In Touch
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with Beyton, Drinkstone, Elmswell,
Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit Volume 3 • Issue No. 2 • MAY 2019
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09/05/2018 16:33
A WORD FROM THE EDITOR One recent Sunday morning, Jack and I got up early to bake cakes for one of our little charity stalls at the front gate, this time in aid of the Cyclone Idai appeal. We’d watched the news reports about the cyclone which has left around three million people in need of help and Jack’s immediate response: let’s bake! And so we did. We cut out letters to make a Cyclone Idai Appeal banner and set up the table with cupcakes at 50p each.
NEWS A DATE FOR your HALF TERM DIARY
It was a lovely morning and the lane was busy with dog walkers and cyclists so trade was brisk. The little money pot was filling up nicely, but when we realised we’d forgotten to tell grandma what we were doing, and knowing how much she loves cake, we ran next door to tell her we were almost sold out. When we returned our little money pot had disappeared! At first I thought it had just blown off the table, but there was no sign of it anywhere. It was well and truly gone. Jack’s little face was a picture, and not a pretty one. I still can’t quite believe it happened. I just don’t understand how anyone could be so heartless, or even have the nerve to do it! But the story doesn’t end there. Feeling the need to vent, I posted a message on the local Facebook page and was humbled by what happened next. The first person who posted a reply also made a £25 donation to the appeal. Then a man I don’t know turned up at the door with a £5 donation. He wanted to meet Jack and to tell him not to be disheartened by what had happened. There were a few angry comments on Facebook, but most people wanted to express sympathy and to ask when we were having our next cake sale. Many others donated to the appeal and in addition to the £10 we received from a lady who dropped by the house later in the day, and our own contribution to cover sales, the total donated on the day was £160. Clearly there is an odd bad egg in the world, but so many, many, many more good eggs who can achieve great things when they come together. Of course, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. In every area where we publish there are multiple fundraising events happening all the time, but isn’t it lovely when a negative becomes a positive and doubts are overcome. And on that basis we shall be running another cake stall very soon!
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There’s lots of fun to be had at a free family share day on May 29 from 11am to 3pm at the Ark, 11-13 King William Street, Needham Market IP6 8DG. There will be willow weaving demos and workshops, face painting, Irlen Screening, a craft workshop, plant stalls, tombola and delicious teas and cakes. The event will raise awareness of Irlen Syndrome and raise funds for those who are affected and need financial support. ABC For Reading is the national charity supporting people with Irlen Syndrome whose symptoms can include headaches fatigue, clumsiness, difficulty with concentration, difficulty with text and print (glare), dislike of fluorescent lights, difficulty with night driving and poor depth perception. Irlen can affect academic performance, motor skills, behaviour, concentration and confidence. ABC for Reading is a group of trustees who support individuals from across the UK in order to afford lenses which will reduce their symptoms, allow them to fulfil their potential and improve their quality of life. All proceeds and donations to be shared between ABC For Reading and the ARK, Needham Market. To find out more about the charity visit: www.irlenabcforreading.co.uk
with Beyton, Drinkstone, Elmswell,
Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit
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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 Beyton, Drinkstone, Elmswell, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd as part of the “In Touch with . . . ” series of magazines.
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HAUGHLEY FESTIVAL Haughley’s Annual Festival is now a week-long event with a greater and more varied programme than ever before. The festival opens on Saturday, May 25 with our traditional flower festival in the church. This runs through to Bank Holiday Monday, May 27. Not only will there be nearly 40 displays of beautiful flowers, there will also be live music, stalls, refreshments, a display of the winning photos from the festival photo competition and an art and craft exhibition in the Maxwell Charnley Community Room. On Saturday, see who won the festival Bake Off competition sponsored by Palmers and join us on Sunday at 11am with your canine friends to impress in the fun dog show. On this first weekend of the festival we have two other special events. At 5pm on Saturday 25 we have a talk entitled The Adventures of Reg Willsher with the London Welsh Male Voice Choir including a miscellany of music recorded over the years by the choir. And at 5pm on Sunday 26, Haughley Choir & Friends are giving a Road to Freedom concert featuring music and readings. On Wednesday, May 29 (which is during half term) we have family festival fun at Gallowsfield Wood. From 3-5pm we have Be a Nature Detective – Bio Blitz, which is suitable for all ages, and from 5-7pm there will be Camp-Fire and BYO BBQ for which you are invited to bring your own burgers or hotdogs and marshmallows to toast on the fire. On Thursday, May 30 we have the professional folk duo The Kimberleys performing in the church at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 and available through the festival website or at the village post office. Our festival concludes on Sunday, June 2 with a celebratory Big Sing in the church. More information on all events, including how and where to get tickets where applicable, can be found online or give David Fleetwood a call on 01449 614113. www.haughleyfestival.org
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NEWS MENDLESHAM STREET FAYRE On Bank Holiday Monday, May 6, the village of Mendlesham will hold its 39 annual street fayre. The fayre starts at noon with a procession of May Princess Olivia Bowye, attendants Maedwe Taylor and Lily-ella Baker (pictured) and the May Queen accompanied by Suffolk School of Samba. 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. th
Throughout the afternoon there will be live music on stage including Stowmarket Strummers Ukulele Band, Stowmarket Boys Brigade Band and dancing from East Suffolk Morris Men.
OLD NEWTON AND GIPPING COMMUNITY COUNCIL A summary of the Chairman’s Report for 2018 as presented to the AGM on April 15, l2019 The community council is a longstanding body that serves an important purpose in our parish. Its most obvious role is to grant funds to local organisations, but of course it can only do this if we ensure that our bank balance is secure and sufficient. This means that we must attract adequate net income from the Little Ernie lottery, plus income obtained from advertisers in our parish magazine The Crier. In 2018 we awarded grants totalling £4,432, the recipients being Old Newton United Football Club, Old Newton Cricket Club, the Methodist Chapel, the Under-5s, the parish church and the primary school. We rely upon the unstinting work of many people, particularly those who collect Little Ernie subscriptions and those who distribute The Crier. In particular, I thank Maureen Horgan, Sue Turner and Pat Dorling for their tireless work. My warm thanks also go to Suzanne Duncan (Lottery Organiser) and Louise Harbidge (Crier Advertising Manager).
The Tricky Twister will be there to entertain the children and there will be birds of prey on the playing field, a craft fayre in the community hall, remote controlled trucks, a hog roast, bygone farm machinery and the famous armoury in St Mary’s Church. Our newly refurbished 50/50 will be open with ‘Good as New’ clothes. You will find plenty of refreshments, hot dogs, teas, sandwiches and cakes, all provided by village charities. Entry is by programme (adults £3 / U16s free) and there’s a free car park. To book a space in the street contact 01449 766483. No food outlets needed. The event is run by Mendlesham Community Council and the money raised each year goes to help support village charities, the school and the community.
THE BIBLE TODAY EXHIBITION The Blackbourne Community Centre, Tuesday, May 14, 10am-8pm English-speaking people are more privileged than most in the number and variety of Bible translations available to them. It was not always so. Before 1066 there were partial translations into local languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Mercian, but no known complete version. Not until after French had ceased to be the official language in 1362 did translation recommence, and was then suppressed in favour of retaining the Latin Vulgate alone. Wycliffe and his associates produced the first complete Bible translation into English from the Latin but, banned, it went underground, spread by a thriving black market. Since then there have been periods of freedom to translate, and periods of suppression, with complete freedom now. The Bible has influenced our language, with expressions such as ‘turn the other cheek’, ‘go the extra mile’, ‘the writing on the wall’ and ‘the powers that be’ all used without considering their origin. William Tyndale invented words when none was adequate to convey the sense of the original: ‘beautiful’ and ‘scapegoat’ are but two examples. At the coronation a Bible is presented to the monarch, with the words ‘We present you with this book, the most valuable thing this world affords. Here is wisdom. This is the Royal Law. These are the lively oracles of God’. This exhibition seeks to display this value. Most exhibitions are presented in towns, leaving villages disadvantaged. The Christadelphians, a Bible-based community, are seeking to remedy this by bringing The Bible Today Exhibition to five villages on consecutive days, May 13-17: Fordham (Cambridgeshire), Elmswell, Long Melford, Great Waldingfield and Rickinghall. The exhibition includes some early Bibles and informative displays, relating how the Bible came to us and showing a summary of its message. For more about us and our other activities please visit: www.christadelphiansuffolk.org.uk
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There are, however, three people who occupy especially important positions. Our Hon Secretary, Felicity Groom, efficiently organises our committee meetings, records our transactions and liaises with grant applicants. Our Hon Treasurer, Dave Martin, contributes his expertise by maintaining our bank accounts, recording our financial situation and reporting to each committee meeting on our current position. And the third is the face of Old Newton and Gipping, our editor of The Crier, Annie Stearn. Those of us who remember the basic issues of The Crier published many years ago will recognise Annie’s achievements in hugely expanding our magazine’s size and introducing wonderful coloured front covers. It therefore goes without saying that I offer my heartfelt thanks to Felicity, Dave and Annie. But it is important for me to acknowledge the value of representatives of parish organisations attending our quarterly meetings – because even if your body does not have a grant application under consideration, the effect of your input on our results is important and democratic. Finally, I am grateful also for the support of my Vice Chairman Jonathan Miller and the other trustees. I express my hope that 2019 will see another successful year in raising funds for distribution to local organisations, in order to assist them to provide activities for public benefit. Chairman Melvyn Barnes
UNIQUE GARDEN OPENS FOR CHARITY Every year the National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England and Wales and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake. You’ll be please to know that the wonderful gardens at Bridges, The Street, Woolpit IP30 9SA will be open from 11am-5pm on Sunday, May 19. Adults £5 with children free. Teas will be available and there will be plants for sale. Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors, the National Garden Scheme has donated a total of £55 million to nursing and health charities, and made a record annual donation of £3.1 million in 2018. Founded in 1927 to support district nurses, it is now the most significant charitable funder of nursing in the UK and beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
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OUT & ABOUT ELMSWELL HISTORY GROUP Last month’s well-received talk by John Morris entitled Constable at Flatford Mill gave us a fascinating and beautifully illustrated insight into this famous 19th century Suffolk artist and the surrounding countryside he depicted so well. Our next two talks and summer outing will be as follows: May 9: Bury’s Victorian Observatory by Richard Young Richard is the chairman and founder of the Athenaeum Astronomy Association in the historic heart of Bury St Edmunds, and he will be telling us all about the AAA’s recent restoration project of this “almost unique Victorian astronomy time capsule”. This observatory, and the fine telescope within it, are now Grade-1 listed and are an important part of our town’s heritage collection.
This year is shaping up to be an amazing year for Disney. Mary Poppins Returns, Captain Marvel and Dumbo have already been massive hits, later this month we have Avengers: Endgame and Aladdin and still to come we have Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen 2 and a new Star Wars film! Away from the family end of the market, we have some fantastic films on screen at the Regal, but we’re especially looking forward to The Sisters Brothers, Wild Rose and Red Joan. Wild Rose: the story of Rose-Lynn, a woman on a quest to become a country music star while also grappling with the responsibilities of being recently released from prison and a single mother of two children. Stars Jessie Buckley and Regal favourite Julie Walters. (1 hour and 40 minutes) Us: new from the Oscar winning writer/director of Get Out, a family’s serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorise them. (1 hour and 55 minutes)
June 13: Decorative Plasterwork in Elizabethan & Jacobean Suffolk by Claire Gapper
Red Joan: Judi Dench starts as Joan Stanley, who was exposed as the KGB’s longest-serving British spy. (1 hour & 41 minutes)
Our speaker has written extensively on this subject, stating that most of the standard works on the history of decorative plasterwork in this country date from the early decades of the 20th century, but much new material relating to the architectural history of the 16th century has been uncovered since they were written. Her talk will up-date our understanding of the development of decorative plasterwork in the first century or so of is popularity, and particularly so in East Anglia.
The Sister Brothers: in 1850s Oregon, the infamous duo of assassins, Eli and Charlie Sisters, chase a gold prospector and his unexpected ally. (2 hours)
July 11: Summer outing to the Suffolk Police Museum, Martlesham
Greta: a young woman befriends a lonely widow who’s harbouring a dark and deadly agenda toward her. (1 hour and 38 minutes)
Tickets for this will be on sale at our meetings in May and June (or from 01359 241990/242601), sold on a first-come-first-served basis as numbers are limited. £4 per member, or £6 per non-member, which includes mini-bus transport from Elmswell. New members and visitors are warmly welcomed at our meetings – just come along to the Blackbourne Centre, Blackbourne Road, Elmswell IP30 9UH for a prompt 7.30pm start on the second Thursday of each month where there is free on-site parking and full disabled access. Annual membership is £8, plus £2 per meeting attended, and £4 for visitors. 01359-242601 / www.elmswell-history.org.uk
STOWMARKET U3A Your local U3A not only runs local events for members, but also takes part in events organised by the national office. The latter include occasional lectures by eminent speakers and an annual summer school programme, this year running from Aston University in Birmingham and The Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. Locally, our first theatre outing to see Calendar Girls was a great success. Later in the year we hope to see Matilda. Our play reading groups have enjoyed reading The Tiger by Robert Bolt and The Horse and Bright Interval by Cherry Vooght. Our walkers have had excursions to Mendlesham, Cockfield, Rattlesden, Onehouse and around Stowmarket, often with lunch stops at local pubs. A new group is forming to play table tennis and we also hope to see a Learn Spanish group starting soon. For a full list of our groups please see our website (details below). We are always happy to welcome new faces and annual membership is just £15. COMING UP May 15: The Building of the Sutton Hoo Ship, a talk by Paul Constantine May 16: Trip to Bawdsey Radar Museum June 19: Trip to Langham Glass and Pensthorpe Natural Park June 27: Trip to Helyg Garden July 17: Café 200 Project, a talk by The Institute of Civil Engineers For further details phone 01449 258865 or visit: www.u3astowmarket.org.uk
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THE REGAL IN MAY
Wonder Park: the story of an amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive. (1 hour and 25 minutes) Bel Canto: a world-renowned opera singer becomes trapped in a hostage situation when she’s invited to perform for a wealthy industrialist in South America. (1 hour and 40 minutes)
Hellboy: based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy is caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge. (2 hours) Avengers: Endgame: after the devastating events of Infinity War, the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe. (3 hours and 2 minutes) Aladdin: live action remake of the Disney classic, a kind hearted Arabian street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make the deepest wishes come true. (2 hours) Live on stage we have Raymond Froggatt, Strictly Nashville and Neil Sands with his new show Sentimental Journey. We also have All My Sons starring Sally Field and Bill Pullman live streamed from the National Theatre to the Regal, and an encore screening of the much loved musical An American in Paris, recorded live at the Dominion Theatre. Find out more at: www.regalstowmarket.co.uk
PMR/GCA SUPPORT GROUP The next meeting of the Polymyalgia Rheumatica/Giant Cell Arteritis East Anglia Support Group is on Thursday, May 16 at Needham Market Community Centre IP6 8BB. The hall will be open at 10.30am for registration, refreshments and an opportunity to meet others who experience the same problems as you. The speaker will be Dr Max Yates, Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Norwich Medical School University of East Anglia and Honorary Consultant at East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust. For further information please contact us at: pmrgcaeachair@btinternet.com
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Woolpit Nurseries_Bury Golf Club_200x138mm_PRINT.pdf 1 15/12/2016 10:02:38
OPEN Mon-Sat 9 till 5 & Sunday 10 till 4
01359 240370
If you’re looking to be spoilt for choice when it comes to your garden then come and see us The majority of our bedding plants are grown here at Woolpit Nurseries. We grow 90% of our plants on site so we are able to focus on producing only the finest quality products.
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We have over an acre of growing greenhouses, plus half an acre of outside growing space and a large net sided poly tunnel.
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We are specialists in hanging baskets with over 2000 produced every spring. We offer a large range of plants including seasonal bedding, a range of structural Italian plants, structural shrubs, small trees & ‘instant gardens’ with ready-to-go pre-planted hanging baskets and containers. Ever expanding, we also offer a wide range of gardening products including stoneware, pots & baskets, plus fertilizers, plant foods and grit and a variety of composts. With a qualified horticulturist on site we are able to provide professional & friendly advice to gardeners in need.
www.woolpitnurseries.co.uk
Old Stowmarket Road, Woolpit, Suffolk, IP30 9QS
www.keepingintouchwith.com/elmswell
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Saturday 1St June 2019
Ceilidh Night FuNdraiser with Fish & Chip supper Music and dancing led by Ceilidh band Clutching at Straws, a group of 5 local musicians, playing a mixture of piano accordions, concertinas, banjos, mandolins, 6 and 12 string guitars and electric 5 string bass guitar. They’ll also be singing a few songs when everyone needs a rest! 7.00 pm - 10.00 pm Woolpit Village Hall, Mill Lane, Woolpit, Nr. BSE, IP30 9QX Tickets: Adults £15 Children 10-16 yrs £10 Available from Theatre Royal Box Office 01284 769505 or online at www.theatreroyal.org Elm Tree Gallery in Woolpit also has a supply of tickets Vegetarian options are available Join us for an evening of great music, dancing and fun! No experience is necessary as our friendly caller will guide you through the steps and help to sort out dance partners. Your ticket includes a tasty Fish and Chip Supper to sustain you, a cash bar serving wine, beer and soft drinks to wet your whistle and a raffle during the interval with prizes not to be missed. A THEATRE ROYAL SUPPORTERS GROUP EVENT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR NEW STAGE LIGHTING AT THEATRE ROYAL BSE (Reg. Charity No. 242977) Find out more about Theatre Royal Supporters Group at www.theatreroyal.org/trsg
HAYWARDS SOLICITORS
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NEWS GARDENING IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN YOU THINK It’s that time when many will be venturing out into the garden. Most people think of gardening as a gentle hobby that doesn’t cause any harm, however, there are some potential pitfalls waiting for some unlucky people who overindulge with gardening. The back is probably the most common known issue with gardening. Lots of bending over while weeding, planting and digging can place stresses and strains through the back. A little of this type of activity shouldn’t cause any issues to a healthy back, but prolonged exposure to these activities can lead to muscle soreness and joint irritation giving rise to a few days of pain. More seriously you can cause some nerve irritation, disc or LAFT issues – remember a few months ago we talked about calling them living adaptive force transducers rather than discs. The best way to try and avoid any back pain is to take regular breaks from what you are doing, bend your back in the opposite way to the way you have been moving or keeping still and make sure that you keep yourself nice and warm. At this time of year most physiotherapy practices have a few extra patients attending with elbow pain. Prolonged use of shears or secateurs leads to lots of use of the forearm muscles. This can cause a lot of muscle pain in the forearm muscles and often a pulling of the tendon (tough material which connects the muscle to the bone) leading to a very sharp and prolonged pain. This ‘tennis elbow’ or lateral epicondyalgia as its known in the medical field can take an awful long time to settle down. Prevention is best; again take lots of breaks during gardening tasks. If you have a lot of work to do with shears, hedge trimmers, strimming or secateurs split the job over a few days or several weekends. Yes it’s more frustrating and takes longer to have that hedge looking neat and tidy, but it’s better than the frustration of lots of pain. Another common condition with gardening but one very few people realise is in the knee. A lot of people have heard of sports people tearing the cartilage in their knee, but it’s also a risk in gardeners. The cartilage is at most risk in the knee when we have the knee bent, put weight through it and then twist. This is such a common movement to do whilst kneeling and rotating to pick up a plant to or to reach over to get at that last weed within reach. Damage to your knee cartilage often results in knee swelling, pain and loss of movement. Often this will settle but gives you pain and loss of function for a time. Sometimes this type of injury needs an operation to get better so rather than risk a knee issue, keep the plants to be planted out in front and move position regularly to avoid the twisting of the knee. While we don’t want to put people off doing some gentle physical activity it’s worth noting some of these dangers so you can avoid the pitfalls of gardening and the errors made by others. Robert Grainger MSc MCSP MHPC CSCS Practice Principal PhysioFixx Physiotherapy Clinic Sports Physiotherapist
MUSEUM RECEIVES GRANT TOWARDS TRANSFORMATION The Museum of East Anglian Life is celebrating grants totalling £50,000 from Mid Suffolk District Council (£35,000) and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (£15,000), towards commissioning a new business plan to support the ambitious transformation of the museum over the next 10 years. Museum director Jenny Cousins (pictured with Councillors Nick Gowrley and Gerard Brewster) said: “This very welcome funding will give us the information and support we need to transform the site into a leading visitor destination, building on recent investment in new exhibits which celebrate the region’s food heritage. We have a fabulous 75-acre site in the heart of Mid Suffolk and are keen to make the best use of it for visitors, local people and businesses.” Councillor Gowrley, Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council, said: “The Museum of East Anglian Life is a key asset for Mid Suffolk and generates economic and social benefits for local people. It’s a green space in the centre of Stowmarket and a much-loved place visited by generations of local families. This investment in its future will enable the museum to realise its full potential.” Councillor Gerard Brewster, Cabinet Member for Economy, said: “The museum is an anchor business for Mid Suffolk, bringing visitors into the area where they spend in our shops. It’s important that we invest in the assets that generate wider benefits and effectively spread the impact of our support.” Chris Dashper, Head of Programmes at New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “We are very supportive of the museum’s plans. Our region excels in food and to be able to showcase our heritage, expertise, food science and innovations are exciting prospects. “The A14 corridor is a priority area for growth and the museum’s ambitious and exciting aspirations to grow and innovate are much welcomed as they could create new jobs, attract more visitors, and have educational and social benefits.”
STOWMARKET CRAFT MARKET Despite the weather, our April market was another successful one with a range of talented, local crafters and a steady flow of people through the door. Hopefully our signs and directions helped! This month we were delighted to be able to help a group of students from Stowmarket High School who are working on the Peter Jones Enterprise Foundation. Selling a range of their handmade items with the guidance of their design and technology teacher, the students have been working hard, even in their spare time to create and sell their work. We wish them well for the future. Our next market welcomes another great range. Every month will be different to the last, making it well worth returning again and again. Come see us on May 4 between 10am and 1.30pm at Stowmarket Scout centre, Milton Road, IP141EX. You can get to us by walking through Fox Yard in the town centre. Walk down Fox Yard and pass through the gate on the other side, continue walking forwards, following the path round towards the residential area and the town council garden area. Once you reach the green, continue left down the narrow path which leads straight to Stowmarket Scout Centre. For more information visit our Facebook page or email Sherilee Hawkins: stowmarketartisanmarket@gmail.com Facebook: Stowmarket Craft Market
www.keepingintouchwith.com/elmswell
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OUT & ABOUT WHAT’S ON AT ELMSWELL LIBRARY
THE MUSEUM OF EAST ANGLIAN LIFE
Suffolk Libraries offer a wide range of books, audiobooks, DVDS and e-resources. We also have a range of regular community events. We’d love to see you – please pop in and take a good book home!
Saturday, May 25- Sunday, June 2: Elmer the Elephant 30th Anniversary Trail Elmer the Elephant is 30 years old! Help us celebrate by having a go at lots of Elmer activities and games as you discover the 75 acres and 17 historic buildings at the museum.
East Anglian Storytelling Festival The East Anglian Storytelling Festival is coming to Elmswell with free storytelling at the library. We present tales for all ages on Saturdays, May 11 & 18 and June 1 & 8 from 1.30-2.30pm. The Keep in Touch Community Café This group is for new residents to meet people in Elmswell. Find them at the Fox pub at 10.30am on Wednesdays, May 15 and June 19. Baby Bounce/Tot Rock: Fridays 9.45am in term time Singing for little ones with their mums, dads or grandparents, loads of adorableness and songs about frogs and bunnies. Just show up. Lego Club: 11am-noon on Sundays Come along and build with other children! We have Duplo for the little ones too.
Saturday, May 25- Sunday, June 2: Den Building Drop in to the Woodland Walk to have a go at building a den in the woods. Saturday, June 8: StowBlues Held in collaboration with BBC Radio Suffolk, StowBlues returns for the ninth year. Featuring a jam-packed line-up of blues acts and a CAMRA supported real ale bar, we’re back for the festival’s biggest year yet!
SENSATIONAL CHORALE CONCERT On Saturday, March 30, the United Reformed Church in Stowmarket was filled with excitement as Stowmarket Choral and a buzzing audience found their places in readiness for an evening filled with glorious music.
Knit and Natter Once a month on a Wednesday morning, 10am-noon on Wednesdays, May 8 and June 12.
The programme consisted of a familiar Benjamin Britten round, Old Abram Brown, Mendelssohn’s Hear my Prayer, Purcell’s Dido’s Lament and Song of the Cold Genius, and the beautiful Brahms German Requiem. It was performed with energy and form, filling the church with joyous voices and rapturous applause.
Realise Futures Information, advice and guidance support groups to adults with learning disabilities and individuals on the autistic spectrum, 19 years and over. Once a month drop-in session with the next on Friday, May 3 from 4-5pm.
Everyone agreed it was a splendid performance. Stowmarket Town Mayor said: “I felt as if I was in The Royal Albert Hall – it was incredible.” Another member of the audience commented the choir looked as if they were really enjoying themselves.
Books for Sale We have received some fabulous donations from the local community so don’t forget to check our sales rack out the front when you pass by.
The choir is kept under tight control by the talented new music director Tom Appleton, and he certainly provided a magnificent performance. As the baritone soloist was ill, Tom gallantly took on this role as well as conducting! No mean feat. His rendition of Song of the Cold Genius was truly inspirational. The choir is also privileged to be supported by the amazingly talented pianist William Baldry. His playing is always sublime.
LIBRARY OPENING HOURS Monday: Closed Tuesday: 10am-1pm & 2-7pm Wednesday: 2-5pm Thursday: 10am-1pm & 2-7pm Friday: 2-5pm Saturday: 10am-1pm Sunday: 10am-3pm Tel: 01359 240974
Look out for our summer concert on June 15, Shakespeare Meets Jazz. This will also be held at the United Reformed Church at 7.30pm. Revisit your schooldays by coming along to hear some Shakespeare and wallow in medieval madrigals, songs and sonnets – a real treat to enhance a beautiful summer evening! For further information email secretary@stowmarketchorale.org.uk or visit: www.stowmarketchorale.org.uk
WOOLPIT AND DISTRICT MUSEUM Open from 2-4.30pm every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday until the end of September and Wednesday afternoons in August from 1-3.30pm The museum opened again for 2019 on Saturday, April 6. New for this year is a display entitled After the War which looks at the lives of local men who fought in the First World War and survived, and how they were integrated back into the community after being discharged. It also looks at the impact of Spanish flu, both nationally and locally, celebrations held in the village to mark the Treaty of Versailles and how Woolpit remembered the 25 local men who lost their lives in the conflict. Our other new display is about St Mary’s Church. We have a model to help illustrate notable features of the building and a timeline marking important events in its long history, beginning in 1005 when Ulfketel, often called ‘Earl of the East Angles’, gave the church and manor of Woolpit to the shrine of St Edmund. Both displays are complemented by photographs of the village dating from circa 1900 to about 1930.
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Although there have been many changes in Woolpit during the last 100 years, the places shown in these photographs are still readily recognised. Our two popular permanent displays, the brickworks and the Victorian kitchen, have been cleaned and refreshed and we are keeping the Green Children display up for another year as so many visitors are interested in this legend. We also have a new booklet for sale about the Woolpit men who gave their lives in the First World War and are remembered on the war memorial. This is a compilation of the ‘biographies’ of the men that were displayed in the museum during the centenary year and then shown in the church as part of the armistice commemorations. It costs £4.50. We look forward to welcoming you to the museum this year. We can open by prior arrangement at times other than those specified above and welcome small group visits. Contact details can be found in the Woolpit village diary and on the Woolpit website.
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OUT & ABOUT WOOLPIT STEAM RALLY The 2019 Woolpit Steam Rally will take place over the weekend of June 1 and 2 at Warren Farm, Wetherden IP14 3JX by kind permission of R & P Baker. Last year’s rally saw £14,000 donated to local charities and community groups.
HAUGHLEY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Chairman: Mr Tim Hart Vice Chair: Mr R Buttle Secretary: Mr Lewis Van Slyke Email: Haughleyrbl@gmail.com D-Day 75 – 6 June 2019
What makes Woolpit Steam Rally different from many other shows is the organiser’s desire to present historic and rare machinery not normally seen on display. This encourages the true enthusiast to travel from all parts of the country, but equally captures the imagination of the casual visitor. Woolpit Steam is probably best known for its selection of rare and unusual veteran tractors and this year is no exception with around twenty pre-1930 tractors anticipated, including a special theme this year celebrating the centenary of the introduction of the International Junior tractor into this country. A further 70 tractors built before 1965 will also be on show, together with associated implements. Over 80 stationary engines will be present, driving an array of mills, pumps and other machinery together with a wood sawing display which will all add to the atmosphere of a bygone age. Gates are open from 9am-5pm on both days. Car parking is free and the show is easily accessible from Junction 47a on the A14 eastbound, or Junction 49 west bound. For further information contact David Seeley on 01449 737443 (after 7.30pm) or visit: www.woolpit-steam.org.uk
DRINKSTONE OPEN GARDENS Saturday, June 15, noon-5pm Explore behind Drinkstone’s hedges and gates with 14 open gardens, two of which are also open for the NGS scheme and four are new this year. Refreshments and plant sales all afternoon in the village hall. £5 per adult, accompanied children under-16 free. Map and programme from the village hall on the day. Enquiries: allsaintsdrinkstone@hotmail.com www.drinkstonevillage.co.uk/allsaints All proceeds to the work of All Saints Church
QUIZ NIGHT Teams of six in support of Tear Fund Friday, May 24, 7 for 7.30pm at Woolpit Christian Fellowship White Elm Road, IP30 9SQ £5 per person includes coffee and desserts To book in call Phil Sparkes: 01359 240502 Margaret Cook: 01359 240565 Tearfund is a UK Christian relief and development agency based in Teddington. It currently works in around 50 countries, with a primary focus on supporting those in poverty and providing disaster relief for disadvantaged communities.
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Midnight had not long struck when the British and American airborne armada began its mission on 6 June 1944 in the moonlight. They landed at the edges of the invasion area on the Normandy coast to secure the western and eastern flanks of the beachheads and protect them from German attacks.
Failure would have seen Hitler given the opportunity to initiate an eleventh-hour attempt to save Germany and launch his new V-weapons against British cities. Success would mean the beginning of the end of the Third Reich. Did you know…? Normandy was viewed by the Germans as the most unlikely point for an attack. To make a successful attack from the sea, the attacking army and its equipment would need to get swiftly onto land. The equipment would be needed not just for the attack but for the days and weeks afterwards. Fresh military equipment would be needed as soon as an attack began because the equipment the landing forces brought would be quickly used up. They would also need new medical supplies and new stocks of food. That meant the best place to attack would have been a port - the most likely place for an attack was considered to be Calais. This was because it was a huge port and the shortest distance from Britain. Normandy had one of the furthest crossing times and the port of Caen was considered too far inland for an attack. Normandy was chosen because it was the most unlikely spot. Although there were German beach defences there, they were not as strong as those at other areas. To get round the problem of attacking via a port, the Allies invented and then built temporary harbours called Mulberry Harbours. The Mulberry Harbour was actually two artificial harbours. They were towed from the south coast of England and put together off the coast of Normandy. One, known as Mulberry A, was put together at Omaha Beach and the other, known as Mulberry B (nicknamed ‘Port Winston’), was put together off Arromanches at Gold Beach. The construction was like a jigsaw puzzle. The Mulberry Harbours were made up of flexible steel that floated on steel or concrete pontoons (supports). They were capable of moving 7,000 tons of vehicles and goods each day. Roy’s Thought for the Month We must all remember that it is our duty to educate our young folk in that they are a great country’s future and that in their actions today they are writing tomorrow’s history. Branch Calendar May 9: Branch Meeting, 7.45pm June 8: Village Fete from 12.30pm June 13: Branch Meeting, 7.45pm Have a great month, Ash To view our full calendar of events go to: www.britishlegion.org/branches/Haughley
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OUT & ABOUT LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY: I WILL SAY ZIS ONLY ONCE! Woolpit Drama Club presents The ‘Allo ‘Allo Café/Dining Experience including a fun quiz from Thursday 4 to Saturday, July 6 at 7.30pm at The Bull in Woolpit. Tickets are £20 including a two course meal with a donation towards Woolpit Children’s Play Area Fund. For tickets please call: 01359 240393 This is a parody show. The performances are impersonations only and the evening is in no way connected to the original programme or the BBC. We do not use scripts by David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd or Paul Adam.
CHARLIE HAYLOCK: A HISTORY OF SURNAMES Wednesday, June 5, 7 for 7.30pm Haughley Village Hall, The Folly, Haughley IP14 3NS Tickets are available from Yvonne, Heather and Pat: Yvonne: yvonne@hannan.f2s.com / 07531 774438 (text) Heather: The Post Office, Haughley Pat: The Secondhand Shop, 49 Old Street, Haughley Tickets are £4 in advance or £5 on the night, with light refreshments included. Organised by Haughley WI
DRINKSTONE ANNUAL SALE TRAIL 2019 Saturday, May 4, 9.30am-2.30pm Households all around the village open up their garages to sell a wide range of items. Others prefer to sell their wares from a table top in the village hall, where you will also find delicious home-made cakes, mouth-watering refreshments and toilet facilities. It is always a fun day which regularly attracts visitors from near and far, so please do come along and enjoy the fresh air of our sleepy Suffolk village at the same time as bagging some bargains! Free admission with maps on sale. Car parking, stalls, refreshments and toilets at the village hall, which is full accessible.
JIGSAW FESTIVAL IN WYVERSTONE The Friends of St George’s, a group of volunteers who help raise funds for the fabric of the beautiful church in Wyverstone, have been busy over the last 18 months planning a Jigsaw Festival weekend on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June from 10am-4pm. Over 60 volunteers have been getting together over tea and cake to make up over 450 jigsaws. These include many famous brands, such as Gibson, Wentworth and Ravensberg, to be displayed and sold at very competitive prices. There’s to be a children’s jigsaw corner for our younger visitors with demonstrations by our local community workshop on how the pieces of a jigsaw are cut. They will also be donating a 1,000 piece jigsaw made by them of St George’s Church which will be raffled. Over the weekend we will be holding a silent auction to include a beautiful handmade bed quilt depicting the months of the year and made up in a patchwork design. Having been painstakingly sewn over a 12-month period, the quilt is truly a wonderful piece of workmanship which we hope will attract considerable interest. There will also be many other items on a jigsaw theme available to purchase. There’s to be a raffle, other children’s activities and homemade refreshments including delicious cakes. The festival takes place in a very large barn at Park Farm, Wyverstone IP14 4SP. We would love you to come along and enjoy this incredible event. Entry is £1.50 with children under 16 free. One ticket covers the whole weekend. All proceeds will go to our very beautiful 14th century St George’s Church. Come to Wyverstone and see this wonderful collection of jigsaws. For any further information please ring Penny: 01449 781913
In aid of Drinkstone War Memorial Institute.
SQUATTING WITHOUT A FENCE As some of you might recall, I have in past articles written about how it is possible for one person (a ‘squatter’) to occupy another person’s land for long enough to be able to claim that he or she is then the owner of it. It is a complicated area of the law, but one that comes up with reasonable frequency in a variety of situations – it might be that a fence between two properties has been put in the wrong place (not along the legal boundary, for example), or at the other extreme, a house has been occupied and then claimed.
This recent case arose in relation to the paving of a forecourt area. The works carried out to it – such as ripping up the old surface, inserting hard-core, levelling the surface, and installing bricks and flagstones, constituted just the sort of thing that an occupier would do with his land. The judge was therefore satisfied that this was a clear assertion of control over the land – both now and for the future – and the claim succeeded. Each case does need to be considered on its own facts, but this most recent one demonstrates that whilst fencing will be required in the majority of cases, possession can be established in other ways.
In all cases, one of the things that we look for initially is whether there has been evidence of exclusive occupation of the land, with a view to then demonstrating on behalf of the occupier, factual possession of the land. When assessing this, we would usually look for there being in place some form of fence or other boundary structure. A recent case, however, has made it clear that fencing is not absolutely essential, where it can be shown that the occupier is in factual possession of the land – and therefore has an appropriate degree of physical control over the land.
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Buttermarket, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1ED Telephone: 01449 613101 • Fax: 01449 615087 Email: info@gudgeons-prentice.co.uk
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OUT & ABOUT OLD NEWTON FLOWER FESTIVAL & ART EXHIBITION STOWMARKET WILDLIFE GROUP Saturday, May 18, 10am: Bonny Wood Walk Join us on a walk led by Peter and discover the wonders of Bonny Wood at Barking Tye. You may see wood anemone, woodruff and herb-paris. Orchids are also typical, including early-purple orchids, lesser twayblade and the common spotted orchid. Birds are also plentiful at this time of year with melodies from summer migrants such as blackcap and willow warbler mingling with the song of resident species. Free with donations welcomed. Booking is essential. John Thompson: 01449 676471 / swtstowmarket@gmail.com
STOWMARKET & DISTRICT FLOWER CLUB This month’s meeting will be on Wednesday, May 22 at 7.30pm at Woolpit Village Hall. The demonstration entitled Wood and Wicker will be given by Lorraine Scott of Thetford. Please come and join us; visitors and new members are always welcome. The club will also be exhibiting at the Suffolk Show on May 29 and 30.
Saturday 15 and Sunday June 16 Old Newton is holding a flower festival and art exhibition over the weekend June 15 and 16 between 11am and 5pm. The flower festival will take place in St Mary’s Church. The theme for the floral displays will be Art and Artists. The art exhibition, featuring work by local artists, will be in the village primary school. Art work will include paintings, photography and textiles. Through both days refreshments will be served in the school and will include ploughman’s lunches and tea and cakes. In addition there will be a raffle and a produce stall outsidethe church. To draw the festival to a close on Sunday 16, there will be a Songs of Praise service at 6pm. Entry to the event is free, but donations towards the upkeep of the church will be most gratefully received. Parking will be available at the church (IP14 4PJ), the school (IP14 4PJ) and also at Old Newton Village Hall (IP14 4ED). Contact Libby Brooks: 01449 775334 / familybrooks@btinternet.com
STOWMARKET CAMERA CLUB
Norton Village Hall (Registered Charity No. 1063062)
On March 11 we welcomed Frank Blyth CPAGB BPE to judge our fourth open competition of the season. The judge gave constructive comments and particularly loved the humour in some of the images. On March 25 member Roy Fidler gave an excellent talk entitled As I See It. Members enjoyed a photographic story of Roy’s experiences as a photographer from dark room processing to today’s digital photography, illustrated with photographs along the way. A few useful tips were also added! Monday, May 2: A45 Inter-club Challenge at the Bury Photographic Society, judged by David Saunders (External Competition)
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Licensed Bar
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Monday, May 13: AGM followed by Club Night
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Prize Raffle
Saturday 22nd June 2019 Doors open at 6.00pm 1st Race 6.30pm
Tickets: Adults £6 - Children £4 includes Sausage & Chip Supper!
Tickets available from: Angela Walton 01359 230049 angela@legendservices.net
‘Pig Squad’ supplied by Lions Club, Bury St Edmunds
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Monday, June 10: Open Competition 5 judged by Brian Carlick LRPS, incorporating the Len Blackhouse Trophy (PDIs) and the Cyril & Mary Hall Salver (Prints) Monday, June 25: Annual End of Season Photoshoot, venue TBA You don’t have to be an expert photographer to be welcomed as a member of the club. For more information visit: www.stowmarketanddistrictcameraclub.onesuffolk.net
STOWUPLAND LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Wednesday, May 1: Inn Signs by John Goodhand John Goodhand’s hobby is photographing inn signs. In this introduction to the subject he looks at their meaning and origin. Wednesday, June 5: Where Did All the Houses Go? by Lisa Wall Ipswich has fewer timber-framed buildings today than in the past because many of the old houses were dismantled and re-erected in other parts of the country and even abroad. In the early 1900s you could buy a complete mediaeval Suffolk house and have it delivered! We meet at 7.30pm in Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ. There is plenty of space to park. Visitors are always welcome and refreshments are available. Admission is £1 for members, £3 for non-members. For more information, please contact Judy Clarke: 01449 615386
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OUT & ABOUT ELMSWELL GARDENING CLUB Karen Kenny was our guest speaker on April 16 with a talk on compost. She had members in fits of laughter as she regaled us with her take upon what makes compost… compost! From now on I’m sure members will look very differently at what lurks beneath the surface of their garden heaps. It is impossible to replicate her explanation of the process, but time seemed to melt away as she spoke. It was a fast and furious presentation in which she never stood still, explaining that the energy created by the ‘workers in the heap’ was the vital process of compost making. Every micro-organism, mycorrhizal fungus, bacteria, invertebrates and a myriad of ‘useful creatures’ find their own way into the compost heap, knowing ‘the job’ they need to do. Between them they create healthy, fertile soil, with a good structure that enables plants to absorb water and nutrients and encourages strong plant growth. Karen pointed out that making and using compost is the cornerstone of good gardening and the finished product is rich, dark, crumbly and sweet-smelling. Compost is made amazingly from recycled garden and kitchen waste plus other products that we no longer need including last year’s old woolly jumper! Around 40 per cent of the contents of an average household dustbin and all garden waste is suitable for home composting. We really can do our bit to help cut down on landfill by keeping a compost bin in the garden. It’s not a complex process, all you need is to provide the right ingredients and let nature do the rest. To find out more go to: www. mastercomposters@suffolk.gov.uk Our next meeting is on Tuesday, May 21 at Woolpit Nurseries, Old Stowmarket Road, IP30 9QS. Please note we will not be meeting at the Balckbourne. Andrew Bains will be treating us to a guided tour of the nurseries where he will share glimpses of the invaluable work his team does to prepare plants for sale. The nurseries are famous for their hanging baskets in Suffolk and beyond, planting over 2,500 displays every spring.
WETHERDEN HISTORY GROUP Do you know that May is Local and Community History Month! From Saturday 4 to Sunday, May 12, Wetherden History Group will have a display of resources in St Mary’s Church for visitors to look through as well as enjoying the wonderful surroundings of our Grade 1 listed church. Many of the items on display are collections of information about the village which have been put together in the last 10 years, the time that our history group has been in existence. The church is open every day.
SAVING OUR SUFFOLK SWIFTS Join us at The Parish Church of St John The Baptist* at 7.30pm on Friday, June 28 when Edward Jackson from the Save Our Suffolk Swifts project will present an informative and inspiring evening to mark Swift Awareness Week. Our Swifts are in real trouble! Across the UK, we’ve lost over half of these iconic birds of summer in just over 20 years. You’ll learn about Swift life stories, the reasons for the rapid population declines and most importantly what we can all do to help these amazing birds. Weather permitting, after the talk we will go outside to watch Swifts flying overhead and – hopefully – exploring the new nest boxes installed on the church in 2018. There is also a chance that Edward may be able to stream live images of Swifts from a fantastic next box webcam in Poland! Entrance is free – donations to the SOS Swifts fund. Refreshments will be available *High Street, Needham Market IP6 8AE
Andrew will demonstrate how baskets and pots are planted to his exacting high standard. It will be a very different evening so do consider joining us and learn more about the ‘nursery on your doorstep’. This meeting will be a good introduction to Elmswell Gardening Club who enjoy learning how to make the most of their growing spaces. Even more necessary as spring turns into early summer. Members and friends are invited to be at Woolpit Nursery carpark by 7.15pm ready for the tour that will begin at 7.30pm. If you would like to join us for this meeting, please use the contact details below to let us know. Nick: 01359 242601 / elmswell-gardenclub@aol.com
STOWMARKET RAMBLERS Sunday, May 5: 6-mile circular walk from Needham Market via Darmsden. Park and meet at far side of Needham Lake (not toilet side) at 10.30am / GR. TL095548. Leader: 07831 373154 Sunday, May 12: 6-mile walk around Trimley Marshes. Park and meet at Suffolk Wildlife Trust car park at 10am / GR. TM277357. Leader: 07736 573243 Saturday, May 18: River Gipping and Badley walk. Park and meet at Meadland Social Club on Needham Road East, the road behind The Cedars (old road to SCE and PPG) at 6pm / GR. TM057577. Leader: 01449 771724 Sunday, May 26: 5.5-mile walk in the Haughley area. Park and meet at Haughley Playing Field car park off Green Road, Haughley at 10am / GR. TM275625. Leader: 07969 654520
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Out & ABOUT / SPORT WOOLPIT ARC HOLIDAY CLUB May Half Term Holiday Club: Tuesday 28 to Friday 31 May, 8am-6pm Our holiday club is open for all children aged two to 11 years. We offer a variety of fun activities to suit all ages. We have our own garden with sand and water, grass area, mud kitchen, pulley and pump. We have access to the Woolpit Primary Academy playground and field. We love cooking, crafts, outdoor activities, den making, music, scooters, trikes, football and more. We also have iPads, movies and an interactive whiteboard for your enjoyment. All activities are optional and there is plenty of time for free play too. We also have places available at Woolpit Arc Pre-school, open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. We take children from two years and offer stretch funding and the 30hr funding scheme which is available to working families (terms and conditions apply; please ask for details if interested). We also offer a breakfast club from 8-9am Monday to Friday and an afterschool club which is open from 3pm (for pre-schoolers) and 3.15pm for school-age children until 6pm Monday to Friday. Heath Road, Woolpit IP30 9RU 01359 245868 / admin.woolpitarc@timicomail.co.uk www.woolpitarc.org
STOWMARKET & DISTRICT MONDAY CLUB Stowmarket & District Monday Club’s programme of activities continues into spring. We very much enjoyed an evening of dancing to G & T and a variety of Easter events including an Easter Bonnet Parade. We resume after a oneweek break for Easter with a bingo session, which is always very popular. We are a club for adults with learning difficulties and meet each Monday from 7.30 to 9.30pm at the Community Hub in Crown Street, Stowmarket. We are run entirely by volunteers and new members and helpers are always very welcome. If you would like further information, please contact Lilian Fidler on 01449 672123 or just come along on a Monday evening.
ELMSWELL BABY AND TODDLER GROUP To all our lovely families old, present, and new, we will be moving from Wesley Hall to Blackbourne Hall in Elmswell from May 1. This is a temporary move while Wesley Hall gets knocked down and rebuilt. The chapel, which will become our new toddler home, is also having a refreshing refit, with new flooring and heating. As it will be an exciting time for Elmswell and for our group, it is sad to lose the original hall that has fitted all our needs for many years, seeing so many children pass through and move on to school. We look forward to seeing you all at Blackbourne Hall where our session times will remain the same 10-11.30am.
LADIES AND GIRLS BADMINTON NIGHTS Stowmarket Badminton Club’s ladies and girls only sessions continue at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre on Tuesday evenings from 8-9pm. If you fancy a new challenge, or just want to get back into badminton, why not dust off your racket, lace up your trainers and join us for some casual informal fun sessions?
STOWMARKET CRICKET CLUB As I write, we are up and running with both adult nets and youth coaching being well attended. Over 30 youngsters are enjoying their coaching on Monday evenings, so to any youngster out there, why not pay us a visit? You will enjoy it! We have 40 competitive youth games to play, catering for all ages and abilities from under-9 through to under-15. Our thanks go to all our volunteers and to Mid Suffolk Council who have helped us get the SCG (Stowmarket Cricket Ground) ready for an exciting season ahead. After three consecutive promotions, captain Paul Blake has strengthened his 1st X1 squad by welcoming two new players. George Royle has joined us from Wiltshire, having averaged 40 as an opener in their premier league. Meanwhile, all-rounder Jordan Dye has not moved so far, having transferred from a local club. We are sad to lose opener George Tillbrook, but wish him all the best for the future. We have a busy month ahead as we host the following matches. Thursday, May 2: Under-13 v Old Newton, 6pm Saturday, May 4: 1st X1 v Abberton, 1pm Thursday, May 9: Under-11 v Copdock, 6pm Saturday, May 11: 2nd X1 v Lakenheath Saturday, May 18: 1st X1 v Haverhill, 6pm Sunday, May 19: Under-9 Festival, 9.30am Saturday, May 25: 2nd X1 v Haverhill, 1pm So why not pay us a visit? A warm welcome is assured and beverages are available from the Chilton Fields bar. If you would like further information please contact Clive Witherly – 01359 240019 / wigg51@btinternet.com – or visit: www.stowmarketcc.co.uk Facebook: Stowmarket Cricket Club / Twitter: @stowmarketcc
MEADLANDS INDOOR BOWLS CLUB We are the bowls section of Stowmarket Meadlands Recreation Club and our three lane rink is situated on Needham Road, Stowmarket (next to the Cedars Hotel). It’s open from 10am to 10pm seven days a week all year round. As well as the indoor green we have a sports hall with four full sized snooker tables. Other sections attached to the Meadlands Recreation Club include angling (with our own lake), badminton, darts, crib and petangue. There is also a shop with reduced prices for members and the Meadlands bar offering extremely competitive prices. Annual subscriptions are now due for renewal at £36 for a playing member and £22 for a social member. Membership and indoor competition forms are available in the bowls hall. All the competitions are the same as previous years with the exception of the Birdie League which will be two divisions instead of three. At the moment there will be 12 teams in each division, but there is room for additional teams. The River League can also cater for additional teams. Currently we are preparing to run a summer indoor league and are looking for additional bowlers. These games are played on Wednesday mornings from 10am to noon. Bowlers of all abilities are always welcome. Contact Bev for more information: 01449 677962
Rackets will be provided on the night and we have courts available to allow you to refine your skills, or just have some fun in a friendly relaxed atmosphere.
Remember all free daytime and evenings slots can be booked via a diary located in the bowls hall. This applies to the summer as well as the winter season.
For further information please contact Mary Hughes: 01359 240811 / stowmarketbc@suffolkbadminton.co.uk
For further details such as membership costs and rink fees, contact David on 01449 613144 or 07717 940270 or Beverley and John on 01449 677962.
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SPORT ELMSWELL BOWLS CLUB
STOWMARKET TENNIS CLUB
We are hoping the weather will be kind for us to open our green to members on April 13 which, of course, will be long before this issue is received. Our green is looking extremely good thanks to Nick and his team for their preparatory work and we are all eager to start bowling. Our first league match will be on April 23 and the first cup match on May 17. Results of all matches will appear in the June edition and each month thereafter.
We’re definitely heading into silly season at the club with virtually every aspect of activity gathering pace, team practises, match bookings, social mornings and evenings and even some initial ideas to refurbish the clubhouse. There are very exciting times ahead for the club both this year and beyond.
On March 29 we held a games night for members which included everything from Scrabble and Shove Ha’penny to Crib and darts. The evening was enjoyed by all participants. By the way, it’s not too late for anyone interested to come along and see us or contact our secretary, Graham Newman on 01359 240846. Roll-ups take place on Thursday afternoons from 2pm for which the rink fee is £1.50 for members and £3 for non-members. Roll-up days are also held on Saturday afternoon when no competition is taking place. Someone will always be there to offer guidance and we would love to see you. David Begg
WOOLPIT INORI AIKIDO DOJO At the end of March, four members of Woolpit Inori Aikido Dojo took a trip to Musubi Dojo, the headquarters of Romanian Aikikai Aikido Foundation. We attended an international weekend seminar taught by a very special teacher from Japan, Yukimitsu Kobayashi Shihan, 7 dan aikikai.
The core of our activity remains as friendly, sociable tennis across all parts of the community. A recently formed diversity and inclusion group is working-up plans to engage with the wider Stowmarket area and take tennis ‘out there’ to see you! This has already begun with a string of nine assemblies in local primary schools and we are looking at other public events where we might pop-up and deliver some short, fun tennis for those nearby. We were voted Suffolk Club of the Year not too long ago and are keen to attract more of you into what is a thriving, progressive tennis venue. One of the best shop windows for the club is the Disco Tennis session every Saturday morning. Several of those attending have no previous experience and are exactly the people this class is designed to attract. You’ll take part in a gentle warm-up of games, drills and movement before enjoying several tennis based activities led by the coach. People are free to work at their own pace and there is no pressure to win or lose because it’s not a competitive format. As I write we’re still enjoying the protection of our dome where it’s calm, quiet, dry and frost free, but getting fairly warm now. By the time this issue plops onto your doormat we’ll have taken it down and will be basking in early summer sun. Or we’ll be diving in and out of the clubhouse between heavy rain or hail showers. Either way, we’ll be playing hard and enjoying every minute. Come along and see what you’re missing! Senior Club Coach Chris Cunningham chris@chriscoaching.plus.com / 07761 142372
Remarkably, more than 250 people stepped on the tatami on this occasion, representing Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, France, Netherlands and the UK. The three days were very intensive with everybody practising at high pace, revisiting the basic techniques, emphasising the foot work, body movement, correct attack, maintaining contact with our partner and blending within the move. Kobayashi Sensei is well known internationally for paying attention to every single detail, for his attitude (zanshin) and complete focus during the technique. Beginner or black belt (yudansha), child or adult, we all had a chance to experience Sensei’s accuracy by receiving his technique, usually finalised with a throw or with an immobilisation to the ground. And rare to see it, but not only that Kobayashi Sensei is literately sweating side by side with his students, but he also takes break falls (ukemi) like everybody else despite now being 60 years of age! Speaking about the trip, Emmanuelle Millard said: “I am one of the lucky students who practise Aikido at Woolpit Inori Aikido Dojo. I was offered the opportunity to improve by going to that incredible seminar in Romania. I have had so much fun that I know I will be doing it again, given the chance to. I am a beginner and I was a little apprehensive, knowing that there would be many experienced people there. I didn’t need to worry. Kobayashi Sensei was extremely good at explaining slowly and getting us to perform each technique gradually, step by step in a safe and relaxed environment.” Aikido is a non-competitive martial art and can be practised by anyone. It offers a great way to exercise not just the body, but your mind and your spirit too. It’s an art that will grow with you as you get older. Come and give it a try! New people are always welcome to attend our Thursday class between 7 and 9pm at Woolpit Village Hall.
The Bible Today Exhibition
A display of Bibles and informative panels illustrating the creation, preservation, translation and message of the Bible, the book described at the coronation as "the most valuable thing that this world affords", visiting Elmswell, for one day only, God willing, with free admission : The Blackbourne Community Centre Tuesday May 14th 10:00am - 8.00pm Arranged by the Christadelphians See www.christadelphiansuffolk.org.uk
For more information contact Jamie Bunting at: jambunorig@gmail.com Facebook: Inori Aikikai Aikido Dojo
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CHURCH NEWS Breakfast Church 3rd Sunday of the month
9am at St John’s, Elmswell
St John’s Church, Elmswell Hello from St John’s, we hope this newsletter finds you well. Firstly, we would like to invite you to our next celebration event. On Sunday, May 19 at 7pm we’re hosting our very own Songs of Praise! We’re celebrating the completion of our roof and ceiling repairs and thanking all of Elmswell for their support. We’ve invited groups from the village to submit their favourite hymns and the top six will be chosen.
ELMSWELL BAPTIST CHURCH Well March 29 came and went and Brexit didn’t happen and the politicians carry on playing their games, all claiming to be doing so in our interests! When will it all end I ask? We keep praying for a conclusion to the whole business so that we can all get on with our lives. Meanwhile our activities for May will be: Thursday, May 9: Food and Friends Lunch at the church at noon for the older folk to enjoy a three-course lunch in a friendly atmosphere. Contact Jackie on 245918 if you would like to join us, transport can be arranged for those less able.
Which do you think will win? We have also lined up some poetry and live music with coffee, tea and cakes afterwards. It’s sure to be a great event and we certainly hope to (not) raise the roof!
Monday, May 13: Ladies Friendship Group meets at the church at 7.45pm for a talk by a representative from Bishop/Miller about the life of an auctioneer.
Next, we’re launching the popular Discovering Christianity course. You might be wondering what exactly Christianity is? Who was Jesus? Why did he die? Did he really rise from the dead? We are hosting four Sunday evening sessions at 7.30pm at The Rectory on May 26 and June 2, 16 and 23 to ponder the bigger questions over drinks and desserts.
As ever these meetings are open to all ladies, not just regular attendees at our services. Contact Margaret on 01359 241541 if you would like to join the ladies. Please note this is not the usual first Monday in the month meeting because of the first being a bank holiday.
You are welcome to ask any question you like. For more information contact: emlswellrector@gmail.com / 01359 240512
Sunday, May 5
Ken Smith (inc. Communion)
Sunday, May 12
Stephen Spurgeon (All-Age Service)
Sunday, May 19
Stephen Spurgeon
Sunday, May 26
Rev Barbara Challis
Sunday, June 2
Irene Martin
Other events in May This month we have two Messy Church events. Join us after school on Friday, May 10 (doors open at 3.30pm for a 3.50pm start) and during half term on Friday, May 31 (10.30am start) – details on our website. Sunday, May 12 is Mission Sunday when a representative from one of our mission partners, OMF, comes to share news regarding their work in Japan (find our more at: www.omf.org/uk). At the end of this service, we will have a bring-and-share style meal together. Also don’t forget the popular Ladies Lunch on May 10 is at the Blackbourne. Going back to the first statement “We hope this newsletter finds you well”, if you’re not well for any reason, please drop us a note and we will pray for you. We believe in the healing power of Christ and we want Elmswell to experience this. God Bless. services in may Sunday, May 5 9.30am Family Church 11am Traditional Church (BCP) Friday, May 10 3.30pm Messy Church (concludes with tea) Sunday, May 12 8am BCP Communion Service 10.30am OMF Sunday – followed by Bring-and-Share Lunch Sunday, May 19 9.30am Breakfast Church (breakfast served from 9am) 11am Traditional Church Sunday, May 26 10.30am Morning Church with Holy Communion) Thursday, May 30 7.30pm Ascension Day Service Friday, May 31 10.30am Messy Church (concludes with lunch) Peter Goodridge emlswellrector@gmail.com / 01359 240512
During May our services will be led by:
As always, to anyone looking to join us for worship or any of our other activities we guarantee a warm and friendly welcome. For information about our Fellowship contact Tony: 01359 241541 / cockant2@btinternet.com Dave: 01359 241323 / davehollings@btinternet.com www.elmswellbaptist.org.uk
WOOLPIT ROOM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP White Elm Road, Woolpit IP30 9SQ We are a group of ordinary people who want to worship and praise God, thank Him for all His love and seek to share His love with others in our daily lives. We invite you to join us in any of the church’s activities – you will be very welcome. For further information please or call Margaret on 01359 240565, or Phil and Jan on 01359 240502 or visit: www.woolpitroomfellowship.org Sundays: 10-11am followed by coffee & biscuits Monday Meet: 2.30-3.30pm including coffee & biscuits MONDAY MEET
You are very welcome to join us from 2.303.30pm at Woolpit Christian Fellowship for a friendly, informal and relaxed get-together. We start with an interesting talk, then break for tea, followed by an encouraging talk from the Bible.
For more information call Margaret or Phil and Jan (see above).
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In Touch online:
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