Frederick Duleep Singh and Old Buckenham

Hall filled for local history talk
For the second night running the Old Buckenham Village Hall was packed with people. On Saturday 17 March it was for the talk by Peter Bance on 'The Prince who lived in Old Buckenham'. There can't be many small villages in the country that can claim to have had a prince and three princesses living there at the same time.
But then Prince Frederick Duleep Singh came to live at Old Buckenham Hall in 1897 followed soon after by his three sisters, the princesses Bamba, Catherine and Sophia, at the Manor House beside Old Buckenham Green. How this all came about was all explained by Peter Bance as he gave the history of the Duleep Singh dynasty, how members of the family were forced to leave India and then came to England where they were befriended by Queen Victoria.
Frederick settled in his new home in Old Buckenham and set about improving the house and gardens. He was a keen shot and, along with his elder brother Victor, set up local records for the amount of game shot in one day. He moved on to other houses locally, first to Breckles and then to Blo' Norton where he died and is buried.
All this, and much more, was illustrated by the speaker's collection of old photographs and other family items. He answered questions from the audience and also heard their stories of Prince Frederick, even down to the wonderful handwritting he had when writing uo the minutes of the Old Buckenham Green Right Proprietors.
The aim of this evening's event was to raise money for the village hall funds and, with all 120 seats taken, it was successful raising over £400. The local Attleborough Heritage Group provided excellent projection facilities and the Old Buckenham Women's Institute served up wonderful homemade refreshments.
Perhaps even more important was that the audience seemed to enjoy it, probably spoke to people from the village that they had never met before and went home knowing more about their village history than they did when they arrived.

Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in Old Buckenham

Timetable of events
Saturday 2 June. Royal quiz in the evening at the Village Hall. Organised by Old Buckenham WI. Initial survey shows this event will be popular. Proposal is for teams of six, around 12 teams.
Likely cost £4.50 including fish and chips. Looking for subsidy to bring down the price
Sunday 3 June. Aircraft display and classic car rally at Old Buckenham Airfield during the afternoon. Fun fair booked as well.
Barn dance and barbeque in the evening, cost £5 (children under 12 free if with adult).
Tuesday 5 June. Outdoor service on the Green. Then at 1pm there will be a ‘bring a plate’ meal for everyone on the Green. This is expected to be on the stretch of road running from the village shop towards the almshouses. During the afternoon there will be sports activities such as a rounders match and other fun competitions on the Green.

Throughout the holiday weekend a display of heritage photographs and other items will be put on at the village hall. There will also be pub games for all at the Ox and Plough.
The Jubilee mugs have been obtained and will be distributed to the village children at the meal at Tuesday lunchtime. Other people wanting mugs will be able to buy them at £2.50 each.
A fund-raising ‘squares board’ will be organised to provide some income to subsidise events where necessary. Prizes will include a flight in the Stearman biplane from the Airfield.
It is hoped to plant a commemorative tree on the Green to celebrate the Jubilee.
The next meeting to discuss these arrangements will be on Saturday 14 April at 10am in the Memorial Room at the Village Hall. 

Popular village quiz

Teams galore
Quiz mania hit Old Buckenham Village Hall last night. Twenty-five teams turned up to take part in the latest village quiz leading to some last minute photocopying to provide enough paperwork for all the teams. It was well after 11pm before the proceedings finished so the full results of event will be posted later. 
One thing that can be reported is that the event raised £210 for the village hall funds.

Old Buckenham Fete

Organising the 2012 fete
Nine people came along to the Village Hall on Tuesday 6 March to sort out arrangements for an Old Buckenham village fete to be held on Saturday 1 September. Other people from the village sent apologies for not being able to attend because the All Saints PCC was holding its AGM on the same evening.
Jill Emms led the meeting and agreed to take the minutes. It was realised that there was a necessity for a co-ordinator, especially on the day itself, to make sure that everything was running smoothly and it was decided to aim to have someone agree to take on this responsibility before the next fete planning meeting. Jill Emms agreed to be treasurer.
Feedback from the 2011 fete was strong, with visitors remarking on the wonderful atmosphere, and it was agreed that planning for a fete should go ahead.
In view of the uncertainties, it was agreed that some decisions should be left for the time being, particularly booking acts for the main ring.
The basic format would remain as last year, the fete taking place between 2pm and 5pm on the area in front of the village hall and on the recreation area at the back.
Car parking arrangements had generally worked well and the schools to be approached again this year.
Various suggestions were made for entertainment activities including last year’s favourites such as the Punch and Judy, Morris Men and the Dog Show with other organisations to be approached to see if they would attend.
It was expected that the majority of the village organisations would run stall as last year including the art exhibition, the barbecue and a bookstall. It was hoped to have definitive answers at the next meeting in April. Mike Bartlett agreed he would be willing to organise the Grand Draw and would appreciate help in selling the tickets around the village.
It was put forward that the proceeds of the dog show to go to the WI and the proceeds of the main fete (mostly draw money, stall fees, raffle, etc) should all go to the Village Hall.
The next meeting about the fete would be on Tuesday 3 April in the Memorial Hall starting at 7.30 pm.

Learning something new

Crafty WI in Old Buckenham
Old Buckenham Women’s Institute ran a successful Craft Day in the Village Hall today. Nearly sixty ladies from neighbouring WIs came along to get an insight into what was probably, for them, a new craft skill. And they all went away clutching the product of their hard work, ready to go home and say “Look what I made today”.
There were five crafts being taught, embroidery on gingham, pewter work, beading, patchwork and decorating a tin. Under the watchful eye of their tutors the participants persevered and found that they could produce something that they were proud of. Several people commented on how quiet it was in the hall with everyone concentrating on learning something new.
Behind the scenes there was plenty of work going on preparing food and drink to keep everyone fed and watered throughout the day.

Old Buckenham Women's Institute

Raising a toast
At their February meeting, Old Buckenham WI were pleased to welcome Martin Wynn as their speaker on the subject of the history and etiquette of toastmastering.
Martin told members that he had spent 32 years of his life as a police officer and the last thirteen years as a toastmaster. This is the only country in the world that employs the services of a professional toastmaster. The origins of the job went back as far as the Hebrews and Vikings and the Normans brought the custom with them when they came to Britain in 1066. There had always been a custom of proposing a toast to the good health of their companions before going into battle.
The speaker appeared resplendent in his toastmaster’s “uniform”. He outlined the importance of planning on the part of the toastmaster on each occasion when he is employed and he must use tact and diplomacy at all times. He concluded his talk with some humorous anecdotes.
Final arrangements were made at the meeting for twenty members to go on a trip to Wells-next-the-Sea in May. The local WI there will entertain the group to lunch after which there will be the opportunity for members to have a guided walk around the town and quay.
On a county level, members are being encouraged to take their cameras out and about during the next few months to enable them to compete in the photographic competition entitled ‘Norfolk Inland Waterways’. The winners’ entries will be used in the WI calendar for 2014 (the WI always likes to plan well ahead). At least two Old Buckenham members have been winners in past years so it is hoped that more of members may take up their cameras during
2012.
Forty members and friends enjoyed their annual trip to the Theatre Royal for the Norfolk & Norwich Operatic Society’s production of “Hello Dolly” and some members are looking to support the Dereham Operatic Society’s production of “Oklahoma” in October.
Members have a very busy few months ahead, including provision of refreshments at some village events plus of course the Jubilee celebrations in June. Work is also starting to plan the schedule of the Village Produce Show on Sunday 9 September so watch this space.
A Spring Fair will be held in the Church Rooms on Saturday 31 March and it is hoped that many villagers will go along for afternoon tea between 2pm and 4pm.

Social and Wine Circle

Working in Wyoming
There was a high attendance in the Church Rooms in Old Buckenham on Thursday 8 March to hear the local Rector David Hill give an illustrated talk on his family visit to Wyoming USA last year. He officiated each Sunday during August in a tiny wooden chapel located 6000 feet up a mountain in Jackson Hole close to the famous Snake River. In idyllic surroundings in the shadow of the Teton Mountains, David was locum priest for the Chapel of the Transfiguration where there was an impressive turnout for the Sunday services. With 60 to 80 attending the 8am service and well in excess of 100 at the 10am service, the mass attendance was well in excess of the local population.
The trip also afforded David, his wife Kate and the boys to experience the glorious and impressive sightseeing including the Yellowstone National Park and the local rodeo. The beauty and magnificence of the area was illustrated with some excellent photographs accompanied by David’s informative narrative with the usual funny anecdotes thrown in. Their trip also had a nostalgic twist for the first slide shown was that of diary entries of Kate’s mother dated the 24th to the 26th of August 1951 when she too had been in Jackson Hole.
The next meeting of the Old Buckenham Social and Wine Circle will be on Thursday 12 April in the Church Rooms at 7.45pm. In a change to the previously published programme, the evening will be a talk and presentation given by Easton Coaches on their history and the services that they can offer.

The Prince who lived in Old Buckenham

Only a week to go
If you are interested in local history then you may like to come along to a talk in Old Buckenham entitled ‘The Prince who lived in Old Buckenham’. Two-thirds of the tickets have already been sold  so don't put off getting yours any longer.
This will be an illustrated talk by Peter Bance and has been organised by the Old Buckenham Village Newsletter supported by the Attleborough Heritage Group.
Peter Bance is a renowned expert on the Duleep Singh family. He will be explaining how the Maharaja Duleep Singh was exiled to Britain at the age of 13 and was befriended by Queen Victoria who was godmother to several of his children. One of the sons, Prince Frederick, was born in 1868 and came to live in Old Buckenham Hall in 1897. Three of Frederick's sisters, the princesses Bamba, Catherine and Sophia, also came to live at the Manor House alongside Old Buckenham Green.
Frederick lived the life of a country squire at his 340 acre estate surrounding Old Buckenham Hall, he bought Old Buckenham windmill in 1900 and even erected a monument at the Hall to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
So come along and enjoy hearing about the prince and princesses that lived in Old Buckenham on Saturday 17 March in Old Buckenham Village Hall.
The talk will start at 7pm, admission costs £5 (to include homemade refreshments) and the event is in aid of Village Hall funds
Tickets are now available from the Old Buckenham village shop, the Attleborough Heritage Centre in Station Road, Attleborough, or from the Old Buckenham blog editor. For more information you can email oldbuckhistory@aol.com

Breckland Flower and Garden Club

Twigs and tulips at AGM

The AGM was held at the March meeting. Club membership had increased during the year and all had enjoyed a mixed programme of flower arranging and garden demonstrations and talks.
Pat Wells had completed her three year term of office as chairman and handed over to Sally Westrup. Olive Heppel passed on the president's badge to Pat Wells. Pat, Olive and Ann Norris, who also stepped down from the committee, were thanked for all their hard work for the Club.
Janet Skidmore gained most points during the year in the New Hands Class with Alison Walker second while Shirley Penfold gained the most points in the Old Hands class with Sylvia Briggs second.
The President's cup for overall points for flower arranging was won by Shirley Penfold who also accumulated the most points in the table show.
The AGM was followed by a workshop led by Christine Hewson who showed how to make a design - twigs and tulips - with very colourful results.
The next meeting is the Club's Pearl Anniversary (members only) which will be held at Old Buckenham Village Hall commencing 10.30am for a welcome coffee. There will be a talk on the history of pearls in the morning, a buffet lunch will be served and Nick Grounds will be demonstrating in the afternoon followed by afternoon tea.
The competition title is 'Celebration Cocktail' and the table show is for a vase of spring blooms from the garden.
In the March competitions, Alison Walker was first in the table show and also first in the New Hands flower arranging. Pat Wells was first in the Old Hands section.

Up to the minute minutes

Parish Council in March
These notes are written by the blog editor from the draft minutes and may contain information that is amended at a later date.
There were five members of the public present at the Parish Council meeting in March and two councillors, Jonathan Kemp and Carol Marshall, sent apologies as they were unable to attend.
The minutes of the Parish Council meeting in February were signed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
Matters arising from the minutes. Tom Johnson raised the matter of a grant to the Village Hall of £1500 for solar panels and asked when the money would be paid. Tim Ing said that the money would be paid after April 2013 if the grant was approved at the next precept meeting. Tom Johnson asked if the Parish Council could make a loan for the amount before April 2013 and Tim Ing said the matter could be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting. Adrian Joel said that the 2011 census information might be available shortly. Tim Ing raised the matter of parking in the Village Hall car park when people are dropping off and collecting children from the school. Councillors Tim Ing, Adrian Joel and JohnFrost had met with the headmaster of the school to discuss the matter. The school wanted to do a project with the children on the subject. It was agreed that a ‘horseshoe’ system of using the car park would be introduced after the Easter holidays. Leaflets would be given to the parents explaining the system and councillors would monitor the situation. Derek Smalley asked if speeding in Hargham Road could be put in the letter to parents. The Parish Clerk to write to police on the matter and ask if they could look at the problem. Adrian Joel thanked Kerry Talbot for doing an excellent job with the minutes of the February meeting during the sickness absence of the Parish Clerk. John Frost said some minor anti-social behaviour had occurred at the church but the police were very good and were regular visitors to the church. Sarah Dye said vandalism at and near the play area had increased and Derek Smalley agreed to raise the matter at the next police SNAT meeting.
Planning applications. 4 Chattergate. Bay window and porch, two additional windows and replacing existing conservatory with ground floor extension. The Parish Clerk is to seek an extension to the respond period.
High Bank Farm, Fen Street. Erection of single storey conservatory. No objections, agreed unanimously.
Park Farm, Abbey Road. Installation of two small turbines and ancillary work. No objections, agreed with 7 for, 1 against and 1 abstention.
Snetterton Farm, Banham Road. Single storey lean-to on front elevation. No objections, agreed unanimously.
Land at St Andrews Close. Change of use to amenity land and the installation of soakways for the adjacent residential development. No objections, agreed unanimously.
Planning decisions received from Breckland. Eel Farm, Fen Road. Removal of condition 8 on previous planning application and new garage and alterations. Refused by Breckland Council.
East View, Attleborough Road. Decking Area (retrospective) Refused by Breckland Council.
2 Chapel Loke. Replacement of glassed roof conservatory at rear of building with facing brick and pantile kitchen/dining area. Permission granted.
18 Oaklands. Garage conversion to bedroom with side porch extension. Permission granted.
Land adjacent to 12 Hargham Road. Erection of 3-bedroom dwelling and garage (resubmission). Permission granted.
Approval of accounts payable. Adrian Joel raised the matter of the payroll being done by outside contractors and the cost involved. The Parish Clerk said the system was good value as they produced all PAYE records and end of year returns including issuing P60s to any employee and ensured all payments of tax to HRMC on time. Tim Ing asked the two qualified accountants who were members of the Parish Council for their views. They both agreed the present system was good as it offered counter checks that all tax was being deducted and correct amounts were paid and that prompt payments of all tax was made to ensure no penalties to the Parish Council. It was proposed that the present system of doing payroll continue, this was agreed by 6 for and 3 against.
Chairman’s report. Tim Ing raised the matter of the proposed new incinerator at Kings Lynn, details of which had been circulated. The Parish Council had not responded but councillors were free to respond as individuals. He then said he contacted the owner of the land at the junction of Mill Road and Grove Road where there are clear visibility problems for motorists. Discussion would take place about cutting back the hedge at the next farmers’ meeting. Tim Ing said that the dog bin situated in Raggs Lane had been vandalised. A replacement had been purchased and he hoped to install it soon. He also said that the Highways Rangers would not pick up litter on their visits to the village, they only dealt with matters relating to highways and if anyone had any issues to raise for the next visit would they let the Parish Clerk know. The Jubilee celebration mugs have arrived. There had been an email from a resident regarding the state of the footpath on the Green along the B1077 saying it needs work done on it. John Frost agreed to inspect the path and report back to the Parish Council.
District Councillor’s report. Adrian Joel reported that the Breckland Council’s share of the council tax for the year 2012/13 will be held at the same level as last year. Breckland has to look towards finding savings of nearly £3million over the next five years and will be reviewing all discretionary services. He then said that Breckland have “Breckland Direct” on the web and this will allow residents to select from a wide range of services.
Parish Councillors’ reports. Tom Johnson said he had attended a meeting of the Attleborough Task Force which had discussed the possible new road for the Attleborough development. Various options were discussed, one option could increase traffic through Old Buckenham. It was said at the meeting that 15% of traffic through Old Buckenham was HGVs. Concerns were also expressed at the meeting that the library in Attleborough had reached saturation point with over 8,000 people a week using the facility. The next meeting was being held in approximately two month’s time. Paul Boggia said the next meeting of the Jubilee celebrations working party was on Saturday 3 March. Tom Johnson asked who is funding the celebration activities. He was informed by Tim Ing that the Parish Council had allocated £1,000 for the event. Tom Johnson said that if there was a surplus on any of the activities could it be given to charity like the village hall. John Frost said there was a lot of litter in the hedges near the school and that brambles were also growing in the hedges. Sarah Dye said she attended a meeting on the Localism Act and she found the meeting very useful. The Parish Council needed to have a plan for this and the Parish Council should consider the matter seriously. This item will be put on the April meeting agenda. Derek Smalley said that he had delivered two new welcome packs with one further yet to be delivered. He then said the oil buying scheme was getting oil at 61.7p per litre and there were variable prices with other suppliers. Steve Milner said survey forms had been distributed about participation in the Jubilee celebrations and the response was excellent. Adrian Joel said that an Allotment Liaison Group meeting had been arranged and the allotment holders wanted to apply for grants for an eco toilet and extra fencing. They would like the Parish Council to apply on their behalf but that the allotment holders would need to do the work to put together a grant application. Akis Chrisovelides said he was trying to engage the youth of the village and would continue to pursue the matter with those young people that are interested.
Parish Clerk’s report. The Clerk said that he had sought legal advice from the Norfolk Association of Local Councils (NALC) regarding any future funding for the Green by the Parish Council. The NALC had said that the Parish Council had no legal powers to fund work on the Green as it is privately owned. The Localism Act may bring powers which could be used for this but this would need secondary legislation to be brought forward by the government. They also suggested that the Parish Council should register the Green on the community assets register which will be compiled by the local district council under the Localism Act 2011. This would mean that the community would have the opportunity to bid for the land first should it ever come up for sale.
Highways. Adrian Joel said the flashing speed sign on the B1077 opposite the Gamekeeper pub was not working. The Parish Clerk is to contact Highways on the matter. Tim Ing said that in the Barkers Lane rear entrance to Poplar Farm there were a number of potholes. Again the Parish Clerk will contact Highways to rectify.
The Green. Sarah Dye said she is the new chairman of Green Right Proprietors following the recent AGM and ordinary meeting of the Proprietors. Alison Franks was elected to continue as vice-chair and Rosemary West was elected to continue as secretary/treasurer. She said there would be no new maintenance agreement of the Green before next year. Rope and posts will be put up near the play area to assist with the parking problems being encountered there at the present time. Tim Ing said he would be contacting Sally Bishop to see if she would assist in the funding for this. Following questions from Akis Chrisovelides, Sarah Dye gave a brief overview of the matters discussed at the last meeting of the Green Right Proprietors. She also gave some details of the income they generate and looked at ways that they may be able to generate extra sources of income. They are looking to do a full survey of all the trees on the Green but this may prove too expensive.
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Wednesday 21 March and the next monthly Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 5 April. Both meeting will be held at the Village Hall commencing at 7.30pm.

Buckenham Brains show their skills

Old Buckenham Women's Institute provide the winning team
A group of six members of Old Buckenham WI took on eighteen other local teams to come out victorious in the annual quiz held tonight in Attleborough to raise funds for Christian Aid.
Connaught Hall was filled with teams of varying ability, some taking it more seriously than others. The WI team, playing under the name of Buckenham Brains, were in equal first place after the eight rounds of questions and then managed to do best in the tie break question to snatch victory.
Well done to Susan, Doris, the two Barbaras, Gill and Sheila for upholding the pride in our own little village.

Solar pv on village hall roof

May the sun keep shining

The installation of seventeen solar photo voltaic panel on the roof of Old Buckenham Village hall was carried out last weekend.

What a busy month in Old Buckenham

Diary dates for March

  
 Thursday 1           Mothers and Toddlers group, OB Airfield, 11am to 1pm

Thursday 1           Youth Council meeting, Village Hall, 6.30pm

Thursday 1           Parish Council, Village Hall, 7.30pm

Friday 2                Crib drive, Village Hall, 7.30pm

Saturday 3            Roadside textile collection from 9am

Saturday 3            Diamond Jubilee planning meeting, Village Hall, 10am

Sunday 4              Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm

Monday 5             Textile collection, Village Hall car park, 8.30am to 9am

Monday 5             Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm

Tuesday 6             Coffee and chat, Church Rooms, 10.30am to 12 noon

Tuesday 6             Village Fete planning meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm

Wednesday 7        Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm

Wednesday 7        Women's Fellowship, Methodist Chapel, 2.30pm

Thursday 8           Breckland Flower Club, Village Hall, 2pm

Thursday 8           Social and Wine Circle, Church Rooms, 7.45pm

Saturday 10         Debating Society, Church Rooms, 10am

Sunday 11            LAA and Homebuilt Fly In, OB Airfield

Monday 12           Whist drive, Church Rooms, 2pm

Wednesday 14      Songs of Praise, Methodist Chapel, 7.30pm

Friday 16          Village quiz, Village Hall, 8pm

Saturday 17      Talk on the Duleep Singh family, Village Hall, 7pm

Sunday 18            Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm

Monday 19           Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm

Wednesday 21      Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm

Wednesday 21   Annual Parish Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm

Thursday 22         Women's Institute, Village Hall, 7.30pm

Saturday 24         Light Entertainment, Village Hall, 7.30pm

 Saturday 31          WI Spring Fair, Church Rooms, 2pm to 4pm

More printed news

March looks like this
Time to read the next issue which is out there waiting to be picked up.

West End Waiters from Watton

Singing for the senior citizens
The West End Waiters are a group that enjoy singing and other people enjoy their singing too.
At the Senior Citizens Christmas Lunch in Old Buckenham they provided the after dinner activity, keeping their audience entertained and amused as they sang their way through a wide variety of songs.
There was some Gilbert and Sullivan, some Flanders and Swan, something written by Richard Stilgoe and a medley from one of the Two Ronnies tv programmes.
They also involved the female members in some short sketches and a Scott Joplin piano piece.
With the minimum of props they brought the songs of Flanagan and Allen to life, reminded everyone of the Cub Scout salute and even made good use of a plastic duck.
The audience enjoyed it all and sang along with the group when it was appropriate.
The group do these occasions to raise money for charity, in particular a medical charity that provides help for a problem suffered by one of their members. The lunch organisers were happy to give a substantial donation as a thank you for the entertainment that had been provided and enjoyed by all.

Christmas came late this year

Senior Citizens at lunch

Being a long way through February it was obviously the time for the Old Buckenham Senior Citizens Christmas lunch to be held. So on Saturday 25 February it was time to gather in Old Buckenham Village Hall and to sit down for a full roast dinner, the choice of several sweets and a mouth-watering cheeseboard.
The preparation work had started much earlier in the day with the hall kitchen being used to its limit and all the tables being set out and decorated. The sherry glasses were positioned ready for the first guests to arrive and the wine to go with the meal stacked out on the counter.
There was even a quiz to keep each table busy before the meal was served.
Once the eating was over the guests could sit back and enjoy the entertainment. This year it was provided by a group from Watton going under the name of ‘The West End Waiters’. They sang their way through a wide repertoire of tunes which were interspersed by comic sketches.

(More details and photos of the group in action will be posted tomorrow.)

The afternoon continued with tea, coffee and mince pies as well as the now obligatory short session of bingo with cash prizes.
Highlighting the bingo caller provided a reason to make the first use of the simple part of the new lighting system just installed in the hall (which probably explains his rather surprised expression in the photo).
The quiz sheets were marked and the ‘workers’ were persuaded out of the kitchen to take a well-earned round of applause with a special boquet of flowers for the cook.
So ended another most pleasant afternoon made possible by the volunteer effort put in by many people over the last twelve months. Long may it continue.

Old Buckenham Green Right Proprietors

Green contacts
At the recent Old Buckenham Green Right Proprietors AGM Mike Read retired as Chairman after many years of hard work.
The newly elected Chairman is Sarah Dye (860865) and the Vice-chairman is Alison Frank (860692). If you have any enquiries these are the people that you should now contact.

Getting more popular

How many people read this blog?
The popularity of the Old Buckenham blog has been growing steadily since it started in December 2008. The figures are tiny compared with many other blogs but two milestones have been reached today. There have been 700 posts (or 701 if you include this one). And at around 3pm today the total number of visitors over the years has now exceeded 20,000.
Not all come looking for information about Old Buckenham, they may want photos of snow scenes or plans for duck houses. But they are all welcome and hopefully they learn a little bit about our interesting village.

Time to have your say

Annual Parish meeting
If you live within the parish of Old Buckenham then you have probably read the previous post with interest. Perhaps you are pleased with what your parish council is doing or maybe there are things where you think they could be doing better.
Each year the parish council is required to have what is known, not surprisingly, as the Annual Parish Meeting. This is an open meeting when all parishioners have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the council members. It is an event that you should not miss if you have strong feelings, good or bad, about how your elected councillors are doing.
It is no good just moaning over a pint at the pub or just telling your cat or dog what a wonderful job the council have done over the last twelve months.
Part of the meeting is also the opportunity to hear short reports on what various village organisations have been up to. Has the community car service been as busy as ever? Are there lots of bookings at the village hall? What about the Village Environment and Recycling Group? And has the village newsletter been attracting enough advertising?
Get along to the Annual Parish Meeting on Wednesday 21 March in the Village Hall and have your say. If there is something else in your diary for that evening then there is plenty of time to rearrange it.
See you there.

Discussing local issues

February parish council meeting
These notes are written by the blog editor from the draft minutes and may contain information that is amended at a later date.
Three members of the public came along to the meeting and all parish councillors attended apart from Paul Boggia. Kerry Talbot was also present to take the minutes as the Parish Clerk was unable to attend.
The minutes of the January meeting were signed as a true and accurate record. There were no matters arising.
Bribery Act 2010. Akis Chrisovelides asked if all councillors had read the previously distributed Act and asked for the document to be adopted by the Council. This was agreed unanimously.
Development in Old Buckenham. This subject was discussed and it was agreed that the Parish Council would consider small developments of 8 to 10 properties and bungalows. The Clerk had tried to obtain demographics of the area from the County Council without success. Adrian Joel is to find out when the 2011 census data will be available to analyse.
Parking issues in Old Buckenham. Tim Ing instigated a discussion on the issues of parking around the Village Hall and the two local schools. There have now been several incidents of verbal abuse and threatening behaviour regarding exit and entry to the Village Hall car park. Tim Ing and Carol Marshall undertook a head count one afternoon and reported that better positioning of vehicles in the car park would alleviate some of the congestion. Various suggestions were put forward with councillors agreeing that although this was not necessarily a parish council issue it was an issue that affected Old Buckenham parishioners. It was agreed that a Village Hall representative and a parish councillor should meet with the Education Authority to find a solution. The Parish Clerk to contact the schools and Village Hall. Adrian Joel and John Frost to arrange a meeting and then report back to the next parish council meeting with their findings.
Planning. Arenal, New Buckenham Road. Continued use without compliance with agricultural occupancy condition. Councillors agreed that this was not a planning issue but a legal one and offered no comments.
Land at St Andrews Close. Discharge of conditions 3, 4 and 6 on previous planning permission. Agreed unanimously.
Land adjacent to 12 Hargham Road. Erection of 3 bedroom detached dwelling and garage (re-submission). Councillors still felt that this is an overdevelopment of the site and objected unanimously to the application on these grounds.
The Parish Council had also received planning documentation for a compost plant in Carleton Rode – this has been placed in the correspondence folder for councillors to comment on at the next meeting.
Planning decisions received from Breckland. Land at corner of Grove Road and Crown Road. Extension to existing stable block plus new hay barn/field shelter. Permission granted.
The Council had received information regarding ‘Section 106’ money and details of this will be available in the correspondence file for councillors to read.
Chairman’s report. Tim Ing read a letter received from parishioners regarding parking in the village. The Clerk is to respond. The Parish Council has received notification of a seminar from Norfolk Rural Communities Council regarding the Localism Bill. It will be held on Thursday 1 March and Sarah Dye agreed to attend on behalf of the Council. The Community Ranger has been at work in the village and details of the work that had been undertaken were received. Tim Ing is to write to the individual concerned to convey the parish council’s appreciation at the work completed to date. The parish council has been asked to support the Village Hall in developing a project to install solar panels at the village hall. Councillors agreed to underwrite an expenditure of £1500 to be confirmed at the precept meeting in October this year for payment in 2013/2014. Tim Ing will consult with the Parish Clerk to ensure this proposal is within the parameters of the council’s financial guidelines.
District Councillor’s report. Adrian Joel reported that Breckland have joined the County Council and the EDP to support the “Say Yes to the Better Broadband” campaign. Bursaries are on offer for aspiring sports coaches. The Breckland Sports Coach Development Bursary Scheme, designed to celebrate London 2012, will help aspiring sports coaches to gain qualifications in a number of sports’ disciplines. Those who wish to obtain a coaching qualification in a ‘priority sport’ can obtain funding for 75% (up to £300) of the cost of the course; those applying for qualifications in other sports can receive 50% (up to £150).
Parish Councillors’ reports. Tom Johnson reported back from a Village Hall management meeting which reiterated previous discussion on a solar panel project. John Frost informed the council that All Saints Church has registered with a scheme called Wi-spire which provides reliable broadband to rural areas together with providing an income to churches and the provision of a network of surveillance cameras. Five villages currently have this scheme in operation. Jonathan Kemp and Carol Marshall updated the council on the Recreation Area and their investigations into Section 106 money being available to provide funding. They have also organised a meeting with Breckland Council to discuss the provision of sports coaching over the Jubilee weekend celebrations together with advertising for the sporting events. Sarah Dye reported that the maintenance of the play area is ongoing and that Playdale will be on site for maintenance issues covered under their guarantees. The coloured benches have been vandalised and the Clerk is to put a report in the village newsletter to highlight this and to ask parishioners to be vigilant and report any actions of vandalism to the police. Sarah Dye had also received information from Norfolk Warm & Well Scheme which provides help to people in need during the cold months. They also help with insulation, loan heaters and emergency oil supplies. If anyone knows of parishioners that could benefit from this scheme Sarah Dye is happy to be a contact and distribution point. Mugs for the Jubilee need to be ordered. Orders for around 220 mugs have been received and Tim Ing is to liaise with John Hicks and the parish clerk to organise order and payment. Derek Smalley apologised for missing the last Attleborough Safer Neighbourhood meeting but had distributed the minutes from that meeting to all councillors. Councillors were invited to put forward items for discussion at the next meeting under the headings of anti-social behaviour and speeding. Derek Smalley was asked to raise the issues of vandalism at the play area and parking at the school. Steve Milner reported on the events formulated for the Jubilee celebrations. Leaders have been allocated to each task group with the next meeting scheduled for Saturday 3 March – all ideas are still welcome. Tim Ing expressed the Council’s thanks to Steve Milner for leading this event. Akis Chrisovelides will arrange a further Youth Council Meeting for Thursday 1 March starting at 6.30pm. The question of equipment for the Recreation Area was raised and Carol Marshall and Jonathan Kemp reported that they have applied for some Section 106 money but only small amounts of money are available as there are four villages in the group which can apply for the money and within that there are restricted funds for certain aspects such as play, sport, etc.
Highways. A pot hole was reported by the ‘triangle of grass’ at the top of Church Lane opposite the play area. The junction of Mill Road/Grove Road was still of concern and the Parish Clerk is to write to Highways to ask for their ideas on how to make this junction safer.
The Green. Tim Ing reported that the Green Right Proprietors’ AGM will be held on Tuesday 21 February. This will be followed by an ordinary meeting where it is hoped that agreement will be reached on the parking proposals. The Parish Council is to contribute some funding for the work and local businesses have indicated their agreement to make a financial contribution.
The next meeting of Old Buckenham Parish Council will be on Thursday 1 March at the Village Hall at 7.30pm. The Youth Council Meeting will also be on Thursday 1 March at the Village Hall and starting one hour earlier at 6.30pm.
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Wednesday 21 March in the Village hall at 7.30pm.

Learn more local history

[just click on the image if you want to read the little lettering]

Antarctica explained

Chilling tales
It may have felt freezing cold outside for those who came along to the Old Buckenham Social and Wine Circle meeting in February. But sitting in the comparative warmth of the Church Rooms they were treated to a talk by Cris de Boos entitled ‘Twenty-five things you didn’t know about Antarctica’. Cris runs the Erskine Press, a local publishing firm that specialises in producing books about the Antarctic.
Members learnt that the snow is between 1km and 4km deep, they heard about the effects of frostbite, they were told of the many expeditions to the South Pole and the political infighting that went on. There is an active volcano in Antarctica and many interesting recipes exist on how to eat various parts of the seal.
After the talk was finished there was a chance to look through all the many books that the Erskine Press produce as well as some antiquarian books about the Antarctic.
Next month, on Thursday 8 March, David Hill will be talking on his visit to the USA. The meeting will start at 7.45pm in the Church Rooms and all are welcome to attend.

Improving the lighting

Paul Saunders of installers ETS with Alan Devaux representing the Old Buckenham Players

Better facilities for Old Buckenham Village Hall
The work in the Old Buckenham Village Hall to update the lighting system and stage curtaining has now been completed. After much fundraising within the village and some grants from Breckland District Council and the Norfolk Community Foundation, new equipment and wiring has been installed that will allow the Old Buckenham Players to put on their productions safely and with more panache.
On Saturday 11 February the new equipment was formally handed over to the Village Hall management. All the big expensive equipment is installed out of sight behind the stage but facilities are now available that will allow other hall users to operate the basic lighting on the stage. A small control panel, about the size of a computer keyboard, will switch on and dim various lights on the main lighting rig.
Other work carried out by the Old Buckenham Players has improved the facilities behind the main stage curtains with a new lighting rig and a mid-stage curtain having been installed.
A special celebratory evening of ‘Light Entertainment!’ is being arranged for Saturday 24 March to show off the new facilities with a series of sketches, songs and short radio plays. All residents of Old Buckenham and friends of Old Buckenham and the Players are invited along to this free evening in the Hall. More details later.

David's secret garden

Breckland Flower and Garden Club
Despite snowy weather many members enjoyed David Wright's excellent flower demonstration - My Secret Garden - at February's meeting of the Breckland Flower and Garden Club.
His containers included an old willow stump, a small fence, a little urn, a water butt and bucket, a large garden spade and a wheelbarrow. Red carnations, pink and yellow tulips, white eustoma, iris and veronica were used in his designs, highlighted with robins and even Peter Rabbit in the vegetable patch.
The month’s competition winners for 'Cupid's Arrow' - a modern design - were New Hands Alison Walker, and Old Hands Christine Hewson who also won the cup for the best exhibit.
The table show was for a houseplant and was won by Pat Poulter.
Next month’s meeting will be on Thursday 8 March in Old Buckenham Village Hall starting at 2pm. It will be the Club’s AGM and will be followed by a workshop. - please phone Christine on 454528 for list of requirements.
The March competition will be for an arrangement entitled 'Springtime and Driftwood' and for the table show you will need a pot of spring bulbs (any variety).
Visitors are always welcome to these meetings.

Local farming history

Askew Agricultural Museum
It will soon be time to take a look back in time and visit our local museum in Old Buckenham. Openings in 2012 are in the afternoon on the second Sunday of each month between 2pm and 5pm.
So the dates for your diaries are:
Sunday 8 April
Sunday 13 May
Sunday 10 June
Sunday 8 July
Sunday 12 August
and Sunday 9 September.
There is adequate parking for any vehicle and addmission charges are £3 per adult, children under 16 free but must be accompanied by an adult.
Parties, schools, etc, are encouraged and special openings can be arranged.
The museum is situated at Scales Farm, Stacksford, Old Buckenham, NR17 1PE

Over £21,000 raised for the homeless

Charity begins in Old Buckenham
There was a special gathering at the Church Rooms in Old Buckenham on Saturday 4 February when cheques totalling £21,006.50 were handed over to Derek Player, General Manager of the St Martins Housing Trust. St Martins operate many facilities to accommodate the single homeless of Norwich and Norfolk.
Each year around Christmastime, the people of Old Buckenham and the surrounding area make a special effort to collect funds for this charity.
Karen Watts, Manager of Sainsburys Attleborough, presented a cheque for £5,560 and Saphire Allen, Departmental Manager at Sainsburys Thetford, passed over a further cheque for £4,235. A further £1,137 was presented by Brian Parish of Old Buckenham 2000 Trust and £647 was handed over by Revd David Hill as a result of the collection at the Christmas Eve Candlelit Carol Service in Old Buckenham.
The representatives of St Martins expressed their gratitude to the many collectors and to the management of the stores involved. Derek Player then gave a short talk on how important the collection is to the charity, while John Mantle talked of his experience of St Martins, having initially been picked up sleeping on the streets and now working for the charity as part of their ‘Under One Roof’ project.

Snow scenes in Old Buckenham

Black, white and sometimes added colour
Several inches of snow fell overnight on Saturday meaning that on Sunday morning everywhere was covered in a white blanket.
It remained overcast all day so the photos below look very black and white with the occasional splash of bright colour. Here you can see the war memorial, All Saints church, the almshouses, some dog walkers on the Green and some rather deserted allotments.

[just click on any image to enlarge it]

Shooting on Old Buckenham Green

It's just a game
Yes there really was lots of shooting going on in front of the village shop in Old Buckenham yesterday. And the guns were real (infra red P90 gaming guns with up to 250 metres range).
A new local business called Battlefied Live Norwich has been set up and will be based on the outskirts of Old Buckenham Airfield. The site there will be opening on Saturday 11 February. 
To publicise this, they had set up their mobile inflatable village outside the village shop so that passers-by could see what it was all about.
If you are so inclined you can have this war gaming experience on your doorstep. As their leaflet suggests, it could be just the thing for your birthday party, stag and hen parties or corporate events.
Here are a few photos to give you a flavour of what it was all about.