mid-norfolk times january 2010

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Issue No. 153 A Free Paper Supporting Mid-Norfolk Communities January 2010

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The man responsible for Watton‟s much

admired floral displays, Tony Lewin, is to

retire from the post he has held for seven

years. In that time Tony has looked after the

planters and hanging baskets in Watton

High Street that have contributed so greatly

to the townscape with gloriously colourful

decoration.

In Tony‟s time as Watton Horticultural

Officer, he also decorated Dereham town

centre for a period of three years.

Born in 1945 in Esher, Surrey, Tony came

to Norfolk to settle with his wife, Dorothy,

and family. He has been in the horticultural

industry for 50 years, starting at Hampton

Court Palace with a 7 year apprenticeship

and worked for “Carter‟s Tested Seeds” in

their show department and was involved in

three Chelsea Flower Shows during his

apprenticeship, growing and displaying

plants for the company.

Later on he had his own Nursery and

landscaping team in Hinchley Wood in

Surrey and then in the late „70s moving to

Norfolk where he took up the post as

Horticultural Manager at Otley College in

Suffolk.

Tony and Dorothy finally moved to Watton

some 15 years ago, where he has enjoyed

life. Tony said “I have really enjoyed

working with the council and with Jacqui

Seal as Town Clerk, it has been a lovely

time following a busy and interesting

career”

“In retirement I will pursue my all

consuming hobby of painting landscapes

and holding course and holidays around

Great Britain.”

Watton Town Council has used the

occasion of Tony‟s retirement to outsource

the supply of the floral displays in future

and a two year contract has been awarded

to Wil Smith of TTSR Ltd.

Town Mayor, Margaret Holmes, wished

Tony every happiness on the occasion of

his retirement saying “Tony has done a

wonderful job for the town and has set a

very high standard.”

“We are however, confident that TTSR will

continue to meet this standard in the years

to come”.

Wil Smith said “I have got some big shoes

to step into and I pay tribute to all Tony‟s

work in the past. I expect to be calling on

his experience and advice in the future.

“Tony has already planned this year‟s

displays and we commence planting around

the end of May.

“TTSR has been performing the grounds

maintenance in and around Watton for six

years now and we look forward to working

even more with Watton Town Council.

“My future plans for the business include

employing at least one more person locally

and hopefully develop a future local garden

centre for the public.”

Jan Godfrey, Chair of the Wayland

Partnership Development Trust, played a

key role in establishing the Town Gardener.

On hearing of his retirement Jan said “Tony

has done a terrific job over the years in

making the town look beautiful.

“We have had so many appreciative

comments in the time Tony has been

responsible for the planting and I wish him

great happiness in his retirement.

“I hope that whoever takes on the role in

future is able to live up to the standard he

has set.

Most of the plants used in the town‟s

displays were grown by Tony at a

dedicated nursery housed at Wayland

Community High School. The nursery

was established using some of the funds

given by the European Commission.

TTSR Ltd has now purchased all of the

town‟s gardening equipment such as the

poly tunnel, water bowser and tools etc.

and Wil plans to establish his own

nursery to supply plants for the displays.

With the sale of the equipment

concluded, the council has now closed

their nursery.

Now it is Tony‟s turn to watch the flowers grow

(Left) Tony Lewin and (right) Wil Smith. Tony‟s retirement see‟s Wil take the responsibility for the town‟s flowers

Mid-Norfolk Times News

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Breckland Council‟s Development

Control Committee (DCC) has agreed

to renegotiate the terms of the

existing Section 106 (S106)

agreements with developers at the old

RAF Wat ton Technical s i te

(Blenheim Grange).

S106 agreements are, in essence,

made between developers and local

authorities and are a way of

delivering or addressing matters that

are necessary to make a development

acceptable in planning terms. They

are used to support the provision of

services and infrastructure, such as

highways, recreational facilities,

education, health and affordable

housing usually by way of financial

contributions and or land transfers.

Construction work on the new

roundabout, designed to improve

access to the site, ground to halt after

the owners, Cofton, went into

receivership. This has left developers

with a large financial burden at a time

when house sales are very poor

because of the recession.

The developers had

requested a variance

of the existing S106

agreements to release

funds from other

priorities to facilitate

the completion of the

roundabout and the

l o n g e r t e r m

completion of the

development. The

District Valuer has

broadly endorsed the

developers‟ claim that

t h e a p p r o v e d

development will not,

in the current property

market, generate

sufficient funds to

allow the consortium

of developers to make

further contributions

to local infrastructure.

The DCC has agreed

t h a t f u r t h e r

negotiations may be

undertaken with the

d e v e l o p e r s a n d

Norfolk County Council with a view

to varying the existing S106

agreements. The committee were

advised that the current economic

climate was jeopardising further

development and a reduction in

certain S106 contributions would help

Th e co mmi t t e e h e ard th a t

contributions towards education

facilities were considered a priority

and should not change but that

contributions to other services

would be affected. The committee

therefore agreed that negotiations

should take place between the

Council, the developers and Norfolk

County Council with a view to a

suspension in further payments

towards public transport services,

though the committee believes that

services will continue in their

present form but that it is unlikely

that additional off peak services

will be provided. It is expected

however, that the need for subsidy

will diminish as more houses are

built and patronage of services

increases

It is also probable that the Multi Use

Games Area planned for the site will

not be provided though all proposed

public open spaces within the

development will be, including the

central open space which will deliver

a fully equipped children‟s play area

(but not a Multi Use Games Area).

The DCC agreed that these changes

would be subject to two provisos; a

contribution claw back if economic

conditions recover sufficiently

during the construction period and

an agreed programme for the

completion of the roundabout.

The committee do not propose to

change any other contribution or

obligation.

Rethink on planning deal may impact on local services

The half finished roundabout forcing a rethink on planning deal

News Mid-Norfolk Times

Attleborough High School is celebrating

the wonderful donation to the school of a

piano that belonged to the famous

composer, the late Sir Malcolm Arnold,

who lived in Attleborough from 1987

until his death on 23rd September 2006.

Sir Malcolm‟s partner, Mr Anthony Day,

contacted the school so that the piano

could be enjoyed by this generation of

music students. He said “Malcolm loved

youth and music. He wanted people to

have pleasure through music and he

would be so happy that students were

enjoying using his piano”.

“The piano is being donated to the High

School as I remember very well the time

when Sir Malcolm had presented two

running machines to them, and how

much he appreciated the superb musical

tribute the school gave in his honour, as

a thank-you, in a special concert held at

St. Andrew‟s Hall in Norwich.

“Malcolm loved Attleborough and refused

to move from the place he called home,

though sadly the town never recognized

the genius that they had amongst them.

There was a huge buzz of excitement

amongst students in the music room as

the historic piano arrived to the school

building. Local Wymondham delivery

firm, John Ryder Removals, generously

gave their time and labour free of charge

to deliver the piano to the school‟s music

department.

Head of music Jane Berridge said: “This

wonderful Baby Grand will be a

marvellous addition to our music

studies.”

Headteacher Mr Neil McShane added

“We are exceedingly grateful that Mr

Day has chosen to donate this piano to

Attleborough High School. To know that

such a well known musician played this

instrument and created compositions

with it will be an inspiration to all our

students.”

When he died in 2006 Malcolm Arnold

was described on the BBC News as “a

towering figure in the history of British

music”. Born in 1921, the composer had a

remarkable catalogue of major concert

works to his credit, including nine

symphonies, seven ballets, two operas, one

musical, over twenty concertos, two string

quartets, and music for brass-band and

wind-band. He also wrote 132 film scores,

among these are some of the finest works

ever composed for the medium including

Bridge on the River Kwai (for which, in

1958, he was one of the first British

composers ever to win an Oscar), Inn of

the Sixth Happiness (for which he received

an Ivor Novello Award in 1958), Hobson‟s

Choice and Whistle Down the Wind.

FREE Medicine

Information Service • Are you getting the most from your

medication? • Do you know the best time of day

to take it? • Do your medicines run out at

different times? • Want to know how to

manage this? • Do you understand why you are

taking your medicine? • Do you know how to

use your inhaler?

For answers to these questions and more, book a free and confidential appointment with our pharmacist. ? ?

Ask your Pharmacist You’ll be Taking Good Advice

14 Gregor Shanks Way, Watton, Tel : 01953 881157

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Mon to Fri 8am to 11pm Sat & Sun 8am to 8.30pm

Sir Malcolm Arnold‟s piano donated to High School

Antony Day with Sir Malcolm Arnold in 2002

Mr Antony Day (Right) with Headteacher, Mr Neil McShane, Head of Music Jane Berridge and students with the piano

The Norwich & Central Norfolk Carers

Group start their meetings again in

January. This group is for carers of

people with Mental Health Problems. It

is an informal group which allows carers

to come and chat to others who are in a

similar situation. It gives carers a time

out for a couple of hours a month.

We meet at the Christian Community

Centre on the third Wednesday of every

month, from 2 -4pm. Our first meeting

of the New Year is on January 20th.

For further information, please call

Helen 01953 884713 and leave a

message and I will get back to you as

soon as I can.

Meeting of MIND‟s The January meeting will be on

Wednesday 6th January at 7.45pm in the

village hall, when the subject will be

'Practical Self-Sufficiency' by local

organic gardener, Terry Rands.

Membership for the whole year costs only

£5, but visitors are always welcome and

further details can be obtained from Ed on

01953 885848 or Carol on 01760 440719.

Ovington Gardening Club

Mid-Norfolk Times Advertising

Watton based rock band "The Chill"

have raised £365 for the Royal British

Legion Poppy Appeal. The money was

raised by donating their appearance fee

from a gig at the Brickmakers in

Norwich and from the proceeds of a

specially produced album called

Hollow Smile which featured all their

own songs. The idea was hatched after

their promotions manager booked the

gig at the Brickmakers on 11

November. The band said: "It is such

an important date to remember all those

who have served their country in times

of conflict, so we decided we wanted to

show our appreciation in a tangible

way."

The Chill consists of brothers Kevin

and Adam Chilvers, whose father Alan

carries the standard for the British

Legion in Watton, John Farmer, Tom

Hamling and Leah Wheeler.

If you want to see the band they will be

playing at The Queen Vic in

Snettisham on 2nd Dec and The

Waterside in Hunstanton on 4th Dec,

both gigs starting at 9pm.

A cheque to the Poppy Appeal was

presented to the Chairman of Watton

Branch Royal British Legion, Mr Keith

Clarke, last Thursday, at the band's

rehearsal room in Scoulton Village

Hall.

The Chill support Legion A look at Local Folk Music

Live music in Norfolk flourishes and

my section of it, Folk, is also

thriving. As Sir Michael Caine might

say “Not many people know that”.

Folk music tends to be under the

radar of the general public and mass

media and is often not that well

publicised which

is a pity as the age

-old tradition of

people getting

together in a pub

or club to share a

drink and song

represents a real

feel-good factor

which is much-

needed especially

in these recession-

hit times.

Perhaps it is because Folk has a bit of

a PR problem; it is linked with

maypole and morris dancing (not that

there is anything wrong with these

ancient activities) and might seem a

bit old hat. Not so. Folk actually

covers a very wide spectrum these

days from traditional songs to

generic acoustic music. For example,

when I attend a folk session I will

often be sitting next to someone who

will bash out an old tale of life on a

Victorian farm “acapella” (without

accompaniment). When my turns

comes I will strike up the opening

chords on my guitar and launch into

“You‟ve Got a Friend” or some other

recent classic. Almost anything goes

and performers are applauded for

their efforts as well as ability. The

quality of music varies from beginner

to breathtaking and there might be a

eclectic collection of instruments

from guitars, banjos, mandolins to

squeeze boxes (piano-accordions),

flutes, tin whistles, pipes and harp.

Everybody is welcome whether to

perform or just

listen.

The Folk network

i n N o r f o l k

operates mostly

from pubs and the

venues can be

found on the

i n t e r n e t o n

information sites

s u c h a s

norfolkfolk.co.uk

where one can check which clubs are

open on every different night of the

week.

Our very own local community

Wayland Radio is another great

source of information as well as

entertainment with its regular Sunday

night Folk Club between 7-9pm. This

is co-hosted by Jane Knights (in the

studio) and Dave Cooper (in the

“club” lounge) who introduces the

live performers. I appeared last

November and played four songs

from my new CD Songs in the Key

of Stig and I can confirm that there is

a wonderful friendly atmosphere and

a great mix of talent. You can listen

in on 107.3FM in the local area or

online at

www.waylandradio.com/

Stig‟s Scene


If you are on regular medication or if

you are taking medicines for a long

term illness such as asthma, arthritis,

diabetes or epilepsy you may have

questions that you want to ask about

your medication especially if it has

been prescribed for a number of years.

Your local community pharmacist can

help you to understand the medication

you have been prescribed. The Total

Health Medicine Information Service

is a completely free and confidential

service where you can discuss your

medication with the Pharmacist and

any concerns you may have.

You may be having problems with

your medication, for example;

Is it difficult to take? Are the tablets

hard to swallow?

If you are taking a lot of different

tablets do you know what they are all

for?

Some medicines don’t mix with

others or with some foods

Some medicines may be giving you

side effects

How is your medication affected by

other medicines you might buy

elsewhere including herbal remedies?

Do you sometimes forget to take your

medication – we can help you with this

If you have difficulty opening the

packaging, we can help you with this

Why do your medicines run out at

different times? We can help you to

manage this?

Are you sure how to use your

inhaler?

The Medicines Information Service is

your chance to ask questions, for

example;

What does the medicine do

Why is it important that I take this

medicine?

When should I take it?

Should it be taken with or without

food and why?

How long should I take it for

What other medicines, drinks, foods

or activities should I be aware of when

taking the medicine?

What should I do if I feel unwell while

taking it?

Do I need all of my tablets? I don’t

use all of them and it seems such a

waste

How do I know if it is helping?

What to Bring With You

Your Pharmacist will only know

about medication that you have

received from that pharmacy so be

sure to bring along any other

information including any that may

have been obtained from another

pharmacy or hospital, medicines

bought without a prescription e.g.

painkillers, cough and cold remedies

and also herbal medicines and

remedies and vitamins. Bring the

boxes or bottles if that helps.

What To Expect

Your Pharmacist will take time to

answer your questions and will

complete an Action Plan which will

detail what was discussed and agreed.

You will be given a copy and a copy

may also be sent to your GP. Any

suggested changes will be agreed with

your GP.

To make an appointment with the

Medicines Information Service, just

call into the pharmacy at 14 Gregor

Shanks Way

or call 01953 881157 .

HARMONY QUILTING

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Tel: 01953 882484

Although we hope that everyone

has had a nice Christmas, we know

that there will be some who have

spent more than they should have

and others who have found the

additional close proximity of loved

ones a bit too much to bear.

For the Citizens‟ Advice teams the

New Year brings, as might be

expected, an increase in debt cases.

It also brings an increase in the

number of people who are having

trouble with relationships.

DEBT - For debt cases the key

single thing is not to ignore those

red bills and warning letters.

Although we understand the

pressures that people come under,

and the temptation to hope it all

goes away, there is a grim

inevitability in the way debts are

pursued. Your creditors will send

you a bill. This will be followed by

a reminder and then, probably, a

red final reminder. This will

contain all sorts of threats about

what will be done if you do not pay

the bill immediately.

The next step will probably be a

letter from a collection agency.

This may be part of the creditor‟s

organisation but will again urge

payment and, again, will threaten

further action if payment is not

made. This further action will

almost certainly include adding

charges to your debt.

Our advice will always be not to

ignore your creditors but let them

know why you are unable to pay

your debts. Write to them saying

why and setting out your financial

position. Citizens‟ Advice has

Personal Budget Sheets (PBS) for

you to use to set out your income

and expenditure and what you have

left to pay off your debts. You can

then make an offer to each of your

creditors making sure that the

amount you have is fairly

appor t ioned between them

depending on the size of your debt.

We have helpful booklets about

dealing with your debts which

contain sample letters for you to

use in setting out your reply. These

may say that you are only able to

offer a token payment and will be

supported by your PBS showing

what you have left after essential

expenditure. It will then be up to

your creditors to decide whether to

accept that offer or take further

action.

The important thing is to take

action as quickly as possible and

not to think that if you ignore the

bills your creditor will give up –

they never do!

RELATIONSHIPS - On the

relationship side, Christmas and the

New Year bring families together in

closer proximity than they normally

have to bear throughout the rest of

the year. For some it can simply be

too much and relationships can

suffer. As with debt it is important

to seek advice. Relate is a well

known and very effective

organisation able to help couples

through periods of stress and

uncertainty in relationships. You

can find details of local Relate

Counsellors on their website or

information can be found in local

telephone directories as well as in

libraries and other public offices.

You are also welcome to visit your

local Citizens‟ Advice Bureau for

an opportunity to discuss things

with an experienced adviser who

will have access to a whole range of

information about problems with

relationships – including ways to

end a relationship and all the issues

that will need to be resolved.

Remember, however, that advisers

are not marriage/relationship

guidance counsellors but will be

able to give accurate and clear

advice on many of the issues

around this subject.

Hopefully you will not have been

affected by either of these issues

but, if you have or know someone

who has, get in touch with your

local CAB and get a helping hand.

After Christmas . . . timely advice from Citizens‟ Advice

Your News Your Paper

01953 858 908

Having a Ball to help Break

The 2009 Wayland Show raised

£8000 to be divided amongst local

charities and deserving causes.

The money will be distributed early

in 2010 so we are asking anyone to

write in and nominate their chosen

local charitable cause, be it group or

individual who they feel would

benefit from a portion of the

proceeds.

Please write to the Charity

Committee, Wayland Agricultural

Society c/o Broom Hall, Richmond

Road, Saham Toney, Thetford,

Norfolk IP25 7HJ or email Lynn

Lake on:

[email protected] Requests

should be sent in by the end of

February 2010 but preferably the

earlier the better.

The Society is still looking for a

Minutes and Correspondence

Secretary and if anyone is interested

in taking on a worthwhile and

rewarding voluntary position, which

involves one evening meeting a

month, please contact Sue

Bloomfield at

[email protected] for

further details.

Free money for Charities & deserving causes

Medicine Information Service answers all your queries

Local charity, Break, is delighted

to announce that it will be hosting

the 2010 Royal Norfolk Show Ball.

The 2010 Norfolk Celebration

Ball, supported by Anglia Farmers

will be held at the Norfolk

Showground on Friday 25 June.

Last year‟s spectacular ball

attracted 900 guests and raised

over £60,000 for YANA, the

Norfolk charity, You Are Not

Alone and Break hopes that this

year‟s ball will be as spectacular

and raise much needed funds for

the people it cares for.

The evening will be a celebration

of the best that Norfolk has to

offer, supporting Break, a charity

that brings the best possible care to

vu lnerab le people in our

community. This prestigious black

tie event will include champagne

reception, three course dinner, an

auction and raffle, and dancing to

the Lee Vasey Band.

Tickets are £55 per person, sold in

tables of 10 - £550 per table.

To book a table, or if you are

interested in sponsoring the

event, please contact Jeni

Matthews on 01263 822161 or

email [email protected]

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Tel: 01953 881248

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BROOM HALL Country Hotel

Saham Toney Your Local Three Star Hotel

Telephone: 01953 882125 www.broomhallhotel.co.uk

Attention All

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01953 881969

Quiz Night Saturday 6th February

7.30pm start

At Great Ellingham Recreation Centre £2 per person - teams of four To book a table ring Jean on

01953 453 375 In aid of Great Ellingham (St James) Scout Group

Charity Number 1062603

On Wednesday 25th November

eleven of the thirteen Wayland Gold

candidates who have completed the

Gold Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award

in the last twelve months went to St

James palace to receive their Gold

certificate from Prince Edward the

Earl of Wessex.

This presentation was for Gold‟s

from the Eastern region and

included thirty one from Norfolk.

The Award group leaders and

Parents proudly watched as our

eleven Wayland Gold‟s were

presented with their certificates by

TV chef Anthony Worrel l

Thompson. The group was then

presented to The Earl of Wessex

who had a friendly chat with

members of our group before giving

his congratulations to them all; he

was impressed that several of our

Gold‟s have continued to help with

DofE as expedition instructors.

This was a proud moment for

everyone there, and for the

candidates from Wayland the

culmination of over 4 years of hard

work and dedication to pass through

Bronze, Silver and Gold. Gold has

been achieved by them dedicating

12 months to Volunteering, and

pursuing a Physical and Skill for 6

and 12 months. They have all

undertaken two long and hard

expeditions in The Lake District

and North Wales which involved

backpacking a minimum of 50

miles over 4 days in the mountains,

camping high in the wilds and

carrying all they needed to be self

sufficient for the duration of the

expedition.

They have also all completed a 5

day 4 night Residential working

away from home for free to either

help others or to take part in a

course of personal development.

Wayland Community High School Strikes Gold

St. James‟s Palace Wayland Gold 2009 Back row: Jessica Raine, Daniel Seller, Spencer Snowling Daniel Walker. Front Row Daniel Adcock ,Lewis Wilkins, James Walker, Emily Creed, Lauren Healy, Hannah Bowman, Kim Ashby

Diabetes UK Our December meeting was the

Christmas extravaganza!! We held

our Christmas party and although a

few of our regulars were absent due to

illness, a good time was had by all.

This is the meeting where we all relax,

especially the committee, after a busy

year and thank the members for their

attendance and input at the meetings,

(Rod and John were absent, so the

silence was remarked on by several

members!!) Best wishes were sent to

Ian as well, whilst he is in hospital

and his wife Rita was given a special

gift for them to share when he comes

home.

Our meeting in January is on the 11th

and starts at 10.15am, the new time

for all meetings from now on. We

have as our speaker Laine Connatty,

Financial Advisor. As usual we meet

at the Pentecostal Church, Old

Dereham Road, Watton, to whom we

are grateful for the use of their

facilities. For further information

about this, or any of our meetings,

please phone Helen 01953 884713

and leave a message and I will get

back to you as soon as I can.

We were very pleased with the

Watton Christmas Market on the last

Sunday in November. Despite a

gloomy forecast, the rain held off and

our straws tombola stall drew in

£250.00 for our charities fund - thank

you Watton Town Council. Two

weeks later, the Christmas Disco

Party at Watton Sports Centre realised

a sum of about £450.00 (subject to

confirmation at the time of writing).

This event, organised by Rtn Paul

Weatherill, was specifically to support

the Teso Development Trust, a charity

that manages clean water projects

including the provision of wells in the

Teso area of Uganda. Paul is our

club‟s International Officer and looks

after the many aspects of support

through Rotary Projects worldwide,

including WaterAid and, as we have

mentioned before, ShelterBoxes.

At our last meeting of the year in

the Crown Hotel, the management

laid on a super Christmas dinner for

us and we were pleased to present

Shirley and her staff with a

Christmas bonus for looking after us

so well during 2009.

The last Rotary gathering of the

year took place a week later when

49 Rotarians, Inner Wheel ladies,

partners and friends went by coach

to a matinee performance of the

Cromer Pier Christmas show

followed by a meal at the Pier‟s

Tides Restaurant.

Early news of our 2010 programme

includes another Jazz at the Queens

Hall event on 12 March, and look out

for the return of “A Sunday Afternoon

Audience With . . . . . .” at the

Queen‟s Hall later in the year.

Martin Anscombe

Rotary Roundup

‘Prayer of the Heart’ Activities at Watton Methodist Church

Comprising Christian Meditation, Bi Monthly Worship and Bi Monthly Spiri-

tual Book Group. For those seeking reflective prayer, mid week worship with a

more reflective and contemporary feel, and those who enjoy exploring their

faith by reading spiritual books old and new.

Christian Meditation 7.45pm in the Vestry 4th & 18th January.

Monday Evening Worship next Service in February

Spiritual Journey Book Club 25th January 7.45pm in the Willow House

Watton & Wayland Visitor Centre In early December all but one of

our voluntary staff attended a

„thank you‟ luncheon at Broom

Hall Hotel, kindly subsidised by the

management.

Following a 2-week stint with a

Christmas Art (mixed media)

Exhibition, the Visitor Centre is

now closed for the winter and is

expected to reopen at Easter.

Although the TIC in the Dragonfly

Centre at Wayland House will not

the staffed for the next 3 months,

some enquiries can be dealt with at

the front office of the Wayland

Partnership. The compendium bus

timetables produced by the Centre

have been updated to include the

new Konect Sunday services to

Norwich and Dereham, and they

are available in Reception at

Wayland House. At the time of

writing, there has been no further

information about a First Bus

Sunday previously reported.


The winter solstice was at 17.47 GMT

on the 21st. December and slowly but

surely the days are starting to get

longer, although the "thermal lag"

caused by the seas that surround Britain

and Ireland means that average

temperatures will continue to fall until

the latter half of February. As the old

saying has it: as the days grow longer

so the cold grows stronger... So that s

good news rapidly followed by bad! Or

to quote Flanders and Swann, January

brings the snow, makes your toes and

fingers glow.

The only redeeming feature of snow for

gardeners is that yours looks no better

than mine under a few inches of it. It‟s

all don‟ts – don‟t walk on the grass,

don‟t walk on the borders, don‟t dig

frosty soil.

Flowers are few and far between but

those that are in bloom now are real

little treasures. If you managed to

plant bulbs in autumn and the snow

isn‟t too deep you could have early

snowdrops, aconites and the

remaining hardy cyclamen beneath

winter-flowering shrubs. Pot grown

shrubs could be planted in flower

from the garden centre and these can

always be left in their pots until the

ground and weather are more

conducive to planting them out. An

attractive idea might be to leave a

potted shrub by the door you use

most. Many of these shrubs are

scented, which is a real bonus. You

can also plant roses until the end of

February and bare root fruit trees.

January is time to start potatoes. It‟s a

good idea to buy blight-resistant

varieties. Blight is a nasty disease

occurring from June onward in warm

wet weather. There are some sprays

around but if you prefer not to use

chemicals it means removing

blighted foliage and disposing of it

by burning or binning. Having got

your seed potatoes, which are just

hen's egg sized potatoes grown free

from disease, you can chit them.

There is no mystery to this process.

All it means is that when you get

your seed potatoes you put them in a

cool but frost free place where they

get some light but not direct sunlight.

A north-facing window is ideal in a

frost-free shed or a spare, unheated

room. Put them in suitable trays (egg

boxes are ideal) so they can stand

with the rose end uppermost. This is

the end where the shoots start to

grow. If you aren‟t sure about this,

ask your supplier or a friendly veg

grower. The potatoes will then grow

short stubby shoots, which will get

them off to a fast start when planted

out in March. There is some evidence

that chitting doesn't help greatly with

maincrop potatoes but it certainly

can't hurt to chit them but all experts

agree with chitting early and second

early varieties as these are ready to

harvest quickly, around 10 weeks for

earlies and 13 weeks for second

earlies. Maincrop take longer, around

20 weeks from planting out.

Incidentally, when you grow your

own you've over 400 varieties to

choose from. Beat that Mr

Supermarket!

If you've a frost-free greenhouse (one

where you can provide some heating

if it gets really cold) you can start

some first earlies off in there. They'll

grow well in the border or in a plastic

bag or even a large bucket with some

decent compost. Use a really fast

variety like Rocket „or Swift and

you'll be eating fresh new potatoes in

March.

The show growers always grow in

bags using composts they formulate

themselves from peat with added

fertiliser so it's quite possible to get a

crop even if you don't have a large

plot. In fact all you need is a patio

and a potato barrel or planter, some

multi-purpose compost and some

fertiliser to produce a crop of the

tastiest potatoes you will ever eat in

just a few square feet.

Then the exciting part- sowing seeds

again! This time of year you can

choose to make a flying start with

peppers, tomatoes, parsley, leeks,

cabbage and outdoors, once it s

thawed a little you can sow carrots

under fleece. It may be wise to invest

in a propagator if you wish to sow

your tomatoes now, so take a look

and decide what is best for you. If

digging out last year s propagator

check it is working correctly before

sowing any seeds! If it may be a little

damp, if electric, let it stand in a dry

warm place for a while before

plugging it in and then use a

thermometer to check it keeps a

constant temperature.

A very Happy and Productive New

Year.

In the garden with Lotta Potts

Derek Smith, John Garratt, Ken Davis, June Garratt, Richard Crawley, Nicola Myers, Olwyn Brough and Christine Lewington

We have had a very busy month since our last report! The first event was our Barn

Dance with Shinanakins at the Queen's Hall, which though not as well attended as

some in the past, raised £199.82 for our charities, and meant there was plenty of

room for those of us with sufficient energy, to dance every dance! That weekend

we joined the stalls on the Town Christmas Market and our game raised £65,

followed the next weekend by our stall in the Queen's Hall on Farmers Market

Day, when we made a magnificent £264.50. Lastly, but by no means least, we held

one of our now famous lunchtime concerts, where June Garratt and her friends

(pictured) treated an audience of over 90 people to a very entertaining and varied

concert with singing, dancing stories and piano duets. The audience then enjoyed a

turkey bap with stuffing, chutneys and salad, with a mince pie and coffee to

follow. Many thanks are due to June for organising the concert, and £400 was

added to our charity money as a result. As a result of all this activity, we decided to

have a big give-away for Christmas and £100 has been sent to each of the

following:- Thursday Club, Cumbria floods, St Martin's Housing Trust, Salvation

Army and Help for Heroes, and £50 was given to June to give to a charity of her

choosing. Our last meeting of 2009 was held at the home of Beryl Brannan. This

took the form of a party and she kindly made up a competition to tax our brains,

guessing pantomime characters, and we all enjoyed a bring'n'share supper with

drink provided by President Helen. We would like to thank all our supporters and

wish everyone a happy and healthy 2010.

Inner Wheel news


Dear Sah

Thort I orta drop yu a line „n let yu

know things is sorta gooin along

bowt tha searme in Ovinton.

Cor we hed a rare ole Chrismus

bazaar t‟other day, tha teables inna

tha hall wos all on the slosh wi‟

things to buy an eat, well yu know we

niver goo wi‟out ower wittles. Thar

w a r n o - e n d a g e a r m s a n

competishuns, raffle n tombowla, so

noboddy went hoome empty handed.

Ol Fartha Chrismus, he cawled in an

giv orl tha kiddies somat to keep thar

jaws stuck tergither, so they dint

holler so.

We orl reckoned that war ol Horry

got hisself orl dolled up ina red soot,

but thet warnt, cos he was now hevin

his thard helpin o soop.

My missus she say “I reckon its thet

Mr P from up tha rood” I say “Whoi”

she say “He‟s an acter blook, an

Jimma wot dus his gardin sez he‟s a

real thespian” I say intu har ear-------

“I doont think yu shood tork abowt

wot he dus, he probly like to keep

them things sorta quiet.” Arter orl

thet, we reckoned it wos the reel

Fatha Christmus, cos we niver sor tha

cummin or gooin on him, and he hed

a grat old beerd wot looked reel enuf

tu me, an his deer et orl tha flowas in

tha Church yard.

Dint we hev sum wind a cupple

weeks agoo? thet fetched orl my

apples orfa tha trees an blew orl tha

ole leaves inta next doors gardin soo

thet warnt orl bad.

I thort about tha gal Liza, cos she

roide har bike oova to har sistas in

Hingham on a Satdy, jest to hev a

mardle.

I say to har, “How‟d yu git on Satdy

Liza, thet fare tu bloo suffin hard?”

“Well” she say “Thet ware orl roight

a gooin there Sid, I wos a gooin so

farst them ole lectric poles sida the

rood, looked like a fine tooth coomb.

Cumming hoom was differunt, I hed

time to mardle wi my sista Betty in

Scowltin, an my cousin Dearsy in

Carbrooke, wi‟out stoppin peddlin

once.”

I see tha ol chairman hev got hisself a

parsinal numba plearte on his car. He

allus rekonned he wus the lord of Ov,

n goo to hell ifen his new number

pleart doont hev OV onnit.

He rekkon thet its time we wos on the

map (I allus thort we ware) so he‟s

bin onta tha car peepul in Wales and

sez thet orl Ovinton car numba‟s orta

hev OV in. He may be rite cos I see

boy Bernie hev got an OV one

n‟orl.

We‟re orl worrit abowt wot wera

gooin to eat for our Christmus dinna

this year. Moost year‟s orl onnus

hev a gret ole cokeral, one wos bin

carbonised to mek „em big as yu

know. But there ent many arownd

now arta we hatta git rid, cos o tha

row they meard. Rekkon I shall

hatter goo cap in hand to Horry who

allus hev a few ole geese in his barn,

mind yu he doon‟t feed em a lotta

gud grub so thare allus a bit on the

scraggy side.

But I shall hatta hev sumthin or

else my missus she will mob.

Nun of us hev got an allotment as

yit, but tha cownsil hev stuck a

lotta white sticks orl over tha feeld

so I doont think thare lettin on

wos a gooin on. They wonta hurry

up, or else we shall be inta tater

settin time afore we know it.

Boy Julian he say “We shan‟t be

sending this pearper out until arter

Christmus so it‟s no good yu a

wishin orl tha readers a happy

Christmus cos yu‟ll be too leart

maert”

Well, thas told me no misteark, so

I hatter hoop yu did hev a grate

ole Christmus an I shall wish yu

orl a Happy an Healthy New Year.

Fare ye well tergerther.

Boy Sid

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BROOM HALL Country Hotel

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Wednesdays Steak Night Sirloin or Rump with chips £10.00

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Your News Your Paper

01953 858 908

Not on the field of football but in the field of photography. Brandon

Photographic Club were at home to Caston Camera Club earlier this

month, in an Interclub Competition, when each club provided 20

images for an independent judge to decide a score out of ten for each

of the images on display. It turned out to be a close run thing but the

end result was a win for Caston with 145 points to Brandon‟s 141.

After the results were announced Brandon‟s members were invited

to vote for their choice of the Caston “Image of the Evening” for

which they chose Martin Kemp‟s picture of a bald eagle entitled

“Hard on the Brakes”. A well deserved choice!

Caston is just three miles south of Watton and around six miles west of

Attleborough and welcomes new members of all abilities from

Beginner to Advanced.

For a lot more information visit www.castoncameraclub.co.uk

Brandon Vs. Caston

News from Watton Junior School

Reporting by Members of the Year 6 News Club By the time you read this, the New Year will have begun and last term will

be a distant memory.

Looking back, the Autumn term was packed full of activities designed to

make links with the local community and to get our new Creative

Curriculum off the ground. At the end of September, Year 6 went to

Hilltop near Sheringham. Year 5 had a trip to Wells-next-the-Sea in

November.

Also in November we had a married couple called „Timescape‟ coming in

to our school and performing songs about World War Two and also

teaching us some dances. Year 6 pupils, who were learning all about

World War Two last term, got to join in along with some parents and other

family members who attended.

We have also celebrated our school‟s local community connections with a

Portuguese week, where the children took part in cooking (see picture) as well

as learning some of the language. Later this year we will be celebrating Polish,

Lithuanian and British culture in a similar way.

Continuing the local community involvement theme, December saw

several of our pupils join many others in Dereham, welcoming the troops

back from Afghanistan.

We also have many extra-curricular activities here and new last term was the

after-school Netball club. We look forward to playing in matches with other

local schools very soon.

A Happy New Year to everyone from Watton Junior School.

Celebrating our school‟s local community connections with a Portuguese week, included children taking part in cooking

At the most recent meeting of Watton Town Council, Councillor Bryan

Wykes expressed his concerns about the amount of “flyposting” that is

happening in Watton.

Referring to the developers on Blenheim Grange, Councillor Wykes said

“Developers were the biggest sinners at this time” though he

acknowledged others were just as guilty.

When told by the Clerk, Jacqui Seal, that the Council had no powers to

remove signs that had been erected illegally, and that the council might

even find itself the subject of a prosecution were it to do so, councillors

agreed they should write to Breckland voicing their concerns and seeking

enforcement.

Councillor Roy Rudling suggested that should Breckland be reluctant to do

so, then Watton Town Council should request that adequate powers be

delegated to them so they could remove the signs.

Flyposting concerns


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Year 7 and 8 students at

At t l eborou gh High

S c h o o l s p e n t a n

enjoyable morning with a

fun-filled performance

workshop dealing with

serious environmental

issues. The Big Wheel

Theatre run a workshop

theatre-in- education

programme that educates

students of different ages

about key issues that

effect our planet from

transport use to climate

change.

This visit and workshop

was part of a far wider

initiative at the High

School focussed on

environmental solutions

such as recycling,

sustainability studies and

energy auditing and

energy saving strategies.

Attleborough High has

recently established a sophisticated

energy auditing system where students

will soon be able to monitor their

electricity on a daily basis and take

responsibility for developing strategies to

reduce this. The school has also installed

solar panels which provides a percentage

of the heating requirements of the

organisation.

Acting Deputy Head, Carmina

McConnell said “At Attleborough we

aim to provide our students with the

w i d e s t p o s s i b l e e d u c a t i o n a l

opportunities. Through these initiatives

we are providing our students with skills

they will undoubtedly need in the future.

Over the coming months students

throughout the school will be involved in

a multitude of projects that will have a

positive impact on our local

environment.“

Geography teacher Mr Joel Rodker has

been appointed as Lead Teacher for

Environment and Conservation; a role

that involves educating the school

members and the wider community about

the key issues and involving students in

developing methods for reducing energy

use and wastage. Commenting on the

visit he said “This successful theatre visit

was just one example of the ways in

which we are trying to educate our

students about environmental issues.

Recently I took part in a study visit to

Hong Kong with 14 other Norfolk

teachers. The focus was on how schools

there are responding to climate change

and how we could share ideas and

experiences with students in Norfolk. It

is very exciting to be making

international links on such crucial

issues.”

Saving the Planet at AHS FRIENDS OF EAST ANGLIAN AIR AMBULANCE LOTTERY WINNERS Week 20 18.12.2009 £1,000 Mr & Mrs Smallwood Holt, Norfolk

£250 Mrs Sarah Atkinson Holt, Norfolk £100 Mrs Rita Eastwood

Luton, Beds £100 Mrs Julie Hutchin Hellesdon, Norwich £100 Mr &

Mrs Mahoney Haverhill, Suffolk £100 G R Ashworth Aylsham,

Norfolk £100 Mrs I F Hupton Bungay, Suffolk

Week 19 11.12.2009 £1,000 Mrs V Shackcloth Stanhoe/King's Lynn

£250 Mr E Forshaw Beeston Regis/Sheringham £100 Edward

Wallane Leiston £100 Mrs M Lack Mundesley £100 Mrs Y Dobbie

Antingham, Norfolk £100 Henry King Gorleston/Gt Yarmouth £100

W G Patterson Matttishall/Dereham

Week 18 04.12.2009 £1,000 Mr Neil Harkett Ipswich, Suffolk £250

Mrs Perry Snell Biddenham, Bedford £100 Mr Anthony Hemming

Norwich, Norfolk £100 Mr John Abel March, Cambs £100 James

Dinners Antingham, Norfolk £100 Mrs Dorothy Scully Kings Lynn,

Norfolk £100 A J Maitland Thorndon, Suffolk

Week 17 27.11.2009 £1,000 Mrs Janet Bolingbroke Stanton Suffolk

£250 Helen Saxton Brandeston Woodbridge £100 Mr Nigel Disney

Norwich Norfolk £100 Rosina Self Southwold Suffolk £100 Mrs T

Ward Dereham Norfolk £100 J Gotts Happisburgh Norfolk £100

Mrs J E Whipps Harleston Norfolk

Watton Town Council‟s hopes to provide

a Skate Park for youngsters in the town

have encountered yet another setback

following a meeting with planners from

Breckland Council.

The meeting was arranged in an attempt

to identify a suitable site in town that

would meet conditions likely to be

imposed on any planning application, in

particular the requirement to position any

activity more than 100 metres from

adjacent housing.

A study of possible sites such as Stokes

Avenue and Lovell Gardens, identified

by the Town Council has revealed that

none of them were suitable for the Skate

Park with the possible exception of a

small area at the Sports Centre.

Positioning of such a facility there would

need the agreement of the Sports Centre

and opposition to placement there has

been expressed in the past.

Councillor Crabtree expressed concern

about spending a large sum of money

providing a park only to find it would not

be used because part of the attraction of

skateboarding was to be seen doing it.

Chair of the Council, Margaret Holmes

said she was “Disappointed that no

suitable site had been identified, but the

Council must not give up.

“The glimmer of a possibility of a

suitable location at the Sports Centre is

encouraging but we must now consult

with the management there to establish

their agreement and with the Skate

Boarders to be sure the site would meet

their needs.”

Council to keep trying for Skate Park

Although the attendance at the AGM on

19th November held at the Wells Cole

Community Centre Saham Toney, was

not large, the reports for the year‟s

activities were well received.

The sad news to begin with is that during

the past year 6 Saham members have

passed away and no new people have

come forward to join. Membership now

stands at 37. We would welcome

applications from outside the village from

people over 60 who would wish to join

our club which meets each Thursday

afternoon from 2.15 to 4.15 pm. Do

consider joining us, we are a friendly club

and you can be assured of a warm

welcome.

Club Activities Reporting on the year the

secretary confirmed that the three outings

to Wisbech, Pensthorpe and Fakenham

and Cromer were well supported and

thoroughly enjoyed during the summer.

We were fortunate in filling the coach

each time with support from friends from

Watton. For the Cromer trip most people

saw the Pier Show and enjoyed that very

much. Hopefully this trip will be repeated

again in 2010 plus two more trips to other

popular venues as voted upon by

members. We had a stand at the summer

fete at the WCCC. A senior citizens lunch

was arranged at Saham Grove and we

were entertained by children at Parker‟s

School

Indoor games during the year continued

as usual with short-mat carpet bowls

being always popular, plus scrabble,

cards and rummikubs, darts can be

arranged if requested. There is of course

always a cup of tea and a biscuit during

the afternoon and a raffle. The raffle each

week brings in a little revenue to help pay

for the rent of the WCCC and also

subsidise the outings for members.

A bit about money For 2010 owing to

higher rent charges and increased charges

for coach hire, the subscription has been

increased to £10.00 per member for the

year, plus £1.00 per week that includes a

cup of tea and a raffle ticket. Still a

modest amount considering the benefits,

amongst which are the outings which

only cost members £3.00 per trip, a good

games and social afternoon each week

and participation in the annual party.

Happy Birthday The climax of the clubs

year is marked with a birthday party, and

in 2009 we celebrated our 22nd year.

Diane Dutton our hon. treasurer kindly

undertakes the arrangements for the

party, providing the club with a splendid

meal, which this week 40 people

including some guests enjoyed. Diane

with a little bit of help from some friends

does all the catering Diane even finds the

energy from somewhere to organise a

superb raffle, the proceeds this year of

£110 to be given to Quidenham Hospice.

In addition she spends the year shopping

around to ensure that each person

attending the party receives a gift. Yes

you‟re right she is a treasure of a

treasurer! At the birthday party Olive

Read played popular music on her

keyboard for a sing-a-long which was

enjoyed, and our chairman Ron Wheeler

organised a couple of teasing table

quizzes.

Good year for Samsen Club . . .


Most people wouldn‟t mention

Rice and Texas in the same breath,

but rice is indeed produced here.

About 40 miles south of Navasota

is a town called Katy. Katy is

pretty much a suburb of Houston

nowadays, but wasn‟t always so.

Rice farming began in the Katy

area in 1898 with its height in the

late 1960‟s. In the early days, the

land was full of rice fields, when

there were more than 300 rice

farmers. That number has

dwindled to 9,500 acres planted in

rice and about 15 active farmers.

Local produce is always good, but

the exciting thing about the Katy

rice fields is that they provide food

and accommodations to the

migratory Canada Geese in winter.

What a thrilling sight it is to see the

geese fly over in their hundreds and

thousands when the winter storms

are paralyzing the north of the

country. They are one of Mother

Nature‟s great weather barometers,

and when the first v-formation flies

in, there is always fierce

competition to be the first to hear

them! If the wind is head-on from

the south and the Gulf of Mexico,

they will tack from east to west like

a sailboat out on the ocean –

sometimes it seems that they have

no idea what they are doing, but

they always do! We hate to see

them leave in the spring because

that means the hot weather is

returning.

Meet Tennyson! (below) I found

him wandering up the driveway last

winter; he waited while I went

inside for a tape measure. His shell

came in at 12” x 11”, so I knew he

was a wise old turtle. Next day he

was gone, and I didn‟t see him

again for several weeks. However,

I noticed my fish pond was

becoming very muddy and the

water poppies were being shredded

as soon as they put on new leaves.

Every time I went near the pond I

would hear a “plop!” as he dived

back into the water, and it wasn‟t

until a couple of months ago that he

started letting me get close enough

to take photos. He is a Red Eared

Slider, so called because of the red

stripes behind the eyes and his

ability to slide back into the water

when disturbed. Fortunately he

hasn‟t eaten the fish, but he has

outstayed his welcome. I am trying

to get him

relocated to a

park far

enough away

that he won‟t

be running

“home”!

January is the

month for ice

storms, which

we have

periodically.

If the weather

is “right” we

have heavy

ice forming, and this ice can last for

several days. The garden becomes

a winter wonderland as the ice

encloses flowers, branches, twigs

and leaves, all of which emerge

seemingly unharmed when the ice

melts.

Dead time in the garden is a reality

this season in more ways than one.

On December 4th the temperature

dipped to –5C and stayed there for

10 hours – the big chill turned into

the big kill for many of our tropical

and sub-tropical plants. In advance

of the freezing weather came a few

flurries of snow, and oddly enough

south of here, in Houston and along

the Gulf Coast, they received four

inches or more!

So now we return to our seed

catalogues and “dream time”, and

in the meantime, here‟s wishing

everyone a Happy and Prosperous

New Year!

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)

Lusher Coach Excursions 2010

Sunday 17th January Lunch at Browston Hall, Lowestoft £23.00 Sunday 28th February Lunch at The Buck Inn, Flixton £21.50

Sunday 28th March Lunch at The Stag, Attleborough £25.00 Easter Monday 5th April Mini Mystery Tour £9.50

Our 2010 Excursion List – is now available To get your copy – please call us on 01760 440589

or e-mail: [email protected]

Caston Village Hall The Street, Caston. NR17 1DD

The Village Hall is available for short and long term hiring.

Hire it for an hour or two to practice dancing, play table tennis

(equipment supplied), darts or carpet bowls (equipment available) or maybe for your children’s party.

Very Reasonable Rates Contact Stephanie on

01953 488 495 or email [email protected]

Tomato – Tomayto Gardening in Navasota, Texas with Helen Quinn

Attractive thatched cottages are

grouped around a green with an

avenue of huge oak trees lining the

road to Wymondham with the

church of St. Peter Kimberley by

the lodge and the entrance gates to

the park and Hall. On the side of

the green fronting the B1108

Norwich to Watton road stands the

large village sign displaying the

arms of the Wodehouse family,

lords of the manor since the time of

King Henry I, although these are

not their original arms.

Much of the church has been

rebuilt - the first stage of the tower

in the 1530's and the upper stages

some 100 years later. A massive

hammer beam roof was constructed

in 1904 when the chancel was

rebuilt and the E and SE windows

contain rather nice C14 and C15

stained glass. There is also a

beautiful set of Royal Arms in

wood which, apart from high

intrinsic quality, is the only one in

Norfolk bearing the Stuart motto

used by James I - 'Beati

Pacifici ' (Blessed are the

Peacemakers). There are ledger

slabs in the chancel with splendidly

carved Wodehouse arms, mostly of

the 17th century and a black slab

commemorating John Rare Jenkins,

a talented musician who spent most

of his life as instructor and guest,

first with the le Stranges of

Hunstanton, then the Norths of

Rougham and final ly the

Wodehouses of Kimberley. He

died in 1678.

Because burials over the centuries

had occupied all available space in

the church, Sir John Wodehouse

4th baronet, decided to build a

vault for future committals. A large

mural slab on the North side of the

chancel lists all subsequent burials

from Anne, countess Torrington,

died 1719, to John, 2nd earl of

Kimberley, died 1932.

The most famous member of the

family was the John Wodehouse

who fought with Henry V at

Agincourt where he won very high

praise from the king for an

independent action in which he was

supported by Davey Gam, a Welsh

man-at-arms and the only non-

n o b l e c a s u a l t y l i s t e d i n

Shakespeare's play, Henry V.

As the battle developed in favour of

the English, many French nobles fled

and established themselves in an old

fort nearby which was difficult to

assault because of restricted access.

One of many knights from

East Anglia to fight in the

battle, Sir John Wodehouse

decided to pursue them, and

after vicious hand-to-hand

fighting in which Davey

Gam was mortally wounded,

t h e F r e n c h f i n a l l y

surrendered.

The Arms borne by

Wodehouse at the battle

were 'Sable (black) a

chevron Or (gold) between

three cinquefoils ermine

with the crest of a savage,

or wild man, holding a

club. Because of his

courage and leadership

Wodehouse was granted an

Augmentation of Honour by the

king in which the crest became an

arm holding a club with the motto

'Frappe Fort' - Strike Hard - with

the wild man omitted but two of

them placed as supporters. A

further augmentation was added to

the shield in the form of 'gutte de

sang' - drops of blood - on the

c h e v r o n a n d t h e m o t t o

AGINCOURT below. The sinister

(left) red hand denotes that

Wodehouse was a baronet.

Sir John, who died in 1430, had

ordered that his body be buried

under the free-school in Norwich,

then the lower chapel of the charnel

house by the Cathedral.

The story of John Wodehouse's

heroic deed is told in rhyme in

Blomefield's Norfolk Vol.11 pp

545. The Wodehouse family no

longer reside at Kimberley.

Historic Parish Churches Of Norfolk

Bradenham & District Horticultural Society A Happy New Year to all

Our January meeting will be held in

the Village Hall on Thursday 21st at

7.30pm. We are very pleased and

proud to have Peter Gooch from

Thorncroft Clematis Nurseries as

our speaker. Thorncroft are regular

Gold Medal Winners at Chelsea and

other flower shows so this is a talk

well worth attending.

There also will be the usual attractions

- bring and buy, refreshments, raffle

and Geoff's Tips. All are welcome.

Marianne Kilmartin, Publicity Officer.

01362 820744

Poppy Total Royal British Legion, Watton District

are delighted to announce that the

final total for the 2009 Poppy Appeal

collection was £11,373.67. Many

thanks to all the street collectors and

house-to-house collectors who

contributed to the Appeal's success

and to the various churches and

organisations that have donated sums.

The total includes amounts collected

in Watton, Saham Toney, Ashill,

Carbrooke, the Cressinghams,

Threxton, Breckles, Merton, Stow

Bedon, Ovington, Griston, Holme

Hale, Didlington and Stanford

Training Area - many boxes helped by

many people - MANY THANKS! Jo

Myers. Poppy Appeal Organiser,

Watton District.


Enjoy an amusing afternoon helping the RNLI As part of the RNLI S.O.S fundraising day

29th January 2010 at the Granary Theatre,

Wells there will be an afternoon of very

amusing poems and stories written and read

by Doreen Reed. If you remember the 50‟s

and 60‟s you will enjoy her subtle humour.

Doreen has entertained many audiences across

East Anglia and has been described as being

“very funny with the ability to write a

humorous poem about even the most mundane

event.” So come along, enjoy a laugh and help

the RNLI

Tickets are £4 and can be obtained by telephoning

Doreen on 01328 710193 or by email to

[email protected]

EDWARDS OF WATTON

WATTON’S SPECIALIST NEWSAGENT

"Pick & Mix Sweets" now

available in store

We are also pleased to offer News Deliveries 7

days a week in the following areas Griston,

Northacre, Caston, Stow Bedon, Breccles, Great

Hockham, East Wretham, Larling, Snetterton,

Shropham and Mount Pleasant

50 High Street, Watton. Tel: 881234

Established in Watton for four generations

Norwich Road, Watton, Thetford, Norfolk. IP25 6HW

Tel: (01953) 881343 Fax:(01953) 882923

e-mail: [email protected]

On (01953) 883143

Mobile 07721 535 285

Watton Ballroom Dancing

Association

Queen‟s Hall, Watton

8 to 11.00 Admission £3.00

Saturday January 2nd Saturday February 6th

Mike 01953 882799

By Adrian Goldring

New Year resolutions are all very well

but few of us keep them. Why not

make 2010 the year you actually make

your Will for example, instead of

thinking “I‟m not old enough yet”, or

“I‟ll do it later”. Or perhaps you‟ve

been meaning to find out more about

your legal rights if you are co-habiting

with your partner? We tend to put off

these kinds of things until one day it

may be too late.

Although the Government is looking at

changing the law to give better rights

on death to co-habitants who are not

married, those changes are not yet in

effect and many people believe

common law marriages are legally

recognised. They are not.

Says Adrian Goldring, of Greenland

Houchen Pomeroy, “You can protect

your position through a well drawn up

Will and other legal documents. It may

be that you want to ensure that your

children from a previous marriage as

well as your current partner benefit

from your estate. As the law stands at

the moment, your partner has no legal

rights over your estate if you die.

Alternatively, you may want to ensure

that if the law does change in this field,

new rights are given to your partner.

The only way to ensure your wishes

are carried out is to make a Will now.”

Another sensible precaution before

moving in with a partner (or

committing to any long-term

relationship including marriage) is to

agree in writing about certain

important financial matters. For

example, if one partner moves into the

home of the other, should the property

be transferred into their joint names? If

so, should

the partners

have equal

shares? I‟m

s u r e

e v e r y o n e

has heard of

a p r e -

n u p t i a l

agreement.

These are usually only required when

one partner has substantial assets and

income which he or she would like to

be protected in the case of a divorce.

Such an agreement may not always be

water-tight but it is likely a Court

would give serious consideration to

such document, particularly if both

parties have taken legal advice and the

terms are reasonable.

If, as you get older, you are concerned

about losing your mental capacity

(possib ly wi th dementia or

Alzheimer‟s), you may wish to

consider drawing up a Lasting Power

of Attorney now which sets out how

your affairs will be managed.

Lastly, you may be considering a move

this year – perhaps your current home

is too small and with a growing family,

you need more space or at the other

end of the spectrum, your children

have left home and you want to

downsize. “Don‟t forget that we help

you throughout your moving

experience, from reasonably priced

Home Information Packs to enable you

to market your property to competitive

conveyancing costs,” says Adrian.

“Come and have a chat at 40 High

Street, Watton, or telephone me on

01953 882864”.

Just do it . . .

The Watton Safer Neighbourhood

Team‟s initiative to make police

more accessible has been a great

success says Sergeant Lance

Ogbourne.

By sharing a stall with the

W a y l a n d D e v e l o p m e n t

Partnership Trust at the December

Farmer‟s Market, the team hoped

to make it easier for people to

chat informally with officers on a

variety subjects including crime

prevention advice.

Sergeant Lance Ogbourne said

“We had approx 200 people stop

to chat with us. Some had

policing issues to discuss and

many were just happy to see us.

“We sold lots of the purse alarms

and similar personal security

devices which will hopefully

make people feel a little safer

when out and about. It was great

fun to do and was well received

by the people who visited the

market. We are looking forward

to the next one in February.

Subject to operational demands,

the next Bill Barrow will be at the

Farmers Market on February 6th

2010.

“Bill Barrow” success

On Monday 14th December we had

our Christmas Lunch at The

Chequers Inn, Thompson. We had

good food, good company and

excellent service thus a good time

was had by all. There was a ‟Secret

Santa‟ and each member present had

a needlecraft related gift.

Our first meeting of 2010 will be on

12th January, the second Tuesday at

7 p.m. in the Watton Christian

Community Centre. Our new

p r o g r a m m e o f w o r k s h o p s ,

demonstrations and other activities

will be announced shortly afterwards.

We are open to suggestions and

offers from those with skills they

would like to pass on. If you are

interested in joining us why not come

along and find out what we do. For

up to date information don‟t forget to

check our Blog on ht tp : / /

htsqgroup.blogspot.com . Thank you

for all the interest there has been in

this feature, keep reading and we

love to receive Posts.

We wish you a happy, healthy and

peaceful 2010. Sue Hart

Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers

Ashill Garden Club held its

final meeting for 2009 on

Thursday 10th December but by

the time this information goes to

press, we will be in 2010. We

would therefore like to wish all

our members a Happy New

Year, and hope that everyone

will support the club and all the

hard work that goes on behind

the scenes to make the monthly

sessions enjoyable.

For instance, the two members

w h o l o o k e d a f t e r t h e

refreshments this year, did a

sterling job of providing a

delicious Christmas buffet,

complete with Chr is tmas

crackers. The club also provided

an excellent raffle with some

lovely prizes, including a

Christmas hamper. However,

due to low attendance much of

the buffet went uneaten. This

could have been avoided if

members had let the Secretary

know they were unable to come.

To avoid this happening again,

it has been agreed that members

will be asked to confirm if they

will be coming to future

Christmas get togethers.

John Vincent, our hardworking

Secretary, announced that due

to rising costs members will no

l o n g e r r e c e i v e mo n t h l y

newsletters; in the New Year he

will be publishing a definitive

list of dates (which have been

thoroughly checked) together

with the planned talks and

outings. Members will therefore

need to keep this list in a safe

place, so that they have a way

of checking on dates and events.

During this session, all those

involved in organising club

activities - John, Audrey,

Eileen, Gloria and Susan

together with Vicky and Sue -

were thanked for all their hard

work. Let's hope that 2010 will

be a good year for the club and

everyone involved in it.

Ashill Garden Club


Now In Our 6th

Successful Year

The Right „Plaice‟ to get the best!

THE WATTON PLAICE 9 Middle Street, Watton

Frying on Tuesday to Saturday from 11.30am to 1.45pm and 4.30pm to 8.00pm

Closed Sunday and Monday “Gone fishing!”

Don’t forget our Thursday Lunchtime Delivery Service for the Housebound and Elderly only.

There is no charge for delivery - you pay only the normal take-away prices.

Plaice your order before

11am on a Thursday

WET FISH available from 9am daily

Telephone 01953 882 401

Th

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ditio

na

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is

h &

C

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s

Fre

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ly

C

oo

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d E

sp

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F

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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.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEAS Hosted by St. Mary’s Church

Sunday 17th January Watton Christian Community Centre

2.30pm until 4.00pm

All welcome - please come along and bring family and friends

Imagine the scent of Roses at Ashill GC By invitation of Ashill Garden Club, Bill LeGrice will visit

Ashill Community Centre, on Thursday, 21" January 2010 and

give an illustrated talk about the roses he grows in Norfolk.

He is a Vice-President of the Royal National Rose Society and

holds the Silver medal for services to the rose industry. Bill is

here to help you choose the best roses for your garden and answer

questions. He is one of the U.K.'s national judges of the new

seeding roses.

Non members welcome 2.30 until 4.30pm @ £2.00 per person.

For more information please telephone Vince 01760 440 320.

Happy Birthday Project Rainbow

Project Rainbow celebrated the first

birthday of the Surge with a party to

thank all those who have helped

establish and support the project. The

guests had the opportunity to see how

their support had helped transform the

former doctor‟s surgery in to an active

community facility. When the Surge

opened last December, just the games

room and meeting area were

available. Now the Surge offers a Wii

games room, music room, art room,

DJ decks and karaoke room, pamper

room, fitness room and a quiet room.

Treasurer Paul Adcock said that the

Surge had a successful first year and

was attracting between twenty and

forty young people per night. The

success was the result of a great team

effort from the Trustees and

Volunteers.

In addition to being popular with the

young people the Surge also hosts the

SATS, the Seniors At The Surge, on a

Wednesday morning. Here the „young

at heart‟ members can enjoy the same

facilities as the young people.

Project Rainbow Chairman, Rev‟d

Geoff Garrett thanked all the guests

for their support that had enabled the

project to get underway and in

particular Watton Town Council for

their commitment. Town Mayor,

Margaret Holmes also presented

Project Rainbow with a cheque for

£10,000, being the balance of a grant

from the Town Council. (Pictured

right)

The Surge is open on a Monday and

Thursday evening from 7pm to 9pm

for young people between the ages of

11 to 17, with an admission charge of

£1. It is hoped that the Surge might be

open on a further evening in the New

Year for a younger age group.

However this is dependent on some

new volunteers coming forward to

assist. Project Rainbow would

therefore be keen to meet any

enthusiastic potential volunteers.

(contact Marion Adcock 01953

881248). In addition if anyone is

willing to assist with some

administrative duties for the Surge, we

like to hear from you too.

The next challenge facing Project

Rainbow is securing the Surge as it is

currently only leased from the

building‟s owners. Watton Town

Council and Breckland are actively

working the officers of Project

Rainbow to seek the necessary

funding.

Surge members Pedro and Emma cut the cake

Pedro takes on Councillor Alf Harvey!

Above: Watton Town Council Striking the right note in the Surge’s music room

Mid-Norfolk Times Advertising

Maurice & Watton are helping heroes Watton was pleased to welcome Jacqueline Blades the Norfolk Organiser for Help for Heroes on Tuesday15th December.

Jacqueline (second from left) came to receive two cheques towards the Help for Heroes fund raising campaign, one cheque from Marylyn Scrymgeour (second from right) at Top to Toe for £172, this being the result of the sale of souvenir fabric boxes that

had been made by Maurice Cornelius (right) and bought by some of Marylyn‟s clients, and another cheque from Richard Akister

(left), President of the Rotary Club of Watton & District for £100 who kindly agreed to support this venture. Should you wish to support Help for Heroes please contact [email protected].

ROGER TURNER 07759 948 830 01953 881 382

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

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

Letter from Australia By Chris O‟Connor

From the day Australia began to be

populated by Europeans, a so called

„white Australia” policy was in

force; in other words if you came

from a European or Anglo Saxon

background you were welcome to

settle in the nation. Black people

were told they were not qualified or

of low moral character and were

refused permission to settle here.

Mind you, in the late 1800‟s and

early nineties this did not stop „slave‟

labour being imported from the

many Pacific islands east of

Australia. Black people were OK to

do the menial work but little else.

Incredibly this policy remained in

force until the 1970‟s when a new

(some would say enlightened)

government got rid of it.

However, while the policy was in

place there was an attitude of

ensuring the nation was filled with

people from the UK.

Most people will be familiar with the

migration schemes that allowed so

called “ten pound poms” to migrate

to Australia, settle and enjoy a

lifestyle that is the envy of many of

their former friends and workmates.

Few people however, are aware of

the child migration scheme, and

recently many tears were shed when

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

delivered an historic apology to the

hundreds of thousands of Forgotten

Australians; children aged from as

young as four, who were taken from

their English families and resettled in

Australia.

He apologised for the abuse, neglect

and suffering they endured in foster

care and orphanages between the

1920s and 1970s and extended the

nation's remorse to the 7,000 child

migrants, most of who travelled to

Australia from the UK under the

mistaken belief that their parents had

died.

Around 500,000 children, including

thousands of child migrants, grew up

in government-run institutions and

foster care and many have been

lobbying for an apology from the

Federal Government since it was

recommended by a Senate

committee in 2004.

The British High Commissioner to

Australia, Baroness Valerie Amos,

says the UK Government will also

say sorry early next year for its role

in sending children to Australia.

"We're going to go out for a period

of consultation because we think it's

really important that we get the

terminology right."

"We acknowledge that this has been

a shocking period in our history and

it's important that we say sorry."

A total of 549 British children were

sent to New Zealand between 1920

and 1967, often without their parents'

consent and like the British children

sent to Australia and Canada, many

of those who arrived in New Zealand

ended up in orphanages or foster care

and were neglected and abused.

Some of New Zealand's child

migrants say a formal apology from

the UK government will be a

positive step, but it will come too late

for many.

In his address to the Australian

nation Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

acknowledged the horror and abuse

most children suffered upon arriving

here, he said he was "Sorry that as

children you were taken from your

families and placed in institutions

where so often you were abused.

Sorry for the physical suffering, the

emotional starvation and the cold

absence of love, of tenderness, of

care.

"Sorry for the tragedy, the absolute

tragedy, of childhoods lost.

Childhoods spent instead in austere

and authoritarian places where

names were replaced by numbers,

spontaneous play by regimented

routine, and the joy of learning by

the repetitive drudgery of menial

work."

All of the children were in state and

church-run orphanages, foster homes

and institutions.

The inquiry unearthed hundreds of

disturbing stories of children placed

in care due to family breakdown,

because their mothers were

unmarried or because they were

considered uncontrollable.

It found widespread assault and

emotional, physical and sexual

abuse, as well as neglect, humiliation

and the deprivation of food,

education and medical care.

In one case a young 12 year old

boy slept in one morning and was

late to milk the cows on the farm

where he and several hundred other

children were housed. Because of

his lateness he was hit with a

hockey stick on the back and

thrown down a set of stairs; he

suffered a broken back and spent

three years in hospital – he

received no compensation.

Another, a 13 year old girl told how

she was raped by the housemaster

while his wife watched. The next

morning the girl was forced to serve

them both breakfast in bed.

"The truth is, this is an ugly story.

The truth is great evil has been

done," Mr Rudd said.

"As a nation we must now reflect on

those who did not receive proper

care.

"We look back with shame that so

many of you were left cold, hungry

and alone and with nowhere to hide

and nobody, absolutely nobody, to

whom to turn.

Mr Rudd acknowledged the pain of

children shipped to Australia as

migrants.

"Robbed of your families, robbed of

your homeland, regarded not as

innocent children, but regarded

instead as a source of child labour.

"To those of you who were told

you were orphans, brought here

without your parents' knowledge

or consent, we acknowledge the

lies you were told, the lies told to

your mothers, fathers and the

pain these lies have caused for a

lifetime."

Mr Rudd also admitted that many

lies had been told to children who

were shipped from Britain.

"To those of you separated on the

dockside from your brothers and

sisters, taken alone and unprotected

to the most remote parts of a foreign

land, we acknowledge that the laws

of our nation failed you.

"And for this we are deeply sorry."

It was believed that more than

500,000 children - half Adelaide's

population - were placed in care

under various arrangements during

the past century.

A national find-and-connect service

will also be established, providing

Australia-wide co-ordinated family

tracing to locate family history files

and help reunite survivors with their

families.

[email protected]

Our Nations‟ shame . . .

A positive solution By Edith Pleasance

When my sister suggested on my

recent visit to Australia that we go on

a tour of Tasmania, I was interested.

A part of the World I had not been to

before and, like most people, just

thought of it as an island to the south

of the continent. What a surprise I had

to discover not only the size, but the

immense difference which existed to

that of the mainland.

We started our twelve days holiday at

Hobart in the extreme south and were

fortunate to be blessed with good

weather, in the mid 20c/25c with

plenty of sunshine. Our first visit was

to the penal colony at Port Arthur,

where large consignments of prisoners

from England were sent to serve out

their punishment in the 19th Century

– not so long ago. We were shown

around the prison itself with its

numerous cells and implements for

teaching the unfortunates the error of

their ways. It did not bode a good

feeling, rather a section of our history

we should not feel proud about.

The next day we went on a boat trip

along the river during which we went

ashore on Sarah Island, so named after

a Commissioner‟s wife. Here, we

were told, the very worst of the

convicts were sent, those that were

beyond redemption. There they

suffered awful punishments and

conditions.

In the state of Tasmania grow some of

the oldest trees on our planet and the

Huon is special as it lives and survives

for thousands of years, is slow-

growing (we were shown a sapling

about ten inches high that had taken

nine years to grow). The wood of this

tree is extremely hardy and is

beautiful to see and touch. The

convicts were put to felling these and

other trees for the wood to build

housing and boats.

Someone had the idea of employing

the convicts on Sarah Island to build

boats and to this end advertised for a

boat builder to set this in motion. A

businessman from America answered

the call and took over a nucleus of his

own men to teach their crafts.

Consequently the convicts had at last

something to occupy their tedious

lives; they were given better food and

altogether were more valued so that

the punishments were phased out. At

the end of their sentences the men

went out into the free world as skilled

carpenters, engineers and boat

builders to lead better lives and help to

settle the pioneers who were then

discovering the delights of Tasmania.

So it was that out of grief and trouble

a positive solution was found for the

betterment of all concerned.

---o0o--- Edith Pleasance 14.12.09 ©

Macmillan thanks The coffee morning held at 95, Nelson

Court, raised £245.45. Our thanks to

everyone who supported the event

either by attending or by giving

donations. Particular thanks to our

helpers on the day - Sue and Trevor

Bunce, Jill Beech, Beryl Brannan,

Ann Akister and Pam Challand. Sue

also kindly donated one of her

pictures and guessing the cat's name

created considerable interest and

swelled the coffers accordingly. Many

thanks, Sue! Dave and Jenny Simons.


New Year New You!

22 Thetford Road Watton IP25 6BS

Tel : 01953 886860

Gift Vouchers Available

Aches and pains, stress or

strains. Bad habits to kick, new

habits to learn. Visit Total

Health Therapy and find out

how we can help you.

• Acupuncture • Chiropody

• Physiotherapy • Osteopathy

• Indian Head Massage

• Homeopathy • Reflexology

• Hypnotherapy

• Nutritional Therapy

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.

Please note the new term starts on Friday 8th Jan.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

** Please bring a mat for floorwork

For further details, please contact

Diane Cuthbert

01953 850275 RSA/YMCA Qualified Teacher

Classes held during term-time

IAN WILTON

GENERAL BUILDER

For all your building needs....

NEW BUILD, EXTENSIONS,

GARAGES, RENOVATIONS,

ALTERATIONS, ROOFING,

FASCIAS, GUTTERING,

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CERAMIC TILING, PATIOS,

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No job too small.

Local friendly service.

Call Ian for a free estimate

07917 284098/01953 483192

With the permission of the Acting

Headteacher Trefor Parry and the

School Governors, the annual

Senior Citizens party took place on

the 12th December at Wayland

Community High School, thanks

again to the help and generosity of

so many members of our

community including of course Alan

Abel at Mullengers who handled our

tickets. Regular volunteers and

Senior Management, along with the

Junior School cooks, prepared the

meal, the ingredients of which were

donated once again by Cranswick

Country Foods (ex Bowes) Gary‟s

Place, RAF Marham and Watton

Produce. Rotary, Town Council and

the Chamber of Trade were the main

funders. Students from the school

laid out the tables in the main hall.

Youngsters served the meal and

drinks. Father Christmas came along

and made sure that everyone went

home with a present. MC for the

evening, Richard Crabt ree ,

introduced entertainment from

youngsters from the Westfield

Primary School, who again sang

carols, and students from Year 7 to

Year 11 at the High School. One of

the better evenings we have had for

some years, most of which was

down to the weather and the quality

of the food and the young people,

part of the near 70 strong back up

team. Our thanks go out to

everyone.

The 2010 party is being planned for

early December by Trefor Parry on

behalf of the High School, Richard

Crabtree, Tim Leonard and Karl

Green and we hope to get up to 200

old and new of our Senior Citizens

to come out and enjoy themselves as

everyone seemed to do this year.

Watton Senior Citizens‟ Party

Above: Youngsters from Westfield Primary School entertaining the party goers (below)

An open letter to Mr.Nigel Brigham, Regional Director of SUSTRANS Charitable Trust. We the Residents of Churchill Close

have read your comments to our

objections in the December issue of

The Mid-Norfolk Times to the

proposed Cycle and Pedestrian Way

giving access to Wayland Community

High School.

We feel it only fair that we reiterate in

the clearest terms possible what we

are actually objecting to.

We have stated openly that we have

absolutely no objection to the concept

of a Cycle and Pedestrian Way being

created from the Thetford Road to

culminate in the grounds of Wayland

Community High School.

You appear to have lost site of our

objection, which is the proposed

access into Churchill Close. The idea

that this access point would allow

access to and from the Town Centre

easier by foot and bicycle for

everyone in the Thetford Road area is

on the face of it almost certainly not

the case. We are a Town of some

10,000 souls and the overwhelming

majority of the inhabitants are either

recently retired, pensioners of a

certain age and the infirm. None of

this group is likely to want to use or

indeed need to use such a path. Many

of them might collapse in the attempt!

As for the Churchill Close road itself,

it will become a bottleneck and the

peaceful life that we now enjoy will

be destroyed forever, for no good

reason.

It was a great pity that you were

unable to attend the Watton Town

Council Planning and Development

Committee meeting as it would have

given a sense of the unease felt.

Please rest assured that we are not

objecting to Sustrans proposal but

solely to that part we believe to be ill

conceived. Yours sincerely, Richard

Denempont, Watton.

That boy Sid Sir, on a recent visit to Watton,

visiting friends I read your paper, and

would like to inform Boy Sid (letters

December issue) that the city dwellers

who buy second homes, or just move

to the Kent countryside not only

complain of cockerels crowing but

also of cows mooing, and not mention

the aroma of natural fertiliser.

I like Norfolk, especially the

"Broads". That‟s the boating type.

Yours, Man of Kent

Letters to the Editor Town Mayor Councillor Margaret

Holmes will be hosting a

Candlelight Dinner at the Queens

Hall on Friday 5 February 2010 to

raise money for her two chosen

charities, Wayland Luncheon Club

and Watton Thursday Club. Tickets

will be £15 per person which will

include a cold buffet supper and

entertainment from the wonderful

risqué „Cleaving Heavages‟.

Tickets will be on sale from 4th

January from the Council Office,

Wayland Hall, Middle Street,

Watton or contact Town Clerk

Jacqui Seal on 01953 881007.

Candlelight Dinner & Cleaving Heavages

SSAFA 125 First In, Last Out In 2010, SSAFA Forces Help

will celebrate 125 years of

continued service to Britain‟s

Armed Forces. It is a truly

remarkable achievement that

provides us with a great

opportunity to let you know who

we are and what we do. There

will be a calendar of events all

through the year and we start

with:-

Saturday 13 February – National

Collection Day, ring 01 953 885400

if you would like to help in Watton

or 01603 403322 for other towns in

the region.

Thursday 18 February – Service

of Celebration at Westminster

Abbey

May date tbc - The Big SSAFA

Quiz & Chips

June date tbc - Launch a Lantern

And best of all „Target 125‟. We

are asking you to raise £125 for

SSAFA FH in order to hit the

target o f £1.25 mill ion!

Sponsored silence, no uniform

day, Beetle Drive, half marathon

around Watton, sponsor a shave

in, all your ideas and donations

will be welcome by our

Servicemen and their families.

Please ring 01603 403322 and let us

know what you plan to do!!

SSAFA has existed for 125 years to

help Members, ex Members of the

British Armed Forces and their

families – and National Servicemen

and Reservists - to relieve their

need and suffering.

Is this you? Is this someone you

know? Ring 01 603 403322 today

Happy Birthday SSAFA


SALEC TRAVEL LTD Saturday 9th January Ipswich Sales 9am & 4pm Return Adult £9 Child £6 Thurs 14th January Fakenham 9.30am & 1.30pm Return Adult & Child £5

Sat 23rd January Bury St Edmunds 9.30am & 3pm Return Adult & Child £5 Thurs 11th February Fakenham 9.30am & 1.30pm Return Adult & Child £5 Thursday 25th February Sudbury 9.30am & 4pm Return Adult £8 Child £5

Thursday 15th April Foster & Allen at Kings Lynn Adult £26 Sunday 18th April Dominic Kirwin at Hunstanton Adult £27

Monday 26th April Daniel o Donnell at Ipswich (Tickets for this event are not on sale yet but if you would like to go let us

know so we know how many tickets to try and get)

Holidays 2010 (Please ring for Itineraries)

Country & Western Weekend ~ Emmerdale Weekend Brighton Weekend ~Isle of Wight ~ Lake District

Turkey & Tinsel Folkestone

2010 Brochure Out Now! For more details please phone:

01953 881159 PRIVATE COACH & MINIBUS HIRE ALSO AVAILIBLE

Karen Bales ACCA MAAT Bsc (Hons)

Telephone 01953 884019

118 Norwich Road, Watton, Thetford, Norfolk. IP25 6DU

Email: [email protected]

Accounts preparation for Sole traders, Limited Companies and Partnerships

Personal, Limited Company, and Partnership Tax Returns Book-keeping PAYE VAT Returns

Bales Browne Accountancy Services Limited

Funeral of Bertie Clifford Goddard The funeral took place of Bertie

Clifford Goddard at St George‟s

Church, Saham Toney on

November 24th 2009. The service

was conducted by the Rev. Jane

Atkins.

Bertie‟s early years were spent

working on a farm at South

Pickenham and later, on a smaller

farm at Griston. He was in the

Army reserves until he decided to

join the regular army. He was a

sapper in 294 Field Company

Royal Engineers, on leaving the

army he was a Lance Corporal.

After working for H. Long at

Ickborough for nearly thirty years,

he retired.

He was a very keen vegetable

gardener and took great pride in

his garden, a passion which he

has passed on to his grandsons.

Family mourners were Mrs S

Howe, Mr N Howe, Mr P Howe,

Lindsey Everett, Mr A Howe,

Miss B Clark, Mr & Mrs M

Jessup, Mrs O Adland and Ken,

Mr John Adland, Mrs C Ward

(Mrs J James) Mrs L Ward (Terry

Ward), Mr K Ward, Tony Ward

& Mrs E Ward, Mr T Goodard,

Mr Steven Jenny, Mrs Rita

Fisher, Mr & Mrs Alan

Kettringham (Ian & David), Mrs

Diane Driesdale (Ken & family),

Mrs S Freeman, Mr Shaun Fisher.

Other mourners: Mrs Jane

Crawford,Mr & Mrs Peter Fisher,

Mr & Mrs P Willimott, Mrs

Emma Barham, Miss Sara Peters,

Mr Eric Cox (his wife Margaret

& David Staff), Mrs Teresa

Bailey (Liam Elvin), Mrs J Syer

(Mr & Mrs P Spilman), Mrs R

Fickling (Carl Payne), Mrs Carol

Brock, Mrs Jean Bridges

(Family), Mr & Mrs Geoffrey

Blake, Mrs Gloria Carter (Jim),

Mr & Mrs B Mower, Mrs Thelma

Mason (David Mason), Mr Albert

Layton, Mrs Jenny Tweed, Mrs

Tracey Webster, Lisa Watcham

(Carewatch)

Brownies‟ Winter Wonderland

To celebrate Christmas, 1st Watton

Brownies transformed the inside of the

Scout Hut into a Winter Wonderland,

dressed up Santa's helpers and performed

a concert of songs and sketches. Phew!

What an exciting evening, to finish off a

very busy and exciting term. We sang

lots of Christmas songs and all of our

favourite Brownie songs ... including the

Bumblebee song, of course! Also, each

of the Sixes performed a short sketch of

poems and jokes. Poems about grannies

down the toilet and teacher's with pins in

their bottoms, verses about spiders in the

bath and squabbling twins, jokes about

Christmas - all performed beautifully by

the Brownies, who worked hard to make

the concert a real success. Thank you to

all the parents, grandparents and friends

who came to support the girls and WELL

DONE to the Brownies. We are looking

forward to 2010 and all the challenges it

may bring!

When Allan and Sarah Cann opened their

Farm Shop at Griston on the 7th November

last year, they were not sure what the

reception would be.

But, says Allan “It has got off to a really

good start. We have been selling game and

our own turkeys for a while now and when

the shop came free it seemed a natural

extension to the business. We took over the

building last February and have spent time

getting it into shape and getting fully

organised.”

The shop carries a selection of regional and

local produce including meats and a wide

range of other products such as Jams,

Chutneys and flour. It is also home to

Allan‟s growing wholesale butchery

business which supplies local pubs and

restaurants.

“We try and source everything locally from

Norfolk and Suffolk.” says Allan

“And it is all reasonably priced” added

Sarah.

“We have fantastic ice cream from Norfolk,

flour from Letheringset Mill, a huge range

of sauces, marinades, pickles, preserves and

chutneys, fresh fruit drinks from the

Breckland area and our own range of pates.

“In our chilled deli area we have a large

selection of cooked meats, cheeses made

locally, local dairy products such as milk,

cream and butter plus many other products

that you would expect to find in a farm

shop and local stores.

“We very much see ourselves as a part of

the local food chain where people can come

and buy good, wholesome food and

produce at reasonable prices and without

leaving a large carbon footprint.”

The shop recently featured in Radio

Norfolk‟s popular Sunday Treasure Hunt,

when it was the hiding place for one of the

clues. In Treasure Hunt, listeners to

Norfolk help presenter David Clayton and

treasure hunter Becky Betts on a Sunday

morning to solve 5 clues that lead to the

treasure which is “buried” somewhere in

Norfolk.

In November the clue was hidden amongst

the Breckland Orchard Cloudy Lemonade

at the Farm Shop.

Sarah and Allen have more plans for the

business when they hope to develop a café

in spring of this year.

Griston Farm Shop is in Church Road,

Griston and is presently open Monday to

Thursday and Saturday from 8.30am to

5.30pm with a late night till 7pm on a

Friday. Sundays are 10am to 4pm.

www.brecklandgame.co.uk

Griston Farm Shop

A Happy and Peaceful New Year to all

our members

I think we all enjoyed the poems and

anecdotes of Tina Chamberlain at our

December meeting, a truly talented and

amusing lady. This was followed by a

Christmas tea and Santa's Sack.

Now we look forward to an interesting

year for our group. Our next meeting will

be the A.G.M. followed by games, please

all come along to this important meeting

where you will have an opportunity air

your views and suggestions on the

running of our group - YES we are

hoping to improve the sound system so

that you all can hear. This meeting will

be held on Tuesday 5th January at the

Watton Christian Community Centre,

2pm.

A preliminary notice about our February

meeting when we hope to welcome our

Lady Mayor, Margaret Holmes, who will

talk about 'Her Life'

Hope to see you all there.

Wayland Happy Circle news . . .

Church times and Puzzles Mid-Norfolk Times

WATTON CHURCHES TOGETHER SERVICE CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 2010

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 8.00am Holy Communion

10.45am Covenant Service at the Methodist Church

Sun 10th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am Holy Communion

Sun 17th 8.00am Holy Communion

10.00am Holy Communion Sun 24th 8.00am Holy Communion

10.00am All Age Worship

6.30pm Watton Churches Together Unity Service at the Pentecostal Church

Sun 31st 8.00am Holy Communion

6.30pm Choral Evensong

Watton Methodist Church

Every Wednesday the Church is open for quiet reflection and prayer between 10.am & 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.btik.com Sun 3rd 10.45am Covenant Service Rev B Winner

6.30pm Rev B Eagle Sun 10th 10.45am Mrs J Semmons

6.30pm Rev B Winner

Sun 17th 10.45am Mr A Warby 6.30pm Rev A King Holy Communion

Sun 24th 10.45am Mr D Fisher

6.30pm Watton Churches Together, at the Pentecostal Church, No Service at Watton Methodist Church

Sun 31st 10.45am Rev B Winner

6.30pm Rev D Lloyd

Roman Catholic Community Each Sat 5.30pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church

Pentecostal Church, Dereham Road, Watton

There is a Noah's Ark Sunday and King's Kids for children

to age 11 on Sunday mornings 3rd– 31st Jan

Sun 3rd 10.30am Morning Worship Sun 10th 10.30am Morning Worship

Sun 17th 10.30am Morning Worship

Sun 24th 10.30am Morning Worship 6.30pm Watton Churches Together Unity Service

and buffet tea

Sun 31st 10.30am „New Beginnings - A new me!‟ Sun 31st 4.30pm Coffee, Cake & Conversation - Stories

from India 2010 Mission

St. Nicholas’ Church, Ashill Sun 3rd 9.30am Lay Led Morning Worship

Sun 10th 9.30am Morning Worship Sun 17th 9.30am All Age Worship


Sun 31st 10.30am Group Holy Communion

St. George’s Church, Saham Toney Sun 10th 11.00am Covenant Service at St George‟s Church Sun 17th 11.00am All Age Worship


S.S. Peter & Paul’s Church, Carbrooke Sun 3rd 10.30am Benefice Service of Holy Communion Sun 10th 10.30am All Age Worship


Sun 24th 10.30am Methodist Service

St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington Thursdays at 8.00am Said Holy Communion

Sun 10th 9.00am Holy Communion Sun 24th 9.30am Lay Led Service /Contd

Breckles, Caston, Great Hockham, Griston, Merton, Stow Bedon, Thompson

Worship Calendar: January 2010

Sunday 3rd January—Epiphany Sunday

10:30 am United Holy Communion Breckles

Sunday 10th January—Baptism of Christ

9:00 am Matins (BCP) Merton

10:30 am United Holy Communion Caston

Sunday 17th January—2nd Sunday of Epiphany

10:20 am Sunday Club Gt .Hockham

(ages 4-11, church room) 10:30 am United Holy Communion Gt. Hockham

Sunday 24th January—3rd Sunday of Epiphany

9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Merton

10:20 am Sunday Club Griston (ages 4-11, „Manorcourt‟ Day Centre, Manor Rd.)

10:30 am United Holy Communion Griston

Sunday 31st January—Presentation of Christ in Temple

10:30 am United Holy Communion Stow Bedon

Sunday 7th February

10:30 am United Holy Communion Thompson

For all our parishes… ‘The WAY’ Youth Group (ages 11+)

Sundays 3rd and 17th January 7-8:00 pm, Rectory

Pram Services: Wednesdays, 10:15 am

Caston School Hall. For parents or carers with children aged

0-5. Short Holy Communion, kiddies‟ Christian songs, social

& play time.

Enquiries: The Revd. Bob Nichols: Tel.: (01953) 483222;

Email: [email protected]

Across

7 Treatment for a gun barrel

to prevent rusting (6)

8 Cure Ed - by Pruning

perhaps? (6)

9 it's a much older you! (4)

10 like an evil rant in the

break (8)

11 Make use of (7)

13 To stop before completion

(5)

15 The ad men keep

changing (5)

17 A fast * reactor makes

more fuel than it burns (7)

20 Takes ice to do this! (3,5)

21 Wood heaped for burning

as in a funeral rite (4)

22 The buying or selling of

ecclesiastical pardons for

example (6)

23 Tea Set - perhaps left by

the deceased. (6)

Down

1 Outmoded headgear? (3-3)

2 Careful you don't use toilet

instead of this (4)

3 opposed (7)

4 Great place for a fire! (5)

5 Baby animals are often this

(8)

6 It's clear I like a cream puff

(6)

12 not a likely winner (4,4)

14 Not crying then? (3-4)

16 Give a hand to find

somewhere to put manure

(4,2)

18 Greets herons with white

plumage (6)

19 Sounds sarcastic but he's

just a lecher (5)

21 Sorrow for the

misfortunes of others (4)

PUZZLE CORNER

£10 PRIZE CROSSWORD

Would you like to win a £10 Adcocks Voucher to spend? Simply

complete the crossword on the right and drop it in to The Wayland

News bin at (or post it to) Adcocks, 32 High Street, Watton,

Norfolk. IP25 6AE before the paper deadline. All correct entries

will be put into a draw and the winner will receive a £10 Adcocks

voucher to spend. In the event of any dispute the decision of the

Editor will be final. The clues are a mix of cryptic, and easy with

one or two anagrams thrown in just to make it more interesting!

The correct solution will be published in the next issue.

SUDOKO JUST FOR FUN!

Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be

reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from

1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain

one of each digit. So must every column, as must

every 3x3 square. © www.ukpuzzle.com

LAST MONTH’S

PUZZLES

Here are the answers to both last month‟s

Crossword and Sudoku puzzles.

The Winner of the £20 Rollover prize

Mrs Gale of Loch Lane, Watton.

For a chance to win, simply send in your

completed crossword, with your name,

address and telephone number to Mid-

Norfolk Times, 32 High Street, Watton,

Norfolk IP256AE before 16th December.

Scribble Pad

Fountain of Life meets in The Well Christian Centre,

Swaffham Rd, Ashill

A missionary congregation of the Church of England. Details on www.fountainoflifeonline.org Groups for children and young people of all ages

Sun 3rd 10.00am Service of the Word

Sun 10th 10.00am Service of the Word

6.00pm Feed the Soul Sun 17th 10.00am Holy Communion

6.00pm Feed the Soul

Sun 24th 10.00am Service of the Word 6.00pm Feed the Soul

Sun 31st 10.00am Holy Communion 6.00pm Feed the Soul

A Happy New Year from the Editor

Welcome to the first ever January edition of the Mid-Norfolk

Times. In the guises of The Wayland News and The Attleborough

and District News, publishing in January was never undertaken.

But new production processes mean I am now able to produce a

January edition. And with distribution extending now to

Attleborough (and soon Wymondham too) many of you will be

reading The Mid-Norfolk Times for the first time. If that applies

to you, then welcome.

January is normally a quiet month for many organisations and

consequently this paper is thinner than normal. But the reduced size

reflects the very reason the Mid-Norfolk Times exists – to support

you, your community and all the things your community does,

whether you are in Attleborough, Wayland or Wymondham.

The mantra of the Mid-Norfolk Times is “Supporting the

community”. The Mid-Norfolk Times is YOUR newspaper; if

you have a message you would like to get out to a wider audience

then this is your means to do it. It is here to help you.

I always think it is better if you write the story; after all who

knows better what you want to say but you? If you are not sure

how to go about it, I can, and will, do it for you and take the

pictures as well. All you need to do is get in touch, by email to

[email protected] or by phone to 01953 858 908.

Special Dates and Anniversaries Do you know someone who will be reaching the wonderful age of

100 years old or the a couple who have been married for 50 years, 60

years or 70 years and would like the Town Mayor to pay a visit then

please contact Jacqui Seal, Town Clerk on 01953 881007 or write to

Watton Town Council, Wayland Hall, Middle Street, Watton,

Norfolk IP25 6AG.

Councillor‟s Surgeries Watton Town Councillors will be holding a Councillors Surgery

on the first Saturday of each month at the Surge. Any Member of

the public wishing to speak to a Councillor will be able to voice

their views from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.

The first Surgery will commence on Saturday 6 February 2010. Do

come along and have your say. It is important that Councillors know

the views of the people when making their decisions on your behalf.


Watton University of The Third Age (U3A) The Lady Mayor Councillor Margaret Holmes was guest of honour at the

Christmas Tea held on Thursday 17th December and addressed the members on

the additional facilities now available and those being planned to clubs and the

residents of Watton.

Mike Wabe provided excellent entertainment with stories and songs of Christmas.

Thirty members recently toured the BBC Television and Broadcasting studios in

Norwich. The tour was extremely well presented and gave a fascinating insight

into the production of programmes. One member was interviewed live on Radio

Norfolk and others tried their skills at being presenters and camera operators in

the television studio.

An excellent Christmas was lunch held on the 4th December at The Richmond

Park Golf Club and was attended by thirty six members.

Congratulations to Councillor Barbara Anderson who when Chairman of the U3A

last year started the successful fight to reinstate the Sunday Bus Services to

Norwich and the University Hospital. Thank you to the U3A members who

braved the rain early on Sunday morning 6th December to welcome back the

service.

The next meeting is on Thursday 28th January with speaker Barbara Emons “The

Work of the Dogs Trust”. The Membership Secretary can be contacted on 01953

881109. For further information on the National U3A go to www.u3a.org.uk

Caston Parish Council is

pleased to announce they have

been successful in their recent

bid for an “Awards For All”

grant for £10.000.00 to

“Bootify Caston”

Caston was once a runner-up

of the region‟s “Best Kept

Village” competition and used

to be known as lively and

exciting. However due to the

disturbance caused by the

work to install first time

sewerage in the village and

the closure of the village pub,

the village has become untidy

and lost its' uniqueness.

Caston Parish Council with

help from Awards for All, are

planning to revitalise the

village and restore it to a new

“bootiful” village.

The initial idea for the village

enhancement came from

suggestions from villagers at

PC meetings. Councillors

carried out soundings and

then in 2008 a survey was

conducted with questionnaires

for each household to

ascertain the needs and

aspirations of the villagers.

There was also information on

the web sites and in the parish

magazine. Responses from

villagers suggested that there

was a lack of simple amenities

and that the village was untidy

and had an unkempt look.

At the same time various

village groups such as the

Women's Institute expressed

an interest in helping to

improve and create an

enhanced environment for the

village. The village playgroup

and Caston Camera Club also

enthusiastically supported the

idea.

A sub-committee was then set

up to look at these suggestions

and ideas and formulate a

plan. They looked at how

other villages had improved

their environment and found

that they all had green spaces,

tidy footpaths and village

seats. They also contacted

Norfolk County Council,

Breckland District Council,

the local tree officer, the town

gardener for Watton to obtain

in format ion . Extensive

Internet research was also

undertaken.

The sub-committee then

produced a plan including the

potential costs for the

enhancements Sources of

potential funding were also

identified. This was then

presented to the PCC who

discussed and approved the

plan to proceed to apply for

an “Awards for All Grant”.

T h e l i s t o f a g r e e d

improvements is as follows: -

1) The main entrances to the

village would be improved

with flower filled planters,

providing a colourful visual

and unique welcome to the

village.

2) The Green would be

r e ju v en a ted wi th th e

introduction of a much needed

village seat.

3) The footpath to

the telephone box

and the bus

shelter, currently narrow and

very uneven will be widened

t o m e e t D i s a b i l i t y

Discrimination Act (DDA)

requirements and will be

extended to meet the new

seat. The new gold chip

tarmac surface would brighten

up the area.

4) The small parking area on

The Green would be surfaced

to match the new path thus

making the whole area bright

and inviting.

5) Subject to payment of

professional fees for the

transaction costs, the “green

space” fronting Coronation

Terrace, Attleborough Road

will be “gifted” from

Breckland District Council to

the Parish Council. This space

will have a native species

hedge planted along the road

side, thus providing an

attractive entrance to the

village, an extra green space

for the village.

6) Two new parish notice

boards will be purchased, one

situated on the Village Hall,

the other at one end of

Northacre. This will keep

more villagers informed of

events, particularly if they are

unable to access the Parish

Council web site.

7) A new seat in the bus

shelter on The Green, will

allow villagers, walkers,

cyclists and bus users to take

shelter under cover.

8) The very popular village

playgroup, which is held at

the village school will benefit

enormously from a large

storage shed for their play

equipment, thus keeping the

play items safe, tidy and

clean.

9) Specialist litter picking

equipment used by a new

group of village volunteers,

would keep the village

looking neat and tidy,

generating pride in the village

scene. Thus the whole

community would benefit.

The enhancement scheme will

encourage more people to

become involved in village

activities such as assisting

with the planting of the

planters. The existing W.I.

bulbs under the road signs

will be replanted into the

planters amongst the new

plants.

Caston Camera Club will

make a photographic record

of the installation of each new

item in the scheme for

posterity.

It is planned that the village

wil l engage in more

community projects in the

future such as entering the

“ B e s t K e p t V i l l a g e ”

competition and thus restoring

pride to the village.

The first item to be purchased

is the large shed for the

village playgroup which is

due to be installed on 7th &

8th of December in the

grounds of the village school.

Other items will follow and

the project to “Bootify”

Caston will be completed by

October 2010.

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

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

Bootifying Caston

After all the festivities let‟s hope there are

not too many animals abandoned this

year. On a different note we are trying to

help in a situation where someone who

has lost their home and consequently

there are 7-10 cats living rough and in

need of homes. Our pens are full but we

have managed to take in two so far.

These cats are of varying ages up to

about 10 years and some of them are

quite timid. Two of them had been indoor

cats so they must be quite traumatised

finding themselves outside. If you can

offer a permanent home to any of these

cats please ring us on 01842 810018.

Featured cat this month is Didier who is a

friendly, fussful boy who is only 1 year

old. He is in need of a home without

other cats as he likes to dominate them.

Didier has been neutered, vaccinated and

micro chipped. We also have kittens still

available.

Breckland Cats Protection


cv

James Ball SHOWROOM: 49 High Street, Watton

01953

883288

Very Competitive Prices

Most Makes of carpets

& Vinyl Supplied and Fitted

MOTs £35.00 VEHICLES FROM V 99 ONWARDS. £40 FOR OLDER VEHICLES

IVAN CHUBBOCK GARAGE SERVICES

SHIPDHAM

Tel: 01362 820416

WATTON UNITED FC 200 CLUB

WANTED NEW MEMBERS FOR 2010 DRAWS!!!!

The WUFC 200 club currently pays members over £1,500 in prizes each year and helps the club to continue to meet some of the costs to run 4 teams each week. THE COST: It only costs each member £1 per week by direct debit. Anyone can join, and the draw is regulated by the gambling Act 2005 with Breckland Council. Monthly Prizes are paid out and an annual draw takes place every year with the top prize currently standing at £500.

HOW TO JOIN To become a 200 club member please contact Mark Woods

(Tel: 01953 882390 , 07771 359010 ) or email: [email protected] or visit www.wattonunitedfc.co.uk

to download the direct debit form

First Team On Saturday 5th December Watton

United endured their 3rd straight defeat

away at Division 1 side Horsford in the

quarter final of the Mummery Cup.

After the previous week‟s 8-1 routing

away at Blofield, Managers Harwood

and Hunt urged Watton to show some

resilience in their defensive attitude.

However, the team obviously did not

take these instructions onto the pitch,

and, as with last week, found they were

once again facing an uphill task after an

opening half hour going down 3-0 to

their lower division opponents.

Watton did however salvage some hope

of progressing to the semi finals, when,

just before half time Mark Allibone

turned in a Walker free kick, and

Rudling headed Watton back into a 3-2

scoreline from a Mark Woods corner.

Another roasting from the management,

which has been a feature of half time

team talks over the past few weeks,

showed a glimmer of the desired effect,

with Watton levelling the scores with

further goal from Rudling after the

break.

With the returning Astbury and Rudling

to the midfield, their play with showed

the skill and assurance on the ball that

had been missing over the last few

weeks, and for 20 minutes from half time

it looked like only one winner in this cup

tie, with Watton pressing for the lead in

the home side‟s half at every

opportunity.

On 70 minutes Watton‟s possession and

territorial advantage finally paid

dividends when Allibone was felled for a

spot kick.

Bloomfield stepped up with a chance to

put Watton 4-3 up, however, he

unfortunately dragged his penalty wide

of the post, and a deflated Watton

suffered an immediate setback when

Horsford broke away and scored.

The Greens pressed for an equaliser by

moving centre back Smart to striker, but

were unable to find the goal their second

half performance had deserved, they

were isolated at the back and Horsford

scored again on the break just before the

final whistle - Final score: Horsford 5 –

3 Watton.

Sat 12 Dec 2009 League North

Walsham Town 3 Watton United 1

Watton made the long journey to

league leaders North Walsham this

week aiming to put a stop to their

recent losing streak with a reshuffle to

try and stop the worrying number of

goals Watton had surrendered in recent

weeks.

But even after Watton‟s defence had

sorted out their recent problems, it was

harsh luck when a long ball was

flicked on by a Walsham centre

forward straight to strike partner

Davies who was a clear 5 yards

offside, and with Watton‟s defenders

standing still amazed at no flag, he ran

through and slotted past Cruikshank

from 18 yards.

There was no denying that the first 20

minutes showed why North Walsham

had risen to the top of the table

recently, with their impressive young

side closing Watton‟s team down at

every opportunity, and counter

attacking on both flanks.

Watton could have levelled in the next

20 minutes, but as Woods cleared the

ball out to prevent a corner, up stepped

the long throw expert. Walsham piled

defenders forward and it was

Fitzgerald who gained the faintest of

touches to head the ball in off the post,

with Cruikshank almost managing to

claw the ball out at the last

opportunity.

Further chances came and went,

including a quick free releasing

Rudling, who deceived the defence

only to skew his shot over the bar as he

tangled with Ward in getting his shot

away, and Mark Allibones 20 yard free

kick well saved by the goalkeeper.

Watton were clearly still in this game

at half time, but had failed to get

influential Walker into game and

introduce their quick passing game.

Managers Harwood and Hunt restated

their need to move the ball quicker if

they were to create any more chances

in the second half.

It started brighter for Watton, who and

Astbury returning back to last season‟s

form in midfield, and opening up room

for the influential Walker to run at the

defence. At times with Bennett and

Mark Woods performing well again at

the back against the quick forward line,

it seemed Watton may still get

something from the game, with

Rudling and Bloomfield creating

scoring chances for strike pairing Ward

and Allibone. Walsham however still

had the threat down either flank, and it

was Hinton who finally broke clear to

be brought down by Paul Woods in the

area, and the same player netted the

penalty in off the post.

For the last 15 minutes Watton

introduced 18 year old Chris Softley, and

he excelled with some impressive control

and quick passing moves which Watton

had lacked for most of the game. In fact

Watton had Walsham on the back for the

remainder of the game, and in between

Softley scoring with a looping shot over

the head of the keeper, had two clear

chances which could have levelled the

scores from Softley‟s corners. In fact it

was such an impressive turn around in

that quarter of an hour, that Softley tied

the man of the match award with Stu

Bennett.

Watton Reserves Sat 05 Dec 2009 League Watton

United Reserves 2

Sheringham Reserves 1

In division 4, Watton Reserves moved

further up the table with a 2-1 home

victory against a good Sheringham

Reserves, a team they narrowly lost to in

the reverse fixture. Under the

management of David Wilkins and

Andrew Griffith, Watton have recently

deployed a number of Steve Jones

Watton Junior Under 18 squad to good

effect, and this was no different with

debutant Jon Franklin scoring the 90th

minute winner after Watton had led

through Danny Reeve. Man of the match

award going to Danny Robinson, with

keeper Steve Bond pushing him close

with a accomplished performance in goal

after almost 4 years out of the game due

to injury.

Sat 12 Dec 2009 League Watton

United Reserves 1

St Andrews Reserves 3

Watton Reserves couldn‟t get their third

straight win in their last game before the

Christmas break , performing poorly and

losing to 3-1 to St Andrew reserves.

Watton had levelled through the ever

impressive Danny Reeve, but six minutes

before the final whistle lost

concentration and went down to a further

2 goals. Man of the Match: Keiron

Brown who turned in another cultured

performance at left back.

Management team of Wilkins and

Griffith are looking for a more consistent

performance in the New Year to stay in

contention at the top of the table.

Watton Football Roundup

Watton United Reserves: Back, left to right: Andrew Griffith , Will Smart, Aaron Mccullouch, Luke Jones, Matt Colley, Tom Smart, Carl Bridges, David Wilkins (Manager) Front left: Keiron Brown, Harry Brown, Sam

Fincham, Christian Hayward (Captain), Danny Reeve, Wayne Fisher, Danny Robinson


EVENTS DIARY ACC = Ashill Community Centre, Hale Road, Ashill; Watton CCC =

Watton Christian Community Centre; Wells CCC = Wells Cole Community Centre, Saham

January Mon 11th Diabetes UK meeting See article.

Tues 12 Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers at Watton CCC See article

Wed 20th MIND meeting Watton CCC. See article.

Fri 29th RNLI Fundraiser at Wells An afternoon of amusing

poems and stories. See article.

January Fri 5th Candlelight Dinner and Cleaving Heavages at

the Queens Hall, Watton See art.

Written estimates always provided Memorials supplied

Personal supervision Pre-Paid Funeral Plans available

Arrangements may be discussed in the privacy of your own home

Tel: (01760) 440269 (24 hrs) Established over 60 years

FUNERAL DIRECTORS SERVING WATTON & DISTRICT

W.C. LITTLEPROUD & SON of BRADENHAM

‘A genuine, family owned & run business

offering a caring, traditional & affordable service’

H. BRETT & SON Monumental Masons ~ Craftsmen in Stone

Call for our Brochure or

Visit our SHOWROOM and WORKSHOPS

Home visits can be arranged

also Fireplaces, House Names etc.

75 NORWICH ROAD, WATTON,

NORFOLK, IP25 6DH Tel: 01953 881501

The Watton Society Programme – December 2009 to February 2010

7.45 p.m. at the Watton Christian Community Centre Wednesday, January 20th Julian Horn. The History of Watton. £1.50 members. £2.50 non members. Wednesday, February 17th Stephen Pope. Norfolk Aviation. £1.50 members. £2.50 non members. Wednesday, March 17th Tim Lidstone-Scott - Norfolk Footpaths, including the Peddars Way For more information on the Watton Society and a programme to December 2010 telephone Judy Kerr 01953 882613 or email [email protected].

Richmond Park - Ladies Section

On Nov 30th we played yellow devil

which was won by Margaret Bradbent,

Jeanette Fowler, and Dorothy

Stephenson (74) 2nd Elaine Aberdeen,

Julie Ellis and Annie Long (66) A

stableford was played on 7th div 1 1st

Jane Bone (33), 2nd Karen Ralph (32),

Div 2 1st Jeanette Fowler (31) 2nd

Margaret Orchard (29) Div 3 1st

Geraldine Rowath (23) 2nd Eileen Chard

(19). On this day our outgoing Lady

Captain, Rosie Sutterby presented a

Representative from Big-C with a

cheque for £1250 which was raised

during her year as Captain. On 14th

December we had our Christmas Texas

scramble and lunch the winners on the

first nine were Shirley Lubbock, Dylis

Gibbs, Geraldine Rowath, Chris Bailey,

winners on back nine were Rosie

Sutterby, Fran Parker, Ann Bayes and

Annie Long. Judging by the chatter and

laughter at dinner it seems everyone

enjoyed their day and the superb food.

Ann Bayes, Fran Parker, Captain Sheila Hill, Annie Long, Rosie Sutterby

The final social event of the year took

place on 18th December. A 4 man team

Texas Scramble followed by a Xmas

lunch. A very good time was had by

all!!

November Stableford Competition

winners: David Adcock, Stan Parker,

David Palmer, Reg Knowles, Bill

Evans, Harry Mayhew.

The Section is now planning

competitions and events for 2010 which

will start on March 9th with the Annual

Captain versus Vice Captain match. A

full season of inter club matches has

also been arranged starting with a home

match against Dereham Golf Club.

Richmond Park Golf Club Seniors

Wayland House, your LOCAL Business

Centre in Watton High Street (next to the

Police Station) , will have two Serviced

Offices available as from 1st January 2010.

They are 150 and 155 sq ft in size and each

is suitable for 3 person occupancy and have

only become available due the relocation of

the current tenant. Wayland House

provides fully serviced office & work space

accommodation in an environment that

provides access to vital support services,

knowledge & facilities, needed to help new

or existing businesses to survive those early

years.

Wayland House also has some of the best

equipped meeting and training rooms in the

region and the Acorn Training Room offers

state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment,

including an interactive white-board to

enhance business and training

presentations. All the facilities are

supported by a dedicated team who are

committed to providing the best possible

service to tenants.

Room Schedule Details: Fully furnished;

Cat 6 Network enabled; DDI/voicemail; Wi

-Fi enabled

Commercial Terms: 1 month‟s deposit

required; 1 month‟s notice required; „Easy

in - Easy out‟ terms

What‟s Included: Power, heating, lighting,

Wireless 8 Meg broadband, 24 hour access,

Secure building – fire and security alarm

systems, Professional address, Free

parking, Shared kitchen, Other business

people to talk to!

What‟s Excluded: Business rates,

Consumables

If you want more information or would like

to arrange a viewing, contact Iain Cockburn

on 01953 880204 or e-mail

[email protected]

Are you looking for quality office space?

MID-NORFOLK TIMES The deadline for the February issue will be

12 Noon on the 16th January Page space is allocated strictly on a first come, first served

basis. Deadline is the latest date and time that copy will be

considered for inclusion. Arrival of copy before deadline does

not guarantee inclusion, if you wish to be certain your entry

gets to print then please make sure it arrives in plenty of time.

If you are submitting on paper you MUST sign and include

your contact details with each item. If you do not, the item

will NOT be published.

You can contact Julian by ringing (01953) 858908. You can

write to 32 High Street, Watton IP25 6AE Or you can leave

copy in the bin at Adcocks, 32 High Street, Watton.

The e-mail address is [email protected]

All views expressed in the Mid-Norfolk Times are those of

the contributors and not the publishers. While every care

and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy the publisher

cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.

This issue of the Mid-Norfolk Times was published by: Julian Horn, 32 High Street, Watton IP25 6AE and printed through www.quotemeprint.com 0845 1300

mid-norfolk times january 2010

Documents

time tony

watton town council

town mayor

town clerk

town gardener

tonys time

occasion of tonys retirement

wil smith of ttsr