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SN
April 2021
Your free town newsletter published by Iceni Partnership
SWAFFHAM
newslet ter
NEWS EVENTS INFORMATION
Your lockdown photos still
put a spring in our step!
See p.6
Read about on p.7
A beautiful Spring image of daffodils starting to bloom in Gooderstone, taken by reader Paul Easton
REGULARS
Swaffham
Primary
Academy
p.4
Swaffham
Lions
p.13
Swaffham
History
Group
p.14
published by
Your monthly magazine is published by:
Contact the editor:
01760 722 800
swaffhamnewsletter@gmail.com
Swaffham Newsletter
Iceni Partnership
Swaffham Community Centre
The Campingland
Swaffham
PE37 7RB
Registered in England Company Number 4257830 Charity Number 1101814 VAT Number UK800057775
Comments or queries welcomed - we are a
resource for all of the community to enjoy.
We are always open to new contributors from
Swaffham and surrounding villages.
Deadline for editorial and advertising is the
12th day of the previous month.
Advertisers - We operate an industry standard
pre-paid system of billing. The rates were subject
to a small increase beginning April 2020, in line
with production costs.
Contents
4 School Speak
5 Church News
6 Iceni Photo Competition
7 Swaffham Rugby Club/Golf Club
8 Hospital LoF's/Pickenhams WI
10 Swaffham Climate Action
13 Swaffham Lions/ Lionesses/WEA
14 Swaffham History Group/SCALGA
15 Museum Matters
17 Camera Club/Mayor's Parlour
18 Town Council
1
Beauty @ The Barn Salon
Nestled away in the private gardens of The Barn
Swaffham, lies the newly opened Beauty @the Barn
Salon. Linked to the converted 18th century Barn this
exclusive salon boasts a unique, glamorous and relaxing
environment. Emphasising a calming atmosphere
enabling you to fully appreciate the wide range of
vegan, henna and cruelty free products and treatments.
Eileen Childs, owner of Beauty @ the Barn holds a
doctorate of nutrition, is a full member of the guild of
professional beauty therapists and nail technicians and
is Covid 19 trained. “At Beauty @the Barn I strive to
offer a total pampering experience. The past year has
been hard on us all. We have neglected our well-being
and low self esteem has been an issue with a lot of
us. Allowing time, peace and quiet for ourselves every
once in a while helps you to forget about the strains of
your day and just enjoy a few precious moments being
pampered. So whether it’s a fresh set of manicured/gel
nails and a friendly chat you're after, a luxury relaxing
facial, beauty treatment or a divine pedicure and foot
treatment, I can offer you a high quality service at
reasonable prices and you’ll leave the salon feeling
totally pampered and amazing."
Due to government rules I open on 12th April. Just
phone, message or text 07971 011087. To avoid
disappointment book in advance. www.facebook.
com/Beauty-at-the-barn.
Beauty @ the Barn
3
Come and explore the wide
range of treatments and
therapies available.
Beauty treatments are offered
on an exclusive one to one
basis within a private salon.
Set within the grounds of an
18th century barn in Swaffham,
the relaxing salon boasts a unique,
contemporary environment.
At Beauty @ the Barn you leave your
cares and worries at the door and
embrace a time when you can focus
on your well-being and enjoy the full
pampering experience.
To book your appointment call or text
or email eileen.childs@ymail.com
Find us on Facebook: Beauty-at-the-barn
Treatments offered by Eileen
Childs PhD, MGNT, MGBT
over 30 years experience in weight
loss counselling
Beauty Treatments Include:
Facials
Waxing
Manicures
Extensions
07971 011087
Tinting
Pedicure
Gel Nails
Re-open
12th April
Book now!
The Nicholas Hamond Academy
The Nicholas Hamond Academy Sixth Form
Consultation 1st March to 11 April 2021
All Community Stakeholders of The Nicholas
Hamond Academy
We wish to inform you about a consultation that
we are launching into temporarily closing our Sixth
Form provision at The Nicholas Hamond Academy.
Consultation on a proposal to temporarily close
the sixth form at The Nicholas Hamond Academy
Why we are proposing to temporarily close our
sixth form: The numbers of students studying in
the sixth form at The Nicholas Hamond Academy
have decreased in recent years. In 2019-2020,
we only had 9 students. This number was neither
financially nor academically viable. However, we
believe firmly that the young people of Swaffham
should have access to local, high-quality post16
provision, and we also believe that The Nicholas
Hamond Academy should offer this. In order to
rebuild the provision, however, we will need to
take a little time to develop a curriculum offer and
staffing plan as well as a marketing and admissions
plan. We believe that this means we will be able
to re-open our sixth form provision in September
2023 and we look forward to our students who are
currently in Year 9 becoming our new Year 12 at
that point. Until this is possible, however, we are
required (by the Department for Education) to
formally apply for a temporary closure, and this
requires us to consult with key local stakeholders.
We would be pleased to hear your views on the
temporary closure of course; but would also like to
hear your thoughts on how we can ensure a vibrant
post-16 offer at The Nicholas Hamond Academy
from September 2023.
Purpose of and process for the consultation -
Change of age range – to temporarily exclude Post
16 provision
The Trustees of Academy Transformation Trust
are seeking your views on the future of post-16
provision at The Nicholas Hamond Academy.
The proposal is that the provision should be
temporarily closed with immediate effect with a
view to re-opening in full from September 2023.
This will not impact upon any current students or
staff members. This is also a formal consultation
in regard to the admissions arrangements for
The Nicholas Hamond Academy, as it is proposed
to temporarily remove the post-16 Published
Admission Number (PAN) altogether.
Next steps The Trustees of Academy Transformation
Trust welcome comments from all local stakeholders
on the proposal set out in this paper. All views
expressed during this consultation will be reported
to and considered by the Trustees after the
consultation period has ended. The consultation
closes on 11 April 2021.
We especially invite comments from the following
groups:
• parents of children and young people between
the ages of 2 and 18
• other persons in the Swaffham area who
have an interest in the proposed arrangements
(stakeholders)
• all other admissions authorities within the local
area
• our local authority (Norfolk County Council) and
other neighbouring local authorities
Please contact us via Email: office@tnha.org.uk
should you wish to respond to the consultation
whereupon you will be sent the appropriate form.
Timeline
• Consultation period - 01 March to 11 April 2021
• Report on consultation to Trustees for approval -
April/May 2021
• Communication to the Education and Skills Funding
Agency and the Regional Schools Commissioner for
approval - May 2021
• Implementation - September 2021
4
Swaffham CE Primary Academy
Young learners are inspired to write, imagine and
create, all through street art, as they return to school.
Curlews Class, Year 3, at Swaffham Church of England
Primary Academy are very excited to explore their
new topic of street art! To develop the children’s
skills and encourage their love for writing, Curlews
class are experiencing some fantastic opportunities
that they have described as 'awesome.' This week
they created street art designs to show what they
are thankful for. Soon they will be collaborating
with a well-known female street artist to write a
biography! We hope that through this modern topic
we can inspire children who are returning to school
as they continue on their learning journey.
Swaffham Primary Academy celebrated World Book
Day and World Sleep Day when all of our children
had returned to school. We had a fantastic day
together, sharing our favourite books with our friends
rekindling our love of reading and bringing together
the wonderful community we are lucky enough to
have at our school.
Swaffham Methodist Church
Swaffham Methodist Church are pleased to announce
that beginning on Easter Sunday services will resume
at 10.45am. All usual covid precautions will be in
force. Kindly let us know if you'd like to attend, by
telephoning 01760 722611. The service will be taken
by the Worship Leaders.
St Peter and St Paul's Swaffham
The April services in Swaffham parish church will
be as follows, and are still subject to the pandemic
restrictions: -
Sunday 4th April
Sunday 11th April
Sunday 18th April
Sunday 25th April
9.30am Easter Day
Eucharist
9.30 Parish Eucharist
9.30am Parish
Eucharist
9.30am Parish
Eucharist
At the time of writing, we are not sure when choral
singing can resume, but look forward to restarting
this as soon as it is permitted. Updates on services,
both in church and virtual (streamed on Facebook),
will be advertised each week under ‘Services’ on
the Swaffham Parish Church website https://www.
swaffhamparishchurch.org/ and notified via the
Swaffham Parish Church Facebook site. Similarly,
opening the church for private prayer and for visitors
will be announced there. We would be glad to hear
from anyone who would be interested in assisting
with stewarding during visiting hours, in the hope
of maximising the opening of the church building in
the summer – contact by email, by website, or ring
01760 622241 and leave a message. Many thanks.
Norfolk Libraries Online
We're providing activities and groups you can join in
with online as part of our response to the coronavirus
outbreak. There are also lots of exciting, interesting
and stimulating online resources you can use to help
you stay happy and healthy at home. Discover more
at https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries-localhistory-and-archives/libraries/whats-on
5
Iceni Lockdown Photo Competition
• Pets & Animals
• In Your Neighbourhood
Brian Armitage managed to capture the magical sight
of Swaffham's resident starlings murmarating over
the town at dusk at the end of February.
• Black & White
We love this stunning wintery image of a white and
grey horse in the snow taken by John Millward in
Shouldham Thorpe.
Another great image from Paul Easton in Gooderstone.
Paul is certainly our contributor of the month, he
made it very difficult to choose!
Another beautiful capture taken in the snow was this
image of a beautiful kingfisher taken by Paul Easton
near his home in Gooderstone.
Our final selection for this category was this amazing
image of Knot and Curlew at Snettisham, captured by
Lyn Ibbitson-Elks back in December.
6
Swaffham Players
Like everyone else, Swaffham Players are looking forward
to getting back to normal this summer. It will be different
sort of normal though! We’ve just passed our 50th
anniversary, and we’re starting to form our plans for the
next 50 exciting years.
As soon as we can, we’ll draw our members back into the
swim with a quiz social night, always a popular event in
our year. Shortly after that, like many other organisations,
we’ll be having an Extraordinary General Meeting to catch
up on the normal AGM items we haven’t been able to
do. Then for the future! We’ve kept ticking over by doing
weekly play readings on that life-saver, Zoom, and started
learning recording and editing techniques for producing
top-notch audio podcasts of plays, which we hope will
continue to be a feature of our offering.
We are also looking forward to working with the Town
Council with a view to developing the Barn Theatre as a
dedicated community performance space.Finally, any
club always needs new blood, and we’ll be looking at
ideas to recruit, teach and develop new members of all
ages in whatever aspects of theatre they are interested
in, whether it’s acting, or behind the scenes designing
and building sets, lighting, or any of the many other
indispensable specialist roles.
If any of this appeals to you, why not get ahead of the game
by contacting our Secretary, Nicky, on 01760 721568, or via
our website, https://swaffhamplayers.org/. Meanwhile,
we wish you all a safe and happy summer.
Ladies Welcome At Swaffham Golf Club
Swaffham Golf Club is encouraging more ladies to take
up the sport and with our trainee golf professional, Abi
O’Riordan on hand for tuition, why not come and join the
club and see how much fun golf can be both on and off
the course; and with the club celebrating its centenary
in 2022 plans are progressing for an exciting year. Ladies’
days at Swaffham are Wednesdays, usually for qualifying
competitions, with Saturday tee times allocated for a
ladies’ roll-up which is a great way to get to know the
ladies who are always welcoming to new members.
Tuesdays are allocated as seniors day, and ladies over the
age of 55 are eligible to join in with the senior men making
it a good mix for a recreational morning, with mixed
competitions both at Swaffham and at other golf courses
arranged throughout the year.
If you would like to join us you can be assured of a friendly
welcome from our lady members and to help you settle
in you would be paired with an established member
to ensure that you quickly feel part of the section. With
various membership packages available please contact
the club office on 01760 721621 where Rachel, the Office
Manager, can advise you on which package would suit
your requirements whether you want to play several times
a week, or only have time to play occasionally.
Give golf a go at Swaffham Golf Club and discover a new
hobby with the benefit of fresh air, exercise, good company
and a friendly welcome.
7
Swaffham Rugby Club
With schools now open again after a long break,
children looking for sport and recreation to blow away
those winter cobwebs should soon be able to take up
rugby at Swaffham again. Unless the Government
plans are changed, Swaffham Mini and Youth sections
are planning six weeks of training starting on Sunday
April 11th until the end of May. The minis will kick
off the new sessions at 9.30am and are expecting a
good turnout as it will be the first opportunity since
November to exercise with their team mates. The
youth teams, aged 13 and upwards, will train straight
afterwards from 10.30am and will be hoping that
they get some opportunity before the end of May to
continue their good form of last year. All new players
are welcome to turn up and have a look, or contact
Andy (Minis) 07535 820762 andypbolton@hotmail.
co.uk or Rob (Youth) 07780 389232 salter.robert@
sky.com
Senior rugby alas will have to wait a while longer, as
full contact games are unlikely to begin before the
middle of the summer, but training and warm up
games are already planned ready for a restart of the
league season in September. Dates have yet to be
fixed but look likely to be during the summer.
If lockdown relaxes as expected, the club is already
planning some social events through the summer,
starting with a fun open day on or around the
weekend of July 3rd/4th. We can only hope that the
pandemic declines and with the promise of senior
rugby again in September, we will be organising a
10-a-side tournament against invited clubs, as a preseason
warm up in early August.
The club will be celebrating its 40th anniversary
in October and plans are already being made for
celebrations, as well as the staging of the 10th annual
fireworks display in November.
Whilst no one really knows yet quite when things are
going to happen we can at least start to say that they
will happen, and we look forward to seeing all our old
members, plus new ones, whenever that may be. The
new website is almost complete, and can be seen at
www.swaffhamrugby.co.uk.
Swaffham Community Hospital L of F's
Another fairly short article this month as there is still
little new to report. I hope you all are weathering this
enforced period of having to mainly stay at home.It is
harder than it looks and we all greatly miss the direct
contact with family and friends.
By the time you read this we will be near getting
some of our lives back. As time goes on I must admit
it is getting harder to keep our spirits going. However,
when feeling a bit low it is best to remember all
those less fortunate, including those who have to be
admitted to hospitals, including ours.
We are all pinning our hopes on the continuing
vaccination roll out and it is encouraging to see the
national numbers are still doing well. I hope you
are availing yourselves of this as you are called. The
situation in care homes has improved and it is good
news that at least some limited direct contact with
loved ones is now possible.
Our NHS colleagues, as ever, are doing a wonderful
job and here in Swaffham the pressure remains as the
hospital has expanded the number of beds available
for extra patients.
As before we are delivering further supplies of
refreshments and hand creams for the staff as a token
of appreciation.
There is still no sign of us being able to commence
any fundraising activities so I continue with my
suggestion that if you would like to help, a good way is
to participate in our coin collection. The idea is to ask
you all to consider whether you would like to have
a jam jar or tin at home in which you might donate
any spare change over the coming weeks. It would be
a small way of recognising the fantastic service our
NHS colleagues are giving over this difficult period. If
you would like to do this the donations could be left
at hospital reception or if you ring me I can arrange
collection. We have had some more response to
this and I would like to thank those of you who have
contributed. Nothing further to report at the moment
on any capital schemes.
We are really keen to attract new people to join
our small committee (especially after the loss of a
member). Do ring me for an informal chat, I promise
it's not too onerous, so why not give us a try?
It is important that we all follow the latest Government
guidelines, so stay safe and well.
Colin Houghton (Chairman)
01760 336025
The Pickenham's WI
On Tuesday 9th March Carolyn
hosted an on-line Zoom meeting,
at 2.00pm and this time we were
able to stay on for a full 2 hours, thanks to Francesca
hosting Zoom for us on her contract. This did make
it all so much easier and we are very grateful to
Francesca. Francesca was initially unable to join us,
but she did manage to "arrive", virtually of course!
Our meeting started on a sad note as we held a
minute's silence in remembrance of our former
member and President, Sheila Warner, who passed
away only very recently following a long illness.
Sheila was a good friend and we will all miss her
immensely.
We were then joined by our speaker, Mandy Wild,
who had had to try out Zoom for the first time in
order to join us. Considering this was Mandy's
first experiment with Zoom, she made it all very
entertaining! She is an expert on style and fashion
and gave a presentation on "Looking good in a bin
bag". For the next 45 minutes we learned how to
assess our own body shape (triangle, pear, hourglass,
lean column). The danger is that if you put on
weight you can change from being a lean column to
a rectangle or from an hourglass to a circle!
Mandy is so amusing, sharing tips on how to
improve your appearance, that we all spent the
whole time grinning. We got advice on style and
colour, i.e. whether to change colour at the waist
or the hips, as well as the best style of shoes and
even handbag for a better line. Mandy did in fact
put on her bin bag plus belt and she still looked a
dream. After we said goodbye to Mandy, we spent
some time chatting - those of us who are now used
to Zoom chats are finding it keeps us in touch with
each other. In line with Government advice, we are
going to try meeting in groups of 6 in the outdoors
on 13th April. Arrangements will be firmed up in the
coming weeks. Our next meeting will be delayed to
20th April when we will again be on Zoom and the
speaker will be Christopher Peskett - representing
the charity 'Doctors without Borders'. We are all
looking forward to it immensely.
8
01760 336029
CARPET CLEANING
Viruses and bacteria
live in your carpet
To improve air quality in your home and to create
a safe environment for your family your carpet
should be cleaned professionally every year
Call us today for a FREE QUOTE
and to find out more on 01760 337762
Covering the whole of East Anglia | www.xtraclean.co.uk
Swaffham Climate Action
Just over a year ago,before groups such
as SCA had to resort to Zoom meetings
rather than face-to-face discussions,
James Dean volunteered to be secretary
of the newly-formed Swaffham Climate Action. The
twenty plus members of the group have relied on
James to organise agendas, write up meeting notes
and produce an article for the monthly Swaffham
Newsletter. He has kept the rest of us on our toes.
Following recovery from a fall a few weeks ago,
James and his wife Barbara have decided to move
away from Swaffham. Like many other Swaffham
organisations, we will miss James for his friendship,
his reliable efficiency and his interest and concern for
our endangered planet, particularly in the Swaffham
area. If you are concerned about Climate Change and
its effects and how we humans can undo the damage
we have done since the start of the Industrial
Revolution, please contact us. Normally we meet
(at present via Zoom) on the second Thursday of the
month at 10 am, with a follow-up on the following
Tuesday evening.
Colin & Janet Abbiss
(01760 723118)
NHS Norfolk & Waveney CCG
The CCG has set up a page on our website where we
have put local information that has been translated by
Translate Plus into the languages we have been told are
local priorities. The page also contains other translated/
multi-language resources we have found regarding
the Covid-19 vaccination programme: https://www.
norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk/coronavirus/17-
coronavirus/236-covid-related-documents-translated
This page is part of the first steps in meeting the needs
of non-English speakers/BAME communities, and
primarily focuses on the operational details of when,
where and how people will receive the vaccine. We
plan to add and update this page as more information
becomes available.
Easy Read – also available on our website is an easy
read page which contains local and national resources.
https://www.norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk/covid-
19-vaccination-programme/2-uncategorised/219-
easy-read-information-for-the-covid-19-vaccinationprogramme
10
Cancer Appointments Survey
At Healthwatch Norfolk we are launching a project
alongside Healthwatch Suffolk to find out how
people affected by cancer have accessed their
appointments during the pandemic.
We are working with the people in charge of cancer
services in Norfolk and Suffolk to help shape the
way appointments are accessed in the future, so
it is vital that we get as much feedback as possible
to get an authentic sense of patient opinion. If you
live in Norfolk or Waveney and have had a cancer
diagnosis, referral or treatment since March 2020,
Healthwatch Norfolk and Suffolk would love to
hear from you.
Whether you have had virtual appointments
(by phone or video call, for example), in-person
appointments, or a combination of both your
experiences could help shape future provisions.
If you would like to participate, please contact
Healthwatch Norfolk by calling 0808 1689669,
or emailing enquiries@healthwatchnorfolk.
co.uk. Alternatively, the survey can be completed
online by visiting www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/
cancerappointments/
We are also asking our audience to forward the
information to as many people as possible, to help
us with this important piece of work. We would be
extremely grateful for any support you can offer.
Healthwatch Norfolk and Healthwatch Suffolk are
the independent voices for patients and service
users in our counties. We gather your views of
health and social care services to ensure they
are heard by the people in charge. For more
information about what we do, visit our website
www.healthwatchnorfolk.co.uk.
Family Action - Social Prescribing
Many things affect your mental and physical
health and your feeling of wellbeing. GPs tell us
that a lot of people visit them feeling isolated or
lonely; stressed by work, relationships, money
and housing problems. We understand that living
with a long term condition can be stressful too,
and social prescribing has many ways to help you
manage your condition on an ongoing basis. To
find out how Social Prescribing might be able to
help either contact
your GP Surgery, or
Family Action Norfolk
(01760 720302) to
find out more about
Social Prescribing and
how to be referred.
from my friends
At The Paddocks Care Home, we’re not just
1:58/2:45 WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – THE BEATLES
carers, we’re friends – and sometimes our friends
need a little help. That’s why we personalise
each day to meet the individual needs of our
1:58/2:45 WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – THE BEATLES
residents and their families.
With a little help
from my friends
from my friends
The Paddocks
And hearing their laughter is music to our ears.
www.castlemeadowcare.co.uk
With a little help
RESIDENTIAL CARE | DEMENTIA CARE |
At The Paddocks Care Home, we’re not just
carers, we’re friends – and sometimes our friends The Paddocks
from my friends
need a little help. That’s why we personalise
each day to meet the individual needs of our
45 CLEY ROAD, SWAFFHAM, PE37 7NP
residents and their families.
CALL 01760 722920 TO ARRANGE YOUR VISIT
And hearing their laughter is music to our ears.
The Paddocks
1:58/2:45 WITH 1:58/2:45 A LITTLE HELP WITH FROM A MY LITTLE FRIENDS www.castlemeadowcare.co.uk
HELP – THE BEATLES FROM MY FRIENDS – THE BEATLES
RESIDENTIAL CARE | DEMENTIA CARE | RESPITE CARE | SHORT BREAKS
At The Paddocks Care Home, we’re not just
carers, we’re friends – and sometimes our friends
need a little help. That’s why we personalise
each day to meet the individual needs of our
residents and their families.
And hearing their laughter is music to our ears.
www.castlemeadowcare.co.uk
45 CLEY ROAD, SWAFFHAM, PE37 7NP
CALL 01760 722920 TO ARRANGE YOUR VISIT
At The Paddocks Care Home, we’re not just
carers, we’re friends – and sometimes our friends
need a little help. That’s why we personalise
each day to meet the individual needs of our
45 CLEY ROAD, SWAFFHAM, PE37 7NP
RESIDENTIAL CARE | DEMENTIA CARE | RESPITE CARE | SHORT BREAKS
residents and their families.
CALL 01760 722920 TO ARRANGE YOUR VISIT
At The Paddocks Care Home, we’re not just
The Paddocks
And hearing their laughter is music to our ears.
carers, we’re friends – and sometimes our friends
The First Carbon Neutral Iron Bed Maker
www.castlemeadowcare.co.uk
need a little help. That’s why we personalise
each day to meet the individual
RESIDENTIAL CARE |
needs
DEMENTIA CARE |
of our
45 CLEY ROAD, SWAFFHAM, PE37 7NP
RESPITE CARE | SHORT BREAKS
CALL 01760 722920 TO ARRANGE YOUR VISIT
residents and their families.
And hearing their laughter is music to our ears.
www.castlemeadowcare.co.uk
Wrought Iron and
Brass Bed Co.
Handmade in Norfolk | Guaranteed to last a lifetime
RESIDENTIAL CARE | DEMENTIA CARE | RESPITE CARE | SHORT BREAKS
A fi rst and second generation family
company. All our beds are lovingly hand
crafted to order, on the Sandringham
Estate and come with a guarantee
to last a lifetime.
Visit Our Showroom
by appointment only
39 Turbine Way
Eco-tech Business Park
Swaffham
PE37 7XD
01485 542516
www.wroughtironandbrassbed.co.uk
SwaffhamNewsletter_HalfPage_Template.indd 1 24/02/2021 10:54
12
'Computers for Home' Scheme
Iceni Partnership were delighted with the community
response following an appeal for laptops that could
be repurposed, and then donated to our local
schools to support the town’s young people with
their home learning. Well Swaffham, we asked and
you delivered! Thank you very much for your kind
and generous donations and we are really pleased to
report that our local schools have now informed us
that currently their needs have been met. We would
also like to thank Anglian Computers, Dereham for
their help and support regarding software upgrades.
We are happy to continue to accept your unwanted
laptops since there are still members of the
community that we can help. Donations can be
made at Swaffham Community Centre, Campingland
Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm.
If you still do not have a laptop to assist in your child's
home studies, please contact us, we may be able to
help! Thank you!
Do y
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
SINCE 1999
Befrienders & Hospital Buddy Drivers Needed
Telephone
befriending only
at present
In the current pandemic it is amazing how many people
have volunteered to help those that have had to shield
due to age or health. Hopefully, lots of you have found
this extremely rewarding and may like to continue as the
restrictions lighten. If you have enjoyed helping others
and have an hour or two to spare a week or enjoy driving,
we would love to hear from you. We need caring
compassionate people like yourselves to join our
fantastic team of volunteers to help elderly people to get
to medical appointments or just to stop an elderly person
from being lonely. Please call us for an informal chat to
see how you could help. Thank you.
Office currently
closed to visitors,
please contact us
on 07393 981295
instead.
We are here to improve the quality of older
people’s lives in Swaffham & the villages nearby
Tel: 07393 981 295
EMAIL: swaffhamsss16@outlook.com
www.swaffhamsupportservices.co.uk
The Community Centre, Campingland, Swaffham. PE37 7RB
Swaffham & District Lions
Following the success of the Lions
Sunday Food collection, and their
partnership with the Iceland food
collection, the Lions are pleased
to announce that the Necton Co-op have joined the
food collection for the Foodbank. One of the Co-op
managers, Sarah Faulkner, was delighted to be able to
support such a worthy cause in these trying times and
thanked the Lions for setting up the project. Since the
Lions Sunday Food Collection started the Lions have
collected over 1500kg of food.
We were thrilled to received this letter of thanks from
Mid Norfolk Foodbank. It's amazing to know that our
collections have helped to feed over 2000 people in
need in the local area. None of this would be possible
without the continued support of the residents of
Swaffham and their generosity, so a big thanks must
go to all of you too.
Please continue to
donate if you are
able to, it really does
make a difference.
A big thank you to
Sarah of Precious
Petals Norfolk florist
who kindly donated
some surplus flowers to give to as a treat to Mums
visiting the community fridge on Mother's Day.
Swaffham Lionesses
The Pride of Swaffham
After some time “sitting it out” during all the Covid
Lockdowns and restrictions, for the last two months we
have been meeting on Zoom in order to make plans for
later in the year when we will hopefully be back up and
running as normal. Our National Lioness Conference
which should have taken place in Gloucestershire this
year, sadly cannot take place, so this means that our
AGM business will have to take place on Zoom.
We are continuing to support our local foodbank
collections, and will be donating some extra Easter
treats to the Lions Foodbank collection at the end
of March. We also want to do our bit for the local
environment and will be doing another Litter pick in
April. Looking to the future, we will hopefully be having
a stall once a month at the Friday Indoor market in the
Assembly Rooms. This will be good publicity for us
and will enable us to sell some items to benefit local
Charities. Also we are planning to hold a MacMillan
Coffee morning later in the year.
Our Swaffham Lioness Club was formed in May 1991,
and we will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary with a
meal out, all being well sometime in the summer. Let’s
keep our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery back to
normality!
Best wishes, Swaffham Lionesses.
Swaffham WEA
Gotta Sing - Gotta Dance
Need something to lift your
spirits? Fed up with all the
uncertainties of what we can and can’t do? Why not
come and join us for a couple of hours a week and
enjoy a variety of musical treats on film?
A 6-week course (7th May - 11th June 2021) will be
available on Friday mornings, 10 am - 12 noon, which
our tutor Nigel Herwin will be delivering. The cost is
£38.40 and it will be run using zoom.
To enrol, visit our website: www.wea.org.uk (Course
number: C2227994) or phone 0300 303 3464.
Courses are free for those on benefits or reduced
income. For further information, or to get a simple
guide to access the course via zoom, please phone
Swaffham Community Centre on 01760 722800.
It was with sad hearts that we arranged yet another
course online. However we are planning to return to
the Community Centre, autumn 2021, completely
refurbished during lockdown. We look forward to
seeing you soon.
13
Swaffham History Group
John Child M.R.C.V.S.
One of the earliest (recorded) 'Veterinary Surgeons'
who practised in Swaffham was John Child. He was
born 24th January 1812 in Swaffham and was the only
son of two children born to Christopher and Frances
(Jessup) Child, a blacksmith. His formative years and
the family home of John were located in London
Street, Swaffham where his father Christopher had
his blacksmiths premises.
John had studied, obtained the necessary
qualifications from the Royal College of Veterinary
Surgeons and now practised his skills in Swaffham as
a veterinary surgeon. He married Mary Ann Rix and
they raised a family of 3 sons and 4 daughters (the
eldest son William worked as an assistant veterinary
to his father).
N.B. All John Childs' sons had a professional life with
animals becoming and having careers as veterinary
surgeons. On the death of his father, Charles Rix
Childs then took over and continued in his late
father's business as Veterinary Surgeon, Swaffham.
For more details regarding the group please phone
01842 879140 or Email jbaz@go-plus.net
John Child 1812--1876, Swaffham.
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
52 Filby Road, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7SX
14
SCALGA
Greetings from the allotments
We have had vast swings in the weather since our
last letter. Rain, snow, sun, high winds, short of
locusts we’ve pretty much had it all so far this year.
Along with Avian Flu restrictions and of course
COVID19, it has been difficult to report anything
really positive, however we keep battling on (what
else can you do)?
At last we seem to be creeping towards the slightly
better weather and plot holders have been able to
get on with the jobs that have been put off. Last
Sunday being sunny and quite warm the Allotments
were alive with sounds of rotovating, digging,
mowing and generally getting on with things. Whilst
we came home tired with the physical work it was a
nice feeling of moving forward.
Hopefully the restrictions regarding Avian Flu will be
lifted by the time this is published. It has been hard
to restrict the birds but luckily the allotments have
not been affected and I think that when we can let
the chickens out it will be like children rushing out
of school, so pleased to be able to scrap in the grass.
Since the first lock down we have had many new
people take over the vacant plots. We can only
admire the hard work that has gone into resurrecting
overgrown areas into working spaces. We will
certainly have our work cut out when (and if) we
have the Best Kept Allotment Competition this year.
For those of us who did not get round to planting
Broad Beans in the autumn early spring is a good
time and they do catch up, hopefully early plantings
have not rotted with the wet weather.
The potatoes are chitting away and it is becoming
a rush to get seeds going in the greenhouse or
indoors. Walking about everything is starting to
bud; it is uplifting even in these worrying times.
Some of our plot holders work the “no dig” system.
I had a very interesting and constructive chat with
one of our aficionados of this way and I am going to
try it out in some areas I am sure it is good for the
back and the environment!
'Spring is sooner recognised by plants than by men.'
Chinese Proverb
Forward dates for your diary
• AGM 26th May 7.30pm, Assembly Rooms.
• Other events to be announced, subject to easing
of restrictions.
If you are interested in taking a plot or a starter plot,
please give Graham or Jennifer Edwards a call on
07919 888870.
Swaffham Museum, Town Hall, London Street,
Swaffham PE37 7DQ. Tel: 01760 721230
Email: swaffhamheritage@gmail.com
To keep up to date join us on our website:
www.swaffhammuseum.co.uk
Museum Shop and TIC
opens Tues 13. April
Mon-Fri 10-4. Sat 10-1. Museum opens in May
• £25,000 jackpot!
• Sign up from £1 per week
• Help our cause help the community
• Don't miss the special draw!
To start supporting, visit:
www.ourbrecklandlottery.co.uk
and search for: Iceni Partnership
Supporters must be 16 years of age or older. Offer ends 24 th April. See website for terms and conditions.
Howard Carter snippets no.2 /10
The Parents
Samuel John (1835–1892) was a well- known
Victorian animal portrait painter. He spent his
childhood with his three brothers and two sisters
at Keeper’s Cottage. it is said that he was tutored
in art at a drawing class in Swaffham but we don’t
know where the children went to school. As an
adult he exhibited at The Royal Academy.
He married Martha Joyce Sands (1837 – 1920)
whose family home was on Lynn Street. Her father
was a builder and carpenter.
The couple’s first child, Morris Samuel, was born
and baptised in Swaffham and was buried in the
churchyard less than two years later. Shortly
afterwards, before 1861, they moved to London.
Samuel John was a prolific and popular painter of
animals, tame and wild. For many years he was also
the agricultural illustrator for The Illustrated News
in London.
The family would spend extended holidays in
Swaffham at the Sporle Road House.
15
Even ironing!
Tracy: 01362 820 966
Caroline: 01953 882 154
Mobile: 07927 161 201
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Swaffham & District Camera Club
In place of the club's normal competition evening
in February members sat back and enjoyed an
evening of stunning internal images taken in grand
and ruined buildings presented by James Kerwin.
By the wonders of the web, James, whose
current base is in Georgia was live from there and
interactive, via Zoom, on every member's screen.
We depict below a typical screen shot taken from
the presentation:
In place of the clubs normal competition evening in February members sat back and enjoyed an
evening of stunning internal images taken in grand and ruined buildings presented by James Kerwin.
By the wonders of the Web, James whose current base is in Georgia was live from there and
interactive, via Zoom, on every members screen. We depict below a typical screen shot taken from
the presentation.
The club's first meeting of March consisted of
the A.G.M. followed by a general knowledge
competition, with some rounds dedicated to
photographic subjects. The average score members
achieved would be a pass mark in many public
exams, but did leave some room for improvement.
The club's popular image competition evening
will be back for our second meeting of the month,
with the opportunity to enter images in three
individual sections which will be adjudicated by a
qualified external judge. It is intended that winning
images will form part of next month's entry for the
Swaffham Newsletter.
The club assists and encourages photographers of
all abilities, and looks forward to reconvening at its
new venue as soon as possible.
For further information please contact us by e-mail
at richardludlow@compuserve.com
The club's first meeting of March consisted of the A.G.M. followed by a general knowledge
compitition with some rounds dedicated to photographic subjects. The average score members
achieved would be a pass mark in many public exams. but did leave some room for improvement.
The Clubs popular image competition evening will be back for our second meeting of the month,
with the opportunity to enter images in three individual sections which will be adjudicated by a
qualified external judge. It is intended that winning images will form part of next months entry for
the Swaffham Newsletter.
The club assists and encourages photographers of all abilities, and looks forward to reconvening at
its new venue as soon as possible.
For further information please contact us by e-mail at richardludlow@compuserve.com
17
Mayor's Parlour
Dear All, Well, we are still waiting to really
be released, as I’ve said before, best be
safe rather than sorry. The vaccination
programme at Manor Farm for the area
is proving a great success, being rolled out
efficiently with the maximum doses being delivered.
Children are back to school and most I’m told, thrilled
to do so, well done to all those parents, it must have
been quite a challenging time.
As I speak, we’ve high winds and rain which is
contributing to very bad internet, so much so that our
meeting had to be concluded early due to so many
councillors unable to connect. Having said that our WiFi
in the town is pretty awful, it would be good to have the
views on this from the public so that we could try and
get something done.
We remain busy in the council especially regarding the
barn which we hope to purchase in the next couple of
months. A steering group will be formed and interested
parties with ideas encouraged to participate, it’s a very
exciting time for the town and what can be offered here
for our residents. At the moment we are waiting for the
consultants to come back and give us their thoughts on
how this can be managed.
Our event programme for this year has had to be
curtailed somewhat due to Covid, however, do hope
during the summer months some entertainment will
be possible. I must say I can’t imagine a day out in
Norwich, it’s going to be either a treat or something so
strange not to be repeated! Keep yourselves safe.
Best wishes, Jill
The Town Council
Mayor – Cllr. Jill Skinner
CllrSkinner.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Deputy Mayor – 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
Cllr. Kurt Oliver
CllrOliver.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
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.
COVID thoughts and gradually coming out of
lockdown…
Just the mere thought of coming out of lockdown, fills
most people with hope, a hope for some normality
and the chance to meet up just for a cup of coffee
with friends and family, safely of course. There is
Covid or lockdown fatigue evident amongst us all,
that differs from person to person, depending on their
own experience. The roll out of the vaccine has been
nothing short of extraordinary and we have a lot to
thank our scientists for, and thank you, will never be
enough to our NHS and key workers. On a local level,
we have seen some great examples of selfless acts of
kindness and there are too many people to mention
here, and we will be forever in their debt.
From a Town Council perspective, what does coming
out of lockdown mean? First of all, we will get to see
all of the Councillors in the one room and not just on
a screen, at the very latest, it does look like this will
be possible for the Full Council meeting in July, if all
goes well with the roadmap targets that are now set
by government. Whilst we have managed to get by
with virtual meetings, the Council as a whole have
missed the dynamic of meeting face-to-face. Like
everything in life, it is a question of balance, and there
will still be a time and a place for virtual meetings,
but Councillors will relish the chance of getting back
to the Council Chamber, for the first time since March
last year.
For Council admin staff, it has been a case of just
getting on with the job in hand. Whether working
from home or at the Town Hall, an e-mail looks exactly
the same, the staff sound the same on a phone call
wherever they are, and the back-office admin has
been deliverable, even if the volume of work has
increased slightly during the pandemic period. So
much has been organised in the form of events, only
to be postponed, delayed, then cancelled, very time
consuming for a zero result. Again though, there is a
loss of the dynamic of working in the same office and
communication between colleagues and delegating
tasks, can be more challenging from a distance. It is
a different way of working, and as things come out
of lockdown it will be a case of getting the balance
right to maximise our output and presents us with an
opportunity of cutting some costs.
18
For Council outside staff, other than the first
lockdown where facilities were all closed, things have
only changed in working practices, where staff have
been requested to work alone, instead of in a team.
Services like our Market have had various stages to
manage, with total closure, gradual re-opening as a
food and essential goods Market, then a full phased
return, and partial closure back to limited stalls
remaining opening. All Covid safe measures were
put in place and remain in place. Managing more
burials than usual, again with the limited numbers in
attendance, it hasn’t been an easy period for anyone.
Keeping play areas and open spaces open, also
allotments and public toilets. Attending to the floral
displays around the Town, cutting grass and checking
play equipment all part of the routine on a daily basis.
If we can summarise what it means for the Town
Council to come out of lockdown, it gives us all a
chance for the person-to-person interaction again. In
general, the Town Council are no different to anyone
else, they have missed the human contact, even the
face-to-face complaints! Everyone has had their own
personal difficult issues and concerns to deal with,
so Councillors and Council staff are no different in
that respect. So, we’ll end back where we started, as
‘hope’ is what coming out of lockdown means, hope
for our local business to survive and thrive, hope for
everyone to keep healthy, to put a smile on the Town
and for Covid to be under control, hope that those
who have suffered loss can find some peace and
most of all is hope for some normality – stay safe…
Zoom Town Council Meeting – Adjourned In March…
Your Town Council have been holding all of their
meetings virtually since the 4th May 2020, this
followed the Covid-19 law being rushed through
parliament in April last year. On 10th March, due
to adverse weather conditions the Mayor had to
call a halt to proceedings, as the situation became
extremely difficult. We had sometimes three or four
Councillors dropping out of the meeting with no
signal, others you could see on screen and either
they couldn’t hear everyone else, or they couldn’t
hear them, and some did not have enough signal
to generate a video screen. So, the meeting was
adjourned first of all for 24-hours, then for a week,
as the shorter period became difficult for some
Councillors to re-arrange previous commitments. The
first meeting of its type that we have had to abandon.
So, the highlights will have to wait another month, as
the newsletter deadline has arrived too soon…
So, maybe this month we are not as exciting or as viral
as Jackie Weaver and Handforth Parish Council, but
we have had our moments… In general, all Parish and
Town Council’s have done well to adapt to a new way
of working, to keep things ticking over and address
the issues of the day. Virtual meetings have added a
new dimension and has given us some cost cutting
work practices, that may well continue beyond
the Covid Pandemic. Certainly, if legalised, hybrid
meetings could become the norm, with part face-toface
and part virtual meetings, to maximise the use of
the virtual technology. We do have an issue cropping
up after 7th May, as the ‘virtual meeting’ platform
was only legalised by the Covid-19 law up until that
date, so we await guidance from Government on
what we do between 8th May and 21st June, when
all the restrictions are planned to be lifted, subject to
the data confirming that it is safe to do so…
Recycling Bins Re-location
The recycled bins previously located outside the
Pedlars Café have finally been relocated to the Pedlars
Car Park. This has been a long-standing issue that
our Transport, Access and Environment Committee
have been trying to resolve. The previous location
meant that the first thing that people saw when they
entered the Town Centre from the Theatre Street Car
Park were the recycled bins, and it was hardly the
best advert for the Pedlars Café. Hopefully, people
will find the new location just as easy to access and
less imposing…
Litter Bins – If Full, Please Don’t Use The Floor…
Last month we had Ducks and Duck Poo, with Dogs
and Dog Poo, this month we’ll take a look at general
litter in and around the Town. It has been noticed
that the litter bins in the town are filling up at a rapid
rate, and part of the problem may be associated to
the increase in the take-aways, which are the only
choice at the present time. The bins themselves
are emptied on a daily basis by Breckland Council’s
contractors Serco. So perhaps additional bins are
the answer, as the High Street starts to open back
up again, so that we are able to keep the place tidy?
In the past we have also had groups of volunteers
who have successfully carried out a litter pick of
other areas of concern in the town, as these parts
are not under the contract, but still attract litter.
This could be a possibility in the future, as it is on
a Council Committee agenda very soon. One of the
new items that get discarded at the present time is
that of the ‘face-mask’, it is noticeable that these are
now a regular part of the litter pick operation and not
something you want to see in the hedgerows on the
entrances to the Towns either. PLEASE be vigilant as
you walk around our town, use the bins and if they
are full, take your litter home, as throwing the litter
on the ground means someone has to be paid to
pick it up, and the frequency and volume adds to the
cost, which means that public money gets spent on
this, rather than other more positive things the Town
might like or need – THANK YOU.
19
Swaffham Town Council
Tel: 01760 722 922
www.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Town Hall opening times:
Monday 9.30am – 1pm. 1.30pm – 4pm
Tuesday - Friday – 9.30am – 1pm
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
Town Council Committee
meeting dates
Virtual Zoom meetings
• Tue 6th – Transport, Access & Environment - 4pm
• Wed 14th - Full Town Council - 6.30pm
• Mon 19th – Market, Events & Tourism – 6.30pm
• Wed 21st - Estates, Heritage/Town Hall - 4pm
• Mon 26th – Finance Committee – 6.30pm
• Tue 27th - Planning & Built Environment – 4pm
Breckland District Council
www.breckland.gov.uk
01362 656 870. For all enquiries regarding: Planning,
Refuse Bins, Housing, Recycling, Licensing & Benefits.
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
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.
OUR STORES WILL REOPEN AGAIN FROM MONDAY 12TH APRIL
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