In touch news with claydon nov 17

In Touch

™© ™©

with Barham, Claydon, Henley & Whitton Rural

Volume 8 • Issue No. 1 • NOVEMBER 2017

Image by Geoff Rogers

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NEWS

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Being a parent is challenging enough but having a full-time job 40 minutes from home requires some manic juggling at times. I’m fortunate to work in a company which accommodates my occasionally frantic schedule with mid-afternoon parent consultations and Friday morning Harvest Festivals, not to mention the celebration assemblies and share sessions. Not everyone is so lucky, but like my lovely employers I believe in a give and take approach to most things and it appears to work. I’m happy to work in the evenings and at weekends in return for some flexibility on schooldays.

Strangely this seems to have backfired in one unexpected way. My son has concluded that his dad’s job is far more important than mine! Apparently I “just do words” while daddy “does important things like bringing us electricity” (he doesn’t!). So all my running and racing from one thing to another so my lovely son has a parent at all of his many, many school events means my job is less important in his eyes. I was livid. Jack quickly realised he’d upset me but struggled to understand why, which made me even angrier.

After I’d calmed down we talked about my job for some time and I believe he now appreciates the extra effort required in order to be there when daddy can’t be. But daddy didn’t get off lightly either and though his job doesn’t facilitate the same degree of flexibility as mine he has now promised to attend at least one school event each term.

However, this ‘incident’ forced me to consider how my behaviour may have contributed to Jack’s assumption. Perhaps trying to do it all is the wrong approach. After all if daddy is too exhausted after a day of doing important things to do the many, many invisible tasks which seem to have become my responsibility, maybe I should be too! Maybe doing less is the answer. Maybe I won’t put the bins out this week! Maybe I won’t do all the Christmas shopping this year! Maybe I’ll introduce a cleaning rota!

I’ll let you know how it works out!

In Touch

with Barham, Claydon, Henley & Whitton Rural

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

01473 400380 Send editorial copy to: claydon@intouchnews.co.uk Readers are invited to submit articles, illustrations and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

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01473 400379 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 Barham, Claydon, Henley & Whitton Rural is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd as part of the “In Touch with . . . ” series of magazines.

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• NEW Beyton, Drinkstone, Elmswell, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit •B ramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham •C apel St Mary •B elstead, Bentley, Copdock, Tattingstone & Washbrook •D edham, East Bergholt, Flatford & Stratford St Mary •B aylham, Gt & Lt Blakenham & Nettlestead • 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

HIGH SCHOOL PUPIL RAISES MORE THAN £1,000 FOR CHARITY

Robert Beevers, a 12-year-old Claydon High School pupil, organised a charity dog walk in aid of the Animal Health Trust (www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/Robert-AHT4) and St Elizabeth Hospice in memory of his uncle, Edward Whittaker (www.justgiving.com/Robert-StElizabeth4) on Saturday, September 16 and raised more than £1,000 with donations still coming in and collection buckets still to be emptied.

The raffle, supported by local businesses WD Coe of Ipswich, East of England Co-op, HG Gladwell / Copdock Mill, Adnams Brewery, Elmsett Post Office and Stores and many national companies, raised more than £300.

Robert worked hard asking for raffle donations and sent out an invitation for walkers with or without their dogs to join him and his flatcoated retriever, Brownie, on a walk sharing his love of the Suffolk countryside and dogs, stopping off at The Limeburners in Offton for tasty fish and chips, another of Robert’s favourites!

The weather was not so kind and kept some people away. The walkers appreciated their break at the pub for refreshments and the raffle before the big walk back up the hill and home. Some friends unable to make the long walk supported Robert by joining him at the pub.

A hospice spokesperson said: “What an inspiration Robert is. He’s organised a fantastic event and raised a wonderful amount for us. The money he’s raised could provide a nurse for 24 hours in a patient’s home or at the hospice. That means a great deal to us, but more so to the local people that will be helped thanks to his fundraising.”

A spokesperson from the Animal Health Trust said: “It is one of those truly heart-warming stories. Robert is an amazing young man – to undertake a charity dog walk in memory of his uncle is a really mature and sensitive thing for someone so young, it’s fantastic. The money Robert has raised will help the Animal Health Trust to continue its work as the leading veterinary and scientific research charity dedicated to the health and welfare of animals.”

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DECEMBER DEADLINE

10 NOVEMBER 2017 is the final date for both advertising and editorial copy

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NEWS Support Local Efforts to help Children in Gambia

CLAYDON AND BARHAM LOCAL COMMUNITY TRUST

Wendy and Julian Andrews went to Gambia on a holiday and by chance were invited to meet some of the local villagers.

They were shocked to see their living conditions and to find out that the children often got no schooling. They also met a wonderful British lady who had moved out there and was doing all she could to get help for the schools. She had set up a charity called a Goal for Gambia, which can be followed on Facebook.

Claydon & Barham Local Community Trust Limited’s 15th Annual General Meeting will be held on November 14 at Claydon & Barham Community Centre, starting at 7.30pm. The agenda is posted in the community centre and available on request.

When Wendy and Julian asked how they could help they were told of a need for clean used children’s clothes and underpants (age 4-9) for the Gambia nursery – Kitty Nursery – and also skipping ropes, English Dictionaries, plimsoles and flip flops.

If you have items you would like to donate please contact Wendy: juandrews@hotmail.co.uk

SCOUT CHRISTMAS POST 2017 Once again Scouts will be delivering your Christmas cards in and around Ipswich and surrounding villages for the bargain price of 25p per card. They will deliver to any of the following areas: Ipswich IP1-IP5, Pinewood Estate, Felixstowe, Trimley Villages, Kirton, Martlesham Village, Grundisburgh, Bealings, Playford, Culpho, Bramford, Claydon, Barham, Blakenham, Sproughton, Henley, Witnesham and Tuddenham.

Cards can be dropped off in the boxes in the village from November 25 to December 12. You’ll find boxes at Freshfills Bakery, Choices, Bea’s Boutique, Claydon & Barham Community Centre, The Crown Inn, Barham Church and Claydon Primary School.

Any queries please contact: 01473 511388 / 07771 778003 Please help us and save yourself some cash at the same time. www.Ipswichscoutpost.co.uk

The cabaret evening with comedian Richard Whymark and singer Terry Lee Travis on September 23 was well attended and enjoyed by all. We will be hosting another similar event in May next year.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS Friday, October 27: The community centre is holding its annual Spooktakular Halloween family disco with entrance at just £1.50 per person and each child in fancy dress will receive a small prize. Come and join in the fun.

Saturday, November 18: The talented Tricks of the Trade in a fundraiser for Papworth Hospital organised by Colin Dedman. Tickets are just £6 and are available at the community centre. This is always an evening of excellent entertainment and for such an extremely worthwhile cause.

Tickets are now completely sold out for Saturday, November 25, another exciting event supporting the Haemophilia Society.

New Year’s Eve is always a special night at the community centre and this year entertainment is provided by Curt n Rod. Tickets are £12.50 for members and £13.50 for non-members. Book your tables early to avoid disappointment. Bring your own snacks for the evening. Members bar prices all evening.

Don’t forget the community centre is available for private hire and is an excellent venue for birthday celebrations, anniversaries or fundraising events.

For further information contact: 01473 831805 / info@candbcc.co.uk

In Touch VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED TO DELIVER IN TOUCH IN RURAL CLAYDON AND BARHAM We are now in urgent need of two/three volunteers to deliver In Touch magazines in outlying areas around Barham and Claydon, specifically in: • Hillside Business Park and the few housing/businesses near by

ANNUAL QUIZ NIGHT

• Old Ipswich Road including The Beeches

Thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s annual quiz, competing for the John West Memorial Trophy on October 6. Eleven teams took part over 10 rounds of various categories.

• An area around Barham Church Lane and or Sandy Lane (exact properties to be agreed with other volunteers)

This year’s winners were Universally Challenged scoring 101 points, closely followed by The Primates (Claydon Primary School) on 99. Third place went to The Village People with 94 points. Universally Challenged also received the trophy.

The prize money for the three top teams (£50, £30 and £20) was, as in previous years, kindly provided by Claydon & Barham Community Trust. All three teams kindly donated their prize money to St Elizabeth Hospice and with the proceeds from the raffle a total of £381 was raised.

My thanks, as always, go to those who helped make this event successful – Tim who helped prepare the music round, Mandy and Andy for scoring, and to Roger, Ann, Jenny and Trudi for organising the raffle. Also thanks to Jean Ballard for being the contact point for the teams.

Thank you, once again, for your continued support of this popular annual event and I look forward to seeing you all again in 2018.

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As a volunteer the magazines will be delivered to your door and you will then deliver to the properties in your allocated area within a week and if possible by the end of the month. If for any reason you are unavailable either find a willing neighbour or let us know as soon as possible so we can arrange cover.

For many year members of Claydon & Barham Local Community Trust have organised delivery of In Touch through a wonderfully dedicated group of volunteers throughout Claydon, Barham and the rural area around. Can we, on behalf of you all, thank them for the amazing job they do ensuring you receive valuable local information.

Mansion House Publishing pays Claydon & Barham Local Community Trust for providing this service and bi-annually that money is distributed to organisations within the local community.

If you feel you can help or for more information please contact Gail Cornish (07932 478878) or Peter Avis (07921 864042).

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NEWS CLAYDON & WHITTON PARISH COUNCIL NOVEMBER 2017

Councillor John Williams At the last parish council meeting we were very sad to be told of the resignation of Councillor John Williams due to ill health. John had been a parish councillor for 46 years and his wealth of local government knowledge, experience and wise counsel will be greatly missed, not only by the parish council, but the numerous other local organisations and bodies which have sought his help and advice over the years. His contribution to the life of the local community has been enormous and he will be impossible to replace.

We sincerely thank John for all his loyal service to the parish council and we do hope that his health will improve over the coming days.

Lorry Watch Co-ordinator We have a vacancy for a village Lorry Watch Co-ordinator following the pending retirement of Barry Moore who has carried out this task for a number of years, for which we are very grateful. The task involves recording registration numbers, names on vehicles, dates, times and any other information which is then used to help Suffolk County Council Trading Standards Officers to identify vehicles that are travelling within the village where HGVs are banned. This is mainly in Station Road, but could be elsewhere in the village. Full training by the current coordinator will be given, but anyone interested should contact the parish clerk in the first instance.

Roadworks in the Village The parish council would like to thank all members of the community for their patience and cooperation during the extended period of disruption along the Old Norwich Road and the centre of the village due to the essential major works that have been undertaken by Anglian Water. These are due to be completed in November.

Meetings in November The next parish council meeting will be held on Monday, November 13 at 7.30pm in Claydon & Barham Village Hall. Members of the community are very welcome to attend and opportunity will be given at the beginning of the meeting for them to speak on items included on the agenda or other issues about which they have concerns. Agendas will be available prior to the meeting from our parish clerk, Mrs S Eagle: 01473 687384 (answer machine available) / claywhit@btinternet.com / 7 Leicester Close, Ipswich IP2 9EX For the very latest news and information about village life and other items of interest please visit: www.claydonandbarham.onesuffolk.net / Twitter @claywhitpc

GET ACTIVE STAY FIT Would you like to feel more energetic, regain strength in your muscles and suppleness in your joints? Perhaps you would like to improve your posture and balance and reduce the risk or falls? If so a new keep fit class has starting in Henley Village Hall on Tuesdays from 2.15-3.15pm. The class is a low impact exercise to music class with a focus on building stamina, strength and balance. Each of the sessions start with a gentle warm-up, finish with stretching and relaxation and are easy to follow. You may be pleased to know that you would not need to get down onto the floor during the classes.

As well as the physical benefits, exercise is known to be a great way to lift mood as our bodies release chemicals into the blood stream which give us ‘the feel good factor’. Research shows that keeping active is crucial in maintaining good memory and our ability to reason as we age.

The classes are run throughout the year on a pay on the day basis and there is also an existing class in the Ascension Hall, Larchcroft Road, Ipswich on Mondays from 11am-noon. For more information please call Julia on 01473 620511.

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BARHAM PARISH COUNCIL At the October meeting the council and members of the public received a presentation from Mr Paul Webster and Mr Richard Martin from Scott Properties regarding proposed development on Land off Ely Road. Mr Webster thanked the council for taking the time to see them. They reported that they were only at the preliminary stages of the scheme, but were looking to develop the land on behalf of the two separate landowners (one was a private owner and the other piece of land belonged to the Diocese of St Edmundsbury in Ipswich).

Councillors were shown plans of the outline of the site and the access points being considered. The site is just under 8.5 acres and they were proposing 75 units, including the statutory requirements for affordable homes. The design covers a block of flats (two storey), bungalows and two, three, four and some five bedroom houses. Mr Webster explained that if the development is seen to place a burden on existing amenities then they would be required to make financial contributions to help.

Mr Webster has asked that once they had completed technical assessments they would like to come back to meet with the parish council again to discuss the outcomes of these.

Planning Questionnaires The parish council have received an update from Councillor Whitehead to let us know that he had personally taken your questionnaire responses regarding the large planning applications (Barham Church Lane, reference 1856/17 and Old Norwich Road, Claydon, reference 1832/17) to Mid Suffolk District Council on October 2. They will be added to the planning portal under the documents section.

Thank you again to the residents who took the time to complete the questionnaire. Please note there has been a change of phone number for Barham Parish Council Clerk.

Parish Clerk Jo Culley: 07958 402335 / barhampc@outlook.com

SnOasis PARISH ALLIANCE (SPA) In the autumn of last year, Onslow Suffolk Ltd put in an application to Mid Suffolk District Council for SnOasis Reserved Matters to be considered – Planning Application no. 4494/16.

For full details visit: www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning It’s important to be aware that this is not a renewal of the original planning approval for SnOasis, which remains in place. Reserved Matters cover the detail of such topics as design, appearance, transport, drainage and ecological mitigation.

Our questions and comments about Reserved Matters were summarised in a document which was submitted to MSDC as the comments from the SPA and all its member parishes, giving the comments extra weight because they come from a significant number of local communities, representing over 11,000 registered voters. The SPA member parishes are Baylham, Barham, Bramford, Claydon and Whitton, Great Blakenham, Little Blakenham, Needham Market, Nettlestead and Somersham.

The document is available to view on the Great Blakenham Parish Council website: www.greatblakenham.onesuffolk.net/snoasis-parish-alliance You may have seen the recent statements in the media made by the developer stating that SnOasis Reserved Matters would be considered by the district council in September. The SPA would like to make it clear that Reserved Matters were not considered in September and, as a significant amount of information is still outstanding, there is no date for the district council meeting to look at this.

The SPA remains ready to work with the district council on Reserved Matters.

However,, owing to the failure of the developer to provide the requested information, we are unable to make any progress and there is nothing else that I am able to report at the time I write this.

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

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NEWS DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, SOMERSHAM Come and raise a glass with us.

Whether it’s filled with beer, champagne, wine, spirits or a soft drink, there will be a warm welcome for you at the Duke of Marlborough. Bring your friends or family, invite your neighbours, encourage your workmates or come along alone: we’ll be happy to see you.

In November, the pub is open and serving food and drinks at the normal times. Keep your eyes peeled for menu information on the chalk board outside the pub, on Facebook or on the website. Contact Kevin to reserve a table: on 01473 831283 / kevin@thedukeofmarlborough.com Christmas bookings have opened! Prices are being confirmed as this goes to print, but the three-course menu is likely to be around £20 a head. It will be available from the evening of Wednesday, November 29 right through until Saturday, December 23: Wednesdays – evening only Thursdays – lunchtime and evening Fridays – lunchtime and evening Saturdays – lunchtime and evening Lunches are from noon to 2pm, dinners are from 6pm, with the latest starting time at 8.30pm.

On Christmas Day the pub will be open from 11am-3pm for drinks.

We’re looking at a ticketed event for New Year’s Eve – watch this space for further info!

What about Sundays? Well, we’ll be open for lunch as usual and look forward to seeing you. Check out what’s on offer food-wise as we’re planning an alternative to the traditional festive menu.

You’re invited to make an appointment at our Wherstead Park office to discuss:

Powers of Attorney Wills

Probate Court of Protection * We also offer a range of other services

Our out of town Ipswich location is very convenient for parking and has Contact us for an appointment today: excellent disabled access. www.ellisonssolicitors.com enquiries@ellisonssolicitors.com Wherstead Park, The Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2BJ 01473 556 900 Ellisons Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA Number 49336

The buying and re-opening of the Duke of Marlborough has been a monumental community effort. This beautiful 15th century pub has been redecorated, is being run by a professional manager and chef, is serving delicious, fresh food, and is ready to welcome you. Join us in celebrating the achievement.

Please help spread the word – particularly if you know companies or organisations who might book their get-togethers in this lovely environment.

Most importantly, make sure you’re here to raise a glass to over 500 years of past hospitality and to future years of good food, drink and company. Cheers!

Looking for ideas for an unusual Christmas, birthday or anniversary present for someone very special? Did you know you can buy shares in the pub for other people (who are over 18)? It’s a £250 minimum holding per person. If they already own shares, you can add to those at £50 per share.

For further information please contact Keith McKeown: 07817 418942 / keithmckeown8@gmail.com

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NEWS COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT JOHN FIELD’S REPORT TO GIPPING VALLEY: OCTOBER 2017 Highways I have pointed out the chaos that the several sets of road works in our area are causing and asked the cabinet member to intervene. Unfortunately, the county has limited control, but they do appear to accept major disruption.

Hopefully by the time you read this the necessary but annoying work will be complete.

The Gt Blakenham Zebra No sooner had I given you the October date than it was delayed to midJanuary due to the disruption that would have occurred if the work coincided with that at Hackney’s Corner.

Hackney’s Corner The work to change the junction shape should reduce accidents, but not I feel to the extent we need. Unfortunately, traffic lights were not considered necessary when the latest plans were agreed at the planning meeting in 2015. We will have to keep an eye on the safety record and may have to fight for improvements.

School Transport Policy The Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent Group ‘called-in’ the cabinet decision to consult on proposed changes to SCC’s school transport policy. The proposal was to reduce transport provision to the statutory minimum to the nearest school if it is more than two miles away and the child is under eight or three miles and under 16. However, if a route to school is not safe to walk transport is provided from lesser distances.

We cited several problems with the cabinet report and argued that to go to public consultation without a comprehensive impact assessment was premature. We questioned the expected savings and stressed the need to fully research how changes might impact on educational attainment, increased car use, and school viability.

Scrutiny committee members considered that cabinet was not fully informed, decided that the process had flaws and by a vote of seven to five referred the decision back to cabinet. We believe we have achieved some progress as the cabinet member has responded: “There has been so much helpful discussion and debate over the past few weeks in relation to the future of school and post-16 travel. Proposals for the next stage of the review of this important policy are currently being refined and will be taken to cabinet once we have carefully considered all the issues that have been raised so far.”

Minerals and Waste Plan A new plan identifying the various sites allocated for waste related activities and for mineral extraction has reached the preferred options consultation stage. It will be presented for your input at Claydon and Barham Village Hall on November 20 from 2-8pm. There are no disastrous surprises in our area.

Joint Local Plan At SCC cabinet on October 10 a paper was presented on county cooperation in the planning process. It recognised the need for much more work with district councils.

I pressed cabinet members and senior officers to recognise the inadequacy of the resource currently dedicated to highways planning that is necessary.

They said they would ensure it was adequate.

Boundary Review The Boundary Commission have made their first proposals for the Mid Suffolk ward boundary review. They would place Great Blakenham, Little Blakenham and Somersham in a single member ward. Bramford would stand alone and Gosbeck and Ashbocking would be added to the existing two-member Claydon & Barham ward. There is as usual a consultation under way if you want to put your views forward. My group proposed a larger three-member ward pulling together all the Gipping Valley area. The many common interests would then be better served.

Mid Suffolk Babergh Merger On October 13, the cabinets of Mid Suffolk and Babergh met simultaneously and co-located at Endeavour House to consider proposals to reduce costs by merging the councillor bodies. There are other proposals such as creating a unitary authority for Suffolk that require wider agreement, but to merge they just have to agree and get the Secretary of State’s consent. Of course there was a referendum on this subject that rejected the concept but the two Conservative groups appear determined to press ahead for a saving predicted to be £600k per year after initial redundancy costs. £60k of this is councillor allowances, the rest is hope.

We appear to be ignoring ‘the will of the people’ in this case, but my concern remains as ever that predicted economies are rarely delivered in practice.

As to the possibility of reducing councillor numbers, there is currently one county councillor to cover the area of four district councillors: is a reduction possible without damaging your representation?

Fisons The district council have bid for government money to try to get development moving and preserve the listed buildings. We may at last see progress.

If you have queries please phone me on 01473 831306 (you will need to say your name and press #) or 07545 423808. You can also email me at: john.field@suffolk.gov.uk I do have Twitter @JohnFieldjd and Facebook /fieldjd accounts and my website is at: www.johnfield.suffolk.libdems.org

His medals took pride of place, they helped us think of everything Here for you every hour of every day 01473 851731 or visit www.eastofengland.coop/funerals www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

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NEWS SUFFOLK ENERGY-FROM-WASTE SITE New Apprentice

Piers Place has joined us on a mechanical engineering apprenticeship. He will be studying Performing Engineering Operations at Suffolk New College. He finished his A levels at Colchester Sixth Form this summer where he studied maths, business and product design.

He particularly enjoyed the hands-on aspect of project design which has brought him to the mechanical engineering position.

Piers has always enjoyed engineering and used to take his calculators apart to find out how they worked as school. We hope during the apprenticeship he’ll be learning how to put things back together now.

A very warm welcome Piers, we are sure you’ll enjoy your four years with us.

SUEZ Communities Trust The Suez Communities Trust provides funding to projects that improve community life and the natural environment. It distributes money donated

by SUEZ recycling and recover UK, although it is independent and has its own board which decides which projects to support. Funding is available for projects within a three-mile radius of the Suffolk energy-from-waste site and applications can be made online. If you know a project that could be deserving of the funding please visit: www.suezcommunitiestrust.org.uk Come and have a look around

The Suffolk energy-form-waste facility is holding a series of open days in November which include a tour of the facility and time to explore our visitor centre. There is space on the following days: Monday, November 27, 6-8pm / Thursday, November 30, 2-4pm

There are 20 spaces on each day and you must pre-book. To book please email suffolkefw@sita.com.uk and we will confirm your place by email.

If you would like to come but cannot make these dates, you can email us to register your interest and we will let you know when the next open days are planned.

Any questions?

If you have any queries about our operations, please do not hesitate to contact the facility on 01473 839149.

OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS To book a visit: 01473 836821 Environment Agency: 0800 807060 SUEZ Communities Trust: 01454 262910

HENLEY PARISH COUNCIL You’ll remember that a little while ago the parish council circulated a questionnaire asking for information and opinions about housing needs in Henley in the future. This is so that when we take part in consultations about the future of the village and the wider district we can do so on the basis of having gathered the views of residents.

We’ll publish the full report, but the main points make interesting reading. The survey was designed by Community Action Suffolk, which has a great deal of experience of this kind of work. They have also analysed the results and written the report.

The questionnaire was distributed to all households and 78 were returned completed. This represents a rate of return of just under 35%, which is average for this kind of survey. In CAS’s opinion, that gives us a robust picture of the opinions of the village generally.

Here are CAS’s conclusions.

“The analysis of data provided by the respondents showed a need for new homes to accommodate the identified 24 households (35 individuals) in need of housing comprising of a mix of property types, bedroom numbers and tenures. This does not include any unidentified need from those who did not respond to the survey and those looking to move into Henley who has not already been identified by close family currently living in Henley.

“The recommended number of affordable homes a parish may wish to provide is based generally on a third or half of the overall need indicated by the survey, as some respondents may withdraw, move away, may not be eligible or be housed by other means during the planning and building process of any future scheme. For the purpose of this survey affordable homes are defined as including social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. It can be a new-build property or a private sector property that has been purchased for use as an affordable home.

“Therefore the recommendation for Henley would be ten to fifteen dwellings. This will need to be agreed, together with the size, type and tenure of dwellings with the parish council, local authority, and appointed registered provider. The relevant parties involved may wish to consider providing housing on phased basis and on more than one site.

“The final mix of properties will be subject to constraints of any suitable site(s) together with evidence of people registering their interest as the scheme progresses. When making this decision, all parties should note the need indicated for units to downsize to in the open market sector.”

So Henley is likely to need between 10 and 15 new houses over the next 10 years or so. This would probably chime in with the overall need of the district council to provide its share of new housing to meet national targets.

The next step in this process is for the parish council to discuss the findings with the district council and the CAS Rural Housing Enabler.

Residents’ opinions are, of course, always welcome by email or by attending one of our parish council meetings.

If you’re not on our village email list and would like to be, just send a simple request to henleyparishcouncil@gmail.com or rodcaird@ yahoo.co.uk and we will sort it out. And don’t forget to keep an eye from time to time on our own website where we publish all sorts of useful (we hope!) information and contacts.

Henley Parish Council Clerk Rod Caird: 07785 331217 www.henley.onesuffolk.net

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In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT FOUR COMMUNITIES ACTION GROUP Created in 2010 by members of the churches of Barham, Claydon, Great Blakenham and Henley, we aim to work together to develop activities and support networks and provide spiritual support and encouragement with a view to enhancing the lives of all members of the community. We currently have five organisations under our umbrella.

Meet ‘n’ Eat Lunch Club Meets at noon on the first Friday of each month at Great Blakenham Parish Rooms. This month’s meeting is just before Guy Fawkes on Friday, November 3. We’re not allowed fireworks in the Parish Rooms, but we might offer a dash of chilli in the soup to hot things up! In addition to lunch we offer the chance to sit and chat with old friends, make new friends, play a game of bingo, win the raffle and have a bit of fun, all for just £4. Just pop in or contact Mike for more information: 07805 507497 The Book Club Meets at The Crown at 10.30am on the last Thursday in the month. Join us for a light-hearted discussion on the book we’ve chosen to read.

Gipping Valley Art Society Meets every Tuesday afternoon at Great Blakenham Parish Rooms.

Membership is free, but we pay a weekly subscription to cover room hire, refreshments and so on. We hold a local exhibition of our work once a year and also show our art at other exhibitions and attend small shows and galas.

The next opportunity to see our work is at Claydon & Barham Community Centre on November 18. For more information contact Ann (01473 831031) or Margaret (01473 830135).

4 Ever Young Men’s Club Meets at The Crown at 10.30am on the third Wednesday of each month. Just pop in or contact Mike for more information: 07805 507497 The Knitting Group Meets in the lounge at Alasdair Place on the first Thursday in the month from 10.30am-noon. We pay £1 towards refreshments. You can bring along any knitting you want but if you need ideas, we have plenty. At the moment some of us are knitting small teddy bears for the fire brigade to take for children involved in incidents and hats and scarves for the soup kitchen.

CLAYDON PRIMARY SCHOOL HSA QUIZ AND CHIPS Join us for an evening of fun, with games to play, food to eat and a chance to exercise that brain on Friday, November 17 from 7pm at the school hall.

Bring your own refreshments, nibbles and, of course, spare change for games and raffle.

Tickets/forms are £8.50 and are available from the school office; the deadline for ordering is Monday, November 13. Teams of up to six adults.

Choice of fish, sausage, veggie burger/spring roll or Pukka pies, all with chips. The first prize is a case of wine!

LOCAL CRAFT & PRODUCE FAIR Saturday, November 18, 9am-1pm The Community Café at Claydon & Barham Community Centre, Church Lane, Claydon IP6 0EG. Open to all, come along and see some beautiful local crafts and wonderful produce and enjoy some tempting treats at the café while your shop.

Stalls are available at £12 with table provided or £10 if you wish to bring your own.

To book contact Claire: cjbullard17@gmail.com

www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

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Fri 17th - Thurs 23rd Nov

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (12A) Fri 17th & Sat 18th: 2.30 & 7.45 Sun 19th & Mon 20th: 2.30 Tue 21st - Thurs 23rd: 5.00 Fri 27th Oct - Thurs 2nd Nov

THE SNOWMAN (15)

Fri 27th - Sun 29th: 7.30 Mon 30th - Wed 1st: 2.15 & 7.30 Thurs 2nd: 2.15 & 5.00

HAPPY DEATH DAY

(15)

Fri 17th & Sat 18th: 5.00, Tue 21st: 7.45 Wed 22nd & Thurs 23rd: 12.15

THE DEATH OF STALIN (15)

Mon 20th: 12.15, Tue 21st: 2.30 Wed 22nd & Thurs 23rd: 2.30 & 7.45

THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US (12A) MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE (U) Fri 27th - Wed 1st: 5.00 Thurs 2nd: 12.00 & 7.45

Sat 18th & Sun 19th: 12.15

THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE (PG) Fri 27th - Sun 29th: 12.15 & 2.30

Fri 3rd - Thurs 9th Nov

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (12A) Fri 3rd - Wed 8th: 2.30 & 7.45 Thurs 9th: 12.00 & 5.00

GEOSTORM

LIVE ON STAGE Saturday 11th November at 2pm - Tickets £9 The RBL & Stowmarket Town Council present

FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE

THE CAROLE KING & JAMES TAYLOR STORY

(12A)

Sat 4th & Sun 5th: 12.15

Wed 6th - Fri 8th Dec: 7.30, Sat 9th & Sun 10th Dec: 12.00 & 5.00

Sunday 19th November at 7.30pm - Tickets £12.50 & £14 Monday 20th November at 7.30pm - Tickets £15.00

Fri 3rd - Wed 8th: 5.00, Thurs 9th: 2.30

THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE

SNOW WHITE PANTOMIME - TICKETS NOW ON SALE

(PG)

Fri 10th - Thurs 16th Nov

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (12A) Fri 10th: 2.30 & 7.45, Sat 11th: 9.45am & 7.45 Sun 12th - Wed 15th: 2.30 & 7.45 Thurs 16th: 1.15 & 4.15

THOR: RAGNAROK (12A)

A night of country music with

STEPHEN SMYTH

Friday 24th November at 2.00pm - Tickets £10 & £12

An afternoon of festive nostalgia

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES Friday 1st December at 7.30pm - Tickets £12

Fat Old Dad present music, festive fun & laughter

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS TIME

Fri 10th & Sat 11th: 5.00 Sun 12th: 11.45am & 5.00 Mon 13th - Wed 15th: 5.00, Thurs 16th: 10.45am GREAT FAMILY FILMS, KIDS £2.50, ADULTS FREE!* World Class Theatre - Beamed to Stowmarket

Thurs 16th November at 7pm - Tickets £12.50

THE EMOJI MOVIE (U)

National Theatre Live presents the Stephen Sondheim musical

Fri 27th - Sun 29th Oct: 9.45am, Sat 4th & Sun 5th: 9.45am

www.regalstowmarket.co.uk / 01449 612825

Sun 12th: 9.30am, Sat 18th & Sun 19th: 10.00am

FOLLIES

Ipswich Street, Stowmarket, IP14 1AY

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POCKET MONEY MOVIES

CARS 3 (U)

*1x free adult per paying child. Under 10’s must be accompanied.

In Touch online:

OUT & ABOUT SALE AT ST PETER’S COURT

CLAYDON AND BARHAM VILLAGE HALL

First Tuesday of each month. Remaining dates for 2017: November 7 and December 5

Dates for November Wednesday 1 Bar-Clay Music Makers

6.30-10.30pm

All money raised to go to the East Anglian Air Ambulance

Thursday 2

Young Families Silver Surfers Slimming World

9.30-11.30am 11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 3

Stowe School of Dance

4-5.30pm

Stowmarket Cycle Club AGM

7-9pm

Monday 6

Barham PC Meeting

7-9.30pm

Wednesday 8

Bar-Clay Music Makers

6.30-10.30pm

Thursday 9

Silver Surfers Slimming World

11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 10

Stowe School of Dance

4-5.30pm

Sunday 12

Bar-Clay Music Makers

1.30-5.30pm

Monday 13

Craft Addicts Claydon PC Meeting

1-4pm 7.30-9.30pm

Tuesday 14

Women’s Institute

7.30-10pm

Wednesday 15

Bar-Clay Music Makers

6.30-10.30pm

Thursday 16

Young Families Silver Surfers Slimming World

9.30-11.30am 11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 17

Stowe School of Dance

4-5.30pm

Saturday 18

Private Hire

1.30-5.30pm

Monday 20

SCC Community Event

1-9pm

Wednesday 22

Bar-Clay Music Makers

6.30-10.30pm

Thursday 23

Sunshine Service Silver Surfers Slimming World

10am-noon 11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

Friday 24

Stowe School of Dance

4-5.30pm

Sunday 26

Bar-Clay Music Makers

1.30-5.30pm

Monday 27

Craft Addicts

1-4pm

Tuesday 28

Village Hall Committee AGM

7.30-10pm

Wednesday 29

Bar-Clay Music Makers

6.30-10.30pm

Thursday 30

Young Families Silver Surfers Slimming World

9.30-11.30am 11.30am-2pm 5.30 & 7.30pm

All welcome.

CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S LIFE LINE AND CHARITY SHOP We are delighted with the response to our appeal for the Father Frost Special Delivery program. More than 90 people have pledged to send a present to a child in Chernobyl. Now our only problem is getting them all into our luggage space!

Regrettably the airline is now restricting the number of bags we are allowed to send back with the children. In addition to the usual baggage, each traveller is allowed one piece of hand luggage up to 8kg. Traditionally the children have had rucksacks which were easy for them to carry, but would be too heavy at 8kg. From now on we are going to try to give each child a proper ‘roll on’ cabin bag which will allow them to take full advantage of the 8kg allowance.

So, if you ever have a small, lightweight cabin bag that you no longer want we would be very pleased to receive it. There will be five children travelling in December and, of course, our large group in the summer. The hope is that as the children will not use the bags again once they are back in Belarus we will be able to recycle them for the next group.

Christmas Chocolate Bingo is back!

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a Christmas themed Chocolate Bingo event on December 16 at our new home, Stowmarket Football Club. Tickets are already selling strongly so make sure to get yours in plenty of time. Tickets are £6 each and are available from our charity shop in Needham Market or directly from the football club.

Our charity shop continues to welcome donations, especially at this time of year as we may be able to use some items for the children who arrive in December or those we are sending presents to in January. We are starting to build a really good stock of evening wear for that special big night out during the festive season. Why spend a fortune when you can pick up something ‘nearly new’ instead?

Baby on the way? We have a number of high quality brand new baby buggies which usually retail at nearly £800 but are available for less than half that price. They are bankrupt stock which has been donated to the charity. If you are interested please let us know and we will be happy to arrange for you to see one.

We are extremely grateful for your support and can assure you that every penny raised stays in Mid Suffolk to use for the benefit of our local Link and the children and families we support in Belarus.

Link Chair Elizabeth Parker 01449 760343 / www.ccllmidsuffolk.org.uk

For more information on village hall activities visit the Claydon and Barham website and follow the links. Hall bookings now only online.

The Village Hall Management Committee will be holding their AGM on Tuesday, November 28 at 7.30pm in Claydon & Barham Village Hall.

To say anything about how the hall is run or if you have suggestions for new regular events, you will be most welcome to come along.

BAR-CLAY MUSIC MAKERS – THE VOYAGE BEGINS Rehearsals for Linzi Hall’s imaginative and lively take on the tale of The Little Mermaid are off to a swimming start! The new panto features all the traditional ingredients you would expect: magic potions and spells (good and bad), a shipwreck, mermaids (of course), goodies, baddies, love, singing and dancing. And that’s before you add in the spectacular costumes and ingenious sets.

Tickets go on sale at the beginning of December so make a note of the show dates: January 19/20 and 26/27, 2018. You won’t want to miss this exciting and ambitious production. For more details, email: vera.rogers1@btinternet.com

www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

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OUT & ABOUT NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH CURT N ROD CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AT LITTLE BLAKENHAM VILLAGE HALL Free entry on Saturday, November 25, 2-4pm

CRIB DISPLAY AT LITTLE BLAKENHAM CHURCH Saturday, November 25 and Sunday, November 26, 11am-4pm On Sunday 26 a Christingle Service will follow at 4.30pm. Entry is free, but all donations will be gratefully accepted in aid of Little Blakenham Church.

Curt n Rod will be playing at Claydon Community Centre on New Year’s Eve. “Having played there for their Valentine’s Dance, we can confirm the club has a very warm and friendly atmosphere and non-members are very welcome,” says Keith. “There is a very well stocked bar and a dance floor situated between the band and the seating area. There is parking adjacent to the club.”

Apart from munchies, food will not be available on New Year’s Eve, but members and guests can bring their own. Tickets are £12.50 for members and £13.50 for non-members. For tickets and information please contact Keith: 01473 624538

CLAYDON & BARHAM WI IPSWICH MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTE 5 Route 5 Town/village MIP/5A Sproughton MIP/5B Sproughton MIP/5C Bramford MIP/5D Bramford MIP/5E Great Blakenham MIP/5F Great Blakenham

MIP/5G Baylham MIP/5H Claydon MIP/5I Claydon MIP/5J Barham MIP/5K Bramford

Location Church Lane Wild Man St Mary’s Close Paper Mill Lane Chequers Blue Leighs Mobile Home Park Post Box Crown Edinburgh Gardens Bacon Road Packard Place

Time 9.10-9.25am 9.30-9.45am 9.50-10.05am 10.10-10.25am 10.35-1055am 11-11.15am 11.25-11.45am 11.55am-1pm 2.05-2.20pm 2.25-3.50pm 4-4.30pm

2017 DATES: November 21, December 19 Please note that Mobile Library Route 13 stops off at the Sorrel Horse in Barham from 11-11.10am on the following dates: November 3, December 1 & 29

Pat welcomed Angie and Lorna to our last WI meeting. We do hope that they enjoyed themselves and look forward to seeing them again next month.

We had a most enjoyable evening with Jill and Jenny making Christmas cards with green, gold, red and silver ribbon. The end results were striking.

Members made their choices for Christmas lunch at Claydon Country House on December 5.

Our next walk is on Friday, November 3, with lunch at The Sorrel Horse.

Book club is on November 13 at the community centre and our next meeting on November 14 is our annual meeting followed by games.

Should anyone wish to get in touch, please contact Barbara on 01473 832330. It will be lovely to hear from you.

We took part in making scarecrows for the Harvest Festival weekend, and happily came first!

GREAT BLAKENHAM CRAFT CLUB

CLAYDON & BARHAM CHURCH

GRAND CHRISTMAS BAZAAR In aid of the Church Fabric Fund Saturday, November 18 from 2pm at Claydon High School Hall Lucky Admission – Adults 20p Stalls with bargains galore including cakes, handicraft, tombola, raffles, pickles, jams, sweets, next-to-new household and toys, white elephant, books and jewellery Enjoy a glass of mulled wine or a cup of tea Be there to meet Father Christmas Quality gifts for only £1.50 For further details and offers of help: 01473 833014 / 01473 784535

This club is open to anyone living not just in Great Blakenham, but anywhere in the surrounding area. We meet every Monday (other than bank holidays) in Great Blakenham Parish Room (opposite The Chequers) on Stowmarket Road from 2-4pm. There is plenty of parking space, the building is fully accessible for anyone in a wheelchair and has disabled facilities within.

Members pay £2 per meeting to cover hall hire, refreshments, the monthly workshop goody bag and weekly raffle prizes. Alternatively, if you would just like to come and bring your own project to work on, enjoy our company and make new friends without doing the workshops the charge is £1.50 per meeting. Members take it in turns to make the tea.

Our workshop for October was Kantha, a style of stitching which originated in Bengal and was used to make bedding from saris. Our afternoon started with a short history and a simple heart pattern followed by a choice of pattern (an elephant, a cat, flowers or birds) for subsequent pieces.

It’s Mini Makes on November 13 and our AGM and the last meeting of the year will take place on November 27 as members have decided they would like to go out for a Christmas meal this year. This will be on December 4 at The Chequers, kindly organised by Shirley Biggs.

The club year starts again on February 5 and the 2018 programme will appear in the January edition of In Touch.

If all this sounds interesting there is currently room for new members so if you would like to join us please get in touch. Although the club is all ladies at present, gentlemen who would like to learn crafts are welcome. Unfortunately I cannot accommodate children.

Jackie Durrant, 01449 672690

14

In Touch online:

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15

OUT & ABOUT GREAT BLAKENHAM OVER 50s CLUB The club is open to anyone of that age living not just in Great Blakenham, but anywhere in the surrounding area. We meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in Great Blakenham Parish Rooms from 2-4pm. The cost per meeting is £1.50 which includes whatever activity is programmed for the afternoon, refreshments and raffle. On afternoons when we may play a couple of games of bingo the tickets are £1 each. Members take it in turns to make the tea.

The Parish Rooms is the building with a green door more or less opposite The Chequers. There is plenty of parking space, the building is fully accessible for anyone in a wheelchair and has disabled facilities within.

During September we had a social afternoon led by Sandra and then our AGM followed by a couple of quizzes and a few games of bingo. The club continues to prosper and our programme for 2018 will follow in due course.

Our programme up to the end of the year is: November 8: Beetle Drive with Jean November 22: Social afternoon with a visit by the Rural Coffee Caravan December 13: Christmas Meal at The Chequers We have quite a varied programme and new members are always welcome, but if you would just like to come along and see what goes on we will be pleased to see you.

Jackie Durrant, 01449 672690

SILVER SURFERS Silver Surfers, a friendly, supportive group offering help to get the most out of your computer, tablet or phone, meets on Thursdays from noon-2pm in Claydon & Barham Village Hall.

There’s no need to worry if you have never used a computer; there is something of interest for all and we are very patient. Just give it a try, you may enjoy it!

In a world where almost everything is now online we realise that it can be difficult to get started. Complete beginners can now regularly use WhatsApp and Skype to contact their family abroad, while others have found out how to book appointments or to copy, print or send photos to their friends. We can also help if you just need to fill an online application but don’t have a computer or printer.

Contact John on 01473 830084 for more information, or just drop in to one of our sessions.

IPSWICH AND DISTRICT SUPPORT GROUP, DIABETES UK Our next meeting is on Thursday, November 9 at St Augustine’s Church Hall, Bucklesham Road, Ipswich IP3 8TH from 7-9pm. It will be an evening of festive fun, quizzes, information and support.

This is a social gathering of people who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes to share information on diabetes and to talk to other people in similar situations. Refreshments will be available free of charge. No admission charge or joining fee.

For further information please contact: dsgipswichduk@gmail.com 07547 513730 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri) www.ipswich.diabetesukgroup.org

BRAMFORD TREFOIL GUILD Our October meeting was our first back in Guide and Scout HQ. For most of the summer we have been enjoying outings, walks and an afternoon at a member’s lovely back garden in Somersham. Members made cakes and pastries that were enjoyed by everyone. Our October speaker was ill so we had a craft afternoon thanks to one of our members. These meetings are always enjoyed.

If you would like to visit us or to join our guild please call Pat Caddick: 01473 402152

SOMERSHAM & DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB lkie Emma Kerridge, a wildlife artist from the RSPB, is the guest speaker at our next meeting in Offton and Willisham Village Hall on Monday, November 13 at 7.30pm. For anyone interested in wildlife, this should be a good evening.

For more information please call: 01473 830600/254941 Christine Barrell

If you’d like to come but cannot make the session times for any reason just let us know.

HENLEY WI Last month’s speaker was Dave Stewart who gave an excellent talk entitled The History of the Dad`s Army TV Programme. Firstly Dave gave us a thumbnail sketch of the main actors in the show, namely Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Lawrie, Arnold Ridley, James Beck and Ian Lavender. Unfortunately of those seven actors only Ian Lavender is still alive.

The programme continues to go from strength to strength because it was so well written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and the superb characterisation was its strength. There are two museums dedicated to Dad`s Army at Bressingham and at Thetford which are well worth a visit.

Next month is our AGM when we get down to the business of actually running a successful WI and then we will all begin to look forward to the preparations for Christmas. Not long now!

16

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT FLOWER CLUB Mr John Chennell will present a demonstration entitled In Festive Mood when we next meet on Wednesday, November 22 at Needham Market Community Centre.

Doors open at 7pm and there will be stalls selling plants, cakes, handbags, scarves, jewellery and items for the chairman’s charity, Arthritis Research UK. Tickets are £7 for members and £10 for visitors; for tickets contact Denise Shaw on 01449 737833.

On November 1, the club is holding a fashion show at the United Reform Church in Stowmarket in conjunction with M&Co who will remain open after the show and ticket holders will get a 10% discount on any purchases made that evening. Tickets are £7 and can be obtained from Di Balaam on 01449 736374.

In Touch online:

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Tel: 01284 747 000

Tel: 01473 555 000

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Tel: 01359 241 761

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17

SCHOOLS CLAYDON HIGH SCHOOL On Wednesday, September 27 we welcomed more than 500 prospective parents/carers and their children to our school for our annual open evening.

Following a short presentation, visitors were able to tour the school and experience our fantastic resources and facilities. Staff and students were on hand to showcase their work and visitors took part in various activities including the English department’s Punctuation Face Challenge, combustible Jelly Babies in Science, interactive maths activities, including gas powered rockets, French and Spanish food tasting in Languages and much, much more.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our 200 Claydon High School student helpers who helped to make the evening such a success. Much of the feedback I received from visitors commented on how helpful, friendly and polite our students were.

On Friday, October 13, children’s author Stewart Ross visited Claydon High School to talk to Years 7 and 8 about his writing as he launches his latest book, The Salvation Project, the exciting finale to The Soterion Mission. With more than 250 published titles to his credit, Stewart is one of Britain’s most popular and versatile writers. Students were given the opportunity to meet the author in person and purchase a copy of his latest book. As an experienced speaker, Stewart engaged very well with his young audience and it was lovely to see so many enthused and interested faces and lots of questions being asked.

Claydon High School regularly invites authors to the school to give presentations and hold workshops for different year groups. These visits prove to be extremely rewarding for all involved and are a great way to enthuse students about reading and writing. Author visits benefit the school by enabling students and teachers to interact with the author of a book that they have read, to learn more about the creative process and to gain

CLAYDON & BARHAM YOUNG FAMILIES A Mothers’ Union project which has been run by Mothers’ Union members and supporters for 26 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 from 9.30-11.30am in Claydon and Barham Village Hall on November 2, 16 and 30.

At our regular sessions we welcome anyone with babies or children under five for imaginative play, singing and lots of fun. Families can enjoy craft activities where children can be creative and try out different materials to produce an individual masterpiece. Playdough and all sorts of toys that encourage children’s imaginative play and physical and social development are available.

For parents/carers it’s a good opportunity to meet others with pre-school children or babies. There is also a prize draw for the children.

This month we would like to wish a happy birthday to Seth, James and Faith.

Why not come along and join in the fun? You can make friends and enjoy some valuable play. For more information contact me on 01473 833788 or check our listing on Netmums.com.

Michelle

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOL 100 CLUB September prize-winners No. 64 Sue Chisnall No. 59 Beverley Fenn No. 15 Phil Harman

£10.80 £5.40 £1.80

New members are welcome at any time. Entry is just £1 a month and the draw takes place on the last Friday of each month from September through to July. The more entries we get the greater the prize money and all money raised is used to enhance the lives of our children within the pre-school.

insights into the world of writing and publishing. These school visits also provide authors with direct reader contact and a chance to hear questions, to learn what moments in their books resonate with readers, and to even field suggestions for intriguing ideas for sequels and future books.

In other areas of the school, the PE department has had an eventful start to the term with football and netball fixtures, table tennis, golf and cross country competitions and a swimming gala. Year 10 GCSE PE students also had the opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills when they ran a successful Year 6 Sports Morning for more than 100 students from our feeder primary schools. A range of activities was on offer, including table tennis, badminton, netball and fitness and rowing challenges. Our Year 10 leaders made the sessions really fun and competitive and were a credit to the school.

At the end of October, Year 11 students visited the Suffolk Skills Show at Trinity Park, Ipswich. Students were able to visit stands, gather information and talk to employers and representatives from many different local businesses and industries, ranging from farming and agriculture, engineering and construction to law, finance and HM forces. The Suffolk Skills Show is the largest employer-led skills and careers event in the area and featured more than 100 exhibitors with in excess of 5,000 visitors expected for 2017.

Finally, as I write this article, WOW Week is nearly upon us and I look forward to sharing all of the wonderful activities our students will have experienced in December’s edition. Please watch this space.

If you would like to visit the school and see us in action, please come along to one of our open mornings. The next one is on Wednesday, November 29.

Please telephone my PA, Mrs J Saunders on 01473 836110 to book a place.

Headteacher Maéve Taylor

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOL Wow, to think the first half term is over and we are now in the second half with Halloween, fireworks and – dare I say it – Christmas!

The children have been doing lots of activities around Halloween and fireworks and are now looking forward to Christmas crafts and preparing for their nativity on December 13 at Barham Church.

We also had our Halloween dress-up week the first week after half term. There is also a stay and play session for parents and carers coming up at the end of November – giving them the opportunity to see what goes on during the normal sessions.

Now we are open all year round we will have some spaces in the school holidays for children aged two to five years old. If you are interested in sending your child please contact the administration assistant, details below, for more info and a booking form.

Don’t forget that the government has introduced an additional 15 hours funding for working parents of three and four year olds. This means that parents who both earn the equivalent of 16 hours at National Minimum Wage (£115.20) or more per week and less that £100,000 per year (or just one carer if a single parent) will be eligible to claim up to 30 hours of funding. You can register at Childcare Choices to see if you are eligible and also register for the Government Childcare Vouchers Scheme. If you are using the 30 hours you must provide a code to us with your national insurance number in order to be eligible.

If you would like an application form or any further information please contact administration assistant Lisa Read: admin@ claydonpreschool.co.uk / 01473 831648 Claydon Pre-school, Old Scout Hut, Thornhill Road, Claydon IP6 0DZ

For an entry form please contact Nadine Harrison: 01473 831857 / treasurer@claydonpreschool.co.uk

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SCHOOLS / SPORT CLAYDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

STONHAM ASPAL C OF E VA PRIMARY SCHOOL The autumn term is well underway. Class R children have settled in very quickly and are really enjoying exploring their new classroom, getting to know each other and the staff, as well as the school routines.

Their topics are ‘Harvest’ and ‘Light and Dark’. They have a cave in their classroom in which they use a range of light sources to explore and they have toured the school looking for sources of light.

It has been an exciting month as the children have settled back into school life, becoming more familiar with their new teachers and learning environments and beginning to flourish.

Our Year 6 pupils had an amazing time on their recent residential trip to Hilltop Outdoor Centre where they stayed for four days and three nights. This is something we have done for a number of years now as it is an amazing experience for the children and has numerous benefits for them personally as well as academically. It really helps to build their confidence, resilience, risk taking and team work skills, all of which then benefits them in their learning back at school, as well as their self-belief. The children took part in a number of activities including archery, mountain biking, bushcraft, big zipper, high ropes, assault course, night time activities and much, much more. We always look forward to having the children back at school and hearing about their exciting adventures.

Sport plays a big part at CPS and numerous lunchtime and after school clubs have already started including basketball, football, hockey, netball and running. It is great to see so many of our children participating so enthusiastically in sports. We also recently participated in the IPSSA Under 9 football tournament where a group of Year 4 boys were selected to represent the school. The boys were all a credit to the school as they played with determination and encouraged each other throughout. They played five games, winning two, drawing two and losing just one. We were all extremely proud of them.

NEEDHAM MARKET BOWLS CLUB Many NMBC members attended the Stowmarket League presentation evening to see captains Roger Last, Joyce Walton and David Hindley pick up the three trophies won by the club in 2017. Congratulations once again to all the bowlers involved.

Not a lot of news at the moment, but more next month after the AGM when the dates and content of the winter social evenings have been decided.

MEET AND GREET DAYS AT CROWLEY PARK These have been very successful and will resume with the opening of the 2018 outdoor season in April. Come along and enjoy a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit, bowls and basic instruction. If you just want to watch and chat that’s fine.

Although bowls is an ideal sport for the active older person, remember ‘YOU ARE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO BOWL’.

Pat Hadden: 01473 831308 / Alistair Bailie: 01449 720759

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Classes 1 and 2 are finding out about ‘Kings and Queens’. Class 1 have a castle in their classroom, and Class 2 have shared some amazing crown designs in our celebration assembly. Classes 3 and 4 have a theme of ‘Incredible India’. They have been very busy finding out about the geography of India, and will also be looking back at the ancient Indus Valley civilisation.

Class 5’s theme is ‘Time Travel’ which they have used to inspire their holiday homework creating amazing time machines. They have also used the theme with their writing and art work. Class 6 have the theme of ‘The Ancient Maya’ and have used this theme with their writing and art work, and to develop their historical research skills.

The weather has been pretty good so far which has meant the children have been able to continue enjoying the field. The football goals have been put up and have been quickly put to use, and clubs and activities have got under way.

On Friday, September 29 we hosted a Macmillan Coffee Morning and raised £130 which is a fantastic total. On Wednesday, October 4 we hosted a share afternoon for all our parents and carers, giving them an opportunity to see what the children have been learning so far this term and also to explore how Mathletics can support learning in maths both at school and at home. Then on Friday, October 6 we had a lovely Harvest Service in the church.

If you would like to know more our website is a good source of information, or contact the office to arrange to come and visit us.

Headteacher Mrs Sharon Waldron www.stonhamaspal.suffolk.sch.uk

BRAMFORD TENNIS CLUB Whoosh! What was that? That was the summer, gone, but not forgotten (unlike the hundreds of tennis balls lost from Nicks wayward serves).

Interest now moves onto the winter leagues (floodlit and Sunday morning), which will have started by the time you are using this to line the bottom of the budgie’s cage.

The first fixture round threw up a local derby match when Nick and Graham as Bramford 1 played Matt and Adam (Graham’s sons) playing as Bramford 2. It proved to be another win for the elders as they won three sets to love gaining three points (one for each set won). Nick claimed the win was down to tactics, but I fail to see how a tiny plastic case of mints can make a difference, unless he was scattering them on the opponents’ court to make them slip. No floodlit or other winter results in as yet, but on the bright side, no defeats to write about either.

The tennis club quiz is on Friday, November 17 at the Sports Pavilion on Fraser Road, 7.30pm for 8pm start. Teams of four adults, £2 a head. To book a table contact Clive Jones on 01473 464589 or simply turn up. There will be a bar and a raffle. Proceeds for the tennis club.

The coaching sessions are still proceeding, contact Carl on carl.douglas@ talk21.com for details of times and prices. These have been very well supported and have proved to be a welcome addition to our facilities.

More guff next month.

Mick Russ

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SPORT CLAYDON FC

NEW MULTI-FUNCTION PRIVATE GYM IN GREAT BLAKENHAM Hello from Kickstart Gym! It’s been a busy few months here – hard to believe we have been open for over three months already.

For those of you who haven’t heard about us, we are a new multi-function private gym in Great Blakenham, designed for personal training, Muay Thai boxing and physiotherapy. Our Muay Thai classes have been growing rapidly recently, so welcome to all the new faces.

Well, the season has well and truly begun and as the clocks move to changing for winter for another seasonal change, the teams at Claydon will have nearly reached a quarter of the way through the season!

The facilities are looking great and the pitches are looking superb at Blue Circle, and not too bad at Claydon recreation ground where our Under 16 Dragons and Under 14s are currently plying their trade.

A quick edit on my last post in which I thanked those brilliant folk around the village who have contributed to the improvements, and an additional thanks to Keith Flatt for the Claydon Badges on the new dugouts. Keith is a long time barbecue chef at the youth end of season presentation day and a loyal supporter.

We are gathering our team photos for the new season and it is with pleasure we have one of the current First team squad who are sponsored by Haxley and Ruffles Roofing Contractors. Apologies as they are not the prettiest, but they seem to be on a winning streak.

We had an influx of new students from our five-week Muay Thai beginner’s course, which was such a success we will be holding another one in the coming months. Since opening we have started holding sessions six days a week, so there is plenty to choose from now. We have seen some great results from our personal training gym recently and with Christmas closing in fast we have plenty of pre-holiday season training plans on the go to make room for all the festive food.

Our latest news has been the opening of our on-site physiotherapy clinic, which has had some fantastic feedback already. We would like to welcome Michelle to the gym, joining us as our lead physiotherapist. She has got off to a flying start fixing up all our Muay Thai boxers. She has also come on board as one of our personal trainers, which means she can aid people all the way through their recovery. All in all, we are very excited to see how things go here at Kickstart and would like to keep everyone posted on our progress as we move further into our first year.

If you want more information on personal training, Muay Thai boxing sessions or physiotherapy, contact us on 01473 805426 or find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kickstartgymsuffolk

REMEMBERing TOGETHER THIS CHRISTMAS For more than a decade, the East of England Co-op Funeral Services has brought people together at Christmas to celebrate and remember the lives of loved ones sadly no longer with us.

Christmas Concert Free Admission

This year, East of England Co-op Funeral Services in Ipswich will be hosting a Christmas Concert on Wednesday 6th December in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite at Ipswich Town Football Club. Guests are welcome from 6.15pm, the concert led by Celebrant Donna Sparrow featuring singing from Andrew Spall and music from the East of England Co-op band will begin at 7pm.

Tanya Carlton-Smith, Funeral Manager at East of England Co-op Funeral Services, explains: “Christmas can be a very difficult time for many people who have lost someone special. This concert will bring the community together at a time when people need support the most, while celebrating the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us.”

Wednesday 6th December 2017 Welcome from 6.15pm Concert begins 7pm

On the night guests will also be able to share memories and messages of loved-ones on special memory pebbles. Donations will be raised through collection boxes at the concert and all funds will be shared equally with the East Anglia Children’s Hospices, St Helena Hospices, St Elizabeth’s Hospices, St Nicholas Hospice, Norfolk Tapping House and Farleigh Hospice.

Ipswich Town Football Club The Sir Bobby Robson Suite, Portman Road, Ipswich

Next year a new memorial of the memory pebbles will be created and a service will be held to celebrate these memories shared of loved ones.

Led by Donna Sparrow Featuring Andrew Spall Join us to remember loved ones this Christmas To book your place call

01473 851948

Tanya adds: “Sharing a treasured memory on a pebble is a small thing that can make a big difference, and is just one of the things we do as part of our ongoing support services for bereaved families in the local community.”

The Ipswich Christmas Concert is free but tickets are limited and must be booked in advance. To book tickets call 01473 851948 or visit an East of England Co-op Funeral Services branch where colleagues will be able to assist.

For more information visit www.eastofengland.coop/funerals.

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SPORT CONTES DE LA 19e TROU (TALES FROM THE 19th HOLE) A well-trodden path was once again navigated as 12 HOGS embarked on our 13th tour of Northern France in early September. The itinerary changes little from year to year, but it is no less fun with every year, creating fantastic new memories and humorous reminiscences of past tours. We always remember Ivan Fisher’s realisation that the egg he had selected required boiling before knocking the top off to dip in his soldiers – #theyokesonyou.

A smooth crossing was followed by a quick meal at Buffalo Grill, then onto our Boulogne Hotel, before convening at The Vole Hole for a couple of beers before bedtime. Unfortunately Steve and Nick were a bit late following their return to the restaurant where Steve had inadvertently dropped his passport. The small bar has plenty of outdoor seating, but cool and wet weather would prove to be a feature of this trip, curtailing much of our al fresco drinking this year, thus a snug night anticipating the golf ahead ensued.

Hardelot was the destination on Thursday. Scott ribbed Nick about the use of a Sat-Nav, wondering why after all these years he didn’t know the way. Karma was very quick to act with Scott arriving at Les Pins course rather than Les Dunes! Travelling back into Boulogne he also got lost, ending up at one stage in a hospital car park.

His golf, and the weather, was much better and Scott led Team Mondeo (Alan, Brian and Shaun) to victory with 77 points. Simon Fisher played the ‘prize holes’ well to win both the LD and NP competitions. The only player to score under par, an early tour leader with 38 points, was Terry Aldis. Shaun trailed in last place.

Back in Boulogne, showered and changed, we headed to one of the old town’s bars to discuss the day’s golf. The sun had given way to drizzle resulting in huddling under a canopy with the wind gusting, not great fun. Then onto the main town square for a drier drink at Au Bureau before dinner at La Doyen. Some then retired to bed while others had a very quiet nightcap at The Vole Hole.

Friday was a miserable day with heavy unrelenting rain as we drove to Le Touquet. It’s never nice starting in the rain although we’d experienced similar conditions a few years ago only for the rain to be replaced by warm sunshine midway – we could only hope. Defending champion Tim felt as gloomy as the weather as his first shot of the day sliced the yellow ball straight into the woods, never to be seen again. His team wouldn’t

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be winning today’s competition. The rain did ease slightly after about an hour, but by now it was a challenge to keep hold of your sodden clubs, let alone the yellow ball, team three relinquishing theirs.

Keith, Peter, Scott and Nick won the team prize with 20 points, and managed to get into the clubhouse before the heavens opened once more. The other two teams, both on the 18th got a final soaking for good measure. Shaun turned around his game to finish first with 30 points while Steve ended up 12th. Brian repeated Simon’s feat winning both LD and NP prizes.

Enjoying a warming drink in the clubhouse the new tour shirts were distributed. Nobody guessed the colour in the sweepstake so the ‘kitty’ was swelled with the takings instead; the new maroon shirts embroidered

by Class Act Embroidery of Barham would be worn for our final round on Saturday. We dined that evening at Chez Jules, enjoying our last evening in France, hoping that our gear would dry sufficiently overnight.

By the time we reached Wimereaux the predicted rain was instead sunshine, albeit breezy. The view of the White Cliffs of Dover was clear so no blaming the weather for poor performances today. In the top group, Terry led the tour three points ahead of Tim with Paul and Scott making up the group.

Steve’s performance was notable; he couldn’t quite emulate Shaun’s ‘zero to hero’ performance of Friday, but did end up runner-up with 36 points; doing particularly well to keep his concentration when brushing away a short length of cable from the 17th tee only to discover it was a snake basking in the sun. Nick not only ended the round last, but also took home the tour’s wooden spoon.

Simon, Peter and Scott won the ‘blind triples’ competition. A clean sweep in the team competitions for Scott meant that he would be leaving France with more prize bottles than he’d know what to do with. Terry may also need to extend his wine cellar as, for the third day on the trot, the same person won the NP and LD prizes; he also won the day with 37 points, the tour ‘Par 3’ competition and, most important of all, was crowned tour champion with 101 points.

Terry’s performance was in huge contrast to last year when he finished in bottom spot. Steve had predicted a new winner this year and so it proved to be. He’ll be choosing my lotto numbers next week so I may be writing my December column from somewhere in the Caribbean.

Finally, thanks go to Keith for his fantastic organisation once again, to Steve for his hard work organising the daily competitions and, of courses, to the car drivers, Nick, Simon and Scott.

For the record, the overall scores were: Terry 101, Tim 92, Scott and Brian 88, Paul 87, Simon 83, Peter 81, Steve 77, Keith and Shaun 74, Alan 69, Nick 53.

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ON THE GRAPEVINE EAST SUFFOLK NATIONAL TRUST ASSOCIATION If you are a member of or a volunteer for the National Trust, then we invite you to get more out of your membership by joining our association where a warm welcome awaits you.

We meet at Ropes Hall War Memorial Community Centre, Twelve Acre Approach, Kesgrave IP5 1JF. The start time is 7.15pm.

Our next meeting is on November 21 when Captain Peter ChapmanAndrews RN Ret’d. will be sharing his experiences of serving on board two of the most famous RN vessels, Ark Royal and Britannia. Peter, who was a navigation officer, will explain the roles that both ships played in representing the UK to the outside world and the contrasts between the two appointments.

There is no meeting in December so the next meeting is on January 16 when Mark Mitchels will be discussing the role Samuel Pepys played in establishing the Royal Navy.

Visitors (even if not National Trust members) are welcome, entrance fee £3 each. National Trust members/volunteers can join us for £8 a year (£12 a couple at same address). We publish three newsletters a year for members and enjoy interesting day outings and other events.

For more information, including details of future events and outings, contact our membership secretary – membershipesnta@gmail.com / 01473 723761 – or visit: www.membershipesnta.btck.co.uk

IPSWICH & DISTRICT HISTORICAL TRANSPORT SOCIETY Wednesday, November 22: The TSR2 Aircraft Story, illustrated talk by David Morton We meet at 7pm at the Salvation Army Citadel, 558 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich. Entrance via the rear car park. Visitors £3.50, members £1.50 including refreshments.

Details from Martyn (01473 422145) or Peter (01394 420490). www.idhts.co.uk

SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM Welcome to this month’s SNT article. The Babergh area has recently seen an increase in theft of lead from rooftops – although this is commonly associated with church roofs it has also been reported on residential properties.

Installing lead flashing is a standard step for most homeowners, especially when expanding your house with a conservatory or an extension. Flashing covers gaps in roof material and forms an impervious barrier to prevent intrusion from rain and weather.

While there are many materials produced for flashing use, lead offers the most durability and lasts for many years. Unfortunately, lead flashing is prone to being stolen due to the high value of scrap metal, which makes it appealing to thieves.

Many homeowners don’t even realise their flashing has been stolen until a rainy day comes and water enters their home – potentially causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

TIPS FOR SECURING YOUR PROPERTY Remove all means of access to your roof Criminals often get onto your roof via a wheelie bin, gate or ladder that is near your garage. Secure ladders out of view and try to store your bins in a garage or storage area. If you must leave them out, locate them a short distance from your walls – meaning you may hear the bin being dragged towards your roof.

Prevent unwanted vehicle access Metal thieves often rely on a vehicle to remove the metal from the scene.

These generally take the form of trucks and vans, so try to limit access your driveway – either with a gate or possibly a bollard Install CCTV and lighting Although this tip is more applicable to commercial premises such as schools and churches, you can get a relatively cheap home CCTV system installed, considering a spotlight or anti-theft light will help deter attempts.

Paint your flashing with anti-climb paint Homeowners can purchase anti-climb paint from almost any DIY store and paint it on your flashing to deter theft. However, you must ensure the paint is only on objects at least two metres from the ground and you legally have to install a sign warning that your property has anticlimb paint.

CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE BINGO Saturday, December 16 Stowmarket Football Club, Bury Road, Stowmarket Fantastic Family Night Out Door open at 6pm / first of six games at 7.30pm prompt Entry £6 including a hot sausage supper with dessert Chocolate related prizes and raffle / Cash prize for final game Tickets from CCLL Charity Show, Needham Market (next to The Rampant House) from Stowmarket Football Club or call 01449 760343 / 07974 424374 A charity event for Chernobyl Children’s Life Line

Consider replacing lead flashing with non-leaded material While lead is the superior material in terms of longevity, it may be worth replacing your flashing with non-leaded materials. There are brands available that are lighter than lead, safer to handle and also have little to no scrap value. These lead-free solutions may not be as durable, but can be more than suitable for most uses around chimneys, roof lights and solar panels.

DNA-identification While this may not apply to smaller homes, if you own a larger house and the value of your lead justifies it, perhaps consider painting your flashing with a microdot, chemical or DNA marking system. These methods help police identify the culprits of theft and help secure convictions.

Finally, if you see anything suspicious or want to report anything to police they can be contacted as follows: Phone: 101 (to report any non-urgent incident) Email: hadleigh.snt@suffolk.pnn.police.uk (non-urgent, should you wish to contact local officers) In an emergency always phone: 999

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ON THE GRAPEVINE MP DR DAN POULTER REPORTS BACK Since 2010, I have been working closely with my fellow MPs and Suffolk County Council to deliver better broadband for Suffolk. We have worked hard to secure around £30 million of Government funding, specifically to improve services in Suffolk and I am pleased to say that many more homes and businesses are already benefitting.

Spending most of my working week in London, it’s easy to take for granted the speed of accessing emails and online services, but returning home to Suffolk very quickly reminds me of the disparity in service and the need to ensure that rural areas are able to connect as quickly and efficiently as their more urban counterparts.

Access to the internet and mobile technology is no longer simply for emailing or online gaming – it is essential infrastructure which we all rely upon. It enables and drives growth in our vibrant Suffolk economy, as well as providing access for our young people researching their studies and achieving their academic and career aspirations. With our public services constantly evolving, fast and reliable broadband is essential for accessing services such as ordering a repeat prescription or paying our council tax.

In our day to day lives, we use the internet for online banking, grocery shopping and so much more. Living in rural communities, it is so easy for people to feel isolated and cut off as we approach the longer days of winter – access to mobile and broadband services helps to keep our communities connected.

Last year, I chaired Suffolk’s first ever broadband summit meeting and was heartened by the commitment around the table to make sure that Suffolk keeps moving forward with mobile and broadband connectivity.

Working together with the county council I remain confident that we will achieve 100% coverage here in Suffolk and coupled with the government’s commitment to deliver its Universal Service Obligation, each and every home and business will be guaranteed to achieve speeds of at least 10 mbps by 2020. We’re not there yet, and for those of us still waiting to be connected, I fully appreciate how frustrating the wait can be but with new and emerging technologies advancing constantly, I am confident that this goal will be achieved.

Early next year, I am hosting a further broadband summit meeting to review the great progress that’s been made and to bring everyone together once more to push for innovative solutions for those in hard to reach areas. We all recognise that there remains a way to go in ensuring that every home, school, business and GP surgery in Suffolk can access better broadband services and that’s why I will continue to fight for more money to deliver the better broadband services that you deserve.

For more information, please visit: www.drdanielpoulter.com

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ZĞĨƌĞƐŚŵĞŶƚƐ Θ ZĂĨĨůĞ &ƌĞĞ ŶƚƌLJ ĂŬĞƐ WůĂLJ ŐĂŵĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƉƌŝnjĞƐ DĞĞƚ &ĂƚŚĞƌ ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ Children’s craft stalls— things to make and do to take home.

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ON THE GRAPEVINE ST ELIZABETH HOSPICE GREAT GARDEN TRAIL 2018

PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING IN SUFFOLK and ESSEX

St Elizabeth Hospice is seeking beautiful gardens for its 2018 Great Garden Trail.

Every year many thousands of UK men die unnecessarily from preventable causes, 70,000 – that’s one in five – even before reaching retirement age.

CHAPS charity exists to raise awareness of this problem and to provide tests to detect at an early and curable stage some of the causes of these unnecessary deaths.

If you have a garden, no matter what the size, that you’d like to open to the public to support the hospice, please contact fundraising@stelizabethhospice. org.uk or call 01473 723600.

For further information, or to sign up online visit: stelizabethhospice.org.uk/greatgardentrail

TALITHA KOUM HOPE CENTRE NOW OPEN We are delighted to announce that Talitha Koum Hope Centre in Westerfield is now open and ready to welcome women who have recently been through detox to come to us for recovery and rehabilitation.

The Hope Centre has therapeutic relational community living at its heart and as a centre of excellence and compassion expects to be CQC registered at any moment. We combine group and one-to-one therapeutic work with life skills coaching such as computing, animal husbandry, gardening, art and music, budgeting, CV writing and interviewing skills. We follow the 12-step programme as the core of our interventions. We also provide posttreatment care. We continue to retain contact with and support women once they have left the Hope Centre, aiding them with housing, employment and social support.

The facilities at the Hope Centre are purpose built and brand new. Set in the heart of the Suffolk countryside it is an ideal place for reflection and selfdiscovery. This centre is exclusively for women – one of only seven in the country. We have a team of warm and enthusiastic female support staff who offer 24/7 care.

It has taken us many years and a lot of hard work to come to this point and we have a lot of people to thank in the local community and further afield. In particular, this month we would like to thank the organisers and participants of the golf day at Rushmere Golf Club that raised more than £5,000.

If you or a friend or family member are looking for a safe and welcoming place to recover from addiction please get in touch with Jenny, our friendly centre manager on 01473 852050 or visit our website (www.talithakoum.org.uk) and Facebook page for more information.

SCHOOLREADERS NEEDED Do you have an hour or two a week to listen to children read in a local primary school? The highly successful Schoolreaders scheme is looking for more volunteers in this area. No qualifications are required – simply a good command of spoken and written English.

Schoolreaders is flexible and will match your availability to an appropriate, local school. Volunteers find it most rewarding seeing the impact that their time can make on a child’s reading ability and confidence.

If you or anyone you know would like to join or learn more about the scheme and charity, please visit: www.schoolreaders.org Volunteers and schools can join the scheme via the website or for more information can contact: 01234 924111 / admin@schoolreaders.org

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Prostate Cancer (PCa) and heart disease represent our biggest health challenges. Heart disease is the number one cause of premature death and PCa is our commonest major cancer. PCa represents our biggest single cancer challenge causing 47,000 new cases and over 11,000 deaths each year. This is one of the highest death rates in the world yet no UK screening programme exists despite European programmes showing up to 50% falls in mortality and nearly all current major international guidelines recommending PSA screening for appropriately counselled men.

We recommend screening should start in a man’s forties, particularly for men with a family history of prostate cancer or breast cancer on his mother’s side and especially for black African or Caribbean men who have a one in four lifetime risk of Prostate Cancer. Being in a screening programme can halve the risk of dying from Prostate Cancer.

Running screening events and providing awareness literature costs money.

We can only do this through the generosity of donors and sponsorship of events. To that end and since the beginning of 2017, the Provincial Grand Lodges of the Essex and Suffolk Freemasons have been sponsoring a rolling programme of screening events for Masons, their relatives and friends. In collaboration with individual Masonic Halls and Temples and their attendant Lodges, we have provided free NHS Health Checks for men aged 40-76 and, for a small charge, have provided PSA Prostate Cancer Screening blood tests for men over 40.

The Health Checks look for heart disease – the number one killer – stroke and diabetes risk. PCa screening is done with the simple PSA blood test which can halve a man’s risk of dying from this unpleasant cause by detecting the cancer at an early, curable stage.

It is most important that our screening events justify their financial support.

Since 2012 we have screened more than 2,000 men in Essex and Suffolk and at every event we discovered unexpected and unknown problems, many of them life-threatening, but in time to take remedial action.

Specifically on PCa and our Masonic programme, so far in Essex and Suffolk at six events we have performed 304 PSA tests of which 29 were abnormal.

From this we can anticipate detecting about 10 cancers, most likely at a curable stage.

Our last Masonic event of the year is at Lowestoft on December 2. Check our website for booking details.

Finally, we have one more major PCa screening event on Saturday, November 18 at Ipswich Town Football Club. We are running this in collaboration with Ipswich Hospital, the East Suffolk Prostate Cancer Support Group and, crucially, the financial support of The Barry Kilby Prostate Cancer Appeal. This allows us to make a minimal charge of only £5 for the PSA test, but all attendees will receive our comprehensive Men’s Health Booklet and our Men’s Health Passport. We are also grateful to the Caribbean African Community Health Forum, the ITFC Supporters Club, Ipswich Town Football Club and former Ipswich players Titus Bramble and Jason Dozzell for promoting the event and especially in helping to get the message on PCa screening across to black men who carry such a high racial risk of developing PCa. Black men also get PCa at a younger age and it is more likely to be more aggressive than in white men whose lifetime risk is only one in eight.

If you would like to know more about CHAPS, receive up-to-date information on men’s health or attend one of our screening events, visit www.chaps.uk.org or leave a message on 01206 321253.

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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 01473 833542 / carlmelville@hotmail.com

Baptisms September 17: Jesse-James Langford

Services in November Barham Church – every Sunday at 10am Henley Church – every Sunday at 10am Gt Blakenham Church – every Sunday at 11am Sunday, November 5 – All Saints’ Sunday 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 10am

Holy Communion

Barham Church

10am

Holy Communion

Henley Church

11am

family@blakenham

Gt Blakenham Church

Harvest: A big thank you to all the groups and everyone who contributed to our Harvest celebrations. The scarecrows were wonderful and certainly made people stop and stare and then come and visit! Harvest gifts have been distributed to the Soup Kitchen, Women’s’ Refuge and FIND.

Sunday, November 12 – Remembrance Sunday 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 10am

All Age Remembrance

Barham Church

10am

All Age Remembrance

Henley Church

10.45am All Age Remembrance

Gt Blakenham Church

Sunday, November 19 – 2nd before Advent 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 10am

family@barham

Barham Church

10am

Holy Communion

Henley Church

11am

Holy Communion

Gt Blakenham Church

Sunday, November 26 – Christ the King 8am Holy Communion Barham Church 10am

Holy Communion

Barham Church

10am

Café Church

Henley Church

11am

Elevenses@GB

Gt Blakenham Church

6.30pm Blessings Service

Henley Church

Sunday, December 3 – Advent Sunday 8am Holy Communion

Barham Church

10am

Holy Communion

Barham Church

10am

Holy Communion

Henley Church

11am

family@blakenham

Gt Blakenham Church

4pm

Advent Carol Service

Gt Blakenham Church

Further services can be found on our website.

HALL BOOKINGS Barham Church Hall:

Zoe Groom, 831804

Gt Blakenham Parish Room: Paul Corbett, 830201 Henley Church Vestry:

Margaret Gerrard, 831463

NOVEMBER: SEASON OF REMEMBRANCE This month is the month of remembering with All Souls’ and All Souls’ Day, November 5 and Remembrance Sunday. See above for all our services.

Our minds remember the past, our eyes look forward to the future.

Refreshments available at all our services. All welcome.

www.keepingintouchwith.com/claydon

Sunday’s Cool: Meets on the second and third Sunday of every month in Great Blakenham Parish Room from 10.30am (November 12 and 19, December 10 and 17). Under 5s should be accompanied by an adult. Older children can be left unattended. Stories, games, songs and loads of fun! It’s free – no need to book! Contact Irene for more information: 01449 676567 Families@4.30: A group for families with stories, crafts and food. The next meeting is on Sunday, November 26 at Barham Church and has an Advent theme. For catering purposes please let Roger know if you can come: 01473 831079 Christmas Services: Please see the separate notice about Advent and Christmas Services, including Carol Services and Children’s Services. For other services see: www.claydonchurches.com Crib Festival: This year we’re holding a Crib Festival at Gt Blakenham Church from December 1-3, 10am-4pm daily. There will be displays of different crib scenes from various village groups. Refreshments served in the Parish Rooms.

Services on Sunday, December 3 will be at 11am and 4pm.

Christmas Bazaar: Claydon and Barham’s popular Christmas Bazaar takes place on November 18 from 2pm at Claydon High School. Get there early for the bargains.

Holy Conversations: for those new to church who want to explore spirituality and faith further. We meet on the first Tuesday (November 7 and December 5) of each month at The Rectory, Back Lane, Claydon from 7pm. All welcome.

OTHER SERVICES AND EVENTS Tuesday, November 7 Holy Conversations, The Rectory, 7-9pm Friday, November 10 Alasdair Place Service, 2.30pm Sunday, November 12 Remembrance Sunday

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CHURCH NEWS Saturday, November 18 Christmas Bazaar, Claydon High School Wednesday, November 29 St Peter’s Court Service, 2.30pm

CHRISTMAS SERVICES IN THE CLAYDON GROUP OF CHURCHES Serving the parishes of Claydon and Barham, Henley and Great Blakenham

December 1-3: Christmas Crib Festival, Gt Blakenham Church, 10am-3pm

Saturday, November 18, 2pm: Christmas Bazaar, Claydon High School

Saturday, December 9: Christmas Fayre, Gt Blakenham Parish Room, 12-2pm

December 1-3, 10am-4pm: Crib Festival, Gt Blakenham Church Church open, refreshments served in the Parish Room

Tuesday, December 12: Carol Service, St Peter’s, Claydon, 7pm.

Sunday, December 3: Advent Sunday 10am-4pm: Gt Blakenham church open, refreshments served 4pm: Advent Carol Service, Gt Blakenham Church

Wednesday, December 13: Pre-school Nativity, Barham Church, 4.15pm Letter from the Vicar Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder treason plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot! This familiar poem has been recited on November 5 since 1605 when the plot to blow up King James 1 was uncovered and stopped. It was, perhaps, the biggest terrorist plot before September 11. I think, with the amount of terror we’ve seen this year alone, we’ve more reason to celebrate November 5 as a day of freedom.

It is a day of remembrance as well. In fact, November is full of times to remember. We remember those who have died on All Souls’ Day and we remember the Saints on All Saints’ Day, as well as Remembrance Sunday when we commemorate those who gave their lives in the many wars the world has faced.

As we call to mind those we love, those who gave their lives for peace and those we no longer see, we look forward to the future. God promises a world where there will be no more pain or suffering, no more terror or death. We are all on a journey of making that promise a reality and remembrance is a time to do just that.

Why don’t you come and remember with us?

The Rev Carl Melville: carlmelville@hotmail.com www.claydonchurches.com Find us on Facebook and Twitter by searching The Claydon Group of Churches.

eBay POLICY BROKEN In my rush to make a purchase on eBay in October, I broke an eBay rule without realising it. I didn’t know that sending contact details in a message to another eBay’er was not allowed. I thought I had sent the message only to discover it hadn’t sent half an hour later. So I quickly retyped the message not seeing the warnings that I was breaking the rule. I tried several times before seeing the message: “We temporarily restricted your account from sending messages”.

I was somewhat frustrated having been cut off from sending messages and I wanted to know why and for how long I was ‘temporarily restricted’. Once I knew what I had done wrong I connected to a live chat with an eBay advisor, who thanked me for my honesty and was very helpful. The information I received though was not what I wanted to hear. I would have to wait seven days before having my restriction lifted. I could do nothing about it but wait the seven days for eBay to lift the restriction. The good news is I can now send messages again.

I had been brought up in a Christian home and it was only when I began to read my Bible that I became more fully aware of my sin against God and as a result being cut off from God. As I read further I began to understand more of what Jesus had done by dying on the cross and being raised to life again to pay the price for sin. There was nothing I could do but simply turn to God, be honest about my life and put my trust in Jesus for forgiveness.

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Saturday, December 2, 7.30pm: Christmas Cabaret, Barham Church

Saturday, December 9, 10am-noon: Christmas Fayre, Gt Blakenham Parish Room Tuesday, December 12, 7pm: Carol Service at St Peter’s Church, Claydon (Please walk if possible) Saturday, December 16 10am-1pm: Vestry Café, Henley Church 7pm: Advent Prayer Evening, Gt Blakenham Church Sunday, December 17 3pm: Carol Service, Barham Church 5pm: Carol Service, Gt Blakenham Church 7pm: Carol Service, Henley Church Sunday, December 24: Christmas Eve No 8am, 10am or 11am morning services 3pm: Service of Light, Barham Church 4pm: Christingle Service, Gt Blakenham Church 5pm: Crib Service, Henley Church 11.30pm: Midnight Mass, Barham Church 11.30pm: Midnight Mass, Gt Blakenham Church Monday, December 25: Christmas Day 10am: Christmas Day Service, Henley Church No services at Gt Blakenham or Barham Sunday, December 31: New Year’s Eve 10am: New Year’s Eve Celebrations, Henley Church. An informal all age service to unwind after Christmas!

For more services visit www.claydonchurches.com or contact The Rev Carl Melville: 01473 833542 / carlmelville@hotmail.com

I like eBay and I want to get back to getting good deals. Knowing who and what God is like, I am thankful for His offer of forgiveness and restored friendship through Jesus and that is good news. If you would like to know more, we meet on Wednesday mornings for tea/coffee, cake and chat along with a game or two from 10am-noon. We also meet Sunday morning or you can contact me to arrange a coffee and chat.

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 For more information contact Michael: admin@blakenhambaptist.org.uk 01473 839785 www.blakenhambaptist.org.uk

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