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Church News 01/04/2006 Your church brass needs tender, loving care and we are looking for new people to join out brass cleaning team. For more details contact Liz Morley, Churchwarden or any member of the Parochial Church Council. 01/10/2005
01/08/2005 Harvest Festival and Supper The harvest Supper will be held in the Village Hall on Friday 23rd September. All are welcome to this special village celebration. Tickets will be available from members of the Village Hall Committee and there will be a licensed bar. The collection at the service on Sunday 25th September will be given to Children's Hospices, a charity which provides for children throughout East Anglia. St. Mary's Art Competition Students of Old Buckenham School took part this year in the St. Mary's Church Art Competition. Their pictures - sketches and paintings - are on show in the Church until Tuesday 30th August. They are colourful, jolly and good!! Come and see. Next year's competition will also include work by Pupils of Cockfield School. Churchyard Tidy-Up A date for your diary, Saturday 17th September 2005. Spare an hour or so to help tidy up the Churchyard between 10am and 4pm. Bring gloves and a garden tool. We shall Cut rough grass Rake Up Trim and Strim Straighten up leaning gravestones Overcome! See you there Coffee and cakes provided. Contact Mike or John
01/06/2005 Hello and Goodbye Or should it be Goodbye and hello? At the end of April, Canon Bob Cook retired as Rural Dean for the Lavenham Deanery. He has been a great help and support to the PCC and Churchwardens, especially since Robin's retirement, and we are very grateful to him for the wise advice he has given us on many occasions. As we say goodbye and thank you Bob we also say hello to our new Rural Dean, Rev. Martin Thrower from Lawshall. He has already been very helpful finding Clergy and Readers to take our services for the next few months. He is now in charge of the Benefice and is the person to contact if you should need to speak to a Priest. His phone number is 01284 830855. The Churchwardens will continue to help with any day to day matters so call us if can be of assistance. Charity Sunday The second of our five Charity Sundays was May 8th when the collection amounting to £188.44 was given to Sightsavers. Many thanks to all those who contributed generously to this excellent cause. Heating and Lighting We have finally and officially received authority to enhance the Church heating with an oil-fired boiler and six radiators and to provide better and safer lighting in the Churchyard. This we are better able to afford thanks to the generous support of the Brooks family.
01/04/2005 New Appointment No, its hasn't been made yet but this is what has happened so far. On March 8th, PCC members from all four parishes in the benefice met Bishop Clive and the Archdeacon to discuss the process of appointing a new rector. Each parish had already filled in a detailed questionnaire about their village and its needs and commented on the sort of person they would like as a parish priest. Thank you to all those people who so kindly and thoughtfully shared their ideas with us to help with that important task. An advertisement will be drawn up, and we await the outcome. Meanwhile, Canon Bob Cook, our Rural Dean, is a wise adviser and support to the PCC and Churchwardens. Improvements to the Church We're waiting for planning permission from Babergh District Council to site an oil tank in the Churchyard. When that is granted we shall be able to start improving the heating in the Church. We also need Babergh's approval for the enhanced exterior lighting scheme. Charity Sundays The collection on February 27th for the Samaritans amounted to £121.95 The next Charity Sunday will be on 8th May, when the money will go to Sightsavers. This excellent organisation works in developing countries, taking eye surgery and treatment to people in their home villages. Annual General Parochial Church Meeting This will be held on Friday April 15th at 7.30pm in St. Mary's Church. This is your chance to come and have your say or to ask questions. All welcome, dress warmly.
01/02/2005 We are very grateful to Robin for 11 years of ministry to us in Thorpe Morieux. There have been occasions of great happiness and occasions of great sadness, causes for celebration and causes for concern, and throughout he has provided wise guidance, while his sense of humour has eased the irritations and frustrations that we have experienced from time to time. Now we wish Robin and Heather a long and happy retirement, and we look forward to the next phase of this parish. Our parish is now in an interregnum (the period between Rectors) that will probably last for several months, until another appointment is made. During this time our Rural Dean, Rev. Canon Bob Cook, is officially in charge of the parish. Of course the PCC and Churchwardens will continue to be involved in the day to day running of the parish, so please call Mike or Liz if you need any help. Churchyard: There is a wonderful display of aconites and snowdrops in the churchyard. Do come and look at them. They cheer us up at a dull time of the year and remind us that the lengthening days are a sign of approaching spring. The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 9th February, leading to the joy of Easter Day on March 27th.
01/12/2004 The Rector's Retirement As you may know, Robin has decided to retire at the end of January 2005, and he and Heather will move to Baylham near Ipswich. We are pleased that he will have time to enjoy life with Heather after the sadness and stress of the past few years, and we wish them a long and happy retirement together. But we are sorry to be losing a thoughtful and caring parish priest, who has been such a strength to the Church and the congregation in this community. He has met the varying needs of many people of all ages, in the benefice, particularly at difficult times in their lives. We shall be sad to see him go. We shall miss his ability to see the humour in almost any situation, his tact and diplomacy (very effective at PCC Meetings on occasions) and his fine speaking and singing voice. Above all we shall miss his example and leadership as we struggle to live the Christian life. Robin's last service un the benefice will be here in Thorpe church on Sunday 30th January 2005 at 10.30am. This service will be for the four parishes together, and it will be followed immediately by a get-together at Thorpe Hall, the home of Tim and Philippa, where we shall be able to say our goodbyes to Robin and Heather personally. You are all warmly invited to come. More news of Rachel The PCC and parishioners have presented Rachel with a book token in thanks for all the work she did as Lay Reader in Thorpe. She is now licensed to the Otley benefice where she lives. Rachel says she is very happy in her new job at Cranbrook College in Ilford. We send her our best wishes.
01/10/2004 Three special events to report on at this time: First the Pool Party and Barbecue at Grove Farm on the 15th August, which took place in fine weather after a dubious morning. It's a sure sign of success when the pool is well occupied all the time, and it was. Special thanks to Hugh and Penny for their generous offer of their lovely garden and pool and to Ros and her friend who valiantly cooked sausages and burgers to perfection for all who attended. Thanks to everyone who provided food for the party and to those who came from Thorpe and beyond to make it such an enjoyable and relaxing occasion. It raised £211 for the Church Repair Fund. On 22nd August we were treated to a Recital of Organ Music given by Tom Cogan, a recording artiste for the BBC. It was his first time playing Thorpe Morieux organ and we hope he will come again soon. We were treated to a lovely variety of music, some familiar and some new to us, and all sounding splendid on our fine instrument. Those that sat at the back of the Church could see how hard Tom works, using his hands and feet to play, to pull stops and to turn pages. We were particularly impressed when a gust of wind blew away Tom's music, but the sound continued without a pause! That's real professionalism. Tim and Philippa Barker's Supper Party on September 10th was another memorable occasion. First we were able to explore the lovely gardens at Thorpe Hall, including the recently restored water garden near the Lake. Like Heligan, this has been 'rescued' after being hidden away for many years and is a delightful feature. After admiring the grounds we were treated to a gourmet supper. However strict their diet, nobody could resist the mouth-watering desserts that followed. It was good to see people from all four parishes at this event, which gave us a great opportunity to meet up and talk. Another happy outcome was a profit of £400 for the Church Repair Fund. Our sincere thanks to Tim and Philippa for a very special and delicious evening. Update on Rachel Since leaving Old Buckenham Hall School at the end of the summer term, our former Lay Reader, Rachel Chester, has had her Readership transferred to Otley where she lives. Now she is able to take services in that benefice as she did here. She's pretty busy on weekdays too, as she has been appointed Director of Music at Cranbrook College in Ilford, and is also an Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music. In her spare time she continues to do the administration and catering for weekend and residential art courses.
01/08/2004 Art Competition Results The result of the Art Competition held in July was: First Prize Mrs Sue Jell Second Prize Miss Abigail Elsden, aged 9 Well done the artists Songs of Praise and Supper This most enjoyable occasion resulted in a sum of £166.30 towards the Organ Repair Fund. Thanks to all who came and contributed towards the success of the evening, in spite of the rival attraction of an important match in the World Cup. Those of us in Church sang as heartily as the football supporters and we had an excellent supper afterwards. Special thanks to those who prepared and provided food and flowers, to the Village Hall Committee for the loan of tables, chairs, etc., to Robin who gave us gems of information about the chosen hymns and to Paul who produced a recording of the whole event. Historic Churches Preservation Trust The Trust has supported St. Mary's Church appeal for funds for essential repairs to the amount of: £3,500 from the HCPT General Fund £1,000 from the Malan Legacy The Trust would wish you to know of their good work as a national charity in offering funds to committees for essential repairs to churches and chapels in England and Wales. The estimate of monies required for St. Mary's important repairs is: Repairs noted in the Architect' s Report £25,833 Rewiring £10,555 Overhaul of the Organ £ 3,500 In Thorpe Morieux we have raised money towards the repairs and can now contribute £12,516. The shortfall is £17,879 and endeavour is being made to meet this amount. Meanwhile the Church's unsafe wiring has been removed and new lighting has replaced the Jack Penton chandeliers which now stand by the porch as a reminder of the past. Your Church, as the bells proclaim each week, is a living and thriving one with years of history behind it. We must keep it structurally sound so everyone can enjoy its peace, tranquillity and spiritual strength. Our deep gratitude to the Historic Churches Preservation Trust is far beyond question. We can help their cause by becoming a friend of HCPT.
01/06/2004
01/12/2003 Churchyard Clear-up On a warm sunny October day, sixteen people and a dog arrived in the Churchyard to tackle a variety of tasks. The remains of a dead tree were removed from the area north of the Church. Seven gravestones were straightened and the weeds removed from several graves. The boundary fences were strimmed and the brambles and undergrowth were removed from the area where the snowdrops and aconites will soon be appearing. Flower beds were tidied, some replanted and the path was given a nice straight edge. Norman would have been pleased to see it. Russell made a good job of polishing the plaque on the Lychgate and we hope he'll volunteer to join our band of brass-cleaners one day. Thank you to everyone who helped on the day and to those who do so much throughout the year to keep the Churchyard looking attractive and well cared for.
01/10/2003 Art Exhibition: During the recent exhibition of pictures by members of Preston Art Group, there was a raffle of a painting by Anthony Osler. The winner was Frank Gladden of Kettlebaston. Thanks to Mike Newall who organised both exhibition and raffle and donated the prize. Fund - raising: Now we have permission to carry out repairs to the Church we must press on with fund - raising. Our Treasurer has an idea that may appeal to you: 'If you do your own tax return and are lucky enough to receive an unexpected rebate, you can donate all or part of this windfall to Thorpe Morieux Church, starting next Spring. It can be done anonymously if you wish because our Church will be issued with a code number that I will publish here in Spring 2004 when I receive it. As we are a registered Charity the donation can be Gift Aided automatically, which means the Church receives an additional 28 % from the Government at no further expense to the donor. Can't be bad!' Gerald Morley (PCC Treasurer) Christmas Cards: We have some very attractive cards on sale featuring photographs taken in the churchyard by John Squirrell. You will be able to see samples at the harvest Supper on 10th October or in the Church at the harvest Thanksgiving Service on the 12th. Churchyard Clear-up: This is on Saturday 18th October at 10am. Spare a little time to help smarten the Churchyard. Bring a spade, strimmer or edger. Strong men (or women) needed to straighten up our forebear's gravestones (they will bless you for it!). Refreshments provided. see you there. Mike Newall Tabletop Sale: Thanks to all who helped and to all who supported the sale on September 20th. A sum of around £350 was raised towards Church repairs. Liz Morley Suffolk Historic Churches Bike Ride: Thank you to all the riders and Church sitters on the Suffolk Historic Churches Bike Ride. Thanks also for those who have generously sponsored riders - more details when we have collected the donations. John Gagen
01/08/2003 Many people in Thorpe have expressed sorrow at the sudden death of Pam Phelps, wife of Arthur, who was Rector here for fifteen years. For much of that time Pam and Arthur lived in the village and so were very well known in the community. We leave it to those who knew Pam better to pay tribute to her elsewhere. We express our sympathy to Arthur and the family, and particularly to Tim and Sharon, who still have strong links with Thorpe Morieux. Sightsavers At the Benefice Service on June 29th, a collection was made for Sightsavers, a charity that works to restore and save the sight of people in developing countries. We sent £146.99, money that could pay to protect 1200 people, many of them children, against River Blindness, a disease that causes loss of sight. Thanks to allwho contributed to this very good cause. New Seat You may have seen already the fine seat that has been placed in the Churchyard by the Squirrell Family. It is inscribed as a memorial to the late Norman Squirrell and is a very appropriate reminder of a person who gave so generously of his time to maintain our lovely Churchyard.
01/06/2003 It's "Thank You" time this month! First of all, thanks to the people who responded to Mike's yellow envelope appeal in the last issue of Thorpe Times. This brought in £306, and the Gift Aid which our Treasurer will be able to claim will add 28% making a total of £390. Thanks also to everyone who helped in any way with the Car Boot and Table Top Sale on April 26th. This raised the fantastic total of £545! Not a bad result from a couple of hours of trading, but of course there was a lot of preparation to ensure success. So many people helped in different ways that I can't name them all but we are grateful for your generosity and for all the hard work that you did before hand and on the day. Liz
11/02/03 Coffee Morning A very successful Coffee Morning was held at Thorpe Hall on November 16th. As well as coffee and delicious homemade biscuits, there were a variety of stall packed with all sorts of bargains. Many thanks to everyone who supported this event, either by providing goods for sale, or by coming and buying. The proceeds towards church funds amounted to £626. Particular thanks are due to Tim and Philippa Barker for the use of their lovely house for this very enjoyable event. Liz Winter Work Party On 7th December a hardy band of thirteen volunteers gathered to tackle some winter tasks in the Churchyard. The main job was to clear some rather large limbs torn from the Chestnut tree by earlier gales. Although the peace of the churchyard was temporarily shattered by the noise of the chainsaw, we were all glad to hear it, as we would have been cutting a very long time by hand alone. Other work included clearing scrub, cleaning gutters, tidying borders and straightening some leaning gravestones. A big thank you to all those who helped with the work and with the much appreciated refreshments. John Landscape Improvement On 16th December a smaller group gathered to plant some trees and shrubs around the churchyard. Most existing trees are now growing old, with no significant new planting having been done since the churchyard extension in 1927. After much consideration a planting scheme has been devised using the following native species: Small-leafed Lime, Oak, Scots Pine, Holly, English Yew and Dog Rose. Trees have been sited so as not to obscure the main views of the Church but with the intention of increasing the ambience and wildlife value of the churchyard. Thanks again to those who contributed labour, trees, funds and opinions. John Management Plan for 2003 The cutting plan will change somewhat during the coming year with a new area around the Chestnut on the north side being prepared for Winter Aconites. The Cowslips are being swamped by coarse grass and hogweed and this area will be cut more frequently but at a high level. An area will also be managed specifically for Primroses with the hope of increasing from the present dozen plants. The general aim of management will be to create a pleasant environment and conserve nature while giving good access to the Church and the tended graves. We are always pleased to hear comments on management even if they are not always complimentary. As well as a good range of wildlife ( e.g. 104 species of flowering plant found on the last survey ) there are some spectacular shows of individual species. The Winter Aconites and Snowdrops in combination are reckoned to be about the best in Suffolk and depending on weather will be in flower from late January for a week or so, why not come and have a look. John
01/12/02 We were very sorry to hear of Shirley Excell's death on the 16th November. Please remember Robin and his family in your prayers. We are very grateful to Robin for continuing the regular pattern of services during Shirley's serious illness, and we know that you will understand if there have to be short-notice changes to the advertised services. Thanks are due to Rachel Chester, our recently licensed Lay Reader, who has so ably helped out on many occasions. Harvest festival: There was a good attendance at the Harvest festival service on September 22nd and the Church had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. All the edible harvest gifts were taken to felsham Village Hall on the following Thursday to be shared by the members of the Laurels. This is a club for elderly people from a wide area who meet up once a week to enjoy good company, entertainment and an excellent midday meal. Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way. Repairs: We now have a specification for work that should be undertaken on the exterior of the Church. Like all surveys it makes gloomy reading and promises to be expensive to carry out. I shall soon be exhibiting some photos in the Church to show what needs to be done most urgently. Miraculously the only damage to the Church during the storm of early November was a few tiles blown off the roof.
01/12/02 Suffolk Historic Churches Sponsored Bike Ride 2002 Many thanks to all Thorpe riders and Church sitters who together raised a total of £926.40. This sum has been forwarded to the Trust's treasurer. Half of the money raised comes back to the nominated churches and the other half is distributed by the Trust's Grants Committee to places of worship that have made an application for grant aid for repairs and restoration work. This year's riders were John Woodley, Len and Diana Smith, Liz Morley, Lady Rhodes, Mike Hobbs, Jenny and Georgina Cook, John and Guy Gagen and John and Oliver Squirrell who this year rode the footpaths and bridleways between churches barely touching tarmac! Manning the Church from 10am to 6pm were Philippa Barker, Gerald Morley, Mina and John Morton, Cathy Hobbs, Jim Smith and Jasmin Gagen. Again, thanks to all the above who I know enjoyed the day as well as rounding up all the necessary sponsors, and thanks to everyone who sponsored us all. John Gagen, Local Organiser. 01/10/02 Christmas Cards New Christmas cards
are now on sale at 50p each. There are two different designs, one of the tower
seen through the lych gate, and the other of the porch and churchyard. Both
photos were taken by John Squirrell. Buy yours soon before they sell out. Coffee Morning There will be a Coffee Morning at
Thorpe Hall on
Saturday 16th November
from 10-12.30. Cakes, gifts, books and lots
else will be on
sale, and you will have a chance to buy the new Christmas cards there. Improved access to the
church We have recently bought a
lightweight ramp for use in the church. It will be particularly convenient for
wheelchair users. Please ask if you think it would be of use to you or anyone
with you. Lay Reader For the past three years
Rachel Chester, director of music at Old Buckenham Hall School, has been
training as a Lay Reader in this diocese. This means that she can take some
services in church and assist and preach at others, and provide valued support
for our Rector in his work in the benefice. Rachel will be licensed by the
Bishop at a service in the Cathedral on Saturday October5th at llam
and we are all invited to be there. Windows And now the bad news. Sad to
say here has been some vandalism at
the
church, and the east window was damaged on August 20. Stones or other
missiles have left six holes in it, and the estimate for repairs is £930 + VAT.
It is a struggle to maintain
the building, and this extra expense will delay much-needed repairs to the
crossing walls. A few days earlier someone attempted to set fire to notices in
the porch. Luckily little damage was
done
on that occasion. The police have been informed of both incidents. Liz Morley
Further to Liz’s comments,
Sudbury police are concerned about damage to churches in villages, and are paying particular
attention to
church
premises. Please be aware of the potential for further
damage, and if you see anything suspicious, ring the police on 01284-774300, or if
it is in progress dial 999. I am your new Community Police Officer and you can
contact me direct for non-urgent matters on 01284-774307. Ruth Horton PC 704
POOL PARTY On September 1st we were
invited to a swimming party and barbecue in the delightful setting of Grove
Farmhouse. Our thanks to Hugh and Penny Morland for making their pool and garden
available. It was a lovely sunny day and about thirty people enjoyed a delicious
barbecue, expertly cooked by the Lee family (Keith was combining until 4am that
morning, and went back to continue after the party - thanks Keith!). There was a good selection of
salads and desserts, and Sue’s honeycomb ice-cream was a special favourite.
Some of us enjoyed swimming in the warm pool, while others chatted to friends.
Chris and Dave Berriman, former neighbours in East Barn, called in on their way
to St Ives (!), and John
and Jasmin relaxed after the excitement of John’s birthday party the previous
evening. We all had a great time and a healthy profit was made for church funds.
Thanks to all who came, to those who provided food,, to the cooks, and
especially to Hugh and Penny who made it all possible.
01/05/02
Some of you will have seen already the beautiful new stained glass window in the church. It had long been the late Ted Brooks’s wish to donate a window, and he saw and approved the design for it, but sadly didn’t live to see the work carried out. His family have generously given the window in his memory and its glowing colours make a splendid addition to our lovely building. A special service of dedication is to be held on Sunday 30th June at 3 pm. You are warmly invited to come to the church service, and to stay for the tea party afterwards in the village hall.
Our thoughts are with Shirley and Robin Excell during this time of Shirley’s serious illness. We send them our very best wishes. Please remember them and their family in your prayers.
Thank
you to the Smith family The
Wine and Cheese party at Rose Cottage on March 16 was a great success. We were entertained by Oscar, Denise’s delightful little grandson, fascinated by the coral-coloured corn snake, and tolerated by the resident cats who made the most of having some new laps to sit on. All this, as well as an excellent selection of cheese and wine made for a most convivial evening which was enjoyed by all who were there. Thank you Denise, Caroline, Vicky and Elizabeth and all who helped to make this such a good occasion. Well over £300 was raised for the church fabric fund.
ST
MARY’S CHURCHYARD TIDY-UP SATURDAY
13th JULY 2
o’clock to 4.30 pm EDGING STRIMMING Plus CLEARING coffee and biscuits Spare an hour to help Bring gloves and a garden tool -strimmer -wheelbarrow!! Enquiries to: Churchwardens
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