BrandonTOWN MAGAZINE APRIL 2015

READ YOUR TOWN MAGAZINE ONLINE AT BRANDONSUFFOLK.COM

Brandon in BloomSee page 25

• More properties wanted for waiting tenants• Tenant finding service or full management

• All tenancies managed locally, not from a central office many miles away• Rents paid promptly to landlords (usually within 2 working days)

• All maintenance problems reported immediately and landlords’ instructions carried out• Member of ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents)

• Reasonable fees, no hidden extras • No VAT on fees

Tel: 01842 815777 Email: rentals@jwhichelow.co.ukNorthumberland House, 30 Bury Road, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0BU

Mark Skinner Funeral ServiceLocal Independent Family Funeral Business with over 35 years experience

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Visit www.markskinnerfunerals.org.uk or find us on Facebook, Twitter & Google+

Brandon OfficeTel: 01842 810534 (24 hours)

London Road, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0EWEmail: mail@mark-skinner.org.uk

Thetford OfficeTel: 01842 752197 (24 hours)

30 Bury Road, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 3DEEmail: info@mark-skinner.org.uk

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Call Mark on Mobile: 07931 375908thegascompany.mark@mail.com Office: 01842 813919

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A Red Indian said, “only the government could cut a foot from the top of the blanket and sew it to the bottom to make it longer”.

Have we just lost an hour, or is the valuable daylight a boon for you? However you view the clocks changing, it’s a much talked about topic each year.

In this edition we look at Glade Primary

School’s action day, Forest Academy’s packed sports timetable and IES Breckland teaming up with the Green Light Trust.

We also celebrate with Brandon Town Youth FC as their under 13 lads become league champions.

RegardsThe Brandon Town Magazine Team

Deadline for May issue 17th April

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained within this publication, the publishers take no responsibility for the accuracy of statements made by it’s contributors, in any advertisements or for any loss arising from non-publication of any advertisement. Reproduction of any part of this publication without

permission is strictly forbidden. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

To advertise your business please email magazine@brandonsuffolk.com

Welcome to Brandon

Conservatories, Windowsand Doors

open 7 days a week

3-4 Station Way, BrandonTelephone: 01842 813233or after hours sales 01760 721947also at Thetford Garden Centrewww.stylewindows.co.ukServing the Local community for over 30 years

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Our community garden is finished; the second weekend in March saw us put the finishing touches to the garden we have been working on since November.

This small garden has been completely transformed from an inaccessible gravel covered wilderness into a totally wheelchair friendly area. This has involved many local businesses who have donated materials to help us.

We replaced the house door with a wheelchair friendly style set, fences have been replaced,

a new brick and concrete ramp, shed, raised planters, shrubs and flowers, patio, outside water tap, electric points and remote controlled lighting; even the front garden has been fenced and laid with new gravel. All of this would have been impossible without the local businesses that helped us.

We have made a young wheelchair bound lady and her family very happy, thanks must go to all who helped and took part.

Later in the year we will be having an official opening.

5

Brandon & District Rotary Club

Local Elections 2015: On May 7th 2015 England will go to Election for Parliamentary Candidates, District Council Candidates and Town and Parish Candidates.

Becoming a Town Councillor: Anyone who meets the qualification of office for the town may stand. You need to be 18 or over on the day of nomination and be British or a citizen of the commonwealth or EU.

Further qualifications are:

a) You live in the town, your name has been on the electoral role for the town for which you are standing for the whole 12 months before your nomination, and/ or

b) You are occupying as owner or tenant any

land or premises within the town for the whole of the 12 months before your nomination, and/ or

c) Your main place of work including voluntary work has been within the town for the whole 12 months before your nomination, and/ or

d) You have lived in the town or within 3 miles of it for the whole 12 months before nomination.

Being a Town Councillor is a great opportunity to get involved in making real decisions affecting your local community.

To find out more please contact the Town Clerk, Christine Mason, on 01842 811844 or email brandontowncouncil@yahoo.co.uk.

Brandon Town Council Report

CARTERSBRANDON CARS

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7

Early March saw all the children of Glade taking part in a whole school Actions day. This was part of the school Learning Curriculum. Each term we focus on one area of learning behaviour:

GroupworkListening & SpeakingActionsDeterminationEmpathy

Our Actions day was a chance for children to learn a new skill. All of the staff led different role-play activities to develop the sort of independence activities the children will need at school and in the wider world.

They got to make sandwiches in the Sandwich Shop, iron and fold clothes in the laundrette, buy toys in the shop, visit the café, phone 999 in the Police Station, sew on a button in Mrs Reeve’s Sewing Shop and many more. Some children even learned how to deal with an unconscious casualty in the first aid class.

The purpose of the day was to develop the skills that will help the children become more

independent as they go through school and to embed classroom learning in a real life context. The day was hugely enjoyable and gave all of the children the chance to work with children from other ages. Our Year 6 pupils took on the role as group leaders and proved themselves to be excellent at keeping their groups fully engaged.

In other news, Glade celebrated World Book Day with pupils and staff submitting photos of themselves being caught in the act of reading. We had much fun and laughter looking at the images, especially some more unusual places that people choose to read in. Who knew that Mrs Reeve can read as well as knit at the same time? Or that Mr Hicks can read his football programme at the same time as watching his beloved Norwich City? You can see some of the photos on our Facebook page.

If you want to keep up to date with events at Glade follow us on Twitter: @glade_school, or subscribe to our Facebook page at www.facebook.co.uk/gladeprimaryschool.

Glade Primary School

L.A.M Home Improvements& Property Maintenance

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Border CarsPrivate Hire

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www.bordercars.com bookings@bordercars.com

VINYASA FLOW YOGA CLASSES

Monday mornings 9.30am - 10.30amMonday evenings 6.00pm - 7.00pm

£6 per class at Brandon Day Care Centre

6 Week Saturday Workshop - £559am - 10.30am at Brandon Day Care Centre

Contact Driekie on07970 566282

CHRONICLES OF BRANDON AT WARApril 1915

They say you don’t know what you have until it is gone. Well, in the Welsh Fu-siliers, who were billeted with us for five months, we knew we had something very special. On the evening of Sunday 18th April, they repaid our hospitality by treat-ing us to a rousing demonstration of their singing in St Peter’s church. They did not disappoint. We have had many different regiments stay in the town since war was declared. They come and go without much fuss. The Welsh Fusiliers were different. When word got out that they were going to depart from the town’s railway station at 8.30pm one night, the platform was heaving with well-wishers and the town gave them a proper send off.

I am sure you will see the irony in this next story. When war was declared, a young lad from Brandon, named Edgar Randall, volunteered with his mates to go off and fight. His mother, who lives on London Road, was beside herself. You see her hus-band died about three years ago and all three of her sons are off fighting. Her nerves had got the better of her and so she went off to stay with her married daughter in London, in hope of getting some respite. Trouble is, while they were at a cinema in the city a Zeppelin bomb struck the build-ing and the poor woman’s nerves were shot to bits. She returned home a proper wreck! It seems young Edgar received a few days

leave from his unit, who were training at Aldershot, and returned home to care for his mother. When he did not report back to his unit they communicated to Brandon’s police and asked them to make enquiries. The police, led by Inspector Mobbs, visited the lad’s mother and found Edgar. Edgar, to his credit, freely admitted he had overstayed his leave. However the police had no op-tion but to escort him to the police cells and await the arrival of the Military Police. Edgar’s departure from the town was poles apart from that of the Welsh Fusiliers.

Over in France our lads have not been re-ceiving the best hospitality. I will leave you with a couple of letters from a Brandon lad named Whitta...

“We are having one of the worst battles of the war now. The other night our men blew up a hill and drove out the Germans, but we lost a lot of men, hundreds, and the battle is still raging. The worst of all was our sand bags got shelled down, and two of us got blown yards twice, but never got hurt, only the wind knocked out of us. Two nights after that they shelled the same place again and killed the young fellow by the side of me. The shell hit him and he died in a minute and I had to bury him. He was only seventeen. He put up with something, as he was going sick the same night. He had great sores on his shoulders, and half an hour after he said he was going sick he got killed.”

“We have not had our boots off for twenty days. We have been up the firing line all the time and do not know when we are go-ing to get relieved. We look like being up here some time yet, as they cannot get the reserves up on account of the fierce battle raging. The fellows say the name for it... ‘Hell upon Earth’.”

www.brandonatwar.co.ukBy Darren Norton

9

BrandonCar Centre

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Brandon Car Centre72/74 High Street

BrandonSuffolk

IP27 0AU

T 01842 819999E sales@brandoncarcentre.co.uk

W brandoncarcentre.co.uk

Brandon Car Centre is an independant garage offering used car sales, service and MOT testing for cars. We service and repair all makes and models at competitive prices and guarantee all our work and parts for 12 months. Our technicians are all qualified and we have the latest diagnostic equipment which is continually updated.

Call us today on 01842 819999 for a quote or to book your car in for a MOT or service.

To view our current car sales stock list please visit our website at www.brandoncarcentre.co.uk

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11

1st Brandon Scout GroupTo join BEAVERS, CUBS or SCOUTS please contact the number below.

BEAVERS meet on a Monday 6.15 – 7.30pmCUBS meet on a Wednesday 6.30pm – 8pmSCOUTS meet on a Friday 7pm – 9pm

We meet at the Scout HQ on the Remembrance Playing Fields near the Leisure Centre.

If you are interested in helping as an adult we would like to hear from you.

Contact Group Scout Leader Lynda Smith on 01842 878765.

There will be no meetings during the Easter school holidays.

Ipswich based design and property consultant Concertus has been recognised for its work at The Brandon Centre, a new community hub that has revitalised an unattractive and uninviting area of the town centre.

In February, the project succeeded in becoming an Eastern Regional Finalist in the 2015 Civic Trust Awards. The Civic Trust Awards scheme was established in 1959 and recognises outstanding architecture and built environment projects, as well as schemes that are accessible to all users and have made a positive cultural, social or economic contribution to the local community.

Following on its heels, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) East of England has short listed The Brandon Centre under its ‘Community Benefit’ category, which recognises outstanding achievement in

providing a facility which directly benefits the local community. The winner will be announced at a special gala awards dinner at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday 6 May.

Andrew Rowe, Managing Director explained why these two awards are particularly significant: “Our ethos at Concertus is to work collaboratively and this industry recognition for The Brandon Centre is testament to this. The project involved us working in partnership and consulting with multiple clients who would all be occupying the finished building, as well as engaging with the local residents it was intending to serve. We are particularly proud that we have been recognised for the schemes success in benefiting the local community.”

Brandon Centre Work Recognised

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13

Sports Round Up from Forest Academy

Forest Academy has been enjoying a packed sports timetable this year with many firsts, individual and whole school successes. The Under 11s girls football squad set us off to a good start after reaching the semi-finals and securing third place in their competition. Next we were able to attend our biggest swimming gala to date, and managed to secure a respectable 4th place out of 12 schools from the Forest Heath district. There were many brilliant individual performances with Kyle Austin, James Peck and Leon Galler each winning their heats, and two Year 4 children successfully competing against Year 6s.

A week into this half term and we have had two big events. Our partner school Elveden Academy invited us to an inter-academy tag rugby tournament. This year has seen closely fought re-matches between the 4 classes from Upper Key Stage Two. A special mention must be made about Reid Cox, who won the ‘fair play’ rugby ball for sportsmanship and supporting his team. Once final scores were noted it was a tight race for first place, and Elveden managed to secure their first school victory and trophy by one try. We look forward to a re-match next year.

A mere two days after this, we took a mixed Under 11s basketball team to MCA for the second year, ready to learn from our first experience last year. The children played phenomenal, gripping basketball and secured a place in the final. Victories along the way included 16-2 and 14-2. The final was hard fought and after a 6-10 defeat we proudly took second place. We couldn’t be more delighted with the skills displayed, especially the girls who created amazing leads in their half of the game.

News from our Partner School Elveden Academy...

Last year Elveden hosted their first Tag Rugby tournament, and this year has seen a re-match with amazing results. Three teams from Forest Academy and a fourth from Elveden played each other twice, with impressive tag rugby demonstrated for all the supportive parents to see. An endurance- testing 90 minutes of play saw many tries scored, tags made and good sportsmanship display by all.

A special mention must be made about Ashley, who won the ‘fair play’ rugby ball for sportsmanship and treatment of his opponents. Once final scores were noted it was a tight race for first place, and Elveden proudly won their first trophy. Well done Elveden on your first of many victories!

Forest Academy

BETTSOF BRANDON LTD

Specialists in all types of fencing and gates

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Free estimates

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A traditional Plant Based Garden Centre

Perennials £1.80 each or 3 for £5

Shrubs £3.99 each or 3 for £10

Summer Bedding & Basket Plants In store now

Mr Fothergill’s tough lawn seed 500g £4.99 or 2 for £8

Vegetable Plants in store now Including Tomato Plants 75p each

Massive range of terracotta, glazed & plastic pots From 99p

Bamboo canes 3ft up to 8ft From 99p per pack

OPEN 7 DAYS A

WEEK

Brandon’s traditional plant based garden centre

P&R Garden Supplies

P&R Garden Supplies, Fengate Drove, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0PW

01842 814800 • www.p-rgardensupplies.co.uk

gardeningAPRIL

April is an exciting and busy month to be a gardener; however the weather can still be unpredictable. Beware of frosts in April, and keep vulnerable plants and new shoots protected at night if a frost is forecast. Garden centres and DIY stores (including here at P&R Garden Supplies) will be full of seasonal colourful plants. Containers and baskets are the perfect way to add colour to any garden, however the choice can be overwhelming and it’s difficult to know where to start. To create an appealing container remember the rule “thrillers, spillers & fillers”

Firstly there’s the plants you’re instantly drawn too, or ‘thrillers’. They are going to be the stars of your planting scheme, providing a central focus for any other plants you add. Thriller plants are generally tall and add height, structure and instant impact to the basket or container. Some examples for pots include: Canna Lily, Cordylines, and Goldcrest conifers. For summer baskets, choose a bushy fuchsia, Nemesia or a regal pelargonium (Geranium).

Then there’s ‘spillers’. These are plants that trail or hang over the edge of baskets or containers. Trailing plants keep container plantings in scale, and soften the edges of the container. In baskets, trailing plants such as Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny), Nepeta and Dicondra provide foliage that can trail 3ft or more! Trailing petunias (often called Million Bells or Surfinia) will be smothered in flowers and trail about 2ft. Bacopa (Snowflake) and trailing lobelia are also widely used.

Lastly we have ‘fillers’. These could be plants with interesting foliage or flowers that compliment, but do not distract from the thriller plant. Fillers are rounded or mounded plants that fill in the middle area of the container or basket. These plants bridge the tall thrillers and trailing spillers, add lots of interest, and showcase the focal points of the arrangement. Examples of fillers include

impatiens, coleus, begonia semperflorens, salvia, marigolds and ageratum.

When it comes to choosing colours, anything goes. You could choose to use plants of a single colour, or contrasting colours. Reds, Oranges and Yellows really brighten up a dull area, although I prefer pastel schemes of pinks and mauve’s. Or match the colour of the plants, to the colour of the container or basket.

Whilst containers and baskets look best when planted with all three types of plants, you can also choose a single plant for a container or basket, for example tuberous begonias, semi-trailing fuchsias or Petunia surfinia all look stunning on their own. Perhaps choose 3 pots of various sizes, plant a thriller in the largest pot, a filler in the medium sized pot, and a spiller in the smallest pot and group the three pots together.

As well as planting up containers and baskets here are my top 5 jobs for April:

1. Start to feed citrus plants.

2. Prune fig trees & trim faded flowers of winter flowering heathers.

3. Sow seeds of runner beans, sweetcorn, marrows, courgettes, squashes and climbing beans indoors in 3 inch pots full of seed compost.

4. Pinch out the growing tips of bedding plants such as fuchsias.

5. Feed, weed & mosskill lawns.

Whatever April brings I hope you get a chance to step out into the sunshine and enjoy the season as you tackle this month’s gardening jobs.

Rachel Sobiechowski BSc (Hons), P&R Garden Supplies, Fengate Drove, Brandon 01842 814800 www.p-rgardensupplies.co.uk

15

69 Crown Street, Brandon

01842 810523

We cater for all events including weddings, anniversaries & birthdays

10% discount on all takeaway orders over £15.00

Open from 5pm Tuesday to Sunday(Closed Monday)

www.asgharrestaurant.com

Brandon School of DanceClasses in ballet, tap, modern, freestyle,

street, contemporary & cheerleadingPrincipal: Kerry Shoop

Please call Kerry on 07864 025041 or visit our website for more information: www.brandonschoolofdance.com

(Ballet from 3 years, Tap from 4 years, Street/Modern/Freestyle from 5 years,Contemporary from 8 years, Cheerleading from 5 years)

www.terryh.co.uk07884 030826 email@terryh.co.uk

Website designOnline advertising

Social media marketingSearch engine optimisation

Product photographyBrochures and flyers

Brandon based online and offline marketing solutions for small to medium businesses

11

Brandon & District Photographic ClubDon’t look now but the sun is shining!! Time for us to get outside again and lie in the still wet grass taking photographs of snowdrops, crocus and daffodils!! So please join us at Brandon Camera Club and find out more about photography and how to catch that ‘special moment’. It isn’t necessary to buy the most expensive camera and equipment the market can offer; there are experts among us who can guide you to the cheaper options and still enable you to get wonderful results. We are always looking at innovative ways for us to test the waters before making that all important decision - “What camera shall I buy and which lens?”

Brandon & District Camera Club meet every other Wednesday at the Baptist Church Hall in High Street, Brandon at 7.30pm. The dates for the next two meetings are 1st April and 15th April.

On 1st April we are holding a Club Competition on photos we have taken at our ‘workshop’ evenings throughout this club year. What

better time to pop in and see what work we do and the results we get.

On the 15th April we are pleased to announce that Liz and Barrie Hatten, both professional photographers and East Anglian Federation judges are coming to talk to us about their recent trip to Spitzbergen and the photographs they took. They have been to see us before and we look forward to an extremely entertaining evening, professionally delivered. This event is open to everyone and if you would like to come please can you email denisewhiting@btinternet.com so that we have a rough idea of numbers. There will be an entry charge of £3 but I’m sure it will be well worth it. We have limited space, so book now!

You are welcome to visit our website - www.brandoncameraclub.co.uk - to find out a little more about us and view some of the images we have taken – and we look forward to seeing you very soon.

Denise Whiting - Club Secretary

Business Promotional Pack LaunchedA fifty page promotional pack has been launched in the West Suffolk area for those who have, or are considering setting up, businesses within the region.

The Inward Investment Pack (IIP) has been created to showcase all six towns covered by Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury councils, and contains case studies for a number of their most successful businesses. It is the first time that a promotional fact pack of this type has been made available in West Suffolk.

The IIP will benefit both existing businesses in the area who can use it as part of their own promotional material, as well as those who might be considering relocating to West Suffolk.

Cllr David Bowman, Forest Heath’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Tourism, said “The pack showcases West Suffolk as a place for growth, jobs, and

investment opportunities. Our council partnership has a strong track record of working with the LEPs to draw in Government funding. We have the 68 hectare expansion of the Suffolk Business Park that will create up to 15,000 new jobs, while the area will also see a huge increase in tourism next year with the opening of Palace House, Newmarket: the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art.”

Methwold Nursery SchoolLearning through play!

Open all year, flexible sessions to meet your needs, now offering funded places for 2 year olds

Monday to Friday 7.30 to 6pm Ages 2 - 8 yearsBreakfast, After School & Holiday Clubs

Call: 01366 728419 Visit: 39 Stoke Road, Methwold

www.methwoldnurseryschool.co.uk

LOCAL CHIMNEY SWEEPAll sweeps certificated

Flue fitting • Stove fittingClean and professional

Fully insured

Other services we offer:

www.phoenixecoplumbing.com

Please call 07506 683 354Ask for Ian

Phoenix Eco Plumbing

L.A.M ServicesCARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

PRESSURE WASHING PATIOS & DRIVEWAYSGUTTER CLEANING

Call Lee for your free quote today07762 497445 or 01842 814686

leemabey@hotmail.co.uk

Basic, Conversion & Refresher training on your premises(We specialise in Warehouse/Factory & Agricultural)

Tel: 01842 861871 or 07745 782451www.lakenheathforklifttraining.co.uk

ITSSAR Accredited Company

Remember it is a legal requirement to have youroperators trained, tested and certificated

Highbury Road, Brandon, IP27 0ND

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21

From the Principal

Year 6 students in the area will now know if they have been allocated a place at IES Breckland for September 2015. We have sent letters to all families to explain the transition process and we are looking forward to welcoming them to IES Breckland for the transition days 13th-15th July 2015.

There are some limited spaces available for the September year 7 intake. If you are interested in visiting our school please call the school office on 01842 819501 to arrange an appointment.

Ofsted Update

On the 9th and 10th of March we had an Ofsted monitoring visit by HMI Moodie. It went well and the official letter will be available on the school website.

Breaking New Ground

Together with The Green Light Trust we are aiming to create a tree nursery, an area of Brecks heathland, a ‘pingo’-style pond and a butterfly and bee garden within the school grounds.

The project will also involve field trips to a local woodland where students will collect seeds as well as the growing of tree seedlings and sharing young seedlings with other schools and with local community tree-planting projects.

Emphasis will be on the propagation of Scots pine trees so that they can be used to restore Pine Lines along field boundaries as part of the Pine Line Project.

The Breaking New Ground Scheme, run by the Suffolk based environmental educational Charity Green Light Trust, aims to work with schools to bring some of the features of the Brecks into their grounds in order to create new outdoor learning opportunities and increase the biodiversity of school grounds. Mr Foster, Assistant Principal, will keep everyone updated on this exciting project.

We have created a You Tube channel “IES Breckland” and you can view a short video demonstrating life at IES Breckland.

IES Breckland

A Fishy TaleWhen researching the sardine for this article I was quite surprised to find

that the sardine fishing trade is actually booming.Until now, the only time I had experienced fresh sardines was whilst living

in Gibraltar several years ago. At the time I assumed sardines preferred the warmer waters of the Alboran Sea but in fact those sardines probably came

from the booming Moroccan sardine trade where they are caught in the colder North Atlantic waters.

In this country the highest levels of sardines are fished off the Cornish coast.They are what is called ‘pelagic’ fish. This means that they don’t live near

shorelines or at the sea bottom but in all the aquatic areas between.Newlyn, in Cornwall, probably better know for its arts and crafts copper

ware, is the largest and busiest fishing port in England.Back in the late 19th century, Cornwall had a thriving export market, sending

most of the sardines caught to Italy. The sardines were cured in salt brine in granite tanks for several weeks. They were then removed from the tanks

and packed in wooden caskets, usually by women, ready for export.This practise carried on until the 1980’s, when health and hygiene

regulations insisted they be packed in boxes made from man made materials. Unfortunately, doing this drastically lowered the shelf life of the fish and for once, common sense prevailed and this practise was

abandoned, returning to the natural wooden packaging.The iconic Cornish pasty did originally consist of sardines. However,after the Second World War Britain experienced a proliferation of tinned sardines and

people embraced these as they were fish that had already been descaled and deboned.

Fresh sardines fell by the wayside, whilst the British public ate more and more ready to eat cod and haddock from the fish & chip shop and salmon

and tuna from the tin.Sardines are extremely good for you. They are very high in Omega 3 as well as high levels of iron and vitamin B. They also contain low levels of

mercury. Sardines are placed low on the food chain scale and the less a fish is consumed by another fish the lower the mercury levels will be.

In my opinion, sardines need very little doing to them in the cooking process to produce delicious results. Simply grilled or barbecued with a little salt and

lemon juice accompanied by some fresh baked bread is all you need for a wholesome snack.

Turning them into pate is quick and easy or make a simple fish dip by adding cream cheese, a little horseradish sauce, little mayonnaise and lemon

juice to boned fillets. Mash all together and servewith bread or vegetable crudités.

22

Beer Battered SardinesDepending upon the time of year, you may not be able to get your hands

on fresh sardines so this recipe uses tinned sardines. If you can get hold of them tinned in spring water or brine then this recipe works best. If, however,

the only sardines available to you are in olive oil, just rinse some of the excess off before preparation.

Ingredients1/2 cup beer (not dark)

1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup plain flour

3 3/4-ounce cans sardines1 lime

4 cups vegetable oil

MethodIn a bowl whisk beer and salt into flour until smooth.Drain sardines and pat dry. Cut lime into 8 wedges.

In a large, heavy base saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until a deep-fat thermometer registers 375°F.

Working in batches of about 8 and holding sardines at head end to avoid breaking, dredge fish in batter to coat completely, dragging lightly against

side of bowl to remove excess, and fry, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.With a slotted spoon transfer sardines as fried to paper towels to drain. Fry

lime wedges in oil until they begin to turn golden, about 30 seconds, and transfer to paper towels to drain.

Serve sardines with lime.

23

BRANDON TOWN COUNCIL

Do you ever find yourself complaining about things in your local neighbourhood?

Do you ever say ‘Why doesn’t the Council do something about it?

Are you prepared to try and change things and put something back into your community?

If the answer is YES have you ever thought about joining the Town Council?

Please contact the Town Clerk, Christine Mason, on 01842 811844 for further details.

Last autumn several members of the Brandon in Bloom team got out and about and prepared for spring 2015 by planting 6000 daffodil bulbs. As April comes upon us there is no doubt it was a project worth doing. As you walk or drive around the town you cannot miss the results. Hundreds of stalks with bright yellow heads have popped up all over.

The group formed last year and held the ‘Blooming Barrow’ competition as a way of promoting themselves and at the same time bringing a little brightness to the town centre. This will be held once again this year and we have barrows available for any youth group to be able to use. There is still a little money available and we will be providing a small budget for each group once again for the purchasing of some plants.

This year, the plans go even further. The daffodils were stage one. Stage 2 is to supply every child in the town with a sunflower seed & growing instructions, with the hope they will take them home and, where needed, get a little help from a family member to grow the tallest Sunflower. The height anticipated will be between the 2m to 3m mark. To promote a little rivalry a sponsor is actively being

sought to provide a prize to the child growing the tallest and also one for their school.

The In Bloom group will also be planting some sunflowers. The location is secret for now but should bring a smile to many travellers faces as they pass through the town.

Stage 3 is for everyone else. It is a ‘Best Container’ competition, with 3 classes. These will be under 16’s, home owners and small business. Displays are to be visible from the footpath and can be in any container. This is so you will not get disturbed at home and can let your imagination run riot. Will a local plumber be planting in an old toilet or bath? Maybe the shoe repairer might use an old boot. Suggestions for Mr Skinner direct to himself please! Whatever container you decide upon will only help enhance the town and, of course, the positive effect for the butterflies and bees will an added bonus.

Judging and measuring will be taking place in August.

The entry form for both the Blooming Barrows and Containers can be found on our website at www.brandoninbloom.co.uk.

25

Brandon in Bloom

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27

Cup Finals!

With the end of the 2014/15 season fast approaching, we enter a period where some of the teams are competing for honours or have reached Cup Finals. Our first two teams to have achieved this are our U13 and U15 Lads who both play in the South Norfolk Youth Football League and have both reached their respective League Cup Finals. It’s an excellent achievement for both teams as the U13 Lads have been re-built this season with both new players and new management; the U15’s are a brand new team built from scratch so a big well done to all involved!

The U13 Lads reached their Final after beating East Harling in the quarter final and then Diss in the semi-final; they then played League Champions Morley Youth in the Final. Brandon were the underdogs in this match but were the better side on the day and managed to win 3-0 with all three goals coming in the first half. Brandon’s first was a deflected own goal from a Luke Corbyn cross; the second saw Teddy Webber lob the keeper from twenty yards out before adding Brandon’s third, scoring from a tight angle after going one-on-one with the Morley keeper. Player of the match was Brandon’s defender George Elliston who had a fantastic game at the back.

The U15 Lads path to the Final included wins over New Buckenham, Garboldisham and Watton before seeing off one of the favourites - Thetford Bulldogs - in the semi-final. Their final was also against Morley Youth and although Brandon was superb on the night, the lads lost 1-0 with Morley scoring with five minutes to go. Brandon had the lions share of chances throughout the match, striking the bar in the first half and going through with just the keeper to beat on several occasions but it was just not their night. Both finals were played at the FDC Field of Dreams in Norwich and were very well supported by both clubs.

Walking Football

Thought your days of playing football were over? Think again because with walking football it’s never too late to make your football comeback! Walking football is a slow paced version of our beautiful game aimed at the “older” generation. If you’re interested in our weekly sessions get in touch for more information.

If you are interested in any if the above please contact our club Chairman or direct message us on Facebook or Twitter.

Along with players and volunteers, we are continually looking for sponsors and local companies to support the club, so if you are interested in seeing your name on the front of one of our kits or hoodies, please contact our Club Chairman Gary Rampley on 07716 188800.

Brandon Town Youth FC

Towards the end of February I had a call from Golf House Vets in Brandon, to say that 3 kittens had been handed in by a member of the public, having been left in a cardboard box in a car park in Brandon on a rainy day. The shocking news was that they were only 1 day old.

I am the hand rearer for Breckland Cats Protection, and I began round the clock feeding of these kittens every 2 hours. Sadly, despite my best efforts, one of the kittens died after 48 hours.

The remaining two male kittens are, at present, doing very well, and I am hopeful that they will survive.

But there was really no need for this to happen, for several reasons. When the kitten season starts, usually in early spring, we give priority to mothers and kittens. We would have taken a pregnant cat into our care, or we would have taken mother and babies into our care. Or we would have taken 6 week old kittens that were weaned into our care. Or we could have provided food for the mother cat while feeding her babies. And if the owners didn’t want to part with the cat after the kittens were rehomed, we would have paid to have her neutered.

So there is never an excuse for dumping kittens. All it would have taken was a phone call. Failure to do this cost one kitten its life.

You don’t have to be a cat lover to appreciate that these kittens didn’t ask to be born, and one thing I am sure of is that they didn’t deserve such a cruel start to their lives. And think of the mother cat - frantically searching for her babies. Another act of cruelty.

Thank you very much to the member of the public who promptly handed the kittens in at the vets.

Our telephone number is 01842 810018. Our website address cats.org.uk/breckland.

Rita Thompson

28

Breckland Cats Protection

Shop Front Grants AvailableIndependent businesses across West Suffolk can now receive a grant towards the cost of repainting the front of their shop or premises.

Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council which recently adopted a shop fronts guide, has now launched a shop front painting scheme.

Businesses can apply for up to 75 per cent of the costs of repainting the front of their premises. The scheme is available on a first come first served basis and is subject to terms and conditions including a maximum grant of £500 per applicant.

Cllr David Bowman, Forest Heath Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Tourism said: “A shop front is a business’s best opportunity to advertise and entice potential customers through its doors. A lick of paint could make the difference between whether someone simply passes by or discovers your business, opens the door and puts money in your till.”

To enquire about the shop front painting scheme contact Natasha Brockett, economic growth officer on 01638 719285 or email Natasha.brockett@westsuffolk.gov.uk.

29

Sudoku Code Word

Enter numbers into the blank spaces Each letter A-Z is represented by a number 1-26.so that each row, column and 3x3 Can you crack the code and solve the crossword?box contains the numbers 1 to 9. Every letter of the alphabet us used at least once.

Number Pyramid

Fill every box in the tower with anumber. The value in a square isthe sum of the numbers directlybeneath it.

Word Wheel

Find as many words as you can. Words must be at least 3 letters and must use the central letter. No letter can be used more than once. There is a 9 letter word to be found.Solutions can be found on page 31

PUZZLE PAGE

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Useful Telephone Numbers

Puzzle Page Solutions

Councils

Brandon Town Council (Town Clerk) 01842 811844 Forest Heath District Council (Main Switchboard) 01638 719000Suffolk County Council (Public Enquiries) 0845 606 6067

Health Services

Doctor - Brandon Medical Practice (High Street) 01842 810388Doctor - Forest Group Practice (Bury Road) 01842 810206Dentist - Apex Dental Care (Bury Road) 01842 812276Dentist - The Dental Surgery (High Street) 01842 812381Hospital - West Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) 01284 713000NHS 111 - Medical Help (Less urgent than 999) 111

Help & Advice

Citizens Advice Bureau (Brandon Office) 01842 811511Social Care Services (Customer First) 0808 800 4005Suffolk Constabulary (Non Emergency) 101

Utility Companies

Electricity - UK Power Networks (Fault Line) 08007 838 838Gas - National Grid Gas (Emergency Number) 0800 111 999Water - Anglian Water (24 Hour Leakline) 0800 771 881

Sudoku Pyramid Code Word

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9 letter word: pollution

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01842 813466Chilterns

We let our numbers speak for themselves

... we sold

£31,000 000 worth of of property in

2013.

We would like you to share in our success in

2014 .