™ ©™ ©In TouchVolume 10 • Issue No. 10 • AUGUST 2020

with Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham

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In Touch online: 2

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Published by: Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd, 20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP

In Touch Titles• Stowmarket & Stowupland• Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew• Melton & Woodbridge• Manningtree, Brantham, Lawford & Mistley• Hadleigh, Chattisham, Hintlesham,

Holton St Mary, Layham & Raydon • Ipswich East, Ravenswood, Broke Hall & Warren Heath• Elmswell, Beyton, Drinkstone, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit• Needham Market & The Creetings• Shotley, Chelmondiston, Erwarton,

Harkstead, Holbrook, Pin Mill, Stutton & Woolverstone

• Martlesham• Claydon, Barham, Henley & Whitton• East Bergholt, Dedham, Flatford

& Stratford St Mary• Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham• Capel St Mary (Capel Capers)• Copdock, Belstead, Bentley, Tattingstone

& Washbrook• Gt & Lt Blakenham, Baylham & Nettlestead• Westerfield, Ashbocking, Tuddenham

St Martin & Witnesham• Sproughton & Burstall

We also publish Spotlight on Felixstowe

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Please recycle.

NEWSA WORD FROM THE EDITOR

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

ADVERTISINGT: 01473 400380 E: advertising@intouchnews.co.uk

DISTRIBUTIONTree Martin: 01473 400380E: tree@intouchnews.co.uk

PRINTING ColourPlan Print: 01473 400379E: steve@colourplan.co.ukDisclaimer: The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.

While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements or editorial, the publisher/editor will not accept responsibility for any unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints.

© Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

© In Touch with Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd

Monday 10 Augustis the advertising and editorial deadline for

the September edition

LORAINE VILLAGE HALLOn Monday 6 July we met to discuss reopening the village hall. Barry Earthy, our chair and committee member with 20 years’ service, has decided to retire from the committee and leaves large shoes to fill. We thank him for his long service and his dedicated hard work in all aspects of keeping the hall running smoothly for our community. So much work happens behind the scenes that it is impossible to list the tasks he took on, often above and beyond, and he will be greatly missed.

We are also sad to see our treasurer, Albert Horn, leave us. He has decided to pass his gauntlet on to another volunteer and move on to pastures new. His contribution to the upkeep of the hall has been invaluable in this role, it is a big job, and we welcome Kirsty Schartau as his replacement.

Both were presented with gifts to show our appreciation.

As you can imagine, opening a meeting place for the community is a challenge during these difficult times. The hall is a place for the community to come together and we are very aware the loneliness and isolation some have encountered. Our decisions have been made in line with current government guidelines, which will continue to change and evolve. At this time the committee feels it can safely open to some small groups with additional precautions and social distancing in place.

The village hall will open in September with amended hirers agreements and risk assessments to meet the challenges created by Covid-19. The only groups currently welcome at the hall are the WI and the art group, but we hope more will be able to return as guidelines change.

I hope you support us in these challenging times and please contact us if you have any questions. You can do so via Facebook or the website.

Our AGM will be held in the Loraine Victory Hall on Tuesday 15 September at 7pm. The public is welcome to attend but places will be limited due to Covid-19 restrictions. Please advise Maggie if you wish to attend in order that the appropriate seating can be arranged in the hall. Her email address is: maggie.dakin@btinternet.com

ALLOTMENT THEFTI was very disappointed to hear from my neighbour that his grown

produce has been stolen. He puts in a lot of his time, care and hard work to grow fruit and veg on his allotment only to find

someone helping themselves to it. Not only is it frustrating but very disappointing how people have no respect for other people’s

property. Apparently it has also happened with other growers.

C Smith

It’s traditional in our house to go out for pizza on the day school breaks for summer, but not this year. We did order in, but after months of homeschooling, the sheer joy of having six long weeks at home (or away) was somewhat muted. Oh I’m sure Jack will be pleased I’m not asking him to read poetry, but I know he’d love time with his friends right now, not more time away from them.

How many times have you heard people say ‘it’s just not the same’, or ‘isn’t it all getting a bit much now’? I can’t disagree but I refuse to let it get me down. When I think about those first few weeks when we didn’t yet understand what was coming our way but knew it was going to be bad, I feel very lucky. I’m sure most of us do but my heart goes out to those who have lost family members or friends. Not being able to say goodbye or to hold the hand of a loved one as they slip away must be utterly heart-breaking.

A message which popped up on Twitter in those early days completely destroyed me, still does in fact. It was from a delivery driver who has just delivered an iPad to an elderly woman so she could watch her daughter’s funeral online. I immediately stopped complaining about how slow my Wi-Fi was and how much I was missing ‘proper’ coffee. Whenever I get fed-up and feel hard done by because I can’t do what I want when I want, that message comes to mind and I quickly pull myself together.

Things are moving on, opening up, getting back to some semblance of normality, which is wonderful, but do we really want things to go back to the way they were before? If you’ve been homeschooling since March, I’m sure you’re screaming “YES” (and I agree entirely) but I don’t think I’ve ever felt so connected to my local community, both socially and commercially, as I do right now and I love it. Of course, we’ve always had a strong sense of localism in this part of the country, but it can’t just be me who thinks it’s stronger now than it ever was before.

It’s a privilege to work on a series of magazines which celebrate, support, promote and facilitate the communities, in every aspect, where we publish and I know we are stronger now than we were before and that we will be there for each other whatever comes our way.

Take care as you venture out and about to enjoy our wonderfully beautiful corner of the planet and let’s never forget just how fortunate we are.

In Touch online: 4

NEWS

Finally, the news we have all been waiting for…

Bramford Social Club re-opens on Friday 24 July.

We really appreciate your patience while we worked through the best and safest way forward.

These are unprecedented times in the hospitality trade, so please bear with us as we are all learning a new way to socialise.

We have decided to open for a three-week transitional period, which will be reviewed again after this time. We have put a lot of new safety measures in place and, although they may sound strict, as time goes by, it allows us to gently relax the rules as and when we feel it is safe to do so.

NEW OPENING HOURS Thursday: Lunch: Noon- 2pm / Evening: 6-11pm

Friday: Noon- 11.30pmSaturday: Noon-11.30pm

Sunday: Noon-10pm

The club will re-open to members only during this three-week period.

There is a one-way system into the club and to facilitate the track and trace system, you will need your membership card to sign in and be asked to leave your contact details before ordering your drinks. Please sanitise your hands on entering.

You can then purchase your drinks from the bar before finding a table. Please use card payment if possible.

We feel it is still too difficult to ask children to stay seated and or to socially distance in a social environment so we have made the difficult decision to say no under-18s allowed during the first three weeks. Again, this will be reviewed after that time.

We will have several cleaning stations in the club for staff and members to use.

Please make sure you sanitise fruit machines and the juke box before using them.

We will have a ‘one-in, one-out’ policy for using the toilets. We will also use one-way system in and out for the garden.

Trade is going to be very difficult to dictate for the first few weeks of opening, so we will have a limited range of drinks to begin with.

I know this sounds a lot to take in but by all following the rules, we can all enjoy a safe, social environment.

The most important thing, please stay at home if you are showing any symptoms.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the new ‘norm’!

Tracie

BRAMFORD & DISTRICT SOCIAL CLUB

July is a very strange month for us and tinged with more than a little sadness. It’s the first time in more than 10 years that we have not had a group of Chernobyl children arriving for their health respite break and, of course, there are 18 very disappointed children who were really looking forward to coming to England for this life-changing experience. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring a very few children for two weeks at Christmas, as long as the current situation continues to improve.

We are also continuing our Christmas stocking program and hope to deliver them at the end of December but without the summer group travelling, we now face the problem of how to actually get the stockings to Belarus.

Usually, the airline allows us to send one free extra bag with each passenger but as no one is travelling we not only have the problem of finding enough travellers to take the bags but it will cost us £50 per bag to send them as additional luggage with ‘regular’ travellers. We have been making up the stockings for months but still have about a hundred to go!

Meanwhile the charity shop in Needham Market has had a small refit and is now open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 3pm and on Saturday from 10am-1pm.

We are fully compliant with COVID-19 retail guidelines and to comply, donations can only be accepted by prior appointment.

We are offering handmade face coverings for ladies, gents and children at only £2 each, plus a very good selection of high-quality clothing, books, toys and miscellaneous items.

To book an appointment for donating please call: 01449 760343 / 07771 550868

Take care and stay safe, Link Chair Elizabeth Parker

CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S LIFELINE & CHARITY SHOP

Just as this magazine goes to print, the government announced further relaxing of the guidelines on live performances, essentially opening the door for outdoor performances. At Grapevine magazine we have noticed a trickle of live events begin to appear in our listings.

Some musicians rapidly packed their gear and headed out in search of a gig, others questioned the legality of it all but most, like us, read through the guidelines – as with everything in life, the devil is in the detail.

In terms of the re-opening plan announced by culture secretary Oliver Dowden on June 26, we are now at stage 3: Outdoor performances with an audience. No one is forcing performers to perform or for audiences to turn up. It is perfectly OK to not get involved if you don’t feel safe.

But if you do, you should read the small print. If you are a musician or an actor you should read the government’s newly published guidance document for performing arts, especially section 4 which covers keeping you safe at work.

As an audience member, you should expect live music performances to be different from what you have been used to. For a start, you will more than likely have to book in advance, numbers will be limited and social distancing rules will be in place.

For the latest news on what is happening in live entertainment across East Anglia, check out our website at: www.GrapevineLIVE.co.uk

DEMENTIA TOGETHER CALL FREE 08081 688 000Email: SRYC.DementiaTogether@nhs.net Visit: www.dementia-together.com

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NEWS

Cabinets at Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have approved a raft of environmental measures to help the councils achieve their ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The proposals, developed by a cross-party Environment and Climate Change Task Force and approved at a simultaneous cabinet meeting on Monday 6 July, were welcomed in a joint statement from all political group leaders last year. This decision will now form the councils’ first Carbon Reduction Management Plan, setting out how they aim to fulfil their ambitions of becoming carbon neutral within the next ten years.

These are the first steps in achieving the long term objective to reduce the councils’ current emissions of approximately 5,452 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year, looking into how best to invest in order to reduce this to net zero. The plan follows the climate emergency motions passed by both councils in 2019 and the creation of the Joint Environment and Climate Change Task Force.

In forming the proposals, the task force took expert advice on which areas to target first for the greatest impact – working with Groundwork Suffolk to analyse current emissions and develop recommendations.

Headline actions include:

• Exploring the use of the councils’ owned or controlled commercial estates, for renewable energy generation schemes, solar ports and battery storage

• Working with the councils’ leisure providers to move towards both green tariff energy, and the buildings becoming less energy intensive to operate

• Transitioning existing diesel-powered waste and fleet vehicles to a more sustainable fuel source such as waste vegetable oil, with a longer term ambition with partners to introduce electric or hydrogen fuelled vehicles

• Identifying further efficiencies and opportunities for waste collections in line with the government’s anticipated Environment Bill

• Introducing an electric vehicle charging plan, cooperatively with our wider partners, to explore opportunities for expanding EV charging infrastructure in the districts

• Actively encouraging a digital-first culture at the councils and exploring incentives to reduce staff mileage

• Increasing tree and hedgerow planting and coverage across the district

• Ensuring new and current council housing is as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, whilst also working more proactively with private housing developers to build sustainable communities

• Working with partners to improve the infrastructure necessary to increase sustainable travel in our key towns and beyond

• Continuing to work on Suffolk-wide initiatives with our partner authorities through the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership and Suffolk Waste Partnership as well as with other business and academic organisations

Cllr Elisabeth Malvisi, Babergh District Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “These actions form the plan of how we will tackle the environment and climate change challenge here in Babergh, they demonstrate our commitment to working together with partners towards making Suffolk the greenest county.

“Making sure our district remains a place we’re proud to call home, but also a destination for tourists to visit is so important. Developing sustainable travel at the heart of our town centres, and reducing the councils’ dependency on fossil fuels are top priorities for us.

“We’re not starting from scratch – we already play a key role in several environmental partnerships and initiatives including Tree for Life, the Suffolk Climate Change and Suffolk Waste Partnerships, and offering paperless billing to all our residents, but these proposals will help us take our next steps in tackling climate change.”

Cllr Jessica Fleming, Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “I’m delighted we’ve approved our blueprint today, which is the outcome of cross-party collaboration at both councils to look at how we, along with Babergh, aim to meet our 2030 carbon neutral ambitions.

“We recognise the influence and key role we play in tackling climate change within the district and in Suffolk, but we cannot do it alone. We will be working with the Government to deliver its 25-year Environment Plan, and make best use of the powers and resources available to local authorities to achieve a truly sustainable future for the country.

“We also want our residents to get involved, with everyone able to take at least small steps to becoming more environmentally conscious, such as only buying what you need, wasting less, and cycling and walking more.”

The councils will continue to work with partners across the county and region, including the LEP and public sector leaders, towards the Suffolk-wide ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. This work will include supporting town and parish councils with their own aspirations to reduce their carbon emissions.

Residents are also being asked to reflect on how they can play their part in reducing Suffolk’s carbon footprint, whether it’s by reducing their food waste and waste in general, taking part in initiatives such as Refill Suffolk, or getting their recycling right; with a carbon footprint calculator available on the Green Suffolk website.

A subgroup of the task force has also been created to look at how the councils can strengthen biodiversity in the districts – with work now underway following an initial delay, due to the emergency response required by the councils to support communities through the immediate impact of COVID-19.

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NEWS

COVID-19 Local Outbreak Control PlanSuffolk County Council has detailed its response to a localised outbreak of COVID-19 in a Local Outbreak Control Plan. Suffolk has received £2.79m from the government for any action required. See: www.suffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/suffolks-response

Concessionary Travel RulesTo maintain social distancing on bus services as more people return to work and school, SCC reintroduced concessionary travel rules. Bus passes are again only valid Monday to Fridays from 9.30am to 9pm, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. All passengers are required to wear a face covering.

Examination Process Begins for Sizewell CThe Planning Inspectorate has passed EDF Energy’s application for a Development Consent Order for Sizewell C to the formal pre-examination stage. This began on 8 July and will run to 30 September. To get involved register at: https://tinyurl.com/y5ac3hkd

The LDGI group has asked the council to oppose the development.

Five-year Cycling PlanA five-year cycling plan for Suffolk with 148 potential routes has been approved. Funding has not yet been secured, but the plan provides a strong basis for bids. The routes are a starting point, rather than a fixed programme of works and discussions can now begin with district and borough councils to develop ideas further.

I proposed routes along the B1113, Needham Market to Great Blakenham, and Claydon to Sproughton to encourage cycling to work and to school. If you would like to see other routes created, please let me know. Claydon wants a circular route involving The Slade and Bramford and a route to Ipswich on the river bank.

Spare seats on Home to School Transport busesSCC normally allows families to purchase spare seats on school buses. However, due to social distancing there will be fewer children on each bus and the council will not be able to offer spare seats for September.

All affected families will be emailed directly and family circumstances will be considered under the usual review and appeal procedures. The council will

use its discretionary power to offer transport where it is clear that this is essential. See www.suffolkonboard.com or call 0345 606 6173.

A14 Closures & Claydon BridgeThe night-time noise from diverted A14 traffic while the eastbound carriageway has been renewed from the A140 to Claydon has been a nuisance to residents.

We did ask for contraflows but the fact that the A14 is just two lanes in each direction made that problematic. The contraflow would have had to be 24/7 and would have generated long tail backs in peak hours. Unfortunately, Barham and Claydon will continue to get A140 traffic and Great Blakenham and Needham Market all night time A14 west bound traffic for some six weeks while the westbound surface of the A14 is replaced.

I am now told that the repair work to the A14 bridge at Claydon will be completed during the re-surfacing work.

Environment PDPThe County Policy Development Panel on the Climate Emergency has produced many valuable proposals for effective action to reduce CO2 and other impacts of human activity in Suffolk.

A similar group at Mid Suffolk has produced a district response. The leisure centres are the main source of CO2, followed by the waste fleet. We propose switching the leisure centres to renewably generated electricity and gas and the waste fleet to recovered vegetable oil based fuel for the existing diesel engines.

These are effective short term moves but fully electric vehicles are available and should be considered despite the current high cost of their batteries.

We should see real progress helped by the £500k that was allocated to this work by Mid Suffolk at budget time.

PlanningThe application for 117 houses at Fitzgerald Road in Bramford was approved, despite my vote against, with a reduction on the original application for 170 to alleviate fears of coalescence of Bramford and Sproughton.

If you have any queries, please ring 07545 423808 or email: john.field@suffolk.gov.uk

GIPPING VALLEY COUNTY & BLAKENHAM DISTRICT COUNCILLOR JOHN FIELD, JULY 2020

DR DAN POULTER MP REPORTS BACKLockdown has given us all the opportunity to rethink how we live our lives and what we value most about living and working in Suffolk. I am incredibly proud of our rural heritage, the fantastic Suffolk countryside and the great community spirit which exists in all our towns and villages.

As the COVID-19 restrictions start to ease, we must now turn our attention to protecting jobs and supporting our local economy as it slowly starts to recover. As we move forwards, our shops and retailers here in Suffolk will need as much support as possible as they too begin to recover.

It is more important than ever that we all take the opportunity to support our local food producers, independent retailers and high street shops and businesses, many of whom have gone to great lengths to innovate and adapt and are now ready and waiting to welcome customers once more.

One positive which has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is the benefits to our environment. With fewer cars and vehicles on the road, pollution has dropped and our air quality has improved. I am keen to see this trend continue and am about to begin co-chairing a new Ipswich Transport Taskforce, looking at new and sustained methods of decongesting Ipswich and improving traffic flow in and around out county town. I look forward to being able to further update you on this work in coming months.

Another matter which I have focused on is the issue of food standards and animal welfare. Contrary to media reports that UK food standards will be lowered as part of future trade deals, I want to reassure you that the government will not compromise on our impeccably high standards of food production and animal welfare. The amendments which have been widely reported would consequently have created new trade barriers, potentially preventing the government from being able to agree fair and mutually beneficial trade deals.

Here in Suffolk, and around the UK, we should be proud of our world-leading food, health and animal welfare standards and we simply must not lower our standards as we negotiate new trade deals. Any trade deal the UK strikes must be fair and reciprocal to our farmers and must not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards.

I am therefore pleased that the government has, in principle, agreed to the establishment of a Trade & Agriculture Commission. The commission will ensure the importance of close engagement with the agricultural sector, which will help to inform, shape and guide our agricultural trade policy. This news has been welcomed by the NFU, with whom I regularly meet, and I will continue to fight for the best interests of our farmers here in Suffolk.

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NEWS

RIVER GIPPING TRUSTSome River Gipping Trust volunteers are back at work along the river, working to safe COVID-19 restrictions. Upon our return, we found three large trees fallen down across the towpath and river between Needham Market and Baylham, which we have now cleared.

Our hope of restoring navigation to the river was given a boost when the restoration of canals was discussed in the House of Commons on 4th June. Rebecca Pow, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated that she is a “convert to canal restoration”. She added that: “The Government recognise the very considerable benefits our canal network brings in myriad ways, such as providing greater access to the outdoors, enhancing wellbeing, bringing us closer to water, engaging with nature—those water plantains—increasing leisure and recreation, increasing regeneration and bringing value to the economy.”

For those interested in the history of the Stowmarket Navigation (the official name of the canal), we have searched through hundreds of newspaper archives and compiled an index of more than 50 of the most interesting ones with direct links to each newspaper cutting, all of which are available on our website. Look for ‘newspaper articles’ on the side bar on the home page at:

www.rivergippingtrust.org.uk

For example, in 1789 the Bury and Norfolk Post reported that there is a request for subscribers to the navigation.

In 1817 the Suffolk chronicle reported that an application to parliament was being made to extend the canal from Diss to Creeting All Saints.

In 1907 the Evening Star and Daily Herald reported on the suggestion that the Stowmarket navigation should be restored. This includes some very interesting information on the history of the navigation, especially from a Stowmarket resident who was an assistant on a barge in the 1840s.

Ian Petchey, Restoration Manager, River Gipping Trust

ENERGY-FROM-WASTE FACILITY EV Chargers installed on site As part of our ongoing commitment to cutting down carbon emissions and investing in sustainable solutions, we have installed four electronic vehicle (EV) charging points on site.

The chargers use electricity generated from the energy-from-waste process on site and will be available for all staff and visitors to use, including members of the public who are attending as part of a site tour.

Tours of the facilityAs lockdown measures are eased across the UK, we have begun to review options for reopening the site to visitors. We hope to be able to welcome small groups of the public to the site for a tour of the facility soon, and we are exploring the possibility of offering a virtual tour of the facility with a live Q+A with our community liaison manager.

If either of the above are something you might be interested in, please get in contact with us at suffolkefw.uk@suez.com to register your interest.

As a reminder, any public tours cancelled at the energy-from-waste facility due to restrictions as a result of COVID-19 will be rescheduled once tours have resumed.

Any questions?If you have any queries about our operations, please do not hesitate to contact us: 01473 839149 / suffolkefw.uk@suez.com

OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS Environment Agency: 0800 807 060

SUEZ Communities Trust: 01934 524013

In non-pandemic times, our regular monthly lunches would include a guest speaker, an irrepressible joke-teller, a reasonably priced bar and a prize raffle. In July and August, we invite wives, partners or friends as guests. Although the lockdown appears to be easing, our activities are still suspended as our venue and caterers are still closed. Optimistically, we hope to invite our guests to our Christmas lunch if the virus has been controlled enough by then.

Founded in 1972, Ipswich and District Probus Club is one of the longer-established UK clubs. Members are retired, or nearly so, chaps from all backgrounds: engineers, bank officials, teachers, builders and local government officers, to name a few. It’s a club where men can get together; some of us retirees miss the daily banter of the workplace, one of the biggest challenges of retirement.

The club endeavours to support the wider community. The photo shows our chairman, Vic Gray presenting a cheque to Mrs Janet Dines, treasurer of the Ipswich Dementia Friendship Group, which is based in Henley and caters for local sufferers, their families and carers. Recently, as the

suspension of our lunches since February has saved our members some cash every month, we recently held a whip-round for the FIND and Ipswich Outlook foodbanks, which have been under a lot of extra pressure lately. So far, this particular initiative has raised in excess of £1,150.

We’re always looking to enrol new members, either newly retired or simply needing a break from gardening and decorating. Once this pandemic is over, all men over 50 or so are welcome to arrange with our secretary to come to one of our lunches and see for themselves who we are and what we do.

To find out more about Probus, visit our website or contact club secretary, Malcolm Kemp: secretary.ipswichprobus@gmail.com/ 01473 289595

www.ipswichprobus.org.uk

IPSWICH AND DISTRICT PROBUS CLUB STILL IN LOCKDOWN

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OUT & ABOUT

 

SOMERSHAM AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY SHOP

The Playing Field, Princes Gardens, Somersham / 01473 833416

OPENING TIMES Mon, Wed, Thur & Fri: 10am-1pm / Tues: 2.30-5pm

A COMMUNITY SHOP FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND RUN BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Hello again to all readers. What a pleasure to return to a bit of normality!

We were very pleased to be able to provide a service, although much more reduced than usual, to the village and locality during the lockdown period. Our really grateful thanks go to those volunteers who manned the shop during this time, and to the volunteers behind the scenes who did the ordering and other essential work to enable the shop to open.

It was such a pleasure to see our customers and to keep up with the news. We are grateful to have been able to stock things that supermarkets had apparently run out of. Our local producers were able to provide us with eggs, bread, cakes, meat, pies, tomatoes and vegetables as before. Hurray for the local producers!

Flour was difficult to get hold of in the big stores but we came up with the option of having industrial sized bags of different varieties of flour. Customers brought their own containers which we filled and priced by weight – a real hark back to times of yore and very ecologically sound.

We were very proud when the shop received a letter from H.M. the Lord-Lieutenant for Suffolk, Clare, Countess of Euston, writing to us as her Majesty the Queen’s personal representative in Suffolk to say that she had been told of the fantastic job we are doing in Somersham and that without us life could have been unbearable for so many more friends and neighbours.

She finished the letter by saying, “Please accept the deepest gratitude to you, your colleagues, and your community for all you are doing to support each other”. I think we can all take heart from that.

Well, things aren’t quite back to normal at the moment and our times of opening are subject to change as events alter and our volunteers are able to come back to work in the shop. The times above may well be subject to change and we soon hope to open again on Saturday mornings.

We are now going into our ninth year of being a community shop and we look forward to seeing all our customers and especially the new people who have discovered the joys of our very own village shop over the lockdown period.

We welcome new member Kate Dines to our management team and a very big welcome back to Lucy!

See you all soon.

Management Team Lucy Barrett – 831890; Stephen Bullard; Kate Dines;

Janet Hodge – 832296; Peter Jousiffe; Anne MacFadyen – 831288

BRAMFORD WOMEN’S INSTITUTEAs the Loraine Victory Hall is not opening until September, we are hoping to have another open air meeting in August. Our July meeting was enjoyable but difficult; it was too hot to sit in the sun so we all had to spread out in the shade. The committee (pictured) did manage to meet outdoors at Beryl’s so business is just about starting up again.

Now that the Bramford Cock has reopened under new management, we hope to have afternoon tea in the garden in August. As usual, it will depend on the weather, but we will be able to go inside should it start to rain.

The meeting will probably be at 2.30pm on Monday 10 August. As before, there will be very little official business but it is a chance for us to inform members of what we have planned for

the rest of the year. It will not be necessary for you to bring your own chair this time, unless you would rather. We are hoping that we can have afternoon tea provided by the establishment but final details are yet to be arranged. There won’t be a competition.

We look forward to seeing you then. Stay well and keep smiling.

BRAMFORD LOCAL HISTORY GROUPThere will be no meeting in August or September as this is our

normal summer break. Hopefully, we will be able to meet again in October to hear Charlie Haylock but it does depend on

virus rules, so watch this space.

13www.keepingintouchwith.com/bramford

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOL 100 CLUBOur July draw took place on 26 June. The winners were: 1: Emily Goodchild (21) 2: Barbara Chinnery (12) 3: Rebecca Lowe (6)

Prizes will be left in your child’s tray or in the office for collection when we reopen.

Thanks to your support, £16.50 was donated to the pre-school. Half of all money given for the 100 Club goes to the pre-school and the other half is paid out in winnings. Membership is just £1 a month. You don’t need to have a child at the pre-school to be a member. Membership forms are available from the office or by email.

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

HENLEY PRE-SCHOOL Our term starts on Thursday 3 September and we look forward to seeing you all. We do have spaces so if you are thinking of sending your child, please get in touch. We are a small, friendly, rural setting based at Henley Community Centre. We pride ourselves on the high ratio of staff to children ratios and the provision of maximum care and learning for the children. Our highly trained staff continue regular training to build their knowledge further. We provide an extensive range of resources and activities to suit all ages and abilities, ensuring all levels of development and play within the EYFS are explored.

HENLEY PRE-SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

Happy, creative, secure and fun environment

Enable all children to develop their capabilities as successful learners and confident individuals

Nurturing relationships with staff and children and providing strong relationships to work together with parents and carers

while celebrating inclusion and diversity

Learning through play and exploration with qualified staff who extend their learning further

Engaging opportunities for best quality learning, being valued and listened to, reflecting in making the right choices and

being kind to others

Young children thrive in our small, rural pre-school where everyone is welcomed, friendly, respectful and supportive in a place we can

grow and learn together

Application forms can be downloaded from our website, or you can email the pre-school for further information. We accept eligible 30-hour funded children; the codes must be in place the term before they are needed. We also accept Tax Free Childcare. Children can join us from the age of two; we accept government funded and fee paying children .We are open term time only from 9am-3pm.

Our well-supported Facebook page and website provide lots of information and you can see what the children have been doing. It is also another way to contact the setting directly.

For further information please call 07979 468467 or email our manager Bridget Wyatt: enquiries@henleypreschool.com.

Bridget, Sarah and Kerry

CLAYDON PRE-SCHOOLAt the time of writing (the beginning of July), the pre-school is still partially open for a few of our children. Staff are very sad that they cannot say a proper goodbye to those children moving on to Reception and Nursery in September. However, we are all very much looking forward to welcoming back some of our existing children, along with the new starters who are planning to join us in September.

Staff and committee members hope our children and their families are staying safe and coping well under these difficult circumstances.

As you may be aware, we had to cancel all of our fundraising events, but everyone is working hard to sort out some exciting fundraisers for the year ahead. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for details once these have been arranged.

We are planning for the new school year in September. If you or anyone you know may be interested in joining us, you can email us for an application form or download one from the website.

We are now able to take children up to the end of their Reception year for additional sessions during the school holiday weeks, subject to availability. If you would like to book any days during the holidays, please contact the administration assistant for more details. We also take children who are entitled to 30 hours funding. Simply register at Childcare Choices to find out if you are eligible.

If you would like an application form or any further information, please contact Lisa Read, our administration assistant.

Claydon Pre-school, Old Scout Hut, Thornhill Road, Claydon IP6 0DZ admin@claydonpreschool.co.uk / 01473 831648

GROUP UPDATEBramford Trefoil Guild, Bramford Carpet Bowls Club,

The Bramford Gathering and St Mary’s Church Coffee Mornings

We have a bit more freedom now and I hope you are all enjoying seeing family and friends you have only been able to see through windows and in gardens. Seeing the children and grandchildren is such a joy isn’t it. I just hope in a month or two we can all meet and chat again, even if we have to social distance and bring our own food and drink. It will be so lovely just to sit and chat to all our friends.

My friends and I took three cars to Blakenham to get fish and chips from the Travelling Fryer. We took them to the little green by the river at Claydon and enjoyed them very much. Such a simple, but lovely treat. I felt like a child with a new toy.

We have so many people to thank for being there for us through all this, not only the keyworkers who have done a tremendous job, but all the local people who have done so much to help us. Take care of yourselves.

Sue

BRAMFORD CRAFT & CHATTER GROUPAs the Parish Room is not available at present, and we wouldn’t be able to social distance there in any case, we won’t be meeting through August. Hopefully, things might be easier by September but we’ll have to wait to see what happens. Meanwhile, I hope you are doing lots of crafty things that you can show everyone when we do start again.

OUT & ABOUT

In Touch online: 14

CHURCH NEWS

Dear friends,It feels almost like a lifetime ago when during the first week in March we started to consider a responsible approach to dealing with the impending coronavirus pandemic. By the end of the month, we were in lockdown and in many ways the transition was a swift reaction and difficult as it was, we went from freedom of movement to total lockdown almost immediately.

Now our freedom is gradually being restored, though it’s very different to what we have known before. Social distancing has now become commonplace. Those of us who have had our hair cut have come into contact with people wearing visors and bus passengers have become accustomed to wearing masks.

Re-opening is far more complicated than lockdown ever was. I have been bombarded with pages and pages of legislation in respect of opening up for worship. In a nutshell, the guidance suggests that we can get together, but we can’t sing, we can’t share fellowship over a cuppa and we can’t celebrate Holy Communion. I’m trying to carefully steer my way through all the guidance to see what exactly we can do and how we can do it.

I think it is frustrating for all of us as the experience of lockdown is wearing thin and we are possibly all wanting life to get back to some kind of normality. The churches in Bramford and the neighbouring communities are working hard to do what we can, but our top priority must always be to keep you safe.

With very best wishes, Derek

BRAMFORD METHODIST CHURCH

SOMERSHAM BAPTIST CHURCHWe resumed public worship at the village hall on July 12. This allows us all to meet and keep to the two metre guidelines. Worship without the congregation singing is strange; we certainly feel the loss of praising the Lord with our own voice, but we are permitted a soloist, who sings behind a clear plastic screen. Nevertheless, it is good to see each other and be encouraged in our faith in Jesus.

Our Zoom prayer meeting has been changed to Wednesday at 8pm.

In August we will be meeting at the village hall at 11am on Sundays 2, 16, 23 and 30. The doors are opened at 10.50am; please wear a face mask and your own hand sanitiser.

On Sunday 9 August we intend to return to our online service as there is a previous booking in the hall.

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/somershambaptistchurchsuffolk

Contact Mark Newcombe (Pastor)

01473 831940 / m.newcombe940@btinternet.com

Dear friends,We are in the midst of the holiday season but there are things in the church that needs attention regardless. The work to find a replacement priest continues after the coronavirus enforced delay. As soon as we make progress, we will shout it from the roof tops, though not literately as the church roof is too high. It does seem that the restrictions are gradually being relaxed and hopefully normal service can soon be resumed.

Churches can again open for services, with limited numbers, no singing and the communion will have to take on a new format. As soon as we can, we will let you know what’s happening, for without a resident priest we have to make other arrangements.

I have a confession to make. Last Easter I brought Easter eggs for my three children and five grandchildren, but because of the lockdown we were unable to meet and distribute them. My confession is that we have just finished the last of them! In my defence, I couldn’t let them become out of date! The downside is that these eggs have adhered to my waistline. The challenge now is to find a way of suitably rewarding my offspring when we can again meet with them. I am sure that this is a familiar for many of us at the moment. I look forward with joy to seeing them all again and I hope you all can find joy in whatever form it takes.

Stewart

PARISH REGISTERSFuneralsThere have been several funerals over the last few months but we haven’t received the names of the deceased, however we still extend to their families and friends our sympathy and prayers.

Floodlighting of the Spire of St Mary’s ChurchAugust 15 In loving memory of Maria Whight In Loving memory of Bill Barrett In Loving memory of Karon Barkell-Barrett

If you would like to have the spire floodlit please ring Stewart on 01473 462231. The requested donation is £10 per week.

AUGUST 2020The following list is the usual format for our services. Please be advised that they may not be taking place, so check the church noticeboards for confirmation.

Sunday 2 August 10am Benefice Communion, Bramford6pm Evening Prayer, Baylham

Sunday 9 August 8am Said Communion, Bramford10am Benefice Communion, Nettlestead

Sunday 16 August8am Said Communion, Bramford 10am Benefice Communion, Baylham

Sunday 23 August10am Benefice Communion, Bramford

Sunday 30 August10am Benefice Communion, Bramford

ST MARY THE VIRGIN, BRAMFORD, ST MARY, NETTLESTEAD,

ST MARY, LITTLE BLAKENHAM & ST PETER, BAYLHAM

15www.keepingintouchwith.com/bramford

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

Suffolk Libraries is launching a new perinatal support service aimed at pregnant women and new parents in Ipswich and East Suffolk.

Me, Myself and Baby is an exciting new partnership between Suffolk Libraries, Suffolk Mind, Children’s Centres, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Get Me Out of These Four Walls.

Maternal mental illness affects up to 20% of women and covers a wide range of conditions. If left untreated, it can have significant and long-lasting effects for women and their families. The aim of the project is to help reduce isolation and improve emotional wellbeing for new parents

The project is being funded by Suffolk Community Foundation through Realising Ambitions – East. Suffolk Libraries’ Mental Health and Wellbeing service successfully bid for funding earlier in the year. The aim was originally to set up a range of library-based groups but the COVID-19 situation has meant the initial focus will be on supporting people remotely and online.

The four key areas of the project will be:• An email support service for mums and dads struggling with their wellbeing. A safe and confidential place to write down thoughts and feelings and receive help, guidance and information. Anyone affected can email memyselfandbaby@suffolklibraries.co.uk for help.• Telephone counselling will be available for parents who contact the email address but require additional support. A referral can be made for eight free 50-minute sessions of telephone counselling with Suffolk Mind. • Stay at Home and Play will provide play ideas for babies and toddlers. Parents can access videos with examples via Suffolk Libraries’ You Tube channel. Activities are free or low cost, giving ideas on how to use everyday items to create fun and nurturing invitations to play.

• Peer support mums and dads who contact the Me, Myself and Baby service will be invited to online coffee mornings. These will offer a relaxed and informal opportunity to meet people in a similar situation, share experiences and chat.

A new Perinatal Mental Health Project Assistant, Ruth Sparshott has also recently joined Suffolk Libraries to coordinate the project.

Sarah Lungley, Suffolk Libraries Wellbeing Manager, said: “We are thrilled to finally be able to launch Me, Myself and Baby. Despite the challenges presented to us during this difficult time, we have worked hard alongside partners to develop and adapt our offer. Whilst the service may not be how we had initially planned, we hope we will still be able to connect with and help support many parents and carers in Ipswich and East Suffolk.

“Perinatal mental health is hugely important, but is a part of mental health still not talked about and surrounded by stigma. It’s especially important at this time, that mums and families know there is support out there. As a library service, we have a long history of supporting new parents and we feel this project, working alongside expert partners, only helps strengthen this.

Whether it is the middle of the night when the baby is awake, or at the end of a long day caring for a newborn child whilst home schooling, the message is the same – ‘you are not alone’.”

The Me, Myself and Baby project is available to pregnant women and parents of children under five in the Ipswich and East Suffolk Area.

Anyone who would like to receive more information or is interested in accessing the service can email: memyselfandbaby@suffolklibraries.co.uk

ME, MYSELF AND BABY: SUFFOLK LIBRARIES’ NEW PERINATAL SUPPORT SERVICE

ON THE GRAPEVINE / LOCAL SERVICES