On Sunday 9th May the East Anglian Dragon Boat Festival returns to Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad in Lowestoft for what promises to be the best year yet!

The Festival is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for companies, organizations, clubs and groups of friends to test themselves in a totally different way, whilst promoting their organisation to a large local audience and raising money for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) or the charity of their choice.

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices provides vital support for children and young people in the area with life-threatening illnesses, and they offer help varying from music therapy to bereavement counselling. Not only will your entry help support such a worthwhile charity, it is also a fantastic team building opportunity - what better way to really get to know what makes your colleagues and competitors tick!



Teams of up to 11 people are invited to take part in the spectacular racing, all the dragon boats and racing equipment are provided and no previous experience is required - just plenty of team spirit and enthusiasm!

Up to 50 teams from all over East Anglia are expected to take part in this year’s Festival, many of them new and many returning annually to join in the fun. One of the companies taking part for the first time last year was the UK’s largest self catering holiday company, Hoseasons Holidays, which has its head office in Lowestoft. Such was the enthusiasm from the staff for joining in last time around that the team had more crew volunteers than places – it was a case of a paddle off to select the first team!

Other keen Festival supporters include solicitors, Birketts LLP, who have offices in Norwich and Ipswich. Victoria Cole, Marketing Co-ordinator, comments: “We find taking part in this event great for team building, as well as raising the company profile and getting our name out there. The staff enjoy a great day out, whilst knowing they are making a difference to EACH by their charity fundraising”. With trophies not only for the top three crews but also for the top mixed crew, the best-dressed crew and the crew that raises the most money for EACH, there really is something for every team to aim for!

There will also be plenty of activities on the bankside to entertain teams and spectators between races including Chinese lion dancing, funfair, street entertainers, children's activities, bar and catering.

For further information and to make sure you are on the starting line on 9th May please call Gable Events today to request an entry form on 01780 470718 or visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/eastanglia

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NHS Norfolk encourages adults to Change4Life!

NHS Norfolk is urging adults across the county to make a Change4Life and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Change4Life, the Government's healthy living campaign, is encouraging adults aged between 45 and 65 to ‘Swap it Don’t Stop it’ - giving them tips on how to lose weight and feel healthy without giving up all the things they love.

There are a series of suggested ‘swaps’ - plate swap, five a day, up and about, snack swap, fibre swap and drink swap. Suggestions include swapping watching a favourite sport on television for taking part, increasing fibre intake by choosing brown rice over white, or simply swapping bigger plates for smaller ones to choose smaller portions of food.

A new range of television and poster adverts are publicising the campaign.

Lucy Macleod, NHS Norfolk's Consultant in Public Health, said: "NHS Norfolk has fully supported Change4Life since it began a year ago, and we are pleased to see that it is now widening its message to focus specifically on adults.

"In Norfolk, on average, more than a quarter - 26.85% - of all adults are obese. As the leaders of the local NHS, we continue to work hard to reduce that trend. In today's 24/7 society, people may want to adopt a healthier lifestyle but think they don't have time to commit to it, so we are saying to them, make small changes a bit at a time, why not start today?"

Change4Life aims to help families to achieve and maintain a healthier lifestyle by promoting healthy habits that encourage them to eat well, move more and live longer.

In its first year, its focus was young families. The spotlight is now on adults, following new evidence, published recently by the National Heart Forum, which predicts a near 100% rise in diabetes by 2050 unless people take action now.

The independent report states that rising adult obesity will see significant increases in diseases like diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension and stroke.

Lucy added: "NHS Norfolk has signed up to and is developing a number of initiatives to encourage and support people to choose healthier lifestyles, and to enable them to make positive changes which could help them live happier, longer lives, with less risk of chronic, debilitating health conditions.

“The main causes of obesity are known to be a lack of exercise and a high calorie diet, so we are committed to working with our partners to encourage people to become more active and facilitate their move towards healthier diets."

In its first year NHS staff nationally have ordered more than six million items of Change4Life material.

Lucy added: “Obesity is one of our top public health priorities, identified in Bold and Ambitious - our five-year strategic plan, in Norfolk and we will continue to promote lifestyle change in adults and children.

“There is a very real cost to the NHS as a result of obesity related diseases and conditions. But the cost is much greater to the people who suffer long term illness or even death at a young age because of a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits."

Initiatives to combat obesity in Norfolk include:

Active Travel Plan:
NHS Norfolk is a partner with Norfolk County Council in promoting the messages of the Active Travel Plan. Over the past 20 to 30 years the biggest drop-off in physical activity levels can be seen by the reduction in children and parents walking to schools.

Healthy Schools:
Healthy Norfolk Schools takes an holistic approach to health in and around education, engaging not just the children and their teachers, but also parents and governors. It encourages things such as Healthy Food Policies within schools, and promotes healthy lifestyle messages being incorporated in school curriculum.

Healthy Workplaces:
Based on the premise of Healthy Schools, taking a whole settings’ approach, NHS Norfolk has developed an initiative to encourage employers across its area to improve work settings, develop positive food policies, and introduce projects such as the Cycle to Work scheme for its staff. NHS Norfolk will lead a conference for employers later this year.

The LIFE programme is training trainers to deliver food and physical activity messages in a range of settings.

The Health Trainer service delivers support on lifestyle change to people living in the more deprived areas of NHS Norfolk.

The Joy of Food supports young adults and others to develop a better understanding of and confidence with food choices and preparation.

Other initiatives NHS Norfolk is involved in with partner agencies include the Exercise Referral Scheme and Active Norfolk.

Lucy added: "NHS Norfolk will continue to support Change4Life, and we would urge everyone to think about one healthier 'swap' they can make to their lifestyle today. We will continue to work towards reducing the prevalence of obesity and encouraging everyone - of all ages - to adopt a healthier lifestyle."

To find out more about other activities and initiatives across the NHS Norfolk locality which can support you to lead an active, healthy lifestyle, call the NHS Norfolk Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 587 4132.

For more details on Change4Life, visit www.nhs.uk/change4life

norfolk.nhs.uk

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On Earth Day 2010, Thursday 22nd April, Deepdale Backpackers & Camping and Deepdale Farm will be hosting the 3rd North Norfolk Coast Earth Day, exhibiting a whole range of eco friendly organisations for an Earth Day exhibition about the environment, including environmental technology installers, advisors, pressure groups and other related organisations.

The cost of exhibiting is just £25 – Click here to sign up

Deepdale Backpackers & Camping at Deepdale Farm on the beautiful north Norfolk coast is an eco friendly backpackers hostel and campsite.

Whether you supply solar panels, wood chip boilers, LED lights, ground source heat pumps, wind turbines, give advice about how to green up your home or business or supply organics, you’d be welcome to exhibit.

The event has a mixture of space indoors and outdoors, as you can see from the photographs.

You may be interested in giving a presentation during the event, please let us know on the booking form.

The current programme is as follows:

8am to 10am Shaping Norfolk's Future Sustainability Breakfast Meeting
10am to 4pm Exhibition and talks
9am to 4pm Scrap heap art challenge

This programme will be added to and edited.

Website: www.deepdalefarm.co.uk/earthday

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Poetry-next-the-Sea, www.poetry-next-the-sea.com, which runs the annual poetry festival in Wells (May 7–9), is staging its third open poetry competition, supported by Norfolk Community Foundation. The winners will be announced during the festival.

The competition is open to anyone living in Norfolk who has not had a pamphlet or collection of poems published. Writers whose poems have appeared in magazines or anthologies are eligible to enter.

The closing date for entries is Wednesday, April 7. There are two categories, student age 13 to 16 and adult over 16. Application forms are available from Wells and Fakenham Libraries or Susan Marshall tel. 01328 711813, email suzy948@btinternet.com.

Writers can enter up to three poems. Each poem must be 20 lines or less and must be unpublished. There is no charge to enter the competition.

Mike Bannister returns as judge for the second year. Mike is chair of Café Poets Halesworth and is president of the Suffolk Poetry Society. His poems have appeared in The London Magazine, Envoi, Other Poetry, Brittle Star, The Interpreters House, and a number of anthologies. His poem A Fourth Warming was short-listed for the Housman Society’s Poetry Prize (1992).

Commenting on last year’s judging process Mike Bannister said: "To be asked to read more than 100 poems was both a delight and an honour. Every poem bore its own small spark of nature. At first reading, 40 poems showed some evidence of crafting. To arrive at a final list, the friends and enemies of good poetry were unmasked one by one: cliché or originality? imagery or reportage? compression or long-winded? rhythm or broken-backed dissonance? plain word or pedantry? dull fact or metaphor? detachment or sentimentality? echoes or chimes or heavy-handed rhymes?"

First prize in 2009 went to Rob Knee for The Ark. Emily Trend won the student category for her poem In Memory of My Great Grandfather, Edward Theo Trend.

Fiona Fraser, Joint Artistic Director, Poetry-next-the-Sea festival, said: "We are looking forward to hearing from new Norfolk poets. We invite the winners to read their poems at the festival, which is an excellent showcase for both local and national poets. I would like to thank Norfolk Community Foundation for their support."

This year’s festival, Poetry-next-the-Sea 2010, Singing, Saying and Spirit-Level runs from Friday 7th May to Sunday 9th May and features Ronald Blythe, Kevin-Crossley-Holland, Joe Dunthorne, Laura Elliott, Grey Gowrie, Hugh Lupton, Sam Riviere, Jo Shapcott, Angus Sinclair, Pauline Stainer, Jon Stallworthy, Jack Underwood, Tom Warner and Julia Webb along with a series of poetry, voice and storytelling workshops.

Full details will soon be online at www.poetry-next-the-sea.com
Brochures will be available in mid March.

OOH service: Safe, effective but for urgent problems only

NHS Norfolk is reminding the public that the Out of Hours primary care service is for urgent problems only.

Medical Director Dr Bryan Heap, said: "We continue to work with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust to ensure we have a safe and effective out of hours service. Patient surveys indicate a generally high level of satisfaction and the service is regularly monitored for both clinical safety and patient satisfaction.

"At a time when there has been much debate about out of hours care it is worth reminding everyone that the out of hours service is designed to be for urgent problems only, in the same way that hospital A&E departments are only for genuine emergencies.

"Both services are asked to attend to many problems which can quite properly be attended to by a family GP or community pharmacist in the morning. Health services are not infinite and we can all play our part in choosing services appropriately."

The national Choose Well campaign encourages members of the public to seek help in the community wherever appropriate:

• The first option is self care - many minor illnesses can be treated with rest and a well stocked medicines cabinet at home.

• You can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or use the new online assessment tool at www.nhs.uk/nhsdirect

• Pharmacists will be able to offer advice and provide over-the-counter medicines

• If you have a minor injury or illness that needs treatment, call your GP. If you call when the surgery is closed and your conditions requires immediate treatment you will be told how to contact the out-of-hours service.

• The Timber Hill Health Centre in The Mall, Norwich (7am-9pm)

norfolk.nhs.uk

The exciting and varied programme at Norwich Puppet Theatre this spring means there really is something for everyone to enjoy. The two March productions, The Vertigo of Sheep and Jack Pratchard, showcase superb puppetry and storytelling ideal for adults and young people (ages 12+). Also during March, there are a host of workshops suitable for pre-school and young children, and adults which include a puppet carving course with master puppeteer John Roberts. Looking ahead to April, tickets are already selling fast for the four fantastic family shows during the Easter holiday.

“I am delighted that Norwich Puppet Theatre is able to offer such a varied and exciting programme. I am particularly pleased that we have two shows during March that are ideal for adults and young people. In recent years puppetry has experienced a resurgence in interest and is currently seen regularly on television as part of major advertising campaigns and forms a key part of some major theatre productions. I’d encourage anyone to come and along and see what they’ve been missing!” - Ian Woods, General Manager.


The first show for adults and young people (ages 12+) is The Vertigo of Sheep on Saturday 7th March. The production by Thingumajig Theatre combines household objects, puppets, physical theatre and live music to create a world in which profane objects are sacred and the sacred is hilarious. The second show for this audience is Jack Pratchard on Saturday 13th March. This charming and strange new story about a man who dies and discovers what is on the other side of life, is told through paper theatre using beautifully coloured scenes and characters like an animated painting.


During the Easter holidays there are four magical productions for families to enjoy. The holiday begins with an original adaptation of the well-loved tale, Goldilocks! 6th - 8th April The show uses traditional glove puppetry and live music and is sure to delight young and old. This is followed by a wonderful new musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale The Ugly Duckling 10th - 11th April. The second week of the holiday begins with The Cat that Walked by Himself 13th - 14th April, a show which uses light and shadow (the most ancient of puppet arts) to tell this Just-So story by Rudyard Kipling. The week is rounded off with a big fishing adventure full of amazing sea creates, shadow puppets and songs with Oshima and the Big Sea 17th April. For more information about these shows see listings.

Productions
Thingumajig Theatre presents:
The Vertigo of Sheep
Saturday 6th March at 7.30pm Ages 12+ Tickets: £10 & £8 (concessions)
A well-meaning but unreliable clown attempts to explain the Book of Genesis. Were Adam and Eve set up to fail? Did Abraham truly intend to sacrifice his son? Why did Lot's wife really turn into a pillar of salt? Through household objects, puppets, physical theatre and live music, Thingumajig Theatre creates world in which profane objects are sacred and the sacred is hilarious.

Jonathan Storey presents:
Jack Pratchard
Saturday 13th March at 2.30pm Ages 12+ Tickets: £7 adult, £5 child, £5.50 con, £20 family, £3 Go4less child
He has been waiting a long time to tell his story and now he is ready. For close to thirteen years he has been hiding himself away in his shed: building, writing, painting and practising the telling of his story. He hopes it is good. He hopes it is not too late...and so...he steps out of the darkness.....

Hand to Mouth Theatre presents:
Goldilocks!
Tuesday 6th - Thursday 8th April at 2.30pm Ages 3+
An original adaptation of the well-loved tale: Hand to Mouth’s Su Eaton and Martin Bridle have woven extra drama and humour into the well-loved tale of Goldilocks, stitching together traditional glove puppetry and live music to create a patchwork of delights which is........just right!

Sea Legs Puppet Theatre presents:
The Ugly Duckling
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th April at 2.30pm Ages 3+
Float downstream with the Story Man in Sea Legs Puppet Theatre’s new musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of belonging and identity. Set on the banks of a magical river, brilliant storytelling, fantastic puppets and wonderful music lead to a happy ending for our humble hero.

Noisy Oyster presents:
The Cat that walked by Himself
Tuesday 13th & Wednesday 14th April at 2.30pm Ages 6+
This play of light and shadow, the most ancient of all the puppet arts, tells the classic Just-So story by Rudyard Kipling. Inspired by traditional paintings of north-east India, these moving shadows beautifully re-create the story of the time when the world was young; when woman tamed man, dog, horse and cow but . . did she tame cat?

Angel Heart Theatre presents:
Oshima and the Big Sea
Saturday 17th April at 2.30pm Ages 3+
Every day Oshima goes fishing in his little tub boat. He hopes he will catch a really big fish. . . . . but he never does. Maybe it is because Oshima’s pet frog, Ito, is always playing tricks! Or maybe Oshima is just too busy day-dreaming about what it must be like under the Big Sea…
One day Oshima has a big adventure and gets the chance to find out! A tale about kindness, trusting the unknown and dancing with turtles, full of amazing sea creatures, shadow puppetry and live sound-songs of the ocean. Dive in!

Workshops
4th March at 1pm
Pre-Schoolers Workshop Ages 2-5, price £7.50
A workshop in which pre-school children and their mum/dad/gran/guardian can make a simple puppet

6th March at 10.30am
All-day Workshop for Adults Ages 16+, price £30
A chance for the grown-ups to have a go!

20th March at 11am
Bug Puppet Ages 5+, price £7.50
Create a bug, beastie or beautiful butterfly with this rod-operated puppet

25th March at 10am
Pre-Schoolers Workshop Ages 2-5, price £7.50 accompanying adult FREE
A workshop in which pre-school children and their mum/dad/gran/guardian can make a simple puppet

Masterclass
15th - 19th March
Puppet Carving Course with John Roberts £325 for 5 day course
A chance to work with a master puppeteer and learn his unique carving technique, whilst creating your own puppet in the process.

Non-puppetry events
4th March at 7.30pm
Talk of the Dead presents:
An Evening of Clairvoyance Tickets £12 (£10 in advance)
An evening with two mediums - Carole Wilson & Phil Griggs

10th - 15th March at 7.30pm
Spooky Kid presents:
Happy Ever After Tickets £6
Local theatre company Spook Kid presents their take on the events after Little Red Riding Hood, set in gangland London!

26th - 27th March at 7.30pm
Theatre101 presents:
Tears & Laughter Tickets £8 / £6
An evening of songs and dance from the musicals, with a little light comedy in between


Booking
Box Office - call 01603 629921 or visit www.puppettheatre.co.uk
The box office is open Monday - Friday 9.30am to 5pm and from 9.30am on performance or workshop Saturdays. An answerphone service operates at other times.

Please note that children under the age of 3 years can only be admitted to specified ‘baby friendly performances’.
Tickets unless otherwise indicated
Adults £7, children £5
Concessions £5.50, Go4Less child £3, Family ticket £20

We may all long for spring, but the snow is still falling as we type! Perhaps sitting down to watch a DVD and indulge in a spot of nostalgia is what we need to get through the cold, dark evenings?

Well today, we're very pleased to tell you about a brand new release available from Archive Film Shop, Yesterday's Farm: East Anglia and Beyond. Remembering the days when labourers seeded the fields by hand, when communities joined together to bring home the harvest and when the shire horse led the plough, Yesterday's Farm is a chance to look back at farming life as it used to be.


On the outbreak of WWI, farming was on the brink of ruin. By the 1960s, it was thriving once more.

Events in Britain and beyond changed agricultural life, as farmers lived through half a century of debts, economic slump and two world wars. Farming emerged much stronger, but it had been changed forever.

Yesterday's Farm includes:

- Memories from farm workers

- Rare footage of early machinery

- The Women's Land Army

- Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Running time: 65 mins

Watch a clip and order your copy now!

Bargain hunters will also be pleased to know, our Anglia TV Sale may be over - but our Here was the News DVDs are still available at only £6.99 each.

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A driving phobia is a very common state which a lot of drivers now suffer from. Many reports show that as many as one in ten people can be affected by a phobia, most people do not like to admit they have his problem and try to cover up or avoid the problem.

It is a normal part of life and other people take their place, drivers do this and by doing so reduces the tension, bringing in a habit which then makes it more difficult to face the problem head on.

By avoiding the phobia brings in anxiety. With all the years I have been in driver training this driving phobia is getting very common. Meeting drivers who have been behind the wheel safely for many years, they are accident free, have a clean licence, drivers who can really control a vehicle on the road, but at the same time find many days where the burden of being on the road all day brings in stress and in turn makes them unable to cope, and they call it panic attacks.

More drivers say they get more nervous behind the wheel. This can be classed as a disorder, our heart beat speeding up, a disorder gripping the body in fear. For instance not driving over a bridge, not driving though a major city, where they feel everything is closing in on them.

Panic disorder is treatable and many therapies are available, being very effective, further treatments can be necessary but once treated does not continue into permanent complications.

The story of the young lady who was driving her Range Rover on the Norwich southern bypass when a large pile of cardboard came off a passing truck, finished up covering her windscreen. Through this incident she then found it very difficult to cope with dual carriageways, after seeking advice and help she can now cope really well on these roads.

There is so much to this condition of phobia which cannot be all covered in this safe driving hint, but more will be touched upon during the next few months.

More people now are concerned with speed cameras - use of mobile phones when driving (which is a real concern and needs more urgent control) but drivers health and condition is a leading factor.

Panic Attacks - a sudden surge of fear causing:
Dizziness
Trembling
Sweating
Nausea
Chest Pains

Panic attacks are not dangerous, but can make drivers feel out of control. They develop from fears of actual events.

Please note: only a licensed Therapist can diagnose and deal with these disorders.

Each step will be a challenge, take small steps - break the big steps down, if more anxiety develops seek the professional help, talk to your GP who is there to help.

A recent survey revealed that the biggest concern for one in three people was, they didn’t have enough money.

Previously it had been considered ‘how to lose weight’ was the major worry. Fifteen percent of the men who were asked felt their partners wanted them to slim. A cynic might ask, -- why not correct the shortfall in your budget by buying less food and drink and so have more cash in hand.

Did You Know?

Although there was much more poverty among people in years gone by with adults and children undernourished and starving, never before has there been such an outcry from people over their inability to make ends meet. That is often with both partners in the family working whereas it used to be just the man who provided.

Of course the changes in our Society and the Law that helped to accelerate Women’s Liberation have to accept some responsibility for this but many other things have also contributed. The banks made money easy to borrow, especially through credit cards.

The media never cease to advise everyone they can have what they want even if they haven’t enough money to pay for it. There is always money available from the Lottery or other such sources and your turn will come if you continue to buy a ticket. What made it worse, they lowered the age limit for taking part in games of chance so younger people are more quickly caught in the net.

Money was originally adopted as a more flexible way of bartering. Before coins were exchanged for goods you would have to take what you could get when your produce was in season or trust someone to honour the transaction. Money was no more than an IOU that could be passed on. In fact, although circumstances are very different now, our bank notes still carry the words -- ‘BANK of ENGLAND’ I PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF ……. ! So what has changed?

Those of us born since the last Great War have grown up in a much more affluent society than their parents. When we speak of recessions, those through the late 1900’s bear no relation to the suffering and poverty experienced by many of the working classes in the 1920-30’s.

Imagine how frustrating it must have been for them to see more and more households getting electricity, running water laid on and flush toilets [even if they were across the yard] while they struggled to earn enough to feed their families living in a tithe or rented house. Average wage for those with a job in the 30’s was around Twenty-Five Shillings a week and there were no extras to be had like child allowances or other benefits.

There is no doubt that such conditions had a major effect on the children. They had to help with the chores and often take a part-time job at an early age to contribute to the family budget. Many of the toys they had were home made and like their clothes they were often ‘hand-me-downs’.

It was not unusual to see young boys on their way to school with the backside worn out of their trousers. None had long trousers before they were fifteen, by which time most had left school. It was expensive to have shoes mended and it was common practice to put a piece of thick cardboard inside them to cover a hole in the sole. Most footware had leather soles that seemed to wear out quickly. To give them longer life, fathers sometimes hammered hob nails into the boy’s boots while he was doing his own. The women folk had to use all their knitting and sewing skills in their efforts to keep their children well clad.

It is not possible to compare people’s circumstances in those times with the way we live today. It would seem they had very few of the pleasures we enjoy. Many very rarely left their community and a ride on a train or bus was probably equal to us having a week-end abroad. They did however have the cinema where they learned all about Hollywood and the Stars. Somehow, even the poorest of families managed an occasional trip to the Pictures and of course, there was always the Twopenny Matinee for children on Saturday afternoons where they enjoyed an ongoing serial and were reminded that it was ‘NOT TO BE MISSED NEXT WEEK’.

Why then, if our grandparents and great grandparents had such a poor livelihood, are they reported to have been far more contented than we are today? Of course they didn’t have the temptations with everyone telling them they can have almost anything they want.

Most important there wasn’t the communication. We are all now easily accessible in so many ways, whereas in those days it had to be a knock on the door. Our forebears knew they could never have many of the things they saw so they just dreamed about them and made the most of what they had. In so doing they had no envy of those better off financially than themselves and because their prospects were so bad they had few expectations and consequently very little greed.

Money has become the most important part of many peoples lives with greed and envy the two sins that seem to predominate in our Society today. Considering all we have we should at least be content even if we are not totally satisfied.

Unfortunately all of those things that contribute to the way we live today have forced something else on us to make life even more difficult. - It is called Stress! - Everything has speeded up so there are never enough hours in a day and we find ourselves pressured to accomplish even half what we set out to do.

How often do we stop and sit down as a family to make decisions and perhaps analyse our routine to see if we can make things easier? Would that help? I don’t know but there seems to be a lot of questions that have to be answered. -- And the sooner they are, the better it will be for us all!

valley lad - [SEVENTY-EIGHT]

From 22 February to 7 March, people are encouraged to show their support for small producers in developing countries by swapping items on their regular shopping list for the Fairtrade version. You can make a choice and make a stand, by swapping your usual cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa, your usual bananas for Fairtrade bananas, or your cotton socks for Fairtrade cotton socks.

This year’s campaign is aiming for one million and one swaps, and every swap will be proof that the people of the UK want producers in the developing world to get a fairer deal. For more information visit www.thebigswap.org.uk - a hub for all your swapping needs. It tells you how to get involved, what you can swap and most importantly, how to register your efforts.



Members of local Fairtrade Steering Groups met in a call to encourage as many people as possible to get behind the campaign. Across the region, many shops and supermarkets will have displays supported by members of the local Fairtrade committees. Please stop and take a look at just how many fairly-traded products are available and take the opportunity to gather more information.

To find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight visit www.fairtrade.org.uk.

These clips were taken along side my photographic projects during January 2010.

For a high res image go to: www.wildaboutimages.co.uk

© Paul Bunyard

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Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Art’s family season continues in March with lots more exciting events to enjoy. At First Sunday on Sunday 7 March children will have the chance to make a garland of flowers ready for Mother’s Day the following week (Sunday 14 March) and a mother and child salt-dough sculpture. First Sunday is a popular monthly event which runs from midday and includes storytelling, live music and drop-in activities in the café and galleries, and artist-led workshops in the Centre’s state-of-the-art studio. This month there are also two more Saturday Art Club workshops for 7 - 12 year olds, giving children chance to be creative alongside practising artists. Admission to the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, is free.

“Artist Kate Munro will be showing children how to make their very own salt-dough sculpture in her workshops to take home and bake. There will also be a fun drop-in activity in the galleries for children so they can make a garland of flowers for ‘someone who looks after them” - Charlotte Peel, Education and Events Officer (Families).

At First Sunday Mothers and Others families can explore the galleries to find mothers and children from around the world in the Sainsbury Centre’s permanent collections (admission to the permanent collections is free). There will also be stories narrated in the galleries by Sainsbury Centre guides (storytelling rugs kindly provided by Country and Eastern), live music from Pinky Umbrella and free Sunday papers in the Gallery Café. The drop-in garland making activity will run from midday (free) and the salt-dough sculpture workshop will run at 1.30pm, repeated again at 2.30pm (£3 per child, free for accompanying adults).


Saturday Art Club continues on Saturdays 6 and 20 March offering children chance to be creative alongside practising artists in an exciting and friendly atmosphere and is ideal for 7–12 year olds. The workshops are led by artists Tricia Hall or Mandy Roberts from Fruitful Arts and take place on Saturdays from 2pm – 4pm.

The Sainsbury Centre’s spring exhibitions would make a perfect treat for mum on Mother’s Day. The Anderson Collection of Art Nouveau is considered one of the most exquisite in the country and features jewellery, furniture, glasswork and metalwork by makers such as Emile Gallé and René Lalique. The Artist’s Studio explores the ways in which artists have represented their studios through a fascinating look at the workplaces of artists in Britain from the 1640s to the present day. The exhibitions run until Sunday 23 May from 10am - 5pm daily (closed Mondays).


Opening times, bookings and information
Open Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays), 10am to 5pm and until 8pm on Wednesdays
Tel 01603 593199 www.scva.ac.uk

Admission to the gallery and permanent collections is free
Special exhibitions are charged - see below


First Sunday times and information
Midday - 4pm
Drop-in art activities in the gallery
Free

1pm - 3pm
Live music in the gallery café
Free

12.30pm
Storytelling in the gallery
Free
Not pre-bookable, places on a first-come, first-served basis

1.30pm - 2.30pm
2.30pm - 3.30pm (repeat)
Artist-led workshop in the studio
£3 per child (free for accompanying adults)
Not pre-bookable, places on a first-come, first-served basis


Forthcoming First Sundays during the spring season
Sunday 7 March - Mothers and Others
Sunday 4 April - Elegant Eggs
Sunday 2 May - Here Comes the Sun!


Saturday Art Club
Saturdays
6, 20 March
1, 15, 29 May
2pm - 4pm
Price: £4, £3 concessions (per week - book for all the sessions or just selected dates); includes materials
Booking: essential
Suitable for 7 - 12 year olds


Exhibition dates, times and information
The Artist’s Studio and The Anderson Collection of Art Nouveau will run from Tuesday 9 February to Sunday 23 May. The exhibition will be open Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday), 10am to 5pm and until 8pm on Wednesdays. Tel 01603 593199 www.scva.ac.uk.

Admission
Combined admission to spring exhibitions £4, concessions £2
Family admission (up to 2 adults and 3 children) £8, concessions £6

Over the last ten winters major works costing £200,000 have been carried out while she continues to take charter trips around the Broads during the summer months.

Over the last three winters £125,000 has been spent on replacing a hogged keel, the entire bow section and the large timbers that support the tabernacle and keep her 50ft mast upright.

Skipper Paul Henry Gowman said: “She’s in the finest shape that she has ever been in since she was first built. Albion will be back on the water this spring, as spruce and as beautiful as ever, providing a unique venue to celebrate a birthday or anniversary.”

All the work has been carried out by master shipwright Maynard Watson and his team, helped by volunteers of the Norfolk Wherry Trust, the charity which saved and maintains her. The money was raised by Trust members and supporters.

Maynard said: "Nothing gives me more pleasure than helping such a grand old lady stay afloat and at the same time keeping our Norfolk history alive for future generations to enjoy".

Albion, one of the largest, oldest and most impressive boats on the Broads, was built at Oulton Broad in 1898. Measuring 60ft long, weighing 23 ton, and carrying 1,500sq ft of black sail,she was originally sailed by a man and a boy delivering coal and crops to Broads villages. She was rescued in 1949 by a group of enthusiasts who formed the Norfolk Wherry Trust and is now one of only two surviving examples of trading wherries today.

Her vast hold, which formerly held cargo, has been fitted out with a refectory table, cooker, bunks and toilet. She is listed with The Historic Ships Register, and in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk she is as iconic a craft as the Cutty Sark.

Roger Watts the Trust’s project co-ordinator said “We depend entirely on our volunteers and the public’s financial support to keep this majestic old lady afloat as probably the Broads’ best known icon. We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed to this major restoration.”

A Lonely Hotel, A Lonelier Debt Collector

On the coast road from Great Yarmouth heading North is a hotel ideally placed if you're desperate for a hot drink and a wee on a cold day.

I can't remember the name of the hotel and i'm sure things have improved since i called there (?). To paint a bit of background detail, imagine a grey sky and grey sea. It's mid winter and dark outside. A biting North East wind blowing straight from Siberia and no land mass in between to warm it. The coffee you drank for breakfast is begging to be released and fear of frostbite somewhere important is preventing just hopping behind a bush. This is the kind of situation where you take a chance or two that you normally wouldn't...

So I pull into the deserted car park of this hotel. A sign in the window says open all day for meals and drinks - don't stop to wonder why the car park is SOOO deserted, just get in the warmth and order a drink so you can use the loo. As I pushed though the front door i was welcomed by two things. The first was an impression of emptiness, the second was that damp, musky smell that you sometimes find in antique shops. A bell on the desk suggested I rang for attention, which i duly did. I was answered by silence. Finally a middle aged woman wandered from a darkened room off to my left.

"Would you like a room"? Her voice had an odd edge to it

"No thanks, just a drink"

Without another word she went back into the darkened room and held the door open for me to follow. As we go through the door it becomes apparent this is the hotel lounge and bar. A shuffling from the other side of the room tells me my hostess has wandered off. A glow of a dim bulb tells me she's switched on the bar lights.

"Just a coffee please"

"Are you sure you don't want a room"

"Just the coffee will be fine thanks"

A black lump is shovelled into a cup and placed in front of me. After the excitement of such a warm welcome my bladder decides to remind me of why i'm here.

"Where's your loo please"?

The first smile almost creases her lips. "Follow me"

Now at this point anyone should be hearing alarm bells ringing. A debt collector should be vibrating with internal warnings, but when you've gotta go - you've gotta go.

I followed her trough the back of the lounge, only just visible with the light from the bar. As we got to the door she switched a light on, illuminating a long corridor and off we went. Still in total silence. At the end of this corridor she stopped, switched on a light that lit another, equally long corridor and turned the light off from the one we'd just come down.

Another two corridors and another two light switches and we were stood outside the gent's.

"how do i get back"? i felt i had to ask.

"I'll wait for you"

I'm now stood in a freezing cold Gent's toilet, in the smelliest, most deserted hotel in the world with a woman waiting outside that's obviously several sticks short of a bundle. This isn't the most conducive atmosphere to urinating. After a couple of minutes my hostess actually knocked at the door to ask if i was ok. THAT helps to speed up the process. Blind panic will do that.

Business completed we walked back, turning lights on and off as we went until the relative safety of the bar appeared. The coffee was ignored as i made my escape (at this point that's what it felt like), and as i wheel spun out of the car park i couldn't help wondering... what would have happened if i'd taken a room?

from: The world's worst debt collector