MARCH 1997

TOWN TWINNING

For nearly a year the Association has been in discussions with members of the twinning committee of Fishers in Indiana, America, not that far from Indianapolis - home of the Indianapolis 500 Auto Race, with a view to eventually setting up a town twinning agreement. The town came into being in June 1872 when it was common for new communities to spring up along railroads hence it was originally known as Fishers Switch, another name for rail station. Fishers corporate limits encompass approximately 20 square miles and is situated in the southeast of Hamilton County which in turn is situated in the northeast of the Indianapolis Metropolitan area. It is 185 miles southeast of Chicago, 120 miles northwest of Cincinnati and approximately halfway between St Louis to the Southwest and Detroit to the northeast.

It is a fast growing community with a population of about 26,000 people and is a preferred location for corporate headquarters exclusive residential developments whilst still maintaining its small town atmosphere. The town has two parks, a 34 acre municipal park with an activities building and athletic fields and an 11 acre neighbourhood park with ball fields. There are several golf courses open to the public, a tennis club and facilities for fishing, boating and water skiing on the Geist Reservoir. The Conner Prairie Living History Museum and Deer Creek Amphitheatre complement the cultural and recreational assets of Fishers whilst the annual Summer Festival and Parade fosters civic pride. It is also supported by many international civic organisations. Fishers has its own weekly newspaper called The Fishers Sun Herald and also a weekly TV news show called Fishers Focus.

 There is much work to be done in Billericay before the two towns can make a firm twinning commitment and we hope that a Town Twinning Committee can be formed in the not too distant future to share the work with the Residents’ Association. In the meantime we will continue our dialogue with the town, learning more about their culture and cementing friendships that have already begun.

COR - LUV-A-DUCK !!

Whilst walking her dog, and the neighbour’s children, in Lake Meadows Park during the winter one of our members wondered whether there was sufficient food for the large number of wildfowl on the lake. She contacted the RSPB to determine if bread was an acceptable food for the birds and having gained their approval approached Alexanders Bakeries for their help. Mr Alexander has given several sacks of bread and cakes over the past few weeks which no doubt has helped keep the birds alive during the severe winter. The Residents’ Association is very grateful (not to mention the ducks) for his generosity and also to our member for her efforts.

ROAD REP REQUIRED

We urgently require someone to deliver the newsletter to 20 houses and collect subscriptions in Langham Crescent/Gatwick View/Leaway/Windmill Heights/Crays View. Please contact Mrs Hill on 01277 659511. We also need someone to collect subscriptions from 33 houses in Hillway/Glenside/Henham Close. Please contact Mrs Evans on 01277 659823.

REVISED SUNDAY BUS SERVICES, BILLERICAY

The contracts for the existing bus services 40 (Queens Park - Billericay Town Centre - Outwood Common - Noak Bridge - Basildon) and 152 (Chelmsford - Stock - Stock Road - Billericay Town Centre - Gt Burstead - Basildon - Basildon Hospital) expire in 23 March 1997. Due to budgetary constraints and having regard to the relatively low loadings on these services it is intended to combine the two services in a new single contract for a service to be numbered 140 which will commence operation on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 March 1997 and on all Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays thereafter.

 The new service 140 will operate between Chelmsford Bus Station and Basildon Hospital following the existing 152 route between Chelmsford and the junction of Stock Road and Orchard Avenue, at which point it will turn into Orchard Avenue travelling along Perry Street and Radford Way to Billericay Rail Station forecourt. From here it will follow the existing 40 route around the Outwood Common loop to Greens Farm Lane and Southend Road thence via Mill Road and Church Street, Gt Burstead, turning left into Noak Hill Road and proceeding to Steeple View.The route will then continue around a loop to serve Noak Bridge via Wash Road, Eastfield Road and Bridge Street before rejoining the direct route through Uppermayne to Basildon Bus Station whence it will continue along Nethermayne to terminate at the hospital. It is hoped that this route will cater for the needs of the great majority of passengers who currently use services 40 and 152; inevitably there will be some disadvantages principally that the following sections of roads will no longer have a bus service on Sunday:

1. That section of Stock Road between Orchard Avenue and Radford Way.
   

2. Arlington Way and that section of Rosebay Avenue between its junction with Arlington Way and the junction with Perry Street.
   
3. Barleylands Road.

Additionally there will no longer be a through service to Basildon from that section of Southend Road between Chapel Street and Outwood Common Road, or the section between Mill Road and Barleylands Road, although both of these sections will be served by Service 222 (Brentwood - Billericay - Wickford - Southend). The new arrangements will restore a Sunday service to that section of Perry Street between Orchard Avenue and the junction with Rosebay Avenue and also a through service to Chelmsford in one direction and to Basildon Hospital in the other direction from Outwood Common and Noak Bridge. The revised route will significantly affect passengers travelling from South Green as they will now need to board the bus at the Paddock Close stops in Outwood Common Road since the revised service will NOT serve the main weekday stops in Southend Road opposite “The Burstead Plough” Public House.

The contract has tentatively been offered to Harris Bus the current operators of the Service 40 contract on Sundays. Below is the proposed timetable for the new service:

CHELMSFORD - BILLERICAY - BASILDON - BASILDON HOSPITAL. SUNDAY AND HOLIDAY MONDAYS

Main timetable points
BASILDON, Hospital, Main Entrance	0836	1036	1236	1436	1636	1836	2036	....
BASILDON, Bus Station	0840	1040	1240	1440	1640	1840	2040	2240
Noak Bridge, Eastfield Road	0846	1046	1246	1446	1646	1846	2046	2246
Great Burstead, Church	0851	1051	1251	1451	1651	1851	2051	2251
Great Burstead, Kings Head	0852	1052	1252	1452	1652	1852	2052	2252
South Green, Outwood Common Road	0854	1054	1254	1454	1654	1854	2054	2254
Outwood Common, Elm Green	0858	1058	1258	1458	1658	1858	2058	2258
Billericay, Rail Station Forecourt	0905	1105	1305	1505	1705	1905	2105	2305
Perry Street, Queens Park Avenue	0908	1108	1308	1508	1708	1908	2108	....
Stock, War Memorial	0915	1115	1315	1515	1715	1915	2115	....
Galleywood, The Eagle	0920	1120	1320	1520	1720	1920	2120	....
Wood Street, Roundabout	0924	1124	1324	1524	1724	1924	2124	....
London Road, Cherry Tree Corner	0926	1126	1326	1526	1726	1926	2126	....
CHELMSFORD, Bus Station	0930	1130	1330	1530	1730	1930	2130	....

 

Main timetable points
CHELMSFORD, Bus Station	....	0940	1140	1340	1540	1740	1940	2140	....
London Road, Cherry Tree Corner	....	0944	1144	1344	1544	1744	1944	2144	....
Wood street, Roundabout	....	0946	1146	1346	1546	1746	1946	2146	....
Galleywood, the Eagle	....	0950	1150	1350	1550	1750	1950	2150	....
Perry Street, Queens Park Avenue	0805	1002	1202	1402	1602	1802	2002	2202	....
Billericay, Rail Station Forecourt	0808	1005	1205	1405	1605	1805	2005	2205	2305
Outwood Common, Elm Green	0815	1012	1212	1412	1612	1812	2012	2212	2312
South Green, Outwood Common Road	0819	1016	1216	1416	1616	1816	2016	2216	2316
Great Burstead, Kings Head	0820	1018	1218	1418	1618	1818	2018	2218	2318
Great Burstead, Church	0821	1019	1219	1419	1619	1819	2019	2219	2319
Noak Bridge, Eastfield Road	0826	1024	1224	1424	1624	1824	2024	2224	2324
Basildon, Bus Station	0831	1030	1230	1430	1630	1830	2030	2230	2330
BASILDON, Hospital Main Entrance	0835	1034	1234	1434	1634	1834	2034	....	....

THE RESIDENT is published by Billericay District Residents' Association

 Editor - Trevor Stansfield, 174 Perry Sreet, Billericay, Essex CM12 0NX. Tel: 623519 E-mail:tremar@aol.com

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