February Breakfast News 2011

Household tips, Humour, Pain Relief and a Full English

You get a bit of everything at a Chamber breakfast

34 Attending members and non members from Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Sudbury and Long Melford at the February breakfast in Stowmarket Rugby Club suggest a thriving Chamber network whose fame is spreading.

Or perhaps it’s Celine’s excellent breakfasts and bottomless tea and coffee pots!

There was another tip from Simon Burton of 8CW – this time a glass of gin. A bit early in the morning perhaps but apparently leaving jewellery to soak overnight in a small glassful brings it up sparkling clean by morning – but it’s not advisable to drink the gin afterwards! Not content with tip number two he also told us where to get a haircut at a new barber in the town!  Evidently Simon’s on a mission to get us all to smarten up!!

Sadly former treasurer and acronym-generator par excellence BBH (AKA Bob Boxall-Hunt) announced that the March breakfast will be his last with the Stowmarket Group, though the possibility of his teleconferencing from Torquay was suggested. He reinforced Chairman Peter’s Bee that collaboration and tie-ups were the way to go, which had been Bob’s experience while in Stowmarket.

Sue Reynard of the Stowmarket Retreat Centre is pushing forward her idea of boosting local food from local suppliers either through a mobile van or a town centre shop and invited those present to get involved.

Nigel George announced a seminar in which his company is collaborating with Denny Bros and Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds Chambers on March 9 to advise employers on changes to the employment law relating to people reaching retirement age. “You Can’t Sack Me I’m an OAP” will be held at 6:15 pm at Denny Bros Ltd, Kempson Way, Bury St Edmunds.

Shelli Moyes of MPM is also venturing beyond the Stowmarket fringe with an IT trouble shooting event at Felaw Maltings, Ipswich, on March 30 when people can book a spring clean and trouble-shoot for their PCs and laptops.

Bridget Hall’s Travelstop will be holding a new supper club at Hintlesham Hall on March 22, with a focus on African tours and guest speaker radio presenter Lesley Dolphin on her climb of Kilimanjaro.

Visitor Brian Wates, owner of the online discount membership club CLB-Lifestyle in Sudbury, announced plans to expand to Stowmarket and eventually Ipswich.

Independent funeral director Andrew Bingham is in the running for the national finals of the funeral directors’ "BAFTAs".

Plainly there is a lot going on.

Chairman’s report

Following on from the AGM earlier in the month Chairman Peter Down reported that there were a number of ways being considered to boost both Chamber membership and its activities, including the possibility of a two-tier membership to allow smaller businesses to join at a reduced rate.  This is currently being discussed with the Suffolk HQ. A working party has been formed to progress this with the aim of launching the new set up around Easter time.

A second issue under discussion is the possibility of holding some meetings at other times of the day, particularly evenings, following a point raised at the AGM about the difficulties of breakfast networking for anyone tied to the school run.

Members can see more of what transpired at the AGM on the Stowmarket Chamber website.

This month’s presentation - Annya on Acupuncture

Acupuncturist Annya Stoddart described the benefits of this ancient Chinese system for relieving pain.

People seeking help when all else had failed ranged from age 23 to 95, particularly office workers, manual workers and the retired.  Annya has noticed a significant increase in the numbers being referred to her sessions at pain clinics in Norwich and Stowmarket by GPs and nurses.

She reassured people that all needles were sterile and in single use packets and to reassure those who had phobias about needles showed us the needles used, many as fine as a single human hair.

She said that acupuncture was compatible with other treatments, such as physiotherapy and often provided relief where years of pharmaceuticals had failed to help and is happy to link up with other therapists as well as with local GPs.

There’s a video on Annya’s website to help those afraid of needles:

www.annya-stoddart.co.uk

Her clinic at the Green Room, The Old Tannery Square, Station Road West, Stowmarket is starting low cost short 15 minute sessions.

Dates for your diary

Breakfast meetings coming. Venues vary so make sure you turn up at the right place:

March 18  Rugby Club – It’s Red Nose Day!!!

April 15  Golf Club

May 20  Golf Club

June 17 Rugby Club

July 15 Golf Club

Next Meeting:

March 18 7am Rugby Club

phone: 01449 770965

e-mail: secretary@stowmarket chamber.org.uk

web : www.stowmarket chamber.org.uk