NOVEMBER 2025
BRANCASTER, BRANCASTER STAITHE, BURNHAM DEEPDALE, TITCHWELL, CHOSELEY
THE RECTOR: Interregnum
ASSISTANT PRIEST HUNSTANTON & SAXON SHORE BENEFICE:
The Rev’d James Monro Tel 01485 518342
RETIRED CLERGY: The Rev'd Phil Unsworth Tel 01485 532436
The Rev’d Sandra Ellison Tel 01485 298852
The Rev’d Steve Wood Tel 07704 922 984
Dear Friends
November, the time of year when much in nature takes a rest. Those trees and hedgerows that shed their leaves are now bare and we can see the stark image of trunk and branches standing out against the skyline. This basic image is in itself a thing of beauty. An image to reflect on the life of leaves, berries, fruit and nuts which just a few weeks ago adorned the bare wood providing a feast for insects, birds and animals. This period of rest allows the plants to have time before the cycle of life begins again, unseen during the winter and then in full bloom in spring. This autumn saw an abundance of fruit, berries, nuts, conkers and acorns which, according to a gardening programme I watched, was the result of being in distress during the hot summer and drought. Trees and hedges produced more to ensure their survival, which then helped insects, birds and animals that rely on this produce for their survival, which in turn assists our survival.
In May this year we remembered and reflected on 80 years after the ending of the Second World War in Europe, followed in August by remembering and reflecting on the ending of the war in Japan. 11th November sees the reflection and remembrance of the armistice with the ending of the First World War and Remembrance Sunday - this year on the 9th November - reflecting and remembering all those who gave their lives during both wars and the many conflicts since. 80 years on and whilst reflecting and giving thanks for those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in peace, we are only too aware of the many conflicts that others still face throughout the world. The war in Ukraine continues and living where we do we have a daily reminder of the possibility of conflict as the RAF and USAF planes fly overhead. Will the cease fire between Israel and Palestine, that as I write has just seen the release of the surviving hostages, last?
I began by reflecting on nature, as in times of distress more 'good' fruit is produced to ensure the plants survival, which in turn supports the survival of each part of nature, including humankind. Can we take a lesson from nature, or to use a slightly different phrase - where is God in all of this? God came as Jesus, to live among us and to show us the true way to live. The way of life where all people regardless of status, wealth, culture, sexuality, race, and religion can live in peace, justice and respect together. However God does not control us as puppets, but gave us that most precious gift of free will. It is the misuse of free will that causes conflict, conflict that leads to wars and also conflict within our own families, churches, communities and countries. Only when we use our free will in the way of God, the way we see in the life of Jesus, will conflict end. Until then our loved ones, mainly our young people, will continue to face the possibility of the ultimate sacrifice.
Each of our churches and Hunstanton Town Hall has a service on Remembrance Sunday – 9th November - see page 2 for times. Join us to give thanks for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us to live in peace and for those members of our armed forces who today are constantly ready to make that sacrifice. Also to reflect on our own lives and understandings - does the way we each use our free will allow the love that we see in Jesus to be known by all throughout the world? For, as with nature each small part relies on the path of others for its survival, how much more does humankind rely on all the other parts for its survival, not only our own but also that of the world.
May we each know the peace and love of God this remembrance.
Sandra Ellison, priest assisting during the vacancy.
NOVEMBER SERVICES IN THE HUNSTANTON & SAXON SHORE BENEFICE
CW = Common Worship. BCP = Book of Common Prayer. HC = Holy Communion. MP = Service of Morning Prayer (no bread and wine).
Family service = Shorter service with lighting of candles (no bread and wine).
Sunday 2nd November
All Saints’ Day
9.00 am Holme-next-the-Sea Holy Communion BCP
9.00 am Ringstead Holy Communion
10.30 am Titchwell Holy Communion
10.45 am Brancaster Holy Communion (said)
am
am Hunstanton
Sunday 9th
8.30 am Titchwell
9.00 am Thornham
Communion
Prayer
Remembrance, 3rd Sunday before Advent
Holy Communion followed by BCP Act of Remembrance at the war memorial
Holy Communion (Service of Remembrance)
9.30 am Hunstanton Holy Communion
10.00 am Burnham Deepdale Remembrance
10.15 am Hunstanton Town Hall Parade will leave the United Services Club at 10.40 for a service at the cenotaph at 11 am
10.45 am Old Hunstanton Holy Communion (Remembrance)
10.45 am Brancaster Remembrance
10.50 am Ringstead Remembrance
3.00 pm Holme-next-the-Sea Remembrance
Thursday 13th
10.00 am Ringstead Midweek Holy Communion
Sunday 16th
Second Sunday before Advent 9.00 am Holme-next-the-Sea
9.00 am Ringstead
am Hunstanton
Communion
Communion
Communion
Communion
Sunday 23rd Christ the King 8.30 am Titchwell Holy Communion
Communion
10.45 am Old Hunstanton
10.45 am Hunstanton Holy Communion
Thursday 27th
10.00 am Ringstead Midweek Holy Communion
Sunday 30th Advent Sunday 10.00 am Ringstead Benefice Service
MAKING SPACE CAFÉ, supported by the Norfolk Community Foundation. Wednesdays each week, 10 am - 12 noon, at St Edmund’s Church Hall, Hunstanton. An official ‘Warm Space’. For Hot Spot lunches at Brancaster please contact Babs Wade 01485 522273 or hotspotlunches@gmail.com.
A FEW HOUSEKEEPING REGULATIONS DURING THE INTERREGNUM
Whilst we are without a rector our Rural Dean, Peter Cook, takes over that responsibility. Please contact Peter in the first instance for all enquiries with regard to weddings, funerals and baptisms. Peter’s phone number is 01485 517157.
The Diocesan Registrar is responsible for all memorials in a churchyardheadstones and plaques. During a vacancy all requests for these must go through the Registrar. The person/stonemason making the request should contact the Registrar directly: see website www.norwichdiocesanregistry.co.uk. Church wardens and priests assisting during the interregnum cannot give permission for these.
ST HENRY WALPOLE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, BURNHAM MARKET
Mass times: Sundays 9.30 am, Fridays 9.30 am. Holy Days of Obligation: see notice board in Church porch. Further information: catholicparishofwalsingham.org.
NEWS FROM ST MARY'S, BURNHAM DEEPDALE
Remembrance Sunday - 9th November Please join us at our service of Holy Communion at 10 am. Please note this later than usual time. The service will begin with an Act of Remembrance outside at the war memorial.
Organist Looking ahead to Christmas Eve, we are in need of an organist to play at our 10 pm Midnight (in Bethlehem) Service as our regular organist, Matthew, will be away with family. Is there anyone coming to stay here over Christmas who might be willing to play for us? If you could play, or if you know someone who would, do please ask them to get in touch with me, Verily Borthwick, by email to verily@deepdalefarm.co.uk. If no-one can help, we will still have carols but we will sing them to recorded music.
Churchyard work party Thank you to everyone who came along to help last month. Eleven people came and worked very hard. The churchyard looked so much tidier afterwards.
Fundraising Our two on-going fundraisers for church building maintenance have now closed for the winter. The Plant Stall at Deepdale Farmhouse gate has raised £1010.23 at the time of going to press. I wish to say a massive ‘Thank you’ to everyone who has supported it. It has now closed for the year but do pot up plants during your autumn tidy up in the garden and nurture them until the spring when it will be open again.
Books in the Porch have raised £449.83 to date. Thank you very much as well to all who have donated books or purchased them. The books have now been removed for the winter.
ST MARY’S CHURCH, TITCHWELL
For November services, see page 2.
THE BRANCASTER COMMUNITY CHOIR
Sponsored by Brancaster Parish Council, the choir is gathering for the Christmas season under the brave leadership of Mark Stockton. Rehearsals are from 5.30-6.30 pm at Brancaster Village Hall on Fridays 7th, 14th and 28th November, with a performance at the Brancaster Winter Fair on Saturday 29th; then rehearsals on Fridays 5th and 12th, and on Wednesday 17th December, with performances at Brancaster Village Hall on Thursday 18th at 6 pm and at The Ship on Sunday 21st December at 5 pm.
The choir is free to join and is open to all who love to sing, carry a tune and have a sense of humour. All are very welcome. If you have any questions or performance requests, please get in touch with organiser Briony Bax on brionybax@yahoo.com.
TITCHWELL VILLAGE
Notice of Village Meeting to be held on Thursday 20th November 7pm at Briarfields Hotel
The agenda will be posted in advance online (titchwellparish.gov.uk) and on the village notice board.
CROCKERY FOR HIRE
The Parish News has some place settings of crockery, glasses, cutlery and various other items available for hire locally. For more details please contact Josephine Luddington (01485 210306).
BRANCASTER PARISH COUNCIL
Flood Signs The new signs have had a few initial teething problems but they continue to make a positive difference to both villagers and visitors.
Restorative Justice Every Saturday during the summer the restorative justice team have made a positive impression in the village; their work at the playing field continues with positive visual impact to the hedge.
TRO Traffic Regulation Order The Parish Council received lots of feedback from members of the public, both positive and negative. The Consultation has closed and Norfolk County Council Highways will now consider all feedback before referring back to the Parish Council with a revised proposal. It is anticipated the process will take approximately 8 weeks.
Freebridge Social Housing, Brancaster Staithe Thanks to Cllr Carpenter for the assistance she has given local residents in applying for tenancies. As a direct result of the engagement of Cllrs Carpenter and de Winton, Home Choice are preparing a local letting agreement which will allow for a greater emphasis on allocation to local residents.
Christmas Decorations See below.
Any Questions or Concerns that relate to the Parish or the Parish Council, please contact Philip Stone the Parish Clerk: clerk@brancaster-pc.gov.uk Tel: 07519 163 895.
Next Meeting Brancaster Staithe & Burnham Deepdale Village Hall, Tuesday 4th November at 6.30 pm.
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS The Parish Council has provided a sum of money towards Christmas decorations and is looking for volunteers to help put them up on Sunday 30th November. Full details and time will be posted to Facebook nearer the date. To volunteer please contact the clerk with your details (see above for email/telephone).
NATIONAL COASTWATCH INSTITUTION (NCI) BRANCASTER
With the end of the holiday season, it has been a quieter time for the Brancaster Coastwatch station, which is a great relief after the very active summer. In the last month, the station’s volunteer Watchkeepers have been involved in various community activities. In particular, the team took part in the joint exercise with the RNLI, British Divers, Coastguard Rescue, Fire, Police and Ambulance services in the Hunstanton Beach Emergency Services Day. The station team was also pleased to staff the Brancaster Staithe and Burnham Deepdale Village Hall and serve refreshments to members of the public attending the Brancaster Staithe Sea Shanty Festival; this is a growing event, with a large number of Sea Shanty organisations performing over the two days. Record numbers attended on the Saturday, and as a consequence, the team was kept very busy. The annual Sea Shanty Festival is one of the most important fund-raising events in the calendar for NCI Brancaster: we are very grateful to the Festival organisers for their support. There has been one new volunteer joining, Barrie, and one certification, Pete: we wish them both success for the future. We are very sorry to lose our stalwart Treasurer, Jonathan, who has been a vital part of the success of our station. We wish him well in the future and offer our heartfelt thanks for all he has contributed to NCI Brancaster. If you would like more information on NCI Brancaster, or to find out more about becoming a volunteer, please contact Richard Burrows, Deputy Station Manager and Watchkeeper on 07535 612777. You can also find us on Facebook, if you search NCI Brancaster.
BRANCASTER CAMERA CLUB
Our next club evening is on Tuesday 11th November at 7 pm in Brancaster Staithe Village Hall. The topic for the evening will be ‘Buildings and Architecture’. Entrance is £5 to include coffee etc. We welcome visitors and hope to see you soon. Contact Sue Till 01485 210013 or Wendy Calow 01553 674725.
Simon Leverett Carpets & Blinds
Supplied & Fitted
Choose at home from a comprehensive range of floorings and blinds. Designs from modern to traditional to suit all budgets.
01485 518 018 07760 462788
Mandy Glass
Personal Travel Consultant
01485 765017 07760 338546 mandyglass.ptc@hays-travel.co.uk www.haystravel.co.uk/mandy-glass UK cottages to world cruises
to hire Please see website for details, availability and booking arrangements or email bsbdvh.bookingagent@gmail.com www.bsbdvh.org.uk
maker@phillippakirby.co.uk www.phillippakirby.co.uk
DEEPDALE AND DALEGATE MARKET
Takeaway Pizzas at Deepdale Fridays and Saturdays in November. We are pleased that The Wood Fired Food Co will be joining us most Fridays and Saturdays through November. Their tasty sourdough pizzas are delicious. They set up outside Deepdale Visitor Information Centre, beside Deepdale Stores. www.deepdalecamping.co.uk/street-food/
Changes at Dalegate Market The current cafe will close shortly before Christmas, and there will be a new offering in 2026. We'll let you know when plans are confirmed and Driftwood Glass Studio will also be closing their doors at Christmas. They will still be producing their beautiful glass work from their home studio, and hopefully other shops at Dalegate Market will stock their items. We have had a lot of enquiries about the shop unit, with some very interesting ideas for the space, but no decision has been made, so if you are interested please email Jason at enquiries@dalegatemarket.co.uk
Events in the Parish Reminder that you are welcome to promote any events in the parish on the village website and through Deepdale Visitor Information Centre. Events can be any size, from table top sales to fetes to quiz nights to clubs to dinners to watersports to church services and anything else in between. Completely free to promote events, simply fill out the form on the Deepdale website. www.deepdalecamping.co.uk/events/submit-events/
NEWS FROM BRANCASTER VILLAGE HALL (BVH)
After an extremely busy summer period we are very grateful for the continuing efforts of our large team of volunteers who give so much of their time and energy to making BVH the success that it is. The volunteers cover all aspects of running BVH and responding to the needs of our village community. It goes without saying that a successful organisation always needs fresh ideas and new talent, so please get in touch if you would like to join a fun team.
Great News! Our resident artist AJ's painting of sanderlings entitled 'Low Tide' was accepted into the highly prestigious Society of Wildlife Artists' (SWLA) Annual 62nd exhibition 'The Natural Eye 2025' from 16th to 25th October at The Mall Galleries Central London. The SWLA is a member of the Federation of British Artists and this fiercely competitive event attracts over 15,000 entries so acceptance is huge recognition of AJ's talent. See the entire exhibition of over 350 works at swla.co.uk/news/the-natural-eye-2025 and for AJ's painting in particular buyart.mallgalleries.org.uk/swla-2025/267-low-tide/.
Do visit the Studio at BVH and see a whole range of amazing artwork by AJ and Lillian: we are fortunate to have such talent.
Regular Groups including Yoga, Baby and Toddler Group, Coffee Morning, Pilates, Scottish Dancing and Mobile Library continue.
Bar 71 Ed, the manager of Bar 71, writes: “Discover your favourite brew – we are now stocking a new selection of craft beers from Greene King and local independent brewery Moongazer. Whether you’re into fruity IPAs or refreshing lagers, there is something for everyone. Come along - you will be assured of a warm welcome, and also able to join in snooker, skittles, darts or a Thursday night quiz.”
Dates For The Diary
Halloween Party: Friday 31st October, 6 – 9 pm. Disco and Dancing.
Winter Fair: Saturday 29th November, 10 am – 3 pm. The annual pre-Christmas event with gift-buying, carolling and much else.
New Year’s Eve Party: Wednesday 31st December, Details to follow.
NB: “My Life in Politics”: Talk by Steven Norris, originally scheduled for 8th November, has unfortunately had to be rearranged. We will announce the new date in our next report.
Further information about these and other activities can be found on our website at brancastervillagehall.communitybookings.co.uk or on Facebook and Instagram. For enquiries, please contact us at bvhsetup@gmail.com.
JUST A REMINDER Do check the diary page as we always list events as soon as we are aware of them, so you can note the date and await fuller information nearer the time.
FROM THE EDITOR
To all contributors - Kindly note that the next issue will cover December AND January. As usual, please get all entries to me by Wednesday 19th November and include any January dates you are planning.
THE
JOLLY
SAILORS
(www.jollysailorsbrancaster.co.uk)
Norfolk Restaurant Week 2025, Monday to Friday, 3rd to 7th and 10th to 14th November, 12 noon to 9 pm, 2 courses £20 or 3 courses £25. Not week-end. A diary date you won’t want to miss, showcasing the best of what’s local - see menu and book online NOW.
Shanty Mondays 7 pm. Join in and sing-along with Nelson’s Shantymen.
Charity Quiz 8 pm,Tuesday 4th November. There’s £100 ACI token in the pot for the winning team. Proceeds to Big C Norfolk Charity.
2 for1 Pizza Thursdays 12 noon to 9 pm, eat in or takeaway, cheapest pizza FREE.
Traditional Roast Sundays Simply the best. Family and friends groups welcomed. Book online NOW.
Thomas Large’s Brancaster Bay Mussels well and truly back on the menu.
Book a Jolly Festive Party with friends or family - 3 courses, crackers and all the trimmings - £30, includes mince pie, tea, or coffee. Available 29th November to 21st December, 12 noon to 9 pm.
Watch with us on Big Screen Premier League and Championship Football, Sky Sports.
Our new Rum Menu Nelson’s Blood back on, come and try our new Rum selection, ‘spin the Rum wheel’, you’ll see it on the bar!
CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2026 We’re in it! Confirming our beer is good and well kept.
Brancaster Staithe Sea Shanty Festival 2025 Thank you to all for your amazing support. The event raised £5000 which will be donated in equal parts to RNLI Hunstanton and NCI Brancaster.
Simon, Nick, Mollie, Matt & The Jolly Sailors Team
THE WHITE HORSE (www.whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk)
We are celebrating autumn with Fran’s delicious Sunday roasts, as traditional as it gets, and with Thomas Large’s Brancaster Bay Mussels back on the menu. All Fran’s menus are full of the joys of the best local autumn produce. Please book online.
Annual Celebration of Seafood, Wednesday 12th November, 7 pm. 5 Delicious Courses, chat with Cyril & Ben Southerland and Burn Valley - £67.50, plus £27.50 with wine. Limited tables so book without delay, 01485 210162.
Norfolk Restaurant Week 2025, 3rd - 7th and 10th - 14th November (not weekend). 12 noon to 9 pm. Two courses £27 or three courses £33. Join us for Norfolk’s largest dining event; we see Norfolk Restaurant Week as a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Norfolk’s vibrant culinary scene, showcasing fine food, and the people who produce it. It’s a social occasion to share with friends, family and colleagues. It’s our usual high standard of menu, but at an incredibly tempting price. We look forward to welcoming you. Please book online, quoting Norfolk Restaurant Week.
Rob, Fran, Rosie, Kinga & The White Horse Team
DEEPDALE AND BRANCASTER STAITHE TENNIS CLUB
Our two lovely courts in the middle of the village are available for play all year by both members and visitors, but do remember that it is up to you to decide whether or not the courts are safe for play during icy weather. Please see our website: www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/DBSTennisClub.
Coaching for Adult Beginners or Returners is available with Becky Palmer on Monday mornings from 9.30 - 10.30 am. Please contact her by email tennismadbex@gmail.com for further details.
Wednesday Ladies Tennis Mornings
These continue every week when the weather allows from 9 - 10.30 am. We are a group of players who love a friendly game and the emphasis is on fun. If you would like to join us, contact Verily Borthwick by email to DBSTennisClub@outlook.com. These sessions are for members but you are most welcome to come along and try us out for free for up to 3 occasions each year.
(continued in Part 2)