www.chediston.suffolk.gov.uk
www.linstead.suffolk.gov.uk     

About Us

Chediston, Linstead Magna and Linstead Parva are three villages linked by a grouped parish council - they cover an area in North Suffolk, extending from Halesworth, north to Metfield. There are two churches remaining; the church of Linstead Magna disappeared many years ago and is now a scheduled archaeological site on private land.
 



Linstead Parva church, dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch, lies at a road/river crossing on the
extreme edge of its parish boundary.







The church at Chediston lies in the heart of the village, on a slight incline overlooking the river Blyth. Recent excavations just  outside Chediston churchyard led to the discovery of a burial, possibly Saxon. Remains of a minor Roman settlement lie near the river and were excavated some years ago.


There is a dispersed settlement at Chediston Green lying about half a mile away from the church to the north.
The road, B1123, runs through the village. There is a network of footpaths and bridleways linking various parts of the parishes, all well used. Many of the houses are listed as being of historic interest and are timber framed and some have large moats surrounding them.
There are several active groups in the villages, including the W. I. Linstead has a    village hall, on the B1123 and in Chediston, the public meeting place is Chediston Church Room.  The public house, The Duke of Wellington, is now a private house at Chediston Green and Linstead's pub, The Greyhound, closed many years ago.    

WHAT'S NEW?  WHAT'S HOT? 


Weather Forecast

Have you used the 5 day Local weather forecast link on our Noticeboard Page?

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WEBSITE UPDATE - 19/03/10
Neighbourhood Watch (Local Crime Incidents 13-19th March)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 17/03/10
For Sale/Wanted (1 on, 1 off); Noticeboard (100 Club results - latest draw)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 16/03/10
Parish Council (Agenda for meeting 22/03/10)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 15/03/10
Church (Additional Mothering Sunday report;Easter notice;PCC Meeting notice); Noticeboard (Tribute to John Hurren; Traidcraft Day notice); Events Diary (Various)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 14/03/10
Church (Mothering Day Service and Breakfast report and photos)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 13/03/10
Church (Community Event 17 April; Bell ringing update); Noticeboard (Community Event 17 April)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 12/03/10
Neighbourhood Watch (Local Crime Incidents 6-12th March)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 06/03/10
Church (Mothering Sunday poster);Noticeboard (Spring Plant Sale; Mothering Sunday poster)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 05/03/10
Noticeboard & Home Page (Website statistics) 

WEBSITE STATISTICS for JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2010
Well for another couple of months there has been much activity on this website if readership levels are to be believed; and statistics don't lie!!
We have been supplied with the figures for January and February. You will no doubt be pleased to note that the latest statistics issued by OneSuffolk (our website host server) indicate that we recorded 459 separate hits in January and 439 in February (well up from November's good 402).  This maintains our position in 9th place out of the 146 Parish and Town websites. Remember the 146 other websites include much larger towns and villages than us such as Bury St. Edmunds etc. Once again a really good result!  Thanks once more for your support.

WEBSITE UPDATE - 04/03/10
For Sale (new Sale items)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 03/03/10
Neighbourhood Watch (Farm equipment thefts)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 01/03/10
Home (Obituary, BT Debate); Businesses (AA Thomson Bookkeeping amendment); Noticeboard (Obituary)
 
JOHN EDWARD INGATE HURREN

HURREN John Edward Ingate. Passed away on February 21, aged 78 years. Former farmer of Chediston. Loving uncle of Robin, Emma and Johnathon. His funeral will take place at Gorleston Crematorium on Wednesday, March 10, at 2.40 p.m. Family flowers only. All enquiries may be sent c/o Woolnough's Funeral Service, The Cemetery Chapels, Holton Road, Halesworth IP19 8HD


BT BROADBAND UPDATE

We received an update from Stephen Burroughes (scroll down this page for the background to this debate) who informs us that Suffolk Coastal and Waveney have similar concerns as we all do regarding the inadequacies of our broadband speeds (or lack of them). Apparently these two Authorities are now jointly taking the whole matter up with BT and Stephen will update us on progress.  Rest assured this website will not let matters stagnate if quick progress is not achieved!

WEBSITE UPDATE - 26/02/10
History (Correspondence re:published photo); Neighbourhood Watch ((Local Crime Incidents 20-26th February)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 25/02/10
Home, Noticeboard & Events Diary (Knitter Natter Exhibition)

KNITTER NATTER CLUB OPEN DAY MARCH 20

Have you ever wondered what this Club actually does? Well now you can see for yourself!  They are holding an Open day on March 20 10am-4pm.  Entry is FREE.  There will be an exhibition of their crafts and you can get a cuppa whilst you look and chat. Click on the Noticeboard tab for more details.

THIS IS NO JOKE
  
IF A PERSON CALLED SIMON ASHTON ( SIMON25@HOTMAIL.CO.UK ) CONTACTS YOU THROUGH EMAIL DON'T OPEN THE MESSAGE. DELETE IT BECAUSE HE IS A HACKER!!

TELL EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS HIM THEN YOU WILL GET HIM ON YOUR LIST. HE WILL FIGURE OUT YOUR ID COMPUTER ADDRESS, SO COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE EVEN IF YOU DONT CARE FOR THEM AND FAST BECAUSE IF HE HACKS THEIR EMAIL HE HACKS YOUR MAIL TOO!!!!!.... 
 
Anyone-using Internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on.  This information arrived this morning, Direct from both Microsoft and Norton. Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Intern et. You may receive an apparently harmless e-mail titled  'Mail Server Report'

If you open either file, a message will appear on your screen saying:  'It is too late now, your life is no longer  beautiful.' 

Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC,
And the person wh o sent it to you will gain access to your  name, e-mail and password.

This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon. AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the  anti virus software's are not capable of destroying it .

The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself  'life owner'..

PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS E-MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, And ask them to 
PASS IT ON IMMEDIATELY!

WEBSITE UPDATE - 23/02/10
Neighbourhood Watch (Heating Oil Theft)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 22/02/10
Church (Services & Mothering Sunday); Noticeboard (Mothering Sunday); For Sale (Garage Equipment etc) 


WEBSITE UPDATE - 19/02/10
History tab (correspondence re: recent photo); Neighbourhood Watch (Local Crime Incidents 13-19th February)

REMEMBER THIS PHOTO?

Do you recall that we published this photo a while back?


Do you recognise anyone in this photo? Click on the History tab!














Look on the 'History' tab for one interesting answer from Clive Frost.

MARQUEE HELPERS

As you are probably aware Chediston owns a marquee that is hired out locally a couple of times year, the income being used to help finance other village events. Helpers are needed to transport, erect, dismantle and transport back the marquee.  If helpers cannot be found to take on these tasks then the marquee cannot be hired out and no income will result.  Hirers pay £20 directly to the helpers for their services. If you would be able to assist, please use the 'Contact Us' tab on this website.


WEBSITE UPDATE - 13/02/10
Church (Services); Events Reports (Chediston Safari supper); Noticeboard (Peggy Bodington tribute; Marquee helpers); Neighbourhood Watch (Local

WEBSITE UPDATE - 12/02/10
Neighbourhood Watch (Local Crime Incidents 6 - 12th February)


WEBSITE UPDATE - 06/02/10
Noticeboard (New Local Bus Service Trial; Linstead Manor Farm Request; Visiting Bell Ringing Date Added), Church (Visiting Bell Ringing Date Added) 



THANKS

My thanks to all of you who have been kind enough to write, phone or email following my recent surgery.  Things have not gone as well as hoped but a few more weeks should see things improve.  
David Mantell


Scroll down to read and participate in the Poor Broadband Quality debate

Just an update on this issue. I raised the matter at the recent Parish Council meeting. The PC are to contact BT as requested by me to attempt to elicit a date when our lines will be upgraded. Stephen Burroughes may also be investigating this from a District Council level and I may be able to accompany hm to a meeting with BT.  In any event I will report back any news. You can still email to the website any further comments and I will take these to BT.


WEBSITE UPDATE - 29/01/10
Neighbourhood Watch (Local Crime Incidents 23-29 January); Parish Council (Signed off minutes of 2 meetings and Clerk's summary of meeting 25/01/10)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 28/01/10
Home Page (Broadband update);Neighbourhood Watch (Tractor stolen); Noticeboard (Snow Clearance, Suffolk Open Weekend)

WEBSITE UPDATE - 25/01/10
Church & Noticeboard (Bell ringing); Noticeboard (Linstead Newsletter for February)

 




Linstead Church - Christmas










You will have noted that we have another entrepreneur in Chediston - John Martin - who has set up a Professional Car Cleaning and Valeting service.  As you may know John owns and exhibits his own classic car so what he doesn't know about car presentation probably isn't worth knowing!  Let's all support him in his new venture. Scroll down for advert and look on the Business section.

BROADBAND SPEEDS

I am intending to raise with the Parish Council at their next meeting on 25th January, the matter of the appalling broadband speeds provided by BT to our village.  We are a rural community and the government is always mentioning how important it is that rural communities are properly catered for with regard to services etc.  As usual this is amounts to absolutely nothing.

The broadband speed that I can receive is stated on the BT website as being a maximum of up to 3.0mb/s.  A few weeks ago it stated 1.5mb/s. These figures are totally meaningless because the further from the exchange, the poorer the speed.  In fact testing my connection I can get 1.40 mb/s as a maximum download speed (and 380kbps upload) and this can and frequently does drop to as low as 0.6 mb/s download.  The bandwidths available from BT to all ISP's appears very poor and the more users at any one time seriously degrades internet speeds. I am aware that many in our village get much poorer speeds than myself.

A rural community needs a decent internet speed to make modern communications via the internet easier not to mention the ability to quickly read pages of our own parish website. As your Parish Council website editor it is extremely frustrating waiting an interminable time for pages to load when editing new material.

I would like the Parish Council to contact BT and request confirmation of exactly when they propose to update their lines and equipment from their present antiquated state to enable a modern speed of communication for all in our parish.  BT have had the income for investment from us all and we should be demanding that this is immediatley converted to improvements for us. A response stating that there are no plans at present or that this will hapen in the next few years is meaningless.  We should demand action NOW.  No doubt the Parish Council will wish to bring the Local Authority and our MP on board to reinforce our demands.

David Mantell

If you have a comment upon this please use the Contact Us tab ASAP.


Response by Yvonne Watts:

Response by Paul Davies:

Sorry to be so slow to respond. Lin and I have been away and have had no internet. We just got back this afternoon (only just, given the weather).

Response by Joanna Wareham:

I think it would be useful if as many people as possible did a survey  
of their broadband speed, I used www.broadband.co.uk today and got a  
result of download 944kbps and upload 237kbps. The BT website shows  
that the maximum speed available at my address is 1.5mb and a  
telephone call to BT confirmed that this is the most that anyone near  
here can expect at the moment.
The very keen person on the phone did say that Halesworth exchange is  
being upgraded and will be enabled to 20mb from its current 2.6mb, the  
projected date for improvement is July/ August for Chediston on the  
Halesworth exchange and Aug/Sept for users of the Linstead exchange.  
he also said that pre registered users would get priority ( something  
tells me that he would say that wouldn't he).
Jo

Comment by David Mantell:

If what Jo Wareham reports is indeed fact - this is good news for our parish. No doubt this will be discussed at the next Parish Council Meeting. I do intend to take this up with BT.

John's Car Cleaning Service

 

For a general clean, that special occasion,
ready to sell or whatever

Professional cleaning and valeting service

Phone John: 01986 785471

 

 

 

View from Church Tower across towards Herne Hill. Taken by Doug Cady in the 1940's

PROOF READER
Would anyone care to help the webmaster by very regularly reading the website and notifying any easily overlooked misspellings, errors etc? If so or for more details click on the Contact Us tab. Your help would be much appreciated.


BELL RINGING SCHEDULE
Latest Bell Ringing Schedule published. See Church tab.

Oil Syndicate
The Chediston and Linstead Oil Syndicate organiser, Maxine Martin, informs us that due to lack of support she will no longer be acting as our Oil Syndicate organiser.  As we said before- use it or lose it!  However, if anyone is willing to take on this position, use the Contact Us facility on this website.

HORSE OWNERS

A scheme aiming to reduce rural and equine crime. Membership tp Suffolk Horsewatch is free.  Ideally every horse owner should be registered on the POLICE DIRECT system to help reduce certain crimes by being aware of them in the first place.  This is a free communication service between you and Suffolk Police via a high-tech messaging facility. You can choose how you want to receive messages - email, text, voice mail, landline or all of these.

If you want more details, please contact your Neighbourhood Watch coordinator or email horsewatch@suffolk.pnn.police.uk

FOR SALE/WANTED PAGE

We have not had much of a response to the proposal to have a non-business For Sale/Wanted section.  However, several people have mentioned that they would like this facility so we are going to give it a go. To start with there will be no charge.  The new page is now available! 

You can send any Ads to the website, via the Contact Us tab or on the For Sale page itself, and they will be published as soon as possible. Please keep your Ads as brief as you reasonably can and without photos at this stage. 

Again if you have any views on future charging or the concept of the Ads, then please let us know. Use the Contact Us tab to give your opinions.

CREATIVE WRITING?

The website has received a suggestion that we may care to include a 'Creative Writing' section.  This could encompass biographies, autobiographies, wildlife observations, daily diary, etc.  In fact anything that you may feel would be interesting for our readers.  What do you think? 

PHOTO GALLERY

You may have noticed that you can now 'open up' all of the photos in the Photo Gallery. There are a few photos that are displayed and came from one photographer.  We would like to attribute these photos to that photographer, so if you took them, please email us. Use the Contact Us tab.

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Reports

Read the Parish Council Clerk's  Summary of the latest Parish Council Meetings. Click on the Parish Council tab


Read the latest signed-off Minutes of the Parish Council Click Here