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Visitors to this unique exhibition at St Johns Place inside The Mall will be able to view the dragon boat and talk to staff from Gable Events throughout the day about any aspect of the Festival including how to become a participating team. There will also be a display and information about the Festival’s nominated charity, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). A Black Thunder from media supporter Radio Broadland, will also be in attendance at the Castle Meadow entrance.

Gable Events has already received a great deal of interest from potential crews and anticipates that the event will be another sell-out success. The Festival is taking place at Oulton Broad and last year attracted more than 30 teams, over 3000 spectators and raised more than £16,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

Carol Lester, Director of Festival organizers Gable Events commented: “Thousands of companies worldwide have enjoyed the motivational and team building benefits of dragon boat racing so it is great to offer the people of East Anglia the chance to take part in this exhilarating ancient Chinese sport. All the feedback from last year’s Festival at Oulton Broad has been extremely positive and we are expecting this year’s event to be even bigger and better!”

Exciting, colourful and great fun, no previous experience is required to take part in the dragon boat racing, just plenty of team spirit! The ornate 30’ Chinese dragon boats and all racing equipment are provided and each crew of up to 11 people is guaranteed a minimum of three races. With plenty of bankside activities and entertainment including the roadshows of Festival supporters, Radio Broadland and the Lowestoft Journal, the Festival offers a great day out for the teams, their families and supporters. The Festival also has the full support of Waveney District Council, Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport and Pilch Sports.

Trophies will be presented to the winning crew, the top mixed crew, the ‘best dressed’ crew and the crew raising the most money for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. The top fundraisers for EACH will also receive a special oriental banquet for the whole crew courtesy of the Malaysian Delights Buffet Restaurant in Timber Hill, Norwich.

EACH’s three multi-disciplinary care teams help local life-threatened children and their families with the emotional and physical challenges they face, helping them to make the most of life. They welcome the whole family for a break together or time to themselves in a home-from-home environment or in the comfort of their own home. They offer a diverse range of services including: care at end of life, respite care, specialist play, music therapy, telephone support, practical help, advice and information and bereavement support for all family members, including siblings and grandparents.

Simon Hempsall, Marketing Manager for EACH, explains: “The majority of EACH’s costs are not for specialist equipment but for delivering the specialist one-to-one nursing care and support so vital to local children and their families. Relying as much as we do on voluntary public support, we are delighted to be the official charity for the Dragon Boat Festival once again and hope to surpass the fantastic total of £16,000 raised in 2007. To find out more about this exciting event and the work that EACH do, please do come down and visit the Festival display this Saturday in The Mall.”

For further details and an entry form you can also contact Gable Events on 01780 470718 or visit the Festival website at

Last night at 1am an earth quake tremor rolled through the Waveney region.

The British Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake was near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire. It measured 5.3 in magnitude.

"We awoke to feel the bed 'vibrating' like one of those beds they have in American motels. A slight feeling of panic was felt as the tremor intensified, not knowing what it was, when it was going to peak, or how severe it would be.

It passed through our house in an east to west direction. We have never experienced anything like it before."
– Waveney Valley Bloggers

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Don't put wildlife in your tank
Driven by the thoughtless policies of governments around the world, biofuels production is decimating swathes of important habitat and threatening the survival of many species, including Sumatran tigers, orang utans and countless bird species.

Key points
Biofuels production is destroying important habitats and threatening many species

The government are going to start putting biofuels into normal petrol from 15 April 2008

You can help suspend the launch of biofuels on UK forecourts until they can be guaranteed to be sustainable

Take action by using our form to e-mail Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Transport

Biofuels advocates justify this destruction by citing their potential for combating climate change. However, whilst biofuels can play a part, many of those on the market today don't deliver the greenhouse gas savings they promise and some are even more polluting than the fossil fuels they're meant to replace. There is also evidence to suggest that taking land used for growing food, and converting it to growing biofuels, is reducing the amount of food produced and contributing to increasing prices.

Despite this, from 15 April, the Government will give you no choice but to put biofuel in your car. 2.5% of all of the fuel sold at UK garages will be biofuel - already added to the petrol or diesel you put in your tank. And these plans are just the beginning. The current target is for the proportion of biofuels in our tanks to increase to 5% by 2010, and talks are underway in Europe that could lead to us being forced to use even more.

Join our call to cancel the 15 April launch, and any introduction of higher biofuels targets, until it is proven that what we will be forced to buy can be produced sustainably and help to combat climate change.

Click on the graphic below which will enable a link to
e-mail Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Transport.

– IAN CARTER (www.accessiblewebsites.co.uk)

www.alerter.co.uk

Men only too often keep up the game till beggary overtakes them, when they adjourn to the workhouse or live upon the charity of their friends.

The larger farmers struggle forward from Michaelmas to Michaelmas, and at last take refuge in a cottage, or, if they are fortunate, find a position as steward upon some estate. The landlords with farms upon their hands work them with capital borrowed at high interest from the bank, till they can let them upon any terms to any sort of tenant. Unless they have private means to draw on. or are able to earn money, into their end it is best not to inquire ; they sink and sink until they vanish beneath the surface of the great sea of English society, and their ancient homes and accustomed place are filled by the successful speculator or the South African millionaire.

This is the result of Free Trade, which if up to the present it has brought a flush of prosperity to the people as a whole, has taken away the living of those classes that exist by the land, at any rate in our Eastern Counties. When that principle was introduced ruin to agriculture was foretold, but at first, owing to a variety of circumstances, it did not fall. Yet disaster was only postponed: now it has come, and whether the land and those who live on it will survive is more than I or anyone else can say.

The truth is that the matter is no longer of pressing interest to the British nation. The British nation lives by trade and fills itself with the cheap food products of foreign countries ; the fruit of the fields around its cities is of little weight to it one way or the other. If all England went out of cultivation to-morrow, I doubt whether it would make any material difference to the consumer—the necessaries of life would still pour in from abroad. What would happen if a state of affairs should arise under which corn and other food could not be freely imported is another matter.

When it does arise, no doubt the town-bred British Public, and the Governments which live to do what they conceive to be the will of that public, will give their earnest attention to the problem, perhaps too late. Meanwhile, all is doubtless as it should be, and, as there is not the slightest prospect of redress, we poor farmers must bow our heads to the inevitable, and, while hoping for a turn of Fortune's wheel, make the best of things as we find them and be thankful.

Yet, with becoming humility, I would venture to ask a question of those who understand these matters.

A____, an English farmer, grows a quarter of barley which pays rent to the landlord (part of which the landlord hands over to the Government in the form of taxes), rates to the parish, tithe to the parson, and land-tax to the State. This quarter of barley he offers for sale on Bungay market.

B____, an Argentine or other foreign farmer, grows a quarter of barley and also offers it for sale on Bungay market, to compete against that offered by A____. This quarter of barley has paid no rent to a British landlord, no rates to a British parish, no tithe to a British parson, no tax to the British Government. Also, in practice, it has the benefit of preferential rates on British railways, and is carted to the market over roads towards the cost of which it has not subscribed, as A____'s quarter is called upon to do.

In what sense, then, is the trade which takes place in these two competing quarters of barley Free Trade? That it is free as air in the case of the Argentine quarter I understand. I should go further, and call it bounty-fed; but surely in the case of the English quarter it is most unfree, and indeed much fettered by the burden of rent, rates, tithe, and taxes, which have been exacted upon it for the local and imperial benefit.

To make the trade equal, just, and free in fact as well as in name, before it appears on Bungay market, ought not the Argentine quarter to contribute to our local and imperial exchequers an exact equivalent of the amount paid by the British quarter?

Why should the Englishman bear all these burdens and the foreigner who seeks the advantage of our markets be rid of them? In the case of whisky I understand the principle to be that imported spirits should pay an approximately equal tax to that exacted upon those manufactured in this country. Why, then, should not this rule—if it is the rule—be applied to other things besides whisky ; the barley from which it is distilled, for instance?

– some things do not change much do they?

Great Yarmouth Celebrates An 800th Milestone
A year of royal celebrations will take place in Great Yarmouth in 2008 as the town marks the 800th Anniversary of the King John Charter.

The Charter granted the town free borough status in 1208 and celebrations will include a number of special events along with commemorative plaques and memorials to be erected around the maritime town.

The anniversary offers an exciting opportunity for Great Yarmouth to showcase its tremendous hidden historical depths along with its appeal as a great British holiday destination.

Events will begin in March with a Civic Parade and Service at St Nicholas Church on the 16 March, the very day the charter was signed in 1208, while a Charter Market where visitors can savour the smells and soak up the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, will take place on the 18 and 19 March.

A member of the Royal family is expected in June to attend the unveiling of three commemorative plaques at St Nicholas Church, the Town Hall and the Tolhouse Museum.

Projects are also planned so 2008 will leave a mark on history. Great Yarmouth museums are working with the Norfolk Records Office and local school children to create an illustrative banner to go on display in Time & Tide Museum.

The Signing Ceremony will form the basis of an anniversary painting depicting local people in medieval dress with King John to be created by local artist, Ernie Childs, along with limited edition tankards and goblets.

The town has some fantastic annual events including the Maritime Festival in September and the Beer Festival which will also include a Charter theme.

For more call Great Yarmouth Tourist Information Centre on 01493 846345 or visit www.great-yarmouth.co.uk

Recent figures from the Department of Work and Pensions show that more than half a million people under the age of 35 are too ill to work and claim incapacity benefits. This includes nearly three hundred thousand who are suffering from mental and behavioural disorders. These were the lowest figures for over seven years.

The yellowhammer - a threatened bird species, is flourishing at a Suffolk farm thanks to help from Natural England scheme.

Pond Farm in Mutford has created grass margins, which buffer existing hedges and woodland to create ideal nesting areas for birds.

Yellowhammers are on the UK's red list due to a rapid decline in the UK breeding population over the last 25 years (by 50% or more).

The farm entered into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) in 2002 and recently joined the Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), offering financial assistance to landowners and farmers who are prepared to help in actively conserving the countryside, its wildlife and historic features.

The grass margins created at the farm also attract common insects and are good habitat for small mammals such as shrews, mice and voles, which in turn provide hunting areas for barn owls.

Wild bird seed mix areas have been created, hedge restoration has been undertaken and a pond has also been restored as part of the scheme.

Farm owner Mr Warnes said:
"I am a keen bird watcher and after surveying my farm I noticed really high numbers of yellowhammer, which are on the UK's red list."

Mr Warnes recorded 12 pairs of breeding yellowhammer on the farm and 3 pairs of linnets also a Red list species.

"This is the first time linnets have bred here for many years. Its really encouraging to see how much the wildlife has flourished after making the changes adopted through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme."

Chris Hainsworth from Natural England said:
"Mr Warnes runs a commercial arable unit and yet with relatively small amounts of land taken out of production he has been able to make a huge difference to wildlife on his farm.

"His sympathetic stewardship of hedges, ponds and buffer strips combined with Natural England's financial support and guidance has made a real difference to local populations of barn owl and yellowhammer."

Simon Tonkin, RSPB farmland adviser, said:
"Farmland birds need nesting sites, chick food and winter feeding areas to thrive - a tough challenge in a year of high commodity prices and set-aside at zero per cent. The way forward has to be lots of farms taking action for birds and other farmland wildlife, and Stewardship funding is crucial."

I feel I must comment on a story in the Beccles and Bungay Journal weekend 15th February.

The story was a report from a member of the public who had commented on the bad icy road between Ditchingham and Loddon.

He had heard of 26 accidents and how shaded areas of trees make the road stay icy until late mornings.

I have driven this road many times and there are many places where black ice covers the road especially started by water running from the fields.

It is only a matter of time when these conditions will result in a fatality.

In the paper report contact was made to local councillor Adrian Gunson who said the trees and road had been inspected, the trees being on private land could not be cut or pulled down by the Highways Dept, also saying you can get black ice on all roads, and that this was a road not gritted as it is in the country. He mentioned over 2000 miles of road are gritted at a cost of 2.5 million to 3 million pounds per year.

Mr Gunson carried on by saying people do have to recognise there are hazards on rural roads and we cannot put signs everywhere that there might be black ice. This really amazes me . . . why in the highway code do we have a road sign in a red warning triangle to warn of ice on roads?

This is one of the signs learner drivers have to learn for their theory driving test, and during their driving life they may never see one on the side of the road.

So surely Mr Gunson this is a warning sign which should be placed everywhere to warn drivers of icy hazards. Thank goodness we have stop and give way signs at junctions (icy sign just as important).

We must all work to make our roads safer, or do we feel guilty after someone has died because signs did not make them aware of potential hazards?

So come on Norfolk County Council please erect the signs on this country road which is a very well use road. It's better before the event, and it's your duty.

Of course we must remind ourselves of the Corporate Health and Safety Bill . . . no salt on icy road, someone says it's not an important enough road . . . watch for the claims coming in!

Only last week I commented on the lack of driving experience our young drivers are getting, no snow, very little fog, where they are getting trained for a life skill of driving, but not seeing the signs of the time to help them.

Oh . . . just another little gripe. How about fitting the cats eyes back onto the road which have been missing awhile but are greatly missed on our foggy days.

One advert showing at the present time says "You find more flowers in the countryside", yes this is bunches of flowers near to street furniture - lampposts - road signs - trees - telegraph poles because someone has left the road and been killed (which usually happens near to someone's home). Over 400 single vehicle accidents per year where people have been killed.

So lets have more signs, and less flowers. Surely it is cheaper to place signs as a prevention than suffer the high costs of a road traffic collision (RTC).

Join one of Mikes Driving Workshops where driving on ice is covered.

Mike Daniels AcciDON'T - Making drivers safer world wide. Retraining Drivers for Insurance Companies please dont let us meet you by Accident.......

World Art Collections Exhibition
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

Sainsbury Centre Gallery Shop wins national award

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts Gallery Shop has won a prestigious award from the Association for Cultural Enterprises (ACE). The award for Best New Product Range recognises a special range of merchandise developed by the Centre relating to the current exhibition, Cloth & Culture NOW. Rosie Evans, Front of House and Shop Manager, received the prize at a gala dinner at the Imperial War Museum, London, on Thursday 14 February.


“I am delighted that we have won the ‘Best New Product or Range’ award for our Cloth & Culture NOW merchandise range. We strive to stock high quality gifts, cards and books not available in the high street, inspired by our special exhibitions, the permanent collections and the building architecture - this award recognises how well we have achieved this”
– Rosie Evans, Front of House and Shop Manager, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.


The Sainsbury Centre’s award winning range includes a broad selection of specialist textile magazines and books, beautiful handmade silk scarves and felt bags, artist-designed jewellery with a textile twist and ceramics. There are also lots of treats for children such as textile art-skills kits, art materials and even a knitted beastie!

“The extensive building project here in 2004 -6 included the creation of a fantastic new shop space which is much larger and better equipped than the Sainsbury Centre had previously. The new larger shop space has allowed us scope to develop more product ranges relating to the museum. The Gallery Shop has really thrived and now generates important income to support our activities. It is wonderful for the Centre to be recognised nationally for the quality of what we offer”
– Kate Carreno, Head of Public Services and Administration, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

Dear Citizens of America,

In view of your failure to elect a competent President and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.

Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy), as from Monday next.

Your new prime minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up “revocation” in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up “aluminium,” and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.

2. The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘colour’, ‘favour’ and ‘neighbour.’ Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters, and the suffix “ize” will be replaced by the suffix “ise.”

3. You will learn that the suffix ‘burgh’ is pronounced ‘burra’; you may elect to spell Pittsburgh as ‘Pittsberg’ if you find you simply can’t cope with correct pronunciation.

4. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up “vocabulary”). Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as “like” and “you know” is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.

5. There is no such thing as “US English.” We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter ‘u’ and the elimination of “-ize.”

6. You will relearn your original national anthem, “God Save The Queen”,
but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above).

7. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will
be a new national holiday, but to be celebrated only in England. It will be called “Come-Uppance Day.”

8. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you’re not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you’re not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you’re not grown up enough to handle a gun.

9. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

10. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.

11. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric immediately and without the benefit of conversion tables… Both roundabouts and metrification will help you understand the British sense of humour.

12. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling “gasoline”) - roughly $8/US per gallon. Get used to it.

13. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call french fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called “crisps.” Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with malt vinegar.

14. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

15. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as “beer,” and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as “Lager.” American brands will be referred to as “Near-Frozen Gnat’s Urine,” so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

16. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors as English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” was an experience akin to having one’s ear removed with a cheese grater.

17. You will cease playing American “football.” There is only one kind of proper football; you call it “soccer”. Those of you brave enough, in time, will be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American “football”, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of Jessies - English slang for “Big Girls Blouse”).

18. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the “World Series” for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable and forgiven.

19. You must tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us mad.

20. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due, backdated to 1776.

Thank you for your co-operation.
– John Cleese

– IAN CARTER (www.accessiblewebsites.co.uk)

www.alerter.co.uk

Feedback from customers visiting our holiday hire lodges and from the purchasers of the first phase of private units has been exceptional, prompting us to bring forward radical and exciting plans for the next stage.

The next phase includes a completely re-designed road system which snakes through the site with tributary cul-de-sacs & parking areas, all arranged to maximise the generally south-facing views from each plot and with beautifully planned planting and soft landscaping throughout.

Phase two includes the first 5 plots in this development, with lodges available from Stately Albion and Tingdene from Easter 2008. Stunning south facing views across the River Waveney to the marshes of north Suffolk make these luxurious and spacious holiday lodges an almost unique proposition.

For the boating and angling enthusiast, this really is the perfect holiday lodge location, with luxury day cruisers to hire, private moorings less than 3 minutes walk from your lodge and all boat repair & servicing facilities available on-site.

Waveney River Centre occupies an idyllic rural setting in the southern Norfolk Broads; by boat it is only 15 minutes to Oulton Broad, whilst Beccles is a leisurely 1.5 hour cruise.

Hardcore mariners can be at sea in under 2 hours via Mutford Lock at Oulton Broad.

More details here:

www.waveneyrivercentre.co.uk/lodges-details-and-prices.asp

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is calling on the romantics in the region to enjoy some low-carbon loving this Valentine’s Day and support its commitment in cutting carbon.

The East of England faces a very real threat from climate change as it is the lowest lying region in the UK. EEDA is taking the leading role through its programmes and projects on behalf of all the regional development agencies to encourage others to use resources more efficiently and cut carbon emissions. So this Valentine’s Day EEDA is asking people to take the opportunity the to do their bit to reduce the region’s carbon footprint.


David Marlow, chief executive of EEDA, said:

“EEDA is asking people this Valentine’s Day to do their bit to tackle global warming by following our five top tips to cut carbon. This is a light-hearted approach to a very serious issue; every year the average UK citizen produces 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

It is vital as a region that we work together in reduce our carbon footprint which will help meet new EU emissions targets. “EEDA is working towards becoming carbon neutral by 2010 and would like to encourage individuals, businesses and partners to do the same”

Pink is for fun, it carry's the message of happiness, admiration, gentleness, grace, joy, sweetness and poetic romance. It is a great rose to say Thank you, You're so lovely and Please Believe Me.

Pink roses are the perfect flower to send early on in a relationship as they tend to suggest that you really "like" someone, as opposed to "love" them.

Contact: grhartist@hotmail.co.uk

grhartist.blogspot.com

Dear Supporter Thanks to your support, our campaign has achieved a lot. Amendments secured so far mean the Bill currently making its way through Parliament is set to deliver significantly more to tackle climate change than the original Government proposals. However, it still does not quite go far enough to be truly effective. It has great potential, but we need one more push. Securing just a few additional amendments holds the key to whether the UK succeeds or fails in its bid to lead global efforts to help stop climate chaos. Support our campaign to secure the amendments necessary to create a truly effective law to help avert catastrophic climate change. Please send your MP a Valentine's message asking for a gift that will truly last – urge them to support our campaign today.

It only takes a few minutes and every message counts – make yourself heard, be a voice for nature today.

Thank you again for your support.

Yours sincerely

Sally Webber
Head of Government Affairs

Entrants are being sought for a competition to win funding for capital equipment that will help businesses in the East of England’s lifesciences and healthcare sector.

The competition is being run as a pilot by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and will offer entrants the chance to win a grant of between £100,000 and £400,000 for a specific project.

Organisations or consortiums are invited to enter and apply for a grant to purchase key capital equipment that is required by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region, which is not readily available to them. The aim is that the equipment will help SMEs to commercialise their research and development and get products to the market place.

The equipment would be based at a key location within the East of England, such as a regional enterprise centre, innovation centre or science park, so that it would be easily accessible to businesses who would like to use it.

Mark Wathen, EEDA’s programme manager for lifesciences and healthcare, said: “EEDA is keen to encourage further collaboration between the region’s research base and industry. Through this competition we hope to help accelerate the rate of commercialisation of research and development by helping businesses, operating in the biosciences and healthcare sector, to bring innovative products to market more quickly, thus increasing the likelihood of success.

“Our enterprise hubs and science parks are helping to encourage and support greater collaboration, as well as helping to foster 'open innovation' between businesses, universities and research institutes. This pilot competition will test the demand and need for additional infrastructure in the region to support commercialisation activity and will provide further investment to support innovative businesses.”

The competition is open to any research organisation or not-for-profit network or organisation (specialising in innovation) based in the East of England. Grants will be supplied for either part or all of the project costs up to £400,000.

Entries will be assessed by independent assessors from the lifesciences and healthcare sector and EEDA’s enterprise directorate. Value for money and strategic added value to the lifesciences and healthcare sector will be considered when assessing applications.