NEWSThe Institution, Induction and Installation of the Revd Graham Naylor as Rector of the Bungay Benefice by the Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, Assistant Bishop, and the Venerable Rich Henderson, Archdeacon of Suffolk, took place at Holy Trinity Bungay on Monday 17th February. The Venerable Sally Gaze, Archdeacon for Rural Mission, was the preacher and the singing was led by a combined choir from Lavenham and Barsham. The church was full and the congregation included a party of Graham’s supporters from Lavenham. Welcome Graham!The Revd Graham Naylor will be running a Lent Course with weekly daytime sessions at Holy Trinity Bungay and evening sessions at Mettingham Village Hall. Details to be published separately. In celebration of Candlemas on Sunday 2nd February, lighted candles were held by all for the singing of the introit hymn, When candles are lighted on Candlemas Day.Spring Equinox, Thursday 20th March. Weather permitting, the illumination of the rood will be visible on the 19th, 20th and 21st March at about 5.15pm. All welcome. The January sales table organised by Jenny raised a magnificent £120.00, a sum boosted by the sale of the Christmas gift tags so beautifully made by Chris Bardsley. In January 210 items were donated to the Food Bank at St Luke’s. Warm clothes are still needed during these winter months. FORWARD PLANNINGA date for the diary: The Summer Lunch will be on Wednesday 25th June.SNIPPETS – The Taming of the Shrew’s ReputationWe share our house with a shrew. It emerges while we’re watching TV and scurries to and fro along the beam behind the screen. It does no harm and we accept it as a legitimate member of the household: shrews, after all, have probably lived in the building for hundreds of years. Reflecting on our little housemate, I realised I knew almost nothing about shrews, except for their unenviable reputation. The shrew was reviled in folklore from the earliest times and in many cultures. Aristotle recorded the popular belief that the shrew was venomous (the water shrew does in fact have a toxic bite), and Pliny described various cures for shrew bites. In the evolution of the English language the word ‘shrew’ took on two meanings. In Old English ‘screawa’ referred to the creature, but in Middle English ‘shrewe’ came to mean a spiteful or malign person, and became a nickname for the Devil. A spin-off verb emerged and ‘I beshrew thee’ was a common spell for directing malign forces. The mid-13th century Bodleian Bestiarydescribed shrews as ‘greedy men who seek earthly goods and make the goods of others their prey’, and in the late 14th century Chaucer employed the word thus in The Pardoner’s Tale. By the 16th century the label ‘shrew’ had been assigned to the ill-tempered, scolding, nagging woman who had long existed as a comedic, stock character in traditional folklore, and Shakespeare employed this usage routinely, notably in The Taming of the Shrew. In the early 17th century, scholars at the English College of Douai, translating the Latin Vulgate Bible into English, named the shrew in a long list of animals listed as unclean in Leviticus 11, though in fact they had mistranslated the Latin word for ferret! The shrew’s unfortunate reputation was summed up in Edward Topsell’s mid-17th century bestiary Historie of Foure-Footed Beasts and Serpents, which made the shrew ‘a ravening beast, feyning itself to be gentle and tame, but being touched it biteth deep and poisoneth deadly. It beareth a cruel mind, desiring to hurt anything, neither is there any creature it loveth or it loveth him, because it is feared of all’.In contrast, some Native American traditions were kinder to the shrew. With its relentless search for food and survival, it was revered for its qualities of curiosity, resourcefulness and perseverance: an understanding of this fascinating and impressive creature that is so much nearer the mark. The common shrew native to Britain is typically 5-8 cm in length and weighs just 5-12g. It must eat every 2-3 hours to stay alive and each day consume some 80-90% of its bodyweight in food – constantly hunting for insects, nuts, grain, worms, with only short snatches of sleep between. It does not hibernate, but in winter survives by shrinking, reducing its size – including its organs, skull and brain – by 30-50%, thus minimising the energy required to move, and reducing the demand for food in times of scarcity. Perhaps to avoid competing for food, the shrew is solitary and socialises only during the summer breeding season. It has an exceptionally high metabolic rate, with up to 800 breaths a minute and a heartbeat of 800 -1,000 beats a minute. Most closely related to the mole and the hedgehog, shrews are not rodents. They are the second most numerous mammal in Britain and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). Through the lens of science rather than superstition and folklore, the shrew is now better understood and appreciated, but the Native American celebration of its qualities is worth holding on to. The curiosity of the shrew reminds us to sharpen our awareness, to explore, learn, ask questions, find hidden opportunities, pay attention to small details and to seek new experiences. Its resourcefulness reminds us to use our available resources wisely and with ingenuity; and its determination sets an example of diligence and tenacity in navigating life’s challenges.MARCH DIARYSunday 2nd March – Last Sunday after Epiphany. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.Wednesday 5th March – Ash Wednesday. 6.30pm Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes, Holy Trinity Bungay. Revd Graham Naylor. Sunday 9th March – First Sunday of Lent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 16th March – Second Sunday of Lent. 11.15am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Sunday 23rd March – Third Sunday of Lent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 30th March – Fourth Sunday of Lent. Mothering Sunday. Benefice Service at Barsham: 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Graham Naylor.Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, robert.bacon@yahoo.co.uk
NEWSThe induction and installation of our new Rector, The Revd Graham Naylor, is to be at 7.30pm on Monday 17th February at Holy Trinity, Bungay. All are warmly welcome to attend. Graham will officiate at his first Sunday service in Barsham on 23rdFebruary. We were delighted to welcome the Revd Philip Merry when he officiated at his first service at Barsham on Sunday 12th January. Philip is a recently retired clergyman with PTO (Permission to Officiate). The figurines of the three Magi and their camel accomplished their arduous journey along the nave windowsills in the weeks leading up to the Feast of the Epiphany (front cover photo) on 6th January, arriving at the crib in time for the celebration of Epiphany at Sunday service the previous day. An audit of the church visitors book affords an insight into how far visitors have travelled and usually also the impact the building has had on them. Some say why they have come. Compared with the previous year, 2024 saw a significant reduction in the number of people signing the visitors book, with 91 entries representing 123 people (in 2023 112 entries representing 219 people). The figures for 2024 were similar to those of 2022 (83 entries representing 131 people). As usual there were visitors from several States of the USA (New York, Virginia, Florida, Texas and Washington) and two separate visits from New Zealanders. Within the UK there were visitors from Northern Ireland and Scotland, and from 19 of the 48 English geographical counties. Visitors from Suffolk and its neighbours Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire made up 72% of all entries. Three sets of visitors were following up ancestral links: marriages at Barsham and burials in the churchyard. Visitors typically commented on the visual beauty of the church (‘truly magnificent’, ‘unusually charming’, ‘stunning’, ‘amazing’, ‘true gem’ etc), others on the less tangible (‘such a peaceful sanctuary’, ‘really nice atmosphere’ etc), and more than a few expressed thanks for the building being open. The PCC met for routine bi-monthly business in the second week of January. It was confirmed that a legacy from the estate of the late Alan Bartram has now been received and is restricted to the Fabric Account. Alan was a longstanding and loyal member of Barsham Church, attending from the mid 1970s until his death in 2021. For a number of years Alan played the organ and he often mentioned how well the late Miss Turney of Barsham Forge tutored him, especially in the operation of the foot pedals. Unfortunately, in later years Alan suffered from arthritis, which restricted his ability to play, but he still managed to provide a sponsored musical accompaniment in the church during the ‘Ride and Stride’ events. He was also a stalwart member of the choir, revelling in the liturgy of High Anglican worship. Alan sat on the PCC and contributed much behind the scenes, ever ready to volunteer for extra duties or to help colleagues. He was renowned for his dedicated work in maintaining the church in its smart appearance and especially for his expert and thorough brass cleaning efforts. Only a short while before he died and although not at all well, in a final act of devoted service, he determinedly aided Colin in the pruning of the overgrown yews either side of the church path. (With thanks to Colin for the details of this tribute).Donations for the Christmas card tree enabled us to send £102.00 to WaterAid for the funding of a standpipe.The congregation donated 255 items to the Food Bank in December, bringing the total number of donations in 2024 to 2,283 items. This is only a little less than the totals in the previous two years: 2,346 in 2023 and 2,352 in 2022. The Food Bank in Beccles is always so grateful for our support. Many thanks to Amy for continuing to administer this service and to everyone who contributes. FORWARD PLANNINGA Spectrum of Song, Saturday 8th March, 10am-4pm at St Mary's Church, Halesworth. This event is advertised as ‘a vibrant workshop for all who enjoy singing music for worship. From Tallis to Townsend - an enthralling musical journey through Christian worship music. Explore a wealth of eclectic styles, from the music of the early church to the vibrant sounds of today's worship. Something for everyone!’. The workshop is to be led by Richard Hubbard, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich Music Development Director. Tickets cost £10 from www.stedscathedral.org/inharmony, OR contact Jason Busby (Organist at St. Mary's Halesworth) via halesworthparish@gmail.com or on 07817863533 to book a ticket and pay on the day.SNIPPETS – The Darkling Thrush by Thomas HardyThis poem of 1900 describes in somewhat bleak terms a winter landscape, Hardy’s metaphor for what he saw as the decay of Western culture at the close of the 19th century. In the second half of the poem however, he introduces a singing thrush as a symbol of hope and renewal. The bird represents religious faith and devotion, which Hardy sees as a solution to the cultural crisis alluded to in the first half of the poem. 125 years on, at a time of wars and threats of wars, climate change and the depletion of nature, the rise of extremism and the loss of decency in public discourse, the message in The Darkling Thrushseems more than ever relevant. II leant upon a coppice gateWhen Frost was spectre-grey,And Winter's dregs made desolateThe weakening eye of day.The tangled bine-stems scored the skyLike strings of broken lyres,And all mankind that haunted nighHad sought their household fires.IIThe land's sharp features seemed to beThe Century's corpse outleant,His crypt the cloudy canopy,The wind his death-lament.The ancient pulse of germ and birthWas shrunken hard and dry,And every spirit upon earthSeemed fervourless as I.IIIAt once a voice arose amongThe bleak twigs overheadIn a full-hearted evensongOf joy illimited;An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,In blast-beruffled plume,Had chosen thus to fling his soulUpon the growing gloom.IVSo little cause for carolingsOf such ecstatic soundWas written on terrestrial thingsAfar or nigh around, That I could think there trembled throughHis happy good-night airSome blessed Hope, whereof he knewAnd I was unaware.FEBRUARY DIARYSunday 2nd February – Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 9th February – Fifth Sunday after Epiphany: the Baptism of Christ. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 16th February – Sixth Sunday after Epiphany. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Sunday 23rd February – Seventh Sunday after Epiphany. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Graham Naylor.Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, robert.bacon@yahoo.co.uk
NEWSWe look forward to the arrival of our new Rector, The Revd Graham Naylor, in the early part of the coming year. The following notice was received from the Bishop’s office at the beginning of December: ‘The Right Revd Martin Seeley, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, is delighted to announce that The Revd Graham Naylor has been appointed as Rector of the Bungay Benefice. Graham is presently Assistant Curate in the Lavenham with Preston Benefice. A date for Graham’s Institution and Induction service will be confirmed in due course. The Bishop wishes to pass on his thanks to all those involved in the process of Graham’s appointment, and he assures you of his prayers. Please pray for Graham as he prepares for his move.’The nave was full for the Carol Service on 19th December (cover photo). The candlelight and the solo first verse of Once in Royal, sung beautifully by Cheryl, set the atmosphere. The choir gave strong leadership in the carols, their descants from time to time soaring into the rafters, and it was wonderful, as ever, to have the magnificent organ playing of David Bunkell. After the service the draw took place for the beautifully decorated Christmas cake and a hamper full of treats, and the evening concluded with cheerful mingling and refreshments: mulled wine, spiced apple juice, mince pies, cheese straws and hot sausage rolls. Very many thanks to those who contributed items for the hamper, and to Jean Cooksley who made the Christmas cake. We are grateful to the Parish Council for purchasing the new churchyard bench, which commemorates the coronation of Charles III. Thanks in particular are due to Peter Holmes, who ordered the bench, and to David Adcroft who delivered it with Peter to the churchyard. We hope to have the old bench repaired and placed elsewhere in the churchyard. Many thanks to the team of brass cleaners who buffed up the church brass in the week before Christmas. A team of four (Cheryl Coutts, David Ulph, Dominique and Robert Bacon) represented Barsham at the annual Mettingham inter-churches quiz in late November. They were runners-up to St Michael’s Beccles, who beat them by one point. Another quiz, hosted by Emmanuel Church, Bungay is planned for the early part of next year. It would be good to put out two teams – if others are interested? The last sales table of the year was organised by Cherry and yielded £75.00, bringing the annual total raised for 2024 to a magnificent £1,197.00.Barsham Parochial Church Council acknowledges with deep gratitude a very generous donation of £2,000.00.182 items, including clothes, were donated to the Food Bank in November. Thank you for your continued support.Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the life of Holy Trinity Barsham this year: in worship, at special events, in the upkeep and beautification of the church and churchyard, and in the support of charitable causes. In particular, we are grateful for the important work of the working party preparing the new service book. We also extend our gratitude to our licensed retired clergy, our organist David Bunkell, and thanks to the churchwardens and the PCC for their commitment to the varied tasks that keep the church functioning and in good order. SNIPPETS – The Christmas turkeyThe turkey, a North American fowl, was unknown in Europe until 500 years ago. It was introduced to Spain and Italy in about 1520 by the Spanish conquistadores, at that time ravaging the Aztec empire in Mexico. The bird probably made it to England by the 1530s and was likely so named in English because ‘Turkey’ or ‘Turkish’ were used as shorthand for foreign exoticism, in much the same way that the word ‘French’ was used at the time to imply that something was unsavoury!At the feasts of the affluent, where peacock had once dominated the table, turkey was soon seen as an alternative, favoured for its taste, its size and its exotic origins. Pope Pius V’s chef declared turkey meat to be ‘much whiter and softer than that of the common peacock’. The earliest surviving recipe for turkey in England was in A Book of Cookrye (1584): the bird was to be filled with a ‘good store of butter’ and then baked for five hours. Sir Kenelm Digby’s 17th century recipe for ‘souced turkey’, involved a boned turkey being boiled in wine and vinegar, seasoned with salt, covered with more vinegar and then stored for a month, while another recipe had the meat salted for 10 days before being pickled with mace and nutmeg.Turkeys typically hatched in late Spring and grew to full maturity in about seven months. Thus ready for the table in December, they became closely associated with feasting at Christmas. Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery (1747) described a ‘Yorkshire Christmas pie’, which included a fowl, a partridge and a pigeon, all stuffed inside a turkey. By the 1570s Norfolk and Suffolk were established as the principal turkey breeding counties of England. Poultry rearing was already a tradition there and fodder crops like buckwheat and turnip were plentiful. In his travelogue, A Tour Thro’ the Whole Island of Great Britain, Daniel Defoe reported: ‘This county of Suffolk is particularly famous for furnishing the city of London, and all the counties round, with turkeys; and that tis thought, there are more turkeys bred in this county, and the part of Norfolk that adjoins to it, than in all the rest of England’.Well before Defoe’s day, the turkey had become popular Christmas fare in London, and Norfolk and Suffolk farmers supplied its markets. Before the relatively recent introduction of refrigeration, the birds had to arrive at market alive, so the farmers marched the birds the 100 miles or so in huge turkey drives through the autumn and early winter. Defoe reported that typically some 300 droves of turkeys passed in one season into Essex over Stratford Bridge on the River Stour, and each drove contained between 300 and 1,000 birds, which he supposed made at least 150,000 on this route alone. ‘And yet’, he reported, ‘this is one of the least passages, the numbers which travel by New Market Heath, and the open country and the forest, and also the numbers that come by Sudbury and Clare, being many more’. It is said that a thousand turkeys could be managed by just two drovers. Progress was slow as turkeys walk at about one mile an hour, and as the march was hard on the turkeys’ feet, they were shod with leather boots. The first flocks had to set off in August and they fed on the post-harvest stubble in the fields as they went.Defoe also reported on a more ingenious way some farmers found to deliver the birds to market more quickly and less onerously: ‘Besides these methods of driving these creatures on foot, they have of late also invented a new method of carriage, being carts… with four stories or stages, to put the creatures in one above another, by which invention one cart will carry a very great number; and for the smoother going, they drive with two horses a-breast, like a coach…changing horses they travel night and day; so that they bring the fowls 70, 80, or 100 miles in two days and one night’. Almost impossible to imagine today, the annual spectacle of hundreds of turkeys being driven along the lanes of East Anglia remained commonplace into the early years of the 20th century. JANUARY DIARYSunday 5th January – Second Sunday of Christmas (and celebrating Epiphany, which is on 6th January). 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 12th January – First Sunday of Epiphany: the Baptism of Christ. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 19th January – Second Sunday of Epiphany. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Sunday 26th January – Third Sunday of Epiphany. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, robert.bacon@yahoo.co.uk
NEWSThe editing of the new A5 hardback service book is ongoing and nearing completion. It is hoped to get it off to the printer before Christmas.A Christmas hamper and a Christmas cake will be raffled at the Service of Carols and Readings on 19th December. Donations of suitable foodstuffs and drinks for the hamper would be much appreciated. Please liaise with Diana if you would like to contribute. The Mustard Seed Relief Mission Love Box Scheme organised in Barsham by Cheryl has achieved a record number with 185 boxes being filled. Contributions have come not only from our church, but also from Beccles Lions, the Red Hat Ladies Society, from the Suffolk Stitchers and Knitters (thanks to Jenny Henwood), and 18 boxes from residents of the Foundry in Beccles (thanks to Jan and Geoff Jones). Many thanks to all who filled boxes, to the Beccles Lions for again funding the carriage and most of all to Cheryl for undertaking the enormous task of organising this exceptionally worthwhile project. The boxes were blessed on 27th October and are now on their way to Moldova.The PCC met for routine business on 14th November. Previously, on 21st October, the PCC entertained our volunteer clergy to the annual ‘Clergy Lunch’, our way of expressing the whole congregation’s appreciation for their much-valued service. Bridget and Cheryl attended the Diocesan Synod in late October and the Deanery Synod in early November. Grateful thanks to Peter and Sarah Gascoyne, who have improved the choir vestry by mending and strengthening the hanging rail. The robes are now beautifully hung and labelled. Following the charming display of produce arranged for Harvest Festival (front cover), the church was decked out in poppies for Remembrancetide. At our Remembrance service Neville Smith read the names of the Fallen, followed by the two-minutes silence and the National Anthem. The following day at the Service of Remembrance at Barsham Village Hall, taken by Revd Jonathan Olanczuk, the Two-Minute Silence was observed at 11:00am, with the Last Post and Reveille played by a trumpeter from the Sir John Leman High School. Wreaths were then laid at the village war memorial, now incorporating a new memorial to the three American airmen lost when their B-24 Liberator crashed at Church Farm, Shipmeadow on 5th November 1944. This new memorial was dedicated on 5th November this year, the 80th anniversary of the crash, in a service led by the Deputy Wing Chaplain at RAF Lakenheath. The sales table organised by Margaret raised a splendid £125.00. The final net profit from the Harvest Supper was £512.00.Very many thanks to Doreen Springall, whose Farm Gate Produce Stall has this year yielded a fantastic and record sum of £488.00 for Church funds. Thanks also to Sarah Jane for her second Market Stall of jewellery which resulted in proceeds of £256.00 being allocated to the Fabric Fund.Apologies to Pat and Neville Smith, who participated in and raised money for the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust Ride and Stride event, but whose names were omitted in the report in the last newsletter. We appreciate their contribution to fund raising and their continued support at church events, as well as their help in supplying greenery for our flower displays throughout the year.199 items, including clothes, were donated to the Food Bank in October. Thank you for your continued support. FORWARD PLANNINGThe Christmas Carol Service will be at 6.30pm on Thursday 19th December and the service on Christmas Day will start at the earlier time of 10.30am.SNIPPETS – The Suffolk Lungwort ProjectSuffolk churches are being encouraged by Bishop Martin to support plant conservation in the county by taking part in the Suffolk Lungwort Project. This project is being led by the Otter Trust, which has been awarded a Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant by Natural England. The aim is to establish new populations of Suffolk, or unspotted, Lungwort (pulmonaria obscura), since at present it occurs in only three woodland locations in the county and its survival is precarious. The Otter Trust has propagated some of these woodland plants and Malcolm is to plant some in a shady corner of the churchyard. A member of the borage family, the Suffolk lungwort is an evergreen perennial, known for its clusters of small, bell-shaped pink or purple and blue flowers that bloom from March to May. It has bristly stems and unspotted, hairy, oval and pointed leaves. The flowers produce nectar and pollen and are an important source of food for bees and other pollinators. They are self-fertile, meaning that they do not require cross-pollination to reproduce.The common name ‘lungwort’ is derived from the shape of its leaves, which were thought to resemble the human lung, and from its use for centuries in traditional medicine to treat respiratory problems such as coughs, bronchitis and asthma. The plant contains compounds such as tannins, flavonoids, and saponins, which are believed to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Some studies have also suggested that Suffolk Lungwort may have antibacterial and antiviral effects, which could make it useful in the treatment of respiratory infections.Suffolk Lungwort has also been used in the kitchen. The plant's leaves have a slightly bitter taste and can be used as a substitute for spinach in recipes such as soups, stews, and quiches. The young leaves can also be eaten raw in salads.DECEMBER DIARYSunday 1st December – First Sunday of Advent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 8th December – Second Sunday of Advent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 15th December – Third Sunday of Advent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Thursday 19th December – SERVICE OF LESSONS & CAROLS, 6.30pm. Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 22nd December – Fourth Sunday of Advent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.Christmas Day – 10.30am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 29th December – First Sunday of Christmas. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.
