Local Lynx No. 150 - June/July 2023

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assembled with red white and blue flowers on the altar, window sills and in front of the font. Most people were watching the Coronation on TV on Saturday but on Sunday the village came together to celebrate as a community. Special prayers were said at the church service and coffee and cake were served afterwards. Then the action moved to the village hall. The village hall committee had done a splendid job in decorating the hall and the craft group had made beautiful table decorations at their Friday meeting. By 1pm nearly 40 people arrived with picnics ready to sit down and enjoy lunch together. Sandwiches, salads, pies and quiches appeared from baskets and bags, and when these were finished everyone was invited to choose a dessert which the village hall committee had kindly provided. The choice of home made puddings proved irresistible and very popular. When there was a pause, the village hall committee served glasses of prosecco and David Webb the village hall chairman proposed a toast to King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla. The National Anthem was sung and accompanied by Rowan Bell on her trombone. Coffee, tea and more chat followed before people left for home after a wonderful afternoon. Huge thanks are due to the village hall committee who worked so hard to provide such a welcoming and enjoyable time for everyone in the village on this truly historic occasion. CD STIFFKEY Contact: Sophia Williams 07800 590262 stiffkeylynx@gmail.com GENERAL NEWS We will have all voted in the local elections at the beginning of May. For Stiffkey, this means we will have had the opportunity to vote for our district and our parish councils. Voting took place on the 4 th May, in the village hall. A warm welcome to the new permanent residents in the village, Andrew and Deborah Douds, Polly Carmichael and her son. For our <strong>150</strong> th anniversary edition, I’ve pulled out two articles that resonated with the community spirit that I’ve encountered since moving to Stiffkey. Unifying with common goals that are good-for-all is something that I feel we can do in Stiffkey again. We achieved it last year, with the picnic for the Queen’s Jubilee and we achieved it in the creation of the Muckledyke path in 2012. The formation of the Rescue Wooden Boats charity in 2011 is testament to what can be achieved if we support causes that capture our personal sense of community. In the coming weeks, and months I invite you to do something, even the simple act of picking up a piece of litter, that’s for the common good. This Month’s Seasonal Recipe Strawberry, Feta & Red Onion Salad Serves 4-6 as a starter of side 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice 1tsp black pepper 200g goat and sheeps milk feta cheese ½ red onion, thinly sliced 1tsp Dijon mustard 600g Sharrington’s strawberries, stalks removed and halved lengthways 10g mint leaves finely chopped 25g parsley leaves finely chopped In a bowl, mix together 1 tbsp olive oil, the lemon zest, ½ the lemon juice and the black pepper. Add the feta and stir to coat the feta in the mixture. Rinse and then drain the red onion. Mix the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and remaining lemon juice together in a bowl with the mustard. Then season. Put the strawberries, red onion, parsley and mint in a bowl and stir through the dressing. Place on a plate and scatter over the marinated feta, gently giving it a mix, trying not to break up the cheese. Spoon over any remaining marinade and serve immediately. Sophia’s sommelier recommendation is to try this dish with the delightful Flint Vineyard, Charmat sparkling rose, which is like strawberries and cream in a glass. Sophia 26
TALES FROM THE RIVERBANK Firstly, a trout update. On 12th March, my first sighting this year, and all the sweeter for being in cloudy water and earlier that morning having seen two cormorants feeding in the river. Over the following days the water cleared, and more sightings ensued, but noticeably less fish than last year, and at the time of writing in late April very little insect feeding by fish at the surface. Based on trout eggs spawning in February there should be more young around and visible, so I am worried. I haven’t seen any large trout either. Populations do ebb and flow so hopefully there are enough around to sustain our river. I did see a little shoal of four tiny fish feeding at the water’s edge. It is difficult to identify what species these fry are when they are by nature, so small. Later in March I spotted an elver swimming upstream, about 25cm long. I am always fascinated by the life cycle of the eel and thinking about the huge journey already undertaken by this little creature is breath-taking. It will have started its journey 6500km away in the Sargasso Sea, where it travelled across the Atlantic as a larvae, grown into a little glass eel then become an elver as it enters our river system. This is a good sign for river health, although there are some algae clumps about which is indicative of high nutrient levels. Only a test would uncover if this assumption is true and I’m making enquiries in that regard with help from the relevant agencies. Lots of creatures are pairing up in their various ways. The hares around Damson Lane have been particularly busy, with a group of twelve sighted one morning all chasing each other about. A male wren has been building a nest in the base of the Alder tree across the river, one of several he will build, with the best selected by his mate. He sings from a high branch to attract her to his work, an incredibly loud call for such a small bird. I saw my first house martin on 11th April, quickly followed by some swallows. They, like so many of our wildlife visitors, have undertaken huge journeys to get here. They will nest and breed in the village over the coming weeks, and they particularly like feeding on the insect blooms over the river valley. Summer is definitely on its way when their aerial acrobatics start. A couple of the female Mallards have had their first ducklings and I witnessed a Mrs Duck very firmly reprimanding Mr Duck for getting too close to them. The ducklings are very vulnerable of course, and unfortunately many don’t make it to adulthood. I’m amazed how quick they are across the water and its surprising anything can catch them, but lots disappear despite Mum’s efforts. They have been using our bank as a sanctuary which is lovely to see and probably our cutest visitors of the year. Keeping the grass long at the water’s edge, together with some other plants coming through, is giving them and a few other species (e.g. water voles) a bit more welcome cover. Martin Williams NORTH NORFOLK BOOK WORMS Stiffkey Book Worms March and April Reviews The books reviewed by the Stiffkey Bookworms are The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) by Agatha Christie and Lessons in Chemistry (2022) by Bonnie Garmus. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd has previously been voted by the British Crime Writers Association as the best crime novel ever. It features the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and mainly because of the ending, it stands out as one of her most extraordinary. Christie’s writing leaves the reader guessing until the very end as to the killer’s identity. When it is revealed, you find yourself rereading passages to discover the answer was in front of you all along. The narrator is Dr Sheppard who meets his friend Roger Ackroyd for supper then later that evening Ackroyd is found murdered. The plot contains blackmail, forced marriages and the usual array of suspects that Christie crafts within a small English village. The novel is a masterclass in detective writing and Poirot excels as the eccentric, genius detective. There is more humour in this book than in later novels and we found the passage when Dr Sheppard discusses with his sister that Poirot must be a dapper London hairdresser. Several in our group had never read an Agatha Christie before and felt they enjoyed it more because of that fact. We were all appreciative of the skill involved in crafting deceptively simple plots, which are in fact complex and full of red herrings. The characters are of their time – plain, simple souls as the parlour maid or the bumbling retired colonel. A couple of members found it hard to differentiate between characters or that the characterisation was not full enough to be satisfying. Bookworm score 4/5. Lessons in Chemistry is Bonnie Garmus’s debut 27
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 150 June - July 2023 with spe
Page 3 and 4: Church Services for Bale and Stiffk
Page 5 and 6: Refreshments will be available at T
Page 7 and 8: SURVEYOR’S ALLOTMENT An Update Th
Page 9 and 10: BINHAM PRIORY CONCERTS 10 th June a
Page 11 and 12: certainly welcome to join us for an
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Page 17 and 18: editing, advertising sales, distrib
Page 19 and 20: MORSTON Contact: Martin Cardoe 0797
Page 21 and 22: him in very good stead for looking
Page 23 and 24: SHARRINGTON Contact: Claire Dubbins
Page 25: SHARRINGTON LIVE MUSIC We recently
Page 29 and 30: Allen’s studios in Glandford, whi
Page 31 and 32: LANGHAM VILLAGE SCHOOL NEWS It is n

Local Lynx No. 150 - June/July 2023

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