter from a pair of
railway officials humorously played by Martin Oliver and Adrian Currey.
The scenery and special effects gave a realistic impression of a railway
station platform onto which the players sauntered in colourful costumes
to sing the appropriate songs. The production was devised, directed and
choreographed by Jan Freeman and Lizzie Lambrianos. Jean Cass was the
musical director and the accompanying pianist.
George Carfoot, a Theydon Bois garden expert, received the Royal Warrant
in recognition of his specialist work for clearing weeds from royal properties
in London, including Buckingham Palace. As Weed Controller to her Majesty
the Queen, he received a royal call at least once a year and dealt with
the problem according to the type of weed involved. George had also worked
for the SITA organisation in clearing weeds from the roads in the EFDC
district and provided specialist services to the Epping Forest Conservators.
He also dealt with aquatic weed problems in ponds and was currently involved
with the planting of trees on the embankments of the M25 motorway.
Computer equipment was stolen from a house in Piercing Hill. Access appeared
to have been gained via the garage, but a rear door was also smashed.
On his recent first day as Captain of the Theydon Bois Golf Club, Michael
Dellow, of Sidney Road, hit his first hole in one after some three decades
of playing the game. He was taking part in the traditional Club Turkey
Trot Competition at the 138-yard, 15th hole, when he achieved this unique
shot which he said had left him “elated”. Instead of buying
the traditional round of drinks to celebrate the occasion, Michael donated
£100 to his chosen charity the Epping Forest Branch of the Alzheimers
Society, of which his wife Pauline is Chairman.
The Long Running area of Epping Forest near the Theydon Bois road was
the location for a “Forest Day” organised by the Epping Forest
Centenary Trust. A number of volunteers of all ages helped to extend the
heath land area by clearing encroaching trees and shrubs and creating
suitable habitats for wildlife. The event was part of the four month national
campaign by the Whitbread Action Earth organisation, which involved some
750 environmental organisations.
The children of the village primary school became indirectly involved
with crime prevention in the village by assisting with a competition,
won by Matilda Rossetti, to design the front cover of a leaflet to be
issued by the Theydon Bois Burglary Action Group. The leaflet would put
into perspective why residents could not expect the police to give the
village priority in dealing with burglary, and why it was important for
residents to take measures to protect their homes from this type of crime.
The proprietors of the florists “Fairytale Flowers“ in Coppice
Row assured customers that they were not closing, despite notification
of a planning application regarding the freehold of property, and that
its colourful floral displays would continue to enhance the pavement in
front of the premises.
Black ice on the bend at the lower end of the Abridge Road was responsible
for a major accident involving at least six motor vehicles; this section
of the road is plagued with a continual “run off” of water from
the adjacent land which froze overnight. This road between Theydon Bois
and Abridge was widened to three lanes in the 1930s as part of the “Green
Route“ intended as a ring road around London. The project was stopped
by the outbreak of World War II and it was not until the 1980s that the
M25 Motorway, its replacement, was completed with the local section running
further north between Epping and the village.
The Theydon Bois Music Society held a Saturday Coffee Morning in the
Village Hall which realised just over £165 for the funds of the
Society.
A major derailment on the underground Central Line at Chancery Lane
station in London resulted in the complete shutdown of this rail system
including the section serving the village. Following extensive investigations,
the cause of the derailment was found to be the failure of bolts retaining
a drive motor, which resulted in the motor falling onto the track. The
entire fleet of 85 Central Line trains had to be returned to depot for
the replacement of these bolts on every motor. This colossal task could
not be effected overnight, hence the closure of the system until possibly
March 2003. A large fleet of replacement buses from various parts of the
country was assembled and commenced running from Epping to Stratford and
Epping to Chingford where conventional rail services were operating. Commuters
in the area faced increased travel times of up to three hours and the
usually packed car park at Theydon Bois station remained almost empty.
An advantage to the village was the absence of commuter car parking on
some village roads, which now became easier to negotiate.
Residents of Theydon Bois continued their strong links with nearby Copped
Hall through active participation in its restoration or by supporting
fund raising activities, particularly the regular Copped Hall lectures
held in the village hall. Sylvia Keith, the current Chairman of the Friends
of the Copped Hall Trust, had written a book entitled “Nine Centuries
of People at Copped Hall”; this was partly based on the Copped Hall
Time Line, which depicted ten centuries at the Hall, and was created by
herself and other Friends. Sylvia signed and sold many copies of her book
at a special Book Launch at the Hall, part of the proceeds of which would
help fund the work of restoration.
The fifth national strike of fire fighters was called by the Fire Brigades
Union and fire cover for the Epping District, including the village, was
replaced by personnel of the armed services using ancient “Green
Goddess” fire appliances. Talks between the union and management
had again broken down over the sticking pint of a 12% increase in salary
coupled with a change in working practices; the union wanted a 40% increase
and no change in working practices and claimed that the proposal would
result in many fire fighters losing their jobs.
Only a few weeks after its reopening with new play equipment, the playground
by the village green had to be closed again due to damage sustained by
one of the structures. The PAT Committee who administered the playground
immediately arranged for repairs to be made and a reopening within a short
period was envisaged. The damage was attributed to “large and exuberant
children” or, as some suggested, by teenagers or adults who frequented
the site late at night (the playground was not intended for use by children
older than 11 years).
January commenced its exit as an “icy lion” when strong winds
straight from the arctic brought 6 cm of snow to some parts of Theydon
Bois with temperatures of minus 3 degrees F (much lower with the wind
chill factor). By the evening, roads and footpaths were treacherous underfoot
and local transport was seriously disrupted. In London, the motoring organisations
described conditions as the worst ever in the capital and parts of the
metropolis were grid locked with immobilised traffic; some buses were
unable to operate, as also were some of the rail systems, including part
of the underground system. The Central Line remained closed so many commuters
from the village were delayed on their return home or even stranded. The
M11 and M25 motorways were similarly affected and Stansted Airport was
closed.
A child being stung on the mouth by a wasp led local resident Mike Webb,
46, to invent a safety device called “Canscreen” which could
become a feature of metal cans containing drinks. These cans are normally
opened with a pull tag and the contents then usually drunk through the
opening, which also allows contaminant and insects to enter eg. wasps.
Mike’s device would seal the can with an internal flap but still
allow access to the contents. Canscreen won an award on the TV show “Best
Inventions” and Mike had now patented the device and was in discussion
with can manufacturers regarding its adoption.
Questions were now being asked about the cause of the Central Line derailment
of the 25 Jan 03 and about the safety of this rail system in general.
The EFDC Portfolio Holder for Community Well Being and a former railway
employee, Councillor Stan Goodwin, commented that “the derailed train
had, apparently, been having problems for some time prior to the accident.
The worrying point was to take the train out of service at Holborn when
this could have been done earlier at Stratford, Mile End or Liverpool
Street stations where passengers could have transferred to other rail
services. There are enough things being said to hold a public enquiry".
A London Underground spokesman said, “We’re carrying out an
as full and comprehensive investigation that we can. The case for a public
enquiry is for someone else to decide.”
Plans for the refurbishment of the Robert Daniels Court, the EFDC sheltered
housing facility adjacent to the village green, received planning approval.
This was granted despite claims by a resident of nearby Thrift’s
Mead that the new development would be an eyesore, be out of keeping with
the area and adversely affect the view of the open countryside. This objector
also claimed that an independent authority should have made the final
decision, and not EFDC, because of a conflict of interest. Dorothy Paddon,
the holder of the EFDC Planning and Economic Development Portfolio said
“By law, the EFDC is the planning authority for this area and therefore
responsible for making its own decisions on its developments”.
The “Shaping the Future” report published by the Essex County
Council caused much local concern by proposing widespread development
across the Epping Forest District, including neighbouring Loughton. Epping
Forest MP Eleanor Laing was particularly shocked because the report, which
she had received by chance, had been produced without any consultation
with the EFDC or herself. She said, “The implications of massive
expansion were very serious indeed. We want reasonable growth for our
communities and enough housing to be available for everyone who needs
it; but what is proposed would completely change the nature of our towns
and villages. She added, “Surely the county planners are not thinking
of building on Epping Forest itself? But if there’s no building on
the Forest, where would Loughton expand?“. Peter Martin, the ECC
Planning, Enterprise and Regeneration cabinet member said, “The structure
plan is a means to plan ahead to manage growth in a way that benefits
everyone, does not damage the environment and protects the special qualities
of our towns”.
EFDC Councillor Roy Newland presented the proposed new parking plan for
the village, at the January meeting of the Theydon Bois Parish Council.
This mainly related to the introduction of a one hour parking ban in certain
roads, particularly those affected with parking by commuters (invariably
from outside the village) who used the Theydon Bois railway station. Other
matters raised related to the increasing problem of discarded litter and
“fly tipping. Of major concern was the proposal for the COOP Chemist
retail business to open a pharmacy in the village medical centre; this
would adversely affect the business of the village “Pharmacy”
which had supported the community so well in the past.
Dawn of the last day of January revealed the village to be an icy waste,
after a heavy snowfall, with the general advice “not to travel”
being given on television and radio. Some commuters were still arriving
home after spending the night either travelling or staying in overnight
accommodation. On the M11 motorway between Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford,
motorists were still trapped in their cars by road accidents and the icy
conditions; but they were keeping in touch with their families and the
essential services by means of that remarkable invention of the age, the
mobile telephone. The usual complaints were being made regarding non-gritted
roads despite bad weather warnings being given well in advance, but the
severity of the blizzards appeared to have caught the highway maintenance
authorities off guard.
The Rev. Canon Colin Travers, the Vicar of St Mary’s TB, reported
that, after almost twenty years of discussion and five years of planning,
work was about to commence on improvements to the fabric of the church.
This would include demolishing the old vestry, underpinning the north
wall of the church and building new vestries and meeting rooms. The work
would take about six months to complete during which time church services
would continue as usual; but the church car park would not be available.
When completed, the new building would be a “centre” for church
activities in Theydon Bois and possibly by other churches in the area.
The total cost should be £400,000 and contributions in support were
still being received including £10,000 from the Friends of Essex
Churches.
The appalling state of the road surface in Coppice Row TB, the main route
through the village, had long been the subject of many complaints. Successive
authorities had dug holes in it, realigned drains and, only recently,
renewed the main water supply. The entire surface was now being renewed
(which caused further traffic delays) and residents hoped that this would
now be the end of the Coppice Row saga.
Top
THE PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS DECEMBER
2002
Here are some of the many events, not necessarily in chronological
order, which occurred in the village of Theydon Bois during December 2002
and which have been recorded by Trevor Roberts the Local History Recorder
for Theydon Bois.
The Playground At Theydon (PAT) Charity in TB once again received an
award in recognition of its contribution to the rural community. At a
meeting of the Rural Community Council of Essex held in Stebbing, Joy
Wainwright, Chairman of PAT was presented with a cheque and certificate
for the charity as a runner up in the Augustin Courtauld Community Award
Scheme. This award would help finance the refurbishment of the Playground
equipment for which some £24,000 had now been raised by PAT activities,
from grants and private donations.
The Tottenham Hotspur Football Club had submitted revised plans for its
proposed football academy in Epping Lane, Abridge. The original proposal
had resulted in much protest including 455 letters to the EFDC of which
415 were of objection. In response, the proposed number of football pitches
had now been reduced from 20 to 13, the pavilion had been reduced in height
by 2 meters and the locations changed for both this building and the site
entrance in Epping Lane. Local residents, however, contended that this
revision was simply a cosmetic exercise and also feared that changes would
have to be made to Epping Lane, to cope with the additional road traffic,
and so adversely affect the local environment. The EFDC would decide on
the proposal at a special committee meeting on 27 Jan 03.
Cold wind and rain did not deter many villagers from assembling outside
the TB Village Hall to see the formal switching on of the lights on the
Village Christmas Tree. Cllr Wilfred Shales chaired the occasion and the
TBPC Chairman Cllr John Eaton opened the proceedings with Christmas greetings
and a request for financial support for the Haven Hospice Foundation in
Woodford. Father Christmas, alias Cllr Bob Glozier, then arrived in an
illuminated pony and trap because his sledge and reindeer were delayed
in the usual motorway hold up. The new minister of St Mary’s Church,
Canon Colin Travis, spoke of looking forward to his first Christmas in
the village and of his pleasure at seeing so many homes decorated with
festive lighting. The Christmas Tree lights were then formally switched
on by Caroline Law, who is the village personality of the year, and the
Rev David Penegar from the TB Baptist Church gave a Christmas blessing.
The children of the TB Primary School sang two carols and other singing
was led by the Theydon Singers. Hot mince pies and wine were then served
and a collection made for the Haven Hospice. Christmas had truly arrived
in Theydon Bois!
Octave House, a new residential development in Station Road was completed
in time for Christmas and most of the apartments were already sold. The
site of this development was formerly occupied by the David Franklin motor
repair and servicing business and, before then, by Tidd's Garage Services
which had served Theydon Bois in this capacity for many years.
A Christmas Mini Market held in St Mary’s’ Church Hall was
well attended with purchases being made from many stalls. Lunches were
also available and proved popular. The function raised more than £900
in support of church funds.
The current state of the National Health Service and the apparent decline
of its services in the local area were highlighted by a letter in the
local press from G. Avery of Hornbeam Road. The writer, aged 78 years,
described the frustrating experience of an early attendance (7.30 am.)
at Princess Alexander Hospital in Harlow for a minor operation. This patient
claimed to be totally ignored initially, then processed with extensive
paperwork, gowned and prepared medically, kept waiting for an extensive
period in a mixed sex waiting room and finally sent home because theatre
time had expired. To add insult to injury this entire debacle was repeated
four days later when returning to the hospital for a second time as requested
by the hospital.
A house in Woburn Avenue was broken into and a nine-carat sovereign ring
together, with an 18-inch gold chain, was stolen. To add insult to injury
the intruders threw cooking materials around the place and in the toilet.
A further insult to law abiding citizens was the directive given later
in the month to the judiciary by the Lord Chief Justice, that those guilty
of such crimes for the first time should not be imprisoned but sentenced
to “community service” instead. The overcrowding in prisons
was the apparent reason this directive; the general reaction of many in
the community was that more prisons should be built instead of applying
this “soft option”.
Christmas music preceded the December meeting of the TB Music Society
after which the New Edition Opera Group from Saffron Walden gave a vocal
performance of items from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. The audience
and the singers enjoyed wine and mince pies during the interval and then,
the entire company took the stage to present a lively performance of Trial
by Jury accompanied by pianist Kieron Taylor.
The major refurbishment of the village playground, run by the Playground
At Theydon charity, was completed and reopened in time for the Christmas
holidays. The major work entailed the replacement of the centre activity
frame with updated equipment, which included a facility for handicapped
children. The see saw which had given yeoman service and withstood vigorous
use by countless youngsters was also replaced with modern equipment .The
protective bark which covered the entire ground area and guarded against
injury, has been renewed. The playground was again in extensive use as
Christmas approached and a formal opening ceremony is planned for early
in the New Year.
A sad event for Christmas Eve was the funeral, at All Saints Theydon
Garnon, of Nancy Dawson who had been a leading member of the Theydon Bois
WI for many years. Her husband Jack is a well-known artist of considerable
repute and the couple lived in nearby Coopersale Street. The lovely medieval
church was illuminated with Christmas candles which, with the bright winter
sunshine, helped mitigate the sorrowful nature of the occasion. Following
the service, Nancy was cremated at Parndon Wood Crematorium in Harlow.
A damp, warm and misty dawn with a fleeting moon greeted the few who
were about at first light on Christmas Day. For once Theydon Bois was
relatively peaceful with the absence of background noise from the nearby
motorways or from the London Underground trains, which were not running
on this day. From Dukes Avenue in the north to Theydon Park Road and Graylands
in the south, most residents were still slumbering except where excited
children had awoken early to open presents and early churchgoers, who
would attend the St Mary’s and Baptist Churches, were preparing breakfast.
However, all was not in darkness; the Christmas illuminations on many
houses remained lit and many a Santa Claus and his reindeer glowed with
Christmas radiance. Around the village green, the lights of the village
Christmas Tree, the Dalton car dealers, the One Stop shop and other businesses
in Coppice Row flashed their Christmas messages to empty thoroughfares.
The refurbished children’s playground stood silent and awaited the
influx of many youngsters who, already tiring of their new toys and with
fine weather forecast, would come to exercise their limbs and lungs after
feeding the wintering waterfowl who stood waiting patiently for a late
breakfast. But, beyond the village, bright lights in the dark countryside
were a reminder that Theydon Bois was semi rural and that Christmas was
still a day of work for farmers, with stock to attend to as well as other
daily tasks which could not be neglected. For many, Christmas Day was
the first of an eight-day holiday break culminating in the New Year Day
celebrations; in reality, because both these days were mid week, the holiday
period could extend to fourteen days, inclusive of two weekends.
The peace of Christmas Day in the village turned into high drama when
two cars, a Peugeot 405 and a silver Mercedes, collided at 11 am. in Coppice
Row near the Sixteen String Jack public house. The Essex Air Ambulance
was called and landed nearby on the edge of Epping Forest. However, on
take off the turbulence generated caused a small branch to strike the
tip of the one of the helicopter’s rotors; the pilot felt a slight
vibration and so he abandoned the flight in accordance with standard safety
procedures. The two casualties were then taken by ambulance to Whipps
Cross Hospital at Leytonstone in East London; the Peugeot driver suffered
a broken leg and the Mercedes driver sustained a broken ankle. An engineer
was called to the helicopter, which remained by the Forest overnight until
repaired, and then flown back to its base at Boreham near Chelmsford the
following day; during this period Coppice Row remained closed to traffic.
However, the helicopter was soon operating again as a vital part of the
Essex Ambulance Service.
Clive Amos of Woburn Avenue congratulated the many residents of Theydon
Bois, Abridge and other local areas who had decorated their houses with
festive lighting. But he criticised what he considered to be the miserable
decorations in Epping High Street; hardly a lighted Christmas Tree was
to be seen and even the usually illuminated tree by St John’s Church
was in the dark.
During December, a tree was planted in the green area at the junction
of Dukes Avenue and Forest Road TB in the memory of Malcolm Campbell.
Present at this informal ceremony were his relatives, friends and former
work colleagues; amongst the officials present was the Chairman of the
EFDC, Cllr Doug Kelly. Malcolm lived in the village virtually all his
life and attended the Primary School when it was housed in the Old School
building in Coppice Row. He was a carpenter by trade and many buildings
in the village bore testimony to his skills. In later life he worked for
the EFDC where his affable nature and self humbling wit endeared him to
his colleagues. He died suddenly some six months ago and funds were collected
for the memorial tree, now planted with the kind permission of the TBPC.
The end of 2002 saw the return of the floods and heavy rain as experienced
during the winter of 2000, but with greater severity. Although the local
authority had taken steps to keep clear the local drains and ditches,
flooding again occurred with rainwater running off the saturated countryside.
Many local gardens were flooded and the River Roding at Abridge reached
its highest level for many years. However, the weather did not deter residents
from partying and “first footing” at midnight. Others travelled
up to London to join the crowds who, this year, were unable to celebrate
in Trafalgar Square which was closed because of engineering work. The
absence of a fireworks display in Central London was criticised in view
of the magnificent displays in other cities such as Edinburgh, Sydney
and New York, which were seen on television. Prime Minister Tony Blair
delivered a New Year message to the nation warning of difficult days ahead
because of terrorist threats and a possible decline of the national economy;
not an encouraging start for 2003.
Top
THE PAST MONTH IN THEYDON BOIS NOVEMBER
2002
Entered below are some of the many events, not necessarily
in chronological order, which occurred in the village of Theydon Bois
during this month and which have been recorded by Trevor Roberts the Local
History Recorder for Theydon Bois.
The parking facilities outside the village shops in Forest
Road appeared to be better managed now that the EFDC had taken control
of parking in the area. It was hoped this would encourage the greater
use of the shops and so help to save them from possible closure. However,
local supermarkets were still a threat to their survival, especially the
new Sainsburys now under construction in Loughton.
A former member of the E17 Pop Group and a resident of the
village appeared in Chelmsford County Court charged with supplying drugs.
Cutting and other equipment was stolen from a vehicle parked
in Piercing Hill.
Stephen and Jackie James, with their two daughters, moved
into the Sixteen String Jack pub in Coppice Row as the new managers. They
were formerly at the White Lion in Waltham Abbey, were pleased to be in
the village and intended to introduce a new good food service.
The Annual Exhibition of the Theydon Bois Art Group in the
village hall was well attended with a fine selection of paintings by the
Group’s forty six members. A variety of subjects were featured and the
Exhibition Secretary, John Pearce, said that the standard was better than
ever.
A Saturday evening dance at the village hall in aid of the
Madam Curie Cancer Cared charity was a great success. Ballroom, Latin
American and sequence dancing were popular and proved that many of the
“older” members of the community had not lost their dancing skills.
Peter Lawrence, the well known lecturer and local celebrity
gave the first of the Copped Hall Autumn Lectures in the village hall.
His topic was Wanstead House, which was of particular interest to the
many in the audience who had once lived in the Wanstead area.
Early in the month the village was once again subjected
to flooding after a period of heavy rain. The road under the M11 Motorway
in Abridge Road was almost impassable with several vehicles being stranded
in the floodwater. Much surface water poured down off the Epping ridge
through roads and streams and the area by the pedestrian crossing in Coppice
Row was flooded. A climatic change appeared to be taking place with “monsoon
type” rainfalls occurring more frequently in the autumn so that sodden
leaves covered many a garden and moderate temperatures allowed plants
to bloom late.
The first national strike by firemen for more than twenty
years took place when they withdrew their service for forty eight hours.
The fire stations at Waltham Abbey, Chipping Ongar, Loughton and Epping
were affected and limited replacement cover was provided by personnel
of the armed service using a few, ancient, “Green Goddess” fire appliances.
The dispute stemmed from the Fire Brigades Union demanding a pay increase
of 40% which, the government contended, was excessive and unacceptable.
Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing spoke of her sadness that
attempts to save her marriage had failed and that she was therefore divorcing
her husband, Allan, ten months after she discovered that he had been having
an affair. She said that an “amicable” divorce was expected to be finalised
in the next couple of months after 19 years of marriage. This was the
"best way forward" for the couple's young son.
Members and friends of the Theydon Bois Music Society were
treated to a feast of music and vision when Ian Noble presented his audio
vision production at the November meeting of the Society. His presentation
comprised a mix of classical music and photographic art featuring English
and Spanish scenes.
Local residents continued to voice their opinions in the
letter columns of the Epping Guardian and D Brent of Buxton Road warned
that a local crime wave had broken out and advised residents to keep their
house locked and alarmed, and to double padlock their sheds. Complaints
were made regarding the acquisition by gypsies (also known as “travellers”)
of a piece of land in Epping Lane near Passingford Bridge. It was claimed
that some 50 caravans were now on the site with fenced off plots and hard
standings.
The co-ordinator for the Epping Forest Green party, Bob
Jones who lived in the village, commented on the undesirable practice
of incinerating domestic and other waste. He pointed out that the Friends
of the Earth organisation had proposed an alternative option for 60% of
waste to be recycled or composted by the year 2007, 70% by 2012 and zero
waste by 2020. Households should have a kerbside collection of separated
recyclable domestic waste, and a collection of garden waste for composting.
Several residents, including Carol Williams of Woburn Avenue
complained about the extensive period during which November 5 firework
celebrations were held by private individuals. Particular objections were
raised to the timing (until 2am. in some cases) and the loud detonations,
which were especially disturbing; the affect on domestic pets and sleeping
infants was both considerable and frightening. On a national level, calls
had been made for legislation to deal with this problem and to ban those
fireworks which produced such loud detonations.
The Quality and Excellence Family Butchers in Forest Drive
TB, which had replaced the long established butchers trading as R C Moriarty,
received two silver awards for its sausages prepared by the proprietors,
Mark and Sarah-Jane Scrace; a range of traditional pies and free-range
meat was also stocked. They were both “over the moon” with the awards
and Sarah said that it was a year to the week in which they had brought
the business and so the awards were a birthday present for the shop.
In a recent ceremony at the Hyde Park Hotel, Natasha Barrett
from the village married Stuart Strickson from Wanstead. The couple spent
their honeymoon in Sardinia.
It was disclosed that the Theydon Bois, Epping, Loughton,
Chigwell and Harlow Group of the NSPCC had raised £34,000 for the charity
during the previous year; this sum was realised from lunches, quizzes,
tennis tournaments and bridge drives.
A 17 year old apprentice green keeper at the Theydon Bois
Golf Club, Greg Knight, won a golf competition organised by a national
evening newspaper. He flew out to Valderama and partnered Sergio Garcia,
the Ryder Cup and World No 6 Champion, in the Volvo Masters Pro-Am Tournament.
Greg took four holes on his own and so helped the team to win the event.
Christmas came early to Theydon Bois when the London District
of the South African Church held a carol service in the village hall where
it met each Sunday. Local residents had been invited to attend as an expression
of thanks to the village and the local clergy, Canon Colin Travers and
the Rev David Penegar, assisted Pastor Francois Boates to officiate. The
hall was decorated with flowers, some of South African origin, and the
carol Silent Night was sung in Afrikaans.
Residents of the Epping Forest District including the village
were surprised to learn that the Government had earmarked three local
areas as sites for the creation of a fifth airport for London; Magdalen
Laver, North Weald Airfield and Epping Upland, the latter being near to
Theydon Bois. It was thought that details of these three proposed sites
had been published in order to split the growing and strong, local opposition
the proposal for the expansion of Stansted airport.
Many villagers, on their own volition, helped to keep the
village tidy and free of litter on a continual basis; Arthur Thorne of
Barn Mead remained a typical example with his efforts to keep clean the
area around the village pond. As a member of the West Essex Walkers, he
also regularly organised walks in the village and the surrounding area,
particularly Epping Forest, to promote a general awareness of the local
environment and the need for conservation. As a member of the Friends
of Wansfell College in Piercing Hill, he and his wife Joyce also helped
to keep in good condition the grounds of this fine educational establishment.
The second fire-fighters strike in a month took place, this
time of eight days duration, when talks between the Fire Brigades Union
and the employers failed against a background of Government intervention.
Attitudes had now hardened and the Prime Minister himself stated that
the country could not afford the 40% increased pay claim and that 4% coupled
with a modernisation of the fire service was more logical. Once again,
the Green Goddesses provided limited fire protection for the local area.
The village hall was packed for a Quiz Night organised by
the committee of the Playground at Theydon (PAT) charity. Steve Hutton,
the PAT Treasurer, acted as quizmaster and the ladies of the committee
worked extremely hard in preparing the venue and providing fish and chip
suppers. The PAT Chairman Joy Wainwright announced that £24,000 had now
been raised for a major refurbishment and update of the playground, which
would commence shortly. The evening’s function raised nearly £500 to add
to this total.
Staff from the Three Valleys Water Company visited the Theydon
Bois Primary School to tell the pupils about the refurbishment of the
village water supply, which was now taking place. They explained why the
work was necessary and also the need to conserve water supplies generally.
The children then took part in a water audit of the school by identifying
the many water points including taps, drinking fountains and toilets,
and devising ways to reduce water consumption generally.
More than 700 model rail enthusiasts of all ages flocked
to the village hall for the 15th Exhibition of the Epping Railway Circle.
Railway layouts of various gauges and types were on display together with
American, British and East German models creating an international background.
This venue was being used for the first time and its facilities contributed
greatly to the success of the event.
Richard Morris OBE, a Verderer of Epping Forest, gave the
second of the Copped Hall Autumn Lectures in the villager hall. Richard
gave an interesting account of the history of the Powell family and their
influence in society both locally and internationally; eg. a near relative
was Robert Baden Powell who founded the Scout movement. Another member,
Thomas Powell, had produced many illustrations of churches and buildings
in Essex which were now of considerable historical value. Powells were
also responsible for establishing the first hospital for the treatment
of mental illness. The event raised some £300, which would help fund the
restoration of Copped Hall.
Hilda Tarran of Woodford, aged 96, attended a glass-painting
course at the Wansfell College in Piercing Hill. Course Teacher Jane Dunsterville
commented: “She was terrific with a very positive attitude and helped
to bring the class together as a group”. This popular College continued
to provide a variety of residential courses for mature students at its
attractive location adjoining Epping Forest.
The Christmas season commenced in the village with the annual
Christmas Bazaar at the Theydon Bois Primary School, and the arrival of
Santa Claus. He quickly established himself in his “grotto" and was attended
by fairies (school pupils in disguise) who conducted many excited children
into his presence where each received the usual customary gift. Other
attractions included hair braiding, face painting, computer games, tombola
and many stalls selling seasonal items including festive refreshments.
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