In Touch News with Copdock January 2020

In Touch

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with Belstead, Bentley, Copdock & Washbrook and Tattingstone Volume 10 • Issue No. 2 • January 2020

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR I am utterly addicted to and obsessed by Leonard Cohen, so you can imagine how excited I was to discover a new album was to be released three years after his death. Thanks for the Dance has been arranged by Leonard’s son Adam and features various collaborators and previously unheard material. Every line is a masterpiece, all the more poignant because it was written and recorded when he was “Waiting for the miracle to come”. Death and dying have always been key themes of his work, but is it fair to refer to the man who said “The older I get, the surer I am that I’m not running the show” as ‘the grandfather of gloom’?

I go to one or other of his albums for inspiration, comfort, reassurance, hope and even humour. Tonight Will Be Fine always makes me smile: Sometimes I find I get to thinking of the past.

We swore to each other then that our love would surely last.

You kept right on loving, I went on a fast, Now I am too thin and your love is too vast.

And the ultimate love song must surely be If I Didn’t Have Your Love: If the sun would lose its light And we lived an endless night And there was nothing left That you could feel That’s how it would be My life would seem to me If I didn’t have your love To make it real I can’t imagine a world without music (it doesn’t have to be Leonard Cohen all the time), but for others it might be art or theatre, movies or even long walks in the countryside which provide the indefinable something which makes life better. Whatever it may be, I hope you find time and space to indulge in it this year. Maybe we can help you find it if you haven’t already!

And when you’re having a bad day…

“Act the way you’d like to be and soon you’ll be the way you act.”

Leonard Cohen

Published by: Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd, 20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP Editor: Sharon Jenkins T: 01473 400380 Send editorial copy to: sharon@intouchnews.co.uk Readers are invited to submit articles, illustrations and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

Advertising

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ColourPlan Print: 01473 400379 E: steve@colourplan.co.uk Disclaimer: The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.

While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements or editorial, the publisher/editor will not accept responsibility for any unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints. © Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. © In Touch with Belstead, Bently, Copdock & Washbrook and Tattingstone is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd

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

Please recycle.

COPDOCK VILLAGE CHRISTMAS MARKET 2019 A grand total of £2,445 was raised at the Christmas Market which will go towards the upkeep and restoration of the fabric of our beautiful St Peter’s Church.

Thank you to the many skilled volunteers who made, wrapped, decorated and sold all the produce and gifts. Thank you to Copdock Hall for their generous hospitality in that beautiful, warm and decorated barn. Finally, and most importantly, thanks to all who attended and purchased! Your company and your spending made the day!

We look forward to seeing you in 2020!

GANGES TRAINEES RETURN TO SHOTLEY GATE This is nothing unusual, but the HMS Ganges Association Museum was delighted to welcome a special group of ‘old boys’ back to the fold on Saturday 26 October.

This group of former Ganges’ trainees had formed a branch in Beeston, Nottingham, but recently took the difficult decision to close the doors on their regular meetings, sadly due to dwindling numbers. The lads vowed to lay down their standard and donate it to the popular museum along with a generous cheque representing outstanding funds, for which the museum is very grateful.

Their act is a poignant one, since the flag represents everything they hold dear. This includes shared memories of hard but happy times as the lads, who were 15 or 16 years old when they met, trained and made lifelong friendships, proudly serving in their careers with the Royal Navy on ships all over the world.

Trustees at the museum arranged a special handover to receive the cheque and the standard from Division Chairman Gerry Taylor and treasurer Terry Abrams. A commemorative tot of renowned Pusser’s Rum and a small buffet was shared to mark the occasion.

Visitors to the museum, now numbering 4-5,000 each year, will be able to view this and other standards. The £1,165.31 donation will enable the museum to purchase three bookcases to enhance the library, helping provide information for ‘old boys’ and their relatives to understand what life was really like on the naval base in Shotley.

Chairman Roger Jones said: “We are very pleased and proud to accept the Beeston Division Standard into our collection along with the huge cheque and we look forward to welcoming visitors to view our growing library which is representative of life at the land-based Ganges Training School, attended by 160,000 trainees between 1905 and 1976.”

The HMS Ganges Museum is open at weekends and on bank holidays from 11am to 5pm from Easter to October. To find out more, or to volunteer with us, please visit our website or follow our Facebook page. www.hmsgangesmuseum.com

We also publish Spotlight on Felixstowe

Friday 10 January Printed on gloss paper from FSC certified sources

NEWS

is the advertising and editorial deadline for the February edition

www.keepingintouchwith.com/copdock

This month’s cover image was submitted by Sanri Harvey.

CHANGE OF SEASON All living things have to go through a winter season of rest.

Fungi are nature’s announcement of the downtime to come, reminding us to relax and recharge.

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NEWS DECORATING at ST PETER’S The inside of St Peter’s Copdock is being redecorated and the church will be closed for services during January, February and March.

St Mary’s Belstead have kindly offered the use of their church for all of our services.

These will be: First Sunday Second Sunday Third Sunday Fourth Sunday

8am Holy Communion / 10am Morning Prayer 10am Holy Communion 10am Simply Sunday 10am Joint Service with St Mary’s

We would love to see you there.

Churchwardens Adrian and Ruth: 01473 730430

BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCILLOR JANE GOULD Orwell Ward: Belstead, Chelmondiston, Freston, Tattingstone, Wherstead and Woolverstone Dear all, I take this opportunity as the district councillor for Orwell Ward to wish you all a very peaceful New Year. As we take down the festive decorations it reminds us that the old year has passed and there is a new beginning; may we use it wisely and show kindness to others and to the planet as climate change begins to affect us all.

Babergh District Council meetings were mostly cancelled for the duration of the election period, but we are all keen to start our work again now that it’s all done and dusted. I am a Green Party District Councillor and have been encouraged by the positive response from some of the parishes in Orwell Ward as they consider declaring parish council climate and ecological emergencies. The Green group on the district council will challenge decisions and policies made to ensure the Green agenda is given priority wherever possible.

If you live in Orwell Ward please contact me if you have any issues you think I may be able to help you with.

Jane Gould: Jane.gould@babergh.gov.uk

CONSTABLE COUNTRY PPG Community Connectors The Community Connectors vehicle will be at the East Bergholt surgery on Wednesday 15 January from 12.30-3.30pm, and outside Capel Community Centre on Wednesday 22 from 12.30-3.30pm.

What do Community Connectors do?

The Community Connectors offer up to five one-to-one sessions to help link people who may be socially isolated or have long term physical or mental health conditions with services that can help improve their lives. You can just pop in for an informal chat to find out more.

Active Wellbeing Service You can pick up a card in either surgery if you would like to know more about becoming more active. Janet Lawrence can offer one-to-one sessions on Thursdays at East Bergholt surgery – or can make arrangements to see people at the library in Capel St Mary. You can pick up a self-referral card in either surgery or speak to a doctor or nurse to ask for a referral.

New Appointment System We are aware that the new appointment system has had mixed reviews.

Please let us know of any particular issues that you’ve had and we will discuss them at our regular meetings. Email us at: constablecountryppg@gmail.com Kathy Pollard: 01473 311384

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HOLBROOK AND SHOTLEY SURGERY GP and Staff Training Afternoons Our next training afternoon will be on Thursday 6 February. The practice will be open for patients to come in to collect/drop off prescriptions and book appointments/make enquiries at reception. However, there will be no clinical staff on site and our telephone lines will be switched over to the out of hours’ service on these afternoons to allow for staff training. Please ring 111 for advice if your query cannot wait until the following day. In an emergency, dial 999.

Shotley Building Work Update Our building works at Shotley are very nearly completed and we hope to soon be back to ‘normal’! Thank you for your patience while we worked around the noise, dust and inconvenience. We will now have more clinical space and automated doors at the main entrance as well as updating our office space behind reception.

Happy New Year We sent our best wishes for the coming year to all our patients and local community. Our staff would like to thank those patients who have kindly given us chocolates and biscuits for Christmas. This is much appreciated and we are pleased to know that you are happy with the high standards of service we strive to give to our patients.

Primary Care Network Pharmacist In July 2019 we became part of the South Rural Primary Care Network (PCN), a group of five practices that can jointly employ additional staff to help with the clinical workload. As a PCN we have now employed a community pharmacist who will be able to help with medication reviews and queries. Emma Okeke will start with us in January for one day per week after an induction week before Christmas. You may get a telephone call from her if you have a query.

Practice Manager Julia Smith

SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM Hello everyone, By the time you read this, the new year will be upon us, so I would like to wish you all a happy, healthy and safe 2020.

PC Diane Porter has now retired and I am continuing the role as Community Engagement Officer and Link Officer for Hadleigh and those Babergh and Mid Suffolk Villages that surround it. I will be assisted where needed by three Ipswich-based PSCOs who will help where they can.

As I write in early December there has been a spate of overnight burglaries to outbuildings at properties in the areas of Aldham, Elmsett and Nedging.

Please ensure your outbuildings are secure and items of value are not left on display. This has also been true of vehicles with tools on board, not only causing costly vehicle repairs but also loss of earning until tools can be replaced.

A great way to keep in touch with what’s going on in your area is to sign up to Police Connect. This is a free messaging service which gives you the latest policing news for your area. This can be delivered by email, text or telephone. If you would be interested in this free service please visit: www.suffolk.police.uk/services/police-connect Please remember that on these dark evenings, and with homes in darkness for longer, it’s more obvious when someone is not at home. Please consider PIR lighting outside your property which may alert a neighbour if you’re not home and someone enters within the perimeter of your property. Also consider leaving a light on, maybe on a timer. Again, please hide away those lovely presents which may have arrived into the house over Christmas.

Always think ‘security’.

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.

Happy New Year once again, PC 287 Sarah George

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NEWS

CONSTABLE COUNTRY MEDICAL PRACTICE Accessing Your Local Clinical Team Our new appointment system is working well, but I thought it would be useful to provide a few tips on how to get the most out of your local clinical team: • If you work and find it difficult to attend the practice during the day, our reception team can book 15-minute face to face evening and weekend GP appointments with GP+. Nurse appointments are also available.

• Use your local pharmacy! Pharmacists are highly trained and can provide advice and over the counter medication for a wide range of ailments. If they feel you need to speak to a doctor, they will tell you.

• Our reception team is experienced and well-trained. They cannot offer clinical advice, but they can advise on how best to get the treatment you need. For example, this may be self-referral to a physio or wellbeing service or signposting to one of a number of specialist health organisations such as Dementia Together, Travel Clinic, the Community Connector scheme, Sexual Health or Suffolk Mind.

• You can request a same-day call-back from one of our doctors online from 7am. You will need to be registered for online services and can then book a call-back via our website or via the NHS App. • You can request a doctor to call you before or after 1pm. Unfortunately, the nature of primary care is that emergencies and unforeseen events often occur. These have a knock-on impact and may mean the doctor needs to phone at a different time, so please bear with us.

• If you are only available to take a call at a specific time (e.g. lunch break) then inform our reception team and they will let the doctor know. They will do their best to contact you at this time.

• If you miss a call from a doctor, they will try again. If you miss the call a second time, please phone the practice to confirm you still need to speak to a doctor. They will normally leave a voice or text message on both occasions.

• You don’t need to ring us first thing in the morning, but don’t leave it too late in the day. Doctors will try to call all patients on their list by 5pm just in case they need to be seen in person.

• Every day is different. Mondays are usually very busy and to ensure we operate safely we sometimes have to limit the number of patients our doctors speak to in one day, unless you have an urgent need which can’t wait. We start every day with no appointments booked, so if it’s busy one day and your need can wait, then try the following day.

Training Days Please note that the practice will be closed from 1pm on the following dates for staff training: Thursday 6 February and Wednesday 4 March.

On these afternoons the Capel St Mary building will be open to enable access to the pharmacy, but the practice reception will be closed. East Bergholt reception will be open. Please note that there will be no clinicians at either building after 1pm as they will be attending training off-site. Our phone lines will be closed for the afternoon. If you need medical assistance please contact 111. If your need is urgent then please dial 999 or attend your local A&E. Practice Manager Pete Keeble

BENTLEY COMMUNITY SHOP: Best Possible Service Welcome to 2020!

Seeing is believing!

This is the fourth January for our community shop run by volunteers, including four new residents who have joined our team.

Just to give an idea of the range of 440 familiar brands we have in addition to our local suppliers, we stock: Heinz, Cadburys, McDougalls, Dr Oetker, Kellogs, Pringles, Kettle, Whitworth, Jif, Tate & Lyle, Canderel, Mrs Crimbles, Lazy Days, Angel Delight, Birds, Ambrosia, Mr Kipling, Schweppes, Taylors, Twinnings, Nescafe, Lucozade, Ribena, Finish, Domestos, Marigold, Baco Foil, Oral B, Lillets, Misfits, Whiskas, Gaviscon, Beechams, Strepsils, Lloyd Grossman. Pataks, Sunpat, Marmite, del Monte, Anchor, Clover, Helmans, BirdEye, Stute, Lee& Perrins, Jus Rol, Aunt Bessies, Mc Vities, Jacobs, Weetabix, Carnation, Carrs, Tetley, Tyrells, Winalot, Dorset, Arla, Magnum, Spontex, Haywards, Philadelphia, St Helens, Carte D’or, Lemsip, Flora, Branston, Sharwoods, Ocean Spray, Colmans, HP, Nestle, Mornflake, Mc Coys, and many more...

Although we serve about 55 people every day, there are some who haven’t seen what we do and they would be surprised to discover some 4,500 items in stock at any one time. We know that number from our regular stock takes!

Our shop is small on the outside, but larger on the inside and is air conditioned all year round to keep our stock at the right temperature.

We have many shelves so we can carry just about everything you may need to top-up your supplies, and you can walk or park right outside, even with your horse!

Our 13 buyers are continually sourcing new products and usually at very good prices. Consequently the choice is exceptional for a community shop serving Bentley, Tattingstone and surrounding areas.

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We are open Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm and from 9am-noon at weekends. Pop in to see us, or give us a call 01473 310182.

In In Touch Touch online: online:

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OUT & ABOUT CAPEL LIBRARY

COPDOCK CHURCH ROOM COMMUNITY GET TOGETHER

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year from everyone at Capel Library.

The Friends of Capel Library will be holding their AGM in the library on Saturday 25 January at 4pm. Please come along to find out what they got up to in 2019 and what’s planned for 2020.

All welcome for tea, coffee and cakes 2-4pm on the last Friday in the month

The library will close on Friday 10 January at 5pm and on Saturday 11 at 12.30pm to accommodate the Orchard Players’ pantomime, Little Red Riding Hood. We will be open as usual in the morning of Saturday 11 January.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Tot Rock: Every Thursday from 9.30-10.15am with nursery rhymes and story time for the under fives.

Capel Creators: Saturday 18 January from 10.30am-12.30pm for children and adults of any age. Come along and see what fantastic models you can build with Lego! The £1 charge includes a drink and a biscuit. Children under eight must be accompanied by an adult.

NEW – Manga Drawing: Sunday 5 and 19 January, 10.30am-12.30pm. Come along and join in with drawing and colouring Manga. Bring your own pad and favourite drawing pen/pencil. Children under eight must be accompanied by an adult.

IPSWICH MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTE 15 Route 15

Town/village

Location

Time

Minecraft: Sunday 12 and 26 January, 10.30am-12.30pm. Children of all ages welcome and those under eight must be accompanied by an adult.

Please bring your tablet or phone equipped with Minecraft Pocket Edition or Minecraft Windows 10 Edition. Try to remember to charge your device beforehand!

MIP/15A

Washbrook

Pearson’s Way

9.50-10.40

MIP/15B

Washbrook

Brook Inn Car Park

10.45-11.15

MIP/15C

Washbrook

Fenn View

11.20-11.40

MIP/15D

Burstall

Telephone Kiosk

11.50-12.15

NEW – Journaling Club: Second and fourth Friday every month, 6.15-7.15pm.

Free of charge. Make your own journal for diary keeping. Run by Capel Parish Nurses. Basic resources provided. All ages welcome, under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. The first session is on Friday 24 January.

MIP/15E

Elmsett

Rose and Crown

12.40-13.05

MIP/15F

Whatfield

Wheatfields

14.05-14.50

MIP/15G

Hintlesham

Timperleys

15.05-16.00

Scrabble Club: Every Friday from 2.30-4.30pm, all abilities welcome, games boards are provided.

Capel Library Book Group: Friday 17 January. This adult group meets on the third Friday of each month in the library from 2.30pm. Come along, pick up the book they are currently reading and join in.

We have a great selection of books for sale which are perfect for holiday reads.

OPENING TIMES Monday: Closed Tuesday: 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm Wednesday: 9.30am-12.30pm Thursday: 9.30am-12.30pm Friday: 2-5pm & 5.30-7.30pm Saturday: 9am-3pm Sunday: 10am-3pm Tel: 01473 311699

THE ORCHARD PLAYERS 2020 PANTO Red Riding Hood, January 9-11 at Capel St Mary Community Centre Not many things can upset the villagers of Fermley on the Fiddle – that is except werewolves and politicians! This Panto season, join us as we tell the story of the most famous Red Hood around.

Can the Woodcutter outwit the Wolf? Will Red get to Granny in time? Or will the evil Baroness hoodwink them all? You’re in for a howling experience!

Tickets (£8/£6) for performances on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 January at 7.30pm, and at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 11 are now on sale. Box Office Number: 07793 820215

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The first date in the new year is January 29.

STOUR VALLEY ARTS & MUSIC Jamal Alivev Cello Recital with Maria Tarasewicz on piano Sunday 26 January, 4pm at the Constable Hall, Gandish Road, East Bergholt Jamal Aliyev was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, and is rapidly becoming one of the most sought after cellists of his generation.

In 2017 Jamal made his solo debut at the BBC Proms with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, won the Arts Club – Sir Karl Jenkins Music Award and released his debut CD, Russian Masters, with pianist Anna Fedorova.

Jamal and Maria are often duo partners and she has an enviable international reputation.

This concert is supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.

Programme Beethoven, 12 Variations on Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen Rachmaninov, Vocalise Popper, Elfentanz op 39 Popper, Hungarian Rhapsody op 68 (1894) Tchaikovsky, Pezzo Capriccioso op 62 Lutoslavski, Sacher Variation Franck, Sonata in A Tickets (£15, students £7.50, under-16s free) can be booked online or by contacting: svamtickets@btinternet.com / 01206 298426 / www.svam.org.uk

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OUT & ABOUT NOTES FROM THE CASE Christmas already feels like a distant memory and January, as always, is feeling rather long and cold.

So here at The Case we have lots going on this month to help brush away those January blues.

INDOOR CAR BOOT SALE Sunday 23 February, 10am-noon East Bergholt High School

Our increasingly popular Open Mic Night is on Tuesday 7 January (for more information contact Dave on 07885 963882) and the January games night will be on Saturday 11 from around 8pm. If you have a favourite board game, bring it with you!

To help blow away the winter blues, on Saturday 18 January we have a local band, The Tea Ladies, to entertain you. They will be performing their eclectic mixture of Elvis to heavy rock, via a dash of reggae, played in their own unmistakable style. By the way they aren’t ladies and they rarely drink tea!

The music starts at 8.30pm.

A curry supper will be available before our first quiz of the New Year on Saturday 25 January. The curry will be served from 6-8pm; please ensure to book early as places are limited. A dessert will also be available. The quiz starts at 8.30pm and all profits from this and the raffle will be donated to our charity of the year, FIND.

Admission 50p / Free Car Park Refreshments available Tables £5 in advance, £7.50 on the day Doors open at 9am to set up T: 07776 291445

Jane, our mid-week lunchtime cook, returns from holiday on Wednesday 8 January and will again be serving light lunches from noon-2pm. Esther’s Sunday lunches will recommence from Sunday 12 January.

CRAFTERS UNLIMITED

2020 looks like it’s going to be another busy year for The Case as we have plans for more events, and we will be carrying out much needed improvements and renovations. Of course we wouldn’t be able to complete any of this work without our incredible group of volunteers, so we would like to give a huge thank you to the all those who have volunteered to keep our wonderful pub going and to say thank you in advance for this coming year. Having said that, we are always looking for new volunteers, so if you are interested in helping out in any way, whether it’s behind the bar, changing a barrel or tidying the garden, or any of the other 101 jobs that need doing, please ask for more information at the bar or by emailing the chairman at: savethecase.bentley@gmail.com

We start 2020 on Monday 6 January at 7.30pm when Janet will show us how to make a sock kitty. Please remember to bring your craft boxes with scissors, needles, cotton, etc.). On Monday 3 February, Jill will be making dream catchers.

Happy New Year to all our members past and present.

We meet at Wherstead Village Hall and new members are always welcome.

Contacts: Ann 01473 780298 / Jill 01473 713534

01473 805575 / www.thecasepubbentley.co.uk

PENINSULAR PIX January’s Peninsular Pix film is Red Joan directed by Trevor Nunn. Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson and Tom Hughes lead the cast. This is the burning drama of a woman accused by the British Secret Service of passing on classified information relating to the atomic bomb to Russia.

The agent’s younger years are played by Sophie Cookson, but when the arrest comes, Red Joan is granny-spy Judi Dench, happily gardening and doing watercolours. Her suburban neighbours are amazed and disbelieving when they learn the history of the little old lady down the road.

The film is less about ‘filthy traitors’ than it is about a time when men believed women had fluff for brains and therefore Red Joan is able to grow into old age before her secret life as a Soviet intelligence agent catches up with her.

True stories such as this one, kept under wraps for a long time, are always more interesting than Hollywood blockbusters with unrealistic CGI cartooning on its way, providing spectacular but disappointingly improbable thrills.

January is a bleak month with long dark nights, the warm summer evenings a dim memory. You need a cosy cinema with a glass of wine to look forward to and we hope to see you at 8pm on Thursday 2 January. Turn off the gas fire, get off your sofas, get down to the village hall and get lost in a spicy (spysee, get it?) piece of previously unknown history as portrayed by our national treasure, JD. You can book tickets in advance by texting a name and the number of tickets required to 07732 709656.

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COPDOCK & WASHBROOK WI November saw us getting ready for Christmas (now a distant memory) when Dorothy O’Grady came to demonstrate tips and ideas for giftwrapping. What an education – most ideas had a strong emphasis on recycling and the environment. We had no idea that the crossword page from the paper or the net bag from oranges could be made to look so good. We were taught to make bags and bows to accommodate gifts of any size or shape and took these away with us. Hopefully it inspired everyone to be a bit more creative instead of spending vast amounts of money on paper and ribbon. It was great to think that we could recycle many things we thought would never have a second use.

Last year was busy as we celebrated our centenary year. We started with a celebratory party, closely followed by a dinner for all our members.

We have enjoyed wonderful outings, coffee mornings, craft days and a strawberry tea. Thank you to all our members who have worked hard to make the year so memorable. We will end our centenary year with a barn dance in Copdock Village Hall on January 24.

Copdock & Washbrook WI share a wide variety of interests and we enjoy some wonderful outings and events. There are opportunities to get involved or you can just come for friendship. All visitors and new members will be warmly welcomed. If you want to join us, you can come as a visitor to see what we get up to before deciding if you would like to become a member. We meet at Copdock Village Hall on the third Tuesday of each month (excluding August). Please arrive around 7.15 for a 7.30pm start.

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OUT & ABOUT 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.

Our next meeting is on January 21 when Chris Parfitt will be giving an illustrated talk on Hidden Bhutan, focusing on the eastern area and the less visited valleys. Chris has travelled extensively around the world and has built up a collection of interesting and informative talks. This promises to be no exception, especially as this area is one of his favourites.

On February 18 Brian Dyes, a founder member and past chairman of Ipswich Transport Museum, will be giving a talk about the museum.

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

IPSWICH TRANSPORT SOCIETY Monday 20 January: Grey’s Coaches from Ely – 70+ years of Service, from the Beginning by Richard Grey Monday 17 February: Annual General Meeting followed A 1982 Summer in New York (Shipping) by Ron Davies Monday 16 March: Bahamas Locomotive Society – The Story So Far by John Hillier Monday 20 April: City of Norwich Aviation Museum – The Collection & the Story by Trevor Eady All meetings take place at Greenfinch Church Hall, Greenfinch Avenue, Ipswich at 7.30pm. Refreshments available.

STOUR VALLEY U3A Wednesday 8 January: The Mysteries of Easter Island Chris Parfitt, a retired teacher, will present an illustrated talk looking at life on this remote island today and explore its unique history revolving mainly around the famous statues and some of the theories surrounding them.

Wednesday 12 February: The Life & Times of an Essex Bad Girl From prison to a successful brand by Tracy from the Giggly Pig Co and how she managed to change the direction of her life into being a pig farmer and successful sausage producer.

Wednesday 11 March: Bees and Flowers Master beekeeper Jeremy Quinlan will talk on the contest between them to gain benefits from the relationship explained.

Our main purpose is to encourage lifelong learning for those who are no longer in full time employment and emphasis is always placed on making learning active and fun as well as helping in developing friendships. For further information please visit: www.stourvalleyu3a.org.uk We meet at Constable Hall, Gandish Road, East Bergholt CO7 6TP at 2.15pm. Annual membership is £12 which entitles members to attend meetings on the second Wednesday of each month.

Each month The Coffee Grinders meet at The Lambe School, Gaston Street, East Bergholt CO7 6SD from 10am-noon. This meeting especially welcomes new members and gives all members the opportunity to meet the activity group leaders and the committee while enjoying a cup of coffee. The next meeting is on Friday 31 January.

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ALTON BELLES WI Sadly, I have to report that two of our old members have passed away.

Mary Talmadge and Jean Howard. Both in their nineties, Mary and Jean were members of the committee. Mary helped out former treasurer Jenny Skilton and Jean always wrote the reports for Tattingstone News.

Several members attended Jean’s funeral at Seven Hills Crematorium.

Only one member was able to attend Mary’s funeral, which was held in Beccles.

In November, members of Alton Belles WI welcomed the CEO from Lighthouse Women’s Aid. Sally Winston gave us an insight into all the areas they cover, helping women and children who find refuge and help there. They often arrive at the refuge with nothing but the clothes they stand up in. Lighthouse depends on grants from the National Lottery and donations of all kinds. Alton Belles members put together a collection of toiletries to be given to women at the refuge as Christmas presents. These items were presented to Sally.

Alton Belles held their AGM and the committee remains the same with Tamzin Howell as named president, Jane Connell-Smith and Annette Kilworth as vice-presidents, Sheila Paxman as secretary and Nicci Kenny as treasurer. This year will be a little different as Tamzin plans to be travelling with her husband, therefore the two vice-presidents will share taking the meetings.

If you are interested in joining our vibrant and forward-looking WI, but feel nervous about coming along on your own, just contact our secretary, Sheila Paxman, on 01473 327319 and she will make sure you are looked after.

IPSWICH & DISTRICT HISTORICAL TRANSPORT SOCIETY Wednesday 29 January: Through the Eye of the Camera – First World War Photography, an illustrated talk by Vicky Gunnell 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.

01473 422145 / www.idhts.co.uk

STOUR VALLEY MEN’S PROBUS CLUB Our speaker on December 4 was Simon Gallop with The Unknown Constable Country and we end the year with our popular annual Christmas quiz.

We will not meet on January 1 and so our first meeting in the New Year will be on Wednesday 15 January when Michael Hole, one of our members, will talk to us about Second World War Prisoner of War Camps.

Carole Wheatley will enlighten us on Internment in Guernsey during the Second World War on February 5 and on February 19 Colin Hopper will present The Story of London Bridge.

On Wednesday 4 March Maureen Clarke will talk to us about The Plight of Street Orphans in India and we will hold our AGM on Wednesday 18 March.

Our club endeavours to be simple in structure, free of the constraints and obligations of service clubs and involve members at minimal cost. The club is directed primarily to providing fellowship between members who are compatible with each other and the opportunity for development of acquaintances. New members are welcomed.

We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at St John Ambulance HQ, Manningtree CO11 1EB, 10 for 10.30am. For further details please contact speaker secretary Dave Carman: 01255 880202

In Touch online:

www.keepingintouchwith.com/copdock

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In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT / on the grapevine SHLOMO’S BEATBOX ADVENTURE FOR KIDS

VILLAGE LINK Happy New Year to our members and visitors. The next meeting is on January 8 at 10am in Tattingstone Village Hall when Stephen Govier will present a talk on Suffolk Buildings – Architecture and Architects.

The club aims to bring communities together and over the years we have attracted members from many villages, men and women of various ages. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month from 10am to noon. I would like to welcome back former members and to see new members from all local villages, either as visitors or members.

Chairman Linda Evans: 01473 311262

BELSTEAD GARDEN CLUB Happy New Year gardeners! It’s time to get those seed catalogues out to beat the January blues.

Our annual meal is at lunchtime on January 15 so there’s no meeting at the hall. We look forward to seeing you there on February 19 with Prickles Hedgehog Rescue.

EBONY’S BLOG: Life at The Shelley Centre Happy New Year to all my readers! What a nice round number we have, it sounds like a cricket match, and it’s also a leap year. I wonder if Babs will do something amazing on February 29?

We have been bored rigid in our ‘quiet room’ during the holidays and can’t wait to get working again when the school term starts. We could hear various things happening in the yard outside our door: the maintenance people stopping for a coffee break, the able bodied riders coming to exercise the live herd, the farrier’s visit, the partridges roosting.

Yes, I’m sad to say the model hawk has not had any effect on the dear birds that roost on the stables’ ridge. Our gutters are ever blocked!

I’m just looking back at some of the happy moments from last term, and here are two gorgeous girls enjoying an unexpected visit to me on account of the bad weather.

The small person is Jessica, and the other is Brittany, both Friday regulars whom we love to see.

Who is making a resolution to do something extraordinary this year? Here at the Shelley Centre there are many and varied jobs to tackle, and new help is always so welcome. It’s outdoor stuff mostly, unless you enjoy the corporate boardroom part of running a company!

We have trustees who meet in the warm and dry every other month.

I hope I shall meet lots of new faces this month, and welcome all our regular riders and the volunteer team back in good spirits for the challenges ahead. www.rda-east.org.uk/shelley.html 01473 824172

www.keepingintouchwith.com/copdock

Following a blistering 2019 that included a 5-star run at the Edinburgh Festival, a breathtaking live performance on BBC’s Blue Peter and performing on the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival, the record breaking beatboxer SK Shlomo returns to UK theatres with his sell-out family show, Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure For Kids.

Shlomo’s groundbreaking vocal skills gained him international recognition as a pioneering beatboxer, plus a Guinness World Record and the chance to work with famous musicians like Bjork, Ed Sheeran, Rudimental and Lily Allen.

“Beatboxers can create the sound of an entire orchestra or rich electronic music – the drums, the instruments,the basslines and sound FX, all performed with just the voice,” says Shlomo. “In my kid’s show, I teach everyone how to become a superstar beatboxer.”

“It’s an amazingly empowering way for people from all walks of life to express themselves,” he explains. “I love teaching people how simple it is to make vocal rhythms. I love to share my passion for music with the next generation of music makers and also to encourage people of all ages to find their voice and believe in themselves. The kids always get excited but the parents have just as much fun!”

Join this sonic superhero at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich on Sunday 16 February and become one of his sidekicks in a world of funny sounds, brilliant noises and cool music, whether you’re aged one or 101! Book now at: www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

COULD YOU BOOST A YOUNG PERSON’S CHANCES? Emma’s story (fictional name, real story) Emma loved school. However, her studies were not going well and she struggled deeply with anxiety. This prevented her even considering the next step in continuing her learning. Emma was offered one-to-one time with a Seckford Springboard mentor. Too scared to attend her first meeting at all, and attending the second with a friend to speak on her behalf, she clearly had a lot to work through. But she was chatting away by the end of that second meeting and thereafter, all it took was a listening ear and an hour a week for about eight weeks to grow her confidence through conversation, building trust and being there.

Emma is now employed and confidently maturing as an apprentice chef, all thanks to someone simply volunteering for a few hours to give a young person someone to talk to.

Could you do that for a young person?

Seckford Foundation’s mentoring programmes support young people in rural Suffolk with well-being and careers. By focussing on positives and skills, it boosts the young person’s confidence when seeking employment and resilience when dealing with personal challenges. These programmes follow a tried and tested structure which includes plenty of resources and support for mentors, together with a clear start and finish point for mentees.

Are you a good listener?

Due to the success of the mentoring programmes, Seckford Foundation is now recruiting volunteer mentors to join the team. It is a mutually rewarding programme for both mentor and mentee, often with tangible results being quickly achieved. No previous mentoring experience is needed as training and development is ongoing. All that’s needed is some life experience, a nonjudgemental attitude, a good listening ear and a desire to make a positive difference to someone’s life.

Both mentoring programmes are funded jointly by the Seckford Foundation, Prince’s Countryside Fund and the Salvation Army, and they are available to young people aged 25 and under to access for free. To find out more, call 01394 615199 / 0783 1120873, email enquiries@seckford-foundation.org.uk or visit: www.seckfordspringboard.org.uk/can-we-help-you/mentoring

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out & about QUESTIONS ON CASH With Independent Financial Adviser Nick Plumb Tom from Hadleigh asks: “My daughter gave birth to our first grandchild out an R85 form to ensure that any interest is paid gross without tax being last June, and as his first birthday approaches, we thought that a good gift deducted. Effectively, this has the same effect as the cash being held in a would be to open a Junior ISA for him. However, when we called into our Junior Cash ISA. However, you will still be at the mercy of those low interest local building society branch, they said we could not do that as only the rates on cash. parent can open a Junior ISA. What other options do we have to put a lump Another alternative is a pension. It might seem strange to be thinking about sum away for our grandchild?” pensions for a child who cannot even speak yet, but there are huge longerThis is something that regularly comes up when grandparents try to open term benefits for the child and tax advantages. Grandparents can invest into a Junior ISA for a grandchild. Very few people realise that they are not able a personal pension for a child, up to a maximum of £3,600 gross per annum, to open a Junior ISA for their grandchildren. Only a parent of the child can and the child doesn’t need to have any income to justify that level of pension open a Junior ISA. However, once a Junior ISA has been set up by the child’s contributions. To achieve a contribution of £3,600 the grandparent would parents, grandparents can then make contributions into that ISA up to the actually only need to pay in £2,880, as the extra money is added in the form of tax relief reclaimed from HMRC. annual limit, which is £4,260 per annum for the current tax year.

Like the adult version, a Junior ISA can be a cash ISA or it can be a stocks and shares ISA. Like most financial advisers, I would suggest that you should opt for the stocks and shares ISA for young children as they have plenty of time before they can take over the fund at age 18 and stocks and shares will invariably do better than cash over the longer-term, particularly with the current all-time low interest rates paid on cash accounts.

If the parents have not already set up a Junior ISA, a grandparent can open a bank or building society cash savings account for their grandchild as long as they have documentation, such as the child’s birth certificate.

For grandparents, the big benefit of doing this is that no amount of interest earned on the money they contribute will be subject to tax. As long as the child has earnings of less than the personal allowance, a grandparent can fill

By the time the child reaches age 55 (the earliest you can currently access a pension fund) there could be a significant sum sitting in their pension.

Nick Plumb is an Independent Financial Adviser and Practice Principal at Plumb Financial Services. Post your questions to Nick at Plumb Financial Services, Baylham Business Centre, Lower Street, Baylham, Suffolk IP6 8JP, email nickplumb@aol.com, or telephone Nick on 01473 830301.

Nick’s comments and answers to reader’s questions in this column are provided only as a general guide and do not constitute personal financial advice. Any readers who require advice on their own situation should contact Nick to arrange a no-obligation complimentary initial consultation to discuss their own position. Plumb Financial Services are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

SUFFOLK-BASED MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CHARITY SET FOR NEW YEAR’S ReLAUNCH Suffolk Oxygen Therapy Centre was formed over 35 years ago as the Suffolk Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre to provide oxygen therapy and support to those living with the disease. Since then, the charity has grown to support people living with many other conditions and now undertakes more than 3,000 therapy sessions per year.

OPEN WEEK In the last year, the charity has made a number of alterations to its existing building which has allowed it to start developing a complementary therapy service and provided us with the room for power-assisted exercise chairs. In February 2020 the centre is launching these new services and invites health professionals and the public to visit the centre during the open week: Monday 3 (10.30am-2pm & 3-6pm) to Thursday 6 (Tue-Thu 10.30am-2.30pm) February.

Centre Manager Victoria Barber is keen for as many people as possible to come along and see for themselves the good work that the charity does: “We’re always happy for people to pay us a visit, but this is a good chance for people to come along and enjoy a cuppa and have a chat, meet some of our members, volunteers, staff and trustees and learn about oxygen therapy. It will also be an opportunity to try our power assisted exercise chairs and learn more about the other therapies on offer.”

For more information in advance contact Victoria at: 01473 830359 / victoria@suffolkoxygentherapy.co.uk

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Suffolk Oxygen Therapy Centre (SOTC) receives no state funding and relies entirely on donations, legacies and fundraisers to function, with any fundraising put towards service development and improvement. The public self-refer for therapy at the centre, which is staffed by fully trained operators and supported by a team of willing volunteers.

Victoria is clear that the charity has capacity to help more people: “This launch will raise the profile of this wonderful charity and we hope that local businesses and organisations will want to help us to reach more people living with long term and chronic disease and life limiting conditions. We have many events coming up in 2020 such as a Race Night on 3 April at Felixstowe Trades & Labour Club, Open Gardens in May and a James Bond Ball at Ufford Park on 10 October.

“We hope local businesses may wish to support us with these in addition to corporate sponsorship, being chosen as charity of the year and match funding to name a few.”

The charity’s longer term goal is to fundraise for a new centre, including the purchase of its own oxygen generation facilities, which will bring long term cost efficiencies by reducing both ongoing costs of oxygen delivery and the carbon footprint, thus protecting its future as a sustainable charity. The charity is in the early stages with its appointed architect, but early indication is that it will take approximately 10 years from now to fund this in its entirety.

For more about the centre, visit: www.suffolkoxygentherapy.co.uk

In Touch online:

Shimmy, Shake, Wiggle & Giggle Dance Fitness for sdultes (no partnering)

FunDancing Classes

Wed 10am Nayland Village Hall 7pm Boxford Village Hall

janet@fundancing.co.uk www.fundancing.co.uk FunDancing.Suffolk Fun_Dancing

www.keepingintouchwith.com/copdock

Thu 10am 7pm

St Mary’s Church Capel St Mary

Fri

The Institute Stratford St Mary

10am

spaces are limited to reserve yours

Call Janet on 07506 350 455 FunDancing has been operating since October 2010

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In Touch online:

schools / sport BENTLEY & COPDOCK PRIMARY SCHOOLS Happy New Year! Once again we have made our way through the autumn term with trips, visits and Christmassy fun and are all set for the spring term and the fun it will bring to enhance our learning.

EAST BERGHOLT UNITED FC A series of high scoring victories combined with just one defeat at league leaders Cranes, have seen the First Team rise to seventh in the Senior Division.

The Reserves have been on an unbeaten run and are now moving upwards, albeit exiting the Senior Reserve Cup. The A Team are still battling away in the bottom half of the table and keeping their heads above water.

UPCOMING FIXTURES 1st Team: Senior Division 28 Dec: Bourne Vale Utd (H) 4 Jan: Leiston St Margarets (A) 11 Jan: Bramford Utd (H) 18 Jan: Achilles (A) 25 Jan: Haughley Utd (H) Reserves: League A 4 Jan: Coplestonians Res (H) 11 Jan: Achilles Res (A) 18 Jan: AFC Kesgrave Res (A) 1 Feb : Bramford Utd Res (H)

Before the holidays, parents joined us to make decorations, we had Christmas Tree Services, sang for the residents at The Lodge and performed plays and concerts for our school communities. The children, staff and families all entered into the spirit with plenty of festive cheer. Our Christmas fayres were well attended and helped to raise some wonderful funds in return for our PTAs’ amazing efforts.

During the festivities both schools were raising funds to support our community churches in their endeavours to install new toilets. This will make toilet experiences more pleasant for our children when they visit the churches. Thank you to those who have helped us raise money for this cause.

A Team: League C 4 Jan: Ransomes Sports Res (H) 25 Jan: Ransomes Sports Res (A) 1 Feb : Coplestonians A (A) We would like to thank our sponsors for this season: Smy IT Specialists, JAK Services Ground Care, Riverside Taxis Manningtree, Marquis, Bergholt Travel, G & C Timber & Joinery Ltd, Primus and Kitchen Worktops Online. If you would like to sponsor the club in some capacity we would also be delighted to hear from you.

EVENTS The darts tournament will be held on January 18. Keep an eye on our social media feeds for more details and get in contact early if you want to take part in this annual event.

Towards the end of term we bid a fond farewell to Mrs Duff as she went on maternity leave at Bentley, and welcomed Miss Underwood who will be covering her leave. We also welcomed Mrs North back to Copdock following her maternity leave. With Mrs North’s return we said goodbye to Mr Collins who had been working with Woodpeckers during the autumn term. No doubt he’ll be back in a supply role during the year so it’s more of an au revoir!

The FIFA tournament will be repeated and is open to all-comers so keep an eye out for the next one.

Our topic for next term will be looking at the local environment.

If you know of any community groups who might appreciate our involvement, please do contact either school to discuss any aspects of how we can engage with them.

LADIES & JUNIORS We are looking for new teams, boys or girls, of any age group to join us as we look for the club to grow. Also ladies who would like to join are welcome.

If you are interested contact David George: davidgeorge5000@hotmail.com.

Bentley Primary: 01473 310253 / Copdock Primary: 01473 730337

Steve Butcher (Secretary): stevebutcher55@btinternet.com

For more news and up to date information about the schools, please visit: www.bentleycopdock.co.uk

Facebook: Ease Bergholt United Football Club Instagram: east_bergholt_united_fc / Twitter: @EBUFC1

This season marks the 125th anniversary of the club and there will be special events to mark this momentous achievement. We want to get in touch with as many former players and officials as possible. Please let us have your details by replying to the secretary or on our Facebook page. Keep in touch for details but keep Easter Sunday 2020 free.

BELSTEAD CARPET BOWLS Because of on-going work at the village hall and teams withdrawing from the cup, I have only one game to report. This was a home game against league leaders Barking, another team loaded with current county players.

It turned out to be an excellent match with four very closely contested games. In the first two we were always in with a chance, but they held on, winning both games, but only with a five shot advantage. The second half saw one of our fours in control for the complete game, and the second game looked as though it had slipped away, but one of the finest take-out shots saw us gain six shots and finish the match at two games each, but as we had the shot advantage of two, we ran out worthy winners 6-4.

I would just like to wish my readers a very Happy New Year.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/copdock

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Church News

THE NORTH SAMFORD BENEFICE

Sproughton with Burstall, Copdock with Washbrook and Belstead & Bentley with Tattingstone The Rev Annette Shannon The Rectory, Glebe Close, Sproughton IP8 3BQ revannettes@aol.co.uk / 01473 807674

Sproughton Burns Night: Saturday 25 January, 7.30pm Wedding Preparation Day: Saturday 1 February from 10am at Bentley Village Hall

Benefice Administrator Hayley Purnell northsamfordbenefice@gmail.com / 07904 972116

North Samford Baby and Toddler Group 9.30-11.30am at Sproughton Church Hall on Mondays in term time. Suggested donation £2 per family. Leaders: The Rev Annette Shannon (01473 807674) / Doreen (01473 311122)

Dear Friends, Unless you drink loose tea and believe in reading tea leaves at the bottom of your cup to tell the future, there’s no way to make a close inspection of the coming year. The label on this New Year just says ‘2020’. Not very informative! The only way to inspect the contents is to live the year.

Superstitious fortune telling being out of fashion, perhaps ‘futurology’ might help. This doesn’t depend on tea leaves, but on projecting past trends into the future and comparing present and past scenarios to see what might happen next. So how about January 1920? Can it give us any clues?

The war to end wars had been consigned to history. The Treaty of Versailles had been signed but not ratified by all concerned. Payment for all the damage had been agreed but not yet paid. The troops were home but the women who had done so many ‘men’s jobs’ were consigned to the kitchen at home again! And the deadly flu pandemic was fading.

Things would surely get better and for some, they did indeed get better in some ways. Party on! It’s the Jazz Age (if you had the money)! What could possibly go wrong?

What indeed? Through history’s lens we see better than they could.

But except for those aged 101 or more we weren’t there. We cannot personally know what it felt like to stand on the threshold of that New Year 1920.

As we stand on the threshold of this New Year 2020 we can’t interrogate it and demand to know if it is the year we want, the year we would order if we had the power to do so. For each of us much may depend on how we approach the future. Like a dodgy zip fastener that won’t connect when you put on your coat, your expectations of 2020 may not connect with reality.

When Jesus started his ministry many people wanted to pin the label MESSIAH on him. But Jesus didn’t fit their expectations.

They asked: “Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:19) His answer was to point to all the good things he was doing, but that didn’t satisfy some of them. They expected a powerful political and military leader. They got a healer, a preacher, and for those willing to accept him as he is, a Saviour, the only One able to give people eternal life. When the authorities of the day crucified Jesus they got rid of a threat to their political security, but God used their action to open the way to a life lived in his presence from here to eternity.

So as we step into the unknowable future let us go with God, the One who reates the future. Let us try always to behave as God desires: “To do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) With my prayers and best wishes for us all in 2020, Don Mehen St Peter’s Church, Copdock, will be closed for refurbishment from January 1 until March 8. All services will be held at St Mary’s Church, Belstead. We apologise for any inconvenience caused while this essential work is being carried out.

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FROM THE REGISTERS Weddings Harriet Plummer and Edward Read – Belstead Funerals Patricia Cook – Copdock Burial of Ashes Jennifer Jones – Copdock Peter Jones – Copdock Ethel May Steward – Copdock Graham Steward – Copdock EVENTS IN JANUARY Wednesday 1 Thursday 2

Tuesday 14 Saturday 18 Monday 20 Wednesday 22

Saturday 25 Thursday 30 Friday 31

Bentley Home Communions, 10am Bentley Coffee and Company, 10am Burstall Community Lunch, 12.30pm Churchwarden’s and Treasurer’s Meeting, 10am Sproughton Beetle Drive, 7.30pm Ministry Meeting, 7.30pm Burstall Approval of Accounts Copdock Home Communions, 10am Sproughton Burns Night Afternoon Tea Copdock Community Get Together, 2pm

SERVICES IN THE BENEFICE Sunday 5 January 8am Belstead 9.30am Burstall 10am Tattingstone 10am Copdock 10am Bentley 11am Sproughton

Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion Morning Prayer Family Service Family@Church

Sunday 12 January 9.30am Sproughton 9.30am Burstall 10am Belstead 10am Bentley 6pm Tattingstone

Croissant Church Family Service Holy Communion Holy Communion Taize

Sunday 19 January 9.30am Burstall 10am Belstead 10am Bentley 3.30pm Tattingstone 11am Sproughton

Holy Communion Simply Sunday Morning Prayer Family@Church Holy Communion

Sunday 26 January 8am Sproughton 9.30am Burstall 10am Bentley 10am Belstead 6pm Tattingstone

Holy Communion Morning Prayer Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion

Please submit church letters and copy for the February edition of In Touch to Hayley Purnell by January 4: northsamfordbenefice@gmail.com

In Touch online:

CHURCH NEWS CAPEL & HOLBROOK METHODIST CHURCHES Hope for 20/20 What will 2020 be like? At the time of writing, I have no idea what the political situation will be like when this is distributed. We will have had an election, but many commentators are saying it’s too unpredictable to call at this stage.

All I know for certain is that some will be really pleased and others may be devastated. There will be some new members of parliament and some shattered because they lost.

Writing the year ‘2020’, my mind turns to ‘20/20 Vision’. I’ve never researched the meaning before, but as I expected, it’s normal visual clarity/sharpness, seeing at 20 feet with the right degree of sharpness. My vision for the year 2020 is unclear, but for the long term I do have hope.

We’ve just celebrated Christmas, the story of a baby born in Bethlehem, in an occupied country, the family seeking asylum in Egypt for two years because his life was threatened. One of the unusual gifts given to baby Jesus was myrrh, an ointment to embalm dead bodies. Thirty-three years later Jesus was anointed with an expensive perfume, a week before he was hung on a cross dying. From the cross he spoke words of forgiveness to those who had done the deed. When the women came with myrrh to anoint his dead body in the tomb, he was not there and a young man said, “He is risen”.

AT CAPEL ST MARY METHODIST Home Groups on various days and times – contact the Minister Sunday 5

10.30am 6.30pm

Worship with Mr Matthew Forsyth Prayer

Sunday 12

10.30am 6.30pm

Worship with Mr Guy Fairweather Worship with Mrs Sue France

Sunday 19

10.30am

Worship with Mrs Marilyn Watsham

Saturday 25 3.30pm

Messy Church

Sunday 26 10.30am

6.30pm

Covenant Service with Rev Andrew Sankey United Service at St Mary’s

Last summer I visited the garden tomb in Jerusalem where perhaps Jesus’s body was laid after he was crucified. One evening, a choir and ensemble gave an open-air performance of Handel’s Messiah. They sang “I know that my redeemer lives” in the very place where Jesus was raised 2,000 years earlier.

The apostle Peter, who was there on that day, wrote: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Peter was to live through difficult times in occupied territory, he was persecuted. The resurrection of Jesus bought a living hope that death is not the end, but there is something glorious beyond for those who have learned to trust in Jesus as Saviour.

Whatever the outcome of the election, God calls us to live at peace with one another – hurtful language, arrogance and lies should have no place in our lives. We can disagree with one another; we can be passionate for our cause but we need to live with respect for others. Please pray for those elected that they may be people of integrity and working for the common good.

Pray also for those not elected that they may find other ways of serving their communities. The words Jesus spoke from the cross are offered to all of us – our sins are forgiven. As we start the year 2020, may we have clear 20/20 vision of the hope set before us by Jesus and the difference our individual lives can make to peace in our communities.

Rev Andrew Sankey, Minister at Capel Methodist Church 8 Roundridge Road, Capel St Mary IP9 2UG apsankey@gmail.com / 01473 311178 / 07966 187216

www.keepingintouchwith.com/copdock

AT HOLBROOK METHODIST HCT: Holbrook Churches Together Tea and Chat: Mondays 2.30-4pm (HCT) Home Groups: Second & fourth Tuesdays at 7.30pm Saturday 4 10-11.30am Coffee Morning Sunday 5 10am

Friday 10 3.30pm

Covenant Service with Rev Andrew Sankey Messy Church (HCT)

Sunday 12

10am

Worship with Rachael Wainwright

Sunday 19

10am

United Service at All Saints

Sunday 26

10am 6.30pm

Worship with Mr Chris Finbow Something Different

Please see the noticeboard on the front of the chapel for all events in January. For more information about Messy Church and Tiddlers (HCT) contact Gerald Laws: geraldolaws@aol.com / 01473 328507

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CHURCH NEWS

HOLY FAMILY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Ipswich Road, Brantham CO11 1TB

Parish Priest: Fr Paul Vincent 180 Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich IP2 0QQ / 01473 684963 www.stmarksparish.org.uk SERVICES FOR JANUARY 2020 Wednesday 1 Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 5 The Epiphany of The Lord, Solemnity 9am Mass Tuesday 7 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 12 Baptism of The Lord 9am Mass

5) Sundays should be holidays 6) Create dignified jobs for young people 7) Respect and take care of nature 8) Stop being negative 9) Don’t try to convert somebody, respect others’ beliefs 10) Work for peace Events & Diary Dates The 100 Club Draw took place on Sunday 22 December at Holy Family when three lucky winners shared a £166 prize pot. The next draw takes place on Sunday 26 January. The club, set up to support the life and mission of our parish, has grown from strength to strength since its launch. New members are always very welcome and the newsletter, that includes an application form, can be found at the rear of the church or at: www.stmarksparish.org.uk Every last Thursday of the month a Bring & Buy Coffee Morning takes place at Viv & Wyn’s home, Paddock Gate, Whitehorse Road, East Bergholt CO7 6TR from 10.30am to noon. We are raising funds for our centenary celebration on 15 August 2020. All are very welcome to join us and the next event will be on Thursday 30 January.

Tuesday 14 9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 10am Mass Sunday 19 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 9am Mass

Supporting our Local Hospice All parishioners are asked to collect used postage stamps and to place them in the box at the rear of the church to help support the outstanding work of our local hospice.

Tuesday 21 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 2 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 9am Mass

All are very welcome to attend Holy Family services; it’s not necessary to be a Catholic and enquiries about the Catholic faith are always welcome.

Please contact the presbytery, as above, or a local person whom you know is a Catholic.

Tuesday 28 9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 10am Mass The weekly newsletter, with weekly mass times, is always displayed in the cabinet alongside the front door.

Catholic Commentary Many people make resolutions at the start of a New Year and it can be difficult to consider what they should be. So a review of Pope Francis’ Top 10 Secrets To Happiness can provide many ideas: 1) Live and let live 2) Be giving of yourself to others 3) Proceed calmly in life 4) A healthy sense of leisure

The Sick & Homebound A new Catholic Chaplain is yet to be appointed so in the meantime, please contact Fr Alan Hodgson (01473 728115).

Please be aware that for reasons of patient confidentiality, the current practice in the NHS is not to inform the chaplains of any Catholics who are admitted to hospital, so unless you or your relatives inform the chaplain of your hospital stay, you will not be visited by a priest or any other member of the chaplaincy team.

Please let Fr Paul know of anyone who is ill at home or housebound, so that they may receive appropriate pastoral care.

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