Volume 11 • Issue No. 5 • AprIl 2021 Your free local community magazine: essential local news, services & information delivered through your door every month ™© with Chelmondiston, Erwarton, Harkstead, Holbrook, InPin Mill, Shotley, StuttonTouch & Woolverstone www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk Harkstead Farmers’ Market Reopens See page 6 It’s Bowling Season! See page 14 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 prINTINg our compassion for the suffering of others… and most of us have emerged unscathed, physically at least. Perhaps it 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 advertisements or editorial, the publisher/ There is a palpable sense of anticipation now as we move steadily towards the first key dates on the route to 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 right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. including Easter. 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 published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd AN ARTY OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDER 16S Our sales manager has come up with a delightful idea. Daren suggested having images created by children on our front covers COULD YOUR PICTURE BE OUR NEXT FRONT COVER? Mansion House Publishing plans to use drawings or paintings created by local children (16 and under) and we love the idea so we’re going to make it happen. on the front covers of each of its 18 In Touch titles and also on Spotlight on Felixstowe. As you can see on Example 1 below, the image sits under the title and has a banner ad across the bottom. The actual picture area is 210mm x 240mm. Pictures submitted on an A4 sheet must work in this format. Printed on gloss paper from FSC certified sources As the banner ad will sit over your picture, key elements of your drawing/painting should be placed centrally within the print area to avoid being hidden, as in Example 2. I can’t believe we haven’t thought of doing this before but perhaps Please recycle. Example 1 Example 2 now is the perfect time. I can’t think of anything more wonderful IN Touch TITles to share with readers and I’m sure the results will bring a smile to • Stowmarket & Stowupland many faces. • Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew I’ve set up a template of sorts on our website, just some notes • Melton & Woodbridge • Manningtree, Brantham, Lawford & Mistley about the size of the space and how to work around the banner ad. • Hadleigh, Chattisham, Hintlesham, You can find it at: www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk/cover Holton St Mary, Layham & Raydon • Ipswich East, Ravenswood, Broke Hall We’re not going to lay down any restrictions because we want our & Warren Heath budding artists (who must be 16 or under) to choose their own • Elmswell, Beyton, Drinkstone, Haughley, subject matter. That said, it would be great to get pictures with local Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden Please provide the following information on the back of your picture or on an attached sheet: relevance, perhaps buildings, scenes or sites, play areas, favourite & Woolpit Your name and your age walks and the like but, in reality, anything goes. The school you attend • Needham Market & The Creetings Your address (we will only publish the town/village name but will need your full address if we need to contact you by post) Description (in no more than 20 words, tell us what your picture is and why it’s your chosen subject) • Shotley, Chelmondiston, Erwarton, Harkstead, If you can’t access the online template let us know and we can Pictures should be posted to: Holbrook, Pin Mill, Stutton & Woolverstone Sharon Jenkins, Mansion House Publishing, 14-20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP There is no deadline date and publication is not guaranteed but we hope to see plenty of colour email it to you. and wonderful representations of where you live and the things you enjoy doing. • Martlesham You can submit several times if you wish to do so but we will not be able to return submitted pictures. The budding artist behind every published image will receive an A3 print of their cover. Happy drawing, painting, illustrating.... • Claydon, Barham, Henley & Whitton HAVE FUN; WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS! • 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 • Capel St Mary (Capel Capers) networking events each day, including one with the aforementioned Daren Stainton. Anyone • Copdock, Belstead, Bentley, Tattingstone can attend the live online sessions which will cover a range of topics and include Q&A sessions. & 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/shotley 3 NEWS WOOLVERSTONE PROJECT SAILOR YOUR GENEROSITY IN ACTION REPRESENTS EASTERN REGION We would like to pass on a huge thank you to all the wonderful people who The pandemic has impacted sailing activity for much of the year and the have donated desperately needed Woolverstone Project (sailing for people with disabilities) has been impacted paracetamol for us to courier out to more than most. To fill the gap, we have instead been offering ‘virtual racing’ Kitty Village in The Gambia. The large for our sailors and volunteers using a system developed by World Sailing called amount was gratefully received at the Virtual Regatta. In December last year we ran a virtual club championship clinic. which was won by Rik Codling, one of our disabled sailors. Amazing people have also donated Rik then went on to represent the project in the Eastern Region RYA generous sums of money to help cover Championships at the end of February and, after some tight racing, won the the high cost of couriering aid to the event against all the other Eastern Region and Midlands club champions.