Wickham Skeith Newsletter August 2020
Book the Date: Picnic with Bar on the Green on Saturday 29th August
Wickham Skeith Scarecrow Competition
The Winners are: Farm Worker and Bright Lady in Straw Hat
~VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE NEWS ~
Hopefully things are beginning to look a bit brighter and safer now and the Committee are considering how, and when, to re-start activities in the Village Hall, whether that is independent groups or Village Hall organised events. We are continuing to plan a picnic with Bar on the Green on Saturday 29th August, 4pm to 7pm. To ensure safety everybody will bring their own picnic, blankets, chairs etc and we will observe sensible distancing. Depending on the weather forecast we might have ice creams. This will be confirmed through the 'round-robin' emails from Nigel, and signs and posters in the village. The Committee will put together all the appropriate protocols for use of the Hall and any outdoor activities we organise will be within the guidance from official bodies. We must offer a thank you to those people who are supporting the production of the Newsletter. As explained last month, the cost is underwritten by the Village Hall committee, trade advertising and contributions from parishioners. If you feel able to join them by making a donation towards production costs please let Nigel know. 766222 or nhmerriam@btconnect.com We have not set a date for the next meeting of the committee but expect to get together in the next week or so.
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Mobile Library The mobile library service will return to Wickham Skeith on 30 July. You won’t be able to reserve titles, but a small selection will be available on the mobile. You will be able to return titles on the mobile. Next visit 27 August 2020. 9.45-10am layby at Chalet Bungalows and 10.05-10.20 in The Street outside Haymead House.
~VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE NEWS ~
Scarecrows – The Results Well done to all 26 residents who displayed their scarecrows, it certainly brought a smile to lot of people during worrying times. We are very grateful to Olivia Gardener who had the difficult task of judging them yesterday. This is her summary: “The village emerged from lockdown with its community spirit intact and entered the Scarecrow event with 26 exhibits of huge quality and variety. Nigel Merriam and Olivia Gardiner walked around the village and judged each participant individually. We realised that in order to find a worthy winner amongst all the excellent entries there had to be some basic criteria as it was obvious a lot of thought and hard work had gone in to each one of them. We decided that the winning Scarecrow should be able to perform its original task and scare the birds! The judges still had difficulty deciding an all-out winner so it was agreed, in the end, there would be joint winners. They judged the best Scarecrows were Simon and Rachel Pyke on Grange Road for their marvellous ‘Farm Worker/Tramp’ and Donna Gooderham on The Street for her ‘Bright Lady in Straw Hat’. Two Highly Commended prizes went to Poppy Carle on Grange Road for her ‘Witch on the Roof’ and the other to Wendy Thomas in St Andrews Close for her ‘Bird Lady’ Other notable scarecrows were Jos Bryant’s ‘Queen Victoria’ with all her face details hand stitched. Seb and Caz Goodge’s ‘Fisherman’, Serge Cador for ‘Sarkozy’ and we have all enjoyed ‘Spiderman’ hanging on the village sign from Martina, Tristan and children; a very original entry. It is impossible to mention everyone but I would like to congratulate all those who participated, it was hugely enjoyable walking around the entire village and a great honour to be asked to judge”. Olivia Gardiner, Wickham Place, The Green. You should be able to see the scarecrows on the Village Website at: http://wickhamskeith.suffolk.cloud/wickham-skeith-picture-gallery/scarecrows-2020/
Dr Barnardo’s Children from Wickham Skeith Figure 1: Emma,
Figure 2: Maggie Brooke 1891
Figure 3: Eileen
Figure 4: Doris
~HISTORY CLUB ~
Wickham Skeith & Dr Barnardo’s Monday 4 May 1890 was a significant day in the history of our village. As the school log book records: Admitted four children from Dr Barnardo’s Home, who are boarded out in this village. Maggie Brooke, Elizabeth Baker, Harriet Martin, Ruth Bailey. Those few words mark the beginning of a relationship with the children’s charity Dr Barnardo’s which continues to the present day. Between 1890 & 1950 more than 200 children were fostered in Wickham Skeith. During that time up to 20% of the children in the village at any one time came from Barnardo’s. Why did so many people take in these children? For some it may well have been for altruistic reasons but for others it was the money paid by Barnardo’s for each child. Before WWI they paid 5 shillings a week at a time when the basic agricultural wage was only 15 shillings. So if a family took on 3 children it was like having another wage. In the years before WWI the Barnardo’s children often only stayed for a couple of years & were then sent to Canada. It’s an extraordinary fact that between 1870 & 1930 over 100,000 children were sent to Canada, 30,000 of whom were sent by Barnardo’s. For many of these children it was a new start in a rapidly developing country & they did well. However, large numbers were badly treated & child emigration has left scars still felt by their descendants in Canada to this day. Maggie Brooke, one of the 1 st four girls to come to the village, was the first from Wickham Skeith to be sent to Canada. And hers is a really poignant story. She settled in well in Ottawa helping a family to look after their two young boys. However, she fell ill & Barnardo’s brought her back to England at the end of June 1899. She came to stay with her original Wickham Skeith family – George & Abigail Dorling of Willow House – but sadly died of TB on 11 August. She was just 19 years old. After WWI most Banardo’s children stayed here until they left school at 13 or 14. They then had to return to Barnardo’s to be trained – the girls usually for domestic service & the boys either to learn a trade or go into the Navy. Wickham Skeith retained a strong pull for some of them & a significant number returned to live in the area. Many of us remember Doris Mullinger at Green Farm & we still have Eileen Pearce in Bacton & Emma Cable in Grange Road - all former Barnardo’s girls. Pete Davidson
~ S T. A N D R E W ’ S C H U R C H ~ Rector: Revd Carl Melville 01449 781650 carlmelville@hotmail.com Readers: Helen Matter 780379, Elaine Miller 770337, Sheila Wright 768644 Elders: Peter Paine 767897, Janice Shea 781263, Jean Willoughby 766621 Bacton, Old Newton (Wednesdays & Sundays) and Wyverstone churches are now open for visitors for private prayer. Please observe social distancing when you enter (if there are others in there) and use the hand sanitizer provided. Please also 'sign in' when you enter. St Andrew’s remains closed. Services will continue online this month, on our Facebook page. Revd Carl is providing an online communion service each Sunday at 10.30am and Choral Evensong at 6pm plus a Songs of Praise to lift spirits on a Thursday at 11am. You don’t need to join Facebook, just go to their website, search for Bacton Benefice and ‘like,’ then open the video – when the message to join Facebook appears click ‘not now’. Drive-In Church! On Sunday 23rd August, we are hoping to hold a Drive-In church service somewhere in the benefice. More details will be available from Margaret or Liz when all the details have been finalised, but this will enable you to attend worship whilst staying in your car!! Sunday 20th September - BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY. This is the first Sunday we will be back in our churches since the pandemic took grip. Services will be as follows: 9.30am Wickham Skeith and Bacton, 11.00am Old Newton and Cotton, 6.30pm Wyverstone These will all be services of Holy Communion, following the relevant government guidelines on social distancing and so on. Please BOOK this date into your diary. There will still be a service live streamed to Facebook, as usual. Please note: If you are shielding or fall into a 'vulnerable category' outlined by the government, you must weigh up if you should come to church or stay at home. If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, then you must not enter the church buildings. More information about the service pattern from 20th September will come next month. Obviously before we have services in church again we will have to carry out a thorough clean. Our new carpet will arrive in early September so a session in the last week of August seems a good idea. Some people should not, or won’t want to, be involved but if you would be willing to help please let Liz or Margaret know with an idea of days that you could be available. That will help the decision on when to choose. It will probably be advisable to wear a face mask/covering as there is bound to be a lot of dust and bat droppings. Thank you in advance. The Benefice is also creating Church Bubble Groups - a group of 5 or 6 to meet with, share fellowship and pray together, suitably distanced, in a host’s garden. If you are interested in joining a group and haven’t heard from your Wardens yet please get in touch with Margaret or Liz who will find you a suitable group. You will need to bring a chair and refreshments if you want them. Revd Carl is attending as many groups as he can in order to begin to meet and get to know parishioners. Of course no services mean no collection plate and thus no income for St Andrew’s. Alongside all the regular payments we now pay to have the grass mown and have recently paid for the new heating. We are waiting for the checks, delayed by the pandemic, on last year’s building works and we will then have the retention fee to pay as well. If you would normally put cash in the collection could you consider setting that money aside until it is possible to give again or even setting up a standing order or making a BACS payment online if you are able? The PCC is very grateful for the support received so far. The BOB Foodbank continues to go from strength to strength. Any donations of money we receive are going towards making small grants to households in need or supplying food vouchers for our local shops. You can make a donation towards the work of the Foodbank, making cheques payable to 'St Mary's, Bacton, PCC' and write FOODBANK clearly on the back.
~ S T. A N D R E W ’ S C H U R C H
~
Face Coverings Jocelyn Bryant has been making beautiful fabric face masks for Wickham Skeith folk, in aid of the church. She is now able to make some more. They are washable, made in beautiful cotton fabrics and just need a donation to Liz Davidson, or my post box, for our church. Let Jos know if you would like one or two - 01449 766219 or email JOCELYNBRYANT712@GMAIL.COM I'm at Highbanks, 1, Broadway and Liz is at Stow House, Daisy Green Lane. Take care everyone from Margaret Jones-Evans .
Thoughts from Revd Carl Melville Cancelling holiday, avoiding touching others and wearing masks are just a few of the things we are learning to adjust to. This whole pandemic has shaken us as a society – as a world! One thing hasn’t changed and that’s God. God remains the same – steadfast and stable. His love endures for ever and ever. The church may have had to shut its doors, but God never stopped working. Christians have been unable to meet together yet have found a joy in their faith as they watch online services and pray at home. The church will open again – September 20 th to be precise. When we return back things will look different. There will be social distancing, no singing (for now), no refreshments and shorter sermons (every cloud!) However, I can assure you that YOU will still be made welcome into church. You will still find the love and peace of the God who never sleeps or slumbers. We will re-enter our church buildings will a new sense of community and faith, a new hope in the God who never left us or let us down during the pandemic. YOU would be most welcome to join us at any of our services. At the moment we are meeting online www.facebook.com/bactonbenefice/live So come along and join us. Come and ask questions, come and seek. Come and find peace.
QUIZ NIGHT on ZOOM! Prizes to be won. Cost: Make a donation to your local church There will be another quiz in August, date to be decided. If you are interested in the details please email Revd Carl on carlmelville@hotmail.com or Liz on eadavidson42@gmail.com
~ W I C K HAM S K E I T H PAR I S H C O U N C I L ~ MINUTES of PARISH COUNCIL MEETING held MONDAY, 13 JULY 2020 by videoconference Present: Cllrs T Thorogood (Chair), R Palmer, K Knights, M Blair, H Roberts (Clerk), Cllrs Warboys (MSDC) and Stringer (SCC) and 1 member of the public. Apologies received and accepted: Cllr M Freeman. 1. Chair’s Welcome: The Chair opened the meeting, welcoming those in attendance. 2. Declarations of Interest and dispensations: none. 3. Minutes of Meeting: Minutes of Meeting held 11th May 2020 were approved by all Councillors. It was agreed the Chair’s signing of the minutes would be done outside of the meeting. 4. The resignation of Cllr Bowes on 9 th March 2020 was noted the Council thanked her for her service to the Council and the residents. 5. Village Forum: a member of the public reported that orchids are growing in the south verge on the village green and requested the verge not be cut. The Council decided that, as the verge would not be cut until the autumn anyway, no additional action was necessary. 6. Reports from County and District Councillors, Police, Parish Clerk and Parish Councillors: 6.1 SCC: Cllr Stringer’s report is available on the parish council’s website. Main points: Suffolk Local Outbreak Control Plan published. Concessionary travel rules reintroduced on public transport. Planning Inspectorate accepts plans for Sizewell C and begins examination process. Cabinet approves 5-year cycling plan for Suffolk. Cllr Stringer asked for people to contact him if they know of possible cycling routes that could be supported. Road closures to support cycling and walking. No spare seats will be offered on Home to School Transport buses. Parents who are concerned by this change can call 0345 606 6173, and information will also be available on www.suffolkonboard.com. 6.2 MSDC: Cllr Warboys’ report is available on the parish council’s website. Main points: Update on Joint Local Plan. Update on Environment and Climate Change Task Force, including resolutions to increase tree and hedgerow planting and to work with local communities and support them to develop ‘place-specific’ solutions and build resilience to climate impacts. Update on Cycling Strategy. Cllr Warboys has asked for better provision for cyclists between Old Newton and Stowmarket, within the town of Stowmarket and between neighbouring villages to improve links to schools, local retail outlets etc., as well as for leisure. Cllr Knights asked if cycle markings will be on the two roundabouts on the A140. Cllr Stringer advised it would. It was unknown if the road would be closed at both ends during the works. MSDC out of county investments. An update on CIFCO, the District Council investment company. Business grants. Another round of grants is due to be launched on 3 July 2020. Early Years Settings will be eligible, amongst others not covered by previous grant schemes. Locality Awards. Cllr Warboys requested anyone to get in touch if they of a community group in need of some funding. Disabled Facilities Grant. Cllr Warboys asked anyone anyone who needs any kind of adaptation to their home to please get in touch. 6.3 Suffolk Police. Report provided by Clerk based on Suffolk Police newsletter. No crime reported in area in May. 6.4 Parish Clerk
Cllr vacancy advertised again in village newsletter. Website accessibility: Clerk attending SALC training on this topic later this month. Clerk’s time log for last 6 months sent to the Chair. Guidance on use of personal email addresses shared with Cllrs. It was agreed the Clerk would propose policies for information retention, data protection, and processing information requests to the Council for consideration.
Registration of Interests: information and guidance sent to Cllrs. Clerk recommended the Council set up Facebook and Twitter accounts to increase public engagement. There was some scepticism amongst Cllrs on the need for these and it was agreed that the Clerk would provide more detail on the proposal at the next meeting. 6.5 Parish Councillors 6.5.1 Community Speed Watch. Cllr Stringer advised that speeding was likely to be an issue during the covid-19 lockdown. It was agreed that Cllr Knights would pass the speed gun battery and key to Cllr Blair, and that Cllrs would send Cllr Blair their details for the rota. Cllr Blair commented that a recent accident on the A140 had led to trucks coming through the village and damage to the verges.
~ W I C K HAM S K E I T H PAR I S H C O U N C I L ~
6.5.2 General Data Protection Regulation. Cllr Palmer said he will bring his report on GDPR training at a later date. 6.5.3 Community Emergency Plan. It was agreed to keep the Emergency Plan active, and to review whether to close the Plan as more lockdown restrictions are lifted. 6.5.4 Defibrillator. Enquiry received from London Hearts asking if the village wants additional defibrillators. Cllr Stringer advised that rather than set up another defibrillator in the village, it would be better to ensure residents are trained in the use of the existing one, and that funds are used to keep it maintained. It was agreed that this recommendation would be forwarded to Cllr Freeman.
7. Other Correspondence Received Notification of SALC AGM, 30th July (via videoconference). Enquiry regarding grazing land from a resident. Resident was advised to try village newsletter and noticeboard. Guidance on opening up village halls from Community Action Suffolk. Forwarded to the Village Hall committee. SALC remote meetings survey. Responded to by the Clerk. Community Climate Action survey from SALC. Responded to by the Clerk. Notification from a resident of land coming up for auction. Forwarded to Cllrs for information. Request for volunteers for Historical Research in Eastern Region. Publicized on the council website. Poster from Nexus Fostering to recruit foster carers. Publicized on the council website. NALC: Model code of conduct consultation. Details shared with councillors. It was agreed that the Council as a whole did not wish to respond, but individual councillors may still do so. 8. Finance 8.1. Financial position as of 30th June 2020 was presented by the RFO and approved by the Council. It was agreed the Chair’s approval signature would be obtained outside of the meeting. It was noted that the signatories for the bank account shave been changed to accommodate the change in Council personnel. It was noted that the RFO now has online access to bank statements. 8.2. The RFO presented an update on the Internal Audit for 2019/20, which has been completed. The Council noted the Internal Audit report. The Council noted that this document, the Accounting Statement, the Annual Governance Statement, the Internal Audit Controls, the Summary of Receipts and Payments, the Certification of Exemption, the Bank Reconciliation, the Explanation of Variances, and the Notification of Public Rights are all available of the Council website. The Council thanked the Internal Auditor for their work. The Clerk also thanked the previous Treasurer for their support in preparing for the audit. 8.3. Invoices for Approval. The Council approved the payment of an invoice for £48 for the hire of the village hall for Council meetings between November 2019 and March 2020. The Council also approved in principle the payment of £5 to Suffolk County Council for a proposed search of their village green database. It was agreed these cheques would be signed outside of the meeting. 9. Planning Matters 9.1. The Council considered and raised no objection to the proposal DC/20/02506: Householder Planning Application - Erection of a conservatory/porch (following demolition of existing porch). Location: Holly End, 133 Grange Road, Wickham Skeith, Eye Suffolk IP23 8ND. 9.2. The Council noted the decision on DC/20/01394: Notification of decision: Discharge of Conditions application for DC/19/00158 - Condition 3 (Materials) and Condition 6 (Landscaping Scheme). Location: Homeleigh, The Broadway, Wickham Skeith, Eye Suffolk IP23 8LX 10. Casual Vacancy: the Chair reported that a member of the public was interested in joining the Council and that he would come to the next meeting.
11. Working Parties 11.1 Village green The Clerk reported that he was still waiting the results of the Land Registry search for the village green, however, he had found in the Council’s records evidence that the green had been registered as a village green. This restricts what the land can be used for and gives the Council some rights and obligations over the land. It was agreed that the Clerk would send all Cllrs a scan of the village green registration document and any associated maps. It was agreed that the Clerk would also check with SCC that they had a record of the village green registration. It was agreed that the Clerk would contact the Village Recorder and Suffolk Archives to see if they want copies of the documents the Clerk had found regarding the green. 12. Next Meeting: Monday, 14th September 2020.
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~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~
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House Clearance Continues at Kisumu, The Street, Wickham Skeith IP23 8LP Thank you very much to everyone who kindly bought furniture from our house and bits & pieces from our continuing yard sale, especially honest folk who took items while we were out and also paid for them! The sale continues‌ Sheila and Ron Wright 01449 768644
~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~
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~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~
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~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~
Thornham Hall, Thornham Magna IP23 8HA We will be offering a takeaway curry dinner on Saturday 1st August with collections between 5pm - 7pm. When you arrive please pull up in front of Thornham Coach House’s main door and call the landline. Your our takeaway will be bought out to our designated table for you to collect. Please contact us to book your slot via email or Facebook Messenger to book your slot Telephone: 01379 783373 Mob: 07376374633 Email: contact@thornhamcoachhouse.com
All bookings of the Village Hall and its equipment ,ONCE Coronavirus is cleared, should go to: Denise Carle, 9, Grange Road, IP23 8NE. Telephone 01449 767838 or Email denise.alexander63@yahoo.co.uk Hourly rate: £8.00 The rate is per hour or part thereof. Minimum booking period 2 hrs. Day rate (24 hour period): £85.00. 25% reduction in rate for Wickham Skeith residents and Wickham Skeith village groups and organisations. Official bodies (e.g. elections): £200.00 per day. A 30 minute "warming up" period will be allowed in cold weather.
Business Adverts Adverts are £5.00 per month, £25 for 6 months and £50 for one year. Cash or cheque (payable to “Wickham Skeith Village Hall”) to Melinda Appleby at Haymead House, The Street, in advance of the advert being placed please.
This newsletter is produced by Wickham Skeith Village Hall Committee.
And finally... Please send all your village news and adverts for next month’s newsletter to Melinda: mappleby@tiscali.co.uk or call 01449 766879 By 25th August 2020
Newsletter printed by CopyDiss, 42a Mere Street, Diss IP22 4AG Tel: 01379 644567 www.copydiss.co.uk