Contents
Last Call To Advertise In June Print Edition
Once a quarter, Wymondham Magazine reaches 8700 homes in Wymondham in print. If you want your brand to feature in our June print edition, now is the time to get in touch via adverts@wymondhammagazine.co.uk. You will need to be quick though, the booking deadline is 13th May 2024. There’s a package for every budget.
Spring Arts Festival Enters Final Weekend Of Events
Wymondham’s Central Hall will be the focus for two events in the final weekend of the town’s first Spring Arts Festival, sponsored by Wymondham Magazine.
On Saturday 4 May there will be an Art and Crafts event in the main hall and foyer and an opportunity to meet ten local authors in the adjacent Tiffey Room. Both are free to attend and will run from 10am - 2pm.
Other events taking place on that day include a Guided town centre walk, beginning at 11.00am from the Market Cross and the Beer, Gin and Rum Festival at the Ex-services Club will be open for a second day, from 11.00am – 11.00pm.
Central Hall will be the venue for a Status Quo Tribute Band concert on Sunday 5 May at 7.30pm. Tickets from George Reeves or telephone 01953 600563.
On Bank Holiday Monday 6 May, the Abbey Duck Race and the Wymondham Methodist Church Spring Fair at the Town Green Centre will both begin at 11am.
The full list of events can be viewed at wymondhammagazine.co.uk/springartsfestival.
Programmes Available Now For Open Gardens Event
(1st - 2nd June)
You may notice the Open Gardens posters and banners around town! All we need now is perfect weather. We are excited to be in the final stages of planning this bi-annual event which will benefit Wymondham Heritage Society and Museum. We are hoping to raise even more to protect the heritage and history of our town.
Dates for your diary are Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June from 12 noon-5pm.
Twenty-four Wymondham gardens will be open and this is your chance to take a peek behind the garden gate. With a big variety of garden styles on show there’ll be something for both the experienced gardener and beginners alike - a great way of seeing how varied gardens can be, depending on the site and location, within the limitations of time, space and expertise you have. For beginners it can be a chance to make early decisions on a new garden design or planting plan. For the more experienced there will be discussions about specific plants and experiences. Most of us fall somewhere in between and enjoy sharing ideas, appreciating beautiful gardens and compliments. Open Gardens Weekend can provide inspiration to us all.
Most visitors and participants are not gardening experts but enthusiasts and it’s really not a competition!
Programmes cost £5 per adult (children free) for access to all gardens for the weekend and are on sale during May at Wymondham Heritage Museum (cash or card) Wymondham Abbey Shop (cash or card), and by cash only from Tourist Information Centre, George Reeves, Marmalade Tree and Wymondham Garden Centre as well as our stall at the Friday Markets (17th, 24th and 31st May) and Saturday Farmer's Market (18th). During the event you can also purchase programmes on the Sunday (2nd June) at the Market Cross or from the gardeners themselves identified by yellow balloons. Do buy early if you can.
Each programme entitles the bearer to free entry to the Museum over the event weekend and this year will be extended to one occasion before the end of the season, an opportunity to see the museum at leisure. Come visit the Bridewell garden and enjoy a cream tea.
We look forward to welcoming you and say a big thank you in advance to all our participating gardeners as well as Wymondham Garden Centre who have generously sponsored our printing and publicity!
For further information please visit thewhs.org.uk/opengardens or contact Diana at publications@thewhs.org.uk
Quiz Gets Anniversary Celebrations Under Way
The 50th anniversary celebrations of North Wymondham Community Centre have got off to a flying start, with a Quiz which raised £501 for Hall funds.
Over 60 people attended the event at the Lime Tree Avenue, including Town and District Councillors and the new landlords of the adjacent Robert Kett pub restaurant, Daryl and Daniel Seamons.
The next in the series of anniversary events is the production by local play writing group, Four by Four. The show will take place on 4th May at 7:30pm.
Tickets are £6 and will be available on the door (cash only). They can also be booked in advance via tony@valemail.uk
Funding Boost For Community Studio
Entertainment and events for Wymondham and surrounding areas have been given a welcome boost thanks to funding for That Little Norfolk Shop & Studio to deliver even more activities from its stylish new venue.
Since its opening in December last year, the Studio in the former Wymondham Abbey Schoolroom, run by ClearCompany CIC, has hosted thriving monthly open mic sessions, chilled-out Slowdown Sundays, art exhibitions, private parties, and local groups including IloveUke and the Birth Preparation Company’s antenatal course.
Having received an £8,800 injection from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, ClearCompany is able to make improvements to host a wider range of creative events tailored to the community. The grant was awarded through the South Norfolk Council Pride in Place programme.
Julie Briggs, ClearCompany Director, said: “We are incredibly grateful for our award of Government Levelling Up funding to help us promote creative arts and inclusive community activities in a welcoming, friendly studio space. Funding from our local councillors and sponsors kick-started our venture but we still have work to do to make adaptations that meet the needs of our groups.
“This funding has enabled us to fit out the ground floor flexibly to be a shop offering local produce, art and crafts during the day, with the option of securing it in the evenings for groups who need ground floor space. Seeing the community enjoy the venue is so heart-warming. We’ve had the most incredible feedback. We cannot thank our sponsors, funders, and South Norfolk District Councillors enough for their support.”
Starting on May 4th, That Little Norfolk Studio will host a monthly Games Café where the venue will be open to all to play boardgames, Dungeons & Dragons, chess, cards, and trial game ideas.
Sound Café sessions on the third Saturday of every month attract musicians and poets of all ages and genres from around the area throughout the day into late evening.
Slowdown Sundays provide a range of activities, from yoga and mindfulness, to crafts and creative writing, where visitors can relax and unwind.
Other forthcoming events include murder mystery days starting on May 19th with “Slice of Life” by Yellow Mysteries Entertainment, a bingo evening on May 29th, cocktail making sessions on the last Friday of every month, live music from acoustic alternative folk duo The Winterlong with Tom Mally on July 19th, and a comedy evening with Shaft of Wit and headline act Noel James on July 13th.
The social enterprise team has put in months of work preparing the former Abbey Schoolroom building, with donated materials and labour from businesses including Quickstep, B&Q, Dulux, and local designer and decorator Andrew Crichton of Design & Decorate. The upper studio floor offers stunning views of the Abbey and is equipped for live music, dining, workshops, and relaxing wellbeing projects, while the lower floor is adapted to be a shop during the day that can accommodate events in the evenings.
The new venue is the latest phase in ClearCompany’s development, seeing the social enterprise grow from pop-up events during the Covid pandemic, to putting down roots in Wymondham with a community venue that harnesses its network of creatives and entrepreneurs.
For further details of events, activities, and private hire, visit clearcompany.org.uk/tlns.
Wymondham In Bloom Seeks Business Sponsorships
This time of year is when the Wymondham in Bloom team kicks into high gear, to begin preparing for judging day in July. The theme for this year’s campaign will be Flower Power, in honour of the 60th Anniversary of Britain in Bloom. The RHS is also celebrating friendship this year, sharing many stories of how the in Bloom movement brings people together, creating lifelong friendships.
The volunteers haven’t been hibernating over the winter, instead lots of weeding and cutting back overgrown plants has been done, followed by plenty of hot tea and lunches. If you’d like to join upcoming volunteer sessions make sure to follow Wymondham in Bloom on Facebook or contact us on the details below to join our Whatsapp group. We aim to have weekly sessions on Monday at 10:00 from 13th May onwards, plus further ad hoc sessions in good weather.
Planting plans have been drawn up and we are pleased to be working together with the Town Council on choosing plants for their 34 tubs in the town centre.
For 2024’s campaign to have a similar impact as previous years, we are seeking businesses to sponsor us this year. We are unfortunately not eligible for a grant this time round, so there is a significant financial challenge we need support with.
If you know of a business who may be able to help us do good in the community, and would like some positive publicity, please email wymbloom@gmail.com or ring 07941 514 766.
We are also very happy to work with any businesses who want to organise a collaborative volunteering event for their team.
Choir and Band Sings and Swings for Charity
A recent collaboration between two local music groups has raised over £2000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The VivaVoices community choirs from Norfolk and Suffolk joined forces with the Galaxy Big Band to 'Sing and Swing' at Risby Village Hall, near Bury St Edmunds. 50 people from across the region came to sing swing and easy listening classics from the 40s and 50s with a joint concert and dance with the band, raising over £1000.
The VivaVoices choirs, who run weekly choirs at Fairland United Reformed Church in Wymondham, as well as at four locations in Suffolk, put on five further concerts last month of songs from across the decades, bringing the total to £2068.
Rodney Brook from the Galaxy Big Band said, “We chose the MNDA because we were inspired by Rob Burrow’s and Kevin Sinfield’s story about Motor Neurone Disease and the challenges of dealing with it.”
Graeme Hopson, director of VivaVoices, added, "I’m delighted that we’ve raised so much for the MNDA, who do amazing work to support people living with the disease.”
Wymondham VivaVoices meets weekly during the school term on Wednesdays from 7.30pm. For more details visit vivavoices.com or call 01284 700286.
Free Recycling Talk
Tuesday 11th June
Confused about what you can or cannot put in your recycling bin? Join us for a fun, interactive evening learning the do's and don'ts from the South Norfolk Council recycling team.
The event will be hosted by Sustainable Wymondham, together with Wymondham RFC and Wymondham Town Council. Come along to the Rugby Club at 7pm on Tuesday 11th June, in the Lacons Bar.
For more information, email info@sustainablewymondham.org.uk.
Town Council Watch: Snooker Special
Local Democracy Sketch
Tuesday 2nd April 2024 and Wymondham Town Council once again met at the crucible of local democracy that is their £2 million Kett’s Park offices, for another battle of concentration, skill and judgment - with the occasional miscued effort thrown in for entertainment. Earpiece in, TCW settled down into his plush auditorium seat and tried his level best to stay awake throughout the whole thing.
So squeeze into your shiniest waistcoat, give your tip a good chalking and get practising your banana shots, it’s a Town Council Watch: Snooker Special.
But can TCW get a maximum break of 147* this month? *Complaints from councillors about this column that is.
Rerack
First to the table was an item for the Town Council to start doing something it already does (in theory at least). And that’s print a newsletter telling residents what they’ve been up to.
Recycling existing ideas and repackaging them must be part of the climate emergency strategy or something.
With a budget already set aside for newsletters and the new council even having printed one last year, it wasn’t overly clear why it needed re-suggesting. Cue Cllr Lucy Nixon (Lib Dem) to explain all:
“I believe that this council has a lot of positive news and useful information to get out. What I hope this newsletter will do is provide another way of getting through.”
Don’t know what they're worried about? Loads of people read Town Council Watch.
But one member of the public sensed the risk in letting politicians get on the old public typewriter at taxpayers’ expense:
“I’m all in favour of more information but wary it might just become a propaganda sheet for the standing party.” the man said.
Donning his umpire’s white gloves, the Town Clerk sought to reassure him about impartiality: “Having done the About Wymondham [newsletter] for 18 years…”
18 years? Crumbs. This new idea is old enough to vote.
“...there’s a fairly deep amount of experience in what we’ve put forward in the past.” “We don’t want to turn it into a political publication promoting one party over another.”
Labour members didn't seem particularly reassured:
"I think you've got potential for inadvertent bias clearly there with it." said Lowell ‘The Shovel’ Doheny (Lab).
Paul ‘The Organic Rocket’ Barrett (Green) knew a bloke down the pub who could produce the whole thing cheaper and greener than had been proposed.
Pukka.
Mayor Suzanne ‘The Fury’ Nuri-Nixon (Lib Dem) spoke in favour: “I want us to show the positive side of the decisions we make.”
Well that ought to save on ink at least. And a nice little cannon there for TCW into the top pocket on the way to 147 complaints.
The proposal was approved unanimously, meaning the council will now use the budget they already had for a newsletter, to produce a newsletter.
Phew. Glad they could get that one sorted.
Solo Game
Up next, Cllr Michael ‘The Chosen One’ Rosen (Lab) wanted to pocket some progress on the town centre improvement project, after the Town Council last month green lighted £250,000 towards a £950,000 joint investment with South Norfolk Council.
The council nominated one Green (Paul Barrett), one Yellow (Dave 'The Pockets' Roberts) and one Red (Todd "The Rod" Baker) to a new group to represent the Town Council on the project.
Geddit? Party colours. Snooker balls.
But voted against coming up with an ‘initial vision of what the Town Council would like to see included in the town centre regeneration project’:
Cllr Lucy ‘Blitzing’ Nixon wanted the public to provide the ideas “rather than the Town Council deciding what we think we should do in town.”
“I don’t think we can go out to the public with no idea at all what’s possible.” baulked Cllr Rosen. “Let's have a vote on it.” he continued. “If as a majority group, the Liberal Democrats choose to vote against this, then it’s up to you really.”
“Thanks for mentioning that again it’s the Liberal Democrats” sniffed the Mayor, reclining back and taking a sip of her Highland Spring.
Cllr Paul Barrett thought it should be “up to the public” and “we shouldn’t dictate anything.”
“I would absolutely agree with that” replied Cllr Rosen. “But, you know, we as a Town Council do need to have some views about what we think should be happening in the town. Otherwise what is the point of the Town Council?”
Well. Plenty of people have wondered that over the years.
The proposal to work constructively as a Town Council on an initial vision was voted down by all Lib Dems and Green (Paul Barrett).
Well. Snooker’s not a team game is it?
(Psychological) Safety Shots
Up next was a proposal that chalked up headlines in regional and national newspapers including: “Wymondham Wets” / “Britain’s most fragile council?” (EDP) and “Councillors ‘triggered’ by rows can leave meetings” (Telegraph).
The press can be so cruel.
Cllr Joe ‘The Flow’ Barrett (Green) had submitted a ‘psychological safety proposal’, which would give all councillors a red card to hold up, in order to excuse themselves from a meeting if their anxiety levels had peaked. This would allow them to go off to a separate room containing ‘water and mental health resources’.
"Every human being experiences anxiety in some way or another, if we're in a situation where we feel we can't escape or there's a lot of stress." he explained. "It doesn't have to be to do with anxiety or PTSD it could be that someone just needs to go to the toilet and they don't want to say that outloud."
Maybe make that one a yellow card? Or if it’s a, you know, you could have a brown car… Hmm. Actually don’t worry.
Nobody questioned whether it’s right that councillors who’d been out of the room could then return and vote on matters they hadn’t listened to the debate for.
Never mind. TCW's here in the commentary box with John Virgo for that.
But Cllr Nixon did worry about “the negative connotations of red cards.” “This proposal is not about being sent out of the room for bad behaviour.”
No. Although pop psychologists might wonder if that’s where the idea initially started.
The idea was amended to be holding up your name card instead and was unanimously approved.
This council will stop at nothing to deliver the real life, day-to-day benefits that people in town want to see.
Blue In The Face
Next, the council had a debate about how to have debates.
Cllrs Michael Rosen and Joe Barrett wanted to remove time limits on how long individual councillors could talk for. Last month the pair had both been invited to give it a rest by the meeting's chair when their speeches ran on for 5 and 8 minutes.
Where’s a red card when you need one eh?
“[The proposal] is to enable us to have debates rather than you know grandstanding speeches.” trumpeted the soundbite-friendly Mr Rosen. “We've all seen councils where they have grandstanding speeches haven't we?” he continued, while fellow councillors allowed themselves a silent snigger at the top levels of self awareness going on.
The council narrowly voted in favour of allowing more time where a disability warranted it.
Touching Balls
In the final frame, we just had time to hear from Wymondham Tennis Club. They had exciting news for fathers all over the town who are done having more kids:
“They are soon to be getting a ball recycling container. So members will be able to return their used balls and they will be repurposed… reused.” we heard.
See you down there lads...
Buying A Property: All You Need to Know
If you have had an offer accepted on your dream home, you may be wondering what you need to do next.
Stage 1: Instructing A Conveyancer and Applying for a Mortgage
After your offer has been accepted, you will need to instruct a solicitor, legal executive, or conveyancer. They will handle the legal process of transferring the property to your name.
The conveyancer acting for the seller will prepare a legal information pack which will include a draft contract, a fixtures, fittings and contents form, a property information form, and the legal title to the property.
If you are buying the property with a mortgage, you will need to make a formal mortgage application. It’s important to do this as soon as possible to avoid any delays further on. The mortgage lender will arrange a valuation on the property to ensure the property is worth what you intend to pay for it.
Stage 2: Enquiries and Searches
When you buy a property, your conveyancer will raise enquiries relating to the property, to ensure you have all the information you need. However, your conveyancer will not advise on the physical condition of the property, so it is important for you to arrange a survey or any specialist reports such as electrical or damp reports. They will also review the title to the property, to check that the property has all the necessary rights and that there aren’t any covenants that might affect a buyer.
Your conveyancer will also apply for three different searches:
Local search: This will look at all information held by the local authority involving the property.
Water and drainage search: This confirms whether the foul and surface water drain to a public sewer and whether the property is connected to a mains water supply.
Environmental search: This establishes whether the property you are buying is built on or near contaminated land or water, or on an old landfill site. Sometimes additional searches may be required depending on the property.
Stage 3: Pre Exchange
Once the results for the various searches are received, replies to the enquiries raised, and confirmation of your mortgage offer, they will send you a report on the property and arrange for you to sign the contract. It is extremely important for you to read the report carefully, so you are aware of all the factors which affect the property you are buying.
Stage 4: Exchange of Contracts and Completion
Once the contract has been signed by both parties, the conveyancers will then ‘Exchange Contracts’ and the property transaction becomes legally binding. Completion can sometimes be on the same day as exchange, however if a mortgage is involved, you will usually need a week between exchange and completion. The completion day is the final part of the conveyancing process and is the day you get the keys to your new home.
This is a brief guide to buying a property. For more information about the process, or to request a quote, please call us on 01953 606351.
What's in a Photo?
Traffic Calming
It was recently announced that following an agreement between South Norfolk Council and the town council around £955000 would be available to make the town centre more attractive.
It’s worth recalling, therefore, that nearly thirty years ago £640000 was spent on a traffic management scheme for the middle of the town.
The main photo shows work being undertaken on the scheme in September 1995. A one-way system, traffic calming measures and a new look Market Place, which was surfaced with granite setts to replace a tarmacadam surface (which had become pitted with potholes), were all features.
From then on parking was prohibited on the Market Place, the other picture showing cars parked there about twenty years or so earlier.
A Seller's Journey Is Stressful
A Seller’s journey is stressful. Of all things within Estate Agency, this one is unavoidable, and a point Pip relates to well in her attached review.
Deciding to sell your property, regardless of what drives it, is a step into the unknown with no guarantees. It is for this very reason, that my role and input is not based on the 9 – 5 pm, or reliance on outsourced means to conduct my day-to-day for me. Upon instruction, I step into the shoes of my clients and follow through by representing their goals and requirements. My focus goes far beyond ‘Sale Agreed’ because so many times, that’s just a small waypoint in the long journey.
On this occasion, Pip benefited from a committed chain-free and experienced buyer with whom we worked to achieve a swift completion date. Having only two properties in the chain meant that progression management was relatively simple. However, I am certain there are plenty of you out there, currently sitting within a much busier chain. Regardless, sales progression cannot be set to one side or diarised once a week. It requires nurture, assistance, and a watchful eye, not to mention the most important factor of all… reliable professionals.
Many of you reading this will have thoughts on moving and there is no time like the present to get that journey as best prepared as possible. Call, WhatsApp or email me today for a friendly introduction and a guide as to how best to prepare for your move.
If you are seeking advice and support regarding your property goals, call us ANYTIME on 01953 665 785 or send a text or WhatsApp on 07923 236 076. For interesting news and tips, follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Visit: ewemove.com/instant-valuation.
“After moving several times, I've learned that finding a reliable estate agent who understands the stress of selling a property and goes the extra mile can be hit or miss. Rebecca Mills at EweMove truly understands this, and I can honestly say she's one of the most professional, good-humoured, and dedicated agents I've ever met.
From my initial inquiry to the completion of the sale, Rebecca was exceptional in her handling of every aspect of the sale process. I really did get the feeling that nothing was too much trouble for her, which was a huge relief during what can be a very stressful time. I have no hesitation in recommending Rebecca and EweMove, and she'll be my first point of contact if I ever move again.” - Pip Samwell-Smith
Call (24/7) 01953 665 785
Mobile / WhatsApp 07923 236 076
Visit ewemove.com/instant-valuation
Living with ADHD: Sit Still Timmy!
Tim Macwilliam on his Award-Winning Memoir
Tim Macwilliam loses things a lot. He's lost his keys in the sea several times. One time, he lost his daughter – at the beach in Lowestoft.
“The James Bulger thing had just happened – that atrocity – I thought 'I mustn't lose Vicky today – crowded beach in Lowestoft, packed out.'” But he did.
“Couldn't find her anywhere. And I'd made so sure I wouldn't lose her.”
Tim didn't panic – what he now knows is his ADHD 'hyperfocus' kicked in. He searched the beach, giving people his daughter's description. Finally, he asked at an ice-cream counter.
“She looked at me a bit strange, I walked away, and then she said, 'Sir! Sir! There's a little girl, sitting on your shoulders!'”
Vicky had not been lost. She'd been having a lovely ride on her father's back.
This was one of Tim's stories of life with ADHD.
In March this year, Tim won the 2023 East Anglian Book Award for memoir and biography. He wrote his book, Sit Still Timmy!, about having lived most of his life not realising that he had ADHD.
Tim was officially diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 58, after his daughter Vicky, who now works in mental health, suggested that he might have the condition.
He remembers the moment very well. “I did this commentary for the partially-sighted at Carrow Road - terrible game, Norwich against Stoke.
“I walked back to my daughter's flat. I was going through a terrible time, depression.”
On this day, he talked to his daughter about how he was feeling.
“She says, 'Do you think you might have ADHD?' Oh! Maybe! I looked it up, and it all made sense.”
Tim now knows much more about ADHD than he used to. For example, he said: “There's a chapter in Sit Still Timmy! which I've done called 'Toxic Outriders', and it's all the things which velcro to ADHD.” Tim said that things like depression, OCD, anxiety, autism and even epilepsy can all be associated with ADHD in various ways.
Tim said that a lot of people with ADHD are “misdiagnosed” with depression. He said people with ADHD often “don't understand what's going on,” but “get upset because they're not being understood.” This can lead to depression. However, when these people seek help, their ADHD can be missed by the health professionals, who see the result, but miss the cause.
That said, there are advantages to a life with ADHD, Tim said: “Thinking outside the box, hyperfocus, multitasking. It's a bit like on the radio, when something goes wrong, or someone's talking in your ear while you're talking and looking at the computer – I can do all that, I love doing that. But other people, they can't do that, or they don't love it.”
Since his book was released, Tim says he's been contacted by people from around the world, asking for advice.
He said, “It's not something I'm qualified to give, so I try to be a 'hub' to point them in the right direction.
“But I can't always resist giving my thoughts. For example, a grandmother in America contacted me to say their adult son had ADHD and was addicted to drugs. His daughter, their granddaughter, also had ADHD and was tearing the house down with her limitless energy. They simply couldn't cope and asked me if I could help.
“Fortunately I knew of someone in the USA who specialised in ADHD and addiction. I also suggested their young granddaughter took up judo or karate as it would help her burn off energy and might give her some focus.
“They sent a nice email back to thank me and say my advice had helped. But of course, everyone should contact a qualified practitioner.”
Tim's book, ‘Sit Still Timmy! A Lifetime of Undiagnosed ADHD’ is available online and at various bookshops. Tim has also provided some excerpts of his memoir, for readers of Wymondham Magazine.
People with ADHD are known to continually lose or misplace their belongings. I lose things all the time. It usually doesn’t cause too much concern, but today I have lost my two-year-old daughter on a crowded beach in Suffolk, resulting in an ice-cold electric shock of terror slicing through my brain and down my spine.
The atrocity of James Bulger’s shocking abduction and murder had recently been in the news headlines. The horror of the story kept me, like many other parents, awake at night. The fear this incident invoked created a nationwide rush to buy child leads. A short plastic curly rope with a Velcro handcuff that could be attached to the wrist of a child and their accompanying parent.
In reality, one hasty tug either way and you were left with a piece of plastic minus a child.
I had been particularly vigilant that day, holding my youngest daughter close to me among the crowds. There was no way I would let her go, and I certainly didn’t think I would need a child lead. But, somehow, I had lost my concentration, and she had vanished into the brightly coloured throng of beachgoers. I quickly found a wall with a higher vantage point to see if I could spot her, but it was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. I frantically asked anyone I passed or bumped into if they had seen her. But, all I got in return was a disinterested shrug or a brief shake of their head, with others just staring right through me. By now, my brain was completely focused, even amidst the horror of the unfolding nightmare. ADHD minds are supposedly good in a crisis, as the thought process is so fast, and a solution can often be found extremely quickly. This situation was a true test of that particular theory.
I described what she looked like to anyone who would stop long enough to listen.
‘Her name is Victoria, she has short light brown hair and is wearing a brightly coloured orange and yellow cotton dress with matching shoes, she is two years old!’
The panic rose in my voice with each person I asked. However, it was like describing any number of kids on the crowded beach dressed in bright colours that day. I was about to move on from yet another shaking head to the next person when a lady with an Italian accent shouted from the nearby ice cream stand.
‘Sir! Sir! Your daughter!’
‘Yes! Where? Have you seen her? Where?’
‘I think she is maybe sitting on your shoulders.’
‘What?’ I replied, now stunned and confused.
She offered me a wry smile. ‘A little girl is sitting on your shoulders.’
Vicky looked down at me with a bemused look on her face clutching onto her teddy with one hand and the sleeve of my t-shirt scrunched into the other. She was no doubt wondering what on earth was going on.
‘Is that her?’ continued the lady from the ice cream stall.
‘Ah yes … thank you!’ I’d forgotten I’d lifted her onto my shoulders for safekeeping.
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Ted Talks: The Big Parade
This Ted Talks article is one you can join in with at home, provided you lived in our town in 1960 or know someone who did.
Back then, there was an appeal to support the world’s refugees, and the people of Wymondham generously raised £1204, which Ted observed, “was a lot of money in those days.” As part of this great fundraising effort there was a big parade through the centre of the town, which has been captured for posterity in a short, silent, colour film that is now part of the East Anglian Film Archive: World Refugee Year Appeal (1960) | East Anglian Film Archive (eafa.org.uk/work/?id=2313).
It was no surprise to me, when I watched this 4-minute film with Ted, that he recognised several people who had taken part. “There’s John Barber,” said Ted pointing to a gentleman wearing a red tie, “he took over Mr. Legett’s farm where I used to work. He had two sons, Jonathan and David”.
Ted was impressed by the two grey horses which pulled a parade cart, “They were show horses and also working horses used for transporting furniture.” The cart was ridden by Al Farvey who wore colourful clothes. “He sold fish and chips in Damgate,” recalled Ted.
This event was strongly supported by local businesses such as RGD, Mobil Heat and Bibby. Ted was pleased to see Tom Turner wearing a grey jacket. “He worked for the auctioneers, Hall and Palmer, and he used to carry his clipboard around with him.” Ted then spotted another Ted, Ted Frost, driving one of the vans. “Ted Frost was a thresher, he shovelled coal into steam engines. He was married to Minnie.”
The participating, red-brown fire truck brought back a flood of memories for Ted, who knew three of the firefighters; John Thomson, Chicky Stand and Reggie Cullan. “Reggie’s family owned both a hardware store and a tobacconist.”
Perhaps there are people in this big parade that you remember. Do you know the names of any of the girl guides or members of the brass band or the fellow in the jeep who was waving to the crowd? Maybe you were there in person? Please let us know, it would make Ted’s day.
Nanna Will Do It
Short Story
Gwen was of the generation that hadn’t ever learned to swim unless they lived by a river, stream, pond or by the sea. But Gwen had lived inland well away from such places - so she was not a swimmer. Husband Jack had learned to swim in the army and always took charge of Anne, their only daughter, during their annual week’s holiday to a guest house near the beach at Bournemouth. It was he who taught Anne to brave the waves and it was he who played games with her on the beach and helped her construct the most amazing sandcastles. Gwen had always been an on-looker; a provider of sandwiches and orange squash; a washer of sandy clothes; a soother of sunburn. No one had ever coaxed her into the water. She didn’t even possess a swimsuit – shorts and a blouse were as summery as she would go.
Let sixty years pass from those beach holidays and Gwen was still a non swimmer. Jack had passed away three years ago and Anne had lived most of her adult life in Australia. Gwen had never been there to visit her or the grandchildren, now adults themselves with children of their own. Letters with photos enclosed had been her only contact, along with the occasional long distance phone call. But now the great grandchildren were on Skype and once Gwen had managed to use a computer she was amazed by the closeness of Sam and Olivia, the ten year old twins. They called her Nanna and told her she must come and visit them. ‘It’s not a long flight Nanna’ they said, ‘only twenty four hours. You could do it. Come and see us. We live right by the beach.’ And she could see them running in and out of the blue water, having great fun.
That’s when she decided to buy herself a swimsuit and book the swimming lessons. It had been a daunting experience in the fitting room at John Lewis squeezing into the green one-piece costume. But the purchase had been made along with a pink flowery swimming cap to protect her silvery shampoo and set. She had tried both items on again in the privacy of her own bedroom and thought she didn’t look too bad for an old girl of eighty.
But now, in the changing rooms at the local swimming pool her stomach was churning and the figure in the mirror was telling her she looked foolish and that she really should put her clothes back on and go home. But the lessons were booked so she made her way gingerly, without her glasses, through the footbath and out on to the pool side. The smell of chlorine intensified and the echoing noise wrapped round her. She clutched her towel.
‘Hello. You must be Gwen,’ a voice said above the noise. A track suited young man strode out of the blur, hand outstretched. She nodded and shook his hand.
‘I’m Geoff,’ he said. ‘Let’s go down the shallow end.’ She followed him, still clutching her towel as firmly as a toddler would clutch a security blanket.
‘Put your towel over there,’ he said. Reluctantly she obeyed. ‘Now if you climb down the ladder, we’ll make a start.’
The water was blue and as her toes hit the top step of the ladder, she found it was pleasantly warm. She lowered herself to the next step. The water reached her knees. She felt Geoff watching her and wondered if he had ever taught anyone as slow.
‘You’re doing fine, Gwen,’ he said reassuringly. ‘Just three more steps and you’re in. Hold on to the rail here when your feet are on the bottom.’ His smile was a patient one. ‘Take your time.’
Her new costume was now wet. She took the last step and made a grab for the rail. The water was shallow – just above her waist. She thought of the twins. They wouldn’t want a Nanna who was too scared to go in the sea with them. She managed a weak smile back at Geoff, ready to follow whatever he told her to do next. Ten lessons lay ahead of her and she was determined to become a swimmer at long last.
Colour in the Garden with Andrew Sankey
Garden Club Talk on 20th May
Andrew Sankey is a garden designer, grower & speaker. He is perhaps best known as the author of the book “The English Cottage Garden”. Join us for his uplifting talk ‘Colour in the Garden’ on Monday, 20th May. Come along to learn about colour, scents & planting combinations for your garden.
Show Table: Cacti or Succulent exhibits in pots or bowls.
Cookery Competition: Sticky Rhubarb Cake (club recipe)
Photography Competition: Norfolk in Springtime
Club Table: A favourite from my Garden – Plant or Flower, Fruit or Vegetable.
7.30pm, Town Green Centre, Wymondham. Members Free, guests £5.
For further information about Wymondham Garden Club contact wymondhamgardenclub@gmail.com.
Enjoy Norfolk Nature this May with WyNG
Sunday 5th May 2024, 1:00pm-4pm, Bluebell Walk with Anne Edwards at NWT Ashwellthorpe Lower Wood. Join Wymondham Nature Group for a guided walk around Ashwellthorpe Lower Wood to see bluebells and other spring flowers. Learn about coppice management, enjoy the woodland biodiversity, and finish with tea and cake. Admission: Donation to Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Meet in the car park on The Street, Ashwellthorpe. Grid reference: TM 13890 97667 What3words: workload.wording.explain Contact: Anne Edwards, 01603 812309 Email: Wymondham@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Thursday 9th May 2024, 7.30pm - May Indoor Meeting: Sweet Briar Marshes – a wilder Norwich for all. Matt Wickens of Norfolk Wildlife Trust's urban team will explore the fascinating features and wildlife of Sweet Briar Marshes, discussing why it is important, and where NWT is heading for both nature and people in the fine city. Venue: Town Green Centre, Wymondham, NR18 0PW (behind Wymondham Methodist Church). All welcome - admission £3, NWT members £2 – no booking required. Email: Wymondham@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Sunday 26th May 2024, 2pm – 4pm, Wild Flower Identification and Signage with Wymondham Nature Group at Toll’s Meadow, Wymondham. Free event; donations to Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Contact: John Beckett, 01953 602876 Email: wymondham@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Follow Wymondham Nature Group on Facebook: facebook.com/WymondhamNatureGroup. Wymondham Nature Group is the local members’ group of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Registered Charity No. 208734.
What’s on at the Library?
Did you know there are regular free activities & groups in Wymondham Library?
Knit Stitch and Natter: Thursdays 10-12pm & 4.45-6-45pm. Drop in to this friendly group to finish any projects you are working on.
Bounce and Rhyme: Tuesdays 10.10-10.40am & 11-11-30am. Songs & music for pre-schoolers with parents or carers.
Lego Club: Saturdays 10.30-11.30am. Get creative with our large collection of Lego. Suitable for children aged 5+.
Childrens Craft Club: Saturdays 10.30-11.30am. All materials provided for a different craft each week. Drop in.
Autism Café: 1st Thursday of the month 12pm 1pm. A space for those with autism and their carers or family to meet and chat in a friendly, casual environment. Drop-in.
Home Education Teen Meetup: Fridays at 2.30-4.30pm. A group for all teens that are home educated to meet up & chat.
Just a Cuppa & Games Time: Wednesdays 3-6pm. Drop in to play our large collection of board games & have a friendly chat with others.
Digital Support: Wednesday 10-4pm & Thursday 3-5pm. Drop in for help with computer queries from our friendly IT support volunteers.
Resources: Baby Weigh Scales & Baby Changing Facilities, A4 and A3 Printing, Laptops for 2-week loan, Study Space with free Wi-Fi & charging points
Opening times: 10am - 7pm Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm Saturday. You can also turn your library card into a key for the door! Talk to a member of staff about Open Library to add the extra access to your card
For more information please call 01953 603319 or email wymondham.lib@libraries.norfolk.gov.uk or check out our Facebook page @WymondhamLibraryNorfolk to find out what’s happening.
The Good News/Bad News Sandwich
The good news: Wymondham has a new hotel. It’s wooden, airy, multi-floored and has a vague chalet-type vibe going on. But it’s only for those with six legs or more: it’s the splendid Bug Hotel on the Browick Road Community Orchard. We’re sure it’s already welcomed its first guests – who will eventually pay for their keep by pollinating the fruit trees and flowers, and helping break down waste matter.
The bad news for the Orchard is that plans have been submitted to South Norfolk District Council for a fibre exchange telecommunications station bang next door to the orchard’s seating area. Greening Wymondham are hopeful the station can, at least, be sited further into the lorry park to allow for some screening against the industrial nature and noise of the building.
You can still comment though the 21-day deadline is over: info.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/online-applications, planning application number: 2024/0817.
And more very bad news. Many of you will already seen the “Sewage Map 2023” produced by the National Rivers Trust – if not, you can see it on https://theriverstrust.org/sewagemap which you can also find at https://sustainablewymondham.org under “Whiffy Tiffey”.
In short, untreated sewage was pumped into our river for nearly 500 hours last year – mostly from the Chapel Lane “Water Recycling Centre” but also upstream from the Station Road and London Road pumping stations.
Water companies are allowed, when torrential rain threatens to overwhelm flood holding tanks, to divert waste water direct to rivers. But 500 hours is nigh on 21 days, and Wymondham surely wasn’t that wet. Anglian Water says 2023 was unusually rainy, but they were still disappointed by their own performance.
A spokesperson told GW the company would be spending £113m on expanding flood tanks and wetlands in Norfolk – with Chapel Lane one of the 6 areas to benefit.
While we wait, Greening Wymondham needs to expand its river testing to go for e-coli – and we’d love more volunteers. Email us at greeningwymondham@gmail.com and let us know if you can give us a couple of hours. We’ll also be removing debris on our river litter picks in the summer.
But just to cheer you up with a final slice of good news: Greening Wymondham with its colleagues and friends will be taking over Market Square on June 8th for the launch of its Great Big Green Week. There’ll be masses to do throughout the week – from seed-planting and potting-on at MyHills for small people; a Bat & Swift evening organised by Wyng at the Abbey on Friday 14th; a mass Swap event – which is the theme of the week – organised by Wild Tribe, and a major Recycling, Repurposing and Repairing jamboree on Saturday 15th. We’ll have dozens more events to tell you about in next Wymondham Magazine, but you’ll be able to find out what’s on where later in May on greeningwymondham.org or check us out on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
40 years of Our Symphony Orchestra!
We have started our 40th birthday year with a bang! Our first concert of the year "Love is in the Air" took place on 23 March 2024, and we were delighted to play to a packed audience at Wymondham Abbey. Romance was a feature in all the pieces, which included Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (Tchaikovsky), Peer Gynt Suite selection (Grieg), as well as works by Ian Hÿtch, Mascagni, da Falla, and Mahler.
Coming up next is our special Summer Concert on 29 June 2024, which will be a celebration to mark our 40th Anniversary! As our founder and President Adrienne Cleary can attest, 40 years have flown by and the orchestra goes from strength to strength. In no small part due to the fantastic support we receive from you, our audience! We’re delighted to see over 100 members of our local community coming to watch every concert, some of whom are regulars and others who are new to orchestral music. We hope each event brings something new and adds to the variety of music available in our local area. Thanks must also go to the wonderful staff at Wymondham Abbey, who host us 3 times a year, and to the Wymondham Central Hall who provide us a fantastic space to rehearse every Tuesday!
For our celebration concert, love will still be in the air because our main piece will be Symphony 4 (The Romantic) by Anton Bruckner. He would have celebrated his 200th birthday in 2024, so it is only fitting that this piece will form part of our occasion. The programme will also feature Little Suite no.2 by Arnold and Violin Concerto in E minor by Mendelssohn, for which we are delighted to welcome soloist Catherine McCardel.
Join us for our Ruby Anniversary concert on 29 June 2024 at 7pm! Tickets are available online at trybooking.com/uk/eventlist/wso. There will also be some availability on the door, but we encourage attendees to purchase tickets in advance to beat the queues. Prices are £15, Friends of the WSO £13 and under 18s are free.
More details about the orchestra can be found at wymondhamsymphonyorchestra.org.uk or on our Facebook page.
Plague, Fire and Rebellion at the Heritage Museum
Many of the displays at Wymondham Heritage Museum offer an insight into life in the town and the surrounding area in the 20th century. From the role of women in World War One to the history of brushmaking. From the Regal Cinema exhibition to the town’s lost pubs.
But a glance at the Timeline on display in the museum’s reception shows the rich history of Wymondham over the centuries together with major events that occurred in the country.
For example, there was an outbreak of bubonic plague in the town in 1349. And in the 15th century there was a mediaeval hall house thought to be on the site where The Bridewell now stands. A number of the museum’s displays provide information and illustrations of some of these landmark events.
One such display tells the story of the Great Fire of Wymondham. It started on June 10th, 1615. Wymondham was almost deserted. The townsfolk were attending a service at the parish church. They were unaware that three travellers and a local accomplice had lit two fires. The fires took hold in Vicar and Middleton Streets. The timber-framed, thatched houses were soon engulfed in flames. The Market Cross was reduced to a smouldering ruin. There appeared to be no motive. The perpetrators didn’t flee the scene but stayed to watch. They were caught and eventually hanged at Norwich Castle.
It is thought the first Market Cross was erected around 1300. Following the fire, Sir Henry Hobart of Blickling, the local lord, asked the townsmen to build a new Market Cross. A display board in the museum’s main gallery charts the history of the cross from its rebuild, its restorations and various uses through the centuries.
Behind an 1810 cell door is a display featuring the history of The Bridewell. How it became the model prison for Houses of Correction in the UK and America. How the prisoners lived, their crimes, what they ate and their punishments.
A major display tells the story of the rebellion in 1549 led by Wymondham’s most famous citizen, Robert Kett. Wealthy landowners had enclosed common land making people pay for their common rights such as fishing, gathering firewood and reeds for thatching. Kett was himself a landowner and yeoman and had enclosed his own land. So, how did he come to lead a rebellion against enclosures? All is revealed in illustrated detail. How Kett set up camp with the rebels, led them in battle and the final outcome.
Once you have discovered the story in the museum you can walk in the steps of Robert Kett and follow the rebels with a tour of Norwich visiting the key locations. Tour guide Paul Dickson tracks the rebellion around the city taking in battle sites, St Nicholas Chapel on Ketts Heights where Robert Kett had his headquarters. Mousehold Heath where Kett massed the rebels and he tells more about the players on both sides of the struggle. Go to www.pauldicksontours.co.uk and click on Shardlake’s Norwich.
For more information on what to see at Wymondham Heritage Museum log on to thewhm.org.uk
Life at WBC
Life at Wymondham Baptist Church continues to be busy and exciting. April was full of activities with our ECO Silver Award celebrations and our Craft and Crumpets afternoon. As well as these activities we also held our first School Uniform Swap. We still have a lot of uniform to share with anyone who needs it, so please ask at the church office on a Roots Community Café morning if you need some uniform for your children. We have re-named this area of our work to Uniform Bank – the bank is full, so please ask if you need an item of school uniform. We have the Uniform Bank open fully on July 10th and 12th and August 7th and 9th at Roots Community café.
We have spent a lot of time working on our church garden at the side of the church on Queen Street, Wymondham. We would like to invite anyone in the community to use this area as a quiet space, and enjoy the areas that we are creating for everyone to use. We have a small wild area, a raised bed with strawberries and herbs growing and some seating. Over the coming weeks we are hoping to be able to see more wildlife visiting the garden, so come and see what is happening.
We are excited to welcome ‘The Happy Day’ Gospel choir on Saturday, June 15th. The concert will start at 7pm and tickets are £5, available from the Church Office (01953 606520 – office@wymondhambaptist.org). Tickets are limited so be sure to get yours before we sell out.
We continue to be excited about what God has planned for us for the future. We are currently raising funds for our building project to extend our church premises – come in and see the plans – we welcome your interest and support.
Choral Society To Host Summer Concert At Abbey
Following a triumphant return to a packed Wymondham Abbey last summer Wymondham Choral Society will be back at the Abbey on Saturday 13th July. This time they will be performing Haydn’s choral masterpiece The Creation.
The Choir has performed three concerts over the past year. In March the audience at St. Mary’s Church in Attleborough was treated to the hauntingly beautiful Sunrise Mass by contemporary composer Ola Gjeilo followed by a delightful selection of choral classics.
A wonderful winter concert, conducted by Claire Dixon, began with a confident performance of Howard Goodall’s recent work Christmas Cantata with a seasonal selection of music including Vaughan Williams’ popular Fantasia on Christmas Carols in the second half.
In July the Choral Society presented a programme featuring Mozart’s Requiem and Vesperae solemnes de confessore with outstanding soloists and an invited orchestra. They were delighted to receive very positive reviews
“… the choir produced page after page of confident sound with good attention to detail regarding the mood and sound of each section.”
The upcoming concert features a work considered by many to be Haydn’s crowning masterpiece, The Creation. It is based on both the biblical book of Genesis and Milton’s Paradise Lost. With its roof-raising choruses and lyrical melodies this promises to be a spectacular evening with professional soloists and an invited orchestra.
This will be the final concert for the Choral Society conducted by Claire Dixon. Claire has been with the choir for many years, firstly as an accompanist and since 2004 as their Musical Director. The choir has flourished under her leadership and will be very sad to see her go but hopes that she enjoys her well deserved retirement.
Tickets, £15 (under 19s free) are available on the door or online:
trybooking.com/uk/events/eventlist/eventListingAccount/wcs
Shed Lovingly Restores 80 Year Old Tram Model
The Shed Wymondham has just completed the restoration of a large model tram. Its owners, Barbara Hendon and her brother Brian Rogerson, entrusted the project to two of our members Pat Callow and Ian McDonald who are experienced model makers.
The Tram itself was built from scratch by Walter Rogerson, Barbara’s father, when aged 15 years old. It is a scale model of a real Manchester tram, and the workmanship for a 15-year-old is amazing.
Unfortunately, it was damaged in transport some years ago and needed some extensive repairs to bring it back to its former glory. Approximately 300 work hours have been spent, and now it’s time to hand it back to Barbara and Brian.
Pat Callow commented, “Although the project to restore Walter’s tram has taken a long while, being involved in bringing it back to its former glory has been very satisfying. It is difficult to imagine a 15-year-old schoolboy creating such a wonderfully accurate model, over 80 years ago.”
Ian McDonald commented “Restoring the tram has been an informative journey on how a young lad, with limited resources and tools, could have produced a model true to scale and character, of a form of transport now only found in a few Cities and Museums. The restoration has been challenging, and it's very satisfying to now see the final result of 2 1/2 years of hard work and research.”
Barbara and Brian commented, “We are both very proud of our dad who was able to craft such an accurate and authentic model at the tender age of 15. With the skills of Pat and Ian, we have our tram back and are very grateful for their hard work. The tram will be making its way to Heaton Park Tramway Museum and put on display for visitors to enjoy”.
Barbara and Brian were also presented with a book/photo album with pictures of the renovation from start to finish.
The Shed Wymondham is a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending. The difference from a garden shed is that their activities are often solitary in nature while The Shed is the opposite. It’s about social connections and friendship building, sharing skills and knowledge, and of course a lot of laughter. Visit theshedwymondham.org.uk for more information.
Meet the Local Authors in Audio
Wymondham’s community radio station, South Norfolk Radio (snradio.uk/) has produced a 16-minute recorded feature, including interviews with Jax Burgoyne and Tim Macwilliam, two of the authors taking part in the Meet the Local Authors event on Saturday 4 May at Central Hall, Wymondham (10.00am – 2.00).
The special recording will be broadcast after the 9.00am News and Weather report on Friday 3 May 2024 and again at 6.00pm that evening.
Vic’s Picks: Best Book Reading Spots in Wymondham
Once you’ve picked your book from Kett’s Books, one of our charity shops, the library, or your own collection, it’s time to find the perfect place to read it!
As a literature enthusiast, I’ve read many a book, in many a spot over the years, some more preferred than others – rushing down the road in the rain to catch the bus while trying to finish Little Women will not feature on this list. I enjoy a bit of spontaneity regarding my reading spots, so I offer you some great places from across Wymondham. If you prefer more planning before embarking on your own reading, fear not, here’s an article you may consult.
Weather permitting, reading outside within nature is a great balance of quiet and occasional animal sounds. Wymondham Abbey offers numerous benches, some of which with a view of sheep, and others with stunning views of the Abbey itself. They also have some picnic-style benches if you want to spread out or have a bite to eat.
Speaking of food… Wymondham has many great cafés, two that I’ll mention here, which stand out to me specifically for the purpose of reading are, Mad Hatters Tea Shop which faces the town square, and Cavick House Farm located just beyond the MNR Wymondham Abbey railway station. Mad Hatters Tea Shop offers both indoor and outdoor seating. What’s great about their outdoor seating is they have an awning to protect you if you don’t trust the weather that day or need a little shade. I would recommend their flat white and fruit scone with jam to accompany your reading. Cavick House Farm has a very spacious indoor seating area, as well as several benches with parasols outside. Within their large indoor seating area, the chairs have a pillow or fluffy throw to keep you comfortable. They have a number of specialty hot chocolates which are equally tasty and pair well with their cakes.
Another place of much book-reading allure is Toll’s Meadow, again with numerous bench options to choose from. The small stream offers a nice ambient sound. I also find I encounter the most wildlife at Toll’s Meadow, if you like being interrupted by the occasional butterfly or kingfisher. In May and the proceeding months the place blooms and looks particularly great.
My next pick is Priory Gardens, the small park near the Royal Mail Sorting Office. It is very nicely maintained and has an accessible path for pushchairs or wheelchair users. There are a few benches, but the grass is actually very comfortable to sit on and there are a good number of trees to provide you with some shade. There’s also a convenient dog waste bin if you like to bring your pet along with you on your reading sessions.
Hopefully, my picks have given you some ideas or reminded you of some of the great spots in Wymondham to read a book - or even the Wymondham Magazine if that’s more your style. Happy reading!
Post-Exam Reading
The Lowe Down
The iconic Romantic poet George Gordon Byron – commonly known as Lord Byron – wrote a lyric called “Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed From a Skull”. It is narrated by a dead man’s skull (because why not?) that is being used as a receptacle for alcohol. The general gist is that we’re useless when we’re alive, so we are at our most helpful when our dead skulls can be mugs for other people’s drinking. So we may as well drink as much as possible because that’s about as significant as it gets while we’re alive. It’s very proto-Ricky-Gervais wisdom: eat and drink whatever you want and just die because we’re insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
It's a great poem (and probably true!) but not very helpful advice for day-to-day life. We may ultimately be no more than “worms and wasting clay”, as Byron says, but that doesn’t help us if we have exams; they will affect our lives before we become worms and wasting clay. Exam season is approaching both for myself and our Wymondhammer GCSE and A-Level students, so Byron’s words may not help in the short term. One of my revision strategies is to set a stopwatch target while doing flashcards and pretend I’m on “The Final Chase” from the ITV quiz show, except instead of answering general knowledge questions, I’m giving the meanings of Chinese characters. (“Ever worry you have too much time on your hands?” said Sister Michael from Derry Girls. An apt quotation…but anything to keep oneself from getting bored mid-revision.)
Of course, it will be over sooner than it came, and when the post-exam summer arrives, it means just one thing: the freedom to read the books you choose for yourself outside the confines of reading lists! That is where this Lowe Down comes in: here are a few recommendations. My summer guilty pleasures are always whodunnits: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, etc. (I’ve recently also discovered Stieg Larsson: the eminently readable and emotive writer of the Millennium trilogy, featuring Lisbeth Salander. Book 1 – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – was adapted for film with Daniel Craig in 2011.)
This summer though, I’ve been reading more Victorian fiction than ever. It might seem out-of-touch to recommend Victorian literature to students who have just finished exams – but you’d be surprised! I remember a female student who was in my year at Wymondham High. She was lovely; her name was Herishtha. She was streetwise and always hanging out with the cool kids; she didn’t seem nerdy at all to an outsider. One day, she turned around to me in English class and, to my delight, said, “Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books ever. Isn’t it so good?” (Yes it is!)
The Brontë sisters in general were excellent, and their books remain far from the stereotype of stuffy, dull traditional texts. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are plot-driven, gothic, melodramatic soap operas, written by Charlotte and Emily, respectively. (And glorious ones too.) Anne is the most realist of the three sisters. Agnes Grey is a thought-provoking examination of the mistreatment of young, female governesses by their clients, but it is much less gothic.
Two other (lesser known) Victorian writers who entirely defy the stereotype of dry dullness are J. Sheridan Le Fanu and Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Their complete works are available very cheaply on Kindle, though many remain in print as well. Their books are remarkably easy to read and very pacy. Both wrote ‘sensation’ fiction, a distant ancestor of what we now know as detective novels. Le Fanu is for the fans of horror: he wrote a vampire novella, Carmilla, and a very creepy mystery fiction/survival thriller Uncle Silas, in which the young female protagonist is caught in a web spun by the eponymous uncle. Braddon is most famous for Lady Audley’s Secret, a book which unites hardcore classics fans and non-classic-fans, but Aurora Floyd is very strong too – a similar plot to Lady Audley’s Secret but with a more proto-feminist spin.
Summer is almost here. At the time of publication, I believe the Wymondham High language oral exams will be almost over, and it’s now the home stretch. The students will nail it. And once they have nailed it, they should go home and read those aforementioned books.
Pitch and Putt Glory For Wymondham Golfers
Rick Thorne, of Hazel Close Wymondham, was a multiple winner of pitch and putt competitions in 2023. In all he won four trophies and is seen here at Eaton Park Pitch and Putt club prize giving held in February 2024.
Rick said “We all realised the importance of fresh air and exercise during recent lockdowns. Pitch and Putt is a great way of keeping active and fit. Winning these trophies shows that even us ‘oldies’ can still compete. Eaton Park is a wonderful facility and it’s only 10 minutes away. The pitch and putt club are really friendly and it’s a great way of making friends too. The club has been running for many years and arranges monthly competitions (both for fun and for a variety of competitions). A handicap system ensures that everyone has a chance of winning. We get together every Monday morning at 9.30am for a friendly round too.”
Alan Hough, also pictured, helps to organise the monthly competitions. He said “I heard about the club when I worked at the Police OCC in Wymondham as some of my colleagues played. I used to play many sports but as I got older wanted to find a gentler sport ideally playing outside. I hadn’t played golf before, but the members were very helpful with their tips. I soon became quite a decent player and now have a handicap of 7. I like the club because it’s very informal and a round takes less than two hours. I really missed playing during lockdown and now play as much as I can. Being match secretary is great because it means I’m giving something back to the club.”
The Eaton Park Pitch and Putt Club has been running for many years and arranges monthly competitions (both for fun and for a variety of competitions). A handicap system ensures that everyone has a chance of winning. We get together every Monday morning at 9.30am for a friendly round too. If you are interested in joining, email Alan at eatongolfip@gmail.com for details.
Double Promotion For Wymondham Rugby Club
A Red and Black army of rugby supporters witnessed club history being made as Wymondham secured side-by-side promotions for the men’s two senior sides.
Both the club’s 1st and 2nd XVs are going up - and playing at their highest-ever level - after top-of-the-table finishes to the league season.
The 1sts beat a spirited Wisbech side 65-24 in the last league game of the season. For club captain Josh Wright it was his final 1st team game after more than 300 caps for the club.
“What a way to bow out!” he said. “I’ve played for Wymondham man and boy for 30 years, been part of three promotions but this was by far the most exciting.
“The best bit was the final whistle - followed by a lot of celebrating!”
Promotion will see Wymondham’s 1st team taking on the likes of Holt and Southend in the sixth level of English rugby next season. And the club’s 2nd XV will play in the eighth tier.
Head coach Max Dominy said: “I am incredibly proud of everyone involved with Wymondham RFC. This is my first year as Head Coach but it feels as though I have been here for many seasons due to the real cohesion and drive we have as a senior men's group - both to be successful and to enjoy ourselves along the way.
“I must say a massive thank you to the coaching team and support staff. They have all been incredible.
“As for the players, they have been excellent! We spoke at the start of pre-season about buying-in, and being comfortable being uncomfortable with all of the changes that happened over the summer with new coaches, processes, players and game plans etc.
“The players have done that, and I do believe that this is the start of a really special period in the history of Wymondham RFC.”
Director of Rugby Tom Armes said the success had come after several years of growth and Wymondham had emerged from lockdown in a much better position than many other clubs.
“We’ve got great facilities here at Barnard Fields, a real depth to the senior squad in both numbers and amazing talent in key positions.
“We finished last season at the highest level this club had ever achieved - and no one was happy about it because we knew we were good enough to get promoted.
“There’s ambition here. We’ve built momentum, gained some great players and coaches, and everyone has worked incredibly hard. It’s come good and now we crack on - there’s a lot more this squad can achieve.”
Wednesday 1st May
Tai Chi Taster Session
1pm, 
Central Hall
Tel: 07905 086959 to book
Thursday 2nd May
Talk: Commonwealth War Graves Commission 2pm, Central Hall
Nicholas Chapman MBE will present his talk, hosted by u3a.
Friday 3rd May
Dementia Support Group 10am-12:30pm, Fairland Church Centre
Step into Spring
Beer, Gin and Rum Festival 1pm-11pm, Ex Services Club
Runs through 6th May while stocks last.
Creative Writing Taster Session 2pm-3:30pm, Wymondham Library
Book via lyn.hazleton@btinternet.com
Saturday 4th May
Creative Wymondham Arts & Crafts Fair 10am-2pm, Central Hall
Browse stalls while enjoying music from the Dell Boys.
Meet the Local Authors 10am-2pm, Tiffey Room Central Hall
Chat about books with local writers.
Guided Town Walk 11am, Market Cross
Join historical storyteller Georgette Vale as she leads you on a tour of discovery around our fine town, bringing to life its rich past. Tel: 07867 681839
Selection of Plays by Four by Four 7:30pm, North Wymondham Community Centre
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the building. Book via tony@valemail.uk
Simply Jackson 9pm, Wymondham Sports Bar
A Michael Jackson Tribute Act approved by the Jackson Family, starring Edward.
www.facebook.com/WymondhamSportsBar
Sunday 5th May
Car Boot Sale 9am, WTFC Kings Head Meadow
Status Quo Tribute Band 7:30pm, Wymondham Central Hall
Tickets at Reeves Stationers or Tel: 01953 600563
Monday 6th May
Spring Fair 11am-2pm, Town Green Centre
Cakes, plants, new & nearly new, tombola and lunches served. Free Entry
wymondhammethodistchurch.com/
Abbey Duck Race 11am, Wymondham Abbey
The annual bank holiday event for all the family. Duck races along the river start from 11.30.
Hot food, tombola, cakes, plants and other stalls. Bring a bonnet for the Mad Hatter's prize parade.
www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk
Thursday 9th May
Nature Group Indoor Meeting 7:30pm, Town Green Community Centre
Sweet Briar Marshes – a wilder Norwich for all: Matt Wickens of Norfolk Wildlife Trust's urban team will explore the fascinating features and wildlife of Sweet Briar Marshes, discussing why it is important, and where NWT is heading for both nature and people in the fine city. Admission £3, NWT Members £2.
01508 488337
www.facebook.com/WymondhamNatureGroup
Tuesday 21st May
NWCC Annual General Meeting 7:30pm, North Wymondham Community Centre
Followed by light refreshments
www.facebook.com/NorthWymondhamCommunity
Wymondham Photographic Society 8pm-10pm, Dells Bowls Club
Guest Speaker (Zoom) - Julian Elliot: Mongolia
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
Thursday 23rd May
Heritage Society Meeting 7:30pm, Fairland Hall
Talk by Ian Hinton, Norfolk Historic Buildings Group. Dating Old Houses Using Examples from South/Central Norfolk. Meetings are free to members, non-members are always welcome (£2 entry fee).
01953 600 205
www.wymondhamheritagemuseum.co.uk/?p=heritage.society
Sunday 26th May
May Fun Day 11am-5pm, Rugby Club
Free entry! Inflatables, alpacas, small kids rides, Mr Frosty, Food stalls, entertainment and more
www.wymondhamrfc.com/club-events
Wildflower Identification and Signage 2pm-4pm, Toll's Meadow
Join John Beckett from WyNG to learn about identifying wildflowers. Car Park on Cemetery Lane (free on Sundays). All welcome, no charge (donations to NWT welcome). Email: wymondham@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
01953 602 876
www.facebook.com/WymondhamNatureGroup/
Talk: Wildlife and Churchyards in Norfolk 3pm, Wymondham Abbey
Free talk at Wymondham Abbey by Helen Baczkowska of Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
How the NWT works with churches across the county to support nature on your doorstep.
No entry fee - Refreshments available.
www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk
Tuesday 28th May
Wymondham Photographic Society 8pm-10pm, Dells Bowls Club
Studio Night
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
Saturday 1st June
Open Gardens 12pm-5pm, Heritage Museum
Twenty four gardens, in a variety of styles and sizes, will be on view for visitors both experienced and new to gardening to enjoy and exchange ideas. Funds raised will go to the Wymondham Heritage Museum which is run entirely by volunteers. Programmes £5 per adult, available at the Garden Centre, Museum, Abbey Shop, Tourist Info, Marmalade Tree, Reeves.
www.wymondhamheritagemuseum.co.uk/?p=open.gardens
Sunday 2nd June
Open Gardens 12pm-5pm, Heritage Museum
Twenty four gardens, in a variety of styles and sizes, will be on view for visitors both experienced and new to gardening to enjoy and exchange ideas. Funds raised will go to the Wymondham Heritage Museum which is run entirely by volunteers. Programmes £5 per adult, available at the Garden Centre, Museum, Abbey Shop, Tourist Info, Marmalade Tree, Reeves.
www.wymondhamheritagemuseum.co.uk/?p=open.gardens
Tuesday 4th June
Full Town Council 7pm, WTC Kett’s Park Office
Public welcome
www.wymondhamtowncouncil.org
Wymondham Photographic Society 8pm-10pm, Dell Bowls Club
Annual Print competition Tier 1
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
Wednesday 5th June
Art Society Demo with Graham Webber 7:15pm, Catholic Church Hall
Graham is a professional artist from Essex. His landscape oil paintings are influenced by changing atmospheres and nature at home and further afield. He writes regularly for The Artist magazine and his first instructional film was
produced in 2022. Graham will offer a masterclass in oils, 'Summer Landscape'.
www.wymondhamart.org
Friday 7th June
Photographic Society Coffee Morning 10am-12pm, Dell Bowls Club
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
Saturday 8th June
Community Orchard Volunteer Workday 10am-12pm, Browick Road Orchard
Refreshments and tools provided but bring your own gloves. Entrance opposite Gunton Road NR18 0QN or Ayton Road Car Park.
www.greeningwymondham.org/
Great Big Green Week Launch 10am-4pm, Market Place
Visit stalls by local organisations hosted by Greening Wymondham. More information on events throughout the week online:
www.greeningwymondham.org/great-big-green-week-2024
Learn to Sow and Pot On for GBGW 2pm-4:30pm, Myhills, Fairland St
A GBGW chance for children aged 7-12 to learn a skill and perhaps prepare a Father’s Day present! Book by emailing greening.wymondham@gmail.com, GBGW in subject line. Parents expected and welcome!
www.greeningwymondham.org/
Tuesday 11th June
Free Recycling Talk 7pm-8pm, Rugby Club Lacons Bar
Confused about what you can or cannot put in your recycling bin? Join us for a fun, interactive evening learning the do's and don'ts from the South Norfolk Council recycling team.
Hosted by Sustainable Wymondham, together with Wymondham RFC and Wymondham Town Council.
For more information, email info@sustainablewymondham.org.uk
www.sustainablewymondham.org.uk
Wymondham Photographic Society 8pm-10pm, Dell Bowls Club
Annual Print competition Tier 2
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
Wednesday 12th June
Swap a Skill 2:30pm, Poppy's Pantry, Middleton St
Alongside the popular Zentangle Art, loom knitting, origami, crocheting and more. Come and try a new skill out and if you have one yourself, bring it along to swap for GBGW! NR18 0AD
www.facebook.com/PoppysPantryNorfolk
Saturday 15th June
Photographic Society Summer Exhibition 10am-4pm, Dell Bowls Club
An exhibition of prints and digital images from WPS members, demonstrating a wide variety of styles and subjects. Come along and vote for your favourite.
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
River Creepers 2pm-4:30pm, Becketswell Meadow
For kids aged 8-12 who want to find out what lurks in the bed of the Tiffey. Parents expected and welcomed. Book by emailing greening.wymondham@gmail.com – put GBGW booking in the email subject line.
www.greeningwymondham.org/great-big-green-week-2024
Sound Cafe Open Mic 3pm-11pm, Abbey Schoolrooms
Plug in and play, grab the mic, perform your music, poetry or comedy. Session one for under 25s is from 3pm to 6pm.
Session two kicks off at 7pm when Craftily Bar joins us with a range of spirits, wines and beers. Anto Morra’s music sale with music art made from upcycled material and preloved clothes give a new look with his music-related artwork.
Sunday 16th June
Photographic Society Summer Exhibition Day 2 10am-4pm, Dell Bowls Club
An exhibition of prints and digital images from WPS members, demonstrating a wide variety of styles and subjects. Come along and vote for your favourite.
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
Monday 17th June
Garden Club Quiz Night & Beetle Drive 7:30pm, Town Green Centre
Questions and Conundrums for Green Fingered Folks who don’t take life too seriously. A Beetle drive which promises to be fun. An opportunity to chat, converse and socialise. Show Table – Roses – 3 stems of Rose, One Fragrant Rose. One Delphinium Stem; Cookery competition – 3 Fresh Strawberry Muffins; Photography – Sunlight & Shadow in Norfolk. Club Table – A favourite from my Garden – Plant or Flower, Fruit or Vegetable. Members Free, guests £3. Further info email wymondhamgardenclub@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077254060337
Tuesday 18th June
Wymondham Photographic Society 8pm-10pm, Dells Bowls Club
Member Speaker: Andrew Artherton
www.wymondham-ps.org.uk
Sunday 23rd June
Dragonflies and other Insects 2pm-4pm, Toll's Meadow
Come and discover some of the dragonflies and other insects at Toll’s Meadow. This event will also feature willow crafting, including making willow dragonflies. Car Park on Cemetery Lane (free on Sundays). All welcome, no charge (donations to NWT welcome). Email: wymondham@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk Contact: John Beckett, 01953 602876
01953 602 876
www.facebook.com/WymondhamNatureGroup/
Tuesday 25th June
Volunteer Workday 9:30am-12:30pm, Friarscroft Wood
Meet by Windmill Surgery. Refreshments at 11:00am. Bring yourself, a pair of gloves & sturdy boots.
www.greeningwymondham.org/
Thursday 27th June
Heritage Society Meeting 7:30pm, Fairland Hall
Talk by Rosie Wilkin: Medieval Medicine. Meetings are free to members, non-members are always welcome (£2 entry fee).
01953 600 205
www.wymondhamheritagemuseum.co.uk/?p=heritage.society
Saturday 29th June
Galaxy Twirlers Show 6:30pm, Wymondham Central Hall
Organised by Wymondham Music Events Group in aid of Star Throwers.
Tickets £10 (under 16 £5) available at Reeve's and on Star Throwers website
01953 600563
www.starthrowers.org.uk/news-events/events/2376-2/
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