PTEssex_North_i101_Opt

Issue 101 | Easter Holiday 2017 | 20th March – 14th May 

What’s on guide 

For parents, teachers 

and children 

in North & 

Mid Essex 

Your complete 

Easter what’s 

on guide 

Inside 

Easter Egg-stravaganza! 

Easter themed fun, tropical butterfly 

house and animal encounters! 

www.tropicalwings.co.uk 

Family Friendly Museums • Schools Guide • Competitions 

Primary Times, North & Mid Essex • Easter Holiday 2017 

1

Get out and about in the fresh 

air this Easter at one of our 

Essex Country Parks. 

Don’t forget! 

You can now book a 

Sky Ropes birthday party. 

Get in touch on 

0345 603 7624 or visit 

www.visitparks.co.uk 

With trails and lots of green space 

to run and play, there’s something for 

everyone. If you like to add a challenge 

to your day out, why not visit Sky Ropes 

at Great Notley Country Park. 

Go to our website to find out more about the parks, 

all of our events and to book your Sky Ropes adventure. 


ST OSYTH 

BRIGHTLINGSEA 

MANNINGTREE 

CLACTON-ON-SEA 

FRINTON-ON-SEA 

MISTLEY JAYWICK 

WALTON-ON-THE-NAZE 

DOVERCOURT 

HARWICH 

Tourist Information Centres 

Clacton: 01255 686633 Walton: 01255 675542 

Visit us on Facebook at Essex Sunshine Coast 

WWW.ESSEX-SUNSHINE-COAST.ORG.UK

Easter Holiday 2017 : Contents 

Editor’s Letter 

Hello! Welcome to the Easter issue. 

Now that the days are lengthening 

there is so much more time for 

outdoor activities. As a result of the 

Primary Times Star Awards and 

reader suggestions of places to go, we set off to find 

out more about Paper Mill Lock. See page 20 for what 

we found. We are always keen to champion fun for 

free and fun for all, this ticked both boxes. 

We are fortunate to have so many fabulous 

museums in Essex. In this issue we highlight some of 

the ones which are especially family friendly. Check out 

the museum feature on page 12 to plan a visit. 

For parents who are deciding on which school to 

choose for their child, turn to page 21 for our Schools 

Special. We publish all school open day dates as part 

of our secondary schools feature in the September 

‘Back to School’ issue. 

Happy Easter! Look out for the next magazine in May. 

Bridie Cousins, Assistant Editor 

News Around 

Roundabout 

Spring Gardening for Kids 

Family Fun in Essex Museums 

Schools Special 

Growing up Digital 

Bookstore 

Theatre 

Competitions 

Loopy Library 

4 

7 

11 

12 

21 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

Primary Times in Essex 

Primary Times is independently published 

and distributed free through Primary, Junior, 

Infant and Independent Schools throughout 

Essex. It is also available by subscription at 

£15 per year and through selected outlets. 

Primary Times is currently publishing over 

2.7 million copies per issue under franchise 

licenses throughout 60 counties in the UK. 

Primary Times in Essex is operated under 

franchise licence. 

Primary Times Essex 

PTimesEssex 

Cressing Lodge, Long Green, Cressing, Braintree CM77 8DL 

01376 322120 | postbag@ptessex.co.uk 

www.primarytimes.net 

Publisher: Nick Cousins | Editor: Rachel Keir 

Assistant Editor: Bridie Cousins 

Advertising: Andrea Darlington & Sarah Hamilton 

(sales@ptessex.co.uk) 

Listings & Social Media Editor: Zoe Cannon 

(listings@ptessex.co.uk) 

Contributors: Catherine Hammond, Anne Longfield OBE 

& Debbie Williams 

Artwork & Design: Jackie Bourne 

Calling all 

active & energetic 

boys and girls! 

NON-CONTACT RUGBY FOR 2-6 YR OLDS 

Fun non-contact rugby classes held across 

Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and London. 

Serious Fun, Inspiring Coaching 

New Venues opening near you! 

Please check website for more details 

FIRST 

SESSION 

FREE! 

View the magazine online at www.primarytimes.net/essex 

Contact us for details: 0330 0881172 

www.littlescrummers.com 


3

News Around 

EASTER 

EGG- 

STRAVAGANZA 

PCC-quarter page.pdf 1 08/03/2017 11:47:16 

Jump Street: calling all fun seekers! 

Adrenaline-seekers are being called on to test their mettle indoors 

on a range of new nerve-shredding challenges at Jump Street, 

Chelmsford. The all-new Clip’n Climb exhibit gives children and 

adults alike the chance to strap-in and get climbing on a staggering 

array of high-rise apparatus. Reach new heights and test your 

dexterity on over thirty fun climbing activities at one of the world’s 

largest exhibitions of gravity defying environments. 

Challenge yourself and your head for heights on extreme 

challenges including 

‘Stairway to Heaven’, 

‘Leap of Faith’ and 

‘Vertical Drop Slide’. 

Kate Field, who visited 

the new Clip’n Climb in 

Chelmsford for a 40th 

birthday party, said: 

“We loved every minute 

of it. You don’t get the 

opportunity for this kind 

of adrenaline-fuelled fun 

indoors very often.” 

Fancy a go? Book online 

now at www.jumpstreet. 

co.uk/activities/clip-n-climb 

or call 01206 911035. 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

The Police and Crime Commissioner wants your views. 

Essex Police and Fire & Rescue, your local emergency 

services could be run differently in the future. 

Tropical Wings Zoo Easter Egg-stravaganza 

Tropical Wings Zoo prides itself on 

providing all weather fun for the whole 

family. With entertaining talks, animal 

feeds and fun activities daily, there 

really is something for everyone! The 

Zoo’s Easter Egg-stravaganza event 

is back this year with even more 

egg-citing fun! With arts and crafts, 

competitions, shows and displays 

there is lots of Easter themed fun to 

keep you entertained this holiday. 

Step into the magnificent Tropical 

House, home to beautiful free flying 

butterflies and birds. Meet the lemurs 

and wallabies in their walkthrough 

enclosures and be mesmerised by 

the mischievous meerkats, plus lots 

more feathered, scaled and furry 

friends. 

If you are looking for something 

interesting, fun and different to do, 

make a visit to Tropical Wings Zoo 

this Easter. www.tropicalwings.co.uk 

CY 

CMY 

K 

Find out how and have your say. 

Respond now. Don’t delay. Closes 10th May. 

www.essex.pcc.police.uk/LocalCaseForChange 

4 


To advertise in Primary Times call 01376 322120

North & Mid Essex 

and beyond 

Get ready for St Helena 

Hospice Bubble Rush! 

Join in at High Woods Country Park on Saturday 

17th June for a fun-filled bubbly day for the whole 

family! The course features a 5k route with four 

bubble stations along the way where cannons 

pump out coloured bubbles. 

All ages and all abilities are 

welcome to run, jog, walk 

or toddle through the foam… 

even dance if you want to. 

All they ask is that you 

have lots of fun! At the 

start of the run there will 

be a bubble village where 

registration takes place, in 

the village you’ll find face 

painting, a bouncy castle, 

food to nibble on and the 

very popular bubble photo 

booth where you can dress 

up and have your photo taken. 

Spectators can watch you set off for 

the course from there and cheer you when you return! 

Register today at sthelenahospice.org.uk/bubble17 

Books for Schools 

– your school needs you! 

The EES for Schools School Library Service 

works with schools across Essex to maintain 

and develop their libraries and book corners. 

They know parents appreciate how important 

access to books is to their children and they 

can work with parents and schools to get the 

best range of quality fiction and non-fiction titles 

into school libraries and classrooms. By using 

their services you can: 

• buy age-appropriate titles with discounts 

• gain access to a team of experienced 

education librarians 

• find book collections for any budget 

• request flexible subscription loan services 

To help parent groups looking to fundraise 

for their school library EES for Schools 

have created a special free school 

library fundraising pack including 

poster formats, bookmarks and 

fundraising information sheets. 

Email the EES for Schools team 

today on sls@EESforschools.org 

to receive your free pack. 

Want better 

emergency services 

for your children? 

Essex could be the first in the UK 

to have a Police, Fire and Crime 

Commissioner. The Police and Crime 

Commissioner for Essex, Roger Hirst is 

running a public consultation on the way 

Essex Police and Fire & Rescue Services 

are run in the future. The new Policing 

and Crime Act 2017 allows PCCs to 

explore taking on fire & rescue as well as 

police. This means that services will be 

able to work better together and share 

resources to help keep Essex safer. 

There are three options to consider and 

the people of Essex are being asked to 

consider all three and answer a couple 

of questions. There’s a four minute film 

you can watch 

too, so please 

take part and 

have your say! 

Find out more: 

www.essex.pcc. 

police.uk/Local 

CaseForChange 

A COMMON SENSE APPROACH FOR 

Closes 10th May. 

JOINT GOVERNANCE OF POLICE, 

AND FIRE & RESCUE SERVICES 

essex.pcc.police.uk/LocalCaseForChange 

CONSULTATION 

Family fun at Stow 

Maries Great War 

Aerodrome 

Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome 

near Maldon (just off the A414) is a 

secret gem! It is the only remaining 

Great War aerodrome in the world 

that is still functioning. It’s the 

home of a huge £24 million project 

to return it to its former glory and 

houses new museum exhibitions, 

real flying period aircraft, a wartime 

Airmen’s Mess Café and shop. With 

free tours, it’s a great place to learn 

all about the fighting in the clouds 

during the Great War! 

There are lots of great activities 

going on at the aerodrome for 

families over Easter. As well as the 

usual exhibitions, interactive displays 

and aircraft, there will be activities for 

children exploring flight and rockets 

as well as model making. 

Forthcoming events include their 

annual Mother’s Day afternooon tea 

and entertainment on 26th March 

and ‘Wings and Wheels’ on 21st 

May - a fantastic family fun day 

where the aerodrome marries planes 

with cars! The aerodrome is in a 

nature reserve so keep an eye out 

for the owls – stars of Springwatch! 

For more events and information 

visit the website: www.stowmaries. 

org.uk or find them on Facebook. 

Books for Schools – Your School Needs You! 

We know parents appreciate how important a school 

library is to children. 

Email us now for your free school library fundraising pack! 

EES for Schools – School Library Service: sls@EESforschools.org 

EES for Schools is owned by Essex County Council 

Don’t forget to say you saw it in Primary Times! 


5

INTRODUCING 

ESSEX’S FIRST 

3 EXTREME 

CHALLENGES 

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN 

LEAP OF FAITH 

(Height restrictions apply) 

VERTICAL DROP SLIDE 

Book Online Now 

01206 911035 

jumpstreet.co.uk/activities/clip-n-climb 

6ACCESS Primary Times, TO North OVER & Mid Essex 30 CLIMBING • Easter Holiday 2017ACTIVITIES – ONLY AT JUMP STREET CHELMSFORD

Roundabout 

Your family what’s on guide, March – June 

ONGOING 

Ongoing 

Read with me under a tree 

- Across Essex 

A celebration of books, rhymes, activities 

and the great outdoors at Essex 

Libraries, Country Parks. The Talk, Listen, 

Cuddle Campaign aims encourages 

parents to enjoy reading with their 

children anywhere - including under a 

tree. There are special ‘Read with me’ 

packs available at every park, containing 

books, activity sheets and den building 

kits which can be used free during your 

visit. For details see www.visitparks.co.uk 

DAILY DIARY - MARCH 

Sat 25th March 

Mother’s Day Crafts & Poetry 

- Braintree 

Card making crafts and poetry fun! Be 

inspired by the Bard to write a Mothers’ 

day poem. This is a self-led activity 

- materials and instructions available 

in the galleries. Free with admission 

charge. 10am-4pm. Tel: 01376 328868. 

Braintree Museum, Manor Street, CM7 

3HW. www.braintreemuseum.co.uk 

Sat 25th - Sun 26th March 

Springborn - Mother’s Day 

- South Woodham Ferrers 

Join in the springtime fun at the 

farm. Mums go free with a full paying 

admission. (online only). Online tickets: 

£10.99. Tel: 01245 321552. Marsh 

Farm Animal Adventure Park, CM3 5WP. 

www.marshfarm.co.uk 

Sun 26th March 

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea 

- Purleigh 

A full afternoon tea will be served with 

entertainment by Terry Saunders who will 

have you all singing and laughing in your 

seats. 2pm-5pm. Adult £15, children 

under 10 free. Booking essential. Tel: 

01245 429134. Stow Maries Great War 

Aerodrome, Hackmans Lane, Purleigh, 

CM3 6RN. www.stowmaries.org.uk 

Mon 27th March 

- Thu 13th April 

Holiday Courses - Felsted 

A programme of popular activities for 

children. Including cheerleading, cricket, 

netball, swimming, tennis and more. 

Tel: 01371 822633. Felsted School, 

CM6 3LL. www.felsted.org/courses 

Sat 1st - Mon 17th April 

Easter Holidays at 

Colchester Zoo 

Enjoy an array of daily encounters as 

well as face painting and bug handling 

at the discovery centre, elephant and 

giraffe feeds at the Kingdom of the Wild 

paddock and the chance to get up close 

to some familiar species at the Sensation 

Station. Tel: 01206 331292. Colchester 

Zoo, Maldon Road, Stanway, CO3 0SL. 

www.colchester-zoo.com 


Easter Fun & Lindt Bunny 

Trail - nr Chelmsford 

Enjoy an incredible Easter experience 

at RHS Hyde Hall, kindly supported 

by Lindt. For some magical family 

moments hop through the gardens 

on the trail of the Lindt Gold Bunny, 

following clues to lead you to a 

delicious Lindt treat for the hoppy-est 

Easter ever. 10am-5pm. Normal 

garden admission applies. Tel: 0845 

2658071. RHS Garden Hyde Hall, 

Rettendon, CM3 8AT. www.rhs.org.uk 


Spring into Easter 

- Waltham Abbey 

Spring will be in full force at the Royal 

Gunpowder Mills. Join Professor Nitrate 

and his assistants for an egg-citing 

time with lots of creative activities for 

families. Standard admission applies. Tel: 

01992 707370. Royal Gunpowder Mills, 

Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1JY. 

www.royalgunpowdermills.com 


Easter Egg Hunt 

- Colchester 

Join the great annual Easter Egg Hunt. 

Explore the garden and see signs of 

spring as you find the eggs. Complete 

the hunt and collect an Easter treat! Selfguided 

trail runs every day throughout 

the Easter holidays. Adult £6.95, children 

£1.50 or free if you book in advance 

online. Tel: 01206 822007. Beth Chatto 

Gardens, Elmstead Market, Colchester, 

CO7 7DB. www.bethchatto.co.uk 


Easter Egg-stravaganza 

- South Woodham Ferrers 

As well as all the usual animal 

encounters and tropical butterfly house 

why not take part in the Easter fun 

activities. 9.30am-5.30pm. Standard 

admission charges apply. Tel: 01245 

425394. Tropical Wings, Wickford Road, 

CM3 5QZ. www.tropicalwings.co.uk 

More Roundabout 


Author on Board: My Gym 

Teacher is an Alien Overlord 

- Chelmsford 

Award-winning writer David Solomons 

will be on board the fantastic EES for 

Schools’ bookbus. Author of My Gym 

Teacher Is an Alien Overlord, the actionpacked 

sequel to the best-selling My 

Brother Is a Superhero. Join the bookbus 

team and David to gain some sciencefiction 

reading inspiration before the 

Easter holiday! 11am-12noon & 2pm- 

3pm. Free. Lord Ashcroft Building, 

Anglia Ruskin University, CM1 1SQ. 

The Easter Bunny has 

been busy! Look for the 

Easter eggs to find your 

local egg hunt! 

DAILY DIARY - APRIL 

Sat 1st April 

STO-Kers - Purleigh 

Explore the theme of flight. From paper 

planes, gliders and rockets to technology 

used in radio controlled model planes. 

For 8-14yr olds 10am-3pm. £5 per child, 

£8 entrance for accompanying adults. 

Limited spaces, booking essential. Tel: 

01245 429134. Stow Maries Great War 

Aerodrome, Hackmans Lane, Purleigh, 

CM3 6RN. www.stowmaries.org.uk 

Sat 1st - Sun 2nd April 

Colchester Town & Country Fair 

All day entertainment which may include 

birds of prey, working dogs, children’s 

entertainment, arts, crafts, gifts and food 

marquees. 10am-5pm. Adult £6, child 

£3, family £15. Tel: 01206 282962. 

Lower Castle Park, High Street, CO1 

1UN. www.oakleighfairs.co.uk/colchester 



7

Roundabout 

Bottle feeding 

the lambs 

Sunday 2 April to 

Monday 17 April 2017 

Closed Fridays & Saturdays 

Visit our events page 

for further information 

www.layermarneytower.co.uk 

/visiting/essex-events/ 

HIGH ROPES & 

ADVENTURE IN ESSEX 

• High Ropes • Big Zip Wire • Archery • Air Rifles 

• Water Zorbing & Tunnelling • Bushcraft 

• Paintball Target Shooting • Army Assault Course 

MT PT Mar17 AW2.indd 1 21/02/2017 18:55 

ESSEX 

TOURISM 

AWARDS 

2011 

WINNER 

BRAND 

NEW SAFETY 

SYSTEM 

Ages 8+ • Booking Essential 

Make it a day out and visit 

The Secret Nuclear Bunker! 

Parties & Gift Vouchers available 

Based at the Secret Nuclear Bunker 

Ongar Road, Kelvedon Hatch 

01277 364470 

www.roperunners.co.uk 

Find us on Twitter & Facebook 


Sky Ropes Easter Adventure 

- Gt Notley 

Discover the Eggsplorer in you this Easter 

with Sky Ropes! Get your heart racing 

and explore high in the sky in a quest 

to conquer Sky Ropes and win a prize. 

This eggciting challenge is open every 

day this Easter including bank holidays. 

Adventurers booking on these days will 

automatically be entered into a prize 

draw. Tel: 0345 603 7624. Great 

Notley Country Park, CM77 7FS. 


Sun 2nd April 

Bird Feeder Making 

- Hanningfield 

Make a wooden bird feeder to hang 

in your garden. £3 per child. No need 

to book. 10am-12noon. Tel: 01268 

711001. Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor 

Centre, CM11 1WT. www.essexwt.org.uk 

Sun 2nd - Mon 17th April 

Bottle Feeding the Lambs 

- Layer Marney 

Probably the most popular annual 

event they have for visitors at Layer 

Marney Tower is bottle feeding the 

lambs. Who can resist them? Cuddly, 

friendly and hungry. A rare chance to 

meet these farm animals up close. 

Relax and enjoy their company. 

They’re everyone’s favourites. Extra 

opening hours for bottle feeding the 

lambs in the Easter Holidays. Feeding 

times are at about 12.30pm and 

4pm. 12pm-5pm. Adult £9, child 

£5, family £25. Closed Fridays 

& Saturdays. Tel: 01206 330784. 

Layer Marney Tower, CO5 9US. 


Mon 3rd - Thu 6th April 

Easter Tennis Courses 

- Chelmsford 

Easter school holiday courses for 

children. Classes for 5-7, 8-11 and 

12-17 years. Booking essential. 

Tel: 07885 874031. Derek Rogers at 

Chelmsfordians Tennis Club, Lawford 

Lane (off Roxwell Road), CM1 2NS. 

www.chelmsfordianstennis.co.uk 

Mon 3rd - Fri 7th April 

Easter Activity Camp 

- Chelmsford 

A week-long camp for children aged 

5-10 years. Activities include bug 

hunting, pond dipping, gardening, nature 

learning and forest skills, camp-fire, 

mini-hikes, chill-out time, and more! 

Booking essential. Tel: 0300 1233073. 

Wilderness Foundation, Whitbread Farm 

Lane, Chatham Green, CM3 3FE. 

www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk 


City Camps - Chelmsford 

Exciting activities that will keep children 

coming back for more, whilst providing 

parents with affordable half day or full 

day childcare. Taking place at Riverside 

Ice and Leisure Centre, Chelmsford Sport 

and Athletics Centre, South Woodham 

Ferrers Leisure Centre, Hylands House 

and Dovedale Sports Centre. 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/citycamps 


Fit for Sport Activity Camps 

- Maldon 

From sports and games to arts and 

crafts, each day offers something 

different for children aged 4-12 years 

old. Booking essential. Tel: 01621 

851898. Blackwater Leisure Centre, 

Park Drive, CM9 5UR. 

www.placesforpeopleleisure.org/centres/ 

blackwater-leisure-centre 


Easter Activity Camps 

- Across Essex 

Fun activities during the school holidays. 

A safe and well organised programme 

for children aged 4½ to 14 years and 

offering 80+ fun and exciting activities 

including swimming, archery, fencing, 

dance, football, basketball and jewellery 

making and much more! Booking 

essential. Tel: 0845 123 5299. 

www.barracudas.co.uk 

Mon 3rd - Fri 14th April 

Easter at Leisureworld 

Colchester 

In school holidays, Leisure World 

Colchester offers loads of great fun 

activities - including new bubble 

football sessions. Kids Camp and Base 

Camp provides supervised sessions 

offering a full day of fun and activities, 

making them ideal for working parents. 

www.colchesterleisureworld.co.uk 

Mon 3rd - Sun 16th April 

Easter Treasure Trail 

- Saffron Walden 

Take part in Easter treasure trail 

around the museum. Tel: 01799 

510333. Saffron Walden Museum, 

Museum Street, CB10 1JL. 

www.saffronwaldenmuseum.org 

Mon 3rd - Mon 17th April 

Step into Spring - Billericay 

Step into spring at Barleylands this 

Easter. With lots of baby animals there 

will be a host of new arrivals to meet and 

greet. Welcome bundles of new lambs, 

calves and goats. Special Easter activities 

do not run on 8th, 9th or 15th. 10am- 

5pm. Standard admission charges apply. 

Tel: 01268 290229. Barleylands Farm 

Park & Craft Village, Barleylands Road, 

CM11 2UD. www.barleylands.co.uk 

Tue 4th April 

Meet the Romans - Colchester 

Meet characters from Colchester’s 

Roman past. Try your hand at mosaicmaking 

and handle objects buried 

beneath the city from nearly 2000 years 

ago. Drop in between 10am-4pm. Free 

8 



We check listings 

carefully but event details 

and prices may be subject 

to change. Please always 

check with the venue. 

after admission to the castle. Tel: 01206 

282941. Colchester Castle, Colchester, 

CO1 1TJ. www.cimuseums.org.uk 

Tue 4th April 

Brambley Hedge Adventures 

- nr Colchester 

A day of fun and adventures based 

around Jill Barklem’s Brambly Hedge 

stories. 10.30am-2pm. £6 per child. 


Abberton Reservoir, Layer-de-la-Haye, 

CO2 0EU. www.essexwt.org.uk 

Tue 4th - Fri 7th April 

Easter Fun at Braintree 

Museum 

‘Go Wild’ wildlife themed activities for 

the kids. 11am-1pm. Free with 

admission charge. Activities are aimed 

at 5 to 10 year olds. Accompanying 

adults will be charged £3. Booking 

essential. Tel: 01376 328868. Braintree 

Museum, Manor Street, CM7 3HW. 

www.braintreemuseum.co.uk 

Tue 4th & Tue 11th April 

Messy Crafters - Chelmsford 

Messy Crafters is an hour-long 

session of themed craft workshops 

for pre-schoolers. Children can 

make three crafts to take home and 

treasure. Suitable for children 18 months 

- 4 years old. Various times. £3 per child. 


Chelmsford Museum, Oaklands Park, 

Moulsham Street, CM2 9AQ. 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/museums 

Wed 5th April 

Battlefield One Laser Tag 

- Abridge 

Don’t miss out on the Laser Tag 

themed day based on the computer 

game, with new fields and new 

missions. Perfect for ages 6-adults, 

experience three hours of amazing 

laser tag combat for just £19.99pp 

(special offer). Battle round amazing 

war-torn fields, featuring an array 

of military hardware, Land-rovers, 

Russian battle tanks, planes and 

helicopters, play replica Call of Duty 

Bog map. With a fully-heated party 

room and award-winning facilities, 

you won’t want to miss out! 2pm- 

5pm. Booking essential. Tel: 01708 

688517. Laser Mayhem, Pryors 

Farm, Patch Park, Abridge, RM4 1AA. 

www.laser-mayhem.co.uk 

Wed 5th April 

Bug Man Science Show 

- Colchester 

Meet Martin Rapley, the Bug Man. His 

amazing science shows feature live bugs 

and other animals. Shows at 12pm, 

1.15pm and 2.30pm. £3 per person. 

Bookings essential. Tel: 01206 282941. 

Natural History Museum, High Street, 

Colchester, CO1 1DN. 

www.cimuseums.org.uk 

Wed 5th April 

Mad Hatters - Saffron Walden 

Take inspiration from the current 

exhibition, ‘Completing the Look: 300 

Years of Fashion Accessories’, to design 

and create your own super stylish 

hat. Drop in sessions, 11am-1pm and 

2pm-4pm. Usual admission fees apply. 

Tel: 01799 510333. Saffron Walden 

Museum, Museum Street, CB10 1JL. 


Wed 5th April 

Seashore Safari - Walton 

What can you find on the beach? Shells, 

crabs and lots of slimy seaweed! Make 

some beach art. 10.30am-12pm. £4 

per child. Booking essential. Tel: 01255 

679379. The Naze Education and Visitor 

Centre, CO14 8LE. www.essexwt.org.uk 

Wed 5th & Wed 12th April 

Wild Wednesday - Danbury 

Regular free children’s fun, making 

the most of what nature has to offer. 

11am-2pm. Free. Tel: 01245 222350. 

Danbury Country Park, CM3 4UU. 


Thu 6th April 

Grand Designs - Colchester 

Be inspired by the Victorian doll’s house 

and make your own room in miniature. 

Sessions at 10:30am, 11:30am, 

12:30pm, 2pm and 3pm. Booking 

required. £3 per person. Tel: 01206 

282941. Hollytrees Museum, High Street, 

CO1 1UG. www.cimuseums.org.uk 

Thu 6th April 

Dragon Discovery 


Track down all the hidden dragons and 

collect the dragon eggs. Defeat the beast 

of the mountains and earn your Viking 

helmet. This event is for 4-8 year olds, 

children must be accompanied by an 

adult. £6 per child. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01268 711001. Hanningfield 

Reservoir Visitor Centre, CM11 1WT. 

www.essexwt.org.uk 

Thu 6th & Thu 13th April 

Creative Crafters - Chelmsford 

Creative Crafters is a themed craft 

session for school-aged children, using 

the museum’s collections and displays 

for inspiration. Suitable for children 

aged between 5 and 10 years old. 

Various times. £3 per child. Booking 

essential. Tel: 01245 605700. 

Chelmsford Museum, Oaklands 

Park, Moulsham Street, CM2 9AQ. 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/museums 

Roundabout continues on p16 



9

EASTER HOLIDAY 

FAMILY FUN 

LINDT 

GOLD BUNNY 

HUNT 

1 – 17 APRIL 2017 

Find us off the A130 near 

South Woodham Ferrers 

Activities vary, check website 

rhs.org.uk/hydehall 

#LindtGoldBunny 

10 


RHS Registered Charity No. 222879 / SC038262

S pr ing 

Gardening 

For Kids 

Now that spring is here it’s a great time to think about 

getting the family outdoors. One way to get the kids active 

is to get them to help out in the garden. 

WHY CHOOSE GARDENING? 

Gardening is a healthy activity you 

can get the whole family involved 

in. While the children will relish 

the opportunity to get covered in 

mud, there are also some valuable 

learning opportunities to be had. 

They will learn patience whilst 

waiting for their seeds or plants 

to grow; responsibility as they 

learn to care for their garden and 

nurture what they have planted. It 

also teaches them an awareness 

of where food comes from. Even 

very small children will appreciate 

how some of the food that they 

enjoy eating can actually be 

grown in their back garden! They 

may also notice how different 

home-grown vegetable can look 

and taste 

compared to the often mass 

produced and chemically treated 

supermarket varieties. 

There is also the benefit of the 

fact that the children are oblivious 

of how much physical effort they 

are putting into their tasks, as well 

as a reduction in screen time! 

Children who are involved in 

outdoor tasks such as gardening 

have a better environmental 

awareness and understanding of 

the part that science plays in the 

workings of nature. 

There is nothing better than 

tasting something that you have 

grown yourself. It’s a great way to 

encourage children to try out new 

fruits and vegetables too. 

HOW TO GET KIDS 

INVOLVED 

Working in the garden gives 

children the chance to learn how 

to care for something over time 

and allows them to observe the 

cycle of life first hand. 

Remember to keep things simple 

and fun – they may not want to be 

involved in the more boring and 

menial, although still essential, 

tasks at first. 

Make sure the tasks or activities 

are age appropriate – younger 

children can help plant seeds, pull 

out weeds, watering and feeding; 

older children may like to get 

involved in planning the layout of 

the garden. It’s also a good 

idea to get the children 

their own tools. This will 

allow them to manage 

the jobs better and 

therefore enjoy 

them better. Small 

hands using small 

tools also means 

that it’s less likely 

for accidents to 

happen! Don’t forget 

the junior gardening gloves too! 

Give kids their own space in the 

garden, or their own selection of 

pots to look after. They will relish 

the opportunity and it will give 

them a sense of pride in their 

work. 

EASY PLANTS TO GROW 

Children tend to like bright 

colourful flowers and vegetables 

that grow quickly. 

THE SUNFLOWER is a must for 

any kid’s garden. Sunflowers 

sprout in just 1 week, become 

a small seedling in 2 week 

and should be 2 foot tall in a 

month. In 8 weeks the buds will 

flower. These are perfect plants 

for beginners as they can see 

changes almost every day. 

CHERRY TOMATOES are a fun 

crop for kids to try. Use seedlings 

and plant in full sun. The growing 

season is between 50 and 75 

days. 

SNOW PEAS are another quick 

growing crop and fun for kids to 

eat right off the vine. They prefer 

cooler parts of the garden and 

take about 10 days to germinate 

and will mature in about 60 days. 

FUN JOBS FOR KIDS 

As well as the usual tasks of 

watering, weeding, planting 

and feeding there are other fun 

activities that children can get 

involved in around the garden. 

These suggestions might make 

hanging out in the garden a bit 

more enjoyable as well as keeping 

them occupied for a few hours! 

PAINTING STONES – to add a 

splash of colour to a rockery 

garden. The added bonus here 

is that the painting can be done 

out of doors meaning less mess 

inside! 

FAIRY GARDEN – these are a 

magical space for children to play 

with and a lovely addition to any 

garden. The real imagination and 

magic comes alive when choosing 

the small details to place in the 

fairy garden. You can use any kind 

of container – as big or as small 

as you want. However the bigger 

the container the more room for 

their imagination! 

BIRD FEEDERS or NEST BOXES 

– by attracting birds to the 

garden you have your very own 

pest control. It also provides an 

opportunity for the kids to study 

local wildlife and keep a diary 

or log of which birds visit and 

how to identify different breeds. 

They may notice changes in the 

birds depending on the season 

and whether they are courting or 

nesting. 

BUILD A BUG HOTEL – building 

one of these can help children 

learn about the natural world 

around them. A well-constructed 

hotel could shelter anything from 

hedgehogs to toads, ladybirds to 

woodlice. Some bugs like cool, 

damp conditions whilst others 

prefer the sun although its best 

to keep it a good distance away 

from any vegetable beds! Any 

natural materials you have lying 

around can be used; from old 

pallets, bricks, pine cones, to old 

plant stems, leaves and even old 

tiles. In return the bugs will help 

control pests and even pollinate 

your plants. 

COMPOST BIN – composting is 

simple, costs very little and is an 

excellent way to get kids involved 

in recycling. The children will 

understand that it’s a really simple 

way of helping the environment, 

turning the leftovers from your 

meals into valuable food for your 

garden. 


11

Family Fun in 

Essex Museum 

Re-live the First World War at Stow 

Maries Great War Aerodrome 

Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome is an amazing place, a 

hidden gem to be found just east of Chelmsford. A 5-minute 

drive from Cock Clarks, its quiet entrance hides the excitement 

of this wonderful site. The only remaining Royal Flying Corps 

aerodrome to remain untouched since 1919, it is now the 

centre of a huge project to bring it to life once more. It already 

features First World War period aircraft, modern interactive 

exhibitions on the Air War and the people that fought it, as 

well as a recreated period ‘Mess’ to grab a drink and a snack. 

Why not take a tour? They’re free and you’ll hear all about the 

amazing work being done. 

Get up close with the aircraft and try the interactive displays 

in the exhibitions. Make sure you keep an eye out for the barn 

owls and little owls! Don’t forget this is an active aerodrome – 

so you might catch a glimpse of aircraft taking off or landing! 

For more information visit www.stowmaries.org.uk 

Stow Maries 

Great War Aerodrome 

Europe’s largest surviving 

First World War aerodrome 

From air displays to Great War living history, modern technology to 

book festivals, there’s lots to enjoy during our anniversary year! 

Experience life during the Great War! 

Museum with interactive exhibitions 

First World War period aircraft 

Wartime Airmen’s Mess Café and Shop 

Easter family activities (see website) 

Regular events including Wings & Wheels Family Fun Day - 21st May 

School Trips and STEM skills development 

Sto-Kers for 8-14yr olds. Sessions on the first Sat of every month. 

Activities range from simple paper planes to constructing 

‘build and fly’ models and VR. 

www.stowmaries.org.uk 

Open Friday - Sunday & Bank Holidays, 10am-5pm. 

Hackmans Lane, Purleigh, nr Maldon CM3 6RN 

(Entry for cars via Hackmans Lane only. Sat nav use CM3 6RJ) 

Looking for somewhere to spend some engaging, quality 

time with the family? How about a visit to your local 

museum? In recent years many museums across Essex and 

beyond have been working hard to become family-friendly 

venues, not just when special family activities and events 

take place, but at any time you choose to visit. 

The days of museums being quiet 

places with objects half hidden in 

dark cases are long gone. Now you 

are much more likely to find a warm 

welcome, practical family facilities, 

plenty of fascinating objects to see 

and, most importantly, lots to do in 

your own time which will make your 

museum visit a special experience 

unique to your family. 

Gallery trails and colouring sheets 

have been a popular feature at 

museums for many years and are 

still to be found alongside many 

new activities. In many museums 

you are now likely to find explorer 

Step back in time at 

Saffron Walden Museum 

kits. These consist of a choice of 

tools such as binoculars, magnifying 

glasses, torches (for those few 

remaining dark corners!) puzzles 

and explorer hats so your family 

can make its own choices about 

how they would like to explore the 

museum. Every visit becomes a 

different experience as new tools 

are chosen and new objects found. 

The conversations these tools can 

generate among families, especially 

when the younger members lead 

the tour, are fascinating to hear! 

Lots of museums now include 

interactivities with their special 

Discover a world of surprises at this familyfriendly 

museum. From stone axes to 

Samurai armour, Saxon riches to shields, 

spears and swords. As well as the natural 

and social history of north-west Essex, you 

will find toys, decorative arts, world cultures 

and even an Ancient Egyptian Mummy. Children can 

excavate in the archaeological sandpit, meet Wallace the Lion or explore 

the natural history discovery centre. With a rolling programme of special 

exhibitions, activities and events throughout the year, there’s always 

something new to see and do! Picnic in the grounds next to the ruins of the 

12th century Walden Castle or walk to the centre of the medieval market 

town where you can shop, eat, relax and explore. There is a small car park 

and access for disabled visitors. For more information call 01799 510 333, 

visit www.saffronwaldenmuseum.org or find them on Facebook and Twitter. 

Discover a world of surprises 

at our family-friendly museum 

Excavate in the 

archaeological 

sandpit 

SAFFRON WALDEN 

MUSEUM 

Take part in 

activities and events 

Find us on Facebook 

Follow us on Twitter! 

Explore the 

natural history 

discovery centre 

For opening times & admission prices visit saffronwaldenmuseum.org 

12 



PT_Advert_Feb17.pdf 1 21/02/2017 15:48 

s 

Colchester 

Museums 

cimuseums.org.uk 

exhibitions and displays to help 

all family members learn and 

understand by getting hands-on 

and working together. Many have 

replica clothes so you can really feel 

what it was like to live in the past. 

Museums can also be great 

spaces to go with babies - there 

are so many things to touch and 

explore, making for a great sensory 

learning experience. Quite a few 

museums offer regular bookable 

sessions for toddlers. These can 

be a great way of building up your 

own and your child’s confidence in 

visiting the museum. 

Admission charges, facilities 

and what is on offer will vary at 

each museum so it’s always worth 

checking in advance if there is 

anything you really need or want 

to do. Many museums are free, 

but those that do charge offer very 

good value for the range of activities 

available. Not all have cafes, but 

most will be understanding about 

the need for younger children to 

have snacks and drinks in sensible 

spaces. Even if the old buildings 

many museums are situated in 

aren’t built with the needs of 

modern families in mind, museum 

staff will do all they can to help you 

get around and enjoy your visit. 

The listings section in Primary 

Times is a great way of keeping 

in touch with special events and 

activities in school 

holidays, but we 

hope this article will 

encourage you to 

make museum visits at 

any time a regular way 

your family can have 

fun and learn together. 

There will always be a 

warm welcome, lots 

of fascinating things 

to see and fun things 

to do. As one mum 

comments, “My only issue is how 

hard it is to drag a child away from 

your museum - my daughter will 

play there until she has to leave!” 

Article by Catherine Hammond, Learning 

Officer at Epping Forest District Museum, 

Waltham Abbey 

Colchester 

Museums - where 

history comes alive! 

Start your adventure through 

M 

over 2000 years of Colchester’s 

Y 

thrilling history, at Colchester 

Museums’ three sites- Colchester CM 

Castle, Hollytrees Museum and 

MY 

the Natural History Museum. 

CY 

With a unique mix of 

fascinating displays, the latest CMY 

technology and hands on 

K 

activities- there is lots for you to 

explore and discover. 

There are also a range of 

special events to keep your 

family inspired and entertained 

over the Easter Holidays. These 

include: mosaic making and 

object handling with Meet the 

Romans, extraordinary science 

with the Bug Man Science Show 

and incredible live animals at the 

Natural Colchester event. 

You can also join in with a 

host of invasion themed fun at 

the Colchester Castle’s Anglo- 

Saxons vs. Viking Invaders fun 

day. Perhaps 

crafting doll’s 

houses are 

more your style? 

In that case, 

Grand Designs 

at Hollytrees 

museum is right 

up your street! 

For details 

about all these 

events visit www. 

cimuseums.org. 

uk/whatson 

C 

The 

ADVENTURE 

starts here... 

For 

special 

events 

check our 

website! 

JOURNEY THROUGH 

OVER 2000 YEARS 

OF COLCHESTER’S 

HISTORY! 

ColchesterCastle 

@ColMuseums 



13

Find us on Facebook Badge 

CMYK / .ai 

Southend’s Pier Museum 

See the fascinating history of the 

world’s longest pier come to life. 

Attractions include: Restored pier 

signal box, old penny slot machines, 

souvenir Kiosk & more! 

Have an Egg-citing 

The Museum is located 

below the pier shore station and 

access is from the station. 

We offer special rates for 

schools - please ask! 

Open May-October. Sat/Sun/Tues/Weds & Bank Holiday Mondays. 

11am-5pm. For more information call 01702 614553. 

Visitors aged 14+ £1.50, 5-13yrs 50p. Under 5’s free. 

Southend Pier Museum Foundation Trust. Reg Charity No. 802105 

Hop over to the Essex 

Fire Museum this Easter 

Sun 2nd, Weds 5th & Thurs 

13th* April, 10am-4pm 

*Deaf Aware supported on Thurs 

13th, with BSL interpreters all day. 

No booking necessary, just come 

along for crafts, family trails and 

more. You can even jump in one of 

our fire engines! £3 per little chick. 

Behind Grays Fire Station, 

Hogg Lane, RM17 5QS 

01376 576847 

museum@essex-fire.gov.uk 

Easter fun in 

Epping Forest 

Family Fun in 

Essex Museums 

Discover ‘Extraordinary 

Eggs’ at Epping Forest 

Spring is finally springing all around 

and in the ancient woodland of 

Epping Forest, nature is rousing from 

its winter slumber. As daylight hours 

extend and the clocks go forward 

once again, there is a natural tendency 

to get outdoors and connect with 

the countryside around. Epping 

Forest is the perfect place to find this 

connection, with plenty to look out 

for, new places to explore and lots of 

spring time adventures to be had. 

The theme of ‘new life’ is celebrated 

in Epping Forest with an ‘Extraordinary 

Eggs’ season at ‘The View’, Epping 

Forest’s Visitor Centre on Rangers 

Road, Chingford, E4 7QH. See the 

Roundabout section for details of 

an exhibition and an arty afternoon. 

There are also lots of other exciting 

events to keep little ones entertained 

in Epping Forest this spring. For more 

information, visit www.cityoflondon. 

gov.uk/eppingforest. To stay up to 

date with Epping Forest news follow 

on Twitter @ COLEppingForest, like 

on Facebook Epping Forest City 

of London or follow on Instagram 

coleppingforest 

Calling all budding 

firefighters! 

The Essex Fire Museum in 

Grays holds fun days where 

children (and grown-ups if they 

behave!) can sit in one of the 

engines, try on real helmets 

and enjoy a fun arts ‘n’ crafts 

session. Take a look round 

fire engines of yesteryear, see 

what equipment they used and 

learn about how the fire service 

in Essex has changed from 

small town and parish brigades 

to the county-wide service 

we have today. The museum 

is located behind Grays Fire 

Station on Hogg Lane in the 

former Auxiliary Fire Service 

garage. There is no need to 

book, just turn up and have 

fun! Keep an eye on their Facebook 

page and website www. 

essex-fire.gov.uk/Fire_Museum 

to find out what fabulous 

events they are running. They 

look forward to welcoming you. 

@COLEppingForest 

Epping Forest 

City of London 

@coleppingforest 

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/eppingforest 

COALHOUSE FORT 

Easter Family Fun 

Tues 4 & 11 April 

Egg Decoration & Rolling 

Thu 6 & 13 April 

Egg Drop Challenge 

Sessions run 10am-12noon, repeating at 2pm-4pm. 

£5 per child, per session. To book, contact Thameside 

Theatre on 0845 300 5264, or Thurrock.gov.uk/theatre 

Please note: Children must be supervised by an adult 

at all times. Come dressed for the outdoors! 

Princess Margaret Road, 

East Tilbury RM18 8PB 

Open Days 

The last Sunday of the 

month, March-Nov 

Free guided tour of tunnels & roof 

Military & Aviation collections open 

April’s special event will have fort 

building & an air raid experience! 

March 26 & July 30 - Classic Vehicles 

April 30 - Military Event 

May 28 & June 25 - Open Days 

Adults £4, Concs £3, Children 50p 

www.coalhousefortpark.co.uk | CoalhouseEnquiries@thurrock.gov.uk 

Follow us on Twitter: @coalhousefortpk | Like us on Facebook: /coalhousefortpark 

14 Primary Times, North & Mid Essex • Easter Holiday 2017 

Don’t forget to say you saw it in Primary Times!

Family activities galore at The Royal Gunpowder Mills 

The Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey is an excellent location for children and adults to 

spend time learning about science, heritage and history. Located in 170 acres of natural parkland 

the Royal Gunpowder Mills has popular events throughout the year including VE Weekend, Wild 

West Weekend, Victorian Days, and other special shows, plus they run guided walks for history, 

nature and much more. Children can immerse themselves in a wide range of creative activities and 

science with Professor Nitrate in the Mad Lab. The interactive exhibition is child-friendly. There is an 

acclaimed armoury and introductory film, ample play space for the kids as well as a lovely café, land 

train ride and picnic space. Plus a wide range of activities for ages 3 all the way up! Open for school 

holiday events and special events throughout 2017. Follow them on social media @gunpowdermills 

or visit www.royalgunpowdermills.com 

A family-friendly, living, 

breathing railway museum 

The East Anglian Railway Museum is a living 

heritage museum. It is based at Chappel 

railway station, Essex, on the edge of 

breathtaking Constable country and next 

to the impressive Chappel Viaduct, the 

largest in the east of England. The original, 

station buildings tell the story of railways 

from the 1840s through to the 21st Century 

and the historic carriages evoke fond memories 

of childhood train travel years ago. The Waiting Rooms, Station Master’s 

Office and Clearing House have all been recreated into atmospheric ‘room 

sets’ and working signal boxes provide hands on, interactive experiences, 

enjoyed by visitors young and old. Other highlights include the huge 

Victorian Goods Shed and Restoration Shed, where you can see behind 

the scenes at the majestic old locomotives under restoration. Visit 

www.earm.co.uk or follow on Facebook and Twitter @earailwaymuseum. 

Open seven days a week 10am-4.30pm, 363 days a year. 

BRAINTREE DISTRICT MUSEUM 

EASTER HOLIDAYS 

Tuesday to Friday: 11:00am – 1:00pm 

FREE with admission charge 

WEEK 1 4 TH – 7 TH APRIL: GO WILD WILDLIFE! 

WEEK 2 11 TH – 14 TH APRIL: SPRING IN THE MUSEUM 

GARDEN 

BOOKING ESSENTIAL 

01376 328868 

Activities are aimed at 5 to 10 year olds. Under 5’s welcome but must be accompanied. Accompanying 

adults will be charged £3. 

Visit a Victorian fort 

Come and visit one of the 

largest Victorian Casemate forts 

in Britain! Take a tour of the 

tunnels & roof. Open on the last 

Sunday of every month March 

to November plus a couple 

of special events this spring: 

‘Classic Vehicle Day’ on 26th 

March. Motorbikes will be on 

display inside the fort. Visit the 

military & aviation collections 

revealing what life was like 

through the world wars. ‘Fort 

through the Ages’ on 30th April. 

A local military history expert will 

be displaying uniforms & firing 

guns from Victorian, WW1 & 

WW2 eras. Visit the Anderson 

shelter & find out what it would 

have been like to be in an air raid! 

There will also be fort building for 

children. Visit www.coalhousefort. 

co.uk for more information. 

Explore Braintree 

District Museum 

Braintree District Museum is a fun, 

educational and hands-on museum 

for the whole family to enjoy. They 

have trails and hands-on activities 

throughout the museum from an 

archeology sand pit to book baskets 

and dressing up, there is something 

for every age. During school holidays 

they run themed activities every day 

(Tuesday to Friday). These highly 

popular activities are led by an 

inspirational education team and are 

a great couple of hours for kids to be 

creative, meet new friends and at the 

end they get to take their creations 

home with them! 

The children’s events and activities 

are priced and must be booked in 

advance. Please check details before 

your visit to avoid disappointment. 

Visit www.braintreemuseum.co.uk 

for more information. 



15

. 

. 

Roundabout continued from p9 

Easter Holiday 

Tennis Courses 

For 5-7, 8-11 & 12-17 year olds 

Mon 3 - Thu 6 April 

Mon 10 - Thu 13 April 

Download information from 


or contact Derek Rogers LTA Coach: 

07885 874031 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Specialising in 

Ballroom & 

Latin Dancing 

info@elitedanceessex.co.uk 

www.elitedanceessex.co.uk 

Tel: 07946653637 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

First 

Class 

Free 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Fri 7th April 

Minibeast Madness 


Come to Hanningfield for a minibeast 

safari! Look for bugs in the woods, in 

the grass, in the trees and in the pond. 

See what wonders you can find! 10am- 

3pm. £3 per child. Tel: 01268 711001. 

Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre, 

CM11 1WT. www.essexwt.org.uk 

Sat 8th April 

Farmer’s Market - Dunmow 

Come to the farm for a fun family 

morning. Lots of stalls selling local 

produce, crafts and children’s activities. 

9.30am-12.30pm. Free. Tel: 01245 

231331. Great Garnetts Farm, Bishop’s 

Green, Barnston, CM6 1NE. 

www.greatgarnetts.co.uk 

• BALLROOM 

AND LATIN 

DANCE CLASS 

• TUESDAYS 

AFTER-SCHOOL 

CLASS 

• SATURDAY 

MORNING 

CLASS 

Find us on 

Facebook and 

Instagram 

DBS Checked 

• HAVE FUN 

• MAKE 

FRIENDS 

• GAIN 

CONFIDENCE 

• PROMOTE 

HEALTH 

Sat 8th April 

Wind in the Willows Family 

Scavenger Hunt - Hanningfield 

Mr Toad is off on his spring vacation but 

he has managed to lose the things he 

needs in the woods. Can you help him 

find them? Trail sheets £2 per child. 

10am-4pm. Booking essential. Tel: 

01268 711001. Hanningfield Reservoir 

Visitor Centre, CM11 1WT. 


Sat 8th - Sun 9th April 

International Living History 

Festival - nr Witham 

An historical market, Living History 

displays, lectures, seminars, and 

immersive have-a-go hands-on history 

activities. 10am-4pm. Adult £8, 

children free. Cressing Temple Barns, 

Witham Road, CM77 8PD. 

www.livinghistoryfestival.wordpress.com 

Sun 9th April 

Farleigh Bubbles - Maldon 

Take part in Farleigh Hospice’s brand 

new event! A fun filled family 5km fun 

run with 5 different coloured bubble 

stations situated around the route to 

run through while high powered ‘bubble 

cannons’ blow out 30 cubic metres 

of bubbles a minute! Pre-registration 

required. 10.30am-2pm. Promenade 

Park, CM9 5JQ. www.farleighhospice. 

org/event/bubble-rush-maldon 

Mon 10th April 

Hedgehog Club - Fantastic 

Foxes - Hanningfield 

Become a fox for the day. Hunt for food 

in the woods, play games and make a 

fox mask to take home. Suitable for ages 

4-8 years. 10am-12noon. £6 per child. 




Mon 10th - Thu 13th April 

Easter Tennis Courses 

- Chelmsford 

Easter school holiday courses for 

children. Classes for 5-7, 8-11 and 

12-17 years. Booking essential. Tel: 

07885 874031. Derek Rogers at 

Chelmsfordians Tennis Club, Lawford 

Lane (off Roxwell Road), CM1 2NS. 


Tue 11th April 

Anglo-Saxons vs Viking 

Invaders - Colchester 

1100 years ago, Edward the Elder freed 

Colchester from Viking occupation! A 

fun-packed day of activities - meet the 

King and his soldiers and see them battle 

Viking invaders. Drop in between 10am- 

4pm. Free after admission to the Castle. 

Tel: 01206 282941. Colchester Castle, 


Tue 11th - Fri 14th April 

Easter Fun at Braintree 

Museum 

Spring in the museum garden themed 

activities for the kids. 11am-1pm. 

Free with admission charge. Booking 

essential. Activities are aimed at 5 to 

10 year olds. Accompanying adults will 

be charged £3. Tel: 01376 328868. 

Braintree Museum, Manor Street, CM7 

3HW. www.braintreemuseum.co.uk 

Wed 12th April 

Natural Colchester 

Meet members of Colchester’s Natural 

History Society and find out how you 

can get involved with local wildlife. Bring 

along your nature finds for identification. 

Drop in between 10am-12pm and 2pm- 

4pm. Free. Tel: 01206 282941. Natural 

History Museum, High Street, Colchester, 

CO1 1DN. www.cimuseums.org.uk 


Scrapbook Safari - Chelmsford 

Discover the wildlife at Hylands. 

Following an exploration out on the park, 

go inside for a craft and scrapbooking 

session. 10am-12pm. £6 per child 

(maximum 3 children per adult). Booking 

essential. Tel: 01245 605523. Stables 

Visitor Centre, Hylands Park, CM2 8WQ. 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/hylands 


Battlefield One Mini-Paintball 

- Abridge 

Don’t miss the new Mayhem Mini- 

Paintball experience. Play new fields 

never played before for mini-paintball! 

Perfect for ages 8-12, experience two 

hours of intense paintball combat for just 

£24.99pp (special offer), with all paint/ 

16 



equipment included. With a fully-heated 

party room and award-winning facilities, 

you won’t want to miss out! Battle 

through war-torn fields, featuring an 

array of military hardware and help the 

Allies win the day! Book early to avoid 

disappointment! 2pm-4pm. Booking 

essential. Tel: 01708 688517. Laser 

Mayhem, Pryors Farm, Patch Park, 

Abridge, RM4 1AA. 

www.Laser-mayhem.co.uk/mini 


Brilliant Badges & Brooches 


Design and create brilliant badges 

and brooches, inspired by the current 

exhibition. Drop in sessions, 11am - 

1pm and 2pm-4pm. Usual admission 

fees apply. Tel: 01799 510333. Saffron 

Walden Museum, Museum Street, CB10 

1JL. www.saffronwaldenmuseum.org 


Space! - Walton 

Learn all about space, stars and planets. 

Make your own rockets! 10.30am- 

12noon. £5 per child. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01255 679379. The Naze Education 

and Visitor Centre, CO14 8LE. 



Young Adventurers 


Enjoy making fires, building shelters, 

tracking animals? Join in with the young 

adventurers! 10am-2pm. £10 per 

child. For children aged 8 to 12 years. 




Thu 13th April 

Easter Bunny Trail - Danbury 

Enjoy an Easter themed adventure 

at Danbury Country Park. Follow the 

wooden egg trail, then paint your own 

hen’s egg before heading off to meet the 

Easter Bunny. Each child will receive a 

chocolate egg and have a chance to take 

a photo. You can choose your 20 minute 

timeslot when you book. 11am-2pm. Tel: 

0333 013 2738. Danbury Country Park, 

CM3 4UU. www.visitparks.co.uk 


Family Bushcraft Day 

- Hatfield Forest 

Learn the basics for surviving in the 

wild with only the bare necessities. 

An introduction to shelter building, fire 

lighting, water collection and foraging. 

10.15am-3pm. Adult £15 (one adult), 

£28 (Two persons), £40 (Three persons), 

£52 (Four persons). Booking essential. 

Car parking charge applies. Tel: 0844 

2491895. Takeley, nr Bishop’s Stortford, 

CM22 6NE. www.nationaltrust.org.uk 


Magnificent Millinery 

- Colchester 

Be like a Victorian milliner and create a 

wonderful hat to wear at Easter. Bookable 

sessions 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 

2pm and 3pm. Booking required. £3 per 

person. Tel: 01206 282941. Hollytrees 

Museum, High Street, CO1 1UG. 

www.cimuseums.org.uk 


My Garden Kitchen - Colchester 

All about food and the garden. Make a 

pizza planter, brew some ‘sun tea’ and 

find out about wild menus. Accompanied 

children £8. One adult free per child, 

additional adults £3. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01206 822007. Beth Chatto 

Gardens, Elmstead Market, Colchester, 

CO7 7DB. www.bethchatto.co.uk 

Fri 14th & Sun 16th April 



The Easter Bunny has has left some 

chocolatey treats at Hanningfield 

Reserve. Can you find them? Plus make 

an Easter themed craft to take away 

with you and have a go at pond dipping. 

10am-4pm. £7 per child. Tel: 01268 

711001. Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor 

Centre, CM11 1WT. www.essexwt.org.uk 

Fri 14th - Mon 17th April 

Easter Day out with Thomas 


All aboard for a great day out with 

Thomas and his friends. Admission will 

include unlimited rides on Thomas and 

his friends Daisy, Toby and Henrietta. 

The Troublesome Trucks and Rusty and 

Dusty will all be there too. 10am-4.30pm. 

Booking advised. Tel: 01206 242524. 

East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel 

and Wakes Colne Station, CO6 2DS. 

www.earm.co.uk 

Fri 14th - Mon 17th April Fri 14th - Mon 17th April 

Easter Special 


- nr Saffron Walden 

- nr Braintree 

Meet the Easter bunny and challenge Egg hunt, bouncy castle & lots of 

yourself to the Easter trail. 10am- activities for the kids every day from 

5pm. Booking recommended. 

10am-4pm. Tel: 01376 553146. The 

Tel: 01799 542134. Audley End Original Great Maze, Blake House Craft 

Miniature Railway, Audley End, Centre, Blake End, Near Braintree, CM77 

Saffron Walden, CB11 4JB. 

6RA. www.blakehousecraftcentre.co.uk 

www.audley-end-railway.co.uk 

Project2_Layout 1 01/03/2017 14:49 Page 1 


BOOK 

ONLINE 

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Step into Spring 

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Easter holidays including 

Easter Sunday & Easter Monday 

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Special Easter activities do not run on 8th, 9th or 15th 



17

Roundabout 


Easter Adventure Quest 


You’ll be greeted by a character from 

the past - perhaps a king, a butler or a 

Roman centurion - who’ll be able to help 

you crack the clues. There’s a chocolate 

reward for successful adventurers. 

11am-5pm. Standard admission 

charges. Tel: 0870 333 1183. Audley 

End House & Gardens, CB11 4JF. 

www.english-heritage.org.uk/events 

Sun 16th - Mon 17th April 

Jousting with the Knights 

of Middle England 

- Castle Hedingham 

Bold and bright costumes 

accompanied by stunts such as 

saddle falls, drags and rearing horses 

make this a show to remember! 

10am-5pm. Adult £14, child £10, 

family £42. Tel: 01787 460261. 

Hedingham Castle, CO9 3DJ. 

www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk 

EXOTIC 

ANIMAL 

ENCOUNTERS! 

We come to you! 

PARTIES • SCHOOLS 

ORGANISATIONS 

07790 465 266 

www.animalworkshops.co.uk 

St Helena Hospice’s 

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BY POPULAR 

DEMAND! 


Cadbury Easter Bunny Hunt 

- Colchester 

Follow the Cadbury Easter trail around 

the mill and garden. Answer the clues 

the Easter Bunny has dropped to claim 

a yummy Cadbury chocolate bunny as a 

prize. £2.50 per child. 11am-4pm. Tel: 

01206 572422. Bourne Mill, Bourne 

Road, CO2 8RT. www.nationaltrust.org.uk 

Sat 15th April 

Easter Eggsplorer Trail 


Follow the eggsplorer trail round the 

reserve, crack the clues and earn your 

eggy reward. 10am-4pm. £5 per child. 

Tel: 01268 711001. Hanningfield 

Reservoir Visitor Centre, CM11 1WT. 



Easter Weekend 

- Layer Marney 

Bring the family to bottle feed the 

lambs, there will be an Easter Egg 

hunt for toddlers, an Easter quiz/trail 

for older children plus egg and spoon 

races. 12noon-5pm. Adult £9, child 

£5, family £25. Tel: 01206 330784. 

Layer Marney Tower, CO5 9US. 


Tue 18th April 

Torch-Lit Tours: Museums at 

Night - Colchester 

Explore Colchester Castle after hours by 

torchlight. The curators will be available 

to further illuminate the stories behind 

the collections during this atmospheric 

evening. £3 per person. Tel: 01206 

282941. Colchester Castle, Colchester, 


Sun 23rd April 

Open Day - Little Easton 

Visit the historic gardens and take your 

time to discover the hidden delights of 

this forgotten haven. 11.30am-5pm. 

£4 per adult, children free. Tel: 01371 

876979. The Gardens of Easton Lodge, 

Little Easton, CM6 2BB. 

www.eastonlodge.co.uk 


Easter at George Yard 

- Braintree 

Meet the cuddly and friendly 

Blackwater alpacas and pygmy 

goats. 10am-3pm. Tel: 01376 

550373. George Yard Shopping 

Centre, CM7 1RB. 

www.georgeyard.co.uk 

Fri 28th April - Mon 1st May 

May Craft Fair - nr Chelmsford 

A 4-day craft fair run by Essex Craft 

and Design Shows. As well as over 40 

exhibitors there will be demonstrations, 

music and food available. Normal garden 

admission applies. Tel: 0845 2658071. 

RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Rettendon, 

CM3 8AT. www.rhs.org.uk 

A 5km route 

with a difference. 

All ages and 

abilities can join 

in the fun at our 

most colourful 

event! 

Register today! 

sthelenahospice.org.uk/bubble17 

StHelenaHospice @sthelenahospice sthelenahospice.org.uk 

Sun 16th April 

Charity Easter Bunny Hunt 

- Chelmsford 

Chelmsford Ladies Circle run their 

popular charity Easter event at 

Chelmsford Central Park. Tickets cost 

£3.50 if you buy online in advance or 

£4.50 if you buy on the day. Tickets 

include the Bunny Hunt sheet and a 

chocolatey prize. Parents go free! www. 

chelmsfordladiescircle.co.uk/Bunny_Hunt 

Sun 16th April 

Transportfest - nr Maldon 

Easter show with classic cars, military 

vehicles and variety of stalls. From 

10am. Adult £6, child £2. Tel: 01621 

843183. Museum of Power, Hatfield 

Road, Langford, CM9 6QA. 

www.museumofpower.org.uk 


Open Morning - Chelmsford 

An ideal way to see New Hall School 

in action and to meet the students 

and staff. Tours are available in the 

Preparatory and Senior School as well 

as the Sixth Form and boarding provision. 

9am-12noon. Registration required. 

Tel: 01245 236098. The Avenue, 

Boreham, Chelmsford, CM3 3HS. 

www.newhallschool.co.uk/openmorning 

Planning a trip 

away this Easter holiday? 

You can find listings for the 

rest of the UK online at 

www.primarytimes.net 

18 



Sat 29th April - Mon 1st May 

Animal Antics - Billericay 

This bank holiday weekend, Barleylands 

Farm Park is bursting with animal 

antics. 10am-5pm. Standard admission 

charges apply. Tel: 01268 290229. 

Barleylands Farm Park & Craft Village, 

Barleylands Road, CM11 2UD. 

www.barleylands.co.uk 


Bubbletastic - South 

Woodham Ferrers 

Join Professor Bubble-pop this Bank 

Holiday weekend for some bubbletastic 

fun and games. Online tickets: £10.99. 

Tel: 01245 321552. Marsh Farm 

Animal Adventure Park, CM3 5WP. 

www.marshfarm.co.uk 


Enchanted Fairy Walk Open 


Special event at the Railway. Tel: 01799 

542134. Audley End Miniature Railway, 

Audley End, Saffron Walden, CB11 4JB. 



VE Weekend - Waltham Abbey 

Immerse yourself in live history and 

get up close to soldiers and civilians 

visiting from the past, cumulating in 

flying display by a WW2 fighter aircraft. 

Plus, 1940s re-enactments, a fabulous 

array of music, singing, jiving and 

entertaining celebrations. Standard 

admission applies. Tel: 01992 707370. 

Royal Gunpowder Mills, Beaulieu 

Drive, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1JY. 

www.royalgunpowdermills.com 

Sun 30th April - Mon 1st May 

May Bank Holiday Fun Days 


Visit over the May bank holiday for 

diesel train rides, bouncy castle, 

Scalextric layouts, live music and a 

treasure hunt. 10am-4.30pm. Adult 

£9.50, child £4.75. Tel: 01206 242524. 

East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel 

and Wakes Colne Station, CO6 2DS. 

www.earm.co.uk 

Sun 30th April - Mon 1st May 

Medieval Siege 


The Medieval Siege Society return with 

armed men, archers, siege engines, 

living history camps and more. 10am- 

5pm. Adult £14, child £10, family £42. 

Tel: 01787 460261. Hedingham Castle, 

CO9 3DJ. www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk 

DAILY DIARY - MAY 

Sat 6th May 

Open Morning - Gosfield 

Meet with staff and pupils, explore 

100 acres of parkland and join in 

some of the many activities planned. 

10am-1pm. Tel: 01787 474040. 

Gosfield School at Cut Hedge Park, 

Halstead Road, Gosfield CO9 1PF. 

www.gosfieldschool.org.uk 

Sat 6th May 

STO-Kers - Purleigh 

Explore the theme of flight. From 

paper planes, gliders and rockets to 

technology used in radio controlled 

model planes. For 8-14yr olds 10am- 

3pm. £5 per child, £8 entrance for 

accompanying adults. Limited spaces, 

booking essential. Tel: 01245 429134. 

Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome, 

Hackmans Lane, Purleigh, CM3 6RN. 

www.stowmaries.org.uk 

Sun 7th May 

Mud Race - Maldon 

Annual wacky race across the 

River Blackwater at low tide. Many 

participants in fancy dress. Promenade 

Park. Tel: 01621 856503. Promenade 

Park, Park Drive, CM9 5JQ. 

www.maldonmudrace.com 

Sat 13th May 

Open Morning - Felsted 

The ideal opportunity to tour the 

buildings and meet teachers and current 

pupils, and get an insight into life at 

Felsted. Registration required. 

Tel: 01371 822605. Felsted School, 

CM6 3LL www.felsted.org 

Sat 13th May 

Farmer’s Market - Dunmow 

Come to the farm for a fun family 

morning. Lots of stalls selling local 

produce, crafts and children’s activities. 

9.30am-12.30pm. Free. Tel: 01245 

231331. Great Garnetts Farm, Bishop’s 

Green, Barnston, CM6 1NE. 

www.greatgarnetts.co.uk 

Sat 13th - Sun 14th May 

Ben & Holly Visit the Railway 


The children can meet Ben & Holly who 

will be making personal appearances 

at intervals throughout the day. Booking 

recommended. Tel: 01799 542134. 

Audley End Miniature Railway, Audley 

End, Saffron Walden, CB11 4JB. 



Wildlife Weekend 

- nr Chelmsford 

Learn all about wildlife and what is 

going on in your garden, as well as in 

the countryside. Plus advisory stands, 

children’s activities, a bird display and 

bug display, walks around the estate 

and the opportunity to talk to Hyde 

Hall experts. Normal garden admission 

applies. Tel: 0845 2658071. RHS 

Garden Hyde Hall, Rettendon, CM3 8AT. 

www.rhs.org.uk 


Discover wild places with 

the John Muir Award 

Discover wild places, explore 

what makes them wild and 

special, do something to care 

for them and share your 

experiences! 

That’s what the John Muir 

Award invites you to do in a 

spirit of fun and adventure. 

The John Muir Award is an 

environmental scheme which 

helps people connect with, 

enjoy and care for nature. 

Four challenges lie at the heart 

of the John Muir Award. 

• Discover a wild place 

This could be school grounds, 

a local park, beach, woods, 

river, mountain or national park. 

• Explore it 

Do things to enjoy, find out 

more about and understand 

your wild places. Visit your 

chosen site at different times 

of day and night, in different 

seasons, alone or with others. 

• Conserve it 

Care for and love your wild 

place. Take some personal 

responsibility, make a 

difference, put something back. 

• Share it 

Tell others, share and celebrate 

your wild place. 

The award has 3 levels for you 

to work your way through, 

starting with the Discovery 

Award requiring a minimum of 4 

days, then the Explorer Award 

(minimum 8 days) and finally the 

Conserver Award requiring a 

minimum of 20 days of wild 

experiences over 6 months. 

The scheme is perfect for use 

in upper primary schools. 

Teachers can use the John Muir 

Award to support learning 

themes such as personal and 

health education, sustainability 

and citizenship or use the 

award to support outdoor 

learning of curriculum subjects. 

Families can get involved too. 

Activities that could contribute 

to a Family John Muir Award 

might include a holiday or 

series of family outings to wild 

places; outdoor hobbies such 

as hill walking, bird watching 

climbing or canoeing; 

volunteering for local or national 

conservation organisations; 

painting, drawing, photography, 

film-making, poems and stories 

about the great outdoors to 

share your experiences with 

others. 

Spring is the perfect time of 

year to start planning a new 

wild adventure and everything 

you need to get started can 

be found online at 

www.johnmuirtrust.org 

Who was 

John Muir? 

John Muir, born in 1838, 

was a Scottish-American 

naturalist, author, 

environmental campaigner 

and early advocate of the 

preservation of wilderness 

in the United States. 

John Muir helped found 

Yosemite national park and 

was instrumental in the 

development of the Grand 

Canyon and Sequoia 

national parks. 



19

Roundabout 


Temple at War Military and 

Vintage Show - nr Witham 

Experience a true taste of the past 

covering WW1, WW2 and the Cold War 

era, giving your family a truly memorable 

day out. Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 

10am-4pm. Online: Adult £12.50, child 

£7.50, family (2 adults and 2 children) 

£36.00. Cressing Temple, Witham Rd, 

CM77 8PD. www.templeatwar.co.uk 

Sun 14th May 

Olde Tyme Rally - nr Maldon 

Classic vehicle display, live band, stalls 

and family entertainment. 10am-4pm. 

Adult £6, child £2. Tel: 01621 843183. 

Museum of Power, Hatfield Road, 

Langford, CM9 6QA. 

www.museumofpower.org.uk 

Sun 14th May 

Tour de Tendring - Dovercourt 

There is a choice of three circular 

routes around the picturesque district 

of Tendring. In addition to the ride, a 

family fun day at Dovercourt Pool will 

provide lots of fun and entertainment 

for both riders and non-riders alike. 

From 8.30am. Start and finish at 

Dovercourt Pool , Wick Lane, CO12 3TS. 

www.bike-events.com 

Fri 19th May 

Museums at Night 


Explore the museum by torchlight and 

take part in the spooky trail. Drop in any 

time between 6pm and 8pm. Tel: 01799 

510333. Saffron Walden Museum, 

Museum Street, CB10 1JL. 


Fri 19th - Sun 21st May 

National Flower Show 

- Chelmsford 

Enjoy beautiful flower displays, amazing 

show gardens, and attend gardening 

talks held by the regions experts. 

10am-5pm. Advance tickets: 

£8 Adults, accompanied children 

free. Hylands Park, CM2 8WQ. 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/hylands 

Sun 21st May 

A Vintage Affair 


A Big Band, lindy hoppers, classic cars, 

hairstyling and over 50 stalls with a 

cornucopia of vintage wonderfulness. 

10am-5pm. Adults £8.50, under 18s 

£6, family £25. Tel: 01787 460261. 

Hedingham Castle, CO9 3DJ. 

www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk 

Sun 21st May 

Open Day - Little Easton 

Public open day where you can visit 

the historic gardens and take your 

time to discover the hidden delights of 

this forgotten haven. 11.30am-5pm. 

£4 per adult, children free. Tel: 01371 

876979. The Gardens of Easton Lodge, 

Little Easton, CM6 2BB. 

www.eastonlodge.co.uk 

Sun 21st May 

Wings & Wheels - Purleigh 

Everything from classic cars, 

motorbikes and coaches to vintage 

aircraft. A celebration of vehicles for 

both land and air. With a great range 

of traders, exhibitors, activities and 

a BBQ. They will also be welcoming 

some fantastic air displays, weather 

permitting. Adult £15, up to 3 

children under 10 free with each 

full paying adult. Booking advised. 

Tel: 01245 429134. Stow Maries 

Great War Aerodrome, Hackmans 

Lane, Purleigh, CM3 6RN. www. 

stowmaries.org.uk 

Sun 21st May 

Essex Young Farmer’s Country 

Show - nr Chelmsford 

Family day with funfair rides, sheep 

show, livestock arena, farmer’s market 

& food court. From 9.30am. In advance: 

Adult £14, child free. Tel: 01245 

360442. Boyton Hall, Roxwell A1060, 

CM1 4LT. www.essexyoungfarmers.com 

BOOK AHEAD FOR... 

Sat 17th June 

Bubble Rush - Colchester 

A fun-filled bubbly day for the whole 

family! This run features a 5k course 

with four Bubble Stations along the 

route where cannons pump out coloured 

bubbles. Participants of all ages and 

all abilities can take part, you can run, 

jog, walk or toddle through the foam. 

12noon-4pm. Registration required. 

Price includes include a Bubble Rush 

t-shirt and medals. High Woods Country 

Park, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JR. 

www.sthelenahospice.org.uk 

Thu 22nd June 

Ladies Day - nr Chelmsford 

Enjoy all the glitz and glamour of Ladies 

Day. Have a flutter on the racing, visit 

the pop-up shopping village and grab 

yourself a free goodie bag, plus enjoy 

live music from noughties pop legends 

Blue. Gates open 11.50am, first race 

1.50pm. Adults £32.50 (£2 discount if 

booked in advance). Under 18’s free if 

accompanied by an adult. Visit 

www.chelmsfordcityracecourse.com 

Don’t forget to say 

you saw it in Primary Times! 

Our next issue is available 

from Mon 15th May. 

2017 Star Awards 

Reader suggestions 

Let’s go to… 

Paper Mill Lock 

As part of the Primary Times in Essex Star Awards 2017 

we asked readers for ideas of days out. We received lots 

of suggestions, many of which are hidden gems. In the first 

of a series we decided to visit the intriguingly named Paper 

Mill Lock to find out for ourselves why it’s worth a visit. 

Paper Mill Lock is located in mid Essex between Hatfield 

Peverel and Little Baddow and offers canal side walks. It is free 

to park and there is no admission charge. We parked on the 

roadside but in drier months there is ample parking in a field 

adjoining the lock. There is some off-road parking, which is 

available for disabled guests, behind the tea room. It is open 

all year round and offers flat, easy walking following the canal. 

The lock lies almost exactly in the middle of a stretch of water 

linking Heybridge and Chelmsford, however little legs may find 

it a stretch because it is about 7 miles to either destination. It is 

possible to take a cruise on the wheelchair friendly ‘Blackwater 

Dawn’ (visit www.blackwater-boats.co.uk for further details) 

from Sanford Lock, travelling on the unspoilt Chelmer and 

Blackwater. Sunday trips start at Easter and cost £6 adult, £4 

child and under 5’s are free. 

A charming 

‘picture 

postcard’ 

location! 

The Old Stables Tea Room is open from 10am daily 

throughout the year and offers indoor and outdoor (covered 

and uncovered) seating. Tea/coffee/lunch/ice-creams and 

homemade cake are available for hungry adventurers. 

Toilets are also available. 

It is a charming ‘picture postcard’ location and perfect for 

families (although be aware you are never far from the water’s 

edge). There is always something of interest to spot between 

the moored boats with groups of swans gliding by. 

Postcode for Satnav: CM3 4BS. 

T: 01245 225520, or visit www.papermilllock.co.uk 

20 



Schools 

Special 

– a parents’ guide 

Choosing a school for your child, whether 

primary or secondary, is an important 

decision. In Essex, there is a wide choice 

for parents, including independent, 

grammar, specialist and faith schools. 

When making a decision, it will help 

to gather as much information as you 

can, make comparisons, read school 

prospectuses and Ofsted reports and 

visit open days. Most schools run open 

days or evenings at least once a year. 

For more information on the schools 

admissions procedure visit www.essex. 

gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools. 

For more information on independent 

schools visit the Independent Schools 

Council information and advice service 

at www.isc.co.uk 

Anglo European School 

Anglo European School, Ingatestone, 

is a state comprehensive school 

committed to achieving the highest 

academic success through its distinct 

curriculum. A broad, balanced holistic 

education with a unique enrichment 

offer, including an impressive visits 

programme with over 20 partner 

schools, produces independent, 

open minded and confident global 

citizens who are able to communicate 

effectively in a variety of languages. 

The school is open to all its local 

children and to others who value 

its internationalist philosophy. The 

first state school in Britain to offer, in 

addition to traditional A Levels, the 

International Baccalaureate Diploma 

and the International Baccalaureate 

Career Programme and continues 

to be a specialist Language College, 

currently offering 7 different languages 

at GCSE and in the Sixth form. 

The Open Evening for entry into 

Year 7 and the International Sixth 

Form is on Thursday 28th September. 

For details of morning tours visit: 

www.aesessex.co.uk 

Anglo European School 

Open Evening 

Open Evening 

For entry into Year 7 and International Sixth Form 

in September 2018 

For entry into Year 7 and International 

Sixth Form in September 2018 

Thursday 28th 

“This is a 

September Thursday 2017 28th September 2017 distinctive 

16:30 - 20:30 16:30 - 20:30 School”Ofsted 



“This is a 

distinctive 

School” Ofsted 

Chelmsford County High School for Girls 

CCHS is a selective state school. Children who wish to enter 

Year 7 take an entrance test, which is designed to identify those 

girls who have the ability to thrive in an academic school. 

A child does not require tutoring to be successful in the test, in 

fact, they actively discourage it. They recommend that parents use 

the familiarisation paper available on the school’s website to inform 

their child of the type of questions she will be answering. The test 

distinguishes between an average 

ability child who has been tutored, 

and an able one who has not. It is 

the latter who will be successful 

and enjoy life at CCHS. 

Please note there is no fee 

required to sit the test. For more 

information visit: www.cchs.co.uk 

Important Dates: 

Friday 5th May 2017, 9am 

Wednesday 21st June 2017 

Friday 30th June 2017, 12pm noon 

Chelmsford County High School 

for Girls 

A Grammar School with Academy Status 

Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1RW 

T: 01245 245740 E: admissions@cchs.essex.sch.uk 

www.cchs.co.uk/admissions 

Entrance Test Day 

Saturday 16th September 

2017 

Online Registration opens for entry to Year 

7, September 2018 

Open Evening (3.30pm to 7.30pm) 

FINAL Deadline to register to for the 

Entrance Test 



21

Grammar school applications 

Deciding on the right secondary school for your child can be one of the most difficult decisions that you 

take as a parent. If your child seems to need more academic challenge than the majority of their peers 

you might also consider the 11+ test and applying for a selective grammar school. This might all seem a 

rather daunting process but it doesn’t need to be. If you start planning early enough you will find it easier 

to make informed decisions and reduce the stress as much as possible for you and your child. 

What is a grammar school? 

Grammar schools are state schools, whose 

places are applied for through the Local 

Education Authority. They do not charge 

fees. Of the over 3,000 secondary schools 

in England, only 163 are grammar schools. 

Places in these schools are allocated 

selectively, by academic ability, based on 

performance in the 11+ test. There are a 

number of grammar schools in Essex and 

surrounding counties, many of which are 

represented by the Consortium of Selective 

Schools in Essex www.csse.org.uk 

How do I apply for a 

grammar school place for my 

child? 

You must register your child to sit an 11+ test 

by completing the CSSE’s Supplementary 

Information Form and also name the school 

as one of your preferences on your Local 

Authority Common Application Form. For non 

CSSE schools such as Chelmsford County 

High School for Girls, the appropriate test 

Colchester County 

High School for Girls 

Inspiring the leaders of tomorrow 

Open Day Tours for prospective 11+ entrants and parents 

Week of Monday 10 July to Friday 14 July, 2017 

Talk by the Headteacher at 7pm on 17 July, 2017 

Telephone booking required for both these events. Booking opens 18 April, 2017 

See website for details 

We are a top performing, 11-19 academically selective state school 

which welcomes students from Essex and surrounding areas 

www.cchsg.com 

T: 01206 576973 

E: office@colchestergirls.essex.sch.uk 

Norman Way, Colchester, CO3 3US 

application forms are available via the website 

of your chosen school. 

What is the 11+ test? 

The same selection test is utilised by ten 

CSSE schools and saves children, whose 

parents express a preference for more 

than one selective school, having to take 

multiple tests. For CSSE schools there 

are two papers, English and Maths, each 

1 hour long and worth equal marks. The 

English paper comprises comprehension, 

grammar and vocabulary questions, two 

pieces of creative writing and applied 

reasoning (literacy/verbal) and the Maths 

paper comprises questions consistent with 

the more challenging elements of the KS2 

National Curriculum and applied reasoning 

(maths/non-verbal reasoning). The purpose 

of the 11+ test is to enable grammar schools 

to identify children who have the potential 

to thrive in an environment which provides a 

highly academic curriculum, which also has 

depth and breadth, and offers a range of 

challenging pursuits. 

Ofsted: Outstanding 

Should my child 

sit the 11+ test? 

It can sometimes be 

difficult to decide as a 

parent whether or not 

your child should sit the 

11+ test and often your 

child’s primary school 

teacher will be the best 

person to advise you. The 

Headteachers of the CSSE 

selective grammar schools 

in Essex have suggested 

that some of the qualities 

such children will have 

demonstrated are: 

• curiosity, enjoyment 

of learning and problem 

solving 

• perseverance and 

completion of challenging 

tasks 

• understanding of all 

concepts taught at primary 

school 

• enjoyment of a wide 

range of literature and/ 

or non-fiction texts and 

familiarity with reading 

and responding to texts 

with a reading age greater 

than 11 

• understanding of the rudiments of 

spelling, grammar and punctuation 

• creativity in sustained writing 

• ability to make connections between 

various areas of knowledge 

• a good memory 

• imagination and original ideas 

• ability to work at pace and assimilate 

information quickly 

• appreciation of numerical conventions and 

ability to apply mathematical concepts 

How can I prepare my child 

for the 11+ test? 

All grammar school Headteachers share a 

concern that extensive coaching for the 11+ 

is inappropriate, can be counterproductive 

and may mean that a child succeeds in the 

test but is not actually able to cope with the 

demands of a highly academic curriculum. It 

is however, advisable for children to spend a 

few hours familiarising themselves with the 

style of responses required in the papers. 

This can be done at home, using materials 

and papers available on the CSSE website. 

Grammar schools who are not members of 

the CSSE also provide sample test papers on 

their school websites. 

When does the 11+ test take 

place? 

The 11+ test for admission in September 

2018 will take place in September 2017. 

For schools within the CSSE registration for 

the test for opens from Thursday 4 May 2017 

to Friday 21 July 2017. The 11+ test takes 

place on Saturday 23 September, 2017. 

For Chelmsford County High School for Girls 

registration for the test opens from Friday 

5th May to Friday 30th June 2017 (midday). 

The Entrance Test Day is Saturday 16th 

September 2017. 

Other grammar schools have different 

test dates. Please see www.csse.org.uk, 

www.essex.gov.uk or the website of the 

relevant school for further details. 



Colchester County High School for Girls 

CCHSG is one of the top performing 11-19 state schools in the country providing an exceptional 

opportunity for girls to develop their talents, enjoy themselves and flourish as individuals. The 

vibrant and innovative selective school combines a challenging academic environment with 

exceptional opportunities for personal development. 

“Colchester County High School continues to offer exceptionally high quality education. 

It continues to strive for, and achieves, excellence in all that it does.” Ofsted: Outstanding 

Students are truly active learners who think independently and creatively and apply their learning 

to the real world. The inspiring personalised curriculum provides the freedom to explore knowledge 

and gain understanding, to question, challenge and discover. 

Admission to Year 7 is by the 11+ selection test. Please see Consortium of Selective Schools 

website for details: www.csse.org.uk. For further information on the school visit www.cchsg.com 

Colchester Royal Grammar School 

CRGS is an 11-18 state selective 

grammar school which admits boys 

from Year 7 and has a co-educational 

Sixth Form. It is one of the topperforming 

schools in the country 

and is one of very few state boarding 

schools, with accommodation for 30 

Sixth Form students. CRGS provides 

a rich education for its students and 

promotes their personal development 

through pastoral care, extracurricular 

activities and leadership opportunities. 

It is proud of its outstanding reputation 

for games, music and drama, and has 

its own swimming pool, fully-equipped 

gymnasium, multigym and extensive 

games fields. 

Admission at 11+ is through 

selection tests and at 16+ is based on 

performance at GCSE. 

The family atmosphere, culture of 

academic excellence and care for the 

wellbeing of students are key features 

of the school. The staff and students 

look forward to welcoming you to the 

11+ Open Evening on Wednesday 28th 

June. For more information call 01206 

509100 or visit www.crgs.co.uk 

Colchester Royal Grammar School 

11+ Open Evening 

Wednesday 28th June, 6.30pm - 9.00pm 

No appointments necessary - limited parking at rear of school 

6 Lexden Road, Colchester, CO3 3ND 

Tel: 01206 509100 - www.crgs.co.uk 



23

Open 

Morning 

Saturday 

6th May 

10am to 1pm 

Explore - Experience - Join 

A co-educational independent through school 

Nursery - Prep - Senior - Sixth Form 

Book your place 

01787 474040 

gosfieldschool.org.uk/open-mornings 

Project2_Layout 1 01/03/2017 14:49 Page 1 

ESTABLISHED 1929 

Gosfield School 

Gosfield School 

The complete educational 

experience - Gosfield School is 

an independent, co-educational 

through school for children aged 2 

to 18 years old delivering a creative 

and enriching curriculum with an 

emphasis on outdoor learning. 

Pupils throughout the school benefit 

from the supportive approach, 

fantastic facilities and specialist 

teaching, taking each educational 

transition in their stride. 

Small by design - With places for 

up to 20 children per year in the 

Nursery and Prep school, rising to 

a maximum of 40 per year within 

the Senior school, the small class 

sizes enable every member of 

staff to understand each pupil 

individually. An environment is 

provided where all pupils feel valued 

and are able to achieve personal 

excellence in all aspects of life. The 

next Open Morning is Saturday 6th 

May 10am to 1pm. 

Come and meet staff 

and pupils and look 

around the beautiful 

parkland estate. 

Call: 01787 474040, 

email: admissions@ 

gosfieldschool.org.uk 

or for more 

information visit www. 

gosfieldschool.org.uk 

A flying start at Felsted School 

Children start their exciting learning journey at Felsted in a modern and 

spacious building, specifically designed for early years teaching. With its 

own library, multi-purpose hall and play spaces, children’s self-expression 

and creativity are fostered through a broad curriculum that includes digital 

learning and technology, Spanish, Music, PE and Forest School. Small 

class sizes, experienced and enthusiastic teachers, wrap around care, 

fun after school clubs and a hot school 

lunch are some of the many reasons why 

local families are choosing Felsted as the 

right start for their children. 

Felstedians go on to achieve at 

every level; whether it be on the stage, 

in the classroom or on the pitch - all 

children are encouraged to reach their 

personal best. Find out more about 

these exciting learning opportunities 

at the next Open Morning on Saturday 

13th May. For 2017 entry, limited places 

remain – please contact Susan Godfrey 

to secure your place on 01371 822611 

/ prepadmissions@felsted.org. Or visit: 

www.felsted.org 



New Hall School 

From the moment you join the 

Preparatory School, you become 

part of a family. The school is 

dedicated to ensuring that children 

can develop as well-rounded 

individuals. New Hall operates the 

highly successful ‘diamond model’ 

structure, that is, co-education in 

the Preparatory School (ages 3-11), 

single-sex education in the Boys’ 

and Girls’ Divisions (11-16) and coeducation 

in the Sixth Form (16-18). 

An additional Year 5 class will be 

introduced in 2017 and 2018, for 

day pupils and boarders joining at 

9+. A new Pre-Prep building will 

open in 2018, providing two-form 

entry at 3+ and a further class for 

4+ joiners. A new Science Centre is 

planned from 2019, for use by the 

Preparatory and Senior Divisions. 

Please visit to see for yourself 

why New Hall is such a wonderful 

place to be educated. The next 

Open Morning is on Saturday 29th 

April. See www.newhallschool.co.uk 

for details. 

Founded 1642 

New Hall School 

An independent ‘diamond model’ school, city of Chelmsford 

Magnificent campus with extensive and safe grounds 

Day (3-18 years) • Boarding (7-18 years) 

Preparatory • Girls’ Division • Boys’ Division • Sixth Form 

St Mary’s Colchester 

St Mary’s is a happy, high achieving school. The 

emphasis is on encouraging pupils to be happy and 

to make the most of all the opportunities school 

life brings. When they feel secure and supported, 

pupils are able to do their best academically and 

also to develop as individuals, finding confidence, 

talents and interests that will bring them pleasure 

and fulfilment throughout their lives. Lessons at St 

Mary’s are lively and designed to encourage a real 

enthusiasm for learning among girls aged 3 to 16 (and 

boys aged 3 to 4 in the Kindergarten). Art, drama, music, 

sport and all manner of other activities are also entered into with great 

energy and pupils’ achievements reflect this enthusiasm. St Mary’s SATs 

results are well above the national expectations, with many pupils achieving 

grammar school places and Senior School scholarships. All this, despite 

the fact that St Mary’s is not an academically selective school. For more 

information visit: www.stmaryscolchester.org.uk 

OPEN MORNING 

Saturday 29 April 2017 • 9.00am - 12.00noon 

The quality of pupils’ 

personal development 

is excellent 

ISI inspection report 

To book your place, visit newhallschool.co.uk/openmorning. 

Alternatively, please call 01245 236098 to arrange a visit at a time to suit you. 

newhallschool.co.uk 

The Avenue, Boreham, CM3 3HS | registrar@newhallschool.co.uk 

St Mary's ad “A Primary Catholic Times foundation Essex and Feb ethos, 2017 135mm welcoming h x all” 92mm w_Layout 1 27/0 

Elm Green Preparatory School 

Founded in 1944 and set in idyllic, rural surroundings adjacent to National 

Trust woodland, Elm Green Preparatory School is a thriving, well-resourced 

school, deeply committed to helping its students achieve the best of which 

they are capable, academically, creatively, physically and socially. The school 

aims to provide a secure and stimulating environment where kindness and 

thought for others are given high priority and where individuals are valued. 

The school has an excellent academic 

tradition gaining many grammar school places 

and prestigious scholarships at independent 

senior schools. A wide range of sport is offered 

and there is a strong music and art tradition. 

For further details call 01245 225230, 

email: admin@elmgreen.essex.sch.uk or visit 

www.elmgreen.essex.sch.uk 

Elm Green Preparatory School 

Set in idyllic woodland 

surroundings, Elm Green 

provides excellent pastoral 

care, a happy, caring ethos, 

high academic standards 

and splendid sport, music, 

art & ICT opportunities for 

4-11 year olds. 

For further information phone: 01245 225230 or email 

admin@elmgreen.essex.sch.uk • www.elmgreen.essex.sch.uk 

Parsonage Lane, Little Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 4SU 

Happy girls are 

high achievers. 

A flying start to learning for girls and boys 

aged 3-4 in our purpose built 

Kindergarten. Excellent academic results 

and opportunities for the arts, music, sport 

and adventure at our Lower School for 

girls 4-11 and Senior School for girls 11-16. 

St Mary’s 

Colchester 

For more information, please contact our Registrar, 

01206 216420 registrar@stmaryscolchester.org.uk 

www.stmaryscolchester.org.uk 



25

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26 



Growing 

up Digital 

Anne Longfield OBE is the Children’s Commissioner 

for England and recently published a Growing Up 

Digital report. Anne tells Primary Times why she 

believes the internet can be a huge force for good... 

Like many other parents, I’ve had to adapt 

quickly to the internet and the growth of social 

media. I grew up in a world where Google, 

Instagram, Facebook and Twitter weren’t part 

of everyday life - as they are today for millions 

of children. 

I believe the internet can be a huge force for 

good. The digital world gives children the kind 

of amazing opportunities I could never have 

imagined when I was a child. It offers them a 

chance to learn, to explore and to engage with 

others. My 5 year old nephew has been deftly 

handling his parents’ tablet for years – as 

everyday as any household object he has 

grown up with. But as parents we do worry. 

We often feel out of our depth or unsure about 

the impact the internet is having on our 

children’s lives, on their friendships and on their 

childhood development. While mums and dads 

must be the first line of protection against the 

potential online dangers, there is much more 

that can be done to support them. 

Earlier this year I published a report called 

“Growing Up Digital”, following a year-long 

study by a group of experts with expertise in 

areas like media law, online bullying, safety 

and children’s digital use. Our panel included 

Baroness Beeban Kidron, who set up the 

5Rights project to campaign for better digital 

rights for children, and Liam Hackett founder 

of the anti-bullying organisation Ditch The 

Label. We listened to the experiences of 

children and parents and set out a range of 

ideas about how we could give children the 

three most important skills they need to get 

the most out of the internet: resilience, 

information and power. 

I know many parents are concerned we 

aren’t giving children the skills they need to 

navigate their way through the new digital 

world. Kids are spending longer online and 

recent studies suggest almost a third of 15 

year olds have sent a naked photo of 

themselves at least once. Over a third of 12-15 

year olds have seen hateful content directed at 

a particular group of people in the last year. 

Often parents are focussed on chatroom 

safety and the fear of “strangers” and 

“grooming”, while children themselves are 

more worried about online bullying and 

inappropriate pictures of themselves appearing 

on social media. For example, it’s clear from 

‘Growing Up Digital’ that young people don’t 

feel they have control over their social media 

lives. They’re 

agreeing to social 

media terms and 

conditions despite them being so long and 

complex that they could never be expected to 

really understand them fully. It means they are 

giving up their right to privacy and even 

allowing the content they post – pictures 

usually – to be sold by the social media giants, 

if they wanted to. 

As part of our study, we asked some young 

people whether they understood the terms of 

Instagram. Many parents will know that their 

children use Instagram to share pictures, often 

of themselves. It’s used by more than half of 

12-to-15 year olds and one in four 8-to-11 

year olds who say that they have a social 

media account. 

The younger children we showed the terms 

and conditions to were unable to read more 

than half of the 17 pages of text, and none of 

them fully understood what they were 

committing themselves to when they clicked 

‘accept’. When we asked an expert in privacy 

law to simplify them so children could 

understand them, many were shocked by what 

they read. 

We also looked into children’s experiences 

of reporting problems on social media sites. 

We found that many simply have no idea how 

to report unacceptable content or behaviour 

– and even when they do, they are usually not 

happy with the action that’s taken. So we are 

calling on social media companies to rewrite 

their terms and conditions so children can 

understand them and can then make informed 

decisions about what they’re signing up to. 

I hope the Government will implement 

legislation to protect children’s privacy and 

data online. And I would also like to extend my 

powers so the Children’s Commissioner is able 

to oversee the number and the types of 

complaints that the social media companies 

are receiving from children. 

‘Growing Up Digital’ calls for a Digital 

Ombudsman, a mediator to act between 

children and the social media giants, similar to 

the role which works well in Australia. The 

Ombudsman would be an independent person 

who can help children to have content 

removed from sites if they are unhappy with a 

picture or a post that invades their privacy, is 

used without their consent or is used 

as part of online bullying. 

It’s also important to make sure that children 

are taught about their rights and responsibilities 

online from an early age. The internet is a part 

of every child’s life, so it makes sense for all 

four-to-fourteen year olds to learn how to get 

the best out of it, while also avoiding some of 

the dangers. This obligatory part of the 

curriculum would include what it means to be 

a responsible citizen online, how to protect 

their rights online, how to respect others’ rights 

online, and how to both disengage and 

engage with the online world. As younger 

children want to learn these skills but 

sometimes feel uncomfortable talking to 

teachers and parents about the internet and 

would rather talk to people their own age, 

digital citizenship should involve older children 

who younger kids are more likely to trust. 

It’s so important children are better 

educated about the internet, understand what 

they’re agreeing to when they join social media 

platforms and that their privacy is better 

protected. Nobody wants their children 

roaming around in a world for which they aren’t 

prepared. We wouldn’t let a child roam around 

the ‘offline’ world without teaching them the 

skills to do so first. So it’s time we did more to 

prepare children for a digital world that has 

limited regulation and which is controlled by a 

small number of powerful organisations. 

Technology is developing at a rapid pace. 

When it was created 25 years ago, the internet 

was designed with adults in mind - but it’s now 

up to all of us to make sure it is a better and 

safer place for children by giving them the 

information, the power and the resilience they 

need to thrive. 

For more information about the ‘Growing Up 

Digital’ report visit www.childrenscommissioner. 

gov.uk/publications/growing-digital 

For more information on the 5Rights Project: 

http://5rightsframework.com 

For more information about the anti-bullying 

charity Ditch The Label: www.ditchthelabel.org 

The Children’s Commissioner for England 

wants to hear from children about where 

they live, the important people in their lives, 

how they spend their time and what they 

would do if they were in charge of the world 

or their school. If your child would like to take 

part visit https://live.firstnews.co.uk/our-lives/ 



27

S Indicates a book is part of a series 

Text © D J Williams 2017 

Bookstore 

There’s more than a hint of magic in my latest selection, 

not to mention ghostly activity, chocolate and some 

very determined youngsters coping with extraordinary 

situations. Have fun! 

Debbie 

Counting With Tiny Cat - Viviane Scwarz (Walker Hb, £11.99) 

I love this book! Tiny cat must love red balls of wool 

to have so many. He starts to count with them, but 

it isn’t as easy as it fi rst seems, in fact he gets into 

quite a muddle. This very clever, book has hardly any 

words, but tells an hilarious, laugh out loud story with 

simple, expressive pictures. Great for new or reluctant 

readers, but fun for everyone. 

Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory - Elys Dolan (Oxford, £6.99) 

Mr Bunny runs a very successful chocolate factory thanks to 

his hard working chicken employees. Despite making him very 

rich, he isn’t satisfi ed and wants more, insisting his workers work 

faster for longer. This makes them tired and causes accidents 

until they have had enough and go on strike. Rather than listen 

to them he tries to run the factory on his own — resulting 

in a disaster. Will the chickens go to his rescue? Will he learn 

the error of his ways? Will Debbie be found? The answers are in this very funny, 

thought provoking picture book with just a few sentences on each page and 

detailed pictures adding much to the story. Perfect for beginner readers. 

A Race for Toad Hall - Tom Moorhouse (Oxford, £5.99) S 

Ignoring its reputation for being haunted, Teejay, Mo and 

ratty enjoy exploring the run down Toad Hall. On one 

excursion they accidentally fall into a tunnel and discover 

an ice house with a very surprising occupant — none other 

than Mr Toad who, it turns out, had been frozen for over a 

hundred years. There are plenty of shocks in store for him, 

not least of all the run down state of his home, and the fact it had been 

sold ready for demolition. Luckily being frozen hasn’t subdued his spirit 

and he sets out to protect his heritage — with a LOT of help from his 

new friends who thankfully are much less rash and more sensible than he 

is. This is the first in ‘The New Adventures of Mr Toad’, a series revisiting 

a much loved character, bringing him up to date. He is as bombastic and 

funny as ever. Large print and pictures on every page make this a good 

bridge from picture books to novels. 

Louie in a Spin S 

Rachel Hamilton (Oxford, £5.99) 

Despite the best 

efforts of his friends, 

Louie persists in 

seeing the best in 

people and is totally 

oblivious to any bad 

feelings or negative 

actions against him. He is 

also unaware of his own limitations, 

especially when it comes to dance. 

He is delighted when he is chosen 

to represent his school in the ballet 

section of a competition that is very 

important to Madame Swirler, even 

though it is a mistake. Despite 

many disasters during rehearsals 

he is still convinced he can win, 

although no one else shares his 

belief. See if he can overcome all 

the odds in this latest ‘Unicorn in 

New York’ story with all the fun, 

laughs and adventures of the 

previous stories. Large print and 

hilarious illustrations add to the 

story making this great for newly 

developing and reluctant readers. 

The Ghost Light 

S 

Sarah Rubin 

(Chicken House, £6.99) 

In her latest adventure, 

Alice Jones is helping 

out with a new 

production for the re-opening of 

the Beryl Theatre when seemingly 

ghostly activities threaten the cast. 

Alice accepts her sister Della’s 

request to investigate so she can 

prove ghosts don’t exist. As she 

delves in to the theatre’s past an 

unsolved mystery is revealed. Could 

this have something to do with 

current events? She is sure there is a 

plot to stop the theatre re-opening 

and thinks she has discovered who 

is behind it, but is all as it seems? 

Once again aided, and sometimes 

hindered by Kevin, Alice unravels 

the clues one at a time, giving would 

be detectives the chance to see if 

we can solve the case before her. 

This is as absorbing as the first book 

in the series, full of excitement and 

suspense. Full length novel. 

STAR 

READ 

Thunder Struck - Ali Sparkes 

(Oxford, £6.99) 

Alisha and Theo had just met 

when they were both struck by 

lightening. Luckily they both 

survived, but it had a big impact on their lives, 

leaving them able to see ghosts. They are luckier 

than the two young ghosts, Doug and Lizzie, they 

meet who were killed by a lightening strike. The four 

form the Strike Club and are getting used to being together when 

things take a darker turn. Alisha and Theo realise not all ghosts are 

friendly when they start seeing sinister, faceless grey ghosts peering 

in at them at school. Could bits of stone with Latin inscriptions have 

anything to do with them? Are the pupils at their school at threat 

from an old peril and if the Strike Club can work out what is going 

on, will they be in time, or capable of, averting a disaster? This is an 

unputdownable story full of excitement mixed with some humorous 

and spine tingling moments. Fair size print, medium length novel. 

The Young Magicians and the Thieves’ 

Almanac - Nick Mohammed (Puffin, £6.99) 

Zack, Jonny, Sophie and Alex are young magicians 

who meet on a Magic Circle induction week. 

Each with their own skills, they immediately 

bond and are disappointed to find how much 

the president seems to dislike young magicians 

and is against them joining the Circle. Being rather 

adventurous and keen rule breakers, at least Zack is and the 

others follow, they discover all is not well and the society 

is in financial trouble. When a seemingly impossible crime 

is committed, Zack works out it can only have been done 

using magician’s tricks. Is a member of the Circle a thief? The 

friends set out to discover the truth which involves a search 

for a secret book and a couple of death defying stunts — at 

least they hope they defy death! This is a gripping story full 

of humour and magic with well rounded, likeable, quirky 

characters. There are many surprises and breath taking 

moments in this full length novel. 

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart 

Stephanie Burgis (Bloomsbury, £6.99) 

Aventurine is a brave, adventurous young dragon who 

rebels against family restrictions by going out on her 

own to capture a human. Things don’t go exactly to 

plan when the human she ‘captures’ tricks her into 

drinking magical chocolate which turns her into a 

human. This leaves her with a passion for chocolate 

and a very different, limiting, body to come to terms with. She has lost 

none of her spirit and, learning the human city has chocolate houses, sets 

out to fi nd one. After many false starts and causing quite a bit of chaos, 

she succeeds in becoming an apprentice to a chocolatier surprisingly 

making human friends and realising the amazing similarities between 

humans and dragons. But what will happen when her dragon family 

come to get her? Will she have to take sides or can she stop a very 

dangerous situation developing? Find out in this hugely entertaining story 

full of surprises. Fair sized print, full length novel. 

The Secret Keepers - Trenton Lee Stewart 

(Chicken House, £6.99) 

Reuben lives in a run down part of the city 

controlled by an evil being called ‘the Smoke’. No 

one ever sees him, but his ‘Directions’ frighten 

people into doing his will. When Reuben fi nds 

an old pocket watch he is amazed to discover it 

has an incredible power that can turn the holder 

invisible. This makes him feel invincible for a while until he realises 

he is in great danger as the Smoke is after the watch. Setting out 

to discover its origins, he meets an amazing family keeping a big 

secret. With the help of two of them Reuben sets out to achieve 

the impossible — to outwit the Smoke and destroy his power. 

There many more surprising discoveries to be made on the way 

and mortal dangers to face. This is a long novel full of twists and 

turns with many surprises and heart stopping moments. It will 

keep you guessing to the end. For older, capable junior readers. 



Photo by Alastair Muir 

The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Mercury Theatre 

Your family theatre guide, March – June 

Braintree 

BRAINTREE ARTS THEATRE 

Box Office: 01376 556354 

www.braintreeartstheatre.com 


EASTER BUNNY’S EGGS- 

ELLENT ADVENTURE 

Join the hunt for the hidden chocolate 

factory in Easter Bunny’s Eggs-ellent 

adventure and meet him afterwards to 

receive a special Easter present! Suitable 

for 2-7 year olds. 1.30pm. Adult £9.50, 

child £7.50. 

Chelmsford 

CIVIC THEATRE 

Box Office: 01245 606505 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres 

Wed 22nd - Sat 25th March 

ALICE’S ADVENTURE 

The Chelmsford Ballet Company presents 

a fresh look at the story and characters 

of an age-old favourite. Lose yourself 

in a world of magic & mystery; the Mad 

Hatter, grins without cats, white rabbits, 

eat me drink me potions & cakes and 

shrinking Alice. 7.30pm (Sat 3pm). 

Tickets: £13-16. 

BOOK AHEAD FOR... 

Thu 8th - Fri 9th June 

WE’RE GOING ON A 

BEAR HUNT 

Michael Rosen’s award-winning book is 

brought vividly and noisily to the stage 

in director Sally Cookson’s fun-filled 

adaptation set to Benji Bower’s versatile 

lively score. Expect catchy songs, 

interactive scenes and plenty of handson 

adventure! Performance times vary. 

Tickets: £12 

RIVERSIDE ICE & LEISURE 

Box Office: 01245 615050 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/riverside 

Wed 12th - Sun 16th April 

PETER PAN ON ICE 

Join the Lost Boys and Peter Pan as they 

take on Captain Hook with Tinkerbell 

at their side in the wonderful world of 

Neverland. Combining pantomime, ice 

dance and theatre, the talented local cast 

from Chelmsford Riverside Ice Skating 

Club will be showcasing their skating 

skills to entertain you. Performance times 

and ticket prices vary. 

Clacton 

PRINCES THEATRE 

Box Office: 01255 686633 

www.essex-live.co.uk 


ROBIN HOOD 

Robin Hood and his Merry Men battle 

to outwit the dastardly Sheriff of 

Nottingham. Will Robin seize the day and 

win the hand of his fair Maid Marion? 

All will be revealed in an another laugh 

a minute, all-singing, all-dancing 

rollercoaster ride through pantoland! 

Performance times and ticket prices vary. 

Tue 16th - Wed 17th May 

DINOSAUR WORLD 

Grab your compass and join our intrepid 

explorer across unchartered territories 

to discover a pre-historic world of 

astonishing (and remarkably life-like) 

dinosaurs. 10.30am & 4.30pm. Ticket 

prices vary. 

WESTCLIFF THEATRE 

Box Office: 01255 474000 

www.westcliffclacton.org 

Sun 2nd April 

JURASSIC ADVENTURES 

A brand new production, set on a 

magical island, where anything might 

happen, with a brave cast of amazing 

actors, a great fun script, superb 

scenery, and of course dinosaurs! 2pm. 

Adult £16, child £14, family £52. 

Sun 9th April 

ALICE IN WONDERLAND 

Follow Alice and the White Rabbit as 

they set off on a colourful, topsy-turvy 

adventure like no other and meet a host 

of outlandish characters including the 

troublesome twins, Tweedle Dum and 

Tweedle Dee, the notorious Queen of 

Hearts, the Cheshire Cat and of course, 

the Mad-as a bat-Hatter! 2.30pm. Adult 

£11, child £9, family £36. 


THE SOOTY SHOW 

Expect magic, music and mayhem with 

buckets full of audience participation. A 

spectacular treat for Sooty fans old and 

new – plus a chance to meet Richard 

and Sooty after the show! 11am & 

2.30pm. Adult £13, child £11. 

Colchester 

COLCHESTER ARTS CENTRE 

Box Office: 01206 500900 

www.colchesterartscentre.co.uk 


THE BOY AND THE MERMAID 

Traditional sea shanties combine 

with new music in a tale told through 

lyrical storytelling, quirky puppetry and 

innovative physical theatre. 11am & 

1.30pm. Tickets: £4.95. 


COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS 

It’s a comedy club, right, but for kids. 

Also, any adults who enjoy a swear-free 

hour with the international circuit’s best 

stand-ups. 2pm. Tickets: £4.95. 

Sat 13th May 

THE THREE MUSKETEERS 

A hilarious new slapstick adventure of 

All illustrations copyright ©: Helen Oxenbury 1989, from We're Going On A Bear Hunt published by Walker Books. All rights reserved. 

chivalry, swordplay and suddenly falling 

over. 11am & 1.30pm. Tickets: £4.95. 

THE MERCURY THEATRE 

Box Office: 01206 573948 

www.mercurytheatre.co.uk 


THE CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC 

World-class illusionists that make up the 

Champions of Magic team return for a 

spectacular night of mystery that’ll keep 

you guessing for a long time to come. 

2.30pm & 7.30pm. Ticket prices vary. 

Wed 5th - Fri 7th April 

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA 

A delightful family show; packed with 

oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs 

and clumsy chaos! 11am & 2pm. Adult 

£13.50, child £12. 

Mon 10th April 

LITTLE HOWARD & THE MAGIC 

PENCIL OF LIFE & DEATH 

Little Howard discovers that he was 

drawn by a magic pencil, whose eraser 

could turn around and destroy him. 

2pm. Adult £13.50, child £9.50. 

Enjoy the show! 

And don’t forget to say you 

saw it in Primary Times! 

'A great hour 

of song, dance 

and fun' 

Time Out 

Aadapted from the book 

by Michael Rosen and 

illustrated by Helen 

Oxenbury. 

Running Time: 55 mins 

Recommended age: 3+ 

THU 8 - FRI 9 JUNE 

CHELMSFORD CIVIC THEATRE 

BOOK NOW 01245 606505 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres 



29

Competitions! 

WIN 

TICKETS! 

Win £200 to spend on Mini 

Paintball or Outdoor Laser Tag 

at Laser Mayhem in Abridge, nr Romford. 

MINI PAINTBALLING 

(Suitable for 8-13yrs) 

Battle around Russian tanks, planes, and 

armoured personnel carriers just like Call 

of Duty with the latest low impact paintball 

equipment. Includes body armour, gloves, 

full head shield, goggles, and 2 hours of 

fully supervised action, playing 5-7 games 

with paintballs included. 

For your chance to win, just tell us the name of the Mini Paintball sessions 

(see Laser Mayhem advert on p9) Is it...? 

a) Battlefield Mayhem b) Bonkers Mayhem c) Bungee Mayhem 

Email your answer to: win@ptessex.co.uk with the subject 

title ‘Laser Mayhem Competition’, or post it to the address 

on p3. Don’t forget to include your name, address and 

contact details. Prize is valid for 12 months from 

date of receipt. Closing date: 12th May 2017 

OUTDOOR LASER TAG 

(Suitable for ages 6yrs+) 

A variety of outdoor laser tag 

equipment with awesome M9 pistols, 

submachine guns and assault rifles 

with scopes. With 9 specially designed 

different playing fields, full of land 

rovers, helicopters, armoured personal 

carriers, planes, forts and more. 

Laser Mayhem: 01708 688517 | www.laser-mayem.co.uk 

Win tickets for Ladies Day at Chelmsford City Racecourse 

– the most glamourous day in the Essex calendar! 

Enjoy all the glitz and glamour of Ladies Day in the sparkling surroundings of the newest 

racecourse in the UK. Have a flutter on the racing, visit the pop-up shopping village and 

grab yourself a free goodie bag, plus enjoy live music from noughties pop legends Blue. 

Take home something more than just a memory, this is no ordinary Ladies Day! 

We are offering one lucky winner the chance to win 4 tickets to Ladies Day 

(worth £32.50 per ticket) on Thursday 22nd June 2017. For your chance to win, just answer this 

question: Which of the following songs was a hit for noughties pop legends Blue? 

a) All Sing b) All Rise c) All Sleep 

Email your answer to: win@ptessex.co.uk with the subject title ‘Ladies Day Competition’, or post 

it to the address on p3. Don’t forget to include your name, address and contact details. 

Closing date: 12th May 2017 

For more details about forthcoming events visit www.chelmsfordcityracecourse.com 

WIN a party 

at Blackwater 

Leisure Centre! 

At the recently refurbished Blackwater 

Leisure Centre in Maldon there’s a huge 

range of activities on offer. From swimming 

to the large and extremely well equipped 

gym, plus a broad range of children’s activities 

during term time and school holidays! 

There’s also a great selection of parties available 

for all ages. Turn your child’s party into an 

exciting day to remember! There’s no mess, 

no fuss and they’ll entertain your child and 

their friends for the best party ever! 

We are offering one lucky reader a chance to win a party for up to 

15 children, including food. Choose from: Main Pool Super Splash 

Party, Small Pool Super Splash Party, Active Bounce Inflatable Party 

or Football Party. All parties include your personal Party Co-ordinator. 

To win, just count and tell us how many birthday cakes 

like this one you can find hidden around the magazine. 

Email your answer to: win@ptessex.co.uk with the subject title 

‘Blackwater Party Competition’, or post it to the address on p3. 

Don’t forget to include your name, address and contact details. 

Closing date 12th May 2017. 

For more information about Blackwater 

Leisure Centre parties and activities 

visit www.blackwaterleisurecentre.org 

30 



Why can’t you play 

football in the jungle? 

Because of all the 

cheaters! 

Rabbea Ali, aged 8, 

from Colchester 

What do you call an 

alligator in a vest? 

An investigator! 

Lauren Kender, 

aged 12 

Why is it dangerous to 

do maths in the Jungle? 

Because if you add four 

plus four, you get ate! 

Matt Taylor, aged 10, 

from Clacton-on-Sea 

Why is the sky 

so high? 

So birds don’t 

bump their heads! 

Lucy Dixon, aged 6, 

from South Ockendon 

Email your 

joke to: postbag@ 

ptpublishing.co.uk 


31

Enjoy the excitement of flumes, wild 

water rapids, waves and more in our 

family fun leisure pool. 

+ relax in comfort in 

our stylish coffee shop 

32 

New for 2017! brand new fun water features 

and refurbished changing rooms 

Primary Times, North & Mid Essex • Easter Holiday 2017

PTEssex_North_i101_Opt

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