JANUARY 2023 About Thetford magazine

Looking Ahead To 2023

he anuary edition is always a difficult month for us to pull together. ith the printers closing down during the festive brea , we have to get the final maga ine proof to them much earlier than normal. s a result, less has happened during the month to write about before we have to give the green light to get printing underway! Despite this and a number of other challenges there s much inside this month s edition that will be of interest.

he ew ear is often a time to set yourself a new challenge or try new things. e re very fortunate in hetford to have so many groups and activities to choose from, so why not get in touch with a group featured inside? Let us know how you get on!

May I take this opportunity to wish all of our advertisers, contributors and supporters a appy and prosperous New Year. Thank you for your continued support and loo forward to wor ing with you all during the year ahead.

erry ermy, ditor, bout hetford maga ine

Stay Warm And Well This Winter

Local health and care organisations in Norfolk have launched a new ‘Warm and Well’ campaign to help residents stay as well as possible during the cold months ahead.

The campaign encourages Norfolk residents to look after their health and wellbeing by preparing for winter illnesses and increase their confidence in knowing how to deal with any illnesses if they need to. Additionally, the campaign aims to support people to stay warm this winter by raising awareness of the wide range of winter hardship support that is available locally to help them keep warm. Created in partnership with the local NHS, county council, district councils and the wider health and care system, the campaign will help people understand how they can best protect their health and support their mental wellbeing during this challenging time.

The Warm and Well campaign promotes some of the essential ways that residents can stay healthy, warm and well this winter, including: etting their u and OV vaccinations

- Encouraging people to make their homes more energy efficient and signposting to the hardship support that is available

- Keeping themselves well this winter by staying warm, keeping active, and keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet so they are prepared for common winter illnesses ncouraging use of the service, community pharmacies, inor n uries nits, and GP practice services instead of going to A&E

- Supporting people to look after their mental health

A new online portal has been created where people will find ey information and resources to help them stay warm and well this winter. esidents will be able to find information about topics such as winter hardship resources, plus

information on what types of health services they can access for their health needs, health and wellbeing advice, as well as mental health advice and support services which can be especially important during the challenging winter months. Health and care leaders are encouraging all residents to make use of these resources to support their health during a challenging winter and help reduce pressure on local health services. ricia Orsi, hief urse at orfol and Waveney, said “We are facing a tough winter as OV is still with us and the u virus is circulating. Vaccines are the best protection we have against these serious and deadly illnesses. encourage everyone to get protected this winter by ta ing up the OV booster and the u vaccine, which is now free for people aged over 50 and available at community pharmacies”. This winter it is more important than ever that we keep practicing good infection prevention and control measures to help reduce the risk of transmitting and catching viruses. Washing your hands thoroughly with warm soap and water for 20 seconds and using hand sanitiser regularly while out in public will help protect you and those around you from serious winter illnesses.”

For more information on the Warm and Well campaign and to access the winter health and wellbeing resources, visit: www.winterwellnorfolkwaveney.co.uk

More Than Just A Museum

In 1924, Prince Frederick Duleep Singh gave the Ancient House Museum to the people of Thetford. The museum has evolved over the decades to become the beautiful, atmospheric attraction that it is today. The building and its collection are managed by a team from Norfolk Museums Service, headed by Curator Oliver Bone. Regular readers of About Thetford will be familiar with many of the projects that the team have worked on and town events that they have taken part in. Throughout all of these projects the museum is very fortunate to have the support of its Friends organisation. The friends group brings together like-minded people who are passionate about Thetford’s past and future. Thousands of people visit the Ancient House each year to admire its rich and diverse collections, some of which have been generously purchased by the Friends for the museum. The Friends have also supported the educational work at the museum, and many long standing Friends have been volunteers in the past and enjoy a close relationship with the museum.

Becoming a Friend at Ancient House also comes with a pac age of benefits. he riends have a special series of talks and two social events throughout the year. The talks are entertaining and focus on our local heritage. This year the talk programme includes insights into Viking Thetford and the local industries along the riverside. nother benefit in oining riends is free access to the Ancient House all year round and a 10% discount in all Norfolk Museums Service shops and museums.

The Friends have their own committee which meets several times a year and is supported by Oliver Bone. All Friends are invited to the AGM and new members are always welcome.

Glow Up History Special at Ancient House

Thursday 5th January 2023, 10.30am to 2pm Workshop for 13-25 year olds Recreating iconic make up looks from history and making a zine about it.

Ever wondered how Boudicca made her ferocious blue face paint or why Queen Elizabeth 1st kept her face so white? Why Georgians had mice in their makeup kits? What David Bowie’s lightning bolt was all about ome along and find out then have a go yourself. There might be an instant camera involved too!

To book visit: https://bit.ly/3UXC93u

Follow us on social media or check our website for events information: www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/ancient-house

THETFORD ARE HIRING

For over 85 years, we have pioneered significant medical innovations that transform healthcare.

All of our employees perform a critical role in helping us deliver lifesaving and life-sustaining products for our patients in the UK and Ireland.

We are currently recruiting in the below sectors:

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Baxter is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

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If you want to join us in our mission to save and sustain lives, please visit our careers page:

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Local Author Inspired By Love Of History And Motorsport

Wretham based Bryan Lightbody is a former career Policeman, oyal Protection Officer and previously worked for MI5 when he was also an army reservist. He also spent seven years as a police advanced car and motorcycle instructor, a dream job for a ‘petrolhead’, and complementing his interest in motorsport.

or the last fifteen years he has also struc out with a secondary career as a historical novelist, specialising in plots that he has professional knowledge of. He currently works as a security advisor in matters of personal close protection, and a military and motorsport historian alongside his writing. ryan has ust published his first non fiction wor Motorsport’s Military Heroes’ with Pen & Sword Books. Available now, it has already received critical acclaim in the UK and USA. The boo profiles motorsport stars who too to the race trac after their service in military con ict.

Motorsport has many iconic names attached to it. It has many that are celebrated as heroes in their chosen sport. However, what perhaps is less well known is how many of the motorsport icons of the twentieth century carried out acts of real life bravery, many during war time, but some in sel ess acts of bravery in saving the lives of their fellow competitors. Some of the iconic names of motorsport are lin ed to the great con icts of the twentieth century.

Enzo Ferrari served during World War One, the most revered of the 1920s Bentley Boys were all World War One veterans such as John Duff, Bernard Rubin, Woolf Barnato, Sammy Davis and len idston. orld ar One merican ying ace Eddie Rickenbacker was an Indianapolis 500 racing driver. Muriel Thompson, who became a World War One ambulance driver, was not only a chauffeur for suffragette Emeline Pankhurst, but raced at Brooklands before the war. Commentator Murray Walker was a World War Two tank commander and fellow commentator Raymond a ter was a pitfire pilot who was mentioned in dispatches for bravery. Carroll Shelby was a United States Army Airforce pilot and instructor with a reputation for great leadership. His friend, engineer and racing driver Ken Miles, served throughout the war as a specialist in tank recovery, landing as part of the D-Day operations. These are just a few of the most notable names from a group of men and women who ris ed all in con ict, before risking all on the track featured in the book.

Bryan with his new book in Mount Street gardens, Mayfair. The same location as a picture of the Bentley Boys featured in his new book

One of those included also has a Norfolk link. Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin one of the 1920s Bentley Boys, portrayed on TV by Rowan Atkinson, was a resident for several years at Tacolneston Hall.

Motorsport’s Military Heroes can be purchased from all good bookshops including Not Just Books.

The deadline for receipt of contributions to the February 2023 editon of About Thetford is 15th January. Send your contribution to: aboutthetfordmagazine@googlemail.com

Welcome to 2023, a NEW year and our NEW Hanging by a Thread wellbeing workshops. Discover how to create and make DIY beauty products, creative lettering, felting and Indian hand block printing. Priced at just £20 (£15 when booking more than one session) we provide all you will need. Spaces are limited and don’t worry about being highly skilled, this is all about the sheer enjoyment of making with others and having fun!

Thetford Calendar

Calendars were once again hugely popular, grab the last few whilst you can.

Events

Shoestring Theatre present their panto Snow White panto on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 February Tickets are reasonably priced at £6 - £8 and under 3’s go FREE.

The incredibly talented George Harrison Project arrive in Thetford on Saturday 25 February, what better way to celebrate what would have been George’s 80th birthday? Don’t miss it!

Whether you are an ELO fan or just don’t know it yet, you will definitely not be disappointed by The ELO Encounter who return to Thetford on Saturday 4 March with their brilliant show. If you’re quick, you can grab the last few places for the February and MarchGhost Walks. The QR code below takes you to all events on our box office.

U3A Members Look Ahead To 2023

Firstly, a very Happy New Year to all our members! October was tinged with some regret as our long term supporter left his role at the Carnegie Rooms to inaugurate his new business, a video café in Norwich. Our speaker for that month was Bryan Thurlow with his take on evacuees during the second world war as viewed through the eyes of an icon of ondon s east end, and a very fine performance it was too. Turning to November our speaker was Andy Malcolm who spoke about The Fisherman’s Mission, a very worthy charity which supports deep sea fishermen in times of need. Not only did he speak he also read a poem and heartily rendered a couple of sea shanties

During November, there was also a lunchtime quiz which was well attended with some twelve teams taking part. It was a lively affair won ultimately by The Square Pegs. Thanks to Lesley Braund for organising this event. We also had the Thetford U3A Christmas party which was well supported with the revellers enjoying some handsome festive fare. They were also treated to some seasonal music beautifully played and sung by members of Thetford’s own music group.

Turning to the coming month, our speaker is Horry Parsons who is booked to deliver his second part of the Bury Tower. This will be, as usual, the fourth Thursday in the month – January 26th at 2pm at the Carnegie Rooms.

Police Commissioner Coming To Thetford In January

Are you keen to know more about policing in Norfolk? If so, why not pop along to speak directly to your Police and Crime Commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie.

Giles is holding a series of engagement events across the county to chat to residents about the current and future challenges facing policing in Norfolk. His visit to Thetford was due to take place in December but was postponed due to “unforseen circumstances”.

The rearranged visit will be on Thursday 5th January, between 10am - 1pm at Thetford Library on Raymond Street. Giles will be at the library with local officers and is een to spea to as many people as possible about any policing concerns, they may have, while gauging public opinion and perception of the police as well as highlighting resourcing challenges and requirements.

For more info, see: www.norfolk-pcc.gov.uk

Joy As Slow Cooker Target Reached

A project led by a group of Councillors in Thetford to help tackle the cost-of-living crisis has reached its target of gifting fifty slow coo ers to residents.

It is estimated a slow cooker saves a family on average £300 per year on utility bills when compared against the cost of using a standard oven. aving seen for themselves at their regular surgeries how local people were struggling, Councillors were moved to raise the funds needed to purchase and donate the coo ers. f all of the appliances are used to their full potential, the saving to Thetford families could be as high as , a year in utility costs.

Councillor Terry Land, Breckland Councillor for the Boudica Ward said; “We wanted to do something that was both practical and provided ongoing support. low coo ers have become very popular this autumn as people have switched to cheaper ways of coo ing .

Thetford based organisations that received the slow cookers were: Thetford Foodbank, Doves Nest Ministries, Thetford and District Dementia upport, row ids, eet p af en amin oundation and the urrell hop.

Each organisation was responsible for matching the slow cookers with appropriate families or individuals in need. ncluded in the donation was a cookbook as well as an invitation to a free slow cooker cooking class so those receiving the machine could ma imise their use of it.

i e owndrow, anager of the eet p afe said; “We were delighted to be allocated ten slow cookers and have been making them available to families that we wor with. young mum said to us that she had been looking at buying one but with money so tight she ust couldn t afford it. he said being gifted one was li e hristmas had come early .

Busy Time For Residents Group

Norwich Road Estate Residents Association (NRRA) is a group that aims to make the estate a great place to live by fostering a strong sense of community through shared activities. The group is well known for its monthly Saturday morning litter picks and received recognition from Thetford Town Council’s ‘In Bloom’ awards this year. During the December session the group collected fourteen bags of rubbish, one hubcap and a Mercedes badge over one hour. The litter picks are one of many activities the Association has organised on the estate. Following complaints from residents about cars going too fast along Churchill Road they also purchased some stickers to remind drivers of the speed limit. These have been placed on bins that are put out on the main road only. In November the underpass at Croxton Road was given a good clean to remove offensive graffiti, along with two large bags of litter. Members were joined by six young people who are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh award along with Boudica Ward’s Thetford Town Councillors, Dave Hodgkinson, Mac MacDonald and Barbara Tullet.

The Association has recently installed a defibrillator for the estate, purchased through fundraising which was quickly raised over a period

of three wee s. he defibrillator has been installed at the Church On The Way and was unveiled by the Mayor of Thetford, Councillor Jane James recently. The church was also the venue for the annual Christmas Carol Service and Light Switch On for residents.

NRRA Chair, Sue Macdonald said, “This is a fantastic area of Thetford to live in and we are blessed to have a caring and interactive community.” The Association meets on the last Thursday of each month (no meetings in August and December), at the Church On The Way. The meetings start at 7.30pm. The next meeting is on January 26th 2023.

Members of Norwich Road Estate Residents Association along with D of E participants after cleaning up Croxton Road underpass

Dementia Adventure Support Fund

We’re hearing from many families and carers that they need a break now more than ever. It’s clear that our holidays are more than a luxury — they’re a necessity. But we know affording a holiday isn’t always easy, especially during a cost of living crisis. We aim to deliver our supported holidays to as many people who need them as possible, but we know that not everybody can afford the cost of our holidays even at our subsidised prices. That's why we created the Dementia Adventure Support Fund. The fund is especially for those who really need the type of break that we offer, but wouldn't be able to fund it on their own. We can use the fund to contribute towards the cost of the holiday itself or towards anything that is creating a barrier to someone taking a holiday. In the past, we have used it to pay for transport to get to and from a holiday; for clothing like shoes and coats; and personal care.

In order to be considered for the Support Fund, you or the person you are caring for must have a formal dementia diagnosis, live in the UK, and be unable to pay the listed prices on our website. However, we do understand that everyone’s circumstances are different, so as long as these three key criteria are met then we will consider you. Below is a list of some of the things we might consider when reviewing your eligibility for the Fund, but don’t be put off if you think you have a reason for receiving funding from the Support Fund that isn’t represented – get in touch and we will do our best to help you. We will always consider everyone on an individual basis.

Possible Eligibility Criteria:

ou haven t had a holiday in a significant period of time.

- The reason you haven’t been able to go on holiday is due to lac of finances.

- You have applied or are planning on applying for additional funding elsewhere.

The Dementia Support Fund could help you and your loves one enjoy a much-needed holiday

ou are receiving means tested benefits. ou have not previously accessed financial support through the Dementia Adventure Support Fund within the last 12 months.

ou will significantly gain from having a Dementia Adventure supported holiday, in a way that will contribute to your wellbeing beyond the duration of the holiday itself.

If you are eligible for funding, we’ll ask that you allow us to use your holiday story in order to give others an idea of the impact that a Dementia Adventure holiday can have.

If you’d like to apply for funding for part or all of your holiday from the Dementia Adventure Support Fund, please get in touch. We’ll have a chat about your circumstances and then take next steps from there.

For more information, contact the Dementia Adventure Support Fund: Call us: 01245 237548 - lines are normally open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Email us: info@dementiaadventure.co.uk

Write to us: Dementia Adventure, Unit 11 Old Park Farm, Main Road, Ford End, Essex, CM3 1LN

Thetford Parkinsons Group

The next meeting is on Tuesday 10th January in the Engine Room Cafe at Charles Burrell Centre (Staniforth Road, IP24 3LH) We will meet between 11am and 1pm. For more information, please contact June on 07771637821

Centre Looks Ahead To New Year

At the dawn of a new year the team at the Charles Burrell Centre look forward to welcoming old and new friends alike to the many events and activities that are planned for 2023.

ut firstly the team at the entre would li e to say a big thank you to everyone who supported our events over the Christmas period. In particular a big thanks to those who donated to our reverse calendar appeal which allowed us to make up nearly fifty hampers which were able to be delivered before Christmas Day. And thank you to everyone who joined in our ‘Inspiring Angels’ project. In addition to the wooden angels we had paper angels and some amazing knitted angels. These messengers of hope were to be found in some surprising parts of the Centre.

We had a wonderful Christmas Community Dinner which provided for double the numbers we normally cater for. We continue our Community Dinners in 2023 every Tuesday at 5pm with the first of the ew ear being on th anuary.

The Burrell Shop had a busy run up to Christmas and it re uired considerable effort to confirm a suitable supply. Hopefully everyone managed to have a treat or two. For 2023 we have some changes in the shop including an increased frozen range of foods. An exciting new offer will be the installation of self dispenser stand for dry goods and liquids. Many will have seen them in health food shops. This will allow us to buy in bulk and then provide the quantity through self service that each shop member needs rather than a prepackaged size. Manager, Steph Woods would like to hear from you if you have a few hours to spare and can volunteer in the shop; either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Please do get in touch. Remember, the opening times have changed slightly; Tuesday 2pm - 6pm which coincides with our community dinner ednesday am pm and hursday am pm which coincides with Citizens Advice being at the Centre.

The Burrell Training kitchen ran a wide range of courses and events in the lead up to Christmas including a wonderful cake decorating course and a thirty minute chicken dinner. We have some really interesting looking experiences and courses running through anuary to aster. hese include a curry making evening, a soup making lunchtime experience and an opportunity to make the perfect dessert. In addition to volunteers for the shop we are also looking for volunteers to help in the Community Café and our Training Kitchen.

Do you have a couple of hours a week that you could give to the community? If so, get in touch.

Many of the tenants at the Centre do amazing things and we try and celebrate their successes where we can. One notable success has been entre tage ance entre who became ational hampions ust before hristmas. ou may have seen this news on their social media but we just wanted to say how proud we are of icole and all the dancers.

She Dance Exercises QP Advert 12.19.qxp_Layout 1 0

i hapman, harles urrell entre nik@charlesburrellcentre.org.uk

Since 2011

Barclays Bank - one of the organisations that provides a pop up service in the Engine Room Cafe

usi olle tion enefits Young Musicans

Thetford resident Dennis Brewer accumulated a large collection of music scores over the many years he was an active musician. When he stopped playing through ill health, Dennis knew some of the scores were collectable and wanted them to be put to good use. He particularly wanted to help young people access music, and during a conversation with a friend, hatched a plan to create a small legacy from his collection.

Thetford Music Project (TMP) was suggested as an ideal beneficiary. P offers young people from across Thetford and the surrounding area the opportunity to learn an instrument or sing and perform with others. The collection was catalogued by Ann Smith, Director of TMP before being sold by auctioneer Sam Royall from BA Royall Antiques & Collectables. Sam went the e tra mile, researching the scores and finding the best auctions to place them in. The collection was broken down into several lots with Sam selling some himself and other lots being placed in specialist music auctions. Over several months the various sales amounted to £135 for TMP.

Thetford Music Project were delighted to receive Dennis’ donation; Ann Smith said, “I want to say a big thank you to Dennis and Sam. The money will be spent on more ukuleles and some new TMP T-shirts for our younger members. Some of our families with more than one child struggle financially and this would benefit them greatly.

Sam said he had enjoyed researching the collection. “It was an interesting collection, Dennis had some first edition and collectable chubert, Chopin, Mozart and Tchaikovsky scores. I’m pleased to have been able to help Dennis and hetford usic Pro ect.

Lili and Zoe from Thetford Music Project using two of the new ukuleles

Industry Award For Business

Camvac Limited are proud to announce that they won the Best SME Turnaround Award 2022 at the annual IFT awards ceremony in London. This award is testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire Camvac Team.

The judges felt the storytelling behind Camvac’s history and its adaptation to a changing marketplace was particularly compelling. Camvac is an excellent example of a full business turnaround effected in an active manufacturing environment, which covered the escalating pressures of 2022 – namely the Russia/ Ukraine con ict, in ation and energy and raw material process increases.

“I am very proud, and this is fantastic recognition for everyone’s hard work and commitment over the past three years.” said Greg Kingham, CEO of Camvac.

Camvac is one of the leading global suppliers of metallised films and clear barrier films and laminates for a wide range of Food Packaging, Liquid Packaging (Bag-in-Box Solutions), Medical Applications, Construction, and Insulation products. Being at the forefront of technological developments, Camvac works closely with their customers to develop new high barrier products within the e ible film, laminates and pac aging sectors. Located on Burrell Way, in Thetford, Camvac operates four metallising lines and

three of the largest lamination lines in the world on a 24/5 production operation. The company’s metallising lines are capable of Aluminium, Copper, and Aluminium Oxide vacuum deposition. amvac s laminating lines are proficient in solvent, solventless and thermal laminate production.

amvac s metallised films and laminates can be found in a wide range of consumer end products and packaging, from lidding on ready-meals to films within construction insulation. amvac s Cam-Brands are recognised globally and showcase Camvac’s reputation for product quality and innovation

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Lauren, Mark & Sam Skinner

Camvac Management team collecting their award, from left: Jim Oddie Operations Director, Greg Kingham CEO, Keith Chapman, Chairman, Andrew Smith, Head of Sales, Gary Chalkley, Development Director.

New Venture For Local Businessman

Luke Carroll is a familiar face in Thetford having owned and operated the town’s Subway shop for 16 years. Looking for a new challenge, Luke decided he wanted to return to his technical ‘roots’ and having enjoyed working with customers, he decided to become a locksmith. “Locksmithing was the perfect choice for me. I grew up around the building industry but was more interested in the engineering side. Locks are almost like a puzzle for me.” Luke loves the complexity of locks; his current challenge is to make a key from scratch for an old Chubb lock.

Luke says that he tries to work on locks as nondestructively as possible, without drilling through locks as it saves the customer money. “If I can open your door without destroying your lock, we can reuse it.” Some national companies will send someone who will drill straight away, this method is easier and quicker for the company rather than being in the customer’s best interest. “I feel really good if can find ways to save people a little bit of money,” Luke continued, “I just want to do a good job and make people happy.” Luke is a member of the Master Locksmith Association. All locksmiths approved by the Master Locksmiths Association are vetted, (including criminal records check via the Disclosure and Barring Service), inspected and fully ualified having passed the e am.

Lock East can be found on Thetford market on Tuesdays from 9am – 1pm (subject to emergency call outs) for all your key cutting requirements.

Lock East also offers a full service for home security including door and window locks and handles, CCTV alarms, lock repairs and upgrades and is a RING doorbell approved installer. Luke says people are getting higher grade locks these days not only to provide additional security but also to reduce their insurance premiums. Lock East also provides commercial services including mastering key suiting and landlord services.

“At Lock East we pride ourselves on providing a good local service and we’re here for the community. If you have any issues with your locks, get in touch so we can help. The beauty of being mobile is that I have everything I need on my van and can go to customers rather than them having to come to me as you would with a traditional shop.”

For more information about Lock East visit: Website: www.lockeast.co.uk Facebook: @lockeastlocksmiths

Happy New Year From Not Just Books

As Sara Coleridge wrote “January brings the snow, ma es our feet and fingers glow and what better to do than hunker down on a snowy evening with a book and a mug of something warming? We look forward to helping you with all your book requirements in 2023 and wish you all a peaceful new year!

As you know, we like to champion our fantastic local authors and we’ve got loads of lovely and local news for you. Firstly, Reynard Reads book club favourite, Kate Sawyer popped in to see us recently with a proof copy of her second novel This Family which will be published 11th May. Jude has the proof first and is really e cited We’ll keep you posted as to when Kate will be back in the shop for signings later in the year.

e t, we have another local author and we jumped at the chance to stock this book given all the great motorsport interest locally. Bryan Lightbody is a military and motorsport historian and his book Motorsport’s Military Heroes lifts the lid on the lesser know acts of service iconic motorsports names undertook during both WW1 and WW2. We’re also planning a talk with Bryan so watch out on our social media feeds for details. (See page 9 for more details about Bryan’s book).

inally, we re very e cited to have been invited to sell books at an upcoming event at hetford ibrary with lly riffith in conversation about her latest instalment in the Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries: The Last Remains. Eagle eyed local residents will notice that it’s the beautiful St Mary’s Church in Weeting featured on the cover and we’ll be donating a percentage from our sales of this book to support their fundraising efforts for urgent ceiling repairs. The event is scheduled for 1st February 12.30pm - 2pm and booking is directly with the library.

s always, we li e to share our pic s of the fiction and children’s releases for the month. January’s Indie Book of the Month The Things That We Lost by Jyoti Patel is the debut novel from the winner of the Merky Books New Writers’ Prize and is a

Local author Kate Sawyer visted Not Just Books with a coveted proof copy of her second novel

beautifully tender e ploration of family, loss and the lengths to which we go to protect the ones we love.

The January Children’s Book of the Month title is All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr. This is a big-hearted, magical story about sisterhood and a family finding their way in a new place.

Did you know that Not Just Books is part of the National Book Tokens scheme? That means that you can purchase National Book Tokens from us and redeem those gift cards that you got for Christmas!

Happy reading!

Christmas Joy Delivered By Thetford Singers

Thetford Singers Winter Concert often marks the beginning of Christmas for many in the town and this year was no exception. Despite performing in challenging circumstances, and missing the Thursday Nights ladies, the Singers were at the top of their game. Musical Director Chris Parson, accompanied by Fiona Barnett on keyboard and Simon Barnett on percussion, introduced each song, including a selection of much loved carols for the audience to join in, in the presence of Mayor of Thetford, Councillor Jane James.

The programme took the audience on a whirlwind tour of urope and slightly further afield. tarting with a traditional Dominican Republic carol, music filled a rather chilly large court at the uildhall.

Old favourites and a selection of new songs completed a programme pulled together in early November after Thetford Singers mini tour of local villages, “A Christmas concert wouldn’t be complete without a piece by John Rutter, I think he’s known as Mr Christmas!” joked Chris Parsons. Carol of the Bells was included this year due to its Ukrainian origins, and was well recieved by the audience. An additional surprise

was a jazzy version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas followed by The Christmas Song, performed by Chris on his trumpet, along with Simon on percussion and Fiona on keyboard.

The audience were entertained with traditional fol tunes from ormandy, ermany, ustria and Cornwall. From rousing Christmas tunes such as Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (an excellent arrangement by Alexander L’Estrange) to beautiful melodic carols such as Still, Still, Still, the Singers continue to delight their audiences year on year. Thetford Singers Chair, Fiona Barnett closed the performance by saying, “I hope we’ve left you with a warm heart and feeling festive.”

Thetford Singers with Chris Parsons (C) at the end of their second Winter Concert performance

New Year, New Hobbies?

The start of a new year can bring the making of new resolutions and the excitement of what is in store for us. Trying new hobbies, making promises to be healthier, eat better, exercise more, look after myself better. Do any sound familiar? I think it’s great giving yourself new challenges, the important thing is to not to be upset with yourself if they fall by the wayside. They reckon many of us join a gym at the start of the year only to stop after about six weeks!

Whatever you fancy trying in the new year just give it a go and if something happens and you don’t stick to it all the time, don’t panic and give up, start again the next week. Any new routine, such as a new facial skincare routine for example, needs dedication and practice for it to become a new routine and before long it sticks and you can’t remember a time when you didn’t do your now regular routine. The more we carry on with something, be it cooking, dancing, playing a musical instrument etc we improve with practice.

Lisa Stallings, Halcyon Days Skincare Ltd

Thetford Inner Wheel

November saw the club decorating a tree for the Methodist Church Christmas Tree Festival and laying a wreath at Thetford’s Remembrance Day service. Christmas came early for the club when a superb festive dinner was held at the beginning of the month when party hat wearing was optional. We learnt at the start of the meal a donation will go to the three hospitals in our area for their children’s ward and our usual donation went to the Association President’s charity, Air Ambulance, in our case the EAAA. Thank you to everyone who has supported our fundraising events to enable us to do this.

For further information about the work of Thetford Inner Wheel, visit: https://innerwheel.co.uk

Marian de Bass, Inner Wheel

The Soul Of Russian Music

The WEA group in Thetford would welcome anyone who is interested in music or Russian life to this new course. There will be a series of ten sessions, each of two hours on Monday mornings running from 9th January to 20th March in the Methodist Church Hall. Full details can be found on the WEA’s website: https://enrolonline.wea.org.uk/Online/ CourseSearchResults.aspx

Calling All Garden Owners

It might be the middle of winter but thoughts of sunny days and being in the garden are never far for the Thetford Open Gardens team! The 2022 campaign raised an astonishing £12,192.56, and the team would like to express their heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the total from opening your garden and volunteering to buying plants, tic ets, raf e tic ets, yard sale pitches and enjoying the various delicious foods available in the gardens this year. The team were also thrilled to recieve not one, but two awards last year - a TARA for Community Event and a BBC Radio Norfolk Make A Difference Award, for Fundraising (highly commended).

The Thetford Open Gardens 2023 campaign is underway and the team have been joined by Chris Wallis, Mel Furness, Tracy Terry and Peter Elliott. In its 17th year, Thetford Open Gardens is now formally constituted and for the first time will be holding an AGM in the autumn. This year the team are planning the annual plant sale on May 13th, the Open Garden Day on Sunday June 25th and the Monksgate Yard Sale on September 9th, all in aid of St Nicholas Hospice Care. It costs the hospice £12,000 per day to operate so every penny raised really counts.

If you would like to take part in this year’s Thetford Open Garden Day please get in touch, the team would love to hear from you. Every year we look for up to 30 gardens to open – you don’t have to have a ‘Chelsea’ show garden, it’s about sharing your outdoor space and how you use it with likeminded visitors for a very good cause. Previous garden owners have said how much they enjoyed meeting visitors and hearing comments about their garden. Visitors enjoy seeing new spaces and being inspired by the often ingenious ways

Above: Volunteers in one of the gardens who serve refreshments on TOG day

Left: A feature in one of last year’s gardens

people use their gardens. This year the team are especially looking for gardens in the Monksgate/ Abbeygate and Fulmerston Road areas to compliment gardens that have already signed up for this year’s event.

For more information or to send in an expression of interest in opening your garden please email: thetfordopengardens@gmail.com

Birdwatchers Help Highlight The Value Of Protected Areas

Did you know that Breckland is a Special Protection Area (SPA)?

Our part of East Anglia has a unique and important combination of habitats. Wangford Warren and adjoining parts of RAF Lakenheath have one of the best-preserved systems of active inland sand dunes in Britain, the Breckland meres are the only natural eutrophic lakes in the east of England, and the dry heaths and semi-natural grassland are also rare habitats in a UK context. These habitats support scarce and threatened birds and the SPA is designated for three of these: Stone-curlew, Nightjar and Woodlark.

Biodiversity loss is a huge issue globally. Efforts to tackle the problem include the use of protected areas, including SPAs, which aim to protect species and/or their habitats from human impacts. But how effective are protected areas at achieving the desired benefits for wildlife

Answering this question is tricky, since the goals of protection can vary – protecting a particular bit of habitat or increasing the numbers of an endangered species, for example. There is also a lot of variation in how this protection translates into on-the-ground management, so it can be tough to tell if protected areas are having the desired effect. BTO scientists have been looking at this question for many years, alongside scientists from other conservation organisations, and some of their work was recently published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. Using data collected by BTO volunteers, they addressed the gaps in understanding about the underlying processes that can be used to measure the effectiveness of protected areas. Answering this question increases our chances of delivering protected areas that truly benefit biodiversity conservation!

Stone-curlew by Chris Knights / BTO

The BTO authors used data from three UKwide volunteer bird surveys – BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey, two Bird Atlas projects led by BTO, and the Constant Effort Sites bird ringing scheme – to test whether protected areas are linked to higher numbers of threatened birds and enable better outcomes for priority species.

The results show that birds occur more often and in higher numbers, and are more likely to colonise and persist at sites with greater protected area coverage. The most effective protected areas for birds were found to be those designated (and hence li ely managed specifically for them, i.e. P s rather than ites of pecial cientific Interest or Special Areas of Conservation, where the designation is based on other factors such as habitat). Great news for Stone-curlews, Nightjars and Woodlarks in the Breckland SPA, then!

Nick Moran, BTO

Thetford Garden And Allotment Club

January 23 Gardening Notes

Happy New Year! Now is the time to recycle your Christmas tree, this can be done locally at our Thetford Household Waste Recycling Centre or it can be cut up and stacked in a shady, out of the way part of the garden to provide a home for insects and other wildlife as it rots down.

Lawns can be covered with worm casts and leaves at this time of the year. Worm casts should be brushed off and leaves raked off to enable air to get to the lawn. Any leaves can be piled in a quiet corner of the garden for hibernating wildlife or stored for leaf mould. Winter is ideal to get your mower serviced ready for the first cut in pring. If the weather is suitable it’s an opportune time to treat and repair broken fences and trellises. Pots can be washed and the greenhouse given a thorough cleaning in readiness for pring. ess people will be heating their greenhouses now fuel costs have risen so it’s a good time to get the glass washed down and clear out any slugs or snails hiding away.

If you have dahlias, begonias or cannas stored in your shed or garage give them a check over for any signs of drying out too much or rot.

shrubs get them into the ground as soon as possible. If the ground is frozen or too wet then just put them in a container of moist compost

keep them in a cool, frost free shed or garage until the weather improves. The perfume rising from a aphne or arcocca is a wonderful lift on dull winter days. All the better if you have a planting space near a door so you can enjoy the scent when entering or leaving the house!

The Club’s January meeting takes place on 26th and we’ll be holding our New Year party and eetle drive. o come along and find what the Club has planned for 2023.

Keep warm and Happy Gardening, Maggie Baldwin

Healthy Pet Club A Wise Investment

Now that we are into the New Year, rescue centres are full to bursting with unwanted cats and dogs. Every day we and probably them too, are turning animals away as we have no more room. We are also very short of fosterers which makes things even worse. With the problems of the cost of living, people are having to surrender their pets, which is a great shame.

omeone as ed if there was a cheaper ea and worm treatment as she could no longer afford to buy them from the vet. Sadly there isn't. It's only the ea and worm treatment that the vets sell that is guaranteed to work. Be very wary of buying products on line. A few years ago a lady bought what she thought was ea treatment on line, for a very small price, around £2.50 for a vial, and put one each on her two cats. One of them nearly died – he was blinded for about three days. They came into our care and fortunately both recovered and were homed. hat she bought on line, wasn't ea treatment for cats, it was an insecticide.

If you can afford to join your vets Healthy Pet Club, it could save you money. You pay them around £12 a month for each pet and for that you get all your ea and worm treatment free, booster vaccines free but not the first two which your cat has to have initially), six monthly check ups with a vet and 10% off any treatment they may need in the future. Its a very good way to save money. We have had another young cat come into our care with a collar injury. The collar was not a snap fastener type and the poor cat managed to get one of her front legs through the collar, causing a tear in her front underarm area. These type of in uries are very difficult to treat because the leg is a moving joint. We had one such case a few years ago and the cat ended up at a referral centre where she underwent intensive oxygen therapy to get the injury to heal costing us several thousands of pounds. Fortunately this time, our vets had

heard of a new procedure which enabled them to close the wound successfully.

Collars always need to be the snap fastener type so that it comes undone easily if the cat gets caught on anything. If you put a collar on your cat, please check regularly that it is not too tight. ou should be able to get two fingers between the collar and the neck of your cat. If they are too lose, then the cat can get a front paw through the collar. We have had cats come into our care with collars that are so tight, it has been difficult to get them off. We even had some kittens that had hair bands around their necks which were also far too tight and totally unsuitable.

A kind lady from Brandon has who has previously donated money to our branch has again donated money and cat food to us. She doesn't want to be named, but we are very grateful to her and for anyone else who donates to us. It is a great help to us at this difficult time. o if you have cat food that you cat no longer wants to eat, we will happily take it off you.

For help or advice, or if you need assistance with the cost of neutering, please call us on 01842 810018.

Thompson Breckland Cats Protection

Rita

Thetford Library News

There’s lots going on in your local library this new year, not only is Thetford Library a designated warm space but there’s a host of activities too.

Think Food - Slow Cooking Course with Adult Learning. This popular course focuses on cooking skills and will teach you how to create easy to prepare meals with minimal effort using a slow cooker. Saving you time as well as energy costs. You will also learn about basic food safety, simple nutrition and ways to manage your food budget.

To help you continue with your new-found skills there may be an opportunity for you to take a slow cooker home at the end of the course.

Thetford Library 10th January for four weeks. To book visit: www.norfolk.gov.uk/adultlearning Search by course code (HEPHB0622P)

Yoga (or Joga) in English and Polish - Join our free Yoga (or Joga) course in Polish and English – ten sessions starting on Tuesday 17th January at Thetford Library. Anya Konefal started her ourney with yoga twenty five years ago in Poland and practices to this day. She’s been teaching for fifteen years in orwich and orfol . lasses will be conducted in Polish and English. Please bring your own mat, small blanket, and yoga blocks. The course is aimed at beginners and those who want to return to the basics.

To book please go to: www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries

Autism Friendly Meetup - Are you an Autistic Adult or do you know of an Autistic Adult looking for a calm environment to socialise? Thetford Library is holding an Autism Friendly Meetup for adults starting January! From Wednesday 18th January 2023, the library will be holding a meetup on the third Wednesday of every month from 11am to 12 noon, in our first oor event space. t s free and there is no need to book, just go to the ground

oor des at the ibrary and let them now you re here for the meet up on Wednesday 18th January. The event is aimed at giving Autistic Adults the space to socialise, build a community and a way to show what the Library can offer in support of our Autistic Community.

n onversation with lly riffiths cclaimed crime author lly riffiths is best nown for her r uth alloway series set in orfol , and is also the author of The Brighton Mystery series, inspired partly by her grandfather’s life on the stage. Elly riffiths lives near righton with her husband, an archaeologist. She is number 18 on the list of most borrowed authors from UK libraries and is hugely in demand for events, regularly holding audiences spellbound. The Last Remains, the fifteenth instalment, comes out on st anuary. She will be visiting Thetford Library the very next day on Wednesday 1st February 12:30pm - 2pm.

Booking is essential as tickets are limited at: www.library.norfolk.gov.uk/whats-on

Author Elly Griffiths is visiting Thetford Library as her new book launches

Links Swimming Gala Returns

After a two-year delay due to Covid restrictions, Thetford Dolphins hosted the Links Swimming Gala during October, with teams from Spijkenisse in the Netherlands and Hurth, Germany.

Over 110 swimmers took part in a host of races over the weekend to win the coveted trophy which has been retained by Thetford Dolphins for three years. Twenty eight swimmers were hosted by our clubs’ families who opened their homes to children for the weekend. The swimmers ranged from nine to thirty eight years and for many it was their first time abroad without their parents. To start the weekend off host families and visitors took part in indoor bowling at Mr G’s Bowling in Brandon. The event kicked off on the Saturday afternoon and was formally opened by Mayor of Thetford. The end of the weekend was rounded off with a celebration party where all swimmers danced the night away whilst consuming a very large amount of pizza. The visiting teams travelled back on Sunday very tired but very happy with the weekend having made new friendships. Next year the event will take place in the Netherlands where a team from Thetford Dolphins will endeavour to retain the coveted trophy for yet another year.

Deborah Twells, Press Officer, hetford olphins

The Dutch team from Spijkenisse parade around the pool at the beginning of the competition

National Championship Success For Dance Studio

Centre Stage Studio are celebrating after recieving their outstanding results from the Winter National Dance Competition 2022. Studios from all over the UK can take part and over four hundred routines were entered in the competition. Centre Stage Studio entered sixteen routines in the competition and they placed in fouteen of them, five as st place ma ing them inter National Champions.

As well as these fantastic results the Acro Team and Lottie Rogers have also been awarded a platinum trophy for receiving the highest marks.

he first place results were as follows st Place cro eam a en st Place unior eam oc of ages st Place arah olph vie oo e cro uet st Place ottie ogers ap olo st Place vril ay aylor ap olo

tudio owner icole ottee said couldn t be prouder of all my students. Their dedication and team wor is re ected in these results, they ust keep getting stronger and stronger each time we go to a competition. When we received these results was over the moon, can t wait to see what brings.

2022 has been busy for Centre Stage Studio. In the spring they performed at Disneyland Paris and they won the Thetford Business Award for Small Business 2022. Centre stage Studio has also been nominated as Best Dance School at the outh ast ntertainment wards, with three of their dancers lice, ottie armonie being nominated as Best Solo Dancers. The studio will be holding ompetition team auditions in uly , if you would li e to oin the teams you must be in a a and allet class and aged seven years or over.

Performance skills are an important part of what Centre Stage offers. They have annual shows, attend many competitions and en oy performing within the community. Students can take part in exams with the IDTA (International Dance eachers ssociation , where the studio currently hold a pass rate. s well as being a member of the entre tage also is an Official croP entre, crobatic rts ertified tudio and a oogie ounce fitness studio. entre stage have two of their very own fully equipped studios at the lovely Charles Burrell Centre, Thetford. They offer many extra activities throughout the studio year such as Summer schools, Professional workshops, Theatre trips and fun studio days out. So that everyone can get involved and feel part of the Centre Stage Family!

Centre stage offers a variety of classes from three years up to Adults. These classes include Ballet, ap, a , cro, ontemporary, treet ance, Musical Theatre, Conditioning, Private lessons, Disco Duck and Boogie Bounce. Free trial classes are available for all lessons.

Winning dancers from Centre Stage Studio

RFC Diary By Touchline Tippler

On the pitch Thetford Rugby FC have had two wins and two losses. The losses were both away games, versus Watton and Norwich Medics, but there was a very good win against West Norfolk in front of a vocal home crowd, preceded by a very enjoyable VP Luncheon. The latest win was against Crusader 2nds at their Little Melton Ground near Norwich.

Through all these games both individual and team performances have seen a decided improvement, founded upon an increasinly solid defence and some sophisticated attacking moves. There have been various injuries after which players such as the Team Captain, Jack Codling, Jason Lumbard and Josh Clark are close to returning to the team and hopefully we will be fielding a very strong side against Diss 3rds at home on the 17th December. This will again preceded by the Annual Christmas VP's lunch. Off the field has seen a change of Chairmanship and Club Secretary. Andy Soanes has stepped down due to work commitments and Danica Soanes has also stepped down. Voted in to the Chairmanship is Dave Tanner and his wife Lisa has taken on the role of Club Secretary. We wish them every success and they have the full support of the club behind them.

Recently new LED lighting was installed on the first team pitch, which the club hopes to utilise and promote evening games in the future. The club is always looking for new players. Training is on a Thursday evening from 7pm onwards. All levels of ability are welcome.

For more information follow the club on Facebook or email: thetford-rfc@outlook.com

Thetford RFC in action against Crusader 2nds image: ©Andrew Sparrowhawk / TRFC