Then something unexpected happened. As this new season got under way, a chap my father knew (through work, racing pigeons and the pub) mentioned to him that he went to watch City most weeks and that he would take me to the games. I didn't see the point in that. As I explained in my previous article in this series, I was a fledgling Barclay Boy. I certainly didn't need taking to Carrow Road!! I would no longer be living on the edge. And I had also laughed at lads my own age when I saw them holding their Dad's hands to and from the ground. No thanks.




It wasn't every game because my friend worked shifts so couldn't always make it. But it was quite often, and for the games in between I went back to the Barclay. The task of cushion selling was easy enough. From about 1.30 onwards we had to be stationed on the concrete landing under the Main Stand, and in return for what I think was sixpence (two and a half pence in modern currency) we handed over a splendid green cushion. The seats in those days were not plastic but wooden. In fact they were really just wooden benches with no backs of course. After two hours your backside needed the comfort of a cushion that is for sure.




He never left me alone too long with the cushions - it was actually quite a busy little job, and the guy really was kind hearted and generous to a fault. As three o'clock arrived the ground would start buzzing. We used to hang around on the staircase, reading the programme he got free with the job (he always let me keep it and bought one for himself as he collected them). We couldn't go to the seats until the game had started, so in truth I used to miss the first thirty seconds of every match. By then he would have sussed out where there might be an empty seat he could plonk me down at. He was entitled to a seat anyway, so if push came to shove, I used his and he crouched down in the aisle. It was fantastic for me.




I studied tactics, and listened to all the opinions from those seated around me. It was worth being huddled tightly together, with bony knees digging into my back. It was worth having cigarette smoke blown in my face. I watched as City gloriously won their way through to first flight football for the first time in their history and I shared in the hopes and dreams of the other faithful Canaries supporters. It couldn't really happen could it? Not to Norwich City.




The next season I was back to witness the survival against relegation, and the following year when we didn't make it. And finally, as far as the Main Stand was concerned, 1974-75, and a second promotion year from Division Two. After that I drifted away from the cushion seller. We had no fall out, it was just a case of life moving on. I don't know what happened to him, but he had two young sons and I suspect that by then, the oldest one at least was ready go to games and act as assistant cushion seller. I owed the guy lots. My time in the Main Stand was to prove to be vital to my footballing education. I did get to night matches, and I went to some away games with him too, on Red Car Service from Bell Avenue, with pocket money saved from not paying to get into Carrow Road.




Credit to:
aitch www.canaryseventyninety.blogspot.com

Aylsham has a well deserved reputation as a "foodie town" with its wide range of food retailers, a twice-monthly FARMA-accredited farmers' markets and of course, the many farms which surround it. The town's annual Food Festival serves to confirm that reputation, focussing on local food, its producers and associated businesses.

The 2010 Aylsham Food Festival takes place over the weekend of 1st to 3rd October 2010 with a variety of events for the whole community, starting with a sumptuous buffet dinner for 100 people at the High School on Friday 1st. Students at the school have been charged with devising a menu, as well costing the ingredients which must be sourced locally. Tickets for the dinner will be available in September and will cost just £18.50 per person.

Saturday 2nd will see the bulk of the Food Festival events, starting with a farmers' market in the Market Place during the morning. Running at the same time will be 'The Taste Adventure' in the Town Hall. This new departure for the Food Festival uses a project devised by Slow Food UK, aimed at educating children on the use of the five senses when we eat and enjoy good food. A series of ‘zones’ will be set up to stimulate the children’s senses through ‘touchy’, ‘smelly’, ‘noisy’, ‘tasty’ and ‘seeing’ areas, where children are encouraged to squish, spy and sniff food in its natural form. Entry will be completely free and there will be gifts for the children.


Also on Saturday, the High School will host 'Kids Cooking Workshops' where primary school children will make fresh food products, using local ingredients. Run in association with the lottery-funded 'Let's Get Cooking' campaign, these workshops will encourage young children to taste and share the food both at the cooking session and at home.

Rounding off Aylsham Food Festival will be the Big Slow Breakfast in the Town Hall on the morning of Sunday 3rd October. This much-loved event has become a byword for the Festival and its organisers, Slow Food Aylsham, offering local residents and their guests the opportunity to share a traditional English breakfast (a vegetarian option will be available) in a friendly and light-hearted atmosphere.

Tickets for the Friday evening dinner and the Big Slow Breakfast will be available throughout September at Salad Days fruit and veg stall in the Town Square. The Taste Adventure offers free entry on the day while details of the Kids Cooking Workshops will be made available through the town's primary schools. There is more information about the Food Festival on the Slow Food Aylsham website at www.slowfoodaylsham.org.uk

Slow Food Aylsham, organisers of the Aylsham Food Festival, is a not-for-profit membership organisation, a branch of Slow Food UK. The international Slow Food movement, founded in 1989, has over 100,000 members across the world and seeks to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

Last chance to apply to the Norfolk Sports & Cultural Foundation Fund

The fund supports the Norfolk's most promising artists and athletes in the spirit of the London 2012 Games.

The fund has two strands:
- Rising Stars: supports young people aged 14-25 who are recognised as being highly talented in their field with potential to perform at a national/ international level. The grant is up to £5,000 for up to two years.
- Make it Happen: supports people 14 and over who want to progress in their sporting or cultural field through a one-off grant of up to £1,000.

Click here for further information

The deadline for nominations and applications in 30th July 2010 and awards are made in October.


Active Norfolk's Startrack Athletics and sports camps are running ever weekday during the school holidays for children aged 6 - 15. Prices start from £4 per session and free places are available under some circumstances. Click here for details.

It's not too late to join in the Get Back Into courses - most of the have now started but you can turn up and pay on the day. An extra Get Back Into Golf session has been arranged at Dunston Hall starting Thursday 29th July for 8 weeks, 6pm-7pm £28.00 Click here for details


News


Hethersett village London 2012 open weekend
Hethersett village is planning a weekend of London 2012 themed events over the weekend of 24 - 25 July including a fun run, sport in the park and a ladies and girls football competition.


Sports Academies at Framlingham College
The Academies at Framlingham College were established in 2006 and have an enviable reputation for top class coaching. Details for this summer's academies are now available and booing is now open.


Coach vacancy: Get Back Into coaches
Active Norfolk is planning to run our popular Get Back Into programme in the Methwold area.


Vetting and Barring Scheme on hold
The government has announced that the Vetting and Barring Scheme - which was to have introduced additional checks for those working with vulnerable people - has been put on hold pending a review.


Children's summer holiday activities 2010
Once again there are a whole host of sporty activities for kids during the summer holidays all over Norfolk.


Tackling a Good Cause
Wymondham Rugby Club's Annual Day of Family Fun and Rugby for The Big C & East Anglian Air Ambulance 11am Sunday, 12th September, 2010 at Wymondham Rugby Club, Foster Harrison Memorial Ground, Tuttles Lane (East), Wymondham, NR18 0EN


East inspired to play by London 2012
64,000 young people in the East who don't normally play sport outside of school lessons have made a change and completed 10-week sports courses in their own time, new figures released reveal.


Community Sport Grants Programme
Voluntary groups/sports clubs based within the Broadland District Council or Norwich City Council area can now apply for this club grant. Grants of up to £1,000 may be awarded to sports clubs who have gained Clubmark (or their NGB equivalent).


Hethersett gains prestigious National Award
Hethersett "Sport in the Park" has been granted the Inspire Mark the badge of the London 2012 Inspire Programme. The London 2012 Inspire programme recognises innovative and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.


New Website is Welcome Boost for Disability Golf
A new website to help disabled golfers take part in and benefit from golf has been created by the England Golf Partnership (EGP).


Job Vacancy: Junior Development Swimming Coach
UEA City of Norwich SC is seeking a highly motivated individual to join the coaching team under the direction of the Head Coach and Head Age Coach to design and deliver an effective coaching and training syllabus for the UEA Norwich SC Junior Development group.


Job vacancy: Sports coach required for September
Funding has been secured to create an exciting, new opportunity for a Year 13 school/college leaver or qualified coach to work as an East Norfolk School Sports Partnership Sports Coach on a one year contract, term time only.


Job vacancy: Partnership Dance Coach
The East Norfolk School Sport Partnership has successfully secured funding to recruit a part-time Dance Coach from September 2010 for a 1 year contract initially to work within the Partnership's schools as part of the growing School Sports Coaching team.


New career? Teach Swimming!
Ever thought of being a swimming teacher? Want to help people overcome their fear of water? And rise to be the next Olympic star. Then become a swimming teacher with flexible working hours, and excellent rates of pay.


Events

Grand Skate Board event at Eaton Park, Norwich
To celebrate the new skate park at Eaton Park there will be a weekend of FREE, fun activity for all to enjoy.


Grand BMX event at Eaton Park, Norwich
To celebrate the new skate park at Eaton Park there will be a weekend of FREE, fun activity for all to enjoy.


Norwich Parkrun
Sign up to this free weekly park run happening at Eaton Park. The first session is on Saturday August 7th 9:00am - 10:30am. People of every ability are encouraged to take part; from those taking their first steps in running to Olympians; from juniors to those with more experience; we welcome you all!


Nordic Walking Course
Nordic Walking UK holds training courses across the UK and can help those from all backgrounds become qualified Nordic Walking Instructors.


Summer Swim Camp
New swimp camp is happening this summer at Hewett School Pool with the City of Norwich Swimming Club.


Dereham Hockey Club - Goalkeeping Day
Dereham Hockey Club is running another hockey goalkeeping day with former England & GB goalkeeper, Simon Mason

NHS Norfolk has been commended for driving forward improvements to the care of people with learning disabilities.

Together with organisations which deliver health care such as GP Practices and NHS hospitals, NHS Norfolk is working to bring about a step change in the experience of healthcare for a patient with a learning disability.


NHS Norfolk has been particularly commended for:

- Getting GPs to create a register of people with learning difficulties and working to give each of those patients an annual health check

- Ensuring the needs of people with learning difficulties are included across all areas of health care planning and provision

- Ensuring the safety of people with learning difficulties whilst they are being treated by the NHS

- The establishment of a specialist service to help adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. This was undertaken jointly with Norfolk County Council and NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney.


NHS Norfolk undertook a self assessment of progress with this work to date, which includes close working with the Norfolk Learning Difficulty Partnership Board and other stakeholders.

This self assessment was then scrutinised by the East of England's Strategic Health Authority, which wrote back saying: "NHS Norfolk has clearly made significant progress in developing and improving services which meet the health and wellbeing of people with a learning disability in your area."

Steve McCormack, Commissioning Manager for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities at NHS Norfolk, said: "We are delighted that we have received such positive feedback.


"It supports the very significant partnership working we have all undertaken in Norfolk to provide more equitable access to health care for people with learning disabilities and difficulties.


"Much has been achieved in the last twelve months which we wish to build on to further improve this important area of healthcare."

The Board of NHS Norfolk will be updated on the progress made when it meets on Wednesday July 28th. The meeting is being held in public, at the West Norfolk Development Centre in King's Lynn, from 2pm.

In May, the Board heard how local hospitals are striving to improve services for those with learning difficulties.

For example, through the appointment of a Learning Difficuolty Liaison nurse about 1,000 staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have received training to help them understand the needs of people who have learning difficulties when they come in for treatment.

Each ward has an ‘LD Champion’ to liaise with patients and their family or carer, to ensure their needs are met. The hospital has also produced a short web film with ‘ten top tips’ for coming into hospital - produced and filmed with the input of people with learning difficulties.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was the first hospital in the country to pilot Project SEARCH in partnership with Adult Social Services. This is an initiative which gives young people with learning disability and also those with an autistic spectrum disorder a chance to try real jobs in the hospital and apply for them at the end of their training.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn is commencing Project Search in the autumn. It has also has run workshops and training for staff and there is a Learning Disability Steering Group which works across all areas of the Trust.

Find out about local mental health services and specific mental health issues at an event on 28th July 2010, in the Forum, Norwich from 9.30am - 4pm.

This fun, interactive event will offer something for people of all ages. A range of stands and representatives from the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s services will be present to answer your questions and provide you with useful information to take away.

Representatives will be giving out Time to Change campaign packs for people to take to their hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons to display to raise awareness of mental health and end the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with mental illness.

Aidan Thomas, Chief Executive of Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said:

‘The Trust runs these events to give the local community a chance to meet our health professionals and understand how our services care for people.

‘It's also an important opportunity to make people aware that many among us are living with mental illness and that the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health can isolate them and make their experience worse.

‘Everybody is entitled to good mental health and wellbeing, and as a community we must work together to achieve this and support those with mental illness to improve their quality of life.’

Time to Change and local project Stuff Stigma invite you to join celebrities like Ruby Wax, Frank Bruno and Gok Wan in helping to end mental health prejudice. Nearly 5000 people across England have already pledged to do their bit to help end mental health prejudice at www.time-to-change.org.uk. Show support for Time to Change and someone you know with a mentalhealth problem by adding your pledge and photo on the spot to a giant mosaic pledge board or make a video pledge at the Forum on 28 July.

From 12.30-3.30pm there will be an interactive art area run by the Trust’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services as part of their stand, where children can paint, draw and play with different art materials under the supervision and creative encouragement of a qualified art psychotherapist.

There will be an opportunity to meet the Trust’s governors and visit a special recruitment stand to find out about current job vacancies. The Trust’s patient advice and liaison service will also be present throughout the day.

A series of mental health seminars will run in The Cube upstairs in the Forum at the following times on July 28. These free seminars will each last from 45-60 minutes and there is no need to book to attend:

- 10am Treating alcohol problems
- 11.30am Depression
- 1pm Dementia
- 2pm Dementia Care Mapping as a technique to help people with Dementia
- 3.30pm Helping children with post-abuse trauma

For further information please contact membership@nwmhp.nhs.uk or call 01603 421494

The new registration certificate is being introduced following the theft of a number of blank certificates in 2006. The aim is to reduce the risks to motorists of buying a stolen or cloned vehicle.

The new documents will be issued from 15 August 2010 for all newly registered vehicles and when there are changes to an existing registration, such as a change of keeper or address.

From the middle of next year, the new certificate will be issued to all remaining vehicles when they are re-licensed or declared to be off the road.

The existing blue V5C will remain valid for these vehicles until it is replaced and DVLA will not be asking for the old V5C to be returned.

Find out what's new about the new registration certificate and get useful tips for when buying a used vehicle.

Update your subscriptions, change your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your subscriber preferences page. You will need to use your email address to log in.

If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@govdelivery.com. All other enquires can be directed to customer.services@dsa.gsi.gov.uk.

This service is provided to you free of charge by the Driving Standards Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Transport.


Driving Standards Agency · PO Box 280 · Newcastle Upon Tyne NE99 1FP · 0300-200-1122

Be part of the challenge to bring these rare films back from the brink and into the digital age to be enjoyed by everyone.

Alfred Hitchcock: pioneer, legend and master of suspense.

Curators of the BFI National Archive have identified a collection of films in desperate need of restoration with Alfred Hitchcock's silent films being the first to seek rescue through the Support the BFI campaign.

Hitchcock's 9 surviving silent films are a vital part of British cinematic history. Decades of wear and tear have left them in urgent need of restoration.

The BFI needs you to bring these rare films back from the brink and into the digital age.

Every penny counts. So please give whatever you can, and help bring a cinematic masterpiece back to life - for you, for everyone, forever.

Donate online now at http://www.bfi.org.uk/saveafilm.html

The Chalk Giants, a Norwich Puppet Theatre and Indefinite Articles co-production funded by an Arts Council England Grant through the National Lottery, opens on Saturday 24 July. This major new show takes two traditional English folk tales, Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer, as a starting point for a captivating new story told using chalk, puppetry, poetry, music and film. The Chalk Giants runs at Norwich Puppet Theatre until Tuesday 3 August before showing at the Edinburgh Festival in August as part of the East to Edinburgh scheme. It goes on tour to schools and other venues across the East of England this autumn. There are still some tickets available for performances at Norwich Puppet Theatre in July and early August.

The epic tale begins in the present with a film of puppeteers Sally Brown and Steve Tiplady and musician Jonathan Lambert on a nature walk at Hunstanton as they invite the audience to come with them on a tour through the ancient landscape of England. The production uses film shot at significant sites along the chalk escarpment which traverses southern England to tell parts of the story and to bring the landscape to life. The line runs from Hunstanton to Thetford (Peddars Way), along the Icknield Way to Wiltshire and down to Dorset (The Ridgeway). This prehistoric route for transporting goods, particularly flint, includes many ancient sites such as Stonehenge, the White Horse of Uffington and the Cerne Abbas Giant, where the tale ends.


The production has been inspired by chalk:

“We take materials as the starting point for telling a story. In the past, we have used clay, string, oil and dust. This time we were inspired to use chalk because it offered us the exciting potential to explore ideas about mark-making and the use of the drawn line for dramatic expression. It also defined the landscape that Steve grew up in; the wonderfully named Gog Magog chalk hills in Cambridgeshire” - Sally Brown and Steve Tiplady, Indefinite Articles.

The Chalk Giants begins with the creation of Jack, a puppet drawn in chalk which magically comes to life, and the discovery of some beans that are, of course, also made from chalk. At first, this appears to be the familiar tale of Jack and the Bean Stalk but soon it becomes apparent that there is a twist to the tale. Jack kills Blunderbog Cormoran, the giant at the top of the beanstalk, and begins a quest to rid England of giants. A fun, fast and furious tale ensues with Jack slaying giants across the land. However, is Jack the hero of the day? Blunderbog’s distraught wife and a wonderfully sensitive narrative leave the audience to decide.

The new production combines chalk together with shadow puppetry, a toy theatre, rod puppets, pre-recorded and live film, to give a cutting-edge contemporary performance of a traditional tale steeped in legend and imbued with a sense of England’s past. Guyanese-born poet, John Agard, has been specially commissioned to write a collection of narrative poems, dialogues and scenes, which are threaded through the story and add another layer of richness to the show. The Chalk Giants is beautifully augmented with music by Jonathan Lambert. The folk-influenced musical accompaniment adds vibrancy and an additional dimension to the production. Jonathan performs his compositions on clarinet, bamboo flute, and appropriately, a xylophone made from stone. Ancient lithophone sounds from a cave at Skiddaw in the Lake District are woven in and there are songs ideal for audience participation.

“We are delighted to have received funding for this new production. 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 Dates and Times

Saturday 24 July at 2.30pm
Sunday 25 July at 2.30pm
Friday 30 July at 2.30pm
Saturday 31 July at 2.30pm
Tuesday 3 August at 2.30pm

Booking

Box Office - call 01603 629921
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 the auditorium where specified in the programme as ‘baby friendly performances’.

Tickets

Adults £7, children £5
Concessions £5.50
Go4Less child £3
Family ticket £20

Not suitable for children under 3 years.

Versio a top Finnish Choir is on a short UK tour to Norfolk and London. 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.

St Mary’s, Forncett St Mary – 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. Church address: Low Rd, Forncett St Mary, NR16 1HG.


St Andrews Church, St Andrews Street, Norwich, www.standrewsnorwich.org – 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. Tel 01603 744233.

The concerts and master classes are part of Norfolk Open Churches Week, Saturday, July 31 to Sunday, August 8. Full details at www.norfolkopenchurches.com, or pick up the Open Churches booklet at TICs and libraries throughout the county.

Versio’s repertoire includes:

Duarte Lŏbo (1563-1646): Audivi Vocem in Caelo.

Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599): Ave Virgo Sanctissima

Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611): Ave Maria Stella & Sancta Maria Sucurre Miseris

Urmas Sisask (1960-): Ave Maria & Allelulia

Gutiérrez Fernández Hildago (1553-1620): Magnificat Quarti Toni

Josquin Desprez (1450-1521): Ave Maria

Nicolas Gombert (1500-1557): Regina Caeli

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963): Salve Regina

Pierre de la Rue (1452-1518): O Salutaris Hostia

Arvo Părt (1935-) Magnificat

Jennie Hawks, Historic Places of Worship Support Officer, Diocese of Norwich said: "It is a real coup for Norfolk’s churches that Versio is travelling to the county during Open Churches Week. The concerts will be outstanding with the added bonus of two master classes in Norwich."

Latitude Festival is proud to reveal that the winner of the first Latitude Contemporary Art Award is Graeme Miller for his visually stunning Moth Theatre installation which was announced at the ceremony on Saturday 17th July at 4pm in the Lavish Lounge, in the beautiful setting of Henham Park Estate on Suffolk’s Sunrise Coast.

Miller received the prize of £10,000 after the LCA judges - Founder and Creator of Latitude Festival and Managing Director of Festival Republic Melvin Benn, broadcaster, journalist and Radio 4's World At One presenter Martha Kearney and Young British Artist Gavin Turk - took an onsite tour of the exhibits of all participating artists.

The piece, which can only be seen at night, is “theatre for moths, by moths.” It uses video feedback triggering monochrome pattern from the shadows of insects, which are drawn to the bright lights within the installation at dusk.

Miller said: “By night the moths are drawn from the woods by the bright lights of a miniature theatre whose stage is saturated with the irresistible pleasure of ultra-violet illumination. They settle to bask in the limelight of a white screen - drawn to a kind of shared stardom of silhouetted insects. In this world the human observer is a guest. What they are drawn to is the intense bluish radiance and in the quiet auditorium of the trees they can eavesdrop on this unwitting performance.”

Graeme Miller is a London-based theatre maker, performer, composer and artist. On winning the prize, Miller was overjoyed and commented how he would now begin the process of creating his installation piece for Latitude 2011.

Melvin Benn has always intended contemporary art to be an integral part of Latitude Festival. Speaking on Saturday he said:

“It was always my intention that contemporary art would be a key element of the programme at Latitude and that art would be given the same platform as the music, theatre, literature and poetry. We have always had spectacular works displayed throughout the site and In The Woods and this year, working with the team involved in the LCA, has given me the confidence to take art at Latitude to a new level. I’m really thrilled Graeme Miller’s installation was chosen as the winner and I look forward to seeing what his next piece will be for Latitude 2011.”

The LCA comprises Melvin Benn, Independent arts writer Louise Gray, Tate Modern curator Ben Borthwick, curator/deputy editor of ‘The Wire’ Anne Hilde-Neset and Managing Director of Lavish Ami Jade Cadillac.

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, South Walsham is staging its 11th annual Green Festival on Sunday, August 1st 2010, 10am to 5pm. An action-packed day of entertainment and fun environmental activities is on offer in this beautiful Broadland garden. Admission is adult £5, concessions £4.50 and child £2.50 (under three free).


Green Festival visitors will go on a woodland trail and will meet the 950 year-old King Oak, many other ancient oaks and beeches and the spectacular giant gunnera plants. Fairhaven gardeners will be demonstrating traditional Broads management practices like dyke clearing and leaf soil turning.

Other activities include bird watching with the RSPB, Norfolk Wildlife Trust woodland games, Razz the Clown, Stevie Spud’s circus school, music from The He Hews, The Pedant’s Revolt Morris Dancers, The Green Man Storyteller, making Green Man masks, face painting, canoe hire and have a go archery with The Canoe Man (additional charge), Garden Organic, Norwich Bat Group, Wing and a Prayer bird rescue sanctuary, master composting demonstrations and a wide range of craft stalls featuring Norfolk produce and handmade goods.

Boat trips on the Fairhaven Private Broad and South Walsham Broad on the ‘Primrose’ will be available all day (additional charge).

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is at South Walsham, nine miles east of Norwich, signposted off A47 at B1140 junction, tel. 01603 270449/270683, www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.

There is wheelchair access to most of the garden, including the Sensory Garden. Visitors requiring special facilities are advised to telephone in advance. Mobility scooters available. Dogs are welcome on leads; small charge to cover poop scoop.

The garden is open daily all year, 10am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day), also open until 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday until the end of August. There is a tearoom, gift shop and plant sales.

Living Seas is The Wildlife Trusts' vision for the future of the UK's seas.

What picture does the phrase conjure up in your mind? A rocky reef bursting with brightly coloured fish, corals and sponges? A boat trip in the company of leaping dolphins and playful seals? Fishermen hauling nets that are brimful of big, tasty fish? Living Seas are all these things and more.

But the UK's seas are not Living Seas. Decades of neglect have left them damaged and degraded, a shadow of their former diversity and abundance. We urgently need your help to bring them back to life. The next five years are critical. It is literally 'make or break' time. With new laws and Government commitments in the offing, we have a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity. If we make the very best of that opportunity, pushing every step of the way, our seas will turn the corner and start to recover their health. If we do not, they will continue on their downward spiral.

This film shows some of the diversity of life in our seas, and sets out to you, our vision for the future.

For further information go to: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php to find out how you can do your bit for Living Seas!

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."