Lorries to Lenses
Subterranean Thetford Forged in Steel Whatever it Takes Time for Reform? Bob Blogg Rides Yet Again Meet ‘n’ Eat A Town of Significance and much more
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by Martin Angus (Editor)
Welcome to Issue 9 of ‘Reflections of Thetford’ magazine.
It is hard to put into words the pleasure it is to put this magazine together for the folk of Thetford, so many people are now coming forward with information, stories, ideas, it feels like a real Thetford collaboration.
A special thank you to all of the writers, now known as ‘Riversdale Writers’, an amazing bunch of ladies and gents who really have gone above and beyond this issue. So many discoveries have been made that we are looking at continuing some of the stories next issue.
A guest writer joined us this edition, Sandra Starling, writing a very personal story regarding the history of VJ day, which this year commemorates 80 years.
Alan at The Bell must also get special mention, offering our team numerous tours of subterranean Thetford, as we explore the rumours of an underground network of tunnels in Thetford.
A big thanks to Riversdale Centre and Magdelen Street Community Centre for accommodating our team whilst we interviewed and photographed some of the good and great of Thetford featured in this issue. Riversdale appears to be going through a very exciting phase in their development.
I said the same last issue, 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.
Now that our gardens are blooming, and the warmer days are upon us, I hope you enjoy thumbing the pages of our square magazine sitting in your garden or down by the river, and enjoy a jolly good read about the good folk of Thetford doing great things
©Reflections of Thetford is published by The Bubbly Hub. All rights reserved 2025. Whilst every care is taken, the publisher accepts no responsibility for loss or damage resulting from the contents of this publication, as well as being unable to guarantee the accuracy of contributions supplied as editorial, images or advertisements. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publishers written permission.
Making a Difference - Sharon Thompson
From Lorries to Lenses - Ray Thompson
Preparing Youngsters for Life - Julia Miles
The Tunnels of Thetford - Enigma?
A Life Forged in Steel - Kevin Whittred
Boudicca Rising - Queen, Warrior, Legend
The Medusa Project Thetford
Time for Reform? - David Bick and Michael Westman
What does yoga mean to you? - Yoga with Tracey
Whatever it Takes -Rod at Body Concept
A New Home - Breckland Cat Protection
Castle Hill Walk - Stephanie, Albert and Fergus
Bringing a pub back to life - Debs McNaughton
Victory in Japan - 80th Commemoration
Thetford’s Civil Regalia - A Town of Significance
Sharon Thompson
Written by Andy Greenhouse
There are a few people that Thetford is very lucky to have as citizens, and Sharon Thompson is definitely one of them. Tireless in her efforts to make a difference to people’s lives, you can sense the compassion in her voice when she tells you of the various things that she’s involved with.
If you don’t know her, it’s probably because you’re either too old, you’re in good health and not injured, you can afford to buy yourself a meal or you’ve never been to one of the shows or public events that she organises or attends.
First and foremost, Sharon is one of the stalwarts of the Bishop CE Primary Academy where she puts in long hours, usually from around 6am, right through to the bitter end of each day. Although she’s not actually quite sure what it says in her contract or
job description, officially she is there as ‘Behaviour and Learning Support’, though this particular role tends to lean more towards the Behaviour aspect rather than Learning Support, and with nearly 400 kids ranging in age from 3 to 12, she’s got her work cut out with just that role. The most common word she hears all day is “Miss!” with children constantly clamouring for her attention.
She’s also called upon for First Aid duties, looking after the Lost Property, her fundraising skills and basically anything else that needs doing. Although not an actual ‘teacher’ she’ll also take on a class as Cover Supervisor in times of need where the regular teaching staff are indisposed, and can hold a class for two or three days if required.
Thankfully, her first aid skills are not required too often while at the school. It’s in one of her other
roles that they’re put to the test in a much more demanding and sometimes serious way.
Hopefully you’ve never been unfortunate enough to require Sharon’s attention whilst in her capacity as a First Aider. She’s been a regular at public events, both locally and further afield, for many years starting out with the St. John Ambulance. Then, a few years ago this changed when she and a group of other like-minded people decided to form their own First Aid provider group when the St. John veered away from their ideals to became more of a business model with a volunteer arm.
With around fourteen members, described as a friendly, weird and wonderful bunch, First Aid Support Thetford, or FAST as it is commonly called, was formed. Officially it is classed as a Voluntary Community Group and provides not only First Aid at public events but also offers First Aid training courses to individuals or companies.
‘But through it all, the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, the rough and the smooth, Sharon is the constant. ‘
Sharon explained that there was no hierarchy as such in place at FAST, with matters being discussed and agreed on jointly. The Group came into being when, after leaving the St. John Ambulance, Sharon found she was still getting calls asking for First Aid support and even after explaining that she was no longer St. John it was clear that people wanted her and her team, regardless of their backing, and this was when FAST was formed, by jumping feet first into the world of organised First Aid support. The
acronymous name was decided on one evening, after a few drinks at the pub, and they haven’t looked back since.
This was when the whole issue of funding, donations, expenses and costs was raised, and a deeper picture was revealed. Sharon explained that as a Voluntary Group, FAST doesn’t actually charge event organisers when asked to attend the various festivals, fun-days, parades etc. What they do is ask for a donation, and it’s down to the discretion of the organiser as to what they receive. This form of funding is very hit and miss and they take the rough with the smooth so if it’s a nice big event, big crowds, good takings then it’s nice to receive a donation that reflects that success whereas at a smaller venue, maybe poorly attended or washed out, then they readily accept that there won’t be as much generosity coming their way.
But Sharon was keen to get across that no matter the circumstances, there are always expenses involved. Whether it’s just a plaster for a scraped knee, or for full scale CPR or emergency treatment, every penny really does count! Although there are some that might take advantage of their presence and ask unnecessarily for items or assistance, they find that on the whole they are just taken for granted by people who don’t acknowledge their presence or realise the service they provide and the actual real cost that is involved, and far less, appreciate that groups such as FAST can only survive and continue to provide their voluntary services through the generosity of the general public and companies alike in the form of donations, no matter how small.
Then came the big revelation. Being totally voluntary, none of the members take any form of expenses or costs such as fuel etc from any funding or donation that is received by FAST. Once any
necessities such as purchase of their distinctive black and green uniforms or re-stocking of medical essentials are taken care of, any remaining funds are channelled into the running of the Community Cafe on Pine Close which is by far the biggest project that Sharon is responsible for.
The Cafe was started by accident several years ago. Back then Sharon was involved in children’s youth groups when she was approached by an organisation called FairShare, an independent charity born out of the belief that no good food should go to waste. They wanted to get her on board with getting the big-name supermarket stores to donate food to local good causes that might have otherwise gone to waste. Sharon saw this as a great opportunity to be able to provide a meal for the kids that would come to the youth groups if it was wanted.
As more and more food was donated the idea was formed to open a Community Cafe one night a week to provide a meal for anyone that cared to turn up. And the response was overwhelmingly successful when over twenty people did turn up on the first night.
And now, some 10-12 years later, Meet ‘N’ Eat as it’s known, has gone from strength to strength and is open four nights a week, usually Monday to Thursday for a couple of hours in the evening where they can, and have done, rustle up 500 meals in that four day period which, if you do the maths, works out to approximately a meal a minute!
But it’s had its downs as well as ups. Perhaps the biggest blow came when their home, the Pine Close Community Centre, was demolished and nothing put up in its place. Irrespective of the service they were providing to the community the council wouldn’t
provide alternative premises and Sharon, and her team, had no option than to move into one of the vacant shop units in the Pine Close shopping precinct… in one foul swoop their monthly rent was increased from just £40 per month to a whopping £500!
This rent, as well as what they have to fork out each month for food and energy, is all paid for by charitable donations, the proceeds from any of the FAST training and event attendance, and the vigorous fundraising conducted by Sharon and the other members. She quoted that they spend around £120 a month just on chips from Iceland, and that’s without all the other staple ingredients such as potatoes and pasta for example.
She was very quick to express deep gratitude and appreciation to some of the big stores that let them pick up the ‘End of Day’ food items that are at the end of their ‘Best Before’ dates. Tesco have been fantastic with this, and they can pick up on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from them. Aldi is available everyday although this is obviously a smaller store, so the pickings aren’t as rich, but very much appreciated, nonetheless. Greggs are also extremely generous with their donations of end of day stock, and this allows the Kitchen to provide ‘cold food’ takeouts such as a sausage roll. These donations, which Sharon goes around to collect with her own car, all make a huge difference to the monthly outlay and without them they would certainly struggle.
Aside from Sharon there are usually three other members of the team present at the kitchen facility on meal nights. Two of these are also in FAST with Sharon. On any one night there are two on chef duty in the kitchen itself to cook up the deliciousness, one of them will act as waiting staff and the fourth will be
on cold food pack up/take out duties.
The more Sharon talked about this aspect of her life, the more it became apparent that what she is doing for the community is more than just being a volunteer to help out. She has gone one step further and has virtually thrown her life and soul into what she does. It’s more of a calling and she goes on to tell me stories of whole families that have come in for a meal out of desperation of having nothing at home but willing to donate their electric money because they thought they had to pay until Sharon put them right on that… or of the elderly gentleman who used to come in for a cup of tea and stay for three or four hours just to have someone to chat to and would chuck a couple of quid in the tin… or of the truly homeless people that live in tents in the forest, usually of Eastern European persuasion, but genuine people that find themselves failed by the very system that wanted them here to work for peanuts… of those addicted to one thing or another caught up in the vicious circle of illness, desperation and poverty with not one of them having consciously chosen this path, but victim to it nonetheless.
She could only once more reiterate the desperate need for funds to enable them to continue this good work. In doing so she mentioned yet more community deeds she has organised and been heavily involved in over the years in pursuit of the much needed funds, in particular the Santa Trailer event at Christmas to provide gifts for children and the Santa Grotto where everyone can actually visit Santa in person!
But perhaps the biggest thing that Sharon is involved with is the annual ‘Wheels on the Field’ car show that she organises.
Started over ten years ago, it was originally held on Melford Common but soon outgrew it and moved to Kilverstone. This too soon became too small, and
the show migrated to Barnham Common where it stayed. It obviously didn’t happen during the Covid pandemic, and was unfortunately cancelled last year due to heavy rain, but Sharon is very hopeful that it will be back with a vengeance this year when it will be held in the grounds of the Bishops School.
She explained that it will likely be held in October this year in the hope that exhibitors and visitors alike will be more than ready for it after a long absence.
She went on to describe the current climate and how it is affecting the show scene. Basically, like everything else, it comes down to costs and she cited a few examples of the crazy way in which everything is increasing. She was quoted around £500 for just 8 portable toilets. Insurance companies are now demanding up to £10M cover for Public Liability which would cost in the region of £900 for the show. Energy prices going up affect costs too along with soaring food prices and even the fees asked by entertainers and performers. All of this has to be covered by entry fees and only adds to the total that visitors might expect to pay for a day out. The amount starts to go quite a high and it’s no wonder that visitor numbers start to dwindle and more and more shows are getting cancelled. She accepts that families only have limited resources to pay for days out like this and will always try to mitigate the costs by hiring in local acts rather than larger and costly performers. She remains hopeful that the show will still be a success.
But through it all, the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, the rough and the smooth, Sharon is the constant.
She is the beacon of positivity, the voice of the community and the driving force trying to make the difference.
Written by Martin Angus
In a quiet corner of Thetford, a man with a Canon camera and a compassionate eye is preserving the spirit of a town—one candid photo at a time. He’s not a professional photographer, at least not in the commercial sense. But to the local sports teams, children’s parents, and anyone who’s ever seen a fleeting expression frozen in time on his Facebook page, Ray Thompson is as real as it gets.
Now 74 years old, Ray’s life has been anything but ordinary. It has unfolded like one of his photographs: vivid in places, softly blurred in others, but always rich with humanity. Born and raised in North London, Ray arrived in Thetford in 1973 as part of the government’s London Overspill scheme. Armed with little more than a job at Thermos and a fascination with cameras inherited from his father, he took a gamble on a slower-paced life.
“I came down here on my own,” he recalls, “left my wife in Muswell Hill, moved into lodgings until our
house was available and then my family moved down with me. It was completely out of my comfort zone.”
But comfort zones were never where Ray lived his life. Whether welding at Dust Control Engineering or driving lorries across the UK for nearly four decades, he approached every challenge with gritty determination and a sense of purpose.
That lorry-driving career spanned from 1978 to 2015—an era when the UK’s roadways were less digital, more manual, and often unforgiving. He worked for Bartrums and later for Jo Pearson of Pearsons Thetford, a man Ray describes as “the best governor I ever had.” Jo didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, and Ray never forgot that. “He used to go home dirtier than I did some days. You don’t forget people like that.”
But even the strongest wheels eventually slow. After Pearsons was bought by Viridor, a faceless corporate entity, the job changed—and not for the better. Ray
broke down one early morning at 4:30 a.m., unable to stop crying. It was a moment that ended his career, but began something more meaningful.
Out of work and out of options, a friend suggested Ray try gardening. “I said, I’ve never done gardening before. He said, ‘I know you can cut grass. I’ve seen your front hedge.’” And with that humble endorsement, Ray’s Gardening Services was born.
He cashed in savings, bought a van, a ride-on mower, and some flyers—though he never needed to hand one out. Word spread. For nearly eight years, Ray mowed, trimmed, and tidied gardens across Thetford. “I told people I’m not a gardener—I’m a tidier. And they liked that.”
The work became therapy. Especially after the unthinkable happened: his son Ben passed away from a rare and aggressive cancer. “He was a window cleaner. A father of three. He went from strong to five stone in 18 months.” Ray’s voice cracks even now. “He loved music. Supported all the indie bands. After he died, bands from all over Britain came to play a memorial concert in Peterborough.”
Ray still listens to Ben’s playlists—labelled “New Sh*t,” “Good Sh*t,” and “Stuff I Haven’t Heard Yet”—while editing his photographs.
Photography has always been part of Ray’s life, thanks to his dad’s old flashbulb camera. But it wasn’t until after retiring from gardening that he picked up his Canon with serious intent. It started with a 400mm f/2.8 lens—a beast of a tool—and a request to take some football photos. “They said I could come in free if I was taking pictures. That was two seasons ago, and it hasn’t stopped since.”
Now, Ray can be seen on the sidelines of nearly every rugby, football, hockey, and judo event in Thetford, camera in hand. But it’s not just the action he captures—it’s the emotion. Parents beaming with pride. Children mid-laugh. Mud-splattered faces grinning after a win. “Sometimes I sit there and get a tear in my eye. These parents are looking at their phones, but I’m seeing moments they’ll never notice. I’m giving that back to them.”
He prefers photographing rugby—“more emotion, more character”—and enjoys the challenge of shooting in unpredictable light. “Floodlights are tricky,” he explains. “You’ve got pools of light and shadows, and you’ve got to time it just right.”
Despite the countless hours he puts in, Ray struggles to charge people for his work. When asked, he’ll print images at a modest fee—barely covering the cost of paper and ink. “It’s not about making money. It’s about giving people something they’ll treasure.”
Saxophones, Magic, and the Nudist Camp
As if that weren’t enough, Ray has a life résumé longer than most novels. He’s been a musician, playing saxophone in a nine-piece blues band that backed acts like Showaddywaddy and even performed at nudist resorts. “They gave us the option to get naked,” he laughs. “One of the other band’s singers went out there completely starkers. Not sure if he was holding his mic or…”
He’s also a former magician, buying tricks from a hidden magic shop in Thetford and performing for kids. “I once paid £1,500 for a single trick. You’d never guess how it’s done.” Then there’s the hypnotherapy diploma he earned during a spell of self-reflection, helping others quit smoking or overcome anxiety. And don’t forget the woodworking: he built furniture, flutes, and even rocking horses by hand.
Oh, and he once appeared in a film with Glenda Jackson, skating down Wardour Street in Sunday Bloody Sunday. “Seventeen seconds of fame,” he says. “But I spent an hour chatting with Glenda over tea.”
Memory Keeper, Storyteller, Friend
Ray describes himself as a “jack of all trades, master of none,” but that’s too modest by far. What he really is, is a memory keeper. Someone who recognises the power of a fleeting moment, and ensures it’s not lost.
“I don’t know football,” he says, “but I know when someone’s face tells a story. That’s what I look for.”
That’s why his photos stand out—not because of the gear or the settings, but because they’re infused with empathy. You can feel the mud on the pitch. The pride in the parents’ eyes. The quiet resilience of a man who has turned grief into something lasting.
Legacy in Focus
Ray still photographs weekly, now semi-retired. He does two gardens “for two little old ladies across the street” and focuses on what he loves: capturing life, not selling it.
There’s talk of exhibitions. Perhaps even a book. “I’ve had a few people ask me about it,” he says, bashfully. “We’ll see.”
For now, Thetford is lucky to have him. Not just for the photographs, but for the example he sets— that you’re never too old to start something new, to create something beautiful, or to be a part of someone else’s joy.
Ray Thompson may not call himself a professional, but make no mistake: he is a master. A master of finding meaning in the everyday, and for that, we should all be grateful.
Written by Dave Griffiths
I emerged from Norwich Road Academy out on to the main road last Tuesday morning, dazzled not only by the fresh spring sun but also by what I had experienced over the previous hour speaking with and being shown around by the school’s Principal, Julia Miles. I’ve been a primary school governor in the past and visited quite a few schools, but I have to say I’ve never been quite so blown away by a school before from all sorts of perspectives. A total credit to Julia and her whole team; you made me wish I was young again and could attend myself!
The school I believe is the second oldest in Thetford (the Grammar School being the oldest), having been built in 1870 and handed over to its first Chairman, and famous Thetford forefather, Cornell Fison. I went to primary school many decades ago, which was also built in Victorian
times and with a Dickensian vibe that rather, dementor like, sucked the joy from you. But here the clean well-kept building frontage framed by a new looking Reception playground gives an inviting feel as you arrive on site. Walking around you can see how generations of buildings have added to the facilities and the timeline of structures provide a sense of history and belonging to the place. It was a good first impression that continued throughout the visit.
I should probably start by saying a bit about Julia Miles, the principal, who I sense is a major influence in where the school is today. She was born in Liverpool and raised in Wigan and lived with her Mum and sister in a small 2 bed flat. Despite always being bright and an avid reader, her slightly suffocating situation led to branch out and leave school at 16. She got a job in
insurance and worked in Manchester. It was the place to be in the late 80s and 90s at the peak of “proper music”, as those of us who grew up in that era will say (completely correctly). But by 20 she started to feel that there was more, that she could do more and so enrolled in night school. She’d always loved reading and history and had an inkling she’d like to teach. Indeed, friends said she’d be good at it. Her degree combined a mix of Social Studies, History and Teaching and, after graduating, she got her first job at a school in Bolton, progressing there to middle leadership. Her family had grown to 3 children by this point, and they made the decision that they’d like to raise the family in more rural surroundings. The choice of destination was Norfolk, where she took up a post at Diss Church Junior School. Here she made her mark, was identified in a Norfolk Talent Pool for teachers, and became involved in several action-based research projects relating to education and personal development. In our chat she revealed a competitive streak and a thirst for helping youngsters achieve, when describing a maths competition where a class from Diss beat a local and very expensive private school. Julia moved on secondment to Norwich Road Academy in 2018 as temporary head teacher, a position made permanent in 2019 when she became Principal.
The things that really attract me to the school from the website to the environment itself to the discussions and walk around were not however academic achievements but the focus on the whole person, their wellbeing, their understanding of where they sit in the community, their health and confidence. My daughter was academically average at primary school but the grounding she got allowed her
to develop rapidly thereafter. I therefore loved what I saw around the school. From an Ofsted visit last year the school was rated at least “Good” in all categories, the first time in its history it had achieved that. Further it gained an “Outstanding” in personal development showing that it is exceptional in this area.
A tour around the school revealed that it has a bit of Tardis about it, a much bigger on the inside than you’d think from the road. We started our tour out front at the early years playground designed and built in Julia’s time at the school. She pointed out the police station next to the school saying it had once been the head teacher’s house and that there were air raid shelters on the junior playground during the Second World War, when it was known as Norwich Road School. Nice little facts that place the school firmly in the history of the community.
Wandering into a teaching block some reception pupils came up to say hello and ask inquisitively (but politely) who I was. In fact, just about every youngster said hello whilst heading off on their daily routine; really nice! Emerging into the main playground there were lots of pupils jogging around a painted track doing their “Daily Mile”. Getting the youngsters out in the fresh air, exercising and recording how far they go and allowing them to start to enjoy exercise seems so important today. We moved around to the “History Wall” which I could have spent all morning looking at being a bit of a Thetford history buff. The timeline of images and facts charting the history of Thetford and Britain. Further round the playground you have the plaques for the prominent historical figures from Thetford that lend their names to the 4 Houses at the school, Boudicca, Edith Cadell,
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Thomas Paine and Charles Burrell. Julia has taken inspiration from Harry Potter in assigning characteristics and behaviours to the house names, inspired by the characters themselves. During their time at school, all the pupils will visit a place relevant to their house figure. This really helps pupils to understand richness of community they live in to feel an integral part of it. Everywhere you go and look there is something colourful and informative on a plain wall. You are immersed in a world of fun and learning.
Around the school there are several thoughtful features, all aimed at improving the wellbeing of the pupils. There’s the Elmer room which is a quiet space where those less comfortable with the hustle and bustle of the school can get some peace and where intervention can be held in the quiet. There’s a fabulous Wildlife Garden at the back of the site with bird hides and a collection of Easter Island inspired log seats carved by a local wildlife ranger. Outside the Reception classroom, a wall has been rendered and a large mural painted on it by local artist and ex pupil Joey La Meche. There’s a sensory garden with running water and a large planter which is popular, particularly with the younger ones. In the newest building on site, the Dining Hall, there is a vending machine containing a range of books which pupils can have if they work to collect 500 points for reading independently. This helps them to focus on a goal, enjoy the experience of getting a new book and to encourage reading.
All these fabulous features require funding and, as everyone knows, school funding has been cut quite substantially in recent years. Julia has been very successful in tapping into a range
of funding streams. The reception playground was funded by the Eastern Multi Academy Trust (EMAT), the dining hall by the DFE, the planter in the sensory garden by BFER, the book vending machine by Thetford Education Foundation Trust, some of the hedging at trees by the Woodland Trust. And the parents are massively supportive in fundraising. This list is far from exhaustive with more funders I’ve missed and more items than this that have been funded by them, but it gives a flavour of the lengths you must go to in order to achieve the vision of a rich set of resources with which to develop all pupils, with all their varying needs.
So, a thoroughly enjoyable hour spent with Julia. But alas spreadsheets and boring meetings beckoned. As you might have deduced, I became a huge fan of the place during my visit. It plays to all my views on the importance of development much wider than just academic. It takes that so much further into building cultural capital, knowledge of surroundings and encouraging a feeling of belonging to and in the town. As I mentioned earlier, Julia I found to be an understated force of nature. What she’s achieved in under 6 years is amazing. But organisations don’t flourish due to just individuals. I said earlier that the pupils were super friendly, animated and polite. But equally the staff all seemed totally engaged and smiling, barely a scowl on show. The ease of interaction and positive atmosphere is testament to a great team and a finely tuned machine.
You should all be proud of what you’ve achieved with the school to date, and I’m sure you will all continue to achieve.
Written by Andy Greenhouse
The hunt had been good, and Sir Edmund was very grateful it had gone according to plan. His two trusted serfs had released the boar at the correct moment and the King’s crossbow bolt made the perfect killing blow, no matter that even a one-eyed drunkard could not have missed.
His Lord and master, the most Royal Highness, King Charles the First, King of England and Scotland, Defender of the Faith would no doubt add Huntsman Extraordinaire to his extensive list of titles such were the stories of his exploits that he was regaling the serving girls with, fuelled by countless flagons of wine and mead.
The wild boar slowly roasted, dropping globules of fat that spluttered and sizzled in the open fire as a young scullion turned the handle of the spit, and a thick smoke, heavy with the odours of cooking meat,
wafted around the stone hearth before swirling its way up the blackened chimney.
Edmund took another sip of his ale, eyes peering around the room over the tankard as he raised it, alert as ever. The room was crowded with a cacophony of Cavalier raucousness. Charles, at the epicentre, was loudly lauding himself, spilling much mead in the process. The King had inherited the house from his predecessor, James, a few years back but why he would choose to come to such a hovel of a place, he could never fathom, especially in such troubled times as these. The war was not going well. Cromwell’s agents roamed the land and reports of Roundhead troops were everywhere. Norwich, only a mere thirty miles from here, was jittery with rumours that Parliamentary forces were planning something big, and still the King decided to come to a non-descript hunting lodge in a backwater market
town in the middle of a forest.
He sighed. King’s House, Thetford. Not exactly the kind of defendable fortress he was used to. He glanced out of the window at The Bell, the old coaching inn, just across the muddy roadway. He could make out people and shadows moving around, smoke from the chimneys and flickering lamps, and for a brief moment wished he could step away from his responsibilities into the obscurity of the common man.
His wistfulness was rudely interrupted. An anxious looking Seargent Henry Smith strode purposefully into the room and headed straight to Edmund, his Hanger sword flapping at his breeches with each step as he dodged various courtiers.
The Sergeant kept his voice low, but it was laden with urgency, “Sir, Roundheads are approaching from the south. They are but a mile away and seem to be heading here. We would be compromised for they are many!”
“Gadzooks!” exclaimed Edmund, “Damn those Roundheads! We must look to the King! Ready the Guard Sergeant! If we cannot fight, we must run. To the tunnels! We cannot be caught in this rat trap!”
A few succinct words into the royal ear later and Charles sobered up, his eyes wide with alarm. The Sergeant had rounded up the Guard, ten of the King’s best men, and led on by Edmund, the group headed through the kitchen and out into the conservatory, toward a sturdy door that opened to some roughly hewn steps down to the cellars. Edmund lit an oil lamp, and holding it aloft, headed down the steps, calling back to Henry to make sure the door was barred and bolted behind them.
Dank odours, reminiscent of ancient crypts, assailed
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their senses. Dusty cobwebs snagged their hair, and from dark, damp corners the faint sound of scuttling claws on mouldy brickwork could be heard as rats retreated from the sudden invasion.
At the bottom of the steps amongst the dancing shadows cast by the lamp, Edmund bade two of the guard to set about opening the hidden tunnel door. It was concealed behind the shelving against the far wall which they quickly dragged out of the way to reveal the entrance.
The low curved roof of the tunnel would mean some discomfort as they went, for they would need to stoop for much of the way. Edmund looked to his King, “Are you ready Sire? We must make haste.” And as if to add weight to the urgency, the sudden but familiar ‘crack’ of musket fire could be heard from above. “Come, we must go!”
Bending, he moved forward into the tunnel, motioning the others to follow, “We endure this for about a hundred yards Sire then, just before the exit up into the Bell, we turn left. The tunnel is higher there and we can stand upright. Then we follow it all the way up the street to the Castle motte. We have friends there in the bailey. They shall ensure our safe passage.”
Did that ever happen? Who knows. Probably not, but it makes for exciting reading and adds mystery to one of Thetford’s greatest enigmas, the long-lost tunnels!
In recent weeks I’ve been delving into what lies beneath the streets of Thetford, and it’s fascinating
Newspaper clip kindly supplied by an anonymous reader who read ‘The Donkey in The Hole’ and ‘W.G.
Lambert’ stories in Issue 8 of Reflections of Thetford Magazine.
Published in The Downham Market Gazette 6th June 1908, reproduced with kind permission, all rights remaining with the original publisher.
to discover the forgotten underworld, and the myth and legend that accompanies it.
I started at the Bell Hotel and met with Alan. He is the man who drinks coffee and fixes stuff. He also knows a lot of the history and he told me much of it as we wandered around the back passages, up and down hidden stairways and in and out of rooms that the general paying guests would never see. Finally, we went down a rickety staircase into the very bowels of the hotel and came into an Aladdin’s Cave of junk. Alan explained that this was basically his office, and he never threw anything away, just in case it would come in useful one day. Then, after handing me a torch, he fiddled around the back of a cupboard and after a fabulous ‘Open Sesame!’ moment, it swung back to reveal an entrance that had been knocked through the flint and chalkstone wall into an ominous black hole beyond.
Crouching to go through, I followed Alan into the abyss, our torch beams probing into the shadows. After only a few steps he said I could safely stand as the ceiling was higher and as my eyes adjusted to the gloom I could look around.
I have to say it was anti-climactic. Again, it was full of junk and discarded hotel fixtures and fittings. There was pipework and cobwebs and dust everywhere. The ceiling was low at either side but went up in a curve. The whole room was a mash up of fairly new brickwork, render and spots of older flint and chalkstone.
Behind us to the right as we entered was a bricked up opening with a small gap near the top which, when I poked my camera through to take an unmanned shot, just led to more brickwork which could well have been the blocked off and filled in tunnel that would have led up King Street.
The most exciting part was at the other end of the ‘room’ where more newer bricks could be seen that had very obviously been used to block off a doorway, and the direction it would take you in would be directly toward King’s House, just over the road!
At some point in the near future, Alan plans to utilise one of the cracks in this brick doorway and insert an endoscope to try and see what lies beyond, so watch this space for those results.
‘Into the Abys’ by Andy Greenhouse
With no traversable tunnel available, I ventured once more to the daylight above and popped next door to the YMCA. Here, I could only listen enraptured as Camille, the manageress, told me of their ‘cellar’ which was down some steps from their back office. Unfortunately, it is not now accessible without some serious desk moving and carpet removal, and understandably it was just not going to be possible to have a look. Hopes are high for some future date though…
Next stop was Karen, who lives in the very tucked away house down the narrow alleyway between the YMCA and William H Brown. In her courtyard garden, surrounded by the walls of her residence, are some steps that led down into more of Thetford’s underbelly!
This was another ‘room’ but definitely one that was a lot more reminiscent of a tunnel, with a low-slung ceiling that curved upwards to give it more height in the middle. Although, with no actual closeable door the entrance at the foot of the stairs was quite weathered and open to the elements. The distinct difference between this section and that under the Bell were the additions of two alcoves in the side wall. Their purpose is but the subject of pure conjecture and it was suggested they once held some sort of lighting, such as candles for example. About ten feet from the steps, the ‘tunnel’ ended abruptly with another bricked up doorway. Karen explained that beyond was indeed a filled in section which would be under the alleyway just outside her boundary that the council installed a drain in several years ago. If it had not been for the drain, one can only surmise that her tunnel would then run on into the one under Camille’s desk in the YMCA and then carry on under the carpark into the blocked off entrance under the Bell.
Alas, it is said that whatever tunnels may have connected the YMCA to the Bell were demolished and filled in during the Sixties, when the car park was built. I find it so sad that whatever authority was in charge at that time did not have the wherewithal to preserve the tunnels and groundworks instead of filling them in for the sake of civic improvements.
It was now time to step over to the other side of the street. I had been told about a cellar under what is now Lawsons Estate Agents, so I headed there and spoke with Matt who was very helpful and was
happy to show me.
More steps leading down, though these were not as rickety as some, just very narrow, into a very clean and tidy looking cellar area. It consisted of two rooms, perpendicular to each other, separated by an archway.
Interestingly, this archway was half bricked up and I could only wonder, and imagine, that if it hadn’t been then perhaps it would have led on further up the street to the next cellar or tunnel section.
Squeezing through the half an archway into the main section revealed another similar looking ‘room’ to those that were under The Bell, and Karen’s Garden behind W.H. Brown because they were all of a very similar width and length, with low, curved ceilings and the same chalky/flint brickwork.
Like Karen’s, Matt’s cellar also had the alcoves set into the walls, though these were very rectangular whereas Karen’s had a pronounced curve at the top, to match the ceiling.
Matt’s cellar was also by far the best kept but was let down by the opening at the far end that was up at street level. It therefore suffered badly from the litter and detritus that a busy street needs to dispose of down convenient gratings!
With no other evidence of further connecting tunnels, I bade Matt farewell and left, pondering my next move. In between all these visits, desperate attempts had been made to contact somebody, anybody, at Kings House in order to gain access to the remains of their tunnel which was apparently in the conservatory. But even now, at the time of writing, we’ve still been unable to get in there to confirm or deny the existence of anything… another case of watch this space.
Meanwhile, I’d also made contact with t’internet and sought out the power of Facebook to ask the lovely people of the ‘Brian Mace’s Thetford Past and Present’ group to ask if anyone could throw any light on, or relay any rumours about, these elusive tunnels. And they didn’t fail to deliver. It turns out that, if there’s any truth in anything you read on the net these days, Thetford used to be riddle with tunnels!
There’s the story of Les Leeder driving his bus along Guildhall Street and crashing into the old Angel pub when the road collapsed under it due to a tunnel opening up. Others mentioned a tunnel from the Market Place, which may well be the connection between the Kings Street tunnels and Guildhall Street.
Sue Mackintosh told the tale of her husband accidentally breaking into a tunnel under Castle Street many years ago. Reporters and a film crew all turned up and they all climbed down into it to find tunnels going off in all directions. These were seemingly old flint mines and some forgotten bits and pieces were recovered, such as an old copper kettle and some clay pipes.
There were other mentions too, and hopefully one day they will be followed up.
Thetford’s history is literally riddled, like its streets, with stories of these tunnels. Thank you for reading this far. I hope to continue this intrigue in the very near future, where I shall visit the Priory, the several other places mentioned in rumours, the Ancient House Museum, Chantry House and ultimately, King’s House!
To Be Continued….
Written by Martin Angus
Some lives leave behind monuments of stone or pages in history books. Others leave behind something quieter, yet more profound: a living legacy in the hearts of a community, the hands of family, and the shape of a town itself. Kevin Whittred, born and raised in Thetford, embodies the kind of dedication that doesn’t call attention to itself — and yet, it’s impossible to ignore.
On March 2nd, 1953, in a now-demolished house at 13 Old Bury Road, a Thetford original was born. “A Thetfordian and proud of it,” Kevin often says — not out of boastfulness, but with the grounded pride of a man who has spent a lifetime giving back to the town that shaped him.
A Childhood of Foundations and Quiet Fortitude Kevin’s early years were deeply influenced by his parents’ strength and sacrifice. His father, Richard “Ted” Whittred, was a soldier — a man who served in World War II in the Far East and later in the Korean War. His mother, Beryl, worked in the Naafi, the support lifeline for British forces, and it was at the
Imphal Barracks in York that the two met and began their life together.
After returning to Thetford to be closer to family, the young couple faced tragedy. In 1959, Beryl passed away from breast cancer at just 28 years old, leaving Ted to raise their four children alone. Kevin was only six. His memories of his mother are few, but he treasures the letters she wrote to his father during his military postings — fragments of love and resilience frozen in ink. “It’s quite sad reading through them,” Kevin says, “but they tell me what kind of woman she was — kind, private, and deeply loved.”
These early hardships didn’t harden Kevin. Instead, they seemed to form in him a deep empathy and an unwavering sense of responsibility.
Formative Years in a Town That Raised Him Kevin attended Norwich Road Primary School and later Thetford Secondary Modern High School, where he flourished under the mentorship of Headmaster Mr. Briggs — a man who, in Kevin’s words, “made my
life at school.” The feeling, it turns out, was mutual. Years later, Mr. Briggs would tell him, “No Kevin, you made my life at school.” Their relationship extended beyond the classroom into the Army Cadets, where Kevin rose to Staff Sergeant, and learned leadership, discipline, and teamwork — values that would define him throughout life.
His school days were filled not only with academics and cadet training, but also with the free-spirited adventures unique to post-war English childhoods: sledging down Castle Hill, diving off the Town Centre Bridge, and swimming in the makeshift “mud baths” of Nunn’s Bridges. These weren’t the chlorinated pools of modern times — the water was icy, and sometimes even carried dead animals downstream — but to Kevin and his friends, it was paradise.
In this environment, he developed a work ethic beyond his years. Kevin delivered newspapers in the morning and collected wood with his brother Mel to make and sell kindling bundles on weekends. One customer, Mrs. Brown, always greeted him with tea and cake — small kindnesses that left big impressions. After school, he ran errands for neighbours, not for pocket money, but because it was simply what one did.
Boxing, Engineering, and the Choice to
At 14, Kevin took up boxing under coach Dave Nimmo — a man who would become a powerful mentor. Under Dave’s training, Kevin became the Norfolk ABA Champion and represented the Eastern Counties. He was even offered the opportunity to turn professional and move to London. But Kevin, ever loyal to his roots, declined. His heart belonged in Thetford, and his path was already taking shape in the local trades. Engineering called to Kevin, and he began his apprenticeship at Rayhams Developments in Kelvin Place, gaining certifications in machining, welding, and fabrication. Over the years, he honed his skills at
local firms like Thermos, Imtec, and Pickstones, but it was at Dust Control Equipment (D.C.E.) that Kevin found his second home. He joined as a welder-fabricator and later moved into maintenance. He remembers those days fondly — not for titles or pay, but for the camaraderie. “I’d never have left if the company hadn’t moved to Leicester,” he says.
When D.C.E. closed, Kevin turned redundancy into opportunity. Using the £40-a-week Enterprise Allowance Scheme and salvaged machinery from his former employer, he opened K.W. Welding & Fabrication on The Gorse Industrial Estate. It was a modest start, but it would grow into one of Thetford’s quiet engines of progress — a business rooted in quality, craftsmanship, and community spirit.
Building More Than Structures — Building Thetford’s Identity
For the last 40 years, Kevin has left his mark — quite literally — all across Thetford. His workshop has produced gates, railings, signage, structural reinforcements, and civic fixtures that thousands pass by daily without even knowing the name behind them. But those who do know, know.
Among his signature works are the elegant Market Square gates and archway, the painstaking restoration of 1855 cemetery railings, and infrastructure improvements in anticipation of a royal visit from thenPrince Charles. His work adorns the Methodist Church, the Carnegie Rooms, and King Street during Christmas. Every weld is not just craftsmanship, but care.
Kevin never chased prestige. Yet, in 2025, he was awarded the Founders Award at Thetford’s Business Awards — an honour that left him speechless. Nominated by his wife Chantal and supported by a wave of heartfelt community votes, Kevin accepted the award with humility. “It’s not just the recognition,” he said, “it’s the comments — they mean so much.”
While his work has been public, Kevin’s heart has always been with his family. A devoted husband, father of five, grandfather of eight, and now a great-grandfather, Kevin lights up when speaking of his children and grandchildren. “They idolise him,” friends say, and it’s easy to see why.
He enjoys the simple things: home darts practice, weekend train rides with his son to cheer on Norwich City (with a lifelong soft spot for Arsenal), theatre trips, walks through local trails, and heritage visits with Chantal. These are the rewards of a life well lived — not flashy, but full.
Even today, at over 70, Kevin continues to work — not out of necessity, but out of love for what he does and the town he serves. “Knowing you have that kind of support behind you keeps you going,” he says with a smile. “Maybe for another couple of years.”
Kevin Whittred has never sought the spotlight. And yet, his life offers a rare kind of light: the kind that quietly illuminates everything around it. He’s built bridges — some literal, some emotional — and strengthened the bonds of a town that’s stronger because of him.
He is proof that legacy isn’t measured in wealth or headlines, but in the gratitude of neighbours, the admiration of children, and the lasting beauty of wellwrought work.
In Thetford, when people walk past a gate, lean on a railing, or gather beneath a welded archway, they may not know the name behind the steel. But the spirit behind it — steady, humble, and enduring — belongs to Kevin Whittred.
And Thetford, in its heart, knows it.
Written by Liz Gibbons
Boudica, a household name and one of history’s most recognisable figures, a warrior queen who led her people to rebel against the oppressive rule of Rome. Celebrated as both heroine and the underdog, her story is marked by courage and rebellion with an almost mythical quality about it. Yet, who was Boudica really and why does her legacy endure? This article will take readers on a journey into the past, exploring the life and legend of our local heroine through insights from a local archaeologist, a local public historian, and resources from Thetford Library.
When it comes to Boudica, even her name sparks debate. Is it Boudica, Boudicca or Boadicea? The correct pronunciation is “Boo-Dik-Ah,” with emphasis on the strong “Boo.” Yet many of us are more familiar with the more elegant sounding “Boadicea,” pronounced “Bo-Diss-Ee-Ah.” This version came about due to a simple transcription error that was later inadvertently cemented into history by a typesetter. The Victorians embraced the softer, more romanticised spelling and it still lingers to this
day. Her true name however, the one that echoes with fierce rebellion, is the harsher, more powerful Boudica.
The name “Boudica” is thought to derive from the ancient Celtic word bouda, meaning “victory,” suggesting it may have been a title bestowed upon her rather than a birth name. This powerful association with triumph resonated across eras, particularly with the fiery-haired Queen Elizabeth I, whose defiance against foreign powers echoed Boudica’s own fierce rebellion. Later, during the Victorian era, the name gained renewed significance. In modern Welsh, buddug translates as “Victoria,” drawing a striking parallel to Queen Victoria, who expanded her empire and navigated the unique challenges of female rule. The connection between these formidable monarchs and the warrior queen of the Iceni captivated the British imagination, inspiring writers and poets to draw bold comparisons in their works.
Whether Boudica was her given name or a title reflecting her status and purpose, the symbolism
remains potent. Perhaps she was a noblewoman who adopted a name worthy of a queen, or perhaps it was the title given to her to signify her destiny. In either case, the name alone carries the weight of legacy, legend, and resistance.
Boudica lived during the late Iron Age, a time when East Anglia was a landscape of contrasts, a mosaic of cleared farmland and open pastures carved from ancient, dense woodland. Along the winding rivers, clusters of roundhouse settlements nestled into the terrain, with trails of woodsmoke rising from hearths, smithies, and clay kilns. Life moved to the rhythm of the land: crops were sown and harvested by hand or with oxen-drawn ploughs, while livestock roamed beneath the vast Norfolk sky. For further details, to bring this ancient world to life, I spoke with Public Historian Henry Palmer. With a coastline that extended further inland than today, East Anglia had direct access to overseas trade routes, and its people were well adapted to navigating the natural challenges of their environment. In many ways, Norfolk was geographically and culturally distinct, almost isolated from the rest of the country. Although little is known about Boudica’s early years, it is likely she would have grown up immersed in this rugged, tribal world, shaped by its rhythms, its spirit, and its enduring connection to the land she would one day rise to defend.
Most communities lived in modest, close-knit settlements, but larger centres known as “oppida” were beginning to emerge. One such example was Thetford, strategically located at the junction of Icknield Way and the rivers Thet and Ouse. This made it a vital crossroads for trade and cultural exchange, helping it grow into a significant hub of regional importance.
Henry continues, painting a picture of a complex
and organised society: “So, imagine a fully-fledged, established kingdom, with rulers, and groups of people living in different areas.” Evidence of this layered history can be found at sites like Gallows Hill in Thetford, which shows signs of occupation dating back to the Bronze Age, possibly even earlier than the formal establishment of the Iceni.
Thetford’s strategic location at a vital river crossing likely necessitated its fortification. “This crossing would have been so important that they created the earthworks,” Henry explains, remnants of which are still visible today. The structure would have offered some degree of protection, and its prominent riverside position suggests it was also a focal point for tribal gatherings and trade. The significance of this site points to its role as a major regional power centre, long before the arrival of Roman influence.
Henry shares insight into the tribal communities of Iron Age East Anglia, explaining how our understanding of their origins is still evolving. “It was once thought that the last major migration before the Romans was the Celtic one,” he says, “but now evidence suggests there may have been another wave of migration in between, possibly foreign groups moving into the region.” As a result of these migrations, the tribes of East Anglia were predominantly Celtic in origin.
For a deeper insight into the people of ancient East Anglia, I spoke with locally based archaeologist Dr. Keith Robinson. The tribes who would later be collectively known as the Iceni (a Latin name and therefore pronounced “Ik-ay-nee”). Keith elaborates, “There wasn’t just one tribe, not just one people but rather an amalgamation. The names given at the time, including place names, were all Latin.” The name Iceni is thought to have derived from ‘Cenimagni’ which may have been a version of ‘Eceni Magni’ or ‘The Great Iceni’.
Keith explains that the peoples of East Anglia lived lives deeply intertwined with spirituality and symbolism. In the absence of a written language, their beliefs, knowledge and stories were passed down orally and conveyed through intricate designs and motifs. It was during this period that the first local coins were struck. Keith suggests how this development may have occurred: “Many Celtic warriors fought abroad, where they encountered monetary systems. They likely returned with bullion (gold and silver) which influenced East Anglian tribes to adopt similar practices.” Keith adds that influences were not only from abroad but also closer to home. The Iceni’s southern neighbours, the Trinovantes and Catuvellauni, would also have played a role in this development.
The Iceni incorporated distinctive tribal patterns and iconography into their coins, just as they did with their jewellery and other metal objects. Craftsmen were highly valued, their artistry celebrated and archaeological evidence shows that their influence spread beyond East Anglia’s borders. Every object held significance, each coin and adornment provided a visual reinforcement of tribal identity and a spiritual link to the gods. This structured, symbol-rich way of life helped shape the rhythm of the region, where Norfolk’s prosperity was marked not just by fertile land, but by thriving trade routes that stretched to southern Britain and across the continent.
The significance of Thetford was brought into sharper focus during an excavation in the 1980s, when archaeologists uncovered a vast and complex religious site at Fison Way. The site had a grove-like quality, enclosed by trenches and close-set vertical timbers, some perhaps left with branches intact to create the impression of a sacred woodland. This natural boundary marked a threshold, separating the spiritual realm from the everyday world.
Within this secluded space, archaeologists uncovered burial sites and the remains of large round structures, suggesting highly specialised ritual activity. Clay moulds used for coin production were found alongside a significant coin hoard (some of which is now housed in Ancient House Museum) pointing to both spiritual and economic importance. Evidence also suggests the site evolved over time, with expansions and additions made across generations. Perhaps, most intriguing of all, was the discovery of a rare two-storey structure, believed to be a RomanoCeltic temple. Keith reflects: “I think the two-tiered religious structure should be seen as the main temple, with the possibility that the High Priest lived in the upper level. The smaller roundhouses flanking it may have housed minor priests, or perhaps served as secondary shrines.”
The scale of the site and its distinctive architecture suggest it was far more than an ordinary place of worship, it likely served as a major spiritual centre, drawing people from across the region. When first discovered, it was romantically dubbed “Boudica’s Palace,” though this interpretation faded as excavations revealed a far larger and more complex site. Yet, given its religious significance, it is possible that Boudica herself may have made a pilgrimage there, connecting with the sacred traditions that shaped her people’s identity.
During the Iron Age, the Roman Empire was vast, spreading its influence and control across the continents of the world. In 54 BC, Emperor Julius Caesar launched the first Roman incursions into Britain. Though he established some tenuous diplomatic ties with local tribes, his campaign ultimately failed to secure lasting control. Nearly a century later, in 43 AD, Emperor Claudius mounted a more decisive invasion. This time, the Romans
succeeded, establishing the province of Britannia and imposing heavy taxes and tributes on the native tribes. Some leaders, like those of the Iceni, initially co-operated. Others however, began to resent the growing Roman demands and the seizure of their lands.
Before the Roman occupation, much of what we know about Britain’s early peoples comes from archaeology. “The Romans brought with them Britain’s first written version of recorded history,” explains Henry. He emphasises the importance of recognising the lens through which this history was written. “It’s important to realise there was civilisation here prior to the Romans, it was just a different kind of civilisation, one the Romans may have seen as backward or barbaric by comparison.” When speaking to me about the historical accounts, Henry reminds us to consider the motivations behind them, noting that written history is never without bias or motive.
Revolt and Rebellion
East Anglia was designated a Client Kingdom by the Romans, allowing the region to largely maintain their way of life as long as they remained loyal to Rome and paid taxes. On the surface, it remained a peaceful region but unrest simmered beneath. Other tribes across Britain resisted Roman control, prompting the Romans to demand that all weapons be surrendered.
For the tribes of Norfolk, this demand was a sharp insult. They had viewed themselves as allies of Rome, not subjugated subjects. The disarming order felt like a betrayal, a clear signal that they were not trusted and did not hold the equal footing they believed they had. In response, groups within East Anglia revolted, though their attempts were swiftly crushed. This caused the Romans to re-evaluate how to deal with the region.
In the aftermath, the Romans decided that East Anglia would be governed by a single leader, a tribal king. The role would have commanded many aspects, including political, cultural, religious and military. Norfolk, united under a single ruler and collective identity, became known to Roman historians by the tribal name ‘Iceni’. The historic writings provide the only recordings we have of this turbulent period. Prasutagus was appointed as King under the condition that, upon his death, his lands and wealth would pass to the Roman Emperor as his heir.
For years, King Prasutagus upheld a fragile peace, ruling alongside his wife, Boudica (this being the first point at which her name enters recorded history) and raising their two daughters. As archaeologist Keith explains, the Iceni royal family likely led a peripatetic lifestyle, travelling across East Anglia and residing in different settlements to maintain authority and visibility, much like medieval monarchs and Henry VIII. “There may have been different tribal capitals,” he notes, “and we also have to consider that the boundary lines may have been different to what we recognise as Norfolk today.” This mobile leadership style helped unify scattered communities under the Iceni identity, reinforcing tribal cohesion across a varied and shifting landscape.
Who was Boudica?
Our first glimpse of Boudica comes through her marriage to the East Anglian tribal king, Prasutagus. While the details of her early life remain lost to history, some informed assumptions can be made about her origins and upbringing. She likely came from a wealthy and influential family, as Iron Age society had a structured hierarchy. Marriages were often used to forge strategic alliances between tribes, strengthening broader identities, like that of the Iceni, and offering mutual support and protection within these extended tribal networks. Boudica is likely to have been well-educated and exposed to
Roman fashions, wearing fine clothing and possibly adorned with jewellery, including a golden torc, as some historians suggest. Archaeologists have also found small cosmetic grinders, hinting at the use of make-up within Iron Age society. In terms of Boudica’s physical features, Roman accounts describe her as tall and striking in appearance, with long tawny hair flowing down to her hips. While her exact age is unknown, the fact that she had two daughters, just shy of marriageable age, suggests Boudica was likely in her mid-thirties at the time of the rebellion.
Boudica Takes Centre Stage
Henry explains what happens next in this critical series of events. Just prior to Prasutagus’ death in 60 AD, the King attempted to split his estate, leaving half to Rome and half to his family. Rome refused to honour his will, seizing all Iceni lands and assets with ruthless efficiency. This contentious disregard for his final request was a devastating blow but worse was yet to come. As a callous display of power and punishment for daring to defy the Emperor’s wishes, “Boudica was publicly flogged,” reveals Henry, while her daughters were subjected to brutal and unspeakable violence. These atrocities, combined with the humiliation by Rome became the spark that lit the fire of rebellion. Enraged and unbroken, Boudica rose not just as a grieving queen, but as a vengeful force of resistance, determined to strike back at the empire that had wronged her people.
Grief-stricken by the death of their king, enraged by the violation of Boudica and her daughters, burdened by relentless taxes and the seizure of their lands, the Iceni were driven by a searing desire for revenge. This was the moment for a leader to rise, respected, fierce, and unyielding. Boudica stepped forward to answer that call. The Iceni and surrounding tribes, already seething under Roman rule, needed little provocation to rise up. As discontent spread, her
army swelled with those ready to cast off the yoke of occupation. Their mission was clear: to obliterate every symbol of Roman power. Boudica’s forces descended upon Camulodunum (Colchester), razing the settlement to the ground, including its newly constructed marble temple, a proud emblem of Roman authority.
Henry captures the ferocity of Boudica’s uprising: “They sacked Colchester first, which was the Roman capital of Britain at the time. This act alone sent shockwaves.” Boudica and her people understood the magnitude of their assault. It was not just an attack, it was a calculated humiliation of Rome. Empowered by their victory, the rebellion surged south with Londinium (London) in their sights. Though only a fledgling settlement, it held strategic importance with its crucial Thames crossing that connected trade routes deep into the country. The rebels showed no mercy, razing it to the ground before turning their fury on Verulamium (St Albans). “These were no small outposts,” Henry explains. “They were key Roman strongholds, destroyed, looted, and burned to the ground. That’s why we find hoards of Roman gold scattered across the region. The Iceni weren’t just rebelling; they were dismantling Rome’s grip on Britain, one stronghold at a time.”
The Final Battle
Henry walks us through the final, brutal confrontation between the rebels and the Romans. With three decisive victories behind them: Camulodunum (Colchester), Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St Albans), Boudica’s forces must have believed their warrior queen was unstoppable. Her name, after all, meant “victory.” The dream of driving Rome out of Britannia seemed tantalisingly within reach. This was no small feat considering the elite training and discipline of the Roman legions. As Henry notes, “So, when people say Boudica’s rebellion almost ended Roman rule, it’s not a figure of speech. This was huge!
Since the Roman occupation in Britain, no one had come this close to defeating them like this before.”
As Boudica and her followers moved on from St Albans, travelling along Roman-built roads, Roman governor Suetonius Paulinus, was already preparing a counterstrike. He knew the next battle would be crucial and so he intended to choose the ground on which it would be fought. One Roman historian claimed that Boudica’s army had grown to 230,000 strong. However, it would have comprised mainly of undisciplined individuals with no armour. They would have worn things like leather trousers, their upper bodies painted with blue dye (woad). Their weapons were simple: round shields, flat double-edged swords or iron-tipped spears.
As Boudica’s army approached the Roman position near Mancetter in the Midlands, they likely believed victory was within their grasp. The Roman force numbered just 10,000 men, a fraction of the rebel horde. The Roman battle-hardened legionaries stood in silent, regimented rows, clad in helmets and body armour, shields interlocked in disciplined formation, flanked by grim-faced cavalry. Though outnumbered, the Romans held the upper hand, an advantage Boudica and her followers would not yet comprehend. Roman governor Paulinus had chosen the final stand with ruthless cunning. A narrow gorge hemmed in by thick forest, that would force Boudica’s vast army to funnel into a single, confined approach. Boudica’s overwhelming numbers were suddenly a liability. Before the charge, some Roman historians record Boudica raising her voice above the din, delivering a fierce, defiant call to arms. A queen urging her people to strike a final blow for freedom and vengeance!
As Boudica’s army surged forward, they were hindered by the marshy terrain, while the Roman soldiers held firm in formation, poised for the perfect moment to strike. When Boudica’s forces were
within range, the Romans unleashed a devastating volley of javelins. As the rebel warriors stumbled over the wounded and dead, the Roman governor Paulinus gave the order for his men to advance. With militaristic precision, the Roman soldiers pushed forward in tight formation, shields locked, driving back the disorganised rebels with ruthless efficiency.
Then came the collapse. The tribal warriors, unable to regroup or retreat, found their path blocked by their own baggage train: carts, horses and their watching families. Any that managed to make it through were ridden down by the Roman cavalry and slaughtered. Boudica’s rebellion was over, the Roman victory was complete. From their successful occupation in 43 AD, the Romans would rule in Britain for a staggering 367 years…
So, what was Boudica’s fate? Henry reveals that, “the Roman historical accounts differ. Some say she took poison to avoid capture while others suggest she died from her wounds.” Whatever the truth, to this day Boudica’s final resting place has never been discovered. Boudica, the queen who defied an empire, vanished into legend.
Boudica’s Legacy
Boudica lived almost 2,000 years ago. So why is she still so well known today? Henry explains, Boudica ignited a rebellion that came closer than any before to driving the Romans out of Britain, an extraordinary feat that ensured her place in the national consciousness. Although her story was first recorded by Roman historians, it has since been reclaimed and reshaped by generations eager to find in her a symbol of resistance and resilience. Henry continues, “It was written by Romans originally, but because it’s our country and we had this heroine figure, we latched onto that and made her an almost mythic legacy.” The spirit of her defiance has endured. Long before the concept of national heroes
which emerged in the 1800s, Boudica’s story was already being told and recorded, hinting at a proud tradition of female leadership. Later generations saw echoes of her in Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, and beyond. Boudica, a powerful woman and symbol of defiance who stood unflinching in the face of an empire. Though her bones may lie lost beneath Britain’s soil, she is remembered and her legend burns brighter than ever.
Thetford Library Resources Used:
‘Boudica – Her Life, Times and Legacy’ by John Davies and Bruce Robinson
‘The Land of Boudica – Prehistoric and Roman Norfolk’ by John Davies
‘Boudica – The British Revolt Against Rome AD 60’ by Graham Webster
‘Norfolk Origins – 3: Celtic Fire & Roman Rule’ by Bruce Robinson and Tony Gregory
‘Excavations in Thetford, 1980-1982, Fison Way, Volume One’ by East Anglian Archaeology, Norfolk Field Archaeology Division 1992
‘Excavations in Thetford, 1980-1982, Fison Way, Volume Two’ by East Anglian Archaeology, Norfolk Field Archaeology Division 1992
Colaboration Team
Location
Riversdale, Tanner Street, Thetford
Catering
Little Piggies @Riversdale
Models
Charlotte @charcobo94 & Emma @emba_94
Jewellery
Chloe’s Jewellers, King Street, Thetford
Costumes & Weaponry
@MagicFloorProductions
Photography
@mangus.co.uk
12th-13th July 2025
The Festival of Thetford & Punjab returns to Thetford on Saturday 12th July and Sunday13th July 2025. The festival has become an annual event in Thetford with local, national and international audiences keen to learn more about Maharaja Duleep Singh and his family’s story which links Thetford with Punjab through the rich cultural heritage.
Events, activities and talks will take place on Saturday 12th July in various locations around Thetford including the Ancient House Museum and the Annual Thomas Paine Hotel Curry Night.
region’s legendary entertainment communities, combining their amazing skills – with optional live musical support from the World famous Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band - in performing breathtaking acts of courage and bravery.
Bhangra Legends Heera Group from Southall Kumar and Dhami will also sing their evergreen bhangra tracks for audiences to enjoy. Local business traders and Punjabi food stall Apna Pind along with Henna hand painting, arts and crafts will be on display.
Sunday 13th July will see Thetford Mela take place at Thetford Grammar school grounds which will include the cultural activities including the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band and the Circus Raj from Rajasthan,India. Circus Raj are elite street circus performers from this fascinating
The Ancient House Museum will be open all day on Sunday 13th July for free activities and free admission to the museum as part of the Festival of Thetford and Punjab.
For More regular updates on the Festival of Thetford and Punjab please sign up to our monthly e-newsletter on www.essexcdp.com
Adrian’s Easter Pilgrimage, Horror at the Carnegie, and a road trip to Warren Lodge.
Photography, maps and written by Bob Blogg
Firstly: Adrian’s Easter Pilgrimage.
Itook the image on the left of Adrian being gobsmacked (gazing into the heavens) when we reached St. Andrews Church.
He was looking at something that I unfortunately didn’t capture.
We intended to film a trip to the usual Easter Sunday car boot sale at the Tesco superstore car park. The plan was that we would start at Tesco express and then go from there, across the Mundford Rd roundabout, up the Norwich Rd and into the Tesco car park.
But like most of our plans it went belly up!
We had expected Tesco express to be shut, like the main store, but it wasn’t.
It was busier than Oxford Street in the January sales
and we barely had room to get our mobility scooters into its little car park.
So, setting up our cameras for the journey wasn’t really a practical option and it was time for a rethink.
Enter plan B.
Plan B was:
Let’s zoom up the A1075, aka the Norwich road, whiz around the car boot sale and then go to Kilverstone and St Andrews church to pay tribute to Adrian’s parents’ and brother’s graves.
I think it was the better plan and proved to be the right choice.
So cue some road trip music.
We blasted out Chris Rhea’s Road to Hell and off we
• Open Monday to Friday 8.00am
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The trip up the A1075 is OK on just about any mobility scooter.
There’s the big Mundford Road roundabout that you have to cross, but just follow the green-cross-code or something similar and more modern and you will safely make it.
Whatever you do: you will arrive at the Tesco Supermarket; the car park, if you like; and car boot sale (on Easter Sunday only).
We had a quick look but swiftly moved on – from the boot sale that is!
However, Adrian did purchase a parcel tape dispenser and was warned not to use it on people! Anyway we didn’t hang around: Kilverstone and St. Andrews church were calling.
Kilverstone Road can have a bit of traffic, but essentially it is a very nice country road. Adrian guided me into Kilverstone, passed the fountain, and into St. Andrews Church. It is seriously, beautiful.
The fact that it was such a remembrance journey for him made it even more special.
The church is in lovely surroundings and just the entrance itself is picture-postcard perfect.
Get off your behind, jump on your mobility scooter and have a look.
In a word, WOW, go and see for yourself.
Despite having visited nearly everywhere in Thetford on my trusty boot mobility scooter, Tiglet, I haven’t shown you how you can visit the Carnegie.
I would say it’s easy but there is only one approach you can use if you are on wheels.
I think because it is the home of the council, they are protecting all avenues of approach just in case an unsavoury voter tries to sabotage the ballot box. They have placed their bastion pretty much on top of a stepped pyramid like the Aztecs of old.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they still do virgin sacrifices on the top!
It is situated right on the junction of Well St, Raymond St and the aptly named Cage Lane, directly opposite
Nether Row. For wheeled access you need to approach from Cage Lane and the Dad’s Army Museum.
The pavement is rough all around there but if you persevere you will arrive at a short ramp which is on the right of main entrance to the Carnegie. Once you have negotiated this path, congratulations, you have made it.
The doors themselves are wide and both sides can be opened to provide access to a large road scooter if needed.
You can’t take your mobility scooter right into the main part of the auditorium because it would block access for other users and possibly be a hazard, but you can certainly be guided to your seat and your scooter parked somewhere safely whilst you enjoy the show.
They allowed me to park my Tiglet right at the back of the auditorium so he could enjoy the show too!
I know they change the layout of the hall depending on what event is being stage.
It could be a play, a band, a stand up comic, or even a council meeting.
But the area is still negotiable for a little scooter. Although, I have never been there to a council meeting, I imagine then it is probably full of armed guards in shades and bouncers in death metal t-shirts – or maybe not!
There is also a bar with a nice selection of drinks and the toilets are easily accessible. They also have proper disabled toilets if you need them.
If you have never been there, I can only say that you really must.
They have a wide variety of events and shows on throughout the year so keep an eye on the bubbly hub events calendar and find something that suits you.
I saw that the Little Shop of Horrors was being staged by Magic Floor Productions and I thought: “Perfect”.
I jumped on Tiglet and off I went. And boy am I glad I did.
It was a brilliant production and they even let Tiglet up on stage at the end to meet Audrey II.
Meanwhile I met Craig Plumley and Katie Bird the brains behind the outfit.
Katie told me they had been rehearsing the show
since January and it certainly showed.
The whole cast were pith perfect: the songs; the acting; the audio; the lighting; the stage set.
Well everything really. And Craig, as the voice of Audrey II, up in the heavens was a treat to watch.
The sad news is that I saw them on the last day of this particular production.
The good news is that they are staging two other productions later this year (2025).
The first one is called the Welkin and is a play by Lucy Kirkwood, and is on at the Carnegie on 22nd and 23rd of August.
I hadn’t heard of it before but it sounds quite fascinating and historical and local.
Craig told me about it briefly when I spoke to him and compared it to 12 Angry Men but based in the 17th century with female actors.
Here’s what their brochure says about it.
A play set in 1759 on the borders of Norfolk and Suffolk. 12 women are gathered to decide on the fate of another.
Is Sally Poppy pregnant, or is she trying to avoid a hanging?
Also in October (the 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th) they are doing another musical comedy: The Adams Family. I will certainly be adding these dates to my diary.
Anyway, scan the QR code below to see horror at the Carnegie which, by magic, turned into delight at the Carnegie!
Finally: a road trip to Warren Lodge.
Well. We had two mobility scooters: A Pride Colt Executive and a TGA Breeze.
Both reckoned to be good solid road and off-road scooters. So we needed a challenge.
We found one. Why not go from the Warrener to Warren Lodge?
It’s not a trip for the faint hearted, let alone a rabbit. You have to cross the dreaded A11, zoom up the Brandon Road, pass the golf club and then turn left and climb the sandy dunes up to the Lodge and then into the forest.
It’s something Laurence of Arabia would have found challenging.
But, we were undaunted. We said we were going to test mobility scooters so we got together outside the Warrener one morning and off we went.
Crossing the A11 on a mobility scooter isn’t as frightening as it sounds.
Most drivers are very courteous and if you drive sensibly and courteously as well, it’s pretty straightforward.
When we were coming back a man, in a van even drove slowly alongside us to act as blocker for the oncoming juggernauts crossing the roundabout.
Yes. It’s an adventure and you do get some abuse from drivers but I think the abuse is more their way of hiding their own uncertainty on the road.
Anyway, we crossed the A11 quite happily and poodled up the B1107 at a steady 8mph. That’s our idea of zooming.
We soon arrived at the golf course. The biggest danger in this section is getting walloped by a passing golf ball, because you didn’t hear them shout ‘fore!’ a hundred yards away in the rough, or crashing into a dithering caddy crossing the road from hole 2 to the tee on 3, dragging a massive golf trolley overflowing with putters, irons, woods and wedges in his wake!
Once you have passed the golf course the turn off to Warren Lodge appears on your left.
Watch out for potholes. Actually, the turn off is more like one gigantic pothole. But, once you have negotiated that, you have arrived at the foot of the sandy mountain.
Well in fact it’s more a wee hill; the elevation from bottom to top is only about 100ft. Still, the Angel of the North is only 66ft and Nelson’s Column a mere 98ft. Although it does exceeds 100ft with him posing on top!
Where was I? Oh yes, both Adrian and myself were at the foothills of Warren Lodge and ready to test our scooters climbing abilities.
The TGA Breeze has extra large, 17 inch, rear wheels whilst the Colt Executive’s are just 13 inch.
Would it make a difference, does size matter?
Let me take a moment to tell you about Warren Lodge.
Warren Lodge was built in the early 1600s and is an
awesome building. It’s more like a fort. The following description is from English Heritage about Warren Lodge.
This is a substantial stone building and, in an area where stone and brick were costly materials, clearly demonstrates the wealth and social standing of its owner. The quality of the building work inside and out also indicates that the lodge was intended to accommodate hunting parties as well as the Prior’s gamekeeper. After the final dissolution of Thetford Priory in 1540 the monastic lands were granted to the Duke of Norfolk, who had been its patron. Until the early years of the 20th century the area surrounding the lodge was one of the most productive rabbit warrens in the Breckland region of Norfolk. It is known that the warreners who managed and culled the stock occupied Thetford Warren Lodge from at least the 18th century onwards. They made alterations to the building and used the rooms on the ground floor for drying rabbit skins and storing their traps, nets and lanterns. The lodge was later incorporated into a farmhouse, which was abandoned after a fire.
It really is a smashing place to visit.
Anyway, how did we do?
Both mobility scooters performed brilliantly. They climbed the sandy hill which was incredibly deep and uneven with consummate ease.
We made it up to the lodge very comfortably enjoying the scenery , spent a fair while admiring the ancient and imposing building, then pushed on and up into the forest. It was a great trip.
And the good news is: we proved that size doesn’t matter!
Happy scootering.
Scan here to enjoy a road trip to Warren Lodge and a bit of history.
Recently elected, wanting Reform, David Bick and Michael Westman answer a few questions about representing Thetford at Norfolk and Breckland Councils.
On the 1st May 2025, depending where you lived in Thetford, some folk had the opportunity to vote in local by-elections. Two clear winners came out of those elections, David Bick, Thetford West Division (Norfolk County Council) and Michael Westman, Thetford Priory (Breckland Council).
We by chance met up with the two successful councillors outside J. Jones the Butchers, and in Bubbly Hub fashion we took a few photographs, asked them a few questions, thus allowing our readers to find out a little bit about their new councillors.
Reflections of Thetford magazine is not affiliated with any political party, we have previously featured articles on Conservative and Independent local councillors.
Congratulations on your recent election victoryDavid! What do you believe were the key factors that contributed to your success?
Our mantra throughout the by-election was “Common Sense” and this clearly resonated with
many voters. It should also be said that there was widespread disillusionment from the traditional voters of both the Labour and Conservative parties and with politics generally. As represented elsewhere throughout the country, there has been a major, and I think permanent, sea change in public opinion.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what motivated you to get involved in local politics and what inspired you to stand as a candidate with Reform UK?
I have lived with my family in Norfolk for nearly 35 years and worked for many years in the City of London as a communications specialist dealing with the national media, mainly on financial matters and the sports industry.
I have believed for some time now that our country was on the slide in almost every respect, and felt that I should do something. Reform squarely represents the values I hold dear.
How would you describe your personal values and how do they influence your work as a councillor, what previous experiences have prepared you for this role
and how do your personal experiences shape your approach to policymaking?
My personal values centre around love of my family and country, and for integrity in public life. In the dim and distant past I was a councillor for a London borough and those memories came flooding back when I got elected to represent Thetford West. My approach to policymaking is that you have to take people with you and any policies you come up with have to be capable of being implemented in practice.
What are the main priorities you aim to address in your term as a councillor and how does Reform UK’s platform align with the specific needs of our local community?
Although councils are under intense financial pressure they also spend vast sums of money. For example, Norfolk County Council’s budget for this year is over £2 billion. We should be and are obliged to try to ensure that residents get value for money.
Council tax should not go up by the inflation-busting maximum amount every year just because councils can impose this. We also need to make sure our children get the best possible education and that means taking out of the curriculum things that should not be there. From that perspective, Reform UK’s policies align well with the specific needs of our local community.
What do you enjoy most about serving your community and were there any particular issues or causes that motivated you to run for office?
What I enjoy most about serving the community is when they recognise that they are being heard. A big issue for me, and Mike Westman, the Breckland district councillor for Thetford Priory, is the proposed redevelopment of the Abbey Estate. We will fight
tooth and nail to prevent this happening to the residents there and to the town.
What message would you like residents to know about who you are as a person and how do you stay connected with your constituents and understand their concerns?
I believe strongly in serving my constituents. They can always reach me on davidrbick@gmail.com and Mike and I will be holding monthly surgeries on the third Saturday of each month at the Abbey Neighbourhood Centre from 10:00am-12 midday. How will you ensure transparency and accountability in your role as a councillor, what strategies will you use to involve residents more actively in local decision-making and how will you ensure that residents’ voices are heard and considered in policy decisions?
Every main meeting at County Hall is streamed and recorded, so residents will always be able to see my contributions. And I will be talking to residents constantly – partly through our monthly surgeries – so I will always be listening. I can’t carry out my role properly if I don’t know what local people are thinking.
I am concerned that the proposed reorganisation of local district and county councils will make government more remote from the people, but it does seem that central Government is determined to steamroller this through.
What are your thoughts on increasing funding or resources for local schools and hospitals?
Just spending more money isn’t always the answer. Look at the NHS for example where waiting lists now top 7 million despite the huge amounts of extra money spent on it. It is just as much about
the way these organisations are run. My view is that many of these organisations need stronger management with a much clearer focus.
Is there anything else you’d like residents to know about your plans or vision for the town?
My vision for the town is that it retains all of its many charms and that it is a safe and vibrant place in which to live and work. Our approach will be geared to that.
How do you envision your role in making a positive difference in the town and what are your aspirations for your time in office?
While much time will be spent in dealing with dayto-day issues I see it as part of my role to promote the town to the outside world as a great place to invest. That investment will drive job creation and improve standards of living. Aside from that, I hope to bring a greater level of common sense to the decision making.
Who or what has been your biggest influence or inspiration in your political journey?
The biggest influence on me was the Nobel Prizewinning economist Friedrich von Hayek who wrote a brilliant book called ‘The Road to Serfdom’ which was published in 1944 towards the end of the Second World War. I have also known Nigel Farage for many years. I have always known him to be a straight shooter and I believe he would make a Prime Minister we could be proud of.
How do you balance your personal life with the responsibilities of being a councillor and what hobbies or interests do you pursue outside of politics?
With difficulty! I was a much-below-average golfer and a member of Thetford Golf Club, but council duties now take up the time I had for golf. I watch a lot of football for work reasons and walk our dog. The daily walk is a good time to think.
Is there anything else you’d like residents to know about you personally or your vision for the town?
I am always approachable. Residents can always come to me with an issue. I will always try my hardest to find a solution.
Thetford has so much to commend it. We need to protect that and make sure it gets its fair share of resources for the right things.
What has been the most rewarding moment of your political career so far?
I enjoyed meeting many of my constituents during the by-elections, but it is early days so winning the seat by a big margin was great.
And finally what do you hope residents will remember you for?
I hope our residents will remember me for always doing my level best for them at all times.
Thank you David, we will now ask the same questions to Michael Westman.
Congratulations on your recent election victory Michael! What do you believe were the key factors that contributed to your success?
Thanks and responding to the question, an overwhelming number of the residents of Thetford Priory Ward we spoke with during the campaign were deeply unhappy with our current and previous governments. Reform UK’s ideas are based on good old-fashioned common-sense and this gave voters exactly the alternative they were looking for at the by-election on 1st May.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what motivated you to get involved in local politics and what inspired you to stand as a candidate with Reform UK?
With Norfolk roots going back four generations and a proud family history with Great Britain’s armed forces, my career includes teaching and school leadership roles here in England and overseas; consultancy and export management. As for my motivation, with the established political parties all lurching to the left as a ‘uni-party’, enthusiastically managing the decline of my homeland, Reform UK came along at the right time representing a sensible path back to sanity, patriotism and a refreshing change for the better. For me, it was a choice between fuming at home in front of the TV or doing something constructive by standing as a Reform UK candidate.
How would you describe your personal values and how do they influence your work as a councillor, what previous experiences have prepared you for this role and how do your personal experiences shape your approach to policymaking?
Common-sense, commitment and respect are values dear to me and important to my role as a councillor. Having worked with people at all levels in both the
public and private sectors, I’m always curious to know how life can be improved and this will be reflected in my approach to policymaking. Good listening skills are vital and so hearing what residents have to say on the issues important to them will be essential for my work.
What are the main priorities you aim to address in your term as a councillor and how does Reform UK’s platform align with the specific needs of our local community?
Whatever I can do to improve life for the residents of Thetford Priory Ward is a key priority and will certainly be uppermost in my mind during my term as a councillor. In practice, this means applying Reform UK’s philosophy of doing what is best for family, community and country to meet the specific needs of our local community. Helping the Abbey Estate families to rid themselves of the notorious planning application which has been hanging over their heads for six long years is a clear example.
What do you enjoy most about serving your community and were there any particular issues or causes that motivated you to run for office?
I’ve always liked talking with people, learning about their views and hopefully being able to help them. Being a councillor is an ideal role for this. Since the general election last July, I realised quickly that we are being governed by a political élite who, whether by incompetence or design, are flattening this country. A list of issues where they are culpable includes callously depriving pensioners of their winter fuel allowance, hammering businesses with taxes and engaging in ruinously expensive net zero policies.
The last straw was feeling powerless watching daily reports of illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel in small boats only to be welcomed into
hotels and given priority access to our public services. To add insult to injury, we are told that hard-working British people must keep paying their taxes to pay for all of this nonsense and then go to the back of every queue when they themselves are in need. I had to act if only to keep my own blood pressure under control!
What message would you like residents to know about who you are as a person and how do you stay connected with your constituents and understand their concerns?
My message to residents is that I am approachable; always here for you and that I will fight your corner. Residents can email me at: mswestman@yahoo. co.uk at any time.
As well as being in Thetford regularly, I’ll be holding a surgery alongside David Bick (Reform UK’s Thetford West, County Councillor) from 10am to 12pm on the third Saturday of each month at the Abbey Centre, in Exeter Way, IP24 1EE.
How will you ensure transparency and accountability in your role as a councillor, what strategies will you use to involve residents more actively in local decision-making and how will you ensure that residents ‘voices are heard and considered in policy decisions?
To ensure transparency and accountability, residents can watch Breckland Council’s meetings on YouTube where they may see and hear what is being said live or indeed on play-back. It is intended that this will, of itself, promote the idea that residents can become more involved in local decision-making. Furthermore, residents can email me and as mentioned above, they are welcome to come to my surgery at the Abbey Centre.
What are your thoughts on increasing funding or
resources for local schools and hospitals?
Much depends on the circumstances. However, as a former headmaster myself, I have first-hand experience that increased funding is not always the answer when it comes to improving the performance of a school. I imagine the situation to be similar for hospitals.
Is there anything else you’d like residents to know about your plans or vision for the town?
It’s clear that Thetford has bags of potential from its current population; eager to develop the town’s long history as a Breckland’s market-place, whilst maintaining its delightfully attractive and quiet areas. However, this is being held back. For example, the town centre is crying out for thriving local businesses, free of punitive taxes, excessive regulations and endless red tape.
A Reform UK government in Westminster will go a long way to releasing this talent by freeing local businesses in Thetford from bureaucracy and by lowering taxes.
How do you envision your role in making a positive difference in the town and what are your aspirations for your time in office?
By being present often in the town, approachable and ready to listen to residents’ concerns, I plan to make a positive difference. I would like to be seen as an excellent councillor. For Bromford Flagship to withdraw their planning application would be a major result.
Who or what has been your biggest influence or inspiration in your political journey?
been of greatest influence to me. Until last December, however, I had never been a member of any political party. This changed as Reform UK’s policies under Nigel Farage’s leadership inspired me to sign up and to become actively involved in politics for the first time in my life.
How do you balance your personal life with the responsibilities of being a councillor and what hobbies or interests do you pursue outside of politics?
Yes, finding a good work-life balance is important. Playing golf and watching sport are my passions outside of politics and great ways to relax.
What has been the most rewarding moment of your political career so far?
Campaigning with the brilliant team from Reform UK’s South West Norfolk branch was an enormously rewarding experience in itself and then to be elected was a ringing endorsement that we had got the message absolutely right in the eyes of our voters. It’s a great feeling to know I have their emphatic mandate.
And finally what do you hope residents will remember you for?
I would like to be remembered for being an approachable and highly effective councillor who did what he said he would do for the benefit of those people living in his ward.
Thank you Michael
Dear readers, if you enjoyed these Q&A’s with our local councillors, please let us know which councillor you are interested in reading about, we are also happy to consider any questions you may have.
Written by Xanthe Cross
Some think of a thin, brown-skinned man on an isolated mountain top dressed only in a loin cloth. He’s sitting cross-legged, his dusty bare feet on his thighs, eyes closed, humming. Others imagine fit beautiful young mothers in tight leggings comparing step counts before class, or tie dye baggy-clothed tree huggers in the teepee at a newage festival.
Many people are afraid of yoga; they don’t feel bendy enough or strong enough or slim enough. Someone once challenged these thoughts by comparing them to stating that you are too dirty to take a bath.
My first experience of yoga was as a teenager. I went to a few classes with my dad. All I remember was being excruciatingly embarrassed when my dad fell asleep and snored during the relaxation at the end. That was certainly not relaxing for me.
The next time I tried it I had teenage children and was off work with stress. My son had wanted to join a gym, and the cheapest way was to have a parent/ child membership so, not being keen on using the gym itself, I went to some classes; Pilates, Zumba and yoga. In the first two yoga classes I am not ashamed to say that I shed a tear, quietly to myself face down on the mat – I’m pretty sure nobody saw. I thought at the time that that was simply due to having the opportunity to stop, and my feelings catching up with me. I didn’t wonder if there was anything more to it. Soon afterwards Covid lockdown happened so our membership lapsed. The years went by.
Something was off. Things had happened to me that had set me off kilter and life had just piled in on top. I wasn’t truly me. I thought to myself ‘I’m just a bit stressed and tired. Life is too busy’. But there was more to it. My essence, my passion, my authenticity were missing. My mind was noisy. The chaos of the
external world combined with the voice of my internal narrative to create a perfect storm. A grey, heavy, continuous storm with only occasional glimpses of the sun through the clouds. I ignored it and stubbornly carried on.
Yoga is good for flexibility and strength and, soon after we moved to Thetford, this is what was in my head when I tried a local class; Yoga with Tracey. It began with a breath. A deep slow breath.
Checking in.
Into my body. Into my throat. Into my heart. Into my creative space.
In that first breath I found stillness, just for a moment. That moment was all that I needed to very gradually begin to find myself again.
Tracey the teacher had been welcoming and was
I have learnt more about Tracey and what makes her and her classes so different and special.
Photograph KyleBell Imagery
careful to ensure that she understood everyone’s particular needs; “How’s your shoulder this week Jan?”, “David, I can see that your back is still a bit stiff.” She made adjustments for participants who couldn’t manage all the positions, giving kind, individual alternatives.
I liked her immediately, she was authentic and, well, normal. At first I looked around, mostly to check if I was doing it right, and there were men and women of all shapes and sizes. After a while I stopped checking and just listened to Tracey’s clear instructions, sometimes with my eyes closed.
I have learnt more about Tracey and what makes her and her classes so different and special. She came to yoga after deeply traumatic events in her late teens, attending a single class with her friend. She was unsure why but had felt instantly drawn to it.
Over the years, amongst the noise, the busyness, the masking and the numbing of emotions with unhealthy behaviours, yoga came in and out of Tracey’s life, sometimes attending classes or sometimes by simply rolling out a towel on the landing and watching videos on her phone whilst her children were in bed. It was a private and personal exploration of herself and the practice.
She learnt to listen differently. She began to notice. She became a more patient person, kinder to herself and others. She learnt to trust, to stop and lean in to what was there. She had to sit with some difficult things from her past and challenging times in her present but found that the strength and grounding she had acquired in yoga gave her the courage to do just that. She was calmer and felt a connection to others that had been missing for years.
Thus began her journey to teaching (training with
The British Wheel of Yoga) and her drive to share the benefits of the discipline with everyone that might benefit. Yoga has helped Tracey through grief, loss, trauma, divorce, single parenting and the menopause. She truly understands and is passionate about sharing how yoga can help with dealing with the everyday challenges of normal life as well as the traumatic experiences that many people have been faced with. Her classes are not fitness based but rather a journey from the inside out; from learning how to correct dysfunctional breathing patterns, to finding acceptance of ourselves as a whole.
Balancing a business and a vocation can be a challenge but to Tracey it is a privilege to be a yoga teacher - whether in group classes, with individuals, retreat days or wellbeing in the workplace. Her passion that the benefits of yoga can and should be for everyone and not just the stereotypes seen on social media, has steered her continuing development as a teacher and she has recently completed extensive training in trauma-informed teaching and teaching yoga in prisons and secure premises. She offers free classes for Norfolk & Waveney MIND to support people experiencing mental health problems.
My favourite classes with Tracey have been out of doors; there is something extra special about stretching beneath an endless expanse of sky, with trees around you and the grass beneath your feet (or your mat if you’re not brave enough to embrace the rabbit droppings).
People try yoga for different reasons. I started for physical reasons, yet yoga is helping me to discover who I am, the real me. Muscle strength and inner strength is a wonderful combination.
What is Yoga to you?
Yoga is space.
Yoga is breath.
Yoga is grounding.
Yoga is nature.
Yoga is connection.
Yoga is movement.
Yoga is meditation.
I try to attend class regularly now and sometimes I practice by myself with a video and sometimes I just stop and breathe; no mat, no video, no teacher, just me and my breath.
My breath connects me to me. My breath gives me time and space to simply be.
Tracey’s classes always end in the same way, with a reminder and an invitation to speak these words to ourselves:
‘May the thoughts I think about myself be loving and kind.
May the words I speak about myself be loving and kind.
May the choices I make for myself be loving and kind. Namaste’.
Maybe now is the time for you to give yoga a try.
Written by Joanne Lock
Since the mid 90s, gym owner Rod has provided a place for the community of Thetford to work out, starting out as Spartacus Gym before becoming Body Concept.
Rod was born in Carmarthen in Wales, his father a sheep farmer and his mother from North Norfolk. Later on in life Rod attended school at Cawston College Boarding School. Here Rod struggled academically, but found he enjoyed sports particularly rugby.
Leaving school at the age of 16 without a plan or idea of what he wanted to do with his life and no qualifications, at 17 years old Rod went to work as a racehorse studman in Newmarket, carrying out tasks such as mucking out. The work was hard and living alone and having to fend for yourself at such a young age was even harder.
Eventually, Rod’s hard work was rewarded and he was promoted to stallion handler, even though this role is one of the most prestigious at a racing stable it is not a well paid one.
Rod continued to play rugby and to complement his training he worked out at a local gym, his experience as a consumer and the service he received wasn’t great. Rod realised and was inspired that he could do better to improve the experience for gym users by being more present for gym members and offering a more personal and holistic approach to working out.
He decided to open his own gym, easier said than done. Rod did whatever it took. Body Concept as it is today is testament to Rod’s passion and determination to provide a gym with great facilities
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and equipment, a gym where all the staff know your name and who know the needs and struggles of Thetford’s community.
Because of this Body Concept has grounded itself and become an integral part of the community, with understanding, empathy, help and guidance many people in Thetford have found that by working out here at Body Concept amidst its social and friendly environment has had a positive impact on other aspects of their lives and has made things feel a little easier.
Body Concept is like this because Rod knows from his own experience how tough life can be and how hard it is to get by and to live day to day.
As mentioned earlier in this article Rod wasn’t academic and he left school with no qualifications, despite this he pushed on with studying and gained his fitness qualification in 1996. Rod is also a qualified spin instructor.
Ready to open his gym Rod’s first call was to the bank manager who told him he wouldn’t last six months and even if he had had the business know how to put together a business plan, he would still struggle to make it work.
Not being one to give up at the first hurdle, Rod sold everything he had, even his clothes. From the money raised, in 1996 at the age of 28 Rod opened Spartacus on Telford Way fitting it out with the small amount of equipment that money allowed.
After putting everything he owned into the gym, he slept in the gym and worked 16 hour days for many years, sometimes without paying himself when times were hard.
In 2004 Rod was able to move into bigger premises
With spring finally showing its sunny face, it’s that time of year when we start thinking about warmer days and ditching the chunky jumpers. Then it hits you — summer holidays aren’t that far off! And if you’re like me, you’ve spent the winter happily snacking your way through the dark, gloomy months. The result? Let’s just say the jeans are feeling a bit... snug.
So naturally, the idea of joining a gym pops up. But before you dive into the first bargain deal you see, it’s worth asking yourself a few important questions.
What kind of support will you actually get with your membership? At Body Concept, for example, we think proper guidance is key to getting great results. That’s why we include stuff like a one-on-one personal training session to help you settle in, a personalised training plan, nutrition advice, body composition checks, peak flow testing, regular weigh-ins, and follow-ups to keep you on track and make adjustments as needed. Most gyms charge extra for all that — we think it should come as standard.
Also, think about the experience of the staff. Would you rather get advice from someone still figuring it out themselves, or from a team with over 35 years of training knowhow? Our crew has done it all — cycling, bodybuilding, motocross, even placing second in the national Three Peaks Challenge. We’ve been running this gym for 29 years, and we live and breathe fitness.
There are other things to keep in mind too — is the gym clean and well looked after? Is the equipment in good shape? What’s the vibe like? Is there parking? Can you get advice on supplements? And maybe even someone to chat to when life throws you a curveball?
Let’s be honest — there are loads of gym options in Thetford, and many of them are pretty decent. But don’t just go for the one that saves you the price of a coffee and a cake.You might regret it when it’s time to rock that swimsuit!
Swing by Body Concept anytime for a tour and a friendly chat. We’re always happy to help you figure out what’s right for you.
See you soon!
on Roman Way where Body Concept is now.
Today Body Concept has expanded, filling two floors with weights and cardio equipment, it is bright, spacious and full of the energy and life of Thetford’s community. The gym staff are always walking the floor, always on hand with advice and assistance and keep the place spotless.
At Body Concept the membership fee is the membership fee, it is not tiered for peak / off peak use or other bolt-ons such as towels or to use other facilities. Sometimes in other gyms inductions are done in groups and after your first programme review, ongoing programme reviews are then offered as a personal trainer service which a member pays extra for. No one here will try and upsell anything or push you to buy products.
The only targets here are the ones you set for yourself to enable you to achieve whatever you have set out to do.
To help you do that, everything is included in the membership fee: the gym, sauna use, initial workout programme and reviews, nutrition advice and body composition testing.
Your typical membership journey starts with an individual induction where you will be shown how to use the equipment, here the instructor will provide a starting point and advice in terms of progression.
The instructor may also carry out body composition testing and then sit down with you to chat about your reasons for wanting to exercise and if there is anything you want to achieve.
Nutrition advice can also be part of this, it’s not a one size fits all approach. Your food likes and dislikes are discussed which will enable the instructor to
provide nutrition advice based on healthy foods that you would like to eat.
You will then be provided with a programme encompassing everything you chatted about with the instructor and set the intervals for checks, review and progression, if you want monthly reviews with an instructor you can, whatever suits you and your requirements as an individual. Even if it’s not review time the staff are always on hand with advice.
Rod is keen for Body Concept to be seen as a place to go for all members of the community, a place to help people overcome isolation by being a place for people to go which is friendly and where everyone supports and talks to each other and through exercise help those with anxiety or as a way to boost confidence to make other areas of life that little bit easier.
As we live in an overwhelming time of information overload, the gym provides a great escape from all of this, a gym programme provides structure and a clear plan to work to.
A membership for 16 - 18 year olds costs £30 per month, unlimited use and £1.00 a day for somewhere for young people to go, meet their friends, exercise and then hang out and chat in the shake bar seems really good value.
Rod and his staff are passionate about helping people and using the gym and exercise to equip others with tools to improve mental health which in turn filters through to other aspects in their lives.
The team at Body Concept have helped a young person who was struggling at school and with anxiety to build her confidence, they have helped others with extreme obesity and those who are pre
and post op to get fit, gain strength and rehabilitate.
Another young person trained with Body Concept to gain confidence, get in shape and help them to fulfil their ambition of joining the army where they are now one of the army’s leading experts in bomb disposal.
Previously Body Concept have supported young people by providing work experience opportunities and are open to apprenticeships but are finding that in this age of social media more young people aspire to be influencers rather than careers in the fitness industry.
One member went from being out of shape to being able to complete the 3 Peaks Challenge.
To help members stay engaged Body Concept holds member challenges, currently it’s a bench press, squat and deadlift challenge with a prize of a t-shirt with your name on for those who successfully complete the challenge.
Rod has a variety of sporting interests and experience and because of this as a personal trainer he has an understanding of the nuances for different sports and their training requirements.
As well as rugby, Rod is a keen cyclist competing in the Tour De France climb in France and Switzerland and completing a cycling challenge where he covered 125 miles a day for 5 days.
Rod also competed in motocross and side car cross and numerous body building competitions, in 2015 he came 4th in Mr UK.
Another notable achievement for Rod was coming 2nd in the National 3 Peaks Challenge.
Whatever you need and whatever it takes to help you get where you want to be, Rod and his team understand and are here to help you to find what works for you.
Written by Rita Thompson
Providing kittens are well socialised, they adapt well to new surroundings. When kittens are homed from foster care to new adopters, within a few days they have settled in and it as if they have always been there.
For adult cats, it’s a different situation altogether. They may have come into our care for various reasons – the elderly owner can no longer look after them, or the cat was found abandoned on the streets. Or they may have come from a loving home and due to a change in their circumstances, the cat or cats have found themselves in our care.
Their world has changed and they don’t understand why, poor things. It can take a while for them to settle in with us. They may not eat, drink or use the litter tray for several days. And they usually have to be taken to the vet to get them into a condition where they can be put up for rehoming. They need a blood test for FIV/FeLV, which is a requirement for any cat or kitten coming into our care. They need to start the vaccination programme and they need microchipping, and given flea and worm treatment.
All this is very upsetting for an adult cat. Some take to it very well, others need lots of time to get used to their fosterer and their new surroundings.
New adopters have to be patient and we do explain that to them. The cat may need a quiet place set aside and put in an escape proof room which should include separate food and water bowls, at least one litter tray, somewhere to hide such as a cardboard box and access to a high spot where they can view their surroundings. And a suitable comfortable place to sleep or ideally a choice of them, a scratching post and a few toys and space for them to play.
Some cats may not have had much contact with people or may have had bad experiences in the past, so be patient. Not all cats will become lap cats.
Adult cats need to be kept inside for at least 3 weeks. When you let them into the garden, go with them on a nice sunny day. Keep the door open so that if they get scared, they can run back inside. Take the cat out before a meal, so that they are hungry and ready to come back in after a short while. Extend the time
outside gradually and stay with them until you are sure they can find their way home. Never go out and leave a newly adopted cat outside. Fitting a cat flap will give them the choice of being inside or outside. It is recommended that cats are kept indoors at night, when they may be at more risk of being involved in road traffic accidents. Also their hunting activities are likely to be greater at dawn and dusk. Cat flaps can come with a lock, so that at night the flap is locked and the cat cannot get out nor any other cat can enter.
We recently had a female cat come into our care who had a litter of 5 kittens. When the kittens were weaned, the mummy cat went to our vets to be neutered. The cat was collected from the vet later in the day and apparently she had an abnormal uterus and polycystic ovaries, which is very unusual in a cat. Polycystic ovaries are caused by hormonal changes in the female’s reproductive tract, and the vet was surprised that the cat had delivered 5 healthy kittens.
Another condition that can occur in cats and more usually in dogs is pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus and is considered to be a life threatening condition that must be treated quickly and aggressively. Following estrous or ‘heat’ progesterone levels remain elevated for several weeks, stimulating the uterus lining to thicken in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur for several estrous cycles, the lining continues to increase in thickness until cysts are formed in the uterus. The condition is called cystic endometrial hyperplasia. The thickened cystic lining secretes fluids that create an ideal environment in which bacteria can grow. Additionally the high levels of progesterone inhibit the ability of the muscles in the wall of the uterus to contract and expel accumulated fluids or bacteria.
Another contributing factor is that during estrous,
white blood cells which normally protect against infection are inhibited from entering the uterus. This normal occurrence allows sperm to safely enter the female’s reproductive tract without being damaged or destroyed by these white blood cells. The combination of these factors often lead to infection.
Pyometra may occur in any sexually intact young to middled aged cat, but it is most common in older cats, that has been in heat within the previous 4 weeks.
The clinical signs depend on whether the cervix remains open. If it is open, pus will drain from the uterus through the vagina to the outside. If the cervix is closed the pus is unable to drain and collects in the uterus causing distension of the abdomen. The bacteria release toxins that are absorbed into the circulation and the cat becomes severely ill very rapidly.
The preferred treatment is to remove the uterus and ovaries by performing a spay or neuter of the female cat. Cats diagnosed in the early stages of the disease are very good surgical candidates. If they are not diagnosed until they are quite ill, then the procedure is more complicated and a longer period of hospitalisation maybe needed. Antibiotics are usually given for up to 2 weeks after surgery. This can be a very costly time.
To avoid all this suffering it is best to have your cat neutered as soon as it is big enough – usually by 4 months of age when it weighs 2 kgs. That goes for male cats too as they are prone to other diseases if left unneutered.
If you need help or advice, or assistance in the cost of neutering, please call us on 01842 810018.
Rita Thompson.
Photography and Written by
Stephanie Downes
This is a lovely walk that passes several landmarks around Thetford, the route starts at Castle park which is the site of a scheduled ancient monument in the centre of town. There is a car park on nearby Rampart Way if you don’t manage to find a space on Castle Street. Castle park is dominated by Castle hill and its surrounding earthworks, there is a display board available for those who would like to know more about the history of the area. There is a children’s play area at the park alongside an outdoor gym if you are feeling energetic. I regularly walk Albert and Fergus through Castle Park and dogs must be under control and on short leads as there are sheep grazing the site to help with managing vegetation.
From Castle Park head down Castle Street and away from the town, at the bottom of Castle Street is Melford Bridge, this is grade 2 listed and was rebuilt in 1697, if you approach from the left side of Castle Street you get the best views of the bridge and River Thet. This section of the walk follows the route of the first walk I shared in Issue 4, Albert still likes to stand in the river here and have a little paddle, Fergus is not as keen and keeps his distance from the water though.
To continue, carefully cross Castle Street and enter Arlington Way, after a short distance you will see a set of steps on your right down to the riverside path (there is access further along Arlington way without steps). Stay on this path, following the river along to Ford Meadow, as you
by Stephanie Downes
‘Albert
likes to have a little paddle here...’
exit Ford Meadow and arrive at Nun’s Bridges you will see a green footbridge (Gentle Bridge) across the Little Ouse river. Cross the bridge and you will see what remains of the old outdoor swimming pool on the left side, from here there is a tree lined track straight ahead of you, take this track to arrive at the entrance to the British Trust for Ornithology headquarters.
The BTO grounds are on the site of an old nunnery and there are still sections of the medieval Benedictine Nunnery of St George visible. The gardens here are so peaceful and change through the seasons, parts are left wild to encourage bees, butterflies and other insects and there are plenty of benches dotted around for a sit down, I often stop here to give Albert a little rest. Once you have finished exploring the gardens exit the BTO grounds at the front of the buildings and turn left onto Nunnery Place, when you reach the entrance to Nightingale Way, stay left and follow Nunnery Place as it becomes a track, passing some cottages on the left. This track will take you back to the River Ouse and immediately after crossing the bridge take the track on the left alongside the river. After a short walk you will arrive back at Nun’s Bridges, head onto Nun’s bridges Road and turn right to cross the last two bridges, take extra care when crossing the bridges,due to vehicles passing by. Once you are safely across continue right onto Ford Street, stay right onto Old Market Street which will lead into Castle Lane. From Castle Lane there is an entrance into the back of Castle Park, take the path through the park, towards the hill and the earthworks, there are steps to the top of Castle Hill with excellent views across the town and surrounding countryside, you also get a better sense of how large the earthworks around the site are. Continue on the path past the hill to complete the walk.
Written by Liam Chatton
What started as a food delivery service during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 to running a kitchen in a local pub, Mama D’s has been on quite a rapid journey in just five years. Deborah (Deb) McNaughton was working as a dispenser in a pharmacy when she and her husband began delivering homemade dinners to peoples’ doorsteps.
Deb began life in the County Durham village of Witton-le-Wear, just off the A68 on the north bank of the River Wear. Known locally as The Military Road, the A68 connects Darlington in the south to Edinburgh in Scotland and remains to this day one of the most picturesque roads to drive.
At about age 4 or 5 Deb’s father took a job in Ipswich where the family moved to. As childhood turned to adulthood Deb took on a number of jobs,
including a small pizza place, before settling into a teaching assistant role in Ipswich where she worked for a few years.
“I got married and moved to Thetford then spent a few years in Brandon, travelling back and forth because I had a job in Queensway School, starting as a dinner lady at the infants before going back to teaching assistant at the junior school.” Deb told me. “I was working with special needs children for many years. Did a couple of courses. I hold a diploma in child psychology.”
During this time Deb also worked evenings as a supervisor in Sainsbury’s. When the teacher and head teacher she worked with retired, Deb decided it was time to move on and left the teaching assistant position, staying on at Sainsbury’s to become team leader in the pharmacy. After a few
years there Boots poached her to work between the Thetford and Brandon branches. A few years later an opportunity arose in School Lane Surgery where they were installing a new pharmacy. Deb took a job there and helped set up the pharmacy counter.
In 2020 some massive lurgy hit us, then the Prime Minister came on TV and told everyone to stay at home. Nobody could go out for Sunday lunch so Deb decided to take it to them, working from a 4m x 2m trailer, delivering door-to-door. “We’d bag it all up and leave it on their doorstep where they’d left the money in an envelope,” said Deb.
This became so popular that they started delivering meals on Friday and Saturday evenings, continuing right through the COVID lockdown periods. All of this time both Deb and her husband were still working as both were key workers, Deb in the pharmacy and her husband for UK Power Networks.
On Tuesday evenings they’d cook and deliver around 20 meals, free of charge, to The Vera Trust, a charity that offers support to families facing domestic abuse. “Quite often this is the only hot meal a child would get,” said Deb. Cases of domestic abuse spiralled upwards during the pandemic, The Vera Trust was set up to find families the help they needed, including housing and benefits.
It was through her work with the Vera Trust that Deb was introduced to Ricky Aylott from Keystone Development Trust. After a few meetings she was given the opportunity to open Mama D’s in the Abbey Neighbourhood Centre. On an initial 12 month contract things took off from there and enquiries for catering for various events came in. “We got contracts for the cricket club dinners, the
Freemasons, the rugby club. We went on to open Mama D’s at Thetford Town Football Club, running the food cabin in there,” said Deb.
“On Abbey it became very community oriented. We’d run activities with the children, decorating Easter eggs, pumpkin carving at Halloween. We’d have special evenings, we did a Mexican night. Things like that.”
After two years there they signed a contract for a third year. However, things started to trail off a bit. Ricky came up with the idea of moving Mama D’s into the Riversdale Centre. “A very nice setting, the gardens, where the river is. Beautiful place!” said Deb.
“Things grew and grew again. We opened on Mother’s Day. We did the Mother’s Day carvery.” This was in 2024.
“We did the carvery and had the cafe open too. It was very community based with craft mornings. We did a few weddings there. We did parties, afternoon teas for birthdays. We won Thetford Business Award last year, which I have to say we did not expect that!”
In October 2024 Tisha Clark joined Mama D’s as a business partner. Around the same time the lease for the Norfolk Terrier came up. After several discussions back and forth they decided to just go for it. “It was a very big step,” said Deb.
Initially on a 12 month lease, the plan is to try to turn it around and bring it back as a community pub. “We’re looking at doing OAP dinners, hold bingo afternoons.” said Deb, “There aren’t so many activities for older people at this end of the town. We want to give them something to do, have a bit
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
The Norfolk Terrier sits on the entrance to the Lady’s Estate leading off Croxton Road. Originally opened in 1982, it reflects the style typical of the era for housing estate public houses. Predominantly built from brick, the breweries opted for a plainer, more practical building post WWII rather than the art-deco styles of the interwar years. Nevertheless, communities need community facilities, and the push for more housing meant a growing demand for somewhere to grab a pint.
If there’s one recurring theme throughout is ‘community’. Deb’s vision is to work within and with the local community. The craft mornings that were held at the Riversdale Centre have continued on at the Terrier. Monday mornings the pub hosts the local veterans’ group. Deb showed me the Veterans’ Wall in the pub where various pictures and plaques are on display. ‘The Norfolk Terriers’ appears to be an unofficial name for the 1st Norfolk Regiment. Before the pub was recently refurbished there was a military connection with photographs and pictures dotted around the pub. “We’re trying to get information and more pictures to do with the military side, bring it back to how it was. We also want to do a wall dedicated to Dad’s Army.”
Cooking at home is one thing. There’s definitely a skill in timing things so it’s all ready at the same time. That’s fine for 2 to 4 people. Even 6 to 8 is manageable if everyone is having the same. Doing that for 20 people is a different matter.
“We had a table of 20 come in. They hadn’t preordered so I had no idea what they were going to want to have. We took the order in and it was 5 of the same thing, 5 of the same thing, etc. [5 x 4 items ordered] so it was a case of doing the first lot, then
the next. Within 8 minutes everyone had their food.”
The scale up to a full pub restaurant is nothing trivial. If you’ve ever seen a busy kitchen in a restaurant or a hotel it looks like complete chaos to the outsider. People rushing about, shouting orders, almost, but not quite, colliding with each other. It’s the hospitality equivalent of a Hollywood car chase, although there are definitely many collisions in those. And explosions. Not things you want in a restaurant so perhaps this metaphor is inappropriate but it always looks like it could be mere millimetres from disaster.
“Everyone just knows what they are doing,” Deb explained, “there’s something happening there, something going on there, something else there.”
It’s impressive how Deb has made the leap from delivering meals to people from a catering trailer to running a kitchen in a pub, especially considering apart from working in school kitchens many years ago she’s had no formal catering training, other than food safety courses.
“It’s always been my dream to run a pub or a coffee shop“ she tells me. “I used to go to the pub with my dad on a Friday night when we lived in Ipswich and decided then ‘this is what we need to do’”.
As a self taught cook she’s always done the basic home cooked food. “It’s what everybody likes. You don’t have to do any of that fancy stuff. I always felt nervous about cooking steaks because I never thought I would be able to do them right. I haven’t had one complaint since starting Mama D’s. That’s something I am very proud of.”
Preparation is key. “People don’t understand how much preparation there is to do. Especially
6 Bridge Street, Thetford IP24 3AA
on a Sunday morning. I start around 7 in the morning getting the meat in the oven, preparing the vegetables for the carvery. When one thing comes out of the oven the next thing goes in so by 12 everything’s ready [for the first sittings] and then it’s a case of keeping on top of things. We’ve got a massive hot hold in the middle of the kitchen where we keep all of the veg. I can see if something is empty so I know that that needs to be refilled because within ten minutes they’re [the restaurant are] going to be shouting for more.”
Despite running the restaurant kitchen Deb still keeps on the takeaway side of things that started during the lockdown period. “It’s how things started and I don’t want to give it up while the demand is still there.”
And if that isn’t enough Mama D’s still does outside catering. “We’ve done lunches and dinners, cooking for Redcastle and The Redhouse nursing homes when they can’t get a cook. We have bookings for hog roasts, weddings, parties. Being involved in the local community is what we enjoy the most.”
If one thing has been consistent throughout history around the world it’s been gathering together to enjoy food, drink, and music. Indeed the very word ‘company’ literally means ‘with bread’ (Latin ‘com’ - ‘with; together’; Latin ‘panis’ - ‘bread’). And yes, there is music, too. There is an open mic event at the Terrier on the last Thursday of the month.
What started as a side gig delivering home cooked food to offer a little bit of joy to the local community during those dark pandemic days has evolved into the re-establishment of a local pub, and what will hopefully become a valuable community hub, and all of this in just five years.
by
A small reminder as to why we need to remember those who served in the Far East.
Written by Sandra Starling
Photography by Sandra Starling
At midnight, on the 14th August 1945 Clement Attlee, the new Prime Minister, announced that the war with Japan was now over and to celebrate victory in Japan, the 15th and 16th August were to be a holiday. In Thetford celebrations took place in both the market place and Castle Park. However whilst there was relief that at long last the war was truly over, there were families for whom it remained an anxious time. Was their son, husband, father still alive: some had received ‘missing presumed dead’ notifications. And if they were still alive, when would they return home?
A young Joyce Steward who worked at the Co-Op in Old Market Street remembers a conversation with my grandmother, Lilian Starling. Lilian told Joyce that she was adamant that her son Peter would come home. Peter, along with twenty two others from this small market town had, at the
beginning of the war, joined various regiments, including the Royal Norfolks and the Royal Engineers. These regiments would later form part of the 18th Division that would, in January 1942, find itself in Singapore supporting allied defences against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA).
In his memoir Peter wrote about the Sunday morning of the 15th February 1942. As he drove his army lorry he saw live power lines hanging down from power line gantries sparking to earth, “Vehicles were on fire, including an ambulance with the crew and patients on stretchers engulfed in flames with no chance of any help, the fire was too advanced anyway ,dead people laying all over the place”. Further on, he wrote that later that afternoon they were informed that cessation of hostilities were being negotiated and then, a statement was made at around 18:00 hours that “Hostilities would cease at 20:30 hours”.
Whilst defending Singapore three Thetfordians from the 18th Division lost their lives including Second Lieutenant Richard Nutt who was mentioned in Dispatches. Those that had survived the hostilities now found themselves prisoners of war. It would be three and a half years before they would be liberated.
The Japanese didn’t know what to do with the thousands of allied prisoners they had captured and interned in the now infamous Changi gaol and its environs. However later in 1942 when the Japanese began constructing the Thai - Burma railway, rather using local Thai workers, who had been contracted to work for them, it was decided to use the prisoners as slave labour. The intention was to build a single-gauge track to transport Japanese troops and equipment from Thailand into Burma ready to invade India. Those that were deemed fit were transported to Thailand to work on the construction of the track.
In March 1943 20% of the track was completed. However the tide of war was turning against Japan and the completion date was moved forward from December to August 1943. This was the start of a frantic effort to meet the new deadline, a period of time known as ‘Speedo’ .
In response to the demands of the Japanese engineers 5,000 British prisoners formed part of ‘D’ Force and were sent to Thailand in late March. Thomas Cook Reginald Crick and Walter Secker were three from Thetford who were part of this Force. In April the Japanese ordered a further 7,000 to be sent to work on the railway. Knowing that the fittest of the prisoners had already been sent in the earlier tranches, the Japanese told the Allied Command that conditions in Thailand
‘1942 - The Japanese began constructing the Thai - Burma railway.’
Wang Pho viaduct. Part of the line that hugs the side of a cliff face. The construction work was dangerous and resulted in many deaths and numerous injuries. George Crick and others from Thetford worked on this stretch of railway.
would be better: they would be in pleasant and healthy surroundings, no long marches, cooking and medical supplies would be provided along with blankets and mosquito nets. These promises led the British command to include 1,000 men from the hospital camps in Changi to form part of the 3,334 prisoners who made up ‘F’ Force. In May the Japanese pushed for a further 3,000 men. Peter Starling was part of this working party known as ‘H’ Force and was placed in Group 5: Group’s 4 and 5 were known as ‘The recovering sick’. Peter left Singapore on the 13th May 1943. He was part of the last group of prisoners to be sent to Thailand.
The journey was the same for all prisoners who left Changi for Thailand by rail. Each group would consist of over five hundred men. They were taken to Singapore Railway Station at 06:30 and crammed into small steel freight wagons used for carrying rice. Peter wrote that between thirty five and forty men along with their kit were herded into each wagon. There was no room to sit, much less to sleep: they took it in turns to sit and at night they had to sleep on top of one another. There was a sliding door starboard side and this was left open to provide light and ventilation. The jungle heat made the wagons oven-hot during the day and freezing cold at night. There were few stops for toilet breaks, food and water. Five days later, in the early hours of the morning, the train would arrive in Ban Pong, Thailand.
Already weak, the journey took its toll on the prisoners. They had to march to a reception camp situated in Kanchanaburi, a distance of 48 kilometres. ’F’ and ‘H’ Force had travelled during the monsoon season and day time temperatures could reach 38˚C. The march was undertaken at night, the only concession the Japanese made, yet it was still very humid and the march was difficult
in the deep mud. Having arrived at the camp: Peter described it as being ‘filthy, mud and water everywhere’, the prisoners were then marched to camps along the proposed track, often taking days to reach their destination.
During its construction thousands of prisoners lost their lives through malnutrition, disease as well as hard labour and brutal treatment metered out by Japanese engineers and the Japanese and Korean military guards. Of the 30,131 British service personnel who worked on what became known as the Death Railway, 6,904 lost their lives. Three of them were from Thetford. George Downing: Blackwater fever, Thomas Clarke: malnutrition, dysentery, Pellagra. Thomas Cook: acute dysentery. So much for the promises made by the IJA.
A week or so after the official opening ceremony on the 23rd October 1943, Peter was told that he would be returning to Singapore. He wrote ‘This news was nearly as good as being told we were going home, leaving this country so full of death and disease’. On arrival at the reception camp in Kanchanaburi a Dutch doctor examined his leg sores and gave him what was left of some white crystals: an antibacterial drug. The Doctor told him that if his legs did not respond to this treatment he would have to prepare himself for a double amputation: this carried a 75% risk against survival. In mid-November Peter was in the first group of prisoners herded into freight wagons and sent back down to Singapore. The conditions were the same on the return trip only this time there were not so many of them packed into the wagons.
Having returned to Changi the prisoners must have thought the worst was over. However within weeks many thousands of them were taken to the
‘They
were taken to Singapore Railway Station at 06:30 and crammed into small steel freight wagons used for carrying rice.’
docks and herded onto old rusting ships bound for Japan: the prisoners were needed to work in the shipyards, mines and factories to replace Japanese men who were away at war. Like the freight wagons they had been placed in for the journey to Thailand, they were shoved onboard ships and forced down ladders to the rat infested filthy holds that stank of previous cargo such as cattle. They were tightly packed onto wooden shelves. There was no natural ventilation and food was passed down to the prisoners in buckets consisting of rice and occasionally fish heads and bones. The prisoners referred to these ships as Hellships.
There was the fear of attack by American submarines. When such an attack was made on the Hofuku Maru on the 21st September 1944, three from Thetford perished John Hill, Henry Bailey and Bertie Page. A fourth, Walter Secker had perished in an earlier attack on The Katchidoki Maru.
Others who were fortunate to arrive safely in Japan joined those who had been sent directly to work in the mines, including George Angus, Tom Smith and Edward Clarke. Some of them were placed in camps in Fukuoka, forty miles from Nagasaki.
Months later on the 9th August 1945 the atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Bill Massingham (from East Harling) described the moment: the sun was blotted out, the earth trembled and the birds stopped singing. Bill and his fellow prisoners were bewildered, they couldn’t comprehend what had happened. In the hours that passed they speculated on whether it was an earthquake or perhaps the invasion of Japan had started.
‘Of the twenty three young men who had been part of the 18th Division, twelve did not return.’
Kanchanaburi Cemetery Thailand. Maintained by The War Graves Commission.
By kind permission of Dr. Gavin Siriwardena
OBE.
Meanwhile back in Changi Peter was back in the camp hospital: his legs had recovered but he was suffering yet another attack of malaria. Early on the 12th August there was a buzz on the ward, the prisoners were excited, rumours had begun to circulate the previous day that the war was coming to an end. He wrote “There was magic in the air”.
On the 15th August Bill made his way to work. Later that morning he noticed that the trains had stopped running and the factories had become silent: all Japanese citizens had been ordered to listen to a radio broadcast made by the Emperor of Japan. Bill and the others did not know this and again speculated if an invasion of Japan had started. Later that day the camp Commandant told the prisoners that the war was over and that they were to remain in the camp and wait for the Americans to arrive. The Commandant and his interpreter left the parade ground, never to be seen again. At first there was stunned silence, then cheering and tears. Finally their nightmare was over. Yet they had a long wait, it took until the 14th September for Bill and others to be evacuated from their camps. As they travelled back to the docks to board ships for the journey home they saw for themselves the devastation the atom bomb wrought on Nagasaki.
In Changi confirmation that the war was over was formally broadcasted on the 20th August. Whilst waiting to go home Peter was instructed to drive members of the Returned Allied Prisoners of War and Internees Organisation. On a driving job to the Scotswood Hotel he ate a slice of bread and butter, his first taste of bread for three and a half years.
On arrival back in the UK, the final part of the journey was by train. Young families would wait
expectantly at Thetford Railway Station for the father they had never met: they were babies when their fathers had left the country. Most of the men would be hard to recognise: emaciated bodies, dark sun tanned skin. Peter was met at the station on the 24th October 1945 by his sister and new husband. It was an early lesson on how life had carried on whilst he had been away. What to tell their families and friends of their experiences? En route home they were all given a leaflet instructing them not to talk about their time as a prisoner of war, warning them that such talk would upset those families whose loved one had not been fortunate to come home.
Of the twenty three young men who had been part of the 18th Division, twelve did not return. Perhaps the saddest death was that of Edward Clarke. He died on the 10th September 1945 whilst waiting to be evacuated from the Nagoya prison camp in Japan.
These former prisoners later became known as Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOW). Some never spoke of their experiences and a few found that they could not attend the annual Sunday Remembrance Service: it brought back painful memories.
There will be a VJ 80 Commemoration Service, on 15th August 2025, at the Methodist Church, Tanner Street, at 10:30am.
Remembrance Sunday November 2000. Left to right - Peter Starling, George Mower, Sydney Allot (back to the photographer), David Napier, President of the Thetford & Brandon Branch of FEPOW.
Written by Dave Griffiths
For many centuries prior to the Great Heathen Army’s arrival in Thetford in 865 and their winter stay, Thetford had been a major East Anglian trading settlement. The Icknield Way, a road adopted and improved by the Romans, and the rivers Thet and Little Ouse made it an excellently connected community for trade. The arrival of the Vikings, with their pockets full of plunder, gave the town a medieval injection of foreign investment that attracted craftsmen and traders from across Britain and beyond, many staying long after the army had left. This fiscal boost propelled Thetford to be the largest town in East Anglia and the sixth largest in the country. During this period, the importance of the town was recognised by the granting of borough status, allowing a measure of self-government and an entitlement to elect members of parliament. In 1199, this self-
government led to the appointment Thetford’s first Mayor, only the 3rd settlement in the whole country (and the 1st town) to achieve the honour. The cities of London and Winchester had made their appointments a little earlier in 1189-90.
During the 1980s, a poll tax protester in St Albans spat at the Mayor and the Mace Bearer intervened and hit them on the head with his mace causing a 2-inch cut. He was cleared of wrongdoing due to a law dating from 1066 that allows a Mace Bearer to intervene if anyone “comes within 6 paces of the mayor in a threatening manner”! So, the mace must have been an item of ceremonial regalia as far back as the first half of the Middle Ages. Early instances of the mace would have been a plain oak club which, over the centuries, has become ever more ornate.
In 14th century, the manor of Thetford was held by the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1373 the Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt, reorganised the administration of Thetford giving the mayor more responsibility and allowing a ceremonial sword to be carried with him in public places as a sign of authority. The sword had to be carried behind the mayor until in 1532 when Henry VIII granted Thetford the privilege of a Sword of Office and Sword Bearer. Subsequent to this the sword could be carried in front of the mayor. The exact makeup of Thetford’s Civil Regalia prior to the 16th century is not clear. But in 1574, Queen Elizabeth I awarded Thetford a Charter of Incorporation allowing the mayor to have a ceremonial sword and 2 sergeant-at-arms maces to be born with him. When the Queen visited in 1578, a ceremonial sword and 2 silver maces were present. The sword was probably disposed of during the Civil War (1642 -1651) but the silver maces could well be “Sergeantat-Arms Maces” seen in the regalia today. They are certainly amongst the oldest and most fragile items in the regalia. The current Ceremonial Sword and Mace date from 1678 and were presented to the Corporation by Sir Joseph Williamson, the towns MP. The Sword of State that is carried before the Monarch also dates from 1678 and is of very similar design to Thetford’s. Thetford’s sword is also a rather unique piece in that it is one of only a very few “chartered” swords left in the country. The Ceremonial Mace is the exact same design as that used in the House of Commons, hence it too is uniquely important. It is 53 inches long with shaft and head ornately embellished. It is a far cry from the simple oak club of the early medieval era, but the shaft around which it all is fashioned is still oak, paying homage to its origins.
The traditions around how the Ceremonial Sword
and Mace and the Sargeant-at-Arms Maces are used in mayor making and other civic duties are as important as the items themselves. The Sword is carried by the Mayor’s Officer, the Mace by a nominated representative. They walk side by side in front of the mayor, but as soon as they stop, they part to allow the mayor to be seen between them; you never block the view of the mayor! At mayor making, there is a strict order in which the various actors enter the room and position themselves. All this retains the tradition, majesty and significance of the ceremony. Another important tradition is that, in the presence of the Monarch, the Sword Bearer must re-position the sword from point up in front of the face to point down to signify that no threat to the monarch is intended. Similarly, the Mace Bearer must move the head of the mace from its normal vertical position to be pointing at the floor, again signifying no threat. Just part of grandeur and theatre surrounding the regalia. The sword and maces are perhaps the most recognisable elements of regalia along with the Mayor’s Chain and Badge. The current Mayor’s Chain was commissioned after a rather embarrassing incident in 1902 when the then Mayor Walter Cornell Fison attended a mayor’s gathering and found he was the only chain-less mayor in the country! He commissioned and presented an impressive chain and badge, with heavy Tudor influence and a nod to the John of Gaunt connection, to the town. Thetford is unusual for also providing a ceremonial robe and chain of office for the Mayoress, the chain having been presented by Laura Fison in 1930. A Silver Chain of Office for the Deputy Mayor was added in 2005 and a Mayor’s Consort’s Chain of Office in 2009.
The last of the items of regalia that is used in ceremonies is the Staff of Office. This is a tapering, blackwood cane with a silver top
spreading to a domed cap dating from ~1800. It has “The Worshipful Jame Mingay, Mayor 25th December 1800” inscribed on the dome amongst other names. It is carried by the Town Clerk at public engagements.
Among the elements of the regalia not commonly on show at ceremonies are The Loving Cup and Stand, William III silver gilt cup dating from ~1700. An Ink Stand with cutglass boxes, presented by John Vavasseur Fisher, mayor 1962/3. An American Dish commemorating Thomas Paine, presented in 1952.
The Civil Regalia really symbolises the rich and prominent history of this unique and fabulous town of Thetford. It has been contributed to by many of the biggest characters to grace its history. To keep that rich history alive, it must continue to be at the centre of civic ceremony and ritual.
As with many of the articles I’ve written for the magazine relating to Thetford’s history, I had a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable hour with George Angus who had the great honour of holding the office of Mayor’s Officer for 17 years between 1986-2003. He was also Warden of the Guild of Mace Bearers for 2 years and so is steeped in the tradition and ceremony of the regalia. He had a wealth of information as ever and I could fill the whole article with his stories! But a couple stood out, both relating to gatherings in London with the much-loved Mayor Terry Lamb.
Mayor Terry Lamb was once invited to an informal dinner at Mansion House by Lord Mayor Sir Hugh Bidwell. After dropping off and introducing the mayor, George was asked to park the car and return to the entrance. On returning, George waited in the lobby next to another well-dressed gentleman. An attendant in white tights and buckled shoes appeared
from a side door and addressed the gentleman asking, “you the driver from Thetford?”. “No, I’m Lord Read of British Rail” he replied. George managed to muffle a laugh, and the story went into Mansion House folklore as the gaff of the year.
One of George’s favourite memories was the trip to London with Mayor Terry Lamb when he was invited to become a Freeman of the City of London. After swearing in and a lunch at Mansion House, the Lord Mayor’s limo, Terry Lamb’s car driven by George and 2 Rolls Royce carrying several judges formed a cavalcade. It was escorted by police cars and motorcycle outriders at front and side, police at all junctions stopping traffic and sirens whirring. A short trip, but such a memorable one!
So, if you ever get a chance to see the Civil Regalia and learn about it and its relevance to the town and its history, I highly recommend that you do. Thetford is so lucky to have such a rich history. This history and tradition should be cherished and maintained at all costs.
A sword a cap of maintenance, A mace great and well gilt,
To do the town more grace, Are borne before the mayor and aldermen,
And on festivities or high days then, Those magistrates their scarlet gowns do wear, And have six sergeants to attend each year
John Taylor 1622
