HELLO everyone, it’s been a while since I’ve had time to sit down and type out a write up of our groups news, as some of you have mentioned to me. Rest assured we are still up and running despite my absence from these pages, just that life has been hectic for a few months but I’ve finally managed to put some time aside to bring you all up to speed.

AS a furriner - foreigner in the Norfolk dialect – Alasdair Horner from Harleston is bringing images of this locality and further afield to Bungay in an exhibition. The exhibition, entitled Furriner opened at the Gallery in the Fisher Theatre, Bungay, on September 11th and runs until October 6th and features photographs taken locally and from his travels around the world, but all with an added personal twist.

THE University of the Third Age is an international organisation aimed at people who are no longer in full time employment. The over-riding philosophy is that of folk meeting together for all kinds of physical, intellectual and social activities. These are provided by the members for the members.

LADIES and gentlemen, roll up; roll up, for an afternoon of variety and nostalgia, as your most worthy Chairman proudly presents ‘The Good Old Music Hall Days’ at Leiston Film Theatre on Wednesday 19th October at 2.30pm.

MULTI award winning eight-piece folk band, Merry Hell, will be bringing their acclaimed talent to the Leiston Film Theatre on Friday 28th October, with an unmissable evening of brilliant Northern folk-rock entertainment.

Remap is a very special charity, working through a nationwide network of dedicated volunteers.  These inspiring people use their ingenuity and skills to enable people with disabilities to achieve much-desired independence in some aspect of their lives, or to enjoy leisure opportunities previously closed to them.

WE would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

December is the busiest month of the year for Martlesham Brass - you will often find us playing Christmas Carols outside supermarkets, both in Martlesham and Ipswich, raising money for the charities nominated by our band members. This year we are raising funds for Cruse Bereavement Care Suffolk, Over the Rainbow Children's Charity and Tools with a Mission.

THE Free Fit Club was started in October with the aim of it being a fun, relaxed weekly event for all ages and abilities...and that's exactly what it's been so far.  We've consistently had 20-25 people each week ranging from seven to 70 years old, some who are quite fit, and others who are starting to take steps in the right direction to improve their health and fitness.  

Get up and glow for St Elizabeth Hospice

ST Elizabeth Hospice’s biggest event of the year, the Midnight Walk, is back for its 11th birthday event – and if you sign up before the end of January you can save £5!

The hugely popular event, which saw a record-number of people taking part in May earlier this year, will return on May 20th 2017 and back by popular demand is the neon theme!

I AM running the London Marathon for the second time in April.  I'm fundraising for CLIC Sargent.

THE film evening starts on Friday 17th March at Alburgh Village Hall (Low Road, Alburgh) by showing a Trailer followed by the feature film ‘The Girl on the Train’ starring Emily Blunt and Justin Theroux. (Thriller) 15.

 AT last the restoration can be seen to have started - the stocks and cap removed. The cap has been taken to millwrights works in Suffolk, the metal stocks will be replaced by wood. Some damage to the top tracks and brickwork was discovered (more than was anticipated) on removal of the cap. We need to raise more money to cover the cost of these extra problems.

FILM@FRAM

THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (2016)

THE Film@Fram showing on Wednesday 3rd May will be 'A Street Cat Named Bob'.  Directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Luke Treadway, Bob the Cat and Ruta Gedmintas, this true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.  Described as “unapologetically heartwarming”.  (12A) 103 mins.

A THREE day Flower Festival will adopt the theme of 'Colours of the Rainbow'.  The event is being held from Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th April and Monday 1st May in St Mary's Church, Worlingworth from 10am to 5pm daily. 

ON May 15th the Alde Valley Suffolk Family History Group will welcome the return of Pip Wright to talk about “Surprises from the Parish Chest” – an alternative history of Suffolk.   We will hear of wife-sellers, crooked bankers, rogue rectors, sportsman-naturalists, witches and wizards, spendthrifts and misers, respectable thieves and smugglers and, of course, a good few fornicators – most of whose existence can be verified by contemporary accounts; but occasionally they appear alongside more hazy stories where the truth is much harder to determine. All have played a part in Suffolk's colourful past. Pip Wright’s illustrated talk tells their stories.

LOCATED on the former RAF Bentwaters, the BCWM is the only museum in the UK housed within a disused U S Air Force Wind Command Post.  Operated and administered by volunteers from Bentwaters Aviation Society the BCWM portrays the history of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge from the Second World War through to when the USAF's 81sst Tatical Fighter Wing withdrew from both bases in 1993. 

NEEDLE-LACE expert Jane Rowton-Lee, who had exhibited her work around the world as well as at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, is coming to St Mary’s Church, Bungay, on Friday 28th April. She will be giving a talk to launch ‘A Stitch in Time’, an exhibition of needlework and textiles, ancient and modern.

FUND raising events to mark Christian Aid Week May 14th - 20th will be held in Beccles.

LOCAL hearing care specialists, The Hearing Care Centre have announced a return of their special charity dog walk - helping raise funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

RICHARD Godfrey, owner of Twyfords and the newly launched Harris & James Coffee Roasters of Beccles, has teamed up with Beccles Public Hall to sell top quality locally roasted coffee at the Public Hall.

THE club’s most recent competition took place on June 28th and the theme was ‘Country Churches’. This image of the Church of St Mary, Henstead with Hulver was taken by Ray Mason and was awarded nineteen out of twenty points in the Monochrome Print category. Ray also achieved first place for another image entered in the Colour Print category. Following Ray was Holly Stranks in second and Andy Wilson in third. Positions in the Monochrome Print section went to Andy Wilson in first; David Morrell second; David Penrose third. The following were awarded places in the Digital Projected Images category: Jane Murphy (first), Sue Grief (second), Peter Nixon (third).

SAM and Nancy had an idea. A big idea – maybe too big? They wanted to celebrate their community’s good fortune in receiving a wonderful building development that would produce unique facilities for everyone in the town to enjoy. What could they do? How could they organise some kind of super-special event to entertain the town, yet involve lots of people both young and old? The big idea that they came up with was to put on a musical event that told a story, but what kind of a story? It had to be a big story, something steeped in history and local history at that, for part of the gift that the Town Council was to receive from the building development was going to include a new location for the Woodbridge Museum.

THE Long Shop Museum warmly invites everyone with links to Garretts Engineering Works in Leiston to come along on the afternoon of Wednesday 6th September, and share all and any stories and anecdotes about this industrial hub in rural Suffolk. 

BECCLES Society of Artists meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Waveney Centre, Beccles for talks and demonstrations by professional artists or other experts in art, with our popular annual exhibition being held each August.  Entry to the demonstration is free for members and £3 for visitors – everybody welcome!

GIPPESWYK Singers have been thrilled with the tremendous reception and superb reviews of ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ at Snape Maltings in May 2017.  Conductor Geoff Lavery took everyone who was there that night on an unforgettable journey through Elgar's masterpiece, which included a wonderfully moving performance from the Lambeth Orchestra, outstanding solo voices, and a dramatically beautiful choral sound from the impressive teamwork of Gippeswyk Singers and Beccles Choral Society.

THE Woodbridge Society opens its 2017/18 season with a talk from Philip Shaw OBE about his time as head of Suffolk County Council's Music Service. This will be at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11th October in the Abbey School hall.

Our Main Band will be performing at Maritime Woodbridge on Saturday 9th September, starting at 12noon - please come along & support them.

THE first meeting of the club’s new season will be held on Tuesday 12th September at 7.30pm in Kirton Church Hall when Claire Sirkett will be demonstrating “The Artist”.

COME on down to the beautiful setting of Peak Hill Farm on Sunday 24th September for an autumn festival with a jam-packed programme for the whole family. Harvest Past promises to be a great day out with a range of activities, demonstrations and attractions to entertain while celebrating our farming heritage – and all in support of the Long Shop Museum in Leiston!

THE next monthly meeting of The Martlesham Heath Aviation Society will be on Friday 6th October at 7.30pm.   “Arctic Patrol”, a talk by Les Hambling (ex Royal Navy submariner for 25 years) takes us on a journey to the Arctic through the eyes of a  submariner ending up in Nuclear submarines, covering the checks carried out to prepare the submarine and crew for the trip, and the operation of a sophisticated vessel in a very harsh environment, patrolling for extended periods, often under the Arctic ice.

AT our Open Day on Friday 1st September The University of the Third Age in East Suffolk members were joined by many visitors who went on to become new members on the day. The Committee, Group Leaders and Volunteers welcome you all. We are delighted to have 2,000 members in well over 170 interest groups with new subjects in the pipe line.

THE Rotary Club of High Suffolk is pleased to be hosting two charity fund-raising events this October.

BECCLES Society of Artists meets on the first Wednesday of each month, 7.30pm, at the Waveney Centre, Beccles for talks and demonstrations by professional artists or other experts in art, with our popular annual exhibition being held each August. Entry is free for members and £3 for visitors – everybody welcome!

FOLLOWING the massive success of previous competitions, Leiston Film Theatre will once again be producing another talent contest, which will offer the lucky winner an opportunity to perform at a national talent showcase.

THE October meeting will be held on Tuesday 10th October at 7.30pm in Kirton Church Hall. When Wendy Munnion from Maldon, Essex will be demonstrating “Tempus Fugit.”

Leiston and District Branch OCA

EIGHT members of the OCA were present in our new surroundings of the Leiston Day Centre, on Friday 1st September and all were welcomed by our Chairman, Alf Watson. There had been no apologies. Alf expressed our gratitude to David Bailey for arranging with the Council to hire the Day Centre for the morning of the first Friday in each month. Future meetings would be held here on Fridays 6th October, 3rd November and 1st December.

GIPPESWYK Singers are delighted to present “Anthems for Advent” – a concert featuring special guests Nightingale Wind Quintet and organist John Hutchings, conducted by Geoff Lavery.  They invite you to join them for an evening of uplifting music to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season; including beautiful anthems and carols, a superb organist, special performances from the Nightingale Wind Quintet and delicious refreshments to send everyone home glowing with seasonal good will!

THE film evening starts by showing a Trailer followed by the feature film: “ Another Mother’s Son” starring Jenny Seagrove (Drama based on a true story) on Friday 17th November at Alburgh Village Hall, Low Road, Alburgh. 

SATURDAY 4th NOVEMBER 2017

THE PAGEANT FIELD, BADINGHAM ROAD

Gates open at 6pm

Bonfire lit at 6.30pm

Firework Display at 7.30pm

Beccles is turning Japanese and temperatures are rising in the town – as ‘Hot Mikado’ – the colourful and lively take on a classic, kicks off this month at the Public Hall.

Tickets are now on sale, for Waveney Light Opera Group’s latest show ‘Hot Mikado’ – a very different version of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan tale.

AT the time of going to press we are up to our eyes with kittens, some with Mums, some not.  We have been kept very busy, having currently homed a total of 102 cats and kittens this year. 

THE 100-voice Woodbridge Choral Society will present its annual Christmas season concert at 7.30pm on Saturday evening 2nd December, in St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge. 

THIS is the questioned being posed by organisers of Leiston, Saxmundham & Aldeburgh Community Car Service.

The car scheme has been established since 1990, but is in urgent need of new drivers to meet the current demand, people who are willing to give a few hours of their time to drive local residents on straightforward but essential journeys.

With Julian Harries as Holmes & Dick Mainwaring as Watson.

COMMON GROUND TOUR HOTLINE - 07807 341364

enquiries@commongroundtc.co.uk

Holmes and Watson faces their stiffest challenge yet, in the shape of the Hooded Lance, their newest and deadliest adversary, who is hell bent on spoiling everyone’s Christmas and being really annoying!

ON Thursday 25th January 2018 - Dunkirk (Thriller/Drama) 12A.  In May/June 1940, the German army has advanced into France, trapping 400,00 Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk.  Britain sends civilian boats to try to evacuate the beleaguered forces.  This is the story as seen through the eyes of one soldier amongst those trapped forces. Directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, and Harry Styles, with an impressive score written by Hans Zimmer.

£2,000 to local childrens charities – At our meeting on 14th Feb, we presented funds from Santa’s Sleigh to Mid-Suffolk Holiday Opportunity Play Scheme and Suffolk Family Carers.

NEW Horizons, the club for older people in the Woodbridge area, has been able to purchase some new games due to a very generous grant from District Councillor Caroline Page. Funding from the Locality Budget has enabled us to buy a floor basketball set, a Bean Bag target game together with a Music Quiz and Musical Bingo. These have proved very popular and we are very grateful to Caroline for her continued support of the Club. This month, members also enjoyed attempting a Japanese style flower arrangement using twisted willow, catkins and ferns.They produced some attractive and cheerful displays to brighten their homes during these dull winter days.We also enjoyed a slide show on Chile entitled ‘The Long Thin Country’ by Chris Parfitt.