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Volume 7 • Issue No. 4 • MARCH 2017
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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR
NEWS SHOTLEY BIG QUIZ Fourteen teams squared up to one another on Saturday, January 28. All were fairly evenly matched and the scores were quite close, but Viking Forest and Mothers’ Union managed to come top in the first round with 15 points each. Norman had worked hard over the year and produced a magnificent set of questions. We discovered that puffins are of the Auk family, Federation Internationale de Natation, FINA for short, is the governing body of water polo and who knew that Indian Queens is a village in Cornwall? Well I do now! The final round to decide Shotley’s top group of 2017 was a hard fought contest, but Viking Forest proved more knowledgeable and lifted the title with a score of 19. All the groups were good sports and we thank everyone who came along either to take part or to support. On the night £340.50 was raised for Heritage 700 which will go towards the upkeep of St Mary’s Church, Shotley. Allana Baxter
MP JAMES CARTLIDGE BACKS SHOTLEY PIER PROJECT Chalkboard outside a small convenience store and bakery in Co Kerry. For once I’m going to let the picture do the talking! Happy shopping. Sharon
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with Chelmondiston, Erwarton, Harkstead, Holbrook, Pin Mill, Shotley, Stutton & Woolverstone In Touch with Shotley, Pin Mill & Woolverstone 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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Shotley Pier Group gained another notable supporter when South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge backed the project. James is pictured here with Harriet Steer, Annette Ellis and Gary Richen on his right and District Councillor Derek Davis, John Davitt and Mike Scott on his left. Mr Cartlidge offered support for a number of community initiatives on the peninsula while visiting Shotley Gate. A visit to the HMS Ganges Museum was followed by a boat trip down the River Stour to take a close look at the pier from the water and he was also able to learn about the work done by the Shotley Open Spaces group. Volunteers were able to chat with the MP during a fish and chip lunch at the Bristol Arms when Mr Cartlidge also learnt about plans to hold a series of events to mark Arthur Ransome’s centenary. For more information about Shotley Pier Group and the community’s bid to buy and renovate the 122-year-old pier, please see the newsletter delivered with this edition of In Touch.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION Join us once again to celebrate International Women’s Day in Stutton Community Hall on Sunday, March 12. This will be our fifth year of celebrating this annual event, with a programme of music, film, feasting, talks and displays. We are happy to report that Stutton Primary School will join us again this year, with a display of their work on inspirational women and songs. We will start at 12.30pm with lunch, begin the programme at 1.30pm and take a pause mid afternoon for tea and homemade cakes. Look out for a rash of Blue Plaques in Stutton shortly beforehand, marking the contributions of our very own local women to the community. A collection will be held for Ipswich Lighthouse Women’s Aid. Full wheelchair access and hearing loop system. Everyone welcome!
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NEWS LIFE-SAVING DEFIBRILLATOR IN CHELMONDISTON
WILDLIFE HEAPS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE
Chelmondiston Parish Council would like to thank the British Heart Foundation for providing the community with a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD), part funded by the parish council. We were also very fortunate in receiving a Call Push Rescue (CPR) training kit.
It has been noted that I maintain a pile of garden debris on the island at the entrance to Glebe Lane, and another just inside the front fence. Both these piles consist mainly of woody material, broken branches and twigs, and some leaf mould. They may be unsightly to some, but not to the myriads of wildlife, which dwell, breed and rely on such habitats for their very existence.
The defibrillator can be found in a yellow cabinet on the external wall of Chelmondiston Village Hall (IP9 1DX). It has a key-pad lock so in an emergency you must phone 999 and the Ambulance Emergency Service will give you the code. The defibrillator is a portable device that can be used by a member of the public to help restart the heart when someone has a cardiac arrest. It is completely safe to use and step by step instructions are given by a recorded voice when started. The parish council plans to run training sessions to raise awareness and to give you confidence in becoming a potential lifesaver. We would like to thank Suffolk County Councillor David Wood, who kindly donated £400 from his Locality Budget towards the cost of the cabinet and its installation and to the village hall committee for arranging to have it installed. Fran Sewell, Clerk to Chelmondiston Parish Council
EASTERN ANGLES AT HARKSTEAD VILLAGE HALL Venture across the wintry Scottish Borders for Eastern Angles’s next spring tour show, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart by David Greig, playing at Harkstead Village Hall on Thursday, April 6, 7.30pm. Follow Prudencia, an academic on her way to attend a conference in Kelso. As snow starts to fall, she begins a mystical adventure of self-discovery accompanied by plenty of folky musical moments. The strange and beautiful Scottish tale is told by four mischievous storytellers. Sometimes they speak in boombastic rhyming verse, sometimes through beguiling traditional folk songs which will set your toes tapping and your heart racing. Pull up a seat and enjoy the unforgettable experience of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart. Part live folk-gig, part folk tale, part barn-storming comedy, David Greig’s modern play will thrill and haunt in equal measure. Tickets £10 from Tony (01473 328687 / tleeson@lineone.net) or Margaret (01473 328657 / harward@btinternet.com). Next month we launch our 18th title, In Touch with Beyton, Drinkstone, Elmswell, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock & Woolpit. To advertise in this new edition contact the sales team on 01473 400380. All editorial enquiries to: sharon@intouchnews.co.uk
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And why do they need to exist? Mainly, apart from their aesthetic appeal, as a food source for creatures further up the food chain, mainly insect eating birds (which most are at some stage of their lives) and four-legged creatures such as hedgehogs, voles and smaller carnivores. Stag beetles, the largest of their kind in the UK, rely entirely on rotten material in their larval state. Shotley Peninsula is a hot-spot and is recorded as such on the national register. Grass snakes have also been seen in the vicinity. In the past, most of the country was covered with a layer of vegetable detritus on the forest floor, under hedges and beneath ferns on the heathlands. Wildlife abounded in unheard of numbers. Butterflies were fairly common, but 2016 saw a terrible decline, with only a few of the common ones being in evidence at all. Now there must be a correlation between the sad decrease in the number of birds and the current lack of food sources. When I moved to Woolverstone in 1959, bullfinches, house sparrows, siskins, greenfinches, gold crests and turtle doves were far more common than now. Less common though present were nuthatches, tree creepers, barn, tawny and little owls, and down the Marina road, nesting redstarts. It is assumed that most people love and enjoy wildlife and would wish to encourage it to flourish. So, if you haven’t got one already, build a wildlife heap somewhere at the back of your beautiful, tidy and manicured garden. Feed the birds, put up nest boxes, grow a clump of nettles for red admirals, peacocks and small tortoiseshells, and try to look on that unsightly pile of garden rubbish as a thing of beauty as it is to the thousands of insects and small mammals for which it is a haven without which their very existence is threatened. Michael Norman, The Studio, Woolverstone (January 2017)
SHOTLEY PENINSULA GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEMES A HELPING HAND WHEN NEEDED The Shotley Peninsula Good Neighbour Schemes are an important support network in our villages. They are run by volunteers under the umbrella of Community Action Suffolk. They can be contacted for assistance over a range of activities, including shopping, pet care, trips to hospitals and surgeries and collecting prescriptions. We are supported by parish councils and voluntary donations. All volunteers have been DBS and reference checked and are simply people in the community who don’t mind being asked for a helping hand. The contact phone is held by a rota of volunteers who ask volunteers in turn if they are free to help with a particular task. It is for all to use – all of us at some point are glad to be able to call on a neighbour for help. Please contact the Good Neighbour Scheme for your village: Chelmondiston and Pin Mill: 780408 Harkstead and Lower Holbrook: 328326 Shotley and Erwarton: 07799 873881 Stutton Support Network: 327753 Tattingstone: 07895 052086
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NEWS GETTING READY FOR THE SUFFOLK WALKING FESTIVAL 2017 Suffolk Walking Festival 2017 gets underway on May 13 until June 4. This year is the 10th anniversary of the festival, and there are more than 80 guided walks on offer all over Suffolk.
We would be pleased if you could join us on any of these walks. For further information take a look at the Walks around Shotley page at: www.shotleyopenspaces.co.uk
Three of these walks are being done by Shotley Open Spaces and are circular walks around Shotley. The walk on May 13 is the Shotley Point Stroll, a gentle walk of 2.7 miles. This is a great walk for getting to know Shotley Gate and takes in views of the River Stour and Orwell. It starts at noon outside the Bristol Arms.
The Walkers are Welcome page is also worth a look as we describe many of features around Shotley with photographs to illustrate what the village has to offer.
The second walk on May 27 is a little bit more challenging. The 5.4 mile Two Rivers Walk will start from the Shotley Rose car park at 11am, taking in views across farmland, rivers and passing by the historic St Mary’s Church. The third walk on June 2 is the longest at 7.5 miles, starting from the Shipwreck car park at Shotley Marina at 10am. This Farms and Rivers Walk will take around three hours and passes by River Stour salt marshes, Erwarton Church, across to the banks of the River Orwell and back to Shotley Marina. With outstanding views of both rivers it’s a chance to see the way the rivers are used for leisure and commerce. As the mighty Felixstowe docks come into view you get to see the enormity of the container vessels just a stone’s throw away across the river.
Speaking of Walkers are Welcome, we have now submitted our full application for membership of this national scheme. If we are successful Shotley will become an accredited Walkers are Welcome village and be able to take advantage of the benefits of being part of this national walking network. I hope to bring you news of our progress in the next edition of In Touch. As we gear up for the coming spring and summer we are aiming to help make improvements to the footpaths and open spaces in the parish, and any suggestions for improvements would be most welcome. If you have any ideas and suggestions please email: tony.lawfordrandall@shotleyopenspaces.co.uk Gary Richens
HOLBROOK PARISH COUNCIL
YOUR HOME – YOUR RIGHT TO SAY NO!
Key points from the parish council meeting in January
Police are warning residents to be mindful of rogue traders or doorstep sellers who turn up at your home uninvited. Bogus callers can be men, women or even children, offering a variety of stories to encourage you to buy items such as household products and food or offering services such as gardening work and property repairs.
Reade Field improvement project update A report has been received from the tree warden regarding works recommended on the Reade Field. It was resolved that the maintenance works with the Scouts will be pursued. Quotes are being sought for fencing for the play area. Casual vacancy Councillor David Ashlee has resigned from the council. Councillors noted the contributions that he has made over his years of service to the council and wished him well for the future. The two vacancies will be dealt with together. Registering The Swan PH as an Asset of Community Value Following a discussion, it was agreed that HPC should apply to register The Swan as an Asset of Community Value. The Swan supports sports teams and charity fundraising in the village and provides a different offering to the Compasses. The process does not have any cost or obligation attached but may provide a level of safeguard in the future. For full minutes of these and all other meetings visit: www.holbrook.onesuffolk.net Councillor training Members of the council have been attending training for councillors provided by Suffolk Association of Local Councils. This ensures that all the councillors are up-to-date with their powers and duties and are as well-equipped as possible to provide an effective council for the parish. The annual parish meeting will take place on April 26 in the village hall. For the first time, the Village Hall Management Committee will hold their AGM on the same evening. Times will be confirmed shortly. If you represent a village organisation and would like to reserve a table for display purposes or make a report to the parish meeting, please contact the clerk. Questions or comments about parish council matters should be addressed in the first instance to the clerk, Mrs Ferial Rolfe: holbrookparishclerk@outlook.com / leave a message on 07999 583017
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These individuals frequently deceive you into paying for work or goods you don’t actually need and may also provide a substandard service if they do any work at all. Occupants often feel pressurised and agree to work being done at over-inflated prices. Do not pay for work before it is satisfactorily completed – and remember you are entitled to a 14 day cancellation period if you pay over £42 for services or goods. IF SOMEONE CALLS: • Ensure you lock your back door before answering • Check who is there before you answer the front door (a spyhole is a good idea) or go to an upstairs window and look out • If you do decide to answer the door make sure you put on a door chain/bar before you open it • Ask the caller for identification and check it carefully – do not allow them access to your property. Genuine callers will not mind waiting while their identities are being verified. WHO CAN HELP? Police: If someone is refusing to leave your property or becomes aggressive towards you then call 999. If you see someone acting suspiciously call 101. Trading Standards / Citizens Advice Consumer Service: If you have received substandard services or wish to find out about NO COLD CALLING ZONES, a scheme setup in areas where unsolicited cold calling is becoming an increasing problem. Police can also provide residents with door/window stickers which can be displayed to deter unwanted callers. Contact: 03454 040506 (9am-5pm) / tradingstandards@suffolk.gov.uk Police: 999 emergencies only or 101 for non-emergencies Local police: Hadleigh SNT, Hadleigh Police Station, Magdalen Road, Hadleigh IP7 5AD hadleigh.snt@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
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NEWS REPORT TO PARISHES, ALTON WARD: MARCH 2016
DISTRICT COUNCILLOR DEREK DAVIS – BERNERS WARD
Babergh District Councillor Alastair McCraw
Shotley, Erwarton, Chelmondiston, Woolverstone and Freston Three major developments are at various stages on the peninsula but all offer positive benefits for the community, which outweigh the negative.
Greater Anglia’s Maintenance Depot in Brantham By now most will have heard that Greater Anglia/Abellio will be building a brand new state of the art train maintenance depot at the former factory site in Brantham. This is a major investment that will serve the brand new trains due to arrive in 2019. It also provides the Industrial Regeneration Area with the Prime User necessary to provide a solid base for future employment, as many in the village hoped. I don’t propose to go through all the details here though. Most importantly, the village will be kept informed and briefed as the process starts shortly. With Babergh, Abellio, Taylor Woodrow (the contractor) and Saint Francis Group we have arranged for Brantham and the parish council to receive a full briefing at the village hall from 7pm on March 7. Please attend if you can. It’s important that everybody gets the full facts and has all their questions answered. There will be a planning application and that will be subject to the consultation process, possibly around the same time. A lot of work has been done to make this happen and I’m going to pay tribute to Babergh, our MP and my ward colleague Harriet in particular here, but it’s the community who will be most affected. I believe that will be a positive effect, so feel free to ask me anything you want to know in the meantime. What does a councillor do? Part 2: Training and Committees Nobody starts off knowing this job, although good parish experience gives you a head start. You need some serious training. We’re governed by the Local Government Acts so we have legal responsibilities. If we’re going to serve on either of the quasi-judicial committees (Planning and Licensing/Regulatory) we must know those things and the rules governing them. Otherwise we’d just be accepting officer advice blindly without being able to apply our own judgement and understanding. That is, after all, what we’re elected to do. But the initial training, the regular refreshment and the constant updating is essential just to stay on top of a system that never stands still. When I started, I grabbed every opportunity to gain a background to all the committees and functions. That continues, although I’m pressing for more. There’s a lot of information available through the various papers, policies and press coverage, with some translation required! This involves a lot of reading, then some more. We recently undertook a survey of the time we spent on various council activities. I worked out that, all told, a 30-40 hour week was quite common for me. Thank God, I actually enjoy a lot of it. I’m now on two committees, Regulatory/Licensing and Joint Audit (the books). Plus I’ve been appointed to a Task and Finish group looking at our Public Realm (green spaces, dog bins, fly tipping, etc.). Shotley Pier: A New Life I started off with positive news. Here’s some more. The 122-year-old Shotley Pier is to receive matched funding up to £100,000 through the Co-op. This locally launched initiative to renovate has been going from strength-to-strength in recent months, thanks in large part to my Independent colleague Derek Davis in Berners Ward. If you’d like to help this effort to get things done, look up the Pier Interest Group, Shotley Suffolk on Facebook. As always, if anything concerns you please contact me via the methods below – or just say hello sometime. I’m on a Blue Claud Butler bicycle, usually with a yellow winter cycling jacket. alastair.mccraw@babergh.gov.uk / 07812 564188 Facebook: Alton, Alastair McCraw & Harriet Steer (an open group)
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An attempt by Woolverstone Parish Council to take the planning permission for 285 homes, a nursing home and a small hotel, along with a variety of other plans, at the former HMS Ganges was refused and work is getting underway. More than 20 acres of scrubland has been cleared and ecological work relating to snakes, lizards, newts and bats has been carried out. Under the terms of the agreement the historic fort near the foreshore will be explored with a view to restoring this important heritage site. It is good to see the new boutique bed and breakfast rooms above the Shipwreck completed. I was able to have a look around, they really are top quality with superb views and will be a superb addition to the front. Builders have also been cracking on with putting up 12 apartments on the river front along from the Bristol Arms. Our community bid to buy the pier marches forward as you will see in the accompanying newsletter. There is still a long way to go, but in five years time Babergh and Suffolk’s reigning Village of the Year will look a very different, and even better place to live. Fellow Independent peninsula councillors David Rose and Alastair McCraw have been involved in some meaty planning issues in their respective wards too, with the 70 homes at Admiralty Quarter in Holbrook taking shape. Alastair, along with his fellow councillor Harriet Steer who works closely with South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge, was able to tell his constituents about a proposed major investment by Greater Anglia/Abelio who want to build a state of the art train maintenance depot on the former factory site at Brantham. This offers wonderful employment opportunities for the whole peninsula and beyond, but a great deal of public consultation has yet to be shared Joined up thinking is not something that always happens at any level of government, and we are all the poorer for that. Social care beyond crisis Funding for social care by central government and local authorities has been woefully inadequate and, in turn, has had a hugely detrimental effect on our NHS. I attended a social care summit in February where the passion, despair and sheer frustration of care workers and managers struck home. The scene was set in the opening statement which said the whole sector was beyond being in crisis and the future was frightening. The key problem areas are funding and recruitment. The three per cent increase in the precept to go towards paying for social care barely scratches the surface. Recruitment with low pay, time pressures and actually finding trained nurses is a huge challenge while the differential in pay compared to supermarkets is a real issue in getting and keeping leaders. I was appalled to hear one care company was owed £55,000 by Suffolk County Council who had not paid bills for social care packages. This includes £33,000 for one person they had placed in their home. There is no simple answer but doing nothing is not an option and more outside the box thinking is required. For me this includes reintroducing cottage hospitals or convalescence homes to help solve bed blocking. If you have an issue you would like to discuss please get in touch: derek.davis@babergh.gov.uk / 01473 787375 / 07824 167196
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ADVERTORIAL TUCKWELL’S TO CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING WITH TURF AND LAWNCARE OPEN WEEKEND The Tuckwell family are opening the doors to their Ardleigh Showroom on April 1 and 2 for a special family weekend of turf, lawncare and clothing offers to get your garden into shape for 2017. The business, established in 1954 by Len Tuckwell, has a long and successful history of supporting the agricultural industry through both sales and service. Starting with just three employees, Len was one of the first four John Deere dealers in the UK. Ten years later his son Paul established the Ardleigh depot aged 21. Following university, Len’s grandson James also joined the business and the company has continued to grow. As a result Tuckwell’s is now one of the largest machinery dealers in the South East, with a strong focus on quality of service. Agriculture still remains at the heart of the business, but Tuckwell’s has more to offer. Garden and turf machinery, including a full range of John Deere mowers, are all on offer. Lawn and garden machinery specialist Bruce Davie said: “At our main lawncare showroom in Ardleigh, we offer specialist advice on mowers and help you decide on the best option for your lawn and budget.” Bruce and his colleagues are on hand six days a week. Bruce added: “We will also come to see your garden if that suits you better. The beauty of buying a machine from us is that we can provide you with the
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aftercare that you need. We have lawnmower parts in stock and a service team ready to help you look after and repair your machine.” Another growing sector of the business is Tuckwell’s expanding range of men’s and women’s country clothing, Out and About, stocking a handpicked selection of brands with a country/contemporary feel including Dubarry, Fairfax & Favor and Crew and Joules. As well as Ardleigh, the range is also in their Worlingworth branch and will also be at a number of country shows throughout the year. In addition to John Deere machinery, Tuckwell’s also stock toys. From ride on gators and farming toys to children’s John Deere overalls, there is a vast children’s selection in all depots. Managing Director James Tuckwell said: “We look forward to welcoming you and your family to our Ardleigh open event on April 1 and 2. It will be a fun weekend with prizes, special deals on lawnmowers and great discounts off our best-selling clothing brands. Come and join us for a bacon roll and coffee while your children enjoy the fantastic play area.” For more info please visit: www.tuckwell.co.uk P Tuckwell Ltd, Ardleigh Hall, Dedham Road, Colchester CO7 7LG
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NEWS NEWS FROM HOLBROOK AND SHOTLEY SURGERY Training days Our next training afternoons will be on Thursday, March 23 and Wednesday, April 26 when we will be shut from 1pm. Please ring 111 for advice if your query cannot wait until the following day. In an emergency, dial 999. Housebound patients Please only request a GP visit, district nurse visit or medication delivery if you are genuinely housebound and cannot get anyone to bring you. Each housebound visit puts enormous pressure on the GPs and reduces the number of appointments we can see in the practice. There are a number of local voluntary groups and neighbourhood schemes who can collect medications or provide transport, mostly free of charge or for a small fee. GP appointments 12 hours a day, seven days a week You will have noticed the controversy in the press regarding the necessity to offer appointments for 12 hours every day and the need for additional GP appointments to reduce pressure on A&E. Did you know that we already offer this service? The practice is open from 8am until 6.30pm Tuesday to Friday and from 7.30am on Mondays. We also work until 7pm some evenings. Both sites are open every morning and one or other site opens for appointments in the afternoons. We also offer our appointments at GP+ in Ipswich from 6.30-9pm Monday to Friday. At the weekend we have a pre-booked clinic on Saturday mornings, but again we can book you into GP+ which is open from 9am-9pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. To book into GP+, you will need to contact the surgery during normal opening hours or out of hours on 111, as appropriate. If you need to cancel your GP+ appointment please ring 01473 344938. We are lucky to have a full complement of GPs and tend to use a small group of locum GPs for holiday and sickness cover to provide continuity. When we know we are going to be short staffed, we offer only onthe-day appointments to ensure that patients can be seen if there is a genuine need. If you have pre-booked an appointment and find you don’t need it, please let us know so we can offer this to another patient. In December we had more than 20 hours’ worth of appointment lost when patients did not attend and 15½ hours in January. ATTENTION GENTLEMEN Prostate cancer is the one of the most common cancer types in men. Speak to your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms: poor urine flow, passing urine more frequently, passing blood in the urine, pain when passing urine. Not everyone with these symptoms has cancer, but it needs further assessment. If you are concerned, please book an appointment to see one of our doctors. Practice Manager Julia Smith
CHELMONDISTON PARISH COUNCIL Defibrillator Now installed in a yellow cabinet on the outside wall of the village hall, to the left of the main entrance. It has a keypad lock. In an emergency, you should dial 999. The Ambulance Emergency Services will give you the code to open the cabinet. (See page 4) The Peninsula Community Recycling Centre A reminder that the site is open on Saturday mornings from 8am-1pm. If Saturdays are impossible for you, please contact Alan Nunn on 01473 780654 to arrange a time that is suitable for you to come to the site. The cost of hiring the skips and the tonnage costs for the removal of waste has been increased, considerably. The general waste skip now costs the parish council to hire £157 and we have to pay £124 per tonne of waste collected. The green waste skip costs us £291 to hire and we have to pay £10 per tonne for green waste. From these figures, we are sure you will appreciate why we have to ask for sensible and fair contributions. Before you tip your rubbish please ask for a price and please do not leave without paying. Unfortunately, we cannot do this for peanuts. Please check the website and the parish noticeboards for updates on costs. The recycling credits from the bottle, paper and textile banks sitting outside the site goes towards the cost of the skips. The recycling credits from the bottle banks opposite the Red Lion goes to selected charities. Please, please do not fly-tip. Parish council vacancy We are in a position now to co-opt someone on to the parish council as Steve Chicken has sadly resigned. For anyone who is interested, we suggest you come along to parish council meetings to get a view of what is going on and to meet the other councillors. On the website, you can find details about the council including who the members are, when meetings occur and what is required of a councillor. Footpaths The parish council will be working again this year in partnership with Suffolk County Council in keeping the footpaths clear of obstacles and overgrowth. If you find anything amiss with footpaths within the parish, please let us know. Council meetings The council meets on the first Tuesday of the month with planning meetings held every three weeks. Everyone is welcome to attend and if you have any issues that you would like raised or help with, please get in touch. It’s no good complaining about the parish council, about what you think they should be doing, if you don’t contact us or come to the meetings. Agendas are posted on the noticeboards and on the website. Both draft and signed minutes can be found on the website. However, you can ask the parish clerk for copies at any time for a small charge. Fran Sewell, Clerk to Chelmondiston Parish Council: 01473 780138 / clerk@chelmondistonpc.info www.chelmondiston.suffolk.gov.uk
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ST MARY’S CHURCH, SHOTLEY
OUT & ABOUT
COFFEE
SHOTLEY CHURCH HERITAGE 700 EVENTS
MORNING
SHOTLEY CHURCH HERITAGE 700
STOUR VALLEY ARTS AND MUSIC Sunday, March 5, 4pm: Young Musician’s Concert, Constable Hall, East Bergholt Another opportunity to hear some of the many talented young musicians in our area. This is an extra event not included in the season ticket. Tickets are just £6 which includes refreshments. Sunday, March 19, 4pm: Kammerphilharmonie Europa at St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt
andMORNING Bring AND and Buy Sale COFFEE BRING & BUY SALE Friday, March 10, 10am-noon at Shotley Village Hall
BINGO & RAFFLE
Entry £3 whicheveryone includes coffee and biscuits and two strips welcome of raffle tickets. Everyone welcome. Where?
SHOTLEY VILLAGE HALL
When?
FRIDAY 10th March
Time?
10am ‘til midday
Entry: £3 includes coffee & biscuits plus 2 strips of raffle tickets
BINGO EVENING Saturday, March 25, 7 for 7.30pm Shotley Village Hall SATURDAY 25that March Free entry, everyone welcome. Starting: 7pm for 7.30pm Shotley Village Hall
EVERYONE WELCOME
CLEAR THE CLUTTER – BAG A BARGAIN Bentley Toddler Group is holding a fundraising jumble sale on Saturday, April 29 at Bentley Village Hall from 2pm. If you have anything you wish to donate, please bring it along to the hall from 9am on the day or contact Pam (01473 310283) or Aimée (01473 311311) to arrange collection.
Back by popular demand this exciting ensemble is an excellent finale to our 66th season. The Chamber Philharmonic Europe was founded in 2001 in Cologne. The orchestra engages talented young musicians from 18 European nations. Generously sponsored by Scrutton Bland, Colchester. Box office and information: www.svam.org.uk / 01206 298426 / svamtickets@btinternet
IPSWICH & DISTRICT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ANNUAL EXHIBITION Ipswich and District Photographic Society (IDPS) is holding its annual exhibition of prints and projected images in Ipswich Town Hall in March. It’s a Pigs Life – Matthew Clarke
We hope to see you there; the hall will be open from 2pm and tea and coffee will be available.
ST MICHAEL’S MONTHLY MARKET The next monthly market at St Michael’s, The Church on the Park, Woolverstone is on Saturday, March 11, 9am-12.30pm. Fruit, vegetables, cakes, bread, meat and an interesting range of handcrafted items which helps present buying. 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
We are a long established, friendly club with members of all photographic abilities, from beginner to very experienced. We have a full and varied programme from September to May which includes competitions and guest speakers. We also hold practical evenings once a month and four times a year we have ‘digital imaging’ days, which are held on Sundays. If you would like to join us, or just want further information, please visit: www.idps.org.uk/index.html ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF PRINTS AND PROJECTED IMAGES Council Chamber, Town Hall, Cornhill, Ipswich IP1 1DH Tuesday, March 7 to Saturday, March 18 Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm / closing at 4pm on March 18 ADMISSION FREE
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OUT & ABOUT HARKSTEAD VILLAGE SPRING AUCTION Our very popular twice yearly auction will be held on Saturday, April 1 in the village hall starting at 10am.
THE SHOTLEY CEILIDH IS BACK
If you haven’t been before, this is good fun and an enjoyable and profitable way to recycle those household goods that are too good to throw away.
Back by popular demand, dinner and dancing to The Caledonian Reelers
It’s time to get your glad rags on!
In aid of Action Medical Research For Children
For buyers and those of us with an eye for a bargain it’s an opportunity to pick up collectors’ items.
Saturday, March 18, 7 for 7.30pm Four course dinner with dancing, tickets £25
Please put this date in your diary. If you would like more information or to book lots in for sale, please contact: 01473 328649 / harksteadauction@btinternet.com Lots will be taken in between 2 and 4pm on Thursday, March 30, but it’s essential to book in items for sale in advance as we will again be limiting the number of lots to about 250. First come first served! The hall is open for viewing the items for sale on Friday, March 31 from 11am-1pm and 4-8pm, as well as from 9am on the day of the auction itself. There is ample parking and refreshments will be available (IP9 1DG).
MID-STUTTON MURDERS Stutton Players are pleased to announce that rehearsals have begun for another play written especially for them by Louise Lock. If you enjoyed the panto, you can be sure you will get plenty of thrills and laughs this time. Someone very well-known gets his life cruelly cut short down at the reservoir and our job is to find out whodunit. Meanwhile it’s all being filmed and broadcast for afternoon TV, so come and be in the audience and you will recognise some very famous faces (almost). There are evening performances on Thursday, May 25, Friday 26 and Saturday 27 and a matinee on Saturday. Tickets on sale shortly so watch this space.
MOTHERING SATURDAY There will be a Prosecco afternoon tea in St Michael’s Church, Woolverstone, on Saturday, March 25, serving tea from 2pm. Tickets are £9.50 to include a glass of Prosecco, tea or coffee, sandwiches, sausage rolls, cakes, scones, crisps and grapes. Pre-booking is essential. Contact Nicky Edgell (nicky.edgell25@gmail.com / 01473 788270) or Jane Gould (jane.gould@btinternet.com / 01473 780777). All money raised will go to church running costs.
EAST SUFFOLK ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND A local charity for local people An independent and voluntary charitable organisation promoting the welfare of blind and partially sighted people in East Suffolk since 1914. Membership is free. We also hold a social from 2-4pm on the last Wednesday of every month at Stutton Community Hall when we provide entertainment, afternoon tea and a raffle and twice a year, in the summer and at Christmas, we enjoy lunch at a local hotel. If you would like to join us, please contact Ian, our community support worker, for more information: 01473 788380
Contact Karen Smith on 01473 787731 HURRY: Tickets will sell out fast
VINTAGE COFFEE MORNING Do come, oh do come, it’ll be such fun. Shotley and Erwarton WI are holding a Vintage Coffee Morning to raise funds for Shotley Village Hall. It will be held on Saturday, May 6 at Shotley Village Hall. There’ll be tea and coffee and homemade cakes and the ladies are planning to dress up all fancy to serve you. Everyone welcome. We look forward to welcoming you.
QUIZ IN AID OF 1st HOLBROOK GUIDES & SHOTLEY PIER Holbrook Primary School on Thursday, March 9, 7-9pm. £5 per person, teams of six maximum. Cake stall, teas and coffee and a raffle. To book a table email: holbrookguides@outlook.com One-third of the proceeds will be donated by the Guides to Shotley Heritage Communicate Benefit Society Ltd.
FASHION SHOW Shotley and Erwarton WI are hosting a fashion show at their meeting on Wednesday, March 22 at 7.15pm to which visitors are most welcome. Come alone or bring a friend; you will be assured of a warm welcome.
SHOTLEY WALKING CLUB On February 12, six adults walked from Shotley Village Hall to Erwarton Hall. Helen and her little dog joined us and also Pam for the first time. We kept to the road for most of the walk as it was so muddy everywhere. We walked down Erwarton Walk, crossed the road onto the path and came out at Viking Forest, then back up Hall Hill and back to the start. The weather was dry, but cold. This was my first time to do this walk in the 23 years since we launched the club. Our next walk is on March 12 when we plan to walk around Holywells Park, starting at 2pm from Riverside Clinic on Landseer Road. If you would like to join us please call me on 01473 787504. New faces are always welcome. Jill Nunn
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OUT & ABOUT CRAFTERS UNLIMITED
1st SHOTLEY SCOUTS
A craft club for people who like to try different crafts in a light-hearted atmosphere with refreshments, we meet on the first Monday each month (except on Bank Holidays when it’s the following Monday) in Wherstead Village Hall, 7.30-10pm.
‘Phil’ the bag is back We will be dropping off the ‘Phil’ the bags on Saturday, April 15 and collecting full bags on Saturday, April 22. If you have any unwanted clothes, shoes or handbags, please fill your bag and leave it out for collection.
Monday, March 6: Felt Tissue Holder with Jill Monday, April 3: Flower Brooch with Debbie Samples of each project are displayed the month before and other projects are available. Contacts: Ann 01473 780298 / Jill 01473 713534
SHOTLEY PENINSULA LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Meetings and speakers for 2017 March 14: Dr Ed Packard presents Four Years, Three Months and One Week: The First World War Diaries of Alice Packard, a Shotley Farmer’s Wife May 9: A History of Farming by Richard Wrinch July 11: The Bawdsey Story by Mary Wain September 12: Robert Simper presents A Voyage round the River Orwell and Stour November 14: David Wood presents A History of Languard Fort December 12: Christmas Dinner We meet at The Shipwreck, 7 for 7.30pm start. Annual membership is £5, meetings £2, guests £3. Guests are always welcome and don’t have to attend with a member. For further information please contact Mike Ayden: 01473 788224
SHOTLEY SOCIAL CLUB In March we meet on Thursdays 2, 16 and 30, all from 1.50-4pm. Hopefully, by the end of the month we will have our outings for the year sorted and know where we will have our Christmas lunch. It might seem early to plan for Christmas, but dates get booked up earlier every year. This year’s concert will be on Thursday, November 23. If you would like to attend one of our meetings to see if you like it, you will be made very welcome. And if you have any new ideas which will help the club, please let us know and we will try them. The committee for this year is the same as last. We have one new member, Joy, who I believe will be very good for the club. Leader: Eileen Bugg Deputy: June Stroud Secretary: Peggy Smith Treasurer: Norman Bugg Deputy Treasurer: Vera Hawkins Committee: Dorothy Ratcliffe, Vera Hawkins and Joy Frost For information or lifts please contact Norman or Eileen: 01473 787358
SHOTLEY WHIST DRIVE We next meet on Thursdays, March 9 and 23 and April 6, from 1.50 to 4pm. We play 12 games of whist before enjoying refreshments (usually homemade cakes) and a draw. We then play 12 more games and prizes are given out. This is a very pleasant afternoon. If you would like to join us please do so without obligation. You might be surprised by how much your enjoy it. The afternoon is just £2 including refreshments. For information or lifts please contact Norman or Eileen: 01473 787358
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Beavers build tents The Beavers have been practising their tent putting up skills ready for a joint camp with the Cubs later on in the year. They were then joined by the Cubs for camp songs and hot chocolate. Ging Gang Gooli anyone? Cubs church visit Cubs had a very cold and dark hike one session as they hiked up to Shotley church. This is all to go towards the Faith Badge. Some of the Cubs competed in a district bowling challenge at Namco where several Cub packs took to the lanes to become district bowling champions. Well done to our Cub representatives. Scouts saving lives The Scouts had an interesting evening practising on the Resusci Annie dolls as part of their First Aid Badge. They were shown a video on how to correctly resuscitate someone and then had a go at it themselves. The Scouts then looked at the recovery position and talked about several other first aid scenarios. Scout help needed We are looking for a new female assistant Scout leader/sectional assistant. As we grow in numbers, we could do with an extra pair of hands. Are you calm, friendly, patient and up for a challenge? Then why not give Scouting a try. No experience necessary, all training included. Please contact Jane if you are interested: 01473 787416
SHOTLEY CHURCH HERITAGE 700 CLUB January Draw Winners £25 053 1 £20 109 2 £15 022 3 £8 042 4 £7 004 5
Mr D Nottage Mrs S Mower Mrs L O’leary Mr L Stebbings Mr S Whiting
New members are always welcome to join the 700 Club at a cost of £1 a month which can be paid at three, six or 12 monthly intervals. Details from Norman: 01473 787358 SOMERSHAM WARD CANCER UNIT SUPPORT GROUP Mark Thurlow, known to many of us as 2B, had his hair cut off to raise funds for Somersham Ward on Friday, January 27 in Shotley Rose Inn. He raised the magnificent sum of £1,605.11. Well done and thank you to all involved. SHOTLEY VILLAGE HALL AUCTION Our next auction is on Saturday, March 4 at 9.30am in the village hall. Lots need to be booked with Jim Catling (01473 788499 / james.catling@ yahoo.co.uk) or with Norman Bugg (01473 787353). Lots cost £1 to enter and should be delivered to the hall on Thursday between 10am-noon and 2-7pm. Viewing takes place on Friday from 10am-noon and 2-7pm. The minimum bid is £2. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The AGM took place on February 7. Our secretary is now Pat Schofield. Thanks were expressed to retiring secretary Jo Lee and member Gina Watts. No more changes will take place until our next committee meeting. FUNDRAISING DANCE WITH FUNKTION JUNCTION Saturday, April 1, 7.30-11pm at the village hall. Bar and raffle. Tickets £10 each from Ian Peters: 01473 787460 TRIP TO SUFFOLK SHOW Wednesday, May 31, leaving Shotley at 8.30am and the showground at 4.45pm. Cost details later. Book with Norman: 01473 787358
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OUT & ABOUT 1st SAMFORD VALLEY (HOLBROOK) SCOUT GROUP
HOLBROOK BROWNIES
We’re really pleased to welcome Julia as the new section assistant in our Cub pack. We thought the best people to introduce her to you would be the Cubs themselves, so here’s an interview they carried out round the camp fire last month. Cameron: What inspired you to join Cubs? Julia: When I was young I was a Brownie and then a Guide, and now my little boy wants to join Cubs when he’s older, so I thought I’d come along and see what you get up to. Abigail: What have you done before, as a career? Julia: I was a primary school teacher for 14 years. I’ve just stopped to look after my little boy, but I’ll go back to teaching when he goes to school. Alfie: Which school? Julia: A school near Woodbridge – but I live in Holbrook. James: What are you hoping to do as a Cub leader? Julia: Experience camp – it was my favourite part of Guides. Toby: What skills do you have to be a Cub leader? Julia: I like the outdoors, nature, music, singing and playing the violin. I’d love to run some musical activities with the Cubs. As well as welcoming Julia this term, we are also saying goodbye to Cheryl, who has moved out of the area. Cheryl was our Beaver leader for several years, and more recently a Cub leader. Cheryl has been an invaluable part of our group – always cheerful, funny and willing to get stuck in. We hope she’ll come back and visit us sometimes. JUMBLE SALE: SATURDAY, MARCH 11 And finally, a quick plug for our group jumble sale. Come along to Holbrook Village Hall on Saturday, March 11 between 10.30am and noon for a fantastic selection of clothes, toys and bric-a-brac, all at bargain prices. If you’d like more information about the group, please visit: www.samfordvalley.suffolkscouts.org.uk We have spaces in the Beaver and Cub sections and we can never have enough volunteers!
CHELMONDISTON OVER SIXTIES Our February meetings were well supported, with quizzes, tea, cake and friendly, relaxing afternoons. Let’s hope spring and warmer weather is just around the corner! Dates for your diary On Thursday, May 11 we have arranged for The Phoenix Handbell Ringers to entertain us for an hour or so from 2pm in the village hall, so come along and join us for a musical afternoon with tea and cake. On Thursday, July 6 we are planning a coach trip to Southend now that the train on the pier is running again. There is a cafe at the end of the pier (a mile and a half long) for lunch and snacks. Also the main shopping complex can be reached by lift from the promenade at the head of the pier. More details later. Anyone is welcome to pop in and see us.
To encourage the birds to our gardens and help us take part in the RSPB Garden Birdwatch, our Brownies made tasty looking apple feeders. Brownies being Brownies couldn’t just randomly put the seeds into the apples in any old way, so I hope the birds also appreciated the beautiful seed patterns the girls created on the feeders! There was so much to look at, cuddle and stroke during our visit to Pets at Home. The Owls apologise if Brownie households have become the proud owners of a pet or two, but the guinea pigs, rabbits and teeny dwarf robos were all so cute. Even the rats were friendly! Continuing with their Friend to Animals Badge, the Brownies are looking forward to their visit from Kimmy’s Zoo. If your daughter would like to join in the fun, please register on Girlguiding UK.
VILLAGE LINK CLUB Please note a change of date and venue for our March meeting which will now be on Wednesday 15 in Tattingstone Church. At our January meeting, Simon Gallup spoke about how Lavenham, Dedham and surrounding villages became very prosperous in Tudor times as a result of the woolen cloth industry in the area. In February, Alicea Holmes spoke about her role as chaplain of Norwood Care Home (one of the Methodist Homes), catering mainly for the elderly who are unable to fend for themselves due to dementia. Methodist Homes are a not-for-profit organisation relying on volunteer carers and charitable donations to cover costs. After the meeting we decamped to a local hostelry where members enjoyed our annual pub lunch. Future talks: Wolves, Dogs & Us (March); Easter Parade (April); The Building of Bury Tower (May). Meetings are held at 10am on the second Wednesday of every month in Tattingstone Village Hall. 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
Michele and Michael Rutherford: 01473 780718
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Out & ABOUT EAST SUFFOLK NATIONAL TRUST ASSOCIATION If you are a member of, or a volunteer for, the National Trust, we invite you to get more out of your membership by joining our association where a warm welcome awaits you. We meet at Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre at 7.15pm. On March 21 Paul Forecast, the new regional director for the East of England National Trust, will be setting out his plans for the next 10 years and, in particular, how the trust will play a more active role in saving nature. The talk will be preceded by a short AGM. On April 25 Horry Parsons will be talking about the construction of the Millennium Tower at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, featuring the installation of the vaulted ceiling. Horry is a very entertaining speaker, as many will remember, and this should be another interesting talk.
STOUR VALLEY MEN’S PROBUS CLUB On Wednesday, February 1, Peter Gant presented a talk entitled 100 Years of Postcards and on February 15 Dudley Chignell presented The Four Seasons in East Anglia. Both meetings were much enjoyed by our members. On Wednesday, March 1, Joyce Kimber presents Ciphers & Enigma and the Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 15 when club president Hew Naylor will stand down after his year in office. On April 5 Julian Wong will talk about the good work undertaken by the charity Mary’s Meals. Our club endeavours to be simple in structure, free of the constraints and obligations of service clubs and involve members at minimal cost. The club is directed primarily to providing fellowship between members who are compatible with each other and the opportunity for development of acquaintances. New members are welcomed.
Visitors (even if not National Trust members) are welcome. The entrance fee is £3. National Trust members/volunteers can join us for £8 per year (£12 per couple at same address). We publish three newsletters a year for members and enjoy interesting day outings and other events.
We meet on the first and third Wednesday of each month at St John Ambulance HQ, Manningtree CO11 1EB at 10.30am. For further details please contact Brian Rolfe: 01206 393665
For more information, including details of future events and outings, contact our membership secretary (membershipesnta@gmail.com / 01473 723761) or visit: www.membershipesnta.btck.co.uk
SHOTLEY GARDENING CLUB
STOUR VALLEY U3A On Wednesday, February 8 Prof John Midwinter FRAE, FRS, formerly of BT and UCL, presented a talk entitled The Truth about Climate Change. His lecture explored evidence that we are changing the climate of our planet, probably irreversibly, and this was linked to a discussion of what this probably portends and why we should be very concerned. On Wednesday, March 8 Mark Mitchels will speak on The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial. This will be an illustrated lecture that attempts to re-create the moment. It will tell the story of the excavation and when a remarkable people sent their leader on his final voyage. On Wednesday, April 12 Amanda Richmond will present Two Teachers Ascent of Everest. Amanda is a teacher, mountaineer skier, traveller and bell ringer and will tell of the six years spent in preparation and the hardships involved in tackling this formidable ascent. 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 and computer studies and groups that visit 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, have over 260 members and 21 groups. For further information please visit www.stourvalleyu3a.org.uk where membership secretary Gillian Gibbs may be contacted.
We stepped away from gardening into the wider world of woodlands during our February meeting. Simon Leatherdale spoke to us about maritime woodlands. Interesting and informative and backed by lovely photographs, his talk took us from the Thames on a clockwise tour round Britain, visiting some of the woods that are subject to the tides and salt water. He spoke about the varieties of trees, native and incomers, the effect of coastal flooding, the historic effect of man, his wars, his beer brewing, his animals (especially goats) and asked the, as yet unanswered, question – why is only one per cent of British woodland to be found on our coastline? The photos showed us beautiful and often isolated locations of steep cliff and unspoilt sands, of creeks and estuaries and almost inaccessible wooded islands, some with the proviso that there might be a bit of a walk or even a canoe involved in visiting! However some are local and just as lovely and interesting. Did you know that Chinese water deer are found in our area? Our competition of a photograph of a tree was won by June Edwards. Our next meeting is on March 13 (back to our usual second Monday of the month) when Matthew Tanton-Brown presents A Place for Plants and will no doubt have plants to illustrate his talk and to temp us to buy. Visitors are welcome. The competition will be another photographic one: Shotley in winter. June Edwards
We meet at Constable Hall, Gandish Road, East Bergholt CO7 6TP at 2.15pm. Annual membership is £12 which entitles members to attend meetings on the second Wednesday of each month, except August and December. It’s never too late to learn! Join the 361,477 members across 969 U3As throughout the UK today.
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OUT & ABOUT / SCHOOLS CHELMONDISTON & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY One of my favourite plant species is the fuchsia. There are so many varieties, colours, types and sizes. There is one for every space, no matter how large or small. How many other plants start to flower in May/June and go right through until the frosts? They are really good value. No surprise that I am really looking forward to our March speaker, a fuchsia expert who will hopefully share his prize winning tips on growing and showing fuchsias. Come and hear all about fuchsias on March 28 at 7.30pm in the village hall. Visitors always welcome.
CHELMONDISTON CEVC PRIMARY SCHOOL Now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas and all of its festivities are well behind us, this time of year can often be less cheerful. The weather can often be damp and wet, which stops people from going out and having a good time. Here at Chelmondiston CEVC Primary School we have the perfect antidote to that! On Thursday, January 19 some 32 children departed a cold and grey January day bound for the O2 in London. The children were all members of the choir and were participating in Young Voices, a national event held jointly with other schools across the country. We were joined by children from Tattingstone CEVC Primary and what a fantastic day was had by all. A huge audience was treated to some wonderful rock music which the children had learned. Music by the likes of Bryan Adams and Boston was sung beautifully to a very appreciative crowd. On Friday, January 27 we held our very first beetle drive. All that was needed were dice, pencils and paper. The shouts of ‘beetle’ could be heard resounding from the school hall as both parents and children thoroughly enjoyed rolling up the various body parts. The evening was a great success with over £140 being raised. Thanks as ever go to our dynamic PTA who ran the event so well. We are now planning a quiz and chips evening. Parents and members of the local community are invited to put themselves into teams and to challenge our talented quizmaster, Mr Cornish. Do you know how long the River Nile is? Or can you remember the names of all the main characters in Blake’s Seven? Well, if the answer is yes then the quiz and chips is for you. As the title suggests, half way through the evening we will be braking for a meal of fish and chips. Please keep an eye out on the school website for details and prices. After half term we are planning an afternoon of musical delights. All the children who play an instrument will be invited to perform for parents and fellow students. Year 6 will take a leading part with their ukuleles. A fantastic musical treat is in store.
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STUTTON CEVCP PRIMARY SCHOOL This month, we asked the children at our school what they liked about it and why they think it is such an important part of our community – so over to our KS2 children: Do you want to get your child an amazing education? Stutton School is a fantastic place to learn everything you need to. Although Stutton is a small school, we highly recommend it to you. We are keen to do great things to attract more children to this school. We appreciate everybody’s work and we want them to excel in their learning. Everyone at our school is an individual and it is a happy environment. Frequently, we go on school trips, attend music events and have sporty kids who take part in competitions with other schools. So far this year, we have taken part in football, tag rugby and basketball tournaments, celebrated Harvest Festival and Christmas in St Peter’s Church, attended two music days at the Royal Hospital School, visited Christchurch Mansion, used the local environment including Canham’s Wood, held a Remembrance Service at the War Memorial and the highlight which was taking part in Young Voices at the O2 with a choir of 7,500 other children. There are always new opportunities and the children who come here develop new skills every day, achieving goals and never giving up. In conclusion, we think Stutton School is the best school in the world. We recommend this school to a parent who needs to find one for their children – it’s like a ‘dictionary of amazing work’! On March 12, we will be singing and displaying our work at the International Women’s Day event and later in the spring we will be involved in a village walk project. As you can see, we have many exciting plans for the rest of the year so do come and visit us to see for yourself! Our Early Years and KS1 children want to add: We love it when our parents come in to see us in Collective Worship. We share our learning and displays and we get awards for showing our Christian values. It is fun when all of the classes play together at playtime. It’s really special being a small school because we are all friends and equal so that we can all be happy. We know that all of the teachers and grown-ups care for us and they help us every day. Don’t just take our children’s word for it – visit us to see for yourselves. www.stutton.suffolk.sch.uk 01473 328531 / admin@stutton.suffolk.sch.uk
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Registration has opened for the 10th Alton Water run which is on May 7 and I was pleased to be able to confirm that I will be kicking off proceedings, with funds raised going to the excellent cause of local primary schools. I also hope to take part subject to my knee making a full recovery from a blow received playing football for the UK Parliamentary XI against the Salvation Army! Secondly, I had a most enjoyable visit to Shotley to see for myself the plans to resurrect and refurbish the pier. After a tour of the Ganges Museum I was taken by boat onto the estuary and shown the current dilapidated structure. I also heard how the new project will improve matters. It was a freezing cold day, but the welcome was very warm and followed by a delightful lunch in the Bristol Arms. Finally, we had the fantastic news that the long-decaying Brantham industrial site will be regenerated with a £70m Japanese funded inward investment boost from Abellio, our regional train operator. A brand new 13 siding, 22 acre rail maintenance depot will be constructed on the site to support the brand new fleet of rolling stock that Abellio have promised to deliver as part of their new franchise. I quite understand why many people in Brantham were opposed to Babergh’s plans for the industrial site, and the most common negative view expressed to me was scepticism that any decent companies would occupy the new employment land, once remediated. And many thought the roads would suffer if they did. Yet we have confirmation of a high quality new occupant, committed for the long-term creating quality jobs and apprenticeships, with most traffic after construction coming via the railway. We should be proud that the single largest inward investment project in Babergh’s history is happening in Brantham and contributing to the broader transformation of our region’s economy. www.jamescartlidge.com
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SPORT PIN MILL SAILING CLUB Burns Night, always a popular evening at the club, went with a swing. Here we have the haggis being addressed within an inch of its life. Fortunately, several more were lurking in the kitchen waiting to be consumed. We couldn’t have wanted more from the excellent speeches on the immortal memory and for the lassies.
how to get more out of their sails and how to protect their beloved boats from the ravages of weather and, below the water line, barnacles and other marine fouling organisms without damaging the environment.
In anticipation of the sailing season, members will have a chance to learn
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The MP for South Suffolk, James Cartlidge, will be coming to the club on March 11, no doubt to face some challenging questions from members. On a lighter note, we will be celebrating recently departed music icons such as David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and George Michael with a disco. This event will be a charity fundraiser.
NEPTUNE SAILING As we move towards another season of sailing, a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes in terms of planning, maintenance, servicing and the sale of surplus craft. We are now in the process of contacting youth group members from last season to invite them to join us for another year, and we seem likely to have some spaces available, so please do contact Anna, our youth group secretary, if you are interested in joining us. The experience of sailing with young people of your own age is very different to sailing with parents. Sometimes children have a poor experience of sailing, either starting at too young an age or conditions being unsuitable for beginners. We have the craft to help them progress at their own pace and even some of the more reluctant sailors seem to find their way into Toppers, sailing solo. You will need to be 10 years old, or very nearly. A series of exciting events are being planned on the peninsula this year to mark Arthur Ransome’s centenary. We are hoping to arrange some sailing events for young people and adults, enabling people to get on the river for taster sessions. We do regularly offer the use of our building to the Arthur Ransome Trust, so if your school is interested in doing work related to Swallows and Amazons, do get in touch with them. This year a priority is to re-establish our link with Pin Mill Sailing Club and Chelmondiston Primary for another combined session. This was very successful when we last organised it. Holbrook Academy students are
expected to return again, and we are running a new project with Suffolk New College. The summer holiday junior programme has been added to our diary, and booking will be opening soon. The early courses tend to fill up soonest, but we are going to add even more later in the holiday period. We offer very good instructor to student ratio and aim to help students progress right through to the advanced modules. Since training young people is one of our core objectives, we aim to keep costs to an affordable level and have not increased junior fees this year. Do have a look at the website to see what’s available. Our dinghy instructor course at Easter has spaces at the moment, but these can be filled very quickly, so if you are thinking of qualifying, do get in touch very soon. We can help you with the practical test before the course begins and, once qualified, you will be available to instruct right through the season. We don’t expect to offer a second instructor course this year. Our Jeanneau Rigiflex powerboat has now been sold, enabling us to make further investment into the centre, but we still have a number of Wayfarer and Omega dinghies for sale. Details can be found on the website. www.neptunesailing.org.uk
IPSWICH RAVENS VOLLEYBALL just the occasional school tournament, and it showed our intention to develop players of all levels and help them to improve as quickly as they can manage. The team performed admirably with two good wins against Stow Aces and SCC Seagulls, and two defeats. Probably the most pleasing event of the month was when Ravens Ladies hosted a full scale match against SCC Seagulls in the Suffolk Ladies League. It’s been a fantastic month for Ipswich Ravens which fittingly included our third anniversary of forming the club in 2014. We began with an excellent showing in the monthly indoor six-a-side tournament at Maidenhall Leisure Centre. After finishing bottom of Division 1 last month with a depleted squad due to seasonal flu, our First team was back to normal this month and put in a strong performance finishing third out of seven teams with two good wins and defeats against only the two very strong sides from Ipswich VC who are by far the strongest club in the competition. Our elated captain Chris Giles summed it up: “Frankly we smashed it this month, although we only won two and lost two it feels like we won the tournament!” In Division 2 we were delighted to be able to enter a composite team consisting of three of our ladies and two juniors. This was the first time our juniors have competed at this level having previously played in
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This is the first season that the Ladies League has ever been held and it’s a sign of how volleyball has grown in popularity throughout the county in recent years. The match was played in excellent spirit and after a rather sluggish start Ravens raised their game to romp home with a win by three sets to nil 26-17, 26-12, 26-8. Finally, with the club continuing to grow we are thrilled to say we have now started running an extra volleyball session every Tuesday from 7-9pm, also at St Alban’s School in Rushmere, to whom we are hugely grateful for their continued support. This is in addition to our established session on Saturdays from 2-4pm. All our sessions are run by experienced coaches and are open to male or female players, experienced or complete beginner, and any age from 13 upwards. If you are interested in joining this growing sport, call/text 07508 351875 or visit: www.ipswichravens.org.uk or.
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SPORT / CHURCH NEWS EAST BERGHOLT UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB TWO RIVERS BENEFICE January was a good month for the First team. They advanced through to the quarter finals of the Bob Coleman Cup with a comfortable win at Witnesham Wasps and then at Trimley Red Devils. A tough draw means a home game with Achilles awaits. In the league they registered one victory, one draw and one defeat. The draw came from a very good performance against Cranes, which would have brought them all three points had they been able to convert a stoppage time penalty. The Reserves are still in third place in League A despite a surprise home defeat at the hands of Wenhaston Utd Res. They are also in the quarter finals of the Goals of Ipswich Cup as a result of a great win at second placed AFC Hoxne Res. The A Team’s fortunes are looking up. They progressed first to the quarter finals and then the semi finals of the Club Colours Cup and also recorded a much need victory against high flying Coplestonians A. An excellent darts night was won by Dave Pettman with Jamie McGrath runner-up. UPCOMING FIXTURES 1st TEAM Senior Division Saturday, February 25: Bramford Utd (A) Saturday, March 4: Ransomes Sports (H) Saturday, March 18: Bramford Utd (H) Saturday, April 1: Westerfield Utd (H) RESERVES League A Saturday, February 25: Framlingham Town Res Goals of Ipswich Cup QF (H) Saturday, March 4: Achilles Res (A) Saturday, March 11: Mendlesham Res (H) Saturday, March 18: AFC Hoxne Res (A) Saturday, March 25: Framlingham Town Res (H) Saturday, April 1: Sporting ‘87 Res (A) A Team League B Saturday, March 4: Stowupland Falcons Res (A) Saturday, March 11: Haughley Utd Res (H) Saturday, March 25: Claydon Res (A) Saturday, April 1: Stonham Aspal Res (H) Fixtures are subject to change. Please refer to the fixtures website and chose the appropriate competition to confirm: http://fulltime.thefa.com/Index.do?league=4358069 We are always looking for people who can help the club as committee members, whether 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 and boards on match days are all potential exposure for your business while supporting a local organisation.
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ST PETER’S CHURCH, STUTTON March 1 Ash Wednesday Services Stutton (10.30am) / Holbrook (7.30pm) March 5 8am Holy Communion March 12 9.30am Holy Communion March 19 9.30am Holy Communion March 26 11am Informal Service ALL SAINTS CHURCH, HOLBROOK March 1 Ash Wednesday Services Stutton (10.30am) / Holbrook (7.30pm) March 5 10.30am Holy Communion March 12 10.30am Matins March 19 8am Holy Communion 10.30am Informal Service March 26 9.30am Holy Communion ST MARY’S CHURCH, WHERSTEAD March 1 Ash Wednesday Services Stutton (10.30am) / Holbrook (7.30pm) March 5 No Service March 12 11am Holy Communion March 19 No Service March 26 11am Morning Prayer ST PETER’S CHURCH, FRESTON March 1 Ash Wednesday Services Stutton (10.30am) / Holbrook (7.30pm) March 5 11am Matins March 12 No Service March 19 11am Holy Communion March 26 No Service ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH, WOOLVERSTONE Ash Wednesday Services March 1 Stutton (10.30am) / Holbrook (7.30pm) March 5 11am Café Church 9am-12.30pm Monthly Market March 11 11am Worship the Woolverstone Way March 12 4pm Evensong, led by Jubilate March 19 Tea and cake to follow March 25 2-5pm Mothering Saturday Book a treat for mum (See page 15) March 26 11am Mothering Sunday
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CHURCH NEWS chelmondiston & HOLBROOK METHODIST CHURCHES Turn around when possible Have you ever missed your junction on a motorway and had to drive many unnecessary miles to get back on route? In my former life as a transportation engineer (before the days of Sat Nav and GPS systems) I remember a shocking statistic describing the number of miles we drive in the wrong direction. It was between 10 and 20 per cent of our journey.
Bible Study: Wednesday, 7.30pm
I suspect it may not have improved much with Sat Navs. How many times has it told you to turn around when possible? When we lived in Downham Market, people driving to our house would be told to take a short cut only to find concrete bollards blocking the narrow lane. How many times do we find ourselves going down the wrong pathway in our lives?
Sunday 19 10.45am Worship and Communion with Rev Sankey 6.15pm Worship with Rev Ayden
Selfishness, greed and pride can lead us to do things that hurt others. Impure thoughts can get us dreaming of a wrong relationship. Arrogance that we’ve got it all sorted can lead us to make bad decisions. Personal ambition can lead us to override the feelings and ambitions of others and prejudices can lead us to judge others harshly.
AT HOLBROOK METHODIST
Sometime we may hear a voice in our head telling us to turn around when possible. In a recent service I was challenged by this prayer: “For the sin that has made us quick to condemn those who sin differently from us… For the sin that has caused us to be quick to divide people into us and them, and seek the welfare of us and ours above them and theirs.” I knew I was being told to turn around when possible. I knew this attitude was wrong. March is a good time to reflect on our lives and ask: Are we going in the wrong direction? Do we need to turn around? ‘Repent’ is an old fashioned word we sometimes use. Although I made a decision to follow Christ many years ago, I still find myself going in the wrong direction at times and end up in a cul-de-sac. Life is a journey, our destination is heaven but not all will get there. As I love maps for road travel, I also love the Bible. It is my road map for life; it gives me warnings and it shows me a wonderful way to live. If you want to discuss turning around or need a Bible, please get in touch. The Rev Andrew Sankey Minister at Chelmondiston & Holbrook Methodist Churches 8 Roundridge Road, Capel St Mary IP9 2UG apsankey@gmail.com / 01473 311178 / 07966 187216 AT CHELMONDISTON METHODIST Toddler Group: Tuesday, 9-11.30am
Sunday 5
10.45am 6.15pm
Worship with Mr Paul Finch Worship with Rev Sankey
Sunday 12 10.45am Worship with Mr Nichols 6.15pm Worship and Communion with Rev Dawes
Sunday 26
10.45am 6.15pm
Worship with Mr Jowett Worship with Rev Sankey
What’s on in March (HCT Holbrook Churches Together) Mondays, 2.30-4pm: Tea and Chat (HCT) Conversations is an evening group meeting at the chapel to discuss puzzling questions. Thursday 2 2pm
Fellowship Meeting at 16 Ipswich Road, Holbrook
Saturday 4
Coffee morning
10-11.30am
Sunday 5 10am Worship and Communion with Rev Keeble 6.30pm Lent 1 Friday 10
9am Tiddlers / 10am Family Live (HCT)
Sunday 12
10am 6.30pm
Worship with Rev Sankey Lent 2 with Rev Sankey
Wednesday 15
10am-4pm 7.30pm
Knit in at the Chapel Conversations
Thursday 16 2pm Fellowship Meeting at 16 Ipswich Road, Holbrook Sunday 19 10am Family Friendly Worship with Mrs Holmes 6.30pm Lent 3 Friday 24
9am Tiddlers / 10am Family Live (HCT)
Sunday 26 Monday 27
10am 7.30pm
Worship with Mrs Watsham Conversations
For more information about Messy Church, Tiddlers and Family Live contact Alicia Holmes: ajnholmes@gmail.com / 01473 658478
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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 IP2 0QQ / 01473 684963 We are part of St Mark’s RC Parish, Ipswich. For all up-to-date information please visit: www.stmarksparish.org.uk The weekly newsletter is displayed in the cabinet at the front door. SERVICES FOR MARCH Sunday 5 FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT 9am Mass Tuesday 7 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 12 SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT 9am Mass Tuesday 14 9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 10am Mass Sunday 19 THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT 9am Mass Tuesday 21 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 26 FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT 9am Mass Tuesday 28 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Catholic Commentary Sr Marian Davey, port chaplain with Catholic charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), and Fr John Barnes were both able to support the crew of the Manhattan Bridge following the explosion that killed one seafarer and injured another. She spoke about her admiration for the faith and dignity of the crew who had berthed at Felixstowe Port on January 19. “Strong leadership on board was very evident from the captain and his officers. All the crew were trying to help each other to come to terms with all that’s happened,” she added. Sr Marian was informed of the incident in the early hours of the morning by the harbour master and port health and safety manager. On hearing
the news, she travelled immediately to offer assistance to the crew. “They wanted to make sure that the remaining crew got as much support as possible,” said Sr Marian, who visited the ship several times over the weekend. Sr Marian commented: “The crew had to cope with a very lengthy process of investigation procedures by both the police and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch throughout the 48 hours the ship was berthed, so I had to snatch slots of time in between to give both oneto-one and collective moments of support. The captain was extremely grateful for the support offered by Apostleship of the Sea and to Fr John for celebrating mass. “I am now focusing the energies of the AoS chaplaincy team on supporting the injured seafarer who is the burns unit at Chelmsford Hospital. He is making good progress and we will continue visiting and supporting him until his repatriation.” Events & Diary Dates The 100 Club draw took place on Sunday, February 26 when three lucky winners shared £145. The next draw takes place on March 26. The club has grown from strength to strength since its launch. New members are always very welcome and the 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 & 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, March 30. Supporting our local hospice Parishioners are asked to collect used postage stamps and to place them in the box at the rear of the church to help support the outstanding work of our local hospice. 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 at Holy Family 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.
SHORELINE BENEFICE ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, CHELMONDISTON March 1 7.30pm Ash Wednesday Benefice Holy Communion at Harkstead March 5 9.15am Holy Communion March 8 10am Midweek Communion March 12 9.15am Holy Communion March 19 9.15am Holy Communion March 26 9.30am Mothering Sunday Family Service at Harkstead ST MARY’S CHURCH, ERWARTON March 1 7.30pm Ash Wednesday Benefice Holy Communion at Harkstead March 5 11am Matins March 12 11am Family Service March 19 11am Holy Communion March 26 11am Mothering Sunday Holy Communion
ST MARY’S CHURCH, HARKSTEAD March 1 7.30pm Ash Wednesday Benefice Holy Communion March 5 9.30am Holy Communion March 12 9.30am Morning Prayer March 19 9.30am Holy Communion March 26 9.30am Mothering Sunday Family Service with Chelmondiston ST MARY’S CHURCH, SHOTLEY March 1 7.30pm Ash Wednesday Benefice Holy Communion at Harkstead March 5 10.15am Shotley Family @Church March 12 10.45am Holy Communion March 19 10.45am Worship For All March 26 10.45am Mothering Sunday Worship For All
Please note that some services may change. Look in pew sheets and on noticeboards or contact the rector on 01473 781902.
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ONE OF THE LARGEST, FINEST AND MOST COMMITTED CHAPEL CHOIRS I HAVE EVER FOUND IN A SCHOOL JOHN RUTTER
©Jet Photography
SCHOOL CHOIRS’ CONCERT SATURDAY 25 MARCH, 7PM
Featuring the Royal Hospital School Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Concept vocal ensemble and the Holbrook Choral Society.
Full: £10 | Conc: £7 | U18: FREE 01206 573948 | experiencetickets.co.uk/rhsmusic