the wayland news march 2013
DESCRIPTION
The Wayland News is the community newspaper for Watton & Wayland in Breckland, Norfolk, UK.TRANSCRIPT
Wayland News digital on www.waylandnews.com Issue Number 198 - March 2013
Air Cadets’ new hoodies
Watton air cadets had a visit this week
from their new sponsor Mr. Michael
Downs owner of MJD Building and
maintenance, Mr Downs a local
businessman who works in
Attlebourgh but lives in Watton, had
made a donation of £500 to the air
cadets who have spent the money on
hooded tops for all the cadets, they are
grey in colour and have the Watton
squadron crest on the front with MJD
building group underneath the crest.
Mr Downs said “I wanted to make a
donation to a local youth group that
really make a difference in the local
community, and the air cadets offer
young people some amazing
opportunities, it’s a great cause”
The Cadets had been asked what they
wanted from their new tops and they
asked for them to have one piece
pockets across the front with a pouch
for an MP3 player, with a small slit to
put their headphones up the inside.
The tops are for the cadets to wear
when they are not at cadets or when
they participate in other cadet events
such as sports events.
Cadet sergeant Batty Said “I am really
pleased with my new top, I can
represent the squadron everyday by
wearing it away from cadets and it
looks smart, thank you from all the
cadets to Mr Downs“
If you are interested in any services
MJD Building can offer please call on
01953 883264 or 07919574933 and
ask for Michael.
If you are interested in joining the
cadets or would like to see what we
can offer young people between 13-
18yrs please visit our website at
www.864wattonsquadronaircadets.co
m or give us a ring on Monday or
Wednesday nights on 01953 885531
Front row from right to left Cpl
Macloughlin, cadets Virketyte &
Anscombe, rear row from right to left
cadet Sergeant Batty, Cadet Skinner
and Corporal B Anscombe, receiving
there tops from Mr Downs of MJD
Building & Maintenance.
Front row from right to left Cpl Macloughlin, Cdts Virketyte & Anscombe. Rear row from right to left Cdt Sgt Batty, Cdt Skinner and Cpl B Anscombe & Mr Downs
The Dragonfly Gallery proudly
presents the first exhibition of the
season
Terry Palmer - A View into Nature
and Landscape from Saturday 23rd
to Saturday 30th March
Terry’s quest is to show through
painting the beauty and wonder
that surrounds us in creation, and
to encourage those who see his
paintings to look closer with the
perceiving eye. Then see that each
season has its own beauty and
surprises that reveal themselves
when we, who are an integral part
of this overall, landscape, still
ourselves awhile and watch. Then
to see this wonder that is all
around us.
The Dragonfly Gallery, Wayland
House, High St, Watton.
Unique art cards and unusual
crafted gifts, all hand-made by
local artists
Opening Times: Weekdays 10 -
4pm, Saturdays 10 - 1pm
Contact Susan Hollingworth for
further information 01953 880205
First exhibition of Season
The Wayland News Page 2 News
The annual service for Education Sunday took place at the Methodist Church on February 3rd. It was led
by Deacon Steve Sowerby and the children from Westfield Infant School gave a presentation about
Winter which included songs, readings and prayers. The regular congregation was delighted to be joined
by many of the children’s parents and friends on this occasion.
Education Sunday at Watton Methodist Church
The Wayland Business Centre, a
trading style of the Wayland
Partnership Development Trust,
a registered charity, provides the
main income for the Partnership
from office and room rentals.
2012 was a year of mixed
blessings as the saying goes,
mostly positive. We started the
year with a full compliment of
tenants but as the year wore on
some of our long standing
tenants moved on as we couldn’t
provide additional office space
for them.
It is always with mixed feelings
when we say goodbye to a
tenant. Of course we are
delighted that businesses which
came to us as start-up or
growing ventures have
developed and outgrown the
space we can offer them.
But at the same time we have
that niggling feeling of unease
as in these challenging times
new tenants are not exactly
queuing up to rent office space.
What we offer is of very good
quality and includes all costs
except business rates and phone
calls.
In November of last year we
thought we would have several
empty offices at the beginning of
2013 but as we ran up to
Christmas, our luck changed and
now all but one are now rented
to new tenants. If we can build
up the use of our fully equipped
Training Room that will also
help us through what for all
businesses has been a difficult
time and we will be able to
continue to offer the many and
varied services available from
the Wayland Business Centre
and the Wayland Partnership.
Other highlights in the year
included the launch of the
Wayland Twitter Network
(@waylandtweets). The purpose
of the Wayland Twitter Network
is to build an online community
for the Wayland area. Its
underlying theme is to bring
together the community to the
benefit of all those who work
and live in Wayland.
@waylandtweets will let people
who care about the Wayland
area meet with others who share
the same belief.
What could you tweet about?
News, notices, events, jobs,
good news stories, local hero’s,
help requests, local offers and
deals, business to business,
clubs, organisations,
discussions, opinion polls,
heritage, charitable causes, lost
and found - your imagination is
the only limitation. If you have
anything to say just tweet it at
@waylandtweets and it will be
shared share it for you with our
community via Twitter.
Another development
throughout 2012 was a series of
meetings organised by the
Partnership and chaired by
George Freeman MP. The
objective of these meetings was
to bring together representatives
and members of the Wayland
business community and
Business Support Service
Providers. There are numerous
providers whose coverage
includes the Wayland area who
offer independent, impartial
information, advice and support
to new or existing businesses.
It has been suggested that the
support can sometimes be
difficult to identify and source,
as evidenced by the number of
businesses who have told the
Partnership of these difficulties.
The planned outcome of the
meetings was to establish the
level of support specifically
offered to Wayland and to
identify areas of either overlap
or omission. The intention then
is to formulate a constructive
strategy to ensure that the
appropriate level of support and
resources is provided to all
Wayland businesses.
This is still work in progress but
on a positive note, a new
initiative launched by Norfolk
County Council titled Enterprise
Norfolk will provide practical
support to new business startups
in Norfolk with the objective of
promoting entrepreneurship. It
will offer practical help and
advice to people planning to
start a new business in 2013.
More details can be found at
http://bit.ly/12TeEMt
The County has invested
£400,000 in the scheme over two
years and have appointed
Breckland Council as one the
local delivery partners. They in
turn have appointed Norfolk and
Waveney Enterprise Services to
provide the service across the
five Breckland market towns.
Watton and Wayland are first in
the queue to receive the support
and the Wayland Partnership and
the Wayland Business Centre are
working with both Breckland
Council and NWES to promote
the scheme.
So we look forward to 2013 with
optimism and are working on a
number of other initiatives to
support the our local business
community. As always our door
is open to anyone from the
Wayland community for
information, advice or support.
2012 - a year in the life of the
Wayland Business Centre
Look into the
Cupboard at the
Victorian School and
Museum of
Childhood There is a rare opportunity to see inside
'Norfolk's hidden Jewel' – Sally North’s award
winning Victorian school and museum of
childhood at Great Cressingham on March 2nd
to March 5th from 11am – 4pm each day with
free entry.
Sally, together with her husband Tom,
renovated the school in 1993 to resemble the
school in 1893. It is heated by a 'tortoise' stove
and lit by an oil lamp. The School holds an
enviable collection of Victorian school furniture
and effects.
It has been run it as a school and a living
museum for 19 years, giving over 22,000 East
Anglian school children the chance to
experience a day as Victorian scholars.
The exhibition entitled The Cupboard sees a
rescued Victorian school cupboard return once
more to the beginning of its life – 1893 at Great
Cressingham Victorian School. The Indian ink
copper plate writing on the inside of its doors is
once again relevant. The rabbit’s skull and
stuffed mole inside are back on the curriculum.
A short Victorian Lesson will be given to
visitors in the course of each day, using slates
and copy sheets with dip pens. At playtime
Hoops, Spinning Tops and Skipping ropes will
be available
For many visitors this will represent a nostalgic
trip back through time to their own schooldays.
Refreshments will available including tea,
coffee and cakes and there will be a collection
for 'Save the Children'.
For more information on the School see
www.victorianschool.com
The Church of St Mary’s, Watton
open to visitors twice weekly St. Mary’s Church, Watton is open for visitors on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. You are
welcome to come into church to enjoy the peace and tranquillity, say a prayer or just to look round.
Church members will be on hand to welcome you and serve refreshments.
Opening times starting from the beginning of March are:
Wednesdays from 10.30am to 3pm Thursday 10am – 12.30pm
News The Wayland News Page 3
The Boo & Hiss Theatre Company are
pleased to announce this year’s production
of The Vicar of Dibley, to be performed at
the Queens Hall, Watton.
Sticking to what we know and love best –
the Great British TV comedy – the show
will run for three nights at the end of
September.
The popular television show ran from 1994
to 2007 and this stage version is based on
episodes from the first two series, from
when Geraldine Granger breezes into
Dibley as the new vicar, up to a very
bizarre wedding.
We’ve previously tackled such classics as
‘Allo ‘Allo, Are You Being Served?,
Dad’s Army, and who could forget last
year’s Up Pompeii? Each year the critics
said we wouldn’t be able to top it, but
we’re hoping this will be our best
performance yet. With some familiar faces
in the cast, plus one or two new ones, and a
new Director at the helm, it promises to be
a great show, and we’re sure we’ll do the
much-loved characters justice.
And there definitely won’t be any bum
performances this year!
So keep your diaries free and watch this
space in the coming months for further
details. Stacy Wilkinson, Director
Are Boo & Hiss going
to take a trip to Dibley?
No No No No - Yes!
Feline Care
Open Day
Celebrate Easter by bringing your family to the
Feline Care Open Day on Sunday 31st March,
12pm to 3pm.
The cats who live outside will be glad of a stroke
and a fuss, and you can enjoy the many stalls of
pet care products, jewellery, bric-a-brac,
tombola, raffle and delicious snacks and drinks.
Live band Crimson Trio will be providing paw-
tapping tunes.
Entry is just £1 for adults, 50p for children.
Feline Care Cat Rescue is in Roudham Road,
East Harling NR16 2QN, just past the railway
crossing.
Inner Wheel News
The monthly meeting of Watton Inner
Wheel Club took place on Thursday
14th February. This was a Business
meeting and the Chair was taken by
President Jenny Simons. Following
highly successful fund-raising in
December, more donations were made
to a variety of charities. It was agreed
to send £150 to: Help for Heroes, The
Benjamin Foundation, Thursday Club,
Break, EACH, PACT and Riding for
the Disabled. The Election of Officers
for the coming Inner Wheel Year,
took place as follows: President Pam
Challand, Past President Jenny
Simons, Vice Presidents Brenda Davis
(1st ) Pauline Baldry (2nd) Secretary
Heather Hewson, Treasurer Pauline
Baldry, Overseas Service Val
Semlyen, Club Correspondent Lesley
Cowling, Committee members Jill
Beech and Jane Brodie. The President-
elect outlined her programme for her
year of office.
The fun and fundraising began again
on Friday evening with a Valentine’s
Barn Dance held at the Queens Hall
(Pictured). A good company enjoyed
dancing to ‘Shinanikins’ and a
delicious salad supper was served by
Inner Wheel members. The proceeds,
after expenses have been paid, will be
donated to charities supported by Inner
Wheel.
On March 2nd do ‘Come up for
Coffee’ at the Queens Hall from 9:30-
11:30. Lots of lovely homemade
goodies on offer here! (Proceeds this
time for Queens Hall funds) On March
27th this season’s Lunchtime Concerts
come to end with ‘Music and words
for Springtime’ presented by Anne
Hawkes and Colin Thackeray
accompanied by Daveid Kett. Tickets
£5 - including lunch- available from
Mullengers.
Lesley Cowling Club Correspondent.
Bunwell and District
Camera Club Exhibition Bunwell and District Camera Club are proud to present their annual exhibition
of members work. Held at Long Stratton Village Hall on the weekend of March
23rd (10am-5pm) and 24th (10am-4pm) the exhibition will showcase some
fantastic photography with several hundred images on display, along with audio
visual presentations. Club members will be on hand to offer advice to those
interested in taking up photography and to chat about their images.
Entry to the exhibition is free and light refreshments will be available. Further
details about the club and exhibition can be found at www.bdcameraclub.co.uk.
A little of your
time could make
a big difference Last year our Benefits Outreach service helped
older people living in Norfolk receive a total of
£1,715,000 in unclaimed benefits. This would not
have been possible without our valuable volunteers.
Volunteering benefits not just the older person
receiving your support, but also their family,
friends and the wider community - and you!
Volunteering for Age UK Norfolk is an
opportunity to learn new skills and gain valuable
experience, meet new people and make new
friends, work within a friendly, professional
organisation and have the satisfaction of knowing
that you are making a real difference to people’s
lives. But don’t just take our word for it… Here are
some views from current volunteers:
“Since volunteering for Age UK Norfolk, I have
gained a tremendous amount. I have a personal
feeling of being able to help, if only in a small way,
and giving something back to the community of
which I feel a part. So to anyone who is
considering becoming a volunteer for Age UK
Norfolk, I would say "go for it, you won't regret it!"
Information and Advice volunteer
“I love to fix things: working on the Information
and Advice desk I know that I have played my part
in Age UK Norfolk changing lives.” Ann,
Information and Advice volunteer
“I feel I am doing something useful in advocacy
and get a lot of positive feedback from clients. I
have also learnt new skills and my knowledge
continues to grow.” Jo, Advocacy volunteer
“Age UK Norfolk has a very professional approach
and they offer several different service areas. One
would be sure to be right for you!” Celia, Money
Matters volunteer
We offer a wide variety of volunteering
opportunities throughout Norfolk. Call our
volunteer recruitment line on 01603 785241 or
check out our website www.ageuknorfolk.org.uk to
find out more.
Just a selection of volunteering roles at Age UK
Norfolk: Telephone befriender; Day centre
volunteer; Administrative assistant; Fundraiser;
Information and advice assistant; Benefits outreach
advisor; Older person’s advocate; Trustee; Money
Matters financial advocate
The Wayland News Page 4 News
Please mention
The Wayland News
when shopping
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advertisers
Please join us for the annual
Women’s World Day of Prayer Service Theme: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’
On Friday 1st March 2013 at 2.30pm at St. Mary’s Church, Watton
Speaker: Mrs Angela Pye
The Service this year has been prepared by Christian Women in France. We shall sing hymns, listen to readings and enjoy a
social time with refreshment.
We look forward to welcoming men, as well as women
10 years service
The January meeting of the Wayland
Partnership Representatives Group
began with the recognition by the chair
of the meeting, Debbie Harris of
Carbrooke, of ten years’ service to the
Partnership and the Wayland
Community by Iain Cockburn.
Iain joined the Partnership Team in
January 2003 as the Project Manager for
the European funded Town
Enhancement programme. In 2005 he
project managed the purchase and
extensive refurbishment of the old
police station, transforming it into the
home of the Wayland Partnership and a
number of business tenants, and host to
a range of community services
including Breckland Council, the
Wayland Community Bank and the
South Norfolk Health Trainers as well
as the Tourism Association and the
Dragonfly Gallery. Since the building
reopened as Wayland House in 2006
Iain has been the Centre Manager with a
particular responsibility for business
support and development.
Can you
accommodate
an 8 year old
for four weeks On September 8th this year, ten,
Children will again arrive at Gatwick
from Belarus, and will be staying with
families in Breckland for a period of 4
weeks. This will be their second of five
visits.
The children, all eight years old, and all
of whom come from extremely
deprived backgrounds, either have had,
or are at high risk of cancer/cancer
related illnesses as a direct legacy of
the nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl
Disaster of 1986. For these children
and their families, even a common cold
would incapacitate them for weeks due
to their weak immune system.
The purpose of the recuperative visit is
to give the children the opportunity to
eat food and drink water from
uncontaminated sources, and to have
the chance to play in a fresh and
healthy environment, whilst being able
to enjoy the love and comfort of a
Norfolk home.
By enriching their immune systems in
this way for four weeks a year over five
years, each child will enter adolescence
with an improved immune system.
As part of our care all children will be
seen and if necessary treated by a
Dentist and Optician during the visit
and every child will return home with a
12 months supply of multi-vitamins.
This is an ongoing treatment every year
for 5 years.
They will be involved in local
activities, cultural/school visits etc.
Last year the children were given the
opportunity by generous volunteers to
visit the Lifeboat Station at Cromer,
play on the beach at Overstrand, (none
of them had ever seen the sea before!)
play at High Lodge, visit the PACT
Animal Sanctuary and take trips to
places such as Banham Zoo. They also
spent a day in school at Necton
Primary School and took lunch with
the pupils before playing together on
the school sportsfield.
Everyone in the UK working for
FOCC are unpaid volunteers, and all
volunteers are CRB checked.
The visit is funded by monies raised
throughout the year by the host families
and volunteers, and is also supported
by local businesses such as the
Opticians and Dentists.
We are continually fundraising to
support the 5 year programme, and
welcome all offers of support, whether
through donations of cash or with
services. We are still seeking host
families within Breckland, to have a
child stay and also reserve families to
cover any last minute issues that may
arise, and also with a view to
increasing the number of children on
future visits. We would also like to
increase our team of volunteers to work
with the children when they are here or
to assist with fundraising are also
welcome. Should you wish to be
considered or have any other questions,
please visit our website
www.foccbreckland.co.uk in the first
instance, or telephone Stan Hebborn,
Group Coordinator on 01953 889906.
We would welcome media
accompaniment at any time during the
visit as a ‘human interest’ story.
For further information, Please contact;
- Stan Hebborn, Friends of Chernobyls
Children (Breckland). 07792 135071
Email [email protected]
Great Big Read
Goes to the
Movies! Join your local library during March and
April to celebrate books which have been
adapted to films. Library staff and members
of the public have helped choose 10 books
that have been made into films, and in the
spring libraries across the county will be
encouraging people to pick these and other
books up, discuss them with friends and
simply enjoy reading.
The 10 books chosen to be featured in this
year’s Great Big Read are:
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy by John Le
Carré
Brighton Rock by Graham Green
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel
Shriver
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Cinema City Norwich is showing the films
of five of our recommended reads. Join us
afterwards to discuss the book and its film
adaptation. For screening times visit
www.picturehouses.co.uk
For further details of events visit
www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries
Breckland Book Festival
Come and enjoy some fantastic
entertainment in your local library as we
celebrate Breckland Book Festival.
Attleborough, Dereham, Swaffham,
Thetford and Watton will be hosting some
exciting events.
Mad Dogs - The Mad Dogs Theatre
Company present ‘David Copperfield’ by
Charles Dickens. Watton Library Friday
15th 7.30pm. Tickets £7 in advance,.£8 on
the door. Suitable for ages 12+. Tickets from
Watton Library.
Tom Blofeld, the creator of the magical
‘Bewilderwood’ and writer of the adventures
of Swampy the Boggle, the Grubbles and the
Twiggles will be visiting Watton Library on
Saturday 16th March 11.00am. - Come and
hear all about them! Free Event.
Words and Women. A lively mix of poetry
and prose from published and up-andcoming
writers such as Megan Bradbury, Clare
Jarrett, Helen Ivory and others, as well as
music from local singer-songwriters Anna
Mudeka and Kimberley Moore. Watton
Library Saturday 16 March 12.00pm. Free
Event - donations welcome.
Crime Double Bill, Elly Griffiths & Tom
Benn. Watton Library Saturday 16th March
3.00pm. Tom Benn’s debut ‘The Doll
Princess’ was a bloody and exhilarating ride
through the backstreets of Manchester in the
aftermath of the 1996 IRA bombing. Elly
Griffiths is a seasoned crime writer and her
novel ‘Dying Fall’ is the fifth to feature the
much loved character of Ruth Galloway, Head
of Forensic Archaeology at the fictional
University of North Norfolk. Tickets £5 in
advance. £6 on the door. Suitable for ages 12+.
Tickets from Watton Library.
Film - Anna Karenina. Sunday 17th March,
Queen’s Hall, Watton. 3.00pm. Doors open
2.30pm. Tickets £4. Children £3.
Box office: 01953 882613 or Adcocks, High
St, Watton.
For further information, please see
www.brecklandbookfestival.com
Hingham
Confused, curious or completely stuck? Our
drop in help sessions offer support with your
IT queries. Every Tuesday and Thursday
5pm to 7pm. No booking required but you
may have a short wait while other enquiries
are answered.
Watton Library Easter
Drumming
Free, fun and fully inclusive! Learn about
pulse, tempo and dynamics through playing
beats, games and rhythms from around the
world. No experience necessary. A
drumming and percussion session for all the
family!
Friday 12th April at Watton Library. 10am
to 11am for children aged 5 – 7. 11am to
12pm for young people aged 8 and over.
Booking Essential. All children must be
accompanied by an adult.
News The Wayland News Page 5
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
WAYLAND CMA March 9th First Chapter
Tel 01953 889 890 for details
“The Best In Country Music” 8 ‘til late
By Rosalie Davis Gibb
. . . a few weeks ago companies importing
containers into Norfolk were being advised
‘to be very aware’ of unexpected cargo
following a spate of deadly black widow
spiders (Latrodectus) arriving in the
county. No-one seems to know why they
suddenly decided to hitch a lift to East
Anglia. One cluster was found inside a
shipment of tyres from Arizona. It’s
certainly not for the weather, which should
guarantee they don’t survive for long, and
not the first time they’ve pitched up in
Norfolk, more having been discovered last
November and December. One theory is
that black widows could have been
arriving in the country for ages but hitherto
not been reported due to lack of
knowledge, especially since pest control
companies have admitted they’ve had to
become more knowledgeable about these
particular spiders and their habits and
lifestyle. Apparently black widow spiders
arriving from the Arizona desert, where
they are particularly rife, are hard to
regulate since the container doors have to
be left open whilst being loaded. Another
colony arrived recently in a crate of
equipment from California.
Wattisham air base closed two of its
buildings recently due to fears a black
widow spider was on the loose after a
suspicious looking spider was spotted in
the bar of the officers’ mess. Fortunately,
this was later identified as a noble false
widow spider (Steatoda nobilis) and the
officers were able to return without fear of
finding anything vicious in their Vimto.
Having said that, the noble false widow
spider is the most venomous arachnid
commonly found in the UK, although not
as dangerous as its cousin, its bite being
akin to a wasp sting. Having been brought
(or to be more precise, mistakenly
introduced) to the south coast of the UK
from the Canary Islands and Madeira a
century ago, numbers have grown
considerably in the last 25 years.
Confusion between the two is
understandable since both have large
bulbous abdomens, although on closer
inspection (should you have the nerve)
the noble false widow can be seen to be
brownish in colour, rather than black
with distinctive red markings in the
shape of an hourglass on the underside
of the abdomen as with the genuine
black widow, usually with cream
markings and reddish/orange legs.
As for the black widow, the bad news is
that the female is classed
as one of the most
venomous spiders, its
venom generally thought
to be 15 times stronger
than that of a
rattlesnake. The good
news is that their bites
can cause swelling,
cramps, nausea, fever
and breathing difficulties
(not such good news)
but are not usually fatal
for healthy humans since
they only inject a small
amount of venom and
only bite in self defence.
Contrary to some
perceptions, the female
black widow spider isn’t
of Tarantulan
proportions, measuring
up to 38mm (1.5” long), living up to three
years in the wild. The males are much
smaller than the females with not much
good news attached since their life span is
relatively short, depending on their sex
lives, or I should say ‘life’ in the singular,
since the females eat their much smaller
partners after mating. However, some
males do escape and it’s a widely help
misconception that the female always
devours the male after mating, from
whence derives the name black widow
spider. I wonder if any research has been
carried out to see if the males know the
females’ courtship is likely to be decidedly
bloodthirsty and decide it’s worth it! The
black widow does have a few predators,
including a few wasps, predominantly the
blue dauber wasp and the spider wasp, as
well as the preying mantis and centipede.
In fact, the bite of some centipedes can be
hazardous, although not fatal, to humans,
causing similar symptoms to those of the
black widow spider.
There are in fact, several species of black
widow, all having similar characteristics
but having adapted to their different
environments, spread mainly across the
North and South American continents, as
well as temperate regions of Europe. The
female spider spins a large, close-knit web
rather than the open cobwebs we are used
to, from which a cocoon is suspended
containing hundreds of eggs. Once the
spiderlings disperse, soon after leaving
their eggs, the web remains and is used to
ensnare prey, consisting of insects, beetles,
caterpillars and other spiders. Black
widows are comb-footed, meaning they
have bristles on their hind legs that are
used to cover their prey with silk once it
has been trapped. The prey is then
punctured with the spider’s fangs and
injected with digestive enzymes, which,
together with much gnashing of the fangs,
liquefies the prey’s body and the spider
then sucks up the resulting fluid.
Revolting but efficient.
Human deaths from black widow spider
bites are relatively rare. However, sixty-
three deaths were reported in the United
States between 1950 and 1959.
Improvements in plumbing have greatly
reduced the incidence of bites and
fatalities in areas where outdoor privies
have been replaced by flush toilets. (An
active imagination is working overtime
at this point!) Not to mention the more
mundane introduction of effective anti-
venom.
It may come as a surprise that there are
more than a dozen spiders native to the
UK, other than the noble false widow
spider, capable of causing significant or
unpleasant bites, including the tube web
spider, woodlouse spider, walnut orb-
weaver spider, lace weaver spider, black
lace weaver spider, mouse spider, bark sac
spider, stone spider, cross or garden spider,
wolf spider, Bruennichi’s Argiope and
even the normally welcome money spider.
Did you know … Britain’s largest spider
has been on the endangered list for
sometime and has recently been the subject
of a regeneration programme. But which
spider is it?
Did You Know . . .?
The Ovington
Crower
Thet hent gotteny warma yit hev it?
Har yer gitten on tergitha, jist yew kip a
rubbin tha owld goose fat onna yar chist,
thet’ll kip tha cowld owt. I’re bin hevin a
gret owld bowl a soop evra day, thas
hoome meard o’ corse, my missus ont hev
enny them ole tins in har cubbard, she’ll
mek soop owta any thin from tha gardin,
sumtiomes she’ll hull a bit or tew
o’chikkun or meat innut ter gi it a bitta
tearst.
Yew carnt beet tha owld soop an a gret ole
chunk a bred, stick ter yar ribs thet duz.
Cor Horry’s bin in a rite snot leartly, he
red in tha pearper tha otha day thet his
favrit fish an no chips shop is up fer sale.
“Goo ter hell Sid” he say. “Wottal I dew
fer me forses an a Satdi now?” I say ter
him I say “Wos thet fer sale fer then
Horry?. How much dew tha want fer it?” I
say. “Thas cheep” he say “Oonly want
twelve hunnert as I red in tha pearpa”
“Well” he say “I reckun tha olwd cowncil
orta buy it and kip it a gooin fer tha gud o
tha willage “Cor blarst” I say “I think I’ll
put in a bid at thet price, are yew sure thas
wot thet sed?”
I thort suffin warn’t kwite right, so I got
my neffew ter fire up his compewta an hev
a luk on line. It tunned owt Horry ware jist
a little short on his estameartshun, thet
ware suffin oova a milliun quid fer tha
arskin price. I sharnt botha wi puttin in a
bid fer it now.
We shall orl miss tha ole chef cos she ware
sech a smart little ole mawtha, an allus
tunned owt a rare ole bitta cod, pity abowt
thar bein no chips tho.
Bitta sitement tha otha day, a cuppla tha
ole poleese cars cum hossing thru tha
willage, orl flashin lights and sireens
hollarin suffin lowd.
Tha went thru like tha backsides wos afire,
then goo ta hell iffen tha dint come hossin
back agin. They booth stopped in tha
middal of tha rood, an afore I cud arsk
iffen I cud givvem a hand tha toor orf agin
fer a few yards, tunned rownd inna tha
rood and shot orf back tha way thare hed
cum from.
I arsked inna tha pub wot wos agooin on,
hed tha bin a merda? Wos the plearce on
fire? Wos thar a
bergla brearkin
inta tha Horl?
Horry
rekkuned tha
wos lookin
fer the Fish
an no Chip
shop ter goo
an git a bitta
grub afore it shut.
I thort tha poleese
war short a munny,
so whoy dint tha two bobbies goo in jist
wun car, searve noo enda munny fer
petrol, tax an insherunce.
I betta git owt inna tha gardin tha ole sun
hev cum owt an I shall hefta git my teartas
reddy ter set. Thas whooly wet tho so tha
ole seed spuds will probly floot away.
Iym orff ter hevva look anyoldhow.
Member wot tha ole boy he say, “Kip ya
powder droy, kip yer hans orff uther
wimmun if yewre got wunner yer own. An
dew yew keep a’ troshin.
Boy Sid.
P.S. Didja git enny walentines cards
tergitha? Horry sed heed got hunnerts!!!!
The Wayland News Page 6 News
In your
garden
with Lotta Potts
The middle of February saw some of
nature back to normal - snowdrops and
aconites blooming, all sorts of bulbs
appearing (the grape hyacinth leaves
start to emerge in autumn but are rarely
noticed). I can even identify some of
them but there’s always a nice surprise.
With luck by early March we shall
have a bit of spring weather with not
too much ‘in like a lion out like a lamb’
and more drying soil. My father always
used to look out for what he called
March dust. He may not have been
alone in this but I never heard anyone
else use the term. March dust is the top
layer of soil turning very pale if you
dig or rake it. This shows the soil is
ready for planting or seeds. The other
way to find out is to park some bare
skin on it. I know, the old wives’ tale is
to lower the trousers and sit on it but
the up to date version suggests the
forearm or even the elbow as in testing
a baby’s bathwater. Less embarrassing
in the front garden.
Still, let’s assume all is going well and
the soil is fit to work, the temperature
is mild and it’s stopped raining. If
you’ve not been able to get into the
garden during the monsoon period that
started last May then start gently with a
few minutes here and there until your
back is used to the idea again. Of
course most of us will totally ignore the
‘little and often’ and dive straight in
with the jobs that couldn’t be finished
earlier then the ones that should be
done in early spring and play catch up
until it rains again. This should boost
physiotherapists’ bank balances quite
nicely and I think I’ll try to buy some
shares in mine.
So here we go. A bit of a spring clean
outside as well as in makes the whole
area look terrific and you can see all
the flowers and plants once all the
weeds and debris are cleared from
them. At the end of March buy some
more snowdrops in the green to fill up
the gaps spotted earlier or, if you
already have plenty, split the clumps
and spread them around a bit. Also
clean up paths and drives but I find this
is a task that can
be done when
the soil is
unworkable. The
lawn can have
its first cut if it’s
dry enough -
keep the blades
high. If you
have planned a
new lawn this is
the month to lay
turf.
This is the last
chance saloon for planting bare root
trees and shrubs and also, obviously,
for moving them. The old method of
digging a deep hole has now been
superseded by digging a shallow hole,
just deep enough to accommodate the
root ball but much wider than seems
necessary. This encourages the feeder
roots to move outwards into the
surrounding soil. We are also not
advised to put muck in the bottom of
the hole but to put mycorrhizal fungi in
contact with the roots and backfill with
a mixture of compost and soil. This
fungus is somehow able to transfer
nutrients from the soil to the plant
roots, thus nourishing them earlier than
if left to their own devices. I don’t
begin to understand the science but am
assured by qualified horticulturalists
that it works. It is easily available and
not expensive so next time I’m
planting a shrub I’ll give it a go.
On the subject of trees and shrubs now
is the time to start pruning. Roses are
the obvious subjects but the principles
are basically the same for all woody
subjects. Remove the three ‘d’s’ first:
dead, dying, diseased. Then look for
weak branches and prune them hard.
This is counter-intuitive I know but
remember that growth follows the
knife so hard pruning strong branches
will result in out of control growth and
hard pruning weak ones will result in
stronger growth. Now take out or
shorten crossing branches. Always try
to prune to above a bud, so that you
can’t tell it’s been pruned. The end
result should be a shrub of any kind
with a nice open middle so that air can
flow freely, thus discouraging diseases
and pests. Hopefully. I do realise that
those helpful (not) sketches never,
ever, look anything like your shrubs.
Even if you make a total hash of
pruning you are unlikely to kill the
shrub. Just have another try next year.
Don’t be tempted to try to put it right at
the wrong time as this will cause
damage. Late-flowering clematis can
be pruned now, back to 12” or 30cm
where there is a strong bud or pair of
buds. If you have a clematis and are
not sure what it is, leave it to flower
then you’ll know when or even if it
needs to be pruned. Fruit trees should
be pruned when dormant in winter
and again in summer. However
standard apples and pears can be
pruned now if it wasn’t possible
earlier but must be done before the
buds start into growth. later. I did
read a rather scathing comment
recently that if you have to prune
hard to keep a shrub or tree in the
space you allocated , you chose the
wrong specimen in the first place. I
thought this rather harsh as most
gardeners try very hard to get the
right plant in the right place but it’s
possible to slip up - my wintersweet
now has four stems but no flowers
again - and I know one very
experienced gardener who actually
reads labels but was caught by a
conifer labelled as miniature and it’s
still going strong at 30 feet plus.
It should be possible to sow seeds
outdoors in March but this year, as
others since 2009, it will probably be
safer to wait or if you have space
sow them indoors. The seedlings can
then be pricked out into trays or pots
then hardened off to be planted
outside in April or May. Again, good
idea to read the packet and plant
accordingly. I have read recently that
sweet peppers should be sown in a
propagator in January or February.
The packet says March to April so
don’t go by books or articles in the
press (!) as these have to be
generalised. The packet is specific.
Try not to go too mad. If you’ve
gone through the catalogues and a
large box has already arrived this
comment is way too late. On the
other hand if you go into a garden
centre, shed or other emporium
where there are racks and racks of
seeds it is so easy to forget the
amount of space you have for the end
product. It’s also easy to forget how
time consuming it can be. The
sowing takes very little time but if
indoors or in a greenhouse the time
comes when they’ve all shot up and
have to be moved on. Tray after tray
or pot after pot. Then there’s the in,
out, in, out while they’re hardening
off and the thinning out if sown
direct. Don’t let me put you off.
Growing seeds is wonderful but if
overdone it becomes a depressing
chore never to be done again!
I am reproducing some information I
found useful a couple of years ago
and I thought it worth revisiting:
Asked about companion planting and
most of us will say, ‘marigolds with
tomatoes for controlling whitefly’.
After that we’re a bit stuck. It came
as a surprise to me that there are lots
of books on this subject and having
bought a slim volume I was amazed
to find out the diversity of plants that
benefit each other. As well as
marigolds, tomatoes benefit from
asparagus, celery, parsley, basil,
carrots, chives, foxgloves, garlic and
sweet corn. Nasturtiums benefit
apples, cabbages, cauliflowers,
broccoli, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi,
turnips, radishes, cucumbers and
courgettes. Orange nasturtiums repel
aphids and growing up apple trees
will control the spread of woolly
aphid. It doesn’t say if the flowers
will keep the woolly aphids off in the
first place which would be more
useful. These flowers also protect
against whitefly in the greenhouse.
They secrete a mustard oil (which
accounts for the flavour if you eat the
leaves) that insects like, hence the
protection for the cabbage family. I
suppose this would be a kind of
sacrifice plant in these
circumstances. Amazingly nettles are
beneficial. They are rich in iron and
nitrogen, excreting these as well as
silica, formic acid and protein, giving
strength and flavour to nearby crops
and protection from aphids black fly
and mildew. Nettles are particularly
good for potatoes and horseradish. It
appears they do this best in the potato
patch, which could make harvesting
interesting. Most of the beneficial
flowers are annuals, so sowing now
under cover at the same time as crop
seeds is a good idea. The most
beneficial shrub seems to be
Southernwood/Lads’ love/Artemisia.
I have grown this for some 20 years,
the original cutting taken from an old
shrub in an aunt’s garden, purely for
its beautifully scented leaves. I now
have more respect for it as it repels
fruit fly and mosquito. It roots easily
from cuttings and benefits from a
hard-ish prune, the prunings being
the cuttings!
Oh joy of joys, as soon as the
weather becomes a little warmer out
they come, slugs and snails in their
battalions. It doesn’t seem to matter
how often you check under pots
outside, planted or empty, there are
always more. Sometimes the only
hint you get is that seedlings
disappear overnight. This is another
argument in favour of sowing seeds
indoors then planting out once the
seedlings are big enough not to be of
interest to the pests. Of course, they
will still attack perennials that are just
coming through. One of the better
ways to deal with them is a bucket of
salt water. End of problem. Another
way is to put out ‘slug pubs’. You can
buy plastic trays with lids that allow
the slug in but not out or just sink a
margarine or ice cream or yoghurt tub
in the soil leaving the rim slightly
proud of the surface and add beer or
milk. They drown happy that way. I
wouldn’t advocate pellets as even the
ones advertised as safe for wildlife and
pets have been found not to be so. It
really isn’t worth the risk.
Make time to go and look at gardens
that have stunning displays of bulbs
and early flowering shrubs at this
time of year. The RHS gardens all
have winter spaces but nearer to
home are Anglesey Abbey for
snowdrops and Oxburgh Hall for
snowdrops, aconites and crocuses as
well as some shrubs. You might also
spot catkins and willow flowers
round and about. Just admire them in
the hedgerows or woodland if you
don’t have huge gardens!
There’s lots more about March but I
doubt Julian would like me to take
over the entire paper. I expect you’re
bored by now anyway but do
remember, however large or small
your plot keep weeding
Saturday March 2nd Dance Away
at the Queens Hall Ballroom, Latin and Sequence dancing at the Queen's Hall,
8 p.m. to 11 p.m. admission £4
Our club meeting on Wednesday 13th
February was attended by 22 members.
Our Chairman, Ed, welcomed everyone
and introduced our speakers for the
evening. A talk entitled…….‘THIS IS
HOW I DO IT’ by our very own vegetable
growing expert and RHS judge, CHRIS
HALFORD, accompanied by our Flower
Show Vegetable/Fruit and Pot plant RHS
Judge, PETER FIRMAN.
We got some brilliant tips on preparing the
soil, sowing, growing, and preparing for
showing…all in readiness for our Summer
Show.. We hope it encouraged lots more
people to enter all the categories on the
schedule.
The Club Flower Competition was won by
Jane Dalton, 2nd Hazel Dunn.
The Vegetable Competition was won by
Sue Thomas.
The Photo Competition was won by Stuart
Cullum, 2nd Jane Dalton, 3rd Chris
Dalton.
Congratulations and thanks to all those
who entered - our speaker, Peter Firman
judged the competition.
We are actively looking for people to take
over the maintenance and planting of the
Flower Boxes on Wretham Rd and
Shropham Rd. Please volunteer. They
make the entrances to our village look so
much more attractive.
If anyone has any information as to who
has wrecked the box on Wretham Rd. we
would be interested to know who did it…
We are actively seeking new members for
our club, so come and make new friends
and learn new skills. Membership fee just
£10 per year. We meet on the 2nd
Wednesday of every month. Our indoor
meetings are at the Edinburgh Hall,
Harling Rd. Gt. Hockham and start at
7.45pm. Free refreshments.Competitions –
flower, fruit/veg and seasonal photograph.
Look us up on our website:
www.greathockhamgardeningclub.org.uk
If you would like a lift to meetings or more
information do give me a call Jane Dalton
(Club Sec. Tel: 01953 498694)
Great Hockham Gardening Club
News The Wayland News Page 7
WATTON EVENING W I COFFEE MORNING
SATURDAY 13TH APRIL 10am to 12Noon AT
WATTON CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE
Entrance fee £1 including Coffee and cake
IN AID OF THE WATTON COMMUNITY CENTRE’S REFURBISHMENT FUND
Following a Club visit to Graham
Watts’s Dale Farm garden in Dereham
last May (pictured), he was persuaded
to come and talk about the
development of his stunning two acre
garden that, surprisingly, is just a short
walk from the town centre.
Graham began by informing the
meeting that both he and his wife Sally
have worked extensively in public
horticulture before buying the
Dereham property and in 2007
embarking on a renovation of the
garden. So successful have they been
that the garden features in the National
Garden Scheme and they have raised
considerable funds for cancer charities.
Members were given a visual
presentation of the progress of the
garden, starting with the area in front
of the house where lawn and a laurel
hedge were removed and replaced by
gravel beds that featured nigella and
Californian poppies that both enjoy
good drainage.
Graham praised the durability of
carstone for pathways throughout the
garden. Using as much local businesses
as possible, he landscaped the rear
garden and his wife Sally supervised
the planting that ensures year round
interest. Most of the plants were
obtained from nurseries that form part
of the Norfolk Nursery Network.
Much time and effort was spent
recovering the extensive pond which is
a key feature of the garden. In 2007
bullrushes and blanket weed were
threatening to turn the area into bog but
they gradually managed to reduce the
amount of milfoil weed in the water by
using small grasscarp fish that feed on
it. 150 loads of this weed had to be
removed in 2008 and 2009 but by 2011
this had been reduced to 10 loads – and
to none at all in 2012. Now the water,
five foot deep in places, is beautifully
clear and has colourful water lilies
growing in it. Around the far end of the
pond machinery was required to clear
the area, the pathway was extended
and water loving plants such as irises
and primulas introduced. An extended
pontoon was created too in front of the
house.
Graham laid 150 square metres of lawn
and he and Sally introduced an area of
fruit trees; he particularly champions
the dessert apple Scrumptious which
has thrived there.
When designing borders he
recommended boldness in creating
width. Alliums are a feature in his
borders as they provide year-round
interest with their attractive flowers
and then seed heads. Penstemons
feature too, especially the variety
Heavenly Blue, with the narrower
leaved varieties being hardier.
Behind the house Sally has created a
wonderful kitchen garden and a mini
nursery containing numerous seedlings
and plants.
The garden also has a number of
attractive sculptures, with one superb
example created on site by a local
workman from a dead ash tree.
Graham finished by showing pictures
of the garden as it appears from season
to season, starting with a snowdrop
walk in early spring to beds full of
autumn colour.
Not only was Graham’s talk
informative in demonstrating how a
garden can develop but it contained
many amusing anecdotes that made it
all the more riveting. In thanking him,
Chairman David Green said that the
Club would probably organise another
visit to this magnificent garden this
summer.
David Green
Ashill and Holme Hale Garden Club
Be part of a growing trend
If you grow your own food and you enjoy helping others,
then join us. Norfolk Master Gardener is recruiting new
community volunteers this spring. Garden Organic, the
UK’s leading organic growing charity, with funding from
Big Lottery fund’s Local Food Scheme is the driver
behind this innovative volunteer mentoring scheme,
currently operating across five counties in England. Here
in Norfolk, Master Gardener is hosted by Gressenhall
Farm and Workhouse Museum.
“I never thought growing my own garlic would be so
easy,” marvels Susan, a household in Swaffham, who is
benefiting from the mentorship of her local Master
Gardener.
Mentors are fully trained by Garden Organic and then
supported by the charity to help local people grow their
own. Norfolk Volunteer Co-ordinator, Gabbie Joyce,
said, “There is an increasing interest in where our food
comes from and growing your own is the cheapest and
most enjoyable way of ensuring the quality of your food.”
What Master Gardeners are saying
“I joined Master Gardener to share the pleasure and
satisfaction I get from gardening to encourage me to
spend less time at work.”
“I love meeting people, feeling my skill and knowledge
appreciated, seeing people happy after 'growing their
own'.”
“I think this is a wonderful programme. Since becoming a
Master Gardener I have been involved in so many other
courses and programmes and I'm now chair of the
‘Growing Together Community Garden'; something I
would not have been confident to do before.”
How does it work?
The scheme works by offering individuals and
communities practical advice and mentoring. It is about
enthusing people about food growing whilst offering the
support that they need along the journey. Some Master
Gardeners support schools, others community gardens
and centres, or people at home, where even a tiny balcony
or windowsill can grow tomatoes and herbs.
The great thing about the scheme is you don’t have to be
an expert to be eligible to volunteer; all that is required is
some experience of growing your own, together with a
passion for encouraging others to have a go. Full Master
Gardener training is provided covering everything a
volunteer should need to know, with additional support
from a dedicated Volunteer Co-ordinator.
If you are interested in becoming a Norfolk Master
Gardener, or are a resident looking for food growing
advice, please call Gabbie Joyce on 01362 869286, or
email at: [email protected] to find out more.
The Wayland News Page 8 News
EASTER COFFEE MORNING with Crafts, Cakes and Bric-a-Brac Stalls
at St Mary’s Church, Watton Saturday 23rd March 9.30am All welcome
Proceeds for the up keep of St Mary’s Church
Sunday, 17th March 3 p.m. at the Queens Hall.
Breckland Book Festival Film Event arranged through the Watton Festival Committee
ANNA KARENINA Anna Karenina, the wife of a high ranking government
official, meets cavalry officer Vronsky
and the instant attraction cannot be ignored. Tickets: Adults £4 Children £3
From Adocks or by phone 01953 882613
CASTON 3RD ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR Saturday 16th March 10am to 3.30pm
Caston Village Hall, The Street, Caston NR17 1DD
Local Craftspeople displaying fabric crafts, jewellery, Knitwear, crochet, handcrafted cards, kid’s clothing, Bags,
cushions, toys, gifts and Much Much More . . .
ADMISSION FREE
Refreshments All Day ~ Tombola In aid of Caston Village Hall Improvement Fund
Watton Rotary Roundup
Towards the end of January we entertained
the winning students from Wayland
Academy who had taken part in our annual
Young Poet and Young Chef
competitions. Peter Cowling, a retired
teacher of English adjudicated the poetry
and gave a brief talk on the merits of the
winning and runners-up entries. David
Branson and Andy Francis judged and
tasted the offerings from the young chefs,
all of which wrer of a re high standard and
very tasty. The picture shows some of the
winners with their certificates with Club
President Peter Semlyen.
The following week another Rotary
International Ambassadorial Scholar,
Hadrien Lavaux from France, addressed
the club. Hadrien was accompanied by his
Rotarian counsellor, Suzanne Sutton, a
member of the Cambridge Rotary Club to
which several members of our club
subsequently paid a visit.
At the first meeting in February our
speakers were Andy Naylor and Izzy
Huckle of the Westacre Theatre.
The following week we had a most
interesting talk by the Project Director
from the Norwich Research Park (NRP),
who gave a fascinating dissertation on the
expansion of, and developments taking
place at, the facility. Alan Giles went on to
outline the work going on the John Innes
Centre (JIC). Alan was accompanied by
Becca Holland, a Business Development
Officer at the JIC. Becca is the daughter of
one of our members, Dr Mike Harvey, and
as it was St Valentine’s Day, ‘lothario’ Pat
Murphy presented Becca with a red rose.
During this meeting we welcomed back
into club membership David Simons after
and absence of some 15 years. We are
pleased to have David back in the fold and
it has to be said that he has always been a
firm supporter and friend of the club. His
wife, Jenny, is currently President of our
sister club, the Inner Wheel Club of
Watton.
Finally, a reminder that on the 22nd of this
month we have the first of this year’s 2
“Jazz at the Queens Hall” events. Is it
possible DixieMix will get even better
still? Come and found out – tickets remain
at £10, which includes a ‘lite bite’, and are
on sale in Adcocks. Martin Anscombe
Wayland House in Watton High Street is
home to a multitude of services available to
the local community. From Council services
to Physiotherapy it’s available in Watton!
Breckland Council Customer Services are
available without an appointment for advice
on council tax, wheelie bins, how to get a
bus pass or a senior rail card. The Breckland
Council Officer is available between the
hours of 9.00am and 4.30pm every
Wednesday and 9.00am and 4.00pm every
Friday, with a short lunchtime closure
between 1.00pm and 1.30pm on both days.
A Breckland Council Housing Unit Officer
is available every Tuesday afternoon from
1.00pm to 4.30pm to provide information
and advice on housing matters (by
appointment 01362 656870).
Norfolk County Council’s Registrar holds a
register office for registration of births and
deaths at Wayland House every Thursday
from 1.00pm to 4.00pm by appointment call
01842 754115 or email
The Wayland Community Bank, a branch of
the Norfolk Credit Union, is open on
Monday’s from 1.00pm to 3.00pm,
Tuesday’s from 9.00am to 1.00pm and
Thursday’s from 9.00am to 11.00am. The
bank offers simple borrowing and secure
saving services. The direct dial for the Bank
on open days is 01953 880211.
Norfolk & Norwich Association for the
Blind have staff available here at Wayland
House please call 01603 629558.
(appointment essential).
And we do more! Free Maths or English
Skills tuition available in Watton with new
eleven week courses starting in April. For
more details or to enrol ring: Laura
07825114272 or Adult Education 01603
306556
Do you want to improve your health and
wellbeing, become more active, make
healthier food choices or stop smoking? If
you want to achieve one or more of these
goals then the Health Trainer Service may be
for you. A health adviser is available at
Wayland House every Tuesday. Call 01842
767604 to make an appointment and make
that first step to a new you!
New Tenants at Wayland House Watton
Physio and Watton Physio Sports have also
moved in and are now offering a full range
of physiotherapy and sports therapy
treatments. Malcolm Kay from Watton
Physio can be contacted on 01953 880238
and Paul Kay from Watton Physio Sports on
01953 880239.
George Freeman MP also holds constituency
surgeries here. Call his Constituency Office
on 01953 880215 to make an appointment
and make your voice and Mid Norfolk’s
heard!
The Wayland Business Centre is based at
Wayland House and provides a wide range
of business support services to the local
community. They include office
accommodation for new and existing
businesses, advice on new business start up
and signposting to information. We also
have superbly equipped training rooms and
much more. Ask at reception for
information, call Iain Cockburn on 01953
880204 or mail [email protected]
If you need any information or general
advice about what is on offer through
Wayland House, the Wayland Partnership or
the Wayland Business Centre, email
[email protected] or call Iain Cockburn
on 01953 880204.
Community support services at Wayland House, Watton
Following the huge success of Calendar
Girls, the Wayland Players have
announced their spring production will be
the well-crafted, funny and at times
poignant comedy “Ladies Day”, by
Amanda Whittington.
The play is set in a fish filleting factory
and is the story of four every day women
whose fortunes are set to change when
they set out for Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot
when it is relocated to York. Out go the
hairnets and overalls as the girls do
themselves up to the nines and go to the
races.
Joan Joyce, Director said “I’m very
excited to be directing this play; it’s full of
Yorkshire heart and soul and has real
warmth, the audience will most definitely
be able to identify with the characters and
the story”.
Joan continued; “we have many talented
actresses within the Players and there has
been fierce competition the roles of the
four leading ladies; I am expecting strong
performances from the final fab four”.
It's a safe bet the Wayland Players will
give you a great night out with this heart-
warming comedy from the team that
brought you Calendar Girls!'
The Wayland Players will perform Ladies
Day at the Queens Hall, 16, 17 and 18th
May. Further details including ticket
prices will be available soon. To keep up
to date with the Wayland Players visit
www.waylandplayers.org.uk
It's a Racing Cert for The Wayland Player Spring
Production of Ladies Day by Amanda Whittington
News The Wayland News Page 9
Ashill Community Centre Friday 22nd March Cash Bingo for WI Funds
Tuesday 26th March Prize Bingo for CC funds
Eyes Down 7.30pm
After a late start following the snow in January the choir has resumed weekly singing
sessions. New members, aged 8 to 13 are welcome on a Monday evening from 6 to
7pm in Ovington Village Hall during term-time. Contact Linda Murray 01953 880073
or Julia Grover 01953 483654 for further information.
Breckland Harmony Juniors
Happy
Easter from
Country
Market It is hard to realise, as I write this
month's article, that Easter really is
only six weeks away. Despite the
weather we were able to offer some
fresh produce on reopening day -
potatoes, leeks and parsnips - and a
very few plants in pots.
Hopefully by the end of this month
there will be more produce and
plants on offer. Cooks and crafters
are less dependent on the weather
and we have our usual delicious
array of baked goods and preserves
each week as well as farm fresh
eggs.
Our crafters have kept knitting and
can offer warm garments for cold
spring days. Greetings cards for all
occasions are always available, as
is attractive, inexpensive jewellery.
Cushions and bags are ideal gift
items and wooden toys are
available for the youngest children.
We are open every Wednesday
morning from 8.30 to 11.30 a.m. in
the Watton Christian Community
Centre. Our Methodist friends
serve coffee in the smaller hall so it
is easy to shop and enjoy a coffee
and chat with friends all under one
roof.
As usual we shall have some
special items on sale just before
Easter - come and browse and
enjoy a warm welcome from all our
producers.
News from
the Youth
Focus Group
Congratulations to Project
Rainbow for the award of
Breckland Youth Advisory Board
Funding for the recruitment,
training and development of
volunteers to work with the young
people of the Wayland area.
Despite the loss of the old
Surgery building just when it
looked as if the right kind of
capital funding might be
available, the Project Rainbow
Team have not lost heart. Instead
they have re-grouped, appointed
some new Directors, found
storage space for their equipment
and found temporary
accommodation for their Monday
evening sessions on the SPLAG
Youth Outreach Bus gratefully
borrowed from Dereham, which
was well attended on its first two
outings.
If the Project Rainbow Team are
to achieve their long term goals,
they need the support and
assistance of the local
community. At the moment they
particularly need volunteers of all
ages to sign up to the training
sessions to take place between
April and July this year. Their
short term plan is to use the time
and the YAB funding to ensure
that a broad-based team of trained
volunteers is in place to support
whatever facility they are able to
achieve in the medium to long
term.
We live in
Blenheim
Grange . . . Although questions are often asked, this is still -
and will always remain - Blenheim Grange and
we now have two very distinct new signs (kindly
donated by Taylor Wimpey), one at each
entrance to our development. Although
unfortunately at present, one is being rather
overshadowed by Taylor Wimpey’s sign for
‘Beaufort Park’, advertising the latest phase of
their development on Blenheim Grange.
Blenheim Grange has had a reputation in the past
as perhaps not being the most desirable place to
live in the area. We at the Residents’
Association believe that this has been largely
undeserved and can often be exaggerated by
those who do not live here. Lying in the Parish
of Carbrooke, on the site of the former RAF
Watton, this is a relatively new housing
development which is still expanding and has
residents who come from many walks of life.
From the younger generation, who may be just
starting out in their first home, right through to
those who have chosen Blenheim Grange to
spend their retirement years. Being next to the
town of Watton, there are many amenities close
by and with a very good bus service available to
other parts of Norfolk, it really is ideally placed
for many. With the more recent addition of the
local shops and restaurant, a play park which
will hopefully be in place by the summer and
eventually a proper community building, there
will be plenty of things for residents to do right
here on their doorstep. Residents here live in
some lovely (not to mention energy efficient) all
mod cons properties in an area surrounded by
beautiful countryside. The Residents’
Association is determined to continue to promote
all that is good about Blenheim Grange and
would like it to be known, ‘We are happy to live
in the place named Blenheim Grange’.
Hackers,
Tackers and
Stuffers This group which covers many forms of
needlecraft as well as patchwork and
quilting meets at the Christian
Community Centre in Watton High St
on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each
month apart from August from 7-9pm.
Membership is £10.00 per annum plus
£1 for each meeting. We have a
programme of short demonstrations and
mini workshops led by members,
usually at the meetings on the 4th
Tuesday. There are all day workshops
led by visiting tutors or members. These
are at a different venue and open to all
current members who have paid their
annual subscription, for insurance
purposes.
We also have organised coach outings to
places of particular interest to those who
sew. Last year we took on group
responsibility for Project Linus Norfolk .
For several years we have had group
workshops for making Linus quilts and
on 20th April have an open one for non-
members, which must be pre-booked.
On 6th April we are hosting a coffee and
craft morning for Linus at the Christian
Community Centre. Do come and see us
there. Visitors are also welcome at our
meetings. NB there will be no meeting
on 11th March as we will be the guests
of Thompson WI.
For further details contact Jane on 01953
884215 or for Linus email
[email protected] . Details of
events can also be found on our Blog at
http://htsqgroup.blogspot
Watton Craft
Market The Watton Craft Market will be returning
to the Queens Hall on the 2nd March. The
charity for this year has changed to the
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.
(E.A.C.H) There will be the regular stalls
of locally hand made items including
cards, knitwear, wooden items, jewellery,
textiles, photography and craft supplies.
New this month will be engraved glass,
crystals and shells, stonecraft, leather and
cuddly toys. Opening times will be 9.30am
to 2pm and admission will be free although
a donation for East Anglia’s Children’s
Hospices would be appreciated.
Refreshments with home made cakes will
be available by the Inner Wheel until
11.30am. Then hot lunches will be served
by the Thetford based charity ASD -
Helping Hands from 12pm. Please come
and have a coffee or lunch and support
these good causes.
If you require any further information
please e-mail [email protected].
The Wayland News Page 10 News
Ashill Community Centre Coffee Mornings
Friday 8th March Friday 12th April
10am to 12 Noon
In aid of Community Centre funds
A dozen young people aged from 14 to
19 and from Watton and the Wayland
villages joined MP George Freeman
MP for a Youth Summit at Wayland
House on the evening of Friday
evening. Following a brief introduction
of his background and role, the young
people spent an hour and a half
discussing issues which ranged from
the provision of local facilities, and the
recent loss of the popular Youth
Venue, the Surge, to education,
opportunities for work, opportunities
for women and girls, the need for
improved broadband services in rural
area and better funding for the NHS
and concern for the quality of Care
Homes.
Jan Godfrey, chair of the Wayland
Youth Focus Group, said ‘I was so
impressed with the confidence of the
young people – they were both
articulate and passionate about the
issues that concern them.’
George Freeman, MP said: “This is a
tough time for youngsters leaving
school and college in Norfolk. It’s
particularly challenging for youngsters
in rural towns and villages for whom it
can be particularly difficult to access
opportunities.
“I convened this Youth Summit to give
local youngsters a chance to talk to me
directly about the challenges in the
Wayland area – in 30 questions they
made a wide range of intelligent and
thought-provoking points.
“I will be following up by:
Working with local councillors and the
Wayland Partnership on finding a long
term home for The Surge.
Through the Norfolk Way establishing
the Wayland Enterprise Network,
helping youngsters to access the circa
1000 small businesses in the area,
holding another summit with local
councillors and organising a trip to
Parliament for the youngsters”
Wayland's young people air their
views with George Freeman MP
Massage
Those Winter
Blues Away Feeling tired, a bit sluggish or wanting
to detox?
The advent of the New Year is often a
time when people look towards being
more healthy but with the colder
weather, we are often left suffering
from colds, feeling a little sluggish and
lacking energy.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is
a gentle but specialised massage that
uses a range of rhythmic pumping
techniques to encourage the removal of
excess fluid and toxins, reducing
swelling and assisting and boosting the
immune system.
No oils are used, unless you request it,
so it is safe for those with sensitive skin
and also for pregnant women. You can
also remain clothed for the treatment.
MLD is an incredibly relaxing
treatment which can be for a specific
area or for the whole body. It is
especially popular for the face in
reducing puffiness.
People experiencing MLD may find
that benefits include;
Deep relaxation
Relief for conditions such as sinusitis,
arthritis, acne and other skin
conditions
Strengthening and boosting the
immune system
Relieving of fluid congestion such as
swollen ankles, tired puffy eye and
swollen legs due to pregnancy
Relief with the treatment of
lymphoedema
Research has shown that MLD can
improve anxiety, sleeplessness,
breathlessness and feelings of worry.
People who suffer from chronic pain
may benefit from MLD and c
Conditions such as restless legs,
fibromyalgia, sore feet, bad circulation,
sinus, head pain may also be helped.
MLD has been known to help with scar
tissue, softening and reducing it. It can
be a useful treatment following an
operation, helping to reduce fluid and
puffiness from that area.
It's Only
Money
A short story By Ken Knowles
Frank made sure he got to the bus
stop five minutes before the bus
was due, as it was the last one and it
was a long walk home if he missed
it.
While he was waiting he saw
someone else approaching, and
when this person got nearer he
realised it was a girl, well a young
lady, who appeared to be in her mid
-twenties. Frank found it a bit
awkward standing at a lonely bus
stop with a young female, and made
sure he kept his distance, as he was
sure she felt uncomfortable too.
As the minutes ticked by with no
sign of the bus he anxiously looked
at his watch, as there was no way of
knowing if the bus was just late or
had been cancelled altogether, but
eventually, just as he was about to
give up and start to walk, he was
relieved to see it appear on the
horizon.
In response to his out-stretched
hand the bus drew to a stop, and as
the doors opened and he stepped
back to let the girl get on, they both
were surprised when the driver said
“Sorry, only room for one. As you
can see I’m packed solid already
and if my inspector sees I could get
the sack. Anyway I can hardly get
the doors shut, so it’s one of you
only, I’m afraid”.
The girl turned round and said “You
were here first, I’ll get off”, but
Frank realised he could not accept
this, and settled for the long walk
home.
A couple of days later, while
queueing for his lunch-time coffee
and sandwich he was surprised
when a voice behind him said “Let
me pay for that”, and he turned to
find the same girl that he had met at
the bus-stop.
He started to protest, but she
insisted, saying how embarrassed
she had been by the previous
incident, and so he gracefully
accepted, saying “Thank you,
Julie”, having seen her name on the
identity badge that was pinned to
her jacket above the letters A V O,
which she then explained stood for
Art Verification Operator, and that
she was employed by Sorensens,
the famous auction house.
“Oh”, said Frank, “that’s where
they are having that big sale, with
that painting expected to fetch over
five million pounds, isn’t it ? I’d
certainly like to be there on Friday.
It should be most exciting”.
“You’ll be lucky, you can only get
in by invitation, but I could show
you round today, if you’d like, just
to show you the background”.
So they went round on a quick tour,
and Frank showed he knew
something about art when he espied
a picture of The Haywain, the
Constable masterpiece. “I bet that
would fetch a pretty penny”, he
said.
“Well, about £350”, replied Julie,
“for the frame mostly. It’s just a
copy”.
“You mean it’s a forgery ?”
“No, of course not. There are
hundreds of copies about, but they
are only forgeries if they are offered
as the genuine article. Rich people
buy the real ones, but don’t dare
hang them in their houses in case
they attract burglars, and anyway
the insurance costs would be
enormous, so they just have copies
on their walls. And as you can see
these copies are almost impossible
to tell from the originals. And that
one that is the star of the auction on
Friday – that has been in a bank
vault for some years. Now the
owner needs some ready cash, so he
had it brought out for the sale, and
then whoever buys it will probably
have it put back in safe storage. He
most likely won’t even see it, as he
will have an agent acting for him.
There it will stay till the next time,
when the price may be even
higher”.
“Well, that’s amazing”, said Frank.
“So these millionaires aren’t
interested in the pictures at all, it’s
just business transactions. That’s
disgusting”.
“Yes, that’s one way of looking at
it, but it all keeps a lot us in
employment, so it can’t all be bad”.
Frank thanked Julie for the tour,
and went back to work in a pensive
mood.
He counted out the cash in his
pocket, and mused to himself about
the different levels of the world we
live in. “Here am I with £5.74 to
last me till Friday and this foreign
bloke can shell out over five million
on a picture he may not even see. I
think it’s been said before, but it’s a
funny old world”.
Richmond
Park Golf
Club Seniors
Open
Competition
2013 The annual competition will take place
this year on Thursday 25th July. This
popular event attracts players from all
areas of East Anglia and further afield.
Last year 68 competitors played on a
beautiful sunny day!! and enjoyed an
excellent meal as well as competing for
prizes which included a Vauxhall
Corsa for a Hole-in-one, provided by
the sponsors Thurlow Nunn,Dereham.
Thurlow Nunn have agreed to extend
their sponsorship,so a new car will be
on offer once more.
Competition entry forms are now
available from the Golf Club shop or
from David Wakeford. Tel:
01953886899 E-mail:
News The Wayland News Page 11
NEW LUNCHEON CLUB for Senior Citizens
The Watton Sports Centre WEDS 6th March
12 mid day for lunch fun and fellowship for afters
Pick up service available For details phone
Paul and Christina 884213
Divorced? We are in the process of researching
the experiences both positive and
negative of men and women during
Divorce and Separation .
We would be very interested to hear
from others who has gone through a
Separation or Divorce which may or
may not have involved children - With
particular interest in the impact it has
had on the person, the children and the
wider families who may also be
affected. All correspondence will be
treated with the strictest of confidence.
If you wish to participate please either
write down ‘your story’, and send it to
John and Marsha Hughes. 23,
Cardington Road, Carbrooke, Watton,
Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6JR or email
to [email protected] or
contact us on 07979883789 and leave
your name and number and we will get
back to you.
The reason for the research is to
produce a book that may help others
and highlight the suffering that people
often face when going through
separation and divorce.
There are some self-help books out
there with advice on how to deal with
the practical side of Divorce, but not
all focus on some of the ‘mind games’,
revenge tactics that are the most
damaging effects on all involved and
in the long term leaves little hope for a
more harmonious future working
relationships that nurture the casualties
of divorce the children.
A child is made out of love, the
coming together of man and woman,
yet when the two separate years,
months or even days later, why is it
with so much destruction that in most
cases the child is forgotten and
becomes a casualty of war.
Solicitors although there are
exceptions appear to work only in the
interests of their client and not always
in partnership for all parties concerned
including children which can lead to
not only in-harmonious future
relations between the parties, but this
can also ripple out onto the children
with devastating results however hard
the parties try not to involve the
children.
“I felt so torn between my parents”.
“I missed my other parent”.
“I never got to choose, no-one asked
me what I wanted”.
“My mum/dad brought this new
person into my life and I was expected
to be happy”.
“I hated the arguments, I thought they
would stop once they were divorced
but they just got worse”.
Are just some of the comments that
have been made by children that we
have spoken to.
Family Mediation is now
recommended by most solicitors.
Wider families often take sides which
is understandable because of blood ties
and loyalties, but sometimes other
people within the community get
involved without actually
understanding what is going on, this
also affects children’s relationships.
“I was refused an allotment within a
local village, she later found out that
her new husbands ex wife and partner
sat on the committee.”
“I had a false allegation made against
me in a local supermarket where my
ex worked it was so humiliating
having to prove my innocence.”
“We had an anonymous letter sent to
Social Services who investigated us
until the allegation where proven
malicious.”
This is just a small sample of some of
the stories we have heard and sadly
there are thousands of stories like this
and worse, all of which can affect the
new family and children from moving
on and starting anew.
Slander of another is a very difficult
and costly case to prove but it can
destroy a persons reputation overnight.
“If you only hear one side of the story,
then you are half deaf.”
All involved Mothers, Father’s and
children can all go through huge
emotional and financial insecurities
when faced with separation, including
in some cases physical violence.
Letting go of a relationship even
when it is the right thing to do can
still be painful, Separating a
household which was once shared
takes time to accept and replace, Am
I still love-able? For women who
have stayed at home to look after the
children they may face confidence
issues of re-training and getting back
into the workplace.
Men in some cases may have to
adapt to a new life, if the children
stay with the mother, the father often
has to let go of the relationship he
had with his children and embrace a
new one involving visitation,
Stress’s of paying child maintenance
whilst still trying to provide a roof
over his own head and somewhere
for the children to visit are just some
of the difficulties faced.
Who has it worse, the answer is all
of them, the whole family face
challenges upon separation, with the
wellbeing of our children being
paramount - Is society doing enough
to minimize suffering, as
demonstrated from the Governments
local advertisement for Mental
Health, it comes in many guises and
is often not recognized.
As yet we personally have heard of
very few successful divorces which
considering that the divorce rate is
on the increase (according to The
Mail online “Britain has the highest
divorce rate in the European Union”,
“The number of divorces throughout
the EU is on the increase, with an
average of 1.8 divorces for every
1,000 people”. Monday Jan 28th
2013 )
Of course there are success stories
out there especially from America,
but it would be interesting to hear
from people here in the UK and how
they have coped.
Recording our stories, the mistakes we
made or our success’s could be one of
the key’s to helping our future
generations should they have to face
what can be a roller-coaster of a journey.
For anyone struggling through
divorce or separation at the moment,
there is professional help out there to
help support you through this
difficult time, Samaritans,
Counsellors, GP’s, and Childline for
children affected are to name but a
few and for when you feel brave
enough put pen to paper and let us
know your thoughts.
Many thanks, John and Marsha
Hughes
Rocklands
Bingo The next Bingo will be held at
Rocklands Village Hall on Wednesday
20th March. Doors open 7pm for
7.45pm start. Have a great night out for
less than £5! As well as a warm
welcome, there will be cash prizes,
refreshments, raffle and a very generous
Jackpot on offer. All Proceeds go to
the Village Hall.
Business
flock to free
advice
evening Over 24 local business people
attended a free awareness evening
on Thursday 31st January at
Wayland House in Watton to find
out about the Enterprise Norfolk
Business Support Scheme
launched by Norfolk County
Council.
With this number attending and
taking a very enthusiastic role in
the proceedings, it is proof that the
entrepreneurial spirit is alive and
well in Wayland. The audience not
only heard how the scheme could
benefit them be they a new or
established business, but they also
were treated to a very
comprehensive presentation by a
specialist business adviser from
Norfolk & Waveney Enterprise
Services supported by senior
officers from Breckland Council
and the staff of the Wayland
Business Centre.
This scheme is intended to provide
practical support to new business
startups in Norfolk with the
objective of promoting
entrepreneurship. It will offer
practical help and advice to people
planning to start a new business in
2013. Find out more at http://
www.norfolk.gov.uk/Business/
Enterprise_Norfolk/index.htm
The County has invested £400,000
in the scheme over two years and
have appointed Breckland Council
as one of the local delivery
partners. They in turn have
appointed Norfolk and Waveney
Enterprise Services to provide the
service across the five Breckland
market towns. Watton and
Wayland businesses were first in
the queue to receive the support
and the Wayland Partnership and
the Wayland Business Centre are
working with both Breckland
Council and NWES to promote
and support the scheme.
The awareness event is followed
by the first in a series of free
Business Planning Workshops
again on Monday 25th February.
Email on [email protected] or
call on 01953 880204 for more
information and pass this
information on to any budding
entrepreneurs you may know.
Do you have an
interest in local
wildlife and a
bit of free
time?
Your local Norfolk Wildlife Trust
members’ group for the Breckland
area is actively seeking new helpers.
Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Local
Groups are organised and run by
Trust members on a voluntary basis.
We organise local walks, talks and
social events which are open to
everyone, and we also do what we
can to promote NWT, raising
awareness and funds and making a
difference in our local area.
We are in need of new helpers to
join our committee. Various roles are
available, including events organiser
and potentially a new Chairperson. If
you have skills which would be
appropriate and would like to help
our group please email Mark
Sullivan at
uk or telephone 01953 498567
Or why not come along to one of our
events to find out more about us?
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 19
March, 7.45pm at Watton Christian
Community Centre (57 High Street,
Watton) where you can hear the
Trust’s Breckland Reserves
Manager, Darrell Stevens, talk about
local conservation projects.
If you are coming for the first time,
do feel free to contact us first so that
we can expect you and are able to
welcome you in person.
Find out more about Norfolk
Wildlife Trust online at
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Easter at Wretham Wretham’s village community spirit comes to the
fore at the Easter weekend as three different venues
throw open their doors to holiday weekend visitors.
On both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, village
hall, church and Wretham Lodge gardens will offer
a warm welcome to people from a wide area.
In the Village Hall, at the entrance to Church Road,
local craft experts will display a wide range of
crafts, with products for sale, on both days between
10am and 5pm, with refreshments available for
visitors.
At St Ethelbert’s Church, further down Church
Road, there is the chance to see a church full of
Easter flowers put into the building by members of
Wretham Ravers women’s group and their friends.
A second hand book stall and homemade cakes and
refreshments will be served between 11am and 5pm
on both days in a church building approaching its
150th anniversary after its Victorian rebuild.
Across Church Road at Wretham Lodge, the former
Rectory, the gardens will be open on both Easter
Sunday and Monday from noon until 5pm. The
tranquil and beautiful gardens have been a fixture in
the annual calendar of the National Gardens
Scheme and are continually developed for the
pleasure of both their owners and visiting garden
enthusiasts.
Wretham stands almost midway between Thetford
and Watton on the A1075.
The Wayland News Page 12 News
Saham WI Jumble Sale
Saturday 23rd March 9.30 to 11am
Wells Cole Community Centre Saham Toney
Clothes - Bric-a-Brac - Toys Books - Tea - Coffee
Entrance 30p
Jumble can be collected by calling
01953 884880
Proceeds to Saham WI
Councillors
Chat with Cllr Michael Wassell
Hopefully by the time you are reading
this we will be over the cold weather
that we have all been “enjoying”.
Breckland Council in collaboration
with partners across the district is
working to make sure those most
vulnerable are identified and supplied
with a pack of items to help them keep
warm as part of a Norfolk-wide Warm
and Well campaign. The ‘Keep
Warm’ kits are packed full of goodies
for the winter, including fleece
blankets, hot water bottles and room
thermometers. I have arranged for
packs to be available for collection
from Watton Town Council offices
(01953 881007), and I am grateful for
their help in this matter. If anyone
requires any information on this please
do not hesitate to contact me.
Changes to Council Tax benefit
The Government currently funds
Council Tax benefit. Local Authorities
have been required to set their own
schemes, but with less funding. The
new local schemes will come into
force on 1 April 2013. The sum that
Breckland receives from Central
Government to fund Council Tax
support has reduced by around 11.4%.
The new Breckland Council Tax
Support Scheme has been designed to
accommodate this reduction in funding
to make it cost neutral to the Council.
Breckland is required by law to ensure
that pensioners will not be affected by
these changes. The only people who
will be affected by the changes in our
new scheme are those of working age
who receive benefit.
Under the new Breckland Council Tax
Support Scheme, after 1 April 2013 all
working age claimants will have to pay
some Council Tax. Under the current
scheme some people receive 100%
support; under the new Breckland
Council Tax Support Scheme the
maximum support anyone of working
age can receive is 91.5%. Anyone
who has any concerns about this
should contact Breckland Council on
01362 656870.
Council Tax and Car Park Charges
No doubt readers will have seen that an
option to increase Council Tax is going
before Full Council for a decision on
the 28th Feb. The proposed increase
for a Band D property is £4.98 per
year. This proposal was agreed by the
Cabinet on the 12th February and has
not been taken lightly, and was the
subject of much debate during the
Could We? Should We? consultations
that were held in all of the Breckland
market towns including Watton.
Another subject that was hotly debated
was the issue of whether Breckland
should charge for car parking within
the district. We are currently one of
the few District Councils in the
country that do not charge, and I was
pleased to be able to make the
proposal, at Cabinet, not to charge for
car parking and I am sure that you will
be relieved to learn that the decision
was also made at the Cabinet meeting
not to introduce car parking charges
for the remainder of the term of this
council.
The outcomes from the Could We?
Should We? consultations and the
online surveys have been used to help
us create this year’s budget. The
Could We? Should We? information
will continue to help us tackle the
financial challenges we face year on
year. We always said it would be used
for more than just this year's budget.
We have to face the fact that Breckland
are facing a cumulative deficit of
around £2.2 million by 2017-18 even
with an increase in Council Tax of
£4.98 this year. This is after we have
made savings of £1 million by the
efficiencies that we have already
introduced. Our asset management
strategy has enabled us to maintain this
low council tax for many years and it
will continue to cushion us in the
future, however, we must raise council
tax to balance the budget in the coming
years while continuing to provide the
services that the public tell us are
important to them. As Deputy Leader
of the Council and the Cabinet
Member responsible for Finance, I can
assure you all that I have spent many
hours considering how best to serve all
our residents needs, whilst maintaining
value for money and keeping the
council tax as low as possible. Value
for money is about more than simply
cuts to services and/or budgets. It
includes; innovation in service
delivery, investment in technology,
rationalisation of back office functions
and organisational development. It is
more important than ever that the tax
payers in Breckland are receiving
value for money and that funds are
available to provide front-line services
to the community while ensuring that
the impact on council tax be contained.
Even with an increase of £4.98,
bringing the Breckland element of a
Band D council tax payer’s bill to
£69.03 per year we will still be
comfortably the lowest District
Council Tax in the country. The next
nearest District Council to us in the
country is West Oxfordshire at £81.63
and in Norfolk it is Broadland at
£111.15, these are 2011-12 figures
before any increase that they may
make. The Breckland increase is
equivalent to 9.6p per week and the
total bill for a Band D property is
£1.33 per week. Additionally 70% of
properties in Breckland are in Bands A
to C so will pay less that this, in
Watton that proportion is 87%. During
the consultation 46.9% of respondents
said they would be happy to raise
council tax by the maximum allowed. I
realise this at the time was believed to
be only 2% but I would encourage
people to look at the rise we have
made in cash terms and in relation to
council tax levels of other councils. In
fact because of some of the technical
changes that have occurred because of
the Council Tax Support Scheme,
Breckland will actually collect over
£200,000 less from council tax payers
throughout the district in 2013-14 than
we did in 2012-13.
With regard to car parking there is a
very comprehensive report on the
council’s web site as part of the agenda
for the Cabinet Meeting of the 12th
Feb 2013. This report which was
produced internally without the use of
consultants can be found on the web
site under Council and Democracy,
then Committee Meeting and then
Agendas. From this report it can be
seen that our estimates show charging
on the same terms as some other
Norfolk councils, i.e. from the moment
a person parks, had the potential to
generate more than £800,000 per
annum for the council. (Page 95) This
is a considerable sum, and we will
have to find this money from other
areas and will use the Could We?
Should We? consultation to help in our
decision making process. Not
charging for car parking is one of the
main reasons we have chosen to raise
council tax by the amount we have.
Even raising council tax by this
amount will not cover the costs of
running and maintaining our car parks.
I have spent a considerable amount of
space in this article to try and ensure
that residents understand the
background to the decisions that are
being made. I am grateful to the Editor
for his forbearance in allowing this. I
would love to hear your views on this
and perhaps enter into a debate, please
do not hesitate to contact me with any
views that you have. I have taken the
massive step (for me at least) of
joining Twitter after much haranguing
to do so from amongst others the
Editor of this fine paper. I can be
contacted via @CllrMWassell and I
look forward to engaging in the lively
debates that I am currently witnessing.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if
you feel I can be of assistance on any
Breckland District Council matter.
My contact details: Email:
Phone: 01953 882884 or 07778
491569; Twitter @CllrMWassell
Regards to all, Michael Wassell
Riding for
MacMillan
and DMD I'm Imogen Walker, 15 and from
Watton. I gained a travel scholarship
from my school, Thetford Grammar.
In the Summer I plan to bike 230
miles (approx) from my home to
Wigan. My aim is to raise £500 each
for 2 different charities, Macmillan
and Joining Jack.
Joining Jack is a charity set up to
raise awareness of a muscle wasting
disease called Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy (DMD). It's based on a
little boy called Jack who has this
disease. Failing a medical
breakthrough, people with this
disease follow a predetermined path.
Jack will not be able to walk when he
reaches adolescence and will lose use
of all the muscles in his body. He
may need spinal rods to keep him
upright and to help him breathing.
Eventually his lungs and heart will,
fail and he will sadly pass away. The
life expectancy of someone with this
condition is around 30 years old.
Therefore I am asking anyone that
can to sponsor me for these 2 very
worth while causes. I have set up 2
just giving accounts which are:
www.justgiving.com/imogen-
walker1JoiningJack
www.justgiving.com/imogen-
walker1macmillan
Shipdham &
District Book
Group The book discussed on Wednesday 20th
February was Oystercatchers by Susan
Fletcher. The story is told through Moira
as she speaks to her much younger sister
Amy who is in a coma. She tells of her
own selfishness and jealousy which drove
her to a self-imposed exile from her
family and the dramatic Welsh coast she
had loved initially, opting for a distant
boarding school and adult life. This is a
dark novel with dramatic almost poetic
descriptions of wild coasts including not
only Wales but others in Norfolk and
Devon.
The book provoked a very interesting
discussion. Only one person expressed
outright dislike whilst others confessed to
mixed feelings which gave way to a
fascination which precluded leaving it
unfinished. In trying to analyse Moira’s
persona we moved from the possibility of
Aspurges through downright awkward
unpleasantness to just ‘different’. She is
very intelligent, tall and very thin with
thick glasses, once her eyes have been
tested. We could not explain her lack of
empathy with her mother’s frequent
miscarriages apart from childish
ignorance. That she is bullied at boarding
school where she indulges in self harm is
almost to be anticipated. Most agreed that
the descriptions of the Norfolk Coast and
countryside were accurate and enjoyable
for once although there is a mistake in the
depiction of the view from a City flat,
regarded as unforgivable by those who
are well acquainted with Norwich.
Despite dark, disturbing aspects most
enjoyed it.
The book sparked off further discussion
on sibling attitudes; the horror of girls’
boarding schools; the character of a true
‘loner’ and the pleasure we all find in
reading when it is given an extra
dimension by sharing views and opinions
of a text with others.
For our next meeting on Wednesday 20th
March we are reading Dissolution by VJ
Sansom.
Norfolk Credit
Union Corporate
Account The NCU Corporate Account has been
launched to help assist small businesses
to save regularly. Businesses can pay
money in with their PayPoint card with
any cash they have left over at the end of
their business week. Businesses can also
set up a standing order from their current
account for regular savings to be made to
NCU each month.
The account is available to request
withdrawals via an email confirmation or
written letter to head office. This account
should not be viewed as instant access,
and should not be used as an active
current account.
The benefits of this account:
£1 to join and £1 to keep your savings
account open; Save for an investment, tax
bill, fixed assets or a great incentive for
your employees; Support your local
community and local businesses by
saving with a community bank
In accordance with our terms of business
NCU has the right to charge £1 for more
than one cash PayPoint transaction per
week (this will be at the manager’s
discretion).
News The Wayland News Page 13
The Wayland News
is your news!
keep in touch . . .
A Quick Look Round by Orbiter
Well that is another winter (hopefully) done with, for as
much as snow can be very pretty when it first arrives,
the aftermath can be quite horrendous, though in early
February we did have a couple of snowy days followed
almost immediately with a small rise in temperature
making it disappear completely overnight.
No, things are not always bad, and I had a very pleasant
surprise one Saturday morning when I had occasion to
drive through Watton in the early hours, before there
had been any traffic to disturb the three inch carpet of
snow, for as I drove eastwards through the High Street I
realised that I was seeing our town almost as it was a
hundred and fifty, or perhaps even two hundred years
ago.
With no road markings, such as yellow and white lines,
to be seen, and standard lamps disguised by snow, it
seemed that I was looking into history, and it occurred
to me that had I have been a photographer I would have
considered this a godsend. The only hindrances seemed
to be the two bus shelters, a telephone box, and one car
parked outside Myhills that must have been there all
night because it was almost hidden in snow. With
hardly any tell-tale television aerials in sight, and with
no obtrusive projecting signs (probably thanks to local
by-laws) the scene was almost a perfect look back in
time, and any modern blemishes that were present
could easily have been eliminated by the latest camera
gimmicks.
I immediately realised that this view of Victorian
Norfolk must have been repeated all over the county,
and I could visualise places like Swaffham, Hingham,
Wymondham, and so on, all with their enhancing
mantle of snow.
Now we are all aware of the frequent delays caused by
‘the wrong sort of snow’, which has become almost a
byword for the modern railway system in winter, but
surely this year they have really over-stepped the mark
by cancelling trains in advance, just in case there was
any snow. How ridiculous is that ?
Luckily in Norfolk we seem to have escaped the worst
of the weather, but nevertheless we are left with more
potholes in our roads than ever, so drivers must take
extra care. It seems a great pity, when the county
authorities had just about completed repairing those
from the last two years, and now have to start all over
again.
But the world outside has other worries to offer, and as
I write the nation seems to be in a complete panic over
the presence of horsemeat in our burgers. Had anyone
noticed this before the business of correct labelling was
being more closely addressed ?
Personally I have not been affected, as any burgers
eaten in my house come from the local butchers, whom
I trust when they assure me that pork and apple means
just that, but it does seem to me that too much has been
made of the situation, since I am told that half of
Europe exists on horsemeat diets, with no adverse
results, and in fact, the equine cuts are considered a
great delicacy. But at least the comedians have had a
ball, with such comments as ‘the burgers are galloping
off the shelves’, a supermarket is advertising their
burgers as ’ A Three Day Event’ , or labelling them
with a ‘Starting Price’.
We are told that all over the world belts have to be
tightened as we are not the only countries to have
suffered from recessions, so it is rather surprising to
read that over 90 million pounds is to be spent on the
ruins of Pompeii, in order to restore them to the state of
dilapidation that they had reached fifty years ago. Re-
ruining ruins seems rather a strange project to me.
I am told that the National Lottery has changed its
terms by doubling the minimum stake to £2, but
increased the top prize to some enormous figure. Surely
the top pay-outs should be REDUCED, and hundreds
more smaller prizes substituted. Or is it just me who
thinks it is much better to have many more happy
people than just one ?
One good thing that has been announced is that there is
to be a refer-endum to decide whether we should stay in
the EU, although the bad side is that we will have to
wait until after the next election. But things won’t be as
straightforward as they might appear, for various other
projects will surely be tacked on, so that if we vote the
present government in again in order to get the chance
to vote, we will also be probably voting for new
runways at Stansted, or the new High Speed Rail
project to be further extended, or other controversial
items.
No, governments don’t ever give things away, there is
always a hidden agenda.
Rosalie Davis Gibb
Did you know . . . one of the most well-known
holiday entrepreneurs, who started his empire in
1936, was born in South Africa with the forenames
William Heygate Edmund Colborne? But who
was he?
Born to British parents on 29th September 1899 in
Cape Town, South Africa, Billy Butlin opened his
first holiday camp on a 200 acre site, previously
turnip fields, at Ingoldmells near Skegness, on
Easter Saturday 11th April 1936, officially opened
by the first woman to fly solo from England to
Australia, Amy Johnson (I notice a recurring
theme here – you may remember Abraham
Lincoln died on Easter Saturday 1865). This was
pretty farsighted since the Holiday With Pay Act
wasn’t introduced until a year later. Once the Act
was brought into force and it soon became obvious
there were insufficient hotels and boarding houses
to cope with the mass migration to the seaside,
Billy Butlin’s new all-inclusive holidays, at
between 35 shillings and £3 (equivalent to £151
today) a week according to the time of year,
became an immediate success. Just as well since
the initial advert in the Daily Express cost £500 –
equivalent today to £25,000. Not only did the
holiday camp give an alternative to the hotels and
boarding houses, from whence came much
opposition initially, but dispensed with the
ignominy of being locked out all day regardless of
season or weather, experienced by Billy and the
inspiration for his holiday camps, having stayed
and suffered in such a place on Barry Island in his
twenties. After only two years, Billy’s second
holiday camp was opened at Clacton-on-Sea, an
excellent choice being the nearest seaside to
London.
Billy wasn’t entirely without experience of the
world of entertainment, since his mother Bertha
came from a family of travelling showmen. After
his parents split, Billy’s mother returned to
England with her two sons and rejoined the family
near Bristol. Billy travelled around the fair circuit
with his mother. On his return to England from
Canada, following his mother’s remarriage and
emigration to Toronto, he toured for several years
with the Hills, also relatives, and their Travelling
Fair, leading to Billy having his own travelling fair
in the 1920s. By 1935 Billy had amusement parks
in more than half a dozen towns from Mablethorpe
to Southsea and on the Isle of Man, and in 1969
the last to be built under his management was back
on Barry Island. Billy was awarded the MBE in
1944, knighted in 1964 and died of stomach cancer
at his Jersey home on 12 June 1980. Butlins was
sold to the Rank Organisation in 1972 for £43
million, who in turn sold Butlins to Bourne Leisure
Limited in 1998, who also own Haven Holidays
and Warner Leisure Hotels. Only Bognor Regis,
Minehead and Skegness remain of the original 10
campsites.
Another ‘Sir’ synonymous with holiday camps is
Fred Pontin, British through and through, having
been born on 24 October 1906 in Highams Park
(Waltham Forest), started his career as a
stockbroker, was involved in helping to establish
hostels for construction workers during World War
II, started his empire of holiday camps on the sites
of military bases in 1946 by buying an old disused
camp at Brean Sands near Burnham-on-Sea,
Somerset for £23,000, in 1963 opened 10
‘Pontinental’ camps in the Mediterranean where
two weeks’ holiday cost £50, by the 1970s had 22
camps across Britain, retired in 1978 after a
takeover by the bookmakers Coral for £56 million,
returned as President when the company was
bought by Newcastle & Scottish Breweries, was
knighted in 1976, died on 30 September 2000 at
the age of 93 and was reputedly the inspiration for
Joe Maplin in the Hi-de-Hi comedy series.
Pontin’s is currently owned by Britannia Jinky
Jersey Limited, a subsidiary of Britannia Hotels,
and has sites at Southport, Prestatyn, Camber
Sands, Pakefield and the original Brean Sands.
Did you know . . . ? February's answer
Rosalie pictured at Butlins in . . . Ed: Didn’t dare ask! (front centre looking at camera)
Shellrock Circle Club
For The Over 50'S of Rocklands and the
Surrounding Villages
13th FEBRUARY: Our speaker Denise Janes
gave a very illuminating talk on the funny side
of working in a Tourist Information Centre in
St. Albans. Although reluctant to return to the
working environment after returning from
Australia, she was encouraged to apply for this
job and was successful.
She enjoyed the job so much that she stayed for
29 years. Denise has a very quirky sense of
humour, which although hard to portray here,
enabled her to find any given situation amusing.
Her department had to help tourists and local
people to find accommodation, local places of
interest, pubs and churches, the homes of
famous people living locally, historical sites and
redirecting wayward travellers from many lands.
WHAT'S ON IN MARCH13th March This is an
"amuse ourselves" afternoon, so come prepared
for fun and games. The task will be to decorate
an egg. Meeting time 2pm till 4pm.
Now that unfortunately, Marion is unable to
continue to host the lunch club on the 3rd
Tuesday of the month, would one of the regulars
like to take over this job?
Please also note that our A.G.M. is on the l0th
of April, so if you would like to serve on the
committee, please contact our Chairwoman Mrs.
Joyce Briggs on 01953 452310.
Any outstanding payments for the ice show will
be collected on 13th March.
WE MAKE ALL NEW MEMBERS
WELCOMED.
Church Times and News The Wayland News Page 14
Watton Churches Together Service Calendar for March
St. Mary’s Church, Watton 1st, 3rd & 4th Wednesday at 9.30am Holy Communion 2nd
Wednesday Morning Worship. Church Office opens Tues, Wed & Thurs 9am-1pm. Tel: 01953 881252
[email protected] www.stmaryswatton.org
Sun 3rd 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am Holy Communion
Sun 10th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Mothering Sunday Service Sun 17th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion
Sun 24th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am All Age Worship
6.30pm Choral Evensong
Thurs 28th 7.30pm Group Service for Maundy Thursday followed by Vigil
Fri 29th 10.30am Good Friday Silent Procession of Witness
from the Methodist Church for 11.00am Service at St Mary’s Church
Sun 31st 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Easter Holy Communion
Watton Methodist Church Every Wednesday the Church is open for quiet reflection and prayer
between 10.00am & 12 Noon It’s your quiet place. At 10.30 there is a
half-hour Midweek Service in the Large Vestry led by the Minister or a Church Member. www.wattonmethodist.btck.co.uk
Minister: Deacon S Sowerby 01953 881035
Sun 3rd 10.45am Mr J Halstead 6.30pm Rev D Lloyd
Sun 10th 10.45am Mrs E Warby
6.30pm Mrs J Semmons
Sun 17th 10.45am Rev. M Pillay and Deacon S Sowerby
Holy Communion
6.00pm Songs of Praise at Thursford Sun 24th 10.45am Mr T Hey
6.30pm Rev.Pillay—Holy Communion
Fri 29th 10.30am Good Friday Silent Procession of Witness from the Methodist Church for
11.00am Service at St Mary’s Church
Sun 31st 8.30am Rev Pillay & Deacon Sowerby Holy Communion & Easter Breakfast
10.45am Deacon S Sowerby
6.30pm Mr J Winner
Roman Catholic Community Each Sat 5.30pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church (Not on 30th)
Holy Week Services at Our Lady of Pity, Swaffham
Sun 24th Palm Sunday (with blessing of palms) 8.30am & 10.30am Mass
Mon 25th 9.30am Mass
Tues 26th 9.30am Mass Wed 27th 9.30am Mass The Sacred Triddum
Thurs 28th Maundy Thursday
7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper with watching till 10pm Fri 29th 3.00pm Good Friday Solemn Passion of the Lord
Sat 30th 8.00pm Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
(No Mass at Watton)
Sun 31st 8.30am & 10.30am Easter Mass
Pentecostal Church, Dereham Road, Watton Children have their own programme during the
Sunday morning services Sun 3rd 10.30am “The Cross seen through the Eyes of Others...
Sun 10th 10.30am Mother’s Day Service
Sun 17th 10.30am “The Cross seen through the Eyes of Others... Sun 24th 10.30am Easter Family Service
Fri 29th 11.00am Good Friday Communion
Sun 31st 10.30am Easter Sunday Service “The Cross seen through the Eyes of Others...
St. Nicholas’ Church, Ashill Tuesdays at 10.00am Morning Worship
Sun 3rd 9.30am Lay Led Morning Worship Sun 10th 9.30am Mothering Sunday Service Led by
The Rt. Rev’d Jonathan Meyrick, Bishop of Lynn, with the
Consecration of additional land in the Churchyard Sun 17th 9.30am All Age Worship
Sun 24th 9.30am Holy Communion
Tues 26th 7.30pm Holy Communion Fri 29th 2.00pm Good Friday Meditation
Sun 31st 9.30am Easter Holy Communion
St. George’s Church, Saham Toney
Sun 10th 11.00am Mothering Sunday Service
Sun 17th 11.00am All Age Worship
Sun 24th 11.00am Holy Communion Fri 29th 10.00am Procession of Witness Leaves Wells Cole CC
For 10.30am Good Friday Meditation Sat 30th 7.30pm Group Service for Easter Eve
Sun 31st 11.00am Easter Holy Communion
S. S. Peter & Paul’s Church, Carbrooke
Sun 3rd 10.30am Benefice Service of Holy Communion
Sun 10th 10.30am Mothering Sunday Service & Holy Baptism
Sun 17th 10.30am Holy Communion Sun 24th 10.30am Lay Led Morning Worship
Wed 27th 7.30pm Holy Communion
Fri 29th 2.00pm Good Friday Meditation Sun 31st 10.30am Easter Holy Communion
St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington
Sun 10th 9.30am Mothering Sunday Service
Mon 25th 7.30pm Holy Communion Sun 31st 9.30am Easter Holy Communion
Breckles, Caston, Great Hockham,
Griston, Merton,
Stow Bedon & Thompson
Worship Calendar for February
Sunday 3rd March - 3rdSunday of Lent
10:30 am United Holy Communion Gt. Hockham
Sunday 10th March - 4th Sunday of Lent
9:00 am Mothering Sunday All-Age Service Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Griston
Mothering Sunday theme, posies for ladies, refreshments
Sunday 17th March - 5th Sunday of Lent
9:00 am Matins (BCP) Gt. Hockham
10:30 am United Holy Communion Stow Bedon
Sunday 24th March - Palm Sunday
9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Thompson
Holy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - 25th To 27th March
7:00 pm Compline Gt. Hockham
Maundy Thursday - 28th March
7:00 pm Commemoration of Institution of the
Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) Gt. Hockham
Good Friday - 29th March
10-12:00 am Messy Church Gt. Hockham
Creative activities for children aged 4 to 11 and their families,
brief worship, refreshments
12-3:00pm Seven Churches Pilgrimage:
12:00 Thompson, 12:20 Merton, 12:40 Griston, 13:00 Bring your
packed lunch to the Rectory; 13:45 Caston; 14:05 Stow Bedon;
14:25 Breckles; 14:45 Great Hockham
2:00 pm Gt. Hockham open for silent meditation, prayer
(Last station of pilgrimage)
Holy Saturday - 30th March
8:00 pm Service of Light on the Eve of Easter Breckles
Sunday 31st March - Easter Day
9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Stow Bedon
Sunday 7th April - 2nd Sunday of Easter
10:30 am United Holy Communion Breckles
Watton Food Bank donations will be received at all our
regular Sunday morning services.
PRAY AND PLAY
Wednesdays, 10:15 am, Caston Primary School Hall
For those of all our parishes with children aged 0-5. Short Holy
Communion, kiddies’ Christian songs; social & play time
‘THE WAY’ YOUTH GROUP (ages 11+)
Friday, 1st March, Meeting with other Church youth groups
7:00 pm, St. Mary’s, Watton
Friday, 22nd March, Meeting with other Church youth groups
7:00 pm, All Saints, Necton
Enquiries: The Revd. Bob Nichols: Tel.: (01953) 483222;
Email: [email protected]
SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEAS Hosted by St. Mary’s Church in March
Sunday 17th at Watton CCC 2.30pm until 4pm Please join us, a warm welcome awaits you and your friends.
Watton Bereavement Support Group Meetings - March
Wed 6th 2pm Tea and Chat at Watton CCC Mon 18th 12 for 12.30pm Lunch Griston Wagon & Horses
All Saints Church, Threxton
Sunday 10th March at 10 a.m. Mothers Day
Sunday 31st March at 10 a.m. Easter Day
Andrew Francis
Funeral Service
Telephone 01953 883 033
Watton’s Only Independent Family Funeral Directors
Pre-Planned Funerals
An alternative to the Pre-Paid Funeral plan is
Pre-Planned Funerals, where we can discuss all the
requirements of the Funeral either in the comfort of a
client’s own home or in our office.
We can store these details so that when they are
required we have them taking away a large amount of
worry and confusion from relatives.
We will also issue the client with paper work to
include in their own files confirming we have all the
details, there are NO CHARGES for this service.
Thought for the Month
Are You OK? By Pastor Roger Pawsey, Watton Pentecostal Church
How many times have you met someone in the street and they
have asked the question “Are you OK?” and just kept walking
not waiting for the answer.
Are you OK has become a verbal nod rather than an enquiry into
your health.
How many times have you asked someone are you OK and they
answer without thinking ‘fine’. It seems the stock answer to the
question.
A friend went to help a man who had been knocked down by a
car and was lying in the street with multiple injuries. My friend
asked the man “Are you OK”? The man answered “Fine” when
the truth showed that he was obviously not.
This wonderful enquiry about someone’s health has been terribly
devalued by modern life.
I read a story about a lady who felt the same way and decided to
shock the next person who asked the question. The conversation
went something like this.
Her friend said while walking past her “Are you OK?”
She said or rather shouted with alarm “I‘ve got to wake him up.”
Her friend, rather taken back replied “Pardon, what was that?”
She said again, “I‘ve got to wake him up.”
Her friend said “Who, what do you mean?”
She answered “When the disciples were in trouble in the boat the
bible says they went to Jesus to wake him up. I am going to go
to Jesus too!”
Her friend stopped and listened.
Perhaps you want someone to take the time to listen rather than
give you an insincere verbal nod. Well, shock them into
listening.
If you want someone to listen to you, why not wake up to Jesus;
you can meet him in church this Sunday.
Are you OK?
Diabetes UK In February we held a Coffee & Chat meeting. This is the type of
meeting that gives members a chance to air their views about any
subject they wish. We get to discuss various topics and gives both
the Committee and members a chance to have more informal
conversations and to put the world to rights!! As usual, the Watton
two had contributions to make - some sensible, some just ignored.
(The same as usual!!)
Our next meeting will also be another Coffee and Chat one, but this
will finish early at 11.30am, due to our annual lunch. We would
still like to extend a warm welcome to any new members who might
like to come along and see what we are like, Rod and John being the
exception!!
As usual, we will meet and the Pentecostal Church at 10.15am and
the date will be 11th March. We extend our warm thanks to the
Church for letting us use their facilities.
For further details of any of our meetings, please phone Helen,
01953 884714, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Advertising The Wayland News Page 15
Students from the Wayland Academy will get
their chance to shine when the Inspired Youth
Tourism Challenge takes place on the 26th
March. The academy is one of 10 schools
participating in the project this year, which
should see over 1500 students taking part
across Norfolk and Suffolk.
The student's challenge this year is to create
a new hospitality tourism business to attract
visitors to the region. Working in small
groups they will be tasked with creating the
winning concept to impress the judges, and
a chance to represent the academy at the
grand final later this year.
As part of the project local businesses are
being encouraged to come along for the day to
mentor the students as they create their
business plans. They will also get the chance
to form part of the judging panel overseeing
the pitches created by the teams.
Mr McCann, Assistant Head teacher at the
Academy values the importance of the
business engagement. “For many young
people, the world of business can seem very
remote and a long distance from the realities
of their own lives. That's why we feel it is
vitally important for our young people to
experience business situations face to face. In
the year when they choose their GCSE
options, we want all our year 9 pupils to
engage with businesses and start to think
about what it might be like to participate in the
world of enterprise in the future. By giving
them as many opportunities as possible to talk
to business leaders we help them to have
vision and a spirit of enterprise.”
So far the project has visited Hellesdon High
School in Norwich and St Benedicts High
School in Bury St Edmunds. The students
gave feedback on the impact of their day with
97% of them saying they valued the input of
the mentors and 88% saying they had gained
new skills.
The Inspired Youth project was founded in
2010 to create better engagement between
local employers and local schools. More
details on how to get involved in the Inspired
Youth project, and the schools participating
this year, can be found on the projects website.
www.inspired-youth.co.uk
If you would like more details about the event
In Wayland and getting involved on the day
please email Matt Buxton:
Steven’s
Almshouses Founded in 1840 and a part of
Watton's history, Stevens'
Almshouses Charity owns and
manages the terrace of four small
units which stands back from the
West end of our High Street.
Thanks to the devotion and care
of a succession of willing local
Trustees it has through many
generations continued in the spirit
of its founder to follow the terms
of the Trust to provide affordable,
if modest, accommodation for
residents of our town The original
Victorian accommodation was
very small, very welcome for the
times but thankfully we have
moved on from our residents
having to draw water from the
well, which it is thought was on
what is now part of the nearby
property's car park. Lef s not go
into the then toilet facilities !
The accommodation was extended
in 1975 to give kitchens and
bathrooms and provide night-store
electric heating. In 1983 the
whole property, as were others in
the area, became Listed and while
we must welcome the assured
preservation of the attractive
Victorian frontage and tiled roof
facing the High Street, complying
with the planning requirements
which even cover the C20th flat
roofed extension has added to the
cost and complication of recent
renovations, necessary both as to
maintenance and to try to afford
to bring forward from 1975
standards the facilities now
essential to the present.
Far from wealthy as are some
Almshouse Charities, prudent
management over the years
despite some periods of low
occupancy had given the Trust a
reasonable reserve of funds. This
with the help of Grants, both local
charitable and governmental, not
nowadays easy to get, have over
the past couple of years enabled
us to carry through a programme
of improvement . Apart from the
financial aspect this has been a
demanding task for the Trust and
we have so greatly appreciated the
local tradesmen who have worked
for us. The Trust has to keep a
balance between providing
affordable housing under the
terms of the Charity and having
an eye on future maintenance of
the historic fabric.
One of the four units is vacant and
is undergoing refurbishment.
When this is complete it will
become available for occupancy
and the Trustees will welcome
enquiries. Please do not hesitate
to make an enquiry either for
yourself or if you know of
someone who may be elligible to
take up residency subject then to
application to the Trustees. In the
first instance please contact Mr
Oliver Adcock, Chairman tel:
01953, 881350, Mr. Robert
Hardy, Trustee, tel: 882936, or
Clerk to the Trustees, Mr. Keith
Taylor, Tel; 881110. The units are
for single occupancy, there are
simple qualifications to meet and
the weekly cost is modest. We
shall be happy to discuss any
enquiry.
Keith Taylor, Clerk to the
Trustees.
Sixty members braved the wintry
conditions to attend the January
meeting to hear Peter Salt talk on the
making of Castle Mall in Norwich. An
excellent talk and slides that showed
the progression of the building from
the original cattle market site to a
modern Shopping Mall.
The thirty members on the visit to the
Jaguar Car Plant at Castle Bromwich
on Wednesday 27th February are
reminded that the coach will leave the
Queens Hall car park at 8.00am sharp.
We expect to have twenty active
groups for the New Year commencing
in March and this will be a record for
our U3A... A Leader is still required
for the Croquet Group which has
professional equipment and playing
facilities. This is only a seasonal
activity and any member who could
spare the time would they please
contact Barbara on 01760440178.
Details on all of our Groups will be
printed in the New Years member’s
programme.
The next venue for Allen Bickers Pub
Luncheon Group on Thursday 14th
March is The White Lodge at
Attleborough (near Peter Beales
Roses) and Brian Eulers Group The
Fox & Hounds at Weasenham on
Tuesday 26th March .
Susan Pages Garden Visit Group is
meeting on Sunday 31st March (Easter
Sunday) at Wretham Hall. Contact
Susan on 01953881373
Collection of the £20 all inclusive
Annual Subscriptions will continue at
the March meeting. Any members
who are not renewing their
membership are requested to inform
Anita at the meeting or on
01953881109.
Also now due is the final payment for
those booked on the Lakes Holiday on
the 29th April to 3rd May. Please
present your Lakes Itinerary when
paying to obtain a receipt.
The Annual General Meeting of
Watton & District U3A will be held on
Thursday 28th March at the C.C.C
commencing 2.00pm. Nomination
forms for Committee Members are
available from the Secretary.
Nominations close on Friday 15th
March. All members are requested to
attend.
The next monthly meeting is the
Annual General Meeting.
For further information on the
National U3A go to www.u3a.org.uk
Watton & District University of The Third Age
Wayland Academy's chance to shine
SSAFA News
Did you know that by the time you read this
there are only 3 weeks to Spring? And
very welcome it will be too.
Military Wives Choirs are still going strong,
even though we have not heard too much
from them lately. This such a feel good
story especialy if you are in the Military - as
we say now!
Not much is known about the role of the
wives of serving Servicemen and it can be
drear reading but it can also be up lifting.
When the men and women take the Kings’
Shilling a whole new life opens up in front
of them. It is challenging, exciting and
very very demanding. Their loyalty is to
Queen and Country and their loyalty to
family is often challenged even questioned
but the love and understanding their
partners make it easier to bear. Time was
when the silent partners were quite literally
that, and you had no identity you just
became wife of or husband of. No name.
You had no rights and your presence in a
Married Quarter and access to facilities on
camp e.g Medical Care, Dental Care was a
privilege not a right.
If you wanted entertainment, you had to
either provide your own or could use the
entertainment provided for the troops as
long as they didn’t mind. No going to any
of the Messes unaccompanied. So you can
imagine morale within the base could be
low when the husband or wife was away.
When Brittania ruled there were many more
places to serve, Hong Kong, Goa, Aden,
Canada and Nato bases in Italy etc as well
exercises and 24 hour Nuclear alerts. And
all the while the wives and partners are
home alone.
But there is one thing about the Good ole Brit
and that is their determination not to give in.
So along came WRS, still going today, Thrift
Shop, Wives Clubs, sports Clubs and in recent
years The Hive a club on most camps which
looks after Families and provides a meeting
point. And now, in the same tradition, are the
Military Wives Choirs.
Gareth Malone’s first impression of
Chivenor Camp Married Quarters, was no
exaggeration, MQs, like many housing
estates, can sometimes be bleak. The
MWC network has grown from 3 to over 60
showing the size of the ‘problem’ and they
are spread throughout the UK as well as
Germany, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.
There is now a Military Wives Choir
foundation which is a registered subsidiary
charity of SSAFA Forces Help. Its aim is to
bring women in the military community
closer together through singing. In practical
terms this means that when a family or a
regiment move to new camp the wives will
have their own network to welcome them in
as well as being able to raise much needed
money through the sale of their CDs for
SSAFA .
If you would like to help SSAFA Norfolk or
if you need some assistance, Please ring
01 603 403322 (Mornings only) and we will
help.
The Wayland News Page 16 News
THE WAYLAND NEWS Page space is allocated strictly on a first come, first served basis. Deadline is 12Noon on 16th of the month preceding publication
and that is the last 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 published, then please make sure it arrives in plenty of time otherwise you may still be disappointed. 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 8 Princess Close, Watton IP25 6XA
The e-mail address is [email protected] Views expressed in articles in The Wayland News are those of the
contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers or printers.
While every care and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy, the
publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.
This issue of the The Wayland News was published by: Julian Horn, 32 High Street, Watton IP25 6AE and
printed by
Sharman & Company Ltd, Newark Road
Peterborough PE1 5TD. Phone: 01733 424 949
WAYLAND EVENTS DIARY
March
Sat 2nd Dance Away at the Queens Hall. Ballroom Latin &
Sequence 8pm to 11pm Admission £4
Sat 2nd Inner wheel Coffee Morning at the Queen’s Hall 9:30 to
11:30 With delicious home made cakes and pastries.
Tues 5th Friends of Chernobyl’s Children Breckland Prize Bingo
Ashill CC eyes down 7.30pm
Sun 10th Taverham Brass at the Queens Hall. 2.30pm Tickets £8
from Edwards In aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Sat 16th Entrepreneurs Market, Watton High Street from 9am
Sat 16th Caston 3rd Annual Craft Fair 10am to 3.30pm See ad.
Fri 22nd Dixie Mix Jazz at the Queens Hall 7.30pm See Ad
Sat 23rd Saham WI Jumble Sale at Wells Cole CC, Saham
9.30 to 11am Entrance 30p
Sat 23rd 9.30am An Easter Coffee Morning at St Mary's, Watton
Wed 27th Inner Wheel Lunchtime Concert. Queen’s Hall
12 Noon Tickets £5
Thurs 28th Hot Cross Bun & Coffee Morning Saham Methodist
Church
April
Sat 6th Project Linus, Norfolk. Coffee Morning Watton CCC
10am to 1.30pm Raffle, Tomobola. Adm £1 See ad.
Sat 6th Dance Away at the Queens Hall. Ballroom Latin &
Sequence 8pm to 11pm Admission £4
Sat 6th St Mary’s Watton Quiz Night See ad.
Watton Wedding Fair The Acorn training room at Wayland House was packed with local businesses on
Monday evening for the first full planning meeting of the Watton Wedding Fair to
be held on March 23rd between 10am and 2pm. Suggestions and ideas flowed for
what, it was agreed, will be a unique event with the independent businesses of a
small rural community coming together in the market town to provide an occasion
which will both boost trade and benefit visitors from across Norfolk.
It was announced recently that the average wedding in 2012 cost between fifteen
and twenty thousand pounds – a whole year’s income for many people. While the
happy couple and their families save and plan to make sure the day is really special,
who is benefitting from this massive spend?
The Town Team wants to make sure that it is the local economy – ie: the many
businesses in Watton and the surrounding area, which offer the goods and services
needed for a wedding, which benefit from a share of the proceeds.
To date we have Marquees, cake makers, beauticians, photographers, classic cars,
florists, a piper, venues, gifts and much, legal advice and much more signed up for
the day. And to add to the enjoyment there will be a very special art exhibition by
Terry Palmer in the Dragonfly Gallery with the usual selection of unique gifts and
cards.
An exciting competition for the younger residents is also planned and there may
even be a celebrity or two.
This event is for anyone who is planning a wedding, a silver/gold/diamond wedding,
a birthday event or any kind of celebration. Watton and Wayland businesses offer a
friendly service and excellent value and there may
be offers and deals that you won’t want to miss.
If your business has not as yet signed up to take
part, it is not too late. Taking part is free and there
is space in the marquees for demonstrations and
displays, or you could offer a special window
display.
For more information contact Jan 01953 880202
[email protected] or Rosemary 01953 881270
Ishin Ryu
Ju Jitsu January has seen the children of Ishin
Ryu Ju Jitsu participate in a
sponsored "throw a thon" in aid of
Scotty's little Soldiers. The children,
aged from 8 to 15, threw each other
repeatedly for 30 minutes to raise
some money and awareness for this
worthy cause. On average each child
threw their partner 175 times and in
return was also thrown 175 times.
Every year the Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu
club founded by Kevin Pell Hanshi in
1990, chooses a charity to donate to,
having recently handed over cheques
in the sum of £37,738 To Help for
Heroes.
Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu have chosen a
more local charity to raise money for
this year. Scotty's little Soldiers is
based in Kings Lynn and aims to
look after the needs of children who
have lost parents at war. With close
connections to the military and boasting a
number of military Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu
clubs, this was a charity close to our
hearts and the children showed much
determination to complete their challenge.
Ishin Ryu Ju Jitsu's headquarters is
located in Caston, with clubs available
every night of the week in the Norfolk
area. Children's and adults classes
available at our purpose built Japanese
training hall (dojo).
For further information on training days
and times please contact Teresa on 01953
483795 or email [email protected]
Remembrance
Book for
Mother's Day A local funeral director has opened a special
book of remembrance for mums in the run-up
to Mothers Day on Sunday 10 March 2013.
Breckland Funeral Services on Norwich
Road, Watton, is encouraging the local
community to visit the funeral home and
write a memorial message for mums in its
book of remembrance.
The book will be available for people to
write between 10 am and 3 pm from
Monday 4 March until Friday 8 March.
Eirlys Johnson, Manager, Breckland
Funeral Service said: “Days of
significance, such as Mothering Sunday,
are times when people reflect and look
back and remember those they’ve lost. Our
book of remembrance will enable people to
leave a message and we hope it will
provide some comfort to relatives.”