THORPE MORIEUX – An Overview

ADRIAN JONES 19th May 2023

Thorpe Morieux is a small village and civil parish in Suffolk, England.Thorpe Morieux is situated 10 miles south-east of Bury St Edmunds, 9 miles south-west of Stowmarket and 10 miles north-east of Sudbury. The nearest arterial A roads are the A1141 or A134. The village sits in Babergh district and the parish contains the hamlets of Thorpe Green and Almshouses Green as well as Great Hastings Wood which is classified as ancient woodland.

Pronounciation

Many people struggle to pronounce our village name. The correct pronunciation is Thorpe Ma-roo / M’roo rhyming with Kangaroo. Although we’ve never seen a Kangaroo in the village.

COVID-19 – Important Information

ADRIAN JONES 6th April 2020

This page has been created as a central point for any information relating to COVID-19 and its impact on Thorpe Morieux. It will be updated with new information when appropriate.

If you have been offered an appointment for your Covid-19 vaccine but are having difficulties getting to and from that appointment, then please get in contact with Parish Councillor Jules O’Brien on jules.obrien@icloud.com or our Parish Clerk, Nicola on thorpemorieuxpc@gmail.com or by telephone on 07817 170906

Latest Update:

12 May

Message from Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner
If you have been a victim of crime in Suffolk then Victim Support are there to help you.

Our message to victims is very clear.  Our trained supporters are here to offer you free and confidential support.  It doesn’t matter where you live, what type of crime you have experienced, when it happened, whether you want support in the day or at night, or if you have reported the crime to the police.  Victim Support is here to support you.

Suffolk Victim Care Team: 0300 303 3706 between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, telephone support is available from Victim Support on 0808 16 89 111.

The 24 hour chat service can be accessed via LIVE CHAT.  A video explaining how the service works can be viewed on Youtube.

More information on the My Support Space can be found online at Support Space.

If you are in immediate danger then please call the Police on 999.

11 May

A new online booking system will be in place when Suffolk’s Recycling Centres re-open on Thursday 14 May.

This appointment-only system is necessary to help reduce traffic disruption and queueing on roads around the sites and help manage additional demand on the waste sites. There are also new temporary restrictions and guidelines in place at all sites to support the safety of staff and members of the public.

For further information relating to this announcement, please refer to Suffolk County Council Recycling. To make a booking, please visit suffolk.gov.uk/recyclingcentres or call 0345 606 6067.

Please note that:

  • In order to control the queues residents without a booking will not be able to enter the site.
  • Residents must not arrive on site more than 5 minutes before their allocated time.

9 May

Parish Council Meetings
The UK Government passed new legislation, known as the Coronavirus Act 2020.  It permits Parish Councils to hold their meetings remotely (by video conferencing).  If you wish to join a meeting or have a matter raised at a meeting then please email the Parish Clerk at thorpemorieuxpc@gmail.com

COVID-19 Testing
For up to date local information about where tests are being carried out and eligibility criteria please visit Suffolk County Council COVID-19 Testing

Suspicious/scam emails
People can now simply forward all suspicious emails to the National Cyber Security Centre using:  report@phishing.gov.uk and the originator will be automatically assessed and if found malicious their site is immediately taken down and reported to the Police.

12 April

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an increase in fraudulent activity and parishioners are advised to exercise caution and familiarise themselves with details of known scams as documented on the Police ActionFraud COVID-19 News & Resources page.

10 April

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, West Suffolk Hospital have changed visitation rules. An enquiry line has been established for patient updates and further information relating to access restrictions is available on the West Suffolk NHS website. For patient updates, please call 01284 712 555. The line is operational from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

WhatsApp Information Service provided by GOV.UK

To use the free GOV.UK Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp, simply add 07860 064422 to your mobile phone contacts and then message the word ‘hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started.

Home but not alone

A Babergh scheme called ‘Home but not alone’ has been created to connect volunteers and people in genuine need of support in Suffolk. The service is accessible through a free app for Apple and Android devices called Tribe Volunteer. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

For immediate access to support, please call 0800 876 6926. The line operates daily from 09:00 to 17:00, seven days a week.

Nicola Smith, our Parish Clerk has registered her details with the scheme and several Parish Councillors have also offered local support to the village for those struggling under current restrictions. Nicola can be reached on 07817 170 906 and will coordinate with the other councillors to support anyone in need of help.

Keep Up to Date:

UK Government – Corona Virus

NHS – Advice for Everyone

Suffolk County Council – Corona Virus Information Hub

Babergh Council – COVID-19 Response

Services Impact

To find out the latest information relating to the provision of local services, please refer to the Suffolk County Council or Babergh Council information hubs.

Garden waste collection services are immediately impacted and suspended and please note that all recycling centres have been closed until further notice. 

Due to the current coronavirus outbreak and government regulations on social distancing, there will be no Parish Council meetings until further notice.  Please rest assured that your Parish Council will continue to work on your behalf.  Our Clerk can be contacted on thorpemorieuxpc@gmail.com or by telephone on 07817 170906.

Self isolating and working from home

Some people may experience feelings of loneliness, anxiety and sadness. The mental health charity MIND are offering support and advice.  You can get information from their website at www.mind.org.uk, by email info@mind.org.uk or they can be contacted by telephone on 0300 123 3393

Creation Event 16-17 Feb 2019

ADRIAN JONES 28th January 2019

Our community art event returns in the Spring! Team Creation have put together the 2019 programme of events and we hope that you are looking forward to taking part.

Saturday 16th February 10am-4pm
  • Art Exhibition and Pop-up Cafe in the Village Hall
  • Spring Art Competition display and stalls in St Mary’s Church
  • Snowdrops and Aconites in the Churchyard
  • Sculpture Trail (can be started at either St Mary’s Church or the Village Hall, guide maps available at 50p from both locations)
Sunday 17th February 10am-4pm
  • Art Exhibition and Pop-up Cafe in the Village Hall
  • Spring Art Competition display in St Mary’s Church (after 11am)
  • 
Snowdrops and Aconites in the Churchyard
  • 
Sculpture Trail (can be started at either St Mary’s Church or the Village Hall, guide maps available at 50p from both locations)

As in 2017 we will be running both sculpture and art competitions – the creativity and skill on display last time was so impressive that we can’t wait to see what you create this Spring.

As previously, the event will centre around the snowdrop display in the churchyard, with art displays and stalls in the church and an exhibition by professional artists in the village hall – there will of course be the return of the popular pop-up café, too. Parking is available at St Mary’s Church and at the Village Hall. Toilets are at the Village Hall.

All proceeds from the event will go towards the restoration and preservation of St Mary’s Church

We have included entry forms in the current edition of the Thorpe Times so you can begin to plan your creative endeavours. Updates regarding **PRIZES** will be posted on the Village Hall notice board and on our Facebook page @ThorpeMorieuxCreation.

As well as enthusiastic community participation, the success of our last event was reliant on the generosity of local businesses and individuals who donated funds, materials and prizes. If you would like to make a donation to help us with Creation 2019 we would be most grateful.

Contact Lucy Perry lucyperryart@gmail.com or Jasmin Gagen 01284 827039

Year in the Life of the Village Hall

ADRIAN JONES 11th December 2018

Did you know that the Thorpe Morieux Village Hall that many of you were sat in (or outside of) on Sunday the 11th of November at the commemoration of “100 years since the end of World War 1” is actually derived from a World War 1 Army Hut itself? The land it stands on, together with its car park, was gifted to the Village in 1929 by Alan Dyer who at that time lived in Moat Cottage.

Since 1929 it has been used as a school for evacuees, seen weekly dances for both British and US troops and has even held a creche. Nowadays it is used for Village events, Yoga, Gardening & Bowls Clubs, private parties and Art displays.

The Hall is looked after by its Committee. Every Committee member is a volunteer and the Hall could not run without them. Currently we have 12 members including a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. We also have a Duke Of Edinburgh scheme participant joining in on our meetings as part of her course requirements. We have around 6 meetings and an AGM every year. As a committee member it is hoped that you will join in at events; including the planning, helping to set up, the serving of food and, ofcourse the washing up and tidying away. We do have a lot of fun and it really is great to sit down at the end of a busy night, knowing that you’ve given lots of people an awful lot of fun and plenty of good food ! We are also blessed to have lots of great people in the village who come along to help out and, without them, we would be still washing up on the following weekend!

Over the past 12 months we have held 4 Village Hall fundraising events; a litter pick with the added bonus of a full English Breakfast, a Wild West Shindig, our annual Harvest Supper and of course most recently the Centenary Fire Globe event. The proceeds from our events are used to maintain the Hall and keep it safe and sound for future generations to enjoy.

Although the Hall is a “un-sectarian and non-political place of recreation” it is important to remember that it is part of the Community and as such it has many other uses including being used as a Polling Station. We have also hosted a fund raising event for St Marys Church (back in February) and more recently have decided to gift some of the proceeds from the Centenary Event to St Marys Church which will form part of their donation to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

The Hall has also seen some private parties this year along with a Yoga Weekend Event, an Art Exhibition and a Swing Night. We are also a popular stop off point for passing cycle events and do a roaring trade in bacon rolls, tea and cake.

Income from the hiring out of the Hall also goes towards its maintenance. This year we have replaced the Fire Doors, repaired a window, upgraded the notice board, added a Thorpe Morieux Village Hall sign to the car park end of the Hall, commissioned the Fire Globe with a seating area around it AND had timers put on the heaters around the hall. We also plan to have the bar renovated this December and add new fridges, cupboards and coolers.

If you would like to come and join the Committee please do let us know. Hiring the hall can be done through Jasmin Gagen who would be only too pleased to book you in.

2019 looks like it will be a busy year with events such as a Beer, Banger and Bingo night, the SoapBox Derby BBQ, the Harvest Supper, a couple of Breakfast Walks and some further Yoga weekends and Art events already being planned.

Finally on behalf of the TMVH Committee I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we hope to see you all in 2019.

Cala Russell
Secretary.

Horse Power

ADRIAN JONES 11th December 2018

Happily we have many horses in the village today but not as many as we had in the past! My grandfather said that in his youth (about a hundred years ago) that there were usually about fifty horses in the village and they were mainly working types. I also remember him saying that at that time, life moved at about seven miles an hour, the pace of a horse. Modern tractors are still rated by their horsepower and it has always intrigued me that at that time the village could be farmed with fifty horsepower, when today the combined horsepower of the tractors that do the work must run into thousands. By “working types” I think he meant the heavy horses that did the farm work, like the pair pictured with Frank Morton at Thorpe Green in 1940 (this was two-horse land). Sadly this picture has a tragic element in that Frank, by then living at Cockfield was killed in the Second World War.

One of the joys of the working horses was that they were self perpetuating and pictured are mares with their foals opposite New Cottages in about 1940. With them are horsemen Ernie Shipp, Arthur Lister and Tom Ruffles. Ernie was my aforementioned grandfather and he was greatly saddened by the demise of the working horse just a few years later. He carried on working on the farm but never took to mechanised farming, like many of his generation.

In the background of the picture, notice how narrow the road was then, this is also a feature on many of our other archive photos.

Not all working horses in the village were heavy types. The horse with the precarious looking straw rake was called Julius and is pictured with Norman and Betty Squirrell at Hill farm in 1946. Julius was a multi tasking horse used for lighter fieldwork but he also did a lot of road work with a trap and they rode him as well.

Armistice Commemoration

ADRIAN JONES 10th December 2018

The 11th of November this year was the culmination of the commemoration of the centenary of the First World War. Here in Thorpe, there were two main events, which were very different to each other, but were both very special.

On the morning of the 11th, a substantial group of villagers, led by Len Smith, met at the World War 2 crash site memorial. Anne Nicholls read a poignant speech before she invited those present to share their personal family stories of the war and how it affected them. Len told the story of the crash at Blacksmith’s Lane and pointed out the area where the plane came down. His vivid retelling of this moment in the village’s recent past was very moving. After reading the names of the village’s war dead and the American airman involved in the crash, we held a two-minute silence. Sid Broughton laid a wreath at the memorial site, which brought the commemoration to a close.

In the evening, the Village Hall Committee arranged a splendid unveiling of the commemorative fire globe. The fire globe is situated behind the Village Hall and is decorated with working horses and the phrase “Thorpe Morieux Remembers” which honours not only the men who died in both world wars but also the many horses that were taken from the village to the front line, never to return.

The event began with a short service led by the Reverend Tiffer Robinson and a two-minute silence. The end of the silence was broken by a rendition of The Last Post and was followed by a peal of bells from St Mary’s Church and a fantastic firework display.

As you can see from the photographs, the lit globe looks fantastic and is a beautiful and functional memorial to those we have lost. After this, over 80 villagers sat down together and enjoyed a sausage and mash supper, washed down with a fine beer or two.

Thanks must be given to the Village Hall Committee who organised not only a great memorial, but also a very fine evening too.

Church Fundraising and Clear Up

ADRIAN JONES 10th December 2018

Many thanks to everyone who rode, strode or Church sat this year for the Suffolk Historic Churches Bike Ride. Between us we raised £797.85. Half of this money goes directly to St Mary’s Fabric Fund, half to the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust which can be applied for by any Suffolk church requesting grant aid for repairs and restoration work. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for all those that supported the raffle for the painting of the Suffolk Punch ploughing near Bulls Wood.  This raised £630 which has been put towards the cost of the centenary memorial fire pit, a wonderful addition to the village.

Thank you also to all those who gave up their Saturday morning to help with the church yard clear up and to Jasmine for the yummy refreshments. The weather was very kind to us and a beautiful sunny autumn day was enjoyed by all.

Asian Hornets

ADRIAN JONES 2nd July 2018

Vespa velutina, also known as the Asian hornet is an invasive non-native species from Asia.  It arrived in France in 2004 where it spread rapidly.  As a highly effective predator of insects, including honey bees and other beneficial species, it can cause significant losses to bee colonies, and potentially other native species.

Asian hornet was detected for the first time in Tetbury, Gloucestershire in September 2016. A single nest was found and eradicated and no subsequent sightings have been made in the area.  A further sighting was made in Woolacombe, Devon, in September 2017 where a single nest was located and destroyed. Another sighting was made in April 2018 in Lancashire.

It is important to report any suspected sightings of this species as soon as possible.  Vigilence is particularly required in southern parts of England and the areas where other sightings have been made (Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Lancashire).  The Asian hornet is active mainly between April and November (with peak activity recorded in August/September) and is inactive over the winter.

For further information, please refer to the Non Native Species Secretariat.

Village Broadband Update

ADRIAN JONES 14th June 2018

The director of Suffolk Better Broadband Programme contacted us today to confirm conversations with BT Openreach that the Live-to-Live (L2L) transfer process which has temporarily blocked upgrade orders on the new fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) box opposite Newson’s Farm (Cockfield Green P9), now has a scheduled completion date and that upgrade orders on P9 should be accepted from 10th July.

From that date, local residents should be able to check whether their line has been re-arranged onto P9 (cabinet 9), and if so, should be able to order a broadband upgrade.

P9 for reference is the closest ‘green box’ or fibre supplied cabinet to the village at this point in time.

Not all residents will be connected to this cabinet and can check details using the BT line checker tool.