Higham

Stratford St Mary

RaydonHolton St Mary

QuartetQuartet

March 2021Issue 391

The Parish Magazine

Help usbuild a

Database ofEverything local

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Small Ads Pin BoardNo charge for non-commercial ads placed for one monthonly, space permitting. Email quarteteditor@hotmail.co.uk

Quartet Diary

March8 SSM Parish Council Meeting

9 Raydon Parish CouncilMeeting

10 HSM Parish Council Meeting

11 Lockdown Quiz

23 Fair Trade Coffee MorningRaydon

25 R&DGC Meeting (Cancelled)

April3 R&DG Spring Show (Cancelled)

13 Raydon Annual ParishMeeting

14 HSM Annual Parish Meeting

TBC SSM Annual Parish Meeting

20 Fair Trade Coffee Morning

22 R&DGC meeting (Cancelled)

May10 SSM Parish Council Meeting

11 Raydon Parish CouncilAnnual General Meeting

12 HSM Parish Council Meeting

18 Fair Trade Coffee Morning

27 R&DGC meeting (TBC- may be agarden visit)

June15 Raydon Parish Council

MeetingFair Trade Coffee Morning

27 R&DGC Coach Outing (TBC)

July12 SSM Parish Council Meeting

13 Raydon Parish CouncilMeetingFair Trade Coffee Morning

22 R&DGC Meeting (TBC)

August10 Fair Trade Coffee Morning

14 R&DGC Summer Show (TBC)

September7 Fair Trade Coffee Morning

13 SSM Parish Council Meeting

14 Raydon Parish CouncilMeeting

October5 Fair Trade Coffee Morning

12 Raydon Parish CouncilMeeting

For saleset of 6 an�que oak dining chairs

£85007950 230923

Collec�on Stra�ord St Mary

Stra�ord StMary Church

We have thirty-one chairs in

the Church thatare surplus torequirements,

they are metal framed with blueupholstered seats. We are happyto divide them up into smallerlots. All we ask is a donation to

our Church funds.

For further information, Pleasecontact Jonathan Dewey on01206 322148 Or ChristineCousins on 01206 322530.

Help us with our campaign!

If you know any merchant or serviceprovider living in one of our fourvillages, please let us know by emailingquarteteditor@hotmail.co.uk. We willcontact them and see if they would likea free listing in the Quartet

Ergo 115 wheelchair byKarma. Very lightweight,easy to use and veryeasy to fold and put intothe car. Wheels can alsobe removed for transport.Perfect condition, cost£495 would accept £250or near offer.Contact Wendy Mumfordfor more details and toview.01473 312123 or07703498508

Editors Corner Rev’d Manette Writes

Articles for the Quartet are included if wehave room, and if, in the opinion of theeditors, they are of general interest to ourreaders. Please remember all articles willbe subject to editing. We prefer you tocontact us via email where possible.

Copy deadline for next edition:19th March 2021

Contact details: Email:quarteteditor@hotmail.co.uk

Editors:Anne Priestley; 1 Corpus ChristiCottages, Holton St Mary. CO7 6NN

Jane Lelliott ; 5 Swan Meadow, StratfordSt Mary. CO7 6JQ

Distribution: Dave Leach07930390517

Invoicing: Jenny Leachquartet.advertising@gmail.com

We’ve just had our annual Quartetmeeting, a little later than usual, but evenZoom meetings can sometimes be difficultto organise! The big issue for us this timewas ongoing funding - for the past tenyears, the magazine has been funded bythe advertisers who form the directory inthe back. With the pandemic causing somuch disruption, we inevitably lost anumber of our staunch supporters and wewere down to our last few pounds in thebank. The good news is, after a concertedeffort and lots of emails, we haverecovered our numbers. There are severalnew advertisers in the back of the bookand it’s led us to think of a new focus forthe whole magazine.

One thing I believe we are all beingencouraged to keep on doing is supportinglocal enterprise as much as we can.Keeping things local not only helps supportyour local economy, it reduces travel andassociated environmental impacts.

So, over the next few months we are goingto see if we can champion the cause andbecome your go-to source for everythingon your doorstep.

We’re going to need your help - tell usabout local businesses you use. Who sellseggs, when the fish van comes, we want tohear about everything. We will start toprovide free lineage (Name, contact detailsand a few words) for all things local andlet’s make this happen!

Happy reading

Anne and Jane

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen it all.Our country, like many others, has beenbattered by storms, we’ve seen severefrost, snow (lots of it) and flooding in manyareas, and as I write this, winter storms arecausing disruption for millions of people inthe US state of Texas.For us, here, at last, the weather hasturned milder and we hope that spring ison its way. Many of the shrubs and bushesin the Rectory garden still look brown andlifeless, and it will be a while until I knowwhat the garden was designed to look like.I was relieved to see that not just thesnowdrops have survived being buriedunder the heavy snow, but now crocusesand clusters of daffodils are beginning toadd some colour to the garden, and I knowthat other signs of new life will follow suit.The Church calendar doesn’t take notice ofthe weather, and on 17th February weobserved Ash Wednesday which marksthe beginning of Lent. Services took on adifferent format, being online this year, andwe had to forgo the opportunity to bemarked on the forehead with a cross ofashes. This ancient custom symbolisesrepentance for wrongdoing and it remindsus of our mortality ‘dust you are and to dustyou shall return’.Lent is the period of six weeks (40 days +Sundays) leading up to Easter. AsChristians we remember the time whenJesus went into the desert to fast and praybefore beginning his public ministry. Thisperiod in the wilderness is also a test ofself-discipline and Jesus was tempted

several times by Satan, but was able toresist. Traditionally, Christians don’t eatcertain foods in Lent, such as meat, fish oreggs, and many others give up somethingthey really enjoy such as chocolate, cakeor alcohol.This year, as we mark almost a year ofCovid restrictions, we can look back andsee that we have already given up somuch: seeing family and friends, givingsomeone a hug, going out for a meal,worshipping together as a Church family,the list is endless. And as much as givingsomething up for Lent is a beneficialspiritual discipline, it’s very worthwhile totake something up for Lent instead,perhaps a regular prayer routine, phoningsomeone who may be lonely or ill, askingwhether your neighbour needs anyshopping if you have booked a homedelivery or are going to a local farm shop,or donating money to church or charity.The Covid-19 pandemic is hitting our LinkDiocese of Kagera in Tanzania very hard;infection rates are high and the economicimpact is severe in a country dependenton farming. Therefore the Bishops' LentAppeal is more vital than ever before.Please check out the Diocesan websiteand give generously if you can:https://www.cofesuffolk.org/exploring-faith/our-bishops/bishops-lent-appeal/

Yours in Christ, Rev’d Manette

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Stratford St Mary

Spring Update!

abc Preschool has had a busy start to thenew spring term. We have welcomed threenew children and their families, we haveexplored winter and the polar region,looked at those people in our communitieswho help us, understood how we getaround, discovering the world of transportand transported our selves to fairytale landlearning all about the story of Cinderella! Ifyou are looking for a preschool place foryour little one then give Kirsty Robinson acall on 01206 322466 or emailadmin@abcpreschoolstratford.co.uk.

We are always looking for new committeemembers, if you have an interest infundraising and could spare some time tohelp a local charity, then get in touch.

STRATFORD ST MARY PARISHCOUNCIL MEETINGS

March 8thMay 10thJuly 12thSept 13thNov 8th

date of the Annual Parish Meeting in Aprilto be advised

Hall Farm Shop Cafe and Restaurantwww.hallfarmshop.com

The mobile pizza co - 07982 427483

ABC Preschool - 01206 322466

Kate Baines, Virtual Assistant - 07799391343

Orwell Electrical - 01206 322969

Andy Smith Roofing - 01206 322882

Jackson Plumbing and Heating -01206 322063

Nigel Bruce Electrician - 01206322751

Penrose and Partners - Vets. 01206323414

Finest Gardens - 07756 364560

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Stratford St Mary and LanghamCommunity First ResponderGroup

Have you ever thought about becominga Community First Responder? Whynot find out what it is about? Look at the

CFR link on the East of EnglandAmbulance Services website. You caneven apply on line! If you watch the

training video - do not be alarmed - youare never expected to do mouth to mouth.

For further information, please contact yourlocal co-ordinator.

SSM 100 Club Winners

123 (83) P. Alexander £ 40.005 L. Paiolo £ 10.0011 W .Davies £ 5.00

" Time Restored in StratfordSt Mary "Following a report in the February Quartetrepairs have been made to St Mary'sChurch Tower Clock which was kindlysupported by the Stratford St MaryFirework Committee.

Repairs took place on Monday 18 Januaryby Mr Ian Haward and his son who in thephotograph is removing the hands forcleaning having just abseiled down fromthe tower roof, while Mr Haward seniorattended to the mechanism inside thetower.

Stratford St Mary PCC are very grateful tothe Stratford St Mary Firework Committeefor their support in providing funds torestore the correct time to the ChurchClock.

There is NO excuse for being lateanymore!!

Stratford St Mary ParishCouncil Emergency TeamIf an emergency does arise, pleasecontact one of the following teammembers:

Norman Woodard12 Swaynes 01206 323015Norman.woodard@fatbloaters.com

Chris GriffinBrook Farm, School Lane 01206337363/07885 807567chrisbrookfarm@gmail.com

Steve Kite42 Strickmere 01206 32248207958 515573

Bill Davies3 Spanbies 01206 322990billdav@hotmail.com

The current Emergency Team membersare all over 70 years of age and, in thecurrent climate, we would like towelcome younger village residents tojoin the team to assist anywhere in thevillage if called upon to help. If you feelyou can be of use in any suchemergency, please contact the parishclerk Mrs Jenny O'Hanlon onparishcouncil@statfordstmary.org.uk

The mobile pizza co are a wood firedmobile pizza business trading in Suffolkand Essex.Started in 2014 by Clint Harper, born out ofpassion and many years in the foodindustry.

The original vision worked, a mix of popups like capel over four years now,blackhorse at Stratford to name a couple,food events, markets, all were happening,weddings, birthdays, corporate events,village shows, music weekends then inearly 2020 Covid hit us all.

Our pop up business coupled with our selfconverterted van done in the first lockdownmeant we felt like a Phoenix rising from ourpizza ashes! and we truly become TheMobile Pizza Co but now it didn’t have to besome great event, we are on a streetcooking near you

Please preorder by call/sms txt message07982 427483, pls state order, location,date and desired collection time, we thentxt back confirmation.

•Wed 3rd MarchBlackhorse Stratford st Mary, 5 to 7pm•Sat 6th March Capel 5 to 7pm•Wed 17th MarchBlackhorse Stratford St Mary 5 to 7pm•Fri 19th March Capel 5 to 7pm•Wed 31st MarchBlackhorse Stratford St Mary 5 to 7pm

www.themobilepizzaco.co.uk

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Lockdown Pub Quiz

I (used to) run a pub quiz at The Swan,back in the day when there were suchthings as pubs!

In the past few months, and to alleviate theboredom of lockdown, I have been runningthem via WhatsApp for those that used togo to the pub, but I got to thinking, wouldthere be any interest in the widercommunity for such a quiz?

If there is then I propose running a pubstyle quiz on Wednesday 11th March,which just happens to coincide with myUncle Pony’s 105th birthday, yes, you readthat right.

Just to give you some idea of how it works,you will need a smart phone withWhatsApp loaded onto it. At the appointedtime, normally about 7.30pm, I send out 7sets of 10 questions at 7 minute intervalson a variety of topics and you write youranswers down on paper, you don’t sendthem back to me. At the end of the quiz Isend out the answers and you mark yourown papers, so honesty is the key here.

I then collate the results and announce thetop five in reverse order. There are noprizes, just bragging rights until the nextquiz. The quiz usually lasts about an hourand a half. Teams must have no more than4 members to make it fair as, currentlymost are only two or three depending onwho is living in the house.

If a quiz is of interest, you will need to setme up as a contact on your phone and thensend me a WhatsApp message telling meyou want to join in. Please include yourname in the message. I will acknowledgeall messages and set up a WhatsAppgroup containing all participants.

My name is Dave Pooley and my mobilenumber is 07936 180061.

Looking forward to quizzing with you.

STRATFORD ST MARY PARISHCOUNCIL COMMUNICATION

The parish council has traditionally reliedon the physical delivery of paper-baseddocuments as its primary method offormally conveying important informationto parish residents. Although officialcouncil documents are published on thecouncil’s web-site, some (e.g. notices andagendas for annual meetings, enquiriesand surveys) are also delivered tohouseholds as paper -based documentsso as to ensure that all residents have theopportunity to make themselves aware ofthose events.

The council is currently reviewing itsmethods of communication with residentsand has concluded that in the interest ofcost, efficiency, timeliness andeffectiveness, transfer to primarilyelectronic communication methods wouldbe appropriate. This is because theadoption of electronic communication inthe community is probably now at asufficiently high level to make this a viable,reliable option.

As a necessary first step in the introductionof this change, the council is delivering toevery address in the Parish, a letterseeking support for its plan to create anelectronic database of household e-mailaddresses to be used exclusively for thedelivery of formal council documents tohouseholds in the parish. If yourhousehold has not received thiscommunication, or you would like an e-copy, please contact the Data Managerat

data.manager@stratfordstmary.org.uk.

The council recognises that there arethose in our community who, for a varietyof reasons, do not or cannot use theinternet and for them, the option of deliveryof paper-based documents will continue tobe available for key documents such as

annual meeting notifications. However, it ishoped that a sufficient number of residentswill support the plan to enable a trial ofelectronic document circulation to beundertaken, probably starting in April andrunning for 1 year.

Councillors are of the view that this changewill not only enable more information to bemade available to households in theparish, more promptly and at lower cost,but also be beneficial for the environmentas a result of the reduction in unnecessarypaper consumption.

Agreement to include e-mail for yourhousehold on the Council’s database canbe withdrawn, in writing, at any time.

Paper-based communication currentlydelivers one copy of a given document toeach street address and accordingly, it isintended that the electronic databaseshould contain one e-mail address for eachhousehold. However, recognising that it ispossible for a street address to containmore than one household, the informationrequested on the form includes ‘householdidentity’. It is for each household to decidewhat that identity should be. For anaddress containing a single household thatcould be, for example, house number,house name, or family name, whereas atan address occupied by more than onehousehold it would not be appropriate torefer to the house name or number and thefamily name or other unique identity, wouldbe required.

The Parish Council believes thatenhancing communications in this waywill help it to more effectively serve thecommunity it represents. If you are ableto access the internet and use e-mail,please support this scheme.Responses, on the form provided withthe communication, are requested bynot later than Friday 19th March 2021.

Higham

Brett Valley installations - Oil boilerservicer - 01206 337316

HC Smith Builders - 07468 456772

Being British

A national newspaper put this question andrecently readers to describe what it meansto them to be British !!! A reader inSwitzerland responded as follows: BeingBritish is about driving a German car to aIrish pub for a Belgian beer; then travellinghome, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkishkebab on the way, to sit on Swedishfurniture and watch American shows on hisJapanese TV. He buys a holiday home inSpain, fancies Swedish girls and has aRomanian au-pair. And most curious of all,he`s suspicious of anything “foreign”.

Next day he catches a foreign company –built train up to London. Its run by a Dutchtrain operator and he goes to watch footballat the Emirates stadium where nearly all thefootballers are from abroad. Both the teammanagers are from mainland Europe. Heended by saying “Take back” control! Yeah,right.

This brought a smile on my face and glad Iam Suffolk.

Geoff Horrex.

Raydon

Fair Trade coffeemorning

As expected ourFebruary 23rd Fair Tradecoffee morning wasaffected by the current

restrictions on social gatherings and wewere not able to hold it.

However, last month I mentioned a Pop UpShop and this is the result:

Are you fed up with excess packaging andsingle use plastic containers? If you careabout what is happening to ourenvironment, and want to do your part inhelping to stop waste and landfills then lookno further.

"Love Refills" is a zero waste initiative andwill be visiting Raydon Fair Trade coffeemornings with their Pop Up Shop.

What can you buy from them? Well: Ecofriendly products such as laundry liquid,soap, washing up liquid, shampoo andconditioner etc. Also store cupboard goodssuch as pasta, rice, lentils, oats, flour andtea. Other items like bamboo toothbrushes,re-usable Bee friendly food coverings, toname but a few of the items available.Depending on social distancing rules thenthe plan is for a launch date of March 23rdat our Fair Trade coffee morning 10am-12noon, and then at every coffee morningeach month. I'll pin up a complete price listand goods available in the porch of RaydonChurch. Then when you're out on your daily

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Blackwell Barn Holiday Let -www.cottages.com

Phil Avery Electrician 01473 311261

Ashley Short Carpentry 01473 311226

Gordon Short Decorator 01473 313053

SW Stiff Builders - 07811 005241

DIY Livery - 07710 540926

Infusion Grill - 07584 573474

Swift garden Services - 07947 322429

Rheal Coatings - 07539 377740

Can you help us?

Our shop local campaign depends onyou!

Send us details of companies living nearyou that offer services or things for sale -we’ll contact them and offer free lineagein the Quartet. We can build a reallyuseful directory of local resources!

Raydon and District Garden Club

41st Year

Hello to all members and trust you’re allkeeping well and warm.As I write these notes on the 8th ofFebruary the garden is completely coveredin a considerable amount of snow and theforecast for the following week is for moresnow showers and frost at nights. It doeslook so nice especially if no need to go outin it to work, but it`s worth going out withyour camera to snap those amazingscenes. The bird numbers coming to thefeeders has doubled in a matter of a fewdays due to this winter snap and of coursethey need to eat plenty to keep warm andsurvive the cold nights, unlike us whomostly nowadays have central heating tokeep us warm. If you’re out for winter walkswatch out for tracks in the snow or even inthe mud across fields as tell tale signs asto what animal has been walking by.

So 2021 meetings for the club are still inlimbo as we go again with cancellations forFebruary meeting, along with Marchmeeting & April meeting and of course the“Spring Show” once again. Hopefullyperhaps we may be able to considersomething in May but this depends onmany things of course, not least what tiersystem we could be in and whether we canmeet in numbers inside buildings etc soonly time will tell. The summer coachouting normally held in June is also indoubt but will confirm nearer the timedepending on current situation at thattime. We may of course be able toperhaps have a autumn coach outing !!instead so watch this space in the Quarteteach month for updates as to what wemight be able to do. At the moment yourcommittee is keeping options open for theSummer show in mid August or a possibleoption of a show in mid September but thiswill also be confirmed at a later date. As wesay in Suffolk “Thas a rum owd dew”.

With all the uncertainty it`s very difficult toplan much ahead, but we must keep beingoptomistic for some of this year and thefuture and things will get better as we learnto live with the virus and we return to amore normal life style.

Once this snow has gone Spring will bejust around the corner and gardens willsoon start to come into flower once againand along with the different colours willcome all the lovely perfumes to cheer us allup, and help drive away the last year and ahalf into the distant memory bank. Let’s alllook forward (without wishing time away) toenjoy our gardens once again withsunshine and showers, cutting lawns,picking nice flowers to take indoors, or tobe able to just sit outside and enjoy thedisplays along with a nice coffee or cup oftea, to planting and picking your ownveggies as the seasons pass, and just asimportantly to be able to talk and enjoyrefreshments with fellow members onceagain under normal circumstances. Staysafe, see you soon.

Geoff Horrex. 01473 310422 /07810086143

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exercise you can stop by and composeyour shopping list. So start saving all thoseempty plastic bottles that you wouldnormally recycle then get them refilled.(there are some available if you need them) also bring your containers for dry goods.

The mobile library van will hopefully beback on the round so what more could youwant than a lovely cup of Fair Trade coffee,do some shopping and change your librarybooks. And of course we hope our faithfulfundraising Church stall will be open againwith more treasures for you to find!

I do hope we'll be able to put this excitingplan into action, so please call me if youwould like any further information.

Looking forward to see everyone on March23rdMany thanksWendy Mumford01473 312123

RAYDON PARISH COUNCIL

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS 2021

(all at 7.30pm via ZOOM until further notice)Tuesday 9 MarchTuesday 13 April (Annual Parish Meeting)Tuesday 11 May (AGM)Tuesday 15 JuneTuesday 13 JulyTuesday 14 SeptemberTuesday 12 OctoberTuesday 9 November

NB: if you would like to see copies of theminutes of any Raydon Parish Council

meetings, please contact

Jane Cryer, Clerk to Raydon Parish Council,01473 824287 / 07920 713940,raydonpc@gmail.com

An easy way to access yourNHS number

Everyone invited to have a Covid-19vaccination is asked to bring a copy of theirNHS number with them to theirappointment.And, for those who do not know what theirnumber is, they are encouraged to use thefree NHS online service to receive areminder of their NHS number.You can access the service here - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/You can use the service either for yourselfor someone else.The NHS number is a unique 10-digitnumber e.g. 485 777 3456 and helps healthcare staff identify you correctly and matchyour details to your health records. Youshould usually be able to find the numberon any letter or document received from theNHS, including prescriptions, test resultsand hospital letter or appointment letters.Dr Mark Shenton, a GP in Suffolk andchairman of the NHS Ipswich and EastSuffolk Clinical Commissioning Group,said: “This is a really handy online servicethat is useful for anyone who cannot findtheir NHS number. Our GP practices arereceiving a lot of calls from patients who donot know their number. While practice staffare always happy to help, it would maketheir already incredibly busy jobs a littleeasier if people would use this onlineservice to get a reminder of their NHSn u m b e r .

“And why don’t you download the NHS appwhich has your NHS number and digitalaccess to your surgery and record?”

Holton St Mary

Love Refills mobile shop -www.loverefills.co.uk

Ann Mason Care - 01206 233372

The next Parish Council Meeting is on the10th March 2021 at 8pm via zoom, pleaseemail the parish clerk athsmparishclerk@gmail if you would like alink to attend the meeting.

In praise of the litter-pick‘Litter, litter everywhere…’ Litter/rubbish isnow an inevitable and in some areas, analmost indelible feature of our countryside.Unlike during the first lock-down, theamount of rubbish and its ‘R’ number haveshown no signs of let-up; for every pieceof rubbish that lies un-disturbed and un-picked on a road, path, hedge or verge,another ten will almost certainly appearover the following days.

Keeping our village clean is important formany reasons. There is reasonableevidence to indicate that a clean and tidyvillage does provide some deterrent tomore rubbish appearing and thereby

Love Refills Mobile shopEvery 4th Tuesday of the month 1 -3pm inRose Acre Holton St Mary

Love Refills is a zero waste, refillableinitiative offering SESI household cleaningproducts, reusable containers & eco-friendly household items. The concept isthat you bring your own containers and fillup from a range of Body care items,Cleaning supplies, Eco swaps, Storecupboard food and SESI Detergentrefillables.

Log on to the website www.www.loverefills.co.uk to see the full rangeand also check out the Click and collectoption where you can pre-order your refillsand jump the queue when you collect inperson from our mobile refills van.

At checkout select 'schedule for later' andchoose the date of the village pop whereyou intend to collect from.

Don't forget to make a note upon checkout to let them know if you wish to fill yourown bottles otherwise, they will prepareyour order in the best repurposed bottlesthey have available at the time.

increasing its ‘R’ number. The sameapplies to the approaches to our villages.We are blest with so many walks that canbe accessed from our villages; some passbeyond our immediate village boundariesbut it would still seem appropriate toremove the litter en-route and not ‘pass byon the other side’. Awalk without picking updiscarded rubbish could arguably beregarded as a missed opportunity. ‘See acan and pick it up and all that day you’llhave good luck…’

In Holton St Mary, the approaches includethe B1070 from the Western signage of thevillage up the road to the footpath thatleads back to Bacon’s Green (the top arrowon the map, about 60 metres before AcaciaRoad), the lane leading from the T-junctionwith Brett Vale golf club to, and throughBacon’s Green, Sandpits Lane, and theHigham road (B1068) leading from the endof Sandpits Lane to the A12. From here, afootpath will take you back to the village(the bottom arrow). For those intrepid andrisk-averse litter-pickers there is the optionto continue for 200 metres on the A12 to,and then down Stubbins Lane … butbeware the hurled urine-filled bottles by theside of the A12. I tend to clear this stretchand up to the slip-road three or four times ayear. It is also surprising how much litter

accumulates on Stubbins Lane. Theapproaches and litter-picking circuit arecompleted by both slip-roads (at FourSisters) and their hairpin footpaths thatdescend from the A12 to the underpass.These slip-roads have an ‘R’ number of atleast 5 and the litter and rubbish arehazardous to wildlife and all road-users.Clearly, the slip-roads themselves are ahazard for litter-pickers, particularly on theEast-bound one towards Ipswich.

For many years Riet Howard hasorganised a wonderful and very efficientvillage litter-picking team. However, mostof its members have now left are or unableto continue and it would be fantastic towelcome some new people to maintain thevillage’s cleanliness. I have been asked totake over the litter-picking organisation. Ihave already been adopted by theCountryside and Public Realm departmentof Babergh and Mid Suffolk DistrictCouncils to receive supplies of litter-pickingsticks, high-visibility jackets, rubbish/litterbags and relevant (not junk) mail…

I would be very grateful if all current andenthusiastic new litter-pickers wouldcontact me with your preferences whenyou would like to litter-pick so that I can setup a new rota. It would be wonderful if wecan try to keep the rubbish in and aroundthe village to a minimum and to maintain its‘R’ number well below 1.

Thank you.

Richard Appleton

Tel: 311487 or e-mailrichardappleton55@hotmail.co.uk

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Ready, steady, censusThe decennial census is almost upon us.

Households across Holton St Mary willsoon be asked to take part in thenationwide survey of housing and thepopulation. It has been carried out everydecade since 1801, with the exception of1941.

Information from the digital-first census willhelp decide how services are planned andfunded in your local area. This could meanthings like doctors’ surgeries, housing ornew bus routes.

Households will receive a letter with aunique access code in the post, allowingthem to complete their questionnaireonline. Paper questionnaires will beavailable on request. Census day is March21.

Many of our interest groups such as, artlovers, reading, chess, bridge, languages,philosophy and writers' groups meet using"Zoom", the video conferencing platform.The camera, art workshops and ukulelegroups are soon to follow suit. Monthlymeetings and lectures are also being heldusing "Zoom".

Plans for 2021 include garden visits, theNational U3A Day on 2nd June and ourannual Summer social.

If you have finished working full-time or inthe near future and would like to pursuenew interests, please visit our website forinformation and contact details https://u3asites.org.uk/stourvalley/. Newmembers are always welcome.

The Answers to the Quiz ofthe Year (that has been…)

Thank you very much for all those who tookpart in the January quiz. I hope it was ofsome interest and gave you a few smiles…and perhaps a few frowns when answeringsome of the questions. No one scored a‘full house’ (45 correct answers) but theprize was awarded to the entry with thehighest score (which was 41). The winningentrant was not related to the Editors of theQuartet, the printing or distribution of theQuartet, its advertisers or the compiler ofthe Quiz. Here are the answers (thequestions were in the January Quartetshould you need reminding).

1. 95 or 96 (94-97 would have beenaccepted…!)2. Edward Elgar3. Gordon Keeble4. Acetabulum (‘vinegar cup’: theacetabulum is the ‘socket’ of the ‘ball andsocket’ joint and the ‘ball’ is the head ofthe femur. The acetabulum is formedby three bones in the pelvis – the ilium,ischium and pubis)5. Eric Cantona6. Canary (or canaries)7. Discworld8. Tate Modern (London)9. Kingsway and Queensway (theMersey rail tunnel is un-named)10. Quadratic equation11. Thread or string12. 198213. Polar Winds14. Advent15. Wyoming16. De Havilland

17. Manchester United (a score nowshared with Southampton)18. Brainstem (brain accepted)19. Claire20. Weed or Little Weed21. Nuclear reactor explosion22. Grendel23. 14th24. Damon Hill25. Periodic Table of the chemicalelements26. They have no official lyrics27. Ecclesiastes (one of the mostinteresting and uplifting books in the Bible)28. Hawaii29. Dan Dare30. Solstice31. Mercury32. Margaret Thatcher33. Actinium, Carbon, Radium:(Accra is the capital of Ghana)34. The Prisoner (played by PatrickMcGoohan: an amazing TV series)35. They went to the same school:Hilbre School, West Kirby, on the Wirral.(‘Can anything good come out of WestKirby…?’)36. Douglas Adams37. 200438. New Zealand (a superb whitewine, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc)39. A preacher (believed to be JohnBunyan) in front of a stained glass window40. Picture round:

A: Cannabis (hemp, marijuana)B: SheepshankC: No cheese listed in theingredientsD: ‘Animal’E: A pilgrimage

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Holton St Mary ‘Green GymGroup

The Green Gym Group will not meet onSaturday, 6th March because of currentCOVID19 lockdown regulations. However,for those who would like to do some workin the village as part of their daily exercisethis could be undertaken by individuals orsame household people during February.One task would be to tidy up the vergesthroughout the village in welcomeanticipation of the emerging and spirit-lifting daffodils and crocuses. The vergeshave really suffered at the hands ofaggressive or careless motorists. We willhopefully be able to meet in April …

Thank you.

The Green Gym Group

Can you help us?

Our shop local campaign depends on you!

Send us details of companies living nearyou that offer services or things for sale -we’ll contact them and offer free lineage inthe Quartet. We can build a really usefuldirectory of local resources!

When the battery in my watch starts rundown it tells me by sweeping its secondhand in four second chunks. Tired ofwatching my life slip away in theseintervals I decided to travel to Colchesterand visit my repairers. This was July 2017.Normally I go via the Lower Castle Parkbut on this occasion the heavy iron gateswere locked and a notice read “ Closeduntil further notice”.

A man with his young daughter stoodremonstrating declaring they had travelledmiles and their day was ruined. I told himthat I also liked to walk through the parkand had done so for many years andcouldn’t understand why it was closed. Ifound an alternative route to thewatchmaker and whilst waiting for mytimepiece to have a new heart transplantsat and wrote The Park. This is based onthe memories and times spent there in myyouth and later years.

By the way it’s open again!

The Park

They've closed the parkThey've closed the parkYou’re having a laughThey've closed the parkIt's still daylight, not even darkThey've closed the park

Why weren't we allowed a sayWhere are the children going to playEverybody loves the parkThe flowers, the boating lake, the lawnsand benchesThe ice cream parlours, and more let'smentionThe bandstand and the music sessionsThe bushes where the indiscretions of

loversEmerged giggling and brushing skirts thatbore the fauna of pleasureThe elders that picnic on tartan rugs, sittingon folding chairs, Left alone, nobodynotices, nobody cares about the papersthey read and the way they soak up thesun. Hankies on their heads, dressestucked in their knickers Not for themthe iPad tablets, only heart pills andstatins.

Groups of congregating youths whowithout their phones to look at would notknow what to doDog walkers with plastic bags makingpromises to pick up the pooEmpty cans of special brew lie scattered allabout pointing a trail to their owners,who barely compis mentis are restingunder the shade of a chestnut treeDreaming of better times.Another can, another dream they driftaway safe and sound not knowing thattomorrow they will still be found, wanting.The keeper who turns a blind eye to thegoings on preferring instead to use hisstick to pick up the litter his charges haveleftThe council say they're going bustIt is imperative, it is a must that cuts haveto be made.We can't afford to do it all, to cut the grassto water the flowersTo maintain the ponds it takes for hours toclear the mess that'sLeft behind by the thoughtlessbeneficiaries.If everybody did a bit, a little bit, a tiny bit,a whiny whiny whiny bitThen the council wouldn't be in this fixAnd I'd still have my park!

Barry Davison

Barry’s Page Constable Country MedicalPractice – Practice UpdateFebruary 2021

Coronavirus Vaccination Programme

The practice is working closely withHadleigh and Bildeston Practices and inearly January both East Bergholt andHadleigh sites were approved asvaccination ‘Hubs’. This was a greatachievement as only 12 other practiceswere approved across Suffolk.

The delivery of the Covid vaccinationprogramme has been a complexundertaking. In January we took delivery1170 doses of the Pfizer vaccine oneweek and 2,340 the following week.Hadleigh took delivery of the samequantities. We were given a week’s noticeand the vaccine needed to beadministered within 3 days followingdelivery. This was a huge undertaking andconsumed much of our resources, thoughwe also had help from the CCG and otherhealth professionals. We managed tobook every appointment.

The vaccinations days were a real teameffort. We are so grateful to our PPG andthe many volunteers who helped; often incold and wet conditions. We tried to keepqueues to a minimum and generally theclinics ran smoothly and everyone was ingood spirits – especially in the observationtent!

Thank you to everyone who helped us.We were overwhelmed when we sent outa call for volunteers and I’m sorry youhave not all had the opportunity to getinvolved, though there is plenty of time asyet! Thank you also for the biscuits andchocolate which kept the team going, andthank you for the many cards and kindcomments on social media.

Through January, we managed tovaccinate well over 90% of all patientsover the age of 70, and our houseboundand vulnerable patients. We alsovaccinated patients from Bildeston,

Hadleigh and Holbrook & Shotleypractices. Going forward, we still have a lotof vaccinating to do; administering the firstdose to patients under the age of 70 andthen the second dose. Unfortunately, wehave no control over delivery schedules.We are informed of deliveries just the weekbefore they are made, and only then canwe contact patients to book anappointment.

Please only contact the practice regardingthe vaccination if you have a genuineconcern that you may have been missed.We have a rigorous process of callingpatients and need to strictly followgovernment guidelines regarding the orderin which we vaccinate, but we will contactevery eligible patient in due course.

In addition to calling patients, we will beusing a text message booking system.Please refer to our website,www.constablecountrymedicalpractice.co.uk, and facebook page for the latestinformation on the vaccination programme.

While all this is going on we are alsoproviding regular doctor and nurse clinicappts so if anyone has any medical queryapart from the vaccination, please contactus.

Thank you again for your support andconsideration whilst we continue with thevaccination programme.

Pete KeeblePractice Manager

Allotment Plots AvailableWould you like an allotment plot?Dedham Allotment Associationhave plots available, please

contact Diana for further details01206 321297

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SESAW NewsEveryone seems to be in a reflective moodas we mark the changes in our lives overthe last year so here are a few words fromMum – better known to you as Maggie.

"Many of us have come to acknowledgethe truth of that old adage, ‘You don't knowwhat you'll miss until it's gone’, be it aperson, a pet or the disrupted rhythm oflife.

The current situation has bought home tous at SESAW, how much we miss the helpand commitment received from Firms inthe past. It's very apparent just how muchhard work and effort they put into helpingus maintain the kennels and catteries onsite, thus giving us more time for theanimals. That said we are still here, a bitscruffier, up to our ears in mud butnevertheless the animals are clean, warmin their heated kennels, well fed and loved,

So what's to moan about? Spring is on itsway, it will get drier and we look forward toreleasing a buzzard that was bought intous starving. It is now eating well andwaiting for better weather to go back to itsterritory. It is a similar scenario for a BarnOwl which will be taking wing in the nearfuture. So don't forget, if we can help weare here, operating nearly thirty years andfacing the future with hope andcompassion.”

That’s enough for now, Mum. It’s time foryou to feed all the animals including me,your usual correspondent, Kenny (theBoss) Chihuahua.

Suffolk & Essex Small Animal Welfare, Reg.Charity No.1124029,Stoke Road, Leavenheath, CO6 4PP. Tel: 01787 210888,www.sesaw.co.uk.

The Constable CountryMedical Practice

The Medical Centre,Heath Road, East Bergholt, ColchesterCO7 6RT

Surgery opening hours8.00am – 6.30pm Monday to FridayTelephone 01206 298272Fax 01206 29901036 The Street, Capel St Mary, IpswichIP9 2EE

Surgery opening hours8.00am – 6.30pm Monday to Friday

Dispensary 8.30am – 6.15pm(closed between 1-2pm)Telephone 01473 310203Fax 01473 311722

MOBILE LIBRARYStratford St Mary - Route 11The bus stops every 4 weeks onWednesdays, subject to current resrictions

17 March, 14 April, 12 May, 9 June

Black Horse - 11.05am - 11.20amTally Ho! Corner - 11.25am - 11.45amStrickmere (School Lane end) - 11.50am -12.10pm

Route 14The bus stops every 4 weeks onTuesdays

23 March, 20 April, 18 May, 15 June

Holton St MaryChurch Square - 9.30-9.45amRaydonSt Mary’s Raydon - 9.50-10.30amLower RaydonSulleys Hill - 11.30 - 11.45amHighamThe Green - 11.55am to 12.10pm

The customer service line 01473 283838is staffed 9am to 5pm from Monday toFriday and can handle any librarycustomer queries renewals andreservations to any general library queries.An answer phone is available outside ofoperating hours and people can also emailhelp@suffolklibraries.co.uk

Crime preventionhttp://www.suffolk.police.uk/safetyadvice/

reportacrime/tellthepolice.aspxPC 1347 Gilkes Pcso 3041 Cooperbabergheast@suffolk.pnn.police.uk

Telephone…101

Local Services

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Holy Family Roman Catholic Church

Ipswich Road, Brantham CO11 1TBParish Priest: Fr. Paul Vincent OCD AssistantPriest: Fr Bineesh Elenjikkal OCD180 Hawthorn Drive Ipswich IP2 0QQ T e l :01473 684963. www.stmarksparish.org.uk

Services planned for MARCH 2021Tuesday 29.20am Eucharistic Adoration10am MassSunday 7 3rd SUNDAY OF LENT9am MassTuesday 99.20am Eucharistic Adoration10am MassSunday 14 4th SUNDAY OF LENT9am MassTuesday 169.20am Eucharistic Adoration10am MassSunday 21 5th SUNDAY OF LENT9am MassTuesday 239.20am Eucharistic Adoration10am MassSunday 28 PALM SUNDAYOF THEPASSION OF THE LORD9am MassTuesday 30. TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK9.20am Eucharistic Adoration 1 0 a mMass

The weekly Newsletter, with Mass times, isalways displayed in the cabinet alongside theChurch’s front door and may also be read on theregularly updated websitewww.stmarksparish.org.uk together with otherParish news.

Fr Bineesh Elanjikkal is the Ipswich HospitalCatholic Chaplain assisted by Deacon Rev CliveBrooks (01026 396319) .

All are very welcome to attend Holy Familyservices; it is not necessary to be a Catholic andenquiries about the Catholic Faith are alwayswelcome. Please contact The Priory, as above,or a local person whom you know is a Catholic.

Week Commencing 1st March Refuse Week8th March Recycling Week15th March Refuse Week22nd March Recycling Week29th March Refuse Week5th April Recycling Week BH Week

Waste Services 0300 1234 000 (option 4)Email: recycling@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk Visitwww.recyclenow.com to find your nearest recycling banks

Bin collections

Power Cut? Call 105 | The NewFree Way to Report Issues

www.powercut105.comExperiencing a power cut? No matter whoyour provider is, 105 is the new number tocall to get help and advice, free of chargeon mobile and landlines. You can also call105 with any welfare concerns related to apower cut, or if you are worried about thesafety of over or underground electricitycables or substations.

Support may be available free for thosewith medical needs, people of pensionableage or with children under 5.Register on UK Power Networks websitehttp://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/help-and-advice/priority-services-during-a-power-cut/

Tell us your favourite local service -could be a pub or restaurant ortakeaway, or other service you thinkwould benefit getting arecommendation...If we agree, we’llprint it here

I go to a super fish van in the George carpark in Hadleigh. He comes from Lowestofton a Tuesday from 7.45am until 12.30 andcouldn’t be fresher. He also goes toHollowtrees Farm on a Thursday, 8am until12.30. His name is Paul phone number07810251395

Simply Thai Manningtree - It was simplydelicious! Freshly cooked, and arrivedwithin the quoted time frame. 01206396060. Delivers to Holton St Mary

Zaynab and Mother Indian at Capel.Really good and highly recommend. Theydon’t deliver, but it’s made quickly for pick-up.

Local Directory

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Mending your home

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In the House

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Professional Services

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Prestige virtual assistanceMaking time for you

Providing a flexible approach to personalassistant support remotely to businessowners, directors and entrepreneurs.

Services include:

•Research Project•General Admin

• Time Management (diary/emails)•Social Media Posts

•Document Management•Project Management

•Office Moves

Kate BainesM: 07799 391343

E: info@prestigevirtualassistance.co.ukW: www.prestigevirtualassistance.co.uk

Body Mind as Onebrings movement& mindfulness to adults

of anyage,gender andability

Classes onlineMovement & Mindfulness (ZOOM)

Yogalates™(Pilates & Yogafusion)£18 per personTuesday&Fridays9:30 to 11:00 am

Mindfulness (ZOOM)Gentlemovement & guided relaxation£12 per personMonday &Fridays7:00 to 8:00 pm

www.bodymindasone.com

When lock-down easesBody Mind asOne

group classes will be available

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aroundthe

corner……it’s

never

too early

tomakeanLPA

Fisher JonesGreenwood LLP,Charter Court,Newcomen Way,Colchester BusinessPark,Colchester, Essex,CO49YAOffices acrossEssexand London

01206 700585www.fjg.co.ukenquiry@fjg.co.uk

Becausewedon’tknow

Don’tput it off.Often it takesa life changing event to prompt someoneinto action, which cansometimesbe too late.Manyothers don’t considermaking anLPAat all,believing that “it won’thappen to me”.However,planning aheadand having LPAsprepared before they areneeded canstopthe evitable roadblocks facedby thosedealing with your financial &businessmatters andhealth &welfare choicesif the worst does happen and you arenot able to makedecisionsyourself.

Contact ustoday to protect yourselfand your loved ones.Legal advicewith a conscience.

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Kingsleigh Estate Agents

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BENEFICE CONTACTS, SERVICES AND EVENTS

Priest-in-charge: Rev'd Manette Crossman:Tel. 07947 737789 revmcrossman@gmail.comDeacon:Rev'd Nicola Tindall: Tel. 01787 212340nicolajtindall@btinternet.com

Please contact Rev'd Manette or Rev'd Nicola to discussany aspect of faith and services in the Beneficeincluding home visits.

Benefice Administrator:Frances Torrington: 01473 312046familytorrington@btinternet.comPlease contact Frances to talk about baptisms,confirmations, weddings, and funerals.

Please check our website and facebook page for currentupdates:Benefice website: www.4marys.org.uk

updates also available on the Benefice FB page

Churchwardens:

Higham Hugo Parker 01206 337234

Holton Richard Noel 01206 298276Paul Torrington 01473 312046

Raydon Geoff Horrex 01473 310422Simon Tennent 01473 310320

Stratford Jonathan Dewey 01206 322148

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Services in MarchPlease note – Whilst Covid infection rates remain high,services will be recorded from each church in turn andavailable to view online from Sunday morning. We hopeto return to live services as soon as it is safe to do so.

Sunday 7th March – from Stratford St. Mary a serviceLent 3 available online.

Sunday 14th March – from Holton St. Mary a serviceMothering Sunday / Lent 4 available online.

Sunday 21st March – from Higham a service availableLent 5 online.

Sunday 28th March – from Raydon a service availablePalm Sunday online.

Services for EasterPlans for services over Easter are being developed andare dependent upon Government announcements. Wemay be able to hold live services during Holy Week andwe are hoping to have services in all of our churches onEaster Day, but this will depend on government andChurch of England guidance as well as on infectionrates. Please check our Facebook pages and the4Marys website for details, as well as the various weeklyemails which will be circulated.

Good Friday WalkWe are unable to go ahead with our annual Good Fridaywalk this year, due to current restrictions. However,Geoff is developing ideas for a planned walk later in theSummer. More information will follow in due course.

Family HourPlease note, that instead of our ZOOM format for FamilyHour services, we are aiming to provide recorded onlineservices in March and April. More details will becirculated nearer the time.

Mid-week Morning Prayer in Stratford St. Mary.Unfortunately, the monthly midweek morning prayerservice is temporarily suspended due to the restrictions.

EldersOur Benefice is fortunate to have three lay elders,appointed locally and licensed to help and assist withcertain aspects of church ministry. For example, theymay undertake pastoral work e.g. visiting people in theirhomes or in hospital, work with young people in runningfamily and children’s services and assist with generalchurch services. The lay elders work as part of our localministry team and may be contacted about local churchmatters if churchwardens are unavailable.

Christine Cousins 01206 322530, Janet Dewey 01206322148, Sandy Ranson 01206 322156

*If you wish to be added to the weekly email mailing list,to receive updates and links to online services, the dailybible readings and the current prayer list, please contactSandy Ranson at: sandyranson@hotmail.com

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Lent GroupThe Lent Group will continue to meet by Zoom on the 1st, 8th, 15th and22nd March at 7pm. We are using the short book ‘The Nail’ by StephenCottrell, who is now our Archbishop of York. Please get in touch withRev’d Manette if you would like a copy of the book (the cost is £6.99).You will be sent the Zoom link before each session.

Benefice churches open for private prayerThe Lady Chapel in Stratford St. Mary church will be open for privateprayer on Wednesdays & Saturdays 10.00am to 2.00pm (access viathe churchyard).

A prayer:Lord God,You have called your servantsto ventures of which we cannot see the ending,by paths as yet untrodden,through perils unknown.Give us faith to go out with good courage,not knowing where we go,but only that your hand is leading usand your love supporting us,through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

For your prayers:For healing, for those who are ill or in need in our parishes andbeyond:Higham: Val & Ian Boothman, Helena Gurney's mother Mary, PeterSnelling and family, Penny WatkinsHolton St. Mary: Angela Stedman, Doreen Torrington-PetrieRaydon:Wendy Mumford and family, Janie O'Brien and family, DavidLugger, May PeacockStratford St. Mary: Nancy Ablitt, Laura Kerry, David Ablitt.Outside the Benefice: Helen Gregory, Hilda Murray.We also remember those we have lost recently, including RonStedman, Margaret Snelling and son-in-law Tim Francis - they will besorely missed.