ISSUE 79 BALE - BINHAM - COCKTHORPE - FIELD DALLING GUNTHORPE - LANGHAM - MORSTON SAXLINGHAM - SHARRINGTON - STIFFKEY
NEWS FROM OUR VILLAGES
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER
2011
Saxlingham
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WHAT’S ON In our villages
JULY 30th/31st Langham Craft Fair AUGUST 5th Fri. Morston Oyster Regatta Practice 5th Fri. Binham Children’s Play Area meeting 10-12 5th Fri. Binham Priory tea, 2.30 - 4.30 6th Sat Morston Oyster World Championships 6th Sat. Langham FOL Coffee morning 7th Sun. Binham Family Cricket 10th Wed. Langham Ladybirds 11th Thurs. Langham Mobile Library 11th Thurs. Langham Rounders and BBQ 12th Fri. Sharrington Lecture, 6.30 12th Fri. Binham Priory tea, 2.30 - 4.30 12th Fri. Binham Priory Summer Concert 13th Sat. Field Dalling & Saxlingham Summer Fete 13th Sat. Langham Stall on the Green 13th - 16th Binham Art Exhibition, 10.00 -5.00 17th Wed. Langham FOL Coffee Morning 19th Fri. Binham Priory tea, 2.30 - 4.30 20th Sat. Gunthorpe 50:50 Club, 10.30 20th Sat. Langham Stall on the Green 20th Morston Regatta & Fun Day. 26th Fri. Binham Priory tea, 2.00 - 4.00 26th Fri. Binham Priory Summer Concert 25th Sat. Binham Cricket Match 25th Sat. Langham Stall on the Green 27th Sat. Bale Annual Hog Roast 29th Mon. Stiffkey Fete, 10 - onwards 31st Wed. Morston Parish Council, 7.30 SEPTEMBER 1st Thurs. Stiffkey Music Circle starts season 2nd Fri. ‘Pub Night’ in Village Hall Field Dalling, 6.30 3rd Sat. Langham FOL Coffee Morning 3rd Sat. Binham Priory Summer Concert, 7.30 7th Wed. Langham Annual Mystery Trip 8th Thurs. Langham Mobile library 8th - 11th Binham Priory Heritage days 10th Sat. Churches Sponsored Bike Ride 14th Wed. Gunthorpe, Rookery Farm Coffee Morning 14th Wed. Langham Ladybirds 15th Thurs. Binham Open Circle, 7.15 - Vines & Wines 21st Wed. Langham FOL Coffee Morning 22nd Thurs. Binham Local History Group 24th Sat. Gunthorpe 50:59 Club, 10.30 25th Sun. Binham ‘Sing for Joy’, 4.00 28th Wed. Morston Parish Council, 7.30 Regulars Tuesdays. Binham Guild of Artists, Village Hall, 10-12 Wednesdays. Binham Youth Group, Village Hall, 6 - 8
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BLAKENEY CATHOLIC CHURCH Back Lane Blakeney Father Michael Simison 12 Hindringham Road Gt. Walsingham Norfolk Tel: 01328 821 353 Priest in Residence Father William Wells (the house behind the church) Service Times Mass for Sunday Vigil Mass: Saturday 6.00 pm. Sunday Mass: 11.00 am.
BLAKENEY METHODIST CHURCH High Street Blakeney Please note new contacts: August:- For church enquiries ring Tel:01263 740944 or Tel: 01328 862 174 September: Minister: Jennifer Pathmarajah 8 St. Andrew’s Close Holt. Tel: 01263 712 181 Sunday Services at 6.30 pm. For weekday services and details of preachers and any change in times, refer to ‘The Glaven Valley Newsletter’.
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Church Services for Stiffkey and Bale Benefice for August and September 2011 HC=Holy Communion. FS=Family Service. MP=Morning Prayer. BCP=Book of Common Prayer Parish Bale Field Dalling
7th August 9.30am HC At Saxlingham
14th August 9.30am HC 11.00am CFS
21st August 9.30am HC At Saxlingham
28th August 9.30am HC 11.00am MP BCP
Saxlingham Gunthorpe Sharrington
9.30am HC
11.00am HC
9.30am MP BCP
At Field Dalling 11.00am MP 9.30am HC
At Field Dalling 11.00am HC 9.30am HC
Binham Morston
11.00am HC 9.30am HC BCP
11.00am HC
11.00am CFS 9.30am HC BCP
9.30am HC
Langham Stiffkey
At Stiffkey 9.30am CFS
9.30am MP At Langham
At Stiffkey 9.30am HC
9.30am HC At Langham
Parish
4th September
11th September
18th September
25th September
9.30am HC
9.30am HC
9.30am HC
9.30am HC
Bale
9.30am MP CW
Field Dalling
At Saxlingham
11.00am CFS
At Saxlingham
11.00am MP BCP
Saxlingham Gunthorpe
9.30am HC
At Field Dalling 11.00am MP
11.00am HC
At Field Dalling 11.00am HC
Sharrington
9.30am MP BCP
9.30am HC
9.30am MP CW
9.30am HC
Binham
11.00am HC
11.00am HC
11.00am CFS
9.30am HC
Morston
9.30am HC BCP
9.30am HC BCP
Langham
At Stiffkey
9.30am MP
At Stiffkey
9.30am HC
Stiffkey
9.30am CFS
At Langham
9.30am HC
At Langham
Regular Weekday Services Binham: Tuesday, 6.00pm Evening Prayers, Langham: Wednesday, 10.00am Holy Communion Stiffkey: Friday, 10.00am Holy Communion
RECTOR’S LETTER
voice of the one who calls us and leads us out. Therefore it is Evocation; it is being called out of the relative security of where we are, in the sheepfold. It is being called out into the illimitable risk of life, of being scattered, each to her own home (John 16.32), and yet of never being conclusively defeated provided we keep within range of his voice. The one who calls and leads is the one who knows, because he has been here in our skin and circumstance, that in this world we will face tribulation. But ’Be of good cheer: I have overcome the world’ (John 16.33)
Dear Friends and Parishioners, One month after the beginning of the Second World war, Winston Churchill broadcast to the nation and made his famous remark, that ‘the action of Russia ... is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’. And that, surely, is where we seem to be heading in this progress thruough the Christian year as we reach the days which speak of the Ascension and of Pentecost and of the Trinity. In the question with which Marx derided Christianity, what sense can be made of those who proclaim that three ones are one, while remaining at the same time three? And what sense can be made of St Paul when he claims that all things come under the sovereign act of Christ, and yet that he, as the one who has lived in our midst as the Son of Man, the son of Adam, is himself subject to the simple fact of God? ‘Then the Son himself will be subjected to him who put all things under him’ (1 Cor. 15.18). Is that not a riddle wrapped inside an enigma?
‘One by one he calls his sheep and leads them out’; that is the stupendous moment of miracle which lies constantly before us, each day and each moment of each day, to respond to the evocation of Christ as he calls us into a new ordering of our life. Yours very truly, Ian Whittle
What Jesus is trying to convey to us is that there is a key which, if we will grasp it, will unlock the door and lead us into the simplicity and the fact of God. He is himself the living access to God of which we can be sure, because the key is cross-shaped, and it therefore turns the lock of death. But when we go thruough the death of his cross, as we do in our baptism, into life, we find that it is none other than God who has opened the way for us; ‘I am the gate of the sheepfold’; but also ‘I am the good shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I lay down my life for the sheep.’ (John 10.7.14)
DEANERY NEWS Next meeting of the Deanery Synod Date: Thurs. 20th October 2011, 7.15pm for 7.30pm Venue: Holt Church Hall. Speaker: Richard Butler Subject: ‘How the Diocese supports your local ministry and mission’ We will have a new Rural Dean by this time so see posters for any changes. Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings for the whole evening or just for the talk, which is the first item on the agenda.
That is why Christian life is always vocation, hearing the
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COUNTY COUNCILLOR Broadband for Norfolk By the next edition I hope to provide answers for the most asked questions! For now I can tell you that we intend for the whole of Norfolk to have 2 Mg and as much as possible of the county to have Superfast (Second Generation) Broadband averaging 30 Mg. Our complex county, in terms of topography, means we will need to use the whole range of systems. It will only be when we are in the final stages of awarding a contract to a successful bidder that we will have a clear picture of what can be achieved, where and how. But we are on the way - and the envy of neighbouring counties.
Coast Hopper First - we are not in danger of losing this facility but we need to reinforce its value - why we use it, for leisure, work or other necessity. A volunteer from any of our parishes might compile a list of residents showing where they go on it and their reasons. Contact me for further details. The low income generated from the Hopper is due to the many concessionary pass holders - residents and tourists. What is the Government grant covering the passes? In 2011 the County received £7.2 million but spent £10.2m! We are seeking a larger contribution.
DISTRICT COUNCILLOR'S NEWS As you can imagine, the elected members of North Norfolk District Council have been working hard under the new Leader, Helen Eales, to organise the Committees and Working Groups from the Cabinet downwards. The Senior Officers and the new Cabinet are presently preparing a corporate plan due for September. We do confirm the electoral pledge to freeze council tax and to reduce it in the long term by greater efficiency, attracting jobs and economic growth, and defending our coastline. Offshore Energy: Sheringham Shoal Visitor Centre is open in The Mo, details from Nigel Tompkins on 01263 822427. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm public exhibition took place in June but all the documentation can be seen at Wells-next-the Sea Library or via the website:www.npower-renewables.com/tritonknoll. Benefit Investigation: Section of NNDC has met its targets and continues to investigate all fraud-related issues. Coastal Issues Forum will be reconvened soon. Good news is that the 4 North Norfolk Beaches are flying Blue Flags. River Glaven Conservation Group Annual General Meeting was held in Hunworth Village Hall followed by a visit to the Stody Estate to see the re-alignment of the river channel and other environment improvements to the water. Our local museums at Cromer and Sheringham are enjoying a very successful season with excellent attendances. Events have included Museums at Night, a fire eater on the museum forecourt and Crab and Lobster Festival events. Links are also being made with other groups including Adult Learners. At The Mo in Sheringham is an exhibition of undersea photography. All details from Tourist Info. Offices or the North Norfolk website. A final reminder for Greenbuild 2011 on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September at Felbrigg Hall. Lindsay Brettle
Wells Recycling Centre Having spent time at the Centre talking to staff and considering various problems I discussed the situation at County. There will be a regular check and trimming of the hedge which obstructs vision; consideration will be given to signs warning of potential parking on the edge of the road. Better still, discussion will take place with the contractor to see if, as an experiment, one of the sub-contractors can access the site outside opening hours. If the experiment works the approach will be introduced at other sites - and I would hope to discuss how other sub-contractors can work in the same manner. Early days but hopefully we can alleviate the problem.
Royal Mail: Wells and Holt Delivery Offices Stop Press: Royal Mail has now stated that it will after all retain its delivery offices in Holt and Wells-next-theSea. It should be comforting to receive a volte-face from Royal Mail but that it arrived via a press release 24 hours before petitions were due to be presented gives raise to a degree of cynicism. I note that the “Royal Mail constantly reviews the operational efficiency and commercial practicality of all its units”. If the latest exercise is anything to go by such reviews occur every 16 days. So will there be another review in August? marie.strong@norfolk.gov.uk Dr Marie Strong, County Councillor Wells Division ( Glaven, Priory and Walsingham Parishes )
BUY A CHAIR!
District Councillors Contact Details: Jonathan Savory (01328 820719). e.mail:jonathan.savory@north-norfolk.gov.uk - and Joyce Trett (01328 710300) e.mail:joyce.trett@north-norfolk.gov.uk (Binham, Langham & Stiffkey) Lindsay Brettle (01263 710030) e.mail:lindsay.brettle@north-norfolk.gov.uk (Sharrington, Field Dalling,/Saxlingham & Morston). Ann.R.Green (01328 878273 e.mail:ann.green@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Glaven Caring, Blakeney, needs new chairs – can you help? Due to the busy nature of this Day Care Centre which now supports the twelve villages in the Glaven Valley, plus Holt (due to Government cuts), items are wearing out; and we like to offer a high standard to our Service Users. We are looking to replace 7 Arm-chairs at a cost of £200 each. If you would like to help in this way please contact. Maureen Buckey on 01263 740762 or emailglavencentre1@btinternet.com
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HOLT MEDICAL PRACTICE Dr Henry Crawley will be retiring at the end of June 2011 after 30 years with the Practice. Any patients wishing to mark this occasion can do so by making a donation to Holt Caring Society, which can be left at Holt Medical Practice or either of the branch sites at Melton Constable or Blakeney. Thank you. Denise Kirk – Practice Manager
NORFOLK TELESHOPPING SERVICE Many people may not be aware of the existence of the Norfolk Teleshopping service, which has been set up by the Norfolk County Council to support people to remain independent, and in their own homes, for as long as possible by providing a grocery shopping service for those who would otherwise struggle to have access to groceries on a regular basis. There are presently more than 250 members using this service in Norfolk, and there are believed to be many more vulnerable adults in desperate need, but who may not know that this service is available to them – and most importantly that this service has survived the current round of cut-backs. The service is based around the existing internet shopping facilities provided by stores such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and ASDA. If you join the service (which costs £10.00 per quarter or £40.00 per annum) a member of the Teleshopping team will visit you at home at an agreed and convenient time to discuss the details and “sign you up”, and from then on they will contact you by telephone and place your order with the store of your choice whilst speaking with you. They will arrange for payment using your credit or debit card, and will also arrange for the delivery date and time to suit your requirements. You do need a telephone, but you do not need to be connected to the internet – access will be provided by the Teleshopping team. The Team member will also agree details of their next call – although it is also possible to call them on an ad hoc basis and the Team will do its best to meet your requirements. To get more information on the service, and either to join yourself or to discuss the needs of either your own or a family member, please call Theresa Duberry, the Service Manager, on 01603 638435.
GLAVEN CLINICS Due to popular demand we have increased the number of Clinics to fortnightly, the cost remains at £6. Future Toe-Nail Clinics: 8th July, 29th July, 12th August, 2nd September. 30th September, 7th October, 21st October. Future Hearing Aid Clinics: 10-12 noon, no charge, donations welcome to Norfolk Hearing Support Service. 29th July, 31st August, 30th September, 28th October, 30th November, 21st December
MAKE YOUR CUPPA COUNT FOR OUR CENTENARY!
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Macmillan Cancer Support is 100 years old this year, and we’re looking to make a huge difference to the lives of people living with cancer across the region. One of our most popular events is the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, and it would be of great help to us if you would be so kind as to help promote the event. You can help by publishing the attached article and logo in your parish magazine/newsletter and by posting the information online if you have a village website. In 2010, the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning raised a magnificent £261,000 in Norfolk & Suffolk for people living with cancer. 2011 is our centenary year, so we are pushing to beat our records across the board to really make our hundredth year of service one to remember. Publicity plays a huge part in the popularity of our event, so you can see why your assistance is invaluable to us. The number of people living with cancer in the UK is increasing all the time and one in three of us will be affected by cancer at some point during our lifetime. We offer support, help and advice throughout the personal journeys of every cancer patient we can. Macmillan is most famous for its nurses, but we do provide other support including a free phone line for anyone affected by cancer, financial support for things like hospital trips and we also campaign for better cancer care. So every cup of coffee on 30 September really will count. Naturally you’re quite welcome to participate yourself in this event too, we welcome all and any who are willing to help and a Coffee Morning is always a fun, social way to fundraise. Please feel free to get in touch if you or anyone you know would like to register your involvement. For further information, please don’t hesitate to give me a call on: 01603 724360 or email me: hchapman@macmillan.org.uk Helen Chapman Norfolk Fundraising Manager
NATIONAL TRUST Update about its work in the surrounding area
The Great Outdoors An update from Eddie, Becky and Paul on the Point who have conducted several low tide Seal counts: June 21st Common Seal: 189, Grey Seal: 281; July 1st - Common Seal: 184, Grey Seal: 318. The colony is generally looking in a very healthy condition. Since the first Sandwich Tern arrived on March 19th, there are now 3,562 nests according to a recent nest count - the highest number of birds since 1992 when there were 4,000 pairs. There are 150 pairs of Little Terns, 92 Common Tern nests - the highest since 2008 - and 7 Arctic Tern nests. Oystercatchers have been doing well this year with approximately 110 pairs found on the Point, along with 17 Ringed Plover nests and 14-plus pairs of Redshanks.
DOGS ATTACKED IN HOLT Police are reminding dog owners to keep their pets under control following an incident in Holt which left two dogs injured. The incident happened in early March, where an owner was walking his dogs in Gresham Field. Another dog appeared that was not on a lead which went on to attack two of the owner’s dogs leaving one with a wound on the leg and the other had its jaw punctured. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act it is illegal for any breed of dog to be out of control in a public place. If the dog in question is acting in such a way that someone thinks that they will be attacked, an offence is being committed. The penalties for committing such an offence include the possibility of the court ordering that the dog should be destroyed. Should the dog actually bite someone then the following penalties can apply: • Dog may be destroyed • A control order made • And / or fined up to £5,000 • And / or face up to 2 years in prison. As well as these penalties, if you are a council tenant, leaseholder or tenant of a leaseholder, the council's housing department may take action against you under the tenancy agreement for keeping a dangerous dog at the property. Police Constable Jamie Wedderburn said: “The majority of dog owners are responsible and this warning is mainly targeted at the minority”. To report incidents or concerns to the police call 0845 456 4567 or e-mail sntholt@norfolk.pnn.police.uk.
Engaging Events Sat. Sept. 3rd, 13:00 at Morston you can hop on a bus, skip down to Stiffkey, jump off and then walk (3 miles) back with Graham, our Coastal Warden. A great walk, accompanied by loads of local knowledge and a bacon sandwich at the finish line! Sun. Oct. 23rd, 08:00 at Morston Quay we mark the start of our Walking Festival week. You can join us and ‘Achieve a FEAT with your feet’ by walking from Morston to Brancaster, a total of 18.7 miles along the Norfolk Coast Path. Don’t worry if it sounds too far, you can still be part of it and enjoy the festival by walking the first legs to Stiffkey, Wells or Holkham. There will also be a number of shorter down-loadable walks around the area throughout the week. If you would like to join us on any of the events please contact us on 01263-740241. Points of View Next ‘2012 and Beyond’ forum will be in early Sept, and we have confirmed dates for some of next year’s fantastic events to mark the past 100 years of Blakeney Point being in the care of the National Trust, however we need some support to help deliver some of the ideas like the Lifeboat House opening for refreshments during the centenary week. To find out about the events and how you could get involved and help make it all happen, please get in touch. Volunteers R US Thank-you to those who have already responded to assist us with our historical archiving project. There is still an opportunity for anyone else who may be keen to get involved, to collate, sort and catalogue our historical archives - all relating to Blakeney Point and the surrounding National Nature Reserve. We’re still looking for someone or a group of people who have a real passion for Blakeney Point and who also like talking to people about it, to meet and greet visitors at Pinchens Creek. If you are interested then please get in touch to find out more about these great roles. - Iain Wolfe, Visitor Services Manager, National Trust, Friary Farm, Cley Road, Blakeney NR25 7NW. Office/Fax: 01263 740241 Email: iain.wolfe@nationaltrust.org.uk
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GLAVEN CARING APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEERS As written by a Volunteer: Can you picture yourself 85 years old? Will you still be able to cook yourself a meal? Will you still be able to drive a car? Will you still be able to shower or bath yourself? Will there be anyone to help you, will you feel lonely? Glaven Caring, based at the Glaven Centre, Thistleton Court, in Blakeney, provides transport to and from the Centre, care, warmth, bathing facilities, medical help, companionship and lunch within the Centre for Senior Citizens living in the twelve surrounding villages, plus Holt. Are you willing to give three hours a month to help our older people before the day comes when you need and appreciate these facilities. Please get in touch with Maureen Buckey, our co-ordinator on 01263 740762, visit or email glavencentre1@btinternet.com There are various jobs available and you will enjoy it. Think about it; just three hours a month, perhaps driving the mini-bus, or helping to assist the driver, assisting the Nursing Auxiliary with bathing, maybe serving coffee, lunches or afternoon tea…a few hours can make such a difference to the lives of so many local people.
BALE CHURCH FETE RECIPE The ingredients One beautiful sunny day, not quite nice enough for the beach (it was quite windy and some stall holders in an exposed corner were a little chilled). One beautiful old-fashioned walled garden with large expanses of lawn, and a lovely seventeenth century farmhouse for a back drop. One old fashioned brass band. At least 50 hardworking and enthusiastic villagers. A multitude of donations, from books to vintage wines, jumpers, cakes, plants and bottles of booze. The method Set up tables full of fabric remnants and beautiful old curtains and cloths, delicious homemade cakes, luxuriant plants and fruit, hundreds of good reads, a treasure trove of white elephants, amazing cashmere cardigans, and a lucky dip of jumble. Add Aunt Sally, Lucky Dip, Bash a Rat, Lawn Darts, Bowls, Golf, Coconut Shy, Darts, and Guess the Weight of the Cake. Set out tea-tables and chairs on the lawn for resting tired legs and refreshing fete-goers for more fun. Provide 3 huge teapots and tables groaning with homemade cakes and filled rolls (home-cooked ham, real butter!) and tea-ladies to facilitate the flow of tea into cups, not forgetting the cash man. Start up the Sheringham and Cromer Brass Band in their bright blue blazers. Let in the waiting crowd, and allow to mix. Slip in the occasional celebrity playwright for extra excitement. Top off with grand raffle prize draw. Result A frothy confection which draws the crowds (and Alan Bennet); a splendid way to spend an afternoon; approximately £ 3,500 raised for All Saints Church. Thanks to all who helped out for their hard work, and especially those behind the scenes, including Margaret Barnes for her “counting house” operation. Particular thanks to Joanna and Walter Hammond for the loan of their garden and kitchen, and their patience, good humour, and excellent plan of campaign.
POLICE NEWS - ENGINE THEFTS Due to recent outboard engine thefts in Blakeney and Wells-next-the-sea, Wells Safer Neighbourhood Team are warning boat owners to be vigilant, make sure that their engines are secure and remove anything valuable from their boats when leaving them unattended. When leaving your boat please consider how much kit you are leaving on board, usually worth hundreds if not thousands of pounds, which is potentially an easy opportunity for thieves. Wells Police are urging boat owners to remove their outboard engines where possible or to replace the cowling with a security engine cover available from Wells Harbour Office, who are contactable on 01328 711646 or visit Wells Harbour Office, West Quay, Wells-next-the-sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AT at the cost of £15, which have been hugely successful in reducing the number of outboard engine thefts. An engine with a Police branded cover is of no use to a thief, who would need to go to the extra effort and cost of paying for a replacement cowling before offloading it. Also contact Nelson Country Marine Covers on 01485 571065, info@nc-marinecovers.co.uk or order online at www.nc-marincovers.co.uk for more police branded covers or personalised security covers. Anyone with information about outboard thefts please contact Wells Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0845 456 4567 or e-mail SNTwells@norfolk.pnn.police.uk PCSO Becky Taylor
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sometimes – I have read of this but never heard it before. In Cake’s lane there are some mysterious voices and some familiar ones. There is always a yellowhammer, with his “little bit of bread and no cheeeeeeese” ; there are chiffchaffs in the oak trees, and chaffinches, and the bullfinches I saw in the winter on the other side of the village seem to have tucked themselves away down here in the tall blackthorn and hazel hedges; I hear their soft sad fluting “heu” calls on my morning walks, and sometimes see one high above, the rose red breast picked out in the morning sunshine. There is usually a whitethroat or two bouncing about in the hedgerow. Then there is song that could be a blackcap but it is scratchier than the full sound of the blackcap in the wood– could it be a garden warbler? or is that just wishful thinking?
WEEDS AND BROWN BUTTERFLIES rd
3 July 2011 Walking around the headlands of the big wheat-field scarlet pimpernel catches my eye; what attracts me are these tiny flowers, opportunistic in a narrow belt of what is really waste land, ex-agricultural, hammered by tractors; they are the first plants to colonise it. Scentless mayweed covers much of it, with its big daisy flowers and soft fringes of dark green tassel-leaves; spear thistles are springing up; they will be huge and should attract a lot of butterflies and other insects in August. Burdocks grow in the shade of the old gravel pit trees, not tiny, quite the reverse; grandly heraldic in stature. Bugloss with its bristly leaves and small intense blue flowers creeps across in the sunshine, lesser centaury holds up its tiny pink flowers towards the damper bottom, and redshank with its clusters of tiny pink flowerbuds fills one wheel rut along the edge. There is hawkweed amongst cleavers and self-sown wheat, and along the dry ditch near Cake’s Lane, jack-go-to-bed-at-noon, with it’s wonderful big dandelion clock seed-heads. There are plenty of meadow browns about – the velvety dark brown with fawn edging is a male – a few gatekeepers and small heath; small tortoiseshells, red admiral and comma can be seen flitting around the same bramble covered banks in Clip Street Lane. Soundscape 25th June 2011 It is ironic that as my ability to hear diminishes with age (I realised recently that I could no longer hear a bat squeak, and couldn’t remember when I last was able to), I am becoming more interested in what I can hear, especially bird sounds. I find I am scanning with my ears as well as my eyes, and listening out for what I can recognise and what I can’t. Today, along the edge of the wood in the morning sun, a lark singing over the wheat field green and high on the right, on the left the wild bank of nettles, hemlock (the seeds are the most poisonous part of this plant), Jack-by-the-hedge, hedge woundwort, and the ditch along the wood hedge overhung by hawthorn, elder, ash, elm, alder, sycamore, hazel; deeper in the old plantation part of the wood, oak, Scots pine and unseen birds. Chaffinch always the most common and repetitive, plink plink notes and a rolling chirrup, then a blackcap’s clear voice; a wren – or is it the black cap – scolding tchack tchack – in the distance a blackbird, some sweet tremolo notes from a robin; further along another wren’s high loud trilling. The blackcap’s song can be the most beautiful - like a nightingale in parts. Then the wood gives way to a field of rough grass at the edge of an old overgrown scrubby meadow; self-heal grows, common spotted orchid, ragged robin, meadow sweet, meadow vetchling. Goat willow, sycamore, hazel, whitebeam, silver birch, and from the depths of the wood there is always the thrush doing his thing. In the foreground a chiff-chaff, and another chaffinch, but the willow warbler I heard here before was silent yesterday morning. They are less reliable performers; this year there are fewer of them around as well. This afternoon I caught him; his song has a little chiff-chaff mimic
A new sound for me is the “whit whit whit” call of quail in the barley at dusk, just down the lane from us. These little birds migrate from Africa via Malta’s gun-happy shores and so are becoming rarer. I am hoping to see one – about half the size of a partridge with longer wings in proportion to it’s body, fawn and brown; the male has a distinctive striped head. I am keeping my ears pinned back in the hope of hearing turtle doves purring in one of our little woods amongst the fields, but I would be very lucky. they are on the RSPB’s “red list” – Malta’s guns have done more damage to this species than to the quail. Jane Wheeler
GOOSEBERRY CAKE 125g butter 200g unrefined caster sugar 3 good eggs 75g plain flour 75g ground almonds 1 teaspoon baking powder About 350g gooseberries topped and tailed 30g flaked almonds Wait for the butter to come to room temperature and then beat together with about 180g of the caster sugar (you need to keep some aside for later). When the mixture is pale and fluffy, start to mix in the eggs one at a time and if it begins to curdle add a spoonful of the flour. Add the rest of the flour and then the baking powder and ground almonds. Don’t over mix. Spoon into a buttered, round 20cm cake tin and level off with a knife. You will need a cake tin with a loose bottom or a springform one so that you don’t lose all your flaked almonds when you turn it out. Next, toss the gooseberries in the sugar that you kept aside and spread them on top of the cake. They will sink during cooking. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes then take out of the oven and sprinkle on the ground almonds. Bake for a further 15 mins or until firm to the touch. If the top of the cake is getting too brown, cover with foil during the last 10 mins cooking time. To be eaten in the afternoon with a nice cup of tea, or for pudding with cream, mixed with elderflower cordial. Thanks to Wendy Barrett and caughtbytheriver.net
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BALE VILLAGE HALL NEWS At a recent meeting of the Village Hall Committee several new membership nominations were proposed and accepted. So we are delighted to welcome to the Committee: Jane Wheeler, Chris Lee and Anne and Jim Peppit.; Ann and Jim will share the role of Committee Secretary. Thanks to the hard work of Robin Berry our kitchen renovations are just about complete. A lick of paint is still need but we have a functioning kitchen again. Margaret Dent also deserves a big thank you too. Bale’s own version of the Antiques Roadshow on May 27th was a great success thanks to the talents of our own expert, Richard Scott, ably supported by Geeta MaudeRoxby. Those attending also enjoyed a tasting of Catherine Temple’s cheeses accompanied by the odd glass of wine. Ann and David Ramm hosted an event in the hall on June 26th for their extended family and the village based on their family tree. The earliest record of the Ramms in Bale dates back to the late 1600’s. The event was fascinating and thanks for all the generous donations to the Village Hall funds. Tickets are now on sale for the annual hog roast on August 27th (bank holiday weekend). This is always a very popular event so please make sure you book early. Tickets are available from any of the Committee members. Annual subscriptions to the 100 Club fall due at the end of July. The cost of subscription remains £12 and this offers the chance to win up to £300 through the monthly draw over the course of the year. Contact any Village Hall Committee member to renew or take-up a subscription. The Committee is planning further events for the autumn, which will be announced in the next addition of the Lynx. Bale Village Hall Committee
RAMM FAMILY IN BALE On Sunday 26th June David and Ann Ramm put on a wonderful exhibition of photographs, newspaper articles, and their enormous family tree printed out and pinned along the wall, in Bale Village Hall. Many Ramm family members attended, some of whom had not met for forty years, from the two-year-old Lucas Hubert Ramm, to David’s Aunt Daisy Gilbert (neé Ramm, who will be 100 on the 28th Dec 2011), the village was invited, there were refreshments and a slide show of village life over the last 150 years by Philip West Thomas Ramm of Bale (born in 1669, married in Gunthorpe in 1715, died in Bale in 1760), is the earliest Ramm ancestor confirmed so far, David Ramm’s greattimes-seven-grandfather (ten generations back). There are two more generations before that which have not been completely checked. From Thomas there is a direct line of Ramms living in Bale for almost 350 years. Other old Bale families enter into this equation: Bennells, Prestons and Spooners married in and out. Amongst the big families that stretched along the wall on sheets of A3 paper, the names of brothers and sisters who emigrated, moved to Sheffield, Peterborough, Norwich, Australia and other parts, all Ramms, conjured up images of another era, of community and sharing and hard physical work, echoed by the faces looking down at us from all those photographs. A list of men from Bale who lost their lives in two world wars included two Ramms, three Prestons and a Bennell. The collection of photographs was almost bewildering, including weddings, school children, beach outings, grandparents with babies on their knees, the Hammond family at the old vicarage with uniformed maids and vast numbers of children, all arrayed on the lawn; but mostly photos of faces, young and old, which kept many of us fascinated, peering at all of it, and then brought us back to look again during the week. Many of us decamped from the hot village hall to sit in the road under the hedge with our eats and drinks, to the discomfort of drivers (well what do they want to come down this road for, anyway?) Many thanks due to the Ramms and their relations for an entertaining afternoon.
JUNE DRAW RESULTS:
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1st Prize Maria Postan
2nd Prize Margaret Sankey
3rd Prize Sue Berry
4th Prize David Pattinson
FRIENDS OF BINHAM PRIORY National Heritage Days From 8th to 11th Sept. the Friends will be helping greet visitors to the Priory when the site will be featured, along with over 4,000 others across the country. We hope to have some members in medieval costume, offering tours and refreshments, giving our visitors a modest impression of traditional Benedictine hospitality. For information about the ‘Friends’ contact David Frost at 01328 830362
DIARY OF A BINHAM FARMER’S SON aged 34 June, 1855 2nd I was very bilious and obliged to physic myself, sent 25 sheep to Smithfield, leaving only 10 more. 4th Had delightful hour with Ems. 5th Went to Bale in the evening, William arrived looking thin. Ems cold and distant. 11th Edward Middleton drove me to up to Holt to cricket, we had a tolerable muster - found my wrist and turned it pretty well. 15th Selected the ewes this morning for exhibition in Swaffham. 20th The Gov and I went to the Swaffham Show, won the 1st prize with our ewes. 27th I went over to Gunton to play a cricket match with the Holt against them, had a beautiful day, got 27 runs in good style. July 1st Mr Leguyer made allusion to the poor old vicar’s death in his sermon this morning. 3rd Another very wet day, Gov, George and I went to poor old Mr Upjohn’s funeral. 11th Sally and I went to Norwich to the Horse Show, a very wet day, bought some decanters and glasses, Sally bought some mourning. 17th After a little farming I took William to a cricket party at Mr Hardy’s. Had rather a slow day but plenty of strawberries and singing. 23rd I breakfasted at Bale and drove Wm Hill over to Gunton to play a cricket match with the Holt; had a very fagging day and got a good beating. 31st Sally and I went to Overy for dinner but the young people went to tea at the Savory’s so we did not see much of them. Norah and Richard Lewis
BINHAM LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Unfortunately Paul Blinkhorn’s talk in July had to be cancelled at the very last moment. He was part of the H.E.F.A. student dig which was also cancelled. However David Frost stepped into the breach and gave us a really excellent talk, beautifully illustrated with many maps, on ‘The Development of the Manor of Binham from Roman occupation to the 19th century’. Alan Eagle provided power point pictures of the various ‘Digs’ that have taken place in Binham over the past few years.
Meetings for Season 2011 – 2012 22nd Sept. Helen Castor. ‘She Wolves’ - The Women who ruled before Elizabeth I. Helen is a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and last talked to us in 2004 on The Paston Family. 27th Oct. Robert Walker. Angelic Roofs of Norfolk. 24th Nov..John Smales. History of Remembrance Sunday. 12th Dec. Mon. The Shantymen. Songs of the Sea 26th Jan. Prof. Peter Trudgill. The Changing Norfolk Dialect. (Also our AGM) 23rd Feb. Trevor Ashwin. Iron Age Forts in Norfolk 22nd Mar. Martin Woods. Sandringham Gardens, Then and Now 26th Apr. Trevor Burlingham. Anglian Defences - 1940 All meetings at 7.30 p.m. in the Binham Village Hall.. £2 members, £3 non members. Carolyn Wright. 01328 830270 cpwrightuk@aol.com
BINHAM CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA This exciting new project is now running at full speed. A committee has been formed with representatives from all the village organisations. The first event is a Coffee Morning on Friday, 5th August, in the Memorial Hall, 10 to 12. Do come along and see the plans for this important addition to Binham. For more information please phone Rebecca Bunting on 830505.
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AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN Last issue was all about aeroplane crashes, the F1-11 in Binham, and Pom Blake, who crashed three times and lived to tell the tale. His third crash during WW1 found him behind the front line amongst the Germans. So what happened next? The life of pilots in the Royal Flying Corps was far from glamorous. Part of their job was to locate concentrations of enemy and direct artillery fire there upon. This was proving much more effective than ground based artillery spotters. Consequently, the RFC was feared and hated by the German infantry. Pom expected, having survived the crash, that he would be shot on sight. Much to his surprise, they helped Pom into a staff car and arranged for treatment at a field hospital. On the way he noticed a convoy heading in his direction, and lead by a very grand car containing a general and his entourage. On seeing a British flyer, the general indicated for all to stop. Once again, Pom was very anxious. But again, much to his surprise, the general was curious to learn more about aerial warfare. After this, they discussed the course of the war. And, more surprise, the general confided that he was not optimistic about the probable outcome. And off they went in opposite directions, having shaken hands and wished each other good fortune, as you do with a fellow officer and a gentleman. Today, a captured British pilot would be a prize for the Taliban, to be displayed, and bartered or executed. As I write this a pair of Tornado jets are training overhead, and making a great deal of noise. Yes, it does upset the horses, small children and old ladies, but what a small price to pay to know that our air crew are getting the best training for their next deployment in Afghanistan or Libya. Roger Newman
BINHAM & HINDRINGHAM OPEN CIRCLE There will be no meeting in August. On September 15th Bill Moodie will be giving a talk on a Beginner’s Guide to Growing Vines and Wine making in Norfolk. Partners welcome. The Open Circle Women’s Club meets at 7.15 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Hindringham Village Hall and new members are always welcome. Just come along on the night or ring secretary Fiona Thompson on 01328 830639
PRIORY TEAS Do come and join us for a cup of tea and delicious home baked cakes - there will be Teas in the Priory each Friday from 5th August and then every Friday during the month of August from 2.30 to 4.30 in the afternoon. If you would like to help on the day, or bake cakes or biscuits for us to sell, please let Marie Grange know at 01328 830374
SONGS IN THE AUTUMN-TIME 4 p.m. 25th September The Priory in Binham will be ringing with the glorious sound of voices in the afternoon of Sunday 25th September. The local Community Singing Group ‘Sing for Joy!’ will be giving a concert of songs from around the world. You will hear fabulous harmonies, rousing beats and tender lyrics, all sung with passion and vigour. If last year’s concert is anything to go by you will go home with a spring in your step and a big smile on your face. There will be light refreshments on offer. Tickets are £5 either on the door or from group members and proceeds will go to The Priory.
BINHAM HOUSING TRUST The issue of affordable housing made the front page of the EDP this morning, yet another sign that something has to be done. I have been in touch with our MP Norman Lamb. Not only has he pledged his support, but has passed onto the Treasury my ideas for making the financing of housing trusts easier. Roger Newman
FOOD FOR THOUGHT It is said that food is the shortcut to our hearts and that when we reminisce back to memorable occasions, food is often at the centre of those memories.
BINHAM OPEN GARDENS & BOOK SALE The weather was really against us that weekend but still a remarkable number of enthusiasts came forth with brollies and wellies. We made £1,636 profit which will go to the Binham Priory Bell Fund. Trevor’s Raffle was a huge success and made £250. Books made £371 and Liz and her team made £210 with refreshments. Many thanks to everyone. Raffle prize winners were: Alex Wales - Large Hanging Basket Stella Woodman - Bird Seed Feeder Liz Brown - Bird Nest Box Ruth Ransley - Tin of Royal Wedding Biscuits Margaret Fowler - Tin of Royal Wedding Biscuits
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BINHAM FAMILY CRICKET Sunday 7th August The Binham Family Softball Cricket Match is now in its third year! Everybody is welcome to play or just to relax with a Cream Tea and a glass of Pimms. Admission will again be free and team selection will take place at 1.45 pm, ready for play at 2 pm. Each side will bowl 30 overs and every team member will able to bat. Prizes will be awarded to the Best Dressed Lady and Gentleman. Come and join in!
… AND MORE CRICKET Saturday 27h August On 27th August there will be a cricket match between Binham and Hindringham, to be held at the Playing Field, Hindringham at 12 noon. Richard Pumphrey, captain of Binham Balls of Fire, remains confident of repeating the success of the last meeting, despite the rumours flying around Howells Superstore that Quilly Greenwood intends to field a ringer, in the shape of a Mystery Professional. Time will tell. Further details about both matches from Tim Walduck 01328 830775
BINHAM GUILD OF ARTISTS The group consists of anyone interested in art or craft, beginner or otherwise. Artists with professional experience form part of the group and will gladly advise if needed. We meet every Tuesday morning from 10 to 12 in the Village Hall. A fee of £2 per morning includes coffee and biscuits. A demonstration of painting or craftwork normally takes place on the first Tuesday of every month except in January, February and the week in which the annual exhibition takes place. In June Rosemary Carruthers gave a very interesting talk and a demonstration using acrylic paints and pastels to highlight her individual technique. For further information contact James Bucknill 01328 830651
BINHAM PRIORY Summer Concert Series Fri. 12 Aug. 7.30 pm. Xuefei Yang. Classical guitar. J S Bach, Albeniz, Goss, Barrios, Takemitsu, Jirmal. Fri. 26 Aug. 7.30 pm Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord. Byrd, Tomkins, Couperin, J S Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Soler Sat. 3 Sept. 7.30 pm. Norwich Baroque. Corelli, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Mudge, Telemann, Handel. Tickets £14 per concert, or £12 if three or more concerts are booked in advance. Available from Maureen Frost 01328 830362 davidfrost226@btinternet.com
BINHAM MEMORIAL HALL 100 Club April. £25 John Stevens. £10 Mr M Tyrell. £5 Jude Robson, Mr Baxter, Mrs Violet Dunn. May. £25 Alan Brown. £10 Mrs J Cook. £5 Mrs Maureen Frost, Peggy Wyer, S. Savory. June. £25 Mr. Baxter. £10 Andrew Taylor. £5 Stanley Hewitt, Julie Wright, S. Jennings. If anyone would like to join the 100 Club, there are still numbers left. Please call at 8 Priory Crescent or ring June Read on 01328 830106.
BINHAM HARVEST Advance Notice The Binham Harvest Thanksgiving Service will be on Friday 7th October at 6 p.m., followed by our Harvest Supper at 7.30 p.m. in the Village Hall. Please join us. Tickets for the Supper are available from Liz Brown at 01328 830519.
TWO FIRSTS Sylvie Jane, a daughter from Robin and Hall, and a grandchild for hr grandparents Jack and Jane Groom. She is a litle sweetie!
BINHAM PRIORY GUIDED TOURS There is a Guided Tour of Binham Priory and its monastic precincts every Sunday and Tuesday afternoon starting at 2.30pm. These tours last for about an hour and run throughout the summer months from May to September. Booking ahead is not necessary. Many visitors find the interpretation panels very informative but if you like to ask questions or want the latest news about this building then do come along and join one of our tours. Group tours can be arranged at mutually convenient times by contacting Maureen Frost on 01328 830362. A donation of £2 per person will help us to maintain this magnificent priory church.
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No news from Cockthorpe this time.
BINHAM LOCAL CHARITIES LUNCH
DAVID STANLEY PEACHEY
42 people accepted the invitation to have a roast lunch in the Memorial Hall on Friday 13th May. A good time was had by all and it was nice to see some new faces. As a result of the raffle, a donation of £78 was given to the Wells Community Hospital. There will be another Charities Lunch on Friday 28th October, so keep that date free and the invitations will be out nearer the time. Alex Wales
13 Oct 1936 to 11 Apr 2011 Obituary David was born in Woodford Green to Jack and Eileen Peachey. He was brought up in Highams Park, Essex. After attending Buckhurst Hill County High School, doing National Service at Sennybridge and completing officer training at Sandhurst, he followed in his father’s footsteps, joining Shell UK at Silvertown in East London. Soon after this he became an area representative working in East and North London, and progressed in his career to become an executive controlling forecourt and shop design at all of Shell’s UK sites. He took early retirement in the early 1990s and soon after moved to Field Dalling with his wife Linda. Here he immersed himself fully in village life, especially as an active member of St Andrew’s Church, where he worked tirelessly on the upkeep of the church and grounds that he felt so passionately about. David lost his short but brave battle with cancer in April. He is survived by his wife Linda and his children, Maria, Lisa and Damian, together with their spouses, Peter, David and Samantha and four grandchildren, Jake, Charlie, Tia and Robyn. The family would once again like to thank the villagers of Field Dalling for their kind wishes and help at this difficult time and also for all of the generous donations to Macmillan Cancer and St Andrew’s Church. Maria Graves
BINHAM GUILD OF ARTISTS & ASSOCIATES Saturday 13th August until Tuesday 16th August
ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION & SALE OF WORK 10.00am - 5.00pm BINHAM MEMORIAL HALL Entry free
ANNUAL BIKE RIDE Are you a cyclist? We’d really like some participants in the Norfolk Churches Trust Annual Sponsored Cycle Ride which this year is on Saturday 10th September. There are details in the Priory, or contact Carolyn Wright on 01328 830270.
PUB NIGHT
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Fri 2 Sep from 6:30 to 8:30 In the Village Hall There was a major event in Field Dalling & Saxlingham Village Hall to celebrate the Royal Wedding on the evening of 29th April, namely a Pub Night with bitter from the barrel, lager, wine, cava, soft drinks and snacks. It was enjoyed by around 50 people from Field Dalling, Saxlingham and around. Music, soft lighting and festive balloons created a fun atmosphere and people asked for more of the same. Though we could not arrange another Royal Wedding we will have another fun Pub Night on Friday 2 September for over eighteens to enjoy drinks and snacks at great prices, as it used to be said - be there or be square! We look forward to seeing old and new friends for a glass or two.
FIELD DALLING & SAXLINGHAM SUMMER FETE Sat 13 Aug, 2-4 pm, in Field Dalling Hall gardens. Final plans are now in place for this year’s summer fete with the return of the ever popular Ugly Dog Skiffle Combo, stalls, games, side shows, refreshments and free parking. As well as the usual favourites, thanks to the skilful endeavours by one of the committee members, this year there will be some exciting new games and side shows for children as well as adults and it all promises to be a fun afternoon for everyone. A big thank-you to those who have already generously sent in donations and thank you to those who have offered to help. The fete just couldn’t happen without the help from all concerned. We are very busy collecting contributions to all the stalls listed below. It is time to look in the store cupboards, clear out unwanted things in the attic and help increase the number of things we have to offer. Please bring things to the Village Hall on Friday 12th August or on the day. Any articles for the White Elephant can be stored from now on by Andrew Cuthbert Tel: 830367. Pledges of cakes can be given to Ann Gardner (Cake Stall) Tel: 830755 and Ginny Kirby (Teas) Tel: 830211. The more we have to sell, the more money we will raise for the two Churches and the Village Hall so anything you can give will help to make a real difference.
ST MARY’S CHURCH NEWS The Gunthorpe Garden Party was held at The Rectory on June 26th. We were blessed with a beautiful afternoon, and it was a real pleasure to enjoy Ian’s company and his house and garden. Thirty people attended and enjoyed afternoon tea, croquet and musical entertainment from Ian’s (wind-up) gramophone. A lovely occasion. Jack Whitehouse was christened at St Mary’s on Saturday 2nd July. It was such a happy gathering of some 70 family and friends. Please don’t forget the Churches Sponsored Bike Ride which will be held on September 10th. Sponsorship forms can be collected from the back of the church. It is a very enjoyable way to visit the lovely churches in our beautiful countryside and of course to raise much needed funds for our Norfolk churches. Penny Brough - Church Warden
HILARY JOY CRASKE We were all saddened to learn of the sudden death, in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on 3 July, of Hilary Craske. She was 69. Hilary, the daughter of Frank and Lizzie Grief, was born and brought up in Gunthorpe and had worked with her father on their farm before she married Maurice and moved to Sheringham some 42 years ago. Although she was not resident in Gunthorpe both she and Maurice have been stalwart supporters of St Mary’s Church and the village social events ever since, and Hilary will be missed by all of us. Hilary’s life was remembered at St Mary’s on 12th July at a funeral service, conducted by the Rev Ian Whittle, attended by her family and her many friends following which she was laid to rest in St Mary’s church yard. We offer our deepest condolences to Maurice and their children Christopher, Antony and Karen and their families - which include Hilary and Maurice’s nine grand-children. Hilary and Maurice’s other daughter, Sarah, died 14 years ago, but she will be remembered as well at this very sad time for the family.
Stalls: White Elephant: household items such as china, glass, kitchenware, furniture, garden items, objects d’art. Books, DVDs and CDs Tombola: children’s prizes, groceries, wine, toiletries, stationery Plants: plants, fruit, vegetables, jams and preserves. Gifts: jewellery, children’s gifts, stationery, toiletries, ornaments, tableware, Cakes: lots of homemade cakes, buns, biscuits and bread Teas: lots of traybakes, cakes, biscuits and buns. Don’t forget to ask your friends and family to come along with you and enjoy a happy afternoon at our village fete and above all, keep your fingers crossed for a warm summer’s afternoon!
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FRIENDS OF GUNTHORPE PARISH CHURCH The Friends held their AGM in the Gunthorpe Village Institute on 24 June, with 23 people attending and 17 apologies for absence. The Chairman thanked all for their help and support this year, with special thanks to the Committee members Seana Broom - Treasurer, Jeremy Denholm - Secretary, Diane Blakeley, Pippa Bunting, Doreen Webster, Rob Cutterham, Zena Churchill – PCC Rep, John Blakeley – Membership Sec & Joint 50/50 Club Organizer and Peter Everett – Gunthorpe Website & Joint 50/50 Club Organizer. Rob Cutterham was also thanked for his generous donations of wine used at Friends Gatherings. The 50:50 Club continues to be the largest single source of income for the Friends, and it was good to note that there was still great support for this, with some 128 members already joined for the next year. John Blakeley and Peter Everett were thanked for their running of the 50/50 Club, ably supported by their wives Diane and Myfi, and for agreeing to stay on for another year. However John and Peter will need replacements from 2012 onwards. They will offer full training this year, including transferring all the computer spread sheets etc, so volunteers are urgently needed. John was additionally thanked for his expertly organized collection and recording of Friends and 50/50 Club Subscriptions – a huge job expertly done – and with almost all subscriptions collected from previous members before the AGM. Dan and Ginny Worsley were thanked for their exceptional work coordinating the Church Tower Repair project for the PCC, and Penny and David Brough were thanked for their hard work and commitment to the Church cleaning, polishing and taking on Fred Morley’s job as Church Warden and as PCC members and. Zena Churchill was thanked for her work on the PCC and for participating so whole-heartedly in all Village committees, Fete Organization and bringing that strong link to the Friends. A plea was extended for new committee members to come forward now to replace those who will leave next year. Sandra Worthington thanked the Friends for inviting the Institute Committee and PCC to join one of our Friends Committee Meetings earlier in the year. We all agreed that this was so useful for all the Village Committees and very much helps us all to confirm that we are working towards the same goals for Gunthorpe Village together. We plan and look forward to having occasional, joint meetings in the future – this has definitely helped bond all the Village Groups together. David Aitman and Marianne Atherton were thanked so very much for hosting yet another wonderful Concert in their home with proceeds shared between the Friends and Institute. A Church Fabric Report was given. The Church Tower Repairs are now complete, but we await notice from the PCC on the final account from the builders as to whether the Friends will need to give a further grant to the PCC to cover the costs. Future works to the Church were reviewed, and the external decoration of downpipes and gutters is the job next in line. Both Kathy Cushion and Beryl White, who sadly died this year, were fondly remembered and praised for their regular support of the Friends and 50/50 Club – both were founder members.
Finally, those Committee members retiring by rotation, Doreen Webster, Seana Broom, Peter Everett and John Blakeley, all of whom had offered themselves for reelection were elected to the Committee. Rob Cutterham was also confirmed as a honorary member. Marie Denholm, Chairman P.S.: Whilst thanks were being discussed John Blakeley noted that those who deserved the most praise were Marie and Jeremy Denholm, who, without seeking any recognition for themselves, had led the way and enthusiastically supported, and continued to support, the work of the Friends from the very beginning – a motion which was wholeheartedly supported by all present.
GUNTHORPE WARD FUND Most villagers will be aware that since the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital opened on the new site with one of the wards named after Gunthorpe Village the village has maintained a small fund to provide support for the Ward and its patients and staff. This support has included, for example, the purchase of cooling fans, but generally we provide a “bag of Christmas goodies” which is delivered to the Ward on Christmas Eve for both staff and patients to enjoy on Christmas Day. If we are to continue to provide this support we now need to “replenish” the Ward Fund (which is administered by Carol Wallace and Diane Blakeley) and Sandra Worthington has very kindly offered to host a Coffee Morning and cake sale to be held at Rookery Farm at 10.30 on Wednesday 14 September. Please come along and support this very worthwhile enterprise – and if you cannot come donations to support the Ward Fund will still be welcomed by either Diane or Carol. Please make cheques payable to “Gunthorpe Ward Fund”.
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FRED’S GARDENING DIARY Notes for August and September Vegetable and Fruit Gardens Sow cabbage seed in early August for cutting in Spring and early Summer 2012. Plant them out in September. Durham Early Spring Hero, Greyhound and Pixie are all suitable to plant at this time. Keep picking runner beans and dwarf beans to keep more flowers coming and to prolong the crop for as long as possible. Keep nipping out sideshoots of your greenhouse tomatoes unless they are bush type. As a reminder keep all tomato plants well watered, as if they are allowed to dry out and then watered this will cause the fruits to split as tomatoes take up water very fast. Prune blackcurrants in September taking out about a third of the old wood to encourage new growth. Cut out old raspberry canes and tie in new crowns for next year’s crop. Leave redcurrants and gooseberries until leaves have fallen off and then cut out any dead wood and crossing branches. Shorten long branches by up to one third to keep bushes tidy.
FOGPC 50/50 Club Draw Results May (Mega Draw) Samantha Ford £25.00 Janie Burton £20.00 Peter Everett £15.00 Mark Kassapian £10.00 Penny Brough £5.00 Donald Burton £5.00 Roy Marsden £5.00 David Ward £5.00
Flower Garden Keep all bedding plants dead-headed to prolong the flowers coming for as long as possible. Cut roses back to a strong bud behind a dying flower to get a second flush of flowers. Sow biennial seeds such as Sweet Williams, Antirrhinum and Foxgloves in August for flowering next year. Plant out Wallflower plants in September or early October – a dressing of lime is helpful as Wallflowers do not like acidic soil. You can take a cutting of most shrubs at this time. Take lengths of about 25-30cm (10-12 inches) and make a spot in a sheltered part of the garden – planting out cuttings about 15cm (6 inches) apart. Leave until next year when they should be well rooted. Fred Morley
June Annette Ward £20.00 Peggy Swindells £10.00 Myfi Everett £5.00 Tony Dufour £5.00 Julia Izzard £5.00 Victoria Legg-B £5.00
The June draw on 25 June had an impressive start for the “new year” with 128 fully paid up members and some £40.00 in extra donations. Although most current members, and some very welcome new ones, have paid their dues we still welcome renewals and other new members (£12.00 per member, or pro-rata if joining later) for the year to May 2012, so if you have not yet renewed your subscription or would like to join as a new member please do so as soon as possible – to “borrow” from another place “you have to be in it to win it”! If you would like more information on the 50:50 Club please contact either Peter Everett on 01263 860035 or John Blakeley on 01263 861008.
WHAT’S ON Gunthorpe diary dates, watch notice board for full details, are: 20 August 50:50 Club 10:30 Institute 10 September Norfolk Churches Sponsored Bike Ride 14 September Coffee Morning for Gunthorpe Ward 10:30 Rookery Farm 24 September 50:50 Club 10:30 Institute
As always we would like to thank all those members who have contributed, and continue to contribute, raffle prizes or who organise and provide the monthly refreshments for the 50:50 Club Meetings - your support is invaluable and much appreciated.
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MAKE THE CHURCH SHINE! Calling all people in Langham! Is there anybody out there who would like to help clean the church? Duties are for two weeks about three times a year and done in pairs. You are equipped with a list for the year so all you have to do is put the date on the calendar and turn up! No reminders! If for any reason you are unable to do your shift you can swap with another couple. A few people have dropped out so we could really do with a few more volunteers. If you are interested Ros Fairhead - 01328 please ring me.
NORFOLK CHURCHES TRUST BIKE RIDE Supported by Eastern Daily Press Saturday 10 September 2011 9am – 5.00pm Help to keep fit! Come and cycle for us or if that sounds too much join me and other Langham residents in a gentle walk around as many churches as we can manage, between 9am and 5.00pm. Last year the Holt Deanery came top, beating everyone else with a total of just under £10,000. We in Langham raised £410, half of which was given to our PCC for the Langham Church General Fund. We are very lucky in Norfolk to have so many beautiful church buildings, 800 of which are medieval. Maintenance is a huge burden on the community but they are worth saving, as they contribute so much to our unique town and village scenery. Hundreds of churches and chapels are open on the day and many offer encouragement and a cold drink and a snack, if you are lucky. Call John Plummer on 01328 830420 (or Ken Bartlett on 01328 830696) for sponsor forms and list of John Plummer Churches and Chapels Open.
LANGHAM LADYBIRDS Our meetings are continuing to be excellent. We learnt all about the role of a P.C.S.O. (Police Community Support Officer) from Phil Berkeley who covers our area. It was very refreshing to find a man who enjoyed his work and who was so enthusiastic about helping and working with people in all walks of life. Our Strawberry Tea was again a great success and our thanks go to Jan and all the helpers. Next meetings: Aug. 10th Beauty and Hairdressing - Jordan Burr Sept. 14th All about Red Squirrels - Mr. Stapleford These meetings will be held in Langham Parish Room 7.30pm. New members are always welcome. Maureen 830731
LANGHAM CAR SERVICE Schedule to October 9th Please Note - New Rate 25p per mile Weekly driving duties beginning on a Monday Aug. 1st. Tel: 830 537* Sept. 5th Tel: 830 348 Aug. 8th Tel: 830 624 Sept. 12th Tel: 830 537* Aug. 15th Tel: 830 821 Sept. 19th Tel: 830 056 Aug. 22nd Tel: 830 606* Sept. 26th Tel: 830 605 Aug. 29th Tel: 830 847 Oct. 3rd Tel: 830 696* *These drivers do not go to Norwich If the driver for the week is unable to do the trip, go to the next on the list. If your appointment is cancelled, please also cancel your car service booking. Please give three days notice wherever possible, except in an emergency. It would be very helpful if a car booking is made as soon as an appointment is arranged or journey planned so that drivers can arrange their schedule. Please bring change. In the infrequent event that no driver is available – contact the Holt Caring Society Tel: 01263 711243 giving as much notice as possible. This roster is also sited in the Bluebell and on the church porch and village notice boards with dates beyond the above schedule after September 9th. We still have a vacancy for a driver, so if anyone is interested please give me a call. Thank you. Ann Sherriff Tel: 830605
MOBILE LIBRARY This will now visits on a four weekly basis, on Thursdays: Aug. 11th, Sept 8th, Oct 6th calling each day for 20 minutes at: St. Mary’s - 10.00am. Old Post Office - 10.25am. Swan’s Close - 10.50am. The Cornfield - 11.15am. Enquiries : Wells Library Tel: 01328 710467
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LANGHAM PARISH COUNCIL At the AGM in May reports from village clubs, associations and activities were received, reflecting the good balance of age groups here in Langham. An election of councillors was not necessary as the required seven places were not over subscribed. Steve Tutt stepped down from the Council, and tribute was paid for his long service and commitment. Bridget Newman was welcomed back on to the Council.
New Street Lights Those in St. Mary’s Lane & The Cornfield are now in operation and to the satisfaction of most residents. An investigation as to whether these lights should be turned off between midnight and 5am was inconclusive.
Verge Cutting
TO LANGHAM SENIOR CITIZENS
Previously there were two categories of cutting carried out in the village, one for safety paid for by NCC that is only around major road junctions and amenity cutting by NNDC, just to make the village look nice. The latter has been stopped, the former is under discussion as to who would do it and for how much (the NCC still paying as they have a legal obligation so to do). We are still deciding the best way forward.
Once again the Friends of Langham will be running their now infamous Annual Mystery Trip. This will take place this year on Wednesday September 7th. departing from the Bluebell at approximately 9.30am. This is for all Langham senior citizens (over 60’s). So if you fancy a memorable day out and fall into this category, please contact one of the persons below, preferably before August 24th. Unfortunately, due to increasing costs, a contribution of £5 would be greatly appreciated. This will include a lunch time meal and there will be a choice of menu. Contacts: Mr. P Barlow 01328 830 606 Mr. J Hughes 01328 830 595 Passports will not be required as visas have been obtained! Friends of Langham Committee
Salt Bins Permission has been granted to situate these, one at the junction of The Cornfield and Hollow Lane and one at the junction of St. Mary’s Lane and Marryat’s Loke.
Parish Room We have been asked by the Parish Room Committee for financial support towards its refurbishment. A number of options are being considered but as any payment will become a burden on the rates, it will be necessary to gain support from villagers in order for the Council to become involved.
Playing Field
BANK HOLIDAY BRING & BUY
The new 20 year lease will be agreed soon.
With the showers threatening we decided to hold this event in the church. We are grateful for everyone’s support in setting up, manning the stalls and clearing away and for all the contributions and donations. Helen held a raffle this year to have a replica of one’s house built by her and this was won by the Warwick family. The strawberry sponge cake, weighing 1lb. 10oz was won by Helen Brandt. Guess the number of strawberries in the basket (40) was won by Janet Allen who guessed 41. Proceeds for Langham Church General Fund amounted to £460. A big thank you to everyone. Langham P.C.C.
Crossroads A condition of granting approval for the development at 19 North Street was that alterations were made to the church crossroads to improve visibility, by narrowing Holt Road approach and bringing forward the stop line for both North Street and the Field Dalling Road.
Safety Traffic speeding is still occurring and the use of mobile phones whilst driving has been observed. Both are offences with a fine and points on a licence if observed by a Police Officer. Some people seem to think it doesn’t matter if the Police aren’t around, well it does! Cars parking on pavements has increased. Pavements are for pedestrians and it is illegal to park on them.
Dog Fouling There has been an increase in people not clearing up after their dogs. Please remedy this. You could be fined. John Hope Chairman Langham Parish Council
FRIENDS OF LANGHAM Rounders and BBQ Playing Field Thursday 11th August 6pm. We look forward to seeing you all at this very enjoyable annual event. Everyone welcome. John Hughes - Chairman ‘Friends of Langham’.
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STALL ON THE GREEN Saturdays August 13th 20th and 27th We will have a rest after cooking for the Craft Fair and open the Stall on the Green, as above for the remaining Saturdays in August. If anyone would like to help or even organise it, please do give me a call. Offers of cake and produce will be most welcome on the day. There may be a book stall as well. We look forward to seeing you. Ann Sherriff - 01328 830605
MORSTON’S OWNER - ARTHUR BUDGETT - DIES Arthur Budgett, a former Indian cavalry officer and the 1969 British flat racing champion trainer from Whatcombe in Oxfordshire, who had a holiday home in North Norfolk in the 1970s, died on 21st June aged 95. He was one of only two people to have bred, owned and trained two Derby winners (the other being William d’Anson in 1857 & 1864). In 1962 he purchased the mare Windmill Girl - and two of her foals were named after the Norfolk villages of Blakeney and Morston (as was Blakeney's sire Hethersett). Blakeney went on to win the 1969 Derby; and Morston, a beautiful chestnut colt by Ragusa, followed up by winning the 1973 Derby. Having been very immature and backward as a young horse, Morston did not run as a two-year-old in 1972; however, on May 11th in 1973 he won a modest race over a mile and a quarter at Lingfield, and so Arthur Budgett decided to run him in the Derby on June 6th. Running therefore for just the second time, Morston was returned at odds of 25-1. Ridden by Eddie Hide, “the cock of the north”, he beat Cavo Doro (Lester Piggott up) by half a length. Morston’s and Budgett’s great moment of glory can be seen on video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICmsa59uHss. Arthur Budgett said Morston was the best horse he ever had.
AN AFRICAN ADVENTURE Langham to Cape Town - overland & back Monday 3rd. Oct. 7pm Langham Parish Room Edward Allen and his Landrover set off in 1974 and returned 50,000 miles later in 1978 (he did work in Kenya and South Africa so it was not all ‘gap year’.) Come and hear his tales of adventure across the Sahara, Congo and plains of East Africa through a mixture of photograph slides, cine film and recollections. A small donation would be appreciated for the Parish Room Floor Fund.
LANGHAM CRAFT FAIR Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st July in the Church, Parish Room and in the Churchyard Free Entry 10.00am – 5.00pm Over 30 Craft Stalls plus a Tombola. Do come along and enjoy a cup of “Proper” coffee, cake & savouries served throughout both days. Proceeds to Langham Church Building Trust.
Dates for your Diary
THURSFORD
Fri 5 Aug: Oyster Regatta Practice Sat 6 Aug: Oyster World Championships (& 1st day of Blakeney Regatta) Sat 20 Aug: Morston Regatta & Morston Fun Day [i.e. Fair] in NorfolkEtc’s field Sat 10 Sep: NCT Bicycle Ride Sat 15 Oct: Shovell Dinner
Saturday December 10th, 2pm. Would you like to enjoy this year’s Christmas Spectacular? I have reserved tickets for my group and you would be very welcome to join us. Tickets £34.50 each – best seats. Please contact me as soon as possible to reserve. Maureen 830731
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FRIENDS OF MORSTON CHURCH AGM 2011 Architect’s Report, July 2011 David Carnwath RIBA FRSA This year at least some of the things I mentioned last year have happened, or will shortly. First is the Quinquennial inspection, which will take place on 25 August. This will be the first one done by the new architect, and will no doubt show up all sorts of things that we haven’t been told about before. One thing it will certainly do is to allow samples of the tower pointing to be taken – more about this in a moment – so that we can at last draw up tender documentation for its repair or replacement. Another thing that I suspect will be drawn to our attention is the state of the inside of the belfry, where the brickwork is rough, to say the least.
contract. Once again I am recommending that the funds available from the Friends be ring-fenced for this work, with as before the proviso that they can be diverted to fund other major emergency work in the unfortunate event that this should become necessary.
In the meantime we have installed a new lightning conductor system, which has allowed us to remove the rather drunken mast in the corner of the tower, replaced by four practically invisible wands on the corners. We had hoped to use the installer’s cherrypicker to reach the tower pointing, but in the event the access to the churchyard was too narrow to get one in, and they used a bosun’s chair, which the architect was understandably reluctant to borrow! So for the first time since 1743 we ought to be safe from lightning.
Note: (A). “Decalogue” is the term employed to designate the collection of precepts written on two tables of stone and given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
MORSTON PARISH COUNCIL The Parish Council purchased royal wedding mugs for the children of the parish. The Council is now considering what it would like to do for the Queen’s Jubilee in 2012. Ideas would be most welcome. Parish Council Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month at 7.00 pm in the Village Hall. All are welcome. C.B.
And the second bit of action - and in many ways the most interesting - has been the study of the Decalogue(A) and coat of arms. This has been done for us, very generously, in memory of Andrew Athill, leaving us to pay only for the scaffolding. The study itself has shown that the panel carrying the coat of arms is old, and that under the coat of arms is paint characteristic of the fifteenth century. The decalogue below and the panels either side of the coat of arms are later, possibly eighteenth or nineteenth century. So it seems possible that the central panel was originally part of the chancel screen and carried a painting, and that it was re-erected, overpainted with the coat of arms, perhaps as part of the repair works after lightning had taken the tower down. The coat of arms itself is one current between 1714 and 1801, which would support this; possibly it was “tidied up” in 1823 when the date was added.
MORSTON QUIZ by Samphire Answers on Page 22 1. What does the first F in FIFA stand for? 2 What is the only (English) anagram of CLOBBER? 3. Alphabetically what is the last of the days of the week? 4. What is 1/8 as a percentage to two decimal points? 5. What are the words in the shortest verse in the Bible? 6. Which ancient calculator used a frame and beads? 7. The zodaic sign Libra covers which months? 8. In which country did 1992 Olympic Games take place? 9. How many players are there in a field hockey team? 10. In which country is Tijuana?
So we know a great deal more about the painting, but the question still remains as to what to do about it. Restoration will be expensive - anything up to £12,000 is suggested and there is a view that a highly restored panel is not something that would sit well in the church. There might though be a case for further investigation into the earlier painting so at least we have on record all there is to know about it, but without destroying the later work, provided that a grant could be obtained for the work. The Friends have contributed to the cost of the scaffolding for the Decalogue study, for which the Parochial Church Council is very grateful, while, consistent with my recommendation last year that the Friends’ funds be ring-fenced for the work to the tower, the lightning conductor installation has been funded by the PCC. I am expecting that during this year we will have documentation available for the works to the tower, so while, once again, we have not carried out any work on it, we are - as before - actively moving towards a
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TWO MORSTONERS TREATED LIKE ROYALTY IN MALAYSIA
speed through red traffic lights - including (on the final day) in Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia’s old capital, and in Petaling Jaya, the amazing new capital. Our outriders were MPs (Military Police) - not to be confused with the civilian police outriders who escorted the visiting premier of China through Kula Lumpur the week before we arrived.
My wife Sara and I were literally treated like royalty when we attended the first “worldwide” 1st Malaysia Rangers Reunion in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, in Borneo (eastern Malaysia) in April. This was the 48th Anniversary of the Founding by the British of the 1st Battalion the Malaysia Rangers in 1963, which had to be recruited and trained fast in order to increase the local military strength standing up to Indonesia’s sudden “Confrontation” - armed incursions into Sarawak and into Malaya (the new, western Malaysia) by the forces of the dictator President Sukarno of neighbouring Indonesia. 1963 was the year of Malaysian Independence, when Sabah and Sarawak in northern Borneo merged with Malaya (1,000 miles to the west) as the new state of Malaysia. (Singapore and Brunei joined initially but soon backed out).
Generals met us with a pipe band and spirited us through Customs etc to VIP Lounges on three occasions, while colonels carried our bags, passports and tickets. We were showered with presents at every turn. The Malaysian army had decided to “research their 19631965 history of their perhaps most successful battalion”, the 1st Malaysia Rangers (“raised from scratch, jungletrained and taken to war in less than two years”). Today there are ten Ranger battalions. The focal point of the Reunion was a Dinner for 800 with traditional ngajat and pantun (jungle dances and songs). Conversation was in English, Malay and Iban. Also included in our programme were three other Dinners: including one in the local Brigade Officers’ Mess (where I had to make a 5-minute Speech of Thanks in Malay), and a really hard 1,000-yard trek in hilly jungle after a longboat approach in the South China Sea, and a visit to see orang-utans close up in the wild. We were all quizzed - to recall military history from nearly 50 years ago. The Malaysian Army were brilliant hosts. J.W.
Because I was jungle-trained and spoke Malay and Iban, I was appointed to recruit 200 locals in multi-racial Sarawak, to bring them across to Malaya, and then as a Company Commander, to train them - including in the jungle on the Malaya-Thailand border (a Chinese Communist Terrorist area). British officers initially held the senior posts (as a British captain I was the Intelligence Officer) and then handed the 1st Rangers over a year or so to Malaysian officers in 1965-66. This April (2011) a very successful Malaysian businessman, who in the late sixties had served as a 1st Rangers officer, decided to stage a regimental reunion and generously funded nine former British officers and their families (including three officers’ widows and one teenager granddaughter) to fly from UK and other English-speaking countries around the world to Malaysia for it. From there, with 20 West Malaysian officers, all of us were flown to Kuching in Sarawak and accommodated there in a 5-star hotel for three nights. He also funded 750 retired Sarawakian Rangers to travel from all over Sarawak to be accommodated in Kuching for the big celebration.
WORLD WAR I (1914 -1918) Leading Seaman Alec Gray HMS Vanguard Royal Navy, died at Scapa Flow, 9th July, 1914, aged 16. Son of George and Agnes Gray of Morston (18651914, buried at Morston), brother of Nellie (1898-1924, buried at Morston)- and brother of Sidney, Arthur (`Ruffler'), Thomas William (died an infant 1903) and Jack (1907-1918, buried at Morston aged 11), and uncle of Barbara Riseborough of Norwich, Jimmy, Philip (RN of Tilbury), Lucy, David, John, Ronald ('Ronnie') of Field Dalling, Edward ('Eddie') Arthur of Blakeney, Terence, Jennifer and Margaret. Prior to 1914 Alec's father, George Gray, had moved from Morston - where he ran the Townshend Arms pub, to Bale, where he ran the Bale Oak pub - but one night he lost his licence for having a family `send off' after licensing hours when Alec was due to rejoin his ship, HMS Vanguard. Alec was soon afloat again when a disaster occurred. While firing her heavy guns in Scapa Flow - Orkney's huge harbour off north/east Scotland - the cordite exploded in the hold, blowing HMS Vanguard to pieces with great loss of life. Alec's father, George, described in 1917 as `of Bale' was buried at Morston in 1918, aged 53.
The British “founders” of 1st Rangers (now all in their seventies) and their families, were treated like royalty from start to finish: outriders led our car and coach at
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SHOVELL DINNER 2011 Saturday 15th October The Friends of Morston Church annual Shovell Dinner & Talk this year (dress: “smart-comfortable”) will as usual be at the Anchor Inn on 15th October. The Talk is a rigorously well-researched, rip-roaring (and rather raunchy) 45-minute Naval Talk with magnificent slides entitled “Nelson: Afloat and Ashore”, delivered by Dr. Simon Harris, the well-known, dynamic naval history Speaker and biographer of Sir Cloudesley Shovell. (Seating Plan; 50 tickets only). The Talk will be followed by a delicious 3-course sitdown Dinner (during which we have the two traditional Shovell Dinner Toasts: to Shovell and Nelson. Dinner will be followed by a Raffle. Dinner will be followed by a Raffle. This is the fifth annual Dinner in memory of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell (1650-1707) of Cockthorpe (where he was born and where his parents rented a farm from the Calthorpes) & Morston (where he held land) & Lord of the Manor of Wells. His paternal grandfather was married at and buried in Binham and his wife’s family came from Cley. “In his day he was almost as famous as Horatio Nelson was in his.” One of the bravest officers who fought under him was Middie (later Capt) Frederick Marryatt, who saw out his final days at Langham. The Dinner has always been supported by those living in Cockthorpe, Morston, Cley and Langham, who are proud of their heritage, but we have yet to have anyone from Wells come to the Shovell Dinner. Tickets for the Dinner and Talk costing £35.00 each will include a welcoming glass of wine or juice on arrival. From 1st September tickets will be available from: Jock Wingfield, Coastguard House, Morston NR25 7BH (Tel: 01263-740431). All proceeds will go to Friends of Morston Church (Registered Charity No.1099831) for church repairs or maintenance.
“They do say that’s been the driest summer since records began!”
COMPANY OF SERVERS The Company of Servers (CoS) held a Service at Morston Church on 2nd July. The CoS is a Society within the Anglican Communion for lay people whose vocation includes serving at the altar. Formed in 2009 it is composed of many chapters based on diocesan boundaries, with the first chapters being inaugurated in the dioceses of Norwich, Exeter, Ripon and Leeds. Each chapter appoints a chaplain who is a member of the “Society of Catholic Priests” (a religious society of clergy in the Anglican Communion, which draws its membership from Anglicans who consider themselves a part of the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism. It was formed in 1994). CoS members uphold a rule of life which includes (1) centring their spiritual life on the Eucharist, by sharing in the celebration of the sacrament on Sundays and Principal Feasts and Holy Days, (2) by devoting a period of time each day to private prayer, (3) by making use of a spiritual director and the sacrament of reconciliation, (4) by befriending other members of the Company and attending all meetings of their chapter and central festivals, unless prevented by good reason.
CRAB SUPPER The PCC Crab Supper on 14th June made the magnificent sum of £1,030 for Morston Church funds. Mary Athill would like to thank all those who so kindly helped as well as all those who attended.
MORSTON FUN DAY Saturday, 20th August 10.00 am - 3.00 pm On the Quay
Answers to Morston Quiz (See page 20) 1 - Federation. 2 - Cobbler. 3 - Wednesday. 4 - 12.50. 5 - Jesus wept [John, xi, 35]. 6 - Abacus. 7 - September and October. 8 - Spain. 9 - Eleven. 10 - Mexico.
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PATSY CUBITT - SMITH On 20th June a Memorial Service was held for Kathleen Patricia Cubitt-Smith in our church, following the earlier Cremation at Horsham St Faiths. The death of Patsy, who was born in 1917, represents the end of an era for both Field Dalling and Saxlingham. Following their marriage in 1968 Brigadier Henry Cubitt-Smith and Patsy, his second wife, moved into The Manor House where they lived for some years before deciding to downsize to The Croft in Saxlingham. Henry and Patsy were a dynamic couple and made a considerable impact on the villages and the local area. Henry had been in the Indian Army and won the DSO at Monte Cassino, while Patsy had served with the V.A.D. at a large military hospital in Aldershot. After the war Patsy opted for an adventurous time at the wheel of a large van, distributing books including bibles to school children in remote parts of Canada. Returning to England and never one to ignore a challenge, Patsy helped to run a prep-school in Tring when the husband of a great friend, the headmaster of the school, died unexpectedly. In the early sixties Patsy trained to look after blind people and was responsible for caring for the care of all the blind in Henley and district. Evidently the impulse to serve others was strong throughout Patsy’s life. Thus it was that Patsy with Henry established Friends and Neighbours who still meet regularly at Field Dalling and Saxlingham Village Hall. Another of her enthusiasms was Blakeney Caring which she supported tirelessly over the years. A backer of good causes and a regular churchgoer, Patsy always put others first. Naturally, she was devoted to her extended family. Having acquired through Henry a ready-made family in her step-daughter Mary, married to Alan Jefferies, plus their four children, who duly produced their own, Patsy lived to delight in the lives of several generations. As the tributes during the Memorial Service bore witness, Patsy was the hugely revered and loved guiding spirit of the entire family. Both they and we, her friends and neighbours, miss her greatly.
FETE FOR YOUR DIARY Please note the date for Saxlingham’s joint fete with Field Dalling is Saturday 13th August (from 2pm to 4pm). It is set in the gardens of Field Dalling Hall, thanks to Ravi and Salma Sondhi. We hope as in the past to attract lots of people from other villages. Spread the word! Plenty of parking available.
JAZZ CONCERT IN JUNE Our annual evening of jazz performed in the church by boys and girls from Gresham’s School proved very successful in terms of both entertainment and fundraising for St Margaret’s. In total £820 was generated by the event. We are naturally most grateful to all the musicians, the organisers and the big audience on the night.
NUMERATE PERSON NEEDED St Margaret’s Saxlingham is looking for a new Treasurer to succeed Maureen Sturgeon. If you could take on this role or know of someone who might be interested or suitable please ring : Liz Peart, our churchwarden (01328 830668) or Caroline Robson (01328 830298)
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SHARRINGTON CHURCH NEWS Sharrington Garden Fete was in full swing for precisely 20 minutes before the rain came down, but fortunately the gallant team of gazebo erectors had been hard at work all morning and the crowds who had waited patiently for the 2 o’clock start were kept reasonably dry! The skies looked threatening, but amazingly the sun broke through again and we were treated to some latefete sunshine. The visitors enjoyed delicious home-made teas and live jazz as they wandered the beautiful gardens of Eunice and Paul Morgan. Games and stalls tempted the pocket and satisfied many a bargain hunter, and we all had time to chat to friends old and new. All the hard work paid off, and we banked a superb profit of £1581. Well done everyone who helped before, during and after the event, and of course to all our visitors. The Harvest Festival this year will be on Sunday 2nd October at 5pm and we extend a warm welcome to you PEL. all.
Sharrington Gardeners Present:
“AUTUMN COLOUR IN THE GARDEN” A talk by Trevor from South Creake Nurseries Wed. 5th October, 7pm, in Sharrington Village Hall. Tickets £5.00 (£3.00 for members Sharrington Gardening Club). Please telephone Robin 01263 861939 or Ann 01263 860700
BRIDGE CLUB SEEKS NEW MEMBERS. If anyone is interested in joining one of North Norfolk’s thriving bridge clubs, Fakenham Bridge Club, who meet at Fakenham Sports Centre at the Racecourse; Mondays 7 to 10pm and Thursdays 2 to 5pm and are seeking new members. Please contact Betty Rivett on 01263-860214, who will give you further details or answer any queries you may have.
SALLE CONCERT- THE NORTH NORFOLK CHORALE. Sharrington is boasting about another star performer living in our small village. Rosemary Kimmins is conductor and musical director of the North Norfolk Chorale, a position she has held since 2002. Her musical career in Norfolk is long and distinguished beginning in 1964 at Old Hall School Hethersett. Rosemary certainly had a starring role in an outstanding and emotional concert held at Salle Church on 21st May 2011. The Chorale together with some accomplished soloists gave memorable and moving performances of the John Rutter Requiem Mass and the Haydn Nelson Mass. Rosemary conducted with great enthusiasm and sensitivity and the Chorale enraptured the audience in the amazing setting of the cathedral-like Salle Church. Well done Rosemary!! The North Norfolk Chorale are seeking potential new members, if you wish further information please contact Rosemary on 01263 860308 or on www.north-norfolkchorale.co.uk Their next concert, “A Night at the Opera” is to be held at the Auden Theatre, Gresham’s School, Holt, on Saturday 19th November JHC
THE SHARRINGTON LECTURE The Sharrington Lecture will take place in Sharrington Church on Friday 12th August at 18.30, chaired by the Bishop of Norwich. The speaker this year will be Dr Simon Thurley, CBE., Chief Executive of English Heritage who will address the question: Economic Hard Times: Good or Bad for Heritage? Tickets £10 including wine and canapés from Anne Sloman, All Saints Cottage, Bale Road, Sharrington, Norfolk, NR24 2PF tel: 01263 862291. Cheques to be made to Sharrington PCC, please. MS.
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ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH The Patronal Festival Service was a huge success with over 40 coming to celebrate the festival on June 24th, the service combined recognition that our church has provided inspiration and comfort for villagers through many centuries with a recognition of John the Baptist’s unique role as the one who prepared the way for Jesus. We recognised the fact that although our village community, like many others, has changed the church still provides comfort and support for many. Our very well used prayer net is strong evidence for this. The first part of the service used the Revd. Diana Penny’s village prayer with some reflections on it, and the service ended with the Revd Ian Whittle’s address on St. John and the traditional evensong prayers which have been used for many generations in our church, After the service we all enjoyed tasty eats and drinks. Many thanks to Eva, Pat, Heather and Thelma for the lovely flowers, to Chris for helping to prepare the service, for all who baked and brought food, to Theresa for telling us about her early memories of church services at St. John’s, to Margaret for accompanying some rousing singing, and to Ian for leading our worship. Thanks especially to all who joined us. You are most welcome at our twice a month Sunday services: Morning Prayer on the first Sunday in the month at 9.30 and Holy Communion at 9.30 on the third Sunday. The other two Sundays worship is at Langham at the same time.
THE INAUGURAL SIR NATHANIEL BACON DINNER This was held on June 4th at Stiffkey Old Hall, by kind invitation of John and Anne Bell. They are responsible for the magnificent restoration of this historic Elizabethan mansion which was built in the last quarter of the 16th Century by Sir Nathaniel; a leading figure, an M.P., in local government of Norfolk, a magistrate, and son of the first Keeper of the Great Seal to Elizabeth I. His tomb is a major feature of St John’s Church. The dinner followed private conducted tours of the main Hall, a drinks reception in the beautifully restored gatehouse, with dinner being served in an illuminated opensided adjunct. The Marquess Townshend attended, as the Bacon and Townshend families were closely linked - and still are. Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt. of Raveningham Hall was hosting a similar dinner the same evening, (By coincidence!) A well supported raffle, a delicious dinner and a sparkling and fairly light hearted talk by Dr Paul Richards reminded us that Sir Nathaniel was deeply involved in curbing piracy along the North Norfolk Coast; a scourge of the Hanseatic traders of King’s Lynn. Blakeney, apparently, was some sort of nest of piracy! The whole event, so generously hosted by the Bell family, was in aid of Stiffkey St John’s church for which the PCC is deeply grateful. Well over £800 was raised and this will help the fabric fund. So ended a very special Stiffkey evening. It is simply wonderful to see the Old Hall so beautifully restored. Lady Fielden attended and others with Bacon connections and in that sense, it became a real Old Hall gathering of the village, academia and friends. (Note: the papers of Nathaniel Bacon have been published in 5 volumes by the Norfolk Record Society.) Keith McDougall
John Adnitt
NATURE NOTES As I remember it 1976 was the last year of severe drought; only broken the moment the government appointed a Minister for Drought. At which point it poured. In spite of the lower yields of corn and the struggle sugar beet had, my cattle never looked better and thrived on the dried up meadows. Partridges did well and there were some record bags. Will 2011 be the same? Experts talk of a record butterfly year but I personally think the very hard weather did for hibernating caterpillars and pupae. We will see as July and August unfold. Dairy herds are disappearing from Norfolk due to the stranglehold supermarkets have on the milk price to farmers. This is a shame. Where big producers can diversify into cheese, yoghurts and ice cream things are better, but not everyone has the capital for this kind of thing. The countryside is better if we can shop locally and buy local produce. Farms without any livestock are not usually so rich in wildlife, due to lack of grass and insects. Luckily we have farmers around us who keep cattle and sheep. Have you noticed the beef cattle grazing Cley Bird Reserve and sheep grazing the Stiffkey water meadows? In the old days sheep were grazed on the salt marshes and driven home to the river in the evenings for watering. Saltmarsh lamb is rated a delicacy, especially in Normandy around Mont St Michel . Pightle
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BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY ON THE KNOLL
THE GREAT PLANT SALE Like several of my friends I seemed to spend a considerable amount of April and May watering small plants to encourage them to become big blooming plants in time for the sale for Albaraca School Funds. Prayers were offered in church for rain but the drought went on relentlessly. Rain dances were contemplated. We were therefore somewhat miffed when the forecast for Spring Bank Holiday, the day of the sale, was for …..rain and more rain. The thought of being left with a knoll full of waterlogged plants was too much! It was then that the North Norfolk micro-climate came to our rescue. The threatened rain held off just long enough. People headed for the only dry sunny part of England. The sale of plants on the knoll and the teas and other items for sale in the Village Hall raised over £800 for the school. Whole plantations of perennials, and boots full of bushes disappeared quickly. It was another major triumph for the organisers, Vivien, Geraldine and Pat, and all those invaluable helpers who nourished and watered plants, found millions of plants pots, provided compost, made and put up posters, carried and put up tables, baked cakes, transported plants (and cleaned out their cars afterwards), manned stalls, made tea, washed up, persuaded people to buy, and packed up afterwards (Phew!! ) Soon after the event money was on its way to the school to help buy mosquito nets and bookshelves, and pay some extra staffing costs. It had been another very successful and (mostly!) enjoyable fund raising event for the school. Over the years Stiffkey and friends from neighbouring villages and towns have helped enormously with funds. The staff and pupils at the school are most grateful. One of the 4 classrooms at the school is called the Stiffkey Room, and another the Langham Room. The exploits of fundraisers and supporters in North Norfolk are part of the Albaraca Legend in the fast growing town of Sukuta, in The Gambia. Many thanks on behalf of the school from the local trustees: Susan Moore, Clive and Eva Gambrill, Vivien Horobin, and Margaret and John Adnitt The other three trustees, Rachael Wong, Jane Pearson and Charlie Rudd all have strong connections with North Norfolk. John Adnitt
The Fete seems to have suffered a permanent fate but the village will come to life with stalls on the knoll on Monday 29th August from 10 onwards with stalls in aid of various village activities and organisations. Those which used to benefit from the Fete, the village hall, the playing field and the church urgently need alternative sources of income. Other village initiatives may also need cash! Come and buy from a bewildering abundance of brica -brac and books, a calorie laden collection of confectionery, a perfumed profusion of plants, and other items too numerous to mention. Enjoy tea and light refreshments in the church and admire a collection of photographs of recent village events such as the Open Gardens the Gambian Evening, and views of the village and its flora and fauna, and previous year’s scarecrows. Irresistible!!
UNICEF SCARECROWS. Sally has ordained the theme of “Stiffkey Past and Present”. That gives plenty of scope for the special brand of wit, irreverence and artistic licence displayed in recent years. UNICEF’s current cause by the North and West Norfolk Supporters’ group is a worthy one: a programme of immunisation in one of the world’s most troubled and disadvantaged countries, Liberia. Please help by making and displaying scarecrows, either scary, or spectacular, or just downright silly! Have some fun and support a very good cause. Maybe win a prize for the most eye-catching and witty one! Please start displaying them from August 21st and hope that the weather is kinder to scarecrows than last year. Robust construction may be advisable!!
STIFFKEY MUSIC CIRCLE We will open our new season of meeting on Thursday Sept 1st at 7 at No2 Warborough Place. It will be part of the Stiffkey UNICEF Fund Raising. The programme will be called “West and East”; a musical illustration of how in recent times music has brought together those once separated by cultural, geographical and political barriers. It will feature several musicians well known for supporting international humanitarian organisations including UNICEF itself. All are welcome. John Adnitt
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year’s sports day on 11 July with family and friends there to cheer them on. Summer trips and activities This year’s whole-school trip is to Thrigby Wildlife Garden, in the last week of term. As with most school trips, it’s made possible with the support and participation of parents. Coaches are funded by the Friends of Langham Village School 100 Club (open to grandparents, neighbours and all local well-wishers as well as immediate family). Parent volunteers accompany the teachers on the trip to make sure the children have plenty of safe supervision - thanks to all those who are giving up their time this year to make it a special day for the children. Class 3 (age 8 – 11) have a very exciting trip coming up to Circus Ferrel at Blakeney. They will take part in circus workshops including tightrope-walking, juggling and plate spinning. We look forward to seeing some of the skills deployed at this year’s Christmas concert. Class 3 will also take part in a music concert at Alderman Peel High School in July alongside the other primary schools in the cluster. Date for your diary Do come and join us at the school summer fair on Friday 15 July from 5 – 7pm. There’s something for everyone, from a cake stall and fabulous raffle prizes to a barbecue and chocolate fountain, games galore and a performance by the drum club. You’ll have a great time and can help raise valuable funds for future trips and activities. Onwards and upwards The annual Leavers Assembly will take place on Friday 22 July (the last day of term). This is always an enjoyable and sometimes emotional occasion where the school bids goodbye to the Year 6 children and recognises the contribution they have made during their time at Langham. As these familiar faces move on to the next phase of their education we also look forward to welcoming next year’s new intake – a full house of 14 Reception children are due to join in September. In the meantime, we say goodbye and good luck to all those leaving, and happy holidays to one and all. Don’t forget to keep in touch with all the school news at www.langhamvillageschool.com. Anne-Marie Coe
SCHOOL NEWS In the summer months, life moves outdoors for the children of Langham Village School with trips, social events and sports opportunities for all. It’s such a strong little community that the children don’t want to go home at the end of the day. The playing field and climbing equipment are a hive of activity after school whenever the sun is shining. It’s lovely to see the children playing together across the age groups with the older ones often very protective of pre-school brothers and sisters who can’t wait to join in. Sports unlimited The sporting calendar comes into its own at this time of year and the children are doing the school proud in various local competitions. Langham head teacher Mike Green has volunteered to co-ordinate sports events and opportunities for the Wells cluster of schools and parents are pitching in to help with some activities, to make sure the children don’t miss out despite the funding cuts. •Langham’s Year 3&4 tennis team (age 7 – 9) won the competition for schools in the Wells cluster and then won the North Norfolk event at Fakenham—so Blue and Neve Wilson, Nico Payne and Gus Plater will compete in the County Finals in July—an incredible achievement; •The Langham Village School cricket team won the Wells Cluster competition and finished 5th out of 8 in the North Norfolk tournament—another very satisfying achievement for a small school; •The school football team put up a good show in the Fakenham and Wells tournament, losing 1-0 after extra time to the eventual champions Fakenham Junior School; •Year 1 and 2 children (aged 4 – 6) have two multi skills sessions coming up with the coach Alex Bond and will participate in the Cluster Event at Alderman Peel High School; •The ‘Competitive Edge’ Gifted and Talented group continue to enjoy sessions at Alderman Peel High School. •Congratulations to Blue Wilson, who has been invited to join Norwich City FC’s elite group for 2011-12 after a successful trial. Within the school, the sporting spirit is equally keen: •The Years 3-6 tennis tournament (a venerable 15 year old institution) is underway at the time of writing, as well as table tennis and rounders; •The Inter house cricket tournament was won by Terns and Kittiwakes; •County Dance Coach Lisa McGreevy is working with Class 3; •Archery, tennis, netball and sailing clubs are all on offer; •Every child will have the chance to shine at this
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