Methwold Times Issue 454 - Brookville, Methwold & Methwold Hythe
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Methwold Times
Serving the villages of
Brookville, Methwold
& Methwold Hythe
Issue 454
Diary of Events
May
24th Coffee Morning St Georges Church 10am - noon
June
2nd-5th Queens Jubilee Celebrations Various in Parish
2nd Coffee Morning St Georges Church 10am - noon
14th Coffee Morning St Georges Church 10am - noon
17th St. George's BBQ- Catherine's Lodge, Methwold Hythe IP26 4QU-6pm
28th Coffee Morning St Georges Church 10am - noon
Methwold Investment Club
Have you ever wanted to have a go at wheeling and dealing on the stock market? This
club could be for you. If you want more information please contact the club secretary,
Julie Clement on 728926
THE POST OFFICE
Methwold Branch TI
St. George's Hall, High Street, Methwold IP26 4NT
POST
OFFICE
Opening times
Mon: 09.00 - 14.00
Tue 09.00 - 14.00
Wed: 09:00 - 14.00
We also have the following products & services:
Instant cash Free (no charge)
All mobile phone Top-ups
Euro & all currencies
Electric Key Top-ups
Written contributions to the Methwold Times,
by the 13th of every month may be sent to the editor:
Mo Truss, 46 Globe St, Methwold
Thetford, Norfolk, IP26 4PQ
Phone 01366 727462
or E-mail: mo@mtruss.co.uk or
maureen.truss@btinternet.com
2
from the Editor.... On behalf of the Methwold Times we would like to
congratulate Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II on the 70th Jubilee of her reign.
We all appreciate the hard work she has done of our country and the Commonwealth
and hope that she continues for as long as she is able.
Congratulations
Queen Elizabeth II
God bless your Majesty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRIENDS of ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH,
METHWOLD
The Annual Friends of St. George's BBQ will be held at Catherine's Lodge,
Methwold Hythe IP26 4QU at 6.00pm on 17th June 2022. There will be no
individual invitations sent out this year but all Members of the Friends Group are
invited. If you could please RSVP to nicolas.guyer@afiweb.net or 01366727293
Nick Guyer
ChurchWarden
3
METHWOLD COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP
FINAL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS FOR THE QUEEN’S
PLATINUM JUBILEE
THURSDAY, JUNE 2nd – SUNDAY JUNE 5th
Thursday, June 2nd :
10am-1pm EXHIBITION OF CHILDREN’S WORK relating to the Queen’s reign
from Methwold primary School and The Iceni Academy. The exhibition will be held in
St.George’s Church and accompanied by one of their famous (and delicious) COFFEE
MORNINGs. No charge for entry. Tea, coffee, cakes & other food items will be on
sale.
11-2pm HISTORY EXHIBITION “THEN & NOW” Iconic views of the
village and the same views photographed in 2022. There will also be a chance to see
thirty of the Village Archive’s prize possessions in the form of objects, documents &
maps. The exhibition will be held in Peggy’s Room of the Village Hall Complex (Ex-
Social Club area). No charge for entry. The Group’s recent booklet on “Methwold Fruit
Farm colony – The Birth of Brookville” will be on sale as will ‘Jubilee Quiz Sheets’ on
the History of Methwold (£2). Many of the answers will be on display at the exhibition
or given out during the Jubilee History Walk (see Friday’s programme). The quiz prize
will be half the money raised by the sale of quiz sheets!
At the same time in the 21 Room there will be a TABLE SALE. Local
organisations are invited to book a stall free of charge. (01366 728478) There will
only be room for about ten tables so book early to avoid disappointment! If space
permits the History group will also be showing a film about Methwold Airfield. There
will be a raffle for Action Group funds which will be drawn later at the beacon
lighting.
11-3pm AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN UNDER 6 TO PLAY IN
MINI-METHWOLD AND FOR BABY & TODDLERS TO PLAY IN EITHER
MINI-METHWOLD OR THE PARTY ROOM (Sometimes known as the
‘Enchanted Forest’). Just turn up, play & stay. This is a good opportunity to see these
wonderful children’s areas if you haven’t seen them before (Including the new outside
area of Mini-Methwold) and also to meet other parents and their children. Entrance is
free but there may be a raffle or something similar to raise funds for the Baby &
Toddler Group.
4–5pm BRECKLAND BRASS BAND will be playing a compilation of music
for the Jubilee in St.George’s Hall (Village Hall Complex). Entry is free as costs are
covered by a grant from King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council BUT you need
to book a place as numbers will be restricted to about 100 (To be decided in
consultation with Methwold Parish Council) and are covid dependent. If you would
like a place please ring 01366 728478. If you get the answer phone please state your
name and the number of places that you want to reserve. Please note that about half of
the spaces have gone already so please book 4asap to avoid disappointment.5-6pm ish
We hope that people attending this event will stay for PIES & PUDDINGS (together
with tea & coffee) immediately after the performance, in the Fenton Room. The
‘Jubilee Beacon Pie and Puddings’ will be based on recipes supplied to us by the
national organisers and will involve traditional ingredients from the countries of the
UK – The pies, for example, will be made with Cheddar Cheese from England, leeks
from Wales, potatoes from Northern Ireland and salmon from Scotland! (From the
trials that I have been involved in I can vouch for them being very yummy!) A piece of
pie with trimmings, a pudding and a drink should cost about £6. The raffle for Action
Group funds will continue and will be drawn later at the beacon lighting.
8.30-9.45pm approx’ ‘BELLS & BEACONS’ (Methwold Church & Churchyard)
This part of the celebrations is happening at the same time as similar events all over the
country. Methwold Bell Ringers will be ringing bells in the Church from 8.30pm until
9pm after which a few words will be said in the churchyard and the beacon lit with
Methwold firemen in attendance. There will then be a toast to the Queen. There is no
charge for this event but there will be a raffle. (The same one as per the Brass Band
Concert) which will be drawn after the toast. The prize for the raffle will simply be a £
for each year of the Queen’s Reign – given in three prizes of £40, £20 and £10. The
George Pub & The Green Man in the Hythe will still be open after the event!
Friday, June 3rd
1. HISTORY WALK AROUND THE VILLAGE – Starting on Fair Hill (The
village Green in Globe Street) at 1pm and finishing at about 3.30pm (Approx 2.5 –
3miles) This is a free event but Jubilee Quiz sheets will be on sale (£2). Completed
quiz sheets must be given to Chris Stone or put through the door of 5 Globe Street
before 6pm on Sunday, June 5th. Answers to many of the questions will be given on
the walk! Once you have had a good walk you might also like to stay for tea ……..
2. AFTERNOON TEA WITH THE THEATRE CLUB – Not only one of the
Group’s famous, delicious, afternoon teas but also the performance of a 1950’s style
radio play based on a Sherlock Holmes Story “The Adventure of the Tolling Bell”.
This will be held in the 21 Room of the Village Hall Complex (at the back of
St.George’s Hall) 4-6pm-ish. Numbers are limited to the size of the hall so please book
early. Tickets are £10 (to include the tea) and there will be a raffle for Theatre Group
funds. Tickets must be pre-booked. To book contact a member of the club or phone
01366 727526 or 01366 728153.
Saturday June 4th
FAMILY FUN AFTERNOON & BBQ ON THE RECREATION GROUND 1-4pm
This will include sports such as Football & Rounders and there will be Traditional
Races, Kite Flying (Please bring your own if you have one), Tug of War and a First Go
At Archery. There will also be a BBQ. There is no entrance fee but there will be a
charge for the BBQ and a raffle will be held. The set up costs for this event have come
from the Borough Council Grant, Methwold Action Group and also from Wortley
5
Farms – Our thanks to them! Please note that toilets for this event are to be found at
the Fenton Room end of the Village Hall. There will be a ‘gatekeeper’ there from 1pm
to 4pm to ensure the safety of the premises. Any profits will be shared out between the
participating organisations – at the time of going to press these include the PTFA of the
Primary school, Methwold Youth Centre and Methwold Baby & Toddler Group.
Sunday June 5th
1-3pm LUNCH CLUB SUNDAY DINNER – 21 Room of the Village Hall Complex.
Retired people, those recently returning from hospital and those living alone. By
invitation as numbers are limited to 35. Cost £10. If you know of anyone who falls into
either of the last two categories who would like an invitation please let us know. A
dinner can be delivered to their door. Contact 01366 728478
Otherwise this day has been set aside for neighbours to get together for dinner, to run
street parties or celebrate the Jubilee in any way they wish.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK St.George’s Church and Methwold Parish Council
for their generosity in allowing us to have their venues free of charge and King’s Lynn
& West Norfolk Borough Council for their grant of £600 toward the set-up costs. The
total needed for set-up costs is approx’ £1100 the remainder of which has been
provided by Methwold Action Group. The Action Group will, once the set-up costs
have been covered, allow the participating organisations to take the profits from the
events.
OTHER NEWS AND REPORTS
FROM METHWOLD COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP
Our Village Needs A Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Until recently Phillip Barnes of Lion House used to report on Neighbourhood Watch
Issues through the Methwold Times. Unfortunately Philip & his wife Sheila, another
very active MCAG member, have moved to pastures new and we do not, at present,
have anyone fulfilling this role. This is a pity as the police have recently really
improved their organisation in this area, particularly in terms of communication and
what to look out for in order to reduce local crime. If you feel that you could undertake
this role on behalf of our village we would really like to hear from you. Ability to
communicate through social media as well as through traditional avenues is now
essential. Contact Chris Stone 01366 728478
METHWOLD COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP AGM
Last year we were able to reappoint officers only on the understanding that their term
of office would only be for one year and that, if no new officers could be appointed in
2022, the ‘Action’ side of the Group, that is to say the side which organises village
activities (Such as ‘Carols Around The Christmas Tree’, Family Fun Days on the
Recreation Ground, visits to places of local interest and events such as the celebrations
to mark ‘The 100th Anniversary of the Ending of World War 1’ or the present ‘Jubilee
6
Celebrations’ etc) would come to an end. Last year there was hope that the ‘Fete
Fairies’, who put on such a good summer fete, would be able to fill the gap but
unfortunately this has not been possible. So we are asking, perhaps for one last time –
PLEASE COME FORWARD AND HELP THE ACTION GROUP CONTINUE.
If there are no takers the Action Group will become ‘Methwold Community Group’,
running interest groups, largely within the Village Hall Complex but dropping its role
in running wider community activities. If this is the case the AGM will need to
consider whether or not to set up a reserved fund for people who might come along and
wish to take on this role in the future. Chris Stone
THE AGM OF METHWOLD ACTION GROUP WILL TAKE PLACE IN
ST.GEORGE’S HALL ON THURSDAY 30th JUNE AT 7.30pm.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7
the greatest gig
St George’s Church, Methwold
Saturday 10th September 2022
7.30pm prompt
Doors open 7pm
A chance to enjoy a unique Pink Floyd experience with
top UK tribute 8 piece band with light show, lasers and
special effects.
Book Your Tickets NOW -
Tickets £20- (limited numbers)
All funds raised will be towards
St George’s Church & other local charities
Contact for tickets
Kelly & Michael 01366 727168.
Or People can buy the tickets on line at purefloyd.com
St. George's Church, Methwold
Ministers: Revd Ray Burman 01842-828891
rayburman@me.com
Diane Mantle diane.mantle@btinternet.com
Churchwardens: Nick Guyer 01366-727293
Alan Burbridge 01366-727002
PCC Secretary Revd Ray Burman 01842-828891
Youth Centre Manager Anna Badcock methwoldyouthcentre@gmail.com
Our Church is open every weekend but during the week will be kept locked for
security reasons. If you would like access then please contact Paul Smith (07787
503545) or Alan Burbridge (01366 727002).
Planned Services:
Morning Prayer held every Thursday from 8.30am.
Evening Prayer held every Tuesday from 5.30pm
Sunday 5th June 9.30am Jubilee Service Revd. Ray Burman
Sunday 12th June9.30am SOW LLM Diane Mantle
Sunday 19th June9.30am HC Revd. Ray Burman
Sunday 26th June9.30am SOW LLM Tony Mills
Online Zoom services are also available every Sunday, please message Janet Tanton
for the link via the Wissey Valley Benefice Facebook page.
The Foodbank will remain open for donations every weekend, there has been a terrific
response such that the Trussell Trust are regularly collecting 3 to 4 cases of products
every three weeks. In particular short supply at the moment are Tinned Fruit, Coffee,
Hot Chocolate, Tinned Meats, UHT Milk, Cat/Dog Food – dry, Tinned Fish, Biscuits
and Snacks/ Treats. During these difficult times with rising prices, the foodbank is in
even greater demand and your support is highly valued.
A member of our congregation has also come up with an idea to help those in need
reduce their energy costs. Packs of energy saving LED bulbs are being donated which
will substantially reduce their energy consumption, saving money and in a small way
helping the environment. The cost of the LED light bulbs is much higher than
contemporary bulbs which may dissuade those who are struggling make the change
but the energy they use is a fraction of that used by conventional bulbs. These packs
will be distributed by the Foodbank.
Our Community Coffee Morning will be open on Tues. 14th June and Tues 28th June.
There will also be an additional Jubilee Coffee Morning on Thursday 2nd June from
10am till 1pm. If you haven't been before then come along to sample the delicious
cakes and savouries. The hot sausage rolls are highly recommended! Everyone is
welcome to come along.
9Jubilee celebrations at our Church are:
Thurs 2nd June 10am-1pm Community Coffee Morning
Exhibition of Pupil's work from local Schools
8.30pm – 9.00pm Church Bells will ring out to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee
9.15pm Short Address in the Churchyard followed by the lighting of the Beacon.
Should you find yourself in any financial difficulties, free advice can be found at the
following sources:
Christians Against Povertyhttps://capuk.org/ or freephone on 0800 328 0006.
Norfolk Community Law Service https://www.ncls.co.uk/ or telephone 01603
496623
Alan Burbridge
Church Warden
I Am the Light of the World
One member of our congregation at St. George’s has recently come up with a very
good way of helping people. By supplying energy saving light bulbs to families who
need help. This not only saves them money but, in a small way, helps the environment.
When he proposed the idea, I immediately thought of what Jesus told us in John’s
Gospel. Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Again, in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was speaking to a crowd of just ordinary
folks when he said. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Jesus described his followers as being like light, which is on the outside and 2000
years later Christians are still the light of the world. That's how God intends us to get
his work done on earth today: through everybody who loves the Lord. God takes an
ordinary person and uses them to share his message to people who need him.
When we share our faith, we spread his light.
Reverend Ray Burman
St. George’s Church
“We pray to be a generous and visible people of Jesus Christ"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10HOSPITAL HAPPENINGS –
MONTHLY RAMBLINGS ABOUT
WEST SUFFOLK HOSPITAL
June 2022
News:
Covid at the hospital:
The numbers of patients with Covid has been dropping week by week. From a high of
over a hundred a few weeks ago, the total was around 50 last week. Fingers crossed
that we are seeing the end in sight..
Other News:
DaTScans:
I’m pleased to announce that my department, Nuclear Medicine, has carried out its first
DaTscan. The DaTscan study is designed to differentiate Parkinsonian syndrome from
a benign condition called essential tremor. Essential tremor results in a noticeable
tremor which may mimic the Parkinsonian Syndrome. Mostly Parkinson’s can be
diagnosed clinically but in some patients it is not straightforward and this is where the
new scan helps.
Parkinson’s disease is the most common form of Parkinsonian syndrome, but there are
other forms, including multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy.
Although DaTscan cannot determine which form of Parkinsonian syndrome you or
your loved one has, it can, with other scans and clinical evaluations, help your
physician determine whether your are suffering from a Parkinsonian syndrome.
For patients with dementia, the DaTscan has been successfully used to separate
Alzheimer’s disease from another dementia called Lewy Body disease. This has
important implications in determining which medications can safely be used to treat
the dementia.
It has taken a long time to get the regulatory approval for this scan as it uses a different
isotope to our usual one. DatScan uses Iodine 123 which has a half life of 13.2 hours,
twice the half life of Technetium 99m. This means the patient stays radioactive for
longer and so does our waste. It takes about 5 half lives to get back to a background
level of radioactivity, so around 70 hours for the new isotope.
We’ve had to put a completely new system in to deal with the waste and have our assay
machine, which measures the patient’s dose of radiation, recalibrated.
The scan is taken using a technique called SPECT ( Single Photon Emission Computed
Tomography ) which is a bit like a CT scan, the two big detector cameras rotate around
the patient’s head for 45 minutes. They have to keep pretty still which is challenging
for some. It’s good news that we can now offer this service though.
Incidents and Anecdotes:
The last couple of anecdotes were from my days at Portsmouth, after that I moved to
Medway Hospital in Kent. Portsmouth was busy but Medway was just crazy and all
11human life was there. The hospital was within walking distance of the town centre
which encouraged “patients” to drop in with their takeaways on the way back from
Joanna’s nightclub. Often it seemed, the hospital was just a good place to stop to eat.
One of our regular visitors was a lady who made a habit of getting beaten up by her
husband. She’d come in black and blue, we’d x-ray her, Casualty, as it was called then,
patched her up and sent her home until the next time. Our team were young and naive,
once we asked her why she didn’t leave her husband. She looked at us as if we were
mad and said, “ Because I love him”, through swollen and bruised lips.
One of our radiographers had to lock himself in the darkroom one night when a man
with a knife was seen running and screaming round the hospital. There was a fairly
large police turnout for that one and he was quickly apprehended.
Drunks were a regular occurrence and often didn’t want to be x-rayed and quite often
gave an impressive display of alcohol induced projectile vomiting. I learned quickly to
jump out of the way. There wasn’t much time for fun but one night I was working with
a new radiographer who went out of the room to collect the next drunken patient on a
trolley. Unbeknown to him, the drunk was our superintendent who had been in theatre
doing an emergency case. He tucked himself under a blanket, moaned, groaned and
belched, refusing to come out for his pictures. The new radiographer tried being nice,
then firm and finally a bit cross, tugging at the blanket. At this point our boss sat up
suddenly, dropped the blanket and shouted “Booooo!!!!!” at the top of his voice. I
swear the new chap’s feet actually left the ground. That was his welcome to the
hospital, it wouldn’t happen today of course.
Tony Bennett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Methwold Parish Council
Councillor Vacancies
Would you like to get more involved in your community and local
issues?
If the answer is ‘yes’ you might consider becoming a parish councillor.
We currently have a vacancy on the Parish Council. If you would like
to find out more, please contact the Parish Clerk:
methwoldpc@outlook.com
12WHAT DOES THE DOCTOR THINK THIS MONTH?
June 2022
Voucher expiry dates: Deannie’s sister bought us some National Garden Gift Vouchers
(HTA) three years ago and, when I attempted to use them a month ago, they were out of
date, having expired on 31.12.21.
Google tells me that HTA stands for The Human Tissues Authority, Health Technology
Assessment, HTA Group is a supplier of laser cut metal pieces and another HTA
company specialises in interior design .The most likely fit for my purposes was The
Horticultural Trades Association so I contacted them, told them how ill I had been,
pointed out that they were only just time expired and requested an extension. I received a
very peremptory and dismissive reply referring me to their terms and conditions and
implying that I should go away. I sent them another email and was told that the only way
to “progress” the matter would be to make a formal complaint which would be
considered by the directors. I have done that and we await developments. I had half a
dozen vouchers which had similarly expired and I am pleased to say that they all
extended courtesy of the issuer without complaint or demur – everyone was charming.
This episode set me thinking about the expiry date on vouchers and an extensive
Google search revealed the following. The Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Act
2019 determines that all vouchers sold after December 2nd 2019 must either:
Have no expiry date or must be valid for at least 5 years from the date
of issue.
If there is a five year expiry date you must be given details in durable
format (paper or email) at the time of purchase.
I was really excited about this law until further research revealed that it only applies in
the USA and Ireland. Googling can be misleading as the websites made no mention that
this only applies in USA and Ireland. Further research revealed that there is no gift
voucher expiry date law in the UK, Expiry dates are allowed as long as the person
buying the voucher was made aware of this at the time of purchase.. Retailers actually
prefer people to use their vouchers as people using gift cards spend 40% more than the
value of the voucher on purchases in store or online. Secondly, gift cards and vouchers
provide multiple benefits to retailers, such as introducing new customers and increasing
footfall.(UK Gift Cards & Voucher Associations). So, now we know. Perhaps such a law
would be a good idea for the UK.
It was a regular day in the primary school. The teacher asked all the students to tell her
something about what their parents do for a living. Some children knew and gave a good
description, while others didn't really understand their parents' jobs and gave vague
descriptions or none at all. When they got to little Johnny, he stood up and said: "My dad
cuts people in half." "Oh, really?" asked the teacher with a smile, "You mean he's a
magician?" "I don't know." Said Johnny. "A surgeon, maybe?" asked the teacher. "I don't
know." repeated Johnny. "Then why do you think he cuts people in half?" asked the
confused teacher. "Because I have two half brothers and three half sisters."
A teacher asked a class of children to come up with a sentence beginning with "I" After a
13few children come to the front with predictable statements about having a cat or a certain
toy, a child stepped up and said "I is-" and is immediately interrupted by the teacher, "I
am!" The child frowned frowns and her started again "I is-" again, the teacher
interrupted her, this time a little more snappily "It's I am! Use the proper word!" The girl
turned to look at her, eyelids drooped with exasperation. "Fine," she sighs "I AM the
ninth letter of the alphabet.
The Dot – an American joke. A kindergarten class had a homework assignment
to find out something exciting and relate it to the class the next day. When the time came
to present what they'd found, the first little boy the teacher called on walked up to the
front of the class, and with a piece of chalk, made a small white dot on the blackboard
and sat back down Puzzled, the teacher asked him what it was. 'It's a period,' he replied.
'I can see that,' said the teacher, 'but what is so exciting about a period?' 'I really don’t
know,' chirped the little boy, 'but this morning my sister was missing one, my mother
fainted, my dad had a heart attack, and the boy next door joined the Navy!'
A little girl wanted to take her dog for a walk. Her mother said “No, sweetie.
Lulu is in heat.” “What does that mean?”, asked the girl. “Why don't you go and ask
your dad in the garage?” says the busy mother. So the girl goes to her father in the
garage and asks “I want to take Lulu for a walk, but mom says she’s in heat and to ask
you about it.”. The father took a rag, poured some petrol on it, and then rubbed Lulu’s
backside with it to disguise the scent. “Now you can take her for a walk”, he says. “Just
don’t let her off the leash, and she’ll be fine”. So the little girl skipped happily away with
Lula trotting along beside her. A few minutes later she returned with an empty leash, and
no Lulu. Concerned, her dad asked “Where’s Lulu, sweetie?” “She ran out of petrol two
streets away," the girl replied, "so the neighbour's dog is giving her a push home.”
Best wishes to you all
Ian Nisbet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FELTWELL BOWLS CLUB
The Quiz night held on the 30th April was well attended, all enjoyed it and helped our
funds towards obtaining a new mower. We have obtained a very good secondhand one
which will act as a stop gap until we have the funds to purchase a new model.
Club night and roll ups have gone well we are meeting on a Monday and Wednesday
with about 60% of members turning up.
The green is bowling well and seems a bit faster than last year.
The leagues have started, will report on the results in the next issue.
We have 3 new members but are looking for more so if you feel you are interested why
not come along on a Monday or Wednesday, (starting time is 6-30) or contact me on
01842 827511 you will be made most welcome.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
14Follow these simple steps, you could be a lifesaver
in an emergency.
Before you approach the person who has collapsed, check your surroundings for
danger.
1. Shout for help.
• Shake them gently.
2. Look and listen for signs of normal breathing.
• Look for the rise and fall of their chest.
3. Call 999.
• Put the phone on loudspeaker and tell them you are with someone who is not
breathing.
4. Fetch a defibrillator if you can.
• The ambulance call handler will tell you where the nearest automated external
defibrillator (AED) is and the code to release it. If someone is with you, ask
them to fetch it and bring it back. Do not leave the person if you are on your
own.
5. Start chest compressions:
• interlock your fingers
• place your hands in the centre of the chest
• push down hard and then release twice per second, and don’t stop. The
ambulance call handler will help you.
6. If you have a defibrillator, switch it on and follow the instructions.
• A defibrillator will tell you exactly what to do. Visit https://www.resus.org.uk/
for more information.
7. Continue CPR until:
• the AED asks you to pause while it reanalyses and gives another shock if
needed
• a paramedic arrives and tells you what to do
• the person shows signs of life.
Where is your nearest defibrillator?
Methwold- on the wall of the fire station, High Street (opposite Rumbles fish and chip
shop) IP26 4NT
Methwold Hythe- the old telephone box, IP26 4QP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
16It’s No Laughing Matter, is it!
Grab another cuppa. Let’s see what else we can do.
Remember, understanding is the key: a few pence saved here and there may translate
to pounds off your energy bills, reduce our collective carbon emissions (not to
mention saving the planet!)
I hope that many of you will have grasped the nettle and changed out those power-
hungry incandescent lamps for the ‘cool’ LED lamps.
If so, you may already be making substantial savings
each and every time you use your lights. See last
May’s Methwold Times for the justification.
This month we are going to look at tariffs and how not
to get ‘caught’ by ‘too good to be true’ special offers.
First of all:-
Vampire Devices
This is an interesting and rather catchy term for all
those little things which are left connected: tv’s and other entertainment equipment on
standby; computers (despite energy star compliant specs) are using power even when
not in use; Alexa; the all-important modem; aerial boosters; telephones; even washing
machines, dishwashers and tumble driers, security lights, time switches: anything
without a ‘hard switch’ is sitting there, sleepily sucking up energy, waiting for you to
engage with it.
The little plug-in chargers are the target which can be most easily addressed…
toothbrush chargers, phone chargers, laptop chargers, battery chargers. When in use,
their current drawing capacity increases toward a level indicated on
the specification label, however these devices do draw quiescent
current when not being used – current which can be saved by
switching off the socket at the wall. I’ve discovered that
Confused.com have a fun web-page into which you can put how
many tvs, chargers and other and oddments you have which then
calculates an indicative figure (at obsolete tariffs) of these ‘Vampire Devices’: just a
bit of fun:- https://www.confused.com/gas-electricity/guides/standby-energy-vampire-
device. This website’s calculations showed that the Vampire Devices we logged were
costing us £16.20/annum (at October 2019 tariffs). Potentially a meal out! It’s is a
salutary observation - although wholly inaccurate!
In real life, our little smart-meter readout gives us this information… Try it: turn
down the fridge thermostat (to switch it to standby), the freezer too, turn down the
heating (if it’s on) and turn off any other appliances (tv, radio, lights): our smart meter
tells me we that our house is using 112 Watts! 112W X 24hours equals 2.69kWh/day,
X 365days equals 981kWh/annum, X 28p/kWh adds up to £274!
I shall head out and turn off every item which is unnecessary – and you should do the
same!
A final thought on Vampire Devices: If everyone in Methwold unplugs one unused
charger, that may save 1w X 2000 people, 2kW. 2kW X 24 hours X 365 days a year
17is an awful lot of energy saved… and how much, collectively, will we save? Depends
on your tariff, but if we all paid 28p/kWh, just shy of £5,000/year!
Electricity Supply
In theory, we are all free to choose our electrical supplier and the tariff we adopt. For
the last two years we (personally) had an excellent tariff with 4 hours (very) cheap-rate
and the rest at standard (also cheaper) rate… We used the 4 hours to
heat our water cylinder and run washing machines, etc. This worked
for us but wouldn’t work for people with storage heaters who need
the full 7 (sometimes 10) hours to fully charge them. You pays your
money and you takes your choice – but you need to be aware of what
your usage is and what proportion of that usage you can use/transfer
to a cheaper time to take advantage of the selected tariff.
Your next period’s bill will be based not on your Direct Debit (as
some suppliers would like you to believe) but entirely on the daily ‘Standing Charge’
plus the kWh rate multiplied by your usage. This will be what you have to pay
(eventually) so you might as well get a grip from the off.
Be aware how much you use (from previous meter readings) and ascertain how much
you are (going to be) charged per KWh. Take it upon yourself to calculate your annual
electricity cost, divide by 12, then you can put your supplier’s Direct Debit demand on
a sound footing.
KEY POINT: Get a grip of your (annual) usage, the tariff and ensure that the
payments you are making accurately reflect your (annual) usage. That way there won’t
be any nasty surprises down the road.
This spring This is Money’ advised, “We urge people to check carefully before
fixing any deal at this point in time.” and following this advice is eminently
sensible.
As I write, none of the ‘Compare the Market’, 'Money Supermarket', ‘Money Saving
Expert’ or 'This is Money’ brigade are offering any comparisons – however, this
doesn’t stop your current supplier trying to persuade you to sign up to a new ’deal':
Don’t! Despite their honeyed words, the energy suppliers are not your friends!
When the time comes to renegotiate an energy tariff, don’t just accept the (deliberately
misleading, some might suggest) Direct Debit figure offered: “We will charge you
£60/month by Direct Debit, £5.00 cheaper than your current supplier.” If ‘your’
calculations suggests £92/month (or £192 or £292) is a more realistic figure, if the
supplier takes only £60/month, at some point in the future you are going to have to find
that un-paid £32/month (times how many months?) and it will be added to the then
DAR – paying £124/m for your £92 worth of electricity to catch up.
Understanding your tariff and the basis for the charges therein will help you avoid the
pitfalls of signing up to a tariff presented with an artificially low Direct Debit, only to
discover that, in a year’s time, you are in debt, unable to change tariff to a better
supplier at the end of the term.
I was surprised to see in working through this article that oil prices reduced
18substantially (from Lot in March to PH in early April…) This may seem encouraging
– but it probably just illustrates that energy prices are extremely volatile. To sign up to
a fixed price at what seems a relatively low rate now (early April) may prove
disadvantageous in the long term. I don’t anticipate a substantive reduction in
electricity prices any time soon: I am sure that the surviving energy companies will
attempt to recoup their losses caused by the ill-conceived, politically motivated ‘price
cap’ which has seen so many business flounder.
As last month, this article is intended to provide some insight into your electricity
consumption and I have tried to use up-to-date figures and to show the basis of my
calculations so that you can re-work the figures for yourself using your own
tariff/usage figures.
I hope that the article will encourage you to save energy, to save money, and, in the
process, help toward reducing carbon emissions.
Next month I will deal with the ‘big loads’ on your supply, and the ways you can
reduce energy consumption, work smarter to cut your bills further. In the mean time, if
you’ve found any errors in my calculations, please let me know.
J M Douglass. Email: MTArticle@jdouglass.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reg Charity No. 1143390
Craft Fair
& ¶+DYHD*R·'RJ$JLOLW\
Saturday
25th June
Refreshments served all day
10am-4pm
Magpie Centre
Wallington Hall, South Runcton, on the A10
PE330EP
Enquiries: 07715 467866
Well behaved dogs on lead welcome
Craft stalls are undercover in Indoor School
Free parking HQWU\8QGHU·VIUHH Dog Agility £2
19Councillor Tom Ryves. KLWNBC
I am very proud that in Methwold and Northwold there has been a
very high level of support for the small and growing number of
Ukrainian refugee families that are beginning to trickle into Norfolk.
As of 13 April there were some 4.7m refugees of whom 2.7m are in
Poland. This is placing an enormous strain on Poland as you can
guess.
My involvement is twofold. My business trades with eastern Europe and our Polish
supplier agreed that with our next purchase they would make available their 40ft truck
to collect humanitarian aid. In their town in East Poland there is a large number of
refugees, people who have lost absolutely everything and they have given up the
apartments they have been building to diversify their business for use by displaced
Ukrainians. We collected some 40 tonnes of items, and of particular use were
educational supplies for children, cosmetics, hygiene products and medical supplies.
Everything was checked, boxed with a clear description of the contents and palleted up
with like goods. This was all done to a very tight timetable and the staff at my factory
worked overtime to process the goods received. We worked with other communities
and other shippers . I think that because our shipment did not disappear into some
institutional warehouse it was especially valuable.
My Polish suppliers have strong family connections to Ukraine and are able to deliver
the items which were collected in Northwold and Methwold directly to their town
council for immediate distribution. And all medical items were taken the same day to
the border where they were picked up and taken immediately to hospitals and doctors
in Ukraine.
The situation in Poland is quite dire. They have had people hiding in their factory and
crowding into whatever spare space can be offered, and still they come. As I write the
war is building up again in the East of Ukraine and large numbers are being evacuated
from the war zone.
Through my friends I have been able to take a family of four in. Contrary to what the
papers say, the process has been very quick and efficient (although a command of
English is needed and I think that the websites available to refugees might be a bit
heavy going). The time between us offering our home and the family arriving was just
over two weeks, with my wife Beverley pushing the process along from this end.
If anyone is currently working to get Visas we can help.
The level of support for our guests is amazing. The Borough Council and the County
Council have offered real assistance beyond just flying a Ukrainian flag over Kings
Court, and we have quickly got all the things we take for granted, access to health care,
access to financial support, even Tesco and Primark shopping vouchers. We are lucky
that there is a pre-existing Ukrainian and Polish community here as well.
Our guests are now finding jobs, with Quorn and a number of local pubs and
restaurants all able to help. Luda is 48 and her mother Kate 71 and they live in
Kherkov, very close to the Russian border and suffered particularly. I have asked for
20support for Kate in particular who does not speak English and has had some terrible
experiences and so many here have stepped forward to offer help.
Thank you all. Daughter/sister Hannah and her husband Kirill (“Cyril”) are younger
and more resilient. As a family they are very supportive of each other. And I am sure if
anyone wants to meet our guests they will appreciate that immensely.
For anyone interested, my friends in Poland are in contact with many
mother/children/parent combinations who are quite desperate for the safety and
security we can offer in Norfolk, and I now know the ropes to make sure that the
process is swift and painless.
Finally, I would like to share with you some of the correspondence I have received
from Poland
“ We will give them another apartment but it will be finished in a few couple days..We
bought apartments for renting but of course now we don't see another way only to help
and to give them the best we can..
I promised to my worker that we will help his family but apartment is not ready now
and it takes about one month ( it was about 3 weeks ago) and i asked him where is his
wife now and his daughter..he answered that they are together with her sister in other
city but they must leave that apartment quite fast ( i don't know why) and we offered
that woman and a girl can live together with us one or two weeks that there is not a
problem..she did not decide finally, I think she was embarrassed to live in her
husband's boss's house.
And yesterday Tom, I told to the man that in two days apartment is ready and I only
must buy some beds, wardrobes, armchairs..and i asked him where is your wife and he
answered here,..I asked again what do you mean here..and he answered again here in
hydrostal.. We did not know about that for two weeks. Tom, it is terrible that they were
hidden in one room and for two weeks they did not go out..I took some chocolates and
went to them immediately, i knocked on the door and that woman opened me. ..Tom, I
will never forget the sight of this little girl getting scared. Terrible. I have spoken with
her mum and with her and promised them that they are safe and they don't need to
worry..
We have many people from Ukraine and we help all of them but we had one rule that
nobody can live in hydrostal. You know Tom, it is producing factories, many dangerous
places and moreover we have rooms for workers not for women and children..He
wanted to hide them for two weeks and if they saw me they were so scared..Tom, to be
honest it was a picture of Jews during the second World War. my story...and I wanted
to share it with you :
( you must study my English to understand it :)
Again, I want to thank all of this community for their support, it has literally saved the
lives of Hanna, Kirril, Luda and Kate.
21Methwold Parish Council
Minutes of Meeting of the Parish Council
Thursday 10th March 2022
7.00pm to 9.00pm
21 Room St George’s Hall Complex Methwold
Parish Councillors present: J Marriage – Chairman, D Scott, R Scott, P Andre, P
Crawley
Also in attendance: R Buckle (Parish Clerk)
4 members of the public
Cllr Storey Cllr Ryves
The Chairman welcomed all to the meeting
1.The parish council to receive and resolve to agree apologies for absence,
apologies received from B Horton, D Charlesworth-Smith, I Cotterell, S Turner.
Apologies accepted.
2.To receive declarations of interest in items on the agenda and consider any
requests for dispensations - None
3. To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 10th February 2022, the
Chairman thanked D Scott for taking the minutes at February’s meeting whilst the
Clerk was unavailable.
P Crawley proposed to accept the minutes, P Andre seconded - APPROVED
4. Matters arising from the Minutes of 10th February 2022 - None
5.Reports
5.1 Update and report from the virtual meeting of Open Spaces at the meeting held
on the 24 February ‘22: R Scott gave an update to the meeting.
Storm damage in the Cemetery – the bough which came down in the storm has been
cleared, along with the bough in the Churchyard. There was damage to one gravestone
which has been cleared. One grave was damaged by the bough, and this will be filled
in by the Grave Digger when h is next in the Cemetery.
The deadline to register all Footpaths by 2026 has been cancelled by the government,
the Open Spaces still intend to register as many of the Footpaths and rights of way
around the parish.
Shrub clearance in the Churchyard – date to be arranged, volunteers to be advised.
Resident requested permission to remove ivy from the wall in the Old Social Club car
park, permission given.
The no parking sign has been installed outside the Old Chapel, the sign was removed
less than 24 hours after installation.
226.Finance
a.Accounts Update – Bank Reconciliation
b.Approval of payments – Income & Invoice List – Invoices from Wicksteed for the
repair to the zip wire buffer £578.40 and a training course £36.00 were added to the list
for approval.
Included in this month’s invoices for payment are
£790 to empty the dig waste bins around the parish
£3000 for the replacement windows in the Fenton room – this is to be paid for from the
CIL Funding, the amount to be transferred from the Grants Account into the Current
account
£696.88 Replacement Lantern, unit 19 Hythe Road
£1079.00 Solicitors for work to date - Charitable Trust
D Scott proposed to accept and approve the bank rec and payments list, J Marriage
seconded - APPROVED
c. Approval of Internal Auditor for 2021/22 – The council received a report from the
Clerk prior to the meeting. Three Internal Auditors were invited to quote to complete
the 2021/22 internal audit, two quotes were obtained, and one declined to quote due to
the council not operating the Scribe accounting system and distance to the office.
Quote A was proposed by P Crawley, R Scott seconded - APPROVED
7.Planning
7.1 To receive planning decisions
21/02482/F 25B And 27 High Street Methwold Thetford Norfolk IP26 4NT - PV
Panels to be installed on the roofs of 25b and 27, canopy erected to the rear of 27 and
new patio doors to 27 and replacement gate entrance to the shared driveway
Application Permitted 17 February 2022 Delegated Decision
21/02412/AG Lancaster Park 33 Stoke Road Methwold Thetford Norfolk IP26 4PE -
Agricultural Prior Notification: Small scale, open fronted shed for storage of feed and
housing of parkland sheep
Consent is Required 24 February 2022 Delegated Decision
21/02344/F 25A High Street Methwold Thetford Norfolk IP26 4NT - Change of use
of a vacant (former) Butcher's shop (E) to one bed dwelling (C3) Application
Withdrawn 1 March 2022 Withdrawn Application
22/00152/AG Old Agricultural Building S of String Drain And N of Potsford Cottage
W Side of Rd Northwold Road Methwold Norfolk - Agricultural Prior Notification:
General purpose agricultural storage building AG Prior Notification - NOT REQD 28
February 2022 Delegated Decision
7.2 To receive planning applications
22/00228/F VARIATION OF CONDITION 4; Attached to 19/01605/F and
DISCHARGED under 19/01605/DISC_A: To vary opening hours for dog day care,
drop off/pick up and; To Remove time limit for dogs to be permitted outdoors 2 Warren
Cottage Brandon Road Methwold Thetford Norfolk
IP26 4RL. NO OBSERVATION either in favour or against the proposal.
237.3 To consider planning applications received after the agenda was published
22/00380/F Quorn Foods Brandon Road Methwold IP26 4RL Freezer extension (food
storage) – NO OBSERVATION either in favour or against the proposal
22/00404/F 15 Feltwell Road Methwold Hythe, Thetford IP26 4QJ – Construction of
new bungalow type dwelling – this was posted on the Planning Portal this afternoon
and the council have not had time to study the application, the consultation date will be
checked with the planning department and a decision deferred until after the council
have had opportunity to fully investigate the proposal.
8.Items received for the agenda
Household Support Fund – Grants with a maximum value of £50 per household to help
those in need with fuel costs. The grant can be used as an onward payment or used, for
example to:
• Make purchases on behalf of the household
• Provide food supplies and/ or hot meals
• Purchase alternative vouchers or gift cards to purchase food
• Top up fuel keys/cards.
Funding is available to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations,
including Parish/Town Councils, P Andre to investigate further to find out how many
houses in the parish may be in need of help, and if the grant can be used to purchase
vouchers to give out as required? Closing date for first stage of grant 22 March 2022.
9.Correspondence
Email received from resident who is looking for grazing, storage for vans and
equipment in the parish.
Notification from oil supplier – potential shortages of supply and a 10 day delay in
deliveries.
Request received from Methwold Community Action Group to use the Complex
facilities on 2nd, 3rd and 4th June 2022 to hold events to celebrate the Queens
Platinum Jubilee, risk assessments will be required for the family fun day & BBQ and
the beacon in the churchyard. The parish council voted to support MCAG.
BT are to increase their costs from 31 March 2022
The mobile library van will stop in St George’s Car Park between 15.35 and 15.50 on
the following dates
7 April, 5 May, 2 June, 30 June, 28 July, 25 Aug, 22 Sept, 20 Oct, 17 Nov, 15 Dec, 12
Jan 2023, 9 Feb 2023, details of other stops in the village will be posted on the Notice
Board at St George’s Hall.
The mole man has reported that he is having problems on the rec with a cat or fox
marking the traps and live traps being pulled out of the ground. It was suggested that a
cat could be the culprit!
10.Open Forum for Public Participation
An opportunity to hear from members of the public, Borough and County Councillors
24Resident asked if there is an update on the meeting requested by the farmer to discuss
the proposal to alleviate the damage to the grass on Fair Hill caused by vehicles, Open
Spaces have requested details of the proposal and await a response before deciding on
a meeting.
Disappearing sign outside the Old Chapel, this is criminal damage and therefore a
police matter. Cllr Storey updated the meeting, Highways are aware and will take
further action, waiting for an outcome. Cllr Storey thanked the resident who notified
him of the installation and removal of the sign.
The factory in Buntings Lane is reported as having up to 8 lorries a day visiting the
site, 16 movements, when planning was approved was there a limit to how many
lorries can use the lane?
Can the bus stop road markers be reinstated opposite the cross by the primary school,
the alternative stops are too far for some who wish to use the bus service.
Fly tipping in the hedge at the start of the new development on Hythe Road, there is
now 7 tins of paint, a shelving unit and a cylinder from a vacuum cleaner dumped here.
It was reported that new residents are finding it difficult to locate the rooms at the
Complex, can there be better signage for the building from the High Street please,
especially the 21 Room and Peggy’s Room.
The gate to the wildflower meadow was open today?
Volunteer offered to help with cutting back the shrubs, please let them know the date.
Has the money raised at last year’s fete for the facilities in the recreation ground been
transferred to the parish council? The Chairman has asked the Chairman of MCAG.
When will the weeds around the complex be sprayed? The contractors have said this
will be done at the start of the season.
11.Further reports and items for the next meeting agenda – Thursday 14th April
2022
Reminder that the parish council have no Vice Chair and the Chairman intends to step
down in May.
Concerns that so few councillors are attending meetings.
There are 4 vacancies on the parish council, if anyone is interested in joining the parish
council, please contact the Clerk for more details. A leaflet drop has been suggested
and an advert will be published in the Methwold Times. It was reported that MCAG
made a big effort recently to distribute leaflets to all houses but even this didn’t gain
any additional volunteers.
The blackboards either side of St George’s Hall will be updated.
12.To pass a resolution (under the Public Admission to Meetings Act 1960 to
exclude members of the public and press for the following confidential items:
12.1 Legal Matters concerning the application to the Charity Commission – P
Andre and Chairman will respond to the Charity Commission before 17th March.
If this is not possible and we have to use the Solicitor to answer some of the more legal
questions this will incur a fee, this will be bought to council for approval before any
additional work is undertaken by Solicitor.
2512.2. To agree the 1.75% pay increase to the Clerk, proposed by the National Joint
Council for local government services, backdated to April 2021. J Marriage proposed
to accept, P Crawley seconded - APPROVED
12.3 This the final year of a three-year contract for grass cutting and grounds
maintenance, the Contractor has informed the clerk of a change of circumstances and
due to these changes the contract is no longer in place.
Representatives from the council to meet with the Contractor to discuss and agree a
plan as it is so close to the start of the cutting season it may be difficult to find another
contractor who is able to start immediately, also the tree survey was completed last
year and the medium priority tree works which were identified in the report are
required to be completed this year. Clerk to arrange meeting with Contractor,
Chairman, R Scott and P Andre.
Meeting ended at 9.10pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
METCALFE COPEMAN
Family
Property &PETTEFAR LLP
Criminal
Commercial
Employment SOLICITORS
Personal Injury
Wills & Probate
www.mcp-law.co.uk Lorraine Campbell
Legal Executive
& local resident
01842 756100
01842 756117
Cage Lane, Thetford e.mail: lc@mcp-law.co.uk
Norfolk, IP24 2DT
26MAGPIE RIDERS FLY HIGH AT
REGIONAL COMPETITION
Disabled riders from throughout East Anglia gathered at the College of West Anglia’s
Milton campus on Sunday May 8 to contest the Riding for the Disabled Association
(RDA) Regional Dressage competition.
Riders are grouped according to their level of disability, and of the West Norfolk
Riding for the Disabled team, based at the Magpie Centre, Wallington Hall, five of the
six strong team placed first or second in their classes, and won through to the RDA
National Championships, to be held at Hartpury College, near Gloucester, on July
15/17.
Seasoned competitors Michelle Alflatt and Aynsley Calvert, riding new mounts, Sully
and Ava, respectively, both won their classes. Michelle piloted Sully to victory, with an
excellent mark of 69.3%, while Aynsley won both his dressage class and the
Countryside Challenge qualifier. This last is like a mounted obstacle course and,
despite Ava stopping to peer at a cardboard hen, the pair achieved top marks.
Said Michelle: ‘Sully was a very good girl, and I was delighted with my marks. I just
hope we can consolidate this with a win at the Nationals.’
But competing at the Nationals doesn’t come cheap, so, although the riders pay their
own entry fees, plus travel and accommodation costs, West Norfolk RDA will need to
foot the bill for horse transport and stabling, as well as staff transport and
accommodation.
Watch this space to find out how you can help.
Entries are still open for the Charity Ride, scheduled for June 12, with routes of
various lengths, around Wallington Hall estate. The shorter ride is even suitable for
riders on lead rein, so, even if the ground remains hard, but you and your horse fancy a
gentle saunter, off-road, in lovely surroundings, visit our website; www.rda-
westnorfolk.org.uk for details of how to enter.
Looking further ahead, the Magpie Centre Craft Fair and Have A Go Dog Agility
event, Saturday, June 25, has already attracted more than 40 stallholders! However,
the more the merrier, as they say, so if you’d like to take a 3 metre wide pitch, at a cost
of £10, just visit our website, as above, or call Jan on 07715 467866. The event runs
10.00 am to 4.00 pm, with set-up starting at 8.30 am.
General admission is £2.00 for adults and free for under-16s. Well-behaved dogs on
leads are welcome. Cost for Dog Agility is £2 per attempt. Bring your pooch and Have
a Go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2728
The WNAS' Visit to the
Marham Heritage Centre.
"I hope that was cleaned out before they brought it here!"
"Why?"
"It's a Blue Danube, a nuclear bomb, didn't you know?"
Well, that's roughly how a conversation went between two members of the West
Norfolk Aviation Society during an evening in May at Marham. My group was
wending its way through a tour of the Heritage Centre, beginning at the First World
War exhibits, moving through the WW2 artefacts and finally reaching the Cold War
area.
Our guides had kindly given up their own time to explain to us what we were looking
at. And very successful they were too. They described the aircraft which had flown
from Marham airfield over a period in excess of a hundred years: the biplane fighters
sparring with Zeppelins, the Mosquitos 25 years later and, the V Bombers and
Tornados in more recent years.
But Bunny, formerly an RAF Armourer, and Ken, who used to fly as a Navigator,
took particular care to recall the contributions made by other people involved: the
aircrews of course, the engineers, the parachute packers, the armourers, the cooks and
particularly the relatives of those who were in harm's way when on Active Service.
During the intermission Chris, our Chairman and also an ex armourer, produced
refreshments: sandwiches and tea which he had previously made himself. Thank you,
Sir!
Our sincerest thanks are due to those two chaps for a fascinating couple of hours which
we would like to experience again (our memories are not as good as they were!);
perhaps in a couple of years' time.
So, if you find yourself near Marham, check the museum's opening times on their
website and spend an hour or two there. You will enjoy a very friendly welcome, a
highly competent guide and, a lot to learn!
In the meantime, if you are interested in other subjects aeronautical, do peruse our
website to see what we have to offer on the evening of the first Tuesday of each month
in the Bowls Club at Mundford.
www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk
David Allen
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