Go to the end of the pier

Spare seats for the seaside
Old Buckenham WI have some spare seats for their summer trip to ‘The End of the Pier Show’ at Cromer. The coach will leave Old Buckenham Village Hall at 10am on Tuesday 18 August and returns early evening. The cost is £21.50 per person and this includes transport and seats for the matinee. There will be time to have lunch in Cromer before the show. Please contact Doris on 01953 861322 or Pat on 01953 452965 if you would like to go on this trip.

Is this Tufty on the B1077?

If you are too young to remember Tufty look at http://www.tuftyclub.org.uk/

The clerk is ticking

Parish clerk vacancy
The closing date for applications for the post of parish clerk in Old Buckenham was Friday 19 June. There have been several applications for the post and the parish council will be arranging to interview the applicants. This blog will try to keep you up-to-date as and when there is any further information.

Waiting for the bus

Here is the Flexibus news
The ‘Harling’ Flexibus starts on Wednesday 1 July offering transport from here to the market towns of Attleborough, Diss and Thetford.
It aims to give you the opportunity to access shops, visit the doctors or take part in leisure activities. You can also extend your journey and connect to other buses, coaches or trains and visit Norwich or even London.
The service is open to all ages with reduced fares for under 16s and free travel to those with concessionary passes.
Young people can now get about more easily during school or college holidays.
So what exactly is a Flexibus? It is a different kind of public transport. It doesn’t have a set timetable. The bus will collect you from close to your home at a pre-arranged time and drop you where you want to go.
You have to pre-book your seat at least one day before you wish to travel (or by 5pm on Friday for journeys on the following Monday).
To book your journey call 0845 600 2315 between 9am and 5pm. Tell them your journey plan - what time, where you want to be collected from, what town or village you are visiting.
Then give your return details - what time, where you want to be collected from and where you are returning to.
Subject to availability the advisor will confirm your booking and tell you your approximate pick up times (you may need to be a little flexible with your arrangements).
The focus of the service is to link villages with local market towns, particularly Attleborough and Diss.
During school term time the hours of operation are 9.15am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday and from 8am to 5pm on Saturdays.
During the school holidays the times are 8am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday.
There are two buses. Bus 1 serves
Attleborough on Mondays and Thursdays,
Attleborough and Thetford on Tuesdays,
Diss on Wednesdays and Fridays.
On Saturdays there is a connection in Garboldisham to service 338 that goes to Bury St Edmunds.
Bus 2 operates Monday to Friday and is free to roam and does not have set destinations.
The villages that this flexibus service covers include Banham, Blo Norton, Bressingham, Brettenham, Bridgham, East Harling, Eccles, Fersfield, Garboldisham, Gasthorpe, Goose Green, Heywood, Kenninghall, New Buckenham, North Lopham, Old Buckenham, Quidenham, Riddlesworth, Rushford, Shadwell, Shelfanger, South Lopham, Wilby, and Winfarthing.

Are we proud of our community?

We have been judged
Old Buckenham had been entered into the Pride in Norfolk Community Awards this year and has managed to get in the top four of the entries for villages with a population of between 1000 and 2500 inhabitants.

A panel of three judges, Susan Warr of the Norfolk Federation of Women’s Institutes, Sue Sansby from CPRE Norfolk and Tony Nash representing the Norfolk Association of Local Councils, visited the village today. They were looking to find out how friendly and dynamic the community is, how it provides facilities for both the young and the elderly, and what else it gets up to. They wanted to know why we thought our village was so special and had conversations with a small group of villagers to see if they could find out.

Now it is just a matter of waiting to see how we compared with the other three villages in our category. The newsletter editor managed to get a photo of the judges when they dropped in to the local pub for a spot of lunch – at least they were looking cheerful.

Wedding flowers

Breckland Flower and Garden Club
David Wright gave a delightful demonstration for a Summer Wedding at June's meeting of the Breckland Flower and Garden Club in Old Buckenham Village Hall.
From the ring to the venue, bridesmaids to cake (a three tier arrangement in soft pinks and purples), a honeymoon in Whitby (not forgetting the fish!) and, for the bride, a modern cascade using white gerberas and black feathers. All were beautifully presented.
The Renee Hambley Trophy was awarded to Marion Beesley (Old Hands) for the best use of colour in the competition and Janet Skidmore won the New Hands class.
The outing to Hyde Hall and Braintree for shopping will leave Old Buckenham Village Hall on Thursday 9 July at the earlier time of 8.30am, not 9.15am as previously stated. If you have any queries please contact Sheila on 01953 888710.

Ringing to celebrate

Norfolk WI is 90 today

Bells have been ringing out all over Norfolk this morning in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Women's Institute starting in the county.

Here in Old Buckenham Barbara and Pat did their bit at 11am on the six [small] bells in All Saints Church.

Do your bit for our environment

Our Environment Day
This will be on Saturday 18 July from 10am to 1pm.
A total of 62 entries for the Breckland and Old Buckenham ‘Bag for Life’ project were submitted by pupils at the High School and have been shortlisted to seven designs. Judging for the winning entry will take place in the Village Hall at this event on Saturday 18 July between 10am and 1pm. All those attending will have the opportunity to cast their vote. Prizes will be awarded by Breckland District Council.
You can come and go as you wish or stop for the judging.
Each finalist designer will keep the bag printed with their entry which incorporates their name. Supporting agencies, which include the village shop, will also be shown on the winning bag.
Later this year each household in the village will receive a winning bag, while the village shop will also have supplies.
The event will certainly be worth a visit. There will be no entry charge and coffees, etc, will be available. Many free samples of recycled products will be on offer such as pencils made from old CD cases. Displays in the hall will include Norfolk County Council, Breckland District Council, the Energy Saving Trust (details of grants available, etc), Fairtrade, May Gurney (an opportunity to purchase discounted compost produced from green waste collected by Norfolk County Council) and the ‘Love Food - Hate Waste’ campaign. In addition Environmental Spike will be there to entertain the children.
There will be a collection centre for new and used postcards for Radio Norfolk (who may have a representative present) which raises cash for the Norfolk Association of Deaf Children through recycling the cards. Please sort out any postcards and bring them along. Also accepted on the day will be your used batteries to ensure that they are disposed of safely. The event is part of the national Small Change - Big Difference Week.
VERG will be supporting the reuse message with stalls of household and other items and books - all at bargain prices. The proceeds will, as always, go towards community projects in the village. There will be a small raffle to cover the cost of hiring the hall, one prize being a £20 voucher to spend at the “Best in Breckland” village shop (which just happens to be in our village). Donations of other raffle prizes, value not exceeding £10, are invited.
You will not find a similar event anywhere else. It is thought that Old Buckenham, in conjunction with Breckland District Council, is the first with such an initiative to support the need to promote the environment and recycling. Please make sure you at least pop in, you might well be surprised by what you learn.

School will be out on the Green

The Chalk Hill Gang
Why not go along to the local performance of ‘The Chalk Hill Gang’ that is to be staged as part of the Norwich 'Theatre in the Parks' festival. It will be performed by the CA Theatre Group outside the Ox & Plough, Old Buckenham, on Friday 10 July at 7-30pm.
This is a free event.
So what is The Chalk Hill Gang all about? If your dog has eaten your homework, your robot is running riot and your science project has exploded, then it's just another day at Chalk Hill School. It’s sort of High School Musical meets Bash Street Kids in Crude Apache's hilarious new musical comedy, suitable for all the family.

If you can’t make this date then it is also on at Wymondham High School, Folly Road, Wymondham on Wednesday 22 July at 7pm.
All shows are free so why not bring along a blanket and a picnic for an entertaining evening out. For further information you can telephone 01953 861333.

Fete information

Time to book your spot

Make a date for the village fete to be held Saturday 5 September between 2pm and 4pm on the green in front of the village hall. A number of stalls have been booked and the fete committee under the chairmanship of David Hannah is looking at other attractions for the afternoon including entertainment and a barbeque. Anyone wishing to book a stall at £5 per table should contact Alison on 860692. The next fete meeting will be held in the Memorial Room of the village hall on Monday 20 July at 7.30pm when everyone is welcome to attend.

Inside views of royal life

Social and Wine Circle
He was so entertaining when he came to speak last year that Patrick Thompson was invited back in June to give another talk to the Old Buckenham Social and Wine Circle.
Having held a high position in the Royal Household, Patrick was able to give various insights into life at the palaces. He gave details, amongst many other things, of how to get a card sent from the Queen for your diamond wedding anniversary, the sizes of the union flags flown at Buckingham Palace, the joys of being part of the carriage ride at Royal Ascot and the responsibilities of the royal piper and the royal flower arranger. He talked about this year’s Maundy service at Bury St Edmonds which he had found most moving.
Next month the Social and Wine Circle will be having an al fresco evening in Barbara and John’s garden in Mill Road, just eating, drinking and talking.

Soon to meet up?

Making contact
This blog is read by people from all over the world. A person living in Canada, who is visiting Norfolk soon, was searching for an old work acquaintance who they hoped to be able to meet during their trip over here. The name they were searching for was found on one of the blog pages, a message was left in the comment box and the newsletter editor has been able to put the two parties in touch with each other.
Such is the power of the internet.

Local money winners

Numbers Club
The crib evening in June was well attended and the winners were Jill Emms, Julian Goodey, Bill Cheesley, Richard Cockerill and Dave Livingstone.
The June winners of the numbers club (which raises money for the village hall) were drawn and they were: £25 to Peggy Bertram, £10 each to Julie Getley and Mrs J Marshall with the £5 prizes going to Jean Wade, Brian Oliver, Alan Soanes, Bev McAnulty and Alan Staniforth.

The fourth of July

A Midsummer Miscellany
There will be a Old Buckenham ‘village concert’ on Saturday 4 July.
Forget American Independence Day celebrations, never mind the Ladies’ Final at Wimbledon, the big event on the fourth of July this year will be the Old Buckenham Midsummer Miscellany.
The plan is to stage a village concert where all ages can enjoy a performance of music, poetry, words, song and then good barbecue food, all in aid of All Saints Church.
The Cubs and Beavers, Old Buckenham Community Primary School and Old Buckenham High School will be taking part as will Old Buckenham WI and the Hand Bells Group. The concert will provide an opportunity to celebrate the wealth and variety of talent in the village.
The concert will be in All Saints Church at 5pm, a time designed to suit all the family, and will be followed by a barbecue in the Church grounds.
The organisers really hope that you can offer your support to the performers and in turn assist with much needed fundraising for the parish Church. In return they aim to provide a great fun community event.
Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £3 for children, which includes a meal from the barbecue and a soft drink, will be on sale at Old Buckenham Stores or you can contact Helen on 01953 861353.

Local election result

Guiltcross Division
If you are interested in the result of the election for our local county councillor you can see the details here:

http://elections.norfolk.gov.uk/std_index.asp?divisionid=34&x=8&y=7

Busy supporting bees

Women’s Institute report
At Old Buckenham’s May meeting, members discussed the Resolution for debate at the national WI Annual General Meeting . Susan Hunter went through the single proposal, one that urges HM government to increase funding for research into honey bee health. This subject is very apposite at the moment with much public debate and media coverage. The honey bee population is under attack from the Varroa parasitic mite. Also ‘colony collapse’ is wiping out whole colonies of bee hives. Bees play such a critical part in biodiversity and their honey production and plant pollination are also vital to the population’s health and wellbeing. After some interesting discussion the President will be on her way to the Albert Hall with unanimous support from Old Buckenham.
Members were then given a demonstration by Michelle from Sussex Farmhouse Foods, a firm delivering ‘the finest quality frozen meals to your door’. There was a tasting session with two examples of their main course products and two desserts to sample. The smells that wafted in from the Village Hall kitchen were tempting, and members were soon all tasting the lamb and apricot casserole, roast chicken (both with vegetables), lemon meringue pie and blackcurrant cheesecake. These were much enjoyed and got the general approval of those present.
Three members, who had recently attended courses at the WI Denman College, brought examples of their handiwork. As always, they had had a most interesting and hard-working time but had thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Members who had attended the 90th anniversary service in Norwich Cathedral reported that it had been a most memorable and moving service. Without doubt, the singing of ‘Jerusalem’ had made a great impression on them.
Old Buckenham WI have also been busy providing refreshments at various village functions including the Book Sale, with proceeds for this helping towards the new Village Hall kitchen fund (a project close to this WI’s heart).

Pictures at the exhibition

The Bucks PhotoShow
Friday 29, Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May 2009-
New Buckenham Village Hall
The Bucks Photoshow at the end of May was well supported by people from both villages. Of the 32 exhibitors, 11 came from New Buckenham and 9 live in Old Buckenham.
Old Buckenham resident Alison Hannah went along to the first night and here is her review of what she saw.

Attracting over 30 exhibitors from New and Old Buckenham and the surrounding area, the ‘Bucks PhotoShow’ at New Buckenham Village Hall was a wonderful showcase for local talent. Photographers from 17 to 70+ had the opportunity to display their work – some never having done so before. The result was a fascinating collection of well-presented photographic art – covering every kind of subject. From New Buckenham Market Place to the distant splendours of the Ganges or Cuba; from seascapes and wild skies to zoo and wildlife; and from the brilliant colour of the digital abstract to black and white portraiture – the range was inspiring. Although many of the photographs were for sale, it was evident that for those taking part it was having this chance to share their love of the visual image that was most important.

It was a real pleasure to see the work of the amateur ‘who just loves to take photos’ given the same prominence as the professional work – and sometimes it was hard to tell which was which. The organisers, who masterminded the event with a group of volunteers, were delighted with the response on the first night of the weekend-long exhibition. This second show, which grew out of the popular New Buckenham Art Exhibition, had this year attracted even more entrants and yet higher standards than the first. It’s hoped that the event would go from strength to strength, becoming a regular bi-annual fixture in the Buckenhams' calendar.

Just flown in

One more thing to do in June

What you can do in the village next month

Diary dates for June

Monday 1 Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm
Tuesday 2 Coffee and chat, Church Rooms, 10.30am to 12 noon
Wednesday 3 Women's Fellowship, Methodist Chapel, 2.30pm
Thursday 4 Parish Council, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Friday 5 Mobile Police Station outside village shop, 9am to 10.30am
Friday 5 Crib Drive, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Sunday 7 Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm
Monday 8 Whist drive, Church Rooms, 2pm
Wednesday 10 Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm
Wednesday 10 Pre-school Open Event, 3.15pm to 4.30pm
Wednesday 10 Village Fete meeting, Memorial Room, 7.30pm
Thursday 11 Breckland Flower and Garden Club, Village Hall, 2pm
Thursday 11 Social and Wine Circle, Church Rooms, 7.45pm
Friday 12 Netgamers computer games, Village Hall, 7pm to 9pm
Monday 15 Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm
Wednesday 17 Request Songs of Praise, Methodist Chapel, 7.30pm
Sunday 21 Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm
Wednesday 24 Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm
Thursday 25 Women's Institute, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Friday 26 Child seat belt checks, Village Hall car park, from 8.45am
Friday 26 Netgamers computer games, Village Hall, 7pm to 9pm
Monday 29 Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm

Pristine path

Safer walking along the B1077

The new path across the Green is finished and open for walkers. Give it a few months and it won't look so stark, the moles are already at work softening the edges.

Latest newsletter

June is here early.

The latest village newsletter is now available around the village.

Management and money

Village Hall news
There have been a couple of changes on the village hall management committee. Alison Frank has replaced Tony Freake as the All Saints PCC representative and Dawn Kerry is the new Scouts’ representative.
Although less people attended the gardening event this year, more than £300 was raised for Village Hall funds.

Bags for life

Environmental day in village
During the first week of May, Carol Marshall, parish councillor and member of Old Buckenham Village Environmental and Recycling Group, visited Old Buckenham High School with Adrian Joel, the District Councillor, and other members of Breckland Council, to launch Old Buckenham Environmental Day.
This will take place in the Village Hall on the morning of Saturday 18 July.
Pupils at the school have been invited to design the ‘Breckland Bag for Life’ and preliminary judging will take place on Wednesday 3 June by a panel of independent judges. The chosen designs will be displayed on Environmental Day for our community to judge. There will be a prize for the winner and possibly an environmental freebie gift for all those voting. The winning design will be incorporated on the Breckland Bag for Life and, when it is produced, the bag will be delivered to all Old Buckenham residents.
In addition to the involvement of Breckland District Council, Norfolk County Council will be taking part as well as other environmentally-orientated organisations. It is hoped that compost produced from the brown bin collections will be available for sale at reduced prices.
The incentive to all members of the community is that this event is all free, even admittance.
This event is considered a first, and hopefully will put recognition in the direction of Old Buckenham and its support for the environment. There will be an optional raffle during the morning to cover the cost of hiring the hall.
Please make sure that you book this date to support the youngsters at Old Buckenham High School and their interest in the environment.
Further details will be posted on the blog when they become available.

Visit the Pre-school

Pre-school Open Event

Buckenham Pre-school Group will be having an Open Event on Wednesday 10 June between 3.15pm and 4.30pm. The Pre-school, which is situated in the grounds of Old Buckenham Primary School, takes children from two years of age until primary school entry. Funding is available for eligible children.
If you want to know more then go along to meet the staff and find out more about this friendly Pre-school. You can telephone 07799 778806 during school hours or speak to the supervisor, Claire, on 01953 860244.

Permissive society in Old Buckenham

Habeas corpus
The newsletter editor went along to the second night of the latest production put on by the Old Buckenham Players. The following are his own personal comments on the evening’s entertainment, Alan Bennett’s ‘Habeas Corpus’.
This was a most delightful way to spend an evening. A play by one of the country’s best living playwrights performed by a group of local talented actors. It was a production of the highest standard that had the audience laughing out aloud throughout as the plot unfolded.
Technically the evening went without any obvious boobs. Well that’s not really true as there were several pairs forming an integral part of the plot. With one character unable to cope with his lack of height, another upset about being flat-chested, one hypochondriac and a fourth who was seriously depressed, it is a surprising funny play. Describing the plot is difficult. Alan Bennett is a high class writer who is able to describe things in words that this reviewer is unable to paraphrase without making it sound trite.
The housekeeper, Mrs Swabb, keeps the audience aware of what is going on with the Wicksteed family, Canon Throbbing, Lady Rumpers and her daughter Felicity, Sir Percy Shorter, Mr Shanks and Mr Purdue as they move on and off the stage. Most of the men lose their trousers at some time or another, without the action collapsing into farce, and the phrase “so this is what they mean by the permissive society” is regularly heard.
It would be inappropriate to pick out individual members of the cast – they all played their parts to a high standard and brought out the best in a wonderful script. The set was deliberately kept simple, again to allow the dialogue to speak for itself.

Now we can look forward to the autumn show of one act plays on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September.

Money for old books

Book sale
Thanks to all those who supported the book sale in the Church Rooms on Sunday 18 May, particularly those who assisted in the organising, and the Old Buckenham WI for providing the refreshment facilities. At the time of this post, something in the region of £350 was raised by the Village Environmental and Recycling Group for the village.

Decorating the tables

Breckland Flower and Garden Club
A busy afternoon was had by all members at the May meeting in the village hall creating a table decoration on a ring using tulips or roses, sticks, foliage and beads resulting in a very colourful display.
In the monthly competition, ‘petite - in or with a cup and saucer’, first in the new hands class was Janet Skidmore and first in old hands (and winner of the Betty Warburton trophy for best use of garden material) was Pat Wells.
The June meeting will be held at Old Buckenham Village Hall on Thursday 11 June starting at 2pm. The demonstrator will be David Wright whose title will be 'Summer Wedding' . The competition is for a white and green wedding table arrangement - with or without candle/s and the Renee Hambley Tropy will be awarded for the best use of colour.
If anyone would like to come on the Club's outing to Hyde Hall and Braintree (£10 for RHS members and £14.50 for non members) please contact Sheila on 01953 888710.
Visitors are always welcome to come to the meetings. Further details can be obtained from Pat on 01953 457305 or Sally on 01953 788712.

Money matters

More funds raised
The Spring Fair held on Saturday 9 May raised a total of £305 towards the cost of the Senior Citizens Christmas party. Thanks to all the helpers that gave their time to help at this event and also to those members of the public who came along and spent their money.
A further fund-raising event for the party will be a cream tea to be held on Saturday 11 July. More details will be given later.

High level talk raises money

Nepal Plus
The Village Hall in Old Buckenham was filled with around eighty people on Saturday 9 May who came to listen to David Hannah talk about his experiences on a trip to Nepal. His illustrated talk started off at Diss railway station and followed his journey to Kathmandu, the flight to Lukla, then trekking to Phortse via Namche Bazaar. While in Phortse he had been present at the formal opening of their new community centre, a building that had been masterminded by another Old Buckenham resident, Tony Freake. The final part of his journey from Phortse to Gokyo, way up into the Himalayas and to heights of over 5,500 metres, was where the effects of altitude sickness finally caught up with David and he was grateful to move down to the lower altitudes once more.
The main highlights of his trip included the friendliness of the Nepalese people, some exhilarating plane flights, the many precarious bridges he had to cross and the fortuitous meetings with people he had met while on a T’ai Chi course back in Wymondham. There were a number of people in the audience who had been to Nepal themselves and they enjoyed reliving memories of their visits to this amazing country.
The second half of the meeting involved an ‘auction of experiences’. There was strong bidding for some high speed laps around the Lotus test track at Hethel and for the pairs of tickets for various concerts at the High Lodge Centre in Thetford Forest as well as the other dozen items.
Thanks go to all the people who turned out to support the evening which resulted in a profit of £870 which will go towards the upkeep of All Saints Church in the village.

Fund raising Saturday

Parting with their money

Saturday in Old Buckenham was a day for raising money for two local good causes.

In the afternoon there was a Spring Fayre in the Church Rooms to provide some funds for the Senior Citizens Christmas lunch that will take place early in 2010. Many of the people who will enjoy the free lunch were there manning the stalls or spending their money to buy raffle tickets, plants, refreshments and bric-a-brac.

In the evening the Village Hall was filled with around eighty people who came to listen to David Hannah talk about his experiences on a trip to Nepal and to bid for items in an auction of 'experiences'. Initial calculations show that this event raised £870 which will go towards the upkeep of All Saints Church. A longer report will appear on the blog within the next few days.

Unfurling the banner

Celebration time

It was time for a bubbly celebration at Old Buckenham Stores when they received further recognition of their recent success in being voted the best independent village store in the whole of Breckland.

Becky Jefcoate, Economical Development Officer at Breckland District Council was there to pass over a specially-made banner to allow the shop to advertise its success to all those passing by. The Londis Regional Manager Jon Chapman was also there along with John Miller, Regional Director of Musgrave Retail Partners, to pass on their congratulations to Old Buckenham's village shop.

Adrian Joel, Old Buckenham's local councillor, helped the shop staff and some of their regular customers to show off the banner to the photographers and to open a suitable celebratory bottle of bubbly on this important occasion.

The top picture shows, from the left, John Miller (Musgrave Retail Partners), Doug Baker (customer), Venuka (from the shop), Adrian Joel (local councillor), Lavanya (from the shop) and Janet Moore (customer).

Celebrations

Now what was going on outside the village shop earlier today?

More details of this event will be on the blog tomorrow morning.

A new red coat

Pretty postbox

A new coat of red paint and the clematis in flower. Shame that the sun wasn't out on this picturesque post box in Ragmere Road, Old Buckenham.

Go and fetch it

May has arrived

It may be a few days late but the May issue is now available to pick up at the village shop, the Ox and Plough, the Gamekeeper and the Clinic on the Green. There are also a few copies at the Airfield.

Those lucky numbers

Crib and Numbers Club
The prizewinners of the crib drive held at the village hall in May were Mary Parker, Olive Fuller, Dave Livingstone, Muriel Large, Joyce Goodey and Jean Rush.
The Numbers Club winners were drawn at the drive and they were Stuart Barker, Adrian Brinded, Joyce Goodey, Tommy Mack, J Eagling, Jean Garwood and Den Packham.
It is still not too late to join the club for this year. Next month sees an extra prize of £25 being drawn so please do your little bit to help the Village Hall. It only costs £1 each month to belong. If you want to know more just contact any committee member or Jill on 01953 860551.

Bargains in books

Book this time and place

Whether you are interested in gardening, crafts, biography, travel, romance, recent best sellers, sport, or just books in general, you are sure to pick up a good read at a very keen price at the fifth VERG (Village Environment and Recycling Group) book sale on Sunday 17 May between 11am and 3.30pm in the Church Rooms. Children will have lots of old favourites to choose from as well, with space to browse. The WI will be on hand with light refreshments in an area set out for rest and chat and the raffle will provide chances to win, among other things, shopping tokens (and even a token for two tickets for a Norwich City home football match of your choice).The village hall kitchen refurbishment project needs plenty of money to give the village a kitchen fit for the beginning of the twenty- first century.

Thank you to all those who have or are donating books and hopefully many of you will pop in for a browse and to purchase a stock of books to last until the next sale. If you would like to come but find it difficult to get there please let VERG know (telephone 01953 452716, the same number for collection of books).

Royalty and the WI

WI goes to Sandringham
For their April meting, Old Buckenham WI had a visit from Mrs Watt (also known as Maureen Rispin from Sandringham). She told them of her visit to Sandringham in February 1919, at the invitation of Queen Mary. They had met before this at the first meeting of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes in Caxton Hall, London. Queen Mary had invited Mrs Watt, a Canadian from British Columbia, to come and speak to the ladies of Sandringham to tell them about the WI which was, of course, founded in Canada.
Mrs Watt looked very smart in her costume of jacket and full-length skirt, with a hat. She had been enchanted with her visit to Sandringham, being shown round the estate, the stud farm and seen the flock of Southdown sheep. The meeting was held in West Newton Village Hall, to which the Queen and the Princess Royal also came. By having the Queen take an active interest at Sandringham, Mrs Watt saw that this would do wonders for the WI movement nationally and internationally. Later she wrote an article about this inaugural meeting for the first edition of ‘Home and Country’. She said she had realised her childhood dream of meeting the Queen, not in a palace but in her more homely surroundings. At that meeting the Queen agreed to be President and 60 ladies became members.
Meetings followed a format which many WI members would recognise today – talks, plenty of time for social chat, and refreshments. From a Minute Book Mrs Watt read that there had been outings by charabanc to Norwich and Cromer, six hostesses were in charge of refreshments at meetings, a talk had been given by someone from the Brooke Bond tea company, and many people who worked on the estate and in the gardens were asked to talk about their lives . They also had time for games though musical chairs could present a problem if there was one chair left and one other member besides Her Majesty – history did not relate who won!
To end her talk Mrs Watt read the Alberta Creed which sets out very simply and clearly the WI ethos. Doris Monkhouse thanked Maureen Rispin for her most interesting and novel way of bringing early WI days to life.
Pride of place at this meeting was given to Old Buckenham’s Cator Cup entry which had won second place. This was a lovely reward for all the hard work that had gone into producing the exhibit entitled ‘Wild, Wild Women’. With third place last year, second this year, what about 2010? At the end of the meeting the annual draw for the Denman Bursary was taken and future meetings were planned for the ‘floral’ themed Garden Party on Saturday 6 June at Susan Hunter’s home and also planning for the Village fete later in the summer.
The next meeting will be the annual resolutions meeting held on Thursday 28 May and the competition will be for a pretty cup and saucer.The June Lynn Barrow will be talking about the language of flowers and the competition is for a posy of five flowers with foliage.

Things you may do

Diary dates for May
There are lots of things you can do in Old Buckenham
Friday 1 Crib Drive, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Sunday 3 Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm
Monday 4 Whist drive, Church Rooms, 2pm
Tuesday 5 Coffee and chat, Church Rooms, 10.30am to 12 noon
Tuesday 5 Induction of Revd David Hill as Rector, All Saints, 7.30pm
Wednesday 6 Women's Fellowship, Methodist Chapel, 2.30pm
Thursday 7 Parish Council, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Friday 8 Mobile Police Station outside village shop, 9am to 10.30am
Friday 8 Netgamers computer games, Village Hall, 7pm to 9pm
Saturday 9 Spring Fayre, Church Rooms, 2pm to 4.30pm
Saturday 9 Nepal plus, Village Hall, 7.30 pm
Wednesday 13 Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm
Wednesday 13 Fete meeting, Village Hall Memorial Room, 7.30pm
Wednesday 13 Request Songs of Praise, Methodist Chapel, 7.30pm
Thursday 14 Breckland Flower and Garden Club, Village Hall, 2pm
Thursday 14 Social and Wine Circle, Church Rooms, 7.45pm
Thursday 14 Habeus Corpus, Old Buckenham Players, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Friday 15 Habeus Corpus, Old Buckenham Players, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Saturday 16 Habeus Corpus, Old Buckenham Players, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Sunday 17 Book sale, Church Rooms, 11am to 3.30pm
Sunday 17 Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm
Monday 18 Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm
Friday 22 Netgamers computer games, Village Hall, 7pm to 9pm
Wednesday 27 Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm
Wednesday 27 OB 2000 Trust AGM, Church Rooms, 7.30pm
Thursday 28 Women's Institute, Village Hall, 7.30pm

What the Parish Council said

Parish Council in April
These notes of the parish council meetings are a summary prepared by the editor of the newsletter from the draft minutes and so may contain information that is corrected later at the next month's meeting.If you wish to read the full, unedited minutes, then they are posted on the notice board outside the village shop prior to the next parish council meeting.
The acting chairman (Tim Ing) welcomed Stephen Thorley as the new co-opted member.
Children’s Play Area. Kerry Talbot reported that the Spring Grand Draw had so far brought in £1471.50 and the draw will take place on Saturday 4 April at the Ox & Plough. Grant applications have been acknowledged but decisions on them will not take place until June. It may be necessary to extend the start date to September 2009 if all funding is not secured. There is a further application to submit to Norfolk Rural Communities Council for up to £20,000 which will be completed during the Easter break. Special thanks to everyone for their efforts with the Spring Grand Draw. The amount raised has exceeded the target of £1000 by a long way.
Recreation Area. The completion of the lease took place on Monday 23 March. The clerk has received a copy of the document and the cheque for the first year’s rental will be approved and signed at this parish council meeting.The council resolved to ring-fence £5,000 towards this project as agreed in 2007.
The Green. Unfortunate circumstances were noted regarding the haymaking on the Green. Some dispute exists over the way in which the proposal from the Parish Council concerning the letting of the Green was dealt with. The clerk reported on his on-site meeting with Norfolk County Council regarding funding from County for the second footpath. He is pleased to report that the Parish Council has secured grant funding from the County Council in the sum of £9,800. This money will be paid direct to the Parish Council and may be utilised at its discretion for construction and ongoing maintenance costs. Parish Council chairman Norman Cawston has instructed the clerk that matters should proceed quickly to take advantage of the time of year which is ideal for construction.The various tenders were considered and Trell Contractors (Watton) Ltd was chosen as the contractor to carry out the work. There is a revised specification for the surface dressing to take conservation issues into consideration.
Planning applications. Mr and Mrs Gedge, Twitchers Cottage, Stacksford. Ground floor extension for entrance hall, shower room and sun lounge, and first floor extension to form bedroom and bathroom. No objections from Parish Council.
B & M Developers Ltd, Stone Cottage, Fen Street. Insert two windows in ground floor lounge (amendment to previous applications). Observation from parish council members included that windows might become a door. There was no linkage from the existing property and will it become a separate property? The parish council cannot object to application as it stands. Only one councillor was in favour, the rest abstained from voting. An explanation of the doubts expressed by the parish council to be conveyed to Breckland Council.
Planning decisions by Breckland. Old Buckenham Parish Council, land adjoining Village Hall, Abbey Road. Change of use from agricultural to playing field and creation of car park. Passed with conditions by Breckland.
B & M Developers Ltd, Stone Cottage, Fen Street. Construction of two-bedroom cottage. Planning permission refused at Breckland.
Mr and Mrs A Medley, Ottomer Cottage, The Green. Proposed dwelling - two-storey with 1st floor as rooms in roof. With parking space. Planning permission granted at Breckland.
Mr and Mrs Seaman, Eel Farm, Fen Street. Annexe. Planning Enforcement Office warning that the extension is being let contrary to the planning permission originally given. A retrospective planning application from Mr and Mrs Seaman has been called for.
Financial. The items considered during this part of the meeting included payment of the first rent to the village hall for the recreation area (£385), the sum of £200 to the 1st Old Buckenham Scout Group for litter picking in the village and a donation from the Old Buckenham Newsletter of £500.
District Councillor’s report. Adrian Joel said how pleased everyone was that Old Buckenham Stores had won the Breckland Local Independent Store Star award. The Site Specific Consultation has now finished and this will be brought back for further public consultation with recommendations in October/November. Breckland is now offering free swimming for the over-60s in their Thetford and Dereham pools.
Councillors’ reports. A ‘lollipop’ person needs to be appointed. The County Council could be contacted about this. The waste material smelling in Fen Street needs investigating as some could be coming from kennels. The Environmental Health officer must be contacted for advice. The Annual Parish meeting minutes to be circulated as soon as possible. There had been a letter concerning a commercial sign outside a property on Green. It was not thought that this had been authorised. The Parish Council were awaiting to hear from Dave Newell who will report on the Youth Club scheme. A letter about litter dropping was required for the schools. Queries on the maintenance of the Village Hall car park will need to be addressed to the County Council as soon as any construction plant for the recreation area has done the bulk of its work. Trevor Crook will look into the Community Speed Watch issue with the police.
Clerk’s report. The Chairman had asked the clerk to obtain information on benches for placement on the Green. These were circulated for consideration as items to be purchased from the Allotment to Highways Charity fund.There is a new NCC Highways initiative - the Community Rangers Team. It should be easier and quicker to get minor road repairs, etc, dealt with in future.
Correspondence. A letter from Terry Cracknell regarding the annual parish meeting was distributed. Details of the CPRE litter picking initiative were passed to Mike Craven-Romain. Alison Frank has acquired a Green Right. Any views on the Boundary Committee Draft Unitary proposals, Structural review of Norfolk must be registered by Thursday 14 May.
The next meeting of the Old Buckenham Parish Council will be at 7.30pm on Thursday 7 May.

Bake a cake, buy a cake

Christian Aid needs help

As well as the Christian Aid house-to-house collection around Old Buckenham during the week starting Sunday 10 May there will also be a cake stall at All Saints church after the 9.30am service (about 10.30am) on Sunday 10 May. If anybody could either help with the house-to-house delivery/collection and/or provide some cakes then Helen or Alison would be very grateful. Please contact Helen on 861353 or Alison on 860692. Thank you.

Along the garden path

Today in pictures

The sun has been shining on the Garden Event at the Village Hall and there has been cosiderable progress this week on the new footpath alongside the Green.

Change of date

Later fete
The date of the fete to be held at the village hall has been re-arranged for Saturday 5 September to coincide with the fairground that will be set up on the Green at that time.

What an experience this will be

Nepal Plus - an Evening of Experiences
Do you fancy an evening of experiences? Some to hear about – some to buy?
On Saturday 9 May in Old Buckenham Village Hall, David Hannah will be giving an illustrated talk of his experiences in the foothills of Everest plus auctioning off some great experiences for you to try yourselves. The full list is given below. There will also be a bar, refreshments and a surprise gift for you and your family.
Why not take this opportunity to have an interesting and relaxing local night out, as well as raising money for our Parish Church.
Admission is £2.50 per ticket available from the village shop or phone 01953 861261.
Doors will open at 7.30pm and the talk will start at 7.45pm.

The Auction of Experiences will include:
One pair of tickets to the following Thetford Forest Concerts:
James Morrison Thursday 4 June
Paul Weller Friday 5 June
Jools Holland Saturday 6 June
The Human League Thursday 9 July
David Gray Friday 10 July
Sugarbabes Saturday 11 July
Plus
The Proclaimers Sunday 12 July – University of East Anglia
Plus
Ride and Drive Lotus car on Lotus Test Track (with Lotus test driver)
Annual season ticket to High Lodge - Thetford Forest
Tickets for ‘Go-Ape’
Family ticket for ‘Bike Art’ (cycling in the forest)
Ticket for 8 people to swim at Harlingwood Leisure
An enjoyable day of tuition for 1 or 2 people in 15th Century methods of egg tempera painting with Maz Jackson (based in East Harling)
2 tickets to see Rick Wakeman + Nicholas Parsons (an interesting combination!)

Awaiting opening date

Windmill information
Earlier this blog contained a short note to announce the delay to the opening of the Windmill for the 2009 season. The reason for the delay was the need to finalise work shown to be necessary by the recent health and safety risk assessment undertaken for Norfolk Windmill Trust, who own and oversee the mill.
The local volunteer Windmill Committee stands ready to assist, where appropriate, in the revised arrangements but will not be able to open the mill until the arrangements have been agreed with the Trust and volunteer rota duties arranged. This is likely to include any necessary training for specific fire, and other, duties.
At the present time, a date for completion of this preparatory work has not been set. Accordingly the Committee is unable to prepare volunteer rotas and to set a date for opening again. As soon as there is a firm plan in place a further note will be put in the Village Newsletter and also on the http://www.banhamandthebucks/ website.
Any member of the Windmill Committee (Murray Curtis, Gerald Norton, Alan Blakey, Pete Twissell and John Frost) will be pleased to give the up-to-date position to anyone who needs to know or wishes to enquire about a possible future group visit. The Windmill Committee apologise for the delay and any inconvenience this has caused.

Walking round the gravestones

Burial ground pathway
Because of the adverse weather during the winter months, the underfoot conditions in the village burial ground were unpleasant for those visiting. The Parish Council have undertaken to have a path constructed to Norfolk County Council standards at the time of the pathway construction along the B1077, subject to a contribution of £500 from the Church.
The Churchwardens invite donations towards the £500 in order to minimise its commitment as the Quinquennial Inspection is due this autumn and is expected to recommend urgent restoration to the stained glass windows at a possible cost in the region of £30,000.
Should members of the community wish to contribute towards the cost of this pathway, please forward any amounts to Sheila Freake, treasurer to All Saints' Church, at 36 Hargham Road, Old Buckenham. Cheques should be made payable to All Saints Church and, if you are a taxpayer, please authorise gift aid reclaim. If the contributions exceed the sum of £500, any surplus will be passed on to the Parish Council.
For further information please telephone 01953 860462.

Your fete in your hands

Village fete in September
As there is no fete planned to be held on the Green this year, the Village Hall Management Committee have been approached to hold a similar event on the grounds at the front of the building (or inside if wet) on Saturday 5 September.
The committee are very pleased to co-operate but, taking into account their average age which is well above retirement, they are desperately seeking assistance in the planning, particularly from younger members of the community.
Stallholders will be charged £5 a table, with an additional charge for extra space, with all their takings/profits retained by them. It has now been confirmed that the Gray Fairground will be in the village that weekend.

A raffle will be held with the funds raised being for the kitchen refurbishment.
An open meeting will be held on Wednesday 13 May in the Memorial Room at the Village Hall commencing 7.30pm. Please come along as a supporter, a prospective stallholder, ideas person, an individual or a member of an organisation, to help make the event in August a success. There is a need for young bodies and young ideas to maintain our village community spirit - visitors welcome of course. Please make the effort.
The information from the meeting will be reported on this blog and in the next newsletter but please come along and take part in this meeting if you can.

World trip in flowers

Breckland Flower and Garden Club
Julie Barham demonstrated at April's meeting – “Take a Break” was the title - and her designs depicted cycling in Holland with pink gerberas, memories of Poland that included wonderful yellow chrysanthemums, a very colourful arrangement from Disney Florida, Aphrodite's statue with white lilies and eustoma from Cyprus, and a trip down the Nile which included lilies and orchids.
Janet Skidmore won the New Hands class in the competition and she was also presented with the Rachael Tarry Spring Trophy; Sally Westrup came first in the Old Hands class.
Next month's meeting will be on Thursday 14 May at Old Buckenham Village Hall, starting at 2pm for a Teach- in. If you are coming, don't forget your ingredients, table cover and secateurs.
The monthly competition will be for a petite arrangement on,or with, a cup and saucer.
Visitors are always welcome at the meetings, further information from Sally (01953 788712) or Pat (01953 457305).

Village Hall matters

Report of the Village Hall AGM
The AGM of the Village Hall Management Committee (VHMC) was held in the Memorial Room at the beginning of April. The following notes are taken from the minutes of that meeting.
The committee members present were Dennis Packham (Chairman), Michael Bartlett, Bridget Burton, Jill Emms, Pat Shearing, Beryl Watts and Gerald Norton. Five members of the general public also attended. Apologies were received from Carol Marshall and Pauline Cattermole. Tony Freake has been unwell and the meeting wished to register its concern and to send good wishes for his speedy recovery.
Before the formal start of the meeting Colin Phillips asked to speak to those attending to say that the Green Rights Proprietors’ committee would like to join with the VHMC in organising a joint fete on Saturday 29 August. Any profits would be shared, particularly with regards to the bar. There was unanimous agreement from those present and this subject will be on the agenda at the next VHMC meeting.
Minutes of the AGM were circulated, agreed as correct and signed by the Chairman.
Matters arising from the minutes included a report from Michael Bartlett that the initial application to Breckland for a grant had been turned down. It appears that the applicant must apply on behalf of their own organisation so he had re-applied on behalf of the Village Hall and should hear later in April. There had also been an application to Norwich Foundation for £5000. He also reported that at a recent Breckland Council meeting matched funding of up to a third of the cost had been suggested and this seemed a favourable outcome.
The chairman’s report was also circulated. In spite of having a relatively small committee, the finances are in good shape because of good housekeeping by the treasurer and the income from local hirers. Thanks go to Alison Frank for organising the annual garden event and to Michael Bartlett for organising the draw and selling raffle tickets to coincide with the fete.
The agreement lease for the recreational area had been completed on Monday 23 March.
Michael Bartlett continued to work hard for the kitchen refurbishment project. The car park continues to be in need of repair. The parents bringing and collecting their children from school are daily users but pay nothing towards the upkeep.
The need for more committee members is urgent. Some long standing members are due for retirement.
The report ended with thanks to the committee, to Peter Rhodes (caretaker), Sue Cottee (who unlocks and locks the hall) and to the minute secretaries.
The treasurer presented the accounts and supporting figures. She explained the various amounts already committed leaving £10,000 cash available. The meeting discussed fund raising events and how to make them more popular; suggestions included film shows and quizzes run on a different format. Julian will supply a contact for the film shows but he also mentioned that all village halls were having the same problems. Ron Brewer will publicise events in the newsletter if he can have the dates as early as possible.
The treasurer’s report was accepted and signed by the Chairman who thanked Jill for her work on behalf of the VHMC.
There were vacancies for three members to be elected to the VHMC. Michael Bartlett accepted nomination and was re-elected to the committee. Beryl Watts also accepted nomination and was elected to the committee.
Representatives from organisations were agreed to be as follows: Women’s Institute - Pat Shearing, Parish Council - Gerald Norton, Old Buckenham Players - Lesley Evison, Luncheon Club - Bridget Burton, Carpet Bowls Club - Jill Emms, Methodist Chapel - Dennis Packham, All Saints PCC - Tony Freake. The Scouts’ representative is still to be confirmed and the Breckland Flower Club is not at present represented.
Amongst the other points raised, Julian Goodey reported that all Village Halls throughout the County are losing committee members. Dennis Packham will definitely be retiring at the end of this year. Bridget Burton thanked him for all his concern and commitment and for all his hard work over many years. All agreed.
The provisional date for next Village Hall AGM is Wednesday 7 April 2010.

Show support for the OB2000T

The top men at the Country Fayre

Trust AGM is next month
The Annual General Meeting of the 'Old Buckenham 2000 Trust' will be held in the Church Rooms on Wednesday 27 May. Why not go along and show them that their work is appreciated.
The Old Buckenham 2000 Trust was set up as a result of a very successful millennium 'Country Fayre' held on the village green. The Green had not seen a summer fair for a number of years and a group of villagers wanted to organise something special for the village to celebrate the millennium and between them managed to put on a show that was enjoyed by young and old alike. The 'Committee' wanted to ensure that any money raised was put back into the village and set up the 'OB2000T' as a vehicle for that purpose.
The Country Fayre had a further six years of success, continued to raise funds for the Trust and to date grants and donations have been made to local organisations of over £11,000.
Although the Country Fayre has not happened for the last few years, the Trustees of OB2000T want to keep the charity status and continue to raise money through other activities. The Trustees would welcome your interest and support so please put the date in your diary now.

New words have appeared above the door

You must have the body

Forthcoming performances
Old Buckenham Players will be presenting Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus at the Village Hall in May.
“More innuendo than you can shake your stick at!” is one way of describing this play. It is from one of England’s finest playwrights and this saucy comedy of the 1960s so-called ‘permissive society’ is hilarious from start to finish. It concerns the aging Dr Arthur Wicksteed and his pursuit of a nubile patient, Felicity Rumpers. Wicksteed's wife, Muriel, is, in turn, lusting after the vertically challenged head of the BMA, Sir Percy Shorter, who, as well as being Wicksteed's old rival, turns out to have other intimate liaisons hidden away in the closet. Meanwhile, Wicksteed's spinster sister Connie, ashamed of her flat-chestedness, has schemes of her own. Mrs Swabb, the housekeeper, pushes the action along in league with the audience.
Bennett knows how to take the joke so far and not beyond the point of acceptability while bringing the audience back to earth with a bump occasionally. All this should end up making for an exhilarating, and occasionally thought-provoking, evening of huge enjoyment.
The players will have a licensed bar for their three performances on Thursday 14, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May, starting at 7.30pm in Old Buckenham Village Hall.
Tickets will cost £6 and be available from Old Buckenham Post Office, Nuts ‘n’ Bolts in Attleborough or by calling 01362 697260.

An oak for Alfred

Special tree planting on the Green
Members of the Frost family gathered together on Old Buckenham Green on Sunday 5 April for the planting of a special oak tree. It was to commemorate the life of Alfred Frost who would have celebrated his hundredth birthday a couple of days earlier. The three children of Alfred and Rosa Frost with other family members and friends were there to plant the tree close to one they had planted last year in memory of Rosa. Alfred and Rosa had lived nearly all their lives at their house in Mill Lane, very close to the tree planting site.
John Frost and his two sisters, Lorna Gedge (on right) and Mary Early, are shown planting the tree on Old Buckenham Green.

Cator cup success

WIld, WIld women

The ladies of Old Buckenham Women’s Institute are again 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 4 and Sunday 5 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 2009 the theme was ‘w.w.w’ and Old Buckenham chose to portray “Wild, wild women”. 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.
Last year Old Buckenham entered this competition after a break of several years and were surprised and delighted to come third out of some forty entries. They were also encouraged to find that their display had been chosen as the “people's favourite” by visitors to the exhibition who had been asked to vote on the display that appealed to them most.
This year they did even better, coming second out of 39 entries, losing only seven points out of the possible maximum of 140 points.

The latest news is that they were also voted the "people's favourite" for the second year running.

Money for playing

Spring Grand Draw
It was one o’clock in the Ox & Plough and time for the picking out of the winning tickets in the Spring Grand Draw. It had been organised by the Bucks Just Play Group who are raising money for the refurbishment of the Old Buckenham children’s playground.
There were 24 prizes to be won, starting with £100 cash and continuing with other cash prizes and vouchers for all sorts of items from pub meals, museum entrance, a tour of a whisky distillery, theatre tickets and a trip on a narrow gauge railway.
Landlady Sally Bishop picked out the first ticket and other regulars at the pub and supporters of the Bucks Just Play Group took their turns to pick out the rest.
There were plenty of cheerful people in the village who had been rewarded for their generosity in buying tickets but the biggest cheer was for the announcement that the draw had raised the sum of £1579 towards the playground refurbishment.

Really hot cooking

Help from Grassroots
Old Buckenham Luncheon Club are delighted to have received a cheque for £669 that was awarded to them by Norfolk Community Foundation to fund the purchase a large hot cupboard to use to keep food warm prior to serving.
This grant came from the Grassroots Grants Programme who wished the Luncheon Club every success with their project and were pleased to support the good work of the organisation.
The Old Buckenham Luncheon Club was formed 27 years ago for the elderly residents of the surrounding villages who live alone. Four outings are held during the year and these are always enjoyed by the members. They usually hold a New Year's Lunch Party when they welcome the volunteer drivers who do such a wonderful job in transporting members to and from the Village Hall. The Club depends on volunteers who cook and serve the meals to the members at their lunches on alternate Wednesdays and is funded mainly by generous donations.

Recycling helps repairs

Useful savings
The collection at the end of March of unwanted textiles by the people of Old Buckenham and those involved with the Junior and High schools amounted to 1258 kilos in weight. This clothing, bedding, shoes, etc will be most useful for those in need in the Third World. As it also saves all the material going off for landfill, the recycling credits for this have amounted to a payment of £308.08 which will be used to help pay towards the maintenance of the Church Rooms in the village.