SNL July 2020 web

SN
July 2020
Your free town newsletter published by Iceni Partnership
SWAFFHAM
newslet ter
NEWS EVENTS INFORMATION
Swaffham coming back to
life as lockdown eases
Shops & businesses in the town welcome back customers
Swaffham
Lions
p.8
Family
Action
p.14
Swaffham
Climate
Action
p.16
published by

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Swaffham Newsletter
Iceni Partnership
Swaffham Community Centre
The Campingland
Swaffham
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Deadline for editorial and advertising is the
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were subject to a small increase beginning April
2020, in line with production costs.
Contents
3 Reopening Stores
4 SCALGA
6 Ashill & Holme Hale Gardening Club
7 Friends Of Swaffham Heritage
8 Swaffham Lions
9 Rotary President's Corner
10 Age Concern
14 Family Action
16 Camera Club/Climate Action
17 Swaffham History/Mayor's Parlour
18 Town Council
1

Red Lion Revamp ahead of Reopening
Since we've been closed, due to the covid situation,
we have spent the time upgrading and decorating
the pub, restaurant, rooms and outside areas.
We've remained open for takeaway food, including
drinks as we're an off license and have created some
special offers, such as our 'pub in a crate' deal, as
pictured below.
Reeds in Downham Market Reopened
Popular home and furniture store Reeds, with outlets
in Downham Market and Ely, and the Reeds Toy Shop
in Downham Market reopened on Monday 15th June.
Along with the majority of retailers, Reeds temporarily
closed its doors in March following guidance by the UK
Government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now
all three stores are preparing to welcome customers
back safely. Social distancing measures and cleaning,
hand washing and hygiene procedures in line with
Government guidelines have been introduced to
protect both staff and shoppers.
We've also put in place our covid action plan ready
for when we can open fully. We've been producing
PPE such as face shields and ear protectors which
are used by all front line and key workers in Norfolk,
Suffolk and Essex. If you are a local keyworker or
business owner, you can still pick up these PPE items
from the Red Lion.
Jim Carlile, owner and managing director at Reeds,
said: “I and all my team were only ever willing to reopen
when it would be safe for our valued customers and for
our employees. We are following expert guidance on
the different measures that retailers can put in place to
allow people to shop and work with confidence. We will
do everything we can to minimise any disruption, but
we also know our fantastic customers will understand
and respect why any changes in the stores are needed.”
The 65-seater café at Reeds Furniture, Bed and
Homestore in Downham Market will remain closed for
now but furniture home deliveries restarted with effect
from 15th June.
Jim Carlile added: “Many people have spent a lot more
time at home recently and may be considering some
interior design updates as a result. You can’t beat being
able to see furniture and homewares in person to be
able to make the right choice for your home. That is
why we can’t wait to welcome people back to our
stores so they can safely browse our great range of
trusted brands, all backed by our price guarantee.
We also hope that our Toy Store in Downham Market
reopening will help our local community. Its wide range
of toys and products cater for all ages and include
creative and educational items, as well as providing lots
of fun to help keep all the family safely entertained at
home.”
Reeds Furniture, Bed and Homestore is located at
Bridge Street in Downham Market. Reeds Toy Shop
can be found at Wales Court, Downham Market. Both
stores will be open between 9am and 4pm, Monday to
Saturday.
For more information about Reeds visit www.
reedshomestore.co.uk
3

Greetings from the Allotments
We have had the most wonderful, hot dry weather.
Unfortunately, after such a long spell the poor
allotments began to flag. We developed upper arm
strength lifting watering cans of water to try to give
our new crops a chance to grow. Fortunately we had
a full week of “the right kind of rain” and the peas
and beans literally grew several inches overnight.
You will be reading this in July so I hope we will be at
least eating our strawberries.
I told you in one of our last letters that I had
successfully grown tomatoes by slicing a squashy
one and placing it in compost. I got 20 viable plants
from this and they are now ready to bear fruit. My
next project is to carefully peel a strawberry and lay
the strips in a pot as I did with the tomatoes. Watch
this space!! I see no reason why this cannot be done
with any seed bearing fruit providing you have the
means to grow sufficient to their needs i.e. warmth
and protection in some cases.
The Allotments have been a godsend during the
lockdown period. We have had a large interest from
people with time on their hands, many have gone
on to take on plots and it has been a hive of industry
for families. Children, particularly, have been able to
run and play in safety whilst helping their parents.
Another learning experience and one I am sure they
will remember. Things are slightly getting back to
normal and we sincerely hope that the allotments
will continue to be worked as nothing is nicer on a
lovely day to tend to the produce you are growing
with the promise of succulent eating to follow.
We have had no events (obviously); the AGM was
cancelled for this year. Later on we hope we may be
allowed to have a BBQ to reunite SCALGA members.
On a very unpleasant note. A group of older children
armed with an air rifle found it good fun to break on
to the Tumbler Hill plots and shoot some chickens.
Obviously the owners were devastated to find these
lovely inoffensive creatures just lying where they had
been killed. The perpetrators were seen and have
been described to the police.
We hope as the summer approaches that you have
all stayed safe and well. Make the most of your space
as fresh air and sun taken safely can only be a bonus.
KEEP PLANTING.
We still have 2 starter plots available on Shouldham
Lane. The pricing is as follows:-
1st plot £2 per month, Second plot £1.00 per month
and if you require a 3rd it is free, so for £3.00 per
month you can grow a good amount of veg. Not bad
value?
If you are interested in taking a plot or a starter plot,
please call Graham or Jennifer Edwards on 07919
888870.
4
Painting Through Tough Times
Poppi Interiors have just re-opened their doors and
pleased to be welcoming back their customers.
"We managed to carry on through the lockdown -
just differently" says owner Traci, "we ran a delivery
service for our 'Frenchic Paint' range, it helped to
keep people at home and gave them a sense of
purpose during a difficult time. So many people
shared their projects and experiences with us via our
Facebook page, it was really inspiring".
Poppi Interiors offer a wonderful range of products
and services and promise some really exciting news
coming soon! Watch this space.
POPPI INTERIORS
19 Market Place Swaffham PE37 7LA
Blinds - Rollers, Vertical, Pleated, Woodslat , Roman
Curtains Upholstery & Fabrics
Gifts, Home Fragrance, Home Accessories
Measure : Design : Installation
www.poppiinteriors.co.uk
01760 722541

Uncle Lukes Sign & Sticker Shop
We are a local business based on Turbine Way
specialising in vehicle graphics, signage and digital
print solutions. With some of the latest technology
in print and design we are the number one choice for
your branding solution. We also offer vehicle wrapping
and personalised gifts, clothing and workwear. Why
not visit our website www.unclelukes.co.uk or call in
to our showroom at 43 Turbine Way Swaffham.

Ashill, Holme Hale & District
Garden Club
Website: ashillgardeningclub.wordpress.com/
Email: ashillholmehalegardenclub@gmail.com
Enjoy Your Summer Garden
While the gardening club is currently not able to hold
monthly meetings we are
providing gardening advice
via newsletters and our
website (address above) to
keep everyone active with
gardening tasks. The RHS
website (rhs.org.uk/) is also good source of things
you should do each month in your garden, as is the
BBC’s Gardeners World on a Friday evening on BBC2.
Summer is a time to enjoy your garden with many
flowers in bloom and your vegetable garden starting
to provide you with home grown produce.
Gardening jobs for early July
Trees, shrubs and Flowers:
• Cut back early flowering herbaceous perennials such
as Pulmonaria and oriental poppies if they are looking
tired as this will encourage a second flush of fresh
foliage and later flowers.
• Deciduous shrubs that flowered in spring on the
previous year’s growth, such as Weigela and Exchordia,
should be pruned now. Removing older stems soon
after flowering allows time for the development of
new growth that will carry next year’s flowers.
• Deadhead repeat flowering roses to encourage a
good display all summer. Using sharp secateurs, cut
down to the first leaf beneath the flower.
• Keep bedding plants, containers and hanging
baskets well watered and feed them weekly with a
high potassium liquid fertiliser for impressive displays.
• New growth on climbing plants like clematis and
jasmine should be tied in regularly.
Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs:
• A second sowing of courgettes can be done now. A
good tip is to plant the seeds in pairs and then remove
the weaker seedlings as they come through.
• Mid-June to mid-July is the ideal time to sow
Florence fennel. They are less likely to bolt but will still
have time to produce good-sized bulbs.
• Tomatoes should now be in their final size pot. If
growing cordon (indeterminate) tomatoes they will
need staking. Remember to pinch out side shoots
regularly. Keep roots well watered.
• For greenhouse/polytunnel grown tomatoes try
to keep temperatures below 25 degrees by getting
maximum ventilation.
• Sow chicory directly into the garden, to give you
delicious meals right through the winter. Choose
varieties such as Treviso, Sugar Loaf, or the F1 hybrid
6
Cesare, and sow widely and evenly into the soil with
plenty of organic matter added.
• If troubled by carrot fly enclose your carrot beds in
Enviromesh or fleece. As long as you surround your
patch to a metre in height, you don’t need to cover
the roof. The carrot fly flies near the ground and can’t
fly up and over.
• If you want salad leaves all summer through you need
to successionally sow seeds about every two weeks
to keep a good supply ready to eat. In addition to
lettuces why not try some oriental leaves like Mizuna
or Mustard or the peppery flavoured wild Rocket.
Wildlife Gardening:
• Keep ponds topped up, preferably with water from
a butt. Pour in very slowly so as not to disturb wildlife
living in the water, e.g. frogs, newts, insect larvae, etc.
• Remove unsightly thread algae from ponds by
twisting it around a stick or rake. Leave blanket weed
at the side of the pond for a day to give any creatures
time to return to the pond. The blanket weed can then
be composted.
• Do not be surprised to find a grass snake in your
compost heap at this time of year as they find them
ideal warm sites to leave their eggs which usually
hatch in early July. They are non-poisonous and will
slither away if disturbed.

Our Tai Chi & Qi Gong Journey
through lockdown...
We had to suspend
our Tai Chi classes
as soon as the social
distancing started,
and then very quickly
we were in lockdown.
Connecting with
family, friends and
our fantastic Tai Chi family it became obvious we
all needed something positive in our lives to focus
on, and to ease the social distancing, our online
Zoom virtual gathering was born ‘Keep Well, Stay
Safe, & Do Tai Chi’
Being new to Zoom and online classes, we started
with a small group to see how we could move
forward with our classes. We practiced for a
few days and in that time, with feedback from
everyone, we learned how to teach online using
Zoom, and our Tai Chi family learned about a
new way to practice this wonderful relaxing and
health beneficial art in their own homes.
As we are doing more practice than before, some
of our practitioners are joining us four times a
week, the strength, health, mobility and balance
of the practice are much more evident.
We wanted to take advantage of this time while we
are all at home to encourage a healthy habit of a
consistent Tai Chi & Qi Gong practice. Personally,
we have benefited from this experience in many
ways.
By sharing this time with others, even though
it is online, we have bonded further using our
practice to help us cope with isolation while
trying to figure out how to live and manoeuvre in
this new world created by Covid19. Our student's
generosity in sharing their time with us is greatly
appreciated, and we feel privileged to have been
able to keep a sense of normality and structure
going in these unprecedented times.
We have no idea how long we will be Zooming,
but in the meantime, our IT skills have improved
immensely, and we are keeping safe and looking
after each other! We have found new ways to
introduce new students to the classes, so if you
are interested, please get in touch...
01760 723102 07587 567406
academytaichi@yahoo.co.uk
www.academytaichi.co.uk
Friends of Swaffham Heritage
As this edition is being distributed to householders
etc we are repeating the important information
included in the June edition last time. We were
due to hold our AGM sometime in March but we
were overtaken by “the virus” and then at about
the same time, a number of our members on our
committee decided to retire. Despite efforts to
recruit more committee members we have been
unable to do so. This means we are not legally
constituted under the Charity Commission rules
and we are obliged to “wind up” the organisation.
The only thing that will save us is if there are a
number of volunteers, perhaps from our existing
membership list who are willing to join the
committee and take an active role in organising
events, once the “lockdown” has been removed.
Our Annual Accounts (Jan to Dec 2019) have now
been completed and financially examined and it
is our intention to hold an AGM as soon as we
are allowed to do so. A decision will have to be
taken at that meeting regarding the winding up
depending on whether enough volunteers come
forward to fill our committee vacancies (ideally,
four people are needed). Do, please, consider
volunteering as otherwise an organisation which
has been in existence for many years, will cease
to operate. Please contact James Dean, as below
for more details.
If “winding up” has to happen, we will have to
decide to where the balances of our funds are
transferred, after which approval has to be sought
from the Charity Commissioners. One obvious
option is to credit Swaffham Museum Ltd with
these funds as the objective of the Friends is to
support the museum financially anyhow.
Our 100 Club is something we would very much
like to see retained as it has been in existence for
many years and apart from the prize – winning
aspects, it does provide a steady source of income
for the Friends. The present organiser, Barbara
White is willing to continue running the Club on
the assumption that it is taken over in the transfer
arrangements as a going concern.
Winners in our end of May draw were: Special
Prize, £100 No. 86, 1st prize (£40) No. 7, 2nd (£20),
No. 46 and 3rd (£10) No.6. The next Special Prize is
at the end of November.
JAMES DEAN (Hon Secretary, Friends of
Swaffham Heritage).
Contacts, jamesdean@uwclub.net and
tel: 01760 720756
7

Swaffham & District Lions
With the Coronavirus closing the
local churches, Swaffham Food
Bank have had their main supply
of food donations reduced. To
Support the Food Bank, Swaffham Lions have set up
a collection point in Swaffham Market Place which
will be open every Sunday 10am to Noon, they will
be collecting the non-perishable food as well as
hygiene items.
2:09/3:10
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS – QUEEN
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personalise each day to meet the
individual activity needs of our
residents and their families.
And hearing their laughter
is music to our ears.
The Paddocks
45 CLEY ROAD, SWAFFHAM, PE37 7NP
CALL 01760 722920 TO ARRANGE YOUR VISIT
www.castlemeadowcare.co.uk
RESIDENTIAL CARE | DEMENTIA CARE | RESPITE CARE | SHORT BREAKS
8

9
President's Corner
CELEBRATING
Swaffham 5 Throughout Rotary,
from the international
organisation down to individual clubs, the President
and his or her team hold office for a year from 1st July.
In Swaffham the handover of chain of office etc usually
follows a meal with partners and friends and is a very
pleasant evening before the serious work begins.
And so it was in 2013 when I succeeded President Claire.
On that occasion we were treated to an unannounced
visit from “Compo” and “Foggy” of Last of the Summer
Wine who sat down and discussed a wide range
of subjects from the political situation to the latest
Swaffham news including the goings on at the tea room
at Ceres Bookshop and how “Roterry” would fair under
this incomer Wallace and his partner Gromit.
Oh, how different it has to be this time round! No
meal with friends, no ceremony and no entertainment.
Instead outgoing President Steve has “handed” me
the chain of office virtually – I will get the real thing
once we are able to meet again. We are having to
learn new tricks in order to continue meet as a club
virtually. Instead of planning events to raise funds to
support charities and good causes, we are having to
cancel them. Although golf courses have been allowed
to reopen with restrictions, clubhouses remain firmly
shut. So we have reluctantly had to postpone our Golf
Day scheduled for the 20th July to 2021. All entrants
have been given the option of a refund to transfer to
next year’s date. One brilliant piece of news is that
our main sponsor, Adrian Flux Insurance Services, has
generously agreed that we may donate the sponsorship
money to Alzheimer’s Society.
This is our 25th Anniversary Year of our Art Exhibition
so we were intending to add something special. We
are still hoping to hold the exhibition as planned but
sadly have had to cancel the other events planned for
October.
As someone who likes to “do his bit” in the community,
I was taken aback by the Government directive which
put me in a vulnerable group instructed to stay at home.
My initial frustration at being “confined to barracks”
has been replaced by admiration for those who have
come forward and made sure that help is available for
all who need it. They have all been brilliant.
Although it was a while back now, we did say we
would publish the winners of our Easter hampers in
the Newsletter. The hamper at The 20 Churchwardens
was won by a lady from Mundford and the one at The
George was won by our President Steve. I must make
sure I buy more tickets next year!
If you want to find out any more about or Club, please
visit our website – http://www.swaffhamrotary.org.uk
or e mail me club_president@swaffhamrotary.org.uk.
John Wallace
YEARS
VJ Day – the Forgotten Army?
Does your family have a connection to the war in the
Far East? If so, Swaffham Heritage would very much
like to hear from you.
Swaffham Heritage and the Town Council are working
together on a project to commemorate the 75th
Anniversary of VJ Day and would like to collect and
record stories of Swaffham families that relate to the
Far East Campaign.
We have the stories of several Swaffham men who
part of the Far East Campaign or were in the prison
camp at Changi and worked on the Burma-Thailand
Railway but we know that there are more and would
very much like to hear from any families who would
be happy to share their stories.
Picture: Bert Frost carrying the FEPOW Standard
Contact Sue Gattuso at Swaffham Heritage on
swaffhamheritage@gmail.com
Swaffham Museum, 4 London Street, Swaffham,
PE37 7DQ
www.swaffhammuseum.co.uk

01760 336029
Age Concern Swaffham & District
As this is a “delivered” edition of
the Newsletter, I thought I would
repeat some items contained in last
month’s “virtual” edition. This year
was to have been a celebration year
for our Age Concern charity, having been in operation
for 21 years. Of course, “the virus” has intervened
and our special event set for the 28th April had to be
postponed. Resuming meetings of groups still seems
to be some way off as the government has said
that any gradual easing of restrictions would leave
meetings at the end of the line. Maybe September/
October?
A particularly worrying matter is that our Befriending
Service and Hospital Buddy Service are on hold
and so the people on our lists who are essentially
those who are already suffering from loneliness and
frustration by an inability to get around without
help, are suffering the most. Perhaps this element
of our work might be “released” fairly early as they
are basically one-to-one so with appropriate PPE
we might be able to restart both services. We have
to manage with telephone conversations with our
clients which are OK but it is not the same as direct
contact.
However, although the monthly members meetings
held usually in the Assembly Rooms (2 pm) on the
last Tuesday in the month will not be able to resume
until Autumn at the earliest, we welcome those who
might wish to join our group for when things get
back to normal. We charge £5 per year to cover our
expenses but the monthly meetings, where there
might be a speaker or entertainer are held with no
charge to members. We also organise trips out by
coach but these are not possible at the moment
either. Anyone interested in joining Age Concern
should contact our Membership Secretary, Barbara
White, email barbarawhite751@gmail.com or phone
01760 720756. Thank you.
Ja mes D ea n , H o n . S ec reta r y
W J CLARK & SON
Painters and Decorators Est. 1970
Call us today for a free quote and experience the difference.
We offer competitive quotes on all interior and exterior jobs
TEL: 01760 - 722511
MOBILE: 07902 013785 or 07789 906854
10
52 Filby Road, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7SX

www.stovesman.co.uk
We are looking forward to welcoming you back!
We are hoping to open at least the shop and TIC in July. Because of the small space we
will need to put some restrictions in place such as limiting the number of people to two at
a time in the shop and waiting in the foyer.
We are afraid it will be "look, not touch" but our volunteers will be there to help.
For our second-hand books - we are selling these for the time being on Saturdays only. A volunteer will be
with you outside to help.
We are also shortening our opening hours slightly. Mondays to Fridays 10 – 12 am and 1-3 pm. Saturdays as
normal 10am-1pm. This will allow us to clean between shifts. If we are allowed, we also hope to open the
museum at the same time. We will need to remove the children's activities but are replacing these with a
Swaffham Heritage activity booklet and pencil for each child for them to use in the museum and take home.
There is a change in one gallery. We have replaced the Rotary photographs with a selection of posters from
the early 20th century to the war years of events and instructions for Swaffham and nearby villages. The
photographs remain with us as part of our archive.
And in our Conflict and Consequences Gallery we are now focusing more on 2020 as a year of exactly that!
We will be developing that theme throughout the rest of the year.
We had promised a display or similar to commemorate VJ on 15 August. Whatever else is possible we will
be putting a publication on our website in August which will give brief details of the Far East Prisoners of
War of the Swaffham, Watton and District FEPOW Association, together with some details of what the Far
East Campaign was all about.
We are fortunate that the Association deposited its archive at Swaffham Heritage and we have been lent
the scrapbook of the early days of the Association compiled by its founder chairman who served in that
position for over 30 years.
What we don't have is any information about the Burma Star Association. If anyone does have any
information could they please let us know so that we can complete the project. Drop a note through the
letterbox at the museum or contact swaffhamheritage@gmail.com Thank you.
18

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Family Action, Swaffham Services
The last three months have been challenging for
all of us for so many reasons. Hopefully you have
been able find support from family, friends and your
community to help you to stay physically healthy and
emotionally well.
Family Action has continued to provide services
during this time. It took us a couple of weeks to adapt
to new ways of working and communicating, but we
have been able to provide emotional and practical
support to many people. We have been able to
ensure that there is someone in our office Monday
to Friday 9.30-3 every week if you need to ring and
talk to someone – the numbers are 01760 720302
or 01760 725801. We also have a Facebook page
where you can keep in touch and find out more
https://www.facebook.com/familyaction.swaffham/
Here is a reminder of the services we provide and
how to contact us;
Swaffham Wellfamily Service
Promotes emotional support and practical advice
and signposting to patients of all ages registered at
the following GP practices – Campingland, Manor
Farm, Plowright, Feltwell, Brandon, Litcham and
Great Massingham. Patients can refer themselves by
ringing 01760 720302 or can be referred by their GP.
Norfolk and Waveney ASD/ADHD Support Service
– Our West Norfolk ASD Support Service and Great
Yarmouth and Waveney ASD/ADHD Support Service
were expanded on 1 April to cover the county of
Norfolk. We have been commissioned to provide
support for families with a child waiting to be
assessed for ASD or ADHD, but we are happy to offer
advice to parents who are concerned their child may
have ASD or ADHD and are unsure of the assessment
process and to parents of children who have been
diagnosed. We also provide advice and signposting
to adults age 18-25 who have a diagnosis.
ESCAPE Community Allotment Project and Growing
Communities Project
We have remained open with a small number of hard
working and committed volunteers (including Master
Gardeners) and service users who do not have
underlying health conditions helping us to maintain
the site. 20 people each week have been going to
the allotment individually in 1 and a half hour slots
to take their daily exercise. In the next couple of
weeks we hope to increase this number to 30. We
have also been supplying Salad Bags and plants to
the community who collect from the allotment in
timed slots and who then make a donation through
our JustGiving Page https://www.justgiving.com/
fundraising/escapeproject Thank you to everyone
who continues to support the project in so many
different ways. Please do contact us if you want to
find out more about becoming a Master Gardener
and promoting organic gardening to family, friends
and your local community.
Weekly Wellbeing Group
Although the group has not been able to meet,
Kelly has been making weekly phone calls to regular
attenders to have a chat and make sure they are ok.
Social Prescribing
The Living Well Workers are able to provide short
term practical and emotional support. Referral to
this service is through your GP only but please do
contact us to find out more if you think this service
might be able to help you.
Swaffham
Branch
01760
725801
http://www.family-action.org.uk
building better families
14

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Swaffham Camera Club
The camera club remains a victim of
the wider events of the world, and
currently remains unable to resume its
normal pattern of meetings
The clubs first competition under "lock down" was held
May meeting Highlights were an evening of Tips and Hints followed by a quiz
and "Prints of Norfolk Wild Life" the theme of the externally judged
competition.
The club held its first "Zoom" meeting at the beginning
of June, where members were subjected to a brain
On the issue of cars, there seems to be a distinct
Our First June meeting will be an illustrated talk by Chris Bell on "Storm
teasing quiz, with questions relating to all aspects of
Government trend to try and encourage electric car
Chasing", at which members of other clubs are cordially
photography.
sales, invited following to join announcement us. of a cash subsidy for
Some degree of cribbing, with the additional use of those buying new electric cars, together with a countrywide
programme enquires of electric please charging point installations.
For further information on the club's activities, or membership
search engines and phones was noted, however an
visit enjoyable the clubs thought website provoking www.swaffhamcameraclub.com
evening was had by all. Our Chairman, Colin has actually built with Epicams of
For the time being the club will continue meeting Cambridge an Air Engine which runs on liquid nitrogen
electronically on its normal evenings, with a revised which is not a fossil fuel like petrol and diesel. Other
programme of events.
experimental engines run on hydrogen.
The club, under normal circumstances meets on the Should anyone wish to join our group (there is no
first and third Wednesday of each month. It is rightly membership subscription) please contact either our
proud of its established , ongoing, reputation catering
Chairman, Dr Colin Abbiss, jancol.abbiss@gmail.com
for, and assisting photographers of all abilities, within
Tel: 01760 723118 or myself James Dean as Secretary,
its convivial environs.
For further information please contact us via e-mail
jamesdean@uwclub.net. Tel: 01760 720756, for more
richardludlow@compuserve.com
information. Thank you.
16
Swaffham Climate Action
This note is being prepared a day before
the shops are able to open generally
albeit with restrictions especially the
social distancing rules. Let’s hope it will prove
possible to relax these measures somewhat to help
The via clubs its internet new connections programme with of events members. and Winners meetings was make launched all the small with businesses a well and the Saturday Market
and runners up over the two classes were:-
received "Open" Stephen evening Ward of stunning with "Cherry photographs Blossom" and of Alan African wildlife, more viable. presented One side by benefit of all this has of course
Steve Peggs DeRoeck with "Artistic The Pink shots Poppy", left many "Picture members, in Picture" who are
been
well
the reduction
versed in
of vehicle air pollution in the town
photographing David Taylor with British "Smile" wildlife, and glad Stephen that Ward animals with centre. To maintain this improvement, it is hoped that it
in the UK do not generally
"Frame and Frames". These images are shown below:- will be possible to divert the larger goods vehicles who
have the teeth or demeanour and built in ability to plan do to not kill have you. business We soon in the town on to different routes.
realised a camera lens does not offer much protection In from addition, a determined we understand Norfolk County Council
subject.
have decided to carry out a Feasibility Study for the
proposed North – South Relief Road around the town
(if funding can be made available) which could remove
all the longer distance traffic yet providing improved
accessibility and a more pleasant environment for
pedestrians in the centre. There is no doubt that very
significant reductions in vehicle pollution could be
expected as well. A further initiative is that Breckland
Council plan to carry out a public consultation exercise
this year in order to develop a “Climate Strategy” for
the whole District.
Our group, Swaffham Climate Action is supporting any
moves which will result in less pollution coupled with a
reduced carbon footprint and we are including in each
edition of this Newsletter a Tip of the Month. For the
June edition we did suggest we should all review our
energy suppliers to obtain the best and “greenest”
The next meeting was our yearly photography competition deal. For with this the month, July, we recommend that we all
try to do less car driving and take up cycling / walking
Lakenheath club, displaying talents in both projected and printed images.
or even use public transport instead!
.Lakenheath triumphed by a small overall margin at the end of the evening..
The series is now scored as one all, with both clubs looking forward to next
year's event.

Swaffham History Group
One of the many pursuits and activities of the members
within our History Group is the ongoing research in all
things relating to Swaffham from a bygone age. Using
the search engine of Google is fantastic, but of course it
is limited to what other persons upload into the system.
Due to this we have a reliance on Swaffham Heritage,
the County Archives in Norwich, Libraries and also the
National Archives at Kew. Visiting these avenues of
research are now, of course, unavailable to us due to
the present situation during lock-down. Currently we
are ploughing on with our engrossing items of research
and if not having a finished article in writing there
will be plenty of notes to put together so to produce
a written work of interest at a later date. One of our
members Michael Medlar is currently in the final stages
of completing his new book entitled 'Aspects of Life in
Georgian Swaffham'. Michael, of course is the author of
two other successful books about Swaffham published
by the Swaffham History Group.
Due to the above comments, our meetings, like many
other groups are curtailed for the moment but we are
in touch with one another via email. We are hopeful
that this present situation will shortly come to an end
with things becoming more normalised sometime
soon. At the current time I notice more traffic on the
road and I am pleased to see the Swaffham Saturday
Market has now reopened, for fresh produce, etc. if
somewhat limited.
For further details of The History Group please phone
01842 879140 or Email jbaz@go-plus.net
Swaffham Counselling and Psychotherapy
Due to Covid 19, Barbara O'Hanlon MA is now offering
telephone & Skype sessions
For more details or an initial consultation contact Barbara on:
07516 917171 / barbarann688@gmail.com
www.swaffhamtherapy.co.uk
17
Mayor's Parlour
Hello there People of
Swaffham.
Yes, it does feel as though
we’ve been shut away for a
long time and just starting to
emerge from our doorsteps.
The new “norm” still feels pretty restrictive,
but I suppose it’s just a case of getting used
to things.
Council wise we are still functioning
virtually but cannot wait to get back to face
to face meetings, it’s all very well working
from home but there’s nothing like people
for good communication. Let us hope we
can progress safely , get out and about
without too much stress that Covid19 has
put us under.
Moving on to happier things , we have the
market functioning well with the new rules,
I cannot wait to include a cup of coffee in
my visit.
Pleased to say the skate park and MUGA
at Haspalls Rd is now up and running, I am
so pleased about this ,our young people
on the whole have been so patient with
the lockdown. Thank you again to the
young people who sent letters to our older
generation who could not get out and
about, these were very much appreciated.
Kurt at the White Hart continues with his
food distribution although it will revert
to the community centre I should think by
early July.
As I have said before, without Kurt and
his volunteers we would have been in real
difficulties to provide this vital service and
as always, cannot thank him enough.
Rob Bartrum from the Red Lion has also
been busy providing PPE plus I know
many others who have given their time to
others really pulling together as a town ,
thank you, I’m sure we won’t forget this
community spirit as hopefully we move on
into better times.
Events at the moment are not happening but
maybe a bit of entertaining on the Buttercross
might be permissible, we will see.
Gardens are enjoying this welcome rain,
so I will be looking forward to pulling the
weeds easily.
Take care of yourselves and please contact
me if you need help.
Best wishes Jill

In Touch With Your Town
'In Touch with your Town' is
put together by the Town
Clerk Richard Bishop or
occasionally by the Deputy
Town Clerk Claire Smith. It
deals with some of the most topical items
of the day and the odd item where the
Council want to share information with
the Town.
CORONAVIRUS – (COVID-19) Getting back
to Normal
Over the last month we have welcomed the
re-opening of facilities, shops, businesses
and services that have been closed during
the lockdown period. Most of these still
have restrictions on how they operate and
we must all continue to be aware of social
distancing measures set out in government
guidelines, but they are a welcome sign
that we are on our way to returning to
normal.
Open Spaces - Our outside team have
continued to work during most of the
lock down period keeping public spaces
open and safe for people to exercise. We
have now been able to open the skate
park, fitness equipment and MUGA at the
Recreation Ground. At the time of writing
this the play areas remain closed, please
do not use these areas or remove the signs
stating that they are closed.
will be phasing our return to working in
the office, and putting in place measures
so that we can open the office safely to
the public.
Saturday Market - Our phased return
of the Saturday general market traders
is almost complete and we have had
enquiries for new stalls who would like to
come along. They will be allowed onto the
market as soon as we are confident that
this can be managed, keeping everyone
as safe as possible. Again, at the time of
writing our auction has not returned but
we hope it won’t be long before that is
possible.
Allotments – Our allotments have proved
very popular at the moment, they are a
great way of getting exercise outside in
the fresh air. If you think a plot is too large
perhaps consider sharing with a friend
or relative. If you would like to enquire
about renting an allotment please contact
us, we do have a few plots available on
Shouldham Lane.
SWAFFHAM COVID GARDEN COMPETITION
- Has your garden been your place of safety
and consolation in this very strange time?
Is it looking fabulous? Could it be the star
of the show?
Town Hall Office Administration staff
are continuing to work from home, but
we are available by telephone or email
during office hours. Please contact us
with any queries on 01760 722922, leave
a message and we will get back to you.
Alternatively email contacts can be found
on our website. In the next few weeks we
18
Swaffham Town Council are inviting
entries to their Virtual best garden
competition. Just submit up to 5 photos
or a short video by email or ‘We Transfer’
to: administrator@swaffhamtowncouncil.
gov.uk. If you aren’t techy just get in
touch for advice on how to enter.
There will be 6 categories with prizes for
the Best:
- Cottage Garden
- Modern Garden
- Children’s Garden
- Small Garden
- Communal Garden
- Formal Garden
Entries must be submitted by Friday 10th
July 2020. We are aiming high for a
celebrity to help us judge the entries so
watch this space!

Town Council Committee
meeting dates
Virtual Zoom meetings
• Wed 8th
Full Town Council
6.00pm. – 5.30pm
• Mon 13th
Recreation & Community Services
5.30pm
• Mon 20th
Market, Events & Tourism
5.30pm
• Mon 27th
Finance Committee
5.30pm
• Tue 28th
Planning & Built Environment
5.30pm
The Town Council
Mayor – Cllr Jill Skinner
CllrSkinner.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Deputy Mayor – Cllr Keith Sandle
CllrSandle.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Judy Anscombe
CllrAnscombe.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Lindsay Beech
CllrBeech.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Stewart Bell,
CllrBell.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Wendy Bensley
CllrBensley.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Paul Darby
CllrDarby.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Graham Edwards
CllrEdwards.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Brendan Holmes
CllrHolmes.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Colin Houghton
CllrHoughton.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Shirley Matthews
CllrMatthews.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Ian Pilcher
CllrPilcher.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Les Scott
CllrScott.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Officers:
Richard Bishop – Town Clerk
townclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk,
@SwaffhamClerk
Claire Smith – Deputy Town Clerk
deputyclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Hannah Duggan – Office Administrator
administrator@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Swaffham Town Council
Tel: 01760 722 922
www.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Town Hall opening times:
Currently Closed
(at time of printing)
Your Breckland District Councillors:
Cllr. David Wickerson
01760 725 741
david.wickerson@breckland.gov.uk
Cllr. Ian Sherwood
07795 236 878
ian.sherwood@breckland.gov.uk
Cllr Ed Colman - also your Norfolk County Councillor
07940 406 356
ed.colman@breckland.gov.uk / ed.colman.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk
Breckland District Council
www.breckland.gov.uk
01362 656 870. For all enquiries regarding:
Planning, Refuse Bins, Housing, Recycling, Licensing
& Benefits.
Highway issues
Norfolk County Council – www.norfolk.gov.uk
– 0344 800 8020
For Highway issues & faulty street lights:
- Highways - please give the location of the issue and
a telephone number where further information can
be obtained.
- Faulty streetlights – please give the precise location
of the light and the number on the column.
Alternatively visit the website and search for
Highways or Street Lights to report your concerns.
19

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