In Touch News with Great Blakenham June 2019

In Touch

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with Baylham, Gt. & Lt. Blakenham & Nettlestead Volume 9 • Issue No. 8 • JUNE 2019

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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR So football season has ended! I’m not exactly a fanatic, but since Jack started playing our weekends are planned around his fixtures (insofar as we ever have a plan). I have spent many, many, many cold and blustery mornings on the sidelines since last September and now it’s getting a little warmer, it all stops and cricket takes over! I propose a swap; winter cricket and summer football. Perhaps I’ll start a petition.

Camogie (women’s version of hurling) was always my game, but it’s interesting being the parent rather than the player. Mostly I just want Jack to be safe, but a win always makes for a better weekend. When we lose, the post-match analysis goes on and on and on... Every move, every injury, every tiny transgression is discussed adinfinitum and then re-enacted just to prove the point. I feign interest, but usually I’m more focused on defrosting my fingers and toes. All that aside I will miss my Saturday mornings with the mums and dads who turn up whatever the weather.

We’ve become quite good friends, as have the boys, and it’s fun to spend time with people who share a common interest, some more vocally than others!

I suppose that’s why I get so many submissions from groups and clubs eager to welcome visitors or participants, and I hope those of you looking to connect with others find what you need within these pages. For some the opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea and a chat may suffice, while others might want to find a new hobby or try a new activity. Getting fit might be your priority or you may want to expand your knowledge of a particular subject by attending talks and demonstrations. Finding people with a similar mind-set, who share your interest and welcome you with open arms is, and I mean this sincerely, life-changing. I’ve seen it happen with my mum. She started playing bridge about five years ago and has made so many new friends as a result. In the last two years she lost one of her best friends to cancer and another moved away to live near her family. Without her bridge ‘gang’ mum would be lost and just as they have supported her through difficult times, she has supported them.

If you’re feeling a bit isolated or lonely, I hope you find someone or something in the following pages which encourages you to reach out. And if you know someone who would enjoy or benefit from an opportunity to get out and about, perhaps you could be the one who makes it happen. As I could now that my Saturday mornings are mine again for a little while.

In Touch

with Baylham, Gt. & Lt. Blakenham & Nettlestead

Published by: Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd, 20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP Editor: Sharon Jenkins Email: sharon@intouchnews.co.uk

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Send editorial copy to: blakenham@intouchnews.co.uk

Readers are invited to submit articles, illustrations and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

Advertising Email: advertising@intouchnews.co.uk

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements or editorial, the publisher/ editor will not accept responsibility for any unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints. © Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. © In Touch with Baylham, Gt. & Lt. Blakenham & Nettlestead is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd as part of the “In Touch with . . . ” series of magazines.

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•B eyton, Drinkstone, Elmswell, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit •B ramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham •C apel St Mary •B arham, Claydon, Henley & Whitton •B elstead, Bentley, Copdock, Tattingstone & Washbrook •D edham, East Bergholt, Flatford & Stratford St Mary • I pswich East •K esgrave & Rushmere St Andrew •B rantham, Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley •M artlesham Heath & Old Martlesham •N eedham Market & The Creetings •C helmondiston, Erwarton, Harkstead, Holbrook, Pin Mill, Shotley, Stutton & Woolverstone •B urstall & Sproughton •S towmarket & Stowupland • Ashbocking, Tuddenham St Martin, Westerfield & Witnesham •C hattisham, Hadleigh, Hintlesham, Holton St Mary, Layham & Raydon •M elton & Woodbridge

NEWS DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES IN BAYLHAM Afternoon Tea and a return visit

by The Suffolk Phoenix Brass Band on Sunday 21 July Details to follow next month

WILDLIFE MEADOW OPEN DAY Paul and Alex Adams invite you to join them on Saturday 8 June between 11am and 4pm at The Stores Barn, Hemingstone IP6 9RJ. This small acre of land was planted in 2016, with six different types of grasses and sixteen English meadow flowers. Now flowering for the third year, this creates a vital habitat for many insects, animal and birds while playing a significant role in pollination. Alex commented: “We have returned this little pocket of rural Suffolk to its former state and we will be delighted if you can come along to enjoy the beauty of the meadow with us. We will be serving light refreshments on the day and there is ample parking nearby.”

Donations gratefully received towards the British Heart Foundation (Suffolk), who fund over £100 million of research each year into heart and circulatory diseases, strokes, vascular dementia and diabetes.

CLAYDON & BARHAM CHURCH BELL APPEAL ANNUAL CHURCH FETE Saturday 8 June from 2pm in the grounds of Barham Church IP6 0PT Meet old friends and make new ones at this event in your community which is now in its 72nd year. Enjoy all the traditional fun of a village fete. Walk, drive or take the free minibus leaving St Peter’s Court at 1.30pm, 2pm and 2.30pm and picking up at The Crown, The Rectory in York Crescent and the bus stops in Edinburgh Gardens and Thornhill Road. Returning from 3.30pm to 5pm as required. There’s plenty of cover including church and hall if wet.

Bring your camera as Bar-Clay Music Makers will have costumes to try on and will be doing face painting. Free admission and all the following to enjoy: a bouncy castle, grand draw, lots of sideshows, tombolas, next-to-new, books, white elephant, jewellery, plants and produce, ‘things for mums’, refreshments, a BBQ and ice cream.

Between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 we will conduct tours of the church tower at a reduced fee of £3. Please arrive early as we expect a queue to form. Please note children can only venture to the first floor and must be accompanied by a responsible adult. No under-sixes. Sensible footwear must be worn. There are stairs and ladders to climb. You cannot climb the tower if you have a medical condition or are pregnant.

DAYS GONE BY EXHIBITION

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Church open from 2-5pm on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June

10 JUNE 2019

If you would like to donate stock for the stalls or have old photos, etc. for display please contact Roger at: 01473 831079 / rogercolthorpe@aol.com

JULY DEADLINE is the final date for both advertising and editorial copy

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Come and learn how your community has developed or reminisce about your childhood from 100s of photos and press cuttings from the 1900s and before.

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NEWS CIL AND YOU An important message from the Claydon & Whitton Rural, Great Blakenham and Barham Joint Neighbourhood Plan Group CIL? What’s that, never heard of it! Community Infrastructure Levy?

Sounds pretty boring to me, can’t see why I should be interested.

Please read on and the Joint Neighbourhood Plan Group will tell you why you should be interested.

We all know that a lot of new housing is already approved and in the pipeline across the three villages. We all know that the infrastructure – community facilities, GP surgery, schools and nurseries, sports and play facilities, etc. – aren’t keeping pace with the increase in population. Can we do anything about it? CIL gives us a way to make a difference.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge on development, calculated on a £ per square metre basis of development. CIL is intended to be used to help fund infrastructure to support the development of an area.

Let’s take the case of an imaginary development and pretend that there will be 100 houses, all identical three bedroomed houses, all 120 sq.m, all eligible for the CIL charge. CiL means the developer will have to make a payment to Mid Suffolk District Council (MSDC) for these houses. One three bedroomed house of 120 sq.m earns £115 per sq.m. That’s £13,800 per house which means the developer will pay £1.38 million to MSDC for this one development. That’s a lot of money. Bigger houses attract a bigger charge, smaller houses a smaller one.

Where does all this money go? BMSDC will keep some of it for other projects, which could be anywhere in the district, but parish councils can access a proportion of that money for infrastructure improvement projects in their areas.

How much can a parish council receive? 15% – which is £207,000, and if they have a Neighbourhood Plan in place, parish councils will receive 25% – which is £345,000. That’s a difference of £138,000. That’s a lot of money to slip through our fingers and be spent by MSDC on projects that could be miles away from our three villages.

This is one of the main reasons why the Joint Neighbourhood Plan Group has been set up – because once the Joint Plan is approved, Claydon &Whitton Rural, Great Blakenham and Barham Parish Councils can all benefit from the higher rate when we put in an application for CIL funding. We all know we can’t stop so many new houses being built, but CIL gives us a chance to make sure that our community gets some benefit from the developments.

Councillors from the three parish councils have agreed to develop a Joint Plan, as what happens in one parish has a knock-on effect in the others.

However, a Neighbourhood Plan cannot be drawn up just by parish councillors. Members of the community have to be involved in the whole process from the very beginning.

In fact, the group guideline is 50% councillors and 50% residents. Therefore resident’s participation is essential. Producing a Neighbourhood Plan takes about two to three years of work, as well as the costs involved in paying for the required specialist help. The three councils have set money aside in their budgets for this and we have councillors ready to see the process through.

However, if residents of the three villages are not willing to join with us to become involved, there is no point in the three councils going any further because the plan will be thrown out at the inspection stage. This would mean having no plan for the three villages.

Not only will we lose out on the higher rate of CIL money, but also the other benefits that are part of a Neighbourhood Plan, particularly the right to shape development in our community. It cannot block development, but what it can do is shape where that development will go and what it will look like.

Once we have had time to assess the responses from the residents of the three parishes to this article, the group will decide whether there are enough offers of support and candidates to join the group. At this stage, the decision will be made whether or not it is possible to proceed.

If the community is not willing to be involved, we will not go ahead. It’s as simple as that.

This is your chance to help make a real difference to your community. We ask you to give this your serious consideration. If you have any questions, or would like to express your interest, please contact your clerk.

PARISH CLERKS Claydon: Charmaine Greenan 07887 459989 / claywhit@btinternet.com Barham: Joanne Culley 07958 402335 / barhampc@outlook.com Great Blakenham: Janet Gobley 07508 830777 / gtblakenhampc@icloud.com

STEP UP TO WALK FOR PARKINSON’S AT GLEMHAM HALL People across Suffolk are being asked to help stop Parkinson’s for good by joining their local Walk for Parkinson’s event at Glemham Hall on Sunday 9 June.

The Glemham Hall Walk for Parkinson’s event is one of 45 across the UK set to raise over £600,000 for charity Parkinson’s UK’s pioneering research to find better treatments and a cure for the condition. At this family friendly event distances for walkers include a 1.5 mile, 3.5 mile or 5.5 mile route around the beautiful grounds of Glemham Hall.

One in 37 of us will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s in our lifetime. This neurological condition affects people of all ages and has over 40 symptoms including tremor, loss of mobility and dementia. Over the past four years Walk for Parkinson’s fundraisers have raised over £1.5 million for Parkinson’s UK’s pioneering research to find a cure – and the charity believes that scientists could now be on the verge of a major breakthrough.

Dave Clark, Sky Sports Presenter and Champion of Walking for Parkinson’s UK, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011 at the age of 44. Dave is a

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keen walker himself and he’s encouraging people to sign up to the walk at Glemham Hall.

He said: “Parkinson’s UK’s pioneering research gives me hope that we will find a cure for this brutal condition, and we’re now on the verge of major research breakthroughs that could end Parkinson’s for good.

“So whatever your age or ability, please sign-up to Walk for Parkinson’s at Glemham Hall and be part of the final push to find a cure.”

The registration fee for the event is £12 for adults and £5 for under 16s, with team discounts available. Everyone who registers will receive a free Parkinson’s UK t-shirt, fundraising pack and at the end of the walk, a finisher’s medal. Walkers should aim to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship.

To sign up to the walk, or to find out more, please contact: 020 7963 3912 / fundraising@parkinsons.org.uk or visit: www.parkinsons.org.uk/walkglemham

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NEWS REPORT TO GIPPING VALLEY: MAY 2019

GREAT BLAKENHAM PARISH COUNCIL

County & District Councillor John Field

We have vacancies for councillors. The work is wide ranging and there is plenty of variety – from working to get the infrastructure improvements that the village so desperately needs, to council accounts, the provision of defibrillators and deciding on grants to local organisations. There are a lot of other projects that we could become involved with, such as the development of a parish infrastructure improvement plan to access funds to improve community buildings in the village, but to do that effectively, we need residents to stand for the council – and you could be one of them. Please contact the clerk for further details.

April was a busy month with parish and district elections to work for and we now know that May will end with elections to the European Parliament.

I am pleased to say I was re-elected and would like to thank those who voted for me and assure you that I will work to represent you all, recognising the divergence of views that exist.

Election & Boundary Changes Boundary changes have left some people confused about the results of the recent district council election.

I am now district councillor for Blakenham Ward which covers Great Blakenham, Little Blakenham, Somersham, Nettlestead and Flowton.

James Caston is now district councillor for Bramford Ward and John Whitehead and Tim Passmore represent Claydon and Barham Ward, covering Claydon, Barham, Henley, Whitton Rural, Hemingstone, Coddenham and Ashbocking.

I am still county councillor for Gipping Valley, but Coddenham, Ashbocking, Somersham and Nettlestead are not in my county division.

Investment for Special Educational Needs A cross-party Policy Development Panel recommended that the county invests £45.1m to develop new special educational needs and disability (SEND) schools and specialist units in Suffolk. Cabinet approved half this spend in April which will fund some 800 places. The remainder will be approved in later budget years.

Children’s Centres Less welcome is the news emerging from the cross-party Policy Development Panel on family services. Regrettably this panel appears to be pushed in the direction of significant cuts. The proposals look like an attack on a valuable, successful service.

We all know work to prevent problems always has a lower financial cost and better social return than efforts to pick up the pieces after the event.

Children’s Centres provide the help and guidance young families need and a place where they can learn and swap experiences.

The single-minded focus on cuts as a solution to budget pressures in this area has caused the Lib Dem, Green and Independent Group (LDGI) and the Labour Group to withdraw their representatives from the PDP. What a sad decision to be forced into.

Roads This year I managed to get work done to prevent the flooding that occurred regularly on Station Road at the bridge that carries the A14. Long term drainage issues were resolved and I have had very pleasant feedback that they are effective.

Council declares Climate Emergency The LDGI group called on the county council to recognise the imminent dangers of climate change and declare a climate emergency. Support was near-unanimous with 60 councillors voting in favour. The council will form a cross-party panel by September 2019. It will develop policy ideas to help the authority cut carbon emissions on a spend-to-save basis. The council agreed the ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030 and has committed to working with partners in Suffolk to help them achieve the same goal.

Energy-from-Waste Facility Suez are proposing that the permitted capacity of the incinerator be increased by about ten per cent. It has proved capable of that so no changes to its design are required. I have asked that the county make sure that the small increase in lorry traffic will not be a problem when combined with that from SnOasis, St James Park and Masons Quarry. Viridor hope to extend the life of the latter to 2035.

Fison’s Warehouse: A disaster long predicted. There is little I can add to the comments already made.

If you have queries, please phone me on 01473 831306 (you will need to say your name and press #) or 07545 423808 or email me at: john.field@suffolk.gov.uk

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SnOasis Your parish council has been asked by planning to join a new group to work with them on outstanding issues around the planned development. Further information will be passed on to you once the first meeting has been held.

This new group seems likely to replace the SnOasis Parish Alliance, but we will continue to work to get the best possible outcomes for Great Blakenham residents, as well as the wider area.

New dog-waste bins are being installed on the village hall playing field, near to the Aspen Close entrance and at Hackneys Corner. Please use these as dog waste is unsightly and a hazard to health. Your council thanks all the responsible dog owners who do clean up after their pet.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, June 19 in the Parish Room at 7.30pm.

Everyone is welcome and there is a 15-minute public forum where you can ask questions or raise issues related to the work of the parish council.

Parish Clerk Janet Gobey pc@greatblakenham.suffolk.gov.uk / 07508 830777 Facebook: @greatblakenhampc / Twitter: @pcgtblakenham W: www.greatblakenham.suffolk.cloud Thank you for reading this and for your interest in the work of your parish council.

Chairman Steve Plume

BARHAM & CLAYDON SURGERY Patient Participation Group news The surgery’s Patient Participation Group (PPG) is pleased to share some good news with our local community. In January we were made aware of a potential grant source, the PPG Pound Fund from Suffolk Community Foundation. An aim of this fund is “to improve health, wellbeing and knowledge of patients to develop self-care and prevention”. We promptly submitted a request to fund the purchase of a set of Resus mannequins to facilitate basic life-saving skills courses. Our application was successful.

The Resus mannequins have now been purchased and several members of the PPG eagerly volunteered to be guinea pigs at the first training session. Under the expert tutorship of Dr Cheshire, we were shown how to perform CPR should a family member, friend or indeed a stranger in the street suffer a collapse and be in urgent need of this procedure. The photo shows our PPG Chair being guided in the process by Dr Cheshire while other participants watch on.

The surgery will be arranging further training sessions at the surgery.

We hope that many readers of this article will be interested in undertaking this training which comes highly recommended by those participating in the first training session. This knowledge could prove to be the critical intervention while professional help is on the way. It is also the ultimate ‘self-less training’ as trained individuals can only perform this technique on anyone other than themselves!

Please look out for information on future training sessions at the surgery or alternatively contact the surgery direct to notify your interest. We are grateful to Suffolk Community Foundation for their generosity in funding this project.

John Whitehead, Chair of PPG, The Barham & Claydon Surgery

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NEWS SUFFOLK ENERGY-FROM-WASTE FACILITY Annual Report 2018 SUEZ recycling and recovery UK and Suffolk County Council have been working in partnership for more than four years to dispose of Suffolk’s household waste left over after recycling. In 2018 the energy-from-waste facility put 266,135 tonnes of waste to good use, generating enough electricity to power 39,357 homes. This equates to a saving of over 64,000 tonnes of fossil fuels and 134,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The 2018 annual report is now available to download with information about our performance last year from health and safety and the environment to our visitor centre and work in the community. Download a copy from the news section at: www.suffolkefw.co.uk/who-we-are/news SUEZ Proposals to Process More Waste As we enter our fifth year, the facility is working efficiently, so much so that it could process more waste. However, the capacity of the facility is limited to 269,000 tonnes per year. SUEZ will therefore be applying to amend our planning permission and environmental permit to increase this limit to 295,000 tonnes per year, allowing us to use Suffolk’s award-winning facility to its full potential.

We would not need to make any changes to the appearance of the building, or the way that we operate the facility in order to accept more waste. There would be a small increase in lorry traffic, we estimate an extra eight trucks would visit the facility per day, and overall lorry traffic would remain well within the agreed number in the original planning permission. Emissions from the facility are tightly controlled and would remain within the limits set out in the facility’s existing environmental permit to protect the environment.

If you are interested in finding out more, we are holding information sessions for local people at the facility on Friday, June 7 from 4-8pm and on Saturday, June 8 from 10am-2pm.

Members of our team will be on hand to answer any questions and there will be opportunity to take a short tour of the facility. The tours will take place at half past the hour; you will be able to sign up on arrival.

Any questions?

If you have any queries about our operations, please do not hesitate to contact the facility: 01473 839149 / suffolkefw.uk@suez.com OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS To book a visit: 01473 839149 / suffolkefw.uk@suez.com Environment Agency: 0800 807 060 SUEZ Communities Trust: 01454 262910

SnoASIS PARISH ALLIANCE (SPA) As you know, SnOasis Reserved Matters have been approved by the Planning Committee. However, the SPA has grave concerns about the amount of detail that even now remains unclear on crucial aspects of the application, such as drainage, traffic and transport and the environment. For this reason, the SPA asked that the Planning Committee delayed making a decision on Reserved Matters, but our views were ignored and the application was approved shortly before the district Ccouncil elections.

Planning have now indicated that they no longer intend to work with the SPA, instead preferring to set up a group of the parishes that have a border with the site. At this stage, we do not know what the future role of the SPA will be, if any. However, we will still try and ensure that there is a mechanism so that residents are kept informed of what is happening.

For further information, please email SPA clerk Janet Gobey: snoasispa@icloud.com SnOasis Parish Alliance Chairman Steve Plume

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SOMERSHAM AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY SHOP The Playing Field, Princes Gardens, Somersham /

01473 833416

OPENING TIMES Monday to Friday: 8am-6pm / Saturdays: 9am-1pm A COMMUNITY SHOP FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND RUN BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY We are now able to offer locally grown tomatoes to our customers.

They are quite delicious and sell out quickly. These, together with local eggs and honey, all come from within walking distance of our premises. We also offer cakes, juices, pies, cheeses, meat and vegetables, all produced within Suffolk. What an excellent way to protect the environment, give employment to local people and help the local economy to thrive.

You may have noticed the Village Diary in the Coffee Corner. It’s there for all to use and not only helps keep everybody informed about what’s going on, but also helps avoid date clashes which impact on attendance. There are many events to look forward to in the summer months.

Our huge thanks go to the Golden Link who made a magnificent donation of £200 to the shop. We are most grateful to them for this very generous contribution and the money will be used wisely for upkeep. We have very much enjoyed their company every other Tuesday and look forward to seeing them in the future. Petrolheads are going strong on the first Wednesday afternoon of each month, and now Pat has started a Knit and Natter group which takes place every other Tuesday between 1 and 3pm. Come along to any or all of these groups in our Coffee Corner and meet others who share the same interests. We also support many other local groups and organisations by, for instance, advertising their events and selling tickets and we are always grateful that they support us in turn.

A date for the diary is Saturday, July 6 when we are offering a hot or cold drink and biscuits to all our customers. This is to celebrate the seventh anniversary of our opening. It has been lovely for our locality to have such a friendly and useful village shop and it’s all thanks to the people in the community, volunteers and customers. So have a cup of something with us as a thank you to all. We look forward to our eighth year of trading and the shop continuing to be the success it is. Without community support it just wouldn’t happen.

During the summer months we are very hopeful that there are some students, or anybody with a bit of time to spare, who will be able to help out by volunteering over the holiday period as many of our regular volunteers take their holiday breaks. It’s good fun, gives experience which is good for putting on CVs, and is an opportunity to meet lots of people at the same time. If you think you could volunteer, either for personal interest or to gain experience, we will be very happy to see you. And don’t forget our other services which include dry cleaning, newspapers, Coffee Corner, book exchange and deliveries to those with mobility problems. There’s lots to offer from our local shop. We look forward to seeing you.

Management Team: Lucy Barrett – 831890; Sue Browne – 831321; Stephen Bullard; Janet Hodge – 832296; Peter Jousiffe; Anne MacFadyen – 831288

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OUT & ABOUT

WILDLIFE MEADOW OPEN DAY Paul and Alex Adams invite you to join them on Saturday 8 June between 11am and 4pm at The Stores Barn, Hemingstone IP6 9RJ. This small acre of land was planted in 2016, with six different types of grasses and sixteen English meadow flowers. Now flowering for the third year, this creates a vital habitat for many insects, animal and birds while playing a significant role in pollination. Alex commented: “We have returned this little pocket of rural Suffolk to its former state and we will be delighted if you can come along to enjoy the beauty of the meadow with us. We will be serving light refreshments on the day and there is ample parking nearby.”

Donations gratefully received towards the British Heart Foundation (Suffolk), who fund over £100 million of research each year into heart and circulatory diseases, strokes, vascular dementia and diabetes.

BAR-CLAY MUSIC MAKERS GO GREEN Following another sparkling panto in January (Rapunzel), Bar-Clay Music Makers are enthusiastically planning their next production at the end of January 2020. At the recent AGM members agreed that this would be Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood, which we haven’t staged for many years.

the Grand

AUCTION

Saturday

13 July th

You are invited to a read-through on Wednesday, July 3 at 7.30pm, with auditions a week later on July 10. Auditions for the junior (Year 3 and above in September 2019) and senior (Year 6 and above in September 2019) choruses start at 6.30pm and adult auditions at 7.30pm. Senior chorus who would like to audition for a speaking part should also be available at 7.30pm. The readthrough and auditions are held in Claydon and Barham Village Hall.

Director Vera Rogers and the production team look forward to welcoming members old and new to join in the fun, whether on stage, back stage or front of house.

For more information about BMM contact Vera: 01473 836972 / email vera.rogers1@btinternet.com

BRAMFORD COMPUTER CLUB The club will meet between 10am and noon every Wednesday in June in the upstairs room of the Methodist Church in Bramford. Membership is £1 for the academic year, payable in September, plus £3 for each two-hour session.

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We have no set programme, but are here to help you to get the most out of your computer. Why not give us a try?

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VIEWING from 10.30am – 12.30pm AUCTION starts at 1.30pm *** Refreshments available *** In aid of Bramford Scout Group, equipment fund HOW TO DONATE

• Door to door collections around Bramford Monday 8th to Wednesday 10th July, 7–9pm • Items can also be dropped off at the HQ Monday 8th to Thursday 11th July, 7–9pm

HOW TO PAY

 Cash or cheque  No credit cards, sorry!

We’ll be grateful for donations of any good quality items.

No electrical goods over 5 years old, videos or clothes!

Many thanks for your continued support.

If you miss the collections, please contact

Claire  07576 350296  clairebickers28@googlemail.com Sarah  07790 506265  sarah@kbbeastanglia.co.uk Registered Charity Number 283655

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STEPHANIE CARR PSYCHIC EVENING Tuesday 27 August at The Loraine Victory Hall in Bramford IP8 4AL. Doors will open at 6.30pm. Tickets are £10 and available from Gilly Sillett (01473 463178) or at The Crown/Hungry Horse in Claydon, Bramford Cock Public House, Fresh fills Bakery in Claydon and Budgens Stores in Great Blakenham.

All ticket proceeds go to Prevent Breast Cancer, the only UK breast cancer charity researching how to predict, prevent and protect future generations from developing breast cancer.

In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT GREAT BLAKENHAM CRAFT CLUB

BARHAM HALL PICNIC CONCERT At the time of writing (10 May) there was still 100 of the 450 tickets remaining for Saturday 29 June so we anticipate there will still be some left at only £14 each when you read this.

Great Blakenham Craft Club is open to anyone living in Great Blakenham and the surrounding area, meeting every Monday from February to December in Great Blakenham Parish Room on Stowmarket Road from 2-4pm.

As mentioned in a previous edition, Fact and Fantasy was a cardmaking workshop featuring robots and unicorns as pictured. In May we had another cardmaking project and for June our workshop is entitled Summer Sewing.

For further information please get in touch with Jackie Durrant: 01449 672690

GREAT BLAKENHAM OVER 50s CLUB The Great Blakenham Over 50s Club is open to anyone of that age living in Great Blakenham and the surrounding area. We meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in the Parish Room, Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham from 2-4pm.

At our meeting on May 8 we enjoyed a games afternoon with Scrabble, Rummy O, Kan-U-Go and Trivial Pursuits as well as our regular bingo games.

Our meetings in June will both have a musical theme New members are always welcome so if you would like to come along and see what goes on we will be pleased to see you.

Jackie Durrant, 01449 672690

IPSWICH MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTE 5 Route 5 5A 5B 5C 5D 5E 5F 5G 5H 5I 5J 5K

Town/village Location Sproughton Church Lane Sproughton Wild Man Bramford St Mary’s Close Bramford Paper Mill Lane Great Blakenham Chequers Great Blakenham, Blue Leighs Mobile Home Park Baylham Post Box Claydon Crown Claydon, Edinburgh Gardens Barham Bacon Road Bramford Packard Place

Time 9.10-9.25am 9.30-9.45am 9.50-10.05am 10.10-10.25am 10.35-10.55am 11-11.15am 11.25-11.45am 11.55am-1pm 2.05-2.20pm 2.25-3.50pm 4-4.30pm

2019: 4 June, 2 July, 30 July, 27 August, 24 September, 22 October, 19 November, 17 December

IPSWICH MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTE 13 Route 13 13A 13B 13C 13D 13E 13F 13G 13H 13I 13J 13K 13L 13M

Town/village Location Crowfield Lay by Coddenham Haysel House Barham Sorrel Horse Creeting St Mary Whissels Farm Creeting St Mary Village Hall Creeting St Peter The Lane Earl Stonham Village Hall Little Stonham Church Little Stonham Magpie Inn Mickfield Church, Debenham Road Stonham Aspal, Walnut Tree Meadow Pettaugh Old Bull Henley Garage

Time 9.25-09.45am 9.55-10.50am 11-11.10am 11.20-11.30am 11.35-11.45am 11.55am-12.10pm 12.20-12.50pm 2-2.10pm 2.15-2.25pm 2.30-2.45pm 2.55-3.30pm 3.35-3.55pm 4.05-4.30pm

2019: 14 June, 12 July, 9 August, 6 September, 4 October, 1 November, 29 November, 27 December

www.keepingintouchwith.com/gtblakenham

Essential Sounds (an 18-piece Big Band) will again be the main entertainment while we enjoy our picnics in the wonderful setting of Barham Hall gardens courtesy of Mr and Mrs Burrows. We also welcome back Sarah Hitchcock (a local vocalist) who will entertain us with songs from the forties during the band’s two breaks. As usual we will end the evening with a flag waving Last Night of the Proms sing-along led by the band and Sarah. The gates will open at 5.30pm to allow plenty of time for visitors to view the beautiful gardens before the band starts at 7pm.

Cheques payable to Claydon and Barham PCC should be sent with a selfaddressed envelope (with stamp if you live outside Claydon & Barham) to Roger Colthorpe, 5 Phillipps Road, Barham IP6 0AZ. It may be a good idea to call 01473 831079 to check availability and reserve tickets pending payment, but otherwise payment will be returned immediately if sold out.

All proceeds will go towards the Claydon & Barham Church Fabric Fund to help fund the next major project which is to restore our ancient bells and get them ringing again with hopefully two additional bells. Barham Church bells which have not been rung properly since 1947, but we will hopefully be able to open a concert with a peal of bells in the not too distant future.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES GROUP Book Club We meet at 10.30am on the last Thursday of the month at The Crown (Hungry Horse), Claydon for an interesting discussion on the chosen book.

We have a few spaces for new members so do come along.

Knitting Group We meet on the first Thursday of the month from 10.30am to noon in the lounge at Alisdair Place, Claydon. We are currently knitting lap blankets for St Elizabeth Hospice and hats and blankets for the pre-mature baby unit at West Suffolk Hospital, with more projects to come.

If anyone has any wool they no longer require, which may be useful to us, it would be gratefully received at one of our meetings.

Meet ‘n’ Eat Lunch Club This group has gone from strength to strength. At our May meeting we served 42 people. We meet at noon on the first Friday at Gt Blakenham Parish Room (the building with the green door, almost opposite The Chequers).

A two course lunch costs £4, plus the optional raffle ticket for £1. Anyone who has difficulty with transport can arrange a lift by contacting: The Rev Carl – 833542; Ann – 831031; Pauline – 830723; Dorothy – 830906.

Gipping Valley Art Society We meet every Tuesday afternoon from 1-4pm in Gt Blakenham Parish Room.

We use our own materials and have our own projects, with Mike Wootton on hand to give us helpful advice and assistance where needed. We go outdoor sketching locally on the last Friday of the month – weather permitting. We recently enjoyed a demonstration by a local artist, Susan Boddy, who gave a very interesting watercolour demonstration and raffled one of her acrylic paintings, which was won by Mike. We had a table at the Easter Fayre which was well attended. We have plans to visit Flatford Mill and The Munnings Museum at Dedham to view the Munnings First World War art on loan from the Canadian Museum during the summer, together with other projects. We will have a stand in St Mary’s Church, Gt Blakenham in July for their summer fete, where original art will be on sale at a price to suit all pockets.

The Walk ‘n’ Talk Group We meet on the second Thursday of the month, weather permitting, in the car park of The Crown (Hungry Horse) and go for a walk lasting approximately 1.5 hours along local footpaths and bridleways. All welcome, together with dogs. Afterwards we enjoy the hospitality of The Greyhound for coffee and cake. Do come along and enjoy our local countryside and a chat.

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OUT & ABOUT GREAT BLAKENHAM CINEMA

FRIENDS OF BAYLHAM CHURCH

It was lovely to have such great support from the community in April for our Paddington screening. I do hope you enjoyed the day as much as I did.

The Ipswich Bus Shelter residents and staff were a fantastic addition and a great help setting up and clearing away. It was so kind of the residents to show us their home. Jay and Gareth were brilliant answering questions and explaining the outreach work they do as well. Their cake sale raised over £90. Thank you to all who donated. It costs £10 a night for a bed so that’s nine nights covered for one person. If you would like to continue to help you could sponsor a bed, attend their Fun Day at Great Blakenham Village Hall on August 10 or even cook for the residents and deliver the food to the bus. For further details on how to sponsor a bed, please contact The Bus Shelter at: tiffersbeds@gmail.com / 07769 337521

Nick Berry, who is based at Wattisham Airbase, will give a talk entitled The History of Helicopters from Da Vinci to the Present Day on Friday 28 June.

This month’s film has been voted for by our Facebook followers. We look forward to opening our doors at 2pm on June 16 for a free cup of tea or coffee and to enjoy Mrs Doubtfire at 2.30pm. The cake sale will be raising fund for locally based charity Age UK Suffolk who support older people.

Their information and advice team are incredible. With their knowledge they check that people are receiving all the financial help they can to live as well and happily as possible. They are asking people to hold their own coffee mornings, called ‘Chinwags’, in June to help bring people together and reduce loneliness.

Work on the permissive path on both sides of the river bank leading to the remains of the 200-year-old bridge abutments continues. Last year this path was six feet high in nettles and impassable. We continue to cut the weeds along the path, encouraging grass to grow through at the expense of nettles.

Meanwhile we are working on funding and planning permission for the new bridge between the bridge abutments.

It will be held in Baylham Church, starting at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £8, to include refreshments and there will be a raffle. Phone Wendy on 01473 832885 or Ann on 01473 830316.

All proceeds to the church.

THE RIVER GIPPING TRUST

Please don’t forget to add our future screening dates to your diary: July 21, August 18, September 15, October 13 and December 1.

Tickets are for sale on the door; adults £4, under-18s £3. A warm welcome awaits at Great Blakenham Village Hall, Mill Lane, Great Blakenham IP6 0NJ. Doors open at 2pm for a 2.30pm start.

Should you have any film suggestions, be happy to help out or have any queries, please do get in touch via our Facebook page of contact Becky at: greatblakenhamcinema@outlook.com / 07852 472082

CLAYDON AND BARHAM YOUNG FAMILIES Claydon and Barham Young Families is a Mother’s Union project which has been run by Mothers’ Union members and supporters for 28 years. We welcome mums, dads, carers and grandparents from Claydon, Barham, Great Blakenham and the surrounding villages with babies or children under five.

Entry is just £1.50 per family.

This month we meet on Thursdays 6 and 20 from 9.30-11.30am in Claydon and Barham Village Hall. Why not come along and join in the fun? You can make friends and enjoy some valuable play. Hope to see you there. For more information contact me on 01473 833788 or check our listing on Netmums.com.

This month we would like to wish a happy birthday to Finley and Arwen who both celebrate in June.

Michelle

GIRLS HAVE FUN Are you aged between five and seven years?

Bramford Rainbows meet on Mondays from 5.30-6.30pm in the Scout & Guide Head Quarters opposite the Victory Hall.

Come and join us for crafts, cooking and lots of fun.

For more information contact Helen: 07733 070012 We would love to see you.

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A few years back the River Gipping Trust designed and installed a scaled down replica of the famous Mathematical Bridge in Cambridge. The bridge oak was felled by Jason Gathorne-Hardy from White House Farm, Great Glemham, where trust members prepared the timber in one of his barns. It was designed by Colin Turner, our eldest active member, and transported and installed at Pipps Ford. A good view of the bridge can be seen from the river footpath at Pipps Ford.

We welcome new members to the trust. Membership income is a very important part of our funding and will help us fund the new bridge. It’s only around £10 per year and you can download a membership form from the website or pick one up on the gate at Baylham and Pipps Ford. www.rivergippingtrust.org.uk

GREAT BLAKENHAM 200 CLUB Winning tickets for May 2019 Danny Skeggs (122) £25 Pat Winfield (93) £15 Shirley Rice (167) £10 James Tompkins (173) £10 Andrew Loftus (273) £5 Bobbie Barton (10) £5 All money raised by your membership of the 200 Club goes toward the repair and preservation of St Mary’s Parish Church. You can join at any time and only pay for the months remaining in the year. If you would like the chance to win a prize and help maintain the beauty of our ancient church building, please call Marion on 01473 830915.

DEMENTIA Together Call Free 08081 688 000 email: SRYC. DementiaTogether@nhs.net visit: www.dementia-together.com In Touch online:

SCHOOLS HENLEY PRE-SCHOOL

ANNUAL SUMMER FETE Saturday 8 June from 10am-noon Please come along to support us – there will be fun and games for the whole family and cakes, teas and coffees will be served.

We look forward to our fete and would love you to come and join us. We thank everyone who has made donations for the fete. As a charity run preschool we always welcome donations (toys, stationary, etc.) so if you have any unwanted items please contact us on or call into the pre-school during working hours.

Firemen Phil recently came to visit us, bringing along his new equipment and outfits for the children to try on. We have recently purchased some new resources including play trays which are more accessible for all children.

We are a small, rural, friendly setting based at Henley Community Centre.

We pride ourselves, on having a high ratio of staff to children and therefore providing the maximum care and learning for the children. All staff are highly trained and continue regular training to build their knowledge further.

Session places are currently limited and we now have children registering to start in September. If your child requires a space from September please contact us as soon as possible to check availability. We accept eligible 30hr funded children (the codes must be in place the term before they are needed). Children can join us from the age of two and we accept government funded and fee paying children.

For further information please call 01473 833848 during session time (9am3pm) or email or manager, Bridget Wyatt: enquiries@henleypreschool.com Bridget and the team

CLAYDON PRIMARYÂ SCHOOL This month, we would like to share with you news from our children in EYFS and Years 1 and 2.

In the nursery they have been having lots of fun taking part in different springtime activities. They have particularly enjoyed exploring the creative tray, which had lots of exciting springtime objects to assemble together.

Reception have been enjoying the sunshine this term and have been building obstacle courses, hunting for mini beasts and even had a zoo escape where the animals stampeded through the garden. They are looking forward to many more sunny days.

Years 1 and 2 have had a very exciting term learning first about Antarctica and more recently the complete contrast of Africa. The children became authors when they all had their stories published in a real book. Then they went exploring at Colchester Zoo where they got to feed the giraffes. The children celebrated the end of our theme with a sharing assembly for the parents and carers showcasing all that they have learnt.

They have also enjoyed an African drumming and dance workshop. They had their faces painted, made tie-dye scarves, decorated African necklaces and learnt lots of traditional dance moves!

By Lower Phase Leader Mrs Wells

www.keepingintouchwith.com/gtblakenham

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SCHOOLS / SPORT CLAYDON HIGH SCHOOL

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOL 100 CLUB

We are now in the midst of exam season for our Year 11 students who will finish their exams at the end of this month. Students have made the most of revision days and catch-up clubs and have demonstrated maturity and resilience as they approach their final exams. I wish them the very best of luck for the future and hope that all their hard work will be rewarded with success on results day.

Our March 100 Club draw took place on April 25 and the winners were: 1: Brian Amass (46) 2: Lisa Robinson (6) 3: Amy Kading (14)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Year 11 parents/carers for their support during the last five years. Students are looking forward to celebrating the end of their exams at the school prom on June 26.

On Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July, the school hall will be rocking to the sounds of Queen as we perform our school production of We Will Rock You. Both performances start at 7pm with refreshments available. The cast have been extremely busy rehearsing and are looking forward to showcasing their talents. Tickets are now on sale and can be obtained from the reception desk between 8am and 4pm. We hope you will be able to join us for a fantastic evening. If you would like to be involved in sponsoring the show, please contact Nikki McGuinness: nmcguinness@claydonhigh.com Our PTA work hard to support students at the school and welcome you to book a table at their next quiz night on Thursday 4 July at 7pm. You can also help to generate funds for the school by depositing unwanted clothing, textiles and paper in the two recycling banks, located in the coach car park on Church Lane.

We will be holding our annual Community Tea Party on Monday 15 July from noon-2pm. This is a lovely afternoon and a great chance to catch up with neighbours and friends. If you would like to book a place (for a small charge of £1) please contact the school or visit reception.

Many of you will be aware we lost a long serving PE teacher, Matt Jack, in April and we would like to thank you for all of the messages of support we received over this difficult time. We are collecting for his family’s chosen charities, The Mix and Hands at Work, as well as for a memorial at the school. If anyone with links to the school would like to support these, please contact reception.

If you would like to visit the school and see us in action, come along to one of our open mornings. The next one is on Thursday 6 June. Please telephone my PA, Ms J Saunders on 01473 836110 to book a place.

Headteacher Ms M Taylor

JOIN US FOR A SUMMER OF TENNIS! With summer now arriving, there’s no better time take up tennis. Bramford Tennis Club welcomes people with all levels of experience at both adult and junior level with special membership offers for first time members from as little as £25/year for adults, £10/year for juniors. Get in touch to find out how to join us while the offer lasts!

LADIES SOCIAL TENNIS The aim of our ladies only sessions on Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm is to encourage more female players to engage with the sport through a friendly non-competitive and supportive coaching environment. Sessions cost just £4 for members, £5 for non-members and are suitable for all levels. No need to book in advance; just turn up, take part and have some fun!

JOIN US FOR OUR SUMMERTIME SLAM The Summertime Slam is one our annual family themed tennis festivals with parent and child teams having fun on court. Prizes will be available to all participants, so while the professional players get ready to take to the grass courts of Wimbledon, why not give tennis a try yourself by joining us for our Summertime Slam on Sunday, June 30 at 2pm?

Thanks to your support, £25.50 was donated to the pre-school. Half of all money given for the 100 Club goes to the pre-school and the other half is paid out in winnings. Membership is just £1 a month. You don’t need to have a child at the pre-school to be a member. Membership forms are available from the office or by email.

Thank you to all those lovely people who continue to support us. We are very grateful.

NEEDHAM MARKET BOWLS CLUB The indoor season at the Meadlands has now finished. Congratulations to Brian Locksmith, John Milliard and Margaret Thorndyke on their Buzzard team winning the Birdie League Division C, and well played to my own teams, Churnet and Grouse, on finishing second in both their competitions.

The Stowmarket League outdoor season is now in full swing. Tuesday teams have had mixed results; the A team have won both their games while the B team have lost two very close games in their first year in the first division.

The C team have won one and lost one. The Wednesday team have started strongly in defence of their title, winning 6.5-0.5 at Walsham, before losing a very tight game 4-3 to Gipping Valley. Our Thursday team is enjoying their bowling and hoping for an improvement on last year’s results.

We have been congratulated on the condition of the green, so a big thankyou to John Cook, Trevor Harvey, Alistair Bailie and all the other volunteers for their work over the winter months.

On Sunday 9 June we host a friends and family barbeque, and Sunday 21 July is President’s Day, when the president’s team plays the captain’s team, with teams drawn on the day. There will be two friendly matches against Coney Weston, date yet to be confirmed.

The draw for the club pairs and triples has been made; please consult the noticeboard to see who you are playing with and against. A date for finals day has yet to be arranged; any suggestions for events to fill up the day should be forwarded to Alistair. A Roving Jack or a singles competition have been suggested. You need to do something to earn your ‘bacon sarnies’!

Anyone wishing to discuss any aspect of NMBC can contact either Alistair Bailie on 01449 720759 or Pat Hadden on 01473 831308.

David Hindley

ANYONE FOR CROQUET? Ipswich Club Open Day, Sunday, June 9 Ipswich Croquet Club has been a part of Ipswich society for over 100 years, and more recently has produced world and national champions.

This year two of its juniors have been selected for the World Schools Championships.

Once a sport rated second only to cricket in this country it remains an enthralling game combining physical skill with mental agility. Today croquet is played as much for fun as competitively by people of all backgrounds and ages. In 1900 it became the first Olympic sport to include women.

To celebrate this great sport the club is holding a free entry open day on its lawns at Fynn Valley from 10.30am to 3.30pm. This will be a great day out and for many a chance to try something a little different.

All the equipment will be provided and club members will be on hand if required to show you the ropes. All you need is a pair of flat-soled shoes.

To find out more please visit: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/BramfordTennisClub www.facebook.com/BramfordTennisClub

Cakes and refreshments will be available at the pavilion, and the fabulous new Café Terrace will be serving food and drink including a great Sunday lunch which is well worth booking (01473 785267).

Coaching Enquiries: carl.douglas@talk21.com / 07553 966380

For further information visit: www.ipswichcrochetclub.com

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In Touch online:

www.keepingintouchwith.com/gtblakenham

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In Touch online:

CHURCH NEWS ST MARY THE VIRGIN BRAMFORD Priest-in-Charge: The Rev Jenny Seggar 01473 747819 / revjseggar@outlook.com Safeguarding Officer: Mr John Chenery, 01473 742797 www.the-tew-family.co.uk/stmbramford CALENDAR FOR JUNE Quiet Reflective Communion Service: Wednesday, 9.30am Sunday, June 2: Easter 7 10am Holy Communion, Bramford 6pm Evening Prayer, Baylham Sunday, June 9: Pentecost 8am Holy Communion, Bramford 10am Parish Communion, Nettlestead 5pm 5pm Service, Bramford Tuesday, June 11 11am Communion from Reserved Sacrament, Baylham Care Centre Wednesday, June 12 7.30pm Healing Service, Bramford Methodist Church Sunday, June 16: Trinity Sunday 9am Parish Communion, Bramford 11am Parish Communion, Balyham Tuesday, June 18 2.30pm The Gathering, Bramford Parish Room Sunday, June 23: Trinity 1 (Proper 7) 8am Holy Communion, Bramford 10am 4th Sunday Service, Bramford

BRAMFORD METHODIST CHURCH At the Heart of Community Minister: The Rev Derek Grimshaw 01473 805486 / dkgrimshaw@msn.com Steward: Ms R Palmer, 01473 831117 Please feel free to contact either of us with any queries. Baptisms, marriages and funerals by arrangement with the minister, who will also arrange Holy Communion for the housebound.

Sunday 10.30-11.30am*: Morning Worship with Holy Communion every third Sunday 10.30-11.30am: Lighthouse Club for ages 5+ (term time only). Bible stories, painting, card making, biscuit decorating, etc. plus free leaflet to take home.

4-6pm: Families@4, an informal get-together with afternoon tea provided and a children’s activity (see diary for theme). Come and go as you please. This is not a service but our minister usually joins us.

(Held once a month; please check diary) Monday 2-3pm: Bible Study, an informal look at issues that those present wish to discuss (every third Monday)

Saturday, June 29 10am-noon Coffee Morning, Church Room

Tuesday 2-3pm*: Network/MWiB, our ladies meeting, but gentlemen are always welcome (second and fourth Tuesdays from October-April and second Tuesday from May-September)

Sunday, June 30: Trinity 2 (Proper 8) 10am Parish CommunionTo be arranged

Wednesday 10am-noon: Computer Club (term time only)

Please check porch notices for any changes.

Thursday 3-3.30pm*: United Service (very informal) at Cherryfields (first Thursday)

Dear Friends, I can’t believe that we are pretty much half way through the year. It’s going incredibly quickly. Look out for the publicity for the usual fundraising events; we really need your support! Each parish has something happening, so please go and support other parishes. It’s a chance to get to know our neighbours.

I hope that by the time you read this we will have become a legal benefice, a group of parishes working legally together. This should make our lives much easier, and allow us to solve some of the problems we have by sharing practice and looking at new ways of working together. We have hit a time when the idea of the ‘parish’ is becoming more difficult to staff and run, and it’s only by working as a team that we will be able to survive in these difficult times, sharing our spiritual gifts and skills, and maybe even personnel.

This idea may not be easy, but I am sure you have noticed that your churchwardens and PCC are stretched, and in some cases overworked. We really need to blur the boundaries, sharing jobs and maybe even looking at sharing PCCs and churchwardens.

This is much more faithful to the ideas shared by the early church, who were small and often persecuted, but managed to worship and meet together praising God and exploring their faith. That is, after all what we are here for.

I look forward to seeing you at some of our social events over the course of the summer.

Blessings to you all, Rev Jenny FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS May 9: The funeral of Ken Jermy at St Mary’s Bramford. We extend to his family our sympathy and prayers.

Floodlighting of the spire of St Mary’s Church If you would like to have the spire floodlit please ring Stewart on 01473 462231. The requested donation is £10 per week.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/gtblakenham

Saturday 10-11am: Coffee Morning at the Methodist Church or at Cherryfields (see below / third Saturday of month) *followed by tea/coffee DIARY FOR JUNE Sunday 2: 10.30am Morning Worship Mr C Westren Thursday 6: 3pm United Service at Cherryfields Sunday 9: 10.30am Morning Worship, Mrs R Loggie, Pentecost Sunday Tuesday 11: 2pm Network/MWiB, Rev Jo Jacobs Wednesday 12: 7.30pm Prayers for Healing Saturday 15: 10am Coffee Morning at Cherryfields Sunday 16: 10.30am Morning Worship, Rev D Grimshaw, Holy Communion Monday 17: 2pm Bible Study Sunday 23: 10.30am Morning Worship Mr R Theobald 4-6pm Families@4, Rev D Grimshaw, Theme: BBQ! Saturday 29, 2-5pm: Garden Party We are having a garden party at 2 Henley Avenue, Ipswich IP1 6RN. There will be the usual stalls, such as cakes, books and bric-a-brac, as well as teas, etc. being served. Please support this event and bring your family/friends along. A warm welcome to all.

Sunday 30: 10.30am Morning Worship, Local Arrangement Please put this date in your diary: Saturday 10 August at 2pm, Jumble Sale at Church. More details next month.

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CHURCH NEWS THE CLAYDON GROUP OF CHURCHES The Church of England in Claydon and Barham, Henley and Great Blakenham We offer you a warm welcome to all our events and services.

For enquiries about baptisms, weddings and funerals contact: Priest-in-Charge: The Rev Carl Melville, Claydon Rectory 01473 833542 / carlmelville@hotmaill.com SERVICES IN JUNE Henley Church: every Sunday at 9.30am Barham Church: every Sunday at 10am Gt Blakenham Church: every Sunday at 11am Every Wednesday to August: 10am Service of Holy Communion at Barham Church Sunday, June 2: Easter 7 8am Holy Communion 9.30am Holy Communion 10am Holy Communion 11am family@blakenham 4.30pm families@4.30

Barham Church Henley Church Barham Church Gt Blakenham Church Barham Church

Sunday, June 9: Pentecost 11am Pentecost Praise HC Rectory Garden Sunday, June 16: Trinity Sunday 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 9.30am Holy Communion Henley Church 10am Morning Prayer Barham Church 11am Holy Communion Gt Blakenham Church 6pm High Mass St Peter’s, Claydon Sunday, June 23: Trinity 1 8am Holy Communion 9.30am Café Church 10am Holy Communion 11am Elevenses@GB 6.30pm Evensong

Barham Church Henley Church Barham Church Gt Blakenham Church Henley Church

Sunday, June 30: Trinity 2 10am Benefice Holy Communion 4pm Songs of Praise Picnic Sunday, July 7: Trinity 3 8am Holy Communion 9.30am Holy Communion 10am Holy Communion 11am family@blakenham 4.30pm families@4.30

Gt Blakenham Church St Peter’s, Claydon

Barham Church Henley Church Barham Church Gt Blakenham Church Barham Church

Further services and events can be found at: www.claydonchurches.com

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families@4.30: Our new congregation for families and young people meets on the first Sunday of the month at Barham Church. The next one will be held on June 2. We have loads of fun so why not come along and join us?

Come hungry!

Visiting: If you, or anyone you know would like a visit from a member of our pastoral team, please get in touch with The Rev Carl, The Rev Cathy or The Rev Jenny. This might be at home or in hospital.

Henley Church Fete: Saturday, June 15 from noon-3pm in St Peter’s Churchyard, Church and Vestry. Henley Chefs will be cooking a barbecue and there’ll be family games and activities, raffles, tombola, etc. Come along for a great time with the family.

Claydon & Barham Annual Church Fete: See page 3.

Barham Church Tower Tours Barham Church is opening its tower to raise money to restore the ancient bells which haven’t been properly heard for nearly 100 years. Reduced rate tours (£3) are available on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June (see page 3) and also at 8pm from Monday 24 to Friday 28 June (£10). Watch the sun go down, take beautiful photos, enjoy the atmosphere. Tours will not run if the weather is wet (see page 3 for other restrictions). Booking is essential: 01473 833542 / carlmelville@hotmail.com Barham Hall Open Air Picnic Concert: See page 11.

Pentecost: Praise and Picnic takes place in the Rectory Garden on Sunday, June 9 at 11am. There will be no services in church that Sunday.

Great Blakenham Village Fete and Doggy Day: St Mary’s Churchyard, Church and Parish Room on Saturday, July 13 from noon-3pm with loads of stalls with games, raffles, cakes, refreshments, ice cream and light lunch refreshments.

There will be a chance to put someone in the stocks, enter the fantastic prize draw and show off your dog at the Doggy Day! There will be lots of fun items for dogs as well as humans, with groomers, dog toys, plus lot more!

High Mass: For those who like incense in church, there will be a High Mass at St Peter’s Church, Claydon on Sunday, June 16 at 4pm. Roy Tricker will be preaching.

Hall Bookings Barham Church Hall: Zoe Groom, 831804 Gt Blakenham Parish Room: Reg Barton, 839958 Henley Church Vestry: Margaret Gerrard, 831463 Find us on Facebook and Twitter by searching for: The Claydon Group of Churches

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CHURCH NEWS

FUNNY HOW TIME FLIES To advertise in this section, which appears in 18 magazines in areas across Suffolk and Essex, please contact a member of our sales team on 01473 400380

In recent weeks the number of people who have asked, “where has this year gone?” has been quite remarkable. It hardly seems like any time at all since we were celebrating the start of the New Year. Schools will be starting the final term before the summer break and for those finishing Year 6, both children and parents will be asking, “where has the time gone?”.

Lots has been written to try and explain the phenomenon that the older you get the quicker the time seems to go, but one thing is for sure – time marches on. The Bible records that time stood still for a day and went backwards an hour, which tells us, God is in control of time.

The psalmist writes, “My times are in Your hands” and gave him much comfort in several ways, I mention two here. Firstly it gave him a cure for present worry. The writer of this psalm was in trouble and had much to be concerned about that day for his wellbeing. We can be anxious about all manner of things but if we, like the Psalmist, put our life into God’s hands we can go to Him with all are cares and concerns and see how He will work things out. Secondly, knowing that the psalmist times were in God’s hands, it gave him peace regarding the future. The writer had an unknown future but he could trust a known God with it. He had confidence that God knew best even though he might not understand the things he had to go through. I do not know what the future holds for me, or my family. With all the uncertainty that is being broadcast these days about resources, finances and environment it would be easy to have fear for the future. But again if we put our lives into God’s hands we can have peace knowing that He is in control of all things.

To put our lives into God’s hands and know that our times are in His hands we must turn to God and come to Him through Jesus. If you would like to know more then why not give me a call, join us on Sunday mornings at 10.45am or come to our last Discover & Do before the summer on Sunday 7 July at 4pm. We will have a craft and a talk followed by hotdogs. We will have a Family Fun Day on Friday 26 July from 10am-4pm, followed by a BBQ with games, competitions, coffee and chat, and more.

WEEKLY EVENTS Monday Fortnightly: Little Owls Toddler Group, 10am-noon Tuesday: Weekly Prayer Meeting, 7.30-8.30pm Wednesday: Coffee Morning, 10am-noon. All welcome.

Thursday: Home Group, 10-11.45am Friday: Children’s Club (primary school age), 6.30-7.30pm Sunday Morning Service: 10.45am-noon

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