Plumbing students at Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Colleges, City College Norwich and College of West Anglia were recipients of awards from the Norfolk Branch of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) at an evening event in Norwich on 14th July 2010.

The annual awards are for students who, in the opinion of their tutors, have made "outstanding achievements in plumbing studies" and recognise exceptional talent in their chosen profession. This year's winners were Derek Raven (College of West Anglia, Kings Lynn), Daniel Small (Lowestoft College), Michael Nock (City College Norwich) and John Kennedy (Great Yarmouth College). In addition to the CIPHE trophies, each also received a signed certificate, a year's free trainee membership of the Institute, a copy of the internationally recognised Plumbing Engineering Services Design Guide worth £40 and a voucher for £50, sponsored by plumbing merchants PTS.

Norfolk Open Churches Week July 31 - August 8

Norfolk Open Churches Week 2010, Saturday, July 31 to Sunday, August 8, features more than 300 historic churches across the county, running a packed programme of special events and activities.

Enjoy the ecclesiastical car rally from Norwich Cathedral to Roydon Church, visit hidden gems like St Botolph’s Westwick, discover the atmospheric chapel of the 389th Bomb Group (USAAF) at Hethel, explore Sir Robert Walpole’s church at Houghton Hall and take a boat trip to St Benet’s Abbey.

Then enjoy an Open Churches Week special - Versio a top Finnish Choir is on a short UK tour to London and Norfolk. The 12-strong choir will present a programme of sacred European music from the 16th to the 20th century and some contemporary Finnish music at St Mary’s Church, Forncett St Mary, on Monday, August 2 (7pm) and St Andrews Church, Norwich on Wednesday, August 4 (7.30pm). There will also be master classes at St Andrews on Tuesday, August 3 (2pm - 5pm) and Wednesday, August 4 (10am - 1pm) - all welcome.

Full details of Open Churches Week are at www.norfolkopenchurches.com, or pick up the Open Churches booklet at TICs and libraries throughout the county. Open Churches Week features churches in the Diocese of Norwich and the Diocese of Ely (churches around Downham Market). For general information about Norfolk see www.visitnorfolk.co.uk.

Open Churches Week Highlights

Ecclesiastical Car Rally, Saturday, July 31 - The week gets off to a ‘roaring’ start with the third annual Ecclesiastical Car Rally on Saturday, July 31, featuring more than 60 cars. The oldest cars are a Humber Snipe 1930, Bentley Drop-head Coupé 1930 and a Rolls Royce 1932. The rally leaves Norwich Cathedral Close at 9.30am, then heads to Roydon via Swardeston, Mulbarton, Bracon Ash, Ashwellthorpe, Forncett St Peter and St Mary, Tibenham and Diss, finishing at lunchtime, followed by a short service in Roydon church.

St Mary’s Church, Forncett St Mary, open Saturday, July 31 to Sunday, August 8, 10am to 6pm. Church history exhibition and a concert with Finnish Choir Versio at 7pm on Monday, August 2 - tickets £6 and £5 for Friends of St Mary’s, tel. 01508 481856. The church has been revitalised by the local community led by Graham Prior. Unused since 1980, St Mary’s is being restored and repaired and brought back to life as a community building. The church is part 13th century with later medieval adaptations. Church address: Low Rd, Forncett St Mary, NR16 1HG.

St Andrews Church, St Andrews Street, Norwich, www.standrewsnorwich.org, open Saturday, July 31 to Sunday, August 8, 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Concert with Finnish Choir Versio at 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 4 (retiring collection). Also master classes with Versio from 2pm - 5pm on Tuesday, August 3 and 10am - 1pm on Wednesday, August 4 featuring three of the pieces from the concert. The classes will include detailed work on interpretation, technique and style - all are welcome.

St Benet’s Abbey, Sunday, August 1 - The Bishop of Norwich, who is also Abbott of St Benet’s, will be conducting the annual service at the abbey at 3.30pm on Sunday, August 1. This year there is a boat trip to St Benet’s from Horning on the Southern Comfort, departing at 1.30pm and returning by 6pm. The Salvation Army Band will be playing on board. Boat tickets costs £5, tel. 01603 783096.

St Botolph’s Church, Westwick, www.westwick-st-botolph.co.uk, open Tuesday, August 3 to Saturday, August 7, 10am to 5pm; flower and vestments festival and launch of new guidebook. Services on Sunday, August 8, Holy Communion at 9am and Songs of Praise at 5.30pm featuring carols and hymns from the whole of the church year - Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Harvest, Communion and all time favourites. Contact Churchwarden Chris Sanham to choose your favourite, mob 07810 823149.

This 15th century church near North Walsham is a hidden gem. Only four people are active members of the church. The church is normally closed other than for services, but Churchwarden Chris Sanham (who has also written the new guidebook) is taking a holiday from his job as a Verger at Norwich Cathedral to run Open Churches Week at Westwick.

The exterior of the church tower features scared heart emblems that survived the reformation. There is also a 15th century painted rood screen depicting the apostles, which also survived albeit with scratched faces. A colourful bee-themed stained glass window, installed in 1885 with money raised from honey sales from the bee-keeping Revd Henry John Coleman, and two Victorian stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell (there are 10 at Norwich Cathedral) are in the church.

The church will be signposted during Open Churches Week from the North Walsham road.

Hethel Church www.mulbchurch.org.uk/Churches/Hethel and 389th Bomb Group (USAAF) Memorial Exhibition (including the old USAAF chapel) www.hethel389.co.uk, open Sunday, August 8 - the church will have displays relating to faith in wartime. Chaplain Captain Franklin Watts USAF will be at Hethel church all day. At 2.15pm there will be a guided walk from the church to the memorial exhibition. Chaplain Captain Watts will lead a short act of worship in the old 389th Bomb Group chapel, including singing a hymn accompanied by the chapel’s original harmonium that has been restored. He will also lead a 'short service for a summer afternoon' at Hethel Church at the end of the guided walk. The 389th Bomb Group chapel features a mural of Christ on the cross that served as the 'altarpiece' during World War II. Refreshments available at Hethel Church and 389th Bomb Group. Hethel Church, Church Lane, Hethel NR14 8HE.

St Martin of Tours, Houghton Hall Estate, www.houghtonhall.com, open August 1, 4 and 5, 1pm to 5.30pm. The Houghton estate church is opening for the first time during Open Churches Week. The church dates from the 12th century. Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister, who created Houghton Hall, rebuilt the tower in 1730. He and his two wives, his brother Galfridus and his successors the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Earls of Orford are all buried here.

Jennie Hawks, Historic Places of Worship Support Officer, Diocese of Norwich said: “Open Churches Week is our way of showcasing the wonderful, historic churches which have been part of the rich history of Norfolk for over a thousand years. It is also the time for local communities to show their pride in their church, which was the centre of countless villages for centuries, long before we had village halls and shops! Please come and enjoy them with us.”

Lydia Smith, Norfolk Tourism Director said: “Norfolk is blessed with hundreds of wonderful historic churches. Open Churches Week is a great opportunity to get out and about in the county, leave the car at home and visit local churches by foot, boat, bicycle and train.”

Norfolk Tourism is the county's established public and private industry partnership. Funded by its 55 partner organisations, the partnership is designed to act as a forum for all Norfolk's tourism businesses and local authorities, www.visitnorfolk.co.uk, tel. 01603 222846. See our free to use image library at www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/norfolk/image-library.aspx.

Last year Alan Smiths Birthday present from his daughter and son in law, Kerry and Chris Varley, was a book written about some mature men walking the coast2coast. It was so inspiring and amusing to read that soon several other people including his wife, Gill, and 2 close friends, Tim and Carol Suthers, had also been inspired and enjoyed the read. All 6 of us enjoy our walks and, encouraged by the two youngest, Chris & Kerry, who have done this before, they decided to take up the challenge. From St Bees on the west coast to Robin’s Hood Bay on the east coast, some 192 miles in 13 days will be covered in August this year as their annual holiday. Whilst doing this they have been encouraged by a few people to make it an event to raise money for charity.

They thought it would be nice to support a local charity in East Anglia and have chosen the East Anglian Air Ambulance Registered Charity: 1083876. They are a 365 day-a-year life-saving service across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk. The charity is independent of government and National Lottery funding and is entirely dependent on fund-raising and contributions. To keep its two air ambulances flying and to provide the advanced medical equipment they carry, over £3 million per year has to be raised. The group thought it would be good to offer their support to the EAAA in making this walk not just their holiday and challenge, but also an event to raise some cash to help them in their work. Gill also contacted the organisation to see if they could visit and see first-hand one of the helicopters and the staff of EAAA who offer such a valuable and life-saving service.

On average the EAAA are called to four incidents every day; life threatening situations such as road traffic accidents, incidents involving people in inaccessible places and cardiac arrests. Because of the advanced skills, drugs and equipment found on board, and being able to access places impossible for a land ambulance, the EAAA can make the difference.

Will you help us to help them in their work? To make a donation and offer your support you can visit www.justgiving.com/coast2coastthevarleyssuthersandsmiths

The contest is open to families in Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium and the United Kingdom - one family in each country will be awarded funding. The contest runs from June 1, 2010 until January 31, 2011.

To launch this project in the UK Victorinox is partnering with The House Of Fairy Tales, the innovative family arts and education project founded by artist Gavin Turk. Families will have the opportunity to find out more during its Travelling Art Circus Tour of UK festivals throughout the summer.

The House Of Fairy Tales' Travelling Art Circus will be creating magical interactive experiences through theatre, story-telling, art and more at Glastonbury, Latitude, Port Eliot Festival and Camp Bestival.


At each festival, The House Of Fairy Tales will be searching on behalf of Victorinox for a 'Family With An Edge' and recruiting families to enter. Families with exciting ideas for unique projects designed to benefit their local community can access the entry form and terms at our corporate website, http://family.victorinox.com.

Families will also be invited to add Polaroid photographs and text to the Victorinox Family Album to create a playful document of the recruitment process.

Gavin Turk, Director of The House Of Fairy Tales comments; “At the House Of Fairy Tales we are always thinking of imaginative and creative ways to engage families with their community and the environment, so we are delighted to be part of the Victorinox visionary initiative to help fund exciting family projects with a conscience.”

NHS Norfolk is urging anyone stocking up on medicines for a summer trip to clear their medicine cabinet of out-of-date prescription drugs first.

Out-of-date or excess medicines you have been prescribed and not used should be returned to your local community pharmacy - or your GP dispensary.

Ian Small, deputy head of prescribing and medicines management at NHS Norfolk, said: "Whether you're spending your summer holiday in this country or abroad, now is the time when many people tend to stock up their medicine cabinet.


"Your community pharmacist can advise you about medications for various conditions, from those designed to help with travel sickness and stomach upsets, to hay fever remedies and medication to help soothe insect bites and stings.


"But please clear out your medicine cabinet first. Out-of-date prescription drugs should not be taken as their effectiveness will have diminished over time, and they will no longer provide effective treatment for the condition for which they were intended. Taking drugs long after they were originally prescribed can also be dangerous.


"As well as asking patients to return old, out-of-date and unwanted medicines, we are also asking them to ensure they only order what they need."

Wasted medication continues to cost NHS Norfolk £5 million a year. It is thought to mainly be the result of people using repeat prescriptions to re-order medication they don’t need and never use.

Once medicines have been dispensed they cannot be recycled and have to be thrown away - used or not.


The £5m worth of wasted medication could pay for other vital health services, including:

- 1,000 more hip replacements or;

- 700 more heart by-pass operations or;

- 7,000 more cataract operations or;

- 150 more community nurses or;

- 900 more knee replacements.


The £5m worth of wasted medicine comes from a total medicines budget for NHS Norfolk of about £118m per year. Therefore, Norfolk patients throw away about £1 in every £23 that is spent on prescribed medicines.

The £5m figure only represents medicines handed back to pharmacists and GP practices, not those taken back to hospital units for disposal or thrown away at home. It also does not include the cost to the NHS of having to dispose of these medicines properly.

Medicines which tend to be wasted more often are preventative medicines, such as those for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and asthma inhalers. Painkillers and drugs for depression are also often thrown away.

Ian added: “We certainly do not want patients to stop taking medicines that their doctors have prescribed, but we would like them to check what they have in their cupboards before ordering all the items on their repeat prescriptions."

The Macmillan Cancer Support garden at the Sandringham flower show July 28th 2010.

Forget Chelsea, the flower show to be seen at is the Sandringham flower show on July 28th 2010. This will be the show's 129th year, and as well as exhibiting the best in horticulture, it is also a great day out for all the family.

'Shadows Gardens' show garden this year is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, the idea of the garden is to outline some of the ways in which Macmillan helps so many people and their families as they face an extremely confusing and emotional time in their lives.

We are also aiming to raise money throughout the day, and why not pop along and throw in a piece of silver or two into one of the pools within the garden, with all the proceeds going to this very worthy cause.

I have placed a link on my website for any wonderful people who cannot attend but would still like to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support.
I would also very much like to thank our sponsors this year:
Steve Penn Paving (King's Lynn), Botanica Nursery (Campsea Ashe, Suffolk), Borderstone (Leicestershire) and Q Lawns (Thetford)

The ways in which the garden focuses on the help available through the hard working charity include:

Practical Support:
'We guide people through the system, supporting them every step of the way'.

Designed around a maze the garden reflects Macmillan through subtle signs throughout, pointing the way, keeping the visitor on the correct path during an otherwise confusing time. These signs are silhouettes of members of my family who have been affected by cancer and of course Douglas Macmillan the man responsible for founding the 'Society for the Prevention and Relief of Cancer', Macmillan in its infancy.

Emotional Support:
'People need emotional support, so we listen, advise and share information'.

When the visitor arrives at the centre of the garden they find a harmonious centre, a circle representing the warmth and support of not only Macmillan, but of friends and family that are there for the cancer patient and the carers. Two chairs one for the listener, and one for the seeker are placed facing each other.

Financial Support:
'We fund nurses and other specialist health care professionals and build cancer care centres'.

People need financial help to cope with the extra costs cancer can bring, so we give benefits advice, and grants for anything from heating bills to travel costs.

At the heart of the garden are two pools representing funds available to health care professionals and those affected by cancer. During the course of the day the aim is to cover the base of the pools with donations of silver coins (cross our pools with silver).

Carers Support:
The planting within the garden is meditative, relaxing and soft promoting a stress free environment to provide a break for both carers and patients.

Medical Support:
Some of the plants in the garden have health benefits and are effective in pain and stress relief, the colours chosen are warm and welcoming, creating a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

I hope this gives you an idea of what we are trying to achieve with this years garden.


Shadow Jewers-Hall
Shadows
Briggate Farm
White Horse Lane
Briggate
Norfolk
NR28 9QZ

shadow@shadowstopiaryhire.co.uk
www.shadowstopiaryhire.co.uk

Latitude Festival returns for an incredible sold out 5th Edition on 15-18th July 2010 set in the beautiful countryside of Henham Park Estate on Suffolk’s Sunrise Coast.

Celebrating its fifth year, Latitude continues to lead the way as a bold and pioneering festival cherry-picking the very best from the worlds of music, theatre, comedy, literature, film, poetry, dance, art, fashion and cabaret and bringing them together for one glorious weekend. It is a place like no other; an intimate world away from reality that encourages you to be all that you’ve ever wanted to be whilst indulging in the spirit of exploration and discovery.

Latitude 2010 is sold out, tickets will not be available anywhere onsite so please do travel to the festival unless you have tickets purchased from an authorised outlet. Please do not buy tickets from touts, any tickets which are not genuine will be turned away from the festival.

Festival Republic have been working closely with Suffolk Constabulary and Suffolk County Council Highways to develop traffic management plans which aim to ease congestion around the site, minimise disruption to the road network and ensure regular road users are affected as little as possible.

The A12 and the A145 in the vicinity of Henham Park will be busy on Thursday, Friday and Monday as festival goers head to or from Latitude Festival and so drivers are advised to allow extra time for their journeys or use alternative routes wherever possible.

Peak traffic flows are likely on the A12 northbound and the A145 southbound during the late morning and afternoon of Thursday 15th July and the morning of Friday 16th July as festival goers arrive on site. Most traffic is expected to depart the site late in the evening on Sunday 18th July and before noon on Monday 19th July when traffic will be heavy on the A12 in both directions and the A145 southbound.

- The routes to the festival will be well signposted and have been publicised by the organisers via promotional literature, the internet and in written information sent out with all tickets to the event.

- Those travelling from the south on the A12 will be directed straight into site from the A12.

- Those travelling from the Lowestoft direction on the A12 will be directed straight into site from the A145 via Middle Barn Lane which connects the A12 and the A145.

- Those travelling south on the A145 from the Beccles direction will be directed straight into site from the A145.

- Day ticket holders will be directed straight into site from the B1123.

- Temporary speed limits of 30mph and no stopping orders will be in force along the A145 and A12 and the first section of the B1123 in the vicinity of the gates into site from Thursday to Monday and will be enforced by Suffolk Constabulary

- Temporary Traffic lights will be in operation on the junction of the A145 and the A12, the junction of Middle Barn Lane and the A12 and at some exit gates on the A12 all day on Monday. Please allow additional time for your journey on the A12 and A145 on Monday or consider alternative routes where possible.

- A one way system westbound will be in situ from the entrance to Henham Quarry along Middle Barn Lane and Craven Manor Lane to the junction with the A145 from Thursday to Sunday night.

- A one way system eastbound will be in situ from the A145 along Middle Barn Lane and Craven Manor Lane to the entrance to Henham Quarry on Sunday night and Monday day time.

- A no right turn order will be in situ on the A12 turning right onto Middle Barn Lane on the Monday.

NHS Norfolk is warning members of the public that there is a significant chance that temperatures will reach very high levels over the coming weekend and is reminding people how they can protect themselves from the associated risks of prolonged temperatures and sun exposure.

With the World Cup final and the Lord Mayor’s Procession in Norwich both taking place this weekend, people may be spending a lot of time in the sun or be consuming alcohol. But with latest weather predictions suggesting temperatures could reach around 30°C in the shade, NHS Norfolk is urging people to be aware of the dangers of spending too much time in the sun or in conditions of high heat.

People are also encouraged to consider the risks for those people around them who may be especially susceptible to the risk during periods of high temperatures, such as the very young, the elderly, and people who regularly use multiple medications. People who consume alcohol may also feel more effected by the heat, as alcohol tends to dehydrate people without them realising.


What are the dangers of spending too much time exposed to the sun?
Spending extended periods in conditions which are too hot can have a damaging and dangerous effect on the body. Among other things, these dangers include:

- Dizziness and fainting: Commonly due to dehydration, people often report feeling light-headed and may faint after being exposed to heat for a period of time.

- Heat exhaustion: This also tends to occur as a result of dehydration, which results in a rise in body temperature to between 37ºC and 40ºC. Left untreated, heat exhaustion may evolve into heatstroke.


How can I protect myself?
To avoid becoming dehydrated and developing the complications above, there are some key ways in which you can stay safe:

- Try to plan your day in a way that allows you to stay out of the heat.

- If you can, avoid going out in the hottest part of the day between 11 and 4pm.

- If you can’t avoid strenuous outdoor activity, like sport, DIY, or gardening, keep it for cooler parts of the day, like early morning or evening.

- If you must go out, stay in the shade - wear a hat and light, loose-fitting clothes.

- Whenever you go out, take plenty of water with you.


NHS Norfolk's Assistant Director of Public Health, Jonathan Williams, said: "The heat can affect anyone, but those who are more at risk include people over 75, babies and young children. People should avoid going outside during the hottest part of the day - from 11 and 4pm, and if they have to go out stay in the shade.


"Drink regularly even if you do not feel thirsty, ideally water or fruit juice. You should contact your GP, pharmacist or NHS Direct, if you feel unwell or have any unusual symptoms."


For more advice about how to look after yourself and others during hot weather - go to www.norfolk.nhs.uk and search for ‘heatwave’. Or visit www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/Heatwaveamberalert.aspx

If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s symptoms during the heatwave, call your GP, pharmacist or phone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for advice.

Nick Baker introduces us to an unsual garden visitor - the mole. This is a rare chance to get up close to this elusive and rarely seen creature. Marvel at his flexible pointy nose and massive tunnel digging feet (that's the mole, not Nick!).

Two local NHS Foundation Trusts have linked to provide their members with more information about how to cope when family or friends with dementia go into hospital.

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are hosting a joint event called Coming into hospital - improving care for patients with dementia. It is being held from 2pm to 5pm on Tuesday 10th August at the John Innes Conference Centre, Norwich.

The event is open to members of both NHS Foundation Trusts and the general public. Book for the event by ringing the Membership Office at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on 01603 287634 or e-mailing membership@nnuh.nhs.uk

David Prior, Chair of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our staff are working closely with those in mental health to learn new skills and ensure we provide the best possible care for patients with dementia.”

Maggie Wheeler, Chair of Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “As a mental health trust we have considerable experience and expertise in working with people with dementia.


“But people with dementia also get cancer, have heart disease, break their legs - they need to know that as well as the excellent physical care they require, the special needs of their dementia will also be understood. That is why understanding dementia is vital to all of us in our community - and why I welcome this joint initiative”.


Facts on Dementia:


- Approximately 600,000 people in the UK have dementia. This represents 5% of the total population aged 65 and over, rising to 20% of the population aged 80 and over (www.dh.gov.uk). As we get older our chances of developing dementia increases sharply, but younger people can get dementia as well.


- It is estimated that by 2017 there will be 12,740 people with dementia in Norfolk, a rise of 132 per cent, and that by 2021 there will be 14,260 people with dementia in the county.


- Studies estimate that two thirds of acute hospital inpatients are 65+ years old and that 31% of this older population will have dementia at any one time. A further 22% will have some form of cognitive impairment (figures taken from whocareswins, 2005). The NNUH has about a thousand beds; meaning that even at conservative estimates, over 200 of these patients will have dementia at any one time.


- The Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust will be opening a Dementia Intensive Care Unit in March 2012.

The Bure Valley Railway, as an eighteen-mile round trip, is Norfolk longest fifteen inch gauge line and runs between the pretty market town of Aylsham and the ‘Capital of the Norfolk Broads’, Wroxham, with stops in Brampton, Buxton and Coltishall. Many of the services on the line are run by steam engines and are a great way of seeing some of the prettiest countryside in Norfolk.

The Broads are fantastic for family holidays and those who take a Norfolk Broads cottage have a wealthy of opportunities for family fun days out, such as the Bure Valley Railway, sailing, canoeing and windsurfing on the Broads and numerous other outdoors activities in beautiful surroundings!

So, why not ride the Bure Valley Railway this July and enjoy a FREE British classic to cool you down on the way!

Local Tom

Carlton Court is a mental health hospital that has wards providing specialist care for older people and is part of the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. It provides both community and inpatient services for older people experiencing mental health difficulties.

Carlton Court is currently inviting tenders from interested parties who would be able to provide a mobile hairdressing service for the 5 inpatient wards at the hospital.

Michelle Allott, Modern Matron at Carlton Court for Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said:

“It is important that we aim to meet all our service users’ needs alongside their treatment and medical care. Maintaining the aspects of peoples’ lives that are important to them and their values is central to the person centred care we strive to deliver at Carlton Court. For many of our service users, personal appearance is very important, especially having their hair done.“

Family members and carers have highlighted the importance of having their loved ones appearance maintained, especially as in other ways so much of the person may become lost due to their illness.

A mobile hairdresser at Carlton Court is seen as a very important addition to patient care and will not only help maintain individual dignity but will also provide a therapeutic activity for many people.

If you are interested in submitting a tender please send an expression of interest to:

Michele Allott
Carlton Court Hospital
St Peter's Road
Carlton Colville
Lowestoft
NR33 8AG

Along with the written expression of interest you will need to send an up-to-date price list and submit evidence of public liability insurance.

Norwich Puppet Theatre has been awarded a £60,000 Arts Council England Grant through the National Lottery for two new productions with leading puppetry company Indefinite Articles and highly-reputed puppeteer Peter O’Rourke. Rehearsals for The Chalk Giants are now beginning and the show opens at Norwich Puppet Theatre on 24 July for a 2-week run before showing at the Edinburgh Festival in late August. A gala performance is planned to take place in Norwich in September, with two further public performances before the show then goes on tour to schools and other venues across the East of England. Tickets for the performances in July are already on sale and schools interested in booking a place on the tour should contact the Puppet Theatre. The second production with Peter O’Rourke, a fresh take on the classic tale Little Red Riding Hood, will begin to be developed in 2011.

Whilst the Norwich Puppet Theatre, as an arts charity, still faces challenges with the sustainability of its core funding, the latest project award from the Arts Council reflects their support for the Theatre’s exciting vision for the future.

“We are delighted to have received funding for the new productions. It marks the beginning of a new chapter at Norwich Puppet Theatre. Following core funding cuts in 2008, as experienced across the arts sector, the theatre has been reshaping itself, programming high quality puppetry and offering a wide range of educational activities. Our vision is to produce once more, high quality puppetry productions for regional audiences to enjoy. This will re-establish Norwich on the map as a centre for puppetry excellence – The Chalk Giants is our first step along this road. We hope people will support our latest venture and come along to see The Chalk Giants this summer!” - Nic Hopkins, Chair of the Board, Norwich Puppet Theatre.


The Chalk Giants, which is ideal for families with children age 5 and over, is based on an old English folk-tale and creates a world of magic and mystery with chalk drawings, light and shadow puppetry. Writing for the production has been commissioned from Guyanese-born John Agard and music has been commissioned from Jonathan Lambert. The story, which was researched and developed with local people and schools, references features of the landscape, both real and legendary, through improvised storytelling about the Icknield Way in Suffolk (known as the ‘chalk belt’) and its local myths.

Indefinite Articles’ work with Norwich Puppet Theatre has enabled them to explore new aspects of puppetry: “The Chalk Giants is an exciting production as we will be interacting with the audience with improvisation and scripted narrative. By working within one of the few building-based organisations dedicated to the development and advocacy of puppet theatre in the UK, we have been able to focus on further exploring the theatrical use of puppets and objects in the translation of narrative ideas. We hope to engage people with chalk as a material which is both vital and tactile (one now almost obsolete in the classroom) and to excite and inspire them with the animated lines and images created in the performance. We are proud to be sharing the exciting venture with Norwich Puppet and are delighted to be able to use the theatre, with its great facilities for puppeteers, as our base” - Sally Brown and Steve Tipaldy, Indefinite Articles.

Norwich Puppet Theatre, one of only two theatres in England dedicated to puppetry, is 30 years-old at the beginning of December. Celebrations kick-off with a special exhibition at Fusion in the Forum, Norwich, from 29 November - 3 December. The birthday will also include a party and an auction of glove puppets signed and decorated by a host of celebrities. The anniversary programme is set to run over several months. More information will be announced with the launch of the theatre’s autumn programme. The season will also see the unveiling of the theatre’s new visual identity developed by East Publishing, which will be evident with a striking new events brochure and website.

Since opening in 1980, hundreds of puppetry professionals have developed their art and skills in devising, directing and performing puppet theatre in Norwich. They have become some of the leading names in the puppetry community, at the heart of the art form in the region, the UK and Europe with hundreds of performances reaching audiences across the world.

“We are immensely proud of the part Norwich Puppet Theatre has played in the development of puppetry as an art form and in training some of the leading puppeteers in the sector. Amongst the Theatre’s alumni and the companies with whom they have gone on to work are Ray DaSilva (the founder), Peter O’Rourke (Spitting Image, Little Angel Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company), John Roberts (Puppetcraft), Sean Myatt (Nottingham Trent University), Joy Haynes (Banyan Theatre), Zannie Fraser (Ripstop Productions), Mark Pitman & Iklooshar Malara (Garlic Theatre), Luis Boy, Mark Whitaker (with Horse and Bamboo Theatre and others), Sam Dutton (Royal Shakespeare Company and others) to name but a few” - Ian Woods, General Manager, Norwich Puppet Theatre.

Now is the time of year when gardens in Norfolk are reaching their summer peak. With warm sunny weather forecast take the opportunity to enjoy the splendours and sights of some truly fabulous new gardens and at the same time help raise much needed funds for the charities that the National Gardens Scheme supports. July brings the interest of a new NGS open garden nearly every week of the month welcoming visitors into them. Garden enthusiasts are spoilt for choice with many other regular gardens open providing a garden trail of interest across the county.


The Bear Shop, Elm Hill, Norwich is opening for the first time for the National Gardens Scheme, the location featured in many famous films. It is open 11 - 4.30, Admission £3 or combined with Strangers Hall £4.50, children free The garden is considered to be based on a design by Gertrude Jekyll, a small terraced garden behind a C15 house in the historic Cathedral Quarter of Norwich.

Four Seasons, Cheney's Lane, Forncett St Mary makes its debut on Sarurday,10th July, open 11 - 4, admission £4.50, children free. It is a richly planted 2½-acre garden, wide range of herbaceous plants, roses, and trees, many of which are raised here. It is the home of a former nursery. The owners, now retired, have more time to devote to enriching the plantings still further.


Heronsbridge, Bawburgh Road, Marlingford opens with 4 Mill Road on the 11th July. It is open 11 -5 with a combined admission of £4, children free. There is a story to this garden (ask the owner). The River Yare runs the length of the garden, with plenty of wildlife especially the kingfisher. The beds are a mixture of herbaceous perennials and shrubs. There are fruit and other trees, one old ash which is kept for nesting birds and other inhabitants. Gravel drive, small step to grass, slope down to river, some beds at drive level.

Two new gardens open on the 25th July. Dale Farm, Sandy Lane, Dereham opens 11-5, admission £3.50, children free. It is a 2 acre plant person’s garden with spring fed lake. Over 700 plant varieties featured in exuberantly planted borders and waterside gardens. Kitchen garden, orchard, naturalistic planting areas and wood sculptures. Garden completely redesigned in 2007. Gravel drive and some grass paths. Exhibition of natural wood sculptures.

Sharane, Lynn Road, West Rudham opens 11-5, admission £3.50. It is a third of an acre plantsman’s garden, created over several years by enthusiastic owners. Densely planted colourful borders of perennials, hostas, ferns, roses, iris, some exotic plants and grasses, with a collection of over 90 dazzling day lilies. Other features of interest, small pond with wildlife, raised vegetable beds, greenhouses and fruiting bushes and trees.

Norfolk County Organiser Anthea Foster said “Many new gardens open each year, often with another garden nearby. It forms not just a great day out for the garden visitor but gets the whole community involved and raises its profile locally. It encourages gardeners to down their tools and sit on a garden bench in a stranger’s garden while supporting the charities of the National Gardens Scheme.

For more garden days out ideas visit your local Tourist information, garden centre, nursery or open garden to pick up a Norfolk NGS Garden Guide or visit www.norfolkgardens.org.

If your garden is blooming now is the time to contact County Organiser Fiona Black to discuss opening your garden for the NGS. Tel 01692 650247.


Founded in 1927, The NGS has raised more than £25 million for charity in the last 10 years.
www.norfolkgardens.org

Henry Moore Textiles, a major exhibition of Moore’s fabric designs from the 1940s and 1950s, opens at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts on Tuesday 22 June and runs until Sunday 29 August. Henry Moore’s passion for colour and form is revealed in this exhibition which brings together dress and upholstery fabrics with large-scale wall panels, drawings, lithographs and sculpture. Henry Moore Textiles is a critically acclaimed touring exhibition, developed by The Henry Moore Foundation.

“Henry Moore is best known for his monumental sculpture and visitors to his studio and home at Perry Green are often astonished to discover that the artist also worked on an intimate scale. The textile designs in this exhibition reveal many illuminating aspects of his work, with links to his interests in non-Western art, organic form and perhaps surprisingly, vivid colour.” - Anita Feldman, exhibition curator and Head of Henry Moore Collections and Exhibitions, The Henry Moore Foundation, Perry Green

Moore was first approached for fabric designs by Czech textile manufacturer Zika Ascher in late 1942 or early 1943. Ascher had settled in London with his wife Lida, having managed to escape the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia while on honeymoon in Norway. They set up a new textile production company and soon commissioned leading artists to create designs for scarves, to be produced in rayon and parachute nylon, as well as silk. Moore worked closely with Ascher on the project, and later went beyond the brief to create designs that could be used for dress and upholstery fabric. By the late 1940s Moore had moved on from repeat textile designs and was experimenting with limited editions of textile panels comprising single figure motifs, that could be hung as objects of art in themselves.

The project gave Moore an opportunity to experiment with designs that would be accessible to all, and particularly suited his socialist belief that modern art should be a part of everyday life. As Manchester’s Daily Dispatch proclaimed in 1953, “We can’t all afford to hang a Picasso on the wall - but very soon we’ll be having Henry Moore curtains at the windows!” Moore’s own home at Hoglands featured bedspreads and curtains made by his wife Irina from the fabrics he designed.

Ascher was impressed with Moore’s work, writing to him in 1970, “I feel that some of the non-figurative designs show the real strength of your art.” The textiles found wide appeal, with his Barbed Wire design appearing in the 1947 British film They Made Me a Fugitive. For the public, aspirations of glamour were firmly linked to the stars of cinema, and Moore’s dress fabrics were an affordable way to emulate their screen idols.


During the war and in the post-war years, Utility regulations limited textile production, leading to a ‘make-do-and-mend’ climate and an often drab colour palette in clothing and domestic fabrics. Ascher’s project saw the potential to inject a new creativity into British textiles and give the country something to look forward to. Moore’s colourful designs looked forward to a new era, while his recurring mother and child motif became an evocative symbol of community and stability after the dark days of the war.


The influence of the war shows in the more hard-edged designs on display, which incorporate images of barbed wire and safety pins. Other designs feature more whimsical subjects seen nowhere else in his work, such as sea creatures, caterpillars and piano keys. The colours of the designs are particularly unexpected from an artist who felt that colour was a distraction from the appreciation of form, and therefore did not paint his sculptures: vivid pinks and greens, zigzag motifs and swirls of interspersing colours are common elements.

“It’s always fascinating to discover less well-known aspects of a great artist’s work and I know that for many people the exhibition will be a revelation, especially in the light of Henry Moore’s early fascination with the kind of world art that is so well represented in the Sainsbury Centre’s permanent collections.” - Nichola Johnson, Director, Sainsbury Centre.

Henry Moore Textiles runs concurrently with unearthed, an exhibition of prehistoric ceramic figures from the Balkans and Japan.

Loddon Mill Arts is delighted to have commissioned an exhibition of new works by one of Britain's leading artists and Norfolk resident, David Dane.

The Exhibition runs from 19th - 31st July, 2010, between 10:00 and 16:00 daily and is 'free' for anyone to attend.

It also includes an exhibition by artist in residence Theo Fenning.

The exhibition can be previewed at a special exhibition launch concert on Sunday 18th, July 2010 at 18:00 given by the Henschel Quartett. The 'internationally renowned' Henschel Quartett, are Artistic Patrons of Loddon Mill Arts, and return to the UK in July. Billed as 'One of the outstanding German string ensembles of the moment' by the New York Times, they will perform works by Haydn, Schumann & Schulhoff at Loddon Mill Arts, Norfolk.

The Concert begins at 18:00. Doors open at 17:00. There will be the opportunity for champagne tasting during the interval, hosted by our sponsors Adnams of Southwold. Tickets are £15. Ticket Hotline: 01508 521800