In Touch News with Stowmarket March 2020

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In Touch with Stowmarket

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& Stowupland Vol. 19 • Issue No. 2 • NOVEMBER 2013

Volume 25 • Issue No. 6RESIDENTS • March 2020 FREE to STOWMARKET & STOWUPLAND 50p where sold

Signs of Spring by Sanri Harvey

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Do you ever long for the days when you pulled up at a service station and waited for an assistant to come to your aid? This is just one example of a ‘social’ encounter which doesn’t exist anymore, replaced by self-service or technology.

Of course, self-sufficiency is good in many, if not all, aspects of life, but the need for and the benefits of social contact are proven. Loneliness and isolation are rarely freely embraced and Facebook, Twitter and the like have become lifelines for many while the internet provides unparalleled access to... well, to just about everything. However, I find that spending time with ‘real’ people, chatting over coffee, brief conversations over a counter, a helpful assistant when you need to try on a different (invariably bigger) size, even a nod on a cold morning have all become more precious as a consequence.

I saw a poster in a coffee shop recently which made me smile: “I saw a man in a coffee shop the other day. He was just sitting there drinking coffee. He wasn’t on his phone or checking his emails. Just sitting there doing nothing like some crazy person!” Not so long ago this would have described most of us and I hope you occasionally find time to ‘just sit’, despite what others may think!

We are fortunate to live in an age where access to just about everything we need, and lots more besides, is at our fingertips but we must never forget those who don’t have access or who may need our actual presence in their lives.

A message may be appreciated but a hug is everything.

Of course, this also applies to local business; without our support they simply can’t survive and where would we be without them. Now more than ever, we need to show some love to our high streets and to consider the carbon footprint of each and every purchase we make. Every face-to-face shopping experience helps us to stay connected with our local community and shopping locally ensures more of our money stays in the local community.

Of course, if you prefer to shop online or simply don’t have the means to get out and about, you can still choose to shop local by finding a local supplier online. As you’ll see in the following pages, most, if not, all of the businesses and service providers featured have an online presence.

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While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements or editorial, the publisher/editor will not accept responsibility for any unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints. © Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. © In Touch with Stowmarket & Stowupland is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd

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 • Shotley, 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 • Westerfield, Ashbocking, Tuddenham St Martin & Witnesham • Sproughton & Burstall We also publish Spotlight on Felixstowe

Tuesday 10 March Printed on gloss paper from FSC certified sources

Please recycle.

is the advertising and editorial deadline for the April edition

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NEWS STOWMARKET BELLS UPDATE Work in preparation for the bell hanger’s arrival has now started. A team of volunteers has cleared everything we could get down the stairs and further preparations are planned which will include dismantling fixtures and fittings, as well as work in the clock room.

We will have updates and pictures on the board inside the church, so do have a look for the latest news. Alternatively, check out our website or Facebook page.

Also, come and join us for our quiz night at Hillside Community Centre in Stowmarket on Saturday 28 March. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Bring your own drinks (and glasses) and your own nibbles. £5 per person, teams of up to six players. You can book by contacting Susan on 07960 963888 or by emailing: stowmarketbellsproject@gmail.com www.stowmarketbells.org.uk / Facebook: Stowmarket Bells

RE-ENGAGE VOLUNTEERS WANTED Re-engage is a charity dedicated to fighting loneliness and isolation in old age by bringing older people together in social groups at a time in their lives when their social circles are diminishing.

A Re-engage group in the Stowmarket and Needham Market area organises monthly tea parties for members, anyone over the age of 75 who lives alone and is not easily able to get out and about by themselves. One of the local groups is pictured at a get-together in November.

The group is currently looking for volunteers who can help in a number of different ways, such as hosting a tea party or becoming a driver (collecting our guests and taking them to and from tea parties). They would love to hear from anyone who would be interested in hosting seven to eight guests with three or four drivers once or twice a year. You’d only have to provide a few sandwiches, cake and beverages.

For further information please contact Lacey Luther: laceyluther@gmail.com

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Friday 6 March, 10am-noon: Coffee and Networking Needham Market Community Centre, School Street, Needham Market Friday 20 March, 6.45am: Breakfast The Mix, 127 Ipswich Street, Stowmarket To book online follow the link at: www.stowmarketchamber.co.uk/networking-events

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NEWS DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORT: FEBRUARY 2020 Councillors Rachel Eburne and Keith Welham, Haughley, Wetherden and Stowupland Ward District Council Budget The budget and financial strategy will be discussed at cabinet on February 10.

It is proposed that there will be a Council Tax increase of 1.66 percent; this equates to a £2.76 pa or five pence per week increase for a Band D property.

Following cabinet agreement, the budget will be due for approval at full council on February 27. We have put forward proposals to make Mid Suffolk more sustainable – from housing to transport to biodiversity – and Rachel has been negotiating with the Conservative administration to include some of these proposals in the budget.

Citizens Advice funding Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet has agreed a grant to Mid Suffolk Citizens Advice of £86,700 a year for each of the next three years, starting in 2020/2021.

Full Council Meeting There was very little on the agenda for the January council meeting. The portfolio holders’ reports were published but questions on these was limited to just over 30 minutes and future portfolio holders’ reports will go to cabinet meetings instead of full council meetings. The only other item on the agenda was the adoption of Botesdale and Rickinghall Neighbourhood Plan.

Planning On Wednesday 29 January the planning referrals committee had six items on the agenda, but only three were discussed between 9.30am and 5.55pm. All three of the applications were for sites which were not allocated in adopted neighbourhood plans, but were identified as sites in the draft joint local plan.

All three were recommended for approval by officers who appeared to give more weight to the draft local plan than to approved neighbourhood plans.

Two of the sites were in Thurston; one was approved and the other deferred for further investigation.

The third application was for 70 homes south of Gipping Road in Stowupland and included transfer of Thradstones Meadow to the parish council. Both Rachel and Keith spoke strongly against the development, as did Jerry Voden on behalf of the parish council. After an hour or so of questions and discussion, the recommendation to approve was lost by three votes to seven.

After further debate a proposal to refuse the application was seconded and agreed by seven votes to three. Reasons included harm to the landscape, sustainability, traffic and safety, failure to deliver safe and suitable access to services and poor public transport services.

Application for 143 homes on land to the west of Thorney Green Road, Stowupland – outline permission was granted on appeal in 2018 and an

STOWMARKET CARNIVAL 2020 Stowmarket Carnival fundraising bingo nights in March and April have been cancelled. Thank you for your support to date. Keep an eye out for other events and activities to take place in the run-up to this year’s carnival, including our Fun Day on Saturday 7 March at The Mix when we will select this year’s Carnival Queen, Prince and Princesses. See page 13. www.stowmarketcarnival.org.uk

NEW TUNES FOR YOU

application for approval of details was submitted last year. These details have been amended and a re-consultation is taking place. If you have any comments on the revised proposals, please let one of your district councillors know as soon as possible.

Planning Enforcement There is currently a review of enforcement processing and procedures. The long-term aim is to make the enforcement service swifter, more efficient and transparent, and it’s hoped that this will be completed by the end of March. However, in the meantime it may take a bit longer to respond to and acknowledge reports of alleged planning breaches.

Climate Change The Climate Change Working Group has had some meetings where different aspects are discussed but, disappointingly, few actions or recommendations have so far been brought forward.

Stowmarket Regal Stowmarket Town Council and MSDC are funding a refurbishment project at the Regal in Stowmarket (see page 12). Work is due to begin in March and should be completed by the end of the year. During this time films will be shown at the John Peel Centre.

Civil Parking Enforcement Preparations are continuing for the transfer of parking enforcement from the police to Suffolk County Council. Enforcement within Mid Suffolk will be managed by West Suffolk DC. There are concerns about funding the scheme and the enforcement of obstructive and dangerous parking. If enforcement against yellow line and obstructive parking on pavements is successful, drivers may park in more dangerous locations. District staff will have no remit to deal with dangerous parking; responsibility rest with the police and they may not be able to give this a high priority.

Suffolk Police and Police and Crime Commissioner Keith is the MSDC representative on the Suffolk Police and Crime Panel. At their most recent meeting, the panel approved an increase of 4.69 percent in the policing element of Council Tax. This is equivalent to £9.99 per Band D property for the year, or 19 pence per week.

Suffolk Police are to recruit 54 extra police officers by March 2021; all costs associated with this uplift in staff numbers are being met by a central government grant of £6million.

Keith Welham: keith.welham@midsuffolk.gov.uk Rachel Eburne: rachel.eburne@midsuffolk.gov.uk

EASTER FAYRE AT STOWUPLAND VILLAGE HALL Stowupland Pre-school is holding an Easter Fayre at Stowupland Village Hall on Sunday 5 April from 2-5pm. Expect craft and gift stalls, children’s activities, a raffle and cake!

We are also looking for other stallholders. Stalls are available for £15; please contact Stowupland Pre-school on 01449 678550 to book.

Out of hibernation with new numbers and renewed enthusiasm is the message from Jazz Galore.

The members of this long-established Suffolk group offer a wider range of tunes and play for little more than expenses. They are easy to accommodate: a power socket and a bit of shade against the blazing sun is all they want. Plus a cup of tea and a bun would be nice.

Four weekends are already taken up with repeat bookings – a beer festival, two village fetes and a concert – so if you’d like them to play at your event this year contact Mike Smith on 07874 034390 before too long.

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NEWS / out & about CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S LIFE LINE Easter Chocolate Bingo

Our Easter Chocolate Bingo will take place in Needham Market Community Centre on Saturday 21 March. This event has been held twice a year since our charity began and yet it still continues to be very popular. Who wouldn’t want a really good family night out where children are welcome, a full bar is available and you get fed as well, all for only £6 (£4 for under-10s). All seating is pre-allocated so you can be sure to sit with your friends and family. Tickets are now available from our charity shop on Coddenham Road in Needham Market or call 01449 760343 or 07974 424374.

ENSURING YOUR RTA CLAIM DOESN’T HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD No matter how serious, road traffic accidents (RTAs) are always distressing experiences. 2018 alone saw over 165,000 casualties of all severities resulting from RTAs. If you are a victim of an RTA, you could have a case for compensation.

To assist you ahead of any claim, there are important steps you should take / pieces of evidence that you should gather if possible.

Are you interested in lending a hand?

Organising the group trip for the visiting children each year is a major project and we start preparations as soon as the current visiting group have gone home. We would love to hear from anyone who might be interested in giving a hand with the advance preparations. You don’t have to be a host or be involved in the actual visit as there are many other areas that need attention.

Immediately following an accident, if possible, the first steps you should take include:

If you are interested in finding out more about the charity in general, would like to help with the pre-visit arrangements or in our charity shop we would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch. Thank you to everyone for your support as always.

Link Chair Elizabeth Parker

• Seek medical attention – even if you are feeling ok, it is important to get checked over.

01449 760343 / enquiries@ccllmidsuffolk.org.uk www.ccllmidsuffolk.org.uk www.facebook.com/ccllmidsuffolk

• Get the details of all those involved: For vehicles, this includes registration numbers, the make, model and colour of the vehicles involved.

For people, obtain their phone numbers, addresses and insurance details. Also, be sure to write a description of the person involved and who you believe to be responsible for the RTA.

• If possible, take photographs of the accident location, the vehicles involved and the damage caused.

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Contact the police and report the incident – while they may not always be required to attend the accident, if any person refuses to provide their details at the scene, you must report them to the police.

• If you are the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident, inform your insurer at the earliest opportunity.

• Get the details of any witnesses including their telephone numbers – and their own accounts of what happened – they could back up your claim.

• Keep your own record of the incident – this can include writing down what happened and taking photos of any injuries sustained.

• Keep records of all expenses that you may have incurred as a result of the incident and any injuries sustained – for example, loss of earnings, travel expenses and any medication costs.

If your property or vehicle has been damaged as a result of an RTA, or you’ve been injured, then you can make a claim.

Personal injury and loss claims following an RTA come in two parts: 1. Compensation for the pain and suffering sustained as a result of the accident.

2. Compensation for any financial losses flowing from that accident and injury – this could come in the form of the cost of vehicle repairs, medication and treatment costs or loss of earnings due to injuries sustained.

It is important therefore that, if possible, you capture as much information about the accident, injuries and losses sustained so that if you do wish to make a claim at a later date, the evidence and information that you need is already to hand to assist in the progression of your claim as quickly as possible.

For more information or advice on how to make a claim, get in touch with Prettys’ Personal Injury team. Contact Louise Plant by calling 01473 298293 or email: lplant@prettys.co.uk

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out & about EASTER AT THE MUSEUM OF EAST ANGLIAN LIFE Join us at the Museum of East Anglian Life between April 3 and 20 for Easter fun. With the arrival of spring lambs, you can take part in feeding sessions throughout the holidays. Also explore the new farm area and have a go at an Easter Egg Hunt across the museum site.

Don’t forget! Museum entry gives you access to the museum site for 12 months.

Early-bird tickets for StowBlues Stowmarket favourite StowBlues, held in partnership with BBC Radio Suffolk and hosted by Drivetime presenter Stephen ‘Foz’ Foster, returns to the museum on Saturday 6 June. The museum is offering super early-bird tickets until March 31 for just £10.

MENDLESHAM’S 40th STREET FAYRE This year Mendlesham Fayre celebrates turning 40 and will have a ruby theme throughout the day.

As the VE celebrations take place at the beginning of May, this year’s farye will be on the last bank holiday in the month so put Monday 25 May on your calendar.

Old Market Street will be closed to traffic and full of stalls selling crafts, brica-brac, plants, jewellery and tickets for our grand draw. Throughout the afternoon there will be live music on stage with Sun of Elvis (Andy Ottley) and others. East Suffolk Morris Men will stop by and The Tricky Twister will be there to entertain the children.

There will be a craft fayre in the community hall, remote controlled trucks, a hog roast, bygone farm machinery and bouncy castles and karts for the children. Our 50/50 shop will be open with good as new clothes and you will find plenty of refreshments, hot dogs, teas, sandwiches and cakes, all provided by village charities. Entry is by programme (adults £3, under-16s free) and there is a free car park.

To book a space in the street contact 01449 766483 (no food outlets needed) and look out for more details in the coming months.

SODS’ SPRING MUSICAL Rehearsals are well under way for Stowmarket Operatic & Dramatic Society’s next production, the much-loved musical Half A Sixpence. Featuring the popular and much-loved numbers Money To Burn, Long Ago and, of course, Flash, Bang, Wallop!, the story involves Arthur Kipps (played by Mark LIttlewood), a young man who splits a sixpence with his childhood sweetheart Ann (played by Jess Ellis) in the hope they will one day be reunited.

Back Porch, East Anglia’s premier acoustic blues band, were announced as the first name on the line-up with more announcements to be made over the coming weeks.

Tickets are available in the museum shop or online at: www.eastanglianlife.org.uk

WOOLPIT DRAMA CLUB Our next production will be a wonderful adaptation of Wind in the Willows, to be performed outdoors in June and July.

Auditions will be held on Monday 9 March from 7.30pm at The Bull, The Street, Woolpit IP30 9SA and on Wednesday 11 March from 7.30pm at The Room, White Elm Road, Woolpit IP30 9SQ. Everyone welcome. wooldramclub@gmail.com www.woolpitdrama.co.uk

However, when the time comes all is not quite as expected. Soon, Kipps is engaged to a high-class woodwork teacher and a chance encounter at a cricket match leads to disaster. With the help of his friends Buggins, Pearce and Sid, and the eccentric actor and playwright Mr Chitterlow, can Kipps right his wrongs and save his relationship with Ann? Join SODS at the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts in Stowmarket from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 April. Tickets are available from the John Peel Centre box office.

For more information, visit: www.stowmarketoperatic.org.uk Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Photos by Lauren Bunce

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out & about STOWMARKET BOYS’ BRIGADE BAND We are a small but dedicated band operating under the banner of the Boys’ Brigade, performing at a number of formal and informal events throughout the year. This year we have lined up a number of events including Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds Carnivals, Remembrance Day, Naughton May Fair and Suffolk Show.

At the end of January we moved our usual Thursday practise to Cedrus House Care Home where we entertained the residents. Much fun was had by all and we look forward to our next visit.

We would like to publicly thank MidSuffolk District Council for a grant to help us refresh our uniforms and instruments and for a training mace.

Have you (or your children) have ever fancied playing drums, a bugle or even the cymbals? No experience is needed as tuition is given. Any age over nine (over 14 for the big bass drum), male or female are welcome to join. It’s free to join and we can even lend you an instrument.

There’s lots of fun and laughter as part of a drum and bugle marching band. We meet from 7pm on Thursday evenings at The Boys Brigade Hall, Combs Ford (next to The Magpie). If interested please message The Stowmarket Boys’ Brigade Band Facebook page (just in case we have a booking on a Thursday) and then pop by on a Thursday evening to see what we’re all about.

STOWMARKET CRAFT MARKET

TRY SOMETHING NEW WITH SUFFOLK LIBRARIES Suffolk Libraries are launching a new reading promotion which aims to get people to read something a bit different.

Discovereads is an exciting new project featuring six books chosen by Suffolk Libraries with the help of reading groups across the county. People will be encouraged to borrow, read and discuss the books. They will be available from Suffolk Libraries with the full collections available from Stowmarket, Sudbury, Brandon, Felixstowe and Bungay libraries.

Discovereads will launch on Wednesday 11 March at Stowmarket Library with a special event featuring Stella Tillyard, author of The Great Level, one of the chosen books.

The six Discovereads books are: • The Great Level by Stella Tillyard • I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi • The Shepherd’s Hut by Tim Winton • The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt.

The programme will run until the end of May with other events and discussions also taking place. Anyone feeding back their views on the Discovereads titles by Tuesday 30 June will also be entered into a prize draw to win a copy of all six books.

The launch event on March 11 will involve a talk and book signing with Stella Tillyard. Tickets are only £3.23 and can be booked online or via Stowmarket Library. Stella is an author and historian who has written eight fiction and non-fiction books. Her Discovereads novel is an historical fiction novel set in Ely.

After what feels like the longest three-month break ever, Stowmarket Craft Market starts again next month. Saturday 4 April will be our first event in our new location, The Mix on Ipswich Street, and we are very excited.

For full details about the books, launch event and competition visit: www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/discovereads

We have been extremely popular with local crafters and we’re very nearly fully booked for the entire year. To say we have some amazing stalls returning and joining us this year would be an understatement. The variety will be even bigger and better than before. Every event will have a different range of stalls so it’s worth returning every month.

Saturday 14 March, 7.30pm: Quiz Night Teams of up to six are invited to a fun quiz at Stowmarket Library with a cash prize for the winning team as well as a raffle. Tickets are £4 and include snacks but participants must book before March 10.

Don’t forget to pop into The Mix’s café, Cabbages and Kings, while you’re visiting us.

For more information find us on Facebook (Stowmarket Craft Market) or email: stowmarketartisanmarket@gmail.com

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OTHER EVENTS IN MARCH

Sunday 15 March, 9am-4.30pm: Publish-on-Demand Workshop with Ian Andrew Come along to this full-day workshop to find out how to get yourself and your manuscript to the point of publication, with guidance on assigning ISBNs, preparing preliminary formatting, establishing cover art and much more.

Ian published his first novel, A Time to Every Purpose, in 2014 and subsequently founded Leschenault Press and The Book Reality Experience, independent, hybrid publishing services that specialise in helping independent writers.

He is also the author of the Wright and Tran detective novel series. Tickets are £15.

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OUT & ABOUT CARA-LEA DANCE STUDIOS HIT THE NEW YEAR WITH A BANG Many of our Little Starz’ pre-school students, adults and graded dancers have recently taken ISTD exams and are currently awaiting results.

We took 16 students to an area competition at Southend Sports Centre at the end of January. For many this was their first big competition.

More than 1,000 tickets had been sold for the event as there were multiple heats in each age group. It was a great experience for our students, many of whom got recalls through some gruelling rounds.

Special congratulations to Izzy Porch and Amelie Stride who took third in disco pairs and to Paige Tubridy and Debbie Greece who took first place. Paige also took first in disco solos and set dance which means she has now qualified to the nationals in London in October. We have other competitions lined up for the season ahead and hope for many more successes.

At the end of last year 25 students auditioned to perform in Disneyland Paris and we have just received the amazing news that we have been accepted.

The school has performed at this venue once before but will have a different troupe, ranging from nine to 20 years, this time. We wish them many congratulations, not just for representing the school but also Suffolk and the UK. As you can imagine, we are all very excited and we’re now busy putting together fundraising events to help with the cost of travel and costumes.

The school, which has nearly 30 years’ experience in dance, performance and examinations, holds classes in Stowmarket NRG and surrounding areas in disco freestyle, street, slow lyrical and rock ‘n’ roll for ages three upwards.

For more details contact Cara-Lea: 07786 253823

THE JUBILEE LADIES CHOIR Conductor Simon Welham, accompanist Calvin Goymer.

Our next concert will be on March 27 at the United Reformed Church, Stowmarket at 7.30pm. Tickets (£7 / children free) can be purchased at the door.

This concert is in aid of Stowmarket Girl Guides Travel and will also feature items from the Girl Guides. There will be light refreshments and a raffle.

STOWMARKET CHORALE The dark winter months don’t feel gloomy for the singers of Stowmarket Chorale. What a busy time they have had, singing Verdi’s Requiem on a singing day in Woolpit and energetically rehearsing for the spring concert in March.

The concert programme includes the very beautiful Fauré’s Requiem and several pieces from European Sacred Music such as Bruckner’s Os Justi and Monteverdi’s Cantate Domino.

Rehearsals always begin with warm-up exercises and practise with techniques to help singers develop their voices, their facial muscles, throats and diaphragms. Up and down scales and some very tricky tongue twisters are great fun and raise a laugh or two.

HOW TO AVOID RUNNING INTO TROUBLE Last month we talked about heel pain and its many names and causes. Sadly there will be many whose new year fitness regimes are being affected by it.

If you are one of them and the pain is settling and you are thinking about getting back out there, or if you are a bit delayed in getting your new fitness plans off the ground, take heed of the following tips to help you steer clear of injuries.

1. Build up slowly – one of the biggest risk factors for running injuries is doing too much too soon. Build up your running distances and frequency slowly. This allows your tissues time to build themselves up to tolerate the new loads and stresses and strains you are putting through the system.

• Avoid being drawn into challenges like running every day for a month. If you aren’t used to it, it’s a really quick way to get injured and loose the enjoyment you can get from running.

• Initially give your body a good 36-48 hours between running or other impact training sessions to allow your body time to adapt to the new loads you are putting on it.

• Consider using an equation like the acute:chronic workload ratio to guide how many miles you are running each week. Your chronic fitness is the average running miles over the last four weeks and your acute load is the miles you are doing this week. If that ratio is over 130 percent you have a much higher chance of injury.

• If you are new to running keep a steady pace on your runs over the first six to eight weeks – let your body get used to things before taking on interval, sprint, hill or Fartlek training runs.

2. Running trainers – running is meant to be a cheap sport/activity and generally it is compared to many others out there. However, it does get more expensive if you get injured and need to spend money on getting yourself fixed, so try and avoid getting injured in the first place and make sure you are running in some specific running trainers.

• A lot of science that goes into running trainers these days and they are there to help out. It’s tough on the body when you start running so don’t make it even harder by running in social, flat trainers, trainers which are years old, too small, too big, etc.

• Change your running trainers every 500 miles or six months – whichever comes round sooner. Think about your trainers which take the first impact with each and every step. Just looking at the sole is a poor indicator of wear as it won’t tell you how worn out the upper supportive material is.

• You don’t need to buy the most expensive pair of trainers on the market. Sometimes those extra features haven’t yet been proven to be any more effective than good old EVA foam, the mainstay of most trainer soles. Try on lots of pairs and the pair that feels most comfortable is probably a good shout for you to get.

Next month we will add some more top tips to help avoid getting injuries as you start out with running.

Robert Grainger MSc MCSP MHPC CSCS Practice Principal PhysioFixx Physiotherapy Clinic Sports Physiotherapist

Winter over, spring underway and rehearsals completed, the choir will be ready for their performance in the United Reformed Church on Saturday 21 March at 7.30pm.

For further details contact: pr@stowmarketchorale.org.uk

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Stowmarket Physio

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ALLERGY THERAPIST at Woolpit

(Brickfields Business Park) Testing for food, environmental and chemical sensitivities – as well which can cause unpleasant symptoms and illnesses.

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Are you in pain?

Chiropractic may help with many problems including lower back pain, neck pain and related headaches as well as arm and leg pain.

For an appointment contact Helen Parsons Dip Allergy Therapy, Food Studies Cert.Ed, B.I.A.E.T.

Tel: 01531 670746

Michael T E Bailey Doctor of Chiropractic Registered with the General Chiropractic Council

7 Stowupland Rd Stowmarket IP14 5AG

Tel/Fax 01449 612620 www.michaelbailey.net

Providing Health Care to the Community for over 35 years.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/stowmarket

11

OUT & ABOUT

BARN DANCE FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK Friday 13 March, 7.30-11pm at Norton Village Hall Ceilidh band to start playing at 8pm.

A STORY 84 YEARS IN THE MAKING… Since the Regal first opened its doors in 1936, improvements have continued with the addition of the stage, dressing rooms, bar, 3D digital projector, sound and satellite systems. The new redevelopment project between Stowmarket Town Council and Mid Suffolk District Council is the next step in that journey.

Bar and raffle on the night Adults £12.50, under-18s £7.50, buffet included For tickets call Jo on: 07913 922926

INDOOR BOOT SALE The last sale of the season will be in St Peter’s Hall (between the library and John Peel Centre) on Saturday 7 March from 9am to noon. To book a table (£5 each) phone 01449 678623.

As it is the last sale of the season there will be lots of goods at very good prices.

Mouth-watering homemade refreshments will be served throughout the morning.

THE VINYL LOUNGE When asked by a fellow journalist why he (John Peel) continued to champion vinyl long after the arrival of the CD, and the very sudden demise of background noise, crackles and scratches, he said he’d continue to play vinyl whenever he could “because life has background noise”. True to this day!

We like background noise at The Vinyl Lounge @ the John Peel Centre. We are delighted to head into our third year and we invite you down to another epic night of vinyl sounds from Bing Crosby (yes we have) to Barry Manilow (not too sure) to Bauhaus (definitely) and anything in between. While on the subject of Bauhaus, their eponymous album was played many times by the great man. In the Flat Field will definitely get a play as it goes into its 40th year.

The Regal enjoys a place in the heart of the local community with nearly 70,000 admissions per year. I’m extremely proud to have overseen the success of the theatre in recent years and I’m even prouder of the work that the design team has undertaken over the past year in planning the redevelopment of the theatre. The team has listened to the views of local people and I am confident that the end result will be an entertainment venue that respects the charm and character of the current building while providing all the modern facilities that today’s customers expect.

Sometimes however, progress is not straightforward. We have been wrestling with how best to deliver the project for some time now. Reluctantly, we came to the conclusion that the cost and timescale of the project are managed most effectively if the site was handed over, in full, to the contractor during the construction period. This will save on cost and also on time, with the programme likely to last 40 weeks rather than 60 disrupted weeks if the theatre remained open.

The Regal will be closed from February 24 to the beginning of December to allow for the project to be delivered in the most cost effective and timely manner. However, we can’t leave Stowmarket without a cinema for that long so we’re excited to announce that we’re taking the Regal on the Road and converting the John Peel Centre into a cinema for around 10 screenings a week.

Launching on Thursday 2 April, we will be bringing all the Regal charm along with our digital projector (and free tea and biscuits with all weekday matinees) to the Church Walk venue.

When the Regal first opened in 1936 the John Peel Centre building had already been in place for over 100 years and many of you will remember that the former corn exchange ran as the Movieland Cinema and Bankside Movie Theatre from 1986 until 1991, so we’re especially pleased to be bringing movies back to the iconic site.

Bring some vinyl if you like and we’ll do our best to play it for you.

Alternatively travel light and enjoy our vast selection. See you on March 28; doors open at 7.30pm.

Don’t be late! £4 in advance on 01449 774678, at the box office (open MonFri from 10am-2pm or online via: www.johnpeelcentre.com.

Alternatively pay £5 on the door if we haven’t sold out.

The team at John Peel Centre have been very welcoming in allowing us to set up our temporary home with them and we are delighted to be working in partnership together.

All tickets will be £5, except for Pocket Money Movie, which will continue at £2.50 with an accompanying adult going free. Regal Golden Tickets will also be accepted.

Watch this space for exciting news and our Regal on the Road launch programme.

I look forward to seeing you at one of our film screenings at Regal on the Road and I can’t wait to welcome you to the Regal when it re-opens its doors later in the year.

Thank you for your continuing support, David Marsh

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OUT & ABOUT

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION, STOWMARKET AND DISTRICT Branch News We held a meeting with the town council to discuss this year’s Remembrance events and will publish the details in due course. This year we have the 75th anniversary of VE and VJ Day which we will commemorate in an appropriate manner – more details to follow. There are plenty of events and activities throughout the year so keep an eye out for more information and for updates visit: www.branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/stowmarket New members are always welcome so please come along to our meetings on the first Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm to find out more and meet the committee and other members.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION WOMEN SECTION (STOWMARKET) At our meeting in January, Sue first welcomed Lily, and then Peter Chivers, branch chairman of Stowmarket Royal British Legion. She also welcomed the guest speaker, Nic Wray, communications manager for the British Tinnitus Association. Nic gave an excellent talk about how the association which was set up in 1979. Tinnitus is commonly linked with ‘ringing bells’ in the ears but it can be any continuous sound. It affects both sexes and can start at any age, but it can get better with help and time.

Research is ongoing both here and in America with service veterans born before 1950. Regular hearing checks can pick up problems and her advice is to wear a hearing aid if it’s prescribed. The association can be contacted at any time for free advice. Questions followed and then Sue thanked Nic for her very informative talk.

A donation has been sent to the Benevolent Fund. Membership cards are now arriving. We can now order sweatshirts and t-shirts, either navy or white, with our logo on it and order forms were available. Those interested in an outing to a summer show at the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton on August 12 were asked to give their names to Maureen R. Tickets will be £12 plus the cost of the transport.

Peter was then welcomed to speak about Legion membership. He seemed very impressed with what we did and that we made regular contributions to the Benevolent Fund. The 100th anniversary of the Women’s Section will be celebrated, with plans still being finalised. Ideas to attract more members were welcomed.

Followed the raffle, we were reminded that the meeting on March 18 will include a talk on SARS. New members are always welcome; we meet on the third Wednesday of the month at the RBL Club on Tavern Street.

Stowmarket Poppy Appeal – EJD59 The Poppy Appeal total is £35,657 to date for the year 2019/2020. A very successful and enjoyable Poppy Appeal social and awards evening was held at the Royal British Legion Club on Saturday 8 February. The patron of the appeal, Town Mayor Cllr Paul Ekpenyong, attended and presented service awards ranging from five to 40 years and all recipients are congratulated on their achievements.

The window competition was won by Specsavers Opticians with runnersup Home Start Mid and West Suffolk and the British Heart Foundation. 1st Mid-Suffolk Boys Brigade and Girls Association were highly commended for their window in the library. The Malcolm Ranson Award for 2020 was jointly awarded to Keith Cooper and Clive Penton for their management of the annual Tesco collections which currently brings in one quarter of the revenue of the annual appeal.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/stowmarket

ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION In February, the county-class heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk pulled up alongside in Stowmarket. Well, strictly speaking a silhouette of the ship which famously took part in the Battle of Denmark Strait that led to the sinking of the German battleship Bismark during the Second World War. The silhouette was kindly donated to Stowmarket RNA by Peter Down, having been displayed at last year’s Remembrance events in Needham Market. The silhouette was the brainchild of Mrs Tunbridge of Bosmere Primary School in Needham. Her husband supervised its design and construction. The silhouette is now in the safe care of the branch to remind us all of the proud links the County of Suffolk has with the Royal Navy.

This proud link will be evident at 11am on March 3 when the crew of the Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vengeance will exercise their freedom of Bury St Edmunds with a Freedom Parade from Angel Hill to Charter Square. ‘Boats’, as submarines are known in the Royal Navy, have two crews, each taking turns to take their boat on patrol, so it will be either the port or starboard crew who will march proudly through the town.

The branch will hold its annual general meeting on Tuesday 17 March, starting at 7.30pm at the RBL Club. This will mark the beginning of the fifth year in the life of the branch, having been commissioned in 2016, and which will see the branch not only hold its own naval themed events, but support the activities of the other service associations within the town.

If you’re interested in joining Stowmarket Royal Naval Association, we meet up on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm at Stowmarket RBL. New shipmates are always welcome.

ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION STOWMARKET BRANCH We have just had our first meeting of the year with a very interesting presentation by one of our members about the restoration of a 1922 Ford Model T. This month we have our annual general meeting, followed by a social evening with entertainment from the Stowmarket Strummers. We have several outings in the pipeline including a tour of St Peter’s Brewery in Bungay followed by a visit to the USAF 100th Bomb Group Museum near Thorpe Abbotts in May, and a visit to the Long Shop Museum at Leiston in June.

However, our first trip in May will be to RAF Marham, home to the F35 Lightnings. This will be interesting and nostalgic for members who were once stationed there. There will be commemorations in May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the day that the Second World War ended.

The details and format have yet to be announced.

We are always pleased to welcome new members. If you would like further information, please contact our secretary on 01449 676871.

RBL CLUB The RBL Club has a number of events planned and an up to date list can be collected from behind the bar. Some dates for your diaries as follows: Sat 7 Mar: Old Newton Bowls Club Quiz night Sat 14 Mar: St Patrick’s dinner with live music by Brian Mann In addition, please remember that we have bingo every second and fourth Tuesday of the month – eyes down for 12.30pm – lunch on Thursday from noon to 2.30pm, a meat draw every Friday night and an additional needs disco on the last Tuesday of the month.

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OUT & ABOUT FROM THE LION’S DEN

CONNECT An opportunity to socialise, play games and enjoy a cuppa.

Starting at Cedars Park Community Centre on Monday 2 March and meeting every Monday in term time from 2-3.30pm.

We hope to see you there.

Contact: info@cedarschurch.com

NEEDHAM MARKET SOCIETY Our meetings are held every two months in the Burton Room at Needham Market Community Centre at 7.30pm. Annual society membership is £7.50 but visitors are always welcome for a £3 fee.

Although our first meeting of the new year was on a cold and dark January night, we nevertheless had a bumper turnout to hear the inimitable Roy Tricker entertain us with his tales of some very eccentric clergymen in Suffolk and beyond. There was Canon James Gilchrist of Dennington who so loved the church silver that he polished it lovingly in bed, and Canon Ogle Wintle who collected barrel organs and could be seen playing them at the market in Bury St Edmunds.

Needham Market’s own vicar, Rev Hargrave-Thomas – a very ‘high church’ man – banned the reading of the Ten Commandments, and during his time here (1925-1963!), invited the ‘defrocked’ Rev Sandys Wason, an extreme Anglo-Catholic vicar (who had banned Harvest Festival in his Cornish Church due to a poor harvest), to be active in our parish.

The Lion Hunt is on!

Stowmarket Lions are on the hunt for community-minded young men and women between the ages of 11 and 18 who run or help to run a youth organisation, group or club in the Stowmarket area.

If you are, or know of such a person, Stowmarket Lions are introducing the Lion’s Young Leaders in Service award scheme and would like to invite you to a presentation evening at Stowmarket Rugby Club where we will be outlining the new scheme. The date for this presentation evening will be advertised on our website so keep an eye on it for further details: www.stowlions.org.uk/young-leaders-in-service The Young Leaders in Service scheme seeks to recognise and encourage young people in the Stowmarket area who are making, or want to make a difference in our local community. There are two levels of award; silver for a young person who volunteers 50 hours in a 12-month period and gold for a young person who volunteers 100 hours in a 12-month period.

The scheme is designed to recognise and celebrate young people at a time when they have to confront a great many negative perceptions. An award such as this on a CV can be a significant boost when applying for university places or career opportunities.

The Ernie Pearce Memorial Boxing Night The now legendary Stowmarket Lions’ Ernie Pearce Memorial Boxing Night takes place on Saturday 20 March at Debenham Community Centre. If you would like to come along to enjoy a three-course meal followed by some great boxing arranged by the Eastgate Boxing Club, there are still some tickets available. Tickets cost £50 each; call Andy on 07747 763051.

STOWMARKET U3A

We have ideas afoot for a member outing in July; more details will be given at our next meeting on March 18 when Sue Carlton and fellow-musicians present A Musical Evening Bristol Fashion. Sounds like it will have a nautical flavour!

For further details, please phone Andrea: 01449 721056

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT CAMERA CLUB Monday 23 March: Route 66 by David Steele DPAGB Tuesday 21 April: Granville Foulger Trophy at East Ipswich Camera Club. To be judged by Sarah Kelman ARPS DPAGB. Thursday 23 April: A45 Inter-Club Challenge at Bury Photographic Society. To be judged by Barbie Lindsay MPAGB EFIAP/s FBPE. Monday 27 April: Colin Stubley Shield (Portraiture) and A/V Trophy to be judged by Alan Sarsby.

New members are always very welcome. You don’t have to be an expert photographer; all you need is a camera – any camera – and a real interest in using it. Our members use DSLRs, mirrorless, compacts and bridge cameras.

Regular meetings, which start at 7.30pm, are held at Stowmarket Community Centre, Hillside, Stowmarket IP14 2BD, usually on the second and fourth Monday of the month between September and June. We’d love to see you there, so why not join us?

Stowmarket U3A (an organisation whose purpose is to give opportunities for retired or semi-retired people to keep learning in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere) has existed for nearly 30 years. Besides informative monthly talks on a wide range of subjects, held in the United Reform Church, there are a wide range of small group activities that usually meet monthly too.

These are a few examples. If you are interested in reading and discussing books, there is a book club. If you enjoy games, there’s a table tennis group, a bridge group and a quiz group. Do you prefer to be outside? Twice a month the walking group meets to enjoy our beautiful Suffolk countryside with an optional pub lunch to follow. The geology group studies the rocks and soils of Great Britain through reading and viewing presentations, studying rock samples and visiting places of interest.

If you would like to know more about the organisation, our monthly meetings or our groups, please visit our website or contact our membership secretary, Diane Plester: 01359 271652

For more information visit:

Glynis Hunt

www.stowmarketanddistrictcameraclub.onesuffolk.net

www.u3astowmarket.org.uk

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Caring is at the heart of everything we do...

Together we respect, with compassion we care, through commitment we achieve

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Part of the Healthcare Homes Group

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OUT & ABOUT STOWMARKET BRIDGE CLUB A number of club competitions are in their final stages. The Ron Ion Trophy will be decided soon. Pam Yeomans and Tom Wright face Andy Billings and Sekhar Pillai in the final.

Current leaders in the Wednesday Scratch are George Moody and Tony Aldous, with David and Christine Bruce first in the Wednesday handicap. The Friday equivalents are David Willson and Kevin Fletcher in the Scratch, and Andy Billinge and Sekhar Pillai in the Handicap.

CEDARS PARK WI January 2020 began with a craft session focused on the key themes the national WI Federation has been campaigning on in 2019/20: Make time for Mental Health, Climate Change, Five Minutes that Matter (cervical screening), No More Violence Against Women and Ending the Plastic Soup.

We made bookmarks highlighting the themes as gifts for library users and members also made bee hotels to hang in the garden.

In February, Hannah from Sweet Dreams lingerie shop in Woodbridge came to talk to us about the importance of having a proper bra fitting.

She also showed a variety of bras, swimwear and other undergarments available at their shop.

The Myrtle Cottage Mixed Pairs competition has reached the quarterfinal stage. The Upside Down Cup sees Willson’s Warriors in the lead, followed by Riley’s Rockets.

Eric Smith, closely followed by Linda Patterson and Mike Creffield, currently heads the Most Improved Player competition and two new individual knockout competitions will begin in March.

We are always eager to increase membership. We play in Stowmarket on Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons. For more information, please contact Arthur Winchester on 01449 612105 or visit: www.bridgewebs.co./stowmarket

STOWUPLAND LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Wednesday 4 March Stowmarket resident Jill Wright probably never guessed when she began researching her family history that she would find amongst her forebears some of the town’s most notorious criminals. These include an arsonist transported to Australia. However, some of her more reputable family ran the Stowupland Crown from about 1930 to 1970.

Wednesday 1 April Before the opening of the Stow Union House of Industry (workhouse) in 1780, every parish in the Hundred of Stow would have had to make provision for its own poor, most often by making a payment for those in need but also by providing a house where those in extreme poverty could be housed.

Stowupland certainly had such a poor house.

We meet at 7.30pm in Stowupland Village Hall (IP14 4BQ) where there is a car park. Visitors are always welcome and refreshments are available. Admission is £1 for members and £3 for non-members.

Coming up in the next few months we have: March 4: The Fresh Sauce Company – a local producer of pesto and other culinary sauces April 1: Mosaic tiles demonstration and making session May 6: Suffolk Prickles, local hedgehog charity that looks after poorly and injured hedgehogs June 3: Veganism for Beginners So as you can see, we cover a variety of topics at our monthly meetings and have a number of ‘social’ events through the year such as Ladies Day at Newmarket Races, a Tropic skincare evening, book club sessions in a local hostelry, theatre and more.

Cedars Park WI meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm at the community centre on Pintail Road. There is a £4 visitor fee per meeting.

We are a friendly group and you will be made to feel welcome. Membership for the full year is £43 and pro rata for joiners during the year.

If you would like to come along, please do.

Email wi.cedarspark@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page to let us know, or just turn up. Drinks can be purchased at the bar.

CAPITAL GAINS TAX – CHANGES As solicitors, we don’t usually get involved in advising on the taxation consequences of the sale of a property, or in making the calculation for the tax that may become due. However, this month I thought it would be useful to review a forthcoming change which is going to have an impact on certain residential property transactions.

You may already know that where a residential property which is the owner’s principal private residence is sold, no Capital Gains Tax is paid in the usual course of things as an exemption applies. Capital Gains Tax is charged, in general terms, on the gain in value of an asset.

For example, under the current rules, if a property is sold in this tax year (before 6 April 2020), any gain must be reported in the 2019/20 tax return and the tax paid by 31 January 2021.

This is all due to change, however. From 6 April 2020, the gain must be reported and the tax paid within 30 days of the date of completion of the sale.

This is a significant change to the reporting and payment of Capital Gains Tax for residential property sales such as this, which according to the policy of HMRC is to ensure any tax is paid sooner and to reduce error and increase compliance.

However, where a residential property which is not the owner’s principal private residence is sold, there may be Capital Gains Tax to pay on any increase in value.

Under the current rules, if there is any tax to pay on the gain, it is reported in the taxpayer’s self-assessment return, with the tax paid by 31 January following the end of the tax year during which the property has been sold.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/stowmarket

Buttermarket, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1ED Telephone: 01449 613101 • Fax: 01449 615087 Email: info@gudgeons-prentice.co.uk

19

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OUT & ABOUT STOWMARKET & DISTRICT MONDAY CLUB So far this year we have enjoyed a disco with Jane and Julian and a coach trip to the New Wolsey Theatre to see Aladdin, a great success and very much enjoyed by our members, helpers and carers. We are now considering options for another outing in the summer.

We spent an evening making Valentine’s Cards, followed by a Valentine’s Dance with G&T. We have also planned a pancake evening when we eat and ‘race’ with pancakes.

We just hope we don’t have too many landing on the floor.

We are a club for adults with learning difficulties and meet each Monday from 7.30-9.30pm at the Community Hub in Crown Street, Stowmarket. We are run entirely by volunteers and new members and helpers are always very welcome. If you would like further information, please contact me on 01449 672123 or just come along on a Monday evening.

STOWMARKET SUGARCRAFT CLUB Our January meeting was well attended and Glenda, our chairlady, did a demonstration of quick to make flowers, always useful for those last minute cakes. Our members are always happy to see anything that saves time and these flowers certainly do that.

As well as the demonstration there was lots of talk about the success of the Christmas cake sale for St Elizabeth Hospice. Our members are all so delighted with the result. When we first talked about donating the cakes we thought perhaps we would make £200 or £300 but once the cakes were on display in the Stowmarket shop, Precon Products in Woolpit offered to double whatever we raised. This took us to the amazing total of £3,080. We were all speechless… well nearly! We’re planning to do the same this year so watch this space.

Our demonstrator in February was club member Roger who showed us how to make decorations with gelatine. In the past we’ve seen how to make flowers and foliage with gelatine but Roger took this to a whole new level. By injecting liquid gelatine into set gelatine, he created amazing flowers while only able to see the back of the piece. Then the fun started as he got three volunteers to have a go. They had never even seen it done before but each made a beautiful flower.

Lilian Fidler

BOYS’ BRIGADE VISIT TO NOAH’S ARK

We had a very interesting evening and it was great fun. Many thanks to Roger for all the hours of preparation he put into the evening and for keeping us all entertained.

At the end of January, Mid Suffolk Boys’ Brigade Battalion visited the replica Noah’s Ark currently moored in Ipswich. Members from 1st and 2nd Mid Suffolk (Stowmarket) and 4th Mid Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) queued up twoby-two to tour the amazing structure which is packed with wooden carved sculptures depicting a range of Bible stories and a giant ‘tree of life’ which rises up through all four floors. The ark is in Ipswich until the end of March before it sets off around the UK. 1st and 2nd Mid Suffolk Boys’ Brigades and Girls’ Associations currently have vacancies for boys and girls from age five upwards on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. As well as our weekly programme of activities, we are busy planning camp and days out in the summer term. For more information or to add your child to our list contact:

Linda Farnham is our guest demonstrator in March. Her demonstration is described as Fun Easter Biscuits with a Twist. We’re all looking forward to seeing that! We will meet at Mary’s Church Hall on Wolsey Road at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11 March and visitors are welcome.

STOWMARKET LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Monday 16 March: Three Into One Does Go by members of the group. Three short talks of up to 20 minutes each by members on their own research.

Monday 20 April: Stowmarket Manorial Disputes from the 14th Century by Hannah Salmon, two disputes that took place in the 14th century concerning the Market Place and the seizing of the Manor of Stowmarket in 1322.

Meetings are held at 7.30pm at Hillside Community Centre, Stowmarket IP14 2BD. Members £1, non-members £3.50.

1st Mid Suffolk (Weds): bb1stmidsuffolk@yahoo.co.uk

For further details contact Jeannette Baldry: 01449 675271

2 Mid Suffolk (Tues): bbga@stowmarketparishchurch.co.uk

www.stowmarket-History.co.uk

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OUT & ABOUT NEWS FROM RED GABLES

STOWMARKET RAMBLERS

Things have been very busy at Red Gables recently.

Martyn Burnside, our longstanding manager, retired at Christmas after seven and a half years of dedicated hard work. Martyn had seen the transformation of the charity by bringing ever more organisations under our roof and launching many projects to support local people. He is a quiet and inspirational person who manages to achieve so much and rarely looks flustered. We understand he plans to spend more time birdwatching, gardening and volunteering for local projects. Thank you Martyn for all you have done here!

Sunday 1 March: 10-mile walk to Lavenham Bridge Street and Long Melford. Park and meet in Church Street car park in Lavenham at 10am / GR. TL 914489. Leader: 01379 783658

A little earlier, Marion Mitchell decided that she wanted to help raise funds for Suffolk Mind so she organised a fundraising day with a grand bric-a-brac sale, refreshments and live music from several local bands. Deputy Town Mayor Keith Scarff was the guest of honour. We managed to raise in excess of £550, which is a great success for a single event and thanks are due to Marion and all of those involved.

Sunday 22 March: 5.5-mile walk in Earl Stonham and Creeting St Peter. Park and meet at Earl Stonham Village Hall at 10am / GR. TM 096599. Leader: 01449 673131

Red Gables was proud to be part of the Stowmarket Christmas Tree Festival this year by having an outdoor display of trees and shrubs which were decorated by 11 local groups. We were encouraged by the number of people who made the walk up to Red Gables to wander around our gardens and enjoy the winter wonderland experience. We hope to have even more trees lit up next Christmas.

WAKING UP WITH SPRING – COURSES AND ACTIVITIES AT ORCHARD BARN

Sunday 8 March: 7.75-mile walk to Iken and in Tunstall Forest. Park and meet in the Pines car park to rear of Snape Maltings Concert Hall at 10am / GR. TM 393573. Leader: 07736 573243 Sunday 15 March: 5.5-mile walk in Saxtead Green area. Park on edge of Saxtead Green and meet near the mill at 10.30am / GR. TM 253644. Leader: 01473 717239

Sunday 29 March: 6-mile walk to Creeting St Mary. Park and meet at Creeting St Mary Village Hall at 10am / GR. TM 099570. Leader: 01449 672168

We are very grateful to Ace Anglia, an independent advocacy charity based at Red Gables, for the kind donation of a large television screen for our Redwoods community hall. This is now securely mounted on the wall and is a welcome bonus to many of the users.

Back in May last year we had a beautiful new birdbath installed as the centrepiece of the drought garden which was been funded by Tesco Bags of Help and designed, installed and planted by Garden Project. Just before Christmas, the top was removed by someone and the plinth was damaged in the process. We are delighted to announce that one of the regular visitors to our garden has just donated £100 towards a replacement. Thank you for your support. We will continue to make the garden a place that can be enjoyed by all.

The Garden Project also reports a confirmed sighting of our first visitor of the year, an adult hedgehog. The volunteers have spent a lot of time trying to make the gardens and the spinney as wildlife friendly as possible so it is great to hear that their efforts are appreciated.

Alive and Singing Alive and Singing is a monthly singing group for older people suffering from Parkinson’s disease or other neurological conditions. The sessions are designed to suit individual needs and abilities and the number of people attending is starting to grow. It was set up in 2018 by a grant from the Pargiter Trust Fund from Suffolk Community Foundation and we are now looking for more funds to help this project to continue to grow. Singing is a great form of therapy on so many levels and anyone who suffers from these conditions would be very welcome to attend these free sessions. Alive and Singing meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 1.30pm in Redwoods.

Please contact us on 01449 673947 if you would like to know more.

With the snowdrops and crocuses waking up it’s clear that spring is making its way to us, and what better time to start getting out and about more.

As the weather warms up this year’s courses begin at Orchard Barn. We have so many lovely things planned and plenty more to be confirmed too.

We are focusing on using greenwood as a solution to the plastic problem and will be having taster days on the third Thursday of the month to teach you the skills to make instead of buy. For March you will have the opportunity to learn how to make a spatula or chopsticks We also have courses to introduce you to timber framing or timber frame repairs, along with advanced lime finishes. You could also learn where to source building materials for free, and how to convert them using low impact and environmentally sound traditional techniques and human energy. What a great way to improve your skills and get fitter.

If you’d like to find out how you can get involved and learn, create or volunteer with us at Orchard Barn, Ringshall, visit our website or drop in between 10am and 4pm Tuesday to Thursday, or whenever our gate is open (IP14 2LY). www.orchardbarn.org.uk

Robert Horn

BACTON & COTTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Tuesday 17 March, 7.30pm at Bacton Village Hall: Did the Eagle Land? Luftwaffe Landing Groups in Norfolk

STOWMARKET WILDLIFE GROUP Hedgerows, Herbs and Medicines, an illustrated talk with Martin Sanford Wednesday 29 April, 7.30pm in Stowupland Village Hall

Huby Fairhead’s interest in German planes landing in the UK during the war began as a young man in the Royal Observer Corps. Wartime colleagues told him of tracking a light aircraft flying up the Yare Valley, landing, then later revving up and taking off, the only aircraft reported in the area. He has researched this talk for the last 60 years.

Admission is £2.50, children free. Please pay on arrival. Hearing loop available on request.

Members £3, non-members £4.

John Thompson: 01449 676471 / swtstowmarket@gmail.com

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A look at common plants from Suffolk hedges and waysides, their use in foods and medicine and how we use them sustainably.

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OUT & ABOUT / SCHOOLS OLD NEWTON OPEN GARDENS 2020 June 13 and 14 between 11am and 5pm About 15 gardens and the village allotments will be open along a circular route and scarecrows will stand about the village.

Sunday ends with a Songs of Praise.

Admission by programme (£5) which will be available from the Village Institute (IP14 4ED) or any of the gardens. Children free when accompanied by an adult.

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT FLOWER CLUB This month’s meeting will be at Woolpit Village Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25 March. David Wright from Norwich will present a demonstration entitled It’s an Education. As always, everyone is welcome and we would be pleased to see you.

ST PETER & ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL We are half way through the term already; how time flies. This is apt as this term we have been looking at various forms of transport, including cars, trains, boats, bikes and, of course, planes.

CHILTON COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL OneLife Suffolk is an integrated healthy lifestyle service which delivers free programmes in schools across Suffolk. All programmes provided in schools are funded by Suffolk County Council in partnership with Leeds Beckett University and we have been awarded a silver health and wellbeing excellence award for our work with OneLife.

Madi Wright from OneLife Suffolk said: “It was a pleasure to come and work with Chilton Community Primary School. Both the pupils and staff have engaged with our service and it was inspiring to see the children complete their goals each week and retain the advice from session to session. The school has done amazingly well to achieve the silver award and we hope to work closely together to achieve gold.”

We have painted trains, made a large collage of an aeroplane on the wall, including maps and routes to look at, with real steps to climb aboard. We made a fantastic pirate boat out of large boxes and rolls of wallpaper. We even painted it and sailed to far off lands.

Next half term we will look at communication, language and literacy in EYFS. We are nurturing a love of books, stories, rhymes and songs through various activities. Inspired by We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, we have been on a bear hunt through the trays of mud, water, snow and forest to reach the cave and find a bear. We also enjoy acting out this story in our PE session. The bear hides in the tent and makes us all jump.

We shall endeavour to discover an equally exciting way to explore maths, small world, physical development and art and design. It’s always a voyage of discovery, whether it’s a story, a song or a rhyme.

Madi joined us in our assembly on Monday 27 January to present us with our award and to take some pictures with some of our Year 4 pupils.

We look forward to working with OneLife Suffolk in the future and hope to achieve our gold award soon!

Year 1 Old Buckenham Hall Visit On Thursday 16 January, our Year 1 pupils spent the morning at Old Buckenham Hall School. They participated in singing activities, got to meet the pet chickens and got to play and explore on their adventure playground.

Our pupils enjoyed their morning visit and we would like to thank Old Buckenham Hall for having us.

Year 2 RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch Event

Our Year 2 pupils have been participating in different activities to support the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch event in order to raise awareness of birds in the local area. The children were sent home with a data collection sheet to complete and then compiled the results as a class and posted them to the RSPB. In the meantime they brought some bird food and a feeder to place in the school grounds. Year 2 said: “We had good fun creating bird cakes, placing them around the outdoor area, ticking off which birds we had spotted and having a whole class bird watching session. Just at school we saw a range of birds, including crows and a robin.”

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COMBS FORD PRIMARY SCHOOL On February 5, following a consultation process with parents and staff, the governing bodies of five local primary schools decided to join the multi-academy trust Children’s Endeavour Trust (CET).

These schools – Abbots Hall, Bosmere, Chilton, Combs Ford and Freeman – will join with Springfield Primary and Broke Hall Primary.

The schools have been working on this for more than a year and have detailed plans in place to preserve the unique character of each individual school, while working in a beneficial partnership with the shared aim of delivering the best education for all the pupils in our care.

“This is a very exciting time which formalises and strengthens the strong working relationship we already have as a group of local schools,” said headteacher Russell Clark.

Combs Ford Primary is looking to recruit a member of the community to its school governing body. If you are interested in becoming a school governor, or know someone who might be, please contact the school for an informal chat and find out more about this important and exciting role.

Combs Ford Primary School, Glemsford Road, Stowmarket IP14 2PN 01449 613112 / admin@combsford.suffolk.sch.uk

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Sport ROOKERY BOWLING CLUB STOWMARKET TENNIS CLUB We’re supposed to be in the grip of mid-winter but, at the time of scribbling, we’ve escaped the worst with nothing on the horizon.

There’s plenty of time for things to turn nasty as we all remember the Beast from the East a couple of years ago which didn’t hit until the final week of February. We’ll be thrashing away in the dome until the end of March so will hopefully manage to get all our scheduled matches, coaching and training completed without too many snowy disruptions.

All activity continues at pace inside our dome with a full range of coaching groups, hitting sessions, social matches, box leagues and external league matches. The winter league should be wrapped-up (like us) by the end of February with several pairs looking eagerly at the points tally and trying to predict whether they will be promoted, retained, or even relegated. Whatever the outcome, there have been some tremendous matches played over the last couple of months and everyone returns to the clubhouse for a well-deserved cuppa and a bonus biscuit. Many thanks for the offers of tea and biccies for me as well – you know who you are!

The Australian Open has just been completed with Sofia Kenin beating Garbine Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. My money was on Halep due to her work rate and the difficult conditions in Melbourne, but she got binned in the semi-final. I had also predicted a Federer v Thiem final but, due to a groin injury, it was Djokovic v Thiem. Novak won from 2-1 sets down to win his eighth Melbourne title and 17th Grand Slam overall, also returning to the World No.1 spot.

There are several events in Europe and South America on hard and clay courts over the following six weeks but the next Grand Slam will be the French Open beginning on May 24. Surely Nadal will be favourite!

As ever, there are several entry points into tennis whether you’re a junior, adult, newbie or seasoned player and all sessions continue right through the colder months. A particular success has been our Saturday morning adult disco tennis session with games, drills and lots of fun hitting with a pulsating disco/dance soundtrack.

Give it a look because it’s more active than a gym and you don’t need any tennis skills to take part and burn loads of calories.

See you on court.

Senior Club Coach Chris Cunningham chris@chriscoaching.plus.com

Have you ever considered playing bowls? Come along to Rookery Bowls Club at 10am on a Saturday morning or 2pm on a Wednesday afternoon and have a go; the season starts on April 18. Or come along in the evening and watch; we play matches every night, Monday to Friday.

You can find out more at: www.rookerybowls.club We are easy to find as we are based just opposite the Violet Hill Road exit onto Finborough Road in the centre of Stowmarket. It will cost new members £20 to join for the 2020 season and we promise that you will be well supported.

2019 was a good year for the club. In May we held an open day and welcomed more than 20 new members. Thanks must go to In Touch for their help in advertising the event by leafleting on our behalf and for the positive article they published.

Before the season started club members, together with volunteers from PPG, redecorated the clubhouse, making it a brighter, more welcoming space. During 2019 members played bowls at national, county and local level under both Bowls England and Federation rules. Our new members were encouraged to join in social bowling on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, where they received coaching and support from existing club members. It wasn’t long before quite a few of them were joining in with local league matches and doing very well.

The club held several social events during the bowls season and through the winter which were enjoyed by club members and their families. David John Sewell, then club president, held his charity day and managed to raise £700 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. The club also works hard to take bowling into the community. We regularly visit five care homes, taking along specially adapted bowls so residents can get involved. We also host the Rookery Community Hub on Tuesdays at 10am and 2pm where we welcome anyone wanting company or support to join in craft activities, playing board games and indoor bowls and curling.

We are now getting ready for the 2020 season and looking forward to April 18 when the green opens for play. It promises to be another busy and exciting year. One of our members is the Bowls England County Ladies President so we are hosting several county events as well as playing local league matches.

We look forward to welcoming existing and new members to Rookery Bowls Club in 2020 for another exciting season of bowling.

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Sport MEADLANDS INDOOR BOWLS CLUB

SCORPION MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY

Meadlands Indoor Bowls Club is the bowls section of Stowmarket Meadlands Recreation Club. Our three lane rink on Needham Road is open from 10am to 10pm seven days a week all year round. The sports hall also has four quality full-sized snooker tables.

The martial arts offer the opportunity to develop a fantastic array of personal skills, even the chance to overcome personal situations.

Improve your game We are running a six-week trial from 6.30pm on Thursday evenings from March 5 for bowlers who wish to improve their game. This will take place on lanes two and three and experienced bowlers will be there to offer advice.

This is also meant to be a social event so we’ll bowl six ends and then pause for a drink and a chat before continuing. We plan to play for two hours. If you have friends who would like to take up bowling, they can play for free on lane one with experienced bowlers to give instruction.

Recruitment It’s an unfortunate fact that the number of active bowlers is in decline and like all clubs we need to recruit new bowlers. If you are one of our bowlers and you have friends or relatives looking for a new pastime, bowls is the ideal solution. They will be made most welcome. If have no connection to the club but would like to have a go, contact one of the people listed below.

By training here at Scorpion Academy you will gain a huge increase in fitness, confidence, wellbeing, strength and flexibility. You will make new friends, work towards a black belt, take part in competitions and learn simple, but highly effective self-defence techniques. Our youngsters have the chance to become team leaders and learn the skills needed to defeat the bully.

With the academy celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, celebrations are underway to mark this special occasion at a multi-style training camp at Caister-on-Sea in May. This will see more than 100 students from clubs all over the UK training in a variety of martial arts and taking part in workshops.

We will have displays from Vikings and Samurais, plus karate, jujitsu, pressure points, jeet kune do, yoga, kickboxing, self-defence, weapons, light sabres, plus training on the beach and even in the sea.

We are holding four free self-defence workshops throughout the year at The Mix in Stowmarket. If you are interested in attending, please call 01449 745130 to book a place/s. The dates are Saturdays 14 March, 20 June, 12 September and 12 December, all from 10.30am to noon.

For further details, such as membership costs, competition details and rink fees, contact David (01449 613144 / 07717 940270) or Beverley and John (01449 677962).

We teach universal karate, kickboxing and muay Thai with one month free to all new members joining our amazing, friendly martial arts school. We hold classes at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre in Stowmarket and at Needham Market Community Centre. For information or to book please contact Mark JR Trent: 07708 644162 / scorpion.ufkkwa@gmail.com

STOWMARKET CRICKET CLUB

You’ll also find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The new season will begin in a few weeks and work to get our ground ready is well underway.

The youth registration/fun evening for ages five to 16 takes place on Monday 30 March from 6pm. Why not come and give the game a go? Experience a couple of sessions before paying your annual subscription of just £25, which will provide you highly qualified coaching and fun on Monday evenings through to the end of the school year. We will run under 9, 11, 13 and 15 teams in the local county leagues and cup competitions again this year.

Meanwhile, our senior teams are training hard in readiness for the opening fixtures of the season. Following the remaining indoor net sessions at Ipswich School on Sundays 23 February and March 8 and 22 (7.30-9pm), our senior weekly outdoor nets commence on Thursday 2 April from 6pm at Chilton Fields.

On Saturday 18 April our 1 X1 take on local rivals Woolpit at Chilton Fields and on Saturday 25 April our 2nd X1 host Mildenhall. Both are 12.30pm starts in the Two Counties Championship. st

Our midweek team will begin playing evening matches in May, when they will defend their Wednesday evening trophy from last season.

Wea don’t just host club matches and those of local schools. We are also the venue for county fixtures at various age groups. This programme of national matches commences when Suffolk Over-70s take on Sussex on Thursday 30 April with a 1pm start.

You are never too old or young to play cricket; we are proud to say that current members still playing regularly span the ages of five to 68. If you are interested in playing, volunteering, sponsoring or supporting Stowmarket Cricket Club please contact Clive Witherly: 01359 240019 / wigg51@btinternet.com www.stowmarket.play-cricket.com

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BACTON BOWLS CLUB Bacton Bowls Club was founded in 1980s and has been thriving ever since.

It’s a mixed club with male and female players and we participate in the Stowmarket and Ipswich Area (men only) Leagues.

Like most bowls clubs, most of our players are retired but it’s a game where husbands and wives can enjoy competing together. It’s not too physically demanding and the company and camaraderie is always great. We have about 40 playing members with 15 ladies, and we maintain a good position in the leagues in which we play. Social events arranged by our social secretary are always well-supported. They also raise money for the club and help keep the green in excellent order, which is very important for a good game.

Obviously we are always looking for new members and we welcome all ages.

Tuition is available for anyone who is interested and a warm welcome is assured. The new season starts at the end of April.

If you would like more information, please contact our secretary, Mrs Pat Last, on 01449 782076. We would be delighted for you to join us.

STOWMARKET WILDCATS SESSIONS Stowmarket SSE Wildcats FA Girls Football Centre provides the opportunity for girls aged 5-11yrs to experience and play football themed and ball fundamental activity sessions.

SSE Wildcats sessions provide a fun, friendly environment to support girls to play together, make new friends, learn new skills and to boost health and wellbeing.

“I like stopping the ball in hoops and I love scoring goals with my friends.

Wildcats is great fun.” Player (6) FA research has shown that the majority of girls prefer playing in female only teams so the earlier a girl starts playing football, the more likely she is to have a long-term relationship with sport.

All sessions take place on the Astro turf pitch at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre on Saturday mornings from 10-11am.

For more information and to book your child’s place please contact Laura Worsley: 07801 532059

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church News THE SALVATION ARMY Violet Hill Road, Stowmarket IP14 1NE Sunday 1 March

11am & 5.30pm Services

Wednesday 4 March 7.30pm Live Lounge at Costa Sunday 8 March

11am Youth Led Service 4pm Messy Church – The Prodigal Son

Sunday 15 March

11am & 5.30pm Services

Saturday 21 March

10am Coffee Morning

Sunday 22 March

11am Mothering Sunday (morning service only)

Sunday 29 March

11am Service / 4pm Café Church

Wednesday 1 April

7.30pm Live Lounge at Costa

WEEKLY EVENTS Sunday 9.30-10.30am New Breakfast Club for ages 6-12

Come and join the fun!

Monday 9.30-11.30am Funky Monkeys (Parent & Toddler Group) Tuesday 10am

CAMEO (Come and Meet Each Other)

Tuesday 2pm

Over Sixties Club

Wednesday 5.45pm

Kidz Club (ages five plus)

Wednesday 7.30pm

Live Lounge at Costa Coffee (see above)

Saturday 10am-noon

Coffee Morning (third Saturday in month)

We have interesting and varied activities during the week and well attended Sunday Services. For more information, please ring Jenny: 01449 614133

1st@4

Our church fellowship was well represented at the service of thanksgiving for the life of our former minister, The Revd Edmund Banyard, at Diss United Reformed Church.

The celebration of Edmund’s 99 years, many spent in full time ministry, was conducted by The Rev Paul Whittle, moderator of the Eastern Province of the URC. The packed church heard of his many achievements, noticeably in the three pastorates he served as minister and in retirement at Diss. It was also be remembered for the many plays and books which came from his pen, the last book finished a short time before his death.

Edmund came to Stowmarket with his wife Doris and sons Stephen and Phillip from his first church in Marlpool, Derbyshire, moving to his final congregation in Essex at the Hutton and Shenfield Union Church after 17 years. The family had always retained their love for Stowmarket and its surrounding area but a policy of the national United Reformed Church meant that they were unable to return when retirement came so they choose Diss for their final home.

Edmund continued to lead worship and was active well into his nineties.

It has also been interesting to read the large number of memories being written on social media, many from folk no longer living in Stowmarket whose lives were influenced by Rev Banyard. I finish with these words, used with permission, from Mervyn Gamage who captures many of the comments: “It was with a mix of sadness and joy I attended a memorial service to celebrate the life of a wonderful man who played an important part in my formative years. The Reverend Edmund Banyard was the charismatic minister of the United Reformed Church in Stowmarket when I was growing up there. He was a very special person who was a great influence on my young life. He was a brilliant minister and writer and a warm, kind human being who always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. RIP Edmund. I’ll never forget you and how much you meant to me.”

There are no hymn books or service sheets to juggle at this service at Holy Trinity Church, Stowupland at 4pm on the first Sunday of the month as a projector is used instead.

STOWMARKET GOSPEL HALL

This is a family-orientated service with hymns and songs, a Bible story and application, simple and interactive prayers and crafts, followed by a time of fellowship with refreshments in the church hall afterwards. It is very informal and fun.

We are planning a special series of talks each Wednesday evening during March. These talks will be about Bible prophecy and will be given by Ken Totton from Cambridge. He will be looking at Bible prophecies that have already been fulfilled and moving on to see what the Bible has to say about the future for Christians and the rest of the world.

There will be a warm welcome waiting for you so come along and join in.

If you would like more information, please contact Rev Brin (01449 770921) or Alison (01449 613037).

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NEWS FROM THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

This is a fascinating subject and everyone is invited to join us to learn more of what the Bible has to say about the future. The talks will be on Wednesday 4, 11, 18 and 25 March at 7.30pm.

We are also planning our Holiday Bible Club for the week before Easter (April 6-9). It’s called Knights of the King. Look out for more information soon.

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church News COMBS & FINBOROUGH GROUP Messy Church • St Andrew’s Church, Great Finborough 3.30pm on Fridays 6 March, 3 April and 1 May • Combs Church Hall, Poplar Hill, IP14 2AY 10am on Sundays 1 March, 5 April and 3 May World Day of Prayer Combs Church, noon on Friday 6 March “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk” Prepared by Christian Women of Zimbabwe.

Healing and Wholness St John’s Church, Onehouse, 11am on Sunday 29 March A Communion Service with opportunity for individual prayer for healing and wholeness.

Revd Canon Sandie Barton St Mary’s Church, Combs, 6.30pm on Sunday 29 March A service to include a talk from the diocesan environment officer that will cover current issues and the churches response to them.

Family Services for Mothering Sunday, March 22 Shelland: 9.30am Combs: 11am Onehouse: 11am Great Finborough: 11am Compline Short, reflective services with a Lenten theme at 8pm as follows: March 10: St Andrew’s Church, Gt Finborough March 17: St Mary’s Church, Combs March 24: St Mary’s Church, Buxhall March 30: St Mary’s Church, Lt Finborough April 6: Onehouse; due to lack of heating in the church an alternative location will be used. For details please contact Revd Chris.

Soup Lunches Lent is a time when we ‘give up’ something in recognition of Jesus’ time in the wilderness when he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. It is a time of reflection when many of us think about what we have that others may not. With this in mind, we will be hosting soup lunches with money raised going to Third World charities: Wednesday 11 March: noon at Onehouse Wednesday 18 March: Great Finborough Saturday 4 April: 4pm at Combs Church Date TBC at Buxhall For more details please contact Revd Chris.

House Groups You are invited to join us in our Lent House Groups. This year there will be six sessions with Bible studies, prayer ideas and practical actions. Each session is stand-alone so please come when you can. We will run the same session twice each week.

• Combs Rectory, 135 Poplar Hill, Stowmarket at 7.30pm March: Wed 4, Mon 9, Wed 18, Thurs 26 April: Wed 1 & Wed 8 • Onehouse Rectory, Woodland Close, Forest Road, Onehouse at 10am March: Thurs 5, 12, 19 & 26 April: Thurs 2 & 9 Bishops’ Environment Lent Challenge Booklets will be available in each of our churches for you to take part in this project which is not about raising money, but is a fun way in which you and your family can think about ways in which we can all protect God’s creation.

Have a look: www.cofesuffolk.org//bishops-lent-appeal-2020 For more details about any of our services or events please contact Revd Chris Childs – revcchilds@aol.com / 01449 673280 – or Revd Canon Pauline Higham – 01449 771791.

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