The Town Council offices are situated at

14 Middleton Street Wymondham Norfolk NR18 0AD

Telephone 01953 603302

Email: office@wymondhamtc.co.uk

www.wymondhamtc. norfolkparishes.gov.uk

Office opening hours: Monday – Friday 9.30am – 4.00pm

In this edition:

Look for this Mark on Fairtrade products

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Town Council News including

• 3G pitch leads way for improvements 1

• Getting in touch with your councils 2

• Wymondham’s own organ grinder 3

Community News including

• More words for Wymondham 4

• Mayor’s Community Fund Bingo 4

• Autumn Litter Pick 5

• Planning application approved for 5 new Council offices

• Plans for Becket’s Chapel take a 7 step forward

• New Town Guide in preparation 8

• Markets need our support 8

Work has now started on a £1.2 million improvement project for Wymondham’s Ketts Park recreation area. The project includes the installation of a full size 3G floodlit pitch.

South Norfolk Council was awarded a grant of £394,292 from the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund, and a further £250,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy, via the Greater Norwich Growth Board, towards this state-of-the-art facility. The grants will enable local football clubs, organisations and community groups from the town and the surrounding area to enjoy sport all year round in the heart of Wymondham.

The new facility will comprise a full-size, floodlit, fenced all weather 3G facility with spectator viewing attached to the existing sports community pavilion and changing rooms.

South Norfolk Council Cabinet member Yvonne Bendle said: “This is really exciting

Ceremonial spade wielded by SNC’s Yvonne Bendle marks the start of the project. To her right is Town Mayor Tony Holden and to her left SNC Chair John Overton. Phil Godfrey from Wymondham Town FC is at far left of picture

Number 94 Autumn 2018

news for the residents of Wymondham and surrounding villages. The Council is working with Wymondham Town Council, the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund to improve the local sports facilities and support grassroots sport in the area.”

The grant will also be used to improve the Ketts Park grass pitch complex which, along with other grass pitches in the town and surrounding area, are prone to waterlogging resulting in lost games and frustrated footballers.

By providing high-quality facilities, coupled with coaching at the appropriate age group, the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund aim to improve the experience for regular players as well as attracting new players to the game. The new state-of-the-art facility will serve to strengthen the connection between professional football clubs and their local communities, particularly in the most deprived areas of the country, through the professional clubs’ community trusts’ outreach work.

Floodlit 3G pitch leads way for Ketts Park improvements

About Wymondham 2

Town Council NewsA major sports and recreation development is going ahead at Ketts Park - good news for sports and fitness enthusiasts in Wymondham and surrounding villages. Always a source of confusion, the main responsibilities of each of our three local authorities are listed, and some helpful contact details are provided. A new Town Guide is in preparation for 2019-21: check if your organisation is correctly listed or whether contact details need to be changed. Work is progressing well and planning permission has been granted for the new Town CouncilOffices and grounds maintenance base at Ketts Park. And come along to the Mayor’s Community Fund bingo evening in October!

Getting in touch with your councilsFor most of us ‘the council’ is a phrase commonly used to refer to all three local councils which manage our council tax and the services which it pays for on our behalf. The Town Council, District Council and County Council are each responsible for different services. Here is a quick guide on who to call to get the information you need.

The Town Council normally meets on the first Tuesday of each month with the Finance and General Purposes and Leisure and Environment committees meeting on the third Tuesday of alternate months. The Planning Lighting and Highways committee deals with planning applications and meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month.

Dates until December are set out below. The complete list is available on the Town Council’s website.

September

4 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Town Council

18 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Leisure and Environment

October

2 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Town Council

16 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Finance and General Purposes

November

6 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Town Council

20 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Leisure and Environment

December

4 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Town Council

18 Planning Lighting and Highways followed by Finance and General Purposes

Meeting dates – council & committees

Wymondham Town Council

Email: office@wymondhamtc.co.uk

Tel 01953 603302

www.wymondhamtc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk

Office opening hours Monday-Friday 9.30am-4.00pm

For parks and open spaces –Kings Head Meadow, Ketts Park, Priory Gardens, Tolls Meadow, Becketswell, Bellrope Lane; Town Cemetery and cemetery chapels; Abbey churchyard maintenance; Market Place, markets and stall applications; Town Mayor, Town Clerk and Town Council enquiries.

South Norfolk Council

Email: council@s-norfolk.gov.uk

Tel 01508 533 633/0808 168 2000

www.south-norfolk.gov.uk

Office opening hours Monday-Friday 8.15am-5.00pm

For Advice and Benefits, Car Parking, Council Tax, Environmental Services, Leisure and Culture, Planning and Building, Waste Collections, Housing.

Norfolk County Council

Email: information@norfolk.gov.uk

Tel 0344 800 8020

www.norfolk.gov.uk

Office opening hours Monday-Friday 9.00am-5.00pm

For Children’s Services, Social Services, Adult Education, Travel and Transport Services, Trading Standards, Libraries, Business Advice, Highways, Community Care, Blue Badges, Local History and Archives, Registration Services.

Autumn 2018 3

Wymondham’s own Organ Grinder

Lots of us will have seen and heard Hugh Morgan, our town’s street organ player with his furry assistant, and many local charities have benefited from the funds he raises for good causes.

Hugh says: “I use this street organ specifically to raise money for charities. If you know of any outdoor events where the organ would be welcomed as an additional attraction and where a good crowd of people would be likely to contribute, please let me know or pass this message on to the organisers. I have raised cash for a variety of charities - perhaps your favourite charity could benefit!

“I do not take any of the moneys raised for myself or for maintenance of the organ, nor do I expect to pay fees for a pitch to play it.”

For many years Hugh has been interested in mechanically generated music, and this street organ gives him an opportunity to share his enthusiasm with others.

Abbey Ward

Mr R Savage “Kingston” 6 Park Lane NR18 9BG 603722 WTC, SNC

Mr K Hurn 6 Daisy Street NR18 0FF 603637 WTC

Mrs P Stearn Middle Farmhouse StanfieldNR18 9BG 603984 WTC

Cromwells Ward

Mr J Halls 2 Chapel Loke, Spooner Row 600720 WTC

Mr J Hornby 9 Papillon Road NR18 0WD 600300 WTC, SNC

Mrs S Nuri 15 Silfield Avenue NR18 9BD 606146 WTC

Northfields Ward

Mr C Longhurst 17 Warwick Drive NR18 0LT 605126 WTC

Mr J Mooney 2 Orchard Way NR18 0NX 604482 WTC, SNC, NCC

Mr D Underwood 14 Herb Robert Glade NR18 0XS 601585 WTC

Rustens Ward

Mr P Broome 14 Bramble Way NR18 0UN 600829 WTC, SNC

Mr A Holden 31 Ashleigh Gardens NR18 0EX 859968 WTC

Mrs S Sayer 217 Norwich Road NR18 0SL 602827 WTC

Town Ward

Mr I Flatt 48 Orchard Way NR18 0NY 603398 WTC

Mr L Hornby 9 Papillon Road NR18 0WD 600300 WTC, SNC

Mrs S Wyer 11 Bramble Way NR18 0UN 07842 766038 WTC

Forehoe Ward

C Foulger Pear Tree House, Turnpike, 07745 163169 NCC Bunwell NR16 1SP

As a result of the elections in 2016, the following have been elected to serve until the next local government elections in May 2020 (May 2021 for County Councillors), representing Wymondham on the county (NCC), district (SNC) and/or town councils.

Who are your councillors?

We provide a full legal service to large and small businesses and to individuals in all walks of life. We pride ourselves on providing a first class, personal service to all of our clients every time. We take care to achieve sensible solutions to our clients’ problems.

Appointments also available at Norwich and Lowestoft. Home visits are available on request but further charges may apply.

LATE NIGHT THURSDAY - PRE-BOOKED APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE UNTIL 7PM

Phone us on 01953 607724 or call into our offices at 1 Middleton Street, Wymondham, NR18 0AB.

Our range of legal services

help you at every stage in life.

Organ rings out for charity Hugh Morgan and his furry helper meet the Town Crier in the Priory Gardens

in an open-mic session.

Martin Figura arrives with his new one-man show, Doctor Zeeman’s Catastrophe Machine, which deals with love, loss and when to let go. Or why not come along to sportswriter Grahame Lloyd’s Howzat?, a cricketing whodunnit about a controversial

£26,400 ball...

We also have a free workshop for children in the Library under the excellent tutelage of Isabelle King, author of Once Upon a Time in Norfolk.

We hope you can join us at Wymondham Words 2018, as we once again celebrate literature and words in South Norfolk. Tickets bought in advance cost a very reasonable £6.00. Please see www.wymwords.co.uk for the full programme.

About Wymondham 4

Community NewsDon’t miss the Big Wymondham Litter Pick, organised by our very active Greening Wymondham environment group. Progress is being made on the plans to rescue Becket’s Chapel from slow decline and to extend and develop it as a heritage hub for our town’s outstanding historical and architectural assets. An application has been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and a response is expected by the end of the year. And after taking a year’s break from our very active arts and music scene,Wymondham Words returns to bring a dozen writers and performers to stimulate and entertain us in October.

More words for WymondhamThe Festival team are delighted to be back this year with the eighth Wymondham Words. The Festival runs from 19 October to 2 November with a wonderful mix of writers working in a variety of formats and genres.

We open with crime author Cathi Unsworth’s new novel That Old Black Magic, which deals with

German wartime spies and a mysterious body in a tree. She’ll be interviewed by Paul Willetts, who is well-versed in shady characters, as his forthcoming book King Con, about a Jazz Age American swindler, testifies.

Rebecca Stott will discuss her Costa Prize-winning memoir of growing up in a fundamentalist Christian sect, In the Days of Rain. Also with Wymondham Words for the first time, Louis de Bernières will be talking about his new novel set in 1920s Ceylon, So Much Life Left Over.

Mark Cocker is one of our finest writers on nature, whose recent book Our Place tackles the pressing environmental questions affecting the countryside. He will be our guest at a literary lunch in the elegant Number 24 Restaurant.

The popular Poetry Supper returns to the Green Dragon pub, where the distinguished poet George Szirtes and fast-rising star Ramona Herdman will be joined by performers from the audience

Cathi Unsworth

Martin Figura

Mayor’s Community Fund Bingo eveningSaturday 20th October 2018, Central Hall - Eyes down at 7.30pm

Funds raised to be split between Wymondham Access Group and Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper.

Rebecca Stott

5Autumn 2018

Friendly, independent, professional advice

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10 Fairland Street, Wymondham, NR18 0AWT 01953 85 75 78 E info@hansells.co.uk

Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority No 50602 Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

■ Elderly Client Law ■ Powers of Attorney■ Wills, Estates and Lifetime Planning

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■ Family Law ■ Accident Claims■ Clinical Negligence ■ Notary Public

As well as being unsightly, litter is a serious social, economic and environmental issue. It causes harm to communities and wildlife, and in an era where local authorities’ budgets are coming under increasing pressure, costs over £1billion each year to clear up. Yet it is entirely preventable.

Following the great turnout for The Big Wymondham Litter Pick in April, when over 80 people collected in excess of 70 bags of litter, Greening Wymondham are holding another in September.

All are welcome to attend, litter picking equipment will be supplied but please bring a pair of gloves. Refreshments will be available afterwards.

Date: Saturday 22 September 2018. Time: 10am to 1pm. Meeting at Wymondham Town Football Club, Kings Head Meadow, Back Lane

For further information contact Peter Knights (Greening Wymondham). Email: greening.wymondham@gmail.com

Successful mission Greening Wymondham lines up its team for the 2017 litter pick event

The Big Wymondham Autumn Litter Pick 2018

Planning application approved for new council officesPreparatory work for the new council offices is progressing smoothly.

Earlier this year the Town Council approved the architects’ plans for an office building and maintenance base at Ketts Park with adjacent parking. This will replace the present council offices in Middleton Street, currently leased from South Norfolk Council. These are expensive to run and no longer fit for present needs. It is envisaged that the project can be achieved with no increase in Council Tax required from ratepayers.

Plans have now been approved by South Norfolk Council, and tenders for the work have been invited.

About Wymondham 6

Wymondham Community Events – Autumn 2018

SeptemberSat 22 10–1 Big Autumn Litter Pick organised by Greening Wymondham Group - meet at Town Football Club Kings Head MeadowTue 18 10–5 Exhibition of paintings: An East Anglian Landscape revealed – ends Sun 23 Sept (12–5 Sun) Arts CentreTue 25 10–5 Exhibition of paintings, photos, rugs, sculptures: Here we are again! – ends Sun 30 Sept (12–5 Sun) Arts CentreThu 27 10–12 WEA 8-week course: The Norfolk Landscape – tutor Chad Goodwin Abbey HallSat 29 7.30 Concert: Mendelssohn’s Elijah sung by North West Festival Choir conducted by John Bethell MBE Abbey

OctoberTue 3 10–5 Exhibition of photography: Creating a moment – 1st Monday Photographic – ends Sun 7 Oct (12–5 Sun) Arts CentreTue 2 7.30 Town Council meeting Tiffey Room, Central Hall

Thu 4 10–4 Star Throwers Open Day - Find out how our free complementary therapies benefit people affected by cancer. Contact 423304. 30 Melton Road

Sat 6 3pm Talk by Norfolk Naturalist Chris Durdin on the Norfolk Cranes arr. by Friends of Wymondham Abbey Abbey

Sun 7 2.30 Regal Experience film: Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation: James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara, plus Look at Life – Why All the Rush (August Bank Holidays) Ex Services Club

Tue 9 10–5 Exhibition of textile art by Artful Stitchers ends Sun 14 Oct (12–5 Sun) Arts CentreSat 13 7.30 Brass Band Concert: Cawston Band directed by Leigh Sharpe AbbeyTue 16 10–5 Exhibition by Wymondham Art Society: Print, Pastel and Pen – ends Sun 21 Oct (12–5 Sun) Arts CentreFri 19 7.30 Wymondham Words Festival: Spies and Lies – Cathi Unsworth and Paul Willetts Library

Sat 209.00 Farmers’ Market Market Place5pm Concert: Choral music with a harvest theme given by Wymondham Abbey Choir Abbey

Tue 23 10–5 Exhibition: Norfolk Makers Art and Craft show ends Sun 4 Nov (12–5 Sun) Arts CentreWed 24 7.30 Wymondham Words Festival: Howzat? The Six Sixes Ball Mystery – Grahame Lloyd LibraryThu 25 1pm Wymondham Words Festival: Children’s workshop with Isabelle King (suitable for ages 7 – 11) LibraryFri 26 7.30 Wymondham Words Festival: Doctor Zeeman’s Catastrophe Machine – performance by Martin Figura Baptist Church

Sat 271pm Concert: Vauxhall Male Voice Choir lunchtime recital Abbey3pm Wymondham Words Festival: The Book of Job – Acts of Faith – Revd. Tim Weatherstone et al. Baptist Church

Mon 29 7.30 Wymondham Words Festival: Poetry Supper at The Dragon – George Szirtes and Ramona Herdman Green DragonTue 30 7.30 Wymondham Words Festival: Louis de Bernières in conversation with Chris Brown Baptist ChurchWed 31 5pm A Green Halloween – wildlife event for young people and families Abbey

NovemberThu 1 12pm Wymondham Words Festival: Literary Lunch with Mark Cocker, talking about the environment Number 24 RestaurantFri 2 7.30 Wymondham Words Festival: Rebecca Stott in conversation with George Szirtes LibrarySat 3 10–3 Autumn Craft Fair AbbeySun 4 2.30pm Regal Experience film: Tiger Bay with John Mills & Hayley Mills plus The Picnic with the Two Ronnies Ex-Services ClubTue 6 7.30 Town Council meeting Tiffey Room, Central Hall

Sun 1111.00 Remembrance Ceremony War Memorial2.00 Remembrance Sunday – parade assembles Market Place3.00 Remembrance Service Abbey

Sat 17 9.00 Farmers’ Market Market Place

Sat 24 7.30 Concert: Remembrance and Renewal – Wymondham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Parnell. Pre-concert talk at 6.45 given by tenor soloist Jack Evans Abbey

December

Sat 110–4 Abbey Christmas Tree Festival – ends Sun 9 Dec Abbey12 – 6 Winterfest Festival Market Place

Sun 2 6.30 Advent Carol Service AbbeyTue 4 7.30 Town Council meeting Tiffey Room, Central Hall

Fri 7 1.30 Robert Kett Schoolchildren lay flowers on the anniversary of the deaths of Robert and William Kett in1549 Becket’s Chapel

Sat 8 11.00 Coffee-time organ recital – Music for Advent – Peter O’Connor Abbey

Sun 9 2.30 Regal Experience film: Scrooge, The Musical with Albert Finney, Alec Guinness and Edith Evans plus Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – classic 1944 cartoon Ex-Services Club

Tue 11 10–4 Advent Spiral – All welcome to light a candle and walk the spiral – ends Fri 14 Dec Abbey

Sat 159.00 Farmers’ Market Market Place7.30 Choral concert: Encore Christmas concert conducted by new Musical Director Sarah Grimes Baptist Church

Sun 16 6.30 Town Carol Service Abbey

7Autumn 2018

Plans for Becket’s Chapel take a step forward

In our winter edition last year we reported on plans to secure the future of Becket’s Chapel, Wymondham’s former library and for the last ten years the home of Wymondham Arts Centre.

The Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust (NHBT), working with Wymondham Arts Forum, approached Wymondham Town Council and secured their approval in principle to the move of the Tourist Information Centre from the Market Cross to a restored and extended Becket’s Chapel. NHBT has now submitted its Stage 1 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund and a Project Development Fund application to the Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) for this project. The total project cost is £1.7 million and the application to HLF will be £1.2m, the rest to be raised from other sources.

We will hear about the AHF grant by the first week in October, and the HLF grant during the latter half of December. We know that HLF’s funding pot for 2018 is very tight and, unusually this year, we have to go to the national committee of HLF, rather than the regional one, which means that we will be up against large projects with a national profile. This reduces our chances of success. However, the regional limit will increase back to £2 million from January 2019, so we will be in a position to reapply almost immediately if our initial application is refused. All, of course, assuming that our project is considered a good one.

So fingers crossed for a successful outcome at the beginning of next year. If the application is successful a huge amount of work will follow, but it will all have been worthwhile if our town’s remaining major historic building can be saved for the future.

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About Wymondham 8

Keeping in touchAbout Wymondham is published four times a year. To keep right up to date visit the Town Council’s website at wymondhamtc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk

We welcome your contributions. If you want to submit articles or photos, put items in the diary or comment on content please contact John Wood on 01953 602051.

To advertise or comment on circulation please contact the Town Clerk on 01953 603302. The next edition will be in December: copy date is 19th November 2018.

Produced by Naked Marketing 01953 850211 www.nakedmarketing.co.uk

PLEASE BOOK NOW FOR AUTUMN

LOOK FAB THIS AUTUMN!

The current Town Guide was published in 2016, and is due shortly for its biennial revision.

Town organisations which are already in the guide and wish to change details, or ones which would like to submit a new entry, are invited to get in touch with the publishers as soon as possible. Only brief information is required, as shown on pages 81-85 of the current guide, copies of which are available for reference in the Council Offices.

The guide is published by Onepress Publishing. Please send details to jean@onepresspublishing.co.uk tel. 07760 162784. They would also like to hear from you if you are interested in advertising in the guide.

It is hoped to publish the next edition by the end of the year.

New Town Guide in preparation

Markets need our supportEarlier this year meetings were held between representatives of groups involved to address concerns about the slow decline of markets in Wymondham. Stallholders, local residents and town councillors met with Lisa Cosh from South Norfolk Council and local MP Mr George Freeman to see how best to go about regenerating our markets.

‘Creating a Moment’ is a photograph which will be on display at a forthcoming exhibition in Wymondham Arts Centre. First Monday are a small group of local photographers who meet monthly in the Wymondham ‘Feathers’ to eat, drink, talk photography and discuss members’ images. The exhibition runs from 2-7 October.

As the first part of a longer-term exercise the suggestion that rental charges should be reduced was approved, and the current offer of two “come and have a go for free” sessions for new stallholders has been increased to four free sessions.

New rental charges have been implemented, covering considerations such as stall length and whether or not electricity would be supplied.

Since then the number of stalls at the Friday markets has increased, and trade appears to have picked up. However, numbers at the monthly farmers markets are still disappointing.

The message is that the town Council is doing its bit to boost trade, and it is now up to us, the town shoppers, to use our markets and to encourage friends to do so.