FEBRUARY 2020 About Thetford magazine

FEBRUARY 20

YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY MAGAZINE ISSUE

171

CIRCULATION 12,500

THE

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IN THIS ISSUE

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OPEN GARDENS 2020 LAUNCHED

0330 123 9334 TINA MEETS ALAN CARR

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PANTO SUCCESS FOR PLAYERS PLUS LOTS MORE!!

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River Takes Centre Stage in

February

Inside this month...

things but given its very Thetford is known for many of the River Thet, and the Page 5 - Apprentice Success name comes from the joining andable that when many Page 7 - Panto Praise For Players Ouse, it is of course underst think of the river system Page 8 & 9 - Centre’s Space To Connect think of Thetford that you also river network will be the Page 11 - Free Door Stickers Available d locally. In February, the Thetfor on page 34 in this Page 12 & 13 - Leaping Hare News iled deta , ting topic of a public mee will have the chance to join Page 14 - Volunteer With EACH month’s magazine. Residents pe the future of Thetford’s Page 16 - Revamp For ‘American Library’ in the discussions to help sha kday, daytime gathering Page 23 - Thetford Past And Present wee the rivers. Whilst of course lors have pushed for there Page 27 - Academy’s Valentine’s Concert will not suit everyone, Council version as well at a later Page 28 - Forest Fly-tip Leads To Fine to be an evening or weekend ortunities. opp re Page 30 & 31 - Thetford Faces date, so do look out for futu a Page 33 - Tina Celebrates With Alan e’s ther e, them t Keeping with the environmen cesful Page 34 - Public meeting Re: Rivers suc ther ano iling deta 28 e pleasing article on pag time in Thetford Forest. Page 35 - Open Gardens Returns prosecution for fly-tipping, this Council’s Environmental Page 37 - Gardening Notes For Feb Plus, the work of the Town topic of conversation at Page 39 - Tracking Nomadic Owls the Officer Mark Webster was ting, detailed page 19. Page 43 - Discover Vinyasa Flow Yoga last month’s Thetford Society mee rts to submit, or events Page 46 - Parkrunner Of The Month As ever, if you have any repo il and we’ll endeavour to About Thetford Magazine is coming up, do send us an ema azine. proudly printed by Reflex Litho include this for you in the mag tford magazine Tel: 01842 754600 Terry Jermy, Editor, About The

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E-mail address for all articles, adverts etc: aboutthetfordmagazine@gmail.com Contact us: 075404 63662 Office Address: C/o Charles Burrell Centre, Staniforth Road, IP24 3LH Publisher; In And About Thetford Ltd, C/o Charles Burrell Centre, Staniforth Road, Thetford IP24 3LH Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained within this magazine, the publishers take no responsibility for the accuracy of statements made by its contributors, in any advertisements or for any loss arising from non-publication of any advertisement. Reproduction of any part of this publication without permission of the publishers is strictly forbidden. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher

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St Patrick's Day Celebration Saturday 21st March 7pm for 7:30pm

Charles Burrell Centre, Thetford IP24 3LH Enjoy a 2 course Irish themed meal and Irish music by The Foggy Dudes

Raffle Tickets ÂŁ20pp available from Leaping Hare Box Office Proceeds to Thetford Rotary and Inner Wheel Charities

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Local Business Celebrates Apprenticeship Success When Luca Jenkins originally started a pot wash job at The Mulberry, aged 17 he never expected to be working as a Chef. Fast forward several years and Luca has just finished his apprenticeship and is now a fully qualified commis chef. The Mulberry in Raymond Street has been in business under its current owners for 9 years and has featured in the Michelin Guide for the past 4 years. The restaurant offers a fine dining experience in a comfortable environment. “I enjoyed working at The Mulberry, but originally I planned to study electrical installation,” explained Luca. “I quickly realised it wasn’t for me and that I was missing being in a kitchen. Fortunately, Karen said there was a job for me at The Mulberry and I went back.” Luca slowly began to get more responsibility in the kitchen and decided a career as a Chef was for him. Karen Connor, owner of The Mulberry said she could see the potential in Luca, “It was a big commitment for us as a business, as Luca was then too old to get a fully funded apprenticeship, so we had to cover the additional cost. Luca has been a great investment and we are pleased to have him here.”

Business owner Karen Connor with Luca holding his City & Guilds Commis Chef certificate

creation; the Pecan Chocolate Brownie with Dulce de Leche and Pecan Praline. The most testing part was writing his recipes down. “It wasn’t just the ingredients and method, I had to explain why and what the benefits were to the dish and there was a lot of record keeping.

I’m much more of a hands on person.”

Karen said she wanted to give Luca as many For Luca the opportunity to learn on the job was key, experiences as possible, including an evening working “I don’t really have a food hero as such, I find seeing Front of House, even though he very quickly said it dishes created first hand is more of an exciting than wasn’t for him. The next step in Luca’s career is to move watching any Chef on TV. The best thing about my to a bigger kitchen in a few years, after taking on more job is that I learn directly from the Chef, he’s very responsibility in The Mulberry kitchen. Karen continued, knowledgeable and I’ve found him inspiring to work “The whole point was to give Luca everything he needs with. He gives me the freedom to do what I want to do to make a career, to give him more than just saying and allows me to give my opinion on his menu choices. he’d worked here. The menu changes regularly giving Fresh is definitely better, it’s almost a challenge now if Luca lots of dishes in his repertoire. If you think you like something new comes in I have to try it”. One of Luca’s something you should find a way to do it, Luca shows highlights was creating the Shadwell Shoot Lunch with determination you can find a way.” Luca, Karen and alongside becoming for the dessert menu. the13:10 team at The Mulberry are looking forward to another The Mulberry REVresponsible Advert.qxp_Layout 1 14/01/2020 Page 1 Regular diners will be familiar with Luca’s favourite year welcoming back loyal and new customers.

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Panto Success For Players With a 10th anniversary on the horizon and the success of last year’s Wizard Of Oz, expectations were high for this year’s Thetford Players annual Panto.

Their interpretation of a well-loved classic Beauty & The Beast smashed all expectations with the audience declaring it was their best yet. Andy Smith took on the Director mantle and brought a fresh new perspective, keeping long standing members on their toes whilst experienced producers Jo Lylie Cooper and Sue Balaam ensured the show looked slick and professional.

L-R; Jack (George Cooke), Joey (Martin Fowler), Jimmy (Ryan Byrne) and Postman (David Williams)

Charlie Wilson (centre) as Morfina, with Tribble (Frankie Soan) and Teal (Madeline Soan)

Speaking about the show, Thetford Players Chair Jo Lylie Cooper said, “I’m delighted with how fabulous the show is this year, the cast have excelled themselves.

I am so proud of everything the Players put into the shows. We always end up with a production that leaves people wanting more. Caroline King has out done herself, we’ve always had good make up but this year she’s taken it to a whole new level with the prosthetics and facial hair. Carol Smith did a great job creating the costumes and the hard work from Andy as Director made the show possible.”

Many old favourites graced the stage with Phil Pearson Review by Karen-Emma White in the Principal role of Beauty’s father Maurice and Transform your old conservatory into Stuart Wright supporting as Egon. Luke Jefferies took a room you can use all year round a break from being one of the Players most successful Dames to play the Beast, and wowed the audience with his strong vocal abilities. Debuting Dame, Adam Bond also shone as Roxie, his perfect vocals during the Cabaret skit and rendition of ‘Don’t stop me now’ a highlight of the show. Charlotte Bevington in her principal debut as Beauty provided the perfect leading lady whilst last year’s Principal, Charlie Wilson made the perfect Panto baddie. There were simply too many Maid2Clean 1/8toAD.qxp_Layout 18/04/2019 quality moments mention and the1 entire cast and11:24 Pa crew should be congratulated on a Panto to be proud of.

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Supporting

#Space to Connect

to help combat loneliness and isolation Tuesday - Talk On A Tuesday Each week we host a different speaker on an interesting topic.

Come along and listen to speakers, learn something new and get a chance to meet new friends. Some of the talks will be interactive demonstrations.

Talk On A Tuesday takes place from 2.30 - 4pm every Tuesday afternoon in the Engine Room.

This activity costs just ÂŁ1 and includes tea, coffee and biscuits.

Upcoming events include -

Vince Gregory

Mike Wabe

Talking about a book he is writing about growing up with a very famous cousin and their experiences on film sets and in music studios!

A talk about Town Criers which he says will be fun and loud!

Staying safe online!

Do you know how to stay safe online when you are making payments or banking? How do you know you are being scammed? these questions and more will be answered by our expert Hayley.

Apart from our Talks we also host Meet Up Mondays, Bingo on a Wednesday at 1pm Chair Based Exercise with the Wellness Clinic on a Thursday at 11.30 and Crafting with Creation Station on Friday mornings.

Mostly held in the Engine Room Cafe some of these activities are free some have a small charge. No booking in advance required and you can even have a Space to Connect lunch before or after for just ÂŁ2.50!

Contact: 01842 779867 ext. 312 or email: tracy@charlesburrellcentre.org.uk www.charlesburrellcentre.org.uk Follow us on Facebook @TheEngineRoomCBC Please mention the About Thetford Magazine when responding to advertisements 8

Thetford Charity To Welcome New Chief Executive The Charles Burrell Centre, based on Staniforth Road, in Thetford is set to welcome a new Chief Executive this month. Danny Whitehouse will be taking over the management of the charity on the 10th February. He has shared the below introductory message as he gets ready to take on the new challenge.

"Waiting to be called in for my interview, I overheard a few people chatting in the Engine Room. They were saying how amazed they were that this old school building had been rescued from the demolition ball and transformed into the lively hub of activity it is today. As parents were talking, the children that they were picking up from ballet class came and were dancing into the room; the Zumba stereo system started blaring, and I spoke with a young man about his excitement to attend the New Year’s Eve party at CBC. When I was growing up in Belfast, 7 out of 10 families were living in poverty. One winter, I remember a neighbour giving away half a loaf of bread and a pot noodle to someone who didn’t have any food on their table. That, to me, is what community means – taking care of each other, sharing resources and getting creative during difficult times. I’ve never seen an organisation that embodies the values of community better than CBC. From an abandoned lot to thriving social and business centre, CBC has achieved a lot more than anyone could have imagined. In 2019, it was recognised as the ‘Most Enterprising Organisation’, at an awards ceremony run by ‘Locality’ which supports hundreds of community organisations nationally.

Everything that is achieved at CBC is down to the wonderful people here that pull together. More than 100 volunteers give over 1000 hours of their time every month to help keep the centre going.

Danny Whitehouse, new Chief Executive of Charles Burrell Centre Ltd

All 50+ tenants and the dozens of sessional hirers provide services that are needed and valued by people in the community. The staff team is very committed to ensuring that the centre stays open 79 hours per week, taking care of tenants, and keeping the business on track. At CBC, the business is our community. And the community is our business. Those two aspects are completely interlinked. When we listen to what people around us are saying they need, then the Centre will continue to grow in size and impact. I can’t wait to meet people, to find out what you like about CBC and to hear your ideas to make things even better. With so many diverse tenants, such skilled and enthusiastic staff and volunteers, and a neighbourly, cooperative local community, there is almost no end to the possibilities of what we can collaboratively create. 2020 is a New Year, for new ideas, new friendships, new projects and infinite possibilities”.

Danny is keen to meet with residents and partner organisations working in Thetford, to arrange a meeting, or to visit the Centre, please email; joanne@charlesburrellcentre.org.uk

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DELIVERY AREA Every month there are 12,500 copies of the About Thetford magazine printed.

They arrive back from the printers on the last Friday of each month ready for distribution. By the end of that weekend virtually all the magazines are delivered by our dedicated delivery team who undertake the 30 different delivery routes.

We deliver to every house in Thetford, as well as business premises throughout the Town Centre and across the industrial estates. In addition, we deliver to homes in the villages of Croxton and Barnham.

Due to demand, we have established a rural delivery route and leave copies of the magazine at a variety of locations for residents in the villages surrounding Thetford.

JUNE

Magazine Pick-Up Points: 1. East Harling; Post Office, Doctors Surgery, Village Stores, FL Edge & Son Butchers, the Swan Inn 2. Kenninghall - Kenninghall Bistro Market place, Kenninghall, NR16 2AH 3. Banham Village Stores, Kenninghall Road, NR16 2HE Banham Post Office, The Green, NR16 2AA 4. Garboldisham Village Shop & Post Office, The Street, Garboldisham, IP22 2QN 5. Hopton Village Post Office & Stores, Thelnetham Road, IP22 2QY 6. Ixworth Post Office, High Street, IP31 2HH 7. Jackdaw Service Station, IP31 1EL 8. Lotties Emporium, Bardwell Road, Stanton, IP31 2EA 9. Elveden Courtyard, London Rd, Elveden, IP24 3TQ 10. Brandon – magazines delivered to all High Street retailers including Brandon Town Council offices Mark’s Traditional Greengrocers, Market Hill, Hyams Bakery, The Meat Market rn retu 11. Weeting Post Office, George’s Fish Bar – ens ard nG both Hereward Way, Weeting Ope 12. Mundford, Browns Kitchen and Farm Shop, Swaffham Road, IP26 5EH Lynford Hall, IP26 5HW 13. The Dragonfly Visitor &Exhibition Centre, Wayland House, Watton, IP25 6AR 14. Wretham Village Hall, Church Lane, Wretham, Thetford IP24 1RL 15. The English Whisky Company, St Georges Distillery, Harling Road, Roudham, NR16 2QW & Swallow Aquatics There are also additional copies left at the Thetford Town Council offices, Thetford’s Great Information Centre, Rumbles Fish & Chip Shop in Kings Street, Ancient House Museum in White Hart Street, Thetford Library, Riversdale Centre in Tanner Street & Thetford Garden Centre.

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Read the magazine for free online!

Every month we upload a digital copy of the magazine onto our website so that it can be read online, for free, anywhere in the world. We have regular readers from places such as Australia and America. You can also read previous copies of the magazine and view other information through the website.

Visit: www.aboutthetfordmagazine.co.uk

Contact the team on 07540 463662 or email aboutthetfordmagazine@gmail.com Don’t forget! We are also on Twitter via @About_Thetford, have a Facebook page and are on Instagram. All pages are updated on a regular basis with the latest news and information and highlights from the monthly magazine.

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Thetford U3A

Free Door Stickers For Older Residents

Happy New Year to all our members! In December we held our annual Christmas party, 100 people attended in spite of the dreadful weather - it did not stop raining all day. Marco the magician went round all the tables showing his magic card tricks, the Ruby Sisters came along and the members loved their songs and have asked me to rebook them. We held a little quiz on each table with small prizes for the winning teams. Our committee excelled themselves with arranging this day and I understand the tables were groaning with the weight of food provided. We would also like to thank everyone who donated such generous raffle prizes.

2019 was our 5 year anniversary and we had a huge cake iced with our logo and Lyn Ready our founder member gave a little speech and cut the first slice.

Older people are likely to be victims of fraudulent tradesmen with statistics confirming that older people are being continually tricked by fraudulent tradesmen turning up on their doorstep. Surveys show that in excess of 80% of doorstep crime is against older people, many of whom are living on their own, have cognitive impairment or a long-standing illness.

A door sticker such as this, available free of charge from Able Community Care

Having a door sticker which advises that you do not answer to uninvited or unexpected callers may help deter fraudulent/cold calling visitors. Able Community Care is a Norfolk company which has been providing Live-in Care Services in Norfolk since 1980 and we have had printed a door sticker which we are offering free to older people.

If you would like to receive a number of the above door stickers free of charge, either call us on 01603 764567 email us at; info@ablecommunitycare.com We will need to know your name and address and how many door stickers you would like. Should a cold caller persist when you have a door sticker, then if you feel in danger call 999. If not, phone 101 and report the details to Trading Standards. Please visit our website for more info; www.ablecommunitycare.com

Local Chimney Sweep Lyn Ready cuts the U3A birthday cake!

We have a full programme arranged for this year and all details plus all our interests groups are on our website.

If you are interested in joining, please come along on the last Thursday of the month at 1.45pm in the Carnegie Room where you will receive a warm welcome.

The monhly session is free to members and ÂŁ2 for visitors. See the website for more information; www.thetfordu3a.org

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THIS ARTWORK IS THE PROPERTY OF ABOUT THETFORD LTD Please mention the About Thetford Magazine when responding to advertisements 11TELEPHONE THETFORD 01842 761549

Winners!

Did you know that Leaping Hare has had not one but two £2,000 winners on ‘Our Breckland Lottery’? We couldn’t be more pleased for them.

You can become a supporter very easily and get the chance to win prizes of up to £25,000 for just £1 per week. Every ticket has a 1 in 50 chance of winning a prize every week! That’s better than the National Lottery and the Health Lottery.

It’s a great way for us to raise money as we get to collect 50% of all ticket sales made, with a further 10% going into a fund supporting all good causes in Breckland.

If you join now you could also win a Fitbit and Google Nest Mini Bundle. To get your tickets go to www.ourbrecklandlottery.co.uk/ support/leaping-hare-cic

The make-up and hair team for Beauty & The Beast, from left to right: Corinne Fulford, Creative Master: Caroline King, Beast: Luke Jeffries, Hair: Emma Pinkney Thetford Players Chair: Jo Cooper.

Thetford Players Panto

We love supporting Thetford’s annual panto, from organising the Box Office to designing the programmes and more recently helping with make-up! This year, their tenth anniversary year, they put on Beauty & the Beast. They played to packed audiences who loved every minute. It was a privilege to witness the talent on stage.

Next up will be Agatha Christie’s The Hollow - see opposite for audition dates.

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'Supporters must be 16 years of age or older, enter by the 21 st March 2020 See website for terms and conditions.

Just in for Valentine’s Day from Stepping Stones Emporium are these lovely vegan friendly fizz and bubble ‘heartbeat’ mini bath bombs beautifully gift wrapped for just £2.50 each. We also have the larger ‘Embrace’ bath bomb for £3.

What’s on in and about Thetford EVENT: Digifest 2020

Tues 4 Feb 4pm-5.30pm Introduction to coding for children age 5 - 7 at Thetford Library. Book 01842 752048.

TALK: Talk On a Tuesday

CLASSES: Spanish

Thurs 6 Feb Beginner’s Spanish at Carnegie. Email: hola@spanishconmigo.com

WALK: Ghost

MUSIC: Different Accents

Sat 14 March Celebrate St Patrick’s Day at Thetford Town Football Club with live music from Different Accents. £6

Fridays 6.45pm for 7pm 7 February 6 March

A different topic and speaker each week at The Engine Tickets: £6 Room, Charles Burrell Centre.

NEW: Wednesday Craft Cafe SPORT: 10K Trail Run First & third Wednesdays of the Sun 16 Feb Phoenix Events at month at Methodist Church.

High Lodge.

CONSERVATION: FREE

Thetford Conservation Group Sessions 10.30am-1.30pm.

Tues 4, Thurs 5, Thurs 13, Tues 25 & Fri 28 Feb: Barnham Cross Common Tues 11 Feb: Castle Park & Melford Common. Thurs 20 Feb: Lady Gentle Meadow Contact on the day: 07553 388 551

EVENT: Bookenators Launch Thurs 6 Feb 4.30pm - 5.30pm Harry Potter Book Night for age 8 - 11. Thetford Library.

Book 01842 752048.

EVENT: Auditions

EVENT: Discovery Day

Tues 18 Feb 10am - 1pm Meet the Georgians at Ancient House Museum.

EVENT: Storytelling

Sat 22 Feb 2 - 4pm Medieval Folk Tales Book Launch & Storytelling with Dave Tonge at Ancient House. Booking Essential 01842 752599

MUSIC: The Foggy Dudes

Sat 21 March St Patrick’s Day Celebration at Charles Burrell Centre inc 2 x course Irish themed meal. £20.

MUSIC: ELO Encounter

Sat 22 Feb 7.30pm £15 ELO Encounter Blue Sky Tour Carnegie Thetford.

Thetford Players next production: Agatha Christie’s The Hollow.

Thurs 6 Feb: Info evening.

Thurs 20 Feb 7 - 9pm & Sat 22 Feb 2 - 4pm Auditions.

SPORT: 5K & 10K Runs

Sun 29 March Registration 9am & 9.15am for 10am & 10.15am start £12.50/£15

MUSIC: Finny Music

COMING UP:

Sat 18 April OTA annual dinner Sat 22 Feb 7pm. Finny and Fri 8 - Wed 13 May & Mon 25 his band at King Street Baptist May Euston Hall Open Days Church. Donations for Finny Fri 22 May Thetford Business Music & Church Building Fund Awards 2020 TALK: Thetford Society Fri 19 June Dad’s Army Radio Tues 3 March Thetford Society Show Fri 10 July Rock ‘Til You Pop meeting with speaker - first charity gig.

Tuesday every month.

For information and tickets to our Box Office events visit: 20 King Street IP24 2AP www.leapinghare.org 01842 751975 or 07802 701911 leapinghareorg leaping hare

Volunteering Opportunity With EACH Staff and volunteers at EACH’s Retail Distribution Centre (RDC) in Brunel Way have had a fun but busy start to the year sorting through all the post-Christmas donations.

EACH has expanded its retail portfolio greatly in the last few years, including a new shop in Lime Kiln Lane, and now has 42 across the region! The RDC is where donated items go in and out for sorting, so that EACH can ensure all of its shops remains suitably stocked.

Of course, as the number of shops grows, so does the need for volunteers. EACH is appealing for more people to join existing volunteers like Tony Robbins.

Tony started volunteering at EACH as a driver before he began carrying out portable appliance testing. He says: “When I retired I was looking for some volunteer work to do, to give something back. It’s a fun environment and it’s nice to spend time with the people here. I also like that when you volunteer or give to EACH you know exactly where the time and money is going. Just looking at the website is a real insight to start with.”

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Gas Pipelines Led Around The World Making an interesting story of working in the gas industry might appear a tall order, but Probus member David Childerhouse was able to do just that in the club’s first monthly meeting of 2020.

Entitled ‘The Rise and Fall of British Gas’ he outlined the various milestones in the gas industry’s development from its first use in the 1700s largely to replace candles, through to the invention of gas mantles to provide bright light and gas cookers to make preparing food easier. He pointed out that Thetford had been one of the first town’s to have a Gas Reforming Plant, designed to convert Napther to a gas compatible with coal gas. This was to cope for area’s expansion as a London overspill during the 1960s. Looking back to an earlier period he said that there was a time when local authorities had run local gas companies.

In 1948 the whole of the industry was nationalised and it wasn’t until 1986 along with other large utilities that it was privatised as British Gas and subsequently split into different operating companies. Finally, it was bought

by Shell in 2015. David explained that he came from a local farming background, though after leaving school in 1966 he went straight into the gas industry where he trained as an engineer. This was at the time when North Sea gas fields had just been discovered and the process of converting everything from town gas to natural gas was beginning. It led to the need for a network of pipelines up to three feet in diameter and he was involved in planning and installing these, notably one termed Number Three Feeder that brings natural gas from Bacton on the Norfolk coast to Thetford and then on to Watford in Hertfordshire. One consequence of the arrival of natural gas was the disappearance of virtual MF Cleaners 11.19.qxp_Layout 04/11/2019 gasometers, theAD huge storage tanks that1 had become iconic features of many towns.

New Thetford Probus members, Bill De Bass (L) and Rod Back (R) with Tony Dobbin, Chairman

During 40 years in the industry his experience and expertise was much in demand and this took him around the world to countries as far apart as South America and China. After questions fellow members expressed their appreciation in the usual way, with a round of applause for the speaker.

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Past & Present

The open, snowy space of Magdalen Street with children playing contrasts strongly with the busy traffic, kerbs, and street furniture of today. Its cigar-shaped space is still obvious, possibly indicating the site of an earlier medieval market place. The house on the extreme left was the home of Dixon-Hewitt who was the honorary curator of the Ancient House Museum for over twenty years.

Past postcard courtesy of Norfolk Museums Service - present image Keith Robinson Please mention the About Thetford Magazine when responding to advertisements 16

West Norfolk Aviation Society At the beginning of our meeting at the Mundford Bowls Club on Tuesday the 7th, Mundford Champion Of Good Causes, Rod Billen, began the evening’s programme by announcing that, after a red-tape dispute, his considerable efforts had not been in vain and consent has been given for a permanent memorial to be erected at the WW2 Lancaster Bomber crash site in Thetford Forest (MR 52.493126 – 0.639661). An inaugural ceremony is to be held at the site on 21st March at 1pm and all are invited to attend this and the Bowls Club later, between 2pm and 3pm, for tea and cakes.

After the raffle and bowls club banquet, Techie Fred proposed the idea of registering the attendance of members with the employment of a card reader system.

There were no formal objections to the concept being trialled. Fred preceded his own presentation by giving a résumé of his personal interesting background and then proceeded to illustrate, with the assistance of ‘Powerpoint’ and accompanying downloads, various instruments, their advantages and weaknesses; this included the pitot tube and the angle of attack sensor. Viewers were then invited to watch a cartoon depicting a race between various animated antique aeroplanes; it was easy for them to be recognised by such a well-informed audience. Fred’s final showing depicted a lone pilot of a light passenger aircraft flying from Tampa Executive Airport to St. Peters, Clearwater FL. This demonstrated the intensity of concentration necessary to control an aeroplane and, at the same time, maintain a continual dialogue with air traffic control.

The evening ended peacefully and we were invited to return to the venue next month, Tuesday the 4th, to sample ‘David's Mystery Movie Night’. More information is available on the website: www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk

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Brandon Photographic Club It’s never too late to take up a new interest, so why not come along to our meetings, meet members and see what Brandon & District Photographic Club has to offer?

There is plenty of parking at the rear of the building and our next meeting is on Wednesday 5th February (doors open at 7.15pm) with a Workshop focused on Macro Photography. Saham Studios have visited us before and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them.

The evening will start with a short lecture on the basics of Macro Photography and then we will be able to take some photographs at the Still Life set-ups around the room. Bring your camera and a tripod, if you have one – if not you will be able to borrow one of ours. A golden opportunity for you to see for yourself what happens at our workshops. We have experienced members on hand to give advice on lighting, camera settings and answer any other questions you may have.

We don’t forget the ‘old crafts’ either. On Wednesday 19th February, Pat Childerhouse will host his Film Competition. We encourage members not to forget the joys of HP taking pictures with film cameras use this MCP Advert 11.18.qxp_Layout 1 and 19/11/2018 evening every year to celebrate Film. Any members

Photo by Club Member Jeff Prosser

wishing to participate can speak to Pat at the next meeting and he will gladly give tips and suggestions for subjects and know-how. You don’t need to spend a fortune on expensive cameras to start learning about photography, many phones, compact and bridge cameras take some really good images and these are well worth looking at, or if you are unsure come along to any of our meetings and speak to us.

To see some of our member’s work, visit our website on www.brandophotographicclub.co.uk and have a look at the Gallery and while you are there have a peek at this year’s programme to see what we have in store.

Everyone is welcome to join in and we look forward to seeingPage you in 09:41 1 2020. Don’t forget to visit our website: www.brandonphotographicclub.co.uk

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Thetford Society Report The Speaker at the Thetford Society’s recent meeting was Mark Webster, the Planning and Environmental Officer for the Thetford Town Council.

Thetford is very lucky and somewhat unique as we have within our boundaries many open grassed and woodland areas to which the people of the Town have free access. Some of these areas are in the remit of Breckland Council but the Town Council also have ownership of a lot of the land and by appointing Mr Webster to the post of Planning Officer they are seeking to manage these areas in order to conserve the species of plants and wildlife in a sustainable way.

Conservation and management of the Barnham Cross Common is already underway with the land being used for the grazing of sheep and cattle, and Water Buffalo are grazed at certain times of the year on Ford Place field, whilst still allowing access to members of the public. There is a program of tree planting on going in the Fredericks Woods and Maine Street Woods and Melford Common. It is hoped to possibly reintroduce grazing to part of Castle Park. However, this would be subject to agreement with English Heritage so would probably not happen in the foreseeable future. The Lady Gentle Field and adjoining area by the river is also being looked at and the Himalayan Balsam plant is being kept in check, as it tends to grow very high and can take over whole areas, to the detriment of native species of plant life.Mr Webster is also seeking funding to plant trees and possibly site a pond at Ramsey Close on the land backing onto the railway line.

After the talk there was a question and answer session with Mr Webster welcoming views and input from local residents. It is hoped that this will become a community project and volunteers will be welcome to help with the conservation work. Thetford already has many people

Mark Webster (centre) with conservation volunteers

volunteering with weeding and litter picks, but anyone one wishing to be involved should contact Mr Webster at the Town Council Offices.

The next meeting of the Thetford Society is at the United Reformed Church, Earls Street, on Tuesday the 4th February commencing at 7.30pm, when the Speaker will be Georgette Vale, dressed as Queen Victoria. The theme will be a visit to your Town from Her Majesty, seeking to remind you of the events that have occurred during her long reign. Thetford Society which is nonpolitical, always welcomes new members and people are encouraged to give their views about the Town and any improvements that could be made to the quality of life for its residents.

Jennifer Bullock

Thetford Flower Club Open Evening At the Carnegie Rooms on Thursday March 19th National Demonstrator Mrs Gill McGregor will demonstrate ‘Sensationally Stylish Spring’ for our yearly Charity Open Evening Visitors welcome, £12.50 with buffet, drinks and a raffle and many stalls to browse Doors open 6:30pm for a 7:30pm start

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Thetford And District Dementia Support Group Well our January started with a bang! We restarted our group on the 3rd and it was a very busy morning.

Much cake and refreshments were consumed and it was great to see some new faces who were coming in for the very first time. Needless to say once they felt the warmth and friendship from everyone at TADDS we have seen them every week since, which is fantastic.

We have some exciting events lining up for the coming months, and encourage everyone who is on Social Media to like and share our page with family and friends so we can spread the word about the support we offer to people living with a dementia and encourage people who need more support to come along. We have been actively recruiting people as volunteers and had a good response so far. If this is something you think you would be interested in, please email us so we can arrange for you to come along, to see what goes on and also get you taking part in what we do.

At our group meeting on the 7th February we will have a guest speaker from Norfolk County Council Assistive Technology department, if you are not sure what they

do, come along and find out about the different gadgets available to people living with a dementia and their carers, from Trackers to Calendars.

Aside from our weekly Friday group held at Cloverfield Community Church, our Monthly quieter Dementia Café (held on Thursday 27th Feb) at the Methodist Church Hall, is available to people who need a quieter café to come along to. You can just come along and do not need to be referred to either group and we would be very happy to see you.

If you need more information, you can ring our mobile (which is monitored) on 07542 866 519 please email us on; taddsgroup@hotmail.com

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“She’s A Pioneer!” Care Home Resident With Dementia Has Life Changed A Norwich woman with dementia has seen a significant reduction in symptoms of agitation after taking part in clinical research at the care home where she lives.

Beryl, had moved to a residential care home after she was diagnosed with dementia some years ago. Since then, her family had noticed Beryl was becoming increasingly agitated as her condition progressed.

Among other symptoms, agitation is a relatively common, extremely distressing symptom experienced by people with dementia.

Julie, Beryl’s daughter, said, “Mum has never been the sort of person to get aggravated and, yet, here was this really gentle woman, hitting people, kicking the door, behaviour that you would never have seen before from her. It was so distressing, seeing mum the way that she was, and we just couldn’t do anything to help her.”

The care home team were visited by Claire Rischmiller, a research nurse from the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), who told them about a medication being tested to see if it can help people with dementia who are experiencing agitation. Then, after discussing it with Beryl, her family and the care home team agreed to take part in the trial, which is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

The trial tests Mirtazapine, a commonly used anti depressant, to see if it could also help people with dementia. Participants in the trial do not know if they are receiving the drug or a placebo (sugar pill) and results will be withheld until the full results have been published. However, some patients, like Beryl, already feel they have benefitted.

Julie says, “She’s a pioneer! It’s just been the best thing that has happened to us. We feel like we’ve been

Beryl, left, with her daughter Julie

thrown a lifeline. Mum’s life has been transformed and other people’s lives can be transformed. I would recommend anyone to give it a go. We owe it to all the people in Mum’s condition and all the people coming along in Mum’s position. We really, really must do this.”

Beryl herself has also noticed the difference since taking part in the research. She said, “I didn’t know what the matter was with me, but thank god it’s over.”

Helen Macdonald, Chief Operating Officer for the NIHR’s Clinical Research Network for the Eastern region, said, “Although researchers are working tirelessly to find cures for conditions such as dementia, we also need to find ways to improve the quality of life experienced by people like Beryl. Crucially, it’s only with the involvement of Beryl, Julie and her carers, and those like them that we can ever hope to find the evidence to support these care pathways and for that we are incredibly grateful.”

The trial is led nationally by the University of Sussex, with local leadership from Professor Chris Fox at the University of East Anglia in conjunction with the research team at the Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. For more information on research happening near you visit the NIHR’s Be Part of Research website at; www.bepartofresearch.uk

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Past & Present

The open, snowy space of Magdalen Street with children playing contrasts strongly with the busy traffic, kerbs, and street furniture of today. Its cigar-shaped space is still obvious, possibly indicating the site of an earlier medieval market place. The house on the extreme left was the home of Dixon-Hewitt who was the honorary curator of the Ancient House Museum for over twenty years.

Past postcard courtesy of Norfolk Museums Service. Present image by Keith Robinson Please mention the About Thetford Magazine when responding to advertisements 23

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Local Community / Resident Meetings

Keystone Development Trust

Croxton Road Commnity Association

The Trust’s AGM is being held in Café One at the Keystone Innovation Centre on Saturday 8th February 2020 at 11am. You are invited to join us and hear about the activities of the Trust in the last year, our plans for 2020. The AGM will be followed with the opportunity to enjoy a buffet lunch provided by Cayleigh and her team in Café One and is an opportunity to mingle with staff, trustees, volunteers, participants, local residents and fellow Keystone tenants.

The next meeting is on Monday 3rd February, 7.30pm, Church of the Nazarene Church Hall.

Refreshments available, sold in aid of the Harriet Martineau Play Area. Foodbank donations welcomed.

Contact Chairman: Ian Dixon on 01842 765890.

Facebook; ‘croxton rd-community’

C.A.W.R.A. General (Public) Meeting

All meetings take place in the Cloverfield Church & Community Centre. Councillors, Agencies and CAWRA committee members will be available from 7.30pm until 8pm to discuss any community issues that you may personally have before the main meeting.

Refreshments available to purchase on the night.

Next meeting: Thursday 27th February 2020.

Website: www.cawrathetford.org.uk

Barnham Action Group

The next meeting is on Monday 17th February.

Councillors surgery from 6pm - 6.30pm and main meeting starts at 6.30pm. All welcome.

Meeting at Fulmerston Church.

Local Council Grants Available

If you’re attending, please RSVP to the Reception Team at the Innovation Centre - this will help greatly with the catering numbers and ensure there are enough seats.

E-mail: innovation@keystonetrust.org.uk

Thetford Retail Group Are you a retailer in Thetford? The next meeting of the Theford Retail Group is to be held on Tuesday 4th February, between 6pm - 8pm in the Carnegie Rooms.

Why not come along and talk to like minded retailers about what you can do alongside the District and Town Councils to increase footfall and shoppers to the town.

If there are any queries about the Retail Group, then please email; ben.lewis@breckland.gov.uk

Thetford Town Council’s annual small grant scheme is still open for applications. Each year the Town Council extends the opportunity for community groups and not for profit organisations to apply for a financial grant.

The Council welcomes applications and expressions of interest from all parts of the Thetford community.

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Storytelling And Mastermind It’s a bumper month at Ancient House with activities for all ages. On Saturday 22 February we are welcoming back the Yarnsmith of Norwich, Dave Tonge to launch his brand-new book, Medieval Tales for Children. The volume contains stories from many writers including Chaucer and Boccacio. The stories cover all seven deadly sins and are about outlaws, knights, tricksters, wise women, the Devil and lots of animals. The book launch will include a wonderful storytelling session with tales mixed with morsels of historical facts and it suitable for all ages. Dave Tonge, who was born and bred in Norfolk, has been a professional storyteller since 1999.

He has traveled all over England telling at libraries, heritage sites, schools, festivals and fairs. Dave loves history and thinks himself very lucky that he can dress up like a Saxon, Medieval or Tudor storyteller and tell tales in ancient castles and very old houses. At Ancient The Museum’s Teenage History Club are hosting a House Dave will be telling some of the tales in the Mastermind event on Saturday 22 February (6pm to atmospherically Tudor Hall and then signing his book. 8.30pm). It is a chance to test your knowledge after Ticket can be booked at Ancient House or via ArtTickets: the museum has closed its doors to the general public. £15 for a family of two adults and up to three children Tickets are £15 per team (up to six people). Ticket price including a copy of the book. £12 for one adult and up includes a slice of pizza and a soft drink. Please let us Mr G's HP HT Advert 2020.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2020 16:06 Page 1 three children including a copy of the book. £11 for one know of any dietary requirements. To book call 01842 752599 or email; ancienthouse@norfolk.gov.uk adult including a copy of the book

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Thetford Academy To Host Valentine’s Concert The Year 10 students at Thetford Academy are hosting a Valentine's Concert on Tuesday 11th February as part of their new music BTEC course. Music teacher Selina Hawker, who is also a local singer/songwriter with published music on Spotify and other platforms, has described the concert as an "excellent opportunity" for these students to "get a taste of what working in the music industry is really like."

Providing a musical experience is important to both the teachers and students at Thetford Academy. Dan Carter, Principal at Thetford Academy has committed to improving musical skills, bringing music back on to the curriculum this academic year and offering all students on the BTEC course free instrumental lessons from Thetford Music Project (TMP). TMP meets on the school site, providing lessons to children from the whole of the local community. Many of the current members of the Year 10 music course discovered their love for music through TMP. The course typically involves more practical work than GCSE, allowing students to develop their skills in what is mainly a practical subject. During practical lessons, students take part in video diaries to give a clear timeline of their progress in these lessons. This particular unit of the course requires students to plan, produce and promote a musical ‘product’, which is typically either a CD or a concert.

Students are encouraged to work in teams on aspects such as decorations and technical (lighting etc) to encourage them to keep organised and learn teamwork skills. This concert is all about inspiring children to discover what they love about music and what a career in the music industry would look like in their chosen sector by giving children experience in planning and producing a musical event. Music has been repeatedly shown to improve young people’s lives and enrich their

education, developing cognitive function and memory.

The event will be an evening of light-hearted musical fun for the whole family, with students performing a variety of items. In the interval, themed refreshments will be served, along with a raffle. Doors will open at 5.30 pm, for a 6pm start. Tickets are free and can be collected in advance from Thetford Academy's reception, so please come along and enjoy!

Written by C. Blakey (Year 10 music pupil)

Raleigh Children Helping Bird Watch Children from Raleigh Infant Academy are taking part in BTO ‘Breckland Bird Watch’. The Thetford Garden Centre has kindly given all our children a poster to help them name, spot and identify birds from their gardens.

Head of School Mrs Purvis reports that; "The children are excited to help in this community project and will benefit from learning different bird characteristics.

Finley in Year 1 said that he hopes he can see all of them in his garden. For more information please visit Thetford Garden Centre or the Thetford BTO.

Carolling Success Thetford Voices are delighted to report that their Christmas Carolling raised a grand total of £226 for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice

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Forest Fly-tip Leads To Fine A Thetford man, who fly tipped a substantial amount of DIY waste within Thetford Forest, has been fined £600 by Breckland Council for fly tipping and operating without a waste licence. The extensive fly tip site was reported to Breckland Council's Enforcement Team by the Forestry Commission. The council's staff led an in-depth investigation, including analysing local CCTV which showed the culprit fly tipping fencing panels and other DIY waste using his work vehicle.

Breckland Council’s Enforcement Team spoke with the culprit's employer, who confirmed that it was their vehicle being used and that the employee had asked to borrow it outside of working hours for personal use.

The driver gave a full confession and confirmed he had transferred waste from his home address to another part of the district illegally, using his work vechicle without permission and without the relevant waste carrier's licence or notices. Faced with the CCTV evidence, tracking records and a full confession, Breckland Council issued a £600 fixed penalty notice, which could rise to £700 if not paid within 10 working days. The Forestry Commission, who own the land, are also considering further action to reclaim costs.

Cllr Allison Webb, Executive Member of Housing, Health and Environment at Breckland Council, commented: "I am delighted to see, through working in partnership with the Forestry Commission, we have been able to track down and fine another reckless fly tipper who left a trail of DIY waste and wildlife destruction in the heart of Thetford Forest. Residents are simply fed up with this behaviour, which is simply inexcusable when alternatives for disposing of waste safely and legally are readily available”

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On January 10th the Thetford Club joined with Watton Club to celebrate Inner Wheel Day. Afternoon tea was served after a fascinating talk by John Kitson on the changes in the print industry. John started his career in Great Yarmouth for the Eastern Daily Press and was also at one point senior reporter for Thetford. He still uses the shorthand he used then. We learnt how everything had become digital as opposed to the old ways with hot presses. We were also informed how the printed papers have lost a large proportion of their readers as most people now read them on-line.

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Cathy Witton, President of Thetford Inner Wheel (L) with John Kitson, speaker and Carol Haythorpe, President of Watton Inner Wheel

A raffle was held and the proceeds were sent to the East Anglian Air Ambulance at John’s request as his son had recently needed their services after a very serious accident on a farm. It was also decided to send a separate donation to help the Australian Fire Disaster fund. Should you wish to learn more about Inner Wheel, see the website; www.innerwheeldistrict8.org

Thetford Lions Club C

Thetford Lions Club would like to thank all those that supported their fundraising efforts over the Christmas period. Their King’s Street stall with Father Christmas in attendance and a Sunday at Tesco raised £481.

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The club were pleased to offer Christmas Gifts for older folk who might have had to spend Christmas in the West Suffolk Hospital and supplied a quantity of "message in a bottle" items for use by those who might find them helpful. Thetford Lions continue to look for anyone who would like to undertake some volunteer work with them and they’re also looking for some storage capacity for "bric a brac" items that are donated for fundraising stalls. Thetford Lions meet on the first Monday of each month at the Bell Hotel in Thetford normally at 8pm.

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This month’s Thetford Faces is Hazel Dixon. Hazel has built up a national and international reputation as a nail artist and educator and heads up Hazel Dixon Nails.

How long have you lived in Thetford? I moved here when I was 18 from just down the road, Brandon.

What sparked your interest in nails? I had 3 children, my youngest was a few months old and I thought it might be something that I could fit around the family. I wanted to be a hairdresser originally, but it just wasn’t a viable option with a family for me. With nails I could fit short intensive courses around the children.

How old were you when you started? I was 25, quite old compared with the school leavers but a bit of life experience helped. If I’d done this first I would never have had children because I’m now too busy.

Where did you go for your course? I went to Milton Keynes. I did a bit of research, CND is one of the biggest brands in the world and it was a good place to start.

Then I did an NVQ level 3 at an assessment centre. I also did an NVQ level 3 in creative images which was designed especially for nail art. I now teach private courses not only in nail art but also in media. I make sure I do several courses myself each year to keep up to date with the latest techniques and developments.

How did you get started with your business?

Initially I worked form home and started with family and friends when the kids were all in bed, they were all aged

Hazel has seen her dream turn into a reality by working hard and challenging herself.

under 5 then. I rented a space at Discover Hair in 2009 and built up a client base over 4 years whilst gaining teaching qualifications. Discover Hair were great and really supportive. From there I opened a shop on the Market Place which was one of my dreams, but I never thought it would happen. I love making people feel better, seeing their response when I’ve done their nails.

How did you grow your business? I always set myself little goals with everything I do. 2 years on I needed more space so I found a room at the Charles Burrell Centre. I set up the teaching academy and started importing Canadian products, Akzentz is a brand leader around the world. I’d been using the products for a while with good results, it’s a family run business but not readily available here so I took the plunge. It took off much better than I expected. Whilst doing this I was still competing in competitions and raising my profile. I soon outgrew the shop and training room, so we moved to a unit in town.

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How have you developed your teaching academies? There’s myself and 2 other teachers in Thetford, and we have 10 other academies around the country from Inverness down to Cornwall all teaching my programme. I had people from all round the country who wanted me to teach but I just didn’t have the time, I’d made some good friends in the industry who wanted to teach but didn’t have the time to write the courses so I created something that we rolled out across 10 sites.

How did you start out competing? I started with the Pro Beauty Nail Championship, which is a good one to start with for UK Techs. I won the Fancy French in 2009, which was my first proper competition. Then I became a bit cocky and ended up last the following year. It showed me that I needed to put the work in. The year after that I put lots of work in and won most of the categories, they told me I could no longer compete, but I was asked to be a judge instead.

Hazel (C) and her team when they won Scratch Stars Nail Team of the year 2019 with celebrity host Rylan Left image: An example of Hazel’s work

How did you get involved in Paris Fashion Week?

Marian Newman was the 1st nail tech to work at the shows and I got to know her through Nailympia. I always said I’d like to have a go at one of the big shows and she asked me if I’d like to do the Dior Show for Paris Fashion week. I really enjoyed the experience; it was something so different from teaching.

Too busy

Have you noticed a lot of changes in the town since moving here? When I first arrived everyone knew each other, but it’s growing bigger and bigger and slightly lost that. I love the Riverside complex; my kids love having a cinema and the Travelodge has been good for my students.

What happened after that? I started to compete at the International Nailympics, the largest competition in the world, held in London with over 800 international competitors across 2 days. In 2011 I won 2 silver medals there. I represented the UK there in 2012 & 2013. I was also the Nailympic Winner of Winners Art in 2015 and 2016. In 2014 I achieved one of my goals by winning the Nail Professional of the year Award and then again in 2016. I was Scratch Stars multiple winner in 2015 and 2016, and we won scratch stars nail team of the year in 2018 and 2019. I’ve just retired from competing after 10 years, my last one was in Orlando, Florida. I’ve won 64 awards over the 10 years and I’ve loved it, it gave me a goal to be better than I was the last time. It’s a massive bonus to win, it gives you coverage in magazines and other publications and people want to learn things from you. Now I’m a judge and mentor, I still get to travel across the world with my work!

What is the best thing about living in Thetford?

I love living in Thetford. Castle Park is definitely one of the best things. Partly because of the memories of my children playing there and also the rivers are special to me. Thetford will always be our home; I can’t see us living anywhere else. I love it here, but I also enjoy being able to travel. Once you start travelling across the UK you really appreciate how lovely Thetford is compared to so many places.

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Tina Celebrates In Style With Chatty Man Alan Carr A Slimming World Consultant from Thetford celebrated their group’s success by meeting chat show host and comedian, Alan Carr. Alan, a well-loved TV personality, co-hosted the annual Slimming World Awards with the organisation’s founder and chair Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE. Tina Matthews, who runs a Slimming World group at Charles Burrell Centre, Thetford, every Wednesday and Thursday, was delighted to get a chance to meet Alan, and said it was the perfect end to a fantastic year for the Charles Burrell Slimming World group. “The members at our Charles Burrell group make me burst with pride, not only have they seen big changes on the scales, many have improved their health and completely changed their lives too. For many people, taking that first step into a Slimming World group takes a huge amount of courage. But they’re always certain of a warm welcome and introduction to our fabulously flexible eating plan which means you’re never hungry while you’re losing weight. And when you join a group and stay each week members support each other with motivation, tips and ideas, cheering each other on and boosting each other to face any challenges. I feel proud of the small part I play in supporting people to achieve their dreams and to celebrate alongside them when they do, so I was honoured to represent the Charles Burrell group at the Slimming World Awards. Alan was left in awe of the difference Slimming World makes to people’s lives too.”

Alan, who presented comedy chat show Chatty Man on Channel 4, said it was great to meet Tina at the event, which was held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre. He said: “I met so many people who had transformed their lives and it was clear how much the support they received from their ‘Slimming World family’ meant to them. Every one of them spoke passionately about how they couldn’t have made those changes to eat more healthily and become more active without the support of Consultants like Tina and their group every week. I left the awards feeling so uplifted and positive, I wish I could’ve bottled that Slimming World feeling”.

Tina continues: “Last year was our 50th year, which was full of celebrations and successes. We’ve supported more people than ever to achieve their dreams and we’re so excited about what 2020 has in store.”

Slimming World Consultant Tina Matthews meets Chatty Man Alan Carr

“For anyone who may be thinking of taking that step to lose weight and improve their health this New Year I truly believe that joining a local Slimming World group is the best way for people to learn new habits and make long-term healthy changes. At the Charles Burrell group they’ll discover a whole world of support to help them achieve their dreams and stay slim for life – with lots of fun along the way too!”

To find out how you could get that Slimming World feeling call Tina on 07878 484181 or visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk Made to Measure Advert_Layout to find 1/8th your nearest group. 1 10/02/2017 1

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Residents Invited To Help Shape The Future Of Thetford’s Rivers Thetford’s rivers are at the heart of the town, but are we making the most of them? Should local people and public bodies be doing more to look after these vital assets for residents, visitors and wildlife?

These were the questions that were answered in the Little Ouse Water Space Study that was commissioned in 2016. This visionary document was full of practical ideas for the long-term regeneration of the river corridor in the Thetford area. Since publishing the report the Town Council has been working with a consortium of agencies to secure funding to enhance the river corridor. The council are organising a river working group to update the community on these new developments and get your ideas on how we implement improvements. There is a free workshop taking place at the Carnegie in Thetford on 7th February, 10am LAND UKtwo Ltdseparate parts – – 12noon. This eventWIDE will have Fencing Contractors Supplies in Part One Nick Dickson from the National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership will explain what this exciting new project will be able to do towards understanding, revealing, celebrating and protecting the lost heritage of

the Brecks’ Fen Edge & Rivers. Attendees will also be able to discuss opportunities to get help with funding, training and volunteer recruitment. In Part Two there will be the chance for everyone to everyone to discuss issues affecting the town’s rivers and put forward their suggestions for improvements. Anyone is welcome to attend the event, and there is no need to book.

Link for the water space study; www.thetfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/council/ documents/download-category/ waterspace-study/ Website for the Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership; www.brecks.org/BFER/

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Thetford Open Gardens Returns In 2020 The team behind Thetford Open Gardens are looking forward to a bumper year and a brand new garden trail with the launch of the 2020 campaign.

For the past 14 years Thetfordians have opened their gardens in aid of St Nicholas Hospice Care and the event has become a firm favourite in the town’s calendar. This year Thetford Open Gardens is on Sunday 28th June – make a note for your diaries - and the team are looking for old and new gardens to take part. The organising team, Rachel Woods, Susie Dowling Suzanne Norman and Karen-Emma White have taken inspiration from a vintage postcard and are looking for gardens with something interesting to view, it could be as a whole or a tiny detail, perhaps a project to make your garden more environmentally friendly or a fabulous example of a particular plant. The possibilities are endless!

If you have a garden in Thetford or Croxton you would like to share with visitors and help the hospice please do get in touch. The team are especially interested in gardens in the Croxton Road area, Woodlands Estate and Admirals Estate to join gardens who have already signed up. The first pop-up event of the season, a daffodil garden will take place from 10am – 1pm, on March 24th at Lake House, Castle Lane. The annual plant sale with Thetford Garden and Allotment Club will be outside St Cuthbert’s Church from 9am on Saturday May 2nd.

Photo from Open Gardens 2019

To take part in the 2020 Open Gardens event as a host or volunteer please get in touch via the Facebook page, on Twitter @ThetOpenGardens or email; thetfordopengardens@gmail.com or by calling 07796958404 or 01842 765753.

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Every year the event grows bigger and this year the team would like to invite anyone who can’t open their garden but would like to help volunteer at one of the bigger gardens, to get in touch. As many of you know Suzanne bakes over 50 cakes every year for the event, it costs around £350 for the ingredients, any donations No Job small to Small 1-8 REV2.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/20 however would beAdvert gratefully received.

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A professional and reliable gardening and property maintenance service to meet all domestic and commercial needs at competitive rates • Grass cutting • Hedge cutting / trimming • • Weed control • Fence painting • • Seeding and turfing • Clearances • Pruning • • General gardening and grounds maintenance services • For more information, contact: Telephone: 01842 779867 or 07591436275 E-mail: markfowler@theforgethetford.co.uk Website: www.theforgethetford.co.uk

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Gardening Notes - February 2020 February Fill-dyke here again! – but with our very unpredictable weather it’s just as likely to be a dry month or freezing and snowy. Whatever the conditions, there are few seeds or plants that will respond well to being started outdoors this month. Patience is needed till you see weeds shooting up – the best sign of the new growing season. Fortunately, this means you can continue with general preparation that will give your garden a good start next month. Having said that, if you have apricots, nectarines or peaches, they will flower regardless of the thermometer readings. Shrouding the branches in fleece is nearly always essential for hopes of getting a crop. If you decide to buy and plant one of these stone fruits, plan its location carefully with south west aspect giving maximum warmth and protection from the scorching effect of the early morning sun after a frost. Pruning of vigorous growers like wisteria should be completed and as they finish flowering you can start on winter flowering shrubs such as winter jasmine to keep the bushes in shape. It’s a good time to tidy the hedges into shape, remembering that pruning stimulates vigorous, bushy growth. Birds will be nesting in hedgerows soon so this is a job to be done before March. If you have ornamental grasses, remove the dead material from evergreen types and cut back deciduous plants.

Out on the veg patch, you will probably need to net purple flowering broccoli and similar shooting brassicas if you are to stop the pigeons getting the lot. Forking over the seedbed area to break up the texture of the soil is a useful preparation and you can lay fleece or construct cloches to help warm the ground. If you are desperate to sow something, parsnip seeds must be about the hardiest but will not show for about a month of Brandon 1/8 AD.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2019 soBetts a scattering of radish seed in the same drill will allow you to see where the line is as these shoot up quickly.

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Indoors it’s a good idea to go through your packets of seed and stack them so that the earliest is to hand at the top of the pile. You could also set out seed potatoes to chit somewhere cool and light so that you are ready to plant them next month. I’ve heard that a dressing of Lime on the soil prevents scab in potatoes so you may want to give that a try. A warmer job indoors is the making of marmalade. Seville oranges have a short season and you need to snap them up if you want to make a few jars. Unlike the smell of boiling vinegar when making chutney or pickle, the smell of simmering oranges is wonderful. If you haven’t made marmalade before, be sure to cook the rind until it is soft before you add the sugar otherwise you will have a year of serious chewing ahead. Perhaps you would like to bring a jar to the Spring Show? The W.I judge for the culinary section always gives useful comments on each entry card.

Our speaker this month at Thetford Garden & Allotment Club is Mark Webster, Conservation Officer for Thetford, who will be talking about Nature Conservation Activities.

Meetings are held at the United Reformed Church on the last Thursday of the month (so the 27th February) at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. Non-members welcome.

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Tracking Nomadic Owls Five species of owl regularly breed in the UK. Tawny Owl is the best-known, despite rarely being seen during the day. They are common breeders in wooded habitats, and the territorial hooting call of males – the classic ‘tu-wit tu-wooo’ – is a familiar sound. Second place goes to Barn Owl, a widespread species whose ghostly form can be seen floating over rough ground during twilight and even at other times of day, when small rodents are scarce or pairs are feeding young. Next, introduced to Britain in the 1870s, the Little Owl, though they are becoming harder to find. They favour lowland habitats such as farmland and parkland, and are often active around dusk, when you might glimpse one perched on a telegraph pole or barn roof.

Perhaps the least well known are the two ‘eared owls’.

Long-eared Owls breed in Thetford Forest and other well-wooded areas across Britain, often in old nests of crows, though always in much lower densities than Tawny Owl. Like that species, Long-eared Owls are highly nocturnal, but their calls are quieter and their territories usually further from villages and towns, so they’re encountered far less often. The ‘ears’ are actually tufts of feathers that are used in display and visual communication but may also play a role in camouflage, by helping to break up the bird’s outline.

Whilst Tawny, Barn and Little Owls don’t usually move far from where they hatched, some populations of Long-eared Owl are migratory. Each autumn, birds from Scandinavia, Russia and Eastern Europe cross the North Sea to winter in Britain. Variable numbers reach us each year, depending on the success of the previous breeding season and food availability on the Continent.

Short-eared Owls breed mainly in uplands areas, whilst wintering birds can be found in East Anglia, particularly in open, marshy habitats. They too can be nomadic and

Short-eared Owl by Liz Cutting/BTO

like their Long-eared cousins, numbers are falling. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is using state-of-theart GPS satellite tags to help uncover the reasons for this decline. Nine birds have been tracked from their breeding grounds in Scotland since 2017. One, a breeding female tagged on Arran last June, is currently wintering in Morocco! She moved to mainland Ayrshire on 27 July, remaining there until the end of October.

She then flew to Devon, before departing south on 9 November. Next she travelled 495 km into France in just six hours – that's an average of 82.5km/h or 51mph!

Continuing south, she crossed the Pyrenees on 13 November and the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco on 24 November. It is only through learning about the habitat use and migration patterns of these widely-travelled birds in such detail that we can identify the threats they face, and fully understand their needs.

Nick Moran, BTO About Thetford Magazine The deadline for inclusion in the March 2020 edition of About Thetford Magazine will be 15th February 2020.

Please send your content and high res images to: aboutthetfordmagazine@googlemail.com

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Breckland Cats Protection In 2019 we homed 28 adult cats and 89 kittens. We also neutered 553 cats. Quite a result considering we are just a small branch of 20 volunteers. Imagine how many more kittens would have been born if we had not neutered so many cats. Even if you are not a cat lover, you must appreciate the fact that we are desperately trying to reduce the cat population. At least 40 of these cats were feral that had to be trapped, then neutered and returned to where they came from by one of our dedicated volunteers who is out every day. She sets the trap in the evening, then returns in the morning to see what has been caught, and then takes the cat to the vet to be neutered. She has to pick the cat up again in the evening from the vets and release it back into the wild.

Quite a task for one lady.

This year we are again running a neutering campaign in the February whereby anyone can have their cat neutered for ÂŁ5. Just ring this number 07553 198663 and you will be asked a series of questions; Name, address plus name, sex and age of your cat. You will have a choice of vets to use according to where you live, and these vets will have agreed to give us a big discount. We will send you a voucher for the full amount, minus ÂŁ5 which you must pay to the vet. If you live in the postcode areas of IP24, IP26, IP27 and IP28 you will qualify.

Having your cat neutered not only keeps the kitten population down, but it is much healthier for your cat.

They will roam less and not get into fights where they can contract diseases such as Feline Aids and Feline Leukaemia or receive abscesses which need veterinary treatment. Unneutered cats are much more likely to be hit by a car as they roam around looking for mates.

Please be a responsible cat owner and have your cat neutered. For help or advice please all us on 01842 810018. If you want to take part in our neutering campaign, please call 07553 198663 from 1st February. Calls will be answered between 9am - 6pm.

Rita Thompson Female kittens can come into season as young as 4 months old, and we already have a little cat in our care Studio Ceramics who had kittens at about 6 months old. She didn't even A talk on Studio Ceramics will take place at the have all of her adult teeth! She was a surprisingly good Ancient House Museum on 11th February. mum to her 4 babies, but she will now be neutered Plus, there is a half term family trail, a chance to step and put up for adoption. Her kittens have already been back in time to Georgian Tudor on 18th Februar. homed and will all be neutered when they are 4 months AlliorJones 1/8 AD.qxp_Layout old have reached 2kg, which is 1the15/05/2019 guidelines set15:02

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Discover Vinyasa Flow Yoga And A New You Vinyasa combines dynamic and static stretching into one system. This is achieved by breaking up flow eccentric movement with longer held static poses that incorporate stretching, strength and balance. The warmth generated from constant aerobic movement and fluid transitions will help ease fascia tension, mobilise joints and leave you feeling amazing.

Vinyasa is a practise of synchronising controlled breathing with specific sequences of poses leading to ‘peak poses’. Each sequence is linked with a specific vinyasa flow movement suited to, or adapted to individual capabilities. It aims to calm mind, increase focus while strengthening, lengthening and toning the entire body, getting rid of mental and physical blockages.

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David Powell Advert.qxp_Layout 1 17/10/2019 11:58 P

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Findlay QP Advert.qxp_Layout 1 18/06/2019 13:23 Pa

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Any decent training facility will spend time getting to know you, your goals, your history of fitness and your current level of fitness. Not just take your money and wave you on in. I personally like to get to know the people who walk through the Suite doors before they’ve started their first class and I think in turn this installs confidence in myself and as a fitness provider but is also the first hurdle of worry over with. Having a meeting or chat with your fitness provider, looking around their facility and getting an idea of what exercises/classes you’ll be doing really can calm any anxiousness towards starting something new for a better, more motivated you! Contacting someone regarding your starting a new fitness journey is the first step and often comes from plenty of thought, whether its weeks, months or years, this is the time for you now and you’re ready to take action! After you’ve done all the hard work, contacting your fitness provider, getting the information, coming up with a plan – It’s then down to you to turn up and make the change.

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Parkrunners Of The Month Kayleigh, 33 and Richard, 48 are key members of the Thetford parkrun community. Richard is one of few people who attended the inaugural event on 23rd February 2013 and still running with us and Kayleigh joined parkrun in April 2014. Richard has completed over 300 parkruns and Kayleigh celebrated her 250th parkrun milestone on the 11th January 2020.

Kayleigh said she joined parkrun because she wanted to lose weight and get fit and thought it would be a nice thing to do each week with her friend Emma. Richard joined parkrun because he wanted to get fit and also challenge himself. Kayleigh often runs with her daughter Lacie and her slowest parkrun was 1hr 10 mins in 2016 because she was supporting Lacie to run. Lacie completed the 5k route when she was just 4 years old. Richard's slowest parkrun time was also when he was supporting Lacie and they both completed the event in 57 minutess and 15 seconds in 2018.

Kayleigh's fastest 5k parkrun time is 23 minutes and 44 seconds and Richard has completed the event in 20 minutes and 43 seconds.

Kayleigh and Richard first met at parkrun in 2014 and their friendship developed into a relationship. Then, on Christmas Day 2019, Richard wrapped up a Christmas tree bauble that said "Kayleigh will you marry me?"

Richard made a speech at the Christmas Day event thanking parkrun and announced their engagement.

Everyone cheered and clapped at their news. Kayleigh and Richard have both taken part in lots of races, such as 5k, 10k, half marathons and a few marathons. They have also taken part in many obstacle course races and Richard has taken part in duathlons and triathlons.

Special races have been the Manchester marathon 2019 because Kayleigh managed to achieve a personal best time of 4hrs 37mins and Holkham Half Ironman

triathlon 2019 for Richard. Kayleigh's future running goals include improving her personal best times at parkrun and Manchester Marathon. Richard's future running goals include keep on running a variety of races and improving where possible. More triathlons, maybe even a full Ironman. Richard would love to do a sub 20 minute parkrun, keep attending Thetford parkrun and other parkruns in the UK..

Kayleigh says parkrun has done so much more for her than she first thought it would. Parkrun has not only improved Kayleigh's fitness and running ability, it has brought so many wonderful people into her life. She has made many friends through parkrun which have become like a family and she looks forward to seeing them all every Saturday morning. Parkrun has also helped Kayleigh's confidence and is her favourite topic to talk about to anybody who will listen! Richard says parkrun has introduced him to his future wife and allowed him to meet some amazing supportive people, a lot of them are now his friends.

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A Service You Will

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