Dennington News Issue 24: April-June 2021 www.denningtonvillagehall.com The Dennington Queen With longer days, warmer weather, vaccines and restrictions slowly being lifted we are very much looking forward to happier days at The Dennington Queen. We would again like to thank everyone who has supported us during the dark days of winter by buying takeaways, it's kept the business ticking over and almost as importantly has kept Lorna and me sane! The good news is that we will continue with the takeaways until we are able to seat customers indoors. The road map at the time of going to print suggests that date will be Monday 17th May. Although we will be allowed to open and customers able to sit outside from 12th April, due to the unpredictable British weather, we don't really feel this is a viable option for us. Having said that, if it's a glorious spring day between those dates, then do give us a call as we would love to open on the odd day for drinks and light lunches if possible. Please see our website www.thedenningtonqueen.co.uk or our facebook page for the latest updates. Jon & Lorna Reeves EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION Despite a chill in the air, the daffodils are out and a couple of sunny days makes it feel like spring has finally come - so let’s hope for warmer, safer and more sociable days ahead! Things will start to reopen cautiously over the next three months, and by the next issue of the Dennington News I hope we’ll be able to look forward to lots of village events, some of which are previewed in this issue. The village hall will open again for some events from 17th May, and it is also open for Council Elections on the 6th May, though with social distancing still in place of course. If you don’t feel safe attending in person, you can apply for a postal vote online. Some may be finding things tough going at the moment, with jobs at risk and both physical and mental health problems caused by Covid, but there are people and organisations to help. Dennington Consolidated Charities may be able to offer some financial relief, while the Citizens Advice (see page 35) offers advice and financial planning, and East Suffolk Council have set up a community fund to support those in need, including buying essential goods or services for individuals; more details on their website at this link: http:// bit.ly/ESCcovidhelp. I look forward to seeing everyone very soon! Jo Denton. ADVERTISING Advertise your business in the Dennington News to over 600 people! The rates are only: ¼ page - £12 / ½ page £17.50 / full page £28 Please contact us for further details on [email protected] Please support our advertisers—without them we would not be able to publish the Dennington News www.denningtonvillagehall.com Page 3 Framlingham 12 Fore Street T A X I Framlingham IP13 9DY Service Tel: (01728) 724799 Mobile: 07768 561654 GARDEN MACHINERY GERRY GRADY SALES, SERVICE & REPAIR COLLECTION SERVICE AVAILABLE Proprietor We have a selection of second hand lawnmowers and ride ons in our showroom Long and short journeys, free quotes, fully insured, registered 6A MEADOW WORKS BUSINESS PARK DEBENHAM IP14 6RP with Suffolk C.D.C., parcel delivery TEL: 01728 860330 service, waiting room facilities www.bootsnblades.co.uk DENNINGTON VILLAGE HALL As we emerge out of lockdown into the longer days and spring sunshine, I hope that all Dennington residents have managed to keep safe and well during what we hope will be the last National Lockdown. Since the last magazine, many of us will have been vaccinated. We can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully heading towards some sense of normal life resuming in the early summer. Perhaps a Summer Party beckons at the Hall? The Village Hall has been well looked after during its period of hibernation and is ready to welcome back regular classes and visitors for events from mid May – subject to official advice. As Trustees, the team continue to work behind the scenes while the hall has been closed, with new curtains up in the main hall and a brand new website with an interactive online booking form now ready for action; do go to https:// denningtonvillagehall.com and take a look. This will ensure that users, whether new or existing, can easily access and book all that we have to offer. We hope to advertise widely everything that is now available, and if anyone has any ideas for a community activity please do get in touch. Finally, for those of you enjoying the Village Calendar, I would like to thank Kate Viscardi for her contribution in producing and distributing it. It serves to remind us of the delights we have on our doorstep and was a bright light in the gloom that we faced in the New Year. I look forward to the hustle and bustle of village life as we all re-appear over the coming weeks. Jo Cartwright, Chair of the Trustees dennington.suffolk.cloud Page 5 VILLAGE PERSONALITY: MATTHEW LUNN Matthew was born in 1975 in Bexleyheath, in south-east London, one of three brothers; his mother was a legal secretary and his father an inspector for the Environment Agency. Historically, there was a strong family connection with the Port of London. Keen on Chemistry and Geography, Matthew went to Sussex University in 1993 to do a B.Sc in Environmental Science, joining the University Royal Naval Unit and taking up rowing when not in lectures. From 1996-1999 Matthew lived in the Isle of Dogs in London with some university mates. He enrolled at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College to complete a Master’s in Radiation Biology, sponsored by the French and UK governments, looking at potential mass screening programmes in the event of a radiological attack. In 1999, Matthew moved north to Suffolk and a position at Sizewell B power station as a health physicist, producing risk assessments and controls to protect workers and the general public from exposure to radiation from routine maintenance activities and radioactive discharges. Initially living in Leiston, Matthew moved to central Ipswich and his first house purchase of an old terraced house, which he systematically restored, before coming to rural Dennington in 2007/8. Matthew had always fancied living in the countryside; he realised, on leaving London, that he would never go back, London was too busy and too expensive. The proximity of most everyday services in Framlingham was a bonus, although the paucity of public transport has always been annoying. At Matthew’s best friend’s wedding in Somerset in 2009, where he was best man, Matthew met Lisa, a bridesmaid, who had grown up in Ipswich. It must have been a great speech and after-party: the two began dating and Lisa moved up to the village in 2010. There were, however, hurdles to the romance. A week after Lisa moved in, Matthew was seconded to Sweden with the International Atomic Energy Agency, leaving Lisa alone for a month in a new house and new village in the middle of winter. On his return, Matthew found that Lisa had settled in perfectly well – redecorating the house in his absence – and they married in St.Mary’s in 2011. Lisa now works for Fram Farmers in their grain marketing division and their son, George, is a pupil at Dennington Primary. Matthew’s first exposure to the Parish Council was a letter he wrote about flooding in the field behind his house, soon resolved by the Consolidated Charities. Shortly afterwards he was co-opted to join the Council to represent the Sports and Social Club Committee, becoming Vice Chair in 2018 and then Chair in 2020. Matthew has always felt the community is very fortunate to have so many different people willing to volunteer, with three independent charities and lots of local interest groups - all represented on the Parish Council – as well as many individuals who help to provide the fantastic facilities that we all enjoy. The Parish Council can, and has, provided some financial support to various village charities, and it provides a Custodian Trustee service for the Sports & Social Club by holding the Deeds for the recreation ground (which includes the bowling green, tennis court and play- ground). Matthew has orchestrated both in person and on line council meetings since the pandemic began, with the first virtual meeting held successfully in February 2020. He would like to encourage www.denningtonvillagehall.com Page 7 villagers to come forward with their own ideas for the community’s improvement and how the Parish Council can help facilitate these. Recently, for example, the Horticultural Society asked to plant up part of the village green with wildflowers, which was met with ap- proval. In passing conversations with residents, he has also become aware that some of the lovely open spaces within the village are not accessible to those dependent upon wheelchairs or mobility scooters. This has been discussed at a recent council meeting and will be raised by the council representatives at the relevant Trustee meetings. Matthew is pleased that, after some delays, three sites have been approved by the County Council for vehicle activated speed signage, and the parish council is now working to put these up. As told to Mark Kendell DENNINGTON WI Due to COVID-19 there have been no actual meetings, although speakers and coffee mornings have taken place on Zoom. With this in mind the committee have decided to reduce the membership subscription to £34 for this year.