May time in Old Buckenham

Diary dates for May

Thursday 1   Parish Council, Church Rooms, 7.30pm

Saturday 3    Village Hall Cinema, ‘The Butler’, 7.30pm

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

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

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

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

Thursday 8   Breckland Flower Club, Village Hall, 2pm

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

Saturday 10   1940s Hangar dance, Airfield

Sunday 11    Askew Agricultural Museum open, 2pm to 5pm

Sunday 11   Old Buckenham Windmill open, 2pm to 5pm

Monday 12    Pre-school open event, 3.30pm to 4.30pm

Monday 12    Whist drive, Church Rooms, 2pm

Wednesday 14   'My Boy Jack', Village Hall, 7.30pm

Thursday 15    'My Boy Jack', Village Hall, 7.30pm

Friday 16    'My Boy Jack', Village Hall, 7.30pm

Saturday 17    'My Boy Jack', Village Hall, 7.30pm

Sunday 18    Play area maintenance day, from 10.30am

Sunday 18    Coffee and Cake for Christian Aid, Church Rooms, 10.45am

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

Wednesday 21    Songs of Praise, Methodist Chapel, 7.30pm

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

Thursday 22    Polling Station open, Village Hall, 7am to 10pm  

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

Saturday 24    Vintage Festival at Airfield

Saturday 31    Roadside textiles collection from 9am

May issue of Old Buckenham village newsletter

Look out for this cover
Copies of this latest issue should be dropping through your letterboxes or you can pick them up around the village.

Cinema change in Old Buckenham

Your village cinema next Saturday
 

Interesting music in Old Buckenham

Chanters Jigge back to play
Chanter's Jigge are making a return visit to All Saints Church, Old Buckenham on Sunday 8 June at 3pm. Tickets are priced at £5 (£2.50 for children or £15 for a family ticket) and are available from 01953 860845.

This popular duo discreetly interweave both live and recorded sounds into their performance. The instruments include a hurdy gurdy, recorders, guitar, ukulele, keyboards, crumhorns, bagpipes, saxophones and percussion. The performers are willing to include a short "teach in" on the varied use of their instruments.
After the performance, tea and cakes will be served in the Church Rooms. Why not bring your friends and family to what promises to be an excellent and enjoyable afternoon.

 

Old Buckenham Fete in 2014

Fun for all

Old Buckenham Parish Council minutes for April

April deliberations of Parish Council
These notes have been written by the newsletter editor from the draft minutes so may contain information that is amended at a later date.
Apologies had been received from councillors Akis Chrisovelides and Jonathan Kemp as well as the Parish Clerk James Watling. There were three members of the public present and Kerry Talbot attended for the purpose of taking the minutes in the absence of the clerk. There was a public recess and the meeting suspended to allow members of the public to speak. The issues raised and discussed included the Chapel Road School and infrastructure, the Annual Parish Meeting and the harrassment policy.
Minutes of the March Parish Council meeting. These were signed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
Matters arising from the minutes. Councillors requested that more detailed information should be submitted to Breckland Council when objections were raised to planning applications.
Village Hall broadband. It was reported that a supplier has been appointed and the village hall management is awaiting their contract to sign.
War Memorial. Tim Ing updated the council on this matter. Previous discussions have tried to establish who owns the memorial but as ownership cannot be established all councillors agreed that the parish council had a moral responsibility for the maintenance. A quote had been received for £970 for cleaning and Tim Ing suggested the parish council should fund this. Any funds raised by parishioners for the war memorial could be donated to a fund to assist with the maintenance. This was agreed unanimously.
Planning applications. Downmore Farm extension. There were no objections from the parish council and this was agreed unanimously.
Roughlands, Grove Road. Single-storey extension. Plans were viewed and discussions centred around whether the application was two-storey or one. This application was agreed with four for and three against with Sarah Dye abstaining.
Chairman’s report. Tim Ing stated that the benefits for the village in having Chapel Road School located in Old Buckenham were clear. Infrastructure issues need to be resolved for the benefit of all parties. For instance, the parish council had been asked to raise funds for a multi use games area (MUGA) but if Chapel Road School is built their premises will include a MUGA and early indications are that Chapel Road School would give the village access to these facilities. Parish Council funding could then be used elsewhere. The water is now switched on at the allotments. The Parish Council have been asked to plant a tree on the Green to replace one removed when the play area was completed. Steve Milner agreed to liaise with Sarah Dye as to what type of tree should be planted and also suggested involving Old Buckenham Community Primary School by organising a competition for the pupils to plant their own tree and the tallest after a year would be planted on the Green. Tim Ing stated he had been disappointed to receive correspondence from a parishioner raising various observations, many of which were historical. All councillors had been sent a copy. Various issues were raised relating to the parish council as an employer and Tim Ing is to establish a way forward with the help of Steve Milner.
District Councillor’s report. Breckland Council have appointed a permanent shared Chief Executive – Anna Graves. Her duties will be shared with South Holland District Council and she will commence her duties in mid- April. Anna has come from Harborough District Council and has previously worked for Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council. Breckland has been able to freeze its council tax for 2014/15. This is in spite of a 25% reduction in Government Rate Support Grant but a change in the formula for calculation of business rate retention netted down gave Breckland an overall reduction of 11%. A new recycling joint venture will start with new material from October this year. Potential annual savings are said to be between £288k and £387k. The building of the fourteen new social houses in St Andrews Close is due to be completed and handed over in August. The name of the new road will be March Field Way. The new local plan process has started and is expected to be in place from September 2016.
Parish Councillors’ reports. Tom Johnson updated the council on Village Hall matters. The AGM had been held and recognised the new committee efforts to introduce new events for the village and were set to go forward for another year. Paul Boggia asked whether the pothole in the drive leading the village hall and school had been flagged to Highways. Steve Milner reported that the work had been reported and had been allocated a job number, the Clerk is to follow up. Sarah Dye informed the council that the play area would be closed on Sunday 15 May for fencing and gate repairs. The scouts will help with painting to get play area ready for the summer. It was hoped that this activity will be advertised so other parishioners could lend a hand. Derek Smalley updated the council on his Attleborough Neighbourhood Steering Group meeting. Discussions centred around health and social care, education and housing. Future developments for the B1077 rail crossing could mean that this is removed as British Rail are seeking to reduce the number of crossings. Traffic would then be diverted as part of a new relief road. Derek Smalley stated that his role at the meetings was for observation purposes only. Carol Marshall updated the council regarding the BMX track. They had received a quote for the work needed to establish bumps for £170 a day for two days. All agreed that the work should go ahead. Grass cutting would continue without any increase in cost. Councillors reported that fencing in the recreation area had been pulled off and stacked into a bonfire structure at top left hand side of the recreation area. Carol lMarshall to take a look. John Frost reported that there had been a increase in the parish precept towards the church. Work on the church windows had started with the tower repairs due to start in June. John Frost had also cleared the drains in Ottomer Pond and Sarah Dye thanked him for his work. John Frost worked with Emerald Trees to undertake work to trees on the Green. Tim Ing asked if the hole in Forge Close had been attended to as a parishioner had asked and John Frost said that this was in hand. Steve Milner updated the council on Speedwatch which is currently organising four sessions a month but with people still speeding. More volunteers are needed to help – anyone interested should contact Steve Milner. The second village hall film screening of ‘Saving Mr Banks’ was a success with 63 people attending. The next screening will be on Saturday 3 May with ‘The Railwaymen’. Whilst currently still hiring the equipment, it is hoped to purchase a projector and screen ready for the July screening which will be of ‘12 Years a Slave’. Steve Milner also reported that the Village Hall proposes to close the village hall car park from Friday 25 April so that volunteers can repair pot holes. The car park could remain closed to the general public, other than for the use of recycling and patrons of the village hall events. The Village Hall Management Committee felt it needed to demonstrate to Norfolk County Council that they need to provide car parking for the school. Steve Milner will make contact with all local dignatories including the police. The schools have been informed and will be given every opportunity to communicate with parents/carers regarding the situation. Tim Ing raised concerns that the whole village will then be affected as people will need to find alternative parking around the village. Sarah Dye commented that the Village Hall Management Committee needed to have a clear strategy to ensure that parents/carers and the schools lobby the council as well. This would be a protest to Norfolk County Council and she suggested a postcard type poll of those wishing to put their points of view. Steve Milner assured the parish council members that all communication would be staged ensuring all parties were fully informed of the closure.  Adrian Joel raised a concern that emails and letters in the correspondence folder were not being followed through in the agenda of council meetings. He also raised the issue of the Neighbourhood Plan and the parish council reiterated its view that it would not provide value for money and that this had already been raised a number of times. The council’s view remains the same. A parishioner has asked that the council maintain the track along Post Office Terrace. It was pointed out that this is managed by the Green Right Proprietors and is therefore not the responsibility of the council.
Highways. Pot holes were reported along the track from the Gamekeeper to the primary school. Cake Street, before the Old Rectory towards Manor Corner, is in need of repair as the road disappears into a hedge and the drop is now quite substantial. Tom Johnson asked if a map had been produced, as it had been previously agreed, so that pot holes could be plotted – not yet actioned.
The Green. Sarah Dye had nothing to report. Carol Marshall asked if anything could be done about the car park near to Ottomer Pond as it is not weathering well. Various options were discussed but no solution found.
The next meeting of Old Buckenham Parish Council will be on Thursday 1 May 2014 in the Church Rooms at 7.30pm.

'My Boy Jack' in Old Buckenham

Can any sacrifice be justified?
It is a question as relevant to modern times as it was at the beginning of WW1. Rudyard Kipling, famed for his classic stories such as 'The Jungle Books' and 'Kim' as well as his poetry such as the internationally loved 'If', was incredibly influential in the recruitment of troops and the propaganda office during The Great War. Perhaps less well known, is the enormous impact that the war had on him and his family.
Old Buckenham Players are bringing this incredibly moving and challenging story to life in the play 'My Boy Jack' by David Haig (Thin Blue Line, Four Weddings and a Funeral) which was also made into a highly acclaimed TV film which starred Daniel Radcliffe, Carey Mulligan and Kim Cattrall as well as David Haig himself.
Beginning in September 1913 when war with Germany was imminent, Rudyard Kipling's determination to send his severely short sighted son to war triggers an emotional family conflict which leaves Britain's renowned patriot devastated by the warring of his own greatest passions; his love for children - above all, his own - and his devotion to King and Country.
Old Buckenham Players will perform this most powerful and dramatic of plays nightly from Wednesday 14 to Saturday 17 May, starting at 7.30pm. Performances will be held at Old Buckenham Village hall. Tickets cost only £7 and can be purchased from Old Buckenham Stores, Nuts 'n' Bolts in Attleborough or by calling 01603 810373.
(Note that this play contains strong language).

(just click on the picture to enlarge it)

 

Old Buckenham garage sales coming later

Village garage sale alert

To give everyone more time to sort out their unwanted goodies, this event has been postponed until Sunday 21 September. All those who signed up for the original date in early May have been placed on the list for the new date.
If you would like to book now for this event, please leave your name and contact details on 01953 861480 and Carol will get in touch.

Sporting afternoon in Old Buckenham

The outdoor Old Buckenham Road Show

This event will take place on Sunday 27 April at Old Buckenham both in the Village Hall and the surronding playing field between 2pm and 4.30pm. The sports on offer should include archery, athletics, table tennis, New Age Kurling, tag rugby and rounders.
The aim of the road show is to encourage the local members of the community to utilise the facilities in their local areas and to engage with the Village Games programme. Active Norfolk provide the sports and source coaches, many from local clubs. From the road shows it is hoped to get a team together from Old Buckenham to compete in up to eleven sports and aim to become the Best in Breckland at the Breckland Village Games on Sunday 22 June at Dereham Northgate High School.
Flyers with all the details should be available at the local schools when the children return next week.

Hot subject for Old Buckenham talk

All about mustard

The subject of the talk at the April meeting of the Social and Wine Circle was mustard. Coleman’s is the household name for mustard and it all started in 1814 when Jeremiah Coleman took over a mustard business near Norwich. The business later moved to Carrow in Norwich and by the 1880s employed over 2000 people. It acquired several other manufacturers and became one of the UK’s most successful businesses. The Mustard Shop opened in Bridewell Alley, Norwich, in 1973 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Coleman’s. It is now in the historic Royal Arcade and has become one of Norwich’s popular tourist attractions. The speaker, Nick Cook, had brought along several historic items from the Coleman’s archive and also samples of the many products that include Coleman’s Mustard.

 

At the next meeting on Thursday 8 May Nichola Dalzell will be talking about the background and results from the EPIC research programme that many members have taken part in over the last twenty years. All are welcome to this meeting that will be held in the Church Rooms starting at 7.45pm.

Flower Club meeting in Old Buckenham

Breckland Flower and Garden Club
Herbs - and surprisingly some weeds - were the subject of Christine Herbert's talk at the April meeting of Breckland Flower and Garden Club. Christine, a herbalist from nearby Spooner Row, explained which plants could be used for making tinctures, teas and ointments for a wide variety of aches, pains and general inbalances of the body. She advised that many of her products were more effective that those bought over the counter as all parts of her plants such as the flowers, leaves and roots were used whereas others used one concentrated ingredient. A most interesting talk.
Several members were absent taking part in the East of England Area Show at Wymondham College but some new members were made welcome. The competition results were that Shirley Penfold won the Old Hands class while Alison Vivian won the New Hands Class, the monthly cup and the table show.
The next meeting will be held at Old Buckenham Village Hall on Thursday May 8 at 2pm when Judy Barham will demonstrate her title 'A Walk with Me'. The competition is for an arrangement with the title 'Down the Garden Path'.
Visitors and new members are always welcome. Further details from Sally on 01953 788712 or Christine on 01953 454528.

Old Buckenham Village Hall and car parking

Need to repair car park
Old Buckenham Village Hall Management Committee is inviting people to a meeting at 8pm on Wednesday 23 April in Old Buckenham Village Hall to discuss the impact on the village of the proposed Chapel Road School relocation.
The large volume of traffic through the Village Hall car park has had a detrimental effect on the car park surface and it is really in need of complete refurbishment. Unfortunately, at the moment, Village Hall funds don't stretch to the estimated £20,000 that it will cost for resurfacing work. Therefore it has been decided to do some temporary repairs to improve the worst of the problems. This work will be undertaken at times convenient to hall users and the volunteer work parties undertaking the work. For safety reasons they have decided that the car park should be closed while this work is carried out.
They feel that this action will demonstrate the problems of parking on Old Buckenham roads were it not for the goodwill of the Village Hall and the Old Buckenham Village Hall Management Committee apologise for any disruption that may be caused by this work.
The Old Buckenham Village Hall Car Park is adequate for hall users but is not large enough to sustain the influx of vehicles going to the Primary School and Pre-School. This is mainly in the mornings and afternoons but problems also occur when events are held at the schools during the day and in the evening. Hall users are frequently blocked in the car park and these problems are also affecting the times that hall bookings are made.
When the new Chapel Road School project was revealed, Old Buckenham Parish Council, the Old Buckenham Village Hall Management Committee and other concerned residents were all generally supportive of the scheme but asked if Norfolk County Council could provide parking provision for the Primary School and Pre-School in the development plans. This request does not seem to have been acted upon and it appears that the development will go ahead with parking only for the new Chapel Road school users. This would mean that it is not only the Village Hall that is affected but that the residents of Abbey Road will suffer from the extra traffic and indiscriminate parking as well.
It will be a disappointment if this opportunity to improve conditions in the village are missed. Planning permission for the new school development is expected to go to Norfolk County Council in June so if you have any views on this situation then you can contact your local councillor Stephen Askew (Stephen.askew@breckland.gov.uk  or telephone 07990 531771  or via Twitter @cllrsteveaskew).
You can also email information@norfolk.gov.uk to leave a message for Chris Hey about the Chapel Road School Relocation.
If you prefer why not leave a comment here on the blog.
Whether you are a village hall user or someone who wishes to get their children safely to and from school, make sure you get along to the meeting on Wednesday 23 April and give your views on this subject.

Whole village garage sale in Old Buckenham

Recycling can make you money

Archaeology training in Old Buckenham

Learn about archaeology at the Airfield 

Have you always had an interest in archaeology? Do you want to learn new skills and help out the 'Eighth in the East' project? If you live close to Old Buckenham Airfield, or can travel to the area,  someone wants to hear from you.
On Thursday 17 April they will be running a free one-day course providing an introduction to recording your local airfield. This event will be held at Old Buckenham Airfield and the day will run from 10:30am until 3pm.
No previous experience is necessary with all the equipment provided. The day will start with an overview of how to record your information to be followed by practical sessions and the chance to test out your newly acquired skills in the field.
The aim is that on the completion of this course you will be able to use your new skills to record other airfield buildings and develop the project's knowledge of the vital archaeology relating to the Eighth in the East.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. For further details and to book your place please email Community Archaeologist Hannah Potter
hannah@8theast.org
If you can’t make this date further courses will be run at locations across the East of England during the project.
Please note that  lunch is not provided and you will need to be able to get to the airfield independently. It may be possible to reimburse meal costs and reasonable travel expenses, further details will be provided when you make contact.

More bingo in Old Buckenham

The writing is on the wall

Why not come along and see if your numbers come up?

Success for Old Buckenham Women's Institute

Cator Cup, didn't they do well?

The ladies of Old Buckenham Women’s Institute should be feeling very pleased with themselves after their success in the annual Norfolk WI Cator Cup competition held at the Norfolk Showground over this last weekend, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April.

The competition, which is open to all the WIs in Norfolk, tests the skills of the members who have to produce a co-ordinated display on a particular theme that is changed each year.
For 2014 the theme was ‘Gardens' and Old Buckenham chose to portray Peter Rabbit and Mr McGregor's garden. The items on display had to be selected from a given list covering cookery, handicraft, painting and flower arranging – all to be displayed on a baseboard 70cm wide by 55cm in depth. Each item on display was individually judged by independent experts with further marks being given for both the interpretation of the theme and the staging of the exhibit.

This year Old Buckenham were delighted to come second out of all the entries. They were awarded 123 points out of a possible 140, a mere half point behind the winners. The icing on the cake was to find that their display had been chosen, by a large margin, as the “people's favourite” by visitors to the exhibition who had been asked to vote on the display that appealed to them most.
 

At their regular meeting in March Old Buckenham WI had a very interesting and informative talk by Claire Agate on ‘Researching your Family History’. Claire explained that your family history starts with you. It is easier to trace the male line first and she emphasised the need to keep accurate and well ordered notes. Any old photographs need to have essential information recorded on the back of the photo (in pencil) including all the information that can be gleaned, such as the situation in which the photo was taken plus dates of birth of anyone on the photo.
Registration of births, marriages and deaths began on 1st July 1837 for England and Wales. The official census began in 1801. The first ‘modern’ census was taken in 1841 when some personal data was recorded but it was still limited. The basic format as we know it today was established in 1851. The exact age, birth place, marital status and the relationship to the head of the household is now recorded. Over later censuses there are some minor alterations and additions, regarding mental disability and employment status. The Heritage Centre at the Forum in Norwich is also a useful resource. Claire warned members that research into your family history can become an expensive and addictive hobby!
The Old Buckenham delegate to the recent Annual Meeting of the Norfolk Federation gave a full report. She outlined some of the special events for the WI Centenary in 2015. The National Baton will visit Norfolk early in November this year. Like the Olympic torch, the baton is covering England and Wales before arriving at the Albert Hall for the annual meeting in June 2015. The baton will arrive at Kings Lynn on Tuesday 4 November, thence by bus to Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Diss and Thetford for the handover to the West Suffolk Federation on Tuesday 11 November. The Norfolk Federation decided on Baton by Bus, emphasising our association with the Bus Users Forum and the need for public transport in rural areas.
Other speakers during the day were Dr Katie Soden from Priscilla Bacon Lodge who told the meeting of the work being done there. The provision of such beds in Norfolk is woefully lacking and it is hoped that a site can be found for another building in the future. The next speaker was Greg Smith, the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association’s chief executive. Norfolk has the largest agricultural sector of any county. Three-quarters of the county is farmed, giving rise to a large number of jobs both directly and indirectly. The afternoon speaker was Mary Kemp from East Harling. She talked on the title ‘Musings and thoughts from my kitchen table’. She is well known to many through Radio Norfolk and her theme was ‘local and seasonal’.
Old Buckenham WI are trying to establish a link with a WI in Alberta, Canada. One of our members has a relative who is a member of a WI there and it would be good to have an exchange of ideas, etc, with a WI in the country in which the movement was formed. Unfortunately, our finances do not extend to exchange visits!

Old Buckenham and the Village Hall car park

Reactions to Village Hall car parking

The car park at Old Buckenham Village Hall looks so peaceful and benign on a quiet weekend afternoon. But it has been the centre of controversy over the last few days.
At their meeting last Wednesday the Village Hall Management Committee decided it would close the car park from Friday 25 April. The area is in need of serious repairs to the surface.
At the Parish Council meeting on Thursday evening it was agreed in principle to support the Village Hall committee and so the schools were informed on Friday. This was done so that the schools knew before they broke up for the Easter holidays. 
A whirlwind of comments appeared on the Old Buckenham Facebook page and feelings were running high. Many were angry and others supportive. If you have parked at the Hall on weekdays just before 9am or around 3pm  you would soon realise that it gets very crowded as children are dropped off or picked up from school.
When the plans were announced of the intention of moving Chapel Road School from Attleborough to Old Buckenham it was hoped that something could be done to help solve the problems of school parking. At present these hopes appear dashed with the Village Hall management committee needing to find money to repair/resurface a parking area which is mostly used by people bringing their children to the adjacent schools. The county Education Committee appears unable to provide any help with funding.
It is understood that a meeting will take place on Tuesday 8 April between Stephen Askew  (our local councillor) and the planners for the new school and all are hoping for some positive news about the infrastructure needs when the new school is built. Stephen Askew  does not necessarily agree with the Village Hall's actions but respects the decision and is being kept informed of his constituents' feelings.  Depending on the outcome of this meeting it may be possible to postpone any closure plans and find another way to make repairs. If things do not go well there is the option of holding (before the suggested closure date) a public meeting to formulate a response and action plan.

Film showings in Old Buckenham

Coming soon at your local cinema
At the last film showing in Old Buckenham Village Hall, a poll was taken amongst the audience to decide what productions would be most popular for future events. Trailers for all the contenders were shown and the results were:
Saturday 3 May  The Railway Man
Saturday 5 July  12 Years a Slave

Stained glass windows removed in Old Buckenham

All Saints Church windows off for repair
Both yesterday and today workmen have been carefully removing the medieval stained glass window panels that are in urgent need of repair.  It has been work carried out with extreme care and great skill.
Each shape has to be carefully recorded (naturally none of them are exactly the same) by cutting thin card templates to exactly fill the space, the mortar surrounding the glass delicately chipped away and the irreplaceable panel eased out and brought to ground level.
They are to be taken away, repaired and cleaned so that they can be reinstalled in all their glory later this year.