Halesworth & Southwold Community News - August 2025 by Countrywide Publications

Communit y News

Plumbing & Heating

Please send any editorial from your local groups, clubs and events for the paper to edit@micropress.co.uk Thanks

The ﬁrst ever Halesworth Ale Day took place on June 14th and what a roaring success it was!

Locals and visitors alike enjoyed events all over town including guided walks of the Malt Trail and the Halesworth to Southwold Narrow Gauge Railway (HSNGR) restoration site, illustrated talks at the Cut Arts Centre (a former maltings), brewery talks and beer tasting by Adnams at the Stables at the Angel Hotel, brewing demonstrations by Tindall Brewery and a Beer Festival at The Tap Room.

The Market Place was home to family-friendly activities such as outdoor games, face painting, a gaming bus, science activities and children's arts and crafts.

The entertainment was kicked off by the lively East Angles Brass, followed by the Halesworth based Blyth River Blues Band, the Rogue Shanty Chorus from Lowestoft and the Westhall String Waits.

Woodbridge Dance Folkus Friends entertained everyone in the Market Place with the Halesworth Hoedown during the afternoon.

The Halesworth Ale (expertly brewed by Tindall Brewery) was a big hit with everyone, folks describing it as a delicious golden session ale. Congratulations to the artists at Mencap who designed the winning bottle and beer clip label. Shall we do it all again next year?

D.C. Patrick

Patrick

NEWSAGENTS

D.C. Patrick NEWSAGENTS

4 Market Hill, Framlingham Has taken over Grange

Following

David

Bob

D.C. Patrick

NEWSAGENTS

Community spirit shines in June

After our Spring Fair in May, June has been a rather quieter month for us.

We held our annual street collection on June 27th in the town and at the Co-op on June 28th. We're very grateful to the Co-op for allowing us to collect in their shop. Thank you very much to everyone who stopped to speak to our collectors and popped something in our collecting goblets.

On June 24th, we were invited to send two representatives to Sir John Leman School when they held their 'Leman-4-Life' event.

This has been an annual event at the school where the pupils obtain sponsorship and run a 5km circuit.

The event was always a collaboration between the school and the Beccles group of Cancer Research. Sadly, the Beccles group has disbanded but two of the ladies from the group (Jackie and Amanda) and Mrs. Remer (school teacher) were determined to keep the event going.

It was a huge success! Gail and Christine who represented us had a lovely afternoon and were very impressed by the enthusiasm and behaviour of the pupils as they helped to distribute fruit to the all the runners.

We'll be in Beccles again on August 22nd as QD Stores have very kindly given us permission to hold a street collection outside their shop. We'll be there from 9:30am-3:30pm.

By the time you read this, we'll have completed our week in the I-Chameleon pop up shop, so I'll let you know how we got on in the next edition of the Community News.

Thank you!

Our next big event is 'The Maize Maze by Torchlight' on August 29th. We're so very grateful to Bella from The Old Hall Café for agreeing to hold this again for us this year. This is an event we all enjoy doing as it's such good fun! We'll be having the really competitive 'welly wanging' and 'marbles in a ﬂower pot' game, along with other traditional games. There will be a prize for the adult and child overall winner for each game. We'll also have a tombola and cake stall.

40 years experience and runs newsagents in Halesworth and Framlingham.

Following Bob's retirement David is taking on the rounds covered by Grange news

Bob's son Craig will continue to manage the service and will be delivering 7 days a week to all the same locations.

David has over 40 years experience and runs newsagents in Halesworth and Framlingham.

Bob's son Craig will continue to manage the service and will be delivering 7 days a week to all the same locations.

We hope you will continue to support the business and please do get in touch should you have any queries regarding deliveries in and around Woodbridge and the surrounding villages.

We hope you will continue to support the business and please do get in touch should you have

4 Market Hill, Framlingham Has taken over Grange News Tel: 01986 874 305 & 07907 223 715

I would like to say a big thank you to Justin from our local Spar store in Halesworth and their head ofﬁce Blackmore Foundation, for donating towards our new bingo machine.

We are a members' bingo and play at the day centre in Halesworth every Friday night. The members and myself would love to say a huge thank you!

Annette Johnson

Tickets can be bought via email: enquiries@ oldhallsouthwold.co.uk. Please note: The Old Hall only take card payment. Unfortunately at the moment, we're cash only for our games and stalls so please put a little change in your pocket and have fun. Please see our advert on the What's On (page 8) for the 'Maze by Torchlight'. Thank you for continuing to support the Halesworth branch of Cancer Research UK. For more information, please contact Dawn Davis on: 01986 873640.

Image credit: Lindsay Want

Sophia (Area Manager), Jackie and Amanda from Beccles and Gail and Christine (Halesworth branch) at the Leman-4-Life event

Halesworth branch of Cancer Research UK

The good, the bad and the diversity

An open discussion on solar panels on Wissett farmland

As part of an all day celebration of biodiversity at Rydal Mount, Wissett, we had an animated discussion about solar on farmland entitled 'The good the bad and the diversity'.

Adjacent to the farmland where a solar farm was recently agreed, three District Councillors came to face the community; Tom Daley (Member of Planning Committee/Cabinet Member for Energy & Climate Change), Katie Graham (Member of Planning Committee), Geoff Wakeling (Member of Planning and small holder), Peter Ainio

(Conservationist) and Richard Symes (Farmer). We heard the community concerns, the complex and restrictive process of how decisions like this are made, what improvements to the process could be made and (as well as challenging) how important it was for the community to negotiated a good co-beneﬁt for them at the pre-application stages. We were shocked to hear how un-joined up energy projects such as this were, how each was looked at piecemeal apparently with no over all energy strategy.

Find your voice with Halesworth Harmony

Halesworth Harmony is a friendly and supportive choir, welcoming all singers without an audition.

We sing a varied mix of world music in three-or fourpart harmony, and we're also fortunate to have worked with, and commissioned, contemporary British composers. The choir meets approximately fortnightly on Sunday mornings (10:30am-12:30pm) between September and June/July, usually at The Cut Arts Centre in

Halesworth. There's an interval to chat and make new friends.

If you're interested in ﬁnding out more, do come along to a rehearsal. You'll receive a warm welcome and your ﬁrst session is free! There's no need to be able to read music as songs are taught by ear and recordings are available for home practice. Our new choir year starts in September. For further information on dates and venues please email: halesworth. harmony@gmail.com

Tom Daly inspired us with the example of Charlesfield Community Energy. In his view, this is the way forward, with communities taking control of their energy and land rather than top down 'projects' such as those we're facing increasingly in flat, sunshine-filled East Anglia. We had diversity on the land and among the people, with over 60 attending, including some local parish councils (tempted with free entry), along with farmers and land owners.

Ed Flaxman's talk on the Wissett Biodiversity Network (relevant for parish councillors, who must create a biodiversity policy in each parish) was particularly relevant and inspiring, and involved Rydal.

Both landowners (Ed and Alan, owner of Rydal) with the same objectives, wondered how they could join up their patches of land with similar wildlife corridors. They spoke to the adjoining farmers who welcomed the idea and so it began. Now with over 200 acres pledged, baseline surveys

completed on many, green hay exchanged to spread the seeds, they displayed an impressive parish map identifying key habitats biodiversity. (Further information: www.wissettbiodiversity-network.org/)

Workshops were inspiring: Photographing wildlife with John Ellerby; bird ringing and watching with Brett Edmonds; the wild flowers, meadowland and butterflies with Dorothy Casey; Rydal Mount tree and woodland management with Ben Holzer. Halesworth Millennium Green and Wenhaston exhibited the extraordinary work that goes on in our communities to protect and nurture our local biodiversity. "You're about to enter a world totally unfamiliar to you, yet you pass it by every day" so the enchanted world of lichen was revealed to us by Dr. Anthony Speca. Who knew that vintage Harris Tweed was dyed with lichen dyes? Or that a rare lichen Anthony saw on the concrete traffic island in Bungay is 'Physcia Caesia', which can be found as far away as Antarctica.

This event was organised by Alan Witherby (of Rydal Mount, Wissett) and Halesworth Ash, as part of their climate action programme. Full details of the celebration of Biodiversity Day and photos can be found at: halesworthash.com/rydalmount-biodiversity-day

Halesworth WI enjoy summer outing

We set off on a lovely day on the two Hoppa buses driven by John and Phil on our summer outing.

First stop was at the Keys in Ipswich where we enjoyed a coffee and an excellent lunch. Then well-fortiﬁed, we

travelled to the Bawdsey Radar Museum with an opportunity to look round and listen to a guide on the fascinating work that went on during the 1940s war!

A quick visit to the quay side gave a chance for members to paddle before we headed home.

A bench for Jen Berry in Halesworth Town Park

You may have noticed a new bench in the town park, now with a dedicated plaque, which reads: Jen Berry (1939-2022), Environmental activist and campaigner (arrested seven times), who longed for snow, picked up litter and rocked at The Cut, her Rolling Stone bag around her shoulder.

Jen Berry was a life long peace campaigner. She chaired Waveney Greenpeace which organised the Waveney Greenpeace Fairs, a major Greenpeace fundraiser for 25 years. She campaigned against nuclear power and against war.

In her later years, she was known throughout Halesworth town as the town litter picker (who longed for snow). The benches style, material and position was agreed by her family, her daughters Dinah and Tanzin. It was paid for by Halesworth Town Council as a tribute to Jen. We did wonder if we should put a litter bin beside it. It is in a ﬁne position, looking out to all who enter the park, with a tall lime tree behind it.

Rachel Kellett, on behalf of Halesworth Town Council

Halesworth & District Gardeners' Society

The

Gardeners' Society 47th Annual Show will take place on August 16th at

8LR. Always

popular with people in Halesworth, the doors open to the public at 2:30pm with presentation of trophies at 4pm. There will be drinks (£1), cakes (£1.50) as well as some plants and produce for sale.

There's also a rafﬂe. Please do come along and support us if you can. This is what is called a "closed show" which means only members can enter. It's done just for a bit of fun for members though having said that Yvonne is determined to continue her winning sequence against club secretary Brian in the "longest runner bean" competition! For those members thinking

of entering the photographic competition this year, the categories are: 'Nostalgia', 'Wild Outdoors' and 'Pollinators'. Please note there is no monthly evening meeting during August. Details of all activities can be found on our Facebook page and on the notice board outside Coopers in the Thoroughfare, Halesworth. Or call our Club Secretary Brian Hammond on 01986 872712.

Late

summer gardening

What to do in August

As August rolls in with its warm, often dry days and mellow evenings, the garden is at its peak - a heady mix of colour, scent, and produce. But this isn't just a time to sit back and admire your hard work. There's still plenty to do in the garden to keep things looking their best and to prepare for the seasons ahead.

• Deadhead & Keep on Top of Watering: Many ﬂowering plants (from roses to dahlias) will continue blooming into autumn if you keep deadheading faded ﬂowers. This simple task encourages more blooms and keeps beds looking tidy. In hot weather, plants (especially those in containers) will need regular watering. Try to water in the early morning or late evening to reduce evaporation and avoid scorching the leaves. Adding mulch around plants will help retain moisture in the soil.

• Harvest: August is a rewarding

month in the vegetable patch. Beans, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and salad leaves should be in full swing. Pick regularly to encourage further cropping. Sweetcorn should be ready when the tassels turn brown and a pierced kernel oozes a milky liquid. If it's watery, it needs longer; if it's creamy, it's ready.

• Sow for Autumn & Winter: Now's a good time to sow fastgrowing salad crops like rocket and winter lettuces for autumn pickings. You can also sow spring cabbage, turnips, and overwintering onions.

• Look After Your Lawn: Lawns can suffer in August's dry spells, turning brown and patchy. Don't panic - grass is resilient and will recover with rain. Avoid mowing too short, and leave the clippings to act as a moistureretaining mulch.

• Plan Ahead: Start thinking

about next spring's display. Order spring-ﬂowering bulbs now while the best selections are available. Daffodils, crocuses, and alliums can be planted from late August onwards.

• Support Heavy Growers: Tall perennials and top-heavy crops like tomatoes may need extra staking now to prevent damage from wind or their own weight. A little support now will save a lot of heartache later.

• Wildlife Watch: Keep bird baths topped up in hot weather, and leave some areas of the garden a little wild to support pollinators and beneﬁcial insects. Butterﬂies, bees, and birds will thank you for it! August is a month of transition - the peak of summer with a hint of autumn in the air. By keeping up with a few simple tasks now, your garden can stay vibrant well into September and beyond.

Happy gardening!

Halesworth Town Council

Ensure you keep bird baths topped up in the hot August weather

Tucked away on the Suffolk coast, Southwold is a gem of a seaside town that comes alive in the summer! With its charming beach huts, golden sands, and laid-back atmosphere, it's the perfect spot for a sunny escape.

Start your visit with a walk along the beach - Pier Beach to the north is great for families, while Denes Beach to the south offers a quieter, wilder stretch. If you fancy a proper seaside experience, consider renting one of the colourful beach huts for the day - ideal for storing sandy towels or just sitting with a cuppa, watching the waves roll in.

Southwold Pier is a nostalgic delight, with old-school amusements, a classic chippy, and the wonderfully quirky "Under the Pier Show", a collection of coin-operated machines that are part-funfair, part-art installation. It's a must-see! Especially if you're travelling with kids (or are just a big kid yourself).

A short stroll inland takes you to the iconic Adnams Brewery. You can take a tour, sample some local brews, or even try your hand at gin-making. It's a great way to spend an afternoon - and there's a shop for taking a bottle or two home.

The lighthouse in the town centre is open for tours during the summer months and offers cracking views across the rooftops and out to sea. Just along the seafront, you'll ﬁnd the Alfred Corry Lifeboat Museum, a lovely little spot with a restored lifeboat and fascinating local history.

For a change of scene, hop on the tiny foot ferry across to Walberswick. It's a peaceful, nature-ﬁlled spot with marshland walks and some

Southwold Maize Maze has revealed its 2025 design as the business celebrates 20 years.

One of the ﬁrst ever maize mazes to open in the region, Southwold Maize Maze has this year reached a signiﬁcant milestone, celebrating 20 years of family fun for locals and holidaymakers alike.

20 years ago, back in the summer of 2005, Southwold Maize Maze welcomed visitors to its 400 acre site on the Suffolk Coast for the ﬁrst time. With a love for the area and the beautiful views across the Blyth Estuary, Bella and husband David, who runs a 1,100 acre arable operation nearby, spotted an opportunity to diversify the farm business. Inspiration was taken from other successful maize mazes across the country, and with the perfect site for growing maize, as well as the stunning natural landscape, the rest is history.

In 2005, the attraction had a simple food truck in the play area next to the maze, but after the dairy herd was sold in 2016, the redundant farm buildings required another purpose.

In 2019, Old Hall Café (designed by Peter Wells Architects of Wickham Market) was added to the site in place of the old calf sheds, and is now a popular and thriving café and events space. The wider site, including a barn that used to house the farm's dairy cows, hosts a number of markets and events throughout the year.

Now, reaching this signiﬁcant milestone it seems only ﬁtting that this year's theme is 'Celebrating 20 years of Southwold Maize!'

This year's big maze is a marsh harrier design, reﬂecting the design of the ﬁrst ever maze in 2005, and reinforcing the site's link with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust over the years, along with its mission to feature elements of nature and education by choosing designs and themes from natural surroundings in the Suffolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Stamp points in the main maze will feature six of Bella's favourite designs from over the years, from woolly mammoths, to bumble bees, and galleon ships.

This year's mini maze design features a birthday cake with ﬁnger stamps to discover in each candle. Stickers and sticker cards were introduced in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, but now, returning to its roots, ﬁnger stamps are back in the mini maze for smaller visitors to collect at each 'checkpoint'.

Owner, Bella Hall (pictured) is overjoyed to be celebrating the businesses 20th year, having ridden the challenging wave of tourism for a span of two decades: "I'm extremely proud to reach this milestone, having seen the maize maze and the site as a whole grow from its humble beginnings all those years ago. Each year, we work so hard to create a unique design to ensure visitors still have a challenge on their hands, and we like to ensure there is an overriding message or theme; something to be learned. We've also added new activities within the play area each year to keep it exciting, such as the zip lines, bouncy pillows, sand pits and, most recently, the Downpour

Derby water play activity.

There's been some fantastic designs, including collaborations with local businesses and organisations. Working with maze design company Mazescape is a really fun, creative process!

We're excited to celebrate with so many families this summer.

Many have been visiting us for several years, some since the very beginning!" she says.

This year's maize was precision planted in mid-May, and the warm weather has provided good growing conditions, so the maize maze is on track to be tall enough and thick enough by the opening date.

Entry to the maize maze includes access to all facilities within the Play Park, plus the pedal go-kart track within the maze. This includes three jumping pillows, double zip line, ride on tractors, nest swing, climbing towers and slides, Downpour Derby water play, two giant sand pits and outdoor play kitchen and café.

20th anniversary year for Southwold Maize Maze as design is revealed

Southwold Maize Maze will ofﬁcially open for the summer season from 19th July, every day until 7th September. For further information about the upcoming summer maize maze season and to book tickets, visit: southwoldmaizemaze.co.uk

AUGUST 1ST

Blyth Poets: 'The Isle is Full of Voices' Southwold Library

2:15pm-3:30pm. A poetry group meeting on the 1st Fri every month. All welcome to read/listen. We invite contributions of original work/ well-loved poems. Refreshment break in The Canteen. Free event, no booking required.

AUGUST 1ST

Nuts in May (U)

Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold 7pm. Alison Steadman & Roger Sloman star in Mike Leigh's very funny 1976 movie of a couple camping in Dorset. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 2ND

Reydon Show

Reydon Village Hall

Are you a baker, artist, photographer, crafter, sewer, knitter, gardener or ﬂower arranger? Why not enter the Reydon Show? The show celebrates talents big & small plus certiﬁcates & trophies to be won! There's also children's categories open to kids under 12 so if your child is a keen maker of Lego, gardener or arts & crafter, they can enter too! Programme of categories available at Bridgefoot Stores, Reydon or via email: frogclock@hotmail.com.

AUGUST 2ND

The Ballard of Wallis Island (12A)

Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold 7pm. 2025 movie. An eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island tries to make his fantasies come true by getting his favourite musicians to perform at his home. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565. AUGUST 2ND & 23RD

Chess Club

Southwold Library

10am. Free play every week for kids 7+ & adults. Beginners' teaching & assistance. Interested in other board/strategy games? Let us know & we can expand the group. 01502 442817.

AUGUST 3RD

Blythburgh Walk

Blythburgh Church

10am-2pm. Alde Valley Ramblers circular walk. Distance: 8.3miles/13.4km. After leaving Blythburgh Church car park, we walk beside Angel Marshes in Blythburgh, then through the woods. We come out near Tinkers cottage (ruins) & walk around Tinkers Marshes. Then walk across Walberswick Common before returning to Blythburgh. Walking boots & waterproof trousers recommended, especially during/following wet weather. More info, contact Julie: 07713 733422.

The Annual

YARD SALE

will take place on SATURDAY 9th AUGUST

9am - 1pm

EARSHAM, BUNGAY, SUFFOLK NR35 2TL

Stalls located in yards/gardens throughout the village. Light refreshments in village hall.

AUGUST 3RD, 10TH, 17TH, 24TH & 31ST

(Every Sunday)

Lego Club

Southwold Library

12:15pm-1pm. Open to kids & adults of all ages.

This summer, we're building 'Crazy Creatures'. Donations of Lego welcome. Free event, no booking required. Adults: Would you like to help with Lego Club? Just ask staff.

AUGUST 3RD, 5TH, 10TH, 12TH, 17TH, 19TH, 24TH, 26TH & 31ST

(Every Sun & Tues)

Baby Bounce & Tot Rock

Southwold Library

10:30-11am. Instruments, clapping, jogging & action rhymes. For babies & toddlers of all ages. Free event, no booking required.

AUGUST 5TH

Black Beauty (U)

Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold 7pm. 1994 movie. Anna Sewell's classic story. A black stallion recalls his life via a number of owners.

With Sean Bean, Jim Carter, Alun Armstrong. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 5TH, 12TH, 19TH & 26TH

(Every Tuesday)

Free Summer Holidays Kids Crafts

Southwold Library

11am & 2pm. Fairies-themed on 5th & 19th. Dinosaur-themed on 12th & 26th. Crafts supplied by Friends of Southwold Library. No need to book.

AUGUST 6TH, 13TH, 20TH & 27TH

(Every Wednesday)

Crochet & Craft Club

Southwold Library

2:15pm-4pm. £2pp. Friendly group for all crafters & those who crochet (any ability). Barbara on-hand to teach crochet beginners, add to your crochet skills or troubleshoot problems, should you want to. Or just bring your latest craft project & work on them together. BYO equipment or Barbara can supply crochet equipment at a price. Hot drinks supplied.

AUGUST 7TH

Party with the Long Hair Princess

Southwold Library

11am & 2pm. Party games & magical fun with the Long Hair Princess from Lucy's Princess Parties. £3 per child. Limited spaces. Book: 01502 442817.

AUGUST 7TH

East of Ipswich (PG)

Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold

7pm. Michael Palin's charming 1987 movie, based on his own experiences of summer holidays in Southwold in the 1950s. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 8TH

Mixed Media Art Workshop

Halesworth Library

10am-1pm. Mixed media art workshop led by community artist, Anita Andrews, inspired by biodiversity. Explore drawing, painting, stencil printing & collage! Ages 8+ (Please bring old clothes, you're happy to get messy!) Tickets: £1pp, limited availability. 01986 506062.

AUGUST 8TH

Sealife Stories & Crafts

Alfred Corry Lifeboat Museum

11am & 2pm. Organised by Southwold Library. Make a wooden fish, a fish suncatcher, a jellyfish wand & more! Free stories, games & fun!

AUGUST 8TH

Elixir of Love

Thorington Theatre

7pm-9:30pm. Wild Arts presents a critically acclaimed, sun-soaked revival of Donizetti's comedy 'The Elixir of Love', re-imagined in a 1950s seaside setting with witty English translation, chamber orchestra & a dazzling cast of international talent. Suitable for all. Tickets from: £30pp.

AUGUST 8TH

The Penguin Lessons (12A) Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold 7pm. Steve Coogan in a delightful 2024 comedy drama where a disillusioned teacher in an Argentinian school in 1976 rescues a penguin on the beach. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 8TH & 22ND

(2nd & 4th Fri of the month)

Mah-jong Group Southwold Library

2:15pm-4:15pm. Can you play mah-jong? Do you want to learn? Come & join the group. £1pp.

AUGUST 9TH

Produce Market

The Riﬂe Hall, Halesworth, IP19 8LR 9am-1pm. Held on the 2nd Saturday of every month. For stall enquiries, contact Pam on: 01986 781382.

AUGUST 9TH

Fluttering Butterﬂies

St. Mary's Church, Chediston 2:30pm-4pm. Butterﬂy count, bug hunts, butterﬂy crafts, ice cream. Fun for all ages!

AUGUST 9TH

The Mushroom Show (5+) Thorington Theatre

3pm-4:25pm. Award-winning Scratchworks Theatre presents a fun-ﬁlled, family-friendly mix of comedy, music & storytelling that celebrates the magical world of fungi through one enthusiast's quest to build a community of fellow fun-guys.

Tickets from: £10pp.

AUGUST 9TH

A Complete Unknown (15)

Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold 7pm. 2024 movie. True story of Bob Dylan's arrival in New York & up-to the infamous performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Excellent performance by Timothée Chalamet. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 10TH

The Merry Wives of Windsor Thorington Theatre

6pm-8:20pm. Illyria brings Shakespeare's 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' to life in a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud production performed by 5 actors using the original First Folio text - full of mischief, mistaken love & merry revenge for all the family!

Tickets from: £20pp

AUGUST 12TH

Hugo (U)

Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold

7pm. In 1937 Paris, an orphan boy living in a railway station becomes involved in a mystery around his late father & feat. a strange automaton. Scorsese's visually rich 2011 ﬁlm also explores the early cinema of pioneer George Melies played by Ben Kingsley. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 13TH

Lunchtime Music & International Talent

St. Mary's, Halesworth

12:30pm (45mins duration). Friends of St. Mary's Halesworth are thrilled to welcome internationally-acclaimed concert pianist Jill Crossland as the feat. performer in their popular Lunchtime Recital Series. All welcome! Jill Crossland is known for her expressive & insightful interpretations. Refreshments (incl. freshly made sandwiches, homemade cakes, scones, tea, & coffee) served from 12pm. The Lunchtime Recital Series is held on the 2nd Wednesday each month. Free entry, retiring collection in aid of the Friends of St Mary's, supporting vital efforts to preserve one of the oldest & most treasured buildings in Halesworth.

AUGUST 14TH

Terriﬁc Train Fun!

Southwold Library

10:30am & 11:45am. Miles of track & trains to play with plus ride-on train & train rollercoaster! £4 per child for 1hr play! Limited spaces. Book your place today! 01502 442817. AUGUST 14TH (2nd Thurs of the month)

Scrabble Club

Southwold Library

2:15pm. All equipment supplied. Refreshment break in The Canteen. Free event, no booking required.

AUGUST 14TH

Drowning by Numbers (15)

Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold 7pm. The excellent Peter Greenaway 1988 ﬁlm with Bernard Hill, Juliet Stevenson & Joan Plowright. Filmed locally (St. James' Green & Walberswick beach). Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 14TH

Sense & Sensibility: The Musical Thorington Theatre 7pm-9:30pm. Ledwell Productions presents a heartfelt & humorous celebration of Jane Austen's classic, brought to life with a soaring score, stellar cast & a mission to deliver world-class theatre to regional audiences. Tickets from: £20pp.

AUGUST 15TH

Teddy Bear's Picnic Thorington Theatre 11am-12pm. Rah Rah Theatre Company returns to Thorington Theatre with their much-loved children's show. A joyful, interactive adventure full of puppets, songs, dancing & early learning fun for ages 2-6. Tickets from: £8pp.

AUGUST 15TH

Family Picnic & Monster Crafts, Stories & Games Jubilee Green, Reydon From 12pm. Free event organised by Southwold Library. BYO picnic & seating. Make a monster ﬂowerpot, monster magnets, monster masks & more! No unaccompanied children. If wet, collect crafts from Southwold Library.

AUGUST 15TH

Mamma Mia! Sing-a-long (12) Electric Picture Palace, Blackmill Road, Southwold 7pm. A sing-a-long showing of the well-loved 2008 movie. Donna (Meryl Streep) is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited bride, has a plan. She invites 3 men from her mother's past in hope of meeting her real father. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 15TH

Xplosion @ Thorington Theatre

7:30pm-10pm. Xplosion - Heard It Through The Grapevine delivers a high-energy celebration of soul & Motown, with powerhouse vocals, timeless hits & feel-good vibes that have wowed UK audiences for over 15yrs. Tickets: £32pp.

AUGUST 16TH

Halesworth & District Gardeners' Society Annual Show The Riﬂe Hall, Halesworth 2:30pm. Celebrating its 47th year.

AUGUST 16TH

Cèilidh Dance Night

Wenhaston Village Hall

7pm (doors & bar open), dancing starts at 7:30pm. With Skylarking Cèilidh Band. Tickets (incl. nibbles): £12pp adults, £6pp children (12+) in adv. from Jane Peters at Wenhaston Post Ofﬁce or OTD on the night. A fun dance night for every age to enjoy! Contact Carol: caz-mike@outlook.com for more info. Raising funds for Wenhaston Village Hall's new kitchen.

AUGUST 16TH

Conclave (12A)

Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. 2024 conspiracy thriller based on the Robert Harris book. A Pope dies & Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) has to oversee the election of a new one. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 19TH

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday

(Les Vacances De Monsieur Hulot) (U)

Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. The Jacques Tati 1953 favourite feat. a Normandy seaside holiday & many visual gags. French with subtitles. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 21ST

My Little Village Pop-up Role Play Village Southwold Library

9:30am, 11am & 1pm. Join us & let your child's imagination run wild in our pop-up role play village! What will they choose to be? Fireﬁghter, vet, singer, maybe a chef ? Or you could sit around the campﬁre & roast marshmallows playing the ukulele in our festival area! Role play sessions for walkers to 5yrs. £4 per child for 1hr play! Event costs subsidised by the Friends of Southwold Library. Limited spaces. Book your place today! 01502 44281.

AUGUST 21ST Kids, Come & Read to Ash the PAT Dog Southwold Library

3:30pm. The Read2Dogs scheme provided by PAT helps improve literacy skills & wellbeing in young people by developing conﬁdence, interest & enjoyment in reading. Dogs are non-judgemental & great listeners, aiding conﬁdence & concentration. PAT Dogs are also known to encourage positive social behaviours, enhance self-esteem & inspire young people to relax & have fun. Come & read to Ash & enjoy his calm company.

AUGUST 21ST

David Copperﬁeld (U)

Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. The 1970 version with a great cast, largely ﬁlmed in Southwold & The Swan Hotel. With Laurence Olivier, Susan Hampshire & many other luminaries. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 22ND

Mermaid Crafts, Games & Fun!

Southwold Boating Lakes & Tearoom

11am & 2pm. Organised by Southwold Library. Make a mermaid suncatcher, mask, scratch art magnet, weaving kit & much more! Free stories, games & fun!

AUGUST 22ND Flower Power Summer Fun!

St. Margaret's Church, Linstead 1pm-4pm. Range of wildﬂower activities, talks, children's crafts, activities & refreshments. Fun for the whole family!

AUGUST 22ND

Dad's Army (PG) Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. 2016 movie. The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon deal with a visiting female journalist & a German spy as WWII draws to its conclusion. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

WHAT'S ON?

AUGUST 23RD

HUBFEST Music Festival

Huntingﬁeld Millennium Green

2pm-10pm. An exciting line up of some of the best local musical & dance talent!

Performances from: Matt & Jon, Differential, Halesworth Ukulele Band, The Back Woods Band, Rumburgh Morris Dancers, Blyth River Blues Band & Black Deek. There will be a bar & various stalls. Tickets on the gate £10pp, or in adv. from Huntingﬁeld Arms £8pp. Adv. offer for 1st 100 tickets sold. All proceeds to village HUB.

AUGUST 23RD

The Day of the Jackal (15)

Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. The great 1973 thriller based closely on the book by Frederick Forsyth to whom we pay tribute here. With Edward Fox, Cyril Cusack & Michel Lonsdale. Tickets from:

£6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 23RD

Frankenstein Thorington Theatre

7pm-9:20pm. Facsimile Productions presents a bold new adaptation of Frankenstein, reimagining Mary Shelley's Gothic masterpiece through the eyes of Victoria Frankensteina woman defying 19th-century norms in a gripping tale of science, identity & creation. Suitable for all. Tickets from: £20pp.

AUGUST 26TH

The Water Babies (U)

Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. The classic 1978 tale based on the Charles Kingsley book about a boy who ﬁnds an underwater kingdom. With James Mason & Bernard Cribbins. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 28TH

Circus Skills Workshop with Mr. Bean Entertainments

Southwold Library

11am & 2pm. Learn plate spinning, juggling, diablo, hula hoop, ﬂower stick & more! Skills for all ages. £2 per child. Limited spaces. Book your place today! 01502 442817.

AUGUST 28TH

Southwold Library Reading Group

Southwold Library

6:30pm. This month, we're reading 'Orbital' by Samantha Harvey. Pick up a book at Southwold Library. Free event, no booking required. 01502 722519.

AUGUST 28TH

A Month in the Country (U)

Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. 1987 movie. 2 soldiers (Colin Firth & Kenneth Branagh) recover from WWI while spending a summer in a Yorkshire village. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 29TH

Blythburgh Mini Market & Café

Blythburgh Church

10:30am-12pm. Last Fri of the month from March-Oct. Stalls selling a variety of items, incl. homemade cakes, cards, gifts, jewellery, honey, etc. Tea, coffee & homemade cakes. Large free car park, 5 mins from Southwold, everyone welcome!

AUGUST 29TH

Chess Club

Southwold Library

4:30pm. Free play every week for kids 7+ & adults. Beginners' teaching & assistance. Interested in other board/strategy games? Let us know & we can expand the group. 01502 442817.

AWAKE! Suffolk Coastal

AWAKE Suffolk Coastal is a festival planned for September 2025. There will be several teams and programmes across East Suffolk, one of which will be based at the United Reformed Church in Halesworth. A series of exciting, co-ordinated events is planned. We'll be joined by trained volunteers from an organisation called Through Faith Missions (TFM). TFM is a charity that helps people explore meaning in life. Their friendly team members will be at the events and available to chat around the town, including pubs and cafés. The festival launches on September 6th with a lunchtime BBQ followed by a major evening event with celebrity speaker, JB

Gill (JLS, Strictly Come Dancing and a regular TV presenter). JB will be talking about his life, career and faith. This event will take place at the United Reformed Church, Quay Street, Halesworth at 7:30pm. A moderate entry charge of £3 (cash) per person will be made. Later in the week, at 7pm on September 12th, we'll be joined by former Gladiator, Warren Furman. Warren was a star in the original series and known as 'Ace'. He has a powerful story about fame and fortune not proving satisfying, but since then ﬁnding fulﬁlment in relationship with Jesus Christ.

More details of the week's programme should be available next month.

Cecilia Metherell

AUGUST 29TH

Galaxy Quest (PG)

Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. 1999 movie. The alumni cast of a cancelled sci-ﬁ TV series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs help against a reptilian warlord. Starring Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver & many more. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 29TH

Honey & The Bear Thorington Theatre

7:30pm-9:30pm. Honey & the Bear bring their spellbinding blend of British folk, rich harmonies & heartfelt storytelling to the stage - sharing songs of Suffolk, nature & community in a dynamic live performance that's captivated audiences across the UK. Suitable for all. Tickets from: £23pp.

AUGUST 30TH

Wenhaston Produce & Craft Market

Wenhaston Village Hall

10am-12:30pm. Lovely variety of handmade cards, jewellery, handbags, knitted cardigans, homemade jams, cakes, honey & other items such as soaps, serums, prints, handcrafted brooches, keyrings, magnets, bags, famous Dexter Beef, plants & much more! The café will be open for refreshments. We're always looking for new stallholders to come & join our friendly crowd. Everyone's welcome. More info, email: caz-mike@outlook.com

AUGUST 30TH

Halesworth in Bloom Open Gardens

Various locations

11am-4pm. View 7 spectacularly different gardens. From water-side walled gardens to pretty modern courtyard gardens, we're sure you'll come away inspired. Thank you from Halesworth in Bloom to those generously opening their garden gates. No entry charge. Donations welcome on the day. Get your free garden guide map from the Library from August 29th.

AUGUST 30TH

Wollaston Consort

Sibton Church

3:30pm. Sparkling music by Julie Harmer (ﬂute), Peter Clayton (harpsichord) & organ from the Baroque by Blavet, Quantz, Buxtehude & Sweelinck. Enjoy a Saturday afternoon concert in the perfect setting of Sibton's Church. Organised by: Friends of St Peter's, Sibton. Tea follows the performance at 4:30pm. Tickets: Adults £15pp, U18s £5pp. On sale OTD or from Weavers Tearoom Peasenhall & Peasenhall General Stores & on Eventbrite. Free parking.

AUGUST 30TH

The Salt Path (12A) Electric Picture Palace, Southwold 7pm. 2024 movie. Based on a true story. A couple lose their home & a terminal illness is diagnosed, so they undertake a long coastal walk. An inspiring story of love & resilience with Gillian Anderson & Jeremy Isaacs. Tickets from: £6pp. Refreshments available to purchase. 07815 769565.

AUGUST 31ST Faustus

Thorington Theatre

7pm-9pm. A wildly entertaining, ﬁery adaptation of the classic myth; blending magical comedy, acrobatics, & audience participation in a thrilling, family-friendly adventure full of spells, sword ﬁghts & laughs. Suitable for all. Tickets from: £20pp.

Got an event you'd like to promote to our thousands of monthly readers?

If so, please email the details over to: edit@micropress.co.uk to be included in our 'What's on?' section.

HUBFEST Music Festival

August 23rd, Huntingfield Millennium Green

2pm-10pm. We have an exciting line up of some of the best of Suffolk and Norfolk's musical and dance talent!

We'll be opening the show with 'Matt & Jon', an acoustic duo, followed by 'Differential', a talented singer songwriter who's able to join us from his busy schedule touring around the country. 'The Halesworth Ukulele Band' will be following with their eclectic mix of sea shanties, rock and country songs. 'The Back Woods Band' follow with a mix of blues and folk. We'll then see a performance from the 'Rumburgh

Wenhaston Produce & Craft Market

Morris Dancers' before a set from the ever popular 'Blyth River Blues Band', with a mix of some thumping rocking classic blues songs. 'Black Deek' will finally headline the festival, with a mix of blues, country and folk songs. There will be a bar with some of the finest real ales as well as a variety of stalls, including pizza, Cajun street food and a barbecue. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for £10, or in advance from the Huntingfield Arms for £8. The advance offer is for the first 100 tickets sold. All proceeds to go to the upkeep of the village HUB.

The café will be open for tea, coffee and homemade savouries and cakes.

We're always looking for new stallholders to come and join our friendly crowd, especially; a cheese maker, pork butcher, fresh bread maker, also fresh fruit and vegetables, chocolate maker etc. Everyone is welcome so please

On August 30th, Wenhaston Produce & Craft Market will be held from 10am-12:30pm. There will be a lovely variety of handmade cards, jewellery, homemade jams, cakes, honey, handbags, knitted cardigans and other items, soaps, face serums, beautiful framed prints, handcrafted wood brooches, keyrings, fridge magnets, tote bags our famous Dexter Beef, garden and indoor plants and much more!

do put the date in your diary and come along and join us! As regards to car parking, we'd ask all our visitors to please park with due care and attention so as to not cause any obstruction, especially along Narrow Way to allow emergency vehicles and delivery vans ease of access. For further information about the market, please email Carol at: caz-mike@outlook.com

What's happening at Halesworth Gallery throughout July and August?

We're now well into our summer season at Halesworth Gallery after a successful start at the beginning of April with art by young artists and a wellsupported Open Exhibition.

Throughout July, we're showing the work of Richard Denny, Rachel Furze and Anna MacRae.

Richard Denny's mixed media images focus on the reshaping of land in Suffolk by its inhabitants. The exhibition will celebrate the informal trails left by those who create routes, interacting with the environment, often contradicting the intentions of planners and architects. These paths have become a quiet rebellion and symbolise human agency, and a collective instinct to navigate space.

Rachel Furse is also a mixed media artist but has a background in three dimensional art and design. She adopts a multilayered approach using acrylics, incorporating collage materials, both found and made, to create paintings which often evoke a sense of the paradoxical.

Anna MacRae has spent the last two years developing new ways of making in textiles and ceramics which has been supported by the Arts Council England. Anna's work is informed by her experience of place in and outside the studio.

In August, we have three artists

exhibiting who work with paint or print media.

Aine Corr blends autobiographical elements with symbolism to construct vibrant dreamscapes, her art delves into memory, folklore and universal human experiences. Aine describes her themes as "blending history with a personal narrative, creating a refuge where the complexities of life and mental health can be explored, celebrated and reconciled".

The work of Amy Drayson sits within a narrative tradition often referencing myths and her own stories and experiences. For this exhibition, Amy will be showing new work inspired by things seen around the Suffolk village in which she lives.

Lesley Munro is an artist who produces paintings mainly in acrylic and mixed media. She is much

inﬂuenced by her immediate environment, by hedgerows, winding lanes and gentle rolling landscapes around her in East Anglia. Her paintings aim to reﬂect nature's contrasts and harmonies.

We're conﬁdent that these exhibitions will be worth seeing! For more information, please visit the Halesworth Gallery website. Everyone is welcome to our Preview Parties, where you can enjoy a glass of wine while meeting the artists!

HOOKER HOUSE DENTAL PRACTICE

Serving the community

• Professional and Caring

• NHS and Private Treatment for Adults and Children

• Cosmetic Dentistry

• Dental Implants

Quay Street, Halesworth 01986 872113

Daniel F M Evans B.D.S., M.F.G.D.P.

Neat Feet

“PROFeSSIONaL FOOt caRe” in your own home

Angela Moore Dip FH MCF HP (surgical) MAFAP (Footcare) MVR Reg.No. 24490 FHP tel: 07900 506611

Dee's Den Charity Shop news

With the sunny weather here, why not refresh your wardrobe with something from Dee's Den? We have a great selection of summer fashion including dresses, tops, sandals and accessories to complete your look. There's also plenty of affordable men's and children's clothing to choose from.

For little ones (and grown-ups too!), we have a variety of toys, books, puzzles and games. Our book selection is huge, covering every subject and author you can imagine - Priced at just 50p, £1 or £2, with children's books only 20p.

Alongside clothing and books, you'll ﬁnd bedding, curtains, bric-a-brac, glassware, kitchenware, pictures, photo frames, plants, and Jenny's delicious homemade marmalade. There really is something for everyone!

We have plenty of bargains to browse, including our £1 rail of adult clothes (outside when the weather allows), discounted children's items, and bargain baskets of reduced bric-a-brac and books.

Dee's Den is open six days a week, Monday to Saturday, from 9:30am-1pm. Everyone's welcome-come and see what treasures you can ﬁnd!

We're always grateful for donations of clean, saleable items such as clothing, bric-a-brac, toys, games, and small furniture. Small donations can be dropped off during opening hours (Monday and Thursday mornings are especially good times) or we can collect if needed.

We're also gathering special items for our Pop-Up Shop in October. Please consider supporting us with your donations. Thank you to our amazing volunteers who work in the shop,

donating their time to the charity. We need you! Can you give us two or three hours of your time? If you're interested and want to know more, please call 07733 668221 or pop in for a chat. We are a very happy team!

Thank you all for your continued support of buying and donating lovely goods and items, we really appreciate it, helping the charity to provide a range of services both in the community and in the Pear Tree Centre. Please note, we don't accept used electrical itemsOnly new and boxed. We look forward to seeing you! To contact Dee's Den please phone Nikki: 07733 668221.

• Private indoor pool, exclusive use

• Always warm, min. 30˚C

• Booking flexibility (subject to T +C)

• Minimum 4 sessions

• Discount for more sessions

• Ideal exercise, hydrotherapy or relaxation

• Only1 mile from Halesworth View video at www.valleyfarmholton.co.uk

Details: 01986 874521 mail@valleyfarmholton.co.uk

Upgrade signals Wenhaston Hall's half century

Wenhaston residents are to celebrate the Village Hall's 50th anniversary on October 4th 2025.

Major upgrades to toilets in recent months have been carried out and this is being followed by total refurbishment of the kitchen and café which will improve efﬁciency and attraction to users. It's hoped to complete the work by the summer of 2026.

Replacing a wooden hut in 1975, the Village Hall is pivotal in providing a social centre where Saturday coffee mornings, monthly craft markets and community lunches and teas are held. Indoor badminton and table-tennis sports are also major attractions, as well as regular bingo and ﬁlm evenings. Operational funding is generated by the hire, not only to local activity groups but to other event organisers such as wedding or birthday celebrations. Wenhaston Village Hall was registered as a charity in 1991 and is run by a volunteer management committee which is already planning fundraising events to meet the high cost involved. Donations will be gratefully accepted. For more information about Wenhaston Village Hall, please contact Carol Hudson-Jary (ViceChair, Wenhaston Village Hall Committee) on: 07864 083296.

Wenhaston Village Hall Management Committee

Ringsfield, Brampton & Bramfield Schools

Ringsﬁeld,

Bungay pupils find their voice at Suffolk Young Speaker event

The Suffolk Young Speaker of the Year event is a platform for children and young people to share their view of the world through the art and power of spoken word.

This event was designed and is run by ASSET Alumni - Young people who have left ASSET primary schools to go on to

secondary school and continue to work with ASSET on communitybased Youth Social Action.

All the worthy winners had some important messages to share about what's important to them and we're incredibly proud of two of our children from Bungay Primary School who were a part of this.

Hampers & Gift Vouchers available

Competitive Prices & Quality Guaranteed

Edgar Sewter Playschool, Out of School and Holiday Club

The children have been busy looking after the very hungry caterpillars who turned into Painted Lady butterﬂies.

We have raised four ducklings from the eggs in the incubator and everyone from the youngest Playschool children to the eldest After School Club children have been utterly captivated by them. The ducklings have gone back home to grow bigger on the small holding. Many thanks Kat for making this wonderful opportunity possible.

Our visit to Oasis Camel Farm at Cratﬁeld was very interesting and fun and our super summer draw and bake sale was very successful. Many thanks to all

who supported our registered charity this year and to our wonderful volunteer committee members.

We wish the children moving into Nursery classes great new adventures after their transition visits.

We have places for children from September for children in the term after their second birthdays Monday to Friday during term time.

Holiday Club is now running from July 21st to August 22nd and we offer ﬂexible start and ﬁnish times to suit individual needs. We welcome children from all schools. Places subject to demand and availability.

After School and Breakfast Clubs reopen in September for children from four years old. For further details, please call: 07796 044277 or email: esplayschool@gmail.com to register, book a place or arrange a visit. For help with childcare costs, visit: childcarechoices.gov.uk Hayley, Anthea, Yvonne and Stacey

Adrian Ramsay welcomes schools leading the way with climate plans

Adrian Ramsay (Green Party MP for Waveney Valley) was delighted to welcome representatives from schools across the constituency to the Waveney Valley Sustainability Education Alliance (WaveSEA) launch on July 7th.

WaveSEA aims to make Waveney Valley the ﬁrst constituency in the country in which every school is developing a climate plan and has a designated sustainability lead.

Adrian said: "I'm pleased to support the launch of this fantastic initiative in Waveney

Valley. I want to see every school with a climate plan and for this crucial work to receive adequate government funding.

Climate education is vital for our children so they can learn about how the world is changing and what they can do. Meanwhile, school buildings need to be energy efﬁcient and supplied by renewable energy sources. Schools have great potential and need help to make the most of it."

The event was led by Climate Ambassadors, based at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at

the University of East Anglia, and backed by the DfE-funded National Education Nature Park and Climate Ambassadors Scheme, with partners Let's Go Zero.

WaveSEA is a collaborative network of educators, environmental organisations, and community leaders in the Waveney Valley. The Alliance is building a support system for sharing resources, training and funding opportunities and seeking to embed climate resilience across education, infrastructure and community partnerships.

and would like to thank everyone in the

who has sponsored one of our pupils or members of staff. Raising money for a deﬁbrillator, a vital piece of equipment that could one day save a life, gave the pupils a real sense of purpose for their skipping."

Support Bungay Guides on the trip of a lifetime

This summer, 30 of our Guides, Rangers and volunteer leaders from 4th Bungay Guides and 1st Bungay Guides & Rangers will be attending NORJAM.

Competitive Prices & Quality Guaranteed

• Locally Sourced Meat, Poultry & Game

• Award Winning Sausages, Bacon, Gammon & Ham

• Gluten free products

Free Deliveries or visit our shop at The Firs, Redenhall, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9QN (just off Redenhall Roundabout) Tel: 01379 852590

• Gluten free products Free Deliveries or visit our shop at The Firs, Redenhall, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9QN (just off Redenhall Roundabout) Tel: 01379 852590 SHOP ONLINE www.pepperellsmeats.co.uk Hampers &

SHOP ONLINE www.pepperellsmeats.co.uk

NORJAM is an international jamboree camp that lasts a whole week at the Norfolk showground. 7,000 Guides and Scouts attend from across the world including from Estonia and Nigeria to the Netherlands and Cameroon!

Jamborees are really special events that create lifelong memories and help our Guides learn new skills. It's a once-ina-lifetime experience that helps our girls develop conﬁdence, independence, and global friendships.

To help make this experience as inclusive and memorable as possible, we're hoping to provide each participant with a custom t-shirt and a unit hoodie they can wear during and after camp. However, we know that costs can be a barrier for some families, and we're committed to ensuring that every girl can take part in Girlguiding, regardless of ﬁnancial background.

We're looking for local sponsors to help fund the cost of our camp kit. In return, your company's logo will be featured on the t-shirts/hoodies, and we'll thank you publicly on our social media. It's a great way to show your support for local young people and their development.

T-shirt sponsor: £400 will enable us to purchase 30 t-shirts for all guides and leaders attending the event. Shirts are roughly £12 per person.

Jumper sponsor 1: £625 will enable us to purchase these jumpers for 4th Bungay Guides; who currently have 25 guides and leaders. Jumpers cost £25 a person.

Jumper sponsor 2: £500 will enable us to purchase these jumpers for 1st Bungay Guides and Rangers who currently have 20 participants. Jumpers cost £25 a person. If you're interested in supporting us, or would like to discuss this further, please don't hesitate to get in touch by emailing: 1stbungayguides@gmail.com

Bungay Primary School

Pye Community Primary School

A fresh chapter for Old Market

Beccles Society unveils revitalisation project

History of Old Market: Old Market was historically the central market square in Beccles, with its origins probably lying in the Anglo-Saxon period when it's likely to have been much used for the sale of ﬁsh. There was then and still is today a Score linking the marketplace to the river, enabling catches of herring from the North Sea to have been easily landed and sold on.

Originally, it was a much larger open space leading to the original St. Peter's Church (the patron saint of ﬁsherman) the remains of which are now incorporated into the Grade I listed St Peter's House. One of the three annual fairs with the emphasis on livestock was held here each year on June 29th, St. Peter's Feast Day. As a market square, it would have been the vibrant heart of the town, where residents would have come to shop, socialise and catch up on local events. In the 14th Century, a second market 'New Market' was created to cater for the growing trade.

Wilton Rix (Beccles Historian) records that in the 1790s, the appearance of Old Market was quite different: "There were raised walkways either side of Old Market several feet high with big trees, particularly on the west side where there were two large Walnut trees and some Ash trees."

At that point, St. Peter's House was approached by steps and had posts and chains in front. Part of the Market square had been paved by stone bought by the Feeoffees and installed by stonemasons travelling from Norwich.

In Whites Directory of 1855, there's reference to Old Market still being used on Fridays for the sale of cattle, sheep and horses. In the late 19th century, it was used as a parade ground for The Riﬂe Volunteers and as a venue for travelling theatres and menageries; indeed in 1868 saw a parade of elephants and camels in Old Market. So it used to be a vibrant, lively, well-used outside space.

In a lecture given by William Crowfoot in the early 20th century, it was said that in Old Market: "There were also ponds or Mardles, in which hemp plants were soaked. It was then beaten by women to extract ﬁbre, and this process gave rise to the

East Anglian word 'mardling', which means gossiping. The somewhat monotonous work of hemp-beating was relieved by a little piquant conversation on the sayings and doings of their neighbours."

Still today, we have several listed buildings in Old Market, which act as a reminder to its signiﬁcant historical importance. Present Day

Though several very old buildings still exist today, Old Market has a different more utilitarian feel to it than a meeting place for towns folk and visitors.

The southern portion operates as a hub for local buses; has a large bus stand, three bus shelters, some communal seating, public toilets plus some pavement.

The northern side has a very large pavement, which is partially used by The Bear & Bells at one end and Rao's Ice Cream Parlour at the other end for outdoor seating and dining. At Christmas, the Town Council put up a large Christmas tree in the central portion of this pavement, along with some additional festive lighting. There's also one large planter that provides summer planting (that's looked after by Beccles Town Gardeners). However other than that, there's very little to make this space an attractive place to be and there feels to be little communal facilities to encourage visitors and local towns people to linger and "mardle".

We at The Beccles Society have had preliminary discussions with Suffolk County Council (who own the land around the square) and Beccles Town Council, who are all supportive of any improvements that will improve the visual appearance and community utilisation of the square. They will be involved with deciding the winning design through this project.

Vision:

To bring Old Market back to being an attractive public space (being sympathetic to the current historical architecture) where the towns people and visitors enjoy gathering, be it for celebrations, events or just to meet and indulge in a bit of the old tradition of mardling. In doing so, encouraging footfall from the Quay, up to the Town Centre

and vice versa, supporting local commerce and helping to make the most of beautiful Beccles.

Mission: Aim to re-generate Old Market through a two-phase approach:

• Phase 1: Focusing on the north side of Old Market, large pedestrianised area currently paved.

• Phase 2: Focused on the south side of Old Market, narrower pavement area.

Timings: Phase 1:

- May to June 2025: Launch Project: Engaging schools, further educational establishments and the general public.

- 1st October 2025: Submissions closed

- November 2025: Winner announced

- November 2025 to April 2026: Fundraising

- September 2026: Winning design works completed.

Phase 2: - September 2026: Launch schools, further educational establishments and the general public

- December 2026: Submissions closed

- January 2027: Winner announced

- September 2028: Winning design works completed

Phase 1: The winning design will:

• Re-generate Old Market so that visitors and more local people will want to come and enjoy the space.

• Include greenery to soften the area and mitigate trafﬁc fumes.

• Work with current lay out of the square and trafﬁc ﬂow.

• Reﬂect and be sensitive to Beccles' vibrant history.

• Be sympathetic to the current vehicle access to the square.

• Any new features will need to be moveable, to future-proof the area.

• Any design to facilitate access and use by those with mobility, visual and other disabilities.

• Consider how to minimise vandalism.

• To work within a budget of £50,000. (To be reviewed once winning design chosen and fundraising commenced).

• Award for winning design for Phase 1: £500, plus a mention on a plaque to be located in the square.

Record numbers turn Norfolk pink for Pink Ladies' Tractor Road Run

A record-breaking number of tractors took part in this year's Pink Ladies' Tractor Road Run to mark the event's 21st outing.

On Sunday 6th July, ladies gathered to drive a spectacular convoy of 192 tractors bedecked in pink decorations along a 20mile route through south Norfolk and north Suffolk.

Torrential rain, followed by brilliant summer sunshine, didn't deter the thousands of people who turned out along the route to cheer the ladies on.

Organiser Annie Chapman MBE (who was driving one of the oldest tractors on the run - a 1950

David Brown Cropmaster) said:

"It was a wonderful day despite the really heavy shower in the ﬁrst half, but thankfully, we had beautiful sunshine for the return journey! What an emotional trip for so many of the lady drivers

and, I know, many of the public watching. Thank you to everyone who made this event possibleand so spectacular!"

Supporters lined the route in towns, villages, laybys and gardens with houses and businesses awash with pink bunting, banners and balloons. Over the course of the run's history, the event has raised a staggering total of more than £1.2m for Cancer Research UK's breast cancer appeal and the total raised from this year's run will be announced in September. Annie Chapman said: "As with any event of this size, it cannot be achieved without the support of many people. I would like to thank everyone involved, all the drivers, all the people who lend tractors, the landowners, the many marshals, collecting ladies and anyone else who helps

Image credit: Jono Slack

Beccles

WHAT’S ON AT THE SAIL LOFT?

Summer 2025:

Welcome to the Sail Loft

Here you’ll ﬁnd all the exciting things we will have going on this Summer

LIVE MUSIC! July 26th & August 16th

Introducing our new Diners Loyalty Card. Simply collect 8 stamps for every 2 courses you enjoy with us & receive a free meal on your next visit (T&C’s apply)

Steak Night*: Every Thursday evening. Pan seared minute steak, fries, dressed rocket with a brandy & peppercorn sauce £21.95 incl. house glass of wine or pint of lager

Food focus of the month: Come & join us each month where you’ll ﬁnd a different food focus as we go through each season

September 20th, 21st & 22nd: The Sail Loft’s very own Annual Beer & Burger Festival, Raising money for the RNLI with live music, exciting speciality burger selection, cask ales and cider at £4.50/pint.

Wine Evening: Thursday 16th October (Wine supplied by Jeroboam Wines)

2 for £15 Menu*: Starts November 3rd. Enjoy 2 courses from our pre-set menu for just £15, available Monday-Friday, between 12pm-3pm

Quiz & Curry Night: Starting November 6th. £15pp, includes prize for winners!

Lunch Club: First Thursday of every month, starting November 6th

A different themed 2-course lunch with coffee, talk from our Chef about the dishes served and a full recipe card.

* NOT AVAILABLE DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

FOOD FOCUS OF THE MONTH

July: Summer BBQ

August: East Coast Fish

September: Mussels

New chapter for Halesworth Volunteers

I'm delighted to be writing this as the new director of Halesworth Volunteers (HV).

The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind to say the least, but I'm really looking forward to taking on this new challenge and together, with such incredible people, continuing the work that HV does in our community.

Retirement: At the end of April, after leading HV for nine years, our amazing Director Emma Healey (pictured) retired. She was an inspiration and has left HV and the community with many wonderful legacies. Emma was successful in applying for our ﬁrst national funding from the Postcode Lottery which led to our Isolation Busters project, also extending on our befriending service, bringing people together to socialise over tea and cake, our afternoon tea parties and our monthly soup lunch with St. Mary's Church is a favourite date in the calendar. Emma led the charity through the most difﬁcult of times, the Covid pandemic. Emma was instrumental in bringing local groups, organisations and volunteers together to support older and vulnerable people who were not able to get out, organising countless shopping lists and deliveries, over the phone befriending support and door step treats for people on their own. During the pandemic, together with Rev. Jane Held and St. Mary's Church, the Community Larder was born, and continues to grow and support the local community. All this work ultimately resulted in the highest honour a voluntary organisation can receive, The Queens Award for Voluntary Service. We thank you Emma for everything you did for HV as Director, always with a smile and always with compassion and kindness. You are greatly missed, but now it's time to put your feet up! We wish you a very happy and healthy retirement.

Celebrations of Emma's remarkable achievements started with a party, after Shaun had completed his Pacing to Paget 40k. Thanks to the Friends of Halesworth Community Health & Care Trustees for ensuring the Patrick Stead Day Care Centre was ready, for the ﬁrst event in the newly refurbished building, it was perfect and to Emma and her team for the delicious canapés. We were joined by volunteers past and present, friends and family, representatives of some of the local groups and organisations for what was a very special evening. Pacing to Paget: On April 23rd, Shaun Reid-Cook one of our

212788

dedicated volunteer Community Car Drivers, took on the challenge of walking 40k around Halesworth, our Pacing to Paget event, launching our 40th year. A massive thank you to everyone who supported Shaun, the local businesses and organisations, including Spectra Packaging, The Blakemore Foundation and Halesworth Lions. In total we raised a staggering £4,042.15, which is absolutely fantastic! Thank you to the volunteers who walked with Shaun, who baked and sold cakes and treats on our cake stall, collected sponsorship and promoted the event, and to our amazing staff team. The support of the local community has once again been incredible and we cannot thank you enough for helping us to raise these vital funds. The cape worn on the day is currently on display in Halesworth Library, displaying the names of sponsoring businesses, thank you Elise. The ﬁnal thank you goes to our Captain Fantastic Shaun - he started planning and preparing for the event at the beginning of the year, and put a huge amount of work into promoting and generating interest and support for Pacing to Paget, plus of course putting in hours of training, so that he could actually walk 40k in 24 hours!

Community Car Service: A warm welcome to the new drivers, who have joined our amazing team. Our Community Car Service offers transport for medical appointments, shopping trips and essential outings ensuring people remain independent; stay connected and able to meet their everyday needs. Our drivers support mostly older people, vulnerable adults and those with mobility challenges. Our dedicated volunteers go above and beyond to ensure people get to their destinations, on time, and home again safely. If you are interested in joining us, as a new volunteer driver, or if you need to use the service, we would love to hear from you. Please note from 1st August 2025 there will be an increase in our mileage fee to 70p per mile, with a minimum charge of £3. Please give us a call on 01986 875600.

Foodwise Project Ofﬁcer:

We are excited to tell you that Charlotte Coby, will be joining the team as our Foodwise Project Ofﬁcer, supporting the work of the Community Larder and our food projects, including our monthly soup lunch. Charlotte will also be spending some time in the HV ofﬁce, do pop in and say hello and we will keep you updated with our brilliant new project.

Community Larder: We

were delighted that the Ink Festival used the Larder for one of its venues this year, and we became the Larder Palladium! It was a fantastic weekend with some excellent performances, thanks to all our visitors who generously donated. A big thank you to Jacquie Collins and the staff at Spectra Packaging who are now kindly donating to the larder each month, your support is really appreciated. The Larder is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday between 10am11:30am at St. Mary's Church Hall. Everyone welcome.

Out & About: There have been lots of events over the last couple of months. In April, we had a great day out at Dobbie's Garden Centre and managed to catch a 20% discount day, which was a bonus! The sun was shining for us as we browsed the garden centre and enjoyed lunch together in the café. We will let you know what trips we have planned, the next date is July 31st, with an eager return to Cherry Lane. We had a fantastic afternoon on May 10th as we joined with the town for the VE Day 80th celebrations in the Thoroughfare. The weather was perfect and the sun even made an appearance, as we enjoyed a picnic lunch 1940's style with some of our lovely ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to Kelly and all at Halesworth Town Council for organising this brilliant event for everyone, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to Halesworth Area Community Transport for the use of the Hoppa and to Colin our wonderful driver, and to all our helpers who moved tables, baked, prepared and served!

We also made an appearance at the Annual Parish Meeting in the Town Park, selling cakes and our bottle rafﬂe. Thanks to all our volunteers who helped and to everyone who stopped to say hello and supported us, we raised £140.43!

Fundraising: To raise funds for HV, Luke Millett, along with his family took part in the Beccles cycle for life event and cycled unaided for a distance of 16 miles, raising funds for HV! Luke was only ﬁve years old at the time and altogether raised a grand total of £290! This was a remarkable thing to do, thank you so much Luke. We hope you enjoy lots more cycling on your new bike.

2nd Halesworth Brownies have been working towards their Charities badge and the ﬁnal part of this was a cake sale in town raising funds for HV. The girls, their parents and leaders, baked cakes and treats and sold them in the Thoroughfare. The Brownies did a fantastic job, with pricing up, taking money and chatting to visitors to the stall, all in very hot conditions. In total the incredible sum of £182.05 was raised. A big thank you one and all.

Upcoming Dates: A big thank you to, Westhall Charity Football Club who are putting on two charity football matches to support us. These are: July 27th, at Leiston Town Athletic Association kick off at 11am and August 31st at Spexhall Football Club kick off also at 11am. To donate, we do have a GoFundMe: gofund.me/f1abdfe0. Otherwise, it'll be lovely to see you at the games, there will be food and drink available as well as a rafﬂe.

Quiz night continues on the

Emma Healey

third Wednesday of the month in The Stables, at The Angel, thanks to Cleo and Simon and our quiz master Nigel. Join us for an 8pm start on August 20th. Our next community lunch with St Mary's Church will be July 30th. Now that summer's arrived, we'll be serving quiche, rather than soup. Everyone welcome, please join us at 1pm. No need to book, just come along. The ﬁrst Tuesday of the month is our Chinny's Social, in partnership with NHS Talking Therapies. Join us on August 5th in the events bar at Chinny's from 12pm-2pm.

For me, after 20 years of working with HV, it's an absolute honour to be able to lead the charity into the next chapter, helped and supported by my brilliant colleagues Helen, Kay and Charlotte, our trustees and volunteers.

Karen Kerridge Director

At our recent Emergency General Meeting (publicised in the Community News, on social media and by posters) we were disappointed that only ﬁve members of the community attended.

Two of the attendees were willing to join the committee but, as previously stated, we felt that to be able to do the necessary fundraising and organising an active committee of at least 12 was required, so sadly the decision was made for Halesworth Event Management (HEM) to close.

The good news is that the Town Council will be taking on the Christmas lights and we have agreed to pass over all our lights and equipment which have been purchased over the last 12 years. Pearce & Kemp are on board to organise the necessary licenses

and put up the lights as usual.

All funds remaining in the HEM account (approximately £6,000) will also be given to the Town Council. When HEM was set up, we "inherited" £4,015 from the previous group, so it was agreed at the EGM that £3,500 is ring fenced by the Town Council for ﬁve years so if any group wish to take over running the Christmas lights during this time, then they'll be given that sum by the Town Council.

HEM had already started planning the 2025 event (proposed date Saturday 22nd November) and have passed all provisional bookings to the Town Council for them to decide the way forward. It goes without saying that current members of HEM will offer help and advice to them if required to make sure

the lights go on in Halesworth for 2025.

HEM would like to thank all committee members, past and present for their hard work over the last 12 years. It's been an enjoyable time, and we feel that we've contributed greatly to the festive season in Halesworth which has beneﬁted local businesses and brought a smile to many faces, old and young. While all committee members have contributed over the years, special thanks must go to Teresa Walsh who was our Chair for many years and was instrumental in improving the event year-by-year. Many thanks to Gary Stannard (Treasurer) and Alison Hyden (Secretary), both of whom have worked tirelessly over the years.

Committee member Winston Kemp and his team at Pearce &

Kemp deserve our thanks for their hard work and professionalism in putting the lights up and making sure all works well and safely.

Thanks to Halesworth Town Council for their support and annual grant which helped towards the annual costs.

Thanks to Simon and Cleo at The Angel for allowing us to

use The Stables for our meetings over the years and also to Brenda for letting us use the Pop-Up Shop.

Finally, the biggest thanks of all is to the people of Halesworth and surrounding villages for supporting us over the years with our fundraising - we couldn't have done it without you.

£16.99 4 items, 16 piece x4 pieces of flavoured chicken x4 pieces of flavoured ribs x4 sausages x4 beef burgers ----6oz STEAK BURGERS: £2.00 each Email: sharmangary4@gmail.com

SMALL

sausages

Traditionally-reared local beef, lamb, pork and poultry, home-cooked hams and home-cured gammons OPENING HOURS Mon-Fri 7am-5pm & Sat 7am-1pm

Halesworth

Halesworth Thoroughfare

GOWING, Sylvia

We are very sad to announce the passing of Sylvia Joan Gowing peacefully at home with family on 23rd June 2025 aged 95 years. A very loving mother, nanna and great nanna who will be deeply missed by all. The funeral is to be held on 31st July 2025 at 11am at Waveney Memorial Park and Crematorium, Beccles. Family ﬂowers only. Donations to Great Ormond Street Hospital. sylviagowing.muchloved.com

STANNARD, John FITCH, Trevor

which so far has reached £487 and for attending Trevor's cremation.

Also, a very big thank you to Faith at Rosedale for all her help and to Jill the Celebrant and Steve the Funeral Conductor. Also thank you to the staff at The Stables for the wake. Trevor will be sadly missed.

Happy birthday to my dear husband in heaven. Miss you. Lots of love, Heath xx Happy heavenly birthday dad. Love, Tony and Anthea xx

Please send your memorials/ funeral notices via email to: edit@micropress.co.uk or post to: Community News, Micropress Printers,

Blyth Valley Parkinson's Support Group

We welcomed the Parkinson's nurses and physiotherapists in June and found them very helpful. We have their contact details if anyone needs them. In July, we're invited to Anthony and Gail's new home for a garden party. I will report on this next month.

On August 14th, we look forward to welcoming back Coral Stebbings who will lead us in various exercises which are helpful to those with Parkinson's

and other neurological conditions. This will be at Holton Village Hall from 10:30am to 12pm. All are welcome. As a rule, we meet at Holton Village Hall on the second Thursday of the month at 10:30am. We have various speakers and interesting subjects so do come along and join us. Any queries contact: • Margaret: 01502 478502 margaret@wrush.plus.com • Gail: 01502 817004 aandgattﬁeld@btinternet.com

the Hoppa can offer you a cool, airconditioned journey home, which is much more pleasant than a hot walk in sticky summer heat!

Customers are not asked to book a ride; they simply wait at the bus stop like any ordinary service bus but with the added advantage of being able to ask the driver to stop as close to your home as they can. Another great advantage is that the morning Hoppa has a buddy to help with passengers with bags and shopping trolleys, which many of our customers bring onto the bus.

If you're interested in trying the service we have regular stops outside the Co-op, and in the central car park behind the

White Hart, as well as several stops around the town such as the bank corner and then across into Holton and back. We can also be hailed down on route, if you make it clear you would like us to stop we will pull over to let you on. The buses have timetables you can collect from the driver or buddy, and special requests for pickups off our normal route are met if they are within a couple of hundred yards of the route. If you're interested in being collected from home please call our ofﬁce on 01986 875900 between 8:30am and 11:45am weekday mornings to discuss your requirements. The Hoppa runs each weekday morning except Thursday, plus Saturday morning from 9:30am to 12:30pm, with a shorter service on Tuesday afternoon. Adult fares are £1.50 per trip, children over ﬁve are 50p per trip and Seniors travel free.

Bungay Camera Club members taken down memory lane!

On a recent club meeting, the members of Bungay Camera Club welcomed a guest speaker, Jan Jeeves, to tell them about the career of her late husband Dick Jeeves.

Dick (who sadly passed away in 2019) was a local press photographer for 40 years, mainly for the Eastern Daily Press. He covered thousand's of stories as well as capturing images of his favourite subjects.

Jan (who had prepared the talk as a "one off for the club") explained that it was difﬁcult to know where to start when looking through such an extensive library. Her talk described ﬂying in jets, motor racing, heavy horses at work, sailing, football matches, Norfolk characters and nature!

Starting with flying, Dick was privileged to be taken on two flights in a Lightening jet from RAF Coltishall and later in a Hawker Hunter in order to be able to take images of the new Jaguar planes. He commented on the thrill of flying at over 1,000 miles per hour.

The next topic also saw Dick high in the air but this time on top of the Norwich Cathedral spire. When scaffolding started to appear on the spire in order to reguild the ﬁnial and cockerel, Dick got chatting to the steeple jack.

It was agreed that as long as the press insured him, he could climb the spire with his camera and take the photo's he wanted (with the added safety of a rope tied around his waist). In order to photograph himself and the steeplejack, the camera was ﬁxed to a long pole and with a delayed shutter action, the image was achieved and "the selﬁe stick was born".

Motor racing at Snetterton was a regular venue for the camera man capturing the thrills and spills

CIS for contractors

What you really need to know (without stress)

If you're a contractor in the construction industry, you've probably heard of the Construction Industry Scheme (or CIS). It might sound like a paperwork nightmare, but getting it right is crucial, not just for staying compliant, but for avoiding major headaches and costly penalties.

What is CIS?

CIS is HMRC's way of making sure tax is collected on construction work. If you pay subcontractors, CIS applies to you. Under the scheme, contractors deduct money from subcontractors' payments and send it to HMRC.

It's not always straightforward to determine what HMRC considers construction work, so it's important to check carefully and ensure CIS is correctly applied to all relevant subcontractor payments.

What contractors need to do:

1. Register with HMRC. If you pay subcontractors (even occasionally), you need to register as a contractor.

2. Verify subcontractors. Before paying anyone, check their CIS status with HMRC.

3. Make the correct deductions.

Only the labour part of the invoice is subject to CIS. Materials and VAT (if charged) aren't. Make sure your subcontractors break down their invoices to avoid over-deducting.

4. Submit monthly returns. Due by the 19th of each month, your return tells HMRC who you paid, how much, and what you deducted.

5. Pay HMRC on time. Any deductions must be passed on promptly.

What happens if you get it wrong?

If you don't follow CIS rules

(like failing to deduct tax when you should, or submitting returns late), HMRC can ﬁne you.

Penalties include:

• £100 for a late return (even late by one day)

• £200 if it's one month late

• Up to £3,000 or more for serious or repeated failures

Here's a key point: you're still liable for deductions, even if you don't make them. If you overpay a subcontractor by skipping deductions, HMRC will still expect the full amount from you. If you don't want to be left out of pocket and you don't

Jon Alderton

want to be chasing subcontractors that you've overpaid, make sure you get it right ﬁrst time around. Why it matters:

Hiring subcontractors without handling CIS properly can lead to penalties, stress, and unnecessary costs. CIS isn't as scary as it sounds, and it doesn't have to be a hassle, but it does need to be done right. Taking the time to understand your responsibilities now can save you a lot of trouble (and money) later.

For further information, please email Jon Alderton (pictured): jon.alderton@ensors.co.uk

The information contained within this publication is given by way of general guidance. Specialist advice should always be sought in relation to your particular circumstances. No liability is accepted by Ensors for any actions taken without seeking appropriate professional advice.

of the greats like Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Roy Salvadori whilst being careful not to get too close to the action.

Covering the football at Norwich City both home and away was both enjoyable and challenging. The camera that was used (known as a VN) was very outdated and had a very narrow depth of ﬁeld for focus. He had to set the cameras focus to about 10 yards from the camera and hope you'd got it about right.

After taking the photo, he then had to take the plate out of the camera, wind it up, put the next plate in by which time they'd kicked off again. Away matches also needed motorcycle dispatch riders standing by to get the plates back to be printed in that nights "The Pinkun".

The country life of East Anglia was often the subject of Dick's lens, ranging from marsh men cutting reeds, to farmers working heavy horses to boatmen in their wherry's and gentlemen of the road.

The duties of a press photographer would also include covering items such as WI meetings, retirement parties, ﬁrst babies of the new year and visiting dignitaries. Once retired, Dick was able to spend more time doing what he loved; one of those subjects was photographing birds in his garden in Shotesham.

After a most enjoyable talk, the camera club members were able to get a closer look at the VN camera that Jan had kindly brought with her and to chat about the various aspects of her late husband's work. With today's modern camera's and mobile phones producing high quality images, you have to admire the skills of the "old school" photographer.

Green light for Anaerobic Digestion facility in Reydon

Suffolk's sustainability mission has been given a major boost with conﬁrmation that a 49,000 tonne Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility will go ahead at Reydon.

Southwold-based brewery and hospitality business Adnams, together with project partner Bio Capital, has been given the green light for the redevelopment of a plant originally built in 2010.

Waste from across the county, and from the brewery's own operations, will be collected at the facility from 2026.

The project will significantly strengthen the local circular economy and comes ahead of new legislation requiring all local authorities to collect food waste from residential homes. It will mean Suffolk will for the first time have a fully self-sufficient incounty solution for its food waste.

Once complete, the facility will process up to 49,000 tonnes of food waste per year, delivering an estimated annual carbon saving of almost 34,000 tonnes of CO2e.

The plant will produce around 31 GWh of renewable gas (biomethane) each year, which is enough to heat approximately 3,000 local homes. Injected into the national grid, it will also help to provide heat for local businesses, including the Adams distribution centre and brewery.

The plant will also deliver further circular economy beneﬁts by supplying green fuel

for Adnams' own HGV ﬂeet and sustainable CO2 that will be used for brewing operations on-site.

For Adnams, this forms part of a long-held ethos on sustainability, which has seen the ﬁrm secure three Queen's Awards for its efforts in this area.

Conﬁrmation of the project follows a period of consultation with the local community, at which Bio Capital, the UK's largest producer of green energy using food waste, joined Adnams in outlining the intention for the major sustainability initiative.

Jenny Hanlon (CEO of Adnams) said: "Securing approval for this hugely signiﬁcant sustainability project in our county is a really exciting step for Adnams, and for Bio Capital. We've always placed great emphasis as a business on climate and community, so we're very much celebrating the fact that our site will be redeveloped and

will soon be helping homeowners on their own journey to achieving net zero. There are so many long-term beneﬁts to the local economy, including job creation, and we're pleased to have a role in positioning Suffolk as a leader in the renewable energy sector."

Jake Harrison (Chief Operating Ofﬁcer at Bio Capital) commented: "It's great to get this decision and to be partnering with Adnams on this vital project, which reﬂects our shared commitment to sustainability and renewable energy. This anaerobic digestion facility represents a major step forward in reducing carbon emissions, generating renewable energy from food waste, and supporting Suffolk's climate goals. Bio Capital is looking forward to commencing construction of the new facility and, together, accelerating the shift towards a greener, more sustainable future for the region."

Bungay Fashion Show a resounding success

Bungay's fourth fashion show on June 26th at St. Mary's Church was a great success!

More than 150 incredible outﬁts were presented to a cheering audience, by nine models with an age range from under 30 to over 70, including one male model.

With the summer sunshine streaming through the stained glass windows, the beautiful surroundings of the church provided a wonderful backdrop to the show.

The event raised £876 for Cancer Research UK.

Rachael Donovan, Chair of Norfolk Angels (the local Cancer Research UK volunteer fundraising group) gave an emotional speech about her successful battle with stage four cancer. Speaking after the show, she said: "It's thanks to people like Veronica, her family and team, the people that attended and those who donated rafﬂe prizes that make a difference in helping us raise money for Cancer Research UK."

The organisers would like to send grateful thanks to the many Bungay and Norwich businesses that generously provided a fantastic 30 prizes for the rafﬂe.

Organiser Veronica LevettScrivener, said that she felt the event helped to entertain customers and would hopefully bring new ones, adding that she was "delighted to work with Cancer Research UK volunteers, who provided a wonderful team to help with admin, logistics and help on the day."

Woodbridge Cruising Club

Summer sailing season in full swing

Members are enjoying being back on the water and the cruising season is fully now underway.

The Blackwater Cruise in June is a perennial favourite, visiting Brightlingsea, Bradwell and Heybridge. This cruise (run by Cruise Captains Andy and Sue) saw members visit pubs, play Krub, enjoy safe arrival drinks, barbecues and a visit to Pioneer, the classic vessel restored by a trust. The shared experience of the unique blend of sailing, navigational challenges, great company and sociable dinners make club cruises so popular.

July saw the European cruise to Ostend and then on to Holland, and the Lowestoft and Southwold cruise, led by Bram. Future cruises include Burnham and the River Crouch.

On June 28th, there was a celebration to mark the 100th birthday of Don, a founding member of the club 60 years ago.

Don is our oldest member and enjoyed a special cake and gifts. There is the ﬁrst ever summer evening club walk in July, led by William, with a scenic stroll along the Deben, ﬁnishing with supper at the Ramsholt Arms. Some members took the chance to sail down to the pub, and moor up overnight.

The club bar overlooking the River Deben is a lovely place to catch up on member's adventures and hear their sea faring stories. Wednesday barbecues are now running through the summer, and again are welcome social events.

Club members are looking forward to the August bank holiday barbecue, with the delicious puddings a highlight. If you have a genuine interest in sailing and the sea, have a look at our programme of maritime related events on our website: woodbridgecruisingclub.org. New members are always welcome!

Carting straw on the A140

Norwich Cathedral

Show organiser Veronica Levett-Scrivener with two models

The Blackwater Cruise

J C WOODPRODUCTS

Painters and Decorators

Magnificent man in his flying machines

Ernest Woolnough was well known in hot air ballooning circles as a enthusiastic pilot. He was often seen on a still morning or evening taking off from Wissett Hills, landing wherever that wind took him.

Hundreds of local people ﬂew with Pilot Ernie, and enjoyed this serene means of travel... even if there were occasionally a few dramatic landings.

Later, Ernie also ﬂew his modiﬁed microlight machine at

horrendous risk, but he was a fearless pilot. A few lightweight people also joined Ernie in the passenger seat for a brave microlight ﬂying experience, dodging oak trees along the way! However, with some good control and a bit of luck, Ernie often landed close to Wissett Plough to reward his ground crew with a few pints (Last of the Summer Wine comes to mind).

Ernie continued to ﬂy at any opportunity that arose. Our cousin

Vital funding secured!

We at The Pear Tree Fund have huge news!

The Pear Tree Fund is thrilled to announce we've secured three years of vital funding from The National Lottery Community Fund! This signiﬁcant grant will make an enormous difference, enabling us to continue providing profound support to local people living with longterm or life-limiting conditions, and their families and carers, when they need us most. We're immensely grateful to all our fundraisers, donors, partners, event supporters, and especially The National Lottery Community Fund for their generosity, which will help improve many lives.

Upcoming events:

• July 27th: Karen Prime and Rachel Plant will be competing in the Nottingham Outlaw Triathlon

• August 23rd: Walberswick Fête

• August 29th: Tee off for a great cause! Our Charity Golf Day takes place at Halesworth Golf Club

• September 12th: Dee's Den Fashion Show at Holton Village Hall

Tim Clarke (himself a successful pilot) would say "Ernie got his ticket at any chance."

This month, Ernie was up and away in a Spitfire from Norwich, It was his dream flight for his 95th birthday. The 30-minute flight passed over his house on the way to the coast and back. During the flight, Ernie experienced flight acrobatics with 360° views of land, sea and sky. We are most grateful for this opportunity to fly in a Spitfire made possible by Tim Clarke, the Woolnough family and friends.

News from the Centre:

Halesworth's Pear Tree Centre continues to offer support (which may include information, counselling, complementary therapies and beneﬁts advice) to anyone who's been diagnosed with a life-changing illness, carers or those who have been bereaved. We pride ourselves on walking alongside people on their journey and offering local support when they need it the most. The Centre has three new groups:

• A new fortnightly Peer Bereavement Group offers continued support after our Rosedale Bereavement Group

• Our popular Cooking for One returns on July 24th for eight weeks, speciﬁcally tailored for carers

• A monthly Music Workshop with Rob Gildon and Caroline Speca starts July 28th, no experience necessary! Please contact us for more information on joining any group. If you/a loved one needs support, get in touch today: 01986 899655, info@peartreefund.org peartreefund.org

“Thank

made this difficult

a little more bearable.”

Exciting news from Halesworth Dementia Carers Fund

With the opening of the new Patrick Stead Day Centre in the old Methodist Church, several developments are taking place with our activities, and we're able to extend the work we do for people with dementia and their carers.

More information will be out soon, but our weekly programme of activities is now as follows:

• Seated Movement to Music: Mondays at Holton Village Hall, 11am-12pm

• Memory Café: Tuesdays in Co-op Community Room, 2pm-3:30pm.

• Singing with Friends: Wednesdays at Holton Village Hall, 2pm-3:30pm Every Friday in the Patrick Stead Day Centre:

• 9:30am-3:30pm: Day Care

• 10am-11:30am: Creative Art

• 2pm-3:30pm: Carers' Support

Group

For any information about these groups, call 07990 199632 or email: info@ halesworthdementiacare.co.uk.

You can also visit our website: www.halesworth dementia.co.uk or follow us on Facebook.

Garden Party:

On July 3rd, Janet and Malcolm Heath held a wonderful

Garden Party at Dormy House in Linstead, in aid of the Halesworth Dementia Carers' Fund. All the support, help, food, donations etc were magniﬁcent, and all provided by Janet and her loyal band of helpers. Many members of our committee and the 100+ Club were there and enjoyed lovely weather and great company. A splendid sum of £800 was raised and will go towards our opening at the Patrick Stead Day Centre with Day Care and support for our ever-growing numbers. Very many thanks to Janet, Malcolm, and all their helpers!

We specialise in low cost repair options to buildings and can assist you with any building problem

SUFFOLK OFFICE

Brunel House, Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8HX • 01986 875651

SaxFest announces 2025 line-up

With just weeks to go, Saxmundham Community Festival, known locally as SaxFest, is gearing up for its biggest event yet!

Taking place on August 8th and 9th at Memorial Field, Rendham Road, Saxmundham, this muchloved festival will once again bring the community together with an exciting mix of live music, entertainment, and activities.

This year's line-up features a fantastic mix of solo artists, bands, and tribute acts, with standout performances from Keeper of Calves, Psychic Pimps, Project 6, Random Blues Company, Painting the Silence, Reno & Rome, Tempus Frayed, and many more. Adding a touch of nostalgia, SaxFest will welcome ABBA Chique, an ABBA tribute band, alongside Queen tribute band, UK Queen, delivering high-energy performances guaranteed to get the crowd singing and dancing.

Along with the music, festival goers can enjoy workshops, children's activities, fringe events, and stalls run by local community organisations, offering advice on education, ﬁnance, health, and wellbeing.

This year's free-to-attend festival was secured by a £105,404 grant from the Sizewell C Community Fund, ensuring its continuation for the next three years. The funding (alongside support from Saxmundham Town Council and local sponsors) will help sustain SaxFest as a key community event that brings people together year-after-year.

The programme's designed to meet all ideas of music, Festival Director Terry Barrow said: "Whether you want to get up dancing or sink into a deck chair and relax, there are unique performances across the entire weekend. SaxFest has always been about bringing people together through music and community spirit. We're all excited with this year's line-up, it's a fantastic mix of established favourites and fresh talent. Whether you're here for the live music, family activities, or just to soak up the atmosphere, it's set to be a weekend to remember."

On August 9th, Saxmundham Market will also be joining forces with Saxmundham Community Festival in an exciting collaboration with Saxmundham Town Council to host a 'Pop-Up

Market Experience' at Seaman Avenue play park, the gateway to the festival site. A colourful array of artisan goods, handmade crafts, and street food will welcome visitors heading to and from the main event, reﬂecting the creativity and energy of the festival.

Cllr John Findlay (Chair of Saxmundham Town Council) said:

"This exciting collaboration will enhance one of Saxmundham's favourite summer events. Building on the success of our Christmas Fayre and other community celebrations, this popup market adds another dynamic element to our town's calendar. I'm delighted to see the Town Council working closely with the SaxFest team to support local businesses and bring even more energy to this brilliant event."

Interested stallholders are encouraged to apply, especially those with something imaginative or festival-friendly to offer. To register or ﬁnd out more, email: bookings@saxmundhamtc.gov.uk

The full live music stage lineup includes:

August 8th:

• 12pm: Gates open

• 12:45pm: Amy A

• 1:30pm: Jenna

• 2:15pm: Malachy

• 3pm: Ronan Williams

• 3:50pm: Bodas

• 4:35pm: Painting the Silence

• 5:30pm: Random Blues Company

• 6:30pm: Project 6

• 7:30pm: Psychic Pimps

• 8:30pm: Keeper of Calves

• 9:40pm: ABBA Chique

August 9th:

• 12pm: Gates open

• 12:20pm: Homer J

• 1pm: Chloe Spinks

• 1:50pm: Guitar Project

• 2:45pm: Sound Street

• 3:25pm: Samboomba Band

• 4:15pm: Midlife Mayhem

• 5:15pm: Hope Ahead

• 6:15pm: Tempus Frayed

• 7:15pm: Smokin' Sons of Stratford

• 8:15pm: Reno and Rome

• 9:25pm: QUEEN UK

For FAQs, schedules, and activities, visit: saxfest.co.uk. For further information, updates, and ways to get involved, contact: hayley@saxmusicfest.co.uk or call 07725 578439.

HANDY TEAM

UK Queen

ABBA Chique

Durrants at the Royal Norfolk Show