Parish Council News:
At the Parish Council's first meeting of 2005, Councillors welcomed Mrs Marion Cusworth as the co-opted Councillor for Sapiston, following the recent vacancy. Councillor Cusworth can be contacted on 01359 269492.
Two matters were discussed regarding environmental issues in the village. Firstly the Council has recieved a recycling credit of £8.02 for the use of the glass-recycling bin situated in the Village Hall car park. Please help us to do our bit by recycling all your glass. Secondly, the Clerk has requested from St. Edmundsbury Borough Council a new dog bin to be placed by the bridge. Please would dog owners use the dog bins provided and keep the village pavements as clean and tidy as possible for the enjoyment of all.
The Parish council will meet next on Monday march 14th at 7.15pm in the School Hall. This meeting will begin with a 15 minute open-forum - do come along. LP

Asian Tsunami Disaster:
Please help us to raise money for the people affected by the recent Tsunami by coming allong to a coffee morning in Sapiston Village Hall on the 9th February at 10:30am. There will be a raffle, cake stall and tobola, etc. So if you have any items you can donate for theese stalls they would be very gratefully recieved. You can contact Annette Mendez on 269105 or Clare Palmer on 01842 750423 if you need further details or to arrange collection of donations. PLEASE COME ALONG! AM

Village Hall Diary & News:
The St Patricks Night Hooley on Friday 18th March. The Hookey Band will be performing from 8.30pm till midnight. Doors open at 8.00pm. Tickets are £8.00 including a supper of boiled bacon and Colcannon, soda bread and jam. Tickets are in demand so an early reservation is advised - contact The Fox Inn on 269522.
The Keystone Development Trust has confirmed two dates for Introduction Training to Computers and the Internet in the keystone Mobile Vehicle. theese are on Wednesday 23rd February and Wednesday 2nd march. All those who have enrolled will be contacted in the near future. ST

The Fox Inn News:
The Tsunami Fundraising at The Fox now stands at £1,030.00. We are delighted with this and would like to thank all those who contributed so generousley and those that helped with administrating the fundraising events.
Every Monday is Pensioners Special Day with a two-course lunch for £4.00. Please book if possible. Monday is also a free pool table day in the piublic bar from mid-day untill 11.00pm.
The Petanque season is nearly upon us. Anyone interested in joining a team please leave your name and contact number behind the bar or with karl Rumsey.
We have now extended our food availability hours from midday until 8.00pm, seven days a week. It is advisable to book for Sunday Lunch. The dining room is non-smoking during food service hours but we are delighted to serve food in the public bar if preferred. ST

WI Village Quiz:
The WI village quiz is on thursday 17th February at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. The cost os £10.00 per table of four (£2.50 per person), which includes refreshments. if you would like to bring your own drink you are very welcome, and tea or coffee will be served in the interval. The evening is lots of fun so why not book a table for your family, organisation, group of friends or neighbours - the rivalry is stiff so dont let the side down by not being there!
Bookings are coming in thick and fast so ring Margaret Ridgwell on 01842 763180, Jo Lynch on 269648 or Tricia Fojut on 268442 soon. Dont forget to think of a name for your team on the night! MR

W.I.
At our January meeting members were humming along to Viennese waltzes, Christmas carols, and all kinds of popular music as our speaker, Doreen Whitelock demonstrated some of her 30 wonderful music boxes. She gave us a brief history of the music box and then passed round the ones she had bought with her. She had some 100 at home!! The competition to bring along a trinket box was won by Fiona Ridgwell with mary Kirby second and Gill Farrow third. At our Febriary meetings, members will be taking part on a workshop to make greetings cards under the guidance of Tricia Fojut, one of our members. Please remember to bring scissors and a cuttong board or mat if possible. The Roll Call is to name an occasion when you would send a card and the competition is to compose a verse for the greeting card. Please join us on the second Tuesday fo the month in the Village Hall at 7.30pm. You can come along as a guest to see if you would enjoy being a member and don't forget to pick up a copy of our yearly programme from the Post office to see what's in store for the coming year. MR

Over Sixties Club:
We recently welcomed a new member, Mr R Gaught from Troston, and would like to remind anyone aged 60 or over that they are very welcome to join us. We are looking forward to the Saussage & Mash Supper and our meetings in February will be on the 3rd when we are going to the Duke of Marlborough at Hepworth for lunch and on thursday 17th February we will be in the Village Hall starting at 2.00pm. AS

Neighbourhood Watch:
Warning of Credit Fee Scam: The Office of Fair Trading has issued a warning that a loan fee scam is being used to defraud people, many of whom are elderly. The scam works in this way; advertisements appear in local newspapers offering fast loans regardless of credit history. The adverts, which have a free phone number to call, are usually placed in the classified section of the locsl newspapers. Consumers that reply to these adverts are told that their loan has been agreed but before they can have the money they will need to pay a fee to cover insurance on the loan. The consumers are asked to pay this advance fee by money order via Western Union or Money Gram. Once this advance fee is paid the consumer never hears from the company again and the loan is never recieved. WM

Ixworth Patients' Association:
On Wednesday 9th march at the Pykkeryl, Ixworth at 7.30pm there will be a Health Evening on Smoking and Chest & breathing Problems. AT

Honington Church Draw:
The January draw took place during the Over Sixties meeting in the village hall. First prize went to Mr & Mrs Birch, second prize to Bob & Geraldine Starling and third prize to Sue Thurlow. Next month the draw will be on the 17th February. MC

Church News:
The winter aconites and snowdrops are out - spring is on the way! First of all, just to say how wonderfully generous everyone was in their response to the Tsunami disaster - all together the Churches of Honington, Fakenham Magna and Euston, Troston and Sapiston sent over £2000.00 - so many want to help the victims of that horror and that was one way we could help a little.
Lent begins (yes, already!) on Wednesday 9th February with a service at 7.15pm. During Lent there will be a short service every Wednesday at 7.30pm.
There will also be the usual Lent Lunches every Monday from 12.30-2.00pm. Just drop in for as long as you like - you will getr soup, bread and cheese, fruit and coffee all for a donation to the charity chosen by the host. The first Lunch is Monday 14th February at Honington Rectory in aid of the Saint Nicholas Hospice.
There will also be an evening service every Sunday in one of the Churches in our Team - again we get the first on Sunday 13th at 6.00pm when we have that lovley service Traditional Evensong.
Advance Notice - the Women's World day of Prayer Service is on Friday 4th march at 3.30pm (more details next month). Sally Fogden.

The Calendar:
Sunday 6th - 9.15am Morning Prayer
Wednesday 9th - 7.15pm, Holy Communion for Ash Wednesday
Sunday 13th - 9.15am Holy Communion, 6.00pm Evensong.
Sunday 20th - 9.15am, Family Service, 6.00pm Evening Worship at Livermere
Sunday 27th - 9.15am, Holy Communion, 6.00pm Evensong at Ixworth Thorpe

Lent Lunches:
Monday 14th - Honington Rectory in aid of the St Nicholas Hospice
Monday 21st - Mere View, Livermere in aid of Cancer Research
Monday 28th - The Woolpack, Ixworth.

February Diary:
3rd - Over Sixties, Lunch at the Duke of Marlborough
8th - WI Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm
9th - Tsunami Appeal Coffee Morning, Village Hall, 10.30am
11th-18th - Half Term Holiday
17th - Over Sixties, Village Hall, 2.00pm
17th - WI Annual Quiz, Village Hall, 7.30pm