Further Jubilee celebrations in Great Waldingfield

Old School Wood one day?

Further to the recent post about Jubilee Celebrations in Great Waldingfield on 2nd June, I understand that on Monday 4th June Branchlines is to have a celebration at Old School Wood starting at 3.30 p.m.

There is to be a picnic with children's games and George Millins is to give a talk about wildlife.  He is likely to draw attention ot the lizards and slow worms that he has introduced into the wood and also talk about a new initiative to preserve wildlife in general.  Parish Council Chairman, John Steele, has agreed to plant the Jubilee Oak, presented to the wood by the Woodlands Association and grown on one of the Royal Estates.

All are welcome!

Just imagine!

Instead of a vista of old mattresses, piles of hardcore and burnt out cars, the threat of boy racers and other unwelcome visitors, Chilton airfield is transformed!

Where fly tippers and customers from MacDonald’s, intent on casting aside their polystyrene containers, used to roam free, a miracle has taken place!  Birds sing in the woods, Children, secured from harm, play in the glades where wild flowers flourish. Residents of nearby dwellings walk their dogs, and horses and cyclists share the broad and grassy rides with deer and badgers.   Meanwhile at the ‘Chilton Woods Outdoor Auditorium’, Sudbury Amateur Operatic Society is rehearsing its forthcoming production of ‘Where the wild things are’.

This vision of the future of Chilton Airfield was just one idea that came out of Babergh’s recent consultation on producing a Green Infrastructure Policy for Sudbury, Chilton and Great Cornard.

We all had a wonderful afternoon drawing ‘green crescents’ round the periphery of the town, mapping footpaths and cycle tracks, and recommending the protection of various plots of precious green space, including Peoples Park.

How fantastic it would be if all these dreams could be realised.  No doubt one or two of them will be.

Recent experience however has taught me not to invest too much hope in ‘consultations’.  It seems that often they turn out to be a fraud; regarded as displacement activity for District Councillors ‘and other stakeholders’  who are assumed to have too much time on their hands.  

Meanwhile the real decisions are made elsewhere,while the lorries rumble on and oafs continue to strew their rubbish across the countryside.

Auction of unwanted gifts (and a few other things!)

Saturday's auction of unwanted gifts in aid of Chilton Church funds provided, as usual, a couple of hours of quality entertainment.

Auctioneer Peter Clifford (pictured)  managed to extract about £166 worth of bids from the small but select audience of keen bargain hunters.

As usual the collection of items was very eclectic, ranging from a wine cooler, a vegetable steamer, through various books (some old and valuable)  to some nice bits of china and glass.

We came away with quite a respectable horde, including some chessmen, a book on the D day landings, two vases, and a digital photoframe (new! and coming to a raffle somewhere near you soon)

Upon St George's Day

If you walk north from Newmans Green to Cuckoo Tye, on land which lies relatively high for Suffolk,  you reach several points at which you can see three church towers: those of Acton, Lavenham and also Long Melford.

On this St George's Day, when I took my daily constitutional with Rendle the Lurcher this morning, all three towers were flying the cross of St George.

In addition to being our patron saint, St George is also the patron saint of Moscow.  He is just one of many saintly princes that are revered by the Russian Orthodox faith. The early fifteenth century icon here, which is now in the Russian Museum in St Petersburg, is from Novgorod.

Happy St George's Day, and of course a very happy birthday to William Shakespeare too!

Drawing the Curtin? An exercise in confusion.

The presentation about Chilton Woods made by Curtin and Co, a public relations consultant to the Developers,  at Acton Annual Parish Meeting on Wednesday was a real disappointment for all who attended.

The maps provided were woefully inadequate, and the presenter was not able to answer many of the questions from the audience.  What was worse she appeared to contradict information that members of Acton Parish Council had understood from other meetings that they and I have attended in recent weeks.  This led to much confusion, and I have to say, from my perspective, an element of embarrassment.

It seems to me that the developer should spend less money on public relations companies (which so far have done little but turn the public off!) and spend more time in actually talking directly,  and coherently,  to the people who matter, the local residents. Following the meeting, I have made my opinion known to Babergh officers, and I know that Colin Spence has also raised the issue with the County Council, who, of course, own much of the land.

For what it was worth the following points came across strongly from Acton residents:

1.       

 Firstly, the footprint of the development has clearly been enlarged since the last consultations. Anger and disappointment were expressed at the further encroachment on the northern boundary, the reduction of screening, and the reduction of the ‘strategic gap’ between the development and Newmans Green to the eastern end of the development to about 300 yards, despite previous assurances that the integrity of the settlement would be maintained.

2.              

 Secondly, it was agreed that traffic travelling to the A134 from the new estate must be diverted away from Acton village in general and Mills Lane, Newmans Green, in particular.  This implies that Acton Lane should be closed to  everything apart from buses, bikes and pedestrians.

3.               
Thirdly, the currently planned  development should contain no more than 750 houses, as previously indicated.  Further houses should be situated to the west of Tesco.

I will keep readers of the blog informed of further developments where possible, and urge everyone to keep abreast of what is going on, attend the public meetings/exhibitions that are due to be held shortly, and make their opinions known ‘ clearly, early and often’.

Great Waldingfield Diamond Jubilee Celebrations revealed!

I am indebted to a reader of the blog, who is also involved in the organisation of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in Great Waldingfield for the following contribution: 

 

The village of Great Waldingfield will be celebrating the Queens Jubilee in a big way come the 2nd of June. Plans are well advanced for fun and entertainment for all the family which will be spread over two days of the Jubilee weekend. So you do not have to journey down to London to get into celebratory mood as there will be enough going on to keep everyone in a happy-go-lucky mood right here in Suffolk.

This will be one of the biggest events seen in Great Waldingfield in recent years.  The celebrations are being organised by a group of enthusiastic volunteers all drawn from residents of the village chaired by Andrew Barlow from Brandeston Close who happens also to be on the Parish Council from where most of the funding for the event has come from. The festivities take place on the recreation ground which will be decked out with bunting and lighting for the evening revellers. There will be plenty of direction signs to the event so we shouldn't lose to many pedestrians heading the wrong way.

 To mark this rare celebratory event, each child resident in Great Waldingfield under the age of 16 years will receive a memento marking the Queens Jubilee but which will also establish a Jubilee link with the village. The memento will be a unique medal something to cherish as a true depiction of a momentous occasion.

Although the Parish Council has made a substantial grant, generous financial contributions have been received from some Great Waldingfield businesses.  We are still looking for sponsors so if you wish to make a contribution contact Barry Abson on 313112.

Arrangements are well in hand to include a talent competition, tombola and cake stall, fancy dress and 

hat competition, Air Cadets presentation with a constant supply of teas, sandwiches and cakes, with a BBQ for those intending to miss dinner or lunch at home. An ice cream vendor will also be in attendance to help cool everyone down as we have it on good authority that it will be a hot sunny day. Then there will be an all-day bar for those that are not driving home of course, which should be the majority. In the unlikely event of rain there will be a collection of marquees and tents in which to take shelter and the evening entertainment will be held in the main marquee.

It is hoped that villagers from far and near will pay a visit and hopefully stay all day, with plenty of seating provided. To encourage participation the village will be advertising the event with banners at all the roads leading into the village about two weeks before the event. So hopefully we can expect to have a friendly get together and happy association with our near neighbours  in surrounding villages.

But this isn't just a daytime event for there is entertainment lined up for the evening with almost constant music for those that like jazz and rock. Two bands will entertain all evening with dancing for those that feel energetic enough.

Sunday will commence with a Christian outdoor service at 11.00am to 12.00 noon followed by entertainment until 3.30.  Sunday the 3rd of June also happens to be National Picnic Day so it is hoped that people will bring along their picnic's and enjoy the entertainment in the sunshine whilst enjoying their picnic's.

So let's pray for good weather and that we will see plenty of fun seeking people to mark the event as a successful weekend. I would be nice to make it an annual event so come and support us as well as celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Jubilee.  

  

Prince Harry to be Czar of Russia?

Dancing in Jamaica

Sometimes Russia watching pays unexpectedly large dividends.

In today's Moscow Times I read that exiled oligarch Boris Berezovskii, who is setting up a new political party called 'Resurrection', is proposing that the monarchy is re-instated in the country, and that our very own Prince Harry could be a candidate for monarch.You can read the article here

The last czar, Nicholas II, was murdered in Ekaterinburg in 1918, along with his entire family.

Harry, claims Berezovskii, has more Romanov blood in his veins than Nicholas II, and it is of course true that our Royal Family has close links with the Russian dynasty. The shameful story of how King George V was dissuaded from helping his relations at the time of the Revolution remains an embarrasment.

I actually think that Harry might enjoy the role, although Russian dancing is, on the whole less lively than the sort he experienced in his recent official trip to the Caribbean.