Volume 11 • Issue No. 5 • AprIl 2021 Your free local community magazine: essential local news, services & information delivered through your door every month Capel Capers™© In Touch with Capel St Mary www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk The Scarecrow Trail is back for 2021 See page 4 Would you like to Adopt a Street? See page 8 Have you thought about playing Outdoor Bowls? p20 www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk/capelcapers 1 2 In Touch online: published by: A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Mansion house publishing (uK) ltd, 20 Wharfedale road, Ipswich Ip1 4Jp One of ‘our’ last home-schooling projects was to write a mini autobiography. We had to include specific features such as ‘an attention-grabbing introduction’, early memories, positive and negative experiences and a closing edITor: sharon Jenkins statement which included reflections on some key events and hopes for the future. All in four paragraphs! T: 01473 400380 Following an hour or so of ‘debate’, I dug out my memory box to help refresh Jack’s memory, and my own. We send editorial copy to: found his first pair of socks, his first shoes, every birthday card he has ever received, his first blond curl (he’s not [email protected] Readers are invited to submit articles, illustrations and blond anymore), his first toy car… and every family planner or calendar we’ve had since Jack arrived in 2010. photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept What struck both of us as we scanned the calendars was how empty 2020 was. All the others were tattered and responsibility for any loss. torn with scrawled notes on every page, arrows from one date to another when football games were rescheduled, AdVerTIsINg birthday parties galore, plans made and cancelled. The 2020 planner was pristine and made us both quite sad as T: 01473 400380 we considered what we might have done and all the events that never happened. e: [email protected] dIsTrIbuTIoN Jack eventually sat down to write but I haven’t been able shake off the sense of loss I felt when I packed the box Tree Martin: 01473 400380 away. We created unexpected memories in the last year, shared an intense experience we will talk about for e: [email protected] generations, learned a lot about ourselves and others, faced our fears, adapted how we live and work, rediscovered our compassion for the suffering of others… and most of us have emerged unscathed, physically at least. Perhaps it prINTINg colourplan print: 01473 400379 will take a little longer for the emotional scars to heal and, just as we have done this past year, we must look after e: [email protected] those who have suffered most. disclaimer: It doesn’t take much to make a difference. A smile, a nod, a quick chat about the weather… acknowledging and The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is nurturing the sense of togetherness we’ve cultivated because that is the most valuable lesson we’ve learned. We taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine must cling to that as we pick ourselves up and move gradually towards normality. Let’s never forget how important are accurate but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. our local community has been, and I include local business as an essential cog in that wheel. While reasonable care is taken when accepting There is a palpable sense of anticipation now as we move steadily towards the first key dates on the route to advertisements or editorial, the publisher/ editor will not accept responsibility for any ‘freedom’. We may long for June 21 to arrive but there is much to do and plenty to look forward to before then, unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the including Easter. right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints. Happy Easter from everyone at Mansion House Publishing. Take care, © Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. be safe and surprise someone with an unexpected smile. It may make their day! No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. © In Touch with Stowmarket & Stowupland is AN ARTY OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDER 16S published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd Our sales manager has come up with a delightful idea. Daren suggested having images created by children on our front covers and we love the idea so we’re going to make it happen. I can’t believe we haven’t thought of doing this before but perhaps Printed on gloss paper from FSC certified sources Please recycle. now is the perfect time. I can’t think of anything more wonderful to share with readers and I’m sure the results will bring a smile to IN Touch TITles many faces. • Stowmarket & Stowupland • Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew I’ve set up a template of sorts on our website, just some notes • Melton & Woodbridge about the size of the space and how to work around the banner ad. • Manningtree, Brantham, Lawford & Mistley You can find it at: www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk/cover • Hadleigh, Chattisham, Hintlesham, Holton St Mary, Layham & Raydon We’re not going to lay down any restrictions because we want our • Ipswich East, Ravenswood, Broke Hall budding artists (who must be 16 or under) to choose their own & Warren Heath subject matter. That said, it would be great to get pictures with local • Elmswell, Beyton, Drinkstone, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden relevance, perhaps buildings, scenes or sites, play areas, favourite & Woolpit walks and the like but, in reality, anything goes. • Needham Market & The Creetings If you can’t access the online template let us know and we can • Shotley, Chelmondiston, Erwarton, Harkstead, Holbrook, Pin Mill, Stutton & Woolverstone email it to you. • Martlesham Happy drawing, painting, illustrating.... • Claydon, Barham, Henley & Whitton • East Bergholt, Dedham, Flatford I also want to tell you about an e-vent we are sponsoring this month. Bounce Back for Business & Stratford St Mary is a digital Stowmarket Chamber of Commerce event taking place from April 20-22 with live • Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham networking events each day, including one with the aforementioned Daren Stainton. Anyone • Capel St Mary (Capel Capers) can attend the live online sessions which will cover a range of topics and include Q&A sessions. • Copdock, Belstead, Bentley, Tattingstone & Washbrook If you are interested, go to www.msbe.biz to find out more. • Gt & Lt Blakenham, Baylham & Nettlestead • Westerfield, Ashbocking, Tuddenham St Martin & Witnesham • Sproughton & Burstall KEEPING IN TOUCH We also publish Spotlight on Felixstowe keepingintouchwith.co.uk / spotlightmagazine.co.uk / vanilla-magazine.co.uk Saturday 10 April Twitter: @InToucheast / @vanillamagazine is the advertising and Instagram: @mansionhousepublishing / @vanilla.magazine editorial deadline for the May edition Facebook: @mansionhousepublishing / @vanillamagazinesuffolk www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk/capelcapers 3 NEWS CAPEL ST MARY SCARECROW TRAIL Thursday 8 to sunday 11 July 2021 Thanks to the Prime Minister’s ‘Roadmap out of Lockdown’ speech at the end of February, and assuming the key steps are reached on schedule, it looks like it will be safe and legal to hold a completely normal Scarecrow Trail this year. Therefore, we plan to hold the Scarecrow Trail over the four days from Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 July, with Scarecrows out each day from 9am to 8pm. Tea, coffee and cakes will be available to purchase from 2-5pm in St Mary’s Church Hall on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11. UPSTIX SUPPORTING CONSTABLE Entry forms will cost £2 each and we hope they will be available from COUNTRY VACCINE TEAM the usual outlets, which will be confirmed later. Upstix is delighted to have been able to present a selection of gifts to the If you have made a scarecrow before or told us last year that you Constable Country Medical Practice (CCMP) vaccine team to thank them for wanted to make one, we will probably already have contacted you or the fantastic work they have been doing in delivering Covid-19 vaccines to will do so shortly. If you would like to make one but haven’t told us yet, the local population. please contact me, Jim Hill: 07951 411720 / [email protected] (don’t Ian pulford, partner at upstix, said: miss out the 1) “The vaccination team comprising GPs, nurses, support staff and volunteers Alternatively speak to Ondra Butler, Jo Harris or Mo Hill. have done a fantastic job under immense pressure and in some awful We will need your Scarecrow name/clue (as straightforward or as weather. As a local company, we just want to say thank you and recognise cryptic as you like) and the location where they will be displayed by how successful their work has been. The team deserves more than our the end of May, so you have plenty of time to think about it. There is applause and we hope they will enjoy what we have given.” no theme. pete Keeble, practice Manager at ccMp, said: Looking back to our last trail in 2019, we sold a record 235 entry forms “Our vaccination team has worked extremely hard, particularly through and had 54 scarecrows. Many people have told me how much they January when we initially took delivery of the vaccine. Recognition of their missed the trail last year, so I really hope you can help us bring the hard work is much appreciated and I’m sure the team will enjoy sharing the village together and make it a bumper event this year.