STAMBOURNE NEWSLETTER
JUNE / JULY 2019
Published and distributed by Stambourne Parish Council No: 251
STAMBOURNE PARISH COUNCIL
The Parish Council held its Annual Parish Assembly and Annual General Meeting on Thursday 16 May 2019 in the village hall. We were pleased to welcome Braintree District Councillor Richard van Dulken.
At the start of the council year we have to appoint a Chair, Vice-Chair and representatives. Thisyeartheyare: Chair – Martyn Fall
Vice-Chair – Neil Pyman VillageHallCommittee–VanessaYoung Emergency Planning – Michael Crago Footpaths – Karen Grant Tree Warden – Oscar Pickess Public Transport – Andrew Drysdale
Pavilion – Work has begun on the refurbishmentofthekitchen. Thiswould not have been possible without the Community Initiatives Fund grant received from Essex County Council and bequest from the late Mr Brian Wright who lived in the village for many years and was involved in erecting the pavilion back in the 1970s.
Playing Field – We are often asked why dogs are not allowed on the playing field. This is because of the risk of toxicara which is present in dog faeces and presents a serious risk to children. Please do not take your dogs onto the playing field.
After many years of dedicated hard work cutting the grass on the playing field Mr Keith Hoadley has decided he will finish this year. The Parish Council would like to thank Keith for all his hard work. Over the years we have received many comments on how well-kept the field is and this is down to Keith’s dedication. Thank you Keith.
If anyone is interested in taking over cutting the grass on the playing field pleasegetintouchforfulldetails. The Parish Council pays for this to be done and equipment is provided.
Planning – In addition to the application for houses on land at Chapel End Way which was the subject of an extraordinary meetinginApril(theoutcomeisawaited) there have been two further applications made - application No: 19/00723/HH and application no: 19/00641/FUL.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday 18 July 2019 at 7:30 pm in the village hall. Full minutes are available on the village website www.Stambourne.com
Debbie Hilliard Parish Clerk Email: Debbiehilliard614@gmail.com Tel: 01440 785629
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2018/19
Looking back over the year is always an interesting exercise. Like all villages, life goes on without significant change, but there is always an undercurrent of evolution whereby the small changes that take place every year do add up to more significant change over a longer period. This was evident when looking back over the 250 past editions of the village newsletters.
If we look at individual aspects of village life during the past year we see progress on a number of fronts.
Playing Field
The playing field continues to be a “jewel in the crown” and thanks are due specifically to Keith Hoadley who does a great job with grass cutting and general maintenance. Thanks also to the many volunteers who look after the pavilion. The pavilion toilet refurbishment has been completed along with the addition of a disabled and baby changing facility. Certainly a great improvement on what was there before.
We now move on to a refurbishment of the kitchen which is due to take place in the next few weeks. We are able to undertake this work thanks to grant aid from the county Community Initiative Fund and some of the profits from our Bonfire Night celebrations. The play equipment is now deserving of some attention and we will be looking to update and enhance the facilities as we go forward. We will again be looking for grant aid to help us with the significant costs involved.
We have planted seven oak trees on the playing field to celebrate the end of the first world war and to commemorate the seven individuals from our parish who gave their lives in that conflict. You will probably have noticed the bollards that have appeared around the car park. This is so that we have control over vehicles going onto the field.
Planning
It is appropriate to quote from my report of last year: “...until such times as the Braintree District Council Local Plan is fully adopted we are vulnerable to opportunistic developers lodging inappropriate plans.” Most of you will be aware that this has happened and there is an outstanding application for a significant development off Chapel End Way. Along with many residents, the Parish Council has objected to the plans on the basis that the development lies outside the village planning envelope which has traditionally almost guaranteed rejection, but under the current circumstances nothing should be taken for granted.
It should be noted that the Parish Council is not opposed to some limited development in the village, but we feel any additional housing should be appropriate in scale and type to the needs of Stambourne and not a profit motivated developer. When we consider planning applications we always try to be fair and with many previous applications being rejected for being outside the planning envelope we would like to be consistent and see this one rejected also.
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Communications
We continue to be grateful to Steve Platt who manages the village website www.stambourne.com. This continues to be a valuable resource and for those who might be interested the Parish Council minutes, agenda and financial information, which are updated regularly, and uploaded to the site. Thanks are due to Karen Crago for editing our bi-monthly newsletter. Karen is always looking for material for the newsletter, so if you have any snippets that you might think are of interest please get in touch. High speed broadband does, at last, seem to be coming to Stambourne! County Broadband will be installing fibre optic cable around the village (probably with some disruption as trenches are dug in the road) and GigaClear will be installing fibre into the already laid conduit in Cornish Hall End Road with a view to connecting properties later in the year.
Bonfire Night
Once again we had a very successful bonfire celebration. The crowds were good, the weather was kind and we made a profit. A donation from the profits was made to the Silver Link Christmas celebrations. Again a huge vote of thanks to the many volunteers who work so hard to make this event so successful.
Finance
The Parish Council continues to be solvent, but like all local authorities our funding is tight. We pride ourselves on running a tight ship and it is worth noting that council tax payers in Stambourne pay a lot less for their Parish Council than most other councils in the Braintree District including our near neighbours. We are able to do this by funding some of what we do from the proceeds of our Bonfire Night and using volunteers where possible.
Thanks
A big thank you to all the Parish Councillors who give freely of their time for the benefit of the community and Richard van Dulken our District Councillor for his interest and support, and for his grant that helped us with the pavilion upgrades. But a special thanks to Debbie, our clerk for all her hard work and expertise in guiding us through the year. Thank you Debbie.
Martyn J Fall 16th May 2019
STAMBOURNE POST OFFICE
Chapel End Way
Tel: 01440 785100
Open for business every Tuesday and Thursday between 1pm and 5pm. 3
COUNTY BROADBAND
County Broadband advised that for Stambourne it is currently in the design phase where they are planning how the network will be built and delivered.
They don’t have specific timings as yet but will let residents know when each phase has been completed. In the meantime they issued the following press release:
Stambourne to join full fibre broadband revolution after rural residents show demand
County Broadband, a specialist rural broadband provider based in East Anglia, has announced Stambourne is joining the rural technological revolution after the local community expressed significant interest to connect to the provider’s new full fibre ultrafast network.
The news means residents and business owners in Stambourne will be able to access some of the fastest and most reliable internet speeds in the UK when the community is connected. Under the company’s ‘fibre-to-the-premises’ (FTTP) infrastructure, ultrafast internet speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps) are delivered directly into homes and businesses – even in some of the most difficult-to-reach locations.
Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband, said: “It’s been fantastic to have received such strong support from residents and business owners who expressed a lot of frustration over historically slow and unreliable internet connections which is so critical to our daily lives.”
The company’s expansion is not dependent upon government funding or financial contributions from home or business owners as the construction of the entirely new network is made possible by a £46 million investment by Aviva Investors.
ST. PETER & ST. THOMAS BECKET PARISH CHURCH
On 5th May we celebrated the wedding of Sophie Pyman
the first wedding in our Church for four years. It was a lovely day. Everything went to plan and
the rain held off. We send the happy couple our congratulations and best wishes for their future life together.
A big thank you to all those who attended the pet service on 12th May and to the well behaved pets. Rev. Liz Paxton enjoyed the service and meeting pets and owners.
SERVICES AT STAMBOURNE FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS:
and Gregory Adams:
| Date | Time | Service |
| 2 | nd June9:30 am | Morning Prayer | Dave Brown |
| 9 | th June9:30 am | Holy Communion and Baptism of Dorothy Onslow | Rev. Liz Paxton |
| 16 | th JuneNo service at Stambourne - please see notice board for other services in the Benefice | 23 | rd June9:30 am | Morning Prayer | ||
| Dave Brown | |||
| 30 | th June11:00 am | Benefice service at Castle Hedingham Church | Rev. Liz Paxton |
| 7 | th July9:30 am | Morning Prayer | Val Kerrison |
| 14 | th July9:30 am | Holy Communion | Rev. Liz Paxton |
| 21 | st JulyNo service at Stambourne - please see notice board for other services in the Benefice | 28 | th July||
| 12:30 pm | Baptism of Dexter May | Rev. Liz Paxton |
Val Kerrison Churchwarden Email: valeriekerrison@outlook.com Tel: 01440 785752 or 07879 816362
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RECTOR’S RAMBLNGS
We should now be well into the warmer weather, summer officially begins on the 21st of this month although as I write this article in May I’ve got lots of layers and the heating on so who knows! I am sure we will be venturing out of doors more often in the coming weeks and there’s lots of things to do in the villages this summer.
The 9th June is Whit Sunday or White Sunday, known as such because people being baptised on that day wore white clothes. The other name we use these days is Pentecost Sunday. It is the day when we celebrate God sending the Holy Spirit. The disciples gathered in the upper room and they were frightened about being caught by the authorities and being put to death like Jesus had been and confused by all that had happened since that first Easter Sunday.
All these events are recorded for us in the Gospels and Acts. We also have Paul’s letters in which he explains the gifts of the Spirit and how they are given so that we can share God’s love with the world.
But what do you think of this Holy Spirit? Is it something you’ve thought of at all? The Church has been split about the way the Holy Spirit is felt and how the Spirit works in us. For some it is a powerful, transformational experience; things like prophecy and healing. Others experience it as the quiet inner strength that gives them the ability to fulfil the commission to love others. Both of these understandings are true as the Spirit comes in many forms.
We all need the Spirit; the charismatic gifts given to some that show the awesome power of God to transform but we all also need it’s help to live out that calling to love in our everyday lives; to love our spouse when we’ve had a tough day and they irritate us, our work colleagues when we disagree, the people who need a helping hand around these villages because life is hard for them at the moment.
So this Pentecost I wish you the power of the Holy Spirit; may you be loved and strengthened in order to love others. Every Blessing Rev Liz
Tel: 01787 277270 Email: revlizpaxton@gmail.com
STAMBOURNE NEWSLETTER
The next newsletter will be August / September. More content is always welcome so please send any contributions or thoughts on possible items to Karen Crago at kcrago@btinternet.com or drop them in the post box at Tagely Farm, Finchingfield Road by Wednesday 24th. July. Thank you.
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STAMBOURNE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
NEWS FROM THE CHAPEL
Last month there was a significant event, but for most it will have been missed. I am not talking about the plant sale in the Chapel, though I do want to say thank you to all who came and contributed plants and who enjoyed a cuppa, and who contributed to the funds raised of £300.34p. We enjoyed your company and, after all the hard work of raising so many plants, we thank all who helped or came along!
No there was another significant event, but I am not talking about the elections to the European Parliament that should never have taken place. That wasn't an answer to prayers!
No this was the announcement of a monument to be built beside a motorway. Doesn't sound too important does it? After all we have had the Angel of the North and if you search on the web you will find the Wellington memorial on the A11 mentioned as well as some trees on a hill in Cornwall! But this one is different. It announces something that this country has lost - a memorial to answered prayers. In the Bible people often piled up stones to remind others of when God had done something significant. And this pile of bricks, to be built by the M42 and M6 and under the flight path of Birmingham airport will record 1,000,000 times that people have recognized God answering prayers, including the prayers for the forces on the beaches when people were called to pray, and instead of 35,000 being rescued, 350,000 were brought back! So last month the winning design for this monument was announced together with the exact location and now the work of building starts! All the hurdles have been overcome and the last one is actually putting together the bricks in a very innovative design that will been seen by many as they drive on those motorways or fly into the airport.
Why is this significant? Well with all the problems and issues we face today we need something better than human effort to get us through. Whether it is the Brexit issue, the knife crime, the county lines, the hare coursing, the con men in our villages, those who are breaking into our houses .... I could go on ... Solutions are needed and government doesn't seem to have the answers. So maybe a prayer will help, and in the long line of Biblical tradition of building something to remind us of how God answers prayers, The Wall will provide a UK focus.
Or you could call us at Chapel and we will offer to pray for you and any situation you are facing.
Adrian Burr
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EVENTS IN JUNE AND JULY
8/9th June Open Gardens - teas and coffees at Chapel
Saturday 22nd June 7.15 pm “Would You Adam and Eve it?” - Haverhill Arts Centre - Sponsored by the Congregational Churches. This is an award winning comedy which received awards at the Edinburgh Festival. Cost £10, tickets from Haverhill Arts Centre or Stambourne Chapel or online at
30th June 10 am – 4 pm prayer for healing is offered
The Healing Bus will be at Chapel where Anniversary Service
(1st Sunday Communion, 4th Sunday followed
21st July
REGULAR EVENTS
Every Sunday
by a meal)
10:45 am
10:45 am
Tuesdays
Open Church Coffee Morning and I-Tea - help
10 am - 12 with computer issues – bring along a laptop, tablet or phone and we will try and help
http://searchlighttheatre.org/box-office/4589142682/would-you-adam-and-eve-it/11210187
Slipper exchange - if you have slippers that are likely to cause you to trip or fall you can receive free exchange slippers that meet NHS
standards.
Wednesdays 2 – 3 pm Otago Standing or seated exercise to help maintain core strength and to prevent falls. Come and have a go. Cost per session £4.50
If you would like home communion or a visit please call Adrian Burr on 01440 730211 or 07983 656166 aburr@inbox.com
STAMBOURNE PLAYING FIELD PAVILION
The playing field pavilion is available for hire by contacting Debbie Hilliard on 01440 785629 or debbiehilliard614@gmail.com
(Picture from www.stambourne.com from 1979; basically the same building but significantly renovated recently!)
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STAMBOURNE VILLAGE HALL
REGULAR ACTIVITIES
| Activity |
| Frequency |
| Time | |
| Silver Link | Fortnightly |
| Tuesday 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm | |||
| An afternoon of fun activities with a friendly group. Includes tea and cake. Outings during summer months. Contact Vanessa 01440 785122 | “Let’s Get Started” - Fitness Class | ||
| Weekly |
| Tuesday 6:00 pm | |||
| For more details contact Lara 07471 105210 | Stambourne K9 Training | ||
| Weekly |
| Tuesday 7:00 pm | |||
| For further information contact Peter 07889 121148 | Stambourne Ladies’ Group | ||
| Monthly |
| Wednesday 7:30 pm | ||
| Call Vicky 01440 785528 or Lorna 01440 785573 |
VILLAGE HALL HIRE
The Village Hall is available for hire both by the residents of Stambourne and those who live outside the village. HIRE FEES Stambourne Residents £20 for 4 hours, then £5 per hour
Non-residents £30 for 4 hours, then £5 per hour Remember: there is also a Table Tennis table for use in the hall
Please contact Rosi Horton 01440 785339 for all booking enquiries.
SILVER LINK
NEXT MEETINGS
| Date |
| Time |
| Where | Cost | |||
| 11 | th June2 - 4 pm | Village Hall | £2.00 | Bring Small Raffle Prize |
| 25 | th June2 - 4 pm | Village Hall | £2.00 | Bring Small Raffle Prize |
| 9 | th July2 - 4 pm | Village Hall | £2.00 | Bring Small Raffle Prize |
| 23 | rd July2 - 4 pm | Village Hall | £2.00 | Bring Small Raffle Prize |
| 6 | th August2 - 4 pm |
| Village Hall | £2.00 | Bring Small Raffle Prize |
STAMBOURNE LADIES GROUP
Before Easter we had a lovely fun evening with Zoe; learning to decorate cakes and biscuits.
In May our dinner at Winners in Finchingfield was a great success and enjoyed by over 15 of us.
In June we have our monthly book swap on the morning of the 5th and our evening meeting on the 12th.
A Year in the Life of a Honey Bee
7.30pm Wednesday 12th June at the Village Hall.
COME AND LEARN HOW IMPORTANT OUR BEES ARE! Entry: £4 including refreshments (SLG members £2) 40 minute interactive presentation by Kevin Thorn. An opportunity to buy Pure Suffolk Honey and beeswax products from the Farmers’ Market stall and also Busy Bee Cosmetics.
(busybeescosmetics.co.uk) created by Julie Thorn.
Then we’re off to RHS Wisley on 19th June.
Wednesday 10th July Katie Lynn of Molten Wonky (moltenwonky.co.uk) is bringing a workshop to Stambourne Village Hall. Call Vicky 07778 410376 or Lorna 01440 785573 for more information.
Still feeling shy about coming along or would like more information? Please call Vicky or Lorna and we’ll give you an idea what we get up to.
Stambourne Jumble Sale
Saturday 8th June 2019
1 pm
@ The Village Hall
ALL WELCOME!
Admission 50p Tea and coffee available All proceeds to charity
Please contact Sian Davies-Hatton (07505 355994) or Lesley Scolley (07889 745180) for local pick-up in advance. Or drop jumble off at the Village Hall on Friday 7th June or on the morning of the sale.
OPEN GARDENS 
DON’T FORGET! First time in over twenty years
OPEN GARDENS DAYS
8th & 9th JUNE, 12 noon to 6 pm
Over a dozen gardens Teas Plant sales Barbecue Saturday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Bring your friends and relatives Tickets £3.00 per adult, children free All profits for the benefit of the Church, the Chapel and the Little Princess Charity
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