Halesworth & Southwold Community News - June 2023

Meals

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN RE-UPHOLSTERY

DINING CHAIRS, WING CHAIRS, FIRESIDES, 3 PIECE SUITES, SPRING REPAIRS,

BRAMBLES, LOCKS ROAD,WESTHALL, HALESWORTH IP19 8RD www.upholstery.tsgk.com

Risk Assessments, Showers, Bathrooms & General Plumbing, Project Management.

Halesworth Town Council

Successful Coronation Day Street Party draws 400 attendees in spectacular community event

The Coronation Day Street Party was a great success with around 400 people in attendance. It was a great community event with young and old, family and friends, all enjoying the sunshine which had not been predicted by any of our weather apps!

Thank you to all the businesses who supported the event and a special thank you to the Farmhouse Bakery for their magnificent cake. The Council would also like to thank the organisers of the event: Anne Fleming, Pauline Milstead, Rosemary Lewis, Rev Gini Williams, Emma Healey and Maureen Took and everyone who helped out on this historic day.

Last month, we reported that we had three new Town Councillors: Alison Cackett, David Fosdike and Peter Hedges, who all bring a wealth of experience and skills from their time in various local authorities. At the annual meeting of the Council, we congratulated Cllr Joyce Moseley, who was elected as 'Chair of the Council'.

Peter Hedges was elected as 'Chair of Planning & Highways' and also 'Chair of the Finance & Governance Committee'. We are very grateful that he was willing to take on both these roles and

we wish him every success.

Cllr Moseley remains as 'Chair of the Leisure & Environment Committee' and Keith Greenberg as 'Chair of the Assets & Services Committee'.

However, the Council still remains three short of the full compliment of 12 Town Councillors and with so many things still to do, we do not want to lose momentum.

With the Neighbourhood Plan now completed, some nice improvements have already been made in the town but there are plans for much more. There is also the intriguing and challenging prospect of deciding the best use of land and buildings that are being transferred from East Suffolk Council and our community building consultation is now underway to determine what facilities we wish to have in the future. Please let us have your thoughts and fill in the survey which will arrive on your doorsteps very shortly.

It is therefore an ideal time to think about becoming a Town Councillor or joining one of the committees. So if you are interested in any of these projects and would like to help shape the future of the Town or if you have an interest in the community and

want to get involved, please let us know by contacting the clerk@ halesworthtowncouncil.org.uk or call in to the office or ring us on 01986 874517.

Congratulations also goes to our new District Councillors: Beth Keys-Holloway and Geoff Wakeling, who also attended the annual meeting of the Council on Monday night. The Council looks forward to working closely with them both for the benefit of all our Halesworth residents and businesses.

It is also the time of year for the annual Parish meeting, which is being held on Wednesday 24th May at 6:30pm at the Edgar Sewter School. This is a meeting for Halesworth residents and an

opportunity to come along to meet with your Town, District and County councillors and the chance

to ask any questions relating to Halesworth. Refreshments will be provided, and all are welcome.

Cecil Amey Opticians and Hearing Care move to new Halesworth location

Father’s Day - Sunday 18th June

Cecil Amey Opticians and Hearing care has recently moved to it's new premises at 9-10 Bridge Street in Halesworth.

aids on offer.

Halesworth, IP19 8AR

Valerie’s

Rajputh

After a long year of refurbishment in 2022, the new practice has a spacious and bright ground-floor dispensing area, and a extensive display space with a huge range of frames on show. The clinical examination rooms are all located on the first floor with a lift available to patients that

require it. The practice now has hospital grade Optical Coherence Tomography Scanner (OCT). This state of the art equipment is used to look at the layers of the retina in high detail and can be completed during a sight test for a nominal additional fee.

A sound-proof hearing room has also been added for the audiology side of the business, along with free hearing health checks, a wax removal service and the latest technology in hearing

Our new larger premises will enable the business to greatly increase the number of clinics we can offer our patients for optical and hearing care and provide a new, fresh environment for customers and our marvelous team in Halesworth. For sight or hearing appointments, please call 01986 872122. We look forward to welcoming you to our new practice very soon.

Halesworth & District Museum

Plan to launch full-size Sutton Hoo replica ship underway!

The Sutton Hoo ship tantalises the imagination of anyone who's visited the famous excavation site, or watched the recent film, The Dig. Who has not tried to visualise the iconic Anglo-Saxon vessel in its full glory (bearing Raedwald, King of East Anglia) along the River Deben, or even out in the North Sea?

That leap of imagination is about to become reality, albeit without the ancient royal passenger. More than 50 attendees at Halesworth & District Museum's first talk of the 2023 season (April 20th) heard that a full-size reconstruction of the Sutton Hoo ship is now underway, with plans for a launch

in about two years' time. It will be rowed, and perhaps even sailed, along the Deben, and other rivers such as the Thames, Ouse and Humber, then taken out to sea.

Over the decades since Basil Brown's astonishing discovery in 1939, the possibility of a reconstruction has been a growing ambition among Sutton Hoo enthusiasts. But it was not until the redevelopment of the derelict Whisstocks Boatyard in Woodbridge that the plan became a real possibility. The Whisstocks project included the creation of the Longshed, completed in January 2019, as a purpose-built location to 'rebuild' the Sutton Hoo ship.

The challenging task is in

the hands of a specially formed charity, The Ship's Company, comprising nearly 100 volunteers plus three fulltime staff, a project manager and two shipwrights.

Joe Startin (a Sutton Hoo researcher and Ship's Company trustee) used his talk to emphasise the need to ensure as accurate a reconstruction as possible. He explained that there remains very little evidence for what ships looked like in the socalled Dark Ages between the Roman Occupation of Britain and the arrival of the Vikings.

Important clues have come from two well-preserved vessels, one dating around 300 years before the Sutton Hoo ship, and the other about 300 years after. Evidence from these archaeological findings, and from computer modelling, is helping to guide the reconstruction.

The team members at work in the Longshed are using materials, tools and methods that would have been familiar to the original Anglo-Saxon builders.

For example, based on advice from restorers in Copenhagen, they are using green (i.e. fresh, unseasoned) oak to build the ship.

The wood is split using hardwood wedges and fashioned using

primitive axes. No saws are used. The joints are waterproofed using a mixture of cloth, tar and 'gunk' (e.g. beef fat plus beeswax).

One of the earliest challenges was to find a tree long and sound enough to make the keel. The team found what they needed near Swindon, and transported the tree to the Longshed. Although rivets are visible in the remains of the original ship, they are completely rusted, and have to be remade. A spoon auger is used to make holes of reproducible size for the rivets.

In a probable divergence from the original Anglo-Saxon methodology, the team is using timber moulds (painted black to contrast with the reconstruction timbers) to assist the positioning and bending of planks.

All of this work can be witnessed in the Longshed, and Joe urged anyone who is interested in the project to call in and see for themselves.

The next talk in the Museum's season takes place on May 25th and is titled: 'Soil Sisters - Putting the Women's Land Army on the Map in Suffolk'. This talk will be presented by Nicky Reynolds, who will explore the history and personal experiences of this key part of our national and local

history. Talks are also scheduled for September 21st (on 800 years of Halesworth market) and October 19th (on the hidden landscape of the Blyth Valley). Further details will be available later in the year. The venue for all of the Museum's talks is the United Reformed Church, Quay Street, Halesworth, IP19 8EP. The start time is 7:30pm. Entrance costs £6 (£3 for Museum Friends). Just pay at the door, no need to book.

Halesworth WI news

Sarah from FCC Environment enthusiastically explained how to "Reduce, Re-use and Re-cycle" at our last meeting.

We are not a rich county and have a large population with some 350,000 households.

The county council pays for our waste collections and our nearest recycling centre is at Leiston. Household waste recycling centres work with the council. The bin men are not council workers but work for private companies also the bins in car parks that collect glass and clothes are privately owned. Glass can be recycled again and again, tin cans can be

made into rail tracks and card and paper into car products, but all waste has to be sorted so that the minimum amount goes into landfill. Only produce from our own gardens can go into the green bin not bought produce. We were horrified by a clip that showed the result of leaving a mobile phone in a laundry washing machine, the explosion that followed was devastating and could have proved fatal to anyone in the vicinity.

A quiz that followed showed that we were not as knowledgeable on recycling as we had thought and must try harder to help the environment in future.

A plank being shaped for the reconstruction.

Halesworth Swifts

secret lives of Swifts" an upcoming illustrated talk

Halesworth Swifts announce an evening event at St. Mary's Parish Church, Halesworth, IP19 8LL on June 23rd, starting at 7:30pm.

Swifts spend most of their lives flying, sleeping, eating and drinking on the wing, only ever landing to nest. Their numbers have declined drastically over the past 25 years. In this illustrated talk, Simon Hooton will tell us about the life of Swifts and also the actions being taken through 'Save our Suffolk Swifts' (SOSS) to help their recovery. Simon has been involved with the 'Save our

Suffolk Swifts' project for many years. He's an experienced conservationist and a passionate communicator about our environment particularly in the conservation management of land and water, covering most East Anglian habitats.

This event is free of charge and open to everyone with an interest in our wildlife. Donations to support the work of Halesworth Swifts will be welcomed.

Enquiries can be sent through our Facebook page (Halesworth Swifts) or by emailing: halesworthswifts@gmail.com

Halesworth Dementia Carers Fund summer update

Firstly, from Sara Higgins and John Giles: "At Halesworth Golf on May 3rd, a Texas Scramble was organised to support our local charity, Halesworth Dementia Carers Fund (HDCF). Lady Captain Sara Higgins and member John Giles put together (with the help of local sponsors Suffolk Car Centre and surrounding businesses) a fun-filled day of golf, with many prizes to be won, and a raffle table to be envious of. The day was supported by 72 players, members, and members' guests who pulled out all the stops and dug so deep in aid of a truly deserving charity.

HDCF Patron Paddy Cox and Chair Teresa Fyfe along with many volunteers from the charity attended to make the day flawless. We would also like to thank Anna Mickleborough and Jackie Richardson for all the hard work they did in the background. Sara and John would like to thank all those involved in making the day so special, and have already started making plans for 2024. So far we have raised £4,740 for the charity from the day, which I'm sure will be even higher by the time this goes to print. The winners of the Texas

Scramble were Arabella Hadingham, Mandy Hadingham, Michael Hill and Paul Smith. They won the new trophy which had been made by Halesworth Men's Shed, who we would like to thank. Many thanks too, to the 17 sponsors of the tee boxes, and to all the local shops and businesses that gave us raffle prizes."

The committee of the HDCF just can't thank enough Sara, John, the sponsors, players, donors and supporters who were so kind and generous in making this such a wonderful event, and raising such a magnificent sum.

Annual General Meeting:

This will take place in The Stables, Angel Hotel, at 2pm on June 12th. There will be refreshments after the meeting and all are welcome to attend.

Table Top Sale:

We'll be holding a Table Top Sale at Holton Village Hall on July 15th, 10am-4pm. Tables are £12 inside and £10 outside. Further details may be obtained by calling 01986 875767 or at: info@halesworth dementia.co.uk

July Film:

Our next film, to be shown on July 19th, will be 'A Man Called Otto'. Doors open at 1:45pm for a 2pm start.

Here comes summer!

April was a busy time for Halesworth Area Community Transport (HACT) as passenger numbers in general picked up, plus we had the pleasure of running shuttle services between many of the venues which were used as part of the Ink Festival.

On top of this, the Wednesday morning bus to Chediston continues to be popular and Community Hires also remain in high demand.

We're finding increasing numbers of people who haven't used the Hoppa before have switched on to the idea of walking to the town centre to shop and then catching the Hoppa to help them get their heavy bags home.

This is a great way of using the service as it gives passengers the opportunity to get some exercise and fresh air as well as arrive home refreshed rather than exhausted, and as the warmer weather arrives, we're hoping this trend will grow.

But remember, if you do find it difficult to get to town you can hail us down along our regular route, or call the office before 9:15am Monday to Friday and ask for the driver to collect you from

your home, as long as it is either on our route, or close to it. There is no charge for this service for those with a bus pass, and just the regular fare for those without one. As April turns to May, we're looking forward to more people venturing out into the warm, dry weather and hopping on the Hoppa to get around the Halesworth and Holton area.

If you haven't used the Hoppa before, you can call the office to find out more or speak to the driver at one of our stops. We're often have short stays at the Co-op and the Middle Car Park, so just come and say hello.

For any enquiries regarding off route collection, or for Community Hires, please contact HACT, Railway Station, Station Road, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BZ by calling: 01986 875900, emailing: office@hactbus. co.uk or visit our website: www. hactbus.co.uk.

The office is open between 8:30am and 11:45am Monday to Friday. And remember, if you wish to request a stop, please telephone before 9:15am. Finally, a big thank you to 'Old Glory Molly Dancers and Musicians' for their recent generous donation.

Edgar Sewter Playschool and Out of School Club

Blyth Road Industrial Estate, Halesworth, IP19 8EN

Manufacturers & Suppliers of Agricultural, Domestic and Industrial Fencing products to both the trade and public covering Norfolk & Suffolk

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independently with a Committee of parents within the Edgar Sewter Primary School. We are a small team of caring, qualified, experienced staff and follow The Early Years Foundation Stage and Playwork Principles following the individual interests of the children. We have been established for over 20 years. Please contact us on email: esplayschool@gmail.com or ring 07796 044277 for further details or to book a place for playschool, breakfast, after school clubs or holiday clubs.

Handtools Post & Rail Cladding Livestock Fencing

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Halesworth needs you… Can you help?

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Palisade Fencing Drive & Field Gates Galvanised Hardware

Sheet Material: OSB & Plywood Machine Round Stakes

Homegrown Pressure Treated Posts and Gate Posts

Concrete Products: Slotted Posts & Gravel Boards

Handmade Fence Panels (metric & imperial sizing) Trellis

01986 892810

Palisade Fencing Drive & Field Gates Galvanised Hardware

Edgar Sewter Play School is open Monday to Friday during term time offering funded and non-funded places for children from two to three years old until they join main school nursery. We are currently accepting registrations for September. We run our breakfast club from 8am and after school clubs from 3:30pm-6pm run during term time for children from four years old. Our holiday club is open this half term. Please register/book now for May/June and summer holiday club from July 24th to August 25th to secure a place. All places are subject to availability and we are open to children from all schools as well as Edgar Sewter. We are open from 8am and can offer flexible start and finish times to suit individual needs.

We are a registered charity and run completely

Closeboard Fencing Components: Feather Edge, Cant Rails, Gravel Boards and Rebated Capping

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Closeboard Fencing Components: Feather Edge, Cant Rails, Gravel Boards and Rebated Capping

Handtools Post & Rail Cladding Livestock Fencing

C24 Grade Timber Sleepers & Decking Wire Netting

Sheet Material: OSB & Plywood Machine Round Stakes

A call-out to anyone who might have bits and pieces of film footage, videos or other digital formats which we could put together into a visual record of Halesworth and its people from as far back as we can reach up until the nearly-now! They might contain private moments or be records of public events in or around the town. As long as they show some aspect of life in the town back in the day, we need them as part of our celebrations of different aspects of the town.

org.uk or leave a message on: 07552 508893 with your name and telephone number. Your original film will not be altered in any way and will be returned to you. We will however need your written permission (for copyright purposes) in order to include it in the completed documentary which will consist of edited digital copies of the original material.

Feather Edge, Cant Rails, Gravel Boards and Rebated Capping

Handtools Post & Rail Cladding Livestock Fencing

C24 Grade Timber Sleepers & Decking Wire Netting

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Sheet Material: OSB & Plywood Machine Round Stakes

Concrete Products: Slotted Posts & Gravel Boards

If you have anything that might be suitable, please contact: office@halesworthmuseum.

The project has been initiated by Halesworth Heritage Open Days and the final version will be gifted to the Halesworth & District Museum as a permanent record for the town's archives.

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Blyth Road Industrial Estate, 01986 892810

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"The

Halesworth Area Community Transport

M.DANIELS (Sid)

For control of rats, mice, moles, squirrels, cluster flies, fleas, ants & wasps

MOBILE: 07788850762

TONY LING

CONTRACTOR ALL TYPES OF WOODWORK

Domestic and Commercial Kitchens, Wardrobes

Replacement Doors and Windows

Tel: 01986 873343

Please ring after 6pm

C. E. RUTH LTD

NICK ROUSE Middleton Garage

Celebrations at Halesworth Library

forms available at the library. You must book in advance!

• Board Games Café: May 22nd and June 26th from 2pm-4pm. There are lots of games to choose from, both old favourites and ones you may not have seen before! No previous skill required. Come along and enjoy a cuppa and a guaranteed fun afternoon. £1 suggested donation. No need to book, just turn up.

Working alongside the Friends of Halesworth library we offer a wide range of activities: Events organised by the Friends of Halesworth Library:

• Friends Plant & Garden Sale: May 20th, 10am-12:30pm. As well as coming along to buy something beautiful for your garden, please feel free to bring along a plant for us to sell. All proceeds from the sale will go to Halesworth library.

• Quiz Night: May 24th, 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start. Bring your own drinks, nibbles provided. Teams of four for £12. Entry

• Sociable Sundays: May 21st and June 4th and 18th from 10:30am-12:30pm. Drop in to enjoy a hot drink, cake and a chat. A pleasant way to spend an hour or two and make new friends. £1 suggested donation. No need to book, just turn up.

• A date for your diary: The next Thursday Book Talk will be held on June 29th at 7pm at the library. For 30 years, Jo Jordan and her husband operated long-haul trans-Africa expeditions, driving overland from Halesworth to Southern Africa. They also self-built an eccentric house on the steep slopes of Mt. Meru in Tanzania. 'African Approaches: Roads to a Far-Off Place' tells their story. Please contact the library for further details and to book your place.

Half term holiday craft activities: Come along on May 31st, 2pm-4pm and join in a range of planting and growing garden activities (suitable for all children aged four and over), free activities, no need to book.

Get any dessert

Regular activities at the Library:

• Wordplay: Come along to our Wordplay sessions for babies, toddlers, parents, and carers on Tuesday mornings from 10am11:30am. Young and old can make new friends and enjoy music and games together.

• Family Fun: Are you looking for something to do with the children at the weekend? Look no further than our children's activities on Saturdays 10am4pm and Family Fun Time on Sundays from 11am-12:30pm.

All are welcome to drop in for board games, craft activities and Lego.

• Knit & Natter, Craft & Chatter: For those looking to improve their knitting and crafting we host a friendly and inclusive group for all who enjoy making and socialising.

The group meets upstairs at the library every first and third Tuesday afternoon. Our next get-togethers are on June 6th and 20th, from 2pm-4pm.

• Time Out: There's lots to enjoy at our Time Out sessions on Wednesday mornings, 10am-11:30am, and it's a good place to meet new people. Join us for crafts, chat, and free refreshments.

• Citizens Advice East Suffolk offer free drop-in advice sessions on 1st and 3rd Tuesday mornings in the library office. The next sessions are on June 6th and 20th from 10am-12pm. Come along and take advantage of their free

when dered with one of these featured meals:

Sunday

advice and support during these difficult times.

• East Suffolk Council drop-in for digital advice, Tuesdays 10am-4pm. Drop in for help with online council services, energy bills, benefit applications etc...

• Barclays Bank Drop-in: Weekly drop-in session from 9:30am-4:30pm every Wednesday where they offer help with money management, financial help, business support and home loans.

• IT Help: Did you know that the library offers one to one IT help? Whether you're considering a smartphone, wanting to know more about apps or simply learning how to do more digitally, ask at the library. Tuition is £15 an hour. All proceeds are donated to library funds. Further details of all our activities are available from the library. Email us at: halesworth. library@suffolklibraries.co.uk or phone us on: 01986 875095. We look forward to seeing you!

• 100 Club: The Friends of Halesworth library run a '100 Club' to raise funds for the library. Each number costs £1, so it's only £12 for the year! To join please ask for details at the library. To join the Friends of Halesworth Library you will need to complete a membership form, which can be obtained by emailing: friendsofhalesworthlibrary@ gmail.com or by phoning the library.

Full menu including: Sunday Roast, Mixed Grill, Surf & Turf, Fish & Chips, e FAMOUS Triple Plea Burger and so many more delicious dishes!

As well as tea and co ee and a good selection of wines, beers and ales (Timothy Taylor)

Download Sunday Roast - £12.95

Venue Hire: We cater for adults aged 14+, private dining, community groups, business meetings, conferences, wakes, parties and engagements.

- Table Service or Bu et

- Private Function Room

Chips Halesworth & Southwold Community News - June 2023 - 7

- Bar Service

Wenhaston Flower Club

Our meeting in May was called "Let's Twist" and a new demonstrater to us, Moira, certainly delivered.

Not only did she show us how to twist and manipulate foliage but she entertained us with a selection of music including Let's Twist Again to which she danced along too. Her flower arrangements were spectacular, all with a modern "TWIST".

Our next meeting is a prebooked trip to Henstead Exotic

Gardens on June 6th, meeting there at 7pm even if wet. Cost is £10. Please let Jackie know if you'd like to go by May 26th. Everyone welcome. Our final meeting in July before we have a summer break in August is a members only Garden Party were we all bring a sharing plate of food, please contact Beverly for a list of food requirements. For further information, please contact Jackie Chenery on 01502 478401.

Wheels ready for Sunday 21st birthday party

10th birthday of the Green's Track on Sunday 21st May

Bikes, scooters, prams, wheelbarrows, bring them along, decorated, or just come along yourself to join the birthday party! We're calling everyone in and around Halesworth to join in the 10th birthday party for the all-weather track which takes you from the town park right through the Green's water meadows up to the level crossing on the road for all points south. In 2013, the whole community made the Track happen, raising money, working with Sustrans, putting up with construction mud in one of the wettest springs there's ever been, so the 10th birthday is really something to celebrate.

John and Sue Bainer (the longest serving Trustees of the Green) said "We're so proud that the all-weather track gives access to the Green's 55+ acres of meadow, wood, orchard, heritage railway and waterways for the people of Halesworth to relax, play, explore and discover nature and history on their doorstep. So please come along on May 21st for the 10th birthday party, whether you visit the Green each day in your lunchbreak or want to discover it for the very first time. You'll find something new each time you visit."

How are we going to celebrate?

The track is part of National Cycle Route (NCR) 1 but it's not just for cycles: buggies, prams, scooters, walkers, push-chairs, everyone can now get all the way through. You'll need wellies when the water meadows are doing their job of protecting the town from flooding, but even then the track re-emerges dry and strong.

Thank you Sustrans and local donors who all made the track possible 10 years ago. How can you take part?

• Join the parade led by Oxblood Molly starting from the Library at 2pm with your decorated wheels, and look out for the letters of the Mystery Word along the way.

• Bring along paintings and models celebrating how you have used the track, on your bike? In your wellies? for a picnic? and they'll join the work done by local school children on show in the marquee.

• Be there for the grand unveiling of the brand-new signs naming the track.

• Get your sticker for joining the parade or for walking or wheeling the track on the day.

• Get a piece of that birthday cake. The website gives you this information too (millenniumgreen.halesworth. net). Go to 'Our Activities/What's On' section. See you on Sunday!

UBBESTON LODGE SWIMMING POOL

UBBESTON LODGE SWIMMING POOL

Holton & Blyford Village Hall

The 3rd and 4th of June will see the return of Holton Open Gardens after a gap of four years. A chance to visit some very different gardens all within walking distance of the Village Hall, where you can get your entrance, map and pay your £6 entrance fee covering all gardens.

Tea, coffee, homemade cakes and cream teas in the afternoon will keep our visitors able to visit all the gardens and a display of village history in the hall will provide a glimpse of how the village has altered.

Another returning event is the Classic Car Day on Sunday 18th

June - Father's Day!

We will welcome all old and

unusual vehicles, free entry for people as well! Just a donation towards the costs of running the Village Hall is all we ask. Ice cream, BBQ, bar, music, light lunches, cream teas, art display by the Chediston Art Group as well as loads of stalls both inside and outside.

In July, we'll be holding the Hall's Annual General Meeting. This year, we'll see several long standing members of the committee standing down so now is your chance to get involved with your hall and guide its future events and facilities. If you wish to talk about what's involved, call 01986 872590. Your hall needs YOU!

News from Halesworth and District Gardeners' Society

We have a plant sale on the 20th May in the Arboretum starting about 9:30am.

Exciting news! We have organised a coach trip to Audley House and Gardens, Essex, on Thursday 6th July. There's no need to be a member of the club to join us. Explore this magnificent Jacobean mansion and the fabulous gardens designed by Capability Brown. First pick up will be at 8:30am at Holton Pits/ Whitings Garage, Southwold Road then Blyth Mews, Highfields and Barley Meadows. The cost of the coach is £25 and must be paid in advance. The entrance fee to be paid on the day is £16 for over

65's, £18 for under 65's and free for English Heritage members. To book this trip please contact Fiona Fletcher on: 01986 873277, 07899 986966 or email: fififletcher@aol.com. Meetings for the Halesworth and District Gardeners' Society have finished for the season and will restart in October. We were very pleased and encouraged to see more and more people both attending meetings and joining the club this year. For anyone interested in gardening and would like more information about the club please contact our secretary Brian Hammond, telephone number: 01986 872712.

Looking to keep fit or have some fun family time?

Looking to keep fit or have some fun family time?

• Indoor poolHeated all year round

• Indoor Pool heated all year round

• Exclusive use for groups of up to 8

• Exclusive use for groups of up to 6

• Private Changing Rooms - equipped with loos, showers and hair dryers

• Private changing rooms equipped with toilets and showers

• Underfloor heating throughout

• Playpen

• Underfloor heating throughout

Please email or call for availability and further details: pool@ubbestonlodge.co.uk or 01986 799 007

(off the B1117 in Ubbeston, near Laxfield)

Please view the website for availability, booking, and further details: pool@ubbestonlodge.co.uk www.ubbestonlodge.co.uk 01986 799 007

(off the B1117 in Ubbeston, near Laxfield)

News from The Pear Tree Fund & Dee's Den Charity Shop

The Pear Tree Centre in Halesworth continues to offer support, information, counselling, complementary therapies and benefits advice to anyone who has been diagnosed with a life-changing illness, their families/carers and those who have been bereaved.

If you're interested in accessing our services, you are welcome to drop in and speak with a member of staff or contact us via email or phone. For residents under the care of the Cutlers Hill Surgery, we also offer additional end-oflife care to enable those who are deteriorating and who wish to die at home with additional support to their family. Please contact the Fund for more information.

Last month, we were so pleased to welcome Mark Pendleton, The High Sheriff of Suffolk. We were delighted to receive a Certificate of Gratitude and Recognition awarded in appreciation, on behalf of the people of Suffolk, and all of those who benefit from our dedication, hard work and outstanding service that enhances the life of the community. Our award is now on display in the Centre if you'd like see it.

This month's thanks go to: Halesworth Town Council for their generous grant of £5,000 to fund our Cooking For One bereavement support group, The Darsham Dames for donating £193 from their coffee morning and The Beccles Royal Naval Association for their donation of £60.

We have a busy few fundraising months ahead starting with Bramfield Open Gardens on

May 21st, Charity Musical Bingo at The Bramfield Queens Head on May 26th, Classic Car and Fête at Holton Village Hall on June 18th, Sotterley Charity Country Fair on June 25th, Heveningham Hall Country Fayre on July 8th and 9th, Sea Shanties and Fish and Chips at The Sailors Home, Kessingland on July 14th and the annual golf day at Halesworth Golf Club on September 1st. Thank you to everyone who organises events, attends events and made donations. We really couldn't do it without you!

One of our biggest fundraisers each year is the 50/50 lottery, with prizes being drawn on both days of The Heveningham Country Fayre on July 8th and 9th. Tickets are available to purchase on both days and in advance from The Pear Tree Centre, Dee's Den and The Bramfield Queens Head. News from Dee's Den

A lovely display titled 'The King's Coronation' has been the highlight in the shop - thank you Valda for making a difference with your changing displays. With May now upon us, there is a wide range of summer clothing available at Dee's Den for men and women of all ages, children and babies too.

Shoes, sandals, trainers, handbags, belts and other accessories to complete your

outfit are always available. A children's rail, with the popular £1 rail of discounted adult clothes, are available outside if the weather allows.

Our wonderful volunteers have been sorting your generous donations and displaying a wide range of products to buy.

We have a wide assortment of linen, bric-a-brac, kitchenware and lots of glassware, including a 50p 'bargain basket'. We also have books to suit everyone including a 'book bargain basket.'

As well as this, lovely jams and marmalades (thank you Jenny, Ann and others) along with plants and other produce are available at various times of the year. Children's toys, games and jigsaws are also available too.

Dee's Den shop spring opening times: Monday and Thursday open until 1pm, other days open until 2pm. Closed Sunday. We thank you so much for your

donations, which can be left at the shop any day of the week.

We ask that if you have a lot of bags and boxes, please could you continue to use Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm as we have additional staff on duty.

Everything needs to be clean and saleable. Just a reminder: We don't accept used electrical items, only new boxed items. You can find Dee's Den in Steeple End, opposite the church. Please don't leave bags or goods at the door when we're closed. To contact Dee's Den, please phone Nikki on: 07733 668221.

If you're interested in receiving our monthly newsletter, which includes a diary of upcoming events and information about how the money raised for us is used, please visit our website to sign up: www.peartreefund.org.

To contact The Pear Tree Centre, email: info@peartreefund.org or call: 01986 899655.

Receiving our Certificate of Gratitude and Recognition from Mark Pendleton, The High Sheriff of Suffolk.

Lisa on 07738 885858 lisa@suffolkearcare.co.uk www.suffolkearcare.co.uk

Neat Feet

Julia - After

Halesworth Slimming World

Julia joined us in October 2022, following her GP & Physio advising her that losing weight would help to control her (now diagnosed) Rheumatoid Arthritis, which was particularly bad in her feet and ankles. She had previously tried to lose weight but to no avail.

Through the One Life Suffolk/Slimming World Partnership, she joined our Halesworth group with a free 12-week referral. She soon discovered that, as a member, she could eat her favourite foods without having to weigh, measure or count calories: it was

all worked out for her! Meals such as spaghetti bolognese and ham, egg and chips were firm favourites and Julia loved the fact that (even when her sons came to visit) she could still happily feed them with their favourite meals - Slimming World style of course, and they never noticed any difference!

Through staying to group each week, Julia was able to find out about herself as a slimmer, recognising difficult times of the day and knowing how she could avoid grabbing all the high fat, high calorie foods that she was used to!

Her first week weight loss was

a fabulous 5lbs and within the first month of joining, she had lost a stone! Currently her weight loss is an amazing 3 stone 3lbs and she will reach her Personal Achievement Target weight in the next couple of weeks. Losing weight with Slimming World has helped Julia learn how to make healthier choices with her food and by losing weight, help control the autoimmune disease. She feels fitter and less out of breath despite the Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis and can now even wear clothes that she hasn't been able to for several years!

Julia's progress and growth has been extremely fulfilling and a pleasure to be a part of. Through continued support as a lifetime member, her journey towards better health and fitness can continue!

For more information about the 12-week free referral, please visit onelifesuffolk. co.uk and follow "Adult Weight Management". The Halesworth Slimming World groups meet at the Rifle Hall, Halesworth, IP19 8LR, every Tuesday 9:30am, 5:30pm and 7pm.

For more information, including details of joining offers please contact Bev Hansey on: 07912 849995 or just come along to the Rifle Hall on the day. No booking required.

Julia - Before

New book reminds us of the lives of East Anglians born 100 years ago

"And I Looked Back" is an oral history by local author Gillian Campbell (née Skippings), where you meet people from different walks of life. A boy who was put to the plough with a horse at the age of eight, another went to sea on a steam drifter at 16 and a woman who had her children in the workhouse.

You learn of childhoods spent in rural villages and some men's sombre war experiences.

Gillian (an old pupil of the Sir John Leman (Grammar) School) has a degree in Sociology and Anthropology and worked as a social worker in London before returning to the family drapery

business and taking over from her father on his retirement. It was during this time that she came to know a number of the people who feature in the book and over 30 years ago, she started interviewing and recording people in Beccles, villages in the Waveney Valley and some from over the border in Norfolk. She says that life has changed so much over recent generations that she felt it was important to capture people's memories before they were forgotten.

The book is available from Beccles and Halesworth and all local bookshops as well as Beccles Museum.

Trio of artists to take over Merlina Gallery for exhibition of new work

A trio of women are set to take over an art gallery with an exhibition of new work.

The Merlina Arts Gallery will host 'Hands, Hooves and Horizons' featuring the work of artists Jean Kiekopf, Nicola Eastell and Sue Willmer. The exhibition will feature a selection of contemporary paintings and sculpture at the gallery in Earsham, just outside Bungay.

Equestrian artist Nicola (who's based in Topcroft) said: "The exhibition is going to be very striking. We are all very different and we'll all be bringing something distinct to the show. This is my first exhibition for a while and I'm really excited. I just can't wait. I will be exhibiting large-scale pastel studies of Lusitano horses and a selection of landscapes in oil. The equine pieces are really commanding when you see them but when you get up close, they are very intimate. Sue has exhibited widely and is very adaptable, she is as happy painting abstract art as she is with more traditional work. Jean will be exhibiting her unique sculptures from small pieces through to large garden pieces, they've got a beautiful flow to them."

Nicola (who works in pastels and oils and has always painted) teaches regular classes from her home to both large groups and individuals. She's a member of The Society of Equestrian artists and has exhibited with them at Sally Mitchell's Gallery in Nottinghamshire. www.nicolaeastell.co.uk.

Sue (a professional artist and tutor, based in Woodton) has exhibited her work in London with the Royal Society of British Artists and is a keen plein air painter. While working on her own paintings she also teaches groups of amateur artists. www. suewillmerart.com.

Sculptor

Jean (based in Mettingham) is influenced by the arts and crafts of indigenous groups from Australia, Africa and Asia. Her unique style generally depicts the human form and Jean will be

exhibiting a range of work from her human figurine collection. www.jksculptures.co.uk

All three artists take on commissions. 'Hands, Hooves and Horizons' takes place at Merlina Arts, Earsham between June 22nd and July 2nd. The Gallery opened last year and has hosted regular exhibitions in the historic Earsham Mill building since.

Metfield Stores

A bit of our history... Part 1

Sinking village shop saved by the community

All of the text below (probably written in 2008) was extracted from the old Metfield Stores website (now hosted at www.metfieldsuffolk.com). It tells how the sinking village shop was saved by the community and how it began its transformation into a living, breathing place of social and economic importance to the local economy.

Shut down

When the original shop closed down at the end of 2005, there were fears that Metfield would go the way of its surrounding villages and lose its shop forever. A group of villagers came together with the aim of promoting a community buyout of the shop, but at a public meeting no consensus could be reached on how to do it.

Then, at the 11th hour, with the shop building going for auction, local resident Rachel Kellett volunteered to buy the building if the community could put it in order and run it as a community shop. This suggestion was greeted with enthusiasm by a core group in the community including Martin and Ann Wolfe, Caroline Biggins and Bridget Morley, who did much to inspire this project.

"We couldn't lose. If the shop didn't work, we had at least given

it a go. If it did work, many options were open. It could continue to run as a community shop or be sold as a sustainable business. In any event, the shop could be saved", said Rachel. But Rachel was leaving immediately to spend six months in India, so she entrusted Ann Wolfe, Caroline Biggins and Bridget Morley to act on her behalf. At the time of the auction, Rachel was travelling on a train between Goa and Mumbai listening live to the auction taking place in Beccles on her mobile phone. Just as the auction was reaching its climax, the train entered a tunnel and she lost the connection. It was not until some hours later that she learned she had successfully bought the shop at the guide price of £180,000.

Villagers rally round

In two months, the shop was gutted and re-floored, receilinged and rewired, painted inside and out and re-stocked. Retired builder, Gorden Lee, came out of retirement and whistled his way through stripping out, rebuilding and refitting the shop, people wielding paint brushes turned up, professional sign painters emerged, classy London designers talked colour, and Bridget Morley worked miracles. Read the next instalment in the July issue of Community News...

Wrentham Chapel

Wrentham Chapel's next Caedmon evening will be held on June 23rd at 7pm. 'Songs, sonnets and such for a Suffolk Summer Solstice' is the theme for this seasonal celebration of music, word and song. As usual, the evening's programme will be compiled from

items brought and performed by some of those attending.

A light buffet with wine and fruit juice may also be enjoyed, along with time to chat. There is no charge for this event but any donations to the upkeep of the Chapel will be greatly appreciated.

Jane and Jeffrey Smith, who took over the shop in 1983. The bicycle on the right was used to deliver newspapers round the village. Image credit: Colin Eastaugh.

'Sereno' by Nicola Eastell

Bungay Open Gardens

Bungay Open Gardens will be on June 3rd and 4th from 10am until 4pm. There will be over 20 gardens open to the public and maps will be available from Bungay Library and Wharton Street Bungay. Please check which day/s the gardens are open. Voluntary donations to be distributed to Bungay Library, Falcon Meadow and Dog Eared Children's Festival.

What on?

Upcoming events at St. Mary's Church

We have a number of exciting events coming up in St. Mary's Church over the next few months. To start with, on July 15th, we're delighted that Lady Maisery will be coming to do a concert as part of their summer tour (www.ladymaisery.com/ home). The church will provide wonderful acoustics to amplify the talents of these gifted musicians and singers. It promises to be a wonderful evening. Doors open at 7pm. You can get tickets from Eventbrite (www. eventbrite.co.uk/e/lady-maisery-

tickets-619576579227).

On August 5th, we'll be celebrating Lammastide with a bread and wine festival starting at 2pm. There will be an opportunity to taste local wines, sample bread from local bakers, enter

home-baked bread for a best loaf competition and participate in a variety of activities for all ages. Tables will be available to clubs and vendors who would like to take part. Lammas is a celebration and thanksgiving for the first fruits of the harvest and there will also be a Holy Communion service in the evening followed by a reception. For more details, please get in touch with Rev'd Dominic Doble, Team Rector on: 01986 948968 or email: office.bvtm@gmail.com.

September will be a busy month for Halesworth as a whole, beginning with the 800year anniversary of the Town Charter on September 2nd. The Church will be involved in the Heritage Open Day on September 16th and the theme this year is

"Creativity Unwrapped". And from September 29th to October 1st, the Church and Town Council are holding a Climate Conference in St. Mary's. This will begin with a high-level panel discussion on September 29th starting at 7pm. It will be in the style of "Question Time" and chaired by Martin Seeley, Lord Bishop of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich. On September 30th, there will be workshops looking at local strategies, community projects and personal experiences and on Sunday we will have a celebration service followed by Wild Picnics!

More information will be available nearer the time but to express an interest in getting involved, please contact Rev'd Gini Williams, Team Vicar on: 01986 875541.

Invite to Blyth Woods annual meeting

The Blyth Woods group maintains and plants woods and hedges around the village of Wenhaston and the Blyth Valley, and is passionate about preserving and nurturing our lovely local countryside.

Come to our annual meeting on May 25th, held in the Wenhaston Village Hall from 7pm and learn

more about us! Entrance is free. The theme this year is 'Wilder Wenhaston: the story so far - and how you can be part of it', a talk with slides. Free refreshments and wine will be available. What we have successfully achieved here in just a year with the 'Wilder Wenhaston' project can be (and is already) repeated in many

other villages in this area. As an individual, you can help contribute to it, even in your own garden - for instance, in encouraging more butterflies, bees and wildflowers to flourish through very simple ways. So do come along and learn more about how you might be able to help with this very exciting and vital enterprise, in a time when nature is threatened as never before. We look forward to welcoming you! For further details, email: blythwoods1@gmail.com or visit: www.blythwoods.org

Alburgh Church Fête

The annual Alburgh Church Fête is on Saturday 1st July, 2pm on the playing field, IP20 0BZ. Something for everyone! Games, plants, books, remote control cars, cream teas and refreshments, Alburgh ice cream, coconut shy, pick-ajar, raffle, tombola, crafts and gifts, homemade cakes, jams and preserves, water into wine, classic cars and so much more including a display by Alburgh with Denton School.

Reydon Show

The Reydon Show will be on August 5th. The Reydon Show returns this summer and celebrates your talents big and small plus small cash prizes and various trophies to be won!

There are various categories for fruit and vegetables (including one for odd shaped ones), flowers and plants, flower arranging, baking and preserves, art, handicrafts and photography.

The categories for this year's photographic entries are: 1Autumn Leaves, 2 - A Patio Garden, 3 - At The Seaside and 4 - A Reydon Scene.

Entries have to be in on the Friday night or the Saturday morning and the exhibition opens at 2pm. So, plan your preserves, ready your radishes and corral your carnations ready for August.

A full programme of categories is available at Barbrooks, Reydon or can be emailed out if you email Charlotte Clark: frogclock@hotmail.com.

Earsham Village Fête

Earsham Village Fête will be taking place this year on Saturday 3rd June from 12:30pm-3:30pm. Running alongside the Beer Festival at The Queen's Head, there will be stalls, refreshments, a BBQ and bouncy castle. Come along! It will be fun for all the family!

Halesworth Lions Summer Fair cancelled

It is with great regret that Halesworth Lions have had to cancel the Summer Fair scheduled for June 25th due to circumstances entirely beyond our control. We can only apologise to all concerned for any inconvenience

caused. As this was to be our main fundraiser for the year, we are looking into the possibility of running an event later in the summer.

Our thanks to everyone for the great support that we get from the local community.

Do you have an event to advertise?

Call David on 01502 725 837

195456

PRODUCE MARKET

SATURDAY 10th JUNE

The Rifle Hall, Halesworth, IP19 8LR

2nd SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH 9AM-1PM

For stall enquiries, please contact Pam on 01986 781382

Ringsfield School

At Ringsfield, we have been learning about what we can do to take care of our planet and our local environment. We particularly focused on why it is important not to litter. The children decided that it can hurt animals and make the water dirty. They also agreed that littering can be dangerous for humans, especially if glass is smashed on the ground.

We decided to go on a litter pick and we were sad to find

lots of litter in the carpark at the Village Hall even though there are various recycling bins. However, we were very pleased to see that there was very little litter during our walk to the park and there was none near or on the playground where we play. We saw a poster on the way telling the village about a litter pick on the Saturday so we were happy we could help.

We also had a wonderful time celebrating the King's Coronation. We made our own special St. Edward's Crown and took part in fun coronationthemed activities with the whole school. We finished our afternoon by singing a special coronation song and the national anthem to our families who came to join the celebration with us.

Fragrant flowers and foliage

June is a lovely month to be in the garden! Everything is bursting into bloom and you can really enjoy being outside. With the evenings getting longer and brighter, you can use your garden or patio as a great extension to your home, whether it's in the countryside or in a smaller, but equally treasured, urban environment.

It's also traditionally the time to plant out bedding plants which are so much part of the floral display of a summer garden. However, in addition to looking good, some plants also taste good. Herbs have some of the most beautiful flowers in the garden, and are edible.

So, thrifty tip for the month is... If you plant a selection of flowering edible herbs, you'll have a beautiful garden good enough to eat! You can make any herb produce more flowers by planting them in a well drained site or container in a sunny location. When planting a herb that you want to flower, use some organic compost and feed in the planting hole then plant the herb, water at the base and keep the soil moist throughout the growing season. Along with basil, sage and mint,

chives are delightful edible treats with beautiful flowers and make lovely pollinator plants. You could also let your herbs bolt, when the plant changes from being mainly leaf-based to a plant that has mostly flowers and stems. Once a herb has bolted, when the weather gets hot and dry, it loses its flavour and produces flowers that are rich with nectar that attract bees and butterflies. If you want to attract moths, then try plants with white flowers that release their scent in the evening such as tobacco plants or night scented stocks.

Another aromatic addition to the garden is the scentedleaved pelargonium (commonly known as geranium) that brings foliage, fragrance and flowers to any outside space. There are a variety of fragrances (lemon, rose, lavender, cinnamon, apple) created from natural oils within the leaves that are released when brushed with fingers or hands, and sometimes after a summer shower. Scented-leaved pelargoniums are best grown in containers in the sunny position. They can withstand chills outside especially if grown next to a house wall, but not frosts and if temperatures dip

they are best brought inside over winter. Cuttings can be taken in late summer. Popular varieties include 'Attar of Roses' with pale green foliage, a rosy aroma and pink flowers: 'Prince of Orange' with a strong orange scent and pale purple and white flowers: and 'Deerwood Lavender Lass' a semi-trailing plant with olive green leaves and rosy-mauve flowers. The extra light and warmth this month encourages the garden to put on an exuberant burst of growth, especially fruit trees. Apple trees struggle to bring all their fruit to maturity which results in the 'June drop' of smaller fruits. To give a helping hand, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommends that you also thin out some of the small apples left behind by hand or with secateurs. This will improve the size and quality of those left behind resulting in a better crop.

Other June jobs on the RHS Gardener's Checklist:

• Tie in climbing or rambling roses.

• Pinch out side shoots on tomatoes.

• Mow lawns at least once a week.

• Recycle grass clippings.

• Begin feeding potted flowers.

• Protect brassicas from cabbage white caterpillars.

• Plant out dahlias.

• Be water wise and try to use grey water in the garden.

• Watch out for mould on fruit, especially strawberries.

Geraniums bring beautiful foliage, fragrance and flowers to any outside space.

With

• Weed regularly.

Royal Horticultural Society

the evenings getting longer and brighter, you can use your garden or patio as a great extension to your home!

Coronation

Litter picking

Blyth Valley Parkinsons Support Group

We give a big thank you to everyone who attended our fundraising coffee morning on May 11th at Wenhaston Village Hall. All money raised helps us continue our support group. Our next meeting will be on

June 8th when we'll meet at Old Hall, Reydon. We hope the weather will be fine so we can enjoy the views and a short walk. Please do come along to any of our meetings if you've been diagnosed with Parkinson's

disease or care for someone who has. You can be sure of a warm welcome, help and support. For further information, please contact either Gail (01986 872283) or Margaret (01502 478502).

Westhall Charity Football Club

An exciting project has been taken on by myself (William Bird), my wife (Lauren Bird) and our close friend (Sam Jefford), which has seen the three of us start a charity football team, Westhall Charity FC.

This is where anyone male or female can play in mixed matches to help raise money for charity.

Although the aim is to raise as much as we can to help others, this is also about bringing people together and it has proved a huge success already and creating new friendships whilst raising incredible amounts.

The charity changes every match and the idea of this first began after the jubilee weekend

where we had a memorial match in memory of Wes Foster who to some, was a family member, to several a team mate and to all, a friend. We raised £700 for the brain tumour charity and everyone asked to do it yearly, which is why I decided let's help as many people as we can all year but keep the memorial match our big yearly event for the meaning behind it all.

So far this year, we've had two matches. The first raised £409 for the Halesworth Dementia Carers Fund and the second, £532 for the Pear Tree Fund Halesworth. We aim to get two to three more in this year, one of those being the yearly

brain tumour memorial match.

This project started by borrowing kits from Spexhall FC as we didn't have our own, but have since got eight incredible sponsors and two fantastic kits. One in use and one on order.

Our sponsors are: GBS Construction, Jefford & Partners, Britten Construction, Hair Affair, Attik Estate agents, MRWCF Electrical, Truck & Plant Engineering and last but not least, the place where it all began, The Westhall Racehorse.

We owe a huge thanks to all of these in supporting us and making this possible. We also owe huge thanks to all players, supporters and everyone that helps us make

these events go smoothly.

Upcoming events:

June 17th at Wenhaston FC (for The Brain Tumour Charity), August 13th at Spexhall FC (Halesworth Dementia Carers' Fund) and November 5th at Sizewell Sports and Social Club (SULSAR & Halesworth Community Responders). The events are a lot of fun, so please do come along enjoy the day. I'm very proud to be able to do this and help others alongside two people that mean the world to me and so many other friends and family. Thank you all. I look forward to continuing these events and growing friendships with all new players and supporters.

Forget-Me-Nots

Forget-Me-Nots meet to relax and reminisce with live musical entertainment at Beccles Public Hall. A warm welcome awaits you at our afternoons which are held on the first Tuesday and third Monday of each month from 2pm-4pm. Meetings are free, with £1.50 for tea and cake. For more information, please call Jenny on 01502 714828 or text 07528 373117.

Woodbridge Festival of Art & Music announces first artist

Woodbridge Badminton Club

Woodbridge Badminton Club is currently running its summer club at the Kesgrave Community Centre Sports Hall. This runs on Friday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on a pay-as-you-play basis (£6/night). We welcome a range of abilities but unfortunately not complete beginners. You can find out more on: www.woodbridgebadminton. co.uk or email: contact@ woodbridgebadminton.co.uk or ring Jim Cavanagh on 01728 723900.

Double Grammy-winning, chart topping DJ, Jazzie B, is the first headline act announced for the annual Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music, in Elmhurst Park on September 2nd. The festival (in its 11th year) will for the first time expand its annual Elmhurst Park event to two days. Friday in the park will celebrate top regional talent, while international acts will play on Saturday. Further events will take place around the town for the festival weekend, which lasts from August 30th until September 3rd.

Jazzie B (founder and frontman of Soul II Soul) is one of the most influential and celebrated pioneers in British black music. His hit singles, such as Back To Life and Keep

On Movin', have topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic, as did the iconic Club Classics Vol. 1 album. He returns to the festival having played Woodbridge in 2021. "I was talking with Jazzie in London earlier this year," says festival Creative Director and DJ Ben Osborne, "and he mentioned he'd enjoyed playing last time. So I immediately asked if he'd DJ again. We're beyond hyped he said yes! His DJ set last time is still talked about and is a high point in the festival's story." Woodbridge Festival has been able to expand to two days after being awarded new funding by East Suffolk Council, as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund initiative.

"We are hugely grateful to have been given funding to expand

the festival," says festival chair Naomi Drown. "We are a notfor-profit community festival, set-up to put on high quality acts and promote creativity in our local area. Over the last 11 years, the festival has invited chart toppers, Glastonbury headliners, Grammy winners and internationally celebrated artists, from electronic music to soul, indie, hip hop, Brit Pop and classical music genres, to play. This funding makes it possible for us expand into our best year yet."

Saturday in the park will also debut a new wellbeing area, as well as the traditional large EcoArea, Kids Zone, Literary Zone, Art Area and local food and drink village, with craft beers and local wine tasting.

A summer programme of

events will also be launched at the town's Regatta on June 18th.

The festival's annual audiovisual projections on Woodbridge Tide Mill will also return, with projections in June, September and November. A series of AV workshops are planned alongside the annual open call for themed artworks. This year's subjects for projected art will be inspired by the Windrush 75 celebrations. The festival's light art shows have been phenomenally successful, with call-outs attracting hundreds of submissions from local people and established artists.

The festival's Fish Friendly Fireworks event, projecting onto the Tide Mill, was shortlisted for an East Suffolk Green Impact Award in 2022. For more information and tickets visit: www.woodbridgefestival.com.

Upcoming events at St. Peter's Church, Sibton

On June 18th at 3:30pm, Suffolk Strings will play their annual concert at Sibton Church, IP17 2LX.

Tickets will be on sale from The Weavers Tea Room and Peasenhall General Store before the event, and online at Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.co.uk). A limited number of tickets may be available at the door.

This informal occasion, with tea to follow, has become a very popular and enjoyable annual event, filling the church and showcasing interesting music in a variety of styles, with music often arranged specially by Peter Bumstead who is the orchestra's conductor.

The Friends of St. Peter's Church, Sibton (Charity No. 1063822) also announce an important event taking place in July. A major exhibition is being organized which will take place in

Ensors Accountants

Sibton Church on July 8th and 9th, 10:30am-4pm. It will demonstrate the heritage of the surrounding area of that part of the Yox valley. The church building has a history and extant remains dating back to the 12th century.

By kind permission of Nicholas Levett-Scrivener, the event will include guided tours of the Sibton Abbey Ruin, the only Cistercian foundation in Suffolk: a well-documented and recently consolidated 12th century ruin. New evidence concerning the site has been established by geophysical survey. Recent discoveries will be demonstrated by Historic England. Refreshments will be available at the church.

Tickets are on sale from The Weavers Tea Room and Peasenhall General Store before the event, online at www.eventbrite.co.uk, and at the church on event days.

Leiston Film Theatre presents criticallyacclaimed 'Seaside Special' film

Leiston Film Theatre will be heading off to the seaside in June, when the venue screens a critically-acclaimed documentary, filmed in Norfolk.

Seaside Special is an absolute 'must see' film, following Britain's End-of-the-Pier variety show in Cromer, over the course of a year, pre-Covid, as it prepares for its busy 2019 summer season. This wonderful 'love letter to Britain' is viewed from the perspective of the performers and the town's residents.

German filmmaker, Jens Meurer, has had huge success in his native land with his documentary, about the local people's differing political views and entertainers preparing to take part in Cromer's famous annual show - the last of its kind in the UK.

Meurer has created something quite special with his film, filmed on crisp 16mm film and with an original soundtrack by the fabulous Steve Willaert Brass Band. With its colourful ensemble of inspiring and original characters, the film easily demonstrates the quintessential British warmth and wit, that shines through in this beautifully crafted film.

Leiston Film Theatre manager, Wayne Burns (who was in the audience in Cromer when the film was being shot) first enjoyed the film at the Norwich Film festival as was determined to screen the film at Suffolk's oldest cinema.

"Getting this film on our screen hasn't been easy, but I was so utterly captivated and entertained by this charming film, as was everyone who watched it with me, I just had to share it with

our audience. The unintentional humour of the characters is so endearing to our part of the UK and the fly-on-the-wall look at how the Cromer Pier show is staged is just fascinating." he said.

The film's director (Jens Meurer) will be travelling from Berlin, especially for the event, to introduce his film, along with some of the Cromer cast and will be taking questions from the audience at the end of the screening.

Seaside Special is showing at Leiston Film Theatre on Sunday 25th June at 6pm. Tickets are priced £8.50 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and £6.50 for members of the Leiston Film Theatre Support Club. Tickets are now available from the Box Office on: 01728 830549 and via the website at: www.leistonfilmtheatre.co.uk.

Chrissie Turnbull

Your guide to the P11D form

Upcoming wildlife themed events

Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Woodbridge Wildlife Group offer a wildlife experience at the beginning and end of the day during the month of June.

Firstly, there will be a chance to learn more about moths when the group open a moth trap in Fen Meadow, Woodbridge at 8am on the morning of Saturday 17th June. "We will be setting up the trap the previous evening" said Phil Smith, Chairman of the Woodbridge Wildlife Group "We will have a local expert joining us to help us identify the moths trapped, and I think that this will be a very interesting early morning event for all the family. Visitors will find us at the top end of the park near the gate to the cemetery."

Booking is not required for the Moth Trap event, and all are welcome. The event is free but donations to Suffolk Wildlife Trust are welcomed. Visitors coming by car are advised to park in Portland Crescent and walk along the cemetery fence to the Fen Meadow gate.

Then on Friday 23rd June, the group invite you to join them for an evening Nightjar walk on

Suffolk Wildlife Trust - Woodbridge Wildlife Group Blaxhall Heath and Common starting at 9:15pm. Phil Smith said "As darkness falls we will wander across the heath, looking and listening for signs of the nightjar. This fascinating bird is a summer visitor to this reserve and I hope we will be lucky enough to catch sight of the bird. The walk should also give the chance to see glow worms" added Mr Smith. The walk starts from the Sandgalls car park, Tunstall (TM 382559) and will last for approximately one hour. The walk is suitable for adults and children over 10 but places are strictly limited and must be pre-booked by contacting Suffolk Wildlife Trust. A minimum donation of £5 per person is payable, with under 25's free, and bookings can be made online: www. suffolkwildlifetrust.org (events section) or by phoning 01473 890089. Dogs are not allowed on this walk. Participants are advised to use insect repellent, wear sturdy footwear and bring a torch. For further information about either event contact the Woodbridge Wildlife group on: swtwoodbridge@outlook.com or phone 01473 625630.

P11Ds are forms which employers must submit to HMRC each tax year to report the value of reportable benefits they have provided to employees and directors, where the benefits are not covered by a formal payrolling arrangement with HMRC or are not dealt with under a PAYE Settlement Agreement ('PSA'). This article covers some of the important points you need to consider.

Who needs to complete a P11D form?

Employers need to file a P11D form for any employees and directors in receipt of benefits in kind.

What is a P11D benefit?

Benefits in kind are goods and services provided to an employee for free or at greatly reduced costs. These include items such as company cars and their associated fuel benefit, vans available for private use, health insurance, living accommodation, interestfree loans and many more.

What is exempt?

You do not have to report certain business expenses and benefits such as business travel, phone bills and specific tools for work.

When is the P11D deadline?

Forms P11D and P11D(b) for the year ended 5th April 2023 need to be submitted by 6th July 2023 to avoid penalties. The Class

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1A National Insurance is payable by 22nd July 2023 (19th July 2023 if paying by cheque). From 6th April 2023, the forms can only be submitted online.

What are the penalties?

The P11D(b) late filing penalties kick in as soon as you miss the deadline. You'll get a penalty of £100 per 50 employees for each month or part month your P11D(b) is late and you could also be charged penalties and interest if you're late paying HMRC.

How to submit a P11D?

There are two ways in which you can report benefits in kind to HMRC. Option one is that you file P11D online using the PAYE online services. Option two is that your report the benefits using payroll software in the year they are received.

How long should the records be kept?

You'll need to keep copies of benefit-related records for three years from the end of the tax year they are for. These records should include the date and details or every benefit, and how you've calculated the amounts.

For further information, please contact Chrissie Turnbull (pictured) on: chrissie.turnbull@ ensors.co.uk.

Specialist advice should always be sought prior to taking any action on matters discussed in this article.

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Halesworth & District U3A

County Ensemble programme now open!

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June 20th at 2:30pm: Robert Tilney is a local gunsmith who runs his business from Beccles in the premises where his great, great grandfather founded the firm in the 1860's. Robert will entertain and inform us about his life as an expert on the Antiques Road Show of which he has been a part since 2007. This afternoon

The talk will start at 2:30pm at The Cut Arts Centre, Halesworth. There is no charge for U3A members to our talks at The Cut, friends and visitors will be very welcome for an entrance fee of £4.

May 26th at 11am: Members Coffee Hour in The Cut Café. If

Small Barbecue Packs £9.99

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you're interested in joining the U3A, please come and meet us at the Coffee Hour or visit our website for more information.

Join Suffolk's premier youth ensembles for quality music making, as applications for the 2023-24 season are now open!

Call for information on our history:

The county's talented young musicians are invited to join Suffolk County Music Service for a season of excellent music making.

Following on from a comment from someone who donated a violin back to us, which she had from the County Music Service as a schoolgirl in 1960, we realised the service could be 60+ years old!

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In April, we heard from Peter Lawrence about the gems hidden in Parish Records. He told us how he learned about the history of his own locality in Essex using documents preserved through the ages. From the 1500s onwards, parishes had a legal duty to keep details of the births, marriages and deaths of ordinary people and these are invaluable today when tracing family history.

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I wish to join The Friends of Walpole Old Chapel

Title ……… First Name/s …………..…………… Surname ………..………………..

Address …………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………… Postcode ……………………… Email ……………………………….……………Phone number………………………….

I agree to the Friends of Walpole Chapel holding this basic data about me Theinformationprovidedwillbestoredonasecuredatabaseandwillbeusedfor theadministrationfortheFriendsofWalpoleOldChapelincludingFriends’mailings andfornootherpurposes.Allpersonalinformationwillbeheldinthestrictest confidence.Itwillnotbemadeavailabletoanythirdpartywithoutyourconsent. Forfurtherdetails,pleaseseeourPrivacyPolicy.https://walpoleoldchapel.org/

Gift Aid

Forevery£1ofyoursupport,weareabletoreclaimtaxof 25pso,ifyouareataxpayer,pleasesigntheformbelow as this additional contribution will make a real difference.

I am UK taxpayer and I would like The Friends of Walpole Old Chapel (Registered Charity1198030) to treat as Gift Aid all donations I make. I confirm that I have paid, or will pay, an amount of Income or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6thApril-5th April) that is at least equal to the amount that I donate to charities for that tax year. I understand that the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on each £1 that I give.

Signed …………………………......………………… Date .........../.........../...........

Annual Subscription: £10 (Althoughwewouldvalueanextradonation!)

Cheques to be made out to ‘Friends of Walpole Old Chapel’ or you can pay if you prefer by internet banking. Our bank details are:

Lloyds Bank

Branch: Halesworth/Beccles

Sort code: 30 - 13 - 64

Account no: 00703439

Please quote your name for reference details then tick here

Please send this form to Membership Secretary: Dr Paul Simmons, 23 Rectory Street, Halesworth, IP19 8BS. All subscriptions will be acknowledged gratefully.

Members of the U3A were pleased to join the Coronation Big Picnic organised by Halesworth Town Council on May 7th. The following Saturday, our U3A took part in Halesworth Day with a display in St. Mary's Parish Church showing a selection of our activities.

Suitable for brass, percussion, string and woodwind players, the 'County Ensemble' programme offers a varied range of activities throughout the year. This includes rehearsal days, an Easter residential rehearsal course at Framlingham College, European concert tours and performances at Snape Maltings Concert Hall.

"It's great to be amongst likeminded musical friends and make new ones, great to play with others at a good standard" - Music student.

To find out more information, visit: suffolkmusichub.co.uk/ take-part or email: county. musicservice@suffolk.gov.uk.

We'd love to hear from anyone who has information on our past in the 1960s, or even further back, as we know Music Services in other counties have been celebrating 70 year anniversaries, so we're wondering if we could date back to this time too?

This does make sense, with the social changes going on post-war! e.g. The Education Act of 1944, implemented 1945-51 could well be key, along with the Welfare State in 1942 then the NHS Act of 1946.

If you have any information, please do get in touch by emailing: county.musicservice @suffolk.gov.uk or calling: 01472 263400.

Walpole Old Chapel looking for Friends and volunteers

Built as a farmhouse in the late 16th century and converted, by local people, into an independent chapel in the 17th century, Walpole Chapel was at the centre of Nonconformist life in the village, and further afield, until it closed for regular worship in 1970. Suffolk has always shown a strong independence of mind. So it's no surprise to find a very early independent (or congregational) religious body establishing itself in this area, meeting at first in local dwellings and then (30 years or so later) converting this old farm house into what is now recognised as a unique religious building. Walpole Old Chapel is one of the oldest Nonconformist chapels in England, recently described by Historic England as a "historic gem" and Grade II* listed. It has a fascinating history, which often reflects major changes or events in broader society. It's still used for occasional

weddings and funerals but also for secular events since it has a beautiful acoustic for both music and the spoken word. It's also remarkably untouched by modern adaptations. You could imagine you are in the 1700s still when you step inside.

The Chapel is currently part of the Historic Chapels Trust but a Friends of Walpole Old Chapel has been registered as a charity to help run the activities and raise funds for repair and running costs.

We have known since 2015 that the Chapel's external render is failing, and we've been developing a £300,000 project (Walpole Unwrapped) to repair and conserve the building. Following a number of specialist surveys, Historic England has now formally recognised the seriousness of the situation by placing the Chapel on the heritage 'at risk' register (and given us a grant of £54,000 to carry out exploratory work needed to take

the project up to the point of tendering for contractors).

We have our Discovery Project Group who are researching the personal histories of the Chapel's congregation and we are working with the Society of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) to showcase the old techniques used in the original construction of the Chapel.

This remarkable building, with its unique internal space, its roof space home to a colony of brown long-eared bats also has an unimproved chapel yard rich in meadow plants, some quite rare.

We have something for everyone to celebrate!

We have raised £95,000 towards repairs from and are working towards submitting applications to major national grant funders.

We now feel that we need a larger pool of people who will be our 'Friends' who are interested and care about what happens to the Chapel as well as our

programme of events. These Friends will have advance notice of events, special opportunities to meet socially in the Chapel as well as see the works in progress and a dedicated newsletter.

We also need volunteers to steward events and our 'Open Chapel' Saturdays and people willing to serve as trustees to swell the small group we have currently. You could help with fundraising, or get involved in the repair and conservation project. Are you a wiz at IT or a teacher, exhibitor or event organiser who might bring groups to the Chapel? Or a performer? Walpole Old Chapel is already on the map... Now we need people to shout about it louder!

You can be local or far awayyour subscription to the Friends will help provide a source of regular income for the upkeep of the Chapel; something of which to be proud.

www.walpoleoldchapel.org

Robert Tilney in his Suffolk workshop.