Beware of the non-snake!

I came across this slow worm (angius fragilis) basking in the sun on the path from Pound Road to the church. It isn't actually a snake, although easily confused for one, but is actually a legless lizard. The test? Lizards have eyelids, snakes don't. Of course, they aren't dangerous, but at this time of year, they are a bit sluggish and vulnerable to birds and, to be honest, being trodden on.

So, do watch out for our reptilian friends, as they play an essential role in our rural ecosystem. And remember, it is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to kill, injure or sell them...

Summer arrives in mid-Suffolk

The advantage of a bank holiday weekend is that it gives you the opportunity to do things that you might not otherwise do, like take a walk. Given that the village is the hub of a network of footpaths, Ros and I thought that we would walk to Creeting St Peter Church, using the path along the A14 from Pound Road.

The yellow flowers of oilseed rape are now fading, to be replaced by the seeds (pictured)which make cultivation worthwhile. And, whilst it isn't necessarily the most popular crop, it does cover a good portion of the parish. It forms part of a sensible crop rotation policy and is known as a 'break crop' - one that helps improve the yield of cereal crops in future years (for more information, click here).

It is used to make vegetable oil (the United Kingdom is now 90% self-sufficient), and now forms a potentially key part of an alternative energy strategy - it is a component in biofuels. So, in our small way, Creeting St Peter is helping to reduce our dependence on foreign energy supplies...

Parish Council AGM - Wednesday, May 27th.

After the excitement of the Annual Parish Meeting comes the Parish Council's Annual Meeting (yes, I admit that I was a bit confused too, but I've had the difference explained to me). The former is where those who represent us to the outside world report back, the latter is where the Parish Council report back to the villagers.

So, if you're keen to find out what the Parish Council have done for you in the past twelve months, why not come along to the Church Hall at the end of The Lane, tomorrow night at 7.30 p.m.?

Election fever sweeps Creeting St Peter!

You might have been fooled into believing that politics is happening elsewhere. But no, voters in Creeting St Peter get their third opportunity in three years to vote for a county councillor. By-elections in 2007 and 2008 are the background to this year's all-out county council elections and, as at the close of nominations, four candidates have been nominated as follows:

• Suzanne Britton (Labour)
• Gary Green (Conservative)
• Nigel Rozier (Green)
• Nicky Turner (Liberal Democrat)

This blog will be looking to get some comments from each of the candidates, and we'll publish the answers as we get them.

Voters will also have the opportunity to vote for seven members of the European Parliament. There are an amazing fourteen Party lists to choose from, plus an independent. So, make sure that you use your vote. There will be more information about how to vote as the campaign progresses.

Did you know about the taxibus?

As I mentioned in the climactic ending to a posting on my own blog, our village noticeboard contained some exciting information. Yes, there is public transport out of Creeting St Peter!

I'm a Londoner, transplanted to mid-Suffolk on a part-time basis since I married Ros, and as a non-driver, I am occasionally twitchy about my reliance on Ros to get around. Needham Market and Stowmarket are both reachable in an hour on foot, but I'm an old(ish) man, and not as fit as I might be. I was aware that we have a bus every Thursday morning - route 453 from Stowmarket to the Creetings and back the same afternoon - part of a network of bus routes designed to convey people from outlying villages to a market town whose market is a mere shadow of what it once was.

So the news that we indeed have a regular service was the cause of great excitement and then confusion. Confusion because the timetable referred to a taxibus, whatever that might be. Best of all, the bus appeared to run from Stowmarket to Little Stonham, but not back... Luckily, the Internet came to my salvation, and I came across this useful explanation and allied leaflet . Yes, the bus does run to Little Stonham, where it connects with buses to Diss and Ipswich. Also, you can pre-book it to take you to Needham Market or Stowmarket, all for the cost of a regular bus fare. The only unexpected element is that it actually is a taxi, although you won't hear me complain.

And so, the world is my oyster. I can get to Sudbury, Diss, Bury St Edmunds or Ipswich by bus, or go to lunch in one of the various gastropubs in the area, and all without having to rely on Ros. A man should retain some degree of independence, after all...