Welcome to the March issue
Welcome to our March issue, and the welcome return of spring. With brighter days and a little more warmth in the air, it’s the perfect time to head back outside and enjoy what’s happening in our local area.
This month’s magazine is packed with events and activities, along with plenty of ideas for getting active and looking after your health and wellbeing – with options to suit all ages and interests, and lots of great local businesses to support along the way.
Don’t forget the clocks go forward on Sunday 29th March, bringing lighter evenings and a sure sign that the new season is getting underway. Mother’s Day is on Sunday 15th March – a chance to show appreciation for mums, grandmas, carers, or anyone special in our lives.
If you’re planning a thoughtful start to the day, you’ll find a recipe for fluffy French toast on page 42, perfect for a breakfast in bed or a relaxed family brunch. And for younger readers, Michelle from Crafty Foxes has a lovely project on page 48: a beautiful piece of jewellery that children can make as a heartfelt gift, or simply for themselves.
Have a fantastic March, take care, and we’ll see you again in April!
www.amplifydesign.co.uk
St Edmunds Directories, Field Close, Beyton, Suffolk IP30 9AW
Gemma Jeremy Editor
jeremy@burystedmundsdirectories.co.uk
Fluffy French Toast
At Care UK’s Glastonbury Court care home in Bury St Edmunds, you can live each day your way. We have everything you need to enable you to continue enjoying a fulfilling lifestyle.
We’d love to welcome you to our beautiful home and recently refurbished suite.
Minibus outings
Hair and beauty salon
Café and cinema
Trusted to care.
Bluestone Paving & Decking
07792 603204
Monday 5.30pm
Southgate Community Centre
Thursday
8am, 9.30am, 5.30pm & 7pm
Moreton Hall Community Centre
Saturday 7am, 8.30am & 10am
Southgate Community Centre
01842 820001
Tuesday 5.30pm & 7pm New Bury Community Centre
07355 810381
Friday 7.30am, 9.30am & 11am Southgate Community Centre
A GREAT START TO 26!
The year certainly came alive at our flagship Community Centre in February, highlighting what a fantastic community facility we have.
Firstly it is always the most romantic of days and the Feast of St Valentine has been celebrated around the world for
centuries. Andy Reeves and the acclaimed Marrakesh Band hosted an evening of swing, dancing and amazing music with the Valentines Dance 2026.
Then for the first time at the Centre we welcomed the East Anglian Music Trust for a Family Activity Afternoon with craft
Coach Trip
TO LONDON
Saturday 16th May
Leaving Home Farm Lane bus stop, Macebearer at 9.00am
Leaving Embankment in the same area that we drop off at 7.00pm
Cost £23
Jackie will be taking bookings from Tuesday 3rd March with payment for tickets.
activities including dress a jig doll, designing a “Green Man”, plaiting wrist straps, singalongs and with the highlight give-ita-try Maypole Dancing.
Such a fun event and the great news is they will be at the May Fun Day so another reason to come along.
COMMUNITY FUN DAY
BANK HOLIDAY MON 4 MAY
Back bigger and better the annual Southgate Community Fun Day: Now in its 12th year it promises to be another great day out for the family. We already have nine teams registered for the Inter School Year 1 Football Tournament, free inflatables, rodeo bull and bouncy castles booked along with the Abbeycroft Leisure Explore Outdoors Climbing Wall, refreshments, ices and a host of entertainment plus activities from Southgate Church. Book this date in your diary and watch this space!
Anita4Bowen
• Quality treated fencing supplied & erected
• Gates & frames
• Galvanised gate furniture
• Concrete & wooden posts
• Concrete & wooden gravel boards
• All types of fence panels available (treated)
• Old fencing cleared
• Excellent quotes returned promptly
• Professional, tidy & reliable service
Requires
Hours
Working
Training given as required.
For further details contact Terry Ball on 07530 276262
Acupuncture
Acupuncture – Children
Alexander Technique
Bowen Technique
Counselling
Craniosacral Therapy (Biodynamic)
EFT
Fertility – Acupuncture
Fertility – Hypnotherapy
Food Intolerance
Homeopathy
Hypnobirthing
Hypnotherapy
Life Coaching & Wellness Coaching
Massage (Sports & Remedial)
Medical Herbalist
NLP
Nutritional Therapy
Osteopathy
Personal Training
Pilates Reformer – Private Lessons
Psychotherapy
Reiki
Reflexology
Thermal Imaging
Shiatsu
Trauma & Abuse Therapy
Youth Counselling
Anxious, stressed, low or depressed?
We’re here to help you
We offer free mental health support in Suffolk to people aged 16 or over.
You can self-refer for talking therapy (without seeing your GP) and access a large range of online workshops by visiting our website or giving us a call.
0300 123 1503
•
MOBILE HAIRDRESSER
•
•
Moreton Hall WI
We were able to start our February meeting by presenting a cheque to Restore Women’s Aid as our final donation to our chosen charity for 2025.
Our speaker was Tony Whittingham from Larkwood Lakes Eco Centre who told us about his journey to turn a trout fishery into a nature reserve. Tony is a marine biologist who has chosen to champion our local chalk stream ecosystem by
following a philosophy of ‘letting nature do what it wants’. He has turned Larkwood Lakes over to rewilding and it was fascinating to see Tony’s slides showing the diversity of wildlife that has benefitted from this approach and the fact that he tries to enhance the environment to help the species that are there. How truly fortunate we are to have such a variety of wildlife on our doorstep! Fresh Water Stick Insects (who knew there
l Hedge Trimmers
l Turf Cutters to Strimmers
l Lawn Scarifiers
l Rotavators
l Stump Grinder
l Power Tools
l Timberwolf Chipper Shredder
l Access Platforms
l Scaffold Towers
l Concrete Mixers to Sanders
l Mini Excavators to Rollers
l Disc Cutters to Lighting Towers
l Carpet Cleaners
l Wallpaper Strippers
l Concrete Breakers Thurston Road, Great Barton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 2PJ
Telephone: 01284 788122 Email: info@tbs-hire.co.uk www.tbs-hire.co.uk
is such an invertebrate!), Damsen and Dragonflies, Minnows, Freshwater Mussels, Egrets, Kingfishers, Voles, Otters, Sparrowhawks, Marsh Harriers and Otters, to name a few.
MHWI meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm at Moreton Hall Community Centre. Visitors are always welcome. For more information contact Alison on 07757 005343
A family run business based in Bury St Edmunds with over 50 years’ experience. Our ethos is built on an excellent reputation.
We are able to supply and fit fencing, sheds and gates for all property types.
01284 705256 Mobile: 07857 487867
Saleitems
MARCH
List items FOR SALE free of charge to Moreton Hall and Southgate Residents, email: studio@burystedmundsdirectories.co.uk
Do you have any nearly new or unused items that are of no use to you, other than creating unnecessary clutter? Why not try to recycle them and gather a few extra pounds in the process? Please include: Brief description of the item, the price and your telephone number.
PLEASE NOTE:
The publisher can take no responsibility for the claims made by sellers regarding the goods for sale, nor are they liable for any claim with regards to the item or any payment transactions between buyer & seller.
Yoga in Moreton Hall: A Gentle Start to Your Tuesday
As spring brightens our mornings in Moreton Hall, it's the perfect time to try a new way to ease into a calmer rhythm of your day through yoga. YogaWell will be hosting a new Tuesday morning YogaWell session, 9.30–10.30am from 10th March in Moreton Hall Community Centre and would love to see you there. For those who are retired, it’s a way to stay active and connected; for parents and carers, a welcome pause after the school run; and for those working from home, a grounding moment before the day gets busy. Practising in the soft spring light brings an energy and steadiness that can carry you through whatever follows.
As a local small business already teaching at Skyliner Way Sports Centre and Sebert Wood School, we believe yoga is for everybody – no matter your age or experience. All are warmly welcome.
Book your FREE TASTER SESSION on Tuesday 10th March at 9.30-10.30am: www.yogawellsuffolk.co.uk
Tuesdays 9.30-10.30am
All ages & abilities, beginners welcome 100% inclusive! All mats & equipment provided
Moreton Hall COmmunity Centre £8
Local author publishes five novels to help animals
Local author Levity Brown has turned her storytelling into a fundraising opportunity by publishing five quirky, unique novels.
The books, written under the pen name of Levity Brown between 2010 and 2012, were penned as an attempt to save a Norfolk library from closing. The stories proved very popular, but a move to Bury St Edmunds meant she shelved the books for over 10 years.
Then, a chance meeting with a local company that supports authors led to the five books finally being published.
“Each story has a twist to it,” Levity explains. “I always describe them as the What if… elements. What if you could alter the course of history? What if you could live in a better world? And so on. A good story is a great place to go on a rainy day, and I have loved writing these books.”
“The five novels were always intended to entertain and also do some good in the world, so the profits from the books will be going to animal charities. I love animals, so it seems fitting that sales of my books will go to help find new homes for unwanted pets.”
Well known locally, Levity Brown already has interest from several businesses in the area, who want to hold copies of her books.
The five novels by Levity Brown
Ready, Steady, Grow Your Dough!
My WiSH Charity’s popular Grow Your Dough challenge is back for its third year, and teams across West Suffolk are being invited to rise to the challenge once again.
The imaginative fundraising event has gone from strength to strength since its launch. In our first year, Grow Your Dough raised more than £31,000, helping My WiSH Charity fund an activity coordinator for elderly patients, many of whom are living with dementia.
Our second year saw the £27,000 raised support a wide range of services across the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust benefiting areas including the WiSH Upon A Star Children’s appeal, the WiSHing Well appeal to enhance adult care, the stroke unit, the lymphoedema team and the Macmillan unit.
Thanks to the continued support of headline sponsor Knights Lowe, every team that signs up will receive a £50 starter donation and have three months to grow it as much as possible.
The challenge runs from 1 April to 30 June, and entry is completely free.
Corporate fundraising manager George Chilvers, who is organising the event for the first time this year, said, “The last two years have shown just how imaginative our teams can be. They come up with such amazing ideas and work tirelessly over the three months to see how big their £50 can become. This is my first year working on the event and I can’t wait to see what they achieve.”
Grow Your Dough is open to everyone from businesses and schools to families, friends and even individuals taking on a personal challenge. As always, there will be four trophies up for grabs: Most Dough Raised, Community Engagement, Most Creative Fundraising and Most Dedicated Team. George added, “This event couldn’t take place without
the support of Knights Lowe. We can’t thank them enough for backing Grow Your Dough for a third year. We know they were as thrilled as we were with the teams’ imagination and the final result.”
Kirk Vaughan, Director at Knights Lowe, said, “2024 saw the launch of the brand new Grow Your Dough event and, thanks to its overwhelming success, we are delighted to sponsor it again for a third time. Knights Lowe is proud to support this event and excited to see the creativity and fun grow even more this year, while helping to raise funds for such a worthwhile charity. Let the enjoyment and imagination begin!”
To find out more or to enter My WiSH Charity’s Grow Your Dough Challenge, visit www.mywishcharity.co.uk
at
Welcome to... Hardwick Primary School
Hayley Clarke, Headteacher 01284 755 424
Hardwick Primary School has had a fantastic start to 2026, with a busy and exciting half term full of enriching learning opportunities and important awareness events. One of the highlights was Number Day, when children arrived in wonderfully creative numberthemed costumes. The outfits were truly impressive, and the day was filled with engaging
maths challenges and activities that brought learning to life.
Pupils have also been developing their understanding of Tourette’s Syndrome, helping to break down common myths and promote greater awareness, empathy and inclusion within our school community.
During the final week of term, we marked Children’s Mental Health Week, embracing this year’s theme, ‘This is My Place’. Through a range of thoughtful activities, children explored the places where they feel they belong, recognising how a strong sense of belonging can positively support mental health and wellbeing.
Need more from your existing solar installation?
If you already have solar, invest in a retrofit battery storage system
The electricity you generate from your solar panels can’t always be used immediately. A battery storage system is simple and relatively inexpensive to fit and can store any unused power to use in the evening, overnight, or to power an electric vehicle – the choice is yours.
A battery gives you your own renewable energy source, available to you 24 hours a day for however you want to use it.
If you’ve had solar panels fitted in the last few years, you may have been put off by the size of the batteries. Solar technology has advanced to the point where modern batteries are compact, more powerful, simple to retrofit and easy to store in the home, the loft and garage.
Most domestic properties will only require 5-8kW (enough to power an entire home for ten hours), but if you need more energy storage you can add additional batteries at any stage.
Why choose Generate + Store?
• Local business for 20+ years
• NICEIC and MCS accredited
• 95% of customers recommend friends & family
• Full end-to-end service with great customer support
• No hard sales!
5star Trusted Trader serving Essex & Suffolk solar customers
Is a solar battery right for you?
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our team. We’re here to help solar work hard for you.
01255 762001
generateandstore.co.uk
Latest news from
LSS continues its donating to the West Suffolk Lymphoedema Service
At LSS’s 26th January meeting, we proudly presented WSLS with 100 massage balls for patients to use in clinics and at home. This latest donation brings the total of massage balls donated by LSS to WSLS to 300!
Three Minute movement motivator!
Movement plays an important part of lymphoedema management. It keeps the lymph fluid moving, improves your general health, helps with weight management and also stimulates the endorphins. But the thought of exercise can be daunting if you are struggling to get around, being a gym bunny is not for everyone and with our busy lives, we can forget to devote time for
regular exercise. So, instead of giving up and making friends with that bar of chocolate, what can we do?
Try choosing a task that takes roughly three minutes and that you do at least once a day - such as boiling the kettle for a cuppa, talking on the phone or watching/ ignoring the TV adverts in between programmes – and use
2026 LSS MEETINGS
March 23rd, June 8th, August 3rd, October 5th and December 7th
7pm – 9pm in Room 2 at Moreton Hall Community Centre. There is no joining fee or referral needed. Do come along and find out more about living with, and managing, Lymphoedema and Lipoedema in a relaxed and friendly setting, along with enjoying a cuppa and slice of cake.
this time to move about (which is basically what exercise is!). You could twirl your ankles both ways, do a march on the spot, maybe do a little dance, shrug your shoulders up to your ears, pick up a can of beans and do some arm curls.
Three minutes, a couple of times a day to start with, can help make a difference – so why not give it a go!
For further details on LSS and the West Suffolk Lymphoedema Service: LSS email: lssuffolk@gmail.com Facebook: LSS@lymphoedema West Suffolk Lymphoedema Service: wslymphservice@wsh.nhs.uk T: 01284 712732
For further details on Lymphoedema and Lipoedema: British Lymphology Society website: www.thebls.com Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) website: www.lymphoedema.org Macmillan website: www.macmillan.org.uk
From L-R: Gill Hinton, Laura Beaumont (WSLS), Mort Smith and Linda Allen (LSS Committee member)
In celebration of wetlands
Jillian Macready BWMG Trustee
You could be forgiven for thinking that the whole place is going to turn into one big boggy wetland, after the rainfall we have had recently, but fear not, it will dry out and the sun will shine again, as it was when I was writing.
Wetlands though, are vital ecosystems. Special places where water and dry land meet, be it marsh, fen, bog or reedbed, or in our case, floodplain land between our two chalk streams, the Lark and the Linnet. Any land, where water covers the soil or is near the surface for long enough to influence the type of soil, plants and animals found there, is a wetland. They can be permanent or seasonal but it’s the water that influences the ecology. This is different to flooding, which is short term but ecologically stressful. Soils are unstable and farmland crops, which can’t withstand long periods
of waterlogged soil, may fail. Wetlands are stable ecosystems adapted to regular prolonged wet conditions.
Water meadows are different to floodplains though may be contained within them.
Historical records of Bury St Edmunds and the features you see, even today, such as the grips, and perhaps the remnants of weirs, indicate that
our water meadows were indeed true water meadows.
These largely historic and purposely engineered features, deliberately diverted river water onto fields; a carefully managed agricultural tool for controlling flooding. It demonstrated a sophisticated approach to land and water management that was common in parts of England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. By ‘floating’ a meadow early, between Christmas and March, the landowners could reduce the effects of frost, encourage early grass growth and produce a lush pasture for livestock by way of the fertile soils and nutrients deposited. This would have allowed livestock to be overwintered indoors for a shorter period, saving money and resources.
Wetland areas should be valued as an important natural capital resource. They deliver biodiversity and habitat. Animals like otters, water voles and kingfishers breed, feed and rest in wetland sites. A rich reserve of invertebrates, amphibians and specialised plants are at their disposal. Wetlands can purify water, filtering pollutants and sediments and improving water quality downstream; they also act as natural sponges, absorbing excess rainfall then slowly releasing it.
Suffolk, like many other parts of the UK, is threatened by changes in climate. We are
experiencing much wetter autumns and winters and long periods of dry weather in the summer. Wetlands play a significant role in both adapting to and mitigating the effects of this change. As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events, wetlands provide vital flood storage capacity. The risk and severity of flooding farmland is reduced, crucial to crops and with the obvious benefit to urban areas and communities.
Wetlands moderate local temperatures and maintain water supplies during dry periods building drought
www.burywatermeadowsgroup.org.uk
resilience which supports both wildlife and human needs. The water resources we have which keep our wetlands wet, need also to be managed for boom-and-bust times ahead.
Above all, wetlands especially peatlands and reedbeds (as well as sea grass, but that’s a different subject) are highly effective at storing carbon. They lock away vast quantities of carbon in their soils and vegetation; this is hidden away from the ravages of an increasingly unstable climate above ground and helps to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Photos: Christopher Cross Irps
IF YOU HAVE A MOMENT
We all have our moments. Sometimes, it is in those moments that we find the strength to keep going. Getting older teaches you to live in the moment, every minute is worth a hundred. Pain makes you live in the moment so you mustn’t waste a moment doing things that don’t please. Embrace life with both hands and breathe it in.
Living in pain teaches you to not think too far ahead nor overthink. We learn to navigate and negotiate, be ready for setbacks and become experts in our field embracing a new identity and accepting a new normal. Overcome the challenges, be open to suggestions, learn a multi disciplinary
approach, above all else have a meaningful life. By giving ourselves time and presence of mind, we reap the benefits.
Connecting with others is vitally important to all of us, whoever or wherever we are. It enhances quality of life and reduces loneliness and isolation. Joining a support group of like minded people helps alleviate that, boosting mental well-being. It enhances physical health by increasing self-esteem, and provides a sense of purpose, strengthening immune function.
As CPSG we welcome all ages (18+) and genders to our meetings. If you would like to see what we are all
DIARY DATES
Positively Crafty – Thursday 5th March from 1.30pm-4pm (Flowers)
Coffee Morning – Monday 9th March from 10.30am at The Dragonfly Hotel
POSITIVELY CRAFTY
Crafting at home improves mental health by acting as a form of mindfulness, reduces stress and lowers anxiety. Focusing on repetitive motions acts as a form of meditation and can help with negative feelings. Crafting requires handeye coordination that can improve mental sharpness. Its gives you a sense of purpose and once completed a sense of achievement. After an unforeseen start to the year sessions resume in March. Coming together is so important for all of us.
about and meet some of the members pop into one or two of our meetings and see for yourself if it is right for you.
Speaker Meetings – Thursday 19th March from 2pm-4pm. Both meetings are held at Southgate Community Centre
Zoom – Virtual Coffee Morning Saturday from 10am
info@chronicpainsupportgroup.co.uk
Two Brownies from 1st Moreton Hall Brownies were so inspired when Geraldine and her guide dog, Ted, visited a Brownie meeting that they decided to raise money for Guide Dogs. Elsie and Rosie took their families on a sponsored walk and Geraldine and Ted returned to collect over £200 raised by the girls.
Bury Abbey Celebrates Burns Night for
the 11th Time
The glorious Guildhall in Bury St Edmunds was the venue for the 11th Annual Burns Night Celebration organised by Bury Abbey Rotary Club last week.
The Haggis was borne in with suitable ceremony by President Melanie Lesser, accompanied by the traditional piper, and Ode to the Haggis recited before the delicious meal was served to the 65 guests.
Following the supper Scottish dancing ensued under the expert guidance of Alison Fuller and Susie Marshall from the Bury St Edmunds Reel Society. Although the dancing may not have been technically perfect it was hugely enjoyable and everyone left with a big smile on their faces
Over £550 was raised for Rotary Charities. Organiser Wendie Summers commented “I organised the first Burns Night for Bury Abbey 12 years ago back in 2014 and apart from 2 years
during the pandemic it has run every year since. Thank you to everyone who supports us, It’s a very popular fun event which brightens up the gloomy days of January.”
Bury Abbey Rotary Burns Night
Fluffy French Toast
A breakfast-in-bed treat for someone special in your life this Mother’s Day.
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons plain flour
225ml (8 fl oz) semi skimmed milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon caster sugar
12 thick slices bread
METHOD
Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat.
Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.
sponsored by
LATEST NEWS
TEEN Chill
New to Moreton Hall, starting Tuesday 17th March at 7pm–9pm at Moreton Hall Community Centre £1 per child (11-16 Year olds). Come along to the 1st session to find out what is happening for youngsters.
Moreton Hall/Eastgate Ward Mailing list
Bulletin out to our wider mailing list (across Eastgate and Moreton Hall, we now have around 180 people on the mailing list) if you wish to be added to this please contact mhravicechair@gmail.com
Updates from our Wildlife Champions
Thank to the MHWC who are working tirelessly to support our animal residents in Moreton Hall: Woodland Ways is a community group who work to keep a number of natural spaces well kept to support our local ecology and woodland friends. This year is their 25th year and they are always looking for more residents to get involved. It’s one Sunday a month and there’s coffee and cake.
Can you install a swift box at your property? Across Bury we are now on course to have over 100 swift boxes to help stop the decline of swifts nationally. If individuals, businesses, schools and community organisations want to get involved, including to obtain swift boxes, they can email committee member Jim at jim_sherlock51@hotmail.com.
New national recycling initiative coming to Bury St Edmunds You might have seen that “Better Recycling for Suffolk” is going to be coming in from June. This will enable much more recycling to be done from our homes. West Suffolk Council will be starting rolling out the relevant new bins over the next couple of months. You should have received a leaflet with the initial information in the past month, but there is a Facebook page to find out more.
GET IN TOUCH
Moreton Hall & Eastgate Ward
Local Government Reorganisation & local elections
We are expecting to hear the outcome of the Government’s decision on whether we will have one unitary authority or three unitary authorities this month. You may also have seen that the county council elections were postponed, but the Government has now reversed its decision and Suffolk County Council elections will be going ahead, expected to be on Thursday 7th May. If you are not currently registered to vote, you can register online. If you are not sure if you are registered you can check by emailing elections@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Could you be our secretary? Following our AGM in December, we have a vacancy on the committee for a secretary. If you might be interested in getting involved with the work of the residents association and helping with coordination/running of our meetings, email the chair Melanie on mhraquestions@gmail.com to find out more about the role.
Next Litter pick Sunday 14th June, 11am
Next Residents meeting 15th June, 7pm – 9pm
Location: Moreton Hall Community Centre
As chairman, I am happy to raise any points from residents raised at the meetings and with local councilllors. But you can also direct any questions you may have to your local councillors:
Councillor Birgitte Mager email birgitte.mager@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Councillor Rowena Lindberg email rowena.lindberg@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Councillor Peter Armitage email peter.armitage@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Councillor Peter Thompson email peter.thompson@suffolk.gov.uk
Moreton Hall & Eastgate Ward Residents Association, Chairman: Melanie Soanes
Email mhraquestions@gmail.com Vice Chair email: mhravicechair@gmail.com
Garden Design Service
• Book a consultation: We’ll set a time to discuss your vision, either in person or remotely if preferred.
• During our garden/ driveway design consultation, we'll discuss your ideas and budget, explore how you want to use your garden and its style, and provide you with some content to spark inspiration. We’ll also assess your garden's design potential, including its views, levels, and access.
• Constructing your vision - using measurements we took from our original meeting and the latest technology in building/ rendering software, we can create stunning visuals showing the potential your spaces have. We try to suggest the best products possible to satisfy your vision.
• At this stage, we can supply you with stills of the ongoing project, making sure you’re satisfied with certain elements of the design.
• Once perfected, the drawing can be converted into a walkthrough-style movie, showcasing every aspect of your project.
Experience your new project before any work commences. Being in the know is crucial when it comes to your landscape project, especially when it comes to cost.
Craft Corner
Welcome to my crafty column. Every month I share a crafty activity for you to try at home. Check out my facebook page for more info www.facebook.com/thecraftyfoxes or visit www.thecraftyfoxes.co.uk
I am running a mystery Mothers day make workshop at the Apex. So please book on to make your mum a surprise gift. www.theapex.co.uk
Michelle x
This months’ make is a beautiful piece of jewellery that you can make for yourself or your mum or grandma.
You will need a bottle top, magazine to cut up, scissors, metal eyelet, pva glue, sequins and ribbon or string.
Draw around the bottle top on a pretty patterned piece of your magazine and cut out
Stick to the base of your bottle top
Cut out the letters ‘m u m’ out of the text section of a magazine and stick those on top of the background
Now add some embellishments like sequins, glitter, or pressed flowers. Seal with PVA glue that dries clear or use UV resin and a lamp if you have that Screw your eyelet into the plastic lid and add some ribbon or string to tie around the neck.
TOP TIP…
You could turn it into a keyring, or a brooch or even place a magnet on the back and put it on your fridge.
www.thecraftyfoxes.co.uk
Cricket Club BURY ST EDMUNDS
There are two outstanding evenings taking place at Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club’s Community Pavilion in April.
On Friday April 10th Sporting 87 Football Club are featuring an Evening with Terry Butcher and Russell Osman, both former Ipswich Town and England legends, the evening will be hosted by Patrick Barker and will include accounts and discussion and highlights of the two players amazing football careers. Tickets are available at £10 from admin@sporting87. co.uk or telephone 01284 747222. The evening will support the charity Combat2coffee and is supported by Greene King.
Sportsman’s Dinner
POSTCARD CLUB BURY ST EDMUNDS
Jam, Jelly, James, Punch & Judy and Judges postcards were popular themes at our Letter ‘J’ Show & Tell evening.
Colour and black & white postcards included recipe cards for Junket and Jamaican Jerk Pork, John Hinde seaside views, Jays, Jasper the Bear, Joke postcards, and Japanese Airline liveries.
A postcard of the Woolpit Jubilee Pump and several of the Jockey Club at Newmarket were also displayed.
Afterwards, members were able to purchase postcards that had been brought to the meeting to raise funds for the MAF charity.
Next meeting at The Crypt, St Edmunds Church, 21 Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1QG: Tuesday 17th March 2026 – “A Step Into the Past”. Refreshments served. New members always welcome.
For more information about the club/events please contact Sue Rawles on 01284 769480 or email burystedmundspostcardclub@gmail.com Or find us on facebook: Bury St Edmunds Postcard Club
Services Events
SUNDAY 1ST MAR
9am: Holy Communion (No singing)
10.30am: First Sunday! (Our interactive Service for all ages)
SUNDAY 8TH MAR
10.30am: Morning Worship
SUNDAY 15TH MAR
10.30am: Mothering Sunday All Age
SUNDAY 22ND MAR
10.30am: Morning Worship/APCM
SUNDAY 29TH MAR Palm Sunday
10.30am: Morning Worship
SUNDAY 22ND MAR
2:00-4:00PM
Messy Church: Messy Fishing: for families children under 16 years, fun craft, food, Bible stories, & songs + it’s free.
SATURDAY 7TH MAR
Soul Food At Moreton Hall Pub
10.30am – 12pm Join us over breakfast as we wrestle with life’s big questions - please let Sarah know if you are coming
WEDNESDAY 4TH, 11TH, 18TH, 25TH MAR
9am: Hour of Prayer in the The Prayer Room in Church 7pm: Prayer meeting on zoom
Please remember to contact church office for zoom link – 01284 725391
TUESDAY 3RD MAR
10am-12pm: Christ Church Crafters NEW GROUP
Bring your craft & ideas to share Painting, crocheting, knitting, all welcome
TUESDAY 3RD MAR
7.30pm: Pub Theology
See David Carpenter for more details
TUESDAY 17TH MAR
10.30am-12pm: Coffee Club
THURSDAY 5TH, 12TH, 19TH, 26TH MAR
10am-12pm – Decaf - for families/carers & living with dementia
11.15am-12.15pm –Positive Steps strength & balance exercises with Parish Nurse Lesley
FRIDAY 13TH & 27TH MAR
10.30am- 12pm – Stay & Play for family and carers of pre school children & babies interactive play, snacks and time to chat. £3 for a family with two children + £1 per additional child.
If only faith was like the weather?
Written by Samantha Reid, A member of Christ Church
I ask this because how many of us are able to open a conversation with a stranger about the weather? It is such a neutral subject, most of us feel we aren’t going to offend anyone talking about it. I know it has been a hot topic in our family because our eldest daughter was so unhappy in this country she has gone to Australia and while we carry on covering up in March she is embracing the sunshine.
I wonder how many of us talk about religion to strangers or friends and family? I expect like politics most of us don’t start that topic unless we feel really safe in who we are opening up to. (Unless you’re like my middle daughter who loves using her knowledge about history, and how she can delve into the archives of her brain, and reproduce a counter argument about anything). It’s a shame that we feel obliged
to oppress our thoughts, as there are so many times those that have a faith have been helped by it. I expect people feel seeing is believing, and not many of us want to go to Jerusalem to see Jesus’s tomb, or that any scientific evidence exists, therefore many people are unable to believe.
You may have asked yourself why do people believe in something that is written down, but not pure fact? My belief has come from my will to see the best in humanity. I truly believe Jesus was sent by God to show the way in which we should live. I may stray from that belief when something cruel happens to me or someone else, but I am leaning more on faith when this occurs, because I want to see, and understand why something has happened. Usually there are two sides to every story, and when we
know the truth, we understand the reasons why. We may not agree with the actions someone else takes but understanding, and even empathising can change things so they don’t want to repeat those actions.
Jesus, and his disciples were the beginning of a chain reaction in history; which thousands of years later are still being handed down. Why do you think this is? Why do you think the Bible is still the best-selling book in the world, selling more copies each year than any great writer? Is it because many more people do truly believe, but unlike the weather they are afraid to talk about it?
Maybe I should lead by example, and bring my faith into conversations more. What would it take for you to open up to someone who has faith, and ask them why? Or is it back to the conversation about the weather?
Spring is just around the corner, or is it? Milder winters and earlier spring thaws mean spring now starts earlier. We see many plants and trees blooming earlier than they did over the past century. This new reality can have devastating effects on many migrating birds such as swallows, particularly in terms of their breeding and migration patterns.
As the climate warms, swallows may shift their breeding season to earlier in the spring, this can lead to earlier hatching of chicks and increased exposure to adverse weather conditions. This shift in timing can result in challenges for the young swallows, such as poor weather, food shortages, and higher mortality rates.
A study by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour and Cornell University highlights the decoupling of breeding timing and food availability, indicating that the timing of when to breed and when food is available is becoming decoupled for some animals, including swallows. This shift poses risks for animals relying on food resources that can rapidly change in abundance due to weather.
Increasing temperatures in the UK, combined with more droughts and more floods due to climate change, will also start to impact on our flora. Trees, shrubs and flowers will suffer under the new conditions and new diseases will find their way into UK. Many common species will disappear from our landscapes. There are already moves to introduce tree species which can survive the new environmental conditions.
This brings us onto another big subject, that being invasive species. We have already seen the huge impact of certain species such as grey squirrels, muntjac deer, signal
crayfish and mink brought in from other continents. They love the conditions in UK, and proliferate at surprising rates. Lack of predators, plenty of food and ideal habitat means their numbers can increase at an alarming rate.
Currently we have just a few invasive species but as climate change increases there is a good chance that many native species will suffer and potentially die out. This will leave gaps in our ecosystem and maybe we have to accept that these gaps will be filled with increasing numbers of invasive species in the future.
Climate change will also have a big effect on our insect populations. Here is just one example – The Harlequin Ladybird is a relatively recent introduction into this country. This insect has a huge appetite for greenfly, leaving little for native ladybirds that then starve. Worse still, the harlequin will turn on other ladybirds if their food resource diminishes. The invader will also prey on other types of insects, eating butterfly eggs, caterpillars and lacewing larvae.
It is easy to become depressed about the future of our wildlife, but I think we have to accept that change is coming on a huge scale and we need to embrace the new world.
- If you are interested in a Nature-walk around Larkwood lakes please contact me,
Harlequin ladybirds come in many colours but you can spot them by their orange legs.
Pete Austin Electrician
Fully
l
l
Electrical
l
l Showers
l Fuse board upgrades
l Mains linked smoke alarms
YOUR LOCAL CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY CENTRE
Forgiven not written off
In the 1990’s, Jonathan Aitken was a Conservative MP and Cabinet Minister. But one day he lied in court about who paid a bill in the Ritz hotel in Paris. However, he was exposed by the Guardian newspaper and was given an 18 months’ prison sentence for perjury.
Some years later, Mr Aitken described this series of events as “a great big divine kick up the backside”. Because in prison he became a Christian. He says that he found that his cell was a very good place in which to read the Bible. He also joined a prayer group which was led by a former armed robber and contained a pickpocket, a safe-cracker, two ‘lifers’ and a few burglars. Mr Aitken jokingly called this his ‘cell group’!
Eventually, he left prison, which he says was harder than going into jail. Because as he explains, “You’re not sure who your friends are and whether you’re ever going
to get another job.” After his court case Jonathan Aitkin’s reputation couldn’t have been lower. Indeed, many people have never forgiven him.
But the good news is that God isn’t as unforgiving as the world is. And so, when you humble yourself and ask Jesus to forgive you for your past, he does so, completely. Which enables you to make a new start in life.
This is how God has always dealt with his people.
In his youth, Moses murdered a man and yet God called him to lead his people out of slavery. King David committed adultery and
yet he is referred to in the Bible as ‘a man after God’s own heart’. The apostle Peter said that he would rather die than deny being a follower of Jesus. But then he denied Christ three times. However, Jesus forgave him, reinstated him and made him the first head of his church.
God has done a similar work in Jonathan Aitken’s life. When he came out of prison he went to theological college. Eventually God called him to be a priest, and so he was ordained into the Church of England. Since then, he has written three reports on improving the rehabilitation of prisoners. He has been a chaplain in Pentonville Prison. And he has set up a charity to support prisoners when they return into society.
People write each other off, but God forgives, renews and reinstates them.
Rev Mike Simm Minister of Southgate Church
What’s on in
MARCH
Sundays 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
March
10.30am Morning Worship Services with groups for children of all ages, All Age Service on 15th March for Mothering Sunday. Service on 22nd March includes Holy Communion.
Mid-week Communion Service, Wednesdays at 1.15pm in Church Centre.
Friendship Club, for older people
Meet in Church Centre at 2.30pm on Thursdays:- 5th March – Update from Myanmar, a return visit from Fyl Bevan 19th March – Sydney Carter, the man and the music – presented by Roger Cletheroe.
Southgate’s Got Easter
Easter crafts, Puppets, Games, Easter stor y, Refreshments
Saturday 28th March 2pm to 4pm In the Main Hall of Southgate Community Centre All Ages Welcome
No need to book Free entr y Free activities Free refreshments
Thursday Club
Meet on 26th March at 7.45pm for a Beetle Drive. All women welcome.
CoffeeStop, Mondays, 10am to 12noon in Church Centre. Free coffee, tea, biscuits and chat.
During term time, the following midweek groups meet in Church Centre:Liquid, for young people in school years 8 to 13, Mondays 7pm to 9pm Southgate Parent & Toddler group, Wednesdays 9am to 11am. Youth Club, for school years 5, 6, 7, Thursdays 6.30pm to 7.45pm
Southgate’s Got Easter
Saturday 28th March, 2pm to 4pm. Community event for all ages with free activities and refreshments.
DRIVEWAYS, PAVING & FENCING
Local authority approved drop kerbs and access. Tarmac driveways • Shingle • Tar • Block paving
All fencing • Patios and paths • Concrete pads Footings • Drainage • Fully insured.
For a free quote, call Darren 07766 024137
What’s on
Please note: all correct at time of going to press, but please check for updates directly with the venue.
Cinema
Project Hail Mary (12A)
Release date: 14 March 2026
Running time: 156 minutes
Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.
Find out more at: www.cineworld.co.uk
Music
Fleetwood Bac
Saturday 28 March 2026
Over the many years Fleetwood Bac have been together the band has received rave reviews from The Stage newspaper, the UK’s leading Fleetwood Mac fansites, the official Stevie Nicks website; and from ecstatic audiences wherever the band played, wowing audiences as far afield as Dubai, St. Tropez, the Cayman Islands and Monte Carlo.
The sound, the look, the mystical atmosphere and on-stage chemistry are all portrayed with passion and energy.
Tickets: £29.50, £27 (Prices include £2 booking fee).
Find out more at: theapex.co.uk
Theatre
The Gruffalo’s Child
Friday 27th March - Sunday 29th March
Follow the Gruffalo’s Child on her adventurous mission in Tall Stories’ enchanting adaptation of the much-loved picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. She follows snowy tracks and encounters mysterious creatures – but the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist… does he?
Let your imagination run wild with songs, laughs and scary fun for everyone aged 3 to 103.
Find out more at: theatreroyal.org
Lorem ipsum
THE 19TH HOLE
BY ADAM TRETT, PGA PROFESSIONAL GOLF COACH
Email: adamtrettpga@hotmail.co.uk Facebook: Adam Trett - ADT Golf Coaching
Welcome back to the 19th Hole.
We are now approaching the best time of the year when the clocks go forward and light nights return. This means one thing… the wait is finally over, and it’s the start of golf season!
ARE YOU READY FOR THE 2026 GOLF SEASON?
Here is a quick check list of things to have looked at before the season kicks off:
• Swing Work done?
• Equipment Changes?
• Yardages Completed?
• MOT on all equipment… new grips, loft & lie check etc…
COACHES CORNER: STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE
Strike is a the most important part of any shot we play during a round of golf, without good contact between club face and ball, the outcome of the shot is hard to judge.
There are many ways in which we as golfers can help control strike, however in this section I am going to give you a top tip for a way in which you can gain feedback on the strike patterns.
This will give the feedback you need to help fix an issue you are having, or allows you to tell your PGA professional what you are seeing in practice and they can help you to correct the issue you are seeing.
Also, and possibly the best situation would be that you see all of your great strikes and this gives you more confidence that your golf game is in a great place.
Ok here it is the answer to getting feedback on your strike…. DRY SHAMPOO!!!
Yes, I have written that correctly dry shampoo, this can be brought from many places.
This product when sprayed on the face of a golf club puts a layer of white dust over it. (see image).
When you then strike the ball, the ball removes this dust and you are left with immediate feedback of your strike for that shot.
I and other PGA professionals use this daily to show clients where they are striking and highlighting improvement after any changes to technique.
TOP TIP
Make practice more interesting… try and move the strike around the face.
Can you hit different areas on the face on demand?
Being able to do this shows great skill and control.
SEE HOW YOU DO WITH THIS ONE.
If you are struggling if any aspect of your game, then I would be pleased to assist you in enjoying this great game more.
DP WORLD TOUR
Joburg Open
Hainan Classic presented by MAEXTRO
Hero Indian Open
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational
The Players Championship
Valspar Championship
Texas Children’s Houston Open
• Broken door or window locks & handles
• Mouldy/misty poly roof sheets
• Broken/misty glass units
• Yellow/cracked door panels
• Letter boxes or cat flaps
• Security chains/ Spyholes/Knockers
• Hinges for doors & windows
• Locksmith/Barrel Locks changed
