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August 2024

The articles below include the 2 pages which the parish church is now allotted by the Mendlesham Community Charity in their newsletter but there are additional items too.
To download the calendar of Mass times as a pdf, click here

Beer Orders

Same price as last year, but fewer have been ordered - so first come, first served!
For more details of the Patronal Festival or to order beer, please see the dedicated Festival page here

We have tried to ensure the fireworks are of the least noisy variety, but inevitably there will be some noise. If you live near the church, please keep pets indoors in the same way as you would on or near 5th November.

The Mendlesham Armoury
booklet now available to order online...

Specially written by historian Shona Rutherford-Edge. All profits go towards the Armoury Facelift Project.
Available for £7.50 including postage and packing.
Click here to go to order form.

Advance notice:
Friday 11th October - 7.00 pm:
'Fytt for thy degree: Clothing and arming the Typical Tudor man'

Online Presentation by Ninya Mikhaila - the 'Tudor Tailor'

All profits to the Armoury Facelift Project
further details to follow soon....watch this space!

In this presentation Ninya Mikhaila shares insights into the conventions of everyday dress and ownership of armour by men in 16th century England. Drawing on research carried out for the recent publication The Typical Tudor: Reconstructing 16th century dress, which included a survey of nearly 10,000 documents containing references to clothing, arms and armour, as well as research for a forthcoming publication on textile armour, Ninya will illustrate how clothing styles, colours and materials changed through the period as well as the types and quantities of armour utilised by the different ‘sorts’ of men.

Ninya co-owns a business called the Tudor Tailor, which provides bespoke garments, patterns and other historical clothing items for the Tudor period for national museums, films and TV. https://www.tudortailor.com/

July 2024

June 2024

Christian Aid Week (11th - 18th May)
Total raised in the parish was £1439.23 +£188 Gift Aid = £1627.23

Thanks to all who gave, whether in the house-to-house collection, in the churn in church or at the URC coffee morning.

May 2024

Mendlesham's Unique Tudor Armoury & Facelift project

The small upper floor of the North porch (parvise) forms a unique Armoury - “the most complete armoury of any English parish church” (Pevsner). Here is the parish collection of armour, first assembled during the reign of Queen Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and her consort, King Philip of Spain, when parishes were obliged to own armour and provide men prepared to defend the country in the event of an invasion. The parish church was often the only adequate storage space in a village.
All of the armour was second hand at the time and most from Germany or Italy. it spans over a century from late 15th century to early 17th century. It was particularly called to use at the time of the threatened Spanish Armada, when Mendlesham men joined those from surrounding villages in 'musters' in a way similar to the Home Guard of WW2. Amazingly it has survived in the same room where it was stored at the time.
As well as armour, the room contains part of an Elizabethan longbow, several parish chests, a ‘Vinegar’ Bible and other artefacts.

ARMOURY FACELIFT PROJECT
Covid restrictions forced us to close the armoury to the public, but St Mary’s PCC has exciting plans to restore and display this amazing heritage with better information and involving more in the community .... We are preparing to apply to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to enable this to happen, but this is a long process. As part of the preparation we are holding the Mendlesham Heritage Fair - reconnecting the community with its unique Tudor heritage - and are thrilled to have been awarded a Heritage Fund grant towards this and a further research project on historical documents at the Hold in Ipswich. So far for the Armoury Facelift Project:

a core group appointed by the PCC have compiled an inventory of all the contents;
we are engaging with a project co-ordinator;
Three internationally renowned armour experts have visited to assess the armour and will be advising on conservation, classification and display;
our architect has submitted our outline plans to the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the care of churches, who have now given outline approval, subject to detailed plans and a faculty;
the diocesan Parish Giving advisor has researched additional funding sources;
An overall PLAN is being collated. The Heritage Fair and Research Projects form part of this plan, to enlarge the scope of involvement in the project and invite others in the community and interested people outside to participate...
In the meantime, there is a highly interesting video made by historian Dr Allan Barton and published on his You Tube channel 'The Antiquary' named: 'England's Forgotten Tudor Armoury'. Click the relevant image above to access this.

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a generous grant of £9.993 towards the Mendlesham Heritage Fair - reconnecting the community with its unique Tudor Heritage - and a research project.

Unfortunately, due to the large number of people likely to attend the Heritage Fair on 6 May the armoury itself cannot be open as it is too small to accommodate many at once.
However, the armoury film will be shown - and there will be both replica armour and The Tudor Group wearing authenitc armour re-creating the 'traynings' of the parish militia. SEE DEDICATED HERITAGE FAIR PAGE for more details

April 2024

** please note change of email for any enquiries: Anne: [email protected]**

Mendlesham's Unique Tudor Armoury & Facelift project

a core group appointed by the PCC have compiled an inventory of all the contents;
we are engaging with a project co-ordinator;
Three internationally renowned armour experts have visited to assess the armour and will be advising on conservation, classification and display;
our architect has submitted our outline plans to the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the care of churches, who have now given outline approval, subject to detailed plans and a faculty;
the diocesan Parish Giving advisor has researched additional funding sources;
An overall PLAN is being collated. The Heritage Fair and Research Projects form part of this plan, to enlarge the scope of involvement in the project and invite others in the community and interested people outside to participate...
In the meantime, there is a highly interesting video made by historian Dr Allan Barton and published on his You Tube channel 'The Antiquary' named: 'England's Forgotten Tudor Armoury'. Click the relevant image above to access this.

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a generous grant of £9.993 towards the Mendlesham Heritage Fair - reconnecting the community with its unique Tudor Heritage - and a research project.

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

SAVE THE DATE! - Bank holiday Monday - 6 May 2024 - Mendlesham Church and Churchyard
Mendlesham HERITAGE FAIR -
reconnecting the community to its Tudor heritage
part of our Armoury Facelift Project. Further details to follow.
(The Mendlesham Community Charity which took over the running of the annual Street Fayre has announced it will not be taking place on the first May Bank Holiday in 2024).

Mendlesham's Unique Tudor Armoury & Facelift project

The small upper floor of the North porch (parvise), as forms a unique Armoury - “the most complete armoury of any English parish church” (Pevsner). Here is the parish collection of armour, first assembled during the reign of Queen Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and her consort, King Philip of Spain, when parishes were obliged to own armour and provide men prepared to defend the country in the event of an invasion. The parish church was often the only adequate storage space in a village.
All of the armour was second hand at the time and most from Germany or Italy. it spans over a century from late 15th century to early 17th century. It was particularly called to use at the time of the threatened Spanish Armada, when Mendlesham men joined those from surrounding villages in 'musters' in a way similar to the Home Guard of WW2. Amazingly it has survived in the same room where it was stored at the time.
As well as armour, the room contains part of an Elizabethan longbow, several parish chests, a ‘Vinegar’ Bible and other artefacts.

a core group appointed by the PCC have compiled an inventory of all the contents;
we are engaging with a project co-ordinator;
Three internationally renowned armour experts have visited to assess the armour and will be advising on conservation, classification and display;
our architect intends to submit our outline plans to the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the care of churches;
the diocesan Parish Giving advisor has researched additional funding sources;
An overall PLAN is being collated. Once in place we will be enlarging the scope of involvement in the project and inviting others in the community and interested people outside to participate..
In the meantime, there is a highly interesting video made by historian Dr Allan Barton and published on his You Tube channel 'The Antiquary' named: 'England's Forgotten Tudor Armoury'. Click the relevant image above to access this.

December 2023

November 2023

All welcome:
You can download and print a copy of the service here

REMEMBRANCE

Friday 10th November
10.40
Mendlesham School Remembrance Service in St Mary’s
and

Sunday 12th November

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
9.30:
Sung Mass of Requiem

including laying of wreaths at the parish memorial in St Mary's and the US memorial in the churchyard

ALL WELCOME

You can download and print an Order of Service here to bring with you

October 2023

Good news!
Thank you to the NCT for promising a grant of £3,350 towards the recent urgent repairs of our beautiful church.

In August we had to have urgent repairs to splits in the lead roofs, fixing lead flashing, replacing broken pantiles and quarries on roofs, repointing loose flints and bricks in walls & floors and cleaning & painting pipes and gutters. All these were highlighted on the latest quinquennial report. We are most grateful to the NCT for this promised funding from their Small Grants scheme, as when we applied for the grant, despite trying to raise funds throughout the year, we didn't have sufficient money to pay for the work.

To read more about the work of the NCT, click here or visit:
https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org

Suffolk Historic Churches Trust

updated news from the
Mendlesham Team
who took part in the Ride & Stride
on Sat 9th Sept 2023

Thanks to Ant Ripley for his own inimitable drawing of the event!

Update from the Mendlesham Team of Chris,Taylor and Anne.
Thank you very much to everyone who has sponsored us – including all who have done so anonymously.
With temperatures on Saturday 9th September topping 33 degrees, we were most grateful for the water and soft drinks
so kindly offered in many of the places of worship.
Chris cycled from Campsea Ash to Ipswich, visiting 34 churches/chapels and biked 38 miles.
Taylor and Anne cycled together, visiting 33 churches/chapels incorporating Diss, Roydon, Hinderclay, Walsham-le-Willows, Hunston and many between. Including journeys to and from from home, Taylor biked 54.5 miles & Anne biked 51.3 miles.

The Team’s total has now reached the amazing sum of £1,274 .... & it is still rising.
Half the money goes to our own church of St Mary’s Mendlesham, via the Friends of St Mary’s, to help pay the recent urgent roof repairs and towards the next stage of restoration. The other half goes to the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, helping repair churches and chapels all over Suffolk.
It’s still not too late if you would like to donate:
Their Team page is at: https://www.justgiving.com/team/mendlesham

NEW CHANCEL CARPET
THANK YOU!

To Ruth and Richard Ince for the magnificent chancel carpet in memory of Jose Pereira, their daughter-in-law Nikita's father, who died so tragically in April. The previous carpet was about 60 years old and becoming rather shabby in places and it was good that the new one was in place in time for Nikita and James' wedding on 8th July, with all the necessary permissions duly given. It was blessed at the Parish Mass on 10th September. Thank you, too, for the separate, matching carpet put in place for weddings to cover the holes in the central heating grating in the nave which is otherwise a trap for high-heeled shoes, and the other piece which covers the historic brass to Sir John Knyvett.

November candles for the departed

Each November there is an opportunity for people to have a candle lit throughout the entire month (during daylight hours) as a sign of prayer for departed loved ones. Their names are printed on labels which are fixed to the candles and they will be blessed on Sunday 29th October at the Parish Mass (9.30 am).
The cost is £10, which covers both candles necessary for the entire month. There is a list on the table at the back of church Please print names and either see Andi, our treasurer, about payment, or send a message via the CONTACT page of this website stating how many candles you would like, plus the names of your departed loved ones and we will let you know how you can transfer payment.

MENDLESHAM’S BEST REAL ALE
Coronation Edition 2023
Limited edition

There are ONLY 2 BOXES of Mendlesham’s Best left . Our 13th limited edition, brewed by Earl Soham Brewery using locally grown barley, English hops and traditional brewing techniques is sold in aid of St Mary’s Mendlesham Church Funds. It's absolutely delicious and most of the bottles have gone very quickly, so don't leave it until it's too late!!
Prices: Bottles: £3.50, Box of 12: £40
Payment on collection
To order, click here and complete an order form. When it's gone, it's gone!

September 2023

From the Parish Registers

Holy Matrimony

8th July James Ince and Nikita Leite Pereira
22nd July Aaron Harvey and Florence Cage

Holy Burial

27th July Robert William Joseph Robinson, aged 57 (cremated remains)
28th July Keith Albert Brundell, aged 74 (cremated remains)

August 2023

Our own Real Ale....

It's back!!
MENDLESHAM’S BEST REAL ALE
Coronation Edition 2023
Limited edition

Mendlesham’s Best is back again. Our 13th limited edition, brewed by Earl Soham Brewery using locally grown barley, English hops and traditional brewing techniques to be sold in aid of St Mary’s Mendlesham Church Funds. If it's half as good as the previous editions it will be absolutely delicious!
Pre-order now: ready at the Festival.
Last year, all bottles went very quickly, so don't leave it until it's too late!!
Prices: Bottles: £3.50, Box of 12: £40
Payment on collection
To order, either click here and complete an order form, OR
sign the list in church OR send a message through St Mary's Facebook page

July 2023

The articles below include the 2 pages which the parish church is now allotted in the Mendlesham Community Charity newsletter but there are additional items too.
To download the calendar of Mass times as a pdf, click here

Saturday 29th July
2.00pm - 5.00pm
in South Churchyard

Live Music: 'Kind of Blues' Strawberry Teas
Beer & Hot Dogs

Arranged by the Friends of St Mary’s for church restoration
ALL WELCOME!

New Noticeboard

Our new noticeboard was blessed after the Parish Mass on Sunday 21st May. It was fully paid for by a generous grant from the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Fund of the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust - a fitting tribute in memory of the late Queen and a great addition to the churchyard!

June 2023

Every Tuesday
10.30 - 12.30

Coffee & Cake

Everyone welcome...
Come and meet old and new friends!

No charge, but donations welcome to Friends of St Mary's for maintaining and restoring our historic Grade I listed building.

Thursday 15th June
Eve of Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Monthly Healing Service

2.30pm Mass, laying on of hands and anointing

Silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament from 1.30pm

All welcome...

Jesus offers his healing and peace freely!

FRIENDS OF ST MARY'S

Results of recent events organised by or on behalf of the Friends of St Mary's:
Easter Egg Raffle: £80.00
Quiz Night: £285.00
Teas, preserves, plants & bric-a-brac at the time of the May Street Fayre: £469.20
Thanks to all who organised and helped at these events and to those who supported them.
The Friends of St Mary's exists to raise funds for the upkeep and restoration of our beautiful Grade 1 Listed mediaeval church. A recent payment for reclaimed Gift Aid has resulted in over £700.
Further events are being planned and helpers are always needed. Please see Graham Baker.

Coronation weekend: 6th & 7th May 2023
Village Scarecrow Competition

The PCC's entry for the village scarecrow competition caused some smiles and double-takes... and a few queries about Fr Philip's health!

Christian Aid Week TOTAL:

£1575.30 + £230 Gift Aid = £1805.30

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK TOTAL:
£1575.30 + £230 Gift Aid = £1805.30
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED, COLLECTED AND SUPPORTED IT IN ANY WAY

House to house: £1065
URC coffee morning: £100
Online giving: £310
Churn in church: £100

May 2023

Every Tuesday
10.30 - 12.30

Coffee & Cake

Everyone welcome...
Come and meet old and new friends!

No charge, but donations welcome to Friends of St Mary's for maintaining and restoring our historic Grade I listed building.

Sunday 30th April
'May' Fiesta
9.30: Mass & crowning of May Queen
11.15 (approx) - Procession around village, stopping at the King's Head,
followed by shared lunch in church

Monday 1st May: 12.00 - 5.00 pm
Tea, coffee & cake stall in church
organised by the Friends of St Mary's,
raising funds for the restoration and maintenance of the church building

This will take place at the same time as the Mendlesham Community Charity will be running their Street Fayre.
Please note, the Armoury will not be open that afternoon.

Coronation of HM King Charles III - St Mary's commemoration
Sunday 7th May - 9.30

The Parish Mass will include prayers for HM the King and the National Anthem.

Afterwards: blessing of a hornbeam tree grown from seed by the diocesan bishop, the Rt Revd Martin Seeley, & planted in the churchyard to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Coffee and tea afterwards

All welcome

Mass on Saturday 6th June will be at 5.00 pm and offered with the prayer intention for the King

Obituaries

Peter Wyatt

Peter was born in 1936 in Plympton St Mary, Devon, and joined the RAF at 18, training as a meteorological observer. This was to be the start of his worldwide travels, spending time in Singapore and Car Nicobar before completing his national service and joining the Met Office in 1956.
In 1959 he was selected to join weather reconnaissance 202 Squadron, based at RAF Aldergrove Belfast, where he met Glenys, who was a telephonist in the WRAF. They married in 1963 and later had two sons, Mark and Alex. The family lived in several different parts of the world, including Libya, Tobruk, Germany, and different parts of the UK. Peter also served in The Falklands in 1982. They moved to Denters Hill, Mendlesham, in 1989, and shortly after, while Glenys was in charge of Mendlesham Playgroup, Peter was away again with the Mobile Met Unit in Bahrain followed by his final posting in Cyprus.
Peter retired in 1996 and after Glenys died in 2003, he became more involved with the village, notably the May Street Fayre stall bookings. In 2013 Peter moved into his bungalow in Mayfield Way. He had a passion for photography, which went hand in hand with travelling and meeting people. He took many photographs, including a lot of the church, one of which was recently published in a book about armour. He was a member of the Friends of St Mary’s committee and responsible for much of the advertising and posters for their events.
He thoroughly enjoyed the over 60’s functions and was often to be found, tea towel in hand, drying dishes at those or other events. In his last years he battled heroically with cancer and was still going out for coffee or meals with his friends until the beginning of December. Monday was coffee in the Old Schoolroom, Tuesday at St Mary’s church and on Thursdays at Emzo’s. He also loved going for a pint with his sons at the King's Head.
He died on 23rd December. Fr Philip conducted his funeral at St Mary’s on 20th January and Peter was buried afterwards in the Green cemetery near Saxmundham close to Glenys.

Andy Triscott

Andy TriscottAndy was a Devon boy who made his home in Suffolk for all his life, but never forgot his roots, visiting family in Devon and Cornwall every few months. Andy went to school in Plymouth and in his spare time worked at a local farm where he developed an interest in all aspects of farming whether it was driving a tractor or combine or taking care of animals. He went to study for a degree in agriculture at Seale Hayne college, Newton Abbott. Whilst there he became very interested in the new computer they had installed. Andy went to work at Pauls and Whites in Ipswich and it was whilst there that he met his wife Carolyn. Carolyn and Andy were married at Freston church in Ipswich where Andy played church organ for Sunday worship for many years. Carolyn and Andy moved to Mendlesham Green in 1983 and had 2 children Samantha and Chelsea. By this time Andy was changed jobs and was working at Cory’s Shipping in Felixstowe. Driving there every day until he wasn’t able to drive and had to take 2 trains to and from work. When the children were young they started riding lessons at Hawkins Farm. They started loaning and buying horses and as the years progressed this became an all family hobby with care and going to shows and pony club. Because Carolyn was involved in village fund raising, this spilled over into Andy’s life and he started helping run the car park at the Street Fayre, helping cook food at the Firework Display and washing dishes at the Harvest Supper. He helped run the annual Flower and Produce Show and Fothergills seed orders each year. He also became Treasurer of the Mendlesham Community Centre for many years. Andy’s big love was his garden, with a large plot to grow vegetables all year round. Crops were stored over winter and summer vegetables frozen for winter months. His love of gardening stayed with him all his life which is why it seemed fitting to have a garden shed on the order of service.
Andy's funeral was taken by Fr Philip at St Mary's on 12th January and he was buried in the churchyard extension.

March 2023

To download the 2 Church pages in the Mendlesham Community Charity newsletter as a pdf, click here
To download the calendar of Mass times as a pdf, click here

Bishop Mike, Bishop of Dunwich, with Fr Philip and the serving team on Sunday 15th January, when we welcomed him to preach.

Good News!

New Outside Noticeboard

Artist's impressioin of the new noticeboard

A very big thank you to Richard Giffin and his team, on the successful application to the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust for a jubilee grant. The Jubilee Fund was specially set up to fund a fitting commemoration of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, either inside or in the grounds of a church. Our application was for a good quality outside notice board - something which has been lacking for well over 40 years, since the previous one rotted and fell to pieces.

As there has been a continuous need for other work on the church or in the churchyard in the meantime, there has never been enough money to pay for a good board. As well as collating the extensive research and completing the paperwork, Richard (in his capacity as PCC Secretary) has also applied for the required permission (called ‘List B’ permission) from the diocese/archdeacon,
This has now been granted and the order is in process. We very much hope it will be in place in time for the Coronation

New Bethlehem Carol Sheets

Tom Gray was rather surprised to hear that he was the winner first annual competition in December organised by the charity ‘Embrace’ (formerly known as Bible Lands). This was for a photo ‘capturing the festive spirit of carol services’ . Embrace publishes the Bethlehem carol sheets which we have used for many years, both for carol singing and in the Christmass Eve carol service. Tom has won 100 Bethlehem Carol Sheets, along with accompanying CD, Music book & Children's activity book (package worth over £75) for St Mary’s Church (as well as some Fairtrade chocolate for himself),
His photo was taken at our Christmass Eve carol service and the organisers said, “The scene captures the festive mood of the event with children taking part, the enormous Christmas tree and all in a beautifully lit setting. (They also noted the carol sheets were being used!)