the wayland news june 2011
DESCRIPTION
The Wayland News is the community newspaper for Watton & Wayland in Breckland, Norfolk, UK.TRANSCRIPT
A Free Paper Supporting The Wayland Community Issue Number 168 - June 2011
Come and meet your MP
life saving grant A grant of £1,300 given to the
Watton Division of St John
Ambulance in Norfolk will be
used to enable more people to be
trained in first aid skills that will
enable them to be the difference
between a life lost and a life
saved.
The grant, which came from the
Your Partnership Your Decision
grant scheme, was match funded
by the Local Strategic Partnership
and the Crime and Disorder
Reduction Partnership (CDRP).
Each market town in the area was
allocated £6,000 for local projects
that made the local communities
safer and stronger.
The St John Ambulance‟s
“Divisional ICT Refurbishment
Project” was entered into the final
public voting round, where Andre
Plummer (Divisional Operations
and Training Officer) and Chris
Baskerville (Leading Cadet) gave
a five minute pitch to a group of
around 300 local residents and
dignitaries outlining what the
organisation would do with the
money. The grant will be spent
on the purchase and installation
of audio visual equipment such as
a projector and computer
enabling the division to provide
free first aid courses to local
residents.
Simon Ison (Divisional
Superintendent) and Chris
Baskerville (Leading Cadet) were
presented with a cheque for
£1,300 towards the project by
District Councillor Claire Bowes.
“The presentation of this grant
will allow Watton Division to
provide free first aid courses to
the local community.” said Chris
Baskerville (Leading Cadet). “We
want local residents to have the
skills to be the difference
between a life lost and a life
saved.
“Recent figures suggest that up to
150,000 people die in situations
where first aid could have given
them a chance to live - this is why
we believe so strongly that first
aid should be something that
everybody knows.”
Councillor Bowes said “This
really is great news for everyone
in Watton and there is no doubt it
will help make our town a safer
place to live for everyone. A
grant like this really can help save
lives and it just shows how
amounts of money like this can
make a difference to our
communities.
“I would urge as many people as
possible to sign up and attend one
of the St John Ambulance‟s
training sessions.”
A series of free first aid courses
will be held over July and August
at the divisional headquarters
located on Saham Road in central
Watton. To find out more about
these courses or to register your
interest visit www.sja.org.uk/
wattonfreefirstaid
Watton Division will also be
hosting an information stand at
the Watton Farmers Market in
June, July and August where they
will be giving basic first aid
demonstrations to the public.
Picture left tor right are Breckland Councillor Claire Bowes, St John Divisional Superintendent Simon Ison, and Leading Cadet Chris Baskerville
Mid-Norfolk, MP George Freeman, will be holding an informal
surgery at the Wayland Farmers Market on Saturday 4th June. He
will be willing to answer questions, chat about issues and listen to
your concerns. Find him near the Safer Neighbourhood Team stall.
Images of Broadland The next Watton Society meeting
will be at the Christian
Community Centre at 7.45 p.m. on
Wednesday, 15th June.
Photographer David Boulton will
come to show us some 'Images of
Broadland' with a slide show
presentation to music and the
sounds of nature. David will also
give us some information on the
formation of the Broads and will
bring along some prints, cards and
bookmarks. Non-members are
very welcome to our meetings,
which will cost them £2.50 for
entry with a further 50p for
refreshments if they wish. For
further information on the Watton
Society programme for the rest of
the year please email
[email protected] or ring
01953 882613.
The Wayland News Page 2 News
On Tuesday 19th April the meeting
discussed Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones. Set
on a seemingly idyllic tropical island
in the Pacific it tells of the life of a
small group of natives who have lost
all contact with the modern world
and its facilities and supplies through
a civil war blockade. The basic
structure of society has broken down
thus there is neither school nor
church as active entities. The only
white man left, Mr Watts, reopens
the school teaching through the one
book he has, Great Expectations.
Through this the pupils learn of the
life of Pip and other characters, the
background of 19th Century
England, convict ships and a kind of
love. When they first hear of a „Mr
Dickens‟ they think he is a man
coming to their aid or at least
bringing supplies, later realising that
he is the author of the text. The
island provides them with basic
needs as it had their ancestors until
the apparent Paradise is destroyed
through unbelievable violence and
cruelty as the war in the form of
enemy „redskins‟ arrives. We are
informed through the main
protagonist Mathilda, nearly fourteen
at the start and besotted with what
she learns, with Mr Watts, the
characters in the book and Dickens
himself. Later through an adult
Mathilda in another time and place
we see her views change as she
uncovers some truths.
This novel led to an interesting
discussion. All agreed that it is a
fascinating, well written book and
that to their amazement the horrific
violence was included in such a low
key manner that several had to re-
read passages to check that their eyes
and brains were receiving the correct
information. We agreed that these
appalling deeds are being carried out
daily in many parts of the world. This
led to a further discussion on trauma,
war and strategies for surviving
mentally if not physically.
The book for our May meeting is
winner of the Man Booker Prize, The
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. On this
occasion we have not borrowed
copies through the library. They have
been donated by a neighbouring
Book Group where a member applied
for them through The World Book
Night 2011. She received 50 copies
and in the spirit of the event has
passed some on to us for which we
are very grateful and will pass them
on elsewhere in turn. The discussion
of this unusual novel will be reported
in the next issue of the paper.
The Book Group is having a book
stall at the August Bank Holiday fête
in Shipdham. If you have books,
fiction and non-fiction contact me at
[email protected] . We are
also hoping to organise a Book quiz
at this event. Sue Hart
News from Shipdham & District Book Group
Countryside campaigners CPRE
Norfolk have teamed up with
Breckland Council to establish a
network of litter wardens in local
areas, helping to keep the Breckland
countryside free from litter.
33 litter wardens have already been
appointed in towns and villages
across Norfolk including those in
Thetford and Dereham. A new
partnership with Breckland Council
means that many more can now be
appointed.
The wardens receive a full set of
litter picking equipment (litter picker,
safety gloves, high visibility vest and
bags) and £100 is paid to their parish
or town council to contribute to the
warden‟s expenses or to other litter-
related activities. The litter warden
must be willing to undertake a
regular litter pick, keep records and
act as a point of enquiry on litter
related issues in the local
community.
Cllr Lynda Turner, Portfolio Holder
for Environment at Breckland
Council, said of the partnership, “We
are delighted to team up with CPRE
to help ensure that our villages and
towns become even cleaner and
greener. Through our Pride in
Breckland campaign, many
volunteers are already coming
forward to do their bit in Breckland,
and this partnership builds on the
outstanding work our communities
are doing.”
James Frost, Director of CPRE
Norfolk, says, “I am delighted to
have secured this funding to help
groups keep towns and villages in
Breckland clean. Before Summer
comes and the vegetation fully grows
back, this is a good time to start
regular litter picks.
“I know that many parish councils,
town councils and resident
associations across the county
already employ a litter warden to
keep their paths, village greens and
countryside clean. However, we want
to encourage other groups to join in
and play their part.
“CPRE is working hard with our
President Bill Bryson to raise
awareness of the litterbugs, suggest
practical solutions such as bottle
deposit schemes and press local
councils to penalise offenders.
However, it is clear that the problem
of litter is not going to be solved
without an enormous effort to clean
it up. Establishing a litter warden is
one way to get started”, James
concluded.
Other Councils or groups that are
interested should download an
application form from the CPRE
Norfolk website
www.cprenorfolk.org.uk/litter
or telephone CPRE Norfolk on
01603 761660 for further details.
Breckland Litter Wardens Funding
Villagers raise £2,900 in days A coordinated effort by the residents
of East Wretham raised over £2900 in
a couple of days of the Easter
weekend.
Gardens, church and village hall
worked together to cope with a record
influx of people brought out by the
brilliant holiday weather on Sunday
and Monday.
The gardens at Wretham Lodge were
the only ones in the county open at
Easter under the National Gardens
Scheme and drew garden enthusiasts
from a wide area of the county and
beyond.
The record 527 who visited brought
an income of £1844 for Macmillan
Nurses, one of the NGS named
charities.
Across the road, in a flower decked St
Ethelbert‟s Church, sales of teas,
cakes, books, cards and a new church
guide raised a further £800 for church
funds.
And up the road at the Village Hall, a
craft fair pulled in between 300 and
400 visitors, the dozen stalls, teas and
raffle producing another £260 for hall
funds. So successful was the event
that the November fair is already well
booked and there are plans to extend
that at Easter next year to two days.
News The Wayland News Page 3
Coffee and Crafts at
the Queens Hall Saturday 4th June 9.30am to 2pm In aid of
Macmillan Cancer and ASD - Helping Hands
Saham Brownies and Ashill
Beavers received an invitation
from Ashill Brownies to join with
them for The Royal Wedding
Party at Ashill Community
Centre in April to celebrate the
forthcoming marriage of William
and Catherine. When the children
arrived they found the hall
adorned with red, white and blue
decorations. The tables were set
out as for a street party and
covered with balloons, flags and
tableware all in red, white and
blue. It really showed that
something special was going on.
The party began with a singing
game called “The Princess has
lost her gold ring”! This was
followed by an obstacle race
arranged by the Young leaders.
After this we assembled inside to
receive a special guest…. a very
special guest, Mrs van Cutsem.
She came to talk to us about
something very special that was
going to happen. Mrs van Cutsem
was going to the Royal Wedding
but more than that her
granddaughter, Grace, was going
to be a bridesmaid to William and
Catherine. Mrs van Cutsem
showed us a photo of Grace so
we could look out for her on the
day of the wedding. Mrs van
Cutsem also told us about how
her son was page boy at Charles
and Diana‟s wedding and she
brought with her the page boy
suit that her son wore and told us
all about it. Mrs van Cutsem also
showed us her invitation to the
wedding. We all felt very
honoured to have her, sharing our
Royal Wedding party. Mrs van
Cutsem then judged the crowns
that each Brownie and Beaver
had made before the day and a
winner from each Unit was
presented with a prize. At
previous meetings the Beavers,
Brownies and their Leaders
decorated a square of material
with fabric paints with their own
personal pictures and messages to
William and Catherine. These
were put together to make a
beautiful wall hanging which Mrs
van Cutsem very kindly took to
give to William and Catherine on
our behalf.
We then went on to have our
Wedding Feast. This was
followed by a game of pass the
parcel.
Our County Commissioner,
Helen Green, also joined us for
our party and at the end of a
fantastic afternoon presented 1st
Ashill Brownies Unit Guider,
Joanne Oxborough, with a
certificate for completing the
County Commissioner‟s media
challenge.
Bryony Horn, Unit Guider, 1st
Saham Toney Brownies. also on
behalf of 1st Ashill Brownies and
1st Ashill Beavers
Brownies and Beavers come together for The Royal Wedding Party
Movie Mania at Watton Carnival „Movie Mania‟ is coming to
Watton High Street this year in the
form of Carnival day. This is set to
take place on Sunday June 12th,
and we want you to dress up as
your favourite film star or cartoon
character and join in the parade and
activities all groups and individuals
are welcome. A great day out for
all the family and it's free so no
admission charges to pay.
There will be live bands playing on
stage throughout the course of the
day at Chaston Place including
local young talented group
„Freeloader‟ as well as dance and
theatrical performances, a variety
of stalls will line the High Street
facilitating many local groups to
promote and raise funds for their
causes furthermore there will be an
assortment of fairground attractions
and games, something for everyone
of all ages.
The customary tradition of the
Carnival princess will be kept alive
by the Twinning Association and
the Carnival Princess and
attendants all local young girls
from junior schools will lead the
parade in a horse drawn carriage.
Support your local carnival; So
many small Towns have axed such
events as Carnivals and fetes due to
the lack of support and the ever
increasing costs and regulations
involved. It is only due to the
community spirit within Watton
and the continued support of the
local business, Town Council and
the Chamber of Trade and
Commerce that this event is able to
continue and thrive. If you would
like to help with this event please
contact Cheryl Clayton on: - 01953
882260 or Steve Jolly on:
07729333002 or email:
You are warmly invited to come
along to the Stow Bedon &
Breckles village fete on Saturday
18th June between 2 and 5pm.
We are very fortunate that we are
able to hold the fete, as last year,
in the lovely grounds of Stow
Bedon Hall, Lower Stow Bedon.
– situated off the B1111, 5 miles
south of Watton (it will be well
signposted on the day).
We are delighted to announce
that RAZZ and AUNTIE
PEARL, the official NORWICH
CITY MATCH DAY CLOWNS
will be back with us again this
year, to amuse and entertain one
and all.
In addition to the clowns, there will
be lots to entertain you throughout
the afternoon, from listening to a
jazz band, browsing through the
book stall, taking your chances in
the Crossbar Challenge, having
your face painted, admiring the
vintage cars on display, or simply
enjoying afternoon tea and
homemade cake! Other stalls
include crafts and produce, bottles,
tombola, bric-a-brac, plants, cakes,
lucky dip and ice cream.
A variety of traditional games
will be available for you to try
your hand. The village stocks will
also be available! The children
from Caston primary school will
be providing some entertainment.
Admission Free!
Organised in aid of Stow Bedon
and Breckles Churches and other
local charities. Saturday 18th
June, 2-5pm - a traditional
summer fete for all the family to
enjoy! We look forward to seeing
you there!
Stow Bedon & Breckles Village Fete
The Wayland News Page 4 Advertising
NHS Summary Care Record Your emergency care summary
The NHS is introducing a new electronic record called the Summary Care
Record (SCR), which will be used to support your emergency care.
About Summary Care Records
The SCR will give healthcare staff faster, easier access to essential information about you, to help provide you with safe treatment when you
need care in an emergency or when your GP practice is closed.
A SCR will contain important information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions
to medicine that you have had.
What are my choices?
If you choose to have a SCR, you do not need to do anything.
If you choose not to have a SCR, you need to let your GP practice know by filling in and returning an opt-out form. You can obtain an opt out form from your surgery or by contacting the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020.
Whatever you choose - you can change your mind at anytime. You will need to let your GP practice know.
Children and the Summary Care Record
Children under 16 will automatically get a SCR created for them unless a parent or guardian decides to ‘opt out’ on their behalf.
Where can I get more information?
Phone the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020;
Visit www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk ; or
Contact NHS Norfolk Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Monday - Friday
from 9am to 5pm, on 0800 587 4132 or email [email protected].
News The Wayland News Page 5
Norfolk Wildlife Trust
To ask a question about the Norfolk’s Wildlife please call the Norfolk Wildlife Information Service. Wildline 01603 598333 9am to 5pm Mon - Fri. E-mail [email protected] Website http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/naturalconnections Further details and Membership enquiries 01953 498467 Tuesday 7th June 6.30pm - 8pm The Orchids of New Buckenham Common. A guided walk around the reserve looking for orchids with NWT Breckland Field Officer Darrell Stevens. Venue: Meet at playing field car park on B1113 Norwich Rd out of new Buckenham. Cost: £2 donation to NWT
Having been made redundant
four years ago I decided that
being self-employed and
working from home was the
thing to do and set up a sales
business with my sister, this
was great for a while but to be
honest I was starting to get a bit
stir crazy. Fortunately we were
renovating our cottage in Gt.
Hockham (it is still a work in
progress though) so that helped
me avoid going into the office.
At the beginning of this year
the idea of becoming a chimney
sweep popped into my head as
this would get me out and about
providing a service that folks
with chimneys need. My wife
thought it was a good idea and
was very supportive although
she gave me that „what‟s he up
to now‟ look.
So I started to investigate the
history and techniques of
sweeping, the internet is a
marvellous tool for this and I
spoke to staff at the two main professional
bodies for advice and availability of
courses etc. During my search I came
across a new method developed here in
Norfolk taking inspiration from an
American idea of cleaning flues called
power-sweeping which basically uses a
powered revolving brush which cleans as
it spins travelling up and down the flue,
although the brush head does not look like
the traditional Mary Poppins style more
like a bad day at the hair dressers.
I got in touch with the UK agent (Rodtech)
who happens to be a sweep of 25 years‟
experience and he agreed to introduce me
to the world of chimney sweeping and the
new method. I was very impressed with
the equipment and the results and even
though being green behind the ears I
wondered why such a simple but effective
idea hadn‟t been thought of before. He
also pointed out which was the best
professional body to join so I signed up
and booked myself on one of their courses.
So „Breckland Brush‟ was born and since
January this year to date I started training
and purchasing the equipment needed for
the business. I learnt about the importance
of sweeping all chimneys on a regular
basis regardless of the type of fuels burnt.
April is the month in which we kicked off
the business and I have to (with the help of
my long suffering and supportive wife)
find ways of getting myself known and
building up a customer base and of course
I will have a web site up and running soon.
I have to thank my friends and neighbours
who allowed me to practice on their
appliances before unleashing myself on
the public and not forgetting Bob Russell
at Rodtech for his help and support.
Oh and the wife says that I will be
available for weddings as well – she
believes that it is an ancient tradition and
that legend has it that 200 years ago a
chimney sweep bravely stepped out and
stopped the King‟s horse drawn coach as it
bolted. King George II was so grateful to
the sweep for saving his life that he
announced by Royal Decree that all
sweeps were lucky!
Today, seeing a chimney sweep on your
wedding day is still a lucky omen and
couples choose to have them attend their
wedding for a handshake for the groom
and a lucky kiss for the bride.
So, if you have a wood burner, open fire,
or wedding!, please give Phil or Christine
a call on 01953 498760.
Breckland Brush Hockham’s new Chimney Sweep service
Coffee and Crafts at the Queens Hall Thank you to everyone who attended
the Craft Market in April. We
managed to raise £88 for Macmillan
Cancer Care and Support in Norfolk.
There will be a Craft Market, with
coffee, cakes and lunches, in the
Queens Hall every first Saturday,
same day as the Farmers Market,
from now until November. (Not
including October).
The next Craft Market in the Queens
Hall will be on 4th June.
There will be up to 20 stalls of
locally handmade items including
cards, knitwear, wooden items,
jewellery, sewing and some unusual
items as well.
Opening times will be 9.30am to
2pm and admission will be free.
Refreshments, cakes and lunches will
be served by the Thetford based
charity ASD - Helping Hands who
are there for adults and children in
the Norfolk area living with Autism.
Please come and have a coffee and
support this good cause.
If you require any further
information please call Brenda on
01953 885559.
Concert for Macmillan A concert entitled 'Midsummer
Music' is being held at Houghton
Barns near South Pickenham on
Friday 24th June at 7.30 pm. Zara
Hible: Mezzo Soprano, Andres
Hernandez-Salazar: tenor, David
Wright: Harpsichord, Jeremy Ard:
cello and Violin and Brian Davis:
harp will be performing to raise
money for Macmillan Cancer
Support. Tickets are available
from Ceres Bookshop, Swaffham
or the booking office Tel 01760
723005. Tickets cost £15 which
includes wine and canapés.
This month we celebrated our 30th
birthday and, as usual, we held our
"party" at the Queen's Hall, where
members and their partners welcomed
visitors from other clubs in the district,
together with our District Chairman,
Jacquie McDaniel and her husband,
Rotary President, Mike Harvey and his
wife and our speaker, Barry Woods and
his wife. President Beryl Brannan
introduced Barry to us and admitted they
had been friends for rather more years
than she wanted to own up to! He kept
us amused with monologues and songs,
some of his own composition, and after
he had put down his guitar for the last
time, everyone enjoyed the buffet
prepared by members.
It was decided at the April meeting
that £100 should be sent to our District
Fund which is going to help victims of
the New Zealand earthquake. Also
£100 was sent to Shelter Box so that it
could be used to fund help for the
earthquake and tsunami victims in
Japan. £135 raised
at the coffee
morning in March
has been given to
the Queen's Hall
for their funds. A
longer list of
charity donations
will appear in next
month's paper
when they have
been approved by
the club.
Our next event is the
Strawberry Tea on
Tuesday, 28th June
at 30, Thetford
Road. For just £3
you will have
strawberries and
cream, shortbread,
cake and a cup of
tea and, hopefully, you will be able to
enjoy it in Brenda's lovely garden. There
will also be plenty of stalls and all
proceeds will be going to Sightsavers
and Hope and Homes for Children. Do
come along. Jenny Simons.
Inner Wheel Club of Watton
IW President Beryl Brannan cutting the cake with
Rotary President, Mike Harvey.
The Wayland News Page 6 Gardening
SALEC TRAVEL LTD Sat 4th June Lavenham & Long Melford 9am & 4pm Rtn Adult £10 Child £6
Saturday 11th June Oxford 8am & 4pm Return Adult £20 Child £15 Thursday 16th June Fakenham 9.30am & 1.30pm Return Adult & Child £5
Sunday 19th June Skegness 9am & 4pm Return Adult £14 Child £9 Saturday 25th June Hunstanton 9.30am & 4pm Return Adult £8.50 Child £5
Sat 2nd July Wisbech Rose Fair 9am & 4pm Return Adult £10 Child £6 Tuesday 5th July Kings Lynn 9.30am & 3pm Return Adult & Child £5
EXTRA TRIPS Saturday 4th June Johnny Marks Show Boat Ticket & Travel £28
Saturday 25th June Summer BBQ Evening Cruise Ticket & Travel £28 Saturday 16th July Country Company Show Boat Ticket & Travel £28
Saturday 6th August 50's & 60's Evening With Cardy & Coke Show Boat Ticket & Travel £28
Sunday 7th August Dominic Kirwin at Kings Lynn Ticket & Travel £25 Wed 21st September Summer Show Gorleston Matinee Ticket & Travel
£21 Wed 7th December Thursford Evening Performance Ticket & Travel £35
HOLIDAYS 2011 Torquay - Saturday 6th - Saturday 13th August
Mystery Weekend - Dates TBA *NEW* Turkey & Tinsel at Derbyshire - Friday 9th to
Monday 12th December *NEW*
2011 Brochure Out Now!
01953 881159
MOTs £35.00 VEHICLES FROM V 99 ONWARDS. £40 FOR OLDER VEHICLES
IVAN CHUBBOCK GARAGE SERVICES
SHIPDHAM
Tel: 01362 820416
Bradenham & District Horticultural
Society Annual Coach Trip
Sunday, 10th July to Somerleyton Hall
£17.50 for members and £22 for non-members
Leave Bradenham Village Hall at 9am, returning for 5.30pm
approximately. Further details from Marianne Kilmartin, 01362 820744 or Belinda Ashman 01362 821442
June. Flaming June? We seem to have
had that in what should have been early
spring, March, April and early May.
The middle of May seems to have
reverted to late March on temperature
with a biting wind but we still are
without the accompanying rain. All this
has me scratching my head as flowers
that should be flourishing in June have
made their appearance in May and are
likely to be over by their normal season.
Some fruit, too, is far ahead with local
strawberries on sale before 10th May.
Lucky for those of us who love them
but a worry for later in the season.
Wimbledon without or with imported
strawberries? Doesn‟t bear thinking
about. The hosepipes have had to be run
out way earlier than usual, with the
annual untangling and find the leaks
game. Watering wasn‟t without its own
perils though. We had that really
unusual harsh frost at 6am followed by
temperatures up to 21C within four
hours one morning. That really got
some potatoes. I was lucky that mine
were just „nipped‟ on the tops but other
people‟s crop was really ruined.
Watering before that event didn‟t help.
So, what‟s to be done in June? All I can
offer is advice on a normal June - one
that sees late spring turn into early
summer. Flowers should be in the
„busting out all over‟ mode with the
emphasis on roses, roses all the way.
It‟s even possible to plant container
grown roses in flower so if you have a
colour scheme in mind this is the way to
do it. Container grown plants cost more
than bare root but if you need a splash
of colour or some scent they are well
worth the extra. Roses look wonderful
either in a dedicated bed (not so popular
these days as a few years ago) or in a
mixed or herbaceous border. Some
people swear by underplanting with
chives or even garlic to ward off
greenfly. I don‟t know about garlic but
flowering chives under rose bushes are
really pretty. The downside is all the
chives that pop up unexpectedly the
following year and this is one herb that
you need to like as you‟re unlikely to
get rid of it. Older gardeners will
remember being told that if planting a
rose, plant a clematis in the same hole.
They go well together but it‟s as well to
choose varieties that flower at roughly
the same time to make pruning both
simpler. Failing that plant a clematis
that doesn‟t need pruning and will
flower earlier or later than the rose to
extend the season. Other underplantings
for roses include aquilegia, geraniums
(the perennial cranesbill ones are better
than the tender pelargoniums but it‟s a
choice thing), alchemilla, foxgloves and
a host of annuals.
Growing herbaceous or mixed borders
is rewarding as once it‟s reasonably full
it will smother weeds and look terrific
until autumn or first frost, whichever
comes first. Any gaps can be filled with
annual bedding which is readily
available from April onward. This
usually means the first lot are bought,
planted, frosted, re-bought etc. until the
end of May or early June. The
alternative is to grow your own either
sowing seeds in a warm place in early
spring or outdoors later where they are
to flower. Less fuss but you need to
know where they are. In fact, June is not
too late to try this. The plants will be a
little late but will catch up.
June‟s a good time to give the lawn a
quick green-up with a liquid feed if all
the dry weather has left it a bit tired.
This needs care not to burn the grass if
it‟s too dry and new lawns will need
watering. If planning a lawn it might be
better to concentrate on preparing the
ground through the summer and
sowing/turfing in September. The grass
will probably need cutting regularly but
if we still have very dry weather it can
either be left until growing again or cut
with the mower blades on high so as not
to scalp it and it will look greener.
For the veg plot it should be all systems
grow! If there‟s room there‟s an
astonishing variety of seeds that can be
sown now. It might be worth thinking
about some of those gaps in the flower
beds that could be filled with herbs or
veg seeds, rather than annual flowers.
Geoff Hamilton did this very effectively
in the Ornamental Kitchen Garden. The
more unusual lettuces like lollo rosso
with either green or red frilly leaves or
pak choi fit it quite nicely. This method
has the beneficial effect of putting off
pests as well because it confuses them.
The carrots grown with the onions
worked quite nicely last year with no
sign of carrot fly and this time I am
trying again but must remember to thin
out the young carrots in a timely
fashion!
Tender veg can be sown now including
sweetcorn, radish, rocket, carrots, peas,
swede, endive, calabrese, french and
runner beans, courgettes, squashes and
pumpkins. If the list seems a little long,
just remember to grow what you like to
eat and what‟s not cheap or readily
available in the shops. For instance,
with limited space don‟t bother with
maincrop carrots or potatoes. Runner
beans crop prolifically as long as they
are watered well. Very well. Even when
it‟s raining! Tomatoes, too, should be
kept to those you particularly like and
cherry tomatoes although often
available „on the vine‟ are nowhere near
as fresh as the ones that go from the
plant to the plate in under five minutes.
Cherry tomatoes also freeze well and
can be used in winter in all those dishes
where you might use tinned ones. Last
year I had a lot of cherry tomatoes, ripe
and unripe and some unripe plum
tomatoes. Fried up with garlic and
onions then frozen this mixture was
used as a base for spag bol and even
shepherd‟s pie.
If you have fruit trees there will be the
„June drop‟ to come. If you‟re a novice
don‟t be alarmed. This is just the
mechanism nature uses to make sure the
trees aren‟t overloaded. Keep the trees
well watered and this may not be such a
dramatic event. If the June drop doesn‟t
happen or the fruit seems to be
overcrowded there is the need to thin
apples and pears so there will be a
smaller crop but the fruits will be a
better size and flavour. A heavy crop of
plums should be thinned as some plums,
notoriously Victoria, will bear a very
heavy crop one year and none the next.
Thinning prevents this.
Of course we will have the inevitable
ongoing tasks - keep weeding and of
course we can now add deadheading
flowers to keep them going as long as
possible. Still, if your borders are full
there won‟t be as many weeds but the
deadheading will consume the time you
saved…
In your garden with Lotta Potts
Not just a pretty face Everyone‟s first concern normally about
their garden is, does it look nice? And
usually a nice garden prevails. But with a
little more planning, you can not only
achieve a garden which is aesthetically
pleasing but, one in which its beauty is
paralleled by its function and practicality.
There is an untapped wealth of plants
which are not only of use to the garden, but
the Gardner too, and not just a pretty face.
And here are just a few examples. To give
a little to the garden, plants such as
Eleagnus and Comfrey. Eleagnus not only
provides a fruit which is edible but also
acts a nitrogen fixer, making nutrients
available to plants where they were
previously not and improving the growing
medium. Comfrey is a perennial herb. A
good variety is “Bocking 14” as it doesn't
seed and therefore slows down the
spreading of this plant. Comfrey has a deep
taproot which mines other wise unavailable
nutrients from deep in the soil. These are
then made readily available it its leaves,
which, can contain 2-3 times more
potassium than farmyard manure! As well
as this, if collected and left to rot down in
rain water for 4-5 weeks, Comfrey can be
used on your compost heap as an
accelerator.
For the gardener, mixed in a perennial bed
Globe Artichokes ( Cynara cardunculus),
with their large silvery thistle like leaves
and tall stems topped with edible fruits can
provide a bold ornamental visual
contribution as well as their edible delights.
Hedgerows and shrubs are a vital part of
the garden both for us and wildlife. And
where possible should be cut once
flowering has taken place. Including
fruiting varieties can add color and provide
a nutritious snack. Hawthorn, Blackthorn
and Hazel are all quality native plants
which provide a brilliant mix of edible
fruits and nuts, all with a multitude of uses.
Or, for something more exotic. The Goji
Berry (Lycium barbarum). This is a fully
hardy large, deciduous, suckering spiny
shrub which likes full sun or part shade. It
has vibrant lavender or purple flowers in
july which then turn to a red - orange or
yellow berry, ripening through august. Goji
Berrys are considered to be a super food
and can be eaten raw, pressed or cooked.
These are just a few of the beneficial plants
which are unused and underestimated. With
a little thinking your garden can be giving
just as much back as you put in.
Ben Clarke Greenway Tree Care &
Landscaping www.greenwaytcl.co.uk
Wayland Show Horticultural and Flower Arranging
Competitions Do you grow vegetables? Are you keen to enter our flower arranging
classes? Have you some spectacular flowers in your garden? Classes for
children too! Schedules for all flower and horticultural competitions at
the Wayland Show are now available in the Village Florist, High Street,
Watton or on our website www.waylandshow.com. Further enquiries
from Alison Dickson Tel: 01953 881118 – we need your support to
continue this grand display of fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Scarecrow Competition for Children and Adults
Would you consider making a scarecrow for Wayland Show? This
popular competition is open to everyone. The Scarecrow can be
made from any material, or object. No entry form needed. Just bring
your Scarecrow along to the Horticultural Tent, Wayland
Showground before 8.30am on the day of the show. Scarecrows will
be displayed and remain in place until 5pm.
Gardening The Wayland News Page 7
So much for the separation of butterflies
from herb plants! They have managed to
squeeze through the netting and become
trapped. No more netting in this garden!
The Black Bellied Whistling Ducks
(above) have returned to nest on the
rooftops! This duck is also known as the
Whistling Tree Duck, and is an unusual
species among North American
waterfowl with its long legs, peculiar
appearance and odd habits, and it was
described by one early American
ornithologist as "most un-duck-like". The
whistler mates and pairs for life; its
numbers are increasing in North
America. There is one particular big two
storey house in town with a bright red
faux-tile roof which seems
to be a favourite nesting
place for these big birds - a
truly comical sight!
The big news from Texas
is, however, that in mid-
May we had some rain!
There was much rejoicing,
and people might have
been cheering from the
rooftops had these strategic
places not already been
occupied by Whistling
Ducks! Some areas
reported five inches or
more of rain, but just one
inch fell on my garden. The drought goes
on and some folks are quietly hoping for
residual rain from a Gulf Coast hurricane
or two, which seems to be the most likely
source until around October. Hurricane
season runs from June 1 - December 1.
In the garden the harvest is mainly herbs,
onions, collard greens and chile peppers,
but the tomatoes are coming on, and the
aubergines are flowering. The annual
battle with the mockingbirds is taking
place at the fig tree, and the pear trees
are loaded with tiny fruit that will not
ripen until August. The birds took
every single blackberry before I went
out early each morning!!! Last week I
found a potted horseradish plant at a local
nursery and couldn‟t resist. It doesn‟t look
very happy in the sun but if I keep watering
it hopefully it will survive. The flower beds
are not very colourful at the moment, with
just a few Hemerocallis blooming, along
with magenta, yellow and mixed Mirabilis,
An orange Justicia, and some yellow
Cannas. There are still a few pansies
hanging on, and plenty of the yellow and
orange Asclepias tuberosas (the Monarch
butterfly plant) and some self-seeded
Gallardias. The fish pond is a strange shade
of green this morning; attention to that will
be next on my to-do list! The most difficult
part of cleaning the pond is catching the
fish. To empty the water I fix a long pvc
pipe on the end of the pump nozzle and
spray it out over the grass and flower beds
until the critical part of the pump is no
longer submerged, then I have to finish the
job with a bucket. Years ago when I built
the pond I should have given more thought
to the cleaning process!
So much to do at this time of year, and a
cool spell in which to do it before the
really high temperatures and humidity set
in, but I seem to recall what they say
about idle hands
Tomato - Tomaytoe Gardening in Navasota, Texas by Helen Quinn
We had a good turnout of 23 members &
guests on Wednesday 11th May for our
first outside visit this year. It was a
beautiful sunny evening and the garden at
Wyken Hall did not disappoint.
It was stunning, even though it was still
early in the year for roses, the wisteria and
early-flowering shrubs with their
wonderful scents more than made up for it.
There were so many different areas with so
much to look at. The design and hard
landscaping sympathetically and tastefully
built to fit in with all the wonderful old
buildings. A treat to behold!
I would thoroughly recommend a visit -
and the shop at the end of the evening was
irresistible! I hear the restaurant is
wonderful too – I shall have to put it on my
„wish list‟. Perhaps we should push the
boat out and go there for the Club Annual
Dinner next year!
Welcome to Andy Wagner who joined the
club that evening.
Join us on our next outside visit on
Wednesday 8th June Hockham Garden
Crawl. Come and glimpse some of the
loveliest gardens in the village. Afterwards
for nibbles and drinks at Beechwood House
(2009 Best Garden winner)
Meet on the Village Green @ 6.45pm to
start off together. Entry: £1 members,
£3.50 Guests.
Gt. Hockham‟s Best Kept Garden &
Planters Competition: It is almost the time
of year when our judges will be walking
round the village for their first viewing,
they are not checking out properties to rob
later – don‟t report them! – Please make
them feel welcome (no bribes!) Cups of tea
allowed . . . Trophy and Garden Vouchers
awarded each year at the Flower Show in
August. 1st Viewing date : Tuesday 5th
July
They will get a feel for the likely standard
of your whole garden by looking at the
front and put a note through your door if
they wish to return on: 2nd Viewing date –
Tuesday 9th August to check out the back.
If however, your front garden gives no clue
and you would like to be INCLUDED
please do telephone me and I will let them
know to include yours in the judging.
Thank you.
ANNUAL FLOWER & VEGETABLE
SHOW: Sunday 21st August. Make a note
in your diary!
A traditional Village Flower Show with
superb quality entries. We look forward to
your entries and support. The schedule and
entry forms will be in JULY‟s IN TOUCH
magazine. If you would like a copy of the
schedule in advance please telephone me or
you can check it out on our website. There
are some great „Tips for Showing‟ on there
too. So join in the fun this year – get
growing! Don‟t be shy! Lots of other ideas
too, especially for the children.
We have a category this year for kids to
grow Nasturtiums from seed. I have the
seed with instructions and will take it up to
the school so the children can take part.
Again contact me if your child would like
to enter this category.
Do check us out on our newly updated
website at
www.greathockhamgardeningclub.org.uk
We are proud to have a membership of 57
to date, which is great for a small village
and we really appreciate the active support
of all our members. It is a still a good time
to join, only £6 per year.
So come along and join in, our meetings
are always good and we see some lovely
gardens in the summer.
If anyone would like a lift to meetings
please give me a call. Jane Dalton
(Secretary) 01953 498694
Gt. Hockham Gardening Club
We have decided to open several classes in
our Autumn Show this year.
Acknowledgements to Shipdham Society
for this idea - we pinched it. All seed
sowers and bakers are welcome to enter.
Just bring your entries to the Village Hall
between 11.00am and 1.00pm on Saturday,
10th September with 10p entry fee per
entry. One entry per class per person. We
hope as many people as possible will join
us. These classes will be:
7 Longest Runner Bean, quantity 1
8 Tomatoes, any ripe, quantity 6
12 Marrows, quantity 2
30 Vase of Annuals, single stem, quantity 5
36 Apples, dessert, quantity 4
43 Apple Turnover, quantity 2
Recipe for class 43: 1 tsp grated orange
zest; 2 tbs orange juice; 3/4lb tart apples; 1-
½ tbs sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top;
1 dsp any flour; Pinch each of ground
cinnamon, ground nutmeg and salt;
1x12”x12” puff pastry, homemade or
frozen, rolled out; 1 egg with water for egg
wash.
Method: Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Combine orange zest and juice in a bowl.
Peel and core the apples and cut into dice.
Add to orange mix together with sugar,
flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Flour
board lightly, lay out rolled pastry. Cut into
4 equal squares and brush edges with egg
wash. Divide apple mixture between
squares. Fold the pastry diagonally over the
apple mixture. Seal by pressing the edges
with a fork. Transfer to baking sheet lined
with parchment paper. Brush the tops with
egg wash, sprinkle with sugar. Make 2
small slits in each. Bake for 20 mins until
brown and puffed. Choose the best two for
presentation
Advance Notice: Our annual coach trip this
year will be on Sunday, 10th July to
Somerleyton Hall and the prices are:
£17.50 for members and £22.00 for non-
members. We shall leave Bradenham
Village Hall at 9.00am, returning for
5.30pm approximately - might be a few
minutes either way.
Further details on either/both of the above
from Marianne Kilmartin, 01362 820744 or
Belinda Ashman 01362 821442
The next open meeting will be held on
Thursday 21st July when our speaker will
be Bob Greef, who is a gardener at
Oxburgh Hall, and the subject is the
development of that garden. Also don‟t
miss the annual Sweet Pea and Rose Show
the same evening. The meeting will start at
7.30pm in the Village Hall.
Bradenham & District Horticultural Society
Ashill and Holme Hale Garden Club
May‟s meeting of the Ashill and Holme Hale Garden Club provided
something slightly different for members – in the absence of the
anticipated speaker, a number of issues were discussed, and in the
second half of the meeting, members‟ knowledge was tested with a quiz.
The meeting opened with the circulation of some newspaper cuttings of
horticultural interest; similar items from members would be welcomed at
future meetings. The recent trip to East Rushton was discussed, and it
was universally agreed that the visit was a great success. This prompted
the possible planning of a similar visit - a trip to Milford Hall near
Sudbury was suggested. This is a National Trust property, entry fees to
the house and garden costing £6.60, the garden alone £3.30. Members
might also visit Sudbury which has a number of restaurants. Wednesday
September 14th was suggested, eliciting a good response.
The need for more entries for the forthcoming Flower Show was
discussed, David asking members to submit something in time for
Sunday June 26th when the show would be taking place. We were
reminded that there would be an informal “veggie” section, for
those who enjoy growing and showing vegetables. Members were
asked to contribute tombola prizes, liaising with Eileen Page if
they were able to assist.
The disparity between Garden Club meetings and the publication of
Ashlink meant that we would not be able to publicise this event in the
June issue of the magazine since the June deadline had taken place a
week before the May meeting. However, it was hoped that Wayland
News and Moonraker would give coverage to the Flower Show and
encourage many visitors on the day. The Show would be open for Plant
entry from 12 noon till 1.30pm in the small hall of the Holme Hale
Pavilion, while the large hall would be open to the public from 2.30pm –
4.30pm. Entry would be free, and visitors would be able to purchase
homemade cakes and plants, while trying their luck at the tombola.
Future meetings – the June meeting will consist of a presentation by
Sue and Jean on the subject of allotments – this promised to be a
very interesting session, in which audience participation was hoped
for. Meanwhile the meeting planned for the 21st July would be a
general free-for-all on the subject of keeping the garden going –
David would try to get someone from Chalk Farm to come along
with plants, to talk about what we can sow in August, and how to
prepare for the following year.
News The Wayland News Page 8
From Watton’s new Mayor
My name is Michael Wassell and the
month of May 2011 has been a
significant time for me. Firstly on the
5th May, I was elected as one of the
three Watton ward representatives on
Breckland District Council. At the
same elections, I was re-elected as one
of the 15 Watton Town Councillors.
Then, on the 17th May, at the first full
Watton Town Council meeting, I was
elected by my fellow Town Councillors
to be the Chairman of Watton Town
Council and Mayor of Watton.
Firstly I want to express my sincere
thanks to all the people of Watton who
voted for me in the local elections, both
district and town. I regard it as a great
honour to serve the community that I
have been a part of for over 25 years
and I will repay the trust of the people
of Watton (irrespective of who they
voted for) by trying to reflect their
concerns and opinions on both
councils. Secondly, I want to thank my
fellow Town Councillors for selecting
me as their chairman. I was very
pleased that there was an election for
Watton Town Council for the first time
in many years, and as well as
congratulating the 12 existing
councillors who were re-elected I want
to welcome the 3 new councillors, that
you the people of Watton have chosen,
Councillors Beryl Bunning, Peter
Blackmore and Roger Turner.
So our town now has an elected
council, who will hopefully have the
support of the people of the town. The
councillors will need this support as
they work collectively to make
decisions for the benefit of their town.
But in order for the councillors to make
decisions that reflect the townspeople‟s
opinions they need to know what those
opinions are. All too often, in the past
two years that I served on the town
council, I have listened to criticism of a
particular decision or stance that the
Town Council have taken. More times
than not when I asked the person I was
speaking to whether they had written to
the council or attended a council
meeting to express their concerns the
answer was no. I want to emphasise
that all Town Council meetings are
open to the public and only on rare
occasions, when matters of a
confidential nature relating perhaps to
staffing matters or contracts, will the
public and press be excluded. At
meetings of the full council there is
always an opportunity for members of
the public to address the council, and at
meetings of the committees of the
council the public may be allowed to
speak at the chairman of that
committee‟s discretion. The Town
council has a web site at this address:
www.wattontowncouncil.gov.uk where
in addition to being able to view and
download the minutes of meetings you
can also contact the Town Clerk using a
contact form to express your concerns.
The Town Hall is open from 9am to
1pm Monday to Friday; the contact
details for all of the town councillors,
plus the agendas for all meetings are
displayed on the notice board outside.
So there are a myriad of ways to inform
the councillors of what you want them
to do, but you need to be proactive and
contact them. Just to emphasise that
council decisions are made in a
democratic fashion, no councillor can
make a decision on their own, they can
participate fully in the debate and they
can vote to support or reject the matter
under discussion. Once the council, has
made the decision then the officers of
the council, the Town Clerk, with the
support of her staff, carry out the
council‟s instructions.
In my time as Chairman of Watton
Town Council, I want to communicate
as fully as possible with the people of
Watton. One of the ways that I think
this can be achieved is by the council
having a regular column in this
newspaper. But that is a decision for the
full council to make, and I will be
putting this before them at the next full
council meeting on the 31st May. I
believe that the same communications
should also exist between
the district councillors and
the people that they
represent. So I shall be
discussing this with my
two district council
colleagues to see how we
can achieve this.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or
any of the Town and District
Councillors with any concerns. I look
forward very much to working with the
people of Watton to make our town an
even nicer place to live.
Michael Wassell Chairman Watton
Town Council, Breckland District
Council Ward Member - Watton
Election Results Last week we had the first election for
Town Council for over 12 years (long
overdue some would say) but most of
you missed it! Only a third of the
electorate bothered to turn out and cast
a vote. But what a strange vote that was
in places, as it seems to bear little
relationship to what is actually going on
at Council.
The most popular councillor with the
electorate just happens to be the one
with the poorest attendance record over
the last few years, (apart from those that
stood down for re-election.)
This time a number of fresh names
polled quite well, in fact getting more
votes than last year‟s Mayor. You
nearly lost in the same breath the man
who helped assure the town of money
to purchase the Surge and who spends
endless hours each winter making and
installing your Christmas lights. (The
rest of the Christmas lights team could
also have been lost due to the same lack
of votes)
What does all of this mean? Are the
people of Watton tired of and no longer
want Christmas lights or the youth of
the town kept out of mischief? Are they
happy that councillors don‟t turn up for
meetings?
Or is it a case of those who make the
most noise or have been known in
Watton a long time get elected?; while
those persons who get on with the jobs
and are not of a mind to shout about
themselves almost get shoved aside.
It could be said that councillors should
be „selling‟ themselves with the
letterbox junk mail or should the
electorate be more aware of how its
town is run? Can it be a complete lack
of concern though?
By the way, we recently had a Town
meeting. This is the one special time in
the year when the Town is encouraged
to come to the council and find out
what is happening and ask for
improvements/changes, but again you
all stayed away. The Town Council‟s
meeting last month had a nil turn out
from the man/woman in the street. Is
everything so wonderful in Watton that
you wish us to carry on being so
successful? Or is it that the majority of
the electorate really just don‟t know or
care? Perhaps I am being too critical
but we would like to see the electorate
once in a while. Alan Osborn.
From the Editor: What do you think? Is
Councillor Osborn correct, do you
really not care? Or is there some other
reason? In case you have not seen the
full result including the numbers of
votes received, I have published them
below. Please have your say, drop The
Wayland News a line and let’s find out
what you think of the council.
Watton Town Council Election Results
5,737 people were eligible to vote
and 2114 ballot papers were issued of
which 31 were rejected. The turnout
was 36.85%.
In order of number of votes received,
the following people were elected to
Watton Town Council.
GILBERT, Keith Stephen 1227
WASSELL, Michael 993
ROGERS, John 890
RUDLING, Roy 841
BUNNING, Beryl 795
CRABTREE, Richard John 656
HOLMES, Margaret Evelyn 633
MCCARTHY, Lorraine Kay 481
BLACKMORE, Pete 479
TURNER, Roger Cyril 474
COOPER, Paul Alexander 471
MCCARTHY, Paul 447
IVORY, Roy 442
HARVEY, Alf 430
OSBORN, Alan Frank 339
Watton Ward Election Results
In order of number of votes received,
the following people were elected to
Breckland District Council. 5,744
people were eligible to vote and
2,205 ballot papers were issued of
which 12 were rejected. The turnout
was 38.39%
BOWES, Claire 1179
GILBERT, Keith Stephen 1158
WASSELL, Michael 1014
Letters to the Editor
On your PVCu Replacement Windows, Doors and Sunlounges. Plus!We have no pushy sales reps, all appointments are undertaken by
Ray Harman(Proprietor)
Unit B, Yaxham Rd,
Dereham (behind Halfords)
Open Day at Merton Church The annual Open Day
at St Peter‟s church,
Merton, will take place
this year on Sunday
June 26th from 12
noon to 5 p.m.
Tony Brooks will be
giving his ever-popular
show of old
photographs of
Merton, Thompson,
Tottington and West
Tofts, with additional
photos new for this
year. The display will
run continually all day,
with each session
lasting just over an
hour. As well as
allowing viewers to
enjoy his huge collection of pictures, Tony will give a commentary describing the places and people shown,
drawing on his great fund of local knowledge. Visit his website on www.merton.ukgo.com to see a selection
of the photographs.
As an additional attraction this year, we welcome back Nessie King, whose “Cunning Woman”
demonstration of cures and potions delighted visitors a few years ago. This year, she will be illustrating
more recent remedies and traditions, in a lively presentation based on Norfolk village life in the 1950s.
Refreshments will be available all day – ploughman‟s lunches, cream teas, and delicious home-made cakes.
Come and find out a little more about local history, or just come and enjoy a cup of tea in these beautiful
surroundings, looking out across the park towards Merton Hall.
Free admission. All proceeds from refreshments etc. go to the maintenance of St Peter‟s church.
The Wayland News Page 9 News
The Group would like to announce
that the Pantomime for January
2012 will be "Robin Hood",
Directed by Charlie Tweed, Co-
Directed by Stephanie Easter &
Produced by Tracey Denny. The
Group are looking for new
premises for the storage of their
Costumes and Props if anyone has
any information regarding a
suitable place that could be used
please contact Stephanie Easter
01953482752 or Sandra Skipper
01953883777.
The Group are also looking for
Musicians and a seamstress to help
make some costumes. Our
auditions went really well this year
and we have some very talented
new members who have joined the
Group. So watch this space for
more updates.
One doesn‟t often find a reason to be
grateful for the Second World War, but
I have it to thank for giving me an
interest in cycling.
When war was declared my whole
school was evacuated to Bedford, and
one of the first things that became
obvious was that everyone, old or
young, seemed to own a bicycle.
We had to share facilities with a local
school and found that the bike sheds
were enormous and filled to capacity,
and such places as the local library
were usually surrounded by hundreds
of parked bicycles.
Of course our boys did not want to be
left out, and within weeks were asking
their parents to send their own bikes
down, or arranging to purchase new
ones.
To the surprise of everyone the
expected air-raids had not materialised,
so it became a habit for us evacuees to
go home to London for an occasional
weekend, and it was on one such visit
that my parents presented me with my
very first bicycle.
Unfortunately my father, who was
disabled, had suffered a long period of
unemployment, thus making any
expenditure on such luxuries as this
almost beyond him, with the result that
the only one he could afford was of
rather antiquated design, though of
course anything was better than
nothing.
Thus I was able to join the mobile
brigade, albeit with a very heavy
machine, completely bereft of such
benefits as a three-speed hub, or cable
brakes, whereas all my friends
possessed light weight modern
ones,but after a week or two I mastered
the intricacies of this old machine, and
soon ceased to feel any sense of its
inadequacy.
The occasional weekends at home
continued, and several of us decided
that as we now had our own means of
transport we would save on fares if we
made the journey by bike, and so a sort
of unofficial competition started up
between the keenest cyclists amongst
us, to set our own record times for the
ride.
This may sound very trivial, but the
distance to the capital was 50 miles, so
to my home in north London was about
47, with the last twenty over some of
the hilliest territory, so to a novice
fourteen year-old biker, with an
unwieldy machine, it was quite a test.
In fact, almost at the start of the
journey a local height, known as
Hammer Hill, presented the first trial
of strength, and I think that every boy
that faced it had to get off and walk up
part of it on their first trip. Later on, as
stamina and experience was gained,
this was not such a problem.
What did assist us was the almost
complete absence of traffic, for the few
members of the public that owned cars
saved their petrol coupons for really
essential journeys, or laid up their cars
altogether, leaving the roads nearly
deserted , except for a few lorries.
Even when the route took in part of the
A1, better known as the Great North
Road, there was hardly any traffic at
all, which would seem unbelievable
today.
And whereas today the last thing a
modern cyclist wants to hear is the
approach of an overtaking lorry, in
those times it would be most welcome,
particularly on an open, windy stretch
of road, for most lorries were not very
fast and if one judged things correctly
it was possible to tuck in behind one
and benefit from the shelter it afforded.
Often one could speed along for miles
in this way, and provided attention was
paid to the sound of the engine in order
to judge when a stop was imminent, it
was reasonably safe, though not a thing
to try in today‟s traffic !
After leaving school and starting work,
I was able to save up for a more up-to-
date cycle, and began to explore much
of London and the northern suburbs, in
the course of which I was able to tackle
London‟s stiffest cycling test –
Muswell Hill. At the third attempt I at
last managed to reach the Broadway at
the top and still not have to stop to get
my breath. At last I felt I could call
myself a real cyclist. Not a racer. Not a
time-trialist. Just a proper cyclist.
A gap in my cycling career came with
the call up to join the Army, so that the
war had ended before I could get back
in the saddle, and what a difference
there was in the amount of traffic. No
longer did I have roads to myself,
though on a bike it was much easier to
negotiate the many side roads and cut-
throughs that were available, though
even these began to be denied me as
councils closed off what they called
motorist rat-runs, by making many
streets one-way.
A change in my ways came with
meeting my wife-to- be, as together we
enjoyed a more relaxed mode of
cycling, visiting such pleasant parts of
nearby Essex, such a Epping Forest,
before a later move to that county.
Unfortunately traffic became so
overwhelming that for a time I put
away the bike in favour of the car, and
it was not until I moved to Norfolk
twenty years ago that I resumed
cycling, albeit on a ramshackle old
banger, suitable for an old man to
meander round the village. I have
finally given even that up, but I have
thoroughly enjoyed over seventy years
awheel, so I say have to say thanks to
the war, and indirectly, I suppose, to
Hitler.
RE-CYCLING By Ken Knowles
Watton Pantomime Group
Watton Ballroom
Dancing Association
Queen’s Hall, Watton
8 to 11.00 Admission £3.50
Saturday June 4th
Saturday July 2nd
Mike 01953 882799
Carbrooke Village Hall was
packed for a meeting chaired by
local MP George Freeman, which
had been called to discuss the
future of the old airfield at RAF
Watton and other planning issues.
Introducing the meeting Mr
Freeman said that after
representations made to him at his
Surgery and in other
communications, he wanted to get
a sense of the feeling locally
towards development in the town.
He said that he shared the view that
the present system of development
control was “broken” and no
longer doing the job needed, and it
was for this reason that the
Coalition Government was
bringing forward the Localism
Bill. He went on to explain some
the Coalition Government‟s new
policies and then invited questions
which were to be answered by
himself and Watton Ward District
Councillors, Michael Wassell and
Keith Gilbert together with
Breckland‟s Principal Planning
Officer David Spencer from Capita
Symonds, who now manage
Breckland Council‟s planning and
building control services.
After a brief explanation of the
process by which the present Local
Development Framework had been
decided by Mr Spencer, and
opening statements from Mr
Wassell and Mr Gilbert, Mr
Freeman then opened the meeting
to questions from the floor.
Questioners expressed their
unhappiness and frustration at how
development had taken place so far
in the area, and particularly in
Carbrooke on the old RAF
technical site, now called Blenheim
Grange. And most were fearful of
what might happen on the 500 or
so acres about to be released by the
Ministry of Defence now it no
longer needs the airfield.
Reassurances that development
was not part of any plan by Mr
Spencer were rejected by
questioners who maintained that
permission could be gained
through the appeals process just as
had happened elsewhere.
Complaints were also made that
many of the local services such as
police and, in particular, health
services provision, had not been
properly taken account of under the
present rules, and that the
piecemeal development seen so
far, had worked very much against
the area.
Concern was expressed that
apparently unaccountable housing
associations, that had purchased
many of the properties on
Blenheim Grange, had used it as a
place to move families from as far
afield as Nottingham, Yarmouth
and Thetford, indulging in a form
of social engineering, when there
were still many locals in Breckland
wanting local housing.
Summing up at the end of the
meeting, Mr Freeman said that the
whole panel had heard clearly the
views expressed and he hoped that
going forward we could all play a
part in building a better Breckland.
Carbrooke hall packed for planning meeting
Have you a relative, friend or
someone that you know who
could be eligible for the above
award? The award is open to
anyone in the local area and we
welcome nominations from
relatives or friends of individuals
who they consider to be worthy
of the achievement.
The award is designed to
recognise outstanding dedication
and contribution to agriculture,
horticulture, wildlife or any other
rural related sector or industry.
All entrants must be under 21
years of age.
All entrants will be required to
demonstrate and share their
commitment and involvement to
their related subject. This should
include their achievements and
their aspirations. Applicants will
be required to show passion and
enthusiasm as well as a sound
knowledge of their category.
The presentation of the award
will be made at the Wayland
Show on Sunday 7th August
2011. The award is sponsored by
Weco Engineering of Watton.
All nominations must be made in
writing to: Wayland Agricultural
Society, Broom Hall, Richmond
Road, Saham Toney
Thetford, Norfolk IP25 7HJ Attn:
Mrs Bridget Hall
Wayland Agricultural Society Young Achiever
Of The Year 2011
The Wayland News Page 10 News
Car Boot and Crafts Saturday 25th June
St Mary’s Church, Car Park, Watton 01953 882936 Car boots £4
No Need to Book - Refreshments in Church
Princess Party for Brownies
Congratulations to Prince William
and Kate, 2nd Watton (RAF)
Brownies enjoyed celebrating the
Royal Wedding by holding a
Princess Party on Thursday 28th
April.
The Brownies enjoyed a
traditional Wedding theme; being
introduced on arrival, table plans
and table settings.
They enjoyed playing party games:
hot hand bag, pin the princess's kiss
to the frog, and a treasure hunt for
the princess treasure chest. The girls
all joined in, to hold their cups up to
toast the Royal Couple ahead of the
big day tomorrow.
Brownies can benefit girls from the
age of seven to ten years, to help
them reach their full potential
through fun and enjoyable
meetings.
2nd Watton (RAF) Brownies,
Teddar Close, Watton, currently
have spaces available, anyone
interested should contact Margaret
Moult: (Brown Owl) on 01953
885056.
Forty eight members recently enjoyed a
brilliant sunny day cruising the River
Orwell from Ipswich to Harwich. Lunch
was served on board and a cream tea was
taken at Elveden on the return journey.
One hundred and seven members had
renewed their subscriptions as at the 1st
May. Potential new members on the
waiting list are now being invited to join
up to the 120 ceiling.
At the April meeting a floral presentation
was made to Margaret Philips in
recognition of her ex committee work
undertaken at monthly meetings.
The Croquet Group has had a good start
to the season with eleven members
having a fun afternoon at the Sports
Centre. More members are welcome to
join these monthly Tuesday afternoon
sessions. Contact Margaret or Ron on
01853 882136. The new Stitching Group
is now underway with some eight
members meeting on the fourth Tuesday
morning of each month. Contact Sylvia
on 01953884081.
The Pub Luncheon Group is dining
nearer home on the 9th June at the Hare
and Barrel on the Brandon road. Meet at
12 for 12.30pm.
Next venue for the Garden Visit Group is
at Manor Farm Coston near Barnham
Broom on Sunday 19th June. The
gardens are open in aid of the
Quidenham Children‟s Hospice. For
more information contact Susan on
01953881373.
A few tickets are available for the visit to
Burghley House and Gardens on
Wednesday 6th July and for the 1940s
Railway experience on the North Norfolk
Railway on Sunday 18th September. For
this trip we are running the coach from
the Queens Hall to Sheringham to give
members a choice of either the Railway
or visiting the town..
The tour of the Houses of Parliament and
meeting with our M.P on Monday 10th
October is now full but open for reserves.
For further information on any of the
above trips contact either Ron or
Margaret on 01953889951.
The next monthly meeting is on
Thursday 23rd June when the speaker
will be local Thespian Peter Walmsley
with “A Life Less Ordinary”. An insight
into Peter‟s life as a local policeman
through to acting and all things in-
between.
The U3A Membership Secretary can be
contacted on 01953881110. For further
information on the National U3A go to
www.u3a.org
Watton University of the Third Age (U3A)
Our lovely summer leisure gowns are back
on sale in the market along with bags for
those summer days out in the country or at
the beach. Our glass etcher is also bringing
in her wares again as well as some prints
and other items depicting local scenes. The
produce stalls are laden at 8.30 a.m. but do
come early - they can be very bare by
10.30! Plants for beauty or food production
are also coming in, in ever larger numbers.
All our other regular items are available
each week, all from local producers. They
include baked goods and preserves, fresh
eggs, and all kinds of hand crafted items -
jewellery, bags and cushions, greetings
cards for all occasions (9th June is Fathers'
Day) and knitted and crocheted items for
all ages. Do come along to the Watton
Christian Community Centre on any
Wednesday morning between 8.30 and
11.30 a.m. and enjoy shopping with our
friendly producers. If you want to leave
your purchases with us while you go to the
back hall for a cup of coffee, served by the
Methodist ladies, we are happy to offer this
service to you.
Glamour and Glass at Watton Country Market
News The Wayland News Page 11
On the morning of Sunday 15th May
2011 Young Stars School Of Dance
exchanged the rural countryside of
Norfolk for the Spotlights and Stage
of Her Majesty‟s Theatre London.
The home of the world famous
„Phantom of the Opera‟ to perform
not ONE but TWO routines, along
with 8 other selected Professional
Qualified schools from around the
U.K.
The day started as a long queue of
Young Performers all eagerly waiting
to enter the prestigious Her Majesty‟s
Theatre Stage Door to be chaperoned
to their appointed Dressing Rooms.
Full dress rehearsal began, followed
by group and individual photographs
which then lead to the staging of the
full 211 cast members finale, all the
schools coming together on stage in
identical clothing to take their curtain
call.
The house lights lowered and the
curtain raised at 7.30pm to the Young
Stars School Of Dance taking part in
an opportunity of a lifetime, pulling
out all the stops, becoming the talk of
the audience. “Choreography stood
out by a mile” “highly professional”
was just two of the comments made
to our students.
School Principal Carol said “It takes
an athlete to dance but an artist to be
a dancer”.
Choreographer Lauren said “It is my
job to showcase artistic and
storytelling movements by
challenging my students and
developing them into amazing
dancers. As dancers it is their job to
translate the story into a feeling and
trigger the emotions of the audience.
Young Stars School Of Dance put
Norfolk on the map making everyone
stand up and take note, were truly
proud of them all”.
Student Cerys Adcock said: I had
such an amazing day, and yet it still
doesn't feel real. I just want to keep
re-living the dream. It was an
amazing achievement and I am so
proud to be part of Young Stars
School Of Dance. Not only the
performance, but the whole day
was an experience we will never
forget.
We would like to say a BIG thank
you to all the students who organised
individual sponsored fundraising.
Ashley Tyne for his sponsored leg
wax, Laura Stevens for her Quiz
Night, Heidi Billing & Peter Ellis for
their Bingo Evening, Carbrooke
Parish Council, Multiyork Furniture
Ltd Thetford, Watton and District
Rotary Club, Brian‟s Window
Cleaning Service and Watton
Pantomime Group for their
donations.
Boots, Tesco, Co Operative, Styella
Hair Co, Myhill‟s, Monellies Hair
and Beauty, Tips Toes & Tans, Hand
Me Down, Edwards Newsagents,
Express Fish Bar, Spoilt For Choice,
Abbey Plumbing & Electrical Ltd,
Rudlings DIY Ltd, Adcocks, The
Village Florist, Gina‟s Pet Shop, Day
Designs, Charwin Private Clients and
Gary‟s Plaice for their Raffle Prize
Donations and Carbrooke Village
Hall, Wayland Community High
School and Watton Sports Centre for
the use of their venues.
If you are interested in joining the
Young Stars School Of Dance then
please check out our website:
www.young-stars-school-of-
dance.co.uk or contact us via:
P: 07887770082
80 Brandon Road, Watton.
Tel: 01953 882752
The Hare & Barrel Hotel
Originally an old manor house dating back to 1806, we offer 16 en-suite bedrooms, 10 of which have been converted from
the old Coach House Stables
‘Noted for Good Food’
Extensive Bar & Restaurant Menu bookings advisable at all times
A relaxing Conservatory ~ Beer Garden Patio ~ Bar ~ Restaurant
Games Room ~ Car Park ~ Courtyard
Try our Traditional Sunday Lunch
Discounts for large bookings always negotiable
Children Always Welcome
Caston Village Fete Saturday, 4th June at 2pm
Chase Farm, The Street, Caston
Traditional Village Fete
Sideshows, raffles, cakes, refreshments, tombolas
plants and games Vintage tractors, mini steam engine
BBQ, books and bric-a-brac!
Watton Silver Band Everyone welcome - do come along
All proceeds to Caston Church
Young Stars shine in West End
Air Cadets from Watton 864
Squadron recently took part in an
action packed wing field weekend on
the STANTA training area near
Thetford, the weekend comprised of
lots of different activities from
orienteering to raft building and first
aid.
The Cadets from Watton were
competing against teams from 27
other squadrons from all over
Norfolk and Suffolk, and although
missing out on overall success at the
event the squadron once again won
the raft building and river crossing
event followed in second place by
their Detached flight 864 DF from
RAF Marham, this is the second year
running they have won this event,
and over the last five years have had
finished in the top three. The
squadron also managed a third place
in the orienteering event.
Cadet Sergeant Nind said, “This
has been my first wing field
weekend, and I really enjoyed the
whole experience from meeting
cadets from all the other squadrons
to working closely with the rest of
our team, I particularly enjoyed the
leadership challenges and the
archery event.”
Mr Board one of the Squadron‟s
Civilian Instructors said, “The Cadets
did a really good job this year and
although we didn‟t win the overall
event, it‟s the taking part and seeing
the cadets enjoy themselves so much
that makes it all worthwhile.”
If you are interested in joining 864
Watton Air Cadets or just want to see
what we are all about Contact us at
[email protected], follow us on
Twitter oc864, call on 01953 885531
(only during parade hours). Or come
and visit on a parade evening
Mondays and Wednesdays 1900 –
2130hrs.
864 Cadets rule the river once again
Great Ellingham’s 8th Teddy Bear Festival Come along and walk the teddy
trail in the village, with over 100
teddies displayed in gardens. Art
Exhibition July 8th – 12th St
James Church. July 9th is our
Teddy Bear Fun day for all the
family. Art Exhibition and Craft
show at St James Church from
10am. Bring your teddies to slide
down the Teddy Slide, join the
Teddy Bear Picnic and the
children‟s entertainment.
Proceeds to local groups in the
village and the East Anglia
Children‟s Hospice. There are
lots of activities for all the family
happening over the two weeks
more information
www.greatellingham.org.uk
Or telephone Peter 01953 456716
The Wayland News Page 12 News
FINE BOOKS
BOUGHT AND SOLD
BOOKS J.C. & Applestore Gallery
Telephone/Fax 01953 883488 55 High Street, Watton
For quality out of print books, Fine Bindings and Collectable Editions. New Books including local and children’s classics.
Visit the Applestore Gallery on the first floor, exhibiting the Paintings of Kevin Robinson and his complete range of East Anglian prints including Watton and Wymondham.
Diabetes UK Due to unforeseen circumstances, we did not have a speaker at our
last meeting, so we resorted to our Coffee and Chat format. We
welcomed a new member from Hingham, and although John and
Rod tried their best, she is going to come back!!
At our next meeting on Monday June 13th, we hope to have as our
speaker Mark Packer from Colney Wood. The meeting is open to
people who have Diabetes and/or their Carers. We start at 10.15am
and meet at the Pentecostal Church, Old Dereham Road, Watton,
(to whom we are grateful for the use of their facilities).
We will be having a game and information stall at the Carnival, and we
would love to see you, so please come and say hello and meet some of
our members who have helped to make our group so successful. John
and Rod will probably not be there, so you will be safe!!
If you would like further details of the group, or any of our
meetings, please phone Helen 01953 884713, leave a message and I
will get back to you as soon as I can.
From the Editor: In an effort to help get
readers of The Wayland News engaged
with their representatives on the District
Council and vice versa, I have invited
Claire Bowes (Conservative), Keith
Gilbert (Independent) and Michael
Wassell (Conservative) to write a
monthly column, in rotation, which they
can use to keep you up to date with what
is happening. As an introduction all
three have written this month.
My hope is that by opening an extra
channel of communication we will all
benefit from better representation from
our Councillors and improved
awareness in our community. I am
acutely aware that this only represents
Watton’s councillors’ views and if other
councillors from the parishes would like
something similar, please get in touch
with me.
Councillor
Claire Bowes
After having had
the honour to
serve as one of
the elected
representatives
for Watton on
Breckland
District Council for the last four years I
am very grateful and pleased to have
been elected again for the next term and
am thankful for all the support I have
received from local residents. I
endeavour to return this trust by
speaking up at every opportunity for the
people of Watton and the town in
general at District level.
For the last four years I have served on
Breckland‟s Development Control
(Planning) Committee and will be
continuing to do so. I would like to take
this opportunity to say a few words
about Planning as I know there are
currently issues around development in
Watton that residents have concerns
about, not least the application for 91
homes by on the Saham Road. This
application was recommended for
refusal by Breckland Officers and was
heard by the Planning Committee, as all
major applications are, and planning
permission was refused. Hopkins homes
have, as is their right under planning
law, taken the application to the
Government Appeal Inspectorate and
we await that decision. We can only
hope that the Appeal Inspector takes
into account the significant local
concern surrounding the application as
well as the valid policy reasons for
refusal and that he/she supports the
District Council‟s decision.
At Breckland we actively encourage
residents to engage with the planning
system. If you have particular views
either for or against an application you
can email/write to the Planning
Department once an application has
been published. Plans are published
weekly and can be viewed on the
website (Planning and Building Control
link). You can also attend the Town
Council Planning meetings where Town
Councillors, as consultees, decide on
their recommendation to Breckland
planners regarding individual planning
applications. Members of the public
may give their views at the discretion of
the Chairman. If an application is being
heard by the Breckland Planning
Committee (certain criteria determine
this, for example, major applications and
locally sensitive ones) both objectors
and supporters are entitled to attend the
meeting and give their respective views
providing prior notice has been given to
the Planning Department. Ward
Members may also speak on behalf of
supporters/objectors. To ensure fairness
to all parties it is very important that
meetings follow a set and orderly
procedure. Detail of the procedure is
available on the Breckland website but
please do contact your ward member for
advice if you wish.
Finally, Breckland residents are entitled
to attend and observe all other Public
meetings. If you wish your views to be
expressed on a certain Agenda item you
should contact your Ward Member to
discuss as they may be able to speak on
your behalf. Agendas are available
online and to view in the local Library
and Breckland Offices.
Claire Bowes eMail:
Telephone 07789796937
Councillor Keith
Gilbert
Thank you, Julian,
for the opportunity to
use your excellent
Wayland News to
tell your readers
what I am doing as a
member of
Breckland Council.
Firstly a really big thank you to all those
people who showed their confidence in
me by returning me to Breckland
Council for another four year term. I
will do my best to represent all the
residents of Watton and speak up for
our town.
The new Council is made up of 47
Conservative, 4 Labour and 3
Independent, of which I am one. This
is an increase of one to the Labour
group and the Independents remain the
same.
My job, as an opposition member, is
to be a “critical friend,” or a member
of a “loyal opposition.” Or, to put it
another way, a “b*****y nuisance.”
I will support issues which I think are
good for Watton and its inhabitants,
and I will speak out firmly on issues
with which I disagree. No change
there then!!
In the new Council I will be
continuing my work as a member of
the Scrutiny Commission, whose job
is to hold the executive to account,
and also hold enquiries into various
issues. A good example of this is the
work done on parking issues in
Breckland‟s towns.
I have asked the Commission to hold
an enquiry into the lessons which can
be learnt from the development of the
RAF technical site. This will be a big
piece of work. I want it to include a
wide range of people, including the
Development Control Committee,
planning officers, the developers,
estate agents, police, medical services,
education services, housing
associations, Watton Town Council,
Carbrooke and Griston Parish
Councils, and representatives from
central government, to discuss the
problems which government
guidelines, which may be suitable for
inner cities, impact, and are not
suitable for rural areas like ours.
My first engagement was to share a
platform with our MP George
Freeman, new Breckland member for
Watton Michael Wassell and David
Spencer from Breckland Council‟s
Forward Planning Department, at
Carbrooke, to listen to people‟s views
about future development in the area,
including fears of what might happen
to the rest of the airfield. We listened
to your views, now we have to take
them forward in decisions which we
have to make.
I recently discovered that my phone
number is listed in the phone book
under Rita‟s name. My contact details
are, phone number 01953 880172,
email [email protected].
They are also on Breckland‟s web site.
I am always pleased to hear from you,
whether you have an issue I may be
able to help with, or your comments
on any issue.
Councillor Michael Wassell
My name is
Michael Wassell
and I am delighted
to have this
opportunity to
introduce myself as
the newest of the
three district
councillors that
represent Watton
on Breckland Council.
I would also like to thank everyone who
voted for me for giving me this
opportunity.
What do I think I can achieve for
Watton by being an elected member of
the district council? Well, put simply; I
will represent the interests of the people
of Watton, and try to make sure that the
town receives its fair share of available
facilities and resources. I will
endeavour to ensure that development
within the town is consistent with the
needs of the town and not repeat
mistakes that may have been made
locally in the past. The only way to
understand what the views of the people
of Watton are, in my opinion, is to listen
to them. So I will be holding regular
councillor‟s surgeries in the town and
using this newspaper as one of the ways
in which I keep people informed.
If you have an issue then please do not
hesitate to contact me. I cannot
guarantee to be able to solve all of the
problems and issues that are brought to
my attention that would be foolish and
dishonest. But what I can promise is to
try my best, to always keep in touch, to
be honest and to respect people‟s
confidentiality.
Just so you know a little more about me.
My family and I moved to Watton in
1986. I served in the RAF for 23 years and
then emigrated to the USA working for a
software company in Denver, Colorado.
Returning to the UK in 2000, for the next
5 years I was an education consultant for
The Royal National Institute for Deaf
People. After working for a hearing aid
company for a further three years I took
early retirement in 2008. I joined Watton
Town Council in January 2009 because I
felt it was time to try and put something
back into my community by actively
engaging in local government, hoping to
represent the views of townspeople and
working for their benefit. I have found
being on the Town Council both
stimulating and interesting and was
delighted when, in the recent elections I
was re-elected to the Town Council in
addition to being newly elected to
Breckland District Council.
I look forward to working on both the
Town and District Councils, for the
benefit of this town. Watton has provided
a wonderful place to live for my family
and me for over a quarter of a century. I
want to ensure that this continues to be the
case for both mine and all of the other
families in our town. You can contact me
on email at
or by phone on 07856 813 983
Councillors’ Chat
The Wayland News Page 13 Comment & News
Low Maintenance Gardens
Designed & Built
LANDSCAPE GARDENING Tim Luxton Established 1973
Patios ~ Paths ~ Fencing ~ Shingle Drives Seeding ~ Turfing Etc.
Photos and References always available For a Quality Job & Free Quote
Phone Tim Luxton on 01603 880184 www.timluxtonlandscaping.co.uk
cv
James Ball SHOWROOM: 49 High Street, Watton
01953 883288
Very Competitive Prices Most Makes of carpets
& Vinyl Supplied and Fitted
HJC Ltd Motor Engineers
Servicing & MOT preparation to all makes of
modern cars & light commercials
Tyres, Exhausts, & Batteries supplied and fitted
Courtesy cars available
Ask for Steve at: 5 Linmore Court Threxton Rd
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Did You Know . . .? Rosalie Davis Gibb
. . . a sperm whale was tragically beached at
Pegwell Bay in Kent (just south of
Ramsgate) on the 3rd of March this year?
Regrettably, not as uncommon as might at
first be thought. 5 or 6 whales beach every
year somewhere around the globe, and on
occasion, many more.
We were staying with friends not far away
at the time so, like many others, couldn‟t let
the opportunity pass to see one of these
normally elusive mammals at close
quarters, albeit under such tragic
circumstances. The many cliff top
watchers more resembled a silent vigil for
this magnificent creature, than a crowd
staring with morbid curiosity.
Despite the enormous size, 45‟ (14 metres)
long, this was just a young male. Expert
scientists believe beached whales often end
up stranded simply from taking a wrong
turn. In the case of the Pegwell Bay whale,
this was by heading east and getting stuck
in the North Sea, where there was no hope
of finding adequate food, rather than taking
a west turn to the other side of Ireland
where the deep waters would have brought
plentiful feeding.
The Straits of Dover are the busiest
shipping lanes in the world, with boats
taking the short, easterly route to the North
Sea. Unfortunately, juvenile whales have
been following the shipping lanes and
turning eastwards to an almost certain death
for centuries. Records exist dating back to
the 16th century of a whale being stranded.
One modern theory is that wind farms and
modern machinery confuse these creatures.
Since sea mammals use sound waves to
navigate, it is conceivable that seismic
testing for gas and oil, as well as military
sonar tests which are extremely loud to sea
mammals, could be contributory. Many sea
mammals use the Earth's magnetic field to
find their way around. Where the field's
contours are at right angles to the shore, the
animals following it could find themselves
hitting land unexpectedly. Without
question, non-biodegradable debris, such as
carrier bags floating around the oceans,
have a detrimental effect on marine life and
many a sea creature has been washed up
entangled in synthetic fishing line, probably
collected whilst foraging in the depths for
food.
The sperm whale can dive up to 1,000
metres and stay under water for an hour
feeding on deep-water shelves. The
North Sea, at around 200 metres deep, is
far too shallow for a whale to dive and
find food. Since a whale can stop
breathing for an hour, it‟s not a simple
matter initially to tell if a beached whale
is alive or dead. A good indication as to
whether the mammal is still alive or not
is whether or not bacteria is found on the
surface. Bacteria will only be found on a
living whale. Whales can live for weeks
and even months on their massive
blubber reserves. So to die from
starvation, which, it transpired, was the
fate of the Pegwell Bay whale, would
mean being without food for a very long
time.
Attitudes have changed considerably in the
last 40 or 50 years. Until then, commercial
whaling was readily accepted. A dead
whale now is more likely to be viewed with
great sadness. Until gas was introduced, oil
lamps in lighthouses were mostly fuelled
with whale oil, which, as you can imagine,
was extremely unpleasant and smelly. And
not much changes – it was cheaper to ship
the whale oil across the Atlantic from
Nantucket than use native rape seed oil!
During the night of the 22nd/23rd January
2009, 50 sperm whales beached themselves
on a Tasmanian beach overnight, reason
unknown. Beaching isn‟t peculiar to sperm
whales – 107 pilot whales were found
stranded on Stewart Island, off New
Zealand‟s South Island, on the 20th of
February 2011. Scientists think this may
occur when the pilot whale‟s sonar
becomes scrambled in shallow water or
when a sick member of the pod heads for
shore and others follow. Sickness,
exhaustion and being struck by ships
account for a proportion of all whale
strandings.
Disposing of a dead whale poses many
problems, particularly since in many cases
the whale would have been dead for some
time before beaching and would constitute
a mound of smelly, rotting flesh. Whales
have been buried on the beach, cut up and
burned or taken to landfill or, in some cases
where no other option is possible, blown
up, which sounds rather drastic and messy,
which, of course, it is. On the 12th of
November 1970, a 45‟, 8 ton sperm whale
was blown up with half a ton of dynamite,
causing large pieces of blubber to land
800‟ (240 metres) away, covering
bystanders in the sand dunes in the process
and causing severe damage to a parked car
inland. Even more gruesome, on 26th
January 2004, the decomposing body of a
50 ton sperm whale exploded, presumably
from the natural process of internal
putrefaction, whilst been transported on a
(large!) lorry through the streets of Tainin
in Taiwan, showering everything and
everyone with bits of stinking, rotten
whale!
… sperm whales are the largest of the
toothed whales, have the largest brain of
any animal, make social clicks called
„codas‟, live in all oceans of the world, can
live for more than 70 years and were listed
as an endangered species on the 2nd of
June 1970?
… a sperm whale‟s age can easily be
determined. But do you know how?
Answer in the next issue.
Did You Know…? May Issue: which
structure overtook The Great Pyramid as
the tallest in the world? As I mentioned last
month, much closer to home! In fact it was
Lincoln Cathedral, or to use its full name,
The Cathedral Church of the Blessed
Virgin Mary of Lincoln, also sometimes
known as St Mary‟s Cathedral or Lincoln
Minster, completed in 1311, measuring
520‟ (160 metres) to the top of the central
spire. It was acknowledged as the tallest
building in the world until the central spire
collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt.
By Orbiter
Such a lot seems to have been happening in
the last few weeks that it is difficult to
pinpoint which event was the most
important, but I suppose the honour must
go to the royal wedding, which displayed
what we like to call the „best of British‟.
There is no need to go over the details,
since they are already firmly ingrained on
our minds – the pomp, the circumstance,
and the amusement caused by the creations
worn by the so-called celebrities.
The one sad note was afforded by the fly-
past, which consisted of just the famous
Battle of Britain Flight, followed by four
modern planes, which must have given the
watching world the message that these were
all we have left. Though that may be quite
right, we shouldn‟t advertise the fact. Of
course to have used more planes would
have evinced criticism about spending too
much on such occasions, so it was a no-win
situation.
But for Norfolk the big news was Norwich
City winning promotion to the Premiership
– so well done them. But when I see the
jubilation on the faces of the players,
reflecting their pride in their achievement,
my thoughts turn to their futures, for
inevitably when a team gets promoted the
management always perceive a need to
strengthen the side, which entails bringing
in new expensive signings, so that some of
the players who did all the „work‟ find
themselves on the transfer list. It‟s very sad,
but that‟s football.
And let us hope that the club don‟t
succumb to the temptation to extend the
ground, or try to find a bigger one. There
are so many clubs who have done that and
with a slump in their fortunes now find
themselves playing in front of half empty
stands. Luckily City have enjoyed great
support, their 25000- odd capacity crowds,
even in the Championship, being the envy
of all but the top five Premiership clubs.
Locally we have at last seen the start of the
long forecast extension of the Tesco store,
which will no doubt mean a lot of
inconvenience for some months, but no
doubt it will be worth it, though how it will
affect our High Street traders remains to be
seen.
Other games played in the last few weeks
have been the Census, which has seemed
rather pointless, as there are so many
records kept about us in various places that
the totals should already be known (which
is confirmed by the fact that there are to be
no more such head-counts) and an Election-
cum- Referendum on a possible change in
the voting system.
Normally I keep my vote secret, but this
time I do not mind admitting that I chose
the No option, since the alternative seemed
to throw up too many uncertainties. Not
that the First Past The Post method is
entirely the ideal, for, except in the
impossible situation of an entirely
unanimous vote, there will always be
someone who is left disappointed. For
instance if party A gain 40 million votes
and all the other parties only manage 20
million between them, party A claims a
landslide victory, but it still leaves 20
million unhappy voters, and 20 million is
an awful lot of people.
But until something better comes along,
maybe we should stick to what we have.
But over and above weddings, voting,
football and revamped Tescos, the main
talking point over the last six weeks up to
the time of writing has been the weather. It
has certainly been the driest spring for
many years, which makes a welcome
change, since at this time of year we are
usually moaning about spring never
coming.
Obviously farmers are not too pleased, for
drought costs them dearly, but the rest of us
should enjoy things while they last, as
Mother Nature has her own way of evening
things up. Personally I think she is bi-polar,
in the physical rather than the geographical
sense, since she seems so liable to mood
swings. From a settled calm period she will
suddenly produce storms, heat-waves,
frosts, droughts or floods, so that we can
never be certain what to expect. Her moods
are world-wide, and where once upon a
time we could confidently go to Spain or
somewhere to enjoy unbroken sunshine, no
longer does that apply.
But the latest long spell of sunshine has
brought an unprecedented great display of
bloom and blossom, with nearly everything
coming out at once, so we must be thankful
for the bonus, and hope that the usual cry of
„We‟ll pay for it later‟ won‟t be justified.
And finally I read that street slang, words
that are not even a part of the English
language, are to be allowed in Scrabble.
Stupid innit ?
A Quick Look Round
News The Wayland News Page 14
Letter from Australia By Chris O’Connor
The recent Royal wedding helped buoy
the monarchists in Australia and
millions around the nation watched.
After all, it was romantic, scenic, in a
magnificent church with a choir to die
for and . . . well, everybody wanted to
look at the wedding dress, upstaged by
a certain bottom trailing behind it!
But has it done anything to lift the
image of the monarchy in Australia?
Not really, after all to the majority of
sensible thinking people it was a
wedding that they will never have, and
a society they will never belong to.
However, there is another side and it
has nothing to do with the wedding. It
is William. William, like the Queen, is
an enigma, but his travels show he
wants to stake a claim to the realm
beyond Britain.
The British Empire is dead, but it still
flies in the corner of our flag, and a
royal visit still stirs excitement.
Touring disaster zones offering
comfort and boosting morale is part of
the job of royalty - since ancient times
kings have fulfilled the role not just of
ruling but of feeling for their people.
Today, global celebrities can do the job
just as well - imagine the frenzy were
Oprah Winfrey to return to our shores
and visit flood-ravaged Charlton or
Toowoomba.
Yet royals have always had a political
role as well, in so far as they claim to
represent not just themselves but, as
Menzies put it, ''something higher than
the everyday''.
Past princely visitors often bore
particular political meanings relevant
to the times, but what is the meaning of
Prince William's visit in 2011?
Prince Alfred, who excited colonial
Australia with a six-month tour in 1867
-8, was greeted as a bearer of
civilisation by colonists building new
cities and towns in the ''wilderness''.
English, Scots, Germans and even
Chinese lined up to present their guest
with loyal addresses declaring that ''in
changing our skies, we have not
changed our minds''. Australians used
the visit to demonstrate all too eagerly
that they were not, in fact, Australian.
Aboriginal people were displayed at
missions to show the prince how they
had adopted the culture of the
colonisers.
In 1901, Prince George's visit
transformed the Federation of Australia
into a celebration of imperial unity. At
a speech to students at Melbourne
University, the prince told students that
life was made up of loyalty ''to your
parents, your country, your King and
your God''. It was this chain of loyalty
that would lead Australia to sacrifice
its men on the altar of the Great War.
In 1920, the dashing and reckless
young man who would later abdicate
the throne as Edward VIII toured
Australia. He was labelled ''the Digger
Prince'' for his military background and
used by the government to stir anti-
communist sentiment. The
determinedly ''modern'' prince declared
that the empire was not bound by mere
tradition, but by race. After the
shedding of so much blood in the war,
eugenics was at its zenith and
population was Australia's chief
concern - that it should have more of it
and, as the prince declared, ''that it
should remain all British''.
Such sentiments lost their relevance in
the post-colonial and multicultural post
-war world. The symbols struggled to
reinvent themselves.
When Prince Charles launched the
Australian bicentenary alongside
Princess Diana in 1988, he was clearly
uncomfortable at the incongruity of
being called to preside over the
birthday of so ''young'' a nation.
Australia, after all, was cutting loose its
imperial past. Without history, and
without empire, the prince was left
standing at the podium making idle
chit-chat rather than the grand political
statements of his forebears. One of his
hosts in 1977, the entertainment mogul
Harry Miller, claimed in his
autobiography that the prince said ''he
couldn't understand why Australia
bothered with us [the royals] - we
really are yesterday's news''.
The history that had underpinned the
legitimacy of the monarchy had been
demolished, but the royal family still
cringed in its shadow.
Prince William, however, represents
the first generation free of that shadow.
His history is not that of the empire.
His history is declared in his choice of
engagement ring - the story of his
mother, Princess Diana, the
embodiment of global celebrity. Diana
was a rebel to tradition, an opposite of
her stoic and history-conscious
husband.
William's recent itinerary, including
visits to Northern Ireland and
Australasia and, shows the prince
may not be as ready as his father to
surrender the kingdom beyond Great
Britain. William has also
distinguished himself from his father
in another way. Like his grandmother
the Queen, William is an enigma. By
contrast, Prince Charles has been
vocal about his political views. We
know Charles condemns Modernist
architecture as ''carbuncles'', that he
promotes organic farming, has been
outspoken about Tibet, Palestine and
environmental sustainability. Of
William's views on all these things,
we know as little as we do about the
Queen's.
In Britain, the traditions and history of
the country can more easily sustain an
enigma on the throne. For ''the sceptred
isle'', the imperial adventure is just one
episode in a longer history. In the old
''overseas dominions'', particularly a
self-professedly ''young'' Australia, a
new history must be created. That is
the most obvious reason behind
William's visit. His presence at the sites
of our national traumas weaves royalty
into their history. At his ascent to the
throne, which grows more likely the
more time passes without a republic;
we will doubtless be reminded that, as
a young man, the king was with us.
What ''higher things'' beyond his
personality and celebrity the prince and
future king represents this time,
however, remain mysteries to his
future subjects. Perhaps, in a world
where history and politics have been
left behind, there are no higher things
than fame itself.
ST MARY’S CHURCH, WATTON
HOBBIES EXHIBITION at the
QUEEN’S HALL WATTON Sunday 12th June 10am to 4.30pm
Featuring some new hobbies & exhibitors this year
Admission Adults £2 Children under 12 –50p
Family Ticket £5.00
Refreshments will be available 10.00—3.30pm and Lunches
between 12 noon and 2.00pm
Wells Cole Community Centre
on course for a brighter future
In his report to the Annual General Meeting of Wells Cole
Community Centre, the Chairman, John Glascock, reported that
much progress had been made over the past year and he
highlighted the changes and improvements that had been made to
help get the Centre back on a firm financial footing.
Mr Glascock also acknowledged the help and assistance received
from Saham Parish Council and individual councillors in
securing the new, more efficient heating system that had recently
been installed. Much of the cost of this had been met from two
extraordinarily kind donations of £1,000 and £20,000 from
people who wished to remain anonymous.
Mr Glascock also felt that relations with the Parish Council were
much better after the difficult times of last year
Progress has been made in the battle with the Centre‟s energy
suppliers over the accuracy of the meter, and
they have now acknowledged there was a
problem and Mr Glascock was hopeful that
some form of a refund of past monies paid
would be forthcoming.
Mr Glascock thanked Richard Akister for his
work in putting the accounts in good order and
it now looks that with the fundraising and
donations, together with changes in the
catering arrangements, and the new heating
system, the future for the Centre looks much
brighter than it did a year ago.
Relationship difficulties Bereavement Stress
Bullying/Abuse Addictions Depression
SANCTUARY COUNSELLING SERVICE WATTON
It’s good to talk! Counselling can help if you’re struggling to cope with:
Sanctuary offers a confidential low-cost counselling service with
professionally trained counsellors, who work on a short-term or long-term basis. Call us on 01953 880922 to arrange an appointment.
Appointments are available 6 – 9pm Tuesdays and 9.30am – 1pm Wednesdays. Sanctuary Counselling Service is part of River Ministries (Norfolk), registered charity number 1054419
Sacred Heart School Fete Sacred Heart School (Swaffham) will be
having a Garden Fete on 25th June from 12-
2pm. There will be Stalls, Table Top Sale,
Refreshments, Bouncy Castle and games. It
all takes place at the Sacred Heart School,
17 Mangate Street in Swaffham (just off the
High Street next to the George Hotel and
Gun Shop.) 01760 721330 Contact Karon
Dugdale.
West Norfolk Aviation Society The subject of May‟s meeting was the “Red
Arrows” narrated by Henry Prince who flew not
only with the Red Arrows but was part of the
earlier RAF aerobatic teams, the Pelicans and
Yellow Jacks.
Henry recounted his experiences to an
enraptured audience, whose enthusiasm and
questions were such that the meeting was
only reluctantly brought to a close much
later than usual.
The Red Arrows are internationally famous for
their airborne precision and formation
aerobatics, but Henry related much of the
background activities that the crowds rarely see.
A number of the pilots had had distinguished
flying careers prior to joining the team, Henry
recalling many of their remarkable experiences,
and what became of them in their subsequent
aviation careers.
Reference was also made to the dedication and
engineering excellence of the ground crews who
ensured that every aircraft was in superb
condition at all times. A most enjoyable evening.
The next meeting at Methwold Social Club on
Tuesday June 7th at 7.30pm will be an illustrated
talk by a long-time friend of the society, Julian
Horn, who will talk about a 44th Bomb Group
operation over Germany. Come along, you will
be made most welcome.
News The Wayland News Page 15
Toilets & Taps Repaired &
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Attention All Gardeners!
Improve your soil, keep weeds down and keep moisture in with
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Only £1.50 per Bag Delivered free (min 5 bags)
Watton area
01953 881969
MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN
A celebration of England and Englishness in poetry, readings
and music
On Friday 1st July at 6.30pm St. Mary’s Church, Watton
Tickets £5 to include refreshments Available from the
Church Office 01953 881252 or Adcock’s Shop, High Street, Watton
In the last two months there have
been articles in The Wayland
News about the Watton Festival
which is to be held in October
this year. The first of these gave a
broad outline of the programme
and the second gave more
information about the events to
be held in the first part of Festival
week. These were The Good Old
Days, Junior Startime , the two
films, The Jungle Book and
Passport to Pimlico and a show
called “The Glamorous Charm of
Ivor Novello”. The articles can be
read on our Website:- http://
myweb.tiscali.co.uk/wattonarts or
simply google “Watton Festival“.
Anyone interested in performing
in the Good Old Days should
contact Wendy Collins on 01953
884649 . More information will
soon be available about the talent
show, Junior Startime. Queries
please to Jenny Mann on 01953
881954.
Professor Jingles will be
entertaining a younger audience
with his Punch & Judy and Magic
Show on Tuesday morning. Brian
Clarke has been entertaining
children for over 50 years. He is a
professional puppet maker and is
Chairman of The Punch & Judy
Fellowship. He has been invited
to attend the Festival again
because he is simply the best.
There is no doubt that he has a
gift of knowing what entertains
and amuses children. His Website
is:- www.bryanclarke.co.uk.
On Tuesday evening we have “ A
Tribute to Flanders and Swann”
by Gordon Peters. Gordon has
appeared on BBC TV with his
own show and also on Dad‟s
Army and One Foot in the Grave
and is certain to provide us with
an excellent show. Flanders and
Swann were an unusual act in the
1950‟s and although they didn‟t
consider themselves to be
comedians, Flanders certainly
wrote and sang comic songs
whilst Swann accompanied him
on the piano. Their material was
translated into many languages
and they were enthusiastically
received everywhere particularly
when singing about things British
such as the weather, trains,
workmen and snobbery. Gordon
and his accompanist, David
Carter, re-live the old days,
adding their own inimitable
interpretation of the songs whilst
not forgetting to add a few
amusing anecdotes. One report
says that audiences are left with a
warm feeling of affection and
nostalgia. This should fit the bill
for the Queens Hall! More about
Gordon can be found on
www.gordonpeters.co.uk
Our performers on Wednesday
night will be Cockney Pride. This
group were spotted by members
of the Committee whilst
attending a seaside Conference
and were keen to recommend
them to provide an evening of
fun. They appear all dressed in
Pearly Buttons and have gained
an enthusiastic following
reminding us of the old faithful
London songs such as Lambeth
Walk, I‟m Forever Blowing
Bubbles, Down at the old Bull
and Bush and Maybe it‟s because
I‟m a Londoner. The Pearly
Queen also sings songs from the
popular London shows and the
Band Leader, John Knowles, will
entertain us with The Day the Old
Dun Cow Caught Fire, Sister
Susie and other ditties. Chas and
Dave are brought to mind with
the programme which is designed
to provide a “right good laugh”.
In addition to the singing there is
an accomplished band playing
piano, guitar, sax, clarinet and
drums. Cockney Pride- What you
see is what you get - Real Music!
Their Website is:-
www.cockneypride.co.uk.
Each Festival we seem to have a
one-woman show and this year
will be no exception. On
Thursday evening we have “My
Darling Clemmie” by Rohan
McCullough. This is a
remarkable, moving and highly
entertaining story of a woman
who married one of the truly
great figures of the 20th Century,
Sir Winston Churchill. There
have been rave reviews in the
national press both for the
production and for Rohan‟s
performance. She is referred to in
The Scotsman as “A fantastically
talented and moving actress.”
More can be read about Rohan on
www.indigoentertainments.co.uk.
Next month there will be a report
about our very special Friday
night entertainers, Pluck.,
followed by a reminder about the
finale for the Festival , Chris
Smith and The String of Pearls
Orchestra.
In the next month or so there will
be more information re The Good
Old Days , entries for Junior
Startime, the
Library, Caston Camera Club and
Wayland Partnership events and
the Festival Art Project-The Big
Picture .
If you have any suggestions,
criticisms, advice, views or
whatever concerning the Festival
activities the Committee would
like to hear from you. Please
contact any of the following:-
Chairman & Secretary: John &
Judy Kerr 01953 882613; Vice
Chairman: Brenda Davis 01953
881792; Treasurer & Friends‟
Secretary: Derek Smith 01953
884044; Derek I Smith
Watton Festival 21st to 29th
October latest update
Organisers: Mrs Helen Crane
01362 821440 and
Mrs Anita Taylor 01953 881110
The Home Section at the Wayland
Show consists of competitions for
craft and cookery. This year we have
included a class for photography. We
really need your entries! Craft entries
can be left at Saham Toney Post
Office or the Village Florist, High
Street, Watton before the Show.
Further details and entry forms can
be collected from the above or
available on the website:
www.waylandshow.com
Cookery Categories as follows: 7”
Victoria Sandwich; 4 Cheese Scones;
Ginger Sponge; 1lb jar of Raspberry
Jam.
The Crumbs Plate will be awarded to
the entry judged to be the overall
winner in the Cookery Category. All
cookery classes must follow the
recipes provided on the entry form.
Craft Categories: Any patchwork or
quilting item; Anything handmade
e.g. wood, glass, scrap booking, card,
jewellery etc.;
Any photograph depicting a
“Country View” 6” x 4”
The Wayland Stitching For Pleasure
Rose Bowl will be awarded to the
entry judged to be the overall winner
of the Craft Category.
Children‟s Cookery Category: 4 Iced
Buns – ice and decorate to your own
choice
Children‟s Craft Category: A collage
made from any materials depicting
farm animals. Collage to be any size.
All entries in the cooking section
must follow the recipes provided and
are available on the entry form. Entry
forms available from The Village
Florist, High Street, Watton and from
Saham Toney Post Office. Forms can
also be downloaded from
www.waylandshow.com.
Charity Category – Project Linus –
(Free entry)
Could you make a quilt or blanket
which we will donate to use in
hospitals and many other good
causes? Entries will be displayed and
the entry judged to be the best will be
awarded the Winners Shield. Further
details for the Project Linus are
available from Lyn Lake 01953
883285.
Wayland Show Home Section
The front page headline and picture
in last month‟s Wayland News
featured the Young Stars School of
Dance (Carbrooke) and their plea for
donations to help them achieve an
ambition to perform on a West End
stage. Their principal, Lauren Purton,
had already approached us and we
were pleased to make a donation of
£320 to pay for the coach to London.
The group impressed us with the
detail they put in their application to
us and the fact that they were very
active with fundraising events for
themselves – an object lesson and
example to others seeking financial
support for whatever purpose.
With just a month to go to the end of
the Rotary International Year (all
change, worldwide, on 1st July!) the
Watton Rotary Club has a hectic
schedule to complete the current
session. Following on from our
Annual General Meeting in May we
had „Assembly‟ – this is a meeting of
the Club where plans and aspirations
for the forthcoming Rotary year are
presented by its leaders in the
various specialisations, and
discussed for approval by members.
The Assistant Governor for our area,
Denis Bishop (who happens to be a
member of the Swaffham Rotary
Club), attended the Assembly and
commented on our programme.
Before the end of the month we have
3 important events: Firstly, the
annual vocational awards evening,
where we present cups to both a
group and an individual we consider
to have been especially noteworthy
in the recent life of our community.
Then we invite students of the
Design and Technology department
at Wayland Community High
School, who have been judged as
having the most innovative ideas and
producing the best work, to receive
their awards and show off their
products. Our third activity in this
final month will be the Watton
Carnival. On Sunday June 12th we
will be in the High Street with our
now traditional fundraiser bottle
stall, and, hopefully we will again
have a demonstration Shelter Box on
display. Reports and pictures next
month! Martin Anscombe
Watton Rotary Roundup
Wayland Happy Circle News
As usual there was a good turn-out of members for our meeting on 3rd May,
and we were given an interesting insight into how our Medical Practice works
by the Practice Manager, Mary Osborne.
A few grievances were aired but most people seemed happy with Mary‟s
explanation of how things worked.
All members who wished to go on our outing in June paid their dues we just
hope for a fine day for our visit to Wroxham and Horning.
Three member received cards for their May birthdays and a letter was read out
from the Evening WI inviting members to join an outing to Wells Next the Sea
in July. Jean Dixon, Secretary.
News The Wayland News Page 16
Holme Hale Pavilion Car Boot
Sunday 12th June Cars £5.00 Vans £8.00 Hot/cold Refreshments
Book or turn up on the day 01760 440 525
Sid’s Bit o Squit
I wornt a gorne tu rite northin abowt wot ole Horry
call “this hare blumin ole „lecshun,” but thet fare as
yow carnt help it. Thas bin in orl tha oul pearpers,
an on tha tellerwishun. We dint hevta bother much
in Ovington, cos we dint hev enuff fules put thar
nearm forrard, so ware stuck wi tha searme ole
cowncil.
Horry he say “Sid bor, wen yow ha‟ wintered and
summered as meny „lecshun‟s as I hev, yowl find
them thar peepal wot put up are orl alike, (tho sum
are batter than othas)”
I menta tell yow afore, oul Horry ha‟ gotta nu set o‟
teeth, he gotta deel wi‟ tha boy Stephen alonga tha
searle yard. Tha toppuns kip a droppin owt, but he
tork suffin posh now.
Rekkun thas time we hadda bit o‟ rearn, blarst thas
suffin dry, tha ole „lotmint mawthas ha bin a
traypsin up an down tha rood wi loods a worta ta git
thar oul teartas a growin. Tha musta dun suffin rite
cos nun o‟ thar teartas cort tha frorst, Horry‟s an
mine got hooly frooze.
I rekunned my arlies wooda bin orrite cos I hossed
sum thet owl flice oova „em, thet dint wark cos tha
wos wust frooze than tha learts, wot wus jist
cummin thru. I shall hatta hev a wud wi‟ tha owl
boys owta Joolns, cos tha towd me that wus jist tha
stuff ter kip the frorst orf.
Cos Norridje City hev meard it inta tha Premya leeg
tha year, we‟re orl bin an got sum grin an yella
scarves fer tha cummin seesun. Cos we ent a warin
on „em yit cos thas bin hotterun hell tha larst wik or
tew. Horry put sum bloons alonga his geart, but tha
owl boys sune bust them as tha rid parst, Horry he
say “Tha hent got no patrisum these dazes, wooda gi
em a ding a tha lug in my day” „Cordin to Horry
evrathin wos diffrunt in his day, cor I‟m glad I
wornt arownd then cos my lugs woodn hev stopped
ringin I reckun, I warnt bad yew unnerstand, but as
Horry say, yew gotta ding o tha lug fer jist bein in
tha willage.
I hare we gotta a new clark fer tha cownsil, nubbdy
hent sin har yit but by orlacownts she hent harf
goonta chearnje tha way tha owl cownsil wark.
Tha owl boys wos bin on thar yars wonta bitta
chearsin up thas fer sure. Jist hoop tha doont put up
the rearts to pay fer all har wuk.
Hatter larf at the gret ole balloon tyed ter the backer
tha car arta tha Royal Weddin thother week.
That say; “Newley Weds, Chearnjer Beds” Yer
gotta hev a larf. And dew yew keep a troshin.
Boy Sid
Appointments: We still have patients who tell us they
are confused by our appointment system. The system
that we use at Watton is the same as many other
practices throughout England and works well if it is
used correctly.
We are contracted by the NHS to offer both advance
bookings and same day appointments so we are duty
bound to offer a mixture of the two.
Forward booking - The nursing team have
appointments that can be booked up to 8 weeks in
advance. The doctors have appointments that can be
booked up to 3 weeks in advance.
Same day appointments - These are appointments that
will be allocated to a group of clinicians, both doctors
and nurses, and consist of normal consultations,
telephone calls and emergency/urgent access. It is not
possible to specify a doctor of choice for same day
appointments; you will be seen based on your clinical
need by either a doctor or the Nurse Practitioner.
It is also worth reminding our patients that the
receptionists are instructed by the doctors themselves,
to ask our patients for a small indication of the reason
for their appointment. This is NOT a receptionist
initiative. This information assists the doctors to
prioritise patients by clinical and urgent need.
Missed Appointments: We are still experiencing a
high number of appointments that are booked and then
not attended. This amounts to more than 8 hours every
week, mainly from patients who book in advance and
then do not bother to let us know that they no longer
need the appointments. The message needs to be clear -
use it or lose it! This problem has increased over the
past 12 months and coincides with us enabling our
patients to book further in advance. If this level of
nonattendance continues, we will be forced to reduce
the advanced booking options.
Please remember to contact us if you are not able to
attend for a booked appointment.
Computer System: This is early warning that we will
be installing a new computer system on 1st August.
Although we have detailed transition plans, we are
expecting some disruption to normal services during
the week that we switch over. Please watch the practice
notice boards and in-house information over the next 3
months
In March, we said goodbye to Stevie Hesse, our Nurse
Practitioner.
We are actively recruiting a new Nurse Practitioner.
An experienced Nurse practitioner is a real asset to any
practice and is able to assist our patients who present
with minor illnesses or with minor injuries. They can
handle emergencies as well as being part of our Same
Day Team.
Helping out with visits during busy periods is our
Paramedic John Daly. John visits patients at the
direction of the GP‟s
Dental Advice: Doctors do not provide dental services
at the surgery. If you require information about dental
services or have a dental problem, please contact the
Community Dental Team in Norwich 01603 776834
who will be able to assist you with any questions or
queries that you may have. For dental emergencies
contact the NHS Dental Help line on 0845 063 1188
To find a dentist in your area visit the dental map
online: www.norfolk.nhs.uk/dental-map
Non NHS Work: Not everything that we are able to
do is part of the NHS and we always have to be clear
as to what activity is part of our service.
Every day we are asked to complete forms for
insurance, mortgage applications, travel, driving
licenses, heavy good vehicles and taxi medicals, armed
forces applications or similar requests. In addition, not
every type of medication is able to be prescribed
without an administrative fee being applied by the
practice. Examples of this are some travel prescriptions
or personal male type prescriptions for some of our
male patients. There is a charge applied to all non NHS
work, which our receptionists can inform you of, and
we ask our patients to allow 4 - 6 weeks for the return
of non NHS work.
Some travel vaccinations are not available via the NHS
and therefore a charge will be made for the cost of the
vaccine and also to cover the cost or the consultation
with the nurse
Watton Medical Practice News
Spring detectives A new series of nature booklets could bring out
the nature detective in you!
Produced by Breckland Council‟s Pride in
Breckland Project in partnership with the Wensum
Valley Trust, each of the five Spring Detective
booklets features an enjoyable walk based around
one of the district‟s market towns. The booklets
give clues about how to detect the signs of spring
and include a tick list of plants and animals to spot
on the way.
First in the series, the Attleborough Spring
Detective booklet was launched at the end of April
and was closely followed by Swaffham in mid-
May.
Pride in Breckland Co-ordinator Richard Wills
said: “Residents will have the opportunity to take
part in a guided walk of the Spring Detective
routes and our experts will show participants what
to look out for”.
Roy Church, Chair of Trustees at Wensum Valley
Trust said: “We are thrilled to help deliver this
project alongside Breckland Council and hope
everyone enjoys using the booklets. Breckland is
such a unique and special place with more than a
quarter of the UK‟s rare species residing here,
from the smallest of gnats to birds, plants and
mammals. Best of all, it‟s all on our doorstep
waiting to be enjoyed!”
The Spring Detectives booklets for Dereham will
be launched on 4th June (Neatherd Moor), and
Watton‟s on 25th June at Wayland Wood. Both
events will take place between 10am – 2pm.
For further information about the booklets contact
Richard Wills on 01362 656870.
News The Wayland News Page 17
ROGER TURNER 07759 948 830 01953 881 382
DY-FIT FOR LIFE EXERCISE TO MUSIC CLASSES
Watton Sports Centre, Dereham Road. All the sessions are designed to promote stamina,
strength and flexibility whilst taking into account
the fitness level and ability of participants.
General Aerobics Mondays 7pm An hour long, as energetic as you wish!**
Nifty Fifties Fridays 11am A challenging workout for
"recycled teenagers"**
Gentle Option Fridays 10am 40 minutes duration, no floorwork.
Problems such as arthritis and joint replacement are taken
into account.
Please note there will be no classes during the half term
holday Monday 30th May to Friday 3rd June inclusive.
** Please bring a mat for floorwork
For further details, please contact
Diane Cuthbert
01953 850275 RSA/YMCA Qualified Teacher
Classes held during term-time
DEREHAM & DISTRICT
CAT ADOPTION CENTRE
Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham NR19 2RP
Rehoming Cats and Providing Advice & Help With Neutering
OPEN 7 Days a Week 11am to 3pm
Telephone . . .
01362 687 919
SSAFA Stuff I am writing this surrounded by the detritus of
National Collection Day flags, collection boxes,
wristbands etc. Saturday 14 May dawned fair
and dry and those treasured, valued and
charismatic volunteers I was telling you about
last month heaved themselves from the warmth
of their beds to „man‟ and „woman‟ the stall in
Chaston Place.
Our presence slightly upset the Big Issue seller
who thought his licence gave him all rights to
that spot but we soon put him straight! and had a
wonderful morning talking to lots of lovely
people who donated, most generously, their
money and their kind thoughts. Ken‟s Nail Game
produced some winners and lots of laughter and
Shirley and Bette sold goodies. Bonnie patted
men‟s chests with stickers and Derek tried the
same trick with the women but failed! We raised
£132, a bit less than last year but a Big Thank
You to you all for donating and stopping to chat
especially as the weather was a bit cool. Thank
you also to Bev at RSPCA shop for the very
generous offer of window space and to Edwards
Newsagents for the same. It‟s the little things
that count – thank you.
SUMMER CONCERT
Our tried and tested volunteers never rest and
have been liaising with the wonderful Mid
Norfolk Singers to produce a concert. So the date
for your diary is Saturday 25 June, St Peter and
St Paul Church Carbrooke at 7.30pm.
Refreshments and toilets courtesy of Carbrooke
Village Hall. Tickets are £6 Adults, £4 under 15s
and available on the door or through the number
below. It‟s going to be good so book early!
Now to be glum for a moment, I couldn‟t help
but notice that another Funeral Director has
moved into town!! So this seems like a good
time to remind you that if and when you are
making out your Will – and you know you
should – may we ask you to remember at least
one charity with a bequest and could that charity
be SSAFA Norfok? Please ring for details on
how to make a bequest or Legacy.
Finally, our Chairman Lt Cdr Stuart Fidler aged
67 ½ and SSAFA Ted (uncertain age) executed a
tandem parachute jump from 13,000 feet at
Beccles Airfield on Sunday 8 May – alongside 8
nurses – funny ole thing!!! Between them they
were hoping to raise over £3,000 for SSAFA
Norfolk. So you see, you‟re never too old – or
too daft! Well done Stuart!
See you at the concert and remember if you need
assistance or you would like to volunteer just
ring 01 603 403322 or
Email [email protected]
Those Pictures Thanks to Jean Brock (nee Thompson) and Terry Flint we now have the following
names on these pictures – and a date correction as well. Terry tells me that which
was tagged as the 1950 County Shield Winners was in fact the 1946 team.
1946 County Shield Winners
Back row boys: ?, Frank
Ward, Terry Flint, Frank
Freestone, Brian Smith, ? , ?.
Middle row girls: Dolly
Peachment, ?, ?, Jocelyn
Goddard, ?
Sitting extreme right Terry
Goddard
Form 3 1947
Back Row: ?, Cecil Hyde, Frank Freestone, George Bunn, Peter Rivett
Next Row: ?, Mr Crook, Terry Flint, ?, ?, Brian South, Brian Legget, ?, ?, Jimmy
Carter
Girls on chairs: Peggy
Legget, Rosemary
Woods, Jean Matthews,
Sylvia Coleman, Florrie
Barrett, Joyce Hood,
JeanThompson
Girls seated: Iris Miller,
Valerie Thompson, ?,
Myrtle Edwards, Brenda
Rose, Maureen Palmer,
Lilly Sandcraft.
By Eric King
In the mid 1930‟s the Government
announced an airfield was going to
be built at Carbrooke under the
RAF Expansion Scheme. This was
very good news as there was mass
unemployment after the 1929 Wall
Street crash.
I had five brothers all unemployed,
father was also unemployed. His
pay was £1.00 but this was a
voucher, no cash. All single men
got 6 shillings 72 pence per week.
When it was realised, the farmers
had been giving notice to vacate
the premises and the crops were
deteriorating in the fields, there
were plenty of men looking for
work. The road which is now the
B1088, was not very busy then,
mainly bicycles, horse and carts,
very few cars. You could see the
horse and carts tied up outside the
Carbrooke White Horse Pub,
which stood somewhere near what
is now the Flying Fish.
It wasn‟t long before Fordson
tractors appeared, pulling out the
hedges, uprooting trees, filling in
the ditches and ponds.
They pulled what was known as a
scoop, which levelled the high
spots and collected soil to put in
the ditches.
Foundations were being dug and
buildings started to appear. The
steel for the hangars was delivered
to Watton Railway Station. From
the Station it was taken to where it
was needed by Fordson Industrial
Tractors. The road tractors could
not leave the road so Allis
Chalmers tractors on tracks, which
I believe were supplied by
Cowllishaw of Methwold had to
take the loaded trailers to the
hangars.
The sand and shingle had to be
brought to the airfield from
Lenwade and this was transported
by a firm called G.A.E.C. Howard
from Bedford. Their lorries were
S.W.B. Bedfords each carrying 5
cu yds painted blue with red and
gold lettering.
There were several lorries, all
driven by local men, and I will
name some of the drivers, the
Messrs: Jack Barker, Reggie Blyth,
George King, Charlie King,
Graham Barber, Arthur Rix, Tom
Smith, Tich Quadling, Sonny
Easton and one driver, unemployed
at Lincoln was Bert Lovell who is
still alive today as I write this. He
is 94. I think I am right in saying
all the other drivers mentioned are
deceased. Reggie Blyth drove the
LWB Bedford of 9 cu yds.
Every evening he would take me to
Norwich Power Station and get 9
cu yds of ashes for use somewhere
on the airfield.
He always came home by Colman
Road and have a pint at the
Romany Rye Pub.
The Drome Garage was built for
Howards for the maintenance and
repair of the lorries, the man in
charge of that was George King of
Hingham.
On the day war was declared,
Reggie and I went to the Power
Station for a load of ashes.
The airfield boundary hedges were
taken out and the hedge opposite,
the ashes were spread over the soil
and the Blenheims were dispersed
under the trees on the farmers‟
fields. This was on the road what
was then Griston Road from the
corner shop. As the airfield was
nearing completion the lorries were
moving to Kirton in Lindsey and
Swinderby in Lincolnshire. A very
good friend of mine got a job
driving in Lincolnshire, his lorry
overturned and he was killed. He
was Fred Graves aged 26.
Eric King
The Building of RAF Watton
Did you know Archie or Kathleen Thompson?
I am trying to make contact with relatives of my uncle Archie
Thompson who was killed in Normandy in 1944. He married Miss
Kathleen Spencer in Watton in 1941 and they had a child. Kathleen
lived in Brandon road or Stokes Avenue and her dad Bob, worked at
Stebbings Butchers.
Kathleen also had a sister Molly and a brother George. She might have
later moved to Hingham and may also have remarried. It is very
important that I contact the family. Please call Susan on 0787 625 4171
or contact Julian Horn at Adcocks.
The ever changing population of Watton Memories from Yvonne Harrold
Looking back at my long association
with Watton, since 1932, I wonder
how many people realise that
welcoming strangers to the town is
nothing new. In my own memory of
the war years, having a new RAF
station at the edge of town and others
surrounding us within a 5-7 mile
radius, there was a great influx of
young men and women from not only
Great Britain but France, Poland,
Canada, Australia and then North
America who frequented the town in
their off duty.
We had 'spare rooms' in our house and
always accommodated RAF personnel
families as did many others in the
town. I believe I am right that you were
not only 'asked' to do so, you were
required to make rooms available. My
aunt, who brought me up, initially
accommodated relatives who had been
„bombed out‟ of London, then RAF, so
we always had a full house. Later,
when walking her dog, she used to talk
to young American lads she found in
Church Walk sitting on the seats. If
they seemed very homesick back they
came for a cup of tea! That led to
regular visits. She also helped at the
RAF/USAAF Station under the
umbrella of the Red Cross mending
uniforms, sewing on stripes etc. and
she was not alone in doing this. Again
we forged more friendships. After the
war ended some Dutch children, who
had been on the brink of starvation,
were brought to England for
recuperation. After two months in
some camp a group of 20 - 30 girls and
boys and two teachers who could
speak English came to Watton and
were boarded out with families. We
had two girls, Erna and Gerda, for two
months and through Erna I had my first
holiday abroad the next year when we
stayed with her family in Rotterdam. I
still have connections with Ema. I
wonder if any other Watton families
remember this event?
Later, of course, we have had the 'Boat
People'. How sad that was. Whole
families rescued from the sea. Then
newcomers from Essex and London
settled here. Now it is Polish,
Lithuanian and Portuguese friends.
If you want to see how Watton's
population has changed you only
have to visit the Doctors' surgery
and mentally try to pronounce the
diversity of names coming up,
doctors as well as patients. Or visit
our schools. I wonder if the
inhabitants of Watton in 1937
would believe how the town could
become so cosmopolitan when their
highlights were probably a trip
away on the train to London or by
bus to Norwich and 'foreigners'
were unknown.
Church Times and News The Wayland News Page 18
Watton Churches Together Service Calendar for June St. Mary’s Church, Watton
1st, 3rd & 4th Wednesday at 9.30am Holy Communion
2nd Wednesday Morning Worship
Church Office opens Tues, Wed & Thurs 9am-1pm
Tel: 01953 881252 [email protected]
www.stmaryswatton.org
Thur 2nd Ascension Day
7.30pm Group Service of Holy Communion
Sun 5th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion
7.00pm Informal Worship
Sun 12th 8.00am Holy Communion
11.00am Carnival Service in Watton High Street
Sun 19th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion
7.00pm Informal Worship
Sun 26th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am All Age Worship
12 noon Holy Baptism
6.30pm Praise & Worship with Shine
Watton Methodist Church
Every Wednesday the Church is open for quiet reflection and
prayer between 10.00am & 12.00noon
It’s your quiet place. At 10.30 there is a half-hour Midweek
Service in the Large Vestry led by the Minister or a Church
Member. www.wattonmethodist.btck.co.uk
Sun 5th 10.45am Rev‟d B Winner including Baptism
6.30pm Mr A Warby
Sun 12th 11.00am Carnival Service in the High Street
6.30pm Rev‟d B Winner Songs of Praise
for the Flower Festival
Sun 19th 10.45am Mrs J Roebuck
6.30pm Rev‟d B Winner Holy Communion
Sun 26th 10.45am Mrs S Mason
6.30pm M & P Cook
Roman Catholic Community
Each Sat 5.30pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church
Pentecostal Church, Dereham Road, Watton
Children have their own prog. during the Sunday morning services
Sun 5th 10.30am „How can I be sure I will go to heaven?‟
Sun 12th 10.30am „Miracles - Does God heal today?‟
Sun 19th 10.30am „Why do Christians tell others?‟
Sun 26th 10.30am „What is my testimony?‟
7.30pm Joint home groups testimony and games night
St. Nicholas’ Church, Ashill
Tuesdays at 10.00am Said Holy Communion
Sun 5th 9.30am Lay Led Morning Worship
Sun 12th 9.30am Morning Worship
Sun 19th 9.30am All Age Worship
12.30pm Holy Baptism
Sun 26th 9.30am Holy Communion
11.30am Holy Baptism
St. George’s Church, Saham Toney
Sun 5th 10.30am Benefice Service of Holy Communion
12.30pm Holy Baptism
Sun 12th 11.00am Morning Worship
Sun 19th 11.00am All Age Worship
Sun 26th 11.00am Holy Communion
S.S. Peter & Paul’s Church, Carbrooke
Sun 12th 10.30am Holy Communion
Sun 19th 10.30am All Age Worship
Sun 26th 10.30am Morning Worship
St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington
Fridays at 9.00am Said Holy Communion
Sun 12th 9.30am Holy Communion
Breckles, Caston, Great Hockham,
Griston, Merton, Stow Bedon,
Thompson
Worship Calendar for June
Thursday 2nd Feast of the Ascension
7:00 pm United Holy Communion Griston
Sun 5th Seventh Sunday of Easter
10:30 am United Holy Communion Thompson
Saturday 11th 10-Noon Messy Church Thompson
School Hall For children aged four to eleven and their families
Sun 12th Pentecost Sunday
9:00 am Matins (BCP) Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Breckles
Sun 19th Trinity Sunday
9:00 am Matins (BCP) Gt. Hockham
10:30 am United Holy Communion Caston
26th June—First Sunday after Trinity
9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Gt. Hockham
3rd July—Second Sunday after Trinity
10:30 am United Holy Communion Griston
Wednesday Pram Services For parents or carers with children aged 0-5
‘The WAY’ Youth Group (ages 11+)
Sundays 8th and 22nd May, 7-8:00 pm, Rectory
Enquiries: The Revd. Bob Nichols: Tel.: (01953) 483222;
Email: [email protected]
All Saints Church, Threxton Sunday 5th June 10am
Love Letter Thought for the Month
by Rev. Barbara Winner Methodist Church
As I wasn‟t going to see my grandchildren at Easter I sent them
all a card. I am told that three year old Max went to pick up the
post as he usually does and became very excited on seeing HIS
name! „Mummy, mummy – look it says Max.‟
In this day and age I guess we rely more and more on technology
to send messages with texts, emails and face book to name just a
few. Yet there is still something rather lovely about seeing the
postman or woman bringing a handwritten letter or card to us –
with our name on it. There is something more personal about it
and we know it is for our eyes only!
I wonder how many of us still have love letters tied up with ribbon in
the loft? It‟s not going to be so easy to keep texts and tweets!
The Bible has been described as a love letter from God to us. It
may not have your name written on it but it does tell us that God
knows us by name and loves us. If you are wishing you had a
letter of love to read get hold of a Bible and start with the New
Testament. Or why not come along to one of the Church‟s in
town and hear it read aloud during one of the regular services.
Churches Together in Watton will be doing just that and other
things too in the town centre at the start of the Carnival on
Sunday 12th. June 11am. Hope to see you there!
SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEAS Hosted by St. Mary’s Church in June Sunday 19th June at Watton Christian Community Centre from 2.30pm until 4pm Brighten up a Sunday afternoon by joining us, a warm welcome awaits you and your friends.
WATTON BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
Wed 1st June 2pm Meeting at Watton CCC Mon 20th June 12 for 12.30pm Lunch at Grison Wagon & Horses
CHARITY STALLS IN AID OF UGANDAN ORPHANS
SATURDAY 16TH JULY, 2011 St. Mary's Church Hall, Attleborough 10 - 11.30am
Free Admission
Stalls to include Bric-a-brac, Raffle, Books, Tombola, cakes and Ugandan Jewellery and crafts. Please contact The Websters on 01953 453 110 for more information
Flower Festival - Watton Methodist Church
Watton Methodist Church will be hosting their annual flower
festival on Friday 10th, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June,
from 10 a.m. each day. Refreshments, tea/coffee and light
lunches will be available on Friday and Saturday, with afternoon
tea on the Sunday, in the adjacent Watton Community Centre. As
you are probably aware various local groups participate in the
Flower Festival as well as the church itself, so please come along
and see the wonderful displays. You are also very welcome to the
celebratory Service to conclude the event at 6.30 p.m. on the
Sunday evening.
Messy Church at Great Hockham
Good Friday morning at Great Hockham Church saw our second
Messy Church. There was a fantastic turnout of 50, with parents,
grandparents and children participating in lots of Easter themed
activities. Everyone was able to do an egg hunt and make an
Easter garden, Easter cards, egg cups, sand crosses and chocolate
nests. A short service followed and then yummy hot cross buns!!
We would love to see new faces and old for our next Messy
Church on Saturday 11th June at Thompson School from 10am
where the theme will be Pentecost with lots of new fun activities,
a short service and scrumptious refreshments.
Queens Hall Carpet Bowls Club
The club now holds a session from 1.30pm till 4pm on
Wednesdays. Why not come along and join us, you would be
most welcome. We are a very friendly and sociable club and I am
sure you would enjoy yourself. For an annual subscription of
£5.00 and a weekly charge of £1.50 (Free tea and Biscuits
included) come and spend a pleasant time. Ring Brenda Harnett
on 01953-884791 for further information.
Sports News The Wayland News Page 19
THE WAYLAND NEWS Page space is allocated strictly on a first come, first served basis. Deadline is
12Noon on 16th of the month preceding publication and is that is the last date and time that copy will be considered for inclusion. Arrival of copy before
deadline does not guarantee inclusion, if you wish to be certain your entry gets published, then please make sure it arrives in plenty of time otherwise you may
be disappointed. If you are submitting on paper you MUST sign and include your contact details
with each item. If you do not, the item will NOT be published. You can contact Julian by ringing (01953) 858908.
You can write to 8 Princess Close, Watton IP25 6XA The e-mail address is [email protected]
Views expressed in articles in The Wayland News are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers or printers. While every care and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy,
the publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.
This issue of the The Wayland News was published by: Julian Horn, 32 High Street, Watton IP25 6AE and printed by
Sharman & Company Ltd, Newark Road
Peterborough PE1 5TD. Phone: 01733 424 949
Has Your PC Slipped a Disc? Netted a virus? Mouse trapped and
wont work now?
For all manner of computer repairs and support
Call Julian Horn on 01953 881885 “Silver Surfer” support a speciality!
Richmond Park Golf Club Ladies Section
Throughout the long, cold winter months
the Ladies of Richmond Park played their
Winter Eclectic Competition and the final
results were as follows:
Division 1 Winner - Mrs Julie Ellis 61.62
pts. Division 2 Winner - Mrs Chris Whyatt
69 pts. Division 3 Winner - Mrs Eileen
Chard 72.5 pts.
By contrast, in wonderful Spring sunshine,
on Wednesday 4th May, the ladies played
a "Game of Two Halves". The front 9 was
played in the Strokeplay format and the
back 9 in the Stableford format and the
result was as follows:
1st Mrs Lesley Davis 17;
2nd Mrs Jeanette Fowler 22 (countback)
May Medal:
1st Mrs Janice Bone 91-16 = 75;
2nd Mrs Barbara Coverdale 97-20 = 77;
3rd Mrs Ann Achilles 97- 20 = 77
Division 2 Results
1st Mrs Carol Marshall 105-33 = 72;
2nd Mrs Mabel Curtis 106-30 = 76;
3rd Mrs Diane Pitman 101-24 = 77
Division 3 Results
1st Mrs Eileen Chard 111-36 = 75
In blustery conditions, on Monday 16th
May, Lady Captain Ann Achilles invited
the ladies of Richmond Park Golf Club to
attend her Captain's Day competition. The
fun format was a 1-2-3 "Waltz" and 12
teams of 3 ladies took park. The Lady
Captain presented each of the players with
a ball and a ball marker as a memento
before they went out to play, and served
them a delicious, and much appreciated,
halfway house of various goodies after the
first 9 holes.
After the golf the ladies changed into their
party dresses and enjoyed a delicious
buffet lunch provided by Ben the chef, and
his hard working team.
After lunch the winners of the
competition, Mrs. Maureen Flack, Mrs.
Barbara Coverdale and Mrs. Chris
Whyatt, who scored a magnificent 83
points, were presented with their prizes by
the Lady Captain, who very generously
presented prizes to all other teams who
took part as well. The ladies all agreed that
it had been a most enjoyable, fun-filled
day and thanked Captain Ann by
presenting her with a bouquet of flowers.
Pictured: Maureen Flack, Barbara Coverdale, Mrs. Ann Achilles and Mrs. Chris Whyatt at the prize presentation lunch
Richmond Park Senior’s Richmond Golf Club Seniors‟ Section have held five competitions in the last month with
the following results:-
12th April Monthly Medal 1st Trevor Bunce net 71; 2nd Roger Lubbock net 74; 3rd
Roy Dolman net 75. 21st April The Spring Meeting (Forgans Trophy) 1st Scott Robison
42 Points; 2nd Bill Evans; 40 Points; 3rd Brian Rees 35 Points
28th April Anniversary Shield Part 1 1st Trevor Bunce 39 Points; 2nd Ray Sharpe 36
Points; 3rd David Wakeford; 35 Points
10th May Team Stableford 1st John Weaver, Colin Mantom, Colin Lewington & Colin
Stammers. (Probably very confusing for John with all those Colins !)
12th May SSAFA Charity Competition Age 70+ Roger Lubbock 42 Points; Under 70
Dave Palmer 38 Points
The SSAFA (Soldiers‟, Sailors‟ and Airmen‟s Families Association) Charity will receive
£165 from the contributions made by the players and some none-playing members.
Calling all tennis fans
Did you realise that Watton
had a Tennis Club? We are a small, friendly Club and
have three courts at the Sports Centre.
We would love to welcome new
members of all standards to come &
join us. Whether you are looking to
play amongst yourselves or join in
our Social Club Evenings you are
equally welcome.
Once you have joined the Club you
are able to use the courts at any time
& our membership also includes use
of the Watton Sports Centre. Our fees
are very low & start at just £25 a year
for a Junior Under 16.
We have a Mixed Doubles Team that
play in The Norfolk & Suffolk
League during the Summer for those
that like a more competitive game.
So whether you are looking to just
play a spot of no pressure casual
tennis or if you like something a bit
more serious, why not come down &
join us? We have Social Tennis
Evenings on Tuesdays & Thursdays
where everyone mixes in with each
other so you are always able to „try
before you buy‟! For more details
please contact Frances Whiting on
01953 483329 or email
AMC Nectars Gymnastics Club Attended
the Active Norfolk Village Games road
show at Ashill on Sunday 8th May.
On a fantastic warm sunny day our
gymnasts and guests performed 5 floor
routines, a vault routine and a low bar
display to a large and enthusiastic crowd.
We started with 3 group routines
involving or newest gymnasts to our
more advanced, showing things from
simple forward roils and cartwheels, to
free cartwheels (no hand) and round of
flicks and walk over. These were
followed by two solo routines one by
Samantha (Tich) Mylum showing a
women's completion floor routine
including dance and advanced tumbles
and summersaults. And another by Oam
Craige showing his skills of strength and
agility as the number 2 Norfolk and
eastern counties gymnast. Listening to
the crowd‟s gasps and applause for all
the gymnasts and their routines there was
a real buzz at the event.
After an invite to try gymnastics to the
assembled crowed the display was finished
with some bar display work which
included Ellah Smith casting to a
handstand on the bar. Then a final display
of vault work, showing things from
straddle over to more advanced moves like
hand springs and twists on and off the
vault, by Ashley Roeder, Samantha
Myfum, Uam Craigie, to name just a few,
and then our little Elian Smith thrilled the
crowed with a supported attempt at a
summersault off the vault.
We would like to thank all the gymnasts
who did such a fantastic job overcoming
some fears along the way as over 50% of
them had never performed in public, It
really makes everyone proud to see such
effort and commitment from you all.
Anne-Marrie Cooke Director of coaching
Gymnastics Display at Ashill
Watton Evening WI We would like to thank everyone who supported our Coffee Morning in
April; it was lovely spending time relaxing and chatting to so many
people.
Voting on the two resolutions being put to the WI National AGM in June
was the business part of this month‟s meeting. Urging the Government to
prevent the introduction of Megafarms in Britain and also to protect
public libraries from closure were both passed unanimously. Satisfied
that the serious part of the meeting was successfully concluded we then
let our hair down and set about enjoying social time and refreshments.
With so much laughter and friendly banter the evening just flew by and
Pat closed the meeting with a very appropriate reading.
Looking forward - June is our birthday month and we will be celebrating
by visiting the Seamere Gardens in Hingham. We will leave Thetford
Road Car Park at 5.30pm. For more information contact Pat on 01953
88222725 or Barbara on 01953 882595
In July Mike Wabe will be telling us about the life of a World War II
Bomb Aimer and our visit to Wells is also in July.
The Wayland News Page 20 News
New Chairman for Breckland Council At Breckland Council‟s Annual Meeting,
Nigel Wilkin was made Chairman of the
Council and presented with the chain of
office by outgoing Chairman Linda
Monument.
Nigel has represented the Necton ward on
the Authority since 1995, and currently
serves on the Development Control and
Licensing Committee.
He started his working life in the transport
industry and moved on to start his own
business 30 years ago selling nursery
equipment. Nigel has been married to
Colleen for 33 years and the couple have
two sons and one grand-daughter Gracie.
Commenting after his election, Cllr
Wilkin said, “Being elected now as
Council Chairman is a great privilege and
I will represent the district and its residents
to the best of my abilities. I look forward
to my year in office and undertaking my
many civic duties with huge pride. One of
my main aims for the coming year will be
to raise money for the charity I sponsor,
Quidenham Children‟s Hospice”
Cllr Robin Goreham, who represents
Dereham Central ward, was elected as
vice-chairman for 2011/12.
L-R Outgoing Chairman Linda
Monument, new Chairman Nigel Wilkin,
new Vice Chairman Robin Goreham
WAYLAND EVENTS DIARY If you would like to see your event included in this section then
please email details to [email protected] ACC = Ashill Community Centre, Hale Road, Ashill Watton CCC = Watton Christian Community Centre Wells CCC = Wells Cole Community Centre, Saham
June
Sat 4th Caston Village Fete at Chase Farm, 2pm
Tue 7th. NWT A Guided Walk at New Buckenham Common 6.30pm
Sat 11th Messy Church @ Thompson School from 10am
Fri 10th }Watton Methodist Church Flower Festival
Sat 11th } From 10am Refreshments and Light Lunches Fri Sat
Sun 12th } Afternoon tea Sunday Celebratory Service 6.30pm
Sun 12th Watton Carnival
Sun 12th St Mary‟s Church Hobbies Exhibition at the Queens Hall
Wed 15th Images of Broadland - Watton Society 7.45pm Watton CCCC
Sat 18th Stow Bedon & Breckles Fete @ Stow Bedon Hall 2am to 5pm.
Fri 24th Concert for Macmillan at Houghton Barns See article
Sun 26th Open Church, St Peters Merton. Local History display
Tues 28th Inner Wheel Strawberry Tea at 30 Thetford Road, Watton
July
Sat 2nd Queens Hall Coffee Morning in aid of Stow Bedon Church
Sat 2nd 11am - 1pm. NWT Field trip to RSPB Lakenheath Fen.
Sat 2nd to 17th, Great Ellingham Teddy Bear Festival
August Sun 7th The Wayland Show - Brandon Road, Watton from 10am
See www.waylandshow.com for latest news and details
Written estimates always provided Memorials supplied
Personal supervision Pre-Paid Funeral Plans available
Arrangements may be discussed in the privacy of your own home
Tel: (01760) 440269 (24 hrs) Established 75 years
FUNERAL DIRECTORS SERVING WATTON & DISTRICT
W.C. LITTLEPROUD & SON of BRADENHAM
‘A genuine, family owned & run business
offering a caring, traditional & affordable service’
ART @ Stoke Ferry Church (PE33 9SF) Daily 10am to 5pm Free admission From Saturday 21st May to Sunday 5th June
Around 100 exciting new pictures by five local artists, in a broad range of media and subjects: something for all tastes.
Everyone Welcome. Contact Teresa Waller on 01366 501369
We had booked the dates for this event
many months ago, before the day of the
Royal Wedding was announced, with the
preview for invited guests planned for
Friday 29th April. Obviously we had to
make some judicious alterations to the
schedule for setting up so this event could
be held on Thursday 28th. We must thank
Liam Adams manager of the Co-operative
Food Store in Watton, for sponsoring this
and providing us generously with drinks
and finger foods to refresh our chosen
guests who have supported us throughout
the year. It was a most enjoyable evening
and made a good start.
As it was less than ten months since our
last Exhibition there were fewer large
items this year. The Exhibition
Committee and members worked hard to
publicise the event and forge ahead to
complete projects to exhibit, sell or donate.
We had an innovation this year in the form
of a Bag Draw instead of a raffle. 18
members made and
donated bags. This was
very popular and we sold
149 tickets at £1 a time.
During the week from
30th April to 7th May we
had 190 visitors.
All the money raised from
donations, the Bag Draw
and sales will be spent on
materials for our charities:
Project Linus, Heart
cushions for those who
have had surgery for
breast cancer and now
quilts for Injured Service personnel, the
latter the current Norfolk Quilters‟ Project.
All our overheads such as hire of the
Gallery, stationery, postage and so on were
covered by Hackers‟ subscriptions.
Without the generous public support we
receive none of the charity work could
continue. Plans are already being made for
Quilts5 2012. Meanwhile we will continue
to meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of
each month apart from August from 7 to 9
p.m in the Watton Christian Community
Centre in. For further details look at our
Blog on http://htsqgroup.blogspot.com or
contact Jane on 01953 884215 or
Sue on 01362 822536.
Quilts4 Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers