earlier in Brandeston

Last Sunday we went to Bridge Farm Brandeston (seemed rather more Cretingham than Brandeston to us) for Arabella Marshall's open studio.  To call Bridge Farm an industrial unit is a complete misnomer as it's a rural idyll (we drove past it the first time) of small businesses including a carpenter, fitted kitchens, shepherd's huts and last weekend a pop up cafe from Henrietta Inman.

Brandeston summer fete 2:30pm this afternoon at the Queen's and that Framlingham sitcom (no, not the council) will be broadcast in October on BBC4.

Throwback Thursday:  Five years ago today we reported Brandeston Hall pupil Suzie Reid retaining her Suffolk county cross country title.

The Brewer has given us the bad news that the hop farm just outside Sibton has given up and it might be the last one in Suffolk ... although there could be another at Monewden at least.  Either way we hope the splendidly industrial machinery at Sibton has found a home and the Brewer is modestly confident he can keep the character of his beers with other hops ... and the barley still comes from Brandeston.

Last week a Charsfield garage was broken into and petrol pinched, four chainsaws stolen in Brandeston but just one in Stratford St Andrew; two disc cutters burgled in Melton over the weekend, worryingly three shotguns, two rifles and ammo stolen in Otley yesterday but the good news is a man's Rotary watch was handed in to Woodbridge police station Saturday.

The Brandeston Queens Head is looking for an apprentice and the Debenham co-op an assistant manager.

The British Legion needs a poppy organiser to cover Brundish, Brandeston and Dennington next year.

The Brandeston Queen's wants you to know they are on Twitter, you can buy their chutneys in Leo's Deli Framlingham, Grange Farm Shop Hasketon and Procter's Sausages in The Walk Ipswich, and they are looking for a sous chef or chef de partie.

Saturday's Brandeston village fete raised £4,900.

Chef wanted (experienced or otherwise) at the Brandeston Queens Head.

Two new artists (including painter Cyndi Speer) for the collective who showed at Brandeston in February and now showing at the Snape Malting's Pond Gallery until Wednesday.  Their next show is 20-22 August at the Stratford St Andrew Riverside Centre.

For those with binoculars the Brandeston village fete will be 19th June, might start at 2:30pm and is definitely having a beer festival.

Ex-Bonzo and the seventh Python Neil Innes played Brandeston village hall last night reportedly trying out material for North America.

We arrived a little early at Brandeston village hall, a very attractive airy space but invisible from the road in last night's pitch black, as setting up

was just finishing.  A good crowd soon arrived for the private view of photography and art, we particularly like the paintings to the right as you enter the hall ... yeah, a proper journalist would have got the artist's name.  The show continues all this weekend.

Brandeston Hall Boys Under 9 hockey team won their championship at the recent preparatory schools championships held at the Hall.  Pretty obvious why Oliver Scovell's the goalie, tall lad ...

Gwen Randall's last gig as retiring Framlingham College head was to open the Royal British Legion art show at Brandeston Hall yesterday.  We arrived a few minutes late and there was such a good turn out we couldn't get in to hear the justafewwords; then we were so busy snapping people we didn't really take in the show ... but did soak up that it's very broad in flavour and exciting much appreciation in the viewers.  The show runs all this bank holiday weekend.

Brandeston's historical associations include resident John Lowes (1572–1646) who was found guilty by the Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins and hanged at Bury St Edmunds; Lady Jane Turnbull died in Brandeston in 1991and has a memorial candlestick in the church, and Sir Ghillian Tolmie Prance curator of Kew Gardens 1988-1999 was born in Brandeston in 1937.

A History of Brandeston Hall sold out at the Framlingham Bookshop but is in stock again.

On the left author Norman Porter presents a copy of his new book A History of Brandeston Hall to David Mason president of the old boys society.

Great to see last week such committed running about at Brandeston Hall.  Some nine local schools competed in an under nines hockey and mini-rugby (10 mins each way, no kicking (of either ball or opponent), three man scrum that mustn't push) tournament.  Sensibly widespread wearing of gum shields, surprisingly rowdy touchline support from rugby mums, touchline heckling from coaches Xavier, how many times have we practiced that?  What's the point of hanging two yards off? and the Brandeston girlies won the hockey!

The Hangar Dance last month celebrating Brandeston Hall's 60th anniversary raised over £600 for the charity Help For Heroes.

Brandeston Hall pupil Suzie Reid has retained her Suffolk county cross country title and will be competing in the national championship in March.  Whilst we're getting all muddy it should be the Fram Flyers cross country round Framlingham Castle this Sunday morning.