Baddow Blog

Ode to a Changing Village

The village green and St. Marys Church in 1916

I came across this poem on an archived copy of the Baddow Life magazine from Autumn 2004. It is a poem by Dilys Edwards.  I cannot find any other mention of the poem online, and very little about Dilys Edwards, other than she is a Friend of The Marconi Veterans Association. It is a lovely poem that reveals…

Free Cash! New cash point at the Vineyards

New cash point at Martins / The Post Office in the Vineyards

Martins / The Post Office at The Vineyards has a cash point that provides Free Cash withdrawals. Does Great Baddow really need a third cash point? It may be handy, especially when the others run out of cash over busy weekends. Did the cash point replace the window adverts? Need to check that later.  

The Stubborn Crescent Road Street Lamp

Crescent Road lamp - source - BBC

The BBC came to Great Baddow to investigate the mystery of the street lamp that refuses to switch off. Essex County Council implemented a lights out policy last year – all street lamps are switched off between midnight and 5am to save council electricity bills. But one lamp is refusing to play ball. The BBC…

Great Baddow Head attacks Gove’s PE Punishment Plans

Mrs Carrie Lynch - headteacher Great Baddow High School

Michael Gove, the coalition Secretary of State for Education (conservative) has said that naughty children should be punished with compulsory exercise. Athletes, sports coaches, teachers and fellow politicians have all slammed the proposal. Gove’s proposal included guidance that stated  “extra physical activity such as running around a playing field” should be used as a form of punishment…

2013 Centenary Award Winner

Barbara Locker receiving her Centenary Award from Mayor Cllr Trevor Miller

The 2013 Centenary Award has been awarded by the Parish Council to Barbara Locker. The Parish Council chose Barbara Locker in recognition of her work, over eight years, for the URC Lunch Club. Barbara and her team of volunteers, has been organising the community care lunches for 36 elderly local residents in the United Reformed Church once…

Great Baddow drug smugglers caught with £15m of heroin and cocaine

Fishing bags in transit van

A father and son have been jailed for 20 years after £20 million of drugs were found at a Great Baddow firm coach service which they used to smuggle drugs from France to Manchester. Paul Harwood, 61, and Steven Harwood, 36, said that they were taking fishing trips but were in fact bringing drugs to the…

Is Bodysense coming to the Bank Chambers?

The old bank in Great Baddow

The old bank in Great Baddow is finally being refurbished. In the last few days workmen have been inside the building. Update: a sign appeared today (13th March 2014) and it is in fact a new shop, Junior Trading Post. The Bank Chambers at 26 High Street, Great Baddow, was once home to Hull &…

Blue Lion Pub For Sale – SOLD!

Blue Lion for sale

Update: The Blue Lion came under new management on 15th May 2015. Archived entry: The Blue Lion is on the market. The Blue Lion is one of Great Baddow’s three central pubs, The King’s Head and The White Horse being the others. It has two bars: a public bar with pool table, darts board and…

Allotments under the Radar

Allotments under the radar

Vicarage Lane allotments Great Baddow’s allotments are located on Vicarage Lane next door to the Cemetery. Just head in the direction of the Radar Tower which towers over them. I wandered over there on a fresh winter afternoon to see people toiling away, preparing the ground for this year’s harvest. Because I took so many photos of…

New Sign for Great Baddow

Great Baddow has a new village sign. It replaces the old sign and is in the same place, on the tiny “green” opposite St. Mary’s Church and the White Horse. The sign was designed and made by local metal-work craftsman Dan Rawlings. The sign features Baddow Tower, green trees and the Essex shield. It is a…