In Touch News with Manningtree – September 2016

Skiphire www.collins-skiphire.co.uk

For a fast, efficient & price friendly local service

01206 230053

orders@collins-skiphire.co.uk

In Touch

™© ™©

with Brantham, Lawford Manningtree & Mistley

Volume 6 • Issue No. 11 • SEPTEMBER 2016

Sunset over the walls at Manningtree by Kerry king

CUSTOMER REVIEWS FROM Yell.com HHHHH Fantastic company, service and products – LindaBut1 HHHHH Trustworthy family run company at its best – Samantha JHB HHHHH Excellent speedy service – Jeanette Wr

CHERRY KITCHEN MAKEOVERS EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE PERFECT KITCHEN I established Cherry Kitchen Makeovers because not everyone wants or can afford a whole new kitchen. Also quite honestly there’s no need for the extra hassle and expense a lot of the time. I knew that with a great range of top quality products, hard work and good customer service we would be a success. I also feel that more and more people like to use local family run businesses as they get a more personal service.

Of course I like working with my son Ben as it’s hard to get him round for Sunday dinner nowadays. I even managed to get my other son, Ross, back from university last summer to help paint the new showroom!

Our doors are fitted to your original kitchen carcass with minimum hassle, a solution which costs approximately half the price of a full refit. In certain kitchens there is only so much that can be done with the layout and it simply needs an update.

We can suggest plenty of ways to create a completely new look while still making the best use of the available space. If you want to breathe new life into your old kitchen call us today on 01206 615858/932466 or visit www.cherry-kitchens.co.uk to request a free brochure.

Neil Connell

the Ultimate

®

KITCHEN MAKEOVER

Kitchen Makeovers SOUTH

The most cost effective way to

EAST

transform your kitchen ...without the hassle of a traditional rip-out and re-fit!

FREE

LE SS M E SS LE SS FUSS

THE

HALF PRICE of a new kitchen

GLASS SPLASH BACK OR QUALITY FLOORING

herry pick Cfrom the best!

GREAT VALUE

GREAT PRICES

Limited Period Only!

(Terms & Conditions apply).

GREAT SERVICE ®

Why choose CHERRY? Avoid the upheaval and expense of replacing your cabinets

overs

Kitchen Make

e the Ultimat the Ultimat e KITC HEN

MAK EOVE

R COLLECTI

KITC HEN

ON

ired... ens.co.uk

cherry-kitch

Huge choice of worktops from Laminate to Granite and Quartz Average installation time only 2 to 3 days - less mess, less fuss, half the cost!

Comprehensive guarantee on all furniture fittings and appliances

®

Makeovers

ER COL LECTION

be insp

Revitalise your kitchen from a simple door change to a complete makeover Retain your existing cabinets - avoid waste, save money and help the environment

Kitchen

MAK EOV

be inspired... cherry-kitc hens.co.uk

CHERRY KITCHENS SOUTH EAST LTD.

Range of quality luxury flooring available Full replacement kitchen service also available Rubbish removed from site

2

5 STAR RATED

Join us on facebook

Call now for your FREE 36-page colour brochure or FREE noobligation survey & quotation on -

01206 615 858 01206 932 466 0800 633 5337 www.cherry-kitchens.co.uk

In Touch online:

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR I’ve been particularly fortunate in recent months to find myself in parts of our local countryside I’ve never visited before, not always by choice thanks to roadworks, but I have been reminded anew just how beautiful this part of the country is. Time and time again I have discovered hidden gems, stunning views, beautiful country pubs, lovely farms and cafes and community shops selling fabulous local produce.

NEWS ANGLIAN WATER CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

Despite the fact that I’m from another country I don’t actually like travelling. The actual physical process of getting there, wherever it may be, is enough to put me off going. I’ve done the ‘sun holiday’ and it’s not for me. I don’t function in 38 degree heat and I don’t tan so what’s the point?

When we travel abroad we embrace new things, we seek out new adventures and force ourselves to ‘make the most of every minute’, almost to the point of exhaustion. I’ve only tried (and loved) windsurfing in St Lucia but could easily do it regularly here at home. I’ve run into freezing seas in Portugal and Cape Cod (which I’ve pretended to enjoy because that’s what you do on holiday) but barely dip my toes in the North Sea which is 30 minutes from home (and a warm bath). I’ve walked to mountain tops in sweltering heat in Italy, but go everywhere by car in East Anglia.

When we stay at home our free time is too easily absorbed by real life responsibilities, but imagine what we might discover if we were to focus the same sense of adventure to a day spent within 10, 20 or even 30 miles from home. The next time you find yourself at a loose end, stick a pin in the map or just take a road you haven’t taken before and allow yourself to enjoy whatever comes your way.

This month my colleagues and I are supporting Macmillan’s Big Coffee Morning and welcome readers, contributors and advertisers to pop in for coffee and cake from Monday 26 to Friday, September 30. It would be lovely to meet you. I shall be making scones.

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

01473 400380

Send editorial copy to: manningtree@intouchnews.co.uk Readers are invited to submit articles, illustrations and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

Advertising Email: advertising@intouchnews.co.uk

01473 400380

Distribution Tree Martin Email: tree@intouchnews.co.uk

01473 400380

Printing Colourplan Print Email: steve@colourplan.co.uk

01473 400379

Disclaimer: The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements or editorial, the publisher/editor will not accept responsibility for any unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints. © Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. © In Touch with Brantham, Lawford, Manningtree, & Mistley is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd as part of the “In Touch with. . . ” series of magazines.

We also publish

IN TOUCH WITH . . .

• Hadleigh • Stowmarket • Capel St Mary • East Bergholt, Dedham & Flatford • Needham Market, Creeting St Mary & Creeting St Peter • Sproughton & Burstall • Claydon, Barham & Henley • Kesgrave & Rushmere • Martlesham Heath & Old Martlesham • Bramford, Offton & Somersham • Woodbridge & Melton • Gt. & Lt. Blakenham, Baylham & Nettlestead • Westerfield, Witnesham & Tuddenham St. Martin • Copdock, Washbrook, Belstead, Bentley & Tattingstone • Ipswich East, Broke Hall, Ravenswood & Warren Heath • Shotley, Chelmondiston, Pin Mill, Holbrook, Woolverstone & Erwarton

IN TOUCH WITH . . .

OCTOBER DEADLINE

10 SEPTEMBER 2016 is the final date for both advertising and editorial copy

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

Water is a valuable resource and despite what it feels like sometimes, we are in one of the driest regions of the UK. With that in mind, it is very important to ensure we keep our river water as clean as possible to meet the ever increasing drinking water needs of the region.

Alton Water Reservoir supplies over 200,000 people around the Ipswich, Felixstowe and Shotley area with wholesome drinking water. Anglian Water’s treatment works can treat up to 10 million gallons of water every day to the stringent drinking water standards set by our regulators.

A chemical that we find particularly difficult to treat is Metaldehyde, which is found in the most commonly used slug pellets. If Metaldehyde finds its way into water it can be very persistent and we have to dilute the water with other sources to bring levels down.

Over the last two years we have been working with local farmers to encourage the use of an alternative slug pellet ingredient called Ferric Phosphate, which isn’t an issue in water. Although agriculture covers three-quarters of East Anglia it is not the sole contributor of Metaldehyde in our watercourses. Ditches and drains connect to watercourses so it’s very important to consider your allotment and garden use of pesticides.

Ferric Phosphate pellets work just as well as Metaldehyde and stop slugs feeding straight away, sending them underground to die so you do not see the slug trails or slugs the next day. Ferric Phosphate based pellets are available at most garden centres so give them a try.

Gary Hodgetts, Catchment Advisor, Anglian Water 07802 856632 / ghodgetts@anglianwater.co.uk

MACMILLAN AFTERNOON TEA

St Mary’s Church, Lawford Saturday, September 24, 2.30-4.30pm Tea, cakes and scones will be served.

There will be a raffle in aid of Macmillan.

Cost of afternoon tea is by donation, all of the profit will go to Macmillan.

3

NEWS GIVING THANKS FOR ST MICHAEL’S AND ALL ANGEL’S CHURCH, MANNINGTREE, 1616-1967

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR Anti-social behaviour is one of our main priorities at Suffolk Police. Some of the main examples of this are noise, harassment, vandalism, graffiti and fly tipping, nuisance neighbours. street drinking, violence and hate behaviour (which can target a group of people or it can be directed at an individual or at a property).

Suffolk Police are working with partner agencies to reduce anti-social behaviour issues. This has proved to be a very successful way of working, along with preventing crime and giving public confidence.

Our promise to the public is: To listen to victims To take action to solve the problem To prevent any further reoccurrences To inform the victim what you have done

This year marks 400 years since St. Michael’s Church, Manningtree, was built. The church stood on Manningtree High Street from 1616 until 1967, having been changed and extended several times over that period.

While there are many different stories about what happened to lead to the church’s closure and demolition, we know that St Michael’s was a place to encounter God, a blessing to the community and a spiritual home and family for many, and we want to gather together to thank God for its mission and ministry.

We will therefore be holding a special service this year on the nearest Sunday to St Michael’s Day, to gather together, to share memories and to give thanks to God for St Michael and All Angel’s Church.

Please join us at St Mary & St Michael’s Church, Mistley on Sunday, September 24 for tea together at 4pm, followed by a special service at 5pm.

If you have any memories of the church and church family, or photos that you would be happy to share, please contact the church office as we’d love to include them if we can.

Manningtree Benefice Church Office: 01206 392200 / info@manningtreebenefice.co.uk www.manningtreebeenfice.blogspot.co.uk

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

If you need to contact the Hadleigh Safer Neighbourhood Team go to the Suffolk Constabulary website or email: hadleigh.snt@suffolk.pnn.police.uk We are now covering 49 villages from Hemingstone to the north, Brantham to the south, Nayland to the west and Shotley to the east.

Sgt Gary Milbourne Pc Chris Garrod Pc Sarah George Pc Di Porter Pcso Adams Pcso Bignell Pcso Cooper Pcso Ford Pcso Page If you need to contact the police in a non-emergency then call 101.

In an emergency call 999. www.suffolk.police.uk Twitter: @BaberghPolice Hadleigh SNT, Hadleigh Police Station, Magdalen Road, Hadleigh IP7 5AD

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

The approved minutes can be accessed online at: www.essexinfo.net/mistleypc/parish-council/meetings Dates of next meetings in the village hall Thursday, September 15, 7.45pm: Planning Committee Monday, September 26, 7.30pm: Full Council

LAWFORD PARISH COUNCIL You can read the council’s minutes on: • www.essexinfo.net/lawford-parish-council

4

SUFFOLK DEMENTIA HELPLINE Call 01473 353350

• on the parish council’s noticeboards

Here to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• minutes can be collected from the Parish Office by prior arrangement as the offices are not open to the public

The helpline can provide a listening ear as well as information and signposting to services that can help.

In Touch online:

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

5

NEWS CONSTABLE COUNTRY MEDICAL PRACTICE Repeat Prescription Requests The practice processes hundreds of prescriptions every week. To ensure patients are safely prescribed the medication they need, every item needs to be checked by a doctor before it is authorised. Please allow up to 72 working hours (three working days) for prescriptions to be processed by the surgery before collection. Your chosen pharmacy may then take 24 hours or more to dispense the items, depending on availability. You can drop repeat slips into the practice or to your nominated pharmacy if it is close to the practice, though pharmacies in Essex are unable to accept repeat slips. You can also request repeat medication via SystmOnline web access or phone app if you have registered for an account. However, requests cannot be accepted over the phone.

Medication Following Hospital Discharge When a hospital discharges a patient they should be given a minimum of 14 days medication if any is required. The consultant will send the practice a letter requesting our doctors prescribe any further medication.

However, the patient will need to contact the practice if they need a prescription to be issued. Patients’ circumstances can change and this system ensures that medication is not dispensed unnecessarily.

Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) In November the practice will be implementing the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). This is a national system which is now being rolledout across Suffolk. The aim of the EPS is to reduce reliance on printed prescriptions. With the exception of prescriptions for some special types of medication, the majority of prescriptions will be signed and sent electronically to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice. This will speed up the process and provide a clear audit trail of where the prescription is at any point in time.

In order for the system to work, patients should nominate a pharmacy for their prescription to be sent to. You can inform either the pharmacy of your choice or the practice. You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time and if you need to pick up a paper prescription you can still do so. However, patients who are on repeat medication will benefit the most as potential delays will be minimised. Note that you will still have to

CONSTABLE COUNTRY PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP (PPG) As previously reported, our first public and patient engagement meeting under the auspices of the PPG took place last month. The topic was The Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications. The feedback we have had from that meeting has been very encouraging such that we firmly intend to hold further similar meetings on topics of general health interest.

In response to the number of requests for a meeting on the prevention of heart attacks and other related heart topics, we will be asking an eminent cardiologist to give the talk at our next meeting. More details of this event, which we intend to hold in Capel, will follow shortly.

A range of different health related topics will be considered by the PPG for our subsequent events, but suggestions from patients or from members of the public on topics they would like to see covered – and to which they feel they would like to come – will be very welcome. Please use a comment card and drop it into one of our PPG comment boxes in the waiting room areas, or let me, PPG chair Kathy Pollard or any member of the PPG have your suggestions.

Do, please, continue to use these comment cards on any issue within the practice that you feel we should know about – good or not so good. We pursue them all and our contact details are displayed in both surgeries.

6

submit your repeat slip, which will be issued by the pharmacy, with the items you require ticked and the practice will still require up to 72 hours to process your request.

There are many other benefits to EPS including nominating a pharmacy elsewhere in the UK when you are on holiday, or a pharmacy near where you work. Prescriptions are sent as soon as the doctor has authorised them, minimising delay for urgent medication needs.

Breast Feeding Facilities If mothers would like somewhere private to feed their baby, please ask a receptionist who will be happy to find a suitable room.

Annual Flu Clinics We are starting to prepare for our annual flu clinics and I’m happy to confirm the dates as follow: East Bergholt Medical Centre: Tuesday, October 11, 2-7pm Capel St Mary Surgery: Thursday, October 20, 2-7pm The clinics will run on the same basis as previously: all eligible patients will receive a letter by mid-September inviting them to attend on one of the above days. Patients may attend either clinic, irrespective of where they live, and no appointment is needed.

Training Days A reminder that the practice will be closed from 1pm on the following dates for staff training: Thursday, September 15 Wednesday, October 12 Thursday, November 17 On these afternoons the doors will be closed so please ensure any prescriptions are picked up well beforehand. If you phone the practice the recorded message will ask you to ring 111 for medical assistance if your problem cannot wait until the next day.

Practice Manager Pete Keeble

Practice manager Pete Keeble focuses on prescribing issues this month and the proper use of medicines is something which members of the PPG strongly support. Nationally, a huge amount of money is spent on drugs supplied within the NHS, many of which are required on a longterm basis. The repeat prescription facility is something we all need to give some thought to as it is well recognised that some of us tend to stock pile medication that we don’t really need – yet. Just look inside your bathroom cabinet, or wherever you keep your medicines, and check that you really do need a routine repeat of everything that is on your repeat prescription request form this month.

For all sorts of reasons, including (let’s be honest) occasionally forgetting to take the medication, or because of a variation in pack sizes, you might find that you have more than enough of one or more of your drugs to last you another four weeks, so you really don’t need to order any more. And it does matter for a number of reasons why over-ordering of medicines is not a good idea. For example, they may go out-of-date, your doctor may change your treatment, or you might unpredictably develop side effects.

So it makes good practical sense, for repeat prescriptions, only to order what you need for the following four weeks and to submit or drop in your request form a clear 72 hours before you need to receive or to pick up the dispensed medicines.

Frank Wells, Vice Chair, Constable Country PPG 01473 730101 / drfrankwells@gmail.com In Touch online:

Home grown pansies, violas & mini cyclamen

Large range of Autumn planting bulbs

Browse our gift shop for a large range of cards and gifts

Bromley Road, Colchester, Essex CO7 7SF - 01206 870605 Find out more about us at www.blenheimgardencentre.co.uk

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

7

OUT & ABOUT RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT HARVEST APPEAL

STOUR VALLEY ARTS AND MUSIC

Manningtree Methodist Church is supporting Make a Splash, the Methodist Church Relief and Development Harvest Appeal 2016 to build new water facilities and improve sanitation in Uganda where one in four don’t have access to clean water and more than 8,000 children die every year from diarrhoea.

This appeal will be the focus for the church’s Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 25 at 10.15am and the following days. The Methodist Church is working with its local partner in Uganda Voluntary Action for Development (VAD).

Any support will be more than welcome. Contact 01206 395263 – donations to All We Can, the operating name of the Methodist Relief and Development Fund.

The morning service will be followed with a bring and share lunch in the church hall.

PEDAL FOR YOUR LOCAL HOSPICE Whether you are a long-distance cyclist or just enjoy a leisurely family bike ride, why not turn your pedal power into pounds by joining in one of St Helena Hospice’s cycle events?

Sunday, October 9 at 4pm: Calder String Quartet at St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt, generously sponsored by Jane Adams

First up there is the London to Brighton 54 mile route on Sunday, September 11 starting at Clapham Common and finishing on the iconic Brighton Pier. The ride is open to all cyclists from age 16 upwards and is perfect for aspiring or seasoned cyclists, or corporate teams.

Benjamin Jacobson (violin), Andrew Bulbrook (violin), Jonathan Moerschel (viola) and Eric Byers (cello) will perform Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor op 10, Hillborg’s Kongsgaard Variations and Beethoven’s String Quartet no 8 in E minor op 59 no 2.

London to Brighton is renowned for its amazing atmosphere and sense of fun. This cycle challenge is perfectly placed to offer small or large groups a great experience. Participants will come away with wonderful memories and a sense of achievement! To find out more about this challenge please visit: www.sthelenahospice.org.uk/challenges

The New York Times described The Calder Quartet as “outstanding” and “superb”. We have managed to lure these fabulous musicians to East Bergholt to start our 65th season of concerts during their European tour which includes the Wigmore Hall and venues in Zurich, Frankfurt and Madrid. Performing in prestigious concert halls in the USA and Europe, they have obtained a reputation for their interpretation of a wide range of music, which is why they are frequently selected by composers to play their new music.

If London to Brighton isn’t for you, then how about taking part in the annual St Helena Hospice Cycle Ride on Sunday, October 2? There is a route for every cyclist over the age of five, with five, 24, 56 or 100 miles around beautiful countryside to choose from, all starting at Monks Farm in Dedham.

It’s £7.50 for under 16s and £12.50 for adults to register for the five mile route and £15 for under 16s and £25 for adults to register for the 24, 56 or 100 mile routes. To register online please visit: www.sthelenahospice. org.uk/cycleride16 Registration will close at noon on Friday, September 30 and re-open on the Sunday morning of the event when the registration fee will have increased.

To talk to the St Helena Hospice events team about either of these cycling challenges, please call 01206 931468.

The musicians were inspired by the innovative American artist Alexander Calder while at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Bringing immediacy and context to the works they performed, the quartet won the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2014. Their masterclasses are sought across the USA. The Boston Classical Review said: “The Calder stand as one of the finest and most dynamic string quartets on the scene today. The musicians play with impeccable intonation and fierce commitment to the music.

But the most remarkable aspect of the quartet is their ability to blend as an ensemble. Their sound is like silky fabric that is even in all parts.”

The season continues with: Sunday, November 20 at 4pm: Alison Rose (soprano) and James Cheung (piano) at St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt Sunday, January 22 at 4pm: Clare Hammond (piano) at Constable Hall, East Bergholt Friday, February 10 at 8pm: Lecture by Dr Lois Oliver: Love and Loss: The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice in Art and Music, at Constable Hall, East Bergholt Sunday, February 26 at 4pm: Vanbrugh String Quartet at St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt Sunday, March 19 at 4pm: Kammerphilharmonie Europa at St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt Box office and information: www.svam.org.uk / 01206 298426

8

In Touch online:

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

9

OUT & ABOUT SEPTEMBER AT THE VENTURE CENTRE, LAWFORD

CHAPS – OUR LOCAL MEN’S HEALTH CHARITY

Sunday 4: Link Line, 2-4pm

CHAPS is a men’s health charity dedicated to raising awareness of men’s health problems.

Why? Because UK men’s health statistics are so poor in comparison to both women and our European neighbours across the whole spectrum of disease. Sixty-thousand UK men of working age die prematurely every year at a rate one and a half times that for women. The causes are well known: heart disease, smoking, cancers, diabetes, suicide and risk-taking behaviour to name but a few.

Monday 5: Little Acorns demonstration of clairvoyance with Wayne McHugh, 7.30-9pm. Doors open 7pm, admission £3.50.

Thursday 8: Singing 4 the Brain, 2-4pm Friday 9: Little Squigglers messy play and creative classes provide a fun way for your under five to grow in confidence and develop new skills. Our classes provide a perfect opportunity for children to experience sensory activities you may not want to embark on at home and create some fabulous works of art. From 10.30am for children aged two to four years and from 11.30am for children under two-and-a-half years.

This is a free taster class with the opportunity to book for the rest of the term at a discount. Spaces are limited for each class so please get in touch soon to find out more or reserve a space: sarah@littlesquigglers.co.uk / 07886 179413 Wednesday 14: Lymphedema Support Group, 11am-1pm Further information from Linda McFadden: 01206 241338 / lindamcfadden203@btinternet.com Thursday 15: New miniature art course. Contact Jenny: 01473 310337 Saturday 17: Simply Events Autumn Craft Fair. You will find 30 handmade craft stalls full of inspirational crafts and gifts including textiles, handmade soaps, jewellery, glass and ceramics, handmade cards, art and photography. Once you have browsed the stalls come and enjoy a cup of tea and a selection of homemade cakes and light lunches from our tearoom. 10am-4pm, free entry.

Sunday 18: Link Line 2-4pm Tuesday 20: Link Line Coffee, Chat and Cake A time when people can meet up for a chat with light refreshments upstairs in the Ivell Suite, 10am-noon. Open to everybody.

Thursday 22: Singing 4 the Brain, 2-4pm Saturday 24: Link Line celebrate 24 years of Witness, Worship and Praise.

Join them in a celebration lunch and thanksgiving service from 10.30am.

Guest speaker David Freeman and ministry in song with Sounds Alive.

Please contact Frank: 01206 272064 / 07999 527719 Tuesday 2: Blood Day Thursday 29: New miniature art course. Contact Jenny: 01473 310337 Regular Classes Monday: Table tennis, quilters, patchwork, Active 4 Life Keep Fit Tuesday: Yoga, art classes, choir Wednesday: Weight Watchers, body conditioning, pilates, art classes Thursday: Upholstery, Jo Jingles, Baby Ballet, Slimming World, Friday: Active 4 Life, pilates, Little Squigglers, Boogie Shoes Saturday: Available for private hire Sunday: Fortnightly Link Line meetings / Key to Love Christian Fellowship at 11am / available for private hire For further information on times and contact details visit: www.venturecentre2000.co.uk 10

There are numerous health programmes devoted to women’s care, but few equivalent services exist for men, while men themselves remain largely unaware of health issues and reluctant to use the services that do exist. For instance, NHS health checks aimed at detecting the top seven causes of premature death are offered to men aged 40-74, yet less than 50% are actually taken up! Furthermore, although prostate cancer kills 11,000 UK men annually, there is no national screening programme and only 8% of UK men avail themselves of the PSA prostate cancer screening test available to them via the NHS. Our objective is to raise awareness on the premise that if a man knows what can go wrong, he at least will have the knowledge to make an informed choice as to whether to take preventative action. Over the last five years CHAPS has run men’s health days, typically at football stadia, where we have provided free tests to men for aortic aneurysm screening, heart disease and stroke risk assessment, diabetes, skin cancer and prostate cancer screening.

At ITFC last October 138 men attended and we even had a team from the Medical Detection Dogs collecting urine samples from men having prostate checks to train their dogs to recognise prostate cancer! So far we know 11/94 prostate checks were abnormal and one man with an unknown aneurysm underwent potentially life-saving surgery within two weeks of the event. Another first on the day was a successful seminar, Mental Health in The Workplace, run by Suffolk User Forum, Suffolk Mind and Picasso HR. At our last event in Clacton in December an exceptionally high attendance thoroughly endorsed our raison d’être. For instance, 21 heart checks and eight prostate checks were abnormal while eight skin cancers were diagnosed. These results typify our activity and overall in 2015 we performed a total of 1,944 clinical tests for 814 men at eight events.

We are concentrating our activity in Essex and Suffolk on the principle that ‘charity begins at home’ and in recognition of considerable local unmet health needs. Sadly we have all lost friends to preventable and curable diseases, but through local support at local events we can make a difference. We are therefore encouraging male orientated groups such as Rotary, Masons and Lions and employers of male workforces to commission us to provide smaller, private health check events for the members or employees. To find out more, please check our website at www.chaps.uk.com or contact us at: chris.booth@chaps.uk.com / info@chaps.uk.com / 07734 747854 This year’s event at Ipswich Town Football Club on Thursday, November 3 will offer the following health checks: • Aneurysm screening • Cardiovascular risk assessment – your risk of a heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years • Diabetes screening • Skin cancer • Prostate • Physiotherapy, blood pressure and BMI checks The day is co-ordinated by CHAPS and the clinical services will be provided

by Onelife Suffolk, Ipswich Hospital, the Suffolk Nuffield Hospital, Day Lewis Pharmacy and the Co-op (hearing tests).

In Touch online:

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

11

12

In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT ACORN VILLAGE

STOUR CHORAL SOCIETY

A huge thank you to everyone who supported the fun and friendly dog show with classic cars on August 6. Tom and Gemma from Highcliff Veterinary Practice judged the classes with support from the lovely Sarah and yet again did a brilliant job. The cups and rosettes sponsored by D.N Howells went down a storm with the Olympic themed silver and bronze rosettes being very popular. The classic cars were beautiful and added a lovely ‘chill out’ area to the day.

Stour Choral Society is all set for a very attractive 2016/17 season.

The first concert of the season is at Mistley Parish Church on Saturday, November 26 at 7.30pm with music by Bach, Handel and Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols. The concert on April 1, 2017 in East Bergholt Parish Church will feature John Rutter’s Magnificat and Faure’s Requiem, followed by a summer concert in June.

There are too many people to mention who gave up their free time to volunteer on the day, but a huge thank you to them all. We appreciate it so much and could not put on these events without your help.

Rehearsals start on Monday, September 5 from 7.30pm in the Methodist Church Hall, South Street, Manningtree (CO11 1BQ for Satnavs) when new voices will be very welcome. Just come along and give us a try.

In September we are launching a book on the history of Acorn Village written by Tony Tuckwell with assistance from Heather and Ray Ablett.

Please see our Facebook page and the newsletter on our website for more details. This will also be available on site at Acorn Village.

Full details from Duncan: 07714 702510

MANIFEST FILM NIGHTS

EAST BERGHOLT HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

East Bergholt High School Sunday, September 18 9.30am-noon Admission 50p Refreshments available Free Car Park PITCHES In advance: cars £5, with trailers £7, domestic vans £10 On the day: cars £6, with trailers £8, domestic vans £11 No traders Gates open 8.30am for sellers ( 01206 298122

Friday, September 30: Dad’s Army Join us for a fun evening with an all-star cast including Bill Nighy, Tom Courtenay, Sarah Lancashire and many more well known actors. Rating PG, doors open at 7pm with the movie starting at 7.45pm.

Friday, October 21: The World’s Fastest Indian The story of New Zealander Burt Munro who spent years rebuilding the 1920 Indian motorcycle which helped him set the land speed world record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967. Rating PG, times as above.

MANIFEST THEATRE The season of plays at the Manifest finishes with Scrooge, November 29-December 3 (with a matinee on December 3). Kerry King directs the Manifest Theatre Group, producing an entertaining show in our great theatre. Not to be missed. Box Office: 07444 724271 For future news visit: www.manifesttheatre.co.uk

All the girls wore yellow, her favourite colour It’s the little things that make a funeral special

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

Here for you every hour of every day

01206 391855

for your local funeral director www.eastofengland.coop/funerals 13

OUT & ABOUT MANNINGTREE & DISTRICT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY The season of mellow fruitfulness beckons and boats drift lazily on their moorings in the early mist. Captured here by David Edwards.

We’re open for business again after the summer break on September 8 to hear a talk by local photographer Ian Love entitled Ride the Red Elephant.

Future meetings September 22: A discussion evening where members are invited to bring photos taken during the summer and to talk about them.

September 29: The More I Practise the Luckier I Get by Roger Hance FRPS AFIAB October 3: Inter-club competition hosted by Harwich & Dovercourt Camera Club at the Cliff Hotel, Dovercourt We meet on Thursday evenings, twice monthly, at 7.30pm at the St Johns Centre, Station Road, Manningtree CO11 1EB. The annual subscription will remain at £35 for 21 evenings. New members are welcome to join the society or may attend initially as a visitor (£3).

For more information contact: 01206 396958 / madps@post.com www.manningtreeanddistrictphotographicsociety.co.uk

KNIT AND STITCH

MANNINGTREE FREEMASONS Manningtree Freemasons have helped Essex Scouts with what is probably the biggest donation to Scouting by Freemasons in any single county.

A few months ago we announced that Essex Freemasons were gong to celebrate 300 years of English Freemasonry by raising £100,000 to assist Essex Scouting. Well the money has been raised, and added to, so the Scouts have now been given £145,000 to assist in building an activity centre.

The centre at Skreens Park near Chelmsford will be equipped with a Tall Ships Ariel Runway, a parachute drop and high walkways and will be used by other organisiations as well as the Scouts and other young people in Essex.

Your local lodges played a full part in raising this money and have also managed to raise substantial donations to other groups including Parkinson’s Disease Research, The Air Ambulance, Diabetes Research UK, Cancer Research UK, Breath Easy, The Royal British Legion, East Anglian Children’s Hospice and our own Mason charity. Freemasons do try to help the community and are not the inward looking organisation as many think.

September is upon us and the lodges at Manningtree begin their new year welcoming new members to our ranks and joining in the social activities being organised over the next 12 months. These include ladies’ festivals and lunches, open evenings, a mystery tour and barbecues.

We will also see the start of our Festival 2022 and Essex-wide effort to raise substantial sums for charitable causes. Our last festival in 2012 raised £5.5million and our 9,000 members in Essex hope to exceed that amount over the next six years – and of course have a lot of fun doing it.

Knit and Stitch resumes at 2pm on Thursday, September 22 at Manningtree Library.

Of course we are not just about raising money for charity. Very soon we will be launching our new website and you will be able to read about our work and meetings in more detail. We will publish details of the new site as soon as it is completed. Meanwhile get in touch and talk with us.

Everyone is welcome to enjoy time with other crafty people. Bring whatever project you want for dedicated craft time and chat.

We always welcome new members. The cost is not high to join us, the subscription being £12 a month. Interested in helping good causes and joining a group of like minded people? Contact 01206 392348 and we’ll tell you more about ourselves, our historic background and what we do.

ST MICHAEL’S, MONTHLY MARKET The next monthly market at St Michael’s, The Church on the Park, Woolverstone is on Saturday, September 10, 9am-12.30pm.

A chance to buy a whole range of products from local people including fruit, vegetables, cakes, bread, meat and an interesting range of handcrafted items.

East End Butchers are pleased to be the market’s resident meat supplier. If you would like to place on order with them it can be collected at the market each month.

Their number for orders is 01206 392190.

Come along to mingle with your friends, have a cup of coffee, and a bacon buttie and enjoy the lovely venue.

New stalls welcome. Contact Jane Gould: 01473 780777

STOUR VALLEY MEN’S PROBUS CLUB Our popular summer lunch at Lawford Venture Centre on Sunday, July 17 was much enjoyed by members and friends.

Future meetings September 7: Tom Hodgson on What the Papers Say September 21: Francis Boardman on The Battle of Waterloo October 5: Anne and Dennis Kell on Natural History of Bats October 19: David Ablewhite on Wallace and Edward We meet at 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 to providing the opportunity for development of acquaintances. New members are welcomed. We meet on the first and third Wednesday of each month in Manningtree at 10.30am.

For further details please contact secretary Brian Rolfe: 01206 393665

14

In Touch online:

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

15

16

In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT MANNINGTREE MUSEUM AND LOCAL HISTORY GROUP The speaker in July was the geologist Ian Mercer who told the complicated story of the River Thames through the ages. The Thames has been changing its course for two million years, carrying silt and pebbles over southern England. Before then, when Britain was still attached to the continent, the Thames flowed north-east and discharged into a great marshland along with other great rivers flowing from Europe. The marshland eventually became the North Sea. The last Ice Age forced the Thames southwards and eastwards. The land has been rising over the last two million years and during that time the river has been altering the landscape, leaving deposits and forming terraces.

With the help of maps Ian showed us the great flood plain of the presentday river and the terracing to the north caused by river flow in the past. In Roman times there was much marshland attached to the wide, shallow, tidal river. The hill at Greenwich was originally a river cliff. The building of the Embankment in 1865 helped to control the flow of water.

Ian had brought with him a collection of pebbles which he has found locally, pebbles from south Wales and Cornwall carried here by the Thames when it flowed over this area. He explained that we are in a young Ice Age which will hit its peak in 20 to 30,000 years time. The greatest impact of the Thames on the landscape has been during times of great cold and the story of the Thames isn’t finished yet.

After the talk there was much discussion including a brief lecture on the formation of flint nodules. Members of the audience were encouraged to handle the pebble collection.

On September 28 Jane Pearson will present a talk entitled The Rise and Fall of Colchester’s Good Time Girls, 7.30 for 7.45pm in the Methodist Curch Hall. Members free, visitors £3.

MANNINGTREE CHESS CLUB After the success of last season when Manningtree A won the Suffolk League Cup for the first time and narrowly missed out on the league title by just one game point, the new chess season will start on September 7.

For the first time in Manningtree Chess Club history we will be fielding a third team in the Suffolk League. The new season will start with a simultaneous display by our highest graded and Division 1 player of the year Andrew Lewis. New members are welcome to attend and participate.

BRANTHAM OVER SIXTIES On July 12, Vivienne Wiggins talked to us about Beacon House in Colchester, a Christian charity run as a shelter for the homeless and destitute. She spoke of her work as manager and how the homeless come for food, clothing and somewhere to sleep.

Mrs Wiggins gave an insight into the kind of things that happen there.

Many come for a shower and clean clothes, and for something to eat.

Freed prisoners who have nowhere to go are welcomed, until they can get a job and somewhere to live and a new start. Just sitting them down together for a meal can help them integrate into society and become able to get their lives back. Beacon House also helps teenagers who have left home for some reason. The shelter is run by volunteers and is helped by donations of food and clothes from supermarkets.

Jane Woodley visited on July 26. A retired nurse, she told us of her life nursing around the world. After her training, she saved hard so that she could travel, first visiting the United States where she worked until she could save enough to travel on. In this way she visited many countries, including Australia and New Zealand.

Dates for your diary September 13: Colchester Castle by Yasmine Somers September 20: Quiz September 27: Norwegian Coastal Voyage by Chris Parfitt October 11: The Rise and Fall of the Colchester Good Time Girls (1855-1895) by Dr Jane Pearson October 18: Bingo October 25: When The Clock Strikes Twelve by Barbara Faulkner Meetings are held at Brantham Leisure Centre on Tuesday afternoons, 2.30-4.30pm. Visitors are always welcome and we are always looking for new members. For more details contact Jean Lace: 01206 396242

STOUR VALLEY U3A 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 others who visit gardens, churches and historic buildings.

Manningtree Chess Club meets at the Methodist Church Hall on South Street at 7.30pm on Wednesday evenings from September to April. New players are always welcome.

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, have over 260 members and 21 groups. For further information please visit www.stourvalleyu3a. org.uk where membership secretary Val Pretty may be contacted.

For further information please contact Carl (01206 391051) or Jim (01473 310561) or visit: www.manningtreechess.info

Our popular summer dinner on Friday, August 5 at the Constable Hall was much enjoyed by members and their friends.

TEA & SUPPORT IN MISTLEY 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 the 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.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, September 21 when we will be going on an local outing for afternoon tea – venue yet to be decided. Meet at the Church Hall at 2pm as usual. Please note that a nominal charge for hired transport as well as for refreshments will apply.

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 available from Paskell’s or from the church. www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

On Wednesday, September 14 historian, writer and lecturer Dr John Ashdown-Hill FSA, FRHistS will talk on The Mythology of Richard III. He will explore the traditional mythology and modern myths which have emerged since the discovery of his remains in 2012. Was he a usurper?

How many did he kill? Who was really responsible for finding his remains?

On Wednesday, October 12 Andrew Phillips OBE (Lord Phillips of Sudbury) will talk on Life in The House of Lords. He will give his views on the House of Lords, which he knows inside out, as an institution and will add some reminiscences from his 17 years there.

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

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

17

OUT & ABOUT CHARITY QUIZ AND CURRY NIGHT

CALLING ALL CREATIVE CHILDREN Do you love to draw and paint and make exciting things with fabric and thread?

If you are eight years or older then The Young Embroiderers Group is where you can discover the joy of creating and learning in a group with people who share your love of the exciting things you can do with fabric, thread, beads, paint and so many other materials. We will be meeting on a Saturday once a month in Colchester.

The Royal British Legion Manningtree & District branch held a quiz and curry night in association with the Crown Hotel in Manningtree on Sunday, July 31 in aid of the Poppy Appeal.

On the night we had 14 teams of four competing for the first prize and each participant paid £5 to take part. The night was a great success and with ticket sales, a raffle and poppy pots we raised an amazing £442 for the Poppy Appeal, taking the smallest town in England to over £13,000.

An amazing achievement by all.

A massive thank you goes to Crown landlord Tony Wallace and his staff Ben and Sandra, the quizmasters and all who took part. The general consensus is to hold a quiz every couple of months so watch this space, Branch Chairman Jamie Robinson

ORWELL DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS SOCIETY The society has its first meeting of the 2016-17 season on Wednesday, September 7 when Tony Faber will recounting the history of his renowned family publishing firm Faber & Faber through its illustrations, covers and designs. Tony was managing director of Faber & Faber for five years, the firm his grandfather founded. Sounds like a great start to the new season.

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 (2pm arrival is advised). Guests and non-members are welcome, provided we have available space. A £6 donation is asked.

For more information contact Wendy Robbins: 07736 417347 / info@orwelldfas.org.uk / www.orwelldfas.org.uk

18

The Young Embroiderers’ Group has been running for 20 years, but there has been a change of leaders due to the loss of the group founder so we are re-establishing the group which is part of the Embroiderers’ Guild Colne and Colchester Branch. The leaders have been appropriately checked and are very aware of all aspects of child safety.

If interested, or if you would like more information, please contact Linda Watts: 01206 392348 / lindawatts1@sky.com You can find our more at: www.embroiderersguild.com

WEA BRANTHAM BRANCH Tuesday, September 27, 7.30-9pm at Brantham Leaisure Centre: Geoffrey Chaucer, Civil Servant and Poet by Graham Platts We start with Geoffrey Chaucer’s family background in Suffolk and London, before turning to the events of his lifetime, some literary and cultural traditions he inherited and short, illustrative examples of his writing.

It’s £49 for nine weeks and you are welcome to try out the first session before joining. Refreshments served.

For further details, please contact Penny Hynes: 01206 396376 To register online visit: www.wea.org.uk

CAPEL COUNTRYSIDE CLUB Meetings resume on September 13 with a talk on North Carolina by Teresa Dukes.

We meet in the Methodist Church lounge at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of the month. You will be most welcome to join us, we need some more members to our small club.

We have some very good speakers lined up for the autumn. In October have a talk on the Galapagos Islands and the subject in November is Woodland Wonderland.

Roger Felgate, 01473 311684 Doreen Parker, 01473 311267

In Touch online:

Fresh

IDEAS THEIR LUNCH BOX

will love

Liven up their lunch box with these monsterific sandwiches! Soft sliced bread filled with ham and salad, with cucumber slices and olives for eyes!

For your nearest store visit

www.eastofengland.coop

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

19

Sales, Lettings and Property Management We always have high demand for quality properties in your area

For an honest and professional valuation call:

01206 589 109 enquiries@ecvh.co.uk

Essex & Suffolk Office, 2 The Lane, Manningtree

EssexCountryHomes.com

20

In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT VILLAGE LINK CLUB Marianne Brame presented a talk on silver and gemstones at our August meeting talk, followed by a fish and chip lunch for club members.

Bill Diamond and Griff John will present a talk entitled The History of War Memorials on Wednesday, September 14.

Future talks this year: A Naval Sailor’s Life is a Merry Life (with music); Creative Story Writing; Pavements We Walk On; Nothing Like a Dame; Dedham, Lavenham and the Cloth Trade; Chaplin of the Methodist Homes; Wolves, Dogs and Us; Easter Parade; The Building of Bury Tower.

Meetings are held in Tattingstone Village Hall on the second Wednesday of every month 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

SEPTEMBER AT RSPB FLATFORD WILDLIFE GARDEN Well, the swifts are no longer wheeling overhead, the early morning sunlight has a slightly more mellow quality and the air has a fresher, cooler feel to it. Unmistakeably, the season is moving on.

Flatford Wildlife Garden is looking rather shaggy round the edges – just as it should at this time of year. It can be tempting for us to look at this and rush to cut back all the summer’s spent growth in an attempt to restore tidiness and order. However, it’s important to consider that the needs of wildlife need to be balanced with aesthetic qualities, and to hold back a little, ensuring that there are seedheads aplenty left for the birds (teasels and sunflowers are especially appreciated), and adequate shelter throughout the colder times ahead. If you find it hard to restrain the secateurs, just keep in mind how beautiful frost-lined seedheads and stems are on a crisp and cold November morning! It’s fine to trim conifers and hedging towards the end of the month as the birds will no longer be raising young there. Anything with berries though, is a useful food source, so leave those for now.

Here at Flatford, we will keep the lovely annual cosmos flowers going as long as possible by deadheading regularly. The bumblebees will thank us.

At the end of the season the worker bees will die and only the queens will hibernate. When they come out into the light of day again on one of the first warm spring days, they will need an energy boost before setting about finding a suitable nest site to settle in. They will have gone through the winter full of fertilised eggs, and they will need extra energy to produce these, so why not plan some support for them now by planting early flowering spring flowers and bulbs? Hellebores are useful as they flower early, and over a long period. White dead nettles and pulmonarias (lungworts) are also very good. Crocus bulbs can also be planted. Crocus Tommasini flower early and are easy to naturalise. September is also a good time to think about dividing and moving herbaceous perennials. At the end of the month, the soil is still warm and it’s ideal for establishing new root growth, although repositioned plants will still need watering unless we have rainy weather.

Do come along to the garden for more information and ideas about what you can do to have a garden that’s great for people and also supports wildlife. The more building development we see, the greater the need for us to make our gardens effective for wildlife. For more details, please visit: www.rspb.org.uk/Flatford We’re also on the lookout for more RSPB volunteers at Flatford. We have roles in both the gardening and welcome teams available. Contact us for more details or call in at the garden to speak to us: 01206 391153 / sharon.barker@rspb.org.uk Visitor Experience Officer Sharon Barker www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

21

OUT & ABOUT / SPORT LAWFORD & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Last month’s speaker unfortunately had a car accident on the way to Lawford, so Peter Gant stepped in at the last minute to ensure the monthly meeting went ahead. He gave a very interesting talk on the River Stour with photographs both old and new, and many old postcards he has collected of the river and it’s nearby buildings and bridges. Thank you very much Peter.

On September 3 we have our autumn show so we invite you all along to Ogilvie Hall between 2 and 4.30pm to see what members have produced this year. There will be lots to see, a plant stall and refreshments. All the committee would like to see you there.

The AGM will be our September meeting on Thursday, September 15. If you would like to make suggestions for next years programme why not come along?

EAST BERGHOLT UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB The season kicks off with a midweek game for the First Team at Ipswich Exiles on August 24. The Reserves start on September 3 and the A Team on September 10.

Upcoming Fixtures & Events Date 1st Team Reserves ‘A’ Team

Senior Division League A League B Wed, Aug 24 Ipswich Athletic (A) Sat, Aug 27 Felixstowe Harpers Utd (A) Sat, Sep 3 Haughley Utd (H) Framlingham (A) Sat, Sep 10 Crane Sports (A) Crane Sports (H) Claydon

Res (H) Sat, Sep 17 Westerdield See Website See Website

Utd (H) Sat Sep 24 Grundisburgh (A) See Website See Website Sat, Oct 1 Leiston See Website See Website

St Margarets (H) Fixtures subject to change. Please refer to the fixtures website to confirm.

Quiz Night: provisional date Saturday, September 17 Race Night: provisional date Saturday, November 12 We are always looking for people who can help the club as a committee member, whether it be on the playing side or just in the background.

If you would like to sponsor the club in some capacity we would also be delighted to hear from you. Club strips, dugouts, banners or boards on matchdays offer exposure for your business while supporting a local organisation.

Steve Butcher, stevebutcher55@btinternet.com

22

MISTLEY CRICKET CLUB July 100 Club Winners 1st £100: Simon Everett / 21 2nd £50: Matt Bibby / 1 3rd £45: Darren Kempster / 66 The past month A strong run has seen the First Team rise from a position near the bottom of the Division One table to fourth place at the time of writing. The Twos have also put in some good performances and look comfortable in Division Three, while the Saturday Thirds have enjoyed a good season and currently sit fourth in Division Nine East.

Sundays have proved a little more challenging this season, particularly for the Division C side who have regularly had to compete against much older and stronger opposition.

The Ladies too have enjoyed a good season and are currently third in the Ladies T20.

UPCOMING FIXTURES Saturday Cricket 1st TEAM Two Counties Div 1 Sat, Aug 27: Braintree (H) Sat, Sep 3: Coggeshall (A) Sat, Sep 10: Worlington (H) 2nd TEAM Two Counties Div 3 Sat, Aug 27: Coggeshall II (A) Sat, Sep 3: Kelvedon & Feering (H) Sat, Sep 10: Sudbury (A) 3rd TEAM Two Counties Div 9 EAST Sat, Aug 27: Kesgrave II (H) For more information and results please visit: www.twocounties.com Sunday and Midweek Cricket NECL and National Village Competition Mon, Aug 29: North Essex T20 Finals Day Sun, Sep 4: Eight Ash Green (H) Div C TEAM Two Counties Div C Sun, Aug 28: Friton (H) Sun, Sep 4: Brightlingsea (A) Ladies Two Counties Fri, Aug 26: MCC (H) Sun, Aug 28: Felixstowe T20 (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.

In Touch online:

Fresh veg delivered to your door!

Part of Realise Futures Horticulture

We provide fresh, local, seasonal vegetables and produce that are low in food miles and high in freshness through a box of veg scheme.

Large Box ‘o’ Veg Small Box ‘o’ Veg Bag ‘o’ Veg Bag ‘o’ Fruit

£10 £8 £5 £5

Call 01473 831224 Part of

www.growingplacessuffolk.co.uk www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

23

CHURCH NEWS An all-age Anglican Church meeting in St Mary & St Michael’s Church, Mistley and St Lawrence’s Church, Bradfield If you haven’t heard, The Rev Christine Hills has announced her retirement. She and Geoff will be leaving us at the end of October. Please join us in praying for Chris and Geoff as they prepare for this new season in their life, and for the rest of us preparing for a new season in the life of the Benefice.

With September comes the new term, focussing us on God’s provision and His good gifts. Please join us for our celebrations over Harvest, and don’t forget Messy Church on Wednesday, September 14 at Mistley Norman School. There will also be another Café Church gathering where we sit round tables with bacon rolls and coffee, with discussion starters, film clips, images, music, times to talk and time to listen. This month we’re thinking about the theme of politics, so if you or anyone you know might be interested, please come along and bring them with you. Check out the website, information in church and posters, all coming soon.

This year marks 400 years since the building of St Michael’s Church in Manningtree. While it was closed over 50 years ago, there are still many people around who were members of the church family and found it to be a blessing. We therefore want to mark the occasion, thanking God for the mission and ministry of St Michael’s with a service together on the closest Sunday we can to St Michael’s Day, Sunday, September 25 at 5pm.

Please join us for this special service, and if you have any memories or photos of St Michael’s please feel free to contact us with them: we’d love to include them if we can. We’ll also be having afternoon tea together beforehand from 4pm to which everyone is welcome. See page 4 for more information.

Services for September September 4 10.30am Joint Worship with Communion & Treasure Seekers* at Mistley 6pm Evening Prayer at Bradfield September 11 10.30am Holy Communion (Common Worship) at Bradfield 10.30am Family Worship with Treasure Seekers* at Mistley 12.15pm Baptism of Charlie at Mistley 6pm Evening Prayer at Mistley September 18 10.30am Harvest Communion (Common Worship) at Mistley 10.30am Family Worship with Treasure Seekers* with thanksgiving for

Chloe at Bradfield 12.15pm Baptism of William at Bradfield 6pm Quiet Communion at Bradfield September 23

7pm Harvest Supper and Service at Bradfield September 25 8am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) at Mistley 10.30am Café Church with Treasure Seekers at Mistley 10.30am Harvest Festival at Bradfield 4pm Thanksgiving Tea at Mistley 5pm Service of Thanksgiving for the Mission and Ministry of St

Michael’s Church, Manningtree at Mistley (see page 4) *Treasure Seekers is our children’s programme for ages 3+

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 and events. If you’d like to get weekly up-to-date information of what’s going on in the Benefice, please email the office (see below) and ask to receive the weekly email.

Contact Information Vicar: The Rev Christine Hills, 01206 392200 Associate Minister: The Rev John Brien, 01206 397549 Curate: The Rev Claire Scargill, 01206 395417 Church Office: The Rectory, 21 Malthouse Road, Mistley CO11 1BY / 01206 392200 / info@manningtreebenefice.co.uk www.manningtreebenefice.co.uk / www.facebook.com/ManningtreeBenefice

BRANTHAM AND CAPEL METHODIST CHURCHES LETTER FROM BOLIVIA I am writing from Santa Cruz in Bolivia where, with a team of young people from Elmsett, we are visiting a project that has been working with the street children (aged eight-17) from the city for 25 years. Every week the Bolivian team talk with street children, giving then food and, when a child is ready to make a change, offering them a chance to live differently.

A meeting place is agreed and the child is brought to the reception home. In this safe place an individual preparation programme is arranged according to the child’s specific needs. If the child is willing to commit to a home, they are brought to either the boys or girls home, where there are house parents, staff and volunteers who care for, provide support and offer education and development. Both homes have part time teachers, psychologists and social workers. When the children are ready they will attend the local schools, while in the homes they will share in the chores, play games and other activities.

During the course of their time, some will make good progress, others have crisis moments and run away. Great care to follow up those leaving and offers of restoration are made. When students graduate from school, the project has recognised the need to provide ongoing support through the re-integration home, a place where the young people can live independently but with support from the team as they do further education or get a job.

24

For the staff and volunteers there is both immense joy when someone stays with them a long time and great heartache when children leave. For more information go to www.ywambolivia.org.uk or if you would like us to talk with your group, please contact me.

Rev Andrew Sankey Minister at Brantham and Capel Methodist Churches 8 Roundridge Road, Capel St Mary IP9 2UG apsankey@gmail.com / 01473 311178 / 07966 187216 AT BRANTHAM METHODIST Sunday 4 11am Worship with Bryan Nichols Sunday 11 11am Worship with Rev Chris Jowett Sunday 18 10.30am United Worship, East Bergholt

Congregational Church Sunday 25 11am Worship and Communion with Rev Ayden AT CAPEL ST MARY METHODIST Sunday 4 10.30am Worship with Will Leech Sunday 11 10.30am Worship with Jim Ross

6.30pm Worship and Communion with Rev Sankey Sunday 18 10.30am Worship with Paul Law Sunday 25 10.30am All Age Worship with Rev Sankey

7.30pm United Prayer Time at St Mary’s In Touch online:

The very best, natural healthy sleep…guaranteed

OPEN DAY SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER For pupils aged 4-18 years QUEEN’S HOUSE 2.00pm - 3.30pm

THE ABBEY 10.30am - 2.00pm

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

SENIOR SCHOOL 1.00pm - 4.00pm

01394 615041 admissions@woodbridgeschool.org.uk

www.woodbridgeschool.org.uk 25

26

In Touch online:

CHURCH NEWS BENEFICE OF EAST BERGHOLT & BRANTHAM www.constablecountrychurches.co.uk SEPTEMBER Sunday 4 Trinity 15 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 10am Benefice Communion, East Bergholt Wednesday 7

9.30am BCP Communion, East Bergholt Sunday 11 Trinity 16 8am BCP Communion (Healing), East Bergholt 10am Communion Service with guest preacher

Melissa from Home for Good charity, East Bergholt 11am Baptism of Sebastian Day, Brantham Friday 16 Wedding 1.30pm Wedding of Felicity Sand and Alex Miller,

East Bergholt Sunday 18 Trinity 17 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 10am Family Service, East Bergholt 11am Communion Service with guest preacher

Ossie Post from Africa Enterprise, Brantham Sunday 25 Patronal Festival 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 10.30am St Michael’s Patronal Festival with guest

Bishop Mike Harrison. Note start time, Brantham 3pm Baptism of baby Stewart and Eliza Rose Spurrell,

East Bergholt OCTOBER Sunday 2 Harvest 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 10am Family Service, East Bergholt 11am Family Service, Brantham Check the website for details. This service schedule may change without prior notice if needed.

272,000 people attended Alpha in the UK last year. Alpha is an opportunity to informally explore the meaning of life and think about the basics of the Christian Faith through talks and discussions. Each evening will start with a simple supper.

Meeting from 7.15-9.15pm on Tuesday evenings from October 4 for eight weeks at East Bergholt Primary School. Booking essential. Contact The Rev Matthew Ling: 07486 449625 / revmatthewling@gmail.com HARVEST FESTIVAL CHARITY Our charity this year is the Manningtree and District Foodbank.

They do not require food but are in great need of financial contributions which can be used to help people with electricity bills, pay for desperately needed respite or subsidising children’s school outings. Please place your donations in an envelope labelled Foodbank and put it in the offertory plate on Sundays, or at the Harvest Festival Service.

Pat Chandler from the Foodbank is also collecting duvets, bedding, towels, warm adult and children’s clothing, hot water bottles and such like. This is a good opportunity to clear out surplus stuff that we all accumulate. Please contact her on 01206 396686.

A service celebrating the work of Guide Dogs for the Blind will be held at St Mary’s East Bergholt on Sunday, October 16 at 3pm. Well behaved owners and their pet dogs are most welcome.

Some of Coco’s class of January 2016 will also be attending. The short service will be followed by refreshments. There will be a retiring collection for the work of Guide Dogs for the Blind.

JUG MISSING FROM BRANTHAM CHURCHYARD For more than 30 years a jug has hung on a hook near the tap in the St Michael’s Churchyard for use by people tending graves and this has been a great help to them. Sadly someone appears to have walked off with it.

If you have taken it home by mistake, or know where it is, we would be very pleased to see it hanging on its hook again with no questions asked.

ST MICHAEL’S HARVEST TEA Saturday, October 8, 2.30 for 3pm Tickets costing £8.50 are now on sale from the Garden Café at Craft Nurseries, Harwich Road, Lawford CO11 1LS. To book call: 01206 233452

LINK LINE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES KEY TO LOVE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Where Jesus is Love and love is Jesus COME AND JOIN US IN OUR NEW FELLOWSHIP – EVERYONE IS WELCOME Hear the teachings of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, with our lively worship and service. Refreshments served afterwards.

Every Sunday morning at 11am in The Ivell Suite at Venture Centre 2000, Bromley Road, Lawford CO11 2JE. If you or someone you know needs prayer for anything, please contact us.

David and Rosie Rhule 07787 572977 / 01206 397533 / info@thekeytoloveministries.co.uk www.thekeytoloveministries.co.uk

(UN-DENOMINATIONAL)

At The Venture Centre, Bromley Road, Lawford CO11 2JE SERVICES AND EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER Sunday Services (fortnightly) at 3pm September 4: Outreach Service and focus on Meeting Points September 18: Guest Service (Deputation from ‘Open Doors’ Mission) No Cafe/Oasis Coffee Morning event this month.

Friday, September 16: Prayer Meeting and Fellowship at Honeycroft, Waldegrave Way, 10am Tuesday, September 20: Coffee, Cake and Chat Meeting Point in The Venture Centre’s Ivell Suite, 10am-noon. Transport available.

Thursday, September 22: Church and Wider Fellowship Mystery Tour Saturday, September 24: Link Line Christian Ministries 24th Annual Celebration Event at The Venture Centre: welcome and refreshments 10.30am; celebration lunch at noon; Thanksgiving Service 2pm.

Visiting speaker Mr David Freeman, Force Chaplain, Norfolk Constabulary. Supporting Ministry Sounds Alive Witness Team. To book lunch and special transport, please call: 01206 272064 For pastoral visits, further information and bookings contact our Pastoral Team: 01206 272064 or 01255 714544 We warmly welcome people of all ages.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

27

CHURCH NEWS MANNINGTREE METHODIST CHURCH South Street, Manningtree CO11 2JB Contact: 01206 393114 (answer phone) Sunday Services: 10.15am each Sunday We welcome visiting and outside preachers Holy Communion Services: please check dates and times on the noticeboard outside the church.

Bible Study: First Wednesday of the month at 2.30pm in the Committee Room with Holy Communion at 2.30pm on the fourth Wednesday.

ALSO MEETING ON OUR PREMISES Monday Workers’ Educational Association, 2.30pm / autumn and spring for nine lectures September to June, Stour Choral Society, 7.30pm Tuesday Co-op Women’s Guild, 7.15pm Wednesday Gentle Fitness Class, 9.15am Art Painting Group, 10am-noon Manningtree & District Chess Club, 7.30pm Museum & History Group (bi-monthly), 7.30pm Thursday Cheerleading followed by Zumba, 5pm

September sees the above groups starting up again after the holiday. For further details contact 01026 395263. Plans for the autumn are well in hand and include a quiz night on October 14 at 7.30pm, a bumper book fair from 10am-3pm on November 12 and the annual autumn fair on November 19, 11am-2pm.

FLOWER ARRANGING DEMONSTRATION Manningtree Methodist Church welcomes Toni, our local florist, for a flower arranging demonstration on Saturday, September 10 at 7pm in memory of the late Rev Bob Woods. The evening will include refreshments and a raffle.

SPECTRUM CONCERT Tickets for the concert by Spectrum, the talented singing group from Clacton, supported by Phil and Jemma on guitar, in Manningtree Methodist Church on September 30 at 7pm are now available at £6 from Maggie Woods (07867 546484) or church members. The evening will provide music to suit most tastes, vocal and instrumental. Soft drinks bar available. Don’t miss this special event.

This month’s picture features organiser Maggie Woods, speaker Helen Plummer and helper David Shearmur at the church’s Fairtrade tea and presentation on Saturday, July 30.

Treasurer: Mr Gordon King Church bookings: David Shearmur, 01206 395263 Also see RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT HARVEST APPEAL on page 8.

HOLY FAMILY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Ipswich Road, Brantham CO11 1TB Parish Priest: Fr Christopher Smith, 180 Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich IP2 0QQ / 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 front door.

Services for September Sunday 4 23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 9am Mass Tuesday 6 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 11 24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 9am Mass Tuesday 13 9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 10am Mass Sunday 18 25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 9am Mass with Children’s Liturgy Tuesday 20 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 25 26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 9am Mass Tuesday 27 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Catholic Commentary The wide extent of slavery in parts of East Anglia was revealed at a meeting between representatives of the Catholic Church, local police forces and the Office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The meeting was initiated by the Bishop of East Anglia, The Rt Rev Alan Hopes and was led by Bishop Patrick Lynch, chair of the Office of Migration Policy for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW).

28

It was a round-table discussion which heard from Catholic priests and specialist police officers with detailed knowledge of vulnerable communities in the region from Eastern Europe, Africa and the Far East.

Initiatives discussed at the meeting included producing information cards in appropriate languages about help lines and legal rights, appointing a priest to work with the communities and possibly setting up safe houses to facilitate escape from slavery.

Bishop Pat Lynch said: “The meeting was very successful in looking at the challenges of human trafficking and modern day slavery in East Anglia.

It built up a strong sense of co-operation between police, the church and vulnerable communities and an on-going commitment to help make people in vulnerable groups and the wider community aware of the issues, the realities and the suffering of people trapped in violence and inhumane treatment at the hands of their traffickers.”

Events and diary dates The 100 Club draw took place on Sunday, August 21 and three lucky winners shared £137. The club has gone from strength to strength since its launch. New members are always very welcome and the summer newsletter, which includes an application form, can be found at the rear of the church or at: www.stmarksparish.org.uk Every last Thursday of the month a Bring & Buy Coffee Morning takes place at Viv and Wyn’s home, Paddock Gate, Whitehorse Road, East Bergholt CO7 6TR from 10.30am to noon. We are raising funds for the Parish Room refurbishment and all are very welcome to join us. The next event is on Thursday, September 29.

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.

In Touch online:

Mon

Seated Exercise Counselling with Hannah

Tue

Farmers Market 9.30am - 12.30pm Beautician 9.30am Complementary practitioner 12.30pm Relaxation and meditation 7pm

1.30pm 9am

Wed Podiatry Belly Dancing Choir Wednesday Paper Craft (last Wednesday of month) Thur Massage Therapist Hearing Aid Specialist Fri

9am 7 - 8pm 1pm 1.30pm

10am Alternative weeks

Tai Chi Computers for the Terrified

1pm 1.30pm

Foundry Court Community Centre Colchester Road, Manningtree

01206 397283

www.foundrycourt.co.uk

Physio and Acupuncturist available on Monday and Friday afternoons - appointments required.

Venue available for hire for parties, wakes and anniversaries - all occasions considered.

For more details or to make an appointment please contact Carole on 397283

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

29

CHURCH NEWS / ON THE GRAPEVINE ST MARY’S CHURCH, LAWFORD Priest-in-charge: The Rev Simon Heron, 01206 392659 Services for September Sunday 4 8am Holy Communion BCP 8.45am Prayer Breakfast 10am Holy Communion Sunday 11 8am Holy Communion BCP 10am Harvest Festival 6.30pm Evensong Sunday 18 8am Holy Communion BCP 10am Holy Communion 6.30pm Cafe Church Sunday 25 8am Holy Communion BCP 10am Morning Worship FLOWER FESTIVAL Friday, September 9 to Sunday 11 Friday and Saturday, 10am-4pm / Sunday, noon-4pm Entrance by donation, light lunch and refreshments available Also see MACMILLAN AFTERNOON TEA on page 3.

CATHOLIC MASSES Saturday at 6.30pm in St Mary and St Michael’s (Anglican) Church, New Road, Mistley CO11 1ER Sunday at 8.50am in St Mary’s (Anglican) Church, The Street, Ardleigh CO7 7LD Wednesday at 9.45am in St Mary and St Michael’s, Mistley, preceded by Morning Prayer All are welcome at these masses and anyone who wishes to learn about the Catholic Faith, or who wishes to talk to a priest, should have a word with the priest afterwards, or contact Fr Jon Ravensdale.

Manningtree, Mistley, Lawford and Ardleigh is served by the Parish of St John Payne, Greenstead, Colchester. The Parish Priest is Father Jon Ravensdale: 01206 870460 / sjpchurch@btinternet.com Also resident in the parish are Father Michael Rear (01206 392695) and Father Mathias Odigbo.

SANDMAN 2016 You may have heard that St Helena Hospice has recently launched its 2016 SANDMAN event. The hospice’s popular 5km obstacle course will be back on Saturday, October 22, 10am at Cut Hedge Park, Halstead.

This year it is offering an even bigger and better course. The route designed by Mucky Races includes obstacles such as high walls, tyre hops, crawl nets, wobbly bridges, natural hurdles from fallen trees, the mud lake and a new obstacle called The Finisher.

Register online today for only £25 a person. The hospice is asking participants to raise a minimum sponsorship of £50 which will go towards helping provide patient and family care for those living with life-limiting illnesses.

For more information please contact: event@sthelenahospice.org.uk / 01206 931468 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

QUESTIONS ON CASH Independent Financial Adviser Nick Plumb answers your questions Steve and Dianne from Great Blakenham have a question about Wills: “We are common law husband and wife and we own our main residence jointly. We have two children aged two and four, and the total value of our assets, including our house, is less than the joint Inheritance Tax Nil Rate Band of £650,000. So, why should we both make a Will?”

Firstly, you have made the assumption that you are entitled to the same ‘doubling up’ of the nil rate band that married couples and civil partners are entitled to, but unfortunately, you are not. You will each be entitled to an individual Nil Rate Band for inheritance tax of £325,000. If you don’t make use of that Nil Rate Band on first death, then it will be wasted as it will not transfer to the surviving unmarried partner. Common Law is a term that actually has no legal meaning and infers no rights over and above that of single people.

Making a Will is one of the most important steps you can take in your family’s financial planning. While a Will can help with Inheritance Tax planning, that is not the sole reason to make one. In your case, it is particularly important that you both make a Will as soon as possible, as you or your partner could face some awful financial and family problems if either of you were to die, entirely as a result of you not being married.

Firstly, as you are not married to each other, your personal assets may not end up in each others hands. Although your house is jointly owned, and would therefore pass to the ownership of the surviving partner on the death of either of you, that may not be the case with your individual assets. If either of you have savings or investments in your sole names, or if you have life insurance policies or endowment policies on your own lives, the proceeds of these would form part of your individual estates on death. As you have not made a Will, your estate would be subject to the Laws of Intestacy, which would mean that your parents or your brothers and sisters could inherit your estate – but maybe not your partner.

However, there is a much bigger problem when it comes to custody and guardianship of your two children if either of you die without making a Will. Although you are both the biological parents of your children, depending on which of you dies first, the other may not automatically be granted custody of the children.

If Steve died first, Dianne would be granted custody of the children, but if Dianne died first, Steve would not automatically get custody.

Dianne’s parents could even be given custody and guardianship of your children. However, by making a Will and appointing each other as the legal guardians of your children, this problem can be overcome quite easily.

Our sister company, Plumb Will and Probate Services, can assist you with making a Will. They are members of the Society of Will Writers and can often arrange a home visit if you have difficulty with mobility or if you don’t drive.

Nick Plumb is an Independent Financial Adviser and Practice Principal at Plumb Financial Services of Baylham in Suffolk. The information within this column is provided only as a general guide and does not constitute personal financial advice. If you would like to take advantage of a complimentary meeting to talk over your options for your own investments or financial planning you can contact Nick by email at nick@plumbfs.co.uk or by calling the office on 01473 830301. Plumb Financial Services is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

www.sthelenahospice.org.uk/sandman16 30

In Touch online:

March Accounting & Taxation Services Ian Coombes FCCA MBA

• FREE initial consultation to discuss any tax, accounting and general business issues • Payroll, Auto Enrolment,VAT, Self Assessment, and full accounting service • Personable and professional tailored support • Fees agreed in advance • Out of office hours service available Individuals, self employed and limited companies

Please call Ian on: 01449 740285 / 07939 837939 E: ian@marchconsultingltd.co.uk

MID-SUFFOLK FENCING

SPECIALISTS IN QUALITY TIMBER FENCING

SUPPLY • ERECT • REPAIR

TIMBER & STEEL GATES DECKING PATIOS WOODEN BRIDGES FREE ESTIMATES 31 Alexander Drive, Needham Market IP6 8XG

www.midsuffolkfencing.co.uk

YOU GROW IT I’LL MOW IT

GROUNDS & GARDEN MAINTENANCE We offer the following services all year round: Grass cutting • Garden clearance Fences & Gates • Patios & Paths Hedge Cutting • Tree Cutting Sheds • Summer Houses Digger & Dumper work

For a free quotation please call Nigel Coton 01449 721025 or 07801 515505

To advertise in this section, which appears in 17 magazines in areas across Suffolk and Essex, please contact a member of our sales team on 01473 400380

www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree

31

Thousands of new buyers register with us each week. So choose us and you get access to a constant stream of people who are searching for a home like yours. But we also know more about each buyer, from their financial situation to their taste in property.

What does that mean for you?

Higher demand for your property and a smoother sale, from instruction to completion.

Call Jack at the Manningtree office

01206 393 478

8am - 10pm every day haart.co.uk

A LOCAL AGENT WITH BUYERS & KNOW-HOW