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).
A Friendly Note from Earl Soham Baptist Church
Earl Soham - Rota for Altar & Roll of Honour Flowers & Brasses
St Mary’s Ashfield - Flower & Cleaning Rota
RIP - (Peggy) - Margaret Isabel Jephcote
See also letters from the ministry team. Send contributions to the website (or magazine) to simon.garrett@iee.org.
August Stall on the Green
The last stall of the year and the only one due to the weather to be held outside albeit on very wet ground! The whole of the week had been exceedingly wet yet this Saturday (25th August) was warm and sunny bringing many people out to the stall. It was a great occasion with more people than usual, more cakes and more helpers too. Thank you goes to everyone who gave goods or helped in any way, not least those who helped put up and take down the tent. We are so grateful to Nolla Calver and family who worked so hard selling and transporting much bric-a-brac and second hand goods. The plant stall was admirably run by the Haines family. Overall the August Stall made a profit of £371.11 which goes to St. Mary’s Church Fabric Fund.
Mary Vellacott
Earl Soham 100 Club
The Annual Draw of the Earl Soham 100 Club will be held in the Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 9th October. All members are invited to attend the Draw and enjoy refreshments and, a display of village memorabilia by Bill Vincent. (If anyone has anything relative to the village and surroundings to share, please bring it along)
Richard Tinkler
East Anglian Academy
Sunday 14th October 3 pm
St Michael’s Church, Framlingham
“Mendelssohn & English organ music”
Dr Gillian Ward Russell – organ
Tickets £10 £8 Booking 01728 724456
Full season’s program, see here.
Ashfield Ladies Group
16th Oct |
The English Language Starts Here |
John Pulham |
20th Nov |
Body Shop at Home |
Louse Edwards |
For further information contact Susan Hansen on 01728 685738.
Earl Soham Pre-School News
Ladies Night - Thursday 18th October
Earl Soham Pre-School is a small, friendly and professionally run group for children aged from 2 years until they start primary school. Sessions are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning in Earl Soham Village Hall and Friday afternoons in the Primary School Hall.
The Pre-School welcomes two new members of staff for the new school year, Marilyn and Claire. In conjunction with long standing and valued staff member Heather and a rota of parent helpers, they will ensure the children continue to enjoy making new friends and learning about new things in a safe and structured environment.
Fundraising is always a priority to keep the Pre-School well-stocked and running smoothly. To this end, a Ladies Night will be held in the Primary School Hall on Thursday 18th October from 8.00pm. There will be a variety of companies represented, from Phoenix Cards to The Pampered Chef, presenting an ideal opportunity to either start your Christmas shopping early or just indulge yourself! In addition, a raffle will be held on the night with some fantastic prizes. A glass of wine and nibbles are available on arrival and tickets are only £2.50 in advance or £3.00 on the door. For further information, or to buy tickets, please contact Fiona Macaulay on 01728 685183 or Jenny Holmes on 01728 628525. Your support would be very much appreciated.
New children are always welcome at the Pre-School (subject to session availability) and Grant Funding is available for children aged 3 years and over. Parents and carers are very welcome to come and have a look around to observe the children as they learn and play and meet the staff.
Please contact Julia Palmer-Brown on 01728 685563 to find out more.
A Friendly Note from Earl Soham Baptist Church
The car park next to the Baptist chapel is glebe land belonging to the Diocese, which we rent from them. I understand that glebe land was part of the originally extensive holdings of the Church of England and parcelled out to clergy to provide a living for them. I doubt if our new incumbent, Rev Stephen Brian, will get much from it himself or require an allotment, but we are glad we can park cars on part of it!
Naturally we don’t mind the odd vehicle being parked there during the week, but if anyone wishes to do that regularly, or wishes to park a number of cars for a party or other event, it would be courteous to check and ask for permission first, which will normally be given: ring me on 860173 or email tony@hutt.co.uk. Please note that you park at your own risk and the church can take no responsibility for any claims arising (sorry about that legal blurb).
Better still, why not come to a service? You’d be very welcome, along with children, on Sundays at 10.30am. We have a stairlift, there are activities for children and refreshments afterwards, fine musicians and Rev Gill Lee or visiting speakers do the talking. In 2009 we celebrate our 150th anniversary, so we’re looking forward to doing something special that year.
Tony Hutt, Administrator
Earl Soham Bowls Club
The Annual Tournament held on Saturday, 8th September took place in warm, dry weather, a welcome change from some of the playing conditions experienced during the course of the season! 48 players participated in a three-wood triples competition which was keenly contested on an excellent playing surface. The winning block came from Thorpeness Bowls Club who outplayed the runners up, a block of players from Bungay Bowls Club, supplemented by one of our own members. Third place went to a block from Earl Soham itself.
A delicious tea was served and the afternoon concluded with a raffle. Thanks to the efforts of the members, the support of the visiting players and the generous sponsorship of Longstaff Transport a total of £380 was raised during the afternoon for Club funds. The use of The Lawn as a car park was an added bonus which is always much appreciated.
Although the outdoor bowls season is almost over, several events are planned for the winter including the ever popular Beetle Drive which will take place on Saturday, 10th November, in the Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. Please contact the Secretary on 01728 685519 for further details of the Bowls Club and its events.
Pam Sykes
Cretingham 100 Plus Club
The seventy-eighth draw took place at the Post Office on Saturday 1st September. Congratulations to:
- George Ralli - £25
- Chris Barker - £15
- Dave Tuckwell - £10
- Jean Coe - £5
The seventy-nineth draw will take place at the Post Office on Saturday 6th October.
Peter Markland (685796)
Parish Council Meetings
Please note the following Parish Council Meetings:
Ashfield |
6th November |
at 8:00 p.m. |
Earl Soham |
19th November |
at 7:45 p.m. |
Jacky Hunt Clerk to the Councils
Earl Soham - Rota for Altar & Roll of Honour Flowers & Brasses
Oct |
Mrs Weightman |
684825 |
Mrs Wybar |
685472 |
| Nov |
Mrs Cornelius |
685753 |
Mrs Tinkler |
685278 |
If you are unable to do your flowers, please contact Margaret Buckland on 685329.
St Mary’s Ashfield - Flower & Cleaning Rota
| Oct |
John & Margaret Garrard |
|
| Nov |
Jane Davidson |
|
Sorry, details not in yet. Contact Susan Hansen, 685738.
RIP
(Peggy) - Margaret Isabel Jephcote
Born in 1914 as Margaret Isabel Bailey, in Hemel Hempstead, into a relatively wealthy family, at least by today’s standards. The household included her three brothers, and a nurse and maid. She went to school at Watford Girls Grammar School.
At work, Peggy was a well qualified legal secretary, she moved a number of times, as her father worked in the property market, and he bought, sold and let a number of houses, some of which they lived in for a while. They settled for many years at ‘Raymead’, at no 10 Park Road, Watford, where she was living during the war, with her parents, and a number of American GIs who were also billeted there. She also lived there with her husband Bill (whom she had married in 1940).
One of her few trips abroad had been with Bill in 1939, which was curtailed sharply with the announcement of war, resulting in a difficult and worrying return from Austria on crowded trains against a tight schedule before the borders closed. After the war they were able to get their first home, in Leavesden, where she had Marian in 1947 and Stewart in 1948. Neville followed later in 1955. She has a number of grand and great grand children, all of whom she has been very proud of.
After retirement, Peggy and Bill moved to Sussex, where they spent many happy years until her husband’s death in 1988, and indeed stayed there on her own until just a few years ago. Having since lived for a while with each of her children, she has been based mainly in Suffolk for the past four years, and it has been a pleasure to get to know her steadily better, even as we have seen her steadily declining in strength, particularly since her operation last September. She moved into a residential home earlier this year, when she realised that she was needing twenty four hours a day care.
Peggy was a beautifully gentle personality, who did not like conflict and always treated everyone equally. A very intelligent person with an active mind, who was still able to do the Telegraph crossword as late as last Autumn. She was particularly worried when she was herself aware of her increasing forgetfulness, and the crosswords changed to the East Anglian Daily Times, then puzzle books, then stopped altogether. Right up to last year she was still able to take messages in shorthand and was always tickled by the potential for secrecy. She knew she was losing her thought processes and disliked her increasing reliance on others. This was especially hard for someone who preferred to be of no trouble to anyone. Although an extremely shy person she had overcome this over the past few years and has been able to join in and enjoy the sometimes very hectic life that comes from living with teenagers.
As a mother and grandmother Peggy was always interested in what each member of her family was doing. She would always listen, remember detail and enquire without judging or criticising. Right up to the end she liked to hear about even the mundane comings and goings of her family and of others, always being interested in people as individuals and never judgemental. Everyone who came to know her remarked on her smiling face, her welcoming personality, and her lively mind.
Neville and Wendy would like to thank their neighbours in Ashfield and the congregations both there and at Earl Soham, who made her very welcome and encouraged her to become part of the local community. This helped her to maintain a normal life longer than might otherwise have been the case.
Neville Jephcote