Stambourne

In this issue:

• STAMBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL
• ST. PETER & ST. THOMAS BECKET PARISH CHURCH
• SERVICES AT STAMBOURNE FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS
• STAMBOURNE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
• WHAT’S ON AT THE CHAPEL
• STAMBOURNE LADIES GROUP
• STAMBOURNE ACTIVITIES
• BIN COLLECTIONS AND RECYCLING
• OTHER ACTIVITIES
• AND IF YOU NEED SOME INSPIRATION…

Planning – Finchingfield Bridge

The members of the public had attended as representatives of Finchingfield Guild of Business and were raising awareness of the proposals for work on Finchingfield Bridge and its possible impact on Finchingfield and surrounding areas. If you would like to look at the full application or comment on this, please go to planning.essex.gov.uk application no CC/BTE/129/22.

Recycling calendar

Cllr Van Dulken has advised that Braintree District Council will not be posting out copies of the recycling calendar in order to save money. The calendar will be available online. If you do not have computer access and need a copy please telephone Braintree District Council on 01376 552 525.

Alternatively bookmark this page »

Pavilion

The Pavilion is closed for the winter but will be open for use in the spring. If you would like to use the Pavilion, please contact me (details below).

Church Road telephone box

A local resident has offered to start a book share in the telephone box. If you have any books you would like to donate, please contact Iona Connelly at ionasjc@googlemail.com.

Village Newsletter

Louise Rawlinson and Ian Tarbin have for a number of years been kindly delivering the newsletter to houses in Dyers and Finchingfield Road, but have said they can no longer continue. We would like to thank them for their service to the village. If anyone would like to take this over, please get in touch for details.

Coronation

Stambourne’s Platinum Jubilee event was a great success and enjoyed by many people. It is not possible to put on an event of this kind without a number of people willing to volunteer and help with the arrangements. If you are interested in helping with a coronation event, please get in touch with me or any of your parish councillors.

Parish Council Meeting Dates 2023
• 23rd March 2023
• 18th May 2023
• 20th July 2023
• 21st September 2023
• 22nd November 2023 (Wednesday)

All are Thursdays at 7.30pm in the Village Hall unless shown otherwise.

More details may be found here »

Full minutes are available on the village website: stambourne.com/parish-council.

Debbie Hilliard, Parish Clerk

debbiehilliard614@gmail.com, 01440 785 629

The scaffold had been removed and a good tidy up and clean had been undertaken to ensure the Carol Service on 11th December 2022 went ahead. Thank you to all those who turned out on a cold night to listen to the readings, join in the singing and enjoy the mulled wine and mince pies!

Thank you also to Oscar and Jane for the Christmas tree and decorating it, Jane for the flowers and decorating with greenery, the helpers with the refreshments, all the readers and especially Rev. Liz for a lovely service.

Work inside the Church and tower is now complete but there will be more work in the next two to three months to the top of the tower outside, but for now we can get back to having our normal services.

At the beginning of this year Rev. Liz announced her retirement at the end of May and will be missed very much in the Benefice.

She will be taking the Benefice service on 30th April 2023 at Sible Hedingham Church, at 11am to which you are all invited and also to stay for lunch after the service.

On 2nd April 2023, Palm Sunday, the Benefice Palm Sunday Walk will take place. It will start at 10 am at Castle Hedingham Church, walking to Sible Hedingham Church with some prayer/reflection stops on the way and finishing at Sible Hedingham Church for hot cross buns!

Again, everyone is welcome whether it is on foot or by car.

It’s great to have that hope that the weather will get warmer, that there will be rain, that the crops will grow and there will be a harvest, isn’t it? But in many places that hope is changing. A few years back I was invited to visit a small Pacific island called Nauru – the smallest independent nation on Earth!

Now I haven’t heard that Nauru is under threat, but the people I went with came from various of the Pacific island groups such as Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Kiribati. Some of these islands had the hope we all have — they would survive the odd earthquake and hurricane and their crops would succeed and their houses would stand firm against the weather of the Pacific. But now their only hope is that they can protect their islands from being overwhelmed by the rising oceans, and that is not at all a certain hope in these days of climate change.

As a Church we are interested in the spiritual aspects of life and for most people the hopes of life seem to all be on an even keel.

There are few real threats — a few uncertainties, but compared with places where everything is likely to disappear these dim into much smaller worries and concerns. But life can sometimes feel like it is overwhelming. Sometimes we can feel like we are drowning in the worries and concerns of life, and that is when it is good to turn to a friend. And for the Chapel and Church, we have a friend we can turn to who has greater power than even the forces of nature! The song so many churches sing and so many Sunday Schools sang when we were young goes “what a friend we have in Jesus” and then goes on to say He will carry our burdens, worries and concerns if we will only ask — or carry everything to Him in prayer.

There is a national initiative called Try Praying which encourages anyone to do just that. There is also a great big monument — twice as high as the Angel of the North — being built just south of Birmingham which will record one million prayers that have been answered, Eternal Wall. That so many answered prayers can be found must make it worth trying surely!

So pop in to your local church and try praying. Or just stop where you are right now and just give to Jesus those things that worry you. You may find that it just works!

And if you have questions just pop along to your local warm hub at Stambourne Chapel on any of the times we are open. Keep warm and safe.

Every blessing,

Adrian Burr, Minister

Stambourne Ladies Group Meet-up »

Join us for the first meeting of 2023 at the Stambourne Village Hall, when we look forward to seeing current members and welcoming new ones. It’s time to enrol. £20 secures your place for the rest of the year. 

• 8th February 2023 at Stambourne Village Hall, Church Road, Stambourne CO9 4NP
• From 7pm onwards
• Contact Vicky on 07908 099 904 or Lorna on 07980 922 636 for more details

Knit & Natter Club »

• Every other Thursday at The Green Man, 3 Church Lane, Toppesfield CO9 4DR
• 5pm – 7pm
• Get crafty with knitting, crochet, sewing, embroidery, quilting and more!
• Bring along your projects, share ideas and tips, get inspired or just come for a chat. Everyone welcome!
• You don’t need to be a member of the Stambourne Ladies Group to join us
• Contact Anna on 07944 696 527 for more details

And if you can’t knit/won’t knit? That’s fine! Just come for a natter and to meet friends (or make new ones). Whatever your levels of craftiness, join in!
More info »

Village Hall available for hire »

Hiring Fees, including heating and electricity:

• For residents: £8 per hour
• For non-residents: £10 per hour

This includes heating and a kitchen.

There is also a table tennis table and carpet bowls is available.

To hire the Stambourne Village Hall, contact Rosemary Horton on 01440 785 339. More info »

Don’t forget you can use the Village Hall for your celebrations or clubs, parties or get togethers.

If it’s not used there is a risk of this great amenity being lost.

Christmas quiz at the Stambourne Village Hall »

Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. We had our Christmas Quiz in December and everyone who was there enjoyed the evening.

Thanks to Richard and Jacky for the Quiz.

Early Spring Craft Market in Stambourne »

Coral is having a Craft Market in the Village Hall on Saturday, 11th March 2023.

Greeting cards, pottery, handmade jewellery, florist, butcher, t-shirts, reusable face scrubbies, and more. #buylocal

There will also be a children’s Easter Hunt Game, a charity tombola and light refreshments.

• Saturday, 11th March 2023 at the Stambourne Village Hall, Church Road, Stambourne CO9 4NP
• 10am – 2pm
• FREE ADMISSION
• Contact Coral Fordham on 07876 553 332 for more details

Women’s workout »

Women only fitness class focusing on improving general fitness, strength, balance and core in a fun and supportive environment.

• Every Tuesday at the Stambourne Village Hall, Church Road, Stambourne CO9 4NP
• From 6pm
• £6 per session (please book in advance)
• For more information, contact Lara on 07471 105 210

Ridgewell Airfield Memorial Museum

The Ridgewell Airfield Memorial Museum will be open the second Sunday of the month from 12th March 2023 until October. Free admission.

Open from 11am – 4pm. Refreshments available.

rafcamuseum.co.uk
Oaker Hill, Great Yeldham CO9 4RG

Time to get walking

With Spring on its way we start to think about getting out to walk in the beautiful English countryside again, but where to find new and interesting walks?

Walking in Essex has loads of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place.

John Harris (who maintains the website) said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Essex (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.

With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.

So home or away, check out the website and get walking!