KL Magazine April 2013

ISSN 2044–7965

ISSUE 31 APRIL 2013 PRICELESS

magazine

NORTH & WEST NORFOLK’S PREMIER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

COVER IMAGE

Cley Windmill by Ian Ward

editorial 01553 601201

editor@klmagazine.co.uk

Eric Secker David Learner Holly Milston Ian Ward Kitty Leach Alex Dallas Graham Murray Christine Glass Michael Middleton

advertising 01553 601201 sales@klmagazine.co.uk

Laura Murray Grant Murray Nicky Secker-Bligh Becky Drew KL 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.

If you’d like to order prints of any photograph featured in KL magazine, contact us at the address below. Please note this applies only to images taken by our own photographers.

I

t’s a big year for Pensthorpe. Not only is it 25 years since the nature reserve was created by Bill Makins, but it’s also a decade since Bill and Debs Jordan bought it and took the huge responsibility for safeguarding this priceless natural wonder for the future. Just one look at Ian Ward’s photographs (above and pages 24-26) will convince you that it’s a wonder well worth preserving.

Think fashion, and you’ll probably be thinking Paris, Milan and New York – together with Versace, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana. Chance are, you wouldn’t think of Holkham Hall and Belinda Bellville. Head to the north Norfolk coast at the moment, however, and you’ll find the Statue Gallery at Holkham Hall playing host to a fascinating collection of gowns by one of the most sought-after fashion designers of the 1950s-60s.

From birds to ballgowns, there’s something for everyone in this month’s magazine.

We’ve got a good helping of history from the past of the docks and railways in King’s Lynn to the present restoration of Pentney Abbey; a drop of culture from Ruthie Stephens on rollerskates to Andrew Schumann’s latest geometric (and enigmatic) work; and a 10-page look at ideas and styles for your home. And that’s not all! Enjoy the magazine.

KL MAGAZINE

Contact us at KL magazine, 18 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JW Tel: 01553 601201 E-mail: features@klmagazine.co.uk Web: www.klmagazine.co.uk 4

KLmagazine April 2013

Contents 7-11

APRIL 2013

WHAT’S ON Forthcoming events in West Norfolk

12-14 HAUTE COUTURE AT HOLKHAM Celebrating the work of Belinda Bellville 16

THE BIG INTERVIEW Keith Jipps of First Capital Connect

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THEN & NOW The changing face of King’s Lynn

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24-26 25 YEARS OF NATURAL WONDER It’s a big year for the birds at Pensthorpe 29

PETS Help and advice with local vet Alex Dallas

30-32 FASHION A day at the races – and a style to match 38-40 THE RESTORATION OF PENTNEY ABBEY David Learner goes behind the scenes 47-53 FOOD & DRINK Recipes, reviews and recommendations

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55-64 INTERIORS Ten pages of great ideas for your home 70-72 EXPLORER Cley, Blakeney and Stiffkey in the spotlight 76-78 THE TRACKS OF LYNN’S HISTORY Mike Fell’s journey into our industrial past 82-84 EXPRESS LINE TO STARDOM We talk to dancer Ruthie Stephens 86

LESS IS MORE – AND ART IS ART! Local artist Andrew Schumann’s latest

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MY KL The page made by KL magazine readers

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WILD WEST NORFOLK Michael Middleton’s lighter view of things

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85 5

5 Madeira

flying from Norwich Airport in 2013 7 nights half-board from £799 per person

A short flight is all it takes to transport you away to the subtropical haven of botanical beauty that is Madeira Island. Situated 400 miles off the coast of Africa, Madeira is an island of lush vegetation and sub-tropical gardens, which enjoy a year-round mild climate.

Atlantic Holidays is the largest independent tour operator to this Portuguese island and are offering holidays to the five-star Pestana Casino Park departing Monday 27th May, 17th & 24th June, 29th July, 26th August and 23rd September 2013.

Many more hotels available ask for details

Your package includes:

• Return flights from Norwich to Funchal, Madeira • Return transfers from Funchal airport to your hotel • 7 nights accommodation on half board basis at the 5-star Pestana Casino Park Hotel • FREE garden view room upgrade • Assistance by a resort representative

To book please call 01603 428700 or visit us at the Airport or the Mall, Norwich

APRIL BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00 Sun 31 March – Tues 2 April DORA THE EXPLORER Everyone’s favourite explorer with educational fun £5.50 - £16 Wed 3 April THE SOLDIERS Real life heroes and music stars £5.50 - £22.50 Thur 4 April THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS Paul and Barry with family fun £5.50 - £14 Fri 5 April SHAOLIN WARRIORS Breathtaking kung fu masters £5.50 - £24

Sat 6 April THAT’LL BE THE DAY Rock ‘n’ roll variety show £5.50 - £23

Northern Ballet: The Great Gatsby

Prices are per person based on two adults sharing a twin/double room. Prices vary according to choice of hotel and departure date. Holidays are subject to availability. No fuel supplements. Prices may change without prior notice, please check at the time of booking. £150 deposit secures your 2013 Madeira holiday from Norwich Airport. Please note there is an Airport Development Fee (ADF) payable on departure at Norwich of £10 per adult. Under 16s are free. For more information visit www.norwichairport.co.uk/content.asp?pid=92.

Tues 9 – Sat 20 April STARLIGHT EXPRESS Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s dynamic musical £6.50 - £39 Sun 28 April SOLID SILVER 60S SHOW Mike Pender, Dave Berry, Wayne Fontana & New Amen Corner £5.50 - £24 Tues 30 April – Sat 4 May THE GREAT GATSBY Northern Ballet with new dance drama £6.50 - £36.50

Book online: www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk THEATRE STREET, NORWICH NR2 1RL

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KLmagazine April 2013

April

Friday 5th CHARITY AUCTION & FISH CARVERY The Winch, King’s Lynn (7pm) Join Coles of King’s Lynn for a charity auction and fish carvery in aid of Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Tickets are £17 per head with £5 going as a direct donation to SLS. For more details and to book tickets, please contact Terry Robinson on 01553 777413 or 01553 767997. Please note you’ll need to make your selection in advance.

Saturday 6th STAR WARS & ME – THEM! Red Barn, King’s Lynn Arts Centre (2pm) As part of the Art Centre’s brilliant Star Wars & Me event, enjoy a free screening of the classic 1954 sci-fi movie Them! featuring a nest of giant ants and a very young (and uncredited) Leonard Nimoy. This is just one of the sci-fi classics being screened as part of the event – they’re all free, and there’s no need to book. They certainly don’t make them like this any more! Please note that Them! is certificate PG – so no unaccompanied children.

Friday 5th OPEN DAY FOR LOCAL BUSINESS The Birches, Bircham Newton You’re invited to take a fresh new look at the Birches and see how they can help your business in today’s climate – with seven fully-equipped conference rooms available to cater for 2-100 delegates. En-suite accommodation includes 24 newly refurbished rooms, and team building activities are available – all at a beautiful location between King’s Lynn and Fakenham. To book your place, call 0800 2800343 or e-mail the.birches@citb.co.uk

30 YEARS AGO: On 22nd April 1983), the German magazine Stern reported it had acquired 60 volumes of Adolf Hitler’s diaries.

They were fake.

Thurs 11th - Sat 13th THE THREEPENNY OPERA North Norfolk Chamber Opera (7.30pm) The ever-popular North Norfolk Chamber Opera comapny presents the classic Threepenny Opera by Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill at the Auden Theatre at Gresham’s, Holt. At last – your chance to meet Mac The Knife and a whole host of unsavoury characters! Tickets £12 from the Box Office on 01263 713444.

Saturday 13th Wednesday 10th CINDY’S SPRING FASHION SHOW The Curlew Centre, Sutton Bridge (1.30pm) A great chance to see some fabulous new styles and meet some new friends at Cindy’s Spring Fashion Show and afternoon tea at the Curlew Centre in Sutton Bridge’s Memorial Park. Tickets £10 available from Cindy’s on Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge – which will be open before and after the show itself. Please call 01406 350961 for more details.

CHAMBER MUSIC AT HOLKHAM HALL Holkham Hall, Wells (7pm) Enjoy the magnificent setting of the Marble Hall at Holkham as Iestyn Davies (countertenor) and Julius Drake (piano) will perform a programme to include works by Purcell, Britten, Fauré and Poulenc. Tickets £25 includes a glass of wine in the Saloon during the interval and an opportunity to view some of the other state rooms in the hall. To book please telephone the ticket office on 01328 713111 or e-mail ticketoffice@holkham.co.uk. Further information on this year’s concerts can be found at www.holkham.co.uk

Come and enjoy the real taste of ailand!

Celebrate ai New Year with us from April 12th - 30th!

19 Chapel Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1EG Tel: 01553 767013 Web: www.thethaiorchid.org.uk KLmagazine April 2013

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Bringing out the best in each other

Set in the beautiful and safe surroundings of North Norfolk, Gresham’s offers academic excellence, outstanding facilities and limitless opportunities for every pupil to succeed. With future developments planned to include a new Sixth form centre in 2015, a state of the art Pre-Prep and new Music Schools there has never been a more exciting time to visit Gresham’s.

Discover more at our Open Day or contact us to make a personal visit. Scholarships and bursaries are available.

Open Day: Monday 6th May, 2013 Cromer Road, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6EA Tel: +44(0) 1263 714500 CO-EDUCATIONAL | 3-18 YEARS | BOARDING AND DAY SCHOOL

www.greshams.com Company Registered in England No. 5196298. Registered Charity No. 1105500

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KLmagazine April 2013

April

Saturday 27th Friday 26th WILDLIFE TALK Reffley Community Centre, Reffley Lane, King’s Lynn (7-8.30pm) Join Rob Spray from SeaSearch East for a talk entitled Bamboozled by Barnacles and Mystified by Mussels. Rob will be introducing some of the amazing marine wildlife found off our local coast. Free admission and no need to book. For details, please contact Gemma Walker, People and Wildlife Officer at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust on 01603 625540.

DAWN CHORUS WALK Pensthorpe Nature Reserve (5am-8am) This (very) early morning walk with resident expert Thomas Spencer is perfect for anyone interested in birds and birdwatching.

Join Thomas as he helps you unravel the mystery of the bird song. Learn the calls and songs of a variety of birds in their different habitats and find out why they sing and what it means. Tickets £17.50 per person (includes cooked breakfast). Warm waterproof clothing and sensible shoes will be needed.

Booking essential – call 01328 851465 for details and more information.

BRITTEN MUSIC COURSE Gresham’s, Holt An early call for people interested in sending their children to Gresham’s Britten Music Course from 11th-14th July. This four-day residential camp for aspiring musicians aged 8-13 years is suitable for those aiming for music scholarships to senior schools. The course provides the opportunity to perform with the King’s Lynn Festival Chorus (one of the UK’s top amateur choirs) culminating in a choral performance at the annual prestigious King’s Lynn Festival. Visit www.greshams.com/grasshoppercamps for details – and book places early.

Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th THE 2013 EAST ANGLIA GAME & COUNTRY FAIR The Norfolk Showground, Easton, Norwich Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, this amazing show is bigger than ever, with plenty of new attractions, demonstrations and stands.

New arena displays include the Shetland Pony Grand National and the Pine Lodge School of Classical Equitation, the new Shooting Village is headed by six-times FITASC Sporting World Champion, European Champion and English Open Champion John Bidwell, and the show will feature a new Falconry Village containing a wide variety of birds, equipment and interactive stalls.

Creative children and teenagers will have the opportunity to take part in the Culture Works creative space and produce their own work, get real hands-on experience of the media, music and fashion industry and a chance to work alongside the industry pros in a range of interactive and industry savvy activities..

The show features the Norfolk Brides Wedding Exhibition (with over 40 local wedding vendors) for the first time, while another debut will be the Holistic Directory Marquee, with a wonderful selection of health and wellness therapies, services and businesses to explore.

Other attractions around the showground will include The UK Polocrosse Association, hilarious sheep racing, Drug Dog demonstrations by GSL Dardan, tug-of-war competitions run by the British Tug of War Federation, blacksmith demonstrations and Australian Horseman Jason Webb with his horse behavioural workshops.

A welcome return will be the EcoVillage, a dedicated area promoting green living, while this year’s country kitchen features cookery workshops and demonstrations by a selection of local chefs including Chris Coubrough, Richard Hughes, Damian Wawrzyniak, Roger Hickman and Sam Bryant.

Food, crafts, live music, local beers and drinks – and a huge amount of fun and games for dogs too! It’s a truly unmissable event.

Advance discounted admission tickets are available until April 21st at www.ukgamefair.co.uk or by calling 0871 2301102. Adult £12, Children (5-16) £4 and Family (2 Adults/3 Children) £30. Under 5’s and Car Parking is free.

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Ride-on mowers from Doubleday: a cut above As winter turns into spring it isn’t just the evenings that are getting lighter – Doubleday are making light work of tackling the weeds and trimming the lawns...

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our garden could be a cricket pitch and it might be a couple of acres – whatever the size of your lawn, Doubleday’s range of John Deere garden equipment includes Ride-on mowers to suit every pocket.

Those two names alone are your guarantee of top-quality service and tradition, rolled into one to ensure total satisfaction.

Take a look at Andrew Cousins. He’s Doubleday’s Mr Mobile – ready to come straight to your home to carry out a seasonal check or service on your machine. That means you won’t lose valuable time while it’s taken away to

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our fully-kitted workshops. He’s also happy to spend as long as it needs with you to take a good long look at your garden and assist in choosing the machine that’s perfect for you.

There’s nothing like a hands-on experience, so there’s a range of demonstration machines available to try out on your patch, to make sure you’re getting the best results possible.

In the showroom meanwhile that’s Robert Gowler – he deals with all the face-to-face enquiries – everything from a brand new Ride-on machine right down to a broken bolt to keep you rolling along. He’s also the person to check in with regarding Doubleday’s

parts supply – belts, oil, filters, batteries and the rest of a reassuringly lengthy list of items – that can be ordered right up to 6pm at the height of the season.

That vital part will be ready for collection by 8am the next day – and that includes Saturdays.

You’ll be up and running again in good time for a hardworking weekend! That’s a promise!

Doubleday can offer cutting decks from 28 inches to a massive 62 inches.

Grass handling options include a side discharge where grass is thrown out in a fan formation, or rear collection

KLmagazine April 2013

where the grass travels into a hopper by means of a transport tube. When you mulch with a John Deere mulching mower the Xtra Mulch Cutting System returns clippings to the lawn using exclusive material gates. You’ll barely notice the difference between collecting and mulching.

Regular mulch mowing can reduce the need to fertilise your lawn by up to 25%, as valuable nutrients are returned to the roots of the grass.

The big fanfare this year is reserved for the John Deere X135R, the latest addition to the rear collection range for 2013. Fitted with an Edge Cutting System, a deep deck design lifting grass for a clean, even cut every time, this compact design makes it ideal for smaller gardens up to 4000 square feet.

The X135R’s stunning 656cc V-Twin Briggs and Stratton engine and twin pedal hydrostatic transmission means the accelerator provides infinite speed selection up to 5.5mph. There’s a high adjustable seat, wide foot rests, glove compartment and beverage holder.

That’s comfort and cutting. The compact deck has a cutting width of 36 inches and heights from 28mm right up to 89mm.

There’s a high capacity 300 litre grass collection hopper on the X135R with a convenient pivoted handle to make

emptying from the operator’s seat as easy as anything. Its bonnet won’t dent or rust and its side openings let in plenty of cooling air while keeping the sound level low. There’s the solid reassurance of a solid cast iron front axle, and a pair of durable headlights complete the picture.

If you’re looking for a ride on mower to last long into the future, you can trust the X135R. Doubleday’s strength lies in its multidepot operation out of four bases in

Norfolk and Lincolnshire, its extensive stock of machines and spare parts, and the powerful ethos that stems from a family-owned company focused on the highest levels of customer service.

Don’t forget! The fabulous Doubleday offer is still on! Selected models from the John Deere Lawn Tractor X100, 300 and 500 ranges will receive a FREE trailer! That means there’s a size that’s right for your garden and the offer is valid on machines purchased any time up to 31st May 2013.

DOUBLEDAY PART OF THE LANDSCAPE FOR GENERATIONS

DOUBLEDAY KING’S LYNN St Germans, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE34 3EU Tel: 01553 617666 Web: www.doubledaygroup.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

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LOCAL LIFE

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KLmagazine April 2013

OPPOSITE: Belinda Bellville fits a dress for her sister, Camilla Bellville. Above are some of Belinda’s groundbreaking designs, including (centre) a dress for Princess Margaret’s tour of the USA in 1965 (see overleaf for a picture of the Princess wearing the finished dress)

Holkham Hall and a world of bygone style...

The last word in fashion is the subject of a timely exhibition this summer. David Learner watches the wraps come off some of couture’s most exquisite creations.

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here’s beauty over and over again on the North Norfolk coast. When the first Earl of Leicester dreamed his Palladian Hall as the vision of an Italian villa it couldn’t have had a more unlikely setting. Well over 250 years later Thomas Coke’s descendants still live in Holkham Hall and they’d be the first to admit their pride in being able to share their home - its deer park and its gaspingly beautiful woodland beaches - with the thousands of visitors who come every year to admire its architecture, history and unique location.

From late March onwards a new sort of glamour takes to the runway at Holkham Hall as its imposing Statue Gallery is adorned by a unique collection of gowns by Bellville et Cie

KLmagazine April 2013

and Belville Sassoon. It’s possible that the name isn’t known outside a relatively small couture circle, but its influence on the fashion industry is the stuff of legend, and its renown throughout the world has been secured by the models, debutantes, aristocrats and royals who wear its name with such ease.

From the early 1950s the fashion house known then as Bellville et Cie was the de rigueur dressmaker of choice. Its collections of evening wear were snapped up and horded by everyone who was anyone. Belinda Bellville wanted, quite simply, to create younger-looking fashion, to remove it from its fusty post-war dowdiness and together with David Sassoon they would create Britain’s foremost couture label.

If somewhere in the back of your mind is the notion that you’ve heard of society dressmaker Belinda Bellville more locally you’d be quite right; she is Viscountess Coke’s mother.

To acquire royal patronage is to come of age for any couturier, so when in 1960 the company was commissioned to create a bridesmaid’s dress for Princess Anne Belville et Cie could only hold their collective breath as Lord Mountbatten’s daughter Lady Pamela married interior designer David Hicks. On breathing out it was satisfying to know that that initial spark of attention would be followed rapidly by further requests from Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra and Princess Michael of Kent.

Those with a longer memory may remember the cautiously official

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pictures of Lady Diana Spencer that were taken for the announcement of her forthcoming marriage to Prince Charles. Lady Diana wore Bellville Sassoon on that occasion; maybe it was the only item in the photograph that was relaxed yet formal, understated yet elegant and designed to last a lifetime. For more than twelve years Bellville Sassoon would take a hand in the creation of more than seventy outfits for the Princess.

As debutantes became brides, as the company itself grew up, wedding dresses would soon account for a quarter of the company’s business.

Private clients from around the world would seek them out and in London the daughter of poet John Betjeman, Candida, would be dressed for her own wedding by Bellville Sassoon.

In 1965 Vogue Patterns invited Bellville et Cie to join their pattern books, and the 60s and 70s would see a whole host of the world’s most famous and glamorous women wear their clothes – as well as several members of the royal family. Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Catherine Deneuve would bring their own instant recognition to bear on the label and by the turn of the 80s a survey for Tatler would show that Bellville Sassoon had made more society wedding dresses over the past 30 years than any other single couture house.

Belinda Bellville had no formal training, but as a former debutante herself, she knew the social circles she needed to move in, and appeal to. Her

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partner David Sassoon had intended to become an actor, and was accepted at RADA before deciding to change tack completely and study fashion at the Hammersmith School of Art. He was the only boy on the course. From the trade school next door he would learn the tradition of dressmaking and it was while pursuing a Masters Degree at the Royal College of Art that he would meet Belinda in 1958. David became a partner in 1970 and Bellville et Cie became Bellville Sassoon.

Separately they had style; together David and Belinda would become a storm of colour, talent and passion, producing clothes that were beautiful and exquisite. Couture could be modernised and the team proved to the world that it was possible, while even closer to home Belinda Bellville would dress several members of the Coke family some time before her daughter, young Polly Whately, would meet and marry Viscount Coke.

From the 1960s through to her retirement from Bellville Sassoon in 1982 Glamour and Gowns’ very personal exhibition shows Belinda at the top of her profession during two decades that would watch the hemline ascend with an extraordinary rapidity.

Through it all a classic glamour would ride triumphant to take on the world with a tradition that was ages old, but just as young as its wearers.

Belinda Bellville’s success is that of freshness, style and classicism rolled into one that enjoys the eyes of its fans as much as it enjoys its buyers for their wardrobes.

ABOVE LEFT: Belinda Bellville and David Sassoon talk over high fashion. Above is a Life cover from 1965 showing Princess Margaret in the dress shown on page 13 dancing with US President LB Johnson.

GLAMOUR AND GOWNS AT HOLKHAM HALL 25th March–31st October Every Sunday, Monday and Thursday 12noon–4pm Friday 19th April ONLY (6pm) Refreshments and a very special talk

by David Sassoon about Belinda Bellville, Bellville et Cie and its international success. Tickets £25.

Book online at www.holkham.co.uk or call 01328 713111

KLmagazine April 2013

The strength and splendour of aluminium Never before has aluminium been so popular for its contemporary styling in our homes Chapel Works, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2AA Tel: 01553 775191 www.colindawsonwindows.co.uk

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KLmagazine April 2013

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

First Capital Connect runs the trains between London and King’s Lynn. Keith Jipps is responsible for the customer experience of the 170,000 people who use the service every day...

KL: Tell us about your role...

KJ: It’s quite a responsibility, because our services are essential to the lives of thousands of people across West Norfolk. Almost 100 million passenger journeys are made with First Capital Connect every year.

To get our customers where they need to be, we have 221 trains with 840 train carriages collectively covering 100 million km every year.

They travel on 582 km of track, serving 104 stations, 78 of which we manage.

KL: Are you solely responsible for customer service?

KJ: No, most certainly not! Behind me I have a team of 950 brilliant staff who manage the stations, sell the tickets, help people with journeys and safely dispatch trains from the platforms. We have revenue protection staff, people to manage contracts for our car parks and cleaning and much more.

KL: How close are we to seeing a half-hourly service from King’s Lynn to King’s Cross?

KJ: We’d love to double the frequency of the services to King’s Lynn, and Network Rail’s planned upgrade of a critical junction at Ely North brings that possibility closer.

Keith Jipps

KL: Are there great plans in the pipeline for Cambridge as well?

KJ: The station is going to enjoy a complete transformation with a new booking hall and frontage. The station already has a new footbridge and island platform, freeing up vital capacity on the existing platforms – helping us keep our trains running on time.

Customer Service Director First Capital Connect

KL: How does First Capital Connect approach the issue of overcrowding on the most popular trains?

KJ: We used to have six of the country’s top ten most-crowded

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KLmagazine April 2013

services, but we left that list by adding 61 carriages to our fleet, creating new services and longer trains. The difficulty on the route from Cambridge to King’s Lynn is the short length of the platforms at many of the stations.

KL: How does First Capital Connect view its profile in Norfolk?

KJ: Ask any of our station managers and they’ll tell you how closely we work with our stakeholders in Norfolk. We regularly meet with groups such as the Fen Line Users’ Association, and do our best to accommodate their requests for improvements. Due to their campaigning, for example, we provided a new late night service to Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington and King’s Lynn on Thursdays, leaving London at 11.15pm.

KL: What are your longer term plans for Norfolk?

KJ: Take a train to Cambridge and in five years you’ll be able to take a brand new 12-carriage train not only direct to London but across the capital, giving direct journeys to St Pancras International for Eurostar, Farringdon for Crossrail, London Bridge, Gatwick – and maybe even Brighton!

KL: Do you have any personal connections with Norfolk?

KJ: I have been on quite a few holidays on the Broads and I have been involved in the King’s Lynn line since the early ’90s.

We help to keep Norfolk looking great If you’re building in Norfolk, there’s nothing quite as distinctive as Carrstone – and it’s one of the many quality aggregates we can suppply, from washed recycled railway ballast to crushed concrete, brick and tarmac. All materials are available from any of our 18 sites or delivered directly to your site on our own dedicated fleet of vehicles. Total Norfolk, total quality.

KL: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

KJ: Getting up each morning and seeing the great work my team does to get 70,000 people a day where they want to be in what is the world’s most environmentally-friendly form of public transport.

KL: What’s been your greatest achievement during your time with First Capital Connect?

KJ: Introducing an hourly service on Sundays where previously we had a two-hourly service and the 12-carriage trains beyond Cambridge. We’ve already done a lot at King’s Lynn station, but we’re now going to be putting more money in to put in a new waiting room and return the station to its original heritage colours.

Sales: 01366 388900 E-mail: enquiries@frimstone.co.uk Website: www.frimstone.co.uk

Morton ATV all terrain and utility terrain vehicles HONDA POLARIS LOGIC WESSEX C-DAX SCH Ltd

KL: What have you learned from your work?

KJ: We have to look after our passengers and make them the centre of everything we do. It’s about never being complacent and always looking to improve and learn when things go wrong – and when they go right.

KL: What do you like best about West Norfolk?

KJ: The sense of space and its friendly people.

KL: In your free time, how do you like to relax?

KJ: I have a Harley Davidson and love to go out for a ride. I also play golf and squash with my son.

KL: Who’s your biggest inspiration?

KJ: My team – and the way they work 24/7 on the railways in all conditions to deliver the best customer service.

KL: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

KJ: Treat everyone as an equal.

KL: Tell us something about yourself that would surprise people...

KJ: I starred as Cinderella once in a charity panto. Oh yes, I did!

KLmagazine April 2013

Great range of new and used vehicles in stock. Plus! Fully equipped workshop for servicing of all Quads and Utility Vehicles

Heath Farm, Great Massingham, King’s Lynn PE32 2HD www.lingscountrygoods.co.uk | www.mortonatv.com telephone: 01485 520828

Lings Country Goods for all your country pursuits

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Come on in, the water’s lovely at Wensum Pools!

The award-winning team at Wensum Pools are getting ready for their first open weekend of the year. KL magazine dives in.

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hen Wensum Pools served their first customer in 1977 we’d enjoyed one of the hottest summers on record. It’s possible to now install a pool in a purpose-built or instantly adapted room, whereas a telescopic pool enclosure can turn an indoor pool into an outdoor one at the flick of a switch.

Swimming is for every day: it’s good for you and it’s a lot of fun. Wensum Pools offers a complete design, build, refurbishment and maintenance package. The family-run company has been serving East Anglia with the highest possible standards of pool craftsmanship – there isn’t a single aspect of the build that won’t be carried out by Wensum Pools staff – and a back-up service with five engineers on call whenever you need them.

Customers have the assurance that all their swimming pools are built to the standards of the Swimming Pool Allied Trade Association.

There’s a full range of ancillary products as well - DIY pool kits, panel kits, concrete block and one piece pools all with Safety Cover options.

The Wensum Pools show site in South Raynham has around 20 topname hot tubs –Jacuzzi, Catalina, Elite – and there’s a fully equipped wet 18

room to enable to try before you buy.

“When you’re buying a car,” says Andrea, “you give it a test drive. We’re happy to offer a wet test in any of our filled hot tubs so you can feel the benefits of ownership for yourself. Hot tubs are available from £2,995.00 to suit all requirements. We offer the full package of delivery installation and commissioning.”

Not all of us have the space required for a large pool so Wensum Pools’ answer is the Endless Pool. This little beauty arrives in kit form for ready installation on any sound level surface to take aquatic exercise to a whole new level.

As the name suggests the pool’s footprint allows the swimmer to take on the Endless Pool’s counter-current brilliance – everything from a gentle breaststroke to an Olympicallychallenging 100m pre-set endurance test. Little wonder it’s already turned into the number one choice for triathletes in training.

Wensum Pools’ awards have seen it go from strength to strength. In 2012

it scooped Retailer of the Year from Jacuzzi. Wensum also won Showroom of the Year Award accepting that industry recognition of the highest calibre is their customers’ assurance of the best service available. Come and visit on their Open Weekend – taking place over 20th and 21st April – displaying the company at its best with new products for 2013 including Swim Spas for as little as £9,995 and some beautiful cedar lodges. Great offers, Wensum Pools – dive in!

WENSUM POOLS Swaffham Road, South Raynham Fakenham NR21 7HN Tel: 01328 838834 Web: www.wensumpools.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

HISTORY

West Norfolk: Then and Now

Unknown

2013

THE DIFFERENCE IN THE DETAIL...

Thanks to Celia Connell for sending this photograph of the Globe Hotel in King’s Lynn. The exterior of this Grade II listed building (first recorded as the Globe Inn in 1650) hasn’t changed much, but the traffic passing by it certainly has – you won’t find many horse-drawn carriages

waiting outside today! Do you know when the original picture was taken?

For more photographs of how things used to be in King’s Lynn and the surrounding area, contact Picture Norfolk – at the Norfolk Heritage Centre, Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, The Forum,

Millennium Plain, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1AW. We’ll be bringing you another nostalgic look at West Norfolk next month.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

To view thousands of images of Norfolk’s history visit: www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk KLmagazine April 2013

19

The Adam makes a great debut at Thulow Nunn...

Vauxhall’s latest stylish drive is now available in King’s Lynn

T

hurlow Nunn is delighted to announce the arrival of Vauxhall’s long-awaited Adam to their King’s Lynn showroom, following the car’s official – and highly successful – debut at the Paris Motor Show.

“The must-see ADAM is Vauxhall’s firstever urban-chic city car and we’re confident that it will be a huge hit with motorists in the area,” says Simon Grylls, Regional Director of Thurlow Nunn.

“We’re delighted to offer customers this stylish, bespoke model. It’s a really exciting time for us so I’d like to encourage anyone interested to pop down to our showroom and take a test drive – we can’t wait to help our customers get customising!”

The three-door, four-seater model is keenly positioned to take the fashion-led Asector by storm – with over a million specification and trim combinations (yes, over a million!), the new urban-chic model is all about personalisation.

Customers at Thurlow Nunn will have a choice of three trims: JAM (fashionable and colourful), GLAM

Thurlow Nunn THE BIG DEALER THAT'S LOCAL TO YOU

(elegant and sophisticated) and SLAM (racy and sporty) – as well as 20 different wheel designs, over a dozen interior shades and 12 different body colours, some of which are unique to the Adam.

And with colour names like Papa Don’t Peach, James Blonde and Men in Brown, owners will have no trouble remembering their final choice!

The Adam also comes with clever, forward-thinking premium technology. The new IntelliLink on-board infotainment system integrates the owner’s smart phone (Android and iOS) with the car, making internet-based applications available on the facia-mounted touch screen.

On the outside, the Adam bucks the trend for retro-based design offering a fresh, bold, striking look and is the very first car in the Asector to have LED daytime running lights.

The Adam is initially offered with three petrol engines (1.2-litre 70PS, 1.4-litre 87PS and 1.4-litre 100PS), all of which are available with Start/Stop technology.

“The Adam is all about personalisation,” says Simon Grylls, “and the dedicated team at Thurlow Nunn is here to help customers throughout the process – from helping them configure their ideal Adam, which will no doubt be truly bespoke, right through to the excellent aftersales services we offer. As always with Thurlow Nunn, customers can expect a service which is second-to-none!”

To find out more about the new Vauxhall Adam and to book a test drive, please contact Thurlow Nunn at Campbells Meadow, Hardwick Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4YN. Alternately, call 01553 769799 or visit us online at www.thurlownunn.co.uk.

King’s Lynn Campbell’s Meadow, Hardwick Road, King’s Lynn

Tel: 01553 769799

www.thurlownunn.co.uk

All calls to Thurlow Nunn are charged at 5p per minute from a BT landline.

Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). ADAM GLAM 1.2i 16v VVT: Urban: 39.8 (7.1), Extra-urban: 67.3 (4.2), Combined: 53.5 (5.3). CO2 emissions 124g/km.

Model shown ADAM GLAM 1.2i 16v VVT (70PS) £12,650 plus Purple Fiction pearlescent paint £525, White my Fire front grille bar £100, IntelliLink audio system £275, Style Pack with17-inch ‘roulette’ alloy wheels and White my Fire roof Colour Pack £600. Total OTR cost £13,875. Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty covers lifetime ownership of first registered keeper, 100,000 mile limit. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/warranty

20

KLmagazine April 2013

BY APPOINTMENT TO HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II WASTE DISPOSAL CONTRACTORS

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By appointment to Her Majesty The Queen Pattrick & Thompsons Ltd Timber Merchants

PATTRICK & THOMPSONS LTD T I M B E R

C E N T R E

Your first choice for quality products and service!

A comprehensive range of planed and sawn timber, skirting, architrave, dado rail, MDF skirting and architrave, roof trusses, chipboard, plywood, sterling board, hard board, MDF board, plasterboard, worktops, melamine shelving, louvre doors, stairparts, doors, door frames, ironmongery, stains, tools, mastics, adhesives

For the garden...

Featheredge board, fence panels, trellis, metposts, fence posts, postmix, decking and much much more...

C A L L I N AT O U R C O L L E C T I O N C E N T R E N O W !

Pattrick & Thompsons Ltd Page Stair Lane King’s Lynn, Norfolk Tel: 01553 762026 Fax: 01553 768495

22

OPENING HOURS Mon-Fri 8.00am–5.00pm (closed 12 noon–12.30pm) Saturday 8.00am–12noon SPECIAL OFFERS ON MANY SELECTED PRODUCTS! FREE LOCAL DELIVERY – OR YOU CAN COLLECT!

KLmagazine April 2013

ECOlux – the modern interior solution The innovations keep on coming from ECOnomy Windows. This time it’s ECOlux and some very special offers for KL magazine readers.

I

t’s in the bag. You’ve taken up Jim McClure’s offer – to sit down with a cup of tea at the company’s Wisbech Conservatory Park and discuss your new conservatory or He’s spent time outlining the many options available to you; he’s discussed size, design, functionality and the latest range of window interior and exterior colour finishes, but there’s that little nag at the back of your mind. What is it..?

It’s the internal finish to that outside wall of your house, the one containing the door into your new conservatory.

Painting or plastering..? That sounds like additional cost, and you hadn’t considered it. That’s going to add to the final bill…

No it isn’t! ECOnomy Windows’ latest offer means that the cost of providing ECOlux decorative wallboard for your interior finish is absolutely free!* In a choice of three colours to complement the interior décor of your brand new conservatory or ECOnomy Windows will supply and fit its brand new product - ECOlux decorative wallboard - at no cost to you on all orders placed by the end of April 2013. No painting, no decorating, no plastering – just the calm beauty of ECOlux wallboard efficiently and effectively fitted by experts with more than 25 years’ service behind them.

“It’s as good as it gets,” says ECOnomy Windows Business Manager

NEW CONSERVATORY SHOW SITE AND E DISTRIBUTION CENTR

Jim McClure, “and there’s more. We said we’d report back to KL magazine readers on how well our triple-glazed products have been received. In a nutshell the response has been fantastic. Due to the demand we’ve decided to reintroduce that special offer for all KL magazine readers.

“For all orders placed during the month of April we’ll offer triple glazing, supplied and fitted for the same price as double glazing!”* Jim adds, as if we needed reminding, that all the company’s window products are A rated as standard, to save on heating bills and to help reduce the carbon footprint.

In its search for premium products for its customers ECOnomy Windows continues to offer the very best. For Jim, that means peace of mind – for the customer it means high quality products at cost-effective prices from an industry leader that’s close to home.

“ECOlux – great to look at, and the perfect solution for the interior of your new conservatory or Combine that with our triple glazing offer”, says Jim, “and this really could be a month of tremendous savings for KL magazine readers! Keep watching – next month we’re looking at exteriors, and that may mean yet more good news just around the corner.”

ECOnomy Windows – the complete solution – and still saving you money year after year!

KL magazine December 2012

Our next great offer, coming soon!

*Terms and conditions apply. Please quote ref KL413.

CONSERVATORY SHOW PARK Elm High Road, Wisbech Cambridgeshire PE14 0DG Tel: 01945 588988 Web: www.economywindows.com E-mail: mail@economy-windows.co.uk

LOCAL LIFE

ABOVE: With curlews, scarlet ibis, flamingo, storks and avocets (opposite), Pensthorpe is one of the most amazing reserves in the country

25 years of natural wonder at Pensthorpe...

Just outside Fakenham lies one of the country’s most amazing nature reserves. David Learner visits Pensthorpe to discover just a few reasons why it’s so popular. Pictures by Ian Ward.

P

ensthorpe is a place where the natural world comes to life with a welcome that has its legions of admirers returning year after year.

Two hundred acres of primeval Norfolk farmland has been skilfully converted and coaxed to provide something to do that’s always different, however many times you go back and whatever time of year.

The woodland walks are just one part of this astonishing venue and whenever you visit it’s a place where the wildlife’s natural alarm clock is every bit as reliable as the one beside your bed.

“As I was coming in this morning,” says Commercial Manager Mark Noble, “I heard a returning oyster catcher flying overhead. Spring’s on the way,

KLmagazine April 2013

and all it needed was the oyster catcher to remind me with its call. Listen – that’s all you have to do.”

Early spring is showing aconites and snowdrops, and as Mark talks to us in the coolness of the dairy – one of the venue’s several places to soothe drowsy feet – it’s easy to remember that nature got here first. We’ve already watched the wildfowl, protected from the worst of winter in a specially crafted natural reserve – the Wader Aviary – that enables the visitor to get as close as possible without disturbing the stillness of the environment, somewhere that shows a respect on both sides for the tranquillity of the scene.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a twitcher with thirty years of

birdwatching behind you, or a four-year old on your first visit to Pensthorpe, the environment here is one that demands and receives respect that you rarely find.”

Mark’s hope is that while the natural habitats for Pensthorpe’s vast array of wildlife are being diminished day by day in the outside world its human visitors will take away something that reminds them that we share this world with a million wild neighbours who just as much right to space as we do.

For three years Pensthorpe played host to the BBC’s Springwatch programme – as a result visitor numbers rose and interest in the wilder world grew, and continues to grow.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s David Attenborough or Springwatch, TV

25

programmes can really inspire new visitors and then maintain those numbers when the programmes themselves have left our screens. Every half-term we hold events to intrigue and fascinate our youngest visitors and to – quite literally – bring them down to earth.”

This year sees the 25th anniversary of Pensthorpe. Its owners Bill and Debs Jordan still take an active involvement in the day-to-day running of the park and the venue has enjoyed an organic increase in its size, and more than doubled its visitor numbers over the last six years.

A trip from the car park via a beautifully appointed children’s playground to the Courtyard Café and gift shop, and then into the Wader Aviary could as easily do for those with very young children and none would go home disappointed. But with a couple of hundred acres to explore it’s time to head out over Mill Pond and hang a left to Dark Mere. Wherever you look you’re reminded that ours is such a fragile environment and that this little piece of heaven is somewhere to take stock and breathe in.

“Our focus,” says Mark, “is on the children. We want Pensthorpe to be a stepping stone to a larger environment such as you might find on the coast at Cley. Here you can feel secure – it’s a far more protected place.”

The pond-dipping pool is a perfect spot to start an investigation in the fascinating underwater wildlife just waiting to be discovered; the Bug Walk

26

is a trail that allows the young nature detective to find out all about creepycrawlies; you can build a den, or there’s a free gift to be claimed once you’ve collected all the stamps on the Wildlife Tracker Trail.

Every day at around 4pm there’s the opportunity to watch the daily bird feeds on Mill Pond, fully commentated by one of Pensthorpe’s many experts, or if you’re a gardener then there are guided tours to help you get the best out of your own patch with the help of experienced wardens to whom Pensthorpe has become a second home.

With so much to see and do it’s certainly true to say there’s more than enough to make an annual pass a must-have, or a great present for someone wild at heart.

“We’ve got two thousand members here at Pensthorpe,” says Mark. “Not bad when you realise that you receive unlimited entry and a range of discounts and offers.”

Pensthorpe’s Nature Reserve is now nationally recognised as a breeding site for a whole host of species but there’s nothing dry about it and the beauty of its nature trails, hides and walks offer a unique opportunity for closeness to some truly beautiful creatures who seem to take us for granted. The greater flamingos don’t seem to get into too great a flap as we walk past, the bar-headed geese barely give us a second glance and the white-naped crane – strutting, dangerous, magnificent – seems far too caught up

in the style of its own form to care much for the relentlessness of our own.

Do we invade? The inhabitants at Pensthorpe welcome us as if we are no more than decoration in their own landscape and their disdain does them proud as they invite us in to watch, learn and enjoy.

So how about that item that Mark would like us to take away – the one that could make a positive difference to the future and show that we’ve learned just a little from our day out today?

“A nest box,” says Mark. “Walk away from Pensthorpe with a nest box, and you’ll have made a contribution that says far more about you than you could ever know.”

Pensthorpe’s wildlife – even its red squirrels – would almost certainly agree with him.

PENSTHORPE is open every day except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. For opening times and details of special events, see the website at www.pensthorpe.com or telephone 01328 851465

KLmagazine April 2013

Tamar Plant Centre DAYS SATUR N O N PE AYS NOW O ANK HOLID AYS) B D D N SU AN N ON

& Cash and Carry ONE! OPEN TO EVERY

PE (NOT O

Every plant is carefully grown and cared for on our nursery - we genuinely care for our plants!

E S TA B L I S H E D S I N C E 1 9 7 9

School Road, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7DS E-mail: cashandcarry@tamarnurseries.co.uk Web: www.tamarnurseries.co.uk OPENING TIMES: Open weekdays–Monday–Thursday 7:30am–4:30pm | Friday 7:30am–4pm | Saturday 9.00am - 4pm

CONTACT Sadie or Rachael on 01945 464383 ext 2 or 07584 022473

Tourer P/X Welcome

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KLmagazine April 2013

27

FAKENHAM

D STANDARD GOL

NEXT RACE MEETINGS Easter Monday April 1st | 1st race: 2.15pm COUNTRYSIDE DAY Tuesday April 7th | 1st race: 2.30pm ADMISSION: Adults from £8 17 years and under (accompanied by adults) FREE

Fakenham Racecourse Ltd, The Racecourse Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 7NY T: 01328 862388 E: info@fakenhamracecourse.co.uk W: www.fakenhamracecourse.co.uk

Things you didn’t know about Bearts

now! special offers on selected clothing all through the hayloft!

Brighton Mill, Stowbridge King’s Lynn PE34 3pd 01366 388151 | www.bearts.co.uk 28

KLmagazine April 2013

PETS

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

Beware of puddles R

ain, rain and more rain! It’s been such a wet and long winter. The water level in ditches and dykes are very high and there are puddles and pooling in the fields and paths on our regular dog walks.

This poses a significant risk to our ever curious pets who love to splash through the water and run along the dykes. And of course, during a walk dogs will often drink from the dirtiest looking puddle they can find.

The risk they face is from Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection carried by rats and which can be found in these puddles and ditches.

A combination of mild winter temperatures and less rodent control by farmers and local authorities means rat numbers have increased greatly, adding to the risk.

It’s not just our pets either – recently two kayakers died after contracting the human form of this disease whilst in affected waterways.

It’s a condition that’s been largely contained by vaccination, but a dog that’s fallen behind with their protection is at risk. We do see cases of Leptospirosis from time to time, and it’s often a Labrador or terrier whose curiosity has taken them to an infested location and they’ve then drunk from a puddle.

Treatment is possible but it does take time and lots of nursing to save the affected animal. As always, prevention is better than trying to cure a sick pet.

Protection is included in the standard vaccinations and boosters for dogs, and thankfully that’s why the disease is still relatively rare – despite all the bad behaviours dogs enjoy so much.

If your dog has fallen behind with vaccination protection for this threat then we offer a vaccine amnesty, where full protection can be restored for only the cost of a booster. Call us and we can help you enjoy your walks safely.

Oh, and roll on summer!

Check those teeth!

Recently we’ve been offering free dental checks for cats and dogs at both surgeries. We’ve had quite a few pets come along and benefit from much-needed dentistry, and the follow-up checks have been really rewarding. One 18-year-old terrier is now trotting along looking very spritely, and a springer spaniel who was struggling is now playing with his toys like a youngster.

I’ve even taken my own advice!

Two of the Dallas gang have had dentals, scaling and polishing and Reggie (my Border terrier) is now skipping like a puppy – and he smells so much nicer!

It’s really easy to miss the pain that sore teeth cause as dogs and cats are so positive and stoic – but when freed of a bad tooth or sore gums these animals enjoy a quality of life they’ve missed. If your pet has bad breath, then come along for a check and we can help.

Your pets Many thanks to KL magazine reader Mr R Greene of Hunstanton for sending us this lovely picture of his cat Sammy doing what he likes best – sleeping!

Don’t forget to keep sending me pictures of your pets to Animal Matters at KL magazine, 18 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JW or you can e-mail them to editor@klmagazine.co.uk

LONDON ROAD 25 London Road, King’s Lynn t: 01553 773168 e: info@lrvc.co.uk HOLLIES Paradise Road, Downham Market t: 01366 386655 e: hollies@holliesvetclinic.co.uk KLmagazine April 2013

29

Whether it’s a day at the races, a summer garden party or a special spring occasion, the area’s boutiques have something that will help make you the centre of attention – and one of the day’s highlights!

fashion

Dress by Jaego (£565) CINDYS | Sutton Bridge 01406 350961

Hat (£50) and Jumpsuit (£150) JOHN LEWIS | Norwich 08446 931710

Dress and Jacket (£320) from Gold by Michael H GODDARDS | King’s Lynn 01553 772382

00

KLmagazine September 2012

EVENING WEAR P RO M & B A L L G OW N S W E D D I N G G OW N S MENS FORMAL

Bella Boo Evening Wear

First Floor, Fitzroy House, 32 Market Place, Swaffham PE37 7QH telephone: 01760 725238 open: Tues–Thurs 10am-4pm, Sat 9am-2pm (other days by appointment)

Want to hunt down some real spring treats?

Gifts and Accessories available in store.

The Hythe, Bridge Road, Downham Market

www.charmed-interiors.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

|

Tearooms

|

Gifts

|

Homewares

|

Decorations

33

Dress (£159) and Jacket (£169) from Gold by Michael H ELIZABETH DARBY | Fakenham 01328 855312

Broderie Lace Dress by Jaegar (£250) JAEGER | King’s Lynn 01553 773840

International fashions.

Local style.

Cindy’s of Sutton Bridge

108 Bridge Road Sutton Bridge PE12 9SA

Telephone: 01406 350961 Sizes 10 - 26 | Closed Wednesdays

www.cindysfashions.co.uk

We at Kings Lynn Audi are pleased to invite you to view the all New A3 Sportback.

This hotly anticipated model has just won What Car? Car of the Year and it’s a perfect example of how we take space seriously.

Kings Lynn Audi Hamburg Way Kings Lynn Norfolk PE30 2ND Tel: 01553 779500

KLmagazine April 2013

DIPPLE & CONWAY OPTICIANS

Part of Marriott Motor Group

www.kingslynn.audi.co.uk

35

Mrs Jones: fashion in high favour in Norfolk Holt’s Mrs Jones is lapping up a healthy spring. David Learner returns to the unique shop to check in with Holly, a wire fox terrier with style.

W

hen we first met Claire and Nell in KL magazine they tumbled over each other in their enthusiasm for their journey to bring brightness to womenswear in north Norfolk. Between you and me they’ve done it in spades and a return visit to the shop is one that’s been made by countless customers from much further afield than its native Norfolk.

“We’re discovering that regulars are coming from Leicester, Northampton, North Wales… it’s been a roller coaster of a ride over the last few months,” says Nell. So how are the chic of other counties discovering the story behind north Norfolk’s success story? “Our website,” says Claire.

More than just a shop window the Mrs Jones website has become a passport to ease for the busy shopper

36 K

who appreciates Claire and Nell’s sellable style. Sure, there’s plenty to see online and gosh it’s simple to shop, yet those fashionable followers from far afield are bothering (yes, bothering) to make the trip because they know that touchy feely is best for them.

“We’re enjoying our second season of Nobody jeans,” says Claire. “More than anything we’re enjoying a massive reputation for our jeans. Nobody are just so flattering, soft… and Paige another of our best sellers. They fit like a glove, they’re sensuous and flattering and the big thing we’re seeing is that having trusted us for jeans our customers are coming back for jackets and t-shirts, shoes, bags and more. Try a quick spray of Amber or Gorse from Laboratory Perfumes and you’ll have bought it before you know it.”

Quality is everything. The work involved, the excellence woven in to

some stunning materials and fabrics by some of the world’s best-known brands pays off in leaps and bounds. Italy’s D Exterior is another range of womenswear enjoying success after success in Holt and Mrs Jones’ customers understand that the shop offers a focus on casual smart wear that’s understated, always elegant, and viable and suitable for every age. Mums and daughters are finding an attention to the tiniest detail, all too rare in this day and age, and that they can arrive at Mrs Jones and not feel intimidated.

“Even the changing room’s mirror offers a warm welcome,” says Nell.

Now that’s a surprise. The capacious rooms not only pour out plenty of space to be able to bask and admire but more than just a smattering of heat from their full-length mirror. It’s noticeable because it’s there, just one more thing that sets Mrs Jones apart.

KLmagazine April 2013

What’s coming through for spring/summer then? “Coral,” says Claire, in a flash. Not what I was expecting, but she’s there with a bolt of explanation I should have seen coming.

“Norfolk isn’t the Cotswolds,” she says.

Even I’d noticed that, mind you. “The light here is tremendous, vivid, bringing out the best from vibrant colours. Coral is such a shock at first but it’s a stunning colour that would get lost anywhere towards the west, but here it’s brought out by our skies and sea.

Brilliant coral.”

Best sellers also include Ugg boots, with their unique comfort, as well as original and coveted bags from Anya Hindmarch which have been thrilling their fans for more than two decades, and Yummie Tummie.

“Yummie Tummie is like wearing a second skin,” says Nell. “It’s innovative, it’s patented, and it’s the pivot point where fashion meets function. In a nutshell they’re bodyshaping undergarments which are designed to slim, smooth and shape. Once you’ve got them on they hold you close, but more importantly you can forget you’re wearing them. Just you wait for the flattering comments.”

Claire and Nell talk with passion about the ladies who come from far and wide to find out what the new season has to offer. They know they’ll find it here, but the girls leave the best till last … well, almost last. Their ownlabel range of cashmere has been a

KLmagazine April 2013

barnstorming success; in a wide range of colourways it’s soft, alluring and subtle.

Beautifully produced, like everything at Mrs Jones, its fans have poured out their compliments like the rain over Holkham Beach, and Claire and Nell have already assured their customers that cashmere is here to stay.

Lastly? Paul Smith. This unmistakably English label has won its way into hearts the world over and Claire and Nell are flattered that they’ve been chosen to represent the brand in north Norfolk. Its womenswear range – knitwear, occasion wear and jackets – will be available at Mrs Jones for autumn. Welcome to a wow moment.

Mrs Jones offers a sense of picnic. Its qualities have already been recognised by some heavyweight commentators, including the Guardian’s Jess CartnerMorley. “Who needs Bond Street?” she wrote. Going on to describe the world of Mrs Jones as “nicely judged” hers is just one of a myriad of voices who have cried praise for the shop. Its online presence offers ease, simplicity and style. Its Holt presence is a concentration of utter professionalism, true service and the pleasure of fashion’s most respected names finding favour from Norfolk and far far further.

Mrs Jones. On trend. Online.

MRS JONES Mrs Jones, 7 Fish Hill, Holt NR25 6BD Tel: 01263 715 935 Web: www.mrsjones.co.uk

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20 1993-2013

twenty y e a rs of u nr i va l l e d c hoic e , top q ua l i t y & lo c a l se rv ic e

for over 20 years, we’ve been giving baby the very best start in life...

NEW! For over 20 years, Youngsters World have been treating new generations to a fantastic range of toys, baby goods, nursery furniture and equipment. We have an unrivalled wealth of experience and expertise, and our huge Kings’ Lynn showroom has no less than 11 full room sets to help make your choice easier. We think baby deserves the best – and that’s a promise! > Top quality products from majorname brands such as Mamas & Papas, Silvercross and iCandy only available in store – unavailable from online retailers! > FREE demonstrations, FREE storage and FREE loan pushchair or pram while yours is being repaired! > Complete 2 Year Guarantee on most products and payment plans available – just ask for details!

Youngsters World has just become an authorised stockist for Bugaboo – making us Norfolk’s only official independent retailer of this major brand! Call us now for full details and information.

> A comprehensive range of toys and accessories – from bedding and car seats to travel systems and Christening wear!

Youngsters World

112 Norfolk Street King’s Lynn Norfolk PE30 1AQ 01553 761666 www.youngstersworld.com sales@youngstersworld.com

Why little steps make a very big difference...

A child’s footwear is one of their most important items of clothing, and professional measuring and fitting are essential.

At Igloo Shoes in King’s Lynn, fun plays a major part too...

F

rom birth, our feet are so delicate that even badly-fitting socks can affect their future development – ill-fitting shoes can have a serious health impact for many years to come.

At Igloo Shoes on Tower Street in King’s Lynn, Charlotte Hamilton and her team bring 25 years worth of specialist experience to offering a wonderful range of shoes and boots for young feet – and the expertise and care to make an all-important difference.

“Healthy feet don’t just walk in off the street,” says Charlotte. “They’ve been cared for in shoes fitted precisely in a comfortable environment by experts who can offer professional service and advice.”

Of course, having a new pair of shoes isn’t on the top of every child’s fun activities, so Charlotte has made shopping for them a fun experience – from the train-track play area to the colourful, fresh and bright interior. It’s a great place for children, parents and staff to interact in a stress-free way.

At Igloo Shoes, you won’t just find a KLmagazine April 2013

stylish collection of footwear from leading British and European names such as Start-rite, Primigi, Geox, Superga, Ricosta, and Crocs – you’ll find an expert measuring and fitting service with Start-rite trained staff. Half (and adult) sizes, orthotic insoles, a range of different widths... just as every child’s feet are individual, Charlotte and her team treats every measurement and every fitting with equal importance and attention.

“That’s one of the reasons we started in the first place,” says Charlotte. “My children were six and eight at the time and it was difficult to find a local, expert service for one of their most important items of clothing – their footwear.”

It’s an approach that’s worked wonders – children love the styles and their feet will thank them in the future – and one that’s resulted in a host of local and national awards, inlcuding a Best Independent Children's Retailer (Highly Commended) accolade at last year’s Footwear Industry Awards.

In store, there’s even more style to discover, however. The footwear

collection is complemented by a collection of Bob & Blossom tutus and t-shirts, Hatley boots and raincoats, and sweatshirts by Lazy Jacks.

For style, comfort and healthy feet, Igloo Shoes are with you – and your children – every step of the way.

Details IGLOO SHOES 16 Tower Street, King's Lynn Norfolk, PE30 1EJ Tel: 01553 765007 Email: info@iglooshoes.co.uk Web: www.iglooshoes.co.uk

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LOCAL LIFE

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KLmagazine April 2013

ABOVE: The imposing gatehouse at Pentney Abbey – currently being cared for under an equally impressive cover of scaffolding (opposite)

The loving restoration of Pentney Abbey...

Any restoration takes time, patience and just a little madness.

David Learner meets some of the team bringing a medieval gatehouse into the 21st century

T

he picture of a thousandyear old gatehouse in a plastic bag doesn’t make for particularly good copy.

When the bag comes off this November and the scaffolding has gone and the land returns once again to its owners, it’s starting to raise an interest. When you add Pentney Abbey’s timeline and conversation with some of the people who’ve turned these pieces of Barnack stone into a story, suddenly the pulse starts quickening.

When Howard Barber attended a medieval banquet at Pentney Abbey some years back (don’t ask) he paid little heed to its gently tumbling

KLmagazine April 2013

gatehouse and whistled away in the same way you might from anywhere that’s provided a great night out. In 2010 he heard the gatehouse was on the market, and the Norwich-based long-haul jumbo jet pilot and his wife decided to take a detour. They heard that the gatehouse was just one part of a lot to include an equally tumbling house, several medieval barns and outhouses, no running water, no drainage, and enough brambles to make you think of that fairy tale where the castle’s hidden from view by monstrous brambles, miles high and metres thick and containing a luxury princess in a dark tower.

Howard and Dita drove 20 yards back

down the track, pulled into a verge and realised that they would be buying the place. Madness, writ large. Why, Howard?

“Peace,” he says. “There was absolutely no doubt that this was a very special place, and what’s more it’s been a special place not just since the Abbey was built but for long before that.”

Pop the clock back to 1075 and Robert de Vaux. It was he who founded the Priory of Pentney. Quite important, being on the Nar River between King’s Lynn and Gressenhall, 34 miles long and with a handy drop-off point for that stone. Its position was impressive. You really do need an imagination if you’re going to look for mountains in Norfolk

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ABOVE: The restored glory of Pentney Abbey is due to be unveiled in November

but Will Fletcher from English Heritage is about to impress me.

“Just above the floodwaters,” he says, “its height on the landscape and a remarkable second floor meant that folk who lived in a single-storey cottage could get one stage closer to the sky.

For people who were used to seeing the earth only at ground level it was more than just a simple revelation.”

The Abbey flourished until a bit of hanky panky in 1536 when Prior Codde was discovered in flagrante delicto with the Prioress of Marham. Oops. All of a sudden a handful of other lesser canons also admitted to illicit dealings.

The Abbess of Marham was fined and the nunnery shut its doors.

Intriguingly the good men of Pentney were found to be of “honest name”, but even so the writing was on the wall for the Priory.

By the end of 1537 Henry VIII’s Act of Dissolution had claimed it and the King’s Commissioners left the buildings to the elements.

Will Fletcher’s job title as Inspector of Ancient Monuments for English Heritage has been around for a century, little more than a cough in the life of Pentney, but he’s aware of the relevance of what the Barbers have undertaken.

“With the masons and carpenters

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now in place we’re seeing skills employed that require dedication and craftsmanship,” he says, “together with empathy for Norfolk’s vernacular architecture that makes the county unique.”

Is Will able to explain what makes this part of west Norfolk so special?

“It’s indefinable,” he says. “This landscape is utterly unique but it’s impossible to say why.”

I ask Howard the same question.

“Maybe you’d better ask the caravanners,” he says.

A very minor income is brought in by a small field close to the gatehouse which offers electrical hook-ups for caravans. It’s always busy, so I’m guessing its visitors come from far and wide.

“East Harling,” says Howard. “One couple come very regularly from East Harling. How far’s that? Less than thirty miles?”

Twelve quid a night to sit in a field, you can’t hear anything and it’s pitch black. Doesn’t that require just a little lateral thinking?

“Or there’s bed and breakfast,” says Howard. Of course. I hadn’t thought of that.

David Gurney is the Historic Environment Manager at Norfolk County Council.

“Pentney Abbey is one of Norfolk’s finest medieval buildings,” he says, ”and I’m thrilled to see it being restored at long last, due to Howard and Dita’s love for the building and their perseverance in bringing it back to life.”

John Griffiths is the site manager who knows every stone of the gatehouse. He tells me that he and his team are using the same skills that were used to build Solomon’s Temple, around 3,000 years ago.

One-to-one scale drawings were used to rebuild some of the stones.

Painstaking is one word for his work, and passionate is another.

“I like the sense of leaving something behind,” he says. “I worked on St Nicholas in Yarmouth. It was good to go back and point out the work to my family, and say I did that.”

The gentleness of the gatehouse’s tale is absolutely unique. This is a story that’s been generations in the telling.

When the building can be seen again in its Barnack brilliance; when Howard and Dita have eventually opened the site’s heritage centre that is their dream; when mason John comes back to show his work to his grandchildren; when the caravanners sleep under the blackness of a special Norfolk night; when Will moves on to another infinite project and returns to inspect Pentney; and when any of us walk the Nar Valley Way and look up to the summit of the gatehouse – then maybe we too can imagine what it’s like to be just a little closer to some sort of heaven.

> For more details on the restoration of Pentney Abbey, see www.pentneyabbey.com or telephone 01760 339969 > For information on the work of English Heritage see the website at www.english-heritage.org.uk or call the Cambridge Office on 01223 582700

KLmagazine April 2013

Don’t forget the rings – or the will!

Writing a will might not be at the top of your wedding checklist, but there are some very good reasons why it should be...

O

f all the things that an engaged couple puts on their wedding checklist, drawing up a will isn’t the first one that comes to mind. However, unless you’ve made your will in contemplation of the marriage taking place, then the act of marriage will revoke any will that exists at that time – so if either of the couple already have a will, they’ll need to consider the implications of this.

For those who’ve never prepared a will, it’s the perfect time to take stock of their affairs, and set out their wishes in black and white. If you die without a valid will, your estate might not be shared out in the way you’d hope.

The legal phrase used to describe someone who has died without having a valid will in place is “intestate” – their estates will be distributed in accordance with the legal rules of

KLmagazine April 2013

intestacy, which set out how their estate will be shared out.

It is a blunt tool, as it forces certain assets belonging to the person who has died to pass to their spouse, with the rest – if the deceased has children – being shared between those children and the spouse. The rules of intestacy don’t recognise the concept of the common law spouse or cohabitees, and don’t include step-children – all of these groups may find they’ll receive nothing from the deceased’s estate.

The rules of intestacy deal neither with issues of guardianship, nor of safeguarding the deceased’s property for a particular person in the future – for example, to leave something to their children should their spouse remarry.

The rules also don’t allow a couple to make tax-efficient decisions as to the disposal of their assets.

To ensure your estate is dealt with in

the way you would want it to be, a new will can be prepared “in contemplation of marriage.”

Such a will is not revoked by the marriage taking place, and both of you can set out your wishes on issues such as guardianship for minors, separation of assets, rights for the spouse to remain in the joint family home, and the financial provision for children from previous relationships or parents.

At Fraser Dawbarns LLP we are experienced in dealing with all aspects of will preparation and can advise you fully on the issues involved, so you can have a will that’s as tailor made for you and your family as the bride’s wedding dress is for her – and at a fraction of the cost!

By HARLEEN HANSON Solicitor Fraser Dawbarns LLP FRASER DAWBARNS 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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ABACUS MARQUEES

Premier Bars We’ll help make your big day even more memorable!

Your special event is our special event.

Abacus Marquees provides both high quality frame marquees and traditional pole marquees, and have a wide range of furniture and accessories – including black Starcloth linings and Moroccan linings.

Great service, competitive prices, and the experience to make your dream day a reality!

Chalk Farm, Druids Lane, Litcham, King’s Lynn PE32 2YA Tel: 01328 701331 E-mail: info@abacusmarquees.co.uk Web: www.abacusmarquees.co.uk

l Fully licensed bars for special events l Qualified and experienced staff l Wide range of styles and colours l Arrival drinks by arrangement l Glass and equipment hire l Competitive drink prices l ONLY £100 deposit – fully refunded if over £500 is sold at the event!

13 Salters Road, Kings Lynn Norfolk PE30 4HF Tel: 01553 671861 E-mail : info@premierbars.co.uk Website: www.premierbars.co.uk

A TRADITIONAL PUB WITH TRADITIONAL FOOD

Great deals on great food!

BOOKING ESSENTIAL! Monthly Quiz Nights (every 2nd Monday of the month at 7.30pm) Poker Nights every Wednesday at 8pm Well-stocked bar Specials Board and restaurant menu Outside catering for weddings, business functions, etc

Function room available Large car park Childrens play area Large vegetarian choice available Families made most welcome Food served 7 days a week (excluding Monday lunch)

THE ANGEL CARVERY Thursdays 12noon–2pm & Sundays 12noon–3pm Booking advisable STEAK NIGHT Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays SENIOR CITIZENS 2-COURSE LUNCHES Tuesdays to Fridays: only £8.50 (note: Carvery on Thursdays)

BUY ONE AND GET ON E PRICE ON THE FOLLOW HALF ING: MO NDAY & FRIDAY: Fish & Chip Night TUESDAY: Burger Night WEDNESDAY: Specials Bo ard THURSDAY: Dessert Me nu Available FRIDAY: Platter Night

41 School Road, Watlington, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE33 0HA

tel : 0 1553 811326 | web : w w w.t h ea n gelp u b.web s.com 44

KLmagazine April 2013

PREMIER INN (KING’S LYNN) Clenchwarton Road, West Lynn, King’s Lynn Norfolk PE34 3LJ Tel: 01553 776015 Web: www.premierinn.com

Premier Inn is better than ever More bedrooms, more facilities, more offers – in fact, there’s more for everyone!

T

he newly extended and refurbished Premier Inn at King’s Lynn now offers 148 en-suite rooms with 40” flatscreen TV’s, telephones, modern bathrooms with bath and shower and king-size beds.

The range of rooms available includes universally-accessible rooms for those with specific needs and include features such as handrails, wet rooms, and lower (or higher) beds.

There’s also a great selection of family rooms catering for up to two adults and two children (16 and under), and even connecting rooms for larger families and friends.

The Premier Inn can easily cater for large group bookings and has a separate annexe building with 40 bedrooms for that special touch – it can be allocated for exclusive use for

KLmagazine April 2013

weddings and corporate functions.

Your stay is important – so if you’d like an early check-in or a late check-out, all you have to do is ask.

If you’re getting married, suggest your guests book at the Premier Inn and the bride and groom stay for free – and even enjoy a bubbly package on arrival!

Corporate rates and large group booking discounts available, and you can visit www.premierinn.com for Saver Sale rates – with rooms priced at £19, £29 and £39 throughout the year (terms and conditions apply).

Meanwhile, the on-site Brewers Fayre restaurant offers a children’s indoor play area and caters for adults, families, and large and small groups. Our ‘all you can eat’ breakfast is justifiably famous, children eat free when accompanied by paying adults, there’s a carvery on

Sundays, and special ‘all you can eat’ buffets served seven days a week.

For business, the Premier Inn’s newly-built Massingham Suite offers full projection, TV and DVD facilities and can seat 20 people. The special rates available makes this one of the most competitive local meeting rooms – with free on-site parking, buffet lunch/breakfast and restaurant packages that can be tailored to suit your needs.

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FOOD & DRINK

Crab N orfolk’s crabs are now so popular they even have their own birthday party.

The Cromer and Sheringham Crab and Lobster Festival takes place this year over the weekend of 17th-19th May and whichever town you’re in you’ll find yourself surrounded by some of the tastiest crustaceans this side of the north Norfolk coast.

Now in its fourth year, and raising money for local charities, you’re likely to find celebrity chefs Chris Coubrough and Alex Mackay and a host of brilliant Norfolk culinary giants ready to show you the best way to get the tastiest

results from your catch. Take part in the World Pier Crabbing Championship, or lap up the entertainment at the opening concert on Cromer Pier, and of course there’s plenty of fun for the entire family.

Crab’s on offer all year round, but is especially good during the summer months. The common or brown crab is the most widely available but you’ll also find spider crabs on the coast. Whole and dressed crabs are usually sold fresh; white and brown crab meat and claws are often sold frozen.

CHOOSE...

Whole live crab – this is the freshest option, but it’s time-consuming and fiddly to boil a crab and remove the edible meat from the shell and claws, so you may prefer to buy a whole cooked crab, the next best thing, and ask the fishmonger to do the job for you. Whole crabs should feel heavy for their size – weight indicates there’s plenty of meat. A crab that weighs 1kg (2lbs) will feed 2-3 people: for 4 people you’ll need one that weighs at least 1.5kg (3lbs).

PREPARE... > Frozen crab should be defrosted before use – leave it in its packaging in the fridge overnight.

46

DELICIOUS: Norfolk’s crabs are so tasty it’s almost a shame to add extra flavour – but try mixing it with spring onions and chopped fresh chilli.

> Crack open crab claws with a claw cracker or hammer and extract the meat with a skewer. > Pick over all crab meat and remove any pieces of shell. > Canned crab can be watery, so drain it well in a sieve before flaking with a fork.

COOK... > The meat from a boiled crab can be eaten cold just as it comes, or tossed over the heat for a minute or two and served hot. > Dressed crab can be served straight from the shell, or you can take out the white and dark meats and use them in a wide range of recipes.

SERVE... > Flaky white crab meat has a mild, sweet flavour that goes equally well with creamy or fiery sauces. It makes an excellent crab cocktail, is good in salads, soups and pasta sauces, or as a filling for stuffed pasta shapes such as ravioli. It marries well with Asian ingredients like lime, ginger, chilli and coriander, and is good in stir-fried dishes, curries and fish cakes. > Dark crab meat is rich and filling, and is good mixed with white meat to intensify the crab flavour. It also gives body and flavour to sauces and soups.

KLmagazine April 2013

The pub with no bar – great ales straight from the cask!

It’s no good ‘dragon’ your heels!

Fish for the best this St George’s Day!

Tongue-twizzling food and superb value!

Victory Barn Function Room for weddings and parties

NELSON’S LOCAL

Cabs and Lobsters Local frozen game Local shellfish Fresh and smoked fish Brancaster oysters Hard-carved ham on the bone Free range eggs

Extensive delicatessen counter with top quality cheeses and olives from home and abroad!

D NALDS NS Walsingham Road, Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk PE31 8HN Tel: 01328 738241 | www.nelsonslocal.co.uk

Seasonally-inspired and delicious farm-to table cooking in a very beautiful setting, overlooking North Norfolk’s marsh and coastline.

KLmagazine April 2013

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

Wiveton Hall Café Wiveton Hall, Coast Road (A149 between Blakeney and Cley) Holt, Norfolk NR25 7TE 01263 740515 www.wivetonhall.co.uk

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CHEF’S NOTE: al tube approximately You'll need a cylindric s and open on both 7.5cm (3 inches) acros entially, any sides for this recipe. Ess th tube can be oo sm d cylindrical-shape perfect, or you could used – PVC tubing is out of any plastic simply cut the middle ly the right size. In ate xim bottle that’s appro photograph above, the dish featured in the cutter was used – a round metal pastry n see!) just fine. ca which works (as you INGREDIENTS 400g crab meat, fresh cooked 1 large avocado Pickled ginger Assorted fresh herbs (use any four or more of the following: machee, chive, basil, red garnet, beetroot, sorrell, chiso, coriander Lemon vinaigrette (see method) Prep: 40 minutes Serves: 4

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Crab, Avocado, Pickled Ginger and Baby Herbs with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette METHOD 1 Make the lemon vinaigrette (mix six tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil with three tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice.

2 Dice the avocado into 1cm (½ inch) pieces and place in a mixing bowl (be careful not to bruise it as you cut it), squeeze a little of the vinaigrette onto it and mix until slightly softened. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

3 Place your cylinder in middle of the first plate and fill with the avocado to 1.52cms (½-¾ inch) high.

4 Leaving the cylinder in place, cover the surface of the avocado with one layer of pickled ginger.

5 Spoon about 2cms (¾ inch) of the crab meat onto the pickled ginger and carefully remove the cylinder. Repeat the process for the remaining plates.

6 Place the herbs in a colander or strainer, shake off any dirt and place them in a mixing bowl. Drizzle a little of the vinaigrette into the bowl, add a little extra virgin olive oil and toss until nice and glossy – but not dripping.

7 Dress the crab stacks with a little vinaigrette, and drizzle a little dressing around each stack on the plate.

8 Grab a good pinch of the dressed herbs and – holding them tight in your finger-tips – place them on top of the crab stacks.

KLmagazine April 2013

Recipe: Paul Hegeman | Photography: Jason Hamilton

FOOD & DRINK

The new Creake Abbey Café and Food Hall are looking good

I

’ve been watching with eager anticipation, as I’m sure many of you have, the transformation of the old buildings at Creake Abbey, North Creake. Gradually, they have been carefully refurbished and the transformation from an old rickety barn to a chic café and food hall is quite extraordinary.

I took the opportunity to have a tour of the new building, offered by manager Tom Wheeler, when I visited the Farmers’ Market at the beginning of March. Very impressive! Huge picture

windows looking out over the water scones in this to go with the afternoon meadows surrounding the site, flooding teas!

The new chic cafe and food hall is due the café with light and with two lovely to open early April, but do check the terraces just perfect for a sunny day website for the latest news. For lunch. bookings and enquires you can also For those not so sunny days, email Tom Wheeler direct. customers have been more than adequately catered for.

Under floor heating CREAKE ABBEY CAFÉ AND FOOD HALL throughout will ensure a Creake Abbey, North Creake, NR21 9LF cosy atmosphere and to top Tel: 01328 730 399 it off, there will be a full size Email: tom.wheeler@creakeabbeycafe.com Aga in the customer area. I Website: www.creakeabbeycafe.com can see them warming

The Farmers Arms Inn ‘The pub on the hill’ Knights Hill A148/A149 Roundabout

Open for meals and snacks 12pm to 9pm daily A conservatory restaurant with food served all day, family room and children’s play area, outdoor seating and extensive parking plus a selection of Real Ales.

Probably East Anglia's biggest fine food wholesaler Your local supplier for gourmet brands and the most popular names in speciality foods

Real food, Real ales, Real pub BEST WESTERN PLUS Knights Hill Hotel & Spa, South Wootton, King’s Lynn PE30 3HQ email: reception@knightshill.co.uk tel: 01553 675566

For special offers, news and travel directions visit www.traditionalinns.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

We are now local stockists of products from the Real Norfolk Cake Company Plot 3 Sovereign Way Trafalgar Industrial Estate Downham Market Norfolk, PE38 9SW Tel: 01366 381250 | Fax: 01366 381213 | Email: sales@shirefoodsofnorfolk.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK

RestaurantReview

A former Victorian farmhouse, Titchwell Manor is an award-winning hotel overlooking the stunning north Norfolk coastline – and the food is just as impressive

T

itchwell Manor is located on the north Norfolk coast near Brancaster and Burnham Market, and it fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape – as you might expect, since the building has been there since Victorian times.

The elegance continues on the inside, which boasts a large (and very comfortable) bar area, a pre-dinner seating area and the main dining area in the conservatory, which overlooks a beautiful walled garden.

The menu is suitably impressive and mouth-watering, and offers everything from oysters to fish and chips – there’s

they really did make a big contribution in turning a meal out into a very special occasion.

At the end of the night, our meal came to £60, which we considered excellent value taking the level of service, quality of food and overall experience into account.

One thing we did notice that Titchwell Manor offers a Conversation Menu by head chef Eric Snaith every night of the week. As he’s just been awarded no less than 3 AA rosettes, you’d expect it to be something special, and you’d be right. Both the 4- and 8course versions are packed with amazing ideas and tastes, and come with a specially-selected wine (optional) for each course to complement the food.

It’s perfect for sampling the delights of this wonderful hotel and one of the most famous chefs in Norfolk, and we’re definitely arranging this must-do experience for some family who will be visiting later this year.

We know they’ll be impressed.

something to appeal to every palate, including a great selection of steaks, pies, risottos and gourmet burgers.

For starters, we decided to share tempura oysters – to be followed by fish and chips for me (as the location promised plenty of local freshness), and a T-bone steak for my partner, largely chosen because it very rarely appears on a menu these days.

The fish looked fabulous and was perfect – thick, light and fluffy, and just as fresh as I’d expected. The crispy batter was delicious and was just the right consistency without being too heavy. It was a good size too, with a lovely accompaniment of mushy peas and the hotel’s own tartare sauce.

According to my partner, the steak was equally impressive – full of flavour and cooked exactly as he’d wanted.

It was a particularly memorable meal, and what really stood out for us was the level of service. The staff who FOOD SERVICE VALUE looked after us were obviously very well trained, and their little touches of etiquette (such as seating the lady first and serving her food first) were really TITCHWELL MANOR appreciated. The staff had a Titchwell, near Brancaster, Norfolk PE31 8BB thorough knowledge of the Tel: 01485 210221 wine and food on offer, and Web: www.titchwellmanor.com

10 10 10 10 10 10

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KLmagazine April 2013

CaféReview W

e arrived at the beautiful, moated Oxburgh Hall (which is only seven miles from Swaffham) at the beginning of the season and decided to have a spot of lunch in their tearoom, which in 1774 was the laundry and wash house and in the 19th century became the kitchen and servants’ hall. It’s a magnificent setting, and you couldn’t wish for a more beautiful spot for a tearoom.

You place your order as you arrive in the tearooom – it’s a system that works very well because you can sit down straight away without queuing, which is great. The tearoom offers a very good menu of light lunches, drinks and snacks.

We chose to have a cream tea with a fruit scone, a cheese scone and a Victoria Sandwich – together with a pot of tea for two.

The scones were nicely warmed (this is always a nice touch often overlooked by many cafes and tearooms), and they were very fresh and tasty. The fruit scone arrived with a generous portion of clotted cream, and the pot of tea was piping hot – which always makes a difference.

We walked lunch off in the beautiful grounds – there are 70 acres of estate and woodland to explore, and there are several trails to follow. During the main season (which runs from March to November) you can visit the hall itself, which is packed with 500 years’ worth of history and mystery – highlights include the amazing views from the castle-like roof, crawling inside the priest's secret hiding hole, and the magnificent needlework by Mary, Queen of Scots.

If you fancy the delights of Oxburgh Hall’s food without visiting the hall and grounds, there is an additional cafe – it’s called The Pantry – situated near the car park for those in a hurry (it’s only open during the main season).

The cost of lunch for the two of us was £9.45, which we felt was extremely competitively priced.

If you’d like a nice lunch in a stunning setting, a great idea would be to time your visit to take in one of Oxburgh Hall’s many events – whether it’s the Willow Weaving workshop later this month, the Costume Day in May, or the Scarecrowfest in late May and early June, when children from local schools will present a variety of scarecrow characters on the theme of Sport through the Ages.

Wonderful lunch, wonderful location.

OXBURGH HALL Oxburgh, King’s Lynn PE33 9PS Telephone: 01366 328258 Web: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

If you’ve been dreaming of the perfect bathroom, we can turn those dreams into reality.

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Superb quality and first-class service.

Just to say a very big thank you for my new kitchen.

Your customer service has been excellent. I would like to say a special thank you to Dave, whose professionalism made the job go very smoothly.

Your help and excellent advice has been invaluable, ensuring that the end result is just perfect.

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KITCHENS | BEDROOMS | BATHROOMS KLmagazine April 2013

Nelson House, Bergen Way, King’s Lynn Call us today on 01553 766578 Visit us at www.towncountrykitchens.com 51

FOOD & DRINK

LocalTastes Selected by David Learner

BROADLAND WINERIES 01603 872474 From Norfolk’s largest independent winery comes 45 years of fermentation, production and bottling to produce some tasty perries, ciders and wines. You’ll find Three Mills Red, White and Rosé which have become three of the most successful wines on the British market since the label was created in 2009. Available in Cawston, as well as selected branches of Sainsbury’s.

ADNAMS CELLAR & KITCHEN STORE 01328 711714 In Holkham – there’s another branch in Holt – you can discover why the Adnams name has spread so far, so successfully. You’ll find almost 500 choices from around the world, everything from a 2010 Chateau Margaux at £4,100 per case to a delicious Maipo Valley Sauvignon Blanc at £3.79 a bottle. Fine wines, en primeur, as well as sparkling wines and champagnes... a delight.

T

he Abbey Vineyards has its vines in the Tas Valley and Gresham; there’s Chapel Field, and there’s Congham.

How about the Humbleyard Vineyard or the South Pickenham Estate? We may not be Bordeaux, and we may not be the Napa Valley, but Norfolk’s wines are readily available for those with a local palette for the finer things about the county, and for the rest of us there’s a host of places to find and enjoy a massive range to suit any dish, time of day or simply because it’s there. A day without wine, as they say, is a day without sunshine. Cheers!

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BAKERS & LARNERS 01263 712244 When the CT Baker group took over the business of Larners in Holt the company also inherited some classic cellars, cut from the glacial ridge that stretched from Cromer. Local expertise has turned the shop into more than just a destination store and MD Michael Baker has poured his talents into finding a perfect wine for an unforgettable meal.

Ask the experts, and then check out an amazing selection.

NORFOLK LAVENDER 01485 570384 Not so long ago you used to be able to find a unique, French lavender liqueur here in Heacham. Even without the presence of that distinct taste you can still find a superb of locally sourced wines in the shop at this ever-popular tourist attraction: ginger, hedgerow, and fruit wines to tease any tired palette back into spring. Well worth a visit any time of year for its walks and wildlife.

KLmagazine April 2013

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We are now open all day on Saturdays and Sundays Serving food from 12 noon until 10pm

THE HARE ARMS Traditional Country Pub & Restaurant

Stow Bardolph, nr. Downham Market, PE34 3HT 01366 382229 www.theharearms.co.uk

Dining out THE BERNEY ARMS A traditional village inn offering luxury accommodation and fantastic meals – all freshly cooked using the very best local produce!

Eat, drink and stay...

Church Road, Barton Bendish Norfolk PE33 9GF Tel: 01366 347995

www.theberneyarms.co.uk

If you’re eating out locally, here’s a selection of great places to try...

the village

Deli th rnham

café and store

Open Daily Extensive menu Children’s play area Lovely location Plenty of parking Telephone: (01485) 512194 Email: villagedelithornham@gmail.com

Boutique Hotel with Superb Restaurant

5% Off all food and drink with this advertisement No photocopies accepted

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The Kings Head

H O T E L Great Bircham, Kings Lynn PE31 6RJ Tel 01485 578265 Web www.the-kings-head-bircham.co.uk

53

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BURNHAM MARKET PINE e best quality furniture for style and value

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ith a complete range of natural, painted, reclaimed and old pine furniture, Burnham Market Pine can make beautiful bespoke and occasional pieces for either inside or outside your home – at a size to suit your pocket. All items in stock can be bought off the floor or modified to your specification and taste – in a choice of waxed, hand-painted, OPENING HOURS spray-painted, lacquered or distressed Tues-urs 10:30am-5:30pm finishes.

Fri-Sat 10am-5:30pm Visit our extensive collection in our Sun 12pm-5pm Also open Mondays large warehouse now and discover the during school holidays beauty of Burnham Market Pine!

BURNHAM MARKET PINE Station Garage, Creake Road Burnham Market PE31 8EA Tel: 01328 738009/07917 202529 E-mail: info@burnhammarketpine.co.uk Web: www.burnhammarketpine.co.uk

54

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KLmagazine April 2013

Interiors

Rocking Chair and cushions by Dobbies | www.dobbies.com

Ten pages of inspiring ideas for your home

KLmagazine April 2013

55

Furniture and kitchens

> Interiors

The European influence is showing now – gloss white bathroom furniture, for example. Great to look at and easy to contrast with traditional chrome taps and your favourite wall and floor colours.

DARYL City Plumbing Bathrooms | 01553 777323

When did you last have a highly-experienced female kitchen designer visit you? That’s what we do. It’s your kitchen!

PAM GRIFFIN Top of the Shop, Heacham | 01485 571367

Era collection by Camerich | www.camerich.co.uk

Furniture this season comes with a familiar and nostalgic 1950's feel; designs are elegant and honest in natural light woods such as oak, beech and ash. In the kitchen free standing furniture lends a contemporary feel.

John Lewis, Norwich | 01603 660021

Nautical is the big theme for spring, right round the Norfolk coast. It’s a great look!

ANNA McNEIL Uniquely Eclectic, Holt | 07858 291774

MKM has recently refurbished its Kitchen and Bathroom showroom and is now ready to help you plan and design your dream Kitchen or Bathroom whatever your budget.

NATHAN MKM King’s Lynn | 01553 817830

56

Pale blue is right up to date. Influence?

European possibly, but it’s elegant, affordable and adventurous. Go for it!

GARY THORNHILL Style Kitchens, King’s Lynn | 01553 767519

KLmagazine April 2013

Suffolk Painted Kitchen by Kit Stone | www.kitstone.co.uk

A

s the fashionistas strut their stuff around the catwalks of Paris it’s easy to forget that furniture too has its international trade fairs.

April’s Milan Furniture Fair is one such, taking place in April, giving artists and designers a chance to display their creativity and a chance to network as a community in one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Much closer to home 100% Design in September is expecting to attract over 30,000 visitors to London, and is the UK’s largest design trade event.

How do they affect you and me? A visit to your local showroom may seem to be the same visit you took last year, and the year before, but high fashion is as relevant to your sideboard’s drawers as it is to Naomi Campbell or Chanel.

Even the most casual visitor to an international design fair could not fail to notice the changes that will be happening closer to home, as the new designs send you off with a shopping list to one of Norfolk’s independent shops. Change trickles through fast, and what you thought wasn’t you in a million years could well be something you trip over at your neighbour’s. And there was you thinking a chair was a chair.

FAMILY BUSINESS EST. 1988 KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS

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OPENING HOURS 9-4.30PM MONDAY-FRIDAY 9-1PM SATURDAY

For further information contact Pam on 01485 571367 42 Station Road, Heacham, Next to Heacham Building Supplies

www.topoftheshop.co.uk

Antiques | Collectables | Shabby Chic furniture In-house interior design service available Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm | Sun 11am-5pm

BLACKFRIARS ANTIQUES 11 Blackfriars Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1NN Telephone 07534 997899

KLmagazine April 2013

57

Paint & Wallpaper

> Interiors

The Americans are producing some fabulous wallpapers.

The designs from Thibaut’s are fantastic – traditional but quirky. They’re very modern.

MORAG CHRISTY Silverleaf Interiors/Fabulous Fabrics at Holt | 01263 712193

If you're keen on a weathered coastal cottage look, sidestep the pressure of a perfect paint job and opt instead for a whitewashed finish. Whitewashing revives old cabinets and gives pristine ones just the right amount of patina. The style is easy to maintain because the slightly mottled finish hides the inevitable marks and wear that comes with time.

NANCI GILLETT Burnham Interiors | 01328 730989

Lotus Wallpaper by Farrow & Ball | www.farrow&ball.com

Hibou Home Cactus Cowboy wallpaper by Nubie | www.nubie.co.uk

W

hat you put on your walls says more about you than just about anything. Your visitors might well appreciate your carriage lamps and go positively gooey over that mullion window, but it’s once they’re inside and seated amongst the four slabs of wall, unavoidable for the next few hours, that you’re really going to be judged.

Eggshell, or semi-gloss?

Wallpaper or textured stone?

Porcelain wall tiles or veneer panels? It’s something that you’re going to live with for some time so it’s worth getting it right.

Our local experts are there to advise and cajole but it’s entirely possible that you already know what your intentions are, so spring into spring!

Colour palettes of mocha and steel grey work well set against new wallpaper designs from Orla Keily and PiP Studio that recall abstract and energetic designs bringing a dash of character - perfect for dramatic feature walls and classic backdrops.

John Lewis, Norwich | 01603 660021

58

KLmagazine April 2013

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Primavera Fabric Collection by Dekoria | www.dekoria.co.uk

> Interiors

Fabrics

Elegance Matching Textiles by Dekoria | www.dekoria.co.uk

Textiles take on the Pioneering trend based on Sun-baked deserts and the landscapes of the American south-west. Brushed cotton, heavy weaves and Haman-style linens often with a strong stamped graphic.

John Lewis, Norwich | 01603 660021

Whether you want to create a cool headboard or cover windows for privacy, a wall of curtains accomplishes the task in easy fashion.

NANCI GILLETT Burnham Interiors | 01328 730989

60

KLmagazine April 2013

Designer

Contemporary

Traditional

The average person only buys two kitchens in their lifetime, so settling for anything less than the very best simply isn’t an option. $

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> Interiors

Juma Square by Bazaar Velvet | www.bazaarvelvet.co.uk

We’re heading back to a feel of the 80s. You remember the silvers, greys and pinks? Stripes are back, but the pink’s definitely moved out now.

SIMON JOHNSON Simply Interiors Wisbech | 01945 476517

Natural stone Floors are a popular choice as when used for underfloor heating they retain heat better than other materials – they suit traditional homes, and when fitted and sealed correctly stay looking good for years.

JOHN WOOTTON FORAS Natural Stone, Stow Bridge | 01366 381069

Enhance contemporary interiors with a statement rug; spring 2013 has seen the arrival of large scale graphic patterns and rugs which provide a block of colour.

Team these with classic neutral carpets.

John Lewis, Norwich | 01603 660021

R

Rochester tiles available from FORAS Natural Stone | www.foras.co.uk

ugs and carpets offer so much more than just somewhere to kick off your shoes. They can muffle sound and of course are an easy way to make a house into a comfortable home. More and more now we’re looking for a different sort of floor covering, and in particular we’re in search of something that ticks all those green boxes.

Sisal, coir, wool or organic cotton all have the advantage of sustainability and can be just as costeffective as other less planet-kindly fabrics. Or there are materials like wool-modular floor tiles, where some of the backing is made from recycled materials.

Don’t forget to consider slip-proofing your carpets and rugs if you’ve got small children, pets, furniture, food... er, most things actually.

Foras Limestone – with its warm, light blue-grey background, pale creamy flecks and heavier inky blue fossilisation, this elegant stone is exclusive to Foras in East Anglia

62

It’s as if we’re harking back to a time when there were greater values given to craftsmanship and quality. Going out for dinner? No, we’re having people round. It’s time to show yourself!

ANNA McNEIL Uniquely Eclectic, Holt | 07858 291774

KLmagazine April 2013

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A massive choice of top value carpets!

A huge collection of high quality carpets!

Don’t forget we also offer a wide range of vinyls, laminates and hardwood floorings

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From budget floors to grand designs, we never compromise on quality...

Tower Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1EJ Tel: 01553 762878 Web: www.economyflooringkl.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

BANK HOLIDAY GARDEN & HOME SPECTACULAR to be held at Award Winning lifestyle company Saturday 4th to Monday 6th May ES ADDITIONAL ACTIVITI niture Sale Fur and nt Pla Natural internal/external stone flooring, Refreshments and Food garden accessories including water features, stone benches, birdbaths, sculpture and Children’s Entertainment planters!

Plenty of Parking > Discount flooring packs on natural interior Preview Sale Brochure Available le and exterior stone flooring Loading Facilities Availab 2

UP TO 70% OFF!

> 10,000m of exterior flooring and show garden display ideas > Further discounts off sale prices on the day Reclaim and sale area Interior stone and mosaic showroom Trade previews available Showroom and gardens open all year round

Foras Showgarden CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW GOLD MEDAL WINNERS 2012 for the Foras Sculpture Garden

West Head Farm, Stowbridge, King’s Lynn Norfolk PE34 3NJ t: 01366 381069 e: sales@.foras.co.uk w: www.foras.co.uk

Anglia Farmers discounts available

63

Decorative items Positano ceramics and lamps by Tesco | www.tesco.com

> Interiors

T

hat Salvador Dali print may have looked good on the wall of a café in Barcelona but was it such a good idea to put it in the spare room?

There’s the story of the young lady, given a Picasso limited edition heirloom; when it just wouldn’t suit any of her existing décor she moved house, basing the entire decorative style of her new home on that single item.

Make it look good. Whatever it is – a vase, oil painting, Roman bust or Grecian urn – ensure it has the air it needs to breathe rather than stick it amongst a jumble of other items. If you value it then so will others.

The items we have around us are an extension of our personalities, not our bank balances. Our children’s artwork, framed for effect, can be more than just a memory of the past. Original, thoughtful and entertaining – just like their young artists!

Large Steel Letters by Something or Other | www.somethingorother.co.uk

No 1 Poster and Weather In A Bottle by The Printorium | www.theprintorium.com

Set a serene mood with decorative pieces that are inspired by the Botanist's garden. Delicate illustrations of wildflowers and butterflies take centre stage.

John Lewis, Norwich | 01603 660021

Dining accessories. Finest slate antipasti trays, ornate tea light holders, oil and vinegar bottles – they’re on the table and they’re a statement of you.

DEBBIE BLOODWORTH David Auker, King’s Lynn | 01553 770536

Life-sized model sheep are one of our biggest sellers. They began grazing outside, but they look fab in a conservatory as well.

MEL HASKETT Cooks Furnishings, King’s Lynn | 01553 774991 KA-POW Comic Effect Small Cushion by Kico-Laptrays | www.kico-laptrays.co.uk

64

KLmagazine April 2013

KLmagazine April 2013

65

Y A 4W Today’s air conditioning made simple by 4 Way If you thought air conditioning was just about being cool, think again. Steve Simpson and Neil Jordan from 4-Way Refrigeration make things clearer for KL magazine.

M

aybe it’s all those outdoor pictures of airconditioning units in the States. Maybe it’s that you only notice ads for air conditioning when the temperature begins to rise. Whatever the reason, and whatever your space, it’s evident that today’s air-conditioning can do far more than just chill the air.

“Garden rooms,” says Steve. “and bedrooms. Two environments which have different demands to other rooms in the house. You want your conservatory or garden room to be somewhere that you can spend 365 days a year, and not just for the three months when it’s sunnier. Your bedroom should a place that you’d like the ambient temperature to be just right when your head hits the pillow.

Not too stuffy, not too chilly – just right.”

The answer in both cases is airconditioning. Today’s units offer practically silent running, they’re very cost-effective on an everyday basis, and look stylish in any setting. “It’s not just the commercial environment that needs air conditioning,” says Neil. “You spend more time at home than you do in your office, so it makes sense to make your living space as comfortable as you can, and as Steve says they

66

needn’t be expensive to run, particularly when you’re comparing to the costs of radiator heating using fossil fuels.”

For the bedroom, wall mounted units have the elegance of smooth lines and soft corners and will complement any interior. State of the art technology and a range of features ensure optimum performance. Today’s units will boost air flow to every single corner of the room, and air diffusion – suitable for heating and cooling – will direct heat to floor level, where cold air gathers.

The diffuser’s horizontal mode distributes cool air at ceiling height, where it’s most effective.

“We all know that heat rises,” says Steve, “whereas cold air is best sent out horizontally. But the beauty of today’s units is that you don’t even need to know that. All you need to know is the temperature you’d like your room to be, and that’s it. The unit does all the thinking for you.”

For the garden room, the compact cassette unit uses the latest fan technology to sit snugly into your ceiling, distributing conditioned air through two, three or four sides. Ultra quiet again, they’re easy to maintain.

Both wall mounted and ceiling units arrive complete with a remote control as standard; fingertip control when you’d prefer to stay exactly where you

are. How comfortable is that?!

“When it comes to air conditioning, there’s no reason to make do any more.

Our customers trust us to find a solution that’s effective, cost-efficient and looks great,” says Neil, and Steve has the final word. “The testimonials we’ve received from our customers are ready for inspection at any time. There’s no better compliment,” he concludes.

“4 Way really is the best way.”

4 WAY REFRIGERATION LTD Unit 25, Bergen Way, North Lynn Industrial Estate, King's Lynn, PE30 2JG TEL: 01553 767878 E-MAIL: sales@4wayref.co.uk WEB: www.4wayref.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

!

A beautifully Presented, Spacious 4 Bedroom Residence, situated in a quiet area, with mature private gardens. Entrance Hall, Lounge, Dining Room, Family Room, Conservatory, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Shower Room, Utility, Study, 4 Bedrooms. OUTSIDE: Brickweave Driveway to Double Garage, lawn area with flower and shrub Borders.

Rear Garden Comprises central lawn area flanked by mature flower and shrub borders with a variety of mature trees.

6 Bed Detached Cottage, Oil Central Heating, 2 Reception Rooms, 3 En Suite, Large Garden, Driveway Parking, Fully Furnished, EPC: Rating E

!

An Immaculate, Detached 3 Bedroom Chalet Style Bungalow constructed in 2011. Oil Central Heating and Upvc Double Glazing.

Situated on a 'tucked away' development with high quality fixtures and fittings and spacious accommodation. Entrance Hall, Lounge, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Utility Room, 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, OUTSIDE: Brickweave Driveway with ample parking leading to brick and tile garage. Enclosed Rear Garden comprises paved paths and large patio area, lawn with flower and shrub borders and silver Birch trees.

No Onward Chain.

2 Bedroom Semi Detached Cottage, Part Of The Royal Sandringham Estate, Night Storage Heating, Fitted Kitchen, Off Road Parking, Courtyard, Outside Stores, Unfurnished EPC: Rating E

!

3 Bedroom Semi Detached House, Fully Refurbished, Gas Central Heating, UPVC, Off Road Parking, Unfurnished EPC: Rating C

Mid Terrace, 2 Bedroom, Character Cottage ideal for First Time Buyers, Investors or those seeking a Holiday Retreat. Lounge, Diner, Kitchen, Rear Lobby, Bathroom, Rear Porch, 2 Bedrooms, Courtyard Garden to Rear, Gravelled with paved path offering parking for a small vehicle at front.

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67

The latest in innovative window design...

A

t Supreme Windows, we insist on offering only the very finest window solutions – with a service that’s second to none. We’re also very proud to offer Residence 9 – the latest in innovative PVCU window design, which is the perfect product for both old and new properties. With its 100mm 9-chamber profile and remarkable resemblance to timber or painted timber, coupled to exceptional thermal efficiency and security, the Residence 9 range looks fantastic and performs brilliantly.

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ICE FOR YOU – THE TOTAL SERV Y! DEN MACHINER AND YOUR GAR

New and used garden machinery supplied From a pair of shears to a Compact Tractor We are now taking bookings for annual servicing for all types of garden machinery!

ASPEN fuel is ‘stable’ and will last for five years without deteriorating or losing performance unlike normal fuel which will go off after a few weeks in your tank ASPEN will also result in a longer life for your garden machinery and a more pleasant working environment for the operator.

Individually designed and crafted garden buildings – exquisitely hand made by local carpenters

We are dealers for: Toro, Kubota, Countax, Webb, Stihl, efco, Briggs & Stratton, Weibang, Handy, Air-Seal Products, Lawn King.”

R& B

Turf and Groundcare Machinery

The Workshop, Marsh Farm, Wolferton, King’s Lynn PE31 6HB tel: 01485 540645 | web: www.randbmowermen-d.co.uk e-mail: randbgroundcare@googlemail.com

68

Creake Road, Burnham Market, Norfolk PE31 8EA Tel: 01328 823413 | Mobile: 07775 897937

www.theclassicshedco.co.uk KLmagazine April 2013

Bennett Homes puts the focus on first-time buyers Later this month, award-winning East Anglian building company Bennett Homes is hosting an Open Weekend at its attractive Hayfields development at Downham Market

A

ward-winning East Anglian building company Bennett Homes will focus on homes and help for firsttime buyers (as well as other customers) when it holds an Open Weekend at its Hayfields development at Downham Market later this month.

On Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th April from 10am-5pm visitors will be able to meet the Bennett Homes team – Liz, Sonia and Terry – and see the selection of three different properties on offer at first hand. Prices start from £129,995 for a two bedroom home.

WEEKEND OFFER A special offer of free fitted carpets and a window dressing package of blinds and curtains with rails, pulls and tiebacks will be given to all purchasers making reservations over the weekend.

EQUITY SCHEME First-time buyers will also be able to take advantage of the company’s 15% equity scheme – which is interest free for 15 years and means a £129,995 new home can be purchased for as little as £110,495, with a deposit as low as £6,500.

KLmagazine April 2013

MORTGAGE ADVICE Throughout the weekend, Matt Tilbury, an Independent Financial Adviser from Just Mortgages will be on hand to chat to any visitors who may wish for mortgage advice.

Bennett Homes’ Sales Manager Dawn Urry says: “We’ve decided to hold an Open Weekend with a special focus on first-time buyers as we believe this sector of the market can really benefit from our special schemes to get a foot on the property ladder. It’s also an opportunity to reserve one of only six two bedroom properties remaining on the site. We welcome not only firsttime buyers, but also their families, to come along and take a look around our traditionally-built high quality homes.

Of course there is also the added bonus of carpets and window dressing package for reservations taken over the weekend.

“With its excellent transport links, and just a few minutes walk from the station, Hayfields is an ideal location for people working in King’s Lynn, Ely and Cambridge, as well as the local area.”

EXCELLENT LOCATION Located off Bennett Street in Downham Market, Hayfields is within walking

distance of a wealth of amenities including shops, a post office, weekly market, restaurants and pubs. The town’s leisure centre has an indoor pool and the Priory Centre features a modern library.

BENNETT HOMES QUALITY The family-run company offers exceptional quality and craftsmanship with all homes architecturally-designed and covered by the NHBC 10-year warranty. Bennett Homes was recently named House Builder of the Year 2011 by the National Federation of Builders.

In addition to Downham Market, it currently has sites at Kenninghall, Wereham and Attleborough.

Bennett Homes’ showhome at Hayfields is open throughout the year from Friday to Monday (10am5pm). You can receive further information from Liz Crane at Bennett Homes on 01366 387476 or online at www.bennett-homes.co.uk BENNETT HOMES Low Green Barn, Nowton Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 5ND Tel: 01284 766057 Web: www.bennett-homes.co.uk

69

LOCAL LIFE

OUT & ABOUT Pictures: Ian Ward Words: David Learner 68

KLmagazine March 2013

Cley T

he census for Cley back in 2001 showed just 376 souls living in the village.

Sometimes, as spring turns into summer, and its narrow through road fills wide with tourists it must feel like ten times that. Cley-next-the-Sea is more popular now than it ever was. Romantics will know that it was here that poet Rupert Brooke heard of the outbreak of the First World War as he stayed with friends, just a day after he dreamed of that self-same conflict.

The iconic, almost hovering, windmill has been seen by us all as a shimmering hot-air balloon, gently dusting the reed marshes, reminds us that we’re watching BBC1. Of the four churches of Blakeney Haven St Margaret was the biggest, grandest and most expensive, and its stunning setting on a gentle rise above the village green finds it full of wild flowers and tall grasses in the May sunshine. The Cley marshes are marked for their rare breeding birds while Picnic Fayre is a feast of home-grown produce, offering everything from cabbages to Courvoisier.

KLmagazine April 2013

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P

art of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Blakeney almost seems to have been lost in a dream. Until its harbour silted up it was a commercial seaport; now only the smallest of boats can make their way out into the open sea. It was here that Horatio Lord Nelson – just Horace then – first stepped into a dinghy, learning to sail in the creeks and marshes which lead out to the North Sea. Unless you’ve heard the same of Brancaster Staithe, or Burnham Overy Staithe… It’s probable they are all true, and that they all share the pride of teaching England’s national hero a thing or two about the sea.

Blakeney S

tump Island is the literal translation of Stiffkey and may be the cause for the great debate about the village’s pronunciation. Stiff?

Or Stoo? The mud in which the local cockles live stains them blue, hence Stiffkey Blues. Maybe Stoo would never have come about if the mud had turned them green…

Stiffkey’s silence brought solitude to Tarka the Otter’s author Henry Williamson when he bought Old Hall Farm in 1937. It turns out he was a better novelist than he was a farmer and Devon would eventually claim him after eight years, although not before he’d produced some highly lyrical writing in The Story of a Norfolk Farm.

72

Stiffkey KLmagazine April 2013

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Call: 07525 454160 / 01328 730270 E-mail: yourwillbedone.bennett@gmail.com

Spring has sprung. It’s time to get in the garden Thaxters Garden Centre has everything you need to keep your garden looking good this spring!

J. Arthur Bowers Multi-Purpose Compost 60 Litre (Awarded the Best Buy Container Compost in March 2012) £3.99 or 3 Bags For £10 Pansies in individual pots, 69p Each or 18 for £9.99 Tomato and cucumber plants, Herbs | Perennials 3 for £5 Yeoman General Purpose Hedge Shears Only £12.99

49 Hunstanton Road, Dersingham King’s Lynn PE31 6NA Telephone: 01485 541514 | Shop online: www.thaxters.co.uk | Open from 8-6 daily

KLmagazine April 2013

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KLmagazine April 2013

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KLmagazine April 2013

75

HISTORY

ABOVE: The King’s Lynn dock crossing gates are being closed for the last time on May 13th, 1993. A very different scene from this view (opposite) of railway sidings on the south side or Alexandra Dock in 1877

Images from the long tracks of Lynn’s history Mike Fell’s recent book takes an industrial journey into the past of King’s Lynn. He explains his fascination with the story to David Learner and why he feels it important to preserve it for the future

J

ohn Barrett’s photograph of the very last train to come off the docks in King’s Lynn in 1993 is a haunting one. The crossing gates are being closed for the last time. While the motorists who waited patiently on John Kennedy Road will have gained a few more minutes for their days, Mike Fell’s feeling is that the closure of the railway line saw the end of an era.

His connection with the port of King’s Lynn began in July 1984 when Mike was appointed its Port Manager, but his love of the sea began in a land-locked Stoke-on-Trent as a small boy.

“I was born in the heart of the Potteries, in Hanley, when it was still

KLmagazine April 2013

unusual for the majority of families to enjoy the luxury of a motor car,” he says. “Seeing the sea was a most unusual occurrence, and usually happened once a year when we went by train for a holiday at one of the North Wales resorts or to Blackpool.

“In those far-off days I couldn’t have imagined that I would spend over forty years in the port transport industry holding senior management positions involving the east coast ports of King’s Lynn, Goole, Hull, Ipswich and Whitby and the Trent wharves of Flixborough and Gunness.”

While Mike’s main schoolboy interest was in railways he hankered for a life at sea – but poor academic results put

paid to an ambition to become a marine engineer. By his twentieth birthday he’d taken up an administrative role at the British Transport Docks Board. One of its 19 UK ports was King’s Lynn and all had been owned by mainline railway companies, with just two exceptions – Goole and Lynn (Lynn’s previous owners were the King’s Lynn Docks and Railway Company).

When Mike’s wish to get involved in the physical aspect of life at the dockside was granted, and his pen was swapped for pure muscle, he would learn about stevedoring and registered dock working the hard way. Quarter of a pound of tea is one thing, but several traditional plywood chests containing a

77

bruising amount of our favourite brew is something else. His lucky escapes are too numerous to list.

Persistence and plenty of tea paid off and by 1979 Mike had been made Assistant Docks Manager at Lynn. The Potteries had come to King’s Lynn to start a brand new life and it was here Mike began to think about writing the history of the Port’s railway.

“I became passionate about the port’s progress both past, and more importantly, during my presence,” he says. “It was on my watch that the annual cargo throughput over the enclosed dock quays surpassed one million tons for the first time. In March 1986 Dr Wilfred John Wren of Oulton Broad in Suffolk asked to see me in connection with a revision of his book Ports of the Eastern Counties. He asked about modern developments and I accompanied him on a tour of the docks.”

Dr Wren died unexpectedly just two months after that meeting, and his planned revision never happened.

“I thought then that it would be right if one day I could do something similar for King’s Lynn,” Mike remembers.

In 1882 an East Coast Steam Ship Company advertisement appeared in the Lynn Advertiser, the Wisbech Constitutional Gazette, and the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire Herald. Mike has reproduced it in his book. The company’s new steamer ‘East Anglian’ would set sail from the Boal Quay for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, taking the tide at 2pm on Tuesday 21st November with both goods and passengers.

For ten bob it may seem an expensive way to travel (admittedly there was a cheaper cabin for seven bob) but the popularity of the transport was such that the itinerary survived for more than a hundred years until the outbreak of the Second World War. It’s the minutiae that make this book so interesting. Mike’s work is candid, learned and chock full of pictures. Maps and diagrams abound to enable the reader to recreate the life of the port – there are stories of the devastation caused by air raids during WW2 and enough railway, maritime and engineering photographs to keep the average enthusiast happy enough for the latterday train ride from Lynn to London.

Its biographies of the port’s movers and shakers have been well researched and there’s even the story of the founder of the St Nicholas Ironworks

78

and former mayor Frederick Savage. His gazing and stoical statue, still there at the junction of London Road and Guanock Terrace, is the only impression of a King’s Lynn dignitary set up during their lifetime. The erection of the piece was supervised by Savage himself.

The final word should go to Mike: “Throughout my career I’ve found that the vital role ports play in supporting the national economy and the well-being of the areas in which they’re located is often unrecognised or misunderstood. I hope this book will go some way to redress that situation in the case of King’s Lynn and enable readers to recognise its rich maritime history and continuing importance as a thriving port.”

PICTURES: The MV Gwendolyne Birch at low water alongside the South Quay (top) and the Thames Spritsail sailing barge about to enter Bentinck Passage (below) –just two of the fascinating images from Mike Fell’s book.

AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE PORT OF KING’S LYNN AND ITS RAILWAYS by Mike Fell (£15.95) is published by Irwell Press. Copies can be ordered from the publishers on 01707 876713 (24-hour orderline)or you can buy online at www.irwellpress.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

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KLmagazine April 2013

HEALTH & BEAUTY

FeetFirst

with Elizabeth Dutton

OFFER OF

THE MONTH!

Stepping into Spring

F

inally some warmer weather is just around the corner! It’s a great chance to kick off those socks and shoes and let our feet breathe. After months of being shoved into socks, shoes/boots and enduring hot/cold environments your feet may not be looking their best – but don’t fear. At THE FOOT CARE CENTRE we’re here to show you how to give your feet a treat.

In preparation for putting your feet on show, you’ll need to embark on a new regime for the spring: > A daily heel buff with a rough sponge, pumice stone or a handful of salt will help exfoliate the heels and remove unwanted skin particles. > Twice a week soak your feet in a bowl of warm water with two tablespoons of Epsom salts to help detoxify the feet (and body!) > Twice a week soak your nails in lemon juice (fresh is best, but any will do!) – this will enhance the colour of your nails. > Spring clean your sock drawer – make sure socks/tights or stockings KLmagazine April 2013

still fit and are in good repair. If not, replace them – don’t be tempted to force toes into ill-fitting socks, as this will cause lasting damage. > Spring clean your shoes – make sure summer shoes still fit and check the heels for wear and tear. Make sure straps, buckles, laces or Velcro are still serviceable. With flipflops, make sure they fit comfortably and aren’t worn at the toes or heels. A quick spritz with a diluted anaesthetic solution will freshen them up and ensure no nasty surprises are lurking within the shoe fabric!

Enjoy a minipedicure, foot massage and nail paint for ONLY £20! (note: 30-minut e

appointment)

Spring is a great time to pamper your feet and choose a fresh look in footwear – and an attractive bright colour to wear on your nails (remember polish must be reapplied regularly to prevent lasting harm to the nail bed).

The Beauty Centre is now open at 4b Tower Street in King’s Lynn. Alix is our fully-qualified beautician and is ready to welcome you. Why not visit Alix and have a pedicure, foot massage and nail paint to help you step into spring?

All you need to know...

ELIZABETH DUTTON is a qualified foot health care practitioner and trainer. Elizabeth and her qualified team offer treatments from THE FOOT CARE CENTRE, 4B Tower St, King’s Lynn, PE30 1EJ. For more information, details, help and advice please contact Elizabeth’s centre in King’s Lynn. You’ll find the Centre’s website at www.TheFootCareCentreKingsLynn.co.uk For details of how to train as a foot care practitioner please see the website at www.TheCollegeOfFootCarePractitioners.co.uk (note that the QR code on the right will also take you there) Finally, you can call us on 01553 768661 (clinic) or or send an e-mail to Elizabeth and her team at enquiries@thefootcarecentrekingslynn.co.uk

81

ARTS PICTURE: Ruthie Stephens as Dinah (far left), Kelsey Cobban as Duvay and Amanda Coutts as Pearl (credit: Eric Richmond)

ABOVE: The full company of Starlight Express – making tracks to a theatre near you this month (photo: Eric Richmond)

Ruthie Stephens takes the express to stardom Her ballet teacher knew she was a star in the making the moment she met her. David Learner tracks a local success story as local dancer and performer Ruthie Stephens arrives in Norwich...

A

s Ruthie Stephens skates onto the stage at Norwich’s Theatre Royal for the upcoming national tour of Starlight Express she’ll be giving everything to her performance.

But in the audience there’s likely to be a bunch of followers from King’s Lynn who know she was always destined to be a star, and they’ll be there to remind her of how it all started.

When I asked Tina Rodgers from King’s Lynn Footlights Performing Arts what it was about Ruthie that set her apart, her answer was immediate.

“Charisma,” she says. “Some have it, and some don’t. Ruthie was enthusiastic and that’s what we love to see from everyone who arrives at Footlights, but Ruthie exuded charisma

KLmagazine April 2013

as well. It was a certain something. Add technique, style, determination and talent and you end up with Ruthie.”

Ruthie was about eight years old when she began at Footlights. Her first plunge into physical activity was in the gymnastics classes at Lynnsport, and that certain something evidently showed itself there too – one of her teachers suggested she should pop over to Footlights to try ballet.

“Tina Rodgers and Karen Darlington were just brilliant,” says Ruthie. “They were so inspirational. You had to work really hard, but it was great fun too.

Tina and Karen were fantastic.”

When she was 16 Ruthie headed to Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom.

“My mum was a bit nervous, but it was amazing to be there. It was pretty 83

ABOVE: The rolling stock is just one of the sparkling highlights of the experience that is Starlight Express (photo: Eric Richmond)

intense to go from learning an hour and a half a week at Footlights to eight or nine hours a day at Laine’s. Looking back, those were the happiest three years of my life.”

Ruthie’s family all still live around the King’s Lynn area.

“I was the only one who flew the nest,” she says. “My brother James works at the Sea Life Centre in Hunstanton, and I’m so proud of him. I remember when I first saw him working with the seals I had a little tear in my eye.”

Younger brother James tells me theirs is a close family. His talent has wrapped itself around entertaining the tinier visitors to the Sea Life Centre, and telling them more about what they’re seeing. It’s interesting that while James says there’s no history of entertaining in their family it sounds as if there’s a showman in him as well – certainly his role is one he’s loved playing in Hunstanton’s ever-popular family attraction for at least four years.

“Ruthie’s talent has always been inside her,” he says. “Looking at videos of shows when she was younger it’s clear she’s enjoying every minute.

I don’t recall her having any other interests – that was all she ever wanted to do, and she’s someone who knows what she wants.”

Starlight Express has been wowing audiences since 1984 and this latest tour arrives in Norwich on 9th April.

Not surprisingly it’s already selling

84

well. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe’s musical follows a boy’s train set as it comes to life, and famously the actors have to be able to roller skate.

How did Ruthie feel about that?

“I did eight weeks at skating school,” she says. “You learn everything. A lot of people take to it naturally. Not me.

There were a lot of tears and a lot of anger before I mastered it.”

She plays Dinah, a Southern Belle, and one of the four carriages in the show. Her boyfriend is Greaseball, one of the diesel engines. Thomas the Tank Engine this isn’t, yet its musicality and its zest have kept it fresher than breakfast for almost 30 years.

“The tour is great fun, but hard work,” says Ruthie. “I’m also the dance captain, given the job of making sure every dance is clean and precise. The cast have their skates on for four hours a day, so we need to check that all the surfaces in the building are flat, and that there are no bumps or hanging wires.

Things like that are really important.”

The other thing that’s really important to Ruthie is her family, and she gets back to the area whenever she can. For those with longer Theatre Royal memories, she appeared there in Flashdance in 2009, sharing the stage with Coronation Street star Bruno Langley and Noel Sullivan from Hear’Say. “It was really nice,” she says, “that my friends and family had the chance to see me perform.”

In a business that sees many hit the buffers before their time it’s great to see a King’s Lynn professional going full steam ahead in front of some demanding audiences rights across the UK. As you watch Ruthie Stephens skating her way to stardom it’s worth remembering that it all started in the gym at Lynnsport. Well done, Ruthie – it’s a great story!

STARLIGHT EXPRESS plays at the Theatre Royal Norwich from Tuesday 9th April to Saturday 20th.

TICKETS are available by calling 01603 630 000 or online at www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

KLmagazine April 2013

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85

ARTS

Four local artists show that Less is More Andrew Schumann and three fellow Norfolk artists set out to explore broader horizons at a brand new exhibition in Norwich.

David Learner finds out more.

W

hen we last caught up with artist Andrew Schumann in October 2011, he was in philosophical mood.

“I’m full of wonder that absolutely everything in our world is assembled out of just 92 naturally-occurring elements,” he said, “and that symmetry and randomness affects everything – from natural selection accounting for all life on earth, to Newton’s Laws governing the motions of the universe.”

Now, in a brand new Norfolk exhibition at Norwich’s Forum, Andrew continues to explore the world around us. Less is More offers a unique

86

collaboration between Andrew and Mary Mellor, Derek Morris and Vanessa Pooley – four prominent local artists at the height of their creative careers.

Andrew studied Art History at Cambridge University and was one of the driving forces behind the founding of Bespak, now a leading global supplier of drug delivery devices based in King’s Lynn. His second career in art has kept him busy in his Lynn studio for the last quarter of a century. His work is minimalist, constructive and conceptual, relating to philosophical and scientific themes.

“My recent works,” he says, “explore the mystery of life, expressed by ‘the

paradoxical relationship between the precision of the circle within its square and the endless imprecision of the resulting ratio, pi – a number that goes on to infinity without pattern or repetition.”

He has exhibited extensively in Norfolk and has been a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition throughout the last 15 years. Andrew’s work is characterised by an emphasis on the manufacturing process itself, regardless of instant recognition and simple representation.

“My work is concerned with qualities of materials, processes and structures

KLmagazine April 2013

and what they reveal about our amazing universe,” says Andrew. His more recent work has further explored his ideas of randomness and symmetry.

Fascinated by childhood chemistry lessons and atoms, Andrew’s beadframe works use specially made two-hole beads threaded onto a line within a wooden frame, challenging the viewer to look a little deeper into the meanings of their creation but without having to fully reach a satisfactory conclusion. Each piece provides its own wonder as something the eye naturally wanders to, without having to have a reason why.

Norfolk sculptor Vanessa Pooley is the second of the group whose work will be on view. Her work has been seen in London, Edinburgh, Aldeburgh and widely throughout Britain, as well as in Zurich and Ghent. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.

The female figure and motherhood are central themes in her work and she produces tactile bronze sculptures.

“It is unusual and satisfying to be exhibiting with three other people who know what they want to say and are saying it,” she explained. “Our work is more sophisticated, experienced and self-aware than it would have been in our early careers.”

Mary Mellor lives and works in

|

B AT H RO O M S

|

BEDROOMS

|

ABOVE: Exhibiting at the Forum in Norwich later this month, King’s Lynn artist Andrew Schumann continues his exploration of randomness, symmetry and processes with fascinating works such as the recent Quantum Soup (detail, opposite)

LESS IS MORE The Forum, Norwich NR2 1TF Monday 15th April – Sunday 21st April 10am-6pm daily, 10am-4pm Sunday Free admission Tel: 01603 727950 Web: www.theforumnorwich.co.uk

HOME OFFICE

BRATIN LE

30

G

CE

KITCHENS

Norwich. She makes abstract reliefs and paintings, many of which are geometric. Designs are drawn up on graph paper and transferred to the support. Frequently the composition of the works emerge from the internal geometry of the rectangle itself – the conjunctions of horizontals and verticals, diagonals, golden sections and other divisions of the rectangle used by classical artists.

Derek Morris is presently involved with the Norfolk Contemporary Art Society and is also a Trustee of Sculpture for Norwich, dedicated to the commissioning of significant works of public art in the City. He works within the European Modernist tradition of Constructed Art, and his current work is based on simple geometry which emanates from the built environment, most particularly from the architectural device known as the squint.

And why Less is More?

“Each of us has refined our ideas and pared down our work over many years until we have a de-cluttered and concentrated product,” says Derek.

Certainly the work of these four artists will make for provocative viewing for a public able to assess their own individual place in the light of a quartet of artists who’ve already declared and found their own.

IN

SS

YEARS

BUSINE

KING’S LYNN 48 Bergen Way (next to Citroen) North Lynn Industrial Estate King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 2JG Tel: 01553 762749

KLmagazine April 2013

www.kingsoakkitchens.co.uk

HUNSTANTON 2-4 Northgate Precinct (opp. Natwest, High Street) Hunstanton PE36 6EA Tel: 01485 534965

87

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KLmagazine April 2013

My KL

e page that’s

made by KL magazine readers...

Thanks for all the inspiration!

I always enjoy reading KL magazine, as it does an excellent job of promoting everything that’s good about the west side of Norfolk – and reminds us that there is life outside Norwich.

I just wanted to thank you for the exellent preview of the forthcoming exhibition of paintings from the Hermitage at Houghton Hall.

I’ve always loved visiting Houghton, but I never realised it was actually built to house Robert Walpole’s art collection – and that so much of it has been in Russia for the last 200 years!

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I have already bought my tickets to the exhibition.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention – and keep up the good work!

JAMES ROYALL Norwich

Next month... > KING’S LYNN FESTIVAL: from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to Courtney Pine, KL magazine previews the best attractions at this year’s festival > WALSINGHAM: England’s Nazareth has been a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. Bishop Lindsay Urwin shares his thoughts on why the site is so special to so many people > 28-32 KING STREET: an ordinary address in King’s Lynn with an extraordinary story

...and lots more!

KLmagazine April 2013

We need your experience!

Intelligent, wide experience of life, committed and passionate about what you do – and with a good sense of humour.

That’s probably a fair description of an average KL Magazine reader. But those are also exactly the qualities it takes to steer the NHS in the right direction – and just the sort of person we’re looking for!

A vacancy is soon to arise for a Non Executive Director at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and it is someone just like you who could make all the difference to the way local healthcare is provided in future.

Everyone has their own views on how the NHS can be improved. Are you up to the challenge? As a member of our Board of Directors you would be giving us several days a month of your time and expertise, for which there is a modest remuneration. You will help to shape the health strategy for the hospital Trust, making sure that the best interests of patients and local communities are represented.

You will also be expected to be an ambassador for the Trust. This isn’t difficult. We are one of the Top 40 performing Trusts in the country, in terms of offering value for money. In many areas of medical care we are among the best in the country, so there is always a great deal of which to be proud.

What are we looking for in you? Apart from the qualities listed above, we’re looking for evidence of leadership up to Board level in a customer-service organisation. In short, someone with a good business brain.

Most of all we are looking for someone with the passion to improve our services and help make us the very best.

If you think you can meet the challenge, please give me a call for an informal chat around how we could work together.

KATE GORDON Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust Telephone: 01553 613613 (extension 3828) E-mail: kate.gordon@qehkl.nhs.uk

89

LOCAL LIFE

Michael Middleton’s

WildWestNorfolk

W

hatever your religious persuasion, the election of a new Pope can’t fail to get your attention, and for a triviaphile such as myself, it brings with it a whole host of interesting facts and gems of information you can bring up at your next dinner party (or appearance on a TV quiz show) – in this case, some 2,000 years worth of them.

As we’re all now well aware, a new Pope is chosen by the Cardinals in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel in a process called a conclave. Conclave is Latin for ‘key’ and it reflects the fact that the Cardinals are essentially locked inside the room (in olden times they weren’t even fed!) until they come to a decision.

It’s a process introduced by Pope Gregory X in 1274 – before then, a new Pope could be elected in any number of ways, none more stranger than the election of Fabian in 236. A layman visiting Rome at the time of the election, he was acclaimed pope when a dove landed on his shoulder.

The main reason Gregory introduced the conclave, however, was that he’d only become Pope after an election lasting almost three years (and after the King of France forced the cardinals to come to a decision). These days, the election usually lasts for less than a week – the last long conclave was in 1740 and lasted six months.

Of course, the new Pope comes from the ranks of the cardinals – but technically, any baptized male can be elected. The last non-cardinal to become Pope was Urban VI in 1378 and the last non-priest was Leo X.

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It’s tradition that the newly-elected cardinal will change his name on becoming Pope, a practice that started with a man called Mercury, who was elected in 533. He didn’t think it was a good idea for the Pope to be named after a Roman god, so he changed his name to John II. The last pope to keep his name was Marcello Cervini, elected in 1555 – he called himself Marcellus II. It couldn’t happen today for obvious reasons, but there have been three father-son papal combinations in the past, the last time when Sergius III died in 911 and was followed by his illegitimate son, John XI. And talking of the stranger side of the Papacy, the first and (thankfully) only Pope to have ordered the murder of his predecessor was Sergius III (904-11), who had Leo V killed.

Ever wondered why the Pope wears white? It started when Innocent V was elected in 1276. A Dominican priest (an order distinguished by their white habits), he decided to keep his old clothes – the white cassock became standard for all Popes after another Dominican (Pius V) was chosen in 1566.

It’s almost inevitable that a new Pope will be in the 55-65 age bracket, but there have been some notable exceptions. Of the three Popes under the age of 25 when elected, the last was Gregory V (who was 24 in 996), and of the three who were over 80 when elected, the last was Gregory XII (who was 81 in 1406).

The average reign of a Pope is seven years, with four remaining in office for 25 years or more (John Paul II was one of them).

By tradition, the longest reigning Pope was the very first – St. Peter.

He’s said to have served a term of 35 years from the death of Jesus to his own crucifixion in Rome when he was in his 60s.

Coming in second is Pius IX, who was Pope for nearly 32 years from 1846 to 1878. By contrast, the shortest papacy belongs to Urban VII, who died in 1590 after just 12 days in office.

There have been three Popes from Africa (from what we now consider North Africa, anyway), the last being Gelasius, who was elected in 492 – he was also the very first Pope to be called the Vicar of Christ.

Oh, and if you do become Pope, then you have a 1-in-3 chance of becoming a saint. Out of 266 popes to date, 81 are saints – although most of them tend to date from the early centuries of the Church, when many of them were martyrs (which was always a fast-track to canonization).

Of course, thanks to Jorge Mario Bergoglio (and the Cardinals who elected him) we now have even more firsts to remember – the first Pope from Argentina, the first to be named Francis and the first Jesuit to become Pope.

KLmagazine April 2013

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