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1 The Village Link Great Thurlow – Little Thurlow – Great Wratting March 2014
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The Village Link
Great Thurlow – Little Thurlow – Great Wratting
March 2014
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Editorial co-ordinator Alison Coffey 783478 Administrative co-ordinator Kevin Crowson 783654 Senior Reporters Gt. Thurlow Margaret Ince 783117 Lt. Thurlow Iris Eley 783534 Junior Reporter Sacha Davies Please supply all adverts in either Jpeg or Bitmap format (not PDF)
Advertising Rates (per quarter page) Single advertisement - £10 Six months advertising - £40 Twelve months advertising - £65 Back Page Advertising Rates (per month) Full Page Colour - £50 Half Page Colour - £30 Quarter Page Colour - £20 To be supplied in Jpeg or Bitmap format
The E
ditor
Conta
ct
EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE VILLAGE LINK
To contact The Village Link Team please email
TheVillageLink @TheThurlows.org.uk View The Village Link Online at www.TheThurlows.org.uk
Copy Deadline 15th Of Each Month
Welcome to the March issue of The Village Link. Thank you to Stephen Moore for the spring photographs on this month‟s front cover. Please send in your photographs of events, local views or just those captured moments, funny or otherwise for us to include. At the end of the year we will award a small prize for the best photo used on the front cover so what are you waiting for? I would like to thank the many contributors to the Village Link, without whom there wouldn‟t be a parish magazine. However, it would be great to have contributions from others be they one-off articles or new regular features. Any local societies or clubs not represented in the Link, why don‟t you nominate someone to do a short paragraph about your meetings and attract new members? This I realise is a much repeated plea..... I would like to take this opportunity to wish Jean Newlands, our Great Wratting Village Link distributor, good luck with her training for the London Marathon (see page 11)! Jean will be updating us on her training progress and hopefully inspiring us all to get out there! Lastly the village says goodbye to Jill and Barry Steele. Jill and Barry have been a part of village life for nearly 20 years and will be sorely missed by their many friends and we would like to thank them for all they have done and to wish them well in their move. Lets hope we have a drier month ahead of us! Alison
Websi
te Don’t forget to check out the Thurlow website.
Keep looking as the site is updated regularly.
WWW.THETHURLOWS.ORG.UK
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Great Wratting Parish Council G
reat
Wra
ttin
g P
arish
Counci
l
GREAT WRATTING PARISH COUNCIL MEETING UPDATE The following is a brief summary of the meeting held on 23 January 2014. Minutes are
available from the Parish Clerk.
Local Authority Reports: District Councillor Robert Clifton Brown presented an overview of
the planning issues to be discussed at the next DC meeting. Suffolk County Councillor,
Mary Evans also attended and provided updates on speeding, road gritting and better
broadband. Following the public meeting regarding speeding through our villages (B1061),
the potential for parish councils to purchase a speed activated sign is currently being
investigated. Mary confirmed that Withersfield Road is listed as a „Priority 2 route‟ for road
gritting. This means that the road should be gritted when the temperature is expected to
stay below zero after 9.00 am. Gritting should take place before 7.30 am, but is always
subject to the demands of „Priority 1 routes‟. The Parish Council will monitor and report
poor road gritting in the village over the winter months. Please contact Emma White, our
Parish Clerk if you have any concerns. Emma is looking into the possibility of repairing or
replacing of some of the grit bins in the village and will chase up the topping up of our
road side grit stocks. We also discussed with Mary our concerns about pot holes in the
village and the poor quality repairs we have seen in recent years. Emma has reported the
pot holes on Withersfield Road to the relevant department and a work order to repair the
road has been raised. Finally, Mary advised us that at a recent meeting with BT, it was
confirmed that there are no plans to improve broadband speeds in our village in 2014.
Police Report: Two of our Police Community Support Officers attended the meeting to
provide an update on crime in our area. There were no recently reported crimes in Great
Wratting, but house and outbuilding burglaries, oil theft, and car number plate thefts have
all been reported in neighbouring villages over the past few weeks. New research on
traffic speeds on the B1061 is to be undertaken in the coming weeks to provide the police
with up to date information on speed „hot spots‟, which will be targeted using speed
cameras.
The Village Link: We agreed to fund printing of The Village Link for Great Wratting for the
next year. Distribution of the monthly newsletter is organised by local volunteers. We are
very grateful to their continued service to the village.
The Village Email tree: Our email tree is up and running and initial feedback has been very
positive. Dawn Fisk will continue to manage the email list for the village.
Better Broadband for Great Wratting: Following Mary Evans‟ confirmation that BT has no
immediate plans to improve the broadband service in our village, Anthony Lundrigan
provided an update on discussions he has held with two other broadband providers as he
continues to explore the possibility of finding alternative ways to bring faster broadband to
our village. It is hoped that one of the providers will conduct a site survey and confirm the
viability of a wireless broadband service. Ctd...
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LITTER AND DOG MESS IN THURLOW VILLAGE
When the children of Class 2 at Thurlow Primary School went for their geography
walk recently they were shocked at how much litter and dog mess they saw in the village. They talked in class with their teacher Miss Meechan about the problems they
had seen and came up with lots of suggestions about how to put things rights. They
wrote to Suffolk County Council to explain their idea and ask for help putting them into action.
As the local county councillor I was only too pleased to help. I met the children, went
on a follow up walk with them so they could show me the problems and tell me more about their ideas. I am not sure I can do much about the excellent plan “to have a
shop that sells robots that pick up litter then the people of the village could use the
robots to help them.” But I am sponsoring a competition for them to design posters asking dog owners to clear up after their pets.
Peter Thomas and Keith Bunting, the chairmen of Great and Little Thurlow Parish
Councils, will be joining me to judge the poster competition in early March. I am
arranging for a batch of dog poo bags to be available at the village shop. The children and their families have been invited to join in the annual litter pick. Mary Evans, Suffolk County Councillor for the Clare Division
Great Wratting Parish Council G
reat
Wra
ttin
g P
arish
Counci
l
GREAT WRATTING PARISH COUNCIL MEETING UPDATE ctd... Maltings Farm Bridge: Construction of our new bridge was completed before Christmas and
the road reopened on schedule. Gavin Acheson will contact the Highways Dept team to
discuss new planting to replace trees and shrubs removed during the rebuild and the
replacement of road signs.
Finance: The financial report was presented and discussed. There were no payments
presented for approval at the meeting. The Grant and Precept application form was signed
off.
Other matters: Our village website is currently being reviewed by Anthony Lundrigan and
Emma White. Jacquie Perry is aiming to organise a joint Neighbourhood Watch meeting
with the Great Bradley co-ordinators, to share ideas.
Caroline Togher Great Wratting Parish Council
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Gre
at
Thurlow
Parish
Counci
l Great Thurlow Parish Council
GREAT THURLOW PARISH COUNCIL MEETING UPDATE Minutes of Meeting of Great Thurlow Parish Council held on Wednesday 8th January 2014. Apologies were received from George Vestey and Naomi Sharrod. Present at meeting were Peter Thomas, Stan Cook, Conrad Hawkins, Diana Allin (Clerk), Allan Loveday (Sports Ground), Tim Barling (Thurlow Estate) and Cllr Mary Evans.
There were no declarations of interest. Minutes of the previous meeting having been previously circulated were agreed and signed by the Chairman. Matters Arising: The street lamps repairs were still ongoing with some delays due to location problems. Funding for replacement white lamps also needs to be approved. Repairs to playground have been successfully completed.
Finance: Accounts stood at £ 674.95 in current account with £ 2,341.03 on deposit. A VAT reclaim of £221.90 had been received. There no cheques required for signature. It was agreed to withhold payment to the Village Link for the time being as their accounts displayed showed a healthy balance. Correspondance: A letter of thanks has been received from Mr Sheppard for the council donation to the British Legion Appeal. There is a Travel Update meeting to be held Tues 14th Jan at Withersfield Village Hall at 7.30 pm. Other reports: The street light no 18 is not working, Clerk to report.
Allan Loveday reported that playground repairs were complete. Allan asked the Parish Council to sanction small repairs up to £350 without need for meeting. This was agreed by all.
Conrad Hawkins asked about bridge repairs in Great Thurlow. The bridge had been damaged last Summer. Cllr Evans to look into this for the Council.
Conrad asked Mr Barling if there was any update on the progress on the works to the New Post Office and Garage improvements. Mr Barling was unable to advise at this time.
Conrad asked for details of the Rural Vision Hearings and Meetings. Clerk to forward these.
A brief Police report was read with some burglaries to outbuildings. Care was advised with oil tanks. A full report had not been received. Cllr Evans agreed to keep the Council up to date with the light repairs. Cllr Evans advised
the Government were keen to promote and provide Better Broadband to the rural areas.
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GTPC
GREAT THURLOW PARISH COUNCIL MEETING UPDATE ctd... Dates of the meetings for the coming year were confirmed: March 12th May 14th: Annual Meeting July 9th September 10th November 12th
Joint meetings January 29th, June and September to be confirmed.
Diana Allin, Great Thurlow Parish Clerk
Great Thurlow Parish Council
Little Thurlow Parish Council
Little T
hurlow
Parish
Counci
l
LITTLE THURLOW PARISH COUNCIL MEETING UPDATE Councillors were joined at the February meeting by three members of the public and written reports were received from CC Evans and the Police. Andrew Dickson was co-opted as a Parish Councillor to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Jill Steele. C. Field is to attend the next Safer Neighbourhood Team meeting on 11th March and K.
Bunting will attend a Public Transport Seminar - Bus Services on 24th February. It is also hoped that the Parish Council will be represented at the next SALC Area Meeting on 12th March. The next joint village Litter Pick is to be held over the weekend of 5th/6th April and this time it is hoped that children from Thurlow School will take part. A competition is being held at the school for the best anti dog-fouling poster after children expressed their concerns over this matter. The school has also been invited to take part in preliminary discussions on the possible replacement of play equipment on the Sports Field. There has been no progress on the problem of puddles which form on the bridge in The Street or the unsatisfactory pavement repairs. The Clerk is to ask for the pavements to be swept of gravel. More information will be requested from St Edmundsbury BC regarding the planning application for the erection of a conservatory at 12 Pound Green.
A quotation was accepted for the supply of a marquee for the Thurlow Fayre and donations are to be sent to St Edmundsbury Newstalk, which provides a weekly audio news service and a bi-monthly magazine to the blind and partially sighted, Magpas the Emergency Medical Charity and the West Suffolk Hospital Charity Arthrose Appeal which supports the hospital's Trauma and Orthopaedic Department. The date of the next meeting is Tuesday 25th March 2014.
Molly Hawkins, Little Thurlow Parish Clerk
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Thurlow
WI
Thurlow WI
THURLOW WI REPORT—FEBRUARY MEETING Ann Tipper announced that the Federation had raised £700 with the sale of handbags and were now looking for scarves to sell. There were no takers for the Science Evening or the chance to visit Wimbledon. Four members will attend the Federation meeting when the main speaker will be Michael Portillo. Ann presented a Garden Voucher to Jill Steele as a token of our appreciation for all her work in the WI whilst in the village. “Thurlow WI goes Baltic” was the title given to the talk by our resident bird specialist Jeremy Mynott. He gave us a brief history of Estonia before showing slides of the country and its wildlife. He said it was a brilliant place for birds, some of which could be seen from the garden of his digs. He said they still have bears, wolves, elks and wild boar, some of which he got quite close too. As always Jeremy stayed in a very remote place and was surprised when he was asked to meet British Travel agents to help his hostess promote her business. Money collected in the raffle will be sent to RSBP. Winners were Molly Hawkins Jill Steele, Heather Hunt, Karen Canterford, Sue Bambridge, Olive Jeffrey and Arline Vollam. Next month we hear of the “Adventures of a woman racing driver”, March 11th 7.30 pm at the Village Hall. Visitors always Welcome! Iris Eley
Thurlow
Gard
enin
g C
lub
Thurlow Gardening Club
THURLOW GARDENING CLUB REPORT What a wet and windy time we are having! Gardening club this month was more like the aquatic club. There have been some casualties in our gardens such as windows and fences, trellises and lakes developing but our thoughts are certainly with those that are in areas of serious flooding. It was a short meeting as most had Valentines‟ day dates. Lucky us! We have yet to start in the greenhouse so are eagerly awaiting March and warmer weather. Spaghetti squash and carrot seeds were given out so the challenge has begun. Happy gardening!
Dawn Abbey 01440 783646
For details of the next meeting please contact Dawn.
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Vill
age L
ink J
unio
r Report
er
Village Link Junior Reporter
Village Link Junior Reporter There has been a lot of wind and rain recently. And the rivers in Thurlow have
flooded making the ground very muddy and wet. In the storm on Valentine‟s night my dad got up in the middle of the night to see if the roof was coming off,
but we only lost a few tiles. Lots of our garden fence panels blew down and my
trampoline collapsed.
Earlier this month at the Grange there was a fire at about 3 am, but everybody got out and they are all OK.
Recently we got 4 more ducks so we have a total number of 11 which is the highest it has ever been. We got a Saxony, two Call ducks and a Chocolate
Magpie. We already have a Laceback, Crested, Appleyard and four Alsburys.
Has anybody seen the little cottage near the old bridge opposite Great Thurlow hall? Where the woods in the garden have been cleared, the ground is now a
blanket of beautiful white snowdrops.
Megan Davies, Junior Reporter (age 12)
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Nature Note N
atu
re N
ote
Nature Note One of the things I most look forward to in March every year is the arrival of our first summer migrant, the chiffchaff. When we originally came to Thurlow, more
than thirty years ago now, I could expect to hear one of these little warblers, fresh in from Africa and singing its chiff-chaff refrain, some time in the last few
days of March. It was always an annual miracle, how such a tiny bird could travel
so far – over deserts, seas, mountains and cities – and find its way punctually every spring to the same small Suffolk village, indeed often to exactly the same
copse down the Drift. I‟ve been keeping records ever since and have noticed that the chiffchaff has been arriving progressively earlier year by year, so that I‟m now
listening out for it by about the twelfth of March. This is undoubtedly the effect of
global warming. Our springs are getting earlier and the birds are responding.
This year, however, a very strange thing happened. I heard a chiffchaff singing on the nineteenth of January! And I‟ve heard what must be the same bird several
times subsequently in February. My reaction was different, though. Instead of getting that familiar kick of adrenalin and excitement I felt rather disturbed. It
was out of place, a bit weird and worrying, as though the world wasn‟t working
quite properly any more but had somehow got out of kilter. Now, this particular chiffchaff probably isn‟t a migrant at all, but a bird that has stayed over from last
summer through the very mild winter we‟ve so far been having and was stimulated to sing by the unseasonable weather. If it works, this stay-behind
policy is a perfectly sensible strategy, of course. The bird will have been saved all
the rigours of its immense round trip from Africa and back and will be poised to claim the best territory before any of the true migrants arrive here in mid-March.
But this little bird‟s presence in January and February is also symptomatic of a
larger disturbance to our weather systems and our whole planet, I‟m afraid.
Think of that destructive „Surge‟ down the East Coast in January and the terrible floods in the SW where, as I write, the waters seem to be reclaiming the land we
once took from them and rendering them uninhabitable again. We‟re belatedly doing our best to help this or that community in shoring up their defences, while
the politicians are all fighting like ferrets in a sack to avoid accepting responsibility for the damage these poor people have suffered. But the problem probably goes
much deeper, and these chaotic events that insurers unfairly choose to call „Acts
of God‟ will likely become ever more common. They may feel like modern versions of the biblical catastrophes of fire, flood, pestilence and famine, but they
stem from acts of Man not God. In the end we shall have to learn to work with Nature rather than arrogantly believing we have conquered her. Otherwise it may
literally cost us the earth. Jeremy Mynott Lavender Cottage 9 January 2014
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Running the London Marathon.... R
unnin
g t
he L
ondon M
ara
thon
Running the London Marathon On the 13th of April I will be running the London Marathon and will be seeking
sponsorship in aid of St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds. I believe that most people in our area will be very much aware of the work the hospice does not only
at its site in Bury St Edmunds but also throughout the community through its
visiting professionals and volunteers.
I myself have been volunteering for the hospice for a little over 2 years, initially as a Hospice Neighbour and, more recently, as one of 2 Hospice Neighbour
coordinators in the Haverhill area. Despite being a keen runner for several years I
have never before ran the London Marathon but have decided to run it in memory of David Peall, a patient I visited once or twice weekly for a year until his death in
February 2013. David developed Motor Neurone Disease in his early 50s and lived for only a few years thereafter. During my visits he encouraged me to enter the
marathon and said that he would be the first to sponsor me should I get in. Sadly he didn‟t live to see this happen but thanks to the support of the hospice he was
able to live out his life at home amidst his family, friends and community. By
sponsoring me the hospice may be a little closer to making this service available to as many people as possible.
I am sure that many of our own community will be familiar with the sight of me
running along our beautiful country lanes accompanied by my black Labrador,
Archie. Think of me in the atrocious weather we have been subjected to recently and please consider helping me to reach my sponsorship target of £2000. To
make a contribution you can either visit my fundraising webpage: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JeanNewlands or contact me directly on 01440
783111 where I can log your pledge on a sponsor form. Many thanks in anticipa-
tion of your generosity.
Jean Newlands Village Link Distributor Great Wratting
Good bye! It is with much regret that Jill and Barry leave the village, having enjoyed nearly twenty years here. We have made so many good friends and will take with us numerous happy memories of times spent in Thurlow, we shall miss you all very much. We are going to live near our daughter and son-in-law in Kent and if any of our friends are ever in Boughton under Blean (Nr Canterbury) we shall be very pleased to see them for a coffee or something stronger!
Jill and Barry Steele
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Month
ly C
hurc
h S
erv
ice R
ota
February—March 2014 Church Services
Date Day Time/Event Time/Event Time/Event Time/Event
2nd March
Sun 9:30 HC
Kedington 11:00 HC
Great Thurlow
9th March
Sun 9:30 HC
Barnardiston 9:30 SOTW Kedington
11:00 HC Great Bradley
16th March
Sun 10:00 HC
Little Wratting
23rd March
Sun 8:00 HC
Kedington 9:30 HC
Little Thurlow 11:00 HC
Great Wratting
30th March
Sun 10:00 HC Kedington
6th April
Sun 9:30 HC
Kedington 11:00 HC
Little Bradley
13th April
Sun 9:30 HC
Barnardiston 9:30 SOTW Kedington
11:00 HC Great Bradley
Thurlow Fayre NEEDS YOUR HELP
Thurlow Fayre only takes place once a year and is only successful because of the voluntary help it receives from people living in and around the Thurlows. Can you help this year? The Fayre committee are looking for volunteers and for fresh ideas. Some favourite attractions have already been booked but there is plenty of room for more! Please come along to the next Fayre committee meeting on Wednesday 5th March, 7:00 pm in the Village Hall.
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Jim Talbot - Obituary Jim was born at School Terrace, Great Thurlow on June 16th 1927 to Jessie and Arthur Talbot. Jim had four siblings; Joan, Belle, Aggie and Frankie who were all raised in Great Thurlow and remained there all their lives, going to the village school. Jim had the chance to go to the senior school but this was not to be, because times where hard so instead started to work on the land for The Ryder family at Great Thurlow Hall. At the age of 18 Jim joined the Suffolk regiment to do his National Service. He spent some happy times in Germany, in the Cook house. After completing his national service he returned to his beloved Thurlow and resumed working back on the estate at Thurlow. In 1957 he married his beloved wife Betty at Great Thurlow church. They then had three children Neil, Garry and finally Lorraine. In1954 he left the estate and joined Addis in Haverhill and remained there until he retired. Jim was a keen sportsman playing football, darts and bowls wining many trophies over the years, and also umpiring for Thurlow cricket club sometimes making what the opposition thought where very dubious decisions but Jim never would budge. He was a keen Arsenal supporter all his life visiting the Emirates Stadium a few years ago and walking on the sacred turf. Jim's two other loves in his life were his garden, supplying most of the village with tomato plants, and his family, spending many times watching his grandchildren and great grandchildren grow up. Sadly two years ago he lost his soul mate, his wife Betty, and things where never the same for
Jim. Over the past few months his health began to suffer. Jim was loved so much by all his family and will always be missed. Now reunited with the love of his life. Garry Talbot
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Farm
Farm I know that I always start this piece with a bit about the weather – this month is no different. While we are by no means as badly off as those on the Somerset
Levels, we too are struggling with our winter maintenance program. We are preparing to start the Spring applications of both nitrogen and sprays and will get
on the field when the weather permits. Latest rainfall figures for this year are
shocking with 120 mm of rain to date at Weston Woods. The average annual rainfall for this area is only 600 mm.
The pigeons, which luckily haven‟t been too numerous to date, are now starting
to flock up and feed on the OSR. The battle to control the pigeon population is
ongoing with the use of bangers, rockets and gas guns. The farm spends a lot of time on control in late Winter and early Spring but without effective control,
pigeons can soon ruin a young crop.
The hedge cutting season is winding up for this year and the farm is just trying to finish off the current program of ditching operations.
Thurlow Estate News Shoot
Hunt
Hunt The Hunt is now meeting three times a week but as always, at this time of year, there are restrictions on where they can go due to the ground conditions.
The three Point to Point committees have managed to arrange a joint meeting at
High Easter on Saturday 22nd March and we really hope that you will be able to
come along. It should be an excellent day, with a good number of entries. For further information please visit:
www.pointtopoint.co.uk/go/courses/high_easter.html
Shoot With the shooting season now at an end the keeper is trying to take a well earned break. He is, however, still having to keep an eye on the remaining pheasants.
The keeper will also be breaking down the remaining feed hoppers and water
drinkers and then rounding them up to be washed down/sterilised before being
stored up before they are put back out in the summer. Finally, the game strips that provide cover and food for the birds throughout the
shooting season will be topped and the farm will start to plough in the stalks and husks, in preparation for the new crop to be drilled in May time. Obviously,
weather permitting!
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Woods
Woods Forestry operations are continuing – just. We have several areas of coppice work to complete before the end of March. This timber will be then hauled back to
Weston Woods and processed into firewood.
Firewood deliveries cease at the end of February so please do book now if you
would like a load of logs before then. We then spend the next 5 months concentrating purely on the processing of next seasons stock. This ensures that
the firewood that we will start to sell again in July is properly seasoned.
And fin
ally
...
And finally… A drunken man who smelled like whisky sat down on a bench in a Tube station,
next to a priest. The man‟s tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lip-
stick, and a half-empty bottle of whisky was sticking out of his pocket. He
opened his newspaper and began reading. After a few minutes the man turned to
the priest and asked, “Say Father, what causes arthritis?”
The priest replies, “My Son, it‟s caused by loose living, being with wicked women,
too much alcohol, contempt for your fellow man, sleeping around and lack of
bathing.”
The drunk muttered in response, “Well, I‟ll be damned,” then returned to his pa-
per.
The priest, thinking about what he has said, nudged the man and apologized. “I‟m
very sorry; I didn‟t mean to be so judgemental. How long have you had arthritis?”
The drunk answered, “I don‟t have it, Father. I was just reading here that the
Pope does.”
Pro
pert
y
Property We have several properties available to rent immediately or if you are interested in being notified of any other properties that are coming up in the future please
call the Estate Office on 01440 783661.
The Estate Office is in the process of drawing up plans for several other properties
which we are going to refurbish this year with the aim of bringing them back onto the lettings market.
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Month Date Day Time Event Location Information
March 5th Wed 14:00
to 14:20
Mobile library Coronation Cottages
01473 584563
March 5th Wed 19:00 Thurlow Fayre
Committee Meeting
Thurlow Village Hall
01440 707416
March 6th Thur 19:45 GWPC Meeting Wheel
Cottage, The Street
Parish Clerk gtwrattingpc@
yahoo.co.uk
March 11th Tue 19:30 WI meeting Thurlow
Village Hall
March 12th Wed 20:00 Great Thurlow
PC Meeting Thurlow
Village Hall
March 25th Tue 19:30 Little Thurlow
PC Meeting
Thurlow Village Hall
Apr 2nd Wed 14:00
to 14:20
Mobile library Coronation Cottages
01473 584563
Apr 5th to
6th
Sat to
Sun
Annual Thurlow Litter
Pick
Apr 6th Sun 14:00
to 17:00
Great Thurlow Hall Gardens
Open Day
Great Thurlow Hall
http://www.ngs.org.uk/
What’s On! D
ate
s For
Your
Dia
ry!
Websi
te Don’t forget to check out the Thurlow website.
Keep looking as the site is updated regularly.
WWW.THETHURLOWS.ORG.UK
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Your advert
here
Advertising Rates (per quarter page) Single advertisement - £10
Six months advertising - £40 Twelve months advertising - £65
Back Page Advertising Rates
(per month) Full Page Colour - £50 Half Page Colour - £30
Quarter Page Colour - £20
Contact [email protected]
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1st
Burr
ough G
reen B
row
nie
s 1st Burrough Green Brownies
1st Burrough Green Brownies The Brownies had an amazing time at the Pantomime before Christmas when we
went to see Robin Hood, at the Arts Theatre in Cambridge. This is the second time we have been to see the Christmas Pantomime here and are planning on
doing it next year as well!
2014 sees Brownies celebrating its centenary and we are currently working
towards the Big Brownie Birthday challenge badge which will take most of the Spring term. Some of the activities we are doing to achieve this are: having tea in
an unusual place, the Brownies giving the leaders a night off and running the unit
for us and an evening of campfire singing with members of Brinkley Guides joining us.
We are all looking forward to our annual pack holiday in March where we go away
for the weekend to do lots of fun activities such as crafts and archery!
Brownies meet weekly in Brinkley during the school term. Brownies is for girls
aged 7 to 10 if anyone would like more information please contact:
Amanda Davies 01440 783803
TKHeat T:783654 or E:[email protected]
Free Kitchen & Bathroom Design Service.
High Quality Tradesmen.
Electricians, Carpenters, Plasterers, Plumbers & Installers.
Fully Project Managed.
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Reci
pe o
f th
e M
onth
Recipe of the Month
Cod in a tomato and thyme sauce
This recipe is very quick to make. The sauce can be made in advance, cooled and reheated when needed. The fresh cherry tomatoes added at the end give a lovely sweetness when they burst open in the mouth. This sauce also works well with chicken but the chicken needs to be cooked separately and thoroughly before adding to the sauce.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika 400 g can chopped tomatoes
1 heaped tsp light, soft brown sugar
Few sprigs fresh thyme or dried Herbes de Provence if fresh thyme is not available 1 tbsp soy sauce (I use the reduced salt version)
4 cod fillets (or any other flaky white fish, can be frozen but will need to cook for longer)
Optional additions: 16 cherry tomatoes
Chorizo sausage, chopped Black olives
Method:
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chopped onion and sauté for 5-8 minutes
until lightly browned. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, sugar, thyme leaves (or Herbes) and soy sauce and
bring to the boil whilst stirring.
Simmer for 5 -10 minutes and then place the cod into the sauce. Cover and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until the cod flakes easily.
A few minutes before the end add fresh cherry tomatoes, chorizo and black olives if desired.
Serve with a green vegetable such as kale or brocoli, mashed potato, new
potatoes or rice. Alison
Share your favourite recipes with the Village Link!
Please also get in touch with any requests for particular recipes or recipes
involving specific ingredients or any other culinary questions you would
like answered.
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The Suffolk Walking Festival
2014
Suffolk local authorities are working in partnership again to organise the countywide Suffolk Walking Festival, which runs from 10th May - 1st June 2014.
Now in its seventh year, the Suffolk Walking Festival is bigger and better than ever
before, with nearly 80 guided walks planned, covering the whole of the county. We
have a lovely mix of short strolls around medieval villages and market towns and longer rambles through the gentle landscapes of Suffolk, through Areas of
Outstanding Natural Beauty and along the glorious Suffolk coast.
The Discover Suffolk Challenge Walk this year follows The Angles Way, which meanders for 90 miles along the Suffolk/Norfolk border, through the picturesque
Waveney Valley and the sandy landscape of The Brecks. Do one day, two days or all
six, the choice is yours, but as always, there will be treats and prizes for those completing the whole route.
Our themed, guided walks throughout the three week festival have some wonderful
titles such as: 'Across the Marshes to the Castle', 'A Point to my Ramblings', 'Tiptoe
Through the Heather' and „Prickles‟ Story Walk„. You can Walk the Burma Road, learn about the Maritime Heritage of the Ipswich Waterfront, walk through Rolling Fields
and a Cutting Garden and even try a free taster session of Nordic Walking.
Some include refreshments – a cream tea perhaps, or a glass of local wine and all of
them are a fun and sociable way to learn about the lovely county of Suffolk. We will also be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Stour Valley Path with a series of
walks covering the length of the path over six days, with the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley Project.
We invite you to make the most of what Suffolk has to offer in abundance: pretty
countryside, lovely villages, warm hospitality and a fascinating history.
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Suffolk Fostering Service Suffolk Fostering Service needs carers for children of all ages, but is particularly
interested in hearing from people able to care for sibling groups or children over the
age of 11. Foster carers receive ongoing and regular supervision, support and training.
Foster carers can provide care on a short-term basis whilst permanent plans are
made for children to return home to birth family or to an adoptive family.
Alternatively, they can provide care on a long-term or permanent basis where the child will become a part of the carer‟s family until they are ready to leave home, but
hopefully throughout their adult life too.
There are also specialised schemes such as the MTFC Zipwire programme for children over the age of seven who have more complex and challenging needs.
MTFC Zipwire offers carers structured support and a fee which represents the
complexity of the task of caring for children with additional needs. Alternatively, there is the LINK service which supports children and young people
with learning, physical or sensory disability, and their families by providing regular short breaks.
Foster carer Jackie says „ Being a foster carer gives me a huge sense of pride in what I am doing – to make such a difference, and to be part of, and share, a child‟s life is
so gratifying‟
Contact the Fostering Service on: 0800 328 2148 or visit www.suffolkfostering.com
Suffolk Adoption Agency
Suffolk Adoption Agency is currently looking for families particularly for brothers
and sisters to grow up together in pairs or groups of three; children over three and disabled children of all ages.
Support is available to adoptive families throughout childhood and beyond if needed. Building a family through adoption is rewarding, and is an opportunity to make a
very significant different to someone‟s life
Contact the Adoption Agency on: 0800 389 9417 or visit
www.suffolkadoption.com
Sally Frost Fostering Recruitment and Assessment Team Posters are available for display, please contact the Village Link if you are able to display one, thank you.
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Tales from my garden T
ale
s fr
om
my g
ard
en
Tales from our garden by
Steve and Jeanie Huggins
Well, given this wet and windy weather it will be more like a short story of woe from the garden! The pond has overflowed several times, the log cabin has lost a
window, the metal birdcage effect gazebo has been blown over twice even
though it weighs 150 kilos and is 3 metres tall and the lawn is more like a lake!! However on a positive note all our very tall poplar trees are standing. Also the sun
has been intermittently bright and bringing some early warmth. This warmth has not gone unnoticed by the bulbs, aconites, snowdrops and crocuses are
flowering in abundance. Daffodils are growing taller by the day and a few are even showing signs of buds making us believe they will flower on time this year
unlike last year.
In the coming half term week we will be looking to start using the greenhouse to
sow a few early vegetable seeds and putting plastic over the beds to warm them up in preparation for some early spring planting. Pruning starts with autumn
fruiting raspberries and we follow Monty Don‟s advice for clematis “If flowers
before June, don‟t prune”. But if flowers after, perform a Valentines Day massacre!! i.e. cut down to base. Now we hear you wondering when does your
clematis flower!
We are thrilled to say most of our soft wood cuttings are safe and sound in the
greenhouse where they have overwintered.
As we finish this report the sun is setting giving us pretty pink fluffy clouds. Red
sky at night and all that, certainly gives you hope that the weather has turned.
Open Garden Dates for your diary....... Great Thurlow Hall will be having two Open Garden days as part of the National
Gardens Scheme (NGS) on April 6th and June 22nd from 2-5 pm (see http://
www.ngs.org.uk/ for details). There will be an additional Open Garden in aid of Great
Thurlow Church in the summer, date to be confirmed.
Following the success of last year we plan to hold more plant sale at these events so
please bear this in mind when splitting your plants, taking cuttings or sowing seeds
and do a few extra to bring along! Thank you.
Alison
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The Garden in March T
he G
ard
en in M
arc
h
The Garden in March As I sit down to write this, gardens everywhere are adorned with carpets of snowdrops, Cyclamen and Mahonia as depicted in the photographs displayed on this month‟s front cover. Spring is now just around the corner and these early bloomers will soon be replaced by Daffodil and Narcissus. Indeed I‟ve noticed many daffodils already in flower elsewhere, though not in the gardens of Great Thurlow Hall – mainly due to us having much later varieties, though even here I suspect they‟ll be early this year due to
the very mild winter we‟ve been having. I‟m certainly hoping they‟ll hold off long enough for our annual spring open day on 6th April!
One danger of the mild weather is that things come on too quickly which puts them at risk of damage from spring frosts. Early fruit tree blossom or rose shoots can be vulnerable if we have a sudden drop in temperature. Don‟t be fooled by the mild weather into getting too far ahead with planting tender plants and vegetables out. Remember it‟s still only March and those crops you thought you‟d get ahead start with can be knocked down with one good frost. You can of course use protection such as cloches or fleece and enjoy early crops of carrots, peas or potatoes but be careful to make sure these are well protected if frost is forecast. Other hardier crops such as broad beans, onion and shallot sets and brassicas such as cabbage and cauliflower can be planted out now. I prefer to sow and plant vegetables little and often throughout the growing season. This avoids having a glut of one crop at any time and provides more variety to use in the kitchen.
By mid-March, the hopefully frequent sunny days provide the opportunity for an increasing range of gardening tasks. Some jobs you should be doing in March include:
1. Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes later this month. Plant onions and shallots with the tops just sticking out above the soil. Potatoes should be planted below the surface approximately 8” depth and 8” apart in rows.
2. Protect new spring shoots from slugs. There are a variety of ways of doing this for example, slug pellets or, if you prefer to be more organic, methods such as copper rings or natural predators such as nematodes.
3. Plant summer-flowering bulbs (for example, Gladioli, Aliums in the garden; Begonia corms and Dahlia tubers in pots to plant out at a later date).
4. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials if not already done so.
5. Top dress containers with fresh compost.
6. Mow the lawn on dry days (if needed).
7. Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems, later in the month.
8. Keep on top of weeds before they get out of hand.
9. Sow vegetable and bedding seeds indoors, for example, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines. These all require heat to germinate. In the absence of a heated greenhouse, a warm windowsill would suffice. First outdoor sowings of carrots and other root vegetables can be done when the weather is suitable.
10. Open the greenhouse or conservatory doors and vents on warm days. Remember to close them when the temperature drops before dark.
Stephen Moore
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Brass and Music Tuition
Want to learn a Brass instrument?
Learn from a highly qualified and experienced local Trumpet player/teacher who studied at the Royal Academy of Music
I also teach Piano, Percussion, Music Theory/Aural CRB checked
Contact William Roberts DipABRSM, BMus (Hons), MA
Tel. 07876 191345 or 01223 290372
Web: www.williamrobertstrumpet.co.uk
It’s Never too late to learn!
25
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26
Our
Rect
or
Write
s
THE RECTOR WRITES I wrote a few months ago about the project which provided funding to conserve and restore the hatchments at Kedington. Our parish churches contain so much of historic interest and significance, and provide a link with the history of our communities. It is always pleasing to have the opportunity to help conserve this history for future generations. Whilst many village churches contain memorials of local interest, just occasionally we come across something which is of national significance. I found myself caring for just such a national treasure when I arrived in a parish in Nottinghamshire. In one corner of the church stood a large alabaster monument, partially hidden by an enormous plywood box, which had been constructed around it.
The monument had been considered unsafe, as there was a large stone cartouche above the monument bearing an achievement of arms, and it was thought that this (or indeed other parts of the monument) might fall. For a number of years there had been attempts by a couple of people to raise money to restore the monument, but the church had a roof problem and the monument could not have priority.
Sculpted in 1659 by Edward Marshall, the monument bore the sculptor‟s signature. Edward Marshall lived from 1598 to 1675. He worked under Nicholas Stone and as well as being twice Master of the Masons Company he was appointed Master Mason to the Crown in 1660. In his lifetime he executed seventeen monuments and ours was ninth in the sequence. As such it was felt to be of considerable national significance.
The monument was to Francis Williamson, who died in 1639, and his wife. They were
sculpted kneeling, and facing each other. He was shown richly attired, she with a full-skirted gown and flowing head-dress of Stuart days. Below them were three sons, also kneeling.
A rhyming epitaph bids its readers to use the monument as a mirror in which to see themselves: “then thoughts and cares for long life save, and be undressing for the grave”.
The church was very fortunate in being able to secure a Millennium grant from the Council for the Care of Churches and the monument was restored in 2000/2001 at a cost in excess of £31,000. The verse in full says: My life to loose, my soul to save
My goods to spend, I tooke, I gave, See what remains, all you Yt pass,
And make my monument your glass: Mistake not youth nor ladyes faire, A glass, but not to curle your hayre;
No flatterer, but true and iust It measures out your time in dust. All men doe err and Judge amiss
Till they have viewed themselves in this Wch to thee Reader shows thus much
Some few hours pass and thou art such Then thoughts and cares for long life save
And bee undressing for the grave.
Derek Hollis
Our Rector Writes
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Spin
al In
juries
Ass
oci
ation
Great British Fish and Chip Supper Friday 16th May 2014
Want to eat Fish and Chips, while raising money for charity? Hold a fish and chip supper on Friday 16th May 2014 whilst raising awareness of spinal cord injury and supporting SIA‟s vital services. You can hold a fish and chip supper in your own home, at work or hold a larger supper at your local community centre.
SIA will provide a fundraising pack containing hints and tips, recipes, invitations and donation envelopes. By inviting 8 friends and asking them to donate an additional £5.00 means you will raise at least £40.00 from your supper but we will also give you additional fundraising ideas to raise even more money for SIA. In 2014 SIA is celebrating its 40th anniversary and so we want to make the batter matter and raise £25,000 from everyone holding suppers. Last year we raised £12,500 from the suppers. The money raised from the suppers will help the Spinal Injuries Association offer support to individuals who become paralysed and their families, from the moment a spinal injury occurs, and for the rest of their lives by providing services and publications which enable and encourage paralysed people to rebuild lives after spinal cord injury. Every year in the UK over 1,000 people experience a spinal cord injury and there are an estimated 40,000 spinal cord injured people in the UK alone. Community Fundraising Manager, Elizabeth Wright, says, “The Fish and Chip Supper is a wonderful opportunity for a great evening with friends and family. We are also encouraging people who work to hold a Fish and Chip Lunch in their work places to raise even more funds. You may be even a local community group wanting to run a fun evening with your group. For more information or request a fundraising pack call Elizabeth Wright on 0845 0714350
or email [email protected] or visit www.siafishandchips.co.uk
Spinal Injuries Association
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INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS. This is a brief guide, intended especially for newcomers to the villages, with information about the facilities and services available locally and some useful telephone numbers and addresses.
Services and Societies in Thurlow Telephone Thurlow Village Stores and Post Office – Naomi Sharrod 01440 783961
Thurlow News – Naomi Sharrod 01440 783923
Thurlow Garage – Ray Sharrod 01440 783248
The Cock Inn 01440 783224
Plumbing Services – TKHeat – Kevin Crowson 07966 208794 01440 783654
Parish Clerk – Little Thurlow – Molly Hawkins 01440 783259
Parish Clerk – Great Thurlow – Diana Allin 01440 783560
Thurlow CEVC School – Head Teacher 01440 783281
Thurlow Pre-School – Helen Frost ([email protected].) 01440 783688
Thurlow Mother and Toddlers – Ond Zoe Wednesdays 10 am - 12 noon during term time
077872 92294 078911 46931
Thurlow Fayre – Janice Klimcke and Diana Allin 01440 783626 01440 783560
Thurlow Gardening Club – Dawn Abbey 01440 783646
Thurlow Sports Club Secretary – Allan Loveday 01440 707416
Thurlow Village Hall Committee – Janice Klimcke 01440 783626
Thurlow Village Hall Bookings – Diana Allin 01440 783560
Thurlow Womens Institute – President Ann Tipper 01440 783090
Thurlow Tennis Club—Andy Quick 01440 783070
Services and Societies in Great Wratting Telephone Neighbourhood Watch – Jacquie Perry 01440 783322
Red Lion, Great Wratting – George and Linda Sykes 01440 786237
The Great Wratting Book Group – Jean Newlands 01440 783111
Great Wratting Email Tree — Dawn Fisk— [email protected] 01440 783993
The mobile library service stops at Coronation Cottages from 2.00 to 2.20 pm every 4 weeks, on Wednesday afternoons
01440 702638
Emergency Telephone
Police Response – any officer, non emergency 101
Police Response – Emergency 999
Suffolk Fire Service 01284 558888
UK Network (Electricity) 24 hour Emergency helpline 0800 7838838
Anglian Water 24 hour Emergency Helpline (water/sewage) 08457 145145
British Telecom 24 hour fault reporting 0800 800151
Floodline 24 hour with recorded update 0845 9881188
In case of disaster or village is cut off, go to Thurlow Village Hall. Key Holder is Diana Allin – 89a Hill House, Great Thurlow
01440 783560
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Community Contacts Telephone Churches – Stourhead Benefice – Rev. Derek Hollis 01440 763066
Haverhill Social Services 01440 764949
Haverhill Citizens Advice Bureau 01440 704012
St Edmundsbury Borough Council Planning 01284 763233
District Councillor – Robert Clifton-Brown 01440 783562
St Edmundsbury Borough Council 01284 763233
St Edmundsbury Borough Council (Haverhill office) 01440 702271
County Councillor – Mary Evans 01284 789478
Suffolk County Council General Enquiries 08456 066067
Age Concern – Mary Hilton 01440 783649
Thurlow Estate – Tim Barling, Agent Thurlow Estate – Tom Duffin, Assistant to Agent
01440 783661
Libraries – Haverhill Libraries – Bury St Edmunds A mobile library visits the villages on alternate Mondays stopping at Sowley Green 11.30-11.40am, 109 Bury Road, Great Thurlow 11.45-12.10pm and Little Thurlow Green, 1 Coronation Villas 12.45-1.00pm.
01440 702638 01284 352545
Suffolk Radio – BBC FM 103.9 or 104.6 01473 250000
Refuse Collection Every Friday early morning – Black bin on week one, blue and brown bin week two alternating
01284 757320
Environmental Health and Pest Control 01284 757084
Health and Wellbeing Telephone Doctors – The Christmas Maltings and Clements Practice Doctors – Selby Practice Doctors – Stourhead Medical Practice
08444 773543 01440 702010 01440 761177
Chemist – Boots, Haverhill Chemist – Sainsburys Pharmacy Chemist – The Co—operative Pharmacy
01440 702058 01440 708043 01440 702079
Hospital – West Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) Hospital – West Suffolk Accident and Emergency Hospital – Addenbrookes (Cambridge)
01284 713000 01284 713333 01223 245151
Vets – Swayne and Partners (Haverhill) Vets – Lida Vets (Newmarket) Vets – Hawkedon Veterinary Surgery
01440 702007 01638 560000 01284 789428
Church Wardens Telephone St Mary’s Church, Great Wratting—Simon Corbett 01440 783698
St Mary’s Church, Great Wratting—Ben Stanton 01440 783103
St Peter’s Church, Little Thurlow—Robin Vestey T.B.A.
St Peter’s Church, Little Thurlow—Iris Eley 01440 783534
All Saint’s Church, Great Thurlow—George Vestey 01440 783240
All Saint’s Church, Great Thulow—Tim Knappett 01440 783654
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Great Wratting Parish Council Contacts Telephone Chair – Gavin Acheson 01440 783515
Councillor – Anthony Lundrigan 01440 783817
Councillor – Dawn Fisk 01440 783993
Councillor – Petra Stephenson 01440 783384
Councillor – Jacquie Perry 01440 783322
Councillor – Steven Robinson 01440 783131
Vice Chair – Caroline Togher 01440 783876
Parish Clerk – Emma White—[email protected] 07792455030
Little Thurlow Parish Council Contacts Telephone Keith Bunting—Chairman 01440 783528
Chris Field—Vice Chairman 01440 783697
Will Griffiths 01440 783496
Heather Hunt 01440 783573
Chris Lowe 01440 783891
John Tipper 01440 783090
Andrew Dickson 01440 783385
Molly Hawkins—Parish Clerk 01440 783259
Great Thurlow Parish Council Contacts Telephone Peter Thomas—Chairman 01440 783700
Stan Cook—Vice Chairman 01440 783532
George Vestey 01440 783240
Conrad Hawkins 01440 783259
Naomi Sharrod 01440 783923
Rod Pass 01440 783610
Diana Allin—Parish Clerk 01440 783560
Parish Council Notice Board
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