KL Magazine March 2020

ISSN 2044–7965

ISSUE 114 MARCH 2020 PRICELESS

magazine

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welcome

Y

ou’re probably familiar with the phrases “when it rains it pours” (especially these days) and “it does exactly what it says on the tin” and will instantly recognise the sounds of Dvorak’s Symphony No.9 Opus 95 and Carl Orff’s O Fortuna - but you may not realise that the only reason you are familiar with them is because of successful advertising campaigns, for Morton Salt, Ronseal, Hovis and Old Spice respectively. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Norfolk is the world’s largest archive of UK advertising, and while it’s an endlessly entertaining and nostalgic collection it’s also a fascinating record of changing times and values.

You’ll learn more about the History of Advertising Trust and its work on page 26 of this month’s magazine.

Hidden away in another corner of Norfolk is a former airbase that’s been home to one of the world’s most famous cars for over 50 years. Various Lotus models have appeared on TV in The Avengers and The Prisoner, star in two James Bond films, and the company’s racing division is still one of the most successful teams of all time, winning seven Formula One constructors’ titles, six drivers’ championships, and producing the first rear-engined car to win the Indianapolis 500. You can read more about the story of Lotus and its place in motoring history on page 104.

It’s impossible to avoid environmental issues at the moment, but while many people are looking to science and technology to come up with futuristic solutions, others are looking backwards

and returning the landscape to its original and natural state. As part of this ‘re-wilding’ programme, Wild Ken Hill at Snettisham are bringing beavers back to our local countryside (they haven’t been seen in Norfolk for about 400 years) where the animals will be repairing and balancing the ecosystem with their remarkable engineering skills. You can read more about this exciting project on page 42.

We’ll see you again next month, but in the meantime don’t forget to follow us on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @klmagazine.

Enjoy the magazine!

Eric Secker EDITOR KL magazine

meet the team KL magazine is published monthly by KL Publications Ltd. The magazine cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and KL magazine takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.

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contents

7 8 14 20 26 30 34

DIARY DATES This month’s forthcoming events

42 47 50 54

THE (RE)CALL OF THE WILD Bringing beavers back to Norfolk

A TOWERING MONUMENT The history of King’s Lynn Minster THE POWER OF SONG...

The King’s Lynn Festival Chorus A HOUSE OF HISTORY 500 years at Snowre Hall THAT’LL DO NICELY...

The history of Advertising Trust WE LOVE WEST NORFOLK Highlighting the area’s great and good GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN The long-lost village of Godwick

YOU AND YOUR PETS With London Road Veterinary Centre A NATIONAL TREASURE The life and legacy of Octavia Hill THEN AND NOW The changing face of west Norfolk

MARCH 2020

56 64 69 75 78 84 92 98 104 110 114

FASHION Making a splash with patterns MARCH IN THE GARDEN Expert advice with Wendy Warner FOOD AND DRINK Recipes and recommendations FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH The Duke’s Head Hotel in King’s Lynn CLEY SMOKEHOUSE Enjoying a true taste of Norfolk MAKE YOUR MOTHER’S DAY A world of inspirational gift ideas HOME INTERIORS Great designs for a stylish spring HIGH SOCIETY IN HEACHAM The story of Horace Callaby LICENCE TO THRILL...

The fast-paced history of Lotus WORTH WAITING FOR The CD that took 30 years to make MICHAEL MIDDLETON A few words from the better half

KLmagazine March 2020

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Diarydates

LOCAL EVENTS IN MARCH & APRIL

KING’S LYNN FARMERS’ MARKET

A FASHION SHOW FOR KEEPING ABREAST

This monthly market takes place on the second Saturday of each month from March to December on the Saturday Market Place, or in the Minster if the weather is poor. Browse a selection of stalls selling fantastic produce like artisan gin, fruit and veg, honey, delicious pies and cakes – all made within a 50-mile radius of King’s Lynn. Enjoy a fun day out, soak up your surroundings, and chat to knowledgeable traders about their goods and get tips on how to use them.

WHEN: Saturday 14th March, 9am to 2pm WHERE: Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn, PE30 5DQ

The Style Show brings you a fashion show with a difference! This fashion show features models of all ages, sizes and shapes and is packed with style advice and great clothing. Enjoy dinner first and a sale of all the clothes shown after the fashion show.

Funds raised will go to the Keeping Abreast Charity. Tickets are £22 and are available online from www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/a-fashion-show-for-keeping-abreast-kings-head-hotelbircham-norfolk-tickets-90466709363 WHEN: Thursday 19th March, dinner 7-7:30pm, show at 8:30pm WHERE: King’s Head Hotel, Lynn Road, Great Bircham, PE31 6RJ

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A towering monument to 900 years of history It’s been the defining feature of the skyline of King’s Lynn for almost a thousand years, and it’s played a central part in the life of the town and its people. KL magazine looks at the many wonders of the Minster...

V

iewed from across the River Great Ouse, the twin towers of St. Margaret’s commands the skyline above King’s Lynn - perhaps fittingly, as the building of the church in 1101 created the town as we know it today.

Granted the honorific title of ‘minster’ some 900 years later, it overlooks the historic quarter that grew up around it and contains a wealth of important (and often unique) treasures.

But life at this hugely impressive church hasn’t always been a bed of roses.

In 1643, with the town under siege from Cromwell’s troops, a cannonball shot from the opposite river bank at West Lynn destroyed the west window.

Almost a century later in September 1741 a particularly violent storm brought down the 193ft spire and sent it crashing into the nave below. Its proximity to the river also meant the church was no stranger to high tides - a series of five stones on the stone pillar supporting the entrance porch marks the most serious floods since 1883.

The highest (at an astonishing four feet) was recorded on 11th January 1978, when a tidal surge also destroyed the pier at Hunstanton and washed away over a half-mile of track of the Harbour Railway at Wells-next-the-Sea. Passing this meteorological record in stone, the interior of the church is initially overwhelming - a suitably grand monument to nine centuries of King’s Lynn history.

At every niche and corner you’ll find a memorial of remembrance, until your eyes are drawn to the magnificent organ built by John Snetzler - one of the very finest in the whole country.

Beside it you’ll find the ‘Hoste Memorial’ commemorating one of Lord Nelson’s protégés and one of the great frigate captains of the Napoleonic wars - and after whom the famous Hoste Arms in Burnham Market is named.

The centrepiece of the pulpit is the

four Hebrew letters signifying Jehovah - the most holy name of God among Jews. Close by, a cross commemorates the 20th anniversary of the release of Far East Prisoners of War and those who died in imprisonment and which was presented by the King’s Lynn branch of the Far East Prisoner of War Association.

A memorial to the Royal Air Force sits in an altar in the nave, and was presented by the RAF Association in 1967.

Unique to the Holy Trinity Chapel is a bronze-coloured statue entitled ‘Refugee’ that was donated to the Minster by the artist Naomi Blake, whilst the Peace Globe is the focal point in the chapel of St. Edmund - it’s a quiet recess to light and place a candle at the heart of the globe; to pray, remember and reflect.

The church was founded in 1101 by Herbert de Losinga as a Benedictine priory dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch, St. Mary Magdalene and all the Virgin Saints. The monks were granted a charter and for the next 400 years it became their home and the parish church of Lynn.

Entirely rebuilt in the 13th century it was subjected to continual improvements and additions until by the 16th century the church was considerably larger than it is today.

One of its most interesting external features is the Tide Clock (or Moon Dial) on the south tower, which was originally made by Thomas Tue in 1681

and marked the town’s high and low tides.

The church of St. Margaret’s was designated a Minster in 2011 by the Bishop of Norwich in recognition of the civic ministry it has offered to west Norfolk and surrounding diocese, and the 21st century has also highlighted the need for further repairs and embellishments to bring it up to modern safety standards.

In 2017, following an award of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £241,500 an appeal was launched to raise the shortfall of the total £872,000 cost. The improvement works are to enhance visitors’ enjoyment in learning more of the town’s history and the part played by the Minster at its centre - and the church recently announced that it already reached (and exceeded) the target.

It just goes to prove how much this wonderful building is valued by the community that grew up around it and which continues to play such a central role in the life of King’s Lynn.

ABOVE: The stunning interior of King’s Lynn Minster contains many treasures - including the two largest memorial brasses in England

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KLmagazine March 2020

ARTS & EVENTS in March Enjoy the best theatre productions from all over the world from the best seat in the house.

From ballet and opera to world-class theatre, there is something for everyone. Excellent value and top-notch quality from your local cinema.

RIVERDANCE 25TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW Riverdance originally burst on to the world stage in Dublin when it premiered during the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest and overnight became a worldwide phenomenon.

Showing Tue 3rd March 6pm & Sun 8th March 6pm ROH LIVE: FIDELIO Beethoven’s only opera is a masterpiece, an uplifting story of risk and triumph. In this new production, conducted by Antonio Pappano.

Showing Tue 17th March 7:15pm MICHAEL BALL & ALFIE BOE - BACK TOGETHER The world’s ultimate musical duo, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe are ‘Back Together’ and set to delight cinema audiences up and down the country with the final show of their sold-out tour.

Showing Sat 28th March 7:30pm & Sun 29th March 5:30pm

BOX OFFICE: 01945 640000 Light Cinema, Cromwell Road, Wisbech PE14 0RG www.wisbech.lightcinemas.co.uk KLmagazine March 2020

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BARRY L HAWKINS Independent Auctioneer and Land Agent

Antiques & Collectables Wednesday 11th March

Bid live online at: www.the-saleroom.com

Downham Market | Auction Rooms

www.barryhawkins.co.uk 01366 387180 The Estate Office, 15 Lynn Road, Downham Market PE38 9NL

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KLmagazine March 2020

Diarydates

EVENTS IN MARCH & APRIL

OPERA AT THE CORN EXCHANGE TRACTOR MAD AT MARSHLAND HALL! An event that’s certainly growing, and is now in its third year. Last year at 3pm, over 45 tractors parked outside Marshland Hall and went into the tearoom for some afternoon cake and tea! Raising money for EAAA, the day-long rally encompasses the villages of the Terringtons and the Walpoles. This year, the whole day will be tractor-themed at Marshland Hall, where there’ll be Hartbeeps farmyard-themed sessions for 0-5 year olds, a combine harvester and modern tractor parked all day, and a glitter tattooist and hair braider. The tearoom will be open serving hot and cold drinks, and snacks such as toasties, bacon rolls and cakes. Hartbeeps sessions will be bookable per age group – please check the Marshland Hall website at www.marshandhall.org.uk and the Facebook page for more details.

WHEN: Sunday 5th April, 11am to 4:30pm WHERE: Marshland Hall, Smeeth Rd, Wisbech PE14 8JB

Senbla (by arrangement with Opera International) presents the Ellen Kent Productions versions of Madama Butterfly and La Bohème welcoming back the fabulous Korean soprano Elena Dee and the celebrated international soprano Alyona Kistenyova. One of the world’s most popular operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heartbreaking story of a beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic results.

La Bohème is one of the most romantic operas ever written, telling the tragic tale of the doomed, consumptive Mimi and her love for a penniless writer.

Both operas are sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Tickets are £35-£39. Call 01553 764864 to book or online at www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk

WHEN: Madama Butterfly – Tuesday 31st March, 7:30pm, La Bohème – Tuesday 21st April, 7:30pm

WHERE: King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, PE30 1JW

ST MATTHEW PASSION

BY J.S. BACH This epic work, one of the crown jewels of the choral repertoire, is rarely performed in this part of the country as it requires two choirs and two orchestras. The Festival Chorus will be joined by members of the professional baroque Meridian Orchestra who will be playing on period instruments.

The work recounts the suffering in the last days of Christ and how members of the community responded to the unfurling events; showing the fickleness of human nature, regret, repentance of penitent individuals and congregation. It’s a masterful work of art that shows Bach at his very best, a complete musician. Tickets are £26, £20, £16 and free for under 18s. Call 01553 764864 to book or online at www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk.

Further details on www.kingslynnfestivalchorus. co.uk or Facebook or Twitter @kl_festchorus WHEN: Saturday 4th April, 6:30pm WHERE: St Nicholas’ Chapel, King’s Lynn

A CRACKING EASTER AT HOLKHAM There’s plenty to get your paws stuck into this Easter at Holkham, with performances of the classic children’s tale The Velveteen Rabbit in Holkham Hall, storytelling in the walled garden, and a special cuddle corner where children can meet rabbits, skinny pigs, and other cute creatures. The fun doesn’t stop there though, as there’ll be trails to hop along, games for the whole family, and a crafty souvenir to make and take home with you.

Holkham Hall, Holkham Stories Experience & Walled Garden: Adult £17, Child £8.50, Family £46.

Holkham Stories Experience & Walled Garden: Adult £8, Child £4, Family £22.

Save 10% by booking online at www.holkham.co.uk.

Child age is 2-16 years inclusive and a family ticket is 2 adults and up to 3 children.

WHEN: Friday 10th to Monday 13th April, 10am to 5pm WHERE: Holkham Hall, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AB

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- Tom Appleton

“

“

I just love to see the effect on people when they invest in each other through making music.

ABOVE: Tom Appleton has been the Music Director of the King’s Lynn Festival Chorus for the last ten years, although he admits to having come from one of the most tone deaf families in the region

Celebrating a decade of inspirational music...

Back in 2010, the King’s Lynn Festival Chorus appointed the relatively inexperienced Tom Appleton as its new Music Director, and he’s about to lead the choir in one of music’s most demanding works

T

his year marks 10 years since Tom Appleton took up the baton as Music Director of King’s Lynn Festival Chorus (KLFC), and what better way to celebrate than with a performance of one of Tom’s (and many other people’s) favourite choral works, Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion?

Written in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, the masterful work will be performed on Saturday 4th April at St Nicholas’ Chapel in King’s Lynn, and although such a challenging piece is usually outside the remit of an amateur choir, the members of KLFC have risen to the challenge in raising funds to pay for it.

Alongside coffee mornings, book and cake sales, Tom himself spent two

long days last summer walking from his home town of Bury St Edmunds to St Nicholas’ Chapel in King’s Lynn, raising over £2,000 in sponsorship in the process.

When the chorus was looking for a new Music Director back in 2010, it took a chance on appointing a relatively inexperienced young conductor, but Tom’s obvious enthusiasm, engaging personality and mission to make singing fun shone through - and ten years later he continues to encourage and enthuse.

Tom’s interest in singing started when, at the age of six (and barely able to see over the choir stalls) he began taking part in Sunday services at his local parish church in north Essex.

It helped him feel comfortable with

performing, but he was obviously a talented singer, and at the age of eight gained a place as a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral.

“The main surprise to my family was that I’d found a passion in music,” says Tom. “I think I probably come from the most tone deaf family in East Anglia! To this day, they nod politely when I tell them about a major concert I’ve got coming up!”

After St Paul’s, Tom went to Gresham’s school in Holt, a centre strong in both of Tom’s passions, music and drama, and then moved on to study music at the University of York.

Music students there had to take part in either the orchestra or choir, and Tom chose the choir, which was open to all comers - students, staff and members

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ABOVE: Tom Appleton is a firm believer in the power of song to bring people together, a belief which was a driving force behind the foundation of the Come and Sing Company he recently launched with Elenor Bowers-Jolley (below)

of the public, many of who had more enthusiasm than ability.

“But this spoke to me,” says Tom. “These people showed a love of music and would proudly sing their heart out with a full symphony orchestra in York Minster. What a great thing!”

When the opportunity arose to become the bass section leader of the choir, with the occasional rehearsal conducting of the whole choir, he jumped at the chance.

“The challenge for me was to inspire both the hopeless and the excellent in equal measure,” Tom says. “It was largely about people management - if everyone’s having a good time, the sound will be better.”

After university, Tom spent ten years singing with the Monteverdi Choir under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, where he performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Royal Opera House

in Covent Garden amongst others, and acted as the bass soloist with the group in the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

But when a friend asked when he was going to start conducting choirs, Tom realised that was really where his true passion lay. He successfully applied for the roles of Music Director of Ipswich Chamber Choir and King’s Lynn Festival Chorus, both of which he took on with his typical gusto.

For Tom, his hero Benjamin Britten (who also attended Gresham’s) epitomises the importance of a good conductor.

“Britten spoke of a ‘holy triangle’ of composer, performer and audience,” he says. “In order for music to be a success, all three points of that triangle must equally invest in the process.

A conductor’s job is to bring those elements on board.”

With King’s Lynn Festival Chorus, Tom still feels he has more to offer.

The choir has strong links with the King’s Lynn Festival (this year celebrating its 70th anniversary) and over the years has performed some amazing works with wonderful orchestras.

This year, the choir will be opening the King’s Lynn Festival with a performance of Haydn’s Nelson Mass.

Still at a relatively young age, Tom sees his future as

helping others to benefit from music’s magical powers. In the last few years, there’s been a massive increase in the understanding of the health and social benefits of choral singing.

With a former singing colleague at the Monteverdi Choir, Elenor BowersJolley, Tom has set up the Come and Sing Company, working to bring groups and individuals together in song.

For Tom, this is the most important aspect of singing - the positive effects it has on the participants’ wellbeing.

“I’m sure it won’t be long before a government instructs GPs to do what is termed ‘social prescribing’,” says Tom. “I just love to see the effect on people when they invest in each other through making music.”

For more details about the performance of St Matthew Passion and for more information on Tom and his choir, please visit the website at www.kingslynnfestivalchorus.co.uk

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KLmagazine March 2020

and a chat with them.”

Can I decide the time or frequency of the visits?

“The clients are the boss! They say what they want from the service, and the service will be provided to suit them.”

Is care at home just personal care?

“Clients often are not aware just how wide a range of services we can offer.

By talking to caregivers they can bring up scenarios they are concerned about, and what could be put in place to help.

I support clients with needs from some home help due to restricted mobility to 24/7 support. I also have the honour of spending time with clients offering them companionship.”

Concerns answered by the people who care The caregivers at Home Instead Senior Care answer some frequently asked questions from elderly people who are considering having support at home...

M

aking the decision to have care at home can be a big step, and you or your loved ones may have concerns – let Home Instead Senior Care’s team of dedicated staff answer some of these.

“Our caregivers are all chosen because they are genuinely caring, lovely people - that’s why we were

KING’S LYNN 01553 387967

recently rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission,” says Home Instead Senior Care Norfolk’s director Laura McEwan, “So let them reassure you – in their own words!”

Is home care only for people who lack complete independence?

“A lot of clients are lonely because age or frailty prevents them from going out alone. We bring them conversation, contact from ‘the outside world’ and humour. We can be the extra ‘hands or feet’ that mean they can continue to enjoy the activities they always have; leading an active and sociable life is great for wellbeing generally.”

Will the caregivers really care about me?

“We develop friendships with our clients by getting to know each other. The longer visits allow us time to talk, and we have travelling time between visits so a client’s time is never cut short. I treat every single client as if they were my own family and usually they treat me like that too! It’s a special bond and with the support we get from the start it’s easy to build a relationship up.

Home Instead match us with clients carefully and it’s really good, it means a bond is created quickly and I love all of my clients!”

So if you, or a loved one, need exceptional care at home provided by people who’ll get to know you, enjoy spending time with you, and in whom you can really trust, contact Home Instead Senior Care today.

Will I have a stranger visit every day?

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Looking back at 500 years of Snowre Hall...

It’s one of the six oldest brick-built houses in the country, and every inch of this beautiful Elizabethan house tells the story of its past from Anglo-Saxon traditions to English kings on the run

T

he recent renovation to, and extension of, Snowre Hall has been a fascinating chapter in the long story of this ancient house. The work, undertaken by architect Lawrence Coussell, has made Snowre Hall a modern family home while celebrating its past. But it has been just one of many changes and adaptations the house has gone through over the past 500 years.

Snowre Hall is located near Fordham close to Downham Market, but historical accounts suggest there was once a village named Snowre or Snore – medieval spelling was flexible and

both versions were used. The name comes from an Anglo-Saxon unit of measurement which was a knot in a rope.

Further evidence for the existence of a lost village of Snore is provided by the presence of an ash chase and grove on the 12-acre site: ash trees were very important to the Anglo-Saxons as they believed the roots of one held the world together. The settlement of Snore is mentioned in Domesday Book and, although no earthworks survive, it is thought to have been located where Snowre Hall stands today.

Excavation work has suggested there

may have been a timber-framed hall on the site in the late medieval period. The first recorded owner of Snowre Hall was one William Skipwith, a lawyer and MP for Norwich, who was paying an annual rent for the manor to the Abbot of Ramsey in 1466, the eighth year of the reign of Edward IV: it’s presumed that the first brick-built house on the site was constructed for him.

This building may have been demolished when the earliest part of the building we see today was constructed in about 1520. This section was built as the north wing of a large and new great house; the rest

“Exquisite brickwork with features like gargoyles and tricuspid arches – Snowre is the only house in the country to have these” of the early 16th-century house was demolished in around 1580.

The Skipwith family would be in possession of Snowre Hall for the next 200 years, adding chimneys and fireplaces that would’ve been the height of innovation in Elizabethan times, and decorating the exquisite brickwork with features like gargoyles and tricuspid arches – Snowre is the only house in the country to have these.

As a recusant Catholic family, the Skipwiths also added a chapel in the roof with a hidden 30ft hole dropping through the house, and a double priest hole (built by one of the greatest priest-hole makers, Nicholas Owen) with a lower layer where a man could lie and be fed through a hole in the wall.

PICTURES: The vaulted ceiling of the west entrance (above), a ‘grotesque’ head reputed to be Sir William Skipwith and the rear of the house today (below)

Disaster came for the Skipwiths (if not for Snowre Hall) in 1646 when Charles I held his last Civil War council there.

Sir Ralph Skipwith was loyal to the king and offered him shelter when he fled in disguise to Downham Market.

It’s reputed that Charles asked him “Will the people fight for me?” and that Skipworth replied: “No Sir, but they will not fight against you.”

And so Charles took his decision to go to Newark - where the Scots duly handed him over to Cromwell’s forces. As for Sir Ralph, he was arrested and sent to the Tower of London.

A period of change followed for the house, with various owners including Sir Thomas Viner (a Lord Mayor of London) making alterations to its fabric: not least a new northern section added in about 1700.

It was acquired by Edward Roger Pratt of nearby Ryston Hall in 1791, by which time Snowre Hall had ceased to be a manor and had become a farmhouse occupied by tenants.

Edward Roger Pratt was

responsible for erecting a number of outbuildings, including a barn has a date plaque in its south gable to this day, reading ERP 1805 - which probably records the date it was built.

Below it are carved blocks with the initials ERMP recording later alterations made by Edward’s grandson. The early 19th century was a period of great agricultural improvements and the construction of the barn may have been part of a general modernisation of Snowre Hall farm.

The next 50 years saw considerable alterations to the layout of the farm yards. Edward Roger Pratt (who had the barn built) died in 1837 to be succeeded by his son - also, in family tradition, named Edward Roger. This later Edward Roger built further farm buildings in 1854 northeast of the 1805 barn, which formed an eastern farmyard.

Edward Roger died unmarried in 1863, aged 45, and was succeeded by his brother the Reverend Jermyn Pratt, who was rector of Campsea Ashe in Suffolk. He in turn died four years later to be succeeded by his eldest son, Edward Roger Murray Pratt, aged 20.

It’s his initials that appear below those of his grandfather in the south gable of the 1805 barn, and it seems likely he was responsible for building the eastern extension to the house and incorporating the south end of the barn.

Snowre Hall was listed Grade II* on the 9th July 1951, and in recent times became a somewhat neglected second home. It passed into the hands of its present owners in 2013, and they’ve invested considerably in restoring this historic house to the stunning residence we see today.

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Enjoy an expertly-crafted view of a greener future...

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KLmagazine March 2020

“Amazing! Our floors have never looked better!”

There’s no better time to treat your stone and tiled floors to the professional services of Xtraclean and give them a fresh spring clean

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or most of the year we tend to take our floors for granted, walking all over them and only giving them a cursory brush or mop once in a while. There comes a time, however, when that’s simply not good enough.

Though they look fantastic when they’re first laid, hard floors, ceramic tiles and natural stone all have a tendency to attract dust and debris, and everyday foot traffic from friends, family and pets only serves to work it into the floor’s contours and grout lines.

That’s when you need to call on the amazing cleaning services of Martin King and his Swaffham-based team at Xtraclean. The good news is that all it takes to bring your floors back to their very best and give them an ‘as new’ look (in less than a day!) is a phone call to Xtraclean.

“If your stone or tiled floor has been fitted professionally it deserves an equally expert approach to cleaning,” says Martin. “For over 25 years we’ve been restoring floors all over Norfolk – using the most advanced and powerful cleaning system currently available in the UK.” Xtraclean’s highly skilled, trained and experienced technicians offer a reliable, fully-insured and friendly service (they’ll even move your furniture for you!) and following an initial survey and test of your floor they’ll get to work – breaking down ingrained dirt and loosening surface soiling.

“Our state-of-the-art turbo ‘clean and capture’ system pressure cleans the floor using its own water supply,” says Martin, “and it even captures all the waste in the process – means you have with no mess and no fuss.”

Moreover, Xtraclean doesn’t use

harmful chemicals or procedures such as grinding and resurfacing, which can actually damage the floor – and the results are truly spectacular.

“These aren’t the easiest surfaces in the world to clean,” says Martin, “but our powerful system and professionalgrade products can bring even heavily-soiled floors back to their very best. And we can usually do it all in a single visit!”

And Xtraclean can help you ‘lock in’ those good looks and keep them for even longer, thanks to a professional range of specialist sealing products.

“To be honest, you have to see the results to believe them,” says Martin.

“Just ask our customers – they can hardly believe it’s the same floor!”

Get your floors back to their best today by contacting Xtraclean using the details below for extra-professional cleaning and an extra-special service.

Unit 3, Jack Boddy Way, Swaffham PE37 7HJ Tel: 01760 337762 Web: www.xtraclean.co.uk E-mail: sales@xtraclean.co.uk KLmagazine March 2020

25

ABOVE: This Heinz ‘aristocrat’ tomato man dates from 1939 and was an attempt by the company to market its tomato juice as the ‘high class’ choice - it’s just one of the fascinating pieces in the vast archives of the History of Advertising Trust

Preserving the past and inspiring the future

In a rural corner of Norfolk, the History of Advertising Trust has assembled the largest collection of British advertising in the world, and uses this fascinating creative heritage for future generations...

I

n some form or another, advertising has existed as long as we have - the ancient Egyptians used papyrus for sales messages, and ‘lost and found’ ads have been found in the ruins of Pompeii. In fact, advertising has become such a pervasive part of our culture that it’s even contributed to our language.

The phrase “often the bridesmaid, never the bride” comes from a 1925 campaign for Listerine, “a diamond is forever” is from DeBeers’ advertising in 1948, and “if you’ve got, flaunt it” was the tagline for Braniff Airlines in the late 1960s.

Advertising has even been the starting career of famous actors (Sir Alec

Guinness), artists (Andy Warhol) and writers - a young Salman Rushdie came up with “naughty but nice” for the Milk Marketing Board in the 1970s.

Norfolk may a long way from the advertising mecca of Madison Avenue, but in the small village of Raveningham you’ll find the History of Advertising Trust (HAT) which holds the largest archive of British advertising in the world, with collections ranging from 1800 to the present and featuring many iconic ads from the past.

The trust started in 1974 when a small group of visionaries from the advertising industry decided its heritage needed to be preserved and that its study should be encouraged and

subsidised. As a result, the History of Advertising Trust (HAT) was founded in 1976 and registered as a charity two years later. It moved from its original home in London to Norfolk in 1992 in order to be able to expand more effectively, and now has over 6,000 square feet of dedicated archive space, encompassing high density mobile shelving for more efficient storage.

“We’re a collaborative venture and in effect a ‘co-operative’ of advertising industry and brand communications records ,” says Eve Read, HAT Archive and Collections Project Archivist.

“Together they form a unique and invaluable research and study resource.”

KLmagazine March 2020

27

include notes on the ‘birth’ of Mr Kipling for British Bakeries, draft sketches for the iconic Benson & Hedges ‘Swimming Pool’ commercial, and original rough drafts of the unforgettable Smash Martians ads.

Another gem is an original fullsize 1920 Bovril ‘chromolithographic’ poster mounted on canvas featuring a man in pyjamas, proving that the drink “prevents that sinking feeling”.

The Ogilvy agency archive at HAT even includes work for the government it produced during World War Two, featuring characters such as the nefarious Squander Bug and jolly Dr Carrot.

As part of its mission ABOVE: The History of Advertising Trust is also the custodian to promote learning of archives of companies that are no longer with us - from and creative excellence, Toys ‘R’ Us to Monarch Airlines the HAT’s website features a free online catalogue In addition to acting as archivist containing 1,000s of TV commercials to most of the major governing and print advertisements from the last organisations of UK brand 50 years - it’s a joy to explore, but that communications, HAT also maintains sense of nostalgia has a serious side. the archives of many of the top 30 UK “Reminiscing is an effective and advertising agencies, including dozens enjoyable way to connect with older which no longer trade, such as the people and those living with dementia,” pioneering Collett Dickenson Pearce says Eve. “That’s why we’ve recently (CDP). launched Ad-Memoire, a unique “We provide a range of brand heritage digital resource for older people’s care management services to corporate organisations. It’s been designed to clients who’ve deposited their archives engage residents, carers and family with us,” says Eve, “including Butlin’s, members in conversations about Hovis, Heinz and Vimto. We’ve also memories inspired by the content, and started rescuing the marketing archives we hope it will ultimately help improve of businesses which have gone into their quality of life, reduce loneliness administration such as C&A (UK), Toys and assist care providers to quickly ‘R’ Us and Monarch Airlines.” build rapport between carers and care Advertising provides a unique home residents”. barometer of social and economic Another recent HAT initiative (helped change, recording contemporary life by a Heritage and events, portraying the changing Lottery Fund grant) role and aspirations of men and is ‘Inspiring Minds’, women, and charting the evolution of a living history technological innovation. It showcases project featuring the latest fashions and interior designs, filmed interviews and is a launchpad for new graphic with some of the styles, social attitudes, moral values, industry’s most language and behaviour. influential figures “At HAT we provide the stories behind from the last half famous brands,” says Eve, “and can century talking trace the ideas and research that led to about their life and their development, changing image and work - giants of campaign messages.” advertising such as Highlights from the HAT collections Hugh Hudson, Sir

Alan Parker and Sir Frank Lowe.

However, to maintain its vital work programme and further develop its research and learning offer, HAT needs our support.

“By providing our services in archive management, research and digitisation we’re able to generate around 50% of our operational costs each year, but we don’t receive any government funding,” says Eve. “That means we’re very reliant on the generosity of our friends and supporters to meet the remainder.”

Such support is vital to safeguard the future of this fascinating and important resource. In fact, to paraphrase Carlsberg’s famous slogan (first introduced in 1973) it’s probably the best archive in the world.

If you’d like to visit HAT as a researcher or as part of a group tour, or would like more information about Ad-Memoire or Inspiring Minds please visit www. hatads.org.uk or call 01508 548623.

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KLmagazine March 2020

The countless reasons why we love west Norfolk Following last month’s successful Love West Norfolk Day, there’s never been a better time to enjoy the area and Discover King’s Lynn...

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ast month we celebrated Love West Norfolk Day, the cornerstone of the Love West Norfolk campaign, which was launched in 2018 to promote and celebrate everything good and great about west Norfolk.

There was an outpouring of love for west Norfolk with people saying they love the area for any number of reasons. “It has wide open skies and wonderful sunsets,” said one, while another enthused “it’s so close to Sandringham, Hunstanton, and the coast,” - while many praised the wealth of “beautiful buildings steeped in history.”

North West Norfolk MP James Wild joined in the celebrations online, as did organisations such as Norfolk Mind and RSPB Titchwell Marsh, and local businesses such as Ward Gethin

Archer and Bank House, amongst many others.

Driven by the West Norfolk Strategy Group, whose members include the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Freebridge Community Housing, the College of West Anglia, the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, West Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group, Norfolk County Council, King’s Lynn police and Community Action Norfolk, the campaign has gone from strength to strength and has picked up the backing of some notable figures, such as actor and writer Stephen Fry. “If Norfolk is the secret jewel of England, then west Norfolk is the secret jewel of Norfolk,” he said. “Beauty, hills,

character, glorious towns, villages and countryside, hills, country pubs, funny, fabulous people, hills, seaside, lavender, hills... Ok, I lied about the hills. But there are slopes and rises to the ground that almost amount to hills. Truly.”

His comments were echoed by similar messages of support from Tim Bentinck (better known as David Archer in The Archers, creative business duo Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway, as well as the Bishop of Lynn the Rt Revd. Jonathan Meyrick.

The Love West Norfolk campaign has also been boosted by a new Ambassador and an exciting progamme of events for future engagement “I can’t think of any appointment I would rather be offered!” says former

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KLmagazine March 2020

and growing food and drink sector in the town from coffee shops to gin bars, modern British to Caribbean food, formal and informal dining. You’re bound to find a venue to suit all tastes.

VARIETY For a small(ish) town, King’s Lynn has a lot to offer; with national and independent businesses peppered throughout the town, heritage and art venues to browse, shopping and relaxing. It’s got everything you need for a day out.

EVENTS From May through to September, King’s Lynn hosts a different event almost every weekend. Whether that’s the monthly Farmers’ Market, the popular Hanse Festival, the Spring Plant Fair, the annual Heritage Open Day, or the two festivals - the classical culture-driven King’s Lynn Festival and its popular contemporary Festival Too. You need to keen an eye on the what’s on guides to avoid missing out!

High Sheriff of Norfolk James Bagge, who has a home in Stradsett. “I am thrilled to be the Ambassador for this inspiring initiative to promote our beloved west Norfolk.”

As the main town of west Norfolk, King’s Lynn features loud and proud in the reasons to #lovewestnorfolk and here are our top 5 reasons: HERITAGE The historic legacy of the town is exemplified by the beautiful

Custom House but isn’t exclusively located along the riverside. Take a walk around the town centre and see what other gems are tucked away.

At the heart of the Love West Norfolk campaign is involvement from the public. If you would like to add your voice and help celebrate this special area, follow Love West Norfolk and Discover King’s Lynn on social media: Twitter: @LoveWestNorfolk Facebook: LoveWestNorfolk and Instagram: love_west_norfolk - and using the hashtag #lovewestnorfolk, @Disckingslynn, @Discoverkingslynn.

Don’t forget to visit our website to find out more about what’s going on in King’s Lynn at www.discoverkingslynn. com.

FRIENDLY, LOCAL SERVICE Whether that’s at a bar or restaurant, retailer or hair salon, national or independent business. You’ll always be greeted with a warm welcome.

FOOD AND DRINK There’s a vibrant

KLmagazine March 2020

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KLmagazine March 2020

Dan Jastrzebski ACA CTA

Building the team at Stephenson Smart...

Dan Jastrzebski ACA CTA is the newest partner at Stephenson Smart - and he’s as passionate about tax as he is about running

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eet Dan Jastrzebski, who’s been working in the accountancy industry in the local area for almost a decade and will become a partner at Stephenson Smart (based at the company’s King’s Lynn offices) from 1st April. Dan is a fully-qualified Chartered Accountant as well as a Chartered Tax Advisor, and he can assist businesses and individuals with all aspects of their accountancy and taxation needs.

On a day-to-day basis, Dan deals with accounts for many medium and small companies, individuals and Trusts, plus ensuring Corporation and SelfAssessment Tax Returns are completed.

He also works on tax planning for Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax. In his spare time, Dan is a keen sportsman - especially football, running and golf. Last year he completed the

Great North Run and the Lowestoft Half Marathon. Dan is also part of this year’s 25-strong Stephenson Smart team who’ll be defending their title as Corporate Champions in the Grand East Anglia Run (GEAR) and he is also taking on the Great North Run again, with a view to raising money for Stephenson Smart’s charity target for 2020.

This reflects Dan’s passion for raising money for local charities, people in need and worthy causes, which he does predominantly in his role of Chairman of King’s Lynn Vancouver Round Table 1114.

“I am very pleased to have been invited to be partner in such a longstanding accountancy firm in King’s Lynn,” he says. “I really do feel part of the community here, and I’m looking forward to many more years of helping local people and local businesses.”

It’s an enthusiastic optimism shared

by the rest of the team at Stephenson Smart.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dan to the board of directors here,” says Claire Melton, one of Dan’s fellow partners at King’s Lynn. “As well as being an excellent accountant, he’s a great personality and does so much to support our local community with his fundraising.”

If you are looking for expert, tailored advice from Dan or one of the other members of Stephenson Smart’s professional and approachable team then call the office on 01553 774104.

KING’S LYNN 01553 774104 FAKENHAM 01328 863318 WISBECH 01945 463383 MARCH 01354 653026 DOWNHAM MARKET 01366 384121 GREAT YARMOUTH 01493 382500 www.stephenson-smart.com

KLmagazine March 2020

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A new story for a longlost ancient village

IMAGE: JACOB MALINSKI

The history of the vanished village of Godwick is etched into this peaceful pastureland south of Fakenham, and a new visitor’s trail is now focusing on the people who shaped it

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ake a stroll around the site of the medieval village of Godwick and you’ll certainly enjoy fresh air and lovely views: but if you’re not an expert on medieval history you might not appreciate the full significance of the depressions in the ground, of the location of the Great Barn and the church tower.

The Garner family have lived at Godwick Hall, Godwick farm and the site of the medieval village since 1928, and now James Garner has been the moving spirit behind the creation of a new visitor’s trail, accompanied by six interpretation boards. The boards were mainly funded by the LEADER project (it’s a French acronym standing for (Liaison Entre Actions

de Développement de l’Économie Rurale) and were created by landscape archaeologist David Robertson: the content has also been used for a new website.

“David understood my vision for the project perfectly,” says James. “I wanted to create a trail around the site that gave people a better understanding of not just the archaeology but also the personalities that impacted the landscape and made it what it is today.

Because what we see today - the barn and the tower - is largely what was left from the early 1600s as a result of one man’s visionary ideas.”

At its peak the village of Godwick had 16 taxpayers/householders, who worked the land and paid rent to the feudal lord. The land was divided into

areas called tofts and the boundaries of these can still be made out, as well as what seem to be ditches but are in fact the remains of roads to nearby Tittleshall, Mileham, and another lost village called Sutton. The interpretation boards make these easy to spot, as well as the marl pits that villagers would have dug to fertilise the land. But the population dwindled: perhaps because of a long run of rainy winters and heavy clay soils that made farming difficult.

Sir Edward Coke bought the estate in 1590 and began making drastic changes. He was born in Mileham and was renowned as one of the greatest lawmakers of the Elizabethan era. He’s credited with reviving interest in the Magna Carta and coining the phrase “an Englishman’s home is his castle.”

ABOVE: The Great Barn is now a stunning wedding venue | BELOW LEFT: Old Hall before it was damaged by fire in the 1830s BELOW RIGHT: The remains of the church tower

“My family have always viewed ourselves as custodians of Godwick, preserving it for the future” He was also the founder of the Coke dynasty who would build Holkham Hall.

When he bought the estate at Godwick it had a large three-storey Elizabethan house, and he built the Great Barn in a similar style.

He was married to a daughter of another great Norfolk family, the Pastons, who had built a similar status symbol - and it’s likely he wanted to compete with them. He also rebuilt the church tower as a folly, to establish a landscape park – an early adopter of

on walking holidays, and also lots of regular local visitors,” he says.

“It’s a peaceful place for a stroll; the soft sound of sheep baaing in the background, a touch of being close to nature as well.”

If you’d like to visit this fascinating site for yourself, you can find out more at www.lostvillageofgodwick.co.uk. Entry to the site is free and there is a visitor car park. James is available for private guided tours around the lost village including a chance of see inside the barn and have a cup of tea or coffee.

It costs £10 each for a minimum of four people. Please get in touch via the website to organise. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead at all times.

The site is open to visitors every day from dawn to dusk except Wednesday (when it’s closed) and Saturday when it’s open from dawn to midday.

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IMAGE: ARCHAEOLOGY EAST ANGLIA

IMAGE: JOHNSON FAMILY ALBUM, NORFOLK MUSEUM SERVICE/NORFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL

another rich man’s hobby. He also built the barn across the main road through the village.

“That was a pretty good signal to the few remaining villagers that now might be a good time to move on!” says James.

It’s hard to imagine the awe this magnificent building must have inspired in the villagers watching it being built, with its lavish and ornate decoration.

Today the barn is a beautiful wedding venue, run by James and his team.

“We did extensive building work on the barn in 2012 and launched the business the following year. Now we host between 40 to 50 weddings a year,” says James. “It’s great to share this lovely spot with couples and their guests, and the lost village makes it an unusual venue, giving the guests something slightly different to do. My family have always viewed ourselves as custodians of Godwick, preserving it for the future.”

James’ father cleared away the remains of the Old Hall in 1961 after it was gutted by fire in the 1830s and replaced by the current Godwick Hall.

And now James is overseeing essential repairs to the church tower, funded by Historic England, the Garner family, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

“It’s a fascinating structure,” says James. “As it’s a scheduled ancient monument the ground around it has never been cultivated, and it’s been left as pastureland for hundreds of years.

That’s why it has such a distinctive look - you can see all the humps and hollows.”

Half the walls crumbled in a huge storm in 1981 and ever since the tower has been open to the elements.

The lost village will remain open during the repairs, and James loves to welcome visitors.

“We get lots of history buffs, tourists

KLmagazine March 2020

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KLmagazine March 2020

Get your garden in shape for the growing season...

From simple pruning to complex crown reductions, it’s time to call on the professional treecare services of Heritage Tree Specialists

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pring is now only a few weeks away (it officially starts on March 20th) and our gardens are about to start coming to life again – which means it’s time to use the many professional treecare services of King’s Lynn based Heritage Tree Specialists to get your garden ready for coming months.

“March is really your last opportunity to complete a number of garden maintenance jobs before everything starts growing again,” says Director Dan Ashton.

“Reshaping, reducing and pruning can be carried out at any time of the year of course, but it’s certainly easier to do and less damaging to the trees

and hedges when it’s done before they reach full growth.”

For example, just recently Heritage Tree Specialists completed a major project for some new homeowners at a property on the Norfolk coast. Using specialised equipment and professional techniques, Dan and his team removed overgrown trees and neglected shrubs, re-shaped the remaining trees, ground out a number of old stumps from the property’s parking area, removed excessive ivy from the walls, and used an environmentally-friendly herbicide to remove weeds.

“We don’t just work on domestic sites either,” says Dan. “Parks, allotments and school spaces are areas that should be safely

enjoyed by everybody, and we have a lot of experience with maintaining and preserving public spaces the whole community can enjoy.”

And although winter seems a long way off now, there’s no better time to take advantage of Heritage Tree Specialists’ stock of high quality partseasoned firewood - not least because it could save you up to 50% and will help avoid any shortages of seasoned logs at the end of the year.

With a friendly, committed and fully-qualified team and a proven track record of successful large and smallscale projects, Heritage Tree Specialists can provide free written quotations and recommendations to homeowners throughout west Norfolk.

Contact us now – and get your garden in good shape for spring!

Heritage Tree Specialists

T: 01553 617008 | W: www.heritagetreespecialists.co.uk E: info@heritagetreespecialists.co.uk | Willow Farm Industrial Units, Saddlebow, King’s Lynn PE34 3AR

KLmagazine March 2020

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KLmagazine March 2020

Our garden designer Dan & Alan Titchmarsh

Enjoy world-class garden design at a local level...

A talented designer with an international reputation is set to take CGM Group’s garden design and service to a whole new level

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GM Group are well known in this area for their landscaping expertise – we’ve all seen their red vans on the road! After being founded in 1985, the company has grown to offer a comprehensive range of services including grounds maintenance, arboriculture, and landscape construction.

Landscape construction is one of CGM Group’s specialities: their team have many years’ experience in all kinds and sizes of projects. Whether it’s installing playground equipment at a school or transforming a back garden, they can produce the results you want - on time and within budget.

And now a new member of the CGM Group team means their landscape construction is set to reach a whole new level. Dan Blumson, a talented and experienced garden designer, has joined the CGM Group family to lead their garden design and build services.

Design

Install

“I think of a garden as another room in your home, another space to relax with family or entertain friends,” says Dan. “We spend so much time and thought on planning our kitchens or living rooms, but gardens are just as important.”

Dan trained in landscape architecture at the University of Greenwich and with the RHS, and has honed his design skills working around the UK and in the Canary Islands.

“I love contemporary garden designs,” he says, “but I’ve worked on everything from parterre gardens in stately homes to classically English walled gardens.”

Dan’s exceptional skills meant television came calling too: he worked for three series on the popular programme Love Your Garden hosted

by Alan Titchmarsh.

“It was incredibly hard work designing and project-managing the gardens to a tight filming schedule,” says Dan, “but it was a lot of fun!”

Maintain

After relocating to Norfolk, the location of many of his childhood holidays, Dan has noticed a lot of change.

“The standard of restaurants and hotels has impressed me - people are really discerning and they know what good design is,” he says. “There are so many stunning homes in this area, and truly outstanding outside spaces are part of what makes them that way.”

Creating your own outstanding garden couldn’t be easier: Dan will personally tailor a design to your requirements, project-manage the entire installation, and even leave you with aftercare instructions so you can get the best out of your garden for years to come.

And with spring just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to get in touch with Dan and the team at CGM and discover just what’s possible.

Renovate

Reed House, Karoo Close, Bexwell Business Park, Downham Market PE38 9GA 0800 160 1199 | www.cgmltd.co.uk | info@cgmltd.co.uk

KLmagazine March 2020

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Getting ready to make a return from extinction After centuries of absence, beavers are set to return to the Norfolk countryside this spring thanks to the pioneering work of Wild Ken Hill - a very welcome piece of good news for the local environment

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nce a thriving species across the English countryside, beavers were hunted to extinction in the 17th century, and it’s thought they were last seen in Norfolk much earlier than that. They were hunted mainly for their fur, which was often used to make hats, coats and gloves, but also for their meat. In the 17th century Catholic church leaders ruled that the beaver was a fish (it’s actually a semi-aquatic mammal) so

people giving up meat for Lent could continue to eat it.

Today we understand much more about the true nature of beavers, and their importance to the ecosystem as a keystone species – a species that even in small numbers has a huge effect on its surroundings.

“There are lots of keystone species, but beavers are particularly famous because of their engineering abilities,” says Dominic Buscall, project manager at Wild Ken Hill. “They can create entire

ecosystems in the space of 24 hours by damming up and building channels in rivers and streams.”

That’s why beavers are being reintroduced to England in a number of places, thanks to conservation projects.

Reintroducing beavers to the Ken Hill Estate, a 4,000-acre estate near Snettisham, is a key part of the Wild Ken Hill project. The project aims to return 1,500 acres of the estate to a natural state – what is called ‘rewilding’.

Dominic and farm manager Nick have

ABOVE: Dominic Buscall and Professor Rich Brazier from Exeter University overlooking a wet area in the beaver enclosure

been working hard on the project since 2018 and have already seen dramatic results.

“I’d heard of the concept of rewilding, but I wasn’t hugely familiar with it,” says Dominic.

During 2018 the Ken Hill Estate team were approached by Natural England – an organisation that’s part of Defra and helps landowners across the country develop conservation schemes.

“They invited us to meet Alastair Driver (the chair of Rewilding Britain) and Charlie Burrell who runs Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex,” says Dominic. “Knepp Castle Estate started rewilding their whole farm in 2001, and it’s incredible what they’ve done in terms of results for wildlife. They both made a very compelling presentation on the benefits of rewilding land.”

Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of ecosystems where nature can take care of itself. It seeks to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate, missing species – allowing them to shape the landscape and the habitats within.

And action is urgently needed: some 56% of species in the UK are in decline and 15% are threatened with extinction.

That’s where the beavers come in.

As a keystone species, their presence benefits their habitat in lots of ways.

“The dams built by beavers slow down the flow of water and act as a filter,” explains Dominic. “This means water quality improves, and more of it stays in the land, creating a larger wetland: that’s good for species like aquatic invertebrates and birds.

Typically, you’ll see a big increase in

Some 56% of species in the UK are in decline and 15% are threatened with extinction.

The perimeter fence is around 2km in length, and dug a foot into the ground

KLmagazine March 2020

43

insects where beavers are, so bats, non-aquatic birds, otters and water voles all benefit.”

Once the Wild Ken Hill team had the idea and identified a perfect piece of land, they applied to Natural England for a licence to reintroduce beavers.

“The piece of land we’re putting the beavers in is a very wet area of woodland,” says Dominic. “It was probably drained in the 1940s or 50s.

On maps from 250 years ago it’s just called ‘The Fen’, so we’re returning it to what it used to be. We had leading experts in from Exeter University and they’ve done some modelling and said it’s the perfect habitat for beavers.

We’ve talked to our parish councils, other landowners and farmers and local residents, and they’re all really

happy with our choice.”

The next step was to construct an enclosure to keep the beavers safe.

“The experts we consulted gave us a ‘beaver-proof’ specification,” says Dominic. “It’s about a 2km perimeter fence, buried about a foot into the ground, with significant metal grilles on any culvert that’s going in or out of the enclosure. It took us about a month.”

After being trapped by a licensed professional in Scotland where they live successfully outside of enclosures, two families of beavers will be released into this newly-built habitat.

Two family groups of two adults and up to four offspring will live in the enclosure about 300m apart.

“Once they’re released into the enclosure we don’t expect to see them that often, because they’re quite elusive animals,” says Dominic. “But we’ll have motion-detecting cameras set up, and the beavers could be radio-tagged, and several times a week we’ll do a walk of the perimeter to check on their welfare.”

And what does the future hold for beavers at Wild Ken Hill?

“We hope our project, along with others across England, can help beavers live wild and be reclassified as a native species,” says Dominic. “They’re currently listed as non-native species, which is crazy. In the short term, we want this project to open up this piece of land to the local community – that’s a really exciting part of it.”

You can find out more about Wild Ken Hill at www.wildkenhill.co.uk

ABOVE: Making every way in or out of the enclosure completely secure and ‘beaver-proof’ took about a month

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KLmagazine March 2020

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KLmagazine March 2020

Animalmatters Our monthly look at the issues concerning you and your pets with at London Road & Hollies Vets... our Clinical Director

Jennifer Sinclair

Smallbites TICK BITE

PREVENTION WEEK 22nd - 28th March

Keeping track of missing pets...

I

t’s always upsetting to see photos and stories in the news and on social media relating to missing or stolen pets. With the recent stormy weather, it’s very easy for animals to get spooked and become separated from their owners. We all hope that in this situation we’d be able to be quickly reunited with our pet, but this can be quite difficult if the pet isn’t microchipped. It is actually a legal requirement for all dogs to have a microchip implanted by the time they reach eight weeks old, as well as wearing a collar with the owner’s name and address (including postcode) when out in public places.

If a dog goes missing and loses its collar but has a microchip implanted, then it’s relatively easy for someone to bring the dog (when found) to a veterinary practice or local authority where they can scan the microchip number and find the owner’s details using a number of microchip databases.

The same goes for cats, although it’s not a legal requirement (at the moment) for them to be microchipped.

It is, however, something we strongly recommend in case cats stray a little

further than they mean to and are found by a member of the public.

If you are unlucky enough to lose a dog or cat, it may help to contact your microchip company who may have strategies in place to help find your pet. It’s also worth asking neighbours to check any sheds, garages and outbuildings that may have been accidentally shut with an unsuspecting visitor inside. Posters in the local area, and social media groups posts can really help to get the community involved in helping. Contact any local vet practices, rehoming centres or local authorities to see if they’ve had any stray animals brought in. It’s imperative you keep your contact details up to date at all times in relation to your pet’s microchip. This is something that must be done directly with the database to which the microchip is registered.

Leaving some bedding outside that will smell of your pet, or used litter from a litter tray for cats will help them recognise their own scents to find their way home.

It’s not only small pets for which microchipping is important. By October this year it will become law

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that all horses, ponies and donkeys are microchipped, and the microchips are registered and stored in a central equine database along with the passport-issuing organisation with which they’re registered. It’s already mandatory for all horses, ponies, donkeys and related animals to have a passport. Local authorities and the police can then access the central equine database in order to reunite lost or stolen horses with their owners, as well as trace details of owners if a horse has been abandoned.

If a pet or horse is rehomed to another person, it’s vital the new owner updates the relevant database with their details.

If you would like any advice on microchipping or tracing a lost pet, please don’t hesitate to get in touch we’re always here to help.

info@londonroadvets.co.uk www.londonroadvets.co.uk

KLmagazine March 2020

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

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KLmagazine March 2020

Dr Cristian Ilie, Executive MBA and Consultant Urological Surgeon

Serious about health and passionate about care BMI The Sandringham Hospital continues to offer patients the very best in local healthcare and the highest standards of clinical services

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MI The Sandringham Hospital is part of a nationwide network of clinics that performs more complex surgery than any other private healthcare provider in the country.

It’s also supported by an exceptional team of medical professionals and experienced consultants such as Dr Cristian Ilie, Executive MBA and Consultant Urological Surgeon, who’s been with the hospital for two years specialising in the treatment of urological conditions, including urinary tract infections (UTIs).

IS THIS A PARTICULARLY COMMON PROBLEM? UTIs are very common among women - about 50% of women report at least one episode in their lifetime (the most usual infection is cystitis), and it’s estimated that nearly a third have experienced more than one. Recurring UTIs (three or more episodes in a year) are quite rare, so it’s important to seek treatment as they may indicate a more serious condition such as cancer or

bladder stones.

ARE UTIs DANGEROUS? Most are relatively harmless, but some UTIs can lead to serious problems.

Recurrent or long-lasting kidney infections can cause permanent damage, and sudden kidney infections can even be life-threatening particularly if bacteria enters the bloodstream (septicemia).

CAN UTIs BE AVOIDED? Women are more prone to UTIs because of perfectly normal physiological factors, but you can minimise the symptoms by drinking plenty of water, avoiding alcohol and acidic drinks and taking painkillers. A careful hygiene routine can also help prevent UTIs - bubble baths, talcum powder, scented soaps and feminine wipes can all act as irritants.

In the case of recurrent episodes, we’ll investigate whether they’re being caused by factors such as bladder malignancy or kidney stones - and we’ll recommend a suitable treatment for those.

For more details and information about the services and available treatments at BMI The Sandringham Hospital, contact 01553 769770 and discover how we can help you on the path to improved healthcare.

HOW ARE UTIs TREATED? Since UTIS are primarily a bacterial infection (usually caused by Escherichia coli) the most effective treatment Is a course of antibiotics.

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BMI The Sandringham Hospital, Gayton Road, King’s Lynn PE30 4HJ • Tel: 080 8101 0336 Email: info@bmihealthcare.co.uk • Web: www.bmihealthcare.co.uk KLmagazine March 2020

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ABOVE: The gardens at the Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum in Wisbech (opposite) are a fitting tribute to a woman who would reform housing and help found the National Trust

Celebrating the life and legacy of Octavia Hill...

Buying up greenbelt land to prevent excessive urban development may seem like a modern idea, but it was only natural to a woman from Wisbech, whose fascinating story is told in a museum in her birthplace

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iewed from across the River Nene as it flows into Wisbech is a terraced row of early 18th-century houses which is a picture of historical grandeur. It was here at No.7-8 South Brink, overlooking the river where her grandfather plied his packet boat service between Peterborough and Wisbech, that Octavia Hill, co-founder of the National Trust, was born on 3rd December 1838.

No.8 South Brink, where Octavia spent the first ten years of her life was purchased in 1994 by the Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum creating a national museum in her name.

Fast forward almost a quarter of a century and the registered charity, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development

Fund and a fundraising appeal, was able to purchase the remainder of the house.

The museum reopened in 2008 to tell the story of a woman who’s been credited with having a perception well ahead of her time in many spheres that continue to influence our lives today.

Octavia Hill was the first person to coin the term ‘greenbelt’ as a practice of creating open space around cities.

In collaboration with Hardwick Rawsley and Robert Hunter (an old solicitor ally of the Commons Open Spaces and Footpath Preservation Society) her fight against proposed developments in the Lake District succeeded, culminating in the founding of the National Trust in 1895. This 125th anniversary of its birth is the perfect opportunity to visit this very special Wisbech museum

Octavia Hill

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ABOVE: The Red Cross Cottages and Gardens in Southwark opened in June 1887 and were built to meet the planning ideas of housing reformer Octavia Hill (below)

that takes you on a journey through Octavia’s life.

Room by room, the story of Octavia Hill unfolds until in a second-floor room a wall mural clearly illustrates her life and work - also focusing on her personal struggle with illness and heartbreak when her impending marriage was called off after pressure from the family of her fiancé.

The Fenland Room (the former dining room) introduces her family and their influence on her early life Octavia’s parents Caroline and James were both radical liberals who were often viewed with suspicion. When they bought the Wisbech Infants School as a service to children of the poor, their benevolence was frowned upon rather than commended.

Sadly, the couple’s philanthropy eventually led to the loss of their family home, with James suffering a breakdown from which he never fully recovered. Their impoverished state was the prelude to a decade of hardship that led to their parting. This encouraged Octavia to continue her work - her pursuit of improvements to social housing management and her belief that open spaces for recreational use were vital to everyone’s well-being.

By the time of Octavia’s 10th birthday, her mother had settled the family of three daughters in the (then) rural area of Finchley, north London.

Educated by their mother, life for a time was quite idyllic for the Hill girls. A love of open spaces and gardens was nurtured which influenced Octavia’s later endeavours.

Aged 14, Octavia began working with girls from London’s ‘Ragged School’ tutoring them in her mother’s theories that individuals have their own strengths and aspirations.

The museum follows Octavia’s work among the poor in London, which began with the family’s move from leafy Finchley. It tells how while exploring her new neighbourhood she ventured into Paradise Place - or Little Hell as it was known locally. It was a courtyard of overcrowded cottages, rundown and unkempt, where single rooms were rented to whole families - who in turn sub-let them to lodgers.

The museum’s re-creation of a one-bedroom apartment graphically demonstrates the situation of seven people living in the damp filthy conditions that appalled the young Octavia

while working with the poor of the Ragged School.

Octavia was 25 when she began receiving tutorship from John Ruskin, the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, and realised that his sympathies were also with the poor.

Shocked when confronted with the living conditions in the unfortunatelynamed Paradise Place, he bought the courtyard slum and appointed Octavia as its manager.

“Ruskin showed me something else I would rather do than paint like Leonardo,” she said as she began her introduction into social housing management. For the first time, ‘Little Hell’ had a garden with trees and plants which Octavia felt to be vital to everyone’s general well-being.

Part of the museum’s 2007 project was the formation of an education centre for classes, seminars and meetings - and has since been enhanced by the addition of the Harry Simpson Library, unique in being wholly devoted to housing subjects and comprising about 12,000 books and publications accessible to the public and students.

In 2012, a plot of land adjacent to the museum was purchased with funding by the National Trust, Fenland District Council and many generous donations.

The creation of Centenary Green was launched in 2014, commemorating the centenary of Octavia’s death in 1912, and it now offers a quiet reflective green space that signifies all that for which Octavia Hill stood.

The museum opens for 2020 on March 8th (International Women’s Day until the end of October from 1pm4.30pm Saturday to Wednesday. For more details please see the website at www.octaviahill.org.

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KLmagazine March 2020

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West Norfolk: Then & Now

MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE...

Many thanks to Lindsey Bavin, Museum Manager of True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum in King’s Lynn for this fascinating view of the town’s South Gate - and apologies (for obvious reasons) for not risking a contemporary

re-creation of the picture. At the time the gate was constructed in the 15th century, the ‘London’ road leading out of King’s Lynn lay much closer to the river - which explains the location of the coal wharf and merchants of JH Drew. In 1899, as trade and commerce moved from the open seas to four wheels, the coal merchants would eventually make way for a Ford

dealership, and London Road itself was widened to accommodate traffic, so the South Gate now only straddles half the road. A commemorative brick remains to mark the date (visible in the bottom picture).

The imposing South Gate remains, however, a stunning and suitably grand entrance to King’s Lynn - and the many heritage buildings within it.

You can share your old photos of the area with us on social media@klmagazine 54

KLmagazine March 2020

Without marriage, do fathers have rights?

Hayes + Storr explores the legal position of unmarried fathers

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nlike their married counterparts, unmarried fathers don’t automatically obtain parental responsibility for their child(ren). Parental responsibility (PR) is the legal right that enables parents to make dayto-day decisions on behalf of their child(ren) such as agreeing to medical treatment and choosing and providing for education. Fathers obtain automatic PR simply by being married to the biological mother at the time of a child’s birth. However, for unmarried fathers, it’s not so straightforward, so it’s important they understand their legal position in order to secure their rights.

There are three ways unmarried fathers can obtain PR and exercise their legal rights over the child(ren). They include:

Joint Registration: Usually when couples are together, this is obtained by the mother putting the name of the father on the birth certificate at the time of the child’s birth or later.

A Parental Responsibility Agreement: This involves the mother completing a document to confer parental responsibility on the unmarried father, a favourable choice in amiable circumstances when both parents can agree to it.

A Court Order: A common way of obtaining PR when there’s disagreement between the parties, this involves requesting the court to make a decision on what’s in the best interests of the child(ren).

If unmarried fathers wish to have a say in the treatment of their child(ren), exercising one of the above options is imperative.

Note that courts are particularly keen to provide unmarried fathers with PR, providing they’re able to prove they are involved in their child’s life. Despite the Children Act (1989) stating that it’s always presumed both parents’ involvement will further the welfare of the child, sufficiently complicated cases (such as mothers taking children abroad without the father’s consent make obtaining PR a necessity.

And that’s where our experienced team at Hayes + Storr can help - for the benefit of the whole family. For more information call us on 01553 778900 or 01328 863231 and ask for Family Services or e-mail us at law@hayesstorr.com.

EMMA GEORGE

Paralegal

This article aims to supply general information, but it is not intended to constitute advice. Every effort is made to ensure that the law referred to is correct at the date of publication and to avoid any statement which may mislead. However no duty of care is assumed to any person and no liability is accepted for any omission or inaccuracy. Always seek our specific advice.

The Old County Court, County Court Road, King’s Lynn PE30 5EJ W: www.hayesandstorr.co.uk | E: law.kingslynn@hayes-storr.com OFFICES AT: KING’S LYNN | HUNSTANTON | FAKENHAM | SWAFFHAM | HOLT | WELLS | SHERINGHAM

KLmagazine March 2020

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Make yourself a walking work of art! Patterns and prints are the ideal way to express yourself and have some fun with fashion. Say goodbye to winter’s sombre tones and make a splash bright and bold or subtle and spring-like? So many choices, the only limit is your imagination!

Ontrend

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Two pieces in the same pattern – easy to wear and oh so cool

Outfit by Marc Aurel

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Blouse by James Lakeland £69

So fresh and clean, the fruity pastel tones of this blouse are mouth-watering.

Pair it with classic black trousers for an outfit that’ll go anywhere

KLmagazine March 2020

ARTICHOKE Swaffham

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KLmagazine March 2020

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KLmagazine March 2020

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KLmagazine March 2020

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Dress by Frank Lyman

CINDY’S

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Make a nod to the neon trend that’s going nowhere with a truly bold design! A full skirt and a geometric print are perfect for someone who’s not afraid to stand out

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KLmagazine March 2020

Cindy today

Cindy at her opening day

Celebrating 40 years of fabulous fashions...

For the last four decades, Cindy’s has been helping women across the region look fantastic, feel great and enjoy the very latest styles

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clothes that feel just as comfortable to wear as they are good to look at - showcasing them with four charity fashion shows a year previewing the new season’s collections.

“Today it’s really quite rare to find a truly independent fashion store with a genuinely personal service,” says Cindy.

“We actually contact our clients at the start of every season and let them know what’s about to be launched and what we think would suit them best. We don’t buy specifically for our customers, but we’ve always got them in mind.”

It doesn’t matter how fashions change over the coming years, because as Cindy’s has proved for the last four

decades, high quality and friendly customer service will never Wednesd ay A go out of at The Cru pril 22nd lew Centr style. e Last rema ining tick ets still availa ble. Conta ct Cindy’s to 108 Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge PE12 9SA | 01406 350961 book Closed Wednesdays & Sundays | www.cindysfashions.co.uk

he year 1980 opened a decade that would mark one of the most experimental periods in fashion, as clothes started defining personalities and making big statements. It also saw the opening of Cindy’s, a new women’s clothing store in Sutton Bridge that celebrates its 40th anniversary next month.

After briefly considering a career in the hotel industry, the young Cindy Gittins applied for a job in a nearby men’s and women’s clothes shop. Happily (and to the owner’s

Cindy’s of Sutton Bridge

eternal regret) her application was unsuccessful - and shortly thereafter she opened her eponymous fashion store in an empty shop owned by her parents.

“It probably shouldn’t have worked given that we’re in such a rural location, but even my preview evening was huge success,” says Cindy. “It’s been an amazing journey from that very first day, although I’m not sure where all the time has gone!”

Styles (and the fashion industry itself) have changed enormously since the 1980s, but Cindy’s has successfully adapted to changing tastes and shopping habits - and continues to attract regular customers from as far afield as Norwich, Peterborough and Newark.

With a range of contemporary casual, occasional and holiday wear, wedding outfits and a selection of accessories including hats, jewellery and clutch bags, Cindy’s has always placed the emphasis on exclusive labels and

KLmagazine March 2020

Fashion Show

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Growing strawberries and blueberries...

We all know that fresh fruit is good for you, and it doesn’t get much fresher when it comes from your garden. Wendy Warner explains how easy it is to raise your own - even if you have a modest garden

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hat could be more pleasurable in the summer than stepping into the garden and picking fresh fruit you’ve grown yourself? They’ll be far tastier, with a stronger flavour than shop-bought fruit. Best of all, you don’t even need a huge area - it could be just a small corner of the garden or some pots, or even a hanging basket or window box.

If you’re a beginner, the easiest fruit

to start with would be strawberries, with the likelihood of being able to harvest fruit within a few months of planting.

Ideally, planting at the end of summer will mean you’ll get a greater yield the following year, but spring planting will still produce some fruit. They require rich, fertile, free-draining soil in a sunny spot. Keep them moist and well-fed with a high potash feed throughout the growing season, but avoid watering in the evening as this will encourage slugs.

In the ground it’s best to mulch

around the plants with straw to keep the fruits off the soil and prevent them from rotting.

Strawberries grow very well in pots or containers too, which means you can have them out of sight at the bottom of the garden when dormant and bring them into the sunniest position and closer to hand when they come into flower.

Choose a good-quality fruit and vegetable compost and make sure your container has good drainage to avoid

What could be more pleasurable in the summer than picking fresh fruit you’ve grown yourself? waterlogging. Traditional ‘strawberry pots’ with planting pockets at different heights in the sides can make a lovely show, but can be difficult for regulating the watering. If your plants start to produce runners (a bunch of roots on a long shoot) remove these unless you want to propagate them, as the plant will send its energy there rather than into producing more flowers and fruit.

As the strawberries ripen, pick them when they’re completely red at the warmest time of day (when they’re at their sweetest) and cut them off the plant rather than pulling to avoid bruising the fruit or causing the plant to become unstable in the soil.

My favourite fruit is blueberries, and I’ve been growing them for a few years.

I grow mine in large pots as they prefer an acidic soil, and I can regulate this better when they’re containerised.

They’ll do equally well in the ground in a sunny, sheltered, well-drained, moist site (if you have space) but they will get large, so allow at least 3ft between plants.

If you’re growing them in pots, use ericaceous compost and choose as large a pot as possible early on as it will be difficult to pot them on once they’re more mature and woody without damaging them.

The most popular type available are ‘high-bush’ as these are very hardy and easier to harvest due to their habit.

Although a lone plant will produce fruit, you’re likely to get a better crop if you have another different cultivar nearby which flowers at roughly the same time so you get cross-pollination.

It’s worth investing in a reasonable size plant (two to three years old) so you get fruit in the first years.

Blueberries require regular watering (with rainwater if possible), although mine are on an automatic irrigation

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ABOVE: Remember to give your fruit plenty of protection or the birds will be enjoying your berries long before you get the chance. Netting is very effective (below) but you’ll need to ensure those hungry birds can’t get trapped in (or under) it.

system so they only get tap water.

They don’t seem to suffer, and I use an acidic feed such as sequestered iron or one recommended for rhododendrons or azaleas throughout the growing season.

They fruit on short sideshoots produced in the previous spring and can also have another late crop on the tips of the current year’s growth, so any pruning should be carried out after leaves have dropped (which will turn a gorgeous red) and whilst the plant is dormant from November to March.

I’m usually picking fruit for a couple of months as they don’t all ripen at the same time, and they freeze very well.

With both strawberries and blueberries you can grow different varieties which will give you a crop over a number of months.

And remember that all fruit requires some form of netting or protection to ensure you get to the fruit before the birds! If you have a large area for fruit, consider a walk-in fruit cage, as that will make harvesting so much easier.

For smaller pots, a wooden frame with net attached could work or for strawberries in the ground try a netted cloche. Whatever net you use though, make sure it’s either a rigid netting or is pulled taut so birds can’t get caught in it - they find those berries very

tempting! If you’re using a very fine net (with holes smaller than bee size), don’t put it up until the flowers have been pollinated.

Whether you’re going to eat them with cream, make a lovely fresh fruit punch, or use them for a delicious homemade jam, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your berries this summer!

YOU AND YOUR GARDEN Wendy Warner is the Manager of Thaxters Garden Centre in Dersingham.

You can visit the website at www. thaxters.co.uk or telephone 01485 541514. If you’d like some inspiration for your garden or have a particular issue or variety of plant you’d like Wendy to look at, please contact us at info@klmagazine.co.uk.

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KLmagazine March 2020

STONES & PORCELAINS LIKE NO OTHER OLD EDDISON LIMESTONE

H O U S E W I T H A V I E W AT DOCKING, NORFOLK T h e Fo r a s O r i g i n a l s r a n g e i s a i m e d a t t h e s e r i o u s d e ve l o p e r a n d d i l i g e n t b u ye r. We d i r e c t l y s o u r c e e ve r y t i l e & s to n e a l l ow i n g u s f u l l c o n t r o l o f t h e q u a l i t y a n d c o n s i s te n c y a s we l l a s p r i c e . I t a l s o m e a n s t h a t s to c k i s r e a d i l y ava i l a b l e f o r d i s p a t c h to yo u r n ex t p r o j e c t f r o m o u r N o r f o l k wa r e h o u s e .

UNIQUE SHOWROOMS & EXPERTS KELLIE

EMMA

013 6 6 3 810 6 9

013 2 8 73 8 3 0 4

info@foras.co.uk

burnham@foraswallsandfloors.co.uk

w w w.foras.co.uk

w w w.foraswallsandfloor s.co.uk

West Head Farm, Stowbridge, K i n g’s Ly n n , PE34 3NJ

Stable Studio (At the rear of) Norfolk Living, On The Green, Burnham Market, PE31 8HD

B O O K A F R E E C O N S U LTAT I O N TODAY TO S E E WH AT S PACE WE CA N CRE ATE TOGE THE R

S3409 KHH Mothers Day and Afternoon Tea Ad v1.qxp_Layout 1 06/02/2020 14:39 Page 1

Treat your Mum this Mother's Day S U N DAY 2 2 N D M A R C H 2 0 2 0

Mother’s Day Lunch

Two courses for £22.95 Three courses for £25.95 Served 12.30pm – 2pm

Afternoon Tea

Served in our Garden Brasserie From 3pm until 6pm Free glass of Prosecco for the mums £16.95 per adult £8.50 per child

Reservations required

Tel: 01553 675566 reception@knightshill.co.uk South Wootton, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 3HQ www.knightshill.co.uk

Why not stay over?

Inspired Food Relaxed Atmosphere

Treat Mum this Mother’s Day

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the berney

Book now for Sunday 22nd March Join us this Mother’s day for a delicious Sunday roast with with the woman who means the most! Or a choice of dishes from our À la carte menu.

The Berney, Church Road, Barton Bendish, King’s Lynn PE33 9GF 01366 347995 f l

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KLmagazine March 2020

Roasted venison haunch with dauphinoise potatoes & braised red cabbage

INGREDIENTS 200g piece of venison haunch per person Dauphinoise potatoes 3 large potatoes peeled, finely sliced 500ml cream 2 tbsp grated parmesan 1 sprig thyme 1 clove garlic Red cabbage 1 red cabbage 2 bay leaves ½ cinnamon stick ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup redcurrant jelly 1 cup orange juice 1 cup red wine ½ cup orange marmalade Pinch ground mixed spice 3 star anise Salt and pepper

To cook the dauphinoise potatoes 1 Heat the cream with the thyme, garlic and seasoning.

2 Line the bottom of the tray with greaseproof paper and cover with a layer of potato.

3 Pour over a little cream and some parmesan.

4 Continue with alternate layers of of potato and cream.

5 Finish with cream and parmesan on top.

6 Bake in oven at 180°c for 20– 25 minutes until golden brown and potato is cooked.

To cook the red cabbage 1 Shred the cabbage and put into a large pan.

2 Add all other ingredients and cover with tin foil.

3 Cook in the oven for 2-3 hours, gas mark 4 or equivalent.

To cook the venison 1 Season and oil the venison.

2 Seal in a hot pan and place straight into a hot oven at 200°c for 12 minutes.

3 Remove venison from oven and rest for 3 minutes on a board in a warm place.

4 Carve venison, serve on dauphinoise potato with cabbage and sautéed mushrooms and a venison jus

Recipe by Nikki Merchant, Head Chef at The Crown Hotel The Buttlands, Wells-next-the-Sea NR23 1EX 01328 710209 www.crownatwells.co.uk

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ABOVE: The new interior of 123 High Street in King’s Lynn - where the Wenn’s Chop & Ale House is building on a long tradition of eating and drinking with a distinctly modern approach to food

A new name, a new look and a new approach...

It’s been a popular location in King’s Lynn for eating and drinking for the best part of two centuries, and the newly-opened Wenn’s Chop & Ale House is taking that tradition into the 21st century

T

he distinctive property standing on the corner of the High Street and the Saturday Market Place in King’s Lynn has been part of the town’s social life for at least 190 years - and is about to open an exciting new chapter with a new name, a new look, and a new approach to dining out.

The story of Wenn’s Chop & Ale House (which officially opened at the end of February) really starts back in October 1876, when 123 High Street was offered for sale by local baker and confectioner Simon Claxton Luckly, the advertisement including the following details: “bar and refreshment rooms, a full license for the sale of wines, spirits, etc; commodious baking office, large oven, etc; together with all the stock,

fixtures and fitting.”

The purchaser of the premises was well-known hotelier and wine and spirits wholesaler James Fiddaman, and he immediately leased the premises to James and Lizzie Wenn - who would give the building its most enduring name.

The couple refurbished the property and by 1883, an advertisement in Fiddaman’s drinks catalogue said “The Restaurant” (as it was simply known then) featured “wines & spirits of the finest quality. Burton and bitter ales, and double brown stout on draft and in bottles. Soups, chops and steaks.

Hot and cold lunches on the shortest notice.”

During the 1920s, bedrooms, “the most modern kitchen in King’s Lynn,”

and a new dining room were created on the top floor to accommodate visitors and commercial travellers, and it was probably around this time that the two shops next door (facing the Saturday Market Place) were acquired for a major extension to the bar.

By 1936 it was well established as “Wenn’s Hotel and Restaurant” and

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was one of town’s most popular places to socialise, and it’s a tradition that’s continued at the building in various guises and under different names ever since.

“In many ways we’re returning to the past, to the days when pubs were a central part of the community,” says Paul Turner, General Manager at Wenn’s Chop & Ale House. “That’s why they were called ‘public houses’ - because people would meet up and socialise, eat and drink together, play games, and enjoy entertainment in a friendly atmosphere.”

That approach is more than evident in the styling, which has been given a complete makeover - from the red walls and quirky wallpaper to the barlength mirror with Wenn’s Chop & Ale House etched into the glass. The furniture is decidedly eclectic, and in addition to having been sourced from local antique shops and auctions it’s

also for sale - so if you like the table you’re sitting at, you can take it home with you.

“It’s not just a fun idea and an unusual talking point,” says Paul. “It’s also a way of keeping the interior fresh, so it’s never quite the same and it’s always interesting.”

In addition to a surprisingly varied (and refreshingly local) range of beers, ales and spirits, the food offer at Wenn’s Chop & Ale House is also different, based largely around the concept of small-plate sharing dishes.

The menu of Head Chef Iestyn Thomas isn’t designed to be enjoyed on an individual basis - it’s cleverly crafted to encourage people to eat together and be sociable. It’s also impressively packed with exciting vegan

and vegetarian ideas - from charred onion with parsley and a pomegranate dressing to baked okra with tomato and ginger.

“We’re also going down that route with our Sunday ‘Meat-on-the-Bone’ feasts,” says Paul. “It makes Sunday dinner a sharing experience - we serve the joint to your table and you then carve it yourselves.”

Paul and his team are also currently planning a calendar of special events that will range from live entertainment and acoustic performances to openmike and board game evenings. All of which underline the fact that Wenn’s Chop & Ales House isn’t simply another pub for King’s Lynn. It’s a whole new way of drinking, dining out and socialising.

And we should all be raising a glass to that.

For the latest news and details of special events, you can follow on Wenn’s Chop & Ale House on Facebook and Twitter @TheWennsKL.

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A luxury kitchen to match your luxury home

1963-2020

Celebrating 56 years of our family business

Because a kitchen is the heart of your home, it deserves just as much thought as the rest of your house. Visit Bexwell Kitchens for a kitchen individually designed around your needs • A family friendly company • Neff specialists for 45 years • Full measuring and CAD design service • All kitchens supplied rigid • 23 displays • Full installation service available

Bexwell Kitchens

Bexwell Aerodrome, Downham Market PE38 9LT Tel: 01366 382064 Open: Mon-Sat 9-5 Sun 2-4 Email: bexwellkitchens@aol.com

www.bexwellkitchens.co.uk

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!

DEL IVERY SERV ICE AVA ILAB LE

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 www.orientalpalacewestwinch.co.uk

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KLmagazine March 2020

Roast pork belly

with salted green plum, deep fried cauliflower & pistachio INGREDIENTS Pork belly Preserved green plums or apple sauce/puree Pistachios 1 cauliflower floret Pickled seaweed

1

3

2

4

Roast the pork belly at 180 °C for 2-3 hours, then at 200 °C for a further 30 minutes to create the crispy crackling. Once cooked partition.

Next deep fry the cauliflower floret before topping it off with a helping of chopped pistachios. When plating up add pickled seaweed underneath the cauliflower to add acidity to the dish.

For the salted green plums, we preserve them for three months before blitzing them to create the puree. For a quicker alternative you could use apple sauce or puree.

Plate the dish and serve.

Recipe by Chris Mann, Head Chef at Titchwell Manor Main Road, Titchwell, Near Brancaster PE31 8BB 01485 210221 www.titchwellmanor.com KLmagazine March 2020

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Now taking orders for Easter

The Old Gatehouse The perfect backdrop for your special day

The Old Gatehouse is a grade II listed 15th Century gatehouse that originally formed part of Bexwell Hall.

• Situated close to Downham Market • Road & Rail links • Licensed for civil ceremonies • Ample off road parking • Private Hire • Licensed Venue

For all enquiries please contact Sandra 07801 243927 or Nick 07585 904446

Delicious healthy fish, perfect for Mother’s day!

Cromer Crabs - coming soon!

Local oysters & shellfish Jumbo raw prawns Wide range of fresh & smoked fish Free range eggs & local honey

Plus!

Deli counter with quality local cheeses

D NALDS NS A fresh taste of the sea

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

THE

Black Horse Inn CASTLE RISING

WITH NEW OWNERSHIP & NEW CHEF

Every week we enjoy welcoming families to our Sunday roast dinners. ere’s always a great atmosphere and the food is always delicious. Book now and we’ll see you at the weekend!

– Harry Sutton, owner

Lynn Rd, Castle Rising, King's Lynn PE31 6AG m 01553 631333 E /TheBlackHorseInnCastleRising

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KLmagazine March 2020

Flavour of the Month

A delicious new chapter in the story of the Duke’s Head Hotel...

T

he Tuesday Market Place in King’s Lynn is one of the country’s greatest open urban spaces, and the jewel in its crown is undoubtedly The Duke’s Head Hotel, which has overlooked the magnificent square for over 300 years.

In addition to its attraction for business travellers and tourists to the town, the hotel has also long been established as one of its most popular dining out destinations - a tradition that’s now moving in a new direction.

“For a long time we had several menus for different areas of the hotel, and felt there was a slight disconnect between our various food offerings,” says the hotel’s general manager Jake Smith. “We want people to come here and enjoy an amazing meal, and we were making it a bit too complex.”

Some wanted the à la carte delights

of Turner’s Restaurant (named after the local MP for whom the hotel was built) but preferred the lively atmosphere of Massey & Co, the chic cocktail bar named for the bank that once occupied the space. At the same time, others wanted a lighter and more relaxed meal, but in a quieter and more formal setting.

The solution was deceptively simple, and it’s been executed perfectly by newly-appointed Head Chef Stuart Deuchars - having one single menu for the entire hotel. It means that you can look forward to a truly memorable meal wherever you choose to eat.

In fact, Stuart has given the food at The Duke’s Head Hotel a completely fresh makeover, bringing over 35 years’ experience to the table (and a childhood enjoying exotic flavours in places such as Singapore and Cyprus) with dishes that combine extraordinary tastes with understated elegance.

Don’t expect to find countless textures and gels all over your plate and an overwhelming amount of ingredients. Fond of describing fusion food as con-fusion food, Stuart takes a refreshingly straightforward approach, making the most of a few key ingredients . Take his wonderful sea bream, for example. It’s ‘only’

accompanied by a beetroot risotto and a sauce vierge, but it’s a perfect combination - there’s nothing’s missing from the plate and nothing more is required.

This is delicious and beautifullypresented food, and it’s available all day - from the superb Full English Breakfast to the lunchtime sandwiches and omelettes (don’t miss the Massey & Co steak sandwich by the way), through to the sensational main dinner courses.

From the latter, Stuart’s pork belly dish is outstanding, served with Parma ham, dauphinoise potato, green beans, red cabbage and an exemplary jus.

The Duke’s Head Hotel may have introduced a single simplified menu, but it’s one overflowing with brilliant ideas.

And don’t forget to round off your evening (or start it for that matter) with an expertly-mixed cocktail - in the unlikely event you can’t find your favourite listed, the Massey & Co bar staff will happily mix it for you.

The Duke’s Head Hotel is one of the town’s most famous buildings - and it’s great to see it serving some of the town’s very best food.

THE DUKE’S HEAD HOTEL 5-6 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn Norfolk PE30 1JS Tel: 01553 774996 Web: www.dukesheadhotel.com E-mail: reception@dukesheadhotel.com

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BEFORE

50% off and 100% clean!

AFTER

I

f you’re looking at your cooker thinking “It really does need a clean” then before you reach for those nasty chemicals lingering in your cupboard, give Peter at OvenGleamers a call. His professional deep clean service really does restore your cooker to an “as new” look using safe eco-friendly products that leave no residue or noxious smells.

Every clean is fully insured and backed by the OvenGleamers Customer Satisfaction Guarantee so you can

rest assured that Peter will get your cooker gleaming once again.

With Mother’s Day PETER fast approaching, Peter has a super offer for KL readers, he is offering a 50% discount on all hob and cooker hood cleans when you have your oven cleaned before 31st March 2020. Call Peter now on 01553 750455 and Quote “KL March Offer”.

When I heard how much an OvenGleamers oven clean would cost, I thought long and hard about whether to clean my oven myself, though it is a job I absolutely loathe. Once Peter had done his work, however, my mind was changed absolutely: it was worth every penny! And since I am very fussy about my kitchen being left as I wish it to be, I was delighted that all traces of muck and gunge had been carefully cleaned away. How did my oven get so grim? I broke my arm some months ago and couldn’t do my usual clean. But I’ve decided now never to clean my own oven again, but to get OvenGleamers to work their magic instead.

- Mrs FP, customer

01553 750455 | www.ovengleamers.com peter.edge-partington@ovengleamers.com

Mother’s Day Book a table for Mother’s Day Sunday 22nd march

Local, Seasonal Dishes

Mother’s Day Workshop Saturday 21st March

VIP Prosecco afternoon tea PLUS make your own floral hat box display Booking is essential, deposit is required to secure place £55pp (price includes everything)

Monthly Menu & Specials

Tracey & Stuart welcome you to their newly refurbished pub beautifully set between two rivers • TRADITIONAL HOME-COOKED FOOD • GIN SHELF • AFTERNOON TEAS • B& B • TOURING CARAVAN PARK Our new function room

38-40 Freeman Street, Wells-next-the-Sea 01366 384040 | www.theheronstowbridge.com The Heron Stowbridge, The Causeway, Stowbridge PE34 3PP

TO BOOK: 01328 710456 (weekends recommended) OPEN: Tuesday to Sunday www.wellscrabhouse.co.uk

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ABOVE: A small sample of the delicious seafood produced by the team at Cley Smokehouse (opposite), which was founded by artist Mike Rhodes over 40 years ago and is now run by local fisherman Glen Weston and his team

Enjoying a traditional taste of the sea at Cley From Norfolk bloaters and crabs to delicious chicken and duck, Cley Smokehouse offers local and visitors a range of distinct flavours thanks to the dedicated work of lifelong fisherman Glen Weston...

L

ife in the Norfolk coastal village of Cley-next-the-Sea has always been about fishing.

No surprise then to find Cley Smokehouse tucked away in a corner of the High Street. No surprise either to discover that Glen Weston, a fisherman all his life, owns these premises with their salty smell of the sea.

Of course, the smokehouse – with its modern accoutrements of air conditioning, chiller cabinets, and cold counters – hasn’t always looked like this.

In 1976, Mike Rhodes (an artist with a passion for fishing) started smoking herrings for a few of his friends and built his own small tin smoker in the back garden of his premises. He didn’t foresee that demand would force

expansion, and that was the beginning of Cley Smokehouse.

Born into a north Norfolk fishing family going back three generations, Glen Weston regularly delivered crabs and lobsters to the smokehouse and talks with a great feeling of nostalgia of those days.

“My life was more or less predetermined,” he says. “I’ve always loved fishing and was going to sea almost before I went to school. I wanted to join the Royal Navy but I had to play a role in the family business.”

Still enjoying life at sea, Glen was the skipper of his own offshore fishing boat operating out of Wells-next-theSea, bringing home crabs and lobsters before the birth of his first daughter brought things into focus.

“Much as I loved being at sea,it’s not

acceptable with a family to support,” he says. “It’s too precarious.”

However, Glen was about to discover there are only small windows of opportunity in life.

“I was delivering crabs to the smokehouse, and found Mike Rhodes in an unhappy mood,” he remembers.

“Out of nowhere I suggested he sell the business to me. It was all very spur of the moment – I hadn’t even talked it over with Andrea, my wife! I just knew in my heart it was the right decision, and we raised the money from savings, family members and the bank.”

What followed was a steep learning curve of three months training alongside Mike.

“I knew nothing about smoking, but was passionate about seafood,” he says.

“I felt I didn’t really have much choice.

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ABOVE: Glen Weston (background) has big plans for new products at Cley Smokehouse - from salami to chesse - but he’s determined to keep it one of Norfolk’s best-kept and mostloved secrets.

It has been hard at times, but I’m now very relaxed and I’m happier than at any other time in my life.”

The business is gradually moving into the online market, supplying customers all over the UK – and production and packaging for the internet is being located in new premises at Glandford.

A stalwart supporter of cleaning up the environment, Glen explains how over the past three years they’ve been successful in moving away from plastic and polystyrene packaging by using cardboard trays with recyclable insulated liners in coated bubble wrap.

“Packaging has been developed to last two days in transit,” he says, “and we’ll also be introducing a ‘Click and Collect’ point at Manor Farm Barns in Glandford.”

The smokehouse started with nearly 100 different products, but future plans are to limit these to a smaller core.

Eight years ago smoked chicken and duck were introduced and are now among the best-selling lines. The range is still dominated by seafood, however, with classic Norfolk bloaters, crabs and lobsters defining Glen’s past life.

“We’re even looking at producing salami and prosciutto in the future,” he says, “and possibly Black Island Claeg cheese – black for Blakeney and ‘Claeg’ being the old name of Cley.”

Every smokehouse has its own distinct flavour; a combination of the

wood, raw materials and a particular way of doing things. Along the coast, Cley Smokehouse is recognised for its plump kippers, smoked prawns, smoked undyed haddock and a unique selection of cured salmons, making it a must visit among locals and visitors alike.

“Cley hasn’t changed much over the years,” says Glen. “We receive visitors for almost ten months of the year, and the town is exceptionally busy during the Christmas period and holiday times.

People order lobsters and smoked salmon for Christmas, and at that time we are intensely busy for three weeks.”

But you can’t keep a dedicated fisherman away from the sea, and Glen can still be seen most of the time working around his own beach boat landing lobster and crabs. To give increased scope and take advantage of distance, he looks forward to using his recent acquisition Venerius, named after the patron saint of lighthouse keepers.

Glen is particularly relaxed about the way his life is shaping out, and is confidently looking towards the future.

“I don’t feel the need to be ambitious any more and can concentrate on supporting local fishermen and providing a truly personal service,” he says. “In 2002 I was going to set the world alight, but now I’m simply happy to remain Norfolk’s little secret.”

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Arrival 7:30pm for a pre-dinner drink

b

the berney

gourmet wine dinner

MENU

Heritage Beetroot Salad Pomegranate and Orange Molasses, Feta Cheese, Herb & Pinenut Salad Pan Roasted Scallops, Curried Cauliflower Wild mushrooms, Crispy Pancetta Daube of Beef Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks, Celeriac & Apple Puree, Green Beans, Truffle Sauce, Crispy Parsnips

12th march 2020 £59.95 per head

Join us in our beautiful Grey Partridge restaurant for 5 courses, each presented by our head chef Rob Stayte with his interpretation of the food and flavours.

Together with wine development specialist Katie Gardner’s expertise as she picks wines to perfectly complement our delicious dishes.

The Berney, Church Road, Barton Bendish PE33 9GF f l

Sit down for dinner at 8pm

Call no to boo w k 01366 : 347995

Tonka Bean Crème Brulee With a Pistachio Ice-cream, Almond Shortbread Mrs Temple’s Gurneys Gold Norfolk Cheese Crackers, Grape Jelly, Celery, Apple Chutney

The Style Show

The fashion show with a difference!

Thursday 19th March, 7pm Tickets £22pp - Includes a two-course supper, fashion show, and clothing sale. Funds raised will go to the Keeping Abreast Charity

Mother’s Day

Sunday 22nd March Treat your mum to a delicious Sunday Lunch with us. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Home-cooked food • Real ales • WW2 Memorabilia High St, Feltwell, Norfolk IP26 4AF • Tel: 01842 828224

CELEBRATE

St Patrick’s Day

Great Bircham, King’s Lynn PE31 6RJ | Tel: 01485 578 265

AT THE WELLINGTON Saturday 14th March, 9pm until Midnight • Live Music • Irish themed food • Six Nations Rugby on all day

www.thekingsheadcountryhotel.co.uk KLmagazine March 2020

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Quality in Craftmanship Since 1995

uPVC, Timber and Aluminium Windows | Doors | Orangeries | Conservatories | Roofline Flat Roofing Garage Doors | Glass Balustrades & Balconies | Aluminium Seamless Gutters

Tel: 01553 829240 www.fenlandwindows.co.uk

Thurlow House, 71 Sutton Road, Walpole Cross Keys, King’s Lynn PE34 4HD

NORFOLK R ECL AIM

Norfolk Bricks • Pantiles • Pamments • Floor Bricks Doors • Ironmongery • Stone Paving • Fireplaces Basins • Garden Statuary • and much more

Reclaimed Building Materials & Architectural Salvage tel: 01328 864743

Helhoughton Road, Hempton, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 7DY www.norfolkreclaim.co.uk

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The greener face of today’s air conditioning

I

Cooler air in summer, warmer air in winter, improved energy efficiencies, and the professional expertise of the 4 Way Group...

t may seem a little early in the year to be talking about air conditioning, but with the 10 hottest-ever years in Britain all occurring since 2002 (and the country’s hottest-ever day recorded in Cambridge last July) it’s best to be prepared - with the high quality systems designed and installed by the 4 Way Group.

And don’t think you’ll only be needing your air conditioning until the end of September, because today’s technology is just as effective at keeping you and your home warm over winter.

“People tend to think air conditioning is all about cool air,” says Steve Simpson of the 4 Way Group, “but we’ve completed a number of projects over recent years where the air conditioning system is the property’s only source of heating.”

In fact, today’s air conditioning can

take pollutants, allergens and mould from the air and help avoid heatrelated health problems - and the latest ‘smart’ systems are programmed to automatically switch to a low-power consumption mode when nobody is in the room, boosting your home’s energy-efficiencies.

By carefully choosing their preferred supplier, the 4 Way Group is perfectly placed to help you take advantage of the next generation of eco-friendly air conditioning, as manufacturers start phasing out ozone-depleting refrigerants in order to meet new government regulations.

“We’ve been an approved Fujitsu installer for many years now, and they’ve always been at the forefront of industry development,” says Steve.

“They’re currently leading the way in developing even more energy-efficient

products such as the Air-to-Water (ATW) heating system, which emits less CO² by applying heat pump technology to air conditioning.”

And it also means that the 4 Way Group offers a five year warranty on all new installations.

In addition to offering a more flexible and remotely controllable heating system that’s better suited to modern homes, air conditioning can also help lower your fuel bills - and you can look forward to another hot summer with an instant supply of fresh, clean and comfortable air!

Contact the 4 Way Group today for more details, information and a free quotation – and discover how air conditioning can benefit your home, your office or your new-build project with a professional Fujitsu system that can usually be fitted within a day.

t 01553 767878 w www.4waygroup.co.uk e sales@4waygroup.co.uk Recognised and accredited throughout the industry:

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ABOVE: The Tweed with a Twist range from Joules (available from Ikon in Broad Street) is just one of the hundreds of gift ideas waiting to be discovered at the Vancouver Quarter - one of the area’s most exciting shopping centres 84

KLmagazine March 2020

Make your mother’s day at the Vancouver Quarter It’s one of the most special times of the year, and at the Vancouver Quarter this month, we’ve got plenty of treats in store for mothers, aunts and grandmothers - from wonderful gifts to free afternoon teas

S

pring is on its way, the nights are drawing out, and the Vancouver Quarter in King’s Lynn is celebrating all things ‘Mum’. Mother’s Day is now celebrated in more than 40 countries around the world - it started when the American Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia- and it’s a very special time of the year, a time when we recognise (in Jarvis’ own words) “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world.”

Anna Jarvis eventually became disenchanted with the commercialism of Mother’s Day, so it’s good to see the Vancouver Quarter focusing on

free events for families to attend. It’s also worth noting that it doesn’t just celebrate mothers and their hard work and endless love but aunts and grandmothers too.

2020 is no different, as the Vancouver Quarter brings back its fantastic professional photoshoot - with a twist.

The photoshoot will be a drop-in event from 10am until noon on Saturday 14th March instead of the usual bookable slots. After the photoshoot there will be a free afternoon tea available as well as craft activities for families to enjoy. Children under the age of 13 years old can bring their mums, grandmothers and aunts for a free afternoon tea, and children

can make a card and 3D flower for their loved ones. The Vancouver Quarter is really looking forward to seeing everyone!

Please note that afternoon tea is limited to one slice of cake, two cucumber finger sandwiches and one tea/squash drink - and is limited to four servings per family (one adult and a maximum of three children, or two adults and two children).

As a shopping centre, the Vancouver Quarter is proud to support both international retailers as well as a range of varied independent retailers.

This month, in a search for unique and beautiful gift ideas for Mother’s Day, we found some beautiful things

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The Vancouver Quarter is a shopping centre with the community at its heart... for a wide range of budgets starting at only £2. While wandering around the centre, the range of gift ideas the stores have on offer really does stand out from gift cards to unique homeware, shopping for everyone has never been easier or more enjoyable.

Some of our favourite pieces came from Ikon on Broad Street. Ikon caters for a range of budgets and styles perfect for the fashion conscious mum who deserves something extra special.

The store currently has a beautiful array of designer gifts starting at £4, and stocks a range of designers from Superdry to Joules and Cath Kidston.

We fell in love with the Cath Kidston hand creams and purses (pictured bottom left). They come in a range of quirky and floral designs, so you’re sure to find the perfect one.

They also stock an impressive and gorgeous range of Joules bags and accessories. From the Tweed with a Twist range to the cutest bag charms in a range of delightful animals, the Joules collection will bring a touch of luxury to any mother’s, grandmother’s or aunt’s wardrobe.

If fashion just isn’t your mother’s cup of tea, you can always take a walk around to Gifted on Broad Street. Not only do they have a delicious array of sweets and treats, they also have licensed products from Marvel and

PICTURES: From fabulous fashions and beauty products to video games and sweet treats, the Vancouver Quarter is packed with amazing shopping choices for every budget

Disney to Harry Potter. One particular stand in the store immediately caught our attention. Beautifully lit, it contained the most wonderful chimes and charms designed to catch the light perfectly and fill any home with peace and love.

Whether you prefer the Tree of Life or the Dream Catcher, the beauty of light and colour literally shines through (pictured right).

If you’re after something delicious for the mother with a sweet tooth, the blindingly-colourful array of sweets and candies available is most definitely right up your street! From drinks to Fluff you’ll struggle to walk away from this store empty handed (pictured above).

The Vancouver Quarter is a shopping centre with the community at its heart, and that’s reflected in the sheer variety of available stores. All budgets are catered for, whether it’s pocket money keepsakes from Poundland or the latest console title from GAME, shoppers won’t be disappointed this Mother’s Day. The Vancouver Quarter believes that regardless of the budget you have for birthdays, special celebrations or personal treats you’ll be able to wander around and find that perfect something.

For more information on news and events, please visit the centre’s website at www.vancouverquarter.com or follow it on social media.

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COVERING WEST NORFOLK FOR OVER 47 YEARS

Flooring by Metric Carpets

... Naturally

Natural flooring is made from organic fibres such as sisal, coir, jute and seagrass. All are practical, durable, low maintenance and available in a range of stunning colours and patterns. Our suppliers include Alternative Flooring Company, Kersaint Cobb, Crucial Trading and Fibre Company. Metric Carpets offers a vast selection of stair runners, fully fitted carpets or custom made rugs, with expert fitting to ensure you have the floor of your dreams.

Get in with us touch for FREE h your o consult me ation

floors designed for life

36 Norfolk Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1AH | Tel: 01553 775203 Email: info@metriccarpets.co.uk | Web: www.metriccarpets.co.uk FIREPLACES | STOVE S | GRANI TE WORKTOPS

Visit the ONLY fireplace showroom in King’s Lynn

Bespoke curtains and blinds for all your soft furnishing needs Handmade curtains • Swags & tails Roller blinds/verticals & venetians Wooden blinds • Roman blinds • Cushions Home measuring & design service Extensive choice of fabrics and wallpapers Austin Fields, King’s Lynn, PE30 1PH tel: 01553 772564 | web: www.krfireplaces.co.uk

Tel. 01553 776411 / 07920 747157 122 High Street, King’s Lynn, PE30 1DD

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Studio 11 Architecture is a creative practice delivering bespoke design solutions to our clients’ brief. We produce distinctive, functional architecture with a commitment to sustainability.

Norfolk Studio Holkham Studios Longlands Holkham Estate

Telephone 01328 854110 Email design@studio11architecture.co.uk Website www.studio11architecture.co.uk

NR23 1RU

EDQ

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Our electricians use the latest equipment to test and record results

Safer tenants make for happy landlords...

Rules on electrical safety inspections are about to change, but Bircham Electrical are already prepared for them

C

hanges to regulations on electrical testing in rented homes are about to come into force and Bircham Electrical are ready to help landlords make sure their properties meet them.

Currently, it’s only recommended that homes in private single tenancies have electrical safety inspections every five years but new legislation is about to make these inspections, called an

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), mandatory. This means the regulations for private single tenancies will be the same as those already in force for houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs).

“We take care of the electrical safety inspections for lots of landlords and lots of them already choose to have this testing done as often as the new regulations will require in future,” says Darren Goldsby, General Manager of Bircham Electrical. “I think it’s great that the government are making electrical safety inspections mandatory: it makes homes safer for tenants and gives landlords peace of mind about their properties.”

4 Wymans Way Industrial Estate Fakenham NR21 8NT

The legislation is being considered by parliament now: if it’s approved it’ll come into force on 1st June so the sooner landlords contact Bircham Electrical the better. The regulations will apply to new tenancies from 1st July 2020, and to existing tenancies from 1st April 2021. From then on inspections will need to be carried out every five years, or at the start of each new tenancy if that’s sooner. The new regulations also mean that a copy of the report must be sent to the tenant within 28 days of the inspection and to the local authority within 7 days of them requesting it: landlords will need an electrical firm they can trust.

Bircham Electrical have the experience and the expertise to make the process of ensuring your properties have an up-to-date EICR as easy as possible. They’re full NICEIC members and their work is guaranteed by the Platinum Promise.

“An EICR is an inspection on the condition of an existing electrical installation, to identify any items that do not comply with BS7671. Tests are carried out on wiring and associated fixed electrical equipment to check that it is safe,” says Darren, “so it’s essential you use a contractor who knows what they’re doing. The most common problems that an inspection identifies are broken sockets and light switches: our staff can do these remedial repairs on the spot, so there’s no need for a second visit. We can even remind you when the next five-year test is due on your property to make life easier.”

If you’re a landlord and you need to get the electrical safety of your properties sorted in a hassle-free way, contact Bircham Electrical today.

Tel: 01328 851824 Web: www.bircham-electrical.co.uk E-mail: admin@birchamelectrical.com

KLmagazine March 2020

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KLmagazine March 2020

Lettingbetter Our monthly round up of the latest news and legislation concerning landlords and tenants in the private rented sector with Edmonton Estates Director

Damien Simone

Quickfact Edmonton Estates will be returning to its former offices in St Ann’s House (left) from 1st March 2020.

Back to the Future

O

ur Letting Better feature is now into its fifth year and within that time a near incomprehensible amount of changes to market conditions and legislation has been forced upon the private rented sector.

Due to the huge growth in buyto-let investment over the past 20 years, letting has been the area of the property market most influenced by government legislation. However, lettings hasn’t been the only sector radically affected in recent years.

Consumer trends have greatly influenced how traditional estate agencies operate following the rise of online low-cost competitors such as Purple Bricks and Yopa. Solicitors have also been challenged by dedicated conveyancing firms promising faster and more cost-efficient solutions.

Everything is changing, but perhaps it needed to.

Ultimately, all markets are steered by

the end user and not those at the top and if your clients’ expectations aren’t being met then you’re creating an opportunity for someone else to step in. Whilst online estate agency is now viewed as a low-cost alternative to the High Street agent, lettings still requires a more personal approach.

At Edmonton Estates we’re fortunate to have a loyal client base that supports us as much as we support them with our services. This should never be taken for granted though, and the dispersal of several local and long-established agencies in the past few years shows this. We’ve listened to our clients and carefully considered how we can best meet their needs and expectations and it’s with this in mind that we’ve decided to relocate Edmonton Estates back into St Ann’s House, its previous home of nearly six years.

The location on the edge of the town centre in one of King’s Lynn’s historic buildings has been deemed the

Edmonton Estates Ltd, Nelson House, Bergen Way, King’s Lynn PE30 2DE 01553 660615 • www.edmontonestates.co.uk • info@edmontonestates.co.uk

preferred site. With the availability of parking in the grounds whilst visiting our offices adding to the convenience for our clients, we’re delighted to be announcing that from 1st March 2020 we’ll be officially returning to our former offices there.

Taking a step back in time to secure the preferences of our clients both now and in the future!

If you would like to arrange an appointment to discuss the lettings market in more detail, learn which property investments are currently producing the best yields locally, or find out more about the letting and management services which we provide, please contact us on 01553 660615 or come and visit us.

Independent Lettings & Property Management Specialists

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Spring’s hottest interiors trends are all about warm neutrals and natural materials – try colours that go well with grey like blush pink or a navy blue. Pile up velvet and hessian cushions for a subtle contrast. Or if you’re feeling brave, why not clash a floral and geometric print?

Fabrics by Clarke & Clarke

SEW & SEW King’s Lynn

Pom pom tie backs & Frenchic furnture paint

POPPI INTERIORS Swaffham

Luxury matchsticks in bottle

BAREFOOT LIVING

Burnham Market

Fabio sofa & pastel dinnerwear

ALDISS

Fakenham Winged headboard

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Floral fabric by the metre

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Fiji coffee set in honey yellow & The Chateau ‘potagerie’ cream lampshade

ALDISS

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LED LIGHTING • LIGHT FIT TINGS ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES

THE LIGHTING SPECIALISTS A family-run business with over 60 years experience in the supply of light bulbs and lighting to homes and businesses.

Get in touch or visit our store to find out more...

OLIVER

LAMPS

T 01328 855028 E sales@oliverlamps.com W www.oliverlamps.com A 26/28 Oak Street, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 9DY

By appointment to Her Majesty The Queen Purveyor of Dress Fabrics and Haberdashery P.F.Day & Son King’s Lynn

The Fent Shop

Largest selection of fabrics in West & North Norfolk Dress Fabrics Curtain Fabrics Craft Fabrics Net Curtains Knitting Wool Haberdashery

41 Broad Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1DP T: 01553 768613 | W: www.thefentshopkingslynn.co.uk KLmagazine March 2020

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Image reproduced by permission of

Visit our 35,000ft2 showroom Full of top quality furnishings from the store that puts customer care and service above all else!

Showroom open 7 days a week: Mon to Fri: 8.30-5 Sat: 9-5 Sun: 10-4

BEDROOM | LIVING ROOM | DINING ROOM | CARPETS | ACCESSORIES Tel: 01945 410226

www.elses.co.uk

Leverington Common, Wisbech PE13 5JN

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A new bathroom the easy way The easiest way to design your own new bathroom and get it installed by an expert quality installer? Bathco’s Fully Fitted service!

B

athco’s general manager Stuart Marsden explains some of the ways their Fully Fitted service can make designing and installing your new bathroom easier than you ever could have thought possible.

CHOICE Bathco have a huge range of products that you can see for yourself in their three showrooms in King’s Lynn, Dereham and Thetford. “We have dozens of real room displays so you can explore the high quality products we offer,” says Stuart, “You’re also welcome to take away one of our exclusive brochures.”

EXPERT HELP & ADVICE The friendly and knowledgeable staff can talk through what you’d like to achieve for your dream bathroom and help guide your choices. “Our team will arrange to visit you and conduct a home survey of your existing bathroom at a time that suits you,”

says Stuart. “We can even visit you in the evening, Monday to Friday.” Once accurate measurements are taken your design can come to life in minutes on bathco’s powerful 3D software, taking the guesswork out of visualising.

Bathco’s staff can also give you details on the available ways to pay: if you choose their finance package the straightforward process will give you an immediate decision.

PROJECT-MANAGED INSTALLATION Your bathroom’s installation will be fully costed, taking into account every fitting and item of labour, so the price quoted will be the price you pay, with no hidden extras. One of bathco’s team will act as project manager, on hand to monitor progress and answer any questions. “We believe that communication between you and our project manager and installation team is crucial to get you the bathroom you want,” says Stuart. For your peace of

mind bathco are fully insured against any unlikely accidental damage, they will remove and dispose of your old bathroom suite. Bathco also pride themselves on giving you a start and end time and date for your project: every detail is covered.

EXCEPTIONAL AFTERCARE Bathco are supremely confident that all their fitters will install your bathroom to the high standards they demand, so they’re happy to guarantee their workmanship for one year. This is in addition to the product warranties they offer, which can be up to a lifetime, depending on the product. “In the unlikely event a problem does occur after the installation of your bathroom, contact us and be assured it will be dealt with quickly and fully: our reputation depends on it,” says Stuart.

Tel: 0330 1239 334 | Web: www.bathcoeu.com | E-mail: enquiries@bathcoeu.com KING’S LYNN: Hardwick Industrial Estate PE30 4HG | DEREHAM: 35 Yaxham Road NR19 1HD | THETFORD: Unit 1, Station Lane IP24 1ND

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ABOVE: Pictured on his father’s famous riding school at Caley Farm in Heacham, Robert Callaby (right) stands with his wife Constance and their son Robert (who was about three years old at the time) with Head Groom Herbert Howling

The man who brought high society to Heacham Expert horseman, experienced trainer and friend to the famous, Horace Callaby brought a small village to national attention...

M

any people are aware of ARCO, the successful tool, small plant and garden machinery hire company based at Caley Farm in Heacham. But few people know that the family-run business has a fascinating history behind it, one that includes larger-than-life characters, world-famous artists, national sporting heroes, world boxing champions, film stars, and European royalty.

The story started in 1917 when a young Horace Callaby (who’d moved down to London to supply the Army with horses) bought two farms in Heacham from the Hunstanton estate.

He’d established a riding school and training facility near Crystal Palace and would soon make a name for himself breeding Hackney and race horses - in fact within ten years his horses would win over 500 first places and championship awards.

“Even by the standards of the day, he was a rather flamboyant character,” says his grandson Bob Callaby, who now lives in one of the converted barns at Caley Farm. “As a youngster he’d challenged the Norfolk-born world heavyweight boxing champion Jem Mace to a fight for a bet. I’m not sure Heacham was quite ready for him at the end of the first World War!” Indeed, a few decades later, the London Illustrated magazine would

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describe Horace as stepping “straight out of the 18th century with his shining butcher boots, his cutaway green coat with its bright brass buttons, his hard white hat, blue bird’s-eye cravat, and magnificent tiepin. The whole frames a ruddy cheerful countenance with twinkling eyes as spry as a spring morning.”

Selling the larger farm at Heacham, Horace Callaby built the area’s first indoor riding school at Caley Farm (the final remains of which were demolished only last year) together with a guesthouse that would soon attract a world of colourful characters.

Horace had made the acquaintance of several celebrities in the film and entertainment industry in London, and they were frequent visitors to Caley Farm. Thanks to his friendship with actor Stanley Holloway (best remembered for his role as Eliza Doolittle’s father in My Fair Lady), Horace even got involved in the silver screen himself, volunteering his pack of Heacham Harriers hounds for the 1935 film D’Ye Ken John Peel?

By the time the Second World War broke out, these London-based notables were more than happy to be spending their time in west Norfolk and Stanley Holloway’s first wife spent

ABOVE: In addition to breeding and training a string of successful race horses, Horace Callaby also owned the Heacham Harriers pack of hounds, which featured in the 1935 film D’Ye Ken John Peel, which starred his friend Stanley Holloway

ABOVE: Enjoying the Cambridgeshire Harriers point-to-point meet at Cottenham in 1948 are (from left to right) Constance Callaby (who’d been voted Miss Skegness in 1933), Robert Callaby, and Mr and Mrs J Colliver

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ABOVE: In its heyday, the riding school established by Horace Callaby (left) attracted many celebrities such as Stanley Holloway (centre) and Sir Alfred Munnings (right)

most of the war living with Horace at Caley Farm with two of her children.

One of Horace’s closest friends was the artist Sir Alfred Munnings, who was a familiar face at Caley Farm - although he never spent any money, paying for his stay at the guesthouse with paintings and drawings.

“I actually met him once when he turned up in a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce,” says Bob Callaby. “He’d written a three-volume autobiography and promised my father that if he bought a set, he’d sign them. Of course, my father bought the books - but they never did get signed!”

Munnings was obviously as interesting a character as Horace Callaby. The artist once sent a letter to Caley Farm from his home in Chelsea telling Horace about a commission he’d received to paint one of the king’s horses at Sandringham.

“Can you put me up some time next week?” wrote Munnings. “I will write to you when I am coming. Please say nothing of this to anyone because I do not want it known or in the press or anything. So for the Lord’s sake keep it quiet. If you tell anyone of this I’ll shoot you dead.”

“The funny thing is that I doubt Munnings could even use a gun,” says Bob. “He may have been one of England’s finest painters of horses, but he couldn’t ride one to save his life!”

Another family friend was the international cricketer Bill Edrich, whose family worked the neighbouring

farm and who scored 219 in the ‘Timeless Test’ against South Africa of 1938 - the match eventually had to be abandoned with England on 654-5 so the team could catch their boat home.

By this time, trainers from Newmarket were visiting Caley Farm (using the beaches at Heacham for training) and one day the Queen of Norway arrived, asking Horace if one of his junior grooms could look after the horses she stabled at Sandringham.

“He eventually agreed, although I think it was rather reluctantly,” says Bob. “I still have the engraved silver cigarette box she gave my grandfather expressing her thanks.”

Bob’s father Robert spent very little time at Caley Farm. A difficult relationship with his stepmother meant he spent his childhood at boarding school and only returned to Heacham in the summer of 1945 after the great Horace Callaby died - just six months after his (much younger) wife.

Together with his wife Constance (a beauty who’d been voted Miss Skegness at Butlin’s in 1933) Robert took over the family business, although later sold the farm’s arable land to Princess Diana’s mother Frances Kydd and closed the guesthouse in 1952 converting it into flats for American servicemen in the area.

As for Bob, by the time he left school Caley Farm offered little opportunity for a farmer, so he embarked on a hugely successful career in agricultural sales (particularly in vegetable seeds), setting

up a tool and small plant hire business in one of the farm’s disused sheds in 1983 and asking his wife Rosemary to run it.

“She was a midwife at the time, and said that she didn’t know anything about agricultural tools or garden machinery,” he says. “I told her not to worry and that she’d soon learn!”

Today, ARCO (the name is actually an acronym for A Robert/Rosemary Callaby Organisation) is still run by the couple from Caley Farm, and Bob hopes that one day its history can be told in full.

“I have a bound copy of my grandfather’s handwritten memoirs and I’m sure they’d make a really great book,” he says. “He was such a fascinating character and lived in such unique times. I think his story deserves to be told.”

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Experts in working around power lines A professional team, advanced equipment and knowledge of the latest techniques enable us to work safely and efficiently on trees in every difficult location imaginable.

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55 Lynn Road, Terrington St Clement, King’s Lynn PE34 4JU

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Modern efficiency combined with classic style For windows that fit perfectly with a heritage home but offer the efficiency of modern uPVC, talk to Eastern Frames

A

s part of their core portfolio of windows, doors, conservatories and bifolds, Eastern Frames offer Residence R9 windows.

This prestigious brand of windows is designed and manufactured in the UK, and authentically replicates 19thcentury timber designs.

“Residence R9 windows and doors are perfect for the kind of historic homes we have so many of in west and north Norfolk,” says Business Manager Matt Barton. “It can sometimes be difficult to meet the stringent guidelines set out by conservation officers and planning authorities when your property is in one of Norfolk’s many conservation areas - not to mention the North Norfolk AONB -

without compromising on style or performance, but we think this range has got it all covered.”

Residence R9 windows are sized to fit the deeper window apertures of older homes, but are made from a modern composite material that is virtually maintenance-free. They’re also capable of holding triple glazing to combine heritage aesthetics with lower and more efficient energy usage! And they come in a wide choice of colours and styles: even dual colour, one colour on the inside to compliment your décor and another on the outside.

Once your choice is made, it’s over to the Eastern Frames team for a fuss-free installation.

“Customers are often surprised by how quickly and effectively we can install windows and doors, but our four two-person installation teams are all very well equipped – each having a minimum of 5 years’ experience, we also have our own dedicated service engineer,” says Matt, “We can handle any size of job with ease: we recently installed over thirty-five Residence R9 windows in a Grade II* listed care

home, working in phases so as not to inconvenience the residents.”

Eastern Frames was founded by brothers Anthony and Darren Boyle in 2011, and their trajectory of success has been such that they’ve recently expanded into larger premises and opened a second office and showroom in Hunstanton.

Call in and you’re likely to see Anthony or Matt first, as they deal with the quotation, design and surveying side of installations. “Darren specialises in the practical installation and customer aftercare, which is something we pride ourselves on,” explains Matt. “We always say ‘anyone can put a window in a hole’ and while that’s a bit of a joke, the principle is true. It’s afterwards when expertise matters, making sure the window works perfectly, and that’s what you get from Eastern Frames.”

Contact the friendly team at Eastern Frames to book your free, noobligation quotation – you’re just one step away from your home’s new look.

HUNSTANTON 12 King’s Lynn Road, Hunstanton PE36 5HP | T: 01485 522050 WISBECH Unit 3 Grass Gate Lane, Lynn Road, PE14 7AN | T: 01945 586816 W: www.easternframes.com | E: info@easternframes.com

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Made in Norfolk.

Driven around the world.

A disused airbase in the middle of rural Norfolk may not seem the most exciting location in the world, but for the last 60 years it’s produced some of the most glamorous and high-performance cars on the planet

ABOVE: Lotus Evija, world’s first all-electric British hypercar makes its China debut at Guangzhou Auto Show

I

n the summer of 1948, you would have found 20-year-old Colin Chapman spending his spare time in a disused garage owned by his girlfriend’s parents, carefully modifying an Austin 7 to bring it up to racing standards.

A recent structural engineering graduate of University College London, Colin used his skills and the prize money earned from his MkI, to build his own sports cars: he produced his third vehicle in 1951 - calling it a Lotus.

The origin of the name was only ever known to Colin and his wife Hazel, but for all its seeming delicacy the Lotus 3 proved startlingly faster than the competition, with a top speed of 90mph. The first of Colin’s cars to wear the new Lotus badge (featuring the ACBC monogram from Chapman’s full name) it was also the first to be sold to a customer and was clearly the best 750 Formula car in England.

In 1952, with a loan of £50, Colin founded Lotus Engineering Ltd with his fellow UCL student Colin Dare, setting up a factory in some old stables behind the Railway Hotel in Hornsey, which was run by Chapman’s father.

Two years after the 1.5l MkVIII enabled Lotus to enter international motor racing, the company released the Lotus Eleven, beginning the tradition of naming models with an ‘E’ - although the numbering system was retained, so the current Exige (released in 2000) is technically the Lotus 121. Interestingly, a slight touch of triskaidekaphobia means that the model numbers 13 and 113 were never used.

Colin Chapman’s approach to racing was encapsulated in this famous quote: “Simplify, and then add lightness,” he said. “Adding power makes you faster on the straights, subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.”

It was a philosophy that was to bring Lotus huge success.

On 29th May 1960 the Lotus 18 won the marque’s first Grand Prix at Monaco (with Stirling Moss behind the wheel) and three years later Lotus won the Formula One Drivers’ World Championship (with Jim Clark), the Formula One Constructors’ World Championship, the British Saloon Car Championship, and came second in the Indy 500.

Colin Chapman had been an enthusiastic member of the University Air Squadron and learned to fly while he was still a student, so it’s perhaps appropriate that he chose an abandoned air base – RAF Hethel just outside Norwich

The first lotus Mk1

k r a l C m i J n& a m p a h C n i l o C ABOVE: Colin Chapman protecting Jim Clark as mechanics work on his Lotus 33 during practice for the 1966 Dutch Grand Prix. At right is the Lotus 72 being driven by Emerson Fittipaldi at Monaco in 1972 the JPS-sponsored race car was one of the most iconic of the 1970s

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“A racing car has only one objective: to win motor races. If it doesn’t do that it’s nothing but a waste of time, money, and effort...”

- Colin Chapman, 1975 - as the new home of Lotus, when it outgrew its original facility.

Graham Hill drove Lotus to the F1 World Championship double in 1968, and the iconic black and gold cars were dominant throughout the 1970s, with Lotus picking up both the drivers’ and constructors’ world titles in 1972 and 1978, and the constructors’ world title in 1973.

By now Lotus was firmly established as a prestigious, glamorous and exciting brand on and off the racetrack, and 1977 saw James Bond get behind the wheels of a Lotus Esprit S1 in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. It was a little different from the production model - few people in the real world requiring antiaircraft missiles or the option of turning their car into a submarine.

In fact, the Esprit became something of a film star itself - two featured in the 1981 Bond film ‘For Your Eyes Only’, and the Turbo SE edition featured in the iconic 80s films ‘Pretty Woman’ and ‘Basic Instinct’.

But by then, Lotus had lost its founding spirit. Colin Chapman died

PICTURES: Elisa Artoli (whose grandfather owned Lotus at the time) gave her name to the 1995 Lotus Elise, and James Bond (Roger Moore) chose a Lotus Esprit Turbo for his 1981 adventure For Your Eyes Only (above). Below is the 700-car parade on the Lotus test track (the largest-ever gathering of Lotus cars) in October 2018.

suddenly aged 54 at his home in Norwich in December 1982, although his legacy and founding principles have lived on.

The 1990s saw the release of the Elise, which remains in production to this day. Named after the thenChairman’s granddaughter it was simple, pure, innovative and ultra light - and unveiled in the same year Lotus picked up its 50th ‘Best Car of the Year’ award.

Lotus has never stopped setting new standards in engineering. Only last year, the company unveiled its 130th model: the world’s first pure electric British hypercar. Designed, engineered

and hand-built in Norfolk, it’s named the Evija and is scheduled to go into production this year.

It’s the world’s most powerful series production road car, and (true to Colin Chapman’s belief that less-is-more when it comes to weight) the world’s lightest production EV hypercar.

Inspired by its model number, only 130 Evija will be made and it’s expected to retail at around £1.5 million. It has lasers instead of headlights and miniature cameras instead of mirrors.

In fact, one of the very few things it doesn’t have is the ability to transform into a submarine.

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Insuranceinsights Our monthly look at insurance issues for you and your family with the experts at Adrian Flux...

If classic cars are forever, their insurance is essential...

Bob still loves his classic Lotus Seven, even after 47 years of ownership

T

he classic Seven, Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s simple, lightweight, two-seat racing car for the road, might seem the most unlikely of daily drivers.

But for the best part of 10 years, that’s exactly how Bob Richardson and his wife Gill used their classic — the little orange sports car — come rain, shine or even snow.

While many Lotus Sevens were bought for club racing, in 47 years of ownership Bob and Gill’s Series 3 has been used exclusively on the road, often weaving through the streets of London attracting plenty of attention along the way.

Bob, now 69, bought the car in 1970 for £750, complete with one very famous name among the previous owners — Ronald David Wood of Lower Sloane Street, SW1. Better known as Ronnie Wood, then with Rod Stewart in the Faces and later the Rolling Stones, he bought the car on December 22, 1969.

“He bought it as a Christmas present for a girl who thought it was dreadful

and sold it almost immediately.”

As a then single 22-year-old driving an old Mini van, Bob was attracted to the Seven as much by its price as its fun factor. Most Sevens were sold in kit form and didn’t attract Purchase Tax (the forerunner of VAT).

“I saw an advert in the London Evening Standard. I made an offer and bought it for £750. When I later rebuilt it I spent more than that on the carbs!”

It was one of just 340 series 3s sold in 1968 and 1969. It featured Ford’s 1600cc Kent crossflow engine which produced between 85 and 90bhp in standard tune.

With the car weighing less than 550kg, the classic roadster could sprint to 60mph in 7.7 seconds, rapid for the day and feeling even quicker in the low, sparse body. Now, 60 years since the first Seven was launched, it is still regarded as the ultimate in road-going race cars.

But with age and 80,000 miles on the clock came wear and tear and the Seven eventually needed serious attention. “It was a ground-up rebuild,

with the body and chassis repaired

by Arch Motors. I rebuilt the engine, gearbox, re-wired it – did the whole thing and spent quite a bit of money on it. It took me three years in total” he said.

The Lotus Seven is now valued at around £16,000 and it has been joined by two more Lotus cars in Bob’s collection, a 1974 Elan+2 that he restored himself, and a more modern Elise.

Of them all, the Seven is the one with the emotional attachment that only long-term ownership can bring.

“It just reminds me of a lot of things.

It has been part of the family,” he says.

“Most of my mates say you will never sell it, and I don’t think I ever will.”

The Lotus Seven is among dozens of cars which have been owned by the same people for more than 30 years featured on the Forever Cars website produced by classic car insurance specialists Adrian Flux. Their best classic car insurance quotes are available by calling 01553 400399.

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KLmagazine March 2020

The perfect solution to your broadband blues...

Rural Broadband offers a remarkably simple and brilliantly effective way to bring stable Wi-Fi to every part of your home or business

W

e’re all familiar with the problems – you’re at the bottom of the garden and you can’t make a phone call; you’re in a top floor bedroom and the Xbox connection keeps cutting out; or you’re in a converted outbuilding office and you can’t stream a movie.

“We’re getting calls all the time from people across Norfolk complaining about their broadband speed, but when we visit them we discover that the signal is actually perfectly good,” says

Richard Dix

Richard Dix of Heacham-based Rural Broadband. “The problem is that we’re now asking our broadband signals to do much more than they’re really capable of.”

For homes over 3,000ft2, for large office suites, for historic buildings and for spaces such as village halls and holiday lets, Richard and his team at Rural Broadband have the perfect solution in the form of ‘mesh nodes’ – unobtrusive units less than 10cm2 which can be installed in a matter of minutes.

It’s a technology that’s been used in military installations and hospitals for some years now, but it’s now making a big impression on homes and small businesses – with no mess, no fuss, and no need to drill through walls and lay several metres of extra cable.

“Basically, each unit ‘talks’ to each other, amplifying your broadband signal and spreading it a little further than the last,” says Richard. “They effectively blanket your home in high-quality stable Wi-Fi and bring it into all the dead zones caused by thick walls and long distances.”

Easily controlled and managed through a simple smartphone app, the units are compatible with all broadband service providers and are supremely versatile – making it easy to quickly set up a temporary network for short-stay guests or visiting business colleagues.

Bring your home or office into the 21st century today by contacting Rural Broadband using the details below for a free consultation about all your networking needs.

Unit 1, Marea Farm, School Rd, Heacham PE31 7DH Tel: 01485 572253 / 07786 887750 www.ruralbroadband.co.uk KLmagazine March 2020

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IMAGE: ROY CUCKOW

IMAGE: IMPULSE MUSIC CONSULTANTS

ABOVE: Bhaskar Patel, Sarah Rodgers, Baluji Shrivastav and Geraldine Allen at the launch party in London

The music worth waiting almost 30 years for...

27 years after it was first performed, a fascinating piece of classical music that was far ahead of its time blended Eastern and Western influences and is now - finally - being released on CD

T

his is a brief life, but in its brevity it offers us some splendid moments, some meaningful adventures.”

These words come from ‘Kim’, Rudyard Kipling’s novel of 1901, and a ‘meaningful adventure’ is the perfect phrase to describe the 27-year journey of ‘The Roaring Whirl’, a piece of music inspired by ‘Kim’.

The Roaring Whirl was commissioned by clarinettist Geraldine Allen and written by composer Sarah Rodgers.

It was first performed in 1992 as an innovative mix of live music, narration and dance. But fate intervened in the form of a life-altering car accident for Geraldine and she was unable to release a recording of the piece and take it on tour.

Now, all these years later, Geraldine and Sarah have collaborated with record label Divine Art to produce a CD

of the performance and also made it available on streaming services.

“The Roaring Whirl had ten live performances, which is an unusual amount for a contemporary classical piece,” explains Sarah. “But we knew that in order to give it a legacy, to let it endure, and to let it get out to more people, we’d have to produce a recording.”

“The Roaring Whirl was commissioned as a theatre piece – it’s so much more than just the music,” says Geraldine. “The piece is 67 minutes long, and the original performance lasted an entire evening. It was premiered at the Nottingham Now Festival of contemporary work and the funding from Arts Council England and Nottingham City Council given to us also covered scenery and lighting, and the kathak dancing that accompanied the music.”

Kathak is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance and originated in ancient northern India.

“It’s called a music narrative, because it’s telling a story,” adds Sarah, “It uses words but they’re not sung: there are short readings from Kim, and these passages from the story are retold told

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IMAGES: IMPULSE MUSIC CONSULTANTS

Kumar Saswat, 1992 ABOVE: The original performance was accompanied by live kathak dance BELOW: Sarah and Geraldine in their Japanese-influenced garden

by the instruments and by the dancer.”

In Kipling’s novel, the eponymous protagonist Kim is an orphaned Irish child who travels across the Northern Indian Punjab accompanied by a Tibetan lama: ‘The Roaring Whirl’ is Kim’s impression of the lives he encounters on their travels and it is this blend of cultures that captured Sarah’s imagination, producing a fusion of Eastern and Western musical styles.

And it was because of this fusion, and the inclusion of a kathak dancer that a recording is available today.

“The dancer had to rehearse, so we had a professional recording made of the piece ahead of the performance,” explains Geraldine. “It was lucky really – so much music is performed live and then gone forever.”

But then came Geraldine’s accident.

“Initially they thought I might have broken my neck; luckily I hadn’t,” she says. “But for a long time I simply couldn’t move. I had made my name as a soloist and working at that level necessitates practising four or five hours a day; recovering from the accident made it impossible for me to do that. Deciding to release the CD meant I had to get back into practising for hours every day, and I felt able to – it’s been a joy.”

So The Roaring Whirl was paused for three decades - in the meantime, Geraldine and Sarah have both enjoyed stellar careers in many different aspects of music. The two first met in 1984 when they became members of the Royal Society of Musicians (on the same day!) and worked together on a score Sarah wrote for a film about the National Trust.

As a descendant of composer Henry Purcell and piano maker John Broadwood, Sarah was brought up on music (“it was the next food!” she says) and it seemed natural to make it her career. She even spent two years teaching music in Sierra Leone, which sparked her interest in cross-cultural music. Geraldine, by contrast, picked up a clarinet by chance at school, but immediately felt she’d “found my voice” as she puts it.

After being talent-spotted she was offered the chance to train with the principal clarinettist of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, travelling from her home in Derbyshire.

Later, when she had won a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London, she worked with the legendary Simon Rattle who was a fellow student.

The other contributors to The Roaring Whirl have also gone on to great success: the narrator is talented actor Bhasker Patel, who’ll be familiar to many from his role as Rishi Sharma on Emmerdale; Timothy Walker, guitar, has had an international career spanning five decades; and the extraordinary musician who played

the sitar, tabla and pakhajav is Baluji Shrivastav. Blind from birth, Baluji’s talents have been recognised by his being awarded an OBE. Three of the four original performers, plus the composer, were recently reunited at The Roaring Whirl’s launch event in London.

As long-time residents of a bohemian and artistic community in London, Geraldine and Sarah’s move to rural Norfolk was a big change, but one Geraldine credits with helping aid her recovery. Their home is in a tiny village, and spacious enough to have a grand piano in a living room that looks out over a spectacular view.

“Coming to Norfolk let us breathe out!” says Sarah, “The space, particularly in our garden, is very creative and inspires our music a great deal.”

“And the isolation means we can rehearse as long and loudly as we like!” adds Geraldine.

Since moving to Norfolk, Sarah and Geraldine have thrown themselves into community life, and made contact with other professional musicians working locally. As active members of Swaffham’s Methodist Church congregation they have brought their music-making to the life of the church and they have also worked together on a project for Wesley House in Cambridge called Music for Body, Mind and Soul which explores music as an avenue to deeper spiritual connections.

And Geraldine and Sarah hope to make more music like The Roaring Whirl.

“Back in 1992 joining Eastern and Western styles was unusual,” says Sarah, “now more musicians do it, and audiences welcome it – it’s challenging and exciting!”

To hear this fascinating work for yourself, search ‘The Roaring Whirl’ on YouTube or Spotify, or CDs are available from divineartrecords.com

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D

on’t worry, your eyes aren’t deceiving you - this month’s column is indeed coming to you from the better half of the Middleton household. I would make the necessary introductions, but I feel like I know you all already after so many years of playing a part in Michael’s column, and reading the (mostly) kind letters you send him about it.

But I’m not sure you really know me. When I read about myself every month, I seem to take on the guise of a fearsome dragon that I’m happy to say our friends don’t recognise! He may only give you his side of our tiny little disagreements, but rest assured that he always gives as good as he gets!

Describing my lovely fairy godmother Halloween costume in the November issue as a “wicked witch” was nearly the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, but I’d already bought his Christmas present.

So where is Michael this month, you ask? Is he indisposed? Stuck abroad somewhere after ignoring my advice about not flying on Friday the 13th?

No, the truth is that he’s very busy in our attic sorting through his vast collection of books, newspapers, photographs, scrapbooks and photocopies – I’ve said he’s got to reduce it and he can’t come down until he does. “What about my column for KL magazine?” he cried. “What about my column?” I’ll take care of that, I replied firmly.

Because while I’m part of the digital revolution and look up everything I need to know on my iPad, Michael is

rather old-fashioned and loves nothing more than paging through a dusty old book. But he can’t ever throw one away, and over the years his ‘library’ has grown and grown. And grown some more.

His depository of fascinating facts has filled shelves and bookcases in our dining room, our spare room, and is now taking over the loft too.

If I can’t stop him buying more books – and I can’t, because while he used to tiptoe in with a plastic carrier bag emblazoned with the name of a certain bookshop (a dead giveaway) he now has a very natty jute tote bag – then some of the old ones will have to go. Michael pleaded and gave me that abandoned puppy-dog look, but I remembered the ominous creaks coming from the attic floorboards while I’m trying to sleep and my mind was well and truly made up.

So I sent him up there with strict instructions to empty at least one bookcase. Now, Michael doesn’t normally need any encouragement to spend time with his books; I remember our last anniversary party when he disappeared for over an hour looking for a history of diamond mining after someone mentioned engagement rings. I went upstairs to find him; he hadn’t tracked down the book, but he had got absorbed in a biography of Sir Humphry Davy. I put a plate of my famous mushroom canapés down next to him and left him to it.

His filing system would horrify any trained librarian, but he always can put his hand on something interesting. On Valentine’s Day he gave me an article

he’d cut out and kept about Norfolk’s inspiring historical women - I didn’t want a card anyway. It was a great read: from Boudicca to Delia Smith, our county boasts some legendary ladies.

Elizabeth Fry, the prison reformer and first woman (apart from the Queen) to be pictured on a bank note. Lynn’s very own Margery Kempe, author of the earliest known autobiography in English. Edith Cavell, whose heroism in helping allied soldiers escape the First World War will never be forgotten.

Anne Boleyn, born at Blickling Hall and mother of a great female monarch.

Florence Ada Coxon, who became King’s Lynn’s first female mayor at a time when women had only just been given the right to vote. Michael and I attended a fascinating talk about her at Stories of Lynn a couple of years ago which had a contribution from Lynn’s most recent female mayor, Carole Bower. I’ll certainly be taking a minute on 8th March, International Women’s Day, to think about these women and their achievements.

And I think I’ll find some space to keep that cutting somewhere. It may not have come wrapped around a bouquet of red roses, but sometimes it really is the thought that counts. After all, as another great Norfolk woman (my mother) said to me when I told her I was thinking of marrying Michael all those years ago: “He may not listen to a word you say, but he doesn’t listen to anyone else either!” But I’m glad you all keep listening to him, and I’m sure you’ll welcome him back with open arms next month. And even if you don’t – it keeps him out of my hair!

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