KL Magazine June 2018

ISSN 2044–7965

ISSUE 93 JUNE 2018 PRICELESS

magazine

WEST NORFOLK | NORTH NORFOLK | COASTAL

COVER IMAGE Baconsthorpe Castle by Ian Ward

meet the team MANAGING DIRECTOR Laura Dunn MANAGING EDITOR Eric Secker DESIGN TEAM Amy Phillips Lisa Tonroe PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Ward PROMOTION Nicola Back ADVERTISING Jessica Smith CONTRIBUTORS Clare Bee Abigail Brown Mike Goward Peter Jackson Paul Richards Sylvia Steele Maxine Thorne Wendy Warner

contact 18 Tuesday Market Place King’s Lynn PE30 1JW 01553 601201 info@klmagazine.co.uk KL magazine is published monthly by KL Publications Ltd. The magazine cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs.

While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and KL magazine takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.

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this month’s magazine features two huge and internationally-renowned talents visiting the area, both visiting locations steeped in history but both working in very different fields – although each of them is an artist in their own field. First we travel to Houghton Hall (above), the beautiful Grade I listed building built by Robert Walpole over the course of 13 years and completed in 1735. At the moment it’s playing host to Damien Hirst, and although the contrast might at first seem very strange, the grounds of Houghton Hall are no stranger to works of modern art.

Reportedly the UK’s richest living artist, Hirst is also one of its most controversial, and until next month visitors to the hall have the unique opportunity to see a new series of his paintings never been shown in public before – in a spectacular setting.

Next is Wisbech Grammar School, which was founded by the Wisbech Guild of the Holy Trinity in 1379, making it one of the oldest schools in the whole country. In keeping with its mission to provide an all-round education that inspires, the school hosted a four-course charity dinner last month celebrating British food – and prepared by Brian Turner, one of Britain’s best-known chefs. Committed to encouraging young people into the catering industry and getting the rest of us back in our kitchens to enjoy cooking, Brian kindly took some time away from his work to talk to us about his visit to Wisbech – and why there’s something very special about British food.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, this issue of KL magazine is packed with fascinating features, and in the following pages you’ll find smugglers, pilgrims, revolutionaries, enterprising local businesspeople – and even a fabulous new Norfolk-made gin with a heavenly inspiration. Enjoy!

KL MAGAZINE KLmagazine June 2018

Contents

JUNE 2018

PICTURE: ©DAMIEN HIRST AND SCIENCE LTD. DACS 2018 PHOTO BY PETE HUGGINS

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28 KLmagazine June 2018

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6-12 WHAT’S ON This month’s diary of forthcoming events

58-60 MIXING STYLE AND ADVENTURE The stylish ideas of Fairfax & Favor

8-10 COLOUR, SPACE AND HERITAGE Damien Hirst at Houghton Hall

64-69 FASHION Inspirational ideas from our local boutiques

14 ALIVE CORN EXCHANGE Fabulous shows and fun-filled activities

72-74 ARCHANGEL GIN The local taste with the divine inspiration

16-18 GLANDFORD SHELL MUSEUM One of Norfolk’s most unusal collections

76-83 FOOD AND DRINK Reviews, recipes and recommendations

22-24 BLAKENEY UNDERCROFT Inside a hidden historical gem

80 RESTAURANT REVIEW KL magazine reviews Petals Tea Room

28-30 THOMAS PAINE How a man from Thetford changed the world

84-86 COOKING UP A TREAT...

Brian Turner at Wisbech Grammar School

38 THE BIG INTERVIEW With local Soroptomist President Kim Bramham

90-92 GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER The story of local smuggler William Kemble

40-42 RINGING THE CHANGES A history of the bells of King’s Lynn

96-98 ON THE TRAIL OF THE PILGRIMS Paul Richards on Lynn’s religious history

46-48 SUMMER STARTS AT SEARLES A look at Hunstanton’s famous holiday resort

104-106 WEST NORFOLK WINS The local lottery that’s helping good causes

50-52 JUNE IN THE GARDEN Expert help and advice with Wendy Warner

110-112 FOCUS ON NORFOLK’S WILDLIFE The work of 15-year-old Jake Harvey

57 YOU AND YOUR PETS With local vet Alex Dallas

114 MICHAEL MIDDLETON The suitcase that had a mind of its own

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June Sunday 10th June

CHARITY 10K RUN AND WALK Wallington Hall Estate, South Runcton, King's Lynn PE33 0EP (Run starts at 9:30am and walk at 10am, closing at 11am).

Trinity Rotary Club, The Magpie Centre for Riding for the Disabled and the Norfolk Accident Rescue Service are organising a charity 10k run and walk on the Wallington Hall Estate, South Runcton directly off the A10 near Downham Market. Entry (donation) costs £10 per person (under 10 free). Free parking is available and refreshments including a barbecue can be purchased. Net proceeds from the day will be divided between the Magpie Centre, NARS and Trinity Rotary Charities. Register on-line at www.trinityrotarykingslynn.co.uk.

Sunday 24th June RINGSTEAD OPEN GARDENS Ringstead, Hunstanton (11am-5pm) Sunday 24th June sees Ringstead Open Gardens enter its 5th decade of fundraising for their village church with a blaze of colour, cakes and community spirit! Visitors can make a day of it with a number of gardens opening specially to the public from 11am to 5pm and a walk through the Ringstead Downs Chalk Pit. A delicious lunch (£10 a head) will be served at Ringstead Bury between 12-2pm and teas will be served at Westgate House along with the traditional cake and produce stall, tombola, raffle, craft stalls and plant stall. St Andrew's Church plays host to a Flower Festival of The Life of St Andrew, throughout the weekend and Monday. With a guided tour of nearby Courtyard Farm by Lord Melchett and an Art Exhibition in the Village Hall also on the menu, it has all the makings of a great day out! £5 admits to all gardens. Call 07770 262546 to book lunches and for more information visit the Facebook page @ringsteadopengardens.

23rd June - 16th September

REGARDING NATURE GroundWork Gallery, 17 Purfleet Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1ER Regarding Nature is an exhibition which tells some big stories about landscape. Through the eyes both of French photographer Chrystel Lebas and her scientist predecessors in the early 20th century, it focusses on the plants and landscapes of the North Norfolk coast. It traces the development of intensive study, via the development of British Ecology and the Wildlife Trusts, to the acute vision of the contemporary artist. And the exhibits and the accompanying programme, document some of the subtle changes to the coastal environment over a hundred years. Chrystel’s plant and landscape studies have followed in the wake of scientist Sir Edward James Salisbury, whose documentation of the topography and coastal plants in Norfolk was part of the impetus for founding the British Ecological Society in the early 20th Century. The programme is funded by the British Ecological Society and partnered with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. For more information visit the website www.groundworkgallery.com.

Image: Chrystel Lebas. Re-visiting Honckenya peploides Blakeney 3/5/14, Plate n°305, Blakeney, June 2014, 52°58.101’N 1°2.062’, 122 x 150 cm. Chromogenic colour print from colour negative.

Printed on Fujicolor crystal archive.

KLmagazine June 2018

Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th June

HUNSTANTON CARNIVAL WEEKEND Town Centre, Hunstanton PE36 6BQ Held on the last Sunday in June each year, Hunstanton Carnival is a fun-filled family day out with parade, stalls and plenty of things to do for the whole family. This year the theme is ‘sixties’! The carnival kicks off on Saturday at 12noon with the Carnival Dog Show where the Canine Carnival King and Queen will be crowned. There will be rides, a bouncy castle, stalls and games. From 5pm there will be live music from Victims of Time, Decades, Katie Macer and others on the Lower Green and at 10pm the carnival fireworks will take place.

Don’t miss the numerous stalls, games and and vintage fairground attractions on the Sunday together with the amazing carnival parade that snakes through the town at 1pm. It’s set to be a great day!

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JOBS FOR THE GARDEN in June

When planting summer containers and baskets, add water-retaining gel crystals to ensure compost stays moist and slow-release fertiliser to encourage strong root growth.

Remember to water hanging baskets and containers daily in hot weather and feed with a high potash fertiliser such as Tomorite once a week. Dead-head regularly to encourage more flowering.

Protect fruit and vegetables from bird and insect damage by covering with net.

Use “Roseclear” to treat (and prevent) pests and diseases on roses. This will deal with black spot, mildew and aphids.

Sow mixed salad leaves at regular intervals to have a constant supply throughout the summer. These can be grown in pots on the patio as well as in the garden.

Apply residual weedkiller such as “Weedol Pathclear” to paths, patios and drives to kill existing, and prevent new, weeds coming through.

Visit Thaxters for everything you’ll need for your garden...

and don’t forget to visit our coffee shop for a relaxing slice of cake or scone!

Evergreen complete 360m2 2 for £40!

Garden Centre & Coffee Shop 49 Hunstanton Road, Dersingham, King’s Lynn PE31 6NA www.thaxters.co.uk | Tel: 01485 541514

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KLmagazine June 2018

June & coming soon...

Friday 29th & Saturday 30th June

30th June - 14th July

FESTIVAL TOO Town Centre, King’s Lynn PE30 1HP Festival Too is celebrating its 33rd year of bringing free entertainment to King's Lynn in 2018. With three weekends full of fantastic entertainment it’s sure to be the local event of year! This year Pixie Lott will perform on Saturday 7th July and The Darkness are to headline the final weekend of the Festival on Saturday 14th July. Other brilliant acts set to perform include Edwin Starr Band Featuring Angelo Starr and Geno Washington on Friday 6th July and The Sherlocks, Vanilla Pod and Franko Fraize on Friday 13th July.

With plenty of fantastic bands on the line-up and lots more being unveiled make sure to visit the website www.festivaltoo.co.uk for a full list of all the acts performing and all the updates.

Rob Dunster, Differing Distance

OPEN AIR CINEMA Holkham Hall, Holkham Road, Wells-next-the-Sea NR23 1AB Back for Summer 2018, The Luna Cinema will once again transform the beautiful grounds of the walled garden into the ultimate setting for two nights of classic cinema under the stars! Bring your blankets and chairs and sit back and relax with your favourite films. On Friday evening the pop-up cinema will screen ‘Pretty Woman’ and on Saturday night the film on show will be ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. Doors open at 8pm and both screenings start at 9:15pm. The Luna Bar with Estrella will be onsite serving a full selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks there will also be food available from the gourmet partners on-site. For more information and to book tickets visit the website www.thelunacinema.com/holkham-hall-norfolk.

Sunday 1st July BELLES AT ST. NICK’S St Nicholas’ Chapel, St Ann’s Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1NH (10:30am to 3pm) Pay a visit to this fantastic vintage and maker’s market in the beautiful setting of St. Nicholas’ Chapel in Kings Lynn celebrating the very best in local artists, makers and sellers of all things handmade. Everything from homeware, vintage, gifts, lifestyle, jewellery, art and more. All handcrafted by local makers, producers and artists. Entry is free however donations are welcomed. For more information visit the Facebook page @bellesatstnicks.

KLmagazine June 2018

Saturday 7th July NATIONAL MEADOWS DAY MEADOWS AND MINIBEASTS Oxburgh Hall, Oxborough, King's Lynn PE33 9PS (2pm-4pm) Celebrate National Meadows Day with the Outdoors Team at Oxburgh Hall by enjoying a ramble through a meadow. Enjoy minibeast hunting and discover the wildlife that lives amongst the grasses and flowers growing there. The day will also focus on counting and recording how many different types of insects there are for the Hall's records. Children must be accompanied by an adult who goes free. Tickets for children are £5 and there will be no charge for siblings under the age of 3. For more information visit the website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/oxburgh-hall.

5th July - 5th August

NORTH NORFOLK EXHIBITION PROJECT AT THE CLEY-NEXT-THE-SEA TRAIL St Margaret of Antioch church, Holt Road, Cley-next-the-Sea NR25 7TT Based in the beautiful North Norfolk village of Cley-next-the-Sea, Cley Contemporary Art is an annual open submission exhibition organised by the North Norfolk Exhibition Project. Centred in the spectacular St Margaret of Antioch church, work will also be shown at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre and on the spectacular NWT beach.

More than 60 selected artists will show new work in a diverse range of media: painting, drawing, photography, installation, sculpture, textile, ceramic, glass, mixed media. A full range of artist-led workshops, talks and events are available and full details can be found on the Cley Contemporary Art website www.cleycontemporaryart.org.

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PICTURES: ©DAMIEN HIRST AND SCIENCE LTD. DACS 2018 PHOTO BY PETE HUGGINS

What’s On

ABOVE: The bronze sculpture Sensation by Damien Hirst by St. Martin’s Church at Houghton Hall and (opposite) some of the artist’s new spot paintings in the Stone Hall at Houghton Hall

Houghton Hall welcomes our greatest living artist...

Damien Hirst is one of the most famous artists in the world, and almost 50 of his new works can now be seen at Houghton Hall, which is one of the finest 18th century houses in the country

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is work The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living comprised a 14-foot tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde, his Mother and Child Divided was constructed from a cow and calf cut into sections, and his 3m wide steel cabinet containing 6,136 medicinal tablets sold for over £14 million, setting a European record for the most expensive work of art by a living artist.

In September 2008, he broke the record for a one-artist auction,

KLmagazine June 2018

bypassing galleries and selling directly to the public, raising £111 million in the process – and then there was the 2007 work For the Love of God, a human skull recreated in platinum and adorned with 8,601 diamonds weighing a total of 1,106 carats and worth £15 million.

We’re talking, of course, about the Bristol-born artist Damien Hirst – and until July 15th Houghton Hall is playing host to a new series of his paintings which have never been shown in public before.

The 46 new paintings, from a series entitled Colour Space, are a

development of Hirst’s iconic ‘spot’ paintings, which are among the artist’s most recognised works, although the new paintings are much looser in form than the minimal grid style with which he’s now synonymous.

“My first ever spot painting in 1986 was loose and painted with drippy paint, and not minimal at all,” says Hirst. “In that first painting, I was wrestling with what I originally thought of as the coldness of Minimalism and the more emotional, abstract expressionist painting style I’d grown up with. At the time I painted it, it felt uncool and I

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What’s On

ABOVE: Part of Damien Hirst’s new Colour Space series in the White Drawing Room at Houghton Hall

abandoned it immediately for the rigidity of the grid, removing the mess – but after doing the spot catalogue raisonné I’ve felt really drawn to that first painting and knew I’d revisit it eventually – maybe because I’m getting older!”

Revisit it he’s certainly done – and it’s another triumph for a man who’s reputed to be the the richest living artist to date.

“I realised I was wrong about Minimalism,” he says. “The simplest, cleanest thing can provoke an emotional response – but the spot paintings still play with that idea; despite the grid they always look happy, although there’s an unease there too because the colours don’t repeat when you expect them to. I originally wanted the spots to look like they were painted by a human trying to paint like a machine. Colour Space is going back to the human element, so instead you have the fallibility of the human hand in the drips and inconsistencies.”

Despite their apparent simplicity, the longer you look at these new paintings, the more you see.

“There are still no two exact colours that repeat in each painting, which is really important to me,” Hirst says. “I think of them as cells under a microscope. It felt right to show them somewhere historic rather than in a conventional gallery space and Houghton Hall is perfect. It feels totally right.”

The exhibition also includes 15 10

sculptures displayed in Houghton’s grounds, among which are some of Hirst’s most iconic large-scale bronze works. A number of sculptures are also shown inside the house, including two kinetic ball pieces from his Mental Escapology series in 2000.

The fascinating Dog with Bone (2017) is from a new series of scaled-up pipe cleaner animals and is displayed alongside two rotating ‘spin’ paintings – and it’s worth making the trip to Norwich to see Hirst’s 20ft bronze sculpture Hymn, which will stand outside the Norwich University of the Arts until July 29th.

“We’re delighted to have this opportunity to show Damien Hirst’s new

paintings in the State Rooms at Houghton, together with some of his best-known sculptures in the grounds,” says Lord Cholmondeley, owner of Houghton Hall. “It’s the first time that Hirst has shown a significant body of work in a classical country house setting.”

The Colour Space exhibition is curated

by Mario Codognato, who’s worked on several of Damien Hirst’s previous projects including his first retrospective The Agony and the Ecstasy in Naples.

Damien Hirst at Houghton Hall Exhibition runs until 15th July 2018.

For tickets and further information please see www.houghtonhall.com

KLmagazine June 2018

JUNE What’s On Show times all at 7:30pm unless stated

Milkshake! Live – The Magic

Story Book•12pm & 3:30pm

Sat 2nd

This brand new live show is sure to amaze and delight!

The Milkshake! cast will be singing songs and sharing stories that audience members will know and love.

An Evening with Leon Hendrix The true story of Jimmy Hendrix

Sun 3rd

Enjoy an incredible night with Leon Hendrix, the talented bother of arguably the most famous rock musician in history. Hear incredible stories and listen to his songs!

Sun 10th Children Free & Dogs on leads allowed

Sat 16th Sat 17th

Gooderstone

Water Gardens & Nature Trail

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n enchanting garden six miles SW of Swaffham is a must for all garden lovers, naturalists, artists and photographers - or those who simply want a restful break.

VISIT US

Garden - Open daily all year from 10am to 5.30pm (last admission 4.30pm) Tearoom - Open daily from 12th March to end of October (if weather fair) Call 01366 328118 to check The Street, Gooderstone PE33 9BP www.gooderstonewatergardens.co.uk | 01603 712913

KLmagazine June 2018

Donna Taggart

Following her astonishing International success with ‘Jealous of the Angels’ which has now achieved Multi-Platinum status, Donna Taggart is delighted to announce a Spring 2018 Concert Tour in Ireland/UK.

The Floyd Effect

The music of Pink Floyd as it was meant to be heard!

Sit back and enjoy The Floyd Effect as the band takes you on a journey through the music of Pink Floyd.

“Powerful, immersive and emotional!”

The Kilkennys

These four hugely talented school friends have taken their love of traditional Irish music and reinvigorated it, enabling them to tour the world and present it to a whole new generation.

Morning Has Broken - Ron Vincent

Sat Sings A Salute to Cat Stevens Vincent bears an uncanny resemblance to Cat 23rd Ron Stevens. This show follows a wonderful journey through his repertoire of beautiful songs.

Dan Snow – An Evening with

Sat The History Guy Featuring the well-known historian, broadcaster and 30th BBC TV presenter recount anecdotes of memorable experiences from his very successful career.

For ticket prices, more info & to book visit the website:

www.princesshunstanton.co.uk or call the Box Office: 01485 532252

The Princess Theatre, 13 The Green, Hunstanton PE36 5AH 11

What’s On

Sizzling shows this summer!

There’s lots happening at Alive Corn Exchange this month...

SON OF A PREACHER MAN Tuesday 5th - Saturday 9th June A heart-warming new musical featuring the greatest hits of Dusty Springfield, including The Look Of Love, I Only Want To Be With You, Spooky and of course, the classic Son Of A Preacher Man. This sparklingly funny and sweetly touching new musical play by internationally renowned writer Warner Brown will have you laughing, crying and singing your heart out to some of the greatest songs ever written.

GRUMPY OLD WOMEN TO THE RESCUE Sunday 17th June Starring Jenny Eclair, Dillie Keane & Lizzie Roper. Fed up with flogging their guts out and always having to be in charge, the Grumpy Old Women have put their knobbly old feet up in glorious retirement, free at last to practise their extreme colouring-in, ukulele orchestra and novelty fudge-making. But with the world in a bigger mess than ever

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before, is there anything that can tempt them off their backsides to unleash their superpowers and once more come to the rescue?!

LES MUSICALS Tuesday 19th June Les Musicals presents the biggest hit songs from the West End & Broadway in this exhilarating live concert tour.

Musical Theatre’s leading men and X Factor stars; Jonathan Ansell (G4 frontman) and Rhydian Roberts join forces for the first time ever to create a dramatic & spine tingling concert. This vocally dynamic evening showcases the smash hit songs from the greatest musicals of all time, brought to you by two of the world's finest voices. Come and immerse yourself into the world of Musical Theatre with classics from Les Miserables, Phantom Of The Opera, Blood Brothers, Wicked, Jesus Christ Superstar, Carousel, West Side Story, The Lion King, Miss Saigon, Chess, Rocky Horror Show, We Will Rock You and many more.

KLmagazine June 2018

WHITNEY – QUEEN OF THE NIGHT

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Saturday 23rd June Whitney - Queen of the Night is a stunning celebration of the music and life of one of the greatest singers of our time. This award winning production features a sensational line-up of musicians and artistes, with a powerhouse and breath-taking performance from rising West End star Shanice Smith as Whitney. Beautifully remembering the most highly awarded female artiste in the world ever, the music of Whitney Houston has touched most of us at some time in our lives.

With hits that include, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, One Moment In Time, I’m Every Woman, My Love is Your Love, So Emotional Baby, Run to You, Saving All My Love, I Will Always Love You, and many more.

G4

RHYTHM OF THE DANCE Monday 25th June This stunning Irish spectacular is a live show that celebrates Irish culture through music and dance, featuring world champion dancers, a traditional Irish band, singers, and a gifted cast who have been wowing audiences all over the world since 1999.

Internationally rated as one of the most popular and successful Irish Step Dance shows on tour, by critics, audiences, and millions of fans around the world.

MARY DUFF Wednesday 27th June Mary Duff the lovely Irish artist performs live. Her album, ‘The Ultimate Collection’, a ‘best of’ album featuring 40 of Mary’s’ best loved songs, was not only her first TV-advertised release, but was also her first ever British chart hit, nestling nicely into the UK Top 50.

Not bad for a small country girl from Ireland, who’s wonderfully emotive, yet quietly powerful voice, was all discovered by accident when she was only twelve years old!

Tuesday 11th September The UK's No.1 classical vocal harmony quartet are back with another exhilarating tour - G4 LIVE! Having exploded into the industry and the public's hearts back in 2004 on the first series of the X-Factor, G4 continue to blow people away, year after year, with their unique style and impactful harmonic vocals, which are incomparable to any other.

CARMEN – RUSSIAN STATE OPERA Sunday 23rd September Carmen tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who falls head over heels in love with Carmen, a seductive, free-spirited femme fatale. Love, treachery, passion and betrayal, Carmen has it all.

SLEEPING BEAUTY Fri 7th-Mon 31st December The Princess is searching for happiness, evil Carabosse is searching for revenge, Chester the Jester is searching for someone to laugh at his terrible jokes and Dame Nellie Night Nurse is searching for a man… in the two front rows! After scaling new heights with Jack and the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty promises to be even bigger and better! Early bird ticket price ends 30th June!

WANT TO BE CENTRE STAGE IN THIS YEAR’S PANTOMIME? We are looking for talented young dancers (8-18yrs) to be part of the cast. Auditions will be held in King’s Lynn on Sunday 2nd September. To register, email auditions@jordanproductionsltd. co.uk (put King’s Lynn Sleeping Beauty in the subject line) to receive a registration form.

Alive Corn Exchange @klcornexchange @klcornexchange Tickets are available from our Box Office on 01553 764864 or book online at: kingslynncornexchange.co.uk KLmagazine June 2018

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PICTURES: IAN WARD

Local Life

ABOVE: Built by Sir Alfred Jodrell, the captivating Shell Museum at Glandford is the oldest purpose-built museum in Norfolk

Norfolk’s most charming and unusual museum...

Exquisite seashells, a collection of fossils and birds’ eggs, local archaeological finds and works of art – the Shell Museum at Glandford is a true cabinest of curiosities, as Sylvia Steele discovers

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he signpost warning of an ‘unbridged ford’ deters much of the traffic along the narrow lane, which is flanked by immaculate brick and flint cottages. Often fondly referred to as the ‘model village’ of Glandford, Sir Alfred Jodrell (the former owner of nearby Bayfield Hall Estate) had built the houses around the turn of the 20th century to house local people and their families, whose main occupation was farming and some light industry in the old farm buildings.

Just a short stroll further, and on a

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grassy knoll overlooking the village is Glandford’s Shell Museum. Behind the black railings, flower-edged paths lead to a building that at first glance resembles a chapel with its Flemish gabled roof. A step inside reveals pristine white walls and a sense of harmony and peace.

Sir Alfred Jodrell built the structure to harmonise with the rest of the village, and he built it specifically for the storage and exhibition of his many artefacts and shells collected over a period of 60 years from

around the world and previously stored at Bayfield Hall. After completion of the Shell Museum in 1915, Sir Alfred arranged the exhibits himself with the assistance of his sisters Lady Seale and Mrs. Ind. Glass-fronted cabinets display shells of every hue and size, iridescent in the light from the unadorned glass windows above; some delicately decorated with ivory cameos, others intricately arranged in baskets, and the stories the shells tell of marine life beneath the sea are truly intriguing.

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Local Life

ABOVE: Glandford’s Shell Museum may hold the largest collection of seashells in the whole country, but it’s also home to several other fascinating artefacts such as John Craske’s tapestry Panorama of the Norfolk Coast and decorated ostrich shells (top right)

One that attracts much attention can be found in the delicate paper-thin shell of the Paper Nauttius. The descriptive card tells us this is the protected space built by the female Argonaut octopus as a case to cradle her eggs, before floating through the ocean where the eggs hatch and the young octopuses go their own way.

Among the shells that take pride of place here lies the jagged white jaw of a shark and the huge yellowing teeth of a whale. A bizarre walking stick carved from a shark’s vertebrae lies among fragments of pottery – one is a piece from Pompeii and another is a sugar bowl used by Queen Elizabeth I – together with examples of agate and other donated objects d’art One particular exhibit that many would say has found its rightful home in a museum of marine ecology is a tapestry depicting the North Norfolk coast, worked by local fisherman John Craske. Together with a painting on the opposite wall, it was presented to the museum by the executors of John Craske’s estate and has attracted much attention.

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Glandford’s Shell Museum has a strong claim to be the oldest purposebuilt museum in Norfolk – and it contains the finest collection of seashells in the whole of the UK. It’s a place to study Sir Alfred’s prized works of art and has been rightly described as “a rare museum for all who love beautiful things.”

Work on the Shell Museum was carried out by workmen from the estate cottages and who were employed on the Bayfield Estate. Attended by Wendy Gill (who acts as curator and custodian and is also verger of St. Martin’s Church) the Shell Museum is a small private trust that receives no public grants. However, a visit to Glandford’s beautiful Shell Museum wouldn’t be complete without including a glimpse inside St. Martin’s Church – which is sited along a hilltop above the village and looks over the River Glaven as it wends its way to the sea.

The parish church was in ruins by 1730 and it wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that St. Martin’s was rebuilt

by Sir Alfred as a memorial to his mother, Adele Monckton Jodrell. He

proceeded to decorate the church with everything typical of East Anglian churches – elaborate woodcarving and stained glass windows. A pew occupied

by Sir Alfred Jodrell himself has at its head a carving of a dog with its head on his master's coffin – said to have been copied from Landseer’s famous picture The Shepherd's Chief Mourner.

Sir Alfred Jodrell died on 15th March 1929. A framed memorial card with his name hangs in the nave. At his request, a monument stands just inside the vestry door that commemorates all those who were actively engaged on the rebuilding of the church.

At his own request, no monument was erected to Sir Alfred Jodrell’s memory, but surely no better memorial could be devised than his charming, fascinating and captivating Shell Museum.

The Shell Museum at Glandford is open until the end of October from 10am12.30pm and 2-4.30pm. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. for more details, please contact 01263 740081 or visit www.shellmuseum.org.uk

KLmagazine June 2018

Inspiring and distinctive outdoor furniture and accessories

Top quality, well-priced items from market leading brands

Visit our showroom Open 7 days a week 10am - 4pm Norfolk Leisure, Garage Lane, Setchey, King’s Lynn PE33 0AX Tel: 01553 811717 | Email: sales@norfolkleisure.co.uk | Web: www.norfolkleisure.com

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KLmagazine June 2018

ONE MOTORHOME. A WHOLE WORLD TO DISCOVER!

Greentrees: in pole position for your next big adventure!

Neil Greentree takes a motorhome from Dereham to Le Mans... hen you travel 460 miles to the world’s oldest and most prestigious endurance race in the company of two Ferraris, an Alfa Romeo and a Lamborghini you’ll want to travel in luxury, travel in style, and travel in comfort.

That’s why Neil Greentree recently took a Swift Bolero motorhome all the way to the famous Le Mans 24 sportscar race in France, camping at the iconic circuit itself and providing accommodation for the drivers of the four supercars accompanying him.

“The motorhome performed brilliantly throughout the journey and even managed something it was never designed for,” says Neil. “It totally changed the perception of four petrolheads and turned them into real camping converts. In fact, they couldn’t wait to take it away again!”

Recognised nationally as one of the industry’s leading experts, Neil Greentree has

W

KLmagazine June 2018

a real passion for promoting the modern face of caravanning – a world full of adventure and possibilities. The Swift Bolero is modern and elegant but it’s also solidly built – and the host of technical features are remarkably easy to use. Spacious kitchen area, superb comfy beds, showers – what more could you want?

“Actually, the air conditioning in the motorhome was better than any in the supercars we had with us!” says Neil.

It’s also a superb example of what ‘caravanning’ is in the 21st century. While the traditional purpose of motorhomes and caravans was (and still can be) the sheer enjoyment of the vehicle itself, more and more people are now using them to enhance an active lifestyle, appreciating the increased levels of comfort, functionality and adaptability.

“For activity-led people who really want to enjoy the great outdoors in style, this is an incredible way to do it,” says Neil. “As the Swift Bolero demonstrates, today’s caravans and motorhomes have all the comfort and luxury touches you want – and offer all the freedom you need!”

Greentrees is one of the very best caravan and motorhome centres in the whole of the UK. With over 100 new and used vehicles on one site from the country’s top manufacturers, Greentrees also has every accessory you could wish for and a team of specialists for expert help and service. In fact, Greentrees is the perfect starting point for your next big adventure!

For more information and videos see: www.challengeneilgreentree.com www.swiftgroup.co.uk

Adventure House, Hurn Road, Dereham Business Park, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1WD t: 01362 696434 e: sales@greentrees-caravanstore.co.uk w: www.greentrees-caravanstore.co.uk 21

PICTURES: IAN WARD

Local Life

A fascinating reminder of Blakeney’s proud past Over the last 500 years, it’s been a house, the headquarters of a guild of fish merchants, a coal store and a mortuary. Clare Bee looks at the fascinating remains of Blakeney Guildhall...

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otted around the Norfolk countryside there are many small ruins to be found, often tucked away from sight. However, the ruined remains of Blakeney Guildhall stand looking out across the mudflats towards the sea, as it has done since it was built in the 15th century, well over 500 years ago.

During the middle ages, Blakeney was a thriving port, and though it’s hard to believe today, it was the third most important port in Norfolk after Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn – but with the gradual silting up of the harbour, the work of the port fell into decline.

KLmagazine June 2018

While it prospered, many wealthy merchants made their homes along the coast, and the Guildhall at Blakeney would have been one such home.

The building stands in a prominent position set into a slope known as Mariners Hill at the north end of the high street of this small town, facing towards the sea – and it’s likely the early inhabitant would have been one of the wealthiest merchants living there.

Today, all that remains is the basement of what would originally have been a two-storey dwelling. And although it’s known as the Guildhall, in all probability it wouldn’t have been

such a grand place, but a home with a large area for domestic storage and warehousing – particularly given its proximity to the quay.

The undercroft of the building survives intact, and with its original features can be compared with the undercrofts of merchants’ houses in nearby Norwich and King’s Lynn. The well-preserved interior brick and flintwork again point to the wealth and importance of Blakeney as a port during the medieval period. The majority of domestic buildings at the time were of timber-frame construction, but the use of flint and stone was comparatively rare, and

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Local Life

generally confined to buildings of high status or the homes of the wealthy.

The intact undercroft, measuring a generous 17m by 7.6m, is also a good height inside, at up to 4m high. A row of octagonal stone columns runs down the centre, supporting four bays to either side of this central row. Each bay along the east and west walls has a niche with a pointed arch and brick surround.

The cobbled floor of the undercroft is set below the outside ground level, is accessed by three stone steps, and is entered by a door set in the north wall with stone moulded jambs and an arched head.

The interior of the undercroft would have been lit by three internally splayed windows with stone surrounds set along the east wall. An arched brick doorway in the southernmost bay in the east wall leads to a room with a ‘garderobe chute’ (historically the privy) and staircase, but this is now blocked.

To either side of the door facing towards the sea to the north are two pads of mortared flint which would probably have supported a porch or buttresses.

Although the upper part of the building is no longer complete, the walls of this second storey stand to

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a maximum height of 2m and the remains of the eastern wall include parts of the stone sills of three window openings. The first floor was probably entered from higher ground from the south and now retains only the lower part of the window embrasures; openings which were splayed out on the inside. The bricks were no doubt made locally, and are variable in quality and appearance.

It’s possible the Guildhall was once owned by the nearby Carmelite Friary, but what is known for certain is that it has belonged to Blakeney for well over 400 years. A series of deeds records the transfer of ownership from one group of trustees to the next, each deed providing for the property to be used for the benefit of the town.

In 1834, a report of the Charity Commissioners recorded that the Guildhall was being used as a coal store for a rent of 63 bushels of coal, with this coal being delivered to 63 poor families in Blakeney – a quarter of all the town’s households at the time.

Over the following hundred years the Guildhall was used for a variety of uses, including a boatstore and also, on a more macabre note, as a mortuary for drowned sailors.

The building was taken over by the Ministry of Works in 1950, who subsequently built the retaining wall.

It is now in the care of English Heritage with the assistance of Blakeney Parish Council.

For more information and details of how to visit this fascinating building, please visit www.englishheritage.org.uk and search for Blakeney Guildhall

KLmagazine June 2018

Specialist building services for listed properties...

The highest level of construction and building maintenance services in the area or over 30 years, T.M. Browne has built a well-respected reputation across the region based on caring for people and their properties – residential developments, community facilities, single new builds and commercial repair and maintenance contracts.

But it’s not all about modern designs and new construction techniques. One of T.M. Browne’s more specialised areas of expertise is in the field of listed buildings and properties of architectural significance – renovating Edwardian houses, restoring Victorian pubs, and helping heritage hotels add extensions that complement the existing building.

This is work that many people find daunting because of the complexities involved and the many official hurdles

F

KLmagazine June 2018

that have to be overcome in working on listed properties, but T.M. Browne has a proven track record of working successfully on older and listed properties.

Once commissioned by the client, T.M. Browne will liaise with local conservation and planning officers and organisations such as English Heritage to obtain all the necessary permissions and consent – and will then offer a complete project management service from start to finish. The company’s extensive inhouse resources (which includes dedicated plumbing and electrical departments) covers everything from reinstating historic features to matching traditional

materials – and the company offers such specialist work as lathe and plaster walls, corbels and offset brickwork, specialist carpentry and joinery, bespoke walling in flint and carrstone with lime plaster, and even thatched roofs.

However old your property, you’ll find T.M. Browne’s first-class workmanship, pride in a project well done and passion for exceeding customer expectations is exactly what you’re looking for.

Any construction work on a listed building requires the very highest levels of professionalism, integrity and workmanship – and can benefit from the services of T.M. Browne.

To discuss your project, contact us using the details below or visit the website at www.tmbrowne-ltd.co.uk

Unit 3, The Mill, Market Lane, Terrington St Clement King’s Lynn PE34 4HR Tel: 01553 828050 Email: admin@tmbrowneltd.co.uk Web: www.tmbrowne-ltd.co.uk

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KLmagazine June 2018

Why Crossways is a lot more than a caravan site S

The perfect family-friendly base that’s a genuine home from home ophie Jay’s family are no strangers to Norfolk. Although they ran a successful caravan park in Suffolk for almost 10 years, her parents were both born in Norfolk, and family holidays were often spent here – which means the last year has seen them return to their roots.

“When I was a little girl my dad always said he’d retire in his mid-50s,” says Sophie. “Instead, he decided to buy a caravan park – and then he asked me to run it!”

Michael and Wendy Jay aquired the former filling station just outside Fakenham in April last year, and with Sophie’s retail and managerial experience, the family have turned Crossways into a complete family and dog-friendly holiday centre that’s a lot more than a caravan site.

For starters, it’s in the perfect location, being only 10 minutes from Wells and a

KLmagazine June 2018

mere 15 minutes from Holt – the ideal base from which you and your family can explore the very best that North Norfolk has to offer.

On site, there’s a shop providing residents and the local community with everything they need (including a fresh bakery), a post office and even a dry cleaning service. And when it comes to camping, Crossways has it covered.

“We’ve got a tent area, we’ve got hardstand pitches and fully-serviced pitches for touring carvans and motorhomes, and we even have a selection of our own touring and static caravans available to rent,” says Sophie.

There’s even a stunning new holiday

lodge for sale (with plans to add nine more in the future) together with a laundry room and toilet block with recently-upgraded showers. And the adjacent play area will keep the children amused for hours.

Sophie and her family have big plans for Crossways – redeveloping the camping area, improving the car park and expanding the shop – but they’ll never change the friendly feel of the site.

“Our doors are always open and we’re always here to help,” says Sophie, “and many of our seasonal pitch holders are like part of the family now!”

If you’re looking for a relaxing and enjoyable break, look no further than Crossways – a genuine home from home.

Holt Road, Little Snoring, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 OAX Telephone: 01328 878335 / 07864 813458 Website: www.crosswaysshopandcaravansite.co.uk E-mail: CrosswaysSite@gmail.com

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“Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good...

THOMAS PAINE Rights of Man (1791)

Local Life

ABOVE: The larger than life-size gilded bronze statue of Thomas Paine that stands outside King’s House in Thetford. Designed by British sculptor Sir Charles Wheeler, it was unveiled in June 1964.

The man from Thetford who changed the world He’s one of the most inspiring figures in American history, and his revolutionary writings are still celebrated today – and he was born in Norfolk. Abigail Brown looks at the life of Thomas Paine...

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ituated in front of the King’s House in the centre of Thetford is a gold statue of the town’s most famous son, the political activist, philosopher, and revolutionary Thomas Paine – who came from humble beginnings to leave an indelible mark on the history of the western world – not least in inspiring the leaders of the American Revolution.

Paine was born in 1737 to Joseph Paine and Frances Cocke, and much of his early life was marred by failures and disappointment; he left Thetford Grammar School aged twelve and was KLmagazine June 2018

unsuccessful as a privateer, a corset shop owner, and as an apprentice to his father. People at the time would be forgiven for thinking young Thomas Paine was unlikely to amount to much.

He was employed in the excise service for some time, but after attempting to influence his fellow workers to rise against Parliament and demand higher pay, he lost his job – which forced him to sell many of his possessions in order to pay off his debts. During his time as a customs officer, he’d written his first publication The Case of the Officers of Excise at the request of fellow excisemen who

urged him to address Parliament on their behalf. The pamphlet was an early indication of Paine’s desire (and natural instinct) to fight for people’s rights.

Despite Paine’s financial circumstances and his career prospects, a fateful encounter was soon to mark the turning point in his life. Benjamin Franklin was a fan of Paine’s writings, and after a friend introduced the pair Franklin proposed the possibility of a better life for Paine in the British colonies in America.

There, Paine soon went from being penniless to publishing possibly one of the most influential pamphlets in 29

Local Life

ABOVE: The Thetford house in which Thomas Paine was born in 1737 (left) and the school in which he completed a less than distinguished education. At right is a letter written by Paine in 1789 from Rotherham, in which he says “the chief part of my time of late years has been spent in America, to which country I intend to return as soon as I conveniently can...”

American history.

On the 9th of January 1776, his Common Sense was first published. It was the work that was to inspire a nation, and Paine was soon celebrated across the burgeoning country. Written in a simple but direct style, it presented the American colonists with a powerful argument for independence from the British rule. Arguing that “the British system is too complex and rife with contradictions,” Paine suggested the people of America would be much happier if they were responsible for the creation of the laws they abided by.

Common Sense was the first mention of a revolution, and upon reading it many people agreed with Paine’s views – soon enough, he became an influential leader and his words the voice of reason. During the American Revolutionary War (1776-1783) these words were even used to inspire troops to literally soldier on following initial defeat. A few years after The Treaty of Paris was signed, representing the end of the American revolutionary war in 1783, Paine spent some time in France, initially visiting to look for sponsors for a bridge he’d designed. It seemed the idea of revolution travelled with him.

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Shortly after the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, author Edmund Burke published Reflexions on the Revolution in France as an attack on the uprising. Thomas Paine supported the movement, and duly wrote an argument against Edmund’s work titled The Rights of Man, which was published in March of 1791.

Later that summer Paine returned to England where he issued the sequel, to which he gave the less-than-gripping title The Rights of Man, Part the Second. The British government viewed the work as Paine supporting the French and charged him with libel against the Crown in December 1791, forcing him to flee the country and return to France – but he found himself in even more trouble there.

Accused of being against the execution of the former King Louis XVI, Paine was sentenced to wait out his own death in Luxembourg prison in

1793. Remarkably, Paine narrowly and luckily escaped the guillotine.

Every day the prison’s gaolers would chalk the doors of those who’d been scheduled to die that day. On the day of Paine’s execution, however, the guards agreed to keep his door open for fresh air since he was suffering from a fever; resulting in the door being chalked on the inside – so when it was closed later that day, Paine was missed and survived until his eventual release.

During his prison sentence, Paine finished writing The Age of Reason. This last publication caused a huge amount of controversy and its ridicule of religion meant that when Paine died in 1809 aged 72, only six people payed their respects at his funeral.

Not surprisingly, Thomas Paine remained a controversial figure in his home town in Norfolk until the 20th century. In 1964, when plans for a statue of Paine were discussed, the Mayor of Thetford said he would only approve the idea if the statue was branded with the words ‘convicted traitor.’

It’s fair to say that ‘common sense’ won the day. Standing in the town today is a statue that was erected with Paine proudly holding his most famous work The Rights of Man. And nearby you can see a rare French edition of the publication in the towns Ancient House Museum. It was sold to the museum by teacher José António Soares da Silva who found it at an auction and believed it needed to be on display in Paine's hometown for everyone to enjoy.

More information about the life of Thomas Paine can be found on the Ancient House Museum’s website at www.museums.norfolk.go.uk/ ancient-house

KLmagazine June 2018

PICTURES: IAN WARD

Polar Systems and a triumph of engineering It started with one man in a bedroom and has grown into one of the leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of food processing equipment in the UK. Welcome to Polar Systems...

W

e enjoy pizzas and we don’t even think twice about the perfectly and evenly sliced pepperoni on it. We tuck into bags of pistachios and we don’t give a second thought to the fact they’re all equally roasted. The sliced apples in our fruit salads, the gravy in our pet food, the popcorn we treat ourselves to in front of a good film – they’re all things we generally take for granted.

But they don’t suddenly appear by accident, and chances are that a family-run company based in King’s

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Lynn has played a role in bringing some of the most famous food brands in the world to your plate.

When Peter Gamble left school at the start of the 1980s, there was little indication that he’d make such an impact on the food processing scene.

“To be honest, all I left school with was a reasonable understanding of geography!” he says. “I took an apprenticeship at Bow Brand and then had the opportunity to work in the machine shop at Bead Engineering.”

Rapidly moving up through the ranks, Peter found that engineering and the design of new machinery to solve

specific problems was almost second nature, and it wasn’t too long before he was looking to spread his wings.

“I realised it was time to make up for all the ground I’d lost at school,” he says, “so I went to night schooI in my own time and spent hours studying subjects such as electronics, mathematics and refrigeration.”

Hungry for more and looking for bigger challenges, Peter decided to set up his own business in 1986 – working from a back bedroom designing (and selling) food processing machinery. It was the start of Polar Systems Ltd. “Peter Gamble Engineering would

KLmagazine June 2018

never work if I was going to compete against long-established and wellknown companies,” he says. “I needed a name that sounded as though it had been around for a while – although I’m still not entirely sure where the ‘polar’ element came from. Actually, I’m still not sure I even like it!”

Despite his misgivings about the company’s name, Peter’s new venture was an immediate success – he soon outgrew the bedroom and built a portakabin in his garden, before renting an office by the King’s Lynn dock with a basement that flooded about once a week. It was then that Peter realised he needed to expand the operation.

“We were subcontracting at the time, and I was getting frustrated with not being able to get what I wanted when I wanted it,” he says. “Designing was all well and good, but I knew it was time for me to move into manufacturing.”

Peter duly invested in a press brake, a

KLmagazine June 2018

guillotine and a saw, and enlisted the help of the whole family in putting Polar Systems on the map.

“My dad moved the company to a pretty derelict site at Austin Fields in King’s Lynn,” says Peter’s son Adrian, who’s now the company’s Sales and Marketing Manager. “I can remember pushing endless wheelbarrows of rubble about – and my brother Ashley spent days hacking down the jungle at the back!”

Thanks to the efforts of Peter and his sons, Polar Systems continued to outgrow its home, a trend that’s continues to this day.

“At Austin Fields it seemed as though we were always extending the site,” says Peter. “We expanded outwards and we expanded upwards. We even put in mezzanine floors, but in the end it simply wasn’t big enough.”

Polar Systems moved to their current base on the Hardwick Industrial Estate

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almost 10 years ago, but it’s almost unrecognisable from the day the company arrived – increasing from the site’s original 24,000ft2 to the almost 90,000ft2 it covers today.

Today, on the one site and with a staff of almost 60, Polar Systems offers everything from design and fabrication to laser cut profiling and operational software programming – and the secret is simple; the company continues to design machinery that solve specific problems effectively, creatively and cost-efficiently.

“Back in 1996 we were the first people in the world to automate whelk processing,” says Peter. “At that time it was taking 12 women an hour to pick through a ton of whelks – and it was generally accepted you couldn’t automate the process. It took two years of development, but we did it – and it worked brilliantly, processing four tons of whelks an hour.”

From there, Polar Systems moved into improving the production of cockles, mussels, scallops, doughnuts, popcorn, crisp flavouring and the gravy in pet foods – exporting their groundbreaking machines to more than 30 countries around the world.

And that sense of innovation remains at the centre of everything Polar System does.

“People come to us for something that doesn’t exist yet,” says Peter, “or for a process that can be improved on for a better quality product.”

Food flavouring is a perfect example.

Companies wanting to do product changeovers were spending hours clearing and removing the previous flavour, stripping the machines and then cleaning them.

Polar Systems thought there was a better solution.

“It seemed a bit wasteful and far too time-consuming,” says Peter. “We thought that a much better way of

doing exactly the same job would be to simply remove the dirty elements of the machine and replace them – so that’s exactly what we did.”

With an emphasis on engineering solutions and a continual investment in people, plant and technologies, Polar Systems are committed to high quality, attention to detail, research and development. By focusing on meeting precise needs and creating tangible benefits for businesses, Peter’s company is now one of the UK’s leading designers and manufacturers of food processing equipment.

Polar Systems continues to invest in facilities to support in-house design and bespoke manufacturing – and developing a highly-skilled local

workforce through apprenticeship programs. At the core of this passionate family-run company is the continuing development of existing products to enhance efficiencies – as well as to explore new automated processes across a wide range of industries.

“Fundamentally, everyone here enjoys the challenge of designing machinery,” says Peter. “That’s where I started, and I still love the design element – although the company has grown so much that it’s now only about 5% of the business.

There’s something very special about it – I’d much rather buy a machine tool than a Ferrari!”

Which makes perfect sense for a company in pole position of the food processing industry.

Oldmedow Road, Hardwick Industrial Estate, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4LA Tel: 01553 691472 Web: www.polar-systems.co.uk E-mail: sales@polar-systems.co.uk

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KLmagazine June 2018

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Fitted in a day and providing year-round performance...

A world of professional air conditioning solutions from the 4 Way Group here’s little doubt that the pace of global warming is speeding up – and it looks likely the planet will exceed a landmark temperature level within the next ten years.

We’ve all noticed the increased ambient temperature and the fact we’re getting warmer summers and colder winters. And that’s seen a growing demand for professional air conditioning both at home and at work.

Few people in West and North Norfolk area have as much experience or expertise in high quality air conditioning solutions than the 4 Way Group. By sourcing the best and the most technologically-advanced products currently available, the 4 Way Group can supply, install and service everything from simple domestic units and single office split-type systems to multi-level

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KLmagazine June 2018

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The units offer virtually silent operation, unbeatable costeffectiveness, plenty of environmental benefits – and they look very stylish and discrete in any setting.

With professional dualpurpose air conditioning giving you total control over the temperature in your home in both summer and winter,

the 4 Way Group can help turn your conservatory from a 2-month room into an all-year-round living space.

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The Big Interview of women and girls – locally, nationally and internationally.

KL MAGAZINE: What does your role of President entail?

KIM BRAMHAM: I see it as a great honour to be President, following in the footsteps of so many dynamic and successful women who’ve led the club in the past. My role is to provide leadership for the coming year, but we work as a team I’ll do my best to steer the club through a busy year!

KL MAGAZINE: When you met her recently, how did Elizabeth Truss MP respond to your concerns about women refugees, trafficking, modernday slavery, and the treatment of women in the justice system?

KIM BRAMHAM: I think Elizabeth Truss recognised we’d done our homework and we asked her some pertinent questions. We’ve shared more information with her since, to ensure our concerns continue to be raised.

We’re currently looking forward to following up some topics with Lorne Green, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk when we meet with him later in 2018.

Kim Bramham Club President 2018-19 Soroptimist International King’s Lynn KL MAGAZINE: The word ‘soroptimist’ won’t be familiar to many people – What does it actually mean?

KIM BRAMHAM: The name Soroptimist comes from the Latin ‘soror’ meaning sister and ‘optima’ meaning best – the word soroptimist is probably best interpreted as ‘the best for women.’

KL MAGAZINE: So what is Soroptimist International – and what does it do?

KIM BRAMHAM: It’s a global volunteer movement working together to transform the lives of women and girls with nearly 80,000 members in 124

38

countries across the world. We work to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women and girls across the world and have Special Consultative Status with the United Nations.

KL MAGAZINE: What does all that mean on a local level?

KIM BRAMHAM: Soroptimist International King’s Lynn has been around for over 40 years, and we currently have around 30 members. We enjoy working with like-minded women on projects that help improve the lives

KL MAGAZINE: What local projects are you currently involved with – and planning for the future?

KIM BRAMHAM: In June, we’ll be holding hold our Public Speaking competition for Year 6 pupils, and every year we’re amazed at the high standard of speakers. Last year, North Wootton won, speaking to us about bullying. This is one of my favourite events of the year; the children are awe-inspiring, and this year is even more special as it’s our 10th competition.

KL MAGAZINE: What other activities will you be involved in this year?

KIM BRAMHAM: We’ve supported a wide range of charities over the years, which keeps us busy. This year, we’ll be working to support Home Start, and will also be involved in events such as a Murder Mystery evening and a Literary Lunch. Our members also provide English lessons for people coming to the area who need help developing their language skills.

KL MAGAZINE: As President, your stated theme for the year is ‘Achieving in Unity’ – what does that mean?

KIM BRAMHAM: It simply means being successful together. I wanted a phrase that encapsulated our ethos for 201819. It was actually inspired by the words on Yeovil Town Ladies FC’s crest.

Women’s sport is currently at the

KLmagazine June 2018

ABOVE: Members of Soroptimist International King’s Lynn taking part in the club’s sponsored walk in aid of Parkinson’s UK last month. At right are the winners of the club’s Public Speaking Competition last year from North Wootton Academy – this year’s competition will take place later this month.

continue her fight for girls’ education around the world is so inspiring.

vanguard of a change of mindset within our country, I’m really proud to have been inspired by one of the UK’s leading women’s football clubs.

KL MAGAZINE: You’ve been President for a few weeks now – how’s it going?

KIM BRAMHAM: Well, it’s certainly been busy! To support the President’s charity (Parkinson’s UK) we held a sponsored walk and following that I hosted an afternoon tea. It was a great success, with lots of support from club members, friends, family and neighbours – and we raised well over £1,000.

KL MAGAZINE: Earlier this year we celebrated the centenary of women finally getting the right to vote. How much progress do you think has been made on women’s rights since then?

KIM BRAMHAM: It’s very difficult to compare my life with that of a woman 100 years ago as so much has changed for women in that time. I feel fortunate to live in a country in which I can speak freely and make my own choices – but I’m also very aware that’s not the case for women everywhere. I think we still have a long way to go.

KL MAGAZINE: What do you think are the greatest challenges facing women today?

KIM BRAMHAM: It varies

KLmagazine June 2018

across the world, but equality is taking a long time to achieve – even in our comparatively forward-thinking country. In the UK, only 32% of MPs and 28.2% of directors in FTSE 100 companies are female. We’re now seeing an upwards shift in these numbers, and we need strong women role models to inspire future generations.

KL MAGAZINE: For women interested in joining Soroptimist International King’s Lynn and helping you in your work, how should they contact you?

KIM BRAMHAM: We encourage all women to come along to one of our meetings at Marriott’s Warehouse – it’s a great way to see the club first-hand and get to know a bit about us. For more details, you can always e-mail us at sikingslynn@gmail.com or visit our website at www.sigbi.org/kings-lynn

KL MAGAZINE: Outside of Soroptimist International King’s Lynn, what do you do?

KIM BRAMHAM: I work in a team supporting the training of construction apprentices across the Eastern Region.

One of my hobbies is walking – West Norfolk is such a great place to walk and I’ve also walked several longdistance trails around the UK. Walking is the perfect antidote to a busy life!

KL MAGAZINE: Who’s the most inspiring woman you can think of?

KIM BRAMHAM: The Pakistani activist and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai [pictured right]. I’m in awe of the courage she showed as a young girl to continue her education despite the risks that resulted in the Taliban’s attempt on her life. Malala’s determination to ensure she uses her fame in a positive way and to

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PICTURES: IAN WARD

Local Life

ABOVE: The Guild of Bell Ringers at King’s Lynn Minster, with Peter Jackson at the 12 o’clock position with (clockwise) John Martin, Matthew Jones, Alison Jones, Neil Jones, Chris Hampshire, David Truman, Peter Bird, John Marshall-Grint, Carole Reeve, Andy Reeve, David Moore, Norman Rule and Mike Cale

Ringing the changes with the bells of King’s Lynn...

Norfolk has a rich tradition of bell ringing – the first recorded ‘change-ring’ peal was heard at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich in 1715. Peter Jackson looks at the history of the bells of King’s Lynn

I

n King’s Lynn, we’re blessed by having three towers with ringable bells; the Minster (the former St Margaret’s) with peal of ten bells, St Nicholas Chapel with eight bells, and the church of St Faith’s in Gaywood with six.

Bells have been associated with religion from ancient times – long before the days of the newspaper, the telephone, and the internet. They announced services, deaths, the arrival of the mail and the curfew.

In Henry VIII’s time, the dissolution caused the removal of many church bells, and under Edward VI (1547-53)

KLmagazine June 2018

the Church of England became clearly Protestant – on Christmas Day 1547 the chantries and religious guilds were dissolved. Bells were removed to ‘provide munitions’ for the defence of the town – although the bells in the northwest tower of St Margaret’s were spared because they were simply too heavy to move.

During the Restoration (around 16601688) bell hanging changed; bells were mounted on a wheel with the rope passing around it, which allowed more control and brought about the development of ‘change ringing,’ also known as full circle ringing.

During the last 300 years, the number of churches with four or more change ringing bells has increased to over 6,000.

The bells in the northwest tower of St Margaret’s were added to in 1664 and became a ring of eight, but during the Great Storm of 1741 the spire on the southwest tower blew down, damaging the nave and making the tower unsafe.

After the church was repaired, a peal of 5,040 changes was rung to celebrate the event. It was no mean achievement, requiring three hours of concentration and stamina – and probably several pints of ale afterwards.

41

Local Life

A new peal of eight bells was installed in 1766, cast by Lester and Pack of London, which later became the Whitechapel Foundry and only closed last year – leaving a single remaining foundry. The cost of these bells was £383, the heaviest weighing 28cwt and being named St Margaret.

Two further bells were added in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee and were presented by the Mayor of King’s Lynn William Burkitt.

Fast forward a century, and by the millennium the bells were out of tune and difficult to ring. In 2001, Norman Harding (who’d been Tower Captain for nearly 50 years) died, leaving a generous bequest for the refurbishment of the bells which was spent on a £210,000 restoration project helped by a £69,000 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The bells were taken to Taylor’s of Loughborough, where bell No.9 was recast because its tone was so poor. Following their restoration, the bells were rehung in a new metal frame and were ready to ring again in 2005.

Over at St Nicholas Chapel, a 1552 inventory records only a single bell, but in 1766 eight bells were installed made

by Lester and Pack. This casting, along with the bells of St Margaret’s, gives an indication of the wealth of the town at that time. When King’s Lynn had its whaling fleet, bells were rung to mark the safe return of the ships as they made their way to Blubber Creek near the South Gate.

The current bells were cast in 1868

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by Taylors, with a tenor of 18cwt. Fitted with steel headstocks and rehung in 2015, they’re now in excellent order.

The ‘clock’ bell is the oldest, dating to 1631 – and it was originally in the lantern at St Margaret’s.

Several peals have been rung at St Nicholas since 2015 – it’s become a modern tradition for a specially composed peal to be rung to celebrate the start of King’s Lynn Festival and for local ringers to ring for GEAR, the Great East Anglian Run. In Gaywood, three bells were listed for the church of St Faith’s in 1552, hanging in the 14th century bell tower.

A survey in 1906 reported that two of the bells had cracked and the third had

an “intolerable tone.”

The bells of St Faith’s needed help.

According to contemporary reports, they were in “an exceedingly bad state of repair. The bells have not been rung in living memory and must be taken in hand at once...”

Taylors were called into “suggest and advise” the rector, the churchwarden, and Lord of the Manor Mr T Bagge. The bells were melted down and used to cast new bells with a tenor in G of about 12cwt. The treble is called Constance, the Children’s Bell and was rung to call children to services and for the burial of a child.

The new bells were rung in September 1906 on the feast of St Michael & All Angels. On August 27th 1914, November 10th 1915 & April 16th 1916 short peals are recorded – and throughout the First World War the tenor was tolled every day at noon by George Hawes. Ringing resumed after the war, and on 17th December 1919 a peal of 5,040 changes was rung.

The oldest bell in King’s Lynn was made by Thomas Draper in 1577 and is rung during Communion services.

Today there is ringing at Gaywood and the Minster every Sunday morning, and usually all 10 Minster bells are rung for civic services – with Wednesday practice at the Minster and Thursday at Gaywood. To celebrate and remember the 100th anniversary of the First World War in November, several ringing events are being planned in the town – a practice likely to be repeated across the nation.

PICTURES: The 14th century bell tower of St Faith’s in Gaywood, where a peal of over 5,000 changes was made in December 1919.

Below is the tower of St Nicholas Chapel, whose oldest bell dates to 1631 and was originally installed in the church of St Margaret’s (today’s Minster)

KLmagazine June 2018

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Caring for your environment KLmagazine June 2018

HOMEhints

in association with FRIMSTONE LTD

Building a rockery – with a little help from Frimstone! ow’s a great time to get to work on all those outdoor projects you’ve been looking forward to all winter – and the good news is that no matter how daunting the job may be, you’ve got all the experience and quality materials of FRIMSTONE on your side.

For example, if you’re thinking of adding a rockery to your garden, you may be surprised to learn just how much help we can give you.

Your first step will be to lay the foundations, clearing and levelling your site – and then you’ll need to add a layer of bricks or rubble to provide good drainage.

Whether you choose our well-graded granular Type 1 aggregate (it’s made to national standards), our local crushed recycled concrete or our natural 40mm gravel, FRIMSTONE can give your rockery the perfect start.

N

The next thing you’re going to need is some topsoil (to cover the foundations and to infill spaces and gaps) and the ‘rocks’ themselves.

FRIMSTONE can help here as well – with a choice of certified topsoil or recycled and screened topsoil, both of which are ideal for rockeries. As for the rocks themselves, you’ll find a wide selection of top quality materials available at FRIMSTONE, all supplied on a price-per-piece basis so you can buy as much (or as little) as you need.

Depending on the look you want to achieve, you can opt for grey limestone or granite, the attractive cream-coloured Lincolnshire limestone, or the famous ‘rusty’ looking carrstone – which is such a feature of buildings in north Norfolk.

Note that these stones (generally around 1ft/30cm wide) are quite heavy, so unless you've got a trailer you may

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have to make more than one trip to your local FRIMSTONE centre – although we can deliver bigger loads for large-scale or multiple landscaping projects.

Once you’ve laid the foundation, arranged your rocks and filled the gaps with topsoil, all that’s left is to get planting! It’s a good idea to top-dress your rockery with a thin (1in or 2.5cm) layer of bark chippings, decorative gravel or chippings to help drainage and enhance micro climate – and every FRIMSTONE centre always has a wide choice of gravels in a range of different sizes ready to take away today.

With all the expert help and advice you need, and all the high-quality and lowpriced materials you want, your local FRIMSTONE centre can ensure your small-scale project gets off to the best possible start – and goes exactly according to plan!

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KLmagazine June 2018

45

Discover why summer always starts at Searles...

An award-winning holiday resort, a boutique hotel with a first-class restaurant, and a fun way to enjoy the Norfolk coast and its wildlife – is there any wonder Searles offers the perfect family holiday?

I

t’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that for as long as people have been enjoying holidays in Hunstanton, Searles has been helping them make the most of the experience.

The company has come a very long way indeed from the day in 1910 when William and Alice Searle opened a boarding house in the town – offering high standards of accommodation, excellent food, and memorable entertainment in the form of donkey rides along Hunstanton’s south beach.

46

Despite the passage of time, Searles – recognised as a 5-star resort

by Visit England and voted Holiday Park/Village of the Year at the 2018 Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards – remains committed to those standards.

The fantastic accommodation is still outstanding, the food is still excellent, and the entertainment is second to none. The only real difference is that today there’s even more to enjoy!

SEARLES LEISURE RESORT Searles Leisure Resort is an award-

winning family park that has been offering holidays on the northwest coast of Norfolk for over 80 years.

A wide range of accommodation is available from modern classic homes to luxury lodges with hot tubs – and all homes are self-equipped for selfcatering, complete with double glazing and central heating. Pet-friendly and easy-access homes are also available, and prices start from as little as £99 per home in low season.

Searles’ premier touring and camping park offers a variety of main services,

KLmagazine June 2018

with electric and standard pitches (all with free awning) and camping pods.

And it couldn’t be more affordable – pitches are available from as little as £10 per night in low season.

This is what family holidays are made of – entertainment and leisure passes are included with all accommodation, and there are countless facilities to keep every single member of the family happy. That includes no less than three swimming pools, including a new indoor Splash Pool (pictured left) which has been specially designed for children to enjoy lots of different water experiences in a warm environment – whatever the weather!

Youngsters can also enjoy a new outdoor playground with fun climbs and swings, while teenagers and adults can take advantage of the new outdoor fitness park – a fun way of working off all those holiday treats.

The on-site entertainment team – affectionately known as the Searles Superstars – continue to bring fabulous fresh production shows and activities to the resort, and are joined by a wide selection of live bands and guest acts, continuing to provide guests with a first-class level of entertainment.

Don’t forget Searles Country Park either, which is located within the resort itself and offers additional facilities such as a 9-hole golf course, an EBA-standard bowling green, fishing and petanque. And when you need a break from all that activity, the Fountain Sports Bar and Restaurant (which is open to both resort guests and the general public) offers a very high standard of food and service.

HEACHAM MANOR HOTEL Situated in beautifully tranquil surroundings, this Grade II heritagelisted 16th century house is now a charming boutique hotel with picturesque gardens.

The lavish rooms in the manor house itself include two 4-poster bedrooms, or for the ultimate indulgence you can stay in the Manor Suite. Adjacent to the

KLmagazine June 2018

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hotel is a selection of cottage rooms, which can be used for bed & breakfast breaks or for self-catering holidays.

At Heacham Manor you’ll also find the AA rosette Mulberry Restaurant, which serves a superb menu of fresh local produce and is open to both hotel guests and the public. It’s situated in the hotel’s conservatory, with magnificent views over the surrounding parkland.

To get golfers into the swing of things, Heacham Manor has an 18-hole championship length golf course located next to the hotel, and it’s not just for show –the course was recently voted one of the top 100 golf resorts in the whole of Britain and Ireland.

Being on holiday is all about taking time out from the stresses of daily life, and the hotel’s Mulberry Spa with its Thermal Suite (pictured opposite, top) is the ideal place for a spot of relaxation.

You can enjoy a treatment from one of the five Decléor trained therapists and combine your pampering programme with a delicious afternoon tea served in the hotel’s conservatory.

Ideally located close to the Victorian seaside town of Hunstanton, the beautiful beaches of north Norfolk and the Royal Sandringham Estate, Heacham Manor is the perfect base from which you can explore the outstanding coastline and beautiful countryside of north and west Norfolk.

SEARLES SEA TOURS Located in Hunstanton, Searles Sea Tours run a regular programme of unique and exciting seal safaris and coastal trips aboard two famous amphibious vessels – the Wash Monsters.

Departing from the central promenade in Hunstanton, each tour provides a truly fascinating and fun way of discovering the local seal population and taking in the panoramic views of the surrounding coastal areas – and it’s a unique way of learning about the local history and fascinating legends of the Wash.

As Hunstanton continues to grow into one of the country’s premier holiday destinations, Searles is at the forefront of family holidays, offering everything that’s always made the best holidays so memorable – fantastic views, excellent food, high quality entertainment, superb surroundings, and a real touch of luxury.

For more details about everything Searles has to offer and to discover just how enjoyable your next family holiday can be, please contact us using the details opposite. And you’ll soon understand why people say that Summer starts at Searles!

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information

SEARLES South Beach, Hunstanton Norfolk PE36 5BB Tel: 01485 536026 Websites: www.searles.co.uk www.seatours.co.uk www.heacham-manor.co.uk E-mail: bookings@searles.co.uk

KLmagazine June 2018

A TRIP TO THE SEASIDE ISN’T COMPLETE WITHOUT FISH & CHIPS! Treat the whole family to Britain’s most traditional dish in some of the most beautiful locations in Norfolk...

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Gardening

How to add a touch of the exotic to your garden There’s nothing quite like a tropical garden, but there’s no reason why you can’t have one yourself. Wendy Warner of Thaxters Garden Centre explains how to bring your summer holiday back home with you...

H

ave you been on holiday abroad and admired the exotic plants and flowers that grow naturally in those sunny climates?

Here are some ideas to bring your holiday back to your garden, and I don’t mean by filling your suitcase with plants!

There are many ways in which you can create an exotic tropical paradise in your own garden, with either a few pots or containers on the patio or by transforming the whole garden. The three key words to remember when it comes to tropical gardening are big,

50

bold and bright.

Choose plants so you have a range of heights. For a main focal point, choose the hardy palm Trachycarpus with its tall trunk and fan-shaped leaves at the top; it requires a good quantity of water and a relatively sheltered position to avoid the leaves becoming brown and tatty. Another large-leaved hardy evergreen would be Fatsia japonica (castor oil plant) – which will withstand shade and create more of a jungle look, as will hardy tree ferns.

Bamboos will give an instant tropical impression, but choose less invasive clump-forming varieties rather than the

rampant, running ones unless you have endless space in your garden. Olive trees will give a very Mediterranean feel, and it’s even better if you can get a mature specimen with a gnarled trunk and branches.

But if your garden has a damp corner, choose gunnera with its huge, spiky rhubarb type leaves. Phormiums and Cordylines with their strappy leaves now come in a huge choice of colours through golds, greens, pinks to deep reds and many with variegations and stripes – and if you’re after a touch of the desert, go for agaves or yuccas.

You may need to use some less

KLmagazine June 2018

hardy, or tender, plants to give some real drama in your exotic garden. Some will need protection in the winter from frosts by fleecing or transferring into a greenhouse or conservatory, while others will have to be discarded at the end of the summer much as you would your bedding plants.

Callistemon (pictured right, top) are a real wow with their bright red bottlebrush flowers. Bananas (musa) have lovely, large lush leaves and although they won’t fruit in our climate, they’ll often produce a flower – as will canna lilies, which have similar foliage in an array of colours and also striking flowers of red, orange, yellow or pink.

If you have a fence or wall, there are some spectacular climbing plants with an exotic look. Trachelospermum (star jasmine) is hardy in a sheltered position and has very fragrant white flowers; Campsis has orange, red or yellow trumpet-shaped flowers and is also hardy; but Clianthus (parrot’s bill) with its amazing bright red flowers is less hardy.

Passion Flowers have extremely exotic-looking flowers and there are hardy and tender varieties – although in my opinion the most hardy is Passiflora caerulea (pictured right, centre). It’s also the most stunning with its white and purple flowers followed by orange fruits.

Bougainvillea with their vibrant coloured bracts and Mandevilla with trumpet flowers of red, pink or white both require heat through the winter, so are best grown in a pot with their own support of either a trellis or obelisk so they can be transferred indoors before the first frosts. Other climbers like morning glory, black-eyed Susan, and canary creepers can be grown easily from seed and flower in their first year – but they are tender so need to be grown fresh each year.

Although the plants listed above are most commonly used in exotic designs, there are many other everyday plants that could be added. Hardy shrubs such as black elder (Sambucus nigra) with its black feathery leaves, the smoke bush (Cotinus) with either deep purple or gold leaves, Photinia “Red Robin” with its bright red new leaves, eucalyptus or any of the Japanese acers (pictured right, bottom) would work well as a backdrop for your brighter tropical plants.

Red hot pokers look great popping up through the foliage of other plants as do the bright purple flowers of verbena bonariensis.

To continue the theme at ground level, there are endless brightly coloured gems of bedding plants and

KLmagazine June 2018

51

Gardening

low-growing alpines.

Mesembryanthemums, delosperma and lampranthus are all succulents and have dazzling daisy flowers in the most vivid colours. Heliotropes with their purple flowers and ‘cherry pie’ scent would be ideal near a seating area.

Dahlias (pictured above) with their amazing array of colours and shapes of flowers lend themselves perfectly, especially those with dark, almost black leaves, as do begonias – both the nonstop and trailing varieties. To make the most of your ‘tropical’ plants, keep them well watered and give them plenty of fertiliser as they tend to be fast growing.

I was surprised some years ago when I visited the aptly named ‘Exotic Garden’ in the centre of Norwich (sadly now closed) to find many plants which we grow as houseplants, used in their outdoor planting scheme. They were treated much the same as bedding plants, either discarded at the end of the season or lifted and transferred to greenhouses. They’d used prayer plants, spider plants, begonia rex, the wonderful Gynura with its velvety purple leaves as well as various bromeliads (pictured right) with their brightly coloured flower spikes.

In addition to the planting, you can add some structural elements into your design. Try a large terracotta urn or brightly coloured, hand-painted glazed pots, a small water feature or fountain or a statue or ornament from the

52

region you’re trying to recreate.

Why not paint the surrounding wall or fence in a vibrant colour or even just white to highlight the dramatic planting scheme? Lanterns, candles and other lighting can be used to create a great atmosphere in the evenings. Don’t forget you can now get all kinds of solar lighting if you have no mains power in the garden.

As well as the traditional markers and post lights, there are solar string lights, lanterns and table lights. And try and incorporate some seating into this area, as the beauty of many of these plants is that they’ll give you late summer colour – so you’ll be able to appreciate them when you’re sitting out in the warmest weather.

So when you’re next on a foreign holiday, take time to admire the plants and gardens and have a think about how you could create just a little bit of the exotic in your own garden back home.

Wendy Warner is Manager of Thaxters Garden Centre at 49 Hunstanton Road, Dersingham PE31 6NA. Visit the website at www.thaxters.co.uk or telephone 01485 541514 YOU AND YOUR GARDEN If you’d like some inspiration for your garden – no matter how large or small – or have a particular issue or variety of plant you’d like Wendy to look at, please contact us at info@klmagazine.co.uk

KLmagazine June 2018

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KLmagazine June 2018

53

West Norfolk: Then and Now

1911

2018 THE CHANGING FACE OF LONDON ROAD...

Many thanks to James Hughes of King’s Lynn for sending us this charming old picture (top) of London Road in King’s Lynn. Thought to date from 1911, it’s packed with fascinating details, especially the traffic along the road, which was almost entirely horse-driven.

Despite recent changes to road, it retains its essential character as one of the main thoroughfares into the town.

If you’re interested in seeing how our towns, villages and landscape have changed over the years, you can enjoy thousands of images depicting Norfolk’s unique social history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk or by

visiting the Norfolk Heritage Centre at the Millennium Library, The Forum, Norwich (or your local studies library).

We’ll take another look back at the area next month.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Enjoy thousands of images of Norfolk’s unique history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk 54

KLmagazine June 2018

Helping your garden make the most of the summer...

Why right now is the perfect time to call on Heritage Tree Specialists

A

s we enter the summer months and spend more time in our gardens, it’s the ideal time to call on the professional services of King’s Lynn based Heritage Tree Specialists to get your garden in perfect shape – and not just because your hedges will soon be ready for trimming.

“Trees are now getting into full leaf, and the increased weight of the branches can often cause problems,” says Director Dan Ashton. “They can interfere with telephone wires and overhang neighbouring properties – so it’s an excellent time for deadwooding. In addition to cutting dead weight off the trunk, it makes the tree look more lively and attractive.”

Because (unlike winter pruning) it restricts growth, summer pruning is more likely to help trees retain their shape – and that’s especially true if you have any walnut trees, which can quickly outgrow their position and rapidly produce a massive spread.

And as we do get the chance to look after our lawns, it’s also the perfect time for Heritage Tree Specialists’ stump grinding KLmagazine June 2018

service, removing unsightly old stumps and surface roots from your lawned areas at the prime time for re-seeding or turfing.

Using the latest specialist equipment that can access the trickiest of garden spaces, Dan and his team at Heritage Tree Specialists can quickly make light work of the very toughest stumps.

And you don’t have worry about your garden losing any of its good looks.

“We take an enormous amount of care with every single project we work on,” says Dan. ”We cause as little disruption to shooting bulbs and young bedding plants, and go to great lengths not to disturb any nesting or resident wildlife.”

As your local tree professionals with a friendly, committed and fully-qualified team, and a proven track record of successful large and small-scale projects, Heritage Tree Specialists are available to provide free written quotations and recommendations to homeowners throughout West Norfolk.

Contact us now – and get your garden in great shape for summer!

FREE WOODCHIPS! From its many services and projects, Heritage Tree Specialists produces a huge amount of woodchips, and they’re perfect for allotments, paths, horse arenas, gardens, and much more. If you can make good use of them, contact Heritage Tree Specialists for details – they’ll even deliver them for free if they’re in the area!

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Capturing the special bond between you and your best friend...

Laura V Photography www.lauravphotography.co.uk info@lauravphotography.co.uk

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We cater to both the general public & the building trade To find out more

call us on...

01553 692634

A47 Pullover Road, King’s Lynn PE34 3LS Email: sales@dmgtimber.co.uk

www.dmgtimber.co.uk KLmagazine June 2018

Pets

AnimalMatters Our monthly look at the issues concerning you and your pets with Alex Dallas of the London Road Veterinary Centre...

SMALL BITES HEALTH CLUB now for rabbits!

Rabbit Awareness Week

E

ach year, Rabbit Awareness Week focuses on raising awareness around one key welfare issue to help improve the lives of UK rabbits.

This year’s campaign running from the 2nd to the 10th of June is urging rabbit owners to sign the ‘Move Away from Muesli’ pledge and we are joining the RAW team in raising awareness around the risks of feeding rabbits muesli-based diets. As vets, we are all too aware of the risks of feeding muesli and are proud to lend our voice and help raise awareness about this year’s campaign.

Research, published by the University of Edinburgh, demonstrated that rabbits fed on muesli diets will often selectively feed, eating the high starch and sugar pieces in the muesli mix and leaving the more fibrous pieces. This can increase the risk of serious health issues.

Selective feeding increases the risk of rabbits developing dental disease, obesity, flystrike and gut stasis.

Treatment for these conditions can be expensive, and, if not treated quickly enough, some of these health issues can be fatal.

Just as children would choose sweet treats when faced with the choice between them or vegetables, rabbits will eat parts of the muesli mix that are high in starch and sugar, whilst leaving behind the more nutritious elements.

We’re encouraging all rabbit lovers to get involved with this year’s campaign by visiting the Rabbit Awareness Week website and signing the ‘Move Away from Muesli’ pledge, before spreading the word amongst fellow rabbit owners.

Like any large-scale change of diet, it’s vitally important to gradually change their routine and phase the move away from feeding muesli over a few weeks: owners can find more information on how to transition their rabbits’ diet on the Rabbit Awareness Week website.

Visit our website for a link Rabbits are one of the UK’s most misunderstood pets so it’s vital that they receive frequent health checks.

From 2–10 June, we will be supporting this year’s campaign by offering free health checks and discounted treatments and vaccinations at both our London Road and Hollies surgeries.

Rabbits often hide signs of illness until

Our pet health club is so popular with cat and dog owners we now include rabbits too! With free vaccinations, healthchecks, protection against flystrike, microchipping and nail clipping.

Discounted food, dentistry and neutering for just £7.80 per month why not spread the cost of your rabbit’s essential routine care?

Call us for more details.

it becomes very severe, but we are here to help and can often identify emerging issues before owners become aware, we can then give them the treatment they need.

We look forward to welcoming all rabbits for a full health check to ensure they are both physically and emotionally well.

Call us today for your free appointment and don’t forget to click on the link on our website to sign the ‘Move Away from Muesli’ pledge, together we can make a real difference and improve the lives of rabbits.

Visit our website... www.londonroadvets.co.uk London Road Vets @London Road Vets

LONDON ROAD 25 London Road, King’s Lynn | Tel: 01553 773168 | Email: info@londonroadvets.co.uk HOLLIES Paradise Road, Downham Market | Tel: 01366 386655 | Email: hollies@londonroadvets.co.uk KLmagazine June 2018

57

Fashion

ABOVE: Marcus Fountaine and Felix Parker, whose exciting fashion brand Fairfax & Favor was named after the friends’ middle names

Bridging the gap between style and adventure...

They’ve know each other virtually all their lives, and now Felix Parker and Marcus Fountaine are creating a fun-driven fashion brand. Maxine Thorne looks at the story of Fairfax & Favor

W

hen two lifelong friends set up the luxury Fairfax & Favor lifestyle brand in 2013 and went on to win a prestigious award and a loyal following ever since, it’s a sure sign they’re on to something special. When those two people are the ebullient, energetic Felix Parker and Marcus Fountaine, there’s a real sense these sons of Norfolk are blazing a trail which should be watched with interest. Quite simply, the boots, shoes and bags to be found at their Narford Hall showroom (or ordered online) are beautiful.

Felix says that an atmosphere of style, creativity and fun is at the heart of business’ meteoric rise over recent

KLmagazine June 2018

years.

“We’ve had tremendous support from our families and friends and we’re very proud to need every one of the 25 people who are now part of the company,” he says. “It’s such a pleasure to see people wearing the boots or shoes or carrying one of our bags – and looking great!”

Felix and Marcus constantly seek out top quality leather suppliers for their Portugal-based craftspeople to use as it’s crucial to the pair that Fairfax & Favor’s footwear

doesn’t just look good – it needs to be comfortable too. It’s an approach that was highlighted when Fairfax & Favor won the Best New Footwear category at a recent Shooting Industry Awards dinner.

“We were so proud to receive that,” says Felix. “This has been such an exciting journey for us, and it’s all based on friendship. We want people to come to us whenever they need footwear, so we’re continually introducing new designs and colours.

We want people to love our boots and shoes as much as we do!”

Energy, insight and innovation all combine to create a company that prides itself on quality and style but

59

Fashion

also has a sense of fun.

For example, there are no stuffy board meetings. Instead, Marcus and Felix regard the Oak & Stone Room at the nearby Bedingfield Arms in Oxborough as the place to consider the next steps for their business. Besides the undoubted air of fun and adventure at Fairfax & Favor, the brand ethos is very straightforward.

“We make things we’d want or need to use, that fits around our lifestyles,” says Marcus. “We aren’t in this for what we see as ‘fast fashion’ – for us it’s about a youthful, chilled take on style underpinned by exceptional quality and comfort. Plus, it’s our middle names on everything, so it’s important to get it right!”

The name Fairfax & Favor has been regularly seen at major events in recent years, and the company sponsors major equestrian events such as Rockingham Horse Trials, participates in 30 UK shows

60

and 10 across Europe. The ongoing focus is always on what’s next, so it’s no surprise that Felix and Marcus have their sights set firmly on the future. A future which will be based on hiring local people – currently with an average age of around 24.

Marcus and Felix were first introduced at the tender age of two, and grew up as close friends during their school years and as business partners since then. Originally selling gun covers, the two young men realised they lasted ‘forever’ – and people would generally only ever buy a single one.

“It made more sense to make boots and shoes that people would buy more of – footwear that bridged the gap between casual and formal, countryside and city,” says Marcus. “This has turned into a real adventure as we strive to redefine the term ‘quintessential’.”

To follow the adventure Marcus and Felix are enjoying, the Fairfax & Favor website has a great story to tell, and once you see the range of shoes, boots, bags and belts, there’s no doubt that a visit to Narford Hall will soon be on your ‘must do’ list.

So what lies ahead for Fairfax & Favor and these two enthusiastic Norfolk ambassadors? Quite rightly, there’s no false modesty about the ultimate goal for Fairfax & Favor. Both Felix and Marcus are inspired by the longevity, quality and worldwide popularity of Ralph Lauren as a brand, and their overarching ambition is to emulate that,.

“We hope that one day everyone will be able to buy into the brand,” says Felix. “But they’ll buy into it in a way that suits them, so they can thoroughly enjoy it.”

Plans are already afoot to make Fairfax & Favor a well-recognised name throughout Europe and also in the USA. Work continues to find new materials that can match this modern, comfortable, quality brand, which is a delight to see and wear. Whether you’re a dedicated fashionista or simply appreciate the very best of footwear for your comfort and a stylish smart-casual look, you can do no better than become a fan of Fairfax & Favor.

For more details and information, please see www.fairfaxandfavor.com

KLmagazine June 2018

WHAT EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE IN RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS? One of the primary reasons for business failure is a lack of experience in your chosen field. You will need to convince your investors that you have the knowledge, the experience and the ability to manage both your business and their money at the level at which you expect to operate.

WHAT’S THE CLIMATE FOR YOUR TYPE OF BUSINESS? Few investors will want to put their money into your business if you haven’t done the sufficient homework to determine you have a reasonable chance of success. Even if your business has great potential, if the local economy is sluggish to the point it can’t support your venture, you need to be aware of this.

Get your business off to the best start In the third instalment of our small business start-up guide, Chris Goad BSc ACA of Stephenson Smart looks at how to be smart with money f you’re not independently wealthy (and perhaps even if you are!) you probably need to obtain some outside capital for your new business at some point. In some instances, you may need to obtain capital for the initial expenses prior to opening your business – or perhaps the funds you require are for expansion or working capital during the off season.

Business financing can take two forms; debt or equity. Debt, of course, means borrowing money. Loans may come from family, friends, banks, other financial institutions or professional investors. Equity relates to selling an ownership interest in your business. Such a sale can take many forms, such as admitting a business partner – or if you’re operating as a limited company, the issuing of additional shares to investors. With any financing options and procedures, it’s strongly recommended you consult with us at Stephenson Smart, as there are many significant legal ramifications related to debt and equity financing.

I

BE SMART WITH YOUR MONEY Irrespective of the type of financing you need, the process of obtaining it is somewhat similar. A finance plan will help you answer some important questions about raising finances which are not only useful for you as the business owner, but also your current or prospective investors.

KLmagazine June 2018

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL YOU NEED? In order to calculate this, you’ll need to do some serious cash flow planning. This requires estimating future sales, the related costs, and how quickly you have to pay your suppliers. You may also have to build in some assumptions about when you’ll generate enough cash to pay back any debt finance. If you raise cash through equity, your investors will want to know how the value of the business will grow – and how they will benefit through dividends or the sale of their shares.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE MONEY? Will you use the finance for equipment or to hire additional employees – or perhaps for the research and development of a new product? Your investors will naturally want to know how their investment will benefit your business.

OUR BRANCHES

WE’RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU...

Small businesses can quickly become complex and you’ll naturally want to concentrate on selling your product or service. If you feel you’re losing control of who owes you money and exactly how much you’re owed, we can help you get back on track.

We use the latest cloud-based technology so we can share your business accounts with you quickly and easily. We can even produce tables and charts that will help you understand your business’s current financial situation at a glance – helping you monitor the pulse of your business and keep track of important things like cashflow.

At Stephenson Smart we can help add real value to your business. We don’t just crunch the numbers, we support you to make better business decisions, grow your business, minimise your tax bill and save you lots of time on administration. Please call us now for a free initial consultation.

NEXT MONTH: MARKETING IDEAS TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

KING’S LYNN 01553 774104

GREAT YARMOUTH 01493 382500

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MARCH 01354 653026

61

Your local Independent Insurance Broker Offering a personal face-to-face service and free no-obligation quotes on services such as...

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By providing quality advice utilising the whole of the market, we are able to ensure that our clients remain on track with their retirement and investment objectives.

The value of your pension affects your future retirement so it is important you seek professional advice regularly.

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01553 777600 Tel: 01553 772943

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Ring Associates Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

62

KLmagazine June 2018

Say hello to the better-looking you!

Forward-thinking cosmetic treatments delivered professionally in a discreet setting... he demand for non-surgical cosmetic treatments shows no sign of slowing up – the industry is booming, growing phenomenally over the last decade. In Downham Market, Emma Gray’s Aesthetics Beauty Clinic is setting a benchmark in the industry for a safer way to achieve a better-looking and a more confident you.

“In the right hands, the results of nonsurgical cosmetic treatments can be fantastic,” says Emma, “restoring a more youthful appearance, delivering subtle and natural enhancements that not only make us look better – but help us feel better too.”

After qualifying as a nurse at degree level and spending ten years in both the private and public sector, Emma reluctantly left her Sister’s post in Accident and Emergency to pursue a career in Aesthetic Medicine, training in London’s Harley Street.

Unfortunately, at present there is an unregulated and dangerous market out there for these highly sought-after procedures.

“Patient safety is always at the forefront

T

of my ethos, along with ethically delivered treatments,” says Emma.

Emma works exclusively with Church Pharmacy, that specialises in medical aesthetics and the latest pharmaceutical products to ensure product safety is strictly followed – especially with the increase of low cost, unsafe products on the market.

At Aesthetics Beauty Clinic, you’ll find a range of non-surgical treatments from injectables to bespoke skincare programmes – and it’s the only place in Norfolk you’ll find PCA’s medical-grade treatments voted No 1 in the USA. Not only that; Emma’s treatments are delivered in a discreet, confidential and safe environment with off-site parking.

“Educating and helping people make the right decisions regarding their treatment is key to achieving a high standard of patient satisfaction,” says Emma. “I want my clients to feel safe and comfortable by providing a relaxed atmosphere with no pressure.”

If you’d like to achieve a better-looking you from an innovative clinic, contact Emma at Aesthetics Beauty Clinic today to book a confidential free consultation.

l Dermal Fillers, including lip enhancement, nasolabial folds and marionettes l Cheek, jaw and chin augmentation l Wrinkle-reducing injections l Chemical skin peels l Microneedling

l Injectable and topical Skin Boosters l PCA Skin Care Range

Face Facts

l Sun damage is responsible for 80% of premature skin ageing l Sun-protection is one of the very best defences against wrinkles l SPF 30 and SPF 45 products block more than 96% of the sun’s UV rays

At Aesthetics Beauty Clinic, all our PCA skin medical grade suncreams are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation and are suitable for both face and body.

For a FREE consultation, please contact 07791 575889 or e-mail info@aestheticsbeautyclinics.com

KLmagazine June 2018

63

fashion

Fashion

The weather’s not the only thing that’s brightening up as the summer approaches!

It doesn’t matter whether you’re headed to a festival or the beach, vibrant colours, bold prints and floral patterns are the order of the day - and our local boutiques are ready to make the most of the season...

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Jungle Green Pants by Marc Aurel SHEILA TILLER | Long Sutton 01406 363433 KLmagazine June 2018

Outfit by Personal Choice (£299) ISOBEL’S Drayton - 01603 866060 | Holt - 01263 714040 KLmagazine June 2018

65

Fashion

Ladies Yellow high neck dress (£42) & Men’s Flowery shirt (£28) by River Island QUEENSGATE SHOPPING CENTRE | Peterborough 01733 311666 66

KLmagazine June 2018

THE PER FECT GI FTS FOR

DAY

TEL: 01366 388151 | WEB: www.bearts.co.uk

Brighton Mill, Stowbridge, King’s Lynn PE34 3PD

West Norfolk’s best kept secret

Seriously good footwear Beautiful, practical & comfortable handmade shoes from only £55 A range of styles now available at

Adult Superstore

www.adult-warehouse.net | Tel: 01553 776242

Unit 2 Beveridge Way, Hardwick Narrows, King’s Lynn PE30 4NB

KLmagazine June 2018

Swaffham 41 Market Place 01760 724948 Ely 7a High Street Passage 01353 665472 www.artichokecollection.co.uk 67

Fashion

The Dubarry Lecarrow in Saffron (£149) THE HAYLOFT at BEARTS | Stowbridge 01366 388151 68

KLmagazine June 2018

The most original musical baby, toddler & pre-school classes on the planet!

Award winning multi- sensory classes, parties & more.

With 100's of original songs, remixed nursery rhymes, musical stories, BIG fun characters & colourful themes.

Contact Hartbeeps Norfolk: brandi@hartbeeps.com 07703 006 048

www.hartbeeps.com

Find us on Facebook “Hartbeeps Norfolk”

£10 off

Wrinkle relaxing & Filler treatments

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Gayton Road Health & Surgical Centre, King’s Lynn dermavida@yahoo.co.uk | www.dermavida.co.uk

KLmagazine June 2018

W E DDIN G • C A S UA L • DAY W E AR

Comfor table classic fashions with a modern twist Isobel’s Fashions, 14 School Road, Drayton, Norwich NR8 6DN Tel: 01603 866060

Isobel’s Styles For You Ltd, 33 Bull Street, Holt NR25 6HP Tel: 01263 714040

OPEN Mon-Fri 10 am- 5pm | Saturday10 am- 4pm www.bigandbeautifulfashions.co.uk | /isobelsfashions 69

K I T C H E N S • B AT H R O O M S • T I L E S

Over 40 displays!

BEDROOMS • PLUMBING SUPPLIES

Beautiful British-made kitchens

Knowledge and experience are what makes Quay Centre your first port of call for your new kitchen.

Covering two floors, our extensive showroom boasts a range of kitchens, worktops, bathrooms, tiles and accessories. With the latest innovation in design technology and years of experience call in and see us in Wisbech

Our friendly team!

BI G NA ME B R A N D S - Bosch • Blanco • Neff • Ted Baker • Samsung • Laura Ashley • Smeg

Experts in designing and installing beautiful kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms to suit all tastes and budgets • Free design and survey • Trade & new build accounts available • Supply only or full installation service

Address 28-31a North End, Wisbech, Cambs, PE13 1PE | Tel 01945 476797 | Fax 01945 463495 | Web www.quaycentre.co.uk

THE

EAT • DRINK • STAY

BERNEY ARMS

Crawfish Inn Thai Restaurant & Bar

Estate lad Sa r a G den Ricotta,

ade Homem Cucumber, ssed Compre n, Semi Dried Onio me Spring he, Thy es, Mac to a Oil rb Tom e H s& Crouton

New Summer Lunch Menu Come try some of our delicious seasonal dishes on our new lunch menu. Visit our website or find us on Facebook for more info and to view our menus online

www.theberneyarms.co.uk

01366 347995 info@theberneyarms.co.uk /theberneyarms @theberneyarms

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Everything in our garden salad comes from our very own walled garden on the estate!

Traditional Bangkok Thai Cuisine Local Real Ales Extensive Wine List Takeaway Service Fully Air Conditioned Backing British Farming

Call 01328 878313 for reservations Open: Tues-Sun from 6pm Holt Road, Thursford NR21 0BJ

/crawfishinn

www.crawfishinn.co.uk

KLmagazine June 2018

“

brilliant form of Acupuncture is a – especially for y ap alternative ther le who may not runners and peop orts massage be suitable for sp atments... tre l or electrica Yo JANE COLE Free

ur Body Therapy

”

“After just four sessions I threw away my painkillers!”

Free Your Body can help free you from a life of chronic aches and pains – with treatments ranging from P–DTR to acupuncture acupuncturist for sports injuries, the perfect complement to the pain-relieving treatments she already offers.

“We like to think modern medicine is pretty advanced,” she says, “but acupuncture is around 2,000 years old and it works incredibly well. It’s great for sports injuries, shoulders, knees and backs – in fact the NHS recommends it for back pain.

People usually see significant improvements after just a few sessions.”

And that’s something Anita O’Neill can confirm.

“I couldn’t really believe it,” she says. “I was taking painkillers three times a day, but after just four sessions of acupuncture I Before Free Your Body Therapy I didn’t need to take them at all. It’s could hardly walk and I couldn’t helped massively with the pain – so stand up for very long but the much so that I’ve recently been able to treatment has worked wonders. start Aerial Fitness!”

I’ve even started aerial fitness!

A totally painless form of therapy that instantly relaxes muscles, encourages ANITA O’NEILL King’s Lynn blood flow and nutrients and promotes

t Free Your Body Therapy in the centre of King’s Lynn, Terry Connolly and Jane Cole continue to use new treatment techniques to free people from a life of aches and pains; people like textile artist Anita O’Neill of King’s Lynn, who tore a knee cartilage while getting up from her sewing machine and had been in considerable pain ever since.

“I actually had an operation on my knee, but it was taking forever to heal,” she says. “It was incredibly painful – to the point where I could hardly walk and couldn’t even stand up for very long.”

Anita had already experienced the results of Free Your Body Therapy when she'd suffered a shoulder injury in the past, so she was confident they could help her again and discovered the benefits of acupuncture.

Jane Cole has recently qualified as an

A

“

KLmagazine June 2018

”

healing, acupuncture is the perfect alternative to people unable to have sports massage or electrical treatments.

And don’t forget that Free Your Body Therapy’s Terry Connolly is one of the very few people in the entire world currently offering P-DTR (Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex) as a form of treatment – a cutting-edge method of correcting postural problems, helping with the repair and rehabilitation of past injuries and the relief of pain.

“Free Your Body has made such a huge amount of difference to my life,” says Anita.

“I even got my partner to come in for some treatment – and he’s amazed at the results too!”

information

Free Your Body Therapy Old Dairy Units, Austin Street, King’s Lynn Tel: 01553 277520 Web: www.freeyourbodytherapy.co.uk

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Food & Drink

ABOVE: Peter Allingham and Jude De Souza of Archangel Distilleries, which is building on a local tradition of crafting fine drinks and creating a truly heavenly brew in the shape of a very distinctive gin

A local gin with a special touch of divine inspiration It’s been around since the Middle Ages, but gin has seen an astonishing renaissance over the last few years. KL magazine meets two men taking locally-distilled gin to a whole new level

S

ince the 11th century, Walsingham has been one of Europe’s greatest pilgrimage sites, and every year more than quarter of a million people make their way to this beautiful little corner of Norfolk. But as they journey along the time-honoured route, few realise that hidden behind the back wall of an old farm building at Dunton Hall is a new venture that’s making one of the most amazing gins you’re ever likely to taste.

Archangel Distilleries is the brainchild

KLmagazine June 2018

of two remarkable men – IT specialist, amateur Egyptologist and farmer Peter Allingham, and statistician and former BBC audience researcher Jude De Souza. Together they’ve revitalised the monastic local tradition of brewing and managed to create a drink that can be accurately described as literally ‘heavenly.’ But why gin?

“My family has two farms in the area and lots of the lovely old buildings were woefully under-used,” says Peter. “I’ve always been partial to gin and thought that making it sounded rather

interesting, so that’s exactly what we proceeded to do!”

It wasn’t quite that simple, though.

“We didn’t want to go down the easy route and make a standard London Dry gin, which would have been relatively simple,” says Jude. “We wanted to make a truly local drink. We’d planted a lot of juniper bushes on the farm about 15 years ago for pheasants, and since there was so much Dutch influence in this part of the world in the 19th century we wanted to pay homage to the traditional ‘genever’ – the drink

73

Food & Drink

ABOVE: While Peter Allingham hand-bottles and hand-labels another batch of Archangel Gin, Jude De Souza prepares the perfect gin and tonic – one of the drink’s most notable characteristics is its ability to retain its flavour when mixed

from which modern gin eventually evolved.”

Taking inspiration from his mother’s exceptional skills with Indian cuisine and the natural ingredients surrounding the farm (including Walsingham water) Jude gradually perfected a recipe that includes no fewer than 13 different botanicals – including sea buckthorn, angelica, grains-of-paradise, cardamom, cinnamon and lemon verbena. It’s a winning combination.

The full-bodied result is a suitably divine drink, with the robust amount of alcohol (45% compared to the 37.5% of Gordon’s Gin) evaporating into the nose, delivering a long and deliciously complex finish – the rich orange peel base producing something quite unexpected.

“What really pleased us was that our gin retains its integrity in mixed drinks,” says Peter. “It’s absolutely perfect with tonic (especially if you add a slice of orange!) but it works exceptionally well with ginger as well.”

And when it came to a name for their sublime creation , Peter and Jude didn’t have far to look for inspiration.

“It was obvious really,” says Peter. “We’re directly on the pilgrimage route to Walsingham, and the distillery is in the heart of the area’s diocese.

Norfolk’s monasteries were

74

brewing for centuries, so it seemed only natural that we paid tribute to that tradition.”

And there couldn’t be a more stylish (or better tasting) tribute. The foil around the large cork reads ‘angeli ab oriente’ – literally ‘angels from the East’ – and the beautiful bottles feature a distinctive angelic design that’s been in Peter’s head for decades.

“It’s based on some incredible murals I saw in Watts Cemetery Chapel in Surrey over 30 years ago,” he says. “It’s one of the most beautiful, extraordinary, original, marvellous and magical buildings in the whole of the British Isles – and the images of those angels has stayed with me ever since I first saw them.”

Peter and Jude originally planned on making 4,000 bottles in their first year, but after only 11 months they’d already passed the 6,000 mark – and are hoping to produce up to 15,000 bottles this year, along with some interesting (and at the moment very secret!) variations.

“Our gin has been a huge success online, in local stores, restaurants and pubs, and at all the country fairs and shows we’ve been to,” says Jude. “There are about 300 home-produced gins in the UK now, and some of them are truly outstanding – so we’re really

pleased with the amazing feedback we’ve received. We’ve even managed to convert plenty of people who claim not to like gin!”

There’s a long-running debate on who actually invented the drink (the main candidates being Italy, Switzerland and Holland) but there’s no doubt at all where one of the very finest gins in the country is being produced.

All thanks to two enterprising men and a host of guardian angels.

For more information on Archangel Gin and details of local stockists, please visit www.archangel-distilleries.co.uk

KLmagazine June 2018

A charming way

Come for the style and qualit

to spend th

y, and

stay for

e day

the tea and cakes...

Enjoy a bite to eat in our pretty vintage-style tearooms

Afternoon Tea

or Tea o n a c i r Ame ce of cake

with sli pm and 4pm

2.99 £ y l n O

3 between

Sandwiches, Scones, Cakes & Tea £14.95 | with Prosecco £19.95 Please book in advance or order before 10am on the same day

Salads

Ploughmans, Waldorf & Caesar Now serving a bigger range of gluten free/vegan meals and snacks To see our full menu visit us in store or online:

www.charmedtearooms.co.uk

f Plenty o

F R EI NEG !

PA R K

The Hythe, Bridge Road, Downham Market PE38 0AE | 01366 384126 www.charmed-interiors.co.uk | Open: 9am-5pm Mon to Sat (tearoom open until 4pm)

british-caribbean restaurant

Planning a baby shower, hen party or just a get together

Serving authentic, freshly-made food from our open kitchen in a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere

Come for the food

then consider a private afternoon tea in one of our private dining rooms

Stay for the fun!

Afternoon tea £14.95 per person.

A deposit is required at the time of booking.

TASTING NIGHTS

LIVE JAZZ/SOUL SINGERS

PRIVATE FUNCTION

AFTER DINNER DJS FR South Wootton, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 3HQ T: 01553 675566 E: reception@knightshill.co.uk

www.knightshill.co.uk

ABACUS MARQUEES your special event is our special event...

ROOM

I & SAT NIGHTS

15 Tower St, Kings Lynn PE30 1EJ • Tel: 01553 775248 www.soulcafeandrestaurant.co.uk

FRESH LOBSTER Perfect for a Gourmet BBQ!

Make the most of the weather with fresh fish on the BBQ!

Ideal for weddings, parties, christenings, conferences, exhibitions, fetes & funerals.

Traditional pole and frame marquees, linings, carpet, furniture, dance floors & accessories.

Tailor-made marquees to suit your requirements.

Call for a FREE site visit and a no obligation quotation:

01328 701331

www.abacusmarquees.co.uk

Chalk Farm, Druids Lane, Litcham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE32 2YA

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Fresh cockles (arriving this month) Fresh Cromer crabs Local oysters & shellfish Jumbo raw prawns Plus!

Wide range of fresh and smoked fish Deli counter with Free range eggs & local honey quality local cheeses

DONALDSONS A fresh taste of the sea

Austin Fields, King’s Lynn | Tel: 01553 772241 OPEN: Tues/Wed/Thurs 7am-4pm, Fri 7am-5pm, Sat 7am-3pm

KLmagazine June 2018

Food & Drink

Malibu Blu Sunset INGREDIENTS 25ml Malibu 25ml coconut rum Dash of passion fruit liqueur Fresh lime 50ml pineapple juice 50ml mango juice Hibiscus extracts Blue curaçao

Summer is here at last! Come and try our refreshing and fruity cocktail of the month for June.

METHOD 1 Sprinkle a few droplets of hibiscus extract into your chosen glass (we recommend a hurricane glass) then fill with ice.

2 Pour in the pineapple juice, mango juice, malibu and coconut rum.

3 Add the dash of passion fruit liqueur and a squeeze of fresh lime.

4 Top with the blue curaçao (pour this in slowly in order to insure the best colour spread). Garnish with your favourite fruit.

Recipe by Soul Café and Restaurant 15-19 Tower St, King's Lynn PE30 1EJ Tel: 01553 775248 Web: www.soulcafeandrestaurant.co.uk KLmagazine June 2018

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KLmagazine June 2018

Food & Drink

Raw Salmon, Mousse, Blue Meat Radish & Keta Caviar INGREDIENTS 1 side salmon, skinned 1 blue meat radish 1 jar keta caviar 2 bay leaves 200ml double cream 1 lemon 500g water 100g salt 100g sugar

METHOD 1 Add the salt and sugar to the water, and gently heat to dissolve. Remove from the heat and cool.

2 Place the salmon into the brine, and leave for 20 minutes. Remove, rinse and pat dry.

To Serve 1 Carefully dice 75g of brined salmon, into tiny cubes. Using a round mould, place this into the middle of the plate, creating a smaller hole in the centre. Fill this smaller hole with the chilled bay leaf infused cream.

3 Place the 2 bay leaves into the cream, and gently infuse on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Strain.

2 Using a mandolin, thinly slice the meat radish into 11 circles. Then using a smaller ring cutter, carefully cut out the smaller, neater circles. Arrange these over the top of the salmon in a circle formation, with 1 circle in the centre.

4 For the salmon mousse, use 500g of brined salmon, cut into small cubes. Add 200g crème fraÎche, 200g cream cheese and the juice of half a lemon.

3 Now time to rocher the salmon mousse. (A quenelle will equally do).

5 Blitz this mix together until fully incorporated together. Pass through a small holed sieve. Season to taste.

4 To finish, apply a small amount of keta salmon caviar to the top of the salmon mousse.

Recipe by Titchwell Manor Titchwell, Nr Brancaster PE31 8BB Tel: 01485 472027 Web: www.titchwellmanor.com KLmagazine June 2018

79

RestaurantReview

KL Magazine reviews Petals Tea Room in Dersingham

W

hen I heard that a new tearoom had opened in Dersingham towards the end of last year I decided I’d have to pay it a visit at some point in the near future – but when I learned that there’s a lot more to Petals than meets the eye I simply couldn't wait any longer, inviting a friend along for a relaxing afternoon tea.

Petals was opened by two quite remarkable women – Wendy Williams and Angie Bates – who’d previously spent many years working in special education at the Rosebery School in King’s Lynn, which takes in pupils who've been expelled from other schools in West Norfolk. Thinking there could be a more benificial solution, they decided to take the plunge and open up a tearoom – not forgetting the children or their passion for helping them, offering permanent work placements to two of their former pupils.

Yes, this is a tearoom in every sense of the word – but it’s also a remarkable social enterprise, offering a number of children over 16 not in education, the training and work experience they need to build self esteem and confidence, 80 0

preparing them for work or a return to education.

It’s a lovely idea, and it’s one that’s gone down very well with the local community – over the last few months, local people in and around Dersingham have donated tea sets, presents and tea strainers to Petals and have loyally supported Wendy and Angie’s venture.

It’s a beautiful setting as well. Probably the best way of describing Petals is ‘shabby chic’, but to be honest there’s nothing shabby about this tearoom. With its subdued colours, high ceilings and mismatched crockery, it’s immaculate – clean and bright throughout, with pretty details everywhere and comfortable sofas

if you’re in the mood for a bit of relaxing.

Wendy’s personality fills the tearoom, and it was so nice to see her spending as much time with the children as the customers. Angie does all the cooking, and it was a real surprise to learn she’s entirely self-taught – albeit with a little help from her mother!

They’re a very friendly couple too, and they’re also very willing to help. I can’t think of many people who’d take the time to create an afternoon tea for someone on a gluten-free diet who was dairy- and yeast-intolerant as well.

Petals is the perfect place to pop in for a quick coffee and cake, but the main attraction is the afternoon tea – which is incredible.

In fact, when it comes to the food on offer, you’re in for a real treat. Confronted by a hugely impressive cake display, I counted no less than 11 different cakes to choose from, and all of them are made freshly on site.

Although they all looked fabulous (especially the angel cakes and the coconut slices) the undoubted highlights were the Millionaire’s Shortbread (the recipe was created by Charlee, one of the KLmagazine June 2018

Food & Drink

children), the wonderful carrot, walnut and ginger cake, and the tearoom’s bestseller – a simply delightful banana and salted caramel cake, which was one of the best cakes I think I’ve ever tasted.

Don’t overlook the scones either, as they they're amazing; perfectly crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside. Best of all was The Hollyhock – a gorgeous cheese scone served with cream cheese and chilli jam. It’s a very different idea and it works very well indeed. Of course, it wouldn’t be afternoon tea without something to drink, and there are plenty of teas to choose from here (I counted eight), and we enjoyed two – the Petals Tearoom blend is very good, but the Ceylon Orange Pekoe was incredibly refreshing.

What did strike us about Petals is that it’s such a welcoming place, with an

atmosphere that doesn’t deter you from visiting alone. Indeed, during our visit a woman did come in by herself – and it was clear she was happy to do so.

“Hello! I’m back!” she said.

Everyone’s welcome at Petals – dogs are served with treats on a silver plate, and children love the little area with mirrors and various different hats to try on. In fact, children even get their own food here in the shape of the Candytuft Children’s Tea, a specially-chosen selection of sandwiches and sweet tastes served with pink lemonade.

There’s no doubt that Petals is a very special place indeed. Above the marvellous cake display I noticed a little sign reading “sometimes on the way to a dream you get lost and find a better one” – and that sentiment stayed with me. In fact, I think it would be hard to find a better tearoom.

With such outstanding food and a commitment to the future of young

“Petals is the perfect place to pop in for a quick coffee and cake, but the main attraction is the afternoon tea – which is incredible...” children, it’s hardly surprising that Petals has already got over 100 5-star reviews on Facebook – and Wendy and Angie should be very proud of what they’re achieving. Actually, given their location (just a short walk from the gates of the Sandringham estate) I think it’s time they enjoyed a Royal visit – especially as the food is fit for a king!

PETALS TEA ROOM 61 Manor Road, Dersingham, King's Lynn PE31 6LH Tel: 01485 297250 Web: www.visitpetals.co.uk facebook.com/visitpetals

KLmagazine June 2018

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KLmagazine June 2018

Food & Drink

Bramble INGREDIENTS 35ml Bombay gin 20ml lemon juice 5ml sugar syrup 25ml or Crème de Mure or Chambord Plenty of ice Garnish: blackberries and small lemon segment/twist.

The Bramble was created in the mid 1980’s in Fred’s Club, a bar in Soho, London by Dick Bradsell. Apparently he wanted to create a British cocktail. Inspired by memories of going blackberrying in his childhood provided the inspiration for the Bramble, as blackberry bushes are also known as brambles. This is our version of the classic...

METHOD 1 Half fill short and stocky or old fashioned glass with crushed ice. You can break this up by shaking in a cocktail shaker or bashing up in a bag with a rolling pin, it’s fun!

2 Pour the gin into the glass.

3 Add lemon juice and the sugar syrup and stir well.

4 Add more ice to ¾ of the glass height.

5 Drizzle Chambord or Crème de Mures over top.

6 Garnish with blackberries and lemon segment.

7 Sip, close your eyes and think of the seemingly endless Summer days growing up!

Recipe by The Kings Arms Coaching Inn 21 Market Place, Swaffham PE37 7LA Tel: 01760 723244 Web: www.kingsarmscoachinginn.co.uk KLmagazine June 2018

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PICTURES: IAN WARD

Food & Drink

Celebrity chef Brian Turner returns to school As part of its mission to deliver an ‘all-round education that inspires,’ Wisbech Grammar School welcomed renowned Brian Turner last month for a charity dinner celebrating British food...

B

rian Turner needs little introduction. One of Britain’s most well-known chefs, he won a Michelin star with Richard Shepherd at the Capital Hotel in 1971 (a rare feat in those days), and has opened restaurants everywhere from Chelsea to Birmingham and from Mayfair to Bognor Regis.

President of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Brian was on the first episode of Ready Steady Cook (appearing on it for almost 15 years) and was awarded a CBE for his services to tourism and catering training in the

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Queen’s birthday honours list in 2002.

An honorary professor of the University of West London, a Fellow of the City & Guilds of London Institute, an honorary doctorates of science at both Leeds Metropolitan and Sheffield Hallam universities, Turner is committed to encouraging young people into the catering industry and inspiring people to get back into their kitchens and enjoy cooking.

Last month, Brian was at Wisbech Grammar School to host a four-course charity dinner celebrating British food and managed to find some time away

from the prep station to talk to KL magazine about his work.

KL MAGAZINE: Is it true your career in food started with you working in your father’s transport cafe?

BRIAN TURNER: Yes – my father came back from the Second World War having been bitten by the catering bug whilst serving in the catering corps, and from the age of around five I regularly visited his cafe with him. From the age of about 10 I started earning my pocket money there. I just loved the whole experience and the smells of working in the kitchen.

KLmagazine June 2018

I was just doing menial jobs, but that’s where my career was born.

KL MAGAZINE: Why did you decide to turn that experience into a career?

BRIAN TURNER: In the mid 1950s I did domestic science at Morley Grammar School with a wonderful teacher called Elsie Bibby, and between her and my father they convinced me I could have a wonderful career cooking – much to my mothers disappointment! I believe it was then my career really started, and I took my first steps by going to Leeds College of Food Technology and then to the Savoy Hotel.

KL MAGAZINE: It’s fair to say that you learned from the best – at Simpson’s in the Strand, the Beau Rivage and Claridge’s – but what was the most important thing you learned as a young chef?

BRIAN TURNER: I learned quite a few important things while being trained as a young chef, and they mostly centred around taste and organisation. Being organised and checking all your products for freshness on a daily basis are essential lessons for a chef – but you also have to ensure everything on the plate tastes good.

KL MAGAZINE: What do you consider your greatest achievement – winning a Michelin star with Richard Shepherd at the Capital Hotel or being awarded a CBE for your services to tourism and training in the catering industry?

BRIAN TURNER: Both were extremely important achievements in my life. We were a small team at the Capital Hotel and it was completely English – so winning a Michelin star was a remarkable KLmagazine June 2018

feat in those days.

But I think my proudest moment was probably the fact I was chosen from many hugely-talented people to represent chefs for their services to tourism and training.

KL MAGAZINE: What does your role as President of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts entail?

BRIAN TURNER: My role is full of many diverse tasks, but essentially I believe it’s to help hold together the numerous committees we run. It’s about convincing young people to think about what they’re eating; about encouraging young people to come into the culinary industry; about their training; and then seeing to their every need with a view to keeping them in the industry.

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Food & Drink years I’ve worked with a company called Seasoned by Chefs who have their headquarters very close to Wisbech.

Wisbech Grammar School’s Head of Food & Nutrition Alison Sloan is a real foodie and she’s developed a close working relationship with Seasoned by Chefs – when they asked if I’d help with a charity dinner in a compelling way I was both honoured and delighted to take part.

KL MAGAZINE: The evening was billed as a celebration of British food, and that’s a theme reflected in your books such as ‘Great British Grub’ and your own TV show ‘A Taste of Britain’ – do you think British food can compete with other national cuisines such as French or Italian?

BRIAN TURNER: Yes! Definitely, and without a doubt – we should be rightly proud of our national cuisine.

KL MAGAZINE: You’ve often championed the food heritage of Yorkshire, but what do you think of the food of East Anglia?

BRIAN TURNER: Actually, I was privileged enough to do four series of programmes for Anglia TV 20 years ago, so I’m very familiar with the food of East Anglia. You have a marvellous coastline and a huge amount of wonderful produce being grown in the area – and it’s good to see so many people helping promote it.

KL MAGAZINE: What was the thinking behind the menu you prepared at Wisbech Grammar School?

BRIAN TURNER: When you’ve never cooked in a venue before, it’s always best to keep it simple, attractive and tasty. I think we achieved that very well indeed.

KL MAGAZINE: You were on the very first episode of Ready Steady Cook and appeared on it for more than 14 years – what was your favourite moment?

BRIAN TURNER: When the programme started, cooking shows didn’t really exist, so it was a real privilege to be on the first episode and spend such a long time on it until its sad demise. We had many laughs, and I really enjoyed some great moments.

I think my all-time favourite moment has to be when a piping bag filled with

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double cream (filled by my assistant I should say!) exploded – and the cream hit me in the face and hit Fern Britton in her eye so her mascara started to run down her face. “Keep going and don’t stop,” she said. “No one will notice.” I think we laughed for the next 15 minutes. It was hilarious.

KL MAGAZINE: How did your dinner at Wisbech Grammar School last month come about?

BRIAN TURNER: Over the last couple of

KL MAGAZINE: If you could have stood in front of the entire student body of Wisbech Grammar School and told them one single thing about food, what would it have been?

BRIAN TURNER: I would have told them how lucky we are in this country to be surrounded by a plethora of wonderful food produce – and that they should work very hard to appreciate just how lucky they are in that respect.

KL MAGAZINE: It’s now been more than ten years since Jamie Oliver started trying to improve the quality and nutritional value of school dinners – how much progress do you think we've made since 2005?

BRIAN TURNER: I think we’ve come a long way, but we haven’t gone far enough yet. Much like Jamie, I believe it’s imperative to look after the health of

KLmagazine June 2018

ABOVE: Renowned chef and champion of British food Brian Turner at Wisbech Grammar School with Josh Ratcliffe of Seasoned by Chefs and the school’s Head of Food & Nutrition Alison Sloan

our children, and one of the best ways of doing that is to teach them at an early age the nutritional value of the food we eat.

KL MAGAZINE: For young people interested in a career in the food industry (and whose parents don’t run a transport cafe!) where would you suggest they start?

BRIAN TURNER: Try to find some parttime work at a reputable local restaurant to see if you like it as the reality can be quite different from what you see on TV. If a career in food appeals to you, then look for an apprenticeship linked to a local catering college.

London Marathon to riding at Royal Windsor racecourse, you do a huge amount of work for charity – and the event at Wisbech Grammar School raised money for Cancer Research UK. Why is fundraising so important to you?

BRIAN TURNER: Sadly, many people today think the key to a better life is making money – but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. For those of us fortunate enough to be in good health, I think raising money to help others is fundamental to enriching your life. It’s extremely rewarding.

KL MAGAZINE: It’s a question every chef should be asked – if you could eat

anything in any restaurant in any part of the world, what would you order?

BRIAN TURNER: It’s an easy answer too!

I’d be in Yorkshire, and I’d order fish and chips – with the chips cooked in dripping.

For more information on Brian Turner and a selection of his favourite recipes, please see www.brianturner.co.uk For details of other forthcoming events at Wisbech Grammar School, please see www.wisbechgrammar.com. You’ll also find upcoming food events listed at www.facebook.com/wisbechgrammar

KL MAGAZINE: So what’s more important for schoolchildren – to know the date of the storming of the Bastille or to understand just how much sugar goes into a bottle of orange juice?

BRIAN TURNER: I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive. It’s very important to have an understanding of history and other academic subjects, but areas such as food, health and nutrition have to be given equal weight. It’s very important that schoolchildren understand the health issues surrounding the food they’re consuming.

KL MAGAZINE: From running the

KLmagazine June 2018

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Slate, limestone and natural stone floors look fantastic and they’re a considerable investment, but they do tend to lose their stunning looks over time – until eventually they’ll be needing a lot more than a mop and some elbow grease to bring them back to their best.

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For more than 20 years, XtraClean has been offering a professional, friendly and fully-insured service that covers the whole of Norfolk (and even beyond) with a team of highly skilled, highly trained and highly knowledgeable technicians all dedicated to keeping your floors looking as bright as the day they were laid.

Following an initial survey and test, Martin and his team will get to work (they’ll even move the furniture for you!) breaking down the ingrained dirt and loosening the surface soiling.

Then XtraClean’s amazing turbocleaning capture system will thoroughly pressure clean the floor, using its own

water supply and capturing all the waste in the process. The results are spectacular, and are achieved without using invasive procedures such as grinding and resurfacing.

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KLmagazine June 2018

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History

ABOVE: A romanticised view of smuggling by the artist George Morland (1763-1804) who painted several versions of this scene - the original is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (dated 1792) but others can be found in the National Trust collection at Mottistone Manor, Isle of Wight and the North Lincolnshire Museums collection. Scenes like these fulfilled the audience’s appetite for romantic and adventurous narratives, an appetite reflected in contemporary literature

Smugglers: beyond the sea and beyond the law Mike Goward of King’s Lynn Town Guides has been studying the True’s Yard archive and has discovered that the famous 18th century smuggler William Kemball literally got away with murder...

A

t the end of the 18th century, the country was embroiled in the Colonial wars, and to finance the war effort, the government imposed levies on imported luxury goods such as spirts, wine, tobacco, tea, spices and other fine materials by up to four or five times their original price.

As a result, smuggling was at its peak, and it was practically beyond the law.

The ruling classes were the beneficiaries, and the labouring classes were involved in the landing, transportation and 90

distribution of the cargos. One of the hardest and best-paid jobs was that of ‘tubmen’ who would carry two half anchor barrels (approximately four gallons in each) on a yoke around their necks over great distances – journeys from the North Norfolk coast to Thetford, along Peddars Way were not exceptional.

The average labourer could actually earn more for one night’s illicit work for the smugglers than they could earn in a week by working on the land. Most ordinary people were loyal supporters of

the smugglers. This was primarily due to the money they could earn but was also helped by the fear of the savage retribution which befell those that crossed them.

William Kemball was a man from King’s Lynn who was one of the most successful smugglers on the whole east coast of England. His father was Sergeant-at-Mace at the Town Hall, whose duties (ironically) included officiating at the town’s law courts.

Kemball went to sea as a very young man and gained a reputation as a fine KLmagazine June 2018

ABOVE: A ‘tub man’ carrying barrels of contraband overland from the boats to the smugglers’ stores from a rare 1920s cigarette card. At left is the grave of William Webb in Old Hunstanton –the young soldier was killed by King’s Lynn smuggler William Kemball in 1784.

seaman, although he was known to be totally ruthless. By 1784 he owned The Lively, a fast lugger built especially for his trade which he operated from his adopted port of Dunkirk. It was from there that he’d bring his merchandise to the Norfolk coast.

In the early hours of the 25th September 1784 Kemball had been discharging his illicit cargo at Thornham when a false alarm spooked him and he sailed away. It failed to deter him, though.

The following day, Kemball was anchored off Old Hunstanton, unaware that King’s Lynn customs officers had been tipped off and that a Riding Officer, supported by a contingent of Light Dragoons from Heacham, were lying in wait for him.

Kemball launched The Lively’s longboat with four of his men rowing to the beach loaded with spirts, wine, tea and tobacco. The boat was met by the shore KLmagazine June 2018

crew who pulled it clear of the water and up the beach so unloading could commence. This was when the Dragoons and customs officers struck.

The smugglers managed to swiftly push the boat back into the sea with two oarsmen, but the rest were taken prisoner, as was a large quantity of contraband.

Such was Kemball’s arrogance and his contempt for authority that upon hearing of the loss of his goods, he armed his crew and went ashore to search for whoever was between him and his contraband. In a lane between Thornham and Hunstanton, Kemball and his men clashed with the Dragoons in a fatal fire fight that left two people dead and one severely wounded – and none of the victims were smugglers.

William Webb had joined the Light Dragoons at Colchester when he was 18, no doubt imagining he’d be fighting for his country in some foreign land

rather than helping Customs and Excise disrupt the activities of smuggling gangs along the Norfolk coast. During the fight with Kemball, Webb was hit by four musket balls and died almost instantly.

Customs officer William Green (who was also a former soldier) was shot once in the abdomen, and died the following day with his wife and five children at his bedside. The graves of both men can be seen today in the churchyard of St Mary’s, Old Hunstanton.

Despite its ferocity, the exchange of fire didn’t last long, however, as the Dragoons proved too strong for the smugglers – who ran off in disarray, leaving Kemball to be taken prisoner.

The smuggler was taken to Norwich Castle (which was then a prison) and his reputation and popularity was such that the authorities considered it necessary to mount a guard of 60 cavalry and revenue men, plus another detachment of cavalry riding ahead to clear the way 91

History

A step-by-step way to explore the heritage of King’s Lynn...

As the days lengthen and the evenings get warmer, the King’s Lynn Town Guides commence their Monday evening walks in June: 4th June: Old Lynn, New Pubs Ivor Rowlands takes you on a ‘drinking’ walk through Lynn’s old town, discovering how historic sites have been brought back into use, including visits to three new pubs recently created in some of the most important locations. Meet outside Stories of Lynn.

11th June: South Lynn Richard Morley leads a delightful walk along the banks of the River Nar, tracing Lynn’s medieval boat building and whaling sites and ending with a tour of All Saints Church. On the way you’ll discover the secluded and unspoilt Georgian streets of their former maritime quarter. Meet at the Boal Quay.

ABOVE: The ‘Watch House’ on Blakeney National Nature Reserve has had a number of roles (including being an HM Coastguard station) before being purchased by the National Trust in 1932 – originally, it was a Customs and Excise lookout for smugglers off the Norfolk coast.

and check for ambushes on route. Upon Kemball’s arrival in Norwich, yet another detachment of troops was assigned to the prison to deter any attempts to free him.

After six months, William Kemball was taken to Thetford Assizes to stand trial for the murders of Private William Webb and Riding Officer William Green. The evidence against him was nothing short of overwhelming, including a sworn statement from crewman Thomas Williams, who was with Kemball on the night of the shooting and confirmed that he’d fired the first and fatal shots.

The authorities had spared no cost in preparing their case against Kemball, engaging the services of Robert Whincop, an eminent solicitor practicing in King’s Lynn, to prepare their case. His preparation included indepth assessments of all jury members to ensure they had no links to smugglers or smuggling, but he had a problem.

The great difficulty faced by Whincop in prosecuting Kemball stemmed from that fact that both the upper classes and the labouring classes were complicit with smuggling – the former as customers and the latter as employees!

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The strength of the evidence against Kemball suggested a guilty verdict on both counts of murder was a formality, with hanging as the certain punishment.

However, despite all the evidence massed against him, and to the astonishment of the prosecution, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty to both charges!

The authorities, however, didn’t consider this to be an honest or reliable outcome and swiftly arranged a second trial. This time, Whincop and the prosecution were taking no chances.

The court selected a jury of men living outside the area, who couldn’t have been influenced or intimidated by the activities of the local smuggling fraternity. The evidence against Kemball was all re-presented and the previous damning statements were confirmed.

This time, when the jury retired to consider the evidence, the prosecution was confident they finally had their man – but they had to wait three hours for the verdict.

Unbelievably, the foreman’s two-word answer ensured William Kemball walked from the court a free man, proving that smugglers really did get away with murder!

18th June: Historic Lynn Vic Saunders walks from the Saturday Market Place to the Tuesday Market Place, showing the development, power and wealth of the town from 1100 to the present day and taking in familiar and less familiar buildings. Meet outside Stories of Lynn.

25th June: The Darker Side of Lynn Edith Reeves guides you from St Nicholas’ Chapel to the Minster, exploring the darker side of King’s Lynn. You’ll visit sites reflecting the grimmer aspects of Lynn’s history, including the ducking stool and the pillory, and as you move from the 14th to the 19th century, you’ll hear tales of murder, treason, hangings and witchcraft. Meet at St Nicholas’ Chapel.

2nd July: Maritime Trail Chris Shipp takes you through the rich maritime history of King’s Lynn, following a route through the town and seeing many of the buildings and locations associated with this heritage. Meet outside True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum.

12th June: Supper Walk at Market Bistro Meet at 6pm for a drink at Market Bistro, followed by a one-hour leisurely walk covering the origins of the town, the Saturday Market Place and Trinity Guildhall, the Minster and Priory, Hampton Court and Nelson Street. Return to Market Bistro for a 2-course supper. To book your place contact Market Bistro on 01553 771483.

For further information, to book tickets or arrange a private tour please contact the Tourist Information Centre at the Custom House 01553 763044. The King’s Lynn Town Guides give their services entirely voluntarily.

All money raised from the walks goes directly to conservation projects in the town.

See details on the new website at www.kingslynntownguides.co.uk or follow them on facebook.com/kingslynntownguides

KLmagazine June 2018

Take advantage of your tax-efficient allowances now How Chartered Financial Planner Katie Trendell can help you make the most of your money and secure your financial future... ach tax year provides a number of valuable opportunities to make the most of tax-efficient allowances.

You may be a business owner, a higher rate tax payer, or simply someone who likes to use the tax allowances available.

As we’re now two months into the 2018/19 tax year, do you have any plans in place to make use of these valuable allowances?

An Independent Financial Adviser will be able to guide you through the allowances available to you – and how they can benefit you and your money.

Financial advice doesn’t have to be complicated. ISAs for example are a fantastic way of building

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your wealth in a tax-efficient wrapper.

They can be extremely useful as part of a retirement plan and can be used to complement your retirement income – people can use these to supplement their retirement funds from tax free ISA withdrawals.

Dealing with pensions can be daunting, especially when it comes to maximising your contributions, but you shouldn’t let this put you off; speak to a professional who can advise you on the limits available.

Pension contributions can also be a valuable

tool to reduce tax liabilities for both individuals and businesses – are you sure you’re maximising what you can? Katie at Barnes & Sherwood is a Chartered Financial Planner and Pension Specialist who can help you make the most of your savings and build your wealth for the future. Katie will be able to guide you on how to make the most of your money; how best to structure your contributions for tax efficiency; and can organise a plan that meets your important financial goals.

Contact Katie Trendell, a Chartered Financial Planner and experienced adviser for a free initial appointment on 07739 339663 or send an e-mail to ktrendell@barnsher.co.uk.

Barnes & Sherwood Professional Advisers King’s Lynn Innovation Centre (KLIC), Innovation Drive, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 5BY Mobile: 07739 339663 E-mail: ktrendell@barnsher.co.uk Barnes & Sherwood Professional Advisers are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority 547997 KLmagazine June 2018

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We can often offer fixed fees so you know where you stand on costs and an introductory 1/2 hour free of charge. (not available for fixed fee arrangements)

Contact us Staveley, Johnson & Procter Solicitors Waverley House, 37 Greevegate, Hunstanton, PE36 6AB Telephone: 01485 532662 Fax: 01485 534802 DX: 95250 Hunstanton info@sjpsolicitors.co.uk Solicitors acting in the North Norfolk area, including King’s Lynn and Norwich

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KLmagazine June 2018

Letting Better Our monthly round up of the latest news and legislation concerning Landlords and Tenants in the private rented sector with Edmonton Estates Director Damien Simone

Independent Lettings & Property Management Specialists

QUI CK FAC TS “Permissive Waste” is the legal term which allows for a landlord to reclaim repair costs from a tenant where they have not been informed of maintenance which results in greater damage being caused to the property.

Sorry, not actually my problem I n this month’s article we are going to start discussing repairs for rented properties during a tenancy and defining what landlords are not responsible to maintain and why.

Although a property’s rental value is typically more than a tenant would have to remit in monthly mortgage payments for the equivalent property one of the most significant financial advantages is that the property has to be maintained for them. This means that tenants do not experience the financial concern of a £2,000 plus invoice for a new boiler when they can least afford it unlike landlords who have a very limited amount of time to resolve the situation and bear the cost accordingly.

Rental properties are not hotel or holiday accommodation and there is a growing misconception amongst tenants about what constitutes the landlord’s responsibility. Here are the main four repair complaints which landlords are often not responsible for:

1 BLOCKED DRAINS: If sinks and toilets get blocked due to inappropriate use it is the tenants responsibility to pay for them to be cleared. It is not always possible to determine the cause of the blockage but unless there is a defect in the physical drainage provisions within the boundary of the property (for example tree roots in the drain) it is the tenant who should be paying for them to be cleared. Also, if your property is not on mains drainage then emptying the waste tank periodically is the tenants’ responsibility as well.

2 VERMIN AND PESTS: Ants, mice, rats, wasps, birds or anything else that you would prefer not to be sharing your property with are not the landlord’s responsibility to remove or deter. They are an unfortunate occurrence but one that is beyond the control of the landlord, and the only responsibility that they have is to repair any structural defects caused by the pests.

3 LIGHT BULBS: It doesn’t matter what type they are, how high they are

located or how much they cost, they are the tenants responsibility to replace.

A cautionary warning is to always ensure that the correct type have been installed at the end of a tenancy. If your property was supplied with low energy LED bulbs and the tenants have replaced them with standard ones, then the cost to return them back to LED bulbs can be stopped from their deposit!

4 DAMP: Landlords are not necessarily responsible for damp and even the tenants’ advice section on the Citizens Advice website states this.

Responsibility for damp is relevant to what is causing it and this subject will be explained fully in a future article.

There are many other less common instances that we haven’t covered here and if you would like advice concerning a specific matter please don’t hesitate to contact our office on 01553 660615 to discuss your concerns with one of our agents.

Edmonton Estates Ltd, St Ann’s House, 18 St Ann’s Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1LT 01553 660615 | www.edmontonestates.co.uk | info@edmontonestates.co.uk

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Local Life

ABOVE: Paul Richards travels across the Sea of Gallilee in Israel, on the trail followed by pilgrims from King’s Lynn for hundreds of years – a trail which traditionally ended at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain (opposite), the reputed burial place of the apostle Saint James the Great

800 years of pilgrimage from King’s Lynn...

Since the Middle Ages, hundreds of pilgrims from King’s Lynn have been crossing Europe on a journey to the Holy Land. Paul Richards looks at their adventures and follows in their footsteps

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lthough pilgrims may have the desire to escape a mundane existence or atone for their sins, the primary purpose of pilgrimage is to seek the Holy as embodied in sacred places or relics – and a number of major pilgrim routes ran across medieval Europe and beyond to Jerusalem.

In the Middle Ages, King’s Lynn (or Bishop’s Lynn as it was then) was in the premier league of English port towns, ruled by merchants whose overlord was

KLmagazine June 2018

the Bishop of Norwich. It was also a medieval city populated by clergy, friars, artisans, labourers and servants.

Nearby was England’s ‘Nazareth’ – a shrine of national significance which attracted pilgrims from home and abroad. Here was the replica of the Holy House where the Annunciation took place, and the chief image of veneration was the statue of Our Lady.

Pilgrims from Europe heading for Walsingham were paying passengers on ships which moored in the Purfleet, and

it was here that badges acquired by pilgrims at Walsingham were found in the 19th century – a collection of them can be seen in the Lynn Museum today.

They had almost certainly been dropped by the pilgrims about to embark on their return journey.

The three greatest destinations for Europe’s pilgrims were Rome, Santiago Compostela (on the northwestern tip of Spain) and Jerusalem. The merchants of Lynn left money in their wills to fund journeys to these sacred places, and the

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Local Life

ABOVE: Paul Richards in the garden at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine in the first miracle attributed to Him in the Gospel of John.

At centre is an historiated initial from John Capgrave’s Commentary on Exodus showing the theologian from King’s Lynn presenting his manuscript to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. At right is a selection of badges acquired by pilgrims at Walsingham and currently on display at the Lynn Museum

town’s many religious guilds must have organised pilgrimages.

John Capgrave (1393–1464) was an Augustinian friar at Lynn living with his brothers in Austin Street where they wrote religious books – Capgrave actually compiled the first comprehensive collection of English saints’ lives. English Kings would lodge in the town with the Augustinians en-route to Walsingham (which is why the council offices became known as Kings Court) and Capgrave met Henry VI in 1446. He also travelled to Rome on pilgrimage in 1449, but more as an enquiring observer – subjecting sacred objects to scrutiny rather than as a religious enthusiast, and telling us that women who visited the city on pilgrimages wished “to touch and kiss all the holy relics.”

Margery Kempe (1373–1440) was the daughter and wife of Lynn merchants whose amazing life is recorded in her autobiography, which is considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English language.

Margery had the resources to undertake several pilgrimages, and her neighbours gave her money to pray for them at the sacred sites. She set out for Jerusalem in spring 1414 with a maidservant and a number of clerics from Norwich. They travelled overland to Venice to take ship to Palestine, where the Franciscans were their guides in Jerusalem. Unlike Capgrave, Margery

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saw pilgrimage as an opportunity for intense religious experience and gave full expression to her feelings in the Holy City. Returning to England via Rome, she gave away her possessions and starting begging!

The cathedral of Santiago Compostela in north-west Spain is built over the tomb of St James the Great, whose grave was discovered by a hermit in the 9th century. The saint had preached in Spain, and was, of course, one of the Galilee fishermen who became followers and apostles of Christ. Margery Kempe journeyed to Compostella in 1417 as did many people from Lynn in the 15th century.

And 600 years later, a pilgrimage from Lynn to Compostella is currently in progress! The former High Sheriff of Norfolk (2017-18) James Bagge started his walk from King’s Lynn to Santiago with his brother Tom on 28th March this year.

Their 1,500 mile pilgrimage will take three months (they should be nearing their destination now) and they’re raising money for Norfolk’s young carers with a target of £60,000. If you wish to find out more, see www.walking4norfolk.com.

My wife Alison and I became pilgrims from Lynn ourselves for eight days in March, travelling with 52 others from Norfolk to the Holy Land – a large group led by the Dean of Norwich Cathedral, the Rt Revd Jane Hedges.

From Luton to Tel Aviv is about 2,300

miles as the crow flies and the flight took nearly five hours, yet I couldn’t help wondering what Margery Kempe would have thought and felt when she took many weeks to get to Jerusalem!

Our pilgrimage had a challenging schedule over the eight days, but it was a unique and enlightening experience.

To sail on the Sea of Galilee and visit places where Jesus performed miracles was particularly moving. From Tiberius the coach took our party south to Bethlehem in Palestine, stopping at the river Jordan and Jericho. The Church of the Nativity – the oldest church in the world – was just around the corner from our Bethlehem hotel.

At Jerusalem, we walked through the long and winding bazaar in which was highlighted the Stations of the Cross.

Christian groups from many nations packed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Christ was crucified and buried before His Resurrection.

Towards the end of our walk we viewed the Western Wall, which is a sacred site for Jews being the remains of their ancient temple. Jerusalem is also a Holy City for Muslims as the place from where Mohammed ascended into heaven.

To be honest, I was more John Capgrave than Margery Kempe on pilgrimage – but I couldn’t help reflecting on those thousands of pilgrims who’d journeyed from England to the Holy Land over 600 years ago.

KLmagazine June 2018

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KLmagazine June 2018

Reduce your risk of hospitalisation With the specialist homecare services of Home Instead Senior Care... ith an ageing population in Norfolk our hospitals are some of the busiest in England, and for many people a stint in hospital can have a long term lasting impact. The change of routine and a period of bed rest can seriously affect a person’s ability to live independently on their return home.

Recently there has been a startling increase in the level of hospital readmissions. Figures currently show a 22.8% increase since last year – with the number of people being readmitted to hospital within 48 hours accounting for one in five emergency readmissions.

It’s often the case that vulnerable people reach a crisis point before they receive support, and this is something that Home Instead Senior Care wants to help prevent – helping older people live at home for longer and reduce the risk of them being hospitalised.

Here, Home Instead Senior Care offers five ways to help keep your loved ones out of hospital.

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GET A GOOD GP: Having an excellent GP is essential but equally important is ensuring that older people follow the GP’s direction. Home Instead Senior Care’s CAREGivers are trained to spot ‘red flag’ changes in health such as worsening chronic conditions or unused medication, and can act to remedy this. They can also assist with transportation to appointments and help with medication management.

KEEP PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY ACTIVE: Encourage your relative(s) to keep active wherever possible. Walking for just five or 10 minutes at a time several days each week is a great way to begin. Keeping the brain active through activities such as drawing, doing a puzzle or learning something new are also great ways to stimulate the connections between nerve cells.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY DIET Often our appetite diminishes as we age, but maintaining a balanced diet is essential.

Encourage your loved ones to eat a diet that contains plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, oily fish and starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice. Extra vitamin D and calcium should also be on the menu to combat osteoporosis KEEP HYDRATED! It is important that your family member(s) stay hydrated, even if they say they’re not thirsty. It’s advisable to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.

COMPANIONSHIP Research shows that loneliness and social isolation are harmful to our health, so it’s important to encourage social activities such as attending a lunch club or memory café or joining a social club. Home Instead Senior Care’s services can help you with all of the above – from companionship visits to preparing healthy meals – so that your family member can live life at home and reduce the risk of going into hospital.

Home Instead Senior Care believes that with the right care, the number of unnecessary hospital admissions can be reduced.

For further information, please pick up a FREE copy of our Preventing Hospitalisation booklets at one of our office locations listed below.

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KLmagazine June 2018

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KLmagazine June 2018

Your LPA: always use a legal professional...

With the increased number of unregulated LPA practitioners on the scene, Bev Chase of Fraser Dawbarns LLP explains why she would always recommend the use of a legal professional ormer Court of Protection judge Denzil Lush claimed last year that he’d prefer the creation of a Deputyship over a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). It’s a rather strange comment, because a person at risk of losing capacity cannot choose a Deputy – these powers can only be arranged by the court after they’re no longer deemed to have capacity.

It is true that LPAs are powerful and binding, but this is exactly why undertaking an LPA should only be done with the guidance of a legal professional, it is not a reason that the system is flawed. A legal professional has the training required to give sound advice and will also still be around in the years to come. By choosing a professional, clients will also have some comeback should the forms be incorrect or something goes wrong with the registration process – whereas using an unregulated practitioner means there will be no comeback whatsoever.

Personally, I’d prefer a client to sign an LPA while they have capacity rather than wait until a deputyship order is necessary, not least because it’s faster and less

F

KLmagazine June 2018

expensive.

I want my clients to understand their decision, and as such I always spend sufficient time with them explaining the risks that can arise when choosing the wrong attorney or from not making an LPA at all. I can also certify their forms when they’re ready to make a decision on this.

It’s important to note that an unregulated LPA provider won’t be able to act as certificate provider unless they have known the client for a period of two years or more. This means that the client would also have to involve their doctor or friends to do so – and in my experience, many people would rather keep their personal business private.

By acting as certificate provider on these forms, I can ensure that I see my client alone so I can be satisfied they have full mental capacity and aren’t being coerced into signing the form against their will – and I can sign a statement to that effect.

Fraser Dawbarns securely stores your original LPA and sends you two certified copies – and we also monitor how many copies have been sent out. If a non-

professional has nowhere to store the original LPA, they would likely send it to the client for safekeeping. The danger with that is that in the event of it being lost, new forms would have to be prepared – with additional and unnecessary costs to the client.

Unlike the Enduring Powers of Attorney they replaced, the LPA has to be registered in order to be legally binding.

Registering the form doesn’t mean that the Donor has lost mental capacity (as per the EPA) but I always recommend to my clients that it’s better for the forms to be registered once they’ve been signed – as they will then be available for immediate use should the Donor lose capacity.

Considering that the Office of the Public Guardian has at times taken as much as three months to register LPAs, it’s best to be prepared in case something urgent arises which the attorney needs to deal with.

I personally feel Mr Lush’s comments were unfair towards LPAs. As with everything there’s always the risk of abuse, but the procedure of putting an LPA in place is considerably more straightforward than appointing a Deputy – and you retain control. If you feel this is something you may need in the next few years, I strongly recommend seeing a legal professional to limit the opportunities for misuse.

For further help with this issue (or any other legal matter) please contact us today to see how we can help you protect your assets and family, providing you with peace of mind and security.

To speak to Bev, call 01366 383171 or contact our King’s Lynn office on 01553 666600 or visit our website at the address below.

BEV CHASE Senior Associate Legal Executive

FRASER DAWBARNS LLP 21 Tuesday Market Place King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JW Tel: 01553 666600 Fax: 01553 767221 DX: 57800 KINGS LYNN Web: www.fraserdawbarns.com E-mail: info@fraserdawbarns.com

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Local Life

OPPOSITE: Former Mayor Cllr Carol Bower at the launch of West Norfolk Wins, which is helping local good causes such the West Norfolk Riding for the Disabled Association at the Magpie Centre (above)

Our borough celebrates as West Norfolk Wins...

The Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk has just launched an exciting initiative in the form of West Norfolk Wins – a community-based lottery that helps a range of local good causes

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aunched on March 20th, West Norfolk Wins is the new community lottery run by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk on behalf of local good causes – and around 40 people attended the launch to discover just how the exciting idea will help them.

Already almost 50 good causes have signed up to West Norfolk Wins and are now busy selling tickets to help raise funds for many important local projects.

“We’re only too aware of the great work that local good causes do in West

KLmagazine June 2018

Norfolk and we wanted to find a way to make it easier for them to raise funds for their much-needed work,” says Cllr Elizabeth Nockolds, Deputy Leader of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk and Cabinet Member for Heritage, Health and Culture. “West Norfolk Wins is a brilliant way for the borough council to help local good causes by providing them with a free-to-use, externally-administered mechanism to sell lottery tickets – with 50p from each ticket they sell going direct to their charity.”

The initiative reflects the growing worries of these worthwhile causes to successfully raise the money they need to continue their work.

“External funding for charities is becoming increasing difficult to secure due to the lack of public funds and the fact there’s more competition than before,” says Cllr Nockolds. “The community lottery model has been tried and tested in other areas and it’s an excellent way for everyone to help their good causes by purchasing a lottery ticket. Although there are

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Local Life gives supporters a chance to win something in return for their support.”

For more details about West Norfolk Swimming Club, please see the website at westnorfolksc.co.uk.

THE PURFLEET TRUST

prizes, it’s not all about winning – it’s about helping to fund local charities and good causes.”

At the time this issue of KL magazine went to press, 47 good causes had signed up to the new lottery and ticket sales were in excess of 900 tickets. The very first draw took place on 26th May, with one lucky winner receiving a 50” Smart TV donated by homes developer Lovell and a sound bar donated by Hughes.

THE MAGPIE CENTRE “We jumped at the chance to sign up to West Norfolk Wins, as it will help us to project at least some of our future income,” says Caroline Dudley at the Magpie Centre. “We receive no government funding, and have an annual budget of more than £100,000, approximately onethird of which comes from our own fundraising efforts.

“We believe the West Norfolk Wins lottery appeals to participants because of the high proportion of stake money that goes to their nominated charity. We’ve been promoting it on our website, our Facebook page, and also by contacting all our riders and carriage drivers to canvass their support.

“We currently have 14 equines of all shapes and sizes – and keeping them doesn’t come cheap. Our hay bill alone is around £5,500 per annum, so we hope to generate sufficient income

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from West Norfolk Wins to cover this.

For more information about The Magpie Centre, please see www.rdawestnorfolk.org.uk

WEST NORFOLK SWIMMING CLUB One of Norfolk’s leading competitive swimming clubs with 180 swimmers aged from 7 to 89. The aim of West Norfolk Swimming Club is to combine competitive aspiration with fun, friendliness and the promotion of a healthy and positive lifestyle. They’re a not-for-profit club run by dedicated volunteers who commit a huge amount of time and effort to coach, help at swimming galas, fundraise and ensure the successful running of the club.

“With the money we raise through West Norfolk Wins, we can run nutrition courses, buy essential training equipment and train our coaches,” says Barry White, the club’s Vice Chair. “This will not only help the club thrive, but also benefit young people in the local area for years to come. And hopefully produce race winners from West Norfolk.”

In the first month the club has sold over 30 tickets for their cause, promoting the lottery using posters, emails and social media.

“This is a great opportunity to give local good causes a financial boost,” says Barry, “and at the same time it

Here’s what the Purfleet Trust has to say about West Norfolk Wins: “We decided to sign up to the lottery as it gives us a really good opportunity to raise funds for specific projects.

“We really like how clear the website is and how well explained it is for supporters – and it’s great that so much of each ticket sale goes directly to good causes.

“We’re currently looking at raising funds for cooking/life skills courses which we’ll be able to run in our training houses and also in our Health and Wellbeing Centre.

“Another project we’re raising funds for this year is a van to help with the collection of donations, essential moving for our houses, and to help us getting around to the various events we attend. For the van we’re looking to raise around £15,000 – and around £5,000 would enable us to run weekly cooking/life skills sessions for a year.

“We’ve been promoting the scheme mainly through social media – but also at events we’ve attended such as the recent GEAR run. We also have posters and flyers in our centre.”

For more information about the Purfleet Trust see purfleettrust.org.uk

ARE YOU A GOOD CAUSE? To sign up to West Norfolk Wins as a good cause, simply visit westnorfolkwins.co.uk, click on the link ‘Are you a good cause?’ and provide the requested information. If approved, your cause will be live on the site within a week or two.

SUPPORTING A GOOD CAUSE? Visit westnorfolkwins.co.uk, click on ‘Buy Tickets’ and select your cause.

Tickets are sold in monthly blocks and cost £1 each per week – with 50p from every ticket sold going to your chosen good cause. 10p goes to the community fund, 20p goes to the prize fund, and the final amount covers VAT and administration.

Players must be 16 or over and physically located in the UK. Always play responsibly. If you need to talk to someone about your gambling please contact www.gambleaware.co.uk West Norfolk Wins is promoted by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, and is a Local Authority Lottery licensed by the Gambling Commission.

KLmagazine June 2018

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KLmagazine June 2018

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Over 1,000 pieces of hand-built solid wood furniture in more than 30 collections – all ready to take away today from Bespoke Pine n Oak! t’s one of the largest furniture displays you’ll find for miles, and it’s certainly one of the best. Ready to take away today at Bespoke Pine n Oak are more than 1,000 individual pieces of pine and oak furniture in every shape and style for every room of your home – and it’s a choice of over 30 collections that’s truly unlimited – because if you can’t see exactly what you need, Bespoke Pine n Oak will craft it for you in their large on-site workshop!

“Our off-the-shelf furniture is exceptionally well designed and is made and finished to the very highest standards – but there’s nothing quite like truly bespoke furniture,” says Bespoke Pine

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IF YOU CAN DRAW IT, WE CAN MAKE IT!

n Oak’s Kevin Berry. “It means you can have the furniture you’ve always wanted without having to compromise on anything. If you can draw it, we can make it!“ Based in King’s Lynn, the combination of a furniture superstore and fully-equipped workshop under one roof makes Bespoke Pine n Oak unique. And with over 30 years experience in professional cabinet making, the company can handcraft any furniture item you can imagine (using the finest solid oak and solid pine timbers throughout) in any size, in any shape, and in any style – all precisely designed to suit the needs of both you, your family, and your home.

From complete kitchens to single

cabinets, from custom-sized beds to oversized dining tables, and from library systems to one-off display and storage solutions, Bespoke Pine n Oak has the long-lasting and distinctive furniture you’ve been dreaming about.

Open seven days a week and with plenty of parking, there’s never been a better time to visit Bespoke Pine n Oak – but make sure you leave yourself enough time to see everything! If you’re looking for the finest quality oak and pine furniture around, then look no further than Bespoke Pine n Oak. They’re almost certain to have exactly what you’re looking for – and if they haven’t they’ll simply make it for you!

Bespoke Pine n Oak www.bespokepinenoakltd.com

KLmagazine June 2018

Unit 1, Hamlin Way Hardwick Narrows Estate King’s Lynn PE30 4NG Telephone: 01553 277515

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PICTURES: JAKE HARVEY

Local Arts

A young man’s focus on Norfolk’s wildlife...

The secret of taking truly great wildlife pictures is time, and that’s something up-and-coming photographer Jake Harvey has plenty of. Abigail Brown talks to the 15-year-old about his work

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ince he was given a professional camera for Christmas at the age of seven, Jake Harvey has fallen in love with wildlife photography. Following the success of his most recent exhibition and after winning multiple prizes, he’s now aiming to inspire other young people like him to experience the beauty of wildlife from behind the lens. KL magazine managed to track down one of the county’s most exciting – and youngest – wildlife photographers and talk to him about his work and his plans for the future.

KLmagazine June 2018

KL MAGAZINE: How did you get into wildlife photography?

JAKE HARVEY: I must admit it was a bit random when my parents gave me a camera for Christmas, but I was intrigued enough to give photography a go. All our family are long-time wildlife enthusiasts, so I guess it was only natural for that to be the focus of my pictures. My love for wildlife came long before the photography.

KL MAGAZINE: Did you take any inspiration from other wildlife photographers?

JAKE HARVEY: I love the work that

Tom Mason produces – he’s a real inspiration to me. He’s a wildlife photographer based in Norwich and his work has a similar style to mine. We seem to share the same passion for the natural world and the animals who live in it.

KL MAGAZINE: You’re still only 15, so how difficult is it to find a balance between photography and school work?

JAKE HARVEY: I invest as much time as I can into my photography. I volunteer at RSPB Titchwell Manor Nature Reserve on Sundays, and pretty much

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Local Arts

very impatient! But when it comes to wildlife I’ll happily wait all day to get the perfect shot. With wild animals, that’s what you have to.

KL MAGAZINE: Do you have a favourite subject for your photographs?

JAKE HARVEY: I’d probably say Bearded Tits or any small mammal such as harvest mice. My photo Harvest Mice has been very popular and was my first photograph to sell really well.

KL MAGAZINE: In a short space of time you’ve been successful in many competitions – which award would you say is the most prestigious?

JAKE HARVEY: In 2016, I achieved a ‘Highly Commended’ at the national finals of the Rotary Club’s Young Photographers Award – I’d say that’s what I’m most proud of in terms of competitions. At the moment, anyway!

all my photographs are taken on the weekends – when I’m not revising that is!

KL MAGAZINE: Are you planning to pursue photography as a career?

JAKE HARVEY: Absolutely. I’ve enrolled on a photography course that starts in September in the hope it will broaden my skills and get me ready for the industry. I’m already selling my photographs, and I held two exhibitions last year at Sculthorpe Moor which resulted in around £800 profit. In some ways, I think my career has already taken off!

KL MAGAZINE: Norfolk is the perfect place for a wildlife photographer – but have you travelled further afield?

JAKE HARVEY: The majority of my photographs were taken in Norfolk – not just because of the amazing wildlife we have here, but also because it’s where I live! As a family, we’ve visited Scotland many times and I think that’s my favourite place to photograph wildlife – I think it even surpasses Norfolk. Tobermory on the Isle of Mull is an especially good spot – I’ve already decided to live there someday!

KL MAGAZINE: Where’s the best place to take photographs of wildlife in Norfolk?

JAKE HARVEY: My personal favourite is RSPB Titchwell Nature Reserve – I’ve been visiting with my family since I was two years old! I volunteer there on the weekends, which is the perfect

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opportunity to take photographs of the amazing wildlife on site. When the owners of the reserve agreed for me to for volunteer, I was over the moon. I have a lot of memories of Titchwell, and I’m always inspired by the incredible range of wildlife that makes it such a special place.

KL MAGAZINE: What’s the most difficult thing about wildlife photography?

JAKE HARVEY: Probably more than any other genre of photography, you have to be incredibly patient. That’s undoubtedly the hardest part of the process, and if you ask anyone who knows me they’ll tell you I’m naturally

KL MAGAZINE: You must be one of the few teenagers who spend more time outside instead of in front of a screen – do you think that’s important?

JAKE HARVEY: Of course. I’d love to think my photography could inspire young people to get acquainted with the wildlife on their doorstep. I also hope to encourage them to take some pictures while they’re out and about.

Whilst volunteering at Titchwell, I meet a lot of young people who are interested in wildlife, but they don’t have the professional equipment they think they need to capture it. I try to tell them that all they need is their phones and they’re away! It’s not all about getting the best shot – simply being outside is what I enjoy the most.

KL MAGAZINE: In the last year, you’ve held two exhibitions at Sculthorpe Moor – what’s your next project?

JAKE HARVEY: As I had so much success at the exhibitions, I’m planning to do some more like it – although I’m not sure where they’ll be quite yet! I’m also hoping to broaden selling avenues for my work and perhaps explore different types of photography such as portraiture and Photoshop editing.

KL MAGAZINE: Where can we see more of your work?

JAKE HARVEY: There’s plenty of my photography on my website at www.jakewilliamharvey.wixsite.com/ jwhphotography – or you can take a closer look and even purchase some of my best work at the Old Stores in Grimston.

KLmagazine June 2018

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KLmagazine June 2018

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The Last Word

WildWestNorfolk Michael Middleton’s

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s we all start thinking about our summer holidays (in fact some of you may already be enjoying them) I’m reminded of a story that appeared in the newspapers last year about a holiday insurance claim made by a man from Newcastle concerning coconuts.

Everyone knows that coconuts can be decidedly dangerous things – it’s said they actually cause more deaths every year than sharks. Last August, the man from the Northeast filed a £1,000 claim with his insurance company, but it wasn’t for medical expenses incurred when a coconut fell on his head. No, he’d completed his claim form because the two he’d purchased in Sri Lanka had been lost on the way home.

Ignoring the fact that coconuts only cost about £1 each in the UK and that bringing more than 2kg of fruit into the country is illegal (one full-size coconut will weigh about 1.5kg) the man was filing for the mental anguish suffered when he realized his prized fruit had gone missing. Somewhat inevitably, the man’s claim was denied.

I know travel insurance is important, but it doesn’t give you carte blanche to recoup some of the cost of your holiday.

It’s amazing what some people will claim for. One of our neighbours works for an insurance company, and she’s more than used to handling claims for the most bizarre of things.

Apparently, a father from Manchester once tried to file a claim for a disastrous haircut his teenage daughter received on holiday to Spain – he said she was so upset that it ruined the holiday for the whole family. And after a weekend in Devon, two holidaymakers from Brighton filed a claim for damage to the paintwork of their car – after it was 114

licked by a herd of cows. Both were denied.

When it comes to holidays, it won’t come as much of a surprise to learn that I no longer participate in the packing part of the preparations – in fact, I’m not allowed anywhere near the suitcases.

The reason for this goes back some 12 years when Mrs Middleton and I arrived at Naples airport for a trip to the Amalfi coast. Having picked up our case (a large and badly-scuffed black Samsonite with a white ribbon tied around the handle) we jumped into a taxi to take us to our hotel. After about an hour, the taxi driver (who looked as though he’d just stepped out of the pages of Italian Vogue) entered an animated conversation with someone on his radio.

He then turned to us.

“Valleyger,” he said. Or at least that’s what it sounded like.

Since neither of us could (or can) speak Italian, we wondered what on earth he could mean. Maybe he’d got our destination wrong. We showed him the address of the hotel, but he kept shaking his head.

“Valleyger,” he repeated, pointing over our heads to the back of the car. We looked out the rear window, but could only see the receding view of a pretty little village. Justifiably thinking he was trying to say ‘villager’ I nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

“Yes, village,” I said in that carefully drawn-out way English tourists do as if speaking extremely slowly makes any difference. “We live in a little village in the west of Norfolk.”

Shaking his head, the taxi driver then pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. He gestured for us to follow him to the rear of the taxi, where he proceeded to open the boot. By now,

Mrs Middleton was starting to panic – thinking we’d been picked up by the Cosa Nostra and were about to audition for The Godfather Part IV. Somewhat exasperated by this point, the taxi driver pointed to our suitcase.

“Valleyger!” he said. “Valleyger!”

Then the penny finally dropped. I realised that ‘valleyger’ (I now know that it’s valigia) is the Italian word for suitcase.

And there it was. A large and badlyscuffed black Samsonite with a white ribbon tied around the handle and a label with our name and address on it.

The only problem with this scenario was that the name and address on the label belonged to a woman in Kent. I’d picked up the wrong suitcase.

To cut a long story short, we then had to turn around and travel in the opposite direction for almost an hour and rendezvous with a coach that had stopped at the side of the road; where I exchanged suitcases with the lady from Kent in front of an audience of about 50 people looking at me through the windows with distinctly grumpy expressions.

I won’t tell you what Mrs Middleton said, but it wasn’t very pretty.

KLmagazine June 2018