The Stradbroke Monthly December 2014/January 2015

www.stradbrokemonthly.co.uk

£1 where sold

Dec 2014/ Jan 2015

No.408

The Editors of The Stradbroke Monthly Thank everyone who has supported us in 2014.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year

Claire, Helen, Marianne and Vicky xxxx

Christmas Lights Switch On We warmly welcome everyone to join us in the grand switch-on of the Christmas lights on Sunday, December 7th at 4.00pm. This year we shall illuminate the large tree by the West Door and the star on the tower simultaneously. We shall also have carol singing and mince pies, mulled wine and soft drinks being available for all. We look forward to seeing you there at the start of the festive season.

Gillian Rennie-Dunkerley (Parish Councillor)

Marty’s Christmas Crackers!

Fresh from his starring role as ‘small boy’ in the latest John Lewis Christmas Advert (pictured left with the advert’s stunt penguin team) Marty Norris will be broadcasting in his traditional slot from 9am to 12pm on Christmas Day Morning, sharing music and best wishes from around the village and beyond!

If you have a Christmas message for Marty to share on air (time permitting!) email studio@radiostradbroke.co.uk by 23rd Dec 2014!

Radio Stradbroke

A New Year's Day Walk Make this your first walk of 2015!

Thursday January 1 2015 at 10.30 a.m. starting from the Community Centre.

Walk off all those meals and celebrations with our traditional 5 mile circular walk via Thorpe Hall, Horham and Wootton Green. Boots are strongly advised.

There is no need to book, just come along and do bring any guests you have staying with you.

Gerald Jenkins (384 825) Footpath Warden

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A C Boiler Services Ltd Andrew Cattermole experienced OFTEC registered oil fired boiler engineer Servicing, system maintenance etc.

In addition priority breakdown service from October to May. 01379 642344 If we are not available you can leave a message and we will contact you or call Andrew’s Mobile 07922 020970.

Fleurs Artisan 6 Church Street, Eye, IP21 7BD Tel: 870333 Mobile 07711 936342 We offer a complete range of wedding packages, prices on request.

Creative ideas for every occasion.

Births, Anniversaries, Thankyou, Get Well Soon, Sympathy tributes and all other functions. Delivery service available.

We assure you of our best attention at all times.

PAINTING & DECORATING EXTERIOR/INTERIOR FOR A CONSCIENTIOUS, RELIABLE SERVICE 18 YEARS EXPERIENCE

PAUL GODDARD Telephone 01986 784594

Local Churches

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Stradbroke Baptist Church Stradbroke Baptist Church, Laxfield Road, Stradbroke, Suffolk

A place of new beginnings. We welcome you to join us.

Sunday Services each week at 10.15 am

December Diary: 7 Rev. J. Lee 14 P. Langford 21 G. Catling 28 J.ling We welcome you to join us --- our activities for December We pray together Monday 1st 7:30pm Cameo Christmas Lunch Club Wednesday 10 12:30pm Youth Club (Year 8 and above Friday 12 7:30pm Christmas Day “Celebrate the birth” 10:15am th

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Welcome to...

The Big Concert Sing – Carol Concert Date: Sun: 14 Time:3pm th

Venue:

Baptist Church Music:

Castleton Brass Speaker:

Rev. S. Loxton

Carol Concert -a joint project -Stradbroke Baptist & All Saints Church January Diary: 4 TBA th

We pray together Cameo Lunch Club Drop in for Coffee January Youth Club

Sunday services: 11 D. Keeble 18 D. Quin (Asia Link) 25 M. Caplin Our activities for January Monday 12 7:30pm Wednesday 14 12:30pm Wednesday 28 10:00am Friday 9 & 23 7:30pm (These dates to be confirmed) th

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19:30 @ Stradbroke - Youth Club 2014 report This year at 19:30 Stradbroke we have enjoyed many fun evenings, including, bin bag fashion, bingo, hair & beauty night, a country walk and a farm visit to name but a few. One of the highlights for us was in April when we celebrated our 1 birthday with a fun evening of challenges and activities including inflatables with over 30 youngsters joining in.

Another recent highlight was when we took part in our first inter-church Dodge ball competition. Out of thirteen teams our boys came FIRST! We were pleased with this achievement, and it was good to meet with other church youth groups.

We have a great group of youngsters of which we are very proud who continue to come each week. Although we have raised the minimum age to school year 8, numbers continue to remain steady at about 15 – 20 each week, for which we are very thankful.

So Long – Zozulenka It was a real pleasure to have friends from Ukraine with us recently. The students in traditional costume from a specialist drama college performed before a very appreciative audience. The group in the UK are sponsored by the Christian Charity HOPE NOW who have been supporting underprivileged communities in Ukraine for some years. Sadly the need is even greater at present due to the political unrest.

We sent our friends off with our good wishes, our prayers and gifts in excess of £500, “Thank You” to all who helped. We look forward to their next visit to Stradbroke Christmas is coming The current TV adverts, the shops and hectic activity all point to the fact that Christmas will soon be here.

Millions of people all around the world will be celebrating the birth of Our Lord Jesus. Some of those revellers will know and love the story of Jesus’ birth, others will just join in the celebrations.

Have you ever considered how remarkable it is that all this activity is based upon a birth over two thousand years ago of a babe born into a peasant family, who never left the country of His birth, never held political or military office, never wrote a book, and of whom we have no authentic painting or portrait. And He died a cruel death at the hands of His enemies.

Yet this one person has influenced more people than all military and political leaders put together and has today more followers worldwide than ever before. Why is that?

The answer is simple, the birth we celebrate is no other than our Lord Jesus Christ who came to share our human experience, giving us an example to follow and died for us. Have a joyful and peaceful Christmas.

For Jesus is the reason for the season!

For further details please contact: John 388751 Jackie 384112 st

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Local Churches

All Saints, Stradbroke Services 7 Dec 14 Dec 21 Dec 24 Dec 25 Dec 28 Dec 4 Jan 11 Jan 18 Jan 26 Jan 1 Feb th

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11.00 am Family service 4.00 pm Carols and lights outside 8.00 am Holy Communion 3.00 am Village Carol service at Baptist church 11.00 am Holy Communion, Followed by Coffee/Tea 6.00 pm Crib service 11.15 pm Midnight Communion 11.00 am Holy Communion, Followed by Coffee/Tea 10.00 am Benefice Communion at Withersdale 11.00 am Family service, Followed by Coffee/Tea 8.00 am Holy Communion 11.00 am Holy Communion, Followed by Coffee/Tea 8.00 am Holy Communion 5.00 pm Home group at Rectory 11.00 am Family service, Followed by Coffee/Tea

Stradbroke All Saints Fundraising Committee By the end of December we shall hope to have raised £5000 which is a great result for our committee of 7 ladies. Well done. In December on the 13th, we have our usual Christmas cake stall in Church Street from 8.30am onwards. This will finish this years activities. Once again due to our support from the community we thank you and wish you a happy chrismas and a peaceful 2015. By the time you read this report, the hamper will have been drawn. Keep your fingers crossed.

Mary Ellis

A Message from Rev Susan Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love the Christmas season: I love Advent with its sense of anticipation, I love listening and watching the young children at crib services, and the older ones as they sing and read poems or tell the nativity story in different ways.

But I don’t love the adverts, or the canned muzac that we are forced to listen to in shops and I don’t love the waste;- the money wasted on presents people don’t want, the food that gets thrown away and I definitely don’t love the debt some people get themselves into.

Some people dare to be different and send ethical gifts or buy chickens for Africa or mosquito nets. Some people promise to give some time instead of goods - something most of us would appreciate.

I don’t want to be a killjoy, I believe God wants us to celebrate and enjoy life but maybe this year, we could spare a thought for those who will not be celebrating at Christmas; the bereaved and lonely, those with little money or suffering from illness. Jesus, God’s gift of love is for each one of us, maybe this Christmas time you could pass on that gift to someone you know.

Christmas day in our house is a quiet affair, we eat simply - I am too tired to cook or eat a big dinner and we rest.

Both our children have their own families and want to spend Christmas with them, thankfully, so we will be together on 27th Dec when I feel less tired, the children have already had lots of presents and so will be more relaxed (I hope) and we can all relax together and have some fun. This will suit me well for I want to be quiet on Christmas day so that I can reflect on this most wonderful gift of love in Jesus that God offers to us all.

May the joy of the angels and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas time. Amen.

God bless, Susan

Can We Help?

Our telephone number is 07749445531 The Stradbroke Need a lift to the Surgery or for an appointment at hospital ?

Collect a prescription?

Good Neighbours Change a light bulb?

Service Check your smoke alarm or an odd job done?

Our Volunteers will be happy to help you.

There will be a mileage charge for journeys undertaken by our drivers and we will inform you of the mileage charge when you phone for assistance.

We would appreciate at least 24 hours notice and will be happy to assist you If you are new in the village Good Neighbours have a welcome booklet that outlines our services and can provide useful information. If you would like a copy please contact us on 07749445531 or collect a copy from the library.

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Street Farm, Laxfield Road

Telephone: 01379 384560 Opening Times: Mon Closed Tue - Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 6pm Saturday 8.30am - 4pm Beauty Therapy Friday 9am - 8pm

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Stradbroke Parish Council

The Parish Pump!

Next meeting of the

MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL 10 November 2014 Parish Council 18 members of the public attended the meeting.

Monday 08 December 2014 at PUBLIC FORUM: a request was made for this page to be made available to Strad7.30pm in the Community Centre brokeonline prior to its publication in the magazine. Brian Belton of Durrants reminded everyone present of the public meeting to inform the village about the proposal for the development of Grove Farm.

PLANNING (for reasons of economy of space the details have been truncated; further details can be obtained from the Clerk): Applications for consideration: 3040/14 Thornlea, Pixey Green No comment was to be made on the above application 3205/14 Stanley House, Doctors Lane Approval recommended for the above application 3248/14 1 White House Cottages, Queens Street No recommendation made but comments were submitted on the scale of the proposed development Results of planning applications considered by MSDC since the PC last met: Planning permission granted for: 2873/14 Roger Skinner Ltd, Queens Street 2974/14 Apple Tree Cottage, Queens Street Other Planning Matters: 3225/14 application for a non-material amendment following a grant of planning permission 1928/14 had been deemed satisfactory by the planning officer letter and map from the late Paul Chambers concerning traffic calming on Church Street…this was discussed by members and it was agreed there was some merit in the suggestions although traffic calming measures can have a counter effect to that intended. Any such proposals would be subject to scrutiny by the engineers at the Highways Department. It was agreed the place for fuller deliberation was within the traffic stream of the Neighbourhood Plan.

OTHER BUSINESS: LIBRARY & COURTHOUSE: HURRAH!!!!! Stradbroke has its Post Office back and it is already busy and well used. Congratulations are due to Maureen and the Trustees for their tenacity. It is likely that there will be a consultation on opening hours to ensure that the service suits the users.

MAGAZINE: work was ongoing to clear up the small distribution snags. If you know of anyone who should be receiving a copy of the magazine but isn’t please contact the Clerk so they can be added to the distribution list.

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: MSDC stated it was further ahead on the provision of faster broadband than other County or Unitary Authorities. It was possible that most of Stradbroke could be in receipt of faster broadband by 2018 and more outlying areas by 2020 but these dates were not definite. The Housing Needs Survey had been distributed and would form a sound base for any Neighbourhood Plan. Volunteers would soon be required to fill various roles so please put your name forward; more people volunteering to help means the work can be distributed more fairly. This is a village, not a Parish Council, project so…the more the merrier.

POLICE REPORT: there had been five crimes since the last meeting…all related to burglaries at the allotments.

SPAR SHOP: another Hurrah! It is great to see it open again. Remember…use it or lose it.

STREET LIGHTING: most of the lamp standards were now numbered and this would assist with reporting any faults.

CONTACT NUMBERS: If there is an emergency continue to dial 999 but if you just wish to report an incident or seek advice please use 101.

AFTERTHOUGHT….thank you to dog owners who have been cleaning up after their pets as they walk through the village but it would be most helpful if the dedicated dog waste bins were utilised for the used poo bags not the general rubbish bins.

And to end on a more pleasant note…

CHRISTMAS TREE: there will be a lighting up event on Sunday 7 December at 4pm in the Churchyard. Seasonal refreshments will be available so come along to get the festive season off to a good start. If you can help, either with fixing up the lights or refreshments, please contact Gill Rennie-Dunkerley.

Members of the public and press are very welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and to bring matters of concern or information to the attention to Members in the time allocated to the Public Forum, which takes place prior to the start of every meeting.

Minutes of the meetings are held in the Library and are now posted on the Notice Board The December Meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Community Centre at 7.30pm on Monday, 08 December 2014 Clerk to the Parish Council: Carol A Smy tel: 07817 441195 New address: Manfield House, 7 Norwich Road, Ditchingham, Suffolk, NR35 2JJ email: clerkspc@thesmys.com **please make non-emergency calls to the Clerk between 0830 and 1800hrs Monday to Friday only**

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Dirty Oven??

Jon Wilson

Home Improvements

Carpentry And General

Kitchens

Household Maintenance

Bedrooms Fencing

Call for a friendly reliable service

Gates decking

Telephone: 01379 384120

General maintenance & repairs

Mobile: 07867 533745

Just ask.

J.F BUILDING SERVICES 30 years experience All building work, including: Block paving, Driveways,Patios Concrete bases including conservatories.

Refurbishment& general maintenance.

Day work undertaken.

Phone John on 01379 388655 or 07850 287012

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Stradbroke Bakery • • • • • • • •

Fresh Bread Daily A vast range of Confectionery Home Made Pies and Pasties A Selection of Speciality Bread Tea and Coffee Take Away Snacks Newspapers and Milk A Small Selection of Groceries Tel: 01379384226

Egil & Sue invite you to discover...

See our typical menu online at www.ivyhouseStradbroke.co.uk

Fresh local produce.

Open 7 days a week : Restaurant: 12 noon to 2 pm (Lunch) 6.30 pm to 9 pm (Dinner) Bar: 12 noon to 2.30 pm and 6 pm to 11 pm

Telephone 384634 to book your table.

Email: marty@martynorris.co.uk

Organisations

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Life in the Legion I start off my report by paying tribute to the late Bob Wilson, a member of the branch and landlord of our meetings venue, Laxfield King’s Head, who recently passed away. He was a great help to us, and will be very much missed. We were well represented at his Thanksgiving Service held at All Saints, Laxfield. I mentioned him in the Tribute at our Annual General Meeting which was well attended by 22 members and guests. Reports were given by the Officers, and all were re-elected for another year. Donations were made to Halsey House, the RBL home in Cromer and to The Poppy Appeal. A splendid report was given by Joyce Cooper, our Standard Bearer and Welfare Officer. She carried our standard on 55 occasions during the year, many overseas, and had dealt with 14 welfare cases from a wide area £64 was raised with a draw for The Poppy Appeal, run by John Graham and his wife Jill.

The next meeting is our Christmas Carols and Lunch on Thursday, December 11th, at 11.30 am. Our Christmas Gift Concert is at the High School on Saturday, 6th December, starting at 6.30 pm.

Remembrance Sunday was very well attended by the village, with services around the War Memorial and also in All Saints’ Church. The branch thanks everybody for their support; 13 wreaths were laid around the Memorial by the organizations.

Our Annual Poetry Competition is for pupils at the High School on a Remembrance Theme. The winners were Sam Green with “100 years ago”, Owen Hargrave with “Pushed Back” and Ciaran Carr with “A Century Ago”.

Christmas Greetings and A Very Happy New Year to all our readers.

Michael Burton, Chairman

W.I. November; our Annual Meeting, and the end of another successful year. The meeting itself was very well attended, in spite of so many members being unwell. The President Dorothy Readman welcomed Charmaine Cooper and Annie Harbrow our two newest members, to the meeting. She also welcomed and thanked our tellers from Fressingfied Rosemary and Christine, who had come to officiate at our election. Jennifer Chetwynd informed members of the resolutions to be discussed and voted upon for the National A.G.M next year. Thanks were sent via Dorothy from her daughter, thanking everyone who hand knitted baby clothes for the maternity unit she supports in Uganda. To mark our 90th Birthday 3 White Birch Trees are to be planted at the top of Drapers Hill field on the 23rd November at 10 am. We would love you to attend the planting.

The formal part of the meeting then took place, and reports and statements were read out by the officers of the committee, and were duly approved and signed. Elaine Lake is retiring from the Committee, and Dorothy thanked her in her absence for her great contribution to the W.I. over many years. The rest of the Committee agreed to stand and were re-elected. Dorothy Readman was re-elected President for the coming year. In thanking members for their support, she did emphasize the point that this would definitely be her last year in the position.

Irene Rogers, on behalf of the members, gave a very warm and sincere vote of thanks to the President the committee for all their hard work throughout the past year.

We now look forward to our Christmas Dinner and 90th Birthday Celebration on Thursday 18th December at 6 pm. Please remember your cameras and of course your wine. Here’s to a successful 2015 Gill Bird

Stradbroke Village Digital Archive Launch Saturday 15th November saw the incredibly successful launch of the Stradbroke Village Archive at the newly refurbished Court house café. Thank you Maureen John and James Hargrave from SCALT and the brilliant refreshments volunteers for making everyone so welcome. The Court House was the perfect venue - our village has a big asset! It also has some funky green jelly chairs - not to be missed! No really, try them.

Now for the serious bit - The Archive represents 15 years of collecting and research by The Stradbroke Local History Group. Thank you to all of our past and recent donors for their generosity. Their digital donation has been placed under a Creative Commons Licence for protection against disrespectful usage. What does this mean? This means we can make everything freely available to everyone BUT under the terms of the licence no financial gain may be made from the archive and the items must not be altered. We are now under the umbrella of the Archive and Records Association who will support us in the proper curation of the archive. The reward for everyone for following this basic condition is great. A completely free view on the past which may be copied, embedded and challenged. The SLHG hope you get many hours of pleasure from studying the past – the foundation our village is built on.

You will only find that on the SLHG collected village archive at www.stradbrokearchive.org.uk Ann Readman

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Organisations

Stradbroke CEVC Primary School This term has been an exciting and busy one and as I write our younger children are learning songs for their Christmas Nativity! ‘Born in a Barn’ is the title of this year’s performance and they are all very excited! They are also going to be spending a day at Easton Farm Park taking part in a nativity with real animals and having tea with Santa! Class 2 spent an exciting afternoon, learning about how food is produced, manufactured, stored, and packaged at the Tesco store in Diss. They researched the origin of many fresh fruit and vegetables, looked at different types of fish, visited the bakery and the went behind the scenes to see the storage facilities including walk-in fridges and freezers. After an excellent food-tasting session, they left happily wearing baker’s hats and laden with recipes and a goody bag! In October, we were immensely proud of Class 3 who, under the talented direction of Miss Legood, staged two amazing productions of Macbeth, one at The Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds and one at Stradbroke High School. Performing as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival, each and every member of the cast gave of their absolute best and received a well-deserved standing ovation. The clarity of their voices, their presence on the stage and the hard work they put into rehearsals and learning new skills are all to be celebrated. Thank you Class 3! Our Year 6 children spent a wonderful day in London last week with Year 6 children from All Saints, Laxfield. They were part of history in the making, as they stood at the Tower of London to observe 2 minutes silence at 11am, while the last poppy was ‘planted’. After an exciting boat trip down the Thames, they enjoyed visiting the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. All were stunned by the views across to central London and Canary Wharf and were very excited when then walked through the tunnel under the Thames and travelled on the DLR through the area amazed at the variety and size of the buildings. Following this they walked to the Golden Hinde, Globe Theatre and Tate Modern. As they walked across the Millennium Bridge towards St Paul’s, spirits were high and the thought of a McDonald’s tea spurred them on!

We were very proud of their behaviour, enthusiasm and interest in everything they saw and did. As we think ahead to Christmas, we are all looking forward to our whole school trip to The Theatre Royal in Norwich to see the pantomime – Peter Pan! Mrs L Walsh Head of School Stradbroke CEVC Primary

Stradbroke High School Newfoundland Park On Saturday the 4th October, the pupils on the Battlefields Trip visited Newfoundland Park in France. For the first part of the visit, we were shown around the important monuments and trenches by our tour guide. She gave us lots of information about the trenches and what the people of Newfoundland did in the war. She talked about the British front line and “Death Tree” and the fact that when the Newfoundland people went “over the top” in the battle of the Somme, few of them got past the tree and sadly most died. When we walked around the site we saw that a lot of trenches remain and that there wasn’t much distance between the British and German front lines. Obviously, we had read about the trenches and the battle of the Somme in books, but had never realised the true impact of it until we went to the Newfoundland Park.

The experience was unreal. However, when you do stand in person and look at the eroded trenches, the number of names written on grave stones and the land on which a horrid war was fought, the cool breeze and fresh air, the fields of green, the grasses and all of nature, such as the squirrel who scampers through the trees, it seems as if no war could ever have happened upon the land. Newfoundland Park really is a beautiful place; beautiful countryside, beautiful views and full of quiet emotions. It really touched you. The information given on our tour was a lot to take in and it was so interesting. The cemeteries there were also remarkable, all with their own detail. But Newfoundland Park was most definitely my favourite part of the trip, because of its haunting sense of peace.

Georgia Eaton and William Lynch

Stradbroke Over 60s Club We had a most enjoyable meeting on 6th November with entertainment by a country and western duo. Our end of year Christmas Lunch and party will be the end of our meetings for 2014. We will then resume on 5th February 2015. We wish to thank everyone for their support throughout this year, and wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.

Joan Grimes

Lottery Bonus Winners 3 Sue Ayton, 13 E Shelford, 1 M Jenkins, 40 D Bickers. Money donated to Good Neighbours and Tennis Club This lottery has nearly reached £30,000 raised since we started this way back. Thanks for your support. M Ellis

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Cleverley Repaired Cars Valley Farm, New St, Stradbroke Car Service, Repair and Modification to the Highest Standards. Sports and classic cars a speciality, but all cars catered for.

Collection and return. Courtesy car available Call Michael Cleverley on 01379 384 046. at any time to discuss your needs.

Find out what good service and value really is.

Email: crcmx5@gmail.com www.mx5expert.com

ENVY BEAUTY & HAIR 01379 852 233

Old Market Place Harleston.

www.dermalogicaconnect.co.uk/envyharleston

Parent and Toddler Group At Wilby C of E Primary School On Thursday mornings 9.00-10.30am Starting from Thursday 4th December Everyone welcome, babies and toddlers up to 5, mums, dads, carers, grandparents ~ bring a friend!

Enjoy tea and biscuits while your little-ones play Lots of friends, toys, art & craft, music, activities .

Secure outside play area. Donation gratefully accepted For more information contact the school office on: 01379 384708 Or just come along.

We look forward to welcoming you

My Care at Home - My Care at Home is a family run business covering the rural communities in Suffolk.

We provide Personal Care and Companionship, Respite Care and Dementia Care in your own home. Our commitment is to provide ‘high quality care’, which we deliver through our greatest asset, our staff and the training that they receive. We only employ people who love to care. Your care package could be a one off arrangement, ad-hoc or on a regular basis.

Request a Brochure or book an appointment on 01449 763086. Find us on Facebook or visit our website www.mycare-athome.co.uk We are also recruiting NOW - We need exceptional people who love to care.

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Organisations

Wingfield and District Gardening Club “Visions of Paradise” was an extremely interesting talk by Edward Martin. He began by giving us the meaning of paradise, an area fenced off including fruit trees and water where one could see many forms of wildlife. The origin of the garden – He discussed the site of “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon” believing the site not to be at Babylon, but more likely at Ninevah. They had elaborate watering systems which led to pools and long rills. The Greeks and Romans enlarged these ideas and eventually they became the gardens around which there were villas and pillars. These were often in four parts with a water feature at their centre. A great use was made of topiary. A fabulous insight into the beginnings of our gardens.

We have a talk on pruning on 27th November followed by our Christmas lunch at the Fox and Goose in Fressingfield on 6th December. We begin again on 24th January with “Garden in Winter” visiting Lodge Farm House and the Old Swan at Wilby.

Caroline Treyherne

Friends of Stradbroke High School (FOSH) Following the success of the recent High School CARnival, quiz nights and scrap metal collections, over £10,000 was recently spent on the pupils.

The bumper hamper included some of the following items; Electric Piano, Samba Band Equipment and an iMac Computer for the Music Department. Language lab speaking equipment for Spanish and French and access to Slow News Language Transcripts. Plotter cutter for the Graphics Department. Another hob and oven and a redesigned kitchen Food Technology. Edible Printer for making cake designs. Cooking stoves for the Duke of Edinburgh participants. Replacement First Aid Bed and Wheelchair for emergencies. Guillotine and Whiteboards for Humanities. Funding for a visiting speaker for the Humanities Department. New books and displays for the library.

New netball and football kits for school sports teams and new badminton rackets. 90 white long sleeved lab coats and a Autoclave machine for the Science Department. Pyrography Tools for Design Resistant Materials.

The Friends of the School will continue their Mission to support everyone at Stradbroke High to enable the school to become outstanding. This will include the Christmas Draw (numerous prizes, including cash). Tickets are available from the School office. We are planning more scrap metal collections and quiz nights along with the even bigger 2015 CARnival - which is now booked for SUNDAY 13th of September 2015 (10am - 4pm).

The Friends would like to extend our thanks to all pupils, parents, school staff and the local community for supporting all our fundraising efforts this year and we wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year!

As ever, we are always looking for new ideas and support so please give us a call if you are able to help.

Nigel Brown (Chairman of the Friends of Stradbroke High) 07771- 838957 (Registered Charity 1096034)

Housing Needs Survey At the time of writing (Friday 21st November) approximately 200 survey forms had been returned.

Housing is such an important issue for our village, especially affordable housing and the survey provides an excellent opportunity to express your views, whatever they are.

The original deadline for submission was the 24th November but this has been extended by 2 weeks to Monday 8th December. A lot of people have given their time to deliver the survey forms. Please take a few minutes to complete and return either by Freepost or by dropping them into the special box in the Library.

Many thanks Roger Turkington

Stradbroke Neighbourhood Plan Update All Stradbroke households should have received a Housing Needs Survey in a brown envelope in the first 2 weeks of November. If you didn’t get a chance to complete it then please do since this provides valuable information for the Neighbourhood Plan to quantify the requirement for Affordable Homes for Stradbroke. Unfortunately we will not get the results back from the charity Community Action Suffolk (who we commissioned for the survey) until the end of January.

Thank you to all those who volunteered to deliver the Housing Needs Survey to all 700 dwellings in Stradbroke and also those who have volunteered to meet David Spenser in the numerous small group sessions to share your views, hopes and fears on the village which will help us steer the plan. David will be running the small sessions in the 2nd and 3rd week of December for those who have volunteered.

At 7.30pm on Wednesday 14th January 2015 we will be meeting in the Club Room at the Community Centre to discuss the output from the group sessions with David Spenser which will help steer the various streams such as development, educations, transport, environment, etc. If you are interested in listening to what’s going on or even joining any of the proposed streams as they develop, do come along.

If you want to get involved feel free to email NP@Stradbrokeonline.org.uk or call me on 01379 384429. Oliver Last

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Barn View, Wilby

Wheeled Digger, Mini Digger, Dumper.

All types of excavation work undertaken.

Tel Home: 01379 384641 Mobile Number 07775 716629

Cleverley Made Cakes High quality, individually designed cakes for all occasions.

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, Christenings, Christmas, etc...

Hand-crafted sugar decorations a speciality

Julia Cleverley www.cleverleymadecakes.co.uk cleverleycakes@gmail.com

Fressingfield 01379 588260/07944 965873

Antique Restoration

Gas Safe and Oftec

Furniture, Clocks, and Barometers

registered plumbing

Ian Brown LCGI

and heating installer.

Reproduction Furniture Repairs & Bespoke Carpentry Undertaken Tel: 07881 942225 or 01379 852298 Laxfield Road, Stradbroke, Skilled Restoration & Carpentry since 1987

Natural Gas, Oil and LPG installation or service work on domestic premises.

Tel: 01379 388862 Mob: 07747 781709

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Forthcoming Events

Stradbroke Cinema We are showing ‘Before I Go to Sleep” a thriller, at 7.00 for 7.30 pm, on Thursday, 15th January. The Bar will be open and ice-creams on sale in the interval. Entrance is £5.50. Director Rowan Joffé, stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong.

Kidman is Christine, a middle-aged woman who wakes every morning with no memory of her life from her mid-20s onwards. Recognising neither the man in her bed nor her own face in the mirror, she must begin every day with a catch-up lesson delivered in tired but endlessly patient tones by Ben (Colin Firth): he is her husband; she was in an accident; she has amnesia; tonight she will fall asleep and forget everything – again.

It’s an enjoyable shaggy dog story with a twist that will leave you with the strange feeling that you've seen all this before, even if you can't quite remember where.

TBC: on Thursday, 19th February, we are showing “My Old Lady”, a comedy, on Thursday, 19th March, “The Imitation Game”, the story of Bletchley Park and more, and on Thursday, 16th April “Mr Turner” an artistic drama.

Margaret Streeter

Christmas Trees!

At Town Farm (on the main road between Wilby and Brundish) we have some home grown Christmas trees available. They are of varying height and will be priced between £30 - £50. All you need to do is ring us, come and choose your tree, pay for it and we will cut and deliver it fresh for you locally free of charge. Out of the proceeds 25% will go to All Saints Church Stradbroke, (or if you prefer St Mary's Wilby and St Lawrence's Brundish). Easy ! Give Steve or Sally Lee a call on 01379 388653.

Radio Stradbroke Radio Stradbroke continues to make the winter shorter & more enjoyable with some cracking ‘Sunday Sessions’. Taking us up to Christmas, we have: Sunday 30th Nov 10:00 to 13:00 DJ Richard Pierce presents “Sound & Fury” Sunday 7th Dec 10:00 to 13:00 DJ Huggy presents “Rock Family Trees”.

Without the aid of a safety net, he attempts to show that the history of British Pop & Rock can be traced back to one man! Featuring names like Clapton, Page, Beck, Fleetwood, Bruce, Wood, & Townshend.

Sunday 14th Dec 10:00 to 13:00 Prof Kim Bannon presents – “The Greatest Indie Show In the World, Part 2”. So good was Part 1, that we are going to do it all over again!

Sunday 21st Dec 10:00 to 16:00ish “Christmas Special”. All the DJ’s will be present in pairs to play whatever takes their fancy. Can’t tell you any more just now, but there will be 2 hours of Punk Rock. You heard it here first!

Thurs 25th Dec 9am to 12pm “Marty’s Christmas Crackers!” The traditional Christmas Morning show we all listen to whilst unwrapping presents and preparing the Brussel sprouts! Not to be missed!

For subsequent Sundays, log on to www.radiostradbroke.co.uk for listings.

Merry Christmas, & keep it Radio Stradbroke in 2015.

Michael Hugman

Pantomine Puzzle House Pantomimes present a traditional family pantomime based on the story of DICK WHITTINGTON. The city of London is overrun by an army of rats, and Dick Whittington – a poor boy from the country, is the only person who can stop them.

His friends – Tommy the magic cat, Fairy Bowbells, Dame Delia the cook and Idle Jack – do what they can, but it may still need the help of audience if good is to overcome the power of evil!

Join in with the songs, solve the puzzles on the way, and try to make sure that Dick Whittington rids London of the rotten rats! Six actors play a range of characters in a show full of songs, live keyboard music, thrills, spills and fun!

The first performance is on Sunday 4th Jan, 2015, at 3.00pm in St Edmund's Hall, Hoxne. After a short tour of Suffolk village halls, the final show is on Sunday 18th Jan, 2015, at 3.00pm at Wingfield Barns. All tickets £7.

Telephone 01379 384 65 Roy Preston

Stradbroke WEA – Spring Term 2015 The Diverse Flora and Fauna of Suffolk and The Brecks A course exploring the wide range of wildlife in Suffolk, including the area known as “ The Brecks “.

Other areas explored are Minsmere, Dunwich Heath, Snape Maltings and Orford Ness.

Tutor – Alexander Bass. Starts- Wednesday 21st January 2015 at Stradbroke Community Centre from 2.15 to 4.15pm. Anyone is welcome to attend the first meeting before committing themselves to the course.

Course fee £45.50 for 7 weeks. Disabled Access. Hearing Loop. Please contact the secretary : 01728 724746 Jane Gemmill

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EYE FLOORING Making Luxury Affordable ONLINE @ www.eyeflooring.co.uk DOOR MATS AVAILABLE AT UNBEATABLE PRICES Domestic & Contract Flooring Specialists *Carpets *Vinyls *Safety Flooring *Carpet Cleaning Free Estimates The Old Theatre, Broad Street, Eye, Suffolk, IP23 7AF 01379 870190 / 07850 573366 OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY FROM 9AM ALL MAJOR CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDS ACCEPTED

Property & Garden Maintenance We can transform your Garden Patios designed and laid Water & Garden features built Fences replaced or repaired New lawns laid - Hedges clipped Drives & patios power washed General Garden maintenance No Job Too Small Call Steve for a guaranteed competitive quote Mobile: 07858 926216 Tel: 01379 384615

MARK BANCROFT PAVING SERVICES Specialist in all types of paving and hard landscaping, driveways, patios, ornamental garden walls, water features, drainage and fencing Family run business with over 25 years experience Fast friendly professional service.

Fully insured and all work guaranteed For a friendly visit with a free quotation call Mark on: 01379 677027 or Mobile 07768636618

Based in Laxfield, where I can offer: • Hot stone, sport, remedial and seated Massage • 121 Pilates workshops • Equipment tasters, stability ball, foam rollers and wobble boards • Pamper ‘get together’ Other services •Group Pilates classes in Debenham and Framlingham.

•Mobile massage in the local area.

•Onsite seated massage for business or friends Please contact me to find out more ….. Nikki Hambling 07899888778, email nikkihambling@gmail.com www.orchidfitness.co.uk

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B.C.GODDARD INTERIOR/EXTERIOR PAINTER & DECORATOR FOR A FREE QUOTE PLEASE CONTACT FOR A FREE QUOTE PLEASE CONTACT Brian .......................

Tel : 01379 388174 Mobile : 07759956627 www.bcgoddard.co.uk

GUTTERS CLEANED OR RENEWED. WOOD WINDOWS REPAIRED OR RENEWED BROKEN GLASS REPLACED. U.P.V.C. Windows and Doors Supplied & Fitted

Scott J Regan Chimney Sweeping & Window Cleaning Professional. Clean & Qualified Service Member of the Guild of Master Sweeps Membership no. REG-25-463 Telephone Number :-01379 678537.

Mobile Number :- 07962 207846.

Email: chimneysweep@occold.com

Is your garden over run with Moles ?

Do you have a wasp nest ?

Are your paddocks over-run with rabbits ?

All typical Pests controlled.

For ALL your Domestic / Commercial Pest Control No obligation – free survey/quotes.

Please call for a chat, 01379 788865 / 07809 226109 / 07518 731106 www.safeandsoundhygieneandpestcontrol.co.uk

DOROTHY SINFIELD UPHOLSTERY

Vine House, Church Hill, Hoxne, Eye Suffolk, IP21 5AT THAT CHAIR, SETTEE, ANY TYPE OF UPHOLSTERY SOFT FURNISHINGS, curtains, blinds, cushions, etc.

FOR PERSONAL ATTENTION

Tel: 01379 668545 Mobile: 07702 265206

Forthcoming Events

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Prize Bingo for Burns Night Friday 23rd January 2015 at Stradbroke Community Centre at 7.30pm.

To raise funds for Stradbroke White Hart Bowls Club. Many excellent prizes, raffle, refreshments plus a flyer to win a hamper. Please join us for a fun night out.

Julie Ward

New Activities at the Community Centre At our last committee meeting it was suggested that there may be some interest in the village in running regular Cribbage, Bridge or other indoor activities. If you are interested please let us know so we can gauge the level of support. If there is demand then we will of course need some help in running the events so please don’t be afraid to volunteer.Contact Roger Turkington (E: rogerturkington@suffolkonline.net T: 384248) or any other member of the committee.

Roger Turkington

A New Shop for Stradbroke?

Public meeting on Monday 1st December at 7.30pm at the Community Centre.

Come and hear about the Co-op’s plans for a new store in our village. A chance to give your views and meet some of the Co-op team. Everyone welcome.

Roger Turkington

Children’s Society Coffee Morning Friday, 16 January 10.00 – 12.00 at Thirkettle Cottage, Queens Street. Everyone welcome, especially our box holders. We will use the day to empty this year’s boxes and send the contents to the Society. Anyone willing to hold a box for the coming year will be most welcome to join us.

Alison Hackett 388872

Stradbroke Craft Club We had a very successful autumn 'term' with some new crafters joining us. Our programme gave a good variety of items to make which all seemed to turn out well and please our group.

We will be starting back on Monday 12th January 2015, 2.00 - 4.00 p.m. Our charge is £1.50, which includes tea or coffee. If you just want to call in and meet us, please do so, you would be most welcome.

For further information ring 384439 or 388386. Claudene Merrett or Lily Lofts

A Grand Auction of Promises ...with a £10 Gourmet Sausage and Mash Supper - Saturday, 31st January 2015, at Stradbroke Community Centre, 7.30 pm. Do come along to the Lighting of the Churchyard Christmas Tree and the Church Tower Star organised by the Parish Council and All Saints Church, supported by the Friends of the Church, on Sunday, December 7th at 4.00 pm. Mince Pies, Mulled Wine and Carols will start off the festive season in Stradbroke.

A donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has given £1,000 to the Friends of the Church, “Thank you from all of us for your generosity in supporting the heritage of Stradbroke.”

Margaret Streeter m.streeter@btinternet.com Carol Darling caroldon01@gmail.com

Horham Old School (next to St.Mary’s Church at Horham) On Friday, 19th December, the Old School Social Club are holding an evening of Traditional Music and Dancing, open to all, 8.30 for 9.00 pm onwards. The Bar will be open, and there’s a promise of a schottische!

Judy Andrews judy@shivs.co.uk

Stradbroke: Past & Present A Slide Show by Gerald Jenkins.

Saturday January 10th at 7.30 p.m. at the Community Centre This new slide show and talk, using a combinations of old and new photographs, attempts to show how Stradbroke, its roads, buildings and inhabitants have changed and developed over the last 150 years. Do come along! £5 to include a glass of wine or a soft drink. (The proceeds will go towards a large polytunnel to be erected on the Allotments in the Spring) Gerald Jenkins 01379 384 825

Stradbroke Youth Football Family Christmas Party Saturday 13th Dec 4-7pm at Stradbroke Community Centre.

For tickets in advance, please call: Anita on 01379 388 802, Don on: 07835 391 766, Tracey on: 01986 785 514.

Advance family ticket (2 adults 3 children) £12. All other tickets £4 adult £2 under 16s (advance and on door) As well as entertaining the little ones with games, Father Christmas, food and fun, we will also be running a games tournament between the older kids and parents!!! Including table tennis, table football, a PS3 racing game, pictionary and more.........

Tracey Kellett

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Forthcoming Events

Wilby School Christmas Fayre Wilby School Christmas Fayre is on Saturday 6th December between 11:30am - 2.00pm, at Wilby School, Brundish Road, there will be Mulled Wine along with other refreshments, BBQ, Stalls include, Fair Trade, Decorations, Crafts for children to buy and make, Face Painting, Cakes to buy, Tombola, Lucky Dip, Games and much more, Luxury Hamper to be won in the Grand Draw, and not forgetting a VISIT FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS. If anyone is interested in having a stall at this years Fayre, please contact Justine Barber on 01379 388040/ justine.barber@hotmail.co.uk for more information.

Theresa Samson

1st Fressingfield Scout Group Gang show 2014: Unfortunately the Gang Show has been cancelled as the venue, Stradbroke High School, was unable to confirm the completion date of building works in the the main assembly hall Beaver Colony amended times: From after half term the Beaver Colony has adjusted how it operates slightly – it will continue to meet on a Monday evening but will open its doors at the slightly later time of 5:15pm, each evening will start with some games and the ’official’ part of the evening will run between 5:30 and 6:30pm.

This change allows for more young people to join the colony, that were excluded by the earlier start time.

Tiger Cub Pack relaunch: The Tiger Cub Pack will relaunch officially in January with Julia Green, Cub Leader, Tigers. The pack will move to a Thursday evening and will operate the same times as our Wolf Cub Pack (6:00pm-7:30pm). Julia is currently visiting local schools to recruit new members – there will be the first ’meet and greet’ meeting of the Pack on Thursday 4th December.

An Evening with Simon Weston: As part of our massive fundraising campaign for our new HQ – the Executive committee has organised an evening with Simon Weston. Simon a veteran of the Falklands War – will be recognisable to many, his speaking engagements are both moving and uplifting. The event is on Saturday 28th March at the Diss Corn Hall. Tickets £15pp can be purchased from the Corn Hall (with 50p going to the Corn Hall) or can be reserved by emailing Dawn on dawn@dawncj.co.uk with the full £15 being received by the Scout Group. Bar and refreshments will be available on sale along with a quality raffle.

Marquee available: Did you know that the Scout Group has its own marquee (20ft by 30ft) traditional style marquee that can be loaned to individuals for a contribution of £150 per day/weekend. The marquee can be delivered and collected from the locality. We help in its erection and striking – although a team of four is needed from the hirer. If you are interested in using our marquee email Andrew: andrew.aaldersdunthorne@talk21.com Andrew Aalders Dunthorne

News & Views The Poppy Appeal The Poppy Appeal is now drawing to a close, and donations are still being received. The organiser, Peter Chetwynd, thanks all The House to House Collectors who go round the village, and who raise a magnificent total for The Appeal, to all those who have donated so generously, and also to all The Village Groups and Organisations, who donate so generously for the wreaths that are laid. So far this year I have banked £3101 for The Appeal and on behalf of The Appeal again thank all those who have given so generously to this essential cause. Peter Chetwynd

A New Bridge Thanks to the help of Suffolk County Council, there is now a new footbridge across what used to be a difficult ditch on path 41 off Neaves Lane. Do check it out and you will find that you can now make some further loops along footpaths close to the centre of the village.

Path 41 leaves Neaves Lane just south of Home Farm. Cross the new bridge, then cross another bridge on the other side of the narrow field and turn right. A little later you can either turn left up to the Laxfield Road and return via the Cemetery or carry straight on to join the end of the old railway line. From there a wellmarked path brings you back to the lower part of Neaves Lane. Turn right to follow the path which then passes the school on the way back to Wilby Road.

There is a printed map showing all the footpaths in Stradbroke, which is available free of charge from the Waiting Room at the Medical Centre or from the Church. You can also download it from http:// www.stradbrokeonline.org.uk Gerald Jenkins Footpath Warden 384825

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DOES YOUR LAWN NEED CUTTING OR YOUR HEDGE NEED TRIMMING? MAYBE YOUR GARDEN JUST NEEDS A TIDY UP. CALL BOB STANLEY T 01379 586541 M 07977 449750

eMail editors@Stradbrokemonthly.co.uk to place your advert here!

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News & Views

Donate furniture to help the Hospice St Elizabeth Hospice is urgently appealing for donations of furniture to sell in its shops. The charity has a team of volunteer van drivers who will pick up good quality items from your home, Monday to Saturday. Donations of sofas, table, chairs, wardrobes and cabinets are all welcome and will be resold in the Hospice’s shops which stock furniture in Holywells Road, Foxhall Road and Meredith Road, Ipswich, and Stowmarket. Jason Rudderham, Head of Retail at the Hospice, said “With Christmas coming up, this is a great time of year to have a sort out and donate any furniture you don’t want any more to the Hospice. You may have furniture that no longer fits with your colour scheme or you might have bought new furniture in the pre-Christmas sales.

“Our shops are great for the environment as they allow goods to be reused and recycled and the funds raised enable St Elizabeth Hospice to continue to make a real difference to the lives of our patients and their families.” To donate furniture call 0845 259 0319.

Samantha Catling

Stradbroke Calendar - 2016!

The last Stradbroke Calendar was in 2013. It might seem a long way off, but we would like people to take part in a photographic competition to create a new Stradbroke Calendar for 2016. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will be donated to the repair and restoration fund for All Saints Church Stradbroke. The photographic theme for the calendar will be "All That's Good About Stradbroke". We are inviting residents and visitors to the village to submit photos of activities, events, crafts, people, sports, organisations, facilities, anything that illustrates this theme.

We would welcome submissions from all age groups. Each month, photos will be published on StradbrokeOnline for people to see. Towards the end of the year there will be an opportunity to vote for your favourite photographs. The overall winners will be used for the main Calendar Pages. We will then print and make the Calendar available for sale from November 2015. This will help to raise funds for essential church repairs. The last Calendar prepared by FOASS raised c £800 pounds. We would like to double that figure this time and hope you will all help and join us in celebrating all that is good about Stradbroke by contributing to the next Stradbroke Calendar.

Please join in the competition and send us your photos. Further details can be found on www.stradbrokeonline.org.uk Carol and Don Darling

Letters to the Editor Dear All, I would like to just say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that came along and supported my event the ‘Mike Readman Memorial’ we held a charity match on the 30th August and then a raffle disco night on 13th September altogether we have raised £1402.50 (including gift aid) which is more than my target of £700.

This money is going to be split between my two charities which are ‘Marie Curie Nurses’ and ‘Cancer Research’.

I would like to say a big thank you also to my team mates from both teams Stradbroke and Laxfield it was a brilliant match on the day!! Also to Don for being manager for the game and barman on the night, Chris Brown for being the referee and to Dave who done the disco for us for free, and also our very own Auctioneer Nigel Brown. I am very proud of everything which has been achieved with this event as Mike Readman meant a lot to me and I was honoured to of known such a kind generous man (whom I miss). Also a HUGE thank you to my mum as I could not of done it without her Cheers, Melon Jack Melton A message to the irresponsible dog owners in the village: I would like to congratulate Stuart Crane on his letter in the November edition of the Stradbroke monthly regarding dog poo. I, and others like me are heartily fed up with clearing up mess left behind by other people's dogs around the pavements and field footpaths of this village. Dog faeces is a genuine health hazard which can cause blindness, especially in children, and with five dog litter bins in the village there is absolutely no excuse for not clearing up. If every dog owner in this village failed to clear up after their dogs, we would be living in a disgusting environment ankle deep in excrement. The majority of dog owners in the village are responsible and do clear up their dog's mess, however there is still a small minority who feel for some reason that they don't have to. These people can only be described as lazy, ignorant, selfish and antisocial, and the responsible owners in the village feel obliged to do the job for them so that we don't all get branded with the same description. If anyone is aware of a dog owner habitually allowing their dog to foul and failing to clear up after it, they should contact Mid Suffolk District Council, Environmental Health Department and report them. The Council can issue fixed penalty tickets of £50 or prosecute and impose a fine of up to £1,000. Any dog owner who feels it is my responsibility to clear up after their dog and not their responsibility - please ring me on 01379 384312 Pam Cane, Fuzzy dog owner Many thanks to Andrew Hugman who grew and sold pumpkins in aid of Stradbroke Church and the Poppy Appeal.

Many thanks.

Mary Ellis

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Kickboxing Eye “Monday” Diss “Wednesday” & Harleston “Friday” Kung Fu Dickleburgh “Tuesday” Bungay “Wednesday” & Needham “Thursday” For Fitness Confidence & Discipline Adrian: 01379 853894 07949 187169

Phone: 01379 388870 Mobile: 07590507307

Email: reflexmartialarts@talk21.com www.facebook.com/RMAReflexMartialArts

Etheridge Nurseries Laxfield Road, Tel: 384204 Mob 07781 440140

Large selection of Christmas Trees . From Potted to 12 ft. high . Nordaman (Non Drop) or Norway (Traditional) Large Selection of Hand Made Holly Wreaths We will have our Fruit and Vegetable list in the Butchers, or if you phone us we will send you out a copy.

Bags of Red or White Potatoes £6 , Onion from £2 a net.

We have a wide selection of Cut Flowers and Pot Plants for your loved ones .

A Large selection of Hedging in stock now . Prices from only 30p A Selection of Fruit Trees . Special Offer £15 each or 4 for £50

HAZELWOOD WILBY ROAD STRADDBROKE EYE, SUFFOLK IP21 5JN

Passmore Weeks & Richardson

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Sports Roundup

Stradbroke Cricket Club It’s crickets version of the Inbetweeners. Too late to wallow in last season, too early to plan for next! But like rust & the Windmill Theatre, we never sleep. The league AGM season is over, The Vikings will once again play in Two Counties Division 8 West, one of eleven teams, necessitating stealing one Saturday from the Football Club because of the earlier start, whilst the A Team are one of only seven teams in the Suffolk Alliance Section B, plus a trip to Shotley in the Cup. As far as the youth section is concerned, Tom Smith & Kate Thompson keep popping up in all sorts of places. As well as Tuesday night sessions at the High School, Tom is creating a ‘lunch time club’ there too, with 12 new faces turning up, & hopefully a local indoor competition will run there in the new year. He is also holding taster sessions at Alde Valley HS, Leiston. Kate has finally convinced Hartismere HS to host girls coaching sessions on Sunday afternoons from January to Easter, as Stradbroke CC attempt to buck the trend of less youngsters playing cricket nationally. The need to fund these initiatives, the eagerly awaited POP MUSIC QUIZ will be held at COMMUNITY CENTRE on SATURDAY 7th FEBRUARY. Put it in your diaries now (or when you buy one). Your chance to have your say about how the Club is run is on Thursday 8th January, when the Club AGM will be held in the Queens Head at 7:30pm. If you are unhappy, come and have your say, if you are happy, still come and have your say! Finally, can I be the first to wish everyone who supports the Cricket Club a Happy Christmas & a prosperous New Year.

Michael Hugman

Stradbroke Football Club Results V Stonham Aspal Lost 2-1 in the cup V Kesgrave Kestrals Won 4-1 V Bildeston Res Won 4-2 V Sizewell Asstn Lost 5-2 A great improvement, keep the results coming lads.

The last bingo in November raised £60 for funds. The next one is on 5th December, a Christmas bingo with hamper and on the 9th January 2015. Hope to see you all there! We thank our sponsors Transam Trucking Ltd for our new set of shirts, socks and shorts. Many thanks Steve.

Mary Ellis

Stradbroke & District Bowls Club Our Annual General Meeting is on Monday, 1st December in the Club Room at 7.30 p.m. We are hoping all members will try and attend.

Season's Greetings from all Members of the Stradbroke Bowls Club.

Lily Lofts

Stradbroke Badminton Club Ipswich & District League Lost. Stradbroke 3 - 6 Felixstowe B. Lost. Hadleigh A. 5.5 - 3.5 Stradbroke.

After getting off to a great start this season the team lost the second two games leaving them mid table and thinking about what went wrong. The home match against Felixstowe was a closer battle than the score would suggest as there was a lot of close games that unfortunately went the wrong way. It was a similar night in Hadleigh, but again, we made too many errors and were made to pay for our mistakes.

The last club night of the year will be Tuesday 16th December and we will be returning for 2015 on Tuesday 6th January. If you would like any information on the club then please email us at stradbrokebc@outlook.com.

We hope everyone has a great Christmas. And we'll see you next year! Merry Christmas!

George Chaplin

Table Tennis 2014-15 The season will be coming to an end on Wednesday the 17th of December and starting again after Christmas on Wednesday the 7th of January . We have been well down on members this time due to many reasons , mainly school studies and changes in work patterns . We are open to all ages , so if you are interested in playing the game then do come along , you will be made welcome what ever your level We meet on Wednesdays at 7.15 pm in the Community centre for more information contact Tony Potts on 01379 384713 .

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THE GARDEN ROOM At FOALS GRANGE, WILBY Bed and Breakfast Located in idyllic countryside, we offer accommodation in an annexe to our traditional period cottage.

You will have private access, king size bed and en suite bathroom; a sofa bed will sleep two children. The room is well equipped and has internet access. We offer an extensive breakfast menu and seek to use local products.

To book contact Debbie GRIFFITHS on 07582 789782 or 01379 384873

Web Site: www.foalsgrange.co.uk

For your Lawnmower & Small Engine Repairs and Servicing Tel: Phillip Cleveland on 388306

Magnolia House, Wilby Rd, Stradbroke Tel: 01379 384097

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Painting and Decorating by Ron Rankin - 25 Years Experience For All Your Domestic & Commercial Property Maintenance & Decorating Competitive Prices - Professional Standards Reliable & Experienced - Highly Recommended Advice & Quotations With No Obligation Tel: 01379 388243 Mob: 07762 326226 Unit 19a Fuller Road Industrial Estate Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 9EA

eMail: johnbedwell18@yahoo.co.uk Web:www.angliansalt.co.uk For all your salt supplies of: Hydrosoft tablet & granular salt, pure dried vaccum salt, de-icing salt.

Also we stock tablets & granular in 10kg bags.

Please contact us for competitive prices either collected or delivered.

Tel 01379 854061 Fax 01379 854 804 We offer free delivery to all Stradbroke residents.

Fiona Patrick’s Therapies Unwind & Relax‌ *Massage * Reflexology* *Hot Stone Therapy* *Facials * Body Scrubs/Wraps* *Indian Head Massage* I am only in Brundish,

just give me a call or e-mail 01379 388458 - Fiona@fp-therapies.co.uk WWW.fp-therapies.co.uk

mgjardine@btinternet.com

Hammond Garden & Countryside Services Matthew Hammond

Felix Cottage Horham, Eye Suffolk IP21 5EG Tel: 01379 384643

Specialising in Conifer reduction.

All hedge work and garden clearance.

Any size lawn mowed.

Rough grass cut & strimmed.

Hedges and trees supplied and planted.

Small tree work - pruning/felling Lawns turfed and seeded All types of fencing Patios and paths laid.

Free estimates, all jobs considered.

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Fancy That Flowers for all occasions by

Hilary Hadingham Order now for Weddings, Dinner Parties, Table Centres, and much more.

Free Local Delivery 01728 638156 07780 612549

Fault Diagnosis, Servicing, Maintenance & Repair 2 The Street, Brundish, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 8BL Tel: 01379 384714 Mob: 07776 232745

2 Town House, Church Street, Stradbroke - 01379 384208 - Claire Evans Wedding Dresses Evening wear , Prom Wear’ and ‘Mother of the Bride’, Jewellery and other Accessories.

Do call before your next special occasion ---Opening Times--Mon – 10am to 6pm; Wed – 10am to 6pm; Fri - 10am to 6pm Sat – 10am to 4pm; Sun – by appointment (please ring) Closed Tuesdays and Thursdays

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Dances, Discos Coffee Mornings Club Meetings Birthday Parties Wedding Receptions If you need a venue for a function “Bring People Together” at

STRADBROKE SPORTS & COMMUNITY CENTRE Tel: 384439 for information & bookings

Steven Pleasance Carpenter and General Builder

Tel - 01379 388653

From hanging doors To Complete builds 01379 388253

SPURLING & REMBLANCE MOTOR ENGINEERS MOT TEST CENTRE

E J BROWN Builder 42 Years in the trade

Service and repairs to all cars, light commercial and 4x4’s Specialists in vehicle diagnostics Free local collection and delivery Courtesy car available Prompt attention assured Competitive rates

Extensions /period renovations From a new plastic door to a complete rebuild.

(01379) 388180 mob 07765 617702 ellis.brown@sky.com

(01379) 384689 Open 8:00am - 5:30pm Mon-Fri, 8:00am - 12 noon Saturdays Barley Hall, Laxfield Road, Stradbroke, IP21 5NQ Located on the B1117 1 3/4 miles outside Stradbroke towards Laxfield.

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Keeping in Touch: Dan Poulter, MP It is now 100 years since the start of the 1st World War, and many of us will have parents, grandparents, friends and other family members who have made the brave decision to serve in our armed forces. In Suffolk, we are immensely proud of our own Royal Anglian Regiment, and over the past 100 years or so, great bravery and sacrifice has been shown by the service men and women of Suffolk.

Just as our brave service men and women have put their lives on the line in the service of our country, we owe them and their families a duty of care and support for the rest of their lives. For those who have been physically or mentally injured during their time of service, we are duty-bound to honour their dedication and commitment by ensuring that they continue to receive the very best possible healthcare from our NHS when they return to civilian life.

In my role as Government Veterans Health Minister, I have worked hard to ensure that veterans and their families receive the care and support they deserve, and am pleased to have directed over £22 million of funding to improve both the physical and mental healthcare of veterans.

As a result, there are now 9 new veterans’ specialist prosthetic centres, making it possible for all armed services veterans who have lost limbs to have access to the highest quality prosthetic services and care. Veterans in Suffolk who have lost limbs are now receiving first rate prosthetic services at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

But improving healthcare services for armed forces veterans is not just about improving physical health; a condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may not be as visible as an amputation, but it can cause just as much distress. Our brave ex-servicemen and women are now being served by more mental health professionals than ever before, with 10 new specialist veterans mental health teams firmly established across England. The Government has also funded access for veterans and Armed Forces families to a 24 hour veteran’s mental health hotline, and the charity Combat Stress is being supported to provide acute PTSD services and care for our veterans.

Getting the transition between military and civilian life right is so very important, and to make sure we properly support newly discharged soldiers, we have established the Veterans’ Information Service, which contacts veterans a year after they have left the Armed Forces and tells them where to go to get help and support should they need it. GPs also play an important role as they are in the right place to identify the special health needs of our Armed Forces community, and very soon there will be a specialist GP in every local healthcare area including Suffolk who understands the physical and mental health needs of our brave veterans.

If you know an armed forces veteran or their family that need additional care and support please get in touch with me or your local MP and we shall do all we can to help.

Dan Poulter For more information please visit www.drdanielpoulter.com

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Most of you will be aware by now of a spate of thefts at the allotment site. The first, on a Saturday night involved the loss of tools from several sheds including my own. The second on the following Friday involved larger items including a gas stove and lawnmower. Locks were no deterrent as these were simply jemmied off. The police have been informed and are following up several leads, one of which mentioned a mysterious lady in a white BMW seen wandering the allotments at 5.30 a.m. This was of course me on an early allotment trip to open the chicken coop before an early start at work.

But if anyone in the village has seen or heard anything that might help we would of course be very grateful. Or indeed if anyone has any ideas to prevent future raids. We would love a deterrent but many of the ideas mooted such as alarms, might disturb residents in Drapers Hill? Tempting though it may sound?

We are not allowed any deterrents that might hurt a potential burglar. So man-traps and electric shocks are sadly out of the picture. (Sorry Helen) PPS. I write this from Egypt where, apart from basking in the sun, I have tried lots of new ideas for next year’s crops With love Gill Palmer After a summer of no rain and numerous trips to the water tanks, now we are in the position of soggy soil as winter fast approaches. There seems to be no “normal” in our seasons anymore. Ever adaptable, the allotment holder is a hardy breed and can be seen digging, weeding and harvesting during the most miserable of days. Mind you, having a steaming hot plate of home grown vegetables in front of you is worth any minor discomfort of freezing fingers and mud streaked clothes and carpets. There is still a plethora of goodies waiting to be harvested. Carrots, parsnips, cabbage, broccoli, swede, chard, as well as a few hardy salads. Now is the time to sit down and review your growing year. What did well, what tasted good. It’s time to plan next year’s crops, order those seeds in and start organizing your digging, sowing and fertilizing diary for the coming season. Get organized now and next year when you are pressed for time, all you have to do is look in your diary to see what is next on the agenda.

We have two and a half plots left. Please contact me if you are interested in becoming an allotmenteer – 01379 388253 Wishing you a great Christmas and New Year.

Helen Pleasance Super early pullings of beetroot, carrot, kohlrabi and turnip can be obtained by sowing in small pots of potting compost indoors in late winter to plant out March/April. Be careful with the choice of beetroot for this, because if checked by cold weather, some varieties will run prematurely to seed and not form proper roots. There is no need to thin the seedlings out, each pot or block can support two or three seedlings and the roots will push one another apart as they grow, as with most vegetables. Pulling the largest as soon as they are big enough to eat leaves more space for the remainder to develop.

A weed is not a weed, just a flower in the wrong place!

Creamed Beetroot for 4 portions – Use the beetroot thinning for a hot vegetable to accompany roast and grilled meats. This is a spectacular way to use any kind of beetroot.

500gms beetroot, 250ml milk, sprig of fresh thyme or tsp of dried, rind and juice of half a small lemon, 25gm butter, 25gm plain flour, 4 x 15ml salad cream, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the beetroot in simmering water until tender – about half an hour. Drain and rub off the skins. Place the beetroot in a dish and keep warm.

Place milk and thyme in a saucepan. Add the pared lemon rind and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for half an hour. Then strain into a jug.

Place butter, flour and strained milk into a saucepan and whisk until the sauce boils. Cook for two minutes, then remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, salad cream, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the beetroot and serve. Enjoy Ray Francis

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Acorn Foot Health Roger C Griffiths BSc (Econ) Dip Soc Sci PGCE, MCFHP MAFHP

Foot Health Consultant Home Visits, Care Homes and Private Clinic Verruca Treatments, Ingrown toenails, Calluses, Fungal Infection, Corns, nail Cutting, Bunions and Foot Care for Diabetics, Foot Health checks and all nail conditions.

For appointment Tel: 384873 Mob 07724073328 eMail : griffithstwo@aol.com Some evening appointments available

PAUL DURRANT & SON LTD BUILDERS Church Farm Bungalow, Rishangles, Eye, Suffolk IP23 7JX Tel/Fax (01379) 678485 ALL TYPES OF WORK UNDERTAKEN, EXTENSIONS, RENOVATIONS ALTERATIONS, REPAIRS, COUNCIL GRANT WORK

Free Estimates

Good selection of cars, vans & MPVs Coal, logs & kindling Air-con servicing from ÂŁ20 Vehicle recovery and transportation LPG Auto-gas filling station Courtesy cars available Free local collection & delivery AFTER HOURS MOBILE CALL JULIAN 07733 118100

BOOTY BUILDERS GENERAL BUILDERS THE BRAMBLES, LAXFIELD Renovations Alterations Repairs Listed Buildings Sectional Buildings Joinery New Houses Extensions

M. Daniels (Sid) For control of rats, wasps, mice, moles, hornets, squirrels, ants, cluster flies and fleas.

Mobile: 07788 850762 Free survey & quote.

WOODBRIDGE SUFFOLK, IP13 8DZ Telephone: 01986 798753 Mobile 07889 116448

THE CELLPHONE & FAX SPECIALIST

TGA Communications Ltd Purchase your new cellphone from TGA Communications at competitive prices Enquiries welcome 7am to 7pm days a week.

We also sell secondhand equipment & part-ex welcome.

WE OFFER A FULL RANGE OF CELLULAR PHONES INCLUDING Motorola - Panasonic - Mitsubishi - NEC - Nokia Professional After Sales Service Hire of Equipment (including European use of GSM) For further details contact Tim Askew, Brundish Rd, Wilby Tel: 01379 388156 Fax 01379 388109

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BRUCE SAMSON Carpenter & Joiner ◊ Joinery Design & Build ◊ ◊ Modern & Period Quality Bespoke Joinery ◊ ◊ Kitchen, Bathroom & Bedroom Fitting Service ◊ Fitted & Freestanding Furniture ◊ ◊ Custom Staircases ◊ 20 Years Experience Public Liability Insurance 01379 384573 ◊ 07905 645716

Septic Tank Emptying & domestic drains cleared & cleaned.

Fast, friendly, reliable service.

(Environmental registered carrier) Call Lenny Jolly: 07905 794221

eMail editors@Stradbrokemonthly.co.uk to place your advert here!

News & Views cont...

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Stradbroke Swim & Fitness Centre Stradbroke Swim & Fitness members have had a busy past few months being active.

Swim Coach Len Phoenix took part in the Regional Masters competition in Newmarket & gained 4 golds, 1 silver & 3 bronze medals to his tally, also taking part in this event was Sue Thornett who won 1 gold & 3 bronze medals. Meade Clarke has just competed in County Schools Cross Country, qualifying herself for finals in December, meanwhile her Dad, Chris entered Gt Notley Duathlon & came 9th out of over 300 entries!

On Saturday 18th October we held a very successful Swim Club Gala, 63 junior swimmers took on the challenge of gaining a personal best in all four strokes, most improved swimmers were Archie Salisbury & Amber Bryson in stage 7+ & Ella Townsend & Jacob Shadbolt in stage 4,5,+6.

If you fancy a new challenge in 2015, why not “tri” Stradbrokes first ever novice distance fun & friendly triathlon. Visit www.stradbroketriathlon.co.uk. for more details!

Maria Smith

Get yourself on the right track What do you know about what a Personal Trainer offers ?

Our aim as Personal Trainers, is to improve your overall fitness, health, well-being and perhaps to keep the Doctor at bay !! Thanks to our extensive training, skill and experience, we can do this in a safe and effective fitness programme which is individually designed. We would also give you advice, motivation and assistance to help you reach your personal health and fitness goals. We would also include relaxation classes, general health and nutritional advice. A trainer would pay close attention to the persons lifestyle factors, exercise plan, motivation and diet. If you want to improve how you look and increase your physical fitness, heart condition and general health you could use a personal trainer. They could come to your home for total privacy, train outside in your garden, local park or even use the gym of your choice. Everything is personalised and could also be in small groups - but you would all get the help to be as successful as possible. If you would like further information or would like to learn more about personal training then please contact me as follows. Miss Camille BAULT (Graduated in France as a personal trainer) 07871 604994 camillesfitnesstraining@gmail.com

Village Diary for January 2015 January 1 4 6 7th 9 9 10 12 14 14 15 16 18 21 23 23 st

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A five mile New Year Walk starts at 10.30am at the Community Centre Pantomine comes to St Edmunds Hall, Hoxne at 3pm see inside for more detail Badminton club starts up Table Tennis restarts - .15pm and every Wednesday.

Cash Bingo iao Stradbroke Football Club Baptist Church Youth club (date to be confirmed) 7.30pm Stradbroke: Past and Present at 7.30pm in the Community Centre Craft Club starts up 2pm-4pm in the Community Centre Cameo Lunch club at the Baptist Church 12.30pm Neighbourhood Plan Update at 7.30pm at the Community Centre Stradbroke Cinema “Before I go to sleep” 7pm for 7.30pm Community Centre Children’s Society Coffee Morning 10-12 at Thirkettle Cottage, Queens Street Another chance to go to the Pantomine at Wingfield this time at 3pm. See inside for details The Diverse Flora and Fauna of Suffolk and the Brecks – see inside for further details Burns Night Prize Bingo iao Stradbroke White Hart Bowls club. See inside for details.

Baptist Church Youth Club (date to be confirmed) at 7.30pm

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**MAGAZINE SUBMISSIONS STRICTLY BY THIS DATE**

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Wingfield and District Gardening Club “The Garden in Winter” Drop In for Coffee at the Baptist Church 10am Grand Auction of Promises with Gourmet Sausage and Mash Supper. See inside for details

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Over 60s Club starts up.

Energy Awareness Workshop. Learn ways to support your health. Ring Rachel 01379 388031 Pop Music Quiz iao Stradbroke Cricket Club at the Community Centre

Go to www.stradbrokemonthly.co.uk and sign up and we will send you an email to tell when the new edition is up online!

November 27 Wingfield and District Garden Club “Pruning” 30 Radio Stradbroke DJ Richard Pierce presents “Sound and Fury” 10am- 1pm December 1 Stradbroke and District Bowls Club AGM 7.30pm in the Club room 1 Co-op will be in the community centre at 7.30pm see inside for details.

5 Christmas Bingo iao Stradbroke Football club see inside for details.

6 Wilby School Fayre at Wilby School between 11.30am and 2pm 6 Wingfield and District Gardening Club Christmas meal see inside 7 Radio Stradbroke DJ Huggy presents “Rock Family Trees” 10am-1pm 7 Christmas Light Switch on at 4pm.

8 Parish Council Meeting at Community Centre, 7.30pm Public Welcome 10 Baptist Church Cameo Club Christmas Lunch at 12.30pm 12 Baptist Church Youth Club at 7.30pm 13 Cake Stall in iao All Saints Church Fundraising Committee in Church Street at 8.30am 13 Football Youth Club Christmas party 4pm-7pm at the Community Centre 14 Radio Stradbroke Prof Kim Bannon presents “the Greatest Indie Show” 10am-1pm 14 The Big Concert Sing at the Baptist Church at 3pm 16 Last club night for the Badminton club 18 WI Meeting and Gala Dinner at 6pm in the Community Centre 19 Horham Old School evening of Traditional Dance 8.30pm for 9pm 21 Radio Stradbroke presents “The Christmas Special” 10am- 4pm ish.

24th Crib Service at All Saints Church 6pm All Welcome 25th Marty’s Christmas Crackers 9am-12pm on www.radiostradbroke.co.uk th

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January 2015 diary on inside back cover...

Please send all articles to editors@stradbrokemonthly.co.uk The Stradbroke Monthly team encourages readers to submit letters to the Editor expressing their opinions, comments or insights regarding any of the material that appears in the magazine. The team will publish letters that reflect the diversity of opinions of our readers, but cannot publish all letters received. The Editor retains the right to edit published letters for clarity and length.

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Articles can also be left in the library and will be collected at 10am on the Saturday after the final submission date. However, it makes our job much easier and more accurate if articles can be submitted via email. If you do not have access to email you can use the computer in the library and the librarian will happily help you to submit your article.