Personalities
Brian Chester- the inspiration
behind Village Voice
info
Brian will be well-known to
Hoxonians as one of the editorial co-ordinators of Village
Voice. In this interview to mark the launch of
www.Hoxne.com, Brian tells all about the inception of Village Voice
and offers some fascinating thoughts on the future of the
community, and the church in particular. I
n the first picture, Brian attempts a smile
as he prepares for a long-awaited flight in the only
two-seater Spitfire. It's a genuine World War II aircraft and flies
out of Duxford. In the second the moment of
truth...
For the benefit of
people who might be new to the area, could you tell us something
about the history of Village Voice? How did you
first get involved in producing it? What is the current
circulation?
Village Voice began as a church
newsletter, started, I think, by the Revd John Draper before
we came to the village; so that's more than 30 years ago. That
is why it covers the four parishes of Hoxne, Denham, Syleham
and Wingfield - they are (or were) all cared for by the vicar
of Hoxne. The newsletter developed into a genuine community
journal - financed by advertisements, contributions from
businesses, village organisations and individual donations -
with editors including John Chapman and John Ball. We
came on the scene five years ago after a bit of gentle
arm-twisting. We now print 800 copies each time.
What are
the main challenges in producing a local
magazine?
Getting contributors to remember the copy date!
Do you think it would be useful to
make some of the content of the Village Voice also available
online, as part of our new website?
I think both the newsletter and the website have a part to play in
the important
business of helping to keep people
informed and entertained. Village Voice has more accessibility
than the web simply because of the printed page; but the
internet has a lot to offer in terms of immediacy and
attracting interest from outside the village. So, yes, parts
of Village Voice could go online.
What are the main changes have you
seen in the community in the time you have lived in
Hoxne?
Positive growth through a gradual
increase in the number of houses, successful investment in the
village hall, school, church, playingfield, the post office store
in Low Street and the pub - all of which adds to a village with a
real sense of community.
You are
standing in for Rev Lowe- did the Rev had a good send-off to
retirement, and what is the latest news about a possible
replacement?
Thanks for the compliment; but I'm just part of a team now looking
after the activities of St Peter and St Paul. The two churchwardens
Peter Drake and Ken Wrighton take much of the day-to-day
responsibility with many other people assisting with the services,
keeping the church open and cared for (and the churchyard),
providing flowers for the porch and altar each week - and helping
in many other ways.
More than 140 people came to Tony's retirement party - which says
a lot about the feelings of affection for Tony, Chris and their
family. It was an excellent send-off and one we will all
remember. We are extremely grateful to all those who have written
to the Bishop of Suffolk putting the case for a new vicar to be
appointed and we are continuing to argue our corner; but the church
in the county faces some tough decisions. The Archdeacon of Suffolk
has penned a detailed 'response' in the February/March edition of
Village Voice.
Are
there any Church events coming up soon that you would like people
to know about?
We are planning to move forward with our family services (modern
language and informal) - ideas, please. Mothering Sunday is on
March 26 when the Revd Ben Sasada from Diss will be taking the
service so we're very much looking forward to that. We continue to
have a service each Sunday with Holy Communion (modern version) on
the first and fourth Sundays; Morning Prayer on the second Sunday
and Family Service on the third. All services begin at 11am.
Are
you happy with the size of the congregation at the moment, and what
do you think the Church could do to increase attendances
generally?
We are always working to increase congregations and welcome
thoughts and suggestions to help us do that. It has to be a two-way
process. But there is much support in the village for the church as
part of the community which is equally as important as the size of
congregation. We are grateful for that support - often expressed
through membership of the Friends of the Church. And it's also good
to read the many encouraging remarks in the visitors' book - often
simply gratitude at finding a village church which is open. The
small history exhibition on show in church is also
appreciated.
How do you relax and unwind in your
spare time? Are there any local places (shops, restaurants etc) you
would recommend, and what is it that you like about
them?
Cooking, gardening, bird recording for the British Trust for
Ornithology, reading.
Sausage and mash is a favourite comfort food - Terry Beales at
Harleston makes prize winners!
What's your favourite film of all
time and what is it that you enjoyed about
it?
Sorry, have to pass on that one not being a great cinema goer. But
I do remember being suitable impressed by the Cruel Sea when a lad
- which probably fired-up teenage thoughts on joining the Navy! (I
didn't).
Finally
Brian, what do you see as the main pluses and minuses of living and
working in our part of Suffolk?
I just like it - the people, countryside, coastline, big skies,
history... The only 'minus' is the lack of chalk streams as I used
to enjoy dangling my fly in the hope of catching supper.
Back to the
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PC Tim
Green talks to
hoxne.com
info
PC Green will be a
familiar face to many residents. He took a few minutes
out of a hectic schedule to answer some of our questions
before being interupted by a call from the Control
Room!
Tim, how did you get into police work- is it something you
always wanted to do ?
 I joined the police
after I left the army where I served for ten years. I
choose the police as a similar career path as the military. It
was not something I always wanted to do that was being a
soldier but it is a close
second.
In your
opinion, what attributes make a good police officer in today's
society?
A good police officer is someone who can listen,, be understanding,
be adaptable and be approachable as well as being decisive in their
actions. I think it requires many skills to be a good officer and
they are just some of them. As a community officer being friendly
and approachable is very important but you must also be accessible
to speak to the community and get to know them.
How do you feel about the proposed
options for the regionalisation of the force and how it will affect
policing in Suffolk?
At this time
Steve I am not able to comment on the regionalisation of police
forces- it is an on going situation.
Can you tell us something about
'Police Direct'? What is the thinking behind it and is it working
well in practice?
 Police Direct is a
new and dynamic messaging service available to the public to
keep people informed about local policing issues. Subscribers
receive specific information from the police direct to their
computer,mobile phone or landline. It provides information
about local crime, advice to help reduce the chance of
becoming a victim of crime and information on police activity
helping to make suffolk even safer. It is working very well
with many people signing up the system can send 3000 messages
in just one minute and is free.
What are the main issues locally that
people need to be aware of at the moment, for example are there any
particular trends in crime or patterns of
offending?
Main issues at the moment appear to be vehicle crime
thefts from motor vehicles. This has not affected the hoxne
area too much so far but there have been quite a number in
eye. Mainly unlocked cars are targetted and items such as
handbags,wallets, mobile phones etc are taken. So it is
really general security advice about locking your car when it
is unattended and not leaving valuables on display.
How do residents contact you to
report any concerns to you?
The best way
for residents to contact me is to ring our switchboard number 01473
613500 and ask for me PC 1207 Green. Or ring Eye police
station on 01284 774640. I would suggest asking for me on these
numbers only for non emergency/urgent calls as I may not be on
duty and if your call does require an immediate response ring 999
if appropriate or the above numbers to speak to any police officer
in the Eye area.
Looking into the crystal ball, what
do you think the future of policing holds in
store?
The future
of policing is becoming very much more neighbourhood based with
local officers like myself who are known to the public and are
aware of local issues that are important to
residents.
How do you relax and unwind in your
spare time? Are there any local places (shops, restaurants etc) you
would recommend, and what is it that you like about
them?
I tend to
relax and unwind at home by swimming and walking. I unfortunately
don't live locally to Hoxne so the places I frequent would not
be known to your residents...
... and with that he was off to answer the call of
the Control Room. Our thanks to PC Green for these insights, and
there is more information about local policing in the Staying Safe
page.
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