Swaffham Newsletter

April 2017 

SWAFFHAM 

newslet ter 

Lions’ Pancake Race 

Outside Assembly Rooms 

With 

Teenie Iceni’s 

Day Nursery 

published by

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surrounding villages. Rates per issue: 

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or email swaffhamnewsletter@gmail.com 

Your monthly magazine is published by: 

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01760 722 800 

swaffhamnewsletter@gmail.com 

Swaffham Newsletter 

Iceni Partnership 

Swaffham Community Centre 

The Campingland 

Swaffham 

PE37 7RB 

Registered in England Company Number 4257830 Charity Number 1101814 VAT Number UK800057775 

Comments or queries welcomed. 

Delivery issues should be addressed to Kerry at 

Swaffham Town Council - details at rear of magazine. 

Monthly deadline for editorial and advertising is 

the 12 th day of the month prior to the next issue. 

Swaffham newsletter is always looking for 

volunteers to deliver around Swaffham, regular 

and relief people. We especially need deliverers 

in the Shepherd’s Fold and the Partridge Grove 

areas. Please contact Kerry at the Town Hall if 

you can help on 01760 722 922. 

1

Contents 

4 Upcoming Events / Regular Events 

6 School Speak 

7 Church News 

10 Swaffham Arts 

12 WNDA / Green Britain Centre 

13 Señor Momento 

14 SCALGA 

15 Rural Writes / Community Hospital LofF 

17 Women’s Institute 

18 Swaffham & District Lions 

19 Museum Matters 

20 Swaffham Rotary Club 

21 Wissey U3A 

23 Ashill & Holme Hale Gardening Club 

24 Age Concern 

25 Phoenix singers 

27 Swaffham Lionesses / Merle Boddy 

28 S & L Home Hospice / Swaffham History Group 

29 Garden Science Trust 

31 Mayor’s Parlour 

32 Swaffham Town Council 

34 Mind, Body & Spirit 

We’re All Going On An Egg Hunt 

Easter and the school holidays are nearly upon us, but 

fear not, Swaffham organisations are coming to the 

rescue by giving your children the chance to take part 

in Egg Hunts and an Easter Bunny Hunt that will involve 

finding answers to clues around the town centre. 

The Easter Bunny Hunt will start on the 31st March when 

children will be handed an entry form at school and then 

they will have until the 21st April to find the answers 

before handing them back into reception at school. 

Swaffham Community hosts the Iceni Teenies ‘Egg 

Hunt’ on Thursday 13th April at 11am. Eggs to find, 

games and activities to play and loads of fun to enjoy. 

Finally Plowright Place traders in association with 

Tesco and the Iceni Partnership are organising a 

‘Egg Hunt’ that will blow the mind of even the most 

dedicated chocoholic. 

The fun starts at 10am at Plowright Place on Saturday 

15th April 2017. 

Easter Bunny Hunt 

This Easter Holiday as part of the Easter 

extravaganza in Swaffham, there will be 

an Easter Bunny Hunt around the town. 

Children will be given activity sheets to 

locate where the bunnies are hidden and 

if they get them all right they could win 

a prize. A fun, free pastime for the whole 

family to do together. 

Just write down your answers on the 

sheets the children will be given at school. 

Sheets are to be handed in to school by 

April 21st once completed and winners will 

be announced in next month's newsletter. 

Further information can be found by 

telephoning Iceni Partnership on 01760 

722 800. 

3

Upcoming Events 

Swaffham Baptist Church Games & Social Evening 

Baptist Church Hall, Friday 7th April 7:30pm. All welcome 

Swaffham Baptist Church Film Night 

Thought provoking Easter focus. Certificate 18 

Swaffham Jazz Club 

Tuesday 11th April at 7.30, Colin Mason Quartet with Eleanora vocals and 

keyboard and Tap Robinson guitar. Tuesday 9th May at 7.30 Jazz and Blues 

Lee Vasey guitar and friends. Swaffham Conservative Club. £6 . 01760 722384 

Easter At Plowright Place, Swaffham 

In association with Iceni & Swaffham Tesco’s. Saturday 15th April 2017 from 

10:00am. Fun FREE interactive day for the family. Punch and Judy show 11am 

to 2pm. Swaffham Easter egg hunt (Iceni & Tesco’s) Face painting (Norfolk 

House and Home). Belle Bantams Easter chicks (Vale Farm Eggs). Decorate a 

ginger bread (Teapot Café). Easter Hoopla (ShabbyTatt) For more information 

visit: www.facebook.com/plowrightplace Call Lee 07585706970 

Icenima 

‘The Broadway Melody’ MGM’s first filmed musical from 1929. Swaffham 

Community Centre, 2pm Wednesday 19th April. £4. 01760 722 800 

Gt Massingham Film Club 

Village Hall 7pm £4. Thursday April 20th ‘A United Kingdom’ (12A) 

Community Hospital League Of Friends Quiz 

21st April at Peddars Inn, Sporle. Teams of 6. 7:30 start. 01760 788 101 

Save The Children Coffee Morning 

Saturday 22nd April, Swaffham Assembly Rooms. 9am-noon. Stalls 

Barton Bendish Quiz Night 

Saturday April 22nd at the Village Hall, Church Road, PE33 9GF. 7.30pm Start 

Time. Teams up to 6 people. £4 pp. Coffee & Tea available but please bring 

your own food & drink. 01366 347563 or 347983. All proceeds to church 

Swaffham Swimming Pool AGM 

Monday 24th April, Regency Room at the Assembly Rooms. 7 for 7:30pm 

Nar Valley Ornithological Society (NarVOS) 

Tuesday 25th April 2017, 7.30pm at the Barn Theatre, Sacred Heart 

Convent School. ‘Dovestep’ Jonny Rankin fundraising for the RSPB’s 

Operation Turtle Dove, achieving £8,500 so far, by walking over 1000 

miles. £2 non NarVOS member. Information: Ian Black on 01760 724092 

Just Hair Coffee Morning 

Wednesday 26th April, 10am until noon. Swaffham Assembly Rooms. 

Tickets 50p for tea/coffee and biscuits. 01760 721 237 

U-knight Mens’ Group at Swaffham Baptist Church 

Last Friday of the month - next on 28th april. All welcome 

Swaffham Arts Presents The Norfolk Symphony Orchestra 

Saturday 29th April 2017. 7.30pm. Church of St Peter and St Paul, 

Swaffham. A rare opportunity to hear some beautiful symphonic music 

in the heart of Swaffham with Norfolk’s finest orchestra. Amongst the 

popular programme will be Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture ( Fingal’s 

Cave), Mozart’s Horn Concerto No.2 and Haydn’s ‘London’ Symphony. This 

promises to be a very special evening with some great Classical pieces, all 

set in the wonderful acoustic of St Peter & St Paul Church. £9 members, 

£12 non members, Children free (particularly welcome!) Ceres Bookshop 

& The Green Parrot in Swaffham. Enquiries: 01366 328648. Refreshments 

Northwold WI Village Yard Sale 

Monday 1st May. Light Refreshments, raffle and maps in the Village Hall IP26 5NB 

from 9am until 3pm. Toilets. Further information: Brenda 01366 728565 

RNA Quiz Night 

Tuesday 16th May, 7:45 for 8pm. Swaffham Conservative Club. £2.50 per person 

with teams of 4, £1 for the table. Quiz master - Ernie Heritage, all welcome 

An evening of clairvoyance with Penny Francis and David Scheisse 

Community Centre Swaffham 19th May 7.30 - 10pm. £6 on the door. Raffle 

in aid of Age Concern. Doors open at 7pm 

Necton Primary School Spring Fete 

Saturday 20th May 2017 1pm- 3.30pm. Tombola. Various Stalls,Face Painting, 

Refreshment Tent, BBQ and much more, fun for all, everyone welcome. 

Westacre Theatre 

On Stage with touring production by the Pantaloons PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane 

Austen. Fri 7 and Sat 8 April at 7:30pm £16. Optional pre-booked suppers £15. 

On Screen NT Live! TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare starring Tamsin 

Greig Thu 6 April 7pm £12 

On Screen RSC Live! JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare Wed 26 April 7pm 

£12 Optional pre-booked suppers £15 

Wednesday Flicks THE BFG (PG) 2016 Wed 5 April 2pm £7; THE JUNGLE BOOK 

(PG) 2016 Wed 12 April 2pm £7; A UNITED KINGDOM (12A) 2016 Wed 19 April 

2pm £7 with optional pre-booked lunches before this film. 

Showcase of work by students of the John Hughes Art Classes on display throughout 

April at performance times and by prior arrangement during other weekdays. 

www.westacretheatre.com 01760 755800 

4 

Regular Meetings & Events 

MONDAY 

1st Swaffham Scouts 7-9 at Cockley Cley, Iceni Village, Scout Hut. 

For ages 10 1/2 -14. New recruits welcome. Boys or girls. Contact Paul 

07711761364. Paul@1stswaffhamscouts.org.uk 

Art Class at The Old Art Room 93 Market Place. Techniques, 

Tips, Inspiration in a modern equipped Art Studio. 10am until 12.15 £10 

Tel.01760 337181 je.clark176@btinternet.com 

CACELS Coffee and Cake Enjoying Life Supportively. Working age and unable to 

work through health or disability? 1st Monday 2-3.30pm. Green Britain Centre 

Central Norfolk Dog Training Club Upstairs in Church Rooms, 

Campingland. 4 classes available, from puppies to intermediate.Tel: Chris 07745892417 

Citizens Advice Swaffham Community Centre, 10am until 12:30pm 

Dance Classes 7-8pm Ballroom, 8-9pm Latin and 9-10pm Argentine Tango 

@ Sacred Heart Convent. Any one class £8, any two classes £12 or all three for 

£15 (fees are per person) 01760 336410 Teachers Joanna & Xavier Navarre IDTA 

Kickboxing Club Juniors 5+ 5pm – 6pm, Inters 6-7pm, Adults 7pm – 

8.30pm Plowright Place. Call Trevor on 07585707196 

Monday evenings of Mosaic Making at Henchmans 

Ash Close, Swaffham 6.30-8.30pm £8-make your own project or I can set one 

for you! https://www.facebook.com/mosaicpaintedmemories 07810 895480 

Playdayz – Parent/toddler group Sacred Heart School 9.30- 

11.30am term time only. £1 per session/per family (includes a snack) 

Contact: Nina Matthews 07799 460923 

Rotary Club of Swaffham Meets at The George Hotel - 1st Monday of 

the month, 12:45 for 1pm, other Mondays 7 for 7:30pm. Tel Claire Dunne 722504 

Seniors Keep Fit 6.15pm at Stanley’s, Lynn Road Tel Gemma on 07702 

197994/07425 607667 

Swaffham 1894 Squadron Air Training Corps 7.00 - 9.30pm. 

TA Centre, Sporle Road, Swaffham. Ages 13 to 18 years. Tel: 01760724617 

Swaffham History Group 2nd Monday, 2 – 4pm, Swaffham Museum. 

New members always welcome – no charge. Tel 01760 724470 

Swaffham Lions Meet on the 2nd Monday of the month at Swaffham 

Assembly Rooms,7:30pm. All welcome. Contact Peter Young 01760 724120 

Swaffham Players every Monday and Wednesday, 7:30pm Baptist 

Church, Swaffham. If you are interested in joining a fabulous team please 

come along but call Marcie on 07867943102 to ensure we are in rehearsal 

Junior Snooker & Billiards 4-7pm @ The Norfolk Snooker Academy, 

West Acre 01760 755337 for details and to book, 9 -16 years 

Youthie 5:30 – 7pm, Swaffham Community Centre. For ages 8 to 11. 

Free entry. Contact sally@iceni.info 07772 852284 / 01760 722800 

TUESDAY 

1st Swaffham Beavers 1st Swaffham Beavers 5 - 6.15 at Cockley 

Cley Iceni Village Scout Hut. For boys and girls ages 6 - 8 . New recruits 

welcome. Contact Paul 07711761364 Paul@1stswaffhamscouts.org.uk 

1st Swaffham Cubs 1st Swaffham Cubs 6.30-8pm at Cockley Cley, 

Iceni Village, Scout Hut. For ages 8-10 1/2. New recruits welcome. Boys 

or Girls. Contact Hayley 07516095019. Akela@1stswaffhamscouts.org.uk 

Swaffham Army Cadets TA Centre, Sporle Rd 7.30-9.30pm. Ages 12 – 18. 

www.norfolkacf.org 2907pea@armymail.mod.uk 07899 189 973 The 

Art Studio Modern Art Evening Classes By Peter Henry PGCE, BA. 

Tuesdays 7-9pm Church Rooms, Campingland. Refreshments. Adults/all 

abilitiesEmail: salsum06@aol.com/01760 720540 

Swaffham Bridge Club The Church Rooms,Church of Our Lady of Pity 

31, Station Street. Swaffham PE37 7HP 6.30pm for 6.45pm. Sue 01328 701545 

Swaffham Carpet Bowls Community Centre. 2 hours from 1.30 for £2. 

Tea & biscuits inc. 01760 627 038 

Child Health Clinic at Swaffham Children Centre. 01760 721101 1st Tuesday 

monthly 1.15 - 2.45pm run by local Health Visiting Team 

Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Coffee Morning, third Tuesday 

at 10:15am. Methodist Hall, London Street. Tel: David Moore 01760 723740 

CAMEO Coffee 9.30am - 11.30am The Oasis Centre, Cley Road, 

Swaffham Come And Meet Each Other for free hot drinks 

Crafts, Textiles and Dressmaking at The Old Art Room 

93 Market Place. Techniques, Tips, Inspiration in a modern equipped Art 

&Textile Studio. 10am until 12.15 and 12.30 until 2.45 £9 Tel.01760 337181 

Jump, Jive & Swing Swaffham Community Centre, 7.45pm. Classes 

8pm until 9.45pm with social dancing until 10.30pm. www.jumpjiveswing.com 

Little Treasures and Breastfeeding Support 1.15 - 2.45pm Drop in 

for parents and babies aged 0-1year at Swaffham Children Centre. 01760 721101 

Mamma Munay (Mother Love) - antenatal classes on alternate Tuesday 

afternoons at The Green Parrot. …all welcome at all stages of your pregnancy. 

Booking essential on 01760 724704 or Anne 07469243052

The Phoenix Singers rehearse each week in the Methodist Church 

Hall at 7:30pm. New members welcome. Contact Marion 01760 724 473. 

PROBUS Club of Swaffham Meet second Tues of the month for lunch at the 

George Hotel, 12.30 for 1pm. Terry Lloyd 01760 721297 or email tlknapton@gmail.com 

Rainbow Community Choir 7.30-9.30pm. Swaffham Community 

Centre. Interested in joining us? 01760 336 313 rainbowcommunitychoir.org.uk 

The Royal Elizabethan Lodge No. 8654 RAOB GLE 

Meets alternate Tuesdays, 8pm in the Conservative Club. 

Tel: W Rogers 01760 720632 or S Trattle 01760 721760 

The Royal Naval Association 8pm on the 4th Tuesday Swaffham 

Conservative Club. Telephone Jill Bowers on 01362 691820 

Swaffham Rugby Football Club Tuesday Seniors Training 7:30 - 9 

Seniors Keep Fit 3pm See Monday’s Senior’s Keep Fit 

Stitch, Mardle and Mend A group of keen crafters covering Patchwork, 

Knitting, Crochet, Cross Stitch etc 7-9pm, £1. Tel Adrienne 01760 336268 

Slimming World Conservative Club, 10am. Swaffham Asssembly 

Rooms 7pm. Clare Hughes 07535237618 

Sporle WI 3rd Tuesday, 1.45pm ready for our speaker at 2pm. For any further 

information please ring Celia on 01362 687316 

Swaffham St John Ambulance Cadets 7.15pm until 8.45pm,10 to 

17 year olds. Natalie Rudd on 07771620634/natalie.rudd@btinternet.com 

Table Top Skirmish @Henchmans 1st & 3rd/month 7-11pm 

Taekwondo 6:30 - 7:30pm Swaffham Community Centre 01760336044 

Tai Chi beginners welcome 1.15pm Narborough 01760723102 

Tea Dance No Tea Dance in December Tea Dance. Usually irst Tuesday of the 

month. Swaffham Assembly Rooms 2 to 4 pm. £3.00. 

Swaffham Wellbeing Group Are you feeling low, or recovering from ill 

health? Just want to meet other people? Make new friends at Community Centre, 

every Tuesday 10.30 – 1.00. Contact Family Action. Tel: 01760 725801 

Swaffham Market (Morning) WI Second Tuesday of every Month, 10.30am 

Assembly Rooms. Ladies over 18 welcome. Deb Forrest 01760725669 quilter856@gmail.com 

West Acre Carpet Bowls Club West Acre Village Hall, 2 - 4pm. £2 per 

session. Equipment and refreshments provided – all welcome. Tel: Belinda 

01760 755184 or Betty 01760 755235 Email: belindabush@hotmail.com 

Women’s Section Royal British Legion At Valentine Barker Court, 

2nd Tues at 2.30pm. Tel: Frances 01760 724445 or Iris 01760 721430 

Weight Watchers 5:30 Swaffham Community Centre. 01760721882 

Yoga Gt Dunham Village Hall, 10 -11:30am, £6.50 Tel: 01603 478456 

Yoga 10.30-12.00 Green Britain Centre, Swaffham. £7 per class. Contact 

Jayne on: 07544974342 or email: greenwillowyoga@outlook.com 

Zumba With Becks Swaffham Assembly Rooms 7pm bectuff@hotmail.co.uk £5 

WEDNESDAY 

1st Swaffham RainbowsTerm time only, 17:00-18:00 Swaffham 

Infant School. Girls aged 5 to 7 yrs. Tracey Clements 07770236689 

2nd Swaffham Brownies Term time only, 18:00-19:30. Meeting at 

Swaffham First School. Girls aged 7 to 10 yrs invited to join. Contact Clare 

Smith 07917468057 or Chrissie Brown 07970104771. 

Swaffham 1894 Squadron Air Training Corps 7:00-9:30pm. 

TA Centre, Sporle Road, Swaffham. Ages 12 (yr8) to 18 years. Tel: 01760724617 

Alzheimer`s Society Dementia Café first Wednesday every month 

from 10am-12noon. Swaffham Assembly Rooms, Market Place, Swaffham. 

Support, information and social activity.Refreshments provided. 01603 763556 

Swaffham Art Group Community Centre, 2nd & 4th Weds 2:15 - 4pm 

Annual fee £24. Tel: Shirley Tubby 01760 724468 or Pam Buxton 01760 788268 

Arts Lounge beginners/refreshers art classes Wednesday, 

Thursday & Friday 10-1pm or 1.30-4.30pm, £25 per session Call 01760 723624 

Bingo First Wednesday of every month, Holme Hale Pavilion. Eyes 

down 7:30pm. Cash prizes. Tel: June Hewing 01760 441327 

Bingo Swaffham Conservative Club 7:00 – 9:00pm (eyes down for 

7:30). Non-members 30p entry. 

Swaffham Camera Club 1st and 3rd Weds of every month, 7 for 7:30pm 

at Lydney House, Norwich Road. All abilities welcome! Steve Ward 01366 328567 

Creative Textile Certificate 10 Week Course at The Old Art Room, 93 

Market Place Swaffham. Tel Jane 01760 337181 

D&D @ Henchmans 13-18 yrs 4-6pm 1st&3rd/month. League 7-11pm 

2nd&4th/month. Other RPGs 1st&3rd/month 7-11pm 

Swaffham Evening WI Church Rooms, Campingland. 1st Wed 7.30pm 

Telephone Fiona Walker on 01760 722879. 

Healing Rooms The Oasis Centre, Cley Road 11am - 12noon. Book a 

session to experience the healing power of Jesus. Tel: 01760 723175. 

Knitters and Natters For those who love to crochet, quilt, sew… Come 

and join us at The Green Britain Centre 10am - 1pm for a cup of tea and 

company while you work! Contact Leslie on 01760 337 514 

Stitch, Mardle and Mend A group of keen crafters covering 

Patchwork, Knitting, Crochet etc. From 10am at Market Cross Inn, Swaffham. 

5 

Swaffham Playford Dancers Jane Austen-style Dance. Monthly (2nd Wed.) 

7.30 - 10pm. Swaffham Assembly Rooms. £3. All welcome - no previous experience or 

partner necessary. Casual clothes and comfortable shoes advised. Contact Patti & Paul 

on swaffhamplayforddancers@btinternet.com or 01953 889945. NB/ In APRIL ONLY the 

session will be held in Buxton Hall, Swaffham Community Centre, Campingland PE37 7RB. 

Studio Sessions at The Old Art Room Studio and Inspiration in a 

modern equipped studio 93 Market Place. 10am-1pm £6.50. 01760 337181 

St. John Ambulance - Swaffham (Adults) Every Wednesday 

7.30pm - 9.30pm First Aid training 18 years upwards. 07900927233 

Swaffham & Watton Club for the Visually Impaired Swaffham 

Community Centre 4th Wed (except August) 1.30-3.30pm £3. 01603 629558 

Tai Chi beginners class 10am Swaffham Community Centre 01760723102 

Whist Drive Bradenham Village Hall, 7:30pm. All welcome. 01760 440038. £3 

Youth Café 7:30 – 8:30pm, Swaffham Community Centre. For ages 13 – 18. 

THURSDAY 

Ashill Food and Craft Market 2nd and 4th Thursday each 

month. 9am to 1pm. Community Centre, Hale Rd IP25 7BL. www. 

norfolkfoodandcraft.co.uk Tel Shayne 07766 078123 

Beachamwell WI 1st Thursday 7.30pm. New members or visitors always 

welcome. Contact Maggie 01366 327023 or Helen 01366 328589 

Board Games @Henchmans Weekly. Catan League 1st/month 

Swaffham Bridge Club See Tues for details. 6.30pm for 6.45pm start 

except for the first Thursday in the month 2pm to 6pm 

Swaffham Chapter 3 Book Group 10.30am on first Thursday of the 

month. Contact Kate Gordon 01760 723 034 

Crafts, Textiles and Dressmaking at The Old Art Room 

93 Market Place. Techniques, Tips, Inspiration in a modern equipped Art 

&Textile Studio. 10am until 12.15 and 12.30 until 2.45 £9 Tel.01760 337181 

Happidojo Marham Judo Club Sandringham Centre, Marham, PE33 9NP 

5-7yrs:6-7pm, 8-16yrs:7-8pm. Adv. Juniors, Seniors 17+ (Inc. beginners) : 8-9.30pm 

FIRST LESSON FREE. Then 5-12yrs- £2.50. 13-16yrs -£1.00. Seniors- £3.00. 

Colin McCallum. 07905278857 or www.happidojomarhamjudoclub.btckco.uk 

Holme Hale Carpet Bowls Every Thursday 7-9pm, Holme Hale 

Community Hall. No experience or equipment needed. £2 

Iceni Stitchers Ladies group meeting on 3rd Thursday of the month at 

Swaffham Community Centre, 1.30 - 4.30pm. Kate Davies 01760 622254 

Kickboxing Club Juniors 5+ 5pm – 6pm, Inters 6-7pm, Adults 7pm – 

8.30pm Plowright Place. Call Trevor on 07585707196 

Free Lipreading Classes for people with an acquired hearing loss. 

Thursday’s at 10 am to noon in the Catholic Church Rooms, 31 Station 

Road, Swaffham. Contact Hayley at lipreadingwithhayley@gmail.com 

Phoenix Writers welcome new and experienced writers to their 

monthly sessions on a Thursday afternoon in Swaffham. We are a 

friendly group who enjoy writing works of fiction, articles and poetry. For 

further details please email Jan at Dandelionmoon@btinternet.com 

RAF Marham Food and Craft Market 1st Thursday 12am to 5 pm. 

Sandringham Centre Upper Marham PE33 9NP (Behind Spar) 07766 078123 

Royal British Legion, Swaffham & District Branch 8pm, 3rd 

Thursday Swaffham Conservative Club .Tel: Cllr. Anne Thorp – 01760 722611 

Swaffham Lioness Club First Thurs of every month, 7.30pm in Our 

Lady of Pity Catholic Church rooms, Station St., Swaffham. Enjoy friendship 

whilst serving the community. All ladies welcome. Tel: 01760 723377 

Pilates 3 – 4pm, Swaffham Community Centre. Call Di Graham – 01328 

851970 – before your first session. 

Swaffham Rugby Football Club Seniors 17+ training 7:30-9, social after 

Salsa 7-9pm Swaffham Assembly Rooms. 07912366661 

Senior Snooker (60 years +) @ The Norfolk Snooker Academy, West Acre 

£4 per session Facebook - NORFOLK SNOOKER ACADEMY 01760 755337 

Swaffham Sparklers Swaffham branch of the Red Hat Society meets 2nd 

Thurs of the month, 7 pm, The George Hotel,: Jill Neale 01760 723466 

U3A The Wissey U3A 1st Thursday of the month at Holme Hale Pavilion, 

09.45 - 12 noon. Annual Memb. £10. Contact 01760 721247 for more details 

Weight Watchers 10:30 Swaffham Community Centre. 01760721882 

Young Explorers 1.30 - 3pm at Swaffham Children Centre. 01760 721101 

Youthie Plus 5:30 – 7pm, Swaffham Community Centre. For ages 11 – 14. 

Free entry. Contact sally@iceni.info 07772 852284 / 01760 722800 

West Acre Carpet Bowls Club See Tuesday listing 

Zumba With Kristina, 12– 1pm, Swaffham Community Centre, £4 

FRIDAY 

2nd Swaffham Guides Term time only, 18:00-20:00. Church Rooms, 

Campingland. Girls aged 10-16yrs invited to join. Contact 07769294414 

Acoholics Anonymous Every Friday at 1pm in Parish Rooms at St 

Dominic’s RC Church,Howdale Rd, Downham Market 

Adult Ballet For Beginners 6:15pm See Monday’s Senior’s Keep Fit 

Adult Tap 7:15pm See Monday’s Senior’s Keep Fit

Age Concern - Swaffham Support Services 

Volunteer recruitment drop-in at Swaffham Community Centre, SSS 

Office, 10.00am - 12.00 noon 1st Friday of the month 

Arts Lounge Drawing/sketching classes 10.00-1pm and 1.30-4.30pm. 

All equipment and refreshments supplied. £20.00 ppps 01760 723 624 

Art, Printing and Paper Craft Session at The Old Art Room 

93 Market Place. Techniques, Tips, Inspiration and printing presses in a modern 

equipped Art &Textile Studio. 10am until 12.30 £10 Tel.01760 337181 

Bingo at Narborough Community Centre Doors 6.30pm, 

eyes-down 7.45pm Contact Mrs Hennessy 01760 337540 

Swaffham Bellringers Practice 

St. Peter & St. Paul Church, 7:30pm on the Friday preceding the 2nd Sunday of 

the month. Beginners welcome. Tel: 01760 724944/lindaringer0447@gmail.com 

Bounce & Rhyme & Stories 10.15 - 11am at Swaffham Library 

Swaffham Carpet Bowls Community Centre. 2 hours from 6.30 for 

£3. Tea & biscuits inc. 01760 627 038 

Country Music Last Friday of each month at the communal lounge 

at Valentine Barker Court, 7.30 to 22.30. Families and friends, free raffle & 

donations for Wish Upon a Star children’s cancer charity. 0370 192 4797 

Games Evening & Social 2nd Friday/month Swaffham Baptists 

Church Hall - 7:30. All welcome 

Henchmans Home Ed Board Games 10-1pm, After School Magic 

13-18yrs 4-7pm. Magic 7-11pm. www.henchmans.com 

Iceni Lunch Club Swaffham Community Centre, £6.00 for two 

courses and tea/coffee every Friday 12.30pm. 01760 722 800 

Indoor Market Swaffham Assembly Rooms 9am-2pm, free entry. 

Refreshments, various stalls… bookings contact Haydn 07957 862 239 

Judo Sacred Heart School 6-7:30pm £2.50 5 years+ Tel. 07920440235 

Rise and shine Parent/toddler group at The Oasis Centre, Cley Road 

10am – noon. £1.50 per adult/child, 50p for any extra persons, includes a drink + snack 

Sporle Art Group meets every Friday at 1pm-3pm. in the community hall. No 

tuition given, bring your own materials.Tea & coffee with cake/biscuits supplied, 

free intro then £2 per week. For more details. Tel. 01760 724615 

Swaffham Senior Section Term time only. 19:30- 21:00. For young women 

aged 14 to 25yrs. Contact Tracey Clements 07770236689 or Chrissie Brown 07970105771 

Tai Chi for Health 10am Advanced Class. Swaffham Community Centre. 

Tel: 01760 723102 or barbara.smith58@yahoo.co.uk 

Swaffham Veterans Snooker Group (60+) 2-5pm at West Acre Village Hall, PE32 

1TQ. £3 per player. For more details please call Phillip on 01760 755337 

Yoga 10.30 - 12 Green Britain Centre, Swaffham. £7 per class. Contact Jayne 

on: 07544974342 or email: greenwillowyoga@outlook.com to book a place. 

SATURDAY 

Art Class for over 12s ...and accompanied Children who want to use 

the sewing machine. The Old Art Room 93 Market Place. 2nd Saturday of 

the month.10 until 1pm £10 Tel.01760 337181 

Arts Lounge Silver Workshops 9:30-3:30 October 22nd & December 

10th. All equipment, silver and refreshments inc 01760 723 624 

Swaffham Bingo Club Community Centre last Sat in month, 7pm for 

7:30pm start. £2.50 annual membership, 50p for visitors. Paul Darby 07880 568628 

Children’s Art Club 1st Saturday of the Month. 10am until 12.15 

£10 All Equipment, Snack and Drink provided Tel. 01760 337181 

Family Fun Sessions Last Saturday monthly Children’s Centre. 

Fun and crafts. Booking essential. 01760721101 

Henchmans Magic League 10-1pm. Family Board Games 1st&3rd/ 

month 12-4pm inc Learn To Play. Paint Miniatures 2nd&4th/month 12-4pm 

Pentney Country Music Club www.pentneycowlsclub.co.uk 

weekly 01760 337 392 karenpentneycountryclub12@yahoo.co.uk 

Pokemon; Yu-Gi-Oh! Magic: The Gathering for beginners alternate 

Sat. www.henchmans.com. Children welcome. 10.30am – 2pm 

Swaffham Market Traditional market, now 800 years old! Every 

Saturday 6am until 3pm. Swaffham Market Place. Details 01760 722 922 

Swaffham Rugby Football Club SwaffhamRUFC@outlook.com 

West Norfolk Crafters & Needleworkers Stitchers, crafters 

and knitters who meet at Leziate Village Hall on the 2nd Sat. 01760 720767 

SUNDAY 

Kuk Sool Won Narborough Com. Centre 5.30 - 6.30pm. 07541261713 

Pentney Indoor Bowls Club bowls coaching for beginners and 

improvers Sundays 10am - 12noon. G Freezer 01760 722262 

Star Wars @ Henchmans 12-4pm www.henchmans.com 

Swaffham Rugby Football Club Minis 10:30-12. Games see Saturday 

Snooker @ The Norfolk Snooker Academy West Acre 

3 hours play £9. Facebook - Norfolk Snooker Academy 01760-755337 

Spiritual Awareness Group Most Sundays 5:15pm to 6:30pm for 

Healing and 6:30pm to 8:30pm Service at Swaffham Community Centre 

6 

The Nicholas Hamond Academy 

Leanne Smart who is a student at The Nicholas 

Hamond Academy was recently invited to the House 

of Commons as a representative of the Iceni Youth 

Members Committee. Awards were presented by 

Rob Wilson, MP, which celebrated and publically 

recognised the contribution of individual young 

people and member organisations of the British 

Youth Council for their work throughout 2016. The 

day also presented an opportunity to bring together 

young people and decision makers to engage in 

dialogue on decisions that they care about. 

Students spent a day preparing and learning ‘all things 

Greek’ about the country’s cuisine at The Nicholas 

Hamond Academy recently. They tackled all sorts of 

dishes such as moussaka, tzatziki, Greek salad and 

souvlakia. Once their hard work was finished all that 

was left was to tuck in for the ‘taste test’. 

The Nicholas Hamond Academy hosted its annual 

Sports Awards Evening on the 8th March. Students 

were recognised for either progress or exceptional 

performance in a wide range of sports over the past 

year. As part of the evening the academy welcomed 

guest speaker ex-British No.3 tennis player, Jade 

Windley. Jade, who has won 3 singles and 16 doubles 

titles on the ITF tour during her career, presented 

the awards to the students and shared her journey 

in becoming a professional tennis player. The overall 

TNHA Sports Person of the Year 2017 was awarded to 

Year 11 student Owen Williams. This was not only for 

his ability in a range of sports but also his exceptional 

attitude towards learning. 

Students in the Iceni Class students at The Nicholas 

Hamond Academy have been busy assembling 

robots out of packing from Fairtrade products. They 

researched how our choices in the UK can make a 

difference around the world helping promote better 

prices and working conditions for farmers and workers.

Sacred Heart 

On 2nd March the whole school participated in 

the annual Frugal Meal, in recognition of the 

divide between the rich and poor of the world. 

Three students from Year 11 represented the 

rich, eating a substantial meal of their choice, 

whereas the rest of the school ate a minimal 

meal of bread, cheese and an apple. We tried to 

emulate the proportions of rich and poor in the 

world by having three rich people. 

Before the meal, Charlotte Reid, the Charities 

Prefect, spoke and outlined some key facts 

about poverty and how the rich are a minority in 

society. This emphasised, to students of all ages, 

the importance of collecting money for the poor, 

especially during Lent. 

Swaffham Junior Academy 

Year 6 enjoyed a trip to Norwich Castle Museum to 

learn more about the habitat of South America for 

their current topic about the Andes Mountains. 

‘On our trip we explored the castle and it was fun. 

We saw a chinchilla, a racoon and many different, 

pretty butterflies and much more! We even made 

our own butterflies. A woman called Margaret used 

to catch butterflies in South America and send them 

home in a cigarette box, we were lucky enough to 

see some of her collection. My favourite animal has 

to be the racoon, I don’t know why, but it is. Also, 

there was a fish that was over 6 feet long!’ 

Mikey Duarte 

7 

Swaffham Baptists 

“Tempting Cherries” 

At this time of the year which we call Lent, it 

is the custom to give up something we enjoy, 

remembering that Jesus prepared for his 

ministry by going into the desert for 40 days. 

It was a real test of his determination and 

strength, for he took no food. During that time 

the Devil tempted him several times, offering 

him food and all manner of riches, power and 

authority providing he served only him and 

not God his Father. Of course, Jesus was strong 

enough to resist temptation and went on to live 

a blameless life, teaching healing and showing 

God’s love to all people. 

My first temptation came when I was 6 years 

old, just after the war and a time of austerity. 

My sister had just been born and maybe I was 

feeling a little bit jealous and resentful. Mother 

being busy, asked me to go to the local shop for 

a loaf of bread and I felt quite grown up as she 

gave me a shilling (5p today). I had never been 

asked to go to the shop on my own before so 

off I went quite happily. 

As I entered, I saw this box of shiny, plump 

little beauties and without any hesitation I 

filled a bag with them and handed over my 

shilling. I didn’t even know they were cherries- 

I had never seen them before! Outside the 

shop I tucked into them with gusto, they were 

so sweet and delicious. Then reality swept 

over me- what was I going to say to my mum? 

She had trusted me to buy the bread, and if 

I told her the truth she would be so angry 

and upset. After that the cherries didn’t taste 

half so good and I dawdled along wondering 

what to do. Eventually I told her that I had 

dropped the money and it had gone down a 

grid. My mother, bless her, believed my story 

and even gave me a kiss because I was upset 

by this time. I had given into temptation and 

compounded the wrong-doing by telling a lie. 

To this day I remember and feel guilty every 

time I see a cherry. 

God knows that being human we find it hard 

to resist temptation although we must be 

constantly alert and ask for help when we feel 

weak. He sent Jesus to live among us and even 

die on the cross, so that we will be forgiven, 

providing we acknowledge our wrong-doing 

and promise never to repeat our mistakes. 

You can read about Christ’s temptation in the 

wilderness in the Bible, Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 

4. Then decide what you can give up for LENT!

The Mystery Of God 

St Thomas Aquinas says that we do not know what God is; 

we only know what God is not. Over the centuries Christian 

mystics have sought to abandon all images of God, all that 

we thought we knew and enter the Cloud of Unknowing. 

All theologians as well as mystics teach us that whatever 

else, God is not an object! We cannot count God as an 

object in the world, not even the greatest of all things, as 

God is not a thing. What then is God? Theologians speak 

of God as Mystery. A mystery is by definition unknown 

and unknowable. But that does not mean that what 

we call mystery is not real! We know that it is, even if 

we do not know what it is. God is not simply a mystery 

among mysteries, God is the Ultimate mystery! God is the 

mysteriousness of all things! You and I are part of this great 

mystery. God is the source of our being, as St Paul tells us: 

‘In God we live and move and have our being; (Acts 17-28) 

Jesus taught us that the Father is near, nearer to 

us than we are to ourselves. His use of the word 

‘Abba’ implies a closeness and intimacy. There is 

a mysterious oneness between God and my true 

self. The mystics were often accused of heresy for 

seeming to deny the distinction between the creator 

and the creation, the world and humanity. 

We are loved! Jesus tells us that God is not only close to us, 

but also that God loves us!. The unconditional love of God 

was the foundation of Jesus’s teaching and spirituality.. 

What does this mean for us? It means that the mystery 

in which I live and move and have my being is loving. It 

is very difficult for us to understand this! Jesus inherited 

the Jewish tradition of speaking of God the Father as a 

person, and he underlined it and deepened it. Theology 

today points to God as personal, rather than person. Let us 

learn from Jesus and come to experience God in personal 

terms. (Adapted from Jesus Today by Albert Nolan) 

Fr Gordon Williams , Our Lady of Pity 

Our Lady of Pity 

Easter times of Services at Catholic Church Swaffham 

Holy week: 

Saturday 8th Vigil Mass of Palm Sunday (in Methodist 

Church ) Watton with blessing of palms: 5.30pm 

Sunday 9th April Palm Sunday: Our Lady of Pity 

Swaffham; Mass times: 8.30am & 10.30am with 

blessing of palms 

Thursday 13th April Maundy Thursday: Mass of the 

Lord’s Supper 7.30pm with watching until 10pm. 

Friday 14th April Good Friday: Churches Together 

Act of Witness at Buttercross: 11am Solemn Passion 

of the Lord 3pm 

Saturday 15th April Holy Saturday: The Easter Vigil 

in the Holy Night 8pm 

Sunday 16th April Easter Sunday: Mass of Easter 

Day 8.30am & 10.30am (no evening Mass) 

8 

Family Action Swaffham would like to wish a fond 

farewell to Christine Goddard. 

After 10 years working with Family Action as a 

Family Support Co-ordinator in the Wellfamily 

Service, Chris Goddard will be leaving Family Action 

on 31st March. 

We would like to invite all colleagues, clients and 

well wishers to join us for tea and cake on Friday 

31 March from 2.30-4pm in Swaffham Community 

Centre to say goodbye to Chris and celebrate all the 

hard work she has done in the community. 

Church of St Peter and St Paul 

April Services in Swaffham parish church: 

Sunday 2nd 8.00am Holy Communion 

9.30am Sung Eucharist 

6.00pm Evensong 

Wednesday 5th 10.00am Holy Communion 

Palm Sunday 9th 8.00am Holy Communion 



10.45am ‘Stations of the Cross’ 

Maundy Thursday 13th 

8.00pm Holy Communion 

Good Friday 14th 11.00am Churches Together 

Act of Witness at the Buttercross 

6.00pm Service for Good Friday 

Easter Sunday 16th 8.00am Holy Communion 



Sunday 23rd 8.00am Holy Communion 


11.15am Family Service 


Sunday 30th 8.00am Holy Communion 


united service with the Sporle congregation

The Peddars Inn 

70 The Street, 

Sporle PE32 2DR 

01760 788 101 

BK Property Maintenance 

& Handyman Service 

Joinery & Building Works / Renovation Works 

Facias & Guttering / Windows & Doors 

Kitchens & Bathrooms 

Sheds, Garden Buildings & Fencing 

Log Stores & Planters / Paving & Decking 

Pressure Washer Service /Furniture Repairs 

Plus lots more 

If you can't see what you need just give Brian a call! 

No job too small, over 20 years experience 

For a fast, friendly, reliable service please call 

Brian, today, for a no obligation quote 

Fully Insured 

01760 723 864 

07717 337 060 

bjkhandyman@gmail.com 

9 

Open for lunches, dinners & Sunday Roast 

in our conservatory and dining room. 

Visit our website to see our menus: 

www.thepeddarsinn.com 

email: info@thepeddarsinn.com 

facebook.com/thepeddarsinn 

Family (& dog) friendly Welcoming free wi-fi log welcoming fire Locally open sourced log fire 

food 

What’s On In April 

Friday 11th April - 8.30pm - Live Music 

‘Vicky’ singing 60’s to the current day 

Friday 18th April - 7.30pm - Quiz Night 

Fri 7th: Country Music Night with Jonny Rondo (from 8pm) 

Raising funds for The Benjamin Foundation 

Friday 25th start April - teams - 7.30pm of 6 - booking - Disco essential. & Barbecue 

60’s, Motown, Soul 

Wed 5th: Presentation from CAMRA for runner up for West Norfolk 

Pub of The Year - 8pm (all welcome - real ale just £3 pint for the evening) 

Fri 21st: Quiz Night - For Swaffham Hospital League of Friends 7.30pm 

Fri 28: Live Music with Ed & Phil (Americana and Rock) From 8pm 

Innovations Hair and Beauty 

Professional holistic therapists offering: 

Aromatherapy / Swedish massage,facials, 

refl exology, Tel Sian 07825449095 

Rahanni celestial healing, Hopi ear candles, Reiki healing 

Rahanni practitioner course 

Reiki teacher 

Guidance readings 

tel Rachel 07719368444 

83e Market Place 

Swaffham

Swaffham Counselling and Psychotherapy 

Barbara O'Hanlon is now working from her private 

practice in Swaffham. For more information or an 

initial consultation contact Barbara on: 

07516 917171 

Email barbarann688@gmail.com 

www.swaffhamtherapy.co.uk 

Andrew Francis Funeral Service 

Swaffham and District 

Independant Family Funeral Directors 

01760 720200 (24 hours) 

afrancisfunerals.co.uk 

Pre-paid and pre-arranged Funeral Plans available 

The Old Post OfÞce, Market Place, Swaffham, PE37 7LA 

Iceni Youth Clubs 

Youthie: 

Year 4 to 7 Mondays 5:30pm – 7:00pm . 

Youth Voice: 

Wednesdays 6:30pm – 8:00pm 2nd and 4th 

Wednesdays of each 

Youthie Plus: 

Year 7 and 8 Thursdays - 5:30pm – 6:45pm 

Iceni Youth Hub: 

Ye a r 9 a n d a b o v e T h u r s d a y s - 7 : 1 5 p m – 8 : 4 5 p m 

Staff are happy to give information, guidance 

and advice, call Sally for further details on: 

07772 852 284 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/iceniyoungpeople 

Swaffham Arts 

The mystery and awe inspired by Fenland landscape 

and history were captured in the work of the young 

poet Poppy Kleiser, who read her work to us in 

February. Some poems she recited from memory, and 

they came across in a very personal and powerful way. 

We were able to add an extra event in mid-March, an 

afternoon concert in the church, given by the Norwich 

based soprano, Sarahjane Stephen, accompanied 

on the piano by Duncan Barlow. An appreciative 

audience enjoyed the lovely quality of Sarahjane’s 

voice and way she interpreted the mood of each song, 

complemented by the fine acoustics of the church. 

We are delighted to welcome Norfolk Symphony 

Orchestra to Swaffham on Saturday April 29th at 

7.30pm when they will be giving a concert in the 

church. They will be playing Mendelssohn The 

Hebrides Overture, Warlock Capriol Suite, Haydn 

London Symphony, and the highlight of the evening, 

Mozart Horn Concerto No 2, the horn soloist local 

businessman Martin Childs. This will be the last 

event of the season before our AGM in May. We 

hope you can join us on this special occasion. 

Tickets priced at £9 members, £12 non-members, children 

free, are available at Ceres Bookshop 01760722504, The 

Green Parrot 01760724704, and on the door. All welcome! 

10

West Norfolk Deaf Association 

WNDA is a local charity supporting Deaf and hard of 

hearing people in West Norfolk. Established in 1997, 

we provide a range of services for people with all levels 

of hearing loss and for all ages, children to adults. 

Learning to cope with hearing loss and adjusting to 

life with hearing aids can be difficult. There are an 

estimated one in six people in the UK with hearing 

loss; in Norfolk, because of a higher than average 

number of older people, this is likely to be one in five. 

The Hearing Support Service is the largest service we 

provide, and we strive to offer a service in a location 

most convenient for NHS hearing aid users. Our staff 

and volunteers hold clinics at twenty GP practices 

and at a large number of residential homes; we also 

make home visits for those who are unable to get 

out due to ill health or disability. 

The Hearing Support Service provides thorough 

aftercare services for NHS hearing aid users in West 

Norfolk. Working alongside the Queen Elizabeth 

Hospital Audiology team we provide practical 

support and advice, hearing aid servicing and minor 

repairs and provide batteries. 

Hearing aids need regular servicing, cleaning and 

re-tubing to maintain their effectiveness. If you 

have noticed that your hearing aid has become 

less effective, or if it has been more than four to six 

months since your hearing aid was serviced and retubed, 

then we would like to see you. 

This service is funded by West Norfolk Clinical 

Commissioning Group. We are unable to provide 

batteries for private hearing aids or service hearing 

aids issued by private dispensers. You will be asked 

for your book or card issued as issued by Audiology. 

Other Services provided by WNDA: Advocacy for Deaf 

British Sign Language Users; Break-out holiday club 

for Deaf children; Deaf Awareness and British Sign 

Language courses; Social and learning activities for 

Deaf community; Advice about assistive equipment 

and demo range; Information about Tinnitus and a 

demo range of equipment; Room Hire. 

Swaffham Plowright Medical Centre hosts our Hearing 

Support Clinics on the 2nd Thursday of every month 

10.00-12 noon, Campinglands Surgery on the 3rd 

Monday of every month 9.30-11.30, Manor Farm 

Medical centre on the 1st Monday every month 9.30- 

11.30 and Litcham Health Centre on the last Wednesday 

of every month 1.00-3.00. The clinics run on a dropin 

basis, no appointment is needed; however please 

inform reception staff that you are waiting to be seen. 

We are looking to recruit Hearing Support volunteers;. 

For more information about our services or 

volunteering opportunities please contact us at: 

01553 773399, Email: info@wnda.org.uk 

Even ironing! 

Tracy 01362 820 966 

Caroline 01953 882 154 

Mobile 07849 652 713 

The Green Britain Centre 

Spring is now evident at The Green Britain Centre 

- daffodils are coming out and seeds planted 

and germinating in the organic garden. Recent 

social events have included opportunities to 

sample tasty vegan food prepared from local 

organic produce. We have been entertained and 

educated ! All ages have visited the centre - mini 

professors (pre-school), school parties (junior 

and senior), and college students have been able 

to find out about the effects of Climate Change 

on our world, and what WE can do about it. Have 

a look at our website or telephone us. 

Experience wind 

power from the 

top of a modern 

windmill 

The first windmill in the world open 

for the public to climb. Follow the 

eco trail around our heritage 

orchard and organic gardens, enjoy 

Fairtrade coffee and homemade 

cake in our vegetarian café. 

For opening times and to 

book your turbine tour call us 

on 01760 726 100. 

www.greenbritaincentre.co.uk 

The Green Britain Centre, Turbine Way, 

Swaffham, Norfolk, PE37 7HT 

12

Come and learn to dance like 

Jane Austen’s Mr Darcy & 

Miss Eliza Bennett with 

Swaffham Playford Dancers 

Every 2 nd Wednesday of each month from 

Wednesday, 12 th April 

Swaffham Community Centre 

CAMPINGLAND PE37 7RB – (THIS MONTH ONLY) 

Señor Momento Raises Funds 

Ian Clews (aka Señor Momento) dropped in to the 

Dementia Cafe, Swaffham to hand over a cheque and 

games to the value of £752. This was gratefully accepted 

by Café Manager Russell Simpson and Sue Carter. The 

Dementia Café, which meets on the first Wednesday 

every month, is located in the Assembly Rooms, 

Swaffham and is funded by the Alzheimer Society. Ian 

previously gave £854 to the Merle Boddy Centre which 

is managed by the Swaffham and District Mental Health 

Association. For information about the provision of day 

care for people with mental health problems, including 

independent living, contact Georgina Bell at the Merle 

Boddy Centre on 01760 724527. The Alzheimer Society 

can be contacted on 01553 763556. Sue Carter’s Happy 

Memories group is a charity based in West Norfolk 

which raises money in order to provide social events 

for people with dementia and their carers. Sue can be 

contacted on 01553 840719. 

7.30 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. 

All welcome! - £3 entry - Casual dress & comfortable 

shoes - No previous experience or partner necessary 

Contact: Patti & Paul on 01953 889945; 07734054079 or 

SwaffhamPlayfordDancers@btinternet.com 

DO YOU FEEL VULNERABLE OR 

ISOLATED? 

DO YOU HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES OR 

ARE YOU PRONE TO FALLS? 

DO YOU FEEL SAFE & SECURE IN 

YOUR OWN HOME? 

• Personal Alarms monitored 

24/7 for £2.88 per week 

plus installation 

• Pendants can be 

worn either around 

the neck or wrist 

• Keysafes allowing 

relatives & emergency 

services access 

to your home 

• Assistive 

Technology - 

including falls 

pendants and 

smoke detectors 

Please contact 

the Careline 

Community Service 

team today on 

01553 616200 or visit 

our website www. 

careline-cs.org.uk 

FUNERAL SERVICES 

INDEPENDENT FAMILY 

FUNERAL DIRECTORS 

CHAPMANS 

FUNERAL SERVICES 

Lynn Road, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7AY 

24 Hour Caring Personal Service 

Pre-Paid Funeral Plans 

Private Chapels of Rest 

Memorials 

01760 721305 

1170-98-2SN 

www.tfsfuneralservices.co.uk 

OWNED & 

MANAGED BY THE 

THORNALLEY FAMILY 

13

Accessability Award 

Funding has been approved for improved disability 

access for Beachamwell Village Hall. 

Wheelchair users and people with a range of 

mobility issues will be able to enjoy full access to 

Beachamwell Village Hall later this year, thanks to a 

grant of £28,400 from the funding body WREN. 

The money, awarded by WREN’s FCC Community 

Action Fund, will be used to widen doors and 

reconfigure the village hall’s current cloakroom 

facilities to accommodate a disabled WC. 

Leah Spencer, spokesperson for Beachamwell Village 

Hall Committee, believes the facility will make a huge 

difference to the lives of people living in the area. 

She says: “This project will provide a real boost to the 

local community, as it will ensure equal access to the wide 

programme of social and cultural events, which take place 

in our hall throughout the year. It’s fantastic that WREN has 

awarded us this money and we’re really looking forward 

to our project taking shape over the coming months” 

WREN is a not-for-profit business that awards grants 

for community, biodiversity and heritage projects 

from funds donated by FCC Environment through 

the Landfill Communities Fund. 

Ben Walker, Grant Manager for WREN says: “We 

are delighted to be supporting Beachamwell Village 

Hall’s accessibility project and pleased our funding 

will help to create an inclusive and fully accessible 

facility to all members of the community. WREN 

is always happy to consider grant applications for 

projects that benefit local communities and we’re 

looking forward to this one having a positive impact 

very soon. 

Leah Spencer hopes the works will be completed 

and the new facilities in place by September. 

Another String To Her Bow 

Clare from Age Concern Swaffham Befriending 

Service tried her hand at archery during one of 

the 4th Wednesday of the month meetings of the 

Swaffham Club For The Visually Impaired at the 

Community Centre, 01760 722 800 for details. 

Clare can be contacted on 07393981295. 

14 

SCALGA 

Greetings from the allotments It does not seem 

three months since our last News Letter. We hope 

you all had a good Christmas and that 2017 will be a 

pleasant year for us all. 

At the time of writing this the days are still short and 

the weather is not conducive to planting. We prepared 

the growing areas before Christmas and as it starts to 

warm up plot holders will begin digging (for the hardy) 

and rotovating for the rest of us. 

Unfortunately in December Bird Flue came to the UK. 

Chickens etc. had to be kept under cover to try to stop 

wild birds possibly passing the virus to the domestic 

stocks. At the moment the ban is extended until the 

28th February, hopefully it will be lifted by the time 

you read this. We actually put our chickens in the poly 

tunnel and they have loved it. It is warmer, dryer and 

the water does not freeze, consequently we are getting 

far more eggs than normal we also have the added 

bonus of the ground being well treated with manure 

which we will dig in. Fingers crossed that we may get 

giant tomatoes!! Our birds will certainly be taking their 

winter vacations in the poly tunnel again this year. 

The Snow Drops and Daffodils have been wonderful 

but a hard frost in early March plus prolonged rain has 

prevented much work being done as yet, hopefully by 

the time you read this we can have put our potatoes 

in. Small shoots are popping up all over the place as 

we have not really had any prolonged cold weather to 

speak of. So fingers crossed. 

It has been decided to hold a little inter-allotment 

competition to see who could grow the largest pumpkin 

so get planting those seeds. 

For those of you who pre-plant seeds in pots, egg 

cartons are a good starter pot and will degrade into the 

ground so there is no need to transplant the seedlings, 

plus the fibre of the carton will give a certain amount 

of warmth and act as a buffer in the cold ground. I have 

also read that half a cracked eggshell works as well as 

the albumen from the egg white is nutritious. 

Forward dates to keep in mind are – EGM May 24th In 

the Regency Rooms 7.pm 

The best kept allotment judging - 12th July - all day. 

Summer BBQ 5th August. 

Afternoon tea with the awarding of prizes for the best 

kept allotment – 10th September in the Assembly 

Rooms 3pm. 

Halloween. We will be judging the biggest pumpkin 

along with our usual Soup and Beef burger get together. 

Time to be announced. 

Enjoy your gardening. 

To join SCALGA or take on a starter plot: 

Jennifer or Graham Edwards. 01760721321 or 

Jenniferedwards100@sky.com

Rural Writers 

This is the first of what we hope will be a monthly 

feature from the local Rural Writers group. 

Times Past 

As I stand at the open window, 

the scent of roses, lavender and night scented stocks 

swirling past, memories of times past coming to me. 

I see 

a small girl and her grandmother wandering among 

the growing flowers. 

teaching and learning ancient lore. 

Tending, then smelling them, 

Hearing the breeze rustling through 

the grass in the fading light. 

Memories of other times flowing through my mind, 

Walking in snow, or rustling leaves, dogs running ahead. 

Baking parties with brothers and sisters, mother and 

granny making cakes. 

Feeling sad at the end. 

Katrina Stocksdale 

Just Hair Coffee Morning 

Gill, Keith and all the girls at Just Hair 

are holding a coffee morning on 

Wednesday 26th April 

from 10 am until 12 noon 

At the Assembly Rooms, 


In Aid of Swaffham and 

Litcham Home Hospice. 

Cake stall – Raffl e 

Bring and Buy –Books 

Tickets only 50p for coffee/tea 

and biscuits 

Available from Just Hair 01760 

721237 

Or pay on the door 

15 

Swaffham Community Hospital LofF 

Firstly a date for your diary. Monday 8th May will be 

our Annual General Meeting. It will be held at 2pm 

on that day at the Hospital. This is your opportunity 

to come and talk to us about what we do as well as 

seeing our Annual Accounts and Chairman’s report. 

We always aim to spend the money we receive wisely 

for the direct benefit of the patients and staff. If you 

have any ideas about what may be of benefit then 

we would love to hear your ideas. Please come that 

day if you can. If not talk to us on the committee. 

We are progressing with the refurbishment of the 

“Quiet” room at the Hospital. Future projects are 

likely to be the updating of the Conservatory and a 

general revamp of the rear Hospital gardens. 

You will see that we have events throughout the 

year at which we have raffles. We therefore always 

welcome any unwanted items that we can use for 

prizes. If you can denote anything we can collect or 

they can be dropped off at Hospital reception. 

Our future programme of events to date 

• April 17 Easter Eggs for patients 

• 21st April Quiz night at the Peddars Inn, Sporle 

• 19th August Hospital Summer Fete 

• 2d Sept Street Collection. 

• 8th Sept Social Evening 

• 10th Nov Viennese Evening 

• 25th Nov Methodist church Coffee morning 

• Dec Misc Xmas entertainment 

Following the sad demise of our Treasurer last year 

we continue with one of our members acting in this 

capacity. The formal replacement will be confirmed 

at our May AGM. 

A coffee morning was held at the Methodist church 

on the 11th March, thanks to those who organized 

and for coming to support us. 

We have just purchased a Fridge/freezer for use at 

the Hospital. Thanks again to “Hughes” in Swaffham 

for their support. A correction to our last Article…The 

TVs were in fact sponsored by Hughes, not Blaines. 

Apologies for the error. 

As usual we welcome any feedback. Contact 01760 

336025or colin@houghton789.plus.com 

Colin Houghton (Chairman) 

August Bank Holiday Fun 

One for your diaries, August Bank Holiday Sunday 

fun at the Recreation Ground. There will be a 

Vintage & Collectors Car Rally between 10am and 

4pm alongside a Fun Fair, craft stalls and a variety 

of refreshment stands. For the early birds, there 

will be a Car Boot starting at 8am. All proceeds 

are going towards the finishing touches at the 

SK8 Park/MUGA.

Poppi Interiors! 

Fine Interiors & Design 

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Helping relieve arthritis 

Improving balance & posture 

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Promoting good health, Physical and mental 

wellbeing and being fun 

Our classes are relaxed, 

friendly and fun – and a good 

way of meeting new friends… 

Contact us on: 01760 723102 

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Classes are at: Swaffham on Wednesdays 10.00am. 

Also Narborough on Tuesdays 1.15pm. Beginners 

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Made to Measure Curtains & Blinds 

Woodslat, Vertical & Roller Blinds 

Curtain Poles, Tracks & Fitting service 

Fabrics by the metre 

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52 Filby Road, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7SX 

16

Swaffham Evening WI 

We met on the 1st March at 

7-30pm in the Church Rooms. 

We welcomed two guests and a new member. 

One of our members opened the meeting 

with a reading of two poems about spring. We 

covered a bit of business and welcomed our 

speaker for the evening. Rosie O’Grady runs 

the Magpie Centre near Kings Lynn ,which is 

a riding school for the disabled. There are a 

number of “Riding for the Disabled” centres 

in Norfolk but this is our nearest. Rosie 

gave us a potted history of how the centres 

came about and then went on to describe 

the benefits “both mental and Physical“ that 

her students enjoy. She was an enthusiastic 

and knowlegable speaker and the members 

enjoyed the talk very much .There were a lot 

of questions afterwards. 

We then had our refreshments and drew the 

raffle and the meeting closed about 9-30pm. 

Visitors and new members are always welcome, 

if you are interested please contact our 

secretary on 01760722879. Our next meeting 

will be on 5th April when the Speaker will be 

talking about the of “The Mary Rose” 

Beachamwell & District WI 

At its March meeting, Beachamwell 

WI welcomed Louise Gayton, who 

is a local magistrate. In a most 

interesting and thought-provoking talk, Louise 

described what it means to be a magistrate: how 

they are recruited and trained, and how cases 

are heard and judgements are arrived at. Some 

lively discussion ensued. The members also 

made plans for future outings, which include an 

excursion to Castle Rising in April and our annual 

celebration meal in June. Several ladies who 

recently attended a workshop on the techniques 

of wet felting, described what they had learned 

and showed off the items they made. 

Next month’s speaker will be Neil Chadwick, 

who is a warden for the Hawk and Owl Trust at 

Sculthorpe. He will be presenting an illustrated 

talk about the work of the Trust and the birds 

that can be seen at Sculthorpe. This meeting is 

on Thursday, April 6th at 7:30 pm. As always, 

prospective new members and visitors are very 

welcome to come along. 

Contacts: Helen 01366 328589 or Maggie 

01366 327023. 

Pickenhams’ WI 

In February members were 

treated to 3’s Company who 

provided us with a thoughtful and humorous 

session of readings and poems from their 

collection.It was a truly memorable session 

and lots of fun. We finished with cafe style Tea 

and cakes. 

In March we had another very good speaker. Mr 

David Reeve talking about his job “Protecting 

the Royals”. This gave us a very good insight 

into family life with the Royals. It was extremely 

interesting talk with a bit of humour added. 

We have a very busy calendar ahead including, 

cream teas, outings to gardens, cinema visits, 

coffee and chat mornings in and around 

Swaffham, lots of other advents. 

Next Meeting- 11th April. 2pm in North 

Pickenham Church. Speaker: Maureen Rispin 

“A visit to Sandringham in 1919” -- A costume 

Drama, with a difference. Visitors welcome - 

please contact Melanie 01760 440 456. 

Sporle WI 

Our February meeting was a 

good learning curve as we all made a piece of 

jewellery. The instructor told us of the origin 

of beads and how she came to be involved in 

them – and then it was our turn! First we chose 

the colour combination of our beads and then 

proceeded to design the sequence of our colour, 

size and shape of beads. We all came home 

with an original “springy” bracelet. Midway 

through our labours we stopped for tea and 

cake, minutes, notices, raffle and a poem or two 

closed our afternoon meeting. 

A happy and friendly WI meeting and next 

month’s title promise more info and interest – 

The Art Deco Era. For more information please 

call Celia on 01362 687316 or maybe just come 

along to the community hall at 2pm on the 3rd 

Tuesday of the month. 

Royal Naval Association Quiz Night 

RNA Swaffham will be holding a Quiz Night on 

Tuesday, 16th May in the Conservative Club, 7.45PM 

for 8pm. 

£2.50 per head for tables of 4 plus £1 for table 

top. Ernie Heritage will again be the Quiz Master 

and we look forward to seeing all you quizzers 

there then. 

17

Swaffham & District Lions 

As part of their centennial 

celebrations Swaffham Lions held a 

charity quiz in Swaffham Assembly 

Rooms. The hall was packed with 

over eighty contestants taking part in the ten round 

quiz. With a hundred pound prize going to the 

winning team’s nominated charity, competition was 

fierce. The winning team, from Swaffham Rotary, 

donated their prize to the Merle Boddy Centre. The 

booby prize, which was twenty five pounds, was 

donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. 

The top two prizes of ninety pounds each in the raffle 

were also donated to charity, with the Merle Boddy 

and Meadow House Care Home being the winners. 

Following a highly successful Lions Charity Quiz where 

£305 was donated to local charities. The Swaffham 

Rugby Club wished to donate their winning raffle prize 

of £90 to Meadow House and asked the Lions to do 

the presentation to the care home. 

Swaffham Lions held a very successful fun filled 

Pancake Race event outside Swaffham Assembly 

Rooms. Seven teams of two, many in fancy dress, 

took part in a series of knockout races, where they 

ran 25 metres and tossed the pancake, much to the 

amusement of the sixty strong crowd. The winners 

from Tesco beat the team from the Market Cross 

Restaurant in a thrilling final, which was the best 

of five races. The winners were presented with an 

engraved frying pan as champions of Swaffham. 

Last year’s winners from the Sacred Heart School 

were knocked out in the semi-final. Before the main 

races fifteen nursery children from Teenie Iceni Day 

Nursery had ago at running with a pancake in the 

frying pan, much the delight of the parents. 

Vice President Pam Tallon pictured handing 

over a cheque to the Alzheimer’s Society at the 

Assembly Rooms, Swaffham. The cheque was 

donated by the team that finished last in the 

Lions Charity quiz held in February. 

Following a very informative presentation given by 

SERV at the Swaffham Lions monthly meeting, on the 

work of the Blood Bikes. Pam Tallon, Vice President 

of Swaffham Lions handed over a £500 cheque to 

Iain Grimes from SERV. 

18

01760 

721 230 

Swaffham Museum is now open 

for the 2017 season 

Open 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday. 

Saturdays 10am to 1pm 

Prices: adults £3. Concessions £2.Children 5 

and over £1. Family tickets available. 

Can You Help? 

Does anyone know a photographer who lived on Station 

Street sometime probably in the early 20th century? 

We have recently acquired a camera with lenses, 

filters and a collection of glass plates and other 

negatives of several churches; designs of furniture 

and ceilings; a gentleman called Kenneth, a Mr 

J.B. Finnie and Mr Keith E.Gibbs – joint directors of 

Campbell Smith & Co.Ltd. 

These were found in the house when the current 

owner moved in. 

Fascinating stuff – but can anyone give us any clues as to 

who the photographer or his subjects might have been? 

Friends Events 

Events list for 2017 now on our Website. Many are 

open to non-members. www.swaffhammuseum.co.uk 

Friends Coach Trip 

Join us on a visit to Capel Manor Gardens on May 17 

2017. Cost - £15 (£12.50 for Friends). Contact Stuart 

Clapton 01760 722903 

Events list for rest of 2017 now on our Website. Many are 

open to non-members. www.swaffhammuseum.co.uk 

Current Galleries:Treasures of Swaffham; Out of Storage 

– the paintings and drawings held by the museum – 

includes Samuel John Carter; Philo’s Swaffham. What 

Swaffham was like in the 19th century; The Carter 

Connection; Archaeology in the area 

Fun For The Easter Holidays - No Extra Charge 

Try on a few hats or some Egyptian costumes 

Try to put broken pots together 

Try our 1930s typewriter 

Spend some time colouring in the Carter Connection 

Gallery and Out of Storage Gallery 

Try the games a 19th century child would play 

Follow a museum trail 

Find the objects and earn an Easter egg 

Try the quizzes in the Carter Connection Gallery, Out 

of Storage and Philo’s Swaffham 

Visit the Museum shop 

Do you remember? 

We are currently auditing our whole artefact collection 

and coming up with some interesting items. 

Do you remember the 1958 CND marches from Swaffham 

to North Pickenham against the Thor missiles? We found 

this home-made banner in our store room. 

If you remember the marches we would love to hear 

from you. 

The 100 Club 

Run by the Friends - open to ALL 

A yearly subscription of £20 could win a prize of 

£40, £20 or £10 each month with special extra prize 

of £100 in May and November. If you would like to 

know more or to join, please contact Stan Roberts 

Tel: 01366 328086 or mail@stan615.plus.com 

FoSM (Friends of Swaffham Museum) 

We support the Museum financially and encourage 

Friends to help in the museum as volunteers, either 

behind the scenes or as stewards. 

Our Membership Scheme is a one off Life Membership 

payment of just £10 for an individual and £15 for a 

family. This gives you free access to all the museum 

galleries for life. 

For more information please contact our Hon Chairman 

Stuart Clapton; Tel: or stuartclapton@aol.com. 

19 

Trending Now -v isit us there for upto-date 

news and events 

Kenneth and a 

detail of the chains 

of office 

Wanted – Volunteers for Stewarding or ‘behind the scenes’ 

work at Swaffham Museum. For more information please 

contact Steve Gregory on 01760 721230 or 755596 

Swaffham Museum, Town Hall, London Street, 

Swaffham PE37 7DQ 

Tel: 01760 721 230 

www.swaffhammuseum.co.uk

Swaffham Rotary Club 

President’s Corner 

Part of Swaffham’s contribution to 

the six million purple crocuses that 

have been planted throughout the country to 

publicise Rotary’s ‘End Polio Now’ campaign 

to eliminate poliomyelitis from the world. The 

purple crocus symbolises the purple dye on 

the fingers of children who have received the 

vaccination. Since 1987 the number of annual 

cases worldwide has dropped from 350,000 to 

35 - all in war-torn countries with remote areas. 

For certain eradication there must be no cases 

for three years. The end is tantalisingly close but 

difficult and expensive to achieve, requiring real 

tenacity. 

‘Pride in Your Community’ 

Having ourselves initiated and undertaken 

limited litter-picking in patches in Swaffham, we 

are delighted that the Town Team is launching 

its ‘Pride in Your Community’ initiative with 

the meeting in the Assembly Rooms on the 

morning of Wednesday 29th March. A very 

worthwhile initiative which the Rotary Club 

will certainly support – and you get hot drinks 

and beans-on-toast! 

‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ 

On Monday 13th March we had a speaker 

from the ‘far east’ - next year’s Rotary District 

Governor for East Anglia, Robert Lovick whose 

home club is Great Yarmouth Haven. Robert 

eloquently reminded us that, while the pursuit 

of peace, international health, disaster relief 

and freedom from oppression are essential 

and worthwhile aims, there are issues of 

equivalent importance closer to home. Two 

are homelessness and loneliness. As with 

all difficult issues no single organisation, 

voluntary or governmental, has a complete 

answer. Partnerships and joint approaches 

between organisations that talk to each other 

are often more effective. 

David Morris 

20 

A SPIRITUAL 

SUPPER 

With 

Alexandra Oakes 

Market Cross Café Bar 

Swaffham PE37 7AB 

Friday 26 th May 7-9pm 

including choice of main course & dessert 

~Booking Essential as Numbers are Limited~ 

For Further Details: 

01553 349617/07934096884 

www.alexandraoakes.co.uk 

Help Shape People’s FUTURES 

Futures Project FUTURES supports young 

people with Special Educational Needs and 

Disabilities (SEND) who are aged between 

15 and 25 through their transition from 

education into adulthood, enabling them to 

explore the world around by giving them the 

opportunity to try new activities and develop 

new networks. We need volunteers who can 

offer a couple of hours of their time each 

week to mentor the young people as they 

make choices about their futures, raising 

aspirations by exploring together the young 

person’s skills, interests and abilities. What 

does a Volunteer Mentor do? Mentors provide 

support to a young person with SEND to help 

them develop a personal profile of their 

skills and interests, their likes and dislikes 

and their future goals. The Mentor can then 

support the young person to start working 

towards these; this can include accessing 

volunteering, work experience and training 

opportunities, or social activities such as 

drama groups, sporting activities, shopping 

and eating out. Who can become a Volunteer 

Mentor? Mentors come from all walks of life. 

We need people aged 16+. No experience is 

needed but patience, the ability to listen 

and a sense of humour are all useful skills. 

What support does a Volunteer Mentor get? 

Mentors receive full training and support; 

out of pocket expenses are paid. This can 

be a very rewarding role and also offers the 

chance to gain experience in the care sector. 

Contact Marie Connell, Futures Project Co- 

Ordinator on 01362 685210.

Wissey U3A 

Although most members of the U3A have retired from full-time 

gainful employment, others still work part time. The talk on 

Cerebral Palsey by Joan Latta in March was most informative 

and well received by those present at the monthly meeting. A 

lively presentation about the life of Oliver Cromwell with sound 

effects follows on 6th April with the AGM being held on Thursday 

4th May. Members interested in writing prose, plays or poetry 

will be offered the chance of attending a Creative Writing Study 

Day in June. The Annual Archery event restarts in April and this 

year there will be an opportunity for members to participate in a 

Clay-shooting event at Chalk Farm near Swaffham. The Bridge for 

Beginners activity group is increasing in popularity and the Table 

Tennis group travel to Thetford in April to take part in a friendly 

U3A tournament. For details about the U3A movement go to 

www.u3a.uk. More information about the Wissey U3A can be 

found by visiting the Wissey Homepage at www.u3asites.org.uk/ 

wissey. To enquire about U3A Membership, contact either the 

Membership Secretary: Stan Roberts on 01366 328086, or the 

Chairman: Ian Clews on 01760 721247. Also look out for leaflets 

in the Community Centre, the Green Britain Centre or Library. If 

you are a ‘Third Ager’ and have just moved to the Swaffham area, 

come along as a guest to one of the meetings and give the Wissey 

U3A a try. Annual membership costs £10 and membership 

renewal is only seven pounds. 

Wood Burners & Multi Fuel Stoves 

Professional HETAS Registered Installers 

Chimney Liners & Fireplace Re-construction 

Tel: 01760 788 407 

info@stovesman.co.uk 

www.stovesman.co.uk

Living Independently 

in Later Years 

Information for Older People 

Living in West Norfolk 

Telephone information line 

LILY Advisor Home visits 

Online directory 

Community locations 

Available online at www.asklily.org.uk 

or by calling 01553 616200 

01760 336029 

2049-5-1C 

TCT Plumbing and Electrical is a small local 

company based in Swaffham 

From replacing a wall socket to fitting a whole 

new kitchen or bathroom 

Contact Tristan Tomlinson 

01760 709 299 07976 329 509 

www.tctpe.co.uk 

CARPET 

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22 

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Ashill Holme Hale Gardening Club 

On an afternoon buffeted by Storm Doris, over 40 members 

braved fallen trees and flying wheelie bins to hear Peter 

Skeggs-Gooch talk on ‘Different Ways with Clematis’. 

Thorncroft Clematis started as his mother’s hobby 25 years 

ago in Reymerston, between Dereham and Wymondham, 

and five years ago Peter took over the business. They have 

regularly won medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, including 

several coveted gold awards. They produce about 400 

varieties and, having outgrown their original premises, are 

now a mail-order and on-line business. 

Peter was keen to emphasise the different ways 

clematis can be grown in the garden and presented 

slides to illustrate his suggestions. Clematis work well 

in combination with roses as they enjoy similar soil 

conditions. The variety Ernest Markham even seems to 

grow better as a companion plant than alone. 

Clematis are often grown against man-made supports, 

such as pergolas and fences but many will happily 

scramble over bushes and conifer hedges. As they are 

not generally invasive they can be safely grown against 

sheds and walls with the exception of the Montana 

varieties which can grow to twenty feet and damage 

guttering. Peter showed his audience a fabulous slide 

of the varieties Minuet, Romantica and Tentel growing 

up an obelisk to illustrate this use of the plant. 

Alternatively, clematis can be used as container plants, 

although pots should be at least 18 inches wide and 

18 inches deep for success. The varieties Pistachio 

Fukuzono and Ai Nor work well in this role. Slides 

of Kaiser and Dennys Double produced admiring 

comments from the audience. 

It may surprise some to find that clematis can be grown 

as a cut flower. Varieties with small flowers such as Pillu 

and Golden Tiara are best as they can be kept in water 

for at least 10 days whereas larger flowers require 

longer stems to sustain them. 

Ground cover varieties, such as Arabella, New Love (freestanding 

and tolerant of dry conditions) and Pamela (which 

is fragrant) provide yet another use for this versatile plant. 

There are even late flowering varieties such as Princess 

Kate which grows 12 feet in a year and flowers from 

July to early November and Rehderiana which has 

wonderful primrose yellow flowers in September. 

Members were pleased to have braved the hostile 

weather to hear such an interesting and well illustrated 

talk and many left clutching Thorncroft Clematis 

catalogues full of examples of these superb plants. 

What’s on in the next 3 months 

27th April Gardeners’ Question Time 

10th May Coach outing to Doddington Hall and 

Gardens, Lincolnshire 

25th May Graham Watts ‘Developments at Dale Farm’ 

22nd June Dr Ian Bedford ‘Butterfly Gardening’ 

25th June Annual Flower Show 

Get a maintenance kit & 

battery charger worth £100 FREE 

when you buy a John Deere ride-on mower 

Offer available with 

X100, X300 and 

X500 series model 

purchases until 

30 April 2017 

Dereham Road, Beeston (nr Dereham) PE32 2LE 

01328 701347 | www.benburgess.co.uk 

Open 8am-6pm Monday - Friday & 8am - 12pm Saturday 

Quality Legal Services in Swaffham 

Ward Gethin Archer offer a friendly and efficient 

service for all legal services from our long established 

offices in town 

Please contact: 

Nic Chris Sheldrake Cosgrave for Property Matters 

Diane Hewitt for Wills, Probate and Lasting Powers 

of Attorney 

Swaffham (01760) 721992 

We also specialise in: Personal Injury Claims, 

Company Commercial, Employment, Family 

Offices also in Dereham, Ely, Heacham, King’s Lynn and Watton 

Traditional Values Local Service 

www.wardgethinarcher.co.uk 

23

Age Concern Swaffham & District 

Our new Befriending and Hospital Buddy scheme is going great guns and with so much expansion 

in these valuable services, we are still seeking more volunteers to help out – please see our 

advert below for contact details. The office in the Campingland Community Centre is open on 

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 4 pm from where an Information Pack can be 

obtained. Apart from Pam on the office phone (07393 981 295), Barbara Lock, our Manager 

and our Buddy Coordinator, Clair Ensom can be contacted on 07412 775 574 and 07393 981 

290 respectively. 

As well as the above we have a regularly entertainment meeting for our members 

on the last Tuesday each month, at 2 pm in the Assembly Rooms (in house), unless 

otherwise shown. Everyone is welcome, so just turn up. We also have a membership 

scheme which costs £5 per year so if you are interested in joining please contact 

our Membership Secretary, Vicky (see below). Upcoming events are: 

April 28th (Note date) 

May 30th 

June 28th (Note date) 

Captain’s Table – (Outing – lunch and river trip) 

AGM, Merle Boddy Centre talk and Music Quiz (in house) 

Bressingham Gardens and Steam Museum (outing) 

Please contact John Clarke, Outings Organiser (see details below) regarding trips 

out. Chair, Diane Sanderson, 01760 725715; Treasurer, James Dean, 720756; Trips 

Organiser, John Clarke, 720140; Membership Secretary, Vicky Slater, 627031. 

Age Concern Swaffham 

and District 

Befriending & Hospital Buddy 

Driver Opportunities 

Recruitment Drop-In 

Friday 7 

th April 

10.00am – 12.00 noon 

At Swaffham Community 

Centre 

Come and join our friendly team 

of volunteers! 

Training, support and events 

throughout hout 2017 

Office open at Swaffham Community Centre 

Office open at Swaffham Community Centre 

Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9.00am – 4.00pm 

Supporting older people in the local community 

Contact Pam – email: swaffhamsss16@outlook.com 

Telephone: 07393 981295 

24

From Spikes Desk 

Many pesticides & slug pellets are potentially dangerous 

to hedgehogs. We may eat them if hungry &/or poisoned 

slugs & snails. If you use garden chemicals, please use 

sparingly and if needed to use place inside a piece of 

pipe or under stones we can’t move. Alternatives are 

copper bands around the base of plants or pots are 

a safer or beer traps (i.e. a bowl of stale beer or milk 

sunk in the ground) method of killing slugs. Check out 

www.organiccoppergardenproducts.co.uk. Please as 

a precaution remove all dead slugs. Sprinkling coffee 

grounds (if you ask can be obtained for free from cafes) 

around plants is also an effective alternative. 

Carefully turn over any garden rubbish before burning 

as we may be sleeping amongst it. Before strimming/ 

cutting long grass check first that we haven’t made a 

nest. We hedgehogs are extremely good swimmers, 

but cannot swim for hours. Please make sure if you 

have a garden pond that we can get out, a sloping/ 

beach side is ideal. 

Netting is often a hazard, please check regularly & don’t 

leave empty containers like empty food cans, yogurt/plastic 

pots, etc. around as we can get our heads stuck in them. 

Exhibition By John Hughes’ Art Class 

Art classes are a vital element in the repertoire 

of courses and workshops available at Westacre 

Theatre’s newly-built purpose-designed facilities. 

An exciting venue with its rolling back-to-back 

programme of exhibitions by local artists helps 

inspire the students in their efforts. Now a regular 

highlight in the students’ year is their own show in 

the Theatre’s light and airy gallery. 

The Hamond Educational Charity 

reg no: 277789 

The charity invites applications for 

financial assistance from individuals 

under the age of 21 years, living in 

the Breckland DC area particularly 

those living in or near Swaffham. 

The charity can provide assistance 

in cases of need for such things 

as books, tools, equipment, 

instruments, ouits and educational 

trips, including assistance for those 

leaving school, in preparation for 

taking up an apprenticeship or 

further education. The trustees meet 

twice a year in April and October. 

For further information 

contact the clerk by email: 

contact@hamondeducationalcharity.org.uk 

www.hamondeducationalcharity.org.uk 

Phoenix Singers 

We held our usual Christmas concert in the Swaffham 

Methodist Church on the 16th December 2016, 

which was wonderfully supported by our friends and 

followers from Swaffham and surrounding districts. 

The evening was a great success and the choir were 

delighted to present a cheque for £300 to Minister 

Eleanor Reddington for the Swaffham Methodist 

Church Pinnacle Fund. 

Encouraged to experiment in a wide variety of 

different materials, both the experienced and upand-coming 

student artists enjoy studying subjects 

in the classroom as well as outside around the 

landscaped lagoon in the Theatre’s scenic setting. 

Open until the end of April, their collective exhibition 

will showcase a superb selection of their best work. 

Always testing themselves with new ideas in perceptive 

observation and the creative use of colour, all the 

students promise this will be a stimulating display. 

25 

Our next concert will be held on the 7th July at 

the Community Centre- Watch this space for more 

details! 

If you are new to the area and are thinking about 

joining a ladies choir, why not come along to one 

of our rehearsals which are held in the Swaffham 

Methodist Church rooms on Monday evenings at 

7.30pm, or phone 01760 721247 for more details.

Can you spare a couple of hours each week? 

Make a difference to a family in your community! 

If you have parenting experience Home-Start 

Swaffham & District would love to hear from you. 

We have families waiting for support and all we ask 

is for a couple of hours a week commitment. We 

offer a prep course accredited through CERTA 

which takes place one day a week for 8 weeks. Term 

time 9.30am—1.30pm. 

So, if you think you can make a difference to a 

family needing a little help call us today to find out 

more. Next course starts: 

15th March 2017 @ Swaffham Community Centre 

Volunteers will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. 

Home-Start Swaffham & District 

The Community Centre, 

Campinglands, 

Swaffham, PE37 7RB 

Tel: 01760 721271 

Email: admin@homestartswaffham.org.uk 

www.homestartswaffham.co.uk 

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26

MACROMETALS 

Scrap Needed 

Free pick-ups on 

Any iron and metal items such as 

Kitchen appliances (not fridges or freezers) 

copper, brass, lead, aluminium and wire. 

Possible payment given for 

End of life vehicles including MOT failures 

and accident damage 

Quotes given for 

Garden, shed and house Clearancesi 

Please call Justin on: 

07789450317 

Swaffham Lioness Club 

Last month 5 Swaffham Lionesses attended the 

Lioness Conference in Huntingdon, celebrating 40 

years of the Lioness movement in Great Britain. The 

first Club formed in 1977 was Pontefract Lioness Club, 

and their first President, Lioness Jeanne Morgan was 

presented with a gift to commemorate her 40 years 

as a dedicated Lioness. One of the guest speakers at 

Conference informed us of a project in Nepal which 

supports women and their education, and supplies 

“Freedom Kit Bags” to provide women and girls with 

feminine hygiene items. Our Club has decided to 

support this project by making a donation to fund 

kit bags. The Saturday evening Dinner Dance was a 

great way to end the Conference with a celebration 

of our Ruby Anniversary. 

Merle Boddy Centre 

Thanks to everyone who supported the quiz at our 

new venue Swaffham Conservative Club. Paul you 

done us proud it’s such a nice room to be able to 

use, we raised £285.00 from the quiz. Our next fund 

raising event is same venue and it’s a prize bingo on 

Thursday the 30th march eyes down at 7.30 please 

come and support us. 

To anyone who has brightly coloured wool that you 

don’t know what to do with ,please may we have it, 

we are doing some lovely crafts but a lot of them 

need wool in bright colours, so please either bring it 

down or i will collect just ring 01760724527 and ask 

for Georgie, thankyou. 

To be named charity of the year is fantastic but to 

receive such a gift, as we have, is just mind blowing. 

We are now the proud owners of 4 rise and fall chairs 

of the highest quality from this very hard working 

charity. David Morris has been the driving force 

this year so my thanks go to you and your Rotarian 

members for supporting our charity so well. There 

are many of the clients who we have to prise out of 

these wonderfully comfortable chairs I may have a 

problem with the staff too! 

Swaffham Lioness Club “Pumps For Pumps” 

sponsored walk for the Lions Pump Appeal on Sunday 

30th April 2017 at 2pm. In support of QE MacMillan 

Cancer Care and Treatment Appeal. 

Our Lioness Club is supporting the Lions’ Zone Appeal which 

aims to raise enough to purchase 6 Cancer Treatment pumps 

for the MacMillan Cancer Unit at QE Hospital. Swaffham 

Lions have already raised funds for one pump with their 

Coffee Morning for Carol, with the tremendous support of 

local people who knew our Post lady Carol Gilding. 

Our Sponsored Walk will be 6 miles around Swaffham, 

starting and finishing at our meeting room, the 

Catholic Church Room on Station Street, and a free 

afternoon tea will provided at the end of the walk. 

If you would like to sponsor us, or even better 

participate in the Walk with us, you will be very 

welcome. More information and sponsor forms can 

be obtained by calling us on 01760 723377. 

Everyone at the MerleBoddy centre would like to 

wish you a happy Easter .We have been busy making 

spring flowers,woolly lambs,big fat bumble bees and 

easter cards.In the picture is Chloe who is one of our 

students from the college of West Anglia, Chloe took 

the lead in helping our clients to create this colourful 

array of easter delights. 

27

Swaffham & Litcham Home Hospice 

Our report this month is short and sweet but 

importantly a reminder of the forthcoming 

events that we have planned, so that you can 

annotate your diaries. 

Our annual Street Collection in the Town will take 

place on Saturday the 13th May, please support 

us if you are in Swaffham. 

The Concert of Choirs are featured in the Assembly 

Rooms by popular request from all the feedback we 

have received from the previous evenings we had 

organised asking us to arrange another concert. We 

are once again lucky to secure the Marham Bluebirds 

Choir and the King’s Lynn Male Voice Choir. For 

those of you who have yet to see and hear them, 

we highly recommend that you make the effort 

to come along, you will not be disappointed. The 

event is being staged on the 7th October; details 

will appear at a later date. 

As a Charity we do encourage individuals and groups 

to fundraise for us and I know many of you in the 

past have gone out of your way to do this. We are 

still seeking out people to stage an event and if you 

think you might have an idea then please contact us, 

we are there to assist if you require. 

One of the families that came along to the Snowdrop 

Walk at Lexham Hall, left behind a child’s knitted 

scarf in the tearoom. This item is now being held at 

our Office. The photograph shows our wonderful 

volunteers on the day of the walk having a break 

before the visitors arrive. 

Swaffham History Group 

Please note there will be no general meeting 

of the Group in April as we will be visiting 

another local history group instead Therefore 

our next scheduled meeting at the museum will 

be on Monday 8th May, from 2pm to 4pm. New 

members always welcome - there is no charge 

to join. 

The photograph (courtesy of Pete Coombes) 

shows part of of one of the new exhibitions at 

the museum this year. This view is of some of 

the exhibits in what was the Marham room last 

year, which includes a selection of paintings with 

strong Swaffham connections. They include 

works by Max Mueller as well as some members 

of the Carter family. 

The other new exhibition was described in 

February’s Newsletter. It really is worth a visit 

with masses of information, photographs and 

exhibits concerning Victorian Swaffham. It is 

based around the diary of a master shoemaker, 

James Philo - a man with many interests - who 

comments on both the mundane and important 

events as well as local trades, politics and 

professions. 

There are activities for the children in the museum. 

For further details about the History Group 

please contact: littlebethany2@yahoo.com 

Our thanks to the Swaffham Lions for the Pancake 

race last month. The Home Hospice Team had great 

fun entering it for the third year. 

This is our opportunity to pass on sincere thanks to 

the local community for their continued support. If 

anyone is interested in volunteering with us, please 

contact the Office at 19 Brocks Road and not Turbine 

Way as I stated in last month’s Newsletter. Roles 

include – drivers, home visits help with groups, 

bereavement support and fundraising. 

David Gulliver 

28 

Going Mad For Charity 

As part of the Big Cuppa Week 2017, the Iceni 

Partnership Youth Social Action group will be 

raising money for Norfolk’s Cancer Charity by 

holding a Mad Hatters Tea Party on Wednesday 

5th April from 3.30pm till 5pm at Swaffham 

Community Centre. 

There will be a raffle, arts and crafts, games and 

more. 

Please come and show your support by making a 

small donation towards our refreshments. 

Everyone is welcome.

Rugby Players Pass On Some Love 

Swaffham Rugby Team celebrated Valentine’s Day at 

Meadow House Nursing Home. 

Residents at Meadow House Nursing Home in 

Swaffham, Norfolk, were treated to a fun surprise 

visit on Valentine’s Day when the Swaffham Men’s 

Rugby Club arrived to present gift to the residents. 

The team arrived at the home and each brought red 

roses for residents, as well as the staff. 

Garden Science Trust 

Garden Science Trust is a small educational charity based 

at the Green Britain Centre, where we work very closely 

with the staff growing organic fruit and vegetables in 

the large productive demonstration garden. 

The team stayed for a good while into the evening 

chatting and sharing their kindness and gifts 

with residents. In keeping with the charm of the 

occasion, they even performed a song for the ladies 

in the main lounge. 

Maria Seitan, Manager at Meadow House 

commented: “They say that sharing is caring and 

we want to thank the team from the bottom of our 

hearts for visiting us on this special day and share 

their time with everyone here at the home. 

”At the end of their visit the rugby club promised 

to return. “We are very much looking forward 

to having them back here at Meadow House” 

continued Maria. “The smiles on our residents’ 

faces really said it all! It was a lovely visit and we 

would like to thank our activities coordinator, 

Belinda, for making this visit happen.” 

For more information about Meadow House Nursing 

Home’s residential, respite and day care services, 

visit the home on Norwich Rd, Swaffham PE37 8DD 

or telephone: 01760 725146. 

We work mainly with adults with learning difficulties 

or those with other barriers to education and 

employment. We teach horticulture, craft, art and 

science basic skills and knowledge to encourage 

independent living skills, social skills as well as 

encouraging interests in as many areas as possible. 

In 2017 Garden Science Trust is also going to be involved 

in the Town Team’s initiative Pride in Breckland and 

the Swaffham in Bloom work. We are very pleased 

to have secured funding of £2,000 from the Tesco’s 

Bag for Life scheme with which we will be running 

a Blooming Roadshow for the next few months. We 

hope to be working with local schools making seed 

bombs, sowing seeds and encouraging local children 

to grow flowers, beautify their local environment, 

take responsibility for their form and the urgent need 

to grow bee friendly plants throughout the year. 

We are also going to be hosting a yarn bomb event 

at the Iceni Community Centre, which will be timed 

to coincide with the judging of the Swaffham in 

Bloom competition, so would be very pleased to 

involve as many local knitters, crocket experts and 

crafter as possible. 2016’s Yarn Bomb at the Green 

Britain Centre was really fun for everyone who 

was involved, so we would like to repeat that huge 

success this time. 

Anyone interested in our work, or who would like 

to host a Blooming Roadshow event or make some 

items for the yarn bomb, please contact us via our 

office number 01760 726746 or our Facebook page 

Garden Science Trust. 

29

SWAFFHAM CONSERVATIVE CLUB 

23 LONDON STREET 

SWAFFHAM 

PE37 7DD 

01760 721353 

Function Room For Hire 

(with Kitchen) 

Available for Parties, Family 

Celebrations, Work Occasions, 

Wakes, Christenings & Receptions 

Why not book our 

Resident Party DJ 

Steve Greensides 

specializing in 

60’s 70’s Soul Disco & Motown 

Icenima presents 

MGMs first ever 

filmed musical 

from 1929 


Community Centre 

2pm 19th April 

2017 

£4 

Patisserie Iceni open for 

lunch before and 

coffee & cake afterwards 

Membership 

Fees 

If required 

Inter- 

Affiliation 

Card £2.50 

30 

“Crack the Safe” 

weekly member’s game. 

Last weeks roll over £700 

Will you be the next lucky winner? 

1st Year Initial 

Joining Fee 

1st Year 

Association 

Joining Fee 

Annual Full 

Membership 

UNDER 

PENSION 

AGE SINGLE 

OVER PENSION 

AGE SINGLE 

UNDER 

PENSION AGE 

JOINT 

OVER PENSION 

AGE JOINT 

£5.00 £5.00 £10.00 £10.00 

£2.00 £2.00 £4.00 £4.00 

£17.00 £15.00 £28.00 £24.00 

Total Due 

£24.00 £22.00 £42.00 £38.00

Downham Grange 

State of the art, loving care in Downham Market 

Welcome to Downham Grange Care Home, a striking new 

purpose-built development in Downham Market. 

We provide meaningful person-centred exceptional care for those in 

need of residential, respite, nursing or dementia care. 

Boasting 62 en-suite bedrooms, the home has 

been finished to the most luxurious standards, 

with extra-wide corridors, a variety of large 

spacious and comfortable lounges and dining 

rooms with kitchenette areas that help to promote 

independence and social inclusion. 

The home has been designed to meet the needs 

of people who require nursing and dementia 

care. This exciting new development meets our 

Kingsley care ethos, responding to individual 

needs and providing the highest standards of care. 

Like all Kingsley Healthcare Homes, our care is 

focused around each person’s individual needs and 

wishes. We value and respect how each person 

chooses to spend their day. 

Our strong ethos of person-centred care runs 

through everything we do. Our staff are all highly 

experienced and receive on-going training to make 

sure that we deliver only the very best quality care. 

We really want to make a difference 

to the lives of the people we care for. 

With this in mind we have built the 

home to the highest specifications, 

giving particular consideration 

to making the design and layout 

suitable for people living with a 

dementia. 

This new home will enable us to 

continue to provide high-quality 

surroundings and environment. It 

will ensure our staff deliver quality 

of service and improve the quality of 

life of our residents every day. 

The staff at Downham Grange go 

that extra mile to make the home 

feel comfortable and relaxed. We 

like Downham Grange to feel like 

a ‘home from home’. We encourage 

people to take part in the daily living 

activities as well as other ongoing 

activities that take place throughout 

the day. 

“It took me just a few 

days to feel at home 

because the staff are 

so welcoming and 

caring” 

Downham Grange Care Home 

Clackclose Road, Downham Market, 

Norfolk PE38 9PA 

Tel 01366 387054 Fax 01366 385861 

downham.manager@kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk 

www.kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk 

From the Mayor’s Parlour 

I had the pleasure of going to see Aladdin at Stanley’s this 

month, it was a very good show, Stanleys’s is a good venue 

for plays or shows and it was nice to see it being used again. 

I have attended a number of events as Mayor this 

month including the opening of the Mart in King’s Lynn, 

where we paraded down the high street in King’s Lynn, 

with lots of other dignitaries and the sun shining all the 

way. As Town and District Councillor I have attended 32 

meetings and 4 visits to see people at home. 

The MUGA and Skate park projects are going to start 

to be built in April, Days field is being advertised for 

sale. The next main projects for the Town are the 

refurbishment of the Buttercross and the Toilets. 

Talking about the toilets we have had more incidents 

of vandalism and mess inside which has to be dealt 

with by Town Council staff, not a nice job, so if you 

see anyone doing this in the Town please call the 

Police as this behaviour is costing us all money. 

The War Memorial has had an uplift, the bricks 

around the base have all been replaced and 

repainted, our thanks to Balfour Beatty and Travis 

Perkins for completing and sponsoring these works. 

The neighbourhood plan is now in full swing, 5 groups 

have been set-up and some have met. If you would 

like to join any group, please call in at the Town Hall. 

The Market has a new auction which has been very 

busy over the last few weeks, come and have a bid it 

starts at 11am on Saturdays. The Market Committee 

has also been considering several ways to update 

and improve the fooall of our market and Town 

Centre. New ideas include a car boot section in the 

pit and looking at the layout of the market. There may 

be more opportunities to have an indoor market in 

the Assembly rooms on a Saturday and the shops in 

Plowright Place will be organising events in the year 

with stalls and entertainment in that area. All these 

initiatives will make Swaffham Town Centre an even 

more interesting and pleasant place to shop and visit. 

Paul Darby 

INTERFIT Builders 

All forms of building 

work undertaken from 

domestic extensions to 

period refurbishments 

contact John 

on 

01760 724817 

or 

mobile 07977 235929 

31

In Touch With Your Town 

The section ‘In Touch with your 

Town’ is usually put together by 

the Town Clerk Richard Bishop 

or occasionally by the Deputy 

Town Clerk Claire Smith. It has 

been kept under this heading as it 

stems from when the Town Council used to produce 

its own ‘in house’ newsletter under the same name. 

It deals with some of the most topical items of the 

day and the odd item where the Council want to 

share information with the Town. 

SWAFFHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN (Latest News) 

The Neighbourhood Plan Topic Groups are now 

meeting regularly formally once a month at the Town 

Hall, with structured meetings that will be minuted 

and record all the ideas and data collected. These 

meetings will be approximately an hour long and 

have the support of Senior officers from the Town 

Council to advise and guide them in the process. 

There will also be regular informal meetings which 

are not so structured, not time constrained and will 

be where the ideas are formulated, debated fully 

and data collection initiated. 

The Planning Committee of the Town Council + the 

Chairs and Vice Chairs of the five Topic Groups will 

meet monthly on the last Tuesday each month, acting 

as the Steering Group for the Neighbourhood Plan 

process, apart from December when it will be the last 

meeting before Christmas. This will be where cross 

cutting issues will be discussed and policies will be 

drafted. Each of the five Groups will have issues that 

are relevant to each other. The Neighbourhood Plan 

itself has to be linked back to ‘Land Use Planning and 

Infrastructure’ as at the end of the day the finished 

document will be a planning policy document. The 

Topic Group work will be supported by evidencegathering 

by the NP’s consultants. 

• Education and Young People (Chair Cllr Shirley 

Matthews, Vice Chair Judy Anscombe) 

• Sport, Leisure and Open Spaces (Chair Cllr Sheila 

Lister, Vice Chair Tony Abel) 

• Town Centre, Visitors and Heritage (Chair Les 

Scott, Vice Chair David Wickerson) 

• Business and Employment (Chair Cllr Jill Skinner, 

Vice Chair James Dean) 

• Health and Community Services (Chair Cllr Anne 

Thorp, John Wallace) 

YOU can play your part by joining one of the Groups, 

you can find out more details by looking at the 

Neighbourhood Plan section of our website www. 

swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk you can follow us on 

Twitter @SwaffhamNPlan and by the time you are 

reading this there will be a dedicated Facebook Page 

under Swaffham Neighbourhood Plan. Facebook and 

32 

Twitter is free, and regular updates will point you 

into what is new on the website, what meetings are 

coming up and general information of interest. 

Days Field - For Sale 

Marketing commenced last month by Savills estate 

agents, for the selling of the former allotment site at 

Days Field. Outline Planning permission was achieved 

for 51 dwellings. The Town Council narrowed their 

options down to just three, and these are as follows:- 

1. Outright sale of the freehold, with the outline 

planning permission. 

2. Partial sale of the freehold, with a retention of a 

small number of houses to be offered for rent. 

3. A 50/50 arrangement with a developer to build 

out the site within a reasonable period of time. 

There has been a lot of initial interest shown and this 

will be firmed up in the coming weeks, as we work 

towards the Council making a decision on one of the 

three options above. 

Wall Adjacent To The Church 

Work will commence on repairs to the wall straight 

after Easter on 18th April and conclude on or before 

the 16th May. The Town Council will be footing 50% 

of the £10,587 bill (£5,293.50), the other half coming 

from the adjoining resident, who is also paying for 

the removal of a tree stump. This has been a longstanding 

issue that the Council have finally resolved, 

it was something that Councillors were troubled with, 

as they have so many issues that they would like to 

resolve in other parts of the Town. This was not seen 

as a priority as boundary issues can be fraught with 

dispute and can be expensive to resolve. A 50/50 

arrangement is seen as fair, and will now conclude 

with a legal agreement being drawn up between the 

Council and four neighbouring properties, in order 

to avoid confusion and/or delay in dealing with such 

boundary matters in the future. 

Merryweather Road – Roundabout 

At long last the order has been placed for a 

replacement roundabout at Merryweather Road Play 

Area, this facility has been funded by ‘Tesco Bags for 

help’ scheme, as an £8,000 grant will cover the cost of 

installation by mid-May, HAGS Play will be providing 

the new equipment and will be in Town as they are 

installing a MUGA at the Recreation Ground too! 

Skatepark Installation 

The Town Council have had the pre-contract meeting 

with Wheelscape and all is on schedule for a finish 

to the Skatepark project by the end of April. The job 

will take around 4 weeks and we will plan an event 

to raise awareness regarding the new facility to 

coincide with the opening of the MUGA. Please be

aware of the works in progress, stay off the site and 

the equipment until the contractors are finished – 

thank you. 

MUGA Installation 

There was a technical issue to resolve before we 

were able to place an order with the manufacturer 

HAGS Play, this has now been done and the work 

is scheduled for completion in mid-May. So we can 

now look forward to a future official opening/launch 

event for both the Skatepark and MUGA together 

at some point later this year. The facilities will be 

able to be used before then, but the event will be a 

celebration for our young people who have waited so 

long for these facilities. 

Swaffham Relief in Need Charity 

Registered Charity No. 1072912 

Relief in Need is a Registered Charity which meets 6 

times a year, offering grants for a specific purpose for 

the relief of persons resident in the area of benefit 

(i.e. Swaffham) who are in need, hardship or distress. 

Application Forms are available from the Town Hall 

or reliefinneed@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk 

Agencies at Swaffham Town Hall 

Swaffham Museum Gift Shop & Tourist 

Information Centre Open: Mon-Fri, 10am – 4pm 

& Sat 10am - 1pm 01760 721230 

Breckland Council Room 1: Open 9am – 1pm & 1:30pm 

- 4pm every Monday. 9:30am – 1pm every Tuesday, 

Thursday & Friday. Council Tax & benefit enquires. 

33 

The Town Council 

Mayor – Cllr Paul Darby 07880 568 628 

Deputy Mayor – Cllr Jill Skinner 01760 336121 

Cllr Steven Allen 

Cllr Terry Jennison 

07825 801 605 

01760 720608 

Cllr Robert Bartram 

Cllr Sheila Lister 

01760 721 022 

01760 720114 

Cllr Wendy Bensley 

Cllr Shirley Matthews 

01760 722 524 

01760 723205 

Cllr Brenda Bowler 

Cllr Les Scott 

01760 788519 

01760 720465 

Cllr Jan Buckley-Stevens 

Cll Anne Thorp 

01760 722604 

01760 722611 

Cllr Colin Houghton 

01760 336 025 

Breckland Councillors: 

Cllr Paul Darby, Cllr Shirley Matthews and 

Cllr Ian Sherwood 01760 725550 

twitter@ CllrIanSherwood (your.cllr@breckland.gov.uk) 

Your County Councillor is Cllr Paul Smyth 

07733 431358 / email paul.smyth@norfolk.gov.uk 

Officers 

Richard Bishop – Town Clerk 

townclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk 

Twitter - @SwaffhamClerk 

Claire Smith - Deputy Town Clerk 

deputyclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk 

Hannah Duggan – Office Administrator 

administrator@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk 

Swaffham Town Council 

Tel: 01760 722922 

www.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk 

Town Hall Opening Times 

Monday 9.30am-1pm and 1.30pm-4pm 

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday : 9:30am-1pm 

Town Council Dates 

Wednesday 12th - Full Town Council Meeting 

6.45 p.m. - 9.00 p.m. 

Monday 10th – Market Committee 

7.00pm – 9.00pm 

Monday 24th - Full Council Finance Meeting 

7.00 - 9.00pm 

Tuesday 25th – Planning Committee 

12 noon 

Wednesday 26th Annual Town Assembly 

7.00pm 

All at Council Chamber, Town Hall

Mind, Body & Spirit 

This month we feature Aura Soma a wonderful 

world of colour using the Aura Soma Colour- 

Care-System. Aura Soma is one of the top Colour 

Therapies in the world. Why is colour so important 

in all our lives? The energies of colour surround us 

for all to see and feel. Look at the vibrant yellow 

of the sunflower, the soft blue of the sky and the 

energetic reds and oranges of a tropical sunset. 

Feel the life within a glowing green plant and the 

serenity emanating from a translucent pool of pure 

water. You will quickly become aware that colour 

is a key ingredient in how we form our feelings 

toward something, and that these colour energies 

represent more than we may realise. 

What is the Aura Soma? The Aura Soma Colour- 

Care-System has been developed to capture these 

colour energies at a profound level and to use 

them as a tool to discover more about the essence 

of who we are. In the past, people have relied 

on others to tell them what to do and what they 

need. The Aura Soma system could empower you 

to make these decisions yourself. 

How does it work? Through choosing 4 from the set 

of over 100 beautiful dual coloured bottles we can 

begin the journey of self-discovery through colour. 

Think about it - you may be drawn to the vibrant 

sunshine of yellows, yet your friend may prefer 

the refreshing shades of green. These choices 

that we make reflect how our gifts, challenges and 

character are all entirely unique. 

This is why we say ‘you are the colours you choose’. 

Our aura is structured with 7 major coloured spirals 

of energy, or ‘chakras’. These chakras receive, 

digest, transform and transmit energy. Our chakra 

colours are the key to working with the Aura Soma 

bottles. One of our aims is to bring these chakras 

into balance, and also to restore, revitalise and 

rebalance ourselves at all levels. With the 4 bottles 

arrayed in front of us, it becomes possible, through 

discussion, to choose which colour products will 

be most beneficial to work with. 

What can I do next? For most people the first step 

towards working with the Aura Soma Colour-Care- 

System is to have a consultation with a trained 

Practitioner. This is where we choose our 4 bottles, 

and spend time discussing the meaning of our 

colour selection. If you would like a consultation or 

more information you can speak with Sky Carver 

on 07852 873471. 

Sky along with the Aura Soma team have a stand at 

the Mind Body Spirit Festival in Kings Lynn in April 

alongside 60 other exhibitors for a weekend at the 

lovely Corn Exchange. 

34 

A note about the Mind Body Spirit Festival 

Kings Lynn We have all number of exhibitors 

attending this amazing weekend including 

Himalayan Salt Lamps, Aura Video Camera, The 

Chakra Project nestled amongst a number of 

high quality healers and Clairvoyant mediums. 

Doors to the event open at 10am both days 

and until 5pm. This year we celebrate 100 

Mind Body Spirit Exhibitions and offer Free 

Entry to you all. 

Have a lovely Spring 

Steve Hudson 

Spiritual Flow Events 

Swaffham Spiritual Awareness Group 

Meets in the Community Centre, 

Beech Close, Campingland, Swaffham 

at 6.30pm. 

2nd April David Schiesser Huntingdon 

16th April Easter - no meeting 

30th April Barbara Price March 

Donations much appreciated – see our facebook page 

Everyone welcome Healing at 5.15pm to 6.30pm

Bedding Plants, Hanging Baskets, 

Shrubs, Trees, Alpines, Hedging, 

Conifers, Climbers, Pots, 

Compost & Bark 

Planting, Garden Clearance, 

Turfing, Pruning, Hedge Cutting, 

Grass Cutting, Mini-Digger Hire 

PLANTS FOR ALL SEASONS 

Main Road West Bilney PE32 1HW 

T: 01553 849802 

M: 07774 724366 

W: westbilneynurseries.co.uk 

Open 9am until 5pm 

7 days a week

MID SEASON 

SALE 

EVERYTHING REDUCED! 

WE WON’T BE 

BEATEN ON PRICE 

* 

STARTS 

SAT 1 ST 

APRIL 

STARTS 

SAT 1 ST 

APRIL 

GREAT SAVINGS IN 

WITCHFORD, ELY ON: 

Sofas, Chairs, Recliners, Beds, 

Mattresses, Bedroom Furniture, 

Office & Occasional Furniture, 

Dining & Kitchen Furniture, and 

much, much more... 

FURNITURE & 

BED CENTRE 

Lancaster Way Business Park 

Ely CB6 3NX 

T: 01353 669754 

GREAT SAVINGS IN OUR 

TOY STORE TOO! 

Wales Court, Downham Market 

PE38 9JZ 

T: 01366 383429 

GREAT SAVINGS IN 

DOWNHAM MARKET ON: 

Sofas, Chairs, Beds, Mattresses, 

Bedroom & Dining Furniture, 

Flooring & Rugs, Curtains 

& Blinds, Lighting, Linens, 

Cookshop, Homewares and 

much, much more… 

HOMESTORE 

Bridge Street, Downham Market 

PE38 9DS 

T: 01366 382213 

www.reedshomestore.co.uk or find us on Facebook 

† Excludes Reeds Café. * Reeds will beat any competitor’s price within a 50 mile radius. Internet sales excluded.

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