The end of the Bowls Club?
There is every possibility, at the end of this current season, the Bowls Club will fold. Membership has been steadily declining for some while.  There is now insufficient income from members to cover costs, not enough volunteers to maintain the green and too few regular and reliable players to form a competition team.

These are wonderful facilities and currently they are in very good condition.  It will be a sad loss to the village if this opportunity goes the way of the Cricket Club.

If there are any potential new members out there please contact Stan Bates on 820156 or any member of the Parish Council.  How about an open evening so that everyone can have a try.

Once gone, the Club will never return.

Affordable Housing
Not connected with the above, well, not at the moment (I jest!) there is a continuing need for affordable housing in the village.  There will be an open meeting to explore possibilities on 25th October.  This will be addressed by Louise Wilby (Rural Housing Enabler) and Niki Hollingsworth of St Edmundsbury Borough Council.  Topics likely to be covered will be local housing needs schemes, exception sites, and types of affordable housing - rent and shared ownership.

The meeting is unlikely to last for any longer than one hour and there will be an opportunity for questions.

If interested make a note of Thursday 25th October, 7.30 pm in the MSC Pavilion.

Highways matters
Further pressure is being brought to bear to encourage the Highways Department of Suffolk County Council to show more interest in the regular flooding at Coltsfoot Green and the dangerous state of the crossroads at Meeting Green (encroaching hedge on the right as you cross towards the 'Greyhound').  Watch this space.

Age Concern
'I didn't know that you did all this'
This charity has recently sent an updated list of their services. These include

• Help desks (free and impartial advice available face to face, by phone or email)
• Benefits advice (older people miss out on £1,000s of benefits. Home visits made)
• Independence Advisors (home visits to assist daily living and prevention of accidents)
• Domestic Information Help Line ('approved' organisations offering cleaning and domestic support)
• Day Care Centres ('supported' days for frailer older people for friendship and fun)
• And lunch and leisure clubs, 'local link' volunteers, 'home from hospital' support etc.

For further information please contact Maggie James on 01473 298688 or 257039 (Head Office Reception)

Conservation in the Cemetery
Please note that not all parts of the cemetery are regularly cut.  The older sections of the area are only occasionally trimmed and this is to encourage wild flowers. There are superb displays of Aconites and Primroses/Primula in the Spring and Michaelmas Daisies and Scabious in the summer.  Our thanks go to David King and his staff for their conscientious approach.

Please also note that the whole of the Chapel, including the porch, is now 'no smoking' to comply with recent legislation.

Parish Councillor
The Parish has an entitlement of seven councillors. Since the resignations of Allan Harrison and Steve Sumner there are only six.  We wish to co-opt a councillor to bring numbers up. If you think that you could be interested, please contact the Clerk (Roger Medley on 821861) or any of the councillors  - Jeff Claydon on 820327, Paul Bevan on 821313, Kerry Merritt on 820808, Kate Sammons on 07973 312131, Julia Walker on 821137 or Julian Wilson 820395.  Meetings are held monthly (Thursday evenings towards the end of the month) in the MSC Pavilion and last no more than two hours.

Have your say on such topics as planning applications, roads, footpaths, hedges, the cemetery, sports facilities, maintenance of the village, etc. 

The Next Meetings will be held on 23rd August, 27th September and 25th October; with the Estates meeting on Tuesday 11th September.

The Parish Council Hedgerow Survey
Gentle progress is being made with some 50 hedges surveyed to date (only another 450 to go).

Members of the team hosted a display at the Flower Show and Fete with a 'What tree is this?' (samples provided) quiz and a 'Where are you?' on the parish map.  These created considerable interest. Letters have been sent to the landowners in the north of the Parish; those for the south will go out in early August. 

Thanks to everyone, to date, for being so supportive.

Roger Medley  (01440 821861)
Clerk.