In Touch News with Claydon March 2020

In Touch

™© ™©

with Barham, Claydon, Henley & Whitton Rural Volume 10 • Issue No. 5 • MARCH 2020

Claydon High School GCSE bootcamp at Mersea Island, p19

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

NEWS

Do you ever long for the days when you pulled up at a service station and waited for an assistant to come to your aid? This is just one example of a ‘social’ encounter which doesn’t exist anymore, replaced by self-service or technology.

PACKED HOUSES FOR HENLEY PLAYERS’ PANTO

Of course, self-sufficiency is good in many, if not all, aspects of life, but the need for and the benefits of social contact are proven. Loneliness and isolation are rarely freely embraced and Facebook, Twitter and the like have become lifelines for many while the internet provides unparalleled access to... well, to just about everything. However, I find that spending time with ‘real’ people, chatting over coffee, brief conversations over a counter, a helpful assistant when you need to try on a different (invariably bigger) size, even a nod on a cold morning have all become more precious as a consequence.

Henley Players presented Cinderella to packed houses in January. Written by North East writer Tom Whalley, a professional panto writer, and directed

by Marina Griggs, the production had five beautiful scenes, ranging from a ballroom to a winter wonderland. There were cars, ghosts, falling snow and a spectacular UV scene for turning the mice and pumpkin into horses and a stagecoach.

I saw a poster in a coffee shop recently which made me smile: “I saw a man in a coffee shop the other day. He was just sitting there drinking coffee. He wasn’t on his phone or checking his emails. Just sitting there doing nothing like some crazy person!” Not so long ago this would have described most of us and I hope you occasionally find time to ‘just sit’, despite what others may think!

The cast of 29, one of the biggest to date, were mostly local and many had attended the summer workshop. A massive thank you to all who supported the show, with special thanks to Henley Community Centre charity.

Kevin

We are fortunate to live in an age where access to just about everything we need, and lots more besides, is at our fingertips but we must never forget those who don’t have access or who may need our actual presence in their lives.

A message may be appreciated but a hug is everything.

Of course, this also applies to local business; without our support they simply can’t survive and where would we be without them. Now more than ever, we need to show some love to our high streets and to consider the carbon footprint of each and every purchase we make. Every face-to-face shopping experience helps us to stay connected with our local community and shopping locally ensures more of our money stays in the local community.

Of course, if you prefer to shop online or simply don’t have the means to get out and about, you can still choose to shop local by finding a local supplier online. As you’ll see in the following pages, most, if not, all of the businesses and service providers featured have an online presence.

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In Touch Titles • Stowmarket & Stowupland • Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew • Melton & Woodbridge • Manningtree, Brantham, Lawford & Mistley • Hadleigh, Chattisham, Hintlesham, Holton St Mary, Layham & Raydon • Ipswich East, Ravenswood, Broke Hall & Warren Heath • Elmswell, Beyton, Drinkstone, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit • Needham Market & The Creetings • Shotley, Chelmondiston, Erwarton, Harkstead, Holbrook, Pin Mill, Stutton & Woolverstone • Martlesham • Claydon, Barham, Henley & Whitton • East Bergholt, Dedham, Flatford & Stratford St Mary • Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham • Capel St Mary (Capel Capers) • Copdock, Belstead, Bentley, Tattingstone & Washbrook • Gt & Lt Blakenham, Baylham & Nettlestead • Westerfield, Ashbocking, Tuddenham St Martin & Witnesham • Sproughton & Burstall We also publish Spotlight on Felixstowe

Tuesday 10 March Printed on gloss paper from FSC certified sources

Please recycle.

CAN YOU HELP CLAYDON’S SWIFTS? Did you know that Claydon has a small colony of swifts that return every May and use the village as their home until they leave again at the end of August? You might have seen them flying, and even heard them calling on a beautiful summers’ day. However, their numbers appear to be declining in the village. They don’t have many new places to nest any more, and the number of available sites decreases each year as houses become modern and well-sealed, preventing swifts from using the normal gaps and holes they are used to.

In 2020 we are hoping some Claydon residents will be willing to fix Swift nest boxes to their houses, particularly on Norwich Road where the main colony nest, in an effort to boost the population. Working with our local district councillors, the parish council has raised funds to buy some of the boxes. If you own a property in Claydon and would be willing to help with this, or in another way, please get in touch for more information.

The amazing sights and sounds of swifts over Claydon might be lost very soon if we don’t help them to maintain their summer homes by lending them a little bit of ours. We hope you can help.

David Townsend E: claydonswifts@yahoo.com

EASTER BRIC-A-BRAC SALE 1st Sproughton Brownies are holding an annual Easter Bric-a-Brac Sale in aid of Save the Children, Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy and Brownie funds on Saturday 28 March in Sproughton Church Hall from 2-4pm.

Please come along, support us and grab yourself a bargain.

Admission is free. Stalls include white elephant, toys, books, clothes, next-to-new, cakes, a draw, tombolas, games and refreshments.

is the advertising and editorial deadline for the April edition

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NEWS GIPPING VALLEY COUNTY & BLAKENHAM DISTRICT COUNCILLOR JOHN FIELD Planning Referrals in Barham A massive agenda defeated the planning referrals meeting to consider the Barham Church Lane application and the item was deferred, along with several others.

CLAYDON & WHITTON PARISH COUNCIL Highways work in Claydon Following negotiation by the parish council, Suffolk Highways have agreed to clean up the road in the centre of Claydon following the works from Anglian Water and to repaint the lines on the road so that parking is clearly visible.

Swifts in Claydon With a noticeable reduction in swifts visiting the village brought to the parish council’s attention, Claydon & Whitton Parish Council have obtained funding from the district council locality budget to purchase swift nest boxes. Please see page 3 to find out how you can help.

Claydon Church Lane Conservation Bank Work has been undertaken to maintain the conservation bank for wild flowers on Claydon Church Lane.

Parish Precept At the meeting on January 13, the parish council resolved to set its precept as £41,360 for the year March 2020-April 2021. This precept gives the parish a Council Tax Band D amount of £52.58, which is an increase of 0.05 percent on 2019/20.

The next parish council meeting is on Monday 9 March and the next planning meeting is on Monday 16 March. Both meetings will take place at the village hall. Agenda can be accessed online, on noticeboards or by contacting the clerk three working days before a meeting.

The parish clerk, Charmaine Greenan, can be contacted at: 07887 459989 claywhit@btinternet.com / post to 129 Poplar Hill, Stowmarket IP14 2AX www.claydonandbarham.onesuffolk.net

BARHAM PARISH COUNCIL Barham Parish Council is always happy to take residents’ concerns to Suffolk County Council (SCC) or Mid Suffolk District Council (MSDC). Recently we have had varying degrees of success. We would like to thank MSDC for clearing the ditch that runs beside the footpath from Thornhill Road to The Slade.

Hopefully this will significantly reduce the risk of flooding during periods of heavy rain.

Unfortunately, we have been unsuccessful with SCC Highways who have declined to take action on blocked drains in Kirby Rise or to improve the state of the footpath that runs from Coopers Way to Station Road, Claydon.

In addition, we have been chasing SCC Highways to replace the Barham sign that has disappeared from near Boathouse Cottages.

Barham Parish Council’s next full council meeting is on Monday 3 March at 7.30pm in Claydon & Barham Village Hall and due to Easter the finance committee meeting will be on Monday 20 April at 7.30pm.

Future meeting dates and agendas are available online or can be viewed on the village noticeboards, which are located near the entrance of the Co-op and at Barham Green. If you would like a specific topic discussed as an agenda item, please email the parish clerk. The agendas have to be published at least three clear working days before the meeting date, therefore any items received after this would have to be added to the next full council meeting.

Parish Clerk Jo Culley 07958 402335 / barhampc@outlook.com www.claydonandbarham.onesuffolk.net

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It is vital that councillors get time to read documentation thoroughly in order to make sound judgements in line with policy, including Neighbourhood Plans (which contain local views), the Mid Suffolk Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.

One difficulty is that although we now have a five-year land supply, critical policies are not in line with the latest NPPF, are out of date and have little weight.

Highways Expertise There is often a feeling at planning meetings that highway issues around developments have not been considered in sufficient detail and that improvements requested are not sufficiently demanding. We have been pushing for a highways engineer to do more work dedicated to developments in Mid Suffolk. So far neither the county or Mid Suffolk are prepared to fund such a person.

Enforcement Communities suffer from assertive individuals or companies determined to do whatever they see as in their best interest, despite rules and planning conditions. Controlling this in the best interests of the whole community is, at best, a slow process. We have been asking for an increase in staffing and money for legal action but have been told that more can be achieved by focused work from the current resource. Some communities in Gipping Valley are tired of waiting so we must watch for rapid change.

Scrutiny All county or district council scrutiny meetings are open to the public and you can make your points heard. Since the new year, we at county have considered the issues around the highways contract with Kier, the relationship between the company and the council, the stability in the face of turmoil in the contracting industry and the performance of Suffolk Highways as shown by a national survey.

Relationships have improved greatly. Contingency plans are in place and the issues around stability and the end of the current contract, which is approaching, are well understood. Performance has improved within the constraints of a very tight budget.

Next to come are Home to School Transport, where we will look at the implementation of the new policy rather than analysing the failure of the current policy, and Suffolk’s response to the initial report on the Grenfell tragedy.

Ipswich Northern Route project ends Matthew Hicks is recommending that the Ipswich Northern Route should not proceed. He has yet to go along with proposals for work to resolve the transport issues in Ipswich in a sustainable way.

Superfast Broadband Currently, 96 percent of properties in Suffolk have access to superfast broadband. Phase 3, which has just been approved, will aim to reach a further two percent of the hardest to reach properties. Scrutiny intends to look at the plans, including those for the final two per cent and those for all digital communication in Suffolk, including 5G. A Permit Scheme for Roadworks In future, utility companies and developers will need to apply for a permit from Suffolk Highways before digging up roads. Currently, they only inform SCC of their intention to work on the highways. The permit scheme will ensure that motorists have more notice of planned roadworks, providing the council with more powers to approve or refuse a request and to co-ordinate and plan works. This should result in less disruption for road users.

If you have any queries, please ring 07545 423808 or email: john.field@suffolk.gov.uk

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NEWS HENLEY PARISH COUNCIL The parish council has bought a new Speed Indicator Device (SID) which will be seen round the village soon.

Our current sign simply reminds drivers that they should be observing the 30mph limit; the new sign tells drivers exactly what speed they are in fact doing and flashes a grumpy face at them if it’s over 30mph. They get a smiley face if they are within the limit.

It’s widely believed that these signs are reasonably effective, encouraging most people to observe the law. There will always be a few complete crazies who take some weird pleasure in putting themselves and others at risk by driving at ludicrous speeds – but most people are quite law-abiding and don’t mind being reminded to slow down.

The only thing which would perhaps work even better would be a sign which records the registration plate of offenders and passes that information on to the police for possible warnings or even prosecutions. These signs have been tested in various places but are not yet available. There are, of course, problems about privacy; not everyone is comfortable about details of their individual journeys being recorded. But we shall see whether those objections are overcome and number plate recognition eventually becomes routine.

In the meantime we are also continuing to press for a reduced speed limit on the stretch of road which leads from the Hare and Hounds corner down to Henley through Henley Square. There are plenty of similar routes on minor roads where a 40mph limit is applied and enforced. It seems ridiculous that the limit through Henley Square is 60mph.

The parish council is also going ahead with some repairs to the play area at the community centre. The latest safety check identified some fencing in very poor condition and the gates are being replaced with the latest version, which has the safety feature of soft closing. Play areas are rightly constrained by all sorts of safety regulations; the previous gates, which were removed to be on the safe side, met the necessary standards but did not include a soft closing feature. The repairs and installation should be completed in the next few weeks.

Sunday 22 March is the date for the next village litter pick. Volunteers are asked to come to the community centre for 10am to be assigned a route and collect the necessary gear.

That’s also the date of the next village brunch – and litter-pickers get a free meal.

You can find our privacy notice on the Henley website. If you have any questions about anything to do with the parish council, don’t hesitate to contact us.

If you are not on our village email list and would like to be, send a simple request to henleyparishcouncil@gmail.com or rodcaird@yahoo.co.uk and we will sort it out.

ENSURING YOUR RTA CLAIM DOESN’T HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD No matter how serious, road traffic accidents (RTAs) are always distressing experiences. 2018 alone saw over 165,000 casualties of all severities resulting from RTAs. If you are a victim of an RTA, you could have a case for compensation.

To assist you ahead of any claim, there are important steps you should take / pieces of evidence that you should gather if possible.

Immediately following an accident, if possible, the first steps you should take include: • Get the details of all those involved: For vehicles, this includes registration numbers, the make, model and colour of the vehicles involved.

For people, obtain their phone numbers, addresses and insurance details. Also, be sure to write a description of the person involved and who you believe to be responsible for the RTA.

• Seek medical attention – even if you are feeling ok, it is important to get checked over.

• If possible, take photographs of the accident location, the vehicles involved and the damage caused.

•

Contact the police and report the incident – while they may not always be required to attend the accident, if any person refuses to provide their details at the scene, you must report them to the police.

• If you are the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident, inform your insurer at the earliest opportunity.

• Get the details of any witnesses including their telephone numbers – and their own accounts of what happened – they could back up your claim.

• Keep your own record of the incident – this can include writing down what happened and taking photos of any injuries sustained.

• Keep records of all expenses that you may have incurred as a result of the incident and any injuries sustained – for example, loss of earnings, travel expenses and any medication costs.

If your property or vehicle has been damaged as a result of an RTA, or you’ve been injured, then you can make a claim.

Personal injury and loss claims following an RTA come in two parts:

Don’t forget to keep an eye from time to time on our own website where we publish all sorts of useful (we hope!) information and contacts.

1. Compensation for the pain and suffering sustained as a result of the accident.

Parish Council Clerk Rod Caird: 07785 331217

2. Compensation for any financial losses flowing from that accident and injury – this could come in the form of the cost of vehicle repairs, medication and treatment costs or loss of earnings due to injuries sustained.

www.henley.onesuffolk.net

Follow us on Twitter to keep up with all your local news: @InTouchEast 6

It is important therefore that, if possible, you capture as much information about the accident, injuries and losses sustained so that if you do wish to make a claim at a later date, the evidence and information that you need is already to hand to assist in the progression of your claim as quickly as possible.

For more information or advice on how to make a claim, get in touch with Prettys’ Personal Injury team. Contact Louise Plant by calling 01473 298293 or email: lplant@prettys.co.uk

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NEWS SUFFOLK ENERGY-FROM-WASTE FACILITY CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S LIFE LINE Did you know that household waste left after recycling is no longer landfilled in Suffolk? At the energy-from-waste facility we use waste as a fuel to generate electricity for the National Grid. If you are interested in seeing the process in action, we have spaces remaining on our upcoming open days: March 30 at 2pm, April 8 at 6pm, April 15 at 2pm and June 3 at 10am.

Open days are free of charge and available to anyone interested in finding out more about waste and the facility. There are up to 20 spaces available each day but pre-booking is essential: suffolkefw.uk@suez.com / 01473 839149 Free educational visits Nearly half of all visits to the facility are from schools, colleges and clubs. We provide age appropriate educational activities for all visitors from ages seven and up and have been awarded a Learning outside the Classroom quality badge for our commitment to providing high quality learning outside of the classroom. Visits are a great opportunity to see first-hand what happens to non-recyclable waste in Suffolk, as well as learning about reducing, reusing and recycling.

School visits are available Monday to Friday for class sizes of up to 30 pupils, and evening visits are available for clubs. For all enquiries, please contact: 01473 839149 / suffolkefw.uk@suez.com We’re on Twitter Did you know that we are on social media? For more frequent facility updates, fun facts and all the handy tips you could ever need about rubbish, recycling, and food waste, follow us on Twitter @suffolkefw.

If you have any queries about our operations, please do not hesitate to contact us at: 01473 839149 / suffolkefw.uk@suez.com OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS Environment Agency: 0800 807 060 / SUEZ Communities Trust: 01934 524013

Easter Chocolate Bingo

Our Easter Chocolate Bingo will take place in Needham Market Community Centre on Saturday 21 March. This event has been held twice a year since our charity began and yet it still continues to be very popular. Who wouldn’t want a really good family night out where children are welcome, a full bar is available and you get fed as well, all for only £6 (£4 for under-10s). All seating is pre-allocated so you can be sure to sit with your friends and family. Tickets are now available from our charity shop on Coddenham Road in Needham Market or call 01449 760343 or 07974 424374.

Are you interested in lending a hand?

Organising the group trip for the visiting children each year is a major project and we start preparations as soon as the current visiting group have gone home. We would love to hear from anyone who might be interested in giving a hand with the advance preparations. You don’t have to be a host or be involved in the actual visit as there are many other areas that need attention.

If you are interested in finding out more about the charity in general, would like to help with the pre-visit arrangements or in our charity shop we would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch. Thank you to everyone for your support as always.

Link Chair Elizabeth Parker 01449 760343 / enquiries@ccllmidsuffolk.org.uk www.ccllmidsuffolk.org.uk www.facebook.com/ccllmidsuffolk

SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM During the last month I have been out and about delivering school presentations about careers in the police and internet safety. It’s important for all for us to consider online safety.

It’s not just young people who can get into difficulty online and there are many scams still going on around us. Many of you may have received emails using your email address but if your name isn’t used, it’s probably a scam. If it doesn’t seem right it probably isn’t.

Tell your friends and family if you think you have been the victim of a scam or if you suspect a scam and call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline for practical advice: 0808 223 1133 The Police and Parish Forum dates are set out below. Please take this opportunity to come along and ask any questions.

Wednesday 22 April: Hadleigh Swimming Pool / AGM Wednesday 17 June: Claydon & Barham Village Hall Wednesday 12 August: Hintlesham Community Centre Wednesday 14 October: Chelmondiston Village Hall Wednesday 9 December: Brantham Sports Centre Sign up to Police Connect and you’ll always know what’s going on in your own community. This is a free messaging service connecting you to the very latest policing news for your area via email or text. You can register online at Suffolk.police.uk/policeconnect or pick up a leaflet from your local police station.

I will be dropping into Paddy & Scott’s (inside the Co-op on Hadleigh High Street) on Wednesday 11 March from about 10am until 2pm. Please come and see me.

You can report a number of non-urgent crimes online at: www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us Call the police on 101 to report non-urgent crimes and concerns which do not require an emergency response. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Community Engagement Officer PC 287 Sarah George E: CEOipwesthadleigh@suffolk.pnn.police.uk

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OUT & ABOUT CLAYDON & BARHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE Horse Racing Video Event: Claydon Football Club is running another of their very successful horse racing video events on Saturday 7 March. Doors open at 7pm with the first race at 7.30pm. Tickets (£5 including pate, cheese and French bread) are available from football club managers, the Blue Circle Café and the community centre.

HENLEY WI BIRTHDAY MEETING Henley WI invites you to its birthday meeting at Henley Community Centre on Thursday 19 March when Ray Smith will demonstrate and entertain with various musical instruments Light refreshments will be provided. Entry for non-members is £4.

Have you ever considered joining the WI? Why not come and enjoy the evening with us?

RSVP Alice Robertson: 07840 360899 / alice.robertson@btinternet.com

A STORY 84 YEARS IN THE MAKING…

80s Disco Night: On Friday 20 March we have an evening of 80s disco music.

Fancy dress optional but there will be a prize for the best costume. Tickets (£7.50 with a free glowstick on arrival) are available at the community centre and from Claydon Pre-school or 07856 845163. Profits in aid of Claydon & Barham Community Trust.

Poker Freezeout Tournament: On Sunday 29 March we present a Poker Freezeout Tournament. Registration starts at 1.30pm. For further details message Chris: 07909 524034 Grand Easter Family Fayre: On Saturday 11 April, 10am-2pm The Bus Shelter Ipswich presents a Grand Easter Family Fayre with craft stalls, games, good quality pre-loved items and the Easter Bunny!

Victory in Europe Day (VE Day): The community centre is proud to present a VE Day event on Bank Holiday Friday 8 May from 7.30pm. When VE Day dawns on May 8 it will be 75 years since the guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe. Years of carnage and destruction had come to an end. Millions of people took to the streets to celebrate peace, mourn the loss of their loved ones and to hope for peace in the future.

To commemorate this important date we invite you all to come together with us to remember and reflect on the enormous sacrifice made by so many.

Please let us know if you plan to attend and, if possible, bring some food to share and a raffle prize. The evening will have a street party theme with music and laughter and an opportunity to sing-a-long with friends and neighbours.

Entry is free but tickets (available from the community centre) are required for numbers. Message us on Facebook.

REGULAR CLASSES AND ACTIVITIES Mondays at 10am: Beginners’ Pilates Classes £9 per class when booked as a block or £11 pay as you go.

Contact Kerry: 07854 979512 / info@keep-well.uk Mondays 6-6.45pm (term time): HIIT Booked online: www.bookwhen.com/abicise

Since the Regal first opened its doors in 1936, improvements have continued with the addition of the stage, dressing rooms, bar, 3D digital projector, sound and satellite systems. The current redevelopment project between Stowmarket Town Council and Mid Suffolk District Council is the next step in that journey and I’m confident that the end result will be an entertainment venue that respects the charm and character of the current building while providing all the modern facilities that today’s customers expect.

We have been wrestling with how best to deliver the project for some time and have reluctantly concluded that the project can be managed most effectively by handing the site over to the contractor during the construction period. Consequently the Regal will be closed from February 24 to the beginning of December to allow for the project to be delivered in the most cost effective and timely manner. However, we can’t leave you without a cinema for that long so we’re excited to announce that we’re taking the Regal on the Road and converting the John Peel Centre on Church Walk into a cinema for around 10 screenings a week.

All tickets will be £5, except for Pocket Money Movies which will continue at £2.50 with an accompanying adult going free. Regal Golden Tickets will also be accepted.

Karate for Beginners: Claydon Karate Club celebrates 33 years this month and is running beginners’ classes on Tuesdays and Fridays. Karate is making its debut at the Tokyo Summer Olympics and with its increased profile classes are likely to become extremely popular.

Martial arts can help you to defend and protect yourself but there are a great many associated health and fitness benefits such as losing weight by burning calories and toning muscle, increasing stamina or improving posture and selfconfidence, or improving mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

Juniors (6-15years): 5-6pm / Seniors (15+): 6-7pm. For more information or to book: 07771 583727 / thomasg33@hotmail.co.uk Thursday 6-7.30pm: Pendrill Dance freestyle dance class. Come along to learn freestyle, lyrical and commercial routines to current chart music. We also do fitness, flexibility, Acro and freestyle practise for those who want to be a part of our competition squad. Enquiries to Abby: 07772 44987 Every Friday: Poker. Pop in at 8pm to chat with the organisers or message Chris (07909 524034) or Kevin (07932 769362).

The bar is open for the following weekly sessions. Any enquiries please ring or message us on Facebook.

Thank you for your continuing support.

Monday: 7-10pm throughout the Short Mat Bowls Season Tuesday: 7pm-midnight with ladies darts, indoor carpet bowls, league pool Wednesday: 7-11.30pm with Crib, Bingo and league pool Friday: 7pm-12.30am with Money Box played at approximately 10pm Saturday: 7pm-1am Sunday: noon-4.30pm with the meat draw at approximately 1.30pm

David Marsh

01473 831805 / claydonandbcc@gmail.com

Watch this space for exciting news and our Regal on the Road launch programme.

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OUT & ABOUT CLAYDON & BARHAM VILLAGE HALL

GREAT BLAKENHAM CINEMA

Dates for March

Wow, what a great start to 2020. Thank you to all who joined us for Yesterday.

We were very close to breaking even so your support really is appreciated, as were the very kind raffle prize donations. Yesterday is such a lovely film, made better with the local scenery.

Wednesday 4

Gipping School of Dance

5.15-8.30pm

Thursday 5

Silver Surfers Slimming World

11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 6

Gipping School of Dance

3.45-6pm

Saturday 7

Private Hire

6-9pm

Monday 9

Claydon PC Meeting

7.30-9pm

Tuesday 10

Table Tennis

7.15-10.30pm

Wednesday 11

Gipping School of Dance

5.15-8.30pm

Thursday 12

Young Families Silver Surfers Slimming World

9.30-11.30am 11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 13

Gipping School of Dance

3.45-6pm

Saturday 14

Private Hire

6-9pm

Monday 16

Claydon PC Meeting

7.15-9pm

Tuesday 17

Table Tennis

7.15-10.30pm

Wednesday 18

Gipping School of Dance

5.15-8.30pm

Thursday 19

Sunshine Service Silver Surfers Slimming World

10am-noon 11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 20

Gipping School of Dance

3.45-6pm

Saturday 21

Private Hire

6-9pm

Wednesday 25

Gipping School of Dance

5.15-8.30pm

Thursday 26

Young Families Silver Surfers Slimming World

9.30-11.30am 11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 27

Gipping School of Dance

3.45-6pm

Saturday 28

Private Hire

6-9pm

In March we celebrate our first year with Bohemian Rhapsody (12A), the story of the legendary British rock band, Queen, and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid. If you would like to support the cinema by donating raffle prizes, displaying a poster, helping set up and clear the chairs, we would love to hear from you.

It’s often useful to know how many to expect so if you wish to let us know in advance that you will be attending, send us a message on Facebook or ping an email to: greatblakenhamcinema@outlook.com We look forward to seeing you.

Facebook @Greatblakenhamcinema

RANSOMES AND RAPIER ANNUAL REUNION Sunday 15 March at Kesgrave Social Club, Edmonton Road IP5 1EE All ex-employees, families and friends are welcomed from 12.30-5pm.

Come and see fascinating artefacts, documents and videos.

Meet up with old friends at a really enjoyable event and see what new stories and pictures have surfaced.

Food and drinks are available to purchase at reasonable cost.

Admission is £2.50 per person.

For more information: 07910 659219 / derek@dclarke.me.uk

Please visit the Claydon and Barham website and use the online booking process; Follow the notes on the bookings page. If you have a problem please phone Geoff on 01473 836972 or email: cbvillagehall@btinternet.com

MENDLESHAM’S 40th STREET FAYRE This year Mendlesham Fayre celebrates turning 40 and will have a ruby theme throughout the day.

As the VE celebrations take place at the beginning of May, this year’s farye will be on the last bank holiday in the month so put Monday 25 May on your calendar.

Old Market Street will be closed to traffic and full of stalls selling crafts, bric-a-brac, plants, jewellery and tickets for our grand draw. Throughout the afternoon there will be live music on stage with Sun of Elvis (Andy Ottley) and others. East Suffolk Morris Men will stop by and The Tricky Twister will be there to entertain the children.

There will be a craft fayre in the community hall, remote controlled trucks, a hog roast, bygone farm machinery and bouncy castles and karts for the children. Our 50/50 shop will be open with good as new clothes and you will find plenty of refreshments, hot dogs, teas, sandwiches and cakes, all provided by village charities. Entry is by programme (adults £3, under-16s free) and there is a free car park.

To book a space in the street contact 01449 766483 (no food outlets needed) and look out for more details in the coming months.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

13

OUT & ABOUT BARHAM HALL PICNIC CONCERT

HENLEY SENIOR CITIZENS

Essential Sounds (an 18-piece big band) will entertain us with music from stage and screen while we enjoy our picnics in the wonderful setting of Barham Hall Gardens on Saturday 27 June. We will also have a Michael Bublé tribute act to entertain us when the band takes a break and, as usual, the evening will end with the ever-popular flag waving Last Night of the Proms sing-a-long.

Tommy, our longest serving member, treated us to a fish and chip lunch in February, which we thoroughly enjoyed and we thank him for his generosity.

The gates will open at 5.30pm to allow plenty of time for visitors to view the beautiful gardens before the band starts. We aim to finish proceedings at 10pm when the light is failing.

Tickets go on sale on Sunday 1 March at the early discount price of £12 (instead of £15). This discount will apply to all tickets paid for before Saturday 23 May. Cash or cheques payable to Claydon and Barham PCC should be sent with a self-addressed envelope (and a stamp if you live outside Claydon and Barham) to Roger Colthorpe, 5 Phillipps Road, Barham IP6 0AZ. Please don’t delay as a sell-out is again probable as we have to limit the numbers to comply with the temporary event notice under which this event is held.

For those who may not have visited these wonderful gardens before, Barham Hall is opposite the church in Barham (IP6 0PT) and has plenty of parking behind the gardens. The restriction on numbers means that there is plenty of space to spread out on the fabulous lawns with your picnic. In keeping with the surroundings, we hire luxury toilets to avoid the unpleasantness of many outdoor events. In order to avoid damage to the beautiful lawns we cannot allow gazebos, barbecues or emptying of hot water from flasks.

Unfortunately, we all have to gamble on the British weather, hence the early discount price before knowing what the forecast will be. Weather like last year would be fantastic.

All proceeds go to the Claydon & Barham Church Fabric Fund to help fund the next major project which is restore our ancient bells and get them ringing again with hopefully two additional bells. Barham Church bells haven’t been rung properly since 1947. We look forward to being able to open a concert with a peal of bells from across the road in the not too distant future.

Our thanks to Mr and Mrs Burrows for inviting us into their gardens for this wonderful community event for the 13th year.

BRAMFORD WI Our next meeting is on Monday 9 March in the Loraine Victory Hall at 7.30pm. Wendy Smith will be keeping us in our places by telling us The Story of a Wimbledon Line Judge. The competition is an unusual or rare yellow item.

Claydon WI members, if you’re missing your meetings, why not give ours a try?

BELSTEAD VILLAGE MONTHLY MARKETS A market takes place in Belstead Village Hall from 9.30am-12.30pm on the first Saturday of every month from March till December to raise vital funds to support the upkeep of the village hall.

With an extensive range of tables, a raffle and refreshments, the market is the perfect place to meet with friends for a chat over a cuppa and a piece of cake while supporting this essential local amenity. You can also support our chosen charity at a table laden with homemade goodies for sale.

If you can sew, make or create and would like to hire a table (£10) please contact: 07981 335859 / market@belsteadvillage.co.uk Belstead Village Hall, Grove Hill, Belstead IP8 3LU

14

Our speaker was Mark from East Anglian Air Ambulance who demonstrated CPR and explained the importance of this procedure. He went on to show us the use of a defibrillator. It was a relief to learn that it actually gives step by step instructions, which assured us that if we were put in a position where we had to use one, we would do so quite confidently.

After Mark’s talk some members had a go at CPR and were amazed just how hard and tiring it proved. It was a very interesting meeting.

Henley WI Having put Christmas well and truly behind us, we began our 2020 programme with a musical evening. Our guest singer was Carys Swinger, a well-known folk singer in local folk music circles. Carys writes much of her own material and plays the guitar. She gave us a most enjoyable evening with her songs and entertaining anecdotes.

This was just the first of a very varied programme of events arranged throughout 2020. Henley WI warmly welcomes visitors and new members so do come and join us and enjoy an evening of fun and friendship.

Please see page 10 for our birthday meeting.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES GROUP Knitting Group Meets in the lounge at Alasdair Place on the first Thursday from 10.30am to noon. In addition to knitting lap blankets for St Elizabeth Hospice and hats and blankets for the premature baby unit at West Suffolk Hospital, the group have more projects in the pipeline.

If anyone has any spare wool that they no longer require, it will be gratefully accepted at any of the meetings.

Meet & Eat Lunch Club Meets at Gt Blakenham Parish Room at noon on the first Friday. A two-course lunch is served at a cost of £4, with optional raffle. The group has become very popular with many new members during the last year. If you would like to attend but require a lift, any of the following will be pleased to offer: Wendy (846642); Ann (831031); Pauline (830723); Dorothy (830906).

Walk & Talk Group Weather permitting, meets at 10.30am in the car park of The Crown (Hungry Horse) in Claydon on the second Thursday for a 90-minute walk around local footpaths and bridleways. Everyone welcome, including dogs. Glenda will be taking over the group in March.

Book Club Meets in The Crown on the last Thursday of the month at 10.30am for an interesting discussion on the chosen book.

Gipping Valley Art Society Meets in Gt Blakenham Parish Room every Tuesday afternoon from 1-4pm.

We use our own art materials and help is always on hand from our president, Mike Wootton. We have a few places available for new members. You don’t have to be able to draw or paint so if you’re interested give Ann (831031) or Margaret (830135) a call. Or just turn up; you will be made very welcome.

On behalf of all the groups, we would like to wish The Rev Carl Melville all the very best for the future when he leaves to take up his new benefice in March.

We would like to thank him for his support for the groups. He will be missed by so many people.

In Touch online:

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www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

15

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In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT GREAT BLAKENHAM OVER 50s CLUB

BRAMFORD ART GROUP

Open to anyone of that age living in Great Blakenham and the surrounding area, we meet in Great Blakenham Parish Room on the second and fourth Wednesdays from 2-4pm. The £2 attendance fee includes the raffle and refreshments, and £1 extra when we have a game of bingo.

We are currently looking for more people to join our group which meets every Wednesday from 9.30am to noon in Loraine Hall, Ship Lane, Bramford.

Our meetings in March will be on Wednesdays 11 and 25. New members are always welcome so if you would like to come along and see what goes on we will be pleased to see you.

Jackie Durrant: 01449 672690

For further information contact Ann Woolnough: 01473 743794

GREAT BLAKENHAM CRAFT CLUB Open to anyone living in Great Blakenham and the surrounding area, we meet in Great Blakenham Parish Room every Monday from 2-4pm. The cost is £2 per week to include workshop materials, raffle prizes and refreshments.

The club reconvened on February 3 with every member receiving a craft magazine full of papers and toppers together with some cards and envelopes for a card making session. We were also pleased to welcome new members and hope they will enjoy our meetings.

NEW TUNES FOR YOU Out of hibernation with new numbers and renewed enthusiasm is the message from Jazz Galore.

The members of this long-established Suffolk group offer a wider range of tunes and play for little more than expenses.

They are easy to accommodate: a power socket and a bit of shade against the blazing sun is all they want. Plus a cup of tea and a bun would be nice.

Four weekends are already taken up with repeat bookings – a beer festival, two village fetes and a concert – so if you’d like them to play at your event this year contact Mike Smith on 07874 034390 before too long.

March 2 Forever Flowerz April 6 Birds, Butterflies and Flowers May 4 Have a go at Bargello June 1 Prick and Stitch for Men July 6 The Vintage Look August 3 Sewing/Paper Mash-Up September 7 Wobble Wobble October 5 Christmas Tableware November 2 Christmas Card Medley December 7 AGM With the recent influx of new members I cannot accommodate anyone else right now but will happily place your name on a waiting list if you are interested in joining.

For further information please get in touch with Jackie Durrant: 01449 672690

BRAMFORD TREFOIL GUILD Patrick Eade will be our guest speaker when we meet at 2pm on Monday 2 March at the Guide and Scout HQ on Ship Lane, Bramford. Please join us for a visit to see what we do; visitors are welcome.

HENLEY MOTHERS’ UNION Our February meeting took the form of Bible Study lead by The Rev Carl. His enthusiasm shone through as he talked about and explained various passages, looking at how the Gospels are a mirror image of the Old Testament. We began by reading the previous day’s Gospel, Matthew 5:13-20, where Jesus asks us to shine our light before others, to carry on the work that he started.

The passage goes on to say that Jesus did not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfil it.

During the evening Rev Carl officially became a member of Henley MU and was presented with a MU badge, a card with good wishes and a book of prayers and poems from Mothers’ Union members across the world.

Members will be attending the World Day of Prayer service, Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk, which this year has been prepared by the Christian women of Zimbabwe. This women-led global, ecumenical movement brings so many together to shower our world in prayer and fellowship. As usual, the service will take place on the first Friday in March. To find out where the nearest service is to you, please visit: www.wwdp.org.uk We were encouraged to take a copy of the Diocese Environmental Lent Challenge, which is about raising awareness of environmental issues in line with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book Saying Yes to Life. The challenge is a fun way for families to think about ways in which we can all protect God’s creation. Are you up for the challenge? Copies can be found in church or please ask a church leader.

Alex Pratt

www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

EAST SUFFOLK NATIONAL TRUST ASSOCIATION If you are a member of or a volunteer for the National Trust, we invite you to get more out of your membership by joining our association where a warm welcome awaits you.

On March 17 Richard Symes will give a talk on Dunwich Heath. Over the last 300 years the heath has had a varied and colourful history. It has been the site of brandy and tobacco smuggling and trawlermen cleared mines to keep vital supply lines open during the Great War. More recently, the heath was used for military exercises to prepare for the Normandy landings, in particular how to breach enemy defences. The talk will be preceded by a short AGM. On April 21 Mark Beesley, a local artist and historian, will give a talk on East Anglian artists. The talk will feature both the well-known and lesser known local artists.

We meet at Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre IP5 1JF at 7.15pm.

Visitors (even if not National Trust members) are welcome; the entrance fee is £3. National Trust members and volunteers can join us for £8 per year (£12 per couple at same address). We publish three newsletters a year for members and enjoy interesting day outings and other events.

For more information, including details of future events and outings, contact our membership secretary: membershipesnta@gmail.com / 01473 723761 www.membershipesnta.btck.co.uk

17

OUT & ABOUT / SCHOOLS IPSWICH AND DISTRICT PROBUS CLUB Join us on the last Wednesday every month (excluding July & August) for a three-course lunch followed by an interesting speaker and a prize raffle. On the second Wednesday we meet for coffee and a chat.

IPSWICH & DISTRICT HISTORICAL TRANSPORT SOCIETY Wednesday 25 March: Tallboy vs Tirpitx – Sinking the Tirpitz, an illustrated talk by Robert Owen

In July and August, and at Christmas, our wives, partners and friends are invited to join us. They also accompany us to theatres, shows, musicals and trips to places of interest in East Anglia and beyond.

We meet at 7.30pm at the Salvation Army Citadel, 558 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich; entrance via the rear car park, visitors £3.50, members £1.50 including refreshments.

Why not come and meet other gentlemen, all retired or semi-retired and from a wide range of careers, interests and backgrounds?

01473 422145 / www.idhts.co.uka

Our objective is to provide fellowship for members and their families.

Prospective new members are always welcome and there is no requirement to have belonged to any other organisation previously.

If you wish to join us, as a guest initially, or require further details, please contact our secretary, Malcolm Kemp: 07711 689130 / secretary.ipswichprobus@gmail.com

SOMERSHAM & DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB The new year started off very well with a talk on Five Gardens of Cornwall by Chris Parfitt. They included The Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project.

Our March meeting will be a talk on naturalistic gardens by Tim Fuller from the Plantsman Preference Nursery. This will be held in Offton and Willisham Village Hall on Monday 9 March at 7.30pm.

We are always on the lookout for new members so if you would like to join us you will be made very welcome. Refreshments are available together with a prize draw.

For further information please call: 01473 254941/830600

IPSWICH MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTE 5 Route 5 Town/village 5A 5B 5C 5D 5E 5F 5G 5H 5I 5J 5K

Location

ORWELL DECORATIVE & FINE ARTS SOCIETY Our talks cover a broad spectrum of art and are delivered within a relaxed and welcoming environment. If you would like to know more, please come and meet us. We are always happy to welcome new people.

On February 5 contemporary photographer and lecturer Aliki Braine presented a lively talk which prompted an equally lively question and answer session.

The guest speaker on Wednesday 4 March is Shawn Kholucy. Shawn explores the driving force behind the architect and designer R R Ashbee in a talk titled R R Ashbee – What Made Him Do It. On Wednesday 1 April Jennifer ToynbeeHolmes will talk about The Holland Park Circle, Victorian painters, sculptors and architects living in Holland Park.

We meet at Tower Hall, Broadlands Way, Rushmere St Andrew on the first Wednesday of most months. Meetings begin at 2pm and last about an hour, with refreshments available from 1.30-2pm. Guests and non-members are welcome provided we have available space. Exceptionally popular lectures will have a visitor limit of 20 so please contact Wendy Robbins in advance to check if there is available space: 01394 823807 For the latest events and news please visit: www.orwelldfas.org.uk

Time

Sproughton Church Lane 9.10-9.25am Sproughton Wild Man 9.30-9.45am Bramford St Mary’s Close 9.50-10.05am Bramford Paper Mill Lane 10.10-10.25am Great Blakenham Chequers 10.35-10.55am Great Blakenham, Blue Leighs Mobile Home Park 11-11.15am Baylham Post Box 11.25-11.45am Claydon Crown 11.55am-1pm Claydon, Edinburgh Gardens 2.05-2.20pm Barham Bacon Road 2.25-3.50pm Bramford Packard Place 4-4.30pm

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT FLOWER CLUB This month’s meeting will be at Woolpit Village Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25 March. David Wright from Norwich will present a demonstration entitled It’s an Education. As always, everyone is welcome and we would be pleased to see you.

2020: 10 March, 7 April, 5 May, 2 June, 30 June, 28 July, 25 August, 22 September, 20 October, 17 November, 15 December

IPSWICH MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTE 13 Route 13 Town/village 13A 13B 13C 13D 13E 13F 13G 13H 13I 13J 13K 13L 13M

Location

Crowfield Lay by Coddenham Haysel House Barham Sorrel Horse Creeting St Mary Whissels Farm Creeting St Mary Village Hall Creeting St Peter The Lane Earl Stonham Village Hall Little Stonham Church Little Stonham Magpie Inn Mickfield Church, Debenham Road Stonham Aspal, Walnut Tree Meadow Pettaugh Old Bull Henley Garage

Time 9.25-09.45am 9.55-10.50am 11-11.10am 11.20-11.30am 11.35-11.45am 11.55am-12.10pm 12.20-12.50pm 2-2.10pm 2.15-2.25pm 2.30-2.45pm 2.55-3.30pm 3.35-3.55pm 4.05-4.30pm

2020: 30 March, 17 April, 15 May, 12 June, 10 July, 7 August, 4 September, 2 October, 30 October, 27 November, no visit in December

18

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOL 100 CLUB Our January 100 Club draw took place on Thursday 30. The winners were: 1: Steven Bean (16) 2: Jade Prentice (33) 3: Laura Brown (34) The pre-school received £20.50 thanks to your support. Half of all money given for the 100 Club goes to the pre-school and the other half is paid out in winnings. Membership is just £1 a month. You don’t need to have a child at the pre-school to be a member. Membership forms are available from the office or by email.

Thank you to all those lovely people who continue to support us. We are very grateful.

100 Club Administrator Cara Lee

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SCHOOLS CLAYDON HIGH SCHOOL We have been busy with various trips, visits and activities, including our GCSE Bootcamp at Mersea Island, indoor rowing championships and an A Level languages taster session at Cambridge University, as well as some successful sporting achievements in cross-country, athletics, basketball and futsal.

On February 10 a group of students were joined by a fantastic local band called Scarlet and a team from IEM (Industry Education in Music) to take part in a rock band workshop and concert. Students from across all year groups split into groups to form separate bands and spent the day composing original pop music from scratch. With a very tight deadline this was a huge challenge, but our talented students worked extremely hard, using advice and guidance from the professionals to come up with some impressive and original material that was performed at a concert on the very same evening.

Elsewhere in school, the art department have been busy with students taking part in an exclusive portrait workshop with the world-famous artist Colin Davidson at the Made in Suffolk: Ed Sheeran Exhibition in Christchurch Mansion. The day included a tour of the exhibition by John Sheeran (Ed’s dad) and an oil painting masterclass at Suffolk One led by their Level 4 course leader, Emma Connolly. A group of Year 11 art students also had the opportunity to visit the Sainsbury’s Centre in Norwich on Wednesday 12 February to view their permanent collection and participate in a practical workshop which will form part of their preparation for their GCSE Art/Art Textiles exam. Drama students from across all year groups have been given the opportunity to experience live theatre at the New Wolsey Theatre this term, kicking off with Year 7 watching Aladdin.

As I write we still have so much to look forward to including a BBC School Report Day, maths competitions, a trip to the Globe Theatre to see Macbeth, a visit by students from the Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Alixar on the return leg of our Spanish exchange programme, and our PTA quiz night on Thursday 12 March at 7pm. If you would like to join us for this fun and popular evening, please contact Lisa: admin@claydonhigh.com If you would like to visit the school and see us in action, please come along to one of our open mornings. The next one is on Thursday 5 March. To book a place please telephone my PA, Ms J Saunders, on 01473 836110.

Headteacher Maéve Taylor

STONHAM ASPAL PRIMARY SCHOOL We’ve had lots happening in recent months, from our pantomime trip to a visit from a pair of owls.

Linked to their Where We Live topic, Classes 1 and 2 were lucky to have a visit from two owls from Stonham Barns Owl Sanctuary. Both visitors were very well behaved and the children asked lots of fabulous questions.

The pantomime trip took place on Wednesday 15 January and a great time was had by all. The children were superb and really showed their enjoyment by how much they respectfully got involved. We are already looking forward to next year’s panto trip.

Class R’s learning this half-term is inspired by Frozen. Classes 1 and 2 are finding out about aliens in space using some wonderful stories to motivate their learning. Classes 3 and 4 have been learning about the rainforest and can talk confidently about the different layers of the rainforest and much more. Class 5 have been taking a deep dive into water and will soon be taking a very close look at the River Deben. Class 6 are gearing up for their SATS in May, as well as finding out about the Vikings and evolution and inheritance.

Please collect the Plant to Plate coupons that can be found in the East Anglian Daily Times and drop them off at the school.

Headteacher Mrs Sharon Waldron

CLAYDON PRIMARY SCHOOL Hello from the school council. Here at Claydon Primary School we try to make our school as safe as possible and one of the ways the school council has been helping is by focussing on road safety. We do this every year and have won two gold awards over the past two years. We have assemblies about road safety, safe parking and the importance of wearing a helmet when cycling and looking both ways when crossing the road.

Learning Highlights Years 1 and 2

Years 1 and 2 have been constructing bridges and listening to bagpipes as part of their topic, What Makes a Culture Special. Each class looked through the keyhole and used clues to determine if the room was in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland.

As part of their topic, they have also enjoyed using cardboard boxes to create Big Ben and coding using our ICT suite.

Year 3 Year 3 created wanted posters to find Scotty the dog who had mysteriously vanished. They believed that the mischievous Bad Bear had dog-napped him so they set up traps to help find the culprit, as well as working on instructions to catch a villain. They were very happy when Scotty was found.

Year 4

Year 4 have enjoyed learning about Greek democracy, a system that is one of our British Values. Instead of using paper, the ancient Greeks used different coloured stones (black and while) to vote on laws.

Normally the Greeks would use their system to vote for a new leader.

They have learnt that democracy is still important because it shows that people don’t always agree.

Years 5 and 6 Invaders was the topic in Years 5 and 6. They have learnt about Vikings and Anglo Saxons and have all made exquisite Viking finger puppets.

Very excitingly, the Year 5s got the chance to visit West Stow to learn even more astonishing facts. Both years had the opportunity to dress up as a Viking warrior/Anglo Saxons for Viking Day, as well as doing activities such as learning how to read Viking words, acting out a Viking saga and making clay boats to see if they could float on water.

Reading competition All classes were challenged to read every day for a whole week in order to enter a raffle set up by the school council to win tickets to watch Ipswich Town FC. More than 40 lucky children won a ticket for themselves and an adult, which were presented to them by ITFC midfielder Alan Judge. The winners got to ask him lots of questions and got his autograph.

Sports Update Every Tuesday there is a basketball club for Year 4 just before school (8-8.30am) with Miss Linton to practise for an upcoming competition. As well as Tuesday basketball, there is a club early on Thursday mornings for Years 5 and 6 run by Ipswich Basketball Club. Five girls and five boys will be selected from this squad to represent the school in a tournament in the second half term.

Next the school council will be looking at how to become an ecoschool by reducing plastic usage and trying to reuse things to reduce the amount of waste we produce.

www.stonhamaspal.suffolk.sch.uk

www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

19

SCHOOLS / SPORT HENLEY PRE-SCHOOL

CLAYDON AND BARHAM YOUNG FAMILIES

We have been celebrating Chinese New Year, The year of the Rat, with food tasting, noodle and chopstick play, crafts and stories. As World Book Day approaches the children look forward to dressing up and sharing their books.

To promote reading at home the children have been given a story reading record to complete at home.

Claydon and Barham Young Families is a Mothers’ Union project which has been run by Mothers’ Union members and supporters for 29 years. We welcome mums, dads, carers and grandparents from Claydon, Barham, Great Blakenham and the surrounding villages with babies or children under five.

Entry is just £1.50 per family and it’s a great opportunity to meet others with pre-school children or babies. Why not come along and join in the fun? You can make friends and enjoy some valuable play. Hope to see you there. There is also a prize draw for the children.

We are a small, rural, friendly setting based at Henley Community Centre.

We pride ourselves on the high ratio of staff to children, providing maximum care and learning. Every staff member is highly trained and continues regular training to enhance their knowledge further. We provide an extensive range of resources and activities to suit all ages and abilities, ensuring all levels of development and play within the EYFS are explored. Parents play the most important role in children’s lives so we work closely in partnership with them.

We also hold well supported stay and play sessions each term.

We currently have limited afternoon spaces available. Applications for September can be downloaded from our website and must be filled in as soon as possible to ensure you get the sessions you require. Please feel welcome to visit the pre-school during opening hours so you can see the children play. We accept eligible 30-hour funded children. These codes need to be in place the term before they are needed. Children can join us from the age of two and we accept government funded and fee paying children. We are open term time only from 9am-3pm.

We have a well-supported Facebook page where you will find lots of additional information and see what the children have been doing. It’s also another way to contact the setting directly.

For further information please call 07979 468467 during session time (9am3pm) or email our manager, Bridget Wyatt: enquiries@henleypreschool.com Bridget, Sarah and Kerry

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOL The children have been enjoying activities and crafts to do with Chinese New Year – The Year of the Rat – and are looking forward to dressing up for our Valentine’s dress-up week. There are lots of exciting things coming up for the children, including outings and growing their own vegetables, as well as the events listed below. We are hoping that the lighter nights will also bring some better weather to make outdoor play more enjoyable and help get the nature garden into full bloom.

SCHOOL EVENTS World Book Day Dress-Up Week: w/c Monday 2 March An opportunity for the children to dress up as their favourite book characters.

Sport Relief Day: Friday 13 March The children can come to pre-school dressed in their sporty clothes.

Stay & Play: w/c Monday 16 March A chance for parents and carers to come into the pre-school to spend some time joining in the activities within the setting.

PUBLIC EVENTS Firstly, a huge thank you to Claydon & Barham Community Centre who kindly sponsor our events with the use of their hall. It is every much appreciated and helps with our fundraising.

Easter Eggstravaganza: Thursday 2 April An opportunity for children to show off their Easter hats, and for everyone to have a go at our Easter Egg Trail, try their luck with our chocolate tombola and enjoy the refreshments on offer.

As we are now open all year (except bank holidays and Christmas) we can take children up to five years old for additional sessions during the school holiday weeks, subject to availability. If you would like to book days during the holidays, please contact the administration assistant for more details. We can take children who are entitled to 30 hours funding. Simply register at Childcare Choices to see if you are eligible.

If you would like an application form or any further information please contact Lisa Read at: Claydon Pre-school, Old Scout Hut, Thornhill Road, Claydon IP6 0DZ / 01473 831648 / admin@claydonpreschool.co.uk

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A big thank you to everyone who came along to our birthday party to help us celebrate and we wish belated happy birthdays to Sebastian, Evelyn and Jacob who celebrated in February and happy birthday to Oakley, Harrison and Tia who all celebrate in March.

This month we will meet at Claydon and Barham Village Hall from 9.3011.30am on March 12 and 26. Why not come along and join in the fun?

For more information contact me on 01473 833788.

Michelle

CLAYDON FC It’s been a little while since we provided an update, a symptom of not having enough admin support.

It’s been another good year so far as we continue to grow our youth teams, especially younger age groups where we have had more teams than ever before. The coaches and support crew for each team put in a lot of time and effort and it’s been fantastic to see the youngsters grow and develop.

We have a couple of projects on the go; refurbishment of the new port-acabin and improving drainage on the main pitch. Both are at the planning stage but we are committed to getting the new changing room in place to provide additional facilities for youth teams and our men’s A Team.

Our senior teams are having a good season with the 1st Team currently in fourth place in the senior division, the Reserves in second and the A Team in third, so not bad all round. This is a reflection of good coaches and support staff working hard to maintain momentum as players move up the ranks. Of course, the background staff are vital to this, through to the ‘ground force’ that is Tony, John, Charlie and Mick who keep the ground in tiptop condition.

We have much to do but the quality of the ground has been noticeable over recent months so I thank them for their efforts and commitment.

Every big club relies on volunteer support groups to work together to ensure it meets the obligations and needs of the community. Our recreation committee has been transformed in the last year to enable us to take on the challenges we face. With the number of players wishing to play for Claydon on the rise, we rely on them to maximise capacity. It’s great that the rec is firing on all cylinders as we work together to ensure we meet our community commitments.

We have numerous youth team sponsors and the senior teams are sponsored

by Whip Street Motors. Their three-year commitment has assisted us enormously and we are now playing in smart new kits. My thanks to WSM – we look forward to their continuing support.

Up and coming events include a race night at the community centre and our annual clairvoyant evening, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.

We now turn our attention to an event for players, parents, grandparents and friends, the club presentation day on Saturday 16 May. We look forward to providing challenges, entertainment and trophies to the youth section.

To ensure continuity, we need more people to assist in running the administration and governance of the club. Please contact me to discuss.

Chairman Tim Carr

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SPORT / CHURCH NEWS TALES FROM THE 19th HOLE The only activity for the HOGS since Christmas has been the AGM in January. Despite efforts to pass the mantle on, Brian Shaw was unanimously re-elected club captain for a further year, ably assisted by his vice-captain and competition director Steve Brock. In fact, all of the current officers were voted back in so quickly that they had little chance to back out, meaning you will have to endure my ramblings in this publication for a further 12 months – apologies.

Analysis of 2019 confirmed that Simon Fisher had collated the most points across the year. Not only was this down to high scores, but an exemplary attendance record. He was presented with a golf sweater at the Christmas event in recognition of this achievement.

The average score across all domestic events was just under 28, an improvement of one point on 2018. The highest average of 36 points was scored on our visit to Bury St Edmunds Golf Club, a par score testament to the most competitive day for some years.

Ten different people won the LD and NP prizes across the year but the Longest Drive was won on most occasions (twice) by Tom Challener, while the Nearest the Pin was won by Keith, Simon and Terry Aldis with a brace each.

Keith Lawrance continues to hold the role of club secretary, a position we hope he never steps down from as without him our society would be much the poorer. He has been working hard to formulate the 2020 programme; by the time you read this we will have played at Ufford Park. We will also revisit Bury St Edmunds, Brett Vale, Hintlesham, Stowmarket and Fynn Valley, as well as our usual weekend at Dunston Hall and our 16th Tour of Northern France. We will also play at a fresh venue, Thetford Golf Club, where we last visited so long ago there wasn’t a grey hair to be seen. Nowadays there is more silver hair among us than anything else!

Annual Quiz and Food Evening Finally, we will once again be holding our fundraising quiz and food evening on Saturday 3 October. We would love to see as many villagers and friends as possible join us again so put a note on your calendars.

Here’s to another great year’s golf, good companionship and plenty of laughs.

BRAMFORD TENNIS CLUB 2020 could be the start of something big. Why not use the start of this new decade as your springboard to get fit, learn a new sport or maybe return to a sport you used to take part in. So, why not come and join us at Bramford Tennis Club? We are a friendly, welcoming club and are keen to welcome players of all ability levels. Our membership year runs from April 1 to March 31 and our membership prices start from just £25 for adults and £10 for juniors. So, don’t be shy, come along, get on court and #gohitit.

Adults; burn off those winter blues with our Cardio Tennis sessions Are you are looking for great new fitness workout that can burn up to 600 calories per hour? If so, our cardio group could be just the thing. Just £5 per session, the cardio group meets on Thursdays at 7.10pm. No prior tennis experience is needed and all equipment, including rackets, is provided. The group is open to non-members and members (discounted rate for members).

Cardio sessions must be booked in advance so please contact Carl to register your interest.

Juniors; get involved with a Mini Tennis or Hot Shots squad Mini Tennis uses short rackets, sponge balls and small nets and is a great introduction to tennis for juniors from 5-11. We run Mini Red (ages 5-7) and Mini Orange (ages 8-11) on Tuesdays and for older juniors (11+) there’s a Hot Shots squad on Saturday morning at 10am. Visit the website for more details or call Carl for further information.

A GREAT INJUSTICE On February 1 this year I went to watch Needham Market v Hednesford Town with some of my family and a friend. It was a good game to watch with seven goals and the Marketmen winning four goals to three. During the match the Hednesford Town goalkeeper collided with his own defender and the game stopped while they both received treatment. The referee then booked a Needham player seemingly for the incident, though there may have been another reason the fans were unaware of. If not, then to me and many watching, this player was innocent of any wrongdoing and was unjustly booked. As I watched this unfold I wondered why no one said anything in defence of the player who got booked. The game continued and we went home happy the Marketmen had won but with a lot of post-match analysis on the way.

A far bigger injustice took place at the trial of Jesus. Having healed the sick, given sight to the blind and many other miracles, He was falsely accused and brought to trial. Jesus didn’t say anything and no one stood up in His defence. Pilate could find no basis to charge Jesus but failed to release Him and handed Him over to be put to death.

We come again to this period before Easter, a time for reflection, or in football terms, ‘a post-match analysis’. Why not take the opportunity to read the accounts of Mark and Luke in the Bible to see exactly what happened and draw your own conclusion?

We hope to be running Christianity Explored in March, seven sessions focusing on Mark’s account of Jesus. If you are interested in attending please feel free to contact me or check out our website where more information will be made available.

WEEKLY EVENTS Monday Fortnightly: Little Owls Toddler Group, 10am-noon Tuesday: Weekly Prayer Meeting, 7.30-8.30pm Wednesday: Coffee Morning, 10am-noon; all welcome Thursday: Home Group, 10-11.45am Friday: Children’s Club (primary school age), 6.30-7.30pm Sunday Morning Service: 10.45am-noon For more information contact Michael: 01473 839785 / admin@blakenhambaptist.org.uk www.blakenhambaptist.org.uk

To find out more please visit: www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/BramfordTennisClub www.facebook.com/BramfordTennisClub/ Coaching enquiries: carl.douglas@talk21.com / text/call 07553 966380

www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

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CHURCH NEWS

THE CLAYDON GROUP OF CHURCHES The Church of England in Claydon and Barham, Henley and Great Blakenham We offer you a warm welcome to all our events and services.

For enquiries about baptisms, weddings and funerals contact: Rector: The Rev Carl Melville, Claydon Rectory 01473 833542 / carlmelville@hotmail.com

as well as looking at the vision for the year ahead. It’s also a chance to thank those who do so much for our churches.

Four Communities Activities Groups: See page 14

Services in March Henley Church: every Sunday at 9.30am Barham Church: every Sunday at 10am Gt Blakenham Church: every Sunday at 11am

Great Blakenham Coffee Morning The second Saturday of the month in Gt Blakenham Parish Room from 10amnoon. All welcome. Bacon and sausage butties are available during the winter months, in addition to cakes, tea and coffee.

Sunday 1 March – 1st Sunday of Lent 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 9.30am Holy Communion Henley Church 10am Morning Worship Barham Church 11am family@blakenham Gt Blakenham Church 4.30pm families@4.30 Barham Church

Lent Lunches Our Lent Lunches will run every Wednesday (March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1) between noon and 2pm in Barham Church Hall. Donations welcome for a soup and roll lunch. All welcome.

Sunday 8 March – 2nd Sunday of Lent 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 9.30am family@henley Henley Church 10am Holy Communion Barham Church 11am Holy Communion Gt Blakenham Church Sunday 15 March – 3rd Sunday of Lent 10.30am Rev Carl’s Leaving Service at Claydon High School Followed by a bring-and-share buffet in the community centre Sunday 22 March – Mothering Sunday 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 9.30am All-age Family Service Henley Church 10am All-age Family Service Barham Church 11am All-age Family Service Gt Blakenham Church No Evensong Sunday 29 March – 5 Sunday of Lent / Passiontide begins 10am Benefice Holy Communion Gt Blakenham Church th

Sunday 5 April – Palm Sunday 8am Holy Communion 9.30am Holy Communion 10am Morning Worship 11am family@blakenham

Barham Church Henley Church Barham Church Gt Blakenham Church

Further services can be found at: www.claydonchurches.com NEWS Revd Carl’s Leaving Service You are most welcome to join us at Claydon High School at 10.30am on Sunday 15 March for Revd Carl’s last service with us. Afterwards we will have a bring-and-share buffet in the community centre. families@4.30 Our congregation for families and young people, meeting on the first Sunday of the month at Barham Church. The next one will be held on February 2 when we will be thinking about Baptism. We have loads of fun so why not come along and join us? It helps if you book in advance with The Rev Carl or Roger Colthorpe. All welcome!

Church AGMs All three parishes will join together for one APCM on March 12 at 7pm at Gt Blakenham Parish Room. We will elect our churchwardens and PCC members,

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Compline A short candlelit service at 9pm every Wednesday in Lent at Henley Church.

Visiting If you or anyone you know would like a visit from a member of our pastoral team, please get in touch. This might be at home or in hospital.

LETTER FROM THE RECTOR This is my final letter for this branch of In Touch. It won’t be long until everything is packed in boxes ready for the move to Bacton. I’ll be throwing out lots of stuff and making a list of things I need. I exchange four busy villages for six smaller rural ones. I will, of course, miss the area very much but am pleased to have made new friends here that I’m sure I’ll keep in contact with.

Lent is always a good time to reflect on looking back and looking forward in our journey with God and with our neighbours. We often think Lent is about ‘giving something up’ but it means much more than that.

Lent is about making space for something Holy and meaningful to take hold within our lives. For example, rather than giving up chocolate to lose weight, why not give up chocolate and donate the spare cash to charity? If you’re giving up drinking or refraining from social media, why not devote the time you would have spent doing those things to your family, to a homeless shelter or doing community work?

When Jesus gave up food and drink for 40 days in the desert he was making room to pray, to spend time with his Father, to prepare himself for his future work. We could all learn from him. Wouldn’t it be nice to be less selfish, greedy, more environmentally friendly and more generous?

Life is full of comings and goings. Lent is the perfect time to take stock of what our lives are filled with and occupied by, a chance for us to throw out the old stuff and go forward with the new.

May I take this opportunity to thank those within the villages for their support and love over the past three and a half years.

Revd Carl HALL BOOKINGS Barham Church Hall: Zoe Groom – 831804 Gt Blakenham Parish Room: Reg Barton – 839958 Henley Church Vestry: Margaret Gerrard – 831463 Find us on Facebook and Twitter by searching ‘The Claydon Group of Churches’. www.claydonchurches.com

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