Breaking News Newsletter for Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnership Scheme
October 2015
A newsflash for project partners and participants with news items , project updates, special features and forthcoming events.
Brecks Building Skills
Projects Round-up
Are you interested in learning how to look after heritage buildings? Then come along to a series of inspiring day schools organised and delivered by Orchard Barn CIC.
Topping Out Ceremony To celebrate the completion of last year’s beautiful bench/shelter at West Stow, a topping out ceremony was held, as well as an official opening by BNG Chairman Lisa Chambers.
Following last year’s very successful Brecks Building Skills workshops, a second series will be taking place over this winter, starting on the 17th October at West Stow AngloSaxon Village You can learn how to use traditional mortars, make wooden frames and shingles, get stuck in mixing renders out of earth, clay and lime or find out how to use earth as a building material. Each workshop costs just £5 per person! Booking for the six workshops has now opened, so to find out more and book your place, visit www.tinyurl.com/bbsworkshops
Sandlines This project has now finished and was rounded off with a poetry reading evening at Brandon Country Park and the production of a poetry pamphlet (see inside for more) Reed Fen Lodge dig The Breckland Society carried out an archaeological dig to look for the site of Reed Fen Lodge, and excitingly they have discovered the remains of the building! Wildlife Recorders of Tomorrow Norfolk’s Environmental Records Centre (Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service - NBIS) is looking for new volunteers to help record the distinctive biodiversity of Brecks, which studies have already shown is a nationally and internationally important hotspot for rarities. To find out more, please register your interest by emailing nbis@norfolk.gov.uk
www.breakingnewground.org.uk
Project Focus A6 (4) Perfect Peace: Brecks Short Film
moved to a house in Thetford. The second day This month we’ve been really excited to be involved included filming at Thetford Warren Lodge and a Croxton pig farm with the support in the pre-production and production of “Perfect of local farmers. In the evening of the Peace” a short film set in the Brecks. Members of second day and for the whole of the the community have also been involved in the planning and organisation of the project with special third day, filming took place at Brandon roles allocated for volunteers. Filming locations were Country Park. Much of the land is an area of all within the Brecks, and costumes and props were obtained from members of the community, local government bodies and industries.
A three day shoot was held 23-25 September with a number of young people shadowing the crew and learning about the film production process. The most respected production company in the area Ember films - were enlisted to help us capture the landscape, and the history of the area. The Ember production team work all over the world and produce wildlife documentaries for BBC.
The shoot was due to last from 8am-8pm on each day but over ran due to the creativity of the team and more exciting methods of filming available due to the amount of kit that Ember brought with them. The first day was filmed on Forestry Commission land and supported by a local business who use the land – Combat Paintball. Filming then
outstanding natural beauty and of historical importance; these elements were referred to in the actual script. Ten local volunteers have been involved on the project, including two of the actors A local resident of Brandon loaned her Land Rover for the shoot. The owners of Croxton farm loaned their land and came along. Two young women worked as part of the crew on a voluntary basis, helping in the shoot activities and make up. One worked in the art department and built a life size model of the actor and a local man was responsible for catering. We
hope to be releasing the film for everyone to see in Spring next year, so we will keep you posted with any updates!
Project Focus Sandlines Poetry Evening Brandon Country Park Participants of the Sandlines poetry workshops gathered at Brandon Country Park on the evening of the 18th September. They performed the wonderful poetry they had written and celebrated the hard work put in by all involved. A pamphlet of poetry has been produced which will soon be available for everyone to download from our website.
Upcoming Events: Introduction to Plants—Barnham Cross Common—3rd Oct 10:30–12:30 BioBlitz Wildlife Survey—Brandon Country Park—11th Oct10:00–15:00 People’s History of Thetford Forest Norfolk Records Office Visit—16th Oct 14:00-16:00 Mortar The Point (Brecks Building Skills)—West Stow—17th Oct 10:00-16:00 Wild Activities at High Lodge Forest Centre—27th and 29th Oct 11:00-15:00 Find out more and book at http://www.breakingnewground.org.uk/events
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Picture of the Month Filming “Perfect Peace”
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What the Brecks Means to Me... I used to drive up and down the A14 between Newmarket and Bury, and along the A11 to Norwich, oblivious to the world going on beyond the twisted Scots Pines edging the roads. After six years working here, I have discovered some of the secretive, fascinating world I’d been missing. To me now the Brecks is both the broad landscape of heaths and busy agricultural fields and the fascinating species that inhabit these places. I love the heaths, which reflect the changing of seasons with their changing colours. I find myself on hands and knees looking at tiny Breck flowers, often miniature to cope with the Brecks poor soil; dry, cold climate and to beat the teeth of grazing animals. I catch my breath at the stunning blue of a miniature Breckland speedwell flower, or the exquisite colouring of eyebright seen through my hand lens. Then there are stone curlews, which I spend my time working with. With their long yellow legs, knobbly knees and large yellow eyes, they creep across the flinty ground doing their best not to be seen. On the farms and heaths on which they nest, I see them as ‘my’ birds. I want to know what they are about, I want to know whether their eggs are hatched and if their chicks are fledged. I am delighted when chicks I have colour ringed return safely to breed themselves. I grin as I pass a field, knowing that a pair of these birds are in there, guarding eggs, bringing up young. I love it too when people come to Cavenham Heath in late August and September to see these birds as they gather before flying off for the winter. I delight in people’s excitement at seeing them and we share the thrill of hearing their weird calls as they fly off at dusk to feed. (I’m also glad people will go to Weeting Heath, which Norfolk Wildlife Trust has set up so people can see stone-curlews during the summer, to avoid disturbing them elsewhere.) My grandfather farmed in the Fens. As a small child I stood by him as he hoed rows of onions or beet by hand. The Brecks to me now is also the people I have come to know who are rooted here: farmers who are glad to know how ‘their’ birds are doing, the tractor driver who laughingly flaps his arms at me like a bird as he passes me, the gamekeeper who breaks off his lunch break to pull my vehicle out of a muddy hole! Out here in the Brecks my soul has space to breathe, to delight, to wonder – and to just be.
Jo Jones, Stone Curlew Field Worker Volunteer (RSPB), Wings over the Brecks Project
Get your project noticed!
“The experience was fantastic. I’ve learned so much from everyone involved and it was invaluable. I now have photos for my website and enjoyed the chance to get some hands on work experience.” Liane Day, Volunteer Make-Up Artist , Perfect Peace film
If there is something that you would like included in the next newsletter, please send details to Amy and Martina by 23rd October BNG.Admin@suffolk.gov.uk
Breaking New Ground c/o Visitor Centre, Brandon Country Park, Bury Road, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0SU 01842 815465 e: bng.admin@suffolk.gov.uk t: @TheBrecksBNG f: TheBrecksBNG. w: www.breakingnewground.org.uk