Halstead Town overcame the odds to beat a side two divisions higher than them in the FA Cup on Saturday but while Soham Town Rangers also progressed, Bury Town and Long Melford both went out.
Thurlow Nunn League First Division outfit Halstead pulled off one of the results of the day in the Emirates FA Cup preliminary round on Saturday, coming away from Ryman League Division One North side Thurrock with a 3-2 victory.
Tom Cook’s stunning long-range curling effort gave The Humbugs an early lead before they were in dreamland at 2-0 up inside 15 minutes when Joe O’Hare’s effort from effort from near the halfway line caught the wind and sailed in.
Halstead managed to hold out until half-time and extended their lead to three when, against the run of play, substitute Charlie Pleace nodded in Jordan Hutching’s cross.
The visitors’ defence was finally breached in the 70th minute when Pete Davies put through his own net, and after some great goalkeeping from Joe Fowler, it was not until five minutes from time that Thurrock got it back to 3-2, but Halstead held out for a memorable victory.
The north Essex side’s reward is a derby date at Ryman Premier AFC Sudbury in the first qualifying round a week on Saturday.
Elsewhere in the FA Cup, Soham Town Rangers recorded their first win of the season to seal their progress with a 4-1 home victory over Harrowby United.
Robbie Mason gave the hosts a 1-0 half-time lead with a 13th minute strike before a 56th minute equaliser was soon cancelled out by second-half goals from Kieran Bailey, Billy Harris and Jordan Gent. Soham will travel to Rushall Olympic in the next round.
Bury Town’s 2016/17 FA Cup ended at the first hurdle at Ram Meadow though, losing 3-0 to Spalding United.
The hosts had been the dominant side in the first half but lost both Ollie Canfer (head injury) and Josh Mayhew (hamstring) before the break.
In the second half they conceded three unanswered goals, with Bradley Wells striking twice as well as Andrew Wright’s 85th effort.
Long Melford also exited the competition after being well beaten in a 2-0 defeat at Stoneylands by fellow Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division side Saffron Walden Town, who they had beaten at the same venue just five days earlier.
In the Ryman League Premier Division, newly-promoted AFC Sudbury are up to fourth after the opening three games following their 1-0 win at Merstham, which was sealed when Liam Wales scored the game’s only goal in the 86th minute.
Needham Market, in eigth, continued their unbeaten start with their first three point haul, winning 2-1 at Kingstonian thanks to coming from behind with second-half goals from summer signings Jack Curtis and Reece Dobson.
In the Thurlow Nunn League, Mildenhall Town continue to be the early pacesetters in the Premier Division after recording their fourth straight victory, winning 5-1 at Fakenham Town on Saturday.
Jacob Brown, Matthew Green, Stephen Spriggs, Daniel Brown and Ross Munro were all on target for The Hall.
In the First Division there were first wins for Debebham LC and Cornard United, while Needham Market Reserves were thrashed 12-2 at league newboys Coggeshall Town.
In the Sky Bet Championship the East Anglian Derby ended honours even at Portman Road as Ipswich Town came from behind with Jonas Knudsen’s strike in first-half injury-time following Cameron Jerome’s opener for Norwich City.
RESULTS:
RYMAN LEAGUE
Premier Division: Kingstonian 1 Needham Market 2, Merstham 0 AFC Sudbury 1.
EMIRATES FA CUP
Preliminary round: Bury Town 0 Spalding Utd 3, Soham Town Rangers 4 Harrowby Utd 1, Thurrock 2 Halstead Town 3.
THURLOW NUNN LEAGUE
Premier Division: Fakenham Town 1 Mildenhall Town 5, Haverhill Rovers 2 Walsham le Willows 3, Hadleigh Utd 0 Ely City 1,
First Division: AFC Sudbury 4 Team Bury 0, Dereham Town 1 Debenham LC 2, Diss Town 2 Braintree Town 1, Leiston 1 Cornard Utd 4, Needham Market 2 Coggeshall Town 12, Stowmarket Town 2 Haverhill Borough 2.
MID WEEK FIXTURES
RYMAN LEAGUE
Premier Division: Tuesday. AFC Sudbury v Wingate & Finchley, Needham Market v Canvey Island.
THURLOW NUNN LEAGUE
Premier Division: Tuesday. Haverhill Rovers v Long Melford, Newmarket Town v Thetford Town.
First Division: Tuesday. Braintree Town v Stowmarket Town.
Wednesday. Cornard Utd v Coggeshall Town.
Friday. Needham Market v Leiston.

WEEKEND FOOTBALL ROUND-UP + MID-WEEK FIXTURES: Halstead Town provide FA Cup shock


Halstead Town overcame the odds to beat a side two divisions higher than them in the FA Cup on Saturday but while Soham Town Rangers also progressed, Bury Town and Long Melford both went out.


Ambulance staff and volunteers have been thanked for their hard work during another busy bank holiday weekend.
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) received more than 9,100 emergency calls during the long weekend (27th – 29th August) – 9% more than the 2015 August bank holiday weekend.
The busiest day of the weekend was Saturday with 3,299 calls across the East. The Trust received 2,776 calls on bank holiday Monday.
Community first responders attended almost 300 medical emergencies over the weekend.
Sandy Brown, Director of Nursing and Clinical Quality, said: “Whilst most people were enjoying a long weekend in the sun, our staff and volunteers were working hard to help patients across the East of England.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their efforts over the weekend.
“We continue to experience an increase in demand, but we coped well to provide the best possible care to patients over the bank holiday.”
County breakdown of number of calls over the bank holiday weekend compared with 2015:
Bedfordshire – 873 (849)
Cambridgeshire – 1,123 (1,095)
Essex – 2,992 (2,626)
Hertfordshire – 1,463 (1,491)
Norfolk – 1,444 (1,301)
Suffolk – 1,276 (1,019)

More than 9,100 calls to ambulance service over Bank Holiday weekend


Ambulance staff and volunteers have been thanked for their hard work during another busy bank holiday weekend.


It is only to be expected for a bank holiday weekend, but the Met Office has today issued a heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday.
The yellow ‘be aware’ warning is valid from 11am on Saturday to 9am on Sunday for all the eastern and central counties though the Met Office says ‘ there remains a lot of uncertainty in where the heaviest and most prolonged thundery showers will occur’.
The heaviest showers could bring 25mm to 50mm in the worst hit areas.
The warning says: “Thundery showers are likely to move northwards into some southern parts of England during Saturday morning, becoming more widespread and heavy over central UK through the course of Saturday and overnight into Sunday morning.
“Please be aware of the risk of local disruption to transport and outdoor activities. In particular, be aware of the potential for some spray and standing water on roads, and the possibility of road closures.”
The rain is expected to move away east on Sunday morning.
For the latest details visit www.metoffice.gov.uk
For live flood alerts and warnings visit https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk
It is the second year running that the east has been subject to heavy rain warnings on August Bank Holiday weekend.

Warning of up to 50mm of bank holiday rain across the east


It is only to be expected for a bank holiday weekend, but the Met Office has today issued a heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday.


The King of the Fighters is back in full 3D glory and with the biggest roster of combatants ever.
The classic SNK title is out August 26th and is the first main-series game rendered entirely in 3D using 2D backgrounds - like Street Fighter.
KoF XIV should have a good pedigree considering it is being directed by Yasuyuki Oda who has previously worked on Capcom’s Street Fighter IV as well as other titles by SNK.
Developers have introduced the “Rush” system in order to revitalise the series and attract newcomers.
The Hyper Drive system from the last game is no longer present and has been replaced with a new version of “Max Mode” from earlier games in the series.
In Max mode, the player can perform unlimited EX special moves for a short period of time, and the timer changes depending on what position their character is in.
The roster of fighters is the standout stat ahead of launch, though, with 50 ... yes FIFTY ... characters to choose from.
Each will have three types of Supers: the returning “Super Special Moves” and “Neomax Super Special Moves” (the latter of which are only usable in Max mode), and a new type called “Climax Super Special Moves”.
Climax Super Special Moves are the strongest types in the game and will require a total of three power gauges (two with Max mode on). The game also features the “Just Defend” mechanic from Garou: Mark of the Wolves. The HD thrust system now makes the opponent hit the wall and crumple for follow up attacks.
For beginners, there will be the automatic and simple “Rush Combo” while the online lobby has three modes: team VS, single VS, and party VS with up to 12 people able to enter and also spectate.
The roster of fighters is the standout stat ahead of launch, though, with 50 ... yes FIFTY ... characters to choose from. Damien Lucas, gaming columnist
Whether Kof XIV can compete with the likes of the next gen Street Fighter or if it holds enough appeal to UK gamers remains to be seen.
But gameplay footage suggests it is slick, action-packed and should have lots of longevity particularly for those who like to master all fighters.

Console Corner: The King of Fighters lives on


The King of the Fighters is back in full 3D glory and with the biggest roster of combatants ever.


The next concert at Ickworth Church will feature the Edmund Octet and takes place at 4pm on Sunday, September 4.
It is the fourth visit to the church by the octet, which is very popular and has a repertoire ranging from Mozart and Palestrina to well known barber shop and light music.
All proceeds from the concert will go to the continued restoration/upkeep of Ickworth Church.
Tickets are £5 per person.
Pay on entry, but emailing john@ickworthchurch.org.uk is advisable in order to control numbers.

Popular octet set for Ickworth Church concert


The next concert at Ickworth Church will feature the Edmund Octet and takes place at 4pm on Sunday, September 4.


Hollywood and Broadway legend, Stefanie Powers, stars as Helene Hanff in a major new production of 84 Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Arts Theatre.
Starring alongside her will be Clive Francis as Frank Doel, reprising the role he played to critical acclaim in 2015.
Adapted from Helene Hanff’s best-selling book, 84 Charing Cross Road has been delighting audiences since its premiere in 1981.
A tender and heart-warming tale of transatlantic friendship, this bittersweet comedy is based on the extraordinary true story of the remarkable relationship that developed over 20 years between a vivacious New York writer and a London bookseller.
Through their exchange of humorous and often intimate correspondence a snapshot of Britain from the post-war 1940’s to the swinging 60’s is revealed, alongside a touching human story that still resonates today.
Stefanie Powers plays Helene Hanff. A star of stage and screen, with a career spanning over 50 years, Powers is best known for her role opposite Robert Wagner in Hart to Hart, which ran over five series and eight TV movies between 1979 and 1996.
Her extensive film and TV credits include McLintock!, The Magnificent Seven Ride Again, The Rockford Files, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. Clive Francis plays Frank Doel.
Francis’ recent credits include Les Blancs (National Theatre), Enron, The Madness of King George III (West End), The Queen and Mr Turner; he will shortly be appearing in the major new Netflix drama, The Crown, written by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Audience).
84 Charing Cross Road premiered at Salisbury Playhouse in 1981 before transferring to the West End and Broadway.
This new production, premiering at Salisbury Playhouse in 2015, is produced by Cambridge Arts Theatre and Lee Dean.
The play was also adapted into a film in 1987, starring Anthony Hopkins, Judi Dench and Anne Bancroft as Helene, who won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress.

New production at Cambridge Arts Theatre is a tender tale of transatlantic friendship


Hollywood and Broadway legend, Stefanie Powers, stars as Helene Hanff in a major new production of 84 Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Arts Theatre.


Suffolk-based Spinning Wheel Theatre company, which brings professional and innovative productions to rural communities, is putting on a magical adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
About 30 Suffolk teenagers aged between 13 and 21 are taking part in the two-week summer school and as well as performing, they will be involved in costume, prop-making and set construction.
The family-friendly play will be directed by Spinning Wheel artistic director Amy Wyllie, designed by Becca Gibbs and is being shown at Stowmarket’s John Peel Centre on Saturday, August 27 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm and the St John’s Centre in Bury St Edmunds on Sunday, August 28 at 7.30pm.
Miss Wyllie, who studied at King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds before graduating in acting and performing arts from Hull University and Drama Studio London, said: “This is a unique experience in the region because it is a mini tour.
“There is nothing like that in the region at the moment. It is the closest thing young people get to gaining real work experience in the theatre profession. They are learning from professionals.”
The live adaptation of the classic C S Lewis children’s story includes puppetry, flying and buckets of magic!
“It is going to be really exciting because it is the first time Spinning Wheel Theatre has done something like this.
“It is going to be really hard work but an exciting challenge. It will be done traditionally but will be quite a physical and magical show,” Miss Wyllie added.
Tickets cost £7, or £5 for concessions, and to book visit www.spinningwheeltheatre.com.
Tickets for the shows on August 27 are available from the John Peel Centre box office by calling 01449 774678.
For more details about Spinning Wheel Theatre company follow @SpinningTheatre on Twitter or search Spinning Wheel Theatre on Facebook.

The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe visit Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket


Suffolk-based Spinning Wheel Theatre company, which brings professional and innovative productions to rural communities, is putting on a magical adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.


The Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds welcomes actor Nigel Havers for an entertaining evening of anecdotes about his life as an actor on stage and screen. Nigel will be joined on the evening by Radio 4 presenter Libby Purves.
Nigel Havers is one of this country’s best loved and most recognisable actors and has worked extensively on the UK stage since the early 1970’s.
He has worked with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
His Hollywood career includes the classic film Chariots of Fire, working with Steven Spielberg on the epic Empire of The Sun and starring alongside Michael Caine in The Whistle Blower.
The evening’s compere will be theatre critic Libby Purves, herself a hugely respected voice on UK Culture.
She is the creator of the Theatre Cat review website and was the first woman presenter on BBC Radio 4, her connection with Radio 4 continued and she has been a midweek presenter of the radio channel since 1982.
This is a fund-raising event to support the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds (Registered Charity number 242977).
For tickets and further details please call the box office on 01284 769505 or visit www.theatreroyal.org.

An evening with star of stage and screen, Nigel Havers


The Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds welcomes actor Nigel Havers for an entertaining evening of anecdotes about his life as an actor on stage and screen. Nigel will be joined on the evening by Radio 4 presenter Libby Purves.


Garboldisham’s chances of winning the Dipple and Conway Norfolk Alliance Premier Division took a big hit as they lost to neighbours Old Buckenham at the weekend.
Visiting Garby went into the clash just 24 points adrift of league leaders Brooke, but they have now been leapfrogged by Saturday’s hosts, who won the contest by a 20-run margin.
In a relatively low-scoring affair, James Deacon top-scored with 76 to help the home team make 189-9 from their 50 overs.
In reply, Garboldisham lost four of their batsmen for ducks as they ultimately fell short.
Elsewhere at the other end of the table, Diss were plunged further into relegation trouble as they lost by 10 wickets to North Runcton.
In the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League, struggling Suffolk rivals Bury and Woolpit played out a draw, while Burwell posted a hefty 400 runs in their win over Swardeston.
However, Ben Reece’s knock of 76 counted for little as Sudbury went down by seven wickets away at Copdock.
Mildenhall continued their march towards the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship Division One title with a 91-run triumph over Copford.
Australian batsman Steve Taylor was Mildenhall’s star player as he scored 128 of his side’s 299 runs.
Meanwhile, Worlington returned to winning ways at the expense of Witham, with Halstead also celebrating a victory over Mistley.
Haverhill were unable to follow suit, though, as they lost by 70 runs to Braintree.
RESULTS
EAST ANGLIAN PREMIER LEAGUE
Burwell (30) 400-5 declared in 58 overs (J Tetley 183, L Bose 68) beat Swardeston (6) 244 all out in 42.5 overs (J Gatting 66, G Hume 4-31) by 156 runs.
Bury St Edmunds (14) 270-4 in 64 overs (D Cruickshank 136, P Godden 64) beat Woolpit (8) 209-7 in 61 overs (W Parker 83, D Cruickshank 4-40) by 61 runs.
Sudbury (5) 193-9 in 64 overs (B Reece 76) lost to Copdock & Old Ipswichian (25) 196-3 in 43.2 overs by 7 wickets.
TWO COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP
*home team
Division One: Hadleigh (9) 267-8, lost to *Braintree (19) 268-9 by 1 wicket.
Halstead (7) 215-8, lost to *Copford (19) 218-5 by 5 wickets.
Mistley (20) 236-4, beat *Haverhill (5) 152 by 84 runs.
*Wivenhoe (6) 236-9, lost to Mildenhall (19) 240-3 by 7 wickets.
*Worlington (6) 165, lost to Frinton II (20) 166-7 by 3 wickets.
Division Two: *Exning (7) 177, lost to Dunmow (20) 178-6 by 4 wickets.
Clacton (20) 199, beat *Lakenheath (8) 153 by 46 runs.
Ipswich (20) 214-7, beat *Long Melford (6) 159 by 55 runs.
*Mildenhall II (20) 308-4, beat Easton (7) 210 by 98 runs.
Division Three: Woolpit II (19) 285-6, beat *Brightlingsea (7) 183-9 by 102 runs.
Kelvedon & Feering (20) 243, lost to *Brockley (7) 141 by 102 runs.
Mistley II (20) 199-8, beat *Halstead II (7) 174 by 25 runs.
*Sudbury II (6) 203-8, lost to Little Bardfield Village (19) 204-2 by 8 wickets.
*Tuddenham (19) 238-6, beat Haverhill II (8) 236-9 by 2 runs.
Division Four: *Bury St Edmunds II (20) 237, beat Needham Market (9) 179 by 58 runs.
Wivenhoe II (20) 192-9, lost to *Hadleigh II (6) 146 by 46 runs.
Yoxford (13) 219-6, tied with *Mildenhall III (13) 219-6.
Walsham le Willows (20) 238-6, beat *Woodbridge & OW (8) 211 by 27 runs.
Division Five: Harwich & D (6) 246-8, lost to *Earl Stonham (19) 247-2 by 8 wickets.
*Maldon II (20) 180-7, beat Worlington II (4) 123 by 57 runs.
Nacton (19) 289-5, beat *Nowton (7) 225-8 by 64 runs.
Division Six: Stowmarket (20) 176-7, beat *West Bergholt (4) 118 by 58 runs.
*West Mersea (20) 251-9, beat Long Melford II (7) 161 by 90 runs.
Division Seven: *East Bergholt II (19) 231-6, beat Mildenhall IV (6) 151-9 by 80 runs.
*Halstead III (1) 118, beat Sudbury III (20) 122-1 by 9 wickets.
*Stowupland (20) 400-2, beat Ipswich III (3) 135 by 265 runs.
Woolpit III (8) 212-6, lost to *Tendring (18) 216-7 by 3 wickets.
Worlingworth (20) beat Brantham (-20) by concession.
Division Eight: *Elveden (3) 101, lost to Frinton III (20) 105-4 by 6 wickets.
Division Nine South: Maldon IV (20) 134, beat *Boxted (7) 129 by 5 runs.
Division Nine West: *Bardwell (17) 245-5, beat Exning II (7) 235-4 by 10 runs.
Eye & District (-10) lost to Lakenheath II (20) by concession.
Bury St Edmunds IV (20) 274-5, beat *Stowmarket II (7) 216 by 58 runs.
Brockley II (19) 210-7, beat *Stradbroke Vikings (7) 178-8 by 32 runs.
Sunday
Ladies Challenge: *Easton (19) 229-2, beat Mildenhall (6) 168-8 by 61 runs.
Thriplow NCI (5) 123-8, lost to *Woolpit (19) 124-2 by 8 wickets.
Ladies T20: Felixstowe (20) beat Battisford (0) by concession.
Frinton (0) lost to Bury St Edmunds (20) by concession.
Mistley v Bury St Edmunds result not received.
DIPPLE & CONWAY NORFOLK ALLIANCE
Premier Division: North Runcton 97-0 beat Diss 93-10.
Old Buckenham 187-9 beat Garboldisham 167-10.
Division One: Thetford Town 227-10 beat Topcroft 177-10.
Division Three: Downham II 229-5 beat Old Buckenham II 196-9.
Mundford 256-3 beat Hardingham 216-8.
Division Four: Garboldisham II 195-9 lost to North Runcton II 198-8.
Division Six: Happisburgh 136-9 lost to Thetford Town A 137-5.
Topcroft II 133-4 beat Dereham II 132-10.

CRICKET ROUND-UP: Defeat for Garby dents title hopes


Garboldisham’s chances of winning the Dipple and Conway Norfolk Alliance Premier Division took a big hit as they lost to neighbours Old Buckenham at the weekend.


Deus Ex has you spoilt for choice.
Mankind Divided and so am I when it comes to reviewing the latest Deus Ex game after its launch last week.
There is so much to rave about in DEMD and I’m still enjoying it now over a week into the game.
But there are a number of elements which do not quite sit right with me.
Let’s start with the positives, though, and there are plenty of them.
There is layer upon layer in this game all expertly crafted together and beautifully designed.
The gameplay stands up to the high standards set by previous Deus Ex games and goes beyond them in many respects.
This is a game that will suit all types of gamers too.
Looking for a quick blast for an hour, you can jump on and get enough done to enjoy the experience, looking for longer, more involved sessions on your console then the gameplay rewards your patience, curiosity and creativity.
You play augmented human Jensen who is essentially the most deadly Power Ranger on the planet. I mean this guy has everything and would even give Superman a run for his money.
There are so many options to negotiate each scenario
And this is where my first problem lies with DEMD.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy.
‘Ramp up the difficulty setting!’ I hear you cry.
Well yes there’s that but my point is no matter what level you are playing at, Jensen just has too much at his disposal for his enemies to trouble him.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy. Damien Lucas, gaming columnist
But don’t get me wrong it’s still great fun entering a room littered with foes and walking out past a pile of them without breaking a sweat.
Another thing that doesn’t quite land for me is the Apartheid type references between the humans (naturals) and the augmented race. It is a poor attempt to give the storyline resonance with real life - for example there are posters dotted around saying things like ‘Augmented Lives Matter’ and it just feels a little frivolous.
I’m being hyper critical, though, and Deus Ex will go down as one of the games of the year of that there is no doubt.
Rating: 8.5/10

Console Corner: Deus Ex Mankind Divided review


The summer series of family events at St Edmundsbury Cathedral continues on August 23 and 25 with a feather and fun filled day where children can learn more about and get close to birds of prey.
A range of birds will be there, including eagles, owls and hawks.
Visitors can learn about their lives and challenges in the natural world and even be photographed with one of them.
At 11.30am and 2pm each day there will a chance to watch a full flying display and falconer’s demonstrations on the cathedral’s garth.
Each day there is also a family trail, plus art and craft activities.
Entry is £5 per person and includes the whole event (plus the flying displays) and activities on the day. Under-3s are free
On August 29 the cathedral is holding a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. It is an Alice in Wonderland themed drop-in event, with activities such as making a Cheshire Cat mask and Mad Hatter’s hat. An entry fee applies.

Masters of the skies to make flying visit to St Edmundsbury Cathedral


The summer series of family events at St Edmundsbury Cathedral continues on August 23 and 25 with a feather and fun filled day where children can learn more about and get close to birds of prey.


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will be attending this Sunday’s Burston Strike School Rally, it has been confirmed.
Mr Corbyn, MP for Islington North, will replace Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who was due to appear at the annual event, which commemorates the longest-running strike in history.
Jeremy Corbyn is a lifelong supporter of the Burston Strike School, and his presence at the rally last year gave the attendance a significant boost
A regular in recent years, his increased profile last year while competing to become Labour leader saw the rally’s attendance in 2015 swell to 3,000, and is a late addition to this year’s event.
A spokesperson for the rally said: “The organisers of the Strike School Rally unfortunately have to report that the shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP will no longer be one of the speakers at the event this year.
“John is a hugely popular figure and many people will be greatly disappointed to hear that he will not be in attendance.
“Jeremy Corbyn is a lifelong supporter of the Burston Strike School, and his presence at the rally last year gave the attendance a significant boost.”
The day’s proceedings will kick off 10.45am, with a number of bands, poets, and speakers set to attend.
Musical entertainment on the day will be provided by Steve White and the Protest Family, Red Flags, the NASUWT Brass Band, and the Banner Theatre 1st May Band, while performance poet Attilla the Stockbroker is due to perform, as well as renowned poet, humourist and musician John Hegley.
Suffolk Punches will also lead the march around the ‘candlestick’, which follows the route of the children’s original demonstration.
For more information visit www.burstonstrikeschool.co.uk

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn set to attend Burston Strike School Rally


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will be attending this Sunday’s Burston Strike School Rally, it has been confirmed.


Chris Ingham previews the best jazz gigs around the region this week.
Friday, August 26
ART THEMEN QUARTET: (Hunter Club, Bury, 8pm, £12. Details: www.headhunterslive.org) A fantastically exciting, playful and inventive saxophonist, Art Themen has been a beloved character of the British jazz scene for over 50 years, in bands led by Alexis Korner and Stan Tracey among many others, and remains as brilliant and inimitable as ever. With Chris Ingham (piano), Rev. Andrew Brown (bass) and George Double (drums).
DEREK NASH SAX APPEAL: (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £18. Details: www.fleecejazz.org.uk) Legendary band led by Nash for over 30 years featuring a 5-piece saxophone section (Derek Nash, Bob McKay, Scott Garland, Brandon Allen, Vasilis Xenopoulos) plus Pete Adams (keys), Phil Scragg (bass) and Mike Bradley (drums).
Sunday, August 28:
SARAH MOULE: (The Apex Lounge, Bury, 11.30am, £9.50. Details: www.theapex.co.uk) The August edition of the Apex’s Sunday Songbook brunchtime sessions. For six years the featured singer with the John Wilson Orchestra, Sarah Moule is one of Britain’s great interpreters, with Chris Ingham (piano), Owen Morgan (bass) and George Double (drums).
TRACKS: (The Bell Hotel, Clare, 7.30pm, £10. Details: www.jazz-nights.com) An acoustic version of the jazz-rock fusion band formed in the late 1970s which led to the formation of Shakatak featuring current Shakatak members Bill Sharpe (keys) and Roger Odell (drums) with ex-member Keith Winter (guitar) plus Martin Elliot (bass).
ANDY BOWIE QUARTET: (Tram Shed, Cambridge, 8pm, free) Tenor saxophone-playing philosophy professor leads a quartet presenting a connoisseur’s choice from the modern jazz repertoire.
Monday, August 29
JAZZ JAM: (The Fat Cat & Canary, Norwich, 8.30pm, free. Details: www.jazzjam.org.uk) Established and friendly jam session led by guitarist Lee Vasey. All instrumentalists and singers welcome for sitting in.
Thursday, September 1
SOLE BAY JAZZ BAND: (Sports Pavilion, Ditchingham, 8pm) Long established traditional group usually featuring Tim Densham (saxophone/clarinet), Ron Hockett (saxophone/clarinet), Bill Brewer (trombone), Ray Simmons (piano), Tony Jullings (bass), Craig Hipperson (drums) and Alan Cugnoni (guitar).
Friday, September 2-Sunday, SeptEmber 4
JAZZ WEEKENDER: (Norwich. Details: www.norwichjazzclub.co.uk) A three-day, multi-venue extravaganza featuring James Tormé with The Dunnett/Baxter Big Band, Georgia Mancio Quartet (feat. Alan Broadbent), Liane Carroll Trio, Resolution 88, Grupo Lokito, Enrico Tomasso’s ‘Swing Company’, Ant Law Quintet, Dave O’Higgins, Sirkis / Bialas International Quartet, the Julian Siegel Quartet plus workshops and jam sessions.
FOR THE DIARY
Friday, September 9
JAZZ AT THE MOVIES: (Hunter Club, Bury, 8pm, £12. Details: www.headhunterslive.org) Part of their Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2016 tour, popular repertory five-piece fronted by acclaimed chanteuse Joanna Eden and featuring Mark Crooks (clarinet/saxophone).
Saturday, September 24
BARFORD STONEMAN QUINTET: (Hunter Club, Bury, 8pm, £12/£6 U25. Details: www.headhunterslive.org) A collective Hard Bop organ quintet comprising the cream of the UK’s young jazz talent including the winner of Young Jazz Musician 2016 Alex Ridout (trumpet) and local sax hero Harry Greene.

JAZZ MATTERS: Weekly preview for the east (August 26-September 2)


Chris Ingham previews the best jazz gigs around the region this week.


A test has been developed that could help to diagnose bacterial infections, including meningitis in minutes.
The new test, developed by a team at Imperial College London, is a major breakthrough in the rapid diagnosis of meningitis and sepsis in children. If made available through the NHS, it could allow treatment to begin much earlier, saving hundreds of lives and reducing the risk of life-changing after-effects.
The signs and symptoms of meningitis are notoriously difficult to diagnose, and can be dismissed as a cold or flu. Many young children presenting the early symptoms of the disease are initially sent home, before being rushed back to hospital a few hours later as their condition rapidly deteriorates.
Currently, doctors grow bacteria in a sample of blood, in a process which can take up to 48 hours.
Responding to the news, Liz Brown, CEO at charity Meningitis Now said: “A delay in life-saving treatment for bacterial meningitis can be a matter of life or death. We welcome this significant progress in the development of a rapid test for meningitis and sepsis.
“We would however, continue to advise people to know the signs and symptoms of meningitis and to seek immediate medical attention if they have any concerns”.
The study led by Professor Michael Levin has shown that a bacterial infection can be distinguished from other causes of fever, such as a viral infection, using a pattern of genes that are switched on or off in response to an infection.
A larger project will now begin to develop these findings into a pin-prick diagnostic test, which Professor Levin believes could be available through the NHS within five years.
14 facts about meningitis and septicaemia
Meningitis is usually caused by bacteria or viruses
Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord
Septicaemia is blood poisoning
Some bacteria that cause meningitis also cause septicaemia
Meningitis and septicaemia often happen together – it is vital to know all the signs and symptoms
The early signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia can be similar to ‘flu and include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and muscle pain.
The more specific signs and symptoms include fever with cold hands and feet, drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and a rash which doesn’t fade under pressure.
In babies, symptoms can also include being floppy and unresponsive, dislike of being handled, rapid breathing, an unusual, moaning cry and a bulging fontanelle (soft spot on the top of the head).
There are an estimated 3,200 cases of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia each year in the UK.
Following bacterial meningitis or septicaemia, one in ten people will die and at least a third of survivors will be left with lifelong after-effects such as hearing loss, epilepsy, limb loss or learning difficulties
Meningitis and septicaemia can affect anyone, of any age, at any time. However, babies and young children are most at risk, and young people between 15 – 24 years are also a higher risk group.
In the past 20 years, effective vaccines have been developed to give protection against SOME types of meningitis. These are offered to all babies and young children as part of the UK childhood immunisation programme. BUT there are not vaccines to protect against ALL types.
A vaccine to protect against meningococcal group B (Men B) disease, the most common cause of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia, was introduced into the UK childhood immunisation programme in September 2015.
If you suspect someone may be ill with meningitis or septicaemia, trust your instincts and get immediate medical help.
Meningitis Now aims to reduce the impact of meningitis by raising awareness and funding research into vaccine and treatment. For support and advice on meningitis call the Meningitis Now Helpline on 0808 80 10 388.
For more information or to donate visit the website at www.MeningitisNow.org

Pin-prick meningitis test could be available within five years


A test has been developed that could help to diagnose bacterial infections, including meningitis in minutes.


One of Norfolk and Suffolk’s Assistant Chief Constables has said that she can “no longer make a difference” or “support frontline.”
ACC Sarah Hamlin took to twitter this morning, Tuesday August 30, to say that after 30 years on the force she is retiring after becoming “resigned to the fact that my values no longer fit the org. I can’t make a difference, support frontline.”
She added: “And so I wish colleagues & friends all the best. Let’s hope #policing can recover & that officers & staff welfare is prioritised.”
She said she is now looking forward to spending time with family and friends. Playing golf and kayaking.
Police forces across the country have faced repeated budget cuts in recent years with many senior officers voicing concerns that the ‘Thin Blue Line’ has become too thin.
More on this story shortly.

Assistant Chief Constable says she can “no longer make a difference” to a police force in which “my values no longer fit”


One of Norfolk and Suffolk’s Assistant Chief Constables has said that she can “no longer make a difference” or “support frontline.”


Foodies visiting the Ourburystedmunds Food & Drink Festival this month will be able to relive the spirit of Rio 2016 in a special themed section of the event.
The free two-day festival has been a regular fixture in the town’s summer calendar for the last four years and takes place over the August Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday.
Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Festival Pictured: Cookery Demonstration by Michelin starred chef Galton Blackiston ANL-150831-183259009
As well as the traditional elements including celebrity chefs, cookery demonstrations a farmers’ market and a host of food and drink stalls, Langton Place will be hosting a taste of Rio to bring a splash of carnival colour to the weekend.
The attraction will include Brazilian music and dancing, and a number of workshops for the young and young-at- heart, including mask-making, dancing and steel drums.
Chief Executive of Ourburystedmunds, which organises the Festival, Mark Cordell said: “Many of us have been enjoying the atmosphere of Rio while watching the Olympic Games on TV and we wanted to recreate that at this year’s Food & Drink Festival.
“There’ll be a chance to try some of the foods of the region and perhaps sip a cocktail while enjoying the free entertainment.”
And while it may not quite be Copacabana, the Ourburystedmunds urban beach will be welcoming sun-seekers to relax with an ice-cream or stick of rock in the arc shopping centre.
He added: “As the festival takes place only a week after the closing ceremony in Rio, we hope to serve up a gold medal event of our own this year.
“All the favourite ingredients from previous years are on the menu and we are delighted to welcome back to Bury St Edmunds Michelin-starred chef Galton Blackiston who will give three demonstrations on Sunday.
“Our celebrity guest on Monday is ITV’s James Tanner who is promising an equally delicious display.”
The Ourburystedmunds Food & Drink Festival will run from Sunday, August 28 to Monday 29th and, as well as the shows in the theatre kitchen, it will feature a wide range of local produce stalls, attractions and children’s entertainment.
For more information visit www.ourburystedmunds.com/foodanddrinkfestival.

The spirit of Rio 2016 comes to annual festival in Bury St Edmunds


Foodies visiting the Ourburystedmunds Food & Drink Festival this month will be able to relive the spirit of Rio 2016 in a special themed section of the event.


A senior clergyman has been suspended after being arrested on suspicion of voyeurism.
The Very Rev Martin Thrower, 55, was quizzed by police earlier this month and released on police bail but has been unable to return to his duties at the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Suffolk.
His wife, Pauline Thrower, has issued a statement saying that her family was supporting him with “unconditional love” following his arrest.
It said: “It is with great sadness that we find ourselves in the situation we are now in.
“Whilst this has come as a shock to us as a family we are all supporting Martin with unconditional love at this difficult time.”
Rev Thrower has been rector of Hadleigh with Layham and Shelley, Suffolk, since 2009 and has since become Dean of Bocking and Rural Dean of Hadleigh, Suffolk.
John Howard, spokesman for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, said: “I can confirm that The Very Rev Martin Thrower, Rector of Hadleigh, Layham and Shelley, and also rural dean of Hadleigh, has been arrested by Suffolk Constabulary for voyeurism.
“He has been suspended from all offices within the diocese until further notice. We have made arrangements to look after his church duties and to offer support to his parishes at this difficult time.
“We will make no further comment while the police investigation is ongoing.
“Our thoughts and prayers are very much with everyone affected by this situation.”
Rev Thrower attracted some controversy three years ago when he announced plans to remove many of the pews at St Mary’s Church, Hadleigh, Suffolk, to create a more flexible space.
The Victorian Society objected to the plans, but after getting permission from the church authorities this work was carried out - leading to the church being used much more by a wider variety of groups.
One of these is the Porch Project for youngsters from 11 to 20 who meet there twice a week for leisure activities.
Although it is backed by St Mary’s and meets there, it is a separate organisation and supports 300 youngsters in a town where there have been criticisms in the past of a lack of activities for young people.
At the time of the controversy over the pews Mr Thrower said: “Churches weren’t built with pews in - they were built to be the community space, to have the market in and host big meetings and we have an aspiration to return the building to being the true parish church.”
Suffolk Constabulary confirmed Rev Thrower was arrested on August 4 and has been bailed to return to the Police Investigation Centre in Martlesham in October.

Hadleigh clergyman Martin Thrower arrested on suspicion of voyeurism


A senior clergyman has been suspended after being arrested on suspicion of voyeurism.


There is still time to join the army of more than 2,000 women who have signed up for St Nicholas Hospice Care’s Girls Night Out.
The walk on Saturday, September 10 sees women come together in their pyjamas and flashing bunny ears while walking either six or 11.2 miles around Bury St Edmunds.
Jenny Baskett, events and challenges fund-raiser for the hospice, said she is ‘astounded’ by the popularity of this year’s fund-raiser.
“Each year I think the event can’t get any bigger, but each year I am happily proven wrong,” she said.
“The money raised from this event really does help the hospice continue to support and care for those in the final chapters of their lives from across the community.
“Last year we raised an incredible £190,000 and it would be great to beat that total this year – but we can only do that with the help of our brilliant fund-raisers.”
One group of women taking part for the very first time will be the 365Motivate Team, who decided they would give it a go after seeing the event advertised online.
Leader Lucy Cronin said: “I haven’t done the walk before, so I am so excited to see all the ladies, the light up bunny ears, and to get going.”
This year’s Girls Night Out sees the return of the memory boards so walkers can write messages about the loved ones they have lost.
Other highlights include ‘water boys’ handing out refreshments and medals for participants.
To sign up visit www.girlsnightoutwalk.co.uk

Still time to join the growing fund-raising army of Girls Night Out


There is still time to join the army of more than 2,000 women who have signed up for St Nicholas Hospice Care’s Girls Night Out.


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Rovers need finishing touch, says Cowling


Haverhill Rovers manager Ben Cowling is expecting two tough games, in a challenging Bank Holiday weekend in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division.


Video game escapism in its purest form.
No Man’s Sky in undeniably a work of art, but have you got time to look around the whole gallery?
No Man’s Sky launched last week after much hype and billed as quite literally the biggest video game ever made.
The self-perpetuating game, which promises to be potentially endless, was four years in the making by a tiny team in game production terms. And you can tell as it will instantly take your breath away.
Make no mistake there has never been anything like this before. As you fly ever deeper into the universe, new planets and solar systems roll silently into view – some will have been seen before, others discovered for the very first time. And you have 18 quintillion of them to choose from...
Each has its own set of flora, fauna and inhabitants. By exploring, players gain information about the planets that they can submit to The Atlas, a universal database that can be shared with other players of the game and for which they are rewarded in currency each time.
Each planet is a work of art you could spend hours studying, analysing and dissecting. These works of art are housed in an endless gallery and for art connoisseurs it will be Manna from heaven.
However, most people’s playing time will be finite.... unless you’re at university and can afford to miss the odd class here and there to squeeze in just one more exploration of a peculiar alien planet.
And that is where one of the game’s key sticking points comes in. As much as No Man’s Sky takes us to Infinity and leaves us wondering what waits beyond, there is also an almost irresistible itch which you can’t scratch because you can never truly “complete” this game in the traditional sense.
But that is very much a personal take on NMS, many people might enjoy jumping on for a couple of hours here and there, discovering lots of different things and logging it to the Atlas, if anything it could be cathartic but many people like a beginning, a middle and an end to their games.
No Mans Sky is undeniably a work of art
The care, thought, time and brilliance that has gone into this utterly original video game is mindblowing and deserves to be experienced by PlayStation gamers.
It is the purest form of video game escapism we have ever seen and should be celebrated as such.
But it will more likely go down as a cult classic than the blockbuster success it’s craft deserves.


Its fun all the way as the “Purveyors of Cool” swing into The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds on Thursday, August 25 with a sensational show featuring the greatest music of the 20th century.
Wonderful memories of three incredible performers - Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior in a fabulous production that continues to be successful all over the world.
Now in their 15th year the show goes from strength to strength and its all totally live both musically and vocally.
The Rat Pack Orchestra are more than just great musicians as they are a show band who also join in the fun as do The Fabulous Vegas Showgirls who also add a touch of glamour to proceedings.
Every song is an absolute classic - Come Fly With Me, Under My Skin, Mr Bojangles, Lady Is A Tramp, That’s Amore, Mack The Knife plus many more of your favourites.
With an abundance of class and style they take you on a trip back in time to vintage Las Vegas hip with their timeless soiree that still remains the coolest party around.
For tickets please call the box office on 01284 758 000 or book online at www.theapex.co.uk
To see, hear and get more information about the Rat Pack, visit their website at www.ratpack.biz

Come fly with the Rat Pack iin Bury St Edmunds


Its fun all the way as the “Purveyors of Cool” swing into The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds on Thursday, August 25 with a sensational show featuring the greatest music of the 20th century.


Signals, the debut album by Dale Bennett and the Incidentals doesn’t seem to fit easily into any specific genre of music - but for me that can only be a good thing.
Vocalist and keyboard player Dale, from Haverhill, has written the songs himself, but none of them would work as well as they do without the terrific input of The Incidentals, aka lead Guitarist Alex Coombes, Jack Sunaway on bass, Michael Pullman on acoustic guitar and Luke Andrews on drums.
The album, which is released on Saturday, August 13, benefits from the harmonising of not just the vocals, but the blending together of everything that each band member brings to every song.
The upbeat nature of the opening tune, Breaking Out, and the way in which it picks up the tempo just when you think it’s time to relax, sets the tone for the rest of the album’s nine songs.
Dale’s charismatic vocal power is prevalent throughout, but songs like Love You From Afar don’t allow him to dominate, as its balladic style is enhanced by the vocal harmonising between him and the rest of the band - there is even a rap sequence thrown in.
Inbetween Love has a bit of Buble swagger about it and includes a few fantastic riffs, never letting you settle into complacency and always keeping your musical senses intrigued.
Just a Little sweeps you along on a musical wave while the foot tapping intro, strong beats and faster vocals on Keep You Close, provide more evidence that Dale’s songwriting has matured since he released his first album, Make My Own Breaks, as a solo artist in 2013.
Two of his signature tunes from that collection of songs, Goodbye and Stay Away, have been reborn on this album and having once just been centred on vocals and keyboard, now have much more of a band sound.
The band is developing a name for itself and this album shows us why - and that they deserve all the breaks they can get.

Haverhill band’s debut album is upbeat and stylish


Signals, the debut album by Dale Bennett and the Incidentals doesn’t seem to fit easily into any specific genre of music - but for me that can only be a good thing.


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
A £10 million futuristic ‘gallop in the sky’ is being planned by Jockey Club Estates to boost racehorse training facilities in Newmarket’s Hamilton Road.
The Hill Gallop will be constructed to mimic Headquarter’s iconic Warren Hill giving trainers on the opposite side of town a training asset vital to the conditioning of racehorses right on their doorstep.
Nick Patton, William Gittus and Jonathan Ascroft ANL-160824-114134001
The ambitious plan, which will be submitted to the local planning authority next month, revolves around the building of an all-weather gallop which will start five metres below ground level before rising 30 metres on an flyover-like construction covering four and a half furlongs. It will be wide enough for two horses to work upsides and there will be a separate track running alongside for use by emergency vehicles.
The project has been five years in the planning and has the full backing of Newmarket trainers including Sir Mark Prescott who has been training in the town for 47 years and is chairman of the heath committee.
William Gittus, managing director of Jockey Club Estates said the location of the state-of-the-art gallop would be the key to its success as it was hoped access to such a facility would attract more trainers and horses to the Hamilton Road yards.
Occupancy rates in the training yards on the Bury side of town is currently around 90 per cent compared with less than 60 per cent on Racecourse Side and trainers have cited the proximity of the uphill canters on Warren Hill, which are used by over 2,000 horses a day, as the key factor in this discrepancy.
sky gallop, Newmarket ANL-160824-103142001
“To enable further growth, and the economic benefits and employment that will bring to the district, we need to encourage more trainers to base themselves on Racecourse Side where there is scope for expansion,” said Mr Gittus.
Two years ago he and project team leader and assistant managing director of Jockey Club Estates Nick Patton, travelled to Japan to view its gallops built on man-made inclines. “That was definitely a turning point,” said Mr Patton. “It really opened my eyes to what could be done with a little innovation.” said Mr Patton.
“It’s wonderful to have reached a point at which we are now ready to submit the planning application. A lot of people have contributed to the development of the project and a design committee which includes trainers and vets, has played an integral role in the process.
“This is about Jockey Club Estates planning ten, 15, 20 years ahead and Newmarket maintaining its status as a world-class centre of excellence for the training of thoroughbred racehorses. Newmarket’s development as the HQ of racing is built on its history and heritage and the centuries-old turf of the Heath, but its future health could be shaped by 21st century technology and this gallop in the sky.”

VIDEO: Jockey Club unveils plans for £10m Newmarket Gallop in the Sky


A £10 million futuristic ‘gallop in the sky’ is being planned by Jockey Club Estates to boost racehorse training facilities in Newmarket’s Hamilton Road.


Mildenhall have opened up a 30 point gap at the top of Division One after their nearest rivals Wivenhoe were comprehensively beaten by Witham. With just three games to go, surely it is theirs to lose now.
Mildenhall beat Frinton II’s by 35 runs thanks to another good knock from Steve Taylor, Mildenhall 255-7, Taylor 82, Frinton 220-7, Joe Reed 3-28.
Their remaining fixtures are Witham away this Saturday then home to Hadleigh, before finishing off with an away trip to Haverhill.
After last week’s unexpected victory, Worlington must have had high hopes of another win when they posted 314-4 against Hadleigh, thanks to Jimmy Watson 113 and Chris Baugh 108, but they were well beaten in the end by five wickets. Hadleigh made 317-5 with Tom Piddington staying undefeated on 153 not out, ably backed by Marlon Dias 69.
This Saturday, Worlington travel to Haverhill while Hadleigh entertain Wivenhoe.
Halstead beat Braintree by five wickets, Braintree 253-6, Halstead 254-5, Charlie Douglas-Hughes 73. Coggeshall are the visitors this Saturday.
Haverhill won a close encounter with Coggeshall by just 10 runs. Haverhill 237-5, Chris Palmer 67, Coggeshall 227, Palmer 3-25.
It will take a miracle now for Exning to avoid relegation as they were well beaten by local rivals Mildenhall II by eight wickets.
Exning 129, Dominic Nelson 33, Jon Allen 3-27, Mildenhall 130-2, Steve Graham 66. Exning travel to East Bergholt on Saturday.
Long Melford were well beaten by 86 runs by Dunmow, who scored 309-6 and then restricted Melford to 223-6, Cameron Stace 115 no. Melford visit Mildenhall II next.
Lakenheath earned themselves a much needed victory over Easton thanks to a century by opener Rob Horrex.
Lakenheath 223-9, Horrex 120, Easton 151-9, Adam Horrex 3-46, Paul Pallant 3-6, Tim Milner 2-11.
It’s good to see these aging bowlers turning in some good performances with the ball. It’s a trip to Dunmow next for Lakenheath on Saturday.
In Division Six, Stowmarket have won the league after beating Kelvedon and Feering by 133 runs.
Stowmarket 241-5, Michael Ives 147no, Kelvedon 108, George Tillbrook 3-20, Dale Whatling 3-13.
Their final game of the season is away at Long Melford II.
For our clubs in the top two divisions there is still a lot to play for as we head into the final three games.
Some of our sides are dangerously close to the relegation places in both divisions.
They all have tough games this weekend, but if they play to the best of their abilities then there is no reason why they shouldn’t come away with victories.
I shall be umpiring in the game at Witham, where Mildenhall are the visitors which promises to be the match of the day.
I strongly recommend a visit to the Worlington Beer Festival over the weekend, with 11 beers, five ciders and Jimmy Watson and Graham Ford the burger kings you can’t go wrong. I’ll be there on Sunday, hope to see some of you there.

Caught in the middle with Ron Raisey: Match of the Day will be on the cricket field


Mildenhall have opened up a 30 point gap at the top of Division One after their nearest rivals Wivenhoe were comprehensively beaten by Witham. With just three games to go, surely it is theirs to lose now.


A number of arrests have been made following today’s derby match between Ipswich Town and Norwich City.
They included:
A 23-year-old man from Norwich was arrested on suspicion of possession of class A drugs.
A 23-year-old man from Colchester and a 57-year-old man from Witham were arrested for breaching a section 35 dispersal notice to leave a designated area following anti-social behaviour.
A 29-year-old man from Felixstowe was arrested on suspicion of affray and a 23-year-old man from Norwich on suspicion of assault.
A 34-year-old man from Ipswich was arrested for discharging a flare in the stands in the ground and a 45-year-old man from Norwich was arrested for possession of a lit flare inside the ground.
All have been taken into custody at Martlesham Police Investigation Centre.
A number of people had to be treated by medics for the effects of the flares, but all are now said to be okay.
Chief Superintendent Louisa Pepper said; “A very small minority appeared to be set on causing trouble and officers made several arrests during the course of the policing operation today.
“We said before the game that we would not tolerate anti-social behaviour, violence, racial chanting, mindless vandalism or any alcohol-fuelled disorder and the vast majority of the 25,000 who attended were responsible and respectful.”

Arrests after derby match between Ipswich Town and Norwich City


A number of arrests have been made following today’s derby match between Ipswich Town and Norwich City.


The 545, a brand new band showcase, is taking place at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on Friday, September 2.
It features five of the area’s most exciting up-and- coming bands and will also celebrate the launch of the 2017 BurySOUND music competition.
Winners of BurySOUND 2016, Suburban Minds play anthemic indie-rock with soulful lyrics, layered guitars and huge drums. They have a new single ‘Leave It There’ available now.
Siah also participated in BurySOUND 2016. This local four-piece pop/punk band have recently signed to R*E*P*E*A*T Records.
Gaffa Tape Sandy are an exciting three piece punk band from Bury St Edmunds and their debut single ‘Smart Dressed Guy’ has just been released.
Hailing from Cambridge, The Abstracts are a four-piece Indie/Rock outfit with an EP available: ‘All Roads Lead To Everywhere’.
The Staycations have been garnering support from the likes of Huw Stephens from BBC Radio 1, while CLASH Magazine declared: “They make the sort of chiming indie pop that summer was invented for.”
Application forms for BurySOUND 2017 will be available on the night.
The first band starts at 7pm. Tickets are £5.
For more information, or to book, callthe box office on 01284 758000, or visit www.theapex.co.uk.

Local bands take centre stage in Bury St Edmunds


The 545, a brand new band showcase, is taking place at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on Friday, September 2.


Fresh from their successful Summer season at Aldeburgh and Southwold, Suffolk Summer Theatre visit the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds between September 6 -10 with their fun-filled production of The 39 Steps.
For the first time these two Suffolk based Theatrical institutions join together to present the rippingest of ripping yarns.
Recently returned from the colonies, Richard Hannay is terribly bored.
In need of something entirely pointless to do, he goes to the theatre! From this innocuous beginning, Hannay is plunged into adventure involving the stupendous Mr Memory, an exotic female spy, the sinister Professor Jordan and an array of heavies.
The thrilling film by Alfred Hitchcock from the story by John Buchan is made larger-than-life on stage courtesy of a cast of thousands… and four actors!
The show features local actor Joe Leat (Eastern Angles, Common Ground Theatre Company), he returns to the Theatre Royal after recently appearing in Breathing the Blue (2016) and The Count of Monte Cristo (2015).
The ensemble cast is completed by Simon Stanhope, Amy Christina Murray and Clive Flint.
The play originates from the pens of writers Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon who came up with the idea of staging the whole adventure with just four actors and a lot of ingenuity.
First produced at the Georgian Theatre, Richmond, North Yorkshire, it became an instant success and subsequently toured the UK.
The 39 Steps has been adapted by Patrick Barlow from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon by arrangement of Fiery Angel LTD.

John Buchan’s classic thriller to be staged at Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal


Fresh from their successful Summer season at Aldeburgh and Southwold, Suffolk Summer Theatre visit the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds between September 6 -10 with their fun-filled production of The 39 Steps.


Comedy and pathos go hand in hand in the next production from Sudbury Dramatic Society, Bazaar and Rummage by Sue Townsend.
The play is on at 7.45pm at The Quay Theatre in Sudbury from Tuesday, September 6 to Saturday 10th.
Sue Townsend, author of the very popular Adrian Mole books, has crafted the funny and moving story of three severely agoraphobic women who, as part of a self-help group who have never met, have left their homes for the first time in years, and made it to a London church hall to run a rummage sale, organised by trainee social worker Fliss and ex-agoraphobic volunteer Gwenda.
She is helped and hindered by ex-professional singer Katrina, obsessive cleaner Isabel, loud-mouthed Margaret and Fliss, not to mention a nervous policewoman.
As the afternoon progresses, the distinction between the carers and the cared for becomes less and less clear.
But by the time they all leave it is apparent that although their agoraphobia is by no means cured but they have at least made a start.
SDS director Jon Scripps says of his all female cast: “I have watched my cast grow in confidence each week and have enjoyed watching their characters come through.
“I am looking forward to sharing our enjoyment of Bazaar and Rummage with the audience.”
Bazaar and Rummage was first staged in 1982 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London.
The SDS Quay Theatre production is set very firmly in the 1980s but audiences need to note that it contains some strong language and adult humour.
Tickets for Bazaar and Rummage are on sale now from The Quay Theatre box office on 01787 374745 or online at www.quaysudbury.com.

Adrian Mole author’s play all set for Sudbury’s Quay Theatre


Comedy and pathos go hand in hand in the next production from Sudbury Dramatic Society, Bazaar and Rummage by Sue Townsend.


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
As a month long Think! Speed police campaign ends today new dash cam footage has been released showing the importance of the “twenty’s plenty” message often given for driving in residential streets.
The shocking video captures the moment a little boy gets hit by a van. The van was travelling at 20mph at the time of the collision. If it had been going just 10mph faster the likelihood of death would have been five times higher.
The shocking moment the boy ran out into the street captured on dash cam
The youngster - believed to be eight - charges out into the road between two parked vehicles and flies off the van’s bumper after being struck before tumbling onto the road and running off.
The van driver is completely unsighted and could do nothing to avoid the collision with the boy, who was badly bruised but otherwise unhurt.
Throughout August the county’s Road Policing Units have been out in force targeting motorists breaking the law.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to your license however drivers across the county are warned that the speed limit is a limit not a target. In some road conditions or road layouts even driving at the speed limit could be too fast.
Speed limits are not targets
Traffic Sergeant Ian Manley said: “Those who speed put not only their own lives at risk but also the lives of others.
“The faster you drive the less time you have to react. Speed remains one of the biggest factors in fatal collisions.
“The difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death. The faster someone is driving, the less time they have to stop if something unexpected happens.
“There will be times when you need to drive under the speed limit in order to drive correctly for the conditions or layout of the road.
“I would urge anyone who drives to help us protect road users by reducing your speed and driving to the conditions of the roads.
“If you kill someone while speeding, you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences. Remember that speed limits are there for a reason.”
* Make sure you leave plenty of time for your journey, taking into account traffic
* Watch out for changes in the speed limit
* Drive to suit the conditions and the layout of the road
* Don’t let peer pressure encourage you to break the law
* Don’t assume it’s safe to break the speed limit because there is less traffic.
* Don’t be tempted to put your foot down because the road ahead appears clear.

GRAPHIC VIDEO: Dash cam footage of young boy being hit by van gives stark warning at end of police speed campaign


As a month long Think! Speed police campaign ends today new dash cam footage has been released showing the importance of the “twenty’s plenty” message often given for driving in residential streets.


Puppy buyers are being warned by Suffolk Trading Standards to take care not to buy illegally imported animals
The warning comes today, National Dog Day, after Suffolk County Council’s Trading Standards team quarantined a bichon frise puppy when a vet discovered it had been brought into the UK illegally, unbeknown to her owners from Stowmarket.
The puppy has come from Romania and was found to have been given vaccination too early to be effective so it has been quarantined and will be re-vaccinated before it can be released.
An imported dog must be a minimum of 12 weeks old when vaccinated or it may be ineffective. A vaccine also takes at least 21 days before an animal is fully protected.
The regulations on animal imports protect the UK’s rabies free status.
Trading Standards is now advising people to make sure they know where their new puppy has come from and has had a health check by a vet.
Councillor Matthew Hicks, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for environment and public protection said: “The main issue around illegally imported puppies is that we cannot guarantee that the dogs are properly vaccinated and rabies-free.
“These puppies are usually sold via adverts on the internet and in newspaper small ads. The dogs are often accompanied by incomplete, false, and forged documentation which lead buyers to believe they have been imported legally or bred in the UK.”
Trading Standards advise getting as much information as possible about where the puppy has come from and be suspicious if the seller cannot show you the puppy with its mother and litter mates.
If the puppy has been vaccinated, ask to see the documentation, which must clearly state the veterinary practice that did it.
A puppy brought in from another country, should have a pet passport with a valid rabies vaccination recorded in it, which must be at least 21 days before it travelled and the dog must have been at least 12 weeks old.
Full details of the Pet Passport system can be found at www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/overview
Anyone concerned about a puppy they have bought should contact their vet. If you suspect your puppy has been illegally imported, report it to Trading Standards on 03454 040506

Dog Day warning on illegally imported puppies


Puppy buyers are being warned by Suffolk Trading Standards to take care not to buy illegally imported animals


Known infections of chronic wasting disease in deer and other wildlife as of 2014.
Provincial wildlife officials are concerned that a disease killing deer and elk on the prairies could soon spread into B.C.
Chronic wasting disease, a degenerative nervous system condition similar to so-called mad cow disease, has been discovered in an animal 30 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
That's the furthest west – by about 100 kilometres – that biologists have detected the deadly disease and the discovery intensifies concerns that infected deer may make their way to B.C.
No infected animals have been found yet in B.C. but wildlife health staff are stepping up monitoring efforts in the Peace and Kootenay regions, where deer are most at-risk.
Hunters are being asked to help by donating deer, elk and moose heads for analysis. Drop-off locations are listed at www.stopchronicwastingdisease.ca.
Anyone who encounters a sick or dead deer is urged to report it to B.C.'s wildlife health program by emailing wildlifehealth@gov.bc.ca.
Although chronic wasting disease is similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Alberta's agriculture and forestry ministry says there's no evidence it can infect humans, but notes the World Health Organization advises against allowing any meat source possibly infected by prions into the human food system.
It's thought to be unlikely that the disease could spread to domestic cattle or bison.
Outbreaks on game farms typically result in quarantines and culls.
Transmission is through saliva, urine and feces and is thought to be more likely to occur where elk and deer are crowded or congregate at man-made feed and water stations, according to the Alberta ministry.
Most of the Canadian cases have been in Saskatchewan.

B.C. wary of deadly deer disease in Alberta


Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease but infects and kills deer, elk and moose


The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory.

B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan


Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George


TORONTO – Fans of the Tragically Hip across the country will be able to watch or listen to the band's final concert on its upcoming tour, in what the CBC describes as a "national celebration" of the iconic Canadian group.
The public broadcaster will carry the Hip's hometown show in Kingston, Ont., live on its television, radio and online platforms on Aug. 20 starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.
CBC announced the plan as the band released its 14th studio album, "Man Machine Poem," on Friday.
"The Tragically Hip is a band that has had a lasting influence and impact on this country and they are beloved," said Jennifer Dettman, CBC's executive director of unscripted content.
"We want to make sure that all Canadians had access to this concert on whatever platform they should desire. We're really putting on what we call a national celebration for this band."
The tour is expected to be the final one for the band, following the recent shocking revelation that lead singer Gord Downie is battling incurable brain cancer.
Internal discussions about the possibility of carrying the Kingston concert began after the tour was first announced, Dettman said, but conversations started in earnest with the Hip's team after seeing tens of thousands of signatures for a petition asking for a broadcast of the show.
Dettman said the CBC also hopes to have more special coverage of the band in the lead-up to the concert.
"I think it really will be a very big cultural moment for us," she said.
"The band has had such an incredible impact and influence on Canada. They sing about our country and they tell our stories and they make great music.... I think we really want this concert to be this wonderful, national celebration where we pull the country together, and we really just all enjoy, watch, listen to the Tragically Hip."
On Friday morning, a handful of people lined up outside HMV's flagship store in downtown Toronto to be among the first to purchase the Hip's new album.
Longtime fan James Cashman said he made an hour-long trip from the city's east-end suburbs to get the disc.
"It's going to be their last one and the poor guy is sick, you know. It's really sad," said Cashman, a 64-year-old retired funeral assistant.
Cashman said he was glad to hear the band's Kingston show would be broadcast on television, noting he couldn't afford concert tickets.
"The tickets were gone so quickly, this resale thing, it's not good. They should just put out two tickets per person, you know. Then everybody has a chance."
Demand for concert tickets was overwhelming, with all 15 shows across Canada selling out almost instantly. Ticketmaster told The Canadian Press that roughly 1.3 million fans tried to buy tickets during the public sale but only several hundred thousand seats were available.
Earlier this week, a new batch of tickets went on sale after the band tweaked its stage design to accommodate more fans, but those seats also sold out immediately.
Fans have been fuming about the exorbitant mark-ups on tickets being sold on secondary websites like StubHub and classified sites like Craigslist and Kijiji.
Members of the Hip also seemed to be displeased with how ticket sales went.
Guitarist Rob Baker responded to a fan on Twitter, saying that they were "sad and concerned" about the sellout.
"We make every effort to make sure it is fair” much beyond our control," he tweeted. "We want fans rather than the connected."
CBC said the concert in Kingston will be carried on CBC Television, CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 2, its YouTube channels, and cbcmusic.ca.
The tour will launch July 22 in Victoria.
– With files from Canadian Press reporter Cassandra Szklarski.
Follow @lauren_larose on Twitter.
Lauren La Rose, The Canadian Press

CBC to broadcast final concert of the Tragically Hip


'A national celebration': CBC to air finale of Tragically Hip's tour in hometown


Open letter to Kelowna mayor and council:
I hope this letter reaches you individually and I hope you will respond.
In less than 80 days a group of Kelowna's most vulnerable, persons with disabilities, living on income assistance, will have their transit fares increase from $45/year to $624/ year ($52/month X 12) on the BC BUS PASS. Interestingly, if they chose to give the government back $52 of their $77, all of the $52 the B.C. government receives, goes back into the government coffers.
This $52 a month bus pass represents a 133 per cent increase for their transit—a fee they little can afford on an income of $983 a month or less.
So, what can mayor and council do about this? As I understand, mayor and council have the responsibility to approve the transit fares for the Kelowna Transit service—you can even create your own fares and passes. If this true, perhaps a conservation/discuss can begin about a made in Kelowna solution, especially regarding the dilemma facing persons with disabilities (PWD).
If you are able to create a pass which is more affordable, two issues can result:
1. Seniors and PWD will have a pass which they can afford and;
2. They will be contributing, for the first time, directly into their city's transit budget—the dollars stay here.
Take a few minutes to google 'Saskatoon Transit' and review their senior bus pass (annual and bi-annual bus pass). Apparently, this pass is so successful, seniors line up for it. I think you may be pleasantly surprised by the shear numbers alone and how much these funds contribute to their transit budget.
While their pass is meant for seniors, our pass could include persons with disabilities on income assistance.
While Saskatoon's annual bus pass is just over $220/year ($110 for a six month pass), it is a reduction to our current seniors monthly bus pass of $45/month ($540/year), but I truly believe at this price point we will see, like Saskatoon has, more seniors buying these passes and using transit. While this fare represents approximately $16 a month, it also is more reflective of how often seniors utilize transit service. For persons with disabilities, $16 a month is a whole lot less than the $52 the government is asking them for and their funds will support their transit services directly (within their ability to do so).
Ideally, I would like nothing more for them to have their $45/year bus passes restored, but if this does not happen, are mayor and council ready to step up to the plate to find a solution. The seniors will thank you and persons with disabilities will appreciate not only to be able to continuing getting around in transit, but having $61 instead of $25 left in their pocket which would help them out immensely.
Joyce Mainland, Kelowna

Letter: Kelowna can decide its own bus pass rates


Saskatoon's annual bus pass is just over $220/year…this pass is so successful, seniors line up for it.


Re: Tree spikers cling to Lelu Island (B.C. Views, July 20).
Tom Fletcher seems to believe protecting salmon is not only bad, but dishonest. He suggests it’s an effort to cover up an international plot to kill B.C.’s oil and gas opportunities and Alberta’s oilsands.
His column falsely asserts that, along with other groups, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has “poured money into anti-LNG campaigns in B.C., as they funded opposition to oilsands development before them. Indeed, the record suggests the long project to establish what environmental front groups named the Great Bear Rainforest was a strategy to stop hydrocarbon exports from western Canada, even as U.S. sources ramped up production.”
The foundation’s Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative supports groups working to ensure that all factors – social, environmental and economic – are fairly respected in development decisions. It does not fund efforts to stop oil and gas development.
Salmon support a huge economy that provides jobs, social and cultural benefits. And, in British Columbia, unlike many other parts of North America, we still have a chance to keep most salmon watersheds intact. This is why the foundation supports the efforts of communities to protect these fish. This means ensuring that scientific evidence is fully addressed in project development, including siting decisions.
We are proud supporters of the Great Bear Rainforest, not because we are “anti” anything else, but because this is a unique region. Like the Amazon and the Great Barrier Reef, it is recognized by experts around the globe as one of the planet’s most important and unique natural wonders.
It is a region that deserved to be protected on its own merits – a fact so clear that federal, provincial and First Nation governments came together with industry and environmental groups to ensure it would be. To portray this impressive collaboration as an anti-oil and gas does a disservice to the broad array of Canadians and First Nations that prioritized its preservation.
The Moore Foundation supported this as part of our commitment to assist groups that seek to protect wild salmon habitats along the West Coast. People, issues, organizations and funds cross the Canada-U.S. border all the time. There isn’t anything unusual about Canadian environmental groups requesting and receiving donations from international foundations that share the same environmental goals.
Ivan Thompson, B.C. Program Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Vancouver

LETTER: U.S. foundations protecting salmon


Representative of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation says it doesn't support efforts to stop oil and gas development


Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said.

B.C. school enrolment up for second year


Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect


B.C. has 300 seniors' care facilities, and residents and their loved ones are to be surveyed on conditions.
More than 250 volunteers have signed up to compile a survey of seniors in residential care, and B.C.'s Seniors Advocate is looking for more.
The 27,000 seniors living in 300 residential care facilities around the province are being asked about their experience with care home staff, the quality of food, privacy, medications and other conditions.
It's the first comprehensive survey done in B.C., to measure resident satisfaction and provide a "roadmap" for improvements, said Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie.
Interviews will be conducted in person by trained volunteers, and a matching mail-out survey will be sent to each resident's most frequent visitor.
The project is seeking volunteers with a range of professional backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. To apply as a volunteer, visit www.surveybcseniors.org or call the Office of the Seniors Advocate at 1-877-952-3181.


Volunteers to ask seniors about staff, food, privacy, medications and other conditions in residential care


Using a backdrop of new construction in Victoria, Finance Minister Mike de Jong and Premier Christy Clark announce a new property transfer tax on foreign buyers that took effect this week.
The lights came back on in the B.C. legislature last week to reveal the government’s sudden decision to impose a 15 per cent tax on foreign property purchases in Metro Vancouver.
This came after months of government refusal to intervene in a heated urban market in ways that might devalue properties for people whose homes represent a large chunk of their life savings.
It remains to be seen whether this large wrench applied to the problem will cool the market, or trigger declining property values as similar efforts have done in other major cities. The extent of the ripple effect on B.C. communities outside Metro Vancouver is also something that will be closely watched.
Premier Christy Clark and Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced the tax with a week’s notice, leaving realtors and developers scrambling to close deals before thousands more in property transfer tax was imposed on foreign buyers.
This dramatic intervention was based on less than five weeks of information on the nationality of buyers. Early results showed foreign buyers represented five per cent of Metro Vancouver real estate sales. Another two weeks of data showed a spike to nearly 10 per cent, and suddenly the big wrench came out.
Housing Minister Rich Coleman acknowledged that the surprise tax left the real estate industry “taken aback and a bit grumpy.” They worried foreign buyers might back out of deals after sellers have bought another home. They also fear that the tax might pop the real estate bubble, causing a rapid reversal of the long sellers’ market that has taken on a life and a psychology of its own.
One thing is certain. The province’s windfall from the property transfer tax can only grow even further as foreign buyers pay up.
The size of this windfall was shown in the government’s audited public accounts for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which de Jong released just days before announcing the new real estate tax.
The property transfer tax has been a cash cow for the province since Bill Vander Zalm introduced it in the 1980s, and by 2015-16 it had reached about $1.5 billion. For comparison purposes, that’s almost twice as much as total provincial revenue from the forest industry.
The current B.C. budget had forecast that property transfer tax revenues would decline this year and next year. The public accounts showed that for 2015-16, the government took in $468 million more than expected, meaning real estate accounted for most of the provincial surplus.
How much more is raked in by the new transfer tax on foreign buyers remains to be seen, but it will be substantial. And Coleman allows that he has been developing “a really cool plan” to use that money to improve the housing situation for lower-income people.
A couple of weeks ago I described the clamour of urban protesters demanding that governments build thousands of units of social housing. Coleman has long rejected the idea of social housing projects that create clusters of poverty, and he assured me last week that isn’t going to change.
B.C. has 20,000 low-income households getting a rent subsidy today, and Coleman suggested that will be increasing. He’ll be announcing new measures in September to stimulate construction of new rental housing.
It remains to be seen how that will work as well. But it gives the B.C. government lots more money to spend in an election year.
This is the latest of a string of Clark’s election-year fixes. I’ll look at some others in a future column.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc

BC VIEWS: Real estate tax increases windfall


Finance Minister Mike de Jong found an extra half billion from property transfer tax last year, with much more to come


Daycare spaces are in short supply in some areas of B.C. and costs are high.
More than 1,800 new child care spaces should be under construction by this fall, with the latest round of financing from the B.C. government.
New or expanded facilities in 30 communities have been selected from funding applications received in January, said Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux. The $11.3 million budget for this year is the third phase of a child care expansion project funded by the ministry.
The province's goal is to have construction underway by September.
"It will vary somewhat from provider to provider, depending on whether they are building a facility from the ground up with this money, or whether they are adding to an existing facility," Cadieux said.
Projects in the Lower Mainland include six sites in Surrey, two each in Abbotsford, Langley and Coquitlam and one each in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Burnaby, Delta and Squamish.
On Vancouver Island, funding goes to three projects in Duncan and one each in Nanaimo, Victoria, Comox, Port Hardy and Tofino.
In the B.C. Interior, three projects are approved for Kelowna, two in Penticton, and one each in Naramata, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Enderby, Princeton, Houston, Kamloops, Merritt, Vanderhoof and Dawson Creek.
For a full list of facilities and number of spaces, see backgrounder here.
The ministry has posted a new child care map on its website to help parents locate facilities here.
The province provides child care subsidies to qualified low-income parents, and covers about 15 per cent of daycare operating costs. But the cost of land and operations drives the price of child care up to $1,400 per month or more in urban areas. Cadieux said the province is working with municipalities to review regulations.
"We're looking at the restrictions we put on child care providers in terms of outdoor space, in terms of sun access," she said. "We want to make sure that child care is safe and that we have quality, but we also want to make sure that we're not creating a situation that is unreasonable."

Child care spaces funded for 30 BC communities


1,800 new spaces in 30 communities to start construction this fall, minister Stephanie Cadieux says


A totally spontaneous expression of gratitude breaks out for Premier Christy Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes at the Quesnel rodeo after a rural school fund was announced in June.
Comedian Steve Smith, better known as Red Green, is touring B.C. in September, reprising his popular TV series in which he fixes every conceivable problem with duct tape.
Green’s “I’m Not Old I’m Ripe” tour hits Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Surrey, Vernon, Kelowna and Prince George.
His formula for deploying the handyman’s secret weapon has proven so popular that Premier Christy Clark may have been inspired. She’s had quite a flurry of hasty repairs in the last few months. Here’s a recap.
The B.C. minimum wage was starting to lag behind other provinces, even after the overhaul it received in 2015, where annual increases are tied to inflation.
Like Red’s truck tires, there has been a lack of inflation, and a surge of government spending back east leaving B.C. in the dust. B.C.’s wage rose 20 cents last year and was set to go up by another whole dime this fall.
There was that familiar ripping sound in May as Clark and Jobs Minister Shirley Bond announced the September increase will be patched up to 40 cents, with another 40-cent increase next fall. Two wraps should hold it until after the election.
Remember the episode where Red taped two old Hyundai Ponies side by side to make a handyman’s Hummer? The school system has seen that kind of work in recent months.
The first roll was applied by Education Minister Mike Bernier when he announced in March that the ministry’s “fix-it fund” was going from $35 million to $40 million. Then in mid-May, he announced 80 successful projects. The “fix-it fund” had fattened to $45 million, and Bernier was just getting his sleeves rolled up.
Hey school districts, remember the $25 million in “administrative savings” the ministry demanded for the second year in a row? Now that you’ve squeezed that from your budgets, Bernier’s good news at the end of May was that the government’s giving it back to use for “front line services for students.”
One of those services could be “maintaining schools despite falling enrolment in certain regions,” Bernier announced May 31, foreshadowing the next layer of repairs.
Sure enough, a “rural schools fund” was rolled out on June 15. Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes made the announcement in Quesnel, where Kersley and Parkland elementary schools were going to close.
Also eligible for a special fund was Okanagan-Similkameen, where Osoyoos high school students were going to be bused a half hour to Oliver. This is hardly unusual in rural schooling around B.C., but these are swing ridings, you see.
Kootenay Lake district declined the opportunity to keep Yahk elementary open, with an anticipated fall enrolment of zero students. This all comes during the annual ritual combat between the ministry and Vancouver school board over keeping half-empty schools open.
Bernier had one more roll in his overalls. School bus service, one of those things jettisoned or saddled with hundreds of dollars in fees per student as districts scraped up those “administrative savings,” was selectively saved with another $15 million fund announced last week.
There have been a few other country fixes. They’re not going to ban weddings on farms any more, for instance.
That old jalopy in the back yard you’ve been trying to soup up and get back on the road? Soon you can get a collector plate for that thing, which is perfect if you can only get it running once or twice a year.
To paraphrase Red, if the voters don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc

BC VIEWS: Premier Red Green’s fast fixes


Premier Christy Clark has pulled out the duct tape to fix up rural schools, school buses and the minimum wage


Dramatic finishes in triathlon and epic battles on the soccer pitch were among the high points of the action in Abbotsford this morning at the BC Summer Games.
See our coverage from today so far:
Waterskiing: Kelowna's Isaac Athens, Halle Gainey takes firsts in slalom
Rugby: North-south battle in girls action (video)
Golf: Mission golfer Claggett leads after first day of Games
Wake boarding: North Van's Harman soars to gold
Canoe and kayak: Paddlers love cutting through the water
Swimming: Opening race kicks off competition
VIDEO: Equestrian dressage at Summer Games
Softball: Scores from Games opening day (with video)
Swimming: Opening race kicks off competition (with video)
Synchronized swimming: Celebrating the beauty (video)
Shotput: New record set by Surrey's Gabri
Rugby: Fraser Valley defeats Thompson-Okanagan 17-12 (with video)
Soccer: Fraser Valley boys down Kootenays 1-0
Javelin: No record, but golden throw for Chong
High Jump: Langley's Sara Enzo leaps to gold
Long Jump: Surrey's Malcolm Borsoi is golden
Baseball: Fraser Valley boys 4-3 over Island-Central Coast
Paddling: Canoe and kayak racers hit the water
Girls beach volleyball: Opening action (with video)
Girls Triathlon: Victoria's Leipoldt claims gold in girls triathlon
Triathlon: Okanagan boys sweep
Girls soccer: Fraser Valley 4-0 over Caribou North (final)
Boys soccer: Vancouver 2-1 over Vancouver Island (final)
Boys soccer: Fraser River 5-0 over North West (final)
Girls soccer: Island girls lead Thompson Okanagan 1-0 at half
Slideshow of Friday afternoon action:
Slideshow of Friday morning action:
In case you missed it, check out our slideshow and video from the BC Summer Games opening ceremony.
View our digital online magazine about the BC Summer Games.

GAMES ROUNDUP: Triathlon drama, soccer action Friday


Soccer foes faced off and triathletes endured to claim gold at the BC Summer Games in Abbotsford