Design by ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS LTD

Paul Coppen  - January 2009

We carried an article on Paul Coppen, a regular visitor to Brandeston,  in 2007. At the start of this year, Paul featured in an item in the Times and has subsequently sent an article to the village web site.

Rules, Rabbits and Roast Beef

Paul F Coppen - December 2008

In spite of myxomatosis, poachers, farm cats and ferrets, rabbits remain a serious problem at White Close Hill Farm, near Bowes, County Durham. If, as we are led to believe, up to a dozen rabbits consume as much grass as one sheep, then a whole flock of the woolly beasties could be kept on the farm if the rabbits were removed.

To add another dimension to rabbit control an idea emerged of disguising a man with an air-rifle behind a picture of a cow mounted on one side of a grey Ferguson tractor which moves around the farm and, indeed, among the cattle. Perhaps, it was hoped, the rabbits would ignore the moving gun carrier, thinking it was just another cow, thereby presenting a stationary target for the rifleman.

The cattle at White Close Hill Farm are all rare breed Belted Galloways, about one hundred of them. All are black and hairy, except for a white band completely encircling their middle. Consequently a picture of a Belted Galloway was painted on a board mounted on the side of a grey Fergie with the driver-cum-rifleman cunningly camouflaged behind a picture of a tree above the cow. Maximum angle of fire was achieved by pointing the air-rifle through a horizontal slit above the cow, not unlike the firing positions more mature readers will remember in WW2 pill-boxes.

It has to be said that not all rabbits are entirely fooled! Whereas cattle obviously do move around the place, trees usually don't and that may be a problem. Nevertheless, the weird contraption does seem to engage the rabbit's curiosity, and as a result they don't scamper off quite as fast as usual. Luckily, no cows have been accidentally shot so far and Granite Brain, the stock bull, has not displayed any amorous or belligerent intentions towards the glamorous heifer depicted on the side of the tractor.

Beef from the Belted Galloways is supplied to the celebrated Rules of Covent Garden, London's oldest restaurant. Operating since 1798, they know a thing or two about quality beef and appreciate the fact that the herd is fed on a natural diet of grass in summer and hay or haylage (plus grazing) in winter and strictly nothing else - not even bought in concentrated cereal rations which are commonly fed to most livestock these days. In short, their diet is sourced exclusively from the farm.

Come to think of it, rabbits bagged following sorties with the gun-carrier have also been reared on a natural grass based diet produced on the farm. I wonder if! should give Rules a ring to see if they would be interested in ........

Lizi Baker’s Mozambique Appeal

40 Pembroke Street

Oxford

OX1 1BP

9^th January 2009

Dear Friends,

As I have just returned to work after an all too short Christmas break in Brandeston, I thought it would be about the right time to actually let people know what I am doing in this current phase of life.

In the summer of 2008, I successfully finished my degree in Sport and Coaching Studies at Oxford Brookes University and moved on to something new. I’m still living in Oxford and am currently working as part of an internship programme at St Aldates Church (www.staldates.org.uk). There are fourteen of us in total on this course all aged between eighteen and twenty-five. We have each got our own departments which we work under and (unsurprisingly to many of you) I work in the children’s department. This is a great deal of fun, with the wide range of jobs stretching from co-ordinating a pre-school children and mums group, running after school clubs for 7-11 year olds in a couple of Oxford schools, helping to lead social groups for 10-14 year olds and children’s church events on a Sunday morning. There are also one-off events too, such as a week long holiday club for about 150 children in the summer and themed parties for about 60 children once a term too.

We also do various other jobs around the church which range from serving at big events, making coffee (as all good interns do), prayer meetings and helping at conferences etc. In addition to this very practical and hands on work we also spend two days a week having biblical teaching, so all in all it can be pretty hectic, if a great amount of fun.

Our biggest challenge of the year however lies ahead of us this Easter. We will be going, along with four leaders, to Mozambique to work alongside Iris Ministries at their Zimpeto site (http://www.irismin.com/ministryLoc_zimpeto.cfm). Iris Ministries was set up by Heidi and Rolland Baker, who moved to Mozambique in 1995 and cares for the orphans of Mozambique, giving them food, shelter and medical treatment they would never be able to receive otherwise. Since its start, Iris Ministries has expanded to over 5,000 churches and cares for over 2,000 children within the centres and more outside of them. More of Heidi and Rolland’s story can be found at http://www.irismin.org/p/background.php. 

As a group we have been incredibly fortunate to have the means to get to Mozambique. Through fundraising, working and donations we have covered the majority of the cost of our course this year and the trip (flights, immunisation costs etc).

The biggest request for this trip would be that people pray that we all have a safe, healthy and enjoyable time out there. However if you feel you would like to support the work in Mozambique and help us get to a place where we are financially able to donate more to Iris Ministries we would be most grateful. Anything we raise above our personal requirements will be given directly to Iris Ministries.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. If you do wish to contact me, my details are below.

With Love,

Lizi Baker

Postal: E. Baker, 40 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP.

Email: lizi.baker@staldates.org.uk

Mob: 07500 956 798

Bill May’s 95th Birthday Party at the Village Hall

Sue Fisher

Bill, my father, was 95 on 7 November and on the following Saturday, more than 40 family and friends joined him at a secret party to celebrate his big day.

Friends and family travelled from all over the country to congratulate and surprise him and he was greatly moved by, and hugely enjoyed, the occasion.

David and I would like to thank our friends for their support and help in organising the event. Without the amazing cake, fantastic puds, a great selection of music, last minute cooking, beds for some of the guests and general help with the management of the day, we would not have had such a successful party. Thanks, also, for all the hard work these friends put in in clearing up on Sunday morning.

Bill still lives independently in London but much enjoys his stays in Brandeston, visiting the pub, meeting local friends and organising our garden! He is looking forward to seeing everyone again at Christmas and, no doubt, showing off his photos of the party.

More photos from Bill’s birthday.

Christmas Puddings for the Village Christmas Lunch - December 2008

Marian Hutson

Following on from their recent cooking experience at the Queen, budding village cooks Kate and Maddie, along with Ellen, made the puddings a few days ago for the village’s Christmas lunch on 9 December.

The pudding making team consisted of Mary Mitson-Woods, Helen Fletcher and myself along with the girls. We mixed the puds then they were taken to Eileen’s Aga for cooking and are currently being stored in her pantry. If I say so myself, they tasted pretty good prior to cooking so should be great on the day. The taste had a lot to do with the fact they contain a fair bit of alcohol which we raided from our drinks cabinet!

A real community effort for a community lunch and they'll beat Tesco's finest any day!

Hilary Whiting’s 60th Birthday - 18 October 2008

Jennifer Whiting

The Whiting family would like to thank Alan at the Queen’s Head for a wonderful night out on Saturday the 18th of October.

Hilary has now reached the age of a free bus pass - yes, the grand old age of 60!!!!

I have to say that, as my mum, she looks lovely and has always lived up to the true meaning of her name - Cheerful!!!!

As permanent fixtures of the village, Mum and Dad, or Hilary and David to you guys, moved to the village in 1971 after they got married and soon after gave birth to my annoying brother Darren!

Being almost a Londoner after 10 years, I love nothing better than escaping from the big, noisy city to my roots, the peace and tranquillity of Brandeston and, of course, a hearty home-cooked roast on a Sunday that Mum never fails to knock up (especially when hungover)!!!

Having lived next door to the village hall and grounds for many years, it’s a delight to see so many activities going on once again. My nieces love to come and play in the new children’s playground when they visit. My Dad’s dancing has improved immensely over the last year, as those of you at the classes will know (sorry Dad). My first Bingo experience at the village hall was really competitive - I'm now going to invest in coloured pens so I have more of a chance against you regulars!

Getting back to the point, Hilary, David and I would like to thank everyone for coming and making the weekend so special.

I think you would all agree that Brandeston is a very special place with the beautiful buildings, the college, pub and river. But it's definitely the lovely people in it that make it!

Many thanks,

Hilary, David and Jennifer

More photos from Hilary’s 60th

Phyl Shaw - 13 October 2008

Phyl Shaw is as close as anyone can be to being a Brandeston resident without actually living here. She is the sister of the late Peggy Hayward from The Street and aunt to Nick and Anne Hayward. Phyl lives in Easton but as well as attending Easton village functions, she is a regular at lots of Brandeston events. She never misses a Thursday Coffee Morning and attends the village whist drives, film club, village lunches and other events including last Saturday’s Harvest Horkey where the photo, right, was taken.

Phyl lives in one of the round houses in Easton and recently agreed to show her home to the Easton Magazine but it ended in an interesting article giving us some information not only about the building but also a little about Phyl and how she renovated the house and garden. She is happy to show off her place to Brandeston people - talk to her at the Coffee Morning.

The Easton Magazine article is reproduced here with the kind permission of the author, Peter Farley, and the editor of the magazine, Clare Owen.

Penelope (nee Murton) and Norman Scofield - 27 September 2008

Sue Thurlow

Many of you will have met my sister Penelope at the Coffee Morning or at other village events.

On a most beautiful autumn Saturday in September 2008, Penelope, who was widowed five years ago, married Norman Scofield at Blean church in Kent. It was a very happy day with lots of family and friends at the church, and afterward at a seaside hotel in Tanketon, to wish them well in their married life together. Here are a few photos.