News items
As well as events below (and see also links on the left), do look in the Events page (not forgetting the Services above the events).
Interregnum - Benefice Vacancy and reorganisation
Earl Soham Village Hall Committee - new chairman and secretary
Ashfield Community Council AGM
St. Mary’s Ashfield Annual Vestry & Parochial Church Council AGM
St. Mary’s Earl Soham Annual Vestry & Parochial Church Council Meetings
St. Mary’s Earl Soham Family Service
Adult & Community Learning at Stradbroke Business & Enterprise College Saturday Workshops
Survey of Spotted Flycatchers – can you help please?
Earl Soham - Rota for Altar & Roll of Honour Flowers & Brasses
St Mary’s Ashfield - Flower & Cleaning Rota
See also letters from the ministry team.
Interregnum - Benefice Vacancy and reorganisation
Recently a panel of representatives from the Mid Loes Benefice interviewed three candidates for the post of incumbent. Unfortunately it was not possible to fill the post with any of the candidates. This means that the appointment process is starting again. As this past round started only last November, we might still hope that an incumbent could be appointed this year.
Simon Garrett
Letters to the Editor
I response to my request for comment on the piece I wrote for the March magazine I have received one letter from Stuart Barber in Cretingham:
‘It is painful when honest folks disagree over important matters. But pain is a valuable signal that something is wrong and we can welcome it as a spur to action!
Four chapters after your quotation John tells us of our Lord’s prayer that his followers may be one. He puts it higher than that – one ‘as we are’. Such a prayer, at such a time, by such a man leaves us with much to do!
Some untidiness in one corner of a huge faith, need not dismay us. We have the promise that the Holy Spirit will lead us into truth; and if He seems to be taking his time about it, we might reflect on the formidable difficulties that face him, and re-double our common effort to help. Just what your piece sets out to do.’
It is not too late to write or email on this or any other issue that you would like to discuss. Please make contact!
Alison Bowman, alisonpickup@btinternet.com, 01728 685489
Earl Soham Village Hall Committee
New Chairman & Secretary
Both these positions are becoming available from the AGM on the 3rd April 2007 and two new volunteers are urgently required. If you would like to contribute to the Village and the running of the Village Hall please do not hesitate. Neither role is particularly demanding, needs no real previous experience and every help will be given by the Committee and existing Secretary and Chairman to ease you in.
So do not delay – Apply TODAY
by calling Daphne Dale on 685608, Peter Andrews on 685638 or please speak to any member of the Committee to find out more.
Passover Meal
A Jewish family celebration from the time of their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt (1446BC) and a foreshadowing of the deliverance that Christ’s death and resurrection brought.
No knowledge of Hebrew required!
Thursday 5th April, 7pm at Earl Soham Baptist Church
Tickets (around £8-9) from Bernie and Julia Rose 01728 861243 or julia@jrose.fsnet.co.uk
Earl Soham Easter Stalls
In aid of St. Mary’s Church
Saturday 7th April in Earl Soham Village Hall, 10.00 a.m. ‘til 2.00 p.m.
Cakes, White Elephant, Plants etc.
Val Brumfitt
Earl Soham Parish Council AGM
and Annual Parish Meeting
This will take place on Tuesday 17th April 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall
Please support the meeting and let the Parish Council know your views.
Ashfield Ladies Group
| 17th April |
Amber |
Robin Fournel |
| 15th May |
Defuelling and Decommissioning of Sizewell A |
James Tott |
| 19th June |
AGM |
|
For further information contact Susan Hansen on 01728 685738.
Ashfield Community Council AGM
This will take place on 19th April at 8:00 p.m. in Ashfield Community Centre. Do come along.
Car Boot Sale & Barbeque
Advance notice for your diaries, Friday 6th July: this year in place of the Summer Fete, we will be holding a car boot sale together with a barbeque and raffle. Beer, wine and Pimms will be available. Raffle tickets will be on sale shortly. Contact Tony Elliott on 01728 685353 for more details
St. Mary’s Ashfield Annual Vestry & Parochial Church Council AGM
The AGM for St. Mary’s Ashfield will take place on Sunday April 22nd after the 10:00 o’clock service. All are most welcome.
St. Mary’s Earl Soham Annual Vestry & Parochial Church Council Meetings
The Annual Meetings will take place on Monday, 23rd April 2007 at 7.30 pm in the Church. All welcome. Please do attend these meetings if you possibly can
St. Mary’s Earl Soham Family Service
On the 4th Sunday of each month we now gather for an “All age” worship service. In February we had a very good service with about 13 children and 18 adults. There is worship for all of us and it would be very good to see even more worshipping with us even if you do not have young children. We try to make this a service for all, introducing the children to some slightly more formal worship as well as activities they can take part in, so can we make it a real “church family” service with all ages sharing their faith together. We meet together again on 22nd April at 10:00 a.m.
Earl Soham WI
For our April meeting we are to have a talk by Peter Baker on “The Banyan Tree” and in May we shall be discussing the Resolutions and voting for those we wish to go forward to the National AGM 2007.
We meet in the Village Hall at 7.30pm on the fourth Thursday in the month Visitors are most welcome. Further details from the Secretary, Brenda Reason, on 01473 890115.
Earl Soham Bowls Club
Established 1789
2007 season begins on Saturday, 28th April at 2.30 p.m.
New members are always welcome and beginners are encouraged to try their hand at bowling.
Why not come along on the above date or on one of the following three Saturdays (5th, 12th or 19th May) at 2.30 p.m? Spare woods will be available – just be sure to wear flat-soled footwear.
More detailed information, if required, is available from Pam Sykes, Secretary, telephone: 01728 685519 or e-mail: PamRogSykes@aol.com
East Anglian Academy
Saturday 28th April 7.30 pm
St Lawrence Church Brundish
“The Anna Magdalena Bach Book”
Music by J S Bach and his family circle.
Vocal Solos, Readings, Music for harpsichord and clavichord
Lindsay Gowers – soprano
Judith Russell – reader
Malcolm Russell harpsichord
Tickets £10 on door £8 pre-booked, Students £4
In aid of a new organ being built by Peter Bumstead.
Full season’s program and details of how to book: see here.
Cretingham 100 Club has expanded!
The seventy-second draw took place at the Post Office on Monday 5th March.
Congratulations to:
- Bob Snell - £25
- Liz Jackson - £15
- Pauline Cobley - £10
There have been an unprecedented number of applications for new tickets this year. Coupled with only one withdrawal, this means that for 2007/08 we will be running the Cretingham 110 Club! In accordance with the rules of the 100 Club, to increase the prize fund in line with the increase in ticket numbers, there will now be a fourth prize of £5 at each of the ten monthly draws and fourth prizes of £15 at each of the two Jackpot draws.
The seventy third draw will take place at the Easter Stall in St. Peter’s Church on Saturday 7th April. This will be the first of the draws for the new year (up to March 2008) of the 110 Club. This will be the seventh year of the 110 Club.
Many thanks to you all for your continuing support and a warm welcome to all our new members. Good luck everyone!
Peter Markland (685796)
Ashfield Parish Council AGM
and Annual Parish Meeting
This will take place on Thursday 17th May 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at Ashfield Community Centre.
Turn up and let your councillors know what you think!
Adult & Community Learning at Stradbroke Business & Enterprise College
Saturday Workshops
There are a number of Saturday workshops available at Stradbroke Business & Enterprise College during the Summer Term. Why not join Printmaking with professional print artist Annette Rolston. The course consists of 4 enjoyable and lively workshops taking place on 12th May, 9th June, 23rd June and 7th July from 10.30 a.m. until 3.30 p.m.
The Creative Writers Workshops, open to all abilities, are practical and inspirational one day workshops for those starting to write and for those with some experience wanting to develop a writing project. The dates are 21st April, 19th May and 16th June.
Belly Dancing is a great way of keeping fit so brings a scarf to tie around your hips and enjoy yourself at our 2-hour ‘taster’ session with Henrietta Lewis. Open to all ages. There will be two dates to choose from so please ring to register your interest.
A Woodwind, Strings & Piano Workshop is on offer on 5th May from 10.00 a.m. until 12.00 p.m. with Charmaine Cooper who says “why not dust down that old instrument in the attic and get together with other musicians for a fun, music playing workshop”.
Indian Head Massage is a 2-day workshop, where Maggie Faraday offers this therapy to alleviate stress and shows how effective massage techniques can be used on yourself, friends and family. Dates are April 21st & 28th or June 23rd & 30th.
As well as the above workshops there is a full range of evening courses available from April 23rd 2007. For a leaflet, further information, or to enrol please contact Carol Wyatt on 01379 383988.
Women’s World Day of Prayer
The theme this year was based on Paraguay and having decided in the PCC that we should revive this service, it was very exciting to discover that Gill Lee, the Baptist minister had visited Paraguay and that her son and daughter-in-law were working in Paraguay. We met on 2nd March, about 25 of us and enjoyed the time of worship, learning about the people of Paraguay and seeing some pictures of life in the country and the work that is being done to teach the people about God’s love and to bring practical help, particularly in the schools. This was a really good time of fellowship shared with friends from the Baptist chapel and we hope that next year there will be twice as many gathered together, so book the date, Friday 7th March at 7:30pm.
Fair Trade
My thanks to all who attended the Fair Trade event at 11 Moores Close, Debenham, on Saturday 10th March. £440 worth of fair trade goods were sold and £60 given in donations for Tearfund, a charity for the developing world.
Eye church shop will be open daily again after Easter, at present it is open on Friday mornings from 10am to 1pm, selling Fair Trade and other goods. Thank you
Julia Rose
Survey of Spotted Flycatchers – can you help please?
Many of you will be familiar with this delightful little bird that visits us from Africa during May-August. You may even be lucky enough to have had a pair nesting in your garden. But you may have noticed an absence of flycatchers in your village in recent years because, unfortunately, the British population has declined alarmingly – and notably in the eastern counties. Last summer I enlisted the help of local residents to locate spotted flycatchers nesting in Framlingham and its adjacent parishes, with quite encouraging results. In 2007 I am aiming to cover a rather wider district, including your parishes, systematically. This is part of a countywide survey being organised by Suffolk Wildlife Trust with the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group. We want to have a much better idea of how many flycatchers remain in Suffolk.
The spotted flycatcher is a small, brown perching bird with a pointed beak, longish tail and upright posture. Characteristically, it darts out from a branch or structure to snatch insects in mid-flight for food. Look for them in gardens, parkland, churchyards or along woodland edges where they will nest against trees and buildings that are usually covered with climbers. Flycatchers also use open-fronted nest boxes and even hanging baskets.
If you see a spotted flycatcher this summer or have a pair nesting would you kindly notify me by email (ahchapman@talk21.com) or telephone (01728-621665). We can help you with identification if you wish. The results of this important survey will be published after the season. Thank you.
Anthony Chapman, Framlingham
Earl Soham - Rota for Altar & Roll of Honour Flowers & Brasses
February |
Mrs V Brumfitt |
685408 |
|
|
March/April |
Mrs N Cotton |
685240 |
Mrs M Kerridge |
685700 |
If you are unable to do your flowers, please contact Margaret Buckland on 685329.
St Mary’s Ashfield - Flower & Cleaning Rota
| February |
Susan Hansen |
685738 |
March |
Jane Davidson |
685332 |
April |
Alison Garrett |
685489 |
If you are unable to do your month please contact another person on the list to arrange a swap.
RIP
Keith Weightman
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Mr Keith Weightman, recent chairman of the Earl Soham 100 Club. On behalf of all members, we would like to express our sincere condolences to Anika and family. We take this opportunity to express our thanks for Keith’s work in taking over the chairmanship of the club and building on the successes of the past years. The Earl Soham 100 Club was formed to raise funds for the Village Hall and St Mary’s Church.
Richard Tinkler