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Thanks to John Kay for the masthead No: 20 March 2020
Items for inclusion in the Fordham Times must be with the editor by the 3rd of the month
by email to: [email protected]
Kindly sponsored by Fairfields Farm
“I currently live in ‘Lower Fordham’ but my
circumstances have changed and I would like to move into the village, (Upper Fordham), to be closer to my friends and
interests. If you are thinking of moving, have
a 2 or 3 bedroom property to sell, and would like to
save on Estate Agents fees, I would be interested to
hear from you”.
Please call Stevie on 07791 532580 - Thankyou
Glemham Hall Fordham Friendship Club are organising an outing to
view the Historic House, Glemham Hall on Thursday
9th April 2020. The Cobbold brewing family purchased
this house in 1923 which was built during the Elizabethan
period, with various structural changes made in the 17th
century.
The coach will leave the John Owen Barn at 9.15 and re-
turning approx. 2pm , cost £15 including refreshments.
If you are interested in joining us, please contact
Jan Strudwick 07557956897 or email [email protected]
Sunday 8th March 7.30pm
@ The Three Horseshoes
Maximum 6 per team £2 per person
Prizes for 1st and 2nd
Fun for all the family + Raffle
Its hard to believe that another year has gone and it is time for our AGM on 24th March at 7pm , Please come along to the village hall and offer your help either on the committee or just to help at func-tions, anything will be of help and also very much appreciated, you will be made very welcome indeed as many hands make light work. You might just like to listen to what we are hoping to do. As I write this the lobby room is in the process of a complete freshen up and very nice it looks too. The storage extension is moving along nicely, builders have been along and given us outline prices so the grants etc can get under-way, all this is under the guidance of Sue Gibson of the Rural Com-
munity Council of Essex, who help village hall committees to keep on the right track - as you know grants are a long drawn out business but it is starting to come together. The last Saturday of February saw the first of our fund raising for the hall, in the shape of a bric-a-brac sale , all the tables were booked and were full to groaning under the weight of saleable items, all except the weather, in the morning if it was not rain-
ing hard, it was blowing a hooley. To say we were disappointed is a bit of an understatement, but we need not have worried, the customers started filter-ing in through the door on opening and for the next couple of hours many items were bought and several cups of tea, coffee, cake and sausage rolls were consumed, an excellent event and we have been asked to do it again, so watch this space, The next event is the popular BOOKS and BACON which
is on the 4th April from 11am until 2pm , so make a note in your diary, look forward to seeing you all there. On the 2nd of May, we are going to try a plant sale, so if anyone is thinning out plants, maybe you could put them in a pot or similar and give to a committee member. we will be very pleased to accept them.
John Crees Chairman
Thanks to Richard Gregory for the photos
Fordham Village Hall
Friday 3rd April
7pm @ Village Hall
… come along and support
“Lily & Ellie’s” next Bingo session * £2 entry
* All ticket money given in prizes
* Teas, Coffees and nibbles
At our recent meeting, a planning committee was formed of three Councillors who will deal with any planning applica-
tions that have a consultation deadline that does not coincide with a Parish Council meeting. This will speed up the
decision process and give residents submitting the application an opportunity to speak to members before and during
the application process. They will hold public meetings on an adhoc basis giving 5 working days notice for an applica-
tion not discussed at full council meeting.
We would like to invite you to our Christmas Lights working party to help us find a better and more sustainable solu-
tion to our lights on the green. We need some creative ideas from you so that we can ensure that this year we can im-
plement some lights that can be reused and enjoyed for many years to come. Please get in contact with your ideas and
let us know if you would like to join the working party.
Road safety is still a priority and Richard Gregory and George Branagh are working together on a road safety initia-
tive, looking at speeding traffic and HGV’s in the Village, which has the support of Cllr Anne Brown. Please contact
the Councillors on their email addresses [email protected] or [email protected] with any
information you might this will be useful for this project.
The Annual Parish Meeting will take place on Tuesday 26th May at 7pm. We would like to encourage residents to
come along and see what the Council is up to and there will be an opportunity to have your say and give us your ideas.
A Parish Council is formed to represent the residents of a village, so we are working for you.
As part of the annual Great British Spring Clean campaign, a litter pick has been arranged for Saturday 4th April from
1.30-3.30pm, starting at the Village Hall. All residents are welcome to the event so please join in to help to keep Ford-
ham tidy.
The next Parish meeting will take place on Tuesday 31st March 2020 at 7.30pm in the village hall, hope to see you
there.
Kathryn Cameron - Clerk
G & W FENCING
We are a friendly local company with
over 10 years experience, fully insured, covering areas around
the Essex and Suffolk border.
Please contact us for a free quote and no obligation advice.
Contact Paul: 07967 962374 or 01787 228740
www.gandwfencing.co.uk
Nancy: Our
Local
Nutritionist
ESSEX POLICE
Neighbourhood Support Officer
PC Dawn Wells 07815492930
or Tel: 101 option:1 option: 3
In an emergency dial 999
CAFFEINE
Moderate caffeine intake is not associated with any health risks. While caffeine acts as a mild diuretic and increases the amount of fluid that the body loses in urine, this effect will not cause dehydration as long as your intake is moderate.
So, 2 or 3 cups of coffee or tea per day is not a problem. Make sure you also drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Caffeine Free Alternatives:
Redbush Tea (sometimes Rooibos) The Redbush Company (This tea tastes like normal tea and you can add milk)
Herbal Teas such as:
• Camomile Tea
• Nettle Tea
• Green Tea
• Green Tea and Lemongrass
• Green Tea and Jasmine
Raspberry Leaf Tea
Coffee
Coffee is acidic and taken without milk encourages calci-um to be leeched from the bones to neutralise the acidity.
There are 3 reasons why not to drink decaffeinated coffee:
1. Chemicals are used to remove the caffeine
2. Contains other stimulants; theobromine & theophylline which are not good for your health
3. Coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed plants in the world; high quantities of pesti-cides are ingested with every cup
You are driving in a car at a constant speed. On your left side is a valley and on your right side is a fire engine traveling at the same speed as you. In front of you is a galloping pig which is the same size as your car and you cannot overtake it. Be-hind you is a helicopter flying at ground level. Both the giant pig and the helicopter are also traveling at the same speed as you. What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation? Don't ride the kiddie merry go round when you are drunk, so get off.
FORDHAM LADIES BOOK CLUB
Our February read was “The House of the Hanged” by Mark Mills. We were not quite sure what the title had to do with the book as this was sonly mentioned once in the book, also the title might be misleading to some people. Mostly set in 1920's South of France it was an early spy story. It was easy to read, although it was felt that there seemed to be an element of introducing new characters for no pur-pose. It was thought not a memorable book and a score of 7.4 from 10 was just about what it deserved.
Our book for March is The Snow Angel by Lulu Taylor
PC & Mac Problems
• PC & Mac problems fixed • Virus/ Malware and Pop-ups removal • Software & Hardware Upgrades • Windows or Mac Reinstallation • New Computer/laptop setup • New Printer setup
• Printer issues • Wi-fi & network problems fixed • Broadband & router issues • Email Problems fixed • New email setup • Friendly Local Service
Contact Nigel: 07929 919599 or email: [email protected]
New Charity Crisps Pay Tribute to Local School Girl
Artisan crisp producer, Fairfields Farm, has launched an exclusive charity pack to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Lizzie Brammell, a Nayland schoolgirl who passed away in November 2018.
The new Lightly Sea Salted crisps are produced using the red-fleshed Red Emmalie pota-toes, a delicious crisping potato; while the eye-catching pink packaging aims to link in
with the Brain Tumour Charity logo.
The charity is close to the hearts of Robert and Laura Strathern, co-founders of Fairfields Farm, as their son, Angus, was in the same class as Lizzie at school.
On 9th February 2018, after just a couple of weeks of minor symptoms - some double vision, a slight squint and gen-erally just a bit wobbly - Lizzie, aged 9, was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma (DIPG) an inoperable brain tu-mour of the brainstem. Lizzie died just nine months later on 15th November 2018, just a week before her 10th birth-day. DIPG affects around 25 children in the UK each year, with an average life of expectancy from diagnosis of just 9 months.
“Lizzie was such an inspiration, and in the months after her diagnosis she began raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity through bake sales. After she passed away her mum, Sally, continued fund raising, with a running total of over £260,000 raised,” explains Laura Strathern. “Lizzie was a huge fan of our crisps and we promised her parents we would do something to help raise money and awareness. We've been working on creating this special charity pack for some time, growing a small acreage of Red Emmalie potatoes to produce something really special.”
Fairfields Farm will be packing 36,000 150g bags of the crisps, which will be sold through East of England Co-op and independent food stores nationwide, RRP £1.89-£2.25 per 150g bag. “We will be donating 20p from every pack sold and are hoping to raise over £7,000 from crisp sales. Media Vita and Box Wise are also supporting the packs with donations. Overall, we hope that by raising more awareness of DIPG, people will pledge further donations to what is a really good cause.”
The Brain Tumour Charity is the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. To read more or to donate directly to Lizzie’s Fund and the Brain Tumour Charity visit www.thebraintumourcharity.org /get-involved/our-supporter-groups/supporter-groups/groups/lizzies-fund/
As well as Co-op & other stores you can
purchase these special packs locally in both
The Crown and Three Horseshoes
Fordham School
History Club Diary
Jude, Alexandra, Maya, Alex, Simeon, Tabitha, Florence, Maddison, Tom and Mollie.
Week 13 Years ago children would be entertained on the English beaches by the
Punch and Judy show. It was an art started in Italy and was brought to England and
Mr Punch was first seen in England in 1662. We looked at the characters in a typical
Punch and Judy show: Punch, Judy, baby, the crocodile, the policeman and a string of
sausages and they remain roughly the same, although lots more characters have been
added in the past. Originally there was a real dog called Toby. Today the story has been
changed as originally Mr Punch was a very violent puppet. We decided to think of our
own story which would be less frightening for little children today.
Week 14 This was a practical session and we looked into the history of silhouettes.
Wendy bought along one that had been done of her whilst she was doing a suffragette talk.
The art of silhouette cutting originated in Europe in the early 1700's.
Silhouettists were hired as an amusement for the royal class. The
featured artist would attend the many extravagant balls and cut out
the distinguished profiles of the Lords and Ladies capturing the latest
fashions and elaborate wigs. While the aristocrats were having their
silhouettes cut out and eating like kings much of Europe was starving,
especially in France. Portrait silhouettes became all the rage in
fashionable English Society of the Georgian period, when they were
known as “shades.” We had a go at making our own silhouettes using
black paper and scissors. This is Maya’s example of silhouette work.
She has chosen to illustrate an animal from 4 different environments.
Week 15 We welcomed Mollie to our history club this week. We have had a three week break as Wendy was
away and it was half term. We looked at our Royal Family and in particular our queen, Elizabeth II. We did a short
introductory quiz about her and found out how the family became known as Windsor; we then read about her ances-
tors. We were able to write out a simple family tree for her. We learned that the Elizabeth had become queen follow-
ing the early death of her father George VI. He had only become king after his brother Edward VIII abdicated as he
fell in love with Mrs Wallace Simpson. She was an American and divorced, Edward was not allowed to be king and
marry her. We talked about how the monarchy has changed since the reign of our Queen’s great, great grandmother
Victoria. Charles has been able to marry his first love Camilla and Harry and Meghan have made the choice to with-
draw from the royal spotlight.
As you can see from the photograph our March meeting was very much a
hands on, when we tried Encaustic Art. What is Encaustic Art? Encaustic
Painting is also known as hot wax painting and involves using heated beeswax
to which colour has been added. This is a very ancient art form but has seen a
resurgence in popularity since the late 1980's with people using electric irons
on different surfaces including card. The iron makes producing a variety of
artistic patterns easier. The wax dries very quickly and once you are happy
with your picture it can be buffed using a paper tissue to a wonderful shine.
Our tutor for the evening was Toni Peers who provided all the materials that
we needed. It was a very good evening, requiring no artistic ability and en-
joyed by all those who took part.
We are also arranging a lunch time meal for members at the Balkerne Rooms
at Colchester Institute on Friday 1st May. Cost is £15 per person for 3 courses
plus coffee. If you would like to attend please send your name to Jan
Strudwick as soon as possible.
Fordham Ladies
Our next meeting on 7th April will be a talk by Sharon Gould on “East End to Essex”. Our meetings are open to all and cost just £3 including tea and biscuits.
Do come and give us a look we are a friendly bunch.
All Saints Church
Serving Fordham & Eight Ash Green I invite you to join us for the Mothering Sunday service on 22nd March at 10.00am. This will be an opportunity to celebrate the mothers and grandmothers in our families. Their work goes on, often unnoticed, day in and day out. Women don’t receive the same financial and status rewards for their mothering that they do for paid work, so we can take this opportunity to celebrate and to give a cheer for our mothers who love and support us and our children. During the service a bunch of flowers will be available for all the ladies who are present.
Our Bible focus for the service will be on a mother called Eunice and a grandmother named Lois. They appear in Paul’s second letter to Timothy chapter one verse five as an example to us of the legacy that faithful Christian motherhood can produce. After the service you are invited for refreshments in the John Owen Barn. If you come along, please introduce yourself, as I would love to meet you. Easter Season is just around the corner beginning with School and Palm Sunday services. For details, please check the invite card included with this edition of the Fordham Times or the church website. I look forward to seeing you over the coming weeks.
Rev’d Francis Blight Associate Minister of All Saints Fordham & Eight Ash Green www.fordhamchurch.org.uk
Fordham Times Around the World
this month in Madeira and floating around Spain & Portugal!
Les and his February FT are pictured in the 16th floor restaurant of the new Savoy Palace Hotel in Madeira’s first city of Funchal.
The Funchal city of today is very different from its fennel growing, pirate days of old. It is in fact a modern, cosmopol-itan, rejuvenated city, well known for its many top class res-taurants, stunning new 4 & 5-star hotels, warm all year round climate, incomparable natural beauty and, of course, its most famous ‘export’, world-class footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. In short, it is known for its style as well as its sub-stance. Funchal is also the self-proclaimed ‘Most picturesque and cleanest capital city in Europe!’
Wendy and daughter,
Louise, escaped our awful
climate for a couple of
weeks recently (though
they did experience a cer-
tain amount of turbulence
on one occasion!)
when cruising on the P&O
Cruise ship, Oceana. Before
returning to Southampton
they visited the Spanish
ports of Vigo, Malaga,
Valencia and Cadiz before
popping into Lisbon in
Portugal on the return trip.
Fordham Speedwatch
Police Therapy Dog, Baloo visits Billericay Speedwatch Processing Centre.
Baloo is a three year old Belgian Malinois who joined the force in 2018. On one of her first active duties, after just seven months of service, she was involved in an accident, which resulted in the amputation of a leg and extensive surgery to her hind legs.
With the support of Mandy, ex-police dog handler and ex Community Speedwatch volunteer, Baloo has undergone rehabilitation and has developed into an inspirational dog. Together, they now offer therapy support to the Police and Fire Service, as well as carrying out engagements with local disabled groups and schools.
Baloo is also an ambassador for the Essex Retired Police Dogs Fund and has followers from all around the world.
Community Speed Watch Activity during January throughout Essex
During January, Community Speed Watch groups carried out 124 sessions which is slightly up from the 109 sessions in January 2019.
There were 1037 offences compared to 1303 in January 2019. 926 of the offences recorded this January were first time offences.
In one 30mph zone there were 32 vehicles travelling at speeds over 46mph of which three were travelling at over 60mph.
Here in Fordham we have been managing around one session a week throughout this time and thankfully with 3 new recruits added to our group and more in the pipeline, we may be able to in-crease the number of sessions "out there" in the future.
If you are interested in getting involved with our friendly group please contact me at: [email protected]
Fordham Village Hall Survey 2020 Fordham Village Hall Management Committee would be very grateful if you could take a few moments to participate in this short survey on the current hall facilities. This will enable us to offer a better facility for
use by the whole community in the future.
4. Would you consider holding any of the following at the Hall? Please tick all those which apply. a. Birthday Party …... b. Wedding Reception/Christening ….. c. Children’s Party …... d. Club …... e. Other (please specify).................................................. 5. Are there any particular reasons why you wouldn’t choose to hold an event (party, reception) at the Hall? a. Parking …... b. Cost …... c. Hall …... d. Kitchen facilities …... e. Toilet facilities ……. f. Tables and chairs …... g. Other (please specify)................................................. 6. Do you have any suggestions for how the Hall could be improved? …………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………...
1. Have you ever attended an event at Fordham Village Hall? YES/NO 2. Are you likely to attend an event at Fordham Village Hall in the future? YES/NO 3. Could you please rate the following Hall facilities on a scale of 1 for excellent to 5 for very poor: a. Playground/outside space: 1 2 3 4 5 b. Parking: 1 2 3 4 5 c. Hall: 1 2 3 4 5 d. Kitchen facilities: 1 2 3 4 5 e. Toilet facilities: 1 2 3 4 5 f. Tables and Chairs 1 2 3 4 5 g. Storage 1 2 3 4 5
The Village Hall Committee would very much appreciate
your response to this survey - please either scan and email
to: [email protected] OR detach and post
through the letterbox @ 58, Church Road. Thankyou
THE THREE HORSESHOES, 74 CHURCH ROAD, FORDHAM, COLCHESTER, C06 3NJ WWW.THREEHORSESHOES-FORDHAM.COM // 01206 240195
FORDHAM LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
We welcomed Peter Jones along again to our February meeting and he gave
another informative talk, this time on the Essex Earthquake of 1884. He
described the effects which were felt all over the country, with the villages
of Abberton, Peldon and Wivenhoe suffering most. This earthquake was
before Charles Richter had developed his scale for measuring earthquakes;
but if in place it would have measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale. Although 6
fatalities were later recorded, they were not a direct consequence of the earthquake. Peter
showed some fine photographs and illustrations of buildings which had been affected. 20
churches and 1213 buildings were damaged as a result of the earthquake. There are few plaques
remembering the earthquake; it is as if no-one wants to remember it, but a recent one has been
added to the church tower in Lion Walk.
Wick Farm at Langenhoe The Ship Launch, Wivenhoe
Due to the weather we have little to report about the archaeological dig, other than ‘rain has stopped play!’
Our next Meeting is on Tuesday 17th March at 7.30 p.m. where we will be welcoming Neil Catchpole who will singing and telling tales of the countryside.
Vehicle body repairs, accident repair specialist
Insurance work undertaken, Resprays FREE Estimates, FREE Delivery
& Collection Service Unit 11, Regal Works, Fordham CO6 3NR
Tel: 01206 241533
P & N
Based in Fordham, we undertake pro-
jects throughout Essex and Suffolk.
Please see our website or Facebook
for examples of our work.
T: 07742 696 766
www.richardsonlandscapes.co.uk
Gardening Tip
March 2020
Spring usually arrives by mid-March and the frequent sunny days provide the opportunity for an increasing range of garden-ing tasks. It's time to get busy preparing seed beds, sowing seed, cutting back win-ter shrubs and generally tidying up around the gar-den. Spring is on her way! Early-flowering bulbs are starting to fill the beds and borders; leaves are unfurling and insects are waking up.
Preparation is key this month. Prepare beds for sowing; organise the greenhouse; buy in new com-post and order seeds if you have not done so already.
Good soil structure is the key to growing healthy vigorous plants. Given how wet it has been this win-ter caution is needed to avoid compacting the soil and ruining the soil structure, avoid walking or standing on it until it's had a chance to dry out. Use planks to spread your weight. Once your soil is workable, dig a 5cm (or more) layer of compost or well-rotted manure into your beds to prepare for the growing season ahead. You can also work in a general-purpose fertiliser, such as pelleted chicken manure, or fish, blood and bone. Organic material in the soil will stimulate the billions of micro-organisms that maintain health and fertility.
If you have any gardening questions please feel free to
email me: [email protected]
I will try to answer your question.
Matt's dad picked him up from school one afternoon. Know-
ing the parts for the school play were supposed to be posted
today, he asked his son if he got a part. Matt enthusiastically
announced that he'd gotten a part.
"I play a man who's been married for
twenty years." "That's great, son.
Keep up the good work and before
you know it they'll be giving you a
speaking part!"
FORDHAM
FRIENDSHIP
CLUB
These days we do not come across many arranged marriages
as in the 13th and 14th Century where it was seen as an im-
portant way to join countries or to ensure an heir to the
throne. Our speaker Katie discussed several princesses who
were not married for love and how
for various reasons they died at
quite a young age. One notable e
xception was Isabella of Aragon
who through her actions did not
have to marry against her will
which was a distinct improvement
over tradition. She married Ferdi-
nand of Aragon uniting Castile and
Aragon and it was not an unhappy
marriage. On the other hand
Blanche of Bourbon married King
Pedro, (who was given the title Pedro the Cruel), aged 14 he
had her imprisoned after marriage and she died at just 22.
Our speaker for March will cover plants used in the garden,
plants used for food, spices, building etc and looking at
where they come from around the world. Linda has said the
talk should be interesting and fun.
You are welcome to join us at the John Owen Barn on
Thursday 12th March from 2-4pm, refreshments provided.
Bulk loads delivered FOC Call Daniel or Adam on 07920 705216
or 07538 669465
Quality Firewood Logs
CHAIRS AND RUGS If you have to
throw up, get to a chair quickly. If you
cannot manage in time, get to an Oriental
rug. If there is no Oriental rug, shag is
good. When throwing up on the carpet,
make sure you back up so it is as long as a
human's bare foot.
DOORS Do not allow any closed doors in any room. To
get door open, stand on hind legs and hammer with
forepaws. Once door is opened, it is not necessary to use
it. After you have ordered an “outside” door opened,
stand halfway in the door and think about various
things. This is particularly important dur-
Cat rules
BATHROOMS Always accompany guests to the bath-
room. It is not necessary to do anything. Just sit and
stare.
ROE002
Fordham Weather
Rainfall for February 2019 0.82 inches Rainfall for February 2020 2.69 inches
Thanks to John Jackson
for the weather
March 6th Bingo @ Village Hall 7pm 8th Quiz @ The Three Horseshoes 7/30pm 12th Friendship Club @ J/Owen Barn 2 to 4pm 13th Breathing Evening @ Village Hall 6.30pm 17th FLHS Neil Catchpole @ V/Hall 7.30pm 22nd Mothering Sunday @ All Saints 10am 26th Mobile Library @ Lucas Ave 4.15pm 31st PC Meeting @ Village Hall 7.30pm
April 3rd Bingo @ Village Hall 7pm 4th Spring Clean @ Village Hall 1.30 to 3pm 7th Ladies Group @ Village Hall 7.30pm 9th Glemham Hall Visit (see article) from John Owen Barn 9.15am to 2pm
Police officer talks to a driver: “Your tail light is broken, your tyres must be exchanged and your bumper hangs halfway down. That will be £300”. Driver: “Alright, go ahead. They want twice as much as that at the garage!”
Something to think about I was in Cornwall last summer and one afternoon went for a walk along a winding road up
a cliff side, as one does when in Cornwall, if one has the energy for it. It turned out that the
road had one destination only, which was a very ancient church. Like many ancient
churches, this one had been built on top of a site which had originally been important to
the non-Christian people who inhabited the region. It was a very pretty spot; Atlantic lov-
ing lichens covered the stones in the church yard and blue hydrangeas and other lush but
tough plants grew around the place. I noticed how many swallows were swooping and diving around the little church
tower and seeing them fly in such free abundance made me feel happy. Like many people, I like to explore atmos-
pheric places such as this one and so decided to go into the church and have a look around.
I found that I didn’t have to push the door open as it had been left wide, perhaps by previous visitors, although they
must have been few and far between given the remote position of the church and the steep climb needed to get to it.
Once my eyes acclimatised to what seemed to be the gloom inside the church, I realised that it wasn’t so dark but that
I had got used to bright summer light and needed a few minutes to adjust.
Visual adjustment complete, my attention was taken not by anything remarkable about the church but by the sight of
several swallows up in the eves. The creatures were flying about in a desperate and distressed state, almost bashing
themselves up against the stained glass windows, flying round and round amongst the tall arches of the church build-
ing, emitting distressed shrieks and calls as they did so. They had flown in when the door had been left open, had not
been able to find their way out again and had become trapped. Of course, my first impulse was to try and help them
escape, but after looking around the church for something I could perhaps use to usher them out, I realised with sad-
ness that there was nothing readily to hand that could act as some kind of shepherding tool for trapped birds and that
there was little I could do to help them. The thought of the swallows I had seen swooping and diving in freedom out-
side the church became more poignant.
When I realised that I could not do anything to help them,
there was nothing more for me to do than to leave and go
back into the sunshine. The only thing I could do was to
leave door open on the way out. I hoped that instead of more
swallows flying in to join the birds inside, the trapped ones
would fly out of their own accord.
I continued to think about the swallows and the difficulty
they had got into. I collected the vicar’s number from the
painted board by the church gate and phoned to tell her that I
had left the church door open and why. Though sure she had
better things to do than worry about swallows, I felt com-
pelled to do what I could for the birds.
It occurred to me that if only the swallows had stopped flying about so desperately, they might have seen that the
door was already open for them to fly out of and be free at any time. In their desperation, they had actually created
and perpetuated their own imprisonment because they were unable to recognise that they were reacting to fear. I
realised that it is not only trapped swallows that do this. I’ve done it many times and I expect you have too.
This incident made me think about how, like the swallows, we create our own realities through the ways that we
choose to react to life events. The realities that we create through our reactions and thoughts may seem very real. But
when we’re really up against it, it might be worth while stopping and thinking, rather than just reacting and flying
around in a panic. That way, we are less likely to miss doors that are open to us.
I thanked the swallows for the lesson they had taught me and went on my way.
The Millrind Press John Kay 01206 240929 [email protected]
Graphic Designer & Publisher of small run editions. In-house limited, on-demand print runs, hand bound paperbacks. Preparation for submission to commercial printers.
Website: www.millrind.co.uk
In accordance with the recommendations of the Rural Communities Council of Essex no responsibility for the
information given or the views expressed in The Fordham Times by con-tributors can be accepted by the editorial team or Fordham Parish Council, neither can any culpability be accepted in work undertaken by advertisers.
INCREASE YOUR BUSINESS by advertising in The Fordham Times - £8.00 per single col-umn centimetre per year! Customer supplied inserts (380
copies) £25 per month: OR why not promote your business or product range in both the Fordham Times and the Worm-
ingford equivalent, The Worm, for a combined rate of £12 per single column centimetre per year? Call Brian Jones on
07707263737 or 01787 227787
Important: Please bring a yoga mat, cushion and blanket
For more information, cost and to book your place please ring me on:
07815 534056 or 01206 241231 visit my website @
www.brendaliberationbreathing.com
Liberation Breathing - is an easy breathing rhythm, which anyone, can
learn. You will be shown how to breathe in a ‘connected & conscious’
way, (the way we naturally breathe when we are born). This form of
breathing will rejuvenate the cells of your body, enhance your life, raise
your energy levels & help to free you from negative thinking. Breathing in
this way, helps us to gently let go of long-held aches, pains and even illness-
es. When we take the time to breathe consciously in a circular rhythm a
‘natural process of healing’ begins in our body. This revitalising pro-
cess helps us to live our lives with more joy, love, light-heartedness and
good health. ‘Individual Rebirthing Sessions’ are available.
MONTHLY BREATHING EVENING with Brenda Richardson
@ FORDHAM VILLAGE HALL – Friday evenings - 6.30-8.30 pm
13th March, 17th April & 15th May
About me: I have been involved in Rebirthing for many years. My training is with Sondra & Markus
Ray, who travel the globe, teaching ‘Liberation Rebirthing’ and ‘Loving Relationships’ training courses.
I am a highly qualified and experienced Liberation Rebirther and my personal growth and training are
on-going. I am a “Certified LEVEL III Liberation Practitioner”
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ENVIRONMENTAL LTD
Recycling for the future
01206 242345www.colchesterskiphire.co.uk
Working for a better environment...
ENVIRONMENTAL LTD
Recycling for the future
01206 242345www.colchesterskiphire.co.uk
