Stambourne Newsletter
Published and distributed by Stambourne Parish Council No. 245
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting took place on Thursday 17 May 2018 at 8.00pm in the village hall, Stambourne
The first item at the AGM was to elect a Chair and Vice-Chair for 2018-19. Martyn Fall was nominated and unanimously elected Chair and Michael Crago unanimously elected Vice-Chair.
Representatives were then appointed for the following:-
- Village Hall Committee – Vanessa Young
- Emergency Planning – Michael Crago
- Footpaths – Karen Grant
- Public Transport – Andrew Drysdale
Pavilion
The refurbishment of the toilets in the pavilion will commence as soon as the builders are available. It is hoped the pavilion will only be out of action for a short time. A new cooker is
Playing field
You have probably now seen that the wooden climbing frame is currently out of use. A recent annual safety inspection revealed that some of the posts are rotted and need replacing. It is now fenced off and should not be used until the work has been completed.
Annual Accounts
The Parish Council accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018 have been agreed by the internal auditor and will now be sent to the external auditor. They will be available on the village website in the near future. www.stambourne.com.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday 19 July 2018 at 7.30pm in the village hall.
Debbie Hilliard
Parish Clerk
debbiehilliard614@gmail.com
01440 785629 1
STAMBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
Chairman’s Report 2017/18
It has been a year without major complications in the village. That is not to say that nothing has happened, but as I look back there have been no surprises and nothing to cause major concern to the majority of those in the parish. Looking at individual aspects of village life with particular emphasis on things which are the responsibility of the Parish Council:
Roads:
The major resurfacing work undertaken by ECC in our area throughout last summer has significantly improved the quality of roads in and around the village. For reasons best known to the powers that be, Chapel End Way was not included in the refurbishment exercise and we are aware that there are some problems with the surface breaking-up beginning to appear in that area. Where there are issues with potholes I would urge individuals to report the problem using the ECC website. The Parish Council will continue to report hazards, but the response does seem to be dependent on the number of complaints received.
Planning:
We have had a few planning applications in the village this year. For the most part non-controversial, but until such times as the Braintree District Council Local Plan is fully adopted we are vulnerable to opportunistic developers lodging inappropriate plans. Luckily we have avoided this so far, but other local villages have had to struggle
to prevent large and unsympathetic developments.
Playing Field:
The playing field continues to be a village facility of which we can be proud. Thanks are due to the many volunteers who make a contribution, but I need to very specifically thank Keith Hoadley who continues to do a splendid job with grass cutting and general maintenance. Thanks to the efforts of Debbie Hilliard, our clerk, we have obtained a grant for the refurbishment of the pavilion toilets and the addition of a disabled toilet. This upgrade work is scheduled for this summer. A new cooker is also being installed in the kitchen.
The wooden climbing frame is beginning to show signs of its age (almost 30 years). At the time of writing it is off limits and we are awaiting new corner posts to replace the rotten ones. Our own funds enhanced by some grant aid should allow us to consider additions to the play equipment going forward. (It is worth mentioning that our play equipment is independently inspected on an annual basis to ensure that we are in compliance with legislation.)
Bonfire Night:
Once again we had a successful bonfire celebration. The crowds were good, the weather was kind and we made a profit. The evening was much enjoyed by visitors of all ages. A donation was made to the Silver Link Christmas Lunch.
Although this gets said every year, it has to be emphasised again that the event is
only successful because of the huge input of time and effort from many volunteers. So a huge vote of thanks is due to everyone who helped and who
bringing superfast (1000Mb) links to the village by laying fibre directly to each property, and we await specific developments with interest.
War Memorial:
The refurbishment of our war memorial is nearly complete with the last element being some extra emphasis given to the eroded lettering with professionally applied paint. All should be complete by the 100th anniversary of the ending of the Great War later this year.
Thank You:
It would be a poor report that failed to thank all the Parish Councilors for their hard work on behalf of the community. Thank you to everyone. Thanks are also due to Richard van Dulken our District Councilor for his interest and support, and for his grant that helps us with the pavilion updates.
But we have to especially thank Debbie, our clerk for all her hard work and expertise in guiding our activities throughout the year. Thank you Debbie.
Martyn J Fall 17th May 2018
are too numerous to individually.
Communications:
mention
We continue to be grateful to Steve Platt who manages the village website www.stambourne.com This continues to be a valuable resource and for those who might be interested the Parish Council minutes, agenda and financial information are updated regularly and uploaded to the site.
Steve has, for several years, been editing our bi-monthly newsletter, but has now handed that role onto Karen Crago. Many thanks to Steve for his sterling work and good luck to Karen for future editions. (I’m sure that Karen will be seeking contributions).
Broadband continues to be an issue for Stambourne as other rural locations. BT have at last got a fibre link into the village which offers great improvement over previous options, but it is limited in its long term capability. Both County Broadband and GigaClear might be
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
In an effort to help Stambourne Neighbourhood Watch stamp out robberies and vandalism in our beautiful village, a WhatsApp Group has been set up. This is a fast, simple, secure messaging system that is easy to use and gives us the ability to immediately alert everyone in the group of anything suspicious going on in the village or surrounding area.
ST. PETER & ST. THOMAS BECKET PARISH CHURCH
Since the last Newsletter we have had the Baptisms of Bethany and Thomas. Both Services were very special and well attended by their families and friends. The AGM of the PCC has also taken place and details of the current PCC are displayed on the church notice board. We still await a new Benefice Vicar but in the meantime a big thank you to Rev. Liz Paxton, Mike Bursell, Dave Brown and retired clergy who are keeping services going in the benefice interregnum.
SERVICES AT STAMBOURNE FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS:
| Date: | Time: | Service: |
| 3 | rd. June9:30 am | Morning Prayer | Dave Brown |
| 10 | th. June9:30 am | Holy Communion | Rev. Liz Paxton |
| 17 | th. JuneNo service at Stambourne - Please see notice board for other services in the Benefice | 24 | th. June9:30 am | Morning Prayer | ||
| Dave Brown | |||
| 1 | st. July9:30 am | Morning Prayer | Dave Brown |
| 8 | th. July9:30 am | Holy Communion | Rev. Liz Paxton |
| 15 | th. JulyNo service at Stambourne - Please see notice board for other services in the Benefice | 22 | nd JulyNo service at Stambourne - Please see notice board for other services in the Benefice | 29 | th. July11:00 am | Benefice Service – Stambourne Church All Welcome | |||||
HARVEST FESTIVAL:
Date for the Diary: Sunday 23rd. September at 9.30 am with Rev. Liz Paxton
Val Kerrison
Churchwarden 01440 785752 or 07879 816362
PRIESTLY PONDERINGS
As we enjoy the beautiful weather, and the long summer evenings (that hopefully will soon be a bit warmer) my mind turns to all of those young people who are having to take exams at this time of year. I remember from my own childhood that the best days of the summer seemed to be when I was stuck in an overheated and smelly gym hall facing the tough questions.
Of course, for those questions I had been well prepared by my teachers (always assuming I had been paying attention). Sometimes in life we face tough questions for which we have had no teaching and for which life has not prepared us. An unexpected diagnosis, the loss of a loved one – not necessarily though death but perhaps a new job that takes a family member or a good friend far away. Of course, these days it is so easy to keep in touch, the technology means that you can text, call, write, face-time or tweet to everyone at any time. And yet, current studies have shown that our present society is full people who experience loneliness and isolation. So I want to urge you, this summer, to improve the quality of your relationships, not the quantity.
In his day, Jesus had many thousands of followers, after all, he ended up feeding 5000 of them on more than one occasion. But those people were like Facebook friends – short-lived and rather one-dimensional. In Jesus case many of those friends were just after a free meal – and I think we all have friends a bit like that.
But Jesus had 12 very close friends that he spent a lot of time with. He shared his journey with them. He taught them how to live and how to treat each other in a new way. It was a way that he called “The Kingdom of Heaven”. This is a way that develops deep and meaningful friendships that endure life’s challenges. On your own, you might not be prepared to face some of the things that life brings your way, with Jesus alongside you, and with strong friendships, we can not only survive our challenges but live our lives to the full as God intends.
Luke 18:27 But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."
So value your relationship with God and spend time with Him. Value your relationships with your friends and cherish them, too. Be a good friend yourself to others and enjoy the balmy summer weather.
With every blessing,
Rev. Liz Paxton
liz@paxtonconsulting.co.uk
01787 277270
STAMBOURNE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH FROM THE CHAPEL
I am reminded at the moment about the seasons - in the last month we seem to have all four rolled into one!! And that makes life just a little difficult. I am writing this as the Garden Show season starts - RHS Chelsea, Hatton Park,
Hampton Court Palace etc.... Places where seasons are carefully controlled to get even the most reluctant plants to produce their best whether in or out of season.
And this reminds me that there is a season for everything.
Ecclesiastes 3:1- 8 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
That seems to cover it all! A season for everything in our lives, whether that be physical, emotional or spiritual. For the writer of this part of the Bible is making a point by asking the question "why are we here?".
He says what is the point of our being? We all just do the same things as each other every day, though a few people do stand out as different, but for most of us we are no more standing out than anyone else. The writer - the wisest of men was also a King famed for his wisdom - King Solomon. So what was causing him such angst as to contemplate why we are here?
He had come to realise that through all his fame and fortune - and he had more than most of could ever have, even the number of his wives - he still hadn't found that elusive reason for
living. And many of us are just like that. We pursue our goals, build up our possessions, seek happiness, fun, and joy, but if we are honest there still seems to be a hope of something more. We still can't find our real purpose in life. I know some people who seem to be happy, with very fulfilled lives, but there comes a point when they ask the question "why am I here?"
For Solomon was seeking an answer to the question because he knew about the physical restraints on life, he had explored all aspects of the physical and had seen the ailments and the way life goes from the vigour of youth to the difficulties of later life. He had been through all the emotional aspects of life - the love, anger, hate, bitterness, frustration, joy, happiness, peace and
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calm, jealousy, greed, and lust. He had discovers the answer in the spiritual. known all these things but still he had a question to ask, and in the end he He concludes this book with these
words:
Ecclesiastes 12:13 - 14 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
And then he pens the next book - Song of Solomon - a book about the love relationship between God and man. I wonder if this could be the answer to the question?
God bless,
Adrian Burr
Minister
PS: Did you notice the crocuses in front of the Chapel notice board this Spring? Haverhill Round Table donated and planted them to bring awareness of their aim to support the Eradicate Polio Appeal.
WHAT’S ON
| Date: |
| Event: | |
| June | We will having our Church outing during June. Venue and date to be announced. If you would like to join us please contact Brian or Adrian |
| 22 | nd. JulyChapel Anniversary |
| 29 | th. JulyHealing Bus |
| 14 | th. August 10 – 12 am
| Craft Day |
WORSHIP AND REGULAR ACTIVITIES
Every Sunday - our Worship Service is held at 10:45 am followed by coffee 1st Sunday - Join us for a Communion Service 2nd and 3rd Sundays - Lively Worship Services sometimes with visiting preachers
4th Sunday - Service followed by lunch together
Every Tuesday 10-12am - Coffee and Chat Discussion and craft over coffee and biscuits. Come and join a little time out for fun and friendship! 7:30-9pm - Stambourne Worship Team Practice evening Join us at 7pm for prayer, and 7:30pm for the music. If you play an instrument or sing we would welcome you to come and see whether you could join us. Every Wednesday 6:30pm Alpha course (to 18th July) Come along and join us as we explore the big questions of life - any questions discussed and no pressure to take any particular view point. We would love to hear what people think so come and join the debate. 7pm - Intercessory Prayers If you would like prayer for your needs or for a friend or family member then please let us know or come and join us. Drop a note through our letter box.
Contacts:
Adrian Burr, Minister: 01440 730211, 07983 656166, aburr@inbox.com Brian Mead, Secretary: 01376 345377, railnutter@gmail.com Facebook: Stambourne Chapel A Spurgeon Trail Location
THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER
The next newsletter will be August / September. Please send any contributions for this publication to Karen Crago at kcrago@btinternet.com or drop them in the postbox at Tagley Farm, Finchingfield Road by Tuesday 24th. July.
STAMBOURNE LADIES GROUP
SLG Stambourne Ladies’ Group Wednesday Meetings for 2018
ALL WELCOME!
We've had a busy few months with lots of activities going on. The year kicked off with our lively AGM followed by a delicious buffet with fun and games to follow. A chance for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.
Geoff Evans entertained us at our March meeting with his extensive knowledge of the life of a racehorse and in April Eve Regelous brought us her recollections of life as a celebrity agent. The weather was kind to us for our Spring outing to Coppice Designs. We met with Andrew Basham who took us on a tour of the hazel woodland he helps to manage followed by refreshments.
We are now looking forward to our June dinner at The Finchingfield Lion. July 11th. brings us Lara Scott-Norris, our very own personal trainer/fitness instructor, so come along and join in. Our Picnic at the Pavilion takes place on August 8th. with lots of good food, drink and other refreshments.
Join our WhatsApp Group. Club Outings and Interest Groups – contact each other, choose from the assortment and invite others along.
Please call Annabel 01440 785809 or Vicky 01440 785528 or see our Facebook page for more!
STAMBOURNE VILLAGE HALL QUIZ NIGHT UPDATE
On behalf of the Village Hall Committee I would like to say thank you to Cath for organizing the Quiz Night on the 12th. May and providing such a delicious meal. Also thank you to Jacky and Neil Pyman and Richard Wright for the very enjoyable quiz. Last but not least, a big thank you to all who attended the evening. A total of £389 was raised for village hall funds.
Joyce Jousiffe
Treasurer
ACTIVITIES
| Silver Link |
| Fortnightly |
| Tuesday 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm | |||
| An afternoon of fun activities with a friendly group. Includes tea and cake. Outings during summer months. | Stambourne K9 Training | ||
| Weekly |
| Tuesday 7:00 pm | |||
| For further information contact Peter 07889 121 148 | Stambourne Ladies’ Group | ||
| Monthly |
| Wednesday 7:30 pm | ||
| Call Annabel 01440 785809 or Vicky 01440 785528 |
Support your Village Hall
Anybody interested in starting their own club please contact Cathy 01440 785678 or Rosi 01440 785339
REFURBISHMENT UPDATE
Coming up next....
- We would like to improve the kitchen and ARE still looking for
replacement kitchen base units. If you know of anyone who is replacing
their kitchen please contact Cathy 01440 785678. We will pick up. - If anyone is willing to help take out and replace units please contact
Cathy on 01440 785678 or Rosi on 01440 785339.
VILLAGE HALL HIRE
The Village Hall is available for hire both by the residents of Stambourne and those who live outside the village. It is a good sized hall and ideal for parties, meetings, clubs, groups, family gatherings etc.
HIRE FEES
Stambourne Residents £15 for 4 hours Non-residents £25 for 4 hours
Having a party at home? Available for hire: Table £2 Plastic seat chair 50p
Please contact Rosi Horton 01440 785339 for all booking enquiries.
PARKING AT THE VILLAGE HALL
Overnight parking is not allowed at the Village Hall.
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Stambourne Jumble Sale
Saturday 9th June 2018
2 pm @ The Village Hall
ALL WELCOME!
Admission 50p Tea and coffee available All proceeds to charity
Please contact Sian Davies-Hatton (07505 355994) or Lesley Scolley (07889 745180) for local pick-up in advance. Alternatively drop jumble off at the Village Hall on Friday 8th June or on the morning of the sale.
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