Monday 31 July 2017

What to do in Old Buckenham

Diary dates for August

Tuesday 1   Coffee and chat, Church Rooms, 10.30am onwards

Wednesday 2   Women's Fellowship, Methodist Chapel, 2.30pm

Thursday 3   Flower Club trip to Hyde Hall, leave VH car park 8am

Friday 4   Visits from Mobile Library during morning

Sunday 6   Metal detecting finds at Old Hall Farm, 2pm to 4pm

Wednesday 9   Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm

Saturday 12   Road safety talk, Village Hall, 10.30am

Sunday 13   OB windmill open, 2pm to 4.30pm

Monday 14   Whist drive, Church Rooms, 2pm

Wednesday 16   Songs of Praise, Methodist Chapel, 7.30pm

Sunday 19   Prize bingo, Church Rooms, 2pm

Wednesday 23   Luncheon Club coffee morning, Village Hall, 10.15am

Thursday 24   Women's Institute, Village Hall, 7.30pm

Saturday 26   Flower Festival, Methodist Chapel

Sunday 27   Flower Festival, Methodist Chapel

Sunday 27   Family Fun Day, OB Country Park

Monday 28   Flower Festival, Methodist Chapel

Sunday 30   Music in the Park, OB Country Park from 2pm

Saturday 29 July 2017

Day one at Old Buckenham Airshow

Images at the airfield
The blog editor is the first to admit he is useless at photographing flying aircraft, particularly those flying rather fast. So here are some general and some alternative shots taken during today.
Remember you can go along and see it for yourself tomorrow, Sunday 30 July.











Old Buckenham's August newsletter

Another month, another newsletter
Copies of the August newsletter are now available, a few days before the end of July. One may have already popped through your letterbox. Otherwise pick one up from the village shop or All Saints church.


Friday 28 July 2017

Play area reopens in Old Buckenham

Fencing completed, playing restarted



Tuesday 25 July 2017

Lots of cricket at Old Buckenham

If you go down in the woods today...

...there will be plenty of cricket to see (unless it's raining)




Tuesday 25 July – Club XI v Hadley Wood (touring side) Start 1.30pm


Wednesday 26 July – U19 v Gt Melton Start 6pm

Thursday 27 July – U15 v Garboldisham  Start 6pm

Friday 28 July – Club v Gt Witchingham 20/20 cup Start 6pm

Saturday 29 July – 2nd XI v Fakenham A

Sunday 30 July– Club v Eaton  Start 2pm

Monday 31 July – U17 v Diss  Start 6pm

Tuesday 1 August – U15 v Diss  SNCL Start 6pm

Wednesday 2 August – U19 v Rocklands Start 6pm

Thursday 3 August – Club XI v Rayleigh (touring side) Start 1.30pm

Saturday 5 August – 2nd XI v Acle A Start 1pm

Monday 7 August – U12 v Belhus Start 2pm 

Saturday 12 August – 1st XI v Acle Start 12.30pm

Sunday 13 August – Club v ????? Start 2pm – 200 year celebration

Monday 14 August – U13 v Gt Melton Start 6pm

Monday 24 July 2017

Fencing at Old Buckenham

New surroundings
The play area gets an upgrade with new green metal fencing (and the gates will be yellow).




Sunday 23 July 2017

Treasure Quest in Old Buckenham again

Visit to Flower Festival
Sophie Little arrived at All Saints Church late this morning following the clues on the BBC Radio Norfolk Treasure Quest programme. The clue envelope was on a Blood Bikers' machine parked outside, helping to give them some useful publicity as well as letting more people now about all the flower displays.






Saturday 22 July 2017

Pictures of Old Buckenham flowers

Don't miss these displays
The real things look much better than these photographs.
So make sure you get along to All Saints, Old Buckenham, to see these flower arrangements in their full beauty. Breckland Flower and Garden Club are celebrating their thirty-fifth anniversary by depicting 'Treasures of the deep'.
Opening times are 12 noon to 5pm tomorrow (Sunday) and 10am to 4pm on Monday. Refreshments, bric-a-brac and plants for sale in the Church Rooms.
Here are just a few of the arrangements.










Friday 21 July 2017

Working on Old Buckenham Flower Festival

What's inside?



Much has been going on in All Saints Church, Old Buckenham, over the last two days. Come along on Saturday, Sunday or Monday to see how the interior of the church has been transformed into a marine spectacular.
Entry free, more details on last Monday's post.




Wednesday 19 July 2017

Tea party in Old Buckenham

Back by public demand


















Come along and enjoy those lovely homemade cakes, have a refreshing cup of tea or coffee, treat yourself to an ice cream - all to raise money for a very good cause.
Bring the children to celebrate the end of another school year of just come and talk to other people from Old Buckenham that you may have never seen before...

Tuesday 18 July 2017

Topping out in Old Buckenham

Up on the roof
Today was another milestone in the construction of Chapel Green School. Topping out is a traditional ceremony carried out once a new building has its roof on.
A select few were allowed on to a very windy roof where some sparkly water was poured and a 'tree' was planted. The tree was brought down to ground level again so that all the guests could see it, cover it and themselves in silvery sprinkles, and then settle into the Memorial Room at the Village Hall to see a video recording of the earlier events on the roof. Also to enjoy a drink and some lovely refreshments.
Here are a few photos to give an idea of what went on and also a slightly edited version of the main speech given by Terry Hickman Smith, Chair of Governors, Chapel Road School.








CHAPEL GREEN SCHOOL TOPPING OUT CEREMONY
This is a most significant moment. Our new school has been a long time coming but now we have just been on the roof of this wonderful new building. The building process is now over halfway through and we are looking forward with great anticipation to the final move to Old Buckenham.
This point in our 30 year journey owes much to some very significant people. I will try to mention everyone who has been significant in the progress from ideas to reality.
Initially I would like to thank Robert Ashton, whose idea to look at the potential for this site followed by the initial negotiations, took the project from a desperate wish to the actual building.
Then a massive thank you to John Alston, who is sadly no longer with us, who donated the site, and then to Milo O’Sullivan who made that gift a reality.
There are then so many people who have had a greater or smaller, but significant role to date. The Government with their funding for a part of the project. The Local Authority who have worked so hard with us to make the new school the building it will be. Here we thank Chris Hey, Head of Place Planning and Organisation in Children’s Services, and Isabel Horner, a part of the same team. There are many others at County Hall who have played their part too as have our local councillors, Alec Byrne, Jo Mooney and Stephen Askew. Our local MP, George Freeman, has constantly been on our case.
Then there is the Design Team from NPS Property Consultants. There have been many different members of the team from the time the design first started but those who have so magnificently completed the project include Richard Pollard, the Head of Project Management and Andy Snape, their project Manager who runs the project on a day to day basis, James Montgomery, the Lead Architect, Carla Lurcock the person who has resolved all the architectural details, the Mechanical and Electrical Engineers led by David Buxton and worked at in detail by Ben Hallett and many others. The NPS team includes structural engineers, quantity surveyors, technicians and many, many more. The Furniture and Fittings team, with Emma Pank and Gary Underhill, have been an enormous part of how the building will work and have been of great help to us. John Ames, the archaeologist has also had an important part to play. Thank you to the whole team of players who have brought the building design to fruition.
More recently the building contractors have moved the construction process on with incredibly rapid and accurate speed. Morgan Sindall have been a revelation. With courteous efficiency they have taken the construction procedures to amazing heights – including completing part of the roof ready for today. Especial thanks today to John Stedman who is in overall charge of the building construction project, to Dan Rush, the calm and efficient site manager, Tom Grant and their team and to Helen Clements who liaises with us on behalf of Morgan Sindall. There are far too many people to name but what an efficient unit.
The school staff has had to carry on teaching in their incredible and wonderful way through all of this. They have had their hopes for a new school raised and dashed so many times over such a long time that they are finding it difficult to actually believe that it is happening. Today makes the dream an absolute reality. The staff have worked tirelessly with the pupils to ensure the best possible education for them in the difficult circumstances of a building totally unfit for purpose. Soon those difficulties will be behind them and new challenges will emerge. A massive thank you to all the staff, represented here today by Julie, Claire who set up today and many others. A big thank you to the pupils too, and their parents, who have come on this journey.
Our Governors, present and past, have been so supportive of the project and have helped, not only to move the project forward but have kept a watchful eye on the teaching and learning within the school and the well-being of staff and pupils. The Friends of Chapel Road School have really played their part too.
Also a thank you to the staff and pupils of Old Buckenham High school and the Primary school who have been a part of the planning for the move and who will play an important role in the future of education of all pupils in the schools over the coming years. The village community too has been wonderfully supportive since the site here was identified. We look forward to working with the whole community.
But most of all I wish to say a massive thank you to Karin Heap, our amazing head teacher, who has made this project possible by her determination, by cajoling, by arguing, by pleading, by pushing relentlessly, by talking to the right people (and sometimes the wrong ones), by never giving up and by bringing so many people with her by her enthusiasm and never, never-say-die attitude. Without Karin this project is unlikely to have even begun and through her attention to detail and continually pushing at the boundaries we have a school which will be a flagship for the education of children with complex needs for the foreseeable future. Thank you Karin.
The tree which marks this ceremony has been made by pupils from all three Old Buckenham schools, of which we are now a part. This tree symbolises the progress and the continuing growth of this building for us and for future generations. We look forward to being a part of the Old Buckenham wider community and appreciate your welcome to us.
We believe our association with the village, in all aspects, is of prime importance to the school and we look forward to many years of close association with you.
Terry


Monday 17 July 2017

Flower Festival in Old Buckenham

Coming soon
All Saints Church will be the venue for a flower festival being put on by Breckland Flower and Garden Club as part of their thirty-fifth anniversary.

Just click on the image to enlarge it
All the details are on the poster at the entrance to the churchyard.

Sunday 16 July 2017

Cycling through Old Buckenham

Stopping for refreshment
Why are there loads of cyclist going though Old Buckenham this morning and why are many of them going off down Doe Lane?


There are a series of circular cycle routes being followed today to raise money for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the first food/rest stop is at Old Buckenhan Country Park half way along Doe Lane.
Routes vary from 30 miles to 100 miles and there were staggered starts from the hospital during the morning. Some are still arriving in the village at midday as this is being posted.




Saturday 15 July 2017

Maintaining Old Buckenham Green

Dead tree cleared away
Work has been going on this morning to fell and remove a large dead tree. Volunteers have worked hard to reduce it to some piles of logs and plenty of chippings.



The blog editor has been told that the logs are being left for anyone to pick up for use on their woodburners if they want them. There may still be a few there (alongside the area where the two-wheelers park on Tuesday evenings).

Old Buckenham play area

Improving the fencing
Old Buckenham Parish Council will be closing the Play Area by the Church Rooms from the evening of Friday 21 July until the morning of Wednesday 26 July to enable the old wooden fencing to be removed and replaced with new metal bow-top railings. During this time it is expected that some of the play equipment will be refurbished.
The aim is that children will be in a safer environment and be able to enjoy their play.

Some of the existing fencing