In Touch News with Kesgrave – May 2017

In Touch

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with Kesgrave & Rushmere

Volume 7 • Issue No. 7 • MAY 2017

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR I’m having guitar lessons at the moment. In fact it’s a family guitar lesson, though Jack seems to chit-chat most of the time which is more than a little annoying. I’m not naturally ‘musical’ and have no immediate plans to join a band, but decided to do this to give my brain a bit of a work-out. It’s proving to be a challenge. I spend so long trying to recall each chord I doubt if I’ll ever produce anything which resembles music, but it has been interesting to explore my mental back catalogue to find pieces I want to play (eventually).

Different types of music and different artists have accompanied me through various stages in my life. Johnny Cash was my first love, then Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, U2, The Stunning, The Pale, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Snow Patrol, Regina Spektor, Nick Cave, Ed Sheeran… and always Johnny Cash.

One song I go back to again and again is U2’s Stuck in a Moment. The following words have helped me through some difficult times: “And if the night runs over, And if the day won’t last, And if your way should falter, Along this stony pass, It’s just a moment, This time will pass” Another which reduces me to tears every time I play it, and I play it a lot, is Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt. His video is regarded as one of the saddest every produced, but on their own the opening lyrics are, in my opinion, the most powerful description of loneliness I’ve ever encountered: “I hurt myself today, To see if I still feel, I focus on the pain, The only thing that’s real” Right now these lyrics make me sad for those who are alone with little or no prospect of human contact. The days may be longer and most of us are getting out and about, but not everyone. Spare a thought for those who are isolated though illness or age and consider what you might do to provide a distraction. In Save Myself, Ed Sheeran sings “...human beings are destined to radiate or drain…” Let’s try to radiate more than drain – and I promise to never, ever, ever play guitar in public.

Kesgrave In Touch with & Rushmere

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NEWS

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED AT IPSWICH HOSPITAL Could you listen and provide reassurance to a patient in the Accident & Emergency Department at Ipswich Hospital? Are you able to provide a cup of tea and a chat? This could be the role for you!

No one plans a trip to the emergency department; it can be scary and confusing. We are currently looking for caring volunteers to provide support within the Emergency Department (A&E). We currently have vacancies for three hours a week on Wednesdays from 10am-1pm or 1pm-4pm.

We may have other days and times coming up in the future, so please do get in touch if you are interested. Full training will be provided and an enhanced DBS check will be required.

Following informal interview, successful applicants will be required to attend the three day foundation training programme in Ipswich on May 11, 18 and 25.

For more information about the role and the excellent training available please contact Service Coordinator Michelle House: 07843 144218 To apply online visit: www.redcross.org.uk

NATIONAL SUCCESS FOR ICE ILLUSION MAJORETTES Ice Illusion Majorettes recently attended the National United Kingdom Federation of Majorettes (UKFM) Championships at Pontins Camber Sands and returned home with great success.

Tori Adams (22) was elected Miss UKFM, the top honour for all members of the UKFM for the 2017/18 season. Tori will be the UKFM’s ambassador for the next year, presenting prizes at all the regional competitions leading up to the 2018 nationals.

Megan Grey Cullum (11) won the Louise Sergeant Trophy for her solo routine and also won Pre-teen Twirler of 2017, gaining more points during the past year than anyone else.

Lauren Adams (15) won the Sally Scott Trophy for her solo routine and Tori Adams and Caroline Chilver won the Supreme Duo competition.

Ice Illusions won The Overall Marching Troupe for 2017, along with numerous other solo, duo and troupe routines. Ice Illusions was formed in 2000 and 45 girls train twice a week at Pinewood Community Hall. The troupe is entirely self-funded.

For more information please contact Di Chilver: dichilver@yahoo.co.uk / 01473 611415

In Touch with...

JUNE DEADLINE 10 MAY 2017

is the final date for both advertising and editorial copy

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NEWS KESGRAVE TOWN COUNCIL KESGRAVE TOWN GUIDE Kesgrave Town Council is planning to put together a town guide that will be accessible to all as it will appear in two formats, a printed version that will be delivered by Royal Mail and an online version that we will be able to regularly update as details change. If you run a club or community organisation based in Kesgrave, please give us your contact details if you want to be included in the guide.

Either put pen to paper and take/send to the council office in Ferguson Way or email: enquiry@kesgravetowncouncil.org.uk The printed version will be distributed in the summer and the website will also go live around the same time. We would like the guide to be as accessible as possible and plan to provide it in alternative formats – large print, Braille or an audio version can be ordered. If you know someone with sight impairment who would prefer to receive it in another format, please let us know so that we know what the demand might be.

Kesgrave Town Council Website The council’s website will be having a makeover. We hope this will be a smooth transition but ask that you bear with us if there are teething troubles with the site. The new format should make it easier for staff to keep the website updated and aligned with a presence on social media so that information is easy for people to access, the web address will remain the same: www.kesgravetowncouncil.org.uk Kesgrave Annual Town Meeting Many thanks to those who attended the Annual Town Meeting on April 3.

Topics included how people in East Kesgrave can keep abreast of council news, a number of issues about highways (we were lucky to have an officer from Suffolk County Council (SCC) to field queries about parking), lorry driver training vehicles using Kesgrave for lessons, flooding, pot holes and ideas about changing the junctions at Bell Lane and Dobbs Lane with Foxhall Road and the Bell Lane/Main Road junction. Where possible Kesgrave Town Council will try to help resolve issues or pass them to the relevant organisations to consider. There was also an address from the chairman and reports from council officers and groups from across Kesgrave.

Kesgrave Mobile Skate Park Sessions at half term: May 30 & 31 and June 1 & 2

We can finally confirm the dates for the free half term sessions to use the portable skate park ramps which will be put out on the playground at Cedarwood Primary School.

Primary aged children aged five-11 years are welcome from 10am-noon.

Secondary aged 12-16 years are welcome to attend the evening sessions from 6-8pm. You can bring your own skateboards and helmets and we have a limited number for those who do not have their own.

Our skateboarding coaches, pictured here with Denham Hill (third from right) and others on the course from Lynsport in Norfolk, have attended the Level 1 award to teach skateboarding. They are first aid and safeguarding trained and have been DBS checked. All abilities welcomed. Although the sessions are free, we reserve the right to exclude the use of some equipment if unsuitable and some young people if their behaviour affects the enjoyment or safety of others.

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In case of accidents, we will need emergency contact details for all participants.

Sessions for both age groups will be held outside; if the weather is too wet, we may have to cancel a session or wait until it dries up sufficiently. Toilets will only be available for the primary aged sessions.

Kesgrave Town Council is pleased to be able to offer this opportunity which could not have happened without the volunteer coaches and the funding for their training which came from the East Suffolk Youth Priority Action Group’s Holiday Programme Fund.

Big Litter Pick: Saturday, May 20 at 2pm The town council has two members of staff who carry out caretaking duties and litter pick a number of open spaces in Kesgrave to try to keep it spick and span. However, the caretakers cannot cover the whole of Kesgrave and if it is to continue being in the top ten places to live, we need to all be proactive by: • Setting a good example to children and young people – don’t be a litter lout yourself and tell your children or grandchildren that dropping litter is not acceptable.

• Reporting fly tipping to East Suffolk Council, make a note of the day, date and time you saw the tipping, how many people and what they looked like, what they were doing and what was tipped, any vehicles involved (make, colour and registration number), what kind of view you had, the weather and light conditions. Report by phone or email: 01394 383789 / customerservices@eastsuffolk.gov.uk. You can also use these contact details to report people who do not clear up after their dog.

• Join us on a Community Litter Pick for Kesgrave on Saturday, May 20 at 2pm at the council office on the corner of Ferguson Way. There will be litter picking sticks available so that you don’t need to use your hands or bend over. There will be bags and some hoops to hold bags open. The full bags will be picked up later in the day and take to a central point so that Suffolk Coastal Norse can take it all away.

If you are unable to join us for the Big Litter Pick, you can take part by picking up any litter dropped near to your property and placing it in your usual household collection bins. Don’t pick up hazardous waste; phone Kesgrave Town Council on 01473 625179 for advice.

The Big Lunch Fun Day and Photography Competition Plans are well under way for the Big Lunch Fun Day which takes place on Saturday, June 10. The full programme will appear in the June edition of In Touch With Kesgrave and Rushmere; many thanks to them and all the local businesses helping with or sponsoring elements of the day. There will be a huge range of things to do and try, mostly free of charge, and there will be food outlets if you don’t want to bring a packed lunch. We are very lucky that Meghan Louise has agreed to run a photography competition in tandem with the event. Entries will be displayed in the Millennium Jubilee Hall with an art exhibition to be viewed on the Saturday and the finalists will be announced there.

If you would like to enter the competition, please email meghanlouise1994@ gmail.com stating where the photo was taken, your full name, which age range you are entering (16-30 or 30+ years) your contact email and telephone number. The closing date is June 1. Entrants must be over 16.

The theme is Capture Kesgrave. People in all IP postcodes can enter but the photograph (which can be of anything) must be taken in Kesgrave.

Rules: Only two photo entries per person. Editing to a minimal standard is allowed and photos can be cropped and can be in black and white. All photos must be taken in Kesgrave and presented in a suitable format, i.e. jpeg, etc. The filename must be your first and last name. Entries must be received by 7pm on June 1. No professional photographer may enter, if you are interested in helping with the event, please contact Meghan.

All photos must be original work and cannot have been entered in any other competitions locally. Any photos including children-must have the permission of parents, ideally written consent.

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NEWS / OUT & ABOUT BUS NOTES Some handy news for Concession Pass holders who would like to get into town, or further afield, earlier than the 09.30 deadline allows. First buses are now offering these passholders travel at the ‘Young Persons’ fare between 08.30 and 09.30. This is useful, as otherwise it is not possible to get to London before midday. It applies only to First buses, not to Ipswich Buses.

HISTORY OF RUSHMERE ST ANDREW EXHIBITION The History of Rushmere St Andrew Exhibition on April 7 and 8 was a wonderful success, attended by around 600 visitors who enjoyed the varied displays and engaged enthusiastically in finding out more about the village’s history and the activities of current day groups involved with it.

Three separate churches/church groups were represented as were bellringers, neighbourhood watch, the parish council, Ipswich Town Football Club, the Carbon Farm, SOCS/Stepping Stones Charity and the Rushmere Commoners.

There were historical displays charting the history of pubs, post offices and famous families and a superb Rushmere at War section which included individual detail of every fallen soldier from the parish in the First World War provided by Ruth Silburn.

It is pleasant to note the increasing number of passengers joining the buses on route 63 which loops around local Kesgrave roads. I used to be the only person joining the morning bus, now there are up to a dozen boarding with me. I put this down to the timings being stable for some years and, above that, the reliability of the service. It is far better than it was a few years ago.

Happy Wanderer

SOMERSHAM WARD SUPPORT GROUP COFFEE MORNING Saturday, May 6, 10am-noon, at Rushmere Church Hall

Special thanks go to Robert Whiting for sourcing funding from SCDC’s Enabling Communities Budget, Leonard Woolf (the brains behind the project), Roger Allum for huge amounts of support work and to the parish halls committee for allowing us to use the excellent village hall facility in Humber Doucy Lane.

Councillor Whiting said: “I want to acknowledge the vision and months of hard work which Ron Spore and his core team put into making this event the resounding success it clearly was. The two days had the feel of a joyful traditional summer village fete about it as the bright sunshine streamed through the windows. This event brought many local organisations together for the first time in a generation and I believe that this cohesion can only be good for the local community.”

Ron Spore

SPRING WEDDING FAYRE Photograph by Him & Her Wedding Photography

Photographs by Barbara Robinson

The centre is holding a Spring Wedding Fayre in association with Let’s Party on Sunday, May 21, 11am-3pm.

With an increase in weddings being held at the venue, it’s the perfect place for local wedding suppliers to offer their expertise and advice all in one place.

With a good selection of wedding experts exhibiting, you will be able to talk to florists, bespoke caterers, the photographers who can capture those special moments just for you and everyone else that you could possibly need to help plan and organise your special day.

Entry is free and all brides-to-be will receive a glass of Prosecco, a goodie bag and a bridal magazine on arrival.

So whether you are looking for inspiration for your wedding day or just want to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, this is the place to be!

Weekly Activities at the Centre The popular Active Adults sessions will continue throughout the summer, so if you are looking for some light exercise in a friendly, fun-filled environment this could be the perfect activity for you. The sessions run every Monday morning from 9.30-10.30am and Friday mornings from 10-11am, just £3 per session which includes a cuppa and a chat.

For further information about activities and events or to book a function room, please contact the centre on 01473 612648 or visit: www.kwmcc.co.uk / Facebook

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Group Managing Director Marcus McGee believes that Which? have endorsed Cloudy2Clear’s long standing company policy of delivering the highest standards possible at all times. ‘Our service is simple. If your double glazing has misted up we can replace the glass at a fraction of the cost of a new window, in any type of frame, and with a new 25 year guarantee. But it’s not just about saving people money, although that obviously helps. Whilst a number

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OUT & ABOUT KESGRAVE LIBRARY Sunday Crafts (10am-noon) The following craft activities will take place during May Sunday 7: Celebrate J. M. Barrie’s birthday with us and make a Peter Pan hat Sunday 14: We’re making the Tin Man from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz this week Sunday 21: It’s World Turtle Day on May 23; come and create a turtle herb planter Sunday 28: Ahoy me hearties! Why not join us and design a pirate’s treasure chest?

Activities are free. Parents must stay with under eights. There’s no need to book – just turn up and have a go.

Every Thursday (term time only) • Tot Rock, 9.45-10.15am • BabyBounce, 10.30-11am Every Friday (term time only) • Story Time, 9.45-10.15am OTHER EVENTS IN MAY Wednesday, May 3: Knit and Natter at 2.30pm, £1 with tea, coffee and biscuits provided.

Thursday, May 4: Afternoon Book Group at 2.45pm. They are currently reading The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman.

Thursday, May 11: Evening Book Group at 7pm. They are currently reading A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale.

IT Help Sessions Currently fully booked until our July session. Please get in touch if you would like a place from July onwards.

MARTLESHAM HEATH COUNTRY MARKET – SPRING INTO ACTION! We need another baker and some gardeners, please. Do you know someone who would like to join our neighbourly market? You know we are a friendly and encouraging group and newcomers can come and see what we do – baking, biscuits, cakes and sweets, jam and preserve-making, wood-turning, beaded jewellery, some lovely original cards, painted tiles and flower pots, professionally finished stylish hats, fleecy scarves and gloves for the cooler spring days, hand-made bags of all shapes and sizes, aprons, knitted jumpers and toys, crochet-work to marvel at, decorative floral arrangements (lots of original gift ideas) – and find out how easy it is to join in. Our prices are keen and the quality is high. We make, bake, grow or paint everything we sell and use locally sourced ingredients or materials as much as possible. (I won’t mention the melt-in-the-mouth quiches because I want one for my lunch!)

If you have time for a new venture or want a reason to practise your skills or hobby, call or come along and meet us to find out more. Cooks, we need you to make sweet treats and savouries for our hungry customers. Gardeners, why not sow a few extra seeds and bring your plants, flowers, vegetables and fruit to sell? We also attend outside events like the Suffolk Show (May 31-June 1), MH100 – a celebration of Martlesham Heath’s last 100 years (July 8-9 on the Main Green), and other local fêtes and shows. Perhaps we’ll see you there?

The Country Market is at Martlesham Pavilion every Tuesday morning from 9-11.15am and we also have a table at Saturday’s mid-monthly Kesgrave market at 1st Kesgrave Scout Hall.

To discuss and place special orders for food or crafts, phone Margaret Gayfer on 01473 623849. Commissions are welcome, too. Come and see us soon!

100 Club Our community group has launched a 100 Club to help with fundraising.

For just £1 per month you could enter and have a chance of winning a cash prize, plus knowing you are supporting your local library. Watch out for posters and details about how to sign up or speak to a member of staff about an application form.

Kesgrave Library Community Group AGM If you are interested in joining the group or would like to be a friend to the library, why not pop along to our AGM on Wednesday, May 3 at 7pm and find out all about the group and what it has achieved in the last year? Everyone is welcome.

Donations wanted We hope to start a Lego Club after school one day a week. Do you have some Lego that is no longer used that you would be willing to donate to the library? If so, please pop in or call and speak to a member of staff.

Spring Cleaning If you are looking for a new home for good condition books – fiction, non-fiction or children’s – we are hoping to have a sale to raise money for our community group and the children’s events we put on free of charge each year. Please speak to staff about any donations. Thank you.

Maggie Lusher, Kesgrave Library Manager, Kinsey House, Kays Close, Kesgrave Tel: 01473 626103 www.suffolklibraries.co.uk OPENING TIMES Tuesday: 9am-noon, 2.30-5pm Wednesday: 2.30-6pm Thursday: 2.30-8pm Friday: 9am-noon Saturday: 10am-5pm Sunday: 10am-3pm

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OUT & ABOUT MARTLESHAM BRASS

MIDGE’S CHARITY 65TH

Making music fun in East Anglia

On Tuesday, May 16, I will be celebrating my 65th birthday at the Grinning Rat in St Helens Street, Ipswich. This is an invite to all my friends and anybody who just fancies an afternoon of music, drinking and dancing between 1 and 5pm.

Everyone will be welcome at our spring concert on Saturday, May 20 at St Michael’s Church Centre at 7pm. Tickets are £3.50 (primary school children free) from our website, 2nd Stop Charity Shop (next to Kesgrave Tesco) or 07544 962205. Our special guest is Alan Fernie, a renowned brass band composer. As part of our 20th birthday celebrations, Alan was commissioned to compose a piece for the band, and The Sound of St Michael’s is now a band favourite. All our bands will be performing. There will be a raffle and refreshments available during the interval.

The venue is on the 66 bus route from Martlesham/Kesgrave. Curt n Rod will be supplying the entertainment, mainly playing songs from the 60s, but covering the 50s to the 90s. There is no charge, but there will be a charity box if anybody wishes to donate to St Elizabeth Hospice. I look forward to seeing you there.

We would love to hear from new players, young and old, with or without experience. Our aim is to encourage anyone who feels they would like to play in a brass band to come and have a go. If you would like to join us, or if you already play or have previously played a brass instrument and would like to come along and meet us, please contact us via the website or use the contact details below.

Midge, 01473 621035

Publicity Officer Liz Howard e_m_howard@talk21.com / 01473 625617

Ipswich Country Market is 33 years young this May, and two of our members have been baking right from the start! Originally we were called a Women’s Institute market and our skills are based on those traditions and high standards. Imagine how good our produce is with all that experience.

www.martleshambrass.co.uk

ROGER DAVID BURROWS MUSIC FUND Our next fundraising event is on Saturday, June 10 from 2-4.30pm in The Richards Room, Felixstowe Road, Martlesham IP12 4PB. Pictures, plants, books and cards will be on sale with live music during the afternoon.

All welcome, entrance is free and light refreshments will be available.

The venue is fully accessible with plenty of free parking.

For further details of the Roger David Burrows Music Fund contact the Burrows family on 01473 625196 or visit: www.rogerdavidburrows.co.uk

THE ORWELL SINGERS SUMMER CONCERT The Orwell Singers will be holding their summer concert on Saturday, June 3 at 7.30pm at St Michael and All Angel’s Church, Martlesham Heath IP5 3PL. Admission at the door will be £8 for adults and free for accompanied children and will include light refreshments.

IPSWICH COUNTRY MARKET

We are part of a wider network of about 300 Country Markets across England, Wales and the Channel Islands which have been selling homemade baked goods, preserves, garden-grown fruit and vegetables, plants and handmade crafts for more than 90 years. Our producers pride themselves on keeping traditional home cooking, home growing and hand crafted items alive.

You can find more information about the market on our Facebook page: Ipswich Country Market. Country Markets also have a national website at: www.country-markets.co.uk We are open on Thursday mornings from 10.15-11.30am at Rushmere Village Hall on Humber Doucy Lane. There is plenty of free parking, a warm welcome, and home baked refreshments too. We offer a free tea or coffee on your first visit so come and see what you’ve been missing.

PLEASE NOTE: No markets on Thursday, May 4 due to the hall being used for elections or on Thursday, June 1 as we will be at the Suffolk Show with other markets from East Suffolk. Do come and say hello if you are there! We will be opposite the WI tent, Blue 320 nearest to the Foxhall Road entrance. You can buy our baking, preserves and crafts and we will happily hold your items so that you don’t have to carry them around the show all day.

Don’t worry lovers of bacon rolls, although these are usually available for just £1 on the first Thursday of the month, when we’re not open we will serve them on the second Thursday instead!

The theme of the concert will be Musical Memories where the choir will sing their favourite songs from their repertoire over the past 20 years. For more information please contact: 01473 635955 / d.sharman@btinternet.com

CRAFTERS UNLIMITED

SUFFOLK BOOK LEAGUE

A craft club for people who like to try different crafts in a light hearted atmosphere with refreshments, we meet on the fourth Thursday of each month in Rushmere Village Hall, 7.30-10pm.

Spend an evening with Claudia Myatt, writer, painter and illustrator.

Thursday, May 25: Beaded Bookmark (Jill)

Claudia Myatt lives afloat an elderly tugboat near Woodbridge. Her portfolio consists of a monthly cartoon in Practical Boat Owner alongside numerous sailing-themed illustrated books.

For more details contact Jill (01473 713534) or Emma (01787 373850).

Claudia will be appearing at the Ipswich Institute Reading Room (15 Tavern Street, Ipswich IP1 3AA) on Thursday, May 11 as part of the Suffolk Book League’s 2017 programme of events. Doors open at 7pm. Event starts at 7.30pm.

General admission is £8 with students free. To reserve tickets email: tickets@sbl.org.uk

There are always other projects available with assistance from the committee and other club members. New members are welcome.

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

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

www.sbl.org.uk

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Westminster Homecare provides support and assistance for people who in later life want to live at home and maintain their independence for longer.

We offer a range of services including: • • • • • •

Personal Care Companionship Medication Assistance Waking Night Support Shopping & Cleaning Specialist Dementia Care

• • • • • •

Pension Collection Sleep in Support Personalised Support Palliative Care Respite Care for Carers End of Life

Visit us on the First Floor, 20 Queen Street, Ipswich, call 01473 226 868 or email Ipswich@whc.uk.com If you are interested in working for Westminster Homecare please e-mail recruitment@whc.uk.com

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We’re walking for Parkinson’s Join us

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OUT & ABOUT KESGRAVE CO-OP WOMEN’S GUILD Unfortunately our speaker from Breathe Easy was unable to come to our meeting, but we had a chance to catch up with friends over coffee and a quiz kept the members amused during the evening.

On April 4, Hattie Bennett gave a wonderful talk about her life in music. She had bought her cello and recounted tales of her music teaching and playing in orchestras around the country. Hattie had played at the Wolsey Theatre for many years in the orchestra. She had grown up in a musical family, her father played in the famous Halle Orchestra and she studied at the Royal College of Music.

Hattie and her husband moved to Felixstowe and she started Music in Felixstowe, now in its 19th season. There are concerts of classical, jazz, folk and popular music played by well-known musicians performing in various venues in Felixstowe. Included in these concerts are The Last Night of the Proms and a New Year’s Day Strauss concert. Hattie played snippets of wellknown tunes and kept us laughing and singing all evening.

Our next meetings are on: Tuesday, May 2: Brian Cornell has spent many years on the Thames as a lighter and tug skipper. He will share his experiences and the history of the river.

Tuesday, May 16: TV weathermen Chris Bell will talk about his work in television and the secrets behind forecasting the weather.

Tuesday, May 30: We will hear from Carole Wheatley about revisiting Biberach, a town in Germany and site of a concentration camp where many Channel Island residents were interned in the Second World War. We welcome new members who can visit for two meetings before joining. The annual membership is £15 and we charge £2.50 per meeting to including refreshments and raffle tickets. Meetings start at 7.30pm in the community centre.

The guild holds 23 meetings a year plus other trips and events. For more information please contact Gloria Everett: 01473 614991

MARTLESHAM HISTORY SOCIETY Writer and historian James Hayward will present a talk titled Shingle Street Invasion at our next meeting on Monday, June 12.

A Second World War mystery over a ‘failed Nazi invasion’ at a remote beach in Suffolk may have been manufactured by Britain’s head of propaganda. Burn the Sea is the definitive account of the origin, circulation and astonishing longevity of the myth of the ‘invasion that failed’ in 1940, as well as its remarkable revival in 1992 around the Suffolk fishing hamlet of Shingle Street.

Meetings are held at The Pavilion on Martlesham Heath and start at 8pm. Admission is £2.50 and newcomers are always welcome.

KESGRAVE WI Our April meeting was again very well attended. We now have 60 members but are always pleased to welcome visitors joining us with a view to becoming members.

Three visitors joined us to enjoy a most interesting and informative illustrated talk titled Ipswich Past, Present and Future by John Norman, chair of The Ipswich Society. His talk covered the history of Ipswich from earliest time until the present day with a look into the future. Did you know that Ipswich is the oldest continually inhabited town in England on record? John’s knowledge of Ipswich is immense – we all learnt something about Ipswich that we didn’t know before – even having the new computerised traffic light system, which is actually switched on and working, explained in simple terms.

Graphically produced images of what the new bridge across the river could look like, the proposed plans for the Cornhill and the once proposed Westgate shopping centre for the old Civic Centre area caused much discussion.

The competition for a photograph of an Ipswich building was won by Doreen Roderick, with Sandra Pell second and Wendy Randall third.

During our business session Delcie reported on the Federation Annual Meeting at Trinity Park in March which was attended by 14 Kesgrave members. It was an excellent day with a variety of speakers including: Roger Fern, Mayor of Ipswich, talking on dementia; a representative from the Co-op who spoke of their aim to be become dementia friendly shops; volunteer reading in primary school; Judith Shallow, The Lady High Sheriff of Suffolk, outlining her year in office; Suffolk Wildlife Trust; Moira Hammond talking about the work of the ACW; and Mark Horton from the BBC Coast programme.

A team of six members had attended the Federation Spring Quiz, coming a very respectable fourth place overall. Details were given for two of our day outings along with information about the Suffolk Show WI competitions.

Due to local elections our next meeting is in the conservatory at Kesgrave Community Centre at 7.15pm on Thursday, May 4.

Our speaker will be Sacha Tiller talking about wills, trusts and powers of attorney. Visitors are very welcome to join us. If you require any information please call the secretary, Di Chilver: 01473 611415

Kim Quinton

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OUT & ABOUT MARTLESHAM HEATH AVIATION SOCIETY MARTLESHAM LADIES CLUB The subject of our meeting on Friday, April 7 was Pistol Packing Momma – The Story of a Parham B17 Flying Fortress. A DVD was introduced by Tim Brett from Parham Air Museum. Tim was accompanied by his wife Gillian and began by telling the audience that the 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Parham between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe.

He read excerpt from letters written by crew members. They gave a flavour of desperately dangerous days. The DVD was then shown and it depicted most vividly the horrors of daylight attacks over heavily defend Germany. Only five days after the 390th Bomb Group became operational it was ordered to attack the heavily defended Messerschmitt aircraft complex at Regensburg. This was a shuttle mission, with the bombers landing at bases in North Africa. In October of that year they attacked the ball bearing factory at Scheinfurt in one of the bloodiest missions of the war. For both of these missions the group received the Distinguished Unit Citation. In over 300 missions, they dropped more than 19,000 tons of bombs. They lost 176 aircraft and 714 airmen were killed in action.

Parham Airfield Museum is open from 11am to 5pm on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from now until the last Sunday in October. A vote of thanks was given by our vice-president, Robert Dunnett.

Our next meeting on Friday, May 5 is our AGM. This will be followed by a DVD about the development of radar at Bawdsey. Aircraft from RAF Martlesham were deployed by the boffins at Bawdsey, particularly in the early experiments of airborne radar.

Meetings are held at the community hall on Felixstowe Road and start at 7.30pm with a tea/coffee break. Non-members are welcome for a payment of just £4 at the door.

Our Control Tower museum is open from 2-5pm every Sunday until the end of October. www.mhas.org.uk

We have two meetings planned for May. On Thursday, May 11, John Read will give a talk entitled Wales the Red Dragon and the Tillworth Teg and on May 25 Dan Wheales will tell us about herbs and herbal remedies with a demonstration, tasting and an opportunity to buy.

The last evening meeting of the season is our AGM on June 8. Our coffee morning to raise money for our chosen charity, the Motor Neurone Disease, will be held on Saturday, June 17 at 14 Gayfer Avenue from 10am-noon. There will be various stalls, a raffle and competitions. We are planning to meet and to go out to lunch sometime during the summer.

Meetings are held on alternate Thursday evenings at 7.15pm in the Richards Room. To find out more contact Doreen Boar: 01473 622768

WEDDING SPEECH? The wedding season is with us. You’ve been asked to give a wedding speech. Of course you want to do your best, but how about using it to ‘kick-start’ further public speaking?

Local community organisations like the WI, the U3A and many others are always looking for interesting speakers and it’s a chance for you to share your enthusiasm for your hobby or interest with a wider audience.

What’s the next step then?

Let Speak Easy at Martlesham, your friendly neighbourhood speakers’ club, help you improve your public speaking in 2017.

Speak Easy is a Toastmasters International club (www.toastmasters. org). TI has spent over 90 years devising and refining the best ways for us all to develop our public speaking. Improving your public speaking also boosts your confidence and puts you on the track to becoming a better leader. Toastmasters recognises this. There are leadership projects and opportunities, as well as the speaking projects, within its educational ’tracks’.

The tracks are all supported by books and other materials that guide and challenge you. It’s always up to you how far and how fast you progress.

We meet every Thursday fortnight at the Richards Room in Martlesham (alongside Felixstowe Road, behind the Tesco superstore). Our meetings are structured to include impromptu speaking, formal speaking and evaluation. Evaluation is a vital part of how Toastmasters’ clubs operate.

When you evaluate someone else speaking you not only help them, you also – through empathy and understanding – help your own speaking. It’s very cost effective way to learn as well Even if you’re not giving a wedding speech, we’ll still be very pleased to see you!

For further details please call 07968 372563 or select Contact Us from the main menu at www.speak-easy.org.uk. Or just want turn up at a meeting; you’ll find dates and directions online.

Speak Easy at Martlesham is all about learning to speak in a friendly, encouraging and enjoyable environment. We look forward to meeting you soon.

IPSWICH BRANCH, SUFFOLK FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Thursday, April 27 at 7.30pm: Frances Saltmarsh presents Fig Leaves, Farthingales and Fichus, a fascinating and entertaining introduction to costume evolution with some real examples for you to examine. This talk follows our brief branch AGM. We meet at the Co-op Education Centre where the pedestrian entrance is at 11 Fore Street, Ipswich IP4 1JW, and the car park entrance is in Waterworks Street IP4 1JG. Admission is £2 for society members and £2.50 for non-members, who are warmly welcomed. You can join the society at the meeting if you wish. Tickets are not required, just turn up and pay on the door.

For more information contact Howard on 01473 274300 or visit: http://suffolkfhs.org.uk

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OUT & ABOUT

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, RUSHMERE ST ANDREW The diocese of Ipswich and St Edmundsbury Mothers’ Union held a parade service at St Edmund Church in Southwold on Lady Day when many banners were paraded. The service was very well attended, it was a lovely but windy day and lunch in the town completed a memorable occasion.

Alongside meetings and tea and coffee, MU members continually work to help families. There is an AFIA (Away From It All) section that raises and organises holidays for families in need. There is great work knitting hats and other warm garments for seafarers, clothes for premature babies, emergency packs for the mums rushed in early, comfy cushions for cancer suffers and many more items.

There is constant prayer both here and around the world for the sick and those in need and danger. We also support a new child maintenance scheme going through parliament at present.

Our meetings sometimes have outside visits and the Rushmere group recently went to the mayor’s parlour in Ipswich for a very informative and interesting afternoon. In a later programme we hope to visit the Felixstowe Seafarers’ Centre.

ORWELL DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS SOCIETY Our April meeting demonstrated the wisdom of having reserve lecturers!

Our scheduled lecturer couldn’t get back from the continent in time, so our resourceful programme secretaries found a replacement at short notice.

Rosalind Whitehouse talked to us about Cover Ups – History hidden within Paintings and Exploring what is meant by ’Authentic’. Rosalind is a freelance conservator of paintings and she gave us a wonderful talk, based on her own experiences, of what can be found behind the dirt, the overpainting and the heavy varnishings on oil paintings. A fascinating lecture and a worthy replacement.

On Wednesday, May 3, Timothy Schroder will tell us all about Sacred Silver in England: 500 Years of Change. Timothy is a specialist in silver and has written several books on the subject.

So why not become a member and enjoy good company and an interesting talk? We meet at Tower Hall, Broadlands Way, Rushmere St Andrew on the first Wednesday of most months. Meeting begins at 2.05pm and last about an hour. Tea and coffee are available up until 2pm. Guests and non-members are welcome provided we have available space. Exceptionally popular lectures will have a guests/visitor limit of 20 so please contact Wendy Robbins before the day on 01394 823807 to check if there is available space.

For the latest events and news visit: www.orwelldfas.org.uk

Closer to home, in May we will welcome Janet Dann who will entertain us with a performed reading. As always we finish with tea and cakes and most importantly, fellowship.

We would love to see new faces. We meet every third Wednesday at 2.30pm in the hall beside the church, or for more information contact Hilary on 01473 421073.

SUMMER AND BEYOND WITH THE U3A As members already know, the U3A committee doesn’t rest on its laurels during the summer. Plans are being made in all departments to ensure everything is ready for discussion at our AGM on June 12 when we hope U3A members will join us at Kesgrave Community Centre at 2pm.

There are still some talks to educate and inspire members and visitors before the summer break. Please remember if you are a visitor you are very welcome to attend one of the talks before applying to become a full member.

The campus coordinator or volunteers at each venue will be delighted to give further details of applying for membership on the day.

Salvation Army Hall, Felixstowe at 10.30am Thursday, May 4: The Greatest Show Not on Earth – From Eclipses to Distant Black Holes by Paul Whiting Market Hall, Saxmundham at 2pm Thursday, May 11: Building the Tower of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, an account by the construction team leader Horry Parsons Kesgrave Community Centre at 2pm Monday, May 22: Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown: Landscape, Art and Dame Nature, a talk by Dr Twigs Way regarding the life and work of England’s greatest gardener Woodbridge Community Hall at 2.30pm Monday, June 5: Miss Savidge Moves Her House by Christine Adams, the fascinating story of a woman who literally moved her house to Norfolk Talks will recommence in September and details will be available after the AGM on our website or by telephoning our secretary on 03001 233913. If you would like further details on becoming a member please use either the website or telephone this number. www.u3aeastsuffolk.org.uk

www.keepingintouchwith.com/kesgrave

IPSWICH AND DISTRICT PROBUS CLUB Probus clubs are for retired or semi-retired business gentlemen. The primary objective is to provide fellowship between members and to share similar interests in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

We meet monthly at the Masonic Hall in Soane Street, Ipswich on the last Wednesday of each month for lunch, followed by talks and lectures on a variety of subjects. In addition we hold social events including outside visits when we invite our spouses, partners and friends to join us.

If membership appeals to you, please contact our secretary, Ken Stanley, for further details: 01473 274898 / kenstanley4@gmail.com

IPSWICH PHILATELIC SOCIETY On April 5 we held our annual auction which contained 575 lots of very good material. We sold over £2,000 worth to members of our club, members of other clubs in East Anglia and members of the public. The commission we made from these sales will help us to pay for our speakers for the next season starting in September.

Our last meeting of the current season is on June 7 which is the AGM followed by a bourse and a quiz. Meetings are held at Cedarwood Primary School, Wilkinson Drive, Kesgrave, 7 for 7.30pm. Visitors welcome. For further information contact the secretary, Mike Smith: 01473 403904

IPSWICH & DISTRICT HISTORICAL TRANSPORT SOCIETY Wednesday, May 24, 7pm: Time Flies at The Old Warden – The Story of the Shuttleworth Collection, illustrated talk by Alan Reed We meet at 7pm at the Salvation Army Citadel, 558 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich. Entrance via the rear car park. Visitors welcome – £3.50 at door including tea/coffee.

Details from: 01473 414746/422145 www.idhts.co.uk

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OUT & ABOUT

DIABETES UK, IPSWICH AND DISTRICT SUPPORT GROUP The next meeting is at 7pm on Thursday, June 8 at St Augustine’s Church Hall, Bucklesham Road, Ipswich IP3 8TH. The main speakers will be Dr Zoe Waller on her work on the genetics of diabetes and Martin Hoskins from Silver Lining Estate Planning Ltd, who are sponsoring the evening, will give a short talk on estate planning, power of attorney and wills.

This is a social gathering of people who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes to share information on diabetes and to talk to others in similar situations.

Refreshments will be available free of charge. No admission charge or joining fee.

For further information please contact: dsgipswich@gmail.com / 07547 513730 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri) www.ipswich.diabetesukgroup.org

WOODBRIDGE INNER WHEEL GETS QUIZZICAL A very successful quiz night on March 17 raised £1,010 for the Stroke Working Age Group Suffolk. This charity supports young people who have suffered a stroke and whose lives are changed completely as a result. A team from the group took part in the quiz and were thrilled at the amount of money raised.

At our April meeting, members learned about the origins of Aldeburgh Carnival, which began in the 19th century as an addition to the regatta. Judy Gowen, a long-time member of the organising committee, spoke about how in the 1950s there was a long procession of floats and many stalls but by the 1960s, due to lack of money and the growing popularity of package holidays, it had become much smaller. However, by the 1980s it was thriving again and now raises about £10,000 per year for the local community.

Woodbridge Inner Wheel continues to support both local and international charities, and this month we have donated £75 to the East Africa Crisis Appeal.

EAST SUFFOLK NATIONAL TRUST ASSOCIATION If you are a member of, or a volunteer for, the National Trust, then we invite you to get more out of your membership by joining our association where a warm welcome awaits you.

We meet at Ropes Hall War Memorial Community Centre, Twelve Acre Approach, Kesgrave IP5 1JF at 7.15pm.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, May 16 when Anthony Cobbold will talk about one of Suffolk’s best known families, the Cobbolds, and their contribution to Suffolk life. Anthony founded the Cobbold Family Trust which seeks to collect and preserve archival material and artefacts relating to the family. Anthony will be delving into the family history, which, as we will see, consists of more than beer and football.

This is our last meeting until September 19 when the subject will be the Garretts of Leiston. Further details will be published in the September issue.

Visitors (even if not National Trust members) are welcome, entrance fee £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.

For more information, including details of future events and outings, contact our membership secretary: membershipesnta@gmail.com / 01473 723761 www.membershipesnta.btck.co.uk

www.keepingintouchwith.com/kesgrave

Wow! What a difference since the last time I wrote! It’s early April as I write this, and it’s beautifully sunny, with the trees and hedgerows greening up nicely, the birds nesting away and daffodils everywhere.

We had our first working party of the year at the very beginning of April, and it was wonderful to be part of it. There were dozens of KALGA members there, out in force to strim back the grassy areas surrounding the site, and to spread wood chippings to reinforce and protect the site roadways, as well as undertaking a myriad of other little jobs. These days are always a lovely way of meeting fellow allotment-holders, and it’s so good to see the sense of community growing and developing as the site beds in. Hard to believe that a little over five years ago our lovely site was just a corner of a farmer’s field.

You’d never guess that now.

May can be a lovely time of year to be outside and it’s glorious to be on site, overlooking the open fields, with the sun on your back and the breeze in your hair. The weather can be so hot on occasions as to cause difficulties for newly growing plants (be ready to water as needed), or so cold and wet that they need to be protected from hail and frost. It keeps us on our toes, and of course makes us very grateful at times for the flasks of coffee we’ve brought along, or the cup of tea made on a little camping stove in the shed.

The first harvests of the year were enjoyed a good while ago now, and our rhubarb is merrily going berserk, enjoying the mix of well-rotted manure and spent mushroom compost that we spread over our site a few years back. Planting is well underway, still undercover for the most part, though cabbages, broccoli and the like are hardy enough to plant directly outside.

The hoe is getting good use keeping weeds under control – it’s not only the vegetables that enjoy the warmer weather!

If you’ve ever fancied ‘growing your own’, we do have a few plots available at our picturesque Rushmere St Andrew site. New members are always made very welcome. If you’re unsure if allotmenting is for you, why not go for one of our half-plots? For more information, please contact our membership secretary, Angela Brown: membership@kesgrave-allotments.org.uk / 01473 612283 Becki Ritson

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DEBEN FLOWER CLUB QUIZ NIGHT Deben Flower Club will be holding a quiz night on Saturday, May 20 in Kirton Church Hall, Church Lane, Kirton IP10 0PU, 7 for 7.30pm.

Once again this will be a light-hearted fun evening and will include a ploughman’s supper.

Why not join in the fun and bring along a team of six? If you don’t have six people for your team you may be asked to share a table with other club members.

Tickets need to be purchased in advance and are £8 each including supper.

Please bring your own drinks and glasses.

For further information and tickets contact: wa@sandlings.co.uk / 01394 411422

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OUT & ABOUT / SCHOOLS PORTAL WOODLANDS CONSERVATION GROUP On March 18 the Nature Explorers completed adding posts for the new nature, pond and historic walks (the waymarker symbols for these walks will be added soon). Afterwards they joined the working party in cutting back the hedges and litter picking where needed along the outskirts of the woodlands by the A1214.

The volunteers were then treated to a close-up view of a badger that was rescued from a garden in the local area. It was a young male badger kicked out of the sett by his mother which is a natural part of their growth cycle.

Nature Explorers Award Winner,

by D Sweeting

At our AGM on April 3, the Nature Explorer of the Year was announced as Chloe King who was presented with The Powling Cup, which now has a new plinth crafted by John Geary out of a piece of sweet chestnut from the woods. The new committee was appointed and Duncan Sweeting gave a presentation on the history of the PWCG and Portal Woods.

SUMMER TERM AT BRIGHT STARS If you are a baby, toddler or pre-schooler who would like a fun start to your week we would love you to come along with your parents, grandparents, friends, family and/or carers to join us at Bright Stars. We are an informal and friendly group who meet at 10.30am on the second and fourth Mondays of each month during term time at St Michael’s Church Centre, Martlesham Heath IP5 3PL. The half hour sessions are free and are followed by refreshments and a chance to play until approximately noon, while the adults enjoy a chat!

Why not come and visit us? You are welcome to just turn up on the day, but if you would like any further information please contact us on the numbers below. We look forward to welcoming you!

Our session dates for the summer term 2017 are May 8 and 22, June 12 and 26 and July 10.

For further information please contact: Jennie Fidler 07584 420729; Sonya & Maureen Burrows 01473 625196; Sue Lambert 01473 624130

THE SAPLINGS

DATES FOR THE DIARY Volunteer Work Morning: Saturday, May 20, 10am-noon Meet at the Education Area. Tools, training and light refreshments provided.

All ages welcome; no need to book.

Nature Explorers (11-18 year olds): Saturday, May 20, 9am-11am Nature Watch Club: Dates to be advised

Spring has finally arrived and the sun has finally started to shine! As this is such a lovely time of year we will be doing lots of exploring and making the most of being outside. We will be having fun making spring related crafts and planting. The children will get to take part in some nature walks and will be exploring our mud kitchen.

Contact us at pwcg.martlesham@gmail.com / 01473 612632, visit www.pwcg.onesuffolk.net or join our member’s Facebook Group by messaging Duncan Sweeting.

This theme will run through the baby room, pre-school and after school club so all of the children coming to us will be able to enjoy the activities.

Sam Cork, Nature Explorer and Young Volunteer

HUMPTY DUMPTY PLAYGROUP Last term the children were very busy with lots of different activities. Thank you to all the mums, grandmas and nannas who came into the setting during our Mother’s Day week and read stories, talked about families and had fun playing games with the children. It was a wonderful week and we hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did.

To celebrate Easter, the children made Easter cakes, painted egg pictures using a variety of different media and materials and made Easter baskets which they used to collect all the eggs and sweets that the Easter Bunny had hidden around the garden. A big thank you to Rev Claire Ling from All Saints Church in Kesgrave for coming into the setting and talking about Easter with the children.

We are an Ofsted registered childcare provider for children from the age of two years onwards. As we are registered as ‘Good’, we can provide funded places for two-year-old children who have received Golden Tickets from Suffolk County Council. From September 2017, we will be providing 30 hours of free childcare to children the term after their third birthday. Please come in and meet our friendly Early Years team, including staff trained with Qualified Teacher Status, BA (Hons) level 6, and CACHE level 3, and find out more regarding the government’s new Childcare Choices offering parents tax-free childcare and 30 hours’ free childcare.

We are situated inside Kesgrave Community Centre, Twelve Acre Approach, Bell Lane. You can contact us from 8.30am-4pm on 07837 154081 during term time and manager Sally Cutts on 01473 625998 (evenings only).

We have spaces in all our rooms and funded two and three year olds can use their funded sessions throughout our opening hours and ‘stretch’ funding across holiday club.

The Saplings is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for children aged three months to 11 years, offering term-time and year-round care, with a baby room and pre-school, breakfast club, after school club and holiday club and a ‘walking bus’ to and from Birchwood Primary School.

For more information, please contact: news@thesaplings.org.uk / 01473 614753 www.thesaplings.org.uk / Facebook

HEDGEHOG NURSERY AT GORSELAND SCHOOL The term began with settling in new children and helping them to develop confidence, make friends and learn the rules and routines at our setting.

We are delighted that the warmer weather has arrived and the children are enjoying lots of outdoor learning experiences. We are focusing on lifecycles and have been observing frogspawn and watching caterpillars grow and change. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is our stimulus for lots of learning – counting, days of the week, growing, new language, cooking, tasting different foods and storytelling to name a few!

Follow us on Facebook where you can see the children engaged in play activities.

Hedgehog Nursery invites you to ‘stay and play’ at our open mornings on Tuesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 4, both from 9.30-10.30am. If you are unable to make these mornings, please contact us to make alternative arrangements. We will be offering 30 hours of funding to eligible families from September 2017.

Wendy Payne

Mrs Jen Florey

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In Touch online:

01394 461556

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THINKING OF BECOMING A FOSTER CARER? Pride Fostering, an independent fostering agency offering an individual approach, is recruiting in the Eastern Region and also looking to recruit enhanced foster carers.

I am Antoinetta D’Allessandro, your local Supervising Social Worker, and I’d like you to read about the experience of caring from my foster carers in Norwich.

“We became approved foster carers with Pride in January 2016. Since that time we have had a number of short respite placements and currently have an interim placement which commenced in January this year. We have a supportive supervising social worker who has been there for us when needed. There have been very challenging times, and in the beginning we asked ourselves if we could carry on. We have supported each other throughout, we stuck with it and are now reaping the rewards by seeing our foster child develop as a person and feel secure in our care. We often go to bed now and laugh and say ‘yes, we would do this again’.

“We have undertaken a lot of useful training laid on by our agency, which we have utilised since our approval. Above all we find our role as foster carers rewarding and worthwhile. It may not be for the faint hearted but if you are prepared to put the work in you can see how this makes a difference to young people who find themselves in care. If you have a sense of humour and common sense, you will go far in fostering.”

If you are interested in finding out more about fostering please either visit www.pridefostering.com or call the head office on 01582 433 775.

Foster Care Fortnight 2017 begins on Monday, May 8 and I will have an information stand at Woodbridge Library on Friday, May 12 from 9.30am to 5.30pm. Come along for an informal chat and exchange of leaflets and information. I look forward to meeting you.

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SPORT KESGRAVE CRICKET CLUB

KESGRAVE & NORTHGATE KARATE NEWS Kesgrave, Northgate and Associated Club members have been hard at work during the past month attending a number of competitions. Most recently, there was the 1St CHKA Open competition in Hornchurch on Sunday, April 2. Harry Whitmore won a bronze medal and Lilly Melton and Emma Buckley both took home silver medals, all in the Japanese individual kata. Lauren Berry took home gold in the individual kata.

There was also a gold medal for Ruby Hunt in Kumite in the age 10 to 11 -35kg category.

The EKKA Eastern Counties competition was held at Northgate Sports Centre on Sunday, March 12. Tayler Evans won gold and Ruby Hunt won silver, both in kumite categories. There was a huge haul of medals in the kata categories. Emma Buckley and Lilly Melton took home a bronze in team pairs as did Harry Whitmore and Lauren Berry. Thomas Humphries and Sofia Standring won silver medals for their paired kata and Amelia Clow and Sophie Swann won gold. In individual kata, both Harry Whitmore and Chloe Campbell won bronze medals and Sophie Swann won silver.

Well done to all the competitors in both competitions and a big thank you to all the coaches who attended for their invaluable support. Also thank you to our club sponsors Ipswich Audi, M+C Diesel, I.S. Electrical and Chris Clow for their continued support.

As well as regular classes throughout the week and kumite class on Friday nights, fitness training sessions start on Sunday, April 30. This is open to members and non-members alike and you can test your level of fitness on Sunday mornings from 10.30-11am at Northgate Sports Centre prior to the main class. There are different levels so you can start with gentle Level 1 (10 shuttle runs in one minute followed by 10 press ups, 10 sit ups and 10 sprint squat thrusts) up to Level 5 (which is 80 shuttle runs in eight minutes, 50 press ups, 50 sit ups and 50 sprint squat thrusts). You can practise as much as you like in the hall and only pay for the test when you are ready. The test will cost £5 with all proceeds going towards club funds to help with competition entries.

The long wait is over. The new cricket season is finally upon us. After hibernating since last September, Kesgrave’s cricketers have come stumbling out into the spring sunshine for another season of fun, hard work and (hopefully) success. The playing surface has been marked and lined out and ‘whites’ have been washed and ironed. We are ready to go. By the end of April all three of our senior teams will have started their respective league campaigns. Our young cricketers have begun their weekly Sunday morning training sessions and fixtures for each age group will be starting soon. My reports on these early efforts will feature in next month’s update.

News next of a club event which took place just before the season started.

On Sunday, April 1, members of the club met at Seckford Golf Club for our golf day. After a satisfying cooked breakfast we gathered on the first tee to play an 18-hole team stableford competition. The weather was gloriously warm and sunny. The fairways and greens were harder and faster than you might expect for the time of year. Father and son combo Steve and Joe Bonner won the team competition with a combined total of 71 points. Steve and Joe also won the ‘yellow ball’ side-competition. Mike Worne took the longest drive award with a tee shot at the long sixth hole that drew gasps from onlookers and confounded the measuring equipment, while Harry Bradly took the ‘nearest the pin’ prize with a short iron to the 14th of deadeyed accuracy.

The individual winner was a very close race. Joe Bonner and Mike Worne both scored 37 points; Joe took the award on count-back by the slim margin of just one point. A good time was had by all. It was especially satisfying for us to sit together on the clubhouse terrace after the round, picking out the ups and downs of our rounds and handing out the prizes in lovely sunshine.

A big ‘thank you’ to all at Seckford Golf Club for helping to make the day so enjoyable. If available dates and player diaries coincide, we might manage a second 2017 golf day after the cricket season ends. If not, we will definitely do it again next spring.

From next month onward expect this news section to be filled with match reports. Please remember that you can also keep track of our results in ‘real time’, as well as all our latest news, via our club website: www.kesgrave.play-cricket.com Finally, I leave you with a useful prayer for all cricketers at the start of a new season:

And finally, huge congratulations to our newest black belt, Matt Standring, who achieved his First Dan on March 26. Well done for all your hard work and perseverance Matt, you’re an inspiration to us all!

“Lord of the Game, for whom these lines I write, Fulfil my present hope, watch o’er my fate Defend me from the swerver’s puzzling flight; Let me not be run out, at any rate…”

There are a number of competitions in April and May so we look forward to reporting further club successes next month.

Extract from Five Overs & 2 wides by H.S. Vere Hodge, 1975 Knight Watchman

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SPORT / ON THE GRAPEVINE IPSWICH RAVENS VOLLEYBALL

DR DAN POULTER, YOUR LOCAL MP, REPORTS BACK Last month I was pleased to visit a number of schools in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich and also welcomed a group of students from the University of Suffolk to parliament. Although planned for some time, the staff and tutors made the trip from Suffolk to London on one of parliament’s busiest days – not only did their visit coincide with Prime Minister’s Questions, but there was certainly an added buzz around the Houses of Parliament ahead of the triggering of Article 50.

With the summer approaching, attention turns to our outdoor activities. We will once again be running open friendly volleyball games every Saturday in Christchurch Park from 2-4pm (weather permitting). These sessions are completely free and open to anyone who wants to play, whether experienced or beginner, adult or junior, male or female.

The sessions are run by our qualified coaches who will give help and advice to anyone who needs it to get started. If you have ever been tempted to give volleyball a try this is a perfect opportunity, just come along on any Saturday afternoon wearing normal outdoor sports kit. You can bring a friend or relative if you wish.

If you are interested in joining this growing sport, call/text 07508 351875 or visit: www.ipswichravens.org.uk This last month saw the final tournament in the six-a-side indoor volleyball series at Maidenhall Sports Centre which started in October. It was another excellent tournament for Ravens and we were able to enter three teams for the first time thanks to the steady growth of the club throughout the season.

In Division 1 our First team finished in a highly commendable second place with wins against Stowmarket II, Diss, and Ipswich, and a defeat against the overall winners Stowmarket III. In Division 2 we were delighted to be able to enter both a ladies team and a junior team. Our women had impressive wins against Suffolk University and our own juniors, and defeats against Stingers and Fil Suffolk. Meanwhile our juniors pushed hard in their losses against Stingers, Suffolk Uni, and our women, and finished with a comfortable win against a new Bury juniors side.

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I was also delighted to take part in this year’s annual BBC News School Report Day, where a group of students from Claydon High School joined Mark Murphy on BBC Radio Suffolk to talk about mental health and what they are doing to tackle the issue in their own school. I was very impressed at the professionalism and understanding of the topic demonstrated by the students and I will be supporting them in their call to ensure that greater awareness of mental health should also become compulsory in all schools.

The school has become only the second school in Suffolk to embark upon the mental health first aid course run in conjunction with Suffolk charity Volunteering Matters. I would like to see all schools in Suffolk sign up to raising awareness of the importance of mental health in schools. The mental health course will help young people to gain an understanding of their own mental health needs and to recognise when a classmate may be experiencing poor mental health.

The old adage that school years are supposed to be some of the happiest of our lives should still stand and although we all experience the pressures of growing and navigating our teenage years, it’s important to keep things in perspective and to recognise that it’s OK to ask for help or to talk to a trusted friend, family member or teacher if things are getting on top of us.

In parliament, I was very pleased to play my part in supporting a new law ensuring that in future every child will receive compulsory sex and relationship education in school. This new law will ensure that sex and relationships education is delivered in an age appropriate manner, taking into consideration religious and cultural beliefs, but also being sensitive of the environment the children find themselves in.

It is vitally important that our young people are knowledgeable and well informed about what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour in this rapidly evolving world – by being well informed, young people can be empowered and confident in knowing what positive relationships look like.

For more information please visit: www.drdanielpoulter.com

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ON THE GRAPEVINE SUFFOLK LIBRARIES SURVEY CLOSING DATE: MONDAY, MAY 8

POPULAR COLOUR DASH RETURNS TO IPSWICH

Library customers are being asked to have their say on the future of the county’s library service.

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) will be bringing a splash of colour to Suffolk again this year, with tickets for one of the charity’s most popular fundraisers on sale now!

Suffolk Libraries is an independent organisation which has a five-year contract with the county council to run the county’s library service. At the end of 2016, Suffolk Libraries’ Board voted unanimously to trigger a five-year extension to this contract which will run from August 2017 to 2022.

EACH’s Ipswich Colour Dash will be held on Sunday, May 28 at Christchurch Park.

Suffolk Libraries is now looking ahead to the next five years and will be undertaking a review to define how it can run a modern and affordable library service which meets the needs of the people of Suffolk. A new customer survey is being launched, asking people what they feel is important about the county’s library service, and there is also a new membership scheme giving people a new opportunity to support Suffolk Libraries.

Hannah Walker, EACH Suffolk Community Fundraiser, said: “We’re very excited to be launching tickets for this event. As anyone who’s taken part before knows, it’s an impressive sight and great fun for all the family.

The library service budget has been reduced by a further £200,000 for 2017/18 and year-on-year reductions means the library service budget is now 33% less than in 2010.

Tony Brown, Chair of Suffolk Libraries, said: “Whilst there are challenges ahead for our library service, we are now looking to the future and want to build on the successful work we have done since 2012 to protect and improve services across Suffolk and to local communities.

“There is much to be positive about; all our libraries are still open, some have even increased opening hours. Suffolk Libraries has strived to make improvements and innovations, whilst offering a diverse range of services and there are now even more activities in libraries. We may have to make difficult decisions but we are still committed to doing everything we can to protect local library services which we know mean so much to their communities.”

Alison Wheeler, Chief Executive of Suffolk Libraries, said: “We have been warning that further cuts would be challenging and as we have less money, we will have to make further savings. We want to approach these challenges in the right way, by carrying out a review to help us make a longer-term plan.

We also intend to listen to people. We have built up trust and support in the community and we want as many people as possible to have their say.

“We must be realistic; staffing is our biggest cost so it is likely there won’t be as many jobs in the future. However, we want to reassure people as much as we can – we do not anticipate that any changes we have to make will include library closures, handing over libraries to volunteers or charging for what the law or our contract says must be free. Our review is likely to take several months and until we’ve done that we can’t say what changes we’ll have to make.”

Suffolk Libraries are running a customer survey until 8 May 2017. This can be done via www.suffolklibraries.co.uk, via www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ SuffolkLibraries2017 or there will be hard copies available in libraries.

Tony Brown added: “We anticipate that council funding will continue to shrink so we will keep looking for alternative funding to supplement what we get from the county council. Our community groups who support libraries have been a big part of this and have raised thousands of pounds every year which have funded things like refurbishments, equipment in many libraries and the cost of Wi-Fi.

Colour dashes are 5K (3.1-mile) fun runs, the ‘fun’ aspect being that participants are showered with clouds of coloured powder paint as they run!

“There’s no competitive aspect, so you can run, jog or walk the five kilometres – just be prepared to get covered in coloured powder paint. It creates truly impressive multi-coloured results!

“Tickets are expected to sell quickly so please secure yours as soon as possible to avoid disappointment and take advantage of our special early bird offer.”

Ipswich is one of nine places in the region and three in Suffolk that EACH is holding Colour Dashes this year. Last summer more than 5,300 runners took part across seven locations, raising £150,000.

EACH cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across East Anglia and supports their families. For both families accessing care and those who have been bereaved, EACH is a lifeline at an unimaginably difficult time. It costs the charity almost £6 million a year to deliver its services and all funds raised at this event, to begin at 11am, will help.

To book your place in EACH’s Ipswich Colour Dash visit www.each.org.uk/ colour-dashes or contact the Suffolk Fundraising Team on 01473 276193.

For more details on the EACH Colour Dash series, as well as the charity’s care services, visit: www.each.org.uk

THE SUFFOLK

WALKING FESTIVAL

2017

13TH MAY

TO 4TH JUNE

Over 100 amazing walks throughout Suffolk.

“We want to do our bit and we are launching ‘Suffolk Libraries Extra’, a new supporter scheme offering people the chance to make an annual donation to get more involved and help the library service.

“We believe there may be individuals or local businesses out there who may want to become Suffolk Libraries Extra supporters. It won’t affect the service to everyone else, it’ll just mean that for those who feel they can, there’s a way of giving us some extra support. There will be more details about Suffolk Libraries Extra soon but anyone who is interested can get in touch or visit www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/extra.”

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ON THE GRAPEVINE QUESTIONS ON CASH Independent Financial Adviser Nick Plumb answers your questions Colin, Graham and David from Great Blakenham ask: “We are partners in a small but successful engineering business. We have no formal arrangements in place in the event of one of us dying, and we are unsure how to protect the business and ensure that the other partners could carry on if that happened to any one of us. What do you suggest?”

When one of the partners or shareholders in a business dies, it is important that the surviving owners can continue trading, and keep control of the business. If you are a partner or shareholder, you will probably have two concerns: that the business you have worked hard to build will be able to carry on successfully if one of your partners dies, and that your family will get the full value of your share of that business if you die before your partners.

This process can actually be put into place using a partnership protection strategy. That’s a special legal ‘buy out’ agreement linked to some basic life insurance policies. The most flexible option is for each of you to arrange an insurance policy covering your own life, written in trust for the other business owners, or, if there are only three of you, you can each have a policy, which covers the life of the other business owners. That way, when one of you dies, the others receive the funds, and can use them to buy the share of the deceased partner from his family.

You will then need to draw up an agreement, the partnership agreement

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or ‘Business Will’, to ensure that your wishes are carried out. This will require the assistance of your solicitor. You could have a Double Option agreement, where the partners have the right to buy your share and your family has a right to ask them to buy, or a Single Option agreement (often used for critical illness claims) so you can ask the other business owners to buy your share, but they cannot force you to sell.

Having the correct agreement in place can also mean that the assets are potentially eligible for Business Property Relief and therefore not liable to Inheritance Tax. If you would rather transfer the assets into a trust rather than be paid directly to your estate, a separate ‘Bypass Trust’ can also be arranged to accommodate your requirements. Good legal advice from a specialist business lawyer is essential when setting up such a partnership protection arrangement.

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 Conduct Authority.

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ON THE GRAPEVINE TOP EXPERTS IN TINNITUS AND HEARING WILLS MONTH RETURNS LOSS SPEAK IN IPSWICH FOR ST ELIZABETH HOSPICE The Hearing Care Centre recently organised an informative event with leading experts from the world of ‘all things ears’ for an exclusive event in Ipswich. Designed to educate attendees about the help and support available, the Suffolk Hearing Care and Tinnitus Show on Monday, April 3 proved extremely popular with more than 140 guests attending.

The Hearing Care Centre, which has 23 centres across Suffolk and Norfolk, managed to secure the time of some of the country’s most sought Attendees with an expert after experts on tinnitus and hearing loss. from Sensing Change Professor David Baguley gave attendees a better understanding about what tinnitus is, how it affects us and where researchers are at in their quest to find a solution to the problem. Suffolk’s own ENT specialist, Mr Mahmoud Salam shared his knowledge on conditions that affect the ear in adults.

In the UK, hearing loss affects one in six people (over 11 million people) and this climbs to one in three people aged over 60 years. Sadly, people wait on average 10 years to address their hearing loss, which impacts significantly on their general health and wellbeing. Tinnitus (noises heard inside the head) also affects around 10% of the UK population and research has shown that a high proportion of tinnitus sufferers also experience hearing loss.

Karen Finch, managing director and senior audiologist at The Hearing Care Centre, also talked at the event. She said: “I’m delighted to have been able to put this event together for the people of Suffolk. It allowed those effected to come and find out information without the pressure of going into a clinic room. The event provided a platform where guests were able to learn about some of latest hearing technology that is helping thousands of patients with both hearing loss and tinnitus.”

Throughout May, you can make or amend your will at local solicitors for a discounted cost in return for a suggested donation to St Elizabeth Hospice.

The local charity’s Wills Month coincides with Dying Matters Awareness Week which runs from May 8-14. The theme for 2017 is asking the question ‘What can you do?’ and one key thing you can do to prepare for the future is to make a will, ensuring that the people and charities you care about are looked after in the future.

Pauline Donkin, Individual Giving Manager at St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “We are hugely grateful to the local solicitors and will writers offering their time free of charge to support the hospice. Last year our Wills Month was highly popular and raised more than £11,000, which equates to almost 600 nursing hours and means we can provide vital care for our patients and their families at a time when they need us most.”

The suggested donations for each of these are as follows: for a single will £115, a mirror or double will £150 and a codicil £50. If you would like to make your will in return for a donation to St Elizabeth Hospice, please choose from the list of local solicitors and will writers who have signed up to take part, and contact them to book an appointment between May 1 and 31: Please book early to avoid disappointment.

Solicitors taking part in Ipswich and Kesgrave are: Attwells, Bates Wells & Braithwaite, Blocks, Christchurch, Michael Smith & Co, Prettys, Watkins Stewart & Ross, Barker Gotelee, Ross Coates and Will Plans Ltd. For more information and how to contact the solicitors and will writers, visit www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/willsmonth, call 01473 707960 or email: fundraising@stelizabethhospice.org.uk

The event also hosted an exhibition where attendees were able to find out about local hearing care and tinnitus support groups, assistive products, complementary therapies, removal of earwax, hearing loss charities and more.

If you are affected by hearing loss and tinnitus, request further information from The Hearing Care Centre on 01473 230330 or visit: www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk

IPSWICH – YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED! For many years now Ipswich Tourist Guides have been showing off their town and are used to people (even those who have been born and bred in Ipswich) being amazed at what they see and hear. For example, did you know that Ipswich is the oldest ‘English’ town settled by the Anglo Saxons in the seventh century and has been a thriving settlement ever since, or that the town was an important place of pilgrimage? Even Henry VIII visited Ipswich’s shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Grace.

History may not be your thing, but why not come along and learn more about the future of the town. When will the New Cut flood barrier be complete, will there be a second bridge across the Orwell and when will the ‘winerack’ be developed? The guides are up-to-date with all the latest news, they know the history of the town and can entertain you with lots of fascinating snippets too.

Why not join a guided walk and get to know Ipswich better? The cost is £4 per person. The summer season of walks begins on Tuesday, May 2 and from then on a tour of the town will be available on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons until September 28. Walks leave from Ipswich Tourist Centre in St Stephens Church at 2.15pm. There’s no need to book, but if you would like more information please contact the centre: 01473 258070 / tourist@ipswich.gov.uk Enjoy a gentle stroll around Suffolk’s county town, be entertained and informed by an Ipswich Tourist guides and I’m sure Ipswich will surprise you.

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CHURCH NEWS the

ARK church

Declaring God’s Way - Sharing His Love

We are really into summer mode now. As I write this, these last few days have been very pleasant and it is good to feel a bit of warmth from the sun. As we go about the countryside, the colours of the flowers make a lovely show, especially the wild flowers along the banks and in the woods. Nobody tends them, yet they come up year after year and show us their full glory.

On a recent ramble we were walking with a ditch beside us which stretched a long way. All along this ditch someone had planted primroses which were in full bloom and gave such a lot of colour that you hardly realised there was a ditch there. It reminded me of the beautiful county we live in, with the wide Suffolk skies which are such a joy to see.

Wherever we go, we see God’s creation and can only count our blessings and thank Him for our lovely countryside.

We are hoping to be back in our premises at the end of May. The building work is on schedule and progress is being made. Meanwhile we are grateful to the parish church at Rushmere and Colchester Road Baptist Church for allowing the use of their premises for the duration. Please do feel free to join us at 2.30pm each Sunday afternoon at Colchester Road Baptist Church. You will be given a very warm welcome.

Our usual activities are as follows: Monday • FFaF Children’s Club for School Years 2-6 from 6.15-7.30pm at St Andrew’s Parish Church Hall Wednesday • Rag Tag Drop-in at 2pm on the first Wednesday of each month at St Andrew’s Parish Church Hall • Senior Citizens’ Friendship Hour at 2.30 pm on the second Wednesday of each month at St Andrew’s Parish Church Hall Thursday • Luncheon Club at 12.30pm at the Rugby Club in Rushmere Road Saturday • Meeting Point Coffee Morning on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10.30am-noon at St Andrew’s Parish Church Hall Minister: The Rev Heather Marsden Secretary: Mrs Jean Cutting

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May brings us another step closer than ever to the summer with its long warm days (hopefully) and days out with time to enjoy the sunshine. It also brings our organisation’s Annual Holy Convocation in Bromley and Bibleway will be celebrating its 56th anniversary at that time. The late May Bank Holiday weekend also sees two days of Big Church Day Out at Wiston House, West Sussex where some of Christian music’s biggest artists are appearing including Casting Crowns, Bethel, Tim Hughes and Rend Collective. Both events can be found online if you would like more details: www.biblewaychurches.org / www.bigchurchdayout.com Join us on Sunday mornings throughout the year at 11.30am (Café & Children’s Church at 10.30am), for Wednesday Bible Study at 8pm or Young People’s Night on alternate Fridays (see website for details) The Ark Church, Wolsey House, The Drift, Nacton Road, Ipswich IP3 9QR. We can also be found online at www.arkipswich.co.uk, Facebook @arkofthelord, Twitter @arkipswich or email: arkipswichuk@gmail.com

PRESS THE RESET BUTTON WE NEED A POWER-UP Recently I had to replace the PSU (power supply unit) in my desktop PC. The PC has been extremely noisy when starting up and for about 10 minutes afterwards. I had replaced the fan and investigated other causes but had not considered that the PSU would make such a loud noise if it was faulty.

Eventually, however, the PC faltered in boot up and I got a message that there was a problem with the power.

In my life, as a Christian, I need the power of Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, in order to function properly. This is not a one-time power up; just as rechargeable batteries need to be charged in order to function, I too need to be filled with Holy Spirit daily in order to function. The first disciples were told that they would receive power when Holy Spirit came upon them. The same is true today.

If you would like to find out more about the power of Holy Spirit, we would love to welcome you on any Sunday morning. We meet in Heath Primary School, Bell Lane, Kesgrave from 10.30am-noon.

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