Local Lynx No.131 - April/May 2020

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In the business section, the existing committee was reelected en bloc and chairman Mrs Robin Burkitt and treasurer Adrian Allenby welcomed members old and new and gave reports on the activities of the club both social and financial. After a break for refreshments, the glories of the English iris took centre stage, with our speaker extolling the virtues of this stately species. And, judging from the number of pots being carried out of the village hall, the gardens of North Norfolk will soon be boasting an array of stunning blooms. Our early March meeting welcomed back Darren Lerigo, a popular speaker who entertained us as well as educating us on the finer points of topiary and gave many tips on pruning. He brought along a selection of his amazing Japanese garden tools and also a range of recycled hats. Drinks, canapés and a popular raffle all added to the relaxed spirit of the evening. The eagerly anticipated film about acclaimed landscape designer Piet Oudolf was scheduled for 30 th March showing at Holt Community Centre. Then it will be back to Sharrington village hall on 6 th May for a talk by Dr. Twigs Way, the garden historian and broadcaster, entitled “Virgins, Weeders and Queens: a history of women in the garden”. Of great excitement to many members is the planned visit to Beth Chatto‟s Essex garden on 10 th June. The cost is £23 and includes a guided tour round the iconic gravel gardens. Details of all these events and membership enquiries , can be obtained from Robin Burkitt robin@ daubeneyhallfarm.com or 01263 861939. PEL STIFFKEY Contact: Dr.Sally Vanson 01328 830560 dr.sallyvanson@gmail.com NEW LYNX REP I am delighted to have taken over as the village rep for Stiffkey after the fabulous work done in the past by Geraldine. My role is to collect useful news from the village and prepare it for publication. It would be lovely to see Stiffkey with a bigger representation in the Local Lynx so please send me your contributions. We want to hear about new residents, departing residents, births, deaths and marriages, significant birthdays (if you dare) as well as society, sports and club events, village hall and Parish Council news. If you would like to place an advert, these cost £12 per issue. Starting in May, I need your offerings by 6 th of the month on alternate months although I am happy to receive them whenever it‟s easier for you. Contact me at dr.sallyvanson@gmail.com. NORTH NORFOLK BOOK WORMS Our February read was Jamaica Inn, a novel by the English writer Daphne du Maurier, first published in 1936.It is a period piece set in Cornwall in 1820. It was inspired by du Maurier's 1930 stay at the real Jamaica Inn, which still exists and is a pub in the middle of Bodmin Moor. The plot follows a group of murderous wreckers who run ships aground, kill the sailors and steal the cargo. Some of our members had read it at school, for others it was new. We all agreed it was a thoroughly enjoyable and timeless read with some fabulous characterisation and the descriptive writing and lengthy sentence structure drew us in to the dismal environment of Bodmin Moor in winter. In March we read Love in Blind by William Boyd. This is the latest novel from a very fluent and prolific writer and we generally found it very readable, engaging and at times very funny. It‟s a mix of fact and fiction and for a historic novel, the plot races along a quite a pace. The book club meets one evening a month in a member‟s home and we borrow our books from Wells Library to reduce costs. We welcome members from nearby villages to enjoy wine and soft drinks and great conversations which lead to new topics and learning. We have vacancies for two more members so if you are interested please contact me. Dr.sallyvanson@ gmail.com. STIFFKEY VILLAGE FACEBOOK Stiffkey Village Facebook page now has 136 members and can be found at https://www. facebook.com/ groups/790563987749800/. We are delighted to see more use being made of it as villagers share artwork and photographs, items for sale and local events. The Stiffkey Village Group is a place to make friends and share information about life in Stiffkey. Are you looking for a recommendation for local trades people? Want to know what to do with all those home-grown fruits and 28
vegetables? Ask the group! Want to recommend a great event or place to visit? Tell the group! Fancy a good old chat about social events, the Church, the traffic? We even have previous residents from Australia trying to stay in touch. If you have a Facebook account then just enter Stiffkey Village in the search bar at the top and it will take you to our page. If you don‟t have an account, they are easy to set up and do not have to be available for public viewing unless you wish. CHURCH NEWS In February on the 14 th , a well-attended funeral service was held in the church for Pat Price, a past Chairman and committee member of the Local History Group after a long battle with illness. Mothering Sunday was on 22 nd March. Unfortunately, there was no service at Stiffkey this year, however there was a shared service at Langham, as there will be for Easter Day as this also falls on a second Sunday in the month. On Easter Day, 12 th April, although there is no service in the morning, our Annual Easter Egg Hunt in the Churchyard will take place at 3p.m. Let us hope the weather is warm and sunny by then and everyone is welcome. Heather Harrison A VILLAGE REMEMBERS Like all villages here in North Norfolk, Stiffkey sent its young men and women to war in 1939. Some put their lives on hold. Some were changed mentally or physically for ever. Some families felt the scars of war even to the present time. The village of Stiffkey was changed beyond recognition. The building of the Anti Aircraft Artillery training camp at the Greenway in 1938 saw the influx of up to 2000 young men at here any one time. They came to learn how to use their rifles and the Bofors guns. They were mostly teenagers. The Stiffkey Stick, a simple guidance for the big guns, was developed here and adopted all over the world during the conflict. Some in the village were able to thrive on the influx by setting up businesses which catered for the camp while others found employment opportunities. Others were curtailed by its presence. The longshore fishing community, who used the marshland and the nearby sea, were often unable to go to work, despite the fact that they were producing valuable protein for the diet of the locals. Fr Bruno Scott James, who lived in the village, set up a co-operative to champion their cause along the coastline, but I don‟t think it made a jot of difference. 29 The pinkfoot and brent geese left not to return until after the 1962-63 bitter winter. There were often accidents in the narrow street through the village and disruption from the young men letting off steam. The Army training continued at Stiffkey until 1955, with the addition of the USAF doing its thing with radio controlled aircraft (RCATS) for a year or two in the early 50‟s. Until 1960 the territorial brigades held their summer camps in the redundant buildings until the whole site was sold back to farming interests. Many of the buildings have been demolished and part of the site is now used for tent and caravan holidays. Some of the buildings are holiday lets and boat building businesses. The rest are used for the farm except for the Rescuewoodenboats museum but the evidence of the occupation can still be found. There is a list in the Stiffkey Church of those who served, and those who lost their lives are commemorated on the village war memorial. They are PO George Green, aged 22 (died 31 st August 1940 on board HMS Express off Texel, Holland - no known grave); Alan George Greenacre, Private 5 th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment aged 22 (died 24 th January 1942 when the Japanese took Singapore. Buried in Singapore); Mark James Jarvis, 5 th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, 28 (died as a Japanese prisoner of war 6 th June 1943, buried Thailand); Ernest Cornelius Jarvis, Sergeant (air gunner) 550 Air Squadron, RAF Volunteer Reserve (died 23rd February 1945, buried Bayern, Germany). All were members of longstanding Stiffkey families. They did not come home but their names are here, set in stone. Geraldine Green for SLHG
Page 1 and 2: BALE - BINHAM - COCKTHORPE - FIELD
Page 3 and 4: Church Services for Bale and Stiffk
Page 5 and 6: “Tribute to the Millions”, with
Page 7 and 8: Council car parks around the Distri
Page 9 and 10: two of them drowning before they co
Page 11 and 12: eneath many arable fields in the UK
Page 13 and 14: efreshments and you may purchase an
Page 15 and 16: a little beyond the outskirts of th
Page 17 and 18: there were also photographs, painti
Page 19 and 20: JOHN ROBERT HOUCHEN Although he had
Page 21 and 22: LANGHAM STREET FAYRE Plans are well
Page 23 and 24: more delicious food. We are delight
Page 25 and 26: destroying the plane. Initially ret
Page 27: There are two versions for why ther
Page 31 and 32: LANGHAM VILLAGE SCHOOL NEWS The mon

Local Lynx No.131 - April/May 2020

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