FREE - Issue Number 268 - April 2019 HELP YOURSELF TO A COPY THIS PAPER IS FREE!
Cheetah Class at Watton Westfield School all dressed up for World Book Day 2019. More news from Westfield on back page.
Coffee Morning
at Ovington
Village Hall
in aid of The East Anglian Air Ambulance.
I am organising this event at Ovington
Village Hall on Saturday 25th May at
10am until 2pm There will be a Tombola,
Craft stalls and homemade cakes along with
filled rolls.
So, come along and enjoy a cup of tea or
coffee with your friends!
To help me raise some money for this
worthy cause to help them to carry on with
their excellent work they do. Jane Lambert
Grand Second
Hand Book Sale
13th April
The first sale of the year is on Saturday
13th April, at Thompson Community Hall,
from 10am until 4pm. As you’ve come to
expect we’ll have a HUGE new range of
books on offer, with no book costing more
than ONE POUND. There will be hot and
cold drinks, cakes, snacks, and hot soup on
sale, with plenty of seating available. In
addition, we will have cakes and savouries
for you to take away, along with a choice
mixture of both indoor and garden plants,
daffodils, and general gardening
paraphernalia. Our tombola will feature just
chocolate as prizes, just in time for Easter.
There will also be a selection of Easter
themed items.
To coincide with a new category of books
under “music” we’ll also have on offer
vinyl, audio cassettes, DVDs and CDs. So
plenty to see, plenty of time to browse,
space to sit and mardle, we look forward to
seeing you all there. Any donations are
most gratefully received, and collection can
be arranged, please just give us a call. Keith
and Caroline 880153.
Great Night for
Darts fans
At Watton Sports Centre with Bob
Anderson and Bobby George
On Friday 19th April Watton Sports
Centre welcomes former world No.1
darts legend Bob Anderson and two-time
News of the World Champion Bobby
George for a great night of entertainment.
The evening will consist of tales from the
ex-professionals playing days, matches
against the two ex-professionals with
audience participation (so make sure you
bring your darts too!), professional darts
MC Paul Wilson, professional stage and
lighting giving an arena feel. The evening
will end with a Q&A period for the
audience and a raffle. VIP tickets will
also be available for this event offering
the chance to meet the guests for photo
opportunities and signings plus a jug of
beer per VIP Table.
Looking forward to the event, Bob
Anderson said “I am looking forward to
our evening at Watton Sports and Social
club, and Bobby and I, along with
professional darts MC Paul Wilson, plan
a fun filled night of darts and banter.
Hope we see lots of you there!
Standard Tickets are £15.00 each VIP
Tickets are £25.00 each
For further information about the two
events or to order your tickets, please
phone 01953 881281 or feel free to pop
in and speak to a member of reception at
the centre, Watton Sports Centre,
Dereham Road, Watton, IP25 6EZ
Coffee Morning
In Aid of Motor Neurone Disease
Association (MNDA)
Pam and Roy Challand are putting on a
Coffee Morning on Tuesday 30th April
10.30 – 12noon at 10 Mallard Road. This
is to raise funds for MNDA in memory of
John Garratt (who used to live in
Birdland), and Professor Stephen
Hawkins. Motor Neurone Disease is a
terminal disease which affects the nerves
which in turn destroy muscle action.
Unfortunately it is difficult to diagnose
because it manifests itself with a variety
of symptoms. We will be serving Coffee/
Tea and Cake for which there will be a
box for donations. All profits will go to
the John Garratt Memorial Trust Fund for
research into the causes of Motor
Neurone Disease.
Norfolk Wildlife
Trust Breckland
Local Group
In February, we had our AGM followed
by a talk by Jonathan Preston NWT
Breckland Reserves Manager. He updated
us on the work the trust has been doing in
the Brecks Reserves over the last year,
clearing and fencing land and making
habitat to encourage rabbits, as so many
of our wild plants need closely cropped
grass or nearly bare earth in order to
flourish. They are also trialling Bagot
goats grazing, with a view to getting their
own herd.
As I write, we have yet to enjoy our last
talk of the season, with Martin Hosier, on
the wildlife of Hingham.
We now stop our talks to start the Spring
and Summer walks. We kick off on
Sunday April 14th, 10am to noon, with a
guided walk around Thompson Common
and Pingo Trail in hope to discover the
pool frogs. This will be led by a member
of the NWT Brecks team.
Due to the nature of this walk please
leave your dogs at home.
Venue: Meet at Gt Eastern Pingo Trail,
Thompson Common car park on B1111
NR17 1DP.
Cost £2 members, £3 non-members.
Booking essential, ring Lesley on 01953
717227.
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 2
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 3
A Quick Look
Round
By Orbiter
A lucky change in circumstances enables me to
resume my monthly review of the local and
wider worlds, and there has been plenty to grab
my attention.
As is usual with the English climate we never
know what to expect, and this year it was
February’s turn to provide the surprises, with
heavy rains, snowfalls and fogs to start with, but
then followed on the 14th. by a temperature of
15deg. C (59 F), which apparently was a record
for this part of the country on that date.
I remember it also as the day that I drove past
South Pickenham church down a side road
where the bankings were covered by an amazing
carpet of snowdrops, which stretched for over
two hundred yards. What a sight! Later on that
same day I witnessed the panicked rush of
husbands to Tesco for flowers and chocolates,
as they belatedly realised it was St. Valentine’s
day!
But in the fortnight following even warmer days
awaited us, even reaching the seventies (in oldie
language) in the west country, and the high
sixties here in Norfolk. As this weather
approached its peak, I was delighted to see, in
my garden, a handsome yellow butterfly,
presumably a Brimstone, though unfortunately
there were no blooms for it to visit. Had it
waited two more days to appear it would have
been spoilt for choice as my flower beds
suddenly burst into colour.
All these seasons seemingly coming at the
wrong time can be a bit unsettling as it is hard to
plan one’s life when we are not sure if summer
has now been and gone. But March has now
come, bringing high winds, so perhaps
normality is returning.
Meanwhile life goes on, and once more the
authorities have been busy providing reading
matter for drivers, but now the usual red and
white ‘Road Closed’ notices have been joined
by scores of yellow ones, which are headed
‘Advance Warning’. I think that is followed by
information of road closures, but I rarely
manage to read down as far as the nitty gritty
before I am past it.
One I did decipher was at the traffic lights at
Watton that announcing the ten mile diversion
that confronted Norwich bound traffic for a
week or so. It does seem surprising that with our
local areas seemingly covered with side roads,
few of them are suitable for use in times of
emergency. But while it can be annoying to
have to suffer delays and diversions, it is good
to see that so much effort is being made to bring
our roads up to the mark.
Without doubt our main attention at this time
has been concentrated on Brexit, our secession
from Europe, and whether this will actually take
place. Our Prime Minister has been working full
out for the past few months, but she appears to
be facing as much opposition from within our
own government as she has from Europe, so it is
anyone’s guess what the outcome will be, or
when.
More important to some is whether Norwich
City will manage to maintain their form and
gain promotion this year, and if they do, are
they good enough tp stay in the Premiership, or
will they merely be just one of the several ‘yo-
yo’ clubs who prove to be too good for the
second tier, but not quite good enough to rival
the richer clubs.?
Locally we were all geared up to welcome the
opening of the new Post Office in Watton, only
to be disappointed at the last minute by a
postponement that was described as being
caused by ‘telecommunication problems’.
Hopefully these have now been sorted out, as I
am told that the facility is now in operation at
last.
The mention of Watton Post Office takes my
memory back about 25 years when ‘pensions
day’ would be signified by a long zig-zag queue
of elderly folks all around the inside of the shop
and out along the High Street, as folks waited to
replenish their purses with the cash that was
vital in those days before credit cards and
A.T.M.s were available, and when far fewer of
them possessed bank accounts to which their
allowances could be credited directly.
Today we are urged to join the cashless society,
some banks seeming to regard customers as a
bit of a nuisance, unless they restrict their
transactions to electronic transfers, even
cheques now being largely out of favour.
Fortunately a few organisations still provide the
services that have traditionally eased our way
through life, of which the use of cash is still a
vital part for many.
Imagine every child that wanted to buy a 35p
bar of chocolate, or an orange, from a street
trader, having to use his own credit card ! No, a
completely cashless society is not possible in
the present day.
Good afternoon.
A ‘Families Matter
Keyworker’ for
Watton
The first Management Committee for the
creation of this ‘Families Matter Keyworker’
post will have taken place on 26th March.
Fundraising continues for this pioneering post,
for the Community by the Community. Many
thanks to the organisers of the ‘Peddar’s Quire’
‘Evening of Renaissance Music’ which will
have taken place at St Mary’s on 23rd March,
sharing proceeds between this post and also the
invaluable work supporting the Falconer
Children’s Home and Orphanage in Zambia.
Many thanks to Breckland Funeralcare who are
holding a Fundraising Car Wash on Saturday
18th May to coincide with our monthly
Saturday Coffee Morning at St Mary’s (3rd Sats
of the month) from 10.00am to 12 noon. Please
put a note in your diary to bring your car for a
car wash in the St Mary’s car park and come in
for ‘a coffee/tea’ while it’s done! Thank you to
others planning initiatives too, so we can bring
about this strategic post for such a critical time
as this.
In addition, a Steering Group working on the
issues we face going forwards for Families is
part of the positive ‘Watton Working Well’
strategy. The third meeting at the Town
Council Offices for this will be taking place at
5.30pm on Monday 8th April 2019.
TEAM…Together Everyone Achieves More ….
And we do this by harnessing the current energy
emerging and, joining it with all the past
experience of those who’ve worked so hard in
and for Watton Community, go forwards
together positively.
Thank you very much indeed.
Contact: Revd Gerry Foster and Kirsty
Rutherford, Children’s Centre Manager
Memories of a Land
Army Girl
by Mary Emms (Continued from last month)
CHANGES
When Eileen and I had been at the farm for over
two years the herdsman and his family decided
to move. We were informed by the farmer that
he was going to sell the herd but until that time
we had to carry on. This meant we would be
doing the work of four people and the
herdsman's daughter also worked with us. After
a few weeks of very hard work the cows
departed and so did Eileen. I could have stayed
on and done general farm work but I decided to
stick with cows as I enjoyed the work, this
meant a move to another dairy farm.
My new place of work was to be a few miles
from Thetford on the Norfolk / Suffolk border.
Still Guernsey cows but this time far more and
milking machines. Home was to be a small
cottage which I shared with another girl. Still oil
lamps and oil cooking on a Valor stove but a
cold water tap over the sink in the kitchen. Bath
night was a tin bath in the copper house filled
with water from the tap in the kitchen.
Work was to start at 6 a.m., the farm where the
cows were housed being about 2 miles from the
cottage. Milking was done in a bail situated in a
large yard. It was a mobile bail fitted with a
generator providing power for the milking
machines, light was by the old hurricane lamps.
All cow's udders were washed in cold water
containing disinfectant, this played havoc with
my hands and in the winter they would crack
and bleed, I used the cows udder grease on
them!!, (no hand cream available then). After
the milking machines finished each cow had to
be hand stripped. The herdsman, the girl I lived
with and myself milked around 60 cows and
when one was due to calve we took it in turns to
be midwife. You had to be available day or
night and provided the calf was born fit and well
the reward was an extra 2/6d on your wages
cheque at the end of the month. Working with
stock on a seven day week with a half day off
each week, the rate of pay was slightly higher
than for the general farm worker but without
over-time. On Sunday work was cut to a
minimum, Christmas Day was treated as
Sunday.
The yard at the farm was home base for the
winter months only, in the spring the bail was
moved by tractor on to a field where the cows
were to graze. We would stay on the same field
for about a week before being moved to fresh
grass. Each time the bail was moved an electric
fence had to be erected to keep the cows away
from the milking equipment. Sitting in the
middle of a field at 6 in the morning with no
protection from the wind and rain was a chilly
experience. After breakfast it was back to the
farm to feed the calves and muck out, then on to
the field to prepare for afternoon milking.
Before lunch the heifers that were grazing on
yet another field had to be checked and the
young bulls taken for walks on a halter.
TOMMY
There were other girls working on the estate but
as it was so vast, extending to several adjoining
villages, we seldom came into contact with
them. The occupants of the other cottages in the
row where we lived were mainly retired estate
workers. The village had one small general
store which also served as Post Office, there
was no social life at all as the village hall had
been taken over by a nearby R.A.F. camp as
sleeping quarters for airmen. Imagine the
excitement when news came that this R.A.F.
camp was sending a lorry to pick up the girls for
a dance. Although the camp was one of the
smaller non operational stations it had a super
dance band consisting of five very talented
musicians all serving airmen. This proved to be
such a great success and so popular the
Commanding Officer agreed it should become a
weekly event. I became friendly with the
trumpet player, Tommy, who was a Norfolk
man and we spent many happy hours cycling in
the woods and surrounding country side. When
we could arrange our free half days at the same
time and petrol ration allowed, we would go on
his motor cycle to Bury to the pictures. This
pattern of life was to continue for sometime.
Although the war had come to an end our work
had to go on until the men returned to replace
us. I had married Tommy in Elveden Church,
he was soon hoping to be demobbed and keen to
get back and pick up the threads of a business
which he had taken on just before being called
up. I applied for release from the Land Army so
that I would be able go with my husband to
Watton and start yet another new venture as
wife of a country newsagent. Our home, a three
roomed cottage at the end of a row of four on a
main road had a gas cooker and electric light.
The kitchen contained the cooker and a wooden
table covered with lino and that was all. The
water tap and drain were in the front garden, all
washing had to be done in a bowl on the table
and the dirty water carried through the living
room to the drain. There was no bath or toilet,
we had to share a toilet with the occupants of
the other cottages, this was situated on the end
of the last cottage. My mornings were spent
cycling around the country lanes and villages
delivering newspapers in all weathers.
The years I spent in the Land Army had been
hard work, the days long. I had achieved tasks
like rolling 10 and 12 gallon churns full of milk
and carrying bails of hay and straw on a
pitchfork, things I would not have thought
possible in my office days. There had been
good times, it was an experience I'm glad I did
not miss.
If I had not joined the Women's Land Army I
would not have met my Tommy with whom I
spent many happy years until his sudden death
in 1978. (Below Tom at the Newsagent’s hut
outside RAF Watton gates)
A Quilt is a Hug
you can keep
In February Jane Lond-Calk came to talk to us
about the Linus Project. Jane, who is a former
teacher at Watton, joined a quilting group
formally called Hackers, Tackers and Stuffers.
This group changed its name to Wayland
Quilters eventually moving to Thompson
Community Hall. They became members of
Norfolk Quilters and joined Project Linus.
Project Linus started in the USA in 1995 after
an article appeared in a magazine featuring a
child who had been going through intensive
chemotherapy. The article stated that her
security blanket had helped her get through the
treatments. Karen Loucks, who had just learned
to crochet, decided to provide security blankets
to Denver’s Rocky Mountain Children’s Cancer
Centre. Project Linus is named after the security
blanket- holding character Linus from the
Peanuts cartoon comic strip. In March 2000
Project Linus came to the UK. All quilts given
by quilt makers in Norfolk stay in Norfolk.
They are given to children from premature birth
to 19 years old. Originally made for paediatric
cancer patients the project has broadened its
focus towards seriously ill, abused, bereaved or
traumatised children. Jane eventually took over
as a co-ordinator for Norfolk for quilts. She
organises sewing days, people paying £5
towards expenses, any money made goes
towards making more quilts. These are made
from 100% cotton back and front, and the
wadding in the middle has to be machine
washable at high temperatures. The quilts are
made in different sizes – cot size, lap size and
single bed size. A small quilt could cost £50 to
make. Quilts are always checked for stitching
or pins and then labelled with Linus Project
labels. This is insurance cover in case things are
missed like pins etc. The quilt is given to the
child ‘in need of a big hug’ for them to keep.
Jane showed us several of the quilts that had
been made. These were beautiful and so diverse
in pattern and colour. Any donations of fabric
which is 100% cotton, for example men’s shirts
or scraps from sewing projects, would be
welcome. This was a very informative talk and
to see the quilts which had been made and the
work involved making these quilts was
amazing. So very beautiful!
The speaker for April will be Gerry Foster
Shepherdess – Sheep dog training
The No 1 pub lunch group will be going to The
Windmill at Great Cressingham on Thursday 11
April.
The No 2 pub lunch group will also be going to
The Windmill at Great Cressingham on Tuesday
26 March.
A second group of members visited RAF
Marham on 13 March.
A small group visited Lexham Hall in February
to see the snowdrops.
Please contact our Membership Secretary,
Jacqui Cummings 01953 881716, if you would
like to become a member of the Watton U3A, or
would like further details.
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 4

Cancer survivor to The D Word!!

run in memory of We need to talk. We need to talk about
the D word - Deadline - (add your own

friend and neighbour scary sound effects or music here - in your

head, so you don’t frighten your
In the pink on May 12th, a Wretham cancer survivor
plans, after three years walking the course, to try her first
run – at the age of 66.
Sheila Mathers will join hosts of others in the annual Race
for Life at the Norfolk showground to raise money for
Cancer Research.
She recovered from breast cancer in 2012 and, after
walking the course with friends for the last three years, is
to run the five miles this year -already meaning regular
training runs around her home village of Wretham.
Her participation has special meaning. She will remember
a former colleague Sarah Parkinson and, much closer to
home, the death from cancer of her Windmill Lane
neighbour Kerry-Jane Whymant Morris, who died just 51.
You can support Sheila by going to the Cancer Research
page at: fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/sheilas-
race-for-life-3416 or bit.ly/2TehpVd
neighbours! “Dum Dum Dumm” works
quite well.).
Please understand that when setting the
content of the paper, several decisions
have to be made well in advance of
placing the first article on the page. One
of these is how much advertising is there?
Determining how many pages I can print
(Adverts pay for the print!). From then on,
the space is filled up as copy comes in.
First come, first served.
IF your copy comes in AFTER all the
available page space has been filled, then
even though it might be minutes, or even
hours and days BEFORE the deadline, it
will not get printed. See the bottom of the
back page for details. Thank you. Julian

(Social,Garden & Workshop) Fridays

Wayland Men’s
Shed Social
Group
With a bit of a lull in activities over the
past four weeks it has given me time to
reflect on how far Wayland Mens Shed
(WMS) has progressed, in June this
year it will be three years since a
handful of us first met at the "Hare &
Barrel" Public House to discuss the
possibility of starting a local "Mens
Shed" Social Group, thanks to a lot of
help from Jean Williams and a lot of
hard work by our committee members I
think I can now say all that hard work
has resulted in a steady increase in
members and as of last week
Membership was up to 72, with a
regular attendance at our hall in Church
Walk on a Monday or Wednesday of up
to 30 members our consumption of Tea,
Coffee & Biscuits is now reaching
biblical proportions!
Without doubt one of our hardest
working members is Malcolm Trayhorn
our Social Secretary who is constantly
working to produce a list of activities to
keep the members busy, both in house
and on numerous outings to events or to
places of interest, probably the most
popular of all is our "Quiz and Chips"
evenings the next of which is on Friday
31st May, due to the popularity of this
event it will now be held at the Church
Community Centre, High Street,
Watton as our hall has now become too
small to accommodate the number of
people wanting to attend this evening of
fun and corny jokes.
Our Garden at the rear of our hall is
near complete, our shed is now up and
ready to use and final touches to the
hard standing area should be finished
by the end of March subject to the
weather being kind to us, a lot of thanks
to Malcolm, Harry and Shaun for their
hard work trying to get this work
completed.
The workshop has also been busy
producing a number of Bird Tables
(£30) and Bird Boxes (£10) to meet the
demand from members of the public.
Our Computer Group as always are
working to full capacity with all the
work that they have to do to keep up
with enquiries.
Note: Our Annual General Meeting will
be held on 5th June this year at our Hall
In Church Walk, 6.30 for 7pm sharp.
Any gentlemen who would like to join
us are welcome to call in to our hall to
see what we are up to, our open times
are as follows; Mondays and
Wednesdays; 9.30am to 1pm
and Saturdays; 10am to 1pm, ( Social
and Computer Group)
Any enquiries give me a ring; 01953
881004 or e mail: waylandmensshed
@gmail.com
Cheers for now, Richard
Booked Up
and Full Up!
Such were the feelings of those who
attended the first Bookfest and Breakfast
organised by the Special Events Team at
Watton Methodist Church. Thanks to the
Spring Cleaning antics of church
members and friends, there were literally
hundreds of interesting books to entice
even the most discerning bookworms to
part with modest amounts of cash.
Business was brisk all morning as a
steady stream of customers took
advantage of the bargains available and
the knowledge, expertise and
recommendations of the booksellers
themselves.
And then there was breakfast: a
Continental style Buffet which proved to
be very popular, needing a quick trip to
the supermarket to replenish stocks of
croissants! Also on offer were cereals,
juice, rolls ,a selection of home made
preserves and unlimited refills of tea,
coffee or hot chocolate.
There were newspapers for browsing
through and a lively buzz of conversation
throughout. Many guests asked wistfully
if the event would be repeated on a
regular basis: commenting that eating
and talking with others was always a
treat. (I think the jury might be
temporarily ‘out’ on too frequent
repetitions of this event, but it is certainly
something that the organisers would love
to do again – sometime!) However, a
wide range of books are always on sale at
the weekly Coffee Morning held in the
Centre every Wednesday – do come in
and have a look , we’ll be delighted to
see you.
Thanks to the hard work of the SET and
the immense generosity of church folk
and their guests, the Bookfest and
Breakfast raised the amazing sum of
£481.80 This money helps to maintain
the ongoing upkeep of the church, and
also enables the church family to make
regular donations to nominated
charities, which this year are Water
Aid, Guide Dogs for the Blind and The
Thursday Club.
Thank you to all who support our
events and we look forward to seeing
you at the ‘Spring Thing’ on April 6th.
(Please see separate article.)
Lesley Cowling
Dereham Indoor
Bowls Club
Boston Bowls will be bringing their
bowls shop to Dereham Indoor Bowls
club on Thursday 28th March from
10am to 4pm
All items of bowls will be on sale.
Congratulations to our Ladies team who
finished runners up in their league.
The lists are now on the notice boards
for entries into our summer leagues.
Leagues will be on Monday am and
Friday am with roll ups Tuesday and
Thursday mornings and Wednesday
afternoons
The Coaching attracted twenty one new
members on the last course. The club
will be holding a new session in May or
June.
For more info ring Terry 01362525042
Gt Ellingham &
District Flower
Club
Monday APRIL 15 th A demonstration
by Anne Bell, entitled ‘From Me to
You’ at Rocklands Village Hall NR17
1TR
Starts 7.30pm. Doors open 7pm FREE
to members, £7 Guests. Raffle &
Refreshments
We are a friendly NAFAS affiliated
Club and meet monthly for
demonstrations, Workshops, visits and
lots more!
Look us up on our Facebook page
Gtelinghamanddistrictflowerclub Or for
more info call 01953498694
Letter to the
Editor
Sutton Family
Upon a recent visit to Carbrooke
Church looking for Sutton relatives we
were happy to find graves of Albert
Edward Sutton and Josiah and Maria
Sutton and of Sidney Sutton on the War
Memorial but sad to find out how and
when he died. We are going to
Dernancourt cemetery to see his CWGC
headstone in May. Are there any Sutton
relatives who live in Wayland area who
could tell us more of this part of the
family, who has inherited Sidney's war
medals. Please contact
gsharris611@yahoo.co.uk
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 5
Diabetes UK
In March, the group met twice. At our first meeting the guest
speaker was John Daly, who spoke to us about the Royal British
Legion. John is the Chairman of the Watton branch and his wife
Helen is the secretary. We heard about how morale was very low
and much hardship was felt by the returning servicemen from World
War 1 and many fell by the wayside. There was no welfare state and
they were blamed for the introduction of Spanish Flu as well. The
government did not want to know - the returning men had no money,
no clothes and were starving. Field Marshall Earl Haigh, together
with Lance Bombadier Tom Lister formed the British Legion on 15
May 1921. It was made up of 4 national organisations that had
formed after WW1. The first Poppy Day was held on November 11
1921 and the legion was granted Royal status in 1971. Anyone can
become a member, whether they have been in the Armed Forces, or
not - to continue the work started nearly 100 years ago. John was
very warmly thanked and left us some leaflets to distribute to our
members.
The second meeting of the group was for our annual lunch at the
Waggon and Horses, Griston. We all enjoyed the sumptuous meal
and the service was excellent too. A good time was had by all.
Our next meeting will be on Monday April 8th, 10.15am, at the
Pentecostal Church, Watton (whom we thank for the generous use of
their facilities). Our speaker will be Charles Wardle who will be
talking to us about Diabetic Retinal Screening. For details of the
group, please phone 01953 884713 and leave a message, or email
rjwhrt56@btinternet.com
Dance-Away at The
Queens Hall
April 6th, May 4th, June 1st
7.30 - 10.30pm
Ballroom, Latin & Sequence
In your garden
With Lotta Potts
Well March certainly did its stuff! I
suspect we got a bit complacent with
May’s being in February and expected
the warm weather to continue. March
certainly reminded us not to take the
weather for granted ever. Hopefully
having come in like the proverbial lion it
will behave and go out like the lamb and
April will be wonderful as it should be.
For all the gardeners who like to start at
Easter, this year Good Friday is 19 April
and the Queen is fortunate enough to
have her birthday on Easter Sunday.
She’ll have a busy weekend if she starts
planting the spuds as well.
If you have managed to catch up with the
tasks for March by the beginning of April
you’ll probably be a bit stir-crazy and
ready to go. The big ‘don’t’ for early in
the month is a visit to the garden centre,
coming home with trays of tender plants
and putting them in. Guess what you'll
be doing in May? That's right, replacing
them. Even the most experienced have
done it, sometimes two or three times in
the month thinking that as the weather
improves these little plants will thrive.
They won’t. Planting seeds, small plants,
potatoes: anything in fact, all need warm
soil. This may be good in April but also
it might be necessary to wait until May.
There’s no need to worry, they will all
catch up. The best (and least
embarrassing) way to test the
temperature of the soil is to put your bare
forearm on it for a few seconds. If you
can’t leave it a few seconds the soil is too
cold. Try again later in the week if the
weather is kind or later in the month if
necessary. The old-fashioned instruction
was to drop your trousers and sit on the
ground. This is the more embarrassing
way, particularly in the front garden or if
you have neighbours. At least they will
know if the soil is warm enough for
planting from your reaction.
The second ‘don’t’ for Easter starters is
don’t end up in A&E. There is little
more depressing than the sight of those
who have fallen heavily, stood on the
wrong end of a rake, got too enthusiastic
with hedge trimmers or anything else
sharp or emerged in plaster casts for
other mishaps. Anything that gets you
into this situation will probably put you
off gardening for a long time and let’s
not forget that this activity is fun. It is
also designed to save you money. That is
in gym subs not edibles as strictly
speaking whatever you grow to eat in the
average garden will end up costing in
terms of outlay, fertiliser, time, effort but
the advantage is the thrill of pulling or
picking something you have grown and
eating it. If you don’t believe me try a
tumbler tomato plant in a 14” hanging
basket. You can easily buy the plants
and baskets at any garden centre since
‘grow your own’ became fashionable and
you don’t even have to mess about with
seeds. Go on, give it a go.
Perennials can be divided and planted
now. If you divide a large clump of a
perennial plant, take the outside young
growth and replant it and throw away the
middle exhausted bit. Too many to re-
plant? Find a friend with a bit of space
or do a plant-swap or even pot up and
donate to a charity stall of which there
will be many over the next couple of
months. This may well have been advice
for March but if you missed it don't
worry as the plants will soon make up the
lost time.
If you go to the garden centre and
manage to get past the jolly bedding,
look for perennials as this is a good time
to plant. They'll need regular watering
but it's worth it. You might find some
that had been left too long and are on the
'last chance' shelf. These are well worth
looking at as most of them will just need
a decent drink. It will pay to knock them
out of the pots as they are probably well
pot-bound. This will prevent their taking
up water so if they are badly pot-bound
put them back and sink them in a bucket
of tepid water for a few hours. After that
take them out of the pot again and try to
pull them apart a bit or remove all the
worn out compost. You might have the
nice surprise of being able to split them
into two or three separate plants – a real
bargain! Either then pot them up in good
compost or plant them out according to
what they are.
The lawn was probably well wet and
producing lots of moss during the winter.
It will also have been growing so once it
dries out a bit this is the month to get
cracking with moss killer, feed, and re-
seed any bald patches caused by the
removal of weeds and moss. It's a good
idea to rake it over to remove the dead
moss and thatch from late cutting last
year or early this year. If you aren't keen
on grass and have only a small area why
not get rid of it and plant something that
doesn't need cutting every week in the
season? After all, how many other plants
do you prune at least once a week from
April to October?
Once spring bulbs have finished
flowering remove the dead heads to
prevent their seeding but don't remove
the foliage as the leaves soak up the
sunshine to make food for the bulb.
Please don't tie the leaves up in little
topknots either as this reduces their
chances and after all you want them to
flower next spring. If the sight of the
ratty foliage offends you either dig up the
bulbs and replant somewhere out of sight
or pot up into deep pots or put in annual
or perennial plants to hide it. Another tip
is to plant miniature bulbs so that the
dying foliage isn’t so obvious. The small
flowers look more in keeping with a
small garden than the very large ones
unless you are growing for show in
which case you need more space to grow
a selection of large and miniature
flowers.
Other maintenance starts off with
pruning winter jasmine, which will very
rapidly turn into a tangled mess of stems,
hydrangeas (this is because the dead
flowers are normally left on over winter
to give a bit of protection to emerging
shoots in spring), so the pruning consists
of removing these dead heads. Any wall
or support-trained plants will need to
have new shoots tied in. These include
rambling and climbing roses, clematis
and other climbers you may have. Don’t
forget that growth follows the knife so if
you are renovating a shrub remove a
third of old stems right to the ground but
only trim about a third of the remaining
stems. If you repeat for two years your
shrub should be just like new. It is quite
difficult to kill by pruning and if you
overdo it one year it’s pretty much
guaranteed that if you give the victim a
feed and water regularly during the
season it will be fine next year. When it
comes to pruning less can be more and if
you have a flowering shrub that comes in
the category of ‘it’s very pretty but no
idea what it is’ prune after the flowers
have finished so you shouldn’t lose next
year’s buds. All plants want to survive
and reproduce. All gardeners want to
keep them restricted to their allotted
spaces.
At the time of writing (mid-March for the
deadline) the weather is truly horrible.
So far we have been spared another visit
from the beast from the east and I
sincerely hope we don’t get one but
March will hopefully give us all the
water reserves we need and here’s to a
gentler April. But whatever the weather
here we go – keep weeding.
Saham Toney
Neighbourhood
Plan Update
Shaping the future of Saham Toney!
There hasn’t been an update on the Saham
Toney Neighbourhood Plan for a couple of
months but that doesn’t mean that the plan
has not been progressing.
As previously mentioned, as part of the
Neighbourhood Plan, we are including Site
Allocations in the Plan. The call for sites
that ran from August to October last year
resulted in 16 sites being submitted for
review and details of these site can be
found on our website at bit.ly/2XUjQzV
These sites are being reviewed by an
independent organisation, AECOM, and
we expect to be reviewing the assessment
reports of the sites from AECOM’ as well
as other agencies by the end of March.
After that we will start a process to select
sites from those that the assessment deems
to be either suitable, or suitable with certain
conditions.
Three reports form our Landscape
Consultant – a Landscape Character
Assessment, a Fringe Sensitivity
Assessment and an Assessment of Views
have been published and are available on
the web site at bit.ly/2Uye3hv
These documents were formally adopted
by Saham Toney Parish Council at the
February Council Meeting, meaning that
the documents will carry some weight
when reviewing future planning
applications.
We are just finalising our village Design
Guide, so hopefully that will be available
on our website around the time you read
this.
The Breckland Local Plan was published
on 18th February for its final 6 weeks
consultation before being approved.
Having attended the hearings last year, we
were not surprised or concerned by the
changes in the new version, so have just
submitted a few minor comments.
Our consultant and the Breckland
Neighbourhood Plan coordinator have
reviewed our latest draft policies and given
us some helpful comments on how to
further improve them. Most encouraging
was the fact the Breckland coordinator told
us our plan is now the most thorough and
well justified one she has seen in the
district, more robust than it was a year ago,
and "not far away" from what Breckland
Council expect and require.
The Neighbourhood Plan Work Group
have made strong objections to the
application for 54 houses at Nilefields, as
have many other residents of both Saham
and Watton and our Parish Council. At our
request George Freeman MP has also
objected. If you agree it's wrong to build 54
homes on land that regularly floods, would
create a dangerous road junction, is home
to a wide variety of wildlife and would
merge Saham with Watton and you haven't
already objected, please do so. You can
find a link to the application on the
planning applications page of our website
If you have any comments or questions on
any of this or anything else to do with the
Neighbourhood Plan, if you would lime a
more personal visit to a local group, or if
you' would like to be added to our mailing
list, please get in touch with Chris Blow on
01953 880915 or at stnp2016@gmail.com
The Ovington
Village Hall Quiz
Saturday 4th May at 7.30pm. A fun
evening to stretch the brain cells! Entry
£6 per person, includes a ploughmans
supper. Bring your own drink and a some
money for the raffle. Please ring
Christine on 01953 885848 to book your
team of four in.
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 6

Wretham Church
and former
rectory welcomes
Easter visitors
The small Victorian gem which is the
church of St Ethelbert at Wretham
welcomes Easter visitors on Sunday
and Monday, April 21 and 22 between
11am and 5pm, when the gardens of
the former rectory, now Wretham
Lodge, are open to the public.
The National Gardens Scheme ten acre
site at the Lodge has a spring time
display of tulips, hellebores, fritillaries,
daffodils and narcissi, along with
bluebell and woodland walks, shrub
borders and a walled garden.
Admission is £5, children free,
proceeds to NGS charities.
Across the road in the Grade
II*church, home-made cakes and
savouries and refreshments will be
available throughout both days, along
with a large used book sale.
Proceeds here are for church funds and
visitors can relax in a church notable a Lutyens wall memorial to a fallen Church Road (IP24 1RL), which will
for its wall and other paintings, a WW1 soldier. also be signed over the two days.
Grade II listed James Corps organ and There is ample parking available in

Greetings Cards no larger than May 28th Plant Stall at Bradenham

Bradenham and
District
Horticultural
Society
Thursday 21st March, saw
Bradenham and District Horticultural
Society meet at the Village Hall for
our first Punch, Starters and Puds
event. Great fun was had by all
members, old and new. Delicious
food, convivial company and great
music from the Shipdwrecks. This has
been a hugely popular event and we
hope to repeat it (or something very
similar!) in the future. We have made
a great start to our new shed
fundraising.
Our eagerly awaited Spring Show will
take place on Saturday April 6th.
There will be a variety of flowers,
produce, cookery, photographic art
and crafts from our members.
Doors open to the public at 3.30pm.
Two Sections are available for non-
members to enter: a maximum 50cm
x50cm (20”x20”) cushion cover
created in any medium and Handmade
15cmx15cm (6”x6”). Come and see
the exhibits and join us for
refreshments. You will receive a
warm welcome and can find out more
about the benefits of membership –
just £12.00 for the year.
We are looking forward to Frank
Lambert`s talk on “How to Raise and
Nurture Fuchsias” on Thursday April
18th. These beautiful gardens
favourites come in all shapes and
sizes, including climbers, tender and
tough. Come along for a friendly and
informal sharing of knowledge.
Bradenham Village Sports Day on
Saturday May 27th is fast
approaching, where there will be a
Plant Stall run by our members with a
wide variety of healthy, home grown
plants at bargain prices. A great way
to fill those gaps in the border!
Future dates (all free to members):
April 6th 2018 SPRING SHOW
3.30pm open to the public (members
only entries)
April 18th Fuchsias £2.00 to non-
members
May 16th Photography Workshop
May 27th Flower Arranging (Sandra
Howard) £1.00 to non-members
Village Sports Day
June 20th Annual outing
Look out for our updates on Facebook
at Bradenham Community Hub
Barbara Steward Chairman
barpamsteward@gmail.com
Laurene Henderson Publicity Officer
01362 821164 / 07942 820590
lh1@dlhenderson.plus.com
Griston Parish
Council AGM
The date for the Parish AGM and the
Parish Council Meeting has been
changed due to the Local Elections
taking place.
The new date is Wednesday 15th May
2019.
The Parish AGM will start at 7pm and
the parish Council Meeting will
follow on.
Both meetings will take place in St
Peter and Paul’s Church, Griston.
If anyone resident in the village is
interested in becoming a Parish
Councillor, please contact the Parish
Clerk, either by email
gristonclerk@gmail.com or by phone,
01953 884082
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 7
Great Hockham
Gardening Club
Butterfly Gardening
For our March meeting we welcomed
Doctor Ian Bedford. Ian has worked at
the John Innes Centre at Norwich for
42 years and now heads the
entomology department there. His
interest in insects started when he was a
child, collecting butterflies.
Butterflies, together with moths, are
members of the family Lepidoptera,
insects having scaled wings. Fossil
evidence reveals that they originated
about 200 million years ago. Their life
cycle is from egg to caterpillar, then
chrysalis, and finally to adult. While in
the chrysalis stage, true metamorphosis
takes place where the cells completely
disassemble and are then reformed into
the adult. The caterpillar can eat between
27 and 29 thousand times its own
weight.
What is the difference between
butterflies and moths? Butterflies have
club antenna, moths antenna are
branched and feathery. Other
differences: fly by day/fly at night;
usually colourful/usually brown; lay
eggs singly/lay eggs in groups; wing
resting position folded above their backs/
open at the side of the body; chrysalis
hangs from a thread/spins a cocoon;
bodies slender and smooth/stout and
hairy. Just when you thought you’d
cracked it – there are exceptions to all
these comparisons.
It difficult to breed some species in
captivity, but Ian mentioned that pushing
them together had achieved encouraging
results.
Butterflies communicate using visual
and chemical signals. They see well in
ultra violet and can signal by flashing
their wings. The chemical pheromones
can be detected by the antenna of the
male from distances of up to six miles.
Having mated, the female lays her eggs
and then dies. In order to synthesise
pheromones the butterfly needs to collect
certain precursor chemicals, usually from
decaying substances. The Purple
Emperor is a particularly fine creature:
there are groups of people known as
Purple Emperor Fanatics, who have a
special interest in that particular
butterfly. In a kind of sport they concoct
various ingenious attractants to lure the
males. These have included a variety of
dead animals, fox poo and the contents
of a baby’s nappy – matured for a
suitable period.
There are 58 British butterflies plus some
migrants. Groups include, swallowtails,
skippers, whites and yellows, browns
and fritillaries, metalmarks, and coppers,
hairstreaks and blues. One of the
migrants, the painted lady, starts the
breed season in North Africa, then, by a
series of breeding cycles, migrates
northwards through Europe into the
arctic. Towards the end of the year
kaleidoscopes of the species have been
tracked by radar travelling in a southerly
airstream at altitudes of between 3,000
and 5,000 feet back to Africa ready to
repeat the cycle.
With regard to habitat there are
generalists and specialists. Specialist
habitats include meadow, heath and
grassland, woodland glades, mountain,
and wetlands. The balance of a habitat
can be complex and delicate: ants look
after the caterpillar of the Large Blue.
The caterpillar secretes a sticky
substance and makes a vibration, which
is thought to trick the ants into thinking it
has something to do with their queen.
The ants feed the caterpillar, sometimes
with their own young. The ants know
when the caterpillar is about to pupate
and look after it underground during that
period. When the butterfly hatches the
ants guide adult out of nest. During the
process of pumping up its wings, the
wings give off a sugary substance. While
the ants clean this from the wings they
are also providing protection from
predators. The ants build their nest on the
ground at the base of grass. If the grass is
too high the humidity is not right and the
ants will not survive. When rabbits got
myxomatosis and died out, the grass
grew, the ants died and in 1979 the Large
Blue became extinct in Britain. In 2000
the rabbits, ants and butterflies were re-
introduced into the Southwest of Britain
from European stock. All are now doing
well. One of our members remarked that
at a SSSI in the forest near Hockham, a
similar re-introduction project was being
carried out using highland cattle to
maintain the habitat required for certain
species of dragonfly.
Still in Thetford forest, there is a colony
of butterflies, the Silver Studded Blue.
During the day the common black ant
collects the caterpillars from wild
legumes, take them down to their nest
and protect them. At night the ants take
the caterpillars out for a feed and look
after them, then take them back again to
the nest the following day.
In another example, Ian noticed a Holly
blue flying around his garden. From
time to time it was landing at various
places on the grass. On inspection, at
every spot where it had landed, there was
an ant. The reason for all this behavior,
as with so much else regarding
butterflies, is not known.
Butterflies are having problems.
Numbers have halved over the last 40
years and the White Hairstreak has
declined by 96%. To thrive they need
nectar rich plants, warmth from
sunshine, shelter from storms, caterpillar
food plants and a safe place to
overwinter. They have natural enemies
like predators, parasites, fungi, bacteria,
viruses and bad weather. Unnatural
problems like habitat loss, climate
change and pesticides. Neonicotinoids,
being systemic, are particularly
problematic as the plant retains them for
extended periods. Most chemicals are
non-selective killing or affecting the life
cycle of both good and ‘bad’ insects.
Traces of neonicotinoids have been
found on garden centre plants sold
specifically to benefit butterflies. Some
chemicals will eventually end up in
rivers. Apparently, two of the most
affected in the country are the Wensome
and Waverny.
So how might we make our garden
butterfly friendly? The planting of nectar
producing plants is well known, but to
provide for a range of butterflies with
their differing breeding seasons there
needs to be a variety of plants coming
into flower throughout the year. Spring
flowering: aubretia, cowslips and violets.
For summer: honeysuckle, buddleia and
lavender. In autumn: goldenrod,
rudbeckia and sedum. There are many
others. Stinging nettles are essential for
some species. Your patch should be
fairly large, in a sunny position and will
require feeding from time-to-time. In
winter? Over ripe fruit will be very
beneficial. Avoid cutting down last
year’s dead plants until spring so as to
provide shelter.
A few years ago Ian decided to plant a
dedicated butterfly garden. His wife was
not keen on the idea as she has a dislike
for all things creepy-crawly. Another
wildlife essential his wife was not keen
on was a water feature. In spite of
differences of opinion both have now
been built and have become a serious
alternative to television. A most
informative and entertaining
presentation, accompanied by a
wonderful slide show, ended with a
question and answer session.
Competition results for March.
Flowers. 1 Sue Thomas. 2 Chris Dalton.
3 Val Long.
Fruit/Veg. 1 Jane Dalton. 2 Sue Thomas.
3 Chris Dalton.
Photos. 1 Ed Szczepanowski. 2 Eric
Rogers. 3 Sue Thomas.
This was the last indoor meeting of this
season. Our next meeting will be on
Wednesday 10th of April and will be to
Didlington Nurseries. Leave Hockham
village green at 13:35 for a 14:00
arrival. Having stocked up with copious
amounts of reasonably priced plants we
will travel on to the Bonsai Garden at
Breckles; tour, talk and refreshments.
Edward Szczepanowski,
Shipdham &
District Book Group
The book discussed on 20th February
was Toast by Nigel Slater.This is an
early memoir, covering his life from
boyhood to early adulthood showing
how his interest in and love for food
developed through or perhaps, despite,
the experiences of his family life. It
begins with his mother who always burnt
the toast and describes her often
frustrated efforts at cooking an
appetizing meal. There are details of the
foods which the author liked and disliked
as a child with descriptions so detailed
the reader can almost taste the food. The
innovations of 1950s and 60s modern
convenience foods met with mixed
results under the hands of his mother and
the author's finicky palate. After his
mother's death when he was still young,
the Slater found comfort in food since
his father was emotionally distant and
sometimes abusive. His father soon
married their cleaning lady, creating a rift
with extended family members and
doing nothing to provide the author with
a nurturing home life. However his
stepmother could cook, sometimes over
doing it with a table groaning under the
weight of so many rich dishes. Chapters
also abound with hilarious incidents such
as his nightly walks with the dog and a
candy bar to observe couples having sex
in the back of cars, until his father
discovers what he is doing. He
eventually finds a substitute family
working after school in the kitchen of a
hotel restaurant. The memoir ends as the
author, just out of college, has found
employment in a restaurant in London.
The book had a very mixed reception but
provoked some interesting discussion.
There was a big question about why
Nigel Slater wrote it with varied
suggestions including a need to get it out
of his system and had nobody to tell; he
was angry as well as grief stricken by the
loss of his mother; he was lonely and
possibly it was an attempt to explain his
strangeness. We felt sorry for his middle
class father left with this strange finicky
little boy whilst not having had much
experience with child care and dealing
with his own grief. The stepmother,
Auntie Joan, obiously came from a very
different background and was such a
good cook that she probably fed her new
husband into an early grave. We all
agreed that it is never easy to take on
somebody else’s children, even when
your motives are probably less than
altruistic.It was noted that we only have
Slater’s views on the subject. Some
found the workings of a little boy’s mind
as he grows into adolescence sordid and
distasteful whilst others with experience
of the boy of the species found it fairly
typical with some agreeing there are
males who never outgrow the lavatorial
‘humour’ or obsession with body parts
etc.
The book for discussion on 20th March
is Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce.
Harriet Martineau
Speaks to
Watton Society
Watton Society's speaker in February,
Harriet Martineau (AKA Georgette
Vale), was born in 1802. A social
theorist and Whig, writer, the first female
sociologist. Although profoundly deaf
from birth, she wrote books enough to
earn a good living at a time when
women were treated as second class
citizens. She travelled to America giving
lectures on freedom for women. A very
interesting and enlightening evening
presented by Georgette Vale. Nothing
less than fascinating.
Our next meeting is on Wednesday 17th
April, at 7.45pm at the Watton Christian
Community Centre. when the speaker
will be Shaun Jeffrey who will talk about
"The Burston Strike School." The
longest school strike in English History.
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 8
BEAT THE DEADLINE! Saham WI News
SEE THE BACK PAGE
Photo shows (L/R) Patricia Warwick, Gerry Daisey (President of Saham Wl)
and Phyllida Scrivens.
Saham Women's Institute welcomed the strive to have interesting and
Deputy Mayor of Watton, Councillor informative speakers and activities. As
Patricia Warwick to their February well as our monthly meeting there is a
meeting for a presentation on the Lady luncheon group and craft group, a darts
Lord Mayors of Norwich (1923 - 2017) by team and scrabble group. We have
award winning author Phyllida Scrivens. occasional outings and fundraising
Saham Wl meet on the second Wednesday events.Visitors and new members are
of each month at 7.30pm in the small hall always welcome.
at the Wells Cole Community Centre, Bell Further information from Gerry on
Lane, Saham Toney. 01953 882767 or Angela on 01953
We are a small group of ladies who 885978
Our speaker Jane Steward with President Val Semlyen holding some medlars.
The club has been involved with Inner
Inner Wheel Wheel matters of late, eight members
attended the District Meeting at Sapiston
Club of Watton Village Hall on March 13th where members
get together to meet members from other
We have had a quieter month in March clubs and to hear the news from the
although the ladies were busy providing National Organisation. There was also an
many delicious goodies for their Queens interesting talk from a representative from
Hall Coffee Morning at the beginning of the Asperger's East Anglia which is the charity
month. The club is very pleased to support Inner Wheel nationally is supporting this
the Queens Hall Maintenance Fund with year.
these events and we were again able to Five members will make the journey by
make a donation of £200 at the end. We are train to Cardiff at the beginning of April to
very appreciative of the help and support attend our Annual National Conference.
from the Hall for our many events and in Again this is a wonderful opportunity to see
our turn like to support it in as many ways Inner Wheel in action throughout the
as possible. country and reminds us all that we are just
I should like to report here that the total one part of a much bigger organisation. The
raised from our two February events, The inspiration for service and fund raising
Barn Dance and the Lunchtime concert opportunities demonstrated at these events
totalled £694.66 which will be added to our is always an inspiration.
charity funds for distribution at our June The club meeting this month had a
meeting. speaker to talk to us about 'Medlars and
Tickets for the next Lunchtime Concert on things.' I thought I knew a lot about
March 27th with popular singer, Kyle, are medlars because I have a tree in our
going well and we hope to see you there. garden and sometimes make medlar jelly
The Hidden
Wildlife Gems
of mid Norfolk
Wildlife in Norfolk is diverse and
exciting. Our talk tonight, given by
Mark Webster, of the Mid Norfolk
Conservation Volunteers led Watton
Evening WI through some of the
aspects of plant and animal life that we
can now look out for.
It is always exciting to search for and
find anything new from the natural
world and we were given an insight into
doing just that. We were taken on a
journey around places we may have
heard of but not yet visited and
discovered just how many hidden gems
there are.
Most of us have heard of Foxley Wood
but nearby Mayfields Farm run by a
tenant farmer who trains sheepdogs was
new to many. Here you can see claypit
ponds where there are great-crested
newts, bird hides and a captive red
squirrel breeding programme.
This is a good resource for local
schools, once an agricultural waste
ground where a hand grenade was
found. It turned out to be a plastic
child's toy but undoubtedly caused
concern for a few moments!
Around the Dereham area is Neatherd, a
region of meadow grassland, Scarning
Watermeadow a beautiful greenspace
with kingfishers, sighted if you are very
fortunate. At Scarning and Potters' Fen
are stunning damselflies and if you are
lucky, the small red damselfly.
Mark spoke of so many stunning areas
and we were shown some beautiful
pictures of wonderfully named
Honeypot Wood, Lolly Fen and so
many others.
If you journey to Guestwick Church
there is a most decorative and unusual
stained glass window of aspects of the
local flora and fauna.
To find more information on all these
places the Mid Norfolk Conservation
Volunteer website is well worth a visit.
Varieties of all animal and plant life are
there in abundance and it certainly made
our members ready to get out their
walking boots and cameras. A most
enjoyable and informative evening.
if the crop is good, but our speaker,
Jane Steward, was extremely
knowledgeable about the history of the
trees in this country. She told us that
they originated on the shores of the
Caspian Sea and first came to England
probably in the pockets of Roman
soldiers who thought them a delicious
and nutritious fruit which would last
them through the winter!
Jane Steward told us that she is
establishing an orchard of trees of
several varieties at her home at
Eastgate. She hopes this will become a
National Collection and she currently
uses the fruit to make both medlar jelly
and medlar cheese under the Eastgate
Larder label which is sold through
farmer’s markets and specialist shops.
We all enjoyed tasting her products
which are especially delicious served
with cheese or game and I hope some
members may be persuaded to use the
prolific crop of fruit from my tree at the
end of the year to make some jelly of
their own or even to eat some in their
natural state which is definitely an
aquired taste!
Both myself on 01953 881792 and our
Secretary Pam on 01953 880904 are
very pleased to welcome enquiries
about Inner Wheel events or enquiries
about membership.
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 9
Royal British
Legion
The latest news from the branch is
predominantly social after last month’s
formal events at the county conference.
On the 16th the RAF families club were
holding a pub night for which we
provided, apparently, the hardest quiz
known to mankind. The quiz was
delivered expertly by our very own Bill
Noble as quiz master and questions
supplied by John Daly. There were
prizes awarded for best and worst,
although there wasn’t a very big chasm
between the two at the end of the
proceedings. The festivities carried on
for the rest of the evening and a good
time was had by all.
A couple of days later was the scheduled
branch meeting when we had invited a
member of the Norfolk Constabulary to
come along and meet the gang and speak
to us about modern policing. PC Paula
Gilluley, who is the local Engagement
Officer based at Dereham, was the
person selected to come along to meet us.
It was all very informal, apart from
having a uniformed police officer in our
midst. But I like to think that the
majority of us are of a generation where
the police are our friends; maybe I am
biased having been a Special Constable
in Watton for a few years in the days
when we had a police station which had
more than a phone. Paula gave a very
good explanation of how the different
departments work in conjunction with
each other and how they relate to our
community policing. There were some
lively discussions, as you might expect
and plenty of good humoured banter.
The evening concluded with a question
and answer session and Paula trying to
recruit the president and ex vice
chairman for neighbourhood watch
duties. To top it all off a few ales were
quaffed before closing proceedings of the
meeting (obviously no drink driving was
carried out at then end).
The end of the month saw about 20
members, their friends and relatives
attending a Sunday lunch at Richmond
Park golf club. As has happened in the
past we were looked after extremely well
and professionally by the kitchen and bar
staff. The weather was glorious and the
sun streaming into the conservatory was
particularly cheering while we tucked
into our roast chicken dinners. The
atmosphere was friendly with a constant
buzz of conversation and laughter, and
you know what it’s like, there is always
one voice heard above all others, but my
lips are sealed! Anyway sometime about
mid-afternoon, whose checking the clock
anyway, we all supped up our coffees
and went our separate ways until the next
time.
The final event this month was an
invitation to speak at the monthly
meeting of the Watton Diabetes Society
who congregate at the Pentecostal
Church on Dereham road. I was plied
with plenty of tea and biscuits and even
won a prize in the raffle, though to be
fair I think there was a prize for every
ticket. The talk consisted of a little
background on how the British Legion
came about, how it compared with the
American Legion, what the aims have
been over the years and what the poppy
appeal money is spent on in the 21st
century. It suffices to say many of the
assembled group were amazed at the
range of things the RBL will actually
help with and who is eligible. I would
like to thank Helen and Ron for giving
me the opportunity to spread the word
and to all those attending for not asking
too many difficult questions. To sum up
I reiterated that anyone who has received
7 days’ pay from the government for
military service, at any time, their spouse
and their children (under 18) can apply
for assistance from TRBL. Anyone who
thinks they may need should contact our
help line on 0808 802 8080.
If you would like to join Watton branch
or TRBL in general please visit our
website for details
www.Watton_Legion.org or contact the
vice Chairman 07728 406311.
Breckland Cats
Protection
Did you know that cats and dogs can be
blood donors to other cats and dogs? For
cats the criteria to be a blood donor is
that the cat must be between 1 year and 8
years old, and weigh at least 4kg. They
should preferably be in indoor cat,
otherwise they must be Feline Leukaemia
and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
negative, be up to date with their
vaccines and flea and worm treatment.
They must never have been outside the
UK and not be on any medication. They
must be of good temperament and be
easy to handle.
They will undergo health checks for
heart murmurs and haematology and
biochemistry blood samples will be taken
for analysis to make sure they are
completely healthy.
In cats there are 3 different blood groups
– A, B and AB. Most domestic cats are
group A, along with all Siamese cats.
Pedigree cats are predominately group B.
To take the blood, the cat will be sedated
and the blood will be taken from a vein
in the neck. About 55ml of blood is
taken, and then exactly the same amount
of electrolyte solution will be
administered to the cat, to protect its
blood pressure.
For dogs the same criteria as for cats
apply for them to become blood donors.
1 – 8 years old, weigh more than 25kg,
be up to date with their vaccinations and
flea and worm treatment, not be on any
medication and never to have been
outside the UK.
There are 2 blood groups in dogs - DEA1
Negative and DEA 1 Positive. 30% of
dogs are negative so they are the
universal donor as negative blood can be
given to positive dogs, but not the other
way round. Large dog breeds are used,
especially Greyhounds. Other breeds
used are Dobermans, Boxers, German
Shepherds, Retrievers, Airdale Terriers,
Weimaraners, Lurchers, American
Bulldogs, Pointers and English Bull
Terriers.
The reason a cat or dog may need a
transfusion are numerous. Some of the
more common needs for a transfusion
are, anaemia, ruptured spleen, surgery
when there is a large blood loss, rat
poisoning, as this causes internal
bleeding, trauma, such as road traffic
accidents, sepsis, cancer, kidney disease,
infections and auto immune problems.
The red cells of blood cannot be stored
for longer than 35 days, and then in a
temperature controlled fridge. However,
the plasma part of the blood can be taken
off and stored in a deep freeze for up to a
year. The plasma contains all the clotting
factors and is used for animals who have
a problem with their blood clotting.
There are few transfusion centres in the
UK for animals, so most vets keep a list
of dog or cat donors, and call on them
when there is an emergency, As in
humans,dogs and cats can give blood
every 3-4 months. If you would consider
your dog or cat to be a blood donor,
speak to your vet.
Thank you for all those cat owners who
took part in our neutering campaign
during February. Vouchers were sent out
for 149 cats to be neutered. Let's hope Wretham Village Hall’s Jubilee!
they are all neutered, to help keep the cat
population down. If you still have not
returned your Proof of Neutering
Certificate, I would be grateful if you
would return it. I have only received 26
back so far!
For advice or information, or if you
require help with the cost of neutering,
please call us on 01842 810018, Rita
Thompson.
The Ovington
Crower
Well thas bin a bit breezy tha larst week,
lost a few tiles orf tha old barn, but hent
gooin up tew put tha blighters back till
thet carm down a bit.
Thas bin a bit kwieta inna tha willage tha April 19th 2019 sees the Golden Jubilee of a village facility still an
larst cuppla weeks, but afore thet dew important part of activity in the centre of Wretham.
tew tha rood bein closed in Watton, thet The present Village Hall replaced an old army hut, a relic of the First
wos suffin mad wi orl tha mootas gooin World War, after local people set about fund raising from 1960.
thru tha willage, an moost onnem wos in By 1966 a public meeting agreed on the scheme and by 1967 work could
a tearin hurry cos they hed tew goo tha start after about £1000 was raised by villagers, with a donation of £500
long way rownd. and Norfolk Education Committee grant of £3891. Total cost was
Old Missus R from up tha rood she sat £82000 and £7000 had been raised when it was officially opened by
down an cowntid oova thutty mootas Lord Fisher of Kilverstone. W. and J.B. Eastwood, who established a
atween tew an tree one arternoon. Tha chicken rearing business in the village, made a seven year cash
ole cowncil chairmawtha stood owt in contribution.
tha rood waving suffin red oova har hid Since then, the hall has been extended and improved, with catering grade
tew try an slow tha mootas down. Horry kitchen and storage, new toilets and disabled facilities. Most recently,
sed thet wos a pair of har exercise equipment has been installed in the grounds and the first stage
unmenshunables, but I niva got close of car park resurfacing completed.
enuf tew see. Enuff tew send them orl There are no plans to have a special anniversary celebration –the hall is
inta tha hidge I’de a thort, but thar wos busy enough with major village events throughout the year, private
hossin alonga tha rood tew farst tew bookings and regular functions, including Tai-Chi, bowls, lunch club,
nootis wot thar were. Pilates, Keep Fit, art and craft clubs and pastel art sessions, as well as
Farma say tew me he say “Dew yew Parish Councl meetings.
teark a lood of bales tew my ole meart IF you want to know more, Wretham Village Hall has its own website,
oova tew Carbrook Sid” well I say “I at www.hallforhirewretham.org and our bookings officer is Diana
hent dun plowin tha twenty aerca yit an Brooks-Smith on 01953 498 320
thet orta git dun cos we shell hefta git tha
spring barley in afore long” Horry wos
standin cloose by an he sed.
“ I’ll teark tha bales for yew guvna, if
thas orlrite” “Yis” he say “ Thas orl
looded up, so jist hitch up tha tracter an
get gooin” Well Horry looked at orl the
traffic hossin parst an he gi me a wink an
went an got tha owld Fordson owt o tha
shid, thet hint bin run fer sum time but he
gottit gooin, hooked up tha trearla a
pulled owt onter tha rood, thet corsed a
bitta trubble fer a start, but wen he got
gooin along tha rood he kept ha owld gel
in second gear, yew cud hev walked
quicker. I rekkun tha mootas wos backed
up inta Watton, cos he driv up the middle
of tha rood so nun of em cud git parst. He
cum back the searm way so it slowed
moost o tha traffic down fer a while.
It seems as if the Paris Cowncil
Chairmawtha is still set on Horry cumin
ontew tha cowncil, cos har bike was
owtside o hissen wen I cum hoom from
work last week, an wen I went rownd his
learta in tha evenin tew see if he wos
cumin up the pub thet wos still thar. So I
went on my own, an it wos near on
cloosin time wen he crep in, he dint say
northin, but hed a darft luk on his fissog.
Wen we went up tew tha Cowncil meetin
jis arfta thet, she giv tha gearm away wen
she sed “Cos in May we gooin ter hev a
new memba cumin alonga us, hees wun
of tha moost uprite citizuns of tha parish,
an I rekkun heel be a asset tew the
cowncil” She niva give owt a nearm but
she did give Horry a gret owl grin, he jist
sat thar an kep lookin at tha floor. Cor I
give him an earful on the way hoom, but
he jist kept kwiet. I shell still goo up tew
tha meetins an shell give him sum stick
iffen he dunt git things dun as thar ort
tew be.
Thas abowt time tew goo an hev a pint I
rekkun, I hent sure abowt corlin on Horry
cos heeze probly dewin suffin else ternite
and I dassn’t git him orl riled up.
So cheerio tergitha an dunt fergit, dew
yew kip a troshin. Boy Sid
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 10
Watton Churches Together Good Friday

APRIL
Fri 19th
Easter Day
2.00pm Meditation You're All Invited!
Sun 21st 10.30am Holy Communion The Wayland Players have their 70th Anniversary this year and to help us celebrate we
St. Mary’s Church, Watton would like to invite you to our special Open Evening on Thursday 4th April between
www.stmaryswatton.org Follow us @StMarysWatton Sun 28th 10.30am Lay Led Worship
8pm and 10pm at the Queens Hall, Watton.
If I can be of help to you please do not hesitate to contact me, on 01953 St John the Evangelist Church, Ovington Does anyone out there remember any of the people who autographed this programme
881439, I shall be available at church on Tuesdays between 10.30am Sun 7th 9.30am Holy Communion from the very first production by the Players back in 1949? We'd love you to come and
and 12 noon - Gerry Foster Palm Sunday reminisce with us! Are you a Friend of the Wayland Players? Come and join us for the
1st, 3rd & 4th Wednesday at 9.30am Holy Communion Sun 14th 9.30am Morning Worship evening so we can thank you for your support over the years. Or perhaps you've been to
2nd Wednesday Morning Worship Wed 17th 7.30pm Holy Communion one of our productions and wondered how it's all put together. There will be costume and
Thursdays 7.30-8am, 5pm - 5.30pm Parish Prayers Good Friday make-up displays, set designs and archive materials, the chance to see back stage and the
Saturdays 9.30am - 10am Parish Prayers 5pm - 6pm Prayer & Praise Fri 19th 10.30am Meditation Green Room and, of course, refreshments!
Sundays 10.00am-11.30am ADventure-free for 0-16 yr term time only Easter Day But even if you've never considered amateur dramatics before, do come and see what
Breakfast - Crafts - Games - Faith in Jesus Teaching Sun 21st 9.30am Holy Communion we're all about. We're a friendly group and you don't have to be an actor. There are
Please note change in office opening hours plenty of other things that make a play come together from building the set to greeting
Church Office opens Tues, Wed & Thurs 9am-12 noon The Wayland Group of Parishes – April Services people front of house. We welcome anyone aged 18 and over into our company and
Tel: 01953 881252 email:wattonchurch@gmail.com 7th April Fifth Sunday of Lent: 10:30am United Holy Communion. St should you decide to join us on the night there will be a specially reduced membership fee
Commencing Wed 24th April, the Church will be open Wed 10.30- Peter & St Paul, Griston for the year. Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible on 4th April!
3.00pm & Thurs 10-12.00 noon. You are welcome to come into church to 14th April Palm Sunday. 10:30am United Holy Communion. St
enjoy the peace and tranquillity, say a prayer & light a candle, or just to Botolph's, Stow Bedon
look round. Church members will welcome you and serve refreshments. Monday, 15th April 7:00pm. Compline. Holy Trinity, Gt Hockham
Sun 7th 8.00am Holy Communion BCP Tuesday, 15th April 7:00pm. Compline. Holy Trinity, Gt Hockham
10.00am Holy Communion Wednesday, 16th April 7:00pm. Compline. Holy Trinity, Gt
Sun 14th Palm Sunday Hockham
8.00am Holy Communion BCP 18th April. Maundy Thursday 7:00pm. United Holy Communion.
10.00am Informal Holy Communion Holy Trinity, Gt Hockham
Wed 17th 6.00pm Share a light supper before 19th April. Good Friday 12:00 Good Friday Procession around the
7.30pm Sung Compline churches departing from St Martin's, Thompson. ( To be confirmed )
Thurs 18th 7.30pm Maundy Thursday Group Service of 21st April. Easter Day 10:30. United Holy Communion. St Martin's,
Holy Communion & Stripping the Altar followed by Vigil Thompson.
Fri 19th Good Friday April 28th. Second Sunday of Easter 10:30. United Holy
10.15am Walk of Witness from Watton Methodist Communion. St Margaret's, Breckles
Church. Stations of the Cross down Church Walk for
11.00am Taizé Service at St Mary’s Church
Sun 21st Easter Day
6.00am Sunrise Service on Church Green All Saints Church, Threxton
followed by (cold) buttered hot cross Our next service at All Saints Church Threxton will be on
buns tea & coffee in the Church
8.00am Holy Communion BCP
Sunday 7th April at 10.30a.m.
10.00am Holy Communion
Sun 28th 8.00am Holy Communion BCP company. Their show ‘Licensed to Trill’
10.00am 4th Sunday at 10 Licensed to Trill is being performed as part of The Silver
What’s on at St Mary’s
Watton Methodist Church Free transport for Social Project, which offers exciting Church, Watton. April
www.wattonmethodist.btck.co.uk local Opera spectacular! daytime arts events in the heart of Mondays 1st & 29th Story Bags 9.30am at St
Every Wednesday the Church is open for quiet reflection and prayer Opera and musical theatre lovers will be Norfolk, promoting engagement and Mary’s Church for parents and preschool
between 10.15am & 11.30am. It’s your quiet place. participation among older residents in
entertained throughout Breckland when the children each Monday term time only.
At 10.30am there is a half-hour Midweek Service in the Large Vestry
led by the Minister or a Church Member. Opera Dudes tour with The Silver Social rural communities. Talking at the launch Mondays 1st & 29th 4.30-5.45pm Watton
Sun 7th 10.30am Revd B Winner from 8th April to 12th April. Described as of the tour programme, the Opera Dudes Rainbow Brownies at St Mary’s Church
6.30pm Revd A Fielding two modern day Mario Lanzas, the duo stated “We will be offering a unique Rooms for girls aged 5-7 years. The
Sun 14th 10.30am Mrs S Mann perform some of the world’s most loved cocktail of funny stories, singalongs and Rainbows will be meeting each Monday at St
6.30pm Revd B Winner operatic and musical scores in their own heart-rending music that will leave the Mary’s Church during term time.
Fri 19th Good Friday unique vocal arrangements with a dose of audience both shaken and stirred.” Rainbows1stwatton@hotmail.com or look on
10.15am Walk of Witness from Watton Methodist comedic edge to ensure the audience are Paul Claussen, Executive Member of Place Facebook
Church. Stations of the Cross down Church Walk for commented "The Silver Social is nationally
both clapping and laughing down the Thursday 4th 10am – 12noon Thursday Chat
11.00am Taizé Service at St Mary’s Church
Sun 21st Easter Day aisles. The duo, who will be performing recognised programme which offers a social coffee morning at St Mary’s Church,
10.30am Revd B Winner their fabulous James Bond inspired show something a little different to daily life in all welcome
6.30pm Mrs E Wright will be visiting Ashill, East Harling, Breckland. Not only does it help bring Sundays 7th, 28th ADventure 10am-
Sun 28th 10.30am Revd B Winner Attleborough, Shipdham, and Necton. people together to socialise in their local 11.30am free for 0-16 years. Breakfast -
6.30pm Revd A King Transport can be arranged as required for community, but it's an excellent Crafts - Games - Faith in Jesus Teaching
local residents in Watton without access to opportunity to meet new friends and term time only.
Roman Catholic Community
Each Sat 5.00pm Mass at Watton Methodist Church a car or public transport by contacting the neighbours within their local area. I would Monday 15th 10.30am - 12.30pm Messy
Sat 13th 5.00pm Vigil Mass of Palm Sunday Silver Social team at least three working ask residents and local groups to come Church “Easter Alive” Fun, Friendship
All Holy Week Services at Our Lady of Pity Swaffham days prior to the event. along to The Silver Social performances Food, Crafts and Games, children please
Sun 14th Palm Sunday The Opera Dudes, who have performed in and see for themselves how life changing it bring an adult with you to enjoy together!
8.30am & 10.30am Mass for Palm Sunday over 50 operas and delivered 3000 concert can be." The scheme is funded by The Arts Saturday 20th 10 - 12noon Coffee Morning
Thur 18th Maundy Thursday performances in major theatres and Council England, Breckland Council and at St Mary’s Church, Watton, all welcome.
7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper Norfolk County Council. Tickets for the
concert halls across the UK, are Friday 26th 2.15pm, Watton Community
Fri 19th Good Friday
3.00pm Celebration of the Passion of the Lord comprised of former Cambridge scholar show are only £5 with tea and cake Cinema at St Mary’s Church “First Man”.
Sat 20th 8.00pm The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night and an ex-builder turned international included. For further information on the Refreshment Café opens one hour prior to
Sun 21st Easter Day operatic tenor. Tim Lole and Neil Allen events or to book your place/transport, call screening. Tickets available at the box office
8.30am &10.30am Mass of Easter Day have performed in magical musical 01362 656870, email on the day.
St. Nicholas’ Church, Ashill venues including Convent Garden, community@breckland.gov.uk The March Winner of the 100 Club Draw
Sun 7th 10.00am Lay Led & Sunday Funday Glyndebourne, London St Pauls, New or visit www.thesilversocial.com was number 56 Diana Millard.
Tues 9th 7.00pm Prayers & Music by Candlelight York and with the stunning Scottish Opera
Palm Sunday
Sun14th 9.30am Holy Communion
Tue 16th 7.00pm Prayer & Music by candlelight
Good Friday
Fri 19th 2.00pm Meditation x
Easter Day
Sun 21st 9.30am Holy Communion x
St. George’s Church, Saham Toney
Sun 7th 11.00am Lay Led Worship
Palm Sunday
Sun 14th 11.00am Holy Communion
Good Friday
Fri 19th 10.00am Procession of Witness Wells Cole
Community
Centre to St George’s
10.30am Meditation
Easter Eve
Sat 20th 8.00pm Group Service of Light with renewal of
Baptism Vows x
Easter Day
Sun 21st 11.00am Holy Communion
S.S. Peter & Paul’s Church, Carbrooke
Sun 7th 10.30am Holy Communion
Palm Sunday
Sun 14th 10.30am Morning Worship
Mon 15th 7.00pm Celtic Night Prayer
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 11
Mayors Musings
From Cllr Tina Kiddell
This will be my penultimate mayors’
musings, as after the election, should I
still be elected to council, I will be
handing the chain of office to the next
chosen mayor. So, without further ado I
will continue with my update.
There has been a lot of speculation over
the last few weeks with regard to a skate
park or pump track coming to Watton.
As you know I'm very keen on bringing
this to fruition and as such have been
working hard on it with the Youth
advisory Board. Council is committed
to youth provision and is working on
many ideas to help facilitate a brighter
future for our youth. It is my hope that
we will have the support of the town to
help maintain and work with us on
these projects, after all, the youth are the
towns new generation, and as one
young girl recently said to me, they
want this town to be somewhere they
want their children to live. It puts things
into perspective when you see the lack
of facilities through the eyes of the
youth. It is the reason why we
sometimes see them hanging around, it
is purely because they have nothing to
do. I know some people will say there
was never anything when we were
young and we made fun out of nothing,
but and it’s a big but, today there are
just way too many rules and regulations
and cutbacks that quite literally wipes
off the list of the things that we used to
do, i.e. swim in the river, play out on
our bikes, discos etc, our world has
changed, and not always for the better. I
was gratified when I went on a recent
trip to see some skate parks with a
group of great kids, who really
enlightened me, in that basically they
have not changed, the world has. So,
back to basics, give them somewhere to
hang out and we will have a much
happier group of youngsters. Let’s
make this happen.
While we are spending time addressing
the lack of facilities, I feel we have to
also recognise the vast array of good
points that we have here in Watton and
I am still staggered by the great
community that we have here, the
enormous amount of groups for the
older generation, there is in fact many
things to do from knitting clubs to
memory cafes, sports facilities , and
now also the amazing parkrun that has
just started, every Saturday from 9am.
There really is something for everyone.
I must say the parkrun was a revelation
to me as I didn’t realise what a great
community it encourages. You can do it
from walking jogging or running, its
down at the loch and then runs around
the sports field, it is a great way to get
out and about and to see what amazing
countryside we have here in Watton.
When you’ve finished, grab a bacon
sarnie and a coffee at the sporty or have
a picnic at the loch. Now the weather is
warming up it’s a lovely area to relax
especially since the loch committee
have done such a great job making it
accessible to all.
With so much going on in the next few
months we are spoilt for choice.
Don’t forget to come and see me on my
market stall every other Wednesday,
next one is 13th march then 27th then
10th and then my last one will be 24th
April.
Tina Kiddell, Mayor of Watton.
Watton (Loch
Neaton) Bowls Club
The Bowls Club Spring Meeting took
place on the 9th of March in the
clubroom at the Sports Centre, which
had been freshly decorated for the start
of the season. A full programme for this
year’s season was discussed and
planned; besides our local league
matches, we will also have friendly
matches, roll-ups, charity matches and
family club days.
John Walkling, a club member for
28yrs, was nominated for, and granted
Honorary Life Membership in
appreciation of his voluntary work
during that period. John was one of the
most active members of the team that
looked after the bowls green and its
surrounds. Most people do not realise
that a green can require cutting up to
three times a week during the summer,
along with scarifying and aerating. John
also applied his skills as a retired
engineer to improve and maintain the
equipment used for these tasks.
The Club will be holding an Open Day
on the 11th May to give people a
chance to try bowls in the open air on
our excellent green. The Open Day will
be followed by some free coaching days
for those who are interested. Contact
Graham Vellam 01953880414 or Kevin
Simpson 01953882790 for more
information.
West Norfolk
Aviation Society
This month’s aeronautical spectacular
began at Steve and Jean de Roeck’s
palace in Saham Toney where a very
welcome feast was enjoyed by a high
proportion of the WNAS
membership.
www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.
uk for further details. This event was
a warm-up to the unveiling of a long
Watton Rotary Roundup
awaited exhibition of the on-going
construction of two replica WW1
aircraft in the Watton workshop
belonging to society member Roger
Burrows. This modest master
craftsman has spared nothing in his
quest for perfection using the same
production methods of the period:
wood, fabric and a minimum of metal.
A 5/8 scale ‘Isaacs’ Hawker Fury and
a 7/8 scale ‘Royal Aircraft Factory’
SE5A are well on the way to
completion with no extra help other
than from the encouragement of an
understanding family. The
atmosphere in the ‘hanger’ was
electric; the outpouring of enthusiasm
from the crew could be felt;
camaraderie abounded; nostalgia took
over with reminiscences of a time
gone by, and, fortunately, with none
of the fear.
Many thanks go to Roger and also to
the unseen caterers in both
departments who helped make the day
such a wonderful success. Young Chef Competition Winner & Runner Up Jessica Evans & Amelie Green
We all look forward, someday soon With President, Dr Mike Harvey, Gaynor Evans & Rtn. Michael Haythorpe
perhaps, if we’re lucky enough, to be
invited to the maiden flights of this WAYLAND ACADEMY: Two of the who were just into their second term of
magnificent man in his flying annual competitions we sponsor at the senior school; this was endorsed by
machines. Wayland Academy have been coordinator and head judge/taster,
completed. At our March 7th meeting, Rotarian Michael Haythorpe.
the photographic one, which was 2019 UMBRELLA FESTIVAL
Song of The Waiters reported upon briefly, with picture, in Following the initial successful festival
...continued... last month’s roundup, was addressed by in September 2018 Watton Rotary Club
our president, Dr Mike, who talked have agreed to hold a 2nd Festival in
through the results for the winners and 2019 and it again will be the weekend
Being further expeditions into
runners-up with illustrations of their of Saturday-Sunday 14-15 September
unknown Norfolk by the West End
work, explaining the techniques he was to coincide with the Watton Carnival,
Waiters. To the tune of The Lass of
looking for against a broadly based which is set for Sunday 15 September.
Richmond Hill.
task. This is the second year of the A small sub-committee has been
competition and he expressed his great formed and planning has already
This time Old Buckenham found it
satisfaction at the quality of the entries. started, further announcements will be
hard
At the same meeting, we entertained made as arrangements are finalised.
To be convulsed with laughter;
the winner and runner up in the young We are looking forward to 2 fundraiser
Their meal not done, yet we’d
chef competition. This has been an functions in the later half of March and
begun...
annual event for many years and this hopefully we will be able to report
‘‘Twas not what they were after.
year was applied to year 7. Teacher, some healthy income for our Trust
Intruders we - politely met -
Gaynor Evans, was delighted at the Fund in May’s ‘Rotary Roundup’.
Financially rewarded -
enthusiasm for cooking, and quality of Martin Anscombe
We finished, packed and quietly left,
the food produced by the youngsters,
Half - heartedly applauded.
The folk at Loddon Centre proved
More unreserved than lately,
Stevens' Almshouses Vacancy
The Almshouses, a Grade 2 listed building situated between Vincent Place and the
And drawn in by their eager smiles
We were encouraged greatly. Junior School, consist of four studio cottages. They are managed by a group of
volunteer Trustees who oversee all aspects of maintenance and occupancy. The
Our sense of fun was matched by
theirs
Trustees come from all parts of the local community and the organisation is not run
by St Mary's Church as is commonly thought, although the Constitution does
And gave us all much pleasure.
Amongst them all we shared a meal.... require the Vicar and a Churchwarden to be unelected Trustees. One of the cottages
has recently become vacant and the Trustees are seeking a new resident:
It was a time to treasure!
Stevens Almshouse Charity Watton, studio cottage with separate kitchen and
Hurrah for those old codgers! bathroom, communal gardens. Would suit mature single responsible person.
Selection criteria applies. References would be required
Peter Cowling For further information please contact The Clerk: 01953 885479
The Wayland News April 2019 Page 12

News from
Watton
Westfield
We have been very busy over the last
few weeks! We love reaching out
into our community and have
enjoyed visits to Dorrington House
to spend time with our older friends,
Watton Sports Centre to compete
against other local schools in multi
sports skills for the Wayland Cup, St.
Mary’s Church for RE, and Knights
Park Housing Development to lay a
time capsule for History. There is so
much for our children to learn about
right where we live!
March 7th was World Book Day
2019 (See picture front page) and we
celebrated by asking all of the
children to come to school dressed as
their favourite story character. We
were full to the rafters with
princesses and superheroes, Where’s
Wally and Alice in Wonderland,
Roald Dahl & JK Rowling characters
to name but a few! Many of the staff
also joined in and every classroom
was themed around a different story
with the children completing a round
robin to visit each room.
After that we threw ourselves in to
British Science Week (8th to 15th
March) with gusto! We were very
fortunate to receive a £300 grant
towards inviting all our parents and
carers into school take part in
science workshops with their
children. The children were amazed
by a variety of experiments,
including exploring colour mixing
with Skittles, creating rain clouds
in a jar, making raisins dance and
volcanoes erupt! Pictures from some
Later this year Westfield will of the recent
celebrate its 40th anniversary. The activities at Watton
school opened on 4th July 1979 Westfield School
and has welcomed so many
children and families through its
doors since then. We have seen Top: Koala class
many changes and as part of our dressed up for World
celebrations we would like to look Book Day
back at the differences between
now and then and the milestones
along the way. If you have any Middle: Elephant
special photographs, records or class staff as a
memories of Westfield over the last school of Rainbow
40 years, or are still in touch with Fish (excuse the
members of staff, governors or the
PTA who have since retired or
pun!)
moved away please do let us know!
We have set up a special email Bottom: Key Stage 1
address for this. Please contact: children and families
westfields40thanniversary@corvused working together.
ucation.com
THE WAYLAND NEWS
Spring Thing PLEASE READ!!! Page space is allocated strictly on a first
Winter is almost over and we look come, first served basis. 12 Noon on the 15th of the
ahead to Spring, month preceding publication is the last date and time
So as April approaches Watton’s that copy will be CONSIDERED for inclusion. Arrival of
Methodists are planning a ‘’thing’’
your copy before deadline does not guarantee inclusion,
There will be ‘’things’’ to buy and
‘’things’’ to eat,
if you wish to be certain your entry gets published, then
From jewellery and cards, you’ll be please make sure it arrives in plenty of time otherwise
in for a treat. you may still be disappointed.
The children can join in a treasure You can contact Julian by ringing (01953) 858908.
hunt, The e-mail address is julian@waylandnews.com
Some competitions too, so come Views expressed in articles in The Wayland News are those of the
have a punt. contributors and not the views of the publisher or printers.
While every care and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy,
Pots and plants to make your heart
sing the publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.
So please come and join us for our This issue of the The Wayland News was published by:
April ‘’Spring Thing’’. Julian Horn, 32 High Street, Watton IP25 6AE
This will all happen on 6 April 2019 and printed by:
at the Watton Christian Community Sharman & Company Ltd, Newark Road
Centre from 9.30am till 12noon.
Hope to see you there! Peterborough PE1 5TD. Phone: 01733 424 949