KL Magazine May 2015

ISSN 2044–7965

ISSUE 56 MAY 2015 PRICELESS

magazine

WEST NORFOLK | NORTH NORFOLK | COASTAL

May school holiday fun at the Alive Leisure venues...

ALIVE FITNESS 10 reasons to join Alive fitness • 5 fully equipped gyms in 4 different locations • 3 fantastic pools in 3 locations • Over 125 classes a week • Different membership packages to suit all budgets • Choose from Gym, Classes or Swimming, a combination of 2, or all 3

ALIVE CORN EXCHANGE Tel: 01553 764864 MINISTRY OF SCIENCE LIVE Sunday 24th May, 2.30pm

• Price promise – continue your membership and the price will be frozen for 3 years!

Not your ordinary science show – it comes with a bang. It comes with a whoosh. But most of all it comes with a hovercraft built on stage…. Oh, and a human cannon too! From liquid nitrogen frozen flowers to hydrogen bottle rockets. From Buzz Aldrin to Virgin Galactic. From a cat food tin to the Hovercraft. From the discovery of methane to the invention of the battery. Featuring a voiceover from X Factor’s Peter Dickson.

• Joint and family memberships available

ALIVE LYNNSPORT Tel: 01553 818001 Activities include: Badminton, Junior Trampolining, Roller Skating, Climbing, Football, Junior Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Tumble Teds, Tennis, Archery, Indoor Adventure Play, Wrestling and Gladiator Challenge.

• FREE personal training session to kick start your healthy lifestyle** • FREE health check • Excellent motivational staff to keep you on track. ** Gym memberships only

ALIVE ST JAMES POOL Tel: 01553 764888 Swimming Pool family fun sessions.

ALIVE OASIS ALIVE DOWNHAM LEISURE

Tel: 01485 534227

Tel: 01366 386868

Fun Castle Challenge, Junior Fitness, Roller Skating, Junior Circuits, Street Dance Fun, Run Around Games and Swimming.

Crash Course swimming lessons, Swimming Pool fun sessions, Roller Skating, Junior Fitness, Taekwondo, Run Around Games, Arts and Crafts, Benchball, Archery, Football Fun, Dodgeball and Rounders.

Limited spaces available – call for times, prices and to book and guarantee your place

For more information and for the full programme of what’s on this May at the Alive Leisure venues, pick up a copy of our brochure or visit the website www.aliveleisure.co.uk 14

KLmagazine May 2015

What’s On

On your doorstep: the best of the West End! The award-winning West End and Broadway musical comedy Avenue Q is coming to King’s Lynn Corn Exchange this summer

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venue Q is a laugh-out-loud musical that tells the story of a recent college graduate named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. There, he meets Kate (the girl next door), Rod (the Republican), Trekkie (the internet sexpert), Lucy and other colourful types who help Princeton finally discover his true purpose in life!

Avenue Q is an "autobiographical and biographical" coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Its characters lament that as children, they were assured by their parents, and by children's television programmes such as PBS's Sesame

Street, that they were "special" and "could do anything"; but as adults, they have discovered to their surprise and dismay that in the real world their options are limited, and they are no more "special" than anyone else.

The musical is notable for the use of puppets, animated by unconcealed puppeteers, alongside human actors.

So if you want a fantastic evening of laughter and to leave feeling thoroughly entertained don’t let your life suck – book your tickets today!

Check out clips from the show at www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk.

Tuesday 16th - Saturday 20th June Tues – Thurs 7.30pm Fri & Sat 5pm & 8.30pm (14+ only)

AVENUE Q

The West End production ran for 5 years.

The show has been in almost constant production somewhere in the world since 2003.

Avenue Q currently ranks 23rd on the list of longest running shows in Broadway history.

There are 2 types of puppet: ‘Rod’ Puppets and ‘Live-Hands’ puppets.

Each puppet is handmade and can take up to 120 hours from start to finish, costing around £7,000

T:@klcornexchange Fb: Alive Corn Exchange

Full show details and online bookings at kingslynncornexchange.co.uk | Box Office 01553 764864 KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

PICTURES: BOROUGH COUNCIL OF KING’S LYNN & WEST NORFOLK/SUPPLIED

Local Life

ABOVE: From Lithuanian world music group Marga Muzika to the replica trading ship Kamper Kogge (opposite), King’s Lynn will be full of European sights, sounds and tastes this month as the town celebrates a decade’s membership of the new Hanseatic League

Sails set to celebrate 10 years of the new Hanse Every year, the Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn offers a great opportunity to learn about the town’s rich maritime past – and this year’s 10th anniversary event really is cause for celebration...

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decade ago, King’s Lynn became the first English member of the new Hanseatic League, which was formed in 1980 to foster and develop business links, tourism and cultural exchange between members of the original League.

Later this month, the town will be celebrating the 10th anniversary with a fun-packed weekend of activities planned to highlight both the past and present-day impact of the Hanseatic League on the development and history of King’s Lynn.

The King’s Lynn Hanse Festival (which takes place on May 16th and 17th) promises something for everyone with a host of interactive activities, music,

KLmagazine May 2015

food and drink, fireworks, a medieval procession through the town and – last but by no means least – a visit from the famous replica Hanseatic trading ship the Kamper Kogge, which will be moored at the pontoons outside Hanse House.

“Countries across the Hanseatic area celebrate International Hanse Day on 16th May, and as this year is the 10th anniversary of our membership we’ve planned our most ambitious Hanse Festival yet,” says Ostap Paparega, Economic Development and Regeneration Manager at the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk.

“We’re delighted that thanks to the generous sponsorship of ABP Ports, Greenworld and the Dutch Embassy in

London, the Kamper Kogge will be visiting us from the Netherlands, and people will be able to jump aboard and take a tour of the vessel to get an understanding of what it was really like for medieval seafaring traders in Hanseatic times.”

Other events include live music from 5pm on King’s Staithe Square – and taking to the stage will be a fittingly international line-up featuring Jessie’s Ghost and Roving Crows from England, Marga Muzika from Lithuania, and Árstíðir from Iceland. They’ll be followed by fireworks at around 10pm lighting up the town’s riverside and waterfront.

Meanwhile, at Hanse House (the last surviving Hanseatic building in Britain) 17

PICTURES: BOROUGH COUNCIL OF KING’S LYNN & WEST NORFOLK/SUPPLIED

Local Life

medieval dancing and a medieval market will be taking place, along with a special Hanseatic League ‘office’ to explain medieval trading customs of the time. But you’ll need to keep a careful eye out for the drunken soldiers, crosslaced women and general ne’er-do-wells who’ll be touring the dockside! Visitors will also be able to meet and discuss medieval crafts and guilds with the cordwainer, potter, chapman, alchemist, spicer, tailor, painter, cook, blacksmith, netmaker and tiler. A firebreather will be adding his skills to the show, and the storytelling will delight all who stop by to listen.

Have a Go Archery will be available for everyone to enjoy, alongside expert demonstrations of this ancient skill during the day.

The Saturday Market Place will be bursting with local food and drink producers, and at King’s Lynn Arts Centre, interactive arts workshops will help visitors learn about the history of King’s Lynn as a trading port. Perfect for all ages and abilities, it’s a chance to get creative with Hanseatic-themed crafts such as creating paper boats inspired by Hanseatic Kogge or designing trade maps or postcards from Hanseatic trading posts. Sunday 17th May will see the culmination of the Hanse Crazy Composers project, when

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70 pupils from Whitefriars Church of England Primary Academy will perform some special pieces with the newlyformed Hanse Orchestra of King’s Lynn.

The orchestra – a unique initiative in the Hanseatic world – comprises leading professional baroque musicians from the UK and guests from other Hanseatic countries. The project is the result of an innovative collaboration between the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, the Whitefriars Academy and the BAFTA Awardwinning Children’s Company.

The Crazy Composers’ ‘Theme and Variations’ will be performed at King’s Lynn Minster and King’s Staithe Square along with works by composers with Hanseatic connections such as Handel, Telemann and Bach.

“It’s set to be a fun-packed weekend with something for all the family,” says Ostap Paparega. “It’s a great opportunity for people to learn about the town’s Hanseatic links both past and present and enjoy all the activities, music, food and drink in the town’s historic quarter.”

ABOVE: This month’s Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn will bring a wealth of musical talent to the town, including the awardwinning Icelandic indie-folk band Árstíðir (top left), Norfolk ‘accapoustic’ band Jessie’s Ghost (top right) and nationally-acclaimed folk group Roving Crows (bottom left). The event will also feature plenty of activities to enjoy – from archery (which you can take part in) to firebreathing (which you can’t!)

For more details of the Hanse Festival, pick up a programme from the Tourist Information Centre at the Customs House or see the website at www.kingslynnhansefestival.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

Your Local Downham Market Auction Rooms We hold regular auction sales of antiques, household furniture effects and collectables on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Advertised on www.the-saleroom.com !

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BARRY L HAWKINS Auctioneers Contact Julia or Barry for more information.

15 Lynn Road, Downham Market Tel: 01366 387180 Web: www.barryhawkins.co.uk

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T H E R OYA L O P E R A H O U S E L A FILLE MAL GARDEE

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Films subject to change. View our website for up to date screening information.

To book tickets call:

01945 588808 or go online: theluxecinema.com

Alexandra Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 1HQ KLmagazine May 2015

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May 2015

A new window on quality hutters are experiencing an explosion in popularity at the moment, thanks in part to their wide ranging aesthetic appeal, superior light control features and ability to fit just about any window or door – no matter the size, shape or complexity.

However, this stylish alternative to curtains and blinds is a rather specialised field, where is where the Norfolk Shutter Company comes in. Part of the family-run Bourne Blinds and Flooring, which has been manufacturing and installing high quality flooring and window solutions for over 38 years, the Norfolk Shutter Company was founded by Olly McGuffog, who returned to the family business after many years in carpentry.

“Not many people realise there are four different ways of fitting shutters,” says Olly. “They do require a specialised set of skills, and there was a real need for that expertise in the local area. I enjoy the

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product, I enjoy the fitting, I love the finished results and I’d always wanted to be part of the family business. It was the ideal opportunity.”

The Norfolk Shutter Company offers a wide range of shutters from traditional full height ‘plantation’ shutters to more intricate styles such as double-hung shutters (which allow the top section to be opened independently) and cafe-style shutters, which only cover the lower half of the window. They can be made in virtually any size or shape – triangular, arched, even circular – and can be colour-matched to suit any existing decorative scheme.

“That’s their real beauty,” says Olly. “Our shutters are so versatile – we even have some that can be opened and closed by remote control. With a bit of careful planning, the right set up and the right style can really

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Working with you, Olly and his team can take you through the available options based on your individual needs, whether that’s for increased privacy and security, more control of light, improved insulation from cold or noise – or a combination of all three. And as every member of the fitting team has a joinery background you can be assured your shutters will look every bit as amazing as they perform.

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KLmagazine May 2015

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History

ABOVE: If you were lucky enough to find a first edition of Robinson Crusoe, you could expect to pay around £45,000 for it – widely considered the first English novel, the origins of the 1719 book have some intriguing links to King’s Lynn.

Unearthing Robinson Crusoe’s local roots...

Did King’s Lynn really provide the inspiration for the first English novel? Michael Middleton looks at Daniel Defoe’s best-loved work and the local origins of the world’s favourite castaway...

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s I was growing up, Robinson Crusoe was one of my great childhood heroes. When I wasn’t watching the French-made television series (with its haunting theme music) I was avidly reading comic-book adaptations and trying my best to tackle the original novel.

I loved the idea of being cast adrift on a tropical island left to my own devices and resourcefulness, and spent countless days in local woodlands rubbing sticks together and going on solitary expeditions.

Even better was the moment when I

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was told that the origins of the story could be found in my home town of King’s Lynn. Consequently, when offered the opportunity to investigate the local roots of Robinson Crusoe I jumped (leapt overboard might be more appropriate) at the prospect.

Often claimed to be the first English novel, Robinson Crusoe is the bestknown work of Daniel Defoe, who was born in London in 1660 and who witnessed – at an impressionable early age – some of the most significant events in English history.

In 1665, 100,000 people (around 25% of the population) were killed by the

Great Plague of London, and the next year the Great Fire of London devastated the city – Defoe’s home was one of only three left standing in the whole neighbourhood. And proving these things really do happen in threes, the very next year Defoe saw a Dutch fleet sail up the Thames on its way to the Battle of the Medway – one of the worst defeats suffered by the British military and possibly the most humiliating defeat in the Royal Navy’s history.

Defoe’s early life was equally colourful. His career as a merchant was marked by several failing businesses

KLmagazine May 2015

and repeated threats of bankruptcy, while his efforts as a political pamphleteer landed him in prison for slander.

Becoming a prolific writer, Defoe published Robinson Crusoe on 25th April 1719 and it was an immediate – and unprecedented – success. By the end of the year it had already run through four editions, and by the end of the 19th century it had more editions, translations and spin-offs than any other book in the history of western literature. It was even translated into Eskimo.

And it all started in King’s Lynn. But did it really?

There’s no doubt that Defoe visited the town. In the first volume of his book A Tour Thro’ The Whole Island of Great Britain (published between 1724 and 1727), Defoe was clearly impressed by his visit to King’s Lynn.

“It is a beautiful well built and well situated town at the mouth of the River Ouse,” he wrote. “Here are more gentry, and consequently is more gayety in this town than in Yarmouth, or even in Norwich itself; the place abounding in very good company.”

All well and good enough, but it seems Defoe visited King’s Lynn a few years after the publication of Robinson Crusoe, so to find the story’s local origins we’ll have to dig a little deeper.

And it seems the real-life inspiration for the adventures of Robinson Crusoe lies a bit further afield.

For years, it was thought that the novel was based on the experiences of the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, who spent four years on an uninhabited island off the coast of Chile before being rescued in 1709.

However, there are many significant differences between Selkirk and

KLmagazine May 2015

ABOVE: The beautiful and historically-important St. Nicholas’ Chapel in King’s Lynn. It’s often been claimed that the origins of Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe can be found here – but is that really the case?

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History

ABOVE: King’s Lynn pictured around the time Daniel Defoe (left) toured the town in the 18th century. It now seems unlikely that he could have taken the name for his most famous creation from one of the gravestones in St. Nicholas’ Chapel (below).

Crusoe, and an often overlooked fact is that Selkirk wasn’t actually a shipwrecked castaway at all – he was marooned at his own request.

In 2002, explorer and author Tim Severin uncovered the story of Henry Pitman, a surgeon who was a genuine castaway and whose misadventures were published (after his rescue) by J. Taylor of Paternoster Row, London.

Now, it appears that Pitman actually lived above the publishing house – and one of the area’s local tradesmen was none other than Daniel Defoe.

Moreover, the very same publisher would print Robinson Crusoe a few years later.

Either way, it seems the actual character of Robinson Crusoe wasn’t based on anyone born in King’s Lynn.

But if the actual story doesn’t have any local links, it certainly seems as though the very name of its central character does. Several times and in several different places, my search for the elusive castaway took me to the beautiful setting of St. Nicholas’ Chapel in the centre of King’s Lynn.

One typical source reads as follows: “Its gravestone to Robinson Crusoe, 1773, is worth finding. Daniel Defoe got the name for his 1719 novel from the gravestone while on a visit to the town.”

Since it’s clear Defoe was in the immediate vicinity (he was particularly impressed by the statue of King William on horseback in the Tuesday Market Place) it thus seems obvious that he made a quick trip to St. Nicholas, saw the gravestone, and later borrowed the unusual name for his castaway.

But then I realised the equally obvious problem with all these sources.

By the time Defoe visited King’s Lynn, Robinson Crusoe had already been published – and it seems highly unlikely

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he could have got the name from the gravestone of someone who wouldn’t die for another 50 years or so (and 42 years after Defoe himself died).

So where did the name ‘Robinson Crusoe’ come from if not St. Nicholas’ Chapel?

Current thinking is that it may have come from Defoe’s early life – a governess called Robinson and a classmate called Timothy Cruso – but there’s virtually no evidence to support this. It does, however, bring us very nicely back to King’s Lynn and St. Nicholas’ Chapel, where we find that the Robinson ‘Crusoe’ buried there was actually Robinson ‘Cruso.’

Cruso was an auctioneer in King’s Lynn, and his grandson (also named Robinson and also an auctioneer) entered into a partnership with a certain Horace Wilkin, founding one of the oldest practices of chartered surveyors, auctioneers and valuers in the whole country.

I also managed to find two more Robinson Crusos living at the same house in New Conduit Street, King’s Lynn around a century later – the younger listed as ‘auctioneer and valuer’ and the other (his father I imagine) recorded as HM Postmaster.

But this was all a very long way from deserted islands and castaways.

It seems the connection between the King’s Lynn Cruso family and Defoe’s protagonist may be nothing more than a simple coincidence.

My search for Robinson Crusoe wasn’t entirely fruitless, however. It did

result in the finding of a very definite link to Norfolk in the story itself.

After running away from home, and long before being shipwrecked, Robinson Crusoe boards a ship at Hull and manages to get as far as Cromer before sinking. He then walks over 30 miles to Great Yarmouth where he finds some help and wonders whether the fates are trying to tell him something.

If they were, he didn’t listen!

Re-reading Robinson Crusoe also cleared up the matter of one of the most famous errors in English literature – when the castaway strips off, swims to the shipwreck and then proceeds to fill his pockets (!) with biscuits.

Revisiting the episode, however, reveals that Defoe wasn’t really that clumsy when it came to continuity.

When Crusoe is about to set off for the ship he looks back to the beach and has “the mortification to see my coat, shirt and waistcoat, which I had left on the shore, upon the sand, swim away.”

But all is not lost.

“As for my breeches, which were only linen and open-kneed,” reads the very next sentence, “I swam on board in them and my stockings.”

He did have pockets for those biscuits after all.

So, although it seems King’s Lynn can’t really claim to be the home of Robinson Crusoe (at least not the shipwrecked one) it’s a great story – and that’s what has made Defoe’s classic novel so popular for so many years.

KLmagazine May 2015

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For more details on these great holidays call us on: 01553 772910 Or pop in for a chat at: 23 Nursery Lane, South Wootton, King’s Lynn, PE30 3NG

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Office: 118 London Road, King's Lynn, PE30 5ES www.inheritancewills.co.uk KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

g your Heatin saving & home gy and ener costs – g runnin r round! a e al l y

Mr LEON LUCAS, Ashwicken

Air source heating: building on the benefits...

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he range of quality air source heating solutions available from King’s Lynn based 4 Way Refrigeration Ltd represent a major step forward in energy-efficient climate control, but the real test of the system’s benefits are best demonstrated in the real world – from real people in real homes. People like Leon Lucas, who built his own family home at Ashwicken and has since gone on to renovate a number of properties around the area. For Leon, air source heating really is the way forward.

“Even when I’m not working on a property I like to keep up to date with new products and technologies, especially in the field of energy savings,” says Leon, “and I first came across air source heating when it was part of a Grand Designs project.”

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annexe to his family home Leon looked for some local expertise in the new technology and found no one had as much experience – or in-depth knowledge – as King’s Lynn based 4 Way Refrigeration.

“Steve Simpson and his team at 4 Way Refrigeration really impressed me from the start,” says Leon. “They really understood air source heating and how to make the most of it, and they were so accommodating. When you’re working on a building project, attention to detail and keeping to timescales is absolutely crucial, and 4 Way were brilliant in that respect.”

Equally impressive was how the system performed once it was installed and operating.

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Leon has since used 4 Way Refrigeration’s air source heating systems on renovation projects (“the owners absolutely love it,” he says) and was so impressed with the company he also used them to supply the air conditioning in his family home’s two conservatories.

“I always recommend Steve and his team to people now,” says Leon. “I’m currently working on a local new build project and will certainly be using 4 Way Refrigeration to install air source heating in that.”

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

KLmagazine May 2015

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Local Life

The enterprising idea of a remarkable schoolboy Launched last year, Fast Tortoise is a local IT support company that’s already helped several people and even attracted the interest of a local MP. And it’s all the work of a 14-year-old...

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ast Tortoise is a recentlyformed local IT support company that offers a range of problem-solving services for anyone experiencing issues with hardware and software.

Mainly online-based, the company has already built up an impressive track record of success with computers, laptops, tablets and phones – and the future looks very promising.

But there’s something quite extraordinary about this new enterprise.

It was developed and founded by a remarkable local schoolboy who’ll only be turning 15 this month.

A student at St. Clement’s High

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School in Terrington St Clement, James Harrison (who lives at Tilney St. Lawrence) has always been fascinated by computers and built his problemsolving skills through his own research and personal experiences. It was obviously a natural talent, and James was soon sharing his knowledge and discoveries.

“When I was about 10 I started making short videos about fixing computers and solving software issues and posting them on YouTube,” says James. “They were quite popular and one had even been viewed 40,000 times – but when YouTube realised I was under 13 they took the videos

down.”

Undeterred, James continued helping friends and family members with their high-tech woes and even did some voluntary work for an American-based company helping people fix problems with the company’s servers. Indeed, it was an experience of a family member that led James to the creation of Fast Tortoise.

“My grandmother received a lot of calls from a company claiming to be Microsoft and saying she had a virus on her computer that would cost about £300 to fix,” James explains. “I looked at her computer and there wasn’t a problem with it at all. I thought it would

KLmagazine May 2015

“I enjoy the feeling of people saying thanks and seeing how pleased they are to have their computer working again. Returning customers are always nice to see because it means you're doing something right...”

be nice to have reliable help from a trusted local source at a cheap price – so I decided to set up my own business.”

James spoke to a friend who had himself set up his own business on leaving school and pointed James in the right direction.

“He told me that the name was key, and that it had to be unusual and easy to remember at the same time,” says James. “I’ve always liked tortoises and I already had this line about ‘speedy service, hard to beat’ – I thought mixing speed and tortoises was pretty unusual and something people would remember. And that’s where Fast Tortoise came from.”

After enlisting the help of an artistic schoolmate to create the company logo, James then set about creating a website for the business.

“I’d already made a few websites, so that wasn’t a problem, but it’s quite difficult to get your website recognised out there,” he says. “That’s why I also gave Fast Tortoise a presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ which all helped spread the word a bit further.”

Leaving nothing to chance, James also ordered 100 business cards.

Since the launch of Fast Tortoise, James has seen a steady stream of people come to him and is currently working on around one PC a month, and although the most common problems relate to computer viruses and bugs, the issues can be more serious.

“I did help a local businessman who’d dropped his laptop and it wouldn’t even start,” says James. “He thought he’d lost everything – all his customer and financial records – but I managed to get it started again. I was really proud of that – and he was happy as well!”

James is equally proud of a letter he received from Henry Bellingham MP, who commented on James’ initiative and “professional outlook” after visiting the website.

Continuing to build his knowledge base (he’s currently testing a version of the yet-to-be-released Windows 10) James is still maintaining to keep his feet on the ground.

“I would like a steady stream of customers,” he says, “but not so many that it impacts on my school work! If Fast Tortoise really grew then I’d have to think about getting a team together to look after all the customers – but we’ll have to see what the future holds.”

You can learn more about Fast Tortoise by contacting James via his website at www.fasttortoise.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

Giving your new business the best possible start... with Silke Trevor of Fraser Dawbarns LLP

S

eeing a business grow from an idea to a successful enterprise is always exciting, and Fraser Dawbarns has a long history of helping the launch of thousands of local businesses of all sizes throughout East Anglia. The resourcefulness, determination, energy and commitment of our local business community always makes me proud and the sheer variety of business opportunities in the area is amazing.

When setting up a business it’s essential to seek good quality, cost-effective legal advice early in order to avoid later pitfalls (which can be easily avoided) and give your business a sound foundation. Asking the right questions at the right time can make all the difference between the future success or failure of a business.

Here are just a few things the business team at Fraser Dawbarns can help you with as you embark on the big adventure: BUSINESS STRUCTURE There are four main business structures, and choosing which one is best for your business will depend largely on how you wish to deal with the taxation, investment, liability, management and growth of your new company.

From the simplest business set-up to the most complicated multi-layered venture we offer a range of thorough and

KLmagazine May 2015

professional services to see you safely through this vital early stage.

TRADING Weak, vague or unenforceable business contracts and Standard Terms of Business can lead to costly disagreements and cash flow problems. We can help you prepare cogent and binding agreements that set out clear commitments, provide for timely payments and form a solid basis for enforcing any debts owed to your new business.

BUSINESS PROTECTION If your business relies on your own ideas for a specific concept, product or service, it’s important to take early advice on how to protect your idea or concept from being copied or used by other businesses by applying for a Trade Mark or Patent.

EMPLOYEES Employees are a valuable resource and can be essential to the successful growth of your business. It is, however, just as essential to seek

professional legal advice before employing staff. Our specialist employment experts can help with everything from employment contracts to disciplinary or dismissal processes – enabling you to avoid making costly mistakes and concentrating on the growth of the business.

PREMISES Finding suitable premises for your new venture requires a detailed understanding of the exact requirements of the business itself. At Fraser Dawbarns it’s our task to provide your business with professional advice from the start – to protect you from making ill-informed decisions and exposing your company to unintended financial burdens.

Setting up your own business can be a daunting task, but with the expert help of Fraser Dawbarns, you can get it off to the best possible start and its best chances of continued success. Contact us now for more details and information.

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

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KLmagazine May 2015

Tax Tips

Making your buy-to-let more tax efficient... growing number of people are choosing to invest in buy-to-let property, and following last month’s pension reform many more may soon be tempted to join them in putting their faith in bricks and mortar. Those choosing to invest in this way will be hoping to reap a decent return, but it’s important to remember that such an investment will also be adding to your overall tax bill.

HMRC will want to know about any returns you make, and if you don’t declare your income or capital gains properly you could be in for some trouble.

You’ll have to complete a self-assessment tax return to pay income tax on any rent you receive. The amount you pay will depend on your tax banding – 20% for a basic rate taxpayer, 40% higher rate, and up to 45% additional rate.

The good news is that you can reduce the amount of tax by offsetting a range of expenses from the rental income – including mortgage interest, arrangement fees, maintenance and repairs (but not

improvements), letting agency fees, ground rents and service charges.

You can also claim for utilities and insurance if your tenants aren’t paying them directly. This is by no means an exhaustive list either, so if you are unsure exactly what to claim for it’s well worth contacting Stephenson Smart for some professional advice and guidance.

Similarly, when you come to sell your property, there may be capital gains tax to pay on any profit, which for this tax year kicks in at profits in excess of £11,100. The allowance is calculated per individual, so on a property which is jointly owned a combined allowance of £22,200 may be available. Above this level, tax is payable at either 18% or 28% – again, depending on your tax banding. There are two main reliefs which can cut your capital gains tax bill – principal private residence relief and lettings relief – but the rules governing these are quite complex so it’s another area in which Stephenson Smart is ideally placed to advise on how to minimise your tax bill.

Contact us today and make the most of your buy-to-let investments with our team of tax planning specialists.

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KLmagazine May 2015

Is your PAYE code correct?

Over the course of a tax year, the PAYE system aims to collect approximately the right amount of tax from your earnings by applying a tax code which is used by your employer to calculate how much tax to deduct.

However, it’s not a totally foolproof system, and many people can go for years inadvertently paying the wrong amount of tax simply because their tax code is incorrect.

You can help avoid this by checking your payslip to see which code is currently being applied. It’s especially important to do this now, because it’s much easier to rectify mistakes before the end of the tax year. For more details and information, visit www.gov.uk/tax-codes or contact Stephenson Smart (see below) for specialist help and advice.

Our free mobile TaxApp provides a handy Stamp Duty calculator as well as several useful property tax tips.

It’s available on both iOS and Android.

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KLmagazine May 2015

PICTURES: IAN WARD

Local Life

ABOVE: Staff at the Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary care for over 2,000 creatures from giant turtles to tiny seahorses

Taking a fresh look at an underwater world The re-opening of Hunstanton’s SEA LIFE Sanctuary last year after the storm surge of 2013 was good news for visitors – and even better news for its thousands of fascinating inhabitants...

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ne of the biggest coastal attractions on our coastline has been situated in Hunstanton and has welcomed almost three million visitors since opening in 1989 – it was also the very first aquarium in the whole country to host a walk-through acrylic tunnel which runs along the base of a giant ocean display.

The Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary houses over 35 permanent displays showcasing the rich diversity of life under the surface of the water as well as providing a safe haven for sick,

KLmagazine May 2015

injured or orphaned seal pups which are cared for in the Seal Rescue Hospital.

The Sanctuary is home to over 2,000 creatures ranging from tiny shrimps and rock-pool creatures such as crabs and starfish to much larger creatures like Ernie the Giant Green Sea Turtle and Blacktip reef sharks. Other creatures include a family of Humboldt Penguins and the ever-popular otters.

All year round the Sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates seals (the Wash has one of the largest populations of common seals in Europe) and the rescue season normally starts in late

June when the local seals give birth. A seal rescue usually starts with a phone call from a concerned member of the public who’s stumbled across a seal pup on one of the local beaches.

Baby seals need the help of Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary for a variety of reasons such as being accidentally separated from their mother, falling ill, suffering from an injury, or becoming orphaned.

At the scene the Sanctuary provides an initial assessment and decides whether the seal pup needs to be taken back to the on-site hospital for further care – although in some cases there’s

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Local Life

absolutely nothing wrong with the seal pup at all.

If an animal does need to be admitted to the Seal Rescue Hospital it’s treated to an initial examination that includes a full check-up by a vet and blood tests. Once a full diagnosis is reached, a treatment programme is agreed for each seal and the Sanctuary works towards achieving a full recovery and ultimately releasing the seal back to the Wash a few months later. The Sanctuary takes great care in ensuring these beautiful animals are properly looked after and rehabilitated.

On December 5th, 2013 the entire Sanctuary was flooded when a massive tidal surge breached the sea defences.

“We closed the attraction at the end of the day as normal,” remembers Nigel Croasdale, the Sanctuary’s General Manager, “but we did place sandbags outside the front doors as we were aware of the flood warning.”

But nothing could have prepared the Sanctuary and its staff for the events of that night.

“The waves literally rolled over the top of the sea defence wall on the promenade and the entire attraction was very quickly surrounded by over a metre of sea water,” says Nigel. “The whole attraction inside was submerged in sea water.”

The attraction had no power – which immediately became a major concern as any animal needing heat or running water would soon become critical.

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Even the emergency generator – which would normally provide alternative power for the Sanctuary in the event of a power failure – wouldn’t work as that too was put out of action by the floodwater.

Luckily, the Sanctuary is part of the global network of SEA LIFE Centres and was able to mobilise an emergency response team overnight – by the morning they were already evacuating the creatures into transportation vehicles and moving them to other SEA LIFE centres around the UK – including Great Yarmouth, Scarborough, Weymouth and even London.

“We re-opened some ten months later in the middle of October last year,” says Nigel, “and were delighted to welcome back our creatures from their holidays at other locations!”

Over £3 million later the attraction was able to open its doors to several fantastic new features including an allnew hi-tech Ray tank, new seal and otter exhibits an all-new seal hospital, new rock pools, two new school rooms, and an all-new retail gift shop, and coffee shop.

But they couldn’t have done it alone.

“We’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the local people of West Norfolk who offered their support during our closure period – and the local fire service, who assisted with pumping water out of the building when we flooded,” says Nigel. “In our darkest hours the local community

really supported us and it was quite touching.”

The Sanctuary has been extremely busy since re-opening with record attendances from locals and day trippers. On a bright new footing, the Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary can look to the future with confidence – with what’s believed to be one of the best SEA LIFE centres in the whole country.

HUNSTANTON SEA LIFE SANCTUARY Southern Promenade, Hunstanton Norfolk PE36 5BH Tel: 01485 533576 Web: www.sealife.co.uk Open: Monday-Friday 10am to 4pm, and 10am-5pm on weekends

KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

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COVER IMAGE

meet the team...

King’s Lynn Minster by Ian Ward

MANAGING DIRECTOR Laura Murray MANAGING EDITOR Eric Secker DESIGN TEAM Amy Phillips Lisa Tonroe ADVERTISING Clare Harper

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Ward

CONTRIBUTORS Emma Barnard Alex Dallas Michael Middleton Paul Richards

contact

18 Tuesday Market Place King’s Lynn PE30 1JW 01553 601201 info@klmagazine.co.uk www.klmagazine.co.uk 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.

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I

t seems King’s Lynn is in the mood to celebrate at the moment. As the town’s most iconic buildings are the setting for a series of spectacular light shows (more on that next month), it’s also getting ready to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its membership of Städtebund – Die Hanse, the modern-day incarnation of the Hanseatic League. The original League was central to the development of King’s Lynn, and the town is still the only British member of the organisation – so this month’s Hanse Festival really is cause for celebration.

Also on the horizon is the King’s Lynn Festival, which is now (incredibly enough) in its 65th year and never ceases to attract and present a world-class line-up of performers. It’s difficult (if not impossible) to pick a single highlight among all the cultural treats, but we have to say we’re particularly looking forward to seeing the Royal Shakespeare Company’s programme of songs written for the Bard’s plays at the King’s Lynn Arts Centre on July 13th. Not only will it be the first time the production has been seen outside Stratford, it’s being held at what’s reputed to be the oldest theatre in Europe where Shakespeare himself once appeared.

But there’s a lot more to this month than history and culture. We’re also taking a look at the underwater world in Hunstanton, catching up with famed rock photographer Nick Elliott, discovering the gardening (and artistic) talents of the residents of Dersingham, and trying out one of the country’s newest (and most enjoyable!) sports at Tilney All Saints.

KL MAGAZINE

KLmagazine May 2015

Contents 6

WHAT’S ON This month’s diary of forthcoming events

8-10

KING’S LYNN FESTIVAL 2015 A preview of this year’s sparkling event

MAY 2015

16-18 10 YEARS OF THE NEW HANSE Celebrating Lynn’s past – and present 22-24 THE SEARCH FOR ROBINSON CRUSOE Uncovering the castaway’s local roots 30

EARLY LESSONS IN ENTERPRISE The remarkable founder of Fast Tortoise

36-38 HUNSTANTON SEA LIFE SANCTUARY It’s back and it’s more exciting than ever 41

8

22

YOU AND YOUR PETS With local vet Alex Dallas

42-44 GAMEKEEPING: WITH GERALD GRAY The role of the modern gamekeeper 46-52 FASHION The latest looks from the local boutiques 55

THEN & NOW The changing face of West Norfolk

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56-58 THE WONDERS OF RAPESEED OIL It’s local, it’s lovely and it’s good for you!

62-74 FOOD AND DRINK Recipes, reviews and recommendations 78-82 ROCKING THE WORLD OF FOLK Rock photographer Nick Elliott’s new book 84-86 EXPLORER...

Out and about in Swaffham 88

BOOK REVIEWS Six of the best reads for summer

90-92 THE VILLAGE OF ART AND NATURE...

Dersingham Open Gardens and Art Trail 96-98 SIZE NINES AND PAR FIVES Discovering the new sport of FootGolf 100-102 A ROYAL HISTORY ON FOUR WHEELS The vehicles of Sandringham Musuem

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KLmagazine May 2015

Pets

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

SMALL BITES

R

Celebrating those special helping hands t’s Veterinary Nurse Week this month, and it’s great to be able to have an opportunity to sing the praises of these incredibly dedicated people.

“Veterinary nursing is the supportive care of animals receiving treatment within a veterinary practice,” is how the role of a veterinary nurse is described on the website of The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. “A veterinary nurse works as a member of the veterinary team, providing expert nursing care for sick animals.”

It’s an accurate enough description, of course, but at London Road and The Hollies we know (on a daily basis!) that veterinary nurses provide so much, much more than that.

We have seven nurses working between our two practices, all of whom have either undergone vet nurse training or are working towards their qualification. Most people don’t realise just how extensive and rigorous the

I

training is, with the study and practical work involved easily harder than many university degrees.

In addition to their studies, they’re working full time in practice, with long hours and weekend and night duties.

From enrolment, getting a place at a recognised training practice, through exams and practicals and then finally qualifying is a long and tough journey.

Frankly, I don’t think we could do our job as vets properly without the help and input of our nursing staff.

With their combined years of experience they contribute support and assistance for every single case that comes through the hospital. From providing practical help with X-rays, blood tests, anaesthetic monitoring and a variety of health clinics, they also provide trained help with critical care, with handrearing newborn animals, and with expert and gentle handling of our patients.

abbit Awareness Week (RAW) 2015 begins on the 9th of May, and we’re supporting this very important annual campaign by offering free rabbit health checks throughout the week! All of us at London Road and The Hollies love rabbits – especially Lauren, who’s one of our receptionists. Lauren has rescued two very lovely bunnies (Bob and Luna) and we’ve put pictures of them on our Facebook page and website for you to admire. We look forward to welcoming all rabbits for a full health check to ensure they are both physically and emotionally well. Call us today to make your appointment – and let’s all be happy (and healthy) bunnies!

Their contribution to the care of your pet when coming in for treatment is enormous. We always like you to meet our nurses when your pet is being admitted – whether for a small investigation or a major treatment – as these nurses will be a key contributor and contact for your pet during its stay.

Not all veterinary practices are fortunate enough or have invested enough to offer this fabulous aspect of pet care.

Be sure that before you arrange treatment for your pet that you know there will be qualified trained nursing care, because without their massive contribution, your pet is missing out.

London Road Vets

@LondonRoadVets

www.makeyourpetsmile.co.uk

LONDON ROAD 25 London Road, King’s Lynn telephone: 01553 773168 e-mail: info@lrvc.co.uk HOLLIES Paradise Road, Downham Market telephone: 01366 386655 e-mail: info@holliesvetclinic.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

Local Life

ABOVE: This field – specially managed to provide a habitat for skylarks – is a very small part of the Hilborough Estate under the care of Head Gamekeeper Gerald Gray, pictured opposite with his dog Merlin. “Yes, he does live up to his name!” says Gerald.

Generations of caring for the countryside...

KL magazine talks to Gerald Gray, Head Gamekeeper at the Hilborough Estate in Norfolk about the changing role of the gamekeeper – and why conservation is so important to it today

I

n September 1931, the popular Gamekeeper journal featured a profile of James Henry Gray, head gamekeeper to Cpt. Sir H.E. de Trafford of Newell’s Park in Hertfordshire. Gray came from a long and proud gamekeeping tradition (his father, grandfather and even his greatgrandfather had all been gamekeepers) and in mentioning his young family, the article’s writer said that “we have little doubt that one of the boys will some day be portrayed in a prominent position in this journal.”

Even 84 years ago, it was clear that for the Gray family, gamekeeping really was in the blood, and for James’ grandson Gerald it was pretty much inevitable that he would follow in the

KLmagazine May 2015

footsteps of his ancestors, footsteps that can be traced back to Felbrigg Hall in the 19th century.

“It really was very straightforward!” he says. “With all those generations behind me, there was never any doubt that I would become a gamekeeper.”

Starting as an under-keeper on local estates close to his home in Hertfordshire, Gerald Gray’s first experience as a single-handed gamekeeper came in Suffolk – but his sights were always firmly set on becoming a Head Gamekeeper.

“There were very few opportunities close by at the time, so I ended up becoming Head Gamekeeper on an estate in the Republic of Ireland,” he remembers. “I took my brother with

me – not surprisingly, he’d also become a gamekeeper! – and we developed our careers over there.”

Gerald stayed in the Emerald Isle for 10 years before coming to Norfolk, where today he’s the Head Gamekeeper on Hugh van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in the heart of rural Norfolk, an estate which includes – in addition to several thousand acres of intensively farmed fields – a range of diverse natural habitats such as woodland, wetlands, many miles of hedgerows, and part of the Breckland Heath’s nationally-important Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Indeed, it’s those natural habitats and their management that are central to Gerald’s work and the role of the

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Local Life

modern gamekeeper.

“Because much of the estate is so intensively farmed,” he says, “both myself and the owner of the estate felt we really did need to put some resources into conservation work, and to that end we entered into the Environmental Stewardship scheme.

Today, every field across the whole estate has some form of conservation measures on it.”

That work involves giving farmland weeds vital space to grow; encouraging plants for healthy numbers of wild birds, bees and insects; and ‘fleuristically enhancing’ disused marl pits to provide habitats for birds such as skylarks and grey partridges that prefer to live in fields.

Gerald is particularly – and justifiably – proud of his efforts to promote numbers of grey partridges on the estate. Once very common and widespread, the bird has undergone serious decline throughout most of its traditional range, and is currently listed as having a Red List status by the RSPB. “It’s very difficult to raise large numbers of grey partridge,” he says. “It takes an enormous amount of knowhow and understanding. It’s essential to create the right conditions for them and encourage them to breed, but thanks to our conservation efforts we’ve been very successful in this. At

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our last count we had 302 pairs of grey partridges on the estate.”

It’s this area of conservation that seems to escape most people, even those who think they’re familiar with the way the countryside works.

“For obvious reasons, intensive farming eliminates insects,” says Gerald.

“We accept that because it’s so important to the health and viability of the crop. But without a good supply of insects, a chick will only be able to survive for around three days. We’re not creating areas of farmland weeds and pollinating plants for the sake of it. By

creating hundreds of thousands of insects, we’re helping build bird numbers and improving the overall biodiversity of the countryside.”

Helping people gain a broader view and a greater understanding of the countryside and how it works has become a major focus of Gerald’s work.

“When I first became a gamekeeper I never thought I’d be dealing with so many members of the public,” he says, “but it’s become a very important part of the job. It’s amazing to see schoolchildren from an inner city environment begin to appreciate the issues involved in food production and how that impacts on the countryside.

The more that people – of all ages – understand about the countryside, the more they’ll come to appreciate it, and the more prepared they’ll be to protect it.”

Given his boundless enthusiasm it seems superfluous to ask Gerald what he likes most about being a gamekeeper.

“I love everything about it,” he says.

“It’s genuinely rewarding all the time, but I think my favourite moment is when I see a family of grey partridges crossing the field in front of my house.

That’s when I know all my hard work throughout the year has come to fruition.”

In closing an interview with Gerald’s father in November 1990, the Shooting Times couldn’t have put it better: "Sportsmen to a man, lovers of the countryside, with the instinct for the earth and its wild creatures ingrained in them, they and their kind are bearers of a precious flame which, if extinguished, would see the British countryside a sad and diminished place".

Thanks to the work of modern gamekeepers such as Gerald Gray, that flame is happily still burning brightly.

“The more that people – of all ages – understand about the countryside, the more they’ll come to appreciate it, and the more prepared they’ll be to protect it...”

– Gerald Gray Head Gamekeeper, Hilborough Estate

KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

Open every day from 10am to 4pm Aigle | Alan Paine | Barbour | Dubarry | Gurteen Le Chameau | Magee | Musto | Seeland | Toggi | Laksen

Creake Abbey, North Creake, Fakenham NR21 9LF Telephone: 01328 738983 Web: www.christopherwilliamcountry.co.uk

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fashion Fashion

With the sunny days and warmer weather now upon us, it’s time to unveil those Springtime dresses.

Choose a subtle classic look or a charming floral print – or make a stunning impression with some strikingly bold and vibrant geometrics.

Thanks to our brightest local boutiques, we’ve never looked better!

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Blue Denim Spot Dress by Pomodoro (£69) ALLEZ CHIC | Castle Rising 01553 631915 KLmagazine May 2015

Dress by Doris Streich (ÂŁ95) CINDYS | Sutton Bridge 01406 350961 KLmagazine May 2015

47

Fashion

Floral print dress by Tina Taylor ELIZABETH DARBY | Fakenham 01328 855312 48

KLmagazine May 2015

Visit Nelle’s new shoes & accessories shop in Holt Feathers Barn, Feathers Yard, Holt, NR25 6BW | 01263 711601 Drove Orchards, Thornham, PE36 6LS | 01485 525164 www.nelle-dk.co.uk

END OF SEASON

Casual Fashion, Cruise Wear & Mother of the Bride Get your discounted designer brands before they go!

LY FO R O N E DAY O N

Monday, 25th May 10am till 6pm The Lodge, Old Hunstanton

Item star t s f £ 1 0 e ro m ach!

01263 715 935 | www.mrsjones.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

Cindy’s of Sutton Bridge

Sizes 10 - 26|Op ening times 9am - 5p m Closed Wed nesda ys an d Sund ays

108 Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge, Lincs PE12 9SA Tel: 01406 350961

www. cindysf as hio ns .co .uk

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Fashion

Masai Dress THE ATTICK | North Wootton 01553 675039 50

KLmagazine May 2015

R A N G E S N O W I N ST O C K

Smith’s Footwear & Quality Menswear

Tel: 01366 388883 | 37 Bridge Street, Downham Market PE38 9DW

More choice more fashion more style

E SPRING SUMMER 2015 COLLECTION

Spring / Summer

arby D arby

lizabeth FAKENHAM

6 Dereham Road, Hempton, Fakenham NR21 7AB tel: 01328 855312 www.elizabethdarby.co.uk

läáîá~Ûë

of sheringham ltd

Now stocking KRIS-ANA bags

Thee Old School, F I N D U S : Th Castle Rising, King's Lynn PE31 6AG

t: 01553 631915 Open: Monday to Saturday 10am - 4.30pm w: www.allezchic.co.uk e: cheryldaubney@allezchic.co.uk KLmagazine May 2015

Mother of the Bride • Hats & Fascinators Evening and Cruise Wear • Smart Casual Day Wear

24 Church Street, Sheringham NR26 8QS qÉäW 01263 823149 | tÉÄ: oliviasofsheringham.co.uk

51

Fashion

Molly Dress by Alice Collins (ÂŁ37.99) EVERYTHING OUTDOOR Holkham 01328 712120 | Sandringham 01485 298082 52

KLmagazine May 2013

01553 770536 • davidaukerjewellery.com 125 Norfolk Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1AP KLmagazine May 2013

53

BE HAPPY, BE HEALTHY &

TAKE CARE OF

YOUR SMILE • Teeth whitening • White fillings • Porcelain veneers and crowns • Treatment of worn teeth • Experienced hygienists • Late evening & Saturday appointments available • Help with financing your treatment with Denplan • Consultation for the treatment of lines & wrinkles

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King’s Lynn Wisbech

Downham Market

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Visit the surgery website at www.castlerisingdentist.co.uk 54

KLmagazine May 2015

West Norfolk: Then and Now

History

1959

2015

CHANGES IN CHURCH STREET If it wasn’t for the remaining pillar of the gate into the rear of King’s Lynn Minster (one wonders what happened to its partner) this 1959 view of Church Street would hardly be recognisable. Thanks to Mrs. Cooper of Downham Market for sending the original, and for letting us

know that Johnson’s was sold to Mann Egerton soon after the picture was taken. We especially like the learner driver in the Austin!

You can enjoy thousands of images of Norfolk’s unique history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk or by visiting the Norfolk Heritage Centre at

the Millennium Library, The Forum, Norwich (or your local studies library).

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

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Enjoy thousands of images of Norfolk’s unique history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

Food & Drink

ABOVE: The golden glow of rapeseed – turned by Hugh Mason (opposite) and his team at Mr Hugh’s into a range of high quality natural oils

Mr Hugh’s – and the wonders of rapeseed oil For the first time in decades, sales of olive oil in the UK are falling as health-conscious people look for alternatives. Emma Barnard visits Mr Hugh’s to discover what makes rapeseed oil so special...

H

all Farm is made up of 4,000 acres and is home to Mr Hugh’s – a company dedicated to producing a range of delicious and high quality rapeseed oils.

The farm’s closest village is Fincham, where the Mason family have farmed for over 200 years. Hugh Mason began working at Hall Farm at the age of 20 and took over the running of the farm from his father two years later. In addition to rapeseed, the farm also grows wheat and sugar beet.

Mr Hugh’s take great pride in their rapeseed products and the current range includes extra virgin rapeseed oil,

KLmagazine May 2015

infused rapeseed oil and also infused baking oils. This is a true local enterprise, with no external influences on the production process – they grow, harvest, press and package everything themselves.

When you think of the word ‘oil’ in the kitchen, your thoughts might inevitably turn to your waistline, but Mr Hugh’s 100% British extra-virgin coldpressed rapeseed oil is actually lower in saturated fat than olive oil and it even has what’s known as a ‘high smoke point’ so you can easily cook with it. It’s also extremely versatile and can be used for dipping, dressing, baking, frying and roasting, meaning it’s very

easy to introduce to your cooking.

The staple of Mr Hugh’s oils is the extra-virgin rapeseed oil which is the company’s homegrown, original oil – nothing is added or taken away. In addition to being available in 250ml and 500ml bottles, it’s also available in catering-friendly 5 litre, 10 litre and 20 litre proportions.

As previously mentioned, it’s not just the original rapeseed oil Mr Hugh’s provides anymore – at the beginning of this year the company launched a brand new range of special baking oils.

They come in five different and extremely tempting flavours – vanilla, lemon, coffee, hazelnut and orange.

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Food & Drink

RAPESEED OIL a quick fact file fat of It contains the lowest saturated half than less – oil d use ly mon most com that of olive oil! e Omega It also has around ten times mor oil olive than 3 E It’s a very good source of Vitamin fats d rate satu oun mon in high is and s and is It contains no artificial preservative free GM and t s-fa both tran – It’s suitable for a variety of diets , free englut ian, etar veg including ee y-fr dair and ch higher With a smoke point of 238°C (mu n whe than olive oil) it performs better s ture cooking at high tempera

These oils have less saturated fat than olive oil and butter so if you fancy a bit of cake you can make one with these oils and you’ll have a slice less of guilt.

Mr Hugh’s has also recently introduced a selection of infused oils which include basil, chilli and garlic for a more savoury taste. Perfect for jazzing up your cooking, they make delicious additions to pastas, pizzas and salads.

Mr Hugh’s is justifiably proud of its status as a family-run business true to its local roots and farming methods.

The company combines modern and traditional processes when farming as they nurture their crops at every stage and grow only the healthiest crops.

A term frequently used these days when talking about oils is ‘cold pressed’. But what is cold pressing?

Simply put, it’s a traditional method of producing oil, which involves gently squeezing the seeds to release the oil.

When you’re admiring the vibrant colour of the rapeseed oil, you’re seeing proof that the cold pressing method has done its job. This technique is, in fact, the only way the natural colour, flavour and vitamins of the rapeseed can be retained.

When the vital oils have been extracted from the seeds, it leaves behind a by-product known as ‘meal’ – which is blended with other ingredients to make animal feed and

a renewable fuel.

By using the ‘meal’ in this way, Mr Hugh’s is able to keep waste to a minimum and ensure farm resources remain sustainable.

Another vibrant aspect of the company is the distinctive packaging.

Presented in square-based bottles, the colourful labels include a heart filled with the colour that corresponds to each product – just the kind of attention to detail that keeps customers coming back time and again.

In addition to running a farm and producing the oils, Mr Hugh’s is also a dedicated and enthusiastic supporter of the Cambridgeshire-based Papworth Trust, and holds regular fundraising projects (many involving local schools) to help the charity care for over 5,000 disabled and elderly people every year with services including progression, employment, housing and advice.

Talking to and reading about Mr Hugh’s just shows the quality and dedication of this local business. They care deeply about their customer, their product, farming processes and local charities – what’s not to love?

For further information on Mr Hugh’s rapeseed oils which are available in Tesco, Asda, Ocado and independent retailers nationwide, please visit the company website at www.mrhughs.co.uk.

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KLmagazine May 2015

Bindi Michele 2015 C

Toscana Restoration Town & Country Houses Sales

Restoration

Property Services

Montalcino, Siena & Market Place, Burnham Market, Norfolk info@toscanarestoration.com - +393387935130 - Facebook: The Tuscan Farm Shop www.toscanarestoration.com - www.tuscanfarmshop.com

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Snettisham Caravan Park

Clubhouse Live entertainment

The perfect place to own a holiday static caravan Situated on the beautiful West Norfolk coast less than 20 minutes away from Hunstanton, King’s Lynn and Sandringham.

• The perfect destination for countryside walks • Live entertainment • Licensed Clubhouse • Caravans for sale on site

iday) Saturday 2nd May (Bank hol & vocalist MIKE FOX - Musician, sax y) Sunday 3rd May (Bank holida k & Pop Roc m Gla l, Sou r LLOYD E MOON - Popula iday) Saturday 23rd May (Bank Hol ades dec the ugh thro BONDY - Music Sunday 24th May male duo 5 4 3 2 1 - Great 60’s music

Saturday 6th June (9pm) r vocalist CAROLANN - Very popula 3pm) Sunday 7th June (12noon ades dec the BONDY - Music through

Beach Road, Snettisham, King’s Lynn, PE31 7RB | 01485 542499 / 07533820300 | www.snettishamcaravanpark.com

with The English National Philharmonic Orchestra CONDUCTOR - Ben Crick SOPRANO - Claire Ormshaw TENOR - Lee Bradley

HOSTED BY

FIONA BRUCE

concert presented by live promotions events ltd by arrangement with one fifteen

SATURDAY 29th AUGUST HOLKHAM BOX OFFICE TEL: 01328 713111

Rule Britannia ŏ Jerusalem ŏ Dambusters Pomp & Circumstance No.1 & No.4 ŏ Nessun Dorma ŏ O Mio Babbino Caro ŏ Habanera Carmen Overture ŏ Finiculi Finicula Raiders Of The Lost Ark ŏ William Tell Overture ŏ Cancan ŏ Figaro Overture

WITH SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS DISPLAY

SUNDAY 30th AUGUST KING’S LYNN CORN EXCHANGE TEL: 01553 764864

Tickets available online from www.livepromotionsconcerts.co.uk

6

KLmagazine May 2015

May

Saturday 2nd

MAY FARMERS MARKET Creake Abbey, North Creake, Fakenham (9:30am–1pm) 54 of the region’s best food and drink producers will be at Creake Abbey to supply outstanding fresh seasonal produce including meat, vegetables and fruit, dairy produce, cakes, tray bakes, artisan beer, apple juice, artisan breads, morning goods, puddings, pies, tarts (sweet and savoury), olives and prepared meals all made with the finest local ingredients. The Café and Food Hall will be open with bookings for lunch taken from 1.30pm. Outside the Food Hall the Café team will be serving hot food to keep you warm. For further details see www.creakeabbey.co.uk.

Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th OPEN AIR CINEMA AT HOLKHAM HALL Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea NR23 1AB (7:30pm for 9pm start) Sit back and enjoy a weekend of outdoor cinema at Holkham with two popular films courtesy of the Luna Cinema. On Saturday the much-loved favourite ‘Mamma Mia’ will be screened in the beautiful setting of the walled gardens of Holkham Hall, while on Sunday the cinema will move to the north of the hall in Holkham Park, where Tom Cruise will fly into action in the blockbuster movie ‘Top Gun’.

Tickets are £13.50 for adults and £9 for children and can be purchased from www.thelunacinema.com.

KLmagazine May 2015

162 YEARS AGO: An unusual dinner was hosted by the Mayor of King’s Lynn for the police force and various borough officials at the town’s jail – as it contained no prisoners at the time!

Thursday 14th BAG IT! CHARITY AFTERNOON TEA EVENT Thornham Village Hall, Main Road, Thornham, PE36 6LA (3pm) Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea with a glass of prosecco or sparkling elderflower pressé and view an outstanding collection of pre-loved (and some new) bags, purses, accessories and vintage silk scarves on sale. All have been generously donated and are in excellent condition – why not donate your own handbag too, and find a new addition to your own wardrobe at the same time? Some of the handbag brands include Hobbs, Russell & Bromley and Longchamp.

Tickets are £15 per person and can be obtained by contacting Alex Ware on 01485 540245, 07803 047311 or by e-mailing her on alexware@btinternet.com. Proceeds for the event will be going to West Norfolk Mind and Keeping Abreast.

Sunday 24th & Monday 25th

RAF BIRCHAM NEWTON: HERITAGE CENTRE OPEN DAY The National Construction College, Bircham Newton PE31 6RB (11am–5pm) Discover the fascinating history of the former Royal Air Force station and its satellite airfields, which has a proud history of 44 years’ service that spans two world wars and has involved more than 80 operational units. Located in the former Commanding Officer’s residence at Bircham, visitors to the Centre can see an eclectic mix of memorabilia relating not only to RAF Bircham Newton and its personnel, but to other associated areas of interest.

Admission and parking is free, and the Centre does have disabled access. For more information visit the website www.rafbnmp.org.uk.

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KLmagazine May 2015

Coming up...

Monday 1st June GUIDED WALKS AT CASTLE ACRE Castle Acre, King’s Lynn PE32 2XD (10:30am) Take a guided walk around the village and learn how more than 1,000 years of history are revealed through its streets, its buildings and the stories of people who’ve lived and worked there. Hear tales of triumph and disaster, war and politics. Find out about flint and early recycling and marvel at the durability and ingenuity of it all.

Tickets are £5 for adults and there’s no charge for accompanied children under 12. Tickets can be purchased at the Friends of Castle Acre Church charity bookshop on the High Street. Visit the website www.historiccastleacre.com for up-to-date information on the walks, as times and dates may change due to the weather. For all enquiries, please e-mail info@historiccastleacre.com.

Thursday 4th June THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES...

Guildhall Theatre, King’s Lynn Art Centre PE30 1HA (1pm) Tangram Theatre presents the fearsomely-titled The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Survival of (r)Evolutionary Theories in the Face of Scientific Ecclesiastical Objections: being a Musical Comedy about Charles Darwin (18091882). This exciting play tells the incredible story of how Darwin came to discover the secrets of evolution and why it took over 20 years before he plucked up the courage to publish his idea. It’s a show packed with big theories, terrible puns, brilliant comedy and six cracking original songs. Tickets are £10 each and £6.50 for students.

For more information visit the website at www.kingslynnarts.co.uk and for tickets call the Box Office on 01553 764864.

KLmagazine May 2015

Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th June OXBURGH HALL BEE WEEKEND Oxburgh Hall, Oxborough PE33 9PS (10:30am–4:30pm) Learn more about the fascinating world of bees and celebrate their importance at the Oxburgh Hall Bee Weekend! The West Norfolk Beekeeping Association will be on site alongside other exhibitors with various interactive displays. Children’s bee-related activities (including trails) will be available to get involved in and there’ll also be a honey-themed menu in the tearoom for visitors to enjoy.

Normal admission charges apply and National Trust members are free. For more information contact Helen Gregory on 01366 328926 or e-mailing helen.gregory@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June

MAGNA CARTA CELEBRATIONS Tuesday Market Place & Lynn Museum (10am–4pm) King’s Lynn will be marking the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta by King John at Runnymede (above) on 15th June 1215 with a two-day outdoor event. The fun-based family event will include street re-enactments and a King John treasure trail (someone will find it one day!) Activities will be based both at Lynn Museum and the Tuesday Market Place. The event is part of the Stories of Lynn project, which has received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. For further details of the celebrations, see www.visitwestnorfolk.com.

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Food & Drink

Foof othde h t n o M

Simply scrumptious ardines are going through something of a renaissance at the moment, which is good news for this versatile, delicious fish. But when is a sardine not a sardine? The answer is, of course, when it’s a pilchard.

Both names are used to refer to various small, oily fish within the herring family – the term ‘sardine’ was first used in English during the early 15th century and probably comes from Sardinia, where the fish were once abundant.

The names are confusing, and vary from place to place – for instance, the UK Sea Fish Industry Authority classifies sardines as young pilchards, while the FAO/WHO standard for canned sardines cites 21 diferent species that may be classed as sardines!

Sardines are best when cooked near where they’re caught – they don’t travel well. Although available throughout the year, they’re at their

S

60

best in spring. Usually sold whole, (fresh, frozen or canned) it’s well worth paying a premium for good-quality fish – and the best tend to come from Portugal, Spain and France.

Bought fresh and whole, sardines are ideal for grilling and barbecuing. All you need do is remove the scales (simply hold the fish under running water and brush it from tail to head between your finger and thumb) and then cook until the skin is crisp and charred and the flesh comes away easily.

Sardines are delicious hot or cold, either served with a robust tomato sauce (to counteract the oiliness of the fish) or dressed with butter, lemon and fresh herbs and served with boiled potatoes.

Sardines are also particularly good for you. A small serving once a day can provide 13% percent of your day’s recommended vitamin B2, about 25% of niacin and about 150% of vitamin B12. They’re also high in minerals such

as calcium and potassium, and are a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.

A wonderful way to enjoy sardines (see the image above) is to coat them in a little flour and fry in some peanut oil until they’re crisp and golden. Melt some butter in a pan, then saute a couple of cloves of garlic and a sliced chilli until they’re aromatic. Remove from the heat, add some freshly chopped dill, parsley and thyme, and then pour over the sardines.

Simply beautiful.

KLmagazine May 2015

Eat, drink and stay...

W I NNE R OF THE BEST PUB C ATEGORY

Cook up a BBQ feast this Bank

THE

BERNEY ARMS

Holiday with fresh, delicious fish!

Tuna & Swordfish now available!

Lobsters & Crabs Plus!

Local Oysters & shellfish Ex tensive delicatesse Jumbo raw prawns counter with top n quality local cheeses Fresh and smoked fish .

Free range eggs & Local honey

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

DONALDSONS

www.theberneyarms.co.uk

Austin Fields, King’s Lynn | Tel: 01553 772241

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

OPEN: Tues/Wed/Thurs 7am-4pm, Fri 7am-5pm, Sat 7am-3pm

BLACK HORSE The

QUIZ NIGHTS

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A fresh taste of the sea

ORIENTAL PALACE

CHINESE RESTAURANT Peking Szechuan & Cantonese Cuisine

Choose as many dishes as you want from the à la carte menu and they'll be freshly cooked to order - all for one set price!

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A traditional roast of 2 or 3 courses Restaurant Opening Times Mon To Fri: Midday to 3pm & 6pm to 9pm Sat: Midday to 9pm Sun: Midday to 8pm

01553 631 225

Call to reserve a table

Lynn Road, Castle Rising, Kings Lynn PE31 6AG

KLmagazine May 2015

DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE

Call us on: 01553 842255 204 Main Road, West Winch, King’s Lynn, PE33 0NP Open 7 Days a Week - 12noon-2pm & 5pm-10:30pm Visit us on facebook!

Oriental Palace, West Winch

61

Food & Drink

Pan-fried pollock fillet with duck fat sautéed potatoes, courgettes & wild garlic salsa Verdi Serves: 1 INGREDIENTS 200g pollock fillet (de-scaled and pin boned by your fishmonger) 3 cooked new potatoes 1 courgette 1 tbsp of duck fat FOR THE SALSA 4 leaves of Wild Garlic ½ Shallot finely chopped 1 tsp Lilliput capers 1 tsp chopped chives 1 tsp chopped parsley 75ml olive oil Salt & pepper

62

METHOD 1 Fry your pollock fillet in a little oil, skin side down first.

2 Cut potatoes into halves and fry in duck fat until golden.

3 With a peeler, cut ribbons of courgette. Blanch quickly in boiling water, then wrap into tight spirals.

4 For the salsa, chop the garlic leaves fairly finely, then mix the chopped shallots, capers, chives and parsley with the olive oil and then season with salt and pepper.

5 Place potatoes on the centre of the plate, place the pollock on top and spoon the salsa around the plate. Finally place your courgette spirals on the plate and serve.

Recipe by Stuart Deuchars, Head Chef at Bank House King’s Staithe Square, King’s Lynn PE30 1RD Tel: 01553 660492 Web: www.thebankhouse.co.uk KLmagazine May 2015

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A friendly family company 52 years trading unrivalled reputation for quality and attention to detail Neff specialists for 42 years Full measuring and CAD design service All kitchens supplied rigid 23 displays Full installation service available

Bexwell Kitchens Bexwell Aerodrome, Downham Market, Norfolk PE38 9LT tel: 01366 382064 e-mail: bexwellkitchens@aol.com web: www.bexwellkitchens.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

52 52 YEARS OF BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS

Open Mon-Sat 9-5 Sun 2-4 63

Food & Drink

Banoffee Cake METHOD 1 Heat the oven to 160° for a fan oven. Butter three 20cm sandwich cake tins and line with nonstick baking paper.

INGREDIENTS 400g caster sugar 400g softened butter 8 eggs beaten 400g self-raising flour 4 tbsp milk 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp vanilla extract 4 mashed ripe bananas FOR THE FILLING Caramel: 150g butter 150g soft brown sugar 1 tin of condensed milk Buttercream: 250g softened butter 400g icing sugar 1 tbsp milk 64

2 Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat together until you have a smooth soft batter.

3 Divide the mixture equally between the three tins and smooth the surface. Put in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top. The cakes should be springy when pressed.

4 Leave the cakes in the tins to cool for approx 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooking rack to cool completely.

5 Now for the filling – first make the caramel by putting the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and melt, stirring constantly until the sugar has melted completely. Then add the condensed milk and continue stirring until the caramel begins to bubble. Take off the heat and leave to cool.

6 For the butter cream put the butter, icing sugar and milk into a large mixing bowl and blend until light and creamy. Fold 2 tbsp of the caramel mixture with the buttercream and mix until fully blended together.

7 Spread half the buttercream evenly onto one of the cakes and sandwich together and repeat to create a 3 tier cake.

8 And finally to serve your delicious banoffee cake, top the cake with the remaining caramel and decorate with dried banana slices and Caramac chunks – or whatever you fancy!

The Banoffee Cake when served with a pot of Banoffee tea is the ultimate banana feast!

Recipe by The Folly Tearoom 4 Hopper’s Yard, Bull Street, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6LN Tel: 01263 713569 Web: www.follytearoom.co.uk KLmagazine May 2015

a t re at a t tto o be ssavo a v ou ured o on n a n y ttr r i p to t o h o lt lt

a secret garden full of curiousi-teas crea ated wit with a large measure of love and more than a teasp teaspoon or two of ma m gic.

the

FOLLY SELECTED TEAS, CADDY’S AND TEA SETS

enjoy the vintage splendour

Yard, Folly ly Tearoom, oom, Hoppers Yar Bull Street,, Hol Holt lt t,, Nor Norfolk NR25 6LN el - 01263 713569 Tel WWW.F OLLYTEA ROOM.CO.UK

KLmagazine May 2015

65

the perfect location for your special day

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The Birches Wedding & conference venue with accommodatio n

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01328 701331

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

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KLmagazine May 2015

Time to discover the wonders of Leziate Park eziate Lake View Park is one of West Norfolk’s most idyllic locations, set on the shore of a beautiful tranquil lake and surrounded by mature woodland – it offers a relaxing lounge and stylish restaurant area, a large function room (complete with dance floor and bar) and it’s all only three miles from King’s Lynn.

These are exciting times at Leziate Lake View Park, and whatever plans of your own are in the making – whether it’s a business conference or a charity dinner dance – you’ll find it’s the perfect setting for a truly successful event. Of course, there’s no bigger day than your wedding, and Leziate Lake View Park can host the reception or party in the delightful marquee-style Lakeside Suite – which can hold up to 180 guests and is complete with stunning views over the lake, making it perfect for those

L

special photographs. Moreover, Leziate Lake View Park has a Civil Wedding Licence, so it’s possible to have the wedding ceremony itself in this beautiful location. And if you need any help in planning the big day, the professional and experienced on-site wedding team is on hand to organise and coordinate everything to the finest detail, ensuring your dream ideas become a dream reality.

Leziate Lake View Park is also great for business, being able to cater for all types and all sizes of corporate meetings and conferences with a capacity of up to 180 delegates – and all the necessary equipment is readily available on site.

You can hire the whole Leziate Lake View Restaurant and Bar for your exclusive use or for the ultimate discretion as you entertain your guests.

With impeccable corporate hospitality, up to 150 people can be accommodated in the restaurant for sit-down events, and the whole venue (along with the grounds)

can be hired as the perfect location for corporate family fundays, which are growing in popularity as local businesses reward and motivate their staff.

Christmas parties at Leziate Lake View Park are always popular with companies across Norfolk as they harness the festive atmosphere while ensuring every guest has a merry old time – and the Event Services team offers free party planning to ensure you enjoy the Christmas party too!

For people looking for exciting leisure choices, Leziate Lake View Park has a world of outdoor opportunities to enjoy – from the superb tennis courts to the huge garden, with plenty of parking spaces and a stunning landscape.

Indeed, there’s never been a better time to discover Leziate Lake View Park – there’s something for everyone of all ages, and the wonderful setting ensures every special event is a really successful and enjoyable occasion.

information

Leziate Lake View Park Brow of the Hill, Leziate, King’s Lynn Norfolk PE32 1EN Tel: 01553 630393 Web: www.leziatepark.co.uk E-mail: enquiries@leziatepark.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

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Food & Drink

RestaurantReview

KL magazine visits the Chalk & Cheese...

S

houldham has always been one of my favourite villages in West Norfolk – it has a fantastic community spirit and it’s located next the gorgeous forest of Shouldham Warren. Perched on the edge of the idyllic village green is the Chalk & Cheese, a renovated Victorian school which has been cleverly transformed into a bar/restaurant, including bed and breakfast accommodation, a village farm shop and a gallery.

We arrived early on a Saturday evening and were welcomed personally by the friendly owner, which was a lovely touch. Guided into the bar area and seated in the comfortable chairs in front of the fire (which was kindly lit for us) we were shown the wine menu and perused this while we slowly took in the eclectic decor. The room was bursting with a huge array of antique and miscellaneous items, including a pink

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feather bower hanging from a cabinet, a stuffed weasel, and an assortment of mismatched embroidered cushions, Indian wall hangings and ornaments.

We chose a bottle of rosé from the wine list, which was swiftly brought over to us in a wine cooler along with the menus. The menu had a nice selection including a few starters such as coarse pâté – which we duly ordered two portions of.

In addition to several other dishes, the mains offered a very appealing selection of homemade pizzas, which are made in an on-site wood-fired pizza oven, a rare and impressive feature. I chose the Florentina, topped with spinach, local mushrooms and a free-range egg. My partner, meanwhile, opted for the 6oz ground beef burger.

After ordering our food we were escorted into the conservatory and shown to our table. The room had a lovely light and airy feel to it, with the sun beaming in through the glass. The tables were laid to complement the eclectic theme, with nothing matching apart from the sun-faded placemats.

From the heavily-stained napkins and mismatched cutlery and plates, to the assortment of glassware and oldfashioned tablecloths, the room has a warmly nostalgic feel about it.

Our starters arrived in good time, but as we were the only people in the restaurant we might have expected a

particularly attentive service!

The pâté was packed with flavour and was served with granary toast and two chutneys, although one of them had a sweet vanilla taste to it which didn’t really work.

On arrival, my pizza looked delicious and authentic but I was a little disappointed with the understated taste and the fact it was quite soggy in the middle despite its crisp appearance.

The burger was given a ‘mediocre’ rating by my partner, although the meat was clearly of high quality and the chips were very tasty. As a whole, however, the dish was quite predictable and lacked a little imagination.

The rather limited dessert menu included the usual favourites such as a cheese board and chocolate sponge pudding, but we thought we’d rather finish the meal with a drink in the bar instead.

The bill totaled £53, which included two courses for two people and a bottle of wine. If you love clean lines and a contemporary look, the Chalk & Cheese probably isn’t your taste, but if you have a soft spot for vintage decor and a traditional approach to food it’s right up your street!

Overall, we felt the Chalk & Cheese lacked that touch of luxury you look for when dining out – but it certainly has a homely, honest feel which makes it a very unique and enjoyable place to visit.

7

FOOD SERVICE

10

VALUE

7

CHALK & CHEESE Chalk & Cheese, Eastgate Street, Shouldham, King’s Lynn PE33 0DD Telephone: 01366 348039 Web: bed-and-breakfast-west-norfolk.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

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Food & Drink

Tathstees of Month BRAY’S COTTAGE PORK PIES Holt Sarah Pettegree of Bray’s Cottage uses only the best pork from lovingly-reared pigs in North Norfolk. Add some quality cured bacon and their very own blend of herbs and spices, plus a delicious hot water crust pastry and you get what has been (quite rightly) called ‘The Perfect Pork Pie’. They even do celebration pork pies and tiered wedding pork pies! www.perfectpie.co.uk SAMPHIRE Tibenham Samphire makes a real point of supporting animal welfare, rare breed meat, local food and small producers.

They produce a wonderful range of rare breed pork pies – one plain version and one with onion marmalade. The pies are described as having ‘crunchy pastry, well-seasoned rare breed pork and just the right amount of jelly’ – and they’re truly satisfying. www.samphireshop.co.uk GODDARD’S OF NORFOLK Downham Market John Goddard opened John’s Quality Butchers in 1992 and he has over 40 years’ experience. All Goddard’s pork is free range, including the meat that goes into the marvellous pork pies. The pies made by the busy bakery team include a traditional pork pie, egg pork pie, pork and onion pies and even pork and stilton pies – and they all taste fantastic! www.goddardsofnorfolk.co.uk

Norfolk’s pork pies: the real upper crust As the picnic season kicks in, we’ll all soon be reaching for our wicker baskets in preparation – and deciding what to fill it with. A pork pie is a real picnic essential, and here in Norfolk we’ve got plenty of mouth-watering choices...

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BRADWELL BUTCHERY Great Yarmouth Bradwell Butchery was opened by Andrew Edmonds in 1986 and includes a bakery and delicatessen. Pork is their speciality – they use Blythburgh Free Range pork sourced from the Suffolk coast. Once named the East Anglian Champion for their hand-raised pork pie, Bradwell Butchery makes and stocks the wonderfully named Norfolk Nobler pie – well worth discovering! www.bradwellbutchery.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

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Local Life

ABOVE: In 1892 there were no less than 180 pubs in King’s Lynn – but around half of them would disappear within 30 years

On the trail of Lynn’s historic public houses...

For visiting tradesmen and the local community of fisherfolk, the old pubs of King’s Lynn were central to the life of the town. Here, Dr Paul Richards guides us through these long-lost hostelries.

H

ow many pubs were there in King’s Lynn? In 1806 there were 68 “alehouses” serving a population of about 10,000 and within 50 years both figures had more than doubled. By 1892, there were no less than 180 drinking establishments in the town (one for every 100 citizens!) although they were by then under determined attack from the Temperance Movement, whose missionaries asserted that the thriving port actually needed no more than 27!

Legislation from a succession of Liberal

72

governments saw the number of pubs in King’s Lynn drop significantly (along with the rest of the country), and in the decade between 1906-16 at least 59 licensed houses (many of them by the riverside) closed – and by 1920 there were only 98 left.

Pubs were central to the life of the town, and although many of them have been lost they were such important and colourful buildings in the streets of 18th century Lynn that some of the streets themselves acquired the name of their local hostelries. St Nicholas Street was once called Black Goose Street after

the pub there, Chapel Street was formerly known as Black Horse Street (the pub itself was demolished in the 1960s), and Queen Street was originally known as Three Crowns Street.

Even though much of this cultural history has been lost to us, it’s still possible to follow the footsteps of beer drinkers of the past and catch a glimpse into a very different world.

The routes to the town’s two market places (via the South and East Gates) were once lined with pubs. The Hob in the Well stands on the site of the East Gate and traffic from here into the

KLmagazine May 2015

KLmagazine May 2015

PICTURES: NORFOLK MUSEUMS SERVICE (LYNN MUSEUM)

Tuesday Market Place passed numerous pubs hoping for business, most of them in Norfolk Street.

Before London Road was built at the start of the 19th century, incoming carts and stagecoaches turned left at the South Gate and followed Friar Street and Bridge Street to the Saturday Market Place. Most pubs on this route have now been demolished, but a few former hostelries survive in buildings such as the Greenland Fishery and The Hulk/Quaker Meeting House. But the famous Crown Inn where stagecoaches arrived and departed is no more, and an NCP car park occupies the site on Church Street today.

Both market places were packed with pubs offering stables as well as refreshments to the numerous carrier carts whose passengers descended on King’s Lynn on Tuesdays and Saturdays from the surrounding area – a tradition that continued well into the 1960s with the arrival of the motor car (and longer opening hours!)

In the Saturday Market Place, the White Hart remains and can claim to be the town’s oldest pub. It was built in the 15th century by the local Council which had its early morning meetings there until 1548 when the property was sold.

Underneath the ancient inn are reputed to be bricked up vaults that lead to King’s Lynn Minster, and the pub is also supposed to contain the ghost of a monk.

About 1900 Lizzie Wenn ran a popular restaurant here, which became a very busy pub by the 1930s and is still trading. The Market Bistro’s former name of The Recruiting Sergeant dates from the time when the press gang lodged there during the 18th century!

Over at the Tuesday Market Place, the Dukes Head was a grand coaching inn

ABOVE: The Prince of Wales on London Road, King’s Lynn. The picture of a King’s Lynn barman pouring a drink (below) dates from 1955, but the pub in question is unknown

opened in 1686 by the Turner family. It became well known for its hospitality and entertainment, and in 1743 the Corporation said that no pub could call itself an ‘inn’ unless it had stables and sold wine!

Beside it, the recently-refurbished Maids Head has 16th century origins and a colourful past. It seems to have been a favourite haunt of smugglers, and the Mart Police were based there every February to deter criminals drawn by all the merchandise. Indeed, most of the pubs around the Tuesday Market Place had close ties with the showmen and women attending the annual February Mart. Up to the 1940s the always-popular fire-eaters liked to be stationed near The Victory (on the corner of St Nicholas Street) where they could quickly quench their terrible thirst every 30 minutes or so! The Globe Hotel (which exists to this day) hosted dances and parties for the showmen’s families too, and roundabouts were bought and sold there.

The market place’s other pubs have either been demolished or converted –

such as The Woolpack, which was rebuilt in 1952 and had occupied the site for centuries; you’ll find Prezzos there today. As for the charming Crown and Mitre, its 18th century fabric can still be seen and the pub has happily stood the test of time.

Away from the town centre itself, you can still find several examples of pubs that have long served certain neighbourhoods and streets – in Old South Lynn, for example, the London Porterhouse, Live and Let Live and Lord Napier are all popular.

The North End was once full of pubs that were interwoven with the lives of Lynn’s fisherfolk. Those in North Street disappeared in the 1960s redevelopment of the area, although the Music Hall behind the Dock Hotel escaped the planners and is now the headquarters of the Purfleet Trust.

On St. Anne’s Street, part of True’s Yard itself was once The Naval Reserve, and the old pub was incorporated into the Museum in 1996. Unfortunately, all the pubs of Pilot Street (such as The Fisherman’s Arms) have disappeared,

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Local Life

74

No 1. The young composer was particularly impressed with ‘The Captain’s Apprentice’ as sung by Duggie Carter, an iconic figure at True’s Yard. In 2005 a plaque was posted on the pub to mark the centenary of the event, and the building has since been converted into flats.

Just as interesting are the pubs of Lynn’s riverside streets, which were teeming with labourers and sailors until the late 19th century. And they were all thirsty! These pubs also acted as job centres where men could discover work opportunities on ship and shore or in the local shipyards – and several were also lodging houses. The Browns, Allens, Everards and Bagges (the town’s big brewers) recruited men here for their ships, and they often owned the establishments as well.

It was in pubs like these (such as The Town Arms in Queen Street) you could find the ‘early purl’ – which was beer warmed over the fire and flavoured with wormwood. Sailors loved this drink on cold mornings before they boarded their ships sitting in the Ouse.

Sadly none of these riverside taverns remain in either Nelson Street, Queen Street (The Town Arms was demolished in 1894 to extend the Town Hall) or King Street, though most of the buildings that housed them have survived, and are now houses and offices.

THE HISTORIC PUBS OF KING’S LYNN Dr Paul Richards regularly leads historic pub tours through King’s Lynn. The next – to celebrate Local History Day and raise money for True’s Yard Museum will take place on 6th June at 4pm.

Starting from True’s Yard, the route will follow Pilot Street, the Tuesday Market Place and King Street before (fittingly enough!) ending at a local bar before 6pm. Places on the tour cost only £4 and can be booked by calling True’s Yard Museum on 01553 770479.

KLmagazine May 2015

PICTURES: NORFOLK MUSEUMS SERVICE (LYNN MUSEUM)

though a few of the buildings survive as private houses. Still trading is The Bentinck Inn on Loke Road, which was built to coincide with the opening of the new dock in 1883.

These pubs were the true community centres of the North End (the managers or landlords were often retired fishermen themselves), where fisherfolk enjoyed dominoes, skittles and singing contests. Fishing smacks were auctioned over a beer or two, and job opportunities were passed among the customers.

Of special interest is The Tilden Smith, which became The Retreat in 1975 and only closed two years ago. It was here in 1905 that composer Vaughan Williams met Lynn fishermen and sailors over the course of a week and collected some 30 folk songs and tunes, three of which informed his famous 1906 work Norfolk Rhapsody

The Mariners Arms moved from Nelson Street in 1854 to the South Quay, and closed around 1960, before becoming Bradley’s Restaurant – and today it’s a private house. The Three Crowns Inn in Queen Street stands, or at least partly; it was patronised by retired master mariners who loved their ale and hot sausages in the morning.

The decline in the number of sailing ships from the 1880s (and the fewer sailors required by the steamers that replaced them) undermined the customer base of these riverside pubs, and many had to shut their doors before the outbreak of war in 1914.

Off King Street, at the end of Ferry Lane, you’ll find the Ouse Amateur Sailing Club, and this was once The Ferry Boat Inn, long favoured by officers from the nearby Custom House. Sold to the Club in 1930, it retains a unique traditional atmosphere.

Also on King Street (on the corner with Purfleet Street) was The Angel and Trumpet. It was renamed thus in 1864, and before that is believed to have been called the King Richard III. Why a pub in King’s Lynn was named after the ill-fated king who was only finally laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral in March this year is unclear, and I’m unaware – at the moment at least! – of any connection between the last of the Plantagenets and the town of King’s Lynn.

Although we’ve lost many historic pubs, it’s still possible to see where they once stood and understand the part they played in the life of the town and its people – and happily King’s Lynn still has plenty of great pubs in which we can celebrate them!

Exquisite food and drink set in one of England’s most unique buildings - Steeped in history at the heart of King’s Lynn’s quayside - Contemporary menus using locally sourced produce - Popular wine bar with real ales and cocktails - Live music and open mic nights -

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KLmagazine May 2015

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Canadian singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega photographed by Nick Elliott at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2014 90

KLmagazine May 2015

PICTURES: NICK ELLIOTT

Local Arts

ABOVE: 50Folk may be a big landmark in the career of rock photographer Nick Elliott (below) but his forthcoming Size Matters exhibition will see his amazing work presented on a bigger scale than ever

Rocking the world of folk with Nick Elliott...

As renowned rock photographer Nick Elliott releases his art book 50Folk, Emma Barnard talks to him about the Cambridge Folk Festival and his plans for the biggest photographic art show ever.

EMMA BARNARD: What’s the background story on Nick Elliott?

NICK ELLIOTT: It’s a big story! It all started with a deep passion to create, with my inspiration coming mainly from British black and white films and the glory days of Hollywood. Of course, after photography my greatest passion has always been music.

In addition to spending hours listening to music and going to live shows, I studied the great fashion photographers like Terence Donovan, Patrick Lichfield and – my biggest inspiration – David Bailey. For me, photography was the medium through which I could create something that

KLmagazine May 2015

would leave a mark, to change things.

Once I left school, I joined the local press and then worked for major consumer magazines before moving into advertising, shooting a number of major campaigns. Eventually, I came to a creative point where I wanted to specialise – and the natural trip for me was into the music business.

EMMA BARNARD: So why choose to photograph live performances over pure portraits?

NICK ELLIOTT: Having spent so much of my life at live events, and being deeply influenced by some of the performances of the truly great

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Local Arts

PICTURES: NICK ELLIOTT

Eddie Reader

musicians, I felt I wanted to reclaim and recapture them – but with the emotion they gave to me when I first saw the show. It’s not just about simply recording a live performance. It’s about passion, an emotional trip, creating an image that, when you look at it, takes you back to that moment or another similar moment personal to the viewer.

“e subject matter is critical. I want to create images that you can fall in love with...”

Nick Elliott

EMMA BARNARD: You’re known around the world as a ‘rock’ photographer – so why have you just published a book celebrating folk music?

NICK ELLIOTT: Good question!

50Folk isn’t strictly a celebration of folk music – it’s a celebration of art, capturing images from the eclectic mix of genres – folk, blues, roots and Americana – that perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival. The Festival was merely the event I used to create the images over the period I worked there. It's not about the genre – it’s about the images.

EMMA BARNARD: Why is the Cambridge Folk Festival so important to you?

NICK ELLIOTT: The Cambridge Folk Festival holds a very special place in my heart. Although, as you said, I’m predominantly known as being a photographer of rock artists, so much of my career started at this great 80

Sinead O’Connor

festival and I really wanted to do a celebration of my involvement in only a part of its remarkable 50-year history.

EMMA BARNARD: Faced with such a large selection of performers over so many years to choose from, how did you go about selecting the images that ended up in the book?

NICK ELLIOTT: It wasn’t about the size or status of the performer for me – it was, first and foremost, led by the image itself. It was always going to be about the images.

All the shots in the book are ‘stand outs’ – there are certain images that I can instantly recall as being some of the best work I’ve ever done, so they had to be included. It was very difficult to keep it down to a small selection, though, so I chose my favourite shots of 50 artists I’ve photographed over the 11 years I’ve worked the Festival. That way, it’s become a personal celebration of the event’s 50th anniversary.

EMMA BARNARD: How long was the book in the making?

NICK ELLIOTT: In a funny way it actually started the very first day I walked onto the Festival site in 2000.

I instantly thought it was a great canvas to produce a fine body of art work that would finally become a book.

KLmagazine May 2015

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Local Arts

PICTURES: NICK ELLIOTT

Cara Dillon

Of course, at that stage I didn’t plan to do a book of the 50th anniversary – but it offered a great opportunity to mark my involvement in the event. The whole project, from selecting the images to design and print, actually took about 18 months to ensure it fulfilled everything I wanted it to be.

EMMA BARNARD: Photographing live performers can’t be easy – what’s the hardest part of it?

NICK ELLIOTT: Light restrictions, no doubt! All the shows are shot by available light, ambient, natural light, which can really restrict things like shutter speeds and apertures. It makes it much more difficult to create than situations where you’re working on location or in a studio. It may be easy to capture a show but it’s nowhere near as easy to create a truly great piece of art.

EMMA BARNARD: What’s next for Nick Elliott?

NICK ELLIOTT: This is probably one of the busiest times in my career – so many things are culminating in one small period of time!

Possibly the biggest thing at the moment is a massive show I’m doing called Size Matters. It’s an idea I’ve had for years that’s finally coming to fruition. I wanted to create the biggest possible art show ever in terms of physical size – something that would be a spectacle to behold and a true 82

“Nick’s talent is in capturing a unique moment in every artist’s performance that takes you to the very place their music belongs...”

The Saw Doctors

Cara Dillon experience to view.

Norfolk based Structure-flex, who are experts in large format printing, have agreed to sponsor the show and are going to reproduce 12 of my images at a huge 16ft x 9ft. The structures will form an outside exhibition for 65,000 people at the Pageant of Power at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire in June and we think it’ll be the first time photographic art has been created on such a scale. I’m very excited about it.

Limited to only 250 copies worldwide, 50Folk is available direct from www.nickelliottstore.com, and each copy is signed by Nick himself. For more information on Nick and his work, please visit www.nickelliott.eu.

KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

What’s On

ABOVE: Winners of last year’s Royal Overseas League Ensemble Competition, Solem Quartet will be introducing a new venue to the King’s Lynn Festival when they perform at Westacre Theatre on Sunday July 19th. Meanwhile, the violin and harpsichord pairing of Hazel Brooks and David Pollock, better known as Duo Dorado (opposite) will be presenting works by famous 17th and 18th century composers with the Hanseatic League in their blood at King’s Lynn Minster on Saturday 18th July.

Getting ready for a feast of cultural wonders...

For two weeks in July, the 65th King’s Lynn Festival will be presenting one of the most exciting and ambitious programmes in the event’s history. Here’s just a few of the highlights for 2015

T

he King’s Lynn Festival is always one of the region’s premier cultural events, and this year’s event – which starts with a Viva Vivaldi! concert by the European Union Chamber Orchestra and King’s Lynn Festival Chorus – promises the most exciting programme ever. The wideranging choice of classical music, jazz, folk, talks and films will include no less than four orchestras, pianist Freddy Kempf, trumpet virtuoso Crispian Steele-Perkins, veteran comedian Barry

KLmagazine May 2015

Cryer, historian and broadcaster Andrew Graham-Dixon, and Capercaillie – a major force in Celtic music.

One Festival event putting King’s Lynn firmly on the national stage takes place on July 20th, when the BBC Concert Orchestra will be recording an edition of Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night at the town’s Corn Exchange.

Another very special occasion will be the presentation of a Royal Shakespeare Company production focussing on songs written for

Shakespeare’s plays, which will be staged in St George’s Guildhall on July 13th – the first time the production will have been seen outside Stratford.

Slightly less sedate will be Swinging at the Cotton Club on July 19th – an action-packed evening of jazz, song and dance featuring Harry Strutters’ Hot Rhythm Orchestra and the Jiving Lindy Hoppers.

“This is one of the most ambitious programmes of events we’ve presented, and it has something for everyone,” says Ambrose Miller, the

9

PICTURE: SIMON VAN BOXTEL

What’s On

Festival’s artistic director. “Celebrating the 65th Festival is very special, and the event’s deliberately broad appeal will do justice to the occasion. Lynn’s Hanseatic heritage looms large as we’ll be bringing the Flanders Symphony Orchestra from Bruges to perform the final concert with pianist Freddy Kempf.

We’ll also be welcoming the Notos Quartet from Berlin and pianist Maksim Stsura from Estonia.”

In addition to all the musical treats, this year’s Festival exhibition marks a new partnership with The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich, which is to loan an exhibition of work by the late (and very great) portrait photographer John Hedgecoe, possibly best known for his image of the Queen that graces our postage stamps.

“The exhibition will include a number of portraits of major personalities who’ve been closely associated with the Festival over the years,“ says Professor Paul Greenhalgh, Director of the SCVA. “We hope Festival audiences will enjoy these beautiful images of leading personalities by a photographer who truly loved Norfolk.”

Another new partnership sees the beautiful setting of Westacre Theatre become part of the

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Festival with an afternoon concert by the Solem Quartet on July 19th.

Following their stirring launch of the Festival, the European Union Chamber Orchestra will be appearing at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange on July 14th accompanied by world-famous trumpet-player Crispian Steele-Perkins in an exciting programme of music by Haydn, Handel and Mozart.

The ever-popular Ruth Fermoy Memorial Concert (in memory of the Festival’s founder) takes place on July 16th with the Notos Quartet, and the renowned and amazing Academy of Ancient Music will be giving an early music concert on July 18th. Other musical highlights include a piano recital by Benjamin Grosvenor on July 23rd and the morning coffee concert series presented by several rising stars of the classical music world, which take place from July 20th to 24th.

As part of the Festival’s Hanseatic theme, Andrew Graham-Dixon will talk on The Art of the Low Countries on July 15th, while TV presenter and author Dan Cruickshank will be dealing with The Recreation of Lost Buildings on July 22nd. Capercaillie will be bringing a unique fusion of Gaelic culture and contemporary folk to the Festival on July 21st and there’ll be more lively music in the shape of popular jazz

band King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys on July 24th.

Barry Cryer and pianist Colin Sell will be providing an evening of laughter on July 17th, Professor Callum Roberts will deliver a fascinating illustrated Royal Geographical Society lecture on the changing face of the oceans on July 18th, and the Festival also includes the screenings (in partnership with King’s Lynn Community Cinema Club) of Vincent and Theo (July 15th) and The Page Turner (July 22nd).

Festival tickets are already (as usual) selling like the proverbial hot cakes, so call the box office on 01553 764864 or visit www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk for full details and event timings.

PICTURE: KAUPO KIKKAS

PICTURE: NEDA NAVAEE

FESTIVAL FACES: As usual, the King’s Lynn Festival presents a wide range of cultural events catering for all tastes and interests. Clockwise from left to right are Freddy Kempf, the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, John Hedgecoe’s famous portrait of Elizabeth II, Dan Cruickshank and Barry Cryer.

Below is the Notos Quartet.

KLmagazine May 2015

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Swaham 84

KLmagazine May 2015

Explorer

Why Swaffham is the perfect market town...

Few towns are as well-placed when it comes to discovering the natural beauty and charm of Norfolk – and it’s a town full of character, as Emma Barnard discovers. Pictures by Ian Ward.

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t the very northern point of the Brecks lies Swaffham, an important Norfolk market town which rose to prominence during the county’s medieval history. This is typified by the town’s famous market cross, built by George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford and presented to the town in 1783. Atop the cross is a statue of the Roman goddess of the harvest, Ceres.

Swaffham was always a lively place to be – it’s said that Lady Nelson preferred to live there because North Norfolk and the Burnhams were too quiet! At its peak, the town was packed with theatres, assembly rooms, pleasure KLmagazine May 2015

gardens and a racecourse. Historically the town was used as a stopping destination for pilgrims travelling to Walsingham and also a funnel for those going south from the Norfolk coast towards Suffolk and London.

The market cross is also the focal point for Swaffham’s popular Saturday market – a popular event that’s abundant with fresh local produce including cheese and eggs, bookstalls and bric-a-brac.

To the west of the market place are several buildings which once housed the historic Hamond’s Grammar School. The school’s art teacher in the 1960s was a certain Harry Carter, who

carved a number of village signs which can still be seen in many locations – not least in his home town, where the sign commemorates the Pedlar of Swaffham.

In fact, Carter was the distant cousin of the archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter – who spent much of his childhood in Swaffham as it was the birthplace of both his parents.

He became famous after discovering the intact tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamen in November 1922, spending the next ten years excavating the treasures of the tomb. The Swaffham Museum contains an Egyptology room documenting the life 85

Explorer

PAST AND PRESENT: The face of Swaffham – from beautiful architecture to the future of energy, and from Howard Carter to the legendary pedlar John Chapman

of Howard Carter. Aside from this, the museum also has an exhibition on local history and local geology.

As for the Pedlar of Swaffham, it’s a legend about a travelling salesman called John Chapman who lived in the town and had a dream two nights in a row that if he went to London Bridge he would get some great news.

He walked to London with his dog and waited on the bridge for something to happen before a shopkeeper eventually came to speak to him.

John revealed the details of his dream, to which he received the advice that if he believed in dreams he’d be better off in a place called Swaffham digging up gold from under the apple tree of a man named Chapman!

Returning home, John did indeed find a small pot filled with coins under his tree – and a few weeks later a monk translated an inscription on the box which read ‘under me doth lie another far richer than I’ and after some more digging, the pedlar found a much larger pot filled with gold.

The people of Swaffham were soon to be shocked (though doubtless grateful) to find the humble John Chapman paying for the north aisle and the tower of the church during its rebuilding.

From the entries in the ‘Swaffham Black Book’ a John Chapman did indeed pay for the rebuilding of the north aisle, but the wider truth of the story is very much open to question.

Either way, if you visit the church today (and it’s mightily impressive), you’ll find within it a charming carving of the

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pedlar and his dog.

Two other things you shouldn’t miss when you visit Swaffham are the Green Britain Centre’s large Enercon E-66 wind turbines – together they generate more than three megawatts. The windmill on site at the centre is open to be climbed – 300 steps up a spiral staircase! There’s a viewing platform right at the top and people have even been brave enough to abseil all the way down. The Green Britain Centre focuses on green energy, organic gardening, and transportation options without the use of oil.

Down to earth, Myers Playing Field in Swaffham is a hub of activity all year round. Three of the town’s sports clubs are based at the playing field on Shoemakers Lane – the Football Club, Cricket Club and also the Bowls Club.

And how can you talk about Swaffham without mentioning Stephen Fry? The comedian, actor, writer and presenter has lived a few miles away for more than 20 years now and even filmed part of his television series ‘Kingdom’ in the town.

In the summer of 2006, location filming began for the series and the office of solicitor Peter Kingdom (Fry) was filmed in Oakleigh House – which was formerly the house of the Headmaster at Hamond’s Grammar School. How better to conclude than with the words of the eloquent Fry himself: “There’s something about the place.

A perfect market town, perfectly placed in the heart of Norfolk’s perfect Breckland.”

KLmagazine May 2015

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Books

Six of the best Summer reads FINDERS KEEPERS Stephen King (£20) “Wake up, genius.” That’s how Stephen King’s latest book starts, and it’s particularly appropriate after the distinctly lacklustre Revival. Concerning the murder of reclusive writer John Rothstein, his missing notebooks and the release of his killer from prison after 35 years, Finders Keepers is a return to the world of King’s classic novel Misery – dealing with the notion of a reader whose obsession with a writer gets decidedly dangerous. This is spectacular, heart-pounding suspense, and has all the pageturning tricks we’re been familiar with for so many years.

GO SET A WATCHMAN Harper Lee (£18.99) To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the most widely-read novels of the 20th century, and 55 years after its publication comes the sequel – which was believed lost until last year. Set in the 1950s, it features many characters from the earlier book, but 20 years later on.

Scout (Jean Louise Finch) returns to Maycomb from New York to visit her father Atticus and is forced to grapple with personal and political issues as she tries to understand both her father’s attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place where she was born and spent her childhood.

IT'S A LONG STORY: MY LIFE Willie Nelson (£20) Many celebrity autobiographies are as ephemeral as their subjects’ careers, which is why Willie Nelson’s riveting account of his life is so remarkable and refreshing – even if you’re not a fan.

After 50 years in the music industry and 100 albums, a high-profile campaign for the legalisation of marijuana, the foundation of a ground-breaking philanthropic organisation and a muchpublicised personal life, it would be almost impossible for Nelson to have written anything less than than a thoroughly captivating read.

It’s the truly compelling story of a quite amazing life.

ADVENTURES IN HUMAN BEING Gavin Francis (£14.99) We have a lifetime’s association with our bodies, but for many of us they remain uncharted territory. Drawing on his own experiences as a doctor and GP, Gavin Francis blends first-hand case studies with reflections on the way the body has been imagined and portrayed over the millennia in this fascinating book. Taking you on a quite amazing journey through health and illness, the book is both a user’s guide to the body (from the ribbed surface of the brain to the unique engineering of the foot) and a celebration of its elegance. It will transform the way you think about being alive. A fascinating look at just what it means to be human.

THE HISTORY OF WINE IN 100 BOTTLES Oz Clarke (£20) We all love a glass of wine, and it seems we always have. This engrossing and entertaining book takes a look at 100 bottles that mark significant steps in the evolution of winemaking, and captures all the innovations and discoveries that have had the biggest impact on the history of the drink that’s been quite rightly described as ‘bottled poetry’.

Clarke also writes about the people who have influenced wine through the centuries, from the medieval Cistercian monks of Burgundy to scientists like Pasteur, who improved key technical aspects of winemaking.

It’s a real joy to read – and it’s even better if accompanied by a glass of Rioja.

THE CHURCHILL FACTOR Boris Johnson (£9.99) Written to mark the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death, Boris Johnson explores (with characteristic wit and passion) the singular brilliance of a quite remarkable man. In addition to being one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century, Churchill was also a pioneer in health care, education and social welfare, won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and remained refreshingly politically incorrect throughout his career. Doing an admirable job of dealing with the myths and misconceptions surrounding Churchill, Johnson portrays a man of multiple contradictions, contagious bravery, breathtaking eloquence and deep humanity.

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Local Life

ABOVE: Long Shadows by Dersingham artist Stephen Martyn – later this month he’ll be taking part in the village’s Open Gardens and Art Trail, which is now in its second decade and never fails to impress visitors with its feast of beautiful gardens (opposite)

Dersingham opens its doors to art and nature A beautiful village to visit at any time, the community spirit and creative heart of Dersingham really comes into its own with the annual Open Gardens and Art Trail, which takes place this month

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overs of local arts and gardens are in for an early summer treat at the end of the month with the return of the ever-popular Dersingham Open Gardens and Art Trail. Taking place on Sunday May 24th and Monday 25th from 11am-5pm, the event has become a favourite and highlyregarded fixture in the Dersingham village calendar and attracts hundreds of visitors from all over Norfolk – and beyond.

Dersingham Open Gardens has taken place for well over a decade now, but in recent years has been enhanced by the introduction of an art trail exhibiting the work of the village’s talented

KLmagazine May 2015

painters, photographers and potters.

Every year, the extraordinary variety of garden designs, the unusual plantings and the varied work of the resident artists contribute to present a beautiful village full of creative spirit at its very best.

Dersingham’s passion for gardening takes many forms. Some people are constantly changing their plots, sowing seeds, taking cuttings, planning for next year, chopping shrubs down and digging up plants, making way for an exciting new landscape. Others have a frantic clearance in time for the event, possibly filling in a few gaps where the frost has taken its toll. Whatever the approach, the passion and the sense of

community shines through.

It’s the sheer variety of the villagers’ gardens that’s so impressive. Within a very defined space (large or small) the homeowners have stamped their individuality through design and choice of plants – and what’s always apparent is the huge amount of time and effort put into creating such stunning visual effects.

Dersingham Open Gardens is a golden opportunity to be unashamedly nosy and explore the unseen gems hidden in people’s back gardens. Some are immaculate, with not a weed in sight, and are quite possibly trimmed with nail scissors. Others are more like nature reserves, with wild areas

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Local Life

ABOVE: This year’s Dersingham Open Gardens and Art Trail promises a wide variety of lovingly designed and cared for gardens to discover – in addition to the opportunity to meet some of the village’s talented artists, including Stephen Martyn (right)

reserved for birds, piles of dead wood for creepy-crawlies, and a shaggy lawn sloping down to a woodland stream.

Several are filled with bed after bed of colourful plants and flowers upon which to feast your eyes.

There are fish ponds, rockeries, dazzling displays in pots and sinks, statues, unusual objects, and impressive vegetable gardens filled to bursting with current and future crops.

Over 15 gardens will be open this year – some are old favourites, many have some fascinating changes, and there are several exciting new gardens to explore.

Apart from marvelling at the abundant flowers, shrubs, trees, and vegetables, visitors can also learn more about other activities taking place in the gardens such as bee-keeping, raising chickens and studying moths.

For example, in the garden at 14 Post Office Road you’ll see a very strange contraption in the middle of the lawn – it houses a bright light to attract the moths at night, which householder Dick Jones later identifies and then releases.

Most of the artists featured in the event are also opening their gardens or are exhibiting with an Open gardener.

After touring the outside, you can drop into their studios and take a look around, taking a welcome break from the sun – or the rain!

Dersingham artist Stephen Martyn opens his ‘beach hut’ studio, which is set in the heart of a colourful garden.

You can see his range of delightful watercolours and drawings, inspired from his trips around Norfolk and from further afield.

Liz Stockley, Jill Ilett and Carole 92

Brookfield share Liz’s barn to display their work (make sure you don’t miss Liz’s renowned tea and cakes), while June Mullarkey’s Dersingham Pottery is also on the Art Trail, together with her huge and beautifully-kept garden.

The trail also includes Mike Smith’s atmospheric coastal paintings, and the photographic studio of Jo Halpin Jones, who also opens up her fascinating garden of many nooks and crannies.

This year as you tour the village you’ll find various stalls dotted around the gardens selling a range of items from plants and books to asparagus and home-made cakes. And there’s no better way to start (or end!) the day than with a visit to the village’s Church Hall, which has become justly famous for its refreshments. The tireless ladies of the catering team offer a delicious lunch and then summon the energy to produce some truly mouth-watering cream teas.

Dersingham is quite a large village, but aching feet will find a welcome rest courtesy of Norfolk Green, which runs a free shuttle bus around the village over the two days.

For newcomers to the event, the best place to park at the start of the day is in St Nicholas Court near the church.

Entry tickets to the gardens are available from the Church Hall opposite. Tickets cost £5 on the day or £4 if bought from Dersingham Post Office in advance. Children under 16 are free. Tickets are also available on the day from participating gardens.

The entry ticket itself takes the form of a booklet, which includes a map showing the location of the gardens and studios, together with some

interesting background details on them, where you’ll find refreshments and amenities, and details of the bus route (with a timetable).

The Dersingham Open Gardens and Art Trail is a wonderful opportunity to explore a beautiful Norfolk village full of talented people with a real passion for visual spectacle – and it’s all in a good cause too, as the profit from the event makes a significant contribution to the community work carried out by the village’s church of St Nicholas.

For further details and information on the Dersingham Open Gardens and Art Trail, please call Judy Collingham on 01485 540271 or visit the website at www.dersinghamopengardens.co.uk

KLmagazine May 2015

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PICTURES: IAN WARD

Local Sport

ABOVE: It’s a bit of golf and a bit of football but not as you know either of them. Players at the Eagles Golf Centre at Tilney All Saints discover the challenge and fun of the hybrid sport of FootGolf, which is growing in popularity all over the country – and further afield.

The fun-filled marriage of two great sports...

In golf, kicking your ball results in a one-shot penalty. In the new sport of FootGolf, it’s the only way to succeed. Emma Barnard swaps her 9-iron for her right foot at the Eagles Golf Centre

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fascinating sporting hybrid of football and golf is currently taking the nation by storm and has become so popular that courses are popping up all over the country – including one on our doorstep at the Eagles Golf Centre in Tilney All Saints.

FootGolf is a precision sport where players kick a football into a hole in as few shots as possible – the game is played in the same way as golf, but players use a football instead of a golf ball and their feet rather than clubs.

With Eagles Golf Centre so close to home I couldn’t resist going to see what the fuss is all about – and I must say that now I can’t wait to go back and

KLmagazine May 2015

take some friends with me!

Eagles Golf Centre was opened 27 years ago as a golf practice driving range and became so popular that a par 3 course was constructed. This then progressed into the centre having a full par 64 course, and over the years a bar and restaurant have been introduced along with an on-site golf equipment shop. Even if you don’t fancy a round of golf, you can play 5-a-side football or try your hand at tennis as there are two courts near the main building.

The latest addition to Eagles is FootGolf and it’s something Managing Director David Horn brought to the centre in October 2014.

“I was attracted by the fact it would

pull in a whole new captive audience and that lends itself to anybody from toddlers to grandparents,” he says.

“Football is obviously a national sport and traditionally it’s always had a bigger appeal than golf.”

So where did this sport even come from? One theory is that professional Dutch and Belgian footballers organised a nine-hole tournament on a golf course in 2008. One of the players – Michael Jansen – said he learned of FootGolf from Willem Korsten, the Dutch footballer who formerly played for Tottenham Hotspur.

According to Korsten, when the Tottenham players finished training they’d play a similar game where they

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Local Sport

ABOVE: Emma Barnard sinks another ‘putt’ on the FootGolf course at Eagles Golf Centre. At 1,878 yards and with a par of 68, the course offers a really enjoyable challenge – and you don’t need to carry a bag of 14 clubs around to make the most of it.

attempted to kick the ball from the pitch back to the changing rooms in as short a time as possible!

When I arrived at Eagles I could immediately tell how popular FootGolf has become as there was already a 30strong group of young men all ready to tee off (or ‘toe off’) for themselves.

I first learned you can either take your own ball or borrow one from the centre and you need to wear trainers or astroturf shoes – no football boots! It’s not necessary to book ahead either, but if you’re in a larger group it is advised.

FootGolf is offered all year round, 364 days of the year, dawn until dusk – and once you have your ball, your scorecard and your pencil, you’re away.

Somewhat apprehensively, I made my way to the first ‘tee’ and gave it my best shot (I must say I hadn’t kicked a football since my days of playing in youth teams around ten years ago!) and it wasn’t as much of a disaster as I was expecting.

After a few attempts you’re really into the swing of things (excuse the pun), and I really felt like I was getting better all the time – although when I was on the green it was difficult to judge how hard to ‘putt’ the ball. I must admit I scuffed a few!

My main bragging rights came from not once seeing my ball run into a bunker – not bad going for a first attempt. But that’s the whole point of this game. You’re not meant to be perfect at it – it’s a bit of fun. Even if you’re a hardened football player or a golfer, FootGolf as a sport has only been around a few years so there are no superstars of the game yet.

Having said that, we may be getting towards a time where there are – with

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the popularity of the sport increasing, more courses are offering FootGolf across the country, and there are even UK ranking competitions and ‘elite’ players emerging. In the shape of Hungarian Béla Lengyel, there’s already a world champion.

As the sport’s popularity increases, the more its profile will increase. For now, though, the group of men behind me at the Eagles Golf Centre epitomised the spirit of the game as they happily divided themselves up into teams and one by one scuffed the ball off in the wrong direction.

What better way to spend a day than getting some fresh air on a beautiful golf course, laughing and having a great time with friends and family?

For more information on FootGolf and to enjoy it for yourself, contact the Eagles Golf Centre on 01553 827147 or visit www.eaglesgolfonline.co.uk.

KLmagazine May 2015

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Motoring

ABOVE: The 1947 Ford Zephyr was the first modern estate car used by the Royal Household, while the 1900 Daimler Phaeton (opposite) was the very first car owned by a British monarch. Below is the steering mechanism in George V's 1924 Daimler Shooting Brake

A history of Royalty written on four wheels...

Sandringham Museum is home to a remarkable collection of vehicles that doesn’t just chart the development of the motor industry – it also offers a unique look at the Royal Household

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he coach houses and stable block at Sandringham have seen several uses over the last century. It was the home of the Sandringham Fire Brigade in the 1930s, saw use as an onsite police post, and the nationally acclaimed Carving School occupied part of the building from Queen Mary’s day until 1957.

Today, the buildings are home to the Sandringham Museum which originated when George V decided to bring together all the big game trophies from the various Royal residences around the country. When Sandringham House opened to the public in 1977, the trophy collection was condensed to make room for exhibits relating to the history of the Estate, commemorative china,

KLmagazine May 2015

and the gifts given to The Queen during her many travels.

Central to the museum is the collection of vehicles belonging to the Royal Household – and the Royal Garages (a hive of activity when the house is occupied) provide a simple but authentic backdrop for the remarkable motorcars on display.

This is history written on four wheels, and it all started in 1900 when the Prince of Wales (who would become Edward VII the following year) purchased a 6-horsepower Daimler Phaeton, becoming the first British monarch to own and drive a motor car.

After eventually being relegated to local work around the Sandringham Estate, the car was returned to Daimler in 1930 (George VI drove it around the

101

Motoring company’s test track in 1938) and it came home to Sandringham at the end of the 1960s. With a top speed of 24mph was still in running order until relatively recently – and took part in the London to Brighton run as late as 2005.

Daimlers became the transportation of choice for British monarchs for over 50 years, and the museum’s collection tells the story of evolving motoring technology just as much as it charts the recent history of the Royal Household.

The shooting brakes – specially-built vehicles used to carry shooting parties together with their equipment and game – are particularly fascinating. The last, George VI’s 1936 4.5 litre Daimler, features specially-fitted gun racks, a folding luncheon table running down the interior’s centre (the car could accommodate 10 people) and is beautifully furnished in natural woods.

In 1975, after almost 40 years of service, the vehicle’s genuine mileage was recorded as only 26,404.

The museum also details the motoring-related interests of the present-day Royal Family.

There’s the 1968 MGC GT that Prince Charles used extensively in his younger days; the 1969 Austin Princess in which Princess Anne survived a kidnapping attempt on 20th March 1974; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s distinctive converted golf buggy; and a fabulous scale model Aston Martin DB5 that was produced by the company for the young Prince Andrew in 1966.

Taking a specialist team of 30 people six weeks to build, it’s remarkably faithful to the original vehicle as seen in two James Bond films, and even has revolving number plates and electrically-operated water jets hidden in the rear light reflectors!

There are also a number of more unusual vehicles – from the 1939 Merryweather fire engine used by the Sandringham Fire Brigade to the motorised wheelchair used by King George VI in the early 1950s.

Indeed, beside the beautiful scale model of an Aston Martin Volante presented to the Prince of Wales in 1988 (at a time when he owned a fullsize version of the car) sits a white and gilded wheelchair from 1897 that belonged to Queen Victoria.

This juxtaposition illustrates the irresistible appeal of Sandringham Museum’s vehicle collection – it’s a glimpse into the history of the Royal Household from an unusual perspective, through the amazing vehicles in which a succession of British monarchs (and members of their family) have both worked and relaxed.

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SANDRINGHAM MUSEUM Sandringham, Norfolk PE35 6EH Open: The museum is open every day (except July 29th) until 18th October from 11am-5pm (4pm in October) Admission: All ticket options for the Sandringham Estate include entrance to the museum.

Details: For further information, please visit www.sandringhamestate.co.uk or call 01485 545408

KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

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KLmagazine May 2015

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Part Exchange • Sandles Warranty • Great finance deals KLmagazine May 2015

105

The Big Interview KL MAGAZINE: Could you tell us a little about your background?

JOHN SANDLE: I’ve always loved cars, and actually sold my very first car at 17.

Despite being qualified and working as a TV technician, I continued to sell cars in the evenings and at weekends until founding J.W Sandle in 1975 – and the business is now celebrating its 40th anniversary this year!

KL MAGAZINE: What does your role of Managing Director entail on a day-today basis?

JOHN SANDLE: Generally it involves overseeing all the various departments of the business, and travelling around the country sourcing stock with my son Ben. KL MAGAZINE: What does the future hold for you – and for the business?

JOHN SANDLE: On the business front, we’re currently designing a new showroom, as the business has expanded so much that we need more space! As for myself, I’m hoping to spend more time on holiday and travelling with my wife Rosie.

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

JOHN SANDLE: Undoubtedly, it’s having the freedom to make your own decisions and be in control of your own destiny.

KL MAGAZINE: What do you consider to have been your greatest achievement?

JOHN SANDLE: To have built my own business from scratch – and to have seen it grow successfully over the course of four decades!

John Sandle KL magazine talks to John Sandle, the founder and Managing Director of Sandles Car Supermarket at Pott Row just outside King’s Lynn about his work...

106

KL MAGAZINE: What have you learned from your work?

JOHN SANDLE: A great deal, but I think the most important thing is the need to be diplomatic!

KL MAGAZINE: What do you like best about Norfolk?

JOHN SANDLE: I love the countryside (and the fact that we have so much of it!) and spending time enjoying it with all the friends and family I have here.

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

KLmagazine May 2015

JOHN SANDLE: I’m very keen on game and clay shooting, and I find holidays are the by far the best way of relaxing!

KL MAGAZINE: Who’s your biggest inspiration?

JOHN SANDLE: If it doesn’t sound too presumptuous, it’s me – because of my determination to succeed!

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

JOHN SANDLE: To always be honest, and to always be fair.

KL MAGAZINE: What was the last book you read?

JOHN SANDLE: I don’t really get the time to read books, as most of the time I’m reading industry and car magazines!

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

JOHN SANDLE: I’m actually nice!

www.sandles.co.uk KLmagazine May 2015

THE CLASSIC: ASTON MARTIN DB5 It’s one of the most instantly-recognised cars in history, thanks in no small part to its appearance in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger – and you’ll find it mentioned in both Julian Sutton’s piece on page 110 of this month’s magazine and our feature on the Royal vehicle collection at Sandringham (see page 100). It is, of course, the wonderful Aston Martin DB5.

The luxury grand tourer was designed by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera and was first released in 1963. It was actually an evolution of the final series of Aston Martin’s DB4 range (the DB cars were named in honour of David Brown, the company’s head from 1947–1972) and 1,023 were produced before it went out of production in 1965.

Standard equipment on the DB5 (for drivers who weren’t globe-trotting secret agents) included reclining seats, wool pile carpets, electric windows, twin fuel tanks, chrome wire wheels, a full leather trim in the cabin and even a fire extinguisher.

As for the car actually used in Goldfinger (above), it was later stripped of its weaponry and gadgetry by Aston Martin and then resold. Carrying chassis number DP/216/1, it was stolen in 1997 from its last owner in Florida, USA – and is currently still missing.

SPECIFICATION (Standard DB5 coupé) Engine: 3,995cc (243.8in2) Inline-6 Power: 282bhp (210kW) at 5,500 rpm Torque: 288lb ft (390 Nm) at 3,850 rpm Weight: 1,502kg (3,311lb) Top Speed: 143mph (230km/h) 0–60 mph: 8 seconds

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KLmagazine May 2015

Happy Birthday to Duff Morgan! t’s now 106 years since the hugely talented trio of Granville Duff, John Morgan and Oliver Locker-Lampson founded Duff Morgan in Norwich, and closer to home (in both time and space) the business is about to mark another major milestone with the 5th anniversary of the opening of the company’s Citroën dealership in King’s Lynn.

Over the weekend of 8th-10th May, Duff Morgan Citroën will be celebrating with three days of fun and excitement for all the family – including a BBQ, face painter, balloon modelling, and a special appearance from the KLFM Super Trooper bear. Best of all, to mark the occasion Duff Morgan will be offering £500 off any vehicle from the Citroën range ordered over the weekend.

In addition to being one of the very first dealerships in the country to feature the marque’s new corporate identity, Duff Morgan King’s Lynn was awarded Citroën’s

I

KLmagazine May 2015

prestigious Dealership of the Year Award only a year after opening, and followed that by picking up Citroën’s Excellence in Customer Care Award the following year.

“Over the last five years we’ve gone from strength to strength, and this weekend will be a great opportunity for us to thank everyone who’s contributed to our success and to celebrate our strong presence in the community,” says Sales Manager Martin Seal.

And there’ll soon be even more cause for celebration as East Anglia’s premier Citroën dealer has recently announced the purchase of the Seat dealership for the area and will be bringing it to King’s Lynn later this year.

“It’s a very exciting time for us,” says Martin, “and if anyone finds they can’t make our birthday celebrations for any reason, don’t worry – we’ll still be happy to honour the £500 off on all vehicles ordered before May 31st!”

It’s time to celebrate – and time to discover why Duff Morgan is at the forefront of motoring excellence in King’s Lynn. Happy birthday!

information

Duff Morgan Citroën 49 Bergen Way, North Lynn Industrial Estate King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 2JG Tel: 01553 770144 Web: www.duffmorgan.citroen.co.uk

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Motoring

ABOVE: The legendary 1967 Ford Shelby GT500 and (below) the Allard J1 – classic cars that are also highly desirable investments

The rise of US muscle cars... ith its combination of longdistance highways and rough tracks, the United States traditionally had no real market for sports cars, and the Americans’ first introduction to the vehicles came in the form of MGs brought home from Europe by returning servicemen.

The airbases in East Anglia and the close proximity of the circuit at Snetterton were key in the growing enthusiasm for sports cars among the Americans – and played a part in the career of Phil Hill, the first – and only – American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship.

The early American engines were large, powerful and relatively cheap – and it didn’t take too long before the British were putting these US powerhouses into our homegrown and realtively lightweight sports cars.

Foremost among these was a certain Sydney Allard, who had a US Ford dealership in London and based all his cars on the Ford V8 3.6 litre engine and running gear.

Sidney had competition in his blood.

He’s the only man in history to have

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110

won the Monte Carlo Rally and achieve a podium finish at the Le Mans 24 Hours – both at his first attempt and both in cars bearing his own name!

Having successfully competed in trials, sprints, rallies and races he won the 1949 British Hill Climb Championship at the wheel of his selfbuilt Steyr-Allard.

Today, his name – together with the incredible cars produced by his small

company in Clapham – is recognised and revered throughout the world.

Take the Allard J1, for example, of which only seven are known to exist. It was Sidney’s first production competition car, and one of the magnificent seven can be seen at the Historic Sports Car Collection in Tottenhill (pictured below).

This Anglo-American exchange of design ideas and racing brilliance

KLmagazine May 2015

eventually resulted in Henry Ford III commissioning Lola to build the Le Mans winning Ford GT40, while the American driver Carroll Shelby spotted the opportunity of putting a US Ford engine in the British AC Ace – creating the iconic AC Cobra. A similar process was taken with the Sunbeam Alpine, (thanks to the input of Formula 1 champion Jack Brabham) – a development which produced the Sunbeam Tiger.

On seeing just how successful the marriage was between American muscle and British design, Ford then produced its own, the legendary Shelby Ford Mustang.

America’s ultimate ‘muscle’ car, it’s one of the most famous cars in history – and some models have become the most valuable collector’s cars on the planet.

It’s also, of course, closely identified with Steve McQueen thanks to the 1968 film Bullitt. And by the way – if you’ve ever wondered what the other car was in the film’s landmark 10minute car chase, it was a 1968 Dodge Charger RT.

The rise and rise of Aston Martin rom the backstreets of Bangalore to the Aborigines of Australia there can be few people on this planet, thanks to the mobile phone, that don’t know that one of the best investments you can currently make is – by far – classic cars.

As a case in point, the cognoscenti and those in the business have been amazed recently at the meteoric rise in prices for the Aston Martin DB5 and DB6 – which have increased more than fourfold in a mere three years.

With George Osborne allowing people to release capital from their pension funds and the Governor of the Bank of England saying that interest rates will remain low, the upward pressure on classic car prices is only set to increase.

There’s a lot more to come in the world of Aston Martin for collectors – particularly on the younger, later models which have acquired cult status thanks to a certain James Bond.

F

STEVE McQUEEN 1968 Shelby Mustang 500 7.0 litres V8 Push Rod 335bhp 140mph 0-60mph in 6s

Although fuel costs aren’t an issue for low-mileage collector cars, investors are naturally concerned about maintenance and servicing costs.

The good news is that at the Historic Sports Car Collection – in conjunction with Steve Cato Restorations – we offer full acquisition, restoration and maintenance support services that are based on labour rates around half that of bigger dealers.

We’re true specialists – and we’re true enthusiasts. One of our Directors, Gary Ungless (who has specialist engineering expertise himself) has his own personal Aston collection and is a Committee Member of the Aston Martin Owners Club.

If you’d like a taste of the joys of classic car ownership, please contact us at Tottenhill – or come see us. It’s an exciting and endlessly rewarding world!

JULIAN SUTTON The Historic Sports Car Collection

SEAN CONNERY 1968 Aston Martin DB6 4.0 litres Straight 6 DOHC 325bhp 150mph 0-60mph in 8.4s

THE HISTORIC SPORTS CAR COLLECTION Your local specialists for restoring and selling iconic cars...

Unit 2A, Tottenhill Retail Park, Tottenhill, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE33 0RL telephone: 01553 811493 website: www.historicsportscarcollection.com e-mail: admin@historicsportscarcollection.com

KLmagazine May 2015

111

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112 2015 Hamlin Way, Hardwick Narrows, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, KLmagazine PE30May4NG

Big changes to our smallest SUV. With the addition of design features like the 3D grille, chrome-plated tailpipe and optional LED headlights, the new Audi Q3 is now even more eyecatching. Inside, Audi drive select and front Sports seats with electric lumbar support mean that it’s not only beautiful to look at, it’s also comfortable to drive.

I f you’d like to experience the new Audi Q3 for yourself, speak to a member of our team.

Kings Lynn Audi Hamburg Way, Kings Lynn PE30 2ND 0844 776 0541 kingslynn.audi.co.uk Part of the Marriott Motor Group

Official fuel consumption figures for the Q3 range in mpg (l/100km) from: Urban 33.6 (8.4) – 53.3 (5.3), Extra Urban 44.8 (6.3) – 68.9 (4.1), Combined 40.4 (7.0) – 61.4 (4.6). CO2 emissions: 119 – 161g/km. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

KLmagazine May 2015 113

The Last Word

WildWestNorfolk Michael Middleton’s

U

nless you’re one of those people who prefer to read magazines backwards, you’ll be aware that I recently visited St. Nicholas Chapel in King’s Lynn on a search for the origins of Robinson Crusoe. As it turned out, I didn’t actually visit the Chapel as it’s currently undergoing a major restoration and renovation project and there’s no public access to the site.

Indeed, it seems that scaffolding was the order of the day, as on making my way back to the car I stood at the end of North Street looking at the new housing development opposite.

I’d been accompanied on my ill-fated literary investigation by a friend from the village called Martin, who stood beside me and eventually gave a rather wistful sigh.

“Whatever happened to The Pilot?” he wondered aloud. The answer, I thought, was plainly obvious. It had been demolished.

But before anyone starts bemoaning the destruction of the Art Deco heritage of King’s Lynn, let’s not forget that what was actually demolished was an abandoned nightclub that had stood derelict for about six years. And before that it had been a garden centre, a roller skating rink and a snooker club – though not all at the same time.

Younger passers-by would probably have responded to Martin by asking a question of their own.

“Never mind what happened to it – what was The Pilot anyway?”

It was, of course, a much-loved cinema built in the heyday of filmgoing, when new cinemas were popping up at a quite staggering rate – in just a few 114

years during the 1930s, the country’s three cinema chains had managed to put up 300 new ones between them.

The Pilot in King’s Lynn started life following the demise of a plan to build a luxurious 1,400 seat cinema on St. James Road in the town. Envisaged as The Regal, it never really got off the ground and the site is now occupied by the town’s police station.

Enter Ben Culey, a colourful local businessman who catered to the public’s seemingly insatiable appetite for films by building a new cinema with the help of builder D Allflatt – whose son Keeble provided the design.

Work began on the Pilot Street site in August 1938, and involved (ironically enough given the building’s eventual fate) the demolition of several homes and the Dog and Duck public house.

Just over three months later, on 23rd November, The Pilot opened its doors to an audience comprising mostly of Ben Culey’s friends who were treated to a double bill of Walt Disney’s groundbreaking and recently-released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the virtually forgotten British comedy Cotton Queen, with Stanley Holloway and Will Fyffe.

The Pilot – which had a capacity of 797 – included a number of innovations. The stage had been planned with live entertainment in mind (the cinema even had dressing rooms) and the back of the balcony featured ‘double’ seats, which went down extremely well with the more amorous moviegoers of the time. Though not their parents.

The cinema hosted many famous entertainers during the

Second World War, whose performances boosted the morale of troops stationed in the town, and a screening in early 1953 was halted by the flood of that year which saw people evacuating the building by the side exits to be ferried home by some local fishermen.

That was all before my time, of course, and for the life of me I can’t remember my first visit to The Pilot. I do remember the winter of 1979, however, when my friends and I went to see the film Alien there for three nights running. Martin’s enduring memory of The Pilot was somewhat less prosaic. He must be one of the few people in the world who went to see Jaws when it was first released (around 1976) and proceeded to fall asleep.

In answer (finally!) to Martin’s question, what actually happened to The Pilot was that the curtain finally came down following a screening of the film Ghandi in 1983.

The building may be gone, but the memories are priceless.

KLmagazine May 2015