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A Big 70th - July 2008

David Risk

Last Easter when some of my family were home, it was suggested, as I was approaching 70, we should have a party. After a few enquiries as to who would be available, it appeared that Kathryn would be away so I said forget it.

About four days after my actual birthday, Robert rang up to say he would be taking Ruth and myself out for our birthdays and would be down on Saturday night after finishing work; Jenny had already arranged to come home after football (Ipswich lost at home).

Come Saturday morning, I was told to be ready, tidily dressed, by twelve o’clock. As we loaded into the car, I did think it unusual that there was not the normal debate about where we were going.

When we were trying to park at the rear of the Wentworth Hotel in Aldeburgh, somebody stuck his head out of a passing car and said, “Where do you find somewhere to park here?” At first, I didn’t recognise my brother John and his wife, who live in Norfolk, but I said to Ruth, “What is he doing down here?” No reply!

So, we entered the hotel and were told to go into the lounge and there, sitting around, were several members of my family having a drink. I was just getting around to speak to everyone when I was told, “Look behind you!” Out of the reception office came my younger brother, Peter, who had come all the way from Australia. They said I turned white with shock! I didn’t know anything about it until he walked in. (On looking back, there had been a lot cleared off the computer.)

Anyway, we had a lovely lunch with a cake and drinks and I even managed a speech. Ruth had just celebrated her birthday so there was a lovely bouquet of flowers for her. We had a walk down to look at the North Sea in the afternoon and then back to the hotel for afternoon tea and we eventually left for home around six o’clock.

Peter came and spent Monday with us and we had a good look around the village hall and then Brandeston Hall School, where Peter went as a boarder. Normally, at this time of the year, the gardens look a bit browned off but they are currently in pristine condition thanks to all the rain we have had lately.

Then we had a look at the new oak frame at Red House Farm to replace the old barn. Peter had been kept up to date via the internet but that is not the same as seeing the real thing.

After a visit to the Queen’s Head on Friday for lunch (the missing ducks didn’t go back to Australia - we thought they had had their wings clipped) and Saturday night with our sisters-in-law and brothers, he is now back in Oz.

I hope he enjoyed being here as much as we did having him. Now I can get over the surprise!

See more photos from David’s birthday party here.

Sam Tassera and Chris Strachan Marry - 28 May 2008

Even a small village like Brandeston can spring a really pleasant surprise now and again. Sam and Chris have been part of the village for a few years and, for no particular reason, it never occurred to some of us that they weren’t married. Then, two weeks ago, a rumour was picked up (from Kettleburgh, of all places) that they had run off to Scotland for a secret wedding in May.

“We have been together for eleven years,” said Sam, “and we have lived together for seven of those so we thought it was about time we got married.”

As they don’t like a lot of fuss, they ran away in their camper van on a romantic elopement. “We were married in a sweet village called Aberfoyle close to Loch Lomond with only a local shopkeeper as our witness and, of course, the registrar. It was very special to us.”

Sam and Chris are having their marriage blessed at Brandeston Church on Sunday, 17 August.

Michael and Sandy Aldrich, Mutton Lane - 17 June 2008

Michael Aldrich

We had been roaming around Arizona for 30 years, visiting in winter, and the stays just got longer. We live in north Scottsdale up against a mountain. Our children and grandchildren visit frequently and we take them to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Sedona or to a ranch when we can divert them from the local retail. We originally rode the ranches years ago but now we let the young ones get saddle sore.

Scottsdale is well located; we are a day’s drive from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Fe. Always travelling and always exploring, we are very much nomadic but May to September is too hot so we come to Europe and particularly Brandeston.

We found this part of Suffolk during an ancestor hunt. Some 500 years ago, my ancestors lived near Monk Soham. At some point they moved to Ipswich and in 1800 or thereabouts they moved to London.

We come to Brandeston to recharge our batteries in a beautiful and tranquil village. We fell in love with it on our first visit and bought the Old Kennels in Mutton Lane in 2005. It was in need of complete restoration and it took a year of building work to finish it.

Paul Hutson and Kate Arkell Marry - 26 April 2008

Marian Hutson

On a beautiful, sunny and warm Saturday, Paul Hutson married Kate Arkell at Stoke by Nayland church.  Paul is the son of Chris and Marian Hutson and lived with them at Killarney and then Red Gables, Mutton Lane for six years whilst he attended Thomas Mills High School. You may remember him from his days working at the Queen’s Head during the tenancy of Tony and Doreen Smith.

Kate grew up in Stoke by Nayland and those of you who listen to Radio Suffolk may recognise her as a regular producer and presenter on the station.  In fact, we are very proud of her this week as she picked up a Sony Gold award in London on Monday night, along with Mark Murphy, for their programme “Gosnold 400”, a live broadcast from America which Kate worked on and travelled to America to produce and present.

Kate was attended by three bridesmaids, Paul’s younger sisters Ellen and Madeleine (left), and Kate’s lifelong friend, Louise, another Stoke by Nayland girl.  Paul broke with tradition to have two best men, the first being Oliver Moorman (son of Sue Fisher of Brandeston) whom he has known since the age of nine, and Rob, another great, lifelong friend.

We enjoyed a relaxed but moving service conducted by the Rev Michael Tillett, then stood outside the church and enjoyed the sunshine and champagne whilst the pictures were taken. Then the long trek across the street to the Village Hall! for the wedding breakfast followed by  fun and dancing until midnight.

All in all a great, relaxed, simple but beautiful wedding.

Tap Dancers in Brandeston - 29 April 2008

You need a good memory, a huge amount of co-ordination, a sense of rhythm and flexible ankles. For someone who always wanted to be able to do an impromptu tap dance, the Brandeston Tap Dance Class was an opportunity not to be missed. A pair of leather soled shoes, a bit of practice at a few flicks of the feet and that would be me tap dancing – even better would be the ability to repeat endlessly a set sequence of steps.

The tap dancing class has been running for over two years and eight of us turn out at the village hall every other Monday to be taught by Cheryl Halliwell, our accomplished and patient dance teacher. To tap dance, you have to remember two things – the sequence of movements in a tap step and the sequence of tap steps that are choreographed into a routine that accompanies a song. So, can we do it? Well, just about. We can do a basic shuffle-ball-change, the very first step we were taught, although some of us have problems moving our arms at the same time as the legs. It’s easy when it’s part of walking but make the feet do something other than go up and down and the arms have a mind of their own – generally an empty mind as they stop moving altogether.

We’ve moved on from that into the time step, buffalo, maxie-ford and many more. Cheryl joins them together into a dance routine to songs such as Nat King Cole’s “Orange Blossom Sky”, Bobby Darin’s “Beyond the Sea” and the current one “I Get a Kick Out of You”. Sometimes the steps come fast and furious, other times they are slow and controlled – but it’s just a short break until another fast sequence as the music just keeps on moving along.

There is such a strong feeling of elation when we reach the end of the song. Cheryl starts by breaking down the song into phrases and we practise the steps without music until they’re in our heads and feet. Could you do it? Definitely! According to a recent newspaper story, tap dancing, as well as being good exercise,  is also good for the brain because of all the thinking that has to be done. Because of the way we learn a routine, you can join in straight away even as a beginner so come along on a Monday and try it out; all ages are welcome and full information is available from the What’s On page.

Another Engagement: Alan and Jane from the Queen

Most things happen in threes, they say, and here is the third in a row on this page. It can now be revealed that in an exciting move immediately after the singing of Auld Lang Syne had ended on New Year's Day, Jane took the Leap Year opportunity to propose to Alan. Needless to say, Alan accepted. For those of us in the New Year's Eve party, it was obvious that something was going on, when we walked from the restaurant area, as there was some serious hugging going on behind the bar.

With no date for the wedding set as yet, Jane said "I know that traditionally I should have waited until 29 February but the start of the New Year was too good to miss." Conversations with Alan have centred around him mopping up the cold sweats whenever the "E" and "W" words come up - not to mention the "diamond" word!

S tephen M organ and Jess Marshall Marry - 12 April 2008

All week we were checking the long-range forecast to see if it would be sunny on Saturday. In the end, we decided to find a weather web site that showed sunny weather rather than believe the BBC which just seemed to be never right. On the day, apart from a brief shower, it was crisp and sunny and everyone was happy.

S tephen, the elder son of Pat and Darryl M organ (right), from  The Street  married, at Butley Priory, Jessica, the daughter of Jenny and Kevin Marshall (below, left)from Hornsea, near Hull, with the reception being held in The Old Rectory, Campsea Ashe. In a small, informal wedding, Jess was dressed in an off white Italian lace dress with an old-rose sash. Her bridesmaid was her school friend Cheska who wore a short, old-rose  taffeta dress.

The guests were the immediate families from Hull, Wales and Suffolk along with close friends of the bride and groom. Best man was S teve’s friend Nick and another friend, Dan, flew in from Vancouver especially for the wedding. S teve’s brother, Rob, and Jess’s brother, Alex, acted as ushers.

The groom’s nerves were stretched by the very late arrival of the registrar – a delay that put the traditional lateness of any bride in the shade. Following the emotional wedding ceremony, champagne and canapés were served in the spectacularly beautiful, candlelit main hall of the Priory. After a brief shower of rain, the sun came out and we all went into the garden where rose and violet petals were thrown at the newlyweds who never seemed to stop smiling.

In between the ceremony and the reception, the guests boarded a 1947 coach for a scenic trip through Tunstall forest to the seaside at Aldeburgh for photos on the beach and some warm-up time in the bar of the White Lion.

After the fun photo shoot on the beach, the afternoon tea and cakes (actually a tower of decorated cup cakes) at The Old Rectory were most welcome. This was followed by boys’ games in the garden, the wedding breakfast, speeches and a dance to the couple’s favourite songs.

S teve and Jess are spending their honeymoon in China and Oman before returning to their home in Middlesex.

More wedding photos here.

Robin M organ Engaged to Jo Bull - 29 March 2008

It’s just like buses - although not here in Brandeston, obviously - there’s no hope of a wedding in the family and then two come along in pretty quick time. Two weeks before his brother’s wedding, Robin  M organ, the younger  son of Pat and  Darryl  in The Street, announced  his engagement  to Joanne, the elder daughter of Laurie and Helen Bull from Maidstone in Kent. They have been together since their university days in Reading and both families are delighted that they have decided to get married although there is no date set at the moment.