Mendham & Withersdale

Sunday 3rd June... A special Thanksgiving Service to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen. Rev. Peter Schweir will be taking this family service at 9.30pm to be followed by festive refreshments. All are welcome to come and join in on this special day. The choir will be singing and bells will be rung and the Church will be full of flowers.

Mendham, New Jersey was named in the mid-eighteenth century by its founder and tavern owner Ebenezer Byram.  Byram changed the name to Mendham from Black Horse after his former hometown  of Mendham, England.  Translated from the Anglo-Saxon, it means ‘my home’.

Ebenezer Byram came to Roxiticus/Black Horse/Mendham from Bridgewater, Massachusetts in 1740. Other Massachusetts Bay Puritans joined Byram in Mendham to build a meeting house near to the site of the present day Hilltop Church. When Byram came to America from England, we have yet to find out and where he lived in Mendham we are looking into at the moment.

Welcome to our WI page.......let us introduce  ourselves!

Founded in 1945 Mendham & Metfield WI has around 25 members and always welcomes visitors and prospective members to join us at any of our meetings. We are a friendly and active group, have interesting speakers and workshops which are held monthly on the 1^st Tuesday of each month starting at 7.30pm. We usually meet at:

Metfield Village Hall - January, February, March & December
Mendham School - May & November
Mendham & Withersdale Village Hall - April, September & October

We also belong to the Suffolk East Federation, as well as The National Federation of Women’s Institutes. The WI offers ‘All kinds of Opportunities for all kinds of Women’ and the annual subscription is currently £31.50. So if you want to:

Expand your horizons
Make new friends
Get involved within your community
Learn new crafts & skills

Why not come along and see what you’re missing? Take a look at the National website www.thewi.org.uk and also take a look at our 

WI programme 2012 and see where the fun begins! See some of what we did in 2011 in the website picture gallery (Ornaisations/WI). 

For further information contact Kate Peacher 01379 854670 or Jane Williams 01379 586207

WI Afternoon Tea - Waitresses 2011

WI Barbershop Quartet 2011

WI Ramble 2011

From Jill and Chris Blyth who live locally at Barham, near Ipswich...

"We have been looking on the website for your Village of Mendham, and can advise you that the Blyth Family farmed and lived at the Red House we think from about the mid 1920's until the house and farm was sold during the depression of the 1930's.  We think the farm was sold around 1938/39. My grandfather, who farmed there, was Frederick William Blyth and his wife Beatrice. Prior to them purchasing the Red House they farmed at Dickleburgh Hall. They had 4 children, Beryl (known as Winnie), Maurice (my father) Charles (who was killed during the war and is buried at Withersdale Church - we visited his grave recently and there is also a plaque in the Church mentioning his name. He was not killed in action but in a motor cycle accident travelling to his station at Wattisham) and Cyril.

We do know that they lived at the Red House in 1936, as my father, Maurice Blyth, was Treasurer of the Jubilee Committee for the Silver Jubilee Celebrations for George V and there does exist a notebook with details of the food purchased for this event.  My father, Maurice, was quite meticulous with his book-keeping.  Since both my parents have now passed away, I think my brother has this notebook and I will endeavour to find out more information regarding this if you wish. 

We don't think the Blyth's were living there during the war, as my grandfather died in 1942.  When the Red House was sold, the family moved to Mill House, Weybread. Cyril Blyth and his wife Pamela Blyth are buried in All Saints churchyard (see under churches for the burial monument photographs) and are Chris's aunt and uncle." (there is an error on this link as the drawing shown is incorrect and I need to fix that - Colin)

Chris's brother has a notebook relating to the expenditure at the Silver Jubilee Celebrations. Would we be interested in seeing that? Yes please!

Update...

Here are two pages of the notebook mentioned above. This is a new piece if history for Mendham.

Update...

On 6th december 2011 I had an email from Kevin Blyth who had recently been catching up with his cousin, Chris Blyth, who has shared the information above. Kevins father is Cyril Blyth, brother of Maurice, Chris’ father. Kevin has been digging out a few more family records which he thought may be of interest to add to the history of the Red House.

 The first document (shown here in 3 parts) shows that Fredrick Blyth (Kevins grandfather) purchased the Red House farm in 1924 for approximately £3,201 11s 4d.

The second document (shown here in 2 parts) values the stock, etc. on transfer of the farm and buildings to the Blyth family.

As Chris mentioned, Kevins parents, Cyril and Pamela Blyth (nee Warnes) are buried in All Saints churchyard. They were maried in All Saints, Mendham. Kevins mother’s parents, Rose May and William George Warnes, are also buried in the churchyard.

Our thanks to Keving for continuing this story!

Another update!

Recognise this picture? Many of you will. Well thats Cyril Blyth in the photograph!

 VILLAGE AUTUMN

Can anyone bear to watch the news bulletins any more?  No?  Neither can I.  All the gloom is now beyond the understanding of mere mortals.  But don’t despair, all the good news, and plenty of it, is here in our villages.

The Village Hall is really getting into its stride now, and is being used almost every day.  Couple that with the almost miraculous rebirth of the “Alf” into a village pub and restaurant worthy of the name, and it can be no coincidence that the village community is thriving.

We have two magnificent churches, and two other social centres to rival the best, and all of these have been involved in a very busy autumn schedule.  The Saturday Markets at All Saints church (now finished for the winter), have established themselves as a real focus for local produce, and as a social occasion.  Coffee and cake, anyone? 

The Autumn Horticultural Show once again filled the Hall with flowers, vegetables and cakes, with crowds of visitors.  And the Hall was full of the happy sound of friendly conversation at the Harvest Lunch  preceding Harvest Festival at Withersdale church.

In contrast, all the children, with many parishioners, met to pay their respects at the war memorial on Remembrance Day.  Lots of children again at the Autumn Fair organised by Friends of the School.  A great day.  The youngsters love the Hall of course;  it is the venue for Youth Club activities every Friday evening.

More to come - Beaujolais evening at the Sir Alfred Munnings.  Withersdale church Christmas Fair.  Carol singing, Christmas services.  It comes as no surprise that our parish won the trophy for Most Improved Village in the 2011 Village of the Year competition.  Fantastic effort all round.

Just to show that at least our young people are looking beyond the village to the stars, here is the Best Children’s Entry from the Autumn Show, a most imaginative poem by William King - very well done.

The deep dark depths of space.

The sun is the ruler over great darkness

It lights up the sky with its glowing form

Casting light and keeping us warm.

Jupiter is the biggest planet of them all

Mars seems incredibly small

Andromeda and the Milky Way the galaxies

That lead the way

The moon casts shadows from the sky

Thousands of stars alive at night

Ever shining ever bright.

We came second! only a single point behind Coddenham. Metfield came third. We have also been awarded a cup for 'most improved village' having got better results than when we applied last in 2003. Great result and well done to all involved! Take a look at the application here (the doc is 1Mb in size so will take a few seconds).

More good news is that we have won the 'Philip Watson Cup' for The Most Improved Village having risen from 7th place in 2001, when we last entered. The cup will be presented at the Mendham & Withersdale Community Council Beaujolaise Nouveau event in the Sir Alfred Munnings on the 18th November.

More on that soon!

A public meeting that you may be interested in. Seems there is a risk of lots of pylons appearing in the Waveney Valley.

Just to bring you up to speed... Many new hedge plants (about 250) have been planted along the roadside to create a native species hedge between the road and the playing field. Other gaps in the hedges near the cross have been filled. A community orchard of more than 20 old fruit species has been planted in the corner of the playing field near Red House. The hedge between the playing field and the village hall has at last been cleaned of dead material and brambles and a new hedge will be plated there in the autumn next to the young trees that have been planted by the children from Mendham Primary School which will form a lovely spinney. As the MUGA moves ahead further planting will be carried out on the northern and eastern boundaries. Very soon the playing field and hall area will become a green oasis in the center of our community. Its all volunteer work so if its not going at the speed you would like then roll up your sleeves and give me a call; Colin Herbert on 01379 588202!

Did you know that DEFRA defines an orchard as a piece of land ‘with 5 or more fruit trees’. How many orchards in Mendham and Withersdale? I have one!

Tracey Tompkins and Scott Norman assisted by the Village Hall Management Committee, have proposed that the land behind he village hall can be used to place a MUGA (Multi Use Games Area). At a public meeting at the village hall on Wednesday 2nd February 2011 at 7:30pm, the idea was discussed and received wide support and so will go ahead. All possible will be done to minimise light pollution and noise and to ensure that both people from within and outside of the parish are able to use the facility. A lot of work needs to be done now as we move ahead. Any thoughts, ideas or issues then just call Tracey Tompkins on 01379 852969 or Colin Herbert on 01379 588202.

Here is a copy of the flyer that is in the March 5Alive.

Free time, spare money,any ideas? Then call us and help us with this true community project!

Many thanks!

The Parish Plan is now published and was presented to the Parish Council at their meeting on Monday 17th January 2011 at the Village Hall. A summary of the plan has been distributed to each household via Five Alive. This summary report together with the full report are available on this website, just click one of the links below and the document will open in a new window. Be patient though, the community is in a poor broadband area!

Summary report - Print PDF, size 0.6 Mb (as distributed in 5Alive; easy to download)

Full report - Print PDF, size 4.6 Mb (pictures and diagrams very clear)

Full report - Screen PDF, size 2.1 Mb (pictures/diagrams readable but slightly hazy - easier to download)

There was an 82% response rate so the results are very meaningful to the community. Well done to everyone! The Parish Plan Steering Group will now be disbanded leaving the Plan as a resource for all people in the community to be used for planning and supporting new initiatives and projects.

If you require a paper printed copy of the full Parish Plan then please contact the Parish Council.