One of British Transport Films' relatively early travelogues, 'East Anglian Holiday' was shot in Technicolor. Its narration combines clipped patrician received pronunciation with occasional interludes delivered in a strong local accent.

In King's Lynn, the region's unique geology is commemorated in the architecture of the Guildhall, whose flints were originally sponges growing underwater. In Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, families enjoy a seaside holiday, rollerskating, riding boats and pedal cars, or watching Punch and Judy shows. Nearby, the local fishing industry is hard at work sorting the latest catches. Suffolk's coastline combines marshes with sandy beaches., and its distinguishing marks are Blythburgh Church, the Southwold lighthouse, and Henry II's Orford Castle.

For more information about 'East Anglian Holiday' see http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/i...

There’s nothing like dressing up and BeWILDerwood bets that everyone has at least ONE pair of silly socks that they can put on to come out to play at BeWILDerwood and raise money on Silly Sock Day for Autism Anglia on Saturday 2nd April 2011.

Autism Anglia is dear to the Park’s heart, because BeWILDerwood’s owner and creator, Tom Blofeld, is being officially appointed as Vice President on Saturday 2nd April 2011 at 2pm. Tom will be reading a special poem as part of his inauguration, written by Mildred the Crocklebog.

So to properly establish Tom in his new role, BeWILDerwood is hosting a ‘Silly Sock’ event where visiting Boggles and Twiggles can get discounted entry of £2.50 if you wear your silly socks on the day. BeWILDerwood will also make a generous donation to Autism Anglia for each discounted entry.

Visitors to the magical park will be greeted by a ten foot sock photo booth and socks of all colours and sizes will be hanging from the tree houses throughout the park.

Tom says: “My son, Rufus has been diagnosed as autistic and I am passionate about my new appointment at Autism Anglia. We aim to raise as much publicity and awareness of this through an annual event at BeWILDerwood.”

Clive Stobbs, Chief Executive of Autism Anglia says: “Autism Anglia is very grateful to Tom Blofeld and BeWILDerwood for the wonderful gesture of support for our Silly Sock Day on Saturday 2nd April as part of our campaign for this year’s World Autism Awareness Day.”

He continues: “Over one percent of the population suffer from autism, that’s about 600,000 people in the UK and yet is it is often described as the ‘hidden disability’ because so few people know about it. It is estimated that 30,000 people in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk have autism. World Autism Awareness Day provides us with an opportunity to join autism organisations all over the world to raise awareness of the condition.”

BeWILDerwood is located in woodland off the A1062 near Wroxham and is situated near the beautiful surroundings of Hoveton Little Broad. For more information about BeWILDerwood and all the exciting events coming up in 2011, call 01603 783900 or visit www.bewilderwood.co.uk.

Mothering Sunday (3rd April 2011) is the perfect time to treat your mother to a visit to one of the four Norfolk gardens opening as part of the National Gardens Scheme and enjoy colourful spring displays.

At Hindringham Hall there are thousands of Narcissi, Hellebores and Primulas in bloom all set in the magnificent grounds of a Tudor Manor House complete with 13thC moat. Tea and cakes will be served in the brand new Pavilion in the nearby playing field. Garden owner Linda Tucker said “we will have over thirty varieties of Narcissi in full flower and this year visitors will be issued with a guide and map to help them make the most of a visit to our garden”

The Conifers has massed plantings of daffodils and tree blossom while Desert World Gardens have over 100 different shade loving Epimediums on display together with an impressive collection of Auriculas and Hellebores to admire.

The medieval Mannington Hall completes this quartet of great gardens with plenty of spring flowers and great walks to enjoy after that splendid lunch treat for mum!

These clips were taken along side my photographic projects in 2010

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

© Paul Bunyard

Darren Huckerby was the star guest as 300 staff from Norfolk’s mental health trust celebrated their own and their colleagues’ achievements at a glittering awards dinner.

The popular former Norwich City star presented the trophies and posed for countless photographs as Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust held its Trust Awards 2011 at the Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel on Thursday, March 24 2011.

“I was very pleased to be invited,” said Darren afterwards. “The Trust is doing great work in mental health, which is an area that often gets overlooked. A lot of people put it on the backburner, and it only comes to the forefront when someone close to them is struggling with a mental illness, or Alzheimer’s, or some other form of dementia.”

The 10 award winners were each selected from a shortlist of three. The winners ranged from administrative staff to a five-strong memory treatment team, and the inspiration behind a music project for people with mental health problems. The full list of award winners was:

Unsung hero (clinical) – Julie Kerton, staff nurse, Poppies Day Hospital
 
Chair’s award – Linda Cross, locality personal assistant, Chatterton House


Julie Kerton, staff nurse at the Poppies Day Centre, at Carlton Court, near Lowestoft, won the unsung hero (clinical) award for her work in setting up a support group for people diagnosed with dementia, and launching a ‘Lifetime’ garden to help stimulate the memories of dementia sufferers.

“I’m really overwhelmed,” said Julie. “What makes it extra special was feeling so much support, especially from three gentlemen who have dementia who came here with me tonight. They’re the reason I do the job that I do, and I’m as pleased for them as I am for myself because they value and appreciate what I do. I feel very honoured.”

The Trust’s second awards night followed on from a successful inaugural event in 2009. The latest event was entirely funded through the generosity of sponsors.

Trust chief executive Aidan Thomas said: “I’m very proud to be part of such an excellent organisation, and that’s a reflection on the quality of our staff. This evening is about recognising how much our people contribute to the lives of others, and saying ‘thank you’ to those who go out of their way to improve the lives of other people.”

The Trust awards were sponsored by: Birketts; Eras; Falcon Healthcare; HCL Doctors; the Locum Practice; Mills and Reeve; ProMedical; Psychiatry People; and Pulse Doctors.

Unseen for years due to the fragility of the materials, 'Springtime in an English Village' offers an extraordinary and unexpected snapshot of rural life in wartime. After a fairly predictable opening - farmers ploughing fields, cute baby animals gambolling - it finally gets down to business. The film is about that most ancient of English traditions: the selection and crowning of the Queen of the May. But what is so surprising is that 60 years ago the village of Stanion in Northamptonshire chose to honour a young black girl - apparently the daughter of an African merchant seaman who had been evacuated there during the War.

It's hard to know quite how literally to take the proceedings. The film was made by the Colonial Film Unit for the purpose of screening throughout Britain's African and Caribbean colonies - to demonstrate 'typical' life in the UK - at a time when the government was on the lookout for cheap labour.

If you can identify the young star of the film please contact us. (Robin Baker, with thanks to Tom Rice for additional research)

Two gardens filled with a wide range of Spring flowers will be opening in Norfolk on Sunday March 27th in aid of the charities supported by the National Gardens Scheme.  For the first time in several years Lake House in Brundall is opening to the public, having only been seen recently by organised tours.  It covers three acres and has masses of daffodils and primroses with a backdrop of choice Camellias and Magnolia.  All set in a woodland valley with a series of ponds leading to a lake abundant in wildlife.

At nearby 16 Witton Lane in Little Plumstead there is a complete contrast with a plantpersons  Aladdin’s Cave of a tiny garden containing an incredible range of species tulips, scillas, dogtooth violets and many more spring bulbs and plants. This renowned collection has been developed in recent years with the owners travelling the world  to find rare and unusual flowers. Some plants and bulbs will be on sale to visitors.

If you want to visit both gardens there is a combined admission price of £5.50 with free entry for children under 16.  A really good value family day out to celebrate the first week of Spring.

Norfolk NGS County organiser  Anthea Foster said  “Lake House has generously opened for many years by appointment only and raised a substantial amount for the worthwhile charities supported by the Scheme. This is a great opportunity for those who missed visiting Lake House when it was open before.”

For more information visit www.ngs.org.uk or pick up a Norfolk 2011 NGS Guide from your local tourist information centre, garden centre or nursery.

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

Lake House (image shown)
Sun 27 Mar (2-5).
Postwick Lane, Brundall NR13 5LU.. 5m E of Norwich. On A47; take Brundall turn at r'about. Turn R into Postwick Lane at T-junction. Adm £4, chd free. Combined with 16 Witton Lane adm £5.50.  In the centre of Brundall Gardens, a series of ponds descends through a wooded valley to the shore of a lake. Steep paths wind through a variety of shrubs and flowers in season, which attract every kind of wildlife.

16 WITTON LANE
Sun 27 Mar (11-4).
 Little Plumstead NR13 5DL. 5m E of Norwich. From B1140 Norwich to Acle rd after railway xing, turn R at 2nd Xrds, signed Little Plumstead next to Brick Kilns PH. Take 2nd L into School Lane, then 2nd R into Witton Lane. From A47 Norwich to Yarmouth rd take L signed Witton Green & Great Plumstead just pass pylons. Then 1st R into Witton Lane keep going for 1½m, garden on L. Home-made teas. Adm £2.50, chd free; Combined with Lake House adm £5.50.

An ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ for the alpine and woodland plant enthusiast. Tiny garden with wide range of rare and unusual plants will be of great interest with its species tulips, daffodils, scillas, dog violets, many more bulbous plants and an abundance of trilliums and wood anemones. A garden indeed for the plant specialist. National Collection of Muscari.

Charities supported include: Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices, Crossroads, The Queen’s Nursing Institute, The Royal Fund for Gardeners’ Children, National Trust (gardeners’ careerships ) and Perennial.
 
Founded in 1927, the NGS has raised more than £25million for charity in the last 10 years.
Last year Norfolk raised more than £65,000 as well as raising additional funds for local charities nominated by the garden owners.

For more information visit www.ngs.org.uk  or pick up a guide from your local tourist information centre, garden centre or nursery.

Climate change, economic recession, rising fuel and house prices. The challenges we face as society today are huge, and understanding them is a challenge in itself! Transition Norwich is part of a global movement to face these challenges, at the same time as building a local community that will resist the global shocks of peak oil (rising oil prices) and the international credit crunch.

To help us understand these challenges and what we can do about it, Transition Norwich have invited Nicole Foss to talk at the United Reform Church on Friday 25th March at 7.45. All Welcome.

Nicole Foss, under the pseudonym Stoneleigh, is co-editor of the blog The Automatic Earth, which has been chronicling and interpreting the on-going credit crunch and the economic climate that has allowed it to happen. She brings together finance, energy, environment, psychology, population and real politik in order to explain why we find ourselves in a state of crisis and what we can do about it. Her presentations are gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat!

To find out more about Transition Norwich visit www.transitionnorwich.org or contact: training@transitionnorwich.org

Please also visit www.norfolkmailing.info for information about this and other events.

And, with strong evidence linking salt intake to high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks, men across the county are being encouraged to reduce the amount of salt they eat.

Dr Jenny Harries, Joint Director of Public Health for NHS Norfolk & Norfolk County Council, said: “Heart attack and stroke are among the most common causes of death for men in Norfolk. On average, men consume more salt than women and are more likely to suffer high blood pressure. However men are least likely to see their GP for high blood pressure. Older people and those from some ethnic minority backgrounds are at particular risk.


“It’s important that we don’t eat more than the recommended daily salt limit of 6g, which is the equivalent of one teaspoon, because in addition to heart attack and stroke, a high salt diet may also be linked to osteoporosis and cancer of the stomach, as well as making the symptoms of asthma worse.


“However, it can be difficult to know how much salt is in the food we eat, as food labelling isn’t always easy to understand.


“The foods containing most salt are generally processed foods like ready meals, takeaway foods, processed meats like ham and bacon and smoked foods like smoked salmon.


“All salt, including table, rock and sea salt should be used in moderation. If you like the taste of salt why not try using alternative flavourings such as herbs, spices or mustard powder?


“It can be difficult at first to get used to eating food without salt, however you should give it a go as you’ll end up tasting the real food as well as reaping the benefits of a healthier diet.”

How do I work out how much salt is in a product if it is not labelled?

All labels give sodium and some now salt. To find out how much salt is in a given quantity of sodium, you have to multiply by 2.5.

How do I know when shopping which are low and high salted foods?
< 0.1g sodium is low
0.2 - 0.4g sodium is medium
0.5g sodium is high based on per 100g of food

Will my taste buds adapt to eating less salt and how long will it take?

Yes, you will find that after adapting to eating less salt your taste buds will become more sensitive to salt and within 3-4 weeks you will have adjusted and dislike the taste of salty food. Food tastes far better when it is fresh and has not had salt added.

You can find out more about World Salt Awareness Week 2011 at www.worldactiononsalt.com and www.actiononsalt.org.uk/salthealth/index.html

Who should pay our Debts?

Individual newspapers and other sections of the media all have their different ways of presenting the predicament the country is in and how it got there. They do all agree that we have a massive debt that has to be addressed but strongly disagree on how we should go about it.

This is not surprising because those that were elected strongly disagreed with each other’s opinions of what must be done to remedy the situation. Some say it should be the better off who make up the bulk of the deficit, while others reply, [diplomatically], that it ought to be the masses who adjust their lifestyle and find the money that is needed.

With the majority of people already in debt, often as a result of following and acting on the advice they have been given by those in authority, there is unlikely to be very much to be had from them. It is successive Government’s legislation, with the support of the media, that’s responsible for the increase in personal greed and the indifference shown towards the needs of others in our communities today.

Perhaps it is time for someone to look at the real cause of the current situation to see what can and has to be done about it.

Did You Know?

For generations this Country has been in debt as a result of successive governments having to borrow to meet their election promises. Between the wars the Country was in recession and communities had very little: – Some barely enough to survive on. What other way could the funds have been raised to prepare and go to war for six years?

At that time people had got used to deriving their greatest pleasures from those things they had to save and wait for. This not only applied to personal things but also essentials needed for the community, like schools, hospitals etc. There were none of the allowances we get today. Nor did they have the NHS that we all now take for granted.


Families considered themselves lucky if they were able to feed and clothe their children and very few grew up without having to make do with hand me downs at some time in their young lives. Things were often passed on from family to family. Food came first and it was not unusual for produce from the allotments to be shared between neighbours.

People were very close and everyone living in the street knew and befriended one another. They had to because there were always occasions when they only had each other to depend on. All their joys and sorrows were shared and consequently they were free of the envy and greed that seems to exist in all walks of life today. When one family celebrated all their friends and neighbours joined in. If they were sad there was always a helping hand and lots of shoulders to cry on.

Today we seem to confuse what we want with what we need and that which is essential. It is interesting to read of the war years relating to how people coped when there was so little food and other necessities available. Lots of the time they had to accept what the shopkeeper gave them. Except for people like farm workers who were given some extra rations, no matter how much money they had, the food ration was the same for all.


There was no way next weeks coupons could be used in advance, building up a debt as you can with most things today. People soon adapted and as more and more of the young men had to leave home, families and friends were drawn even closer together. Everyone had similar problems and through it all they did their best to remain cheerful as they laughed cried and sang together.


In days gone by those fortunate enough to make a lot of money reinvested it so it circulated and was a benefit to the whole Community, creating jobs etc. Where do the profits go today? Much of it seems to go out of the country and does little or no good for those people who helped to make it. What happened to the owners of our Mills, Mines, Shipyards, Steel works etc. etc. Most of their profits were ploughed back into the business.

Today, private companies, many of who seem to be owned by other countries, have money and are always looking to expand in order to make even more. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all settle for having just enough to be both financially and emotionally comfortable. Unfortunately, there are always those that want more and the old saying, ‘The more you have the more you want’ was never more appropriate.


We have to have progress but when something is successful and giving a reasonable profit, why do they have to continue to try and take business from each other and expect to have more every year? Why can’t they just stay as they are and be content to enjoy and make the most what they already have.

Perhaps we should try harder to follow the example of our grandparents and find the contentment they enjoyed and shared in spite of the difficulties that confronted them.