An Engineer’s New Apprentice Guns, Dinosaurs, Zombies and Aliens
An Unexpected Encounter and much more
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Welcome to Issue 8 of Reflections of Thetford magazine.
by Martin Angus (Editor)
Welcome to Issue 8 of ‘Reflections of Thetford’, magazine, and what a mixed bag of amazing editorials our amazing writers have written for your delectation.
If I am totally honest this edition has had a life of its own. Now I do have a rough idea on what we are going to include in each edition, but this one really became something I could never have imagined... and that is a good thing.
Beginning with a chance encounter with a delightful gentleman in Tall Orders, and his friend Gill, we learned that Thetford was once a centre of automobile manufacturing.
Word got about Thetford that we had made this discovery and we were then approached by the son of the work’s foreman, and the story just grew and grew.
We were also contacted by a reader who asked to share their story and had recognised himself in a photograph in issue 5, which was a story inspired by an article in issue 4. It all makes producing this magazine so wonderful when the people of Thetford
want to get involved, to share their stories, to collaborate, all the time giving with no thought of getting, or wanting, any return.
We couldn’t create this magazine without the humility, energy, pride and support of the folk of Thetford. From the reader, advertisers, writers, contributors, and people who just want to offer feedback or an idea.
At ‘Reflections of Thetford’, we stand by our original promise of creating a magazine for only Thetford, not only the stories, businesses and characters we feature, but we only allow advertising from Thetford.
With spring springing and warmer weather looming, there is no better time to take a wander and visit some of the amazing places we have in this wonderful town of Thetford. Pubs, cafés, restaurants, museums, Thetford market, and all of the amazing businesses, breaking the habit of clicking the ‘buy now’ button on the internet and buying local will keep Thetford an amazing place to be for years to come.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!
One town, four Museums From Corporate to Contemplation
A Drama in Damara The Nuns’ Axe and Triangle... and more A New Apprentice Thank Funk for DJ Phurty A Donkey in the Hole A New Blood Test and Visiting the Vets An Open Door and Thoughts of Spring I’m the Boy in the Photograph St Edmund’s Way Walk Guns, Dinosaurs, Zombies and Aliens An Unexpected Encounter
Photography
‘Matt Smith’ by Mangus
Living the Dream
Matt Smith – Baxter Healthcare
Written by Andy Greenhouse
As long ago as 1931 an American Doctor in Los Angeles, by the name of Don Baxter, had a dream. Soon after, with the help of his friend, Doctor Ralph Falk, they founded the Don Baxter Intravenous Products Corporation to become the first commercial manufacturer of prepared IV solutions, opening their first manufacturing facility two years later, in Glenview, Illinois, and changed their name to Baxter Laboratories Inc.
They established a headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois and by 1954 made their first international expansion by opening an office in Belgium and just grew and grew from that point.
Now, almost a hundred years since its inception, the dream has become a fully-fledged, multi-national corporate business reality, operating from over
two hundred facilities in over one hundred countries across the world, and Matt Smith, Plant Manager of the Thetford facility, is living that dream.
After a university placement in Liverpool, Matt, proudly clutching his First Class Degree in Computing Science, made a four-hour train ride to Thetford. On arriving, he walked all the way from the station to Baxter Healthcare in Caxton Way for a forty-five-minute interview, walked back to the train station and went home again.
That was eleven years ago. And after having been offered the job, of Junior Analyst in the Baxter Supply Chain, he hasn’t looked back.
Originally from Chester, he very soon relocated and moved to Bury St. Edmunds, where he has lived ever
since. A family man through and through, Matt is now a cheerful thirty-something family man juggling his successful career with bringing up 3 children with his long-term partner.
That first job was the foundation of his career, involving him in the movement of Baxter products, the import and export procedures between Europe and the US, which gave him an invaluable insight into corporate machinations that was Baxter Healthcare.
Before long he moved out to America for a period of about nine months but maintained close contact with Thetford which would always be considered as his base. On his return to the UK he was presented with a new responsibility, managing the supply chain demands of Malta and Tunisia for a period of two years, where he also moved to for a short time.
But soon he was back in Thetford as Supply Chain Manger and from this position he filled and experienced many roles throughout the business including positions such as Production Manager and Operations Manager to give him the knowledge and understanding of what the company expected from the workforce and not least, to actually get to know them. Then finally, around eighteen months ago, Matt was promoted to the pinnacle position of Plant Manager, at Thetford. And now everyone knows him.
This is where the buck stopped. At local level, Matt had become the big cheese with the next in line after him being the Vice President of the company, based in Switzerland.
Matt was now directly responsible for around 450 staff at Thetford, and he is proud to be leading his team into the 60th year anniversary celebrations of Baxters at this site, which is happening this year.
He was keen to point out that this journey, while being far from over, would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of the workforce, and he was particularly proud of the teamwork that had taken the site from an average mid-ranking position to one of being consistently top ranked in the business, which is testament to the staff’s efforts.
I could sense the pride and the feelings of achievement emanating from him with every word, not just while talking about the company itself and what it is constantly trying to achieve in the mission to Save and Sustain Lives, but also when talking about his staff, the people that fulfilled the purpose. His staff know that what they do matters, and that’s what is important to him. He believes in people and that belief is what drives his process, knowing that people want to come to work to do a good job and in order for them to achieve that, you have to give them platform to do it.
Perhaps it’s something about Thetfordians, or maybe it’s just something synonymous with working at Baxter, for the feelings of satisfaction and achievement felt by the workforce of today must be inherent… an uncle of mine started working at Baxter Laboratories in 1968, which at some point was renamed Travenol but later reverted to Baxter. Uncle was in the IT department, working in what used to be the Terence Conran building on the other side of London Road to the main site, before he was transferred out to Belgium.
Uncle’s story is from the early 70’s. Another UK company in a similar business to Baxter had a major contamination problem that had very unfortunate consequences, and they were ultimately closed down. Baxter was the only company able to step
in and continue the supply. This meant a massive increase in production requiring all hands-on deck and many of the office staff were roped in to help out after their normal hours, including Uncle. And in his words:
“So lots of office bods including me used to work hours after the normal day and weekends, in the factory. It was fun for us seeing how the other half live and good for them to realise we weren’t just a bunch of stuck-up folk. And that feeling of really making a difference to people’s lives (patients) was great.”
It’s marvellous to know that this attitude still prevails today, and under Matt’s leadership it is apparent to see that it does.
Before long, Matt had me togged up with a brand new Hi-Vis jacket and a pair of safety glasses. Forewarned about the need, I was already wearing my own safety shoes and off we went for the grand tour of the facility.
It was like stepping into a Tardis. The place is deceptively huge. Fronted by a large glass-walled reception area, there is a warren of offices and corridors going back into the depths of the building and everywhere is clinically clean.
We traversed corridors where walls were adorned with all manner of informative posters and notices for the staff, from Mission Statements and Capex Plans to Improvement Projects and Production Targets and Results. There was even a large section of wall absolutely covered with photos of staff and their pets. When the idea of doing this was raised, there were over 250 responses sent in! It was cuteness overload.
We walked for a few minutes, Matt having to greet
people that passed us in the walkways every few steps, his position granting him that recognition and respect from everyone in the factory. And in between he was constantly pointing out interesting features or describing the area and expressing his admiration and fascination for the robotic systems that keep the lines continuously moving.
In his office a while earlier he’d already thrown some very big numbers at me.
Baxters Thetford produces absolutely millions of IV bags every year. Yes, you read that right, millions! That equates to a staggering output in a day which is a combination of either 0.9% Sodium Chloride solutions (Saline drip), Nutritional compound or Heavy Dextrose bags of various sizes.
Their biggest output is the non-PVC range, part of the VIAFLO portfolio of products, of which they produce a massive amount of units a year in 250ml, 500ml and 1L size bags.
There are four main manufacturing areas within the plant comprising Viaflo, Urology, Irrigation and Plastic-Pour bottles. Matt spoke of large-scale investment plans for the future with the intention being to introduce a new Clean Room for the Viaflo Line 6 and another production line for SVP, Small Volume Parentals, which are the smaller bag sizes of 100ml and 50ml to add even more numbers to the already astronomical production figure of units per year.
And then we arrived at where the magic happens. Imagine everything that Baxter outputs as a continuous river, well I was now at the source. Matt was excited to show me the process and explain the various stages.
The bags are hand fed onto the line, and until the
Abbey Garage
MOTOR ENGINEERS
box they’re packed in is opened in the hospital at which they’re to be used, that is the last human contact they receive. Everything else from filling, sealing, printing, over-pouching, sterilisation and packing through to shipping and delivery is handled by a state-of-the-art robotics system, which was absolutely fascinating to watch.
Another question I asked Matt was what he thought it was that set Baxter apart to which he replied that it was simply, People, Culture and Technology. We had already talked about the first two, and now I was seeing and experiencing the third. It was quite obviously a very advanced system.
I tried to watch a bag going round once it had been placed on the belt by the human but lost sight of it in the bowels of the robotic machinery, so I asked Matt just how long the process takes for that one bag to exit the factory in a box once it’s placed on the belt.
With all the different stages that it must go through, Sterilisation at about 3 hours being one of the longest, he estimated that the actual bagging process was around 8 hours, then the aim was to have it packed and ready for despatch within 18 hours and then out of the factory gate within 24 hours. A day in the life of an IV bag. Interestingly, a finished IV bag has a shelf life of about 2 years before becoming unusable.
As we walked back to his office, we encountered more staff going about their jobs. When Matt asked of them how they were doing, the answer, laden with the true fervour of a typical British workman, was simply ‘Marvellous.’ And as we walked on, Matt laughingly joked that the usual response was ‘Living the dream!’ to which he added that he really should get that phrase up on the wall somewhere.
Let this be that wall.
‘Matt’ Photograph by Mangus
Photograph
‘Kyle Bell’ by Mangus
RISE OF THE UNDERDOG
Kyle Bell – Pooch’s Yard, Doggy Day Care Centre
Written by Andy Greenhouse
They say that people look like their dogs, but it’s pretty hard to decide where Kyle Bell gets his good looks from given that he’s got eleven at home and on any one day could potentially be surrounded by up to fifty more, so there’s a pretty jumbled hotchpotch of canine characteristics to choose from!
But if you can think of a dog that is always smiling and laughing and loves talking about all things dog, then that’s the one that Kyle resembles the most.
The man is dog mad and it shines through.
At just 4 and a half doggy years old, Kyle is already a seasoned businessman having first opened Pooch’s Yard – Doggy Day Care almost eight years ago. Since then, the centre has come on in leaps and bounds, something he feels would not have been possible without the love and support of his wife, Nadine. As a joint force and team effort, it has been Nadine that has driven the creativity
side of the venture and it’s been her that has pushed the various Day Care ideas that have been put forward. I could tell from the way he spoke of her, just how much she was loved and valued as an incredible part of his journey.
He vividly recalls when he was first planning this venture, that the only advice he was given by those around him was not to do it… it would be the worst thing he ever did… it wouldn’t work…it would fail...there’s no career in dogs.
But, forever the underdog, Kyle’s mind was set. He just knew there were like-minded people out there somewhere. People that loved their dogs the same way he did and who would be more than happy to pay for the service he would offer. And Pooch’s Yard became a reality, in a small industrial unit at the end of Telford Way. It became something that he could pour all his love and passion for dogs into. Somewhere that was more than just a doggy day care centre…somewhere that was part of a community, a day care family. It became important
to know the dogs, and to know the owners, to gain their trust and to make them feel happy to leave their dogs in his care.
From a very young age Kyle remembers always being around dogs even though his parents never owned one. His grandad, Albert Bell, and his ‘uncle’ Michael Squires, who was just a very good family friend rather than his actual uncle, were dog owners, grandad being a gamekeeper (and his great-grandad too, being Thetford’s very own Wilfred ‘Dinger’ Bell, no less) and he got to spend much time with them with brush beating on shoots being a firm favourite, so this is where his love for them grew from. One of his earliest fond memories, in his uncle’s garden, is of being floored by Sam, a huge lumbering Labrador, that proceeded to slobber and slaver all over him whilst everyone was panicking at him being knocked down. And life was never the same after that.
He wanted to make a special mention too, of his nan, Stella Bell, or as she was originally known, Stella May Jackson.
For many years she used to volunteer her services at the St. Nicholas Hospice charity shop and one day she bought Kyle a book from the shop. She knew very well of his love for dogs and was one of his strongest supporters with his plans. The book she bought was one all about various dog breeds, and it proved invaluable to Kyle on his mission to learn as much as he could about his fourlegged friends.
Sadly, Stella passed away in 2022 but her legacy, the book, still lives on. Various pages from it can be found framed on display in the shop and reception areas of the Centre. It’s Kyle’s way of keeping his nan’s memory and influence close to not just his heart, but also to the heart of everything they do.
He couldn’t stress enough that his grandparents were the
biggest role models he had, and he would always strive to make them proud.
Kyle has always enjoyed being the underdog. Never having been very academically minded he now enjoys the patronage he receives from people who respect what he has achieved in the business world despite knowing of his educational shortcomings and come to ask his advice.
His business sense is certainly apparent in what he has achieved so far, and what he is planning to achieve.
The unit at the end of the road was the foundation for everything that is now. Pooch’s moved out of it, and into their new premises, previously Onward Enterprises, at the top end of Telford Way facing the the main road, in January of last year, so they’ve already spent an amazing year there and he and Nadine are planning on many more.
In his early days, Kyle was a qualified Behaviourist Level 3 and jokingly referred to himself as kind of a Graeme Hall but without the cravat! These days though, while he will go out of his way to encourage doggy visitors to integrate, any formal training or behaviour sessions are currently outsourced, though with all the space that is available, this could well be on the cards to come inhouse, in the future.
We talked about other things and activities that Pooch’s offered or were involved in. You can’t help but notice the ‘shop’ area in the reception and Kyle was quick to mention it as an offshoot of the day care service where customers could purchase all manner of pet paraphernalia from tasty treats to training toys.
Adjoining, but separate to the day care centre, was their latest service available to the whole community, that of the Walk-in Dog Wash facility… imagine you’re out walking Rover in the forest and he rolls in something
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unpleasant but you’re not on your way home yet, so you need to get him cleaned up... just bring him along to Pooch’s yard and use the Dog Wash unit that’s available 24 hours a day. It’s self-service, contactless payment with all shampoo and towels provided. And it’s proving very popular.
Another activity close to his heart has been the success of their Charity Dog Days, notably Labrador Day when they had 54 Labs of all shape and colour turn up, and Beagle Day with 50 of them running around! The days are great fun and provide lots of photo opportunities and all proceeds raised are donated to the respective charities.
He mentioned the VIP (Very Important Pooch) service that was available to customers which has been slow to take off but is gaining popularity. Although there is a monthly charge, this is outweighed by the benefits which save people money in the long run, so there have been a few questions raised about his sanity for offering this!
We were winding up our chat session when Kyle mentioned something else that he was obviously excited about, something that would be rolled out soon but he seemed reluctant to let on exactly what the secret was so I asked him if he would care to elaborate… which of course, he did.
His dream, a collaboration between himself and Martin Angus, is to promote ‘Dog Friendly Thetford’.
The aim is to go out into the community, to the shop owners, the café’s, hotels and any other establishment that makes up Thetford and introduce them to the benefits of the Dog Friendly notion. It works in lots of other places where dogs are welcome, even if it’s just a bowl of water outside the door.
Dog owners that are out and about with their pooch’s may not bother going into the town after a walk because they need to get the dog home first, and the town centre is missing out on this potential business.
They intend to advertise this venture by way of a website and maybe a leaflet campaign but let’s hope it is the success that it deserves to be.
As I was trying to extricate myself from what was probably the deepest and most comfortable leather armchair I’ve ever sank into, I asked about the room in which we were chatting. It serves as an office/storeroom most of the time, but it is also the ‘studio’ used by the renowned local Dog Photographer, Nigel Wallace, when he visits to undertake one of his photoshoots. You should look up some of his work, he has an amazing knack for capturing the dogs at their best moments.
The room next door to this was in the process of being converted into a comfortable bedroom/living space, where a member of staff can sleep over during the night shift that will soon be introduced when bookings for their kennels start to fill.
Doggy Day Care is evolving into Doggy Day and Night Care!
Kyle showed me the fruits of his (and father-in-law’s) labours, the construction of a row of indoor kennels that will house their overnight (and longer) canine guests. Each kennel will have a cctv monitor which will feed to the staff bedroom and also provide an accessible link so anxious owners can check up on their pets from afar. The plan is to have 12 kennels which could house up to a maximum of 15 dogs.
On the stairs on the way down, we passed a bookcase, its shelves laden with all manner of weird and wonderful costumery and I got Kyle to admit that he likes to dress up occasionally! It turns out though that it’s only for special occasions when the team put a showcase together for an Instagram or Facebook post, so if you want to see him in all his feathered finery, you’ll need to log on and ‘Follow’ their pages. Most of the social media
stuff was taken care of by members of staff and he was quick to point out that all members of the team were treated as family and everything that’s been done so far wouldn’t have been possible without their hard work and dedication, and he wanted to pass on special thanks to them all, Emily, Amelia, Charlotte, Chloe and Mia. And most importantly, his long-suffering, but very supportive wife, partner and mother to their very recent family addition, Nadine.
Soon though, we were in the room where the magic is. The den of doggy delights. The chamber of canine charms. On entering the noise was deafening. It was as though a switch was flicked as soon as we were spotted, and I was soon engulfed by a tidal wave of slobbering furry hounds, all clambering to be petted or just being downright nosey, and noisy!
It’s very hard to resist all this attention but I had a job to do so I finished my hello’s and did my best to ignore the mayhem while I carried on chatting with Kyle. The change in him was immediately obvious. It was clear to see that the previous half hour we’d spent in the office talking was not something that came easily to him. Although he’d seemed relaxed and chatty, he’d admitted that he didn’t like to talk about himself. But I could see straightaway, from the change in his demeanour, that this was his comfort zone, in amongst the dogs.
He knew all their names and would often call out to one of them to stop jumping up or some other anti-social activity, though on the whole, this pack of dogs was very well behaved. We went for a wander through the large indoor area and out into the great outdoors. Another large area, all safely fenced in with an expansive swathe of astroturf covering every inch. Apparently it’s easy to clean and needs minimal maintenance though Kyle has become a dab hand at repairs and rejoins.
Tyres and pallets and platforms and ramps were dotted
about and of course, balls everywhere…and where there was a ball, there was dog not very far away looking at you, then the ball, then you again, with very expectant eyes!
As we came to the end of our very enjoyable chat, there just remained the pinnacle of achievement to talk about, the crowning glory, the proof of the pudding and the confirmation that everything they were doing was going the right way… Kyle was very proud to say that last year Pooch’s Yard won the ‘Best Doggy Day Care Centre In The UK’ title at the Dog Friendly Awards!
And then, as we finally wound the meeting up, Kyle edged backwards, back towards the big roller shutter doors of the unit we’d just come out of.
‘Here’ he said, ‘this is where I like to stand.’ So I stood beside him, and understood why straight away.
There’s a slight incline up to the doorway which gives a heightened level of view, allowing you to see over the top of the fence at the end of the yard thus offering a panoramic view of Thetford in the distance in all its glorious beauty.
As a Thetford boy myself, he didn’t have to say anymore. Here was a happy man, in his happy place, surrounded by everything that made him happy.
Bringing your dog to Pooch’s Yard – Doggy Day Care centre is potentially one of the nicest things you could do for it.
Kyle and his team will treat it as a member of the family, as though it was one of their own pets, because that’s what they do best.
This was Kyle, making those near and dear to him proud, and giving something back to his town.
by Liz
Photography
Gibbons
Revolution, Steam, Heritage and Nostalgia
Thetford’s Treasures Unveiled: A Journey Through Four Museums
Written by Liz Gibbons
Our little market town of Thetford, boasts a fascinating history filled with remarkable figures. It was the birthplace of Boudicca - the formidable queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, Thomas Paine - the revolutionary thinker, inventor, and American Founding Father, Charles Burrell & Family - renowned industrialists who built their legacy here, while Prince Frederick (son of Maharaja Duleep Singh) - was a generous benefactor to the town, gifting the Ancient House Museum. From more recent times, who could forget Captain Mainwaringthe beloved fictional Home Guard captain from the nostalgic sitcom ‘Dad’s Army’?
In this article, I’ll lead you on a trail of the town’s offerings in the form of four intriguing museums, Thetford is indeed a treasure trove of history and heritage. I had the pleasure of speaking with some of the dedicated individuals who help run these establishments, and I hope to inspire you to explore the rich stories waiting to be discovered, right on your doorstep.
Thomas Paine Museum
Few local historical figures loom as large as Thomas Paine (1737 – 1809), the revolutionary thinker whose ideas helped shape modern democracy. Now, thanks to the passion and determination of local entrepreneur Gez Chetal and local historian Stuart Wright, Thetford finally has a museum dedicated to its famous son.
“We opened it about a year and a half ago,” Gez explains. “Stuart Wright, a member of the Thomas Paine Society, wrote all the narrative, and I designed it.” Gez wanted to create something, not just within the town but more specifically, inside the Thomas Paine Hotel. The walk-through exhibition is filled with historical insight, art, artefacts, facts, and immersive storytelling. “The corridor space within the hotel was ideal.” Gez continues, “Because, at the end of this corridor, the stairs lead up to the bedroom where some say Paine was born.” He goes on to explain that a further inspiration was the fact that, “Over a
‘Gex Chetal’ Photography by Mangus
hundred years ago, the New York Times suggested that Thetford should have a museum dedicated to Paine, so we decided we were going to make that happen.”
The museum has enjoyed strong support from across the Atlantic, reflecting Paine’s vital role in American history. “We got the Americans involved because of their deep connection with Paine’s legacy. They’ve been incredibly supportive and even helped us with the opening. We had 120 children from an elementary school come for the event,” Gez recalls. “It’s been quite a journey over the last 12 years since I acquired this place. When I first bought it, the building was derelict.” Looking around our beautiful setting, it’s hard to imagine that now. “Everything here is handpainted, and the narratives are carefully crafted. We even had a short film produced by a company based in LA to bring the story to life.”
Despite the enthusiasm behind the museum, the journey was not without its challenges. “One of the biggest hurdles was gathering all the memorabilia and writing the narrative,” says Gez. “Stuart took on the task of researching and writing everything. He’s one of the most wonderful people, doing this purely for the love of Thetford. We also had to secure funding, which wasn’t easy. However, thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we were able to make it happen.”
The museum is unique, not just in Thetford but globally. “We are the only hotel in Britain to have a museum inside it, and this is the only dedicated Thomas Paine Museum in the world,” Gez proudly states. “It’s cleverly designed, each display board has a QR code, so visitors from all over can scan, listen to the history, and even enjoy a glass of wine as they explore.” Gez Chetal has really considered everything that can be themed to provide an all-encompassing experience, there is even an option for an afternoon
tea inspired by Paine’s era.
As well as accommodating adults, Gez also considers the importance of school visits, providing children with an entire timeline learning experience of Paine’s life. Surprisingly, despite Paine’s pivotal role in shaping modern democracy, awareness of his contributions remain limited in Britain and Gez hopes to change this. “In the U.S., Thomas Paine is part of the school history curriculum,” he says. “Students learn about Paine alongside Roosevelt and Lincoln. Here in England, almost nobody knows who he was. That is why it’s so important for us to tell his story.”
Visitors interested in exploring the museum can do so by arranging a visit. “We’re not always open because the hotel is also a venue,” Gez explains. “But if people want to see the museum, they just need to call or email us. In fact, in two weeks, we have a coach of 40 ladies coming for lunch and a tour of the museum.”
Promotion has largely been driven by social media and word of mouth, particularly within the large American community at the nearby airbases. “There are 23,000 Americans stationed there,” says Gez. “Word spreads fast, and through them, the museum is reaching even more people.”
Looking ahead, Gez is keen to foster greater collaboration among local heritage sites. Some links are already established, which is encouraging to hear. With so many possibilities right on the doorstep that link together so well; Ancient House Museum, Charles Burrell Museum and Thetford Library, it seems that working together would be mutually beneficial. “It needs a co-ordinator. I’m enthusiastic about making things happen. I also run the local business awards, getting over 100 businesses involved, it’s all about bringing people together.”
Future plans for the museum are ambitious. “We’re
developing a Thomas Paine Heritage Trail that would lead from the hotel down to the bus station,” Gez reveals. “We also hold an annual event on the anniversary of Paine’s death and are planning themed weddings. We’re even hosting a special underground dinner for airbase commanders in our historic cellar, which stays a cool 12 degrees year-round.”
One particularly exciting addition is the on-site brewery. “We’ve started brewing our own Thomas Paine Ale in different batches,” says Gez. “It’s just another way of celebrating Paine’s legacy.”
With so much history, passion, and innovation packed into one place, the Thomas Paine Museum is another string to Thetford’s bow, a place for history lovers and curious visitors alike. “The main thing,” Gez emphasises, “is to get people to come here and learn about Thomas Paine.”
The Thomas Paine Hotel – In the Footsteps of Thomas Paine Museum 33 Whitehart Street, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 1AA
The Charles Burrell Steam Museum holds a special place in the history of Thetford, preserving the legacy of a company that once powered industries across the world. Housed in what was once the paint shop of the Charles Burrell works, the museum stands as a testament to an era when steam engines revolutionised agriculture, road construction, and entertainment. Charles Burrell & Sons were a manufacturer and exporter of farm equipment and steam engines,
including steamrollers, traction engines, showman’s engines, ploughing engines, and wagons. Each engine was bespoke, tailored to the customer’s exact specifications, making every machine unique. The paint shop itself, dating back to 1902, is a surviving piece of this industrial past and serves as a fitting home for the museum’s collection.
Beyond its engineering feats, the Charles Burrell company was known for the way it cared for its employees and their families. “They made sure that families had food and children had schooling, so they weren’t just looking after the employee, they were making sure the family was sustainable and cared for,” says Teresia Stock, Manager of the museum. This strong sense of community is something the museum team holds dear today. For those who work tirelessly to preserve its history, the museum is more than just a collection of artefacts; it is a living legacy. “Without Charles Burrell, we wouldn’t have these
‘Teresia Stock’ Photograph by Mangus
beautiful engines to look at, and without the museum, Thetford wouldn’t have the same recognition,” Teresia adds.
The museum plays a crucial role in keeping this legacy alive, and the team of 40 volunteers are constantly looking to improve and expand its offerings. Recent refurbishments have focused on the café area, located upstairs in the museum. “We decided to leave it where it was upstairs, as it provided a well-sealed space with minimal disruption to other exhibits,” Teresia explains. A wall was removed to create more space, and a new kitchen is being installed to expand the range of food options available. While the café remains accessible only by stairs, visitors can have food and drinks brought down to them at ground level. In addition to these upgrades, the museum has refreshed its display area, rearranging them for better readability and adding newly printed photographs. “We’re creating a proper timeline that’s more engaging and easier to read. We’re also looking into adding little audio recordings for different sections so visitors can hear snippets of history as they explore,” Teresia says.
One of the most intriguing mysteries in the museum’s history is the whereabouts of a silver cup awarded to Charles Burrell & Sons. “We have a board that mentions the cup, but we don’t actually know where it is. It was an achievement for the company, and it inspires me to try and find it,” Teresia says. The company’s roots stretch back as far as 1740, with notable developments recorded in 1770. This long and fascinating timeline is a source of inspiration for those working to preserve the museum’s legacy. The missing silver cup serves as a reminder of the company’s recognition for its excellence, fuelling the team’s passion for uncovering more about its history.
Preserving the history of steam power is not just about showcasing engines but also about engaging
future generations. “We operate a hands-on evening, led by the Engine Officer, where our volunteers of all ages carry out work on the engines, helping them to get a better understanding of how the engines work.” Teresia continues, “The engines also attend events with the volunteers learning how to operate them.”
Among the museum’s prized possessions is ‘Queen Mary,’ an 8-nominal horsepower Burrell Showman’s Road Locomotive built in 1920. Weighing around 21 tons, ‘Queen Mary’ was once used to transport fairground rides and generate electricity for them. “She would pull all the fair tackle in trucks behind her, then set up at a show and power the rides. She’s our showpiece,” Teresia says proudly. ‘Queen Mary’ is also available for special events. “She attended when my husband and I got married in back in October 2021, so she’s very special to us.”
Promoting the museum and attracting visitors is a key priority, volunteers help maintain the website and an active Facebook page, while word of mouth continues to be a strong promotional tool. Special events play a significant role in attracting visitors, with the official opening day of the season set for Easter Sunday, 20th April. “We’re going all out this year, we’ll have engines in steam, games for the children, an Easter Bunny, a magician, face painting (tbc), stalls, a tea, coffee and cake station, a tombola, a raffle and much more,” Teresia says smiling. “We’ll also have visiting classic cars, motorbikes, and miniature engines on display.”
Looking to the future, the museum is expanding its offerings to host coach trips, guided tours, and private bookings. “A private tour gives exclusive access to the museum, where a set menu for lunch can be available for guests,” Teresia explains. These bookings can be arranged through the museum’s website or by calling us directly. Talks and presentations have proved popular, with the
museum’s Engine Officer delivering talks at various clubs and societies.
In the past few years, the museum has hosted several visits, including school groups and private tours. “We want to put the museum in a better position, not just financially but physically and visually as well. We’re aiming to bring the building back to how it should be, within the constraints of being a grade 2 listed building. With dedication, passion, and ongoing support of Teresia and her team of volunteers, The Charles Burrell Steam Museum will remain a cherished part of Thetford’s story for years to come.
Re-opening Sunday 20th April Then Tuesdays and Saturdays 10-3pm
‘Oliver Bone’ Photography by Mangus
Ancient House Museum
The Ancient House Museum stands as a cherished testament to Thetford’s rich past, marking a century since its establishment. The story of how it came to be is deeply tied to the post-World War I era, a time when many in Norfolk felt compelled to preserve history for future generations.
“There must have been something in the air,” reflects Oliver Bone, curator of the museum. “It was a period when war memorials were being erected to honour those lost in the war. At the same time, tourism was beginning to develop, and motoring was becoming more popular, making Thetford a destination of interest.”
The museum’s origins can be traced back to the 19th century Mechanics’ Institute, an initiative aimed at providing education and welfare for working people. The institute housed a reading room, lectures, and exhibits that showcased the pre-history of the Breckland area. Some of the Ancient House Museum’s earliest collections originated from the Mechanics’ Institute, dating back to the late Victorian period.
Among the key figures who played a role in the museum’s founding was Prince Frederick Duleep Singh (1868 – 1926). “Prince Frederick was passionate about local history,” says Oliver. The Prince gifted Ancient House to the people of Thetford in 1924. “He, along with W.G. Clark, who coined the term ‘Breckland,’ helped shape the early days of the museum.”
As part of the museum’s centenary celebrations, a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has allowed for new displays and exhibits that highlight the connections to the Duleep Singh family. Plans are also underway for a temporary exhibition next year
that will delve into Prince Frederick Duleep Singh’s life and contributions, alongside long-term displays about the Princes and Princesses linked to Thetford’s history.
Walking through the museum today, visitors can appreciate not only its collections but also the building itself. “In many ways, our best exhibit is the house,” Oliver notes. “It’s a wonderfully preserved structure dating back to around 1490, with each room having its own unique character. One of the favourite spaces among visitors is the old kitchen, which really exudes history.”
Among the museum’s treasured items is a taxidermy specimen of a great bustard, gifted by Prince Frederick. “These were the largest flying birds, once native to the Breckland Heaths, and now an important part of our collection,” says Oliver. Another significant piece is the death mask of Thomas Paine, the Thetford-born writer whose works, including ‘Rights of Man’ and ‘Common Sense,’ were among the most influential publications of the 18th century.
Over the years, the museum’s collection has grown and evolved. “Different eras have seen different approaches to collecting,” Oliver explains. “In the early days, taxidermy was a popular way to document wildlife, whereas in recent years, metal detecting has played a key role in uncovering historical artefacts.” Notable finds include Roman silver coins known as ‘siliquae’ found near the site of the Thetford Treasure, a collection of late Roman gold jewellery and inscribed silver spoons.
The museum underwent a major refurbishment between 2004 and 2006, thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and local authorities. “One of the surprises we encountered was an old well,” says Oliver. “It was marked on 1880s survey plans, but it wasn’t until we started work that we had
to decide what to do with it. Rather than covering it over, we turned it into an exhibit.” The well can be found in the gift shop section and is topped with glass, allowing visitors to peer down into the depths. Oliver goes on to say, “We found some curious items at the bottom: pots, pans, beer bottles, and even a small cooker.” Although we will never know the real reason why these items were in there, Oliver conjectures that, “perhaps they were remnants from the time when piped water was introduced to Thetford in the 1870s.”
As the museum embarks on its 100th year, Oliver Bone considers the anniversary as a momentous occasion for the museum and its staff. “A centenary is a significant milestone,” Oliver reflects. “It’s a time to look back at how far we’ve come but also to consider our future and how we continue serving the people of Thetford and visitors to the town.” A special celebration took place on 11th December 2024, featuring a play by the museum’s after-school History Club, which re-enacted the events leading up to the museum’s opening in 1924. “It was wonderful to see young children, as well as older members of the community, involved in the festivities,” he adds.
projects like a murder mystery event, which was a fantastic way to bring history to life while also helping them develop in confidence.”
Beyond young learners, the museum also offers programs for older generations. “We have a strong Friends Organisation that hosts monthly talks and a group dedicated to traditional crafts like knitting, spinning, and textile work,” says Oliver. “History and heritage can contribute to the town’s economy as well, attracting visitors who also spend in local shops, cafes, and hotels.”
Looking ahead, the museum remains committed to preserving and sharing Thetford’s rich heritage. “We’re fortunate to have a museum traineeship program, and soon, we’ll be welcoming trainees to explore Thetford’s other historical sites, including the ‘Dad’s Army’ Museum and the Charles Burrell Museum,” Oliver shares. “Bringing these elements together helps create a critical mass of attractions, making Thetford an even more compelling place to visit.”
As the Ancient House Museum embarks on its second century, it continues to evolve while staying true to its original purpose: preserving the past, engaging the present, and inspiring future generations.
Engaging younger generations remains a key priority for the museum. “We do a lot of work with schools and home-educated children,” Oliver explains. “We run after-school clubs for primary children and our ‘Kick the Dust’ group for teenagers.” He goes on to tell me about their events. “They’ve taken part in
Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life, White Hart Street, Thetford, IP24 1AA
Open 10am-4pm Tuesday – Saturday
by Mangus
‘Stuart Wright“Now listen everyone, I have some very important news”’
Photography
Dad’s Army Museum
Nestled in the heart of Thetford, the Dad’s Army Museum stands as a proud testament to one of Britain’s most beloved television series. Its origins, however, are as humble as the Home Guard it commemorates. Stuart Wright, one of the key figures behind the museum, recalls how it all began.
“The series was filmed from 1968 to 1977. As a child, I saw it being filmed, and I even took some photographs with my brand-new camera. But at the time, we didn’t fully appreciate what was happening around us,” Stuart reminisces. It was not until the ‘Dad’s Army’ Appreciation Society, which was not based in Thetford, started documenting filming locations and holding gatherings that the idea of a museum began to take shape.
In 2000, the society was looking for a home for its collection of memorabilia. Although Thetford initially hesitated, the Bressingham Steam Museum provided a display area, as they had some connections to the show, including a few steam engines and a fire engine featured in an episode. However, in 2004, funding allowed for the creation of a ‘Dad’s Army’ walking trail in Thetford, a leaflet that Stuart helped put together.
“We started by doing guided tours and by 2007, the interest had grown so much that we approached the council for a space to display some photographs. We were offered a room in what used to be the old fire station, and that’s how the museum started,” Stuart explains. The museum officially opened in December 2007, with David Croft, one of the show’s writers, performing the inauguration. Initially, it was only open for tours, but the overwhelming demand soon led to regular monthly openings, and later, weekly ones.
“It became a monster that needed feeding,” Stuart jokes. To sustain the museum financially, they started
charging for walking tours while keeping museum entry free. “We saw how the Charles Burrell Museum benefitted from free admission, people were more likely to visit, and donations made up for the lack of an entry fee. We wanted to welcome as many people as possible.”
The museum’s evolution has been remarkable. In 2010, a major milestone was reached with the unveiling of the Captain Mainwaring statue. “I realised that the tour needed a proper photo opportunity,” Stuart says. “So, we commissioned local sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn to provide a statue of Mainwaring on a bench by the town bridge. It really caught the public’s imagination, and we raised the funds through events, donations and by selling miniature versions of the statue.” The statue’s unveiling was a grand affair, attended by the show’s creators and surviving cast members.
Then, in 2012, an iconic piece of ‘Dad’s Army’ history became available, Jones’ van. “The van had been at the Patrick Motor Museum in Birmingham for about 30 years. When it came up for auction, we knew we had to have it,” Stuart eagerly recalls. Local families stepped in to help fund the purchase, and the museum secured it for quite a large sum of money. “It’s our shop window, really. We take it to events, and people love seeing it. We took it to the London Lord Mayor’s procession and more recently to the NEC. It does need ongoing maintenance, but it’s worth it.”
Over the years, the museum has continued to grow. New artefacts have been added, including Walker’s tunic and Arthur Lowe’s glasses, which are on longterm loan. “Visitors love the interactive elements,” Stuart says. “The Captain’s desk mock-up is a favourite spot for photos, just like the statue.”
The enduring popularity of ‘Dad’s Army’ is no surprise to Stuart Wright. “It’s timeless. The jokes were already
Photography by Marcus Leeder
VEHICLE HIRE
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20 years old when the show aired, and they still hold up today. It’s good family viewing, there’s slapstick for the kids, clever wordplay for the adults and social commentary woven throughout. You still hear people quoting the show, ‘Don’t panic!’, and ‘We’re doomed!’ It’s part of British culture.”
The museum is currently undergoing a refurbishment to enhance the visitor experience. “The biggest visual change is the phone box outside,” Stuart shares. “There’s an episode where the platoon all cram into a phone box, so we thought visitors would enjoy recreating that scene.” Behind the scenes, improvements have been made to storage areas and the website is being updated for easier access to information.
One of the museum’s newest features further supports its guided tours. “We’ve invested in earpiece systems for our vintage bus tours, which allow visitors to hear commentary despite the vehicle’s noise.” Stuart also goes on to say that visitors can download a tour from the website by clicking on the headphones symbol. “The self-guided visits allow people to experience a piece of ‘Dad’s Army’ even when the museum is closed.”
Running the museum is a labour of love, supported by a dedicated team of around 30 volunteers. “We need a good number of people just to keep things running smoothly, someone to meet and greet, someone in the shop, and someone floating to help.” Stuart goes on to say that even though not everyone can commit to a full shift, the volunteers offer what time they can and it covers the time the museum is open.
As the museum continues to evolve, it remains dedicated to preserving the legacy of ‘Dad’s Army’. “Every year, new artefacts come in, new stories are shared and we find ways to enhance the experience for visitors,” Stuart says. “We see ourselves as the
guardians of a national treasure.” Since its original broadcast in 1968, the show has remained a beloved part of British culture and the museum ensures that its humour and heart will live on for generations to come.
The Old Fire Station - ‘Dad’s Army’ Museum, Cage Lane, Thetford, IP24 2DS 07470165795
Saturday 10am-3pm plus Sundays in July & August 10am-1pm
Walking tours 2025 (£15)
April 13th, 27th. June 8th, 22nd. July 6th, August 10th, 24th, September 14th, 28th, October 12th
Coach tours 2025 (£45)
March 29th, April 19th, June 7th, June 28th, August 16th, September 20th, October 25th
‘Nicky’ Photography by Mangus
Sound and Ground
From corporate to contemplation
Written by Joanne Lock
Just before 6pm on a Friday evening in late September, I found myself sitting on a bench under a beautiful maple tree by the carpark at Lynford Arboretum wondering what my evening held in store.
At that time of evening there were few people around, a group of runners, one or two dog walkers and that was about it until a woman approached and asked me if I was here for the forest bathing before introducing herself as Nicky our forest guide for the evening.
There was nothing hippie or new age about Nicky, dressed in an outdoor shell jacket, jumper, walking trousers and shoes.
When the rest of the group had arrived the four of us headed out into the arboretum where we would
spend the next two and a half hours exploring, looking and thinking about our surroundings in an entirely different way.
After a brief walk we reached our first stop where Nicky invited us to take out our mats and to sit with her under the canopy of trees. Before inviting us to lie down for a guided meditation, Nicky explained forest bathing to us and the science behind why spending time in a forest is so good for us.
Charles E Schaefer was an American psychologist, considered by many as the father of play therapy and a well known quote from him says “we are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.”
Sitting underneath the trees, Nicky encouraged us
to spend a few moments to play and to find ways to engage our senses. One of the suggestions was to find a stick on the forest floor and use it to dig in the soil and then to sniff the soil and to really think and consider the smell.
We meditated, then continued walking and while we did Nicky invited us to run our hands over the grasses, to stop and listen to the sounds around us and look at all the different colours in the trees, the sky and the changing light.
Before our evening concluded with a moonlit walk along a path leading back to the carpark, the group stopped off in a clearing where Nicky had laid down a rug and placed on it a basket and a small selection of instruments for a sound bath and around all of this there were some little sparkling white fairy lights.
Nicky invited us to lay down on our mats, cover ourselves with our blankets for the sound bath, afterwards we discovered that the basket contained blackberry and pine needle tea and a sweet but healthy snack for us all to enjoy.
I realised how present I had been during the session and felt completely relaxed. The feeling of overwhelm which seems to be constantly with me was gone and I felt like I could achieve anything I put my mind to.
I am always curious about people and after the session I couldn’t help wondering how someone like Nicky, who during the session talked about the science behind forest bathing, sound practices and made references to some of the corporate wellbeing work she has been involved with came to be a forest guide and sound practitioner.
Four months after my forest bathing experience, I met up with Nicky to find out.
Before becoming a mum during lockdown Nicky worked in a corporate environment, as a corporate headhunter for the recruitment industry where she worked long hours, made even longer by her daily commute to Cambridge.
When it was time for us all to part company in the carpark, Nicky handed us all a small scroll of paper each containing a different and thoughtful quote.
As I made my way home for the first time in ages,
It was a highly competitive, deadline driven and target orientated world where you didn’t want to show any vulnerability and be seen as weak.
There was no time to relax, as weekends were taken up by catching up with everything that needed to be done at home.
Nicky had been practicing yoga for around 15 - 20 years and before discovering yoga nidra practiced the more hardcore styles including hot yoga to alleviate the stress of her working day. Nicky found that by the time her mind had cycled through what had gone on during the day and she was starting to file it away and relax, the class would be finishing and the period of relaxation at the end went too quickly.
While working in Cambridge, Nicky went to a sound bath which featured yoga nidra and found a practice where she could let go and she left the session feeling refreshed.
After a difficult and anxious pregnancy. In May 2020 during the first lockdown Nicky gave birth to her daughter. During the difficult pregnancy Nicky was fortunate to be able to attend pregnancy yoga due to her job. She realises that not everyone is as fortunate, the nearest pregnancy yoga Nicky could find was held in Bury St Edmunds and not everyone can travel, afford or take time off from work to access these sessions that helped Nicky so much.
It was already a really anxious time, the pandemic was still in its early stages and everyone was still adjusting to the first lockdown and after a difficult birth, Nicky’s difficulties continued to accumulate.
Nicky had no support network, she didn’t know anyone in the area, had elderly parents and her husband worked during the day. Even if she did have a support network, they wouldn’t have been able to help during lockdown. In addition to the lack of support Nicky was also diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and her daughter was a high need baby who needed constant contact through attachment and stimulation.
Adjusting to life as a new mum and finding that for
the first time she had no structure to her day and also needing a way to settle her daughter, Nicky went walking in the forest three times a day. She found that setting a specific and slow pace with the buggy really did settle her daughter who would start off screaming and then fall asleep five minutes later.
Nicky also found that it was a good way to manage her anxiety and recalled how therapeutic nature was from the time she had a horse to care for which meant spending many hours outside all year round, observing all the seasonal changes and through this feeling a sense of alignment and connection.
Having built up such a close bond with her daughter, gained a new perspective and experienced such a fast track connection to nature during her maternity leave, all of this combined with chronic pain related to giving birth meant that Nicky would struggle with sitting at a desk for prolonged periods and returning to work would have a negative impact on her mental health and Nicky made the decision not to return once her maternity leave had ended.
During her maternity leave she researched options and decided that she wanted to help others with offerings that make well-being more accessible and was passionate in filling the gap she had found in Thetford for specialist pre and post natal yoga.
Nicky committed to her studies and did 100 hours of meditation teacher training, specialising in yoga nidra, obtained qualifications in sound therapy and a forest bathing qualification from the Forest Bathing Institute. More recently, she has also completed a specialist yoga training for pregnancy and postpartum.
Sound and Ground have a variety of offerings to explore, including forest bathing, sound baths, yoga nidra and meditation and pregnancy and post natal
POWER CLEAN
No matter who you are, there are benefits to be found for everyone within these offerings. Nicky appreciates that there are many misconceptions around sound baths - especially when sessions are themed around chakras, a specific belief system or theme where you could potentially feel that this wouldn’t be for you because this doesn’t match your belief system or you’re ‘doing it wrong’ if you don’t feel a particular physical sensation. In addition, there are sometimes practical barriers to accessing these types of practices such as location and cost.
With this in mind, Nicky’s approach is simple, we are all just walking each other home. Nicky creates and holds spaces that are cosy, accessible, and culturally neutral. Everyone is welcome and all are equal, most of all these spaces are nurturing and supportive. Nicky appreciates that healing naturally can be unique and different to each person, and all experiences are valid and supported within the held spaces.
Sound and Ground’s offerings take place in a number of different places and spaces in Thetford and surrounding areas and as part of mitigating cost as a barrier to accessing the offerings when and where possible Nicky seeks to work with organisations who provide funded spaces for wellness sessions or to run sessions as part of community events.
Previously Nicky has worked with Keystone to run sessions at the Abbey Centre and last year ran six birdsong sound baths for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) which were free to the general public.
Nicky’s hopes for the future would be to continue to
do more community work with like minded partners to help people to overcome cost as a barrier to accessing wellbeing.
A long term ambition would be to open a dedicated community wellness space. Like the flora of the forest in their wood wide web Nicky believes in being stronger and better together and the aim of the space would be to provide a holistic approach to wellbeing bringing together wellness practitioners in one place to encourage a collaborative approach.
If you are an existing business with an unused space / room or owner of a space that might be suitable, Nicky would love to hear from you. Ideally Nicky is looking for a ground floor space with good accessibility.
More about Sound and Grounds offerings can be found here https://soundandground.co.uk/
‘Damara’ Photography by Mangus
A Drama in Damara
Boosting self-confidence, and fostering a sense of belonging.
Written by Craig Plumley
Ireally didn’t know what to expect when I was invited to visit The Damara School. A small, inclusive, but strangely elite school sitting right in the heart of Thetford. Can something be inclusive and elite? This is one for the philosophy enthusiasts among you, but I believe The Damara School has managed both, to their credit. The Damara School is an independent institution catering to children with special educational needs. There is an ever growing demand for schools that offer a different approach to the standard educational environments.
The Damara School nuzzles under the umbrella of The Lotus Academy Trust, an organisation created to support the changing educational needs of students,
particularly vulnerable children and young people.
Being a theatre practitioner at Magic Floor Productions, I had arranged to bring in fellow practitioner Katie Bird to have a little fun with the students. It seemed appropriate to mix some creative writing with a little drama. Katie’s background is community outreach projects and developing children’s and adults’ creativity in theatre. A perfect combination for this assignment.
We were met at reception by a very enthusiastic and clearly capable Chief Executive Sandra Govender, or rather fondly known as Mrs G. If I was to describe The Damara School as a person, then Mrs G is clearly
the head and heart. She oozes passion, confidence and knowledge. When entering the building and the environment that Mrs G and her team have created, you would be hard pushed to not notice how hard everyone had been working since its conception in 2019. The Damara School officially opened their doors in June 2021, and has been steadily building their student numbers up. The school caters now for over 30 pupils and is still growing.
After a very warm welcome by Mrs G and the reception staff, we were taken into their common room school area. I would describe it as a large classroom, living space with a kitchen area, with offices off it. A very friendly space, with lots of beaming smiles as we entered. There was an excited nervousness from the students as Mrs G introduced both Katie and myself. Creating theatre and seeing youngsters express themselves is an absolute joy,
and we could see these pupils were keen to get started and so were we.
During our creative writing workshops we like to begin with some drama. It helps the mind and body relax, which allows a more honest atmosphere, which in turn allows self expression and creativity to explode. Engagement in the arts has been shown to have a profound impact on young people, particularly those that face social challenges or are outside of mainstream educational settings. Participating in drama and creative writing can help with communication skills, boost self-confidence, and foster a sense of belonging.
We were guided upstairs to a large hall on the top floor of the building. This was our drama space and we were ready to play. Katie’s drama games had the youngsters excited. I watched on as the young
performers became different shapes and then different characters and lots of laughter followed. Drama is such a leveller in many respects, you don’t have to be a genius with numbers, a whizz with words, super sporty or even a social butterfly to express yourself. Drama explores so many emotions that everyone has something to add, and therefore everything to gain.
So having wound them up to a fever pitch with fun and games, it was time to have an energy reset with a different task. The Bubbly Hub encourages creative writing from its writers and is a fabulous medium for budding writers to express themselves. So what better way to complete our experience than with just that!
Katie, having a captive, and extremely well-behaved audience, gave out suggestions for a framework for their mini masterpieces. You may think a school that caters for children with special educational needs might be chaotic and have a disruptive energy, or at least in my naivety I thought that. However it couldn’t have been further from the truth. I’m quite sure that the school will have different challenges throughout a term but the direct care and focus that they are able to give, and the leadership from Mrs G and the head Ms Kate Haley, pays off by producing some very well adjusted and rounded students. They really were a delight.
Like all creative projects you have to remove all rules and obstacles and just put pen to paper. We had cartoons, long essays, drawings, and lots of creative discussion. The students demonstrated great skills in collaboration and sharing ideas. It was a hive of quiet activity while brains whirred, and imagination wandered.
By the end of our visit we had not only fallen in love
with this wonderful institution, but also decided that we would like to help the staff and the students with ongoing drama projects. During our day we saw such dedication and kindness from the staff. These partnerships like the one between Magic Floor Productions and the Lotus Trust exemplifies the positive outcomes that arise when creative arts are introduced into educational settings, especially for the students that benefit from an alternative approach to learning.
It would be remiss not to include a snippet selection of the stories, created over the two days by the talented bunch of 7 -13 year olds that we had the pleasure of meeting.
‘The evening started in the police station. The police alongside investigators were gathering evidence from the sighting of the Rake, planning where to investigate first…’
‘One normal day Hana and her superhero friend Amey were watching TV and eating chips. Then the news came on. ‘Mrs G found a bomb and is setting it off tonight at 5:00 oclock so get to safety”, said the news agent. ‘
‘One Sunny day Maisy and her friend Vicky were at a calming meadow, eating their favourite strawberry cheesecake. When suddenly they heard a rumbling noise. RUMBLE RUMBLE. Soon they heard a massive CRASH!!!... ‘
‘Once upon a time a boy called Alfie was at home with his pet, Bob the alien. Alfie was hungry so they ordered a pizza and put coffee on it and liked it. So they went crazy and ate more and more….’
‘We would like to thank the hospitality of The Damara school, Mrs Govender, Ms Haley, the staff and all the fabulous students.’
The Medusa Project Thetford
The Nuns’ Axe & Triangle, Retail Therapy, and Colt: the long ranger?
Photography, maps and written by
Bob Blogg
Firstly: The Nuns’ Axe & Triangle Mobility Scooter Test Track.
Isaid I would reveal the details of the test track in the last issue, so here they are. Before anyone gets on their high horse and starts shouting that: we can’t race around there like maniacs; it’s a public area and not a private race circuit for goodness sake; and that a dose of military service will do us the world of good! Please bear in mind that we are not really racing, we are just enjoying the environment like everyone else, chatting to the walkers and patting the doggies.
Yes we might hit a giddying 8mph, even 9mph, on the Nunnery Straight but that’s our limit.
Basically, it’s a very nice area around the Nuns’ Bridges and the Little Ouse River with all sorts of different surfaces that are ideal for testing your mobility scooter’s abilities on.
It’s also a lovely place to take a picnic.
So, on that note, let me give you a guided tour of the circuit.
It starts, appropriately enough, in Picnic Straight. This is a nice smooth asphalt pathway and we put our start line (a strip of chequered duct tape that we put in the bin afterwards) right by the picnic bench so our officials can sit, eat, supervise and snooze away happily in the sunshine.
From here you soon reach what we are calling the Traffic Turning which is directly opposite Spring Walk. At this junction, you need to turn left and go over the Nuns’ Crossing. This is where you have to be cautious on your scooter.
It is a pinch point, and there can be a lot of cars rushing up and down here depending on the time of day.
But I have found that drivers are always kindly giving
way, or waving happily if I give way.
Once you are over the Nun’s Crossing, you are on the Nunnery Straight. This is the fastest part of the circuit and the only road section. It’s good for all mobility scooters but make sure you watch out for any traffic coming out of Mill Lane as you pass the turning.
In only about a hundred yards, you arrive at the BTO Bends.
This is the entrance way to the BTO (the British Trust for Ornithology) so keep an eye out for any cars entering or exiting their car park.
From here we will take the first bend and turn into the Dog’s Run. This is a good test of your scooter’s turning circle as it is a very sharp bend, practically a U turn.
This is another nice asphalt path and often has people walking their dogs so make sure you keep an eye out for any.
It might even be worth putting some biscuits in your pocket!
The Dog’s Run is part of the ‘handle’ of the Nuns’ Axe but also the first side of the Nuns’ Triangle.
The apex of this triangle or the axe’s armpit if you like, is called Just A Corner.
Despite its name, quite a lot happens at this corner. It is the entrance to the Nunnery Bridges Car Park; it has a really nasty kerb, which we have called Boot Scooter Bump which is a challenge if you have just arrived in your car and jumped on your boot scooter; it also has a couple of bollards to avoid between the Dog’s Run and what we call Washboard Way; but it does have a tiny, muddy off-road bit that we call the Cut that allows you to dodge these bollards.
We have outlined a track around here that we have called the boot lace. Later in the year we will test our boot scooters around here. It seems an appropriate
place as a lot of people would park their cars there and unload their little scooters prior to exploring the area and heading off to town down Spring Walk.
Anyway, we have arrived in Washboard Way. Keep your wits about you because this is a car park but it is also a fascinating surface. It is primarily gravel with a lot of sections that just expose the underlying bare wire grid (the gravel’s long gone). It’s a good place to test your mobility scooter on an unpredictable surface.
We now arrive at Crooked Corner. If we were just doing the Nuns’ Axe circuit, we would turn left here onto the Lido Leap, but if we are doing the Nuns’ Axe and Triangle, we must turn right and go up Off-road Alley and then repeat the Dog’s Run and Washboard Way first.
Off-road Alley, while not very long, is a serious test of your scooter’s off-roading capabilities, shock absorption and suspension. Depending on the time of year, it can be a treacherous ice rink, a mud slide or an impenetrable jungle!
I certainly wouldn’t try and take my boot scooter up here and I would think twice before taking a pavement scooter there. However, some pavement scooters do have good suspension, such as wishbone, so maybe?
Anyway, once you have made it up Off-road Alley, you reach the second BTO Bend and can complete the triangle until you get back to Crooked Corner.
Then turn right and go ambling over the Lido Leap. This is a great little footbridge.
I am not sure what it is made of but it echoes and rumbles nicely as you drive over it. It’s got great views over the Little Ouse River. The area on the right used to be the Thetford Lido, hence
the name.
I’m not sure about swimming in it now, but I know a lot of kids go paddling just a few hundred yards away, alongside Spring Walk, so it might be fine. You are more likely to see a fisherman there now rather than a swimmer.
Once over the bridge, you have reached Bambi Bend. As well as meeting walkers and dogs as you come around this corner, you have a very good chance of meeting a wee muntjac deer, also known as barking deer, as you go around this bend. Proceed with caution.
And now we are back where we started in Picnic Straight so all you have to do is cross the finish line, wake up the officials and have lunch.
Tigga did the circuit in a gentle 3 minutes 51 seconds. If you fancy taking your mobility scooter around the course, I would be very interested to hear what scooter you are on and your lap time. It is also a nice way of learning about your mobility scooter and you could even be the star in a reasonable price mobility scooter!
While we are here, I will also mention Acceleration Avenue.
This is a little pathway that is just opposite the end of Spring Walk and doesn’t lead anywhere. It was built a few years ago but I have no idea why. However it is just perfect for testing our mobility scooters braking.
We just use a bit of our trusty chequered duct tape to mark a braking point and then whiz up to it and apply the brakes. Obviously, if you had complete brake failure, you would end up in the river, but that’s all part of the fun.
Anyway, I have been prattling on long enough. Let’s get serious for a moment.
We said we were going to seriously start reviewing some mobility scooters, and we have.
Of course I had to start with my faithful Tigga. Or, to give him his proper name, a TGA Vita 4. He is the benchmark against which other scooters will be judged.
You can see our first proper mobility scooter review here, and watch Tigga try out his brakes on Acceleration Avenue and set the first lap time on the Nuns’ Axe and Triangle Mobility Scooter Test Track. This QR code links to a playlist and I will add all future reviews and tests to this list, so keep it handy.
Secondly: Retail Therapy
It’s been a long winter and I was going stir crazy at home, so I jumped on my trusty boot scooter, Tiglet, and went shopping.
I wanted to go into the shops and browse, not gaze in the windows and get my nose stuck to the glass in the freezing cold like a kid dreaming of Christmas.
I found that pretty much all the shops in the centre of Thetford were suitable for boot scooters and most for pavement scooters as well.
I also discovered that it is very tricky eating bacon rolls with your gloves on!
They say a picture paints a thousand words, so I will let the image above do just that.
I have filmed in even more shops that my picture shows
but these videos are still in the ‘can’ so to speak. In fact this ‘can’ is more like a giant oil barrel at the moment.
That’s quite a convenient analogy as I have the Works, the coffee shop and the woollen mill still in the pipeline among others.
If you need some quick retail therapy while you are having a short tea break at work, scan the QR code on the left.
All the videos are a minute long and in same format as Tiktok, Instagram or Snapchat. They are actually Youtube Shorts!
If you want to leisurely shop of an evening, in full 4K Widescreen, whilst sipping wine with your feet up on the sofa, scan the QR code on the right.
If you haven’t got a QR code reader, you can find all the videos by following this link.
www.youtube.com/@TheMedusaProjectThetford
Finally: Colt: the long ranger?
On the seventh of March the sun came out and I went as mad as a March hare.
Adrian and I had been busily looking at our various scooters ready to review and test them, and I had
my new scooter: a Pride Colt Executive road mobility scooter.
I was therefore buzzing with ideas and, after having recently raced Tigga, my TGA Vita 4 scooter around our test track, I was itching to go somewhere new and do something.
So I thought what a wonderful opportunity to take Colt out and seriously give him a test drive. I bought him because I wanted a mobility scooter with a long range and I was told that he could do up to 30 miles on a single charge, depending on batteries. The manufacturer’s basic claim seems to be 26 miles.
It’s hard, in the Thetford area, to find suitable roads to drive a mobility scooter that distance but I decided:
he’s a road scooter; I’m going to Brandon for lunch at the Ram; I’m visiting High Lodge; and I’m coming back through Thetford Forest before rejoining the Brandon Road just after the golf course. Total distance 15.5 miles give or take a few hundred yards.
Let’s go!
I had already done about four miles: Old Market Street to Sainsbury and back earlier in the day to get my shopping (more retail therapy), but I had plenty still to spare in the tank, or so I thought!
That made a grand total of 19.5; let’s say 20 miles to be fair.
So does my scooter do what it says on the tin? Well... I had a great adventure finding out.
I love driving my mobility scooter out on the road. Not the motorway obviously, but a nice road out in the countryside is lovely. Most people wouldn’t call the B1107 a nice road in the country but, in Thetford, it is the closest we have that isn’t an A road. There is the Croxton Road that is a B road but it doesn’t go into the forest, it by-passes it.
Anyway, I’m getting off track. I just wanted to drive somewhere, so I whizzed up to Brandon, enjoying the sense of freedom that most people get in their cars, and had lunch in the Ram Hotel. I then drove back and turned off the B1107 when I got to the High Lodge turning.
I admit that not many people would want to undertake this journey on a mobility scooter, and a lot of people would probably call it reckless. But, it’s one of my very big buts; I am driving a road legal mobility scooter on a B road.
It’s a class 3 mobility scooter designed and equipped for road use. Class 3 mobility scooters are also registered with the DVLA. In other words, they are perfectly legal vehicles and you can drive them on most roads as long as you are sensible about it.
But, back to my big but, no one does test drive mobility scooters on the road, and the range claimed by the manufacturers is just a guesstimate.
So, how did Colt do, just roaming on the range? It’s quite appropriate that the intro music in his videos is the William Tell Overture, the Lone Ranger theme tune!
... He certainly didn’t make 26 miles In fact he didn’t make 20!
He crawled to a halt just before the exit from the forest on the Brandon Road.
As I said earlier I had calculated the distance I needed
to do to be about 20 miles. Colt managed about 16 miles in total. It’s quite a good range for a mobility scooter, but not quite what it says on the tin.
I was lucky enough to limp to the forest exit and call a cab. Colt spent the night sleeping in the forest and came back in style the following day on the back of a recovery truck!
You can see the whole adventure here.
Happy scootering
something truly extraordinary
In the world of flooring installation, there are projects that stand out as true testaments to skill, precision, and dedication. One such endeavor involved fitting herringbone Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) at an exceptionally high standard after an extensive amount of preparation. The task?
Transforming a floor that had previously been a maze of different levels and channels, necessitated by new pipe work and walls being demolished.
Before laying a single tile, the groundwork was laid— quite literally. The team embarked on a journey of preparation, smoothing out the surface, filling ingaps, and leveling out discrepancies. Each imperfection was addressed, ensuring a flawless canvas for the intricate herringbone pattern that would soon grace the space.
The complexity of the project lay not only in achieving a smooth surface but also in navigating the intricacies of the herringbone design. Precision was paramount; each tile had to be carefully placed to ensure perfect alignment and symmetry. The herringbone pattern, with its interlocking angles, demanded unwavering attention to detail and a steady hand.
Despite the challenges posed by the uneven terrain of the existing floor, the team persevered, their dedication unwavering. Countless hours were spent measuring, cutting, and laying tiles with a precision
that bordered on artistry. Each tile was not just a piece of flooring but a testament to craftsmanship and expertise.
As the project neared completion, the transformation was nothing short of astounding. What was once a patchwork of uneven surfaces had been reborn as a seamless expanse of herringbone LVT, evidence of the team’s skill and dedication. The once disparate levels and channels were now seamlessly integrated, proof of meticulous preparation that preceded the installation.
The end result was not just a floor but a masterpiece—to the artistry and dedication of those who had brought it to life. It stood as a reminder that with patience, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence, even the most challenging of projects could be transformed into something truly extraordinary.
Photo shoot Collaboration
Something a little different this edition. Our team descended upon an amazing location, right in the heard of our lovely town of Thetford, and met up with the amazing volunteers at The Charles Burrell Steam Museum.
We brought with us the delightful model Mia, who became an unofficial Engineers apprentice for the day.
The museum kindly opened its doors to our team, prior to their official opening, to take a few fun photographs around the museum.
Irena Volunge was again with us, taking on the role of artistic director, fine tuning the fitting of the clothing and accessories.
Peter from Chloe’s Jewellers was on set deciding which jewellery best suited each scenario.
Eva and Ferdinand worked tirelessly in the background ensuring lighting was best positioned.
Some of the volunteers took a quick break from their volunteering to pose alongside our apprentice for a few fun photographs.
We would like to thank Teresia and her team for allowing us this amazing opportunity, and in return we hope these photographs may encourage some of the folk of Thetford to pay a visit to the museum when it opens again for the season this coming Easter Sunday. People travel from far and wide to visit the museum, but there are many who live here who are yet to pay a visit.
The opening day planning is in full swing and sounds like it is going to be a fun day for young and old alike.
The Team
Wardrobe - Heritage Workware
Wardrobe Director - Irena Volunge @irenavolunge
Models - Mia Londyn @mialondyn, Volunteers (Themselves)
Photography/Wardrobe Assistants - Eva and Ferdinand
‘DJ Phurty’ Photography by Mangus
Thank Funk for DJ Phurty
Pete Hurt – DJ and Mix Master
Written by Andy Greenhouse
Pete Hurt’s family moved from London to Thetford in the 70’s as part of the wider ‘overspill’ exodus that started coming here in the 60’s.
But it wasn’t until the early 80’s, when he was around 12 years old, that his musical journey got off to a spluttering start. He remembers his older sister trying to get him into Ska music. Bands such as The Specials and Bad Manners were her favourites, and she even bought him a Harrington jacket so he could look the part, but as much as he tried and appreciative as he was of her efforts, he found that he wasn’t really that interested by it all.
His epiphany came when he heard the song ‘Buffalo Gals’ by Malcolm Mclaren when it came on the TV. It definitely wasn’t Ska, but there was something about it that just drew him in, stoking his interest to wonder how the sound was created. It was his introduction to scratching and the full blown start of his journey.
Not long after, he bought his first music in Woolworths. It was the soundtrack to the film ‘Beat Street’ and he’d play it constantly on his Walkman. Strangely, thinking back to it, he remembers not really liking the rapping on
the tracks, as it was the scratching that really intrigued him. But playing it brought him the street cred and acceptance from older kids at school which meant a lot at the time.
From that moment, along with the rising popularity of scratching and rap, Pete had found his scene and started to get heavily into break-dancing. Before long he and a few friends got together and formed the Thetford Breakers.
They would head into town and congregate in the ‘Boots Square’ which was part of the pedestrian precinct in front of the Boots shop in King Street. With their trusty boom box stereo and a big patch of lino which they’d spread on the ground, they would pump up the volume and take it in turns to give their bodies a spin and show off their break-dancing skills to the gathered crowds of bemused Thetfordian citizens. With tag names such as B Boy P, Devious D and Sherlock A, Pete and his friends continued to delight Thetford’s shoppers on a regular basis.
Getting a hold of new music proved to be a difficult task though. The much-missed record shop that was
once in the town, Hi Tension, was their only source and even then, the hip-hop section was very limited and was usually expensive import copies. They found themselves listening to the late night John Peel shows on Radio 1 to get their fix, as John was renowned for playing new and unknown bands and had started playing some hip-hop along with his usual mix of indie and punk stuff.
One day, Pete and the gang wrote in to the show and asked for John to play a song as a dedication to the Thetford Breakers. When he eventually played it the voiceover he gave with it expressed his surprise that leafy old Thetford (he was familiar with the area as he lived Stowmarket way), had a group called the Thetford Breakers, and he took an immediate interest in them and over the course of the next few months built up a friendly relationship with the group through written letters and playing songs for them on his show.
Then randomly, out of the blue, he contacted them and told them he would be coming to visit on a certain day to interview them for the music column he wrote in The Observer newspaper.
He came to Thetford and tracked them down at the Youth Centre. And the following Sunday, their fifteen minutes of fame commenced with John Peel’s interview article published in the Sunday Observer. Not bad for a fourteen year old! The local paper, The Thetford and Brandon Times, got in on the act too once they heard what was going on and this only heightened their stint in the spotlight.
The Thetford Breakers, in capitalising on this newfound stardom, ventured forth. They were invited to a few events in Norwich and the surrounding area and for a bunch of young lads this was a surreal experience to to go to such places and be known by strangers, because they were the Thetford Breakers, all thanks to John Peel.
But of course, as with all fifteen minute fame sessions,
the spotlight coughed and flickered and eventually fizzled out to be replaced by the harsh light of reality. But the music continued to inveigle the background fuzz of life and Pete was listening to a lot of the Electro series from the Street Sounds studio. This was a label owned and operated by the legendary Morgan Khan who played a pivotal role in introducing genres like Electro and Hip Hop music to the UK whilst also being a renowned advocate of other genres such as soul, funk and jazz. And this was Pete’s introduction to mixing. He was already intrigued by the scratching but what Morgan Khan was doing was bringing American acts over and putting them onto British records to make them affordable, but his speciality was in taking lots of their tracks and mixing them all together. If you’re not a fan of the genre, the closest I can get to as a comparison would be something like the old disco favourite of ‘Stars On 45’. It’s just snippets of a ton of different tracks mixed together and presented as one new combined track. Very clever and in a lot of cases, it makes for a whole new listening experience!
So Pete got into scratching and mixing in a big way. He used to practise on anything with a needle. It was almost as if Amstrad made stereo decks purely for him to try out his technique. He took a part time job at Travenol (on the very day they changed name to Baxters, and he’s been there ever since!), in order to earn a few quid to buy some turntables.
From there, he got into actual DJ’ing and went on the club scene in the local area. He played clubs in Thetford, Bury, Newmarket, Norwich and notably Tiffany’s in Great Yarmouth. He thinks that what set him apart from the run of the mill DJ’s was his scratching. It was a novelty and although people couldn’t actually dance to ‘it’, they seemed to enjoy it
But DJ’ing became tainted. Pete liked to play and promote the kind of music that he liked but no sooner did he play it then people would sit down, only to find a
few weeks later it was in the charts and they couldn’t get enough of it, and he found it very frustrating. The DJ’ing died out for him as he came into his late 20’s, early 30’s.
The next leg of his musical journey was just around the corner though. He bumped into one of his old breakdancer buddies and they got talking about music.
Consequently, he ended up downloading some software to his PC called MixMeister. The program was a game changer. As a DJ he’d been used to matching the beats of the various tracks he was mixing but this did it all.
And Pete was in his element. He decided to do things a bit differently though. He would take a whole bunch of tracks and just take a few snippets from each one to mix them all together. He wanted to make it obvious that he wasn’t doing this as a DJ thing, but something as a studio mix.
Morgan Khan was back on the scene too, trying to make a resurgence after having had a bit of a hiatus. He would appear every so often on a different radio station with a Street Sounds Show shouting out for people to send him mixes, so Pete thought he would send one in.
But this was a cause of of some trepidation. Pete had never really had a DJ name or nickname, and sending in a mix to the the biggest icon of the British hip-hop scene was not something to be credited as just “from Peter Hurt”. And neither was it to be done as Def Fader! This was his moniker in his youth, borne of a love for Star Wars and DJ’ing (from the use of the ‘fader’ slide control to change songs), but he felt this was an outgrown name and needed one that was more ‘up with it’ for someone approaching their 40’s.
His thoughts turned to his work colleagues, and one in particular who just referred to him as Phurty, which was basically his name, P.Hurt, with a Y on the end. And thus, he became DJ Phurty and sent in his mix under this name. It was a done deed, and he thought no more of it
until a couple of weeks later when Morgan Khan actually played his mix on the show! Well, he played the first half as he’d only asked for 10 minute mixes and DJ Phurty had sent in a 20 minute mix.
From this, Morgan then contacted Pete and asked him for more of his work as he liked it so much and Pete started enjoying his second ’15 minutes of fame’ as DJ Phurty on the Street Sounds Radio show. This amounted to sending in the occasional 10 minute mix that would be played every two to three months. It was purely music mixed together as he was never really a talky DJ. The most he’d ever talked during a DJ session would be to announce last orders at the bar, or to ask the owner of a car to move. He would usually let his interpretation of the music do the talking for him.
This was Pete’s dream, surreal as it was. Here was little ole Pete Hurt working with the icon that was Morgan Khan who had shaped much of his formative years with his musical influence. He still can’t believe now that it actually happened.
The radio show was relatively short lived. Pete found that he was reaching a point where he’d done all he could with what was available. There’s no new ‘old’ music and there was nothing left that he hadn’t already used. He stepped away from the radio shows a couple of times but eventually gave it up when personal family issues took priority. By association with Morgan, Pete had started doing mixes for other artists too. Rappers, bands or other DJ’s would ask him to provide a promo mix for their new album or show and he was happy to do this. He also started showcasing his mixes on the audio social media platform, Soundcloud where you can find a lot of his creations which are well worth a listen.
In time, the impact that his personal issues previously had, lessened somewhat to the extent he could start putting time into the radio shows once more and
he returned to the studio for a third time and now contributes a show once a week. His days of using the MixMeister software are long gone though. These days Pete has progressed and now produces his magic using Ableton Live software with his Pioneer XDJ-RX3 decks, which is some pretty high-end equipment that wouldn’t look out of place as part of a spaceship control console!
As we wound our chat down, we turned to the subject of actual music itself. It turns out that one of the biggest things that we had in common was our complete lack of talent for playing an instrument no matter how much we loved music. Pete professed the one instrument he would love to be able to play was a keyboard. The range of sounds it could produce was just phenomenal.
He went on to express once more his feelings about his journey so far. He still found it difficult to fathom his popularity and the recognition he received in some places. These days he doesn’t like to travel around to festivals or such events, preferring to chat to people ‘online’ through his Facebook or Soundcloud pages and can chat to fans across the world but struggles to comprehend how they sometimes talk to him as though he was a big ‘somebody’ in the industry, whereas he just sees himself as a ‘nobody’, just little ole Pete from Thetford, doing something he enjoys. As an exception, he recently went to a Rappers Delight event and still finds it weird that people there knew who he was without him knowing them.
Everything that DJ Phurty is and has become was summed up by Pete in one final sentence… “I consider myself so lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.”
And that’s just how I felt at that moment... lucky to have been in the right place at the right time to listen to Pete, the factory worker nobody from Thetford, telling me his story and let me tell you, DJ Phurty is definitely a somebody.
Photography
‘Look around furtively’ by Tiades
The Donkey is in The Hole!
A story that has nothing to do with Prague, the cold war, or George Smiley!
Written by Dave Griffiths
Aperishing winter’s evening, the mist heavy in the air clings to my eyebrows and pencil moustache. Wrapped tightly in a Chesterfield overcoat, lapels turned up against the cold, a copy of the New York Times under my left arm, cigarette half spent in my hand, I scuff my heel slightly as I hit the incline on to Prague’s iconic Charles Bridge. I look around furtively to see if anyone’s watching but the streets are deserted. Crossing to the bridge centre, I stop and gaze absently downstream as the lights of Prague start to spark on sporadically in the failing twilight. The distant sound of a studded stiletto on a cobble stone splits the air like a flint in a musket pan. My body stiffens, but I try not to exude concern. Rather I turn languidly, stretch and cross the bridge to observe the scene upstream. As I turn, I glimpse a tall, attractive, dark-haired woman in her 30s, elegantly dressed, scarlet red lipstick, pencil lined stockings, wrapped in a heavy fur
coat, walking in my direction across the bridge. I stand and gaze upstream, trying to appear aloof and disinterested, but my heart is pounding. The woman approaches me, her pace slows to halt just behind me. I turn to see her looking fixedly into my eyes, cigarette holder in hand expectantly. I reach into my coat pocket for my lighter which I spark into life and hold out towards her. She bends forward, cigarette tip to flame, and takes a few light puffs. Taking the holder from her mouth she bends closer and whispers secretively into my right ear “the donkey is in the hole….”.
“No, no Dave! this isn’t a cold war spy drama. You’re not George Smiley for God’s sake! ‘The donkey is in the hole’ isn’t a code word! In the late 70s a donkey fell down a hole in Thetford. That’s what the article is about” says Martin. “Ah, I see, well I feel a bit stupid now, I’ll need to have a rethink…..Hey, do you mind if I throw in a few ass
jokes?”. A pause, a turn and a teacher like gaze over his glasses, “were not that sort of publication Mr Griffiths.” A little deflated I reply, “Oh ok I’ll think of something else then.”
In reality, the story of a donkey falling down a hole in Thetford is every bit as far fetched as a cold war spy drama, the difference being it’s all totally true. It all goes a bit like this.
Around April 1977 Karen Quadling was looking for a pet donkey and found one for sale. She travelled up to Yarmouth to collect it and was told by the owners that she should be aware that Kizzy might be in foal, but they couldn’t be sure. That was all good with Karen, 2 for the price of one, so she took Kizzy back to Thetford and settled her into her new home in a field at the back of the Black Horse. A field now partially occupied by the houses of Melford Court.
A year passed and no foal arrived, so Karen called out the who vet came and confirmed that Kizzy was indeed pregnant and administered a drug to induce her. Karen waited and nothing happened and so the vet came back and tried again, with a bigger dose of the drug. Again Karen waited and again nothing happened; the foal must have been quite comfortable where she was. Getting concerned for Kizzy’s welfare, Karen called in a vet from Newmarket who administered a combination of 2 drugs to get things moving. Well, this soon worked and Kizzy went into labour. Two foals feet appeared, but there it stopped leading to another call to the vet. He came and, after some heaving and swearing, Cassie arrived reluctantly into the world. Trouble from the start!
Cassie joined Lizzy in their field behind the Black Horse and all was well for 10 months. Then on Thursday 15th February 1979, after a particularly bad run of weather, Karen headed up to the paddock to see how the girls were after a night of heavy snow and found that Cassie was missing. She searched all the likely areas locally with no
Kizzy and Cassie circa. 1978 (Artists Impression)
Artist Lydia Bauman
Photograph
‘Erika 2025’ by Mangus
success and so assumed she had been stolen and reported it to the police. She then headed back to the paddock with her friend Dawn Ormrod (wife of Malcolm who you’ll know from M&J Feet & Health) for another thorough check of the area. In one of the corners they found a big hole, partially covered by a concrete slab that they had not noticed before. Amidst much debate and head scratching they heard a distant, almost ghostly braying. They looked around again in all directions, but every time they moved away from the hole, the braying faded. Listening directly into the hole they were convinced that was where the noise was coming from and were worried that Cassie had taken a tumble down it.
In a bit of a panic, they rushed off first to the pub to let them know what had happened and then they called the local RSPCA man Mr Watson. He came and looking down the hole and seeing the height of the fall, he said that Cassie would have been badly injured and could not possibly survive her injuries. The best, most humane thing to do was to pump poisonous gas into the hole to put her out of her misery. A local pest control man from Weeting, Mr Moss, was called out. Karen was distraught and went home to explain to her young daughter Erika what had happened. Not wanting to upset her, she softened the blow by telling her that Cassie had gone to heaven to ferry about her great grandfather, who had recently died, as he wasn’t very good on his feet. Erika was upset but happy that Cassie had gone to nice place and was helping granddad.
When Mr Moss arrived and surveyed the size and location of the hole, he decided he couldn’t use gas due the risk to the surrounding houses. But he did say “that if there’s an animal alive down there, I’m going down, I can’t let them suffer.” Mr Watson was not at all happy with this as the concrete slab was balanced at the edge of the hole and could have toppled on top of Mr Moss at any time. Philip
Jacobs from Studio 5, who had links with Anglia News, had an appeal put out for any pot holers to come and help, but no help arrived. The brewery asked R G Carters if they could help in a rescue attempt and the boss, Philip Garnham, instructed George Angus and team to take whatever they needed and help in any way they could. They arrived with a van full or gear, erected scaffolding fences to make the site safe and then they lowered the determined pest control man down the hole. Well, what he found left him momentarily speechless. A great cathedral like cavern with dry land at the far end and a lake of water in between. His torch picked out Cassie on the far side standing calmly on dry land like an asinine Lady of the Lake. She just needed the carrot Excalibur in her mouth to complete the legend. It almost sounds Monty Pythonesque! Mr Watson concluded that a large clod of earth over the hole must have become detached and carried Cassie part of the way down the hole like a mud elevator. It is likely that the end of her drop was less dignified when the soil broke apart; more like Donkey bouncing down the hill from the dragon’s castle in Shrek! A short length of rope was fashioned into a rudimentary lead and thrown down to him. Mr Watson rolled up his trousers and waded through the water to Cassie, secured her and led her back to the foot of the hole. The Carters team lowered down ropes which were fashioned into a harness and Cassie was securely attached in it. A team of volunteers manned the ropes and pulled. George remembers himself, Bill Massingham, Graham Savage, Ray Webb and Terry Roberts, but there were others. They heaved and pulled with lots of support from a small crowd that had gathered and eventually two front hooves poked out, just proud of the surface, to much excitement. Unfortunately, at this point something spooked Cassie. She wriggled and kicked, got free of her harness and fell once more down the hole. Mr Watson at the
bottom must have jumped out of the way pretty smartly.
They needed a rethink, and this time Mr Watson went down the hole with the vet who administered a sedative to keep Cassie calm. Another attempt was made to pull her up and this time it was successful. Cassie stood in the daylight for the first time in 24 hours. The vet gave her a clean bill of health, with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises. One suspects there was a thorough and lengthy debrief in the pub that evening! Philip Garnham gave George and the Carters team permission to take ladders back to the site on the Sunday. They lashed together allowing folks to climb down and view the cave before it was all covered over. Graham Jacobs from Studio 5 went down with his camera taking all the great pictures you’ll have seen around the town of the scene. I believe our very own editor Martin, then a fresh faced 14-year-old, took a little trip down as well. A thorough search of the cave for treasure yielded a beer bottle and a shandy can; no one could figure out where they came from.
Kizzy and Cassie went back to the field after the hole had been covered and was made safe. Sadly, Kizzy passed away a couple of years later and soon after that Cassie was sold. I have no information on her after that. Maybe she had a life full of adventures, maybe she bumped into Eddy Murphy 20 years later and was the inspiration for Donkey in Shrek! Well, you can dream. To finish, there was one tricky situation Karen had to talk her way out of. If you remember, she’d told Erika a little white lie about Cassie going to heaven to ferry her great grandad about. How was she going to explain Cassie’s second coming? Erika recounts the ingenious solution; she was told that Cassie had been naughty in heaven and kicked great grandad and so he’d sent her back. A lovely, heartwarming ending to the story of “the donkey who fell down a hole.”
Karen Quadling with Cassie
Photograph ‘Waiting to visit the vets’ -
Breckland Cat Protection
A new blood test and visiting the vets.
Written by Rita Thompson
We are often faced with a dilemma when taking in an unknown female cat. Is she neutered? Unlike male cats, there is no outward sign that a female cat is neutered. Unless she has a large tummy, early pregnancy is not detectable. We have to make a decision to either ask the vet to shave the fur off one side of her body (females are always neutered on the left hand flank) and look for an scar which is not always visible. The scar would only be around 2-3 millilitres long and as they are very good at healing, cannot always be seen. Or ask the vet to perform an exploratory laparotomy to look for a uterus. This means spending around one hundred pounds, as it would be the same for a spay. The other alternative is to wait and see if she comes into season.
Fortunately there is now a new blood test to determine neuter status in females based on detection of luteinising hormone. LH, as it is known is a hormone released from the pituitary gland in the brain which plays a role in reproduction. In female cats, mating stimulates the release of LH into the bloodstream, leading to ovulation. In unneutered female cats, LH is normally maintained at low serum levels through negative feedback from the ovaries,
unless coitus or spontaneous ovulation has just occurred in which case LH will rise but return to basal levels within 24 hours. Removal of the ovaries through neutering removes the negative feedback and subsequently the serum levels of LH in neutered females are higher. Levels above 1ng/ml of LH in serum is detected as a positive result and indicates that the individual has likely been neutered.
The test itself is a bit like a pregnancy test. Several drops of serum are added to the well on the test kit and the test is ready around 20 minutes later. A single pink like on the test indicates a negative result. She is not neutered. Two pink lines indicates a positive result. She has been neutered.
This is a great innovation and saves us time and money and gives us the result we need in a short time.
Vet visits are an essential part of maintaining your cat’s health but many people report that taking their cat to the vet can be a daunting experience. In fact according to the Cats Report 2024, 26% of owners find it so stressful that they do not visit the vets as often as they’d prefer, A cat’s dislike for the vet is
understandable, especially if we view the experience from their point of view. Cats are creatures of habit and can become easily stressed when faced with unfamiliar environments and experiences and a trip to the vet is a heady combination of both.
Its worth remembering that cats are sensitive to their owner’s emotions. If you are anxious about a vet visit your cat can pick up on this and start to become vigilant and stressed, sensing that something is about to happen. Try your best to act normally. Set yourselves up for a more positive experience by preparing for the trip beforehand as much as possible.
Remove the fear of the carrier by leaving it out in your home with the door open, so your cat can explore it at their own pace. Place treats, toys or bedding inside to make it a comfortable place rather than a signal of an impending vet visit. On the day of the visit, covering the carrier with a towel can help your cat feel more secure by blocking out unfamiliar sights and reducing stimuli.
This can create a dark quiet environment that feels safe for your cat.
To avoid your cat vomiting or toileting inside their cat carrier, limit the amount of food they eat for a couple of hours before the journey. If they do have accidents, placing a blanket or towel inside the carrier will help soak up any mess. Take some spares with you so you can swap them over for the journey home. During the journey speak to your cat in a soothing voice and avoid sudden movements that might startle them.
Make the waiting room a little less stressful by choosing a vet clinic with separate waiting areas for cats and dogs. The presence of barking dogs can increase your cat’s anxiety. Alternatively call reception to let them know you’ll be waiting outside
or in the car until the vet is ready to see your cat. Once inside the consulting room don’t be in a rush to take your cat from the carrier. Wait until you have explained the reason for your visit and have answered any questions they may have. Once your vet is ready to examine your cat, open the carrier and allow the cat to come out in their own time. Top opening carriers are ideal as you will be able to gently lift your cat out if necessary or the vet may even be able to examine them whey they stay in the bottom of the carrier.
By understanding the reasons behind your cat’s stress and implementing these strategies, you can help make vet visits a more positive experience for both you and your cat.
For help or advice, or if you need help with the cost of neutering, please call us on 01842 810018.
Photograph
‘Lisa, Mark and Sue’ by Mangus
East of England Co-op Funeral Services
An open door and thoughts of spring
Written by Joanne Lock
Ever since I moved to the area four years ago 33-35 Bury Road, the large building on the corner has always stood empty. On my way to work I used to wonder what it had been.
After months of work breathing life back into the building. Last May, East of England Co-op Funeral Services opened their doors in welcome to Thetford’s community.
In a way it was like a homecoming for the East of England Co-op, who have owned the building for many years. Previously, they leased the building to another co-operative, Co-op Funeralcare.
Here the door is always open and a reason to visit isn’t always about death. Mark Ling, Cluster Manager says that they want to be there to help families and the community in any way they can.
This could be seeing Bury Road as a place to pop in for a tea and biscuit for those in need of a warm hub or who feel lonely or isolated. It’s a place where advice or someone to talk to can be found. A weekly coffee morning is held every Wednesday between 10am - 12pm.
East of England Co-op also supports local charities and Lisa and Sue enjoy visiting local care homes. Suggestions on how the Thetford branch can support the community of Thetford are always welcome, so why not pop into the branch for a chat.
Bury Road is painted in relaxing colours, there are comfortable sofas and it is bright and modern. The look and feel of the place combined with the friendly, caring and dedicated staff all help to put people at ease about walking
through the door and making arrangements.
In my work as a funeral celebrant, I have been chatting to the team for nearly a year and got the opportunity to get to know everyone more in October at their open day for celebrants and local crematorium staff. I found this to be a valuable networking experience, meeting other celebrants who I would not normally have met, knowledge and advice was shared and we got to know the crematorium staff more, as we all work as a team it was a lovely bonding experience.
Whenever I visit, it always feels like I am popping in to see friends.
Whatever your reason for walking through the door of East of England Co-op, there will always be a warm and friendly welcome from either Lisa or Sue who have both taken the time to share a little bit about themselves with the Reflections of Thetford readers.
During my chat with Lisa and Sue, I asked what inspired them to become funeral arrangers, what the work means to them and their future hopes for the Thetford branch.
Lisa
I sta rted working for East of England Co-op Funeral Services in September 2022. I worked in the Norwich area in Bowthorpe for 8 months until I decided to be a mobile where I knew I would have the opportunity to learn so much more. I was mobile for our Norwich branches for just under a year until Thetford opened in May 2024.
I’m extremely passionate about my job, having lost people extremely close to myself so I can completely empathise and sympathise with
“I want the community to know we’re here, the door is always open, come in and say hello to us.” - Lisa
how people are feeling. Not everyone deals with grief in the same way and it’s important to acknowledge and understand this.
I had thought about working in the funeral profession for many years but the time was never quite right due to having young children at the time. Then in 2021 my dad passed away. East of England arranged the funeral before I started working for the company. The way myself and my family were treated made me feel like we were the only family they were looking after. I knew this was definitely something I wanted to do, I wanted to give back what we had received and more to families if possible.
I want the community to know we’re here, the door is always open, come in and say hello to us.
Sue
Afte r having spent 27 years with the same business, which was perfect when I had the children as I could work around sickness and school holidays, it was time for a change. I was older, the children were way older and I had a new husband. My life had changed and it was time to reassess my priorities around work and family.
I had thought about the role for a few years but the time never seemed right and things didn’t happen. My brother in law already worked for a funeral director and it was something that piqued my interest. Late 2023 all that changed and alongside all the changes that were happening at my place of work, the stars were aligned and I saw the role advertised and went for it.
Always a bit cliché but I love my work. It’s an
absolute privilege to be in a position to help the families we meet, in the way that we do and offer them the support and guidance that they so desperately need, literally taking the pressure off them. I shall never forget the first family I had the honour to help and I actually saw their shoulders drop as they relaxed, just a little bit and in that moment I knew it was the right thing for me to be doing.
Ultimately I would like people in Thetford to think of us and to know we are there in their time of need, but in the real world that may take a while. We have already made some lovely connections in the community: the new Coronation House Care Home have welcomed us to their events which we are pleased to attend and help with and the Ex-Service Club across the road have also benefited from our help and support, something that both Lisa and I and East of England Co-op are passionate about.
Community is everything, without it we are simply another business on the high street.
Lisa and Sue go above and beyond and have added some beautiful and meaningful touches. In the arranging room there are crocheted and knitted hearts and flowers, handmade with love by Lisa and Sue who suggest to families that they might wish to pick out two, one to place with their loved one and the other to take home to remember their loved one.
The pair also make a lot of effort to create beautiful window displays and also in the window is the memory tree. Anyone in the community is invited to drop in to write out a tag and place it on the tree. There are tags provided or you can bring in your own. Once someone wanted to place a teddy bear in the window for a while.
“Community is everything, without it we are simply another business on the high street. ” - Sue
Anyone who has placed a tag on the tree is more than welcome to come into the branch to pick up their tag if they would like it back.
Mark Ling is the cluster manager, he regularly visits the branch and is very present as a manager. At the open day last year, Mark gave me a guided tour of the modern and state of the art facilities where everything has been carefully considered and planned to enable East of England to provide excellent care to families in Thetford and surrounding areas.
Mark is very knowledgeable, experienced and caring. He takes pride in his work and his guiding principle is always to do something, because it is the right thing to do. Mark realised that funeral directing was in his blood after doing some casual work for the Ipswich and Norwich Co-operative in 1996, Mark’s grandad was a manager there during the 70s and 80s. At the time there were no full time positions and it was his nan who helped him find casual work there.
Mark
I lo ve what I do, when it comes to us making a difference I want to. We are so privileged to help that family when they need us.
I am always there to make a difference, whether it’s to the team or if we can help a family in any way possible. Families always come first, we are always there when they need us any time of the day. Counselling people through the hard and tough decisions. I never switch off and you can’t really, you only have one go at making sure the service goes how it should and it doesn’t stop there, it’s all about speaking to the family before and after, making sure they are okay and if we can support them. It’s all about caring about
someone and giving them the support they need. Spring is now upon us and as the team at East of England Co-op Thetford’s thoughts turn towards their hopes and ambitions for their second year and beyond. Having got through winter, your thoughts may also be on what the rest of the year has in store, which might involve a bit of spring cleaning in preparation for what lies ahead.
Life has a tendency to be unpredictable and although most of us are inclined to avoid talking about death, death and grief is something that comes to us all and a normal part of life.
Dying Matters Awareness Week encourages all communities to take a moment to get talking in whatever way, shape or form that works for them, this year it will take place on 5th - 11th May.
The theme of this year’s campaign is: The Culture of Dying Matters and as part of this theme, in this article the team at Thetford East of England Co-op highlight how to take your spring clean further by giving some thought to a well-known concept in Swedish and Scandinavian cultureSwedish Death Cleaning.
The concept isn’t just about death or cleaning, it’s about a permanent form of organisation that makes your everyday life run more smoothly. It’s about inspiring you to tidy for other people making things easier to sort after your death, alternatively it can be used to create more time for you to enjoy life.
Reducing possessions saves time, regular cleaning takes less time, it’s easier to keep everything organised and less things get lost, avoiding time wasted in searching for keys or
“I love what I do, when it comes to us making a difference I want to. We are so privileged to help that family when they need us.” - Mark
other items.
With some initial effort now, you can future proof your life. Making future moves easier whether that be downsizing your home or if you ever needed to move into residential care.
We won’t be covering the full method here and further information can be found in on-line articles or books like: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson or The Swedish Death Cleaning Bible by Linn Sjoberg.
Drawing from my own experience of bereavement and observations made in my work as a funeral celebrant, when considering Swedish Death Cleaning three pivotal areas include: possessions, administration and your wishes.
Possessions
Dif ficulties faced when sorting through possessions include a fear that something of special significance or value to you will be innocently donated or discarded. It may be difficult for those doing the sorting to let go of these items because they belonged to you or they might feel guilt about letting them go because they were things you had bought and cared for.
From my own personal experience and working as a celebrant helping families to plan ceremonies, it’s sometimes hard to know what to say in a tribute as so many memories are lost through not being talked about and passed on by the person who has died.
An important part of Swedish Death Cleaning is to talk to your family and friends about what you are doing and invite them to help out with this part of the method.
Not only does it start off the important conversation about death, as you go through your possessions with family and friends it can open up conversations of the memories attached to an item, passing on these memories to others so that they are not lost.
When the time comes for someone to sort through your possessions they will know what items were important to you and which can be donated to charities.
It’s also a way for you to know who would like and appreciate a possession to be passed onto them and this can then be communicated by labelling or making a list of who should receive what or to gift the item(s) to the person(s) when you do the sorting.
Administration
W hile you are able, it is beneficial to think ahead. Consider power of attorney, make a will, let your executors know who they are and which solicitors are holding a copy of your will or where your will can be found.
You may also wish to consider making some provisions for your funeral, which could be ring fencing money into a savings account, taking out a life assurance policy or funeral plan.
East of England Co-op provides guaranteed pre-paid funeral plans for peace of mind and to suit your needs. They are completely guaranteed
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meaning that when the time comes and the plan needs to be used, there will not be a shortfall to pay.
Always aim to be organised with your paperwork. Consider keeping it down to a minimum so that it all fits into 1 lever arch file. Each time you receive a new bill or statement take the last one out, shred it and replace it with the current one. Maybe keep your power of attorney, funeral plan and will in the back of the folder.
This will make it easier for your executors to see at a glance everything you hold, making it smoother for them to close down utility accounts and manage your estate.
Your Wishes
Rece ntly there have been numerous TV adverts for direct cremation services that can simplify arrangements alleviating families of this burden and protect families from the expense and rising costs of funerals.
If you are Swedish Death Cleaning with the purpose of making things easier for your family and / or friends it’s worth considering what a funeral might mean to your family and friends.
A funeral can be seen as the last thing you can do for a person you love and for some making arrangements for the funeral provides a focus which may slightly soften the edges of losing someone.
It can be comforting to know that every step of the way caring professionals are with you. The team at East of England Co-op and celebrants are only a phone call or visit away with their
support and guidance. We are a calm and assuring presence on the day and will always check in afterwards and provide advice and signposting to further help and support if needed.
Attending a funeral can be an opportunity for closure and emotional healing. It is known that direct cremations have sometimes caused long term issues for the bereaved where they feel they haven’t had a chance to celebrate a life or say a farewell.
Working in the profession you see on a daily basis how much it still means for family and friends who may not have seen each other in a long time to gather together to celebrate a person’s life and to chat with each other before and after the service.
Funerals can be simple or elaborate; they can be tailored to reflect the essence and spirit of the person who has died in an individual and personal way and the friendly team at Thetford East of England Co-op are here to help.
You can take Swedish Death Cleaning that one step further by making any wishes you have for your funeral known. This could be to simply write down any music, readings or poems you would like and any memories that are important to you. Most celebrants offer a pre-planning service and will work with you and then write up a ceremony.
For either of these suggestions please don’t forget to keep your wishes or prepared ceremony with your paperwork and let someone know they exist. Some funeral directors may also be willing to keep a copy of a pre-prepared ceremony with your funeral plan.
Photograph
‘Terry Banham’ by Mangus
Terry Banham
I was the boy in the photograph
Written by David Williams
In a town the size of Thetford - which, even though growing today, is still small in comparison to many larger urban conurbations – people know people, who know people and one tale leads to another; so it is with this story which spins off from the article “My life in Thetford” by Nancy Foulger in issue 5 of “Reflections of Thetford”. The piece features a photograph taken outside the Star Supply Stores at White Hart Street in Thetford showing Nancy and the staff of the shop, taken circa 1953 and from which Terry Banham identified himself as a 15-year-old errand boy to the right of the gathering. Terry has no direct recollection of the day the photo was taken but surmises that the staff had probably gathered outside the shop to watch a wedding at St Peters Church opposite or possibly the Tour of Britain Cycle Race, as in those days it came through Thetford. This supposition is borne out by the presence of a wellknown resident of Thetford at this time by the name of Mabel Lockwood, bookending him to the left in the picture – whenever there was an event of any
importance in the town, she would be conspicuous by her presence and quite possibly, with the small population at the time, know the people involved.
In a sleepy backwater such as Thetford was in the mid twentieth century, such a small population, then around 5000, folk couldn’t help but be well aware of everyone’s else’s business, which could be a blessing or a curse, depending what you had been up to; in Terry’s case, he assured me it was nothing untoward – at least, not that he was owning up to! Still a student at the Grammar school when this image was captured, I’m sure Terry’s time would have been gainfully occupied between his studies and delivering provisions to houses throughout the town and the surrounding villages of Croxton, Two Mile Bottom, Rymer Point and Barnham. Reflecting on this, things do seem to have gone full circle from the days of housewives or their children taking a handwritten weekly order into grocery shops where they were packed into boxes or bags and delivered
Brand New
Drama-centred social group meeting weekly in Thetford for play readings, workshops, script writing and rehearsals.
We are keen to hear from amateur actors, (men & women), for a challenging British First World War drama; ideally aged 1835 for this exciting project, but all ages 18+ welcome as we have many other productions planned.
Acting skills useful, enthusiasm essential!
Email: encoretcthetford@outlook.com
by errand boys such as Terry, akin to Granville in “Open all hours” - although Terry tells me, in his case, faster, more efficiently and with a smile! Nowadays, online ordering and smartly liveried supermarket vans have replaced the boy-on-a-bike and I recently heard a radio advert for a dairy which promised the innovation of delivering milk to your door in recyclable glass bottles by rechargeable electric vehicles – I wonder nobody has thought of that before!!
Born in 1938 at St Barnabas Hospital, then a care home and maternity hospital, he well remembers in the 1950s, when in the choir of St Mary the Less Church, walking the narrow cold stone, stepped corridors led by the Reverend “Pop” Cooling singing Christmas carols for patients and staff.
Terry is one of a generation of wartime children who can remember “the day peace broke out” and the celebrations of VE day on 8th May 1945, followed later by VJ day marking the end of World War 2 in the Far East and restoring the world to relative peace; at least for a few years. He recalls that a long line of tables was set out at the top end of St Nicholas Street laden with goodies, some of them unseen for the last six years, people probably cashing in all their precious family ration coupons to contribute to the celebrations.
As a child, for Terry, the normality of everyday life would have been accompanied by the soundtrack of heavily laden bombers, their fighter escorts and dogfights between friendly and enemy aircraft in the sky and the rumbling of military machinery through the narrow streets of our historic town. One can only imagine that the cessation of hostilities brought a kind of boredom for a child as the air activity and military presence gradually lessened with peacetime becoming a new normality and to many of them,
Terry far right, as a 15 year old errand boy circa 1953
Photograph by kind permission Nancy Foulger (as seen in issue 5 of Reflection of Thetford)
something they had never experienced in their young lives.
Living his early life in Newtown, in which his father, a carpenter had a hand in building, Terry’s first real and lasting recollection of a wartime childhood was watching a dogfight in the air above him. Seeing the one of the cases from the ammunition dropping to the ground nearby, he made the mistake of picking it up and it burnt his hand, it being red-hot from just being fired. With the battle training area so close by, Terry and his friends would go to Thetford station to witness the unloading of the many tanks and military vehicles which would then rumble noisily down Station Road and White Hart Street on their way to the military training ground causing much disruption to everyday life, until in 1943 a track was laid across the fields of Abbey Farm and a Bailey bridge erected over the river to connect them to Brandon Road.
It is strange these days to think of the level of freedom parents allowed even young children to roam, often out for the day in an area which, with all the surrounding military and air presence and enemy bombers often seeking out the “Petrol Dump” - the aviation fuel storage facility on Mundford Road –making Thetford a prime target for German aircraft, fortunately no direct hit was ever achieved.
Early teenage years following the war saw Terry and his mates of out for the day with a bottle of cold tea and sandwiches, building camps and playing in the forest. Later, he recalls with a smile, the practice of what he calls “country crafts” which may, or may not, have produced the odd rabbit or pheasant for the table! Although, as at that time, this was illegal and classed as poaching, Terry is unwilling to elaborate more! With the Ouse and Thet running through the town, time was also spent fishing for roach, rudd, dace and the odd pike with a fine trout or two seen
under the ‘waterfall’ from Ben Culey’s property and alongside Butten Island. Time was spent with jam jar in hand, turning the stones to catch Miller’s Thumbs and Stone Loaches, known locally as ‘Long shanks’ for bait to catch eels at Two Mile Bottom - another welcome addition to the table and a boost to still rationed foods - the fresh eels were cooked in parsley sauce a served with bread.
In the years after World War 2, Thetford was struggling economically and in a in effort to boost its growth and prosperity, negotiated successfully with the GLC for London overspill housing and industry to be brought to the town. Often such schemes were, as in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, opposed quite violently by the residents but Terry, along with many of his generation actually welcomed the “incomers” as they brought with them prosperity, jobs, new housing and infrastructure which the town so desperately needed.
Employment took Terry on many twists and turns from his formative years as a part time errand boy with time served in the Royal Air Force at Halton as an airframe fitter, to a smallholder and eventually to making and installing portable ice rinks. After leaving the Air Force, at Hunting Aircraft, Luton Terry was engaged in making parts for the Hunting Percival Jet Provost, the world’s first jet trainer aircraft. Moving to Borg Warner in Letchworth (incidentally, my home town and the company my aunt and uncle would have been working at that time), he found production line work was not for him and being fed up with working away from home, Terry returned to Thetford and a job at J.B. Eastwoods, Attleborough, working on the refrigeration plant. Next stop was to Marshalls of Cambridge, hitch hiking backwards and forwards daily, never ever late, until he bought a Ford V8 Pilot, TMX 893. Here he utilised his RAF training working on such classic aircraft as the De Havilland Vampire, Bristol Britannia and Vickers Viscount as well as
MEMBERSHIPS
grubbing about in compost in an old Avro Anson which was used by a Scottish mushroom farm to transport their produce! Most memorably, he recalls working on modifications to a Vickers Valiant – one of Britain’s three V bombers- equipping it to carry the nuclear “Blue Steel“ Stand-Off Bomb.
The expansion of Thetford well under way, Terry came back in Thetford, getting a job at George Williams’s Refrigeration on the industrial estate and recalls their biggest job, building an ice cream hardening plant and installing it at Wall’s factory in Gloucester. After George Williams went into liquidation, a variety of other jobs ensued and by 1967 saw Terry at Danepak maintaining bacon production lines and looking after the refrigeration plant. Encouraged to become a self-employed contractor in 1984, he continued at Danepak while managing his two-acre smallholding in Stacksford, Old Buckenham which he bought in 1972: Terry recalls these as some of the happiest years of his life keeping chickens, geese and goats and selling the produce at Norwich market – the farming gene probably running in his blood from his grandad who was a farmer in Horringer in Suffolk.
The final stage in his career came one day in 1987, when equipped with the latest piece of modern technology - viz the BT Bronze mobile phone –which resembled and weighed much the same as a house brick and connected to an equally weighty battery pack - he took a call from a company wishing to employ his expertise in refrigeration to design and install an ice rink in an old aircraft hangar at Snetterton. The rink was commissioned by Anglia TV to film its production of Sleeping Beauty on ice, starring British Olympic medal winning skaters Robin Cousins and American Rosalynn Sumner. This new direction kept Terry in gainful employment until his retirement, taking him all over the country installing ice rinks in many and varied places such as Alton Towers and to the first floor of the Fairfield halls in
Croydon.
As with so many folk, there is much more to tell about Terry Banham but this is a magazine article not a novel, so I must wrap this up and just hark back to my opening statement that “people know people who know people” and how one story leads to another. I read with interest the original piece which prompted this one by Nancy Foulger – a lady I met her whilst doing some decorating work for her neighbour, I then worked for her and she passed my name on to her brother Reg, mentioned in her article, whose house, with the exception of one room I have totally redecorated. Whilst sitting in my living room chewing the fat with Terry, I mentioned my next-door neighbour, Malcolm Stroud who it transpires is an old friend of Terry’s and whom he had spent the previous day with and adding to the web of connections between people.
I have only lived in Thetford for eight and a half years but I love the town and know more people and have more friends than I ever had in over fiftyseven years in Hertfordshire – so I know people who know people and despite the fact that Thetford is no longer the small town it used to be, there is still a fair chance that however anonymous you may try to be, someone will probably know what you’ve been up to!
As a final word, this story may have a further turn to take, as my wife has Banham ancestors and with a locational surname in this part of the world, there could be a possible family connection - something which Terry is looking into. I hope it is more fruitful than my attempts to find my connection to Thetford’s Benjamin Culey and my Culey ancestors – with such an unusual surname, and the repeated generational use of the name Benjamin, there is little doubt as to the connection but unfortunately church records which would hold the key have been sadly destroyed.
‘Kingfisher Lake’ by Stephanie Downes
St Edmund Way Walk
... and some unbothered muntjac deer
Artwork, Photography and Written by
Stephanie Downes
As a dog owner I feel lucky to have so many lovely walks nearby, with two rivers running through the town I often find myself walking Albert and Fergus alongside different sections of the rivers. For this walk I decided to walk alongside the Little Ouse, starting from Canterbury Way where there is a small parking area next to Bishop’s CE Primary Academy/Grace Church.
To begin the walk you leave the car park and head down towards the riverside, follow the river to the right and walk under the road bridge, stay on this track, following the river away from town. This track is part of the 79 mile long St Edmund Way, a long distance walk connecting Manningtree and Brandon, honouring St Edmund who was England’s original patron saint.
After a little while you will start to hear traffic as the A11 road gets closer, the footpath continues forwards as you walk underneath the busy A11.
A little further on you will see Kingfisher Lake to your right, this is a private fishing lake which is around five acres in size. Stay on the footpath with the river to your left and the lake to your right, once you are past the lake the path can be narrow in places and gets quite close to the edge of the river so extra care is needed, especially if there has been recent rainfall.
Follow the river around to the right until you arrive at a staunch, there is often a pair of swans on this stretch of the river and on this occasion I saw a heron as well which flew away before I could get a photograph of it.
by Stephanie Downes
‘Albert
During the walk we also encountered several muntjac deers who seemed unbothered by the dogs, which was great for reinforcing with Fergus how to behave around wildlife. Fergus is fifteen months old and is fantastic at walking calmly past the geese and swans that we usually see, Albert is twelve now and he is not interested in the wildlife.
Carry on following the river for a short distance until you see a clear track on the right going through the trees, take this track and stay on it until you reach a crossroads and then turn right to head back towards Kingfisher Lake.
At the next crossroads continue forwards and follow the track around to the left. At the end of this section of track turn right, walking adjacent to the A11, you will arrive at a small slip road for cars leaving the A11 to visit the lake, at the end of this road you will rejoin the St Edmund Way path from earlier, head left to go back under the A11 and then follow the footpath back to the starting point.
One of my favourite things about walking this route is the opportunities to take different paths and extend the route, particularly in the wooded area or from Canterbury way, exploring the water meadows towards Thetford Priory.
and Fergus’
Photograph ‘Painballers off to war’ by Mangus
Combat Paintball
A story of guns, dinosaurs, zombies and aliens
Written by Andy Eden
As you travel up the A11 toward Norwich, you may have noticed an armoured car standing beside the road. In recent months it has acquired a super sized skeleton which stares menacingly at any north bound traffic. So what is all that about, you might ask. Well the sign says ‘Combat Paintball’ but what does that involve? I recently went to find out.
I met James Lambert, one half of the duo who established Combat Paintball about 25 years ago. Driving along the track that goes around the outside of the site and into the car park, you get fleeting glimpses of sandbag emplacements, huts and even towers in the trees which serve to pique your curiosity. Then as you arrive at the car park you are met by tanks, artillery pieces and a Staff car, all standing in front of a camp which would not look out of place in a war, or post apocalyptic
film. You have arrived.
James took me for a tour round the ‘camp’ before we sat down to talk about how it had all come about. It is very impressive and totally immersive. But how does an area of Forestry Commission land go from what we all know and expect of Thetford Forest, to a combat base camp? As so many ideas do, it started with a conversation in a pub. James was in his local and talking to Pierre who was the landlord and was behind the bar. There was obviously something of value in the ‘What if…’ discussion they had because that started the ball rolling.
Pierre Turburville was working in hospitality and James worked in local government so between them they had a good mixture of skills. James had previously been on a team building paintball
day, against his better judgement, and found it fairly basic. ‘You arrived and were given the kit then sent off to the combat area.’ He thought they were missing a trick and could make the experience much better for the players. The first task was to find the right location, somewhere out of the way but, paradoxically, with good transport links.
So after a year searching for the right place and with a business proposal in hand, they approached the Forestry Commission. It was not an auspicious start, they were turned down flat. The idea didn’t go away though and they worked on the proposal while looking for an alternative location. The development of the High Lodge area of Thetford Forest suggested a change of attitude within The Forestry Commission, showing that they wanted to diversify, so they made a second approach. This time they were successful but only being granted a 1 year rolling lease. But at least the business was up and running.
James and Pierre pooled their financial resources for the start up and work began. A website and social media presence provided most of the advertising along with the sign and armoured car on the A11. Even at the beginning, there was six different themed game zones for paintball. Since then two more have been added as well as lots more activities. The theming is very imaginative and realistic. From the sandbags and huts glimpsed on my drive in, to a church, a zombie city and a crashed helicopter (yes a real one) the different zones help to add to the overall experience. Next, Airsoft was added to the activities and now laser tag is available as well as laser clays, archery, air rifle shooting and a target range for replica weapons. As well as the traditional archery targets, 3D targets for field archery are also available. Some of the
activities are even mobile. If you have an event or celebration, you can book laser tag, laser clay or an airsoft range to come to you.
As the business went from strength to strength, the Forestry Commission recognised its success by increasing the length of the lease until it is now on a 10 year basis. The focus is not simply on making different and exciting areas to participate in these activities, safety has always been a guiding principle. They hold regular safety meetings to make sure that everything that can be done, is being done. Pierre had been a soldier in the Royal Anglian Regiment before embarking on a career in hospitality and the military’s approach to weapon safety is very evident. First there is a safety briefing video which James and Pierre commissioned locally so it is specific to them, then the pre-checked safety equipment is issued and finally the games are monitored for any infringements of the rules. Anyone breaching the safety rules will, following a warning, be removed from the field. As James says, Safety comes first.
With their imaginative approach to the themes of the different zones as well as the camp area, an emphasis on safety and customer enjoyment and well as value for money, Combat Paintball ltd. has risen steadily up the rankings. Out of approximately one hundred paintball site in the UK, Combat Paintball is now in the top five. Quite an achievement and a big endorsement of their approach to the business.
James and Pierre are not people who rest on their laurels though. They have plans to add another game zone and the kitchen is currently being rebuilt. ‘It is always changing’ says James. Sound effects have been added to some of the life sized dinosaur models and there are aliens as well as
Professional Piercer and High Quality Jewellery
the military vehicles and guns dotted around the site. Flood lights have been provided so poor light need not stop the combat games. There is also a café area and places to buy equipment and weapons for those seriously involved in the hobby/sport.
The site can cater for as many as 300 people taking part in paintball at any one time and another 150 in airsoft so, as you can see, it is a sizeable area. They welcome group bookings which include stag and hen dos as well as work mates and simply friends. But you don’t have to get a specific number of people to make up a team, one or two people can book up and they will be able to joint up with others to make larger teams. Everyone is welcome, although different minimum ages do apply to each activity.
As well as local companies, the American airbases often send teams over and it has proved to be very popular with them. Lots of schools also arrange trips as part of the LOTC or Learning outside the classroom, initiative. Often schools will arrange trips for children with learning difficulties or special education needs. James told me that the experience can have a transformational effect on those who take part. As well as simply enjoying the experience, it often gives them confidence in themselves and their ability to communicate with those around them. ‘It’s great to see them holding their head up high and meeting others in eye to eye contact as they leave. Something they couldn’t do before coming here.’
If it felt a little surreal driving into the woods and camp, being faced by a tank and artillery
piece, not to mention the gun emplacements, dinosaurs and aliens, it also felt strange leaving it. Suddenly I was back on the A11 surrounded by people hurrying to their everyday destinations. I felt a little sorry for them. After all, they hadn’t seen what I had just witnessed, they didn’t know what was hidden in the trees. If you are looking for something adrenalin fuelled and anything but ‘everyday’, Combat Paintball and Combat Airsoft should definitely be on your list. All you need is stout footwear, suitable clothing and a ‘Can do’ attitude.
To check the details and book, you will find everything you need to know on their website. https://www.combatpaintball.com
“Thetford & District Dementia Support Group needs your help!!
We NEED new Trustees to support the Charity and some helping hands to support the group. Could this be YOU?
As a group helper, You don’t have to commit to doing every week but you do need to be a regular volunteer. You need to have an interest in dementia and working with people, be creative, and fun loving as well as good at organising and being willing to help in varied roles.
As a volunteer Trustee, we need people with an interest in dementia and the people affected by it, a desire to support local people and be involved in local community, and be willing to dedicate a couple of hours 4-5 times a year to trustee meetings.
You may be currently in a business and want to use or expand your skills to the local community, or you may be recently retired or semi-retired.
So could you help us? We need the community’s support to maintain our Charity.
For full role information on both Group Helpers and Trustees, please email (in the first instance) to admin@tadds.org
We look forward to hearing from you.
Joanne Mountjoy-Dixon Chair to Trustees & Founder
Photograph
‘Tony Cardy and David Wright in the Man Cave’ by Mangus
W. G. Lambert
An
unexpected encounter reveals yet more intruiging history in our town
Editors foreword
Achance encounter in one of our favourite local tea rooms, Tall Orders, has led to the writing of this editorial, and as always occurs when we start digging into the history of our wonderful town of Thetford, people talk and we find ourselves with almost a book’s worth of historical facts and local stories.
What began as just idle chit chat between customers on separate tables, who were both enjoying a coffee and a slice of cake (mine was Victoria Sponge), soon escalated almost out of control. Culminating in 27 local family names being identified as having worked at a local carriage, cycle and motor works. I for one did not know we used to manufacture all of these items in Thetford, let alone in the centre of town in Castle Street.
It turns out that the person I had bumped into, Tony Cardy, was quite a local expert on all things mechanical and had already begun writing a book on the subject we were discussing.
Phone numbers were exchanged and an invitation extended for the Reflections of Thetford team to visit our new writer at his home to view a number of collectable items related to our discussions.
We took along David Wright, who’s father was foreman at W.G. Lambert, and also George Angus, who has an incredible recall for all things historical in living memory.
What follows is the culmination of our visit, experiences and research.
Photograph
Lambert (iii) 8hp 3-wheeler’
Lambert Cyclecar 1912
W.G.Lambert, Carriage, Cycle and Motor Works, Castle Street, Thetford
Written by Tony Cardy
It would be difficult to list every cycle car which was available for public use immediately before the 1st World War and probably impossible to count every intending manufacturer who progressed no further than the prototype stage. The latter category included the two seater Lambert Runabout of which at least one example, and maybe as many as three, were built in 1912 at W G Lambert’s Carriage, Cycle and Motor Cycle dealers until 1968 when they were taken over by Duff, Morgan and Vermont of Norwich.
It is unfortunate that this cycle car did not progress beyond prototype stage as it seems to have been very carefully designed and built and offered a degree of comfort not usually associated with its fellows, though it lacked the sporting appeal of many.
The Lambert was a side by side, two seater, three wheeler with its wheel arrangement a´la Morgan. Although undeniably a cycle car, the Lambert had some design features which would not have disgraced a contemporary light car and this applies especially to the chassis. The sides of the chassis were made from strip steel which was braced by three lateral strips and joined at the rear by a lateral tie. The most forward of the three strips was extended to serve also as front mudguard stays. The front axle was of heavy tubular construction and cranked to pass beneath the body. Springing was by conventional half elliptics at the front but by a simple cantilever arrangement at the rear. Cantilever springing had been pioneered on the excellent, and advanced, early Lanchester cars and had gained favour on other quality motors giving, as it did, a very
comfortable ride. This was rarely used on cheaper vehicles. However, the height of the Lambert cycle car, and the slender chassis, cannot have had much good road holding which many car designers of the period found difficult to combine with comfort. Despite this the company, along with many others, did not hesitate to claim the vehicle was “perfectly steady at all speeds” and gave “freedom from side slip”.
Two brakes were fitted, both of the external contracting type. One, operated by hand, was on the transmission countershaft and the foot pedal worked the second on the rear wheel. The latter was easily detachable, the mudguard being quickly removable for this purpose. Tyres were 650 x 65, that on the rear wheel being extra heavy though, from available photographs, this simply seems to mean that it had a slightly tougher tread pattern.
In common with many other cycle cars the Lambert was powered by the 8hp air cabled JAP engine set longitudinally in the chassis with both primary and final drive by Reynold’s chain. A three speed gearbox was used with a foot operated clutch. Ignition was by magneto, the make of which, like that of the carburettor, was unspecified. The carburettor was controlled by Bowden cable from the steering wheel.
As Lambert ran a coach-building department in the normal course of business it is not surprising that the little car’s bodywork was of a high standard. The interior was well upholstered and the exterior received a fine finish. On the main body of the prototype grey and green vertical stripes were used - a not uncommon style in the Edwardian period and used by Lanchester and Napier among others. The bonnet, which was grey with a green strip at front and rear, had a
wire mesh grille admitting air to the engine. A duct on the top of the bonnet encouraged its free passage. Colour could be, as was often the case, to the customer’s choice and, an ex-Lambert employee remembered a white and green striped version.
The fuel tank, holding approximately three and a half gallons of petrol and half a gallon of oil, was placed under the ‘scuttle dash’. The dashboard itself was of mahogany and was suitable for mounting a “speed indicator, water etc”. The prototype indeed seems to have had a speedometer fitted. Other bodywork features included a large tool box under the seats and a carrier above the rear wheel.
The Lambert at 5 hundredweight, 8’6” length and 4’3” wide overall sold at 105 guineas but, as was the custom at the time, various necessary extras increased this figure. The ‘extras’ included a cape hood at 6 guineas, a screen adjustable for rake at 3 guineas and, of course, lamps. Photographs which were used for publicity purposes, including a short piece in the motorcycling press, clearly show the single centrally mounted FRS acetylene headlamp (with no accompanying generator) and what are probably Lucas Motor Acetyphote self generating gas side lights mounted on the scuttle. A curly bulb horn was mounted externally to the driver’s right and an AA badge on the front of the bonnet. The car was registered AD 1741.
Capable of about 40 mph and a seemingly attractive proposition as it offered the luxury of a motor car, with the upkeep of a motorcycle and sidecar with easy maintenance and motorcycle tax, the Lambert failed to catch on, even locally. The firm did continue to make coach built side cars (offered at £10.15 complete in 1914) and many years later were still offering trailers.
A very rare example of an original W. & G. Lambert dash board badgecourtesy of David Wright
W.G.Lambert, Carriage, Cycle and Motor Works, Castle Street, Thetford
The main coachworks in Castle Street circa early 1900’s, situated at the entrance to what is now named Lambert’s, facing the mini round about and Rampart Way opposite - Photograph courtesy of Joy Osbourne from the Late David Osbourne collection.
An aerial view of the coachworks, showing the extent of the premises behind the main shop front. Photograph courtesy of www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Front view of W. & G. Lambert, Castle Street - Photograph courtesy of Joy Osbourne from the Late David Osbourne collection.
Lambert’s Thetford advert, circa 1914, believed to be from The Downham Gazetteanonymously submitted
Advertising
This was very much part of running a business then, as it is today. This example from an unknown newspaper, circa 1914, which based on the year was most likely The Downham Market Gazette. The advertisement makes a delightful read.
Transcription as follows:
A Life on Wheels
We keep you rolling all the time, from the cradle to the grave.
We commence to move you in the PRAM, the modest Pram for those moderate means, or the best ball bearing Baby Carriage it is possible to buy.
From the Pram we graduate you to the PUSH CHAIR, or Sturgis folding Car, and when you are tired of being pushed and want to push yourself, we start you off on the JUVENILE CYCLE, and from this to the famous LAMBERT or any other Cycle on the market, the second hand machine for the workman, to the high grade Sunbeam or Lea Francis.
Should you wish for something to assist you, we fit to your Cycle the AUTO WHEEL, that moderately priced little motor that adds so much to your pleasure.
Then if time comes that you want to be propelled again entirely, we are ready and able to keep you rolling, and to open up the broad highway with any MOTOR CYCLE you may fancy.
We sell them all, any make from 2 h.p. to 8 h.p. When you are weary of going alone and want to take your Lady or another friend, we fit you on the LAMBERT COACH BUILT SIDECAR, designed and built entirely in our works.
With this combination you can experience to the full the joys of motoring.
To those that aspire to higher things, we are ready
with any LIGHT CAR on the market, including the handsome HUMBERETTE or the more powerful FORD, at a little higher price, and to those that still higher go, we can keep you moving in the HUMBER ROVER or any other medium-powered Car, or the high-powered, luxurious LIMOUSINE.
We also cater for those that still prefer the horsedrawn vehicle; we build the lot from the Donkey Governess Car to the pair-horse CARRIAGE.
We keep the Tradesman moving all the time, starting you off with the modest HANDCART, or horse drawn CART or VAN.
We specialise in that necessity to modern business the CARRIER CYCLE, from that we go to the BUSINESS SIDECAR attached to the Motor Cycle, and we help you to prosperity with the MOTOR VAN, with Bodies that we build for any class of business.
The invalid and infirm we do not neglect; we supply the BATH CHAIR to enable you to enjoy the country, and keep you on the move.
We even build the Hearse or Bier for the last of all journeys on this earth, to complete the cycle on wheels.
To enable us to keep this lot moving, we have modern machinery in up-to-date works, and employ an EXPERT STAFF in EACH DEPARTMENT, ready, able, and willing at any hour of the day or night to undertake any and every job that comes along, and thus help to keep you rolling all the time. We keep huge stocks of Tyres, and every part and accessory required for anything that runs on the road for the conveyance of human beings.
If you are interested in any of the means of locomotion described above, your postcard will bring along any catalogue you require, or if you have anything that requires repairing, we are ready and at your service.
If you have no desire to buy, but only wish to hire, we can set you up with anything you may require.
LAMBERT’S THETFORD
Once word got out that The Reflections of Thetford magazine was thinking of including an editorial about W. G. Lambert, then the wheels were set in motion and we received a comprehensive list of names of people who worked at Lambert’s. The list is as follows and is from living memory.
Car Section
• George Wright (Foreman)
• John Alvey
• Aubrey Redcar
• Fred Woods
• Tom Coulson
• Peter Hallam
• Dan Pawsey
Motorcycle Section
• Harry Bonnet (Foreman)
• Dick Woods
• Philip George
Coach Works
• Norman Stanley
• Ez Street
• Jock Lamb
• Roly Mathews
• George Mower (Blacksmith)
• Ben Scott
• Harry Clark
• Tommy Brett
• Percy Ainger (Putt) Percy used to collect new cars and chassis from the factory
Vehicle Preparation and Chauffeur
• Harry Fuller
Tyres and Cycles
• Charlie Fisher Tyres
• Ray Spooner
Bob Cates - Bob was the engineer who had the upstairs workshop and was in charge of batteries, reboring, white metalling connecting rods etc.
Stores
• David Giggs
• Robin Crisp Office
• Mr Clark
• Peter Sheldrake
• Ron Green
• Bill Bradenham (Car Salesman)
Memories of teenage years spent visiting the Castle Street workshop.
‘The garage had a corrugated iron roof and was heated by a stove which ran on waste oil. The building was hot in summer and cold in winter. Most of the work on cars and vans was carried out over inspection pits which were covered in boards when not in use, there was a row of work benches at the far end of the building under the windows. There were a number of inspection lamps which were hanging from bare copper wires suspended from the roof, and one rather primitive hydraulic ramp. In the corner was an old cooling tank and an old engine that was used to generate the power for the workshop, before mains electricity was installed. There was a place in the workshop where they kept all the trade-in motorbikes (my favourite place when I was a teen).
Lamberts had three other premises in Thetford, there was a garage and yard opposite where Harry Fuller kept the hearse and the limousine which was used for funerals. There was the coach works which was located in Minstergate Street, in the old Burrell’s building opposite the present Charles Burrell museum. The third premises was a garage on the Norwich Road which was mainly for petrol and oil sales, this was run
by Bill Bradley who had lost one arm in WWI, but still managed to serve petrol even though the delivery hose had to be swung across a busy pavement. In the garage there were three interesting vehicles, a Bi Van, a Tri Van, and an Austin Gypsey van.’ - David Wright
A huge thank you to all the contributors for this article, to Tony for his detailed research, to David for his recollections, and to everyone else who has contributed.
I feel we may have only scratched the surface of vehicle manufacturing in Thetford, and there is much more to be discovered and reported.
If you are reading this and any of your relatives are mentioned in the list of ‘living memory’ employees, and you have your own memories, or memorabilia, then please get in touch with the magazine, we would love to hear from you and share anything you wish to share.
