Stop and think words can hurt!

Issue Number 183 - December 2011

Giving a voice to the Wayland community

To support national Anti-Bullying Week school children in the Wayland cluster were set a challenge by Parent Support Adviser Sue Lee and Wayland High School Librarian Charlotte Creed. They were asked to design a poster with a picture and motto or to write a piece of poetry or a rap to enforce the theme for anti-bullying week, Stop and think words can hurt! The competition for 2011 was an enormous success, with over 700 entries; we have been amazed by the sheer quality and time given by the pupils and staff at their schools to this event.

There were some fantastic designs and some wonderful poetry which certainly made an impact on those judging the competition; in some age categories there has been more than one winner or runner-up due to the high standard of work. Winning entries have been made into posters and will be displayed in schools and public venues around the local area. The competition winners were invited with their families to a presentation evening held at Wayland Community High on Monday 14th November, 2011 and received their certificates and prizes from The Mayor and Mayoress of Watton, Michael and Jan

Wassell. Mr. Michael Rose, Head Teacher of Wayland Community High School introduced the evening with a talk about the importance of Anti-Bullying Week. A great evening was enjoyed by all. The winners were: Reception Year: Winner Tallulah Blackwood Westfield Infant and Nursery School, Runner-up Daisy Draycott Westfield Infant and Nursery School Year 1: Joint winners Abigail Moulton Westfield Infant and Nursery School & Chloe Pitcher Westfield Infant and Nursery School, Runner-up Ruby Minns Thompson Primary School

Year 2: Harry Moore Westfield Infant and Nursery School, Joint runner-up Lydia Ocal Thompson Primary School & Jake Bennett Thompson Primary School Year 3: Winner Alex Park Caston Primary School, Joint runner-up Daniel Mower Great Hockham Primary School & Lorretta Sonnese Parkers Primary School Year 4: Joint winners Daisy Dobbin Great Hockham Primary School & Jessica Bower Parkers Primary School Runner-up Joshua Gore Parkers Primary School Year 5: Joint winners Lewis Knights Parkers Primary School & Mia Poole

Parkers Primary School, Runner-up Joshua Gore Parkers Primary School Year 6: Winner Faye Hallett Caston Primary School, Joint runner-up Eleanor Armstrong Parkers Primary School & Chelsea Spells Caston Primary School Year 7: Winner Laurily Vargeson Wayland Community High, Runner-up Sam Wheeler Wayland Community High Year 8: Winner Jamie Palmer Wayland Community High, Runner-up Estelle Lount Wayland Community High Year 9: Winner Hannah Stephenson Wayland Community High, Runner-up Chantel Law Wayland Community High

Annual Town Carol Service - please note the new time

Watton Churches Together in co-operation with Wayland Chamber of Commerce will be holding the annual Town Carol Service in the Queens Hall on Sunday, 11 December at 4pm. Music will be provided by SHINE! and the collection will be donated to Watton Army Cadet Force. After the service, mince pies (which we are hoping will be baked locally) and coffee will be served. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME and come along and have an enjoyable time and sing your heart out.

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News

USAAF 2nd Air Division Archive Catalogue goes online

More than 2000 poignant diaries, letters, photographs and memoirs belonging to servicemen in the 2nd Air Division, United States Army Air Force, who were posted in East Anglia during World War II, have gone online In 2010, Norfolk Record Office, in partnership with the County Council's Library and Information Service, and the Norfolk-based 2nd Air Division Memorial Trust, benefited from two generous legacies from former veterans: Major Jordan Uttal, one-time head of statistical data and bombing accuracy analysis at 2nd Air Division Headquarters, and Evelyn Cohen, who served in the US Womens Auxiliary Corps. The legacies have enabled the Record Office to produce the detailed Evelyn Cohen and Jordan Uttal Memorial Catalogue, which unlocks the treasures contained in this fascinating archive. The published catalogue, which has more than 2,400 entries, will be available via http://archives.norfolk.gov.uk Derrick Murphy, Leader of Norfolk County Council, said: The 2nd Air Division records held in the Norfolk Record Office form a highly significant archive, of clearly international importance, and they cement the strong relationship between Norfolk and the United States, which has continued to this day. "In many respects, the 2nd Air Division archive is a commemorative collection and this makes it a deeply personal one. The cataloguing project is a yet another great example of collaboration between Norfolk and America; a collaboration which will continue with next years planned American Trail events. Matthew Martin said: "We are truly delighted that this important archive project is complete. The story of the Memorial Library and of the 2nd Air Division archive is a fascinating one, and future historians and researchers will now have access to all the records from its inception to the present day." During World War II, nearly 7,000 Americans in the 2nd Air Division, United States Army Air Force, lost their lives flying on missions from airbases in East Anglia. They were stationed from as far west as Wendling and North Pickenham in Norfolk, at Horsham St Faith and as far south as Bungay and Halesworth in northeast Suffolk. The archive includes personal papers of 2nd Air Division servicemen based in East Anglia during the Second World War, plus documents relating to how local people have remembered them, both during the war and since. It contains the records which veterans, their families and local people have chosen to donate to the record office in order to preserve the history of the 2nd Air Divisions presence in East Anglia, from 1942 to the end of the war. It also includes the business records of the 2nd Air Division Memorial Trust and records relating to the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library. There are many poignant diaries, letters, photographs, memoirs and audio recordings relating to the wartime experiences of 2nd Air Division service personnel in their home from home in Norfolk and East Anglia. A significant proportion of the records relate to the 2nd Air Division's bomb groups, but there are also records relating to the 65th Fighter Wing, ground personnel, the Women's Auxiliary Corps and Division Headquarters (which, from 1943, was based at Ketteringham Hall near Wymondham). The many gems in the collection include a beautiful set of watercolours painted by the divisions official artist, T/Sgt Ludwig Lund, and presented to General James Pratt Hodges, one of its Commanding Officers. The watercolours depict airbase scenes which capture the mood of military life, of local places, such as Norwich Cathedral, which is as popular with American tourists today as it was to the American servicemen and women more than 60 years ago, as well as images of social life during wartime, including the Bell Hotel in Norwich, one of the Americans favourite meeting places.

A heart-felt thank you from Julian

I really do want to say a very sincere thank you to everyone who has supported The Wayland News in its return to our area. It was a difficult decision last year, to stop the production of the paper; having nursed it for so many years I could not sustain it and its demise seemed inevitable. To be honest, I didnt think that its presence would much missed. I knew from messages that the contributors would feel its loss, but I really did wonder if it was as widely read as I believed it was. How wrong I was! I couldnt walk down the street without being stopped and being told by person after person how much they missed it. With that tremendous level of support I went back to the businesses who are trying to survive what must be the worst economic conditions in living memory and they welcomed the opportunity to try and help bring the paper back where it belongs. I know I bang on about Tesco and the damage I believe they do to the area, but without the wide variety of businesses that do support The Wayland News, we would, without doubt, lose the paper forever. So please, support those local businesses trying to trade through these difficult times and in the face of such ruthless competition. And when you are doing that, tell them you appreciate it! As for the content of the paper, I must thank all the contributors both regular and irregular, for all their submissions. There is also a core of contributors, and I give particular thanks to Edith Pleasance, Ken Knowles (so pleased to see Ken & Edith back!), Rosalie Davis Gibb, John Egerton, Orbiter and Chris OConnor in Australia. Every contributor helps to make the paper an interesting and informative read. I would also like to mention the Printers, Sharman and Co in Peterborough. They have been very supportive, helping me through the complications of production and also in helping to keep the costs at a manageable level. So Mark, James, Jackie, Julie and everyone else there, thank you so much. And finally, all the outlets that help with the distribution of the paper in particular the paper delivery boys, girls and adults at Edwards of Watton Ultimately, the efforts of all the above people come to nothing if you dont pick up a copy and read it! So to you, dear reader, thank you. You are the reason why The Wayland News is published. One thing I have discovered this year. We have, in the Wayland area, a true community of people who work together mostly peaceably; that is a rare thing in the country today. Lets do everything possible to keep it going. Have a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Ashill Youth Club Christmas Fayre

Saturday 10th December 2pm Ashill Community Centre Raffle, tombola, cake stall games and refreshments come and meet Father Christmas in his grotto

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Circus Stars Celebrate in the Library

Children from across Wayland became Circus Stars in the summer with a whole host of events to celebrate this year's summer reading challenge in libraries. We tried everything from dance and movement, to African drumming, craft activities and circus skills. Over 80 children completed the Circus Stars reading challenge, having read 6 books during the holidays and telling us in the library all about them. We celebrated with a special awards ceremony in the library where our very own circus stars received gold medals and certificates. Perhaps some of those skills will develop and we'll have some future Olympic gold medal winners, who knows?!

Regular events in your library

IT Drop in Clinic Having problems with attachments, want to learn how to download an e-book or find out about free online IT courses? Then pop in to Watton library Thursdays between 2.30pm and 4pm when a member of our staff will be available for free informal advice on a range of IT topics. This is a drop-in clinic for quick queries, customers will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Tots Tales Every Friday 10.30am to 11am. Stories, songs and activities for pre-school children and their parents/carers. All welcome from tiny babies to grandparents for this free, fun session!

Watton Pantomime Group Presents Robin Hood!!

Watch out for your taxes, the Sheriff of Nottingham is on his way. Rehearsals are under way for the production of our pantomime, Robin Hood which will be shown in the Queens Hall, Watton 26th to 28th January 2012. We have some original cast members and some new recruits. Everyone is enjoying their role and the laughter can be heard from Thompson Village Hall on Tuesday and Thursday Evenings. As children, Robin and Marian say their goodbyes Robin leaves for Knight School promising Marian He will be back! Fifteen years later Robin returns to find Sherwood under the rule of The Sheriff of Nottingham and his Mother Mandragoria. Robin forms his Merry Men and with the help of the Sherwood Oak, Dame Dotty and her son Much, can he defeat the Sheriff and his Evil Mother and bring happiness back to Nottingham? This pantomime is full of laughter and toe-tapping tunes along with many of the characters we all know and love. Tickets on sales from Smiths Clothing from the 3rd of December.

Thetford Singers Celebrate Christmas Old and New

with Breckland Hand Bell Ringers
Glowing from the success of their summer concert held in Watton in July, the Thetford Singers have been hard at work rehearsing their winter programme. This year, the Singers will be performing a truly eclectic mix of seasonal music at their Christmas concert, taking place on Wednesday 14th December at the Thetford Guildhall. Christmas Old and New will lead the audience on a musical journey through time, taking in festive music from old English, medieval and modern times, celebrating Christmas through the ages. The repertoire will visit sacred and classical pieces, well- and lesser-known carols, as well as a cappella and jazz versions of modern Christmas favourites. Including performances from Breckland Hand Bell Ringers, and opportunities for audience participation in carols, this will be a jam-packed Christmas stocking of a concert with something for everyone! The performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available in advance from Leaping Hare, King Street, Thetford (01842 751975), or on the door priced 6 (5 concessions), including seasonal refreshment. To help keep weary shoppers in the festive spirit, the choir will also be singing carols outside St. Cuthberts Church on King Street in Thetford on the morning of Saturday 10th December, collecting for CLIC Sargent (a charity which cares for children with cancer). For more information about Thetford Singers or CLIC Sargent go to www.thetfordsingers.org.uk or www.clicsargent.org.uk

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Rocklands School Christmas Wishes

The children are looking forward to seeing the Pantomime - Jack and the Beanstalk at the Rocklands Village Hall in December. They will be performing on 13th December when they sing Christmas Carols for our local Shellrock Club. And we have just heard that Rocklands will be one of 12 schools each singing a verse of The Twelve Days of Christmas on Radio Norwich, so tune in and listen up! Other special collaborations with outside agencies this term include: an electricity safety presentation by UK Power Network, an engineering workshop with Lego, and pedestrian safety training for younger pupils. It has been a rich and exciting year for everyone at Rocklands School and we shall continue working together to ensure that next year will be just as rewarding. Merry Christmas, to all at Rocklands School, to our federated friends at Great Ellingham and to all who read this. All good wishes, too, for 2012.

Room to build 2,500 more homes or could we see Wattonbrooke born?

Comment from the Editor
As long ago as March 2010 I highlighted the dangers posed by the possible sale of the old Watton Airfield and the potentially large number of homes that could be built on it. At the time I was accused of scare mongering, and was told I didnt know what I was talking about. Now, I am always happy to accept that I dont know what I am talking about most of the time, but in this case, with the news that just over 180 Acres (75ha for the metricised) has gone up for sale by tender, the likelihood that my grim prediction could come true, has moved a little closer. That amount of land, if developed to current densities, would provide room for around 2,500 homes; the majority of which would fall within the Griston parish, though they would bulk up the eastern end the ribbon development that come about through the ill planned expansion of Watton and Carbrooke. Just to be clear: the land does not presently have planning permission, and is not in the Local Development Framework and so, on the face of it, is not likely to be up for development. But, the Government has set a target for land owned by central government to be disposed of within the current spending review period up to 2014/15 which has the capacity to deliver 100,000 new homes. As a major land owning department, the Ministry of Defence has agreed a target, as part of that overall ambition, to sell land by 2014/15 with the potential capacity to deliver between 26,000 and 31,000 new homes in future. The Localism Act, which gained Royal Assent in November, has changed the way planning works and in the last Budget Statement the Chancellor also said: We are going to tackle what every government has identified as a chronic obstacle to economic growth in Britain, and no government has done anything about: the planning system. Yes, local communities should have a greater say in planning, but from today: We will expect all bodies involved in planning to prioritise growth and jobs; We will introduce a new presumption in favour of sustainable development, so that the default answer to development is yes; We will retain existing controls on greenbelt but we will remove the

Flashback: March 2010s Headline about the potential consequences . . . nationally imposed targets on the use of previously developed land; We will allow certain use class changes We will introduce time limits on applications We will pilot for the first time ever auctions of planning permission on land. I first raised this back in April this year, focussing on the presumption question see Page 14 What price Localism now?. Again I was told I had got it wrong but a Select Committee Report described the bill as incoherent and said there are too many interpretations of what localism means and ministers abandon the idea under pressure. The problem now is in the last line of that quote above: We will pilot for the first time ever auctions of planning permission on land. Again for clarity, there has been no suggestion yet that this will happen. But this is brownfield MOD land, described in the Particulars of Sale as potential development land. And, to be fair when you look at it, it is difficult to argue against development on it. Furthermore, we have a Government desperate to raise as much money as it can in the current economic climate. Do you trust them not to do this? No? Neither do I. Consider yourself warned. homes, with good size gardens and open space, to the restore the balance of the recent high density developments on the old RAF Watton site. There are proper play areas and facilities for young people, a Community Centre for the older generations and good medical provision for everyone taking the load of Watton doctors who show an immediate improvement in patient satisfaction. In a visionary move by planners, who are not using every square inch of land to build future ghettos, there is now room for a new link-road to join Carbrooke (from near the Flying Fish) to a new roundabout at Barn Ruche corner, with access to Wayland Community High School, and the new Academy there. This is expected to take the load off the traffic lights near the Queens Hall, relieve Merton Road of its twice daily traffic nightmare and make the High Street a much calmer and more inviting place to shop. This will help offset the impact of recently expanded Tesco store and will mean that local shops can once again start to employ local people in good numbers. The area to the south of the new link road between Wattonbrooke and Griston is to be developed into a large industrial area taking advantage of the proximity to the soon to be duelled A11 with the new transport links encouraging industry to return to the Wayland area providing much needed jobs for an impoverished community whose lot has not been helped by Breckland Councils focus on Thetford, Dereham and Attleborough. All of this is being done with just a tiny percentage of the money that was previously being pumped into the banking system. Do you trust your government to do this? No? Neither do I. Consider yourself warned . . . again.

After discussing this issue at length with Tim Mullenger of Mullenger & Co in the High Street, we have, between us, developed a dream for . . . Wattonbrooke Newtown!!
A new village is to be created on the edge of Watton with just 1500 high quality

Shellrock Circle For The Over 50s

To everyone who helped to make our Autumn Bazaar a success: a big THANK YOU! Your efforts certainly paid off financially. Christine and Steve gave us a jolly programme at our meeting on the 9th of November. A good mix of song styles had us all singing along but no one took up Steves invitation to come out and dance if we wanted to. They finished their set with a nostalgic rendition of Vera Lynns wartime songs in honour of Armistice Day. The winner of the Christmassy table decoration was Gillian Ellis. After our Christmas dinner on the 13th of December, we reopen in the New Year on the 11th of January. The afternoon is billed as a SURPRISE, so come along and have a surprisingly good afternoon. You just might Surprise! yourself. The task for this meeting is to make a snowman. There was a very good response to the November challenge, so lets keep the momentum going. The more the merrier. We hope you will be happy with the idea of paying for the price of your tickets and coach in installments instead of in one lump sum when we book up to go to the theatre. Just a thought. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did. Somebody got angry at that because it was Everybodys job. Everybody knew Anybody could do it but Nobody realised Everybody wouldnt do it. Afterwards Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. We hope to see a few new faces in the New Year. We always welcome new members. The meetings at the Village Hall, The Street, Rocklands are on the second Wednesday of the month and begin at 2pm till 4pm. Have a Joyous Christmas And A Happy New Year!

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Meet the new Breckland Youth Councillors

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Wayland Happy Circle

On Tuesday, 1 November 30 members enjoyed our annual lunch at The Hare and Barrel. The food and service was excellent as always. We were pleased to welcome Audrey, a former committee member and friend, who had travelled from up north to join us. A raffle was held with numerous prizes and after coffee and a chat we returned home. At our next meeting on 6 December we will be entertained by the St. Withburga Handbell Ringers from Dereham and mince pies, savouries and biscuits will be offered with our cups of tea. Each member is asked to bring a small wrapped gift so everyone goes home with a parcel. Hope to see you all there.

WATTON BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP

Wed 7th December 2pm Christmas Social Meeting at Watton Christian Community Centre Mon 19th December 12.00 for 12.30pm Christmas Lunch at Griston Wagon & Horses. Booking necessary.

OVINGTON CHRISTMAS BAZAAR

Saturday December 3rd 12 3pm in the Village Hall Stalls: Competitions Refreshments/Hot Soup Free Admission & Car Parking Proceeds for Hall and Church Funds Hope to see you there, Everyone Welcome
The new Breckland Youth Councillors - From Left, Back, Joseph McLoughlin, Lewis Hanrahan and Matthew Sibley. Middle row, Jennifer Faherty, Mary Young, Sophie Willis, Kelsey McTaggart and Kristina Fox, Front, Aaron Protheroe, Charles Mead, Sophie Malby, Katie Harrington, Paige Viner and Hannah McNicol The next generation of politicians are taking their seat at the table of democracy to make sure younger residents are having a say in decisions that affect them across the district. Forty-six young people, between the ages of 11-19, applied to become new youth council members. After two days of interviewing applicants, the present youth council voted for their new members. Fourteen young people from Brecklands town and parishes were elected to the district's youth council. Working on the principle of power through participation, during their three year tenure the new youth councillors will be given more than just an insight into the workings of local democracy. In a unique strategy, designed to ensure the voice of young people is heard loud and clear, members of the youth council will be given the opportunity to attend some of Breckland Council's committees and will attend Full Council meetings to present the minutes of their meetings. Lynda Turner, Executive member for Localism, Community and Environmental Services said: The Youth Council provides young people with a direct voice in local decisionmaking and recognises their needs and ambitions. We hope to encourage the districts youth to take on leadership roles today and offer them the necessary skills and encouragement to take an active role in democracy for the rest of their lives. The views of young people are just as important as those of our older residents, and for this reason, we need to make sure young peoples voices are acknowledged. And it seems the elected youngsters already have strong ideas about what they want to see happen. Sophie Malby, aged 11 said; Im really excited and the whole process has inspired me to apply for my school council. I think there is a lack of youth clubs and activities for young people in Swaffham and I would like to get involved in making sure there are plenty of things for young people to do.

Shipdham & District Book Group

The book read for discussion at the meeting on 15th November was the highly acclaimed One Day by David Nicholls recently made into a film. The subject matter has been much publicised: a couple meet on the night of their graduation day and vow to meet or make contact on the same day each year, 15th July, St Swithins day. Thus it follows their lives for nearly two decades. It is very much a modern novel showing not telling with description through conversation in differing forms. This had been a popular choice for the group although most confessed it had not been the light read expected. Views were very different ranging from comments such as boring; only having finished it for the meeting and one member who tried to skim through it only to discover that the writing style made it impossible. Meanwhile others who read it twice, loved it, laughed and cried over it and want to read more by the same author Following discussion and closer analysis the consensus was that it is very much a novel of its time and very well written. This was realised when the readers became furious with Dexter, one of the main characters, as he slid into the world of pseudo celebrity, drink and drugs and became a total loser wasting the opportunities life had handed him. Meanwhile his father, a minor character gained only sympathy. The tragedy was sudden and unforeseen with tremendous impact. It is recommended that the book is read before seeing the film. For our December meeting we will have a miscellany of poetry and prose chosen and read by members with seasonal refreshments as an accompaniment. May you all have the Christmas you desire and health and happiness in 2012. Good reading for those who love it as we do.

Christmas Art Exhibition

Art with a seasonal theme
The Christmas exhibition at the Dragonfly Gallery, Wayland House, High Street, Watton, showcases the talents of artists across East Anglia at one venue. Mediums to include: pastel, acrylic, oil, mixed media, photography, textile, silk painting ceramic and linocut. Housed within the gallery is Dragonfly Gifts and Cards a small retail area to support both the artists and the Gallery offering unique art cards and unusual crafted gifts, all hand-made by local artists. The exhibition runs from Saturday 3rd December Saturday 17th December. Preview Eve Friday 2nd December 7.00 8.30pm, limited number of free tickets available. Refreshments. Opening Times: Weekdays 10am - 4pm, Saturdays 10am - 1pm Contact Susan Hollingworth for further information 01953 880205

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Advertising

NHS Summary Care Record

Your emergency care summary
The NHS is introducing a new electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR), which will be used to support your emergency care. Almost 20% of patients in the NHS Norfolk area now have an SCR. As the phased national roll-out continues, over 139,000 have been created in the NHS Norfolk area so far and more than 9 Million across England.

About Summary Care Records

The Summary Care Record will give healthcare staff faster, easier access to essential information about you, to help provide you with safe treatment when you need care in an emergency or when your GP practice is closed. It will contain important information about any medicines you are taking, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicine that you have had.

What are my choices?

If you choose to have a SCR, you do not need to do anything. If you choose not to have a SCR, you need to let your GP practice know by filling in and returning an opt-out form. You can obtain an opt out form from your surgery or by contacting the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020.

Whatever you choose - you can change your mind at anytime. You will need to let your GP practice know.

Children and the Summary Care Record

Children under 16 will automatically get a SCR created for them unless a parent or guardian decides to opt out on their behalf.

Where can I get more information?

Phone the Summary Care Record Information Line on 0300 123 3020; Visit www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk or Contact NHS Norfolk Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Monday - Friday from 9am to 5pm, on 0800 587 4132 or email pals@norfolk.nhs.uk For a list of practices that have already uploaded within NHS Norfolk please visit our website www.norfolk.nhs.uk/summary-care-records

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Watton Junior School opens a Young Savers Scheme

West Norfolk Aviation Society

News

Guest speaker Henry Labouchere recounted the part that he and others played in THE GREAT TIGER MOTH BOTSWANA SAFARI. From the 14th of April to the 1st of May 2011, a group of seven vintage de Havilland Tiger Moth Biplanes ventured across Botswana on a once-in-a -lifetime airborne safari. The route was from Polokwane in South Africa to the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Leaving Gweta, they flew to the inland oasis that is the Okavango Delta and then the lush riverine forest of Chobe. A few days in Livingstone, Zambia, over the spectacular Victoria Falls followed and then they headed back home. Participants came from all over the world, South Africa, Botswana, Europe and Australia. They flew their own Tiger Moths, Fox Moths and support aircraft. The talk was superbly illustrated with film and still photography not only of the aircraft but also the terrain and wildlife. Next Meeting Tuesday 7th February 2012, 7.30pm at Methwold Social Club: Derick Horn Aircraft from the 60s & 70s New members & guests welcomed. For more Information Tel: 01842 87921 0 or visit our Web Site www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.co.uk

The Best In Country Music 8 til late

The Watton Society Talk

Wednesday, December 21st 8pm at the Christian Community Centre
Watton Junior School has become the first school in Wayland to benefit from a Young Savers Scheme offered through Norfolk Credit Union Ltd. with the help of their local Watton branch Wayland Community Bank. The scheme is aimed at encouraging thrift among children. It is open to any youngsters of any age up to 16 living or being educated in Norfolk and is available through a school scheme, or for independent young savers through one of Norfolk Credit Unions many local branches. Wayland Community Bank is supporting Watton Junior School in the early stages of this venture with the help of one of its volunteers who is guiding them through the process. However, the aim is that the children in the school will operate the bank under the supervision of school staff, thus learning about handling their own money and helping to become more familiar with benefits that saving can offer. The school opened their bank on September 18th when the first savers came along to make their initial deposit and 15 children have already signed up for the scheme, with more being processed. Mr Doug Dale, Headteacher, said how delighted he was that there had been such a positive response to the project and is hopeful that more children will take advantage of the scheme in the near future. He is pleased that the schools Bank Assistants who are members of year six, are enjoying becoming involved in running their bank and who in turn they can encourage others in the benefits of saving in this way. Savings can be made once a week by the children and may be withdrawn at the end of each term. The account can remain open after leaving this school until the youngsters reach the age of 16 when they may join Norfolk Credit Union as full members and benefit from its extended range of services including a Current Account, although they will have to wait until they are 18 before they can apply for a loan. During school holidays these Young Savers may visit their local Watton High Street branch and any other Norfolk Credit Union branch with their parent or guardian. Friends and relations can add to the childs account through the school and at any branch of Norfolk Credit Union. Unlike full members who receive an annual Dividend, Young Savers receive Interest on their savings. The rate is set nominated charities. He has recently taken a table at Swaffham Friday Craft Fair, and run several workshops for others interested to try their skill in making a box. The boxes are made by using recycled Daler Board offcuts kindly donated to him by Studio Khyber, the sections of each box after being cut to very precise measurements are covered with specially selected cotton fabric and assembled using PVA adhesive. Where the money goes Amongst the charities to benefit are Help For Heroes, Burma Childrens Fund, Feed The Children, Healing Streams Ministries (Water projects in Kenya), St Georges Church at Saham, Doms Fund ( a small charity set up at the UEA with courses to research the causes of and cures for stammering), and Quidenham Childrens each year by the members of Norfolk Credit Union at every Annual General Meeting and has been 5% for the last three years although this particularly high rate might not be sustainable in these uncertain financial times. We wish Watton Junior School every success in this venture and hope that other schools in the Wayland area will take advantage of this scheme. Wayland Community Bank volunteers will be delighted to come along and talk to staff, children and parents in other schools about the scheme and support them in setting up a their own schools Young Savers Scheme. Wayland Community Bank is based at Wayland House, Watton and can be contacted at 01953 883915. For more information about Credit Unions and Wayland Community Bank you can also see us by visiting www.youtube.com & entering Credit Union Wayland Norfolk Credit Union Ltd. is a Not-forProfit Financial Co-operative. It is regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the F.S.A. Compensation Scheme. Our main office can be contacted at 01508 533842 or by visiting www.norfolkcu.co.uk Mike Wabe will entertain us with Christmas Stories and Songs Mulled wine and mince pies will be served Entrance fee is 3 for members and 4 for non-members, who are very welcome to attend. Contacts for more information on the Watton Society are John and Judy Kerr 01953 882613.

Boxing for Charity

For several years Maurice Cornelius of Saham Toney has been raising funds for a number of charities through the sale of bespoke fabric covered boxes. Maurice has recently established two outlets in Watton from where the boxes can be purchased; Sandra at Studio Khyber holds a supply for sale at prices from 5, as does The Dragonfly Gallery at Wayland House. A display of boxes can be seen at both places. Sandra is keen to support a local charity and sales through her are to be donated to the Quidenham Childrens Hospice shortly. Maurice has attended several local Art exhibitions and demonstrated the construction of the bespoke boxes whilst at the same time selling them for his

Hospice is also shortly to benefit. Money raised so far Maurice is pleased to be able to report that to date the sum of 1,000 has been raised for charity. They have a multitude of uses such as to hold: Table napkins, tissues, tablets and hearing aids, jewellery, chocolates, sewing box, or simply as a stand-alone attractive little box as a gift. Maurice is happy to consider special requests for boxes for specific use. Maurice can be contacted at 17 Bell Lane, Saham Toney, or by telephone 01953 885684 or by Email mwh.cornelius@btopenworld.com.

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Watton Ballroom Dancing Association

Queens Hall, Watton
8 to 11.00 Admission 3.50

Saturday December 3rd Saturday January 7th Mike 01953 882799

A Quick Look Round

By Orbiter
Here we go again; as usual Christmas has caught up with us, taking us by surprise. Why this should be is a bit of a puzzle, since we are warned by the shops from the beginning of September, yet still we leave things till the last moment, and then bang! its all over. It happens every year, but still we dont learn. Looking around the district I am always rather non-plussed by the various road signs that beset us, particularly the ones that announce Diversion Ends, when one is not aware that there was a diversion in the first place. Similarly Diverted Traffic signs seem to appear in the most odd places and stay there for months, just the same as the ones depicting flying stones with the instruction to keep below 20 m.p.h. These nearly always refer to road resurfacing that may have actually taken place more than a year previously, and Flood warning signs often remain in place for months, and then are removed, usually the day before the next flood occurs. While on the subject of roads, may I make a plea to pedestrians and cyclists to make sure they are visible to motorists? On my journeys into Watton via Saham Toney, the stretch down Pages Lane leads to a particularly shady section on either side of the junction with Ploughboy Lane, where dog- walkers and cyclists abound, and I must warn them that as they pass under the trees they become virtually invisible, especially when the rest of the road is bathed in sunshine and when they wear dark clothing. As I have no wish to harm them, would they please invest in one of those high visibility bibs, they cost less than a fiver? Perhaps there is a good idea for a Christmas present from someone. Still on the subject of motoring it does seem that Wayland folks have the bad end of the bargain when it comes to petrol prices. Locally 4 star unleaded has been costing around 138p per litre, and I know that small independent filling stations cannot support the discounted rates charged by the supermarkets, but even at those big outlets the prices vary so much For instance in Norwich and Kings Lynn the average is 131p and even only 129p at one of Sainsbury shops, whereas 134p seems to about the best in our region (Waitrose in Swaffham). The delivery costs to Swaffham cannot be so much greater than Norwich or Lynn, surely. On the subject of petrol it is good to note that most drivers have noted that fuel consumption is so much better at, say, 50mph than at 60, particularly when a

steady speed is maintained, and this has made trips along the local main roads much safer for all concerned. Still on cars, one of our esteemed rulers has criticised home owners for using their garages for all purposes other than housing their vehicles. Yes, he is right, many people have converted them into extra rooms or used them as storage spaces, but the fact is that most of the garages constructed on housing estates have a standard door width of seven feet, whereas most modern cars are as wide as that (including wing mirrors) so that even if they could be parked inside, the driver would be unable to get out.I expect the minister who made the remarks has the benefit of a large double garage, and thus has no idea of how the other half lives. One reads such amazing things in the national news, and one such item amused me, when it was reported that a well-known shoe retailer was suing a rival because of the use of the colour red for the soles of one of their styles. If this case is successful, surely this would mean that firms could sue for the use of blacks, browns or whatever. Can a colour be patented ? We are always being told of the huge cost of the National Health Service and the need to economise, but there is one factor that is always ignored and that is the amount that is wasted on the pills and tablets that we are supplied with (and very good they are too), but when our doctor changes our prescription we are often left with unused items. Even when we have a full box the pharmacy is not interested in taking them back, presumably because the paperwork involved would be too complicated. Thus millions of pills finish up in the bin, and more money is lost. Such a pity. A well-known local eating house has recently advertised their Pastry Pies. Is it me, but I thought all pies were made with pastry? Its a bit like Pan-Fried Liver its always done in a pan, thats how things are fried, so why do restaurants have to mention it? Such a lot of protests go on about the prospects of new building encroaching upon Green Belt lands ( and quite rightly so) that one tends to forget that such a vast area of Britain is almost completely house-less. Travel the A47 from Necton to Great Yarmouth and once Fransham is left behind hardly a house is to be seen until the eastern end of the Acle straight. Similarly on the side roads one can travel to all parts of the coast, with just an occasional farm house to be seen, and the same can be said for journeys to most parts of the country. Yet with all this empty space, every new development always seems to be proposed for where it is least wanted, at least by the local population. It seems that no-one can ever be right. Well thats all folks, except to wish a Merry Christmas to one and all.

Sing A Song Of Sixpence

The Attleborough Players will be revealing the true story behind the old nursery rhyme, 'Sing a Song of Sixpence' for their pantomime presentation in January 2012, a story of sinister goings on, mystery, intrigue, music and comedy. Performances will take place at the Connaught Hall, Station Road, Attleborough, 7.30 p.m. Thursday 26th; Friday 27th; Saturday 28th. There will also be a matinee Saturday 28th at 2.30 p.m. All tickets are 5.00 and may be obtained from, 'The Flower Box' - 1 Defiant Precinct, Church Street, Attleborough. Tel: 01953 453533 or A.W. Myhill, Electrical, Church Street, Attleborough. Tel: 01953 453107. Very young children in arms, viewing the pantomime from a parent's knee, will be admitted free of charge.

St Marys Church Progress Report

The work on both the outside and inside of the church continues apace, although some of the extra remedial work to the outside of the chancel has slowed up the progress of the planned work. Our builders, Gills, are progressing well with the work. Some of the work on the inside of the church is ahead of time and we hope that everything will even itself out in the end. Since the last report the chancel roof has been removed and what we have found what appears to be a large recycling centre! All of the stone on the apex of the east end has been recycled from other buildings or other parts of the church possibly when it was extended in the Victorian era. The roof consists of two structures, one possibly dating from the 16th/17th Century with a mixture of original oak struts as well as some of the structure obviously recycled from earlier buildings. All of this is overlaid by the Victorian roof structure, which is also in a very delicate state. The apex of the building has been partially taken down and rebuilt in brick and tied in to the rest of the structure and a new roof will replace the old roof structures. This is vital work which will secure the structure of the building for the long term. Inside the church some extra remedial work will need to be completed on the chancel arch and repairs to the plaster where needed around the walls has nearly been completed. The base of the new floor has been installed and all the preparations for the electricians and other inside work are near to completion. Our thanks to everyone who has responded to our appeal and who have supported our project to secure St. Marys for church and community into the future. Inevitably our costs are increasing and the appeal fund is still open! If you would like to make a contribution to the cost of this vital work cheques can be made payable to Watton PCC and delivered to the Church Office, Church Road, Watton IP25 6DQ. If you require any further information you are welcome to either contact the office (open Monday to Thursday 9am1pm) 881252 or Revd Geoff Garrett, 881439. You can also follow our progress on the church website: www.stmaryswatton.org

Christmas at Watton Country Market

We are grateful to our veteran knitter, Maureen Brown, for taking on the role of Market Manager in succession to Gill Buckley, who was forced to retire for health reasons. Our wood turner, Ian Thompson, has also been forced to retire from the Market for health reasons. We wish Ian and Rita well. We have welcomed one new producer, Bonnie Robinson, who makes lavender bags with her own organically grown lavender. We shall follow our now well established tradition of running a free pre-Christmas raffle for all our customers. Every customer coming to the market on Wednesday, 30th November and/or Wednesday, 7th December will receive a free raffle ticket. The draw will be made just before we open on 14th December to give the winner two weeks to spend their prize, a 10 Watton Country Market voucher, to spend in the Market, before Christmas. We shall stay open till our usual time, 11.30 a.m., on 21st December and then close for our winter break, reopening on Wednesday, 1st February 2012. Orders for Christmas must be made no later than 30th November to give our crafters and cooks time to prepare them. Baked goods, jewellery, knitwear, wooden toys, greetings cards, etc., can all be made to order at any time. We just need that little extra time before Christmas to cope with the seasonal demand. All the Country Market Producers thank you for your custom over the past year and wish you a happy Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

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News

An Inner Wheel Club News Afternoon Filled With Memories of Christmas Past
Can you remember when the spirit of Christmas was more important than receiving presents ? When you really did dream of a White Christmas, or if you were really lucky you would find a six pence or a three penny bit in your Christmas pudding? Well all those memories and many more, mixed with everyones favourite Christmas songs will be on offer at the Queens Hall on Tuesday 6th December at 2.30pm when one of the countrys most popular nostalgia shows, Remember When, brings its Christmas Show promising a feel good afternoon guaranteed to get you singing and smiling with magical Christmas memories from the 40s, 50s, 60s & 70s Remember When at Christmas which is now in its fifth year of touring theatres, brings a truly wonderful mixture of great songs with all your Christmas Favourites, Rocking Around The Christmas Tree, Merry Christmas Everyone, Silent Night, The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, O Come All ye Faithful, Let It Snow, Frosty The Snow Man, Jingle Bell Rock, Away In A Manger, We Need A Little Christmas, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland, Santa Baby and many, many more. Plus wartime medleys, ever popular show tunes, early rock & roll, the swinging 60s and even into the 70s. Sing-along to wonderful songs made famous by the likes of Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Julie Andrews, Vera Lyn, Elvis Presley and many more in this joy full production. Combine all that with stunning costumes, lots of good old fashioned festive fun, and a truly unique atmosphere that will have you yelling for more. The show is produced and hosted by the former British Heavyweight television wrestling star Neil Sands who with his warm stage presence, great voice and fun personality mixes the music with humour and nostalgia, making it a show which will warm everyones hearts. Neil will be joined on stage by Gemma Turner and Carolyn Hodgson, two very talented singers who have graced the West End on many occasions. Together they will bring back so many happy memories of wonderful times gone by, that will warm your heart on the coldest winters day and take you back to a time when Christmas really was the most wonderful time of the year. Tickets at 9, are available from Adcocks in the High Street.

DEREHAM & DISTRICT CAT ADOPTION CENTRE

Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham NR19 2RP

Rehoming Cats and Providing Advice & Help With Neutering OPEN 7 Days a Week 11am to 3pm

Telephone 01362 687 919

Inner Wheel Club President Stella Leonard and guest Brenda Tubb with her flower arrangement at the November IW meeting The November meeting was held at the home of Brenda Davis and the members enjoyed a flower arranging demonstration from Brenda Tubb. In a very short time she had made some beautiful Christmas arrangements, using techniques some of our flower arranging members hadnt seen before, making it very entertaining for everyone. Six lucky members took home an arrangement as Brenda kindly let us raffle them at the end of the evening. Our Barn Dance did not attract as many dancers as usual, but those who were there appreciated the extra space to kick up their heels, and a good time was had by all. We still managed to make 150 for our charities as the raffle was very well supported. We would like to see more of you there on 10th February, when Shinanikins will be entertaining us once again. We are once again having our Christmas Stall at the Queens Hall on 3rd December, 9.30 to 11.30am selling homemade produce, books, jigsaws, lucky dip pretty parcels and a raffle etc. All proceeds from this will go to our charities. Meanwhile, upstairs, we will be serving coffee and homemade cakes, sausage rolls and mince pies so come along and enjoy a chat with your friends. All proceeds from this will go to the Queens Hall Maintenance Fund. We use it for so many of our functions, as do many societies in the town, and it does need constant repairs, so we would like to help in our small way. The following Wednesday, 7th December at 12 noon, we have another Lunchtime Concert with Breckland Breeze and guest artists playing a variety of music. Tickets are available from Mullengers at 5 to include our now famous Christmas lunch of a turkey bap with all the trimmings, and a mince pie. We hope to see you there. If not, our very best wishes for the Christmas season, and a healthy and happy New Year. Jenny Simons (Club Correspondent)

Norfolk Wildlife Trust

To ask a question about the Norfolks Wildlife please call the Norfolk Wildlife Information Service. Wildline 01603 598333 9am to 5pm Mon - Fri. E-mail wild@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk Website http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/naturalconnections Further details and Membership enquiries 01953 498467 Tuesday 20th December, 7.45pm-9.30pm The Wildlife of Norfolk and Breckland. A presentation by David Mason .Followed by raffle and Seasonal Refreshments. Watton CCC, High Street Watton. Cost : Members 5.00 non-members 6.00.

Our November meeting was our AGM. The group has been running for almost 5 years now and it seems to be going from strength to strength. We average a monthly attendance of 20 plus people, with new members coming along too. The Committee resigned "en masse", as per Diabetes UK regulations, and were voted back on again, also "en masse" by Rod and seconded by John - they are not that bad after all!! Subs will be going up slightly in the New Year, and the group will still be meeting on the second Monday of each month at the Pentecostal Church, Old Dereham Road, Watton at 10.15am. We thank the Church most sincerely for the use of their facilities, we are extremely grateful. Also a big thank you must go to the members themselves, because without their continuing support there would be no group. Our next meeting is on December 12th at 10.15am and will be our Christmas Party. This is our chance to let our hair down, so to speak! For details of this or any meeting, please phone Helen 01953 884713, leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. By the way, if you want to meet any of our group, please visit our stand at the Christmas Fayre, on Sunday 4th December, and have a chat. You can't miss us as we do stand out a bit!!

Diabetes UK Hackers, Tackers & Stuffers

The group continues to meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday in each month, apart from August, at 7 p.m. in The Christian Community Centre in Watton. New members are always welcome. Having said this there will be no meeting on the 27th December as this is one of the Bank Holidays over the festive period. On the 25th October a member demonstrated making fabric cases for glasses and make-up using the spring tops usually only seen in commercially made items. These proved comparatively easy and very satisfactory and no doubt ideal as small Christmas gifts. Another day workshop was held on 14th November when several quilt tops for Injured Service Personnel were assembled and quilted. These have only a little more work needed on the binding to be finished. Photographs of some of this work and details of other activities can always be seen on our Blog at http://htsqgroup.blogspot.com For further information contact Jane on 01953 884215.

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Advertising

Your Local Prescription for easy Christmas Shopping

With Christmas fast approaching, we all need a little inspiration when it comes to finding that special gift for friends and family. But this year you can save your petrol and keep it local by shopping in Watton. Venture just a few minutes walk from the High Street and find inspiration with Total Health Pharmacy. Situated opposite the Watton Medical Practice, the pharmacy has a wide range of gifts and present ideas for Christmas and all year round providing answers to your Christmas gift dilemma and at prices that wont break the bank. Choose from bags, scarves and jewellery and luxurious gift sets for a real treat. Beautiful glass and fragrant candles and room diffusers make a gift with a difference. Celebrity perfumes and must have handbags. Collectible Hidden Treasures and compacts make a very special gift. Or choose from cheeky mugs, jigsaws and a host of low price stocking fillers as well as some very bold Christmas

decorations, including the Christmas Moose. Also thoughtful gifts for the hard to buy for man in your life. There is so much to choose from but if you cant decide what to buy, gift vouchers are available. The Pharmacy is open 7 days a week

from 8am until late making shopping convenient for you. For something a little special that you wont find on the High Street and at prices you will love, Total Health Pharmacy is well worth a visit this Christmas.

Friendly Bacteria Boost Your Health And Vitality

Visit any pharmacy and the shelves are full of health supplements, vitamins and tonics which many of us take on a regular basis to improve our health and wellbeing. A growing trend is for the use of Probiotics to boost a persons health and immunity. Probiotics are friendly bacteria found naturally in our gut working to maintain digestive health as well as boosting our natural immunity. However, our natural levels of good bacteria are diminished by everyday factors such as stress, ageing, medicines (e.g. antibiotics, contraceptive pill), travel, high sugar levels and additives and preservatives in our food. This imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut can lead to poor immunity, digestive discomfort and overall lack of energy and vitality with the following symptoms being experienced; bloating, constipation, irregular bowels, indigestion, diarrhoea, thrush, candida overgrowth, IBS, coughs and colds, food intolerance, acne, eczema, clostridium difficile, regular infections, IBD and fatigue. A probiotic supplement taken daily can help to maintain healthy levels of probiotics in our body. A new range of clinically researched products is now available in Watton at Total Health Pharmacy. Optibac Probiotics offer a range of products to target specific health requirements with probiotics for daily wellbeing, daily immunity, for those on antibiotics, for travelling abroad, for bowel calm, for maintaining regularity, for childrens health and for beating bloat. Find out more from Total Health Pharmacy, open 7 days a week. Always check with your GP or Pharmacist before taking any supplements especially if you are taking medication

New Mobility Centre From Total Health Therapy

As we age or experience illness, the most simple tasks can be difficult and getting about the house and local area can be challenging. Total Health Therapy have introduced a range of mobility and home-care aids to make life easier. Mobility and walking aids include wheelchairs and walkers, crutches and walking sticks. A wide range of bathroom and toilet aids make daily hygiene issues easier to cope with, including long handled sponges and toe and foot cleaners . Daily living aids make simple tasks like eating and drinking so much easier and a range of cushions and supports take the strain

away from sore muscles and joints. Available in stock or to order from Total Health Therapy, with competitive prices and a wide range to choose from. Just off the High Street at 8 Thetford Road, Total Health Therapy is open Monday to Friday, so please drop by for a brochure.

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New hobby for the New Year?

I know!! We haven't celebrated Christmas yet; why are you talking about the New Year? I don't want you to miss out on two Lacemaking sessions before we get the February edition. The Wayland Lacemakers meet in the Christian Community Centre, High Street, Watton. We are a group of very sociable ladies (gentlemen also welcome) making English and Continental Laces. We are a self-help group, willing to teach from scratch, whilst loaning the necessary equipment until you are sure the hobby is for you. Textile students are very welcome to come and try your hand at 'Modern' texture lace. This is achieved using any threads, ribbons, string, tapes of various thickness and texture. Every piece is unique and fascinating to make. Ring Anne for more information 01953 882051 Dates for 2012. We meet at 7.45pm. - 9.45pm. January 9th and 23rd. February 6th and 20th March 5th and 19th. April 2nd and 16th.

Telling Tales in the Wayland Travelling Storytelling Chair

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Watton and District U3A

A film evening presented by Brian Salmons was recently enjoyed by members. Brians films are shorts taken in many locations worldwide and have won international awards. During the film evening we were able to host a visit by the President of Croydon Melbourne Australia U3A Geoff Steventon. Geoff was on a family visit to Watton when he made contact to meet with our members. The members annual Christmas Lunch will be held at the Richmond Park Golf Club on Friday 9th December at 12.45pm.Tickets at 13 are now available. Also the Christmas meeting on Thursday 15th December will include musical entertainment plus traditional refreshments. This meeting will be free to members. The History group were recently given an excellent talk by Julian Horn on A Watton Gentlemans Life during the Civil War. The Pub Luncheon Group will not meet in December. The next venue will be at The Wagon & Horses at Griston on Thursday 12th January 2012. On the subject of Groups the committee would like to encourage more participation of members in the group activities available. Please contact the Group Coordinator (01953 882668) or consult your annual programme for detailed information. The next monthly meeting is on Thursday 15th December at 2.00pm. For further information on the national U3A visit www.u3a.org.uk Five year old Jessica Chapman in the Wayland Storytelling Chair with (left) Breckland Chairman Nigel Wilkin, and (right) Don Saunders, Wayland Extended Schools Coordinator, at Ashill Primary school. Fairytales and fables form a cornerstone of childhood and, following the launch of the Wayland Travelling Storytelling Chair in November, a new generation of children will be inspired to enter the magical world of books and stories. To help foster a love of books and the storytelling tradition in young minds, the Wayland Cluster of Schools devised an innovative project and secured 307 funding from Breckland Council to purchase a magnificent storytelling chair. As the chair travels from school to school in the Wayland area it will play host to a variety of guests; from councillors to celebrities, from Police Officers to playwrights, people from all walks of life will be invited to come to the school to tell tales or read from books. Breckland Council Chairman Nigel Wilkin launched the Chair at Ashill Primary School, and held the children entranced as he read the tale of the courageous Mousehole Cat. Getting into the spirit of the story, the children helped out with sound effects and looked after the large toy black and white cat Mr Wilkin had brought along as a prop. He said: I have always loved books and am delighted to be the first of what Im sure will be a long line of Wayland storytellers. This project will provide schools in the Wayland area with a fantastic prop that will inspire children to improve their reading and to take pleasure in the spoken and written word. Through using the chair, the project will also help schools improve their links with the wider community. The chair, a magnificent piece of furniture made from pine, will travel between the schools in the Wayland Cluster, spending a half term at each. Kelly Scott, Headteacher at Ashill Primary School said: Children have an innate love of stories. They create a magical world and through this teach us about life, about ourselves and about others. The children were so excited to see this amazing piece of furniture arrive they loved listening to Nigel today and Im sure that both the Chair and the people who come to sit in it will inspire in them a love of reading, writing and the use of language. If you would like to know more about the project, or would be interested sitting in the chair and reading to schoolchildren, then contact Don Saunders (Wayland Extended Schools Coordinator) on 01953 880175. For more information about community grants from Breckland Council, contact Cat Lang on 01362 656870

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Watton Relief In Need Charity

The Trustees of this Charity will be meeting on the 7th 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. 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: derekismith@talktalk.net

Rocklands School Pupils top the Bill at Theatre Royal!

There has been a buzz of excitement in the air for weeks, as Y3-6 from Rocklands School have worked with a team of professional singers, musicians and directors from the Theatre Royal to write and produce their own opera based on Puccinis La Bohme. On Sunday 13th November, they performed in front of an audience of 1000 people. Poems and recitatifs (recits) were written in school and set to the childrens own tunes (plus a few of Puccinis) by composer Howard Moody. Singing workshops were led by pianist Charlie Caine and soprano Lynsey Docherty; David Lloyd, the director, ran a week-long workshop to teach the children the essentials of stagecraft and to bring the performance together. The plot involved, love, jealousy and death not from consumption, as in the original, but the result of a crime of passion. In the performance itself, the cast sang alongside Lynsey, who was cast as a caf entertainer, and were joined at the end by a Roberto Garca Lpez whose moving tenor voice had reduced many adults to tears in the dress rehearsal. One of the professional musicians said afterwards that it was the most enjoyable project he had ever worked on. He was overwhelmed by the way the children all got on together and by their total

Griston History Day

News

Michael Coughtrey visiting the Griston History Day Michael is the Great Grandson of Alfred Coughtrey who established the sawmill in the village. The village Archive Group is indebted to Michael for allowing us to copy over 200 photographs of the sawmill, tree felling and transporting to the sawmill and for the information given about the history of the company. You can read the history of the sawmill in the book produced in commitment..indeed Rocklands would be the school he would choose for any children of his own! This was a sentiment that had been voiced by several of the team during the workshops, and which has made everyone very proud to belong to the school. We are enormously grateful to the Theatre Royal and to all those professionals who gave so freely of their time and talents to make such an experience possible. Thanks too to all the organisations in Rocklands conjunction with the Wayland History Project Capturing our Wayland Heritage The History of Griston. The book will be available following the official launch on 26th November. There will be an exhibition from 2.30pm to 5.30pm on that day at The Wells Cole Community Centre at Saham Toney with displays from the villages that took part in the project. Village who were prepared to give up their bookings at the Village Hall to allow the school to practice there. The pupils performance was followed, two days later, by a school trip, compliments of Norwich Theatre Royal, to see Glyndebourne On Tours production of La Bohme. The children loved it, although some were shocked to find that Puccini had stolen a number of (their) tunes! Well done Rocklands School.

Seniors Party
Watton Senior Citizens Party takes place again on the 10th December at Wayland Community High School in Merton Road. Free tickets are at Mullengers Estate Agents 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. Watch out for the posters. The first 200 will get the tickets for this early Christmas evening, enjoyed by many over the past 40 plus years.

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Watton To Help Chernobyl Children

A division of the charity The Friends of Chernobyls Children is being set up in the Watton area with the aim of bringing a group of needy children from a contaminated area of Belarus for a months recuperative care. The Friends of Chernobyls Children are a completely non-profit making charity, run by unpaid, voluntary staff who give their time and talents freely. The Chernobyl disaster occurred in 1986 when 80% of Belarus was exposed to radiation released from the Chernobyl plant, this radiation was 90 times greater than that released by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs combined. The effects of the explosion are widespread and horrific and now due to leakage from the reactor, the population of Belarus continues to be badly affected. A large number of children born since the disaster have physical deformities, downs syndrome, bone diseases, brain diseases and many cancer related illnesses including thyroid problems which are affecting 1 in 4 children under the age of 14 years. Radiation related diseases are caused by eating food and drinking water which has been contaminated and even without obvious physical illnesses and disabilities many children suffer from symptoms of malnutrition, and vitamin and protein deficiency due to the lack of uncontaminated nutritious food, fresh air and water. Medical research has shown that by bringing children out of the contaminated atmosphere to countries where fresh nutritious food, clean water and fresh air prevail their immune systems will be boosted for up to 24 months. A programme of recuperative care will be put in place and the children will return home rejuvenated, healthier and much stronger for their visit here. By continuing this treatment in subsequent years the paediatricians in Belarus hope that a strong stream of children will produce the next healthy generation of Belarusian people otherwise this nation will struggle to exist. The Friends of Chernobyls Children intends to bring a group of children for a period of 4 weeks next year and needs to raise a total cost of 500 per child which will cover air and coach fares, trips out and the interpreters who accompany the children. The charity needs volunteers to help when the children are here and host families to provide a home on a bed/breakfast basis for the children during their stay. It is envisaged that the children will be involved with local schools, churches and community groups. A meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 7th December 7.30pm at Broom Hall Country Hotel when the Charity Founder and Director Olwyn Keogh Tel. 01524 702330 will give a presentation about the Charitys work and answer any questions. For local contact and further information please call Angela Martin 01953 889669 Please see our web site www.focc.org.uk

3rd Watton Brownies

On the Monday of half term, we caught a bus from Watton to Norwich. When we got to Norwich, we walked to the castle grounds where Kerry made her Brownie promise. After a snack, we bought some sweets, then went to the cinema, where we watched The Lion King in 3D. The film was awesome. We then went to Pizza Hut before catching the bus back to Watton. Our favourite parts of the day were watching the film, and Kerry making her promise. By Leah, Chloe and Kerry, 3rd Watton Brownies.

Also this term, we have been working towards our Designer badge, joined the town Remembrance parade and service, and are looking forward to visiting Linden Court to sing carols for the residents. We currently have spaces in the 3rd Watton Brownie pack, for girls aged 7-10 years. We meet on Wednesday evenings from 6 7.30. For more information, contact Rachel Skipper on 01508 480776, or Catherine Lusher on 01760 440589

Watton Rotary Roundup

November saw a significant event in the Clubs history. When John & Hannah Gilbert told us their bosses were pulling them out of managing the Crown Hotel, and there was no certainty about the future, we had little option but to make alternative arrangements. Having met there for over 50 years (barring a few months in the 1980s) it was with some sadness that we held our final meeting at the Crown on 3rd November. Fortunately, we had been offered a bolthole at the Italian Job, which we were pleased to accept pending a survey of venues that could be suitable for us as a weekly meeting place. Perhaps, if the Crown Hotel gets back on its feet we will be able to return to our natural and traditional home. Our fundraising efforts continue: our final bric-a-brac market stalls for this year realised 55, and our Queens Hall coffee morning session on 5th November raised over 180 thank you all for coming. On 4th December we plan to have our usual straw-draw bottle stall at the Watton Christmas Fair and on Friday 16th December we will be at the Tesco store collecting between 9am to 6pm. During our time there, club members will be pleased to discuss Rotary and, in particular, what we do for the local community. It is a year since we hosted a performance by Winston the Singing Farmer at the Queens hall, which was specially recorded to make a DVD. It has yet to be released but there are still production and certification problems to be ironed out. We have not forgotten, and we still have the list of those interested in acquiring a copy. Congratulations to the Watton Festival team for the excellent Festival week during the last week in October and Thank You for allowing us to have 8 RotaBoards on display in the Hall during the events. Father Christmas is seeking our help again this year to deliver special presents to special people on Christmas Day. If anyone would like to avail themselves of this popular service all that you have to do is to take ready-wrapped presents to either Watton or Saham Toney Post Office by midday Monday 19th 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. Martin Anscombe

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Advertising

First of all I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my staff for the wonderful work theyve done over the six years we have been in Watton. Their hard work, happy faces and cleanliness have gained us the top ratings with Breckland Council Health and Safety and we have gained many, many regular happy customers. Whom I would also like to thank for their support and continuing custom.

I wish all my staff and all Italian Jobs customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Over the past six years we have been through so many difficult times and yet we still manage to come out on top. These days with the global financial crisis it is not easy for small business like us to survive; but with great products and support from our customers & staff we believe we can carry on providing our highly regarded Pizzas and food

We are re-opening the main restaurant as LITTLE CYPRUS

Where we will be serving Sirloin, Rump, Rib Eye, T Bone and Fillet Steaks, a great choice of Cypriot starters, some fish casseroles, baked fish, Calamari, Lamb on the bone Moussaka, and a variety of Kebabs as they should be! Being in Watton six years has taught us that people like high quality traditional food so if you who would like to try new dishes from Cyprus, Turkey and Greece come along and give it a try. But if this doesnt tickle your taste buds we will still be serving our Italian Job menu in there as well. Coffee shop open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm Where you can have breakfast, cakes or choose from our very popular new lunch menu which are all very reasonably priced and of very high quality. Italian Job Restaurant open 5pm till 10pm Serving the best of Italian food like pizzas, pastas, risotto and burgers, and grills.. Take away delivery is also available from this menu Little Cyprus is open Wednesday to Saturday 5pm till 10pm serving great Steaks, Grills, Kebabs and specials.

All our Restaurants are fully air conditioned so are a great choice to get away from the cold British weather
In the Italian Job Menu there are many special offers such as . . . Buy one pizza and get second free. Any two pizza with sides any one pizza with sides and so on. Also for takeaway and deliveries now we have a value pizzas which made with different ingredients like analog cheese. Analog cheese contains no milk but is made from soya and nut oil. When you need to feed lots of people and you are on a budget they are the ones!

We would like you to stay local and enjoy a good night out with a warm friendly atmosphere and not forgetting great food.

You can see the Little Cyprus Menu below

News

Remembrance Weekend Events

The Wayland News Page 15

Picture by Mark Bunning Photography There was a short Remembrance Day Parade on Friday 11 November 2011 at 11.00 am to observe the Two Minute Silence at the War Memorial at the Thetford Road car park. The parade was attended by the Standards of the Royal British Legion and RAFA plus the Mayor and Mayoress and members of the Watton Town Council and approximately eighty members of the Legion, RAFA and the general public. The Last Post and Reveille were sounded by the bugler Mr Steven Kemp. Laying Of Poppy Crosses on War Graves: A short service took place at St Marys Church Watton at 12 oclock on Saturday 12th 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 The Remembrance Sunday events for the Royal British Legion started at 10.00 hrs at Thompson Parish Church where the Standard was paraded and the wreath laid by Mr David Sell. The Standard, accompanied by Mr David Sell and Capt Bellamy then proceeded to the Tottington War Memorial where the wreath was once again 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, Royal British Legion, RAFA, representatives of RAF Honnington and USAF Lakenheath 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 Honnington and USAF Lakenheath taking the salute. The parade was led by the Band of 864 Sqn ATC and proceeded to the Methodist Chapel in the High Street 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 Honnington and USAF Lakenheath for their attendance and all the towns voluntary organizations. Finally, it is to the general public of Watton and the surrounding area that the Legions 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.

Czech and Polish Airmen Remembered at E Wretham

Allied comrades. In a corner of the churchyard are 12 Czech and two Polish war graves. Seven of the graves are of aircrew killed when their Wellington bomber crashed. The High Sherriff of Norfolk, Georgina Holloway, joined Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Thetford, Derek Mortimer and Pauline Quadling, at a ceremony organised by the Thetford and District branch of the Royal Air Forces Association. Uniformed military attaches from the Czech and Polish embassies were joined by ex-service personnel and parish council chairman Mike White in laying wreaths at the war memorial before moving into the churchyard to plant poppy crosses at the graves. The 15 minute ceremony was led by Thetford RAFA chaplain and team rector, the Rev Canon Bob Baker. Later, over refreshments at the Village Hall, Thetford RAFA chairman John Macpherson presented plaques to both attaches and an ops clock to the Village Hall. The short but poignant ceremony attracts Czech and Poles from a wide area as well as ex-servicemen and women. The local and Thetford branches of the Royal British Legion paraded standards, alongside those from RAFA branches at Thetford, Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill, Dereham, Beccles and Watton. There once more was Pavlina Kupova, who first attended the ceremony with her Czech grandmother when they began. The old lady, who has since died, made a pilgrimage to Wretham to see the grave of her boyfriend. She bade farewell to him when he went to war, never to see him again. Her granddaughter vowed to attend on her behalf.

Standards dipped and a lone piper played a lament as wartime colleagues from Eastern Europe were remembered in Norfolk on Wednesday 9th November. In a ceremony which grows every

year, some 90 people stood at the churchyard of St Ethelbert at East Wretham to remember Czech and Polish airmen. They flew from Wretham airfield during the last war, alongside their

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News

Watton Medical Practice Winter Newsletter

Patient Liaison Group Survey
R e c e n t l y we h a v e b e e n undertaking a questionnaire that was devised by our Patient Liaison Group; there were only 2 questions as we wanted to get a good range of responses. The 2 questions were 1) What is good about the practice? 2) if possible what would you like to see improved? Here are the main results: I want to see the same doctor 40% of patients We know that people like to see a particular doctor and in ideal circumstances that would always be possible. As many of you know, this isn't always possible, for example if you need medical attention when the Surgery is closed you are used to seeing a doctor at the Walk-in Centre in Norwich or the out of hours doctors. If you attend the Surgery during normal working hours it is still not always possible to see the doctor of your choice, despite our best attempts, at being able to book up to 3 weeks in advance. If your problem is urgent and cannot wait for a routine appointment to be available with your preferred doctor, you will need to see an available doctor. If your problem is urgent we will always offer an appointment with one of our doctors or the Nurse Practitioner, so you need never go away saying you could not get an appointment! Our doctors do not have personal lists, which means that no patient is actually aligned to a specific doctor so unless your doctor is managing your condition, and arranges to see you again themselves, it is expected that patients will be able to see any doctor or clinician in the practice. It would help the availability of advance booking slots if patients do not ask to see a doctor of choice for very minor complaints but instead leave these slots for patients who have longer term conditions. We are contracted by the NHS to offer a mixture of appointments, these being; book in advance with a GP of choice or with any GP; approximately 40% of all of our GP appointments are bookable in advance and 100% of our nursing appointments are bookable in advance. Some of these prebookable appointments are for patients who need to have a specific procedure like removal of a toenail or a contraceptive device fitted. We also have to offer same day appointments to meet the demand for patients who feel unwell on a particular day; 60% of appointments are offered for this purpose, some as telephone consultations. There is also an emergency list for patients whose condition needs urgent attention and can not wait for a routine appointment. Patients sometimes ask why we do not offer more advance booking appointments; this is because of the balance and variety of appointments that have to be offered and also we have carefully monitored the link between advance bookings and patients who then do not turn up for their appointments. Any further than 3 weeks ahead, the number of DNAs (did not attends) increases significantly. This week 59 patients DNA, which equates to 21 hours of wasted appointment time! As we have recruited a fantastic new Nurse Practitioner, we will shortly be adding some more same day appointment availability which in turn will mean that we can add some more pre-bookable appointments too. We will monitor the difference that this will make but we do ask our patients to use the advance booking options with thought please and not for minor problems. appointments, and checking patients in, they arrange home visits, update patient information on our clinical database, register patients, act on doctor and nurse requests and act as a go-between linking doctors and hospitals or patients, to relay important and sensitive medical information. They also deal with over 1000 requests for repeat medications that the practice receives on a weekly basis via email, fax and in writing. All of this only scratches the surface on the range of responsibilities they have to undertake every day, and the practice as a whole is very grateful for their dedication to the work Answering the phone in the morning 14% There has been a lot of work allocated to this issue over the past 2 years and although this figure is high, we have seen a steady drop in our survey results for patients who still find this a problem. There are 6 receptionists in the morning all answering the phone or dealing with patient requests. All telephone calls are answered in turn and we are trying very hard to get to the phone as quickly as possible and would ask our patients to help us with this challenge. How? By being precise and brief with your request to the receptionist and allowing them to move on to the next patient in the telephone queue. Nothing wrong no negatives 11% This high percentage was very reassuring, however we know that there is always room for improvement in our practice, so we will not become complacent! Very happy with the practice 40% This is the percentage of patients who specifically said that they were very happy with the practice and have no comments to make. Staff and doctors very good 33% Many patients commented on doctors, nurses and all support staff, many saying what a difficult role they had. This was much appreciated. General Comments These were widespread and ranged from the not liking the check in screen and being unhappy with the waiting times in surgery and also positives of good organisation , waiting times in practice are short and always being able to get an appointment. These will be discussed in more detail with the patient liaison group.

TESTICULAR SELF EXAMINATION

Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men aged 15-45. It is affecting more men each year and a simple, regular self-check could detect early signs of the disease. Watch out for one or more of the following: a hard lump on the front side of the testicle swelling or enlargement of a testicle an increase in firmness of a testicle pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum an unusual difference between one testicle and the other If you notice anything unusual about your testicles you should see a doctor as soon as possible. We are always happy to check even if it is just for peace of mind. Testicular cancer is almost always curable if it's found early. Accident and Emergency departments are for serious or life-threatening illnesses and injuries here is a basic guide to other healthcare options in and around
Keep the basics in your medicine cabinet: painkillers for most minor aches and pains, antihistamines for dealing with allergies/insect bites, antidiarrhea tablets, indigestion remedies for heartburn or trapped wind, sunscreen of at least Factor 15 and a first aid kit (bandages, plasters, thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings, tweezers and medical tape. Ask your pharmacist for more details and always follow the directions. From sprains to stomach upsets, your local pharmacist is qualified to give expert advice without an appointment People who are unwell when GP services are closed are asked to call NHS Direct, a service able to give advice and details of local services if needed. Call 24 hours a day on 0845 4647 for free expert health advice and reassurance, or visit NHS Direct online at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk People who need GP or nurse care while their own surgery is closed can contact Norfolk Out of Hours service on 01603 488488 for urgent access to GP services from 6.30pm to 8am, Monday to Friday and 24 hours at weekends and bank holidays. To see an experienced nurse for treatment of minor injuries or to see a GP seven days a week, 7am to 9pm you can seek treatment at Timber Hill Health Centre in Castle Mall. 0300 0300 333. Anyone needing confidential emotional support can call the Mental Health Matters helpline on 0800 107 0160, 24hours a day Anyone needing emergency dental treatment should phone NHS Direct 0845 4647

Only Call 999 or visit A&E for emergencies such as loss of consciousness, severe chest pain or serious accidents Anyone who needs to renew a prescription should do so in plenty of time to ensure they dont run out. This is especially important for people with long term conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, epilepsy or people with chronic pain conditions. We require 2 clear working days to process prescriptions please
wrong with you, and then you will receive a visit or be asked to attend one of the local doctor bases in Dereham or Thetford (sometimes Norwich if late at night) or you will be passed to the ambulance service for treatment if your condition is thought to be serious. The service is run by Norfolk doctors, some of whom may be familiar to you, not foreign doctors. You never know, you may actually see one of your own practice doctors when using this service!

PROFILE ON RECEPTION
The reception staff here at Watton Medical Practice are our front line team, and your first point of contact with the practice. With almost 13,000 patients registered here they have to handle a wide variety of tasks, requests and questions on a daily basis. The nine strong core reception team consists of 9 part time staff, 6 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon; who have come from a range of different backgrounds, but who all contribute to the knowledge base, skill, and professionalism the team demonstrates. As well as answering phone calls, making

When we are closed

We are often overwhelmed on a Monday morning and after bank holidays, by patients who have been ill over the previous few days but not felt confident in calling the out of hours doctors:

Number of Appointments
For interest; this week we saw 1361 patients which generally happens every week. So, when we hear patients say they can not get an appointment we are surprised!

01603 488488
Please use this service and dont wait until we are open again. The process is very simple: you call, someone calls you back based on what you have said is

News

The Wayland News Page 17

Mayors Chat
By Michael Wassell Hello to all, this month I am writing as both Chairman of Watton Town Council and one of the Watton ward members for Breckland District Council. Having both hats precariously balanced makes it difficult to see the keyboard, but I will persevere! Following on from the success of last year, Breckland District Council is continuing with its energy monitor loan scheme. The monitors allow households to see just how much electricity they are using and what it is costing. Monitors are easy to install and require no previous knowledge or electrical skills; all you have to do is connect them to your electricity mains and a hand held monitor will provide instant information on how much electricity you are using in terms of power use, energy cost and your carbon footprint. The monitors will help you understand your energy usage and show you the impacts of changing your habits and behaviour. By simply turning off electrical devices when not in use, whether its turning off at the plug instead of using standby or switching a light off, the monitor will show you the actual cash savings. To book your energy monitor simply drop into the Breckland Customer Services Centre which is at Wayland House (the old police station) on Wednesdays 9am to 4:30pm and Fridays 9am to 4pm or for further information and advice on energy saving please contact Breckland Council on 01362 656870. A new initiative, Restore, is set to tackle long-term empty homes. In times of high demand for housing and with the present housing shortage Breckland District Council is encouraging owners of empty houses to bring them back into use. By supporting empty home owners and working with them through negotiation to bring their empty properties back into use, Breckland Council has managed to unlock 60 properties in the last year, contributing to meeting the housing needs of the district. With this new scheme the Council hope to encourage more owners to take up the challenge and put their empty property to good use. Through the Restore scheme, owners can apply for an empty property grant of up to 5000, which can be used on renovation works to bring the property back into use and up to a lettable standard. After completion of the works the property must be in reasonable repair, have a central heating system, reasonably modern kitchen and bathroom and be energy efficient. Council officers will provide support, including advice on how to begin earning an income through letting the property and help to find suitable tenants. The owner is then required to let the property within 3 months of completion and for, at least, a 12 month tenancy. Anyone who thinks they can get involved in this scheme should contact Breckland District Council on

War Hero Dies In Watton

Dennis (Danny) Josey, a war time Lancaster pilot died peacefully at home in Watton on 12 October at the age of 91. Dennis was born in Harlesden, North London in 1920. Like many others at this time, his parents struggled financially during the years of the Depression but they provided a strict, loving home and deeply committed Christian upbringing which supported him throughout the whole of his life. He went to school in Wembley; his school reports suggest that he was a good all round student whose behaviour was invariably excellent but whose main interests lay outside the schoolroom on the athletics and football field. He left school at 15 and joined the Northmet Co. as a trainee electrician. During his teenage years Dennis developed a passion for cycling; he was very proud of his Raleigh bike, bought with the proceeds of many early morning paper rounds. He kept his machine in tip-top condition and thought nothing of covering 100 miles along the south coast and back in a single day. It was on one such trip that he met a girl called Olive who had fallen off her bike and was in some distress. A true knight of the road, he patched up both the young lady and her bike and subsequently asked her to marry him. They became officially engaged just 48 hours before the announcement of the outbreak of war. In the final years of the decade when it became obvious that war was imminent, Dennis joined the Territorial Army and was called up for service in the late summer of 1939. He was sent to a training camp near Morley in Norfolk and served with the Royal Artillery for 2 years until he managed to secure a transfer to the RAF in 1940 and embarked on his pilots training the following year. According to his pilots log books, he had his first experience of flying a Tiger Moth on 18 August 1941. By the end of the first week he was climbing, gliding, stalling and spinning as well as taking off and landing. The log books record his training experience in a variety of aircraft, both in this country and in Canada where he gained his wings as a fully qualified pilot in 1942. In a brief spell of leave in August 1943 he and Olive were married. Almost immediately after their honeymoon he was back into the most intense period of active service, flying out of many airfields in the east of England but mainly from Elsham Wold in Lincolnshire. In the summer of 1944 he joined 103 Squadron and was the captain of a Lancaster (U for Uncle). He and his crew completed 35 bombing operations and he was one of the few pilots to be awarded both the British and the American Distinguished Flying Cross. The first citation praises his high courage, determination and resource when supporting the Allied Expeditionary Force on D-Day. The American citation, acknowledging the support given during the invasion of Europe, provides more detail: On one occasion in May 1944, he was captain of an aircraft detailed to attack a target at Dortmund. While over the target area, two engines were damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Despite this, Flight Lieut. Josey coolly continued with the bombing run. During the long return flight, another engine failed. Undeterred, he flew the aircraft back to base and accomplished a skilful landing without further damage. When the war was over, Dennis or Danny as he was always known in his

Poppy Appeal
2011 Latest
We are pleased to report that the total so far for this year's Poppy Appeal for Watton and district is 13092. There is still more money to come in for Poppy wreaths and church collections. Also there are still a few collecting boxes to be received. This is a tremendous sum and a magnificent gesture of support for the serving forces both past and present. Also it is a tribute to the generosity of Wayland folk in these hard times. Thank you everyone. Jean Sell (Hon Poppy Appeal Organiser, Watton and District)

01362 656870. The town continues to suffer from continuing bouts of vandalism. Watton Town Council has just modified the memorial garden display to try and reduce the potential for anti social behaviour there. The flower displays seem to be a current target, one was actually completely upended and its contents dumped on the ground. Food containers are regularly dumped in the flower beds, along with plastic bags and beer cans. I just want to emphasize that all of the damage caused has to be rectified and there is a cost involved in this. Remember that when Watton Town Council spends money, it is your money that we are spending. Whilst I would not encourage members of the public to get directly involved, I would ask that if anyone witnesses any kind of vandalism being done to please report it. This can be either to the police directly, the town hall, or a member of the Town Council and your anonymity will be protected. The whole of the High Street and many other areas of the town are covered by a state of the art CCTV system installed by Breckland District Council. Knowing when the damage occurred may allow the CCTV operators to identify the perpetrators and hold them to account. Watton Town Council is holding it Festive Christmas Market, on the afternoon of Sunday 4th December. There will be lots of stalls for everyone to enjoy, Santa will be in residence at the Clock Tower, and the Christmas Lights will be switched on by yours truly ably assisted by Santa himself. So please come along and bring all of the friends and family, have a great time, enjoy the festivities and also raise some money for some good causes. Can I just take this opportunity in this the final edition of the Wayland News before Christmas to wish everyone a safe and happy festive season, whatever you are doing. I am sure that I will speak with many of you either at the Festive Market, or indeed as frequently happens whilst just walking along the high street. As I say every time if you have any concerns about what the Town Council is doing (or perhaps not doing) then please do not hesitate to contact me, or any Town Councillor. Michael Wassell Chairman, Watton Town Council, Breckland District Council Ward Member - Watton michael.wassell@wattontowncounc il.gov.uk 01953 882884

RAF career, left the service and became Captain for British South American Airways. For over three years this involved a great deal of time spent away from home and as he now had a family to consider, he decided to return to the RAF for a peace-time career. In 1950 he became one of the first pilots to train on both Meteor and Canberra jets and he and his crew were selected to lead the Coronation flypast over Buckingham Palace in 1952. In 1954 his flying career had to be cut short because of a burst ear-drum and he transferred to Air Traffic Control in which he served for a further 24 years, including postings to Cyprus and Germany. He also spent some time at RAF stations Marham and Watton. In 1968 he finally left the RAF and settled near Dereham. Sadly he and Olive had no time to enjoy his retirement as she died shortly afterwards. Dennis then took a new job with Norfolk County Council Highways for whom he worked until well into his sixties. Then came a move to Watton where he lived quietly for over 20 years, a regular worshipper at St. Marys Church and a good neighbour and friend to all who knew him. A truly Christian gentleman, who rarely spoke of his wartime experiences but, who never failed to remember and to honour the friends and colleagues who served with him, so many of whom did not return. Dennis leaves a daughter, five grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and a dear friend Eileen. He will be greatly missed. Family Mourners: Anita Morgan, Ian Morgan, Greg Morgan also representing Mr & Mrs A Hodgson, Oliver, Alfie & Eva, Charlotte Morgan, Naren Deen, Rob and Olivia Jackson & Helena, Mr & Mrs L Maurice, Zach & Maisie, Mark & Julia Pugh-Cook, Mr Charles Barker also representing Helen Graham Alton Barker, Saphy, Dylan and Finlay, Eileen Kittell, Edward Kittell, Rachel Kerr, Wendy Airey also representing Jonathan Airey, Master James Airey, Brenda Pickering, Paul & Janet Watsham Other Mourners: Mr and Mrs Jeff Blake, Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Smith, Mr and Mrs Martin McClelland, Mrs Margaret Fitzgerald, Mr Ron Wheeler also representing R.A.F.A, Mr Paul Wetherill, Mrs Vera Amys, Mrs Harriett Woods, Mr Guy Woods, Mr and Mrs Roger Burrows, Mr and Mrs George Reay, Mrs Kim Walker, Mrs Maxine MacLean, Mr and Mrs Derek Parfitt, Mr Christopher Mitchell, Alan Blake, Shirley Blake, Margaret Cator, Anne and Keith Lemmon, Veronica Chesson, Rose and Reg Bruce, Rita Cumberland also representing Doreen Haynes, Robin Haynes, Valerie Haynes & Jackie Eastty, S A Bibby and J M Bibby, Capt Glyn Bellamy R.B.L, Mrs Jaquline Burnham, Mr Nick Randell, Mr Colin Livingstone, Mrs Anita Livingstone, Miss Heather Parle, Christina Browne, Valerie Semlyen, Revd Rod Broughall, Anne Garrett, Alan Childers, Janet & Colin Wickers also representing Mrs S Russell, Mr D & Mrs C Fitt, Mrs Mim Richards also representing Mrs K Brown and , Mr and Mrs Stanley Woods, Mr Oliver Adcock, Shirley and Ken Piper, Mr and Mrs Sporle, Jill and Vernon Conie

ROGER TURNER
07759 948 830 01953 881 382

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News

Celebrating 20 years Supporting Business

When WLP celebrated 20 years of Supporting Business they wanted to share their success and say Thank you to their Clients and Suppliers for support and custom over the years. 20 years ago six individuals who wanted to provide an effective support service to small and medium enterprise businesses in the East of England started out as Wilson, Lee & Partners. All six qualified as Chartered Management Consultants, the only internationallyrecognised qualification in the profession, and from the outset the focus has always been quality and value for money. Two of the current directors, Norman Wilson & Don Pearson recognised the support needed by small and medium sized businesses and also developed the Business Growth Club concept in Norfolk. This initiative received funding from the DTi and helped 80 local based companies to access the much needed guidance and information still required today. By 1997 WLP were expanding and opened a head office in Watton, Norfolk to give their consultants a central administration point from their bases throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Norman Wilson said We always look to give the best support to local businesses and believe Managerial Development has to be top of the list. So with this in mind back in 2001 we applied for European funding. This enabled us to deliver Management Development to some 50 local based companies. We still offer the service today and help with funding application if applicable. Over the years WLP have worked alongside clients forming good working relationships based on trust. They aim to grow and prosper by continuing to do this and supplying individually-based effective and pragmatic advice. Don Pearson added, We remain the only Institute of Consulting recognised Practice in Norfolk. Our clients success is our success.

The Ovington Crower

Thas a rummin ent it, thet ole fule on tha telewissun rekun we wos hevin a foot o snow cum end Octooba. Thas mild as muck owt thar, an luk loik thas goonta stay thet way fer a wile yit. Duzzy ole fule, he orta luk owta tha winder n see wos a cummin, stedda lukkin at them ole compootas wot tha orl hefta hev terday. Thas kippin tha ole rooses a bloomin tha yare, rekkun I shall git tha missus a bunch a them fer har Chrismus box owta tha gardin, cor blarst thetll searve a bit a munny. I hare tha ole cowncil hev gotta nu clark, pretty yung mawtha wot I hare, thas abowt thar mark. Jist hoope she dror them inta line, cos thar dew tork a lowda squit moost o tha toime, stedda gittin tha willage sorted owt. Thar hev bin mukkin abowt wi tha willage sine fer wiks now an nuthin hev bin dun tew it, rekkun tha hev sowld it fer scrap noin tha way thar wuk. Corse thas cummin up ter Chrismus sune ent it, Horry rekkun on beein Fartha Chrismus at tha willage bazar agin tha year, cos he say tha yung mawthas orl wonta set on his lap, an strook his wiskas. Hi doont git on wi tha kiddies tho, cos thar allus arsked fer stuff heed neva hard of, an wen he say Wos thet my bewty thard larf at him an heed git savage an gi em a ding o tha lug, tha mums dint teark tew kindly tew thet an heed hefta gi orl tha kids anutha present. A cuppla yare agoo we hid a chap wot sed he wud dew Santa fer us, goo ta hell he wus a wearst o spearce, he cum in tha frunt dor o tha horl, hossed thru the folk a standin rownd an went owt tha back dor, and thas orl we sor of him. Tha kiddies warnt best pleesed I kin tellya. Thas time fer dinna, got sum swimmas an flootas ternight, thar shud see me thru til brekfust I rekkun. If I doont see yar afore, dew yew hev a gud Chrismus and orl tha best fer tha noo yare tergither. Boy Sid

Letter from Australia

By Chris OConnor

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Thank you to everyone who attended the coffee morning held at 95, Nelson Court, and those who gave donations. The magnificent sum of 320 was raised. Our thanks to the helpers on the day Stella Leonard, Pam Challand, Jill Beech and Ann Akister, and to Sue Bunce, who, though unable to attend, gave a Christmas cake she had iced beautifully which was won by Mary Riches, and also donated one of her paintings which was won by Lesley Cowling. This worthwhile charity helps so many families and this is reflected in the generosity you have shown. Thank you very much. Dave and Jenny Simons.

It began with the police and has escalated from there. To put in simply, police officers in the Australian state of Victorian were granted a pay rise of 18% over a four year period. At the same time nurses who were seeking a similar pay rise were knocked back by the government; additionally about 250,000 public servants demanded a pay rise. They too were knocked back. For some time now Australia has had a stable industrial relations arena and most people managed to sail through the last Global Financial Crisis without too many concerns. The government spent up and so did consumers. Now the various governments around the nation have run out of money and the workers, hurting from increases in prices of everyday living commodities such as food want more money so they can live a decent lifestyle. It all began with Qantas engineers, pilots and baggage handlers. They asked for a pay rise and their CEO, an Irishman Alan Joyce who earns $5 million a year, said they couldnt have it. When they said they would take industrial action he preempted them and grounded the entire Qantas fleet stranding over 100,000 people around the world. Eventually the Federal government stepped in and both parties were ordered not to take any form of combative action while more sensible talks could take place. It cost Qantas, the second oldest airline in the world over $50 million in lost revenue and goodness knows how many regular passengers who have said they will not go near the airline again. Affectionately known as the Flying Kangaroo there are many aviation experts who are now saying that because of the action by Joyce the airline will not exist in five years time. But lets get back to the nurses and police. Although they do a different type of work nurses work just as hard as the police and when the nurses found out about the police pay rise they went ballistic. Many suggested that the government was more concerned with the public image of law and disorder than patients being treated by strike breakers, or not able to receive treatment because the right people to do the job are not there Incredibly the government when it realised the nurses were going to take industrial action drew up a master plan to break the action which included advice to the government of photographing nurses number plates and a range of form letters, prepared as scripts, on how to tell nurses they have been stood down or will not be paid if they engage in partial work bans. Australian Nursing Federation state secretary, Lisa Fitzpatrick hit the nail right on the head when she said Its a total lack of appreciation and understanding of who nurses are and what we do.....nurses stayed at work while their pay was being docked during industrial action in 2007. Ms Fitzpatrick rightly states that the threat by the government is trying to put the fear of god into nurses and encourage a rouge employer to do a lockout. Part of the industrial action by nurses includes closing one in three beds in each public hospital. Up to 150 elective surgeries had to be cancelled on the first day of the strike with extra-long queues for emergency department treatment and ambulances stuck in hospital car parks unable to offload patients. The government has also has proposal to

cut the annual nursing budget by $104m, about 1000 nursing positions will be lost and nurses replaced by low skilled health assistants. Imagine the uproar if experienced police were to be replaced by low skilled assistants. The criminals of this world would have a field day and public confidence in police force would plummet. I have said before that no sane person begrudges the police their pay rise they deserve it but nurses who by nature of their work are compassionate people do not need to be treated like trash and their hard earned qualifications ignored. What the Victorian government needs to do is send the thousands of public servants who add and subtract numbers on a long holiday and start to think of the reality of what is known as continuity of health care. Victorian MPs are currently paid a basic salary of $124,360 and also receive expense and electorate allowances. State Government ministers are paid $240,015 in total. The leader of the Victorian government is paid $300,952 including an expense account of more than $52,000 and Opposition Leader has a salary package worth more than $240,000. And to add insult to injury, politicians will receive a 100% pay rise at the end of the year. Yes, you read is correctly, 100%! Registered Nurses earn between $35,000 and $80,000. And one day they may save a life, not increase taxes! What the government has forgotten is that coupled with the cuts in health spending and inevitable staff shortages the introduction of new technology actually means that more staff are required to run the newly created highly specialised nursing units. Another consequence is patients spending shorter time in hospital and, with a higher turnover of patients, there is more work in the admissions and discharge procedures. The higher turnover also creates more stress in nurse-patient relations, with more people to relate to and less time to do it in. Without doubt it is an explosive situation. But the government, as before, is relying on nurses dedication. What a lot of tosh, already the Victorian government has a plan to bring in strike breakers, probably from overseas. It should be pointed out that nurses are not taking industrial action at the Royal Children's Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Most nurses say the government does not realise that nurses know their patients, know the hospital and more than anything else wont be dithering around trying to find the right equipment should an emergency arise. Nursing is not akin to teaching people to lift containers and place them on board container ships. Whatever happens in this dispute one thing is for certain, this time nurses will fight to the bitter end. They have said enough is enough and want their University qualifications recognised. Bear in mind that in Australia a graduate nurse has the equivalent training of a fourth year student doctor and emergency nurses take on an additional 18 months training to qualify. As a footnote, and this could only come from a government out of touch with the voters and workforce. The Victorian health minister David Davis criticised nurses for closing beds as part of their industrial action. Just three weeks ago he announced that the government was closing 30 beds a one major Melbourne hospital in order to save money. There was no mention of patient safety in that announcement. (c) Chris OConnor. You can follow Chris on his blog site at: www.oconnoroz.wordpress.com.

News

The Wayland News Page 19

again Professor Jingles entertained an audience of children and adults with his Punch & Judy and Magic Show. There were three light hearted musical events during the week, all different and all receiving enthusiastic support. The first was A Celebration of Flanders and Swann followed by Cockney Pride and then Musical Arson by Pluck. The comic songs of Flanders & Swann never fail to entertain and the rip roaring pace of Cockney Pride got the audience joining in with the old time London favourites. Pluck is a group of three hilarious talented musicians who quickly impress their audience with their unique combination of comedy and superb musicianship. The one-man show evening by Rohan McCullough; My Darling Clemmie impressed everyone who attended. It was the remarkable, moving and highly entertaining story of the woman who married Sir Winston Churchill performed by a most accomplished actress. Once again the Festival ended with the big band sound of Chris Smith and his String of Pearls Orchestra. This year the music was more in the party mood although there was a good sprinkling of Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra pieces. The Big Picture Art Project was even more of a success than hitherto. The painting by Hazel Ashley was very colourful and suited the format based on the lines of the Rolf Harris Show where the picture was divided into squares and each square painted by different people. At the time of writing it is being displayed in Boots window in Chaston Place. In addition this year there was a second Art project. The Caston Camera Club photographed many village signs then put them all together in a display measuring six feet by four feet. It is a very impressive work and will be shown in Boots window after Christmas. The Library joined in with activities for the younger children involving the music and culture of Morocco. An exhibition at The Dragonfly Gallery was of the photographs included in the the Breckland Photography competition and took the theme Rural Life with categories embracing Humour, People, Landscapes and Livestock. Once again George Cushing brought a smile with his Bursen Street Organ on the first Saturday morning in Chaston Place. The Festival Committee were able to thank Friends, Sponsors and helpers at the start of the Festival when they were invited to the Launch Party and were entertained by The West End Waiters. Our Sponsors this year were Adcock & Sons (The Charm of Ivor Novello), Watton & District Rotary Club (Junior Startime), Watton Town Council (Musical Arson), James Ball Carpets, Tesco, The Village Florist, The Italian Job, Stephen Roberts (Auctioneer) Ltd and Aspect Roofing. Our helpers are really too numerous to mention individually but perhaps there are one or two that deserve a particular mention; John Reed for his lighting expertise, Roy Ivory (Sound) Martin Anscombe (Festival Sign), Janet Lundie for the excellent web-site, the Queens Hall personnel, and last but not least the Friends of Watton Festival. There will be a Biennial General Meeting on February 1st next, to be held at the Watton Christian Community Centre commencing 8pm. The results of this years Festival will be published and the future discussed. All interested persons will be welcome. I shall be reminding the Friends of the Festival that they have voting rights for a new Committee if the Meeting decides to proceed with another Festival in two years time. If you have any suggestions, criticisms, advice, views or whatever concerning the Festival activities this is the best possible opportunity to express them. The present Chairman & Secretary are John & Judy Kerr, 882613; Vice Chairman, Brenda Davis, 881792; Treasurer & Friends Secretary, Derek Smith, 884044.

Watton Festival 2011

The aim of the tenth Watton Festival, which ended on October 29th, was to celebrate the interest and enthusiasm for the arts of all interested individuals and groups in Watton and the surrounding district, and to give the opportunity for local people of all ages to enjoy high quality professional performances. Judging from the favourable comments received by the Committee the Aim was achieved and the Festival was a resounding success. The professional performances were augmented by the wealth of local talent that helped to produce the two productions of The Good Old Days. The format of Peter Walmsley as the Chairman and a varied programme put together by Wendy Collins proved to be a recipe for success. An excellent start to the weeks festivities although audiences were well down this year. The Committee would be pleased to hear views about this Show and whether it should be less of a Music Hall Show and more of a Variety Show. Junior Startime, organised by Jenny Mann, was again popular and attracted many talented young people. A capacity audience appreciated the work that went into the making of a first class talent show. The celebration of the music and life of Ivor Novello, The Glamorous Charm of Ivor Novello was a great success. Written by Richard Crawley and starring well-known local performers, John & June Garratt, Annette Jude and Susie Turner the evening certainly captured the charm of Ivor Novello. The film shows presenting The Jungle Book and Passport to Pimlico were well received and once

The Swaffham Connection

A story by John Egerton The funeral went off quite well, with the early morning rain giving way to sunny periods, and as the hearse arrived at the church it seemed as if the whole of Metleth had turned out to pay their respects. The coffin was carried in by the pallbearers, six members of Jims squadron, and was draped with a large R.A.F. flag, though this was not a full military funeral, since Jim had not died on active service, having just collapsed and passed on while on leave. Of course there had been an intense inquiry into his death, first by the police and then by the coroners office, but eventually the verdict of natural causes was recorded, albeit with a note stating that the exact cause had not been identified. Mum was very grateful for the support she had received from the squadron at Marham, and after the service several of Jims fellow crew members came home to partake of the small lunch that she had provided. After everyone had gone, just the three of us remained Mum and her mother, who we always called Grandma Morgan, to differentiate between her and my other grandmother (though long gone we still used the name) and me, and as happens after most funerals, the family photograph album was produced, evincing fond memories of times past. One particular photo caught my attention. Well actually it was a page from our local paper, dated sometime in 1978, which showed a picture of a crowd of villagers around the sign that stands on The Green, among them being my brothers Eddie and Phil and little me, aged about six. The picture was accompanied by a brief paragraph that stated that the occasion was the blessing of the new sign that had been commissioned by the local W.I. commemorating the Queens Silver Jubilee the year before. Like many such signs throughout Norfolk, this one had been designed, carved and painted by Mr.Harry Carter, formerly the Arts master at Hamonds School in Swaffham. I was quite interested in this information as I was a

former pupil there, though Mr. Carter would have left long before my time. Quite famous, was Harry Carter, said Mum, though not as famous as his cousin, Howard. He became well-known all over the world. Your granddad became very friendly with him after they met in Cairo, when your granddad worked over there before the war. Howard Carter. She got no further because Gran interrupted her with Huh. Time I went to bed. Are you going to make my milk drink ? Mum obviously wasnt very pleased, and went very red, but nevertheless closed the album, and soon afterwards we were all in bed. As I lay awake I couldnt help thinking it was a bit odd how Gran had seemed determined to stop Mum in her account of this Howard Carter, and I decided that Id try to find out about him when I got the chance. I also got around to thinking about Jim, and how he had been taken from us when only 25 years old. Then it came to me that my other brother Philip had died early, about 27 he was, as I recall I couldnt be sure, for I was only about 14 at the time. And then there was Eddie, he went at only 26. Good heavens, Id never realised our family was so short-lived. I am the only one of us boys left, and Im 39. Next morning I set to finding more about my folks, and Mum told me that Dad was only 54 when he died in 1989, and Granddad had really shocked everyone when he went in 1948 aged only 38. What a sad family we were ! Then I remembered Mum had been going on about this Howard Carter and how famous he was, so I thought Id see if he was mentioned on Google. Typing in his name I was amazed that before I had got as far as the T in Carter, the screen was filled with all sorts of references to this chap, of whom I had not heard till the previous night. Howard Carter, it said, was probably the greatest Egyptologist the world has ever known. In 1922, together with Lord Carnarvon, he had discovered the lost tomb of Tutankhamun (other spellings were given), which proved to be full of the most wonderful treasures, details of which filled the newspapers for weeks. Carter and Lord Carnarvon were feted all over the world, but a few weeks after the official opening of the tomb, Lord Carnarvon was suddenly stricken with some unknown virus and died in a

few days. Not that this was the only death amongst those involved with the opening of the tomb, for other fatalities were reported, and in fact by 1935 over 20 more of the tomb workers had perished. Of course headlines all over the world proclaimed The Curse of the Pharaohs has struck again and again and from then on the name Tutankhamun was synonymous with The Curse. On Howard Carter himself some notes recorded that he was born in Swaffham on May 9th 1873, while others give the same day in 1874, this time with his birth place shown as Kensington, London, though this may be due to one observer making an error, and others copying him. As far as his friendship with my grandfather, obviously nothing would be mentioned on Google, but it does seem likely that if they met in a far off place like Cairo, the fact that they both originated in Swaffham would be a good reason for them to hit it off together. As I pondered over this information I was forced to consider whether somehow Howard Carters friendship with Granddad had passed on The Curse to my family. It is a fact that all the male side since then have passed on quite early. I wondered how many other families with connections to the Tomb were similarly afflicted. Then it hit me. Perhaps I had better cancel that holiday I had arranged.

The Wayland News Page 20

News

On The Move
By Edith Pleasance My memory is not good these days and, like most elderly people, I find it easier to recall happenings of my childhood than those of recent years. What does concern me is the fact that each of my early memories occurred in various places where we lived. Travellers, a term used these days, we were not, but it certainly seemed as though we belonged to the body of people, largely as a result of the 1914-18 War, who moved around a great deal. I know for instance that I was born

when my parents lived in the small fishing village of Appledore in North Devon. They moved away while I was still a baby and I have visited there while on holiday in the area. Where did we move to I wonder? Why had I not taken enough interest to enquire of my parents or my elder sister? I do know that the day I started school is etched in my memory when we lived in Swindon, Wiltshire and I was all of three years old. I remember lining up in the playground and breaking ranks to run to my sisters line shouting, I want Cissie. Then being put on a rocking horse where I immediately trapped my foot twixt the horse and the frame, causing another outburst. The house we lived in must have been inhabited by other families as I recall being put to bed with several

children and through playing our favourite game of Who can jump the highest a leg of the large bed broke through the floor, causing a rumpus from various adults accompanied by assorted threats. My next memory takes me to Chelston in South Devon where again I attended school. I do recall my mother telling me she sent me to school at a young age as she had my baby sister to care for and I could not be trusted at home. I wonder what threat I posed? Anyway, at Cockington School we had learning in the morning and in the afternoon turned our desks upside down and lay inside them for a nap a scene that is very clear in my mind. The next habitation I recall we were in furnished rooms in Torquay town centre, with other families living above and below. This

overcrowding earned enough points to be awarded a new council house on the outskirts of Torquay. By now I was five with a couple of years schooling under my belt. Once we were in a real house of our own, albeit with sparse furniture but with hot and cold water and a bathroom, we felt we had landed in Paradise. My father opened a barbers shop in Hele village and I clearly remember him announcing to one and all that for us life was changing for the better and from here on our lives would go onwards and upwards. It transpired that he was a bit over-optimistic as the nineteen-thirties depression years kicked in, but at least we did stay at that one address for the next eleven years. Edith Pleasance 11.11.2011

Rosie returned on the night of Halloween!

I have been a member of the Girl Guiding Association for over 9 years including 4 years as a Guide at 1st Saham Toney Guides. When I was a Guide I was given many opportunities such as visiting Slovakia, abseiling, wall climbing, canoeing and kayaking. I was also part of the celebration of the 100 years of guiding where our district went to Great Yarmouth to celebrate. In the summer of 2011 I spent a week at the Norfolk Showground for the Norfolk Jamboree; there was live music every night, carnival rides, arts and crafts and group activities. This was one of the best guiding experiences I have ever had! After turning 14 this year I left guides to join Dereham Senior Section. As a member of the Senior Section I am given the opportunity to volunteer at a local Rainbow, Brownie or Guide Group. I have decided to return to 1st Saham Toney Guides and I happened to return on the 31st October - Halloween. When I arrived I was confronted by many witches, vampires, devils and even a mad professor! I was informed by Viv , the guider in charge, that this whole night was organised by one patrol led by Kayleigh the patrol leader, Alice R who was patrol seconder and Sydney, Louise, Charlotte, Jasmin and Sammy they were all part of the Panda patrol. They provided everyone with food, drink and entertainment. The night was full of happiness and laughter! Alice (Patrol Seconder) had drawn a witch on which the guides played pin the hat on the witch they also provided a prize of chocolate to reward the winner. They played musical statues and did apple bobbing; this unfortunately ruined the fantastic make-up and face paint that they all were wearing to complete the outstanding and scary costumes! Throughout the night the panda patrol had been inspecting everyones costumes and rewarded a prize to the best and scariest costume; this must have been a hard decision as there were many original and scary costumes. Cakes were made by members of the patrol, decorated with spiderwebs, happy Halloween messages and many other scary things! All in all I am glad to be back helping out with younger guides, making sure

they enjoy their time at guides as much as I did! Leading up to Christmas we will be involved in Remembrance Day and then have our end-of-term Christmas evening which will involve a meal and dancing at Broom Hall. These are part of the many things that happen with guides and why I am happy to be back.

Caston C of E VA Primary School News

Christmas Fayre We are holding a Christmas Fayre on Thursday 8th December in the school. Everyone is welcome so do please come along. We have some great stalls booked including Phoenix Cards, Body Shop, Yankee Candles, ice and silver jewellery, crafts and more. There will also be some good old Christmas games and a wonderful Christmas Grotto with a special visit from Santa. Hot mince pies, mulled wine and fun for all Can You Spare a Little Time? If you have a little time to spare each week you can give it to our school. The children love to read and would love to read to you. (You will need a CRB check). Please call the office. Recent events Bingo Night What a great night! The local community once again gave us tremendous support with their gifts so generously donated for prizes (thank you very much to everyone who gave). In fact their generosity was so great that we have kept some donations to us in our Christmas draw. The last game kept everyone on the edge of their seats as it was a money game with a fund of 67. The winner went home very happy. We hope that everyone who came along had a good night and will come again. Thank you to all the Friends of Caston School who helped run the event and also to everyone that came along on the evening. You raised 220 for our children. Open Mornings We opened our doors on the mornings of the 8th and 9th November when we welcomed prospective parents and members of the public to a look around our fantastic school. The comments we received included bright and clean, very friendly and what well behaved children. If you have a child or children coming up to school age or maybe you are looking for a new school you are welcome to have a tour of the school. Please telephone the school on 01953 483304 and our secretary, Mrs. Bealing, will be happy to make you an appointment. Reading Caf Our first Reading Caf was held on 8th November for the children and their families. Mrs. Sue Lee came into school to run the event which will continue on a fortnightly basis. The children listened to The Tiger Who Came to Tea and then took part in some craft activities and had refreshments. Mrs. Sue Lee also comes into school to run the bell ringing club. Thank you Mrs. Lee for giving so much of your time to the school and to the children who have enjoyed all the activities. Remembrance Day Drop-in On Friday 11th November the children attended the Village Hall Drop-in Coffee Morning (a weekly event hosted by different groups). The children in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 had made a book of remembrance poems which they took along for people to read. Years 3 and 4 came along to the coffee morning and chatted with local residents while the children in Years 5 and 6 went along to the War Memorial for a Time of Remembrance and to lay a wreath of poppies. The drop-in on Friday, 23rd December will be Carols and Cake, and it is hoped that some of the children from the school will be able to attend.

Church Times and News

Watton Churches Together

St. Marys Church, Watton
1st, 3rd & 4th Wednesday at 9.30am Holy Communion 2nd Wednesday Morning Worship, Saturdays 9.30am St Marys at Prayer all the above services will be held in The Church Room Church Office opens Tues, Wed & Thurs 9am-1pm Tel: 01953 881252 margaret@churchadm.freeserve.co.uk www.stmaryswatton.org

Sun 4th Sun 11th Fri 16th Sun 18th Fri 24th

St. Georges Church, Saham Toney 10.30am Benefice Service of Holy Communion 11.00am Morning Worship 7.00pm Carol Service 11.00am Christingle Service Christmas Eve 11.00pm Holy Communion There is no service at St Georges on Christmas Day

Thought for the Month

By Father Michael Johnstone

The Wayland News Page 21

Sun 4th

Holy CommunionChurch Room Holy Communion at Watton Christian Community Centre 7.00pm Informal WorshipChurch Room Sun 11th 8.00am Holy CommunionChurch Room 10.00am Holy Communion at WCCC 4.00pm Town Carol Service in the Queens Hall 7.00pm Informal Worship at the Colin Mackenzie Centre Sun 18th 8.00am Holy CommunionChurch Room 10.00am Holy Communion WCCC Sat 24th Christmas Eve 4.00pm Christingle Service with Shine!, at The Queens Hall, especially for children and families 11.30pm Holy Communion at The Queens Hall Sun 25th Christmas Day 10.30am Family Holy Communion at the Queens Hall Sun 1st Jan 8.00am Holy Communion Church Room 10.45am Covenant Service at Watton Methodist Church Watton Methodist Church Every Wednesday the Church is open for quiet reflection and prayer between 10.00am & 12.00noon Its your quiet place. At 10.30 there is a half-hour Midweek Service in the Large Vestry led by the Minister or a Church Member. www.wattonmethodist.btik.com Sun 4th 10.45am Mrs E Wright 6.30pm Rev B Winner, Holy Communion Sun 11th 10.45am Mrs J Roebuck 4.00pm Town Carol Service in the Queens Hall Sun 18th 10.45am Church Stewards - Carol Service 6.30pm Mr D Harrison Sat 24th Christmas Eve 7.00pm Rev B Winner - Carols by Candlelight Sun 25th Christmas Day 10.00am Rev B Winner, Section Service Sun 1st Jan 10.45am Rev B Winner, Covenant Service 6.30pm Mr A Warby Roman Catholic Community Each Sat 5.30pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church Fri 9th 7.00pm Preparation for Christmas at Our Lady of Pity at Swaffham Tues 13th 7.00pm Swaffham Town Carol Service in Assembly Rooms, Swaffham Sat 17th 10.00am Reconciliation Service, Swaffham Sat 24th Christmas Eve 4.30pm Vigil Mass at Watton Methodist Church 11.30pm Carols followed by Midnight Mass at Swaffham Sun 25th Christmas Day 9.30am Mass at Swaffham Sat 31st 5.30pm Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Vigil Mass at Watton Methodist Church Pentecostal Church, Dereham Road, Watton Children have their own programme during the Sunday morning services on 4th & 18th December Sun 4th 10.30am Morning Service Good News of Great Joy Sun 11th 10.30am Family Carol Service Sun 18th 10.30am Morning Service 6.30pm Carols by Candlelight Sun 25th Christmas Day 11.00am Christmas Morning Service Sun 1st 11.00am New Years Day Service followed by buffet lunch & childrens games St. Nicholas Church, Ashill Tuesdays at 10.00am Said Holy Communion Sun 4th 9.30am Lay Led Morning Worship Sun 11th 9.30am Morning Worship Sun 18th 9.30am Crib and Christingle Service 4.00pm Carol Service Mon 19th 6.30pm Carols on the Green Sat 24th Christmas Eve 9.30pm Holy Communion Sat 25th Christmas Day 9.30am All Age Worship

8.00am 10.00am

S.S. Peter & Pauls Church, Carbrooke 10.30am Holy Communion 10.30am Crib and Christingle Service Christmas Day 10.30am Family Holy Communion St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington Thursdays at 9.00am Said Holy Communion Sun 11th 9.30am Holy Communion Fri 23rd 6.00pm Carol Service There is no service at St Johns on Christmas Day Sun 11th Sun 18th Sat 25th Breckles, Caston, Great Hockham, Griston, Merton, Stow Bedon, Thompson Worship Calendar for November Sunday 4th DecemberSecond Sunday of Advent 10:30 am United Holy Communion Breckles Sunday 11th DecemberThird Sunday of Advent 9:00 am Matins (BCP) Merton 10:30 am United Holy Communion Caston 3:00 pm Candlelit Lessons & Carols Griston 5:00 pm Candlelit Lessons & Carols Breckles Friday 16th December 6:00 pm Candlelit Lessons & Carols Sunday 18 10:30 am 3:00 pm 6:30 pm
th

Merton

DecemberFourth Sunday of Advent United Holy Communion Great Hockham Candlelit Lessons & Carols Great Hockham Candlelit Lessons & Carols Caston Thompson Great Hockham Caston Stow Bedon Thompson Merton Griston

Christmas Eve and Night 11:00 am Christingle Family Service 3:00 pm Christingle, 5:00 pm Christingle, 8:00 pm Lessons & Carols 11:30 pm Midnight Holy Communion Christmas Day 9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) 10:30 am United Holy Communion

Sunday 1st January 2012First Sunday after Christmas 10:30 am United Holy Communion Griston Pram Services: Wednesdays at 10:15 am 7th and 14th Dec., Caston School Hall st 21 Dec., Caston Village Hall & 11th Jan., Caston School Hall The WAY Youth Group (ages 11+) Sunday 4th December, 7-8:00 pm, Rectory Enquiries: The Revd. Bob Nichols: Tel.: (01953) 483222; Email: revbobnichols@gmail.com

So Christmas is upon us already! Christmas! With its tinsel, and cards, and holly, and carols, and presents, and plum pudding, and wrapping paper, and decorations, and turkey, and candles, and palaver, and haroosh, and all that inconsequentiality. No wonder the wonder, and the reality and the truthfulness and the glory of it, gets hidden. Or completely forgotten. Or transformed into Winterval. Or some other stupidity. Oh, if only the reality of Glory to God in the Highest, and Peace to men of goodwill could shine out unalloyed! Let US, at least, look at the beauty and incredible generosity of our God at this time! St John in his Gospel puts it in a nutshell: THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH. God, the loving creator of everything-that-is in His loving heart conceived all that He intended to create. His Word spoke. And everything came into existence. What power Gods Word has! Even when Alices Red Queen spoke Off with his head! those words were powerful, and off came his head! But Gods Word is infinitely more powerful! It was His Word through which everything came to be. Not one thing came into being except through Him. And it was that Word that became flesh. Gods Word was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a simple young girl called Mary. The Word was conceived in Marys womb, and from her He took our humanity. And that child, who was God with flesh and nature just like ours, was given birth in the simple poverty of an unkempt stable. There is the wonder. There is the reality. There is the majesty. There is the totality of Gods Love concentrated in a small human body wrapped in swaddling clothes! Let us forget the frippery that surrounds the Nativity of the Son of God. Let us focus on the glory of Gods love for us, in His coming to share our humanity; to live like one of us; to suffer and think like one of us; to be tempted and be distraught like one of us. And ultimately to die for us. To understand the whole truthfulness and wonder of this event we need to focus for a moment on his Mother. Human, simple, humble, obedient Mary. chosen by God to be His Mother. And that inconceivable role accepted by her! Is not being the mother of any child a huge and demanding responsibility? But to be the Mother of God! And to freely accept that role, and never to glory in herself. But rather to keep all these things and ponder them in her heart and to tell us to do whatever He asks you, because she knew the father of her Son to be not Joseph (for she knew not a man} but the Holy Spirit of God Himself. When we truly understand and accept the dignity of Marys role in what occurred in Bethlehem that frosty night, then we will experience Christmas for what it is. And we will see through what is hidden behind what humans have tried to disguise it with.

Saham Hills Methodist Church

December 10th December 18th Christmas Sale & Coffee Morning 10am - 12Noon 6.30pm Carol Service with Saham Handbell Ringers

SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEAS

Hosted by St. Marys Church in November
Sunday 18th December at Watton Christian Community Centre 2.30pm until 4.00pm Brighten up a Winter Sunday Afternoon by joining us, a warm welcome awaits you and your friends.

All Saints Church, Threxton

Sunday 18th December 6pm
Christmas Carols with Watton Silver Band

Sports News

In your garden
with Lotta Potts
Weve had a pretty odd sort of autumn and early winter. As I write there are reports of spring flowers in bloom and second flushes of fruits like raspberries and blackberries. Someone told me of a lovely garden which currently has a display of cyclamen but these are not normally seen alongside violets, primroses, roses or lavender! The display must look lovely but seasonal? The weather seems to have gone all unseasonable. On the other hand it might just do like the past two winters and descend while we are enjoying a false sense of security at the end of November. You may even be reading this while gazing at a few inches of snow. In that case offering what to do in December may well result in a few sniggers and not much else. Anyway, thats what Julian asked me to do so here goes. Theres not a lot to do in December in the way of fun. Most activity is either dont or clear up. For example, clear up any leaves still left on the lawn. If they already have been cleared, dont tread on the grass. Some advice I have seen suggests this is a good time to repair worn patches or edges on lawns but at the same time tells us to keep off it. That could be a trip to casualty. I think what was meant was if the lawn is dry-ish and the ground is workable but not frosty, this will be a good time to repair bald patches with turf - seed should be left until March or April. If at all possible if working on grass a

distance away from paths, use a plank to stand on and another one to walk on if carrying anything heavy. This spreads the load and reduces the chances of making grooves and ruts. If you have to use the lawn as a festive party car park, get some heavy duty mesh to stop tyre ruts and lots of hard work when the party is just a distant memory. Clearing up includes used pots, seed trays, containers, the inside of the shed, tools and the greenhouse. Every year I resolve to wash pots as soon as they become empty. The first few arent too bad as these have been used for early sowings that have been moved on and there really arent that many of them. Later when it becomes a race to get seedlings out of trays and pots then outside or into bigger pots, thats when resolve goes out of the window as the time is much better spent planting. Isnt it? Oh well, maybe next year. I must admit that washing stacks of pots and trays in what started off as warm water is not my idea of fun. Not even close. Having said that, though, theres a certain satisfaction in seeing piles of clean pots and trays. Then comes the really rough stuff, cleaning out the greenhouse and sorting out the shed. I generally retreat for a drink and start again tomorrow. Its worth doing if only to find long-lost tools that were parked instead of being put away. Its comforting to know that the sainted Bob Flowerdew has the same problem and put a photo in Amateur Gardening to prove it. There are people who swear by planting onions on Boxing Day, particularly the large ones for showing. Maybe it helps the digestion. Maybe it really does provide a bigger crop as onions like a long growing season. This must apply to all alliums as its

recommended to plant garlic even earlier (or later depending on your view of the year) from October. It would be nice to have some flowers about in the garden and apart from hellebores and heathers most of the perennial winter flowers come from shrubs. Incidentally, referring to last years December article, the wintersweet has grown. Its three branches are now waving about at around a metre or a little more at three foot six in old money. Still no sign of a flower but I checked again and it can take years to get to flowering size but am assured its worth it. Other flowering shrubs produce insignificant flowers, usually on bare stems. Pollination is the name of the game, so any insects about will be the ones attracted by scent, not large-petalled colourful flowers. If you like winter containers for colour you cant really beat pansies and violas. Now there are trailing varieties for winter baskets not something wed have thought of years ago. Theyll breed winter flowering petunias next! So, once all is clean, tidy, weed-free, containers planted and Christmas socks worn what to do in December? Get out the seed catalogues thats what. Check out what seeds you already have before marking all those new ones. Most seed packets contain far too many for even a large garden unless youre into monoculture so if you cant share them, put them in an airtight container and keep them cool dry and frost-free. The bottom of the fridge is favourite but get permission from the keeper of the fridge first. Then go back to the catalogues, cross out the ones you already have and dream a little. Have a wonderful Christmas and if all else fails you can (I assure you) find a weed.

Bradenham And District Horticultural

The Horticultural Society will be having its annual Christmas Party on Thursday 15th December 2011 but with regret will be only open to members and their guests. However after a short pause in January, where we will be having no meeting, all will be very welcome on Thursday 16th February 2012, at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, where we will be having a fascinating film of Joe Swift, courtesy of Gardeners World,

The Wayland News Page 22

called GROW FOR SHOW. It is likely to be informative as well as useful in growing vegetables or plants for shows. In the same evening we will be hosting seasonal displays allowing you to witness some incredible creations of foliage, flowers and bulbs. Please join us for what is likely to be a fantastic display. Belinda Ashman Publicity Officer. 01362 821442 for further details.

Did You Know?

By Rosalie Davis Gibb. Where did the Jack-o-Lantern tradition originate? People have been making Jack-o-Lanterns at Halloween for centuries, originating from an Irish myth about a greedy and miserly man called Jack. There are various versions of the legend, but according to one, Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him but, being true to his nickname, Stingy Jack, tricked the Devil by offering up his soul if the Devil turned himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. (The Devil was obviously unaware of Jacks reputation!) However, instead of paying for the drinks, Jack kept the coin and put it in his pocket next to a silver cross, stripping the Devil of his powers and preventing him from returning to his original form. In a variation of this story, Jack persuaded the Devil to turn into a coin to pay for goods he had stolen, persuading the Devil this would allow him to bedevil the villagers who were in hot pursuit. In another version, Jack tricked the Devil into climbing a tree for an apple and, once up there, placed crosses around the trunk so the Devil couldnt get down. Jack eventually agreed to release the Devil as long as he promised not to claim his soul. As legend has it, when Jack died God wouldnt let such a wicked person into Heaven and as the Devil had agreed not to claim his soul he couldnt go there either, so he was cast into the darkness of night with only an eternally burning ember to light his way, tossed to him from the flames of hell. Jack put the ember into a carved out turnip, his favourite food, and has been roaming the earth ever since. Jack-of-the-Lantern, as he was originally called, eventually became just Jack-o-Lantern. The term has also been widely used for a Will-o-the-Wisp (or ignis fatuus, the
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News
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The Wayland News Page 23

Latin name meaning foolish fire), the most common name given to mysterious, flickering lights often seen at twilight or in darkness, that are said to lead travellers from safe ground into treacherous bogs and marshes. With slight variations, the legend exists throughout Great Britain, with records of flickering lights over marshy ground going back to at least the middle ages. The most common explanation is that these strange lights are mischievous or malevolent spirits of the dead unable to enter either hell or Heaven (so back to our original Jack), doomed to malevolently wander the earth deriving pleasure from luring unsuspecting travellers into dangerous situations. The lights were also sometimes seen as death omens. If seen within a graveyard the lights were known as Corpse Lights and were sometimes said to be guiding lights from the deceaseds home to the graveyard. In other legends, the lights were said to appear at the scene of a tragedy. Conversely, some tales told of Will-o-the-Wisps being guardians of treasure, leading brave souls to many riches. On the other hand, that in itself could have been a myth and the brave souls ended up in the marshes anyway! A more scientific explanation is that the unexplained lights are merely marsh gasses, or natural methane, caused by rotting vegetation. One theory is that the gasses spontaneously ignite, triggered by the flammable toxic gas phosphine (PH3), thus forming the mysterious lights, appearing and disappearing as if by magic or some unknown force. Many reports have been made of the lights moving to and fro and sending off scintillations, as well as remaining perfectly still. Even more intriguing are the reports of lights moving away as you approach, keeping just beyond reach, and following you if you recede, somewhat difficult to reconcile with the combusting marsh gasses theory, particularly since the lights apparently emit no heat. In East Anglia, the Will-o-the-Wisp is sometimes known as The Hobby Lantern, The Lantern Man or, in Norfolk specifically, Will-o-the-Wikes. The Lantern Man was thought to be actively dangerous, attacking anyone foolish enough to venture close enough. A novel way of escaping The Lantern Man was suggested in the 1900 edition of the Eastern Counties magazine, whereby 2 men on opposite sides of a field whistled in turn, confusing The Lantern Man by luring him to and fro, thereby facilitating their escape. As might be expected, the Fens and Broads of East Anglia have their fair share of tales relating to Will-o-the-Wisps, or Shiners as theyve been known in Breckland, luring unsuspecting fensmen and marshmen to their deaths. One 18th century legend tells of a gentleman being knocked off his horse by The Lantern Man of Horning. Many countries throughout the world have their own version of Will-o-the-Wisp, all with the same theme of lights leading travellers astray, crossing all cultures and continents from Japan, Australia, India, Europe and Scandinavia to South and North America and Canada. Will-o-the-Wisps appear in both literature and music, including Dracula, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Jane Eyre, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Paradise Lost, Maria from The Sound of Music, Skylark sung by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Franz Liszts Feux Follets the French term for Will-o-the-Wisps. Shakespeare mentions an ignis fatuus or a ball of wildfire in Henry IV Part I Act III. Josiah Wood Whymper, a famous wood engraver, illustrator and painter born on 24th of April 1813 in Ipswich, featured the Will-o-the-Wisp in his 1849 engraving Phenomena of Nature'. Jack-o-Lantern also refers to a night watchman, or indeed, any man carrying a lantern, with the earliest known use being in the 17th century. The wisp part of Will-o-the-Wisp comes from wisp, a bundle of sticks or paper, or a twist of hay or straw, sometimes used as a torch.

Collecting shoeboxes for Christmas

WAYLAND EVENTS DIARY

ACC = Ashill Community Centre, Hale Road, Ashill Watton CCC = Watton Christian Community Centre Wells CCC = Wells Cole Community Centre, Saham

December
Thurs 1st Sat 3rd Sat 3rd Tues 6th Wed 7th Sat 10th Wed 14th Sun 18th Tue 20th As the embers were still dying from this years bonfires, Watton Pentecostal Church turned their thoughts to Christmas as they held a poignant service last Sunday November 6th in aid of the Samaritans Purse initiative, Operation Christmas Child. Samaritans Purse is a Christian relief organisation which works through local churches, and provides aid to families and children in poverty across Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Operation Christmas Child began in 1990, and each year asks people to donate shoeboxes filled with gifts and presents which will be delivered directly into the hands of children in some of the toughest parts of the world. The church filled to a buoyant atmosphere as a pile of festivelywrapped shoeboxes climbed the wall behind the lectern. Dozens of children, many of whom had contributed, flitted excitedly around the staging area, in awe of the growing tower of gifts. Such a neat stack of presents served to remind why shoeboxes are requested; their uniform size and shape makes them much easier to pack and to ship. Indeed, the very reason they are collected in early November, is to ensure that there is time for them to travel from the UK to the far reaches of the world. This family orientated service likened the journey of the shoeboxes, to the journey undertaken by the three wise men as they delivered gifts to Jesus, also an under-privileged child, some two thousand years ago. While children giggled at three church members who acted out a silly sketch portraying the wise men, the serious side to the comparison was brought clearly into focus by those leading prayers. The wise men delivered very precious and expensive gifts of the time to a child born into poverty, in gold frankincense and myrrh. The presents taken to children by Samaritans Purse, from teddy bears and dolls, to simple items like hats and gloves or toothbrushes, are highly precious to the families and children who suffer poverty today; things they could never hope to have otherwise. A moving video was played as part of the service, which showed the shoeboxes being given out to children in previous years. The sheer joy etched onto the faces of these children as they stared in wonder and amazement at the presents inside their shoebox in disbelief, left barely a dry eye in the church. And as the service closed with prayers, the impact that each and every shoebox has, and the difference it makes to a single child, made everyone look at that pile of shoeboxes again; and realise just how precious they are. The congregation left in triumphant mood, savouring the unknown joy that the shoebox each of them packed will bring to an unknown child this Christmas. At the last count 68 shoeboxes had been collected at Watton Pentecostal Church. Last year Samaritans Purse sent 1.2 million boxes in total to different countries around the world, and hope to increase the number this year. The 68 from the Sunday morning service will be somewhere among them, completing their arduous journey from a Watton church into the hands of a child. Wed 21st Wed 21st Sat 24th Bradenham Bowls Club Christmas Bingo at Village Hall Eyes Down 7.30pm Seasonal and Cash Prizes 9.30 Queen's Hall IW Christmas Stall and Coffee Morning Ovington Christmas Bazaar 12-3pm in the Village Hall Free. Remember When at Christmas at the Queens Hall. Tickets from Adcocks in the High Street See article 12Noon IW Queen's Hall Lunchtime Concert with Breckland Breeze and guests. Tickets 5 inc lunch, from Mullengers Great Hockham Farmers'/Craft market 9-12pm Edinburgh Hall IP24 1NT Santa will be there! Thetford Singers Christmas Old and New at Thetford Guildhall See article for details Carols by Candlelight at Caston Church 6.30pm 7.45-9pm NWT Talk The Wildlife of Norfolk and Breckland. Venue: Watton CCC see ad. Watton Society talk Watton CCC 8pm Mike Wabe Watton Hockey Club Christmas Bingo. Watton Sports Centre Gallery Bar Eyes Down at 7.30pm Christingle Service at Caston Church 5pm Parking Church Farm

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 is 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 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 julian@waylandnews.com 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

The Wayland News Page 24

Sports News

Richmond Park Ladies Kuk Sool Won train

for Children in Need

Ladies Stableford Competition held on 17th October Division 1 1st Chris Lewington 33 points; 2nd Ann Bayes 32 points; 3rd Margaret Lockwood 31 points; Division 2 1st Rosie Sutterby 39 points; 2nd Dorothy Stephenson 36 points; 3rd Margaret Orchard 32 points Division 3 Geraldine Stammers 30 points; Cherrie Lawn 26 points; Audrey Cleverly 24 points Ladies 1-2-3 Waltz Team Stableford held on 24th October 1st Jan Bone, Julie Ellis and Mabel Curtis 83 points; 2nd Margaret Orchard, Jeanette Fowler and Cherrie Lawn 74 points; 3rd Ann Achilles, Margaret Broadbent and Chris Whyatt 71 points Three Clubs and a Putter Competition held on 31st October: 1st Jan Bone 34pts; 2nd Jeanette Fowler 32pts; 1st Yvonne Shaw

31pts Monday 7th November was the date of the Richmond Park Golf Club Ladies Annual General Meeting and Prize Presentation. The Ladies gathered in the Clubhouse to elect their new committee and to say "Farewell and Thank You" to last year's Captain, Ann Achilles, who had previously been presented with the gift of a tree and garden tub from the ladies. Ann then handed over the Badge of Office to the New Lady Captain, Margaret Broadbent. Finally the presentation of the trophies was made before everyone headed outside where the new Lady Captain was welcomed onto the course by the ladies who formed an Arch of Honour with their clubs (pictured). Lady Captain Margaret then drove off to start her year and everyone joined in to play

Kuk Sool Won Martial Arts recently held a Four hour sponsored session to raise money for Children in Need, 27 people from the group gave up their valuable time for this and raised a fantastic 777.55 . Andy & Lynda who run the classes put together a varied program covering the vast spectrum of this Martial Art which made it all the more bearable and fun, but also included some new aspects that not all the students had encountered a 9 hole Texas Scramble Competition. Getting off to a flying start the team of New Lady Captain, Margaret Broadbent, Vice-Captain, Eileen Chard and out-going Captain, Ann Achilles were the winners with a magnificent score of 29.7 November Ladies Medal Division 1 1st Mrs Janice Bone 91 -

before, so the 4 hours passed very quickly. A special mention should go to the younger members who coped admirably with no complaints; this may have been due to a fabulous Pudsey Bear chocolate cake made by one of the students Mums that was devoured at the end. If you would like to train see our Website kuksoolwon-gillingwater.org for class Locations & Times Text or call 07775890359 or 07983175661. Net 75 2nd Mrs Julie Ellis 99 - Net 78 3rd Mrs Anne Bell 101 - Net 79 Division 2 1st Mrs Jeanette Fowler 104 - Net 77 2nd Miss Chris Bailey 109 - Net 79 3rd Mrs Hilda Whitmarsh 111- Net 80 Division 3 1st Mrs Cherrie Lawn 118Net 83 2nd Mrs Jan Spencer 128- Net 92