In Touch Bramford – January 2016

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with Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham Volume 6 • Issue No. 3 • JANUARY 2016

Svetlana Sewell www.landmstudio.co.uk

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In Touch online:

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR I have always loved New Year’s Day, even as a child when I’d watch The New Year's Concert by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on TV. Granted I was probably doing other things at the same time, but it would be on in the background and I loved the drama of it all. It felt like a fitting way to welcome in a new year and was also quite a private moment. My brothers were probably still in bed so it was usually me, my diary – and the vacuum cleaner! In those days in rural Ireland the male and female roles were clearly defined – the boys helped on the farm, I did the cleaning and the baking, but that’s a subject for another day!

Cleaning is still part of my new year ritual and I can’t wait to get stuck in. Yes, I admit it, I like cleaning! I love that sense of satisfaction I get when I sit down to admire my handiwork, that oh so precious five minutes before it all falls apart again. I do become a bit of a tyrant when I go into cleaning mode so it’s best to stay out of my way (Daniel consider this your advance warning and if you don’t believe me, just ask mum!), but when it’s done I’m sweetness and light, as per usual!

This year I have an extra incentive as I will be looking for something rather special. Last summer Jack found an old key when we were planting seeds with grandma. It is his most precious possession and he presents it to visitors and friends as such. We have mislaid it! I know it’s in the house somewhere but in none of the obvious places and I have (stupidly!) promised to find it. If I do turn out every toy box and every cupboard, as I plan to, surely it will reappear. If not I’m going to have a very sad little boy – and I’ll be a very guilty mummy. Wish me luck.

I hope your new year begins with hope for the year ahead and that you too find joy in the small things.

NEWS

THANK YOU Ken and Barbara would like to thank all those friends who donated vegetables and fruit to their stall in Duckamere and also their many customers. A total of £505 was raised for EACH Children’s Hospice.

JAMES BOND TO THE RESCUE Sony Pictures and The Regal Theatre in Stowmarket have come together to offer a charity screening of the new James Bond film, Spectre, for a charitable cause. The film is classified as a 12A and the screening will take place on Sunday, January 24, at 7.45pm.

All proceeds from the screening will go towards exercise equipment for disabled people on a referral scheme operated by East Bergholt’s High School Sports Centre. People are referred by Ipswich Hospital and local NHS physiotherapists for sessions with the Referral Consultant Mrs Zoe Connelly. The scheme does not receive NHS funding but is so well attended that the existing equipment available is not sufficient for the demand and the piece being purchased will enable the frailest clients the opportunity to maintain or increase their fitness.

Tickets will be £6 and on sale from The Regal Box Office: 01449 612825 Please help us to help others by coming to see this cracking good film.

In Touch

with Bramford, Offton & Somersham

In Touch with Bramford, Offton & Somersham is published by: Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd, 20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP Editor: Sharon Jenkins Email: sharon@intouchnews.co.uk

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NEWS COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT John Field’s Report to Gipping Valley: December 2015 I hope you have had an enjoyable Christmas and will have a prosperous New Year.

COUNTY NEWS The budget setting process is reaching the point where, following the Autumn Statement, we will discover what funds the county will get at the end of December. Budget scrutiny is at this point, so there is a chance that the views of the wider councillor group will have an effect on the cabinet’s decisions.

What money will the county receive?

A 9% per annum cut in the grant from government to meet the chancellor’s budget surplus ambition. The county will raise £269 million from Council Tax and expects to gets £198m from government, £34m less than last year. Government cuts will then continue at £10m per year for each of the next three years.

Since 2011 reserves have increased steadily to £140.5m, all kept for a ‘rainy day’. Reserves are very necessary for some purposes but there is now £36.9m in the contingency reserve. This is money not spent boosting the economy or protecting vulnerable people.

What will be needed next year?

Last year’s budget plus inflation and cash for demand and population changes. Salary costs are expected to rise by 1% and purchased goods and services by 2%. Then add some financial items for a total £48m more than income.

Cabinet proposes some £34m cuts with the rest delayed a year by some use of reserves.

That will make the 2017-18 reductions greater at £38m What will be cut?

The list is long but the major items for next

year that are concerning are care purchasing, re-ablement services, home to school transport, highways, waste, public health, Fire and Rescue, support services and £5m from ‘contracts’. The largest item is an expected £11.5m saving from a change to capital financing. This should be painless.

It is far harder to have a clear view of the effect on Suffolk’s residents. Services have been re-designed and the higher emphasis on preventative work and care at home should have an effect. The number of older people receiving a service decreasing despite the increasing number in population but increased complexity need is driving costs up.

I believe that, bearing in mind the increases in reserves, the estimate of income should be less pessimistic and that more care is taken to understand the impact of the continual ‘demand management’ on vulnerable people.

As a scrutiny committee, we wanted a re-think on cuts to items like support to the arts that pull in major tourist and other income to the county. We also want the cabinet to consider the chancellor’s proposal for a 2% rise in Council Tax to fund care. There is a serious possibility of failures in this area.

At a Corporate Parenting seminar, we looked at our responsibilities to children in care, our promise to them, how we gain children’s views and support for young people with disabilities.

I was pleased to see that the emphasis on help for those with mental health issues appears to be gaining centre stage.

The Pensions Committee met this month to review performance to date and to consider if any changes to our investment strategy and fund allocations were necessary. We considered the allocations to bonds, shares,

property and infrastructure along with the split between passive index-based investments and active managers. This is aimed at getting the best secure return for public sector workers and their employers.

DISTRICT COUNCIL NEWS Another round of organisational change is underway at Mid Suffolk and Babergh. The proposal is that the top two levels combine as a senior leadership team of chief executive, two directors and seven heads of service. The heads of service will run between three and five teams each led by a corporate manager.

The names of the services give a better clue to their functions than at present, better matched to the still emerging functions of the refreshed council.

Developers are taking advantage of the council’s lack of a five-year supply of housing land proposing a number of substantial developments. You will be aware of those in Bramford and Great Blakenham, but there have been others in Stowupland and close to Sproughton. Although people need housing and the council need the funds from New Home Bonus these applications are not all succeeding. The requirement to demonstrate sustainability is having an overriding effect.

A new Housing Allocations policy has been produced containing more detailed guidance for officers and I hope less confusion for others on issues like the extent to which housing may be reserved for local people.

If you have queries please contact me at: 01473 831306 / john.field@suffolk.gov.uk www.john.field@suffolk.libdems.org

DAVID CARD, MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCILLOR

Covering the parishes of Barking, Baylham, Darmsden, Nettlestead, Offton, Somersham and Willisham District Councillor ‘one-off’ £5,000 Community Locality Grant So far I have been notified of five applications: Somersham Community Shop, Somersham Tennis Club, Barking Village Hall, Offton/Willisham Village Hall playground and Baylham Church Hall. Deadline for bids is January 8. Any organisation should complete a grant application form which I can email to them.

Community Infrastructure Levy The decision to adopt this new levy is now expected to be put to a special meeting of full council in January 2016. Do you have any last minute comments?

MSDC Treasury Management Plan This seeks to provide new income streams aimed at mitigating reduction in central government grant funding. It is allowed under the

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rules. MSDC has just announced the release of the first tranche of £2million to the local business loan fund via Funding Circle.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk office accommodation plans In an effort to achieve greater efficiencies, Babergh and Mid Suffolk are considering rationalising the current office accommodation arrangements. One idea would develop a single central hub with spokes containing distributed customer access and service centres in the key locations. Communities in and around both Needham Market and Hadleigh are understandably worried about the impact of change. An impact study with wide community consultation will be undertaken to inform the decisions needed.

David Card 01449 722267 / david.card@midsuffolk.gov.uk

In Touch online:

BRAMFORD ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Entertainment for January www.bramfordrblclub.co.uk Tel: (01473) 745198 or join us on Facebook

Thur 7

Quiz

Sat 9

Mike Pritchard

Sat 16

Jeff Cook

Thur 21

Quiz

Sat 23

Alder Tones

Wed 27

Karaoke

Thur 28

Bingo

Sat 30

Double Deckers

Bingo every Sunday night from 8pm.

As well as a snooker room and pretty outside seating area we now have hot drinks available at the bar, so come and join us for coffee or beer.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/bramford

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NEWS SOMERSHAM AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY SHOP The Playing Field, Princes Gardens, Somersham / 01473 833416 Opening Times: Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm; Saturday, 8am-1pm We wish all our customers a very Happy New Year and thank you all for your custom. We look forward to welcoming you in the shop over the coming year.

Management team: Lucy Barrett, 831890; Terry Fordham, 831529; Peter Jousiffe, 833577; Jenny Hitchcock, 832060; Anne MacFadyen, 831288; Steve Woolhouse, 831080.

A community shop for the local community and run by the local community.

BRAMFORD PARISH COUNCIL I'm writing this in the lead-up to Christmas, long before New Year's resolutions have even been considered, let alone abandoned, but will take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year from Bramford Parish Council anyway.

Our 2016 meeting dates are listed below. That new diary you got for Christmas has come in handy after all! Reminders can be found on the parish noticeboards and Twitter closer to the dates.

Yes we're on Twitter! You can find us at @bramfordpc so start following for regular updates and local parish news.

Those all important dates: January 18, February 15, March 21, April 18, April 25 – Annual Parish Meeting, May 16 – Annual Council Meeting, June 20, July 18, September 19, October 17, November 21 and December 19.

All on a Monday starting at 7.30pm in the Parish Room, Ship Lane.

Hope to see you there.

SOMERSHAM/CHALLAIN-LA-POTHERIE VILLAGE LINK Visit to Challain-la-Potherie We are planning to visit our link village on the weekend of the first spring bank holiday, Friday, April 29-Monday, May 2.

This is an early notice for our next visit to Challain. This will be the 16th year of our link with the people of this village, which is of a similar size to our own and situated in the Loire Valley. We travel by comfortable coach from Somersham to Challain where we stay with host families. The cost is the price of the coach divided by all who go along.

It's a fantastic group of people who go from our local villages and we'd love to have new people, either individuals or families, join with us when we next go. So if you'd like to know more please contact one of the following: Gill Fordham, 831529; David Haughton, 831511; Janet Hodge, 832296; Pat Woolhouse, 831080.

SUFFOLK DEMENTIA HELPLINE Call 01473 353350 We are here to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The helpline can provide a listening ear as well as information and signposting to services that can help. The Suffolk Dementia Helpline can support anyone who needs to talk. Perhaps you have memory worries yourself or even a recent diagnosis and want someone to talk to. Maybe you have concerns about a loved one, or need support in your caring role. Perhaps it’s just information you are after, or a confidential chat with someone. The line can help anyone who is looking for practical support and is able to provide you with local information and get you in touch with organisations that can help.

So call us today, we are here to help.

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Your Parish Clerk

SUFFOLK ENERGY-FROM-WASTE FACILITY Mid Suffolk residents are getting better at recycling – but there is still room for improvement.

According to figures released just before Christmas, the recycling rate in Mid Suffolk last year was 43.1% – up 1.3% on the previous year. This is pretty much in line with the rest of the country – with most areas either staying the same or seeing a slight increase, with just a few large urban areas seeing a decrease.

The overall recycling rate for the county is 53.1% – ahead of the national target of 50% by 2020.

One of the biggest obstacles to recycling is people not knowing if a particular item can be recycled.

To help with this Suffolk County Council has launched a new webbased A-Z of recycling which allows you to key in the name of what you want to dispose of, to get re-use advice and information about options available if an item is beyond repair.

For example – a toothpaste tube needs to go in your black bin, and will end up at the Suffolk energy-from-waste facility, while toothbrushes can be recycled at household waste recycling centres. Electric brushes need to go in the bin for small electricals, while manual toothbrushes go in the hard plastics section.

To find out more visit: www.greensuffolk.org/recycling/a-z-of-recycling/ Useful contact numbers Site offices: 01473 839149 Site control room: 01473 836828 Environment Agency: 0800 807060 SITA Trust: 01454 262910

In Touch online:

NEWS / OUT & ABOUT IPSWICH COUNTRY MARKET Did you know that one in four consumers skip breakfast?

At Ipswich Country Market we are inviting you to ‘Shake Up Your Wake Up’ on Thursday, January 28 with a free tasting to celebrate Breakfast Week.

We have fresh bread, marmalades, jams and local honey. You can taste, smell and buy fresh produce while supporting local producers.

If you are feeling low and lethargic in the morning, try our local honey.

Spread it on hot toast or replace the sugar in your tea with it for a refreshing surge of energy.

As well as being a tasty start to the day, one of our many varieties of jam will contribute to your Vitamin C and iron intake.

Our marmalades contain vitamins and antioxidants from the fruit and peel. Did you know that it is thought that there are 20 times more antioxidants in 1g of marmalade than in your ordinary glass of orange juice?

If you can’t wait for January 28 why not come and join us for bacon rolls when we re-open after Christmas on January 7?

You will find us at Rushmere Village Hall on Humber Doucy Lane from 10.15 until 11.30am.

There is plenty of free parking and tea and coffee are available. We look forward to welcoming you.

For photos and regular updates find us on Facebook – just look for Ipswich Country Market.

IPSWICH MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTE 5 Route 5

Town/village

Location

Time

MIP/5A

Sproughton

Church Lane

0910 – 0925

MIP/5B

Sproughton

Wild Man

0930 – 0945

MIP/5C

Bramford

St Mary’s Close

0950 – 1005

MIP/5D

Bramford

Paper Mill Lane

1010 – 1025

MIP/5E

Great Blakenham Chequers

MIP/5F

Great Blakenham Blue Leighs

1035 – 1055

Mobile Home Park

1100 – 1115

MIP/5G

Baylham

Post Box

1125 – 1145

MIP/5H

Claydon

Crown

1155 – 1300

MIP/5I

Claydon

Edinburgh Gardens

1405 – 1420

MIP/5J

Claydon

Bacon Road

1425 – 1550

MIP/5K

Bramford

Packard Place

1600 – 1630

Calling every four weeks from January 19

CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S LIFE LINE As I write this both myself and the host families involved are excitedly looking forward to the group of children arriving on December 4.

We have a great program of events planned for them and once again have been overwhelmed by the kindness of people who are prepared to help. Jill Geaney from Wedgewood Dental Practice will be providing dental treatment for the second time in one year and for the first time Browns Opticians of Stowmarket have very kindly offered to give all of the children eye tests.

Remember, in our charity shop in Coddenham Road we take or can collect clean old clothing, curtains and sheets as well as non-saleable books and shoes that are still wearable as we can raise funds through recycling.

Good saleable books are of course sold in our shop as are children’s toys and an excellent range of clothing and other items.

We recently made a request for people to send a shoe box of gifts to each of the children who came in the summer 2015 visit and I am pleased to report that all of the children will be receiving a surprise parcel for Christmas. Some people who sent parcels last year have continued their support and sent further presents this year. I regularly hear back from Belarus via our interpreter and she assures me all of the families are extremely grateful and are always expressing their surprise that people in a different country who they will probably never meet can show their children such kindness.

Next year will be 30 years since the Chernobyl Disaster and yet people still continue to suffer despite the passage of time. In our charity shop we have a 2016 Commemorative Calendar on sale for only £3.99.

The calendar features pictures of the children who enjoyed a respite break here in Mid Suffolk and would make a really nice gift.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/bramford

Following the success of our Pig Racing event in October we are pleased to announce another evening of Pig Racing to be held at Bloomfields Football Ground in Needham Market on Saturday, February 13. This promises to be another exciting night with the tote and pig races being provided as always by Stowmarket Lions. Supper will be Pigs in Pyjamas together with a dessert and is included in the ticket price. Tickets can be purchased at our charity shop or from Stowmarket Tourist Office. We hope to see you there!

We are very aware that there are now more charitable causes than ever needing support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supports us, you may think you only do a little but without you we could not survive.

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

Come & join us for Pig Racing!

Saturday, February 13 Bloomfields Football Club,

Quinton Road, Needham Market

Supper of “Pigs in Pyjamas” & dessert included

Tote & Pig Racing hosted by Stowmarket Lions Doors open 7pmTickets – first race £87.30pm prompt

Available from

Available from

Tourist CCLL CharityONE ShopFREE BINGO CARD WITH EACHStowmarket £7.00 TICKET TICKETS ON SALE AT: NEEDHAM MARKET POST OFFICE Office PURCHASED Needham Market NEEDHAM MARKET COMMUNITY CENTRE

Or call 01449 760343/ 07974 424374/ 07770 478933 A CHARITY EVENT FOR CHERNOBYL CHILDRENS LIFELINE REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1014274

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SPRING 2016 AT THE NEW WOLSEY THEATRE

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The Last Five Years, an award winning musical from Jason Robert Brown and recently a major motion picture starring Anna Kendrick and Jordan Jamie, headlines the New Wolsey Theatre’s 15th birthday season.

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Running from February 25 to March 11, The Last Five Years starts and ends with the beginning of a passionate love affair. Cathy’s story starts with the end of their relationship and follows their tale backwards to when she first fell in love with her young talented lover. Jamie’s story begins with their first passionate encounter and heads forward towards heartache.

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The unique style of storytelling and the infectious score makes this one of America’s best modern musicals. Songs include Moving Too Fast, If I Didn’t Believe in You and Goodbye Until Tomorrow.

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Katie Birtill, who took the title role in Sweet Charity last autumn, stars with a talented live band to create Cathy and Jamie’s world as it crumbles and reforms around them. It will be directed by the New Wolsey Theatre’s artistic director Peter Rowe.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre will present The Government Inspector, the first production in the Ramps on the Moon touring project, at the New Wolsey from April 6 to 15. Ramps on the Moon is a ground-breaking touring project that sets out to put more deaf and disabled people on our stages, in our audiences and our workforce. Bringing together seven major theatre companies, it will change the way theatre made by and for D/deaf and disabled people is seen. These companies, which include the New Wolsey Theatre, are committed to putting D/ deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work and stimulating awareness of disability issues within arts and culture.

Gogol’s satirical masterpiece is a hilarious riot of corruption, lies and greed that has lost none of its original bite. The mayor is in a cold sweat. News has reached him of an imminent visit from a government inspector. His fear is well-founded as he has been somewhat lacking in his official duties. The hospital is a health hazard, the school is a war zone, the soldiers don’t have trousers to march in and he never quite got around to building that church!

Directed by Birmingham Rep’s Artistic Director Roxana Silbert, the production includes a creative use of audio description, captioning and British Sign Language.

For full details of the New Wolsey’s jam-packed spring season visit www.wolseytheatre.co.uk where you can also book or call the sales team on: 01473 295900 8

In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT Sponsored by C V S Anglia Ltd ……Mot Tes(ng in Ipswich HENLEY PLAYERS PRESENTS OUR FIFTH AND BIGGEST PANTOMIME YET

AT

SEVEN !

HENLEY COMMUNITY CENTRE Wri$en by Tom Hitchcock

Fri 8th Jan (7:30pm) and Sat 9th Jan 2016 (2:30pm & 7:30pm) HOW TO BOOK TICKETS Email: henleyplayersboxoffice@gmail.com Box office open every Sunday from 3pm to 4:30pm

CLAYDON AND BARHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE We hope you had a lovely Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year. Our pre-Christmas family disco (Saturday, December 19) or our evening with local vocal harmony group The Skittlez to welcome in the New Year are still due at the time of writing, but I’m sure both will be well attended and enjoyed by all.

PRICES £7 Adults Concessions £4 £18 Family of 4

BRAMFORD WI Our first meeting in 2016 will be on Monday, January 11 at 7.30pm in the Victory Hall. Our speaker, Dave Steward, will talk about Dad’s Army.

The competition is a war memento.

Our programme for 2016 has been finalised and we have booked speakers on a variety of subjects.

Look out for our posters to see what’s on.

We would like to thanks all helpers, stall holders and customers who attended our November bazaar.

BRAMFORD CRAFT AND CHATTER GROUP Our two meetings this month will be on the second and fourth Tuesdays as usual, January 12 and 26, in the Loraine Victory Hall, 9.30am-noon.

You don't have to be a member to join us, anyone who is interested in crafts will be welcome or even if you'd rather play a game of Scrabble, that's fine by us. We just ask for £3 to help pay for the hall.

So what have we got in store for 2016?

Saturday, February 13: Valentine’s Night with live music from The Preservatives, a local covers band covering hits from across the decades.

Saturday, March 12: St Patrick’s Day celebrations. This year we bring a local band, Waxies Dargle, to the club who will bring a bit a Pogues feel to proceedings.

Saturday, April 23: St Georges Day. We welcome back old favourites The Houseshakers who will get you on the dance floor with their rock and pop covers.

Saturday, May 7: The Dolly Show with support from Tim Staff. This is going to be a jam-packed night of entertainment so if you love a bit of country or middle of the road, you won’t want to miss this.

Keep up to date via our website and Facebook page as well as posters at the club and around the village.

Who likes a game of pool? The pool table is now a regular fixture in the Compton Lounge, so please do pop in for a game – or three.

We would love to see the table get some use. It has been levelled and is apparently a very good surface to play on so why not come up and give it a go?

BRAMFORD LOCAL HISTORY GROUP One of our favourite speakers, Stuart Bowell, is returning this month to tell us about Round Tower Churches, the majority of which are in East Anglia. The meeting will be on Thursday, January 21 in the Church Room starting at 7.30pm as usual.

Non-members are welcome for £3 including refreshments. We should by then have news about our summer outing (something to look forward to on a winter’s day).

Hope to see you then.

BAR-CLAY MUSIC MAKERS Not long now before this year's panto hits the stage. So if you haven't got your tickets yet, it's time to think about doing it.

To reserve your tickets (adults £7 / children £3) call 830538 or email: Webbfamily1@googlemail.com

But now we need your help… We are looking for people to join our entertainments team and bar staff so that we can continue to put on these fabulous events at the community centre. If you think you could help, please do contact us. All help is gratefully received.

The two Saturday afternoon performances are particularly popular and sell out fast. The show this year is Cinderella by Tom Hitchcock and it's a lot of fun. As usual, it's on at Claydon and Barham Village Hall and the dates are: Friday, January 22 at 7.30pm; Saturday, January 23 at 2.30 and 7.30pm; Friday, January 29 at 7.30pm; and Saturday, January 30 at 2.30 and 7.30pm.

We look forward to seeing you soon, whether it’s at one of the above events or just for a drink one evening. Everyone is welcome.

That's all the information you need so stop reading this and get your tickets!

www.keepingintouchwith.com/bramford

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OUT & ABOUT SPROUGHTON SENIOR CITIZENS’ CLUB As I write these notes Christmas is still some way off and the weather outside is high winds and rain; however, one good point is that it is still very mild. Although in some ways I look forward to a seasonal white Christmas, it can be a nuisance to travellers trying to get home or visiting relations or friends for the annual helping of turkey and pudding. A white Christmas and New Year usually means higher heating bills, but you can always manage that, providing low temperatures are limited to the festive season and don’t drag on too far into the New Year.

BRAMFORD TREFOIL GUILD Bramford Trefoil Guild is holding an open meeting on Monday, March 7, 2-4pm. A representative from Suffolk Gold Cheeses will be talking to us, bringing samples and cheese for us to purchase. We are charging just £2 a head, which includes refreshments. Put it in your 2016 diary.

January is our AGM followed by Bag Beetle (great fun).

If you would like to know more about Trefoil Guild contact Patricia Caddick: 01473 402152 / pandj83@gmail.com

SOMERSHAM BODYTONE CLASS

I always publish details of Sproughton Senior Citizens’ Club in January for the benefit of newcomers to the Sproughton, Bramford and local area.

Get fitter and shed those Christmas pounds!

Membership Membership is for people over the age of 60 and is not limited to the inhabitants of Sproughton. Currently we have 20 members, including six from Bramford, seven from Ipswich and seven from Sproughton.

We meet every Monday morning at 9.30am in Somersham Village Hall. Bodytone is a fun exercise to music class that is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. We are a very friendly group who would love to welcome new members to join our class.

Meetings The club holds meetings in the Church Hall, Lower Street, Sproughton, from 2-4pm on most Wednesdays throughout the year, but during winter months we meet from 1.30-3.30pm to ensure members get home in daylight. By tradition, the programme usually starts with games of cards or dominoes for an hour, according to the wishes of members on the individual tables. This is followed by tea, coffee and biscuits and club announcements. After the break we have three games of bingo, which usually takes us to home-time.

Why not give us a try? During January the first class is free. Come along, bring a friend or make new ones. Interested?

Committee The club is run by a committee of seven members, elected annually at the AGM in April. The current committee members and their telephone numbers are: Chairman: John Bates, 743476; secretary: Olive Matthew, 463987; treasurer (ex officio member): Heather Earey, 742766; assistant treasurer: Margaret Ballard, 743983; Christine West, 404429; Peter Spicer, 461045.

Finance The club is almost self-supporting, but has generous annual grants from Sproughton Parish Council and Sproughton Reading Room Charity. There is no joining fee and the current subscription is £2, including 50p for bingo tickets, per attendance, plus a voluntary weekly payment of 50p for the club lotto draw. On the first Wednesday of each month we have a club members’ bring and buy sale in aid of club funds.

Outings We usually have three summer outings a year in July, August and September. We also have a New Year lunch out in January and another lunch out on the day of our AGM in April. These are all financed from club funds. This last year full-day coach outings have not proved to be popular and we have had extra local meals instead.

There is sometimes an additional outing to a Christmas show, which is paid for by those attending.

New Year greetings The chairman, committee and club members wish all our readers a Happy New Year and a trouble-free 2016.

John Bates

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Contact Diane: 01449 676350 / 07903 641862

GREAT BLAKENHAM OVER 50s CLUB The Great Blakenham Over 50s Club is open to anyone of that age living not just in Great Blakenham, but anywhere in the surrounding area. We meet from 2-4pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in the Parish Room on Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham. The cost per meeting is £1.50 and includes whatever activity is programmed for the afternoon, refreshments and a raffle.

On afternoons when we may play a couple of games of bingo the tickets are £1 each. Members take it in turns to make the tea. The Parish Room is the building with a green door more or less opposite the Chequers Public House and it has its own parking area behind the hall. It’s fully accessible for anyone in a wheelchair and has disabled facilities within.

On November 11 we had fun learning napkin folding in time for Christmas, and on November 25 a quiz afternoon courtesy of Brenda Cooper which really taxed the grey cells. Our last meeting for 2015 was on December 9 when we enjoyed some games and quizzes followed by afternoon tea and an exchange of gifts in a Secret Santa.

We will start back again on Wednesday, January 13 with a social afternoon and will be pleased to welcome new members.

Jackie Durrant, 01449 672690

ST MARY’S CHURCH GATHERING Every third Tuesday in the month, 2.30-4pm, in the Church Room.

Do come and join us; we will be very pleased to see you.

If transport is required please contact Janet on 741331.

In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT / SPORT SOMERSHAM AND DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB Somersham and District Gardening Club is a small club that meets on the second Monday of the month in Offton and Willisham Village Hall.

For members it costs £8 a year and for guests and visitors £1.50 a meeting.

At the next meeting on January 11 we will be welcoming Chris Parfitt who is well known for his travels and expeditions. He will be speaking on the Isles of Scilly, which should be very interesting.

For further information about the club please contact Janet: 01473 831949

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOL We hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and had a very happy New Year. We are all ready for the start of the spring term with lots of lovely events to look forward to in the coming months. The children should all be well rested and ready for the new term.

The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9am-3.30pm during term time. Children can start from the age of two until they go to Reception.

Session fees are £9.60 and we offer a lunch club (noon-12.30pm) for £1.60. We are happy to accept childcare vouchers and we offer twoyear funded places for any eligible children. We also run a holiday club in the Easter and summer holidays for two to eight year olds – further information can be obtained by contacting the administrator.

If you would like more information regarding any of the above events or just to find out more about Claydon Pre-school please contact the administrator, Lisa Read: 01473 831648 / admin@claydonpreschool.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE SOME SPARE TIME TO HELP A LOCAL CHARITY? Suffolk Family Carers is based on Hill View Business Park in Claydon. We provide information, advice, guidance and support for anyone who is caring for a friend, family member or neighbour. The person they are caring for may be ill, have a disability, a mental health issue or be elderly and frail.

How can you help?

By helping in our new drop-in centre in Claydon – welcoming visitors, making refreshments and providing a non-judgemental listening ear.

By calling a family carer each week – either from your own home or from our Claydon office – offering emotional support, a listening ear and a friendly chat.

What do we offer?

Training and support for your volunteer role, travel expenses and the opportunity to meet new people and to make a difference to the lives of family carers.

Who do I contact?

If you are interested in either of these roles, or would like to find out more, please contact the volunteer team: 01473 835450 / volunteer@suffolkfamilycarers.org

www.keepingintouchwith.com/bramford

BRAMFORD COCK FC Sunday, November 15 A break from league action with a trip to Buxhall for a Suffolk Sunday Cup third round match. Unfortunately, the very strong wind was going to make it difficult for any quality football, but Bramford took full advantage, and with the wind behind them in the first half went 3-0 up fairly quickly. The scorers were Barthie with a brace and Josh. With the wind behind them in the second half, the home team had the better of the scoring chances. They did eventually find the net midway through the half. Both sides came close on a few more occasions, but the strong wind was still making a good passing game of football difficult. The scores stayed the same and Bramford progressed into the next round. Final score: 1-3.

Sunday, November 22 Back to league action at home to Whitton Knights. Bramford started the better and things looked good after only five minutes when Barthie slotted home. Unfortunately, this was to be their best moment. Knights came immediately back with an equaliser from the penalty spot and then controlled the remainder of the half and as if to confirm their dominance scored another two goals. Half time: 1-3.

Bramford were hoping to improve things in the second half, but the match became patchy with constant free kicks. Players from both sides then found themselves in the referee’s book. In between the niggling and at times silly free kicks, Knights, who were playing the better football, proceeded to score another three goals.

Full time: 1-6.

So a really bad day for Bramford Cock FC as this was our worst defeat for a few seasons. As the song says: ‘things can only get better.’

Sunday, November 29 Home to bottom of the table Pauls FC, the lads were determined to forget last Sunday’s debacle and get back on their winning ways.

It was great to see Luke Reid back playing after being out injured since the middle of last season. Also back after a few weeks’ injury was Liam Woodhouse. Bramford started well and came close to scoring after only 10 minutes when Matty Cunningham’s bullet header shaved the crossbar. Bramford continued to dominate play and it was no surprise when they increased their lead with two goals in as many minutes, Josh slotting home and then Yani evading three tackles before finding the bottom corner. Yani scored his second from the penalty spot after a Pauls defender was sent off after handballing a goal bound shot on the line. As if to show that he was fully fit, Luke Reid rounded off a good run by scoring Bramford’s fourth. Half time: 4-0.

The second half as expected was going to be a one-sided affair, as 10 man Pauls were going to find it difficult to get anything out of this game. This proved the case as further goals by Tre, Matty Sharland and Josh with his second of the match confirmed Bramford’s dominance. Although Pauls were down to 10 men, they did not stop competing and it was great to see them keep trying to get a consolation goal, which on a couple of occasions they nearly did. So Bramford kept the clean sheet they wanted and with it three more points. Final score: 7-0. The woes of the previous week were definitely buried.

Trusting you all had a very Happy Christmas, everyone at Bramford Cock FC wish all our readers a Happy New Year.

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SPORT / ON THE GRAPEVINE BRAMFORD TENNIS CLUB Greetings guff lovers. As this is the new year edition I thought I would ask the old favourite Mystic Mick for his almanac predictions for the year.

January: Following his Davis Cup success Andy Murray is delighted to find out that Disney is making a cartoon of the event, less so when he discovers that Eeyore is playing his part.

February: The tennis club purchases a speed gun to test players serving speed. Nick is overjoyed to win, but the result is declared void when it’s discovered that a passing tortoise had erroneously been clocked as his tennis ball.

March: Graham is so despondent over Ipswich Town’s latest performance that he nails his season ticket to the Portman Road gates in protest, returning later after regretting his action he is dismayed to find someone has stolen the nail.

April: World Climate Conference issues a new warning on colder winters after Corrine is seen wearing a fleece with sleeves.

May: Home Secretary Theresa May is flattered that this month will be named after her and in future will be known as Useless.

June: Bramford Tennis Club players prepare for Wimbledon. I cannot participate as my Uncle Bulgaria costume needs letting out and my litter-picking tool is broken.

July: Holiday chaos averted at UK airports as baggage handlers vote for a go slow, thus ensuring their speed increases in time for the rush.

August: Clive and Lorna enter the Tour de France. Sensationally they lead throughout the first day until the route passes the first vineyard offering tastings.

September: C4's Time Team features the tennis club in a televised dig when Saxon groats are found on the field. Graham ruins it by finding that they had fallen out of his wallet.

October: Nick hits a clean ace! An extra terrestrial alien race land in Washington and takes over the USA. Delete whichever sounds more unlikely!

November: Alex Neil sensationally quits Norwich City with them top of the Premiership to take up a new career as Gollum in the next Lord of the Rings movie.

December: Oxford archaeologists discover a copy of Mick Russ' monthly guff jokes believed to date from 250BC. They were dated forensically from the whiskers on them.

No space for joke of the month (I have taken pity on you all). I wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope you keep reading (it has to improve at some point).

BRAMFORD UNITED I trust everyone had a pleasant Christmas and New Year and is now going on diets. Our players will probably have to as well as they will not have played since December 19.

In the usual round up on matches, following a 0-0 draw at home to Ipswich Athletic, the First team went to Grundisburgh and their sloping pitch. This match was played in heavy rain and wind.

Playing down the slope we had a 4-1 advantage at half time, but Grundisburgh came back at us in the second period and we dug out a 5-3 win as the pitch turned into a quagmire near the end.

Haughley Utd were our visitors for the next match. This time gale force winds were the order of the day, with us kicking with the wind in the first, but ball control was difficult. Haughley also found it hard to go forward so it was 0-0 at half time. We played better into the wind in the second half which saw us go 2-0 up, but a goal by Haughley with 10 minutes to go had us defending deeply as they looked for a second goal and at least one point, but we rode out their onslaught to put another three points into our account.

Saturday, November 28, saw Waveney from North Suffolk the visitors for a second round match in this season’s Suffolk Senior Cup. Again strong winds were blowing which had both teams struggling.

We took the lead on 37 minutes, but gave away a needless free kick just before half time from which they levelled the score. An even second half saw no further score as extra time loomed, but in the 88th minute Waveney took the lead when a shot in from a corner took a deflection. We threw everything at them in the final minutes (even chairman John took the sink out of the clubhouse kitchen), but we couldn’t find a goal to take us into extra time, so for the second season running we go out of this competition in the second round. It was a pity as we had hoped to do well and disappointing for the four ‘ground hoppers’ who turned up to watch – they came from Surrey, South Essex, North and Central London.

The Reserves have picked up a couple of good recent results with a 1-0 home win against AFC Hoxne, a 3-1 win at Ipswich Exiles, a 5-0 defeat at Framlingham which was delayed for 45 minutes as one of their players (16 years old) suffered a double fracture to his leg with the match only six minutes old.

Brammie

Mick Russ

COUNCIL TAX SCAM Fraudsters have been phoning victims telling them that they have been placed in the wrong council tax bracket for a number of years and are entitled to a rebate. They normally say that this rebate should be worth about £7,000. Once the victim is convinced, the fraudster tells them that in order to receive the rebate they will need to pay an administration fee in advance.

The payment they ask for varies between £60-£350. The victim provides the details and makes the payment, but then is no longer able to make contact with the person they spoke to on the phone. When they phone their council about the rebate and the fact that they are in the wrong tax bracket, the council will confirm that they know nothing about it and that they have been contacted by fraudsters.

PROTECT YOURSELF Never respond to unsolicited phone calls. Your local council won’t ever phone out-of-the-blue to discuss a council tax rebate. If you receive a call of this nature, put the phone down straight away.

No legitimate organisation will ask you to pay in advance in order to receive money, so never give them your card details.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, hang up the phone and wait five minutes to clear the line as fraudsters sometimes keep the line open. Then call your bank or card issuer to report the fraud.

Where it is possible use a different phone line to make the phone call.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online or by telephone: www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud / 0300 123 2040

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ON THE GRAPEVINE

QUESTIONS ON CASH

with Independent Financial Adviser Nick Plumb

Sue from Woodbridge asks: “My husband and I have a whole of life insurance policy with Scottish Provident with a sum assured of £80,000 payable if either of us dies. For the last 10 years we have paid a premium of just over £29 a month, but they have just written to us to say that following a 10 year review, this will increase to £66 a month. My husband says there is no point in looking around for a better deal, as we are 10 years older than we were when we took the policy out, so all insurance companies will charge about the same premium for that level of cover. Is that true?”

Not necessarily Sue. If you do some shopping around before you accept the increase, you could save yourselves a lot of money.

A whole of life policy runs until you die or until you cancel the policy.

At outset the insurance company calculates how much they need to charge you in order to provide a set level of cover if you die. This calculation is based upon your age, health, lifestyle, and your job, as all these factors will influence the risk. Unless you have a policy with guaranteed or fixed premiums, most whole of life policies are reviewed after 10 years, and again every five years after that.

Your husband is right to say that the premium will cost you more now because you are 10 years older, but it’s definitely worth shopping around for a better deal. Not all companies apply the same rates for a new policy as they do for an existing policy after it has been in force for a few years.

A few months ago I saw a couple who had a whole of life plan with Aviva with a sum assured of £70,000. At the 10-year review point, Aviva wrote to them to tell them that the premium would increase from £24.31 a month to £114.51 if they wished to maintain the same level of cover. That was an increase of 375%!

I did some shopping around and found them a similar whole of life policy with Canada Life International with the same sum assured.

The premium for this plan was £32.60 a month, which was again guaranteed for another initial period of 10 years. Obviously, these clients will face another potential premium increase after 10 years have elapsed, but switching the policy means they will have saved over £9,800 in premiums over that 10-year period for the same level of cover.

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 opinions and views in this column are provided only as a general guide and do not constitute personal financial advice.

Any readers who require advice should contact Nick to arrange a complimentary initial consultation to discuss their own position and requirements. Plumb Financial Services is regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

DR DAN POULTER, YOUR LOCAL MP, REPORTS BACK Our children and grandchildren deserve the very best start in life and it is our responsibility to provide them with the skills that they need to be successful. A new year is a good time to reflect on our achievements of the last few months and look forward to the challenges ahead, and I am very pleased that at the end of last year I was successful in helping to persuade the government to reform the current unfair school funding formula.

We are very lucky in our part of Suffolk to have many high quality headteachers and schools. However, when it comes to funding, schools in Suffolk have historically received lower levels of funding compared to other local authorities. The 10 best funded areas in England on average received grants of £6,297 per pupil last year, compared with an average of just £4,208 per pupil in the 10 most poorly funded areas. In Suffolk, we have received only £4,362 per pupil, and this needs to change.

Different levels of funding for individual schools with similar pupil needs is arbitrary and unfair and is based on a historical calculation which is open to political manipulation. Currently, schools that are similar but in different parts of the country can receive very different levels of financial

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support, despite educating children with the same needs. I have had many meetings with our headteachers and governors in Suffolk who have long acknowledged that the existing funding formula is unfair to rural counties like Suffolk.

I believe that the funding of schools should be fairer and more transparent, enabling schools to meet the needs of their pupils, and at a time of spending restraint it is more important than ever that funding is allocated based on pupil need. Extra resources should clearly follow those pupils who might need extra help and support, such as pupils from poorer backgrounds. Our current system falls well short of this. The distribution of funding is not fair, and that’s why I am pleased to have played a role in helping it to change.

For some time now I have been pushing the government to deliver a fairer school funding formula as a member of the f40 group, which represents a group of the lowest funded education authorities in England where government-set cash allocations for primary and secondary pupils are the lowest in the country. F40 has been campaigning since 1996 to change the way the government allocates funding to local authorities and schools with the support of MPs, councillors, education directors, governors, headteachers, parents

and teaching union representatives. For Suffolk, reforming the formula will mean an addition £178.06 for each and every pupil in Suffolk.

In October last year I called on Prime Minister David Cameron to deliver fairer funding for schools in rural Suffolk in a letter signed by 111 f40 MPs from all political parties representing poorly funded local councils. I was delighted when the chancellor, George Osborne, announced in his Autumn Statement on November 25 that the government has accepted our fairer funding formula proposal.

I then presented the petition on behalf of schools and pupils in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich to parliament.

I am delighted that 362 people signed the petition in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich and I am enormously grateful to everybody who has taken the time to get involved. This effort underlines how much people want to see a fairer deal for our children and grandchildren and I will continue to push for the best deal possible for our pupils in Suffolk.

I would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2016.

For more information please visit: www.drdanielpoulter.com

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ON THE GRAPEVINE MAKE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION TO WRITE YOUR WILL IN 2016 Age UK Suffolk is organising a Will Month during February 2016 and have invited solicitors in Suffolk to offer a free will writing service for a donation to the charity. The scheme in association with the East Anglian Daily Times aims to raise awareness of the importance of making a will.

NOW RECRUITING

Over two thirds of people in the UK do not have a will! As a new year approaches there has never been a better time to make sure you are prepared for the future.

Older people are living longer and care needs, lasting power of attorney, second marriages, extended families, civil partnerships, funeral costs, inheritance tax all need to be addressed. Planning for later life is essential and making a will is so important to avoid many complications and extra costs and to ensure your beneficiaries are protected and you will have peace of mind knowing your wishes will be fulfilled.

A basic single or mirror will is being offered for a suggested donation to Age UK Suffolk and the following solicitors are taking part: Goodwin Cowley Solicitors, Fosters Solicitors, Atkins Thomson Solicitors, Gross & Co Solicitors, Jackamans Solicitors, Norton Peskett Solicitors, Petersfields LLP Solicitors, Ellisons Solicitors, Watkins Stewart & Ross Solicitors, Christchurch Solicitors LLP, Michael Smith & Co Solicitors, Bates Wells & Braithwaite Solicitors, Blocks Solicitors, Haywards Solicitors and Fairweather Stephenson & Co Solicitors.

Age UK Suffolk rely on legacies and donations, particularly as they are suffering major cuts in funding from statutory sources and will need to fundraise for almost 75% of the cos ts of its services in the future.

For more information contact Maggie James – 01473 359911 / maggie. james@ageuksuffolk.org – or visit: www.ageuksuffolk.org

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If you would like to take up the offer to make a Will for a donation to Age UK Suffolk please contact 01473 359911 to request the details of all participating solicitors, or email: maggie.james@ageuksuffolk.org

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CHURCH NEWS ST MARY THE VIRGIN BRAMFORD, ST MARY NETTLESTEAD, ST MARY THE VIRGIN LITTLE BLAKENHAM, ST PETER BAYLHAM Priest-in-charge: The Rev Jenny Seggar 01473 748914 / Stmarybramford@aol.com Assistant curate: The Rev Julian Fennel, 01473 833250 Assistant priest: The Rev Pat Wright www.stmarybramford.co.uk Morning Prayer at Bramford: 8.30am, Monday to Friday

We have also introduced Prayer for Healing into the first Communion Service of each month at Bramford. This has so far been well received and complements the Healing Service held at the Methodist Church.

Please come along to either service if you need pray for your own needs, or would like to pray for others. If you want to find out more do not hesitate to contact Julian or Jenny.

Wednesday morning Communion Services: 9.30am at the vicarage, unless otherwise advised. Quiet reflective Communion Service followed by coffee in the church at 10am where a member of the clergy will be available for a chat – all are welcome.

In the meantime, we at St Mary’s want to wish you every blessing for the New Year.

Please check porch notices for any changes.

January 3 8am 10am 3pm

Epiphany Parish Communion Parish Communion United Service at Cherryfields

January 10 8am 10am

Baptism of Christ Holy Communion Parish Communion

Bramford Nettlestead

January 13 7.30pm

Healing Service

Methodist

January 17 10am 10am

Epiphany 2 Parish Communion Parish Communion

Bramford Baylham

January 19 2pm

Gathering in the Church Room, come along and meet old friends or make new ones

January 24 10am

Epiphany 3 Parish Communion

Bramford

January 31 8am 10am

Epiphany 4 Holy Communion Christingle Service

Bramford Bramford

Little Blakenham Bramford

Dear Friends Happy New Year to all of you.

At the beginning of each year I like to do a personal review of how things are going. I am not going to share that with you, but I do feel that this would be a good place to update you on a few things that have been on our minds as a church.

I hope that by the time you read this our new roof alarm will have been installed, with a new CCTV camera in the church. This is a step we have taken reluctantly following the vandalism we suffered during 2015.

It will simply monitor comings and goings and will not disturb anyone who wishes to use the church for devotions. I have had a great many comments about the church being closed over the winter and we hope this will enable us to open the church during the day again. We will be changing the opening and closing times, but will let you know what they are.

We have also been working hard to repair the church heating. I hope that by now we will have received quotes, and will be able to get a new system in place over the next few months. At the moment we are applying for grants to help us defray the cost. We hope that you will be patient while the work is going on.

On a different subject, our ‘new’ five o’clock service aimed at children and families was really successful. We hope this year to continue to develop it, and maybe even take it out to the villages. At the moment it happens on the second Sunday in Bramford Church Room. If you would like to join in or are curious about what happens, please don’t hesitate to come along and give it a go.

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Blessings to you all.

Jenny Coffee morning January’s coffee morning will be on Saturday 23, 10am-noon. This time there will be bacon rolls available, so why not lay in bed a little longer and treat yourselves to a late breakfast bacon roll.

Christmas wreaths A huge thank you to all the ladies who braved the cold to make the many wreaths that were for sale at the bazaar, lunches and other various events. Thanks too to those who bought them, the money raised will go towards the upkeep of our church and probably the repair of our Victorian heating system.

PARISH REGISTERS Funerals November 9: Tina Garrett November 12: Karen Eastleigh November 17: Peggy McGinty November 19: Dennis Cottrell December 4: Burial of ashes – Jim Thacker We extend to their families our sympathy and prayers.

Floodlighting of the Spire of St Mary’s Church December 4: To mark the 40th wedding anniversary of Jim and Carol Thacker December 6: In loving memory of Mary and Nin December 21: In memory of Kathy Sparrow January 13: In memory of Bernard Purbrick January 16: In memory of Tom McGinty’s birthday January 22: In memory of Maria Whight’s birthday If you would like to have the spire floodlit please ring 01473 462231. The requested donation is £10 a week.

Flower rota: 16, H Breitsprecher Cleaning rota: S and W McGinty Lectionary Bible Readings for our Sunday Worship are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. It is good to share the reading of scripture with Christians – both Catholic and Protestant – across the world.

January 3 Jer. 31: 7-14

Epiphany Eph. 1. 3-14

White / Gold John 1. (1-9) 10-48

January 10 Isaiah 43: 1-7

The Baptism of Christ Acts 8:14-17

White / Gold Luke 3: 15-17; 21-22

January 17 Isaiah. 62: 1-5

Epiphany 2 1 Cor. 12: 1-11

White John 2: 1 -11

January 27 Neh. 8: 1-3; 5-6; 8-10

Epiphany 3 1 Cor. 12: 12-31a

White Luke 4: 14-21

January 31 Ezek.43: 27-44.4

Epiphany 4 1 Cor.13

White Luke 2: 22-40

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