past events

Organised by the Ardleigh Horticultural Society.

 679 entries were on display in categories covering flowers, vegetables, fruit, floral art, wine, cookery, handicraft, photography and children’s entries. 

Visitors were treated to a wonderful display of exhibits which filled the village hall and they were also able to enjoy a welcome cup of tea and a slice of home-made cake. 

This was a very special Remembrance Day when we remembered the forty-five men from Ardleigh who gave their lives for their country and also reflected on the part played by the whole village during the war. 

• 6.00 am  - Sleep in peace, now the battle’s over
• 10.45 am - Remembrance Service commences - St. Mary’s Church
• 11.00 am - 2 minutes Silence, Laying of Wreath. - War Memorial
• 6.55 pm – The Last Post – Millennium Green
• 7.00 pm  – WW1 Beacons of Light – Millennium Green
• 7.05 pm  - Ringing out for Peace – St. Mary’s Church

 Sir Bernard Jenkin unveiled Ardleigh's new 'Wartime Ardleigh' plaque on the Millennium Green.

Relatives of the RAF crewmen who died when their Halifax bomber crashed in Ardleigh in February 1943 were in attendance.

Family Fun day was a huge success.

Over £700 was raised for Essex Air Ambulance

As part of the celebrations of this important milestone of 

The Queen's life, 

Ardleigh took part in the National Beacon Lighting.

1995 : how we celebrated!

Twenty five years ago we celebrated the passing of fifty years since the declaration of peacein Europe, VE Day, 8th May 1945. This year we were planning three days of celebrations to mark the passing of seventy five years. Sadly, however, all these celebrations have had to be called off because of the Covid 19 pandemic sweeping across the world.

We can look forward and imagine future village celebrations: we have enjoyed enough fetes and get togethers to know how to have a good time. We know how the Millennium Green and Recreation Ground can be transformed by stalls and sideshows, by hog roasts and bars, by Debbie’s dancers, Kahlia’s singing and Graham’s irrepressible compering, by vintage vehicles and have-a-go sports. We know and we will do it again as soon as we can.

Meanwhile, let us remember the village celebrations of twenty five years ago, when we began with a parade from the school led by Major General ‘Bala’ Bredin of Bovills Hall. Wreaths were laid at the war memorial before the parade made its way to the Village Hall and Recreation Ground under the watchful eye of ‘Churchill’ aka Jim Smith. A barbecue and coffee dispensed from the Hall kitchen kept us warm in the chilly weather whilst the children ran races and everyone tried out all the sideshow games. A barn dance rounded off events in the evening.

 My father George Douglas Whitfield served in the RAF from July 1940 – April 1946.  Most of this, until his return to the UK in April 1946 was in Burma and India with the RAF supporting the Burma Campaign..

The Fourteenth Army, known to many as ‘The Forgotten Army’, numbered over one million men under arms, the largest Commonwealth army ever assembled. Air lines of communication were crucial: some 615,000 tons of supplies and 315,000 reinforcements were airlifted to and from the front line, frequently by parachuted air drops, and 210,000 casualties were evacuated. The Royal Air Force and the Indian Air Force, supported by carrier-borne Fleet Air Arm aircraft, provided constant offensive bombing sorties, together with fighter cover and essential photo-reconnaissance in support of the Army. Towards the end of the War, RAF Liberator aircraft carried out some of the longest operations ever flown to drop mines into the Pacific. At sea, the Royal Navy and the Royal Indian Navy provided the landing craft, the minesweeping operations and the combined operations necessary for the coastal offensive in the Arakan, as well as providing gunfire support from seaward. The Royal Marine Commando, as well as Royal Marines from the units of the Fleet, took part in the Arakan operations.

The Japanese surrendered on 15 August 1945, now known as VJ Day.

Chris Whitfield

(Ardleigh Parish Councillor)

A memorial service covering the whole of Tendring was held virtually on Saturday 15 August just before 11am.  To watch it, please click the link below

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Cllr Chris Whitfield whose father George Douglas Whitfield serviced in Burma & India from 1940-1945

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