The year began with continuing anxiety about the latest variant of Coronavirus which had caused many Christmas events to be cancelled. Masks were being worn again in the village shop. A shelter was constructed outside the Surgery for people picking up prescriptions from the pharmacy.
The weather was cold, dry and breezy but not a ‘proper winter’ yet.
Clubs and societies were all hoping to start their programmes for the New Year and WI, History Society and Horticultural Society all met in January. By the end of the month, restrictions were lifted nationally.
Women’s Institute
A full programme of meetings and events has gone ahead this year. Monthly meeting were well attended and Walking Groups and Reading Groups met regularly. Monthly Tea Parties were held for anyone who wanted to come along for tea, cake and company. Members provided refreshments at the Fete in July. A Literary Lunch in June with Juliet Blaxland was hit by a wave of Covid but those who attended enjoyed it very much. A concert with the Bury Ukulele band was very popular as was a visit to West Suffolk College for lunch and a shopping trip to Norwich. Fund raising included a Christmas Shopping afternoon in the WI Hall.
The Hall is used regularly by WI, History Society, Horticultural Society, Yoga, Beavers, Table Tennis and parties.
Local History Society
A busy year of meetings and visits (to Gestingthorpe and the Elveden Estate) culminated in an exhibition commemorating the arrival of Ugandan Asians at Stradishall, a neighbouring village whose disused airfield and housing proved a safe haven for the refugees. The Society had been asked to help with this project, 50 years on from the actual event, and member Ruth Seal took on the task of organising this. A two-day exhibition of photographs, interviews, visits to the site of the camp, (now Highpoint Prison) and Indian food was a great success and was reported on in the local press. The Mayors of Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill attended, as did many of the Ugandan Asians whose families spent time at the camp. One family still lives in Haverhill and others came from all over the country.
Horticultural Society
The first meeting of the year was held in the barn at Ashfield Green Farm and was a social event with wine, food, quizzes and music.
Meetings were held on gardening topics and successful visits were made to Finchingfield, East Town Park in Haverhill and RHS Hyde Hall. The Flower Show was held in July and although entries were down it was a successful day and it is hoped to expand the entry classes for next year. It ran alongside the village Fete and beautiful weather made the whole day a pleasure for those who attended. The Fete committee had organised stalls, Morris dancing and a dog show which all proved popular.
Parish Council
A team of volunteers prepared a questionnaire which will help to inform the Neighbourhood Plan. This will give an idea of what the village would like in the way of housing, transport, activities etc. This was run alongside a housing needs questionnaire.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was celebrated with a visit from the Torch carried around Suffolk. It was carried into Wickhambrook on a rickshaw by Julie Little who had won the Alf Hicks Biscuit Barrel earlier in the year. This is awarded annually by the Parish Council to someone who has given outstanding service to the village. Julie kept spirits up during the pandemic by making willow hearts and hanging them on doors in secret. The Willow Fairy became a real talking point and kept her identity secret for a long while.
On the Jubilee weekend there was a’ picnic in the park’ on the Recreation Ground but the weather was disappointingly cold and drizzly. It was well-attended and people enjoyed food and music and there was free ice cream for the children.
Memorial Social Centre
It has been a busy year for the MSC with many weekly bookings including several fitness classes with Gareth Williams, Pilates, Mother and Toddler sessions, Fitmums, Badminton, Carpet Bowls and dog training. Weddings and parties keep weekends busy too.
Methodist Church
The church continues with a small congregation each week. Harmony Hour for ladies has started again and Messy Church for children.
A carol service was held on the Sunday before Christmas and Ivan Peacock, Church Steward for more than 40 years, announced his retirement. Now in his 80s, Ivan was born in Wickhambrook, worked for a local farmer and with his wife Beryl and their children has made a great contribution to village life through the Methodist Chapel.
A Christmas Eve candlelit service was very much enjoyed.
People
The death of Her Majesty the Queen was marked by the setting up of a Book of Condolence in All Saints Church.
Madhav Sharma, well-known actor and village resident gave talks at Stradishall Church for their fund-raising appeal.
A Ukrainian family of five now living in Denston after fleeing the conflict, have a child at Wickhambrook Primary School.
Ivan Peacock retired as Church Steward of the Methodist Chapel
Deaths this year include
John Smith of Attleton Green on 5th January
Brenda Fairhall of Coltsfoot Green, secretary of the History Society for many years, on 14th January.
Steve Williams, 5th March
Steven Coe of Thorns Close, History Society and Horticultural Society committee member, 21st April
Tony Day of Thorns Corner, a keen contributor and trophy holder of the Flower Show, 19th May
Michael Medcalf, lifelong resident 29th May
Ron Corbyn of Coltsfoot Close, member of the Community Association for many years, 28th October
Peter Lister of Croft Close, stalwart of the United Reformed Church, 22nd November
As seems to be the case everywhere now, most information day-to-day about the village is on the village website, www.wickhambrook.org or the local Facebook page. This now has 3,000 members and is used for buying and selling, passing on information about road closures/floods/lost pets and for publicising events.
Dorothy Anderson, Wickhambrook
January 2023