Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 1

NEWSNEWSwww.thorpestandrew-tc.gov.uk Spring 2010

Thorpe St AndrewTown Council

Tel: 01603 701048

Full details inside this issue.

THORPE ST ANDREWCAR BOOT SALES

ARE BACK FOR THE SUMMER !

Once again Thorpe St Andrew Town Councilhas put together an excellent programme tocelebrate St George’s Day this year. There willbe a range of entertainment for the whole fam-ily with the Weavers Morris Dancers, The Pavil-ion Brass Band, Thorpe Players, HillsideSchool Maypole Dancers, Unicorn Chinese Artsdance display and the Vineyard Church. The Town Council will be operating a licencedbar with a choice of real ales to ensure thateveryone can raise a glass to St George. Therewill be stalls organised by the Lions andFriends of the Blind as well as those fromclubs, organisations and local residents. ThePavilion Nursery will have tea and coffee avail-able in the Fitzmaurice Pavilion. There will be some terrific fun fair rides andRonaldo’s ice creams and refreshments will be

ready to cater for the children’s needs. There will also be the Town Council StGeorge’s Day Fancy Dress competition. Enteron the day and bring along your childrendressed as St George, The Dragon or Damsel’sin Distress (we also welcome princesses).There will be prizes for all those who dress upand take part.Jonathan Emsell, chair of the events commit-tee said “We have tried to arrange an eventthat will appeal to as many of our residents aspossible. You can be five or ninety five andhave a good time. So we hope to see you allthere.” The Vineyard church will hold a lively serviceat 11.30am that everyone is welcome to attendwith the afternoon programme of free enter-tainment starting at 1pm.

Thorpe St Andrew

ST GEORGE’S DAY CELEBRATION

SUNDAY 25th APRIL FROM 1pmFITZMAURICE PAVILION

TSATC Council News SPRING 10:Layout 1 29/03/2010 10:37 Page 1

www.thorpestandrew-tc.gov.uk Spring 2014 Tel 01603 701048

The Thorpe St Andrew Town Council Events Committee have once again organised an excel-lent programme for our St George’s Day event. At the start of another exciting year of superb events for the residents of Thorpe St Andrew. The Vineyard Church start the event at 12pm, with a fun packed performance for all the fam-ily. By popular demand we have brought back Punch and Judy this year, which appeals to chil-dren and parents, offering traditional fun for all. We have local Magician, Jake Ace, performing for us throughout the afternoon. He is a very talented young man that will amaze you with his tricks. We welcome back Aspire Street Dance, an amazing local dance group who will be do-ing a couple of sets for us. Jonathan Emsell a Town Councillor on the Events Committee said “ We have a full programme of entertainment that will appeal to all ages, children to grand-

parents. It is important that residents feel part of their community and the Town events bring people together.” The Town Council Beer Tent will provide refreshment, with food stalls, ice cream and the Pa-vilion Nursery will be selling teas, cof-fees and cakes as they are looking to raise funds to purchase more outside play equipment. There will be charity and craft stalls, offering gifts and treats and the chance to win prizes. Plus a small fun fair for younger children. As always it is the support shown and enthusiasm of residents attending our events that makes them so success-ful. Town councillors will be on hand all day if people have questions about our 2014 Event Programme. For more information, or to book a stall,

contact the Town Council on (01603) 701048 or email info@thorpestandrew-tc.gov.uk

ST GEORGES DAY FANCY DRESS COMPETITION

To be judged at 3.00pm Sunday 27th April Fitzmaurice Pavilion, Pound Lane

Dress as the Princess....

Or the Dragon....

..Maybe St George himself..... Thorpe St Andrew Town Council

Thorpe St Andrew Future Events Summer Events with Classic Car Show Sunday 22nd June 2014

Fireworks Night Wednesday 5th November

Christmas Lights Switch On Date TBC

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Thorpe Heather and Conifer Centre to reopen

Brian Hipperson was a very busy newsagent at Hipperson’s Newsagents in North Walsham Road for twenty-one years from 1959 until 1980 when

he decided to change and was given the chance to purchase what was then Thorpe Alpine Gardens in Girlings Lane, Yarmouth Road, Thorpe St Andrew.

So in September 1980 he started Norwich Heather and Conifer Centre. He built the business up growing most of the heathers and also quite a lot of the conifers. He was very successful and gave talks to garden clubs as well as Women’s Institutes.

He made many friends from all over the county as well in Thorpe St Andrew itself. If your soil was not right he would not sell you anything unless it could be adjusted. A very fair man!

He became popularly known as the “The Man with the Pipe.” Sadly Brian Hipperson died last year on the 13 November after a brave year long fight with cancer and will be sadly missed by all who knew him and his trademark pipe at the Heather

Monthly walks led by Chris Durdin 2014

Wednesday 30 April 10amMonday 19 May 10amMonday 23 June 7pmFriday 11 July 7pmTuesday 12 August 10am Friday 5 September 10amAll walks are free of charge and last about 2 hours at a slow pace. They start from the pedestrian railway bridge at the end of Whitlingham Lane. Simply turn up and enjoy. Remember to bring binoculars and a camera if you have them.Wellies are often recommended as paths can be wet and muddy in places, even in summer.

Join us in a series of walks around Thorpe St Andrew, exploring aspects of local history and looking at the birds and other wildlife, flowers and trees that make the area special.

Thorpe PitsTuesday 20th May 7.00PMMeet Hill Crest Road Chapel Car ParkA ramble round some of the old workings that

pepper the Western Ridge and which have now returned to nature. To include Weston Pits, Chapel Lane Pit and School Lane footpath, emerging at the Pinebanks site .

Steep ascents and descents, c90 minutes. Stout footwear if wet and insect repellent advised.

Belmore WoodTuesday 3rd June 7.00PM Meet South Hill Road entrance to woodsA lovely piece of mixed woodland, full of birds

and with some good specimen trees. We will stop to look at the remains of the ‘Secret Army’ base, the once extensive system of ponds and the giant redwood near Pound Lane.

By permission of the Thorpe and Felthorpe TrustLevel, c90-120 minutes. Stout footwear if wet and

insect repellent advised.Business Park, Old Hospital Site & CemeteryTuesday 17th June 7.00PMMeet Sainsbury’s Pound Lane car park outside

Council office

A walk through the Business Park to the little-known Polish cemetery, visiting the remains of St Andrew’s County Asylum, considered a model development in its day. Surprisingly good wild flowers and with the added interest of ponds on the old stream course.

Mainly level and easy, c90 minutes. Cary’s MeadowTuesday 1st July 7.00PMMeet Broadland Council car park, Yarmouth

Road. Please park to the right of the car park.Explore this little gem, host to many types of

flower, including several orchid species (weather permitting!) and rich in insect and bird life. We will also take a look at the entrance to the ‘bat cave’ tunnel under the Yarmouth Road.

Level, c90 minutes. Stout footwear if wet and insect repellent advised.

Cottage Drive & DussindaleTuesday 15th July 7.00PMMeet Cottage Pub car park (Please park at far end

by recycling bins, adjacent to British Legion building)A wander down the hidden path that runs all the

way through to Dussindale. We will keep our eyes open for knapped flints when we reach the tree belts and learn a little of the history of the area.

Level, C90 minutes

Walks with the Tree Wardens 2014

In early February The Roxley Village Hall played host to a “2013 Quiz and Chips Night” in aid of The RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Nature Reserve. The evening was a great success and raised well over £500 towards the Wet Reedbed Creation Fund.

88 keen quizzers attempted to recall anything and everything related to events in 2013, and brain food was provided by the excellent Thorpe Fish Bar on Yarmouth Road.

The Hall was a perfect venue with adequate room for 16 teams, a kitchen with serving hatch for the food and a stage for the quizmaster, his flipchart and the numerous raffle prizes. And the hire charge didn’t make too big a dent in our profits!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the reserve at Strumpshaw Fen it lies east of Norwich just off the A47 through the village of Brundall. Admission is free for RSPB members and the reserve is open everyday from dawn until dusk except Christmas Day. Visitors can enjoy the peace and quiet of the beautiful and diverse habitat and may be lucky enough to spot Bitterns, Marsh Harriers, Otters and Chinese Water Deer, and in the Spring and Summer the spectacular Swallowtail Butterflies. Further information can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/strumpshawfen/

We look forward to welcoming you soon.Liz GibsonOn behalf of Strumpshaw Fen Friends

Three unusual, early varieties of apple trees have been planted in the community orchard at Hillside Avenue, Thorpe St Andrew allotments. The tree planting ceremony was organised by volunteer tree warden Peter Rope who provided an Early Emneth apple tree that was planted by Town Mayor John Ward to commemorate the outbreak of World War 1 a hundred years ago.

The variety was first recorded in 1899 and was raised by William Lynn of Emneth by crossing a Lord Grosvenor with a Keswick Codlin. Once an important early season UK apple it was mainly grown around Wisbech.

Allotment holder Roy Cook and family members planted another unusual early apple tree in memory of his wife Ann who died suddenly last year. This was a Sandringham; a variety that was developed on the Royal Estate at Sandringham in 1883 and enjoyed widespread popularity during the early 20th century. Another notable feature of this tree is the beautiful display it makes in spring with its deep pink blossom.

Doreen East planted a New Costessey Seedling; a Norfolk variety dating back to 1926 that was raised by George Fayers in New Costessey from a pip, possibly from the Bedfordshire apple Lord

WANTED...... Bee KeeperDo you know all about keeping bees? The

Town Council are looking for a bee keeper to bring hives to the Nature Reserve by the Hillside Avenue allotments. If you can help please call us at 01603 701048 or email office@thorpestandrew.tc.gov.uk

and Garden Centre.Town Mayor John Ward met members of his

family to mark the continuation of the business under their stewardship. “We are opening the business on a part time basis on Thursdays and Fridays at present, and other times by appointment” said his daughter Donna Weavers. “My husband Mark and our son Tom will be helping me to run it. Behind the narrow entrance gate to the centre there is a fantastic display of many, many varieties of conifers and heathers.

“I hadn’t been previously been inside the conifer centre and I was truly amazed at the beauty of it and there are so many plants to choose from that are hard to find in larger garden centres. I wish the family every success.” Said Thorpe St Andrew Town Mayor John Ward.

Strumpshaw Fen RSPB Reserve Fundraising Event

Memorial trees planted at community orchardL a m b o u r n e . It produces medium sized apples greenish yellow in colour with a scattering or russet and an orange flush. This was planted in memory of Gus Sadler who worked an allotment at Hillside for many years.

Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 2 Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 3

We are lucky to have an excellent farmers market in Thorpe St Andrew, selling local produce and speciality foods. This is now being supported by the Town Council to ensure the community event continues. There have been some changes over the last year and the future of the market did not seem certain. With the involvement of Broadland District Council’s Economic Development Department and Jonathan Emsell, a local Town and District councillor, helping with promotion and marketing, the market is well placed to grow this year. Jonathan said “The Farmers Market is wonderful for Thorpe St Andrew, offering great produce and foods a little different from the supermarkets, with the chance for residents

Town Council Supports Community Engagementto meet up over coffee”. There are meat, fish, vegetables, bread and cheese stalls offering a range of foods at amazing prices. Also plants, gluten free cakes, preserves and gifts with free tea and coffee for all visitors. In order that residents have the opportunity to talk about local issues that concern them, Jonathan will be on hand to answer questions. With Chloe Smith the Norwich North MP also holding an informal surgery in April, May and July. This gives residents an excellent opportunity to engage with their local and national elected representatives. Jonathan added “Moving forward we will be able to use the markets as a way to help new organisations and groups starting in the area contact residents”.

The Thorpe St Andrew Farmers Market is held the last Friday of the month at the St Andrews Centre, Thunder Lane. Open from 9am. So we hope to see you all on Friday 25th April.

Following a well attended meeting last Oc-tober a Thorpe History Group was formed and a number of events organised. The aims of the group are to increase people’s knowledge of the history of Thorpe through putting on talks and other activities, publishing material of interest, encouraging members of the group to undertake research and to provide the oppor-tunity for members to meet on a regular basis.

So far there has been a talk on the Rosary Cemetery by Nick Williams in November, fol-lowed by an extremely interesting illustrated talk on the history of the former Thorpe Asy-lum by Steve Cherry, an expert on the subject. The asylum opened in 1814 and closed in the 1990s and amongst the audience for the talk were several people who had worked there.

Several research projects are underway in-cluding one to discover as much as possible about the men commemorated on the war memorial on the village green and publish the results, and a gazetteer of Thorpe street names and their origins. The third project is to un-dertake research into the Thorpe Rail Crash of 1874. If you are interested in assisting or have information that may be of interest the contact names for the three projects are shown below:

War Memorial - John Balls - 01603 433712 or johnb1912@btinternet.com

Street Names - Roger Pointer - roger.pointer@sky.com

Train Crash - Joanna Barker - 01603 701587The next event is a talk on the Harvey family

of Thorpe by Patricia Wagstaffe. The Harveys were a wealthy family of master weavers who were socially prominent in Norwich with sev-eral serving as Mayor. They owned property in

Thorpe including what is now the headquar-ters of Broadland District Council. One of them Lieut. Col. Harvey, was responsible for the Thorpe Water Frolic which took place for several years during the early nineteenth cen-tury. The talk takes place on Friday 11th April at the St Andrew’s Centre, Thunder Lane, be-ginning at 7.30. There will a charge of £3 to help with our costs.

Other events in 2014 include a tour of the Rosary cemetery on Friday 18th July - this is now fully booked but we will be arranging an additional tour during the summer. There will also be a talk on Friday 7th November at the St Andrew’s Centre by John Balls on ‘Thorpe in World War 1’ - this will concentrate on the men commemorated on the war memo-rial. We will also be having a stall at the Armed Forces day event at the Recreation Ground on Sunday 22nd June.

You can find more about these events and about the Thorpe History Group by contact-ing Nick Williams on 01603 438766 or by email at spinney72@aol.com.

The Thorpe History Group

First World War Information

As a member of the Thorpe History Group I am writing a book which will deal with the sto-ries of all the First World War solders named on the War Memorial on the River Green. If you have any information or photos which may be relevant, particularly if you are related to one of the victims, would you please contact me, either by email - johnb1912@btinternet.com or by phone - 01603 43371. Thank you, John Balls. “

The town council has planted a considerable number of spring flowering bulbs on some of the verges and green spaces in Thorpe St Andrew. A number of trees were planted in the grass verges in Gordon Avenue and Dussindale Drive and the spring flowers around some of the trees has brightened up the street scene and helped to discourage verge parking.

Damage to grass verges due to verge parking has been considerable during the wet conditions and reinstatement of the worst verges will not be possible until later this year.

Unfortunately four of the trees planted to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in Dussindale Drive have been vandalised and on two occasions trees have been broken in two. Replacement trees will be planted but it is regrettable that thoughtless vandalism by a few spoils things for the majority of residents.

Just before Christmas Sainsbury’s supermarket donated a large number of bulbs of various types of spring flowers and these were planted by council staff and have made for a very attractive display on the St Andrews Park roundabout in Yarmouth Road.

The two new “Welcome to Thorpe St Andrew” signs that were erected with planters on the posts in Yarmouth Road and St Williams Way have been sponsored by Arnold Keys estate agents and their floral display makes a very pleasing entrance to Thorpe St Andrew when travelling from the city.

Verge trees and spring bulbs

Crocuses growing around a recently planted tree in Gordon Avenue.

Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 4

It’s been a busy year for the team at Thunder Lane Post Office but it seems the hard work is paying off as they’ve just won a national award for their efforts.

Neal Gurney (29) and his team at the Thorpe St Andrew based branch have just been awarded ‘Best agency branch’ half year 2013/14. Sub postmaster Neal said “To win this award is a big deal for us as there’s over 11,000 agency branches in the network. We always strive to give our customers a top quality service and go that extra mile. To win an award for our work is fantastic and just shows we must be doing something right!”

With a government backed transformation programme the Post Office at Thunder Lane was completely refurbished in March last year and had a grand reopening. Local MP Chloe Smith and town Mayor John Ward were just a few of the VIP’s there to help cut the ribbon and celebrate the new look and longer opening hours.

The branch soon got another boost in May when

Thunder Lane Post Office wins national award.

Post Office Chief Executive Paula Vennels dropped in with Liberal Democrat business minister Jo Swinson. They met with Neal and the team to discuss the launch of the new Post Office Current Account. East Anglia was the first area in the country where the new accounts were launched and Thunder Lane branch are still one of the only branches where these accounts can be opened.

After a six month battle with the Highways Authority and the help and support of the local Town Council the branch had a free to use ATM installed in January. Initially the District Council refused permission for an ATM because of traffic concerns. The Highways Authority eventually agreed that an ATM at the branch would be beneficial to all concerned due to the ever increasing banking services offered by the Post Office.

With all of this going on the staff still found time to dress up in onesies and bake cakes to help raise over £700 for Children in Need.

Winning the half year award now means the branch is nominated for the annual award held in London in June. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the team at Thunder Lane and be proud that Norwich now has an award winning Post Office!

Two bus shelters have recently been erected in Yarmouth Road; one near the St Andrews Business Park and another close to the Yarmouth Road shops. The town council is committed to erecting at least one new shelter each year.

An application has been made for a grant from Norfolk County Council for a bus shelter outside the shops on Plumstead Road East. If the grant application is successful a second shelter will be erected to serve the bus stop near Dales Loke on Yarmouth Road.

More bus shelters

The bus shelter near the shops in Yarmouth Road

Thorpe Recreation Bowls Club is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year. The club is based at Laundry Lane recreation ground and has one of the best bowling greens in the county. To kick start the new season the club is holding two open days on 19 and 26 April from 10.00am to 4.00pm for anyone wishing to learn or play this very friendly game. All are welcome and no experience is necessary as coaching on the aspects of the game will be given on the day to those who are new to the game. For more information contact Glyn Bailey on (01603) 501341.

Minor disruptions to users of the council’s owned car parks were implemented in Sep-tember 2013 while contractors were busy re-surfacing worn out surfaces.

The Williams Loke library car park was up-graded from a potholed gravelled area to a full highways specification macadam surface along with the area leading up to the front of the Fitzmaurice Pavilion from Commonwealth Way.

The ‘overspill’ area to the South Western end of the Laundry Lane Recreation Ground was also given a full highways macadam surface with an additional soakaway to capture rain-water run-off.

Finally the heavily used and badly worn main Recreation Ground car park was given a new lease of life with repairs to potholes, a new entrance surface followed by top dressing and new parking bay lines.

The Salvation Army will be running a Community Cafe again during the Spring and Summer on Thursday mornings from 10-12.00 at the Morse Pavilion, Laundry Lane Recreation Ground. It will be open from Thursday 1st May and any profits will go to the Thorpe Youth Cafe. Come along for a drink and a chat!

Messy Church is still running in Thorpe St Andrew. This is an informal church for parents and children to come to after school. It involves games, craft activities, singing and a meal at the end and is free to attend. Come and join us on the first Friday of every month at the Adult Education Centre,

Weather permitting, your dedicated Speed Watch team will be “out on the job” in the New Year sporting our wonderfully warm hi-viz jackets kindly provided by the Town Council.

It has been suggested by our Norfolk Safety Camera Partnership Administration Officer that it might prove more satisfactory to stay in one site for possibly a month at a time.

We tried this in October and November and as far as organisation was concerned it was certainly easier for me to administer.

As far as motorists were concerned they were unaware, that because we were not seen out consistently in the same venue, we might well be sitting at home with our feet up ( I wish) Not realising that we had moved on to another site . It also shows that we are taking the task seriously.

You might well be interested in the results for those two months

October St Williams Way5 sessions between 9.30-15.3010 recorded exceeding the speed limit November Plumstead Rd5 sessions between 9.30 -14.307 recorded exceeding the speed limit2 nil returnsDecember St Williams Way-training session

for new member 1 session –weather against us & leading busy

lives leading up to Christmas !1 recorded at 43 mph!!We are still surprised at the amount of verbal

abuse we receive from motorists on occasions. Whereas, pedestrians, living locally, are fully supportive. However, despite intimidation and confrontation it is a requirement of the Team to treat all 3rd parties with respect & dignity.

We are always seeking new members so if you are genuinely interested do please contact me on the telephone number below.

Jill Wigy SW co-ordinatorTel 01603 432115 PS. Should you see a BT green box

with“graffiti ” on it-please do let me know, as I carry the green paint –(legally) with me in the boot of the car!

Thorpe St Andrew’s Speed Watch Team

update

Bowls club celebrates 75

years

Car Parks

Salvation Army News

Longfields Rd, from 3.30-6.00 pm. Tot Stop is also run in conjunction with the Vineyard Church for 0-2 year olds and their carers at the Dussindale Centre on Tuesdays from 9.45 - 11.45. Thorpe Youth Cafe is run for 10-14 year olds on Wednesdays during term time from 7.00-8.30pm at the Fitzmaurice Pavilion.

Our church services are held at 10.00 on Sunday mornings at the Dussindale Primary School. All welcome! We may be starting a bible based study group this year. Please contact Kerry Giles on 07900 904128 if you might be interested in this.

Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 4 Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 5

Following on from the public consulta-tion carried out in 2013, The Friends of Thorpe St Andrew Parks have been working with mem-bers of the Town Council and architec-tural design practice,

Barron and Smith, to write a brief. The brief sets out the aims, objectives and constraints to be considered by a Landscape Architect and at the heart of it, are the feedback they received from members of the community.

The brief was on display during half term at both Pavilions within Laundry Lane and Duss-indale parks; the public had the opportunity to come and discuss the plans with members of The Friends and Town Council. “We were re-ally pleased to see people at the open sessions and hear their feedback. We didn’t want to finalise the brief until users of the parks had the opportunity to have an input”, says Emma

Local parks to be re-designed Smith, from The Friends.

The next stage is to invite Landscape Archi-tects from the East of England to take part in a competition, to draw up a Master Plan for both recreational spaces. The Town Council will award £3000 to the winner and it is expected that considerable publicity will be generated for their work. “We are very excited by the prospect of working with Landscape Architects to re-design the recreational facilities. Thorpe St Andrew is continually growing and we want to ensure the parks are inspiring, imaginative and enjoyable places for the whole community. We really hope the Master plans we receive reflect this.” The plans are expected to be on display for the public later this year.

If you would like to be kept up to date with developments you can visit the blog http://friendsoftsaparks.wordpress.com/ or like our facebook page, or email us your views to friendsoftsaparks@yahoo.co.uk

Any enquiries from interested Landscape Architects can be made via Thorpe St Andrew Town Council on 01603 701048.

Action to tackle graffiti and fly tipping is one of the priorities that have arisen from the last public meeting of the police’s Safer Neighbourhood and Policing team. An action day has been organised in conjunction with Thorpe St Andrew Town Council to clean up the park, paths and trails at Dussindale Park, Pound Lane on St George’s Day Wednesday 23 April.

Town clerk Steven Ford said “We are appealing for volunteers to come forward to help us take on the task of getting the park thoroughly cleaned up. Anyone willing to help should call the town council office on (01603) 701048 or email info@thorpestandrew-tc.gov.uk for more details.”

Litter Action Day

Start something new in 2014

Develop new skills, meet new people, make a difference in the community

Cotman Housing Association is looking for volunteers based locally in Norwich to

join our friendly Support Services Team.

We work with older people in the community and in our sheltered housing

schemes. We are looking for people who are as passionate as we are about older

people’s independence and quality of life.

We have a number of different roles, from befriending older people and

transporting them so that they can take part in activities, to helping out at our

lunch club, to helping with clearing homes of unwanted belongings.

We offer full training and supervision. You would have the support of

experienced members of staff. We pay reasonable expenses.

Please contact us if you have a few hours to spare each week. We ask you to fill

out an application form, have an informal interview with our Support Services

Manager and some roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks.

Interested? Please contact our Support Services Team on 01603 731696

Start something new in 2014

Develop new skills, meet new people, make a difference in the community

Cotman Housing Association is looking for volunteers based locally in Norwich to

join our friendly Support Services Team.

We work with older people in the community and in our sheltered housing

schemes. We are looking for people who are as passionate as we are about older

people’s independence and quality of life.

We have a number of different roles, from befriending older people and

transporting them so that they can take part in activities, to helping out at our

lunch club, to helping with clearing homes of unwanted belongings.

We offer full training and supervision. You would have the support of

experienced members of staff. We pay reasonable expenses.

Please contact us if you have a few hours to spare each week. We ask you to fill

out an application form, have an informal interview with our Support Services

Manager and some roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks.

Interested? Please contact our Support Services Team on 01603 731696

In 2009 the first Town Plan was published. This covered an outline of Thorpe St Andrew as it was then and drew up a plan of action for the next five years. The Council is currently preparing the next Town Plan which is based on results from a questionnaire survey distrib-

Thorpe St Andrew Town Planuted in Autumn 2013. This went out to over 6750 households, and was also available on the website and from the Town Council office. 174 questionnaires have been received and a large number of comments made will also be taken into account, covering topics such as transport,

development and community facilities. Thank you to everyone who responded! The full town plan will be published later this year.

Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 6

Tennis Tots is the UK’s leading tennis play and coaching programme for children aged 2-6 years. The Tennis Tots programme has been developed to encourage more children to take up tennis at a young age. The benefits of Tennis Tots go far beyond just teaching children tennis skills. Tennis Tots aims to develop physical, social and educational skills, whilst teaching children a sport that can stay with them for the rest of their lives

Many of the activities within each level of Ten-nis Tots have been designed to develop the tennis fundamentals as well as including many fun games and activities to keep children stimulated. We have found that parents are able to fully engage with their child during Tennis Tots classes and this has become an integral part of what the sessions offer.

As well as developing the tennis fundamentals, Tennis Tots also develops gross and fine motor skills, incorporates counting games to develop numeracy skills, uses different coloured equipment to improve colour recognition and general hand eye coordina-tion development.

The benefits of Tennis Tots go far beyond just teaching children tennis skills. Tennis Tots aims to develop physical, social and educational skills, whilst teaching children a sport that can stay with them for

Tennis Tots Norwich

the rest of their lives. “After all, it’s not just about tennis: it’s about chil-

dren being healthy, happy and having a hobby which they love that will stay with them for a lifetime”.

We have two sites running already in Norwich South and Norwich North. We are excited about the response from children and parents in Thorpe St Andrew and are looking to expand current provi-sion by offering more days and times to meet local demand.

Tennis Tots Norwich is co-ordinated by Norm Johnson who can be contacted on 0754 7882373 or email norwich@tennis-tots.co.uk to book a free trial taster session for your child.

A chance to relax and improve strength and flex-ibility

If you are looking to improve your strength and flexibility, reduce stress, sleep better, increase ener-gy levels and mindfulness my yoga classes could be for you. Yoga can also help specific chronic issues such as such as back/neck/shoulder pain and help students cope with depression and anxiety.

My name is Hester and I have been practicing yoga for over 13 years. I started to teach in 2011 as I wanted to share the many benefits I have personally experienced.

My classes last for 1.5 hours and start with relax-ation and breath awareness. We then gently warm up the body ready for specific postures and movements (known as asanas) which condition the whole body. Modifications are provided to ensure that everyone works safely and to their ability. Classes end with further breath awareness, relaxation and occasion-ally meditation.

I run weekly classes, suitable for all levels, in Thor-pe End (Mon at 7.30pm – Village Hall) and Thorpe (Weds at 5.15pm – Dussindale Centre).

For more information please see my website www.hesteryoga.co.uk or contact me on 07810 704096. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yoga

The council will be seeking government approval to update and modernise the three separate existing byelaws held on our recreational parks/land into one single all encompassing document. This new docu-ment will remove outdated restrictions currently in place such as:

‘No person shall deliver any address or lecture or take part in any discussion or political meeting or party meeting or meeting for teaching, preaching or singing or play any musical instrument on the River Green without permission of the Council’

‘No yacht, boat or wherry or other vessel shall be allowed to moor to the River Green except under stress of weather, or except by permission of the Council’

(The penalty for either of the above offences would be ‘FORTY SHILLINGS’).

Also:‘Provided that where the Council set apart a

space in the ground for the use of bicycles or oth-er similar machines this byelaw shall not be deemed to prohibit the wheeling of such machines to the space by a direct route from the entrance to the ground on Laundry Lane. (2) A person shall not ride any bicycle or other similar machine on any part of the ground’

‘A person shall not on the ground (a)beat, shake, sweep, brush, or cleanse any carpet, drugget, rug, or mat, or any other fabric retaining dust or dirt; (b) hang, spread, or deposit any linen or other fabric for drying or bleaching’

(The penalty for these offences would be a fine not exceeding ‘TWO POUNDS’).

We would value your comments on the draft proposed document, copies of which can be viewed at the Council office or online at: www.thorpe-standrew-tc.gov.uk.

New Byelaws proposalThere is now a plastic4charity bank at the Recre-

ation Ground car park on Laundry Lane. All money raised from the recycled plastic goes to the Matthew Project, which is an organisation based in Norwich that provides support to people with drug and alco-hol related issues. There are some new guidelines for collecting the plastic and these are as follows:-

Please collect all your rinsed out plastic bottle tops and margarine/ice cream containers and milk bottles. Then place the bottle tops in the contain-ers, put the lid on and put the container into the recycling bank.

The reason for the change in instructions is be-cause the banks were full of plastic bags containing bottle tops and the plastic bags are not recycla-ble. The loose plastic bottle tops flew everywhere as well when the bank was emptied!!

The Matthew Project and the Town Council would like to thank everyone for continuing to sup-port the project by recycling plastic that would oth-erwise have gone into the general waste bins.

New Plastic Recycling Bank

As some of you may be aware, we as a scout group are currently collecting various items for recycling.

Not only does this reduce waste going into landfill sites, but it also benefits the scout group and your children as we receive money for the items we col-lect. To date we have received over £800 – free mon-ey it does not cost the group or parents to collect or send.

We can recycle old mobile phones and Inkjet car-tridges. For every cartridge we receive £1, and every phone up to £30! – The only restriction on this is they cannot be Epson or Kodak cartridges.

We can also recycle any make of laser or ton-

JPK Events will be hosting the first of a planned four craft and gift fayres at Dussindale Community Centre with its’ Spring into Summer Craft and Gift Fayre on Saturday 26th April between 2pm and 6pm.

Promising around 30 indoor stalls JPKEvents creator, Ja-son Kittle, is exciting at the prospect of a regular craft fayre in Thorpe St Andrew.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the wealth of local talent that the area has to offer and give customers the chance to pick up something unique and made with real

er cartridges, please place them in the den lobby. If anybody owns or runs a business, or feels a business they work for may be interested in this I can give you a collection box or a large quantity of envelopes to enable us to collect as much as possible!

In addition we collect the following for which we receive 2p for each item

Activia or Danone or Shape Yogurt pots (any size)Actimel yogurt drink bottles.Tassimo coffee podsKenco coffee eco refill packsJohnsons babywipes packets and refillsAny Ellas Kitchen pouches.NEW All used or dried up writing instruments

(except wooden pencils and crayons) can be collect-ed, regardless of their brand or material - ballpoint pens, felt tips, mechanical pencils, markers, highlight-ers and correction fluid containers.

NEW any brand of non-savoury biscuit wrapper eg Mcvities digestive wrappers, outside wrappers for multipack biscuits e.g. Penguins, Clubs.

If in doubt please leave and I can give unacceptable items to other organisations.

There is no limit on the amount we can collect, so please inform your family, friends, work colleagues and other acquaintances so we can make the most of this opportunity.

If anyone doesn’t have access to the box in the Den, or the envelopes please leave them outside 40 Marston Moor, Norwich, NR7 0TL (side door) any time.

Thank you for your continued support. Any queries please give me a call on 01603 435537/ 07914034356

Gemma Taylor1st Thorpe St Andrew (24th Norwich) Scout

Group

attention to detail and love. We are very lucky to be wel-coming some truly inspiring individuals to our first event and really hope that visitors will enjoy browsing a diverse range of craft, gift, skincare, confectionery and pampering stalls. I think people will be staggered by the amount of effort, passion and care that goes into handmade crafting and the high quality of goods on offer and we really are hoping this is the start of something special for the local community.”

There will be something for everyone on the day includ-ing British made ceramics, handmade cards, turned wood-en objects, bags in a variety of styles and fabrics, candles, shabby chic, jewellery, art and photography to name just a

few as well as plenty to keep the little ones occupied in-cluding facepainting and a childrens’ corner. There will also be refreshments available so you can really take your time browsing and catching up with friends.

Proceeds from the fayre will be going to the Cystic Fi-brosis Trust which is celebrating its’ 50th anniversary this year. Jason says “the Trust is very close to my heart as my brother is a Cystic Fibrosis sufferer and we really are hoping to raise as much money from the event for this fantastic cause as possible.”

To find out more about the event visit www.Facebook.com/JPKEvents

Spring into Summer with crafts and gifts at Dussindale Community Centre

Scouts Recycling Appeal

Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 6 Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 7

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REWSCHOOLS & PLAYGROUPS etc.

Acorn Playgroup Mrs. Emma Gaskin, Dussindale Primary School, Vane Close, Thorpe St Andrew, Tel 436934Baby Sensory Roxley Village Hall, term time only. Wednesdays 12.30-1.30 (0-8mths) 2.00-3.0pm (7-13mths) contact 07986 964179Dussindale Primary School http://www.dussindaleprimary.com Jane Worsdale, Head teacher, Vane Close, Tel: 436180First Class Learning www.firstclasslearning.co.uk/centres/norwich-taverham Charles Nevick Tel: 423405Hillbillies Breakfast and After School Club St Williams Way Primary School, Julie King Tel: 07969 681947Hillside Avenue Primary & Nursery School www.hillsideavenue.org , Hillside Avenue, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0QW Tel 433453Just Learning Nursery www.justlearning.co.uk , (behind Bannatynes), North side, Broadland Business Park (and Meridian Way Tel 709077), Yarmouth Road, NR7 OHT Tel 300531Mini Monkey Gym Friday 9.30-12.30 at Roxley Village Hall. info@minimonkeygym.co.ukOur Lady's Pre-School Churchfields Green, St Williams Way Tel 07717 604288St Williams Way Primary School www.st-williams.norfolk.sch.uk Mr Doug Dale, Head teacher, St Williams Way, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0AJ Tel 434128Sunningdale Nursery Oasis Sports & Leisure Club, Pound Lane 01603 492020Thorpe Community Learning Centre Longfields Road, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0NB Tel for bookings: 434249 Tennis-Tots 2-6yrs www.tennis-tots.co.uk/norwich or email Norwich@tennis-tots.co.uk tel 07547 882373. Thursday 4.00pm Dussindale CentreThorpe House Langley Prep School, www.thlps.co.uk Mr. S. Marfleet, Headmaster, 7 Yarmouth Road, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0EA Tel 433055Thorpe House Langley Prep School Toddlers Group Leader Mrs Ruth Belson, every Tuesday term time only, 1.30-2.45 Tel. 433055 www.rbelson@thlps.co.uk Thorpe Pavilion Nursery Mrs S Whitney, 108 Furze Road, Thorpe St. Andrew Tel: 701680 & 462353Thorpe Toddlers (Wednesday & Thursday 9.30 – 11.00 term time) Lorraine Tel: 700789Thorpe St Andrew School www.thorpe-st-andrewhigh.co.uk Mr. I. Clayton, Principal, Laundry Lane, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0XQ Tel 497711Vineyard Tot Stop Adult and Toddler (Dussindale Centre) Kerry Giles Tel: (01603) 705029

RELIGIOUS GROUPSBaptist Witard Road, Heartsease Estate Rev. D. Adams Tel 432647Adat Yeshua Messianic Synagogue Rabbi Andrew Sheldrake, Email: adat-yeshua@ntlworld.com Tel: 464367 Church of England fr-barry@tiscali.co.uk Rev Barry Oake, 21a South Avenue, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0EW Tel 439754Methodist Church, Heartsease Lane, Rev. Nick Collison Tel: 433936Norwich Vineyard Thorpe www.norwichvineyard.co.uk Church Meets Thorpe High School, Laundry Lane 10.30am Sundays For information Geoff Lawton Tel: 701750Redeemed Christian Church of God Meets Dussindale Centre, Pound Lane, Thorpe St. Andrew Tel: 300044Roman Catholic St George's Presbytery, 223 Sprowston Road, Norwich (for Church at St Williams Way, Thorpe St. Andrew) Tel 426971Salvation Army Church, Dussindale Tel: 07900 904128Thorpe St. Andrew Spiritualist Church Mr. Smith Tel: 720362United Reformed Church Mr J Ward Tel: 431146

SCOUTS, GUIDES etc.1st Thorpe St Andrew Beavers, Cubs, Scouts 1stthorpe@live.co.uk15th Norwich Air Scouts, Beavers, Cubs, Explorers 01603 431295, 07786 524661Thorpe District Brownies contact thorpeguides@btinternet.comThorpe St Andrew 24TH Norwich Scout GroupSt John Ambulance Adults, Cadets & enquiries – County HQ 01603 431639 www.sja.org.uk St John Ambulance Badgers – Muriel Davie 01603 433528

LEISURE/SPORTBadminton – intermediate standard – Wednesday nights at Dussindale Centre8.30 – 10.30 p.m, Casuals Badminton Club – Tel: Miss S Eastman 784514Bridge Club (for experienced players) 2nd & 4th Tuesday 7.00pm Tel. Mr Fisher 01603 436856Ballet Classes for Children and Tap classes for adults Julie Seeley Tel: 412470Bridge Club – Mr.R. Fisher Tel: Norwich 436856Broadland Boat Club – www.broadlandboatclub.org.uk Contact Lynn Powley Tel 07780 331875Bums, Legs and Tummy Fitclub with Mr dod- Mondays 8.15-9.15 at Roxley Village Hall mrdodfitness@gmail.com 07588202198County Arts Club The Secretary, Plumstead Road East, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 9ND Tel 434529, Bowls instruction 10.30-12.30pm SaturdaysCoach & Horses C.C – Mick Ollerton - 01603 300434 – mickollerton@yahoo.comCommunity Sports Foundation – Scott Emmerson – 01603 761122 – scott.emmerson@ncfc-canaries.co.ukDance Classes- different styles- children age3yrs upwards and Adult classes. Pam Clarke Tel. 01603 431657Frostbite Sailing Club Secretary: Mrs. S. E. Yapp, 96 Christchurch Road, Norwich NR2 3NG Tel 454567Hillside Old Boys F.C. Secretary – Brian Smith, 25 Bracknell Avenue, Sprowston, Norwich, Tel: 499092Hillside Rovers F.C. www.hillsiderovers.co.uk Secretary – Chris Durdin Tel: 300552Ladies Keep Fit - Thursday 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Thorpe Community Learning Centre, Longfields Road Contact: Ann Bullen Tel: 434107Norfolk Health & Fitness Thursdays 6.30-7.30 Burn & Tone Thorpe Prep School contact 07765966500 or steve.hitcham@norfolkhealthandfitness.co.ukNorwich Bystanders C.C – Paul Eastick – 01508 470474 – paul.j.eastick@aviva.co.uk

Norwich Canaries F.C (ladies & girls)– Rick Edwards – 07980 997770 – uk_rick@hotmail.comNorwich Petanque Club – Meets Cottage P.H. Wednesday nights. Secretary – Heather Hubbard 01603 701023 hihubb@virginmedia.comShort Mat Bowls- Oct - April Dussindale Community Centre Mon and Thurs pm. 07770 643943 St Andrews F.C. & St Andrews Youth Under 11’s– Tel 300316St. Andrews Cricket Club www.standrewsnorfolk.play-cricket.com Gary Knights, Tel 01508 528961St Andrews F.C (seniors & youth)– Wayne Harding – 300316 – wayne.harding3@ntlworld.comSt Andrews C.C – Gary Knights – 01508 528961 – gazza1@hotmail.comStanmore Tennis Club www.tennis-today.net/stanmore Secretary: Mr Greg Tyler,7 Cintra Road, Thorpe Hamlet, NR1 4AE Tel462264Starlight Express Majorettes Maggie Brown Tel 487161Thorpe Rovers F.C (seniors) – Tom Bailey – 07528 876700 – tombailey7688@live.co.ukThorpe Rovers F.C (youth/girls) – Adam Watkinson – 01603 438730- Adam.Watkinson@kone.comThorpe United F.C (ladies & girls) – Neil Ford 01603 701343 – fordys.-@tiscali.co.ukThorpe Village F.C (seniors) – Alan Meek 01603 435985Thorpe Dolphins – Swimming lessons for children 4-10 years – Kim Burrows Tel: 439690Thorpe Kite Flyers www.thorpekiteflyers.btinternet.co.uk Mr. J. Arnott, 210 St. Faiths Road, Old Catton, Norwich, NR6 7AG Tel/Fax 429512Thorpe Leisure Bowls Club (Sen. Citizens) Secretary: Stan Thompson Tel: 01603 713463Thorpe Recreation Bowls Club Glyn Bailey.9 Branksome Close.Norwich.NR4 6SP.01603 501341Thorpe Rovers F.C. www.thorpe-rovers.co.uk Adam Watkinson, Chairman 01603 438730Thorpe Tennis Club Mrs. S Murrell, Kingston, 8 Lawn Crescent, Thorpe End, NR13 5BP Tel 432070Thorpe Village F.C. Tel 435985West Coast Swing Tuesday 7.45 at Roxley Village Hall 07940518019 www.norwichwcs.comYare Boat Club www.yareboatclub.org Mr. A. Roper, 1 Nutfield Close, Norwich Tel: 502390Yoga Wednesday 5.15-6.45pm Dussindale Centre. Contact Hester at www.hesteryoga.co.uk or on 07810 704096Zumba with Mr dod- Mondays 7.15-8.15 at Roxley Village Hall £5.00 www.health-is-wealth.co.uk or mrdodfitness@gmail.com 07588202198

WOMENS' ORGANISATIONSEast Thorpe WI - Mrs. J Palotai, 83 Beechwood Drive, Thorpe St. Andrew, NR7 OLN Tel: 461310 Mothers Union Mrs. Ann Cox, 7 Boulderside Close Thorpe St Andrew Tel: 436619Thorpe End WI www.thorpeendwi@yahoo.co.uk Secretary: Sue Harrison Tel: 700872 (meet 7.15 p.m. third Thursday - Thorpe End Village Hall) The Royal British Legion Women’s Section Thorpe Chairman/Hon Secretary Miss M Hawes, 48 Scott Road, Thorpe Park, Norwich NR1 1YR Tel: 622953

HEALTH ORGANISATIONSArthritis & Rheumatism Council Thorpe Branch Mrs. P. J. Parker, 27 South Hill Road, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0PQ Tel 435863Lupus Society Mrs. Winstanley 01263 822396

SOCIAL ORGANISATIONSBroadland Homewatch www.broadlandhomewatch.co.uk Mr R. Robson, Chairman: Tel 01603 435502Citizens Advice Bureau No appointment necessary, Wednesday mornings 9.30 – 12.30, Dussindale Surgery, Sainsbury’s Complex, Tel 660857Community Speed Watch Jill Wigy, Tel: 01603 432115 Drama - Thorpe Players www.thorpe-players.co.uk Mrs. I Munday, 2 Gunner Close, Thorpe St. Andrew, NR7 OYR Tel: 702777Flower Club (Thorpe) Tel: 431732 (2nd Thursday at 7.30 p.m. except August – Heartsease Lane Methodist Hall)Horticultural Society Mrs. W. Cogman, 34 Longfields Road, NR7 0NB Tel: 431712 Library St Williams Way Branch, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0AJ Tel 434123Norwich Centenary Rotary Club – Wednesdays 6.30pm at the Oasis Sports and Leisure Club, Pound Lane. Tel 462462 or visit www.norwichcentenaryrotaryclub.co.uk Personal Development Group Mrs. C. Mannering Tel 439138Probus – Yare Club Secretary Mr Stanley Deeks 22 TheStreet, Rockland St Mary NR14 7ER Tel 01508 538329. Meet at the Oaklands Hotel on the second Thursday of each month.Rotary Club of Thorpe St Andrew www.thorperotary.org Contact: Mr Whitworth, 5 Stanmore Road, T.S.A., NR7 0HB Tel: 700356Royal British Legion, Thorpe Branch, Mrs M Tarring,Tel: (01603) 701245Sequence Dance Dussindale Centre, Pound Lane, Mondays 8.15 – 10.30pm and 1st Saturday in month 8 – 11pm. Details from Mrs Dickerson 01603 742372Thorpe & District Gardening Club Secretary: Mrs. M. Street, 37 Eastern Avenue, Thorpe St. Andrew, NR7 0UQ Tel 438370 (Meet St Francis Church Hall, Rider Haggard Road, Heartsease, Norwich last Tuesday of month 7.30pm) maureen.street@ntlworld.com Thorpe Lacemakers Dussindale Centre, Pound Lane. Monday 1.30- 3.30. Contact: Mrs V Broad 01603 270251Vintage Club (Senior Citizens) Tel 432553

To include your club or organisation in this list please contact the Town Council Clerk, Mr. S. Ford, Thorpe St Andrew Town Council, Dussindale Centre, Pound Lane, Thorpe St. Andrew, Norwich, NR7 OSR or telephone 701048 (out of hours answer phone) Office Hours - Monday to Thursday - 9 30a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday - 9 am to 1 p.m.

Please do let us know if any details are incorrect!

Thorpe ST. Andrew Town CounCil newS pAge 8

Our summer event in conjunction with the Thorpe Town Council takes place on Saturday 14th June 2014.We present:Saturday 14th JuneA SUMMER BASHwith THE HE HEWSBand, Bar & Puddings

@ The Dussindale Centre, Pound Lane, Thorpe St AndrewDoors open at 7.00pmDancing starts at 7.45pmPuddings from 8.30 - 9.15pmDancing 9.15 - 10ish + encore!Tickets £10 Concessions £7Tickets available in April from ‘the place’ in Spinney Road and the Town Council office.

Norwich Vineyard Norwich Vineyard continues to meet at Thorpe St Andrew School on Sundays at 10.30am. You are invited to come. We start with a welcome and approximately 30 minutes of informal worship. There will be a talk for about 25 minutes. Prayer is always available. Teas and coffees are served from the beginning and we have doughnuts at the end. Families are very welcome. We have groups for children, including a ‘Film Club’ on the first Sunday of each month and on the third Sunday of the month there is a family service for everyone. You can find us on Sunday 27th April at the St Georges Celebration. From time to time we have a Family Fun time at Brewers Fayre with coffee and croissants plus craft activities. For more information phone 01603 701750 or go on line at www.norwichvineyard.co.uk

On Saturday 8th March local Thorpe boy Max Clay age 11yrs represented ESKA karate club at the 14th Legend Open Shotokan Karate Championships held in Bracknell.

Teams from all over the country plus several teams from Europe competed in the competition.

Max was competing in the Individual Kata age 11yrs and under group for Brown to Black Belts. After 3 elimination rounds he successfully made the last 8 where he performed his choice of kata gaining him a place in the final 4 where he performed a further kata resulting in winning the Individual Championship trophy for his age group.

Max gained his Black Belt with ESKA last April at the age of 10yrs.

The club gained many other medals at the competition.

Have you looked at the Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form website recently? As well as including important dates and policies, there are regular updates of news items about the school and the success of our students. Alongside excellent examination results, the wider development of students through sport, drama, music, extracurricular clubs and a comprehensive range of educational visits is imperative. The school is over subscribed for every year group in the main school and we have received over 280 applications for our Sixth Form in September 2014, indicating a very popular choice for students and parents. Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form is proud of its ever expanding community links, including those with the Town Council on projects such as the ‘Sports Hub’. Is there anything you could offer for the benefit of our young people? If so, we would be delighted to hear from you —office@thorpe-st-andrew.norfolk.sch.uk

Ian Clayton - Principal

Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form

LIKE CRICKET?WHY NOT JOIN UP WITH ST ANDREWS CC IN 2014

Norfolk League Division 3 Division 3 champions in 2012 we are now looking to strengthen our Saturday side and push for Division 1 this year

We also run a Sunday side playing friendlies all summer at some excellentgrounds. Be delighted to hear from anyone looking for a social game or players whose clubs do not play Sundays and thus do not currently get a game on that day.

Please call Dan Bone on 07889141704 or visit the comprehensive club websitehttp : / / s tandrewsnorfo lk .p lay-cricket.com

A few articles have appeared recently in local newspapers of the alarm felt by the Norfolk County Football Association in relation to the fall in numbers of affiliated teams. A recent drop out of 5% has been quoted and the N,C.F.A. has taken steps to find the reasons. A further drop in numbers could be likely when clubs affiliate their sides for the 2014-15 season. At the past three monthly committee meetings of the Thorpe Village club there has been on its agenda the perilous situation of its Reserve side which is currently causing all sorts of financial problems within the Club’s monetary stability. Just three seasons ago the Club was obliged to withdraw its Third eleven from the Norwich Business Houses League due to financial reasons. At its March meeting a few weeks back a player/committee-man generously offered, that if the club could revert to its customary genial state his firm would guarantee the expenditure for the 201415 season.

Rumours now abound within the small Thorpe committee of a dozen long serving members, that three of them each with sixty years service with the Club are contemplating resignation at the end of the current season leaving the Club to find both a Secretary and Treasurer. The current Treasurer reports that on occasions it costs the Club more than £100 to stage a first team game when pitch hire, dressing room hire, room hire for meetings, shirt washing, insurance, travelling etc.are all collated.

The Club is greatly indebted to those who sponsor the club with kit, but it is the hard cash which fails to meet the expenditure. The future does not look rosy. The deletion of the Thorpe Village Football Club, with its 132 years of local history, from among the family of the Norfolk County Football Association is unthinkable.

If you are interested in joining, or could offer any help and support of any sort please contact Mr D Hudson on 01603 433118

Support needed for Thorpe Village F.C

We invite you to join us for our first ever Teddy bear’s picnic. It will be held in the Tree Plantation, Laundry Lane, Thorpe St Andrew On 22 June 2014 between 11.30 am and 1.30 am

All you have to do is bring along your teddy, blan-ket, cushion and food. We will organise games for all and have Gazebos providing shade where needed.. A donation of £1 per teddy will go to East Anglian Childrens Hospice. SEE YOU THERE BEAR

TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC

Karate Success