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Wayland News digital on www.waylandnews.com Issue Number 195 - December 2012
Book Week at Westfield Infant & Nursery School
The children of Watton Westfield Infant
and Nursery School enjoyed a wonderful
enrichment experience celebrating Book
Week in November.
They have listened to a performing story
teller, walked to the public library,
enjoyed a visiting a theatre company and
learned lots about how books are made
and organised. The school is busy
developing their class book corners and
main library too. For Children in Need,
on the Friday of Book Week, every child
dressed as a book character and entered
into the national Fun Day.
How would you like over £400 to spend in
Watton High Street just before Christmas?
You would?
Well, the Watton Town Team thought so
too, and so we have organised our 2012
Christmas Crawl, and put up for grabs, in a
SINGLE Grand Prize, more than 20
vouchers, with a total value in excess of
£400 from many of our High Street
independent businesses!
Oh yeah, whats the catch? No catch but you
do have to be in it to win it!
All you have to do is to pick up a
Christmas Crawl entry form from our stall
at the 'Inside Out' market, or, if you cant
get to that, from Adcocks in the High
Street, after 1st December, and then visit
each of the participating businesses listed
and ask them to stamp your form.
That's it, that's all, nothing else. You don't
need to spend anything with the business
to get the stamp, though they would love it
if you did, just ask and they will stamp
your form for you.
Once you have filled it up with stamps
from all of the participating businesses,
return the form to Adcocks and put it in
the bin there for the Grand Draw.
The draw will take place at our Festive
Christmas Market on the 15th December,
when Father Christmas will pull the
winner's name from the hat . . . or
whatever size receptacle we can find if a
hat just isn't big enough
ONE winner will receive ALL the vouchers
which can be redeemed at the High Street
businesses who have given them.
Oh yes and if you have got a young one, put
their name down on the form because we
have 26 runner's up Pirate Treasure Chest
Prizes for them.
Businesses taking part this year are
Edwards, Adcocks, Grandma's Patch,
James Ball, Myhills, Lings, Doves, The
Bakehouse, Watton Plaice, Sandra's Cafe,
Total Health Pharmacy, Mark Bunning,
Top to Toe, Dutch Flower Parade, Steven
Smith Butchers, Amys Cards & Gifts, The
Golden Lantern, Studio Khyber, Little
Gary's, Spoilt for Choice, Smiths Clothes,
BWB Domestics and Buy Right (in
Rudlings old shop).
Please note vouchers can not be redeemed
for cash and certain conditions may apply to
some businesses (such as can not be used to
buy stamps or pay for dry cleaning etc.) may
apply.
Your local High Street businesses really do
care about you and you wouldn't want to be
without them now, would you?
Winner Takes All in our Christmas Crawl
The Town
Carol Service Churches Together are arranging the
Town Carol Service to follow on from
the Christmas Festive Market on the
High Street. The service this year is
going to be on Saturday 15th December
– 2.30 at Chaston Place and/or 3pm at
the SPORT’S CENTRE. The theme of
this year’s service is Looking for
Christmas? For those who want to
gather at Chaston Place (outside the Co-
op/Boots) we will begin with a couple of
carols followed by a short dramatic
presentation on the theme and then we will
make our way to the Sport’s Centre
through Nelson Court – you might even
want to join us on the way. For those
who would like to attend the carol
service only, please feel free to turn up
at the Sport’s Hall in the Sport’s Centre,
ready for the service to start at 3pm. The
change of venue is down to the change
of day, so do please come along and
bring a friend with you. In the hustle
and bustle of Christmas preparations it
is good to take time out and celebrate
what the festival is all about. It is a
slight change from the usual, but it is
going to be good and we look forward to
welcoming you to celebrate the true
meaning of CHRISTmas.
Any enquiries please to Rev.Geoff Garrett
881439 or Rev Steve Sowerby 881035.
Watton Senior
Citizens Party Takes place again on the 15th December at
Wayland Academy in Merton Road. Free
tickets will at Mullengers Estate Agents in
November and, as for so many years, the
evening will include good food,
entertainment from youngsters at the school
and the fellowship of old friends. With
around 100 people involved in looking after
our 200 visitors this is a true free community
event with the funding and staffing provided
freely from within the town and the school.
The first 200 will get the tickets for this early
Christmas evening, enjoyed by many over the
past 40 plus years.
The Wayland News Page 2 News
It is comforting to know that the
fallen are remembered world wide.
Bradenham resident Adrian Horn
is currently working in South
Sudan, from where he sent The
Wayland news following report:
The weather was hot and sunny,
and sweat ran down
my face – a different
story to the cool
weather we have been
having around
Bradenham and
Watton. It was only a
couple of days ago we
were having a bonfire
party at our house,
and now I am back in
Juba, in South Sudan
– thankfully this time
with my wife by my
side!
I am working there as
a senior justice and
security adviser,
trying to help South
Sudan build a police
service and help them
build a peaceful
nation. South Sudan
are only just
emerging from a long, bloody and
violent war, so memories are very
fresh in the minds of many.
I have worked in many African
countries, and it is humbling to
know that Remembrance Day is an
important day wherever I travel to.
I have had the honour of laying
wreaths on behalf of the
Commonwealth in Sierra Leone,
and have been reminded that many
people from Africa gave their lives
supporting us in fighting wars. So,
standing there in the heat in front
of the British Embassy at 11am on
the11th of the 11th was nothing
compared to what millions of
others have been through in the
name of peace.
It was best described as a family
service – a good number of people
from several countries and several
organisations, including the UN
who have a large presence here.
Perhaps the relevance today of
Remembrance Day is highlighted
by the fact that the British Officer
who led the service had buried
three of his own soldiers over the
last 6 years.
Ballroom at the Queens Hall
Ballroom, Latin and Sequence Dancing at the Queen's Hall, Watton on 5th January 2013 8 p.m. to 11pm admission £4
Laying of Poppy Crosses on War
Graves, Saturday 10th November
A short service took place at St
Mary’s Church Watton at 12 o’clock
to place the Poppy Crosses on the
War Graves in the Churchyard. This
Parade was attended by the Mayor
and Mayoress, members of Watton
Town Council, representatives of the
Royal British Legion, RAFA,
detachments of the Army Cadet
Force and the Air Training Corps
and members of the general public.
The Last Post and Reveille were
sounded and the Two Minute Silence
observed. It was very refreshing to
see the numbers of the general public
attending and a very good turnout of
both the Army Cadets and Air
Training Corps.
Remembrance Sunday
11th November The Remembrance Sunday events
for the Royal British Legion started
at 10.00 hrs at Merton Parish Church
where the Standard was paraded
accompanied by Mr David Sell and
Capt Glyn Bellamy.
The Standard, accompanied by Mr
David Sell and Capt Bellamy then
proceeded to the Tottington War
Memorial where the wreath was
laid by Mr Sell and the Exhortation
and the Kohima were spoken by
Capt Bellamy.
The parade on the Sunday afternoon
at the Thetford Road car park under
the command of the Parade Marshal,
Mr Pat Murphy, marched on to
parade at 14.30 hrs and after a short
service wreaths were laid by the
Mayor, representatives of RAF
Honington and USAF Lakenheath,
Royal British Legion and RAFA and
the various voluntary organizations
of the town plus members of the
general public. The Last Post and
Reveille were sounded and the Two
Minute Silence observed.
The parade then marched past the
War Memorial, the representatives of
RAF Honington and USAF
Lakenheath and the Town Mayor,
Mr Paul Cooper, taking the salute.
The parade was lead by the Band
of 864 Sqn ATC and proceeded to
St Mary’s Church, Church Lane,
where the main Service of
Remembrance was held.
Once again the members of the
Royal British Legion would like to
thank the Mayor and Watton Town
Council for their support, the
representatives of RAF Honington
and USAF Lakenheath for their
attendance and all the town’s
voluntary organizations.
The final Service for this
Remembrance weekend is at Griston
Parish Church where the Watton &
District Royal British Legion Standard
will be paraded by Mr Alan Chilvers.
It is at this stage that all members of
the Royal British Legion would like to
wish Alan all the best as he has a major
operation on his ankle on 20th
November and will be off the road for
approximately three months. We are
sure in this time that he will continue
to write poetry and we look forward to
seeing his latest offering!
Finally, it is to the general public of
Watton and the surrounding area that
the Legion’s thanks are given for their
overall support over this weekend and
we know that this is truly appreciated
by members of our Regular and
Territorial Armed Forces.
Ed: Video of this event is available on:
www.waylandnews.com
Remembrance Roundup People from four local villages
gathered at St Ethelbert’s Church at
Wretham for an annual
Remembrance Day service bathed in
brilliant sunshine.
The Wretham and Hockham Royal
British Legion standard was paraded
to the war memorial, where the
names of war dead from the four
villages were recounted by Maj.
Richard Wilson and wreaths were
laid by representatives from the four
parishes – Wretham, Hockham,
Larling and Shropham.
The standard was then taken into
church and laid on the altar while the
service was led by Mrs Jean Rolph.
A collection was devoted to the
Royal British Legion.
Wretham and Hockham Royal
British Legion Poppy Appeal
A collection of £237.70 at the annual
Remembrance Service for Hockham,
Larling, Shropham and Wretham ,
held at St Ethelbert’s Church,
Wretham, brought the total amount
raised for the Poppy Appeal in the
four villages to around £1600.
Wretham and Hockham Royal
British Legion branch chairman Maj.
Richard Wilson described it as “a
marvellous amount”.
War dead remembered at Wretham
Men who came to Britain from
Czechoslovakia and Poland during
the last war and flew bombers
alongside their English comrades
were honoured in an annual
ceremony at a village church in
Norfolk.
The 14 graves of Czech and Polish
airmen stand in the corner of St
Ethelbert’s churchyard at Wretham.
The men flew Wellington bombers
with 311 Squadron from the airfields
at Wretham and Honington.
The service was taken by the Rev
Canon Bob Baker, Rector of the
Thetford team ministry and
chaplain to Thetford RAFA, who
organise the event.
Wreaths were laid at the war
memorial outside the church gate,
including those from military
attaches at the Czech and Polish
Embassies, Mayor of Thetford Terry
Lamb, Parish Council chairman Paul
Adams, Royal British Legion, RAFA
and RAF Honington.
The 60 or so people who attended
went away with an extra memento
this year. John and Eileen Kitson,
who help publish a monthly news
magazine for the village, handed a
special issue to everyone, based on
the life history of Frantisek Binder, a
Czech rear gunner, sent to them by
his grandson and containing pictures
of his burial at Wretham in 1942.
Czech and Polish comrades honoured at Wretham
Remembrance World Wide
News The Wayland News Page 3
Christmas Coffee Morning with Crafts and Gifts
at St Mary’s Church, Watton Saturday 8th December
9.30am – 12 noon
Come and enjoy a coffee and browse our craft, gifts, cake and
produce stalls.
Watton Relief
In Need
Charity The Trustees of this Charity will be
meeting on the 5th December to consider
applications from residents of Watton for
financial support this Christmas. It is
hoped, therefore, that applicants will
contact the Clerk to the Trustees prior to
that date so that the Trustees can fulfil
their duties.
The Charity is an amalgamation of
Charities set up many years ago to
support those in need. The Trustees have
a duty to distribute the income of the
Charity to relieve, either generally or
individually, persons resident in the town
of Watton who are in conditions of need,
hardship or distress by making grants of
money or providing or paying for items,
services or facilities calculated to reduce
the need, hardship or distress of such
persons. Institutions or organisations
which provide or undertake in return to
provide items, services or facilities for
such persons may also benefit.
In the past few years, grants have, in the
main, consisted of support for the elderly
to help with the extra costs of Christmas
and/or heating costs. However, the
Trustees are most willing to consider
applications from other age groups
provided they are residents of Watton and
they are in conditions of need, hardship
or distress.
No preference is given to any section of
the community but there will be times
when applicants will be required to give
full personal financial details and provide
whatever information the Trustees
require before decisions can be made.
Any information given will be treated in
the strictest confidence. Persons who
have already given their details to the
Clerk should still apply if further help is
needed.
Applications for assistance should be
addressed to:-
Derek I Smith, Clerk to the Trustees.
Watton Relief In Need Charity, 39
Dereham Road Watton IP25 6ER. Tel:
01953 884044
Email: [email protected]
The ‘Inside
Out’ Market On December 1st, our
wonderful independent Watton
retailers are planning to ‘do
different’ in true Norfolk style
on December 1st. Many of
them will be emerging from
behind their counters and
setting up stalls in the High
street. They understand that
many people will want to shop
on line or in bigger retail
centres, but they also know that
they have a great deal to offer
their customers and so they are
going to make it easy for you.
So let your curiosity get the
better of you! Come and see
your familiar friendly
shopkeepers in the unfamiliar
setting of the stripy market
stalls; come and support your
local High street on December
1st (and then come again for the
Festive Christmas market on
December 15th!)
Ovington
Bazaar Come along to the village hall
between 12 and 3pm on
Saturday 1st December and
sample the delights of a
traditional Christmas Bazaar.
Pick up a bargain or two on the
gifts and crafts stalls which will
be crammed with ideas to
inspire your festive shopping.
We have a variety of games and
competitions to keep you
occupied and refreshments to
sustain you. Lunch is available
in the form of rolls or delicious
home-made soups, as well as
plenty of tea and cakes. The
competition for the under 16s to
design a Christmas card will be
judged at 2pm. Entry to the
bazaar is free and all proceeds
are divided between the Church
and the village hall.
Car Boot,
Carols and
Bingo all
at Ashill
Community
Centre There are some really good
events being held at Ashill
Community Centre in December
starting on Sunday 2nd with a Car
Boot from 9 – 12.30 (in aid of the
Community Centre).
On Sunday 9th at 3pm there is a
Carol Concert in aid of Cancer
Research UK with Watton Silver
band. Entry is £2 for adults and
£1 for children which includes
home-made cakes and there will
be a raffle.
And on Tuesday 11th there is
Cash Bingo with eyes down at
7.30pm and includes a raffle.
Do not fear,
the Christmas
Indoor Market
is here
Christmas is almost upon us and as
December the 25th draws ever
nearer, we all have that daunting
problem of finding the perfect gifts
for our loved ones.
I imagine by now you're all planning
that trek to do the big Christmas
shop? Well this year you will have
to look no further than your local
high school, Wayland Academy.
With the lack of the usual Watton
Festive Market, a group of local
young people decided that an indoor
Christmas Market would be an ideal
opportunity to bring that festive
spirit into Watton once again.
The school hall will be full of local
crafts people selling their unique and
beautiful gifts at affordable prices.
The organisers, whom are mainly
attendees of The Surge, will be
donating all profits they make to
Project Rainbow in aid of organising
more excursions for the young
people of Wayland.
The day will commence at 11.30am
and Santa will be arriving at 1.30pm
to meet and greet all the local
children in his grotto (photos of this
magical moment will be available
for purchase).
There will be a wide variety of stalls
at the event to suit everyone's desires
including: festive tombolas; hand
crafted jewellery and traditional
Christmas tree decorations.
If whilst browsing the market you feel
a little peckish there will be
inexpensive refreshments on sale:
cakes, mince pies and hot/cold drinks
are just a few examples of the snacks
available until the event closes at 4pm.
We all look forward to seeing you at
the event on Sunday the 9th of
December and would like to wish
those we do not meet on the day a
very Merry Christmas.
Three West Norfolk Community
Choirs are coming together to sing for
their audience who will be seated at
candle-lit tables on Saturday 15th
December at Swaffham Assembly
rooms. Starting at 7.30pm the evening
includes a glass of wine on arrival and
a buffet supper later on. People are
also encouraged to bring their own
wine and drinks to carry them through
the rest of the evening and the choir
members themselves are preparing
delicious delights for the food table.
Proceeds from this event will go to
‘Operation Smile’ that is a charity
providing free surgery to repair cleft
lips, cleft palates and other facial
deformities for children around the
globe.
Swaffham, Snettisham and Fakenham
Community choirs are part of an
initiative by their Musical Director
Carol O’Neill who founded Sing For
Wellbeing in 2008. “When singing in a
traditional concert setting we don’t get
to mingle with our audience so at this
special time of year we thought we
would do something different,” said
Carol. “It is also an opportunity for us
to do something for the unfortunate
children in this world who cannot
smile so readily.”
“We plan to sing a short repertoire of
Seasonal & Winter songs and then
hand out song sheets and invite our
audience to sing traditional Christmas
Carols with us where they are seated.
For the rest of the evening we will
socialise in a convivial setting.” She
continued.
This proves to be a popular event so
early booking is recommended.
Tickets are £5 and can be got from
The Green Parrot and Ceres Bookshop
in Swaffham, Sweets ‘n’ Things in
Fakenham and Scrappy Cat Crafts in
Snettisham. Tickets can also be
reserved by calling 01328 838316 or
by visiting
www.singforwellbeing.co.uk
Operation Smile for
a Christmas Soireé
Christmas Art
Exhibition
The Dragonfly Gallery proudly
present Christmas Art Exhibition with
a seasonal theme from Saturday 1st
December – Saturday 15th December
Dragonfly Gallery, Wayland House,
High St, Watton.
18 artists, mediums to include: acrylic,
mixed media, silk, pastel, watercolour,
oil, textile, jewellery and collage.
Please join us for a trip around the
Christmas Cornucopia. Housed within
the gallery is Dragonfly Gifts and
Cards – a small retail area to support
both the artists and the Gallery.
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
Rocklands
December
Bingo The next Bingo will be held at
Rocklands Village Hall on Wednesday
19st December. 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,
festive refreshments, raffle and a very
generous Jackpot on offer. All Proceeds
go to the Village Hall.
The Country
Market this
Christmas Country Market wishes all its
customers a Happy Christmas and
Prosperous New Year
All our producers thank you for your
custom over the past year and wish you
a very happy Christmas. The Market
will close for a well earned break in
January. We close at 11.30 a.m. on
Wednesday, 19th December, 2012 and
reopen at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 6th
February, 2013.
All customers coming to the Market on
5th and 12th December will receive a
free raffle ticket for a £10 voucher to
spend in the Market. The draw will be
made first thing on 19th December and
the winner can spend the voucher at any
time from then on. It can be used for a
mixture of items from our different
stalls - just tell the sales people that you
are going to use a voucher when you
make your selection.
Many lovely gift items are now
appearing on the stalls as well as all the
usual baked goods, produce, and fresh
eggs. Jewellery, small quilts, bags, tree
decorations, gift boxes, aprons, knitted
goods, including some really pretty
baby clothes, and some unusual gifts,
are all there for your interest and
delight. Greetings cards for all
occasions are readily available. Also
we hope to welcome our wooden
toymaker back for the last few weeks.
All our goods meet the high standards
required by the Environment Agency of
all retailers. You can buy from us
locally made products with the utmost
confidence in their quality and safety.
Happy shopping! Happy Christmas!
The Wayland News Page 4 News
Norfolk Wildlife Trust
To ask a question about the Norfolk’s Wildlife please call the Norfolk Wildlife Information Service. Wildline 01603 598333 9am - 5pm Mon - Fri.
E-mail [email protected] Website http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/naturalconnections
Further details and Membership enquiries 01953 498467 Local group E-mail: [email protected]
Tuesday 18th December, 7.45pm-10pm In Search of Wild Orchids. A talk by Roger Jones, followed by Seasonal refreshments and raffle. Venue: Watton Christian Community Centre, 57 High Street Watton. Cost : Members £5 Non-members £6
Councillor's
Chat
With Michael Wassell
I am sure that we were all inspired by
the determination and success of our
British Olympic and Paralympics
athletes earlier this year. Now a new
generation of budding athletes will
have an opportunity to discover where
their sporting talents lie, thanks to
Breckland Council’s 2012 Olympic
Legacy Sportivate courses.
Running during November and
December in Attleborough, Swaffham,
Watton and Thetford, the courses offer
a variety of sporting opportunities for
residents aged 14 – 25 years. Young
people inspired by Britain’s cycling
success can try out the ‘Virtual
Velodrome’, an extensive workout
where young people can pit their wits
against the world’s finest cyclists in
virtual on-screen races. Other courses
include boxing, archery, table tennis,
dodgeball and trampolining.
The Sportivate courses have been
organised by Breckland Council in
partnership with Active Norfolk and
local schools, clubs and activity
providers. There are six sessions for
each sport and participants can attend
as many of these as they wish. The cost
is £2.50 per session and anyone
attending five of the six sessions will be
entered into a prize draw to win a £30
Amazon voucher.
For more information about the
courses, call Stefan Clifford on 01362
656870 or look for sports information
on the Communities pages of the
Breckland Council website
www.breckland.gov.uk.
Breckland Council is helping the old
and vulnerable stay warm and well this
winter.
The Council is working with partners
across the District 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.
Keep Warm and Well is a joint project
between Breckland District Council,
the county council, the NHS, and the
voluntary sector.
I have arranged for packs to be
available for collection from Watton
Town Council offices, and I am
grateful for their help in this matter.
These should be ready for collection by
the time that this article is published. If
anyone requires any information on this
please do not hesitate to contact me.
I was very pleased to represent
Breckland District Council at the
launch of an innovative programme
aimed at achieving a greater number
of new business starts throughout the
district. In collaboration with Norfolk
County Council, Enterprise Norfolk
in Breckland will provide people with
the necessary skills, knowledge and
confidence to take that big step into
starting a business and to potentially
turn an idea into a reality. The
program is free of charge and
individuals and businesses that sign
up to Enterprise Norfolk will benefit
from continuing support from
Breckland’s Economic Development
Service.
Enterprise Norfolk in Breckland will
include:
Training on things such as writing a
business plan, self-assessments,
financing, marketing etc.
One-to-one mentoring from business
coaches and mentors,
Advice and guidance from business
start-up professionals,
Awareness raising events; and much
more.
Courses, events and meetings will be
held in Watton and the other 4 market
towns in Breckland. For more
information please contact Dan Cox of
Breckland’s Economic Development
Service. ([email protected] or
01362 656235)
During the recent “Could We Should
We” meetings that were held
throughout the district, I was
encouraged that the attendance at the
Watton meeting was the largest at any
of the 5 events. You will have seen the
results that have been widely publicised
and are available on the Breckland web
site www.breckland.gov.uk.
I think that many were surprised at
some of results in particular that nearly
80% of the respondents felt that it was
appropriate to raise council tax, in order
to meet the current financial constraints
that all district councils throughout the
country are facing.
Part of my responsibility as a Cabinet
Member at Breckland is Finance, and I
am acutely aware of the pressures that
we are facing, in terms of providing
value for money. I have emphasised
these pressures to our representatives in
national government, meeting several
times with George Freeman MP, who
has confirmed his support, and who
will reinforce the representations that
we have already made at a high
Ministerial level. It might be of interest
to learn that if one were to move a few
miles or so along the road to Hingham
instead of paying £64.05 to Breckland
as a Band D council tax payer, you
would pay £130.68 to South Norfolk
District Council. The refuse bins there
must be gold plated! On a more serious
note, I want to assure residents that
when we produce our spending and
income proposals we will take into
account the main points that the public
have raised.
If you would like me to keep you
updated on what is happening in
Breckland then please email me with
your contact email address and I will be
pleased to do so. This will be the last
time that I write before Christmas , so I
just want to take the opportunity to
wish everyone, a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year, which I hope
brings all that you wish for.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if
you feel I can be of assistance on any
Breckland District Council matter.
My contact details: Email:
Phone: 01953 882884 or 07778 491569
Regards to all Michael Wassell
Diabetes UK We held our A.G.M. at our November meeting
and 18 members attended. We have had quite a
successful year, which included an extremely
generous cheque for our group, proceeds from
two of our members opening their gardens to
the public, (despite a problem with the road
outside their houses), and monies raised from
the carnival etc. We thanked all those who have
helped us over the past 12 months and members
both new and old - John & Rod!!! We also
thanked the Church for all they do for us and
how accommodating they are to our
requirements. The Committee stood down and
was re-elected back "en masse".
Our final meeting of the year will be on
December 10th at 10.15am. This will be our
Christmas Party and rumour has it that we could
be lucky enough to receive a visit from Santa
himself. Maybe if he brings one of his little elf
friends with him, they could help with the
washing up again!!!
If you would like details of this meeting, or
about the group, please phone Helen, 01953
884713, leave a message and I will get back to
you as soon as I can.
On behalf of Ron, myself, Susie, David & Jill
may I wish all our members and all readers A
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New
Year. We look forward to meeting mor new
people in the New Year.
He gives twice
who gives quickly Did you know the motto for SSAFA FH and
what does it mean?
Well this applies throughout life don’t you
think?
If your child is crying or upset the quicker
you can give them a kiss and a reassuring hug
the sooner they will recover and learn how to
cope.
If someone is unwell, the sooner you can give
them comfort and maybe a lift to the surgery
or to the hospital the better for them.
If one of your family is in financial trouble
the sooner you can give them a red one (£10
note) to tied them over the sooner you can
relieve their worry.
The sooner you put the bird feeders up in the
garden the sooner the birds and their young
will be ready to face the winter months.
If someone has worries and concerns the
sooner you get the kettle on and give them
some time to talk the sooner they can get
over their upset and try to get on.
The sooner you put anti freeze in your car the
sooner it will feel the benefit in the cold
months
The sooner you get your flu vaccination the
sooner you have the protection . you need.
The sooner you plant your Spring bulbs the
sooner you can go out in the New Year and
look for the first signs of end of winter.
And the sooner you contact SSAFA (Norfolk)
with your donation or with your request for
assistance the sooner SSAFA FH can help you,
your family or someone you know.
SSAFA FH are here all year round, not just at
Christmas. We are here to answer your call when
you need help and we will do it sooner rather than
later. Tel 01 603 403322 (Mornings)
SSAFA FH (Norfolk) wish all good Seasons
Greetings and a Happy and safe New Year.
Christmas Coffee Morning with Crafts and Gifts
at St Mary’s Church, Watton Saturday 8th December
9.30am – 12 noon Come and enjoy a coffee and browse our
craft, gifts, cake and produce stalls.
News The Wayland News Page 5
Ashill Youth Club
Christmas Fair 2pm Saturday 15th December
Ashill Community Centre
Raffle ~ Tomboloa ~ Cake Stall Games and Santa in his Grotto
Refreshments
To donate a prize for the Tombola or Raffle etc. please contact Mark on 01760 440 577
Great
Hockham
Gardening
Club Our club meeting on Wednesday 14th
November was attended by 25
members. Our Chairman, Ed, welcomed
everyone and introduced our speaker,
Barry Gayton (right), radio and
Countrywide Question Time broadcaster
whose garden, Desert World we will be
visiting in August. His talk, entitled
‘Weird and Wonderful’ was really
interesting and his photographic
presentation showed incredible
deviations and intriguing gifts of nature.
He brought along examples and plants
to buy too. He was also a great asset for
our own ‘Question Time’ problems.
We now have 3 competition
opportunities each meeting, a flower, a
fruit or vegetable and a seasonal
photograph, garden or nature inspired.
The winners for October were Flower:
1st Claudine Garrod, 2nd Jane Dalton,
3rd Jill de Ruyter; Veg/Fruit: 1st Chris
Halford, 2nd Sue Cunningham. 3rd Sue
Thomas; Photo: 1st Jane Dalton, 2nd
Chris Dalton
Hazel will take in orders for Fothergill’s
seed merchants at the December
meeting, from which we should get a
40% discount if we order up to £100 in
total.
Everyone was reminded to sign up for
the Annual Dinner at McTaggarts on
January 30th. Also please book in
advance for the Clematis Pruning at
Thorncroft Clematis Nursery on Sat
16th February. To book or for more
information please give me a call.
Our next Club meeting is on Wednesday
12th December and is a Quiz Night and
Social evening.
Teams of 4 to 6 max. Free to members.
£3 non-members.
Members are asked to bring along a
plate of finger food to share also a Xmas
raffle prize. Drinks provided.
It is an ideal time to join our club, 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.
Look us up on our website:
www.greathockhamgardeningclub.org.uk
We would like to say how super the new
kitchen looks in the village hall and how
nice it is to have such improved facilities
for everyone who uses the hall to enjoy.
Well done to everyone concerned.
We would like to take this opportunity
to wish everyone a very happy
Christmas and all the best for the New
Year. Jane Dalton (Club Sec. Tel:
01953 498694)
Because of the election of Police
Commissioners we had to hold our
November meeting a week early on
8th. Our speaker was Coral Hoyos
from Gooderstone Water Gardens and
her talk was a fascinating mix of
history and the current gardens.
The Water Gardens were started by
Coral’s parents when they retired
from dairy farming. We were shown
a slide of a small herd of cows in
what appeared to be a very wet field.
This led to the youngest son’s
suggestion of a ‘river walk garden’
to keep Dad occupied.
Billy Knights (Dad) was so taken by
this idea the plans he drew up had to
be done on a roll of wallpaper.
Bearing in mind that Billy was 69 at
this stage, to get these plans up and
running and organise all the
machinery to dig out waterways and
ponds must have been as much hard
work as farming.
He made friends with the late Alan
Bloom who became a valued adviser
as Billy had no formal training. All
the while Coral showed us slides of the
progress of the gardens. Sadly they
became derelict after Billy’s death but
she inherited the 6.5 acres and in 2002
began a very tough restoration.
Not content with this area she
expanded the gardens to incorporate an
8acre natural area for wildlife. This
area is accessed via 13 various bridges
across the waterways, one of which
features in all her publicity material
and is called the Monet Bridge. Not
surprising if you see a photo of it! All
these bridges needed rebuilding.
The many slides showed us plants in
huge drifts but nothing exotic. The
sheer talent of putting the right plant in
the right place makes it all look
stunning and some of the varieties
have turned up all by themselves.
Coral has left these in many places as
they are obviously happy where they
are. This is the kind of gardening we
all do only on a rather grander scale.
What a nice surprise when some water
gardens tend to be terribly formal with
hard landscaping between ponds.
Thank you Coral. It was a real
pleasure. It was good to share the fun
with her as she (like all our speakers)
was asked to judge the mini-show.
Luckily she likes confectionery as this
month’s show was 6 pieces of
confectionery to give as a Christmas
gift, with one piece for the judge to
taste. The winner was Barbara
Steward with Anne Marie Haskey 2nd
and Sheila Sorrell 3rd. All the entries
looked delicious and must have been
so as Coral thought she’d like to go
round again to be sure! What a star.
We ended the meeting with Geoff’s
Tips which included plant bare root
trees and shrubs, prune apples and
pears by a third, remove hellebore
leaves and much more but you’ll
have to come to a meeting for the
full monty.
Marianne Kilmartin, Chairman
Bradenham & District
Horticultural Society
October’s guest speaker
was Allan Hale who gave a
presentation on “A Birder’s
Year in Norfolk” and
featured many spectacular
photographs from his own
garden in Beachamwell as
well as other parts of the
county.
Starting with winter birds,
he began with the familiar
pheasant and partridge
found in local gardens and
then moved on to the pink
footed goose, from Siberia
and Iceland, which are
found on the north Norfolk
coast. Allan not only
photographs birds but also
rings them, a process that takes
three years to secure a licence.
Using nets, he captures birds such
as the waxwing and goldcrest and
carefully weighs and measures
them before applying the ring. He
revealed that greenfinches have
become far less common in recent
years: he used to ring 400 of them
each year but a digestive disease
spread at bird feeders has reduced
numbers to about a quarter of this.
Blue tits and great tits readily
nested in garden nest boxes but he
advised members to ensure that
these boxes did not face the
prevailing wind and rain from the
south and west. The goldfinch was
probably the most common bird in
Allan’s garden and thrived on
niger seed from his many feeders.
In the reed beds on the north coast
wigeon and coot were common
winter birds. Starlings were
declining in number but are more
common in winter and some travel
from as far afield as from 300
miles the other side of Moscow.
Turning to springtime visitors,
Allan showed pictures of several
birds that are found on the coast at
that time such as the bearded tit,
sanderling, mediterranean gull,
avocet and black tailed godwit. He
showed a dramatic sequence of
photographs depicting a bittern
seeing off a heron that had strayed
into its territory. He finished this
section of his presentation by
showing several attractive
photographs of owls and kestrels.
Allan warned that gulls on roofs
were becoming a considerable pest
in places such as King’s Lynn in
early summer. Here in the docks
area could be found the spectacular
peregrine falcon with its three to
four foot wing span. In fact, he had
helped to place a metre square nest
box on a high building there and
falcons had used it by year three,
the first time these birds had bred
in the area for 150 years. He also
featured the ring plover,
woodcock, willow warbler and
wren as common at this time of
year. Members were surprised to
see that the kingfisher was little
larger than a house sparrow. Sedge
warblers and marsh harriers could
be found in wetland habitats in
summer and now buzzards were
more common at this time of year
over Norfolk. Woodpeckers, jays
and robins were also featured, the
last of these starting life with dirty
brown plumage before developing
their red breasts.
Autumnal visitors to Norfolk Allan
mentioned included the swallow,
hobby, knot and oyster catcher.
There were now breeding colonies
of egrets at Holkham and King’s
Lynn. By November tree sparrows
can be found although they are
becoming rare; snow bunting can
be seen at Cley and Salthouse. In
December waders and ducks are
common at places such as Wells,
as well as curlews and brent geese.
Allan finished by defending the
much maligned sparrow hawk that
is often seen as responsible for
killing garden birds such as the
blackbird and blue tit: he argued
that these two common birds
produced about 14 offspring
annually but about 12 of these are
destroyed by cold and starvation as
well as sparrow hawks before the
next breeding season, with the
sparrow hawk only being
responsible for helping to harvest
the surplus; certainly they are
infrequent visitors to his garden
where he rings several hundred
birds each year.
Allan concluded his presentation
with a humorous quiz which
perfectly completed a delightful
and informative afternoon for
which he was warmly thanked.
Ashill and Holme Hale
Garden Club
Chris Warren won the best single stem
flower competition, a stunning dahlia.
December AGM for the
Ovington Gardening Club The November meeting was given by Mrs A Bridge on the subject of
'Colour, Chaos and Curry'. This was a very interesting travelogue of a
visit to India and Sri Lanka which showed the differences in attitude to
road safety, hygiene, animal welfare and many other issues. This talk
was totally different to normal and was very well received by members.
The December meeting is the Annual General Meeting and will be
held at 7.45pm on Wednesday 5th December in the village hall.
There is an informal meeting following the AGM and the
programme for 2013 will be available as well as refreshments
provided by the committee and friends.
The Wayland News Page 6 News
Ashill Community Centre
Car Boot Sale Sunday 2nd December
£6 per table
To book a table please contact Mark on 01760 440 577
Refreshments & Tombola in Hall
At last the weather turned a little
kinder in the middle of November.
Just for a day or two but it enabled
us to get out and tidy a bit. There’s
always a difference of opinion at
this time of year regarding tidiness.
One school of thought likes to ‘put
the garden to bed’ for the winter
with neatly dug beds and borders,
no weeds and all the fallen leaves
gathered and disposed of in proper
mesh bins or bags tucked in corners.
Another one thinks ’oh leave it till
spring - it’ll all die down anyway’
or ‘the dead stalks and seedheads
look wonderful covered in frost‘.
This view has a lot of merit as all
the dead stuff lying around gives
cover to small mammals and insects
(and slugs and snails). Then there’s
the middle ground. This bunch digs
as seems to be necessary to get rid
of perennial weeds and veg that will
never amount to anything after the
summer we had and leaves the
leaves on bare soil or sturdy plants. I
have to admit to belonging to this
last group and enthusiastically
embrace Monty Don’s advice on
Gardeners’ World the other week
that leaves can be swept off paths or
grass back under the shrubs or
hedges that dumped them in the first
place. Why didn’t I think of that
before? I bet most of you already
knew that but never told me.
Here’s the thing, if you tidy up a bit
then you have a little room for
something else. Now’s a good
planting time either for now or
spring. Bare root shrubs planted
now will flower next spring/
summer, probably better than those
planted at the time from containers.
You have to have faith in the
suppliers though as the only
information you have is in the
catalogue, on the website and/or on
the label. Container grown shrubs
are usually sold in flower so you
know exactly what you are getting.
Winter flowers tend to be on shrubs
or at ground level. Taller things
have the sense to wait until the
threat of heavy snow or gales is
pretty much over. Whilst browsing
for the Christmas Tree and lights
and shiny things to go on it it’s
worth having a look at garden
centres and sheds as they will all
have racks of plants for sale.
Pansies, violas and hardy cyclamen
are all available in December and a
cheery sight they are too.
Ornamental kale/cabbage plants
have become more popular over the
years and I have to say they are a bit
‘Marmite’ as one either loves or
hates them. They do pep up a
container though and have the
advantage (if you don’t much care
for them) of becoming very tatty
once spring starts so can be
composted with a clear conscience.
The shrubs that flower between the
end of November and February tend
to have small flowers that pack a
punch of scent. Winter honeysuckle,
wintersweet, Viburnum x
bodnantense ‘Dawn’, some
Daphnes and witch hazels all come
into this category and really need to
be planted near a path or doorway
so you can get the benefit of the
perfume. Some can be a bit
overpowering and spread the scent
far and wide. If that’s the case enjoy
something that someone else has
planted! If you are fortunate enough
to have a reasonably sheltered fence
or wall facing south or west you
could try draping it with clematis.
‘Freckles’ is probably the first one
developed for scent and availability
but new varieties are coming along
all the time. To get the best ones for
flowering in winter it might be best
to contact a specialist grower or
look on the internet. To list them all
would take up even more of Julian’s
space!
The best advice for winter - keep off
the lawn! The next best advice for
Christmas time is don’t buy tender
pot plants and poinsettias that have
been outside shops or on market
stalls for hours. They’ll get chilled
and won’t last long.
The advice I keep for the New
Year’s resolution list, every year, is
to tidy up the shed, garage and
greenhouse. Then clean tools, trays
and pots and store them neatly. I do
mean it but when it comes to it on a
cold and miserable day…
A very Merry Christmas to all and
do remember if you can get outside,
keep weeding!
In your garden with Lotta Potts
Gareth Malone has shown the
nation that Choirs can change
peoples’ lives and Swaffham
Community Choir runs on the
same principles. The Choir is
once again opening its doors to
new members as it moves into
its 5th year and offers everyone
the opportunity to sing for
wellbeing in a warm welcoming
group where auditions are not
necessary. Starting on 8th
January the 12-week term runs
on Tuesdays from 7pm – 9pm at
the Sacred Heart School on
Mangate Street and is accessible
to all ages and abilities.
“There is nothing like a
Community Choir for forging
friendships and having fun,” said
The Choir's founder and musical
director Carol O’Neill who has
been running choirs and groups
for 18 years. “The sessions are
designed to introduce people to
their own voices and enable
them to blend with others to
produce stunning results but no-
one ever has to sing on their own
unless they choose to.”
“Over time a great sense of
wellbeing and belonging develops
when a Choir works together to
achieve something that they
wouldn’t have thought possible.
Choir night becomes sacred to
many people because it adds
another dimension to their lives.
Singing is also a great way of
improving your health as the lungs
expand to support the heart,
oxygenating the blood, nourishing
our organs and lifting the spirits,”
continued Carol.
People who are interested in
belonging to the choir should call
Carol on 01328 838316 or visit
www.singforwellbeing.co.uk
Gareth Malone style choir
takes on new members
Watton Medical Practice
Winter Newsletter
Thank you to all of the patients who
have taken the time to complete our
latest Questionnaire. 366 patients
returned the surveys and the feedback
has been interesting, constructive and
given us a clear idea where we need to
improve.
Thank you also to the members of the
Patient Liaison Group who agreed the
initial survey and who took the time to
come into the surgery to act as
independent survey takers!
The latest survey means that with the
one done earlier in this year in the
summer; we have surveyed over 600
patients regarding the appointment
system and the surgery.
The results have been very conclusive.
95% of Patients said that the
appointment system worked for them.
90% of patients who expressed a
preference said that they would
recommend the practice.
90% of Patients are either Very
Satisfied or Satisfied with the care they
receive at the surgery
Areas for Improvement are mainly
around communicating the methods
and application of the existing
appointment system
Some patients did not know that a
phone call can be with a GP of choice.
Some patients told us that they did not
know that they can ask for a mutually
convenient time for a return phone
call.
Some patients did not know that phone
calls can be booked in advance for
early morning (Tuesday or Thursday)
or late evening (Wednesday).
Especially to assist those who are busy
during the day or have difficulty
receiving a call in normal working
hours.
Some patients have requested more
information on how the appointments
system works.
Some patients did not like having to
inform the call taker of the reason for
wanting to talk to the doctor.
We will aim to continue to produce
newsletters and information for our
patients and to try to disseminate the
information to as wide an audience as
possible, via newspaper, Parish
Magazine, local outlets, in surgery,
through personal distribution, and on
our website.
If you would like to receive the
quarterly newsletter by e-mail, please
pop your details into reception.
We also hope that many of
you will receive this
newsletter and be able to
spread the information to
those who do not have
access to it; to answer some
of the survey’s comments,
the details of the
appointment system are as
follows:
1. Phone in to the surgery
01953 881247, throughout
the morning to ask for an
appointment.
2. If you would like to speak
to a specific doctor or have a
specific time frame for the
return call, please make it
known to the call taker.
3. If you choose to do so (it
is not compulsory) please
give an indication for the
reason for your request to
the call taker, it may help
the doctor.
4. The doctor will call you
back and will discuss your condition
with you the patient, and together you
will agree an action plan. This may
include an appointment at the surgery,
medication, tests, referral, wait and
see, or a mixture of all of these.
5. It may be appropriate for the doctor
that you speak to, to book you an
appointment with another doctor or the
nurse practitioner, this is making the
very best use of clinical resources at
the practice
6. If you require a follow up
appointment, the doctor will discuss
this with you and if necessary the
doctor will make the appointment
themselves.
Finally and as an important note, we
do not have trainee doctors in the
building. Every doctor is fully
qualified but we may have doctors
who are continuing their training and
gaining experience whilst at the
practice.
The GP Appointment System - frequently
asked questions I can never get to see the doctor. Just
phone in to the surgery and the doctor
will call you back. If you need to see
the doctor, the doctor will organise it
with you. The discussion regarding a
plan for your health will be made
between you and the doctor.
I can’t get an appointment with a
specific doctor. Just tell the
receptionist your preference and they
will offer you a telephone call-back
with the doctor of your choice.
I don’t want to tell a receptionist
what is wrong with me. No-one has
to tell the receptionist what is wrong
with them, patients can say “Personal”
However, if you feel able to give a
brief reason for the call, it really does
help the doctor.
I can’t book in advance to see a
doctor. If you need to book a
telephone call-back in advance, just
tell the receptionist and they will
organise it on a mutually convenient
date in the following 2 weeks.
I work so I can’t have an telephone
appointment. You can specify a
convenient time for us to call you
back. We also offer early morning
calls on a Tuesday and Thursday and
late evening calls on a Wednesday,
which can be requested.
News The Wayland News Page 7
The picture above shows pupils of
Watton Westfield Infant and
Nursery School who have been
enjoying their new Musical
Garden Area. It has chimes, a steel
pan, a percussion stick, a
xylophone, a staging area, a story
chair and will soon have lovely
planters and a set of drums.
The school would like to thank the
Friends of Westfield, Wayland
Partnership, QTR, Mr and Mrs
Orford and EMI for their generous
grants and donations that made
this facility possible.
A very generous elderly Watton
couple, Mr and Mrs Orford gave
money for the project originally
and have recently donated a
further £1,500 to buy more. The
school would like to offer their
sincere thanks to Mr and Mrs
Orford for their kindness and
generosity.
Pupils of Watton Westfield Enjoy a
New Musical Garden
Watton Town Team launches plans for
an exciting 2013 in Watton High Street
The past year or so has brought
difficult times to the retail and
service sectors in every town, but
it is the independent shops in small
market towns such as ours that
have been the hardest hit. In recent
months the Town Team, formed
earlier this year to try to address
the problems facing local
independent traders, has been
working hard to make a difference
and they have some really positive
ideas to keep local
shoppers coming into the
High Street and to attract
visitors from outside the
Wayland area. The Town
Team has produced a
programme of events -
Wayland Weekends - for
2013 which they believe
will help to increase the footfall in
the town, if they can market and
publicise them well and make
them happen successfully.
How can Wayland News Readers
help?
First of all talk about what is
happening in our High Street
(which of course includes the old
Thetford Road, Norwich Rd and
Middle Street); word of mouth is
always the best form of advertising
– so tell your neighbours, and if
you are a part of the digital world,
tell your friends on Facebook,
tweet and re-tweet your followers
on Twitter; start a positive
conversation on Streetlife.
Secondly we need people who do
their shopping somewhere else, to
change their habits. We need to be
able to show existing retailers that
there is a loyal customer base and
that will also encourage potential
new retailers to take up space in
the High Street.
So what is the Town Team
planning?
Across 2013 they are planning a
series of themed events that will
highlight and promote as many of
our shops and services as possible.
For example almost every retail
business and most of the services
could be involved in the Wedding
Weekend in March because they sell
gifts or services for newlyweds and
those setting up a new home.
A Book Event which might include
quizzes and competitions to delight
the younger generation might focus
on the Bookshop, books stalls and
the library but through window
dressing and competitions would
bring shoppers into most High Street
businesses.
Similarly a ‘High Street in Bloom’
event could give a wonderful focus
to the High Street in summer with
flower and plant arrangements
everywhere. And to help manage the
cost to the Town Team Wayland
News readers who are gardeners and
allotment holders might consider
growing flowers and plants to help
with this event.
The following programme which
still at the planning stage and
which has been discussed with the
retailers, includes a wide variety of
themes to attract the interest of a
wide range of groups. It is not yet
set in stone as the final dates may
depend on a number of factors
beyond our control.
March 23rd (or 30th Easter Sat)
Wedding Weekend (An
Easter celebration for those
planning a wedding and/or a
new home)
April: Motorcycle event in
association with Lings.
May 4th (Bank Holiday
weekend) or 11th Wayland
Book Week For Adults and
children a Story Book Window
Competition Promoting our Book
Shop & the Library and Reading
June 22nd/23rd Classic Car
Weekend – Cars everywhere
July 13th The High Street in Bloom
– Shops and streets full of flowers
promoting our Florists
September 14th: Wayland Healthy
Eating Week Health Fair/Food
Festival/Food demonstrations
October 5th Wayland 40’s
Weekend Recalling our WWII
Heritage, Rationing, RAF Watton,
the Blenheims, the ‘Yanks’
December Celebrating Christmas
Please contact Beryl (882265) or
Chris (881234) of the Town Team if
you need more information or are
able to help.
High Street Saturday Markets 1st December - The ‘Inside Out’ Market
Come and meet some of the High Street
businesses you might never have visited!
15th December Entrepreneurs’ Market
and Charity Christmas Market
Watton blind people
need your help Norfolk’s leading charity for people with poor
sight is appealing for help to run its monthly
audio book club in Watton.
The Norfolk and Norwich Association for the
Blind is looking for a volunteer to lead the club,
which is held on the first Wednesday of each
month at Watton Library.
The charity’s leisure co-ordinator, Mark Smith,
said: “Audio books are a wonderful way for
people who can’t cope with print any more to
continue to enjoy the world of literature.
“We need someone perhaps with a literary
background, or a former teacher to lead our
discussion group in Watton to co-ordinate lively
debate and opinion, and make a real difference to
the lives of visually impaired people in the area.
“It’s only an hour and a half a month, but it can
be very rewarding.”
Ring Mark Smith on 01603 629558 or e-mail
[email protected] if you can help.
Macmillan Coffee
Morning Thanks Jenny and Dave Simons would like to thank
everyone who supported their coffee morning
by attending or by donations. The total raised
was £442.50, which included £103 from the
Esso Garage who had put a collecting box in
their shop on the official Biggest Coffee
Morning day. Many thanks to their customers
and our helpers on the day - Sue and Trevor
Bunce, Stella Leonard, Jill Beech, Lesley
Cowling, Pam Challand, John Carter and
Penny Simons.
The Wayland News Page 8 News
Watton Hockey Club Christmas Bingo Weds. 5th December in the Gallery Bar
Doors open 7pm, Eyes down 7.30pm
Great Prizes - Everyone Welcome
The Watton Society celebrated the 20th
anniversary of their annual quiz in the Queens
Hall on 7th November. Mr Peter Walmsley
again showered the evening with wit and
information whilst being a generous and
kindly question master. Once more a very
close contest resulted in “The Team with no
Name” retaining the coveted wooden spoon
trophy with 148 points. However “The Likely
Lasses” ran them a very close second with 144
points, and they themselves were only 2 points
up on “Rotundas” with 142 points. Shown
holding the SPOON are Mr Barry Bethell, Mrs
Judith Bethell, Mrs Nancy Robert, and Mr
Daryl Woodward. This team now have an
unbroken run of 4 successive wins. We
should not forget the spirit of the evening in
that each and every team entered is very much
appreciated by everyone attending the event.
The “Co Operative” team manfully accepted
the prize for propping up the others and they
were as much applauded as any other for their
entry. Bryan H Wykes
(Vice Chairman Watton Society)
The Watton Society Quiz
Inner Wheel Club of Watton News
Since the last publication of the Wayland News,
the members of Watton Inner Wheel Club have
been busy. Very busy. The October meeting took
the form of a Cookery Demonstration by Ray
Lock who showed the ladies how to make exotic
desserts – Black Forest Gateau and Hazelnut
Meringue – in time for the Christmas Season.
Wine was served and the delicious desserts
sampled by those present.
November 2nd saw the return of the regular Barn
Dances organised by Inner Wheel. A good
company enjoyed trying to follow the Caller’s
instructions and dancing to the music of
Shinanikins. A Ploughman’s Supper was served
and the evening, which included a raffle, realised
£214 for Charities supported by the Club.
The following Wednesday the Queen’s Hall was
packed for the first of a season of Lunchtime
Concerts. The President welcomed the popular
‘Westend Waiters’ to entertain the audience and
they were ably supported by local Drama Group
‘Four by Four’. Following the Concert, which
was hugely enjoyed by those present, lunch was
served. After expenses, this event added a further
£372:66 to the Charities Account. In the evening
two teams from the Club took part in the Watton
Society Quiz.
The Club meeting in November was attended by
the District Chairman, Maria Raynor. After the
business meeting, which included making a
Christmas donation of £100 to each of the
following charities – The Thursday Club,Tapping
House Hospice, Nelson’s Journey, St Martin’s,
PACT, the Salvation Army and Star Throwers,
Maria gave an interesting talk entitled ‘From
Chieti Scalo to District 8’. This traced the journey
of her family from post-war Italy to Saffron
Waldron. She also outlined her hopes for Inner
Wheel and congratulated the Club on all
activities. Maria was thanked by President Jenny
Simons who presented her with a gift and a
cheque for her chosen charity ‘Acorn House’
On Tuesday 13th November 4 members attended
the District meeting at Diss.
Currently the ladies are preparing for the
Christmas Coffee morning on December 1st.
This will feature stalls, Tombola, raffle, and
delicious home made cakes and pastries.This
event supports Inner Wheel charities and the
Queen’s Hall maintenance fund. The ladies are
also rehearsing for the next Lunchtime Concert
to be held on December 12th at 12 noon, when
they invite everyone to join them for a Christmas
Celebration followed by lunch with a decidedly
festive theme. Both events take place in the
Queen’s Hall and tickets for the latter (£5) are
available from Mullengers. Proceeds for charities
supported by Inner wheel.
District Chair, Maria Raynor receives a gift from Watton President, Jenny Simons (right)
West Norfolk
Aviation Society For our last meeting of this year our
members gathered together in our usual
venue, Methwold Social Club, and were
royally entertained by one of our
members, Andrew Barnes, who gave an
illustrated talk on aviation over the last
one hundred years. Included were
brilliant illustrations and pictures of
aircraft portraying the growth of the
aircraft industry and the rapid advances
that have been made in aircraft design
and particularly performance during the
century of powered flight. Andrew was
warmly applauded and thanked for his
detailed research.
We shall be taking a break over
December to allow members to fully
involve themselves with their families
during the festive season and will
reconvene on Tuesday January 8th at
7.30 at the usual venue, where we shall
have the much travelled raconteur and
aviation expert, Chris Lucas, as our
guest for the evening.
All are more than welcome to come
along and enjoy the company of fellow
aviation enthusiasts. Or visit our
website: -
westnorfolkaviationsociety.co.uk
Local contact is Rod Rumsby on 882246
for more information on forthcoming
events and directions for finding
Methwold Social Club.
Chamber
Commentary
By Norman Wilson, Chairman of
Wayland Chamber of Commerce
There are a number of things happening
in the Wayland area and beyond that we
should bring to your attention. Firstly
the Town Team, initiated by the
Chamber, are running another
Entrepreneur’s market on 15th
December. This is the Festive market
with charity stalls as well with Middle
Street closed and Father Christmas
visiting as well!
There is some news on the general
business front. Changes are planned on
Business rates. At the moment the
business rates are collected by Breckland
on behalf of the government, the police
and the county. The government then
distribute the money back to local
authorities in grant. The government
plan to change this in the future. So
Breckland will be encouraged to
promote business to benefit from a
larger business rate base.
The government have announced that
they are postponing the 5 yearly
revaluations of business rates which
are based on rental potential.
Currently business rates are paid on
the valuations relevant in early 2008.
These were the high point of rent
valuations. It is in all our interests to
seek the government to rethink this
move!
A number of business rate payers do not
know that you can firstly check your
business rates to see if you are valued
correctly compared with others and the
currently use of the space see
http://www.2010.voa.gov.uk/rli
If you have a rateable value below a
threshold you can apply for a rebate
contact the Anglia Revenues Partnership
who manage the rates for Breckland.
Finally we are starting to see the effects
of the governments green deal for
businesses. This will enable qualifying
energy saving investments to be paid for
through the saving on the utility bill
without any outlay. In the next blog we
will explain more about this.
News The Wayland News Page 9
Wells Cole CC Christmas Bingo
Tuesday 18th December Prizes and Cash
Doors open 6.45pm eyes Down 7.30pm
Watton Rotary
Roundup The Rotary Club of Watton & District
celebrated the 68th anniversary of the
granting of its Charter by Rotary
International with a dinner in the Queens
Hall, Watton On Friday 12th October.
Rotary District 1080 Governor Trevor
Sayer and President of the Inner Wheel
Club of Watton, Mrs Jenny Simons, were
the official guests of honour; also in
attendance were the presidents of the
Diss, Swaffham and Thetford Rotary
Clubs.
After the dinner, President Peter Semlyen
presented the District Governor with a
special replica of the rare 1080 District
Banner designed by Pugin originally
produced as a limited edition in 1995 (see
picture), The evening was rounded off by
a great performance by the much-in-
demand, Watton Rotary-based West End
Waiters, who raise money specifically for
research into Motor Neurone disease, as
suffered by tone of the performers.
Two weeks later we hosted “Jazz at the
Queens Hall” which, for their 8th
appearance, featured DixieMix, the jazz
band gaining recognition as one of the
very best in the region. With the raffle, a
sum of £650 was raised, which goes into
our fund dedicated to the many local,
national and international good causes we
support, as frequently reported in these
columns.
On Saturday 15th December we plan to
have a stall on the Town Team’s market
in Middle Street, where we will be
offering some high-class and Christmas
related bric-a-brac. Father Christmas has
once again asked us to help with his
Christmas Day deliveries this year and
we have agreed to make the
arrangements. To have presents
delivered on Christmas day simply take
them ready-wrapped to either Watton or
Saham Toney Post Office by midday
Monday 17th December. Parcels should
be clearly marked with recipients name
and full address, including a postcode to
help pinpoint the precise delivery
address. There is a small cover charge of
just £1 per item, payable when
depositing parcels.
Wives of the Light Dragoons, who are based
in Swanton Morley, have created a charity
Calendar to raise money for the Light
Dragoons Colonel’s Appeal. The Calendar
features a series of amusing photos of
themselves wearing army kit and running the
army camp whilst the soldiers are away.
The women, whose ages range from 20s to
40s and have no previous modelling
experience, are contributing towards the
Charity which aims to give enduring support
to Light Dragoons wounded on operations or
in regimental service, to their families, and to
the families of those killed on duty.
One of the calendar's campaign organisers,
Justine Plant, whose husband Sam is the
Commanding Officer of the Light Dragoons,
said the models, who have 51 children
between them, were inspired by their
husbands' bravery. "As wives of the Light
Dragoons we are more than aware of the
risks our husbands take when deployed, and
as a small, family regiment where we all
know each other, when any of our soldiers
are injured it affects us all. For this reason the
Light Dragoons Colonel's Appeal is close to
our hearts. We wanted to do something to
show our support.
A group of 29 of us have got together to
produce an amusing - we hope! - calendar
which depicts us running the army camp
while our husbands are away. We have had a
great deal of fun putting it together, and hope
people will support us by buying it - and that
they will enjoy what we have produced!"
The calendar has been a totally Light
Dragoon affair, with ex Light Dragoon Chris
Jelf, now a professional photographer, giving
up his time to take the photos. In addition
Jenni Sime, a Light Dragoon wife, who runs
her own graphic design company, donated
her time to make the calendar look fantastic.
The 2013 Calendars cost £5 and from mid
November and will be available from various
outlets across Breckland and can also be
bought on-line via the Light Dragoons
Colonel’s Appeal website:
www.ldcolonelsappeal.com
The wives will also be selling the calendars
at the Light Dragoons Welcome Home
Parade on 5 December in Dereham. For
further information relating to the parade
including road closures, bus changes and car
parking see www.lightdragoonsparade.com
Calendar girls take over jobs for the boys! Hackers,
Tackers & Stuffers We continue to hack, tack and stuff with
great enthusiasm. Judging from the
results the apron demonstration was a
popular choice with several finished
articles shown at the following meeting
with others still in progress. Most were
designated as Christmas presents for
family members of various ages. We had
a successful Linus workshop in October
with another planned for 19th November.
The trip to the Fabric Guild on 18th
October yielded some lovely fabric
bought at reasonable price now laundered
by volunteer members ready for more
Linus quilts. I believe there were a few
personal purchases as well.
On 27th November there will be a
demonstration of how to make an
appliqué roll suitable for storing and
transporting small planned projects.
At the meeting on 11th December we
will enjoy tea or coffee and mince pies
with our usual ‘lucky dip’ of needlecraft
related surprises provided by
participants. Amazingly we will not be
meeting on 25th December. Our first
meeting of 2013 will be on 8th January.
This will be our AGM when
subscriptions are due. This is also when
we plan the programme for the year so
ideas and offers are much appreciated.
For further information contact Jane on
01953 884215 or check our Blog on
http://htsqgroup.blogspot
please mention
The Wayland
News
when shopping with
advertisers
The Wayland News Page 10 News
The Royal British Legion Poppy appeal
has received a boast of £120 from the sale
of the book of poems written by Alan
Chilvers and titled “Poems From a Silly
Grandad”.
Alan, who is the Watton and District
Branch Standard Bearer presented the
proceeds from his book to the Poppy
Appeal Organiser, Jean Sell on Saturday
3rd November. (Pictured left)
Alan has been writing poetry for a number
of years and was persuaded to put them in
a book by his family; having done that he
thought it might benefit the Royal British
Legion if he donated a £1 for every copy
sold. The book which came out in late
June this year has sold 120 copies, most
sold to friends, family and Legion
members with the odd copy going to
Essex and London.
Mr Chilvers said “I would like to thank
everyone who has purchased a book and
therefore helped a very important charity”.
There are still copies available from
Edwards in the High street, or from the
author on 07749276676
Poppy Appeal boost from a Silly Grandad's poetry
Letters to the Editor
A Big Thank You from the Wayland
Players!
At the time of writing, there are still three
days to go before Calendar Girls opens at
the Queens Hall. However, the Wayland
Players have been overwhelmed by the
support they have received from the
people and businesses of Watton and
would like to take this opportunity to
thank a few individuals.
First of all, Julian and the Wayland News
for accepting the articles and adverts
which have given us such great publicity.
The paper provides a wonderful platform
for groups such as ours and long may it
continue. Secondly, Adcocks, our ticket
agents, who have had a lot more work
than normal dealing with ticket sales!
Then there's Alison and the Village Florist
who always supports us and has done
especially sterling work for this play, Alan
at Top to Toe Photography who somehow
managed to make us all look amazing and
of course, Janet Lundie who has worked
so hard on the set.
There are so many others we can't
possibly mention them all, among them
family and friends of the cast & crew and
Friends of the Wayland Players. Most of
all, we'd like to thank YOU, the people
that have bought tickets, already making
this show almost a complete sell out.
STOP PRESS P.S.! Wow! What an
amazing four nights! Over 700 of you
came to see 'Calendar Girls' and from the
laughter and applause you gave us, you all
enjoyed it. On behalf of the Cast and
Crew, thank you all so much for your
support. Final figures aren't yet in but I
can safely predict that we will be able to
donate well over £500 to Leukaemia
Research. Wendy Collins, Co-Director.
A "Thank You" Message from Kathleen
Brown
I wish to thank all my neighbours in
Nelson Court, Watton and my many
friends at the Methodist Church, Flower
Club and other organisations that I have
attended and supported over many years
for all their kindness and help when I was
at home prior to my move into Eastlands
Care Home at Taverham.
The many Birthday cards, Get Well letters
and 'phone calls which I have received
since my move have been much
appreciated and special thanks are due to
all those friends who have visited me at
my new home. I am very happy in my new
surroundings, it's home from home, the
carers are devoted to their work and it's
especially nice to be so close to my
family.
Christmas Greetings to You All and God
Bless. Kathleen
As the festive season approaches, the
usual tidings of great gloom abound,
this time regarding ash trees. The
disease which is wiping them out is
now widespread across the country,
and follows the incidence of other
plagues which have affected elms,
oaks, horse chestnuts and various other
woodland favourites. Is Mother Nature
trying to tell us something ?
The last month or two has seen our
world getting dafter, with name-
calling affecting many of our public
figures, such as one politician getting
into trouble for calling a policeman a
‘pleb’. Since this word just suggests a
person of lower intellect, the reaction
seems to be more suitable to the
kindergarten, for surely we have all
endured far worse insults on a regular
basis.
But insults seem to be making the
headlines, with footballers, of all
people, complaining, while bad
language seems to have become part of
our broadcasting services, or at least
the BBC, (the commercial stations are
discouraged from using ‘naughty’
words, lest they offend the targets of
their advertising). While the live
comedy shows are all guilty, the worst
offender seems to be Mock the Week,
where hardly a noun is voiced unless
qualified by an offensive adjective.
No, I am not a wrinkly old prude, but
for me a swear word is usually the
response to banging my head on a
cupboard door or some similar
incident. Of course at one time polite
society would use milder words, such
as ‘flipping’ or ‘blinking’, but even
then such adjectives did nothing to
help the narration.
But it is not only those in the public
eye that seem to be losing their way in
life. There has been a steady increase
in incidents involving railway level
crossings, with people, both on foot
and in vehicles, ignoring all warnings
of impending trains, so that calls for
these crossings to be abolished
altogether are being made. But they
have been in operation for up to 150
years, so why the sudden increase in
accidents ? When one sees films
showing roads and rails crossing in
America, with no gates or warning
signals, one wonders why we in
England can’t cope.
In a recent article by the Mayor of
Watton, he made mention of our rather
inconvenient local postal address,
which includes the town of Thetford.
This has long been a subject of
annoyance, for quite frequently
deliveries being made from distant
parts are delayed because the lorry
driver has deliberately aimed for
Thetford, and then, when making
enquiries locally, has found great
difficulty in getting directions, since,
as can be verified by experiment,
hardly anyone in Thetford has even
heard of Watton, let alone our adjacent
villages.
(In fairness to Thetford people, how
many Watton folks could direct a lost
motorist to Croxton or Barnham, or
even Thetford itself ?)
Luckily now that Postcodes are in full
use the problem is not quite so bad, but
most of us prefer to omit the word
Thetford from our address, even
though the authorities don’t approve.
Now we are all used to receiving
shocks from time to time, but one that
really struck home the other week was
when, on the way home the price of
petrol at my local garage was 138p per
litre, but next morning it had been
reduced to 135p. Three pence per
litre down, all in one go, was almost
beyond belief, but of course the
reduction was soon repeated in the
other outlets, but for one glorious
period Watton prices were better than
those at Waitrose in Swaffham, which
is usually the local cheapest. But these
prices fluctuate so much, that by the
time these words are read they will
probably have all changed again, up or
down. And to think that not many
months ago strikes were held in protest
at the prospect of a rise to £1 per litre!
It seems that the government are again
bowing to pressure, and have
announced a further delay in the
removal of the FM radio service in
favour of Digital. Of course the
Digital service is a brilliant innovation
but this does not mean that FM is no
longer any good. It simply makes
sense that those with FM sets in
excellent working order, particularly
motorists, should be allowed to keep
them.
This being the late autumn, or the
beginning of winter, the problem of
leaves on the line has prompted the
railway companies to announce that
times of trains are to be extended,
since delays are to be expected. What
are they like? In my commuting days
we never suffered from leaves on the
line. Perhaps passengers should carry
brooms! Merry Christmas.
A Quick Look Round By Orbiter
News The Wayland News Page 11
A Hair Of The
Dog? According to national charity Alcohol
Concern 200,000 people come to work
with a hangover every day and the over
45’s are 3 times more likely to drink
alcohol every day.
Many of us enjoy a drink but there is
clear evidence that alcohol can cause a
range of health problems such as stroke,
cancers, high blood pressure and heart
disease, and is associated with many
different types of crime such as violence
and antisocial behaviour. The
government advises that people should
not regularly drink more than the daily
unit guidelines of 3-4 units of alcohol for
men (equivalent to a pint and a half of
4% beer) and 2-3 units of alcohol for
women (equivalent to a 175 ml glass of
wine) where ‘Regularly’ means drinking
every day or most days of the week.
Regularly drinking over these limits can
put you at increasing risk of developing
health problems.
Alcohol is very much a part of our
culture in the UK and never more so as
we head towards the festive season. It
is a tricky subject to talk about and this
year for Alcohol Awareness week the
theme is ‘It’s time to talk about
drinking’
Total Health Pharmacy in Watton is
encouraging people to find out the facts.
The pharmacy has information, tips, tools
and advice for people who want to learn
more.
Pharmacist , Geoff Ray, says “This is not
about pointing the finger at anyone.
Alcohol Awareness week is all about
awareness. It is a matter of choice but
people are often shocked when they
understand how many units of alcohol
are in their favourite drink. One unit of
whiskey is 25ml or 5 medicine spoons!
We can offer practical tips on how to
enjoy drinking safely.”
One way that Alcohol Concern is
getting the conversation started is by
challenging people to give up alcohol
for one month in January. People are
encouraged to sign up for Dry January.
Thetford Singers Present
"On the Way to Bethlehem"
Performance also featuring contributions from the Thetford Voices Youth Choir
Saturday 8th December 7.30pm The Harvest Centre, Fengate Drove, Brandon.
£6 (£5 concessions), including seasonal refreshment
And shortened performance (Thetford Singers alone) on
Sunday 9th December 4.00pm Thetford United Reformed Church, Earls Street, Thetford
Tickets for the performance on the 8th are available in advance from Leaping Hare, King Street, Thetford (01842 751975); tickets for both
performances available on the door.
Shellrock Circle
Club
For the over 50’s of Rocklands and the
surrounding districts. Venue: The Village
Hall, The Street, Rocklands.
Each year, the Club tries to give our
members a free trip. This year, it took the
form of a mystery tour arranged between
Mrs. Jean Ayres, our entertainments officer
and the coach company. The final destination
proved to be the peaceful market town of
Spalding. The town is characterised by its
place in the flat fens and its Georgian
terraces. This area has proved well suited to
the growing of tulip and daffodil bulbs and
every year, the town attracts thousands of
visitors to see the floral floats and parade put
on by the town. The fields with their wide
beds of the same colour tulips are also a sight
worth seeing. Some people were surprised at
the amount of nationwide retail outlets that
were in the town.
Robert Maidstone, the well known
naturalist, was our Speaker on the 14th of
November. His subject was “Wild Flowers
in the garden.” During his talk, Robert took
us to various parts of a “typical” garden
and showed us slides of plants that could
be found there. Some very interesting facts
emerged. We learnt that there were 307
types of dandelions in England. Any that
flowered in March/April were not true
dandelions. Apparently, clover honey was
no longer available because the white
clover now growing has such a large
flower that the bees are unable to access
the nectar. Slides were shown of lawns left
uncut for too long which could produce a
parasitic plant called broom rape. This
shows itself by a long stem with no leaves
but topped with brown flowers. Rat tailed
plantain, when it first appears in the
garden, bears its seeds on upright stems but
after being mowed a few times, it changes
its habit and starts producing its seeds
horizontally to escape the mower. Its seeds
are sticky and cling to shoes and also to the
wheels of the mower and get moved round
the garden in this way. There are two
varieties of bindweed. The small flowered
one is native but the large flowered one
was introduced as it was thought to be
prettier! Wild garlic, commonly known as
Jack by the Hedge, is the host plant for the
orange tip butterfly. Swine cress and
yellow oxalis favour gravelly drives and do
not mind being walked on or driven over.
We also learnt that there are 5 types of red
poppy in Norfolk. As this is supposed to be
the Norfolk emblem, one wonders which
one of the five it is. The ivy-leafed toadflax
seen growing out of walls, has developed a
seed pod which embeds itself in cracks in
walls in much the same way that we use
plastic rawlplugs (and is similar in
construction) and swells up when it gets
wet in winter and releases its seeds in
spring. In this way, it climbs up the wall.
Holly is supposed not to be harmful to
brick walls and if left, it will flower in
winter. This provides food for a variety of
wildlife when there is nothing else
available. Holly is only harmful to the soft
mortar in flint walls. Gardeners who leave
odd dark corners of the garden with nettles
and think they are aiding with conservation
are not helping the declining butterflies as
they only like to lay their eggs on female
nettles growing in full sun. Robert was an
imposing figure in full beard but was ready
to mix with our members after his talk by
discussing their queries. He is able to talk
on a variety of natural history subjects
including plants, insects and butterflies.
We showed our appreciation with our
applause.
The task was won by Mrs. Gillian Ellis
from Attleborough.
What’s on in December
4th Christmas Dinner at the Dell Bowling
Club, Old Norwich Road, Wymondham.
Please try to arrive by 11.30 am to be seated
by 12 noon. Entertainment will be provided
by Bob Reeves, the “Busking Bargee.”
12th Entertainment will be provided by
the Rockland Primary School children.
Please try to arrive a bit earlier, say
1.50pm, as the children have to leave in
time for school in order to be dismissed.
PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO
LUNCH CLUB MEETING IN
DECEMBER. RING MARION ON 01953
483431 if you need further details.
New members always welcome. Why not
start the new year by coming along to
Shellrock Circle Club?
A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.
There is more news on
www.waylandnews.com
have a look!
A Mardle with
the Mayor
Cllr Paul Cooper
I would like wish all our readers a very
Happy Christmas. Especially those living
on their own, or have family away at this
time of year. I appreciate all the feedback I
receive from my mardle. Where has this
year gone? Is it an age thing, because as
one matures there seems to be less time in
a day. Perhaps it’s because we forget
things and have to retrace our steps to
remember what it was we were going to
do. I like most people have to write things
down, just hope I remember where I put
the piece of paper. I do try and use my
mobile phone for notes and to record
memos.
What have I been doing since my last
Bardle? It has been a quieter month than
previous, but I am sure the month of
December will be busy. Lots of invites
have already been received and we will try
and attend where possible.
I attended The Watton Society AGM,
where we given a very entertaining talk
about the Town Clock and its history by
Julian Horn. Also we had a short film on
the workings of the clock. Lets hope our
Town Clock chimes don’t upset the
neighbourhood as this seems to be
happening everywhere nowadays. Even
Church Bells are not excluded from people
complaining about their noise.
I mentioned were being invited back to
Watton Junior School. That visit took
place on Monday 22 October where the
Mayoress and myself attended school
assembly. I had the honour to read out the
names of the successful pupils forming the
School Council, there were two from each
year. A thoroughly enjoyable visit again.
I was invited back to Total Health
pharmacy to help promote Men’s health.
It seems many men are reluctant to talk to
their local pharmacist about a whole list of
things. Pop in guys and have a chat, they
don’t bite.
We attended the laying of Poppy Crosses
on the war graves at St Mary’s on Saturday
10 November. This was followed by
Remembrance Sunday, which actually fell
on the 11 November this year. I
was proud to wear my late fathers war
medals. The weather was fine and it was
nice to see such a good turn out of all ages.
I would like to thank all those who
attended. It was quite ironic as I joined the
Royal Navy on 11 November, a day I will
never forget. You never forget your service
number either.
The Watton Town Council website is up to
date so please have a look.
Driving Tips
Now the clocks have gone back one hour
means the possibility of driving in the
dark. I know lots of our senior citizens
prefer not to drive in the dark, so if you
don’t have to, don’t. The minimum
eyesight requirement in daylight is to read
a number plate at 20.5 metres and for those
still in old money it’s 22 yards or to put it
another way the length of a cricket wicket.
If in doubt get your eyes checked.
For those with access to a computer it
might be a good idea to have a go at the
Theory Test, which all pupils taking the
practical test must successfully pass before
applying. The Theory Test consists of
multi choice questions and a hazard
perception video, good luck.
The challenge is to stay off the booze for
31 days, feel better, save money and
make a difference. You can sign up
individually or as a team through the
website www.dryjanuary.org.uk and
will receive motivational tips to keep
you going. For more information about
alcohol awareness, visit Total Health
Pharmacy at 14 Gregor Shanks Way
opposite the Watton Medical Practice.
The pharmacy is open 7 days a week
from 8am until late.
The Wayland News Page 12 News
WAYLAND CMA December 15th Longshot
Tel 01953 889 890 for details “The Best In Country Music” 8 ‘til late
The Ovington
Crower Hare yew gittin on tergither, thas
tunned suffin raw in tha mornins
leartly int it, shall hefta git tha
ole winta drors on afore long.
Tha ole Wikka hed wunna tha
membrance sarvices larst Sunda, cos we
wus lucky an dint lose tew many of ower
boys as yew know, but we hed a bitta quiet
fer a cuppla minits an I got to hang a wreath
on tha wore moreal.
Horry wos thare, fust tiome fer evrathin I
rekkon, his Sunda Sewt wos orl tricolearted
up and wos covered with medals, sum lukked
verra owld ter me. So I say ter him I say,
“Wared yew git orl tha gongs from Horry” I
say. “I thort yew wos in tha Hoom Gard, not
traipsing orl oova yewrope”
“Waal” he say. “ I wos on speshul dewty’s
alonga tha Hoom Gard, so I wos givun
reckonission fer my unda cuvva wuk”
I hed a cloosa luk at his cleckshun, an I cud
see sum onnem wos fer the fust world wor,
waal I know Horry’s nokkin on a bit but he
hent thet owld.
Wen I arsked him he say “Thas sum o my
farthas and ole uncle Horry tha fust, an my
ole Grandaddy he got sum fer scrappin in the
boor wore, so I thort I shud member orl them
gud ole boys wos gone afore”
No arnsa ter thet I rekkun.
Did yew hev eny o tha ole firewuks tha year?
Arta thet lood of gret ole sploshuns we hed
arlier, we dint hev much of a dew this time
arownd, but oova tew Watton thar ware a
hell of a lotta gret ole fizzes an bangs, so
summa on yew hed a a lotta munny tew
chuck arownd, cos tha corst a forchoon.
My missus she say “Wot we goonta be dewin
fer Chrismus tha year Sid?”
I say tew har I say “Goo ta hell wumman” I
say “Thas munths away yit” “ No thet ent”
she say. “Dew yew luk at tha calenda
Sid, thas oonly jist up the rood”
“Blarst” I say “ I oonly jist put tha ole
Chrismus tree up inna tha ruf”
“Well yew duzzy ole fewl” she
say,”yew betta git up thar an
git it down agin cos I shull
sune be puttin up orl tha
decrashuns”
I shall hatta dew as I’m
towld cos thar’ll be
rukshins”
Torkin of Chrismus, thet’ll sune be tha ole
Willage Chrismus Bazaar inna tha willage
horl. Ole Missus R she say tew Horry, “Yew
hent hed a shearve fer a munth or tew, can
yew dew Fartha Chrismus fer the little
kiddies tha yare?”
Horry cum back sharp as a nife “Wos innit
fer me my gud wummon?”
“Nutthin” she say “Yew’r dewin it fer the
littluns, dint yew see Fartha Chrismus wen
yew wos a boy?”
“Well yis” say Horry “He allus gi me a ding
o tha lug, niva did git a present”
“Oh why?” arsded Missus R. “Cos I knew
he wosnt the reel blooke” say Horry “An
when I hossed his whiskas orf he got suffin
raw an I got a smack o tha chops, so I dint
goo anymore”
“Well really Horry” she say “Yew shud be
shamed o yoreself, our children arnt like thet
tewday I’ll hev yew know”
So I rekkun he’se lumbered, don’t yew.
Any ole how, I hoop yew’ll cum along ter
tha bazaar on tha fust o Decemba at just
afore forses. My missus she say thas 12
o’clock fer them as downt dew a lotta
choppin owt. Thars lottsa gud stuff ter buy,
plenty o gud wittals an moost of orl yew git
spookin tew by orl ower Ovintun peepal, cos
ware like thet.
Will see yew thar ole partners, now dew yew
kip a troshin, an if things downt alta sun,
thar’l stay as thar are. Boy Sid
Great Hockham
Primary School
launches new logo
Great Hockham Primary School have launched
their new school logo. The school vision is
about ‘Putting the Great into Great Hockham
Primary’. This started with the school
logo, which labelled the school as
merely ‘Hockham’. The children,
staff and local community are very
much involved in putting the Great
into Great Hockham and it was felt
that the logo needed to reflect this.
Headteacher, Mrs Hannah Wheeler,
thought that that the change was a
necessary start to a new year and new start
for the school. Staff, children and governors
agreed that keeping the squirrel motif was
important, but including the lower case
lettering and, most importantly, including the
word ‘Great’.
Mrs Wheeler said ‘2012 is going to be a Great
year for Great Hockham. The Autumn term has
started off well, with renewed vigour and
motivation. Everyone involved with us
expresses their commitment and excitement
about the future of our school. The outdoor
learning projects are particularly forefront at
the moment as we have a new outdoor
classroom and we are working with a local
charity to develop woodland learning. Children
are going to be using the information and
facilities locally, to enhance their learning,
develop ideas and support local charities and
businesses.
‘We are looking forward to the Christmas fair,
where the school and community are
working together – another way for
us all to support each other. Stalls
will be set up in school on Saturday
8th December, from 11-1pm. Do
come along and browse the
wonderful selection of crafts, food
goodies and activities that will be
available. The Friends of Great
Hockham always put such an effort into
making every event special, so I have no doubt
that the collaboration of both the Friends and
the Village will result in something brilliant.’
If you would like Great Hockham Primary
Schoolto visit the school at any time, to look at
what it has to offer, then please get in touch
with Mrs Sarah Jones, school administrator,
on 01953 498302, or email
Watton & District University of the Third Age (U3A)
Denise James portrayal of life in a Tourist Office caused many a laugh at the October meeting.
The incidents and situations that Denise came across were worthy of a Sit Com comedy script.
There will be no Pub Luncheon group meetings in December.
The U3A’s annual Christmas Lunch is being held at Richmond Park G.C on Friday 7th
December at 12.45pm. Tickets are now available at £13.50 for a two course lunch Coffee and
mince pies together with a free raffle.
The coach for the Christmas Spectacular at Thursford will leave the Queens Hall car park at
5.15pm on Wednesday 28th November.
The visit to the Jaguar Car Plant at Castle Bromwich is now confirmed as Wednesday 27th
February 2013. This trip is limited to thirty members.
The next monthly meeting is on Thursday 13th December. Entertainment will be by Gerry
Morris with “A Little Bit of Ireland” featuring humour, songs and instruments.
For more information on the national U3A go to www.u3a.org.uk
The Singing
Farmer On a Sunday afternoon in
November 2010 The Rotary Club
organised a Concert at the Queens
Hall:- “An Audience with The
Singing Farmer.”
The event was most successful and
a recording was made of the
proceedings. It has taken longer
than expected for the DVD to be
produced but this will now be
available by the end of November.
Many of the audience showed their
interest in the DVD and the Club
will be contacting those who left
their names and addresses with
Martin after the Show. The DVD is
entitled “The Last Resort” and will
cost £11 a copy including p&p.
The Concert was well received and
Winston was in excellent form. I
am sure that many who attended
would like to remember the
afternoon by buying a copy and
those that didn’t see the Show will
need to buy a copy to see what
they missed! More information
about Winston can be found on his
Web-site shown below.
Anyone else interested in a DVD
should contact one of the
following:
Derek Smith 01953 884044,
Martin Anscombe 01953 884224,
Winston Harrold 01263 861386,
07748186489,
Web Site: www.singingfarmer.co.uk
Join Up
January in
Your Local
Library Norfolk Libraries really do have
something for everyone: from
console games to the latest best-
sellers. We can teach older people
how to use the internet on one of our
free Surf’s Up! courses; lend out toys
and books for children with our
brilliant Story Sacks; help you
reminisce with someone you’re
caring for using one of our beautiful
reminiscence kits or even deliver
books direct to your door if you find
it difficult to get to the library.
More than 5000 people joined the
library last January, and we’re
hoping to beat that this year. It’s free
to become a library member and
quick and easy to join up in a library
or online. So if you’ve not visited us
for a while, why not make it your
New Year’s resolution to get back
into your local library?
With ebooks to download, our online
catalogue you can search from home,
renewals available 24 hours a day
online or by phone and 47 libraries
(not to mention our 13 mobile
libraries) across Norfolk, it’s never
been easier to use your library
service.
During January, a voucher sheet with
offers on DVD hire and book
reservations among others will also
be available to members when they
borrow an item from the library.
Find out more at
www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries or pop
in to your local library.
News The Wayland News Page 13
Letter from
Australia
By Chris O'Connor
It goes without saying that Australia is a
large country but surprisingly the
population is small, around 30-million,
the majority of whom live on the eastern
seaboard and will never venture into the
legendary outback.
Those who do are overawed at the naked
beauty of the land. It is a land of delicate
contrasts from thousands of acres of red
desert through to huge canyons and in
some areas hidden waterfalls where you
would expect to see only dust.
It is also a land full of life and many
visitors are surprised to see native flora
and fauna surviving in a land that
ostensibly appears to be devoid of life.
Over the past forty years I have spent
many days and hundreds of thousands
of kilometres exploring what is known
as the ‘Great Southern Land’ and it
never ceases to humble me with its
magnificence, down to earth people
and wildlife.
Only a few months ago I was in the far
north of Australia swimming in a pool
that nature had carved out of hard rock
over millions of years. A waterfall some
two hundred metres high pounded down
and into the crystal clear water.
Fortunately the area was devoid of
crocodiles that day but it gives you an
idea of the contrasts and dangers people
visiting Australia can expect.
Each year a close friend of mine, John,
joins mine on a trip to the outback. We
usually try and head for places that most
people will not go to, not because we are
heroes but because we want to explore
and step in the steps of those early
pioneers of Australia. The men and
women who through sheer determination
and guts managed to conquer a
seemingly inhospitable land, a land
where David Attenborough once said
‘you can smell the antiquity of the earth.’
Strangely we often return to Central
Australia or the far north of South
Australia; we seem to enjoy the smell of
ochre coloured desert, the hundreds of
kilometres between stops and the
intensity of the skies at night where a
million stars look down upon you.
Visitors from Europe are often stunned
at how clear the sky is and that is simply
because in the outback of Australia the
air pollution level is at a minimum.
In the old days we used to sleep in swags
on the ground but as we have gotten
older and our bones less forgiving we
have opted for camper trailers which
contain a decent mattress, cooking
facilities and refuge from the millions
of flies that attack you by day and the
mosquitoes that disturb you sleep with
their kamikaze like attack at night. We
have lost count of the amount of flies
that have managed to find their way
into our mouths or the ‘mozzie’ bites
in the morning that make you scratch
most of the day.
But compare those annoyances with this.
Some 300 kilometres west of Alice
Springs we’ve camped alongside a small
oasis complete with palm trees whose
ancestors were around prior to
civilisation as we know it.
South of Alice Springs we camped in the
dead centre of Australia; a very isolated
place where as we built a fire roaring
outback fire and prepared our dinner and
got ready for our first drink of the day a
father and son turned up in the four
wheel drive and we had a wonderful
evening in pure isolation discussing
everything from cricket through to
vintage wines. At night you could hear
the howling of the native dingo which
amidst the silence was quite eerie.
The next night we were camped beside a
hot spring where the temperature of the
water was around 30 degrees, a welcome
relief from the chilling early morning
wind. Incredibly tiny fish nibbled at our
toes as we swam around – this is the
middle of nowhere.
The next night we camped in an
abandoned railway station on the edge of
Lake Eyre. Those of you who are old
enough will remember this was the area
Donald Campbell attempted to break the
land speed record in the 1960’s. It is an
incredible area of the nation; Lake Eyre
is the lowest point in Australia, at
approximately 15 m below sea level,
and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is
the largest lake in Australia and 18th
largest in the world. It covers an area of
over 9500 square kilometres. The
railway station we camped in had been
built on the edge of the desert lake in the
late 1800’s and helped service the
famous Ghan railway line stretching
1500 kilometres from Adelaide in South
Australia to Alice Springs in the
Northern Territory. Water was not in
abundance on this occasion but John and
I had a wash under a single tap dribbling
sulphurous water that had been placed
here eons ago and drew its water from
deep in the earth.
This all sounds quite adventurous but
visitors to this area, who ignore the rules,
die. Sadly the Outback does claim on
average 40 lives a year. On the 13th
December 1998, German tourist
Caroline Großmüller died on the road
from Oodnadatta to Lake Eyre North. To
venture off the beaten track in the
Australian Outback without following
simple rules is just like stepping out onto
a busy road from between parked cars
without looking left and right. Stupidity
can kill you anywhere. Along with her
partner they made a number of mistakes.
They went in the middle of the summer,
where the temperatures reach 50° C in
the daytime; their vehicle became
bogged in the red desert sand and they
made the fatal mistake of not staying
with their car deciding to walk and try
and find help. Sadly Ms. Großmüller
walked past a cattle trough situated
just a few hundred metres from where
she perished. There is no second
option in this area of the world.
Incidentally, as I write this a 25 year
old man who worked on a cattle station
has perished after his vehicle became
bogged. Police say he died from
dehydration and exposure simply
because he did not have enough water.
But let us not dwell on the sadness of the
outback; rather delight in what it has to
offer. Over the years John and I have
watched blood red sunsets and sunrises
over the desert dunes, a sight you will
never forget and humbles you with its
splendour. In parts of South Australia we
have driven through gorges that contain
fossils millions of years old and if you
take the time to look are easy to see. We
have watched hundreds of kangaroos
take flight as we drive past, skipping
over fences and bounding at a speed an
elite athlete would envy. On the odd
occasion they have managed to connect
with our four wheel drive.
On another occasion we drove 1000
kilometres north east of Adelaide to
the very remote town of Innamincka,
an intriguing outback destination with
a permanent population of about 12
nestled near the Cooper Creek where
we camped and were overawed by the
sheer size of the area we were camped
in. The Innamincka Regional Reserve
spans a total of 1.3 million hectares
and is home to 200 species of birds,
many native animals and reptiles.
Above all over the years John and I
have stopped and smelt the antiquity of
the earth.
For our last meeting of this year
our members gathered together in
our usual venue, Methwold Social
Club, and were royally entertained
by one of our members, Andrew
Barnes, who gave an illustrated
talk on aviation over the last one
hundred years. Included were
brilliant illustrations and pictures
of aircraft portraying the growth
of the aircraft industry and the
rapid advances that have been
made in aircraft design and
particularly performance during
the century of powered flight.
Andrew was warmly applauded
and thanked for his detailed
research.
We shall be taking a break over
December to allow members to
fully involve themselves with
their families during the festive
season and will reconvene on
Tuesday January 8th at 7.30 at
the usual venue, where we shall
have the much travelled
raconteur and aviation expert,
Chris Lucas, as our guest for the
evening.
All are more than welcome to
come along and enjoy the
company of fellow aviation
enthusiasts.
Or visit our website: -
westnorfolkaviationsociety.co.uk
Local contact is Rod Rumsby on
882246 for more information on
forthcoming events and
directions for finding Methwold
Social Club.
News from the West
Norfolk Aviation Society
News from the
Wayland
Partnership 1. FREE Maths or English Courses at
Wayland House, High Street, Watton.
You can gain a qualification by attending
two classes per week over an eleven week
course. The course starts in January 2013 –
dates to be confirmed.
Maths will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 9.30 – 12 Noon and English on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12.30pm –
3pm.
To book call Laura 07825114272 or Adult
Education 01603 306556 or email
Adult Education may be able to fund your
childcare.
2. Have you thought about starting a Twitter
account for your business, organisation or
community group? It is free, easy to use and
can be less time consuming than writing
press releases or constant marketing emails.
With Twitter you can promote your group
and network with specific audiences based
on location and theme. And the more we
build up an online network of local groups in
Wayland, the more useful it becomes.
If you are already a tweeter, find us at
@waylandtweets, follow us and let’s grow
the Wayland Twitter network together.
Or if you’d like support and advice in setting
up your own Twitter account or any other
aspect of social media so that you can take
part, email Julian Horn on
[email protected] or Iain Cockburn
We have already held a free training course
on Twitter basics and are planning additional
sessions. Details will appear in the Wayland
News and at @waylandtweets.
3. New volunteers needed to help us help the
Wayland community. Various opportunities
are available. If you have some spare time
and would like to help, meet new people and
learn new skills, contact Iain on 01953
880204 or mail to [email protected]
4. Have you heard or read about the Wayland
Partnership? Do you know what we do?
Would you like to find out about the help and
support we provide to the Wayland
community? Call in and see us at Wayland
House next to the Police Station in Watton
High Street.
Church Times and News The Wayland News Page 14
Watton Churches Together Service Calendar for December
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 2nd 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion Sun 9th 8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Holy Communion
12.30pm Holy Baptism Sat 15th 2.30pm ‘Looking for Christmas’ at Chaston Place,
leading to 3.00pm - Town Carol Service at Watton Sports Centre
Sun 16th 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am Holy Communion
Sat 22nd 6.30pm Carol Service
Sun 23rd 8.00am Holy Communion 10.00am Holy Communion
Mon 24th Christmas Eve
4.00pm Christingle Service with Shine!,
especially for children and families
11.30pm Holy Communion
Tues 25th Christmas Day
10.30am Family Holy Communion
Sun 30th 10.30am Group Service of Holy Communion
Watton Methodist Church
Every Wednesday the Church is open for quiet reflection and prayer between 10.00am & 12.00noon
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 2nd 10.45am Mr B Lawrence 2.30pm Circuit Service at Walsingham
Sun 9th 10.45am Mrs A Fox
6.30pm Mr D Harrison Sun 16th 10.45am Rev M Pillay—Holy Communion
6.30pm To be arranged
Sun 23rd 10.45am Mrs E Warby—Carol Service 6.30pm Rev M Pillay &
Deacon Sowerby– Holy Communion
Mon 24th Christmas Eve
7.00pm Deacon S Sowerby Carols by Candlelight
Tues 25th Christmas Day
10.00am Deacon S Sowerby Sun 30th 10.45am Section Service at Swaffham
Roman Catholic Community
Each Sat 5.30pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church
Mon 24th Christmas Eve
4.30pm Mass at Watton
11.30pm Carols at Swaffham & Midnight Mass
Tues 25th Christmas Day
9.30am Mass at Swaffham
Pentecostal Church, Dereham Road, Watton
Children have their own programme during the Sunday morning services
Sun 2nd 10.30am Christmas all wrapped up -
Why do we celebrate Christmas? 6.00pm Pudding, Praise and Prayer
Sun 9th 10.30am Christmas all wrapped up -
Why did the Son of Man come into the world?
Sun 16th 10.30am Family Christmas Carol Service
Sun 23rd 10.30am Christmas all wrapped up -
Christmas is really here! 6.00pm Carols by Candlelight
Tues 25th Christmas Day
11.00am Christmas Day Service Sun 30th 4.00pm New Year’s House Party
St. Nicholas’ Church, Ashill
Tuesdays at 10.00am Said Holy Communion
Sun 2nd 9.30am Lay Led Morning Worship
Sun 9th 9.30am Morning Worship Sun 16th 9.30am All Age Worship
Mon 17th 6.00pm Carols on the Green
Sun 23rd 4.00pm Carols & Crib Service Mon 24th Christmas Eve
9.30pm Holy Communion
Tues 25th Christmas Day
9.30am All Age Worship
St. George’s Church, Saham Toney
Sun 2nd 10.30am Benefice Service of Holy Communion
Sun 9th 11.00am Morning Worship
Sun 16th 11.00am All Age Worship Sun 23rd 11.00am Carol Service
Mon 24th Christmas Eve
11.00pm Holy Communion
There is no service at St George’s on Christmas Day
S. S. Peter & Paul’s Church, Carbrooke
Sun 2nd 6.30pm Group ‘Darkness to Light’ Advent Service
Sun 9th 10.30am Holy Communion
Sun 16th 10.30am All Age Worship Wed 19th 6.30pm Carol Service with Carbrooke School
Sun 23rd 10.30am Lay Led Worship
Tues 25th Christmas Day
10.30am Family Holy Communion
St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington
Sun 9th 9.30am Holy Communion Sun 16th 12.30pm Holy Baptism
Sun 23rd 5.00pm Carol Service
Breckles, Caston, Great Hockham,
Griston, Merton,
Stow Bedon & Thompson
Worship Calendar for December
Sunday 2nd First Sunday Of Advent
10:30 am United Holy Communion Caston
Sunday 9th Second Sunday of Advent
9:00 am Matins (BCP) Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Gt. Hockham
3:00 pm Lessons & Carols Griston
5:00 pm Candlelit Lessons & Carols Breckles
Sunday 16th Third Sunday of Advent
9:00 am Matins (BCP) Gt. Hockham
10:30 am United Holy Communion Griston
Friday 21st
6:00 pm Candlelit Lessons & Carols Merton
Sunday 23rdFourth Sunday of Advent
10:30 am United Holy Communion Stow Bedon
3:00 pm Candlelit Lessons & Carols Gt. Hockham
6:30 pm Candlelit Lessons & Carols Caston
Christmas Eve and Night
11:00 am Christingle Family Service Thompson
3:00 pm Christingle Gt. Hockham
5:00 pm Christingle Caston
8:00 pm Lessons & Carols Stow Bedon
11:30 pm Midnight Holy Communion Thompson
Christmas Day
9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Merton
10:30 am United Holy Communion Breckles
Sunday 30th First Sunday after Christmas 10:30 am United Holy Communion Thompson
Watton Food Bank donations will be received at all our
regular Sunday morning services.
PRAY AND PLAY Wednesdays at 10:15 am at Caston School Hall
5th, 12th and 19th December and from 9th January
For those of all our parishes with children aged 0-5
‘THE WAY’ YOUTH GROUP (ages 11+)
14th December, Bowling with other youth groups, 7:00 pm
13th January, 7-8:00 pm, Rectory
18th January, with other youth groups, Caston Rectory,7:00 pm
Enquiries: The Revd. Bob Nichols: Tel.: (01953) 483222;
Email: [email protected]
All Saints Church, Threxton
Christmas Carol Service on Sunday 23rd December at 6pm
SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEAS Hosted by St. Mary’s Church in December
Sun 16th at Watton Christian Community Centre 2.30 - 4pm Please join us, a warm welcome awaits you and your friends.
Watton Bereavement Support Group Meeting
Wednesday 5th December 2pm Christmas Party Tea at Watton CCC. Please bring along a plate of nibbles.
St Ethelbert, East Wretham
Candlelit Carol Service on Sunday 16th December at 5pm
Followed by Mulled Wine & Mince Pies
Early Morning Thought for the month by Fr Gordon Williams, Parish
Priest, Our Lady of Pity Catholic Church, Swaffham The famous Japanese poet Basho ( 1644-1694) Buddhist monk
and lifelong traveller always rose very early in the morning,
usually at dawn. He would wash in the mountain stream and then
sit in meditation. This was his spiritual discipline. Benjamin
Franklin also extolled the virtues of health, wealth and wisdom
to getting up early.
I have learnt something of this wisdom in my own way too. I
have always been an early riser, but now I get up early for ‘inner
reasons’. It has nothing to do with cramming more hours into the
day for more and more ‘things’, quite the opposite! Early rising
gives time for stillness, solitude, and quite. There is something
mysterious about the dawn that is deeply attractive. Maybe it’s
the quiet stillness as the darkness gives way to the gentle light of
dawn. At certain times of the year the sound of the dawn chorus
adds another sense of wonder. The seasons of the year also bring
their own sense of the mystery of change. For me it’s the perfect
time for prayer and quiet meditation. A Sioux Indian Chief once
said: “In life there is only one great duty – the duty of prayer.
Each Soul must meet the morning sun, the sweet earth, and the
Great Silence alone. What is this Silence? It is the Great
Mystery, the Holy Silence is His Voice!” There is great wisdom
here, but I think too few take any notice.
Getting up early can really influence the rest of your day. Of
course, if your are to do this you must get to bed early enough!
Starting the day with a firm foundation of mindful prayer and
quiet can flow into your daily activities and bring some balance
to life. Whereas, if we get out of bed at the last minute and gulp
a cup off coffee and rush of the work, that too will influence
your day. To witness the dawn each day is in itself a wake up
call from somewhere beyond our understanding. It is a call from
the Spirit.
For me, it has become an important part of my day. It is a
practice I learnt many years ago, influenced as I was by a visit to
Japan. Over many years it has never lost it’s allure. Yes, there
are times when it’s difficult to get out of bed, especially on a
winter morning. But the value of it is doing it even when I don’t
want to! In our world of obsessive doing, it’s good to spend
some special time just being, . This practice is not just for
monks, nuns and zen mountain dwellers. Anyone can practice
this way of prayer. If you are not an early type of person, but
would like to bring some of what I’m speaking of into your life,
why not get up a little earlier and see if it draws you. It’s the
intention that counts, even a few minutes can have an effect.
Like the Japanese poet Basho, morning is when I am awake and
there is a dawn in me!
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT HOLY CROSS CHURCH, CASTON
SUNDAY, 23rd DECEMBER 6.30pm
Followed by Mince Pies and Mulled Wine. parking at
Church Farm. All are most welcome at this traditional
Carol Service entirely lit with candles
Christingle Service
Christmas Eve 5pm, Holy Cross Church, Caston
Everyone Welcome to join us
Parking at Church Farm All Proceeds to the Children's Society
Advertising The Wayland News Page 15
Did you know . . .?
By Rosalie Davis Gibb
. . . over recent decades reports of big cat
sightings around the UK have steadily been
increasing, particularly since the Dangerous
Wild Animals Act of 1976, introduced to
make sure private individuals who keep
dangerous wild animals do so in ways that
create no risk to the public. Local Authority
Licences are required for any animals that
appear on the Schedule to the Act, covering
everything from reptiles to spiders and are
subject to protection under the Animal
Welfare Act 2006. So if you fancy a pet
wart hog, walrus or wandering spider, along
with dozens of other creatures, you’re
probably out of luck!
Today, from the feline family, only the
domestic cat is excluded. Previously, a
number of small cats were excluded,
including any descended hybrids – the wild
cat, pallas cat (also known as Manul,
covered in long coarse fur to combat the
extreme temperatures of its Asia/China
habitat), little spotted cat (also known as
Oncilla, one of the smallest South American
cats), Geoffroy’s cat (native to South
America), kodkod (related to Geoffrey’s cat
and found only in Chile and Argentina), bay
cat (also known as Bornean Red Cat, very
rare, found only in rocky and scrub areas of
Borneo), sand cat (found in desert regions
from the Sahara to Baluchistan), black-
footed cat (Africa’s smallest cat weighing
only 2-4lbs) and the rusty-spotted cat (one
of the smallest cats and native to Central
and Southern India and Sri Lanka), all of
which are similar in size and appearance to
domestic tabby or tortoiseshell cats. So
were presumably not considered dangerous,
due to their size. One theory on the
increase of big cats roaming the countryside
is the sudden release of the animals into the
wild since 1976 by owners not wishing to
get involved in the licencing requirements.
The most famous is probably the Beast of
Bodmin, also known as the Beast of
Exmoor, the subject of many alleged
sightings and reportedly the size and
colouring of a black panther. All sightings
consistently describe the animal as being a
large cat-like creature with a long tail,
standing low to the ground, mostly dark
grey to black and, in one instance, with
dark green eyes, having been seen clearly as
the black creature ran across the road in
front of a car. The rolling wooded hills of
Exmoor, the county from whence came R D
Blackmore’s Lorna Doone, provide
excellent cover for a stealthy, stalking
predator, should one really exist. The Beast
of Bodmin gained its name back in 1983,
following reports that a panther type
creature had been killing livestock, with an
estimated 100 sheep being slaughtered that
year alone, tracks and marks consistent with
those of big cats being left to fuel the
legend. Having previously dismissed
reports of big cat sightings as mass hysteria
on behalf of confused witnesses, in 1988
the Ministry of Agriculture, merged on its
dissolution in 2002 with DEFRA, stepped
in and directed the Royal Marines to carry
out a massive search for the animal, to no
avail, declaring that a dead foal had been
killed by a fox. In 1995 the Ministry
carried out another study, again
inconclusive.
Reported sightings run into many thousands
and according to the British Big Cats
Society, 2,123 sightings were reported
between April 2004 and July 2005, the
South West, in particular Devon, having the
highest, followed by Scotland and then
Wales. A skull found by a Devon farmer in
July 2005 has been identified as that of a
puma. Seems on the surface to be fairly
substantial evidence, otherwise if this was a
hoax, from where did he get a puma skull?
Also in 2005 the Beast of Burford was,
apparently, photographed prowling around
in fields and one farmer said he watched the
animal run away after killing three of his
sheep. In January 2012 three wallabies
were found dead near Stroud in
Gloucestershire, stripped to the bone with
their internal organs left beside the
carcasses and with puncture marks to the
neck, consistent with an attack by a big cat.
Several attempts have been made to
hoodwink the general public, probably the
most bizarre having been reported by two
national newspapers in April 2005 as fact,
complete with a photo of what appeared to
be a black leopard, which turned out to be a
large black cuddly toy panther. In the
summer of 2011 police found a foam-filled fake
after a reported white tiger stopped play at The
Rose Bowl, Hampshire’s cricket ground.
Norfolk has had its fair share of sightings.
In 2009 an apparent wild cat dubbed the
Beast of Burnham Thorpe was spotted near
the Sandringham estate, thought to be a
lynx or a Scottish wildcat, which have been
known to attack humans with their razor
sharp claws. At the end of March 2011 a
number of people reported seeing a black
panther like animal roaming wild on the
Bayfield Hall estate near Holt. In April
2011 a lady from Aylsham reported seeing,
from the car window, a large black cat in
the grounds of Felbrigg Hall, walking
through a wooded area. On 17 May 2011
two people reported spotting a large, very
dark, cat-like creature on heathland at
Salthouse. On the 1st of June 2011 a lady
reported that as she and her husband were
travelling by car from Dereham to Scarning
a large, beautiful, jet-black cat appeared in
the middle of the empty road ahead, stood
motionless for a few seconds then sauntered
back the way it had come and disappeared
in a field.
Eye witness accounts continue in 2012 –
two ladies reported coming within feet of a
huge black feline creature in the Lake
District; two ladies in Bedford claim to
have seen a lion stalking around a housing
estate, last seen heading for a pig farm; the
hunt for a lion in Essex caused panic in
August after holidaymakers claimed to have
seen the beast near a caravan park in St
Osyth near Clacton; three people in
Manchester reported seeing a mountain lion
type creature in a back garden; two ladies
out running in Cumbria
reported coming face to face
with a big black cat.
In spite of all the
scepticism, there have been
several irrefutable sightings,
regrettably mostly only after
the animals had been killed.
In 1980 a puma was
captured in Inverness
following two years of
sightings, given the name
Felicity and lived for a
further five years in a
wildlife park. In 1989 a
jungle cat was killed in
Shropshire after being hit
by a car, following 13
reports of sightings over the
previous three years. In
1991 a leopard was shot on
the Isle of Wight, the gunman
having mistaken it for a fox.
Also in 1991, a large adult
lynx was shot near Great
Witchingham, thought to
have escaped from illegal
ownership or a zoo.
…and did you know, most
reported sightings of big
cats are of black panthers?
However, this is most
unlikely. But why would
this be?
Answer in the next issue.
We are now open to 5pm
Monday to Friday
Richmond Park lady golfers have had
a good year under the captaincy of
Margaret Broadbent who now hands
over to our new Captain Eileen Chard,
we wish her well.
Despite the River Wissey running
perilously high on more than one
occasion we have managed to hold
nearly all the competitions scheduled
this year and we are pleased to say we
have welcomed several new younger
members to our ranks, Sandie
McCormack being one of them. She
was recently awarded the Heather
Piper Trophy which is for the player
with the most reduced handicap over
the season. Regarding our team
efforts we have been successful in the
Norfolk Women’s County League,
eventually finishing 2nd in Division 6
and have now gained promotion to
Division 5. In the winter months we
hold more social competitions and
recently played ‘A game of 2 Halves’,
the front 9 being medal format and the
back 9 Stableford. Sandie overcame
the muddy conditions and was
triumphant once again.
In a year marred by the death of the
Club’s owner we held many events
including the honour of hosting the
Norfolk Past Captain’s Society in
April and a successful Am-Am in
July. In August we helped the County
celebrate their centenary and
concluded the year by hosting the
Junior Girls Autumn Cup.
Some of you who have lived in
Watton and its environs for a long
time will instantly recognise Elaine
Aberdeen, who was victorious in the
Secretary’s Salver Competition
pictured right with last year’s Captain.
She taught at Wayland School for
many years & has been Lady Captain
at Richmond Park.
If you are new to the area and are
wondering which golf club to join,
look no further than Richmond Park.
We pride ourselves on being a
friendly, sociable bunch of ladies some
of whom even take short golf breaks
together either in the UK or abroad. The
club itself is well known for its relaxed
atmosphere and good food. For further
details ring 01953 881 803.
Richmond Park Golf Club Ladies Section
The Wayland News Page 16 News
THE WAYLAND NEWS Page space is allocated strictly on a first come, first served basis. Deadline is 12Noon on 16th of the month preceding publication
and that is the last date and time that copy will be considered for inclusion. Arrival of copy before deadline does not guarantee
inclusion, if you wish to be certain your entry gets published, then please make sure it arrives in plenty of time otherwise you may still be disappointed. If you are submitting on paper you MUST sign and
include your contact details with each item. If you do not, the item will NOT be published.
You can contact Julian by ringing (01953) 858908. You can write to 8 Princess Close, Watton IP25 6XA
The e-mail address is [email protected] Views expressed in articles in The Wayland News are those of the
contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers or printers.
While every care and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy, the
publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.
This issue of the The Wayland News was published by: Julian Horn, 32 High Street, Watton IP25 6AE and
printed by
Sharman & Company Ltd, Newark Road
Peterborough PE1 5TD. Phone: 01733 424 949
WAYLAND EVENTS DIARY
December
Sat 1st Ovington Christmas Bazaar In the Village Hall 12 - 3pm
Sat 1st ‘Inside Out’ Market Watton High Street from 9am
Sun 2nd Ashill Community Centre Car Boot Sale See ad
Wed 5th Watton Hockey Club Christmas Bingo See ad
Wed 5th Ovington Garden Club
Sat 8th Christmas Coffee Moring at St Mary’s Church 9 -12Noon
Sat 15th Charity Festive Market and Entrepreneurs Market
High Street Watton from 9am
Sat 15th Ashill Youth Club Christmas Fair See as
Tue 18th NWT Talk in Search of Wild Orchids. WCCC. See ad
A Happy and Peaceful
Christmas from
The Wayland News
See you in January!
Andrew Francis Funeral Service Watton’s Only Independent Family Funeral Directors
The Role Of the Funeral Director
When you suffer a bereavement, a funeral for a member of your family is
the most difficult day of your life. Everything your family and friends
ever thought about a loved one is expressed on that day.
When someone dies it comes as a great shock. Sometimes the death may
be expected, but nothing prepares you for the emotional shock of losing
someone close.
As your funeral directors, we are here to help and advise in whatever
way we can. we are dedicated professionals who provide a personal
service to you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It is a rare privilege to be a funeral director, to stand in a sensitive
position at a crucial time in the midst of your family, knowing the
quality of our service and reputation will help you through this most
difficult time in your lives.
Tel: 01953 883033
The Watton Society Talk Wednesday, 19th December
7.45 p.m. at the Christian Community Centre
The Westend Waiters £3 for members and £4 for non members, which
includes mulled wine and mince pies.
Winter Fishing By Jake Holman
Well, another winter season is upon us and
it's time once again to break out the thermals
and flasks. This year, my cold weather
fishing sees me chasing monster carp in a
local mere. Fingers crossed you will see me
holding a monster in the snow!
Our area has an incredible variety of
specimen angling for any brave souls willing
to get out there and take it. From truly
superb pike angling on Thompson Water
and Scoulton Mere to specimen bream and
roach in Loch Neaton and Garner's Pit in
Saham.
It is a long held belief that winter fishing is
extremely difficult, and you might as well
stay in and put your feet up. Whilst it
certainly does present some challenges and
force you to think beyond beautiful summer
afternoons trotting lazily through weirs or
zig fishing for monster carp, it is by no
means impossible. In fact, these challenges
make any fish caught a real trophy for the
books!
Freshwater fish, in general, become sluggish
and docile during the colder months. This
means that they are using less energy and
therefore need to feed less. This doesn't
mean they stop entirely! Small areas of bait
can still produce impressive carp, and a large
common carp in it's dark winter colours is a
sight to behold, believe me! Specimen roach
and bream can be teased from the frigid
depths with a carefully shotted float set up,
so there is no excuse for not getting out
there.
Even with all this variety, easily the most
popular winter species is the humble pike. It
can be found in almost any fresh water,
running or still. They fight hard, are
relatively easy to catch at small sizes and
don't require a small mortgage in tackle.
Pike fishing is certainly some of the most
exhilarating and quick fire angling available
in the UK in winter and a highly recommend
giving it a go, whether it be on the broads, in
a lake or your local river.
As with all angling disciplines, fish safety is
paramount for the longevity of our sport.
You will need a landing net large enough for
your target species, an unhooking mat,
gloves and a pair of forceps at the least. Pike
can be very delicate specimens, so be sure to
take care when handling them and ensure
they are out of the water for the absolute
minimum of time needed for your trophy
shots.
Winter fishing is also an excellent
opportunity to see our countryside in all it's
beauty and splendour. There is nothing quite
like stepping out of your door into the pre-
dawn glow of a crisp, frosty morning. It
feels like the whole world is yours alone and
is, I believe, one of the greatest aspects of
fishing at any time of the year. Packing a
flask full of soup or tea is a great way to stay
warm in the harsh weather, as well as the
obvious warm clothes.
Along with the beauty of the colder months
come the dangers of freezing conditions.
When the lakes start to freeze there is a
particular need for caution. Never walk on
ice, no matter how thick it may appear.
Warmer spots caused by any number of
things including silt and deep water can
create thin areas that look solid, right up
until the moment you disappear!
This really is a stunning time of year to be
on the bank, and the rewards are beyond
come pare. However you choose to enjoy
your winter, I wish you tight lines, wet nets
and may all your fish be big ones.
Caston has been named winner of the
‘Under 500 Population’ category of the
‘The EDP Pride in Norfolk Awards’!
The initial competition flyer asked
‘What makes your community special?’
The judges were looking for entries that
‘celebrate the wonderful community life
of Norfolk’.
The entry from Caston described various
aspects of the village’s life: the Friday
drop-in sessions, the wide range of
organisations using the village hall,
special events such as the Jubilee
celebrations and the New Year’s Eve
Safari Supper, Holy Cross Church, the
school, the website and parish council
schemes (such as ‘speed watch’) to
name but a few. Perhaps the most
important paragraph in Caston’s entry
was the first one:
Caston is a rural village with a happy
buzz. There are numerous examples of
residents pulling together to support the
community and individuals.
The three judges who visited Caston in
October were able to experience our
‘wonderful community life’ for
themselves. They clearly enjoyed the
buzz of a drop-in session, and were
pleased to hear details of village
activities from residents and
representatives of our many
organisations. After that, they toured
Caston to see the lovely village for
themselves.
Two representatives of Caston Parish
Council will be collecting the £500 prize
at a ceremony at County Hall on Friday,
30th November. The Parish Council
will decide at a future meeting how the
money will be spent.
The village is very grateful to Mary
Nichols who initiated and co-ordinated
the competition entry for the village.
Well done, Caston!
Now it is official – Caston is a special community