THE CROWN INN

Home Cooked Food Served Daily 12noon—2pm

And 6pm to 8pm On Sunday and Monday

6pm to 9 pm Wednesday to Saturday

Closed all day Tuesday Senior Citizens 2 Course Lunch every Wednesday £5. 95

Alternate Wednesday Quiz

Nite

Tel. (01366)727317

Page 12

Sandra’s Cards

Handmade cards for any occasion Made to your personal specifications at

very competitive prices

Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Let me introduce you to, or enhance an existing hobby in

the comfort of your own home

with friends and family

Tel. 01366 728407 or 07806 616704

Don't forget the Northwold

Produce Show 2009!

on 12th September, at the Village

Hall.

Show schedules can be obtained from:-

Mr & Mrs S Freemantle, 17 Church

Lane, Northwold. Tel: 727675

or the Northwold Village Shop

Registration, with payment, can be

made with the Secretary (Sharron Free-

mantle) during the week commencing

7th Sept.

Entries for hanging baskets, wall

troughs and children's sunflowers are

required by Wed, 9th Sept.

For those who have never entered the

Show before - why not have a go?

Given below are some useful tips to

make the most of your exhibits. Good

Luck!

Beetroot and Parsnips These should be free from pest and dis-

eases with no side shoots or split skins.

Should be washed and the foliage

trimmed to max. 4 inches and tied

with raffia or string.

They should be of uniform size, shape

and colour.

Potatoes

Try to pick uniform shape and size,

free from blemishes and disease.

White potatoes are creamy white with

no coloured eyes.

Coloured potatoes can be any colour

or whites with coloured eyes.

Onions

Again, try to pick uniform shape, size

and colour with no evidence of dis-

ease. They should not have broken

skin and should be tied with raffia or

string.

Tomatoes

These should be a uniform shape and

size with no blemishes. Calyces

should still be attached to the fruit.

Runner Beans Uniform shape and length.

Leeks Washed and clean with leaves tied

with raffia or string.

Cauliflower Foliage trimmed to expose curd.

Carrots These should be free from pest and

diseases with no side shoots or split

skins. Should be washed, of uniform

size, shape and colour.

NB. Foliage should NOT be trimmed.

Flowers

Presentation also counts. Flowers not

displayed in water will be disqualified,

vase or jars should be clean and without

labels of any kind.

Cookery

Hard fruits are apples, pears, plums,

quinces, crab apples, medlars, green-

gages, sloes, apricots, cherries, dam-

sons, peaches, nectarines and mangos.

Soft fruits are strawberries, raspberries,

blackberries, red/white/blackcurrants,

loganberries, rhubarb, elderberries, figs,

gooseberries, grapes, mulberries, bil-

berries and blueberries.

Marmalades: citrus fruits are Seville

oranges, sweet oranges, grapefruit, lem-

ons, limes and Satsuma’s.

Issue September2009 Copy date for the next issue is;

23rd September 2009 copy@northwold.net Tel. 01366 728233

Elvis is Coming! The Northwold Village Hall Fund Raising Committee are having an Elvis Eve-

ning on Friday 16th October at the Northwold Village Hall. 'Elvis Revisited' will

bring the magic and excitement of a 1970's Elvis Presley Show with music, cos-

tume and the voice of the King of Rock and Roll.

This person is not to be missed! The evening will include refreshment and licensed

bar applied for.

All for only £8. A sell-out is expected so book your tickets NOW from Jackie

728571 or John 727018. Posters will be displayed shortly.

A Message From Charlie

Askew

I just have to say a big thank-you to all the lovely

people who helped to make Sun, 28th June a

really special day for me.

I was "invited" down to the Church Tower open

day, arriving to find ringers, and other friends ready to celebrate my connection with

the Church-bells, which first started over 62 years ago.

For the past 30 years the bells have been rung consistently, with very few services

missed.

Over the years (apart from ringing) I have taught quite a few people to ring. Also

(with other ringers) we have carried out bell maintenance. Although for me, that

is all finished, I enjoyed every moment, and I just hope the bells will carry-on ring-

ing for a long time to come.

I’ll be listening.

Charlie.

On Sunday 9th August, while a lot of

people were enjoying the open gardens

at The Grange, Paul Morgan was at

Southwold where he successfully ab-

seiled down the outside of the light-

house in order to raise money for the

Royal National Lifeboat Institute, with

which he has been connected for many

years.

The drop was of 31metres and the un-

usual thing about Southwold Lighthouse

is that it is situated in the middle of the

town, next to the brewery.

Paul raised over £1,000 for the lifeboats.

Paul Drops In On

Southwold

Paul on his way down

With his diploma

Help Help

Have you ever had that “Whenever

shall I get to the shops this week, “

feeling.

If so panic no more – help is at hand,

and at our own Village hall.

On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednes-

days from 10 am until noon a team of

friendly helpful Local people will be

there to help you send your shopping

order to Sainsbury’s or Tesco. No

Fuss, No hassle – all you need is your

shopping list. Your order will be de-

livered for a reasonable cost.

Waiting to help you are:-

Kim Hemming, Peter Jackson, Rose-

mary Crisp, Ann Howarth, and Ron

Deacon on a rota system. So why not

try it.

Whittington Church

are offering for sale a selection of Pews.

Carved Orio £ 250

Non Carved £ 150.

Free at last

from a life of

toil And fast learning that

there is no such thing

as retirement! The man famous in the

village for Langley’s Lovely Ices

Has finally handed in his tools and

called it a day.

Wishing Barry and Jenny all the best in

their new situation from Village Life

Elvis. CharlieAskew- Barry Langley Paul Morgan-On Line Shopping

cover

Church Diary- Old cemetery clean Editorial

2

Vicars Message Anonymous letter

3

W I Spiritualists

4

Youth Club. Noah’s Ark play Letter to the Editor

5

Village hall Sponsored cycle ride

Cricket

Bowls Club Draw

Classified ads

6

River watch- The Grange open gardens Carnival

7

Art Group 8

Pog 9

Ian Nisbet Charity evening

10

Classified advertisements

11

Produce show

12

Inside this issue:

Page 2

The Village Life Team

Editor Michael Parfitt

copy@northwold.net Tel. 728233

Deputy Editor Graeme Whiting

graeme@northwold.net Tel 727425

Advertising

ads@northwold.net

Circulation Manager Mark Elwes

circulation@northwold.net Tel. 728795

Committee

Chair Carol Sharp Tel. 728227

Secretary Position vacant

Treasurer Geoff Bartram

Tel. 728673

The views expressed in submitted items are not necessarily endorsed by Northwold & Whittington Village Life. Whilst we endeavour to ensure that all information contained in the newsletter is correct, we cannot be held responsible for errors. The Editor reserves the right to refuse or omit items without explanation.

Derek Johnson PROPERTY & LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

Interior & exterior painting, wood or UPVC facia boards

Guttering repaired, cleaned, replaced Roofing repairs, damaged tiles replaced

Chimney pots & cowlings fitted Chimney stacks and general re-pointing

Blocked drains & sinks cleared General plumbing & drainage

Roof, patio & driveway pressure washing Trees & conifers trimmed or removed

Hedges, bushes and ivy trimmed Fencing & decking, landscape maintenance

TELEPHONE 01842 810816

COMMUNITY ENVIRON-

MENT DAY – 19TH SEPT. 2009

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

PLACE: The Old Cemetery, Church Lane

TIME: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Can you spare an hour or two to help a

team of volunteers clear the brambles

and generally tidy up the Old Ceme-

tery?

Tea and Coffee will be provided - we

just need some willing helpers (with

gardening equipment if available!) to

make the place a pleasant place for re-

flection and to enhance the natural envi-

ronment for everyone to enjoy.

CONTACT: Blue Leard for further de-

tails. (01366) 727290

Two dates in September for you to

remember!

Pet Service – Sunday September 30 at

3.30pm

All Pets and their owners are welcome –

but pets must be under control! – that is,

on a lead, in a cage, box or tank etc.

We hope to have a return visit of a spe-

cial guest – Debbie the Donkey. Do

come, we look forward to seeing you.

Sunday September 20th Harvest Thanksgiving at St Andrew’s,

to include a performance of “Noah’s

Flood”, a medieval Miracle Play, dating

from a time when bible teaching was

often through plays and wall paintings

in churches (of course we have the faint

remains of a wall painting in St An-

drew’s! Have you seen it?).

St Andrew,s Church St Andrew’s Church cal-

endar for September 2009 6th

11am Holy Communion. Rev Horan

13th

11am Matins. Keith McCleod

20th

11am harvest festival Rev Horan

27th

11am Martins. C. Nicholas Letch

October 4th 11am Holy Communion. Rev Horan

Editorial. It would appear that an item published

in other parish magazines has caused

offence, (see page 10). Fortunately we

do not publish in August so it doesn’t

concern us overmuch. However it does

go to show that you can’t be too care-

ful. I know that other editors spend a

great deal of their time producing

these newsletters, and it is small re-

ward to get involved in this sort of

controversy.

On a happier note, during the last

week or so England Cricket team won

back the Ashes from Australia. I ap-

preciate that the euphoria does not

extend universally to every person in

the village, but at the same time it has

to be appreciated that “Class will al-

ways tell in the end”.

A lot of people are asking why I have

pulled my hedge out. I can only reply

in words of William Shakespeare.

“Gentles, perchance you wonder at

this show, then wonder on “till truth

make all things plain.” (Midsummer

Nights Dream). Ed

End of the Hedge

Ray Gribble

Antique Restoration & Traditional Upholstery

All aspects of antique furniture restoration including French

polishing, cabinet repairs and traditional upholstery

-------------------------------------------

Traditional Upholstered Furniture Footstools, Sofas, Chairs made to commission

-------------------------------------------

Picture Framing & Mirrors

An extensive range of mouldings including hand painted

and gilded finishes

Antique and Reproduction Prints for sale

Vine House, Church Road, Wereham, King’s Lynn

01366-500387

www.raygribble.co.uk

Page 11

01366 385885

Local Runs Airports, etc.

PAUL’S TAXI’S

Classified Ads

Greenway Interiors

Kitchens, Bathrooms, Plumbing,

Carpentry Plastering Decorating

54, Cromwell Road, Weeting.

Tel 01842 812567. Mobi le

07766013485. Phone today for a free

quote

We're not just a company - we

care

Graham Smith & Sons

Pest & Vermin Control for homes,

farms and businesses. 24hr/7-day

service. Local family business

(Clover Farm, Mundford)

Tel. 01842 879904, Mob. 07946

733188

D W Services

Gardening and T V Aerials. Grass

Cutting, Hedge trimming, Tree

pruning and general garden work.

Also Digital TV aerials fitted,

CCTV, Signal boosters etc

Tel. 01366 728403

Mobile 07752 587111

D.E.T. T.V. Service - Repairs to

TV’s, VCR’s and Microwaves. Fast

reliable service. John Clifford. 01842

878486.

Feeling Stressed? Why not treat

yourself (Or someone else) to a

relaxing massage by a fully qualified

The r ap i s t . Fu l l y BABTAC

recognised and insured. Gift

vouchers available. Body massage

£17.50 (1 hour), Back massage,

£12.50 (half hour). Contact Shelly

Farrow on 01366 328835 or 07881

904099.

E.G. Dack

Approved Electrician, 25 years

Experience. Small Jobs Electrical.

Tel . 01366 728118, Mobile

07766637077

Lose 2-5lbs a week using natural

products. Free telephone assessment

with an advisor.

Dietworks (0845) 1662157

Nash. 12 ft 2.25 Tc. £ 55. Phone

727018.

F E N L A N D G A R A G E D O O R S

The area’s largest range of manual & automatic doors.

Plus repairs to all doors, and spares.

Thetford 01842 880 008 Swaffham 01760 790 009 Or please phone our Southery SHOWROOM 01366 378481

www.fenlandgaragedoors.co.uk

Superb quality doors fitted by a professional, long standing company, with up to 10 years no quibble guarantee.

TPF P r o p e r t y Maintenance Services

Interior, Exterior Decorating, Carpentry, Wall & Floor Tiling, Wooden & Laminate

Flooring

Call Tim

01366 728 881

The Man With The Power

Handyman – No Job too small

Woodwork, Metal work Iron work

Design/Technical drawing

Gardening work/Labour and construc-

tions i.e. Pergolas gazebos and deck-

ing

House maintenance – Doors, locks

and painting

Phone David George on (01366)

727582

Ian Myers Bookkeeping

Self employed? Small business?

Fed-up with the hassle of

keeping your own ac-

counts?

Let me handle them for you.

Qualified AICB. Fully insured.

Tel: 01366 727141

Mob: 07979 947787

Email: ian.myers@hotmail.com

Page 10

WHAT DOES THE DOCTOR

THINK THIS MONTH?

A couple of weeks ago, on a Sunday

afternoon in Methwold, we enjoyed a

Teddy Bears’ Picnic in St George’s

Church. There were thoughtful mo-

ments, prayerful moments and a great

deal of fun. There was a jam sandwich

making competition between adults and

children, during which the adults were

blindfolded to handicap them. I could

not help thinking of the man who lost

his sight but not his wicked sense of

humour; he was given a guide dog who

also had a sense of humour. Their fa-

vourite trick was to go into a large de-

partment store where there was plenty

of room. The man would bend down,

stroke his guide dog and whisper in his

ear. The dog would grin and wag his

tail. The man would then throw the dog

into the air and spin him around on the

end of his lead in ever increasing cir-

cles. Inevitably, someone would de-

mand to know what on earth he was

doing, swinging his dog through the air

and the response was always “Oh, I’m

just having a look around”.

If you look at Joan Horan’s article else-

where in this issue, you will see that she

discusses “just looking” and describes

her reactions to intrusive shop assis-

tants. Head office and I found plenty of

those in China; if we were looking at a

cup and saucer, a shop assistant would

come up and say “This is a cup” and

“This is a saucer”. Maybe they were just

practising their English but it drove us

nuts (see joke at the end of the article)

and we inevitably left the shop without

buying anything. Anyway, Joan’s article

invites anyone who is seeking to explore

Christianity or just looking at an aspect

such as Baptism or “Why does God let

bad things happen?” to telephone her. I

would strongly recommend that you

read the article carefully – it is written

in our language – and, if you wish, to

telephone her as she is immensely ap-

proachable and is beginning to open up

the process of helping those who may

like to become involved in Christianity

and are currently “just looking”.

Get out your calculator and multiply

13837 by your age and then by 73. You

will see your age repeated across the

screen.

I have long been a fan of the Norfolk

dialect. Although the Norfolk speech

patterns have been relatively well pre-

served by Norfolk’s relative isolation,

they are under constant attack from

Estuary English. Fortunately, Keith

Skipper and other champions, who

founded “FOND – Friends of Norfolk

Dialect, are keeping the language

alive. Here are a few Norfolk dialect

words:

Bishy-barney-bee Ladybird

Cockey Stream or dyke

Puckaterry Muddle or confusion-

Mawther Girl

Mardle To gossip or chat

Mob To scold or nag

Squit A load of old nonsense

Dwainy Weak or sickly

When I first came to Norfolk, I

learned rapidly that someone who felt

“anyhow” was unwell but, when that

turned to feeling “fairly”, things were

on the mend.

I was recently reminded of Sidney

Grapes, a rustic Norfolk comedian

who died in 1958. A bicycle shop

owner in Potter Heigham, he would

pen “Boy John” letters to the EDP for

12 years from 1946. The letters fea-

tured Boy John, Granfar, the cantan-

kerous Ole Mrs W and Aunt Agatha. I

particularly liked one letter where

Granfar came back from the pub com-

plaining about the beer – “Poor Gran-

far, he go down the pub every nite, he

come back a mobbin about the beer,

he say he’s right glad when he a’ had

enuf on it”. The letter always carried

a postscript which detailed Aunt

Agatha’s latest item of home spun

philosophy, always presaged by “PS:

Aunt Agatha, she say…”:

”If yew dorn’t git orl you want, think

of things yow dorn’t want - and dorn’t

git”

“Thass no good a’ puttin’ yar foot

down if yew hint got a leg ter stand

on”

Best wishes to you all

Ian G. Nisbet.

Charity Evening

In aid of Macmillan cancer Support

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Wednesday 18th November

Northwold Sports And Social

Club

Featuring Back to Back An Award Winning Duo

Singing Tracks 60’s—90’s

Raffles and licensed bar

Tickets available from North-

wold Sports And Social Club

01366728584

Deb ‘N Hair 01842828287

RayWaller 22, Nightingale lane-

Feltwell 01842827120

Page 3

BRIAN WATERS YOUR LOCAL MILKMAN

TEL : 01366 728024

DEPOT : 01284 754720

Northwold ~ Foulden

Feltwell ~ Methwold

Methwold Hythe

Mundford

MARK ROBERTS Plumbing & Heating

Plumbing & Heating • Boiler Replacement

Central Heating Installation

Bathrooms/Showers • Water Softeners

ALL WORK & MATERIALS GUARANTEED

REFERENCES AVAILABLE

Telephone 01366 727344 Mobile 07887 646587

Just Looking…. by Rev’d Joan Horan

How many times have you wandered

into a shop simply to browse, only to be

descended upon by an overzealous shop

assistant determined to make a sale. ‘Oh

I’m fine, I’m just looking’ you mutter

hoping that the person will go away and

leave you space to consider what’s on

offer. Should the assistant persist in

thrusting unwelcome attention upon me,

I invariably leave. No sale. There’s

nothing worse than being pressured.

In all major life decisions time for ‘just

looking’ is vital. It gives us space to

gather information and to reflect before

making a firm commitment. Mature

decision making is a process. Most of us

don’t make life changing decisions, to

marry, or to purchase a house for exam-

ple on the spur of the moment.

Often people find it helpful to discuss

the decision-making process with oth-

ers. That's why I take a friend along

when I’m doing something as basic as

shopping for curtain material – two or

more heads are generally better than

one.

Teenagers and adults who choose to

explore how their lives might be

changed through encounter with Jesus,

invariably begin with a period of ‘just

looking’. This is really important. Peo-

ple need space to explore, to reflect and

to ask questions. Few people like to be

pressured into a snap decision of the

kind beloved by ‘Telly Evangelists’.

Most people, even people who have

always attended church, tend to become

Christians gradually. Christians aren’t

zapped into existence…we grow as

Christians in the same way that we grow

from infancy, into childhood, adoles-

cence, adulthood and finally to into

aged wisdom….if we’re lucky. Chris-

tian life is about exploration, journey

and yes, even adventure. It’s about

belonging and sharing the journey

with other ordinary, everyday peo-

ple…not ‘holier than thou’ people

who think they’re better than everyone

else, but ‘normal’ people who are sim-

ply on a journey into wholeness –

which is what ‘holy’ actually means.

‘Just looking’ involves asking impor-

tant questions about life …like per-

haps…Why does God let bad things

happen to good people? Often ques-

tions surface when we’re asked to be

Godparent to a special child. We stand

up at the Baptism service and make a

heap of promises. But what do they

mean? Are they important? The an-

swer is that they are very important…

they are life changing. In God’ pres-

ence, you promise to support the

Christian upbringing of the child. This

would be quite tricky without some

understanding of what Christians be-

lieve.

If you are ‘just looking’, have ques-

tions or simply want to have a chat,

please feel free to give me a call on

01842 828034.

St Andrew’s Church Ely 900 Cele-

brations June 27th and 28th

They say the sun shines on the right-

eous … and what a glorious weekend

we had for our celebrations! The

Church looked magnificent, filled with

the sight and scent of nineteen impres-

sive and imaginative flower arrange-

ments, on the theme “Songs Of

Praise”, how we shall miss them when

they are gone. This was our Flower

Festival and a great credit to all the

flower arrangers, who had spent longer

than one would think to get everything

“Just Right”.

The flowers provided a fitting setting

for the evening concert given by pupils

and staff from our own Norman

School and of Thetford Grammar

School. We enjoyed a whole range of

talent and must congratulate all who

took part in the very varied pro-

gramme.

The “Inner man” (And Woman) was

not forgotten, and luscious cream teas

were available on both days, whilst on

Sunday, a tasty wine and canapé lunch

was to be had in the garden of the Old

Rectory.

To add to the occasion, on Sunday

afternoon, Charlie Askew, Tower cap-

tain of St Andrew’s bell ringers, and

ringer for over sixty years was hon-

oured by the ringers who rang a spe-

cial peal for him, and we all had a

piece of celebratory cake!

This has been a weekend to be remem-

bered, not only as a Celebration of 900

years of the diocese, but as a splendid

coming – together of families and

friends, neighbours and visitors.

Congratulations and a big thank you to

all who contributed to making this the

success it was

Anonymous Letter

Recently a letter was put through

the door of the Deputy Editor in

support of the Priory Group. Our

policy is, and will remain, that we

will not print letters unless we are

aware of the author. However if the

author of this letter cares to make

their identity known we will be

happy to print. ED

Page 4

PR. Bowers & Son Funeral Directors

24 Hour Service

Tel 01366 727432 Upholding Traditional Family

Values of Dignity & Respect

Memorials .

Floral Tributes .Funeral Plans

Cream Teas for Cancer Re-

search UK

Thank you so much to everyone who,

once again, supported this event. At

least 41 people attended on the day and

many, many more of you supported us

with donations. The total raised on the

day was £375 which increased to a fan-

tastic £600 by the time that we attended

the Relay for Life event. Thank you all

– you are unbelievable generous

The July meeting of the Northwold W.I.

took place on Tuesday 14th and was at-

tended by 32 members and 2 guests.

Thanks were given to all those who

helped in any way with the village car-

nival, especially those who manned the

stall and those taking part in the carnival

parade. Congratulations, the WI gained

second place!

Ann Howarth expressed her grateful

thanks to all those who supported her

cream teas event in aid of Cancer Re-

search UK. A magnificent sum of £375

was raised on the day, rising to £600 by

the day of the Relay for Life.

Congratulations were extended to

Hillary Sharrington for her beautiful

flower arrangement in the St An-

drew’s flower festival on behalf of the

WI and to Jenny Bunyan and Brenda

Ayres for their contribution to the

Stradsett Garden Festival.

The speaker this month was Julie

Hurst, a milliner from Wymondham,

who took us on the most interesting

and entertaining guided history of

hats. She explained why hats were

first worn and the materials that were

used, through the ages to the present

day and a brief history of hat making

in England. Julie had many examples

of different types of hat including a

variety of hats from the last hundred

years which were most elegantly mod-

elled for us by Jenny Langley. Julie

then described the processes involved

in making her wonderful bespoke raf-

fia hats, which we were all able to try

on. Everyone agreed that this was one

of our most enjoyable evenings this

year and we can’t wait to attend one of

Julie’s workshops and make our own

raffia hat.

This month’s competition was to make

a hat, Jo Ann Kidd won first place

with Jenny Langley coming second and

Doreen Randall and Mitch Hodges shar-

ing third place.

Supper this month was provided by

Peggy Clear, Rosemary Crisp and Ver-

ity Lynch. Next month will be a garden

meeting taking place in Pauline Cundy’s

garden. It will be a contribution super

and the competition will be “your fa-

vourite dessert”.

Northwold W I

Northwold Spiritualists

Services and events for

September,and early Oc-

tober 2009. Meetings in Northwold Village hall

on Alternate Friday evenings 7.30pm

and at other times.

September.

11th Shirley Cimelli

25th Carol and Les Min-

nett

Saturday 19th Clairvoyance evening

Adrian Passotti

November 6th Nick Brown

Enquiries to Eileen on 727174

Page 9

Our Past

According To

Pog Aka Mike Coley

One of my very favourite T.V programs,

episodes of which are still shown from time

to time on the box, has to be Dads Army. It

was of course filmed in Norfolk so that gives

it a head start as far as I’m concerned no

doubt, actually filmed in and around the

Thetford area. Northwold was of course

equip with its own Home Guard platoon, led

by our very own version of Captain Main-

waring, ( Dubby Royal, farmer of this par-

ish no less ) it all came about before my

time of course but there are still a good many

of the original squad around, and if no longer

in person, their reputations and memories of

their exploits continue to abound.

It may have been after my time but the indi-

viduals concerned, or their names at least

remain very familiar to me. When I was a

kid, the home guard had already been dis-

banded and was no more, long since having

marched off into the pages of our illustrious

history. However the Battle Area was, and

still is very much in going gear, in as much

that in my younger days I remember the

sounds of munitions at night and of seeing

the sky being lit up as bright as day with

flairs that were dropped from planes by little

parachutes to illuminate the terrain for our

troops to practice their night time manoeu-

vres. Nowadays the Household Cavalry still

come along to Bodney Camp, along with all

the Queens horses, for their annual holiday

away from city life. They will no doubt have

enjoyed their annual swim in the sea at

Holkham as they always do by tradition. All

this began of course long after both the

world wars had ended yet the memories of

those terrible events were, and are still very

raw and uppermost in the minds of pretty

well everyone.

Amazingly, regardless of all the wartime

killing and mayhem that went on and

which people had endured at the expense

of family, friends and loved ones, kiddies

still played at Cowboys and Indians as a

matter of choice. Then again Guns were

very much a part of our everyday lives,

shotguns ( I purchased my first one at the

tender age of 13 years, from Kays Cata-

logue unbelievably, and I still have it, the

gun that-is, not the catalogue ) prior to that

most of us would have had air guns of

course, or catapults at the very least.

Apart from those weapons, I counted my-

self as being most fortunate in that I was

able to play with a real rifle from either

World War 1 or World War 2 I’m not sure

which, none the less it was a 303, complete

with bullets ( both live and blank rounds

that either my Granddad had retained

from the First World War when he served

in the Army of course, or that my Dad had

kept from his days in the 2nd War when he

served in the RAF as a Warrant Officer,

those old rifles hardly changed between

those times. ) That old gun stayed with me

and mine until the police first came up

with the idea of offering an amnesty, no

questions asked, to anyone handing weap-

ons in that they weren’t entitled to. It was

my dad that persuaded me to give the old

gun up and amazingly it was to our illustri-

ous editor, Lord Parfitt no less, whom

was the village Bobby at that time. Hap-

pily I was never tempted to fire the thing,

after all I was well aware that they had a

supposed range of around mile, compared

with the more common (to us at least) 12

bore shotguns that have a recommended

killing range of some 35 yards, the differ-

ence between the interiors of the 303 that

were rifled, and the smooth interiors of

shot gun barrels.

Can you imagine the absolute apoplexy

that so many of our health and safety con-

scious neighbours of today would be

thrown into? regardless of the levels of

responsibility that

such behaviour in-

stilled so deeply into

us.

But back to

N o r t hw o l d ’ s

Home Guard, or

Dad’s Army pla-

toon, a lot of the

info for this piece

was gleaned from

various friends of

mine like Johnny

Cracknel from Foulden, who was himself a

veteran of the Home Guard. The Northwold

platoon had old Dubby Royal in charge

( like most of Northwold’s indigenous in-

habitants at that time, a Farmer by occupa-

tion ) his men did much of their training,

including the live firing of weapons, here in

that old quarry which we called the Chalk

Pit, from whence the clunch ( solid chalk

blocks ) were excavated for use in the build-

ing of most of our older properties, including

many walls within the village. Fascinatingly

enough those old buildings had no founda-

tions as houses are required to have today,

and know what? They’re pretty well all still

standing proudly to this very day. I bet to-

day’s houses, if indeed they still even exist,

wont be able to make such a boast in the

years to come.

Brass Shell cases from the 1st war, both

Large and quite Small, were highly prized

and equally highly polished, were to be

found in most of our homes when I was a

kid, ( my own home included ) where they

would have been displayed as ornamenta-

tion, despite the death and destruction that

they had metered out previously. .

There was a stupendous display a while

back, which I was lucky enough to have

attended, held in the Church at Didlington,

based on wartime memorabilia.

The Desert Rats have a Memorial site along

side the Swafham/Brandon Road at High-

Ash, marked by an old military Tank near to

the entrance, both Prince Charles and

Camilla are no strangers to this site inciden-

tally.

Don Bales, a fine organist at the church in

his free time, would lay down his, work so

fastidiously created at the lathe or his forge

before answering that all to frequent call to

alms. And of course there were a good many

more involved as well as those just men-

tioned. I have no-way of knowing if anyone

locally would ever have uttered Corporal

Jones famous phrase when they fixed bayo-

nets, “they don’t like it Up-Em”

Well my old bewties, that’s it for another

month, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I

did recalling those distant events and I hope

to see you at one of the functions put on in

our area recalling the war.

Take care and look after each other till I

come up with a bit more squit to be going on

with,

Best Wishes everyone

Pog

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The Northwold Art Group held their 3rd Annual Art Exhibition in

the village hall Saturday and Sunday

11th and 12th July this year. The usual

preview party was held on the Friday

evening, and was very well attended by

the artists, their partners and friends

along with Demonstrators and buyers

from the previous year. There was a

varied selection of works to buy and

over the weekend the general feeling

seems to have been that the standard

was much raised since the previous

show. Well done all of you.

On Saturday 18th July a party from

Northwold Art Group took a coach

trip to Southwold for the day to do

some sketching. The night before we

had an incredible storm over the vil-

lage accompanied by a severe deluge

of rain! Therefore, when we met at

the Village Hall the next morning we

came prepared with raincoats and um-

brellas. However, when we arrived in

Southwold the sun shone and it was a

beautiful day, raincoats and umbrellas

were left on the coach. We all went

our separate ways to sketch or shop or

just look around the galleries. Some

people crossed over the river on the

rowing boat ferry to look around the

pretty village of Walberswick and some

stayed at the harbour to sketch the fish-

ing boats and sheds. The beach huts on

the promenade proved to be popular

buildings to sketch or photograph, as

they looked so cheerful.

Some members met for lunch (and a

glass of wine or pint of Adnams best

bitter) in the various pubs and restau-

rants and then spent a lazy afternoon

sitting on the front overlooking the sea.

We took several photographs to help

with our painting and the following

week we all attempted pictures based on

our day trip. Everyone agreed it was a

successful day and one to be repeated.

The Group continues to thrive and has at

present nearly 40 members and is nearly

at its upper limit for space in the Village

Hall so anyone wishing to join should

approach Patsy or Glenda as soon as

possible on 01366 727582 or 01366

727018 respectively.

Patsy Hood and Glenda

Burton

A visitor snaps up a bargain

Crowds flock to view works by the

Famous Artists

Page 5

Northwold Rockery Stone At Bryan Cater's

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The Poplars, Thetford Road, Northwold, Thetford

Norfolk IP26 5LW Tel o1366 728342

NORTHWOLD

YOUTH CLUB

It only seems that yesterday we were

holding the Youth Club end of year

disco party and yet here we are planning

2009/2010 activities!

The last few Youth Club sessions were

great fun. The Tennis Club kindly

hosted an evening for the young mem-

bers on the tennis courts, while Kate

Davies from the Borough Council kept

others occupied with various athletic

activities on the Rec.

At the party we said “cheerio” to two

American friends – Andie and Duncan –

who had been visiting our Youth Club

during their stay in the UK. A number

of our members have now become pen

pals with Andie.

The club starts up again on 9th Septem-

ber. Planned activities include another

visit from Karl, the golf pro. and also a

circus workshop. Both very popular

with the young members.

During the summer holidays Lauren,

Molly and Kimberly helped the Youth

Club with fundraising at the Open Gar-

dens hosted by Mr & Mrs Hood. We

hope you all sampled some of the good-

ies at the Tuck Shop stall! Thank you to

everyone involved. It really is appreci-

ated.

Thanks must also be extended to all the

volunteer helpers who are bracing them-

selves for the next year of Youth Club

Activities. (This will be its 4th year!)

Without the commitment and support of

Ann, Beryl, Bernie, Dean, Helen, Jane

and Jean we would not have such a

large and successful Youth Club in

Northwold.

At the end of last year we had 50 chil-

dren registered – though not everyone

attended each session. This is the

maximum number we can accommo-

date safely.

One or two members will have/soon

reached their 14th birthdays and we

know they have been wondering

whether they can continue to attend.

(The age range is 7 – 14.) We’re

pleased to say that some have said

they’d like to continue to come along,

so they’ll become Junior Helpers –

adding some responsibility to their

role within the Youth Club.

Here’s hoping for another successful

year at the Youth Club and thank you

to everyone who has supported the

Club.

Sharron & Steve Freemantle

(Secretary and Treasurer)

Letter To The Editor

Dear Sir, It’s 7.45 am and I’ve just

taken from the river in Common

drove:- 1 full tin of paint, Various

wrappers, several drink cans and a bit

of old carpet, Vast quantities of poly-

styrene (Broken with bits floating up

and down the river.

If we don’t educate the young,

(Presumably it is “The Young” who

do these things) about looking after

our world responsibly, we shall end up

spoiling our lovely village and river,

not to say all of England!!.

Parents- please have a chat with your

children before it is too late.

Jane Luckman

Credit Crunch hits

Noah’s Ark

To celebrate the 900th Anniversary of the

diocese of Ely Northwold is going to put

on the play ‘Noah’s Flood’. Work has

already begun on the production which is

to be performed in the grounds of the

church on Sunday 20th September 2009.

.

‘Noah’s Flood’ is a very short play

(about half and hour long) telling the

story of Noah and his missus and the

building of the Ark. It’s one of a whole

group of plays acting out popular bible

stories that used to be performed all over

medieval Europe on back of wagon and

carts. All the parts were played by local

people. They were fun forms of enter-

tainment for all ages.

In that tradition the Northwold ‘Noah’s

Flood’ will be very lively.

BUT,

due to the credit crunch, the cast is not as

big as our needs. Free time has got a lit-

tle shorter as hours to be worked have

had to get longer. For this reason, we are

asking all those who would like to help

in any way to please contact us. We need

‘crowd scene’ people to take speaking or

non-speaking roles. We need builders,

who will help build the ark, and gossips

to will stand around gossiping!

Nothing too difficult, we promise!

So, if you’re free on Sunday 20th Sep-

tember for the performance AND can

give us some of your valuable time for

rehearsals, ring any of the following:

Brenda – 01366 – 728565

Jane – 01366 – 728921

Toni or Malcolm- 01366 727199

Page 6

Northwold Village Hall

After the Chairman, Mike Howarth, wel-

comed eight Trustees to the Meeting it was

down to business which on this occasion was

mostly about the maintenance of the Hall.

Carrie Roberts the Treasurer was, unfortu-

nately, unable to attend but had reported a

Bank Balance of £3346.61p and there was

cash-in-hand of £341.42. The Northwold Art

Group. following their recent Art Exhibition,

had made a donation of just over £93. to-

wards Hall funds for which the Trustees

were most grateful. Mrs. Eyles reported that

the Riverside Group was being wound up

and any funds remaining in that Group’s

account would also be donated to the V.Hall

and again the Trustees were very grateful for

this gesture.

It is proposed that there will be an Elvis

Presley Tribute event on Friday 16th OCT.

There was a quick discussion regarding tow-

els and more will be supplied, also bins will

be placed in the toilets.

Formal Conditions of Hire are being consid-

ered – these would be brought to the atten-

tion of all Hirers of the Hall.

Various items of maintenance were dis-

cussed. Work on the Mens’ toilet floor was

nearly completed and the installation of an

automatic flushing system was being consid-

ered The windows were in need of repaint-

ing and one or two sills needed replacing.

Quotations for this work will be obtained

although the painting will be carried out by

the Chairman plus helpers. The car park

needs more gravel, and it was felt that curb-

ing should be placed on the Hall Lane

boundary to prevent the gravel being lost into

the lane. The brickwork of the Hall still

needed re pointing. Again quotations for the

works to be obtained. Mr.Booty reported

that the Kitchen had been flooded in the re-

cent storms and urgent attention had been

needed. It is understood that different gutter-

ing is necessary and a quote of £397. +VAT

was passed so that work can be carried out

It is appreciated that all this work will be

costly and will soon eat into the present Bank

balance.

The Hall is being well used although it is

available for hire during the day when the

children are on holiday

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 15th

September, at 7.30p.m.

Norfolk Churches Trust

Annual Sponsored Bicycle

Ride It’s time to Get On Your Bike!!!!

Saturday 12th September

Every year funds are raised for the

upkeep and maintenance of our beauti-

ful Norfolk churches by a sponsored

bicycle ride…or walk if you prefer.

All you have to do is find some spon-

sors, visit one or two churches or more

if you are feeling energetic and have

your sponsorship form signed. Then

you collect the money and hand it in to

the St. Andrew’s Church organiser,

Ailene MacMullen.

Half the money you raise comes back

to St. Andrew’s.

This year we would really like to have

more than four people participating on

behalf of St. Andrew’s.

Why not take the family for a walk or

a bike ride to the nearest church at

Didlington and back and raise some

funds for this really worthwhile cause?

Sponsorship forms are available from

the church or from the Village shop.

Do join in and take part!

The Ian McDowell

memorial Cricket

match By one of the umpires.

On Sunday 23rd August the Annual

Cricket match between the Captains

eleven and The Chairman’s eleven took

place on the recreation ground.

This is a particularly special event in the

Northwold Cricket Club calendar be-

cause it is played in memory of the late

Ian McDowell, who was for so many

years such a great stalwart of the cricket

Club, both as a player and as grounds

man, Captain, Secretary, Treasurer, you

name it and he had done it .

It is hard to believe that it is over four

years since Ian passed away.

The weather could not have been better,

and the game was played in a very light

hearted manner which made it even

more enjoyable.

The Chairman’s team led admirably by

Trevor batted first and managed to

amass 141 runs. Which Umpire, The

Rev Billmen was heard to say," Will

take some getting”.

And how right he proved to be. When

the captain’s team went in to bat after a

sumptuous tea laid on during the inter-

val, they were seen to struggle a bit, and

eventually were all out well short of the

target that had been set.

A raffle was organised by the Ladies

which raised over £200 for Macmillan

cancer charity.

The real winner this day though was

cricket which was being played as I am

sure it was meant to be played when it

was first invented.

Members of Ian’s family attended this

event as usual, and it was good to see

them again

During the second innings as I stood at

the bowler’s end there was a terrific

appeal for LBW. I immediately said

“not out”.

As the bowler walked back to his mark

Did I hear a voice in my ear say, “I Dis-

agree” ?

Classified ads Wanted. Travel companion for eld-

erly lady to go on return bus trips

from Northwold to Swaffham on Sat-

urday, and Watton on a Wednesday,

8.30 am till 1 or 2 pm .10 hours a

week. £6.84 an hour + expenses.

Suitable for job share. For details: job

reference 624. Tel. 01508 491220

Foot Clinics Northwold Village Hall with J David Noble WnFCh, MPSP Pract MVR (Retired) Chi-ropody Tutor. Tel. 01362652757 for appointment. Next Clinic Wednesday 14th Oc-

Northwold Bowls

Club 100 club draw

for June 2009 D Lanario £ 20.

J Bartlett £ 15

Gary Cater……£ 10

Numbers drawn by John Haylock

Sylvia

Page 7

DIDLINGTON NURSERIES

Why not visit our walled in garden Nursery

For all your ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials -

Aquatic Plants and much more

Cut Flowers Trees and hedging available

Free range eggs

Tel. (01842) 878288

Prime Quality Barley Beef which has been matured for a minimum of 3 weeks. Dingley Dell Pork which has been reared outside in a natural

environment. Best British lamb also reared in open fields. All meat is direct from local farms Norfolk /Suffolk) and prepared to the

highest standard cut to each individual customers requirements All our St Georges poultry is also local and RSPCA inspected

Home made pork sausages and chipolatas, flavoured sausages and beef sausages. Home made 100% Beef burgers, Pork and Apple, Lamb

Deli Counter with traditional cooked meats, cooked on the premises Large variety of cheeses both British and Continental.

Dry-cure bacon smoked & unsmoked Our policy is to buy as much locally as possible

We also offer an extensive range of preserves, spices and pickles. Range of home cooked pastries, fresh bread and fruit and veg. daily, freezer orders taken.

Opening times

Tues, Thurs, Fri, 8am - 1pm and 2pm - 5.30pm

Mon 8.30am - 1pm

Sat 7.30am - 1pm

Est. 1962

GARY BOYCE Traditional Quality

Butcher and Delicatessen

25a High Street

Methwold

(next to Fire Station)

Telephone 01366728512

Riverwatch By Ivor HookBy Ivor HookBy Ivor HookBy Ivor Hook

The body of a field mouse lay curled up

on the grass. Blood dripped from a mor-

tal neck wound. Its small feeble frame

was tightly clamped by the sharp talons

of a large barn owl and in an instant was

devoured. It was dusk alongside the

river Wissey and for sure there will be

several more killings before the night is

over.

A startling sunset has already slipped

below the distant horizon and the long

shadows of evening have changed to the

magic twilight that separates day and

night. The air and earth is still warm

from the day's sunshine. Clouds of flies

and midges form a mist under the trees

and above the sedge along the waters

edge.

Civilisation is far away and the previ-

ously masked sounds of wildlife are

now magnified. This is Mother Nature’s

time to become fully active and as the

light continues to fade new sounds take

over. A loud rustling comes from within

the undergrowth and dry twigs are heard

to snap. Mysterious plops and splashes

in the river increase as a new atmos-

phere evolves.

An ivory black cormorant rises from out

of the water with a struggling eel in its

grasp and flaps away into the gloom.

The turbulence transmits large waves

across the river. Below a lazy pike is

laying in wait monitoring a shoal of tiny

fish but has so far resisted the tempta-

tion to pounce. A lone coot is making

her way home and the disturbed water

bobs her violently up and down.

The noises of the night and the unseen

company of all about create a feeling of

isolation. Imagination takes over and

runs riot. Monsters and demons spring

to mind but must quickly be dis-

missed. Smells become obvious and

the trees and the riverside growth, as

well as the river itself, can all be rec-

ognised. The rivers flow is seldom

heard but now it makes a strange mur-

mur as it flows along. A vapour rises

from the water and soon the far bank

is disguised. The veil creeps up the

dykes and fills a low hollow. Light has

all but disappeared and familiarity and

night vision take over.

A faraway dog fox calls out seeking

his mate but there is no reply. A fear-

less water rat leaves the sanctuary of

the terra firma and swims away to

plunder the coot’s nest. A heron across

the river in his tree top perch

screeches at a minor annoyance. The

give-away white tails of rabbits appear

and disappear as they dart about. The

coveted vixen sits motionless in the

shelter of a long collapsed tree and is

alert to every sound and movement. A

beating of wings passes overhead ac-

companied by honking and heralds a

skein of geese about to circle and land.

Their return is late but time is only our

perception and here a whole new

world is awaking.

A cold chill becomes obvious. There

is no moon and no artificial light re-

flected in the sky. It is now night. The

canopy of darkness is overpowering

and as the minutes pass everything

becomes deathly quiet. Suddenly the

smell of tobacco smoke drifts along

and betrays the presence of another

being. All but hidden in the nearby

bushes is the outline of a person. Nei-

ther a shotgun or a fishing rod is obvi-

ous but without doubt another predator

is on the prowl!

The Grange Open Garden

Afternoon A huge Thank You to everyone who came

to The Granges on Sunday 9th August and

helped to make it such a success. We had

over 1200 people through the gates. We

didn’t quite make £8,000 on the day but

with donations that is what we are able to

send.

Thank you to all the W I ladies who made

cakes, I think the cake stall made £ 120.

and a very big special thank you to the

three young ladies from the youth club

who very generously gave up half their

profits. Molly Agnew-Griffiths,Lauren

Bradford and Kimberley Hilton.

Finally thank you to the village, sorry if

the car parking caused any problems. Mr

and Mrs Webb of Little London farm

were kind enough to let us use their field

for family, friends and helpers, so without

their help it would have been worse!

As you all know this is the last time we

will open the gardens, however next year

we hope to have a Sunday afternoon band

Concert and if whilst strolling around the

gardens in the sunshine during the interval

and see some weeds we will be forgiven.

Thank you once again

Robin and Carole

The PFTA Carnival On behalf of the committee of the

Northwold PTFA I have great pleasure

in announcing that we made a profit of

£2550 at the Carnival. Thanks to all of

you that helped in any manner, what a

successful day.

Roger