In Touch
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with Brantham, Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley Volume 10 • Issue No. 6 • APRIL 2020
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A WORD FROM YOUR EDITOR I take this opportunity to express our hope that you and your loved ones are getting the support you need in light of current events. There are many new initiatives and support networks forming every day which we will help publicise for as long as necessary. We will use social and digital media to support those which haven’t made it into this edition as well as to provide updates about cancelled events and any other information which our readers and advertisers will find useful. We know this magazine is a valued source of social, political and commercial information and we are working on plans to support our customers, partners and readers in the coming weeks and months. Many businesses are adapting to this challenging environment by changing their offer or by offering additional services, such as home deliveries or take-away services. We all know how important it is to support our local economy by shopping local and employing the services of local tradespeople/businesses, but it has never been quite so important.
Our sales manager and his team are working with our customers to overcome likely challenges, sharing ideas and expertise which will enable them to communicate with you throughout this crisis and help secure their place in the market going forward. There are numerous ways in which we and our group partners (Grapevine, Boswell Office Supplies and Colourplan Print) intend to communicate with readers and customers. Please join or like us on the following platforms so we can stay in touch: Instagram: mansionhousepublishing / grapevinelive Twitter: @InTouchEast / @grapevinelive Facebook: Mansion House Publishing / Grapevine Live www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk / www.GrapevineLive.co.uk And don’t forget to download the GrapevineLive app. Grá go Deo, Sharon and the In Touch team
It’s still possible to do so and we’ll be helping our customers to maintain contact with you using all available mediums (print, digital and social) throughout this ever-evolving scenario. Every decision we are making right now is considered and measured to ensure we are able to continue to support our customers; after all, it is they who enable us to publish 19 magazines every month and we will be a critical source of local information, a vital link within and beyond local communities, until this becomes a distant memory. We have responded day by day to event cancellations but as many more are likely to be cancelled or postponed, please do check before you travel. We shall announce additional cancellations as we receive them so do stay in contact between now and the next deadline. And as new initiatives take shape, please let us know so we can help spread the word.
Published by: Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd, 20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP EDITOR: Sharon Jenkins T: 01473 400380 Send editorial copy to: sharon@intouchnews.co.uk Readers are invited to submit articles, illustrations and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.
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In Touch Titles • Stowmarket & Stowupland • Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew • Melton & Woodbridge • Manningtree, Brantham, Lawford & Mistley • Hadleigh, Chattisham, Hintlesham, Holton St Mary, Layham & Raydon • Ipswich East, Ravenswood, Broke Hall & Warren Heath • Elmswell, Beyton, Drinkstone, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit • Needham Market & The Creetings •S hotley, Chelmondiston, Erwarton, Harkstead, Holbrook, Pin Mill, Stutton & Woolverstone • Martlesham • Claydon, Barham, Henley & Whitton • East Bergholt, Dedham, Flatford & Stratford St Mary • Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham • Capel St Mary (Capel Capers) • Copdock, Belstead, Bentley, Tattingstone & Washbrook • Gt & Lt Blakenham, Baylham & Nettlestead •W esterfield, Ashbocking, Tuddenham St Martin & Witnesham • Sproughton & Burstall
HONEYBEE SWARMS There has been a lot of publicity recently about the problems facing honeybees and other insect pollinators. Spring is the start of the honeybee swarming season. Swarming is a natural part of the honeybee lifecycle and it is how the colony reproduces. Usually, swarms are not aggressive and do not pose a threat to humans, but a large swarm of bees arriving in your garden can be an intimidating sight. Left to their own devices, a swarm may try and take up residence in an unsuitable place, such as a chimney or a wall cavity. If you are visited by a swarm (see photograph) and would like it removed free of charge, please give me a call on 07592 538643. Any swarms collected will be hived, checked for health, then used to develop the skills of local beekeepers. I am an experienced beekeeper, a member of Colchester Beekeepers’ Association and insured through the British Beekeepers’ Association. Tom Geddes
We also publish Spotlight on Felixstowe
Tuesday 7 April
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NEWS ROTARY QUIZ RAISES £520 FOR MARY’S MEALS A huge thank-you to everyone who took part in our annual Rotary quiz on Saturday 22 February.
MISTLEY PARISH COUNCIL In addition to lots of additional information and news, the minutes of Mistley Parish Council meetings are available at: http://mistleyparishcouncil.co.uk
After an evening of fun and brain teasing from quizmaster David Willis, the evening raised an incredible £520 for our president’s chosen charity, Mary’s Meals. Mary’s Meals sets up school feeding programs in some of the world’s poorest communities, where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education. The Rotary Club of Manningtree Stour valley could not provide the support we do without the fantastic support we receive from the local community.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF VOLUNTEERING? We are looking for adults (18+) who would like to help girls realise their full potential and share some unforgettable moments along the way to join our fantastic team of volunteers. We are especially looking for extra help in Holbrook and Brantham but would welcome help in all of our units. There are many ways to volunteer with Girlguiding; it’s flexible and can be tailored to fit around your busy lifestyle. No matter how much or how little time you have, every hour counts. We run Rainbows (5-7 years), Brownies (7-10 years), Guides (10-14 years) and Rangers (14-18 years). If you are interested in volunteering with Girlguiding, please email our district commissioner for further help and information: baberghandsamford@gmail.com Or register your interest at: www.girlguiding.org.uk/Joinus
LAWFORD PARISH COUNCIL You can read council minutes on the parish council noticeboards and at: www.essexinfo.net/lawford-parish-council Minutes can be collected from the parish office by prior arrangement as the offices are not open to the public.
MANNINGTREE TOWN COUNCIL The minutes of Manningtree Town Council meetings are available on their website, on the two town noticeboards (one at the Co-op Fiveways store and one beside the library) and at the clerk's office by appointment: 01206 390285 www.manningtreetowncouncil.org.uk
CONSTABLE COUNTRY MEDICAL PRACTICE Coronavirus Update The Coronavirus situation is changing daily. Please ensure you keep up to date with the situation nationally and locally and follow the latest advice from Public Health England at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19information-for-the-public Our top priority at the practice is to remain open. In order to do this, we are screening patients to ensure that no patient who has been to an affected area and has Coronavirus symptoms, comes to the practice. Even a suspected case will result in the practice closing temporarily and having to deep clean the building before it can be reopened. If the patient subsequently tests positive, all those who were in proximity to the patient (e.g. other patients in the waiting room or staff who spoke to the patient) will need to be traced, isolated and tested. It may seem that we are being over-cautious, but I hope patients can see that the impact of a patient attending the practice with suspected Coronavirus is not only disruptive, but will also prevent the practice from providing urgent health care to patients if we need to close.
COUNCILLOR VACANCIES AT LAWFORD PARISH COUNCIL
Please therefore be ultra-cautious. Follow advice from Public Health England and if you believe you may be at risk of contracting Coronavirus, stay at home and contact 111 for advice. Don’t come to the surgery.
Lawford Parish Council has vacancies for parish councillors.
• Be 18 years or over and included in the Electoral Register
During this period we continue to offer as normal a service as possible. Our telephone call back service means that many medical issues can be dealt with over the phone. Please also use our eConsult service for any non-urgent issues. You can send an eConsult request any time of the day and we will respond within 48 hours.
• A British subject, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the European Union
Thank you for your cooperation. Please see our website for latest advice and details of our eConsult service.
Anyone interested in becoming a councillor must satisfy the following criteria:
• Reside in the parish or within three miles of its boundary or occupy land or property within the parish or have your principal place of work within the parish. • Not be the subject of a Bankruptcy Restriction Order or an Interim Order Please sent a brief summary of your community activities past and present together with any relevant experience or local knowledge to the parish clerk at: lawfordpc@btconnect.com / Council Office, Ogilvie Hall, Wignall Street, Lawford CO11 2JG
Training Days Please note that the practice will be closed for staff training from 1pm on Thursday 2 April, Wednesday 4 May and Wednesday 10 June. On these afternoons the Capel St Mary building will be open to enable access to the pharmacy but reception will be closed. East Bergholt reception will be open. Please note that there will be no clinicians at either building after 1pm as they will be attending training off-site. Our phone lines will be closed for the afternoon. If you need medical assistance please contact 111. If your need is urgent then please dial 999 or attend your local A&E. Practice Manager Pete Keeble
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NEWS / OUT & ABOUT BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCILLOR ALASTAIR MCCRAW REPORT TO PARISH, BRANTHAM WARD, APRIL 2020 The Council Iceberg At Babergh’s February meeting we voted on a proposal to cancel two full council meetings in the next year. The reason was that with a cabinet system, these meetings have fewer decisions to make. Meeting for a single item doesn’t make sense. I spoke and voted against this, however. The vote was close but the motion passed. My concern was that those meetings are where you expect to see us doing our job. The job goes well beyond the tip of the iceberg though. A district council’s visible profile is often the sort of stuff that gets press coverage. Full council, planning, the odd silly idea and the bin collections come to mind. I’ve written on the planning process before. It’s a much smaller part of council activity than you’d think. Going deeper to the ‘groundwork’, my constant themes are transparency, accountability and sharing information. This is an attempt to explain as I believe we should. This is where we go to the first level below the waterline. The cabinet act as the executive, making a lot of the main decisions. A view of cabinet maybe depends on involvement. The current one has four Conservative members, three Independents and one Lib Dem, reflecting the balance between 26 of 32 council members. That’s a pretty inclusive basis for an administration. It doesn’t make all the decisions though; some are reserved for the full council. To follow Babergh, you’d need an eye on that. With that much responsibility concentrated, you need a counterbalance. The next layer is the (overview and) scrutiny committee. This works to closely examine subjects coming up in cabinet and council, in advance. Its recommendations to cabinet must be considered. It also reports directly to council. There is an option for scrutiny to ‘call-in’ a cabinet decision, often not necessary if cabinet have paid regard. Scrutiny has powers to look at nearly everything and even beyond, although they should be used carefully. Most importantly, it takes a non-political approach. Another key committee, audit and standards, carries out scrutiny of financial matters. It may be the least ‘sexy’ committee, but it’s not as dull as thought. These quarterly meetings are tied in to our financial and standards monitoring process throughout the year, again paralleling cabinet and reporting to council. I’ve mentioned before the training that planning committee members must undertake. Their decisions are ‘quasi-judicial’ and council can be legally answerable. The same is true of the regulatory committee (read licensing
THE THRILL OF LOVE BY AMANDA WHITTINGTON The Manifest Theatre Group presents The Thrill of Love from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 May at 7.30pm and at 2.30pm on Saturday 23. Book now at: www.manifesttheatre.co.uk A hostess in the West End ‘gentlemen’s clubs’, Ruth Ellis works hard, plays hard and dreams of a movie-star life. Yet in 1955, the self-styled ‘blonde bombshell’ is convicted of murder and becomes the last woman to be hanged in Great Britain. Ruth’s crime is re-examined in the light of the society she lived in and the experiences that led to her shooting her lover. Through the eyes of film noir Detective Inspector Gale – and the haunting voice of Billie Holiday – The Thrill of Love explores the enigma of Ruth Ellis, a woman whose short but explosive life still resonates. The Manifest Theatre Group, 2 Oxford Road, Manningtree CO1 1BP 01206 391309 / www.manifesttheatre.co.uk Facebook & Twitter
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mostly). Most matters here are routine and dealt with by officers. There are times though that require resetting our licensing policies, charges and making difficult decisions about taxi licences or licensed premises. Rarely a matter of wide interest, they’re extremely important to those concerned or affected. I attend most of these committees which has helped in writing this. There’s one other small committee composed of three group leaders from each of Babergh and Mid Suffolk. The joint appointments committee interview and appoint the chief executive and directors when needed. Beyond statutory committees we have a lot of joint working groups of members and officers looking at specific areas. Generally, they take a task and finish, but some perform constant review all year. To keep up to date, member briefings prepare us with background before decisions. And there are some civic and public activities, outside bodies that we must be involved in or choose to be, and training courses from within and without. All this activity is designed to feed back into improving the operation of the council itself. YouTube streaming has been a very positive development. A word of caution, downloading the documents helps a lot. We currently stream full council, planning, cabinet and scrutiny (when possible). I think we’re going to see a lot of tech change in the next few years, less paper but probably even more emails! We’ve made steady improvement in our website, even winning an award for use of digital tools and technology within our planning processes. I can hear some scoffing about that right now, but planning searches have doubled. The system is a lot more robust and streamlined, not perfect but better. So far, perhaps, so dull. Another time, another facet of the iceberg. The department, officer and all staff work; how that relates to elected members, to you and to services and how this all joins together. I’ve often found there are two important things about getting anything useful done: how things are organised and how people treat people. This has been slightly rusty mountain bike weather recently. Give me a wave, or stop me as I go or just contact me as below. I wish all a Happy Easter. Alastair McCraw 07812 564188 / 07548 154296 alastair.mccraw@babergh.gov.uk Facebook: Alastair McCraw, Brantham Independent Councillor (Open Group)
ORWELL DECORATIVE & FINE ARTS SOCIETY Our talks cover a broad spectrum of art and are delivered within a relaxed and welcoming environment. If you would like to know more, please come and meet us. We are always happy to welcome new people. The guest speaker on 4 March was Shawn Kholucy who beautifully illustrated what motivated the architect and designer R R Ashbee. We next meet on Wednesday 1 April when Jennifer Toynbee-Holmes will talk about The Holland Park Circle, Victorian painters, sculptors and architects living in Holland Park. Jennifer, an experienced guide at Tate Modern and Tate Britain, had a long-standing career as a television producer/director making documentaries and factual programmes for BBC, ITV and Channel 4. We meet at Tower Hall, Broadlands Way, Rushmere St Andrew IP4 5SU. Meetings begin at 2pm and last about an hour, with refreshments available from 1.30-2pm. Guests and non-members are welcome provided we have available space. Exceptionally popular lectures will have a visitor limit of 20 so please contact Wendy Robbins in advance: 01394 823807 For the latest events and news please visit: www.orwelldfas.org.uk
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OUT & ABOUT THE 2020 SUFFOLK WALKING FESTIVAL Have you ever crafted in the wild, enjoyed baking over a campfire or foraged for a cream tea? If not, then this year’s Suffolk Walking Festival is for you! The 13th Suffolk Walking Festival launches on Saturday 9 May with over 120 guided walks and countryside events over three weeks across the county. This year also sees plenty of brand new events including Castle on the Hill celebrating Ed Sheeran’s favourite castle, a fun photography scavenger hunt in Orford and a spooky day head hunting in Ipswich.
BOOK SALE AT MANNINGTREE METHODIST CHURCH Saturday 6 June from 10am till 3pm
The event finishes at the end of half-term week withplenty of family-friendly activities. Here are just a few events to whet your appetite. A sell-out every year is Walk n’ Water, a short walk and boat trip along the River Stour in Sudbury with a free hot drink at the end. RSPB Minsmere is one of the most special places in Suffolk, famous around the world for its wildlife. Surprising Spring Wildlife shows off the site, introducing you to some of its iconic species. Another icon of Suffolk is Orford Ness and Walk with a Shepherd and a Sheepdog is a guided walk by Kite, the sheepdog who manages the island’s very own herd of sheep. It’s a very fun walk and a joy to watch Kite in action. Campfire Make and Bake at Thornham Walks brushes up your whittling skills before making damper bread over an open fire in the woods. Family Wild Crafts at Brandon Country Park lets you get crafty in the woods as you collect natural materials such as sticks, leaves and rushes to make, and then keep, your creations. And The Nasty Normans at Clare Country Park is a fun take on the history of the Norman Conquests with an actor narrating the story as you’ve never heard before! The festival kicks off at Clare Country Park on Saturday 9 May and runs for three weeks until 31 May. See the full programme and purchase tickets at: www.suffolkwalkingfestival.co.uk
SPECTRUM LADIES VE CELEBRATION CONCERT Saturday 9 May Manningtree Methodist Church at 7.30pm Tickets £8 from Maggie on 07867 546484 or on the door Includes light refreshments
ARE YOU DYING TO BE HEARD? Death Café meetings happen at the Compasses Pub in Holbrook on Sundays from 10.30am to noon. We talk about anything to do with death or dying, with no agenda or speakers. We just meet to have an interesting chat in a space that is safe and where we listen to each other with compassion and without judgement. We are not a support group, simply people comfortable talking about these matters and sharing with others our interest and experience. The Death Café movement is worldwide and was founded in the UK by Jon Underwood. If you are interested in joining us, finding out more, being part of the conversation or just listening, out next get-togethers are on 3 May and 5 July.
EVENTS AT MANNINGTREE LIBRARY Love Your Library Join us between 14 and 18 April for fun and activities. Basic Computer Coaching & IT support General hints and tips on using computers, iPads, tablets, smart phones and laptops. Tuesday from 10am and Thursday from 2.30pm. This is a free service run by our IT volunteers. Booking is essential. Reading Group Midweek Readers meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 10.45am and would welcome new members. For more information please visit Manningtree Library. Adult Craft & Knitting Group Bring your projects along and meet fellow enthusiasts every Tuesday afternoon from 2-4pm. For further information contact Essex Libraries on 0345 603 7628 or visit: www.libraries.essex.gov.uk/events
MAYFLOWER TRAIL RUN & WALK Entries are coming in fast now so make sure to book your place for this year’s Mayflower Trail Run & Walk on Sunday 17 May. Starting at The Harwich Low Lighthouse at 8.45am, the course follows the Essex Way over 13.1 miles of stunning scenery, finishing at Mistley Rugby Club who will be putting on a BBQ for entrants and their supporters.Start your day off with a free transfer on the Mayflower Line from Manningtree to Harwich Courtesy of Greater Anglia. A mini bus will be available to transfer entrants to Manningtree Station or Manningtree town centre from the finish line. Our bag drop team will ensure bags are transferred to the finish line safely. Regular water stations will be provided and entrants will receive the 2020 Mayflower medal. Registration is from 8.45am with runners starting at 9.30am and walkers at 9.35am. Enter at: www.eventrac.co.uk/listed-races/mayflower If you want to raise money for your own charity or good cause, enter now to take part over this enjoyable and challenging course. The Mayflower Trail Run & Walk is brought to you by Rotary Manningtree and supported by Greater Anglia and The East of England Co-op.
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OUT & ABOUT
STOUR VALLEY U3A 30TH ANNIVERSARY A speaker meeting took place on Wednesday 11 March when master beekeeper Jeremy Quinlan talked about the contest between bees and flowers to gain benefit from the relationship. Events and diary dates • Monster Walk on 3 June as part of U3A National Volunteer Day • 30th birthday party on 5 August at Constable Hall, East Bergholt
MANNINGTREE & DISTRICT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Interest Groups
We had two competitions in February, the first being a Landscape and Seascape print competition judged by Colin Westgate. This was well supported with a good number of wonderful images, one of which (Dark Descending by Richard Woollven) is shown here. Our PDI Weather competition on 27 February also attracted a large number of entries of which a good number were stormy scenes in line with our recent weather pattern. This was judged by Tony Bramley.
• Members of our European travel group are going to Dubrovnik, Puglia and India during the next 12 months.
April looks to be a busy month with a Close-Ups PDI competition on 9 April, the East Ipswich Camera Club Granville Foulger Trophy on 21 April, a talk by Liz Huxley on Wildlife of the Tendring Peninsula on 23 April and a talk entitled Ten Thousand Miles of Ocean with Sarah Kelman on 30 April. Meetings are held on the second, fourth and fifth Thursdays of the month between September and May at 7.30pm at the St Johns Ambulance Centre, Station Road, Manningtree CO11 1EB. New members are welcome to join us or may attend initially as a visitor. Please contact our secretary for details: 01206 393751 / madps@post.com www.manningtreeanddistrictphotographicsociety.co.uk
STOUR CHORAL SOCIETY Stour Choral Society very much regrets that we had to cancel our spring concert, Handel’s Messiah, due to concerns around the spread of the Coronavirus. For those who were disappointed, we are happy to reassure you that we plan to perform the concert in the autumn instead, on November 28 at 2.30pm at East Bergholt Church, so please add the date
VILLAGE LINK CLUB The next meeting is in Tattingstone Village Hall on Wednesday 8 April at 10am when Keith Lovell will present a talk on Essex town and village signs. Our aim is to bring communities together and over the years we have attracted members from many villages, men and women of various ages. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month from 10am to noon. Former and new members are welcome, either as visitors or members. Chairman Linda Evans: 01473 311262
SOUTH SUFFOLK WILDLIFE GROUP Wednesday 22 April, 7.30pm: A Walk Around Suffolk, Lowestoft to Lowestoft by Pam Evans Meeting at Capel Methodist Church; adults £3, children free.
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• Our three and five mile walking groups set off each month to keep fit using footpaths. A 10 mile walking group is coming soon.
• The very popular garden visits group has organised coach outings to many parts of the eastern region over the summer months. There are 40 learning and activity groups for members to join. 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. Our members are drawn from communities in the lower Stour Valley and adjacent areas including Brantham, Capel St Mary, Dedham, East Bergholt, Holbrook, Lawford, Manningtree, Raydon, & Stratford St Mary. We have 400 members with room for more and membership is only £12 per annum. Contact our membership secretary, Val Pretty, via the website. Coffee Grinders meet from 10am-noon on the last Friday of each month at The Lambe School, Gaston Street, East Bergholt CO7 6SD. This meeting especially welcomes new members and gives all members the opportunity to meet the activity group leaders and the committee while enjoying a cup of coffee. For updates visit the website. www.stourvalleyu3a.org.uk
BRANTHAM AND EAST BERGHOLT RBL The Royal British Legion continues to support both serving and ex-servicemen in our community. Normally recognised in association with the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance Sunday, our activities and support are available to ex and current service personnel and their families all year round. The bulk of our membership is definitely in the category of ‘old servicemen’. Unfortunately this means that we are losing our members as they pass away, and while we do all we can to support the families left behind we are having to do so with an ever shrinking membership. Treasurer needed urgently While we are always seeking new members, we have unfortunately just lost our very competent treasurer. As with all organisations, but especially those with charitable status and a Royal Warrant, as is the case with the RBL, we need a replacement treasurer as soon as possible. We are looking for a volunteer from within the local community to enable us to continue to support ex-service personnel. If you can help and would like more information please contact me; your offer of help will be much appreciated. Hon Sec A John Hinton 01206 298309 / Ajohn.hinton@btinternet.com
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OUT & ABOUT
MANNINGTREE MUSEUM & LOCAL HISTORY GROUP We are interested in your story. Please contact us if you would like to take part. Are you interested in taking part in our VE Day recollections? We would like to record your memories of this day in 1945. What were you doing on VE Day? How did you celebrate? Did you hold a party? Do you have a funny story to tell? Did you have a day off school? If you were you working, how did you and your work colleagues celebrate? Please leave your name and contact details with the Steward on 01206 393737. We can record your story in a place of your choosing. It will be kept on digital record for future years to come so that it is never forgotten.
STOUR VALLEY MEN’S PROBUS CLUB On Wednesday 4 March Maureen Clarke spoke about the plight of street orphans in India and we held our annual general meeting on Wednesday 18 March. Francis Sparrow will speak about the Black Death on April 1 and on April 15 Mike Rines will tell us why the English language is under attack. On May 6 David Lilley will introduce the Mitford sisters and Chris Parfitt will take us on a circuit of Central India on May 20. Norman Jacobs will tell us of Clown Bertram, Clacton’s greatest ever entertainer on Wednesday 3 June and two weeks later on June 17 Sheila Harrison will introduce us to The Diary of a Norfolk Parson. 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. We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at St John Ambulance HQ, Manningtree CO11 1EB, 10 for 10.30am. For further details please contact our president Dave Carman: 01255 880202
MANNINGTREE POETRY GROUP The next meeting of Poetry Plus will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14 April at the Red Lion, South Street, Manningtree. All those interested in poetry are invited to attend, either to listen to the spoken word or to read poetry themselves. Some people will be reading their own poetry and some will choose to read the work of other poets. There is no admission charge. For more information please email: poetry.plus@gmx.com
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OUT & ABOUT
MANNINGTREE FIT CLUB
TEA AND SUPPORT IN 2020
Open to anyone looking to lead a healthy active lifestyle. Every Wednesday evening from 7-8pm at Mistley Village Hall. Contact: Bridie 07403 316735 / Tanya 07920 76245
Tea and Support, the friendly, practical support group for those recently bereaved or living alone, meets from 2-4pm on the third Wednesday of each month, usually at Mistley Church Hall, New Road (just opposite The Towers). Transport is available on request.
Follow us on Facebook at: Manningtree Fit Club
LAWFORD & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Our February meeting saw the return of Fiona Edmonds from Green Island Gardens in Ardleigh. Fiona gave a talk and presented some stunning slides showing that you can have colour in your garden from January through to December using the huge variety of bulbs and bulb type plants, many of which are a far cry from your daffodil and tulip. We also learned that bulb collecting can become addictive with snowdrop collectors, or Galanthophiles as they are known, being willing to pay in excess of £1,000 on eBay for new types. Meetings start at 7.30pm on the third Thursday of the month. April’s meeting is entitled School Days. This year’s spring show is on Saturday 4 April at the Ogilvie Hall, Wignall Street, Lawford. You are invited along to view the exhibits, browse the plant stall, meet friends and perhaps enjoy a cup of tea between 2 and 4.30pm. The prizes and trophies will then be given out before the raffle is drawn. It should be a great afternoon. Remember if you want to exhibit you must get in touch Liz Thurlow on 01206 393580 by Wednesday 1 April to enter. Lisa Watsham: 01206 390245
We offer a friendly and safe place to spend time with others, to make new friends or to get some practical support. Understanding that Sunday lunch time is often difficult, some of our members meet at the Environmental Centre cafe for a roast lunch on the first Sunday of each month. The next meeting is on Wednesday 15 April when David and Julie Titley will talk on Tools with a Mission. A full programme for the year is now available with interesting talks, demonstrations and outings. Life can become difficult and often lonely for anyone left alone so please come along and join us or ring Sue Orriss (01206 395355) or Paskell’s (01206 396709) for further information. Tea and Support is run by members of St Mary’s and St Michael’s Church, Mistley and supported by Paskell’s of Manningtree.
CAPEL COUNTRYSIDE CLUB Our next meeting will be a talk on the millennium of Bury St Edmunds Abbey and Gardens by Martyn Taylor on Tuesday 14 April. In March our talk was on fire disasters in East Anglia. Stuart Bowell told us of the lamentable fire in Bury St Edmunds in 1608. The estimated cost of the damage caused was £60,000. At £40,000, Southwold recorded the second highest cost to fire with Bungay and Beccles coming third at £20,000. All these fires occurred in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when houses were mostly thatch roofs with greater risk of fire. We meet in Capel Methodist Church at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome to join us as guests or members. Refreshments are served after the talk Doreen Parker: 01473 311267
1ST BRANTHAM SCOUT AND GUIDE GROUP Beavers Beavers have been working on their experiment badge, visited Radio Suffolk, celebrated Australia Day and visited the observatory at Orwell Park School. Cubs This term the Cubs have had a beetle drive, competed in a bake off, took a hike and had a sleepover during half term, and received a parcel from a fellow cub pack, 3rd Falmouth Cubs, based in Canada. 1st & 2nd Brantham Brownies Our Brownie packs have been meeting together on Wednesday nights as numbers slowly increase. Throughout the term they have taken part in the division’s World Thinking Day and are working on completing their plant and baking badges. In May the Brownies will be running a plant sale and ask all to come along (see page 13). Guides Unfortunately, due to low numbers Brantham Guides had to take a break. Hopefully interest will increase and new members will have a go on the Give it a Go Day on offer throughout the next few months. If anyone is interesting in becoming a leader or a guide (ages 10-14) please contact Karen: baberghandsamford@gmail.com
Geo. Paskell
Family Funeral Service
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Scouts The Scouts have had a crafts day, competed in a Ready Steady Cook event, had a Christmas party, played board games, had a night hike and are working towards the science badge.
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OUT & ABOUT / SPORT
BOSWELL OFFICE SUPPLIES: WE KNOW OUR BUSINESS – AND YOURS In a global marketplace, isn’t it good to know there’s a local supplier with a long history which has not only survived in an increasingly competitive industry, but has secured its place as a preferred supplier based on quality of service and value for money. Boswell Office Supplies has a long history and still operates out of Ipswich as part of Mansion House Group. Led by Jon Emerson (pictured left), the current team of four has nigh on 100 years of industry insight and knowledge which customers can access. “Knowledge is everything in this industry,” explains Jon. “Because we know our product range intimately we can quickly identify what our customers need and provide solutions when a specific need exists. For example, we don’t just deliver office furniture – we can put it together too!” In fact the very term ‘office supplies’ is somewhat inadequate to describe what Boswell can offer. Of course they provide every variation of every office product you can envision, from paperclips to chairs, but the product range has expanded in recent years to include furniture, shredders, print consumables, first aid kits, arts and crafts supplies, clothing, computer software, cleaning materials and equipment, even catering supplies. If it’s something you need in your office, village hall, community centre, sports club or school, you’ll probably find it at Bowell Office Supplies. “We relish the opportunity to find the best products for customers,” says Jon who runs the office with Mark (pictured right). “Not many people understand our passion for office products. In fact we talk in code a lot of the time, using reference numbers we’ve stored in our memories over many years. ”
Jon and Mark are always available to take calls but more and more customers order online, a simple process once an account has been set up. It’s easy to find specific products on the website where special offers are regularly highlighted. As part of Mansion House Group, which also includes Mansion House Publishing, Colourplan Print and Musical Marketing, Boswell can provide a range of additional add-on services including a full print service, advertising in any one of several regular publications and a range of online/social media marketing options. “We are stronger and more competitive as a group,” explains Jon. “Many of our customers come to us for a mix of products or services, knowing we have their best interests at heart but also because it’s easier, quicker and cheaper to deal with a single supplier. Many Colourplan Print customers have become Boswell customers and vice versa. Trust is key to our success and the fact that Andy, our main delivery driver, and Nick, our field sales operative, are well-liked and knowledgeable doesn’t hurt either.” So whether you need a regular supply of essential products, clothing or office furniture for new staff, first aid kits for staff on the move or any one of the thousands of products Jon and this team can source on your behalf, check out the website or give the office a call if you have a specific enquiry. “Buy locally, use our local knowledge and get your office supplies delivered right into your office or school,” says Jon. “We are good at what we do because we love what we do. For us it’s personal and that’s why so many of our customers have been with us for many years. We look forward to working with you too.” www.boswellofficesupplies.co.uk 01473 212000 / officesupplies@boswell.co.uk
MISTLEY CRICKET CLUB Mistley CC is an all-embracing club catering for all abilities with five regular teams playing over Saturdays, Sundays and a small number of weekdays. The 1st Team plays in Division One of the Two Counties League. Our season kicks off with an interclub day on April 11 followed by a signing on evening. Senior men’s outdoor nets will be on Friday evenings this season. SATURDAY FIXTURES 1st Team: Two Counties Div 1 11 April: Inter-club Games 18 April: East Bergholt (H) 25 April: Woolpit (A) 2nd Team: Two Counties Div 3 11 April: Inter-club Games 18 April: Walsham le Willows (A) 25 April: Long Melford (H)
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3rd Team: Two Counties Div 9 East 11 April: Inter-club Games 25 April: Ipswich & E.S. II (A) SUNDAY AND MIDWEEK FIXTURES Two Counties Sunday League 19 April: Abberton (H) 26 April: Ardleigh (A) February 2020 100 Club Winners 1: Willie McMillan (54) £120 2: Martin Barlow (47) £60 3: Mark Mills (74) £50 For anyone new to the area you will always be welcome at New Road, either as a player or spectator. For more information please email: mistleycc@btinternet.com
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SPORT / CHURCH NEWS
Meeting at Old St Michael’s School on Trinity Road, Manningtree
TRY BOWLING OPEN DAYS Mistley & Manningtree Bowls Club New Road, Mistley, Essex CO11 1ER (next to church) Saturday 2, 9 and 16 May from 10am-4.30pm Please bring flat-soled shoes or trainers Free tea, coffee and biscuits Light refreshments also available For further information call: 07779 259836 / 07709 613711
EAST BERGHOLT UNITED FC The bad weather that hit us in February has started to cause some problems with fixtures, with the whole programme being postponed on February 15. In the games that were played, the 1st Team continued their impressive form and remain unbeaten in 2020. By so doing they have maintained fourth place in the SIL Senior Division. The Reserves lost the only match they played in February while the A Team gained a point at Henley Athletic Reserves in their battle for survival in Intermediate B. This season marks the 125th anniversary of the club and on Saturday 12 April (Easter Sunday) we have a special event to mark this momentous achievement. There will be a day of football with matches featuring past and present Bergholt teams as well as ladies and juniors. There will also be a BBQ, bar, raffle and auction. FIXTURES 1 Team: Senior Division 28 March: Coplestonians (H) 4 April: Claydon (A) 11 April: Capel Plough (A) 12 April: 125 Year Celebration Day 15 April: Bildeston Rangers (H) 18 April: Haughley Utd (A) 21 April: Old Newton Utd (A) 28 April: Haughley Utd (H) st
Reserves: League A 4 April: Cockfield Utd Res (A) 8 April: Claydon Res (A) 12 April: 125 Year Celebration Day 18 April: Bacton Utd 89 Res (H) 25 April: Coplestonians Res (A) 9 May: Old Newton Res (A) A Team: League C 28 March: Wenhaston Utd Res (A) 4 April: Capel Plough Res (H) 12 April: 125 Year Celebration Day 25 April: Ransomes Sports Res (H) 9 May: Wickham Market Res (H) Fixtures are subject to change. To confirm please visit: http://fulltime.thefa.com/Index.do?league=4358069 Facebook: East Bergholt United Football Club Instagram: east_bergholt_united_fc / Twitter: @EBUFC1
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Learning from history: Coronavirus / Covid-19 There is a very real sense in which the spread of Covid-19, the newest of the Corona virus family, is not really all that new at all. Viruses have spread around the world before and we are indeed blessed to be better prepared than even before. Yet despite our technical expertise and worldwide collaboration, there are things we can learn from the experience of others down through history. I remember best the Black Death, as we now know it, though back then it was just the plague. I remember it because we had a brand-new history teacher at school who made the subject come alive by setting up a brilliant set of lessons where teams of six had to defeat the black death as it came to our village. I can still remember it now nearly 40 years later. Anyway, in 1348 the plague arrived in England and in a few months it had reached London. A year later it had covered the whole of the country. The spread was slower than today but the mortality higher; without our modern health care as many as 40 percent of the population died. Such a terrible tragedy was still in the mind of many seven years later and one such was John Wycliffe. Already at Oxford when the plague arrived, he was deeply affected by what he had experienced; he was left with an abiding impression of the frailty and mortality of men and women, and especially himself. Comparing this with the love and Grace of God offered freely to him and discovered in the then Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent writings, Wycliffe became a Christian. He went on to translate the Bible into English believing that, “Englishmen learn Christ’s law best in English. Moses heard God’s law in his own tongue; so did Christ’s apostles”. Wycliffe found in Jesus Christ the comfort of knowing our Creator God who is all powerful over even pandemics of viruses. He said, “We are under God’s power, and we can do nothing but by the power of God, and woe shall hereafter be to us if we abuse this power”. If you would like to meet this Jesus you can, He still becomes friends with people today, as He did with Wycliffe. Join us at church on Sunday (10.30am or 5pm) or if the advice has changed and it is better to stay at home, join us via a live-link direct to your internet connected device. There is a link on our website or you can request to connect by calling 01206 393745 or emailing: livelink@trinty-manningtree.org.uk www.trinity-manningtree.org.uk
CATHOLIC MASSES Saturday at 6.30pm, St Mary & St Michael’s (Anglican) Church, Mistley Sunday at 8.50am in St Mary’s (Anglican) Church, Ardleigh Wednesday at 9.45am in St Mary and St Michael’s, preceded by Morning Prayer Manningtree, Mistley, Lawford & Ardleigh is served by the Parish of St John Payne, Greenstead, Colchester The Parish Priest is Father Jon Ravensdale: 01206 870460 / sjpchurch@btinternet.com Also resident in the parish are Father Michael Rear (01206 392695) and Father Mathias Odigbo.
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Shimmy, Shake, Wiggle & Giggle Dance Fitness for sdultes (no partnering)
FunDancing Classes
Wed 10am Nayland Village Hall 7pm Boxford Village Hall
janet@fundancing.co.uk www.fundancing.co.uk FunDancing.Suffolk Fun_Dancing
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Thu 10am 7pm
St Mary’s Church Capel St Mary
Fri
The Institute Stratford St Mary
10am
spaces are limited to reserve yours
Call Janet on 07506 350 455 FunDancing has been operating since October 2010
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CHURCH NEWS MANNINGTREE METHODIST CHURCH South Street, Manningtree CO11 2JB Minister: The Rev Tom Osborne, 01206 396654 SERVICES IN APRIL Sunday 5 April, 10.15am: Palm Sunday, Rev John Allison Thursday 9 April, 7.30pm: Maundy Thursday, Rev Alec Potter Friday 10 April, 3pm: Good Friday Service, Rev Chris Preece Sunday 12 April, 10.15am: Easter Day, Rev Derek Lang Baptism, Holy Communion & Easter Egg Hunt Sunday 19 April 10.15am: Mr David Bavister 6pm: Taize Service (Churches Together) Sunday 26 April, 10.15am: Rev Peter Ball (retired Rector of Lawford) Welcome Wednesday at 2.30pm April 1: Bible Study No meeting on April 8 April 15: Holy Communion April 22: Carpet Bowls April 29: To be confirmed ALSO MEETING ON OUR PREMISES Monday Workers Education Association, 2.30pm Stour Choral Society (Sept to June), 7.30pm Tuesday: Women’s Guild, 7pm Wednesday Gentle Fitness Class, 9.30am Art Painting Group, 10am-noon Manningtree & District Chess Club, 7.30pm Museum & History Group (bi-monthly), 7.30pm Thursday Manningtree Town Council meet on the third Thursday of every month at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated. Friday: Zumba, 10-11am Church Bookings: David Shearmur, 01206 395263 48th Annual Art Show & Sale Draws works by a wide range of East Anglian artists over Easter weekend. Open on Friday 10 April from 2-5pm; Saturday 11 from 10am-5pm, Sunday 12 from 2-5pm and Easter Monday April 13 from 10am-4pm. Admission free with stalls, refreshments and displays.
KEY TO LOVE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Where Jesus is Love and Love is Jesus John 3:16 For God so loved the world he gave his only son. That if we believed in him he gives us life. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. If you need to talk to someone about any needs please contact us and we will do all we can to help. Sunday Service: 11am-12.30pm The Venture Centre 2000, Bromley Road, Lawford CO11 2JE Contact David: 07787 572977 / davidrhule@icloud.com www.keytoloveministries.com
LINK LINE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES Un-denominational/meeting at the Ogilvie Hall, Wignall Street, Lawford CO1 2JG and the Venture Centre, Bromley Road, Lawford CO1 2JE We are looking forward to a very busy period of Christian witness. During recent weeks we have been engaged in a programme of home visitation in the area and we thank all those who have been in touch with us. Our popular programme of monthly Cafe/Oasis events continues to provide an opportunity for folk to come together, maintaining friendships and establish new ones. A special VE Day celebration event will take place on Saturday 9 May at the Venture Centre to which we extend a very warm welcome. Please see special notices being circulated or visit our website. Our appointment as ambassadors in partnership with Our Daily Bread Ministries is already providing new contacts and enabling us to maintain regular provision of Christian resources alongside our own. We also welcome donations of second-hand items in support of our community outreach. The place of prayer is central to all our activities and our Meeting Point at the Venture Centre on the third Friday in each month at 10am is open to all. We are living in troublesome times; the Christian church is being persecuted in many parts of the world and we are urged to be understanding of the Holy Scriptures which make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (Read 2 Timothy 3 vv 10 - 17) May God richly bless and keep you all in the awareness of His unending love. Pastor: Frank King 01206 272064 / linklinecm@hotmail.co.uk
A packed hall welcomed the Rum Old Boys for an evening’s entertainment in the Methodist Hall at the beginning of March. With plenty of audience participation, this first visit to Manningtree was much appreciated. The Rum Old Boys are well known in the coastal area of North Essex and South Suffolk and appear regularly at the Harwich Sea Shanty Festival. £310 was raised for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice.
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CHURCH NEWS BRANTHAM & CAPEL METHODIST CHURCHES
An all-age Anglican Church, meeting in St Lawrence Church, Bradfield, and St Mary & St Michael’s Church, Mistley Our vision is to love, to grow, to pray, and to serve. As I write we are in the throes of mild panic about the Coronavirus. The most dangerous of all is a disease which affects everyone. The Bible calls it sin. All of us have the capacity for selfishness. We see this as we watch panic buying becoming common, People buying huge stocks of hand sanitiser and others going without. We see acts of kindness, too. We’re made in the image of God, but we’ve turned away from him. At Easter we are reminded that Jesus came to offer us healing from the illness of sin. All we need to do is ask. Rev’d Dom Turner SERVICES FOR APRIL 2020 Sunday 5 April: Palm Sunday 10.30am Contemporary Communion with Treasure Seekersat Bradfield 10.30am Traditional Holy Communion (CW) at Mistley 6pm
Traditional Evening Prayer at Bradfield
Thursday 9 April: Maundy Thursday 7.30pm
Maundy Thursday Communion at Mistley
I remember going into a house of mirrors and seeing myself and others through distorting mirrors. Some making you short and fat, others tall and thin and with kinks in the mirrors, lots of other distortions. These days you don’t need to go to a house of mirrors as there are multiple mobile apps which create the same effect. It can be a lot of fun, but it can also be destructive of relationships if we send some images to people who have low self-image. They already feel unattractive and sometimes worthless. They don’t need that message reinforced by distorted images. In contrast others have an inflated image of themselves that their ego is in danger of bursting. Often we are unaware of the difference between the illusion of our image in our minds and the reality of how others see us. In my landlady’s house when I was a student, she had mirrors above the fireplace in the lounge and dining room, there were mirrors in the hallways and bathroom and the bedrooms had wardrobes with full length mirrors. You couldn’t get away from images of yourself. Because we don’t have that number of mirrors, I was slightly shocked by the unflattering photo image of me. I believe God wants us to have a good perspective on ourselves, not an inflated view nor a devalued view. God wants us to know we are created in his image, he loves us as we are, we are a work in progress, not yet perfect. He wants us to be open to be transformed by his love and his grace and to value other people, also created in his image, whether they recognise it or not. Each of us is valued, none of us are perfect and all are redeemable. Don’t build yourself up, don’t do yourself down. Be the child of God that you are, beautiful for God.
TBC
Churches Together Walk of Witness
Rev Andrew Sankey, Minister at Capel Methodist Church 8 Roundridge Road, Capel St Mary Ipswich IP9 2UG apsankey@gmail.com / 01473 311178 / 07966 187216
2pm
Good Friday Service at Bradfield
AT BRANTHAM METHODIST
Friday 10 April: Good Friday
Sunday 12 April: Easter Sunday 6am Sunrise Service on Bradfield Beach (end of Shore Lane, nr CO11 2UP)
Rev Ian Gardner, Minister at Brantham Methodist 34 Medway Road, Ipswich IP3 0QH ian.gardner@methodist.org.uk / 01473 411507
10.30am Traditional Easter Holy Communion (CW) at Bradfield
Sunday 5
10.30am Contemporary Easter Communion with Treasure Seekers at Mistley
Sunday 12 11am
Easter Day Communion with Rev Ian Gardner
Sunday 19 11am
Worship with Mr Chris Finbow
Sunday 26 11am
Worship with Rev Ian Gardner
6pm
Traditional Easter Choral Evensong at Mistley
Sunday 19 April
3pm
Palm Sunday Songs of Praise with Rev Ian Gardner
10.30am Contemporary All-Age Service at Bradfield
AT CAPEL ST MARY METHODIST
10.30am Traditional Holy Communion (CW) at Mistley
Home Groups on various days and times – contact the Minister
Sunday 26 April
Sunday 5
8am
Traditional Holy Communion (BCP) at Mistley
10.30am Contemporary Café Service with Treasure Seekers at Mistley No service in Church at Bradfield due to Corbeau Car Rally *Treasure Seekers is our children’s programme for ages 3+ CONTACT INFORMATION Rector: The Rev Dom Turner: 01206 391218 Associate Minister: The Rev John Brien: 01206 397549 Associate Minister: The Rev Claire Scargill: 01206 395417
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A Good Perspective I was recently given a new cardigan. I wanted to thank the sender who lived away so I got my wife to take a photo of me wearing it. I was disappointed with the first photo – it was a chunky cardigan which made me look a bit fat, and the angle of the photo gave me a big head! The second photo was better (but far from flattering) and went with a thank you note.
10.30am Palm Sunday Worship with Mr Rod Stone 6.30pm Prayer
Friday 10 9.30am Good Friday United Witness at the cross on the green 10.15am Reflective Service Sunday 12 8am Easter Day Communion with Rev Andrew Sankey 10.30am Easter Sunday Worship with Rev Keith Ponsford 6.30pm Worship with Rev Andrew Sankey Sunday 19 10.30am Worship with Dr Liz Cope Saturday 25 3.30pm
Messy Church
Sunday 26 10.30am Worship with Rev Andrew Sankey 7.30pm United Prayer at Capel Community Church
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A warm welcome guaranteed Bentley Road, Little Bromley, CO11 2PL www.thehaywain.co.uk | 01206 390004
BREAKFAST |LUNCH | DINNER | FUNCTION ROOM HIRE Step into spring at The Haywain! Look out for new dishes on our menu, drinks on the bar and promotions! Breakfast & Brunch
Events
Saturdays and Sundays 9.30am - 12.00pm
4th April - Pizza and Prosecco Evening 18th April - Burger Night 24th April - Pub Quiz
Open All Day on Good Friday - Join Us for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Coffee or a Pint
Open Wed - Fri - 12.00pm - 3.00pm - 6.00pm - 11.00pm Saturday - 9.30am - 11.00pm | Sunday - 9.30am - 6.00pm
10% off all day Wednesday and Thursday Show this promotion when you arrive
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CHURCH NEWS BENEFICE OF EAST BERGHOLT & BRANTHAM Rector: The Rev Canon Stephne van der Toorn - 01206 392646 / revstephvdt@googlemail.com www.constablecountrychurches.co.uk RAMBLING RECTOR The trouble with writing about topical events is that by the time this is published it may all have blown over and you would be wondering even more than usual what I am going on about. But here goes anyway! I received a letter from Bishop Martin this morning exhorting us to take seriously our Christian duty to love and look after each other. In the current climate this involves using hand sanitisers before and after administering communion (getting it is a challenge and a half), receiving communion in one kind only (i.e. not the wine) and avoiding contact during the sharing of the Peace. He also points out that panic buying and hoarding are not part of the Christian character. Christians are called to behave differently. If I go out and clear the shelf of hand sanitiser or toilet paper I am depriving someone else who may need it more than I do. They may not have the money to be able to buy in advance, but only when needed, and my selfishness has exhausted the supply. Selfishness is not pretty whichever way you look at it. I am also baffled by the folk who felt it was OK to buy up the supplies and then make them available on the internet at four times the usual price. We are approaching the events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Are they still relevant when so many people are fearful of being infected? Whose lives are being disrupted by quarantine and businesses adversely affected? Well, yes. Jesus offered his disciples the message that God cares enough to be involved in the hard parts of our lives as well as the happy ones. He reached out to someone who felt money was power and showed him that love is more powerful than money. He forgave his friends who abandoned him, and very deliberately refused the way of violence as a means to solving a problem. We are, he said, members of one body, and when one part hurts, we all hurt together. “Love one another as I have loved you,” he said. And then laid down his life for us. Resurrection life recognises the importance of the Other and wants only the best for our brothers and sisters. Thanks be to God. Happy Easter! Rev Steph SERVICES IN APRIL Wednesday 1 9.30am BCP Communion, East Bergholt
A MEDITATION IN WORDS & MUSIC TO MARK HOLY WEEK St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt Palm Sunday, 5 April at 3pm Including music by Albinoni, Bach, Verdi, Chilcott Gibbons, Farran and Malotte
Sunday 5: Palm Sunday 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 11am Informal Service, Brantham 3pm Service led by the Choir, East Bergholt
www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree
Wednesday 8 9.30am BCP Communion, East Bergholt Thursday 9: Maundy Thursday 10am Renewal of Priestly Vows, Cathedral 7.30pm Informal Communion, East Bergholt Friday 10: Good Friday 10am Family Service, Brantham 2pm At the Cross, East Bergholt Saturday 11: Easter Saturday 7.30pm Easter Vigil and Lighting of the Fire, Brantham Sunday 12: Easter Day 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 10am Family@Church Easter Service with Communion, East Bergholt 11am Easter Communion, Brantham Noon Baptism of Maria Peachey, East Bergholt Sunday 19: Easter 2 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 10am Benefice Communion with visiting choir, East Bergholt Saturday 25 1.30pm Wedding of Arno Albici and Kathryn Watson, East Bergholt Sunday 26: Easter 3 8am BCP Communion, East Bergholt 10am Choral Matins, East Bergholt 11am Communion, Brantham Check the website for details. There is a BCP Communion every Sunday in East Bergholt at 8am and Choral Matins on the fourth Sunday.
FOR THOSE UNABLE TO GET TO CHURCH The 10am service at the cathedral will be livestreamed on: www.facebook.com/stedscathedral Morning prayers will be streamed from the Bishop’s Chapel at 8.30am, Monday to Friday, via our Bishops’ Facebook page www.facebook.com/BishopsCofEsuffolk and Mike and they will be providing regular thoughts for the day. We are working to ensure all such resources are accessible via the front page of the diocesan website: www.cofesuffolk.org For Church of England website guidance and links to helpful ways of worshipping even if confined at home visit: www.churchofengland.org/ more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches#na I am setting up a Worship and Support WhatsApp group which will feature short videos of the sermon and serve as a means of keeping in touch with one another. Please send me your mobile number or a WhatsApp message if you wish to be part of this group. My number is: 07771 574702 The church Facebook page will also be used (stmaryseastbergholt) or St Michael’s Church, Brantham You might like to swap telephone numbers with your neighbours, and certainly keep an eye on those who live alone. I am happy to phone people regularly who would like that contact. Please let me know if you would like communion at home. The clergy will certainly visit those who are not infectious. Rev Steph
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CHURCH NEWS
HOLY FAMILY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Ipswich Road, Brantham CO11 1TB
Parish Priest: Fr Paul Vincent OCD Assistant Priest: Fr Bineesh Elenjikkal OCD 180 Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich IP2 0QQ / 01473 684963 www.stmarksparish.org.uk
or Low Sunday, was officially designated as Sunday of Divine Mercy by the late Pope St John Paul II on 30 April 2000 during the canonisation mass of St Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun and mystic whose apparitions earned her the title of Secretary of Divine Mercy.
SERVICES FOR APRIL 2020
The apparitions occurred in the 1930s and St Faustina following instructions sought to spread their message. This was successful and the Divine Mercy prayers and devotions are widely known and followed in many countries, especially amongst Poles and other Catholics. They are widely credited as being very efficacious and, of course, can be accessed over the internet, as can the story of the life and times of St Faustina. She died in October 1938 before the approaching world war but during the terrible events in neighbouring Ukraine and other parts of Soviet Russia.
Sunday 5 Palm Sunday 9am Mass Tuesday 7 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass Sunday 12 Easter Sunday 9am Mass
Events & Diary Dates The 100 Club Draw took place on Sunday 29 March at Holy Family when three lucky winners shared a £161 prize pot. The next draw takes place on Sunday 26 April. The club, set up to support the life and mission of our parish, has grown from strength to strength since its launch. New members are always very welcome and the newsletter, that includes an application form, can be found at the rear of the church or at: www.stmarksparish.org.uk
Tuesday 14 9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 10am Mass Sunday 19 2nd Sunday of Easter 9am Mass Tuesday 21 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Mass
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 our centenary celebration on 15 August this year. All are very welcome to join us; the next event is on Thursday 30 April.
Sunday 26 3rd Sunday of Easter 9am Mass Tuesday 28 9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 10am Mass The weekly newsletter, with weekly mass times, is always displayed in the cabinet alongside the front door. Catholic Commentary With the period of Lent almost over, the Church prepares for Holy Week with Palm Sunday, the Mass of the Last Supper (Maundy Thursday) and Good Friday followed by Easter Sunday. The second Sunday of Easter,
The Sick & Homebound Fr Bineesh Elanjikkal is the Catholic Chaplain at Ipswich Hospital, assisted by Deacon Clive Brooks. Please be aware that for reasons of patient confidentiality, the NHS will not inform the chaplains of any Catholics admitted to hospital. Unless you or your relatives inform the chaplain, you will not be visited by a priest or any other member of the chaplaincy team. Please let Fr Paul Vincent know of anyone who is ill at home or housebound, so that they may receive appropriate pastoral care. Both Fr Paul and Fr Bineesh can be contacted on 01206 684963.
ST MARY’S CHURCH, LAWFORD SERVICES FOR APRIL Sunday 5 8am Holy Communion BCP 9am Prayer Breakfast 10.30am Holy Communion Thursday 9 Maundy Thursday 7.30pm Holy Communion Friday 10 Good Friday 2pm Service at Little Bentley Sunday 12 6am 8am 10.30am
Easter Sunday Sunrise Service Holy Communion BCP Family Communion
Sunday 19 8am Holy Communion BCP 10.30am Holy Communion
Vicar: The Rev Simon Heron, 01206 392659 Sunday 26 8am Holy Communion BCP 10.30am Morning Worship SOME OF OUR REGULAR GROUPS Art Club: Fortnightly on Thursday afternoons Choir: Friday Practise Coffee & Cake: Fourth Tuesday of the month Edward Bear: Parents, grandparents, carers with babies and toddlers, Monday mornings from 9.30am in term time Handbells: Every Monday House Groups: Daytime and evening Ladies in Friendship Together: Fourth Monday of the month Messy Church: Every half term, parents and children together Pastoral Care: Upon request Solo Club: Third Wednesday of the month Support in Loss: Second Tuesday of the month Sunday School and Extreme: Sunday mornings during service Details from the rectory (01206 392659) or at: www.lawfordchurch.co.uk LOVING GOD – LIVING LIFE
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SUNDAY
17TH MAY 2020
2020 MAYFLOWER TRAIL RUN & WALK HARWICH TO MISTLEY The course follows the Essex Way over 13.1 miles of stunning scenery, finishing at Mistley Rugby Club. Start your day off with a with a free transfer on the Mayflower line from Manningtree to Harwich courtesy of Greater Anglia. A mini bus will be available to transfer entrants to Manningtree town centre or Manningtree Station from the finish. Our bag drop team will transfer bags to the finish line. Regular water stations will be provided.
Registration from 08:45 Run start: 09:30. Walk start: 09:35.
ENTER AT
www.keepingintouchwith.com/manningtree
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