Wickham Skeith Newsletter March 2021
~ DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ~ Next Parish Council Meeting: Monday, 8th March 2021 8pm on zoom. National census day: Sunday 21st March PCC annual meeting: Saturday 27th March at 7pm on Zoom Village oil syndicate order deadline: 31 March
Sheep May Safely Graze Knoll Farm Herdwicks move to clean pastures – the old-fashioned way
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~VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE ~
Village Hall News The Village Hall remains closed until further notice due to Coronavirus restrictions.
Pop-Up Gallery Have you seen the Pop-up gallery in the noticeboard at the Village Hall (see photo p7). We started this in February to showcase some of the creative work of Wickham Skeith residents including photography, paintings, poetry and craft work. The display changes every Friday afternoon so do drop by and take a look. We plan to run the gallery until the Easter week. If you have any artwork you would like to include please contact Melinda (01449 766879 or mappleby@tiscali.co.uk) We are limited by the space and the nature of the display case which can be a little damp! We hope that we can be more ambitious over Easter week and display work inside that can be seen ‘through the window’. In particular we would like to invite anyone in the village under 16 to share their creative work over that Easter weekend. Details on page 6.
Ready, steady, census The decennial census is almost upon us. Households in Wickham Skeith will soon be asked to take part in the nationwide survey of housing and the population. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941. Information from the digital-first census will help decide how services are planned and funded in your local area. This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, housing or new bus routes. Households will receive a letter with a unique access code in the post, allowing them to complete their questionnaire online. Paper questionnaires will be available on request. Census day is March 21. For more information, visit census.gov.uk.
~NEWS FROM THE CLUBS~
Hilltop Women’s Group - 50 YEARS HILLTOPS We believe it is 50 years since the inauguration of this Wickham Skeith village club. Founded all those years ago by young mums who were glad of a place to meet with their toddlers and who stayed in touch when the children moved on. It evolved into a women's group, welcoming other females to meetings once a month, inviting guest speakers, holding activities and outings and enjoying the opportunities of sharing time, socially and locally, with neighbours and friends. It is not affiliated to other organisations, but has a hands-on joint committee deciding the programme and sharing ideas for the year. Always diverse and interesting, in a world where we try to please all of the people some of the time, sharing events with the larger community and raising funds for local charities on an annual basis. If you haven't been to a meeting, here is a small selection of things you have missed: cookery demonstrations and workshops fashion shows talks by national and international speakers, artisans and experts film nights dance experiences inspirational women who have achieved success in their fields outings to interesting and beautiful places and time to share away from television, computers, children etc!! We usually get together in the village hall once a month for the princely sum of £1.00 per meeting and an annual subscription of £10.00. On Saturday 21st July, if all the rules can be adhered to, we propose a celebration of our fifty years in the form of an Afternoon Tea, with a special cake and fizz. Venue to be decided, depending on the weather and regulations at the time. It would be good to share memories and meet with previous and current members, near and far, and some potential new members with new ideas to go forward with this village club après Covid. We will remind you nearer the time, but it is a date to put on the calendar, and let's face it, we haven't had a lot of them recently!! Any comments please direct to: Margaret Knights. 01449767708. rosecottageflowers@hotmail.co.uk or Sue Merriam 01449766222
~HISTORY NOTES~ “Wickham Skeith is a riotous parish” So said the chairman of Hartismere magistrates in January 1878 following an assault on a police constable. Giving evidence a police superintendent stated that “upon several occasions as many as 15 to 20 men banded themselves together, and arming themselves with sticks, defied the policeman while in the execution of his duty.” Local newspapers are an extraordinarily useful resource for researching local & family history. Many are now available online. There seem to have been a lot of prosecutions in the village during the 19 th century for relatively minor offences. Here are a few examples: Ipswich Journal Sat, July 17, 1830 Edward Locke pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing 3 eggs, the property of his master, Mr Samuel Parker, of Wickham Skeith, and was sentenced to 2 days imprisonment in the County Gaol, and to be privately whipped. Ipswich Journal Sat, January 14, 1843 LARCENY AT WICKHAM SKEITH Eliza Gould, 19, was charged with having, on the 2 nd instant, a pair of pattens [wooden overshoes] the property of James Barker. ……………… Guilty: one month’s hard labour; first and last weeks solitary confinement. The next case has a Blackadder feel to it. Ipswich Journal Sat, January 14, 1854 Henry Steggles, 39, convicted of stealing five turnips, the property of Samuel Peck, of Wickham Skeith: One week’s hard labour. Some of the cases indicate the extreme poverty and destitution endured by some. Ipswich Journal Sat, July 18, 1868 A Sad Case – Esther Mayes, aged 17, was charged with stealing a peck and three quarters of peas [~15 litres] the property of Mrs Elizabeth Wells, Wickham Skeith. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and said she had been in the Hartismere Union Workhouse a fortnight, her father being dead and her mother in the Union. She had been at her uncle’s when she took the peas. The policeman from Wickham Skeith [we had our own policeman!] said prisoner had been in the habit of lying about in the corn fields at night. Fined 6d., and 8s. costs, or seven days’ hard labour. Locked up in default. Ipswich Journal Sat, November 7, 1868 Acorn Gatherers – George Garrod and William Ellis, two lads from Wickham Skeith, were charged with trespassing on the land of Mr Edward Elsden, at Wickham Skeith, on the 26 th October, and doing damage to the amount of 1s. Complainant said he saw defendants picking up acorns in his field. When they saw him they hid behind a tree and then ran away. He had a good many acorns on his farm, and he had been annoyed a great deal by persons doing damage when they gathered them. He did not wish defendants to be severely punished, but desired to have his property protected. Fined 3d and 5s.3d costs, each. Paid. While some of these penalties may seem to be severe, they were much harsher at the beginning of the 19th century. Offenders were often sentenced to death for minor offences, although this was frequently commuted to transportation to Australia. I will return to this subject in a future newsletter. Pete Davidson pjdavidson42@gmail.com
~ C O M M U N I TY PAG E ~
OIL SYNDICATE The next deadline for oil syndicate orders is 31 March 2021. Please ring Jerry on 765908 or email jerrybassett@icloud.com
Suffolk Libraries Mobile Library Service remains suspended until further notice and branches closed except for click and collect.
Local Deliveries As we are still being encouraged to stay at home, don’t forget there are a number of local deliveries available within the village. Milk, yoghurts and more are delivered daily (except Sundays and Wednesdays) by Suffolk Dairies. Tel 01449 676746 for details and to be added to the round. Office open from 7.00am - 12.00pm Monday - Friday and 7.00am - 10am Saturday. Invoiced weekly. Fruit and vegetables are delivered on Fridays by Castle Fruit of Diss. Telephone: 07747 840387 (24 hour answerphone) (Diana and Stephen) Leave your order as a message on the machine by end of Thursday, together with name, postcode and contact number . Payment taken after receipt of goods. They give customers a call and take card details for the amount invoiced. High quality produce. Fish is delivered on Friday mornings by Jamie Bull and there are also local paper deliveries.
Garden Waste collections Garden waste collections resume on Monday 15th March.
Easter Pop-up Creative Display for younger residents of Wickham Skeith
Call for Contributions Have you made something creative over the last year - at home or for school? Do you write, draw, take photos? Are you 16 and under? We would like to include your work over Easter in an exhibition at the village hall - as a window display and/or in the notice board. It can be on any topic and can be: Artwork Photography Writing a story or a poem Craft work (maybe shown in a photograph) Suggested size: not larger than A4 but if you have something larger please ask us about including it. The display will be set up on Thursday 1st April at 2.30 but the work should be left in the postbox by the gate of Place Farm by 31 March so we can collate all the pins and tape we need! We look forward including your work. Any questions contact us: Pop-up Gallery team: Jocelyn Bryant, Melinda Appleby and Harriet Bowes
~ C O M M U N I TY PAG E ~
Look Out for the Pop-Up Gallery on the Parish Noticeboard
News on Toads In early spring thousands of frogs and toads make their way from ditches, gardens and woods to the pond on the village green. Usually crossing from dusk onwards, many are squashed by passing cars. Wickham Skeith has a Toad Patrol – a group of people who volunteer to pop out at dusk and lift toads across the road. Toads don’t usually move until night-time temperatures rise to above 5-6 degrees so this cold spell will keep them in hibernation a little longer. Please look out for toads, and patrollers, during March and April evenings especially if the weather is milder and damp. Once I hear that toads are on the move the road warning signs will go up. Please call Melinda on 01449 766879 for more info.
~ W I C K HAM S K E I T H PAR I S H C O U N C I L ~ Members of Wickham Skeith Parish Council are hereby summoned to attend the next meeting of the Council, to be held by video conference call on Monday, 8th March 2021 at 8.00 pm. The public and press are hereby notified of the meeting and are invited to dial in to the meeting. Joining instructions: go to: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3186857289 Meeting ID: 318 685 7289 Passcode: WSPC2020! Email the Clerk at wickhamskeithpc@hotmail.com if you have queries about how to join the meeting.
AGENDA (DRAFT) 1. Chairman’s Welcome (to include apologies and approval of absences) 2. a). To receive members’ Declarations of Interest on Agenda items b). To consider requests for dispensations. 3. To resolve that the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 8th February 2021 are accurate. 4. Village Forum: an opportunity for the public to raise any relevant issues to the Council. 5. To receive reports from County and District Councillors, Police, Parish Clerk and Parish Councillors: 5.1. SCC: Cllr Stringer 5.2. MSDC: Cllr Warboys 5.3. Parish Clerk (including Police report) 5.3.1. Update on actions from the last meeting, and to consider any actions arising 5.3.2. To consider membership of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement 5.3.3. To publicize the upcoming census on 21st March 5.4. Parish Councillors, including: 5.4.1. Community Speed Watch 5.4.2. General Data Protection Regulation 5.4.3. Community Emergency Plan, including Covid-19 emergency 5.4.4. Defibrillator 6. Correspondence Received 7. Finance 7.1 To receive report from the RFO on the financial position as at 28th February 2021. 7.2 To review and approve the Internal Accounts Audit and Control Document for the current financial year, and to agree to submit the Certification of Exemption for External Audit. 7.3 To consider and agree the appointment of the Internal Auditor for the upcoming audit. 7.4 To review and agree the Risk Assessment for the next financial year (2021/22). 7.5 To review the level of Fidelity Guarantee insurance. 7.6 Invoices for Approval 8
Policies and procedures 8.1 To review and adopt the Standing Orders 8.2 To consider and adopt the proposed policies and procedures: 8.2.1 Data Protection Policy 8.2.2 Document and Data Retention policy 8.2.3 Subject Access Request Policy 8.2.4 Personal Data Audit Questionnaire
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Planning Matters: to consider planning applications and note planning decisions received. 9.1 To note the Local Planning Authority decision notice for DC/21/00399 – no objection. Location: Homeleigh, The Broadway, Wickham Skeith, Eye Suffolk IP23 8LX 9.2 To note the Local Planning Authority decision notice for DC/21/00020 – planning permission granted. Location: Minglewood, The Entry, Wickham Skeith, Eye Suffolk IP23 8LY
10 Working Parties: 10.1 Village Green 10.1.1 To consider possible next steps in establishing ownership of the village green. 10.2 Grimmer Fishing 11 Next Meeting: Annual Parish Meeting to be followed by Annual Meeting of the Council. 11.1 To note the current position on face to face and remote meetings. 11.2 To agree the date of the Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Meeting of the Council.
~ S T. A N D R E W ’ S C H U R C H
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Church of England, Wickham Skeith Facebook: @bactonbenefice Rector: The Revd Carl Melville, The Rectory, Bacton, IP14 4LJ 01449 781650, email: carlmelville@hotmail.com Wardens: Liz Davidson 766622 and Margaret Jones-Evans 767121 Services in March 2021
At the moment, all indoor church services are suspended in our Benefice. You are welcome to join us online for our services by searching “Bacton Benefice” on YouTube or Facebook. Sunday services at 10.30am Communion & 6pm Evensong. Thursday services at 10.30am Communion & 9.00pm Night Prayers (Compline). News and Notices Trails – we enjoyed the Christmas STAR trail so much, we are hoping you’ll join in with these trails… March – Display a flower (perhaps a daffodil or other spring flower) for Mothering Sunday in your window April – display a Cross in your window. In this village, as there will be no service in church on Good Friday, we propose to display the pictures that would usually be used then, depicting Jesus’ last walk on Good Friday from the Fortress of Antonia, where he was sentenced, to Golgotha, the place of his crucifixion. This is called the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Suffering. The 12 Stations of the Cross to look for: 1. Jesus is condemned to death 2. Jesus takes up his Cross 3. Jesus falls for the first time 4. Jesus meets his Mother 5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus 7. Jesus falls for the second time 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem 9. Jesus falls for the third time 10. Jesus is stripped of his garments (sometimes called the "Division of Robes") 11. Jesus is nailed to the Cross 12. Jesus dies on the Cross If you would like to ‘host’ one of the pictures please get in touch with Liz Davidson or Mary & Peter Paine. It will need to be visible from the road and if not close to the road you might have to be prepared for people to walk up your drive to look. Then from Palm Sunday (28 th March) look for the story as you walk around the village.
~ S T. A N D R E W ’ S C H U R C H ~
The World Day of Prayer service will be held as usual on the first Friday in March. Each year the service is planned by women in a different country of the world. This year there will be no local service but the national service will be broadcast online. If you would like to know more about the service or would like a copy of the service booklet in order to follow the online service, please speak to Mary Paine. Easter 2021 – a full list of Lent and Holy Week/Easter services can be found on our facebook page. This is changing all the time due to the pandemic. Or you can subscribe to our weekly email by emailing the Rector. If you would like to make a donation to the church in these days of no collection plate at services please ask Liz for the church account details or look online for A Church Near You, find the entry for Wickham Skeith St Andrew and go to the donation page. There is also a QR code for the purpose in the notice board outside the village hall. Thank you. The PCC annual meeting for reports on the PCC’s work in the last year and to elect PCC members for the coming year and the Vestry meeting to elect churchwardens for the coming year, will take place on Zoom on Saturday 27th March at 7pm. Please notify Mary Paine of nominations for churchwardens & PCC members as soon as possible. Revd Carl has proposed a Benefice joint annual meeting - we will start off as one group to hear reports that are common to all the parishes eg Rector’s Reports, a report from Deanery Synod and so on, then we’ll break out into our individual parishes to elect wardens, PCC members, hear financial reports and so on. As always everyone is welcome, you need this link: Topic: APCM, Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85748188805 Meeting ID: 857 4818 8805 Or if you don’t have internet you can phone in using any of these numbers: +44 203 481 5240 +44 131 460 1196 +44 203 051 2874 +44 203 481 5237 Meeting ID: 857 4818 8805 Revd Carl will also include an Act of Worship to kick start Holy Week together. Confirmations 2021: The Bishop will be visiting the Benefice after Easter to conduct Confirmations. If you’re interested in being Confirmed, please speak to Revd Carl. B.O.B Foodbank – our benefice foodbank has helped over 40 households with food parcels and small grants. If you or someone you know needs some additional help during these difficult times, please contact Revd Carl or Bridget (677422). It might be for help with school uniforms, bus fees, hospital transport, food, unexpected bills. All contact with us is confidential. Weekly Email and News – if you’d like to sign up to receive our weekly news email, please contact the Rector.
~ S T. A N D R E W ’ S C H U R C H ~
Rector’s Ramblings Lent is often a time when we give things up. We might give up chocolate, or alcohol, or bad habits. What are you giving up for Lent? Often we give things up for Lent but don’t actually change our ways. For example, we might give up chocolate for 40 days, but then start eating it at Easter. We often go back to our former ways and take up our old habits again. Lent is ‘designed’ to change us – to make us new people. We should give up chocolate (or whatever) in order to become a better person. The money we would have spent on that chocolate could be given to charity, or the time we would usually spend eating chocolate focused on helping those in need. We might just give up chocolate to become healthier. Of course, chocolate is just an example. But imagine what our world would be like if we all purchased fairly traded chocolate, or gave all the money we spent on chocolate in a year to a local charity. We need to think differently about what Lent is all about. IT should be a time focused on other people, on those less fortunate. Our benefice is support our Kagera (Tanzania) link. You can find details of this on our facebook page. Lent is a journey. Why not journey with us. Revd Carl
Church Fundraising - marmalade To have home-made marmalade delivered to your door simply phone Margaret J-E on 01449 767121 and leave a message if I’m not indoors. £1 per jar. There are 20 jars but no more until 2022. Thank you.
The Church Electoral Roll The 2019 church electoral roll is being brought up to date in preparation for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting to be held on Zoom on 27 th March 2021. Any new applications for the roll need to be with me by 12 th March and I have application forms if needed. Please telephone 01449 767121 or email mjonesevans@yahoo.co.uk with queries or if you need a form.
~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~
Rose Cottage Flowers I'm pleased to be accepting bookings (fingers crossed!) for weddings again for later this year and also 2022. Any other occasion where a flower or two is required of course. It's Mothering Sunday on March 14th and free doorstep deliveries will be available as usual for any requests. Bouquets, posies, plants, etc., all to suit your choices and budgets. I accept orders from people in the rest of the world for local delivery, with payment by Bacs, so if your family can't be there in person at any time, but would like to send flowers and a message, make sure they have my email! Always fresh, best quality flowers. Thank you to everyone who is supporting small local businesses. We have all appreciated it in these strange times. Contact: Margaret Knights rosecottageflowers@hotmail.co.uk 01449 767708
***** GISLINGHAM PLAYGROUP ***** We provide a safe, warm, friendly and caring setting for children aged 2-5 years, in a brand new purpose built building on the same site as Gislingham CEVCP School, with whom we work closely to provide an excellent education. The Playgroup is following government guidelines so please check with us for opening arrangements. Please visit our website www.gislinghamplaygroup.com or phone us on 01379 788934
~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~
GRAHAM MOORE ELECTRICAL LTD Blacksmiths Cottage, Silver Street, Old Newton IP14 4HF
For all your electrical needs For a friendly and efficient service Call Graham on Tel: 01449 616946 Mobile: 07867 560357 *FREE ESTIMATES * ALL WORK GUARANTEED *
~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~ Ed Batram GARDEN SERVICES Clearance, design, planting, aftercare for your garden… Trees, hedging, fencing, log splitting & chainsaw work… Ground clearance, paths, patios, brickwork and paving… All aspects of conservation work undertaken. FREE ESTIMATES Tel: 01379 898203, mob: 07950 923696 Email: edwardbatram@icloud.com
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Tel: 01379 890617 / 07880 528142 GARWOODSOFSUFFOLK@YAHOO.COM
~ ADVERTISEMENTS ~
High welfare, Free Range, Slow raised Rare Breed Pork
THE FOLLOWING ARE READILY AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND Belly pork Slices £8kg Pork Mince £8.60 kg, Tenderloin £9.60kg, Ribs £5kg Sausages plain £8.60 kg - packs of 8, Gluten free Cumberland £9.40 kg, Sausage Meat £8.60kg Gourmet sausages in packs of 8 £9.40kg Toulouse, Red onion marmalade & Mature Cheddar, Port & Stilton BACK BACON UNSMOKED in 8 rasher packs £16.50kg, BLACK BACK BACON £19.87kg SMOKED STREAKY BACON £14.50 kg ORGANIC GRASS FED FREE RANGE HALF LAMB BOXES 4-5kg Fresh Frozen Vacuum packed and labelled £15kg HOGGITT & MUTTON LEG, SHOULDER, CHOPS & TENDERLOIN £15kg MINCE £8kg CONTACTLESS FREE DOORSTEP DELIVERY AVAILABLE #STAY-SAFE Sam at TAS Animal Care & Poultry at Knoll Farm, Wickham Skeith Mobile: 077424 50908 Landline: 01449 768620 www.tasanimalandpoultry.co.uk � � � �
LAND NEEDED 2 - 3 acres of rough grazing land needed (preferably to buy) for native ponies. Finningham, Wickham Skeith, Thornham, Bacton, Old Newton area. Anything considered. Immediate payment. Please contact C. Irving, Finningham catherine.helen@outlook.com
This newsletter is produced by Wickham Skeith Village Hall Committee
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.
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 26th March2021
Look out for Toads on the road on warmer damp evenings
Newsletter printed by CopyDiss, 42a Mere Street, Diss IP22 4AG Tel: 01379 644567 www.copydiss.co.uk