PTEssex_SOUTH_i94_Opt

What’s on guide 

Issue 94 | Easter Holiday 

14th March – 15th May 2016 

For parents, teachers 

and children 

in South & 

West Essex 

Easter Eggstravaganza 

at Tropical Wings Zoo! 

www.tropicalwings.co.uk 

This issue... 

Your complete family 

Easter what’s on guide 

Plus 

Theatre guide, competitions & more 

Primary Times, South & West Essex • Easter Holiday 2016 

1

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Primary Times, South & West Essex • Easter Holiday 2016

Easter Holiday 2016 : Contents 

Editor’s Letter 

Hello! Welcome to the Easter edition 

of Primary Times in Essex. And what a 

cracking issue it is with all manner of 

Easter days out at venues all over Essex 

and beyond. Look out for the Easter egg 

symbol in Roundabout to guide you to Easter 

egg hunts which are happening in parks, woods, nature 

reserves, farms and gardens. Wow! The Easter Bunny will be 

busy this year! Don’t forget to check out the theatre pages 

too for specially selected family friendly shows. 

Thinking about a new school? Never an easy decision to 

make, but this issue we have a feature in which some of our 

local independent schools explain what they can offer. Time 

spent finding out what’s available is never wasted. 

And talking of things local, Tiptree lad Joey Price talks 

about appearing in Dr Who and other prime-time shows, 

and offers advice for other aspiring actors and actresses. 

There are some great competitions to enter at the back of 

the magazine - remember someone has to win and it could 

just be you. They are all quick and easy to enter. 

The next magazine is out mid May ready for half term. 

Bridie Cousins, Assistant Editor 

News Around 

Roundabout 

From Stage to Screen 

Fussy Eaters 

Independent Schools Special 

Bookstore 

Theatre 

Sibling Rivalry 

Loopy Library 

Competitions 

5 

9 

18 

24 

25 

28 

30 

32 

34 

35 

WoUlD yOu lIkE yOuR cHiLd tO rUn oFf sOmE eNeRgY oN a SaTuRdAy 

mOrNiNg aNd tO mAkE nEw fRiEnDs, pLaY aS a tEaM, aNd tO lEaRn 

sOmE aMaZiNg sPoRtS sKiLlS? 

Little Scrummers Rugby non-contact rugby classes are not only fun, 

exciting and professional; they also help to improve your child’s gross 

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 £12 per year and through selected 

retail outlets. Primary Times is currently 

publishing over two million copies per issue 

under franchise licenses throughout 54 

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) 

Production & listings: Zoe Cannon (listings@ptessex.co.uk) 

Contributors: Anne Marie Scanlon & Debbie Williams 

Social Media: Alice Langley 

Artwork & Design: Jackie Bourne 

on communication, behavioural, and social skills by encouraging team 

0330 088 1172 

fReE! 

fIrSt sEsSiOn 

AlL Of OuR ClAsSeS RuN 

On A SaTuRdAy MoRnInG 

In CaMbRiDgEsHiRe, EsSeX & HeRtFoRdShIrE 

wWw.lItTlEsCrUmMeRs.cOm 

mAiL@lItTlEsCrUmMeRs.cOm 

FrAnChIsEs 

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Active Assistance Group, formally 1st Care 

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Our philosophy is based on the principle that 

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We provide both live-in live-out services across 

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


3

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4 Primary Times, South & West Essex • Easter BOOK Holiday 2016 TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT jumpstreet.co.uk

News Around 

South & West Essex 

and beyond 

Tropical Wings Zoo Easter 

Egg-stravaganza! 

Spring is nearly here and the animals are ready to welcome you to Tropical 

Wings Zoo at South Woodham Ferrers! An egg-stravaganza of family fun 

is planned for the annual Easter celebration, featuring an eggs-cellent quiz 

trail, competitions, crafts, entertainment, spring babies and of course more 

amazing animal encounters from the wonderful zoo keeper eggs-perts! 

Join them as the animals participate in their very own Animal Egg Hunt! 

The lemurs, meerkats, coatis and even a group of squirrel monkeys are 

receiving their own egg-themed enrichment throughout Easter. Visit them 

at the Zoo and see them hunt, eat and play with their Easter treats. 

There are exciting NEW displays for 

2016 including a ‘Wild Earth’ show, 

and new for Easter is the ‘Emperors 

of the Sky’ bird display. Fun for all the 

family, whatever your age and whatever 

the weather! The event runs 25th 

March to 10th April 2016. For more 

information call 01245 425394 or visit 

www.tropicalwings.co.uk Look on their 

Facebook and twitter pages to see the 

build up to the event - you might even 

win prizes in the online competitions! 

Tropical Wings Zoo is the 

Primary Times Star Awards 2016 

Winner of Best Family Attraction 

in Essex (small venue). 

Bottle feeding lambs and other 

Easter fun at Lee Valley Park Farms 

Visitors to Lee Valley Park Farms 

will have a chance to bottle feed 

newborn lambs, take part in an 

Easter Egg Hunt over the Easter 

weekend (25th-28th March) and 

enjoy a host of fun activities over 

the school holiday. As well as 

being able to feed milk to some 

of the new lambs at ‘Baby Boom’ 

time, children will be able to stroke 

or say ‘hello’ to many of the 300 

animals at the Waltham Abbey 

farm. Little ones can also see the 

smaller inhabitants of the farm, 

including guinea pigs, rabbits, 

tortoises and some exotic species 

such as snakes. 

From meerkats and chinchillas, 

ponies, and reindeer, to goats, 

llamas, and miniature zebu, the 

variety of furry and feathered 

friends is vast. And visitors can 

also have fun in the indoor and 

outdoor play areas, take a ride on 

Tex the tractor 

to a working 

dairy farm and 

try delicious 

homemade 

cakes and freshly 

prepared food 

in the Orchard 

Café. For more 

information visit: 

www.lvfarms. 

co.uk or call 

01992 892781. 

A five mile 

Easter Egg 

Hunt – but let 

the train take 

the strain! 

The Epping Ongar Railway’s 

Bertie Bunny is leading a 

five mile Easter Egg Hunt in 

Essex this Easter. Children 

will be asked to find the eggs hidden around and along the length 

of the railway track from Ongar through to Coopersale, which is the 

equivalent of 131,579 hens eggs placed end to end and could easily 

be the longest in Essex! They will have some clues to help them 

and any child who completes their egg sheet is entitled to a special 

Easter prize. And of course, being a railway, you will need to take a 

train to find all the eggs! There will also be a children’s disco, Brake 

Van rides with Bertie, and face-painting at this unique event. 

Family tickets for two adults and up to three children are available 

for £34 in advance online, tickets can also be purchased on the day. 

The 339 heritage bus, included in your fare, will be running from 

Epping and Shenfield Stations to the Railway. 

For more information and to buy tickets see www.eorailway.co.uk 

Baby boom 

Easter fun 

and 

OPEN 

10:00 - 17:00 

Easter activities 

• Easter egg hunts 

• Bottle feeding lambs 

• Newborn animals 

Go wild at Lee Valley Park Farms and let off steam in 

Bundle Barn and the outdoor play areas, meet all our 

animal friends and re-fuel in the Orchard Café. 

25 - 28 March 

Easter egg hunt 

25 March - 17 April 

Baby boom 

10% online discount 

Simply pre-book your tickets at lvfarms.co.uk 

Lee Valley Park Farms 

Stubbins Hall Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 2EF 

lvfarms.co.uk | 01992 892 781 | 

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


5

News Around 

South & West Essex 

and beyond 

Colchester Zoo is ‘Going 

Ape for Conservation’! 

Join Colchester Zoo throughout 2016 as they raise 

awareness of the great apes both at the zoo and 

in the wild! In celebration of the redevelopment of 

‘Chimpanzee Lookout’ in 2016, the zoo will also be 

offering some fantastic activities and competitions 

throughout the year raising awareness of the 

ape projects which the zoo’s charity ‘Action for 

the Wild’ supports. Book Etickets online to take 

part in ape-mazing activities! Colchester Zoo is 

also delighted to be partnering with Imaginative 

Traveller who is providing an amazing adventure 

holiday of a lifetime for a family of four to Borneo to 

support the Going Ape for Conservation campaign! 

This fantastic holiday prize includes return flights for the winner 

and three other people, all accommodation including hotel, 

guesthouse, nature lodge and a beach chalet. The winners will enjoy activities like river 

cruises, tree planting, a night walk in Abai near to the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia 

and a snorkelling boat trip! For more information on this once in a lifetime prize and 

many other giveaways in the run up to the big prize draw visit www.colchesterzoo.org 

SPECIAL PRIMARY TIMES PROMOTION: GET 20% OFF E-TICKETS 

See Colchester Zoo leaflet inside this issue of Primary Times or enter 

PRIMARYTIMESSOUTH when booking your tickets online. 

SpongeBob 

SquarePants 

at intu Lakeside 

You’re invited to join the subsea 

silliness this Easter at intu Lakeside. Get ready to laugh 

your pants off at SpongeBob SquarePants’ Laughter 

Party from 25th March - 10th April. 

Dive into SpongeBob SquarePants’ world of Bikini 

Bottom to join the ultimate sea bed Laughter Party, 

packed with interactive fun and games including the 

Giggle Groove silent disco, Snail Slalom racing, laughter 

limbo and much more. Don a pair of Giggle Groove 

silent disco headphones and get down to some Bikini 

Bottom tunes. Then, see how fast Gary can go with the 

remote controlled Snail Slalom racing game. There’s 

a lot of laughter in Bikini Bottom. The games of limbo 

played there are a little different (and a lot harder). 

Don’t forget to sign up to the intu Lakeside Kids’ 

Club. Membership is free and your little rays of sunshine 

will receive a pack of goodies when they join. You’ll be 

delighted with the exclusive family offers and discounts 

for intu Lakeside’s stores and restaurants. Sign up in 

centre or online at www.intu.co.uk/spongebob 

Shop with us: in centre | at home | on the go 

You’re invited to SpongeBob SquarePants’ 

Laughter 

Party 

25 March - 10 April 

For all the details, 

visit intu.co.uk/spongebob 

© 2016 Intu Properties plc. © 2016 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Created by Stephen Hillenburg. 

6 


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

Hop into spring 

at RHS Garden 

Hyde Hall 

Discover the magic of Easter and 

join the hunt to find the Lindt Gold 

Bunny at RHS Garden Hyde Hall. 

A great day out for children and 

adults alike, Hyde Hall is the ideal 

place to enjoy the great outdoors 

and get closer to nature. Hear the 

magical tinkle of the golden bell and 

spy the flash of Lindt Gold Bunny 

ears amidst the flowerbeds as you 

hop along the Lindt trail, uncovering 

clues to be rewarded with a 

delicious Lindt chocolate treat. 

There’s also Easter themed art 

& craft workshops, face painting, 

chicks & bunnies, puppet making 

workshops and an interactive 

story trail. Times and dates of the 

activities vary, so please check the 

website for full details: rhs.org.uk/ 

hydehall. And don’t forget to check 

out the Higgledy Hyde play tower 

where you can swing on the ropes, 

whizz on the slide and wiggle on the 

wobble board! 

If all that activity is too much, take 

time to chill out in the family-friendly 

café or restaurant where you can 

find everything from coffee and 

cake to a home-cooked lunch and 

dessert.Hyde Hall is open daily from 

10am. Find them off the A130 near 

South Woodham Ferrers. 

The Railway Children stage-to-screen 

film steams into Essex this Easter 

This Easter Monday (28th March), 400 cinemas nationwide will screen 

The Railway Children, a film of York Theatre Royal’s Olivier award-winning 

production performed in summer 2015 at the National Railway Museum, 

York. Tickets for screenings in south and west Essex are on sale locally 

at Empire Basildon, Vue Thurrock, Cineworld Harlow, Vue Romford, and 

ODEON Southend. 

The film captures the imaginative stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s 

cherished novel on its return to its Yorkshire roots, and features the original 

locomotive from the much-loved original 1970 film. The Railway Children 

follows the story of Roberta (Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis, three sheltered 

siblings who suffer a huge upheaval when their father, who works for 

the Foreign Office, is taken away from their London home and (falsely) 

imprisoned. The children and their mother, now penniless, are forced to 

move from London to rural Yorkshire near a railway line. The story deals 

with themes of justice, 

the importance 

of family and the 

kindness of strangers. 

For showing times 

at participating 

cinemas and ticketing 

links, visit www.railway 

childrenfilm.com 

For a chance to 

win tickets, see 

competition on p35. 



7

Find us off the A130 near 

South Woodham Ferrers 

Activities vary, check website 

rhs.org.uk/hydehall 

8 


RHS Registered Charity Number: 222879 / SC038262

Roundabout 

Your family what’s on guide, March – May 

ONGOING 

Until Thu 21st April 

The Big Egg Hunt - Hockley 

An Easter egg hunt around the campsite, 

follow the clues and discover the 

eggs, and get a real chocolate egg on 

completion. Refreshments will be on 

sale. 9am-3pm. Tel: 01702 562690. 

Belchamps Scout Centre, Hollyoak 

Lane, Hawkwell, SS5 4JD. 

www.belchamps.org.uk 

family! Open from 9.30am. 20% off 

e-tickets see p6. Tel: 01206 331292 

.Colchester Zoo, Maldon Road, Stanway, 

CO3 0SL. www.colchester-zoo.com 

Fri 25th March 

Easter Egg Hunt 

- Hanningfield 

The Easter Bunny has been to 

Hanningfield Reserve and left some 

chocolaty treats behind, can you find 

them? Make an Easter themed craft to 

take away with you and have a go at 

some pond dipping. 10am-3pm. £7 per 

child. Tel: 01268 711001. Hanningfield 

Reservoir Visitor Centre, CM11 1WT. 

www.essexwt.org.uk 

Fri 25th - Mon 28th March 

Easter Egg Hunt - Ongar 

The railway is open all weekend and with 

lots of Easter fun including a visit from 

the Easter Bunny, Children’s disco, face 

painters and ‘bunny hop’. Tel: 01277 

365200. Epping Ongar Railway, CM5 

9BN. www.eorailway.co.uk 


Spring Steam Specials 

- Burnham-on-Crouch 

Special event at this working train 

museum. 11.30am-5pm. Entrance 

charges apply. Tel: 01621 784898. 

Mangapps Railway Museum, 

Southminster Road CM0 8QG. 

www.mangapps.co.uk 

The Easter Bunny has 

been busy! Look for the Easter 

eggs throughout Roundabout 

to find your local Easter 

Egg Hunt! 


Day out with Thomas 

- nr Colchester 

Treat the little ones as Thomas 

and his friends once again return 

to Chappel for four fun filled days! 

10am-4.30pm. Admission will 

include unlimited rides on at least 

four character trains. Booking 

recommended. Tel: 01206 242524. 

East Anglian Railway Museum, 

Chappel and Wakes Colne Station, 

CO6 2DS. www.earm.co.uk 

MARCH 

Sat 19th March 

Tick Tock: Time and Technology 

- Colchester 

It is British Science Week at Hollytrees 

Museum as they celebrate all things 

clocks. Free. 10.30am-4pm. Tel: 01206 

282941. Hollytrees Museum, High Street, 

CO1 1UG. www.cimuseums.org.uk 


Astronomy Open Evening 

- Hadleigh 

Explore the sky and learn about the 

moon, stars and other heavenly bodies 

at our free stargazing event. 7pm-9pm. 

Free. Tel: 0345 603 7624. Hadleigh 

Country Park, Chapel Lane, SS7 2PP. 

www.visitparks.co.uk 

Sat 19th - Sun 20th March 

Spring Food & Home & Craft 

Fair - nr Witham 

A range of food, home and craft stalls, 

there will also be a full weekend’s 

programme of cookery demonstrations. 

10am-4pm. Adult £5, children free. 

Cressing Temple, Witham Road, 

CM77 8PD. www.visitparks.co.uk 


British Science Weekend 

- Chelmsford 

Visitors will be able to experience sound, 

forces, electricity and many more as you 

make your way around the trails across 

the 32 acre site. 10am-4pm. £2 per 

person. Tel: 01245 475498. Sandford 

Mill, nr Chelmer Village, CM2 6NY. www. 

chelmsford.gov.uk/museums 


- Sun 10th April 

Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt 

- Chelmsford 

Hop around the garden with the 

family this Easter, answering clues 

along the way and be rewarded 

with a delicious Easter chocolate 

treat. Normal garden admission. 

10am-5pm. Tel: 01245 400256. 

RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Rettendon, 

CM3 8AT. www.rhs.org.uk 

Sun 20th March 

Science Sunday - nr Maldon 

Wild and wacky science demonstrations 

plus hands-on activities. Refreshments 

available. 10am-4pm. Adult: £5, child 

£2.50. Tel: 01621 843183. Museum 

of Power, Hatfield Road, Langford, CM9 

6QA. www.museumofpower.org.uk 

Sun 20th & Sun 27th March 

Have a Go Potters Wheel 

- Billericay 

Make your own pot one to one with the 

Potter, fun for all the family, £6 a throw. 

Booking essential. Tel: 01268 270892. 

Hazle Ceramics, Barleylands Craft Village, 

Barleylands Road, CM11 2UD. 

www.hazlespotterybarn.co.uk 

Tue 22nd March 


Easter Holiday at 

Colchester Zoo 

Join Colchester Zoo this Easter as they 

Go Ape for Conservation! Their fantastic 

activities will be great fun for all the 

More Roundabout 



9

Redwings 

Horse Sanctuary 

Dogs 

on leads 

welcome 

Visit 

Redwings Ada Cole 

Epping Road, Nazeing, 

Essex EN9 2DH 

FOLLOW THE 

BROWN TOURIST 

SIGNS! 

FREE 

ENTRY 

Meet rescued horses and donkeys nose-to-nose! 

Visit www.redwings.org.uk 

or call 0870 040 0033 

PT Essex (135x92) Ada Cole VC.indd 1 

A fun, free 

family 

day out! 

EOR2201-Easter-ESSEX-90x135-001.pdf 1 23/02/2016 09:57 

EPPING ONGAR RAILWAY 


We're open every weekend, Bank 

Holidays and Wednesdays from Easter 

to the end of October. 

Easter Bunny visit 

Children's Disco 

Facepainters 

“The Bunny Hop” 

www.eorailway.co.uk 

01277 365200 

25 - 28 

MARCH 

2/4/2016 1:35:57 PM 

Don't forget your fares include travel on free heritage 

buses between Shenfield, Ongar, North Weald and Epping 

@eorailway 

Epping Ongar Railway 

Roundabout 


Easter Adventure Quest 

- nr Saffron Walden 

Meet characters from the past with 

stories of times gone by - a king, a butler, 

a Roman centurion or a monk. These 

honourable folk will help you on your 

quest as you explore Audley End and 

crack the clues. Rise to the challenge 

and win your chocolate reward. 11am- 

4pm. Adult £16, child £9.60, family 

£41.60. Tel: 0870 333 1183. Audley 

End House & Gardens, CB11 4JF. 

www.english-heritage.org.uk/events 


Tasty Easter Treats 

- nr Chelmsford 

Celebrate Easter at Hyde Hall and enjoy 

some scrumptious foodie treats in 

the Barn Restaurant. On Good Friday 

you’ll find a fish themed menu, while 

on Saturday, chocolate - both sweet & 

savoury - takes centre stage. On Easter 

Monday they will be offering a traditional 

roast lamb dinner. Tel: 01245 400256. 

RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Rettendon, CM3 

8AT. www.rhs.org.uk 


Easter through the Looking 

Glass - Maidstone, Kent 

Join in the Alice in Wonderland 

extravaganza this Easter - interactive 

sketches across the grounds will 

introduce you to a chatty caterpillar, 

Tweedle-Dum & Tweedle-Dee, a crazy 

tea party and a giant game of croquet. 

You may even meet the Queen and Alice 

herself. Standard admission charges 

apply. Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent 

ME17 1PL. www.leeds-castle.com 



- nr Waltham Abbey 

Take part in the annual Easter egg 

hunt and see what animals you find 

around the farm. Say hello to all of the 

new spring arrivals in the farmyard 

and you may also catch a glimpse of 

Fri 25th March - Fri 8th April 

Meet Creatures Great 

& Small This Easter 

- Billericay 

Join in ‘egg-stra’ activities including 

lamb bottle feeding, biscuit 

decorating, an Easter Egg Hunt 

hosted by the Easter Bunny, and 

meet babies galore from cute chicks, 

piglets, and bunnies to snakes and 

lizards in the huge Reptile House! Tel: 

01268 532253. Barleylands Farm 

Park & Craft Village, Barleylands 

Road, Billericay, Essex, CM11 2UD. 

www.barleylands.co.uk 

Fri 25th March 


Easter at Bounce Village 

- nr Southend-on-Sea 

Easter fun at this family friendly 

trampoline park. Events include, 

colouring competition, Easter egg 

hunt, Easter raffle and name the 

Easter chick. Normal entry prices 

apply. Tel: 01702 549010. Purdeys 

Way, Rochford, SS4 1NE. 

www.bouncevillage.co.uk 

the Easter Bunny! 10am-5pm. Normal 

admission applies. Tel: 01992 892781. 

Lee Valley Park Farms, EN9 2EF. 

www.visitleevalley.org.uk/farms 

Fri 25th March - Sun 10th April 

SpongeBob SquarePants 

at intu Lakeside 

Dive into SpongeBob SquarePants’ world 

of Bikini Bottom to join the ultimate 

sea bed Laughter Party, packed with 

interactive fun and games including the 

Giggle Groove silent disco, Snail Slalom 

racing, laughter limbo and much more. 

For more information visit www.intu. 

co.uk/spongebob 


Busy Bunny Easter Trail 

- Brentwood 

A self guided trail which can be started 

throughout the day. It is aimed at 

children between 3-12 years although 

everyone will enjoy hunting for eggs, 

solving puzzles and finding clues. 10am- 

3pm. £3 per trail booklet including map 

and well done gift. Weald Country Park, 

Weald Road, South Weald, CM14 5QS. 



Explosive Easter Holiday 

- Waltham Abbey 

Professor Nitrate is back in his Mad 

Lab this Easter and is set to unveil even 

more ‘secret science’ experiments. Over 

Easter bank holiday weekend there is a 

bevy of children’s activities and amazing 

explosive arena events. Good Friday 

and Saturday will provide special Easter 

activities designed for younger children, 

with a traditional Easter Egg Hunt, 

crafts and other eggciting activities! Tel: 

01992 707370. Royal Gunpowder Mills, 

Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1JY. 

www.royalgunpowdermills.com 


Easter Egg Hunt - Gt Notley 

Hop along to Sky Ropes this Easter 

and take part in the Easter egg Hunt, 

sky ropes tickets to be won! Booking 

10 



ecommended. Tel: 0345 603 7624. 

Great Notley Country Park, Braintree, 

CM77 7FS. www.visitparks.co.uk 


Easter Quest - Maidstone, Kent 

An Alice in Wonderland themed Easter 

Quest across the estate for children. 

Standard admission charges apply. Leeds 

Castle, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 1PL. 

www.leeds-castle.com 


Baby Boom 

- nr Waltham Abbey 

Celebrate and make friends with the 

newborns who have arrived at the 

farm over the winter. Enjoy and take 

part in our education talks on the new 

arrivals.10am-5pm. Normal admission 

applies. Tel: 01992 892781. Lee Valley 

Park Farms, EN9 2EF. 

www.visitleevalley.org.uk/farms 


Easter Egg-Stravaganza 

- South Woodham Ferrers 

The annual Easter celebration featuring 

an eggs-cellent quiz trail, competitions, 

crafts, entertainment, spring babies and 

of course more amazing animal encounters 

from the wonderful zoo keeper eggs-perts! 

9.30am-5.30pm. Standard admission 

charges apply. Tel:01245 425394. 

Tropical Wings, Wickford Road,CM3 5QZ. 

www.tropicalwings.co.uk 


Nature Club - Danbury 

A monthly nature club for children aged 

7-11 who are interested in outdoor fun 

with a nature theme. 10am-12noon. £3 

per child. Booking preferred. Tel: 01245 

222350. Danbury Country Park, CM3 

4UU. www.visitparks.co.uk 


Easter Trail - Chelmsford 

Can you find the golden eggs hidden 

around the museum to win a prize? 

All ages. 10am-4pm. £1. Tel: 01245 

457150. Essex Police Museum, HQ, 

Chelmsford, CM2 6DN. www.essex. 

police.uk/museum 


Wild Families - Rainham 

A monthly event for families to adventure 

and explore around Rainham Marshes, 

enjoying nature and having fun! There will 

be drop in session between 10.30am and 

12.30pm, and a bookable event to make 

some fabulous things to take home from 

1.30pm-3.30 pm. Normal admission 

charge plus £1 per child, accompanying 

adults free. Tel: 01708 899840. RSPB 

Rainham Marshes, off New Tank Hill 

Road, RM19 1SZ. www.rspb.org.uk/ 

rainhammarshes 


Easter Fun Weekend - Grays 

Come along and have some great Easter 

fun. Coconut shy, Easter craft, badge 

making, face painting, tractor rides. 

Meet the Easter bunny and receive your 

egg. 11am-1pm. £5 per child, £1 per 

adult. Booking essential. Tel: 01375 

484016. Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre 

(nr Lakeside Shopping Centre), off Drake 

Road, RM16 6RG. www.essexwt.org.uk 


Transportfest - nr Maldon 

All forms of 1950’s-1990’s transport, 

classic vehicles, live music, craft stalls, 

plus children’s activities including Easter 

egg hunt. From 10am. Adult £6, child £2. 

Tel: 01621 843183. Museum of Power, 

Hatfield Road, Langford, CM9 6QA. 

www.museumofpower.org.uk 


Easter Fun - Chingford 

Come and join in the Easter fun. Egg 

decorating and Easter crafts. Easter trail 

- find the clues along the woodland trail 

and meet the Easter bunny. Join in egg 

rolling at 2pm. No booking necessary just 

turn up. Recommended donation £2 per 

child. 12noon-2pm. Tel: 020 7332 1911. 

The View, Rangers Road, Chingford, 

E4 7QH. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ 

eppingforest 


Easter Egg Hunt - Basildon 

Follow the trail answering wildlife 

questions along the way to win your 

chocolate prize. Plus Easter themed 

crafts in the Visitor Centre. 10am-4pm. 

£6 per person. Booking recommend. 

Tel: 01268 419103. Langdon Visitor 

Centre, Lower Dunton Road, SS16 6EB. 



Charity Easter Bunny Hunt 

- Chelmsford 

Chelmsford Ladies Circle run their ever 

popular charity Easter event at the new 

venue of Chelmsford Central Park. Find 

all the bunnies to claim your chocolate 

prize! 11am. Advance entry: £3.50. 

www.chelmsfordladiescircle.co.uk 

Sun 27th - Mon 28th March 

Lee Valley Easter Country Fair 


A fun packed Easter weekend of 

family fun! There will be a host of 

entertainment in the showground arena 

including children’s entertainment and 

rural demonstrations, as well as arts 

Roundabout continues on p14 

Family Friendly 

Trampoline Park 

Book online now! 

Opening Times: 

Mon – Thurs: 10am - 9pm 

Friday: 10am - 11pm 

Saturday: 9am - 11pm 

Sunday: 9am - 9pm 

Last Bounce 

Session is 

1hr before 

closing 

Bounce Sessions £10 

60 minutes of bouncing fun for over 5’s 

Booking essential 

Party packages £15 per child 

60 minutes of bouncing fun, plus party room, 

dedicated host, food & refreshments 

Special sessions 

Parent & Toddler sessions, fitness sessions, 

dodgeball, teen & tween nights and more! 

Easter fun! 

Fri 25 March 

- Sun 10 April 

Hop along to Bounce Village for 

an Easter egg hunt, colouring 

competition, raffle and name 

the Easter chick for 

great prizes! 

Bounce Village, 12 Purdey’s Way, Rochford, Essex SS4 1NE 

01702 549010 • bookings@bouncevillage.co.uk • www.bouncevillage.co.uk 



11

Keeping the kids happy 

is child’s play at 

£312pk 

60p 

each 

Have an 

egg-cellent 

Easter 

£1.50 * 95p 

£1.25 * 

each 

Find your local store at www.wilko.com/page/storelocator 

*Items available in store only. All products are subject to availability. Some items available in larger stores only, 

please check with your store in advance to avoid disappointment. Also online at wilko.com. 0426901 Wilko Make 

Your Own Easter Egg Basket Bunny/Chick. 0351501 Cupcake Cases 12pk. 0284023 Wilko Seeds Sunflower Giant Single. 

0270788 Wilko Seeds Cress Fine Curled. 0231614 Crayola Crayons 24pk. 0349453 Wilko Animal Colouring Book. 

12 


Advertisement Feature 

Eggcellent ideas to keep the kids busy 

With the Easter break just around the corner, many parents are starting to think 

about how to entertain the kids, particularly if the weather forecast isn’t looking too 

good. With a few fun activities, some creative thinking and a bit of forward planning, 

it’s easy to keep little ones busy and active – and without breaking the bank! 

Get creative with Easter crafts 

Craft projects are brilliant for engaging children. 

Not only do they provide them with hours 

of entertainment, but they’re also ideal for 

building skills and cognitive development. 

Colouring in and painting are both great fun 

whatever the weather – kids love to get the 

crayons and paints out to create their own 

magical world of colour! Ready-made kits 

for creating jigsaws, piggy banks and picture 

frames will help to add excitement, and also 

make lovely personalised gifts if there’s a 

birthday coming up! Of course a colouring 

book with a bunch of crayons is also a great 

way to have some quality quiet time together. 

At Easter time there are loads of craft kits 

available, such as sets to make bonnets, egg 

baskets and masks. They include all the bits 

and pieces needed to set the kids loose on 

their own Easter project! A make your own 

Easter sign set will also help you decorate 

the home, ready for the big day. 

Mixing it up in the kitchen 

Kids love to get involved and the kitchen is a 

great place to spark creativity and get stuck 

in, especially on those rainy days. For kids 

that love sweet treats (and that’s all of them!), 

there’s no beating a bit of good old fashioned 

baking... just be prepared to see more mix 

on the floor than in the bowl! Whether it’s jam 

tarts, fairy cakes or gingerbread men, baking 

is a great opportunity for kids to learn new 

skills and bake their own creations. For added 

enthusiasm, a few fun-shaped colourful cutters 

will do the trick. 

Teaching children how to make meals or 

snacks from scratch can be a great way 

of increasing their understanding of the 

importance of healthy eating, and get them 

thinking about where food comes from. 

To get them interested, it can be fun to make 

dishes that the kids have never tried before 

– it could be as simple as a fruit salad filled 

with unusual fruits from around the world. 

For those lucky enough to be jetting off 

somewhere exotic this year, a whole menu 

could be created made up of dishes from that 

country... a sure bet to get everyone excited! 

Outdoor activities 

With rumours that warm weather’s on its way, 

as unlikely as it seems now, there may be 

plenty of fun to be had in the garden. Setting 

up a garden Olympics will help keep little ones 

both busy and active... think sandpit for the 

long jump and two lengths of the garden for 

the 100 metres race. They’ll tire themselves 

out whilst having a load of fun... all without 

you having to spend a penny! 

Euro 2016 is only a couple of months away 

now, so setting up the goal posts and net 

for a penalty shoot out may help them take 

an interest – just keep competitive dads well 

away! If football isn’t their thing, a tennis, 

rounders or badminton set will be just as fun. 

For not-so-sporty kids, gardening is a great 

activity no matter what age they are. Pick 

a simple activity to start with like planting 

seeds – and watch them get hooked as their 

plants start to grow. Even children who find 

it difficult to concentrate will love to track the 

development of their plants as they get taller 

and taller thanks to their care and attention. 

Some parents like to add a competitive 

element to see who can grow the tallest, 

largest or tastiest plant! Now is the perfect 

time to start thinking about growing super-easy 

sunflowers, and a pack of seeds costs less 

than a quid – great value for weeks of fastgrowing 

fun! 

For more ideas to keep the kids 

busy this Easter visit wilko.com 

or visit our blog - life.wilko.com 



13

Roundabout continued from p11 

Flickr 

Get active at Easter! 29 March - 8 April 

SOCCER SCHOOL FOR AGES 5-13 

Wed 30 th Mar – Fri 1 st April, 10am-3pm, 

Mon 4 th – Wed 6 th April £12.50 

FITNESS CIRCUITS FOR AGES 12-15 

Wed 30 th Mar, Fri 1 st April, 

Wed 6 th & Fri 8 th April 

11am-12noon 

£4.60 

HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 5-13 

Tue 29 th & Wed 30 th Mar, 10am-12noon £7 

Thur 7 th & Fri 8 th 12.30-3.30pm 

April £10.50 

Full day £15 

TENNIS DAY CAMP FOR AGES 5-13 

Tue 29 th Mar & Tue 5 th April 10am-3pm, 

£20 

Chadwell Road, Grays RM17 5TD 

T: 01375 898613 

www.palmerssportscentre.co.uk 

Easter through the Looking Glass | 25th - 28th March 2016 

Join in the Alice in Wonderland extravaganza this Easter – interactive 

sketches across the grounds will introduce you to a chatty caterpillar, 

Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee, a crazy tea party and a giant game 

of croquet. You may even meet the Queen and Alice herself! 

Easter Quest | 25th March - 10th April 2016 

Children of all ages will love the Alice in Wonderland themed 

trail that takes them across the Leeds Castle estate. 

Book online for 10% OFF your ticket 

Delicious 

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leeds-castle.com 

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and crafts, side shows and plenty of 

opportunity to grab Easter gifts. 10am- 

5pm. Adult £7.50, child £3, family £19. 

River Lee Country Park Showground, 

EN9 1AB. www.oakleighfairs.co.uk 

Sun 27th - Mon 28th March 

Motorbike Day - East Tilbury 

Special event day at this Victorian coastal 

defence fort set in parkland. 11am-5pm. 

Entry prices apply. Tel: 01375 844203. 

Coalhouse Fort, RM18 8PB. 

www.coalhousefort.co.uk 


- Sun 31st July 

The Wacky Wheels Challenge 

- Hadleigh 

Follow the exploits of the cyclists taking 

part in the exciting Wacky Wheels Race. 

A self-guided trail - buy a trail booklet 

from the site office. £4 per trail guide 

booklet. Mon - Sun, 8am-4.30pm. 

Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel Lane, 

SS7 2PP. www.visitparks.co.uk 

Mon 28th March 

The Easter Egg-lympics 

- Hadleigh 

Bring a hard-boiled egg to decorate on 

the day, then head out onto the Olympic 

Mountain Bike venue where your egg, 

and you, will take part in a series of 

challenging events. 10.30am. £4 per 

child. Booking essential. Tel: 0345 603 

7624. Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel 

Lane, SS7 2PP. www.visitparks.co.uk 


Pottery Painting for All 

- Billericay 

Easter Fun at Hazle’s Pottery Barn, 

paint your own pottery or have a go 

at our Potters Wheel. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01268 270892. Hazle Ceramics, 

Barleylands Craft Village, 




The Railway Children - Essex 

This Easter Monday 400 cinemas 

nationwide will screen The Railway 

Children. The film captures Mike Kenny 

and Damian Cruden’s imaginative stage 

adaptation of E. Nesbit’s cherished novel 

on its return to its Yorkshire roots, and 

features the original locomotive from 

the much-loved original 1970 film. For 

details of show times at participating 

cinemas and ticketing links, please go 

to www.railwaychildrenfilm.com 

Mon 28th March - Fri 8th April 

Easter Trail - Colchester 

Pick up a trail from the front desk 

at Colchester Castle and follow the eggs 

around the museum for your chance to 

win a giant Easter egg. 50p per trail plus 

normal admission price to the Castle. 

Tel: 01206 282941. Colchester Castle 

Museum, Castle Park, CO1 1YG. 

www.cimuseums.org.uk 

Mon 28th March - Fri 8th April 

City Camps - Chelmsford 

Fun and 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. For more details visit 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/citycamps 

Tue 29th March 

Crowning Glory - Colchester 

Create your own special hat for Easter 

in true Victorian style. Workshop at 

10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 2pm 

and 3pm. £3 per child. Booking 

essential. Tel: 01206 282941. 

Hollytrees Museum, High Street, 

CO1 1UG. www.cimuseums.org.uk 

Tue 29th - Wed 30th March 

Multi Activity Days - Grays 

Variety of activities for kids during the 

Easter holiday, including a bouncy castle, 

handball, table tennis and more. 10am- 

12pm £7, 12.30pm-3.30pm £10.50, full 

day £15. Booking essential. Tel: 01375 

898613. Palmers Sports & Fitness 

Centre, Chadwell Road, RM17 5TD. 


Tue 29th March - Fri 1st April 

Easter Family Fun 


Enjoy Easter themed art & craft 

workshops. Bookable on arrival at £2 

per child. You can also enjoy bunnies 

and chicks, face painting, a story trail 

and puppet making. Activities vary 

daily so check website for details. Tel: 

01245 400256. RHS Garden Hyde Hall, 

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

Tue 29th March - Fri 8th April 

Easter Activities - Harlow 

Leisurezone has a huge range of exciting 

activities for the kids to enjoy this Easter 

holiday. These include West Ham soccer 

camp, multi activity days, aqua ball 

fun swims, trampolining, go karts and 

much more! Download the programme 

and booking form from the website. Tel: 

01279 621500. Harlow Leisurezone, 

Second Avenue, Harlow, CM20 3DT. 

www.harlowleisurezone.co.uk/kids 


Tennis Camp - Grays 

Day tennis course suitable for ages 

5-13 years. 10am-3pm. £20. 

Booking essential. Tel: 01375 




14 


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Chill Out Holiday Club 

- Brentwood 

A supervised holiday club for 8-16 

years. Different activities every day 

of the holiday, including, bushcraft, 

pedal carts, abseiling, fishing and 

many more. 10am-1pm & 2pm-4pm. 

£7.50 per session. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01277 212784. Thriftwood Scout 

Campsite,Orchard Avenue, Brentwood, 

CM13 2DP. www.thriftwood.org.uk 


Easter Activity Camps 

- Chelmsford / Brentwood 

Fun activities during the school Easter 

holiday. The fun programme includes 

swimming, trampoline, archery, 

fencing, dance, football, basketball and 

jewellery making to name just a few! 

Booking essential. Tel: 0845 123 5299. 

Barracudas at Chelmsford County High 

School & Hutton Manor School. 

www.barracudas.co.uk 


Easter Holiday Fun - Billericay 

Come join the fun at Hazle’s Pottery 

Barn, potters wheel have a go sessions, 

pottery painting and clay volcano making. 


Hazle Ceramics, Barleylands Craft Village, 

Barleylands Road, CM11 2UD. www. 

hazlespotterybarn.co.uk 


- Sun 22nd May 

Shakespeare and the Forest 

- Chingford 

Seek, spy and discover the sylvan trail 

of Shakespearean quotations and 

narrative about forests, woodlands 

and what you can find in them. Free, 

no booking required. Tel: 020 7332 

1911. Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, 

Rangers Road, E4 7QH. 

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/eppingforest 

Wed 30th March 

Star Wars Themed Day 

- nr Romford 

Laser Mayhem present The Force 

Unleashed live, an ultimate Star Wars 

adventure, with 3 hours of laser tag 

action. Join the Jedi and fight The First 

Order for only £19.99pp, with staff 

dressed up as Star Wars characters to 

interact and lead you into battle, the 

missions will be awesome! Booking 

essential. 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. 

Tel: 01708 688517. Laser Mayhem, 

Pryors Farm, Patch Park, Abridge, RM4 

1AA. www.laser-mayhem.co.uk 


Crime & Punishment Trials 

- Colchester 

Explore Colchester Castle’s 600 years 

as a gaol. Join the sheriff for a medieval 

trial and discover the punishments for 

different crimes. Will you be found guilty 

and placed in the stocks? Shows take 

place at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm. 

£2 per person after normal admission 

price to the Castle. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01206 282941. Colchester Castle 

Museum, Castle Park, CO1 1YG. 



Fun Filled Family Tours 

- Grays 

You will be entertained with a 

humorous tour of the museum where 

Roger Rabbit will take you round the 

history of the fire service from the 

Victorian era to today. This will be 

followed by some arts ‘n’ craft fun. 

1pm. £3 per child. Booking essential. 

Essex Fire Museum, Grays Fire 

Station, Hogg Lane, RM17 5QS. 

www.essex-fire.gov.uk/Fire_Museum 


Wild Wednesday - Danbury 

Free children’s activities, including 

making dens and mud pies, wading in 

the stream, splashing in puddles, kicking 

leaves, forest craft, finding fish and more. 

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

Danbury Country Park, CM3 4UU. 



Shakespeare and the Forest 

- Chingford 

Elizabethan dressing up for all the family, 

kitchen displays and activities linked 

to their exhibition and Shakespearean 

language and lore. Free, no booking 

required. 1pm-4pm. Tel: 020 7332 

1911. Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting 

Lodge, Rangers Road, E4 7QH. 



Egg Heads - Chelmsford 

Make a police officer / police dog or a 

naughty robber, using polystyrene eggs! 



Chelmsford, CM2 6DN. 

www.essex.police.uk/museum 

Wed 30th March - Fri 1st April 

Soccer Camp - Grays 

Football fun during the Easter holiday! 

Suitable for ages 5-13 years. 10am- 

3pm. £12.50 per day. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01375 898613. Palmers Sports & 

Fitness Centre, Chadwell Road, RM17 

5TD. www.palmerssportscentre.co.uk 

Thu 31st March 

Go Live! Animal Encounters 

- Colchester 

Meet some extraordinary animals 

and discover more about the Animal 

Kingdom. Which mammals, birds and 

reptiles will you see? Shows at 12pm, 

1.15pm and 2.30pm. £3 per child. 

Tel: 01206 282941. Natural History 

Museum, High Street, CO1 1DN. 



Have an Egg-citing 

AS SEEN ON 

Egg-stra 

Easter Fun! 

Creatures 

Great & Small 

25th March to 8th April 

Easter Bunny's Egg Hunt 

Chick & reptile hatchery 

Lamb bottle feeding 

Some lambing live 

Birds of prey displays 

*20% discount 

on gate prices 

Save* 20% 

online 'PTE16' 

Fun filled family tours 

followed by arts ‘n’ crafts 

Wednesday 30th March 1pm 

Thursday 7th April, 10am & 1pm 

Just £3 per child 

(under 2’s and grown-ups free) 

Booking essential as numbers 

are strictly limited 

To book: 

email museum@essex-fire.gov.uk 

Please include: 

• Which tour you’d like to attend 

• Number of adults 

& children attending 

• Your name, address and 

telephone number. 

MAKE YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT MORE FUN! 

TRY RUGBYTOTS 

Our dynamic weekly play sessions 

enable boys and girls aged 2–7 to 

develop their social and physical 

skills in a fun, positive environment. 

For more details, just call or email: 

0345 313 0108 

southessex@rugbytots.co.uk 

rugbytots.co.uk 

The world’s favourite rugby play programme 

Barleylands Farm Park, Billericay, CM11 2UD 

barleylands.co.uk or call 01268 532253 



15

Roundabout 


Basic Bush Navigation and 

Tracking Days - Hatfield Forest 

Learn the basics for surviving in the 

wild with only the bare necessities. An 

introduction to navigation and tracking. 

10.15am-3pm. Suitable for 8+. One 

person £15, £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 


Meet the Easter Bunny 

- Danbury 

A self-led woodland trail leading 

to the bunny bower where you 

can meet the Easter Bunny. 11am 

onwards. £4 per child. Booking 

essential. Tel: 0345 603 7624. 




Wild Science - Basildon 

Explore the forces of nature with our wild 

science experiments, using parachute, 

paper planes and catapults. 10am-12pm. 

£5 per child. Booking essential. Tel: 

01268 419103. Langdon Visitor Centre, 

Lower Dunton Road, SS16 6EB. 



Flower Power - Chelmsford 

Use a range of craft materials to 

make beautiful paper blooms to take 

home. Starting at: 10.30am, 11.30am, 

1.30pm, 2.30pm. £3 per child. Booking 

online essential. Tel: 01245 605700. 

Chelmsford Museum, Oaklands Park, 

Moulsham Street, CM2 9AQ. 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/museums 


Kite Making - Hadleigh 

Make your very own kite with the help of 

the Hadleigh Park Rangers; then send it 

soaring over the Hadleigh Downs. 1pm- 

3pm. £5 per kite. Tel:0345 603 7624. 



APRIL 

Fri 1st 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? 9am-4pm. Trail sheets £2 per 

child. Tel: 01268 711001. Hanningfield 

Reservoir Visitor Centre, CM11 1WT. 


Fri 1st April 

April Fool’s Trail - Basildon 

Discover the clever tricks that wildlife 

around the world use to survive with this 

self guided trail. Make your own clever 

clay creature to take home. £3 per child. 

Drop in event from 10am-4pm. Tel: 

01268 419103. Langdon Visitor Centre, 

Lower Dunton Road, SS16 6EB. 


Sun 3rd April 

Spring into Action 


Make a bird feeder to take home and 

hang in your garden and search for signs 

of spring on a walk around the reserve. 

1pm-3pm. £5 per child. Tel: 01268 

711001. Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor 

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

Sun 3rd April 

Adventure - Ready your Knot 

- Hadleigh 

Come out in the Park for some fun and 

adventure with rope and string. Make a 

shelter, test your aim and balance and 

learn a few simple knots that will help 

you in your future outdoor adventures! 

2pm-5pm. £5 per child. Booking 

essential. Tel:0345 603 7624. Hadleigh 

Country Park, Chapel Lane, SS7 2PP. 


Sun 3rd - Mon 4th April 

Cadbury’s Easter Egg Trail 

- Hatfield forest 

Bring Cadbury magic to your family by 

joining in at one of our Easter Egg Trails! 

Follow the clues, answer the questions 

and complete the challenges to find your 

way to a prize just for you! 11am-3pm. 

Trail: £2. Takeley, nr Bishop’s Stortford, 

CM22 6NE. www.nationaltrust.org.uk 

Mon 4th - Wed 6th April 

Soccer Camp - Grays 

Football fun during the half term! Suitable 

for ages 5-13 years. 10am-3pm. £12.50 

per day. Booking essential. Tel: 01375 




Mon 4th - Fri 8th April 

Easter Family Fun 


Enjoy Easter themed art & craft 

workshops. Bookable on arrival at £2 

per child. You can also enjoy bunnies 

& chicks, face painting, a story trail 

and puppet making. Activities vary 

daily so check website for details. Tel: 

01245 400256. RHS Garden Hyde Hall, 


We check listings 

carefully but event details 

and prices may be subject 

to change. Please always 

check with the venue. 

Sat 2nd April 

Easter Trail 

- Chelmsford 

Can you find the golden eggs hidden 

around the museum to win a prize? 

All ages. 10am-4pm. £1.Tel: 01245 


Chelmsford, CM2 6DN. 


Tue 5th April 

Dream Catcher Workshop 

- Colchester 

Get all starry-eyed and make your own 

twinkly dream catcher inspired by the 

famous Colchester nursery rhyme. 

Sessions at 10.30am, 11.30am, 

12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm. £3 per child. 


Hollytrees Museum, High Street, CO1 

1UG. www.cimuseums.org.uk 

Tue 5th April 

Tennis Camp - Grays 

Day tennis course suitable for ages 

5-13 years. 10am-3pm. £20. 


Palmers Sports & Fitness Centre, 

Chadwell Road, RM17 5TD. 


Tue 5th April 

Dino Story - Hadleigh 

Hadleigh Park has been invaded by 

dinosaurs! Can you find the dinosaurs 

and solve the puzzles? 1pm-3pm. 

Suitable for age 3-6. £5 per child, to 

include a prize. Tel: 0345 603 7624. 



Wed 6th April 

Egg Heads - Chelmsford 

Make a police officer / police dog or a 

naughty robber, using polystyrene eggs! 


457150. Essex Police Museum, 

HQ, Chelmsford, CM2 6DN. 


Wed 6th April 

Easter Egg Painting workshop 

- Colchester 

Create a striking painted egg to decorate 

your house over Easter. Workshop at 

10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 

3pm. £3 per child. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01206 282941. Natural History 

Museum, High Street, CO1 1DN. 


Roundabout continues on p20 

16 


To advertise in Primary Times call 01376 322120

Easter Holiday 

Children's Activities 

Tuesday 29th March - Friday 8th April 

 

 

 

 

We have lots of great fun activities for kids to 

enjoy during the Easter 

Holidays including: 

Multi Activity days 

Let’s Get Crafty 

Kangaroo Club 

Tots Tennis 

Trampolining 

Aqua Jets 

Soccer Tots 

Aqua Ball Fun Swim 

Go Karts & Bouncy Castle 

West Ham Soccer Camp 

Beginner & Improver Swimming Crash Courses 

Intensive Swimming Crash Courses for new 

swimmers of 3 years old and over 

Call now: 01279 621500 

or check out our full programme at: 

www.harlowleisurezone.co.uk/kids 

Second Avenue, Harlow, CM20 3DT 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



17

From 

school play 

to small 

screen 

Local boy Joey Price has gone from a supporting role in his 

primary school production of the Wizard of Oz, to appearing in 

household TV dramas, including Mr Selfridge, The Great Fire 

and as Young Davros in Dr Who. Primary Times in Essex spoke 

to Joey and his mum Tracey about what the journey has been 

like, for both of them. 

“My first experience was in a school production 

of the Wizard of Oz at my primary school, 

Tiptree Heath.” Joey explained. “I played the 

Tin Man and I really loved it. One of my friends 

suggested that I might like to try a local theatre 

school. She was already going to the NJ Theatre 

School in Coggeshall on a Saturday morning so 

I went along to try it and I thought it was brilliant. 

The theatre school had links to an agency, 

so through them I auditioned and then made 

my first appearance to promote a software 

company. Doing an advert was their idea first, 

but only because I honestly never thought it 

would take off like this. From that, and after a 

few more auditions I got my first TV role in an 

ITV series called The Great Fire.” 

Joey, 12, continued “After a move to London 

talent agency ARG talent, I had the opportunity 

to audition for the role of Young Davros in Dr 

Who. The producer called me back just before 

Christmas 2014 and offered me the role. I was 

so thrilled because I am the biggest Dr Who 

fan. We filmed for two days, it was a full on two 

days. Learning lines was a bit of a challenge, but 

to help me practise I took the scripts back to my 

theatre school and they helped me.” 

Joey said he would love to carry on with his 

acting. “I would love to do this when I’m older. 

Managing my school work is possible because 

when you are on set for 3 days or more they 

provide a tutor because you are not allowed to 

lose more than a certain amount of schooling.” 

“My friends don’t treat me 

any differently. They love 

hearing about what I’m doing 

although I have to keep it 

secret sometimes.” 

When asked how his friends feel about his 

acting, Joey said “My friends don’t treat me any 

differently and that’s exactly what I want, I don’t 

want anything to change. They love hearing 

about what I’m doing although I have to keep 

it secret sometimes.” 

Mum Tracey is very supportive of Joey. “The 

way it has all snowballed has all taken us a bit 

by surprise. When he announced he wanted to 

go along on a Saturday morning I did think this 

would be another 2 minute wonder and he’d 

soon be fed up with it, but I don’t think I could 

stop him, even if I wanted to now.” 

Asked what pearls of wisdom she would share 

with other hopeful parents in the same situation 

Tracey said “It really does take up a lot of time, 

and a lot of it is very short notice. You can go 

weeks not hearing anything from them and then 

I can get a phone call today to say can we be in 

Piccadilly Circus tomorrow at 5pm. As a parent 

though you have to be prepared to put the time 

in as well. You could be travelling to central 

London for 2 hours for a 10 minute audition 

and then 2 hours back again.” 

“Also, one of the most important things is to 

make sure the agency is a good one, because 

you do have to be very careful, especially where 

kids are concerned. In our case there was 

already a link between the theatre school and 

the agency.” Tracey adds. “I can honestly say 

that there hasn’t been a single thing that he has 

done where I have been worried. He’s never 

had a bad experience.” 

Joey’s experience shows that success is 

possible for anyone, you just need a love 

and natural talent for acting, to enjoy the 

experience and be hungry to do more – and 

to have supportive and flexible parents in the 

background to make it all happen! 

Performing 

Arts for Boys 

Dancing, singing and acting are usually 

more associated with girls but they can 

have beneficial effects for all, especially 

boys. Catherine Morales, Principal of 

Razzamataz Theatre School in Rayleigh 

explains how the performing arts could 

be the key to unlocking the potential in 

boys. 

Being a boy can be tough in today’s schools. 

As a group, boys are often noisy, rowdy, 

hard to manage and many simply won’t 

sit still! Young male rambunctiousness, 

according to a recent study, leads teachers to 

underestimate their intellectual and academic 

abilities. “Girl behaviour is the gold standard 

in schools,” says psychologist Michael 

Thompson. “Boys are treated like defective 

girls.” Worryingly, it is not just adults who feel 

this way. According to Bonny Hartley from 

Plymouth University: “Children believe girls 

behave and perform better than boys, and 

they also think that adults think this too. Boys 

perform less well when they’re aware of these 

expectations.” 

Although sport is commonly thought of 

to be a great way for boys to let off some 

steam, the performing arts are proving to be 

increasingly popular with boys to not only get 

rid of some of that excess energy but also 

to help improve their confidence and selfesteem. 

Performing arts can focus the mind 

like nothing else and can be a way for boys to 

excel in areas even when faced with learning 

difficulties such as dyslexia. 

What seems to be a common problem is that 

boys are often backwards at coming forwards 

in terms of participating in the performing arts 

and need a fair bit of encouragement. Boys 

can be intimidated the first time they walk into 

a dance, drama or singing class, but with the 

right encouragement and teachers who know 

how to inspire and make sure they have fun, 

they soon become hooked. 

For more information about Razzamataz 

Theatre School in Rayleigh, visit the website: 

www.razzamataz.co.uk 

18 Primary Times, South & West Essex • Easter Holiday 2016 


Whether you are 2 or 92 we have a class for you! 

www.jesterstheatreacademy.com 

DANCE! SING! ACT! 

01206 524115 

07770 637476 

Musical Theatre for ALL ages! 

CHELMSFORD H COLCHESTER H WICKFORD 

Early Bird 

15% DISCOUNT 

for bookings made 

by 31st May 

Drama 

Musical Theatre 

Street Dance 

Pop Singing • Circus Skills 

Puppetry 

Arts & Crafts 

SUMMER SCHOOL 

15th - 18th August 2016 

4 fun-packed days ending with a show 

& BBQ, at Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh 

Ages 4-7: 10am-1pm £55 

Ages 8+: 10am-4pm £110 

Early drop-off & late collection available 

Call 07787 570760/01268 683512 or 

email rayleighwest@razzamataz.co.uk 

Prices 

shown 

include 

discount 



19

Chill Out Holiday Club 

hildren’s Parties 

 

ESSEX 

TOURISM 

AWARDS 

2011 

WINNER 

HIGH ROPES & 

After School Clubs 

ADVENTURE IN ESSEX 

CRB’d Staff 

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

• Water Zorbing & Tunnelling • Bushcraft 

• Paintball Target Shooting • Army Assault Course 

BRAND 

NEW SAFETY 

SYSTEM 

Activity Centre 

T: 01277 212784 

E: Birthdays@thriftwood.org.uk 

W: www.thriftwood.org.uk 

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 

Chill Out Holiday Club Children’s Parties 

20 on site Activities CRB’d Staff After School Clubs 

Join us for a variety of 

fun activities on the 

farm this Easter Break! 

Easter Eggstravangza 

Owlets Pre-School Group 

Easter Craft Madness 

Nature Detectives 

Pond Dipping 

Field to Fork 

Things that Fly 

Shipwrecked! 

For dates, prices and to book 

please visit our website: 

www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk 

Find us just off the A131 between 

Braintree and Gt. Leighs. 

Whitbreads Farm Lane, 

Chatham Green, Chelmsford, 

Essex CM3 3LQ 

Tel: 0300 123 3073 

Registered Charity No. 1118493 (England and Wales) 

Roundabout continued from p16 

Wed 6th April 

Wild Wednesday - Danbury 

Free children’s activities, including 

making dens and mud pies, wading in 

the stream, splashing in puddles, kicking 

leaves, forest craft, finding fish and more. 

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



Wed 6th April 

Star Wars Themed Day 

- nr Romford 

Laser Mayhem present ‘The Force 

Unleashed’ live, an ultimate Star Wars 

adventure, with 3 hours of outdoor laser 

tag action. Join the Jedi and fight The 

First Order for only £19.99pp, with staff 

dressed up as Star Wars characters to 

interact and lead you into battle, the 

missions will be awesome! Booking 

essential. 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. Tel: 

01708 688517. Laser Mayhem, Pryors 

Farm, Patch Park, Abridge, RM4 1AA. 

www.laser-mayhem.co.uk 

Wed 6th April 

Super Superheroes - Grays 

Come along for fun in the gorge. 

Kyptonite race, spiderman obstacle 

course and ben bag attack. Various 

hourly slots. £5 per child. Booking 

essential. Tel: 01375 484016. Chafford 

Gorges Visitor Centre (nr Lakeside 

Shopping Centre), off Drake Road, 

RM16 7RG. www.essexwt.org.uk 

Thu 7th April 

Fun Filled Family Tours - Grays 

You will be entertained with a humorous 

tour of the museum where Roger Rabbit 

will take you round the history of the 

fire service from the Victorian era to 

today. This will be followed by some 

arts ‘n’ craft fun. 10am & 1pm. £3 per 

child. Booking essential. Essex Fire 

Museum, Grays Fire Station, Hogg Lane, 

RM17 5QS. www.essex-fire.gov.uk/ 

Fire_Museum 

Thu 7th April 

Go Live! Reptiles and 

Mini-Beasts - Colchester 

Get up close and personal with a variety 

of amazing and unusual animals. Meet 

snakes and lizards as well as tortoises 

and giant spiders. 12pm-4pm. £3 per 

person. Tel: 01206 282941. Natural 

History Museum, High Street, CO1 1DN. 


Thu 7th April 

Sheerluck Holmes Detective 

Trail - Hadleigh 

Are you a supersleuth? Join Sheerluck 

Holmes and Doctor Wotsit, working on 

clues to solve the case and earn yourself 

a prize. 1pm-3pm. For ages 3-6. £5 

per child, including prize. Tel: 0345 603 

7624. Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel 

Lane, SS7 2PP. www.visitparks.co.uk 

Thu 7th April 

Spring Treasure Box 

- Chelmsford 

A fun family workshop making cool 

spring boxes to keep your treasures in! 

10.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 2.30pm. 

£3 per child. Booking online essential. 

Tel: 01245 605700. Chelmsford 

Museum, Oaklands Park, Moulsham 

Street, CM2 9AQ. 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/museums 

Thu 7th - Fri 8th April 

Multi Activity Days - Grays 

Variety of activities for kids during the 

Easter holiday, including bouncy castle, 

handball, table tennis and more. 10am- 

12pm £7, 12.30pm-3.30pm £10.50, 

full day £15. Booking essential. Tel: 

01375 898613. Palmers Sports & 

Fitness Centre, Chadwell Road, RM17 

5TD. www.palmerssportscentre.co.uk 

Fri 8th April 

Your Fenwick Hoard 

- Colchester 

In 2016 the Fenwick hoard of Roman 

Jewellery will be on display in Colchester 

Castle. Celebrate by making your own 

Roman jewellery box and handling some 

ancient Roman artefacts. Workshops 

at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm 

& 3pm. £2 per person after normal 

admission price to the Castle. Booking 

essential. Tel: 01206 282941. Colchester 

Castle Museum, Castle Park, CO1 1YG. 


Fri 8th April 

Bushcraft: Tracking Workshops 

- Chingford 

Learn to use all your senses to track 

animals for that all important shot... 

with a camera. Booking essential, 

places limited. Each session is £2 per 

participant. Ages 6-12. All participants 

must be accompanied by an adult. 

1 hour sessions at 10am, 11.15am or 

12.30pm. Tel: 020 7332 1911. Barn 

Hoppitt Car Park, Ranger’s Rd, London 

E4 7QH. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ 

eppingforest 

Fri 8th April 

Wild 100 - Basildon 

Can you help find 100 different living 

things in one day? Look for birds, bugs 

and other beasties. £3 per child. 10am- 

4pm. Tel: 01268 419103. Langdon 

Visitor Centre, Lower Dunton Road, 

SS16 6EB. www.essexwt.org.uk 

20 



PO104085_PRA2_TMC Primary Time Advert (Kids).pdf 1 9/15/2015 1:31:03 PM 

Sun 17th April 

Love and Life Musical Revue 

- Chelmsford 

Academy Arts Theatre School present their 

fundraising gala cabaret in aid of St Clare’s 

Hospice. This sophisticated cabaret evening 

exploring love and life with all its endeavours, 

will bring you songs from hit Broadway 

Musicals such as Baby, Matilda, Songs for 

a New World and many more! Academy 

Arts students aged between 7-21 years will 

perform dances from your favourite chart 

artists and will be joined by special guest 

performances including Danny-Boy Hatchard from Eastenders! 3.45pm & 7.45pm. 

£15, conc £12.50. Box office: 01245 606505. Civic Theatre, Fairfield Road, CM1 

1JG. www.academyarts.co.uk 

Sat 9th - Sun 10th April 

Town & Country Show 

- Colchester 

All day entertainment which may include 

birds of prey, working dogs, children’s 

entertainment as well as arts, crafts, 

gifts and food marquees. 10am-5pm. 

In advance: adult £5, child £2.50, 

family £13. Tel: 01206 282962. Lower 

Castle Park, High Street, CO1 1UN. 

www.oakleighfairs.co.uk/colchester/ 


Bonkers about Birds 


Build a bird box to take home and go 

on a family friendly bird walk. 1pm- 

3pm. £6 per child. Tel: 01268 711001. 

Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre, 

CM11 1WT. www.essexwt.org.uk 

Fri 15th April 

National Open Gardens Day 


Immerse yourself into the delights of 

spring with a free day out at Hyde Hall. 

10am-5pm. Tel: 01245 400256. RHS 

Garden Hyde Hall, Rettendon, CM3 8AT. 

www.rhs.org.uk 

Sat 16th April 

Guided Bike Ride - Chingford 

Join one of the forest keepers for cycle 

ride through the forest. 10.45am-4pm. 

£3.50. Booking required. Tel: 020 

7332 1911. The View, Rangers Road, 

Chingford, E4 7QH. www.cityoflondon. 

gov.uk/eppingforest 


Wild Families- Rainham 

A monthly event for families to 

adventure and explore around Rainham 

Marshes, enjoying nature and having fun! 

There will be drop in session between 

10.30 am and 12.30pm, and a bookable 

event to make some fabulous things to 

take home from 1.30-3.30 pm. Normal 

admission charge plus £1 per child, 

accompanying adults free. Tel: 01708 

899840. RSPB Rainham Marshes, off 

New Tank Hill Road, RM19 1SZ. 

www.rspb.org.uk/rainhammarshes 


Jazz Workshop - Colchester 

Workshop run by Essex Music Services. 

£10 for the day, 10am-4.30pm, with a 

showcase at 4pm. Tel: 03330 138953. 

Colchester Institute, Sheepen Road, 

CO3 3LL. 

Sat 23rd April 

Nature Club - Danbury 

A monthly nature club for children aged 

7 to 11 years who are interested in 

outdoor fun with a nature theme. 10am- 

12noon. £3 per child. Booking preferred. 

Tel: 01245 222350. Danbury Country 

Park, CM3 4UU. www.visitparks.co.uk 


Open Morning 

- Southend-on-sea 

Opportunity to see the Nursery and 

Lower School. 10am-12noon. Tel: 01702 

582340. Thorpe Hall School, Wakering C 

Road, SS1 3RD. www.thorpehall. 

M 

southend.sch.uk 


Marconi Day - Chelmsford 

Sandford Mills annual celebration of 

Marconi, his life, his work and the 

Marconi Company. 10am-4pm. £2 per 

person. Tel: 01245 475498. Sandford 

Mill, nr Chelmer Village, CM2 6NY www. 

chelmsford.gov.uk/museums 

Sat 23rd - Sun 24th April 

Spring Diesel Gala - Ongar 

Special event weekend for the whole 

family. Tel: 01277 365200. Epping Ongar 

Railway, CM5 9BN. www.eorailway.co.uk 


Open Day - East Tilbury 

Special open day at this Victorian coastal 

defence fort set in parkland.11am-5pm. 

Entry prices apply. Tel: 01375 844203. 

Coalhouse Fort, RM18 8PB. www. 

coalhousefort.co.uk 


Deer Walk - nr Waltham Abbey 

Join one of the forest keepers, 

responsible for the management of the 

forest’s deer, for a stroll looking for signs 

of deer. Booking required. 10am-1pm. 

£3.50. Tel: 020 7332 1911. Lodge Road, 

Waltham Abbey, CM16 5HW. www. 

cityoflondon.gov.uk/eppingforest 


Open Morning - Chelmsford 

The whole school will be open and 

students will conduct tours throughout 

the morning. This is an excellent 

opportunity to see why New Hall is such 

a wonderful place to be educated. 


Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 



21

Looking for childcare 

in Chafford Hundred? 

Chafford Childcare Services offers high 

quality, flexible and affordable childcare 

for tots to teens! We offer... 

• Full day nursery • Pre-school 

• 15 hours a week free early education for 

qualifying 2 yr olds and all 3 & 4 yr olds 

• Breakfast and After School Clubs 

• School Holiday Club 

• Drop offs and pickups at various local 

schools and nurseries 

• OfSted registered and NDNA Members 

• Competitive prices and flexible hours 

Hazle's Pottery Barn 


33-35 Barleylands Craft Village 

Billericay CM11 2UD 

Friendly 

guided help 

Childcare 

info@hazle.com 

Pottery Painting & Potter’s Wheel 

for all the Family 

Tots to Teens 

services Ltd 

For more information 

call 01375 480 655 or email 

info@chafford-childcare.co.uk 

www.chafford-childcare.co.uk 

Unit 1A Lakeside 

Business village, 

Fleming Road, 

Chafford Hundred, 

Essex 

RM16 6EW 

H Awarded Green on our latest “RAG” inspection & 5 stars hygiene rating by our Local Authority H 

Visit our website, facebook page or 

email or phone for more information 

OPEN Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm & every day during school holidays 

Birthday Child Goes FREE 

When you quote PT93S at the time 

of booking a new Mega Party. 

Birthday Child Goes FREE offer cannot be redeemed once 

your booking has been completed. We require a minimum party 

booking of 10 guests at the time of booking. All terms and 

conditions apply. Cannot be used in conjunction with any 

other offer or voucher. Offer expires 01/09/16. 

Roundabout 

9am-12noon. Tel: 01245 236 098. New 

Hall School, The Avenue, Boreham, CM3 

3HS. Book online at newhallschool.co.uk/ 

openmorning 

Sat 30th April - Mon 2nd May 

Animal Antics Weekend 

- Billericay 

A fun-packed weekend where highlights 

will include the triumphant return of 

the wacky animal races. Plus they will 

have lamb bottle feeding, birds of prey 

displays, interactive reptile sessions and 

more! 10am-5pm. Tel: 01268 532253. 

Barleylands Farm Park & Craft Village, 

Barleylands Road, Billericay, Essex, 

CM11 2UD. www.barleylands.co.uk 

MAY 

Sun 1st May 

Wild Families - Rainham 

A monthly event for families to adventure 

and explore around Rainham Marshes, 

enjoying nature and having fun! There 

will be a drop-in session between 

10.30am-12.30pm, and a bookable 

event to make some fabulous things to 

take home from 1.30-3.30pm. Normal 

admission charge plus £1 per child, 

accompanying adults free. Tel: 01708 

899840. RSPB Rainham Marshes, off 

New Tank Hill Road, RM19 1SZ. 

www.rspb.org.uk/rainhammarshes 

Sun 1st May 

Meridian Lantern Procession 


Come along with a lantern to enjoy a 

sunset walk followed by a night time 

lantern procession down the Meridian 

Line of River Lee Country Park. The walk 

will leave from Abbey Gardens at 8:45pm 

- meet in front of the Abbey Farm House. 

Free. For more information visit 

www.visitleevalley.org.uk 

Sun 1st May 

Iron Age Roundhouse Open 

Afternoon - Hadleigh 

Explore the replica Iron Age roundhouse 

and learn how people lived 2000 years 

ago. Find out how your ancestors made 

and controlled fire. 1pm-4pm. Tel: 0345 

603 7624. Hadleigh Country Park, 

Chapel Lane, SS7 2PP. 


NOT MADE A WILL? 

What’s the worst 

that can happen? 

Protect your loved ones 

and make a Will. 

CALL WILLS EXPRESS on 

01702 347204 or visit 

www.WillsExpress.co.uk 

Sun 1st - Mon 2nd May 

All about Dogs - Brentwood 

Attractions include exhibitors 

showcasing everything for your 

dog, entertainment, fun dog shows, 

competitions, family entertainment, 

meet the breeds and expert advice. 

It’s the perfect place to visit with your 

dog! 10am-5pm. Online: Adult £7.50, 

children free. Brentwood Centre, 

Doddinghurst Road, CM15 9NN. 

www.allaboutdogsshow.co.uk 

Sun 1st - Mon 2nd May 

Medieval Siege 

- Castle Hedingham 

The Medieval Siege Society will be 

reconstructing the siege of Hedingham 

by King John. A unique view of life in the 

high medieval period. Try your hand at 

archery, watch a fascinating display by 

Coda Falconry, dance round a Maypole 

and ride a donkey! 10am-5pm. Adult 

£14, child £10, family £42. Tel: 01787 

460261. Hedingham Castle, CO9 3DJ. 

www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk 

Mon 2nd May 

Open Day - East Tilbury 

Special open day at this Victorian 

coastal defence fort set in parkland. 

11am-5pm. Entry prices apply. Tel: 

01375 844203. Coalhouse Fort, RM18 

8PB. www.coalhousefort.co.uk 

Wed 4th May 

Little Acorns Pre-School 

Gardening Club - nr Chelmsford 

Encourage your little ones to become 

gardeners! This fun and informal club 

will provide a wealth of ideas to help 

stimulate an interest in gardening. 

10.30am-midday. Normal garden 

admission applies, plus additional cash 

payment of £2 per child. Tel: 01245 

400256. RHS Garden Hyde Hall, 


Quote ‘Primary Times’ 

for a 10% discount. 

22 



Wed 4th May 

Leisurely Pottery Painting Lunch 

- Billericay 

Extra long painting session with teas, 

coffees and lunch included. Session fee 

including lunch only £13, just add the 

cost of the item you choose. Booking 

essential. Tel: 01268 270892. Hazle 

Ceramics, Barleylands Craft Village, 



Sun 15th May 

Havens Family Woodland Walk 

- Thundersley 

A fun packed walk around the beautiful 

woods at Little Havens Hospice, meeting 

woodland characters along the way. 

10am. Registration: family £16, adult & 

child £8. For more information and to 

book call Kerry on 01702 220305. Little 

Havens Hospice, Thundersley, SS7 2LH. 

www.havenshospices.org.uk 

Sat 7th 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. 

4-12 years at 9.30am, 13-18 years 

at 11.30am. Registration required. Tel: 

01371 822611. Felsted School, CM6 

3LL. www.felsted.org 

Sat 7th May 

May Fete - Ingrave 

A fun afternoon with entertainment acts, 

under 5’s play area, bouncy castles, pony 

rides and a fantastic climbing wall to try. 

Along with many stalls, games, lucky 

dips, a fabulous raffle, and lots more. 

2pm-5pm. Adults £1, children (under 

12) free. Ingrave Johnstone School, 

Brentwood Road, Ingrave CM13 3NU. 

Wed 11th - Sat 14th May 

Museums at Night Daytime 

Discovery - Chingford 

Discover, discuss, touch and draw, 

treasures and curiosities from the 

museum and handling collections. A 

chance to find out more about what 

they hold in store relating to the history 

of Epping Forest. No booking required. 

1pm-4pm. Tel: 020 7332 1911. Queen 

Elizabeth Hunting Lodge & The View, 

Rangers Road, Chingford, E4 7QH. 


Thu 12th May 

The Detectives - Blues and 2s 

- Chelmsford 

45 minute toddler session includes 

rhyme, stories, trails and a craft activity. 

Suitable for ages 2 -4 yrs. 10am & 

11.30am. £2.50. Booking essential. Tel: 

01245 457150. Essex Police Museum, 

HQ, CM2 6DN. www.essex.police.uk/ 

museum 

Sat 14th - Sun 15th May 

Temple at War - nr Witham 

Hosting over 600 authentic re enactors, 

spectacular military vehicles, atmospheric 

1940’s entertainment and the opportunity 

to browse collectors, traders and vendor 

stalls from all over the UK. Sat: 9am-5pm, 

Sun: 10am-4pm. Various ticket prices. 

Cressing Temple Barns, CM77 8PD. 

www.templeatwar.co.uk 

Sat 21st May 

Spring Fun Day - Chelmsford 

For families looking to join the 

Preparatory School in 2016. Activities 

include treasure hunt, children’s farm, 

crafts, meet Beaulieu Bear and tours. 

10am-12noon. Tel: 01245 236098. New 

Hall School, The Avenue, Boreham, CM3 

3HS. Book online at newhallschool.co.uk/ 

springfunday 

Sun 22nd 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. Prices TBC. 

Tel: 01245 360442. Boyton Hall, 

Roxwell A1060, CM1 4LN. 

www.essexyoungfarmers.com 

Don’t forget to say 

you saw it in Primary Times! 

Our next issue is available 

from Mon 16th May. 

Musical Minds Spring Workshops 

Come to our Jazz Workshop! 

Sunday 17th April at Colchester Institute, 

10am-4.30pm, with a showcase at 4pm. Full day £10. 

Choir in a Day workshops for 

the Summer half-term week! 

At Essex Music Services we firmly believe that each 

and every one of us is born with the ability to sing. This is why 

we strongly encourage children and young people to attend 

our choir days. They are full of enjoyment, fun and singing as 

well as an opportunity to build confidence and self-esteem. 

Our choir workshops are also the perfect environment to 

meet like-minded people and build friendships through 

singing together in a Choir. 

At all Choir in a Day workshops there are choirs available 

to all children between the ages of 4-18. We have the Essex 

Young Singers for ages 11-18, the Essex Training Choir for 

ages 7-11 and the Fun Singers for ages 4-7. 

Children who sing with the Essex Young Singers choir have 

the opportunity to audition for the prestigious Essex Youth 

Chamber Choir which has a separate residential course. 

Tuesday 31st May Harlow area, venue TBC. 

10am-3.30pm. Full day £10, Half day £5. 

Wednesday 1st June Elmwood Primary School, 

South Woodham Ferrers. 10am-3.30pm. Full day £10, Half day £5. 

Thursday 2nd June Braintree Arts Theatre. 


Friday 3rd June Kendall Primary School, Colchester. 


For further information... 

Essex Music Services, The Stanway Federation Learning Centre, 

Paxman Ave, CO2 9DQ. E: music@essex.gov.uk • T: 03330 138 953 



23

Fussy Eaters 

If ever there was a term open to a broad range 

of definitions it is “fussy eater”. Depending 

on the parent (and the child) this can mean 

anything from disliking certain vegetables to 

eating only one type of food at every meal. 

Having a “fussy eater” can be a challenge for 

the most patient of parents. Often they are left 

with the choice of either producing individual 

meals for fussy ones, limiting the entire family 

menu choices based on the whims of one 

child, or letting the fussy one go hungry. 

In some cases a child may genuinely dislike 

the taste of a particular food and there is no 

point in repeatedly trying to get them to eat 

it. However, with many fussy eaters they may 

simply refuse to try new something, rejecting 

it without even tasting it. This can, and does, 

drive the most saintly of parents to distraction. 

Unfortunately, the more we worry about 

food and what our child eats the worse the 

situation can become. Mealtimes are often 

a battleground as parents struggle to get 

children to eat and they refuse. 

The problem may often lie with the child 

seeing an opportunity to exert power and get 

attention. The more the parent struggles to 

get them to eat the more power and attention 

the child has so parents need to stop fussing 

themselves. 

To try to engage the fussy eater plan out a 

week’s meals in consultation with the child - 

making sure there’s a good balance between 

familiar favourites and new dishes. Then take 

them shopping. If you can, get them to help 

out in the preparation and cooking. Try to 

start this plan at the weekend or, better yet, 

during school holidays. When you do your 

meal plan include all meals including breakfast 

and all snacks. It will be difficult but do not 

deviate from the plan. In fact, if your child is a 

particularly fussy eater it might be a good idea 

to forego snacks completely (especially after 

lunch) so by the time they sit down to dinner 

they will be really hungry. 

If you are able to sit down as a family at a table 

then make that part of your plan. Once you’ve 

got your plan in place - back off! Yes, just leave 

your child alone. Unfortunately many of the 

strategies we use as parents only make the 

problem of fussy eating worse. 

Treats It is common practice for parents 

(not just those with fussy eaters) to offer 

something sweet at the end of a meal as a 

reward for eating. Treats often become a form 

of bribery and this can leave children with the 

idea that proper food isn’t something to be 

enjoyed in and of itself but rather something 

that has to be overcome, or endured, to get to 

the good stuff. 

Praise Parents are repeatedly told that 

scolding is out and praise is in vogue. The 

theory being ignore negative behaviour and 

reinforce positive behaviour with praise. 

Therefore when your child eats their greens, or 

their meat, or their cheese, a large helping of 

praise is in order. Right? Wrong! Eating is not 

an accomplishment, your child is supposed to 

eat and praising them unduly for doing what 

they are meant to be doing just reminds them 

how much power their eating habits have over 

their parents. 

Labelling OK, you know your child is a 

fussy eater but don’t use this term to their face 

or in their hearing. This will just give your child 

licence to carry on being picky. 

Punishment Don’t punish them for 

not eating food. Set a time limit on meals of 

20 minutes to half an hour. If the food isn’t 

finished just take it away. Some experts advise 

leaving the meal to one side and when the 

child later claims to be hungry (which they will) 

to remind them what happened to their dinner. 

Others suggest giving the child a piece of fruit 

at bedtime so they won’t go to sleep on an 

empty stomach. 

Small Steps Don’t dish up a plate of an 

entirely untried meal and expect your child to 

eat it. Most of us, even adults, stick to what 

we know and expand our horizons by tasting 

other people’s food before committing to a 

whole plate of it! Keep portions small. 

Stop Talking When you give your child 

a meal you can explain what they’re eating 

very simply. Then stop talking. Don’t tell them 

to clear their plate. Don’t tell them to finish 

their vegetables. In short don’t nag. This is 

not easy. It is extremely frustrating to watch a 

child not eat what you’ve just cooked for them. 

However, this is a power struggle and the less 

you say the better. 

Similarly try not to talk about weight, weightloss, 

weight-gain, diets or fat in front of your 

child. If you have your own issues around food 

your child will very quickly assimilate them. 

As they get older children and teens become 

vulnerable to eating disorders so the fewer 

issues they have with food the better. 

A lot of advice about fussy eaters instructs 

parents to ‘Make Mealtimes Fun’. Seriously? 

Let’s try for ‘Keep Mealtimes Calm’ and have 

fun after dinner. 

Anne Marie Scanlon for Primary Times. 



Going 

Independent 

Of all the benefits you can give your child, none has more lasting 

value than a good education. Whether you choose state or 

independent, the choices are so many it can be quite daunting. 

Most schools run Open Days at least once a year to help you 

decide which one is right for your child in terms of fulfilling their 

potential and ensuring their happiness. For more information and 

free impartial advice, contact the Independent Schools Council 

information and advice service on 020 7766 7070 or www.isc.co.uk 

Felsted Preparatory School 

Felsted Preparatory School has been 

reaccredited with the NACE Challenge Award 

for excellence in provision for Able, Gifted and 

Talented Pupils. This academic excellence 

pathway extends through to the Senior School, 

where 50% of all GCSEs taken in 2015 

achieved an A* or A grade. 

Felstedians achieve at every level; whether 

on the stage, in the classroom or on the pitch, 

pupils are encouraged to reach their personal 

Project2_Layout 1 23/02/2016 15:08 Page 1 

best, with the majority going on to secure 

places at their first choice university. With a 

choice of either A Levels or the International 

Baccalaureate Diploma in the Sixth Form, and 

contemporary boarding options and bus routes 

from across the region, studying at Felsted has 

become the top choice for many Essex families. 

Find out more about these exciting learning 

opportunities at Felsted’s next Open Morning 

on Saturday 7th May. For 2016 entry, limited 

places remain so please make contact as soon 

as possible on 01371 822605. www.felsted.org 

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 

please call 01245 225230, email: admin@ 

elmgreen.essex.sch.uk or visit the website: 

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 



25

Thursday 22nd 

September 2016 

16:30 - 20:30 

St. Anne’s Preparatory School 

154 New London Road, 

Chelmsford, CM2 0AW 

t. 01245 353488 

An Independent day school for 

boys and girls aged 3+ to 11 years. 

Outstanding academic success at 

11+, Scholarships & KS1 and KS2. 

“St. Anne’s has a very happy and caring atmosphere 

and offers an extensive range of clubs and activities. 

Make an appointment to visit and find out more...” 

Telephone 01245 353488 to make an appointment 

Anglo European School 

Open Evening 

For entry into Year 7 and International Sixth Form 

in September 2017 

“This is a 

distinctive 

School”Ofsted 

www.aesessex.co.uk/open 

Going 

Independent 

St. Anne’s Preparatory School 

St. Anne’s is a small, independent, non-selective preparatory school, founded 

in 1925 and renowned for its friendly, caring atmosphere, dedicated supportive 

staff and excellent academic results. A very high percentage of their pupils 

go on to grammar schools while results in the Standard Attainment Tests 

taken at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 are well above national average. The 

small classes and safe, happy environment ensure that children are valued as 

individuals, (encouraged to enjoy the excitement of learning) and challenged 

to achieve their full academic and creative potential. Specialist teaching is 

an important feature throughout the school and pupils benefit from a mix of 

modern and traditional 

methods. 

The varied curriculum 

is supported by a range 

of extra-curricular 

activities, so that 

children delight in their 

achievements in the 

fields of art, music, 

drama and sport. 

For more information 

visit www.stannesprep. 

essex.sch.uk or call 

01245 353488. 

An independent day and boarding school near 

Chelmsford, for boys and girls aged 3-18 years 

Spring Fun Day 

Saturday 21 May, 10.00am - 12.00noon 

For families joining, or interested in joining, 

the Preparatory School from September 2016 onwards 

Join us for a morning of activities including: 

Treasure Hunt * Meet Beaulieu Bear * Tours 

Children’s Farm * Crafts 

Book your family’s place at newhallschool.co.uk/springfunday 

New Hall Preparatory School 

New Hall School is a day and boarding school for boys and girls. From the 

moment a child joins the Preparatory School, they become part of a family. 

The school is dedicated to ensuring that children can develop as well-rounded 

individuals who can realise their full potential. 

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 co-education in 

the Sixth Form (16-18). New 

Hall provides the best of 

both worlds; the benefits of a 

co-educational environment, 

together with the advantages 

of girls and boys being taught 

separately at Key Stages 3 

and 4. 

You are invited to visit to 

see for yourself why New Hall 

is such a wonderful place 

to be educated. The next 

Open Morning is on Saturday 

30th April and the Spring 

Fun Day is on Saturday 21st 

May. For details see www. 

newhallschool.co.uk 

New Hall Preparatory School, The Avenue, Chelmsford CM3 3HS 

01245 236 098 | registrar@newhallschool.co.uk 

“A Catholic foundation and ethos, welcoming all” 



Thorpe Hall School 

Thorpe Hall School in Thorpe Bay 

has been ranked among the top 100 

independent preparatory schools in the 

UK by The Sunday Times for its excellent 

academic results. 

Lower school staff, pupils and parents 

were celebrating after the school 

made the Sunday Times top 100 UK 

Independent Schools league table as 

a new entry in November. Joining at a 

respectable 66th position, Thorpe Hall 

made the grade based on its excellent 

Key Stage 2 Sats results and is one 

of only a handful of Essex schools to 

have done so. Headteacher Andrew 

Hampton commented: “I am so delighted 

that the hard work of our pupils and 

dedication of our teachers have led to 

such a strong set of results this year. All 

those concerned thoroughly deserve the 

accolade of appearing in The Times top 

100 list. Magnificent!” 

Thorpe Hall School is a non-selective, 

co-educational, independent day 

school with small class sizes, excellent 

facilities and outstanding results. Visit 

thorpehallschool.co.uk 

The Anglo European School 

Situated in the village of Ingatestone, The Anglo 

European School has been, for more than 40 years, 

committed to achieving the highest academic success 

through its distinct internationalist curriculum. 

A broad and balanced education with its 

challenging additional experiences produces 

independent, open minded and confident young 

people who are able to communicate effectively 

in a variety of languages, knowing that they have 

something worthwhile to say. The school is open to 

all its local children and to others, within a wide region, 

who value its internationalist philosophy. It was 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 was the first comprehensive school 

to become a Language College. For more information 

visit www.aesessex.co.uk 

A Sunday Times Top 100 UK Preparatory School 

Open Day 

Saturday 23rd April 10am - 12pm 

Nursery & Lower School 

NURSERY | LOWER | UPPER 

01702 582340 www.thorpehallschool.co.uk 

Wakering Road | Southend-on-Sea | Essex | SS1 3RD 

View Primary the magazine Times 190x135.indd online at 1 www.primarytimes.net/essex 

27 

Primary Times, South & West Essex • Easter Holiday 3/3/16 2016 11:59 AM

S Indicates a book is part of a series 

Text © D J Williams 2016 

Bookstore 

This selection should carry a health warning. It 

contains some books that can result in very sore cheeks 

from laughing too much and others that might make 

you fall off your seat with surprise. Have fun! 

A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting 

Debbie 

Michelle Robinson/ David Roberts (Bloomsbury Hb, 

£12.99) 

No would-be bear spotter should leave home without 

this book. A dangerous hobby like that must be 

taken seriously, you need all the information you can 

get. Did you know black bears are dangerous and 

black while brown bears are dangerous and brown 

and shouldn’t be muddled up? Have you any idea what to take with you 

to save you from any bear encounter? Read this hilarious book, with 

wonderfully expressive pictures that add so much to the story. It might 

not save you from bears, it hasn’t got a good record, you are probably 

safer just staying in to read it and laughing out loud. I keep going back to 

it and laugh every time! 

Supermarket Gremlins - Adam & Charlotte 

Guillain (Egmont £6.99) 

You may not realise it but supermarkets are full of 

Gremlins hiding everywhere. Look out for signs such as 

items on the wrong shelf and you may be able to spot 

one. Beware, they could be making plans to go further 

afield, perhaps even follow you home. Find out all about 

them in this very funny picture book with flaps to lift to see what is 

hiding underneath. Perfect for beginner readers and fun to share. 

Violet and the Hidden Treasure 

S 

Harriet Whitehorn (Simon and Schuster, £6.99) 

After a Maharajah Violet had befriended dies, she is surprised to 

be asked to look after his cockatoo, Maharani. The bird holds the 

secret of the Maharajah’s fortune and can decide who should 

inherit it, but has refused to speak since her master’s death. There 

have been several attempts to kidnap Maharani and Violet is 

suddenly receiving lots of unusual visitors. With the nice, but rather 

dim PC Green being no help at all, it is up to Violet and her friends 

to work out who the kidnappers are, foil their attempts and try to get Maharani to 

talk. An action packed story with large print and plenty of pictures. 

There’s a Dragon in 

my Dinner! - Tom Nicoll 

(Stripes, £5.99) 

S 

Eric was surprised to 

get bean sprouts he 

hadn’t ordered with 

his Chinese delivery, but even 

more surprised to open them and 

find a talking mini dragon called Pan. 

Pan in turn was surprised to learn 

he was in England when he was 

supposed to be in Mexico. Eric finds 

Pan has many talents, some very 

useful, but others cause mayhem 

leaving Eric in great difficulty trying 

to explain what has happened 

without revealing Pan. Matters 

become more complicated when 

Toby the rich spoilt neighbour sees 

Pan, thinks him a toy and decides 

he must have him at all costs. There 

is plenty of fun and excitement as 

Eric attempts to save Pan from 

Toby’s clutches with hilarious results. 

First in a new series with large print 

and some pictures to help newly 

developing readers. 

STAR 

READ 

Alice Jones The 

Impossible Clue 

Sarah Rubin (Chicken 

House, £6.99) S 

Alice is very good at 

maths and solving 

puzzles which has 

helped her solve a few small mysteries. 

When a scientist who works for her 

classmate Sammy’s father, Dr Learner, 

disappears, Sammy is sure with his help 

Alice will be able to fi nd him. Unable 

to refuse a challenge, Alice is hired 

by Sammy’s father to find Dr Learner 

while fully aware he doesn’t expect 

her to succeed. All her scientifi c 

instincts tell her he couldn’t have 

invented an invisibility suit, but she 

can’t fi nd any other explanation. It is 

soon clear some unscrupulous people 

who could be dangerous are involved. 

Dealing with an artistic sister, reporter 

father and wannabe sidekick add to 

her problems, but she does find a 

surprising ally. The plot thickens as this 

highly entertaining mystery develops. 

See if you can pick up any clues. Full 

length novel, fi rst in a new series. 

Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den 

Aimee Carter (Bloomsbury, £6.99) S 

Simon’s life isn’t easy. Brought up by 

his uncle with only occasional visits 

from his mum, and bullied at school, 

he struggles to keep his big secret: that he can talk 

to animals. When he is attacked by rats he discovers 

his family has far bigger secrets that have been kept from 

him. They are all animalgams which means they can change into an 

animal. When his mother is kidnapped his search for her takes him 

from his grandfather’s Sky Tower to the Animalgam Academy where 

his grandmother is. They are bitter enemies each set on being in 

control. As more unsettling information about his family is revealed, 

Simon struggles to find his mother and keep the animalgam 

kingdoms safely together. His quest puts him and those around him 

in grave danger, frequently unsure of who he can trust. This is the 

first book of an unusual new series full of excitement and larger than 

life characters. It will keep you guessing throughout, never knowing 

which turn the story will take next. Full length novel. 

The Last Immortal - Alex Marlowe (Little Brown £6.99) 

Luke’s dreams of joining the Immortals, his father Victor’s, 

supernatural crime fighting squad, seem dashed when he is 

killed while secretly following them. But his father preserves 

his body and he is reanimated 160 years later, now an 

immortal with superhuman powers. Victor is long dead, 

but being vampires, his partner Jonathan Harker and his 

daughter Evelyn are still around to finish Victor’s work. Whilst trying 

to deal with a new ‘life’ in a very different world Luke learns the Dark 

Pharoah they were fi ghting when he died has returned. It is time to 

reunite the Immortals, whether they like it or not to get rid of this evil 

being once and for all, but will Luke be up to the task? Matters are 

complicated after discovering an horrifying secret from the past. This is 

an exhilarating story full of strange, but engaging characters and violent, 

heart stopping moments (literally for some characters). Full length 

novel for older readers. 

Awful Auntie 

David Walliams (Harper Collins, £6.99) 

Stella wakes up unable to move, with every bone in 

her body broken, being ‘looked after’ by her aunt and 

a giant owl. Actually to call him a giant is as much 

an understatement as calling Aunt Alberta ‘awful’ – 

she is horrendously evil. Stella learns she has been 

unconscious following an accident that killed her parents and left 

her heir to Saxby Hall. Realising her aunt has lied about her broken 

bones Stella wonders what other lies she has told and soon works 

out Alberta wants Saxby Hall for herself and will stop at nothing 

to get it. This puts Stella in a very dangerous position with no one 

to help but Gibbon the nearly blind, deaf and rather potty ancient 

butler, who is no help at all. A spooky discovery gives her some 

hope of outwitting Alberta, but it won’t be easy. There are plenty of 

exciting near misses in this unputdownable story which will keep you 

on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. With fair size print 

and plenty of pictures it encourages readers on to a long novel. 

Louie Lets Loose! - Rachel Hamilton (Oxford, £5.99) S 

Louie can’t resist an advert to enrol at the 

New York School of Performing Arts. He had 

performed in many fairy-tale productions 

in Story Land, but here was his chance to 

make his dreams come true, see New York 

and spread unicorn joy. If things aren’t 

exactly as he imagined them to be, nothing 

is going to affect Louie’s natural optimism and joy 

of life. He sees the best in everyone and the positive side 

of every situation, when we as readers might see things 

in a different light. Far from being downhearted when he 

misses out on auditions he sees a way to help his fellow 

rejected friends whilst overcoming sabotage attempts. This 

is a very funny story with the ‘feel good’ factor introducing 

a really likable title character. It is full of illustrations, many 

over photographic images, which add to the story and with 

fair size print help newly developing readers. First in a new 

series, I can’t wait to see what he gets up to next! 



The Tutoring Directory 

“I saw your advert in Primary Times!” 

Please don’t forget to mention us when 

contacting one of our advertisers! 

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Crayford Academy, DA1 4RS 

1 August to 19 August 

Open Days: 5th 12th, 19th and 26th March 

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LEARNERS 

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designed specifically to prepare your 

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Maths and English programmes 

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Summer revision sessions 

for pupils in year 5 

Mock exam tests 

Venues in... North Chelmsford, 

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#LoveLiteracy 

www.explorelearning.co.uk 



29

3 days of wonder for pre-school children and their carers 

HYLANDS PARK, CHELMSFORD 

Tuesday 28 - Thursday 30 June 2016 

9.00am - 4.00pm 

Your family theatre guide, March – May 

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 

Basildon 

TOWNGATE THEATRE 

Box Office: 01268 465465 

www.towngatetheatre.co.uk 


THE CHRIS & PUI SHOW 

With songs, comedy sketches, a dash 

of magic and heaps of joining in, this is 

a family show for children aged two to 

a hundred and two! 11am & 2pm. Adult 

£12, child £10, family £40. 

Chelmsford 

CIVIC THEATRE 

Box Office: 01245 606505 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres 

Fri 8th April 

CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC 

Join 5 of the World’s top illusionists for 

a spectacular night of mystery that’ll 

keep you guessing for a long time to 

come. 7.45pm. Adult £22, child £19.50, 

family £68. 

Thu 21st - Sat 23rd April 

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD 

Tall Stories Theatre Company returns, 

bringing Julia Donaldson and Axel 

Scheffler’s award-winning sequel to 

life in this magical, musical stage 

adaptation. Performance times vary. 

Tickets: £12. 

Harlow 

HARLOW PLAYHOUSE 

Box Office: 01279 431945 

www.playhouseharlow.com 

Sat 26th - Thu 31st March 

RAPUNZEL ROCKS 

A spectacular Easter production full of 

magic, original rock ‘n’ roll songs, dance, 

magical sets, fantastical costumes, and 

lots more beside. Performance times 

vary. Adult £16, child £13.50. 

Hornchurch 

QUEENS THEATRE 

Box Office: 01708 443333 

www.queens-theatre.co.uk 

Tue 29th - Thu 31st March 

1001 NIGHTS 

The show collects together some 

of the greatest folk tales ever told 

suitable for ages 7-11 years and their 

families. 11am & 2pm. Tickets £6.50. 

Tue 17th - Sat 21st May 

LAILA - THE MUSICAL 

An enchanting eastern epic perfect 

for the whole family, retelling the 

greatest love story from the east 

– Laila and Majnu. In modern day 

Bradford, Laila takes shelter from 

the raging storm in an old bookshop, 

where she chances upon a book with 

her name on it. Compelled to turn the 

pages, she is consumed by the story 

– finding herself in an old tale and on 

an exciting new journey. Performance 

times vary. Tickets: £17-£25. 

Southend 

CLIFFS PAVILION 

Box Office 01702 351135 

www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk 

Wed 13th - Sun 24th April 

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG 

One of the world’s favourite musicals, 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will have 

audiences of all ages flying high with 

30 



its mixture of madness, intrigue and 

exuberance. Starring Jason Manford, 

Michelle Collins & Martin Kemp. 

Performance times & ticket prices vary. 

PALACE THEATRE 

Box Office: 01702 351135 

www.southendtheatres.org.uk 

Mon 28th - Tue 29th March 

TIDDLER AND OTHER 

TERRIFIC TALES 

Under the sea, out on the farm and into 

the jungle, these terrific tales are woven 

together with live music, puppetry and a 

whole host of colourful characters from 

the books by Julia Donaldson and Axel 

Scheffler. Performance times vary. Adult 

£12, family £44. 


STIG OF THE DUMP 

A timeless children’s classic telling of 

Stig and Barney’s adventures that is 

suitable for all the family. 1.30pm & 

4pm. Tickets: £12, family £44. 

Sat 14th - Sun 15th May 

PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE 

Enjoy fun, games and of course, 

surprises in this charming, colourful new 

show with new songs and new life size 

puppets, Peppa Pig’s Surprise promises 

to be the perfect theatre show for all preschoolers! 

Performance times & ticket 

prices vary. 

Thurrock 

THAMESIDE THEATRE 

Box Office 0845 300 5264 

www.thurrock.gov.uk/theatre 

Tues 29th March 

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN 

A beautiful blend of storytelling, drama, 

comedy and musical theatre, this really is 

the perfect way to make literature come 

alive for all the family! 11am. Tickets: £8. 

Sat 2nd April 

THE CHRIS & PUI SHOW 

With songs, comedy sketches, a dash 

of magic and heaps of joining in, this is 

a family show for children aged two to 

a hundred and two! 11am & 2pm. Adult 

£12, child £10, family £40. 

Tue 5th April 

POP FACTOR THE CONCERT 

2016 

A celebration of the biggest popstars 

and current chart hits! From Taylor Swift 

to Justin Bieber, Little Mix to Fleur East 

they have squeezed in smash hits from 

all your favourite pop stars to create your 

very own pop concert! 2pm. Tickets: £12. 

Enjoy the show! 

And don’t forget to say you 

saw it in Primary Times! 

Beatrix Potter on the Back Lawn 

Sunday 28 th August - 2pm - 4pm 

£10.00 Adults, £6.00 Children/Concessions 

£32 Family of 4 (2 Adults, 2 Children) 

Celebrating 150 years of Beatrix Potter, meet the 

lady herself as she tells the tale of naughty Peter 

and his cousin Benjamin as they venture into Mr. 

Macgregor’s garden... 

www.chelmsford.gov.uk/hylandsevents 

Hylands Park, Chelmsford, CM2 8WQ 

01245 605500 

29 – 31 MARCH 

A QUEEN’S THEATRE HORNCHURCH PRODUCTION 

1001 NIGHTS 

Written by Douglas Rintoul 

Originally produced by 

The Unicorn Theatre & Transport 

FAMILY THEATRE 

this Spring 

CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC 

CIVIC THEATRE 

Join five of the world’s top 

illusionists for a spectacular night of 

mystery that’ll keep you guessing 

for a long time to come. 

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD 

For ages 7–11 

and their 

families 

HHHH 

‘An utter delight’ 

Telegraph 

01708 443333 queens-theatre.co.uk 

Relaxed performance 

Wednesday 30 March | 2pm 

TICKETS 

JUST £6.50 

CIVIC THEATRE 

Following hot on the heels of The 

Gruffalo’s monstrous success comes 

The Gruffalo’s Child - with attitude! 

Just how brave is she? 

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY FOR PANTO! 

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK 

CIVIC THEATRE 

With the last two pantomime’s 

selling out in record time, it’s never 

too early to grab your seats for this 

GIANT of a pantomime! 

QueensTheatreH 



31

Battling Brothers & Sparring Sisters 

Are your children constantly ‘at’ each 

other, arguing, fighting and generally 

failing to get on? Congratulations, 

you’ve got a ‘normal’ family. 

The causes of ‘Sibling Rivalry’ are quite simple 

– from the moment you have more than one 

child they are in constant competition (either 

consciously or unconsciously) for your attention 

and often for material things too – food, toys, 

the TV remote, but mainly you! 

Until they are adults your children’s 

different ages will mean they are at different 

developmental milestones which can lead 

to friction. This can be exacerbated by 

being different sexes. Also, parents need to 

remember that children are individuals and, 

even within the same family unit, can have 

widely different personalities. 

While sibling rivalry may be normal, it can be 

quite upsetting to see, and hear, your children 

battling with each other. Children don’t pull 

their punches and can be exceptionally cruel 

to each other. If the fighting is persistent it 

can make the whole household stressed and 

unhappy. So what can parents do? 

For most people the inclination is to wade in 

and deal with it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the 

best way to approach battling siblings. For the 

most part parents should stand back and let 

the kids sort it out for themselves. If you get 

into the habit of resolving conflict between your 

children, they will end up expecting you to do 

it all the time. Having young children who can’t 

sort out their problems is bad enough but fast 

forward and you could end up with offspring 

in their 40s still waiting for Mum and Dad to 

mediate. 

The upside to sibling rivalry is that it has an 

obvious evolutionary advantage. Just like 

puppies play fighting, children getting into 

disagreements have to learn how to negotiate 

and resolve their problems which helps prepare 

them for some of the difficulties that await 

them in adult life. Obviously if your children are 

physically beating each other up you have to 

intervene and make them stop. If the bickering 

gets too much for you then separate them and 

give them plenty of time to calm down before 

letting them attempt to resolve the conflict 

themselves. 

Rather than dealing with the conflict as and 

when it arises pre-empt it by having certain 

rules that apply across the household. 

• No bad language or name calling. 

• No physical violence. 

• No yelling, stomping off or banging doors. 

Unfortunately, you have to practice what you 

preach. If your child sees adults shouting, 

name-calling or slamming doors then they will 

imitate it. 

It is important to remember to let your children 

know that they are allowed to dislike their 

siblings or to feel angry with them. These 

feelings are valid and quite beyond the child’s 

control. However, the difference between 

feelings which cannot be controlled and 

actions, which can, be must be emphasised. 

Remind children that it’s not their feelings you 

have an issue with but the way they act on 

them. Being angry or annoyed with someone 

doesn’t mean you don’t love them. Some 

people don’t allow their children to use the 

word ‘hate’ but if they do say they ‘hate’ their 

sibling don’t make them feel guilty about it. 

They’re people, they’re never going to be 

perfect and guilt just leads to more resentment 

and a vicious circle of bickering. 

Other golden rules to minimize rivalry... 

• Give your individual children space. They 

have to share you with each other. They 

possibly have to share a room, clothing 

and other things so let them have time to 

themselves. It might seem obvious but if you 

have a school age child and a pre-schooler 

often the older child never gets to do anything 

without the younger child in attendance. It’s not 

easy to juggle various children’s timetables and 

commitments but it is important that school 

age children aren’t expected to include the 

younger sibling(s) in every thing they do. 

• Try to ensure you have some private oneon-one 

time with each child and whenever 

possible let the child decide how to spend that 

private time. 

• If squabbles regularly erupt over the same 

things – the TV remote, the tablet or computer, 

certain prized toys, then draw up a schedule 

as to who has what and when. If that doesn’t 

work, then make the desired object off-limits 

for a short time. 

• Don’t compare. Your children are different 

and may excel or struggle in different areas. 

There is no point in saying “Oh Luke was ever 

so good at this when he was your age.” It will 

not improve the situation and just lead to Luke 

being resented. 

• Remember that older siblings while more 

mature are still children. Ultimately the 

responsibility for younger siblings is yours, not 

theirs. Similarly, older children will have different 

privileges than younger siblings, like staying up 

later. Don’t give in to the ‘Pester Power’ of the 

smaller ones and even things up in the name of 

fairness – because that’s not fair! 

• As they grow, change and mature your 

children’s relationships with each other will 

change too. In the meantime, try to enjoy family 

activities that are fun for everyone. 

When a new baby arrives... 

Anne Marie Scanlon for Primary Times 

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that 

everyone is overjoyed at the arrival of a new 

baby. For older siblings it’s not so simple. 

Especially if until now they’ve been the only 

child. This new person has just disrupted 

their life and completely changed the family 

dynamic. 

There are a few tricks to help children 

acclimatise to the new arrival. The baby is 

going to be inundated with presents and 

attention, so existing children should receive 

a gift from the baby, which will help take 

the sting out. These gifts don’t have to be 

extravagant or expensive, it’s just a simple 

way of letting the children know they are not 

being overlooked. 

When Mum comes home from hospital, it’s 

best if someone else carries the baby. Mum 

needs free arms in order to hug and cuddle 

the other children. 

Let the children ‘help’ with the baby. Children 

of any age can snuggle into Mum while she’s 

feeding the baby. Let the children hold the 

baby. (Obviously, with younger ones make 

sure they’re seated with an adult before 

handing the bundle over). Older children 

often derive a great deal of pleasure from 

helping to look after the baby. 

Gently remind visitors to acknowledge the 

‘big brothers’ and ‘big sisters’ as well as the 

new person. 

32 



Party Directory 

I saw your advert 

in Primary Times! 

Don’t forget to mention 

us when contacting one 

of our advertisers! 

BusyBeads 

Jewellery Parties for Girls 

All guests will 

make a minimum of 6 

gorgeous creations 

including necklaces, 

bracelets, keyrings 

and more! 

Calm creative fun! 

We cover the 

whole of Essex 

Beautiful party 

bags & sweetie 

cones available 

To book call Jo: 07939 400941 

or email busybeads@live.co.uk 

www.busybeadsparties.co.uk 

The children work 

through a series 

of clues and use a 

variety of techniques 

to solve the crime 

and earn their 

reward... 

CRIME SCENE 

INVESTIGATION 

Parties & Workshops 

• Suitable for girls & boys aged 7+ 

• FREE party bags included 

• Dress up in crime scene suits 

• Suitable for home or party venue 

Llorien Walsh & Louise Giles 

01268 204382 & 07957 701942 

southessex@thedetectiveproject.co.uk 

www.thedetectiveproject.com 

EXOTIC 

ANIMAL 

ENCOUNTERS! 

We come to you! 

PARTIES • SCHOOLS 

ORGANISATIONS 

07790 465 266 

www.animalworkshops.co.uk 



33

What is a bee’s favourite 

cartoon character? 

Buzz Bunny! 

Nia, age 6, 

from Harlow 

What is a cats 

favourite colour? 

Purrrrrrple! 

Niamh, age 8, 

from Wickford 

What’s white and fluffy 

and lives in the jungle? 

A meringue-utan! 

Amy, age 10, 

from Chelmsford 

What do you call an 

alligator in a vest? 

An investigator! 

Mphatso, age 11, 

from Saffron Walden 

Email your 

joke to: postbag@ 

ptpublishing.co.uk 

34 


Competitions! 

Hasty’s Adventure Farm, 

Clacton on Sea, re-opens 

25th March 2016! 

Win! 

Season 

tickets 

As well as farm animals, there’s a giant outdoor adventure play 

area covered by a canopy to protect children in all weathers. 

For the little tots there are pedal tractors and a large sand pit with 

diggers, dumper trucks, and excavators. For 5+ to adults there are 

pedal go karts to race around on, as well as the adventure play area. 

We have two pairs of children’s season 

tickets (worth up to £90) to be won!* 

One adult goes free with each 

paying child so winners will get 

free entry for two adults and 

two children all summer long! 

For your chance to win, just answer this question: 

What date does Hasty’s Adventure Farm re-open? 

Email your answer to: win@ptessex.co.uk with the subject title ‘Hasty’s Adventure Farm Competition’, 

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

your entry. Closing date: 15th April 2016. 

*Under 5s season pass £37pp, over 5s £45pp. 

Tickets will be valid from 1/5/16 until 31/10/16. 

www.hastys.co.uk 

Win a 

Family 

Ticket! 

E. Nesbit’s 

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN 

Stage-to-screen film 

Steams into Essex this Easter Monday, 28th March 

This Easter Monday, 400 cinemas nationwide will screen The Railway 

Children, a film of York Theatre Royal’s Olivier award-winning production 

performed in summer 2015 at the National Railway Museum, Yorkshire. 

The Railway Children follows the story of siblings Roberta, Peter and 

Phyllis, who suffer a huge upheaval when their father is taken away 

from their London home and falsely imprisoned. The children and their 

mother are forced to move from London to rural Yorkshire near a railway 

line. The story deals with themes of justice, the importance of family and 

the kindness of strangers and features the original locomotive from the 

much-loved original 1970 film. 

Primary Times has two family tickets for four to give away to see the film 

at Cineworld Harlow and ODEON Southend. For a chance to win, tell us: 

What are the names of the three children in The Railway Children? 

Email your answer to: win@ptessex.co.uk with the subject title ‘The Railway Children Competition’, 

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

your entry. Hurry! Closing date for 

entries: Mon 21st March 2016. 

www.railwaychildrenfilm.com 

Lee Valley Park Farms are just the 

best kind of fun when it comes to 

a great value family day out. 

With so many animals to meet 

including new piglets, lambs, 

ducklings and chicks, one visit 

is never enough. Let the kids run 

wild in the indoor and outdoor play 

areas, see birds of prey and take a 

ride on Tex the Tractor to see the dairy 

cows being milked. 

You’ll want to keep coming back time and time again which is 

where the farms’ Annual Pass is just the ticket you need. You 

can visit as many times as your hearts desire within the open 

season and not pay a penny to get in! 

Our Annual Pass comes with great benefits too, which include 

20% discount on fresh café food, 10% off gifts from the 

shop, two free guest passes and kids get a free place at their 

birthday party! 

We have two Annual Passes for Lee Valley Park Farms to 

give away, one adult and a child with a total value of £90! 

For your chance to win, answer the following question: 

What is the name of a baby duck? 

A: Piglet B: Duckling C: Gosling 

Lee Valley Park Farms’ Annual Pass Terms 

and Conditions apply. www.lvfarms.co.uk 

Email your answer to: win@ptessex. 

co.uk with the subject title ‘Lee Valley 

Competition’, or post it to the address 

on p3. Don’t forget to include your 

name, address and contact details 

with your entry. Closing date: 25th 

April 2016. 



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