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The Wayland News is the community newspaper for Watton Wayland in Breckland, Norfolk, UK.
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Supporting The Wayland Community Issue Number 166 - April 2011
Ahoy There Shipmates On the 19th February Alison Dickson's pirate
themed 50th birthday party raised more than
"pieces of eight". A grand total of £1231 is to
be split between The Big C, Norfolk Blind
Association and Watton Thursday Club.
The three individual charities will each
receive £410.33. Included in the total are the
tombola which on the night raised £113 and
£66 raised in The Village Florist Treasure
Hunt, the prize being a hamper
won by Mr Christian. This could
not have taken place without good
friends and family including our
friends from Weeze. A big thank
you "Me Hearties" to all who
attended my party, who made the
effort and gave so generously,
Alison Dickson
On Thursday 10th March 43 children
from Watton Westfield Infant and
Nursery School sang in the County
Music Festival and came first! Westfield
was a worthy winner of the Year2
Choirs Section. They were awarded the
top grade of ‗Outstanding‘ and no other
school was awarded this honour.
The adjudicator Ms Sue Nicholls
commended the choir saying, ―It was an
impressive performance that was well-
learnt with good diction, enthusiasm,
zest, vivacity and sounding so fresh!‖
It was a wonderful experience for the
children to sing at such a prestigious
venue. The school would like to thank
Mrs Julia Grover, their music
governor, who accompanied the choir
on the grand piano and all the
supportive parents who brought their
children to school early on the day.
Watton Westfield Win at County Music Festival
At their stylish country retreat, Freda and
Robert Caplan host a dinner party for their
colleagues and friends, all executives at a
transatlantic publishing company.
Young, beautiful and successful they have
the world at their feet. Then a cigarette box
and and an ill-considered remark spark off a
relentless series of revelations and other,
more dangerous secrets are painfully
exposed.
As the truth spills out about the suicide of
Robert's clever, reckless brother, and the
group's perfect lives begin to crumble, the
cost of professional and social success
becomes frighteningly plain.
The Players will present Priestley‘s thriller,
‗Dangerous Corner‘, from 14th-16th April at
7.45pm in The Queen‘s Hall. Tickets priced
at £6.50 are available from Adcocks in the
High Street, Tel 01953 881248.
“Dangerous Corner”
The Wayland News Page 2 News
“The Best In Country Music” 8 „til late The Watton Festival Committee has
almost completed the programme for the
10th biennial Festival to be held 21st to
29th October, 2011.
The Festival has been held every two years
since 1993 and from the favourable
comments received it would appear that
there has been continued success with the
quality and range of events presented. The
Committee believes that this Festival is of
great benefit to the town, covering many
aspects of the arts, drawing together local
groups and bringing professional
performers to the town. On our Website:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/wattonarts there
are pictures of previous Festivals and also
information about the treats we have in
store for you this year.
Once again there will be a wide variety of
events to suit all tastes. Programmes will
be distributed to each house in the area
nearer the time but in the meantime a little
whetting of the appetite will not go amiss.
The Festival will start as usual with the
Launch, when Friends, Sponsors, and
helpers will be hosted, wined and dined by
the Committee and entertained on this
occasion by The West End Waiters.
The Good Old Days Musical Hall has, in
the past, been one of the most popular
events of the week and there will be two
performances on the first Saturday to get
the Festival off to a cracking start. Please
contact Wendy Collins if you wish to
join the troupe, (01953 884649)….. but
more of that in the next few issues of
The Wayland News.
On Sunday there will be an opportunity for
the youngsters to show off their talents
when the Junior Startime Show will be
held at the Queens Hall. Jenny Mann of
Wayland Players fame will be dealing with
this (01953 881054) and once again, more
of this later.
Monday morning and afternoon will be
devoted to two film shows for the young
(am) and adult audiences (pm).
The availability of the children‘s film is
causing some difficulty and we are hoping
for something like 101 Dalmatians or The
Jungle Book. In the afternoon, for a
change, we have a British Comedy, an old
favourite, ―Passport to Pimlico―. In the
evening we have more nostalgia planned
with a show about the life of Ivor Novello
in words and song…..―The Glamorous
Charm of Ivor Novello.‖
Professor Jingles will be entertaining the
young and anyone else who likes Magic
Shows and Punch & Judy on Tuesday
morning. This is a welcome return of a real
professional who knows how to amuse
children.
On the Tuesday evening we have ―A
Tribute to Flanders and Swann‖ by Gordon
Peters. Gordon has appeared on BBC tv
with his own show and also on Dad‘s
Army and One Foot in the Grave and is
certain to provide us with an excellent
show. See under
www.gordonpeters.cwc.net
Cockney Pride will take over in the Queens
Hall on Wednesday. I understand that there
will be lots of ―Knees Up Mother Brown‖ ,
―Lambeth Walk ― and a few tongue
twisters and such like to bring nostalgia to
the many Londoners in the area and for the
rest of us too. A ‗right good laugh‘ is
promised. Have a look at their site:
www.cockneypride.co.uk.
The Show for Thursday night will be ―My
Darling Clemmie ‖ This is a one woman
show based on Clementine Churchill and
performed by Rohan McCullough. There
have been rave reviews and you can read
more about Rohan on
www.indigoentertainments.co.uk.
I believe we are in for a special treat on
Friday night. We have booked a group
called Pluck who provide a new slant on
classical music. The group consists of
professional string musicians who play for
laughs. The Show is called ―Musical
Arson‖ and is what happens when GREAT
MUSIC falls into the hands of
TALENTED IDIOTS. They have been
award winners at The Edinburgh Festival
and you can get a taste on
www.pluck.me.uk.
By popular request we have again
acquired the services of Chris Smith
and the String of Pearls Orchestra for
the final Saturday night of this year‘s
Festival. The music will be a little
different this year with the emphasis
on the Big Party Band when we are
promised around 15 minutes of Blues
Brothers and songs and tunes from
such as Abba, Michael Jackson,
Witney Houston, Tom Jones and even
YMCA! (and Y not). Those of you
who were lucky enough to get tickets
last time will, I am sure, be shouting
for more. WebSite:
www.stringofpearls.co.uk.
In addition, during the week we will be
having another ―Big Picture‖ event and it is
expected that both the Library and the
Wayland Partnership will fit something
somewhere into the programme.
As mentioned at the start of this piece
further details and the putting of flesh on
the bones will be ‗drip fed‘ to you in the
next few months.
Anyone with an interest in and concern for
all aspects of the arts in Watton and
District is warmly invited to become a
Friend of Watton Festival. The annual
Subscription is £5.00 per person and in
return for your support you will not only
help us to maintain the high standards
achieved in the past but will also receive:-
Priority Booking for all Festival events; An
Invitation to the Launch Party; A
complimentary Festival Programme; Your
name listed in the Festival Programme;
Invitations to Social Events; A right to vote
at General Meetings including nominating
Officers and Committee Members.
For further information about the Friends
please contact the Friends‘ Secretary:-
Derek I Smith, 39 Dereham Road, Watton
IP25 6ER Tel: 01953 884044;
Email: [email protected]
Our Secretary, Judy Kerr, is forever
seeking Sponsors for the many events and
if you or your business can help please
contact her on 01953 882613.
If you have any suggestions, criticisms,
advice, views or whatever concerning the
Festival activities the Committee would
like to hear from you. Please contact any of
the following:-
Chairman & Secretary, John & Judy Kerr
01953 882613; Vice Chairman: Brenda
Davis 01953 881792; Treasurer & Friends‘
Secretary: Derek Smith 01953 884044;
Website mastered by Janet Lundie:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/wattonarts
Watton Festival 2011
Watton Evening WI Two guests were welcomed to our
meeting this month when our speaker was
Susan Shepherd-Page with a talk entitled
'Tracing Your Family History‘. Susan
embarked on tracing her family history ten
years ago and has uncovered so many
leads to follow up in different areas. It
certainly gave us a lot of food for thought
– maybe one of our distant ancestors was a
pioneer, a successful business man, a
sailor or perhaps even someone who had
spent time in jail . . . ?? Who knows what
secrets there are waiting to be revealed?
At the time of writing we are looking
forward to our Group meeting on 23rd
March when Brian Hedge will be telling
us the History of the Norfolk Broads.
On Saturday, 16th April we will be
holding a Coffee Morning and Table Top
Sale from 10 am to 12 noon in Watton
Christian Community Centre. Everyone is
welcome – do come along and enjoy a
pleasant morning. There will be the usual
range of stalls, also a raffle . . . and
homemade cake! We would love to see
you If you would like to book a table you
can ring Pat on 882275 or Barbara on
882595
Our regular meetings are held in the
Christian Community Centre, Watton
High Street at 7.30 pm on the 2nd
Thursday of the month.
Wayland Agricultural Society
Young Achiever of The Year 2011
Have you a relative, friend or someone
that you know who could be eligible for
the above award? The award is open to
anyone in the local area and we welcome
nominations from relatives or friends of
individuals who they consider to be
worthy of the achievement.
The award is designed to recognise
outstanding dedication and contribution to
agriculture, horticulture, wildlife or any
other rural related sector or industry.
All entrants must be under 21 years of
age and will be required to demonstrate
and share their commitment and
involvement to their related subject.
This should include their achievements
and their aspirations. Applicants will be
required to show passion and
enthusiasm as well as a sound
knowledge of their category.
The presentation of the award, sponsored
by Weco Engineering of Watton, will be
made at the Wayland Show on Sunday 7th
August 2011
All nominations must be made in writing
to: Wayland Agricultural Society, Broom
Hall, Richmond Road, Saham Toney,
Thetford, Norfolk IP25 7HJ Attn: Mrs
Bridget Hall
Wayland Partnership’s
Easter Mini Craft Fair
The latest in our very successful Craft
Fairs is being held on Saturday 16 April
Between 9.30am – 2pm at the Dragonfly
Gallery, Wayland House, High St,
Watton. IP25 6AR. Admission is free.
We are delighted to offer you a
celebration of local crafts including,
greetings cards, jewellery, wood
turning, ceramics mixed textile art and
much more.
Our aim is to promote the handmade
work of talented individuals and provide
them with a venue where they can
exhibit and sell their work directly to the
public. We also want to provide the
public with an opportunity to purchase
quality handmade crafts and allow them
to speak with the people who make
them.
We carefully select exhibitors to ensure
that the standards of crafts are kept high
and that there is a varied range of crafts
showcased at each event. If you are
looking for something different and if
quality and affordability are important
to you, you will find what you are
looking for at a Wayland Partnership
craft fair. Contact Susan Hollingworth
01953 880205 for further information
News The Wayland News Page 3
Watton Town Council Notice is hereby given that:
The ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
is to be held at The Youth and Community Centre, Harvey Street, Watton on Thursday 21 April 2011 at 7.00 pm All parishioners are invited to attend and the business as set out below will be transacted:
1. Apologies for Absence 2. To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting
held on Thursday 22nd April 2010 3. To receive the Chairman’s report of the work of the Council 4. To receive the Council’s Accounts 5. To receive reports from the County Councillor for Watton
Councillor John Rogers 6. To receive reports from District Councillors for Watton
Councillor Claire Bowes, Councillor Keith Gilbert and Councillor David Myers
7. To receive a report from the Norfolk Constabulary, Safer Neighbourhood Team
8. Questions and Comments from members of the Public. 9. To receive reports and accounts from representatives from
the following local Organisations a Meals on Wheels and Wayland Luncheon Club b Watton Sports Centre c Queens Hall Management Committee d Citizens Advice Bureau e Twinning Association f Watton Society and Watton Festival g Community Car Scheme h Loch Neaton Trustees i Wayland Partnership Development Trust j Youth Council k Watton relief in Need
10. To consider any resolution of which written notice has been given
Signed: Jacqui Seal, Town Clerk. pp. Town Mayor and Chairman of Watton Town Council.
NOTE: Any written resolutions for consideration under item 10 at the meeting must be duly handed in to the Town Clerk at the Town Council Office, Wayland Hall by Noon on the day of the meeting 21 April 2011.
The unsung heroes of Breckland have
been recognised in the second Pride in
Breckland Awards.
An audience of almost 200 gathered in
the Officers‘ Mess at RAF Marham in
March evening to witness a ceremony
paying tribute to the hard work, courage,
unceasing dedication and caring nature
of people from across the district.
The nomination process for these
prestigious awards began some months
ago when communities across Breckland
were invited to put forward the names of
individuals and groups making a
difference at a local level.
There were three finalists from the
Wayland area – the Ecobugs from
Wayland Community High School in
the Greener Breckland Category, Alan
Osborn in the Safer Breckland Category
and Project Rainbow in the Community
Group of the Year category. The
Ecobugs were also nominated in the first
Pride Awards in 2009 and earlier this
year won the Bernard Matthews Youth
Award for the Environment.
To great jubilation, Project Rainbow
was declared winner in the Community
Group of the Year category. The Surge
is a drop in facility instigated by Project
Rainbow and young people in Watton,
and is maintained and run mainly by
volunteers.
It offers young people in Watton
somewhere to meet and hang out while
offering a variety of activities to engage
and entertain and so combats antisocial
behaviour. It has proved successful and
popular and the use of the Surge has also
been extended to retired residents in the
town as a place they too can get together
and take part in activities.
The Rev. Geoff Garrett, Chairman of
Project Rainbow, said ―We are delighted
to receive this award. It is a great
testament to the hard work of the small,
but dedicated band of volunteers who
keep the Surge open week by week.
―It is also recognition of the great
support we have had from many
individuals and groups across the
community. The award shows the
importance of the Surge in the
community as a versatile facility for
people of all ages.
―The young people who use the Surge
must be congratulated for their
contribution to its development and
success over the last 2 years. The
important task of securing the Surge for
the future continues and when that is
achieved we believe the Surge can go
from strength to strength.‘
William Nunn, Leader of Breckland
Council, said: ―This was a truly
humbling night where Breckland‘s
unsung heroes were given the
recognition and thanks they deserve.
―One of the things which makes
Breckland so special is the strength of its
communities and these awards show just
how strong those bonds are.
―I know the judges had an extremely
hard time in deciding on winners and
everyone who was nominated this year
deserves recognition and our thanks for
what they have achieved.‖
Group Captain Pete Rochelle took time
out from his exceptionally busy schedule
to welcome people to the base saying
RAF Marham was proud to play host to
the awards.
He said: ―Awards and ceremonies like
this are hugely important in the role they
play in identifying and celebrating the
often unsung heroes which make so
much of a difference to our
communities.‖
The ten categories saw a diverse range
of winners from community groups to
children who had shown exceptional
bravery.
Nick Loades, from Colkirk, who is a full
time carer for his wife and daughter as
well as being an active member of his
community, was awarded the overall
Pride in Breckland Award 2011 after
earlier in the evening being awarded the
gong for Carer of the Year.
In a surprise award at the end of the
evening Mick Gault, from Dereham,
who is the most decorated
Commonwealth Games competitor of all
time, was presented with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. The other award
winners were as follows:
Lifetime Achievement Award – Mick
Gault; Pride In Breckland Award – Nick
Loades; Carer of the Year – Nick
Loades; Child of Courage – Harry
Pitchford and Isaac Palmer;
Greener Breckland – Old Buckenham
Village Environment and Recycling
Group (VERG);
Architectural Excellence Award – Saxon
Bank Development, Thetford;
afer Breckland – Erica Reynolds;
Volunteer of the Year – Roy Spalding;
Good Friend/Neighbour – Hazel Holden;
Sporting Excellence – Danny Nobbs.
Project Rainbow recognised in Breckland Pride Awards
Previous winners of the Pride award Ria, Neola & Ellice Bush with Cllr Adrian Stasiak Cabinet Member for Communities
and Benefits with Rev Geoff Garrett and Paul Adcock from Project Rainbow
I regret to say that I was informed
recently of the death of Frank
Wilder. Frank wrote many articles
for this paper about the hidden
treasures of our Norfolk churches.
He was an extremely knowledgeable
man with an easy to read writing
style and his contributions were
always much appreciated.
In order to illustrate his pieces Frank
would often travel some distances to
retake photos of monuments and
gravestones. His pieces always
helped to make the Wayland News
and interesting read.
I regret at the time of writing, I do not
have any further details but I felt readers
may like to know this sad news.
Wretham Village Hall
Easter Craft Fair Sunday 24th April
10am – 4pm Stalls £10 Contact Linsey Morpeth
01953 498060
Frank Wilder
The book discussed at our
meeting on 15th March was To
Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper
Lee. In this stellar tale of small
town life in the Deep South of
the USA in the 1930s the Civil
War and freeing of slaves seem
to have happened as yesterday
with racial prejudice still so
entrenched. It tells how the
lawyer Atticus Finch defends a
negro accused of raping a
white girl seen through the
eyes of his young daughter
Scout, christened Jean Louise .
This book was chosen as our
classic for the year to universal
acclaim. The membership was
as one on their enjoyment of
this superbly crafted book. The
characters, including minor
ones, are portrayed in a totally
believable manner as is the
way of life in Alabama in the
first half of the 20th Century
and one suspects for a good
many years following. Above
anything else it shows the
damage which deep rooted
prejudice and bigotry can do.
Each member in turn said that
it was a book they regretted
finishing as they were so
enthralled by it. We debated
why the author has never
written another, although it
would be a very hard act to
follow. For anybody who has
never read it this is a ‗must
read‘ and I rarely say that
about anything. We have
benefited by television
coverage of a reporter visiting
the area described 50 years
after publication of the novel
in 1960.
Our book for discussion at the
meeting on 19th April is Mr
Pip by Lloyd James. Although
we cannot accommodate any
more members at the present
time do contact me on
further information. Sue Hart
Shipdham & District Book Group
Norfolk Wildlife Trust
To ask a question about the Norfolk’s Wildlife please call the Norfolk Wildlife Information Service. Wildline 01603 598333 9am to 5pm Mon - Fri. E-mail [email protected] Website http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/naturalconnections Further details and Membership enquiries 01953 498467 Tuesday 19th April 7.45pm - 9.30pm. Local Group Review and talk on Fungi. Local Group Annual review followed by a talk by Tony Leech. Followed by refreshments and raffle. Venue: Watton Christian Community Centre, High Street, Watton. Cost: Members £2 Non members £3
The Wayland News Page 4 News
DY-FIT FOR LIFE EXERCISE TO MUSIC CLASSES
Watton Sports Centre, Dereham Road. All the sessions are designed to promote stamina,
strength and flexibility whilst taking into account
the fitness level and ability of participants.
General Aerobics Mondays 7pm An hour long, as energetic as you wish!**
Nifty Fifties Fridays 11am A challenging workout for
"recycled teenagers"**
Gentle Option Fridays 10am 40 minutes duration, no floorwork.
Problems such as arthritis and joint replacement are taken
into account.
There will be no classes between Monday 11th and
Monday 25th April inclusive. After the Easter Holiday
the new term starts on Tuesday 26th April
** Please bring a mat for floorwork
For further details, please contact
Diane Cuthbert
01953 850275 RSA/YMCA Qualified Teacher
Classes held during term-time
Toilets & Taps Repaired &
Installed
General Leaks Repaired
Telephone Steve 01953 881 854 07901 823 071
No Call Out fee
Great Hockham Farmer's & Craft Market
Saturday 9th April Saturday 14th May
9am to 12Noon Great Hockham Village Hall,
Harling Road Over 20 stalls, selling local Produce and
Handicrafts, Hair cutting by Sarah Jones
Refreshments including BBQ - Bacon Butties
Free Admission Farmers Raffle
www.greathockham.org
Rosalie Davis Gibb
…a baseball bat shaped
lighthouse, complete with glove
and baseball bat sculptures, has
been built in Busan, South Korea,
to symbolise the importance of
baseball to Busan and
commemorate South Korea‘s first
ever Olympic gold medal,
needless to say for baseball, in the
2008 Beijing Olympics? Neither
did I until recently. I had no idea
they were so keen on baseball
either!! The lighthouse opened on
the 25th of November 2010.
…or that a modern lighthouse has
been built to equal the colossal
height of the Pharos of Alexandria?
The Pharos is considered to be the
first ever lighthouse, built around
280BC on the island of Pharos,
from which the lighthouse took its
name, just off the coast of
Alexandria and one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World. The
Pyramids of Giza were the only
manmade structures higher than the
Pharos. The height of the Pharos is
somewhat disputed but generally
accepted to have reached a height
of 450 feet (137 metres), consisting
of a stone built tower with an open
fire on the top at night. Hauling the
fuel up to the top must have been a
feat of strength and stamina, not to
mention keeping the fire alight!
During the day, mirrors were
positioned to reflect the sun. Which
wouldn‘t have been much use in
this country! Unfortunately, the
Pharos was destroyed by 2
earthquakes, partly in 1302 and
finally in 1323. The final remnants
of the structure disappeared in
1480, when the Sultan of Egypt at
that time, Qaitbay, built a medieval
fort on the former location of the
Pharos, using some of the original
fallen stone.
Egypt wasn‘t the only country to
boast a Pharos, however. Caligula
ordered that 2 be built, one each on
the east and west cliffs at Dover, to
aid safe passage for his invaders
into the port of Dubris, as Dover
was known at that time. Now that
really is what you call adding insult
to injury! The exact date of the 1st
Century Dover Pharos is unknown.
The remains of one of the octagonal
towers can still be seen in the
grounds of Dover Castle on the east
cliff. Only the first four Roman
storeys remain, the present topmost
storey being a fifteenth century
reconstruction. The original towers
were minute compared to the
Pharos of Alexandria, being around
80 feet (24 metres) high. As the
cliffs at Dover are very high, 80 feet
towers would have been high enough
to serve their (dastardly!) purpose.
From the beginning of the 11th
Century, until it fell into disrepair, the
remaining Pharos was used as a free-
standing bell tower for the church of St
-Mary-in-Castro which had been built
alongside.
… the study of, and interest in,
lighthouses is known as
Pharology, after the Pharos of
Alexandria?
Back to the Pharos‘ rival - the
Jeddah Light (pictured) guards the
most important port and gateway
to the Holy City of Mecca,
situated on the Red Sea, at the
outer pier on the north side of
Jeddah Harbour in Saudi Arabia.
The white painted concrete and
steel tower is, in fact, the Port
Control Tower and also houses
the offices of the Harbour
Authority. The Jeddah Harbour
Light can be classed as a
lighthouse since the light on top is
specifically for navigational
purposes. Lighthouses come in
many weird and wonderful guises
and have been around in one form
or another since the Pharos of
Alexandria.
By contrast, one of, if not the,
smallest lighthouse measures a
tiddly 9 feet 9 inches (3 metres)
high, a white painted rectangular
pillar built in 1927 on Hilbre
(pronounced Hill-bree) Island at
the mouth of the River Dee
Estuary, Merseyside. Power is
now by means of a couple of solar
panels on top of the pillar.
And…did you know…one
Candela equals one paraffin
candle? Or indeed, what exactly is
a Candela? Answer in the next
issue!
Throughout time, lighthouses,
including our East Anglian lights,
have been shrouded in mystery
and romance – the reality,
especially on the rock
lighthouses, thrashed by storms
and lashed by mountainous
waves, was often quite the
opposite. Keepers went missing,
were on occasion reduced to
eating the candles when
provisions ran out and struggled
to remain sane.
LOOKING FOR SPEAKERS?
If your organisation or group would
be interested to learn more of this
fascinating way of life in an
illustrated, illuminating talk on the
history and mystery of
‗Lighthouses and All That‘, or
would like more information,
please get in touch on 01953
883188 or email me at
Did you know . . . ?
The Visitor Centre opened for the
season on 28th March in
preparation for the first exhibition
of 2011 in the co-located
Dragonfly Gallery, which takes
place between 2nd and 9th April.
The Centre and the Gallery will be
open throughout the summer
season and will stay open until the
end of October because we expect
to again provide box office
facilities for the Watton Festival.
Our regular opening times are
10am to 4pm Monday to Friday
and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays and
Public Holidays. We do not
normally open on Sundays.
We have a team of Tourism
Association volunteers who staff the
Visitor Centre and exhibitions, for
which there is a particularly full
programme this year. Visitor
information is available at all times
when we are open, and when there is
no exhibition taking place there are
additional Wayland Partnership and
locally made artefacts and
comestibles on sale.
Our website - www.wayland-
tourism.org.uk - is regularly updated,
as are our locally produced brochures
and leaflets for Accommodation,
About Watton, Gallery Exhibitions &
Events and Compendium Bus
Timetables. We will be re-working
and expanding the Places to Eat and
Drink in Wayland leaflet with much
more detail about opening times,
specialities etc; regrettably, response
to our letter, delivered to every
known such business, asking for
details and offering publicity at no
cost to themselves has had few
responses. [If you have a favourite
venue, remind them and let us
know!].
We have been asked to re-instate the
Events List on our website but we
depend on a supply of information
for such a list to be fully meaningful.
Please leave details of events at the
Partnership or Visitor Centre at
Wayland House or visit the Events
page through our website, see above.
Martin Anscombe, Administrator
(01953A 884224)
Watton & Wayland Visitor Centre
We had a most successful Fashion
Show in early March, clothes by
Artichoke. We would like to thank
our many friends who supported
us. The models were our own
members, who after initial nerves
found it fun to do. We made in
excess of £500 for our charities.
The Inner Wheel ladies manned the
coffee morning in The Queens Hall
on the first Saturday in March.
They had a good morning and were
again well supported. The Barn
Dance and lunchtime concert were
also well attended and raised our
charity monies by £380 and £262
respectively.
Without this support none of the
above would be feasible and we
certainly wouldn‘t be able to help
as many good causes.
At our monthly meeting Mary
Reynolds came and spoke to us
about aromatherapy and essential
oils and also reflexology. We
sniffed many different oils, some
pleasant, some quite unpleasant
and were surprised at the many
different ailments they helped. It
was pointed out that the oils have
to be treated with respect, as if
incorrectly used they can have
quite unpleasant side effects.
We then watched a reflexology
treatment on member‘s feet,
intrigued again by the complex
relationship between the feet and
the rest of the body.
Peggy gave the vote of thanks and
commented that we‘d had a very
girly evening.
The raffle given by Gill was won
by Stella and Helen.
We would like to take this
opportunity to remind you way on
in the summer, of the Strawberry
Tea on 28 June. Judy Wilson
News from the Inner Wheel Club of Watton
It‘s helped pensioners get online,
boosted job-seekers‘ CV writing skills
and provided guidance on everything
from bin collections to benefits. Now,
on 5th May, the Breckland One Stop
Bus will take on a new role for the day
and become the official polling station
for Merton.
With just 102 registered electors
Merton is one of Breckland‘s smallest
parishes. There is no suitable village
hall to use as a voting station and in
previous years, Merton Presiding
Officer Mary Hammond has set up for
the day in a hired caravan.
She said: ―I will feel that I‘m positively
in the lap of luxury this year – I can
even keep in touch with the office
during quiet periods. It will be less
cramped for voters and, as the bus has
a ramp, it will be more accessible for
our older and less able residents.‖
On 5th May, residents can vote in
both parish and district council
elections, and also in the UK
referendum on the voting system to
the UK Parliament. As the date
approaches, anyone who has moved
house in the past few months will
need to register to vote with their
new address. Breckland residents can
request a registration form by calling
01362 656875 or by printing off a
registration form from
www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. Anyone
who will be away on 5th May, or is
unable to get out for other reasons,
can apply for a postal vote.
Cast your votes here - one more stop for the One Stop Bus
News The Wayland News Page 5
Attention All Gardeners!
Improve your soil, keep weeds down and keep moisture in with
Sterilized Mushroom Compost
The ideal mulch and soil improver
Only £1.50 per Bag Delivered free (min 5 bags)
Watton area
01953 881969
DEREHAM & DISTRICT
CAT ADOPTION CENTRE
Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham NR19 2RP
Rehoming Cats and Providing Advice & Help
With Neutering
OPEN 7 Days a Week 11am to 3pm
Telephone . . .
01362 687 919
I have been contacted by an
author to see if I can discover
any information I can about one
Gordon Eric Betts, of Wayland
House, Watton who sadly lost
his life in an aircraft accident in
the south of Scotland on
January 9, 1939. Gordon Betts
was a trainee Navigator and
died while on an exercise with
another trainee in an Avro
Anson.
As is often the case in
situations like this, my first port
of call was Dan Waters, who
now lives in Hong Kong. Dan‘s
family were Waters and Sons,
builders here in Watton from
1853. Dan was able to give me
the following information.
Walking along Back Street (is it
called Harvey Street now?), you
have Dr Boag‟s house,
Sigging‟s (Ernie and Harry;
Sam Flint and Alick Aldridge
worked for them, and Horry,
the butcher, was their brother).
E and H were plumbers and
painters, Then came what I
used to think were the oldest
houses (cottages) in Watton
with their wattle and daub. It
was a „double dweller‟ but
made into one large cottage in
my time. Then came Wayland
House built, I seem to
remember, of Suffolk Whites.
There was a garden behind with
stables and coach house.
Behind there was a meadow
where we played rugby for
„South Norfolk‟. Because of
petrol rationing and the
Blackout, and the difficulty of
getting to away games, it all
ended in 1939.
Wayland House was kept by
Archie and Betty Betts and was
a boarding house with a bar.
They came down from London
but Betty was a local girl and
her parents had kept the
Railway Tavern (was her
maiden name Wright?). Betty
was extrovert and quite talented
as a pianist and she produced
concerts which were staged at
the Wayland Hall. I delivered a
monologue and did various
other things. Tap dancing was
very popular at the time. Frank
Bardwell, Jackie Sample,
Maynard Brett, and the district
nurse all took part.
My father and family drove up
to Hendon to spend one
weekend with the Betts. The
house was crowded. I was
about 12 at the time and four of
us slept in one single bed. This
included me, Gordon, another
child and the maid, believe it or
not!
Gordon was two or three years
older than me. I remember him
boasting about how quickly he had
driven down to Watton from
London in his sports car. But he
nearly came a cropper almost at the
end of the journey near the Dog
and Partridge. I remember the
news coming that he had been
killed but war was coming and his
death was just one of those things.
One had to get on with one‘s life. I
seem to remember Gordon had an
older brother but I knew Gordon
better.
I wonder dear reader, if you
can add anything to this. All
information will be gratefully
received and in particular if
you have any pictures of
Wayland House (or the
Wayland Country Club as some
will remember it) or the family
or knowledge of any relatives
whereabouts I would be
especially grateful. Thank you.
You can ring me on 01953 881
885 or email me on
Wayland House and the Betts family . . .
Hower ya gitten on tergitha, hent sin
yu arownd leartly. Boy Julian hev
got his ole John Bull printin set owt
agin, so we shull be aerble ter tell yu
wos bin gooin on in Ovington.
I rekkon we jest abowt servived tha
ole winta---blarst wernt that suffin
raw----tha winta grins hent fared tu
well, moost onnum hev friz tu death,
oonly my sprowts hev kep agooin.
Tha ole gals alonga tha lottmints hev
bin a mobbin thar menfoke fer loozin
all tha collies an cabbiges, carnt see
wot they cudda dun abowt tha wetha
mind.
Cos Horry he say thars nuthin rong
wi hissen, tha yunguns downt no
nuthin abowt gardnin. Thas why he
was arta my missus to gi him a bait o
sprowts larst week, when he rekoned
Ide gorn owt.
Mindyu we hent gorn hungra, cos
tha ole mawthers hev bin scrappin
rownd and dun us anotha o them
suppa evnins, Cor blast thare wor
sum wittles leard owt onna tha
tearbles, tha wer fare to breark em.
We cudden hev no mearn corse, cos
tha ole tearbles woont stand tha
strearn, so we hadda fust corse, soop
an a gret ole lumpa bred, or yu cud
goo orl posh n hev squished fish
gizzards an rarbit grub. Thet warnt
orl thet bad eetha, spite wot thet
looked like. Thar wor otha stuff but I
kep away from thet, I wer searvin
myself fer tha puddins, cos they wud
stick to yar ribs fer a day or tu. An
thar did n‘all.
Wen thet cum tu washin up time,
Horry hed a suddin pointmint wi
suffin up tha rood, so I hed to git
stuck in, mind yu thet did git orl tha
old grees from tha tracter orfen me.
Tha mawthas did well agin.
Tha otha Satdi, Horry came down
tha gardin a hollerin ―Cum yu hare
Sid‖ he say ―Wos up‖ I say ―I
rekkun thars bin a turribal axidint
Sid‖ he say ― Thars orl sorts o folk
orl dressed in them yella coots
scrabblin abowt alonga tha roods‖
I say tu him I say ―Yu sorft ole fule,
thar hevin a Litter Pick, meark tha
ole willage luk tidy‖ ―Thet ent
nesry‖ he say ―I allus teark my
emptees hoom, I doont chuck
ennything on the rood‖ he say.
―Well‖ I say ― Thet doont foller thet
orl other folk du tha searm, yu orta
see tha muck along tha hidges. Wal
yu might see it iffen yu cearm hoom
sooba oncit in a wile‖
Summa tha stuff tha pickers hossed
inta thar saks doont want thinkin
abowt, sum folk are suffin learzy,
chuckin thar rubbish owta tha winder
insted of tearkin it hoom an puttin it
in thar own bin, tearks orl sorts I
reckon.
Hed a mardle wi tha ole boy from
tha fish n no chip shop tha otha day,
he wus hullin orl his empti bottles in
tha new bottle bank (wot tha
mawthas from tha willage horl
cummittee hev hed stalled owtside
tha willage horl).
He rekun tha ole cowncil orta du
suffin abowt tha rood thru tha
willage, they orta stop orl tha ole
tractors an lorries from gooin alonga
tha rood parst his plearce cos thar
mearkim a row n puttin mowld orl
oova his mootas.
I ent lowd tu put hare wot i sed tu
him, so yu‘ll hefta magin it. Cos I
warnt thet rude.
Thar wos a Goldin Weddin
celarbrearshun inna tha willage larst
week, goo ta hell, just thinkun abowt
listnin tu tha missus run on fer fifty
year mearks yer toose kurl. I rekkun
thar shud be a medal warded for
stickin tergitha fer thet long.
Congratulearshuns tu yu booth.
Wall thas abowt orl I hefta tell yu
this munth.
Mind how yu goo tergitha, hoop yu
kin keep on a troshin,
Boy Sid
Ovington Crower
Join Rev Jane Atkins for the
Nuremberg Christmas Markets Break
From 28th November to 2nd
December from only £250 per
person*
Would you like a holiday with a
group of people you know will be
pleasant and well behaved and where
you are free to join in or do your own
thing? This great value break
includes:- Local pick up by executive
coach; four nights‘ accommodation,
all rooms are en suite twins and
doubles; Continental Breakfasts and
Evening Meals
Excursions to Nuremberg,
Rothenberg and Wurzburg
Deposits are £50 per person. Please
make cheques payable to Barbara
Harrold. Cheques may be given to
Barbara or Revd Jane. There are 9
place left. * Single room
supplements of £60 pp will apply.
Nuremberg Christmas Markets
This year's Quiz and Buffet
evening will be held on Friday 6th
May in Ovington Village Hall,
starting at 7.30pm. If you wish to
enter a team, hurry because space is
limited. Phone Christine on 01953
885848 to register your team of
four. Entry costs £6 per head (£24
per team) and includes a cold
buffet - usually cold meats/
vegetarian options and lots of
salads. You are guaranteed an
evening of fun and a good
rummage in the cerebral archives.
Tea and coffee are provided, but
you are welcome to bring your own
favoured tipple. The raffle and quiz
proceeds will all go to village hall
funds.
Ovington Annual Quiz & Buffet Friday 6th May
The Rocklands Art & Craft Fair
is on Sunday 1st May 11 – 5
p.m. As well as our creative
craftsmen and artists in the Big
Black Barn, the Rum Brothers
will be playing for us again
www.rumbrothers.co.uk hurrah!
You can sit with a hot dog and
a drink and try to stop your feet
from tapping to their Irish gig
music. Plant nurseries,
sculpture, local food fare, fly
fishing tuition and demos,
pencil portraits drawn by Chris
Riddell of The Observer, static
engines are just some of the
things to enjoy as you explore
the gardens. Last year the tent
that was meant to house the
War Memorabilia was blown
away in the gales of the night
before – we are very sorry for
the disappointment this caused
and this year the precious
collection of War Memorabilia
will be exhibited in the new
Garden Room of Rockland
Manor. A Gnome Trail and
Face Painting is on hand for
every age – grannies, daddies,
children and people in between.
Tea and delicious homemade
cakes are on hand in the tea
barn – what more could you
want for a really nice day out.
Look us up on
www.rocklandsmanor.plus.com
Entrance: Adults £3.00,
Children £1.00. Infants free at
Rocklands Manor, Rockland St.
Peter, NR17 1UW. Ring 01953
483226 or
for information. All proceeds
are for the upkeep of our
outstanding round- towered and
thatched Norman church.
Rocklands Art & Craft Fair Sunday 1st May
The Wayland News Page 6 Gardening
Olive Oil is the new Texas
Gold! First they discovered oil,
then they planted vineyards, and
now a couple of varieties of
olive trees have been produced
to withstand the challenges
offered by Mother Nature in the
Gulf Coast and East Texas
areas. The main problem is
sensitivity to humidity, which
can cause leaf spot and leaf wilt.
Of course I have to have a tree!
I don‘t know where I am going
to put it, but apparently it will
do well in a large pot for many
years. It is expected to take up
to 5 years to the appearance of
the first few olives, so I won‘t
be making oil or by-products
any time soon. A local olive
farm is pressing its own olives
to produce a very good quality
oil, and also making soaps and
hand creams, and baked goods.
The annual display of roadside
and pasture Bluebonnets was
delayed this year, probably
because of the lack of rain at the
crucial time. Or any time in
2010 and to date for that matter.
Thanks to the prolonged cold
this year the daffodils have been
lovely, and in mid-March made
a beautiful picture with the pear
trees in full bloom. Who
doesn‘t love spring? This
morning there is a hint of mist
in the air, with a 40% chance of
rain forecast - of course this
means that there is a 60%
chance that it won‘t!
While I was gone for a week to
Costa Rica there was a
meltdown in the greenhouse.
Fortunately I hadn‘t left
anything much in there, and did
leave the door open a little, but
it must have got so hot that all
the plastic ―six-pack‖ seed
starter trays melted. On
cooling, they settled into very
interesting and contorted
shapes! Now the greenhouse is
filled with flats of cucumbers,
and various squash including
my new favourite ―Eight-Ball‖
hybrid zucchini (courgette),
which is sweet, green and round
like a billiard ball. The
tomatoes and peppers were
started too early and have some
catching up to do, and the
potatoes too late. They had a
short chitting time, but
hopefully will make some nice
new potatoes. The orange tree
survived the cold and has now
leafed out again, and the fig tree
has already put on some fruit.
Strawberries are looking good,
and the next task is to find the
net to keep the birds, squirrels
and racoons out.
The town held its annual
cleanup in March. One
Saturday morning teams of
volunteers went out to pick up
rubbish along the roadsides, and
the following week residents
were invited to carry unwanted
large items (couches, metal,
lumber, old lawn chairs etc.) to
a collection station for disposal.
My neighbour and I took four
pickup truck loads, so now we
both have much more room in
our garages and sheds!
The neighbourhood is abuzz
with the sound of lawn mowers,
chain saws, edgers, etc., the air
is filled with insects humming
and birds singing - I think the
name of the song is ―Spring‖!
Tomato - Tomayto Gardening in Navasota, Texas with Helen Quinn
April can bring on depression for
the gardener. That may seem odd to
say the least when you‘ve spent all
winter dreaming of spring and
blossom and bulbs and silly songs
about April showers. March is
supposed to have gone out like a
lamb. Reality can often mean
finding out that half the garden
perished in snow, ice, heavy rain
and gales. In March, while it was
freezing and pouring with rain it
was easy to think that things that
hadn‘t shown any sign of life
would do so once the weather
warmed up a bit. Hah! There has to
be some merit in the theory many
people follow that gardens don‘t
need attention before Easter,
whenever that falls. However, this
has never been an option for those
of us who get stir-crazy by the end
of November and try to get outside
when it‘s at all possible. Then it‘s
infuriating to see the experts on TV
telling us all the things we can do
in January and February when they
seem to have implausibly good
weather and we can‘t move! This
means we are well behind on those
things we ought to have done by
March, never mind April. Still, we
can catch up with seed sowing -
most veg indoors and annuals out.
If you did manage to get some
seedlings going indoors during late
winter, these will need to be
pricked out and then hardened off
at the end of April, still watching
the forecasts for those late frosts.
Keep the horticultural fleece
handy. If you don‘t have this but
possess redundant net curtains,
these will give protection against
light frost and amuse the
neighbours.
The dreaded lawn will need
attention during mild spells. No
doubt there will be moss. Where
does it all come from? There are
various methods of getting rid of it,
mostly chemical. Once it‘s gone
there will be bald patches so now‘s
the time to re-seed or patch with
new turf. Some garden centres and
other outlets sell turf by the 6ft roll
so that‘s useful. Did you get the
mower serviced over winter? Me
neither, so that needs to be done as
mowing can commence. If you are
really tidy about the lawn then the
weeds will need to be removed as
well. I look at it from the point of
view they are green so will blend in
from a distance and will eventually
weaken with repeated mowing,
provided they don‘t flower and
seed. Apparently lawns need
feeding as well - just so you can
mow more often. At least the
weeds will be weakened by the
increased activity and if you‘re
really lucky the grass will grow
strong enough to crowd them out.
Evergreens and conifers can be
planted now. Although pot-grown
anything can be planted any time,
April and September are really best
for evergreens but they will need
plenty of water. Move existing
plants now if necessary. Early
flowering shrubs and climbers
should be pruned once they have
finished flowering. If you are
renovating overgrown shrubs it
may be best to remove a third of
old wood each year so the plant
doesn‘t get too stressed by taking
too much growth at once. If they
are already tidy these shrubs can be
trimmed over to maintain shape
and get lots of new stems to flower
next year, avoiding the look of an
upturned mop with all the flowers
way off the ground.
Once the spring bulbs have gone
over, give them a feed and please
don‘t remove the leaves for at least
six weeks. They look ratty but the
bulbs need them to absorb light to
be turned into starch reserves for
the bulb and next year‘s flowers.
Don‘t tie them up either as this
reduces the light! Maybe it‘s best
to grow mini daffs among
emerging perennials so the ratty
bits disappear. Time to divide
perennials as well if this wasn‘t
done in autumn.
The chitted spuds can go out now,
covering the foliage against frost.
Someone said to plant earlies late
and lates early. I honestly have no
idea why as the pack will tell you
how long from planting to harvest
in weeks or days. Onions and
shallots that weren‘t planted last
month can go in now but the sooner
the better as they need a long
season. It‘s worth investigating
growing veg in containers as well
since we don‘t all have a large
garden or an allotment. The other
advice which is really good comes
in two parts - only plant what you
like to eat and do so in succession
so that if you need, say a
cauliflower each week, don‘t plant
a whole packet of hundreds at
once. A few every three weeks
should do it. Also, seed packets
give the planting or thinning
distances between young plants.
For large brassicas this will look
enormous but they will grow to fill
the space. Catch-cropping is a neat
trick - sow fast-growing things like
radish and lettuce in between the
rows. It controls the weeds as well.
Sometimes you can cheat by
growing in less than the
recommended distances but this
will result in smaller crops but this
can be useful if you only have a
small family. Of course the
inevitable slugs and snails will be
after young growth on everything
and seedlings. There are also flea
beetles about to punch neat holes in
foliage.
Should you go to a garden centre/
nursery/shed the chances are they
will have trays of bedding plants.
It‘s advisable not to be tempted
unless you can lavish a bit of care
and attention and a warm
greenhouse on them. If you don‘t
have the facilities the chances are
they‘ll be lost in that late frost. It
does wonders for the business‘
profits but is discouraging for the
gardener. Most people (including
me) have done it once!
On the other hand, if you do have a
frost-free/heated greenhouse you
can get well ahead with containers
and baskets for the summer and
you will have an earlier display
than the rest of us.
And finally - keep weeding.
In your garden with Lotta Potts
You are invited to a Gardeners'
Question Time afternoon at
Watton Christian Community
Centre on Thursday 7 April 2011
at 2.30 p.m.
Mr Barry Gayton who is a well-
known local gardening expert
will be there and he will be
pleased to answer some of your
gardening questions so please
come along and enjoy the
opportunity.
This fundraising event is being
organised by Watton Methodist
Church. The cost is £3 per
person, which includes tea and
biscuits, and is payable at the
door. Hope to see you there?
Gardeners' Question Time
Ovington Gardening Club The March meeting was a talk by Jan Hunt on
'Growing by the Moon'. The various ways in
which this impacted on the ability to grow the
four plant types was discussed and many
examples of biodynamics were given. The April
meeting will be a talk by Tim Fuller of
"Plantsman's Preference" on the subject of
'Hardy Perennials'. This will be held in the
village hall at 7.45pm on Wednesday, 6th April,
2011.
For further details, contact Ed on 01953 885848
or Carol on 01760 440719.
News The Wayland News Page 7
SALEC TRAVEL LTD Thursday 14th April Fakenham 9.30am & 1.30pm Return Adult & Child £5 Saturday 16th April Saffron Walden 9am & 4pm Return Adult £11 Child £6
Wednesday 20th April London Show 8am & Return After Show Price: £TBA Sunday 24th April Easter Mystery 10am & 4pm Return Adult £18 Child £12
Monday 2nd May Colchester Zoo or Town (Travel Only) 9am & 4pm Return Adult £12 Child £6
Saturday 7th May Bury St Edmunds 9.30am & 3pm Return Adult & Child £5 Sunday 15th May Springfield's & Bay Tree Nursery 9am & 4pm Return
Saturday 28th May Southwold & Dunwich for Fish & Chips 9.30am & 4pm Return Adult £12 Child £7
EXTRA TRIP'S Sunday 7th August Dominic Kirwin at Kings Lynn
Ticket & Travel £25
HOLIDAYS 2011 (ITINERARIES AVALIBLE ON REQUEST)
Country & Western at Mundsley Friday 11th - Monday 14th March Derbyshire - Monday 25th - Saturday 30th July Torquay - Saturday 6th - Saturday 13th August
Mystery Weekend - Dates TBA
2011 Brochure Out Now!
01953 881159 PRIVATE COACH & MINIBUS HIRE ALSO AVAILIBLE
Bradenham & District Horticultural Society April brings two events: The Spring
Show on Saturday 9th at the Village
Hall. Open to the public from
3.3pm to view the exhibits and join
us for tea. This is usually a popular
show as we feel spring has sprung.
Our monthly meeting will be held
on Thursday, 21st again in the
Village Hall at 7.30pm when our
speakers will be Ann and John
Bridge on springtime in Holland.
Never having been to the famous
gardens in spring I, for one, am
really looking forward to this one.
There will also be refreshments, the
monthly mini-show and a raffle.
Please do come along as all are
welcome.
Update - we now have the prices
for the 10th July outing to
Somerleyton Hall & Gardens. For
non-members this will be £22 and
for members £17.50. This is a small
uplift from last year‘s trip but fuel
prices have rocketed and there‘s
more on the ticket as this will get
access to the Hall as well as the
gardens.
Details for all events from:
Marianne Kilmartin 01362 820744
or Belinda Ashman 01362 821442
This month, the meeting of the Ashill
& Holme Hale Garden Club dealt with
the subject of Campanulas. The
speaker was Sue Wooster, who holds
the National Plant Collection of alpine
Campanula. Sue told members how
she had first seen Campanulas in
wildflower meadows in the Dolomites
which fired her interest, and when she
went to horticultural college she met
Peter Lewis who was the collection
holder. He helped her set up the
national collection of Alpine
Campanulas which she holds in the
Walled Garden, Langham Hall, open
to the public from March till
November. Sue is an RHS 2009 Gold
Medal Winner, as well as a
Sandringham Flower Show 2008 and
2009 Silver Gilt Medal Winner.
She began her talk by describing the
colours and shapes of Campanulas -
blue, purple, white and cream, star-
shaped and bell-shaped. They are
found in the Northern Hemisphere as
far north as the Arctic Circle;
Campanula rotundifolia, for instance
may be found in Norfolk and Suffolk,
and as far north as Norway.
Members were treated to slides of
various species, including Campanula
portenschlagiana (with blue bell
shapes), Campanula rapunculus which
looks well in a wild garden and
Campanula latifolia - a large leafy
perennial with tubular bell shapes,
rather like a foxglove,. Sue
recommends that the plants be put into
a reasonably well drained soil, not too
acid, and in fact if conditions mimic
those of their natural habitat they
should flourish. Campanula pulla is an
example of a very dark campanula
while Campanula pyramidalis alba is
an erect, branching biennial with heart-
shaped leaves and very tall white
flower spikes in summer. Sue showed
us a mock-up of the alpine conditions
in which these plants flourish, and
reminded us how much deeper their
colours are in their natural mountain
habitat.
Sue finished with some questions and
answers about winter conditions (not
too wet, if possible) and about cuttings
– cut as close to the root as possible,
and using a gritty compost. When
asked, Sue suggested that suitable
companions for Campanulas would be
dwarf pinks or carnations – or, in the
shade, ferns.
Members thanked Sue for this
interesting talk about a fascinating and
varied addition to the garden.
The Chairman reminded members of
the coach trip to East Ruston on
Wednesday 11th May, which is now
almost fully subscribed. In addition
we heard about a new netting for
vegetable patches which is said to be
very effective against aphids,
butterflies and the like. While
expensive, it is hoped that the club
may be able to share a section of this
with other buyers at a much reduced
price. There was also a warning that
adders are coming to life at this time of
the year necessitating dog walkers to
be extra vigilant.
At the next meeting a photographic
competition on the subject of ―Spring‖
was suggested – all original
submissions welcome.
Finally, on the 14th April Graham
Simmond will be giving a talk on ―The
Ground Beneath Your Feet‖ – the
historical aspects of artifacts and
pottery in our gardens.
Ashill Garden Club Notes . . .
Jess is cooking up a treat Cooking up a tasty treat in her mum‘s kitchen at East Wretham is 19 year old
Jess Barke, who has just joined in one of the bigger cooking frenzies in the food
market – cupcakes.
Cupcakes by Jess is the name of the company and the name of the girl behind it.
The former Wymondham High School pupil, whose only foray into business so
far is a Saturday job in a Norwich gift shop, launched her new venture at the
start of March.
Already she has orders to supply a special party to celebrate the April royal
wedding as well as another for celebratory cupcakes at a wedding.
That‘s the thing about cupcakes. Not just a childhood treat, they can be used as a
celebration on almost any occasion and, to add to the variety, can come in every
imaginable flavour or colour with about the same number of different toppings.
Only thing that is common right through is the paper cup but even there is a
range of colour. Flavours can include things like vanilla, coffee, chocolate or red
velvet and Jess is currently working on an Earl Grey flavour. And if you want a
heart, a flower or some other kind of decoration on top, then you can have it.
The results can be collected from her home in Windmill Lane or she will
deliver, with a small extra delivery charge, anywhere across this part of the
county up to the Norwich area.
Jess knows she is not alone, for the cupcake business has taken off in both
London and the provinces. But she has been cooking with her mother since she
was a child and trying her hand at cupcakes for long enough to know she has it
right.
One special date comes on April 8th when she will be giving her wares to a
special charity fundraising show in London, entitled Cupcakes for Japan.
Jess can be called on 07825 744 908, email [email protected] or
visit her website cupcakesbyjess.tumblr.com
Marie Curie Our Marie Curie Daffodil collection in
Watton on 5 March and a donation from
Saham Samsen Club raised £855.55. Many
thanks to all our collectors and the kind
people that made this possible. To the kind
lady that bought me a hot cup of coffee,
grateful thanks. Sylvia Frazer.
Mid Norfolk Flower Club The weather for our March meeting was a
beautiful day and the lovely arrangements
demonstrated by Adele Kent made us feel
spring is on the way. Our meeting on 12th
April will be at a different venue - Broom
Hall Country Hotel at 2.15 pm when Brenda
Tubb will demonstrate "In the limelight". In
May we will be back at our usual venue, the
Queen's Hall, with Margaret Goode and
"Blooming Goode".
We meet the second Tuesday in the month
and visitors are always welcome.
St Mary’s Church Hobbies Exhibition We invite you to share your hobby with us and
others by exhibiting at our Annual Hobbies
Exhibition at the Queen‘s Hall, Watton. This will be
held on Sunday 12th June as part of Watton
Carnival Celebrations. We welcome all enthusiastic
people with an interesting hobby. For further details
and application form please phone or visit St Mary‘s
Church Office, Church Road, Watton (01953
881252). Tues, Wed, Thurs 9am – 1pm. We look
forward to hearing from you.
News The Wayland News Page 8
Has Your PC Slipped a Disc? Netted a virus? Mouse trapped and
wont work now?
For all manner of computer repairs and support
Call Julian Horn on 01953 881885 “Silver Surfer” support a speciality!
ART @ Stoke Ferry Church (PE33 9SF)
Daily 10.00 a.m. and 5 p.m. Free admission From Saturday 21st May to Sunday 5th June
Around 100 exciting new pictures by five local artists, in a broad range of media and subjects: something for
all tastes. Everyone Welcome. Contact Teresa Waller on 01366 501369 for further details.
“The Best In Country Music” 8 „til late
Coffee at the Queens Hall 9.30 to 11 Farmers Market Day
Saturday 2nd April. Run by Rotary this month
Car Boot and Crafts Sat 16th April 9am
St Mary’s Church, Car Park, Watton 01953 882936 Car boots £4
No Need to Book - Refreshments in Church
Letter from Australia Fat kids need to learn
to walk or ride a bike.
By Chris O’Connor
Australians have a love
affair with the car, so
much so that nearly
half the population of
21 million owns one.
For a young Australian
owning their first car is
almost akin to a rite of
passage and in reality is almost essential in a
nation that is so big and has a dreadful public
transport system. However, owning a car is
starting to impact on our health. Let me explain.
Early last month, and quite suddenly, our roads
got busy. The reason was simple: school went
back and overnight once-quiet streets were
invaded by vast, urgent fleets of cars delivering
children to class in the morning and picking them
up again in the afternoon.
This twice-daily school-gate rush hour is now the
norm but it wasn't always. Forty years ago 80 per
cent of Australian children walked or rode a bike
to school, and felt comfortable doing it.
But in little more than a generation we've seen a
precipitous decline so that today it is thought that
less than 20 per cent of children get to school
under their own steam. All this despite the fact
that most kids still live within two kilometres of
school: they are not travelling further, just
covering the same distance in the back of a car.
Sadly, it has become absolutely normal for
children to be driven short distances to school,
many every day.
Putting aside the congestion and pollution issues,
the impact of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle
on these children – our children – is profound.
Visit any schoolyard and it's not hard to see
firsthand that obesity is no longer the exception.
Type 2 diabetes in children, once almost unheard
of, is also on the rise.
Spot the connection? Our children aren't moving
as much, aren't burning up as many kilojoules,
and it's making some of them sick. Health experts
say children need at least one hour of physical
activity each day for good health and many just
aren't getting it.
And it turns out that it's not just their young
bodies that are affected by the way they are being
allowed to live their lives. Research completed by
the Australian Council for Education research
found that children who travelled to school by car
had a remarkably narrow view of their
community. When researchers asked car-borne
kids to draw pictures of the way they saw their
world they drew abstract, isolated images of
neighbourhoods where the car and the road were
the central theme. Traffic lights, road signs, office
buildings, shopping centres and fast food outlets
dominated.
Researchers contrasted this alarmingly stunted
vision with that of children who rode or walked to
school. Their drawings were dominated by green
spaces and people doing things; trees, grass,
people playing sport, riding bikes, walking dogs.
It is hard to image a more contrasting world view.
And from this springs the obvious question of
why, why are we allowing many of our children
to become increasingly (alarmingly) inactive? It's
a complex question with as many potential
answers as there are flabby kids and the irony is
that at least part of the remedy might be very
simple; we need to encourage kids to walk, ride
or scoot to school.
Assuredly it is parents who will ultimately make
this decision and no doubt a key factor will be an
assessment of risk. Parents deal everyday with
risks and fears for and about their children (risks
both real and perceived) and nobody should ever
needlessly dismiss worries about road safety,
abduction, injury, no matter how rare. But easing
kids out the front door and onto their bikes or feet
for the journey to school is certainly worth
considering for the simple reason that it's good for
them – good for their bodies and good for their
minds. And in the long run it can only be good for
the future of the nation. [email protected]
The Thetford Singers and the
University of East Anglia Chamber
Choir will be coming together for a
first-time collaboration to present a
joint Easter concert on Saturday 9th
April at St Cuthbert‘s Church in
Thetford. The programme will
include an interesting selection of
harmony, both European—a
selection of motets by Austrian
composer Anton Bruckner—and
English: Sir Hubert Parry‘s classic
and rarely heard Songs of Farewell.
The highlight of the evening will be
a joint performance of French
composer Gabriel Fauré‘s popular
Requiem.
The singers will be under the baton
of Dr Alan Howard, who is the
musical director for both the
Norwich- and Thetford-based choirs.
Soloists are Jenny Keates, Djinh
Kamei and Andrew Weeks,
experienced singers and students at
the UEA. Christopher Bartrop, a
former musical director of Thetford
Singers, will be returning to St
Cuthbert‘s to play the organ. Tickets
for the concert, priced £6 (£5
concessions) are available from
Tourist Information, 20 King Street,
Thetford 01842 751975, or on the
door.
Looking ahead, for their summer
concert Thetford Singers will be
presenting Music from the Musicals
at Queens' Hall, Watton on Saturday
16th July.
Thetford Singers join voices with UEA Chamber Choir
Watton Trefoil Guild Helps Burma
The Trefoil Guild branches
throughout Norfolk chose for their
2011 Thinking Day project to focus
on raising funds for the Burma
Children's Fund. One of the County
members, Mrs Anne Carter was born
in Burma and has contacts there who
keep her informed of the plight of
their children. Anne came to Watton
on 17th February to take part in the
Watton Guild's own effort and shared
with us some of her experiences of
growing up in Burma, and telling us
of the recent difficulties. Members of
the County Lones of the Trefoil
Guild already support two orphans
that attend a special school in Burma.
Watton Trefoil Guild, who has a
good record in special fund raising
efforts, invited neighbouring Guilds
from Feltwell, Dereham and
Wymondham to join them in a soup
and cheese evening at the Watton
CCC to raise funds for Burma, that
was followed by a beetle drive. There
was the inevitable raffle and the total
sum raised on the evening amounted
to £300.00.
Easter at St Ethelbert’s in East Wretham
St Ethelbert‘s Church members join
others in the community as the
village offers a welcome to visitors
over the Easter weekend.
In the church members of Wretham
Ravers and friends will produce a
flower festival, there will be a small
exhibition of work by local artists,
second hand book sale, and
refreshments including homemade
cakes.
Opposite, the gardens of Wretham
Lodge, the former Rectory, will be
open as part of the National Gardens
Scheme.
Both church and gardens will be
open from 12 noon until 5p.m. each
day and there is ample car parking.
There is a charge for admission to the
gardens.
Further up Church Road at the
Village Hall an Easter Craft Fair will
be held on the Sunday only between
10a.m. and 4p.m.
With work from 17 talented artists
from across East Anglia, if you love
art and animals this is the exhibition
for you!
Mediums to include watercolour,
photography, oil, pastel, ceramic and
acrylic and work will be available to
purchase.
The exhibition will be open Saturday
2nd April – Saturday 9th April,
weekdays 10- 4pm, Saturday 10 -
1pm
The preview evening is always very
popular and recommended if you
want to buy before the general
public. It is on Friday 1st April 7 -
8.30pm, light refreshments will be
available; a limited number of free
tickets are obtainable by calling.
01953 880205 The Dragonfly
Gallery shop will also be open to
purchase those extra special gifts.
Contact Susan Hollingworth 01953
880205 or email
[email protected] for more
details or visit our website at www.thewaylanddragonflygallery.co.uk
All Creatures Great & Small Art Exhibition
News The Wayland News Page 9
Breckland Youth Council investigates social stereotypes The Breckland Youth Council is calling on residents to take part in a
survey they have designed, to inform their new campaign addressing the
issue of social stereotypes.
The campaign entitled ―YESS‖ (‗Young People
Engaging to Stop Stereotypes‘), will concentrate
on breaking down barriers between young people
and senior citizens. Covering a variety of areas
such as anti-social behaviour, youth activities and
social inclusion it is anticipated that the ‗YESS‘
campaign will change people‘s attitudes and in
turn will bring communities together.
As a starting point, the young people have
designed a questionnaire to find out more about
the stereotypes that may be held by different
generations, their concerns about their
neighbourhoods, their experience of anti-social
behaviour and their thoughts on whether the
media has influenced perceptions.
Adrian Stasiak, Executive member for
Communities at Breckland Council said: ―This is
a very worthwhile campaign and I am impressed
that the Youth Council has started off by
investigating the issue thoroughly, to find out
more about what stereotypes currently exist. The
results will be very useful in helping the Youth
Council to plan their campaign, so I hope that our
residents will spare a few minutes to complete this
short survey‖.
Youth Councillors are urging people to complete
the questionnaire by visiting
www.breckland.gov.uk/content/young-people-
engaging-stop-stereotypes or by contacting
Stephanie Barnard on 01362 656870 or
[email protected] where they
can request a paper copy or an alternative
language version. The link to the survey is also
given in the March/April edition on the Breckland
community magazine Voice.
80 Brandon Road, Watton.
Tel: 01953 882752
The Hare & Barrel Hotel
Originally an old manor house dating back to 1806, we offer 16 en-suite bedrooms, 10 of which have been converted from
the old Coach House Stables
‘Noted for Good Food’
Extensive Bar & Restaurant Menu bookings advisable at all times
A relaxing Conservatory ~ Beer Garden Patio ~ Bar ~ Restaurant
Games Room ~ Car Park ~ Courtyard
Try our Traditional Sunday Lunch
Discounts for large bookings always negotiable
Children Always Welcome
Despite a 7.30am departure 51
members recently enjoyed an
extensive and very informative tour
of the London Olympic Park site and
nearby Docklands area. The tour was
conducted by David Waite a
professional Blue Badge Guide. (See
photo by Ken Philips).
The A.G.M was held on Thursday
24th March. A full report will be in
the next issue of The Wayland
News. A new four page format
Programme for 2011/12 will be
available at the April meeting to
members who have renewed their
subscriptions.
Tickets are now available and
payment due for the River Orwell
Cruise on Friday 6th May. Coach
will leave the Queens Hall car park
at 9.00am
Details of a proposed visit to
Burghley House on Wednesday 6th
July will be available at the next
meeting.
The next venue for the Pub
Luncheon Group is The Windmill at
Necton on Thursday 14th April.
Meet 12 for 12.30 pm
Garden Visit Group are at
Hindringham Hall to see the prolific
spring flowers on Sunday 3rd April.
Contact Susan on 01953 881373 for
further information or if you require
transport.
The next monthly meeting will be on
Thursday 28th April when the
speaker will be Douglas Baker on the
―Bronte‘s of Canada‖
The membership secretary can be
contacted on 01953 881110.
For further information on the
National U3A go to www.u3a.org.uk
U3A’s Olympic sized day out There are more NHS dentists than you think It‘s a lot easier to see an NHS dentist than
you might think. In fact, there are lots of
NHS dentists and it‘s simple to make an
appointment.
How can I find an NHS dentist?
If you would like NHS dental treatment, just
contact a practice providing NHS dentistry
and ask for an NHS appointment.
If you would like help to find an NHS dentist
in your area you can:
Call NHS Norfolk PALS on 0800 587
4132
Search the local dental map at:
www.norfolk.nhs.uk
Call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 (24 hrs)
Visit the NHS Choices website at:
www.nhs.uk
Visiting your dentist is important and with
more dental practices welcoming new
patients, it‘s never been easier to look after
your teeth. Visit the NHS Norfolk website
for more information (www.norfolk.nhs.uk).
FINE BOOKS BOUGHT AND SOLD
BOOKS J.C. & Applestore Gallery
Telephone/Fax 01953 883488 55 High Street, Watton
For quality out of print books, Fine Bindings and Collectable Editions. New Books including local and children’s classics.
Visit the Applestore Gallery on the first floor, exhibiting the Paintings of Kevin Robinson and his complete range of East Anglian prints including Watton and Wymondham.
Shellrock Circle Club For The Over 50’s
Venue: The Village Hall. The Street.
Rocklands.
On the 9th of March we had one of
our periodic ―Bring and Buy‖
afternoons. Once again there was a
wide variety of items brought in by
our members and taken away again
by other members for prices ranging
from 25p to £1. A ―penny auction‖ at
the end cleared a few more items.
The competition to match up the
baby pictures with the adult person
was unbelievably difficult. The
person with the highest score was
Linda Palmer with a score of 9 out of
a possible 20. When the photos were
reclaimed by their owners there were
gasps of astonishment and cries of
―Oh! That‘s never you!‖ etc.
On Saturday l2th March, about 22
members took advantage of the trip
organised by the entertainment/
outings committee to The Theatre
Royal in Norwich, to see ―Goodnight
Mr. Tom.‖ Although several of us
can remember seeing it on television
some years ago starring John Thaw,
the Theatre Royal production was
able to bring something new and
fresh to this story. Everyone enjoyed
the afternoon and Jean Eyres and
committee were thanked for
organising it.
WHAT‘S ON FOR APRIL
13th April The monthly meeting
from 2pm till 4pm will be dominated
by the AGM. Current committee
members will be ―stood down,‖ so
anybody who would like to serve on
the committee can make themselves
known to Terry our Chairman on
arrival, or before then on 01953
452457. The competition for this
month is to paint an egg. With Easter
fast approaching this should be a fun
thing to do. Let your imagination run
free.
19th April Lunch with Marion at
White Lodge, Attleborough. If you
would like to join in contact Marion
on 483431.
20th April A trip to Taverham
Garden Centre. First pickup 9.30 am.
at the Post Office Gt. Ellingham. All
usual stops 10 to 20 minutes later.
Return estimated at between 3.30pm
to 4pm. Cost to cover coach only.
Members £5, non-members £6. There
are places to lunch there or you can
take your own packed lunch.
Pat Fox has kindly agreed to guide
our defunct Art Group. This will be
starting up again on Tuesday
mornings. There will be a small
admission charge of £2 exact date to
be confirmed after consultation with
the village hall caretaker. Pat said
that she would be fetching along
some materials so there is no
immediate need to buy sketch pads
and paints Just come along and see if
you like it first. Starting time 10 am
till 12.
We welcome new members. If you
have a Carer they will also be
welcomed. You are sure to enjoy the
afternoon with us. SEE YOU SOON.
The Wayland News Page 10 News
On your PVCu Replacement Windows, Doors and Sunlounges. Plus!We have no pushy sales reps, all appointments are undertaken by
Ray Harman(Proprietor)
Unit B, Yaxham Rd,
Dereham (behind Halfords)
£24,000 cash for community Projects
£24,000 has been awarded to 23
separate initiatives that will help
create stronger and safer
communities and benefit youth
provision, schools, sports clubs,
environmental projects and
community groups in Breckland.
The funding came from the
Breckland Partnership and
Norfolk Constabulary through
the Partnership‘s Participatory
Budgeting scheme, now in its
second year.
Following the success of the first
Participatory Budgeting initiative,
the Breckland Partnership agreed
to allocate a further £30,000 -
£6,000 to each of five Panels
representing the Attleborough,
Dereham, Swaffham, Thetford and
Wayland areas. These Area Panels
assessed the bids submitted from
their areas; Panel members
included representatives from
town and district councils, the
Police, area partnerships, faith and
business communities. In a move
to open up the assessment process,
having drawn up short lists, the
Attleborough, Thetford and
Watton Panels opened up the
judging process to local residents
who cast their votes after listening
to presentations by project
organisers. This proved popular
with over 200 local people having
their say on which projects they
wished to support.
Adrian Stasiak, Breckland
Council Executive Member for
Communities and Benefits said:
―The Participatory Budgeting
initiative has really given a boost
to local groups, enabling them to
move forward with their ideas
and initiatives. With so many
worthwhile projects to consider it
has been a difficult job for the
Panels this year so I thank them
for their commitment to the
process. Having local people
assessing the projects coming
forward for their area is crucial;
they are the best people to judge
which projects will meet local
priorities‖.
The Norfolk and Norwich
Association for the Blind (NNAB)
received £800 to fund services at
their new equipment and
information drop-in centre at
Wayland House in Watton High
Street. Until now, people from the
Breckland area with poor sight
have had to travel to Norwich or
wait for a home visit if they were
in need of help or advice from the
charity. NNAB‘s Equipment and
Information Centre Manager,
Dorothy Bowen said, ―People can
now pop in and get the expert
advice they need whilst they are
out doing their shopping. We have
a presence in Breckland for the
first time.
Other Wayland winners were
Project Rainbow who received the
most votes for their project to
provide a qualified Youth worker
to support the volunteer team at
The Surge, St John Ambulance
and the Colin Mackenzie Charity
for IT equipment for training, and
the Youth & Community Centre
User Group for funds to refurbish
the kitchen.
Jan Godfrey, co-ordinator of the
Wayland panel, thanked everyone
involved – funders, panel
members, applicants and voters –
and said: ‗One of the best things
about the presentation evening was
the networking between projects
and the offers of help from
volunteer time to equipment.‘
Produtos PORTUGUESE em WATTON Temos o prazer de divulgar que a loja Inglesa WATTON STORES na rua principal vende
alguns produtos Portugueses tais como : uma vasta variedade de sabores de Papa Cerelac,
azeite Oliveria da Serra , sopas da Maggi , pacotes de tempêros , enlatados da Nobre , Pão
Ralado , gelatina Royal, Sal grosso , farinha Branca de Neve entre outros e não poderia
faltar o vinho Português.
Por enquanto tem Vinho Verde Casal Garcia e tambem Vinho Tinto Reguengos de
Mosaráz a adicionar a bela cerveja Sagres e Super Bock , individual ou em packs de 6 unit.
Poderemos no futuro obter mais diversidade de produtos , embora va depender da saida
dos mesmos ou seja a presença dos Portugueses como clientes.
Em breve irão tentar obter maior variedade de produtos .
Como não poderiamos deixar de referir , agradecemos a disponiblidade da loja por ter
umas prateleiras a representar o que de BOM tem Portugal.
Portuguese products in Watton at WATTON STORES - High Street.
You can find some products to prepare some dishes, baby food and the list of course
includes red wine Reguengos de Monsaraz , Sparkly green wine Casal Garcia and some
beer Super Bock and Sagres.
Keep looking because the store will have more products in the future.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Festival dos SANTOS POPULARES Estamos tambem já a agendar e a preparar o nosso próximo Festival dos Santos Populares .
Em breve sera anunciada a data do mesmo .Espero que este ano possamos contar com mais
participantes .
The group already start to organize the Portuguese Saints Festival for next June . A date will be
announced soon . I hope this year more people can enjoy our food and a nice day out .
News The Wayland News Page 11
The 10,000 crocus corms we planted
in various grassy areas in Watton and
local villages last October duly
appeared during Rotary International
Week in February although the
displays did not bloom fully until the
sunnier days of the second and third
week of March. The idea of Rotary‘s
―Focus on the Crocus‖ initiative is to
raise and maintain awareness of the
need to finally eradicate polio from
the world. Since 1985, when Rotary
started the campaign, we have been
at the forefront of fundraising and
continue to support hands-on
immunisation activities in the few
remaining endemic areas. The colour
of the crocus emulates the dye used
to show a child has received the
vaccine. We anticipate that the
crocus displays will develop and
expand as years go by, and,
hopefully, will eventually become a
reminder that the world did conquer
polio. [Pic below shows crocuses on
Thetford Road when the sun came
out].
During Rotary Week we decorated
shop windows and bannered Chaston
Place; on Rotary Day itself (23rd
Feb) Paul Weatherill erected a
demonstration ShelterBox tent
nearby and collected over £100 in
donations. A busy 3 days followed:
we held our first Market Day bric-a-
brac stall of the year on Wednesday
2nd March, which, despite a slow
start, was most worthwhile; our next
one is on 6th April, weather
permitting!
Then, next day at our weekly meeting,
we celebrated the skills of three Young
Chefs from Wayland Community High
School. This is the first time we have
sponsored a Young Chefs competition
and we were delighted with the results.
The winner was Francesca Kirkpatrick,
year 8, who went on to represent
Watton at the Rotary District finals
held in Bury St Edmunds. Despite
being the youngest competitor, as well
as showing excellent cooking skills, it
was Fran's coolness in the kitchen that
particularly impressed the local judges.
Runners-up were Cameron Goldie and
Anna Harrison, both in year 10. [The
picture shows, l to r, Watton Rotary
President Dr Mike Harvey, Cameron
Goldie, Fran Kirkpatrick, Anna
Harrison, Mrs Mandy Beckwith
(WCHS cookery teacher), and our
competition coordinator Rtn David
Branson].
The performance by DixieMix at our
twice-yearly ―Jazz at the Queens Hall‖
event on 4th March was outstanding
with many regular attendees saying
that is was their best yet, and we raised
over £500 for our charities fund!
DixieMix will be with us again on 7th
October as a pre-Festival event - jazz is
not included in this
year‘s Festival
programme.
Do come along to the
Queens Hall on Saturday
2nd April when we have
volunteered to run the
Farmers‘ Market Coffee
Morning, proceeds of
which will go into our
charities fund for
worthwhile causes.
Visit us at:
wattonrotary.org.uk
Martin Anscombe
Rod and Grace Rumsby celebrated their Golden Wedding with friends
and family at an open afternoon of 'Tea and Cake' at Ovington Village
hall on Saturday 12th March. They met when as 15yr olds they
travelled to school on the bus. They eventually tied the knot on a lovely
warm sunny spring day March 11th 1961. They have two daughters
Julie and Helen and five grandchildren.
Rod was posted to RAF Watton in 1965 so when he left the RAF they
decided to stay in the Watton area and moved to Ovington in 1971 where
they soon became involved in many aspects of village life; both serving at
different times on the Parish Council and now both serving on the Village
Hall Committee, helping to organise village fetes, bazaars etc.
Grace founded the Ladies Group in 1978 which
still meets once a month in the hall. She is also
involved with all aspects of Church life at
Watton Methodist Church. Rod a former
member of the Royal Observer Corps is still
involved with aviation groups at Methwold and
Dereham. One afternoon he helps out as a
steward at Houghton on the Hill Church and
helps as a guide at Ovington Church when
needed, also helping with maintenance of the
churchyard. At the moment he is busy
researching Ovington history with the help of
Sue from the Wayland Partnership.
Our thanks to everyone for their support,
friendship, help, donations and cards in making
our Golden Wedding weekend a memorable
occasion.
Donations (instead of presents) for Diabetes and
Nelsons Journey have so far raised £239.00.
A Golden Celebration for Grace and Rod
Rotary Roundup
Did you spot my non-deliberate
mistake members? I reported that our
2011 Exhibition Quilts Four finished
on the 6th May . . . , wrong- it runs
from the 30th April to the 7th May,
Sunday excepted but Bank Holiday
Monday included in The Dragonfly
Gallery at Wayland House. Opening
times are from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on the
Saturdays , 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
weekdays. I would imagine by now
that no member can possibly be
unaware of that with all the
preparations and deadlines. You are
reminded that your labelled exhibition
entries should be taken to the meeting
on the 26th April or delivered to the
Wayland House beforehand.
We continue to make Heart Cushions
for those who have had surgery for
Breast Cancer, quilts for Project Linus
and now all members are asked to
make at least 2 ‗Square in a Square‘ 9‖
blocks per month of suitable fabrics for
quilts for injured service personnel.
NB no floral prints. The instructions
for the latter plus details of all activities
and contacts as always are available on
our Blog at
http://htsqgroup.blogspot.com. Any
donations or money from the Bag
Draw at the exhibition will go towards
the purchase of materials for these
projects. Meanwhile keep your ears
open for coverage and details of the
exhibition on Wayland Radio at 107.3
and your eyes open for posters, fliers
and so on around Norfolk and beyond.
Not quite into infinity but we did
manage publicity at the Chilford
Spring Quilt Show in Cambridgeshire
on the 11th-13th March.
If you want to know what all this is
about call in at our meetings on the
2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month
apart from August from 7 p.m. to 9
p.m. in the Watton Christian
Community Centre. You can ring me,
Sue Hart, on 01362 822536 for further
information.
Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers
The Wayland News Page 12 News
Need small home improvements?
Keith Huish Skilled & Experienced Carpenter
Doors, windows, locks . . . no job too small. Free no obligation estimate.
K R H Carpentry Services 01953 (Watton) 882484 – Mobile 07746 114285
Watton Ballroom Dancing Association
Queen’s Hall, Watton 8 to 11.00 Admission £3.50
Saturday April 2nd Saturday May 7th
Mike 01953 882799
Welcoming Heroes
We can all rejoice in the report that
Watton is one of the first towns to
show, in practical terms, appreciation
of and pride in our armed forces. A
report elsewhere correctly notes that
the town`s close relationship with the
armed services began over 70 years
ago but then sadly the writer betrays
only a superficial knowledge of the
proud history of the town`s links
with the Royal Air Force when the
report continues "when . . . fighter
jets flew out of RAF Watton during
WW2 . . . ".
No, it was long before jet powered
aircraft became operational and
indeed before propeller driven
aircraft became more advanced that
crews from RAF Watton and its
satellite, Bodney, in the early stages
of the war were suffering grave
losses in their brave attempts to carry
the war to the enemy.
The one time promising
performance of their Blenheim
aircraft was no match for the more
advanced enemy fighters and they
suffered grievous losses. This is
commemorated in the memorial
propeller, salvaged from Aalborg,
just one of their targets in the early
stages of the conflict before more
advanced prop aircraft and years
before "jet" aircraft arrived.
Keith Taylor, Watton.
Ed: It is a wonderful idea to
welcome the Heroes of today but
wouldn‟t it have been nice if the
author of the piece Keith refers to (in
Breckland Voice magazine no less)
had been sufficiently well educated
in our history to have correctly
remembered the Heroes of the recent
past? A number of whom are still
alive!
RAF Watton and Bodney were home
to the Blenheims of 21 and 82
Squadrons of 2 Group, Bomber
Command and from 1942 onwards,
American aircraft of a variety of
types, in a variety of roles in the
shape of the 25th Bomb Group as
well as the Third Strategic Air Depot
at Griston.
Although the occasional fighter did
fly out of Watton – including the
famous Douglas Bader after
refuelling – it was never home to
fighter squadrons.
It is true that P51 Mustang fighters
of the 352nd Fighter Group did fly
out of Bodney from July ‟43. but at
no time in the Second World War did
jets fly from Watton or Bodney.
So yes, let us welcome today‟s
Heroes with open arms and hearts;
but let us also remember correctly
the ones who went before.
Letters to the Editor
Thank you to everyone who
attended the two Craft Markets in
2010. We managed to raise
£90.50 for Macmillan Cancer
Care and Support in Norfolk.
Due to the good response at these
events there will be a Craft
Market in The Queens Hall every
first Saturday from now until
November (not including
October). The next one will be
held on 2 April.
There will be a good selection of
locally handmade items
including cards, knitwear,
glassware, wooden items,
jewellery and some unusual
items as well. Craft supplies will
also be available for those
budding crafters.
Opening times will be 9.30am to
2pm and admission will be free.
Hot drinks and cakes will be
served 9.30am - 11.30am by the
Rotary Club and hot drinks,
cakes and lunches will be served
12pm - 2pm by the Thetford
based charity ASD – Helping
Hands who are there for adults
and children living with Autism.
If you require any further
information please call Brenda
on 01953 885559.
Queens Hall Craft Markets
To The Wayland News and to YOU
Well they do say ‗you don‘t know
what you‘ve got ‗til it‘s gone!‘ and
that was certainly the case with The
Wayland News! Newspapers like this
are so important for towns like
Watton and for organisations like
SSAFA. They are by us and for us.
And welcome back to our supporters
and fundraisers. You may remember
that 2010 was the 125th Birthday for
SSAFA and we were trying to raise
£1.25 million? Well, we didn‘t quite
make it but it was close and here in
Breckland we had our best year ever.
In SSAFA Norfolk the total raised
was £5003.41 to go towards helping
our serving and ex serving men and
women of all three services, National
Service and others besides. However,
over £2500 of that was raised in
Breckland! £1200+ was raised at the
Morrison‘s collection last August,
and over £1300 was raised in Watton
Carnival, Wayland Show and
Weeting Steam Rally. So thank you
so much for your amazing
generosity, you are going to make a
difference! Thank you too to all the
volunteers – Derek, Michelle, Sheila,
Ken, Bobbie, Shirley and so many
others.
2011 is going to be another good
year – isn‘t it? – and we welcome
Bette Wilkinson to our team of
wonderful fund raisers. Rumour has
it that she is demon on Coffee
Mornings and Jungle Sales so keep
an eye out for those – dates to follow.
Case wise SSAFA continues to help
many people in the Watton area with
many referrals from Social Services
and Local Govt. Agencies in addition
to those who contact us direct. Cases
county-wide remained at the 8 year
high of 558 and we almonised over
£340,000, an increase of 5% on
2009. We now have 3 trained case
workers at the prisons in Norfolk
helped by ex-service prison officers
who are sign posting inmates our
way. Debt cases continue to be
referred to Citizen‘s Advice Bureaux
although there are some concerns
over the funding of CAB which we
hope will be unfounded.
All of this work is ably done by
trained volunteers and we see two
fund raisers going to London in April
for their Fund Raising Course. Derek
has just returned from his course
London and is now the new DivSec
for Thetford and Attleborough. He is
urgently seeking volunteers for his
Division, both Case Workers and
Fundraisers. If you would like more
details about either of these roles
please ring the Norwich Office on the
number below.
Dates for 2011:
14 May National Collection Day at
Chaston Place, Watton
25 June Mid Norfolk Singers
Summer Concert at Carbrooke
Church
June Watton Carnival
03 Sept Jumble Sale, Wells Cole CC,
Saham Toney
Oct Big Brew Up
If you would like to help at any of
these events or you would like to
organise one yourself please ring
Norwich 01 603 403322 First in, Last
out. 1 Day‘s Service is all it takes
SSAFA says Welcome Back
Thanks from Jack and Enid Clarke Jack and Enid Clarke of Carbrooke, would like
to thank all who donated to the East Anglian
Air Ambulance by purchasing the book
"Marine Jack" by Robert Chalmers. We have
so far, been able to send the sum of £379.60 to
the charity.
Our grateful thanks to Robert Chalmers who
created such an absorbing account of Jack's
experiences as a regular Royal Marine during
the Second World War.
Thanks also to Jayne Wesley-Smith and her
colleague who gave their time in collating
photographs, text and cuttings etc., to produce
such an attractive book.
We owe a special thanks to Chris Edwards,
who not only set up a window display ,
appropriately during Armistice Week last year,
but also gave all his profit from the sale of the
books to the charity.
We, the family, are so grateful to have this
record, and would hope that many more of the
older generation would tell their stories and get
them written down before it is too late!
Enid Clarke
St George’s Day Classic Vehicle Run 2011
in aid of Break This year's classic vehicle run in
association with the North Norfolk
Classic Vehicle Club (NNCVC) and
Strumpshaw Stream Museum is on
Sunday 17 April.
The run, open to all classic,
collectable, unusual or interesting
vehicles, will start from the station
car park in Sheringham and finish at
the Strumpshaw Steam Museum,
courtesy of William Key and family.
Vehicles can arrive from 9 am.
Please phone Goeff Buckley on
01263 860676 to pre-book a time.
Entry by donation to Break. The run
of about 40 miles is part of the
Federation of British Historic
Vehicle Clubs ―Drive It Day‖
Initiative.
Strumpshaw has a fabulous museum
that drivers and passengers will be
able to visit for a small extra charge,
including a cup of tea and a ride on
the railway which goes round the
estate. There will also be organ
recitals throughout the day and other
working attractions. With over
10,000 sq feet under cover there will
be plenty to do and see if the weather
is unkind. There are also rare breeds
and a sign posted country walk.
Further details at www.strumpshawsteammuseum.co.uk Please pre-book by contacting Geoff
Jones of the NNCVC on 01263
860676 www.nncvc.org.uk.
Antiques valuation day at Ashill
Ashill Village Aid is holding an Antiques Valuation afternoon at the Call In
on Tuesday April 19th from 2pm to 4pm.
Keys Auctioneers of Aylsham have agreed to attend and value items. This is a
chance to begin an early Spring-clean and check out the loft and cupboards,
you may be surprised by the treasures you find.
The charge is £1 per item the proceeds from which will benefit Ashill Village
Aid. Parking is limited outside the building but there is plenty of space by the
Green. Refreshments will be available.
News The Wayland News Page 13
News from Treetots Playgroup
Hello everyone, Congratulations to Julian and the team on the resurrection
of The Wayland News. Well done
I hope that this time of year finds you readers out there well and looking
forward to the onset of Spring, with brighter and warmer days.
Since I last wrote there have been a number of changes to the personnel
involved in Treetots. We have additions to the Committee team as well as
new members of staff. We currently have six staff, two of whom are busy
studying for their Degrees in early Years Education and are able to share
their knowledge with the rest of us on the most up to date good practice.
With the rapid growth of the Blenheim Grange Estate more children are
joining us and we look forward to sharing our 'Learning for Life' ethos with
an increasing number of families.
Now to what we are planning for this term. Springtime enables us to closely
observe the way plants and animal grow and develop. We have already
begun planting beans, peas and flowers. The children are finding out what
the composition of soil is, what living things need to enable growth, how to
care for young plants, animals, babies and where our food comes from. To
extend language skills, together we shall be learning descriptive names for
plants, young and adult animals, and exploring
collective nouns for 'family' groups,
OUR AIM is to give all our young children the
opportunity for hands- on experiences which will
cultivate a lifelong desire for continuous
learning, intertwined with respect for all living
things.
Due to a Quality Funding Award, we have been
able to purchase some lovely equipment and
resources which will further enhance the use of
our outside area. Staff are currently devising
ways to bring the 'classroom' outside in a
interesting and safe way....
We are also asking all our children how they like
to spend their time and will be trying to
incorporate individual interests into the daily
planning.
Help! If they want me to play an Xbox game- a
whole new experience for this oldie, but any new
learning experience is valuable at any age.
Children will finish the term with Easter
preparations, when hopefully some chocolate
will be involved!!
The Committee have an Annual General
Meeting (A.G.M.)coming up and are busy
planning fund raising events- so watch this space
for further details.
If you have a child or children of Pre-school age
and are interested in looking around our
Playgroup, we can be found at
The Blenheim Centre, Tedder Close, Watton
IP25 6HZ or telephone on 07743097618. We
look forward to meeting you.
cv
James Ball SHOWROOM: 49 High Street, Watton
01953
883288
Very Competitive Prices
Most Makes of carpets
& Vinyl Supplied and Fitted
ROGER TURNER 07759 948 830 01953 881 382
Country Market Producers wish all our customers a Happy Easter What a full month April is this
year, beginning with Mothering
Sunday and ending with Easter and
the Royal Wedding. Our cooks
will have lots of seasonal items for
your delight. Our crafters can
supply all sorts of small gifts and
even small gift boxes. The
woodworkers have all sorts of items
from toys for toddlers to pens for the
sophisticated adult. Greetings cards
for all occasions are always
available and special cards for
special occasions can be ordered too.
We have lovely displays of beautiful
but inexpensive jewellery, lots of
knitted goods and some beautiful
cushions and bags. With the warmer
weather and time for spring planting
April will see our plant stall coming
back into its own too. All our goods
are made in the Watton area by local
cooks/crafters/gardeners. Our fresh
eggs come from a local farm too so
you can be really sure that they are
indeed fresh!
Do, please, stop by on a
Wednesday morning between 8.30
and 11.30 a.m. You will find us in
the front hall at the Watton
Christian Community Centre
where we can assure you of a
warm welcome and friendly,
personal service.
World Book Day (3rd March
2011) was once more celebrated in
imaginative style at Rocklands
School. The day began with a pre-
school breakfast read, where
children and parents shared books
and magazines over cereals and
toast. A huge thank you to all the
members of the PTA who helped
prepare and serve it. Later, pupils
enjoyed a book swap. They
wrapped up and brought in their
own ‗good reads‘ to exchange for
books recommended by their
friends. Pupils dressed up as their
favourite book character for the
day. There were ghosts and fairies,
Sherlock Holmes and Hercule
Poirot. (Pictured Right)
Supermarket vouchers for
schools: We are always pleased to
receive your SAINSBURY and
TESCO vouchers. There is a
collection box at Rocklands Post
Office or please send them to 74
The Street, Rocklands, NR17 1TP.
Thank you.
German link: Our Class 2 teacher,
Mr Pinnock, has just returned from
a two week visit to Germany,
where he was learning the
language and finding out what
German schools and the education
system are like. Thanks to his
efforts, Rocklands School now has
an international link with the
Gebrüder Grimm Schule near
Duesseldorf. We look forward to
participating in joint projects over
the coming years.
School calendar 2011: This year
we produced own school calendar
and would like to say thank you to
the following businesses who
supported us: Living Property,
Ridgeons, C&H Groundworks, Ian
Wilton–builder, Entwine, Avant
Hire Services, John Dixon, DCM
Landscape and Building Service,
Breckland Contractors and ECO
Technical plumbing.
For further information about
school activities, student projects
and the opportunity to keep up to
date with events, visit our website:
www.rocklands.norfolk.sch.uk.
Rocklands Primary School News
MOTs £35.00 VEHICLES FROM V 99 ONWARDS. £40 FOR OLDER VEHICLES
IVAN CHUBBOCK GARAGE SERVICES
SHIPDHAM
Tel: 01362 820416
3rd Watton Brownies The Brownies of the 3rd Watton
Pack have been very busy over the
last few weeks working for their
First Aid Badge. They have all
worked very hard and they will be
awarded their badges very soon. We
are grateful to Irene who has
attended the meetings and helped
the girls to learn and practice how to
help in an emergency.
We have vacancies for more girls in
the Pack which meets in Watton
from 6.00 to 7.30 pm every
Wednesday evening in term time.
For more details call Brown Owl on
01508 480776 or Snowy Owl on
01760 440589.
The Watton Society Flood Alert! Norfolk Floods in
the 20th Century. The dramatic
story of the three major floods
in the County in 1912, 1938 and
1953, told by Neil Storey. Hear
about what really caused and
what really happened on those
fateful nights, the heroes and
heroines and the aftermath, with
illustrations from the lecturer's
archives.
Wednesday, 20th April. 7.45
pm at the Christian Community
Centre. Visitors welcome at our
meetings - £2.50, refreshments
available at 50p.
Contact for more information
on the Watton Society
programme of meetings -
01953 882613.
The Wayland News Page 14 Comment & News
HJC Ltd Motor Engineers
Servicing & MOT preparation to all makes of
modern cars & light commercials
Tyres, Exhausts, & Batteries supplied and fitted
Courtesy cars available
Ask for Steve at: 5 Linmore Court Threxton Rd
Industrial Estate Watton
Tel: 01953 889924
Low Maintenance Gardens
Designed & Built
LANDSCAPE GARDENING Tim Luxton Established 1973
Patios ~ Paths ~ Fencing ~ Shingle Drives Seeding ~ Turfing Etc.
Photos and References always available For a Quality Job & Free Quote
Phone Tim Luxton on 01603 880184 www.timluxtonlandscaping.co.uk
You may have a heard recently about a
new policy being introduced by the
coalition government which has been
given the grand title ―Localism‖; but
what is it?
In the forewords of the Government‘s
own publication “Decentralisation and
the Localism Bill: an essential guide” the
Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick
Clegg MP, writes as follows: “The
Localism Bill, as this guide sets out, marks
the beginning of a power shift away from
central government to the people, families
and communities of Britain.”
Sounds great doesn‘t it? The guide goes
on to explain the Government‘s intent as
follows:
„Decentralisation‟ as a word is easy to
pay lip service to. To actually make it
happen we need to break it down into the
practical steps that each part of
government can – and must – take. This
guide describes these steps in the form of
the six essential actions that have the
power to turn words into reality.
The first two actions are the most
fundamental, because decentralisation
can‟t get started without them. They are to:
Lift the burden of bureaucracy – by
removing the cost and control of
unnecessary red tape and regulation,
whose effect is to restrict local action;
and
Empower communities to do things
their way – by creating rights for
people to get involved with, and direct
the development of, their communities.
When I first read this I thought WOW!!
At last, we will be able to have a sensible
say in our own future. We won‘t have to
suffer the stupid, continuous growth of
our community without anyone
apparently having the sense or power to
ensure that the doctors, dentists,
transport, roads, youth facilities and so
being put in place to deal with all the new
people coming here.
AT LAST we will be able to say what
happens in our town and villages. How
wrong could I be?
With the most incredible sleight of hand,
the Chancellor has, with a few words in his
Budget Statement, announced a measure
that could unleash the most disastrous and
damaging developments on us, and there
will be nothing we, as a community, can do
about it despite all the grand promises made
in the Localism Bill.
You will have read last year about the
proposed development of 91 homes
between Saham Road and Cley Lane.
Nobody wanted them; residents local to
the site didn‘t want them, the Town
Council didn‘t want them and Breckland
Council didn‘t want them either which is
why they refused planning consent.
The proposed development is outside of
the Settlement Boundary of the town as
defined in the Local Development
Framework, the blueprint for the
District‘s future development which
Breckland have recently spent large sums
of money in drafting, consulting,
adjusting and re-consulting to produce.
By all measures, this development does
not meet the needs of the future
development of our community. On that
basis, Breckland turned down the
planning application and so you could be
forgiven for thinking ―Well that‘s that.‖
BUT as a part of the application process,
the developers tried to make use of a
loophole which meant that in the event of
the application proving ―sustainable‖ then
there should be a presumption in favour
of it. To their credit, Breckland Council
recognised this ploy and have resisted
attempts to push the application through
the back door with the support (or so it
seemed) of the government.
Everything has changed however.
In his Budget Statement, the Chancellor
has said that the Government are to
―introduce a powerful new presumption
in favour of sustainable development”.
When I first heard this, the alarm bells
started ringing and when I investigated
further I found in a press release from the
Department for Communities and Local
Government in which Communities
Secretary, Eric Pickles MP says:
"The actions set out in today's Budget will
create the conditions for growth and put
this country back on a strong and stable
economic footing. We are unblocking the
complex, costly planning system,
regenerating redundant sites and putting
the brakes on the years of Whitehall micro-
management that has tied business up in
red tape, slowing and stifling growth.
"The current planning system is
bureaucratic, we will make it easier to
navigate. We have a system plagued by
conflict and appeals. We will establish a
system where councils, communities and
business work together. Instead of
fighting against development imposed
from Whitehall, local people will have a
far greater influence over what is built in
their area. We will maintain protection
for the Green Belt and the environment -
as we are committed to sustainable
growth.”
Grand words . . . Councils, Communities
and Businesses working together. He then
goes on to say:
“To make sure the right land is available
in the right place for development the
Department will . . . Reform the planning
system through a range of measures,
including the introduction of a powerful
new presumption in favour of sustainable
development. The answer to development
and growth should wherever possible be
'yes', except where this would
compromise the key sustainable
development principles set out in national
planning policy.”
In that one paragraph any hope a
community has of determining the future
shape of its towns and villages has been
wiped from existence.
The development that would put 91
dwellings in Saham Road has already
gone to appeal even though the site is
outside the defined settlement boundary.
It would also seem the already existing
presumption I favour of sustainability is
the key point.
If the new ―more powerful presumption‖
were in place now, I suspect they would
already be building in Saham Road
because I very much doubt that
Breckland Council would have had the
nerve to refuse permission or the
resources to take on the developers in the
appeal process.
And doesn‘t that phrase ―powerful new
presumption‖ sound just a little like that
phrase beloved by advertisers . . . ―New
improved Recipe‖? . . So often used to
trick us into believing something has
changed for the better when really they
have reduced the packet size and put the
price up! I do hope we are not going to
sink that level again in politics!
This time last year, I warned that Griston
could see thousands more homes being
built on the airfield as it was being put up
for disposal. I now think it is even worse
than that.
The future of our community is about to
be thrown to the mercy of the developers;
we can all see what they did and are
doing on Blenheim Grange.
Sadly I fear that this is just the beginning.
You have been warned!
What price Localism now? Comment from the Editor . . .
WATTON BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP Wed 6th April 2.00pm Meeting at Watton CCC Mon 18th April 12.30 for 1.00pm Lunch at Griston Wagon & Horses
MIND in Watton What is MIND? Can MIND help you? Where and when does MIND
meet? MIND is a Carer Support Service for people who are caring for
someone with a Mental Health problem. MIND runs free Carer
Support Groups throughout Norfolk, where Carers meet up in an
informal atmosphere, with refreshments provided, to chat with others
like themselves and with a Support Worker, in confidence if required,
for a couple of hours a month. MIND runs a group in Watton at the
Christian Community Centre, on the 3rd Wednesday of each month,
from 1.30 to 3.30pm. The next meeting will be on 20th April. For
further details please phone Helen, 01953 884713, leave a message
and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
New orchard for Griston
Warm sunshine made the perfect day for Griston families and
Parish Councillors recently to plant a heritage orchard at the village
recreation ground. The orchard will benefit future generations for
years to come and it is hoped the blossom will help the endangered
bee population. Varieties planted include Norfolk Royal Russett,
Adams Pearmain, Saint Edmunds Pippin and a Robin pear tree.
During consultations carried out by the Parish Council, an orchard
was one of the ideas suggested by school children. The project
was made possible thanks to funding from Norfolk County
Council, Pride in Breckland and Griston Parish Council.
Wayland Show Home Section
Are you interested in helping at the Wayland Show on Sunday
7th August, 2011? We are looking for someone or more than
one person to help organise the Home Section. The Home
Section consists of the display of home cooked cakes, preserves
and crafts. Mrs Lyn Lake has organised the section for many
years. She would like to take a back seat this year and therefore
we are looking for someone to help with the organisation. Lyn is
happy to assist with the preparation before the day and also on
the day. You do not have to be a good cook or an expert at craft
making.
The Wayland Show Committee would like to see the Home Section
continue to flourish and without volunteers it will be difficult to stage the
competitions. The marquee is booked so we just need your help!
Wayland Show has recently donated £20,000 to local charities from the
2010 show.
If you are interested in helping please ring Mr Graham Shingfield
(Chairman 07778523482) or Mrs Bridget Hall (01953 483751).
One of the best things about managing an
art gallery is meeting all the wonderful
people who paint, sculpt, carve, stitch etc.
They are always interesting and usually
very warm and friendly. The most difficult
part is deciding which artists to select for
each exhibition. We always try to fit as
many in as possible bus as we are always
over-subscribed, someone is bound to be
disappointed. Our first Exhibition of the
new season is ‗All Creatures Great and
small‘, a celebration of the wonderful world
of wild working and domestic animals.
Stags and wolves, owls and kingfishers,
ceramic pigs and insect jewellery, Suffolk
Punches and thoroughbreds, Labradors and
terriers will all find a space in this unusual
show by mainly local artists. The exhibition
will run from April 2nd – 9th with a private
viewing on the 1st April.
The season will continue with a mini Craft
Fair on April 16th. The Crafters will be Ken
Hughes, a Wood Turner from Watton,
Carol Handforth from Ovington with her
unique cards, Shirley Mayer who produces
Knitted goods and comes from Dereham,
and Vera Cooke with her stunning Mosaics
from Norwich. Finally there will be
Jewellery by Jane Noble. And from April
30th to May 7th we will be hosting Quilts 4
– the now colourful annual show by the
talented members of the Hackers, Tackers
and Stuffers and their friends.
March 10th saw the end of the English
classes for speakers of other languages – a
sad day for many reasons. It has been a joy
over the last few years to meet so many (96
in total) young people from Europe and to
work with a range of funding and delivery
partners. Perhaps at some time there will be
more funding for community learning but it
seems a bit unlikely in the present climate.
So our grateful thanks to funders, teachers
and students, and at least Jan can have her
Thursday evenings back!
By the time the paper is out on the street,
the Youth Focus Group will have met to
discuss the changes planned by the County
Council for youth provision and to plan for
the future. Those aged 11 – 19 should watch
out for news of a new event at the Surge at
the beginning of June and for a new
consultation document to complete – we
need to know their ideas and opinions.
The Pride in Breckland Group have been
looking for ways to promote safety in the home
in the light of the now five deaths from fire in
Breckland in recent months, and have been
working with Fay Eastell, Community Safety/
Fire-setter Co-ordinator for the Norfolk Fire
and Rescue Service and has invested in some
smoke alarms, which sadly many people, and
especially older residents, still do not have. If
you, or anyone you know, would like some
advice on Fire Safety then Fay would love to
hear from you. Her phone number is 01842
765156 and her email is
Partnership Notes
News The Wayland News Page 15
The Four Musketeers
Pictured on their presentation night
are four life-long friends who play
hockey for Watton Ladies Team.
Still going strong after clocking up
over 148 years of playing between
them, the four are (left to right)
Marlene Secker, Julie Wilkiins
(Harwood), Gail Dyer, Shirley
Tortise (Turtle).
Marlene said ―We have so much
fun and laughter together, with the
occasional tear. We started playing
together at Watton Secondary
Modern School, and have stuck
together ever since.‖
Members were welcomed to the
March meeting by Chairman Rod
Rumsby. Two films were shown; the
first was ―The Vickers VC10
Airliner" which told of its
development and over forty years‘
service with the world‘s airlines and
the R.A.F. This was followed by a
short film ―The Shuttleworth
Collection‖ of vintage aircraft at Old
Warden Airfield.
Next Meeting Tuesday 5th April
7.30pm at Methwold Social Club.
Speaker: Dick Russell, his
experiences as an Air Gunner on
Sunderland Flying Boats. New
members & guests welcomed.
For more Information Tel: 01842
879210
West Norfolk Aviation Society
PERSONAL COMPUTING, EMAILS & THE INTERNET
Personalised introductions to the use of computers, emails and the internet are
now available at Wayland House. We will be holding small friendly group
sessions in our training room starting in April 2011. No previous experience
or knowledge is required and the training is designed for any age. If you
would like more information, call in to Wayland House (the Old Police
Station) in Watton High Street or call 01953 880237.
NORFOLK & NORWICH ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND
Breckland Equipment and Information Centre at Wayland House. The Centre
will be manned by the NNAB Community Workers for the Breckland area,
who will be able to offer advice and support. A small range of equipment
suitable for visually impaired people can also be viewed at the Centre such as
talking watches and clocks, large button telephones, daily living equipment,
writing aids, lighting.
Also available is a wide range of eye condition and general information
leaflets relating to both local and national services. The opening Times are the
second and fourth Mondays of each month 10.00am – 12.30pm.
Some of the help you can get from the Partnership
Watton residents were horrified to
see a rogue Dalek trundling up and
down Brandon Road at
approximately 8pm.
The Dalek in question had been
attending a Club Meeting of the
Norwich Time Travellers at Watton
Junior School. These meetings have
been held before, and this particular
Dalek has attended them.
But for some reason it malfunctioned
and took itself out of the school and
trundled up and down Brandon Road,
terrifying householders and road
users alike.
Fortunately, the Dalek managed to
correct the malfunction and was
assisted back into the school by one
of the club members.
We are assured that every effort will
be made to make sure the Dalek does
not escape from the next Club
meeting on the 13th May, but the
public are advised to be vigilant
between the hours of 7 – 9pm and are
asked to contact the Chairman, Nigel
on 07733056067 or visit the group‘s
website at
www.norwichtimetravellers.co.uk if
they have any concerns
Stray Dalek Creates Havoc In Watton
PLEASE MENTION THE WAYLAND
NEWS WHEN SHOPPING
WITH OUR ADVERTISERS
Doggy tail has a happy ending Pippin, a Yorkshire terrier less than a
year old, was finally reunited with
owner after 30 days on the run.
Mrs Marsh had only just bought the
dog and was bringing him home to
Dereham on 31st January when he
slipped his collar and ran off. She
alerted Breckland Council who
received notification of numerous
sightings in the coming weeks. By the
time of his capture on 1st March,
Pippin had become a familiar sight
around the east area of Dereham but
could not be caught as he was very
nervous and would run away when
approached.
Breckland Council Dog Warden Mike
Gardiner visited a number of properties
where Pippin had been sighted using a
cage trap specifically designed to catch
dogs without harming them. Mike
visited the areas where the dog was
seen on eight separate occasions and
was pleased to find that Pippin had
been safely caught at last.
For more information about future
micro chipping events or responsible
dog ownership please call Breckland‘s
Dog Warden Service on 01362 656870
or email [email protected].
Figures published by the Office of
National Statistics show that there
are 97,422 people registered to
vote in Breckland.
But Mark Stokes, Electoral
Registration Officer is warning
some residents that they need to act
now if they are to have their say at
the District and Parish Elections
and UK referendum on the voting
system to the UK Parliament
taking place on Thursday 5 May.
‖Anyone who has moved house in
the past few months needs to
register with their new address‖, he
warns, ―and we know there are
many people in the Breckland
Council area have not yet
registered to vote, which means
they will be missing out unless
they take action.‖
Residents can request a registration
form by calling 01362 656875 or
by printing off a registration form
from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.
Regional Manager, Eastern/South
Eastern England: Phillippa Saray
from the Electoral Commission,
the independent elections
watchdog, adds: ―Residents may
also be planning to be away on 5
May, given the extra Bank Holiday
for the Royal Wedding. So it‘s
worth applying now to vote by post
or proxy if that will suit your
plans. You can print off the forms
from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. It
just takes a few minutes, and then
you are all set for 5 May.‖
Make sure you can vote on the 5th May
The Wayland News Page 16 Comment & News
Getting involved as a volunteer at the
Partnership Get involved! Becoming a volunteer is a great way to get involved in the
running of much needed community based services hosted and sponsored by
the Wayland Partnership.
The Wayland Community Bank: The Bank,
set up in 2007, is looking for new volunteers
to help it provide its range of services to the
Wayland community. Since it was launched,
the Bank has attracted an ever increasing
group of members and users and new
volunteers would help us maintain the level of
service the members expect.
By volunteering you can: - receive quality
training; - learn new skills; - meet new people;
- feel valued for your contribution
The key skills we are looking for include: -
dealing with people in a friendly and polite
manner; - good communication skills; - basic
numeracy; - computer skills (desirable, not
essential); - commitment to the goals and
values of the Credit Union; - enthusiasm.
We offer full training to all volunteers and in
return ask them for a few hours a week of
their time. Because of the nature of what the
Credit Union does, we are looking for a long-
term commitment and we would wish all
volunteers to become Credit Union members.
Wayland Tourism Association: We need
new volunteers to help us maintain a high
level of service for the forthcoming 2011
holiday season. The knowledge, enthusiasm,
and passion of our volunteer team is crucial to
the Wayland Visitor Information Centre,
home of the Tourism Association. As part of
the team, volunteers of all ages share their
time and local expertise to help visitors to
Wayland get the most out of their stay. As
well as answering questions and suggesting
activities, the main role of our volunteers is to
meet and greet visitors and to provide them
with a warm and friendly welcome to the
Wayland area.
You will also be working in the Dragonfly
Gallery which is a really vibrant and exiting
location and you will help us run exhibitions
and events during the season. No two days
will be the same and the existing volunteers
will make you really welcome.
In each case, if you want to find out more or
indeed become one of our valued volunteers,
call in to Wayland House (the Old Police
Station) in Watton High Street or call 01953
880204.
Westminster can learn from Mid Norfolk Following the Budget‘s release, the
question dominating Westminster
is ‗How best to promote
sustainable jobs and growth?‘
Ministers, MPs and Civil servants
are searching for ways to build on
the Budget‘s framework and
unlock sustainable private sector
growth by supporting enterprise
and small business. They need
look no further than Mid Norfolk.
For a start, we‘re home to the skills
and sectors that can lead Britain in
the fastest growing markets in the
global economy: agriculture and
food science, biomedicine, high
tech engineering, and renewable
energy. We have the research base
in the Norwich Research Park - to
which the Budget has allocated
part of its £100 million for
scientific research - John Innes
Centre, Institute for Food
Research, Norfolk and Norfolk
Biomedical Research campus, and
UEA. We have the industrial base
in offshore oil and gas, the ports,
world class agriculture and food
processing, and high tech
engineering on the A11 corridor.
And we have the financial services
in Norwich.
And in Norfolk we have the
enterprise spirit. Rural areas like
ours have had to rely on our
culture of self-help to cope with
years of under-funding. As the
founders of the Wayland
Partnership, Wayland Radio and
Mid Norfolk News show, we are
enterprising folk in deepest darkest
Norfolk. People shouldn‘t forget
this is the County that gave Britain
the Agricultural Revolution, our
greatest military hero (and by the
way our first Prime Minister).
But in recent years we have
suffered as our economy has
become far too focused on the City
of London, and unsustainable
booms in the public sector, retail
and housing, fuelled by cheap
immigrant labour and cheap credit.
The boom collapsed spectacularly
and now we are all picking up the
pieces. Public spending has had to
be reined in, debt has to be paid off
by higher taxes. At a time of global
instability and rising oil prices
driving inflation this is hitting all
our household budgets hard. Rural
Mid Norfolk is particularly hard
hit: our cost of food, fuel and
living is higher and job
opportunities fewer. We have some
great businesses here but the banks
slamming the stable door on
borrowing after the horse has
bolted is hurting many of them.
I see this crash as a chance to
rebuild a more sustainable
economy, based in our area on a
more vibrant local economy and
communities. That‘s what The
Norfolk Way project I started 3
years ago is about promoting: a
vision of a Norfolk in which more
people can work locally, and a
planning system which promotes
smaller more local developments
for local people rather than mass
housing estates for commuters.
That‘s why I‘m encouraging our
local District councils to use the
very exciting Localism Bill to give
more say to local communities on
what we want for our market towns
like Watton.
And that‘s why I am delighted this
month to be launching a new Bursary
through The Norfolk Way to help
school leavers access work experience
opportunities with local businesses,
and Mentoring from local
entrepreneurs. It‘s my way of trying to
DO something practical to make a
difference to people‘s lives in our area.
In Westminster I am making the case
that the Government is doing the right
thing to control public spending and
tackle the debt, but now has to be more
radical in supporting the smaller
businesses and regional economies
like ours which drive sustainable
growth. With the A11, rural
broadband, and improved road and rail
links our area could be a thriving hub
of small business supporting a vibrant
rural economy and genuinely
sustainable communities.
Mid Norfolk doesn‘t have to be a
backwater. We can once again
lead the way. Not the Westminster
Way but The Norfolk Way. For
more information on this and other
projects I‘m running as your MP
please visit my website at:
www.georgefreeman.co.uk
George Freeman MP
The Westminster View
George Freeman is the Conservative
MP for Mid-Norfolk. The object of
this column is to help readers stay in
touch with their MP - it is not
intended as a reflection of the
political views of anyone associated
with the Mid Norfolk Times.
The Wayland Players Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of
the Wayland Players took place on
Wednesday 23rd February. The
new committee for the forthcoming
year was duly elected as follows:
Chairman/Publicity: David Taylor;
Vice Chairman: Graham Mitchell;
Secretary: Richard Hindley;
Treasurer: Jo Taylor; Friends
Secretary: Denette Taylor;
Committee Members: Jenny Mann,
Teri Fitzgerald, Melissa Hindley
As springtime draws out the
daylight hours Swaffham
Community Choir welcomes you to
belong. Meeting on Tuesdays from
7pm – 9pm at the Sacred Heart
School in Mangate Street a new 12-
week term begins on 26th April.
The Choir is available to everyone
even if you have never sung before
and are less than confident about
your abilities.
Natural Voice Practitioner Carol
O‘Neill said, ―I believe singing
needs to be accessible to everyone
because it is so rewarding and
fulfilling. An average session
begins with some relaxation and
exercises that encourage good
posture and helps us to feel more at
home in our bodies. After that we
explore our voices by using
techniques that are practised by
professional singers to bring out the
best in us. Unlike some choirs there
are no auditions and you don‘t have
to read music. We are not a choral
society, our songs are fairly
straightforward and come from
different traditions, backgrounds
and eras.‖
Proven to be beneficial physically,
mentally and spiritually community
singing lifts the spirits and is a good
way of meeting people and making
friends. The choir is for all age
groups and is designed for the
absolute beginner. There are a
number of spaces available for
those who are keen to join the
choir, telephone Carol O‘Neill on
01328 838316 or email
[email protected] to find
out more.
Sing for your summer with the Swaffham Community Choir
Relationship difficulties Bereavement Stress
Bullying/Abuse Addictions Depression
SANCTUARY COUNSELLING SERVICE WATTON
It’s good to talk! Counselling can help if you’re struggling to cope with:
Sanctuary offers a confidential low-cost counselling service with
professionally trained counsellors, who work on a short-term or long-term basis. Call us on 01953 880922 to arrange an appointment.
Appointments are available 6 – 9pm Tuesdays and 9.30am – 1pm Wednesdays. Sanctuary Counselling Service is part of River Ministries (Norfolk), registered charity number 1054419
News The Wayland News Page 17
Do you Know About Loch Neaton? Many of you will already know
the residents of Watton and the
surrounding villages are lucky
enough to have the benefit of
Loch Neaton, a fishing lake and
picnic area on the outskirts of
the town, not far past the
entrance to the Sports and
Social Club on the Dereham
Road. The lake area can also be
accessed via the pedestrian
entrance to the Sports Club
from Nelson Court.
The lake is set in beautiful,
tranquil surroundings, with a
very pleasant picnic area
surrounded by flower beds, with
all the tables having
uninterrupted views of the lake.
The paths surrounding the lake
are ideal for a leisurely stroll,
particularly pleasant with the
sun dappling through the trees
onto the path and sparkling on
the water, magnificent in
autumn with the trees
surrounding the lake turning
gold and stunning in winter
when everywhere is sparkling
under a coating of snow or
frost. The lake is particularly
lovely when the water lily beds
are in flower, and as anglers
will know, fish like to hang
around the lily beds, making for
good fishing!
In addition to the picnic area,
there‘s also a large grassed area
that used to be the original
bowling green until it was
moved to the grounds of the
Sports Centre, ideal for a bit of
(careful!) sun soaking or just
relaxing with a good book.
For the first time ever, the lake
had a Close Season as from the
1st of January 2011. This
decision was made very
reluctantly, but due to reduction
in fish stocks, partly due to the
really bad weather the previous
winter and partly due to anglers
disregarding the rules and not
only keeping, but also cooking
and eating the fish at the
lakeside, there was very little
choice. Re-opening had been
planned for 1st of June but
we‘ve been able to bring this
forward to Thursday 21st of
April. Any 2010/2011 Season
Ticket holders will be able to
purchase a 2011/2012 Season
Ticket at half price on
production of their last season‘s
ticket. Prior to re-opening for
fishing, the lake will be re-
stocked within the next few
weeks, costing an estimated
£800.
What many of you may not be
aware of, is that Loch Neaton is
a registered Charity, managed
and run entirely by 7 volunteer
Trustees and has no funding
from outside sources, including
Watton and Breckland
Councils. Income is entirely
from sales of fishing tickets.
Last year alone it cost more
than £3,000 for essential
maintenance to the paths, swims
(decked areas used for angling),
etc., to ensure the area
continues to provide a safe and
pleasant environment. Both
boats were taken from behind
the old pump house during the
previous winter, used as sledges
and destroyed, necessitating the
purchase of a new one in order
to keep the lake itself clear of
rubbish often thrown in without
thought for the well-being of
the fish. We are very grateful to
Watton Town Council who
funded the cost of a new boat
and also for funding regular
grass cutting. We are also
grateful to local companies who
have occasionally contributed
materials to help keep
maintenance costs down,
particularly Narford Scaffolding
who recently donated old
scaffold boards which saved a
considerable sum for
maintenance of some of the
swims and Jewsons for donated
materials.
We unfortunately don‘t benefit
from Serco emptying the waste
bins around the lake, which is
carried out by the Trustees, as is
general upkeep, including
cleaning up after dog users who
fail to clean up after their dogs,
not a pleasant task at the best of
times but worse if the dog isn‘t
even yours!! The Breckland
Council Dog Warden will be
patrolling the area and on the
spot fines of £50 will be levied
on those found not clearing up
after their dogs.
The Trustees, all of whom are
also Fishing Bailiffs, regularly
hold Working Parties at the lake
to carry out general
maintenance.
We‘re hoping to improve the
picnic area this year and would
very much welcome donations
of bulbs, suitable plants, shrubs,
etc. to enhance the flower beds.
As indeed we would welcome
the assistance of volunteer
gardeners to help maintain
them. Loch Neaton is for the
benefit of all residents, not just
anglers. Could we please
request that all visitors help to
keep the area a clean and
pleasant place to be.
If you are able to help in any
way to ensure the continued
benefit of Loch Neaton to all
local residents, please telephone
Paul Howe, Head Bailiff, on
07923 125252 or you can
contact us via our website
www.lochneaton.org.uk
where you will also find
information on all aspects of
Loch Neaton.
Rosalie Davis Gibb, Treasurer
and Webmaster
Left and above - Maintenance at the Loch is a joint exercise in fun!
Church Times and News The Wayland News Page 18
All Saints Church, Threxton Sunday 3rd April 10am Mothers Day
Sunday 24th April 11.30am Easter Day
Watton Churches Together Service Calendar for March
St. Mary’s Church, Watton
1st, 3rd & 4th Wednesday at 9.30am Holy Communion
2nd Wednesday Morning Worship
Church Office opens Tues, Wed & Thurs 9am-1pm
Tel: 01953 881252 [email protected]
www.stmaryswatton.org Sun 3rd Mothering Sunday
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion 12.30pm Holy Baptism
Sun 10th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion 7.00pm Informal Worship
Sun 17th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am All Age Worship 12 noon Holy Baptism
Thur 21st 7.00pm Five Parish and Watton Churches Together.
A Dramatic Presentation by Lance Pearson
A re-enactment of the story of Holy Week
Fri 22nd 10.30am Good Friday Silent Procession from the Methodist
Church for 11.00am Service at St Mary‘s Church Sun 24th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Easter Holy Communion
Watton Methodist Church
Every Wednesday the Church is open for quiet reflection and prayer between 10am
& 12 Noon. It‟s your quiet place. At 10.30 there is a half-hour Midweek Service
in the Large Vestry led by the Minister or a Church Member. www.wattonmethodist.btck.co.uk
Sun 3rd 10.45am Rev B Winner
6.30pm Rev G Thompson Holy Communion Sun 10th 10.45am Mr R Hompstead
6.30pm Mr B Lawrence
Sun 17th 10.45am Rev R Wakelin 6.30pm Rev B Winner
Fri 22nd 10.30am Good Friday Walk of Witness
from The Methodist Church for 11.00am Service at St Mary‘s Church
Sun 24th Easter Day
8.30am Rev B Winner Easter Breakfast in Watton CCC with Holy Communion
10.45am Rev B Winner Holy Communion
6.30pm Mr J Roebuck
Roman Catholic Community
Each Sat 5.30pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church
Sun 17th 8.30am Mass at Swaffham 10.30am Mass at Swaffham
Wed 20th 7.30pm Chrism Mass at St John‘s Cathedral, Norwich
Thur 21st 7.00pm Evening Mass of the Lord‘s Supper at Swaffham
Fri 22nd 3.00pm Solemn Liturgy of the
Lord‘s Passion at Swaffham Sat 23rd No Mass at Watton
8.00pm Easter Vigil and First Mass
of Easter at Swaffham Sun 24th 8.30am Easter Mass at Swaffham
10.30am Easter Mass at Swaffham
Pentecostal Church, Dereham Road, Watton
Children have their own programme during the Sunday morning services Sun 3rd 10.30am The Symbol of the Cross— I am
the Resurrection and the Life
7.30pm Alpha Course– Why the Cross Sun 10th 10.30am Family Egg Hunt Service
7.30pm Alpha Course - How can I believe?
Sat 16th Alpha Course—Holy Spirit Day Sun 17th 10.30am The Symbol of the Cross- What is God like?
Fri 22nd 11.00am Good Friday Service
Sun 24th 10.30am Easter Day Service The Symbol of the Cross—Why put God first?
St. Nicholas’ Church, Ashill
Tuesdays at 10.00am Said Holy Communion
Sun 3rd Mothering Sunday
9.30am All Age Worship Sun 10th 9.30am Lay Led Morning Worship
Sun 17th 9.30am All Age Worship
Tues 19th 7.30pm Holy Communion Fri 22nd 2.00pm Good Friday Meditation
Sun 24th 9.30am Easter Holy Communion
St. George’s Church, Saham Toney
Sun 3rd Mothering Sunday
11.00am All Age Worship Sun 17th 11.00am All Age Worship
Fri 22nd 10.00am Procession of Witness leaves
Wells Cole CC for 10.30am Good Friday Meditation
Sat 23rd 7.30pm Easter Eve Group Service of Light
Sun 24th 11.00am Easter Holy Communion
S.S. Peter & Paul’s Church, Carbrooke
Sun 3rd Mothering Sunday
10.30am All Age Worship
Sun 10th 10.30am Benefice Service of Holy Communion
Sun 17th 10.30am Morning Worship Wed 20th 7.30pm Holy Communion
Sun 24th 10.30am Easter Holy Communion
St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington
Fridays at 9.00am Said Holy Communion
Sun 3rd Mothering Sunday
12 noon All Age Worship Mon 18th 7.30pm Holy Communion
Sun 24th 9.30am Easter Holy Communion
Breckles, Caston, Great Hockham,
Griston, Merton, Stow Bedon,
Thompson
Worship Calendar for April
Mothering Sunday 3rd April (Fourth Sunday of Lent)
9:00 am Mothering Sunday All-Age Service Merton
10:30 am Holy Communion Griston Mothering Sunday theme. Posies for mums. Sermon suitable for
children. Refreshments.
3:00 pm Mothering Sunday Family Service Thompson
Passion Sunday 10th April (Fifth Sunday of Lent)
10:30 am United Holy Communion Stow Bedon
Palm Sunday Sunday 17th April (Sixth Sunday of Lent)
9:00 am Matins (BCP) Gt. Hockham
10:30 am United Holy Communion Thompson
Holy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 18th to 20th April
7:00 pm Compline Gt. Hockham
Maundy Thursday—21st April
7:00 pm Commemoration of Institution of the Lord‘s
Supper (Holy Communion) Gt. Hockham
Good Friday—22nd April
10 am to Noon Messy Church Gt. Hockham
New in our area for children aged four to eleven and their families.
12-3:00pm Seven Churches Pilgrimage
12:00 Thompson, 12:20 Merton, 12:40 Griston, 13:00 Bring your
packed lunch to the Rectory; 13:45 Caston; 14:05 Stow Bedon;
14:25 Breckles; 14:45 Great Hockham
2:00pm Open for silent meditation Gt. Hockham
(Last station of pilgrimage)
Holy Saturday—23rd April
8:00pm Service of light on the Eve of Easter Breckles
Easter Sunday —24th April
9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Gt. Hockham
1st May (Second Sunday of Easter)
10:30 am United Holy Communion Breckles
WEDNESDAY PRAM SERVICES For parents or carers with children aged 0-5
6th April, 10:15 am: Caston School Hall
13th & 20th April, 10:15 am: Snooker Room, Chase Farm, Caston
27th April, no Pram Service (resumes on 4th May)
‘THE WAY’ YOUTH GROUP (ages 11+) Sundays 3rd and 17th April, 7-8:00 pm, Rectory
Enquiries: The Revd. Bob Nichols: Tel.: (01953) 483222;
Email: [email protected]
Thought for the Month By Father Michael Johnstone
On the night before he was to die, Jesus - Son of God and Son of
Mary - took his closest friends to an Upper Room in Jerusalem to
celebrate with them the time-honoured Jewish commemoration
known as the Passover recalling the events which led to the Jews
release from slavery in Egypt.
But during the course of that meal, when he took the Bread to
thank God for it, and the cup of Wine, He made a dramatic
alteration to the ritual. For He said as he presented the Bread and
then the Wine - ―this is My Body. This is My Blood‖. And He told
HIs followers to ―Do this in memory of me‖. The Catholic Church
has obeyed this instruction daily from that day to this. This act is
the heart of Catholic worship: Pope John Paul summarised it by
saying ―This is the source and summit of our Christian Life‖. It is
the source since it is from tis act that we receive our strength; it is
the summit for it is the highest and deepest act of worship that we
can perform.
As we get near to Easter, and the celebration of the Son of God
and the Son of Mary overcoming his appalling death and rising
from the dead, we begin to think more deeply about this act and its
meaning. For in saying that He was giving us His Body and Blood
He was clearly looking forward to His death the next day and His
Resurrection three days later.
So for us Catholics, the whole of the last week of Christ‘s life, and
each event in it, has deep and pertinent spiritual meaning. As we
near Christmas, people very often say to me ―Oh, you must be
exhausted - this is your busy time‖. I reply, ―No it‘s not: Easter
is‖. And soon you may see why.
For from Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter Day) we live
through Christ‘s last days in our worship by following exactly
what He did and went through at exactly the time it happened.
So on that Sunday, when Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem as
though as King into His Capital city with all the people
shouting ―Hosanna, King of the Jews‖, we do the same -
waving palm branches or crosses, and going in Procession from
a convenient place into the Church to read the whole of the
story of the last week as recorded in the Gospels. In some large
Parish communities, a donkey accompanies the procession with
a small boy astride representing the Lord!
The events of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Jesus life
have not been recorded, so for us they are normal, rather quiet
days of preparation - just as the disciples prepared for the
Passover Meal for the Lord.
But on Thursday we take up the story of Jesus‘ life, by having
our celebration of ―the Passover Meal‖ - which we know cal
―The Mass‖ in the evening at the time Jesus would have met
with His Disciples. This we do with solemn joy, but during the
course of His Last Supper, Jesus made another alteration to the
ritual: He gave HIs disciples a new Commandment ―To Love
One Another‖. And to illustrate this, He went on His knees and
washed the feet of HIs disciples! In our Mass, the Priest
imitates this by washing the feet of 12 Parishioners -
dramatising the Christian‘s duty to care for each other.
Friday of course is very solemn. In the morning the children are
encouraged to come to Church to follow Jesus‘ journey from
Pilate‘s Palace to Calvary by journeying around the Church the
Way of the Cross illustrated by 14 images that decorate every
Catholic Church on its walls. And then at 3 o‘clock the whole
community meets at the very time of Jesus‘ Crucifixion by
having a very solemn Liturgy (act of worship) celebrating the
Death of our Saviour. Once again the whole story of the
Passion is read.
On Saturday Jesus was in the tomb, and so during the day we
remain quiet and solemn, though the ladies of the Parish are
very busy decorating the Church for the glory of the celebration
of the Risen Lord. And in fat, none of us can control the
excitement of that event, so we start to prepare ourselves by
having a Vigil service as soon as it gets dark.
During this time of watching and waiting,, which is what a
Vigil means, we celebrate the fat that Jesus is the light of the
world, by lighting a new fire and taking light from that first to
light a huge Easter candle which itself represents Jesus, and
each Christian lights is or her own small candle from it to show
that each of us is ‗lit by the light of the world‘. Then we thank
God for the gift of water, through which we are Baptised and
receive new life in Christ, and read the story of God‘s guidance
of the Jewish people until the coming of HIs Son. And so as it
nears midnight we start the celebration of the First Mass of
Easter, with great joy, many candles alight and bells ringing.
So once more the injunction given by Jesus at HIs Last Supper
to do this in memory of me is offered and made real through
the new life that Jesus has brought to the world through His
Resurrection.
So Holy Week is a wonderful week, during which we can
exactly follow our Redeemer in HIs redeeming acts, and pass
through many emotions until we truly celebrate with Him in
HIs triumph of sin and death. So we can truly sing Christus
Vincit: Christus Regnat; Christus Imperat (Christ has
overcome: Christ reigns; Christ is all powerful). And enjoy the
rest of the day, and a good rest as well!
SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEAS Hosted by St. Mary’s Church in March
Sunday 17th April at Watton Christian Community Centre
2.30pm until 4.00pm Brighten up a Sunday Afternoon by
joining us, a warm welcome awaits you and your friends.
The Wayland News Page 19 News
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WAYLAND EVENTS DIARY If you would like to see your event included in this section then
please email details to [email protected] ACC = Ashill Community Centre, Hale Road, Ashill Watton CCC = Watton Christian Community Centre Wells CCC = Wells Cole Community Centre, Saham
April Sat 2nd Craft Market at the Queens Hall 9.30am to 2pm
Wed 6th Ovington Gardening Club
Sat 9th Gt. Hockham Farmers Market and Craft Fair. GH Village Hall
Thurs 14th } The Wayland Players Present JB Priestley‘s
Fri 15th } Thriller ―Dangerous Corner‖
Sat 16th } At the Queens Hall. Tickets from Adcocks
Sat 16th Car Boot & Crafts at St Mary‘s, Watton 9am
Sat 16th Watton Evening WI Coffee Morning and Table Top Sale
Watton CCC on April 10am to 12noon
Tue 19th NWT Local Group Review and Talk on Fungi WCC 7.45pm
Thurs 21st Saham Methodist Church Maundy Thursday Hot cross bun/
coffee morning 10-12noon
Sun 24th Easter Craft Fair at Wretham Village Hall 10am
Sat 30th to 7th May Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers Quilts Four Exhibition
Dragonfly Gallery, Wayland House, Watton. See ad
May
Fri 6th Ovington Annual Quiz
Sat 14th Gt. Hockham Farmers Market and Craft Fair. GH Village Hall
Tue 17th NWT Talk work of the RSPCA Rescue Centre East Winch.
Sat 21st To Sunday 5th June - Art @ Stoke Ferry Church
Sat 28th Saham Methodist Church Plant sale 10 - 12Noon
Royal Wedding Does the idea of a Royal Wedding give you
the shudders, or are you looking forward to
the spectacle, which we British do so well?
Whatever your personal thoughts, the
Church of England still has the Monarch as
its head and we still are the Church OF
England, rather than the Church IN
England, which is what many would have
us be. As such, we pray for our Royal
Family in their joys and their sorrows.
Sadly, they seem to have had more sorrows
than joys in the past few years, but on
Friday 29th April Prince William will
marry his fiancée, Catherine Middleton,
and the Church of England will be
conducting the ceremony in Westminster
Abbey. You might not have received an
invitation to the event itself, but
nevertheless, we would like to invite you to
take part in prayer and celebration of this
special day.
Firstly, there will be a book of
congratulations in each of the churches of
the ACOS Benefice, namely St Nicholas
Ashill. Sts Peter & Paul Carbrooke, St John
Ovington and St George Saham Toney. The
books will be there from Easter Sunday to
Sunday 1st May inclusive and will be sent
to the couple with our prayers and good
wishes for the future.
On Thursday 28th April, each of the
churches in the ACOS benefice will have
15 mins of prayer, making an hour of
prayer in the benefice. If you would like to
join me, me I will be at Ashill at 10.00am,
Saham Toney at 10.45am, Ovington at
11.30am and Carbrooke at 12.15pm.
On Friday 29th April, we will be holding a
special Eucharist at 9.00am at St Johns,
Ovington holding the couple in our prayers
on their special day and to which everyone
is welcome the service will end in plenty of
time to watch the ‗Wedding elsewhere on
TV.
On Saturday 30th April, we will be holding
‗A ROYAL WEDDING FETE‘ from 1.00 –
5.00pm in the Rectory Gardens, Ashill,
admission free. Everybody is warmly invited
to join us at any/all of these events, as we join
in the celebrations with British subjects all
around the world.
Rev‘d. Jane Atkins,
Rector of the ACOS Benefice
Greetings from St James’s Palace Watton Town Council recently wrote, on
behalf of us all, to Prince William and Kate
Middleton, congratulating them on their
forthcoming wedding. The reply to the
letter is as follows:
Dear Mrs. Seal, Prince William and Miss
Catherine Middleton have asked me to
thank the Watton Town Council and the
residents of Watton for the very kind letter.
His Royal Highness and Miss Middleton
have been overwhelmed by the incredibly
kind messages they have received in
connection with their forthcoming
Wedding, and were immensely touched that
you should take the trouble to write as you
did. Your words were greatly appreciated
and Prince William and Miss Middleton
have asked me to send all of Watton their
warmest thanks and best wishes.
Lady Captain, Ann Achilles, recently invited the Ladies of Richmond Park
Golf Club to take part in a Charity Day to raise money for the Breast Cancer
Resource Fund at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.
As always there was a huge response and the ladies turned up, on a chilly
February morning, dressed in various items of pink apparel to take part. Even
the fairy cakes served as refreshments had pink icing!
Everyone enjoyed the day and the amount raised for the Captain's Charity was
a very creditable £215.00.
The format for the day was a 13 Club Competition, and it was won by Jan
Bone. The prize for the Best Pink Lady was awarded to Diane Pitman (below
right) and the prize for the Best Pink Trolley went to Anne Bayes. (below left)
The March Ladies Medal Competition was held on a lovely, sunny morning
which made us all feel that Spring is finally on its way results were
1st 102-22=80 Mrs ANNE BELL; 2nd 98-16=82 Mrs MAZOE YOUNG; 3rd
103-19=84 Mrs LESLEY DAVIS
Division 2 Results 1st 120-29=91 Miss CHRIS BAILEY; 2nd 119-24=95 Mrs
ELAINE ABERDEEN; 3rd 125-30=95 MRS HILDA WHITMARSH
Division 3 Results 1st 124-36=88 MRS EILEEN CHARD (Only result)
March Stableford Results
1st 28pts Mrs ANNE BELL; 2nd 26pts MRS JULIE ELLIS; 3rd 25pts Mrs
DIANE PITMAN
Division 2 Results 1st 34pts Mrs ELAINE ABERDEEN; 2nd 31pts Mrs
CHRISTINE WHYATT; 3rd 29pts MRS MARGARET TAYLOR
Division 3 Results 1st 32pts MRS EILEEN CHARD; 2nd 26pts Mrs
DOROTHY STEPHENSON; 3rd 21pts Mrs SHIRLEY LUBBOCK
Richmond Park Golf Club Ladies Section
In March, we had a short Coffee &
Chat meeting and then some of our
members went to Necton for our
Christmas/Spring lunch. (We like
to be different!!) The meal was
arranged by Shirley, one of our
members, who did such a superb
job even John & Rod were lost for
words - and that had to be seen to
be believed!!
Mind you, maybe having their
wives with them kept them quiet!
Anyway, thank you very much
Shirley for all you did.
At our next meeting at 10.15am on
April 11th, our speaker will be
Sarah Fretwell, from Bayer, who
will be talking about Blood
Glucose Meters. We meet at the
Pentecostal Church, Old Dereham
Road, Watton and we thank them
for the use of their facilities. Our
meetings are open to anybody who
has Diabetes and/or their carers.
For details of this or any other
meetings please phone Helen,
01953 884713, leave a message and
I will get back to you as soon as I
can.
Wayland Happy Circle
Diabetes UK
It's good to be in the news once
again ! Many thanks and well done
Julian.
We had a lovely visit to China at
our March meeting. A superb
presentation and informative
afternoon provided by Margaret
Upton and her Technical Assistant
Ron.
Our next meeting will be on April
5th when we will welcome Penny
Newton who will talk about the
work of Break Charity. Don't forget
ladies to book for our outing to
Wroxham Barns and River Trip, to
be held on the 7th Jun.
All our meetings are held on the
first Tuesday of the month 2pm at
the Watton Christian Community
Centre.
Hope to see you there.
The Wayland News Page 20 News
Contact Details & Events Diary
are now on inside back page.
We have recently had our 24th
Anniversary Meal Celebration at The
Gallery in the Sports Centre (right). On
10th March we had our AGM followed
by a Cheese and Wine Evening.
On 27th May we are going on a five
day visit to Weeze our Twin Town in
Germany, time will be spent with our
twin families as well as trips out and
about to interesting places in the
region.
Future events include a Cream Tea &
Quiz Afternoon. You can also see a lot
more information and pictures of
several events our Twinning
Association have been involved in and
also a web site of our twin town Weeze
on the following websites
www.watton-norfolk.org.uk
www.weeze.de &
www.partnerschaftsverein-weeze.de
why not take a look there‘s lots to see.
If you are interested in finding out
more or in joining our Twinning
Association, please don‘t hesitate to
call me on 01953 883317. Margaret
Devine (Chairman)
Pictured right are Town Mayor
Councillor Roy Ivory with some
members of Twinning at our
Anniversary Meal
Watton Twinning Association
Our first anniversary was a huge
success, with people coming to see
how things have gone in our first year.
Some of the achievements that have
come from the Centre so far are: we
have managed to get 3 people from
Watton housed and stopped one
eviction; supported people medically
and advocated for people with multi
agencies. Outreach support is now
going on. People come to the Centre
when they are not coping with life
issues or they may not know who to
turn to. I have run 2 courses through
Project First from City College; one of
the courses that we ran was credited.
Recently the Centre ran a city and
guild course. We also have art classes
and jewellery making. We have 3
groups running at the moment. We
have bible study on a Thursday,
support group on Thursday nights and
we have a personality disorder group
on Friday mornings. We also have
people from TNG doing work
placements.
We were awarded £1100 with the
Wayland Partnership‘s help to run a
course to help combat with anti-social
behaviour, £200 from the Council for
art and drama projects. St. Mary‘s
Church and Watton Methodist Church
have supported us financially and
many people have personally donated
time and money.
The Centre helps many people. We
have a client group of people with
learning difficulties, some with
addiction problems and others may
have emotional problems, other people
come in just for company and we have
a warm community here, anyone is
welcome. We are planning to buy this
building by the grace of God.
I would like to thank the people of
Watton and the Council, Wayland
Partnership, Geoff Garrett, the Dutch
Flower Florist for their wonderful
display of our project in the window
and everyone who has helped us stay
open this year, but most of all I would
like to thank the people that come to
the Centre and the staff that help run it.
Jan MacKenzie
This picture is of staff and people who
access the centre. Left Steve Scott –
Ashley Smith holding son Damien next
his girlfriend Gemma, behind are
Danny Fletcher, Ted Pelham and right
is Debbie who makes our jewellery.
Colin Mackenzie Centre
