In Touch with Manningtree - May 2016

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with Brantham, Lawford Manningtree & Mistley Volume 6 • Issue No. 7 • MAY 2016

Image by Justin Minns See page 9

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Yesterday we had thunder, lightening, rain, hailstones… Today the most glorious spring day of the year so far. I think this is it! I can feel it in my bones. Summer is finally on the way. Time to get out the sun cream, to pack away the woolly jumpers and to open the doors and windows and let the fresh air in. At last!

It’s a busy, busy year with many extra events to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday in addition to annual fun days, galas, regattas, fairs and fetes. There isn’t a single weekend between now and the end of June when there isn’t at least one event every Saturday and Sunday and many more on Bank Holiday Mondays. I’m currently trying to organise a Star Wars birthday party for my six-year-old son and the kitchen table is covered in scrapped invitation cards (Jack was writing the names!), lists (food, games, shopping, goodie bags, decorations), recipes (Chewy Wookiee Cookies look particularly challenging!), and information about keeping rabbits! Don’t ask! This I have to do but those who plan, organise and promote local events often do so by choice and I can only imagine how much time and energy, never mind the blood, sweat and tears, they invest to bring it all together and pack it all away again.

I’m hoping at least 10 of Jack’s friends turn up, but at least I’ll know in advance and can plan accordingly. I may not need 16 inflatable lightsabers after all and I may be eating Obo-Wan Kabobies for a month, but I’m not sure I could cope with not knowing if anyone would turn up! Yet our valiant teams of local event organisers do it year after year, hoping the weather will play along, hoping their neighbours will roll up, hoping there will be a sufficient number of people to make all the effort worthwhile, hoping to raise a significant sum for the cause, whatever it may be.

Surely the least we can do is turn up. Make the effort this year and you may find new reasons to appreciate your local community.

In Touch

with Brantham, Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley

In Touch with Brantham, Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley 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 CELEBRATING THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY IN MANNINGTREE At Manningtree Market on Saturday, May 14, 10am-1pm This year the Queen of England celebrates her 90th birthday and it’s only appropriate to join in with the fun, so Manningtree is holding it’s very own Queen’s Birthday Bash!

The Queen is one lucky woman as she has multiple birthday parties throughout May and June so we’ve decided to climb on board and help her celebrate. Join the party between 10am and 1pm at Manningtree Market on Saturday, May 14 for some traditional British entertainment.

Alongside the excellent weekly market, there will be the classic British seaside entertainment of Punch and Judy, a big cake eating tea party, some red, white and blue themed workshops and facepainting!

You might also be able to spot the Queen’s Guardsmen throughout the morning. They are making a special appearance, but with a slight difference to usual! They seem to have grown a few feet and have exchanged their weaponry for feather dusters! Oooooo eeerrrrrr!

Pull up a straw bale, enjoy some local produce and be entertained in Manningtree! We’d love to see you there to share some fun and eat some (red, white and blue) cake!

Organised by The Manningtree Business Chamber with the help of The Grand Theatre of Lemmings.

MANNINGTREE TOWN COUNCIL The minutes of Manningtree Town Council meetings are available on their website, on the two town noticeboards (one at the Co-op Fiveways store and one beside the library) and at the clerk's office by appointment: 01206 390285 www.manningtreetowncouncil.org.uk

LAWFORD PARISH COUNCIL You can read the council’s minutes on: • www.essexinfo.net/lawford-parish-council • on the parish council’s noticeboards • minutes can be collected from the Parish Office by prior arrangement as the offices are not open to the public

MISTLEY PARISH COUNCIL The full minutes of the meeting held on April 18 are displayed on the noticeboards near to the bus stop at Rigby Avenue and also outside Mistley Post Office in the High Street.

The minutes can also be accessed online at: www.essexinfo.net/mistleypc/parish-council/meetings/ The next parish council meeting is the AGM and will take place on Monday, May 23 at 7.30pm in the village hall.

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NEWS PROMPT NEPAL HELP AFTER FUNDRAISER £910.52 was raised for SUPPORT Nepal in a single day in Bradfield with lots of support from other villages. This money was intended to boost funds as the Nepal Children’s Trust was due to visit Nepal.

Their team of three, who travelled at their own cost, included Maya, who founded the charity. She is from Nepal but now lives in Brantham.

Join St Mary & St Michael’s Church, Mistley with Manningtree, and St Lawrence’s Church, Bradfield in celebrating 90 years with the Queen To celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday we are planning a weekend of special services and activities across the Manningtree Benefice on June 11 and 12.

We will be holding an exhibition in both churches of photographs, dresses and other mementos from the last 90 years in the community, celebrating the connections and relationships that have been made at baptisms, confirmations, weddings and other community services.

The exhibitions will be open on Saturday, June 11, 10am-4pm at both churches, and on Sunday, June 12, 10am-3.30pm at Mistley and noon-3.30pm at Bradfield, with music, refreshments, and opportunities to share experiences, memories and stories.

If you have any items from the last 90 years with connections to the churches of Bradfield, Mistley or Manningtree, whether they are photos, letters, christening robes, wedding dresses, or anything else of interest, we’d love to hear from you, and borrow them if possible!

Items for Mistley with Manningtree: Joy Baker, 01206 391981 Items for Bradfield: Sue Reeve, 01255 870043 General Enquiries: 01206 392200 / info@manningtreebenefice.co.uk We will also be holding several services of celebration and thanksgiving on Sunday, June 12, giving thanks for our servant-hearted Queen and worshipping the God she serves.

Please join us for: Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving with Holy Communion, 10.30am at Bradfield All-Age Family Celebration, 3.30pm at Mistley Celebration Tea, 4.30-6pm at Mistley Songs of Praise Celebration with the Benefice Choirs, 6pm at Mistley “I hope that, like me, you will be comforted by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in circumstances of great adversity, managed to live an outgoing, unselfish and sacrificial life…

He makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving than receiving; more in serving than in being served.”

From the Queen’s Christmas Broadcast, 2008

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Children at Basuki School using the desks supplied in July last year

The team visited Basuki School where NCT had helped after the earthquake. Maya writes: “The school was provided desks after the earthquake so we were very interested to take a look. NCT was warmly welcomed with the national song. We handed over some more stationary and sport materials. Teachers and the school management team were very thankful.”

Much of the £900 raised in Bradfield was intended to supply badly needed blankets to an isolated village which so far had been entirely missed by the larger charities. Maya writes: “Rani Pani is a village which takes seven hours of driving from the city called Pokhara. It was the place where no help had yet reached. The villagers were victim of the earthquake and were in need of so many things. Their most important need was blankets and clothes which were distributed by NCT. Due to the government corruption, we visited the affected area ourselves to manage distribution.”

The third place visited by the team was a children’s welfare home in Pokhara. Maya writes: “Children were more than happy to welcome us.

The entire team enjoyed the moments with the children. Management of home was in need of various things. We purchased shoes, towels, clothes, school bag, slippers, footballs and other things. Children really liked all the things and thanked us with lots of joy. Children were taken out for the day to explore. We had lovely lunch together and so much fun. “ Many thanks to everyone who supported the SUPPORT Nepal event. For more about the charity and their visit to Nepal follow Nepal Children’s Trust on Facebook.

MANNINGTREE AND DISTRICT FRANKENBERG PARTNERSHIP ASSOCIATION 2016 marks a very special year for the town’s partnership with Frankenberg (Eder), Germany as we celebrate 45 years of friendship, understanding and visits. It also marks 40 years of the partnership between Stour Choral Society (Manningtree) and the Liebfrauenkirche Kantorei (Frankenberg).

To mark this celebration a party of just under 50 from Frankenberg will be visiting Manningtree from May 26-29 to be hosted and entertained by members of the partnership, Stour Choral Society and friends. The visit will include a visit to Sutton Hoo, a dinner on the Friday evening, a conducted tour of Manningtree and a musical soiree on the Saturday evening.

This partnership has involved Manningtree High School and the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, footballers, singers, organists, church members, town mayors and councillors. New groups are being invited to make links. The Frankenberg area owes much to our country, starting with St Boniface taking Christianity to what is now the state of Hessen, and family links stretching over the centuries. It has been a very rewarding friendship for many residents of Manningtree past and present and hopefully for many years to come.

In Touch online:

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OUT & ABOUT VENTURE CENTRE 2000 Monday, May 2: Blood Day

Sunday: Fortnightly Link Line meetings / available for private hire

Wednesday, May 4: Flower club with demonstrations from Christine Brazier

Sunday: Join us in our new fellowship – everyone is welcome. Hear the teachings of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus with our lively worship and service with refreshments afterwards. We meet every Sunday morning at 11am.

Thursday, May 5: Police Elections Saturday, May 7: 1st Lawford Guide Group Quiz Night All welcome for a friendly fun evening. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Six per team, £6pp including a cheese ploughmans per table. Fully licensed bar with table service will be available on the night. To book your tickets and support this local group please contact: 07826 527150 Monday, May 9: Little Acorns demonstration of clairvoyance by Jon and Pauline Sawyer, 7.30-9pm. Doors open 7pm, admission £3.50.

Sunday, May 22: The Essex Reptile & Amphibians Club with Snakes Alive are holding an exhibition of members’ animals from 11am-3pm. You will be able to see and handle a wide range of these fascinating animals. The day will also offer the opportunity for help and advice on keeping reptiles in captivity. Adults £2, concessions £1 (under fives free). We look forward to seeing you all. Contact: Ppuffadder@aol.com Saturday, May 28: Manningtree Museum and Local History Group display of Roman finds from Dale Hall, Lawford, 10.30am-3.30pm. Information on the excavation will be displayed and the implications of the Roman settlement on local history will also be explored and explained. The display will cover the sequence of settlement on the site from the late Bronze Age through to more intensive use during the Roman period.

Three large areas were excavated and key finds included a well, stones for grinding corn, a pottery kiln and a number of burials in a small cemetery area. The site now known as Summers Park is being developed for houses

by Rose Builders, who commissioned and paid for all the excavation and report work. www.manningtree-museum.org.uk May half term: Papworth Holiday Club, 10am-3pm Suitable for young people aged 11-18 with special needs. Activities include crafts and games. Just £5 a session. Please bring your own packed lunch.

To book your place please contact Gayle on 07955 010069 or 0800 952 5000. www.papworthtrust.org.uk Wednesday, June 1: Flower club with demonstrations from Crystal Dyball REGULAR CLASSES Monday: Table tennis, quilting, patchwork classes, Active 4 Life keep fit, Debbie Millar dance exercise Tuesday: Yoga, art classes, choir Wednesday: Weight Watchers, body conditioning and pilates for beginners and improvers Thursday: Self-help upholstery, Jo Jingles, Slimming World Friday: Active 4 Life, pilates, Boogie Shoes Saturday: Available for private hire

For further information on times and contact details visit: www.venturecentre2000.co.uk PUBLIC MEETING RUN BY THE GO/LEAVE CAMPAIGNS FOR THE EU REFERENDUM Thursday, June 2, 7.30-10pm / doors open at 7pm Hear from our local MP and Parliamentary Candidates as to why we should leave the EU. The speakers are: • Bernard Jenkin, Conservative Member of Parliament for Harwich and North Essex • Maria Vigneau, former UKIP Parliamentary Candidate for Ipswich (lives in Dedham) • Mark Cole, former UKIP Parliamentary Candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (lives in Wrabness) New class by Emperor Theatre Arts on Tuesdays from June 7 Emperor Theatre Arts offers weekly classes in dance, drama and singing for ages five-11: dance 4-5pm, drama 5-6pm. We welcome students of all levels and abilities with no experience necessary. The main focus is building confidence in a fun and friendly environment while learning technique for the stage. Classes are led by qualified, first aid trained and DBS checked professionals. For booking and information contact Faye Simons: emperorcamps@gmail.com / 01449 722354 www.emperorcamps.co.uk Music is fun with Jo Jingles! Enrol now for your first free class Jo Jingles is the country’s largest pre-school music and movement provider. We aim to give young children a fun introduction to music, singing and movement. Each week we run age-specific classes that are tailored to meet the needs of your little one’s age group. Babies from as young as three months can join and for a limited time, babies up to five months can join for free.

And what’s best about Jo Jingles is as your child grows and develops, so do our classes, meaning you can enjoy this special time with your child right up until they go to school. Classes run on Thursday mornings in term time from 9.30am. Get in touch now to book your free trial class: 07877 343307 / jojinglestendring@hotmail.com Baby Ballet Baby Ballet is coming to the Venture Centre from May 19 for boys and girls from six months.

Babyballet movers: 3-5 years 1.20pm Babyballet Tinies:18 months-3 years, 2pm Babyballet Tots: 6-18 months, 2.45pm To book your place or for more information contact Katie: 01206 210522 / 07960 642467 / colchester@babyballet.co.uk

IPSWICH HOSPITAL BAND CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY Ipswich Hospital Band is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and is holding a celebratory concert on Saturday, July 9 to mark the occasion.

We would particularly like to invite past conductors and band members, including those who have learnt to play as beginners in our training band, to celebrate with us at the concert which, as well as playing some of our favourite music, will be a trip down memory lane.

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Past conductors and members are invited to join current members for a get together party after the concert. Tickets are £5 and will include concert admission and after party refreshments. Admission to the concert will be by ticket only. We are hoping that many will come along to celebrate with us. To reserve a ticket please contact Betty Green: bgreen144@btinternet.com / 01473 725144

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Acorn Village Charity Fundraising

Clacton Road, Mistley, Manningtree, CO11 2NJ Tel:01206 394124

Friday 6th May 2016

6.30pm Doors Open, 7pm Meal To Start..

To Follow..

Poppadoms & Assorted Dips A selection of:

Beef Jalfrezi Chicken Korma Vegetable Balti Naan Bread, Rice, Onion Bhaji, Vegetable Samosa

To Finish..

Trio of Sorbet

ÂŁ15 per person

(Please bring your own alcoholic drinks, glasses will be provided)

Please pre-book your table by calling the Acorn Village Coffee Shop on 01206 394124 ext:239 Acorn Village Supporting Adults with Learning Disabilities since 1975.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

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Accolade programme_Accolade programe 29/03/2016 23:01 Page 7

Coming Soon to The Manifest Theatre

A Drama Double Bill Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th May 2016

A Different Way To Die

Written by Lynn Brittany and Directed by Jan Watkins.

Anna Gruber is a Holocaust survivor who has applied to emigrate to the newly created State of Israel.

But first she must submit to the ordeal of an interview and psychological assessment by a psychiatrist, Dr. Feldmann.

However, when the interview proceeds, Anna's experiences under the Nazis is not what was expected.

A powerful and thoughtful drama about inhumanity.

TAGG E D An award winning play by local playwright Griff Scott. Directed by Alan Wheeler.

The play explores the way in which social media has become an all seeing, ever present phenomenon in our lives.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other similar platforms are now an inevitable part of most of our lives and to some extent, have replaced our traditional concepts of community and communication.

This play explores the impact of these changes on different generations.

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OUT & ABOUT THE MANIFEST THEATRE Drama Double Bill Tuesday, May 24 to Saturday 28, curtain up at 7.30pm A Different Way To Die by Lynn Brittany, directed by Jan Watkins Anna Gruber is a Holocaust survivor who has applied to emigrate to the newly created State of Israel. But first she must submit to the ordeal of an interview and psychological assessment by a psychiatrist, Dr Feldmann.

However, when the interview proceeds, Anna’s experiences under the Nazis is not what was expected. A powerful and thoughtful drama about inhumanity.

Tagged, award winning play by local playwright Griff Scott, directed by Alan Wheeler The play explores the way in which social media has become an all seeing, ever present phenomenon in our lives. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other similar platforms are now an inevitable part of most of our lives and to some extent, have replaced our traditional concepts of community and communication. This play explores the impact of these changes on different generations.

Tickets (members £7/ non-members £9 to include membership for 2016) are available now: www.manifesttheatre.co.uk / 07444 724271

East Bergholt High School Association Registered Charity no. 1017476

CAR BOOT SALE Sunday, May 22

In the grounds of the high school 9.30am-noon Admission 50p – free car parking

PITCHES In advance: cars £5, cars with trailers £7, domestic vans £10 On the day: cars £6, cars with trailers £8, domestic vans £11

NO TRADERS Gates open 8.30am for sellers, 9.30am for buyers To book please phone: 01206 298122

NODA AWARDS 2015

FOR CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY The Reach for the Stars musical theatre group, led by local dance teacher Debbie Millar, in association with actress and director Kerry King and music and singing teacher Susie Hyman, are shortly to start work on their production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The Manifest Theatre would like to say a huge congratulations to director Val Taylor and the cast and the crew of last year’s Roleplay by Alan Ayckbourn which won Best Play and Best Production in our region at the NODA Awards.

What a fantastic achievement for everyone involved.

The group is starting up on Tuesday, May 17 and runs from 4.30-6.30pm at Ogilvie Hall in Lawford. This is a fun, friendly and exciting class to encourage confidence, self-expression and imagination through dance, drama and singing and is open to boys and girls aged five to 11. No previous experience is necessary.

For further details contact Debbie: 01206 230806 / debbie@debbiemillar.co.uk

EXHIBITION BY AWARD-WINNING LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER A Stone’s Throw is an exhibition of photographs by award-winning landscape photographer Justin Minns in the Boat House Gallery, National Trust, Flatford CO7 6UL. The exhibition opens on Saturday, April 30 and continues until Sunday, June 26.

A Stone’s Throw is a collection of landscape prints from across East Anglia.

At the heart of the collection are Justin Minns’ beautiful photographs of the area around Flatford and Dedham known as Constable Country.

He said: “Having grown up in the area, the Stour Valley has always been close to my heart. Walking along the river as it gently meanders through timeless meadows towards Flatford, the banks dotted with gnarled and twisted trees, it feels as if little has changed since Constable’s day.”

Justin Minns is a professional landscape photographer based in Suffolk who specialises in capturing atmospheric East Anglian scenes for clients including the National Trust. His photography has been widely published and has appeared in the Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibition on several occasions. This is his first solo exhibition.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

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OUT & ABOUT MANNINGTREE & DISTRICT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

EAST BERGHOLT AND BRANTHAM ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

We were delighted to welcome Roy Essery to judge our Street Scenes competition in March. This is a particular forte for Roy who delights in recording street life, just as it is, all over the world. From among nearly 50 entries Jonathan Day’s Golden Hour in Lodz and Barry Weaver’s Made of Steel jointly topped the leader board.

This year we remember 100 years since the Battle of the Somme which claimed so many lives on both sides of the conflict. Today we continue to fight a different battle, the one to help our ex-forces personnel and their families when they are in difficulty.

The Members Critique Evening on March 24 was enjoyed by all. Nothing too serious but an opportunity to air favourite shots and to discuss techniques with others – a live and literal interpretation of ‘social media’ at it’s very best. Ian Parker’s Breakfast, a wildlife close-up, and Andy Cresswell’s Downlooker Snipefly were voted overall winners.

At our final March meeting Philip Shaw gave us a peep into The Secrets of the Digital Darkroom. A consummate professional, ecologist and nature photographer, Philip, really did give us a technical insight into the world of digital processing. He also brought along examples of his work, which were without doubt some of the finest images ever displayed at a society meeting. You can savour the quality at: www.naturephotopro.com As our current season draws to a close the final meetings are to be held on: May 12 : Tips on Nature Photography (e.g. birds in flight, butterflies, etc.) with Bob Cowling May 19: AGM and members show photographs from the evening out New members will be welcome to join the society or may attend initially as a visitor (£3). Meetings are held at the St John’s Centre, Station Road at 7.30pm.

For more information please contact our secretary (01206 396958 / madps@post.com) or visit: www.manningtreeanddistrictphotographicsociety.co.uk

Last year the people of East Bergholt donated more than £3,000 at the annual Poppy Appeal. To help collect that money we need volunteers.

The old adage of “many hands make light work” is as relevant here as whenever it was first coined.

Furthermore the Royal British Legion needs members. We have a rapidly ageing population and unfortunately each year we attend more funerals as we say goodbye to old colleagues. New members are always welcome.

Their comradeship and, if needed, their assistance is always welcome because, as with any organisation, without new participants it will eventually die. The challenge for forces personnel leaving today’s Armed Services are perhaps greater than ever before and for all of us, ex-service personnel or not, the chance to help can be rewarding.

Even the ‘old soldiers’ still receive recognition as exampled by a recent award of the Legion d’Honor to the relation of one of our members for his participation at D Day. He was made aware of his eligibility via a routine circular from the RBL. If I was to be slightly corny I would quote from the First World War and say “Your Country Needs You”. I am sure we all realise that, but your local branch of the RBL needs new members as well.

For further details please contact the secretary, John Hinton: 01206 298309 / ajohn.hinton@btinternet.com

BRANTHAM’S 2016 (and

maybe LAST

*)

ANNUAL CHARITY GARAGE SALE Open garages selling items throughout the village. look for the balloons & signs throughout Brantham, on the A137

TABLE TOP SALE at the Village Hall with WI REFRESHMENTS, HANDICRAFTS and PRESERVES. TOMBOLA, BBQ, ICE CREAM VAN and much much more so please make a note in your diaries and calendars:

Saturday 11th June 2016 From 9:30am till 4:30pm

We need a £5 minimum donation to book your garage / village hall table.

For more details call: Ronnie 01206 395557 or Yvonne 01206 392296 If you would like to help in any way either on or before the day, or donate items for the Tombola, please contact Ronnie or Yvonne. Every offer of help is welcome.

Proceeds will go to St Elizabeth Hospice (Carla Dawson's Tribute Fund) and other local charities.

*

see In Touch, Volume 6, Issue No.4, February 2016 - page 3.

We Need Volunteers to help organise future Garage Sales.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

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OUT & ABOUT NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY

FOXASH COMPANION DOG SHOW

We are holding another Bumper Book Sale at Manningtree Methodist Church in South Street on Saturday, June 25, 10am-3pm.

David Martin Estate Agents, Manningtree are proud to sponsor the Foxash Companion Dog Show on Sunday, May 22.

Many thanks to all who supported our last book sale by braving the weather on Easter Monday.

Come and join us at the charity dog show for some family fun.

The event starts at 9.30am at the Foxash Social and Sports Club, Harwich Road, Lawford CO11 2LR.

BRANTHAM 5 MILE & JUNIOR FUN RUN Friday, July 22: Brantham Leisure Centre, New Village, Brantham CO11 1RZ

BATS PRESENT HOLIDAY SNAP Holiday Snap, a comedy by Michael Pertwee and John Chapman, runs from Thursday, June 9 to Saturday 11 at Brantham Village Hall with performances at 7.30pm.

This tale of comic predicament and mistaken identity unfolds with real wit and style. A Portuguese time-share villa has been double-booked, but the company rep, the myopic tippler Commander ‘Chitto’ Chittenden, is in the dark. When Mary and Henry arrive shortly after Eve and Leslie, Chitto manages to remain unaware that there is more than one couple on the scene. Watch the confusion compound with the missing housekeeper and her husband. How will the arrival of Henry’s mother-in-law cause even more problems? Who is the real Sir Piers? Answer these questions by coming along to see this hilarious play.

Tickets are £7 and available from: Bakes & Blossoms Café at Acacia Court / 01206 396674 / 07891 974844 (text).

BRANTHAM AMATEUR THEATRICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS

Junior race starts at 7pm / Senior race starts at 7.30pm Junior race runners must be 14 years or under and senior race entrants must be 15 years or over.

ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE www.runbritain.com/race/brantham-friday-five-adult-main-event www.runbritain.com/race/brantham-friday-five-child-fun-run Any queries should be directed to Janet Webb (01206 398027) or Phil Wainwright (07721 591748).

MANNINGTREE MUSEUM AND LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Philip Cunningham was re-elected as chairman and the current committee members were re-elected en bloc at the AGM in March. The guest speaker for the evening was local poet and ecologist Dr Tim Gardiner. His talk concerned his great uncle Charles Gardiner who served with the 7th Suffolk Battalion in the First World War. The few papers relating to Charles were found in an envelope in a wardrobe and consisted of a small pocket diary, some letters from the front, and various official documents. There were no photographs. The diary was dated 1915 but records events in 1916. Charles was a signaller in the war and died aged 21 at the Battle of Arras. His grave is unknown.

Tim is determined that his uncle will not be lost to history like so many of the young soldiers were in the Great War. He read a short poem in Haiku form (three lines, 17 syllables) based on the monthly entries in his uncle’s diary. He described what he knew of Charles’ life and read extracts from the diary. The terrible life of men in the trenches was slowly revealed.

Long miserable marches by tired soldiers who were always on the move from flooded trench to flooded trench gave inspiration for Tim’s poems, some of which he read. Amongst the poems was another Japanese poem called a Tanka (five lines, 31 syllables) describing the song of nightingales heard by the men in the trenches. Tim also read a poem written by Charles’ mother giving a woman’s point of view of the war.

THE HILARIOUS COMEDY BY

MICHAEL PERTWEE & JOHN CHAPMAN

7.30

THURS – SAT

9TH 10TH & 11TH June 2016

Tickets £7 from Bakes & Blossoms Acacia Court, Brantham For details call 01206 396674 or 07891974844 12

Tim had brought along the few reminders he had of his great uncle. It was disturbing to see how Charles’ handwriting deteriorated during the course of his short but terrible experiences in the trenches. At the end of his talk Tim sold copies of his book East of Arras.

An appropriate ending to the evening was a short film by Philip Cunningham of the British Legion’s service on The Welcome Home Field commemorating the start of the First World War. It was very moving with ghostly photographs of local men who gave their lives in the war superimposed over the service.

Our next talk on Wednesday, May 25 will be on the excavations at Summers Park in Lawford by Philip Cunningham in the Methodist Church Hall, 7.30pm for 7.45pm. Members free, visitors £3. Everybody welcome as usual.

See VENTURE CENTRE 2000 on page 6 for details of the display of Roman finds from Dale Hall, Lawford.

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OUT & ABOUT TEA & SUPPORT IN MISTLEY

STOUR VALLEY U3A

Tea & Support, the meeting place for those who have been bereaved or left living alone, is held on the third Wednesday of each month at Church Hall, New Road, Mistley. Meetings are usually from 2-4pm, are free of charge and transport can be arranged. Come along to meet new friends in a safe, friendly environment.

On Wednesday, April 13 Rebecca Parry BSc, director of conservation, education and research, spoke on zoos and conservation. Her talk included the history of zoological collections, including Colchester Zoo, the zoo’s current modern roles, its breeding programmes and conservation projects in the wild.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, May 18 when Margherita Petrie will be looking at searching family history, including writing and art techniques.

For more details please contact the Church Office of St Mary’s & St Michael’s Church (01206 392200), Paskell’s of Manningtree (01206 396709) or Joy Baker (01206 391918). Copies of our 2016 programme are now available from Paskell’s or from the church.

STOUR VALLEY MEN’S PROBUS CLUB On April 6 David Carman interviewed Hew Naylor, our new president, on his Desert Island Discs. It was interesting to hear of Hew’s views, life and achievements. On April 20 David Ablewhite spoke on George and Mary, the First Windsors.

On Wednesday, May 4 we have a musical event planned when Grant Elliot will talk about the history of jazz and on Wednesday, May 18 Harry Parsons will talk to us about the building of the Millennium Tower at Bury St Edmunds. We meet at the convenient St John Ambulance HQ, Manningtree CO11 1EB. Our club endeavours to be simple in structure, free of the constraints and obligations of service clubs and involve members at minimal cost.

The club is directed primarily to providing fellowship between members who are compatible with each other and the opportunity to develop acquaintances. New members are welcomed. We meet on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 10.30am. For further details please contact our secretary Brian Rolfe: 01206 393665

ORWELL DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS SOCIETY Tobias Capwell will present a talk entitled Heroes of the Ancient Past: Renaissance Knighthood and the Art of the Classical World at our next meeting on Wednesday, May 4. Tobias is curator of arms and armour at the Wallace Collection in London.

At our April meeting lecturer Dr Sam Newton took us into pre-Christian England to show how the calendar was designed to highlight agricultural life and the importance of the seasons. Much of this was incorporated into the Christian calendar and linked to the great Christian feasts of Easter and Christmas. Dr Newton’s enthusiasm for the Anglo-Saxon period is infectious and he entertained the audience with poetry and music on the lyre.

Why not come along and enjoy some good company and an interesting talk? We meet at Tower Hall, Broadlands Way, Rushmere St Andrew on the first Wednesday of most months and we also organise interesting day visits.

The wonderfully illustrated lectures are presented by national and international lecturers and start at 2.15pm, but a 2pm arrival is advised. Guests and non-members are welcome, provided we have available space. A £5 donation is asked.

On Wednesday, May 11 Dr Roger Simpson BFA Calgary, MA Victoria and PhD Essex University, will present a talk entitled John Constable – Man in a Landscape. Perhaps we have seen The Hay Wain so often that we no longer see it at all. Was Constable one of the greatest religious painters that this country has ever produced?

We meet at Constable Hall, Gandish Road, East Bergholt CO7 6TP at 2.15pm. Annual membership is £12 and this entitles members to attend the meetings that take place on the second Wednesday of each month, except August and December.

Our main purpose is to encourage lifelong learning for those who are no longer in full time employment and emphasis is always placed on making learning active and fun as well as helping in developing friendships. We have a wide range of groups including language study, country walking, computer studies and gardens, churches and historic buildings. In the main, membership is drawn from communities in the lower Stour Valley and adjacent areas including Brantham, Capel St Mary, Dedham, East Bergholt, Holbrook, Lawford, Manningtree, Raydon and Stratford St Mary. We are affiliated to the ThirdAge Trust and have more than 200 members and 18 groups.

For further information please visit www.stourvalleyu3a.org.uk where membership secretary Val Pretty can be contacted.

It’s never too late to learn. Join the 361,477 members across 969 U3As throughout the UK today.

VILLAGE LINK CLUB Our next meeting is on May 11 when Lesley Krohn will presents a talk on Galapagos Islands Diving. This will be followed by our AGM. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month in Tattingstone Village Hall at 10am. Following the speaker we have refreshments (when there is time for a chat with other members) and a raffle. New members and visitors are welcome to join us.

Roger Felgate, 01473 311684

CAPEL ST MARY COUNTRYSIDE CLUB On April 12 we had a very interesting and informative talk by Alex Bass on Suffolk estuaries and wildlife. Alex had some wonderful slides of the Rivers Stour, Orwell, Deben, Alde, Blythe and Waveney and the numerous birds that live and feed on the plants and animals in the saltmarshes and on the shoreline. He told us about the nightingales at Fingringhoe, the deer at Minsmere, the increase of Avocets in Suffolk and the best places to go bird watching on the estuaries.

This followed on from a short extra general meeting to propose a new updated constitution and discuss finances.

We would welcome new members to our meetings. We meet at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday evening of the month (not in the summer) in the lounge at Capel Methodist Church. You would be made very welcome; members £2.50 / non-members £3.50, refreshments included.

For more information contact Jean Bradberry: 01473 710921 / odfasmemsec@btinternet.com.

We will be having a bluebell walk on April 26 and another walk in May. Our indoor meeting on May 10 is a talk on Ipswich Waterfront by Ann Day.

www.orwelldfas.org.uk

Contacts: Roger Felgate, 01473 311684 / Linda Evans, 01473 311262

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OUT & ABOUT / SCHOOLS / SPORT MANNINGTREE AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION CEREMONIAL DATES FOR 2016

VE Day: Sunday, May 8, 3pm, Parade and Service Battle of Jutland: Sunday, May 29, 11am, Parade and Service

LAWFORD & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Dougle Urghart stepped in to replace Peter Booth-Smith at the April meeting. A talk on tea was postponed due to illness and became a virtual visit to Cudmore Grove Wildlife Park. It was a very interesting talk and the park in East Mersea is going from strength to strength. We were surprised to see photographs of some of the diverse groups that visit the site, mainly on an annual basis.

On May 19 Nick Dobson will present a talk entitled World of Flowers. It will be in the Ogilvie Hall as usual at 7.30pm and you are very welcome to join us.

The spring show was filled with different narcissi, camellias, tulips and more, plus handicrafts, photographs, cookery and a good number of floral art displays. Thanks to all those who took part, helped or visited.

BROOKLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL With the warmer weather our attention turns to the outdoors. Our children are keenly preparing our school gardening beds for planting and football on the field at lunchtime sees our extensive playing field brought to life with the sound of cheers.

Refurbishment of our outdoor area is well underway. We have had further work to create a science area in the grounds, which will incorporate a range of habitats for us to learn about, and the installation of a greenhouse in our gardening area.

This year the school will be supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as its chosen charity. One of our children has a younger sibling who has recently been diagnosed with the disease and while the family wish to remain anonymous as they are coming to terms with the news, they are happy for us to name the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as our chosen charity for 2016. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited, life-shortening disease which currently affects more than 10,000 people in the UK. In support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust our school council organised a coin trail. Our children were encouraged to bring in and donate their loose change to make a trail of coins around the school.

Sainsbury’s are offering shoppers the opportunity to collect Active Kids vouchers until May 3. If you are asked if you would like them, please say yes as they are a great way to help us get fantastic new sports and cooking equipment. If you have any that you would like to donate to Brooklands please drop them in.

PLANT SALE Don’t forget our plant sale on Saturday, May 14 in the Wignall Room at Ogilvie Hall, 10am-1.30pm. There should be lots of interesting plants for sale and there is plenty of parking space and a warm welcome for you.

Have you considered coming in to school to listen to our children read?

If so, we would love to have your help. It would be great to have more volunteers as not all classes have a reading volunteer. We welcome any offers of help for this and if you would like to help or find out more about what is involved, please speak to the office staff and complete a DBS check.

EAST BERGHOLT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

How many of us can remember learning our times tables at school?

Evidence shows us that learning our tables are building blocks for other maths topics taught in school and with this in mind Brooklands is having a big push on learning the times tables. Division, long multiplication, fractions and algebra all need times table knowledge and recall.

PLANT SALE Saturday, May 21 at Lambe School, 10am-noon If you are able to donate any vegetable and flower plants or shrubs please contact James on 392520 or bring along on the day. Thank you.

We have also extended the range of clubs we offer to include squash, cooking, art, cheerleading and drama. We hope that this range of activities will encourage all our children to try something new.

Guided tour by Rupert Eley on Wednesday, May 25 at 6.30pm, followed by drinks and nibbles on the terrace.

We have a great opportunity for our children to learn a musical instrument (piano, flute, oboe, clarinet or saxophone) this term. Enjoying music and playing an instrument is something that we often treasure for our entire lives.

Members £3, non-members £5. Tickets available from The Fountain House Tea Rooms.

Best wishes, Christine Davy, headteacher

EAST BERGHOLT PLACE

CAPEL PLOUGH FOOTBALL CLUB The club had 20 games still to play when I wrote these notes on April 4, including several evening games. Other clubs called off games during the wet winter, but we called off the most and it is hoped that some work on the drainage system will be carried out during the next six months.

After being top of the senior league in early December any chance of our First team winning it disappeared after we lost 1-0 against Framlingham Town, then 2-1 against Haughley United, but we did beat Felixstowe Harpers United 2-0 with goals from Stephen Morrison and Lloyd Dodsworth.

Our Reserves have had a tough season and are bottom of the senior Reserve league and looking for a new manager for next season. They drew 0-0 at Wenhaston, then beat Crane Sports 3-2 with Nick Middlebrook scoring a brace with all other games ending in defeat. Liam Cole has

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played well in goal while Joe Bigmore and Gideon Spencer have put in some good performances.

Our Sunday team beat Worlingworth 2-0 with goals from Warren Campbell and Abdul Kaium, then drew 3-3 with Gladwells with Adam (Speedy) Rawthorn scoring two of the goals. Only one game for our Veteran side in the last month with them losing the senior cup final 3-0 to Gorleston with a lack of available players forcing them to call off a couple of other matches.

Next season we will be looking to start an Under 17 team. Any lads interested please phone our Under 16 manager Peter Reddington on 07899 997439. Finally, the club’s AGM is to be held at the clubhouse on Monday, May 16 at 7.30pm.

Bob the Ploughman

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SPORT / CHURCH NEWS MISTLEY CRICKET CLUB

WRABNESS BADMINTON CLUB

Pre-season nets continued through March in preparation for the new season.

A small, friendly social badminton club which plays on Sunday evenings from 7-9pm at Wrabness Village Hall.

MARCH 100 CLUB WINNERS 1st £100 No 82 JDC Young 2nd £50 No 61 Imogen Garwood £45 No 21 Simon Everett 3rd

We are currently looking for new members. All standards and all ages welcome. You don’t need to live in Wrabness to join, we have members from Lawford, Mistley, Wix and Little Oakley.

For more information, please call Georgina: 07743 397017

SATURDAY CRICKET 1st TEAM: Two Counties Div 1 Sat, April 30: Frinton II (H) Mon, May 2: Mildenhall (A) Sat, May 7: Witham (A) Sat, May 14: Hadleigh (H) Sat, May 21: Haverhill (H) Sat, May 28: Halstead (H)

2nd TEAM: Two Counties Div 1 Sat, April 30: Brockley (A) Sat, May 7 Copdock & OIs II (H) Sat, May 14: Haverhill II (A) Sat, May 21: Halstead II (H) Sat, May 28 Brightlingsea (A)

3rd TEAM: Two Counties Div 1 Sat, April 30: DBSL (H) Sat, May 7: Copdock & OIs III (H) Sat, May 14: Ipswich & East Suffolk II (A) Sat, May 28: St Margarets II (A) For more information and results please visit: http://twocounties.com SUNDAY CRICKET NECL & National Village Competition Sun, May 1: NVC Rd1, Bye Sun, May 15: NVC Rd2 High Roding/ Old Southendians (A) Sun, May 22: High Easter (A) Sun, May 29: NVC Rd3 Mon, May 30: Colchester (A)

Div C TEAM: Two Counties Div C Sun, May 1: Braintree (H) Sun, May 8: Ipswich (A) Sun, May 15: Copford (A) Sun, May 22: Frinton (A) Sun, May 29: Abberton (H)

LADIES TWO COUNTIES Fri, May 6: Sudbury (H) Sun, May 8: IES (A) Fri, May 13: West Bergholt (A) Fri, May 20: Witham (A) Sun, May 22: IES (H) Fri, May 27: Eight Ash Green (A) New players are always welcome; please email: mistleycc@btinternet.com Mistley CC is a community club with strong traditions. Please come along and give us a look sometime.

THE METHODIST CHURCH South Street, Manningtree

Minister: The Rev Andrew Bell, 4 Elmdale Drive, Mistley CO11 2HP 01206 396654 Sunday Service: 10.15am Second Sunday: Holy Communion Bible Study: First Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm in the committee room Holy Communion: Fourth Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm Welcome Wednesdays: 2.30pm every Wednesday; drop in for a chat and tea/coffee. Activities on the second and third Wednesdays.

Also meeting on the premises: Monday September to May, Stour Choral Society WEA (during sessions), 2.30pm Tuesday Co-op Women’s Guild, 7.15pm Wednesday Gentle Fitness Class, 9.30am Art Group, 10am-noon Manningtree and District Chess Club, evenings Museum & History Group, 7.30pm, bi-monthly Secretary: Mrs M Cuthbertson Treasurer: Mr G King Contact for church hall bookings: David Shearmur, 395263

ST MARY’S CHURCH, LAWFORD Priest-in-charge: The Rev Simon Heron, 01206 392659 Services for May Sunday 1 8am 8.45am 10am

Holy Communion BCP Prayer Breakfast Holy Communion

Thursday 5 9.30am

Ascension Day Holy Communion

Sunday 8 8am 10am 6.30pm

Holy Communion BCP Family Service and Confirmation Evensong

Sunday 15 8am 10am 6.30pm

Holy Communion BCP Holy Communion Cafe Church

Free tea, coffee and soft drinks Light refreshments also available

Sunday 22 8am 10.30am

Holy Communion BCP United Service at Manningtree Market Square

For further information contact: 01206 230996 / 395856

Sunday 29 8am 10.30am

Holy Communion BCP United Benefice Service at Great Bromley

OPEN DAY at Mistley & Manningtree Bowls Club

New Road, Mistley CO11 1ER (next to the church) Saturday, May 7, 10am-4pm Come and try bowling and see what fun it can be!

All you need are flat-soled shoes or trainers.

FREE TUITION TARGET BOWLS

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CHURCH NEWS BRANTHAM AND CAPEL METHODIST CHURCHES AUTHENTIC I entered the darkened room, the curator shone her light to the floor to direct us in, but it was as though the darkness swallowed the light.

There were two fixed benches in the middle of this space and a video installation was just beginning. It was complete darkness. I turned the screen of my mobile on to find the benches, but it made no impression in the darkness and I had to cautiously move forward, feeling with my hands to find them. We sat to watch a Bill Viola video/sound installation at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Tristan’s Ascension & Fire Woman). It was immersive art, with visual images, amazing sound touching some of the deep questions of life and death using people, water and fire.

It is impossible to describe the experience and the emotions it touched.

His art springs from his experience of life and death, a near death experience of almost drowning when he was a child and later watching his father die. In his installations, he seeks to be authentic, so it is real water and a proper drenching and real fire and the sound of fire. The audio is fine-tuned to fit the space in which this was installed, so you feel as though you are there. It was an immersive experience that you cannot replicate by watching a video clip of it. It is difficult to describe the experience in words, but it was profound.

We stopped off at this sculpture park as we were returning from a conference at the Scarborough Spa where the theme had been Authentic – as the maker intended! We looked at Authentic Living, Authentic Giving, Authentic Mission and Authentic Community.

Again you cannot convey five days of material in a few words. Authentic means real, genuine, and I certainly want to be real. I don’t want to put on a mask to pretend to be someone I am not, but how often do we try to live up to other people’s expectation of us? I want to live in a community which is authentic, people being real and true to themselves and caring for one another.

There are some wonderful communities around, villages and suburbs and urban areas where there is genuine care for one another, but there

are probably more where there is discord, hatred, fear and isolation.

However, even within these places, small groups of people can and do learn to love one another and to be a transforming force within a fractious community. I believe I am called to live authentically as Jesus intended, to be part of an authentic community that is learning to love and care. This then gives us an authentic mission to make a difference in our authentic giving to one another. To receive this teaching on authenticity and then to be immersed in the video/sound installation of Bill Viola was truly life enhancing.

The Rev Andrew Sankey Minister at Capel and Brantham Methodist Churches 8 Roundridge Road, Capel St Mary IP9 2UG apsankey@gmail.com / 01473 311178 / 07726 299968 BRANTHAM METHODIST Sunday 1 Sunday 8 Sunday 15 Sunday 22 Sunday 29

11am 11am 11am 11am 11am

Worship with Mr Roger Theobald Worship with Mr David Welbourn Worship with Rev Yvonne Haye Worship with Mr Martin Ellis Worship and Communion with Rev Smith

CAPEL ST MARY METHODIST Sunday 1

Sunday 8

Sunday 15 Saturday 21 Sunday 22

Sunday 29

10.30am 6.30pm 10.30am 6.30pm 10.30am 3-5pm 10.30am 7.30pm 10.30 am

Worship with Mr Ted Jack Prayer Stations Worship with Roger Hulford YWAM Bolivia Worship with Rev Andrew Sankey Worship with Mr Simon Scott of CYM Messy Church Worship and Communion with Rev Sankey United Prayer Time at St Mary’s (CoE) Family celebration with Tom and Lou Boswell

BENEFICE OF EAST BERGHOLT & BRANTHAM Sunday, May 1 8am 10am

Easter 6 BCP Communion East Bergholt Benefice Communion East Bergholt

Sunday, May 22 8am 10am 11am

Trinity / Christian Aid Week BCP Communion (Healing), East Bergholt Choral Matins East Bergholt Informal Service Brantham

Wednesday, May 4 9.30am BCP Communion

East Bergholt

Thursday, May 26 Archdeacon’s Visitation, East Bergholt

Thursday, May 5 9.30am

Ascension BCP Communion

East Bergholt

Sunday, May 8 8am 10am 11am

Easter 7 BCP Communion Communion Service Family Service

Saturday, May 28 Noon

Wedding of Zoë Burgess and Ryan Strike, East Bergholt

East Bergholt East Bergholt Brantham

Sunday, May 29 8am 11am

Trinity 1 BCP Communion East Bergholt Benefice Communion Brantham

Thursday, May 12 2.30pm MU Deanery Banner Service and

admission of new members, East Bergholt Sunday, May 15 8am 10am

11am

Pentecost BCP Communion East Bergholt Communion and Baptism of Oliver Goggin, East Bergholt Healing Communion Brantham

Saturday, May 21 1pm Wedding of Tia Eagle and

Joel Cooper, East Bergholt

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Wednesday, June 1 Justin Martyr 9.30am BCP Communion

East Bergholt

Sunday, June 5 8am

Trinity 2 Growing in God, BCP Communion, East Bergholt

10am

Benefice Communion East Bergholt

This schedule may change without notice if needed.

Concert by the Stowmarket Salvation Army Songsters on May 7 at 7pm to celebrate the new kitchen and toilet in St Michael’s Brantham. For details contact Maureen Stuttaford: 01206 3924446

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

Parish priest: Fr Christopher Smith, 180 Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich 01473 684963 We are part of St Mark’s RC Parish, Ipswich. For up to date information please visit: www.stmarksparish.org.uk The weekly newsletter is displayed in the cabinet alongside the church front door.

Services for May Sunday 1 Sixth Sunday of Easter 9am Mass Tuesday 3 Ascension of The Lord 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 8 9am Mass Tuesday 10 9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 10am Mass Sunday 15 Pentecost Sunday 9am Mass: Children’s Liturgy Tuesday 17 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 22 The Most Holy Trinity 9am Mass Tuesday 24 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 29 Corpus Christi 9am Mass Tuesday 31 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass

Meeting at Old St Michael’s School on Trinity Road, Manningtree Words are interesting aren’t they? One word can have quite a few meanings. Take, for example, the word ‘superior’. What does it actually mean? Well, the dictionary definitions are ‘greater in quality, quantity or usefulness’ and ‘higher in rank, position or status’, for instance ‘he was reprimanded by a superior officer’. But ‘superior’ can also mean believing yourself to be better than others or something of a very high quality or respectability, such as superior goods or clothes. Perhaps ‘superior’ can be a particular way of living, a better way of living. So, just one word can have very different meanings.

Come and find out how the word ‘superior’ will be used at Trinity this coming month. Visit Trinity Free Church and discover how J. C. Ryle and his teaching is relevant in the 21st century. You might just find what you are looking for.

You’ll receive a warm welcome at our public worship services each Sunday at 10.30am (with an all-age programme) and again in the evening at 6.30pm. Services last between 60 and 90 minutes and refreshments follow the morning service.

Catholic commentary A Lenten Study Group met at Holy Family over four weeks to read and discuss the Pope’s encyclical Laudato Si (the Care of our Common Home). This encyclical is addressed to the whole world, not just Roman Catholics. A CAFOD study guide highlighting just 24 of the 245 numbered paragraphs was used and much discussion followed on questions such as: What kind of world do we want for those who come after us, the children who are now growing up? What do you think it means to flourish in relationship to God, our neighbour, ourselves and the earth? How do my actions show that I love my neighbour, especially those who are living in poverty? The encyclical Laudato Si is published by The Catholic Truth Society: www.CTSbooks.org Diary dates A bring and buy coffee morning takes place from 10.30am to noon at Viv and Wyn’s home (Paddock Gate, Whitehorse Road, East Bergholt CO7 6TR) every last Thursday of the month to raise funds for refurbishment of the Parish Room. All are very welcome to join us. The next event is on Thursday, May 26.

Supporting our local hospice All parishioners are being asked to collect used postage stamps all year, not just at Christmas, and to place them in the box at the rear of the church to help support the outstanding work of our local hospice.

Catholic Chaplain at Ipswich Hospital Fr Adrian Gates is the Catholic Chaplain at Ipswich Hospital (01473 726701). Please contact him if you or a Catholic is in or due to go into hospital and requires his services.

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

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

• 4.30-6pm: KOGS (KS 1 & 2) wih crafts, games, tea and Bible stories (Children’s University Learning Destination). This month: What’s in the Bible with Buck Denver • 6.30-8pm: BRiaN Reloaded (11-18s), serious Bible study with some serious fun thrown in Wednesday, May 4: Meeting Place See below; please note change from usual day and time Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday w/b May 8 & 22: Home Groups for Bible study and prayer THE MEETING PLACE Power Trip: Depart 1pm on Wednesday, May 4 This month we are having an outing to the Museum of Power near Maldon in Essex. The museum is housed in an old water pumping house.

The steam driven pump used to pump water from the River Blackwater to Southend. The museum is devoted to the preservation and display of many forms of energy and power, new and old. but the exhibits will bring back childhood memories.

Mondays 8, 16 and 23: Monday Madness!

We will have tea at the tea room in the museum before our return which we expect to be at 5.30pm. Please call Andrew Rowe (01206 393586) or David Boorman (01255 671891) to arrange a lift or for more information.

• 1.15-2.30pm: Trinity TOTS (pre-school plus carers) for play, good company, refreshments, music and a Bible Story.

For the latest information on these or any of our activities visit www.trinity-manningtree.org.uk or call Pastor Gaius on 01206 393745.

KEY NOTES FOR MAY

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CHURCH NEWS LINK LINE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

MANNINGTREE BENEFICE

Services and events in May

An all-age Anglican Church meeting in St Mary & St Michael’s Church, Mistley and St Lawrence’s Church, Bradfield

Saturday 7: Monthly Café/Oasis Event at Ogilvie Hall, Wignall Street, 9.30-11.45am, with stalls, information, refreshments and fellowship. A warm welcome awaits.

Sunday Services at The Venture Centre, Bromley Road, 3pm May 1: Community Songs of Praise May 15: Invitation Service May 29: Family & Friends Sunday Friday 20: Prayer & Progress Meeting at Honeycroft on Waldegrave Way, 10am Wednesday 25: Fellowship outing to Perrywood Garden Centre and Cressing Temple Barn. Everyone welcome.

Our free mini-bus services cover the district. For details and further information contact us on: 01206 272064

EAST BERGHOLT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Cemetery Lane, East Bergholt CO7 6RZ Pastor: Mrs Maralyn Bambridge, 35 Birch Drive, Brantham, Manningtree CO11 1TG / 01206 393022 / maralyn.bambridge@yahoo.com Services Sunday morning at 10.30am; all welcome Communion at the end of the service on the second Sunday of each month Coffee Mornings: Every Thursday morning, 9.30-11.30am Services in May Sunday, May 1

The Rev Peter Beard

Sunday, May 8

Ted Wheatley, Communion Service

Sunday, May 15

Nick and Jane Pavett

Sunday, May 22

The Rev David Searle

Sunday, May 29

Derek Bailey

KEY TO LOVE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Where Jesus is Love and love is Jesus COME AND JOIN US IN OUR NEW FELLOWSHIP – EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

This May we’re preparing for Pentecost, remembering the day that God sent His Spirit to be with us forever. We’ll be looking at this subject in our ‘family’ services In the run up to Pentecost, and will be celebrating Pentecost itself with several services on this theme. Please see the website for more details of themes, times and places.

We will be holding Café Church again this month, wrapping up our exploration of prayer. If this is something that interests you and you’d like to find out more, please do come along. There’ll also be food and drink, children’s work, discussions, time to listen, things to watch, and lots of other ways to connect and find out more.

Finally, we’re preparing for a weekend-long event over the Queen’s birthday, June 11-12, celebrating the last 90 years of our churches in the community. We’re particularly looking for memorabilia from that period to borrow and exhibit, and please do also put it in your diaries now and come along! For more information see page 4 or visit our website.

Please do join us for any and all of these services and events, and don’t forget to check the website and publications in and around the churches for more information. If you’d like to get weekly up dates by email, please email the office (see below). We’ll be happy to help.

Services for May Sunday, May 1 10.30am Joint Worship with Communion and Treasure

Seekers*, Mistley 6pm Evening Prayer, Bradfield Thursday, May 5: Ascension Day 9.30am Ascension Day Service, Mistley Sunday, May 8 10.30am Holy Communion (Common Worship), Bradfield 10.30am Family Worship with Treasure Seekers*, Mistley 3pm VE Day Service, Manningtree High Street 6pm Evening Prayer, Mistley Sunday May 15: Pentecost 10.30am Pentecost Family Worship with Treasure Seekers*, Bradfield 10.30am Pentecost Holy Communion (Common Worship), Mistley 6pm Quiet Communion, Bradfield Sunday, May 22: Trinity Sunday 8am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer), Mistley 10.30am Churches Together Service at Manningtree Market Sunday, May 29 10.30am Joint Café Church with Treasure Seekers*, Bradfield 11am Jutland Memorial Service, Manningtree High Street *Treasure Seekers is our children’s programme for ages 3+ All services are at St Mary & St Michael’s Church, Mistley (CO11 1ER) or St Lawrence’s Church, Bradfield (CO11 2US) unless otherwise stated

Hear the teachings of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, with our lively worship and service. Refreshments served afterwards.

Vicar: The Rev Christine Hills, 01206 392200

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ON THE GRAPEVINE FROM THE ARCHIVES The Lawford Riot, machine breaking and beer (1816)

Anthony Frost also blamed their actions on being unable to find work.

Two hundred years ago there were steep rises to the cost of living and mounting rural unemployment. The parish and the church were meant to be central in providing ‘poor’ relief to those most affected. In Lawford and Ardleigh the two local vicars seem to have been the cause of increasing rural poverty and disquiet, rather than the solution.

The incident followed similar cases in the weeks before, including one at Sible Hedingham, and the Lawford men joined the five from there awaiting trial. Six more locals were then indicted and added to the list – Thomas Francis, young Philip Fearis, John Eddock, John Frost, George Stephenson and James Sparrow. They were now going on trial for the more serious offence of rioting. As well as the case against the boy Appleby, five of the other cases were however quickly dropped, leaving just Eddock, Hart, Stephenson and Sparrow, identified as ring leaders.

The effects of the ‘enclosures’ were still working through, with tenants being forced to quit their small holdings. The Rev Marshall Lugar farmed a large estate at Ardleigh Park and enclosed a further 130 acres. He also purchased one of the new threshing machines. Coming into use since 1786, the introduction of transportable models in 1805 made them even more widespread. The rural workers saw these as a real threat to their livelihoods, adding to fears of debt, eviction and starvation. A growing sense of grievance focused on the technology, against which people could vent their anger.

Trying to make the most of his investment, Lugar agreed to hire out his new machine for a couple of days to The Rev William Wood, vicar of nearby Lawford. He also combined his pastoral duties with farming, particularly the ‘charity’ lands that ran behind the Kings Arms and the old blacksmiths on Wignall Street and the lane to Church Hill where a large rectory had been built.

Events came to a head on Thursday, July 11, 1816. One witness was labourer James Harrington who had come with the machine from Ardleigh and been employed for the day by the Lawford vicar to thresh his wheat in the stack yard between the rectory and the church. Along with four fellow workers they had retired to the stables for dinner at about 1pm when they heard a loud cracking noise and rushed out to be confronted by 13 to 14 men and boys, armed with hammers, axes and hatchets. They were knocking the threshing machine to pieces and managed this fairly quickly. James was later able to name seven of the Lawford men and young Appleby, one of the six boys.

The Ardleigh workers clearly didn’t have time or inclination to try and stop the armed mob attacking the machine, though there was a clear tension, broken as the gang calmly walked away bidding the workers a cheeky ‘goodbye’ as they went. It could have turned nasty. The Ardleigh machine and labourers who came with it were stealing badly needed work and wages from local men and their families. If they had intervened, things could have turned out very different for all concerned.

An initial hearing was held at the midsummer court on charges of riot, misdemeanour and breaking a threshing machine. The men had no legal advice and the court could see they did not have means to pay fines or cover the costs of the damaged machine. Despite their earlier confessions, the court advised them to plead not guilty, agree to be bound over for a later hearing and on that basis had them released. A newspaper report of the busy court session mistakenly reported they had been found guilty and sent to jail for six months, whereas it was the Hedingham men who had been sent down.

The court later wrote to The Rev William Wood giving notice of the trial but suggested he let the four be acquitted. It became clear to the vicar that prosecuting the rioters was going to cost him dearly and trying to get compensation off them for the damage caused to The Reverend Lugar’s machine was pointless. Tensions emerged with the JP (Nunn), who was clearly more interested in acting decisively to maintain law and order in the parish, but had set proceedings in motion that The Rev Wood would have to pay for. The vicar had also generously agreed to refund the men’s court costs, amounting to 14 shillings, which he then discovered was largely to cover fees claimed by the JP for taking the witness statements.

In a letter to the court he lashed out at Nunn, which was extraordinary given his status in the parish. He demanded to know whether similar costs had been charged against him during a case a few years earlier where, as part of another act of enclosure, Nunn had blocked off an old and useful public road, causing great offence to the locals.

The vicar further claimed neither The Rev Lugar or himself were ever consulted about a court action and were surprised further steps were taken after the four had been released from prison after the first hearing, which he thought had been the end of it. He was clearly in a moral dilemma as well, the consequence of having paid the Ardleigh workers and machine to come and do his thrashing work, rather than local men, pushing families of his flock further towards the breadline and to taking the law into their own hands.

He told the court he was truly sorry the men had been arrested, dropped his prosecution and asked for them to be released from bail. He still faced the financial problems and on hearing the legal fees had risen close to £4, asked if he could claim compensation for the damage to the machine and get help with his court expenses. As a result all were acquitted, though by Christmas John Eddock was still refusing, or was unable to pay his fees to the court.

Further riots and machine breaking took place during the summer and the government of the day reacted with a number of repressive measures. After a good harvest in 1817 the situation improved, but widespread uprisings known as the swing riots took place in the summer of 1830, with the vitriol still aimed at the threshing machines.

It’s not clear whether the men had fortified themselves at the Kings Arms beforehand or were going off for a beer to celebrate getting the job done afterward. Either way the party was soon over and James Went, Edward Turtle and Anthony Frost were rounded up by the squire Thomas Nunn, the local Justice of the Peace from Lawford House, and committed to Colchester Jail to await trial for the offence of machine breaking.

Whether the Lawford men or their families ever forgave the vicar or attended his church again to hear him preach on their Christian duties, we shall never know.

Two days later the JP and his son took statements from them while they were being held. James Went was the first to confess his crimes. Thomas Francis likewise, saying it was because he had no work. Edward Turtle and

Also see VENTURE CENTRE 2000 on page 6 for details of Manningtree Museum and Local History Group’s display of Roman finds from Dale Hall, Lawford

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Philip Cunningham www.manningtree-museum.org.uk

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