NEW PROJECT - RESEARCH INTO ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND HIS FILMS

 

HOT OFF THE PRESS - OUR LATEST INFORMATION RE THE 2024 FUN WALK

 

A DELIGHTFUL MORNING MEETING A NEW ESSEX AUTHOR HOLLIE HUGHES AT WATERSTONES, BRENTWOOD

It's always a pleasure to visit Waterstones in Brentwood and sign the latest delivery of my books, courtesy of their super manager Ross and staff. 

Saturday morning was extra special in this bookstore as I had the chance of meeting Hollie Hughes, who writes beautiful books for children.  And what a packed audience she had when I arrived and was able to have a quick chat and talk to some of the little ones who were entranced as she also read extracts from her new book.

COME ALONG TOMORROW TO BRENTWOOD, ESSEX AND MEET THE POPULAR AUTHOR HOLLIE HUGHES

 Looking forward to seeing author Hollie Hughes tomorrow at Waterstones Bookshop in Brentwood, Essex. Do come along and meet her, too and learn more about this lovely new book for children. 

Hollie Hughes Book Reading and Arts and Crafts Activities

Brentwood
Saturday 30th March 12:00

Join us on Saturday 30th March at 12pm to celebrate the release of the latest picture book from the fabulous children's author Hollie Hughes.

OUR FUN WALK TRUST TEAM IS GEARING UP TO A VERY SPECIAL 2024 SEPTEMBER BONANZA - JOIN US?

 

2024 Fun Walk Launches with Support from Local Businesses

Fun Walk Registration now open

At a Charity Sector event last week held by BBW CVS, the Trustees met with the Deputy Leader of Essex County Council, Louise McKinlay to promote the Fun Walk and were also there to encourage organisations to register for the September Fun Walk.

Our Fun Walk Trustees Sylvia Kent, Christine Brewster and Sandra Bastow met some of the amazing organisations that the Fun Walk has helped, and also talked to staff from other charities and community groups that were looking to boost funding for their projects and good causes.

The Fun Walk team provides the sponsorship forms for the walks, which may take place anywhere and anytime during September, and then with the generous support of local businesses the Trust tops up the sponsorship money raised by each organisation, on a pro-rata basis, which last year equated to a 40% bonus.

Sandra Bastow said “The Fun Walk is extremely grateful for the local business that have already confirmed their support of the 2024 event including Greater Anglia, Butyl Products Group, Tunnelcraft and others, and I am delighted by the number of organisations that have already registered.”

For more information, and to register a team or organisation, please visit the Fun Walk website: www.thefunwalktrust.co.uk

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About the Fun Walk:

John Baron MP and his team started the Fun Walk in 2002 to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and raised £6,000 for six charities and projects. The event became an annual one and continues to grow.

To assist with its growth, in 2013 the Fun Walk became a registered Charity and it is now officially known as The Fun Walk Trust (Registered Charity number: 1151626). In 2019 Basildon Billericay and Wickford CVS was appointed to administer the event on behalf of the Trustees.

John continues his role with the charity as Chair of the Trustees and by soliciting support and sponsorship from local businesses. The BONUS POT is a unique feature of the event, into which local businesses and individuals kindly donate and which is then distributed to participating organisations on a pro rata basis in addition to the monies they themselves raise in sponsorship.

With the generous support of our Bonus Pot sponsors, in 2023 the Fun Walk Trust was able to provide a 40% bonus over and above the amount raised by participating organisations through their own sponsorship efforts, with the event raising over £85,00 for local charities and community groups. The amount raised in 2023 brought the total raised to £1,535,000 since the Fun Walk’s inception.

The Fun Walk Trust organises the walk and takes care of the paperwork, leaving the projects free to focus on raising sponsorship money and enjoying the event. The event is not confined to charities: any good cause or project may join us once approved by the Trust. For example, many pre-schools and schools, churches and community groups now regularly participate.

In 2020, given the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the recognition that our local charities and good causes needed our help more than ever, the decision was made to switch to a virtual format, allowing supporters to walk the distance anytime during the selected month. This proved to be very successful and will be continued for the foreseeable future.

Organisations that have already registered for the 2024 event include:

Name of Registered Charity or Group
4th Wickford Scout Group	Gateway Community Media
Assure	Goldenley Care Home
Baddow Hall Schools PSA	GOSH
Basildon Borough Heritage Society	Grapevine Essex
Basildon Borough Twinning Association	Hamelin Trust
Basildon Hockey CLub	Headway Essex
Basildon Hospital Radio (BHR 87.7 fm	Hearing Help Essex
Basildon Mind	Manor Mission Church
Basildon Rugby Club	Motivated-Minds
BASIS	MyOTAS
Billericay and District Parkinson's Support Group	Page Woods Trust
Billericay Baby Basics	PCC of Langdon hills
Billericay Community Housing Association	Peter Pan Preschool
Billericay Town Twinning	Phoenix FM
BOSP (Brighter Opportunities for Special People)	REACH
Brentwood Catholic Children's Society	Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary
Carers First	Rotary Club of Billericay
Carli Lansley Foundation	Runwell Village Pre-school
Chantry Rangers, Girlguiding	SNAP
Chelmsford and District Diabetes UK Group	St Luke's Hospice Basildon and Thurrock
Christ Church Billericay	St. Anne Line Catholic Junior School
Community Pastors	T.E.A.MS
Essex Respite and Care Association	The Friends of Holy Trinity Rayleigh
Fish 4 Life Angling Academy	The Sarah Kitchener Perrow Fund
Friends of Abacus Primary School	Wickford Majorettes

 

MARIA BRANYAS MORERA THE WORLD'S OLDEST LIVING WOMAN - A FASCINATING LIFE STORY

During a recent radio programme I was asked what I was currently researching for a commissioned magazine feature. Well, as health and exercise are high on my list, I began researching some of our supersonic women writers, many in the past, who had reached their centenary and  were still writing books, features and poetry.  Once on the trail, a number of fellow writers have made contact, and eventually the resulting work will be published.  

One of my heroines is Maria Branyas Morera who, at the moment, is the oldest living person we know of in the world,  having reached her 117th birthday a few weeks ago on and now famously listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Now that I am studying the topic of longevity - especially linked to women's lives -  I am obviously concentrating on this interesting Spanish lady and other Europeans of similar age.

LAUNCH DAY FOR ESSEX NOVELIST SHEILA NORTON

 

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS - THOUSANDS OF THEM TO BE FOUND AT CHELMSFORD'S COMMUNITY BOOKSHOP

In this world of money-making projects, I applaud so many of the hardworking charitable folk I come across who beaver away raising funds in so many different and imaginative ways (including, of course, our very own John Baron's Fun Walk). More later!

It takes a lot of energy, time and hard work to make many of these charity projects successful.  My recent trip to to our Essex city brought me in touch with Brian Poole, manager of Chelmsford's Community Bookshop in Market Road (pictured with Jean Steward).

Here, I discovered the most wonderful selection of books, jigsaw puzzles, ordnance survey maps and masses of other interesting items. Could have stayed all day!

One of the amazing things was that Brian and his cheerful team are all volunteers.  So, it was a pleasure to meet Brian, Jean Steward and Pauline Stimson (recently) on duty, who were able to tell me more about this magical, brilliant  bookshop which started life in March 2011. Long may it continue!

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THE COMMUNITY BOOKSHOP

There is a wide range of books available with most subjects covered. Fiction books are set out alphabetically by author and non-fiction according to subject matter.

We offer great value for money on all our books with the vast majority of books under £1. Special editions or very expensive to produce books are individually priced but still remain better value than you could pay elsewhere.

Special offers are always available in the shop. Come in and see us.

Like us and follow us on Facebook Chelmsford Community Bookshop.

WELCOME TO DEE GORDON (A PROLIFIC AND WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR FROM SOUTHEND)

FAMOUS ESSEX AUTHORS (That you have never heard of)

(With over 40 illustrations plus a fold-out Essex author map)

Admittedly, there are some names within these pages that you will know already, but there are literally dozens of names that have been, sadly, forgotten over time. You may recognise some book titles, however (The French Lieutenant’s Woman? One Hundred and One Dalmatians?)

Some of the romance writers featured may not have famous names or even famous “titles” but they were so prolific and popular that they deserve to be foregrounded for their contribution to the world of books.

These earlier generations of writers set the stage for those current Essex writers that feature on the bestseller lists. It has also been important for Essex to include big guns such as Austen, Shakespeare and Dickens, however tenuous the links in such cases!

ISBN 9781739931629, RRP Price £12.99 Stock item at Gardners Books. www.essex100.com ask@essex100.com

CERTAINLY A YEAR FOR ANNIVERSARIES - MANY MORE TO COME - METHODIST CHURCH, BILLERICAY

Billericay Methodist Church 2024

Didn't I mention last autumn how many anniversary celebrations were being planned for this year?!  

Well, since l January, we have enjoyed a couple of anniversaries already, and Sunday's centenary of Billericay's Methodist Church was lovely and such a pleasure to meet lots of old friends in this super little town. I took along one of my earliest books written over twenty years ago (and still selling), where I outline (among numerous stories of people I've interviewed), the history of the town's Methodist Church, how it was started, by whom, and with lots of photographs of some of the town's earliest inhabitants.