brief apology is due to the residents of East Green. Because of a glitch in our delivery rota they received their last edition of our "Times" a little late. But with any luck this one should be with you before Christmas.

ur own Parish Council managed to get a mention in the county's Parish Councillors' newsletter. It was in "The Parish Councillor" where we were used as an example of the rather out-of-date voting and representation requirements for Parish Councils. The comment was made that Kelsale-cum-Carlton has a nominated complement of 13 Councillors for an electorate of 775 souls. That means about 1.67% of the population should actually sit on the Council, while the representation at Westminster is 0.00026%!!!

he solution is to reduce the number required to about 6 or 7, which is about where we are now. But it does mean we will have to call on non-council members for help, advice and hands-on help from time to time.


e submitted our March and Summer editions of this mag to the Suffolk Local Council's newsletter competition. But for some reason that has not been explained to me we didn't win!! That accolade went to "Botesdale Bugle". Well done to them!! Let's hope they do almost as well next year!!

he Parish Council held a Public Meeting on Wednesday 22 October 2003 to hear the views of local residents concerning speed restrictions in the village and whether there should be any changes. There was an excellent turnout with well-prepared and intelligent contributions from the guest speakers and, equally important, from the floor of the meeting. At the conclusion of the debate, there was a convincing show of hands providing the Parish Council with a very clear mandate: that the existing 30mph speed limit from Saxmundham to Cloutings Close should be preserved and that the continuation of the same road as far as Dorleys Corner, at present derestricted, should become 40-mph.

ife is obviously more agreeable, if you're a rabbit, inside Carlton churchyard than outside it. So the immediate consequence of erecting the new fencing there is that, in addition to the original population, more rabbits are burrowing in, and none of them seem able or willing to find their way out. As a result, urgent action is called for, to combat these unwelcome visitors (sorry to those readers who support the Animal Rights lobby) and the Council has instructed its fencing contractor to excavate a 1metre deep trench alongside the southern boundary in which to bury a heavy wire mesh attached to the existing fence - hopefully this should limit the problem to the present population. Then we will ask a local farmer to bring his ferrets to site. Again, apologies to the Friends of Rabbits Party, but we are trying to accommodate those bereaved relatives who at present are not really able to show their affection for loved ones with even a modest arrangement of flowers without them being eaten within just a few minutes.

Daphne Ford has asked us to say a big "Thank you" to all those people who sent cards and letters of condolence to her, to those who attended the funeral and to those who gave donations to the St Elizabeth's Hospice. Your support is much appreciated.

Helen Chick
The funeral took place at Kelsale Church of Helen Chick, formerly of White Gables. Helen died on 6^th November 2003 at a Hospice near her new home in Chichester, Sussex. She had lived there for only a few months when her illness was diagnosed but like all things Helen did, she coped with it together with a determination not to let it beat her - sadly in the end it did. All who knew Helen will remember her and her beloved husband John, all their hard work in the village, especially Helen's input in starting and running the Post Office Café . Our love goes to Sally, Jonathan, Paul and all Helen's grandchildren. She had been such an active member of the community that almost everyone will have come across her work in CAB, Arthritis Care andmany, many other con

cerns.
JML

Janet Chambers
The funeral took place at Kelsale Church of Janet Chambers of Spinney Close Carlton. Janet had lived in Spinney Close for very many years and was a popular member of the community. She was aged 65 and died in Ipswich Hospital and will be buried with her family at Dennington.

Gerald Ellis

Not a resident of Kelsale-cum-Carlton, but of Saxmundham, Gerald was a well-known and popular figure. Tribute is paid to Gerald because, as some parishioners will know, in his retirement from fruit and veg wholeselling he developed a very professional newsletter for the local Rotary Club, of which he had been a very keen member. The Editor recognises a considerable debt to Gerald in the layout of our own  newsletter.