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).

Licensing of Revd Dr Stephen Brian as our priest

Tuesday 4th September, 7.30 p.m. at St Mary's Earl Soham

We are delighted to welcome Revd Dr Stephen Brian as our priest. He will be licensed on Tuesday 4^th September in Earl Soham . He will also be the priest of the benefice of Charsfield with Debach, Monewden, Hoo, Dallinghoo & Letheringham. The two benefices are to be combined into a new "Mid Loes" benefice later in the Autumn.

Earl Soham Bowls Club

Annual Tournament

Saturday, 8^th September at 1.00 pm

Spectators will be most welcome at our popular tournament. Play will be continuous throughout the afternoon, refreshments will be available and there will be a draw.

Generously sponsored, once again, by Longstaff Transport, Redwood, Earl Soham (01728 685770), suppliers of all aggregates and equestrian surfaces

More detailed information, if required, is available from Pam Sykes, Secretary, telephone: 01728 685519 or e-mail: PamRogSykes@aol.com

Adult & Community Learning

An interesting range of evening courses and Saturday workshops are available from Saturday 8^th September at Stradbroke Business & Enterprise College.

Printmaking and Creative Writing take place monthly and begin Saturday 8^th September and continue in October, November, and December. Further Saturday workshops taking place during the term are Woodwind, Strings & Piano; Indian Head Massage; Dream Catcher; Archery; Belly Dancing and Introduction to Healing.

The regular courses, including French, Stained Glass, Pottery, Drawing & Painting along with some new courses are available the week beginning 17^th September.

For more information, the full list of courses, or to enrol, please contact Carol Wyatt on 01379 383988.

Suffolk Animal Rescue

Fun Dog and Agility Show at the Pet Dog Training Centre

At Stonham Barns on 16^th September. Entries from 11.30 a.m. Judging at 12 midday.

Fun classes for all dogs no matter what age (puppies must be 6 months to enter), shape, colour or type! ‘Have a go’ – try out agility - great fun and good exercise too (dogs must be 12 months +)

Refreshments stalls – great fun day out for all the family and your furry friends!!

Further information ring Carolyn 01449 711219

East Anglian Academy

Sunday 16^th September 3 pm
The Church of the Assumption, Redenhall
“Rococo to Romantic”
Handel, Mendlssohn, Wesley etc
Music for choral ensemble and organ
“Octave” – vocal ensemble
Malcolm Russell – organ
Tickets £10 ( £8 prebooked), Students £4

Full season’s program and details of how to book: see here.

Ashfield Ladies Group

18^thSep	Garnett’s Gardens	talk & demonstration
16^th Oct	The English Language Starts Here	John Pulham

For further information contact Susan Hansen on 01728 685738.

National Tea Time event for Christian Aid

at St Mary’s Church, Earl Soham on Friday September 21^st from 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Donations of cake welcome for the fund-raising event (to me at Rose Cottage, please), but also we need people to come and join us - have a cup of tea, a slice of cake, have a chat and maybe make some new friends - all in return for a donation to Christian Aid’s work

Jo Reed

Friends of St Mary's Earl Soham - AGM

To be held on Tuesday 25^th September at 7.30 p.m. in St Mary's Church, Earl Soham.

Refreshments available. Everyone welcome.

Earl Soham WI

There will be no meeting in August. On 27^th September our speaker will be Louise Brundell on “Hearing Dogs for Deaf People”. On 25^th October Mark Murphy is coming to talk to us about BBC Radio Suffolk. Everybody welcome.

Our other activities include Book Club, Bridge Club, Craft, Croquet, Darts, Scrabble, Sewing, Walks. Details from Brenda Reason on 01473 890115.

Anne Fraser

Marie Curie Cancer Care Collection - Ashfield

Marie Curie is an amazing organisation that supplies a free specialist nursing service for people affected by cancer locally and throughout the UK. This service allows patients to be looked after in their own homes and gives invaluable support to the families, loved ones and carers of the patient. Marie Curie also runs ten hospices in the UK which aim at providing the best quality of life for people with cancer.

As a professional who has worked in oncology in the hospital, hospice and community setting, I have always had the greatest respect and appreciation for these highly skilled specialist nurses.

Marie Curie relies on the fantastic support that the public give to continue their work and The Street, Ashfield raised £105 in the door to door collection in August. This was my first door to door collection and I was overwhelmed by the friendly greetings and generosity of all those who donated to this important cause. I would like to personally thank every person or household that so kindly returned the envelopes with a donation and to those who left their envelope to be collected on the Saturday morning or posted it through my letter box. I know that your generosity and support makes a difference here in our local communities as well as throughout the UK.

Many thanks,

Barbara Houlding, Henniker House, The Street , Ashfield

Get your Electric Blanket tested FREE by Suffolk County Council

If you or a family member has an electric blanket that is over three years old, it’s time to get it tested. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service in partnership with Trading Standards have arranged a week long testing programme at venues across the county. Expert electrical testers will be on hand to give blankets a free ‘health check’. Where blankets are found to be unsafe a 10% discount voucher will be provided towards the cost of a new one.

Dates and venues for the testing week are below :

Ipswich	Colchester Road Fire station, Colchester Road, Ipswich	10^th September
Bury St Edmunds	Bury Fire Station, Park Way (North), Bury St Edmunds	12^th September
Stowmarket	Stowmarket Fire Station, Lockington Road Stowmarket	13^th September

All testing days run from 9:30 to 16:30

As well as having your blanket checked, officers from trading standards and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service will be on hand to offer advice on dealing with doorstep callers and fire safety at home. Age Concern will also be at each of the testing days to offer general advice and guidance.

To book your blanket in for it’s FREE health check call 01473 260586 and state what venue you want to attend.

Cretingham 100 Plus Club

The seventy-fifth draw took place at the Post Office on Wednesday 1^st August. Congratulations to:

Mr.M.Persighetti - £25
Pauline Cobley - £15
Sarah Fielder - £10
Louise Prior - £5

The seventy-seventh draw will take place at the Post Office on Saturday 1^st September.

Peter Markland (685796)

Earl Soham Fete 2007

The Earl Soham Church Events Committee would like to thank everyone who helped, donated or attended the Fete. Although it was an extremely hot day people still cam e and made it not only a very happy but very successful day. Takings on the day amounted to approximately £2300. The lucky programme was won by Mrs NC

A special thank you is due to our programme sponsors: J. J. Hutton, Eat Anglia, Earl Soham Business Centre and The Victoria.

Please put the 2^nd August 2008 in your diary for next year’s fete.

Irene Elmore

Earl Soham - Rota for Altar & Roll of Honour Flowers & Brasses

Sept	Mrs Brumfitt	685408	Mrs Edmundson	685221
Oct	Mrs Weightman	684825	Mrs Wybar	685472

If you are unable to do your flowers, please contact Margaret Buckland on 685329.

St Mary’s Ashfield - Flower & Cleaning Rota

Sep
Oct

Sorry, details not in yet. Contact Susan Hansen, 685738.

RIP

Lavinia Algar

Sadly we record the death of Lavinia Algar, always known as ‘V’, who died peacefully at her home in Eye on 23^rd July 2007. V and her husband Paul were the licensees of the Falcon Inn in Earl Soham until they sold it in 1998 and moved to Eye.

V entered into the community life of Earl Soham and will be especially for hosting the Over 60’s Christmas Party and the August Coffee morning for the Club. She also cared for a number of older people and made certain that nobody was left on their own at Christmas.

A thanksgiving service for her life was held at Ipswich Crematorium on 1^st August, attended by approximately 150 people. The attendance was a fitting tribute to the kindness she had given to other people throughout her life.

We send our sympathy to Paul and all the family and our prayers that they may know God’s comfort and peace. May V rest in peace.

Graham Vellacott

(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

From the September 07 Magazine