The Wayland News March 2013

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 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

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


Please mention

The Wayland News

when shopping

with our

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.


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!!!!


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


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.


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

[email protected].

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


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].


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:

[email protected].


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

[email protected].

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.


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:

[email protected];

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).


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

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

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:

[email protected]

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 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

[email protected]

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.”

The Wayland News March 2013

Documents

Transcript of The Wayland News March 2013