Local Lynx No.129 December 2019/January 2020

BALE - BINHAM - COCKTHORPE - FIELD DALLING

GUNTHORPE - LANGHAM - MORSTON

SAXLINGHAM - SHARRINGTON - STIFFKEY

ISSUE 129

December 2019

- January 2020

Season’s Greetings

to all our readers

Langham, 2014

ADS DIRECTORY now on back page and at

www.locallynx.co.uk

1

WHAT’S ON

VH = Village Hall

DECEMBER

1 st Sun. Langham Xmas Shopping Trip Departs Blue Bell

10am

6th Fri. Field Dalling Adnams Wine Testing, 7pm

6 th Fri. Sharrington Craft Group VH 2-4pm

7 th Sat. Langham Christmas Fair VH 10am -12 noon

10 th Tue. Sharrington ‘Jammin for Scones’ VH 2-4pm

11th Wed. Field Dalling Coffee Morning, 10.30am

11 th Wed. Langham FOL Quiz VH 7pm

12 th Thu. Langham Mobile Library 3.30pm St Mary’s & 4pm

The Cornfield

13 th Fri. Bale fish and chips, Village Hall, 6.45pm

13th Fri. Field Dalling Christmas Bingo, 7.30pm

13th Fri. Field Dalling Bereavement Group, Manor Farm

Cottage 4pm

14 th Sat. Cockthorpe All Saints, Christmas Tree Festival 10am

-3.30pm

14 th Sat. Gunthorpe Institute & Friends Christmas Party

Institute 7pm

15 th Sun. Cockthorpe All Saints. Christmas Tree Festival,

10am -3pm

15 th Sun. Cockthorpe All Saints, Candle Carol Service with

Cantilena Choir, 3pm

16 th Mon. Binham Christmas Decoration workshop for all

family, The Gallery @ The Chequers 5pm

16 th Mon. Binham Christmas Carols on the Green, The

Chequers 7.15pm

18 th Wed. Langham Christmas Carols VH 7pm

20 th Fri. Sharrington Noble Rotters VH 7.30pm

21 st Sat. Binham Carols and Readings for Advent and

Christmas, BP 6.30pm

22 nd Sun. Saxlingham Carols by Candlelight, Church 4pm

22 nd Sun. Sharrington Lantern Procession VH 4.30pm &

Carol Service 5pm All Saints Church

22 nd Sun. Stiffkey Church Carol/Christingle Service, 3pm

24 th Tue. Binham Children’s Crib Service, BP, 4pm

24 th Tue. Binham Midnight Holy Communion, BP 11pm

24 th Tue. Langham Church Carol Service 4pm

23 rd Mon. Morston Church Candlelit Carol Service 5pm

24 th . Tue. Morston Village Carol Singing. Anchor 5.30pm

25 th Wed. Binham, Family Service with Carols and Readings,

BP, 10.30am

28 th Sat. Langham Panto Trip Departs Blue Bell 12noon

JANUARY

5 th Sun. Binham Carols and readings for Epiphany 3pm

8 th Wed. Field Dalling Coffee Morning, VH 10.30am

9 th Thu. Langham Mobile Library 3.30pm St Mary’s & 4pm

The Cornfield

9 th Thu. Sharrington Craft Group VH 2-4pm

10 th Fri. Bale fish and chips, Village Hall, 6.45pm

10 th Fri. Field Dalling Bereavement Group, Manor Farm

Cottage 4pm

10 th Fri. Field Dalling Bingo, VH 7.30pm

13 th Mon. Field Dalling Parish Council Meeting, VH

7.30pm

20 th Mon. Binham Parish Council Meeting, MH, 7.15 for

7.30pm

23rd Thu. Langham Dome Talk, VH 7pm

25th Sat. Gunthorpe 50:50 Club Institute 10:30am

31 st Fri. Langham Quiz Night VH 7.30pm

31 st Fri. Sharrington Burns Night Supper VH 7pm

2

REGULARS

Tuesdays Binham Art Group BMH 9.30am to 12.30pm

First and third Tuesdays in the month Binham, Sew and

Natter, The Gallery in the Chequers, 7-9pm

Wednesdays term time Binham Youth Group BMH 6-8pm

Wednesdays Langham Mobile Post Office VH 8-9am

Wednesdays Sharrington Zumba Gold classes VH 2-3pm

Third Wednesday in the month, Binham, Cosy Club, BMH 2-

4pm

Thursdays Field Dalling Carpet Bowls Club, VH 1.30pm

(new time)

Third Thursday in the month Binham & Hindringham Open

Circle Meeting, Hindringham VH 7.15pm

Fourth Thursday in the month Binham Local History Group

BMH 7.30pm

1 st & 3 rd Saturdays in month Langham Coffee Mornings, VH

10am -12noon

Local Lynx is a non-profit-making community

newspaper for the ten villages of the benefice.

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Newsletter and Website Advertising

For enquiries about advertising in Local Lynx, contact

Maxine Burlingham: maxine.burlingham@me.com

Rates for advertising (pre-paid) are:

One column x 62 mm (1/8 page): £72 for six issues.

Small Ads Panel on the back page:

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BLAKENEY METHODIST CHURCH

Minister: The Rev’d Cliff Shanganya, 8, St. Andrew’s Close,

Holt. NR256EL 01263 712181 Email: CliffShanganya@methodist.org.uk

Samantha Parfitt, Steward/Pioneer

Rural Church Planter. sammi.1980@ live.co.uk 01263 711

824

Sunday

Thursday

Café Church 10am

10am Morning Prayer with Holy

Communion every third Thursday

BLAKENEY CATHOLIC CHURCH

Back Lane Blakeney

Parish Priest, Father Keith Tulloch, Stella Maris, The

Buttlands, Wells next the Sea 01328 713044 Priest in

Residence: Father William Wells (the house behind the

church). Service Times: Masses:

Saturday Vigil Mass

Sunday

Wednesday

6.00pm

11.00am

9.30am

Church Services for the Stiffkey and Bale Benefice for December 2019 and January 2020

HC=Holy Communion. CFS=Church Family Service. MP=Morning Prayer. BCP=Book of Common Prayer. CW=Common Worship.

Parish 1 st December 8 th December 15 th December 22 nd December 25 th December

Christmas Day

Bale 9.30am HC 9.30am HC 6pm Carol Service 9.30am HC

Field Dalling 11am CFS At Saxlingham 11am Lessons

& Carols

10am Christmas

Communion

Saxlingham At Field Dalling 11am HC 4pm Carols for All At Field Dalling

Gunthorpe 11am MP 4.30pm Silent

11am HC

Meditation

Sharrington 9.30am MP BCP 9.30am HC 9.30am MP CW 5pm Lantern Procession 9.30am Family HC

& Carol Service

Binham 11am HC 11am HC 11am CFS 9.30am HC 10.30am Carols &

Readings

Morston 9.30am HC BCP 9.30am HC BCP 9.30am HC BCP

Langham At Stiffkey 9.30am MP BCP At Stiffkey 9.30am HC

Stiffkey 9.30am MP BCP At Langham 9.30am HC 3pm Christingle

Parish 5 th January 12 th January 19 th January 26 th January

Bale 9.30am HC 9.30am HC 9.30am HC

Field Dalling 11am CFS At Saxlingham 11am MP BCP

Saxlingham At Field Dalling 11.00am HC At Field Dalling

Gunthorpe 11am MP 4.30pm Silent Meditation 11am HC

Sharrington 9.30am MP BCP 9.30am HC 9.30am MP CW 9.30am HC

Binham 3.30pm Epiphany Service 11am HC 1100am CFS 9.30am HC

with the Richeldis Singers

Morston 9.30am HC BCP 9.30am HC BCP

Langham At Stiffkey 9.30am MP BCP At Stiffkey 9.30am HC

Stiffkey 9.30am MP BCP At Langham 9.30am HC At Langham

Additional Services

17 th December: Binham, 6.30pm. Carols and Readings with the Iceni Choir.

23 rd December: Morston, 5.00pm. Lessons and Carols.

24 th December: Binham, 4.00pm. Crib Service.

24 th December: Field Dalling, 4.00pm. Crib Service.

24 th December: Langham, 4.00pm. Carol Service.

24 th December: Binham, 11.00pm. Benefice Midnight Holy Communion.

29 th December: Sharrington, 10.30am. Group Holy Communion Service.

Regular Weekday Services

Binham: Tuesday, 6.00pm Evening Prayer, Langham: Wednesday, 10.00am Holy Communion

RECTOR’S LETTER

Dear Friends and Parishioners,

The late Autumn and early Winter days are upon us.

‘I heard a bird sing in the dark of December’ wrote

Oliver Herford, one hundred years ago. ‘A magical

thing and sweet to remember, we are nearer to Spring

than we were in September.’ The door has closed upon

Summer, but it will open again. Now is the time for

audit, for checking the list of sheets and towels, for

ordering, if we garden, bulbs and seeds; and making

ready for Growth and Life, which are ahead. Between

come the weeks of cold and wind and rain and snow and

sleet. And in the whole Volcano that erupts at

Christmas: the annual remembrance of the Virgin Birth,

the interruption into the Roman world of the birth of a

Jewish boy who was in Himself, God, fully man and

fully God; who made for us all in his body, our health,

3

our Salvation.

On many Christmas cards we will see robins, deer,

holly and snow; and also Mary, her husband, and Jesus

the Son of God. What do you give a baby? What do you

give to God made human? Well, I give my heart.

May I wish you a thoughtful Advent and a Glorious

Christmas.

Yours most truly,

Ian Whittle, The Rectory Langham 01328 830246

LOOKING AFTER LOCAL LYNX

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COMMUNITY nEWS

A REQUEST FROM

THE REV. IAN WHITTLE

Dear Friends,

When you see a bird in the sky it looks effortless. We,

who live in lovely places, and have ancient churches, which

look effortlessly maintained, are also charged with their

care. Faith usually rests in worship and worship where you

live, but not always. But the Houses of God, built by our

own ancestors, are there for us all: for worship, for the

Services of Baptism, Burial, Marriage and the Celebration

of Life, Hearth and Home.

And there is a cost. Your own, my own, Parish Church

costs, say £2,500 to insure; £800 for lead insurance, £800 to

keep the churchyard cut; repairs; and £65,000 to keep me.

My salary is £24,000. But we belong to a bigger thing to

which we contribute. The Church, which keeps up schools,

hospital chaplaincies, hospice chaplaincies and much else,

only lives by others’ generosity. There the money goes.

I never ask for money, myself. But our parish churches

need our support. We now need committed money. My

salary, as I said, is £24,000 a year and a bit more. It costs me

£15,000 every year on upkeep; and I am happy to pay the

bill. That said, and without complaint, I must tell you that I

do, though, live in debt; and in Victorian times would, quite

possibly have found myself in good company in Debtors’

Gaol!

Your parish church does need you, as much as you need

your parish church. It is your place, your gate of heaven. Do

please think on it.

Every Parish has a Treasurer, and it’s quite easy to find their

name, but if you would prefer, do please telephone me or

write on email: therectory. langham@hotmail.co.uk.

We all want to keep and hand on and promote what has

been given to us. If you are able to join this tremendous

story, then Do!

Yours very truly,

Ian Whittle

4

COUNTY COUNCILLORS’ NEWS

…from Dr. Marie Strong

Two items about which it is important for you and your

local councils to have a say:

Closing Date 2 nd December:

The independent Local Government Boundary

Commission for England is asking for your views on the

electoral review of Norfolk County Council. The review

will agree new council division boundaries across the

council. • Do you have suggestions about where your

division boundaries should be? • Where do people in your

area go to access local facilities, such as shops and leisure

activities? • Which areas do you identify as your local

community? Your opinion matters. For more information

and interactive maps, visit: consultation.lgbce.org.uk and

www.lgbce. org.uk. Write to: Review Officer (Norfolk),

LGBCE, 1st Floor, Windsor House, 50 Victoria Street,

London, SW1H 0TL Email: reviews@ lgbce.org.uk.

Twitter: @LGBCE Consultation.

Closing Date 10 th December:

Have your say on Norfolk's Council Tax. Go to

www.norfolk.gov.uk/budget to feed back. The council is

proposing a rise of 3.99% for 2020/21 i.e. 1.99% for general

services and 2% for adult social care. (If you are not familiar

with computers ask for assistance at the library or wait for

posted information). Cabinet reviews the matter on 13 th

January and the decision will be set at full Council on 17 th

February. Upwards and onwards.

Marie

County Cllr Dr Marie Strong Wells Division - for now

consists of the following parishes - have your say as to what

happens next. Barshams & Houghton St Giles, Binham with

Cockthorpe, Blakeney, Brinton with Sharrington, Field

Dalling & Saxlingham, Glandford with Letheringsett, Great

Snoring, Great & Little Walsingham, Hindringham,

Holkham, Langham, Morston, Sculthorpe, Stiffkey, Stody with

Hunworth, Thornage & Little Thornage, Warham, Wells-next

-the-Sea, Wighton, Wiveton

marie.strong@norfolk. gov.uk or 07920 286 597

…from Steffan Aquarone

In my capacity as Liberal Democrat spokesperson for

climate change, I am pleased to report that the cross-party

Task and Finish Group set up by the council to report on the

climate emergency has made good progress. It all hangs on

whether the council accepts our recommendations at its next

meeting on 25th November*. On the one hand, I am

encouraged by the group’s approach, on the other hand, the

County Council still refuses to declare a climate emergency.

Watch this space...

As we enter into the next phase of the budget-setting

process, my priority as your county councillor will be trying

to lobby for the areas of greatest pressure - in particular the

Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), the previous cuts to

which the controlling administration shows little sign of

wavering on. The MIG is the level of income below which

households do not have to pay towards the cost of adult

social care. Reducing the MIG to the lowest level it can be

legally has left some of Norfolk’s poorest with £60 a week

less to live on.

[*Not known at the time of going to print.]

Steffan Aquarone: County Councillor Melton Constable

Division ( incl. Bale and Gunthorpe Parishes)

steffanaquarone@gmail.com or 07879 451608

DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ NOTES

…from Cllr. Richard Kershaw

The NNDC Corporate plan has now been approved by

Overview and Scrutiny Committee and has the backing of

all parties. The plan will be issued to all Parish Councils and

be put in public buildings.

There was a very positive response at the climate forum

held in North Walsham and Greenbuild at Fellbrigg.

Comments collected by interested parties have been collated

and distributed. Local working groups to be established

forthwith.

The Coastal Forum meetings held at Wells Maltings

were very interesting and provoked healthy debate amongst

the audience. Good to see the coastal communities coming

together over a common concern.

Cllr Richard Kershaw Economic Development &

Employment Portfolio Holder Priory Ward

District Councillors’ Contact Details:

Richard Kershaw e:richard.kershaw@north-norfolk.gov.uk

(Binham, Cockthorpe, Field Dalling, Gunthorpe & Bale,

Langham & Saxlingham)

Karen Ward e:karen.ward@north-norfolk.gov.uk (Morston &

Stiffkey)

Andrew Brown e:andrew.brown@north-norfolk.gov.uk

(Sharrington)

©AndrewMoncur

5

NEWS FROM HERITAGE HOUSE

After a summer of cream tea outings (two to the walled

garden at Holkham, one to Wells Sailing Club and one to

Pensthorpe) and an impromptu bus trip to the seaside for our

day visitors, we're now having to think about the big one.

Yes, Christmas is a'coming and although we don't start as

early as some supermarkets we do have to plan ahead. It

started for us over the last weekend of November when we

had three things going on: a stall at Wells ChristmasTide, a

tree in the Wells Christmas Tree Festival and one of our

regular cake and produce stalls in Burnham Market.

Next there's another of the very popular Bingo nights

that are organised and run for us by our care staff. It's on

Thursday, 12 th December and, as usual, it will be held in

Heritage House from 6.30pm. The following weekend, the

14 th and 15 th , there's the 2019 Holkham Festive Food Fair

and once again Heritage House has been lucky enough to be

selected as the beneficiary charity. The format of the

weekend will be much the same as last year and there will

be two grand raffles with really excellent prizes - one each

day. Do come along if you can.

Later in the month, on the morning of Saturday 21 st ,

there's the last of our cake and produce stalls on The Green

in Burnham Market for this year. This is the main event, our

Christmas stall, and as always there will be plenty of cakes

and other festive fare to be had. Your chance to stock up

before the big day. Cakes will also feature largely in our

Grand Christmas Draw - and these are not just Christmas

cakes, they're Trevor Wright Christmas cakes (you may

remember the wonderful array of cakes he and Moira

produced this time last year)! They'll be the star items in the

festive hampers we're currently raffling. Tickets are on sale

now from Heritage House (01328 711333) and from Moira

Wright (07717 222332) and the draw will take place on

Wednesday, 18 th December. Go on, you might be lucky!

Happy Christmas.

WEA WELLS BRANCH

Spring Term 2020

As some of you know our spring term normally starts

with a 7 week ‘long’ course beginning in late January.

Sadly, at the time of writing, that isn’t the case because

WEA has been unable to find us a course and tutor that we

think will appeal to our student group. If the situation

changes in the next couple of months we will, of course, do

our best to let you know but in the meantime we do have

two day schools organised for next term.

The first of these, ‘Country houses and their

Collections’; is on Saturday 25 th January when our tutor will

be Norwich-based art historian Dr. Kajsa Berg. By the 18 th

century, country houses such as Felbrigg, Holkham and

Houghton Hall held some of the most impressive art

collections in Britain. These were the product of a new

fashion for educating the young gentry by sending them on

a Grand Tour of Europe. There they honed their tastes and

emptied their pockets, bringing back paintings and

sculptures. This day school will explore the travels, tastes

and knowledge of the English gentleman as illustrated by

the owners of these and other great houses.

Our second day school will be held on Saturday, 7 th

March when Mark Felton will return to Wells to talk about

the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989 (details to follow

in the February/March issue). Both courses will be held in

the Friends Meeting House, Wells-next-the Sea. Each costs

£18 and they run from 9.45am until 4.00pm with a one hour

break for lunch.

You can enrol online now by going to www.wea.org.uk/

eastern and entering ‘Wells-next-the-Sea’ in the ‘town/

postcode’ box at the top of the page. This will take you to

the Wells courses. Click on the ‘view details’ button next to

the course required and then follow the ‘Enrol online’ link at

the bottom of the page. Alternatively - and some say more

easily – you can enrol by phoning 0300 303 3464. Or just

turn up on the day.

For help, advice or further details please contact Annie

Whitelaw on 07856 792186 or email

anniewhitelaw53@icloud.com.

GLAVEN DISTRICT CARING ANNUAL

GENERAL MEETING

Notice of change of date:

To be held on Monday 6 th January 2020

Glaven Centre, Thistleton Court, Blakeney at 4pm

Our regular helpers are invited to nominate and vote

for members to the management committee. Please

contact Keith Barnes 01263 740762.

Members of the public are invited to attend.

Copies of the annual report are available on request.

6

HOLT LIBRARY

For further information about events and to book

please call 01263 712202 or check our Facebook page

www.facebook.com/libholt. Please check with the

library first in case of any changes to events. Children

must be accompanied by an adult.

Special events

Free ‘Learn My Way’ Computer Sessions Book a

session between 10 and 12 on Fridays, with follow up

session as required. Sessions are on a 1 to 1 basis. You

may bring your own device and connect to wi-fi using

your library card. ‘Learn My Way’ is a step by step

course to help with simple or more complicated skills.

To book on any of the courses please contact Holt

Library on 01263 712202 or email holt.lib@

norfolk.gov.uk.

Fancy volunteering at your local library? We’ve lots

of volunteering opportunities – helping with Bounce

and Rhyme, becoming a friend of the library, helping

with Just a Cuppa and lots more. Just contact us for

more information.

Regular Events

Family History Every Tuesday 10am – 12 noon.

Drop-in session with Val and Vic our Family History

volunteers. Please check with library first.

Bounce and Rhyme Tuesdays 10.30am. Stories,

rhymes, cuppa and chat for pre-school children and their

families.

Computer Support Sessions - help with tablets too.

Every Wednesday and Friday 10am – 12 noon. Book a

free ½ or 1 hour session with our library IT-buddy

Stephen or Gary.

Craft and Chatter Every Wednesday 10am – 12 noon

Barn Owl Book Group and Crime Book Group

Check with library for next meeting.

My Norfolk, My Holt Thursday 12 th December –

Martin Garrard, Holt Fish Bar.

Writing Group Normally every third Friday in month–

check with library first. 1pm – 3pm. 13 th December

Just a Cuppa Every Friday 10.30 am – 12 noon. Come

and join us for a drink and a chat.

FAKENHAM CHORAL SOCIETY

AND ORCHESTRA

directed by Mark Jones

Cantatas & Carols for Advent and Christmas

With soloists Angela Brun and Tom Appleton

Saturday 14 December 2019, Fakenham Parish Church

at the earlier time of 5.30pm

Tickets: £12 (under 16 free) from 01485 544335

or £14 on the door

LADIES WHO SING

The renowned local choral group ‘Ladies Who

Sing’, (amongst whom are three residents of Lynx

parishes) under the direction of Janet Kelsey, invite you

to a Christmas Concert on Saturday 7 th December at

7.30pm in Aylsham Parish Church, Market Place,

Aylsham, NR11 6EL.

Start the festive season with a magical concert

including well-known carols and Christmas favourites.

There will be an opportunity for the audience to join in

with some of these. In addition to such familiar pieces

as Deck the Halls, Away in a Manger (by candlelight)

and Good King Wenceslas there will be a selection of

pieces from Britten’s Ceremony of Carols and two new

pieces by the group’s resident composer Maggi Warren.

The choir will be accompanied by the distinguished

pianist David Neil Jones.

Tickets £10 available in advance from choir

members, Postle’s of Aylsham or on the door. For

further information please see www.ladieswhosing.

org.uk.

Bridget Moss

7

LANGHAM DOME NEWS

The Dome has now closed for the winter and will reopen

on Friday 10 th April 2020. However you will see

work on the Spitfire during the winter months, and we

will be having a series of talks to raise money for the

Dome in Langham village hall (the first will have taken

place on 21 st November) - please see the article in Lynx

Issue 128, local notices and our web-site www.langham

dome.org for more details.

In Lynx issue 128 we promised to tell the story of a

101 year old Beaufighter navigator/wireless operator

called Arthur Steel who had recently written to us with

his amazing story of a combined Beaufighter operation

from RAF Langham with the ANZAC and RAF North

Coates wings on 15 th June 1944, and we have decided to

tell it using his own words.

Arthur Steel in 1944 and in May 2019 age 101

“My pilot Tony Adams and I, as his Navigator/WOp,

were part of the 254 Squadron contingent sent to RAF

Langham on the 14 th June 1944 from RAF North Coates, in

torpedo armed Beaufighter NE428 (M) (a Torbeau). We

stayed there overnight and had a thorough briefing, meal

and sleep. For weeks the Dutch Underground had kept us

informed about progress of the two main ships - Coburg-

Schiff of 7900 tons and Gustav Nactigall of 3500 tons,

which we understood were en route to the Baltic for final

fitting out.

We were up early and took off at 0435 hours, forming

up with all the participating Beaus from the Langham Wing

etc. We picked up our Polish escort of Mustang fighters

over Coltishall and headed for the Dutch coast. In front was

the top cover which was to come down steeply to smother

the ships with cannon and machine gun fire. As their fire hit

vessels, the rocket firing Beaus let loose, and smothered the

vessels as the "sitting duck" Torbeaus flew straight and level

to release their torpedoes.

The German convoy was sighted off Schiermonnikoog

and our planes deployed into attack. In addition to the main

ships they were surrounded (we were told) by 18 escorts.

The attack was on and all hell let loose, planes flying over

from every direction. As soon as the torpedoes had been

launched we "jinked" all over the place making

photography very difficult, but I managed some as we got a-

bit further away and levelled out.

Then it was off to Langham. The convoy looked like it

had been hit very hard. I watched one of the big ships slip

stern first under the sea and there were burning and sinking

escorts all around. We were told 17 of 18 were sunk or

beached and burning. The Polish escort leader called our

Wing Leader in an epic sentence which has always

remained with me - "Oh Wing Leader, oh Wing Leader,

what a "BLOODY good show". He was so excited - despite

having no German fighters appearing to fight.

Back at Langham it was obvious many Beaus had been

hit; by a miracle none had been lost. Undamaged planes

landed first and crews went to the control tower to watch the

"cripples" as they belly landed in clouds of grass and soil.

All crews seemed to be safe. We were all debriefed, cleaned

up, had a snack and a "tot of rum" - a Langham tradition.

The planes were checked, re-armed and made ready to do it

all again if necessary. Luckily a Photo Reconnaissance Unit

Spitfire which had checked the attack site reported there was

nothing left to attack - so we went back to North Coates.”

Our Langham historian John Allan has added the

following to Arthur’s story.

“A total of 42 aircraft set off on the mission from

Langham but one 455 squadron aircraft had to abort due to

engine trouble. This was the apparently the very war weary

NE196 "P" which had gained a reputation as being the

slowest Beaufighter on the squadron. Its call sign had hence

become known as P**s Poor. The mission was completed

by 14 aircraft of 254 Sqn and 5 aircraft of 236 Sqn (from the

North Coates wing) with 11 aircraft of 455 Sqn (RAAF)

and 11 aircraft of 489 Sqn (RNZAF) based at Langham,. It

was led by Wg Cdr Tony Gadd the Wing Commander

(Flying) at North Coates. He was awarded an immediate

DFC as a result of the mission. Wg Cdr "Paddy" Burns of

254 Squadron also got an immediate DFC.”

Arthur Steel’s survival to be telling us his story at age

101 following a crash in the sea just weeks later is even

more amazing, and we will tell you what happened in the

next issue.

As always if you would like more information on the

Dome and how to become a Friend of Langham Dome

8

(where annual membership gives unlimited free admission)

or to join us as a volunteer please contact our Dome

Manager Joanna Holden on e-mail jo@langhamdome.org.

For more details on opening hours, talks, etc, you can also

check our web site at www.langhamdome.org. JB

LANGHAM DOME WINTER TALKS

The second talk in the series of Langham Dome

Winter Talks will be given on 23 rd January by the Dome

Historian John Allan, and will be entitled “The Airmen

of RAF Langham’s Past”. John has devoted a great deal

of time and effort into researching the lives of those

who served at RAF Langham in WW2, and especially

those who made the ultimate sacrifice in operations

from there, and this will be a fascinating and personal

link to Langham’s history. The talk will take place in

Langham Village Hall commencing at 7pm. Entry is

£7.50 per head to include wine and nibbles, and all

profits will go to support the Friends of Langham Dome

in their work to maintain and improve the Dome.

Further talks will be given on 27 th February and 26 th

March, covering respectively “The Life of Ernest

Shackleton” and the “Phoney War of 1939/1940”. Full

details on these talks will follow in Lynx issue 130 and

on our web site at www.langhamdome.org. JB

FARMING UPDATE: SEPTEMBER

AND OCTOBER

Drilling and Deluges

This month’s update marks the first anniversary of this

farming column in the Local Lynx and looking back at that

report things could not be much more different than they

were this time last year. Unlike the ‘Indian summer’ we

experienced in the autumn of 2018, 2019 has brought little

but rain and cloud: in the 40 days from 22 nd September

(when the rain really got going) to 1st November (the time

of writing) we have recorded rain on 30 of them. The 6

weeks from mid-September is the key window for planting

new season winter cereals, which form the bulk of our

rotation, and as such the inclement weather has come at a

very bad time.

The consistency of the rain is as hampering as the

volume, as the soil has no time to dry out between showers,

so working on the land becomes very difficult for several

reasons. Firstly, although seeds require moisture to

germinate, they can have too much of a good thing and wet

soil with rain falling on top can waterlog fields and starve

the seed of air, so they effectively drown before emerging.

Secondly, the soil surface becomes more ‘plastic’ when wet,

which means it can stick to the equipment and in particular

block the drill, but also the soil structure is more easily

damaged by machinery. Thirdly, when there is a lot of rain,

the soil cannot drain effectively so it becomes saturated

through the profile, and tractors find these wet spots every

so often and get stuck. All of these factors mean we have

not planted anywhere near as much winter wheat as we

would like, and given the current forecast it might be that

some fields will be left over winter and planted with a

spring crop, such as barley, instead. We will see what the

next couple of weeks bring.

Despite many farmers’ drills not being as useful as

they’d like this autumn, they are still one of the pillars of

modern agriculture. The goal, when sowing, is to place the

seed at an even depth, evenly spaced from its neighbour and

cover it with soil. The earliest seed drills are thought to have

existed in China from around 200BC, as an alternative to

simply broadcasting by hand over the soil surface, but

Jethro Tull is credited for refining the idea of the horsedrawn

machine in the 1700s and the drills you see working

today are startlingly similar in concept.

The seed is contained in a hopper, which is metered-out

into tubes by a rotating cog – the amount of seed released

can be precisely controlled by the number of revolutions of

the meter. Most modern drills are pneumatic, which means

a high-pressure fan is used to blow the seed along the tubes

until it reaches the coulter. The coulter is either an angled

disc or vertical tine which penetrates the soil to create a slot;

the end of the seed tube will be positioned so that it sits

directly behind the tine or disc and the seed falls straight in

to the slot. A press wheel or set of light tines, or both, then

move soil into the slot so the seed is covered and protected

from the elements. I’m sure Jethro Tull would be impressed

by the size, working speed and refinement of such modern

machines in good conditions, but I bet his would work

better in the wet.

Jonathan Darby Albanwise Farm Manager

9

BALE

Contact: Jane Wheeler 01328 878656

design@janewheeler.co.uk

WALKING FROM KELLING

Bale diary 27 th Oct

At last a clear day after so many rainy and very gloomy

ones. A bourbon rose still flowering and beautifully scented

by my gate; I am astonished - summer rain turns the

opening flowers of this particular rose into tiny brown paper

parcels and they don’t open. It’s a climbing version of

Souvenir de la Malmaison.

We were on our way out for a walk from Kelling

reading rooms to Kelling heath and back, via Muckleburgh

Hill; a walk that involves two big hills and wonderful views

of the coast. Muckleburgh hill has low growing oaks around

its double crown, stunted by sea winds and poor soil. You

think you have reached the top and then find there is another

higher point, looking over down the slope to the North Sea.

Astonishing to think that 10,000 years ago you would have

been looking at dry land down there, low chalk and sandy

hills, chained by marshy rivers and lakes, wooded and full

of wild animals, which archaeologists nowadays call

Doggerland. A rich environment for a sparse population of

Mesolithic human hunters. East you look across to

Sheringham and Beeston bump; west over the saltmarshes

and shingle ridge to Blakeney point, Salthouse church and

Walsey hill.

Then down again through woods on the Weybourne

side, easy to get lost, until you find the gate to the coast

road, walk along the road a bit and through a gap on the

opposite side, with a footpath sign, through tunnels of low

ivy and woody groves up to the eastern edge of the heath.

On this steep slope (Telegraph Hill) it’s not really a heath

any more but a wood. Here you climb up onto the Holt-

Cromer ridge, which is composed of outwash sands and

gravels deposited by rivers at the glacier edge, during the

last Ice age. A steep northward-facing slope which would

have been the glacier margin. Probably Muckleburgh Hill

itself is a "kame", like Beeston Bump, a steep-sided mound

of sand and gravel deposited by the melting ice sheet.

I spotted the snowy white steam cloud from the steam

engine chugging hard to pull its coaches up the gradient to

Holt from Sheringham. The footpath crosses another road,

and then very quickly turns up Holgate hill to the railway

line, the most punishing slope. At the top you are higher

than the railway line which is down in a cutting. I think I

sounded like a steam train puffing up the last and steepest

bit. Then as I walked along I could hear the train coming

back, hooting for the pedestrian crossing then slowing for

the little halt at Kelling, downslope.

Before diving down the steep footpath to Kelling village

again I met some people with a lovely basket of fungi; one

was as big as a loaf of bread. We agreed that the ceps are

over - that’s about the only edible fungi I recognise apart

from field and parasol mushrooms. There was a brilliant

red, and perfect, fly agaric; they coexist with birch trees, and

like most of the fungi we only see as “fruiting bodies” in the

autumn, have extensive networks of hair-like threads which

tap into tree roots, providing minerals and taking sugars in

exchange.

The landscape changes as you walk down the path; at

first bracken, all colours from palest yellow to bronze and

dark rust, hangs down from high banks and the slopes are

steep and wooded with silver birch. As the slope becomes

less steep there are small paddocks and large grass fields,

oaks and a lot of ash trees, none of which are very old,

probably dating to the disuse of the heath for common

grazing. Recent rains, some extremely heavy – Weybourne

recorded over seven centimeters in one afternoon, whereas

in Bale we only had just over three – have scoured out some

sandy gullies at the top, and dumped sand on the path at the

bottom of the hill.

Back at home in my garden there is more autumn colour

than I saw near the coast – my guelder rose is full of berries

and the leaves are turning very pretty colours. The

hornbeam, which is only nineteen but is quite tall now, has a

lovely display, and the rowan, all berries gone, is a delicate

and elegant garden inhabitant. I put a new one in on the

other side this year. I don’t really have room to plant any

more trees, there are too many already, but my garden is a

little oasis of wilderness amongst more conventional spaces

and the industrial agriculture which we need to feed the

country

JW

HUNDRED CLUB DRAW RESULTS

September 19 October 19

Geeta Scott £25 Marianne Mitchell £25

Andrea Turnbull £10 Charlie Mitchell £10

Emily Postan £5 Basil Postan £5

Susan Buttifant £5 Les King £5

10

BALE VILLAGE HALL NEWS

Our traditional harvest supper took place on 5 th

October, with a good number in attendance. This is

always a special event, when the committee members

and other helpers get a “night off” (at least partially) as

caterers come in and look after us with a hearty 3-course

meal. The new team of caterers did an excellent job and

we are hoping they will come again next year.

The next event in the village hall calendar is Old

Year’s night, kicking off at 8pm on 31 st December.

Alastair and his team will be spending days in their

kitchen to come up with something amazing for us to

eat and the quiz to keep us busy between courses will

this year be set by “Hammond Eggs” (their punishment

for winning last year). Tickets, at £15, will be available

in December (01328 822012). Bring your own drinks,

and try to remember some £1 coins if you would like to

play for the whisky.

Early in 2020, we will be circulating a list of events

for the year. If you have any ideas or suggestions for

what should be included, please email

balevillagehall@gmail.com. We are a small

committee, so offers to actually put your ideas into

action would be even more welcome.

In the meantime, we look forward to seeing a good

number at “Christmas” fish & chips on 13 th December

and then the regular evening on 10 th January. Please be

at the village hall by 6.45 to put in your order. Raffle

prizes welcome.

Paula Moore

BINHAM

Contact: Liz Brady 01328 830830

lizsdavenport@gmail.com

CHRISTMAS CAROLS ON THE GREEN

This years’ Christmas Carols with the Fakenham

Town Band will take place on Monday 16th December

at 7.15pm. Mulled cider, mince pies and a BBQ will be

provided.

A Christmas decoration workshop in The Gallery @

The Chequers the will also take place from 5pm. This is

designed for the whole family and others who would

like to have some fun and make something to put on the

village Christmas tree.

Everyone is very welcome to these free events and

we look forward to seeing you all.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT THE

PRIORY

We extend a warm welcome to everyone at the

following services

Saturday, 21 st December, 6.30 pm

Carols and Readings for Advent and Christmas with the

Iceni Christmas Choir

Christmas Eve, 4pm

Children's Crib Service

Christmas Eve, 11pm

Midnight Holy Communion

Christmas Day, 10.30 am

Family Service with Carols and Readings

Sunday, 5 th January, 3.30 pm

Carols and Readings for Epiphany with the Richeldis

Singers

BINHAM VILLAGE MEMORIAL HALL

The hall is having a lovely autumn. The Youth

Group is busy as always with approximately 30 children

involved on a weekly basis – if you have any children

who would be interested in joining then please don’t

hesitate to contact Andy Marsh and all his details are on

the hall website.

The sparkling new June 100 cooker is now installed

and can, rather excitingly, be wheeled out to facilitate

cleaning.

The Christmas supper is on 30 th November at 6.30

for 7pm.

We are planning a couple of our own events for 2020

including a quiz night pencilled in for February 8 th but,

as always, keep an eye out on our Facebook page and

the website www.binhamvillagehall.co.uk. Mary Hunt

BINHAM ART GROUP

The group’s “Autumn/Winter” collection which is

currently on display in the Gallery @ The Chequers is

considered by many to be the best yet. Do go along and

see for yourself as there is an amazing range of work in

11

various mediums and styles. There is something to suit

everyone’s taste. Original works of art always make good

Christmas presents.

Also in the gallery is the winner of our October “picture

of the month” competition, a painting in acrylics by Robin

Townend titled “Summer Retreat”. The November

competition is on the 26 th and the winner will be up in the

gallery during December.

The group’s Christmas lunch will be held at the

Chequers on the 10 th December, following on from our

usual morning session at the village hall. This is the chance

for all the members to get together and have a good mardle,

whilst enjoying the excellent food put on by the Chequers.

We will be having our annual fortnight’s holiday over

Christmas, that is the 24 th and 31 st December. We meet on

every other Tuesday of the year.

The group is in excellent health with several new

members coming along over the past few weeks. The year

has flown by with an excellent and improving standard of

work being produced by the members, as displayed at the

gallery and at our annual exhibition.

We would like to thank all of you that have supported us

throughout 2019 and in particular Sarah, Simon and the staff

at the Chequers. It has all been very much appreciated. A

picturesque and happy Christmas to you all. John Hill

BINHAM YOUTH GROUP

Binham youth group is held in the Binham Memorial

Hall on Wednesdays 6-8 pm, term time only, age 5-16

years, £1 entry fee, tuck shop. All staff DBS checked. And

there is a no mobile phones policy.

We have Art ‘n’ Craft, board games, table tennis, pool

table, karaoke, books, 10-pin bowling, indoors during

winter and summer time we use the large playing field and

play equipment or just chill out and make new friends.

“It’s a great way to spend your time” (William), “You

can make new friends” (Lily) and “There’s lots of fun”.

(Ben)

We are always looking for volunteers to help out, even if

only now and again. Contact Amanda Able (01328 830828)

or Andrew Marsh (01328 830178) for further information.

BINHAM & HINDRINGHAM OPEN CIRCLE

We are a women’s group that meet on the third

Thursday of each month at 7.15 pm in Hindringham village

hall.

It would be lovely to welcome new members to our

group. Either come along or ring our secretary Sue Elkins

01328 878487 for more information.

We have booked the Victorious Bistro in Walsingham

for our Christmas meal on Thursday 5 th December, 6.15 for

6.30 pm. Menus and details were circulated to choose from

and returned by 21 st November.

Our meetings in 2020 start with 16 th January when we

welcome astrologer Claire who is going to give us a zip

round the zodiac.

Sue Ellis

LOCAL HISTORY GROUP TALK

History of Norfolk on a stick - Andrew Tullett

Our September meeting began with an amusing and

informative talk by Dr. Andrew Tullett on the story of

Norfolk village signs. We are blessed to live in a county that

has so many signs depicting the stories associated with the

villages. The very first village sign was erected in England

in the early 1900s. The Women’s Institute were behind

organising a lot of them. Norfolk still has far more village

signs than any other county in the country.

Andrew began by observing that his journey into

exploring village signs began in a summer of his teenage

years as a reluctant participant to his father’s new found

passion of wanting days out to visit Norfolk village signs

and photographing them. As Andrew recalled it wasn’t

exactly the thrill of his teenage life at that time and he

couldn’t quite appreciate his father’s enthusiasm.

However time moves on and in 2017 to mark the 20 th

anniversary of that past summer expedition he decided to

dig out those photos of his father and do a return tour during

the 218 days of British Summer Time travelling an

astonishing 3,749 miles by foot, cycle and car visiting 508

village signs. To that end he then began to research the

stories behind the signs and set up a facebook group called

Signs of a Norfolk Summer writing up the stories of the

12

signs and noting what had changed.

Andrew’s talk was very informative and entertaining. He

mentioned that many of the original signs were made by

Harry Carter, an art and woodwork master at Hamond’s

Grammar School in Swaffham who, in 1929, carved a sign

for his home town. By the time of his death in 1983 he had

carved over 200 town and village signs.

Scholars, Saints & Sinners - Chris Armstrong

Our October talk saw a welcome return to Chris

Armstrong to talk to us about his latest research into the

lives of some of Norfolk’s more idiosyncratic clergy of 19 th

and early 20 th centuries. Chris was born into a clergy family

or as he calls it the “family business .Chris’s father, both

grandfathers, great grandfather, uncles and cousin were all

part of the church, so he is well placed to take a discerning

eye to some of the characters that undertook the position of

the rural parson in times gone by.

In his book of the same title, Chris has looked at the

careers of nine clergy, each of whom fit into one of the

categories. It includes, of course, the well-known life story

of The Revd. Harold Davidson of Stiffkey, who sadly met

his end being mauled by an angry lion.

But there are also a number of equally interesting

characters such as The Revd. George ‘Ammunition’ Smith

(1845-1918) who was originally from Docking. He became

a hero through his courage in the Anglo-Zulu war at the

battle of Rorke’s Drift on 22 nd /23 rd January, 1879 where 150

British and colonial soldiers held out against an attack by

4,000 Zulu warriors. A ferocious and bloody battle ensued

and as a noncombative he could have left before the battle

began but chose to stay and play a supportive role by

distributing ammunition to soldiers.

Canon Walter Marcon was born in Edgefield in 1850. A

committed parish priest to Edgefield. Upon his appointment

in 1876, he found the church of St Peter & St Paul in a

particular state of disrepair and collapse. ‘A ruinous Lord’s

house’ was his description and he felt called to act and

rebuild. He set about fundraising to move the church’s

location and to rebuild it and finally in 1884 the task was

complete. There is a delightful stained glass window in the

church dedicated to his memory depicting him riding his

bike as he was well-known for doing.

Next talk: Binham Memorial Hall, 23 rd January 2020,

7:30pm The Story of East Anglian Almshouses - Sarah

Doig £3 members, £5 non members always welcome .

Pennie Alford blhg@btinternet.com 01328 830700

BINHAM NATURE NOTES

Autumn is the time of the year when the season

brings about the changes in what birds do. For some it

means departures to warmer climates and arrivals for

those who choose to make this beautiful part of North

Norfolk their wintering home.

The first to depart were the swifts who had

successful bred in nearby buildings, my last sighting of

their high flying aerial acrobats over the village was on

9th August and then they were gone. The swallows and

house martins continued balancing on the wires and low

flying into their nests until October and then they too

have gone for sunnier winter climes.

Late September brought the early morning calls of

returning pink foot geese from their breeding grounds in

Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland. This species does

not breed in the UK, but large

numbers of birds spend the winter

here. The numbers arriving in

England are on the increase,

according to RSPB about 360,000

birds. Norfolk in particular is a

hotspot, probably due to better

protection. Binham last year saw

very large numbers in the surrounding fields. Other

geese arriving are the brent geese. There are two distinct

races of brent geese. Dark-bellied brent geese breed in

northern Russia and spend the winter in southern and

eastern England. Pale-bellied brent geese breed mostly

in Canada and Greenland and spend the winter mostly

in Ireland.

Also coming into view at this time of year are the

flocks of starlings who start to gather in large numbers

called murmurations.

These huge flocks of

birds gather together to

roost through the winter

months. Its thought they

do it for safety from

predators and also to

provide warmth to each

other. A starling murmuration is something to behold just as

the sun is setting. It can never be guaranteed but it's a

wonder to behold that so many birds flocking together can

make such spellbinding movements . Last year a large flock

was roosting in Swaffham and attracted many people to

13

continued on page 16

CHRISTMAS PUZZLE PAGES

CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD

by Bob

(answers on page 26)

SPOT THE DIFFERENCES

by Bob


1 2 3 4 5

6

7 8

8

9 10

10 11 12

12 13

13 15

14 15 16 17

16 18

19 20

19

22 21

Across

1. Troll, losing his tail, in Bale, when composed, wrote 6 down

(6,4)

7. Cool salad ingredient. (8)

8. Bitter—sounds like an old Frenchman! (4).

9. Cut unneeded words when the sea flows back (4)

10. Vane rim produced the goddess of wisdom (7)

12. Bury the spectator and produce someone to question him

(11).

14. Book an extra player! (7).

16. Mix up the prison (4)

19. An idea! - shorten the aircraft by 20% (4)

20. A collection point built by Ol’ B-tooth (8)

21. A ship to stop the gale (10).

Down

1. Hello, user—got the bug inside? (5)

2. If you can’t see her, you’ve got to see her for a test! (7)

3. We will comb the ends to find a river in Germany (4)

4. Sore joint? Rub it, Sis, to resolve it (8)

5. Ogre, beaten up around the bend, reveals the villain (5)

6. More green musical show (6)

11. The animal doctor, cutting into a kind of creature, is

deservedly promoted to a higher rank (8)

12. I gives out the cards, showing what I aspire to (6)

13. Place to contain ‘the shower’? (3,4)

15. EU inn? It just produces boredom. (5)

17. It goes round and is the same up and down (5)

18. Apple (Adam’s) hides his answer to the charge (4)

For Grandma, Barbara has draw a picture of her perfect

toy shop. Robert, being a bit jealous, has made 10

alterations to it so he can pretend it’s his. Can you see

what he’s done? Some are really hard to find!

14

CHRISTMAS PUZZLE PAGES

SAMPHIRE’S CHRISTMAS QUIZ


1. What date is St Stephen's Day?

2. Who was Scrooge's dead business partner In Charles

Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol?

3. Which country traditionally gives London a Christmas tree

for Trafalgar Square?

4. Nine what was it that - in the song “The Twelve Days of

Christmas, did '...my true love brought to me...'?

5. What Christmas item was invented by London baker and

wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847?

6. In what year was Band-Aid's “Do They Know It's

Christmas?”- the UK Christmas chart-topping record?

7. Which country did St Nicholas come from?

8. How many points does a snowflake have?

9. What is the name of the cake traditionally eaten in Italy at

Christmas?

10. From which Christmas carol is: “And all the bells on earth

shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning”?

11. Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world)

mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut?

12. Peter Auty sang “Walking In The Air” in what film?

13. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what

each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the

following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Turkey

drumstick?

14. The fortified wine drink Sherry is named after what town?

15. Who composed the music known as “The Nutcracker

Suite” for the Christmas-themed ballet “The

Nutcracker” (premiered in St Petersburg in 1892)?

16. Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament

pass a law banning Christmas in 1647?

17. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by

early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle?

18. The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term,

which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a

particular tradition popular with children?

19. In which country does Santa have his own personal

postcode HOH OHO?

20. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by

archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed

into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what

alternative word for the Christmas season?

21. Name the original eight reindeer from the 'Twas the night

Before Christmas' poem?

22. What are the names of the three wise men said to have

brought gifts to the baby Jesus?

23. What is New Year's Eve called in Scotland?

24. Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

15

SEEKING “LOCAL” LYNX

(sightings listed on page 27)

Back again for another festive stroll,

can you follow our extremely tame wildcat

through the pages of the Lynx? There are 15

opportunities to spot the spotted cat.

RH

WORDSEARCH

by Christina Cooper


Q Y Q S M W S S M D H T

R U T D D A M D O W L N

Q M H C V O R F E H V A

S H C L V K O S T E W S

B E A C H E S W H S R A

G S E N U D V U E E Q E

E G D I R T R A P N S H

E P W B M M L E E T I P

S F A N Z S Y R Y N H P

E R H K S J L A D J E A

C J Y C Q S M H V P O C

V G E X Q I O Z V U H T

1. Some of these are blue flag.

2. You can catch these with a piece of bacon!

3. Holkham Hall & Gunthorpe are home to these.

4. Jumping down these is a seaside favourite.

5. Hundreds migrate here every winter.

6. In March they can be mad!

7. Cley & Blakeney ones are birdwatcher havens.

8. Holt’s trail is named after this mouse hunter.

9. Small wildfowl that tend to run rather than fly.

10. Watch out for these flying out the hedges!

11. These line Wells & Holkham beaches.

12. Britain’s biggest colony breeds at Blakeney Point.

continued from page 13

watch. Titchwell nature reserve reported in late October that

they had about 10,000 starlings gathering for a display.

Pennie Alford

THE FRIENDS OF BINHAM PRIORY

Talk and Taster Evening with Black Shuck Gin.

7.30pm March 12th 2020. Save the date.

This takes place in Binham Memorial Hall and is open

to everyone. Ticketing details will be available in February.

For updates, visit www.friendsofbinhamriory.weebly.

com.

The Friends’ 10 th anniversary annual general meeting is

at 6pm on the same evening. In due course, FoBP members

will receive a personal invitation to the AGM, together with

an early ticketing alert for the Black Shuck event.

FOODBANK NEWS

For the month of September, Binham provided 65.85 kg

of food out of a total for the Cromer District of 3708.04 kg.

Many thanks to all who contributed. Since September, we

have had a great contribution from the harvest collection in

the church and this will be reflected in the next report.

Additionally, we have had cash donations in the

collection box in the Chequers that have also helped to raise

further funds from the sales of our book. Special thanks to

all the staff there.

The collection box in Howell’s Superstore provides a

rich haul at every collection date. We are so grateful to

Trevor, Anita and Toby for keeping the box in such a

prominent place in the shop.

Christmas is coming; last reports stated that there are 4

million children living in poverty in this country and that

parents are having to choose “heat or eat” in order to feed

their families. Your continued help will do so much for

those in this situation in our area.

Norah and Richard tonshax@pobroadband.co.uk.

BINHAM MEMORIAL HALL

100+ Club winners

September winners: £25 Mark Bartram, £10 Andrew

Cuthbert, J Savory, £5 Mrs J Calvert, Ann and Perry

Hooper, Mrs Pepper.

October winners: £25 J Savory, £10 G Savory,

Sheilin Cuthbert, £5 Mr Marshall, Nicolas Tilley, Alex

Bartram. If anyone would like to join the 100+ club,

please call at 8 Priory Crescent or ring June Read on

01328 830106.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Look ahead to the new year and be hopeful.

Look around and be helpful, and

try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.

COCKTHORPE

Contact: Maurice Matthews 01328 830350

maurice.matthews@peppard.net

COCKTHORPE CHRISTMAS NEWS

It is that time of year again; summer is becoming a

distant memory, autumn leaves are falling and winter is

knocking on the door and the nights are drawing in.

Now is the time to start planning the annual Cockthorpe

Christmas Tree Festival. Last year we raised a magnificent

amount which enabled the NNUH Neo Natal Unit to

upgrade two incubators to provide intensive care for

premature babies. This may not seem much, but it is truly

lifesaving, the new born babies are fed and administered

drugs for all their needs without being taken out of the

incubator, so the risk of infection and disturbance is kept to

a minimum. Another huge upside is that two local babies

can be near home and family.

So I am again appealing to your goodwill and generosity

to come and support us.

You can do this in many ways: raffle prizes, donations,

sponsorship of a tree or decorating a tree which is provided

at the cost of the tree.

Most important we would love you to come and visit the

church which will be decorated with 24 small trees and an

abundance of fairy lights.

Please come and join us at All Saints Church

Cockthorpe NR23 1QS. Saturday 14 th and Sunday 15 th

December from 10am till 3.30pm.

The festival closes with our Carol Service; once again

led by the fantastic Cantilena Choir on Sunday 15 th at 3 pm.

Juliet Case

16

FIELD DALLING

Contact: Julie Wiltshire

julie_wilson75@hotmail.com

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH

Update on the Church Roof

Pikestaff, our contractors, have made a good start on the

remaining work on the nave roof so there is every reason to

believe that the church will reopen in time for our December

and Christmas services. It kindly rained heavily the day after

they did the first round of patching, so we were able to

check for any remaining leaks!

Christmas Services

You need no reminder, of course, that all are very

welcome at our Service of Lessons and Carols, at 11am on

Sunday 22 nd December, where the service will be led by the

Cantelina Choir, conducted by Rosemary Kimmins. Mulled

wine will be served after the service.

And do join us for the Crib Service on Christmas Eve at

4pm, when the shopping is done and we can turn our focus

to the Crib and its occupant.

On Christmas Day there will be a family service

Communion starting at 10am. It generally lasts 40 minutes.

Advent Group

We will be meeting on each Monday before Christmas

in December, at the home of Ian and Fiona Newton, Manor

Farm Cottage, 67 Langham Road, Field Dalling. All are

very welcome at this discussion group - we generally chew

cake as well as ideas. We start with the cake at 4.45pm and

finish the discussion by 6pm. It is particularly good to meet

with friends from other parishes, so do join us for some or

all of the meetings.

Ian Newton

VILLAGERS’ HALL

www.fdands.org

Villagers’ Hall Website

Photos of the summer fete and the harvest supper are

available for viewing on the event gallery page at

www.fdands.org.

Adnams Wine Tasting

The Adnams wine-tasting event is on Friday, 6 th

December at 7pm. Please contact Steve and Susie Collins

(steveandsusie100@gmail.com) to confirm your attendance.

Coffee Mornings

Coffee mornings are held every second Wednesday of

the month in the village hall at Field Dalling, 10.30 a.m. to

12 noon. We serve fresh coffee, tea, homemade cake and

biscuits. It’s a great chance to meet new people or catch up

with old friends. All refreshments are free of charge, but

donations are gratefully received. The next coffee morning

is the Christmas Special on Wednesday 11 th December, with

mince pies, cakes and decorations.

The first coffee morning of 2020 will be on Wednesday

8th January. We look forward to seeing you.

Mel and Brian Goodale

Important Diary Dates

Bingo Nights: 13 th Dec, 10 th Jan, 7 th Feb, 6 th Mar, 3 rd Apr,

1 st May, 29 th May, 26 th Jun

17

Coffee Mornings: 11 th Dec, 8 th Jan, 12 th Feb, 11 th Mar, 8 th

Apr, 13 th May, 10 th Jun, 8 th Jul, 12 th Aug, 9 th Sep, 14 th Oct,

11 th Nov, 9 th Dec

Parish Council: 13 th Jan, 9 th Mar

Mobile Post Office: Every Wed, 9.45-10.45am

200 CLUB WINNERS

Sept: £50 Ted Hotblack, £25 Tim James, £15 Glyn Thomas.

Oct: £50 Amanda Maundrell, £25 Mark Gardner, £15

Jennie Lane.

BEREAVEMENT GROUP

A reminder that the Bereavement Group is held on the

second Friday of each month at Manor Farm Cottage, 4pm.

“A wonderful, safe place to say what I want to say, but

can’t say to others.”

Fiona Newton

GUNTHORPE

Contact: John Blakeley 01263 861008

jbconsult@btinternet.com

www.gunthorpefriends.co.uk

BARBARA BURTON

We were deeply saddened to learn that Barbara Burton

had died in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn on

14 th November, aged 90, just as this edition of the Lynx was

going to print. A full tribute to Barbara, who has lived in

Gunthorpe since 1979, will appear in issue 130, but in the

meantime we send our heartfelt condolences to husband

Donald and son Stephen and his family.

FOGPC

50/50 Club Draw Results

September

October

Doreen Webster £20 Andrew Ryde £20

Noel Hinton £10 Roland Bohn £10

Sandy Wallace £5 Helen Ford £5

Dorothy Tomic £5 Valerie King £5

Sophie Walder £5 Alex Worrall £5

Tony Dufour £5 Lucy Bent £5

Vivienne Wilson £5 Nigel Ford £5

We started the new subscription year with 125

members and now have 127, but we still welcome more.

If you have not already renewed, or are new to the

village and would like to join, can we please ask for the

subscriptions for the next year, ie from now to May

2020 inclusive, to be paid as soon as possible, It costs

just £1.00 per month (payable in advance for the

remainder of the year to May 2020) to join and you can

get your subscriptions and more back if you are lucky

enough to win a prize. The 50:50 Club contributes around

£1000 per annum to the “Friends” funds.

Payments can also include your “Friends” membership

of a minimum of £5 per annum (or part of a year), and a

cheque, cash or BACS payment of just £17 per person for

the full year will cover both. Cheques should please me

made out to FOGPC. BACS payments can be made as

detailed below, but please inform John Blakeley (e-mail:

jbconsult@btinternet.com) if you pay by BACS so that

records can be kept up to date and you do not miss the

chance to participate in a future draw. Some subscriptions

are already “rolling in” so thanks if you have already rejoined.

The Friends membership and any other donation, but not

the 50:50 Club subscriptions, can be gift aided and if you

have not already completed a form we would, be most

grateful if you could consider doing this – provided you are

and remain a taxpayer of course.

NAT WEST Bank plc

Sort code 53-50-73

Account number 25727532

Don’t forget the combined Institute and 50:50 Club

Christmas Party on 14 th December - an event not to be

missed! The 50:50 Club draw will give back £100 of prizes.

To once again quote the motto of a somewhat larger lottery

can we remind you that “you have to be in it to win it!”

Myfi Everett & John Blakeley

ST MARY’S CHURCH NEWS

On October 13 th we held the Harvest Thanksgiving

Service. Marie Denholm did a wonderful job, as always, of

decorating the church, thank you so much Marie. It looked

very festive with the addition of seasonal fruits and

vegetables. The dry and fresh produce were very gratefully

received by The Holt Youth Project. They give everyone a

hot meal at least once a day so we’re thrilled that we can

offer our contributions to their work. I met Karen Burton

who is now working for the project. Her mother, Hilary

Craske, lived in the village for many years and was a great

18

supporter of the church. Karen remembers her mother

taking great pride in decorating the font, which she enjoyed.

Alfie Kydd has committed to working for the best part of

three months every Sunday, tidying the churchyard for his

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award. We have already noticed

the difference so thank you so much, Alfie and Yolanda.

Penny Brough Church Warden

FOG PARISH CHURCH

Twenty-four Friends gathered in the Village Institute

on Saturday the 2 nd of November to celebrate Harvest

supper. A shepherd’s pie, vegetables and autumn fruit

crumbly meal was served (with veggie options), some

wine was shared and a very pleasant evening flowed.

We decided this year, rather than having the usual

raffle, we would give all a break and have a ‘free’ raffle

for a box of seasonal, home grown vegetables. Many

thanks to all who joined in!

Christmas approaches and we hope to see as many of

you as possible at the joint Institute / Friends Christmas

party on the 14 th of December at 7pm. Seasonal fayre,

mulled wine (with soft drinks) and an “Eggheads” style

quiz should provide a most enjoyable evening. Happy

holidays to you all! Marie Denholm Friends Chairman

WELCOME

A warm welcome goes to Julian and Hazel

Hammond who have bought Willow Cottage and will

be moving into the village early in the New Year, along

with their 18 month old German shorthaired pointer

called Lucy, who keeps them very busy dog walking.

They retired in November 2018 having run a farm and

farm shop in Lincolnshire, near Market Rasen, called

Sunnyside Up. Julian looked after his herd of Pedigree

Lincoln Red cattle and Hazel ran the shop. Hazel has

also worked as a nurse practitioner in a GP surgery, and

Julian is a qualified pilot on both fixed wing aircraft and

helicopters.

They have 2 daughters. Jessica, also a nurse

practitioner, is married to Keith and has 2 little boys

Lucas age 10 and Oscar age 8. They still live in

Lincolnshire. Nicola lives in London and works as a

television producer. Julian has a Piper Cub plane based

at Langham. Hazel enjoys art and gardening but claims

both not very well.

We wish them very success and happiness in their

new home.

LIFE WAS CHANGING

Peter Jackson, whose early life in Bullfer Grove was

serialised in Lynx issues 116 and 118 spent part of the

the Second World War as a locomotive fireman based in

Melton Constable before joining the RAF. Living in

Briston at the time he recalls how WW2 started for him.

This is Part 2 of his story - the final part will be in issue

130.

Much of the food we ate came from our own gardens

and allotments. It had always been that way so there

was no hardship in that direction. We had learnt from

our grandparents how to hoe potatoes, save seed, salt

down beans, dry peas, pot eggs etc when in good supply

and generally take care of what we had grown. The

hedge rows gave an abundance of good food in season.

Even so, mothers were experimenting and finding new

ways to produce food for the table. Mother had

managed to extract syrup from sugar beet found fallen

off the carts onto the road. I was not keen to use it in my

tea, but preferred a spoonful of jam. We fished and

those fish we had long caught were a welcome addition.

An eel I caught in the stream near the recreation ground

was gladly taken and made into a meal for us. Once a

carton of jars of jam fell off the vehicle when unloading

at the Coop at Melton. Father was one of the lucky ones

and acquired a few jars, and Mother spent hours trying

to extract the broken glass from the mess. She was fairly

successful with the exception of a few small fragments.

At the time we were sheltering Mother’s sister and her

Navy husband from the bombing in London - he was

the lucky one and found a piece of glass on his toast.

Mother now became scared that he might take it up with

the Coop and that Father could get into trouble.

With the heavy bombing of London and Northern towns

Mother took in some of her relations from time to time to

give them respite. It must have been quite a challenge to

feed us all at the time, not to mention the accommodation.

Their ration books had to be registered with one of the local

shops. I expect ours was the Coop at Melton, but it could

have been Mrs Sexton in Hall Street, since I have no

recollection. Coupons were needed for some foods and

points for others, such as tinned meats and dried fruits, most

of which came in from the USA. Having to come across the

Atlantic the ships were subject to attack by German U Boats

and many ship's and crew's were lost just bringing in food to

keep the nation fed, so these foods could not be relied on on

a regular basis. Monthly you might have the points but there

was nothing to spend them on, neither could they be carried

over to the next month. There was little point in getting

more than one could eat at the time, no freezers then. Bread

was not actually rationed, though controlled by the baker

who saw that everyone got their fair share. The flour was

National flour, and it contained much of the bran that had in

the past gone to animal foods, though I am sure it was much

healthier for us. It has since been recorded the outcome of

the war rationing was that people were living to a greater

age and the young were healthier with less problems. There

was a little white flour for a few luxuries, and one of my

first jobs in a bake house found me taking white flour to a

certain house in a nearby village in exchange for chocolate

from London. I wonder who remembers the sweet man at

Hunworth? The rest of any white flour was used to make

those buns with a few currants inside and a shiny top. When

they were on the shelf our baker had many friends. Bread

was not on ration until 1954, and making it rationed was

nothing to do with WW2, but a worldwide shortage of

wheat. Bacon, butter, and sugar were restricted first,

followed by other goods including sweets, petrol, soap, and

furniture. A manufacturer of furniture was called Utility

Furniture. It had a noticeable brand mark with the words

Utility displayed.

Many changes had taken place in the early days of

the war - things that had stood still from time that

seemed immemorial, had now taken a change never

19

envisaged especially from the older generation. The

Land Army had been reformed, and by 1943 87,000

women had joined and were contributing to the war

effort on the farms about the countryside - many doing

the work normally attributed to the men. Milking forty

cows by hand before breakfast must have taken

dedication to say the least. Mrs Ada Fisher was one of

those women and cycled morning and night to the Dairy

Farm with her comrade to hand-milk a large heard of

cows.

JB

LANGHAM

Contact: Christina Cooper 01328 830207

christinacooper27@googlemail.com

FRIENDS OF LANGHAM

200 Club Draw Winners

September 2019 £20 October 2019 £10

81 Mr D Tombling 180 Mrs B Newman

67 Mr C Sherriff 51 Mrs K Tombling

103 Mr P Adams 76 Mrs Warwick

187 Mr&Mrs R Allen

143 Mr J Laurence

186 Mrs B Newman

FOL Committee

FROM THE REGISTERS

Holy Baptism

Liam and Jaxon Lees 6th October 2019

LANGHAM VILLAGE HALL

Upcoming Events

Back by popular demand, the Village Hall Carols event,

with refreshments, will be held on Wednesday 18 th

December. Last year’s evening was an evening of fun and

singing of popular carols with all members of the audience

in fine voice having a great time. The evening will start at

7pm.

In the New Year the quiz night on Friday 31st January

will be held to raise funds towards conservation of Langham

churchyard. Doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start and

there will be a raffle. Any prize donations will be gratefully

received.

FRIENDS OF LANGHAM

Norwich Christmas Shopping Trip

Sunday 1 st December

Coach departs Langham Blue Bell at 10am and Norwich

at 3.30pm.

This trip is FREE to all FOL 200 Club members and

family. If you’re not a 200 Club member, then join today

for just £12 a year. This also entitles you to be entered in

our monthly cash draw and enjoy other FOL events.

To book your seats call John Hughes 01328 830595 or

Peter Barlow 01328 830606.

FOL QUIZ NIGHT

The quiz is on Wednesday 11 th December at 7pm in the

Village Hall. Book a table today by calling David Reville on

01328 878989 or John Bennett 01328 831930.

FRIENDS OF LANGHAM

Pantomime ‘Aladdin’

Saturday 28 th December

It’s that time of year again when children and adults look

forward to the annual pantomime outing. This year we are

again travelling to Kings Lynn Corn Exchange to see

Aladdin. As usual it’s free to all Langham children buy they

must be accompanied by an adult.

Tickets for Langham children should be booked before

8 th December. After that date tickets are available for non-

Langham children at a cost of £10 and for all adults £11 –

both include coach travel.

Order your tickets now. Just call John Hughes 01328

830595. The coach departs from outside the Blue Bell at

12noon for a 1.30pm start. We look forward to seeing you

all again.

WELCOME

A very warm welcome to Dawn Mee who has been a

resident in Langham for nearly a year but her presence has

only just been discovered! We hope you will continue to be

happy living here.

Langham P.C.C.

COME AND CELEBRATE!

Carol Service at Langham Church with traditional carols

and at the new time on Christmas Eve of 4pm.

CHRISTMAS FAIR

Saturday December 7 th

10am-12noon at Langham Village Hall

We look forward to seeing you at this traditional event,

raising money for the Langham Church General Fund.

Admission Free and there will be refreshments available

along with the usual stalls of gifts, plants, books, cakes, a

grand raffle, bottle tombola, lucky dip and a Christmas

hamper.

Cakes and plants can be brought on the day. If there are

any items to be delivered for the sale they can be taken to 30

Binham Road or Tom Bank on Field Dalling Road

preferably before 30th November, if at all possible. Please

ring the number below if you would like any items to be

collected. Many thanks for your continued support.

Ann Sherriff 01328 830 605

MORSTON

Contact: Jock Wingfield 01263 740431

jocelynwingfield@gmail.com

DATES

Mon 23 Dec. 5pm Candlelit Carol Service at All Saints

Tue 24 Dec. 5.30pm Village carol singers meet at the

Anchor.

NATIONAL TRUST UPDATE

Blakeney National Nature Reserve

Autumn is nearly at an end and the arrival of the

grey seal pups always heralds the arrival of winter for

the team at Blakeney National Nature Reserve. A little

CLEARANCE SALE

This small scale but enjoyable event raised £150 for

Langham Church General Fund.

Thank you to all who came to support us, all who helped

on the day and to the stalwarts who delivered the remaining

goods. The bric-a-brac went to ‘Break’ and the books to the

Wells and Walsingham Light Railway who sell books to

obtain funds for the restoration of the trains and carriages.

20

later than the last few years, the first few pups were

spotted by ranger Carl Brooker on Friday 1 st November.

Four healthy pups were seen with their mums with the

eldest looking to be two to three days old. Last year we

had 3,012 pups born so we still have quite a few births

to come.

Naturally the pups are a real draw for visitors, and

we recommend that the best way to see them is by one

of the seal trip providers from Morston Quay. If you do

decide to take the three-mile shingle walk up Blakeney

Point then please respect all signs, fences and any

National Trust team members you may meet. Please

note that there are no facilities for visitors. The seals are

not visible until early December when the numbers have

increased, and the colony has expanded down the Point

towards Cley. We have again recruited a team of

volunteer ‘Seal Rangers’ who will be on hand to speak

to visitors and give advice. With disturbance often being

a real issue for seals, you can read our handy advice on

how to visit the seals responsibly at www.national

trust.org.uk/blakeney.

Undoubtedly the seal pups are what keeps us most

busy right now but there is other work going on during

this time as we use the quieter season to carry out

important conservation repair work and prepare for

2020.

To keep up to date with latest news from the reserve

then please check out our website www.national

trust.org.uk/blakeney or follow us on social media at

NorfolkCoastNT. Alex Green, Senior Marketing &

Communications Officer

CHRISTENING OF OTTALIE STICKLER

A christening, by the Rev. Ian Whittle, took place at

the All Saints Day service on 3 rd November at Morston

of Ottalie Emily Stickler, the daughter of Adam and

Arabella Stickler of Sculthorpe and granddaughter of

Mr Richard Peevor, who played the harmonium. Ottalie

looked beautiful in her lace christening robe.

The font was decorated by vases and jam jars of

flowers brought in memory of loved ones whose names

were read out at the service and prayers said.

Mr Peevor is a good friend to Morston and will be

playing for us at the Christmas day service. Before the

service, Mr Homes the organ builder, had come to listen

and cure a clonking noise in the harmonium - and a

mouse nest was found composed of discarded gift aid

envelopes - one contained used chewing gum and they

were dated over a period of five years from 2014 to

2019 (alas, no money). There was tea and coffee in the

church and a good crowd of family and friends. MA

14 th SHOVELL DINNER

On Saturday 12 th October, 39 people assembled at

The Anchor for the 2019 Shovell Dinner to

commemorate the life of Admiral Sir Cloudesley

Shovell, who, in the 17 th Century, owned land around

Morston.

This year’s speakers were Tom Harrison and Neil

Foster, who gave a very entertaining talk about their

maritime adventures exploring the Hanseatic ports of

the North Sea and the Baltic. We would like to extend

21

our gratitude to the two of them for the time and effort

that they put in to their preparations.

The Anchor did us proud and produced a delicious 3-

course meal, which was much appreciated by all. The

event raised £885 for the Friends of Morston Church, so

many thanks to all who attended and all those who

helped make the evening such a success. We look

forward to seeing you all again at next year’s dinner,

which is scheduled for Saturday 17 th October. PT

RIP: SUSAN MARY GERALDINE

BATTEN (1931-2019)

by Mary Athill

On Saturday 26 th October, Susan Batten was buried at

Morston. The Rev Ian Whittle

officiated and Susan’s nephew,

The Most Reverend Justin

Welby, Archbishop of

Canterbury, gave a personal

address. Taking the committal of

his beloved aunt, Susan and

James’ son, Charles gave a

family tribute, before a large

congregation of family and

friends.

In 1940, it was wartime and

two little girls, Jane aged 10 and Susan aged 8, who had

been born in India, were brought back to England to safety

and to live with their politician-uncle R.A. Butler and his

family in Essex.

Iris Portal, their mother, returned to India to be with her

husband Colonel Gervase Portal, he to be part of the

defence of India and Iris to continue her organising and

working, nursing British and Indian troops coming out of

Burma.

The two girls were then sent to the Junior School

St.Gabriel’s, a small boarding school St Mary’s Wantage in

Berkshire, where I, Mary Hamond, had already been for a

year. Susan and I met for the first time in the hair brushing

queue. Susan didn’t know about queuing or that new girls

were inferior beings and should go last and that “H” comes

before “P”, so there was a slight altercation. She won and

we became friends for 79 years.

When Sue’s mother returned from India in 1944, she

came to Norfolk to look for a family home and to stay here

at Morston with my family. The parents were keen to meet

and became friends, ending up buying “Half Way”, now

“Blakeney House”, from our doctor, Dr.Atcheson, when he

and his second wife, Bridget Page, and all their famous

Bally Duff Labradors moved up to near the church.

The Portals had cousins and friends in Norfolk and

worked for the St John’s Ambulance. We children had

friends, boats and mud-jumping, camping at the watch

house, Sue learning to sail with Fat Freddie Long and

rowing with me in Morston Creek.

On May 29 th 1954 Sue was one of our bridesmaids and

two months later she and dear James Batten were married in

Blakeney Church with their reception of course at Half

Way, which in those days stretched from Little Lane to the

War Memorial, with a small field, an orchard and a large

kitchen garden.

And this was where Justin Welby was looked after

through his family difficulties by his grandmother, Iris

Portal. He learned to sail his 420 in the harbour.

Susan & James started married life, he as a junior master

at Radley, living in the gatehouse at Radley. They had no

car, no washing machine and very little furniture. Their

house was like an artichoke with “add ons”, so every room

had three outside walls and no central heating.

Andrew went with the Norfolk Regiment to Cyprus and

I had no home of my own and went to stay. Andrew had

sold his own Lagonda sports car and bought an A30 green

van with no windows and I put in the baby, Philip (Sue’s

godson) the gun and the dog and went first to Morston and

then to the Gatehouse.

It was summer and freezing and Sue hated cooking and

couldn’t do housework. “The trouble is, I’m lazy”, she

would say. When I arrived, I looked in one bedroom; there

was no furniture – just a huge pile of dirty washing on the

floor. So we put the washing, and the baby (in a basket), and

Maud the dog in the green van with no windows, and went

to Abingdon to the launderette!!

But things got better by shear hard work. James became

a housemaster at Radley, then the Headmaster of the King’s

School at Taunton, and Sue was there every step of the way.

She learned to cook well. Sue became Chairman of the

Magistrates Court. She was clever, organised, loved her

garden, but she never did learn to sew. I did that for her. She

charmed and kept her cool with naughty children and her

loyalty to James was really tested when they were retiring to

the Farm House at Alby. At Taunton the furniture vans were

outside when James asked her if she would mind

22

postponing retirement as he had just been asked to take on a

failing prep school nearby, St Michael’s, and turn it round if

possible. “Yes, if that’s what you think we should do”, said

Sue. And they did and retired again three years later: then to

their joy back to Blakeney and worshipping here at

Morston.

Suddenly illness intervened, necessitating the move to

Surrey with their family close by and wonderful nursing;

but, after 65 years together, working and caring deeply for

each, Sue’s brave heart gave out. I grieve for James and for

myself. We have both lost a dear and loyal friend.

MORSTON VISITORS 2019

1. In August Mark & Sarah Heath of Stoke-on-Trent

were “visiting great uncle Jack Balding & Aunt Nelliie

Balding, always remembered”.

2. Also in August Edwin Richards of West Wickham,

Kent, wrote: “amazing to find so many of my Balding

relations resting and remembered here.”

3. In October Chloe & Adam Powditch of South

Australia “loved seeing our family history. Thank you.”

Adam Powditch is the 7th Powditch generation of Adelaide,

whose Powditch great great great grandfather emigrated in

the 1860s from Morston to Adelaide. We would have loved

to see him.

NCT BIKE RIDE

Anne Rolfe and Ned Hamond have raised £968 for

Morston in the NCT Bike Ride this year, not including the

extra 25%. Well done, you brilliant riders/drivers and thank

you to all the villagers and friends who sponsored them!

FRIENDS OF MORSTON CHURCH

STLL NEEDS YOUR BOOKS

Although there is no annual Morston book sale planned

for 2020, the Friends of Morston Church still needs your

unwanted books. We have raised over £2,000 for the charity

since May by selling books online. Every book donation is

put to good use: we sell some books online, keep others for

future sales and anything that we can’t use gets passed on to

other charities.

If you have any books to spare, please call Sally

Metcalfe on 07813 369145 or Peter Tibbetts on 01263

741082.

23

CHRISTENING JACK STEWART

A christening took place in Morston church on

Friday 27th September, taken by the Rev. Ian Whittle,

of Jack Alan Kilmaine Stewart, the son of George &

Alice Stewart & grandson of Lindy, Lady Kilmaine,

whose husband Lord Kilmaine is buried at Morston.

The Stewarts had come from New Zealand so that

Jack could be christened at Morston, which they love.

He looked very handsome in his lace and a lovely group

of family and friends attended a tea party in the pub

afterwards. Lindy Kilmaine is an active member of our

congregation and has made several of our new hassocks.

Also Lindy gave us the gift of a spring-clean as the

scaffolding was down at last. The Perrott Family made

the church sparkling for the christening.

MA

MORSTON TAX 1332

Including Rich Widows

Interesting surnames

Extracted from the county of Norfolk for the

fifteenth and tenth granted to King Edward III

September 1332, returned to the Exchequer 14 October

1333 and listed alphabetically.

This was a fractional tax levied upon moveable

goods at the rates on 1/15 th in rural areas such as

Morston.

Christian names have been standardised.

Adam Abot 2s

John Alward 0s 8d

Joan Balie 0s 8d

Geoffrey de Bathele** 1s 2d

Alice Bruneman 3s

Hamon*** Chiwel 2s

William Daltoys 0s 8d

Adam de Byllyngford 2s

John de Troyes 0s 8d

Eleanor Dickes 1s

John Dickes 1s

William Drake 1s

Muriel Drid 0s 8d

Adam Ester 1s 2d

William Eyr 1s

William Gerald 0s 8d

Simon Grene 0s 8d

Adam de Grimesbi 3s 6d

John Gubbyngs 1s 8d

Matilda Gubbyngs 0s 8d

William Gubbyngs 0s 8d

Thomas Hestings 1s

Simon Hoppere 1s

William Ivet 1s 6d

Peter Knot 3s 8d

William Knot 1s

William son of Margaret :1s

Robert le Neve 3s 6d

Andrew Norkes 11s

Edmund Pawe 1s 4d

John Potters 2s 6d

John Port

7s

Agnes Red 4s 4d

Nicholas Sterman 0s 8d

Nicholas Stork 7s

William Stork 0s 8d

Emma Sweyn 1s 1d

Radulph Walters 8s

Andrew atte Welle 1s 6d

Robert Welle 8s 3d

John Wycher 0s 8d

** Medieval form of “Bale”

*** An archaic male Christian name of Germanic

origin.

SAXLINGHAM

Contact: John Pridham 01328 831851

jcwpridham@gmail.com

PIGS

Suddenly many of our fields in the village are alive

with the sight of piglets.

Many of you will have seen these and wondered

more about them.

So, as I understand these piglets are a cross between

Duroc, Landrace, Large White and Hampshire.

They are hardy outdoor types with a bit of colour so

that they don’t burn in the sunshine.

They come onto the farm when 28 days old and are

left outdoors which can only be said of 5% of the pigs

in the UK.

The site lends itself to outdoor pigs because the soil

is very light and free draining and there is lots of straw

available for the pigs to bed down on.

WELCOME

Welcome to our newest and youngest member of the

village Sebastian Carter born in September to Hannah

and Rob a brother to Bertie and Eddie at Church Farm.

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

We hope to see as many of you who can make it to

this on Sunday 22 nd December at 4pm in St Margaret’s.

24

SHARRINGTON

Contact: Claire Dubbins 01263 862261

cdubbins@btinternet.com

www.sharrington.org.uk

BURNS NIGHT SUPPER

The annual Burns Night Supper in aid of All Saints

church will be held again on Friday January 31 st at 7pm

in the village hall. Richard the piper has been booked

and a traditional three course supper will be provided

with haggis and neeps the stars of the evening after cock

a leekie soup and with a dessert to follow. After the

toasts and replies everyone can take to the floor for

some Scottish country dancing.

It’s a great night out and places sell quickly so book

early with Pippa Long on 01263 860613. Tickets are

£15 each and you are asked to bring your own drinks.

Please tell Pippa when booking if you have any dietary

requirements.

CD

CRAFT GROUP

Our get together with craft workshops continue to

build in popularity and I am delighted to continue

hosting workshops in the village hall which usually take

place on the first Thursday of every month from 2 –

4pm.

By the time this issue of the Lynx has gone to press

we will have made a Christmas card and festive candle

as part of our November meeting.

Next month we will meet on Friday 6th December

for our final festive gathering so why not join us then?

We will make one more Christmas card as well as a

themed paper wreath to adorn your home. We are a

friendly bunch who meet to make and chat. The cost per

workshop varies according to what we make but we

always aim to keep the fee to an absolute minimum. The

price includes all materials, tuition, tea, coffee, biscuits

and a donation to the village hall.

As the first Thursday in January falls on 2 nd January,

we have decided to move our January workshop to

Thursday 9 th January so that we don’t clash with New

Year celebrations. We will return to the first Thursday

of every month from February 2020. Sarah Bell

ACCLAIMED MUSICIAN KEN NICOL

This is advance notice that

on Saturday 1 st February

2020 Sharrington village hall

is delighted to announce that

a concert is to be given by

renowned singer-songwriter

and acoustic guitarist Ken

Nicol. Tickets are just £10

and are available by

contacting Chris Abrams at

abrams.chris2@gmail.com or by phone 01263 861404.

Ken is a highly acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter,

playwright and composer and as well as his extensive solo

work he has been a member of Steeleye Span, The Albion

Band and Magna Carta and has worked with artists ranging

from Al Stewart to Phil Cool. His music ranges from folk to

ragtime, blues to rock, ballads to jazz, amazingly intricate

instrumentals to singalong comedy numbers. He has

recording credits on more than 50 albums.

He plays acoustic and electric guitar, resonator guitar, 5-

string banjo, mandolin and ukulele. He has toured

extensively in the UK and throughout Europe, the USA,

Australia and New Zealand.

He is co –host of the internet radio show, Folk Cast

(www.folkcast.co.uk) which has thousands of listeners all

around the world.

Acoustic magazine says: ‘The musicianship is

staggering, seldom are the compositions less than inspired’.

Doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. This is a

ticketed, all seated event and tickets are strictly limited in

number. See above for details of purchasing tickets.

There is a licensed bar which, as a courtesy to the

performer will serve drinks before the event and during the

interval only. It will be a great evening and we look forward

to seeing you there.

Chris Abrams

SHARRINGTON & DISTRICT

GARDENING GROUP

We may be winding down in the garden as winter

approaches, but the Gardening Group is still meeting

right up until December with its varied programme of

events.

Many members enjoyed the bulb sale with additional

stalls and hot refreshments, a lovely opportunity to think

about spring colour and browse the sales tables.

Container planting was the subject of our November

meeting and willow weaving comes in December. Then

we really do take a break, meeting again on 5 th February

when we combine our AGM with a talk by Simon

Dodsworth from the English Iris Company. An exciting

gardening year lies ahead, so do look out for the 2020

programme.

New members are always welcome, please contact

our chairman Robin Burkitt, robin@daubeneyhall

farm.com for details.

PEL

CHURCH NEWS

Autumn at All Saints brought a wealth of colour and

scent into the church as the season for chrysanthemums

and dahlias got into full swing, with our dedicated team

of decorators and cleaners making the most of the

glorious flowers.

We celebrated harvest festival and concluded the

service with our habitual coffee and cake (a delicious

ginger one this year) and sharing of the harvest loaf to

take away and enjoy in our own homes.

Remembrance Sunday came next, and now we look

forward to the Christmas season when we hold our carol

service at 5pm on Sunday 22 nd December. If you feel

like joining the lantern procession, it sets out from the

village hall at about 4.30pm and ensures you arrive at

church in a happy glow from the walk, and ready to join

in the familiar carols and then stay on for mulled wine

and mince pies. We hold a 9.30am service of carols and

family Holy Communion on Christmas Day, which will

be conducted by the rector, and since there is a fifth

Sunday in the month, we welcome everyone in the area

to Sharrington for the benefice service on 29 th

December at 10.30am.

If you have children who can’t get enough of

Christmas tree decorating and want to do more, then we

would love to have some help decorating the church

tree. Please ring Pippa on

01263 860613 and we will

fix a time on Saturday 21 st

December.

We are busy gathering

ideas for next year’s

fundraising activities to

help support the village

church and all help is much

appreciated. We are delighted that Martyn Sloman and

Simon Poole raised an amazing £155 on the sponsored

bike ride organised by Norfolk Churches Trust. Well

done to the pair, who cycled round the benefice to

achieve this total.

PEL

CHRISTMAS AND THE FOOD BANK

The village is always very generous throughout the

year and with Christmas fast approaching it would be

lovely if we could pass on some good cheer to those less

fortunate than ourselves. If you are able to donate some

25

suitable items early in December there will be time to

deliver them to Fakenham so they can be distributed

before Christmas arrives.

Small packets of chocolates, sweets and Christmas

biscuits are always very welcome along with toiletries

such as shower gels and soaps. A special request was

made recently for toothbrushes which were in short

supply, plus as ever the usual basic foodstuffs. Thank

you once again for your continuing generosity – it really

does make a difference.

CD

STIFFKEY

Contact: Geraldine Green 01328 830245

green978@btinternet.com

CHURCH NEWS

At the beginning of October, Mr. Roger Bland

offered to take a Morning Service on the first Sunday of

each month, 9.30 a.m. This first service was the day of

the wind and rain, which managed to find its way

through the chancel roof and dripped water all over the

vicar’s chair, an auspicious start!

This is the time of year for giving a huge vote of

thanks to all those who have helped with cutting the

grass and keeping the churchyard looking fantastic, you

only have to read the praises in the visitors’ book. To

those who have helped with the cleaning of the church

and providing the flowers all through the year and last

but not least to those who made such a good job of

cutting the conservation area and clearing all the grass

away. Thank you all, we could not keep this great

building and churchyard without you. Christmas

Services: There will be a Carol/Christingle Service on

Sunday 22 nd December at 3p.m. with mulled wine, soft

drinks and mince pies to follow.

HH

LANGHAM VILLAGE SCHOOL NEWS

We have welcomed six new pupils into our Reception

class this year: Ariana, Bonnie, Violet, Bradley, Eleanor and

Kimberley. They have settled into school really well and are

making great progress. They were particularly good at

singing ‘The Dingle Dangle Scarecrow’ at our recent

Harvest Festival service in the church. It was a lovely

service and families were incredibly generous with their

donations of food for the local food bank.

All the classes are out and about this term. Jet and

Quartz class have both been to Holkham for team building

days. They braved the new high ropes course, which was

challenging but fantastic fun. The children all supported

each other to complete the course. Some even tried it with

blindfolds on talking each other round; very brave and

amazingly trusting! Quartz class had a murder mystery tour

in the house and Jet class went on a bike ride round the

grounds. We are very lucky to be able to provide such

amazing experiences for our children with these facilities

right on our doorstep. Thank you to the instructors at

Holkham who were brilliant.

Amber class are going to Houghton Hall this month for

outdoor adventure activities and Coral class will go to see

Father Christmas at Holkham at the beginning of December.

Last week Jet class went to Brancaster activity centre for a

coastal safari where they walked out onto the salt marsh to

look at the flora and fauna and enjoyed some mud sliding!

There have been a number of exciting sporting

opportunities this term including, tag rugby, cross country,

hockey and a touch rugby tournament in which we came

second. This week we will host another touch rugby

tournament at school, which our coach and England player

Soul Phoenix will referee for us. We were thrilled when one

or our pupils, Herbie Leonard, won the cross country at

Gresham’s. The competition is always tough at this event

with hundreds of children taking part from all over Norfolk,

we are all very proud of his achievement.

At the end of half term Jet class invited their families

into school to share the soup that they made. There were

two flavours made from scratch and they even made the

26

bread. It was all delicious and a lovely occasion for

everyone to come together to share a healthy homemade

meal.

We all enjoyed a skipping workshop this week, every

child learnt to skip, with many children by the end of the

day able to skip forwards and backwards, in double dutch

style and as a team with a group rope. The day finished with

a skipping talent show to celebrate everyone’s new skills

with a rope.

This week we are very much looking forward to a

Bollywood dance day when we will all be learning to dance

Bollywood and Bangra, we can’t wait!

School continues to be a busy place; we now have 90

children. We have a new teacher in Jet class: Mr Barrington

and two new teaching assistants: Miss Cornell and Miss

Crichton. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated,

hardworking staff team.

We are just beginning to think about our Christmas

nativity play, which this year will be held at Alderman Peel

High School. We have big decisions to make about casting

the evil King Herod who has a very important solo to sing!

Langham Village: ‘A place for fun, creativity,

friendship, ambition and discovery.’

Polly Kossowicz - Head teacher

For further information please visit our website

www.langham.norfolk.co.uk or follow us on twitter

@langhamvill.

CHRISTMAS

PUZZLE PAGES

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

(questions on page 14)

L I O N E L B A R T

O C L U O O

C U C U M B E R G A L L

8 S L E S U I

E D I T M I N E R V A

10 S B T 12 E

I N T E R V I E W E R

13 D E 15 S E

R E S E R V E S T I R

16 A N E P R O

P L A N T O L B O O T H

S 19 U E E O O

22 M W I N D J A M M E R

27

SPOT THE DIFFERENCES - SOLUTION


Bad Robert has changed the name of the shop.

He’s changed the slit on the castle to a window.

He’s added roundels (find out what they are) to the wings of

the glider.

And changed the colours on the ball.

And the colour of the doll’s hair.

He’s put a sort of of face on the boiler of the engine.

And turned round the flags on the masts of the ship—quite

rightly—why?

He’s changed the positions of the soldiers (hard that one!)

Shortened the girl’s plaits.

And pulled the buttons off Teddy’s eyes—really mean!

How many did you get?

FINDING LOCAL LYNX

There are 15 sitings of Local Lynx on the following

pages: 2xcover, 3, 4, 6, 12, 2x14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26,

27. Happy hunting!

CHRISTMAS QUIZ ANSWERS


1. 26th December 2. Jacob Marley 3. Norway 4. Ladies

dancing 5. Christmas cracker 6. 1984 7. Turkey 8. Six

9. Panettone 10. I Saw Three Ships 11. Almond 12. The

Snowman 13. Mince pie 14. Jerez (Spain. In Spanish

Sherry is called Vino de Jerez) 15. Tchaikovsky 16. Oliver

Cromwell 17. Mistletoe 18. Advent (and “Advent

Calendars”. The 'coming' refers to the birth of Christ)

19. Canada 20. Yule (or Yule-tide) 21. Comet, Cupid,

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen (or

Dunder and Blixem - The poem is alternatively titled A

Visit from St Nicholas. 'Twas the night Before Christmas' is

the first line. The poem was first published anonymously in

1823 and is commonly attributed to Clement Clarke Moore,

although some believe Henry Livingston was the true

author. Rudolph was created later in 1939 by copywriter

Robert May for the Montgomery Ward department store

chain, as the main character in a free Christmas promotional

story, which extended the 1823 poem, and was

subsequently turned into the popular song Rudolph the Red-

Nosed Reindeer. Incidentally Donner and Blizten mean

Thunder and Lightning in German.) 22. Balthasar,

Melchior, Caspar (or Gaspar - Interestingly the Bible does

not states state their names, nor even the number of wise

men: "...there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem...

and when they had opened their treasures, they presented

unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh..." from

Matthew 2:1 and 2:11. Thanks A Russell.) 23. Hogmanay

24. Dr.Seuss

WORDSEARCH ANSWERS


1. Beaches 2. Crab 3. Deer 4. Dunes 5. Geese

6. Hare 7. Marshes 8. Owl 9. Partridge 10. Pheasant

11. Pinewoods 12. Seals

LYNX 129 ADS DIRECTORY

SEE FURTHER SERVICES LISTED BELOW DIRECTORY

Art/Interiors/Furniture/Textiles

page

Nick Hamond Furniture: cabinet-maker 26

Sandra’s Soft Furnishings 8

Care Services

Heritage House, Wells 10

Hindringham Toddler Group age 0-4 8

Health

Alison Courtney Acupuncture 20

Claire Dye: Physiotherapist 7

Foot Perfect 9

Gunthorpe Osteopaths 11

Marianne Atherton Homeopathy 24

Philippa Stancomb Reflexology 22

Pilates at Binham Memorial Hall 23

Hall Rentals

Binham Memorial Hall 4

Warham Reading Room 5

Leisure

Blakeney Hotel 11

Cockthorpe Christmas Tree Festival front cover

Morston Swimming Pool 4

Sharrington & District Gardening Group 6

Services and Suppliers

Adam Sexton Domestic Services 13

Aerials 4u 12

Allied Glass: Trade and Domestic Glazing 16

Artificial Grass and Landscaping 18

Boon-bespoke décor 21

Burnham Motors 25

Butcher Andrews Solicitors 19

Daren Betts Building and Maintenance 22

David Thompson Chimney Sweep 17

Dawn’s Dog Walking and Pet Care Services 7

Elv’s Woodburner Services 9

Glaven Gardens 26

Kaywood Builders 10

Gowards Funeral Services 16

Keeble Roofing Contractor 6

M G Myhill Chimney Sweep

front cover

P J Electrics 12

Paul Hennessey decorator 13

Taxis

Strong Cars 25

Stuart’s Taxi

front cover

Advertising space in this publication is sold in good faith and the editor/publication team can take no

responsibility for the quality of goods or services offered.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADVERTISE HERE?

email: maxine.burlingham@me.com

CHIMNEY SWEEP

David Thompson

01328 851081

SIVANANDA YOGA CLASS

Gunthorpe Village Institute Hall

Wednesdays in Term Time 7.30-8.45pm

Contact Richard Redmayne 01263 862 289

SPACE TO RENT

Storage or Hobby use approx. 250 Sq Ft

Car Parking Available

Contact David 07421 705 306

GARY WALLER

Painter , Decorator & Carpet Cleaner

20 years Experience No job too small

01263 860 705 Mob: 07990 993 406

SEPTIC TANKS EMPTIED

Contact Derek Lee

01328 878282

GENTLE CHAIR YOGA

Gunthorpe Village Institute Hall

Thursdays in Term Time 11.00-12.00pm

Contact Richard Redmayne 01263 862289

HAMLYN PEST CONTROL

County Council Accredited - NPTA Member

Control of Rats Mice Wasps etc

01263 860112

FINCH GARDEN DESIGN

Design - Build - Planting

www.finchgardendesign.co.uk

Jackie Finch 07776 292 211

Local Lynx is printed by Century Printing, 132 High Street, Stalham, Norwich NR12 9AZ

Tel: 01692 28 582958

Local Lynx No.129 December 2019/January 2020

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