North Norfolk Living Winter 2010

NORTH

NORFOLK Living

PEOPLE n SHOPPING n FOOD & DRINK n BEACHES

Preserving North Norfolk Master Builder Chris Geering Baubles, snowmen and santa Christmas cupcakes “I never tire of coming here” Island life with Jon Brown Avocets and tree creepers Wildlife artist James McCullum £1.50 where sold Winter 2010 ww w. b e s t lo c allivin g .co .u k ISSN 1744-2885 04

9 771744 288009

‘L a n d a life style ’

NORTH

NORFO www.bestlocalliving.co.uk living.co.uk Living LK

North Norfolk Hello

Preserving North Norfolk Master Builder Chris Geering Baubles, snowm en and santa Christmas cupcake s

PS. Before I sign off, I must point out that in the Autumn issue we wrote about The newly-refurbed Ship Inn at Brancaster. As lovely it is, we in no way intended to undermine the previous owners with our comments. So apologies to them from us.

SubScRIbe TO North Norfolk Living

“I never tire of coming here” Island life with Jon Brown

Winter 2010

Walking in a winter wonderland…

Well will we? Rumour has it that we are going to have snow again this year, and lots of it, judging by the number of scarlet berries on the holly bush. As far as I am concerned, bring it on for Christmas time, but apart from that I hate the disruption it brings, and the reality after the first flurry is usually slush or ice and lethal pavements. Bah humbug!

As I write this it is still officially ‘autumn’ by my reckoning, with hundreds of geese flying in skeins across the sky. A truly wonderful sight and sound. So very North Norfolk.

I am sure you have all started the dreaded Christmas shopping, but if you haven’t, you will find ideas a plenty of inspiring and unusual gifts on these pages, and places to go and things to do as well. We aim to please!

And so many of our lovely shops have online shopping websites too, so no excuse to miss out just because we are a tad out of the way. Here at North Norfolk Living magazine we are great lovers of art in all its forms, and we are constantly amazed at the sheer talent of those who live and work here.

Check out the features on Bruce Pearson and James McCullum, just two amazing artists whose passion is the environment and wildlife around us. There are many galleries along the coast here, (check out the rather lovely Quay Art just opened in Blakeney), with art for everyone, be it traditional or vibrant and contemporary. What better present than something that someone has put a little of their soul into. A gift for keeps.

As for me, I am lining up my Christmas DVDs – yes ‘White Christmas’ will be making an appearance again. I have bought yet more ‘retro’ baubles for the tree, the cake is already swimming in brandy, and although I look forward to my shopping trip to London, where I can indulge for a while my ‘chestnuts on every corner’, ‘ice skating at Somerset House’, and Harvey Nichols carrier bags fantasy of Christmas, I do heave a sigh of relief as the train chugs back into Lynn station and relative calm.

North Norfolk – the best place to be by far. Why would you want to be anywhere else really. Oh except for some winter sunshine, but that comes in January when I can escape just for a little while, before coming back raring to go again with tons of ideas and plans for 2011. Have a good one!

Sarah Eddison, Editor

CuPCAkE PHOTO BY kATE WHITAkER FOR CHRISTMAS CuPCAkES BY ANNIE RIgg

Inside

PEOPLE n SHOPPI NG n FOOD & DRINK n BEACHE S

7 GLOW

21 JON BROWN

Avocets and tree Wildlife artist James creepers McCullum £1.50 where sold Winter 2010 www.b estloca I S S N 1 7 4 4lliving. co.uk -2885 04 9 771744 288009

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North Norfolk bites bites - continued Visit - Gas Museum bites - continued Outdoors - A gentle walk Art - bruce Pearson Leisure - Living history A Life in the Kitchen Fashion - Anna boutique Photography - along the coast Photography - continued People - Jon brown Art-James MccullumWildlife Fishing - John bailey eat - Food bites Scene - Social whirl Scene - Social whirl Last Word - Philip John

26 CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES Editor Sarah Eddison 01328 730082 Email: sarah.eddison@btinternet.com Write to North Norfolk Living Magazine, PO Box 208, Stamford. Lincs. PE9 9FY Advertising Manager Stuart Henman 07711 615032 Email: stuartnnl@btinternet.com Head of Design Steven Handley Email: steve@locallivingdesign.co.uk Assistant Designer Nik Ellis Email: nik@locallivingdesign.co.uk Publisher Nicholas Rudd-Jones 01780 765571 Email: nicholas@bestlocalliving.co.uk Published by Local Living Ltd, PO Box 208, Stamford, Lincs. PE9 9FY www.bestlocalliving.co.uk 01780 765571 Printed by Warner’s of Bourne

‘L a life sntydlea ’

The faces behind this issue Valerie Boon

Lin Murray

Stuart Henman

Marc Peirson

Eroica Mildmay

Andrew Ruffhead

Marc Peirson

Gill Carrick Cowlin

Carla Philips

If you would like to subscribe to North Norfolk Living Magazine (5 copies per year), please write to Local Living Ltd. PO Box 208, Stamford, PE9 9FY. Annual rate £15 in UK, £20 overseas (surface mail), both including postage. Please enclose cheque made payable to Local Living Ltd.

NORTH NORFOLK LIVING Winter 2010

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North Norfolk Ideas

North Norfolk Bites What to do, where to go, what to buy

Sarah Eddison

Pinkfoot Gallery The Pinkfoot Gallery in Cley is showing an unusual collection of paintings by Rachel Lockwood this winter. In this collection, Rachel has taken everyday animals, such as a duckling or chick, and placed them in a traditionally built oil painting with a few choice words from current newspaper headlines. She says, “I listen to the seriousness and gloom on the news while I work, then I look at nature and realise how it rises above all our daily woes.”

• Pinkfoot Gallery, High St, Cley .NR25 7RB. 01263 740947 www.pinkfootgallery.co.uk

Quay Art

Accessorise accessorise

Stuart StotterBrooks who owns the Flint Gallery in Blakeney, has just opened a second -Quay Art. “ It`s going really well, and sales are already way ahead of target which I’m delighted about. I think we’re in a fantastic light and airy space, in a brilliant location, showing wonderfully fresh contemporary artwork which is, so far, proving to be a winning formula!”

• Quay Art, 4, The Granary, High Street, Blakeney.NR35 7AL. Tel: 01263 741791. www.theflintgallery.co.uk

Head to Holt to Indigo Bay Trading Company for yummy accessories and something colourful and sparkly to wear for Christmas!

They have tons of scarves, necklaces, bags, and other goodies including fair trade leather flower cuffs and rings.

• Indigo Bay Trading Company, 31, Market Place, Holt. NR25 6BE. Tel. 01263 713638. www.indigobaytradingcompany.co.uk

A master craftsman Whether you live, work or just play in the seven Burnhams, you’ll definitely see at least one of the many properties brought back to life by local company, CAMAG Ltd. Chris Geering moved to Norfolk in 1984 and set up CAMAG, whose first project was converting ‘Oliver’s Tower’ in South Creake. This former factory which produced first razor blades, then cornflakes, was successfully transformed into an unusual family home. Since then Chris and his highly skilled, local team have become respected for their ability to create new buildings, which fit so perfectly into their surroundings and natural environment, using locally sourced reclaimed materials and traditional Norfolk crafts as much as possible. Chris’s own home – a converted dairy barn on the edge of saltmarshes –was featured in the September issue of Country Living magazine.

• Chris Geering, CAMAG Ltd (Federation of Master Builders) . Tel: 01328 738 946, camagltd@gmail.com

Moobaacluck

Gabriella Buckingham is an artist, illustrator and designer living 10 minutes from the sea in North Norfolk. Since leaving Art college in 1990 she has illustrated magazines; numerous greeting cards; several books for young children and designed gift wrap and business stationery - such as the location map for The Garden House Gallery in Cromer (where you can see some of her paintings).

In 2008 Gabriella set up Moobaacluck – Handmade Happiness, for which she makes personalised wooden decorations, canvasses, prints and cards.

• In 2011 Moobaacluck will be at the Country Living Spring Fair .

Check out www.moobaacluck.com

Rooms with a view Check out the simply gorgeous Captain`s House overlooking Cromer Pier and go rent! Sean Hammond bought the house which was a successful B&B, in June this year, and will not only be using it for his family, but renting it as a luxurious holiday home out through his website.

• The Captain`s House, 5, The Crescent, Cromer. NR27 9EX. www.captains-house.co.uk

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North Norfolk Ideas

North Norfolk Bites What to do, where to go, what to buy

Sarah Eddison

Living woodstore Matt Gillespie builds natural, environmentally friendly, bespoke, beautiful woodstores! He sources local wood and timber from reclamation yards, and hand carves the structures which gives them a bleached wood effect that adds to the organic nature of the design. They have `living` roofs that attract insects, and the planting enhances the finish of the store, making it an attractive feature in your garden. He likes to visit each customer to see where the store will be situated before he starts the design process and will include anything that the customer wishes. He plants sedums, and also hardy alpines including phlox, lavenders and dwarf geranium. He thinks that functional objects can be made more interesting and gets great pleasure from building them.

• The Living Woodstore Company, Tel:01263 860188 www. thelivingwoodstoreco.com

Green fingers David Pile who lives at Waterden near Walsingham, has just set up Bygone Gardening-a traditional and wildlife friendly maintenance service. He has a history in wildlife conservation, and has worked on different garden sites on the Isles of Scilly, as well as working on nature reserves here in Norfolk. His goals are to encourage greater diversity of wildlife in gardens, and nurture the more natural look of your outdoor spaces, big or small. He prefers not to uses chemicals but works instead with traditional skills and knowledge, to manage a garden with respect for nature.

• Bygone Gardening, The Old Rectory, Waterden, Walsingham. NR22 6AT. Tel: 01328 823298 , 07745 406331 www. bygonegardening.co.uk

New lamps for old Lampshade designer Helen Kenning learnt the art of traditional lampshade making (and bespoke handmade trimmings) at Les Tuileries in Surrey, and since then hasn`t looked back. “This along with a love of beauitful fabrics and colour, made me realise that designing lampshades was what I wanted to be doing. So earlier this year I gave up full time work and moved back to Norfolk to persue my passion for lamp shade makin,.and `Glow` was born. Many of my shades are made from beautiful old frames, stripped down and bought back to life, along with unusual shaped frames made to order. All are hand made and lined (allowing me to add extra colour). My fabrics have included Designers Guild, vintage Liberty print, Cath Kidston, Pierre Frey and more recently some stunning vintage fabrics from France. I also offer a renovation service if you have an old favourite shade that has seen better days. Alternatively if you have a beautiful piece of fabric that has been stored up for years why not have it made into a lampshade. After all lampshades are the finishing touch to a room.”

• You can view her creations in The Big Blue Sky at Wells-Next-The Sea or email Helen at helen@glowlampshades.co.uk Tel: 07711 333129

Passionate about Norfolk buildings Norfolk Pro Build , a traditional building company have a great reputation for high quality workmanship and excellent customer. They recently designed and built an sleek, modern but eco-friendly timber framed extension, that was mostlyconstructed in their workshop; the roof and fixtures and fittings were added on site, this delighted the clients as it avoided disruption to their busy family life. It was constructed to achieve much higher levels of thermal insulation and therefore needs little heating, they also designed an air source heat pump to reduce oil consumption for the entire house by b75% which is good news!

NPB specialise in listed conversions and renovations, bespoke joinery as well as general maintenance. As James Pitcher says, “Timber Framing is still one of the most resilient, sustainable and practical ways of constructing. It offers a beautiful environment to live in and observe whilst providing a long lasting and durable structure that will last several generations.”

•NPB, durian House, Beechwood Ave, Aylmerton.

HR11 8QQ. Tel: 01263 838742. www.norfolkprobuild.co.uk

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North Norfolk History

Life’s a gas Gill Carrick Cowlin visits the Fakenham Museum of Gas & Local History

I

must admit I’ve never been too worried about how gas gets to my home. As long I can roast my feet in front of my gas fire (ok radiator) I really can’t say I spend too much time thinking about the process. I’m happy to leave that to the experts, like Dr Mike Bridges.

If the Olympic Games ever introduce an ‘everything you ever wanted to know about gas’ category, then perhaps Dr Bridges should enter. As head of the trust running the Fakenham Gas & Local History Museum, he can make even the most complicated chemical process sound interesting. And that’s quite an achievement in anyone’s book.

Dr Bridges grew up in Fakenham, and after years working abroad as a soil specialist, retired back to the town. ‘I’ve been in all the exotic places and decided to come back home.’

The day I met him at the Museum it was raining and cold, so it’s clear his heart belongs here if he can forgo all that sunshine in foreign climes.

The museum shows the manufacture of gas from coal in a typically 19th century scale of production; the last remaining English example of the small horizontal retort (oven), hand-fired gasworks. ‘Making gas then cleaning it – that’s what you see here in a nutshell’, Dr Bridges explains. (There’s a little film in one of the rooms that explains the process further).

Boy it must have been hot for the men working among all those ovens when they were operating at full capacity. Surely ‘elf and safety would have a thing or two to say about working conditions back then. The gasworks supplied around 500 homes in Fakenham & Hempton; representing an industry that once employed over 1m people. ’In the days when it was a job for life’, says Mike. The number of employees was greatly reduced after the changeover to natural gas.

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The gasworks closed in 1965, but received a new lease of life as a museum, in May 1987; delighting school kids and adults alike today and well worth a look around. And there’s every reason to hope it will make its 30th anniversary in 7 years’ time.

So do visitors enjoy what they see, I ask tentatively. ‘People aren’t quite sure what to expect’, says Mike. ’But often when they leave, they say to me: ”that was interesting. I didn’t expect that”’. A romp through Victorian technology with domestic nostalgia on the side in the shape of heaters, meters, gas stoves, kettles – you name it – is what you can expect on a visit here.

On our little tour Mike enlightens me about quite how ahead of its time the gasworks were in the recycling arena. ‘The tar was used for roads, pesticides, analine dyes, and ammonia for fertilisers. There were lots of spin-offs to this story’.

Dr Bridges continued: ‘The gas industry has been regarded as dirty and old-fashioned, but what happens when we run out of natural gas?

As wind power cannot provide a dependable power supply, perhaps we will have to generate more power by nuclear methods.’

Until then, visitors can wallow in nostalgia for the good old days when this little gas works supplied all the power locals needed to keep warm, heat-up their kettles for a nice cup of tea as they warmed their tootsies by a real gas fire. Oh, happy days.

• Further information: Fakenham Museum of Gas & Local History; Hempton Road, Fakenham NR21 7LA. www. fakenhamgasmuseum.com. The Museum is seasonal, but groups are welcome over the winter. Tel: 01328 851166, (messages may be left if closed). Entry is free, but donations are welcome.

North Norfolk Ideas

North Norfolk Bites What to do, where to go, what to buy

Sarah Eddison

On the Grapevine Instantly recognisable, for their joie de vivre and good humour – the late artist Neil Meacher’s distinctive watercolours reflected his own love of life. Their ability to lift the spirits and raise a smile, goes someway to explaining their lasting appeal. Whilst Neil understood that art had moved into the twenty-first century he chose to remain true to a very poetic Anglo-French mix of yesteryear. A collection of his work is now on show in the Burnham Grapevine Gallery.

• Burnham Grapevine, Overy Rd. Burnham Market. PE31 8HH. Tel: 01328 730125. www.burnhamgrapevine.co.uk

Makeover magic Can one dress really take you to all your festive events? North Norfolk Image Consultant Sarah Morgan says an emphatic ‘yes!’. “We all have far too many clothes, and it makes sense to find one fabulous outfit, then dress it up or down to suit the occasion, while drawing attention to your best bits!” Sarah works with clients of all ages and occupations. “My clients include a couple who have branched out in business together, and realized that their `look` didn’t match the company image. Also a lovely lady of about 50 who had lost her way – she said she felt as if she just faded into the wallpaper, and a 20 year old, off to work in Italy and keen to leave her bohostudent look behind. Clients don’t need pots of money to look great, but they often get stuck in a rut and can’t see themselves as others see them. That’s where I come in.”

• Sarah Morgan, Image Consultant on 01263 721207, or via www.sarahmorgan.co.uk. Gift Vouchers available.

House detective Ever fancied finding out more about the history of your house? Look no further than historian Gill Blanchard who is a full time historical researcher in family, house and local history. She unlocks the past by investigating architectural clues and using her knowledge of local and social history. “My research on a house in the Burnhams has traced it back to 1740, and to a Kings Lynn wine merchant.

Nelson`s illegitimate daughter also lived there, and it`s also associated with some scandals-a suicide and a duel!”.

• Contact Gill on 01603 633232 gblanchard@pastsearch.co.uk www.pastsearch.co.uk

Brush strokes

Pearly white

A great present idea for any budding artist is a few days painting course. Since its founding in 2006 by Martin and Jane Kinnear, the Norfolk Painting School in North Creake has become one of the UK’s leading oil painting ateliers, attracting both amateur and professional students to North Norfolk .The School offers 2, 3 and 5 day courses in traditional oil landscape painting, as well as specialist courses on the techniques of Old Masters such as Constable and Turner. Proprietor and head tutor Martin Kinnear, (www.makinnear.com) is a prominent local painter and contributor on the subject to national publications such as ‘The Artist’ and ‘Artist & Illustrators’. The School and Martin’s gallery is open on published course days, from 11am -4.30pm, and other times by appointment.

• Norfolk Painting School, Church St, North Creake.

NR21 9AD.Tel: 01328 730203 07766 230376. Check out course dates on the website. www.norfolkpaintingschool.com

The Compass Clinic has set up two new dental practices: at Wells Community Hospital and the other at the Kelling Hospital site in Holt. Stephen Plant says that they able to offer both a Private, and a NHS facility (also available at their practice in Holt). They have just taken delivery of a CAD CAM system that enables them to scan a patients tooth and manufacture a crown whilst the patient waits.

• Muller and Plant Ltd, Compass Clinic, Well Community Hospital, Mill Road,Wells-Next-the Sea, NR23 1RF. Tel: 01328 710999

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North Norfolk Outdoors

Gentle winter walking If it’s blowing a gale on the coast but you fancy a walk, come inland slightly for this lovely gentle amble, full of history, wildlife, sea views and hot chocolate!

Looking back towards Creake

Big blue sky

• OS Explorer series 1:25000, Number 251 ‘Norfolk Coast Central’.

• Start: TF 855 394. Creake Abbey Café car park, 11/2 miles south of Burnham Market on the B1355. This is a circular walk and there are toilets and a café at the start/ finish.

Check the fields opposite the car park for barn owls and then take the track which runs to the left of the pond round to the impressive ruins of Creake Abbey, evocatively named ‘St Mary of the Meadows’.

With the ruins on your right continue up the road until you come to a wooden gate on your left and a permissive footpath sign heading diagonally (NW direction) across the meadows. Cross the footbridge over the River Burn, continue through the gate and past the stand of trees on your right until you come to a mettled road. There are often cows in these meadows so dogs on leads.

Once on the road, turn right and keep walking (looking out for bullfinches in the hedges) until you come to a fork in the road.

You will be taking the right fork over the bridge, but before you do look more closely at the finger post pointing along the left fork. It reads ‘Nelson’s birthplace’. Burnham Thorpe’s most famous son!

Take the right fork over the bridge and continue until the road turns left and opposite you will see a wide track with a footpath sign.

Follow this green lane as it slowly climbs uphill.

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You are now approaching the highest point of the walk, a lofty 50m above sea level. Beyond the harbour, windmill and marshes of Burnham Overy Staithe lies the sea and Buzzards can often be seen circling overhead and, if you are walking in the winter months, look out for flocks of Pink-footed Geese flying overhead in typical ‘V’ formation.

Continue along the track as it starts to descend, heading towards the large wood.

This is the Holkham Estate. Pass to the left of the first trees that you come to and very

soon you will hit ‘The Great Wall of Holkham’.

Turn right here and follow the path along side the wall. Look out for the lovely English Grey partridge around here.

Follow the wall until you reach the road.

Turn right here and head down hill until you come to a telegraph pole with a track on the left hand side of the road. Follow the hedgerow that runs beneath the telegraph wires (S direction) on the right hand side of the hedge until you meet a hedge running at right

Creake Abbey Arch angles, turn right.

Follow the new hedge towards the large stand of trees (Old Meadow Plantation, W direction). At the next hedge turn left (S direction) and at the next hedge turn right (W again). You have basically zigzagged across the fields following the hedgerows between the telegraph pole and the left hand corner of the large wood. This is one of several permissive paths that you have walked on today, set up by Natural England under their much appreciated ‘Conservation Walks’ scheme in conjunction with the landowners.

When you reach the wood, turn right (N direction) walking the length of the wood.

Continue straight on when the trees finish and the path eventually turns into a track.

Turn left at the road and retrace your steps over the bridge, turn left at ‘Nelson’s’ finger post and along the road until you come to the sign on the left that directs you back across the meadows to Creake Abbey. Turn right, back to the car park and over to Abbey Café for a well-earned mug of hot chocolate. You may also find yourself tempted by one of the delicious homemade cakes !

• www.creakeabbeystudios.co.uk http://cwr.naturalengland.org.uk

North Norfolk Art

Painting for Change Eroica Mildmay meets painter Bruce Pearson.

B

ruce Pearson calls himself a ‘Norfolk boy’, although he wasn’t born in the county, but a childhood coming to Norfolk has left its mark on him. This childhood entailed catching the train to Sheringham, pedalling along coast roads and spending dawn ‘til dusk on the many beaches, marshes and dunes – and it was in Norfolk that he forged his love of, and commitment to protect nature. Nowadays, he does this by sitting completely still and inhabiting the environment and merging into it to such an extent that wildlife appears to forget he is there.

Bruce’s sketches and paintings are not just things of beauty, observations of nature, and something decorative and evocative to place on a wall, they also effectively operate as a tool to generate concern for the pressure that the world’s wildlife is under.

We have activists, organisations and campaigners on the case, and Bruce feels his role as an artist complements this activity by creating an empathy for wildlife. Private commissions from individuals, museums and institutions, including a long relationship with the Artists for Nature Foundation (ANF) have helped in this endeavour; giving his work an international footing with exhibitions and events in USA, Holland, France, Spain, Peru, Ecuador and Poland and of course here in the UK. Bruce is confident that “a critical mass

will make the change”. And he is not alone in his concerns, as Anthony Gormley and Rachael Whiteread are in the process of rethinking the purpose of their art in relation to environmental degradation and have stated that artists have a key role in society in this regard.

“Anyway, no-one can ignore this”, says Bruce, “Not even big business, companies, retailers etc. It is unavoidable. Take the bee decline as an example, if we don’t keep their role in the food chain intact, you can have as many ‘business models’, ‘supply chains’ and ‘logistical systems’ you like, but we’d soon be in deep trouble.”

And, ironically his current project is called ‘Troubled Waters’ and entails working out of Antarctica, is funded by the Wallace Foundation and is due to be completed by 2012. In fact, Bruce’s relationship with conservation has, for the sake of this article, effectively come a full circle, as he started out this life quest in Antarctica in 1975 after leaving Great Yarmouth Art School.

Back then, he was a director-cameraman on a documentary programme, ‘The Private Life of the Fur Seal’ which was shown on BBC One. ‘Troubled Waters’ involves Bruce sketching and painting on board fishing vessels cataloguing the alarming decline in Albatross numbers due to ‘long-line’ industrial fishing which entails up to a whopping 100 kilometres

of net being extended out from behind these vessels. It is traditional to bait these nets with squid and when the albatross dives for what looks like a free lunch, the result has a horrible inevitability to it. Their numbers have been decimated with more birds being killed that are being born. Take the ‘Wandering Albatross’ for example, which is the largest flying bird in the world; they can live to seventy years, they only start breeding at eleven years, and then they only have one chick every two. Once you know that, you can appreciate their plight a bit more. If their numbers go into decline, they are in trouble in a similar way to hugely old rainforest trees; you simply cannot replace them overnight and a dangerous vacuum is created that cannot be filled. That is why there isn’t much time to save the Albatross from, worst case scenario, extinction.

But , the important thing? At last, something positive; basically the fishermen are getting demoralised by untangling so many of these fine and noble creatures from their nets and with outside interest and concern and focus on this issue, with projects like ‘Troubled Waters’, changes are afoot. Firstly, the entirely logical step of weighting the squid so it drops immediately into the deep, out of harms way, is already making a big and timely difference. So, the Albatross is not dead quite yet . . . Long live the Albatross!

• See Bruce’s work at www.brucepearson. net or at the Pinkfoot Gallery in Cley 01263 740947. Contact him at artist@brucepearson.net

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North Norfolk People

History relived Valerie Boon meets Neil Storey and Molly Housego

H

ow do you like your history served?

In a book or magazine; adapted for TV or radio; in a lecture or maybe at a Living History event? Fancy all of them? Then Neil Storey is your man – a local historian with vastly wide-ranging interests in all aspects of social, criminal and military matters. He is, quite literally, historically driven and appears to have been since a very young age; fascinated by researching and collecting old photos and intriguing snippets of information.

Or maybe you like your history served on a plate (or should I say trencher) and all sewn-up? Enter the other half of this historical partnership – Molly Housego.

By day, Senior Fundraiser for the Break charity and at all other times creator and maker of authentically reproduced victuals and costumes as befits either of their roles in re-enacting history events.

Larder and wardrobe wonders from 1066 to the 1950s. Amazing. Not surprisingly they first met at a North Norfolk Railway event. She was dressed as a land girl and he was role playing a Squadron Leader – so he swept her off her feet and now they are the 4th generation living in Neil’s childhood home in North Walsham in extensively re-created historical comfort complete with a bakelite phone with a twiddly cord.

With over 30 publications to his credit and a new one, in collaboration with Molly (Women in the 2nd World War; December 2010; Shire Guides), it seems very apparent that this is a complementary partnership exploiting combined skills and interests. Neil says that Molly’s sewing is performed in a ‘room of alchemy’ as she can conjure up the most complicated garments with a superb eye for detail and historical accuracy. She enjoys the challenge of special commissions she adds - hand-sewing reeds into tight 16th century bodices or copying an 1840’s gentleman’s frock coat. And my room, says Neil, is ‘the study of a historian’ which isn’t probably as dustily stuffy as it sounds considering that he is a historical adviser and minor thespian

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(nr Aylsham). Attention to detail and historical accuracy is paramount Neil explains, describing one of his favourite role plays – the 18th century Barber Surgeon when restrictions forbidding the opening of bodies (allows the spirit to escape) and the desire for knowledge resulted in body snatching to supply the emerging anatomical schools. So, adept at bleeding with a fleam (think multi-knife instrument bit like a Swiss Army penknife) or drilling into the skull (think little cake cutter on the end of a corkscrew) to relieve head pains with a trephine and it’s easy to see how Neil’s Social History degree at UEA, and the opportunity to work with the university’s medical centre, impacted on his character portrayals.

with past credits including Kingdom (Stephen Fry) and All the King’s Men (David Jason). Neil describes their interest in history as ‘context and empathy - the impact events had on people’s lives’. They are both active members of the Black Knight Historical, in demand nationally but performing annually at medieval re-creation events staged at Pensthorpe (nr Fakenham), Mannington Hall and Blickling

The attention to authentic detail is taken even further by the North Norfolk Poppyline Education Group (Neil is currently president) which has developed living history experiences for local school groups which support relevant Key Stage curriculum objectives. No more dusty history about the war. No Sir! Instead visiting school children, togged out in fashion circa 1940 complete with gas mask boxes get to really experience the lives of evacuees firsthand with a steam train journey plus air raid, exploding bomb and a strictly rationed spam or corned beef lunch to finish. Does Molly run to spam fritters I wonder? Quite possibly but more likely to be seen at a medieval fair adeptly skinning a rabbit and knocking up a medieval pottage. Or something a little more adventurous it seems. “When I was researching Dr Samuel Johnson I came across details of an 18th century recipe for a pie he’d enjoyed at The Old Cheddar Cheese Inn in London”, Neil says and Molly, it appears, took up the challenge. Et voila. A lark (replaced by woodcock), oyster, beefsteak and kidney pie under a suet crust for dinner that evening.

Doubtless eaten in costume and by candlelight.

• www.blackknighthistorical.co.uk

North Norfolk Eat

A Life in the kitchen Crisp, onion ‘pizza’ slices

T

Ingredients: 1 tsp dried yeast, 1 tblesp warm water; a pinch of sugar, 150g strong white flour, 50g brown (wholemeal) flour, 2 tblsp olive oil, 60ml water. For the topping: 600g onions, thinly sliced, 2 tbls olive oil, a branch of thyme; salt and pepper, a little grated parmesan, dash of cayenne.

Method: Add a small pinch of sugar to a tablespoon of warm water then soak the dried yeast in it. Leave 5minutes, it should be slightly foamy.

Then combine the two flours and salt. Add the yeast mixture, the two tablespoons of olive oil and the water to the flour and knead the dough.

If it seems dry and unyielding, add more water. Oil the dough lightly and place in a bowl, cover with either film or a tea towel, then leave to rise for 1and ½ hours in a warmish place. Meanwhile make the topping.

For this, heat up a large frying pan. Tip the sliced onions directly onto the hot, dry pan along with the thyme branch. Stir whilst they steam.

When they are just starting to colour, add the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Stir well, then lower the heat and allow the onions to cook until they are brown, caramelised, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. When cool enough to handle, remove the thyme stem – the leaves will have blended in. Preheat oven to very high temp. Bake on baking sheets, trays, or large pizza tins. Divide your dough, and roll it out very, very thinly on a floured surface. This dough is not at all ‘short’ so that you can be daring! Place each half of dough, thinly rolled out, on each of your baking sheets. Then divide up your onions and spread them lightly

ILLUSTRATION: ANDREW RUFFHEAD

hese delicious pizza slices-or squares, are perfect served with a drink or three!

over each dough. Finally, sprinkle with a little grated parmesan and a dash of cayenne and leave to rise for ½ hour. Place them in a very hot oven for about 10-12 minutes. The edges should be quite brown. Remove from the oven, cool slightly. Cut and serve!

North Norfolk Fashion

Anna hits Holt!

It’s the ‘Good Life’ 2010 style says Lin Murray Anna, womens wear store ‘du jour’ has arrived in Holt! What persuaded Anna Park to open her seventh store in the market town? Well, up until her boys’ attendance at Gresham’s School, Anna presumed women shopped in Burnham (home to her first store). She was wrong, and thereupon realized the potential of Holt as a destination; women here were fashion conscious and wanted to look good. As Anna says, “The Holt shop will be slightly different from Burnham Market, and will compliment the other shops here, the stock will change regularly as well, so there will always be something exciting and new to buy.”

Anna has it all, from relaxed casual through to grown-up glamour, selling both national and international names.

Home talent is represented by Anna Louse Roswald, Handwritten, Farhi, Penelope Chilvers and H by Hudson, and

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from abroad

by Day, Birger et Mikkelelsen, Odd Molly, Ralph Lauren and Joseph to name but a few. Great jersey basics, a wardrobe staple; are from Velvetclassic t-shirts, tanks and dresses in prints and plain; and denim in its endless permutations of straight leg, bootcut or skinny is provided by J Brand, Citizens of Humanity and James Jeans.

Party time. A timeless little black dress or sophisticated Christmas glamour ? Look no further than By Malene Birger and fellow Dane, Rutzou; both providing gorgeous dresses at affordable prices. For the fashion savvy shopper who is already planning her spring wardrobe, expect to see beautiful printed dresses and blouses from Tucker and Odd Molly worn with chunky knits from Ralph Lauren or Farhi. Don’t forget to accessorize, throw on this ever-popular butterfly print scarf by Lily & Lionel .

Anna, 1, Pound House, High Street, Holt. NR25 6BW. www.shopatanna.com

North Norfolk Photography

Flash, Bang, Wallop…

Marc Peirson takes a few snapshots with Chris Taylor

T

he trouble with buying a new camera and bragging about it is that it can land you in hot water - or in my case very cold water!

I mentioned to Sarah Eddison the fair editor of this very journal that I had bought a spiffy new one to which she replied ‘excellent, do a piece on photography and take some shots from Cromer to Hunstanton!’ But I’m not a proper shutterbug I replied… ‘no buts `,she interrupted just do it!`. Only trouble is I bought my camera mainly for video work – I know as much about stills photography as I do about the mating habits of the Giant Turtle which, I am glad to say, is not a great deal.

Luckily though there are all manner of experts who gather in the Lobster pub in Sheringham, and I braved the cold winter winds to make the fifty second journey thence and take advice. I knew just the man to go to – Chris Taylor. When Chris is not at the helm of one of our lifeboats braving the raging North Sea, or stunt doubling for Daniel Craig on the new Bond movie, he is an award winning photographer. You will have seen his spectacular images all over North Norfolk in magazines, galleries and he may well have photographed your blushing bride or groom.

At a wedding one hopes!

So pints were pulled, hands were spat on, shaken - and plans were made. ‘It’s all about the light,’ Chris declared. ‘That’s what we go out and net. And just like any kind of hunting, the time has to be right.’ I was getting a little apprehensive here as his grin deepened and he slapped me on the back. ‘I’ll meet you here at five in the morning and we’ll make that journey and get the best light in the British Isles.

The Coast Hopper can take you on the same route. But not at five o’clock in the morning, which found us having a bacon sandwich courtesy of Graham the Landlord, (he’s always happy to do this), filling our vacuum flasks with mulled wine and then heading down to the sea. Remember that cold water I told you about?!

Chris was horrified to discover that I am a set everything to auto kind of guy, point and shoot malarkey. He showed me all kinds of things my camera does, which the manual probably covers but was about four hundred pages thick! I learned all manner of things that day. I don’t like getting up in the middle of the night. I don’t like getting cold. My knees are not as flexible as they once were, and if you are going out on an early morning ‘light safari’ it’s probably wise not to spend the best part of the evening before in the pub discussing it. Of a photographic nature though here are the top tips I gleaned from Chris.

Purchase. Spend as much as you can afford on a good body and lens. You can always add

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Photos by Marc Peirson

Cley Windmill

Chris in action

Hunstanton 3pm

Wells Quay lenses and equipment and build up.

Shooting. Go for the light. Early morning and sunsets provide great shadows, angles, quality of light and most importantly – colour. The kind of natural beauty that you can’t buy in photoshop!

Composition. Where you put the camera is very important. Look for angles and perspectives that the human eye doesn’t usually take in. This means bending down, squatting (remember my knees), getting higher than a subject, so that the picture isn’t just a snapshot but an interpretation.’ You are

Cley Marshes

Photos by Chris Taylor

Blakeney Quay

Brancaster Staithe

Morston Quay

Cromer

Sheringham the artist, the lens is your tool and the light is your medium,’ Chris explained to me, a tad grandly I felt, but I wasn’t going to argue with a man who bare knuckle boxes to limber up for his stunt double work. Rule of thirds – keep the horizon top or bottom third. Likewise with subjects put them offcentre so first or final third.

Low Light. Outside in low light and your

shutter speed is going to be slow. SO shoot land/seascapes with a tripod or a level wall.

Chris is right, we have the best light, the best scenery and the best darn stuff to go and point your camera at right here on our very own doorsteps in North Norfolk. Happy snapping !

• View Chris’ latest work at blog www. christaylorphoto.co.uk/blog Ring him for

prices on 07941009745. His photos have had some degree of photo editing and you can buy Photoshop Elements for about £70 which is powerful for most non-pro photographers.

• Check out Jessops, 68, High St. Kings Lynn PE30 1AX. Tel:0845 4587154, and Kings and Barnhams, 40, High St. Holt.

NR25 6BH. Tel: 01263 712302

NORTH NORFOLK LIVING Winter 2010

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North Norfolk Outdoors

Island life Gill Carrick Cowlin heads up the creek with Jon Brown

I

t’s always a bonus if you like your job; if it’s your reason to jump out of bed in the morning anticipating another blissful day, even better. Jon Brown, one of the three wardens of Scolt Head Island, clearly adores his. ‘It’s like having a nice, big back garden, full of colour and bird-life with no-one to bother you. I never get tired of coming here.’

Jon was chatting away as we headed on his little boat for the 1000 year old offshore barrier island - a nature reserve since 1923. “When you think about it, the people who made Scolt Head a reserve back then showed some real foresight,” says Jon. “The coast was being developed and they wanted to preserve it. We’re so lucky they did.”

Meandering among the creeks with the water pretty much to ourselves, bar hen harriers and other winter visitors, was a lovely way to spend the afternoon; especially as the commentary from my skipper, with interesting little snippets, was coming in faster than the tide. “The creek runs through to Burnham Overy Staithe where Nelson would spend his childhood messing about in boats and learning skills he’d use later. It’s amazing to think that.”

There’s always this thing about Scolt Head catching people out at high tide when they make their own way to the island, perhaps along Holkham beach, without working out the getting back bit.

It’s unlikely the coastguards would drop everything to rescue you, so always check the tides, or play safe and book a place on one of Jon’s trips.

A couple of hours before high tide we were able to walk over the saltmarshes, still colourful with sea aster (of the Michaelmas Daisy family); sea lavender; scurvy grass – and of course samphire, which is apparently a wonderful food resource for birds, like Brent Geese, back for the winter – before the marshes were submerged, and took on a completely different look.

The spine of the island was formed from glacial shingle, with sand and silt deposited on top and at some points the sand dunes are as high as 60 feet (18.288m), offering some wonderful views . Jon took me to the top of one and pointed out local spots like Holme-next-the Sea and Burnham Overy Staithe; and ones not so closer to home. “If you headed due north from here over the top of the Pole you’d hit Wrangle Island”, says Jon. “Where the walruses are.” (A trip for another time, I think).

It’s so geologically interesting on Scolt Head, researchers from around the world head here. They get to stay in a cute little hut with an open fire and no-one to bother them. It struck me as a perfect writers’ retreat. “Maybe not now, but some famous writers have stayed here in the past, including Roger Deakin (of Wildwood fame).”

The western section of the island, the ‘ternery’ - set aside for nesting tern and out of bounds to visitors from April to August – has another hut where one of the wardens lives full time for the season, making sure humans (or any of the island’s foxes) don’t get too close to the terns.

Although it’s difficult to fit daylight to the tide over the winter, Jon’s hoping to offer a spot of private cruising on a boat trip one way, walk back arrangement. “There’s still so much to see here out of the main season, with no-one around – just the animals”, he says. “I think in my next life I’ll come back as St Francis of Assisi.”

• Further information: Scolt Head Island National Nature Reserve is owned jointly by the National Trust and the Norfolk wildlife Trust, and is managed by English Nature. www.naturalengland.org.uk. To join one of Jon’s private trips to the island, contact Branta Cruises. www.brantacruises.co.uk. Tel: 01485 211132.

NORTH NORFOLK LIVING Winter 2010

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North Norfolk xxx

Every picture tells a story Lin Murray meets the talented wildlife artist James McCullum

W

henever I think of James McCullum, artist, naturalist and author, I think of a still figure sat in the corner of a wintery stubble field, wrapped against the cold, carefully studying the flock of Pink-footed geese or lapwings that are to be found there.

No comfy artists’ studio for him. His studio is the great outdoors, whatever the weather.

James works tirelessly to meticulously and truthfully translate the fascinating world of nature and animal behaviour onto paper for our pleasure. Very Victorian in his quest for and subsequent presentation of detail James has humility, which is refreshing in one so obviously talented.

Born in 1970 in Wells Next The Sea and after “making a mess of academics” at school, James headed for a foundation course in Art at the Norfolk Institute of Art. From there he left Norfolk heading for a Fine Art degree at the prestigious Falmouth College, switching to Natural History Illustration at Camarthen College – which he regretted as it was ‘”far too technical”!

Finally he headed for the bright lights of London in 1994, spending 2 years completing his Masters at the Royal College of Art in Kensington, no less!

Finding the RCA full of “great people and inspiration” James had finally found his niche. With a slightly embarrassed lowering of his eyes James admits to spending all his accommodation bursary on travel and slept for the entire 2 years on his mate’s sofa! He describes his time at the RCA as “tailor-made” for him, travelling through Morocco, Ghana and Spain in pursuit of his subjects.

Since finishing his studies he has headed back to his beloved North Norfolk, earning his daily crust through his sketches and paintings, lyrically describing his art as “life at the time of watching, a visual language of wildlife in it’s chosen surroundings”.

In the early years he augmented his earnings using his incredible knowledge of Norfolk wildlife conducting bird surveys and wardening. His very first public exhibition was held at Morston Village Hall with the purpose of “showing people what I do. I suppose I felt a

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bit guilty just working on Blakeney Point as a warden. People were always asking me what I actually did.”

Much to his surprise people wanted to buy his work, and lots of it. And so with only £235.00 to his name and at his own admission ” I was reckless and took a gamble” contacting a publisher and ordering the printing of his first book with no way of paying for it (yet!). Arlequin Press published ‘North Norfolk Wildlife Through the Seasons’ in 1999.

With 6 books under his belt to date he tells me how he now takes the self-publication route to market. He describes himself as “paranoid to oversee production” as he feels publishers often “suffocate what they [the artists] are trying to do”. All this is said with a quiet, gentle authority, devoid of any malice.

He also freely admits, “I think the printer hates me!”

Looking to the future James has several projects in the pipeline. He is keen to focus on individual species and quotes tree creepers as one of the particular species that he is interested in. He wants to detail all stages of their life cycle from courtships to raising young.

In a fascinating example of this he describes an incident of an avocet pair that he spotted sitting on a nest at Cley Nature Reserve.

Witnessing a succession of increasingly higher tides beginning to threaten the nest structure, James describes how the adult birds took it in turn to pass pebbles back to the individual sitting on the nest to build up the edges of the nest. When the sides were high enough, coarse vegetation was carefully maneuvered under the eggs to raise them up out of harms

way. Even David Attenborough would be proud of observations like this! James is a patient man and I for one am delighted that this patience is richly rewarded with such special moments, which obviously give him great pleasure.

James lives in North Norfolk with his lovely partner Natasha and their new ‘project’ and joy of their lives, baby Nola!

• www.jamesmccallum.co.uk

North Norfolk Outdoors

Serenity Eroica Mildmay goes fishing with John Bailey

F

irst rule of fishing; it’s about fishing, not catching. Once you accept this then you have truly embraced fishing zen. Anyway there are some perfectly smart fish underneath that clear, glassy surface that have other ideas.

John Bailey of Fisherman’s Valley says “that myth about fish having a memory of three minutes is just that and the older they get, the smarter they get”. He has no doubt at all that they seem to learn from their experiences and like to avoid getting caught. He has seen them pick up bait and then immediately put it down again, as if all their fishy warning bells had just gone off. But they still get caught . . . don’t we all? One way they are more vulnerable is when there are a number of them and the competition for food kicks in, which seems to cause them to throw their usual selfpreservation to the wind. But the general rule of fishing? It is an unknown, and all the more tantalising for that.

We are standing on the banks of the River Wensum at Lyng, where the water is sliding along at quite a pace. So picturesque. The fish we are likely to catch will be Bream, Barbel, Roach, Chub, Brown Trout, Perch, Pike and Dace and they are all in there somewhere.

It’s a beautiful Autumn day and the line is catching the sun like a strand of spider’s web

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and the wind is in the trees behind us. Apricot clouds in a blue sky are reflected in the water’s surface and the sun is all over the fields on the other side of the river. It’s a time to think and contemplate and watch for that telling twitch of the float, the sudden downward yank. And then the reel in, all the while trying to guess what it is you have under the water.

Barbels and Chubs have a different way of surrendering to the inevitable and apparently you can tell by the resistance they offer.

Experience and knowledge gives you the hunches you need. Will the Roach be underneath the Alder trees? They are known to like the cover that the tree affords or is it the moths and butterflies that like Alder leaves that might accidentally drop into the water? But Roach move around a lot and it soon becomes clear that they are elsewhere, although we catch one in the end. It is sleek and bright gold with a clear orange eye. “Fish don’t get the appreciation that birds get, or the same level of protection, simply because they are under water” says John. They are beautiful. It goes back in and is gone in less than a flash.

River life is about other wildlife as well.

Kingfishers and Barn Owls routinely patrol for food, unconcerned by the quiet presence of a

fisherman. Grass Snakes (also known as Water Snakes) and Adders will also sometimes swim nonchalantly past, heads out of the water, all beady-eyed. Adders are after Water Voles and Grass Snakes after amphibians and fish.

The by-product of fishing is nature itself, and the preservation of nature. The River Wensum starts between the villages of Colkirk and Whissonsett and flows all the way to Norwich where it blends with the River Yare. The Glaven River is smaller, at 17 kilometres, starting at Cley and rising at Edgefield. British rivers are being returned to their slow, fast, slow selves in Britain after being routinely assaulted by dredgers from the 1960s to the 1990s. Rivers were just seen as a means of getting water to the sea in an attempt to drain off surrounding wetlands, but they are finally being left alone.

This hands-off approach has been welcomed by most fishermen, who like things natural, just like the rivers in John Constable’s paintings. To keep it that way, you go, you fish and then you leave, as if you had never been there; that is the ethos of a Fisherman’s Valley fishing day.

• For a guided fishing experience of the serene kind in local rivers see details at www.fishermansvalley.co.uk or contact John Bailey at Fisherman’s Valley on 01263 741534 for more information.

North Norfolk Eat

North Norfolk Food Bites Tantalise your tastebuds

Sarah Eddison

Quackety quack We love the Duck Inn at Stanhoe, which was opened by Julian Rivett this summer, he brought along his buddy Roger Castel from France to help him kick start the business, and now Roger’s nephew Matthew who has been working alongside him, is helping with ‘front of house’.

Julian is hot on ‘directing the flow’ and good staff training ‘on the spot’, aiming to open a good local pub with simple, classy, quality food and surroundings, and yes he’s done it! I guess the man behind so much of Richard Branson’s ‘event planning’ knows his stuff. The Duck is busy, buzzy, with a great atmosphere and good food, with the emphasis on fresh, local and fishy-although the rib-eye steaks are too good to miss. “Proper cooking”, he says, “fish cooked and served on the bone and full of flavour”. and for the winter Julian is serving hearty casseroles accompanied by music/jazz on Monday nights.

• The Duck Inn, Burnham Rd, Stanhoe. PE31 8QD. Tel: 01485 518330. www.duckin.co.uk

Essence of Christmas

Locally based Essence Foods produces a yummy range of homemade preserves and chutneys bursting with colour and flavour. We love the blackberry, plum and ginger jam, and bloody mary relish, but perfect for Christmas day breakfast is their Seville and Cranberry Marmalade.

• Buy online at www.essencefoods.co.uk or Larners in Holt, Big Blue Sky in Wells, Grooms Bakery in Burnham Market, Village Deli, Thornham and Walsinghams Farm Shop.

Not so Humble Pie

Sue Elton owner of the famed deli in Burnham Market , says that although cooks spend all year trying new foods, and recipes, when it comes to the festive season we all want the traditional food we all grew up with.

“Christmas pudding is an integral part of the festive meal. Here we have been making the same Cordon Bleu recipe for nearly 30 years, heavy on the fruit, lighter on the suet and breadcrumbs, and with a zing of lemon and orange zest. We begin cooking them in October: our productions techniques are very domestic, so the lovely Dianne makes the mixture and I cook them in small batches very slowly in the Aga, (the house smells lovely!) Some customers bring in their own bowls for us to fill. Our Christmas cakes are also based on the Cordon Bleu recipe, and we sell them mostly un-iced – ready to be customised at home, or eaten just as they are. They are baked in small batches, anointed with extra brandy, and stored wrapped in greaseproof paper, ready to be handed over

by Ben and Sam who collate all the orders with military precision!”

• Humble Pie, Market Place, Burnham Market. PE31 8HF. Tel:01328 738581. www.humble-pie.com

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Christmas Cupcakes

Here is the book that cupcake lovers have been waiting for!

Gingerbread cupcakes, cakes that look like Santa, baskets of snowmen, and gold and silver glitz cupcakes with all things sparkly. We love the ‘glitter baubles’ cakes (see pic on magazine cover), which are spread with buttercream and decorated with fondant icing baubles dusted in glitter!

• Christmas Cupcakes by Annie Rigg is available to North Norfolk Living readers, for the special price of £7.99 inc p&p by telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256 302699 and quoting reference GLR4BA.

Reach for the pies!

This year Bray’s Cottage launched their ‘wedding pie’- beautiful bespoke tiers of pork pies, using their award winning and famous recipe, for those who want something a little different to the normal wedding cake. There has been much demand for the regular pies too this year at Sandringham Flower Show, North Norfolk Food Festival, Holkham and many more.New customers this year have included The Hoste Arms, Titchwell Manor, several of the Eastern Region National Trust properties, Holkham Hall, and smaller outlets such as Weybourne Village Stores and Picnic Fayre in Cley. www.perfectpie.co.uk

North Norfolk Scene

Social Whirl!

Watch out watch out there’s a camera about. North Norfolk Living gets snap happy Jennie and Mike McDonnell held a fabulous ‘Gypsy’ themed party for their son Ed’s 21st birthday, in Thornham. 200 revellers partied the night away; dancing under a black, fairylit ceilinged marquee, to Spanish guitar duo playing Gypsy Kings music, followed by a disco. The garden was decked out in brightly coloured bunting, complete with a genuine gypsy caravan accessorised with firepits, pots, pans, pegs and a washing line sporting a rather enormous bra!

Ella Rogers

Archie Wilkinson, Holly Williams

Cathy and Robert Wadsworth, Sarah and Andrew Ruffhead

Charlie Fryer

Inga Berzina, Will and Janie Thompson

Mellie, Leanne and Sharon Harrold

Rory Brown, Ed McDonnell, David Young, Elliot Cross

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Phillipa Bett, Jennie Mc Donnell

Hannah Carey

Mike , Brenda, Ed, Jennie and Martin McDonnell Megan Tinsley, Hannah Carey, Lel Munroe

Angie and David Caplin, Sarah and Robert Markillie Natasha Skerritt

Jabba

Barbara Cushing, Mik e McDonnell, Bee Hopkins, Alexandra Jamie Coles, Lulu Fletcher, Harry Coles Jess Ruff, Harry Bett

Megan Davies, Anna Sleight, Nell Forbes-Robertson, Izzy Curtis

Anna and Richard Park

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North Norfolk The Last Word

Head boy

Sarah Eddison meets Philip John Headmaster of Greshams School, Holt

P

hilip was born in London in 1955 and went to the Haberdashers’ Aske’s school before studying for a degree in Business Management .A future in business and in particular marketing loomed until a serendipitous encounter with the then Head of Mathematics at Rugby school led to an interview with the Headmaster, one Jim Woodhouse, a well known member of the North Norfolk community, and a career as a school master began. After eight successful years at Rugby, Philip moved to Malvern College as Housemaster of School House , then to the Isle of Man as Principal of King William’s College and the Buchan School in September 2000.

In September 2008 he was appointed Headmaster of Gresham’s School. He is married to Kathryn and they have four children. The two youngest Harriet and Alexander are currently studying at Gresham’s. Philip enjoys playing and listening to music of all kinds, although he confesses to finding the intricacies of ‘Dubstep’ somewhat academically challenging, maintaining an armchair involvement in his favourite sport Rugby Football and, time permitting, taking his two Labradors, Homer and Nero, for long walks in the countryside and beaches of North Norfolk.

What was your very first impression of Greshams A school with a very proud tradition of educational reform that is not afraid to be different, but too modest to tell people about its successes.

What are the best things about living and working here The beautiful surroundings, the friendly, infectious enthusiasm of the children and the sense of living in a real community.

What infuriates you Bigots, Jobsworths, Naysayers and totally unnecessary bureaucracy.

Where and what will you be doing on Christmas Day I shall be spending Christmas at home in Norfolk at Lockhart House with my family, enjoying a traditional Christmas lunch, including Norfolk turkey with all the trimmings.

Your perfect North Norfolk day A leisurely start reading the papers, followed by a pub lunch with the family which has to include at least one pint of Norfolk Ale. Take the dogs for a walk along the beach in the afternoon and in the evening listen to a

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performance by the Gresham’s choir in one of

Your fantasy dinner guests The Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bonaparte When you look in the mirror who do you see A happy and contented family man who is privileged to be working in the best profession of all Your favourite song Difficult to choose one when I enjoy so many different types of music, but ‘Donna non vidi mai’ (From Manon Lescaut -Puccini) and ‘All along the Watch Tower’ (the Hendrix version) just about cover it.

When are you most happy Sitting in the sunshine on holiday surrounded by my family and nobody is talking about school.

the many splendid churches of the region.

Is youth wasted on the young?

Absolutely not! It is the inexperience, naivety and spontaneity of youth that makes it so exciting to be young. Just as it is the wisdom and sophistication gained through the mistakes that we made in our youth that make life rewarding as we grow old.

The most exciting thing that has happened to you There is absolutely no doubt that the day I became a father for the first time was the most exciting day of my life and it is certainly the most exciting thing that has happened to me.

Favourite film Zulu of course.

Do you collect anything I hate to admit it, but I do! Anything from military figures to exotic masks from around the world.

What makes you laugh Those rare moments of comic genius both in word (Tom Sharpe springs to mind) or on film (Del Boy falling through the bar hatch in ‘Only Fools and Horses’) which crease me up for hours.

Your favourite place to eat in North Norfolk This has to be the dining hall at Gresham’s on a curry day.

What is the best and worst thing about each day at Greshams The best is certainly working with highly professional colleagues and happy wellmotivated children. The worst is having to deal with the constantly increasing administrative work load of the litigious age in which we live.

Three words to describe yourself A gentle giant Can you cook I love cooking and relish the opportunity to create something special, although beans on toast for the children can be equally rewarding at times!

What inspires you Watching people succeed, particularly if it is against all the odds.

What do you read Military history (fact or fiction) and any poetry.

Tell me something about yourself that nobody knows I once entered for the World Black Pudding Eating Championships.

The last supper?

Dozen Oysters (preferably Colchester natives) plus a glass of decent Bergerac Sec Terrine of Foie Gras with truffles, toasted brioche and a bottle of Monbazillac, Steak and kidney pudding with an oyster under the crust and savoy cabbage, a bottle of Clos du Verdos.

Creme brulee and the rest of the Monbazillac.

Sitting on the terrace at our home in the Dordogne with my family and the dogs.