The Wayland News January 2012

Issue Number 184 - January 2012
Breckland consider charging drivers to park in Watton

said he was appalled at the suggestion. Do Breckland Council want a vibrant local economy in our towns? he asked. The introduction of car parking charges would simply drive people to wherever they could park for free and in Wattons case that will be Tescos car park. Mr Edwards continued It is time that Breckland started investing in Watton for a change. For too long they have ignored us and spent money elsewhere; now they want to tax us even more. Paul Adcock, whose business will be celebrating its Centenary on the High Street this year, said The introduction of car parking charges in Watton in the middle of the worst trading conditions we have experienced could well be the final nail in the coffin for Wattons High Street. Jan Godfrey, Chair of the Wayland Partnership is also concerned about the future: For those of us who are passionate about our market town and its survival as a retail and service centre, and for those in the Wayland villages who shop and/or work in the town, this is not good news at a time when every penny counts. We have to believe that this will be a comprehensive investigation involving consultation with all who have an interest in the long-term future of Watton. Breckland Councillor Keith Gilbert said How ironic that this should come up again in the same week that a High Street expert suggests reducing car parking charges in order to help regenerate local High Streets. This matter has been debated more than once during my time on Breckland Council, and we have always come to the conclusion not to charge for car parking. Hopefully we will come to the same conclusion this time . See comment on Page 2
Giving a voice to the Wayland community
90th birthday greetings to Olive in New Zealand
A statement by the Chief Executive of Breckland Council, Mr Terry Huggins, suggests the question of charging for car parking in Watton is to be considered again. Mr Huggins said Over the next five years the Council will need to either cut its spending by 3,500,000 or else increase its income from Council Tax or charging for services. Although the Council knows the reasons why public sector spending has to reduce nevertheless the decisions it will be faced with will be tough and unwelcome. Against this background the Council needs to be armed with the facts to allow it to make sound decisions. For this reason the implications of charging for car parking are to be investigated. At present Watton and the other four Breckland market towns, benefit from free parking. Mr Huggins continued Car Parking costs at Breckland are in the order of 300,000 a year. There is no such thing as free car parking rather the issue is who should pay the cost. The general tax payer or the car user? He claimed the announcements timing was . . . a coincidence that this investigation is occurring at the same time as Mary Portas has produced her report on the high street. This is fortunate as it will allow the Council to take into account the recommendations which she makes. In the report she points to good examples of charging by Swindon and Chester where charging structures have been used to support the retail town centre. Whenever parking charges in Watton have been considered before there has always been stiff opposition from traders and residents alike. Newsagent Chris Edwards, whose family run business has been trading on Watton High Street since 1846,
To celebrate her 90th birthday, old Wattonian, Olive Salter, could hardly have chosen to go anywhere further away than Christchurch in New
Zealand! To be fair, her daughter Myra lives there and Olive is on an extended holiday there. Son John flew in from America to take Olive to the rest of her
family for the party. They all enjoyed a scenic flight in a light aircraft around Christchurch to finish the celebration in a fantastic way.
Celebrating the 2012 Jubilee in Wayland

In response to the suggestion that the Wayland Communities might work together in planning and promoting the celebrations for the Queens Diamond Jubilee, a preliminary meeting has been arranged for January 19th at 7.00pm at Wayland House. Many communities and organisations may already have their plans in place and if so we would love to hear about them. Others may be considering what to do and just need some support and encouragement. Organisations other than Parish Councils may want to do something but are not sure what else is happening. Would a Wayland-wide souvenir leaflet with all the events described and listed be a good idea? Does anyone need additional funding? Anyone with an interest in making the Wayland Jubilee Celebrations the best for our community is invited to this first meeting in January.
Comment and News
Happy New Year!
The Wayland News Page 2
Welcome to Watton Sponsored by Tesco

Comment from the Editor
Alright, I know what you are thinking hes going off on one about Tesco again! Well, actually this time its not their fault, but the news that Breckland Council are to once again consider the question of car parking charges in Watton has the potential to deal a fatal blow to our High Street which is already weakened by the supermarkets. Well, thats a bit extreme. I hear you say, Justify yourself man! I will. Imagine that you are coming to Watton to shop. You have a choice; either pay, perhaps, 1 or 2 or maybe more to park near the Methodist Church, on Thetford Road or Behind the Queens Hall (more of that in a minute), and wander around the shops and stalls on Wednesdays, where you can buy many things, or you could just pop into Tescos FREE car park and do all your shopping under the one roof. So convenient. In all the years I have been perambulated, toddled, walked, cycled and driven the streets of Watton, never have we had to pay to park our cars for the privilege of visiting our High Street. Why should we? It is our High Street, our town, our community. As a community, we have long recognised how important parking is to our shops and facilities; and, as Watton got busier, how the availability of parking was becoming strained. So with the lead of Wayland Partnership, the community got behind the effort to build a new car park behind the Queens Hall, with funding from the EU, Breckland, local businesses and business people and even little old ladies taking 5 notes into the Partnerships offices. All of this because we know how important parking is these days; Tesco, the Co-Op and every other supermarket chain has the same opinion. Thats why they build such huge car parks with every store! Dont you think, if they thought they could get away with it, that they would charge you to park while you shopped in their store? Of course they would! But they know how important accessibility is if customers are going to pass through their doors. That is why there are the seemingly endless acres of Mother & Child spaces right next to the stores doors, it makes it that little bit less stressful for the mums while they carefully load all their shopping and children into the back of their cars. So, answer honestly, what are you going to do? You are going to go to Tescos arent you? And to be honest, I would be hard pushed to criticise you (though I would of course!). So why then are Breckland going to indulge in the madness that could well lead to the introduction of parking charges? of car park charges and how the income is used, which is a principal that Breckland would support as part of its own core values. Pardon me Mr Huggins, but I would hazard a guess that nearly every family in Watton and the surrounding villages owns at least one car you pretty much have to when you live here. Those families are tax payers AND car users and you want to tax us twice. The vague words about supporting the town centre and transparency are designed to bamboozle us. The issue is not who should pay for parking. The issue is how do Breckland increase their income or cut their budget. In his opening words Mr Huggins admits that Over the next five years the Council will need to either cut its spending by 3,500,000 or else increase its income from Council Tax or charging for services. This is why he wants to introduce parking charges like countless other authorities and governments he wants to tax us whilst portraying it as being for our benefit. Be honest with us Mr Huggins; if you need to save money or charge more, we understand that. We know the country, and indeed the whole world, is in a mess! But killing our High Street by encouraging shoppers to stay away is going to do nothing to help Watton, or for that matter your budget, because your car parks will be empty and Tescos free one will be full. Am I alone in thinking this? Recommendation nine from Mary Portass report, the self-same report quoted by Mr Huggins to support this move, is Local areas should implement free controlled parking schemes that work for their town centres and we should have a new parking league table QED. Hands off our spaces Breckland! If you think I am right do get in touch with your District Councillors and tell them what you think!
The Chief Executive of Breckland, Mr Huggins, says: Car Parking costs at Breckland are in the order of 300,000 a year. There is no such thing as free car parking rather the issue is who should pay the cost. The general tax payer or the car user? It is a coincidence that this investigation is occurring at the same time as Mary Portas has produced her report on the high street. This is fortunate as it will allow the Council to take into account the recommendations which she makes. In the report she points to good examples of charging by Swindon and Chester where charging structures have been used to support the retail town centre. She also talks of transparency
News from the Wayland Chamber of Commerce

Wayland Chamber is now compiling the next annual Wayland Chamber of Commerce Information, Trade and Services Directory which is delivered free of charge to some 8,000 households and businesses in the locality around Easter each year. Do you run a business locally? A key benefit, to Chamber members only, is to be listed, and have the opportunity to advertise, in the paper Directory. Visit www.wayland-chamber.org.uk and hit the Join the Chamber button for further details. Join before 31st January 2012 to have your entry in the 2012/2013 Directory. Are you involved in a local notfor-profit service (statutory or voluntary), a membership organisation or club, or do you run a local community facility, etc? You would benefit from a FREE entry in the Information part of the paper Directory. Let us know the details via the Contact Us page on the website or telephone or text 01760 440837 or 07979 264047. The Chamber exists for businesses in the Wayland area and seeks to represent the views of its members on local issues, as well as offering help and advice on various business-oriented matters. The Chamber organises and participates in projects of benefit to local businesses and works in partnership with Breckland Council, Watton Town Council, the Wayland Partnership Development Trust and other organisations. A full list of Chamber members can be viewed at www.wayland-chamber.org.uk Heather Nunn, Secretary
News

not often seen, while a little further on a sign proclaims the title Clipbush Lane, which gives a definite impression of harking back to more interesting times. A few hundred yards further is the tiny village of Scoulton, with a chapel built well over a century ago, opposite which reposes a small residence which rejoices the title Lilac in and Laughter Cottage. Can there be a more romantic name than that? One cannot help but wonder at the origin was it the whim of some past owner with a sense of humour, or did it reflect some period of happiness within its walls? Onwards towards Hingham and a little collection of small residences bears the name of Frost Row, which suggests winters of long ago, while Hingham itself is certainly historic, with houses dating back 400 years or more, with a church which is visited by many Americans eager to view the place bound up with connections to the great Abraham Lincoln, whose family emigrated from here. Speeding along towards Norwich one soon comes to a junction with the intriguing name of Skipping Block Corner, which must have some ancient significance, though local guide books give no clue. If anyone has an idea as to its origin, I would be most grateful for the information. The journey to the county capital has one more treat to offer with the church at Colney, distinctive with its round tower, which is several centuries old. To give yet another quasi-historic feeling to this road, a local heritage society has taken the trouble to reinstate the old milestones that lined the way in olden times. They can be seen all the way from Watton on the right hand side, although it may be that two of them are now missing they have certainly avoided my eye, though they may be hidden in the hedge. Could there be a more interesting game to keep the family from boredom on a car journey than trying to spot these relics of the past? Probably to the younger members of our community the word milestone has no meaning, except possibly in the context of someones age (such as a twentyfirst birthday), but these were useful items in stage-coach days, and were eagerly counted down by travellers on their long journeys. In closing I wish everyone a prosperous New Year, and hope that someone can make it a happy one for me by telling me the origin of Skipping Block Corner.
A Quick Look Round

by ORBITER So another year has passed by, seemingly quicker than ever, at least to me, probably due to my age making it all downhill from now on. And quite a year it has been, with financial disasters affecting the whole world. Luckily our masters in government have things in hand, announcing a new initiative every day or so! Unfortunately these schemes rarely seem to actually come to fruition, usually turning out to simply be pipe dreams that never materialise. No change there then. Almost daily an announcement is made that X million pounds has been allocated to some project, and one wonders where, if the country is as destitute as we are led to believe, all these millions are to come from. Then we find that the projects mentioned are not due to be started until 2016 or thereabouts. And the actual amounts are completely fictitious, as no scheme in living memory has ever been completed at the quoted price. One wonders what the actual cost of the proposed new super-fast rail link from London to Birmingham will be. The figure at the moment stands at 32 billion pounds, so at least 50 billion is on the cards. The national newspapers make interesting reading, as they contradict themselves from day to day. For instance in the last couple of weeks we have been told that the fate of the Red Squirrels is for them to be extinct within a few years as they are suffering from a deadly disease besides being over-whelmed by the grey variety. Yet two days later the same paper reported the good news that the Reds were doing well, and show every sign of a welcome recovery. Great news! But the following week another report told of disaster once more. As indicated by the interest shown in the television series Downton Abbey, people are always pleased to find links with the past, and we in the Watton area are fortunate in that such links are not hard to find. Take for instance our road to Norwich, the B1108. Whereas the A roads in the district have all been upgraded and re-routed over the past years,( as per the A47, which no longer passes through the many villages that it used to serve), this road follows a route virtually unchanged for a couple of centuries, and on its course offers many names that indicate connections with the past, both recent and distant. Traveling from Watton, one is first reminded of the Second World War by the modern living areas which bear so many references to the RAF, such as the street and estate names Beaufort, Blenheim, Wellington, etc., the newest of which -- Slessor Park, being a tribute to one of our air leaders of the time. Not far down the road is the Flying Fish, a public house with a name
Wayland Heritage Book Launch
The Wayland Heritage Exhibition and the launch of the Wayland Heritage Books which took place on November 26th at the Wells Cole Community Centre, heralded a pleasing demand for copies of the books by the local community. The launch event came at the end of a three year project led by the Wayland Partnership and its Heritage Officer, Sue White, and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the local community. Heritage groups and individuals from the Wayland Communities spend the first two years studying and researching their local history and heritage and the final year in writing and producing a total of 13 books. Each book is accompanied by a DVD containing additional information including maps and pictures which could not be included in the text. Cllr Nigel Wilkin, Chairman of Breckland District Council, joined us for the evening to officially launch the books. The books were produced using the facilities at Wayland House where teams printed, collated and bound 50 copies of each of 13 books (67,000 sheets of paper and card) in time for the launch. These first books were presented to the Heritage Groups, Parish Councils and the individuals who helped with the project. More will be presented to the Library and the Schools as well as the Heritage Lottery
Fund and the Norfolk Record Office. Books from the second round of printing, which was completed in the first two weeks of December, are available for purchase by the community. Gary Standley of BBC Voices at The Forum in Norwich, who helped the project with a film course, said when he saw the books: Jan - these are amazing! I couldn't believe it when i saw them and how much work had gone into them. Truly unbelievable The final outcome of the project is a
local history schools pack which will provide a wide menu of local information for the Wayland cluster of schools on DVD. The books are available to purchase from Wayland House in Watton. They are 8.00 (Gt Hockham, Little Cressingham & Ovington are 6.00) including the DVD. The Heritage Focus Group will continue to meet to continue to research and study and to plan further projects. Anyone interested in joining the Wayland Group or their village group should ask for further information at Wayland House.
The Best In Country Music 8 til late
"An Evening of Caston Memories"

A unique and rare opportunity to see a pictorial show of postcards and photographs of Caston through the ages. Buffet supper to include a glass of wine. A very informal evening taking you back in time through the changing scenic views of Caston. An evening not to be missed! Caston Village Hall on Saturday, 25th February 2012 7pm for 7.30 pm All proceeds raised will be for Holy Cross Church, Caston. Tickets 7.50 from Bridget Hall 01953 483751 Numbers will be limited so do book your place early!
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In your garden with Lotta Potts

So here we are back in January. Shall we have snow like last year? At the time of writing I have no idea and suspect that the weatherman doesnt either. So all we can do is proceed on the basis of open, dry days and cold nights. This is a bit restricting as digging frost bound ground is a no no. On the other hand, if its not too wet you can always work of the Christmas and New Year excess with a good onslaught on the digging you meant to do in November. You can also plant bare root shrubs and trees with co-operative weather and look at the pictures until the real thing blossoms in the summer. If you have any money left after the festivities and the inevitable sales, go shopping for seed potatoes and plants such as pansies and anything hardy in flower. Even if the ground is unsuitable for planting outside you can put most things in containers until spring. Skimmias are good at this time of year and can be put into containers for a very pretty show. Beware, though as not all are unisex so youll need two of them. Mr T recommends planting one of each in the same hole as they grow well together so youll get berries as well as the flowers. Its not essential to buy potatoes yet but if you do, chit some for very early crops by forcing under glass. Those babies really do taste good before the others are anywhere near ready. If you are lucky enough to have a frost-free or heated greenhouse then you really can get ahead with super-early crops. The rest of us will have to wait! Should we get snow, its important to knock it off the greenhouse roof, conifers and large evergreens. I have awful memories of when we had a conservatory at the back of the house when I was a kid. It was just a lean-to affair and one year the snow accumulated until one night there was an almighty crash as the lot came through. What made it worse was that this catastrophe blocked access to the coal store. No central heating in those days! The shrubs and trees could get terminally damaged with the weight of a heavy snowfall so its best to dislodge it before it starts to thaw as wet snow is even heavier. The worst is broken branches and the least is that the plant is forced out of shape. If your exercise is a walk, with or without dog, have a look into gardens you pass. If theres something spectacular make a note of it or if you cannot identify it see if you can take a photograph to check later. The internet is great for this, as is the local library. You can always pretend the dog is sniffing at something or you need to catch your breath, adjust shoelaces etc. If you are fortunate enough to meet the gardener you could always ask what it is that has taken your fancy - be nice and complimentary enough and they might give you a cutting or seeds. This applies all the year round but I just thought of it and showy things are really obvious in winter. January is a good month to tackle the inanimates. These include sheds and fences. Sheds first. Treat yourself to one of those in 2004. She produced a variety of delightful decorations largely from foliage such as holly, laurel and conifer readily available in the garden and the hedgerow. These she passed round for closer scrutiny. She then built up a display from scratch to show her audience the principles behind the creation of successful decorations. Rosemary provided an informative and entertaining commentary as she worked and included many useful tips on how to prepare foliage and flowers. Finally she placed several of her decorations into a raffle and generously donated some of the proceeds to the Garden Club. She was warmly thanked for her demonstration and was presented with a gift by way from the members of appreciation. The Chairman ended the meeting by reminding members wishing to attend the Annual Lunch on January 18th to send in forms and remittance by the end of the year. The next meeting on January 26th features Trevor Harrison from the Creake Plant Centre who is an established favourite of the Garden Club and will talk on Winter in the Garden. David Green.
insulated mugs with a lid, fill it with the tipple of choice - tea, coffee, soup, gin and tonic - then retreat and sort out the muddle. Hopefully you wont need to tip everything outside but if you do choose a dry day and hope not to get a shower. Then you can organise it all so everything has a home. If youre anything like me youll also find the lost forever tools you replaced. Still, somebody would be grateful for the surplus. At the same time you could clean and oil those pots, trays and tools that you meant to clean/oil/sharpen in autumn. Fences and sheds should now be repaired as necessary and given a coat or two of preservative. Not a nice job at all but if you think about it, it makes sense to replace broken fence panels and paint them while the plants are dormant. At least you dont have to deal with the lethal creosote now its banned. A lovely job for a cold and/or wet day is to review and sort the seed packets you have. Anything with a date starting with 19 should now really be thrown away but you could always try a few on a seed tray just in case. Find a box and put the seeds in order of planting. Then have a read of the catalogues for any gaps. Just dont order without reviewing or the bank manager will have a fit and there will never be enough room for it all unless you happen to be the owner of a large estate. In which case the head gardener will already have done this job. If anyone owes you a present, I just found a little book called The Grumpy Gardeners Handbook by Ivor Grump - of course he is! Happy New Year to all and remember, whatever the weather, keep weeding.
Ashill and Holme Hale Garden Club

Ashill and Holme Hale Garden Club held their Christmas Party on Thursday December 15th at Holme Hale Pavilion. The 35 members present enjoyed a festive atmosphere and delicious buffet food prepared yet again by Vicky Maslen and Susan Saini who were thanked most warmly for their hard work on behalf of the Club. The Chairman, David Green, reported on a successful visit to Ashill Fruit Farm, which focussed on the process of producing their well-known apple juice. Pam Reed, the owner, was a generous hostess and the 20 members who visited went away with bottles of the sweet apple juice being pressed from Cox apples on the day. The meeting went on to feature a demonstration of how to prepare Christmas plant table decorations presented by Rosemary Beckett, one of the founder members of the Club which was established
Ovington Gardening Club

The December meeting was the AGM, which progressed as usual. The officials and committee were voted in as follows: Chairman - Vernon Conie; Secretary/ Treasurer - Ed Reilly; Committee Carol Salmons, Ann Akister, Gloria Canham and Brian Borwick. The Secretary issued a full list of next year's programme of all-new speakers. The Treasurer produced the accounts which showed a surplus of 80 for the year. The meeting continued with three beautiful films made by Brian Salmons, which were a very professional presentation and concluded with refreshments provided by members. January's meeting will be at 7.45pm on Wednesday, 4th January when Trevor Last will be talking on the subject of "Exhibition Vegetables". This talk is by an awardwinning exhibiter and should also be of interest to allotment holders! Membership costs only 5 for the year or 1 per talk for visitors. For further details contact Ed on 01953 885848 or Carol on 01760 440719 donated. Marianne Kilmartin Show Secretary 01362 820744
Bradenham & District Horticultural Society

It might seem odd for a gardening organisation to be so tardy, but this is the first time we decided to offer a tree to All Saints in Shipdham for the annual tree festival. We have learned a few things, the main one being to start earlier than we did, especially for novices! The charity we chose to support is the Food Bank so we could get the obvious association for decorating the tree. I have spoken to various people who visited the festival and all said they were impressed with our efforts - a huge thank you to whoever was responsible for our site, which faced the door. Thanks here to Lavinia who donated it and to
ROGER TURNER
07759 948 830 01953 881 382
Kevin who cut it down. Although it was just the top of a much larger tree it was still big and we were on the six feet height limit. Add that to the table it stood on and you get the picture. Andrew summed it up, Big, innit?. All this added up to a very respectable amount to give to the Food Bank. This is where it gets the Oscars treatment: thanks to Geoff for transport, decoration, removal and just about everything else involved. Thanks too to June and Alan for sterling work on ideas, decoration and removal and to Libby and Vic for the loan of the pumpkin and help decorating. Finally thanks to all those who came, saw and
Crackers about Christmas

Breckland Flower & Garden Club and Great Ellingham & District Flower Club held a charity event for Star Throwers at the Connaught Hall Attleborough on 25th November 2011. 2730 was raised on the evening for a local charity Star Throwers, Melton Road, Wymondham it is a not-forprofit, charity supporting and advising people who are affected by cancer.
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Councillors Chat
Keith Gilbert Firstly may I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year. It was pleasing that Brecklands Planning Committee refused the application for development on Saham Road. What I thought was particularly good was that the campaign against the application was very much led by local residents, with the three Breckland members supporting them. Congratulations to all of you who worked hard to get the right decision. Perhaps this is what is meant by the big society. Members of the Town Council recently had a meeting with our MP George Freeman, where we heard from George about his thoughts on various issues and localism in particular. We then went on to talk about several local issues and the way in which he could help. Thank you very much for that George, a very helpful and constructive meeting. So, on to the big issue at the moment. Car parking charges. I was very surprised to get an email from Brecklands chief executive telling me, and of course every other Breckland member, that he was recommending that Breckland Council should consider the issue of charging for car parking in the Breckland owned car parks. This is an issue that we have discussed at Breckland on more than one occasion in my time on the Council, and we have always come to the same conclusion not to introduce car parking charges. So what has changed? The decision to look at this again seems to be based on a residents survey which came out to say that the majority of people questioned said that Breckland should maximise its assets. That is fine, who would say they shouldnt. I certainly would not. But to my way of thinking that is a great leap of faith to say that the majority of people would welcome the introduction of car parking charges. The proposal is to have a consultation with Breckland residents on the matter. That will cost money. In my experience of these sort of matters, a lot of money. I say save that money. I can tell them now what the answer will be. If you ask anyone the straight question Do you want to pay for car parking in Breckland? I dont think anyone will say yes. This is a policy decision for the Council to decide. Before we go wasting money on an expensive survey, lets have a debate at Council about the issue. If the Council decide that they do not want to charge for car parking then we will have saved a lot of money and everyone will be happy. I will certainly not be supporting any proposal to introduce car parking charges. What do you think? As usual I welcome your thoughts on this or any other issue. I have a feeling I will be getting quite a lot of response on this one. My contact details are. Email keith.gilbert@breckland.gov.uk Home address 39 Merton Road, Watton, Norfolk, IP25 6BA Home telephone 01953 880172 Mobile telephone 07730 375986 I look forward to hearing from you.
Watton Rotary Roundup
On Nov 17th we inducted a new member, Andy Francis, who recently started a funeral services business in Middle Street, Watton. On Nov 22nd Andy attended a lunchtime meeting of the Norwich South Rotary Club at the Oasis Sports and Leisure Club, Thorpe, where he was introduced to Ray Burman, President of Rotary International in Britain & Ireland, who was paying a flying visit accompanied by Tom Griffin, our District Governor, who looks after the 77 Rotary Clubs throughout East Anglia. So, quite an introduction to Rotary for Andy who is, by far, our clubs youngest member and one of the youngest in the our district. The picture shows Andy between Tom(on the left) and Ray. Several potential providers were approached during our quest for a permanent venue for our regular
weekly Thursday evening meetings. It was not an easy task to find a fit for all our various needs but we were very pleased with the response we have had. Several factors, none the least being availability in the run-up to festive season, determined our choice and we have now settled into the Hare and Barrel on Brandon Road. We were also very pleased with the support we had on our stall at the Watton Christmas Fair on Dec 4th a record sum of 352 was raised through our Straw-Draw tombola. Thanks you supporters, and thanks to all the Watton Town Council helpers for making it all possible. Thank you, too, to the shoppers at the Tesco store where we had a Rotary information and collection session on Dec 16th, which realised 405 for our charities fund.
We are half way through our Rotary Year as we enter a new calendar year, and have we got plans for you! From March we hope to restart our 1st Wednesday monthly bric-a-brac stall on the market. On March 9th we have another in our series of Jazz at the Queens Hall concerts, again featuring DixieMix. Looking ahead to the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations, we have booked Rave On the Suffolkbased Buddy Holly and the Crickets tribute group for a Sunday afternoon concert on June 3rd. This will, of course, be in the Queens Hall and we plan for it to be more of a family entertainment show than a fundraiser. Clearly, the act is particularly appropriate for the occasion, as Buddy Holly is considered to be the 1950s father of Rock & Roll. Martin Anscombe
Are you a library member?

Its really easy to join Norfolk Libraries and once a member you can discover all thats on offer. From serious reads and eBooks to childrens events and new release DVDs, theres something for everyone! Throughout January, Norfolk Library and Information Service is promoting all the benefits of becoming a library member with a month-long promotion called 'JoinUp January'. There are county council run libraries and mobile libraries across Norfolk, which means there is likely to be one fairly close to where you live, and there's so much more to them than a place to borrow books. Did you know you can also borrow console games, DVDs and CDs at reasonable rates and return them to any library? An eBooks service allows you to download and borrow eBooks for free from the comfort of your own home. And there are always events, activities and clubs for both children and adults going on in libraries. It's completely free to join the library and quick and easy. You can do it online at www.norfolk.gov.uk/ libraries or drop into your local library and staff will take down your details and get you and up and running in just a couple of minutes. With libraries it's free to borrow books and magazines; use public PCs; borrow eBooks from your own home; attend lots of events including children's activities and author visits; access information from your local councils and other organisations For more information visit your local library, call 0344 800 8006 or visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries
Wayland Happy Circle

At our meeting on 6 December we were entertained by the St. Withburga Ringers from Dereham "tintinnabulists" to give them their proper name. They played a selection of wellknown tunes and carols on their handbells, which are 200 years old. Some of our members were able to 'have a go' and I for one really enjoyed it. The sweet music was much appreciated by all. We then enjoyed mince pies and shortbread with our tea and instead of a raffle everyone had a wrapped gift which had been donated by members. Our next meeting is on 3 January when subscriptions will be due. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. JM Dixon (Sec)
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The Pre-Raphaelites
Their work, lives and loves
Gloomy Sunday
by Ken Knowles I have always been very grateful for the fact that I had a very happy childhood, in a kind and loving family, with rarely a sad event to mar my early days. The only part of my existence that left me wanting a change to the daily round concerned Sundays. My parents were keenly religious, being active members of the local Methodist Chapel, and although this didnt affect our daily routine (apart from living a good Christian life, which just came naturally) they set great store upon the fact that Sunday was the Lords day, and accordingly all pleasure activities had to be curtailed in order to observe it with due reverence. This meant that such boyhood pursuits, such as ball games, were forbidden, and, in fact, anything that caused a noise was completely out. Of course my parents realised that an active boy could not just sit twiddling his thumbs for a whole day, so quiet card games like Patience were permitted, though a request to play Snap with my dad would be refused because of the noise. Jigsaw puzzles of the cardboard kind were O.K., though wooden ones were not, as they could be a bit too loud when pieces were forced in! Meccano was also off limits on Sundays because of the metal bits scraping together, and as for shouting or singing well! The strange thing was that in the afternoon, when I went to Sunday School, we were encouraged to sing such songs as All things bright and Beautiful or Jesus bids us shine with as much gusto as we could manage. I could not understand why this should be, though I presumed being in Gods House meant things were different. Somehow it seemed that household chores were exempt from restrictions, since Mum cooked the Sunday dinner with all the incidental noises that were entailed, although it would have caused a riot if she had chosen to hang out washing. In the outside world there was little if anything to do, since shops did not open, so apart from visiting parks there was nothing, though I seem to remember that public houses did open for a couple of hours, a fact that was of no interest to our family, as we had a strict temperance up-bringing. So it seemed that Sundays would for ever remain gloomy. But suddenly all things were to change, and salvation was to come from a most surprising direction --- a nighttime milk drink. The Ovaltine company had instituted a massive advertising campaign, the main part of which was to be aired on Radio Luxembourg, a station of which up till then had normally been just one of a number of foreign names that appeared round the tuning dial on most wireless sets, among such others as Kalundburg, Stuttgart, Oslo and so on, which meant very little to anyone. But now, every Sunday afternoon there would be a special programme aimed specifically at young children, who had been recruited in their thousands (some said millions), via newspaper advertising, into what was known as the League of Ovaltineys. Membership of this
"Ophelia" by Sir John Everett Millais, one of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is the subject of the next WEA course to be held in Watton starting in January. The course will be an examination of the work, lives, subject matter, patrons, critics, models, wives and lovers of this extraordinary group of painters who challenged so many aspects of Victorian life. The Brotherhood was set up in 1848 in London by seven talented young artists - Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt, together with by Dante's younger brother William Michael Rossetti, James Collinson, Frederick George Stephens and sculptor Thomas Woolner. Other artists including Ford Madox Brown and Edward Burne-Jones became associated with the group, as did the art critic, author, artist, and writer John Ruskin and also William Morris who founded the company which still produces the wallpapers and fabrics which are so well regarded today. They wanted to create a new style of art, different from the work being done by the 19th century artists such as Reynolds, Turner, Constable and Lawrence. They made an impact on the art world in London from their early days and first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1849. The founder members of the Brotherhood had most interesting personal lives. Several of them had affairs with and married their models, and Hunt travelled to the Holy Land in the mid-1850s and visited the Middle East several times afterwards. In 1869 he had a house built in Jerusalem, although he died in London in 1910. The course will appeal to anyone who is interested in the Victorian period, and in particular, its art. Topics which will be covered will include the historical, social and cultural background of the Brotherhood; the different personalities of the artists and their art; their personal lives; their sources of inspiration, such as the Bible, Tennyson and Keats; their patrons and patronage; the followers of the movement. The tutor for the course will be Jean Smith, who tutored the WEA course in Watton from January 2011 on Renaissance Art, which was very much enjoyed by everybody who attended The course will be run by the WEA, the Workers Educational Association, which is an education organisation for adults over the age of 19, and runs courses all over the country. The courses are interesting and enjoyable, low cost, and there are no exams at the end, so one can work at ones own pace and as intensively as one wishes. Fees are kept as low as possible; the WEA is a non-profitmaking body supported by funding from the Skills Funding Agency, and run by local volunteers. The course will be held at the St Johns Ambulance hall in Saham Road. It is only 50 yards from Watton High Street so it is not far from the bus stops and easy to get to. There is plenty of space for car parking outside the hall and in the road. The course will run for ten weeks on Tuesdays, starting on 17th January at 2:00pm and will last for 1 hours. There will be a half term break on 14th February, so it will run to 27th March. The cost will be 50, payable on the second week, although people who are in receipt of income-based benefits or Job Seekers Allowance are not charged. Come to the first session without obligation and see whether you think its for you. Details of all local WEA courses are shown in a booklet which is available from the libraries, and you can also contact Peter Chappell on 01362 820641 for further information. The book description is: "200 delicious recipes that allow you to manage your diabetes without compromising on taste. Includes; breakfasts, snacks and starters, salads, pasta, main meals, vegetarian dishes, desserts and drinks that can be eaten by the whole family. It can be bought online from Diabetes UK and is priced at 18.99 Web site: http://www.diabetes.org.uk Information supplied by Able Community Care, The Old Parish Rooms, Whitlingham Lane, Trowse, Norwich NR14 8TZ Tel No: 01603 764567 Fax No: 01603 761655 E Mail: Ablemg@aol.com Web Site: www.uk-care.com
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Question -My sister has just been diagnosed with Diabetes. As a person who loves her food this has come as a bit of a blow. Do you know of any cookery books that cater especially for diabetics? Answer - Diabetes UK has over 250 recipes which can be downloaded from their website but there is also a cookery book from Anthony Worral Thompson for diabetics. The title is Essential Diabetes Cookbook (Antony Worrall Thompson with Louise Blair BSc)
organisation entitled a child to a splendid badge and a rule book containing a secret code, under the protection of which a special message would be broadcast each week. Such was the interest that it seemed that every child under about nine years old demanded to listen to the show, and in no time the most popular song in the land began We are the Ovaltineys little girls and boys, and the pressure I put on my parents to ensure I was not the only one left out eventually persuaded them to let me listen, in spite of great opposition from my mother. Actually, being ten years old at the time, I was not interested in actually being an Ovaltiney, but eager to have a crack at solving their secret code. In the event it did not need a Bletchley Park decryption as it seemed to be on the lines of A = 2, B = 4, C = 6, and so on, requiring a series of numbers to be read out, which decoded produced a rather goody-goody message, such as Be kind to animals. But the pattern of Sundays had been broken. My mothers initial horror at hearing the little children singing ON A SUNDAY had been ameliorated by finding out that in actual fact the programmes were recorded ON WEEKDAYS some time in advance, and when she realised that the Wrath of the Lord had not descended upon us, she actually began to enjoy Sunday listening. So Sundays were no longer gloomy. Soon, like many other families, we began to look forward to hearing the many other shows that soon made Radio Luxembourg much more popular than the rather staid old BBC. This did not mean that we stopped going to Chapel for Sunday School or Evening Service, but it did signal release from the previous Trappist Monk style routine of silence that had entombed us for years. The Radio Luxembourg broadcasts had to cease with the onset of the war in 1939, but the habit of Sunday listening stayed with everyone, with the BBC becoming more populist, and as the war went on Sunday lunchtime became the peak listening time of all the week, and for some years to come all the comedy sitcoms of the era were aired at that time. With all the various entertainments that are available to us on the Sabbath today it seems hard to explain to our offspring how dull things were for us in those pre-war days, and it is even harder to make them realise that our lives were changed for ever by an advertising campaign for a milk drink.
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Our last meeting of the year was our Christmas party, complete with a visit from Father Christmas!! Although he was a bit late because someone had stolen his reindeer, they were soon found, unharmed and harnessed to the sleigh! The final meeting of the year is when the Committee says a big thank you to all our members for their support and attendance over the past year, a chance for everyone to let their hair down and enjoy themselves. It is also a chance for us to thank the Pentecostal Church for allowing us to use their facilities, we are extremely grateful. I think a good time was had by all.* A mini auction was held and raised 21.00 which was added to the money raised at the Christmas Market and made a grand total of 206.86 for the group funds. So thank you to all the people who came to say hello and support us on the 4th December. Our first meeting of the New Year will be on 9th January at 10.15am, at the Pentecostal Church, Watton and our speaker will be Rhada Chilleystone, Podiatrist. If you would like any information about this or any other meeting, then please phone Helen, 01953 884713, leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. * John had a really good time at the kitchen sink and his hands are very soft now!!
Inner Wheel Club Of Watton
Hingham Library
Have you visited Hingham library lately? We may be small but we offer the full range of Norfolk Library services, so whether you want the latest blockbuster novel, DVD or eBook, free Internet access or information on council services we can help. Why not pop along to meet Pam and the team and discover what your local library can do for you? You can find us on the Fairland. Our opening hours are: Tuesday 2pm - 7pm, Thursday 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 7pm, Saturday 10am - 1pm. We host a regular Tots Tales session with songs and stories for pre-school children and their parents/carers. The next date is 12 January 2.15pm to 3.15pm. For more information please contact the library on: (01953) 850621
Inner Wheel members ready for action at the coffee morning Our Christmas Stall and coffee morning held at the Queen's Hall on the first Saturday in December was very well supported and we would like to thank everyone for their generosity. Those who enjoyed our coffee and homemade cakes raised 168 which we have given to the Queen's Hall Maintenance Fund as we use their facilities for most of our fundraising. Downstairs our raffle made 105 and the stall 303 which will go to our Inner Wheel charities, so it was a very successful morning. The following Wednesday we held one of our popular lunchtime concerts where Breckland Breeze entertained us with their various stringed instruments playing a medley of Christmas numbers, and Brenda and Ken Davis entertained with a poem and a song. Afterwards the audience enjoyed a turkey bap and salad and mince pies. This occasion raised 280. At our meeting it was decided to give 100 to the following charities:- Thursday Club, St. Martins Housing Trust, Starthrowers, Pact, Salvation Army, Autism Anglia and EACH. Our December meeting took the form of a birthday party for two members, Fran and Jenny, who treated the other members to a meal at Jenny's house. We had two teams at the Watton Society Quiz - one did very well but didn't win anything and the other won the booby prize going home with a large bar of chocolate each as a prize! On 10th February we will have another Barn Dance with Shinanikins and on 22nd February another Lunchtime Concert, tickets for both events from Mullengers in the New Year. Jenny Simons (Club correspondent)
Shellrock Circle for the over 50s

Terry, our Chairman, announced his intention to stand down from the Committee when we have our AGM in April 2012. There will then be a vacancy for a CHAIRPERSON. Terry will help the new chairperson to get settled in, so please, for the good of the Club, put your name forward to fill this post. We thank Terry for the many years of dedicated service to the Club. Our last meeting of 2011 was our Christmas Dinner on the 13th of December. After a hearty meal we could all relax with a mince pie and a cup of tea while we listened to the children of Rockland Primary School entertaining us with a programme of traditional carols. As usual, they were all well behaved and sang to the best of their ability coping with the difficult musical geography of O come, O come, Emmanuel with consummate ease. They concluded with a new carol entitled The Angel Carol, by John Rutter, who is a British composer and conductor. A fitting end to an enjoyable afternoon. Whats on in January 2012 Venue: The Village Hall, The Street, Rocklands. Our next
The Watton Society Annual Quiz
The Watton Societys 19th Annual Quiz was held in the Queens Hall on 23rd November. 12 teams entered to compete for the coveted wooden spoon. Mr Peter Walmsley kindly agreed to be the question master once more to entertain the teams with a smattering of whit whilst leading us to a very close finish. Team with no name took the trophy with 156 points. However The hopefuls ran them a very meeting is on 11th January: Club meetings resume 2pm till 4pm. It will be a Surprise afternoon. Come along and find out what it is all about. The task for this meeting is to make a snowman. Lets hope by then we wont be making real ones! 17th January: Marions lunch Club held at White Lodge, Attleborough. If you want to find out more, ring Marion on 01953 483431. A Happy New Year to all.
close second with 154 points, and they themselves were only 2 points up on U3A number 1 team with 152 points. Shown being presented with the SPOON by Chairman Mr John Kerr are Mr Barry Bethell, Mrs Nancy Robert, Mrs Judith Bethell, and Mr Daryl Woodward. Not for the first time have these four been successful in this popular quiz having won on 4 previous occasions.
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DEREHAM & DISTRICT
Hes behind You!

By Rosalie Davis Gibb Pantomime time is upon us once more and no panto is more gruesome than Babes in the Wood, particularly since the basis of this tragic tale is apparently one of truth. Many of you will already know, but Ive discovered during my three and a half years in Watton that many dont, that the town sign depicting two children by a tree is a direct reference to the Babes in the Wood. For centuries, Norfolk tradition has placed the scene of their abandonment as Wayland Wood, or Wailing Wood, as it was sometimes known. The following account of the story, published in a booklet entitled "A Guide to the Town of Watton and the Country adjacent thereto" by W.G. Clarke and published by George Self of Watton in 1909 would bear out this theory (and serves as a reminder of the original tale). The fine old English ballad of "The Babes in the Wood" is one of the most popular in all parts of the country, but particularly in Norfolk, where the incidents narrated are firmly believed, by popular tradition, to have occurred. It will be remembered that a Norfolk gentleman of good estate happened to be dying at the same time as his wife, and left to his brother the care of his little boy about three years of age and a girl even younger. Provided the boy attained his majority he was to have 300 a year, and the little girl was to have 500 on her marriage-day, but should the children chance to die previously the money was to go to their uncle, who fully accepted the charge. After the death of their parents they were taken to the home of their uncle, who before "a twelvemonth and a day" had elapsed, devised to make off with them, so as to secure their money. H " e bargained with two ruffians strong Which were of furious mood, That they should take the children young,
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And slay them in a wood. He told his wife an artful tale, He would the children send To be brought up in fair London With one that was his friend." The children went off happily, lured by the idea of pleasant games, and so prettily they prattled that one of those who undertook the deed relented, but the one who was hardest of heart vowed to do it because he had been well paid. So they debated furiously, then fought, and "he that was of mildest mood" slew his companion. He then took the children, who complained of hunger, and leaving them, said he would bring them bread. T " hese pretty babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and down, But never more could see the man Approaching from the town. Their pretty lips with blackberries Were all besmear'd and dyed, And when they saw the darksome night, They sat them down and cried. Thus wandered these poor innocents, Till death did end their grief In one another's arms they died, As wanting due relief. No burial this pretty pair Of any man receives, Till Robin Redbreast piously Did cover them with leaves." Then the heavy wrath of God fell on their uncle. Fiends haunted his house, his conscience felt a hell, his barns were fired, his goods consumed, his lands made barren, his cattle died, and he was brought to want and misery. Death also came to two of his sons when on a voyage to Portugal, and ultimately he died in gaol, where he had been imprisoned for debt. Truth came out at last through the confession of the murderer, who had been condemned to death for a robbery he had committed. The original Babes in the Wood ballad was written and published in Norwich by Thomas Millington in 1595 and various facts that came to light over the years confirmed the ballad to have been based on a true story. The original ballad was recorded as 'The Norfolk Gentleman, his
Will and Testament, and how he committed the keeping of his children to his own brother, who dealt most wickedly with them, and how God plagued him for it. Regrettably, children were often less cherished than they are today, with relatives of unwanted children being extremely cruel. Small skeletons found in ancient walls lay testament to pagan practices of sacrificing children to ensure the protection of the gods or to ward off evil spirits. South-east of Wayland Wood stands Griston Hall, now a farmhouse, and generally thought to have been the home of the wicked uncle. Evidence of a moat indicates that a substantial mansion sat on the site centuries ago. The oldest part of the present building dates from 1597. An oak carving representing the two babes, the wicked uncle and a robin used to be housed at the Hall, placed there by a previous owner wishing to remind future generations of their ancestors cruelty, long since sold. The Griston village sign also depicts the Babes in the Wood. The oak tree on the Watton town sign refers to a huge oak said to be the one under which the children eventually died from exposure and starvation, no longer there, having been destroyed by lightning in 1879. From early times, Wayland Wood occupied an important position, the Sheriff's Court being held there. Merton Hall still has rooms called "The Room of the Wicked Uncle," "The Room of the Babes in the Wood" and "The Robin Room", seen by some as further evidence of the ballad being associated with the Watton area. Further weight is added to the theory in that no other place has ever been deemed to be the site of the childrens abandonment. Children of south-west Norfolk have long held the belief that any person taking robins eggs will break a limb during the following year, a legend probably connected with the Babes in the Wood legend. For children of all ages longing to yell Hes behind you! make sure not to miss Watton Pantomime Groups production of Robin Hood at the Queens Hall, Watton, from the 26th to the 28th January 2012.
Carbrooke Village This And That By Edith Pleasance Hall Events Is there any feeling more wretched than sneezing, sniffing and wheezing your way
On Friday 6th January we will be holding a Pie, mash and liquor night at the Village Hall, 6 per person and the usual Chicken nuggets, beans and chips for the children at 4. On the first Friday in February we will have a curry night again, with an authentic chicken curry. For any food evenings ring Carol on (01953) 881533 or email on info@aplaceofsprings.co.uk, to register numbers. Then we are also planning on holding a pamper evening or similar on the last Friday evening of each month starting in January. This will be free entry and tables will be only 5 with a donation from this going to charity. A selection of stalls for a bit of pampering and also some general stalls so that if you have something to sell or showcase then book a table with Carol on (01953) 881533. This will start at 8pm and stalls can set up from 7pm. If these events become popular then they will be a regular event. Food will be available on the night, and for the first one we will be cooking 'Wurly Burgers', 100% 4oz beefburgers stacked high with Cheese, bacon, onions, mushrooms and a hash brown amongst other options! And of course the bar will be open! through a common cold? Such as that I am suffering from at the moment. I do not consider myself to be the most patient of humans, but today my demeanour towards my fellow beings, as I face them with a sore and persistently runny nose, weepy eyes and temperature from freezing to hot, is that I wish to be isolated. No doubt these feelings are reciprocated. Years ago we were exhorted to take part in a stay at experimental centres that had been set up to actually expose us to this degradation, while the boffins searched for a cure. After some considerable time the exercise did not produce the desired results, except perhaps to give volunteers a cold, but not to find a cure. After being deprived for two years of a feline companion, the longest spell without a cat in my life, I finally talked myself into adopting little Lenny. There he lay, among a dozen of his homeless companions, sleeping his life away in a wire enclosure. My daughter accompanied me to the shelter and, after viewing all on offer we came to Lennys pad, he was nowhere to be seen. All the other cats had been alert and given us their best and most appealing voices but this last but one was obviously sleeping off his misery in his bed on the shelf. Tina called out Lenny. Where are you? A little pair of furry ears surfaced followed by the largest and most brilliant eyes I have seen on a cat. We had been told that we could handle any of those on offer but had refrained from doing so, until then. However, by the time this dear little tabby cat unwound and spoke to us I just could not resist reaching out to hold and cuddle this bundle of fur. I was immediately rewarded with a purr that got louder. A purring cat is to me the most calming sound. So that was it. After we had
been assessed at home we collected this lovely four-year-old. That was six months ago and Lenny and I could not have been more suited. He has his mischief moments chasing knotted drinking straws and crinkled sweet wrappers, but the affection and warmth he has brought into my life has been the most rewarding experience. He has asserted himself among the feline population around and has well and truly got his paws under the table.
Tomorrow my friend, Beryl and I are going into Norwich. We sally forth into the City a couple of times a month and use the park and ride system. What a sensible idea that is, all praise to Norwich for introducing so many of these facilities, although recently we have noticed how quickly even these car parks fill up. It is such a pity that emphasis is being brought to bear on the fact that many of the shopping centres in various towns and cities are being blighted by shops closing down due, some say, to the popularity of on-line buying. As far as I see it that method is not much different to buying from a catalogue, something my Mum used to do when we were growing up. Doubtless in those days it was an alternative to ferrying the children on and off buses, there was no such thing as the buggies that are travel friendly now, nor buses that were buggy friendly, also the cost of fares would have had something to do with it. ---o0o--Edith Pleasance 14.12.11
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The Big Picture from Caston Camera Club
Watton Festival takes place on a biannual basis in the first week of November at the Queen's Hall Watton in aid of charity. In March 2011 John Kerr, fellow camera club member and the Watton Festival Chairman invited Caston Camera Club to come up with an idea for a Big Picture. In turn , the
club invited its members to fan out and take pictures of village signs in areas surrounding Watton. This they did and the images were sent to Vice Chairman Geoff Bromley for "correction" by PhotoShop. Many of the signs are see through, being made of wrought iron, and the various buildings, trees and other busy year with good food, good service and wonderful company. This year we have concentrated on making quilts for injured service personnel and have several completed as a result of the hard work of a few members at a couple of day workshops followed by finishing at home. Next year we plan workshops making Linus quilts in which we hope a greater number of members will feel encouraged to participate. These days are always good fun as we work hard, chat and enjoy lunch and coffee breaks. There are also plans for days with visiting tutors. In addition we have a varied programme of demonstrations by members. Our first meeting for 2012 will be on Tuesday 10th January with our AGM. On the 24th a member will show us how to make a fabric purse. Meetings will continue on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Christian Community Centre throughout the year with the exception of August. For further details look at our blog on http:// htsqgroup.blogspot.com or phone Jane on 01953 884215.
obstructions needed to be airbrushed away. Finally the finished article you see here was produced on a 6 foot by 4 foot canvas and this went on show at the launch night on the 21st October, and remained at the Queen's Hall for one week before it went on display for a further month at Boots the
Chemist in Watton High Street. It will go on permanent display, by courtesy of Graham Woodyatt, who has purchased the image for his pub the King's Arms in Middle Street Watton. Camera Club Chairman Brian Brooker was asked to introduce the Big Picture to the invited audience at There was very good turnout of people to the event and thanks to them for coming out on such a cold and wet evening. With you all we managed to raise around 600. A lot of hard work was put in by all the Friends of Caston School along with the teachers and support staff they all make Caston School the fun and friendly place it is. School Performances: All the children took part in our Christmas performance. Our youngest children in the Seagulls Class performed A Wriggly Nativity with songs, prose and lots of wriggles! The older children in Kingfishers Class performed What Christmas Means to Me; a well polished play with songs, finishing with a nativity scene. Well done to everyone who took part and to the staff for their direction. We hope all of you that came to watch enjoyed the performances. Cross Country Event: This is the first year that our children have entered the inter-school cross country event and they did extremely well. Congratulations to Alex who came 2nd in the Year 3 Girls Race, Beth
the Watton Festival launch night where it raised considerable interest. Brian said the club was proud to be associated with the Watton Festival and have the opportunity to produce this unique image. It is very impressive in its large format and well worth taking the opportunity to view. who came 1st in the Year 4 Girls Race, Fraser who came 7th in the Year 5 Boys Race and Ryan who came 8th in the Year 6 Boys Race. Special awards for commitment were presented to Ethan, Elisabeth and Alfie. Hand Bells: The school hand bell ringers have been very hard at work learning carols for the local Church Carol Services. Well done to all the children who have played at Griston and Caston Churches and thank you to Mrs Lee, Mrs Frogbrook and Mrs Hall for teaching the bells. They are also hoping to enter a festival in Norwich during March 2012. We wish them luck. Family Group: The Caston Family Group usually meets in the school every Tuesday morning but for the last meeting of the term they went to Caston Village Hall for a party. There were plenty of craft activities for the children and parents as wells as games and party food. Santa arrived towards the end of the morning with gifts for all the children.
Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers

On 22nd November the group enjoyed a visitor from well-known local quilter, tutor and textile artist Jane Clark. She showed us amazing variety in her quilts using techniques going from her early English pieced hexagons to what can only be described as art in thread. Materials used, many of which are recycled, range from the predictable cotton fabric to the plastic protecting the units delivered to build a conservatory erected at a former home. Most members decided that she possibly never sleeps, so prolific is her output and varied her activities. To learn more of Jane, her work, classes and other details go to http:// quilterscottagenorfolk.blogspot.com On the 15th December a group of members enjoyed an excellent Christmas lunch at The Willow House, Watton. This was a lovely end to a
Caston School News

When Santa came to visit: On the 8th December Santa came to visit Caston Schools Christmas Fayre, it was very kind of him as we know he is very busy. He contacted us a couple of weeks before the event to ask if we could find him two elves to help him as his are so busy getting ready for Christmas Eve. We knew just who to ask, two of our past pupils Alisha and Matthew. They were more than pleased to help their old school and to help such an important person. They soon found themselves very busy as there was a long queue all evening to see Santa in his specially made grotto. There were many games and stalls from cakes to tombolas. The grand draw first prize was a colour photo printer which was won by George. Thank you to all the local businesses and families for all the fantastic prizes for the games and grand draw.
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taken down immediately and if possible reuse the top half of the tree, which is what was done. The weather conditions in which we were working were truly appalling and my thanks go to Roy and Joe Ivory, John Bunning, Mark Bunning and Aidan Bunning for their assistance, and also to Andrew Harrold and his team from Andrew Harrold Tree and Garden Services for his invaluable professional advice and help. I have had the privilege of attending many functions and events involving the young people of this area. Amongst these have been, the Anti Bullying Awards at Wayland High School, The Wayland High School Year 11 presentation evening, reading to all of the pupils at Ashill Primary School, the Christmas Fair at Watton Junior School, the Senior Citizen Christmas Dinner, at which the young people helped to serve the meals and provided excellent entertainment, and most recently the Christmas Ball of 864 Watton Squadron ATC. Without exception I have been impressed by the achievements, the dedication, and wonderful behaviour of all of these young people. All too often we hear only the negative aspects of the youth of today, and of course not all young people are perfect. But I would hasten to suggest that not all older people can hold themselves as great examples of perfection. I believe that we should give the youngsters credit where credit is due, and not tar them all with the same negative brush. I would encourage people to get involved with Council had not stepped in there would have been no lights for the past few years. 2. In the main 2 councillors and their families have been responsible for the design, manufacturer, erection and maintenance of the lights, they have done this in their own time, with virtually no assistance from either residents or businesses, despite requests for assistance in the past. They give their time willingly and free of charge. 3. Their efforts must have been visible to both residents and traders when they were putting the lights up, yet no-one came forward to offer assistance. If fact when I helped them a couple of years ago, rather than assistance, all we got was abuse members of the public for getting in their way and from a particular trader, now no longer in the town, for hanging lights on their shop. 4. I find it ironic that B Robertson, waits until now to offer both criticism and belated help. 5. On a point of information, Watton Town Council has an annual allowance, of 2,000 taken from our precept to provide spares and materials for the Christmas Lights. We only use a small proportion of this as required. Attleborough use contractors to supply and put up their lights, as do Diss. Attleborough spend approximately 25,000 each year and Diss spend 16,000 each year. I believe that Dereham have a similar arrangement, and spend a similar amount. Remember this is money that the residents of these towns pay each year by means of their council tax. Because of the volunteers that we are fortunate enough to have, we do not burden the people of Watton with this type of cost. If they wish us to use contractors and incur similar costs then I am sure that they will let us know. I am sure that offers of assistance for next years lights, would be most welcome, but perhaps not leave it until a few days before Christmas to do so! So I throw out this challenge to B. Robertson and others who think they could do better, on the same budget. In the New Year contact the Town Council, we will hold a public meeting if enough people come forward and the people of Watton and the businesses can get organisations such as The Surge, and see for themselves how the vast majority of young people are a credit to themselves, their families and this town. As I say every time please remember that all of Watton Town Council meetings are open to the public, they are all held in Wayland Hall. I would encourage Watton residents to attend so that they are more able to hold their elected representatives to account. If you cant attend please do not hesitate to contact me or any other Town Councillor with your concerns. I do hope residents think that council members and I, as Chairman of the Council and Mayor, are doing a good job. If not then please do not hesitate to contact me, rather than just silently fuming, or indeed giving up on the whole idea of local government. Without your input we cannot be sure that the decisions that are made by the council reflect the opinions of the majority of the people of Watton. And that is what you elected us to do! Michael Wassell, Chairman, Watton Town Council 01953 882884 michael.wassell@wattontowncouncil.gov.uk involved in next years events. Or indeed if you think we should go the same route as other towns and utilise contractors then again let us know and we can look to build this into our budget next year for the lights in 2013 (it is too late for next year as we have already decided our budgets). I will report back in my Mayors Mardle on the expressions of interest that we receive. And.. if you see the stalwart volunteers taking the lights down, then perhaps give them a hand, or even a expression of gratitude! Regards (and a Happy New Year) Michael Wassell, Mayor of Watton Chairman of Watton Town Council 69 Homes on Saham Road A planning application to build 69 houses off the Saham road was recently unanimously rejected by Breckland Council. This follows last years refusal by the Council to build 91 houses on the same site. These applications have been made by a developer who knew that the site was outside the Local Development Framework and that they did not have any local or council support. We must all acknowledge that the towns infrastructure especially in Medical Practices, Schools and Roads will not support further major developments especially when large approved developments to the east of the town come on stream in the next few years.Those actively engaged in fighting this development would like to thank all those who signed the 860 strong petition, sent some 80 letters of objection, and attended the Breckland Council meeting. A special thanks to our Town Councillors our Breckland Ward Representative and Saham Toney Parish Councillors who all forcefully put their objections forward to the planning meeting. We are also indebted to the support of local business people. As confusing planning laws still exist and developers try to exploit the loopholes this is probably not the end of this particular development saga and we may well need your support again in the future. Thank you on behalf of the Objectors Committee. Ron Upton
Hows the work going Mayors Mardle on down at the church?

A question I am often asked in the street and on other occasions. I am really pleased that so many people are taking such an interest in the restoration work. This is a project which started out as a major refurbishment with a small amount of restoration, but which has turned into major restoration around the refurbishment originally planned. The work is going well and the inside of the church is beginning to take shape. The electricians are well on with their work and most of the re-plastering is now completed. All is now nearly ready for the lights and Audio Visual features to be installed and for the flooring to be laid. Outside, the work to secure the chancel ceiling is finished and the builders are making good progress on the new roof structure. There has been a lot of extra unexpected work on the outside of the church needing to be done in order to secure the outside fabric for many years to come and for future generations. The outcome of this is that the planned work on the outside of the church has been delayed and we hope this will not delay the completion of the project as a whole which is due to finish early March, with the hope of a spring reopening. That is the other question I am asked, When will the church be open again? Unfortunately, we cannot be definite on the answer at this moment in time, but hope to know more definitely towards the end of January whether our plans for early Spring are realistic. WATCH THIS SPACE! Inevitably, all the extra work will cost extra money and so our appeal is still open if anyone wishes to make a contribution. 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 9am-1pm) 881252 or Revd Geoff Garrett, 881439. Thanks for your continuing interest, support and patience while the work in church is continuing. You can also follow our progress on the church website: www.stmaryswatton.org Geoff Garrett By the time this newspaper is published, I expect that it will be 2012, and the Christmas Festivities will be over, and we will all be looking forward to a great New Year. I hope that all residents of Watton had a peaceful and happy Christmas holiday, and that Santa brought them all that they had wished for. Speaking of Santa, I was delighted to see him at the Watton Town Council Christmas Fair, and I thank him for his efforts in giving all of the children their toys and his assistance in switching on the Town Lights. Although the day was cold, everyone seemed to be having a great time, and at least the rain held off until the fair was over. Thanks to all of those who organised the events and to the band of stalwarts (mostly Roy and Joe Ivory and Alan and Sandra Osborn) who put the lights up each year. I am sure they would be most grateful for any assistance in this task. The more observant amongst you may have noticed that the Christmas Tree shrank in stature in the week after the Christmas Fair. The tree had been affected by the extremely high blustery winds that we had been experiencing that week, and appeared to be in danger of coming down. After consultation with a professional tree surgeon, I made the decision that in the interests of public safety the tree should be
Letters to the Editor

Pat On The Back For Watton's Youth At Watton's Remembrance Parade and service I had the opportunity to observe the young people of our town. Without exception they all acted with the upmost dignity and respect. The town of Watton can have no worries about its future, so I say, and I know the other members of The Royal British Legion agree, "well done and thank you". I am sure our community, your parents and your leaders are just as proud and I look forward to seeing you next year. Alan Chilvers, Watton and District Standard Bearer Christmas Lights Its no good; I cant not comment on the town Christmas lights. But I dont want to rant on and on so I will say two things. Firstly, every picture tells a story. What a sorry demonstration of a lack of imagination, drama, excitement, theatre they are. The children of Watton could grow up to think this is acceptable Civic behaviour and repeat this travesty. Can we persuade the two people on Norwich Road who have amazing displays in their gardens to be co-opted on to a Committee for Lovely Town Lights? And bring some imagination to this major Civic occasion! Secondly, if someone should start a fund I will happily donate towards the cost of buying in more lights and trees and brackets and colour and anything to create a sense of Civic pride and creativity in this town. OK back to the mince pies . . . Happy New Year! B Robertson. Ed I put the points raised in the previous letter to the Mayor who responded as follows . . . Dear Editor and People of Watton, With regard to the letter from B Robertson, complaining about the Christmas Lights, I would like to make the following observations: 1. Watton Town Council took over the responsibility for the Christmas Lights when the previous organisation responsible decided that they no longer wished to continue. If Watton Town
Sports News
Letter from Australia

Chris OConnor looks back at some of the highlights of the year that made Australian history . . . but first a bit of whimsy; OConnors Almanac. On January 1st 2012 and each day throughout the New Year, The sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening, Tides and seasons will continue to cycle with the calendar, Wind will continue to blow, stars will continue to decorate night skies, Politicians will continue their usual incompetence and corruption, War, disease, addiction, and ignorance will continue to plague the human race, People will continue their struggle to provide for themselves and families, some will aspire to better things, most will fail, a very few will greatly succeed. In general, birth, life, and death on the planet will continue and evolve as always. No worldwide apocalypse will occur in 2012 and likely not in our lifetimes, to the disappointment of media moguls and religious zealots. And now the serious stuff . . . A series of considerable floods hit Australia in the beginning of December 2010 and late January 2011. The floods caused threequarters of Queensland to be declared in a disaster zone. (That is bigger than the size of the UK) More than 200,000 people from more than 70 towns and cities were affected. The death toll stands at 35 with nine people still missing, presumed dead. Many were simply buried under tons of mud. The damage bill of the floods was estimated in a reduction of Australia's GDP of $30 billion. The Victorian floods followed the Queensland floods, significantly flooding more than fifty communities of western and central Victoria. Tropical Cyclone Yasi struck Australia's northeast coast on February 3, 2011 - the weather event was described by authorities as one of the most intense in the nations history. Yasi hit as a Category 5 storm, packing winds stronger than those from Hurricane Katrina and left more than 1800 homes damaged or destroyed. Because of its massive size, there were fears that Yasi could cause damage more severe than Cyclone Larry in 2006 or Cyclone Tracy, which destroyed Darwin in 1974. Thousands of residents were urged to evacuate by the Queensland government and nearly 30,000 people were evacuated from Cairns alone. The first cyclonic winds hit at nearly 290 km/hr in Mission Beach, a resort town
south of Cairns. Amazingly nobody was killed. After two cancellations and much anticipation, the President of the world superpower finally found his way Down Under. US President Barack Obama zoomed into Australia from the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum in Honolulu for a whirlwind 27-hour tour. The long-awaited visit marked a 60-year security alliance between Australia and America. With his charismatic charm, he yet again appeared to take a shine to Prime Minister Julia Gillard giggling and embracing her upon his arrival in the nations capital, Canberra. He expressed the importance of their new friendship dropping in a bit of Aussie slang for good measure. "When Julia and I meet, we listen to each other, we learn from each other. It's not just a lot of earbashing," he said. In the swanky Sydney suburb of Mosman on 3 August, 2011, schoolgirl Maddie Pulver became embroiled in a story which kept a global audience on the edge of their seats. The teenager, in her final year of High School was studying for her exams when she came face-to-face with a balaclava-clad intruder in her exclusive home. Maddie retreated as the man demanded she "sit down and that no one needed to get hurt. The next ten hours were more suited to a Hollywood thriller film than the streets of Sydney. It is alleged the masked man forced a black box against the terrified girls neck, using a device similar to a bike chain. He then also placed a lanyard with a USB and document sleeve around her neck. Maddie in a panic called her father, noted businessman Bill Pulver, who notified authorities. The bomb-like device was so sophisticated it took the Police Rescue, Bomb & Disposal Unit almost ten hours to dismantle it and ascertain it was a fake device. In an extraordinary twist, a 50-year-old Australian man identified as Paul "Doug" Peters - a father of three daughters who was educated at Sydney's prestigious The Scots College - was arrested in the United States by an FBI SWAT team and two detectives from the NSW Robbery and Serious Crime Squad's Strike Force Haddon. One of the most contentious issues marking Julia Gillards leadership, her governments introduction of a carbon tax, has placed Australia at the forefront of global emissions trading scheme policy while simultaneously striking a deep public divide. Gillard headed into the 2010 election vowing to not introduce an ETS. Climate change deniers and bewildered voters vehemently rallied on the political back flip labelling her Juliar and made calls to ditch the witch with an early
election at emotionally charged anti-carbon tax protests. After months of dubious speculation surrounding the specifics of the carbon tax legislation, its ramifications on the cost of living, its effectiveness in cutting global carbon emissions and subsequent influence on jobs and profits in the mining sector, the Gillard government introduced its Clean Energy Package to the public in July. Introducing a price on carbon at $23 per tonne, the carbon tax is said to be part of a long term plan to reshape our economy, cut carbon pollution, drive innovation, and help avoid the increased costs of delaying action on climate change. When eleven members of the same family died in a tragic house fire at Kingston in Queensland in August, the local community mourned their passing with an outpouring of grief that touched the entire city of Brisbane and moved emergency personnel to tears. Police found the bodies of the seven children and four adults in the house after neighbours reported the fire in the early hours of August 24th. The deceased were aged between three and 42. Jeremiah Lale lost his wife and five children in the disaster, in what is believed to be Queensland's worst fire since the Childers' backpacker blaze. And let us not forget Qantas the second oldest airline in the world which grounded its entire fleet over and industrial dispute costing it an estimated $35 million dollars in lost revenue and an extra $50 million in passengers who will never fly with the airline again. Hundreds of thousands of people were stranded around the world by the action which has been called one of the worst PR disasters ever. The strike was over wages and the CEO of Qantas who instigated the shutdown didnt think his salary of $5 million was too much! And Australia is preparing for a disastrous bushfire season as the year comes to a close. Ironically, the massive amount of rain we have had has allowed regrowth in areas ravaged by fires in the past and nobody is taking any chances. It would not be an exaggeration to say the nation is akin to a tinderbox. Finally you cannot have a year without political scandal of some kind usually involving sex. If current police investigations prove that Federal Labor MP, Craig Thomson, rorted union funds to pay for alleged escort services, he could face a jail sentence and be forced to resign from parliament, leaving an empty seat up for grabs when a determined Coalition is poised and prepared to reach for it. These are not all the major stories that stood out in my mind but most of the others are just too Australian to bore you now. I hope you had a wonderful festive season and I look forward to informing you in 2012. Oh, and by the way, the Queen along with her dutiful husband dropped in for a visit and charmed the nation much to the annoyance of the Republican Movement.
Therapeutic Fostering Service from Break
Norfolk charity Break is proud to announce the launch of our new Therapeutic Fostering Service for young people aged 10 up to 18 years. Could you provide a caring family home to a young person to help them reach their potential and achieve their goals? If you have the right skills, knowledge and experience you could become a Therapeutic Foster Carer for Break. At Break we believe our foster homes should be a safe place where young people can grow, make mistakes and learn from them. Young people want foster carers who care about them, who try to understand them and who are willing to stick with them through the hard times. To be a Break Therapeutic Foster Carer you will need to be all these things and be willing to undergo a thorough assessment, including a CRB check. Fostering is a very rewarding task, but it is also challenging, so you will need a good support network around you. What does Break offer? Market leading allowances and fees with generous tax breaks Experienced social workers with small caseloads offering fortnightly professional support and supervision Single placements only Regular time with a therapist to help you care for your foster child Excellent training, including the nationally recognised Childrens Workforce Development Council Diploma Regular guaranteed short breaks from caring 24/7 on-call support Further information see www.break-charity.org/whatwedo or you can contact the Fostering Team at fostering@break-charity.org, or call 01603 670110.
The Wayland News

julian@waylandnews.com
Your paper, your news
Watton and District University of the Third Age (U3A)

The Committee wish all our members a Happy New Year and enjoyable participation in the various group activities throughout next year. Sixty two members enjoyed an excellent Christmas Lunch at the Richmond Park Golf Club in early December. This was followed by our Christmas Party on Thursday 15th December. Excellent vocal entertainment by the 2+1 Trio really got the party swinging. The outings group has booked for the Holiday on Ice Spectacular at Peterborough on Sunday 5th February 2012. All tickets have been sold and we have a waiting list. Our Pub Luncheon Group will meet at The Wagon and Horses in Griston on Thursday 12th January. Meet there at 12noon. The Stitching Group are changing their meetings to 2.30pm on the first and third Tuesday afternoons in each month commencing from 17th January Members will recall the visit last October to our Film evening of Geoff Steventon the President of Croydon U3A in Melbourne Australia. Geoff has recorded his visit and published our letter to his members in their December newsletter that also reaches all U3As in southern Australia. To view go to http://home.vicnet.net.au/~unita/ Members who signed the recent 860 strong petition to stop housing development to the west of Watton will be pleased to know that the application was recently rejected by Breckland Council for being outside the Local Development Framework. The next monthly meeting is on Thursday 26th January at 2.00pm. Our speaker will be Julian Horn presenting Aalborg, a Disastrous Blenheim Operation For further information on the National U3A visit www.u3a.org.uk
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
Breckles, Caston, Great Hockham, Griston, Merton, Stow Bedon, Thompson Worship Calendar for January Sunday 1st JanuaryFirst Sunday after Christmas 10:30 am United Holy Communion Griston Sunday 8th JanuaryBaptism of Christ (Epiphany 1) 9:00 am Matins (BCP) Merton 10:30 am United Holy Communion Stow Bedon Sunday 15th JanuarySecond Sunday of Epiphany 9:00 am Matins (BCP) Great Hockham 10:30 am United Holy Communion Thompson Sunday 22nd JanuaryThird Sunday of Epiphany 9:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Merton 10:30 am United Holy Communion Breckles Sunday 29th January Presentation of Christ in the Temple 10:30 am United Holy Communion Sunday 5th February 10:30 am United Holy Communion
Thought for the Month
Sun 1st Sun 8th
8.00am 10.45am 8.00am 10.00am 7.00pm
Sun 15th
8.00am 10.00am 7.00pm Sun 22nd 8.00am 10.00am 6.30pm 7.00pm Sun 29th 8.00am 6.30pm 7.00pm
Holy Communion in the Church Room Covenant Service at Methodist Church Holy Communion in the Church Room Holy Communion at Watton CCC Informal Worship at the Colin Mackenzie Centre Holy Communion in the Church Room Holy Communion WCCC Informal Worship in the Church Room Holy Communion in the Church Room All Age Worship WCCC Watton Churches Together Unity Service at Watton Methodist Church Informal Worship at the Colin Mackenzie Centre Holy Communion in the Church Room Choral Evensong at St Johns Church, Ovington Informal Worship in the Church Room
Caston Great Hockham
Wednesday Pram Services For parents or carers with children aged 0-5 Resumes on 18th January 10:15 am, Caston Primary Schools Hall The WAY Youth Group (ages 11+) Sundays 15th & 29th January & 5th February 7-8:00 pm, Rectory Enquiries: The Revd. Bob Nichols: Tel.: (01953) 483222; Email: revbobnichols@gmail.com
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 1st 10.45am Rev B Winner joint Covenant Service with St Marys Church Congregation 6.30pm Mr A Warby Sun 8th 10.45am Mrs E Warby 6.30pm Mr B Lawrence Sun 15th 10.45am Mr R Hompstead 6.30pm Mrs J Roebuck Sun 22nd 10.45am Mr D Fisher 6.30pm Watton Churches Together Unity Service Sun 29th 10.45am Mrs A Fox 6.30pm Rev B Winner Holy Communion Roman Catholic Community Each Sat 5.30pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church Pentecostal Church, Dereham Road, Watton Children have their own programme during the Sunday morning services, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th January Sun 1st 11.00am New Years Day Service followed by buffet lunch and childrens games Sun 8th 10.30am Morning Service Sun 15th 10.30am Morning Service Sun 22nd 10.30am Morning Service Sun 29th 10.30am Morning Service St. Nicholas Church, Ashill Tuesdays at 10.00am Said Holy Communion Sun 1st 9.30am Lay Led Morning Worship Sun 8th 9.30am Morning Worship Sun 15th 9.30am All Age Worship and Holy Baptism Sun 22nd 9.30am Holy Communion Sun 29th 10.30am Group Service of Holy Communion St. Georges Church, Saham Toney Sun 8th 11.00am Morning Worship Sun 15th 11.00am Covenant Service Sun 22nd 11.00am Holy Communion Sun 1st Sun 8th Sun 15th Sun 22nd S.S. Peter & Pauls Church, Carbrooke 10.30am Benefice Service of Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 10.30am All Age Worship 10.30am Lay Led Morning Worship
By Rev. Suzanne Cooke, Curate, St Marys Church, Watton Happy New Year everyone! Ive been wondering what New Years resolutions you have all been making. I have to admit that I dont normally make them, its not that I have anything against them its just that theres not one point in the year that I might think about changing my life, of trying to make more of who I am or resolving to give more time to the things I really love. Because as anyone who knows me even a little bit will know, I do like to try and squeeze all I can out of life. And if I am being honest this is because I know what it feels like to look at your life and see its going nowhere; I can honestly say that there have been moments in my life when things have been so bad that many a resolution would have to have been made and, more to the point, kept for my life to have changed significantly. But those days are in the past and maybe in some ways Ive been lucky that over subsequent years there have been times when opportunities have presented themselves and, I believe, with the help of God, I have seen them and managed to make the most of them. But maybe you are fortunate, maybe you feel that you have made some good choices in your life and that you are exactly where you want to be. Well then, I say make the most of every wonderful day, and of all the great opportunities that you took advantage of, for life and happiness are one of Gods greatest gifts to us and for many they are elusive. But maybe, that isnt how you feel and you would like to be able to change your life, be happier, less constrained, living more honestly well my advice to you is to do whatever you can to make the most of all of lifes opportunities, its ups its downs, enjoy the good times, learn from the bad times and meet life head on ready for anything. We are on this earth for such a short time and we really dont get a second chance, this is it! So if you want to make a New Years resolution there is just one that I would want you to make to go out and give life a good shake, with all your heart and soul live life to the fullest. A New Years Wish Do we live our lives as we should As we might have wanted? Is this what we dreamt of The children that we were? Life a precious gift. Fleeting, time in fast forward; And we live it partially Not with heart and soul But with reserve and un-abundance. And yet Christs spark, his life force, shines in all of us. Un-repressible, bursting forth. The light of all people. So what is your resolve? How will you honour The Christ light in your heartThe light shining in the darkness? Because its there! A New Years resolution. To live an abundant life To live life to the full! To give glory to light of Christ That shines in us all.
Wayland Community High Schools Annual Carol Service

On December13th, Watton Methodist Church hosted Wayland Community High Schools Annual Carol Service. The singing was led by an accomplished choir and we would like to congratulate the students on their singing, reading, and good behaviour - well done! Rev. Barbara Winner.
St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington Thursdays at 9.00am Said Holy Communion Sun 8th 9.30am Holy Communion Sun 29th 6.30pm Choral Evensong with St Marys Choir
SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEAS

Hosted by St. Marys Church in January
Sunday 15th January at Watton Christian Community Centre 2.30pm until 4pm Brighten up a Winter Sunday Afternoon by joining us, a warm welcome awaits you and your friends.
Watton Ballroom Dancing Association

Queens Hall, Watton 8 to 11.00 Admission 3.50
Watton Bereavement Support Group

Wed 4th January 2.00pm Meeting Tea and Chat at Watton Christian Community Centre Mon 16th January 12.00 for 12.30pm Lunch at Griston Wagon & Horses.
Saturday January 7th No dance in February Mike 01953 882799
News
Richmond Park Golf Club Ladies Section
The Ovington Crower

From the Editor In the Ovington Crower published in the December 2011 issue, it was suggested that some people, recently arrived in Ovington, had allowed their dogs to chase sheep and run about on private land. The article also implied that their rapid departure was in some way related to this. We accept, and would like to make it clear, that in this instance the Ovington Crower portrayed neither the true story, nor the full facts. We apologise unreservedly for the upset that this caused. Cor blarst ire bin an dunnit agin, fare tew goo an upset sum noice yung mawthas wot I rit abowt larst toime. An I hefta pologise fer gitten things orl rong. Im wholly sorry leardies, I shooda checked mi fax sted a harkin to tha ole willage gossipas. From wot I hev sin tha owld dawgs is acredit to yer and ent likely ter put a paw wrong, an Im trooly sorry yew are hevin to leave tha willage thru parsonal reesins, cos I rekkun yewd a fit in hare orlrite. So I hoop yew ken cept my pologees fer bein a bigga fule then yewshall. Boy Julian hev probly put thet pology in betta langwidge than me, he was brung up propa. Weer gittin oova tha owld willage bazaar tha week, cos thet went orf orlrite an tha ole treashra leardy reckon we hev meard a bob or tew. Horry an me wus uppa long tha horl orl Friday a puttin up the tearbles and moovin em arownd until tha organisa wos satsfied tha wood orl git in the big horl, cor warnt she a bossy ole mawtha, Horry cleared orf twicet, he say Goo tew hell Sid he say, Iffen she say wunce more, Moove thet tearble anotha inch Horry my gud man Ishull hull har an tha tearble oova tha hidge an no misteark. I towld him ter goo an put up tha flags an buntin owt fronta tha horl, an git owt tha ole gals way. Thet warnt rite for har eetha, Horry she yell. Maerk shur yew put the poles up straight, an git the bunting orl hangin the searm way, dont want it orl twisted up like yewve got it now He ware suffin rore by now an I warnt far orf givin har a ding o tha lug. So we went fer a pint down tha Ringars. Wen we got back she hed orltared orl the tearbles agin an wos gitten in a rite mucksweat, so Horry gi har a bottle o his beer he had bort back fer his fourses, (fust time fer evrathing) she ware fare tuched by Horrys kindness an dint showt at him no more. She picked on me instead. We wos back igin Satdy mornin loadin up orl tha tearbles wi sum rare ole swinikins, and moost of orl, grate ole piles o grub, thar ware soops orl hot an bubblin away wi grate ole lumps o bred an butta, cearks, sanwiches, evra thing yew cud dream of. Horry thort hed died an gon tew hevon, dint he sool into tha wittals like hed not hed eny grub fer a month. Noin him he probly hent eetha. Cum twelve, tha doors wos open and harf Norfick hossed in orl heddin fer the grub, an they dint go away hungry. They orl stayed and spent tha munny on the storls an comptitions, then corse tha orl wanted to see wot tha hed wun on the raffle. I nooticed tha ole Cowncil Chairman wun tew or three prizes, he allus wos a jammy begga, he reckunned tha wos orl fer different peepal in his family, likely story, dint see eny onnem thar. We hed sum peeple from Saham cum along, tha cowncil hed given em speshul dispension, tha behearved themselves an sum of our bigger boys med sure tha spent orl thar munny afore tha let em goo hoom. We dint hev Fartha Chrismas tha year, orl tha little mawthas wos a bit put owt, but time thad hed a gutfull o cearks an sweets hed gon rite owta tha minds. Evraone sed that wos a darn gud doo an cud we dew it agin next yare. Horry looked at me an he say Oova my ded body and he wos larst sin headin up to the Queens Legs. Wos got a nu lanlord an Horry hed hard he wos pushin the boot owt wi free beer and nuts. Hent sin him since. Well tergetha, thas time for my forses, an I kin smell suffin gud cummin owt o tha kitchen, so fare ye well tergetha and do yew kip a troshin. Boy Sid. Sorry Leardies.
On Monday 12th December the ladies donned their Christmas hats and ventured out for a fun 9 hole Texas Scramble which was played in beautiful sunshine followed by a super lunch. The prize table was groaning with the weight of 40 bottles of wine - everyone a winner! The actual winners, with a total of 27 points were the ladies pictured above who are from left to right Geraldine Stammers, Brenda Fairhead, Eileen Chard (Vice Captain) and Hilda Ogden
The British Carp and Angling Show

The British Carp and Angling Show is coming to the Royal Norfolk Showground, Norwich 21st-22nd January 2012. Discover a mindblowing 50,000 sq ft filled with fishing tackle, bait, equipment, apparel, accessories, demonstrations and freebies. The show offers everything, from well-known companys product launches, to angling celebrities and experts on hand with their tips and advice. Set in the Norfolk Showgrounds Exhibition Hall, this broad emporium will cater to the enthusiasms of not only Carp Anglers; but also coarse anglers, Fly and Sea fishermen. For a brand new Angling Show, it sure has a big bite with huge manufacturer names Korda and Nash Tackle already confirmed, as well as key retailers and bait companies Erics Angling, Carp Zone, Fishing Republic, Guru, Advanced Technology Tackle, I-Carp, Peg One and Bait Zone. Fishing legends Keith Williams, Rob Maylin and Matt Hayes are also set to attend the show along with many topangling magazines. Matt will be promoting his new clothing range as well as helping with all your angling queries, whilst Big Carp, Total Carp and many more magazines also attend the weekends duration. The show is not only a great opportunity to acquire new skills and mingle with anglers, but with so many trade stands attending, the show is also a great chance to stock up on reduced rate essentials. Find everything you require for your next fishing trip - including baits ranging from boilies and liquids, to maggots and pellets. Many companies will be showcasing new products, offering special discounted prices and sampling freebies to use on your next angling adventure. For the keen young anglers, Norfolk Anglers Conservation Association will be offering children free coaching sessions all weekend; here they can develop their casting technique or learn the importance of fishery conservation. Organisers Aztec Events Director Matt Upson said, "We are very pleased with the support that we are receiving from some of the biggest names in the industry. And when asked about future plans for the event, he went on to say, We plan to make the (British Carp & Angling) Show one of the highlights of the angling calendar and with companies like Korda, Nash and Guru on board (just to name a few) we are moving closer to that goal".
Richmond Park Juniors Section

Richmond Park Golf Club Juniors have had another good year thanks to the sponsorship and donations from Total Health Pharmacy, Wayland Agricultural Association, Tim Mullenger, Larking & Gowan and Vicky Reeve Driving school. The youngsters who have attended academy for the last year were all given a club shirt at our presentation night and almost everyone received a trophy or medal for a specific achievement throughout the year, this was possible thanks to the sponsors. Main trophy recipients were Jack Bambridge for Order of Merit and nett Club Champion; Clive Smith was gross Club Champion, (third year running, which is also an achievement.) Harris Harwood was most improved player and Bradley McCormack got an award for having the Best Attitude on the golf course. Mitchell McCormack was asked to be Junior Captain for 2012, which he accepted. Many thanks
to Keith and Claire for their hard work organising events and teams, also a big thank you to all the parents for their support and once again a thank you to the sponsors without whom this wouldn't happen. Finally we would like to wish all of our juniors a successful 2012 season.
News
Happy New Year from SSAFA Norfolk!
WAYLAND EVENTS DIARY

January
Wed 4th Ovington Gardening Club 7.45pm Sat 14th Great Hockham Farmers' Market 9 - 12 Noon In the Village Hall
February
Fri 10th Barn Dance with Shinanikins. Queen's Hall (IW article) Wed 22nd Lunchtime Concert. Queen's Hall. (IW article)
Ben Garfirth and David Capps are pictured at the Watton Memorial on Friday 11/11/11, being the day poignantly chosen to announce the launch of their virtual reality railway experience. And it is good to start 2012 with news of an amazing project from two local people! To save me waffling on and just repeating other peoples good words here is the recent Press Release. Read on . . . Just Trains funds to be donated in support of SSAFA, Norfolk branch. Two of SSAFAs Norfolk clients have developed an amazing virtual reality Train Operating experience. This has been accepted and added to the extensive compendium of other)such virtual reality experiences, with trains, ships and planes, that are distributed by the Just Trains subsidiary of the Huntingdon based business of Mastertronic Group Ltd. Their PC Download will be on the market shortly, entitled Bristol & Avonmouth Rails, Rocks and Docks. Poignantly the media and trade announcement of this new launch was made on 11/11/11, especially because the developers have determined that a share of royalties will be donated to SSAFA Norfolk. Ben Garfirth and David Capps, both living in Watton, have worked on this imaginative project as part of their programme of readjustment to civilian life. The marketing company is a leader in this field and it is a fantastic achievement to have their work placed in such an extensive potential market. Full details and information can be gleaned by a visit to the Just Trains website, where similar products will show the status of this work. From previous experience, sales of these downloads can run into hundreds, if not thousands. The generosity of the share of royalties for SSAFA Norfolk will be very valuable to our work and is a splendid mark of appreciation for the support they have received. Perhaps this product could be an appropriate gift for any train loving fans? Or you could just treat yourself !? The virtual reality is incredibly diverse and realistic, giving the full simulated experience of train driving and operating over an interesting and complex route network. Thank you to Ben and David for their generosity and congratulations on such ingenuity. They are proof that Fund Raising isnt just about rattling tins, you can have fun at the same time. Good Luck guys! Whats next? Dont forget to tell us through The Wayland News!! I hope you all had a peaceful Christmas and the indigestion is just a fading memory!
Regular events in Watton library

IT Drop in Clinic: Having problems with attachments, want to learn how to download an ebook 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!
Happy New Year to All Our Customers

From The Watton Country Market Producers
While our producers are taking the usual break during January they would still like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2012 and look forward to welcoming you once more when the market reopens at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 1st February. Congratulations to the holder of ticket number 153, the winner of our free Christmas raffle. Fresh eggs will again be available in the coffee room on Wednesdays 18th and 25th January.
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 still be disappointed. If you are submitting on paper you MUST sign and include your contact details with each item. If you do not, the item will NOT be published. You can contact Julian by ringing (01953) 858908. You can write to 8 Princess Close, Watton IP25 6XA The e-mail address is 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 January 2012

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The Wayland News January 2012

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Issue Number 184 - January 2012

Breckland consider charging drivers to park in Watton

Giving a voice to the Wayland community

90th birthday greetings to Olive in New Zealand

Celebrating the 2012 Jubilee in Wayland

Comment and News

Happy New Year!

The Wayland News Page 2

Welcome to Watton Sponsored by Tesco

News from the Wayland Chamber of Commerce

The Wayland News Page 3

A Quick Look Round

Wayland Heritage Book Launch

The Best In Country Music 8 til late

"An Evening of Caston Memories"

The Wayland News Page 4

In your garden with Lotta Potts

Ashill and Holme Hale Garden Club

Ovington Gardening Club

Bradenham & District Horticultural Society

Crackers about Christmas

Watton Rotary Roundup

The Wayland News Page 5

Are you a library member?

Wayland Happy Circle

The Wayland News Page 6

NHS Summary Care Record

About Summary Care Records

What are my choices?

Children and the Summary Care Record

Where can I get more information?

The Wayland News Page 7

The Wayland News Page 8

The Wayland News Page 9

Inner Wheel Club Of Watton

Shellrock Circle for the over 50s

The Watton Society Annual Quiz

The Wayland News Page 10

DEREHAM & DISTRICT

Hes behind You!

Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham NR19 2RP

CAT ADOPTION CENTRE

OPEN 7 Days a Week 11am to 3pm Telephone . . .

01362 687 919

The Big Picture from Caston Camera Club

The Wayland News Page 11

Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers

Caston School News

The Wayland News Page 12

Hows the work going Mayors Mardle on down at the church?

Letters to the Editor

Letter from Australia

Therapeutic Fostering Service from Break

The Wayland News Page 13

The Wayland News

Your paper, your news

Watton and District University of the Third Age (U3A)

Church Times and News

Watton Churches Together

Thought for the Month

The Wayland News Page 14

Sun 1st Sun 8th

8.00am 10.45am 8.00am 10.00am 7.00pm

Caston Great Hockham