Issue November 2006 Copy date for the next issue is;

23rd November 2006 copy@northwold.net Tel. 01366 728233

I am writing to you and to your readers to express my concern about the level of vandalism around the school premises. The school gates are locked after hours. We regularly receive r e p o r t s o f t r e s p a s s w i t h unauthorised persons on site. Recently we have had footballs stolen from the outdoor PE store, plants tipped out, sandpit tipped, toys removed from the reception class area and litter bins emptied. Most of these things sound trivial but as a school we are concerned that they are a precursor to something more serious. There is often a litter problem and a dog fouling problem on the field. Staff have to check the field and the play equipment for broken glass, cigarette ends and other undes i rab le ob jects before allowing children to play. We are vigilant but do worry that we will miss something that may harm one of the children. We have consulted the police who wi l l at tend i f we report anything so I would urge readers of Village life to help us in this as the school is a valuable asset to the village and vandalism puts this at risk. Many thanks to all members of the community who have helped us so far. Yours sincerely, Marion Dawe

Dear Sir, the small notice board and poster on the lych gate were both vandalised – attempts had been made to burn them and the Perspex “Glass” of the notice board had been broken. The damage was put right (£12. 00 to replace the Perspex) only to discover the day after that the Perspex and poster had been vandalised again and in addition several of the leaded lights in the church windows had been broken, some with a large flint - found inside the building amongst the broken glass. (Replacement cost will be in excess of £1,400. It is not the first incident of this kind. We have a good idea of who the culprits are and we are incensed that they can continue causing distress and wilful damage throughout the village. We feel very strongly that they and / or their parents should be held responsible for paying for the damage and for the anti social behaviour. St Andrew’s is your Church – our Church, and has stood in this village for generations and been respected even by non church goers. We do not want to be the ones who let down our ancestors and future generations. We understand too that there is regular drug – dealing in the village. We have already tried reasoning, and discussed setting up a Youth Group for older teen-agers but that produced no positive response at all. We fully intend to pursue this matter – and are in touch with the Police. If you see vandalism in the Church, Churchyard, round the village or to private property please inform the Police. Tel. 01553 665025(Office hours) or 0845 4564567(Out of hours)

From Concerned Residents Dear Sir, Are the congregation of St Andrew’s Church the only people frustrated by the anti social behaviour of some individuals within the village? Last week, the Church suffered from two acts of vandalism including arson. It is not the first incident of this kind. Wilful damage to other properties such as graffit i and damage to street lighting, has been seen elsewhere in the village recently. We have a village that we can be justly proud of. After all, we came second in the Eastern daily Press Small Village Competition 2006. St. Andrew’s is the Village Church. Even those who seldom, if ever worship here must care about this beautiful building – Gods House- a place where, for generations, Northwold people have worshipped and held baptisms, weddings and funerals. All this is threatened by some mindless acts by a senseless few. Rumours are rife about suspects and culprits. To nip out and resolve the problems of anti – social behaviour before they get out of hand we ALL need to report any acts of vandalism and anti social behaviour direct to the Police. Both the Police and the culprits will get the message

Is This The Kind Of Village That You Want ? Below are reproduced three letters from concerned people. The School, The Church and some other residents, all dwelling on the same problem

Staff Increase. Joe Whiting is joining Village Life as Football Reporter. Joe is one of the younger generation. Good luck to him.

Vandalism in the village cover

St Andrew's Church Were Sea Lion

2

Northwold News Charlie Askew

3

Youth Club 4

Norman School Charities

5

Our Past According to POG 6

River Watch Editorial

7

Health column 8

W I report Classified Ads

9

Rita's Ramblings 10

Ron Deacon

11

Dave's Kitchen Birthday celebration

12

Inside this issue:

Page 2

The Village Life Team

Editor Michael Parfitt

copy@northwold.net Tel. 728233

Deputy Editor Graeme Whiting

Copy@northwold.net Tel 727425

Advertising ads@northwold.net

Circulation Manager Mark Elwes

circulation@northwold.net Tel. 728795

Committee

Chair Carol Sharp Tel. 728227

Secretary Position vacant

Treasurer Geoff Bartram

Tel. 728673

The views expressed in submitted items are not necessarily endorsed by Northwold & Whittington Village Life. Whilst we endeavour to ensure that all information contained in the newsletter is correct, we cannot be held responsible for errors. The Editor reserves the right to refuse or omit items without explanation.

Derek Johnson PROPERTY & LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

Interior & exterior painting, wood or UPVC facia boards Guttering repaired, cleaned, replaced

Roofing repairs, damaged tiles replaced Chimney pots & cowlings fitted

Chimney stacks and general re-pointing Blocked drains & sinks cleared General plumbing & drainage

Roof, patio & driveway pressure washing Trees & conifers trimmed or removed

Hedges, bushes and ivy trimmed Fencing & decking, landscape maintenance

TELEPHONE 01842 810816

St Andrew's Church Christingle The Christingle Service this year will be on Sunday 10th December at 4 pm. If your child would like to receive a Christingle at this service please call J enny Lang ley on 728831 fo r a donation envelope. A l l p r o c e e d s f o r Q u i d e n h a m Children’s Hospice. St Andrew’s Church Bazaar

The Annual S t Andrew ’s Church Bazaar will be held this year in The Church on Saturday,25th November starting at 2.30pm and ending at 4pm. The raffle will be drawn at 3. 45pm. This year the Bazaar will be opened by Father Christmas in person. Always a good event, so please support your Local Church St Andrew’s Church Services for November 2006 Thursday, 2nd. 7pm. All Souls Service Sunday 5th 11am Holy Communion Sunday 12th 3pm Remembrance Day

service Sunday 19th 8am Holy Communion Sunday 26th 11am Matins

Pog certainly drummed up some interest in the Sea Lion in Wereham pit in days gone by. First Joan Rickard produced an excellent photograph of the creature, and now I have received a letter from a resident who wishes to remain anonymous who has some information about this subject as follows:- "Re the Wereham Sea Lion. Mr Andrews taught my parents at West Dereham School. According to my mother, the sea lion came from the River Wissey and the Ouse, then by the dykes and water up College Road (Flegg Green area) before the roads of today were built and then came to the pond under the road through a gully. The Conduct that runs into the pond from a natural spring continually put fresh water into the pond. After the sea lion, a grid was put in, so only water could pass back to the river. Around Wereham and West Dereham there were quite a number of springs that wound their way to the river, before the land was drained. We are going back to the early 1930’s ." And it doesn't end there. I was talking to Joyce Barrett recently and she says that the creature was not a Sea Lion at all but a Seal. She remembers it, and it was always referred to as "Sammy the Seal" I think I have to go along with Joyce with this, because during the time that we had a narrow boat, and spent time on the Ouse, there were frequently 2 seals swimming around in the vicinity of Littleport , They're not uncommon in fresh water. Ed

Page 3

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Parish Council The Chairman received the second prize award for the Pride In Norfolk contest at County hall, and the plaque will be fixed to the Village Sign The Playground Project has enough money for the Litcham Apparatus, and it has been ordered. More vandalism has occurred with 12 Church Windows broken and Church Notice Boards destroyed, and more glass broken at the Village Hall. Anyone seeing anything please identify the culprits and inform Home Watch or the Council. Complaints were made about cars speeding, but little can be done unless someone takes numbers. T h e A f f o r d a b l e H o u s i n g w a s discussed. The idea is for 7 homes, for rent or part purchase, for local people only. The Council has suggested sites, and we await events. Medicines. The delivery of prescriptions from Boughton Surgery has returned to the Post Office on Wednesdays. A big “Thank You” to the Tile Centre for helping us out of a jam Northwold Care Group Annual report October 2006-10-20 The past year has been quieter than

usual, with less calls on the car scheme and medical loans service Our 13 Community Car Scheme drivers have taken 163 passengers 4,193 miles at a cost to the scheme of £ 755. 60p. Drivers hours totalled 302. If a car is needed for hospital, Doctor, dentist, etc please ring Jim on 728515, giving as much notice as possible. Our Lunch Club meets on the second Monday in the month. About 9 helpers have provided 12 lunches to an average of 19 customers, at a charge of £2. Enquiries to Joan on 728698 please. Thanks to the School for providing 2 waiters each month. The Christmas lunch is free, and the drivers are invited. 30 items have been borrowed from our nursing equipment store. Ring Jim on 728515 if you need anything

Northwold News From Jim Booty

Bowls Club 100 Club Draw September 2006 S. Jones £ 20 R. Proctor £ 15 Jason Cooper £ 10 October 2006. B. Waters £20 Catherine Cater £ 15 T. Bowers £ 10 Sylvia

THANK YOU.

I must just say a big "THANK YOU to Pat, for the way she organised the celebrations of The Sixty years since I started bell ringing Also to the many others for the lovely cakes, cards refreshments and wine, and the donations that were used to purchase the wonderful plaque I was presented with. To say I was shocked when I walked in the church, to see so many ringers (past and present) and friends, is putting it mildly. especially as all I was told that morning was "a few ringers were coming to have a glass of wine and a piece of cake, then have a little ring". But many thanks to all who helped to make it a special day. I was sorry I didn’t get round to speak to everyone. When I arrived home and sat down with friends, it really sank in just how much effort had gone in, to make it a great occasion. THANK YOU ALL.

It was much appreciated. CHARLIE.

Page 4

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KRAZY KIDS KLUB

Since the launch in September, the members have renamed their Youth Club to “The Krazy Kids Klub”. We’ve had a general entertainment evening in which table tennis and other indoor games proved very popular. The art of sewing led by Beryl Quilter had some young ladies spellbound! Our 2nd Wednesday had an arty feel with Halloween costumes and masks being designed and worn. Many thanks to Glenda and John Burton for their efforts. Topics for future evenings include a Halloween fancy dress party, an indoor sports evening and a quiz night. So far our activities have highlighted certain items for a wish list! Could anyone donate one or some of the following, please:- Complete chess set/s or other board games, Art materials - O l d b u t

serviceable pool table (junior size) - Scalectrix set (for the adults as well!!!) If anyone wants further details on the club please contact Sharon on 727675 or Jane on 728921. Steve Strange Activity Explained

You may be excused for thinking “Dirty Work” was afoot at the Sports and Social Club on Thursday 25th October ! But don’t worry - it wasn’t a witches’ coven or the occupants at the Churchyard risen up- merely the

3 K ’s Youth Club en joy ing a

“Haloween Disco ” r u n m o s t efficiently by Christina Fonken and Sally Gooderham. Fancy Dress costumes were excellent and the prize winners were Sally Gooderham and Thomas Randell

Fancy dress winners Thomas Randell and Sally Goderham

Haloween party goers

"Come You On Together"

Are there any more people out there who would like to take part in the forthcoming entertainment which is in the pipe line at the moment. Please let us know. Contact John Burton on 728018 or the Editor of Village life.

Page 5

The Woodland Inn

I am delighted to w r i t e a n o t h e r a r t i c l e f o r t h i s magazine. Due to technical problems

the ar t icles for September and October have disappeared into cyberspace!! A great deal has happened since the start of term. We welcome new children in the reception class and one or two others who have joined us from elsewhere as well as two new members of staff, Miss Julie Webster a teacher and Miss Rosie Luck a teaching assistant. We began with all the children preparing an entry for the produce show. This was enjoyed by us all. At the end of September we held our Harves t Fes t ival service in St Andrew’s church, as ever we were made very welcome and we thank everyone who helps us on these occasions. We are working hard to increase the music provision in school. We had a percussion day with a performance and workshop for all the children. Older children have already started to learn to play brass instruments and we look forward to hearing ‘Jingle bells’ by Christmas. Children in all but the youngest classes experienced fencing for the first time (the sword variety and not the wood and nails type). This was very enjoyable and part of our ongoing provision of high quality PE. Class four attended Cathedral day at Ely, which was a wonderful and

uplifting day for children and staff and an opportunity to experience at first hand the joy of being part of the church school family in Ely diocese. We were delighted to win the cluster ‘rounders’ tournament this time and are the proud holders of the shield. Several children form the school had a poem publ ished in the EDP in October which was another cause for celebration. Last Friday we held a charities morning and raised £138 to be shared with our three chosen charities. Mrs Whiting runs the school library for us every Wednesday. We are extending this provision to the community and would be delighted to w e l c o m e a n y m e m b e r o f t h e community on Wednesdays between 8.45. and 9.15.a.m. We have a huge range of children’s fiction and non fiction and some adult paperbacks from our parent paperback swap! At the end of the month we will begin our preparations for Christmas with a Christmas craft day. The school always looks wonderful after this event. Christmas is a time of joy for all of us and we hope to share some of that joy by working with pre-school to send an alternative gift…possibly three little pigs to sustain a family. There will be many events in the run-up to Christmas and we look forward to seeing many of you on these occasions. Marion Dawe

Northwold Charities EDMUND ATMERE CHARITY The Trustees would like to remind those residents in the parish of Northwold, who are seriously ill or permanently disabled and might like some help from this ancient Charity at Christmas, that they can apply to the Trustees. Applications to be sent to the Clerk Mrs. J. Norris 25 West End Northwold by 25th November. ST. THOMAS DAY DOLE This year the Dole will be paid on Thursday 21st December in the Northwold Church Vestry between 10.00 and 11.00 am, and in Roger Warner’s yard at Whittington Hill at 11.15 am. Please collect in person or arrange for someone else to collect it on your behalf. The Trustees will be unable to deliver cheques after d is t r ibut ion in Nor thwold and Whittington. In the case of married couples cheques are made out jointly unless otherwise previously notified. Qualifications for eligibility are at least five years residence in the Parish, and a minimum age of 60 for women and 65 for men. New Applicants are invited to write to Mrs J. Norris 25 West End Northwold by 25th November. Jo. Norris

N o r t h w o l d Spiritualist Group Meetings in the Village hall on Friday evenings at 7.30 pm on the following dates and speakers 3rd November. Nick Brown 17th November Jacki Connan

Page 6

O u r P a s t According To POG Aka Mike Coley

It seems pretty awful to me, that all our places of worship, including the church it has to be said, have fallen i n t o s o m e d e g r e e o f d i s u s e o r disrepair. Our Chapels have long gone, the Primitive Methodists ( built in 1871) that I Remember so well attending with my Dear Aunt as a child, has become merely a Shop, no longer promoting the word of the Lord, but flogging wall tiles instead. Its galleries still look down upon what was once the main area where worship was conducted, but now remain only to remind us of the past primitive splendours that were celebrated there in days gone by. The Wesleyan Chapel, now also being redeveloped for other purposes altogether, was built in 1843. This rather impressive structure, already d e v o i d o f a n y o f i t s f o r m e r magnificence by the time that I came along, was originally building on two levels . One level , subter ranean actually, was the venue for the chapel S u n d a y S c h o o l a m o n g s t o t h e r activities. Happily we still have some of our longer term residents that remember at tending that Sunday School and can still remember the rest of it as being the fine building it was. When the old chapel closed its doors to worshippers for the last time, it became the garage space for Fred Peeling ( Joy Cookson’s Granddad ) to house his traction Engines and Thrashing Tackle. It was then that all the rooms below ground level had to be filled in to accommodate the great weight of the farm machinery. The in-fill material didn’t travel far however, in fact it was demolition rubble from Hipperson’s shop and the old houses that once stood across the road adjacent to the chapel. When Old Fred no longer needed the space, i t was taken over by Ken Cookson, who used i t a s secure s to r age space fo r t he t oo l s and vehicles of his trade, that of a builder, of course.

Ironically, as part of the conversion work to that old building, and the modernisation job planned, all the rubble has now, somewhat laboriously had to be removed again. It’s amazing how th ings move on in the mos t unforeseen ways , f rom homes to hardcore in this case. As for St Andrews church, oldest surviving but not nearly the earliest of our religious buildings ( being built around 800 years ago ) it remains in tac t even yet . I tend to see i t as something of an old friend now. A bit down at heel and in need of a bit of sprucing up of course, but so full of memories. I attended the funeral of my Granddad there, ( my Granny passed on just a year before I was born) I also attended the services for my Dad and later my Mum, as well as the one for my Aunt ( who everyone in the village knew as ‘Ivy’ ) In addition there were the seemingly countless friends that I said farewell to in that place. Many people look at it like that I’m sure, as it’s full to overflowing when its time to lay old friends to rest. In fact I can’t help but wonder how many of us there still are from the days when we were a true community. Isn’t it sad that such occasions seem to be the only ones that attract a congregation of any significant size in that once lovely building? Truth is, it lacks the joyous sound of human voices singing to bring it back to life. Just last year we were visited by a group of singers that brought something of the magic back into the old place. People stopped going to church regularly quite a while ago now, and for a whole lot of reasons I’m s u r e , n o t l e a s t o f w h i c h i s unquestionably, regrettably, that the average service tends to be boring and uninspiring nowadays I’m afraid. Sad but true. I sang in the choir ( was that joyous sound? ) when I was a lad, this was re-established by the Reverend David Savage, who did a pretty good job of selling us on the idea. Despite never b e i n g i s s u e d w i t h c a s s o c k s , w e sounded just like the Songs of Praise on the tel ly today. (A good tr ick because we didn’t have T.V. back then )

But Way, Way back in the 1700s the singing of psalms of all things (known as Psalmody )became very popular, especially amongst the young. This trend spread throughout the country and ‘Northwold’, never one to be left behind , responded by bui ld ing a singing gallery to the West end of the church in 1726, to accommodate the very enlarged choir that resulted from this craze. The standard of singing, both locally and amongst the various travelling societies, varied between Pretty good and Pretty ordinary I understand. Non-the-less teachers were paid to instruct people as to how the s i n g i n g o f p s a l m s s h o u l d b e approached. Those galleries actually remained in place in our church until well into the 1900s, some of our older kindred that I know especially well can still remember them being there. You’d never believe it now, but we had a long tradition of singing and making music here. In addition to our regular places of worship, we had routine visits from the Salvation Army, along with a number of other groups who tried hard to save our souls. The Evangelists e.g. used a big red tent that was pitched for a week at a time on one of the f ie lds down Fair Lane (Pinfold Lane) As a community, for the most part we all attended either Church or Chapel, and there was always a great rivalry between the two, as can be seen in the c e m e t e r y t o d a y . T h e r e , c h u r c h families are all buried on the Right hand side, whilst the Left hand side is devoted to Chapel folk. I don’t quite know what’s going to happen up there in the future, seeing as we no longer have a se rv iceab le chape l in the village. Take care together, Change is certain but try to see that all changes are made for the better and not just for change sake. Anyway, you can be sure that one change I’ll not be making , is my rather annoying habit of Looking Forward to Looking Back with you again at every opportunity. Best Wishes ‘t i l next t ime POG

Page 7

DIDLINGTON NURSERIES

Why not visit our walled in garden Nursery It's time now for your Winter Flowering pansies and Violas. Spring flowering bulbs and winter hanging baskets. Shrubs, Trees, perennials and lots more.

Cut Flowers always available.

Tel. (01842) 878288

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25, High Street (next to Fire Station) Methwold, Thetford, Norfolk

Tel 01366 728512 (or Fax 01366 728883 anytime)

Prime Barley Fed Beef (11/13 months old), Pork, Lamb, direct from the farm (locally). All our meat is prepared to the highest standard & cut to customer’s requirements. Norfolk pork sausages made by Mr Dennis Self, formerly of

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We also offer a delicatessen counter of traditional cooked hams, also home cooked quiches, pork pies, Cornish pasties, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and much more. On the

sweet side of the pastries we offer a large selected of Curtis of Lincoln cakes. British bacon, unsmoked and smoked, dry

cured - no added water. A range of English and continental cheeses plus our

usual range of cooked meets, once again cut to your requirements by our team of

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Opening times are: Monday 9am-1pm Tuesday 8am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm Wednesday 8am-1pm Thursday 8am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm Friday 8am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm Saturday 7.30am-1pm Est. 1962

River watch A strong wind gusted across the river. The leaves were falling from a line of w i l l o w t r e e s e x p o s i n g t h e i r framework. The reed beds bent over like waves. The water dashed fiercely against the riverbank and it was then that I realised I had a companion on this very early morning. A grey heron was standing in the shallows of the opposite bank. His camouflage against the reeds was perfect and it was only when the wind moved his background that I could see him standing there quite motionless. Although often described as majestic he looks rather clumsy and even out of place. However he is certainly a patron of the river Wissey and is more often seen whilst in flight. In the air the heron is perceived quite differently. He is graceful with a wide wingspan and just glides seemingly with only the need of an occasional flap. This heron always nests in the same stark tree and despite all the rough weather the nest remains intact. It is a real credit to his workmanship as we would surely be unable to build anything so stable with just sticks and twigs! My friend has been searching for food since first light and today’s conditions must hinder his spotting despite his keen eyesight. Soon he moves further downstream and uses a dead tree as a new observation post. The westerly wind increases bringing even darker clouds and a reduced visibility. However the heron is remarkably patient and continues his watch. His hunger must now be rife as he is not catching anything. A dozen or so Canadian geese, which are also

residents of this stretch of the river, remonstrate loudly with each other. Eventually they take off en-mass and a welcome peace returns. The day passes lazily until the first drops of rain can be seen on the surface of the river. (When alongside the river I always see it before I feel it!) Then the rain becomes hard. At that moment the heron decides to abandon his vigil and he takes off just skimming the treetops and disappears into the distance. Herons feed on small fish, eels and even frogs so they must be fully alert every day to sustain themselves. Although mainly solitary they find a mate and perform their affections very early in the year. As such they choose a volatile time to bring up their young so their whole existence is rather like their appearance – extremely fragile. Regardless of the wind and rain I have good shelter and surprisingly the f ishing is exceptional . Fif teen beautiful pristine roach have seen my net thanks to just a tin of sweet corn. I have had another really good day alongside the river. However the time of the year now dictates a change and soon I will start my seasonal pursuit of the pike. Meanwhile an hour or so later in the v i l l age o f Nor thwo ld a l a rge ornamental pond with a fair number of golden Orfe had an unexpected visitor. The heron alighted and surveyed the surrounding garden and having decided all was safe he stepped into the water. The confined f i sh wi th no means o f escape provided our friend with a wonderful

gourmet meal . Now completely fulfilled the heron flew back to the oblivion of the river Wissey and his tree top nest. By Ivor Hook

Editorial. Looking at the front of this month's Village Life it is fairly obvious that vandalism in the village has begun to cause a lot of people a lot of trouble, especially the Church, the Village Hall and now the School. Most, though not all of the damage is being done by stone throwing, deliberately aimed at windows. The Telephone box comes in for really vicious treatment, and this has occurred well after midnight on two occasions. The puzzling thing is why this has suddenly started during the last year or so. What can be done? I was recently told that results often come quicker if one phones Crime Stoppers rather than the Police. And of course there is often a reward for catching people in this way and you don't even have to reveal your identity. Just pass on information and you will be given a reference number. On a lighter note. I have come into possession of several old photos of the village given to me by Charlie Askew and others. I would like to use these pictures alongside a modern picture of the same location so that one can see how the vil lage has (Or Hasn' t) changed. And lastly, Village Life are entering a team in the Village hall Quiz on 10th November. Our team is, Rita and Nigel, Pog and myself. How can we fail? Ed

Page 8

Established over 18 years

The Nija Levis Health Column

Stay well this Winter

The winter months affect people in so many d i f ferent ways . The change in weather causes many to suffer with more aches and pains in their joints, many feel quite down and we are all prone to colds etc at this time. Skin conditions can become worse at this time such as eczema and we can generally feel tense due to the colder weather. So what you need to do at this time of year is keep yourself happy, or become happier, keep your immune system working well with a good diet and keeping stress levels low. If you are happy and your stress levels are low or you deal with any stresses in your l ife then your immune system will stay strong. You will then be able to fight off colds well or not get them at all.

Eating plenty of fruit and veg is essential to give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep you heal thy. Two other essential things to stay healthy are plenty of water and lots of sleep. The body repa i rs i t se l f when sleeping, so if you feel you need to sleep more do, don’t soldier on using up what little energy the body may have leaving none for the body to heal itself. We all know that if we are unwell we always feel better after a nights s leep but sometimes the body needs more than our normal hours so be aware more is needed when unwell. Feeling down during winter, need to be happier then support for your self can really help. NO HANDS® Massage can give the support you need. It gives you the time and s p a c e t o f o c u s o n y o u i n a n environment that is safe, caring and supportive for you. Any healing can take place if you are prepared to take responsibility for what you

need by thinking of yourself and helping yourself and al lowing yourself to have what you need. Christmas is coming, what an ideal time to have or give a present that is actually for the person with a NO HANDS Massage Voucher. Most of us have the material things in life or if we need something we just go and get it so a voucher is an ideal gift. It’s also a good opportunity to experience NO HANDS Massage if you haven’t a lready and have a present of real value because there is no better thing to give too than health, well being and happiness for yourself and loved ones. E i the r buy one fo r your se l f , someone else or tell someone that you would like one for Christmas. I’m giving a £10 discount off the normal hourly price for vouchers brought for Christmas, for more information give me a ring. Nija

Page 9

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Northwold W I T h e O c t o b e r M e e t i n g o f Northwold WI was its 69th Annual General Meeting. After greeting three visitors and the new and old members, the President, Pat Coles, reported on the various events supported by our members starting with the visit to the Group Meet ing a t Thetford, the most enjoyable lunch at “Timbers”, the MacMillan tea organised by Member Ann Howerth which raised more than £300, the Weeting Craft day and the Norfolk Federation’s Art Exhibition at Norwich. Several of our members had work exhibited at the latter which had been most successful. We also learned that member Beryl Quilter had ob ta ined a dona t ion f rom Yorkshire Tea of £100. for the benefit of the Village. A decision would now be reached as to its ultimate use. Shortly members will be visiting the adjoining Institutes at Mundford and Gt.Cressingham, the Autumn Council Meeting of the Norfolk Federation at King’s Lynn and, of course, next month we will be having Dinner at The Hare Arms to celebrate our Birthday. The next lunch club meeting is at the Jolly Farmers, Southery. Our representative will be laying a wreath at the Remembrance Day Service at the War Memorial and in December we will be providing a dressed Christmas Tree to add to the Church decorations. The business of the AGM then followed. The Bye-laws o f the Institute were reviewed, the Treasurer presented her report and audited accounts which were adopted and the Secretary gave her annual report. The President gave her Annual address but adding that the time had come for her to stand down after her enjoyable years in office. She then handed the President’s badge to her successor Patricia Haye and reported that the Treasurers post was being taken over by JoAnn Kidd replacing Joan Gains and Brenda Ayres will be Sec re t a ry . Joan had been ou r

Treasurer for 17 years. After the presentation of birthday pos ies to Bet ty Akers . Robbie Robinson, Theresa Waller and Pat, Verity Lynch had the very enjoyable task of putting forward a vote of thanks to Patricia, Brenda and Joan for all their hard work during the year and presenting them each with a potted plant. The retiring President, Pat, was warmly thanked for all the work that she had put in to the Northwold Institute during her years in office which had in no mean way c o n t r i b u t e d t o i t s c o n t i n u i n g expansion, and was presented with an Aynsley china photo frame as a memento. The business over, the evening continued with a Quiz prepared by Ann Howerth and enjoyed by us all. The winning team was, the new President, Patricia Hay, Christine Collins, Ginnie Robson Hull and Verity Lynch. They each received a cyclamen plant. Finally refreshments were provided and served by Ann Howerth and Christine Collins. Verity

Hamish’s Football Pontoon.

The latest pontoon was won by three persons including the editor of Village Life. It’s nice to know that these things sometimes go to needy causes !! Ed

Reminder Yoga Sessions still take place in the Vi l lage Hal l every Monday from 1.45pm to 2. 45pm and from 6. 30pm until 7.30pm These sessions are conducted by Carol Bennett who has many years experience in this field. Why not give it a try? lots of people have benefited from it.

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R A M B L I N G S F R O M A N O V E R S E A S CORRESPONDENT Hello from the middle of the desert in Oman! I am halfway through a 2 month stay here in the Sultanate and, as expected, I am finding life very different to days spent in Norfolk. The most obvious difference is in the landscape. Wherever we look in Northwold we see areas of grass, majestic trees and colourful flowers whereas here all that lush grass is replaced by a sandy, dusty surface more reminiscent of one of the droves leading to the Wissey during a summer drought! Needless to say there are no rivers here – in fact it hasn’t rained here for over 5 years!! Not surprisingly there is very little vegetation around although there are sporadic tussocks of what looks like a very small, poor quality, thyme. In certain places date palms line the roads but these have to be irrigated daily using a seep hose. Much to my surprise there is one road that is lined with large flowering shrubs – they s e e m q u i t e o u t o f p l a c e b u t , nevertheless, provide a feast for the eye. Out and about, the general vistas to the north and East could be regarded as similar to our own Fenscapes just before the farmers sow their crops. Flat and, some would say, featureless. Except that the rich black soil is replaced by ochre sand and gravel! To the South and West there are numerous, broadly conical hills scattered around. They look like lots of different sized enormous anthills. They are up to 150f t h igh and although the tops are rocky the lower slopes are gravel and the ubiquitous sand. I have no idea of their origin. Since I have been here I have made one journey through the mountains South of here, down to the coastal plain. The desert roads are, for the most part, very straight with little to relieve the monotony – no friendly motorway services here. It is only once you get into the mountains that they begin to meander this way and that following the old trails forged by the nomadic Bedouins in days gone by. The mountains rise up to 6000ft

but, as the desert plain is about 2000ft above sea level, the climb is hardly noticeable. The descent down to sea level on the other side is a different matter with steep gradients and sharp bends. It is certainly not the place to get stuck behind a laden lorry in first gear! The barren landscape gradually softens and changes to green and by the time the coast is reached trees and o t h e r s o r t s o f v e g e t a t i o n a r e commonplace. Our Hotel for the night was next to the beach so we were all able to stand on our balconies and listen to the waves breaking. The beach is sand, sand and more sand so no surprises there! Despite its attractive appearance of sparkling turquoise water with lines of foam from the breaking waves there were hidden dangers as 3 young men discovered during the late afternoon. A viscous rip tide caused them to lose their footing and as they struggled to keep their heads above water a group of people waded out to offer a literal life line back to the safety of the beach. Fortunately all ended well but it was probably a salutary lesson for all concerned. I had a wander along the beach just after sunset and could not resist the urge to paddle quietly in the shallows of the sea. Bliss!! Our vis i t to the coasta l region occurred during the 2 months of rain and mists – hence all the greenery. Many Omanis relish this sort of weather and, apparently, it is a very popular time to visit the area. I can’t imagine us wanting to go somewhere for the mist and rain – can you? I bravely visited the “Old Souk” on my own and managed to try out some of my amateurish Arabic phrases. As I didn’t get thrown into jail I think I managed to say the right words at the right time! Either that or they just accepted me as a strange English woman! The shops were all quite small and were quite limited in their choice of merchandise . I d id , however , manage to buy some frankincense. The trees grow on the foothills of the mountains we had passed through and apparently this is the only area where they grow. All too soon we had to set off on our return journey. Inevitably we got

stuck behind more slow moving lorries on the steep climb back into the mountains. At on point we pulled off the road to take some photographs of half a dozen camels walking along the road. I turned my camera on, focused on the camels and ******* the camera shut off!!!! Typical, the batteries were flat. Fortunately I had some spares so after a few frantic moments I was ready to try again and this time I succeeded. Further along the road we met an even larger group of camels walking towards us in single file. They were all keeping nicely to the left of the road – except one which was jay-walking on our side. It probably had no intention of giving way to 21st century transport. Not wishing to tangle with this enormous animal we took the only possible course of action – w e slowed down, drove off the road onto the verge and gave this noble ship of the desert a very wide berth. The rest of the journey passed without incident and, our expedition over, we were soon back on the desert plain. So on that note I will say cheerio for this month as the sun blazes down from a clear blue sky and the temperature edges towards 40ºC again. I will soon be home again (probably well wrapped up against winter chills and that lazy Norfolk wind) and the heat and sand will be but memories. Take care and see you all soon. Rita

THETFORD SINGERS

Present an Evening of Music from the Italian Renaissance including fine pieces from grandmasters of the era, Monteverdi and Palestrina and featuring Cima's Mass and Cima's M a g n i f i c a t . T h i s w i l l b e a U K d e b u t f o r b o t h p i e c e s . T h e c o n c e r t i s S a t u r d a y 1 8 t h November at the United Reformed Church, Thetford. Tickets £6, £5 concessions, at the door. Performance starts 7.30 pm.

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Page 11

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R o n D e a c o n , Observing life Have you noticed how our English language keeps changing all the time ? Although I would not for a moment pretend to be an expert in English (I can’t even speak it properly) I can’t help noticing the odd things that keep happening. I think it is the young people who have changed the word “Wicked” to mean the opposite to what it should mean. At a garage in Thetford a large notice proclaims “Try our wicked car wash). When getting petrol there one day, I asked the nice girl who took my “Pin” what terrible crime was it that the car wash had committed ? But all she said was “Don’t worry about it”

Grandson Nathan says that one of his mates has got a “Quad Bike”. I can not convince him that there is no such thing. Quad =4 and Bi or Bike =2. Perhaps this thing has got 6 wheels! Surely it should be called a ” Quad Cycle”. “Oh there you go again” he says “You think you know everything, I tell you it’s a QUAD BIKE .

I used to know what the word “Cool” meant, but I’m not so sure now. When

I hear young people using that word, I don’t think it is anything to do with the temperature. Even Windsor castle can get words wrong (in my know it all opinion). When Janet and I were there looking around the place, we were shown into the “Drawing Room. I had to explain (What Me?) that i t was not the drawing room. It was of course the “Withdrawing Room” , where the ladies, after dinner withdrew, leaving the men to do what men do after dinner.

The meaning of the word “Gay” has changed.

I think that even nearly three hundred years ago words were changing. In the s e v e n t e e n h u n d r e d s a c e r t a i n gentleman, Samuel Johnson, was a m o n g s t o t h e r t h i n g s , a Lexicographer. He spent 8 years compiling a dictionary. He wasn’t very well off, and there were not many baths or showers about in those days, so perhaps we can believe this little story about him. The story goes like this. A lady approached him one day and said, “Mr Johnson, you smell”. “Oh no” he replied, “You smell, but I stink”. So I suppose, that even then words had different meaning to different people.

Two tiny instances in the long journey through life. True. When in my teens I happened to be in Norah Green’s newsagents shop in Brandon. I can not remember what Mrs green said to a little boy who happened to be in the shop, “Open the door for Mr Deacon”. Cor, Mr Deacon had never been called that before, and I went out of the shop feeling really grown up.

Second tiny true instance: A year or so ago, I was walking by the entrance of St Andrew’s close, and passed a tiny little girl sitting on her tricycle. As I went by I said “Hello” to her, as one does. She didn’t reply, instead she turned her trike around, and pedalling furiously along the path shouted to her friend, “That old man said Hello to me” I walked on thinking, “Well; I suppose I must be now”.

And what about our Norfolk accent? When I first heard my voice on a tape recorder I was so ashamed, that I didn’t speak for a fortnight. The other morning Janet asked about the morning paper. Instead of me saying, “Oh no darling, I have not been to the shop for it yet”, what I did say was, “I hint bin arter et yit”

A i n t o u r l a n g u a g e fascinating? Ron Deacon

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Page 12

Daves Kitchen By our resident Chef David Wheatley

BELGIAN BEEF This dish feeds 6 takes 20 mins to prepare 2 hours to cook ingredients 2 lbs chuck steak 11/2 ozs of butter or dripping 1 large onion finely chopped 1 clove of garlic crushed 3/4 pint of stout 2 level tsps of English mustard 2 level tsps of brown sugar 2 tsps of malt vinegar 1/2 tsp of salt 1 bay leaf 1 pinch of died thyme 2 oz of white bread crumbs method cut the steak into 1 inch cubes. heat the butter or dripping in a large pan fry onion and garlic until soft add meat fry until brown all over

stir in all the remaining ingredients except the bread crumbs bring to the boil stirring constantly cover tightly then simmer for 2 hours. remove the bay leaf stir in the breadcrumbs and serve this is an ideal dish for the bond fire party. good and tasty

vegi dish Courgettes (Zucchini) and tomatoes with cheese serves 4 people prep time 30 mins cooking time 45 mins oven temp 350f/180c gas mark 4 ingredients 4 courgettes 2oz margarine 1 small onion chopped 12 oz tomatoes skinned 3oz cheddar cheese grated salt and pepper to taste method cut the courgettes into 1/2 inch roundels heat the margarine in a pan fry onion and courgettes together for about 10 mins with out browning then drain

cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices add to pan cook for 1 -2 mins grease an oven proof dish starting with the tomatoes layer the vegetables and gra ted cheese with salt and pepper Finnish with a layer of tomatoes cover with the remaining cheese bake in the oven for 45 mins I do hope that you try these as they are very tasty David

Birthday Celebration

On 21st January next year Jim Booty will be having a party in the Village hall in celebration of his 80th birthday. He says "Anyone who knows him" is welcome to drop in between 2pm and 6pm. He reckons t h a t ' s a r o u n d 8 thousand people