News of Saxtead Church’s Proposed Memorial Wildlife Garden
Since long before The Rev Mark Sanders left we have been discussing cheering up the Memorial Plot, and since lockdown we have forged ahead with plans. I attach a photograph of the present state of the plot (invisible) and the proposed herbal planting. At our last meeting of the PCC in 2019 it was again remarked upon that people were finding it difficult to find the plot, and then bleak when they did. Magnificent proposals were considered from a professional garden planning company but the cost would have been prohibitive until we have completed the works for a water supply, toilet and kitchenette, at present with the DAC for approval. So we have come up with this plan as a cheap and attractive alternative, which would not preclude doing something more ambitious later. Moreover we have plans to designate our graveyard as an ECO friendly area and the plants chosen will attract butterflies. We also have plans for bird boxes. Best wishes,Christina

 Church Services 
Some church services ar now permitted; please see the details below:
Sundays:
8.00am Said Holy Communion according to The Book of Common Prayer, at St Michael’s
9.30am A range of worship on Zoom with music; no service in Church
6.30pm Said Holy Communion or Evening Prayer at All Saints Saxtead
Wednesdays:
Said Holy Communion, 10.30am,at St Michael’s
Please note that you will need to wear a face covering inside St Michael’s Framlingham or All Saints’ Saxtead.

News from Saxtead

Due to the courgette glut I thought I would share my courgette bonanza with you. We have made courgette, ginger and lemon jam; courgette tempura; cold courgette & mint soup; courgette oven roasted in garlic; and today we spiralised it instead of spaghetti- apparently it is called courgetti! Topping it with all the things brought back from the fridge in Aldeburgh - roast aubergines, mushrooms & red onions. Our first joint St Michaels and All Saints PCC meeting since the lockdown was led by Mary Lamb, safely distanced in St Michael’s Rooms. Arrangements were made to open both churches every Sunday, St Michael’s at 8.00 am. and All Saints at 6.30 pm which has made life seem more normal, even if we are all wearing masks and every other pew is roped off. We are now obliged to note the name and telephone number of the members of the congregation for track and trace purposes. And everyone will be happy to note that our wonderful village nursing home, Foxearth, has miraculously continued to be Covid-19 free. The Loo Committee has been forging ahead, John Speight and Bill Roberts digging test drainage holes in the churchyard. James Halsall of the DAC is booked to visit the site in October when we hope to present a workable plan for a narrow herbal border delineating the Memorial Garden. We would very much like this to be a Saxtead Village wide initiative and are hoping that our green fingered gardeners can make Rosemary, Sage and Lavender cuttings. We will need quite a few. Later we can add miniature maintenance free bulbs like lily of the valley and grape hyacinths. We intend that it should be a low cost and low maintenance border which also attracts the bees and butterflies and are also hoping to plant a few butterfly loving shrubs on the edges of the churchyard, like Buddleia, as part of our initiative to earn Eco Church points.
The first Saxtead Coffee Morning since lockdown, was held on Wednesday 12th on benches outside The Old Mill House pub. Sadly Barbara Dring who started the coffee morning so many years ago is still in hospital but we are hoping to send her a card from us all. Please note: The date for the start of the Saxtead Alpha Course has been changed to Monday 21st September.. We hope this won’t cause any inconvenience. Please contact me, Christina, if you would like to join, or would like more information Christina tel: 01728 724162 or email cdb1946@icloud.com.