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SN<br />
Online<br />
January 2024<br />
Your free town newsletter published by Iceni Partnership<br />
SWAFFHAM<br />
newslet ter<br />
version available to view at www.swaffhamcommunityhub.co.uk<br />
NEWS EVENTS INFORMATION<br />
Lions' Christmas Lunch<br />
brings lots of happiness<br />
Read about their annual good deed for the town on p.15<br />
Iceni Partnership wishes<br />
all our readers<br />
a very happy new year<br />
published by
Your monthly magazine is published by:<br />
Contact the editor:<br />
01760 722 800<br />
swaffhamnewsletter@gmail.com<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />
Iceni Partnership<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Community Centre<br />
The Campingland<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
PE37 7RB<br />
Registered in England Company Number 4257830 Charity Number 1101814 VAT Number UK800057775<br />
Comments or queries welcomed - we are a<br />
resource for all of the community to enjoy.<br />
We are always open to new contributors from<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> and surrounding villages.<br />
Deadline for editorial and advertising is the<br />
12th day of the previous month.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong> is available to pick up from<br />
various locations across the town, including: Tesco,<br />
Waitrose, <strong>Swaffham</strong> Library, <strong>Swaffham</strong> Musuem<br />
and <strong>Swaffham</strong> Community Centre.<br />
Online versions of all our previous issues are available<br />
to view online: www.swaffhamcommunityhub.co.uk<br />
1<br />
Contents<br />
3 History Group/Iceni Antics<br />
4 Church News<br />
5 <strong>Swaffham</strong> WEA<br />
8 Climate Action Group/NarVOS<br />
9 Men's Shed/Cultural Consortium<br />
11 u3a/Castle Quilters<br />
12 Museum Matters<br />
13 Merle Boddy/Lynn Borough Council<br />
15 NGS/<strong>Swaffham</strong> & District Lions<br />
17 Local WI Groups<br />
18 <strong>Swaffham</strong> Town Council<br />
PAY MONTHLY<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> History Group<br />
The <strong>Swaffham</strong> History Group, normally<br />
meets on the second Monday of the<br />
month at 2pm in the <strong>Swaffham</strong> Town Council<br />
Chamber, accessible via the Museum (there is a lift<br />
to the Council Chamber). Anyone can join and there<br />
is no subscription except an annual registration fee<br />
of £1 (this so that our Group Secretary, Gerry, can<br />
keep the register of members up-to-date).<br />
Our focus is on the history of <strong>Swaffham</strong> but we also<br />
have invited speakers to present interesting, locally<br />
related, historical topics and have outings to places<br />
of historic interest in the region. If that sounds like<br />
something that would interest you, please feel free<br />
to drop in for a ‘taster’.<br />
Over the last 18 months TSHG has been working<br />
with the <strong>Swaffham</strong> Cultural Consortium to compile<br />
a history of the buildings and their occupiers<br />
around the Market Place – the project was called<br />
‘Mapping the Market Place’ and included an event<br />
in June when people of the Town were invited to<br />
participate. Members of TSHG have undertaken<br />
research using publicly available resources including<br />
the archives of <strong>Swaffham</strong> Heritage Museum and also<br />
talked to members of the community to hear their<br />
recollections of the Town and some of its characters.<br />
Beginning 16 March 2024 TSHG will be publishing<br />
a series of booklets on the buildings and people<br />
based on the research from the project. These will<br />
be available to purchase in the museum shop. At<br />
the same time the Consortium will be publishing a<br />
website drawing on some of the detail of the research.<br />
We in TSHG are very excited about this project<br />
as the present stage comes to an end. Of course,<br />
historical research is always turning up something<br />
new and we know that we probably do not have all<br />
the information of the historic Market Place and<br />
possibly some information we have might not be<br />
absolutely correct. That is the challenge of historical<br />
research. So, if you feel you have something to add<br />
we will always welcome any additions, corrections,<br />
photos or documents to either website or booklets.<br />
Please email theswaffhamhistorygroup@gmail.com<br />
You can find out more about us online in the<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Heritage website at https://www.<br />
swaffhammuseum.co.uk/history/swaffham-historygroup<br />
or just drop in at our next meeting date<br />
which will be in February when Dr Sue Gattuso will<br />
be speaking about the <strong>Swaffham</strong> (Spelman) Town<br />
Library 1679.<br />
New members are always welcome; you are not<br />
required to do any research or have any qualifications,<br />
just obviously an interest in the history of <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
and our local area.<br />
3<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong>’s Youth Literature Project<br />
An exciting new youth literary project is aiming to take<br />
over <strong>Swaffham</strong> in the New Year. The project is asking<br />
young people to respond to the theme ‘Harvest,’ with<br />
a clear focus on <strong>Swaffham</strong> Market Place and the town’s<br />
rich agricultural heritage.<br />
The town has developed a tradition of hosting writers<br />
and running community creative writing events and<br />
this new expansion of the work is in co-operation with<br />
Iceni Partnership, Historic England, <strong>Swaffham</strong> Library,<br />
and supported by <strong>Swaffham</strong>’s Cultural Consortium. The<br />
project will encourage students from <strong>Swaffham</strong> Primary<br />
School and Year 8 students at the Nicholas Hammond<br />
Academy to respond creatively to the theme working<br />
with a writer in residence and creative facilitator, Bel<br />
Greenwood, for a week with the aim of inspiring and<br />
encouraging students to develop their own individual<br />
responses to the theme. All entries will be entered into<br />
a competition. The work will be displayed throughout<br />
the town and the project is asking shops to volunteer<br />
a corner of their windows to host some of the work.<br />
There will be a display at <strong>Swaffham</strong> Library, as well as<br />
an exhibition and a celebration and prize-giving event<br />
at <strong>Swaffham</strong> Assembly Rooms on 27th April 2024.<br />
Norfolk storyteller Su Squires aka Tilly the Talespinner<br />
and award- winning teen author Polly Crosby who<br />
will hold a session during the day, sharing the thrilling<br />
adventure of putting pen, pencil or crayon to paper<br />
and coming up with a creative response.<br />
Any shops keen to host an A4 poster or two of the<br />
young people’s work please get in touch with Lynette<br />
on 07900 570765.<br />
Iceni Antics<br />
At the time of writing we are gearing up for our<br />
final Friday Lunch Club of the year - a festive affair<br />
with a full Christmas Dinner and all the trimmings. We<br />
hope that everyone in attendance had a wonderful<br />
time! Aside from Lunch Club we also catered for<br />
several of our group's Christmas parties. We are<br />
getting quite good at this catering lark (if we do say<br />
so ourselves!).<br />
We look forward to continuing to challenge ourselves<br />
with new ventures in 2024. A big thank you to our<br />
many supporters for their ongoing encouragement.
St Peter & St Paul, <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
swaffhamchurch@gmail.com<br />
or 01760 725051<br />
Services for January 2024 (to which all are welcome)<br />
Sunday 7 January Feast of Epiphany celebrating the<br />
coming of the wise men<br />
9.30am Sung Eucharist<br />
3.30pm Evensong<br />
Sunday 14 January<br />
10am United Benefice<br />
Sung Eucharist with<br />
Confirmation Service<br />
with Bishop of Lynn<br />
Sunday 21 January<br />
8am Holy Communion<br />
10am United Benefice Sung Eucharist<br />
Sunday 28 January<br />
9.30am Sung Eucharist<br />
Mid-week service Wednesday Mornings<br />
10am Holy Communion (said)<br />
Saturdays Coffee & Cake<br />
9.30am to 12noon<br />
on Saturdays 6, 13, 20, 27 January<br />
The Church is open daily for Private Prayer and for<br />
Visitors between 9am and 3pm<br />
A Bible Study Group meets on Wednesday 17 January<br />
at 2.30pm at 15 Wroxham Avenue - new members<br />
welcome.<br />
Our glorious Christmas Tree Festival was another<br />
outstanding success. People were welcomed into the<br />
churchyard and church along an avenue of daisy chains<br />
crafted in wire by local artist and sculptor Jo Pluckrose<br />
of Pentney.<br />
The Christmas Trees were decorated by local charities<br />
and organisations. A HUGE THANKYOU TO EVERYONE<br />
involved from Church and Community as we shared<br />
the Christian message of joy, peace, hope and goodwill.<br />
Contact may be made via email: swaffhamchurch@<br />
gmail.com or 01760 725051.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Mothers' Union<br />
The members of the <strong>Swaffham</strong> Mothers' Union would<br />
like to thank everyone who kindly left a donation at the<br />
Mothers’ Union Christmas Tree, at the recent Festival<br />
at <strong>Swaffham</strong> Parish Church.<br />
Our tree looked magnificent, with a knitted “likeness”<br />
of our Founder Member Mary Sumner looking down<br />
benevolently from the topmost branch. Born in 1828,<br />
Mary wanted to create an organisation for women<br />
that brought together rich and poor to build a network<br />
that would support mothers in caring for their families.<br />
The Mothers’ Union was one of the first women-led<br />
organisations and is spread across 84 countries, and<br />
our movement seeks to bring about justice, challenge<br />
prejudice and advocate change, whilst caring for the<br />
vulnerable in our society.<br />
Your kind donation will go towards a number of<br />
charities the Mothers' Union support, and we fund<br />
raise for these throughout the year: AFIA is a Mothers'<br />
Union funded holiday scheme to give the opportunity<br />
of a break to those who may be experiencing stress or<br />
difficulties in their family life. Families are able to spend<br />
time together “away from it all”, and hopefully obtain<br />
relief and healing.<br />
The Angel Tree is a prison fellowship project that gives<br />
parents in prison the opportunity to send a present to<br />
their children. The Mothers' Union provide presents<br />
each year for children via this charity.<br />
We also donate money or items to Baby Basics. This<br />
project aims to support new mothers and<br />
families, including women fleeing domestic abuse, who<br />
are struggling to meet the financial burden of looking<br />
after a new baby. The Mothers' Union are also active<br />
in providing support to refugees. We also care for each<br />
other within our group and keep other MU groups in<br />
our prayers. As well as being grateful for donations, we<br />
are always happy to welcome new members or visitors<br />
to any of our monthly meetings. Contact Julia Higbee<br />
for details: 01760 720041. Contact may be made via<br />
email: swaffhamchurch@gmail.com or 01760 725051.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Baptist Church<br />
38 Station Street, <strong>Swaffham</strong>, Norfolk PE37 7HP<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Baptist Church is a caring and friendly<br />
congregation. As a united church body, we seek<br />
to explore and deepen our Christian life together<br />
by serving God in the local community. If you are<br />
interested in finding out more about the Christian<br />
faith or if you are a Christian looking for a loving<br />
and friendly fellowship, then you will find a warm<br />
welcome at any of our services or activities.<br />
*A warm welcome is extended to all*<br />
SUNDAYS<br />
• 10:00 - 10:30 – Weekly prayer time in the church<br />
hall prior to regular worship service.<br />
• 10:45 – Weekly Morning Worship Service, followed<br />
by fellowship with Tea/Coffee/biscuits served in the<br />
hall.<br />
MONDAYS<br />
• 10:00 – 12:30- Foodbank Distribution Centre Open<br />
WEDNESDAY<br />
• 19:00 – 20:30 – The 1st & 3rd Wednesday of<br />
the month- Bible study in the church office.<br />
www.swaffhambaptistchurch.org.uk<br />
t: 01760 725684<br />
e: swaffhambc2020@outlook.com<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Methodist Church<br />
Happy New Year Everyone<br />
*Please note there will be no drop in on 2nd January.*<br />
• Friday 5th Jan 9.30am. Power of Prayer. Praying for<br />
our troubled world. Phone 01760 722611 for venue.<br />
• Saturday 6th Jan 9.30-12noon CHURCH COFFEE<br />
MORNING and JANUARY SALES STALL!<br />
• Sun 7th January 10.45am. Covenant Service.<br />
Congregation from Sporle join us to renew our<br />
promises to God. Rev Jacqui officiating. Holy<br />
Communion.All welcome . Refreshments afterwards.<br />
• Tues 9th January 10am-12noon. The Meeting Place<br />
Drop In. Free refreshments. A warm and welcoming<br />
atmosphere awaits you.<br />
• Thurs 11th January 2.30pm. <strong>Swaffham</strong> Friendship<br />
Group Beetle Drive. Refreshments served.<br />
• Fri 12th January 9.30am. The Power of Prayer.<br />
Phone 01760 722611 for venue.<br />
• Sun 14th January 10.45am. Morning Worship led<br />
by some of the Worship Leaders . Refreshments<br />
served afterwards.<br />
• Tues 16th January 20am-12noon. The Meeting<br />
Place Drop In. Increasingly popular, come and join us<br />
for a good chat and a laugh. Free refreshments and a<br />
warm space.<br />
• Fri 19th January 9.30am. The Power of Prayer.<br />
Phone 01760 722611 for venue.<br />
• Sun 21st January 10.45am. Morning Worship led by<br />
Quentin Stephen. Refreshments served afterwards.<br />
All welcome.<br />
• Tues 23rd January 10am-12noon. The Meeting<br />
Place Drop In. All welcome.<br />
• Thurs 25th January 2.30pm. <strong>Swaffham</strong> Friendship<br />
Group. Speaker is Surgeon Jonathan Hull and his<br />
subject is about joint replacement, entitled ‘60 years<br />
of searching for the perfect joint!’<br />
• Fri 26th January 9.30am. The Power of Prayer.<br />
Phone 01760 722611 for venue.<br />
• Sun 28th January 10.45am. Morning Worship led<br />
by Deacon Jen Woodfin. Refreshments served.<br />
• Tues 30th January 10am-12noon. The Meeting<br />
Place Drop In. Free refreshments and a warm space<br />
to make friends.<br />
The Oasis Centre<br />
A church in the heart of the community<br />
Sundays weekly<br />
• 10am: Praise & Prayer<br />
• 10.30am: Tea & Coffee<br />
• 11am: Worship, Teaching and Communion<br />
Wednesdays weekly<br />
• 10am Worship & Prayer<br />
The Oasis Centre, Cley Road, <strong>Swaffham</strong> PE37 7NP T: 01760 723175<br />
@oasiscentreswaffham<br />
View <strong>Swaffham</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong> Online<br />
www.swaffhamcommunityhub.co.uk<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> WEA<br />
We are very pleased that there will be two<br />
WEA courses in the spring: a Day School with<br />
Fiona Fitzgerald on "Women Artists from 1500 to 2000":<br />
and a 3 week course with Mary Fewster following on with<br />
part 2 of "Health, Medicine and Social Care". Both courses<br />
will take place at the Community Centre, Campingland,<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> PE37 7RB.<br />
Fiona's course will look at who the women artists were<br />
and why we know so little about them; how the ways in<br />
which art education, studio set-ups and writing about art<br />
have enabled some members of that society to become<br />
well known while others remain in obscurity. Fiona's<br />
course will run on Saturday 24th February from 10am -<br />
3pm with breaks for refreshments (which we will provide)<br />
and lunch (please bring your own). The fee for the course<br />
will be £25. The course number is Q00013239.<br />
Mary's course starting on Wednesday 28th February will<br />
continue her study of health, welfare and social provision:<br />
who the carers werem what kinds of medicines were<br />
used, with reference to the local institutions involed in the<br />
nursing of the sick. Mary's diligent research of historical<br />
documents forms the basis of all her teaching. New<br />
students will be welcomed, as well as those following<br />
on. Tea and coffee will be served from 1.30 - 2pm, with<br />
the course running from 2-4pm with a short break in the<br />
middle. The fee for the course will be £36. The course<br />
reference number is Q00013188.<br />
You can find more information at wea.org.uk under<br />
'<strong>Swaffham</strong>' and can book in advance here or by calling<br />
0300 303 3464 to speak to a friendly (real) voice. Both<br />
courses are going to be very interesting - we look forwrad<br />
to seeing old friends and new faces!<br />
Happy New Year!<br />
4<br />
5
Would you like a career<br />
working with children?<br />
Would you like a job that is flexible and rewarding?<br />
Come along to Adult Learning’s FREE Working with<br />
Children course, and take the first stepping-stone in your<br />
journey to a fulfilling career, working with children.<br />
Starts Tuesday 16th January for 3 weeks<br />
10am to 12pm<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Community Centre, Campinglands,<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong>, PE37 7RB<br />
PAY MONTHLY<br />
Scan the QR code or visit the website to check out<br />
the full range of courses running in <strong>Swaffham</strong>, which<br />
includes: Intro to Teaching Assistants and computer skills.<br />
www.norfolk.gov.uk/adultlearning<br />
0344 800 8020 (option 5)<br />
@norfolkadultlearning<br />
@norfolklearn<br />
@norfolk_adult_learning<br />
HAYES + STORR SOLICITORS<br />
SWAFFHAM LEGAL SERVICES<br />
Your legal matters in safe hands<br />
• Property Sales and Purchases<br />
• Children and Family Law<br />
• Wills and Probate<br />
• Lasting Powers of Attorney<br />
• Employment Law<br />
• Business and Company Law<br />
• Agricultural Law<br />
• Commercial Property<br />
1 Beacon House, Turbine Way PE37 7XJ • Free on-site parking with disabled access<br />
Call us today 01760 724424<br />
www.hayesandstorr.co.uk<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> | Fakenham | King’s Lynn | Holt | Sheringham
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Climate Action<br />
& Environment Group<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Social was a great opportunity to talk to people about our<br />
We will start the New Year with support<br />
from Breckland District Councillor, David<br />
Wickerson, who has facilitated our meeting<br />
on Thursday 11th January at 10am in the Methodist<br />
Church. We look forward to welcoming Cllr Helen<br />
Crane, Executive Member for Waste, Environmental<br />
Health, Licensing & Sustainability at the council and<br />
Jason Cole, Net Zero Innovation & Delivery Manager<br />
to put in the money saved can be a good incentive.<br />
at the Norfolk Climate Change Partnership (NCCP).<br />
Helen will be presenting an update on the Breckland<br />
Sustainability Strategy and Jonathan will be talking<br />
about the recent news that <strong>Swaffham</strong> will be the<br />
Breckland community involved in the Norfolk Net<br />
Zero Clean Growth project. All are welcome to come<br />
along and hear the latest news from them and we<br />
suggestions, and receive all meeting notes and information.<br />
are very grateful to both Helen and Jason for coming<br />
to update the group, and to David for organising this.<br />
Come and join us<br />
As always everyone is welcome to our regular<br />
monthly meetings, usually on the second Thursday<br />
of each month at 10am in the Methodist Church.<br />
Please get in touch with either Cathy Mumford on<br />
01760 721847 / 07799 642271, cathyjmumford@<br />
gmail.com or David Jones on 01760 722468 / 07806<br />
435066, dljdav@gmail.com to check on meeting<br />
dates and times as they can vary.<br />
Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year! We<br />
have to all remain positive about how we in <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
can make a contribution towards a better future,<br />
more resilient to climate change.<br />
group and we were pleased to have a list of potential new members and a<br />
good level of interest in our stand. It was lovely to see the range of activities<br />
and social groups in the community. The Community Fridge is a brilliant initiative to reduce<br />
waste, a big contributor to climate change. By using the Community Fridge, making sure that<br />
we only buy the food we need, and ensuring it is all used, we can all make a difference. An<br />
estimated 9.5 million tonnes of food waste is created annually in the UK and if this goes into<br />
landfill it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. If you have leftovers or a surplus<br />
food it can often be frozen or recycled into another recipe and a piggy bank (or a spreadsheet!)<br />
We have resumed monthly in person meetings in February but will be trying out a new<br />
format of alternating between morning meetings in person and Zoom meetings in the evening<br />
so please get in touch to find out the latest. Contact Cathy Mumford on 01760 721847,<br />
cathyjmumford@gmail.com or David Jones on 01760 722468 / 07806 435066,<br />
dljdav@gmail.com. Anyone with an interest in climate awareness in the community is most<br />
welcome to join us. If you are not able attend, you can still join the group, contribute with<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Arts<br />
Date for the diary: March 16th at 7.30pm at <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
Assembly Rooms. Chaos Collective will perform a<br />
concert of music to celebrate the achievements of<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Cultural Consortium's events and findings<br />
of the past three years, devoted to appreciating the<br />
qualities of our town.<br />
We hope you will be able to come. More details later.<br />
View <strong>Swaffham</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong> Online<br />
www.swaffhamcommunityhub.co.uk<br />
8<br />
NarVOS<br />
Indoor meeting at The Assembly<br />
Rooms, 1 Market Place, <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
PE37 7AB Wednesday 31 January 2024<br />
at 7.30pm “The Norfolk Plover”<br />
Our first guest speaker of 2024 is a long-time friend<br />
of NarVOS and an unwavering supporter of the<br />
Breckland avifauna, the incomparable Chris Knights.<br />
Chris has lived in Norfolk all his life and been keen<br />
on birds and natural history subjects for the greater<br />
part of it. He first became interested in photography<br />
in the late 1950’s which has played an everincreasing<br />
part in his life, many of his pictures have<br />
been taken on his own farm in Norfolk and on his<br />
travels to various parts of the world including Spain,<br />
Poland, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand. Over a 25-<br />
year period he made wildlife films for television.<br />
Chris has recently published his spectacular opus on<br />
the bird which symbolises the unique habitat in which<br />
we live, the Stone Curlew, known affectionately as<br />
the Norfolk Plover.<br />
Talks by Chris have always been popular and in no<br />
small part to the extraordinary lengths to which Chris<br />
has gone in capturing at close hand his favourite<br />
subject on camera. Chris’s beautiful book will delight<br />
all of those with a love for the countryside, farming<br />
or wildlife and we can look forward to hearing the<br />
stories of how the book came to be written.<br />
Please come along. Visitors welcome. Admission £4<br />
on the night; free to NarVOS members. For more<br />
information contact Ian Black on 01760 724092 or<br />
go to www.narvos.org.uk<br />
Caram Voice in Norfolk<br />
Volunteer With Children<br />
Looking for a fun volunteering opportunity that fits<br />
around your other commitments? Want to help some<br />
of our most vulnerable children and inspire them<br />
towards better, brighter things?<br />
For some children in care, most adults in their<br />
lives are social workers or other paid professionals.<br />
Please consider becoming an Independent Visitor,<br />
a volunteer who visits a child for a few hours each<br />
month to build a valuable and consistent relationship<br />
by spending time together doing fun activities.<br />
Thorough training and support provided, as well as<br />
reimbursement of reasonable expenses.<br />
To find out more about volunteering as an Independent<br />
Visitor with Coram Voice in Norfolk please email :<br />
norfolk@coramvoice.org.uk, or visit coramvoice.org.<br />
uk and select current vacancies.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Walking Group<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Walking Group is a small friendly group of<br />
keen walkers who enjoy the countryside and cake.<br />
Meeting every Wednesday at 9.30am and every<br />
Sunday at 10.00am in various locations around<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> and the surrounding villages to enjoy a<br />
walk from around 3 to 6.5 miles. Afterwards enjoying<br />
Tea, Coffee & Cakes/biscuits. For more information<br />
and details on the next walk, please contact Graham<br />
Lathwell on 07486 901 948.<br />
9<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Cultural Consortium<br />
To celebrate and end the series of community events<br />
which have been funded over the last two years by Historic<br />
England the <strong>Swaffham</strong> Cultural Consortium is holding<br />
a Heritage Week in mid-March with events around the<br />
town during the week, a final display of everything we<br />
have done in the Assembly Rooms on Saturday 16th<br />
March and a concert shared with <strong>Swaffham</strong> Arts in the<br />
parish church in the evening.<br />
The 16th will also feature the launch of Mapping the<br />
Marketplace website and some of the associated booklets<br />
produced by <strong>Swaffham</strong> History Group. Every building on<br />
the Marketplace has been researched for this project but<br />
we will need the community’s help to fill the gaps and tell<br />
us what mistakes we have made!<br />
The finds that were discovered on the Campingland dig<br />
will also be on display. At the moment they are being<br />
photographed and recorded by the Camera Club. There<br />
will be a free mosaic workshop for all ages and many<br />
photographs of everything we have done. Breckland<br />
Council will also be on hand to display what the High<br />
Street/Heritage Action Zone initiative, also part funded by<br />
Historic England, has achieved around the Marketplace.<br />
The Hive at Great Cressingham<br />
Baah Humbug at The Hive!<br />
A fantastically varied Autumn Inspiration season at The<br />
Hive in Great Cressingham was rounded off at the year<br />
end with an entertaining afternoon reading a dramatized<br />
version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Not<br />
everyone got to be an angelic Tiny Tim or a curmudgeonly<br />
Ebenezer Scrooge, but everyone did manage to say ‘Baah<br />
Humbug’ at the finish!<br />
Across 2023, The Hive welcomed over 300 visitors to<br />
its many activities which span creativity, spirituality and<br />
well-being. This included walks, talks, yoga, singing, Celtic<br />
traditions, art, poetry and music – as well as the Christmas<br />
play-reading. All events at The Hive are free and we can<br />
continue to do this as people donate generously to cover<br />
the basic costs, for which a big ‘thank you’.<br />
Our new season will be launched in the Spring with many<br />
of the activities which people already enjoy together<br />
with some new ideas. Do follow us on facebook at /<br />
GreatCressinghamHive/. A happy and healthy new year<br />
to everyone!
PAY MONTHLY<br />
Light up for our Lisa Fundraiser<br />
Kay and her girls from the Market Cross and Gill,Keith<br />
and all their girls from Just Hair along with Lucy, Lesley<br />
and all of Lisa's family would like to say a huge thankyou<br />
to everyone who came and supported their Hogroast,<br />
with entertainment by the wonderful ''Pot of<br />
Gold Shanty Crew'' who so generously donated £200<br />
of their fee back for Lisa. Also huge thanks to Alex<br />
and his team at Impson's Butchers and his abattoir<br />
for donating all the meat and to Dougie and Jacob<br />
for cooking it so perfectly. Another huge thankyou<br />
to Emma and Andy from Wellbread bakers for<br />
donating all the bread rolls, mince pies and raffle<br />
prize along with so many other people, including<br />
friends and family who gave wonderful raffle prizes.<br />
Finally, thanks to Father Christmas for entertaining<br />
children big and small and to everyone who gave<br />
such generous donations and made and donated all<br />
the delicious chocolate Brownies.<br />
Wissey u3a<br />
On Thursday 7th December<br />
we enjoyed our Christmas Party when we were<br />
entertained by Rockavox and what a joyful way it<br />
proved to be to start the season’s celebrations.<br />
At our first meeting of the New Year, on Thursday 4th<br />
January 2024, our guest speaker will be Don Mobley,<br />
who will give an illustrated talk about US Military<br />
Aviation.<br />
As well as a monthly meeting, we have 20 Activity<br />
Groups, organised by our members, where interests<br />
are shared and friendships forged. To learn of the<br />
range of these groups please visit our website www.<br />
wisseyu3a.org or contact our Chairman, David<br />
Moncaster on 01760 724755 for further information.<br />
2024 HOLIDAY BROCHURE OUT NOW<br />
PLEASE RING ON 01328 701531 FOR YOURS<br />
OR VISIT www.peelingscoaches.co.uk<br />
Ben Burgess Beeston Dereham Road, Beeston, Norfolk PE32 2LE<br />
01328 701347 | www.benburgess.co.uk<br />
Open Mon - Fri 08:00 to 18:00 | Sat - 08:00 to 12:00<br />
Special thanks to Jonathan and Claire at Iceni<br />
Partnership for all their support with printing and<br />
to Debbie and Stewart Bell for allowing use of the<br />
Assembly Rooms when their light switch on event<br />
was running. In total we managed to raise an amazing<br />
£2,000 for Lisa, who has worked for Gill at Just Hair<br />
for 16 years and suffered a devastating Brain bleed<br />
in September at the age of 34. Lisa is still in the West<br />
Raynham Stroke Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital<br />
in Kings Lynn, and is still paralysed down her left side.<br />
We are all so grateful to everyone for everything you<br />
have all done to support Lisa. Thank you all from the<br />
bottom of our hearts, with love from Kay, Gill, Keith &<br />
all their girls Xxx<br />
Phoenix Singers<br />
On Friday 8th December in The Methodist Church<br />
the Phoenix Singers gave their usual polished<br />
performance entertaining the audience with a<br />
programme of Christmas music. They were joined by<br />
guests THREE’S COMPANY reciting some very amusing<br />
poems and writings from Christmas past and present.<br />
Behind every<br />
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plans available<br />
www.tfs.co.uk<br />
Castle Quilters Group<br />
(Formally Castle Quilters)<br />
Are you looking for a friendly, creative group in<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong>? Come and try us. Starting in January we<br />
will be meeting on the first Monday of each month at<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Community Centre on Campingland. The<br />
first meeting is free, thereafter we charge £24 per<br />
annum. We would love to welcome new members.<br />
We hold occasional workshops.<br />
Contact Margaret on 07767 435090 or Linda on<br />
07884 077191.<br />
Members of the choir also added to the festive<br />
atmosphere with accompanying jingle bells and<br />
recorder. What a versatile group of ladies they are.<br />
During the interval a very lively raffle took place<br />
with plenty of prizes. Mince pies and a fruit punch<br />
were also on the menu. Once again a very enjoyable<br />
evening was had by all.<br />
The evening was sponsored by The <strong>Swaffham</strong> Cultural<br />
Consortium, funded by Historic England. All proceeds<br />
from the evening will go to a local Charity.<br />
11
MUSEUM<br />
MATTERS<br />
www.swaffhammuseum.co.uk<br />
There are changes afoot at the museum as it enters a new<br />
phase of life. Sue is stepping down as Museum Manager<br />
after ten years but will still be around as the archivist.<br />
The museum has a large and unwieldy collection of local<br />
documents – originals and copies - which need organising<br />
and eventually digitising and adding to a database so that<br />
they are more easily accessible to researchers. We are<br />
always anxious to unravel a little more of the history of<br />
the town.<br />
Over the last four years our curating team has audited all<br />
of the artefacts in the museum so that we know what and<br />
where everything is. All pieces have been photographed<br />
and are being added to a database to make searches<br />
easier. Now it’s the documents’ turn!<br />
We have been working with the History Group on the<br />
Mapping the Marketplace website project with the<br />
support of Historic England and intend to develop this<br />
site over time so that it includes people of <strong>Swaffham</strong> and<br />
gathering on the Marketplace (you would be surprised<br />
how rebellious we were further back) and other areas<br />
and buildings of the town so that eventually we have<br />
a readily accessible “Story of <strong>Swaffham</strong>” backed by<br />
documentation which we can find with little difficulty.<br />
Meanwhile our large collection of posters from Coe’s the<br />
printers – some dating back to the 19th century - have now<br />
been photographed – thank you Alan – and are waiting<br />
to be catalogued. They have been hidden in drawers for<br />
many years with the occasional couple brought out for<br />
display. They deserve much more recognition.<br />
The museum closes on December 22nd for our Winter<br />
clean. When we reopen on 12 February 2024 you may<br />
find some small changes in the museum displays. We<br />
have one interesting new artefact – more about that next<br />
month. We would like to thank everyone for their support<br />
over 2023 and wish you all a very Happy Christmas.<br />
View <strong>Swaffham</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong> Online<br />
www.swaffhamcommunityhub.co.uk<br />
Friends of <strong>Swaffham</strong> Heritage<br />
The Friends of <strong>Swaffham</strong> Heritage are pleased to have<br />
helped to run the <strong>Swaffham</strong> Cultural Consortium<br />
‘Under the Eye of the Buttercross’ events over the<br />
past year which will come to a conclusion at the end<br />
of March 2024. It has been a fantastic year overall<br />
and the events were enjoyed by so many of our<br />
townsfolk, demonstrating how the Market Place is<br />
such a valued asset to the town beyond hosting our<br />
ancient Saturday Market.<br />
100 Club<br />
The 100 Club is a steady contributor of funds for<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Heritage, run by the Friends of <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
Heritage exclusively for its members.<br />
Winners for December 2023 were:<br />
• £40 – no 2309<br />
• £20 – no 2382<br />
• £10 – no 2396<br />
• Special Prize £100 – no 2312<br />
Note that the numbers begin with 23...<br />
Cheques are on the way to our lucky winners!<br />
If you are not already a member of the 100 Club, you<br />
can apply to join. It’s £20 for the year, for a chance<br />
to win one of the monthly prizes of £40, £20 and<br />
£10, and a twice a year the chance to win £100!<br />
You also have the satisfaction of knowing that your<br />
subscription helps the work of our museum, even if<br />
you don’t win.<br />
Also, you could consider joining the Friends of<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Heritage. The current membership fee to<br />
join the Friends is a one-off Life membership fee of<br />
£10 for an individual or £15 for a family (two adults<br />
and two children under 16 years of age living at the<br />
same address). This gives you free access to all the<br />
museum galleries for life.<br />
Ask at the museum about becoming a Friend or<br />
use the contact details below or on the <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
Heritage website.<br />
For further information about the Friends of <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
Heritage see our webpage, on the <strong>Swaffham</strong> Heritage<br />
website https://www.swaffhammuseum.co.uk/<br />
support-us#friends-of- swaffham-heritage , or email<br />
to friends@swaffhammuseum.co.uk , or call in to the<br />
Museum.<br />
For the 100 Club contact the Membership Secretary<br />
by email stuartclapton@aol.com<br />
Royal British Legion<br />
2024 Meetings of the Royal British Legion resume<br />
8pm at Con Club <strong>Swaffham</strong> Tuesday 16th January.<br />
NB NO MEETING FEBRUARY.<br />
Merle Boddy Centre<br />
The Merle Boddy Day Centre provides a<br />
warm and friendly Social Day Care Service<br />
for people living with dementia including<br />
mental health problems and physical disabilities, in<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> and the surrounding area.<br />
In the run up to Christmas our lovely clients and staff<br />
were very busy with decorating the Centre and we think<br />
they did a fine old job.<br />
It’s so nice when you have some wonderful musicians to<br />
get you into the holiday spirit with an interactive music<br />
session; a lovely visit from Jim and his fellow musicians for<br />
a Christmas music session.<br />
We will have had our Annual General Meeting on 21st<br />
December by the time you are reading this. In particular<br />
we are considering how to bring the governance of our<br />
parent charity up to date, to allow the Centre to run more<br />
efficiently. This should not affect the day-to-day running<br />
of day care by Georgie, Steph and the professional staff,<br />
but should help make the administration side more<br />
practical for Fran.<br />
If you are interested in our work and would like to be<br />
involved, we always welcome volunteers, friends and<br />
supporters to help us. In particular we would love to<br />
hear from you if you would be interested in becoming a<br />
Trustee of our parent charity, the <strong>Swaffham</strong> and District<br />
Mental Health Association. We also welcome your<br />
donations, small as well as big. You can give by visiting our<br />
website and clicking on Fundraising, where we have a link<br />
to JustGiving.<br />
If you want to know more, find us on Facebook:<br />
@merleboddycentre – or see our website:<br />
www.merleboddy.org.uk – or email to us at<br />
office@merleboddy.org.uk - or phone the Centre on<br />
01760 724527.<br />
12 13<br />
Borough Council of Lynn & W.Norfolk<br />
How the council is helping people to beat their bills<br />
this winter<br />
Following the success of the council’s Big Beat Your<br />
Bills Event in King’s Lynn last month, it has been<br />
decided to run a series of these bigger events over<br />
the winter months – and the next one is just days<br />
away. The success of these events speaks for itself<br />
– one couple saved around £2,000 per year when<br />
they spoke to our team at the King’s Lynn event.<br />
Cllr Jo Rust, the council’s cabinet member for<br />
people and communities, said: “This success story<br />
gets to the heart of what Beat Your Bills is about.<br />
Rises in the cost of living affect us all and for some,<br />
can lead to difficult choices about staying warm<br />
or eating well. No one should have to make these<br />
choices and we feel it’s a great success when we can<br />
help people to reduce their outgoings, boost their<br />
income, eat healthily and generally stay well. We<br />
would encourage anyone who might benefit from<br />
talking to someone about their bills to come to one<br />
of our events to see how much they can save.”<br />
The couple who saved £2,000 p.a. spoke to advisors<br />
at the most recent event on 31st October and<br />
discovered they were eligible to claim council tax<br />
support. Working with DWP the council completed<br />
an application form for them, which included<br />
backdating their payments. Within 2 days their<br />
application had been processed and they were<br />
awarded full support from the end of July 2023,<br />
which generated a refund of overpaid council tax<br />
of around £500. By not paying in future, the couple<br />
will save around £2,000 per year.<br />
Other people have been helped with debt advice,<br />
making their homes more energy efficient, eating<br />
healthily on a budget (and with limited cooking<br />
facilities) and maximising their income.<br />
Future events are as follows:<br />
• King’s Lynn – Tuesday 23rd January (The Place)<br />
• Downham Market – Tuesday 26th March (Town Hall)<br />
All events run from 10am-2pm.
<strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
Branch<br />
01760<br />
725801<br />
http://www.family-action.org.uk<br />
familyactionswaffham<br />
building better families<br />
THE SOLICITORS THAT CARE<br />
Expert legal help and advice from<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong>’s most recommended solicitors<br />
star-hal<br />
Talk face to face with your local lawyers, at our<br />
London Street office, who are here to help by<br />
giving you clear and practical legal advice.<br />
Divorce and Separation • Employment Issues • Wills, Trusts and Probate<br />
Settling a Dispute • Moving Home • Personal Injury • Commercial Services<br />
01760 721992<br />
wardgethinarcher.co.uk<br />
The National Garden Scheme<br />
Garden visiting at an all-time high for the<br />
Norfolk National Garden Scheme<br />
The Norfolk National Garden Scheme which opens<br />
gardens, (mainly private) across the county, last year<br />
received a record number of visitors and raised a record<br />
£155,000 for the many health & nursing charities it<br />
supports. Garden visiting continues to be an enjoyable<br />
and inexpensive day out for the family, with children<br />
going free. This year a diverse selection of over 70<br />
glorious gardens will open over the period of eight<br />
months: from the country estates to cottage gardens,<br />
both rural and urban, a community garden, a hospice<br />
garden, evening openings, guided tours and those open<br />
by arrangement. Details can be found in our booklet or<br />
on the website ngs.org.uk<br />
The garden visiting year begins in February with the<br />
ever-popular snowdrop festival and who doesn’t enjoy<br />
a walk through a carpet of snowdrops?<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> & District Lions Club<br />
A Happy New Year to one and All. We had a<br />
very busy time over the Christmas period,<br />
starting with collecting for the foodbank, and<br />
taking part in the St. Peter & Paul’s Church Christmas<br />
Tree Festival with our Lions tree.<br />
Our big event was the Pensioners Christmas Party,<br />
held at the Nicholas Hamond Academy, where we put<br />
on a lovely Christmas dinner for 98 guests, plus all the<br />
helpers.<br />
Chatteris • Dereham • Downham Market • Ely • Heacham • King’s Lynn • <strong>Swaffham</strong> • Watton<br />
Moving into March and April the spring bulbs begin<br />
to bring colour into the gardens, followed in May by<br />
riotous rhododendrons and azaleas which feature in<br />
some of our larger gardens. June is the busiest month,<br />
with a medley of gardens filled with the joy and scents<br />
of summer; evening guided tours of peony fields, an<br />
evening opening in the garden of a famous designer, and<br />
three new gardens opening near East Rudham, are just<br />
a few examples. In July, take a guided tour of the Walled<br />
Garden, Little Plumstead, visit two new gardens opening<br />
in the rural village of Tittleshall, or admire an interesting<br />
group of small town gardens in Norwich; perhaps you<br />
might be tempted by a collection of four gardens in the<br />
historic village of Castle Acre. During August the gardens<br />
continue to flourish with a masterclass of grasses and<br />
late planting at Severals Grange, a new garden called<br />
Charnwood at Brundall, and the quirky Fiddian’s Folly.<br />
September sees Holkham Hall walled garden return to<br />
the Scheme with an exclusive evening opening, plus in<br />
the south of the county Vicarage House, a new garden<br />
will welcome visitors over two days.<br />
October brings autumnal colours which you can enjoy at<br />
the extensive gardens at East Ruston as well as another<br />
new garden at East Carleton Manor. All these gardens<br />
are featured in our popular county booklet which will be<br />
available from February in garden centres, nurseries and<br />
horticultural outlets.<br />
Transport was provided for those who needed it, and<br />
the food was cooked for us by the wonderful canteen<br />
staff at the academy, who very kindly gave up their<br />
time to provide us with the traditional turkey dinner<br />
and Christmas pudding. The lunch was followed by a<br />
Bingo session led by Deputy Mayor Councillor Paul<br />
Darby with some lovely prizes.<br />
Santa in his sleigh and along with his elves will have<br />
visited Tesco and Waitrose in the run up to Christmas<br />
to help us with our charity collections.<br />
Wishing you all the best for 2024.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> & District Lions<br />
15
Walking Rugby Groups<br />
Walking Rugby Is Growing In Popularity In Norfolk<br />
Two clubs more rugby clubs have recently started<br />
their own Walking Rugby groups, and the county now<br />
has four teams playing this great sport. This is a far cry<br />
from the two clubs that have offered this variation of<br />
the game since Fakenham started in 2019. In addition<br />
to Fakenham and Yarmouth Rugby Clubs, we now have<br />
Diss and North Walsham with regular playing sessions.<br />
What is Walking Rugby? It is a fun, team-based, game<br />
and a great way of introducing an element of lighthearted<br />
exercise into your weekly routine.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> WI<br />
On 6th December we all joined<br />
together for our Christmas Lunch at<br />
the George Hotel, which was a great<br />
success. The President announced that this month<br />
four ladies were celebrating their birthdays and as<br />
usual each lady was given a card and a small gift<br />
and we sang the Happy Birthday song, followed by<br />
a Seasonal poem read by our President. There was a<br />
very happy atmosphere and the Christmas Lunch was<br />
excellent, a good time was had by all.<br />
With Christmas in mind two of our members decorated<br />
a Christmas Tree on behalf of <strong>Swaffham</strong> W.I. for the<br />
Christmas Tree Festival in the Parish Church. Many<br />
thanks go to the Organisers of the Festival and to our<br />
tree decorators also.<br />
We were reminded of upcoming events in 2024:<br />
• Coach trip to the V&A Museum in London 1st<br />
February 2024 to see the 'Re:imagining Musicals'<br />
Exhibition.<br />
Walking Rugby is a relatively new sporting activity - in<br />
a similar vein to both Walking Football and Walking<br />
Netball - and it aims to attract both men and women,<br />
who are, in the main, in their 40s or older. At Fakenham<br />
48% of members are ladies and most players are in the<br />
50s and 60s. As a form of “touch rugby” this is a much<br />
less physical and has minimal contact compared to its<br />
standard counterpart. Its main aim is participating,<br />
competing, and enjoying all the benefits of a team sport.<br />
We have found that it is attractive to both ex-players and<br />
those who are completely new to the game of rugby;<br />
being a much simpler version of the traditional game.<br />
Players do not need to have any specialist equipment to<br />
join-in; but they must wear some suitable clothing and<br />
footwear for playing on a natural grass pitch surface. We<br />
can help with advice on this before you attend. Based<br />
at the Fakenham Rugby Club’s Stringer Ground, off Old<br />
Wells Road, on the edge of Fakenham town itself, the<br />
current group of members are drawn from across north<br />
and mid- Norfolk.<br />
Our Walking Rugby Group sessions take place on<br />
Wednesday evenings throughout the year at the<br />
Fakenham Rugby Club ground, arriving at 6-45pm for<br />
a 7pm start. Sessions last for an hour, beginning with a<br />
gentle warm-up before game-time. There is also a great<br />
social side to the Group, and with new clubs starting<br />
we hope to have fixtures played against these other<br />
Walking Rugby Groups before too long. Please do come<br />
along and join us on a Wednesday night - your first ‘taster<br />
session’ will be free-of- charge. Contact the Organiser,<br />
Jeffrey Pearce, for any further information and details:<br />
jdpearce@btinternet.com<br />
16<br />
• Norfolk Federation of WI 18 th March at the Theatre<br />
Royal, Norwich.<br />
• W.I National Annual Meeting 2024 at the Royal<br />
Albert Hall 4 th -5 th June 2024.<br />
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 3rd January<br />
2024 at 2.30pm in the Community Centre and will<br />
include a Bring and Buy.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> W.I. wish you all a happy and peaceful<br />
Christmas and New Year.<br />
Should you wish for any more information please<br />
contact our President Pauline Senton on 01760<br />
788046 or our Secretary Christiane Hewitson on<br />
07389 813386
In Touch With Your Town<br />
Christmas Light Switch On<br />
Despite the rainy weather, the<br />
community spirit prevailed, making<br />
the event a successful celebration. It<br />
was great to see the community come<br />
together and share warmth and festive cheer.<br />
The Christmas Market hosted a variety of craft and<br />
food stalls and there was entertainment throughout<br />
the day on the Buttercross from Fakenham Town<br />
Band, The Rock Choir, Heartwood Primary School<br />
Choir, The Ukulele Band and Jay Harrison. <strong>Swaffham</strong><br />
Town Council would like to thank all the volunteers,<br />
performers and participants who made the event a<br />
success. Your contributions created memories for<br />
the community. Santa’s Grotto was a success thanks<br />
to Cllr. Steph Cooper and her team of volunteers.<br />
Thank you to KL1 Radio for hosting the day.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Town Council would like to thank Abel<br />
Homes, Crocus, Greene and Greene, Uncle Lukes,<br />
GEBE and Barratt Developments who helped make<br />
the event happen through their kind sponsorships.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Town Council were honoured to have<br />
Nicholas and Evie join Buddy the Elf on stage to<br />
illuminate <strong>Swaffham</strong>. In the spirit of compassion and<br />
unity our community rallied together to support this<br />
family during a challenging time. <strong>Swaffham</strong> Town<br />
Council send their support and thoughts to Lisa and<br />
her family.<br />
Allotments available<br />
Four allotments are now available. Two at Shouldham<br />
Lane and two at Tumbler Hill. For more information<br />
on the plots please contact Leanne Jarrett on<br />
deputyclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk.<br />
Message from the Town Clerk, Helen Carrier<br />
“As we step into the new year, let’s embrace the<br />
opportunities it brings. May it be filled with joy,<br />
growth, and prosperity for our community and each<br />
of its members. In the coming year, we will continue<br />
working to enhance the quality of life in <strong>Swaffham</strong>.<br />
The <strong>Swaffham</strong> Town Council team are looking<br />
forward to upcoming community projects, events,<br />
and opportunities for connection. Thank you for<br />
being an integral part of <strong>Swaffham</strong>. Here’s to a new<br />
year filled with possibilities.”<br />
Town Council Committee<br />
meeting dates - JANUARY 2024<br />
• Wednesday 10th 6.30pm Full Council<br />
• Monday 15th 6.30pm Market & Tourism<br />
• Monday 22nd 1pm Finance<br />
• Tuesday 23rd 11am Planning & Built Environment<br />
• Wednesday 31st 12.30pm Assets & Open Spaces<br />
Have your say! Did you know all council meetings include a 15<br />
minute session set aside for public participation. This is your<br />
opportunity to put questions to your Councillors about things<br />
that matter to you and the town. Why not come along and see<br />
how your Councillors manage the council's affairs. Alternatively,<br />
you can watch and listen to the monthly Full Council meetings<br />
that are live streamed on Facebook @<strong>Swaffham</strong>towncouncil<br />
Christmas Window Display<br />
It was great to see the incredible creativity displayed<br />
by the community in the Christmas Window Display<br />
Competition. Congratulations to Sue Ryder Care<br />
Charity Shop, Myhills Pet & Garden and The Red<br />
Lion. <strong>Swaffham</strong> Town Council would like to thank<br />
all the businesses/organisations for engaging in this<br />
and spreading Christmas joy and charm to all who<br />
passed by their windows.<br />
Town Improvements<br />
Additional electrical sockets have been installed<br />
on streetlight poles with the aim of being able to<br />
extend the Christmas light offering in the town in<br />
future years.<br />
Merryweather Road Posts<br />
New posts have been installed at Merryweather<br />
Road, to help stop vehicles being able to access the<br />
green space.<br />
If you have any queries about any of the items<br />
mentioned or would like to hear more updates on<br />
projects etc, please contact Swaĭam Town Council<br />
on telephone 01760 722922 or pop in and see us.<br />
Breckland District Council<br />
www.breckland.gov.uk<br />
01362 656 870. For all enquiries regarding: Planning,<br />
Refuse Bins, Housing, Recycling, Licensing & Benefits<br />
Your Breckland District Councillors:<br />
Cllr. David Wickerson<br />
david.wickerson@<br />
breckland.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Jacob Morton<br />
Jacob.Morton@<br />
breckland.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Judy Anscombe<br />
Judy.Anscombe@<br />
breckland.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. William Nunn<br />
William.nunn.cllr@<br />
norfolk.gov.uk<br />
18 19<br />
Highway issues<br />
Norfolk County Council – www.norfolk.gov.uk<br />
– 0344 800 8020<br />
- Highways issues - please give the location of the<br />
issue and a telephone number where further<br />
information can be obtained.<br />
- Faulty streetlights – please give the precise location<br />
of the light and the number on the column.<br />
Alternatively visit the website and search for<br />
Highways or Street Lights to report your concerns.<br />
<strong>Swaffham</strong> Town Council<br />
Tel: 01760 722 922<br />
www.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Town Hall opening times:<br />
Monday to Thursday: 10am - 4pm.<br />
Friday: 10am - 1pm.<br />
reception@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Mayor - Cllr. Stewart Bell<br />
bell@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Deputy Mayor - Cllr. Paul Darby<br />
darby@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Lindsay Beech<br />
beech@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Wendy Bensley<br />
bensley@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. David Braithwaite<br />
braithwaite@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Stephanie Cooper<br />
cooper@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr Graham Edwards<br />
edwards@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Caroline Ellerbeck<br />
ellerbeck@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Graham Eves<br />
eves@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Sarah Pickard<br />
pickard@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Leslie Scott<br />
scott@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. Jill Skinner<br />
skinner@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Cllr. John Zielinski<br />
zielinski@cllr.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Officers:<br />
Helen Carrier – Town Clerk<br />
townclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk<br />
Leanne Jarratt – Deputy Town Clerk<br />
deputyclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
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