Dennington News Issue 24: April-June 2021

www.denningtonvillagehall.com

The 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 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.

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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

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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 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 , Matthew moved to central 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

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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.

The 2021 meeting schedule: January: Margo Harrison on hearing dogs for the deaf February and March: coffee mornings April: Charles Garland, TV writer, producer & director of Dad’s Army May: coffee morning and resolutions June: Norma Howell speaking on Medical Detection & Alert Assistance Dogs. This is a provisional booking as she is due to bring a dog, which can obviously not be done via Zoom!

Jenny Dyne

E. B. Button & Sons Ltd.

Brothers Colin and Stephen Moore, together with their sister Kate Eagle, took over the running of the company when their parents, Janet and Derek Moore, retired in the late 1990s. Colin, Stephen and Kate have many years’ experience and can offer help and guidance through all the funeral arrangements, providing the highest standards of service and care to families during their time of grief.

Please contact us on 01394 382160 (24 hours) for support and information on our services.

24 St. John's Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1EB Email: [email protected]

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NOW WITH STUDIO/GALLERY AT STONHAM BARNS: OPEN FROM 12TH APRIL

DENNINGTON TENNIS CLUB: FREE MEMBERSHIP

With government lockdown restrictions starting to be relaxed from 29th March to allow the playing of outdoor sports such as tennis, Dennington Sports Club Committee have decided to offer free annual tennis membership to all residents for the 2021 season. Those wishing to play should sign up with Avril Palmer via email [email protected] or telephone on 01728 638686 to obtain the lock combination and then make bookings via the new village hall website, www.denningtonvillagehall.com, selecting the Tennis Court option and date and time required.

As an added incentive to encourage you all to dig out your rackets and to practice that dream running fore-hand down the line, the Sports Club is commissioning a full clean and repaint of the court surface - we just need a spell of warm and dry weather!

And in other sports club-related news, everyone will be pleased to hear that the people responsible for the burglary last summer from the sports club containers on the sports field have now been identified and sentenced to two years in prison. The Dennington theft was ‘Taken into Consideration’ during interview, presumably for something else that they had been arrested for. Here’s the link for more information: http://bit.ly/sportsfieldrobbery.

JPF Tree Services

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ST MARY THE VIRGIN PARISH CHURCH

With a degree of uncertainty about when we will feel comfortable gathering together, we are not ready to announce regular services but would expect that there may be a short service on Easter day and then a gradual return. In the meantime, The Revd Martin Percival continues to do services online and provides thought provoking sermons.

During lockdown it has been lovely to see the array of books coming and going from the Church porch and of course the Church is open every day thanks to

The church in the snow: photo Avril Palmer Peter Reeve. We know that many have taken the opportunity to pop in for a quiet moment, and some with children have enjoyed the special space.

Celia and Peter have decided not to risk having the plant sale this year and, as they are both in their 80s, have decided to call it a day. The plant sale has been a wonderful part of our Church year, raising over £10,000 since 2009 for much needed Church funds. But perhaps as important for Peter and Celia it has helped to keep the feeling of community in the village. A chance for people to meet each other and chat – after the scrum to get the best tomato plants! And even to admire the view from the tower. We will have to have another such event – ideas or volunteers please! But we will make a proper thank you to the Reeves when we can freely gather.

One knows that spring cannot be far away when Jim Carpenter begins to cut the Churchyard grass. This must be the most

cherished Churchyard in Suffolk. This year we are having two wild flower patches – the usual one by the Church gate and another near the village hall by the Millennium yew tree.

We are lucky in Dennington to have so many helpers along with the bellringers and the cleaning team – but we are always looking for new recruits to join welcoming and friendly groups.

Veronica Maberly and Robert Rous

OLD TIMBERS NEVER DIE

A while back a friend of mine in Dennington got chatting to someone who was replacing the fence around the village church. A keen woodworker himself, he managed to snaffle a bag of the old posts that were going to be discarded. Made from oak, much of these were still sound, without decay and had taken on the most wonderful patina through decades standing outside in whatever the weather could throw at it.

I was lucky enough to be passed a few pieces and they were certainly much too beautiful to be burnt. A short time with a wood turning lathe (great so long as you want something round), and a small salt pot emerged. There are a few imperfections, but the colouring of the wood cannot be found in new timber, and this wood might well have been several hundred years old. Thank you to Dennington Church for providing such wonderful waste material, which can still be turned into something useful!

Seb Smith

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Bridge Street, Framlingham

Tel No. 01728 621622

NEW OPENING HOURS Appointments and walk-ins available during all opening times

Monday: closed Tuesday: 9am-6pm Wednesday: 2pm-7.30pm Thursday: 9am-6pm Friday: 9am-6pm Saturday: 8am-2pm

THE NEATHOUSE

Firstly I’d like to thank Dennington for their support during the past year. By the time you read this I will have ‘celebrated’ the 2nd year of being open!

The shop selling fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese, bread, cards and other locally supplied goodies will be staying. Here’s hoping we can open the cafe outside from the 12th April for everyone to meet with friends, have coffee and cake and enjoy the village green.

I am open currently from 9.00-3.00 Monday to Saturday. Please do look out on social media for updated opening times come April.

Vashti Mouncer

LIBRARY SERVICES

At the moment Framlingham Library is open for Select and Collect and reservations. Computer use will be reintroduced on 29th March and browsing will return on 13 April. The mobile library service will restart on 12th April which should mean (if they keep to the same schedule) that they will be outside the Dennington Queen every fourth Tuesday, so for the next few months on 4th May, 1st June, 29th June. Follow for more library news on their FaceBook Page.

Jo Denton

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Chris Mann

Painter and Paperhanger Seasonal flowers for all occasions and workshops. 30 years experience

For a free quote phone: Frances Boscawen 01728 638768 / 07799621403 Tunstall (01728)687438 www.moatfarmflowers.com

SOME FRAGRANT PLANTS

Fragrance from flowers is really best experienced first hand, with descriptions such as lemon or clove scented some of the easier fragrances to convey in words. The pure fresh scent of lilies of the valley, Convallaria majalis, is delightful at the end of April into May. On acid soils some of the deciduous azaleas have a delectable fragrance, as well as bright colours. We grow Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Anne Russell' with heads of very scented white flowers on a bush about 1.20m height and spread after thirteen years. Also in our garden, the last narcissus to flower, the pheasant's eye, Narcissus poeticus recurvus, is very fragrant in May.

In full sun, with plenty of space, the Chinese wisteria, Wisteria sinensis is a glorious sight in May. Flowering slightly later, the Japanese wisteria in the form W. floribunda 'Macrobotrys' is spectacular with long racemes of flower but is less scented than W. sinensis. The delicious clove scent from a double white flower of Dianthus 'Mrs. Sinkins', dating back to 1868, can be enjoyed in June. In the same month and especially in the evening the twining honeysuckles emit their scent, Lonicera periclymenum 'G.S. Thomas' is a good one.

Finally, at the end of June and into July a bulb found by E.H. Wilson in Western China in 1903, Lilium regale (pictured) flowers with a strong, sweet scent. We grow this in a pot with good drainage, protecting the early growth from late frosts. The white Madonna lily, L. candidum should thrive in sun on our heavy, alkaline clay soil but I have yet to try it.

Andrew Stansfeld, Stansfeld Garden Design

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The snowfall in February gave us some variety from the wet winter. The County Council were well prepared and had alerted us that we might be needed and so on Monday February 8th we were organised. Jacob Aldrich had taken a loader with large bucket home for the weekend and so was able to dig his way to the farm from while Bradley Leist tested his land rover driving over from . Marcus had a shorter journey but still had to tow a car at 6.00am while Ed was able to walk. They then set off with loaders and a snow plough to clear the roads around Dennington, and Bruisyard. It brought back memories of earlier snowstorms when we still had dairy herds and had to battle our way to the A 12 with a tank full of milk on a trailer to meet up with a milk tanker, having supplied a churn of free milk in the village. This year we did have some trouble with snow drifting back on to some roads but most of the work was done on Monday to allow time for hand gritting and path clearing on Tuesday. We are lucky to have the equipment and would always hope to be on hand should we be able to help.

On the farm, spring is beginning to show and we have started applying fertiliser and sulphur to the crops. We never used to need to apply sulphur as it came free in the

air from coal power stations but with the cleaner air we do have to. It is noticeable how moss and lichens are growing in the cleaner air – or is it just all the wet! Soon we hope to be drilling spring beans, then barley and finally sugar beet. There was a degree of concern about the permission given by Defra to allow neonicotinoid seed dressing on the sugar beet. We did apply to use it as it avoids using several sprays of insecticide over the crop which is not always effective but the virus spread by infected aphids is devastating to the crop. In the end the cold February has helped to delay the likely aphid hatch and the dressing will not be applied. Sugar beet does provide an excellent habitat for hares and skylarks, and adds to the diversity of crops in the landscape. If we continue to have such wet autumns and the risk of crop failure from virus, we may not be growing it for much longer. This year our sugar beet is all at Bruisyard and so fewer lorries for Dennington. But please buy Silver Spoon when possible - it is our East Anglian sugar.

Teresa and I hope that in the next newsletter we may look forward to a farm open evening again but in the meantime – keep safe.

Robert Rous BRUISYARD HALL

At Bruisyard Hall, after postponing a year of events and weddings, we are looking forward to getting going again in the summer. Many brides have now had to wait 3 years for their happy day.

The team are keen to get going too, having been working from home or on furlough. We will need additional staff to prepare food and serve at each event, so if you know of anyone that may be interested please let Gareth know by emailing him on [email protected].

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DENNINGTON ALLOTMENTS

The Allotment ground is currently very wet and very difficult to work on, which will come as no surprise! In the past three months we have had an average rainfall increase of 41% and an average sunshine decrease of 12% from last year, plus some particularly strong winds.

Apart from the wonderful daffodil display in the middle of the plots, with more yet to open, there is not much to see other than many well turned and ready to plant plots. We are very much looking forward to a spell of dry weather and the opportunity to start the early spring planting.

We are pleased to report that we currently have full occupancy on the Allotment. However, if you would like to be included on our waiting list please get in touch with me at [email protected].

Best wishes, Pamela Turner (Secretary)

SUFFOLK QUIET LANES SCHEME

Suffolk County Council is launching a new initiative, Quiet Lanes Suffolk, to encourage more active forms of travel. The scheme has been set up to address the climate emergency and improve the environment for Suffolk residents – an issue that’s increasingly important for people who - particularly recently - want to be able to undertake outdoor activities safely and peacefully.

A Quiet Lane is a nationally recognised designation of a single track road, typically with less than 1,000 vehicles using it each day. Parish and town councils are being asked to suggest lanes to designate in their area, which will then be assessed by the Quiet Lanes Suffolk team. Already there Designated Quiet Lane near Great Glenham are 13 Quiet Lanes in operation in Suffolk, with 10 trial community-led designations being tested at the moment. It is hoped that the designation will make these small roads safer for all users, particularly walkers, cyclists and horse riders, with drivers expected to take extra care when using them.

Dennington PC is keeping the initiative under review, bearing in mind cost and maintenance issues around signage for the designated Quiet Lanes.

Jo Denton

HISTORIC CHURCHES BIKE RIDE: DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

The annual bike ride in aid of Suffolk churches will take place on Saturday 11th September - so get in training now! More details from Avril Palmer on [email protected] or 01728 638686.

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SOME RECENT READS BY THE BOOK CLUB...

If, during lockdown, you need something to make you smile, then I recommend The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, which will soon have you chuckling. The setting for this book is a very pleasant retirement village, where a group of friends from a range of professional backgrounds meets weekly to discuss unsolved murder cases, the files for which they have managed to acquire – illegally! When a murder is committed on their doorstep, they move into action and display an impressive, if unorthodox, array of sleuthing skills. They manage to manipulate others, including two police officers, and keep the plot moving with lots of deception and funny incidents. It has, of course, its sad episodes too but is never too dismal and I found it an enjoyable read.

I have only recently discovered James Runcie’s The Road to Grantchester and, for fans of the television series, this is a really interesting introduction to the main character. I regret not having read it prior to watching the series because I would have understood the characters better. The book takes us through Sidney Chamber’s life from university, his friendships, his wartime experiences and his decision to become an ordained priest. He is a complex character who has an uneasy relationship with his best friend’s sister, all of which we more easily comprehend from reading about the earlier episodes in his life that influence his decisions. I can recommend this book.

Jasmine Hoyle

As an avid reader I always have a book on the go (more fun than housework) and have been reading a lot of crime fiction recently as it gives the ‘little grey cells’ something to work on! I would like to recommend one in particular, Big Sky by Kate Atkinson. It is the latest in her series about the detective Jackson Brodie, but stands alone as a good read. Brodie is a retired cop cum private detective who, while investigating an unfaithful husband for a suspicious wife, uncovers a sinister network involved in sex trafficking girls from eastern Europe. Brodie is a believable chap with a sharp dry sense of humour which gives some laugh out loud moments to the book.

Another recent excellent read is the biography Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner. Born at Holkham Hall in Norfolk, and a childhood friend of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret from nearby Sandringham, she later became Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret. She has a fascinating story to tell of her life close to the royal family and her tempestuous marriage to Colin Tennant (later Lord Glenconner) of Mustique fame. What she says about Margaret's marriage to Lord Snowdon and how badly he treated her is very revealing! Two of Anne's sons died young, she nursed a third son back from a coma and her unstable husband died and left his whole estate to an employee, yet she retains her good humour and is an inspiration to all.

Catherine Blakeley

ART EXHIBITION TO BE HELD IN AUGUST

Following government guidelines, Rosie and Maggie anticipate holding the next art exhibition in the village hall on 28th-30th August. More details to follow in the next newsletter!

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WALKING THROUGH LOCKDOWN….

Last July we reported on the ambitious exercise target that John Watterston had set himself in lockdown. Every day he had been walking around the sports field six times, the equivalent of about two miles per day, and by the middle of June 2020 he’d done nearly 500 laps. And he’s kept going ever since – though taking a short break in the February snow, feeling it was too dangerous to continue. By the middle of March he calculated he had done some 2,000 laps, the equivalent of walking to the Isle of Wight and back. With his second jab due in the middle of April, this is one challenge that looks set to continue!

Jo Denton

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SCHOOLING IN LOCKDOWN

While parents round the country have been struggling to get to grips with home teaching (and have now breathed a sigh of relief with schools open again), what has life been like for all those children who have been doing lessons at home over the past year? The Dennington News sent its intrepid reporter to talk to pupils of all ages to uncover what they think have been the good and bad points about home-schooling.

The good things: Positive teaching attitudes have lifted my spirits; I’m able to pick up more hours of part-time work at a local supermarket (Heather Knight, Year 13)

I can fit other activities around lessons, such as calling mates up, and can listen to background music whilst the teaching programme continues (Tristan Kendall, Year 11)

I can still contact my friends/relatives every day through social media. Healthier eating patterns and daily workouts (Sarah Knight, Year 11)

Able to run a couple of miles each day on my treadmill. Taken up a new hobby-ditch jumping! The snow from Storm Darcy gave the opportunity to make snowmen and snow angels (Robert Knight, Year 10)

The lockdown has helped me learn new skills, such as navigating the internet (Mia Ranger, Year 9)

Not constantly moving around from classroom to classroom with all my books. Not having to get up early to catch the bus each morning. Enjoying family mealtimes with all the family members and good food (Henry McCormac, Year 9)

I don’t need to rush in the mornings getting ready in time for the bus. I have more freedom at break and lunchtimes. No need for school uniform! (Felix Day, Year 7)

And the bad things: I dislike excessive screen time each day which I find hurts my eyes (Tristan Kendall, Year 11)

Additional stress from continual online lessons, chasing grades for university offers to study Professional Policing at Nottingham Trent (Heather Knight, Year 13)

I get into difficulties with Mathematics and would prefer one-to- one, face to face help to understand it (Mia Ranger, Year 9)

Not seeing my friends face to face, and having your parents interfering with your school work (Henry McCormac, Year 9)

I miss the practical lessons: music, science, design and technology. I had only been at my new school for a term and had settled in really well, but now I feel I will have to settle in all over again when we go back (Felix Day, Year 7)

As told to Mark Kendall

DENNINGTON 100 CLUB

With the ongoing restrictions due to Covid-19 we are not yet able to restart the 100 club, but will do so as soon as it is safe and practical to do so.

Jenny Dyne

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RHUBARB CRUMBLE WITH OATS AND ALMONDS

With rhubarb beginning to appear on the market stall, here’s a lovely way to eat it. The addition of oats and almonds gives a nice 'crunch' to the topping, and the butter can be replaced with sunflower or olive spread to make it vegan if wanted.

Ingredients: 400gm rhubarb 100gm butter 150gm SR flour 50gm sugar 40gm porridge oats Optional: 3 tablespoons chopped almonds (no need to skin them first)

Method: Preheat the oven to 200 , 180 fan , gas mark 6 Wash and trim the rhubarb; cut into short lengths and place in an oven-proof dish with 50gm sugar (option: some recipes call for the rhubarb to be gently simmered on top of the stove first) Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles large breadcrumbs, then add the sugar and oats and nuts (if using). Sprinkle the mixture on top of the rhubarb and place the dish on a baking tray. Cook for about 45 mins (cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly)

Serve hot with your topping of choice...custard, cream or creme fraiche

Maggie Archard

DENNINGTON VILLAGE HALL CALENDAR

The village hall calendar has been a huge success, raising much needed funds for the village hall. We have a few copies left which are now marked down to half price, so only £2.75 each. It includes 12 lovely pictures of the village through the year, so even if you don’t have any appointments to add at the moment, it will brighten up your kitchen!

We are planning to have next year’s calendar available much earlier; initial thoughts are to ask each village organisation and/or business to choose a picture to represent them. More news in the next issue of the Dennington News!

And if you’d like to take advantage of the half price offer, we can deliver to your front door. Contact Kate Viscardi on 01728 638437/ [email protected].

SUFFOLK CANCER RAFFLES ED SHEERAN ARTWORK

The artwork that Ed Sheeran donated to Cancer Campaign in Suffolk (CCiS) for a raffle has raised £67,000 in ticket sales and donations. The winner, who lives in Vermont, was announced in mid March. The money raised by Splash Planet will help CCIS continue their fantastic work supporting people in Suffolk with cancer. For more information contact Cancer Campaign in Suffolk (ccisuffolk.org)

Jo Denton

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PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE

We managed to hold our meeting in December in the Village Hall with strict Covid safety measures in place. We were pleased to co-opt Rebecca Fox from Swainston Way as a Councillor. Rebecca has filled our final vacancy and it is good to have a full Council again. Councillor Mann has been granted an extension to the normal 6 month non-attendance rule due to the ongoing pandemic and her not having internet access at home.

On 25th March the Parish Council had its first ever online meeting, which went remarkably smoothly and was attended by 7 Councillors, 3 members of public, our Ward Councillor and our County Councillor.

The clerk is beginning preparations for the end-of-year accounts and internal audit. We will wait and see if the audit will need to be conducted remotely again but we are hopeful that as things begin to return to normal, it can be undertaken in its usual format this year.

The Chairman has been in discussions with SCC Highways regarding possible sites for the Speed Indicator Device and we are pleased to report that three locations have now been agreed and the sign posts have been ordered. Thank you to residents next to these sites for giving your agreement to the signs being located there. We look forward to the SID being erected and hopefully slowing traffic in notorious areas for speeding in the village.

At our meeting in February, the Council resolved to try and extend the 30mph zone at the Framlingham entrance to the village to include the Village Hall. Councillor Burroughes has kindly agreed to raise this with SCC and we will report back on any progress with this matter when we have it. Councillor Burroughes will also be meeting with the Parish Council and a SCC Representative to discuss

replacing and improving highway signage in the village, while Robert Wardley is continuing to battle for action regarding the ongoing problem of flooding on the A1120 near Wash Farm. Watch this space!

By the time you read this, the Council should have met again, on Monday 22nd March. We will next meet for our bumper double Annual Meetings on Monday 10th May, to which residents are most welcome to attend [please check the village website nearer the time to find out if the meeting will be held in the Village Hall or online]. Village groups are also invited to send a report to be shared at the meeting.

Finally, thank you to all of the volunteers who help maintain the village and work hard to support the various village institutions.

Matt Lunn, Chair and Lydia Kirk, Clerk

DENNINGTON HORTICULTURAL CLUB

We have sadly been unable to hold meetings in lockdown, but the committee have received permission to try and establish some wildflowers in the strip alongside the ditch on the village green, in the hope that a more colourful display there this summer will make everyone feel more cheerful! We will also plant some bulbs for next spring at the same time. Many thanks to many, including Nick Watts, Frances Boscawen and Roger Gladwell, for their advice on this project. Helmingham Hall wild flowers display

We hope to get back to normal meetings in June; for further details or to join the Club, please contact me on [email protected].

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THE TREASURES OF SUTTON HOO

Many will have heard about - or already seen - the new film The Dig, starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes, released on Netflix earlier this year. The film tells the fascinating story of one of Britain’s greatest archaeological discoveries. In 1939, in the shadow of the impending Second World War, the owner of Sutton Hoo, Mrs Pretty, hired local excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes with his specially coached Suffolk accent!) who makes the amazing discovery of an Anglo-Saxon boat burial (one of only three ever discovered in ), complete with some wonderful treasures. Based on the book of the same name by John Preston, who is the nephew of one of the original excavators Peggy Piggott, the film – and indeed the book – is well worth a look.

The site of Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge (National Trust), when fully back in business (at the moment only the estate walks are open, but in normal times the house, an exhibition, a café, shop and bookshop can also be visited), is highly recommended for a visit, providing an excellent overview of the whole set of burial mounds, the excavation, and a reconstruction of the main burial itself. The treasures are of course in the British Museum (in Room 41): again, something well worth visiting once museums reopen.

Jo Denton

DENNINGTON QUEEN CRIBBAGE TEAM

It is hoped the league season will be able to re-start in September 2021. Please contact Allan Dyne on 01728-638166 for information.

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DR. DAN POULTER, MP, WRITES:

“I’d like to start by paying credit to our health leaders and all those involved in the rollout of the vaccination programme here in Suffolk, including the fantastic army of volunteers giving up their time to help with the effort.

“We have come such a long way in the fight against coronavirus and there is very definitely light at the end of the tunnel, but for now we must continue to follow the rules as we tentatively start to emerge from lockdown. We are all keen to get back to some semblance of normality – to visit our families and our friends, but if we relax the restrictions too soon, we could very quickly find ourselves back at square one with infection rates rising again, alongside increased hospital admissions and deaths. It only takes three or four weeks, particularly with some of the more virulent strains that have emerged, for things to get out of hand.

“Understandably there are concerns about the spread of the new variants, but current evidence seems to suggest that both the Pfizer and Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccines remain effective. The best way for all of us out of this pandemic is through vaccination and I would urge everyone to get vaccinated as soon as is practicably possible.

“As the weather continues to improve, I know that we are all looking forward to being able to gradually mix outdoors as a first step in getting back to some sort of normality. I am hopeful that if we continue to stick with it and follow the guidance, we can all look forward to much happier times ahead.”

Please send all stories or items to be included in the next issue, which covers July-September 2021, to the Editor no later than 9th June 2021. Send via email to [email protected] , or via post to Spring Farm House, The Street, Dennington IP13 8JF. Please send pictures and advertisements as jpeg attachments.

CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU LEISTON &

As the country comes out of lockdown, the local Citizens Advice office is anticipating a high demand, with many people likely to be experiencing problems with employment and finances. Even though offices remain closed for now, you can contact them via phone or email on the details above.

Citizens Advice Leiston Saxmundham and District works closely with other organisations within the community and are therefore aware of the support available to people who may have financial worries. For instance, with schools now back many children may have grown out of their uniforms during lockdown. Anyone who is struggling to get a secondary school child equipped should contact the Citizens Advice as they may well be able to offer help. They can also help by offering a financial health check to review your income and outgoings, including making sure that you are receiving all the income you should be and that you aren't paying more for services than you need to.

Disclaimer: Dennington Village Hall produces this newsletter in good faith from articles submitted by local organisations and individuals. Dennington Village Hall can accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies contained therein, which must be taken up with the relevant organisation or individual.

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