ISSN 2044–7965
ISSUE 92 MAY 2018 PRICELESS
magazine
WEST NORFOLK | NORTH NORFOLK | COASTAL
COVER IMAGE Norfolk Broads by Ian Ward
meet the team MANAGING DIRECTOR Laura Dunn MANAGING EDITOR Eric Secker DESIGN TEAM Amy Phillips Lisa Tonroe PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Ward PROMOTION Nicola Back ADVERTISING Jessica Smith CONTRIBUTORS Clare Bee Abigail Brown Alison Gifford Alison Miller Ralph Sliwa Sylvia Steele Wendy Warner
contact 18 Tuesday Market Place King’s Lynn PE30 1JW 01553 601201 info@klmagazine.co.uk KL magazine is published monthly by KL Publications Ltd. The magazine cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and KL magazine takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.
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bove is a very small part of the beautiful Stow Estate at Stow Bardolph, and as we start enjoying the longer days and warmer weather it’s the perfect time to visit the Church Farm Rare Breeds Centre and join one of gamekeeper Nigel Davies’ incredible nature walks. You can get a taste of the experience on page 36 of this month’s magazine, and we’re sure you’ll agree there’s no better way to get closer to nature than in the eagle-eyed and expert company of a man who’s been the estate’s gamekeeper for almost 50 years. Somewhat inevitably given the time of year, there’s a distinct green theme to this month’s magazine. Thaxters’ Wendy Warner is talking about growing your own herbs (page 44), local artist Debbie Lyddon is using natural materials from the Norfolk coast to create some very distinctive artwork (page 110), and Ely Cathedral is about to hold its hugely-popular flower festival (page 8). Called the Kaleidoscope of Life, it promises to be a truly spectacular event, and don’t miss the introduction of the Ely Cathedral Rose – specially created by the world famous and Norfolk-based Peter Beales Roses. There are a few surprises in this month’s magazine as well. Everyone’s heard of the Suffragettes, especially after the centenary celebrations of women getting the vote earlier this year, but it’s unlikely many have heard of the non-violent campaign that preceded them. More than 30 years before Emmiline Pankhurst started making headlines, King’s Lynn became the first town in Norfolk to sign a petition for women to be given the vote and present it to parliament. Alison Gifford tells the story of our local Suffragists on page 96. Enjoy the weather – and enjoy the magazine. We’ll see you again next month. KL MAGAZINE
KLmagazine May 2018
Contents
MAY 2018
82
8
96
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36 KLmagazine May 2018
6-12 WHAT’S ON This month’s diary of forthcoming events
58-64 FASHION Inspirational ideas from our local boutiques
8-10 A KALEIDOSCOPE OF LIFE... The return of Ely Cathedral’s flower festival
68-70 NORFOLK CHARCUTERIE Putting the county’s cured meats on the map
14 ALIVE CORN EXCHANGE Fabulous shows and fun-filled activities
72-81 FOOD AND DRINK Reviews, recipes and recommendations
16-18 AN ITALIAN MYSTERY IN OXBURGH The terracotta tombs of St John’s Church
78 RESTAURANT REVIEW A review of Biltons restaurant at Tottenhill
22-24 KEEPING EVERYTHING SHIPSHAPE The work of King’s Lynn Conservancy Board
82-84 NORFOLK’S NEWEST CRAFT BEERS The work of Malt Coast Brewery
28-30 NORTH WOOTTON VILLAGE HALL A new lease of life for the jewel of the village
88-90 THOMAS THORESBY The life of a man who left his mark on Lynn
36-38 A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Enjoy a guided nature walk on the Stow Estate
96-98 VOTES FOR WOMEN The women who prededed the Suffragettes
43 YOU AND YOUR PETS With local vet Alex Dallas
102-104 YOUR SUMMER READING LIST Our pick of the very best titles on the shelves
44-46 MAY IN THE GARDEN Expert help and advice with Wendy Warner
106 BOOK REVIEWS A selection of books on the theme of May
48 THEN & NOW The changing face of West Norfolk
110-112 THE ART OF DEBBIE LYDDON Inspired by nature and created by nature
52-54 THE TEXTILES OF NORWICH... How the Strangers helped rebuild an industry
114 MICHAEL MIDDLETON They think it’s all over – it is now!
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May
Tuesday 8th & Wednesday 9th
THE STYLE SHOW Bank House Hotel, King's Staithe Square, King's Lynn PE30 1RD (7pm for 7:30pm start) Festival Too has planned its 3rd Style Show Fashion Show hosted by Bank House raising valuable funds for Festival Too. These events have proved so popular that Chrissi Rix is returning with her Spring fashions and her real size models. She’ll be discussing the secrets of ‘colour’ and why shape not size is important. How to build looks and accessorize effectively and how to make every shopping trip a success! Come and enjoy a two course supper, and a glass of wine (included in the ticket price) and sit back and enjoy the show in the beautiful Bank House Hotel. Tickets are £25 and includes a personal style consultation worth £90 (bring your diary!) Tickets are available from Bridget Nurse by email bridgetnurse@btconnect.com or on 07795 236616.
Wednesday 23rd KING’S LYNN MALE VOICE CHOIR SPRING CONCERT King’s Lynn Town Hall, Saturday Market Place PE30 5DQ (7pm) After a successful diamond jubilee year in 2017 the choir has now reached a critical milestone. It needs more members to make sure the tradition of male voice singing lives on. Singing is good for health and general well-being, boosts confidence and is simply fun! Also MD Michael Hankinson can provide personal coaching. Over the years the choir has performed to raise funds for many local charities. This year’s Spring Concert will include old favourites and exciting new numbers sung by the choir and solo artists who have performed with us in past years. Come and enjoy a little nostalgia with anecdotes and songs from the choir’s long history. A big thank you to our patrons, friends and audiences for their continued support. Tickets £12 for adults, £6 for children includes interval refreshments and an end of concert buffet with wine. They are available from Geoffrey Collings & Co Estate Agents (KL), True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum (KL), Artertons of King’s Lynn and Alan Miller 01553 828539. For more details see www.klmvc.org.uk or contact the Musical Director, Michael Hankinson 0757 251 3512. Alternatively come to a rehearsal at Springwood High School on a Wednesday evening, 7 to 9pm. You will be sure of a warm welcome.
Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th
FAIRY FAIR Primrose Woods, Stradsett Estate PE33 9HA (10am-5pm) The Fairy Fair which raises funds for Fairyland Trust, the Norfolk based charity with a national reputation for introducing families to flowers, wildlife and trees, rested in 2017, but will return to a new stunning location - Primrose Woods at Stradsett. The event is a firm favourite with families and offers magical activities to delight children and entertain the adults, including the renowned workshops such as: Fairy Gardens, Crowns, Elf Training and of course, Fairy Training. There will also be a series of drop-in workshops including Fairy Flowers based upon native wildflowers. The event, which has been described as ‘THE children’s event of the year’ also features Stilt-walkers Entertainers, Maypole Dancing, Storytelling plus, great live music. The Trust’s own Corncockle Café and a host of other local food outlets will be open to keep people fed, there is also the onsite pub "The Good Elf' selling local award-winning ale and cider. For shopping there are craft stalls, selling hand-made and fairlytraded goods - plenty to keep all ages entertained throughout the day. To find our more and book tickets visit the website www.creativeorchardevents.com/fairy-fair. KLmagazine May 2018
29th May - 26th June
SPRING INTO SUMMER EXHIBITION Arts Lounge Gallery, 15 Market Place, Swaffham PE37 7AB (10am-5pm) Visit this lounge themed gallery, enjoy and be inspired by the various paintings, bronze resin and ceramic sculptures, glass, silver jewellery, photography and fused glass. Everything is handmade and available to purchase by incredible local East Anglian artisans. Themed around the 16th century brick fireplace, it’s a welcoming and calm space to appreciate the stunning creations on display. For more information about the gallery visit the website www.theartslounge.co.uk or call the gallery on 01760 723624.
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JOBS FOR THE GARDEN in May
When planting summer containers & baskets add water retaining gel crystals to ensure compost stays moist & slow release fertiliser to encourage strong growth If your roses were troubled by black spot last year, spray with ‘RoseClear’ as soon as first shoots appear. This will also control against mildew & aphid attack. Start sowing small trays of salad leaves at weekly intervals for an endless supply for salads throughout the summer Companion plant marigolds alongside greenhouse tomatoes & cucumbers to deter whitefly from the crops Feed acid loving plants such as rhododendrons, hydrangeas & camellias with ericaceous feed such as sequestrene of iron Continue using feed, weed & moss killer on your lawn now as a 4 in 1 application or ‘Extreme Green’ once you have mown to green up the grass
Visit Thaxters for everything you’ll need for your garden...
and don’t forget to visit our coffee shop for a relaxing slice of cake or scone! Evergreen complete 360m2 2 for £40!
Garden Centre & Coffee Shop 49 Hunstanton Road, Dersingham, King’s Lynn PE31 6NA www.thaxters.co.uk | Tel: 01485 541514
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KLmagazine May 2018
May
Friday 25th - Monday 28th
SWAFFHAM SHEEP FAIR Swaffham Town Centre Swaffham will be celebrating its historical past regarding sheep over the Whitsun weekend. Sheep fairs in the 19th century when very often up to 8 or 9,000 sheep and lambs were sold either in the market place or, after the advent of the railways, on a meadow near the station. The last sheep fair in Swaffham was in 1942. Celebrations this year will include a Friday indoor market with sheep themed stalls and stalls selling local lamb products. Shops will have sheep themed window decorations and the restaurants and local eateries will have lamb and mutton themed menus. Critically the meat will be locally sourced including the use of native breeds supporting the national Go Native campaign. Impsons Butchers have pledged their support to the weekend. On Saturday 26th live sheep will return to the market place to recreate the sheep fair with a modern twist. Sheep of different native breeds will be on display throughout the day around the iconic Butter Cross. In the afternoon the sheep will be mock auctioned with the winning bid for each sheep going to a nominated charity.
4th May - 30th June NELSON’S MEN EXHIBITION True’s Yard Museum, North Street, King's Lynn PE30 1QW This exhibition will look at the men of King’s Lynn who served under Vice Admiral, Horatio Nelson, the War Ships that were built here that served in the great battles and the controversial Press Gangs who terrorised the town during the Napoleonic Wars. The exhibition will also look to Nelson’s family connections here in King’s Lynn and the influences on the “Norfolk Man”.The purpose of this exhibition is to celebrate and educate on the contribution of the people of King’s Lynn in the Napoleonic War. The exhibition will be opened by the Mayor of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Cllr Carol Bower on Friday 4th May at 12noon and will run until 30th June. For more information please call 01553 770479 or email info@truesyard.co.uk.
KLmagazine May 2018
Now until 21st July
ANTHONY CARO & SHEILA GIRLING: A 64 YEAR CONVERSATION ABOUT ART Peterborough Museum and City Gallery, Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1LF Peterborough Museum and City Gallery present works by internationally renowned sculptor Sir Anthony Caro, and modernist painter Sheila Girling. Spanning the duration of his career from the 60's to early 2000's, the exhibition includes Caro's iconic large scale abstract metal works in block colour, smaller table pieces which he began to work on after his larger works and paper sculptures. Exhibited alongside will be paintings by Sheila Girling. Distinguishable by her intense hues in acrylic, her work balances between figuration and abstraction. Image: Shelia Girling, The Last Supper, 2004, acrylic and collage on canvas, 195.6 x 323.9cm © Courtesy of Barford Sculptures, Photo: John Riddy.
Coming soon...
Saturday 16th June
BUBBLE RUSH The Walks, London Road, King’s Lynn (Purple Wave 11am, Orange Wave 12pm) Bursting into Norfolk in 2018 is the Bubble Rush - a brand new 5k fun run with a difference! The course starts in a sea of bubbles and features four Bubble Stations along the route. Each station has a cannon which pumps out coloured foam to create a 4ft deep bubble bath! Every course is family friendly, so you can run, jog, walk, dance or toddle through the foam. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are more than welcome but please remember the event will be on grass. Money raised from these events will go to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) and will help them to continue providing care and support to children and young people with life-threatening conditions and their families across East Anglia. For more information visit the website www.each.org.uk/bubblerush. 13
PICTURES: ELY CATHEDRAL
What’s On
ABOVE: The glorious setting of Ely Cathedral, which is currently preparing for next month’s Kaleidoscope of Life flower festival – and getting ready to welcome over 50,000 blooms to its breathtaking interior
Ely gets ready for a Kaleidoscope of Life... With famous gardening professionals, a host of Norfolk-based flower clubs, a local military wives choir and a specially-created rose, Ely Cathedral’s Flower Festival promises to be an unmissable event
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t’s one of the most spectacular buildings in the area, widely acknowledged as one of the wonders of the Medieval age and highly regarded by historians and architects around the world for its beauty and size – and next month Ely Cathedral will look more stunning than ever with the return of its ever-popular Flower Festival. As with any highly anticipated event of this size and profile, it’s no surprise that plans and designs are already well underway – and this year’s festival has a strong Norfolk presence thanks to
KLmagazine May 2018
contributions from Norfolk Flower Clubs, Attleborough-based rose experts Peter Beales, and the Military Wives Choir from RAF Marham. It promises to be a genuine treat for the senses, with over 50,000 blooms creating around 100 beautiful exhibits designed with the help of over 35 Flower Guilds from across the eastern region – all the way from Biggleswade to Lowestoft. Five clubs from Norfolk will be involved in some of the Festival’s most impressive arrangements, including King’s Lynn, Downham Market, Fakenham, Aylsham and
Thetford. Highlights will include a special water feature, a floral arch the length of Ely’s impressive nave (which is third longest of any cathedral in the UK) and an entire area dedicated to the commemoration of the end of World War One. The crowning glory will be a 12-metre wide kaleidoscope of flowers positioned in splendour directly under Ely’s famous Octagon tower. Another major attraction will be an arrangement by the National President Elect of the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS)
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What’s On
ABOVE: Ely Cathedral will provide a stunning setting for a feast of floral treats at next month’s Kaleidoscope of Life flower festival, which will feature (among many other things) gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin (right, top) and the specially created Ely Cathedral Rose (right bottom)
Sue Brinton, who lives in King’s Lynn. Sue is one of the most respected flower arrangers in the country, having worked in Westminster Abbey for the 2010 visit of Pope Benedict XVI and being part of the team who created the floral displays for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton the following year. A highly-regarded organisation of leading experts in floral demonstrations, judges, speakers and flower arrangers, NAFAS has about 55,000 members and ranks among the most notable specialist National Associations in the UK. Sue will be officially installed as National President of NAFAS in October. Another highly noteworthy display will be the introduction of the new Ely Cathedral Rose. The rose has been specially produced by award-winning East Anglian rose growers Peter Beales, who are recognised around the world for the preservation of traditional, historic and rare roses. This year the company is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a leading specialist propagator of new blooms – a half century in which it has won many prestigious awards, including no less than 24 Gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where the Ely Cathedral Rose will be officially unveiled at the end of this month. The rose is a subtly scented, repeat flowering shrub that produces a wonderful multi-headed display of deep red buds – which open to reveal double ruffled blooms. It was much admired by HRH Prince Charles at last year’s
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Sandringham Flower Show, when he was inspecting a few of the unnamed new species. The Dean of Ely, The Very Reverend Mark Bonney, is particularly delighted with the result. “The inspiration for an Ely Cathedral rose came from our highly successful flower festival in 2013, and we were very excited to have the opportunity to work with an organisation as prestigious and experienced as Peter Beales Roses,” he says. “The rose they’ve cultivated for Ely Cathedral produces a classic, elegant yet vibrant flower – and it really does fulfill all we hoped for.” The opening of the Flower Festival on June 20th will also feature a very special guest in the shape of well-known TV presenter and gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin – the event includes a drinks reception in the Bishop’s Garden, and please note that tickets to the opening are limited. One of the most highly-anticipated parts of the Flower Festival will be an exclusive evening viewing of the arrangements followed by a concert with the Military Wives Choir from RAF Marham – otherwise known as the Marham Bluebirds. This nationally acclaimed Norfolk choir was established in January 2012, having been inspired by the BBC’s The Choir: Military Wives with Gareth Malone, and consists of the wives, partners and girlfriends of military personnel based at RAF Marham. To date the choir has performed for the Queen at Buckingham Palace as
part of her Jubilee celebrations and were recently recorded on the Military Wives second album Stronger Together. Needless to say, Ely Cathedral’s Flower Festival has generated wide interest with many local businesses and organisations, and has attracted some major sponsors including the region’s leading firm of surveyors, valuers and auctioneers Cheffins and Iliffe Media, who own Lynn News & Advertiser. amongst many other local publications. Ely Cathedral’s Kaleidoscope of Life takes place from 21st– 24th June, and throughout the four-day event there’ll be musical performances, talks and demonstrations by floral experts, delicious food and drink outlets, and a bespoke gift and craft marquee located in the Cathedral grounds. Further information on the Kaleidoscope of Life, including advanced tickets, opening times, special events and travel arrangements is available on the website at www.elycathedral.org or by calling the Box Office on 01353 660349.
KLmagazine May 2018
MAY What’s On Show times all at 7:30pm unless stated
Fri 4th Thurs 10th Sat 12th
BARRY L HAWKINS Independent Auctioneer and Land Agent
Selected Antiques & Interiors Sale 16th May Viewings: Saturday 12th May from 10am to 1pm Tuesday 15th May from midday to 6pm Bid live online at: www.the-saleroom.com
Sun 13th Wed 16th
The Keep It Country Show
Join 4 of Ireland's top country Stars for an unmissable "Keep It Country" show filled with toe tapping Country music, cabaret and laughter that will have the audience singing and clapping all night long.
Macbeth: Live Broadcast from the National Theatre • 7pm
Shakespeare’s most intense and terrifying tragedy, directed by Rufus Norris (The Threepenny Opera, London Road) and starring Rory Kinnear (Young Marx) & Anne-Marie Duff (Suffragette).
Purple Zeppelin
A “full on” show complete with costume changes for each band, you’ll hear more than 30 classic songs – basically THE BEST BITS, ALL OF THE TIME! Come and experience the excitement of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin in one mesmerizing show!
Henry Blofeld: 78 Retired *LAST FEW SEATS REMAINING*
Voice of Test Match Special, journalist, novelist and national treasure; Henry Blofeld is hanging up his best touring (red) trousers for good, but not before one final lap of the country!
An American In Paris: The Musical Live Screening from London’s West End • 7pm
This breathtakingly beautiful Tony® Award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the Oscar® winning MGM film, tells the impassioned story of discovering love in the ‘City of Light’.
We’ve Only Just Begun: A Celebration
Fri of the Carpenters Greatest Love Songs A celebration of the Carpenter’s music and the spirit of Karen 18th Carpenter. Every song in the show is a chart hit, brilliantly
performed by vocalist Toni Lee, with her Big Band and singers.
The Ultimate Commitments
Sat and Blues Brothers Experience the greatest songs from two cult films, and recreating all 26th Taking the iconic atmosphere of a live performance of The Commitments and The Blues Brothers.
For ticket prices, more info & to book visit the website:
www.princesshunstanton.co.uk
Downham Market Auction Rooms www.barryhawkins.co.uk | 01366 387180 The Estate Office, 15 Lynn Road, Downham Market PE38 9NL
KLmagazine May 2018
or call the Box Office: 01485
532252
The Princess Theatre, 13 The Green, Hunstanton PE36 5AH 11
Son Of A Preacher Man! This incredible production is coming to the Alive Corn Exchange...
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live Corn Exchange is very excited to welcome the fantastic musical show - Son of a Preacher Man, on Tuesday 5th – Saturday 9th June, a heart-warming new musical featuring the soulful music of Dusty Springfield, with a book by Warner Brown and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood. Starring in the musical are Michelle Gayle; from EastEnders who sang the hit record “Sweet-ness” plus many theatre leading roles. Debra Stephenson – one of the UKs best loved and critically acclaimed impressionists, comedy performers, actress and singer. Alice Barlow–has been in many TV shows including Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Drifters and Benidorm. Three broken hearts, one Soho hang-out, and the only man who could ever help them… Welcome to the Preacher Man, the swinging 1960s Soho joint where the kids danced the night away to the latest crazes and dared to dream of love, while the legendary owner, The Preacher Man himself, dispensed advice to cure the loneliest of hearts. Only, that was a long time ago and all
that remains are the memories, the stories and the myths. Until now, that is, when three random strangers, generations apart but all in need of help with their hopeless love lives, are inexplicably drawn to the site of the original venue. The Preacher Man is long gone, but his son, with help from the wonderful Cappuccino Sisters, might just find it in himself to channel the spirit of The Preacher Man and once more give these three lovesick strangers the look of love. Featuring the greatest hits of Dusty Springfield, including The Look Of Love, I Only Want To Be With You, Spooky and of course, the classic Son Of A Preacher Man, this sparklingly funny and sweetly touching new musical play by internationally renowned writer Warner Brown will have you laughing, crying and singing your heart out to some of the greatest songs ever written.
BOOK TICKETS NOW! £25 - £32.50 Concession £1.50 off Groups 1 in 10 Free (Age Recommendation 12+)
Tickets for all shows are available from our Box Office on 01553 764864 or book online at: kingslynncornexchange.co.uk @klcornexchange
KLmagazine May 2018
@klcornexchange
Alive Corn Exchange
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PICTURES: IAN WARD
Local Life
ABOVE: The remaining parts of the church of St John the Evangelist at Oxburgh – which contain some of the most important terracotta tombs in England (opposite)
Ancient fingerprints and an Italian mystery... A favoured building material in the 16th century, even Henry Vlll was a fan of terracotta. Ralph Sliwa takes a look at some unique tombs in Oxborough and tries to uncover their origins
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xborough has always been famous for its church and the manor house of Oxburgh Hall, but in 1948 the church of St John the Evangelist experienced a cataclysmic event. One April afternoon the peace of this Norfolk village was shattered when the church tower and spire collapsed, leaving a shell which many a visitor might have imagined was created by a stray WW2 bomb. Having previously been struck by lightning, the spire was weak and it was only a matter of time until it collapsed in stormy weather in 1948. In fact, the
KLmagazine May 2018
winds were so ferocious it’s a miracle that the chancel and adjacent early 16th century Bedingfield chapel built following the death of Margaret Bedingfield in 1514 survived. Margaret Bedingfield’s son Edmund was married to Grace, daughter of Lord Marney, builder of Layer Marney Tower near Colchester. Marney was well connected in the court of Henry Vlll and started building his palace in 1520. This magnificent Tudor building was built from brick, with terracotta decoration, intended to be seen as a statement of wealth and power, and an expression of his
fashionable taste. Due to his death in 1523, the extent of Marney’s plans for Layer Marney Tower remain a mystery. Marney’s son John succeeded him but he died only two years later, leaving no male heir and the Tower unfinished. Other notable terracotta users were Thomas Wolsey at Hampton Court, and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and brother-in-law to Henry Vlll. Lord Henry Marney and Edmund Bedingfield were comrades-in-arms. They fought in France under the command of Charles Brandon (the 1st Duke of Suffolk) and Edmund was
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Local Life actually knighted at the siege of Montdidier in October 1523. But Henry and Edmund were more than soldiers sharing an experience of fighting on a foreign battlefield. In fact, after Edmund had married Lord Marneys daughter, Grace, in 1508 he was listed as one of Marneys trusted executors in his will dated 22nd December 1523. The Bedingfield Chapel contains two of the finest terracotta tombs where parents to Edmund Bedingfield, Edmund and Margaret, are buried. The chapel and the two tombs were built following the death of Margaret – she’d left money in her will to fulfil her husband’s wish to be buried in a purpose-built family chapel. Unique in England, the tombs provide evidence of the Roman Catholicism of the Bedingfield family. It’s interesting that the tombs here at Oxborough and Marneys tomb at St Mary The Virgins Church in Essex are in many respects identical - they were made from the same moulds. However, Marneys tomb boasts a stone effigy atop of the chest whereas the tombs at Oxborough lack this feature, making it difficult to know exactly who they were all made for. The earliest and most exquisite of the two is that of Lady Margaret - it stands at the West end of the chapel and forms a triumphant entrance screen. Edmund’s tomb creates a window through which you can see into the chancel. Both tombs are large, canopied and elaborately decorated in the international renaissance style which originated in Italy. As the use of terracotta as an architectural decoration spread, Italian craftsmen passed on their skills whilst migrating across Europe. The young Henry Vlll saw himself as a fashionable renaissance prince, and the court connections of many of those using architectural terracotta suggests that London was a base for the manufacture of moulded pieces which were then distributed by water transport. Analysis shows that the terracotta roundels made for Thomas Wolsey’s Hampton Court were made from London clay, and we know that they were made by the Italian sculptor Giovanni da Maiano. Little is known of Da Maiano after he finished working for Wolsey, but he may have left behind a workshop in London served by more of his countrymen. Terracotta is made from a refined clay and like brick is very durable when fired. Plaster moulds were used to create intricate designs which were cheaper to produce than
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ABOVE: The resemblance of Layer Marney Tower (near Colchester) to Oxborough Hall is no coincidence, as both buildings were founded by the same family. The terracotta tombs at St John’s in Oxburgh even feature the fingerprints of the craftsman involved in their construction.
carved stone. The clay would retain marks made by fingers when put into the moulds. So the fact that there are fingerprints on one of the tombs at Oxborough isn’t surprising! Could these marks be those of an Italian sculptor working in London? It’s deemed very likely but we’ll probably never know for sure. They remain part of the mystery and intrigue surrounding the two beautiful monuments created for the Bedingfield family, whose descendants reside at Oxburgh Hall to this day.
KLmagazine May 2018
The family-run business that goes the extra mile Paragon Motor Company in Wisbech doesn’t just offer a superb range of premium used cars and a fully-equipped service centre. It offers an exceptional customer experience that’s second to none
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ary Robinson has had a career in the motor trade all his life, so when he decided to start his own business back in 2000 he had a very clear idea of what it needed to be founded on. “We started with some basic principles,” says the Managing Director of Paragon Motor Company in Wisbech. “We wanted to provide a truly great service, prepare our vehicles to the very highest standards, and build longlasting and trusting relationships with our customers.” It proved to be a winning formula. Two years ago, Gary moved his business to a stunning purpose-built facility on
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the site of the famous old Victoria Cafe just outside Wisbech. Here, you’ll find a wide range of multi-franchise used vehicles (with stock changing on a daily basis) and a dedicated Class 4 and 7 MOT and service centre – offering over 70 years combined technical experience and the latest technology for any make or model. The new site is fully accessible and even has a children’s play area. Paragon Motor Company has come a very long way indeed over the last 18 years, but it’s still a genuinely family-run business – with Gary’s wife Sue and their children Amanda and James all being directors of the company. “The family-friendly feel of the business was a major influence when
KLmagazine May 2018
Thank you so much for such a great service. Over many years I’ve bought several cars from different dealers, and not one of those came close to Paragon Motor Company. The presentation of the car and the welcome I received as I walked through the door made me feel as though I’d just purchased a brand new Rolls Royce! Thank you once again for making my day so special... T. ALDER we came to build the new premises,” says Gary. “We’re a people-driven company, so we worked with local architects to create a centre that would suit the staff, the customers, and the levels of service we offer.” A perfect example of that is the lengths Paragon Motor Company go to in order to make the whole experience of buying a car as enjoyable as possible. Every vehicle is prepared and presented to the very highest standards, a process that includes servicing, MOT (when applicable), and four-wheel alignment for improved handling and fuel economy. But that’s only the start of the story. When you arrive to pick up your new car, you’ll find it waiting in a speciallycreated handover bay – and covered with a red silk sheet. It adds a touch of excitement and wonder to the whole process that makes a world of difference to the customers. “It’s about going the extra mile to
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make people confident and competent with their new car,” says Sales Manager Ben Collins. “And we know from all the testimonials we receive and all the customers who return to us that it’s worth the effort. In fact, if we could bottle up the Paragon experience we’d be able to sell that as well!” And when you do drive away from Paragon Motor Company in your new car, you’ll be further reassured with the company’s standard 12-month parts and labour warranty and its membership of the independent arbitration service The Motor Ombudsman. “It’s the first government-backed consumer watchdog for the automotive industry,” says Gary, “and I’m delighted to say we’ve never had to use it!” In fact, the only times you’ll see customers returning to Paragon Motor Company will be when they’re buying another car – or taking advantage of the company’s service facilities.
The workshop features the very latest equipment including an automated test lane, and for competitively-priced servicing and Class 4 and 7 MOTs it’s perfect – whatever make or model you drive. At Paragon Motor Company, all MOT tests qualify for a free MOT reminder service plus a complimentary 3D four-wheel alignment check, and free courtesy cars are available if required. If you’re looking for a premium car at an outstanding price and a level of service that’s second to none, Paragon Motor Company simply has everything you’re looking for. “I’m immensely proud of what we’ve all achieved here,” says Gary. “As a fullyindependent used car and service centre, why shouldn’t we be just as good and just as professional as a main dealer? I think we are – in fact, in many ways I think we’re a lot better!"
Paragon Motor Company, Lynn Road, Wisbech Cambridgeshire PE14 7AN Tel: 01945 223138 Web: www.paragonmotorco.co.uk E-mail: paragonmotorco@btconnect.com
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PICTURES: IAN WARD
Local Life
Keeping the port of King’s Lynn shipshape... Once one of the most important in the country, the 97-acre port of King’s Lynn still handles around 500,000 tonnes each year. Clare Bee looks at the work of the King’s Lynn Conservancy Board
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ing’s Lynn is awash with maritime history. As far back as the 14th century it was ranked as the third most important port in England, behind London and Southampton. Although it may not be such a great trading port today, it still has a busy thriving dock area, and the safe and smooth running of this is down to the King’s Lynn Conservancy Board (KLCB). The Board is responsible for the provision of pilotage and towage for the port and works closely with the Associated British Ports (ABP), who have overall jurisdiction of the enclosed
KLmagazine May 2018
docks, riverside quay and Fisher Fleet. A shipping disaster in 1889 led to the formation of the Board, after the steamer Wick Bay from Baltimore ran aground in the channel to the port, threatening sea traffic in the area. A hefty claim of £20,000 was made against the King’s Lynn Corporation (who were the conservators of the harbour and its approaches at the time) to remove the wreck from the channel. The King’s Lynn Conservancy Act of 1897 subsequently appointed a Board to safeguard the river, deal with the safe marking of the channel, the collection of dues and the removal of any wrecks. Since then, KLCB has occupied a
position on Common Staithe Quay, on a site which originally housed the first public baths in the town. Facilities then included hot and cold baths, zinc shower baths and first and second class ladies’ bathing areas. Assistant Harbour Master Paul Bailey explains how the building has in fact been used for several purposes over the years. “The central part of the building was at one time a pickle factory,” he says, “and other parts housed the entrance to the public baths and swimming pool which was in use up to 1926. It was even used by a boxing club after that.” Once the KLCB was established, the
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Local Life
pilots, who had for a long time been used to assist masters to bring the ships into King’s Lynn (and had always been self employed) came under the authority of the Board. “Originally, pilots used to be based on a vessel out in the Wash,” explains Paul, “because they could never get back and forth into the town on the tide. Now the pilots use fast boats which can go in and out on the tide.” Paul has been Deputy Harbour Master since June 1999 and, along with Harbour Master Pat Jary, is a statutory appointee of the Board. “We have a responsibility for the eastern half of the Wash,” says Paul, “from north of Hunstanton down to Wisbech and Sutton Bridge and as far upstream as this side of Downham Market. So we cover the River Great Ouse and about half of the Wash.” From responsibility for safety and navigation, to surveying and marking the channels and providing pilotage for vessels that need a pilot, Paul and his team have a wide range of duties to fulfil. With commercial vessels, dues also have to be collected, and this is dependent on tonnage of the ships and the weight of the cargo. The Wash is a very sandy and mobile area and is constantly changing, so the job of the pilots is to go out and board every ship over 35 metres in length and then assist the masters bring their vessels into or out of the port. “They have extensive local knowledge of all the channels and the buoys,” says Paul, “and all the emergency procedures relating to the port. They act as a wise pair of hands
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for the master, who may not have been into King’s Lynn port before.” It’s about a 13 mile channel from where the pilots board the vessel until they get it into the port. The first mile or so is a fairly deep open water straight channel, then there’s a sharp turn where the vessels enter a very narrow and constantly moving channel which is marked by 38 buoys and beacons. By regularly checking the physical changes to the channel (undertaken at low tide) the Harbour Master and his team know exactly where the buoys have to be moved to. With the help of very accurate tide tables and the information about the draft of the ship (the vertical distance between a ship’s waterline and the lowest point of its keel) the pilots are able to know exactly where they can guide the ships. “Pilotage is a very skilled art,” continues Paul. “Where the ships can go in the channels is down to the knowledge of the pilots.” The pilots’ skills are also required once the vessels reach the port and enter the dock. With a maximum width of the river 140m at the entrance, it can be quite a tight squeeze to get the ships into the dock. And any ships over 100m in length are also required to have a tug assist them safely in their manoeuvres. “We don’t have a lot of room for error!” says Paul. “Everyone’s got to work together to get the vessels in safely.” The ships can also only be brought into the docks twice a day at high tide. With only one hour either side of high water to get ships in (or out) of the
docks, it’s quite a feat to get all the vessels in and out safely. And the really big ships can only come in on the spring tides, which happen every two weeks when the tides are higher. There are only three full-time pilots employed by KLCB so along with the Harbour Master and Deputy Harbour Master providing the organisation of the port, it’s a busy team who guide the ships in and out of King’s Lynn’s docks – but their skills are such that these operations are accomplished with accuracy and safety at all times. For more information and details on the work of King's Lynn Conservancy Board, please see the website at www.kingslynnport.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
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s if new building projects didn’t already have enough to contend with, the field of domestic heating and energy efficiency has become increasingly complex and governed by ever more detailed legislation. Which is why the professional ‘one stop shop’ approach offered by the 4 Way Group is so attractive. “It can be a real headache for builders, especially self-builders who are usually relatively new to the issues involved,” says the 4 Way Group’s Steve Simpson. “The good news is that all we need are the building plans and we can design a whole energy- and cost-efficient system from concept to completion.” What’s more, the professional experience and expertise of the 4 Way Group team will ensure the project is fully compliant with the very latest building regulations. “It can be a very technical field for the inexperienced,” Steve explains. “You have to comply with ventilation and air quality requirements, and need to understand
KLmagazine May 2018
the insulation value of your project – together with the heating efficiencies of boilers, hot water storage and lighting. It’s a very specialist area, but that’s what our services are here for!” The 4 Way Group offers a range of high quality and sustainable solutions, including air source heating – which absorbs heat from the outside air and then uses it to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems and hot water. But that’s not all. “We can take on a lot of the burdens and hassles involved in a self-build project to ensure it lives up to the
customer’s expectations,” says Steve. “We’ll not only design, install and commission the system, but we’ll also handle everything from the electrics and plumbing to the sanitaryware. We’ll even ensure all the certification is complete and the new property is happily signed off by Building Control.” For truly energy-efficient homes, for a trouble-free and hassle-free build, and a professional service from a local company with a long and proven track record, everything you (and your project) need is available now from the 4 Way Group.
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PICTURES: IAN WARD
Local Life
A new lease of life for the jewel of North Wootton Plans to renovate North Wootton’s much-loved village hall are well underway. Abigail Brown looks at the hall’s origins and the villagers now planning to restore it to the centre of village life…
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t’s a sad fact that many village institutions are disappearing at an all-too-alarming rate. Many local pubs, post offices, banks, shops and village halls have all closed, leaving close-knit communities devoid of places to gather for social functions. However, one group of residents in North Wootton are hoping to arrest this trend and save a vital part of their village heritage for future generations. A new Village Hall Committee consisting of 14 locals has been formed with the express intention of raising the necessary funds for vital repairs and the renovation that the 80-year-old building in North Wootton desperately requires to continue operating. “Most of us are the people who put their hands up at a meeting organised by
KLmagazine May 2018
the Parish Council last August when the future of the hall was discussed,” says Chairman of the Committee Dennis Blackmore. “Among our committee members are several people who were born and raised in the village – including someone whose grandfather actually helped build the hall! We work very much as a supportive team, and with such a dedicated band of volunteers it’s a pretty easy job for me!” North Wootton’s village hall was built back in 1937 after a protracted process of finding suitable and available building land. Despite being a far smaller village then, its residents had been in need of a place to congregate for meetings, dances, whist drives and all manner of social gatherings. Some reading rooms next to what’s now the old school
building had been used up to that point, but it was clear that as the village grew these were too cramped and insufficient for the villagers’ needs. In 1936, Mrs Boon, who lived in the nearby Manor House decided the village could do with a new, purpose-built hall and forwarded a proposal to Brigadier Charles Howard – whose family held much of the land and buildings in North Wootton as part of his family estate. Mrs Boon suggested the new hall would be well situated on a plot of land then being used for allotments. Unfortunately, the piece of land in question was being cultivated by a certain Mr Drew – who wasn’t prepared to give it up without a fight. An expoliceman, he knew the law and wouldn’t be easily placated, and once
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his views were made clear at a village meeting, the locals lost all hopes for their new hall. North Wootton’s luck soon turned, however, when another plot of land nearby was agreed upon and gifted by Brigadier Howard. Things were finally progressing, and two years before the outbreak of the Second World War the parishioners of North Wootton were the proud recipients of a brand new wooden hall, complete with a stage, kitchen, cloakrooms and a billiard table. The villagers of North Wootton now had access to a venue large enough to host dances, bingo evenings, and film nights – and the perfect meeting place for various groups, including the Parish Council. As the decades rolled by, the village hall became a central part of the local
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community, as important as the two nearby pubs as a place for people to meet and congregate for social functions. In those days and after its refurbishment in the 1970s, it was at the centre of the life in North Wootton. Today the village hall is still regularly used for wedding receptions, children’s parties, fitness and health classes, drama and dance groups, and discos – but it’s beginning to show its age, and significant repairs are needed to modernise some of its more outdated features. The Village Hall Committee is in the process of raising much-needed funds for the necessary refurbishment work. Through fundraising and a grant from the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk they’ve raised around £7,000 to
date – a big step in the direction of their £50,000 target. “It’s a jewel from the 1930s in the heart of the village, but our village hall is a bit like Dr Who,” says Dennis. “It’s now going through another period of regeneration as we try to improve and enhance what it has to offer to the community as a venue.” Although less than a year has passed since the Village Hall Committee was formed, they’ve already got big plans. “With the money we’ll bring the toilets up to modern standards, renovate the heating and lighting, improve the kitchen facilities, redecorate the interior and renovate the ceiling,” says Dennis. “We’d also like to repaint the exterior as well as improve access and parking facilities. Actually that probably comes to more than £50,000 already!” It’s a big project, but the signs are already promising – recent fundraising events held in aid of the hall have been hugely successful and attracted a large number of people as they re-awaken to the value of the hall, its important place in the community, and the contribution it makes to thriving village life. With the work of the new committee, along with the full support of the Parish Council, the future of North Wootton’s village hall looks in very safe hands. And long may it continue. The Village Hall Committee welcomes any assistance in whatever form you can offer. If you’d like to know more about the village hall and how you can help, please visit the website at northwoottonvillagehall.wordpress.com
KLmagazine May 2018
Letting Better Our monthly round up of the latest news and legislation concerning Landlords and Tenants in the private rented sector with Edmonton Estates Director Damien Simone
Independent Lettings & Property Management Specialists
QUI CK FAC TS 1 in 3 families in England could not pay their rent for more than a month if they lost their job. (Shelter)
Rent & Legal Protection Matters I t’s something that we always hope we are never going to need but unfortunately tenant defaults are on the increase across the nation and the process for recovering a property through the legal route is becoming ever slower as the Courts struggle to meet the demands now being placed on them. Due to this Rent and Legal Expense Protection should be appearing very high up on a landlord’s priority list, after all how comfortably could you afford to cover the cost of 5 months lost rent and nearly £500 in court fees (not including a solicitor) if your tenant was unable to pay? Although some options for protecting your rent are available directly from the providers of landlord building insurance, in my experience most landlords prefer to choose the protection option offered by their letting agent as the time saving advantages of the agent typically being able to administer a policy claim on their behalf is often very appealing. Costs relating to Rent & Legal Protection Policies are set to increase
significantly in the coming year for 3 main reasons. 1 Claims on these policies are increasing year on year. 2. It’s not just the frequency but the costs that are increasing as most cases that end up in court have to be followed up by a bailiff eviction for which there are additional court fees. 3 The ban on tenant fees which comes into force from next Spring means that the costs involved in checking a tenant’s financial history and other relevant references will now have to be met by landlords. Whereas previously this initial cost was charged to the tenant and did not factor into the costs of any subsequent protection product. In response to these impending concerns, at Edmonton Estates we have been in discussions with several tenant referencing companies and landlord protection providers to source the most cost effective and long term sustainable arrangements to protect our landlords both now and in the future.
Following this we are pleased to be able to now provide comprehensive rent and legal expense policies which will pay the rent for up to 5 months from the first default for as little as £240 per year. When you consider that the court fee alone to apply for a possession hearing is presently £355 and this takes no account of your lost rent, solicitors costs or bailiff fees, these policies are very cost effective. These protection policies will now be linked directly to the property so there is no loss of fees paid in the event of a change of tenants and monthly payment options will also be available from June 2018. Also, from June we will have a new option available to landlords who are either looking to change letting agents or who have previously managed their own properties to also be able to take up one of our new Rent & Legal Protection packages without requiring the tenants to be referenced again. If you would like any further details relating to this please contact our office on 01553 660615.
Edmonton Estates Ltd, St Ann’s House, 18 St Ann’s Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1LT 01553 660615 | www.edmontonestates.co.uk | info@edmontonestates.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
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Is your retirement income not what you hoped for? Unlocking the wealth in your home whilst still retaining ownership could be an option for you... Evergreen Equity Release Solutions specialise in offering advice to people in your situation. If you’re over 55 or approaching this milestone and would like to find out more, call us for a personal illustration and a FREE initial consultation on:
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KLmagazine May 2018
Preparing to sell your property... Ensure your paperwork is as tidy as your home he sun is shining and the flowers are blooming as the long-forgotten hint of summer approaches. Thoughts turn to the new school term, the need for a change of venue or scenery, and a house move is on the cards. If you are thinking of selling your home, ensure you put first things first; tidy up the garden, put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, and get rid of the accumulating pile of ‘stuff’ in the cupboard under the stairs, the loft, garage or shed. Decluttering can make a huge difference to a successful sale, and you’ll want the homestead to look its very best before you call the estate agent for the all-important valuation. That’s all well and good, but have you ever stopped to think about your legal title? How about the information needed to assist in a smooth, trouble-free legal transaction once a buyer has been found? It’s all very well that you had clean new windows installed a few years ago, but do they have the appropriate Building
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Regulation Compliance Certificate? The same applies to the energy-efficient boiler; does this have a valid Gas Safe/Oftec Installation or Compliance Certificate? Many new installations in our homes require certification that the work has been carried out by an accredited tradesman. That requirement extends beyond windows and boilers to electrical works, woodburners, and even brickweave driveways.
Building Regulation Compliance Certificates will be required by your buyer and their mortgage company at the request of their solicitor. Without these important documents, there’s a risk that the Local Authority could take enforcement action, forcing you (as the owner) to put those works right at your own cost. Following the sale’s completion, you will have no recourse to the seller, unless they have mislead you during the conveyancing process. Many property transactions are delayed as a result of certificates not being provided to the acting solicitor, either because they’ve been lost or because they were never given in the first place. These certificates, together with any guarantees for the works, should be kept safe and handed to the solicitor acting in your sale as soon as you decide to place your property on the market. In the event that you don’t have the appropriate certificates, insurance policies may be available to cover the risk, which Hayes + Storr can arrange ready for your sale. We can also thoroughly check your paperwork before you sell. That way, you’ll know that when an offer on your property is accepted, there should be no delays as a result of your legal paperwork not being as tidy as your home. This article aims to supply general information, but it is not intended to constitute advice. Every effort is made to ensure that the law referred to is correct at the date of publication and to avoid any statement which may mislead. However no duty of care is assumed to any person and no liability is accepted for any omission or inaccuracy. Always seek our specific advice. Hayes + Storr Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. If you would like further advice on this matter please contact Nic on 01328 863231. If you require advice on any other legal matter please call 01553 778900, email law@hayes-storr.com or visit any of our local offices (see below). NIC SHELDRAKE Director
Hayes + Storr Solicitors The Old County Court, County Court Road, King’s Lynn PE30 5EJ Web: www.hayesandstorr.co.uk E-mail: law.kingslynn@hayes-storr.com Offices at: King’s Lynn | Hunstanton | Fakenham | Swaffham | Holt | Wells | Sheringham
KLmagazine May 2018
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KLmagazine May 2018
Death and taxes – life’s two certainties With careful planning, it is possible to minimise your liability to Inheritance Tax. Discover how Ring Associates can help you... enjamin Franklin’s famous quote about death and taxes being the only two certain things in life was made over 200 years ago, but it’s still as true as it ever was – Inheritance Tax (formerly known as death duties) is where these two certainties collide. Inheritance Tax is levied upon the estate of someone who dies. Currently this only applies above certain limits, but is still a concern to many people who feel aggrieved (perhaps justifiably) that they’ve paid tax whilst they earned money, paid more tax while they saved some of that money and are then taxed again when they die. In 1986, Labour chancellor Roy Jenkins famously said that “Inheritance Tax is broadly speaking a voluntary levy
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paid by those who distrust their heirs more than they dislike the Inland Revenue.” Whilst that may not be completely true, it does highlight the fact that for many people careful and efficient planning can reduce and in some cases totally mitigate any potential Inheritance Tax liability. Currently, Inheritance Tax is payable on estates over certain limits – starting at £325,000 with a potential extra £125,000 being available on residences.
Over the applicable limit, the estate is then taxed at a flat 40%. There are many exemptions, however – such as if your estate passes to your spouse or legal partner, if you leave money to charities, and (as you might expect) any gift to a political party is also exempt! In addition, there are annual gift allowances, gifts in contemplation of marriage, small gifts, gifts out of income and many more exemptions and reliefs. Inheritance Tax can certainly be avoided with careful planning, but as with so many areas of financial planning, the ‘friend in the pub’ expert is best avoided. Planning is often a difficult decision and it’s often impossible to reverse, so it’s always recommended that professional, independent advice is sought and that no rushed choices are made. Many people worry that Inheritance Tax planning involves giving huge amounts away that will never be seen again, worry they may need money themselves, and even worry about gifting to children too early in case of divorce. Again with the correct planning, all these worries can be allayed. A simple first step to follow is to add up the value of everything you own, wherever it is in the world. If the figure exceeds £325,000 (or £650,000 for a couple) then you may have a liability. At Ring Associates, we offer a free initial meeting – so please contact us to arrange a discussion about your liability for Inheritance Tax. It could well save you and your heirs a great deal of money. If you’d like to discuss Inheritance Tax further with one of our fully qualified and independent advisers, please feel free to contact us on 01553 777600 or via enquiries@ringassociates.co.uk.
11-12 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JN TEL: 01553 777600 WEB: www.ringassociates.co.uk E-MAIL: enquiries@ringassociates.co.uk Ring Associates Ltd is registered in England No. 04569784 Ring Associates Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 418829
KLmagazine May 2018
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PICTURES: IAN WARD
Local Life
Walking on the wild side with Nigel Davies... He’s been gamekeeper at Stow Hall for almost 50 years, and has a unique view of the plants and animals that surround us. Clare Bee joins Nigel Davies on one of his fascinating regular nature walks
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here’s not much that Nigel Davies doesn’t know about the English countryside. As gamekeeper for the Stow Estate Trust at Stow Hall near Downham Market for the last 46 years, he has a wealth of knowledge of the area, and likes nothing better than to share his expertise with others, particularly children. Church Farm Rare Breeds Centre on the estate is open all year round, giving children (and adults) the chance to get up close to farm animals of all kinds, and it’s from here that Nigel leads his regular nature walks around the estate. Every month from spring to autumn
KLmagazine May 2018
Nigel will lead a group around the farm, woods and estate, enthusiastically sharing his passion and drawing attention to tiny plants and animal behaviour most of us would miss – or not even see in the first place. Nigel’s experienced eyes will pick up the smallest details about nature and he loves to explain why plants grow where they do – or why animals behave in a certain way. “In nature, nothing happens by chance,” he says. “If an animal does something, there’s always a reason.” He explains, for example, that a deer’s antlers should be white as they’re made of bone. But as the animals scratch
their antlers on tree bark, the tannins in the bark turn the antlers brown, which acts as camouflage to hide them from predators. The 4,000 acre estate has 600 acres turned over to wildlife, and since the opening of the Rare Breeds Centre 14 years ago, Nigel has led his nature walks. Starting back in March with a spring Wildlife Wake Up Call, Nigel’s walks take in spring flowers, a Dawn Chorus day starting at 5am, and a walk to find butterflies right through to autumn walks looking for fruits of the hedgerows and beautiful autumn colours in the trees. To listen to Nigel talking about the
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Local Life
nature he loves makes you want to know more. When talking to children, he likes to help them think about why animals are like they are – and why we are the way we are. “I say to children: why have you got two eyes and two ears and only one mouth? Always look and listen, then you’ll find things out,” he says. “Children love to tell me things,” he continues. “They watch Springwatch and Autumnwatch and most schools have nature tables.” When Nigel first came to Stow Estate there were red squirrels, but there are now only greys. He explains that when he puts up bird boxes for little owls
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(which grey squirrels are particularly fond of) he always sites them on lone trees out in the middle of a field, as grey squirrels will avoid venturing across open ground where they are likely to be seen by predators. Go on a nature walk with Nigel, and you’ll see he’s constantly looking and listening. He draws attention to woodpeckers drumming in the distance and a robin singing heartily on a branch nearby. “Always look at the ground,” he says. “You’ll be amazed at what you see. I tell people that when you see crab apples, it’s interesting to know that all the apples in the world originate from crab apples. Even dinosaurs ate crab apples. Children love to hear that!” He also points out how nature warns us of any danger. An arum leaf, for example [pictured above] has spots on it, which shows it’s poisonous. Nigel’s explanation is refreshingly simple. “Put it this way,” he says. “If you eat this for lunch, you won’t need to worry about what you’ll be having for supper.” Nigel is a mine of information about how plants have been used over the centuries by herbalists (who were known as ‘witches’ in the middle ages) for curative means. He’s full of stories of how some roots will cure various ailments, and how through centuries of trial and error people have discovered how effective natural remedies are. The woods around the Stow Estate are alive with birds of all kinds. There are over 1,000 nest boxes on the estate, and they’re nearly all in use – although not always by the animals intended to use them; squirrels will nibble round the edges of the openings to use the boxes during the winter. Nigel explains how the bark on every
tree is different, and how the common beech will turn its leaves towards the sun, but then turn them up when it rains to catch the water. “I’m reading a wonderful book about the secret life of trees,” he says. “There’s so much we don’t know about them. The only trouble is that now I feel really guilty when I take a chainsaw to a tree!” He has a lovely story about the ash tree, and how it was used by early migrants sailing to America. It’s a timber that’s strong but bends easily, and they used it to make the spars that held the ships’ sails. If they’d used any other timber, they wouldn’t have got to America – only across the Channel, according to Nigel – as other timber wouldn’t have been able to withstand the strength of the Atlantic winds. “If it wasn’t for that ash tree, Americans today would be speaking Russian instead of English,” he says with a sparkle in his eye. “Without the ash tree, Columbus wouldn’t have gone to America and nor would the Pilgrim Fathers. America would have been colonised by Russians coming in over the Arctic through Canada and Alaska.” Go on a nature walk with Nigel, listen to his stories, and you’re taken to another world, far away from the everyday. It isn’t necessary to go far either, as all around us in our local woods and commons are wonders and beauty to be found. Nigel will show you how to look and listen, and fill you with enthusiasm for learning more about our fascinating natural world.
For more details and information about Church Farm Rare Breeds Centre and Nigel’s nature walks, see the website at www.churchfarmstowbardolph.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
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01328 851351 KLmagazine May 2018
Capturing the special bond between you and your best friend...
Equine & Canine Photographer
Laura V Photography www.lauravphotography.co.uk info@lauravphotography.co.uk
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Supporting Norfolk’s retirement revolution... Home Instead Senior Care is the UK’s leading home care service, specialising in non-medical care of older people in their own homes – and has three offices covering west and mid-Norfolk
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or many people, the lure of unspoilt beaches, beautiful countryside, boutique shops and cosy coastal pubs makes Norfolk an ideal retirement area. However, with over 25% of the county’s current population aged 65 and over, cuts to public transport and oversubscribed community health services are making day-to-day living for older people increasingly challenging. Home Instead Senior Care has been supporting and helping people address the challenges of ageing in Norfolk for the past ten years. Back in 2006, a member of Jeannette McEwan’s family needed support in their home, and unfortunately the service the family received was less than satisfactory.
Jeannette felt people deserved much better, and after researching various options she purchased a Home Instead Senior Care franchise in Norfolk in September 2008. With offices in King’s Lynn, Dereham and Holt, Home Instead continues to go from strength to strength. “We know there’s a very real need to provide high quality homecare services in Norfolk that include, personal care, home help and companionship through our already well established and well trusted values and principles,” says
Home Instead Senior Care King’s Lynn
Home Instead Senior Care Dereham
01553 387967
01362 357974
01263 650983
www.homeinstead.co.uk/westnorfolk
www.homeinstead.co.uk/dereham
www.homeinstead.co.uk/holt
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Operations Manager Tom McEwan. “Our aim is to become Norfolk’s most admired care company by ‘changing the face’ of ageing.”
Home Instead Senior Care Holt
KLmagazine May 2018
What is unique about the approach Home Instead Senior Care takes?
MORE TIME Home Instead Senior Care ensures that every single client is given enough time so they’re not rushed, and that genuine companionship is provided during every visit. All visits last a minimum of an hour to enable staff to meet the individual needs of the client – from escorts to appointments and assistance with dressing, to attending plays and concerts and help with domestic chores such as washing and ironing.
CONTINUITY Home Instead Senior Care ensures that strong, trusting and long-lasting relationships are built and developed between clients and CAREGivers. This is achieved through matching their personalities and the client’s desired traits. Consistency is successfully delivered thanks to Home Instead Senior Care’s proven retention of CAREGivers.
DEMENTIA CARE Home Instead Senior Care believes that if you provide the ‘right’ care for the ‘right’ person then clients can remain independent, safe and comfortable in their own homes – for as long as possible. Home Instead Senior Care specialises in providing dementia support and all CAREGivers make their clients feel valued, stimulated, and understood.
Home Instead Senior Care provides a full care service to match the needs of the individual – from a few hours a day to 24 hours 7 days a week. The company’s unique approach to care saw Home Instead Senior Care awarded the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise: Innovation in 2016. Call your local office (see below) for more details. Home Instead Senior Care King’s Lynn
Home Instead Senior Care Dereham
01553 387967
01362 357974
01263 650983
www.homeinstead.co.uk/westnorfolk
www.homeinstead.co.uk/dereham
www.homeinstead.co.uk/holt
KLmagazine May 2018
Home Instead Senior Care Holt
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Celebrating over 30 YEARS service to the local community.
5 Station Road, Heacham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 7HG. 01485 571789 | arcoworkshop@posmail.co.uk | www.arcotoolhire.co.uk 42
KLmagazine May 2018
Pets
AnimalMatters Our monthly look at the issues concerning you and your pets with Alex Dallas of the London Road Veterinary Centre...
SMALL BITES GUESS THE NOSE
COMPETITION
WINNER! Congratulations to Sarah Carr (from Dereham) and her mum Colleen Carr! Pictured here at Horsey beach with a colony of seals in the background!
Celebrate Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month with us! V eterinary nurses allow us vets to do what we do - the support we get from our nurses is absolutely essential. Frankly I don’t think we could do our job properly without the help and input of our nursing staff. So, what better time to celebrate our veterinary nurses than Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM). Outside of the consulting room, most of the attention and medical care your pet receives is at the hands of our veterinary nurses. This is what we celebrate each year in May, and it gives us an opportunity to talk about their role in caring for your pets. In any given day a veterinary nurse may find themselves taking x-rays, medicating patients, doing consults, maintaining equipment, monitoring anaesthetics,
dressing wounds, answering phones, and the list goes on! Qualified nurses (RVNs) have undertaken a rigorous training programme, sat examinations, are subject to a Code of Conduct, and they continue to study, and log professional development hours to maintain their Registration throughout their careers. Each of our nurses has an area of veterinary medicine that interests them. Behaviour, physiotherapy, dentistry, anaesthesia and critical carer to name just a few. We are immensely proud of all of our nursing team - between them they have over 100 years of experience, so you can understand why they are so vital to us veterinary surgeons. Did you know, we have 8 nurses at
London Road and the Hollies, offering free consultations on everything from weight loss, fleas and worms, dental checks to senior pets and arthritis. All of our nurses have pets themselves, and love to talk about them just as you do! So, call us now on 01553 773168 to make an appointment. To find out more about this amazing profession visit the British Veterinary Nursing Association website bvna.org.uk or #VNAM18.
Visit our website... makeyourpetsmile.co.uk London Road Vets @London Road Vets
LONDON ROAD 25 London Road, King’s Lynn | Tel: 01553 773168 | Email: info@lrvc.co.uk HOLLIES Paradise Road, Downham Market | Tel: 01366 386655 | Email: info@holliesvetclinic.co.uk
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Gardening
ABOVE: Taking the time to establish a herb garden will reward you with aromatic foliage, decorative flowers – and a wealth of tasty fresh ingredients for your kitchen
How to get started on your own herb garden... There can be few things better than growing your own herbs, and the good news is that you don’t even need a garden to do it! Wendy Warner of Thaxters Garden Centre takes you through the first steps
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f there was only room for one pot of plants outside your door or on your balcony, I would fill it with herbs. What other plant group gives you lush, aromatic foliage, decorative flowers, a practical use in the kitchen and can even lift the spirits? Given more space, you can create a herb garden; ideally positioned in the sunniest spot closest to the kitchen door – so you can nip outside and harvest your herbs while cooking, or near the barbecue if you like to sprinkle some fresh herbs on your burgers! An impressive way of creating a herb garden is to use an old cartwheel laid
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flat on the soil with different varieties planted between the spokes – see the picture at the top of the opposite page. If you’re unable to find a cartwheel, a similar effect can be produced by using large pebbles to replicate the pattern of the wheel. Raised herb gardens can be effective as these will allow creepers such as thyme and oregano to trail down over the edges. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to design –they can be formal or informal depending on the style of your garden. Growing herbs on the patio by removing occasional slabs can be very
effective – and if you step on them they’ll release their scent. Although there are specific herb pots, usually made from terracotta with planting holes in the sides (which are fine for young plants) herbs can be grown in any kind of container or pot – or even a window box or hanging basket. Specimen plants of kitchen bay can be trained into standards or pyramids and used as a major focal point, perhaps outside your door. If you don’t want to create a dedicated herb garden, use herbs individually in other areas of the ornamental garden. Both the leaves and
KLmagazine May 2018
flowers of many herbs can be very attractive and often attract insects. Chives are members of the onion family, growing in clumps with rosepink drumstick flowers. Loved by bees and sitting above the grassy leaves they make a great addition to the front of herbaceous borders – and they have the bonus of being perennial, so they’ll come up every year. Green or bronze-leaved Fennel with its tall ferny foliage creates a lovely backdrop to summer annuals or perennials, although you need to beware – it’s self-seeding and can start to take over your garden! Rosemary is an evergreen, woody shrub with upright or prostrate habit with blue flowers and can be grown in a border or even as a small hedge. Thymes (especially the creeping varieties) look wonderful on rockeries and being evergreen will have leaf colour all year and clusters of red, pink or mauve flowers through the summer. Many herbs have a variety of leaf colours too – such as golden marjoram, variegated oregano ‘country cream’ and the brilliant tricolour sage with its green, white and pink leaves. Many herbs can be grown easily from seed. Personally, I prefer to grow my basil and coriander this way and plant a few seeds in fortnightly succession to get a constant crop to add to my salads throughout the summer. My reasoning is that these particular herbs can be quite short-lived and quickly go to seed – so once this happens I discard the original plant and start a new one. Whether you grow your herbs from seed or buy them ready-grown in pots in plant form in the spring and summer, you need to select the correct position and soil type when planting them. Many herbs, such as sage, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, thyme and lavender have Mediterranean origins –
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Gardening
ABOVE: The beautifully fragrant herb coriander is easily grown from seed, while thyme (below) looks wonderful on rockeries – especially the creeping varieties. An evergreen plant, thyme will have leaf colour all year round, with clusters of red, pink or mauve flowers through the summer.
so they enjoy a site in full sun where they can bake during the summer. They also need a free-draining soil to avoid waterlogging. If you’re growing them in pots, choose a loam-based compost such as John Innes No.2 with a little multi-purpose compost added – and make sure your containers have drainage holes in the bottom. Chives, parsley and mint need to be kept more moist – and mint can become very invasive, so it’s advisable to grow this in a container on its own as it will quickly smother other plants. It will even grow out of the drainage hole at the bottom of a pot and root into surrounding soil if given a chance! Most of the herbs I’ve mentioned would be used primarily for culinary purposes, although some (and many other herbs) have medicinal benefits. The part of the plant used will be dependent on the requirements. For most it will be the leaves, but in some cases (such as coriander and dill) seeds will also be allowed to form and can then be dried. The roots of horseradish, the stems of angelica, the bulbs of fennel and even the flowers of
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pot marigolds and borage can be used. Leaves can be used for seasoning, flavouring and garnishing – and by infusing can be made into teas. If you want to use herbs throughout the winter you can either grow more tender ones from seed or pot up hardy varieties which tend to die down – such as chives, mint or parsley – and keep them in pots on the windowsill. Alternatively, if you have plenty of herbs left in the late summer you can always dry them or freeze them to use during the winter. And even if you don’t cook you can dry herbs to add to pot pourri – or
better still pop a sprig of fresh mint in your Pimms or a few lemon verbena leaves in your gin and tonic! Wendy Warner is Manager of Thaxters Garden Centre at 49 Hunstanton Road, Dersingham PE31 6NA. Visit the website at www.thaxters.co.uk or telephone 01485 541514 YOU AND YOUR GARDEN If you’d like some inspiration for your garden – no matter how large or small – or have a particular issue or variety of plant you’d like Wendy to look at, please contact us at info@klmagazine.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
Inspiring and distinctive outdoor furniture and accessories Exciting new products for 2018 now available
Visit our showroom Open 7 days a week 10am - 4pm Norfolk Leisure, Garage Lane, Setchey, King’s Lynn PE33 0AX Tel: 01553 811717 | Email: sales@norfolkleisure.co.uk | Web: www.norfolkleisure.com
West Norfolk: Then and Now
1911
2018 FROM MARKET TO CAR PARK... Many thanks to Jane McDonald of Gaywood for sending us this lovely old picture (top) of the Tuesday Market Place in King’s Lynn. Thought to date from 1911, it’s packed with fascinating details, such as the large ornamental lamp (to the right) in the centre of the square. Although the buildings remain
the same (apart from one exception) after a century or so, you’re more likely to find cars than horses there now! If you’re interested in seeing how our towns, villages and landscape have changed over the years, you can enjoy thousands of images depicting Norfolk’s unique social history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk or by
visiting the Norfolk Heritage Centre at the Millennium Library, The Forum, Norwich (or your local studies library). We’ll take another look back at the area next month. IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Enjoy thousands of images of Norfolk’s unique history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk 48
KLmagazine May 2018
HOMEhints
in association with FRIMSTONE LTD
Building a rockery – with a little help from Frimstone! ow’s a great time to get to work on all those outdoor projects you’ve been looking forward to all winter – and the good news is that no matter how daunting the job may be, you’ve got all the experience and quality materials of FRIMSTONE on your side. For example, if you’re thinking of adding a rockery to your garden, you may be surprised to learn just how much help we can give you. Your first step will be to lay the foundations, clearing and levelling your site – and then you’ll need to add a layer of bricks or rubble to provide good drainage. Whether you choose our well-graded granular Type 1 aggregate (it’s made to national standards), our local crushed recycled concrete or our natural 40mm gravel, FRIMSTONE can give your rockery the perfect start.
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The next thing you’re going to need is some topsoil (to cover the foundations and to infill spaces and gaps) and the ‘rocks’ themselves. FRIMSTONE can help here as well – with a choice of certified topsoil or recycled and screened topsoil, both of which are ideal for rockeries. As for the rocks themselves, you’ll find a wide selection of top quality materials available at FRIMSTONE, all supplied on a price-per-piece basis so you can buy as much (or as little) as you need. Depending on the look you want to achieve, you can opt for grey limestone or granite, the attractive cream-coloured Lincolnshire limestone, or the famous ‘rusty’ looking carrstone – which is such a feature of buildings in north Norfolk. Note that these stones (generally around 1ft/30cm wide) are quite heavy, so unless you've got a trailer you may
HEAD OFFICE Ashcraft Farm, Main Road, Crimplesham Norfolk PE33 9EB Tel: 01366 388900 Web: www.frimstone.co.uk
have to make more than one trip to your local FRIMSTONE centre – although we can deliver bigger loads for large-scale or multiple landscaping projects. Once you’ve laid the foundation, arranged your rocks and filled the gaps with topsoil, all that’s left is to get planting! It’s a good idea to top-dress your rockery with a thin (1in or 2.5cm) layer of bark chippings, decorative gravel or chippings to help drainage and enhance micro climate – and every FRIMSTONE centre always has a wide choice of gravels in a range of different sizes ready to take away today. With all the expert help and advice you need, and all the high-quality and lowpriced materials you want, your local FRIMSTONE centre can ensure your small-scale project gets off to the best possible start – and goes exactly according to plan!
FRIMSTONE LTD
LOCAL CENTRES AT: SNETTISHAM | WATLINGTON | CRIMPLESHAM | WISBECH | BRISTON
KLmagazine May 2018
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• SHRUBS • HERBACEOUS/PERENNIALS • CLIMBERS • TREES • TOPIARY • BEDDING • COMPOST
10% discount on May Bank Holiday Mondays! (special offers exempt)
Quality plants at wholesale prices EVERYONE WELCOME A wide selection of plants and trees available grown and sourced from our nursery
OPEN WEEKDAYS 8am- 4pm OPEN SATURDAYS 8am-1pm (March – June)
01945 664520 • www.rachaelsplantoutlet.co.uk • School Road, West Walton, Wisbech PE14 7DS
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KLmagazine May 2018
ONE CLASSIC AND A WHOLE WORLD TO DISCOVER!
Your next big adventure starts now at Greentrees Discover the modern face of caravanning at Greentrees – designed for activity-led people who prefer experiences to holidays! ou never forget your first sight of an Airstream. The shine of the aluminum, the clean lines, the aerodynamic shape, and the luxurious interior. It’s a motorhome that’s built to last, designed to be timeless, and ready for a lifetime of adventure. Which is all music to the ears of Neil Greentree, who has a real passion for promoting the modern face of caravanning. Recognised nationally as one of the industry’s leading experts, he was recently invited by Swift to spend three days filming a video for the launch of the new Airstream UK model. “Although we were in mid-Wales rather than the Rockies, it was still a fantastic experience,” says Neil. “Travelling in the UK version of the Airstream is like taking your own luxury hotel on the road with you –
Y
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and there was even plenty of room for all my windsurfing and stand-up paddleboard kit!” It’s a brilliant mix of modern technology and comfort levels perfectly dovetailed with a classic design – and it’s guaranteed to turn heads wherever you go. It’s also a superb example of what ‘caravanning’ is in the 21st century. While the traditional purpose of motorhomes and caravans was (and often still is) the sheer enjoyment of the vehicle itself, more and more people are now using them to enhance an active lifestyle, appreciating the increased levels of comfort, functionality and adaptability. “For activity-led people who really want to enjoy the great outdoors in style, this is
an incredible way to do it,” says Neil. “As the UK Airstream demonstrates, today’s caravans and motorhomes have all the comfort and luxury touches you want – and offer all the freedom you need!” Greentrees is one of the very best caravan and motorhome centres in the whole of the UK. With over 100 new and used vehicles on one site from the country’s top manufacturers, Greentrees also has every accessory you could wish for and a team of specialists for expert help and service. In fact, Greentrees is the perfect starting point for your next big adventure! For more information and videos see: www.challengeneilgreentree.com www.airstream-uk.co.uk
Adventure House, Hurn Road, Dereham Business Park, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1WD t: 01362 696434 e: sales@greentrees-caravanstore.co.uk w: www.greentrees-caravanstore.co.uk 51
History
ABOVE: The medieval centre of Norwich became home to thousands of European immigrants during the 16th century, breathing new life into the city’s flagging textile industry – which produced the earliest surviving pattern books in Britain (opposite)
Norwich textiles and the story of the Strangers In 1565, Spanish refugees were invited to Norwich to boost the city’s declining textile industry. Abigail Brown takes us back in time to learn why we’re indebted to these ‘strangers’ today…
D
uring the 16th century, no one in Norwich would have believed it owed much of its heritage to the textile industry. Since the Middle Ages, the city had been known for its cloth, but by the early 16th century this was no longer the case. Flanders (the region now split between Belgium, France and the Netherlands) provided competition with its cheaper and better quality merchandise, and the industry that once thrived in Norwich, became seriously threatened. The Elizabethan ‘strangers’ were a
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group of Protestant refugees seeking political asylum from the Catholic Low Countries who settled in Norwich and were the driving force behind the increase in its economy. As the city’s textile industry plummeted, the authorities came to the conclusion that skilled immigrants from the Low Countries could provide a handy solution. The city could offer them and their families refuge from the anti-protestant policies of their ruler, the Spanish king Philip II – but in return it wanted them to teach local workers how to produce new types of cloth,
giving the flagging industry a new lease of life. Long before the 1957 Treaty of Rome that provided freedom of movement for workers, Queen Elizabeth I granted permission to the authorities, and the first group of around 300 workers from Flanders settled within the walls of Norwich in 1565. As the new workers slowly integrated themselves into the local community, more Dutch immigrants made Norwich their permanent home, with 4,000 of them living in the city in 1620. In fact, the Strangers would ultimately make up 53
History a quarter of the city’s population. Generally, life for the immigrants in Norwich was without complaint, and their presence rarely induced conflict. However, turmoil was inevitable; some locals started to express animosity towards the Strangers when they refused to impart their knowledge to Norwich apprentices, arguing they had plenty of children to teach instead. These feelings were further encouraged when they started setting up other businesses in the area such as tailoring and shoemaking – directly competing with that of the locals. And when evidence was found that radical religious books were being smuggled into Norwich from the Low Countries, it added more fuel to the fire; the Elizabethan Strangers were prime suspects because they followed a separate religion. Regardless of any friction caused, there’s no denying they were the main reason Norwich’s textile industry continued to flourish well into the 17th century. Experts in textiles and several other industries, some of the more established Strangers (such as the Dutch printer Anthony de Stolen, who was employed to publish official orders and decrees) were eventually given jobs of more importance. Other than their knowledge of textiles, the immigrants also brought their love of canary-breeding to the city, a legacy that lives on in the nickname of the city’s football club. The help of the Strangers resulted in a broad range of cloths springing into existence – and selling out quickly. The fabrics produced were of a wide variety of weaves, colours, patterns and finishes, and while some were used for furnishing, the majority were for women’s clothes. Textiles from Norwich were exported as far as Central and South America, and were widely praised for their quality. Pattern books were made to display samples of various textile designs from which customers could have their choice of fabric prepared, and the ones from Norwich are among the earliest surviving pattern books in Britain. Many of them are currently on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. One dating to 1763 shows a range of patterns and colours made mostly using worsted fabric, with novelty names like martinique, harlequin, floret and diamantine.
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ABOVE: A detail from the 1763 pattern book of John Kelly, who was the agent of a Norwichbased textile manufacturer. Now on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum, it shows the vibrant colours and patterns intended to appeal to Spanish and Portuguese customers – as well as locals visiting Norwich’s famous market (below)
Worsted is a fabric woven from combed long-staple wool; the variety produced in Norwich was widelyrespected for its richness of colour, which apparently surpassed that of any others made elsewhere in Europe. The legacy of the Strangers and the textile industry can still be enjoyed today through Norwich’s culture and architecture, and in places such as the Shirehall Costume and Textile Study Centre in the city’s Market Hall Avenue Street; which it boasts around 25,000 items dating back to the 16th century.
Most spectacular are the 700 printed and woven shawls, 200 of which were manufactured in Norwich and remind visitors of the once vibrant textile trade and the Elizabethan Strangers’ hand in the city’s wealth and status. The Costume & Textiles Association is a local charity that promotes the textiles collections of museums such as these, and they’re keen to bring like minded enthusiasts together, whilst teaching others about the history and development of costume and textile. You can find more information about the Costume & Textiles Association and details of how you can get involved on the website www.ctacostume.org.uk.
KLmagazine May 2018
NEW ARRIVALS FOR
NEW BEDDING
from Christy
from Ted Baker
• Ted Baker beach towels, a choice of 2 designs RRP £40 each • Catherine Lansfield beach towels, a choice of 6 designs WAS £12.50 each NOW £10 each • Official Wimbledon towels
See our whole new ranges online at www.charmed-interiors.co.uk
The Hythe, Bridge Road, Downham Market PE38 0AE 01366 384126 | 9 - 5 Mon to Sat | Free Parking
from Kylie Minogue (A choice of designs)
from Joules
DERMAPLUS PRIVATE, BESPOKE CONSULTANCY FOR YOUR HEALTH
Safe and Professional Skin Lesion Removal
DermaPlus is a private service owned by Vida Healthcare at Gayton Road Health Centre and coordinated by DermaVida. Working with a General Surgeon and Oculoplastic Surgeon.
MEET OUR NEW DENTIST
Offering treatments for the removal of:
Call 01553 696 886 for more information
Amandine Beke Masters KU Leuven Belgium 2015
Amandine is a Belgian dentist who graduated in 2015 with a master’s in dental sciences at KU Leuven in Belgium. She completed her VT training in a private practice in Schoten, Antwerp. She also has a postgraduate qualification in Pain and dysfunction of the Masticatory system. The last 5 months she has been observing Prof. Renton and her pain team in managing Orofacial pains and headaches at King’s College Hospital. Both specialties are of great interest to Amandine and she’ll be practicing general dentistry as well as treating patients with Orofacial pain.
Contact us to find out more Tel: 01553 631094 Address: East Barn, Castle Rising, King’s Lynn PE31 6AG
PARTNER Mr William K Dryden BDS Dund 1983 MFGDP (UK)
GDC 58347
PARTNER Miss Kinga Maciejewska Lek Stom Warsaw 2004 GDC 139876
Email: info@castlerisingdentist.co.uk
www.castlerisingdentist.co.uk 56
Bespoke curtains and blinds for all your soft furnishing needs
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KLmagazine May 2018
“Allez Chic isn’t just for special occasions – but for women who want to feel y... special every da
Three years of fabulous fashion styles... Y CHERYL DAUBNE
There’s no stopping Allez Chic this summer, with a range of new fashions, exclusive brands – and a charity fashion show next month! fter three years at her Castle Rising boutique, Cheryl Daubney knows it was the right decision to base Allez Chic there. It’s one of the prettiest villages in West Norfolk and it’s something of a destination now, with a lovely tearoom, a bridal shop, a hairdresser and beauty salon – and a recently-opened business adjacent to Cheryl’s boutique which offers alterations. With ample free parking, Allez Chic is definitely the place to go for the kind of ladies wear you won’t usually find on the High Street. “Initially my aim was to offer quality clothing we could wear all the time as daywear or semi-formal occasions,” says Cheryl. ”The whole thing evolved as we have built up a good following, and after listening to peoples wishes we now provide a collection of relaxed occasion wear. The essence of Allez Chic is providing fashion collections to suit all women all the time.” Cheryl’s always had a passion for clothes, and feels Allez Chic fills a gap in the
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market – introducing a new brand every season to keep up to date with the latest trends in the fashion world. She tries to pick individual and distinctive looks – and is careful not to stock too much of the same outfit. She also believes you can tell a lot by the quality feel of a fabric. “That’s where personal shopping beats online shopping,” says Cheryl. “There’s nothing like the touch of a garment and being able to try something on yourself!” As well as clothing, Cheryl continually builds on the range of accessories which include traditional and modern fashion jewellery, bags – and even shoes. Each season also sees at least one brand of ethical origin and clothing made from organic cotton. One of her most popular brands is Micha – the Danish styles are unusual and stylish, and you won’t find them anywhere else in West Norfolk. In addition to offering a warm welcome to everyone who enters Allez Chic, Cheryl is also passionate about helping local charities, and has continued
to hold fundraising fashion shows, normally hosting two every season. ”The very best way to see clothing is on live models,” says Cheryl, ”and I’m lucky enough to have a band of lovely women who all love doing it!” Her next charity fashion show takes place next month on the afternoon of 28th June at the town hall in King’s Lynn – with afternoon tea and live music from David Young – and all proceeds going towards the Norfolk Hospice Tapping House. To book your ticket, please call 01485 601701. From extra small sizes to extra large, and from jeans to faux fur. From dresses and sweaters to ponchos and beach bags. At Allez Chic the styles can be classic or quirky but, one thing’s for sure – they’re always on trend!
Allez Chic
information
The Old School, Castle Rising, King’s Lynn Norfolk PE31 6AG Tel: 01553 631915 Web: www.allezchic.co.uk
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fashion Great style is all in the details. Whether you’re enjoying some early summer retail therapy on the north Norfolk coast, or making a fashionable impression at a very special occasion, the best of our local boutiques can help you find the perfect accessories to complement your outfit... 58
The Wensley Scarf by Joules (£17) THE HAYLOFT at BEARTS | Stowbridge 01366 388151 KLmagazine May 2018
Fashion
Lillia Bag by Becksondergaard (£65) NELLE DK | Thornham 01485 525164 KLmagazine May 2018
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Fashion
Tropical Wrap Tie Waist Jumpsuit by River Island (£60) & Faux Leather Cross Body Bag by M&S (£39.50) QUEENSGATE SHOPPING CENTRE | Peterborough 01733 311666 60
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Bringing the best of Danish fashion to your doorstep
T: 01485 525164 hello@nelle-dk.co.uk www.nelle-dk.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
Drove Orchards Thornham Norfolk PE36 6LS
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Fashion
Handbags by Abbacino ALLEZ CHIC | Castle Rising 01553 631915 62
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quality jewellery, watches, silverware, limited edition bronzes, antiques & gifts.
Tim Clayton Jewellery Ltd Traditional Family Jewellers. Est 1975
www.timclaytonjewellery.com | 21-23 Chapel Street, King’s Lynn | tel: 01553 772329
Seriously good footwear
Inspirational interiors
Whatever suits your style... • Handmade curtains & blinds • Woodslat Venetians (100+ finishes) • Roller, Vertical & Roman Blinds • Wallpapers • Sanderson paint • Fabrics • Curtain poles & tracks • Bespoke chairs & upholstery •Measure, design and fitting
01760 722541 • www.poppiinteriors.co.uk 19 market place, Swaffham PE37 7LA KLmagazine May 2018
Beautiful, practical & comfortable handmade shoes from only £55 A range of styles now available at
Swaffham 41 Market Place 01760 724948 Ely 7a High Street Passage 01353 665472 www.artichokecollection.co.uk 63
Fashion
Bumblebee Necklace by Alex Monroe TIM CLAYTON JEWELLERY | King’s Lynn 01553 772329 64
KLmagazine May 2018
OLD PREMISES
D.A. Seaman are moving! T
his is a very exciting time for us here at D.A. Seaman Optometrists, we’re moving to 44 Market Place this June (next door to Pedlars Gold). The new premises are currently being stripped out and refurbished to create a brand new practice. We will have two custom built test rooms with new test charts and equipment. A dedicated pre-screening room will house our ever popular Optomap retinal imaging machine. This is where the field screener and O.C.T. (Optical Coherence Tomography) will live too. Our new reception desk will be home to our new computer system (and our lovely ladies!). The new software will allow us to notify our clients when they are due for there examinations by email and text, so remember to bring your details when you book your next appointment. The new practice will also be much better for our disabled clients so accessing the practice should be nice and easy, no more step... hooray! Our new reception desk will have a lowered surface to allow any paperwork or
payments to be completed easily and we will have a disabled loo to boot! D.A. Seaman Optometrists have been providing eye care to the people of Swaffham and the surrounding areas for 35 years this year. We are committed to offering Swaffham fantastic state of the art eye care along side excellent quality frames and lenses. All our Opticians and Dispensing Opticians are fully qualified so you can rest assured that your eye sight is in safe hands. This move is not just an investment in the business, but an investment in the people of Swaffham and the local area. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal clients for their continued support and send out a big welcome to new clients looking for a professional, friendly approach to eye care. We aim to be in the new place for the beginning of June. Follow us on Facebook to take a sneaky peek at the transformation. We’ll be posting pictures and updates over the next few weeks, please like and share to help our business grow.
NEW PREMISES (opening June) D.A. SEAMAN OPTOMETRISTS Tel: 01760 751050 Web: www.daseaman.org.uk 18 Plowright Place, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7LQ ‘D A Seaman Optometrists’
Doctor Lead Clinic King’s Lynn Unit 8, North Lynn Business Village, Bergen Way, North Lynn Idustrial Estate, King's Lynn PE30 2JG T: 01553 692531 E: cliniccosmetic@aol.co.uk
Peterborough 226 Dogsthorpe Road, DHC Business Centre, Peterborough PE1 3PB T: 01733 310090 E: peterboroughcosmeticclinic@aol.co.uk
www.ukcosmeticclinic.co.uk
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MAKE IT A LIVING DOCUMENT Once it’s in writing, make it a living document! Consider how often you’ll review it (perhaps monthly) and frequently update your plan to reflect your businesses progress. Remember, your plan is like a ‘to do’ list; you should be challenging your goals, aiming to achieve them and continuously evolving.
Get your business off to the best start In the second instalment of our small business start-up guide, Chris Goad BSc ACA of Stephenson Smart looks at how to plan for success business plan is an essential document that will guide you in establishing and growing your new venture; helping you focus your thoughts, providing you with targets and goals, as well as giving you an indication of your cash requirements. As you would expect, different businesses will have different criteria for goals and successes. While there is no ‘one size fits all’ step by step guide, and there are many different templates available online, a typical business plan should include: l Objectives l Missions of the business l Description of the products and services you will sell l Summary of your target market l Competitor analysis l Sales and marketing information l Financial assumptions and forecasts A business plan is not only useful for you and your employees – it can also be beneficial (or even required) when pitching your business to investors, potential business partners, or banks. Here are the most important steps in planning success:
A
ESTABLISH YOUR MISSION Your mission statement explains why your business exists. Think about why you are starting the business, what marketplace needs you’re aiming to satisfy, and where you want your business to be in the future. KLmagazine May 2018
ANALYSE YOUR SWOT These are your business strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O) and threats (T). Be thorough and honest and your analysis will help you critically and unemotionally evaluate your business. DEVELOP A PLAN From each SWOT category, choose a few important items and set goals to maximise your strengths, correct your weaknesses, make the most of your opportunities and nullify your threats. Avoid dwelling too much on the negatives and set realistic strategies for improving your business. CREATE A BUDGET All business strategies need adequate financial resources to succeed. An intelligent budget will help you regularly review your expenses and make financially beneficial decisions.
OUR BRANCHES
A WORD OF CAUTION It’s important for all new business owners to go into their new venture with gusto and enthusiasm, but it’s equally important not to get carried away and believe you can do everything. Your time is limited, and most entrepreneurs will have one or two natural talents, so focus on your own strengths, and rely on others who are strong where you are weakest. It will be more beneficial, both professionally and emotionally to delegate or outsource tasks rather than spread yourself too thin and attempt to do it all. Also, don’t set unrealistic financial goals. Goals should be SMART – specific, measurable, accountable, realistic and time bound. It may take a little while to start seeing serious profit, but give your business time to grow and know it will require perseverance and a bit of luck. Only if your business is stagnant or leaking substantial costs should you consider trying a new approach. Even if you have the latest, greatest product or service that no one has done before, you will always have competitors targeting the same market as yours. You shouldn’t assume your competitors will have no response to your business or their own new initiatives, so your business plan should be regularly updated to take their actions into account. At Stephenson Smart we can help you create a business plan and keep this under regular review with you as your business grows. A solid business plan is crucial in getting your business off to the best start. Please call us now for a free initial consultation. NEXT MONTH: HOW TO BE SMART WITH YOUR MONEY
KING’S LYNN 01553 774104
GREAT YARMOUTH 01493 382500
WISBECH 01945 463383
FAKENHAM 01328 863318
DOWNHAM MARKET 01366 384121
MARCH 01354 653026
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PICTURES: NORFOLK CHARCUTERIE
Food & Drink
ABOVE: Founder of Norfolk Charcuterie Lisa Wheeler, who predicts the growing interest in home-grown cured meats will soon make the British charcuterie industry as world-reknown as our domestic cheeses
Setting the standard for local cured meats... Although it’s little more than a year old, Lisa Wheeler’s Norfolk Charcuterie is already gaining a strong reputation for amazing flavours and exceptional quality, as Sylvia Steele discovers
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orfolk Charcuterie was launched in February 2017 in what Nottinghamshire born founder Lisa Wheeler describes as a simply stunningly beautiful corner of Norfolk. “I’d always envisaged living close to home,” she says. “When I left school I studied animal science, but we had no zoos in Nottinghamshire so I had to think again! I’d always liked baking and used to make celebration cakes but as my children grew up I wanted to do something new.” Eight years ago, Lisa signed up for a foundation degree course at the School of Artisan Food on the Welbeck Estate
KLmagazine May 2018
nestled within Sherwood Forest. “I originally planned to major in bakery and patisserie with the view of becoming an artisan baker,” she says. “But to complete the 12-month course we had to complete a module in other subjects – such as dairy, cheese and butchery.” Once again, Lisa changed course; and although butchery has always been a predominantly male profession she’d found her niche. “As soon as I started the butchery course under River Cottage butcher, Ray Smith I loved it,” she says. “I liked the idea of doing something not many people can do at home, and I
particularly enjoyed the charcuterie side making new products like salami, chorizo and sausages.” It wasn’t just the technical side of things that were a little intimidating at first. “One of the scariest things I was asked to do upon graduating was to give a butchery demonstration Harrods!” she says. “It was a terrifying experience but it was a great feeling being able to choose ingredients from their fabulous food hall.” Gaining in confidence, Lisa has since demonstrated at the Waterford Harvest Festival, the School of Artisan Food, and various county shows. Over the
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following six years she picked up additional business knowledge and spent time creating new recipes before making the big decision (whilst on maternity leave) to start her own company, Norfolk Charcuterie. The mother of three enjoys running her own business from what she affectionally calls her “meat shed” – which in reality comprises a fully-fitted stainless steel working butchery unit with state-of-theart appliances. Here, Lisa takes time away from childcare to create a diverse selection of salamis and test her creativity by working with new flavour combinations. “I think the most popular so far has proved to be venison and fig salami,” she says. “It’s a wonderful combination of flavours which I first came across during a holiday in France.” While Lisa describes her Norfolk chorizo (packed full of Spanish smoked paprika and cayenne) as one of her most versatile creations, the most intriguing is the delightfully-named Nelson’s Ghost Salami. “It combines a small amount of ghost chilli courtesy of the local company Norfolk Heatwave,” says Lisa. “The heat gently creeps up on your tastebuds. A perfect snack that’s proving increasingly popular is venison Biltong, which is traditionally South African and is the ideal partner for an ice cold beer!” One of a small band of British charcutiers, Lisa is a member of BPEX ( the British Pig Executive) and offers consultancy to farm shops and delis as well as a smallholders butchery service.
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Being selective about where all her ingredients come from and using only meat from animals that have been treated properly are the foundations on which Lisa has built her business. “Provenance is absolutely key,” she says. “I use local pork, and beef and venison from the nearby Holkham Estate. All my batches are handmade, combining best quality meat with freshly-ground herbs and spices. They’re then air-dried in a carefully controlled environment, which allows the flavours to develop and become ready to eat. Even though she never intended to move from her native Nottinghamshire, Lisa is now proudly Norfolk. “I first discovered this lovely county when I met and married Tom, who manages the farm shop at Drove Orchards in Thornham, and I’ve always
thought this is a beautiful place to live and work,” she says. “As part of the Proudly Norfolk scheme, I’ve made some truly great friends – and we should be justly proud of our local food production heritage.” As Norfolk Charcuterie continues to make an impact at local farmers’ markets and Lisa sees her wholesale sales gaining momentum, she’s looking forward to the future with confidence. “I’d love to help inspire the next generation and show how important provenance is and how important food is to us all – not just as fuel, but socially too,” she says. “I’m also excited to be in the first wave of British charcuterie producers, an industry that I predict will thrive, just like British cheese, which is now a world contender.” For more information on Lisa’s products and details of local stockists, please visit her website at www.norfolkcharcuterie.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
Crawfish Inn Thai Restaurant & Bar
INDIAN • CHINESE • THAI • FILIPINO AFRICAN • CARIBBEAN • HALAL
Traditional Bangkok Thai Cuisine Local Real Ales Extensive Wine List Takeaway Service Fully Air Conditioned Backing British Farming
Spices, Fresh Vegetables, Meats and Speciality Foods from around the world that you won’t find in your Supermarket
Call 01328 878313 for reservations /crawfishinn
Open: Tues-Sun from 6pm Holt Road, Thursford NR21 0BJ
www.crawfishinn.co.uk
FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH
Family-Run
british-caribbean restaurant
Serving authentic, freshly-made food from our open kitchen in a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere
Thai Green Curry
Do you love cooking? Why not try making this delicious dish from scratch. We stock all the ingredients, including...
Come for the food
Stay for the fun!
Kaffir Lime
Lemongrass
Fish Sauce
Rice Noodles
Thai Basil
TASTING NIGHTS
LIVE JAZZ/SOUL SINGERS
PRIVATE FUNCTION
ROOM
AFTER DINNER DJS FR
I & SAT NIGHTS
15 Tower St, Kings Lynn PE30 1EJ • Tel: 01553 775248 www.soulcafeandrestaurant.co.uk KLmagazine May 2018
Coconut Milk
FIND US AT: 83 Lynn Road, Gaywood, King's Lynn PE30 4PR | TEL: 01553 765736 OPEN: Mon-Sat 9am-8pm & Sun 11am-6pm 71
Planning a baby shower, hen party or just a get together
THAI RESTAURANT
then consider a private afternoon tea in one of our private dining rooms
Afternoon tea £14.95 per person. A deposit is required at the time of booking.
DINNER & TAKE AWAY
Fine authentic Thai cooking using fresh ingredients in an oriental setting
View our menu at www.dangsthairestaurant.co.uk South Wootton, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 3HQ T: 01553 675566 E: reception@knightshill.co.uk
www.knightshill.co.uk
Open 5:30pm-10:30pm | Tel: 01366 388147 51-53 Bridge Street, Downham Market PE38 9DW
FOR STUNNING KITCHENS AND BEDROOMS
NEW NEFF APPLIANCES NOW ON DISPLAY
Bexwell Kitchens
54 3-2017 196 54 YEARS OF BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS
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Open Mon-Sat 9-5 Sun 2-4 KLmagazine May 2018
Food & Drink
Celebrate ry local histo m at Swaffha r Sheep Fai y 25-28 Ma
Roast lamb rump with salted anchovies, sautéed spring vegetables and wild garlic Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 1 onion, finely sliced 4 cloves of garlic 1tbsp rapeseed oil & a drizzle of rapeseed oil for frying 200ml white wine 275ml of double cream 4 x 120g lamb rumps trimmed and the skin scored (speak to your local butcher they will do this all for you) 100g of butter & an extra knob for frying 1 small bunch of thyme 2 large courgettes, cut into 1cm squares 1 large leek, chopped into 1cm slices 450g of peas 400g of podded broad beans 8 salted anchovies roughly chopped 120g of washed wild garlic (use spinach if you can’t get hold of this) 1 lemon seasoning
METHOD
1 Place the onion and two of the garlic cloves, finely sliced, in a saucepan with the rapeseed oil on a medium heat. Cook until translucent in colour and pour in the white wine. Increase the heat and allow to reduce by three quarters. Once the wine has reduced add the double cream and bring to the boil. Once boiled remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before passing through a sieve and seasoning. 2 Heat the oven to 180°C. 3 Place a heavy cast iron frying pan on the stove to a high heat, when nearly smoking add a small drizzle of rapeseed oil and place the lamb rumps in skin side down, turn down the temperature to low and allow to cook for 2 minutes. After two minutes add
the butter, remaining garlic cloves and thyme juices to the pan and turn the lamb. Coat the lamb with the butter juices and place in the oven for 7 minutes. 4 In a frying pan melt a small knob of butter with a drizzle of rape seed oil, add the courgettes and leeks to the pan and cook on a medium heat for two minutes constantly stirring. Add the peas, broad beans, anchovies and wild garlic. Cook for a further two minutes then add the zest of one lemon, and the juice of half a lemon, another small knob of butter and season. Remove the lamb from the oven and place on a chopping board for two minutes. Slice the lamb and serve with the sauce and vegetables.
Recipe by Dan Freear Head Chef at Strattons
Ash Close, Swaffham PE37 7NH Tel: 01760 723845 Web: www.strattonshotel.co.uk KLmagazine May 2018
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D L S O A N NS O
D A fresh taste of the sea for over 150 years
New Season Crab - Now available! • LOCALLY CAUGHT FRESH FISH & SHELLFISH • DELICATESSEN WITH A RANGE OF QUALITY CHEESES • LOCAL GAME • FREE RANGE EGGS • LOCAL HONEY Austin Fields, King’s Lynn PE30 1PH | Tel: 01553 772241 OPEN: Tues/Wed/Thurs 7am-4pm, Fri 7am-5pm, Sat 7am-3pm
Food & Drink
Pan roast cod with mussel chowder Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 4 x 120g pieces cod fillet 1 x small leek, finely diced 1 x shallot, finely diced 1 x stick celery, finely diced 1 x rasher bacon, finely diced 1 x clove garlic, crushed 100g butter 100g flour 200ml milk 300ml fish stock Pinch cayenne pepper Lemon juice Thai fish sauce 250g cooked new potatoes, diced 100g cooked green beans 20 mussels steamed in their shells (keep the cooking liquor) KLmagazine May 2018
METHOD 1 Melt the butter in a large sauce pan, add diced vegetables, bacon and garlic and cook until softened. 2 Add flour and cayenne and cook out 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the warmed milk and fish stock while stirring continuously. Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes, add lemon juice, mussel cooking liquor, thai fish sauce and check seasoning. 3 Add the cooked new potatoes, green beans and steamed mussels, heat through.
4 Season the cod and coat lightly with flour. Put the cod skin side down in a hot frying pan, sear for 1 minute then cook in oven at 200°c for 6-7 minutes. 5 Divide the chowder between four bowls, place cod on top and garnish with parsnip crisps and pesto.
Recipe by Nikki Merchant Head Chef, The Crown Hotel
The Buttlands, Wells-Next-the-Sea NR23 1EX E-mail: crownhotel@flyingkiwiinns.co.uk Web: www.crownhotelnorfolk.co.uk 75
SUNDAY CARVERIES
rd Winning Inn Swaffham’s Double Awa
Every Sunday 12no on-6pm
Call to Book 01760 723 244
TWO COURSES JUST £9.99 Help yourself to soup for starters followed by our Sunday carvery buffet. Choose from roast turkey crown, roast gammon, roast topside of beef or vegetable wellington. Accompanied by a great selection of sides and help yourself to as much as you like of them!
Selected desserts just £2!
Copper Horse
Sunday Roasts
Our fabulous cocktail bar and relaxed fine dining restaurant. Open Fri and Sat evenings.
Enjoy our delicious Sunday Roasts served 12 till 3pm.
KingsArmsCopperHorse@gmail.com www.kingsarmscoachinginn.co.uk
21 Market Place, Swaffham PE37 7LA
Contact us for more details
Clenchwarton Road, West Lynn King’s Lynn PE34 3LW Web: brewersfayre.co.uk
Tel: 01553 772221 76
KLmagazine May 2018
Food & Drink
Churros “At Massey & Co we serve out churros hot out the fryer with warm chocolate sauce.” INGREDIENTS 250ml milk 200g butter, diced 1 tsp salt 2 tsp caster sugar 300g plain flour 8 eggs
METHOD 1 In a large saucepan, combine the milk with 250ml water, the butter, salt and sugar. 2 Place the saucepan over a low heat to melt the butter, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sugar is dissolved and the ingredients are combined. 3 Bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture comes to the boil, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. 4 Add the flour and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth.
6 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the paste with a wooden spoon, until dropping consistency is achieved. This means that the paste will just about drop off the wooden spoon. 7 Spoon the paste into a piping bag and using a star nozzle, pipe lines directly into a deep fat fryer at 170°C. Once golden, remove from the hot oil and place on a tray with kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil. Dust with a mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Serve with warm chocolate sauce.
5 Return the pan to a medium heat for 1 minute stirring all the time to dry the paste. Tip the paste into a clean bowl.
Recipe by Trevor Clark Head Chef at Duke’s Head Hotel 5-6 Tuesday Market Place, King's Lynn PE30 1JS Tel: 01553 774996 Web: www.dukesheadhotel.com KLmagazine May 2018
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PICTURES: TORI HANCOCK
RestaurantReview
A reader reviews Biltons restaurant at Tottenhill...
W
e frequently travel between King’s Lynn and Downham Market, so Biltons has become a very familiar landmark to us as we pass through Tottenhill on the A10. When a relative came to visit a few weeks ago, we decided to dine there – and it will now be very difficult to drive past it again! Biltons looks like a traditional village pub from the outside (which is, of course, exactly what it used to be) but when you step through the door you enter another world. It’s a very warm and intimate space, with exposed brickwork, lots of wood and timbers, candles and a lovely open fire. There are flowers on the tables, linen tablecloths and bone-handled utensils – and the mismatched furniture creates a delightful rustic feel; a feeling enhanced by the low-level and atmospheric lighting. With a maximum of 40 covers, it’s not the biggest restaurant we’ve ever visited but Biltons is probably the most perfectly proportioned – wherever you sit, you immediately feel at home. We were surprised to discover a cosy garden room towards the rear of the
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restaurant, which leads into a pretty little garden. We asked our waitress if you could eat there in summer (you can) and she also told us the garden would soon be home to a Big Green Egg; a kamadostyle charcoal barbecue cooker that takes BBQs and steaks to another level entirely. Something else to put on our summer ‘to do’ list! While we looked at the menus, we
ordered a bottle of Rare Vineyards Malbec from a wine list which included some nice surprises and some English wines, which is always good to see. All the food sounded highly tempting; particularly the fillet steak with béarnaise sauce and the pan-fried sea bass with sautéed pesto potatoes. Our waitress advised us not to overlook the burgers either – particularly the eponymous Biltons Burger, which seems to be building quite a reputation. Our three starters were a crispy duck confit, slow-cooked pork belly bites and a prawn and crayfish cocktail – all of which had us rather lost for words when they arrived at our table. It’s a real pleasure when your food looks beautiful, and this was – all the elements on each dish so carefully and artfully arranged it was almost a shame to take a knife and fork to them. Our relative had a lot of fun assembling her duck confit pancakes, and couldn’t praise the deliciously soft duck enough. My wife’s starter was the best-looking (and probably biggest) prawn cocktail I’ve ever seen, overflowing with juicy crayfish and prawns. My pork belly bites were a
KLmagazine May 2018
simply wonderful, sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and accompanied by a brilliant BBQ and sweet green chilli sauce. Our main courses comprised a stunning rack of lamb, served perfectly pink and in three individual chops; a subtly-chargrilled chicken supreme with an incredible port and redcurrant reduction; and the undoubted star of the
FOOD
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SERVICE
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VALUE
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show, the Surf & Turf – a new addition to the Biltons’ menu that was recommended to us. It was an astonishing dish – a half lobster thermidor matched with flat-iron steak that made for a genuine visual and flavourfilled feast. The lobster was perfectly done (the ovenbrowned cheese crust was marvellous) but the steak was simply incredible. In fact, I think it's by far the best steak I've ever tasted. Extraordinarily tender and juicy, if you have never tried this cut before, it’s an absolute must. All our dishes were faultless – food that was exceptionally well cooked and exquisitely presented, but the portions were so generous we simply couldn’t sample one of the six desserts on offer. They sounded satisfyingly indulgent, though; caramel sundae, sticky toffee pudding, banoffee pie and a mouthwatering vanilla and honeycomb cheesecake. As we finished off the wine, we agreed the nearest thing we could compare Biltons to would be a small family restaurant in France, so it came as no surprise to learn that owner and head chef Daniel Hartley has been a
professional chef all over the world. He graciously visited the tables once the diners had been served, so we took the opportunity to congratulate him on his amazing food – congratulations he thoroughly deserved as he’s only assisted in the kitchen by a single apprentice. Daniel told us he’d only taken over Biltons towards the end of last year, but it was abundantly clear he’s brought a world of experience to the restaurant. He’s not new to the area though – he said his family have farmed in the local areas for generations, and most of his vegetables come from the family farm. Biltons is well worth treating yourself to. Here you’ll find the freshest ingredients possible combined with very modern cooking techniques to create food of an incredibly high standard. It’s a sheer delight for all lovers of truly outstanding food.
“Food that’s exceptionally well cooked and exquisitely presented – Biltons is a sheer delight for all lovers of truly outstanding food...”
Biltons Lynn Road, Tottenhill, King’s Lynn Norfolk PE33 0RL Tel: 01553 812200 Web: www.biltonsrestaurant.com
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May resta special Bank h urant events Monda oliday brunch y 7th & c Monda lub £18 Every M pp 10am – 2 y 28th p 6.30pm onday & Tues m da , £17 for special set pri y from ce m 2 co Bookin urses or £22 enu g reco for 3 01760 mmended 723845
strattons hotel with self catering, restaurant, café deli and lifestyle/interiors shop
boutique luxurious classic contemporary heart of norfolk award winning restaurant afternoon tea cocoes café deli self catering Luxury without sacrifice to the environment ash close swaffham norfolk pe37 7nh 01760 723845 enquiries@strattonshotel.com www.strattonshotel.com
MAKING THE
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Address 28-31a North End, Wisbech, Cambs, PE13 1PE | Tel 01945 476797 | Fax 01945 463495 | Web www.quaycentre.co.uk
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KLmagazine May 2018
Food & Drink
l i a t Coocfkthe h t n o M
Pimm’s iced tea A refreshing accompaniment to an afternoon tea or a Royal Wedding Celebration! Serves: 3-4 teacups or 2 taller glasses YOU WILL NEED Tea cup or tall glass INGREDIENTS 180ml Pimm’s No.1 360ml Chilled tea (we used a strawberry & raspberry fruit tea with 2 teabags) 3 tsp honey 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice Ice Garnish – citrus wedges, strawberries and/or raspberries, cucumber ribbons, mint sprigs KLmagazine May 2018
Pimm’s No.1 was created by James Pimm and is ultimately the quintessential English Summertime refreshment. Classically served with lots of ice, fresh fruit and mint sprigs. METHOD 1 Chill tea in a jug. 2 Once cool, stir in all other ingredients (except garnish). 3 Add in your selection of garnish. 4 Strain into a teacup or glass and serve (have it without ice in the tea cup). Sit back, sip and relax!
Recipe by The Kings Arms Coaching Inn 21 Market Place, Swaffham PE37 7LA Tel: 01760 723244 Web: www.kingsarmscoachinginn.co.uk 81
PICTURES: MALT COAST BREWERY
Food & Drink
Raise your glasses to Norfolk’s latest craft beer At Branthill Farm in North Norfolk, a new generation is taking a time-honoured tradition of award-winning barley and creating a new range of beers. Clare Bee enjoys a taste of Malt Coast Brewery
G
rowing up on a North Norfolk farm, Bruin and Max Maufe knew exactly how lucky they were. Their childhood home of Branthill Farm is situated on the Holkham Hall estate, close to the coast and only a stone’s throw from the pretty village of Burnham Market. Here the family has grown award-winning Maris Otter barley (along with wheat and sugar beet) since the 1930s, when the brothers’ grandfather started
KLmagazine May 2018
farming the land. The sandy loam over the chalk soil, with low rainfall and spring sea mists, creates ideal conditions for growing barley, and has proven so successful that it is even exported to America. “Barley is the best crop to grow in this area, and this is the best place in the UK to grow malted barley,” explains Bruin. “We send our spring barley up to Scotland for the whisky distilleries and the winter barley goes to California to their craft breweries.”
But like many young people, the brothers wanted to make their own way in the world and break away from farming, and both made their way to work in London. Bruin started working for a creative agency and then for the United Nations International Peace Day on a corporate partnership, delivering aid into conflict areas. “The farm’s always been very much in the background,” he says. “You never lose it, but even though I thought I wanted to be away from it at first, I
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realised there was something special about it. Max and I knew we weren’t going to go into farming in the traditional sense, but we both realised we wanted to be back here, and we saw an opportunity to get us both back to the farm.” Their father Teddy had started a beer shop about 10 years previously, and the brothers had always been involved with it, travelling back from London at the weekends to help get the shop on its feet. However, they soon began to realise there was potential in using what was right there under their noses. “We could see there was a craft beer revolution taking hold,” says Bruin, “and there were so many craft breweries starting up without any story or identity – while we were growing award-winning barley, which really is something meaningful. We were excited we could produce something with its own story.” Bruin had also met and married Atessa, who had always lived in a city and was very keen to move to the country, and had always dreamed of living on a farm. “Part of the reason we’re here is because of Atessa,” says Bruin. ”She’s now heavily involved in the business, along with Max and his wife Andrea. We’ve found we have a good dynamic with the four of us, and it’s really turning into a family affair.” Between the four of them, they found they had many skills which they could use to further the business. Max is good at sales and talking to people, and Atessa had previously worked in design. After gaining a grant from the LEADER programme, The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, all four of them went on
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an intensive brewing course, and engaged consultants and experienced brewers to work alongside them, helping them to set up and develop recipes. They produced their first brew in April 2017 and sold “We’d love to be recognised beyond their first beer the following Norfolk’s borders as one of the month, so it’s still very early days. leading craft beer producers – “We’re making amazing if not in size then in reputation...” progress,” says Bruin. “Last summer was all about BRUIN MAUFE Malt Coast Brewery building our brands and of bottles per month, they have the ability course we had so much to learn.” and facilities to brew up to 12,000 Bruin explains how their beer differs bottles every month in the future. from other locally brewed beers. “Because we’re championing the “We have our own unique story in using our own barley to brew our beer,” malt, we make sure there’s a distinctive malt taste within all our beers,” says he says. “In Norfolk there’s a proud Bruin. “Naturally, we use hops – but the history of brewing ale, but it’s real ale. malt is what we want to be known for. Craft beer (which started in the United We’d love to be recognised beyond States) is brewed with more hops and Norfolk’s borders as one of the leading higher carbonation and is designed to be drunk cold. This is a different style of craft beer producers, if not in size then in reputation.” beer and hasn’t really existed in Norfolk This is a genuine family farmhouse before. This we saw as an opportunity brewery, but produced in a to produce a different kind of Norfolk contemporary way by young beer.” entrepreneurs who are passionate Initially they started selling their beer about provenance. in local delis along the coast, and then “We’re talking about grain to glass moved on to supplying restaurants and and building an identity for ourselves,” pubs in the local area. They’re now says Bruin, “We know we’re very lucky starting to supply leading restaurants further afield, and beginning to get their to live on a farm on the coast in a beautiful part of the world and that’s name known in Norwich and London. part of our reason to want to make it At the moment they’re brewing three work. We know it’s going to be a long core beers: an IPA which is robust, journey, but we’re in it for the long strong and hoppier, a pale ale with a haul.” light crisp easy drinking style, and an amber ale which is darker and To find out more about Malt Coast smoother. They’re starting to increase beers, please go to the website at production, and although at the www.maltcoast.com. moment they’re brewing about 5,000
KLmagazine May 2018
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KLmagazine May 2018
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Why your car needs our team on your side... Enjoy a fresh new approach to car servicing with K Brown Auto Repairs hen Keith and Tamsin Brown launched K Brown Auto Repairs back in the 1990s, they wanted their new business to offer local motorists the best of both worlds – a family-friendly and honest approach to car servicing, but also one built on outstanding levels of technical expertise and superb standards of work. It was an idea that’s proved hugely successful – thanks in no small part to a long-serving and close-knit team of talented mechanics and dedicated support staff. “It was always really important to us that everyone shared our values of honest help and advice, transparent pricing, and high quality servicing,” says Tamsin. “That’s why all our mechanics are trained in-house by Keith himself – which makes a huge amount of difference to the level of service we can offer.” Technical experience and customer-
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focus runs throughout the team, and many of the mechanics have qualified while working at K Brown Auto Repairs. “Most of our team started with us at a young age and we currently have a number of apprentices at various levels in both our King’s Lynn and Hunstanton centres,” says Tamsin. “It’s not just about supporting local youngsters – it helps us build a close, experienced and very loyal team.” It’s an approach that obviously works – K Brown Auto Repairs’ Workshop Manager Richard first joined the business on a training scheme in its first year, and Tamsin and Keith’s next apprentice Anthony is still with them too – and is now the Technical Manager. And that level of loyalty is also shared by customers, several of whom have been confidently taking their cars to K Brown Auto Repairs for over 25 years now. From simple MOTs, servicing and repairs
to complex diagnosis, 4-wheel alignment and code reading, your car is always (and always will be) in very safe and experienced hands with the friendly, professional and extraordinarily loyal team at K Brown Auto Repairs.
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History
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made property available for a Hanseatic warehouse in 1474 as part of the Treaty of Utrecht, agreed by King Edward IV – a warehouse that survives to this day as Hanse House. The members of the Trinity Guild worshipped at Saint Margaret’s church (today’s Minster) and like many rich families at the time, the Thoresbys contributed to the fabric of the church. St Stephen’s Chapel (or Thoresby Chapel) was built to the south side, and grand family tombs were prominently sited within the church. Sadly, the
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homas Thoresby was born to a wealthy and powerful merchant family in King’s Lynn in the mid-15th century. He lived in the heart of what was then known as ‘Bishop’s Lenne’ on the Saturday Market Place, a few steps away from the Trinity Guildhall (today’s Town Hall) where he served as a principal officer for the Holy Trinity Guild, which was the most powerful guild in the town. He was elected mayor of ‘Bishop’s Lenne’ three times, and during his tenure as Deputy Mayor he
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Prayers may be no longer said for the soul of Thomas Thoresby, but Alison Miller of the King’s Lynn Town Guides encourages us to remember the legacies of a prominent figure in the town’s history...
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The merchant and mayor who left his mark on Lynn chapel and tombs are no longer in evidence, but two of the many bequests that Thomas left to the town remain very much a part of King’s Lynn today. The ‘College of Lenne’ or ‘Trinity College’ (as Thoresby College was known) was founded in Thomas’ will to house 13 chantry priests for the Holy Trinity Guild, a charnel priest, and two further priests specially appointed to sing mass for Thomas’ soul for “as long as the world shall endure.” At that time, people feared purgatory, the period of transition between death KLmagazine May 2018
RIGHT: The wicket gate entrance to Thoresby College in King’s Lynn today, showing the remaining part of the Latin inscription after the Puritans removed the first three words in the 17th century. Above is a rare image of the Charnel Chapel built to the south side of St. Margaret’s church – only the outline of the building can be seen today.
and Heaven. They believed that chantry priests conducting masses for them would speed their journey through purgatory to their eternal rest. Most bequests of stipends for priests’ expenses stipulated a length of time of around five years, but Thomas wished for prayers for his soul to be said in perpetuity. Unfortunately for him (and his soul) his wish was unfulfilled – as the orders of the Reformation deemed such practices as superstitious, and the guilds and chantry college were abolished in 1547. The building became the property of the Mayor, and was then sold for £100 to town clerk Robert Houghton. Over the years, the building has been adapted for use as a mineral factory, a warehouse and storage facility, and a private school. In 1963, the entire complex was saved by two anonymous benefactors, who were later revealed as Ruth, Lady Fermoy and her daughter Mrs KLmagazine May 2018
Shand Kydd. They presented the building to the King’s Lynn Preservation Trust for restoration with an understanding that the building would be used (as it continues to be) for the benefit of the whole community. Entering from Queen Street, through the wicket gate on a guided walk, visitors can inspect the Latin inscription on the original ‘parchmentfold’ panelled door to the college. Originally, it read “Pray for the soul of Master Thomas Thoresby founder of this place” – but the first three words “pro orate anima” (pray for the soul of) were chiselled away by the Puritans in the 17th century. The gate leads to a quadrangle of conventional medieval college design with a Judas tree at its centre. The west range housed a great dining hall with an undercroft, and accommodation for the priests was laid out in the other three wings.
In addition to founding Thoresby College, Thomas laid the origins for one of Lynn’s secondary schools, better known today as King Edward VII Academy. In his will, Thoresby made provision for the upkeep of a charnel priest to be paid from income on lands he owned in Gaywood. The priest, an original resident of Trinity College, was required to daily “teche and learn six children freely at Grammar and song” (‘grammar’ at that time meant Latin). The priest and students were also to “daily on their knees pray for the souls of the donor and other persons, and repeat certain psalms.” According to Thoresby’s will, if the conditions weren’t met, the lands were to revert to his heirs. Teaching in the school originally began in the upper room of a Charnel Chapel next to St. Margaret’s church on the Saturday Market Place. Bones from the graves of the cemetery were 89
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Thoresby College in Queen Street (above) houses the offices of the King’s Lynn Preservation Trust and a number of private residences. It has a couple of meeting and function rooms that are regularly used by local organisations. The outline of the Charnel Chapel can still be found on Saturday Market Place between the Minster and the Town Hall. King Edward VII Academy on Lynn Road in Gaywood was founded by Thoresby as a Free Grammar School to educate “six poor people” in grammar, song and praying for the Thoresby family.
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A step-by-step way to explore the heritage of King’s Lynn...
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deposited in the lower charnel rooms. The chapel was replaced in the 18th century by the Butchers’ Shambles with schoolrooms above. A schoolmaster’s house in St James Street was used in the 1820s, and in 1906 the school moved to its present site in the magnificent new buildings donated by William Lancaster. A statue of a Tudor scholar on the main building, a portrait of Henry VIII in the hall and the name of ‘Keene and Thoresby House’ remind present pupils of their school’s beginnings. Thomas Thoresby died a ‘gentleman’ in September 1510, aged 60 years. Some reports say he died in More, Shropshire, but this is unclear. What is more certain is that when he died Thoresby owned several properties and farmland in and around Lynn – although he died before seeing his college completed. Daily prayers may no longer be said for his soul, but in executing the wishes contained in his father’s will, his son (also named Thomas) ensured that his name and legacy would live on in King’s Lynn through the ensuing centuries.
START OF THE NEW SEASON! The new season of walks with the King’s Lynn Town Guides starts this month and will continue every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday until the end of October. There are a number of Special Events over the next few weeks, and you can check all the details on the brand new website at www.kingslynntownguides.co.uk – or you can always follow the King’s Lynn Town Guides on Facebook. New for this year, the Funny Faces Family Trail is a fun quiz sheet that’s suitable for all ages and has been designed to be completed by children attending a walk with an adult – it’s a great way to get your children interested in the history and heritage of King’s Lynn. Copies of the quiz sheet are available from the Tourist Information Centre at the Custom House and are free of charge for those booking a walk with the King’s Lynn Town Guides. SUPPER WALK AT BANK HOUSE Wednesday 16th May (6pm) Meet for a drink at Bank House, followed by a one-hour leisurely walk with King’s Lynn Town Guides that will cover: l Bank House, the Gurney family and King’s Staithe Square
l Lynn’s maritime history and heroes l Custom House, Purfleet and Lynn’s second town l King Street l Tuesday Market Place Return to Bank House for a 2-course supper. For further details and to book your place, contact Bank House on 01553 660492. SUPPER WALK AT THE RATHSKELLER Tuesday 29th May (6pm) Meet for a drink at the Rathskeller, followed by a one-hour leisurely walk with King's Lynn Town Guides covering: l Lynn’s Trading History l Hanseatic League and Hanse House l Thoresby College l Queen Street and Clifton House l South Quay and the River Great Ouse Return to the Rathskeller for a 2-course supper. For further details and to book your place, contact the Rathskeller on 01553 773713. In addition to scheduled walks and the special events detailed above, the King’s Lynn Town Guides are available for private bookings at any time or day with reasonable notice for groups of six or more. If you’d like to get together with a group of friends or colleagues to discover more about your town, simply contact the Tourist Information Centre in the Custom House on 01553 763044 to book your tour. The King’s Lynn Town Guides give their services entirely voluntarily. All the money raised from the walks goes directly to conservation projects in the town.
KLmagazine May 2018
Celebrating RATFORDS ST
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Artfellows Picture Framers & Art Gallery
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www.artfellows.co.uk 5-5a Cattle Market Street, Fakenham, NR21 9AW Parking outside • Tel: 01328 862000 Open: Mon - Fri 9am - 4.30pm & Sat 9am -3pm KLmagazine May 2018
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East Coast Business Park, West Lynn, King’s Lynn PE34 3LW
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Over 30 years of caring for people and for property The highest level of construction and building maintenance services in the area or over 30 years, T.M. Browne has built a well-respected reputation across the region based on caring for people and their property – whether that’s a new residential development, a pub renovation, or a commercial repair and maintenance contract. Three decades after it was founded as a small plumbing and building company, T.M. Browne now works on everything from new builds to renovations, from repairs and maintenance to re-roofing and windows, and from single extensions to multi-property developments. What’s more, the extensive in-house resources of T.M. Browne mean that very few areas of a project need to be outsourced – it’s quite unique, for example, for a ‘building’ company to have its very own plumbing and electrical department. These resources
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also mean that T.M. Browne has built an enviable and successful track record in specialist fields such as restoring firedamaged properties and social housing. The company has long-standing relationships with a number of housing associations across East Anglia, working on everything from aids and adaptions (ensuring properties comply with the Disability Discrimination Act) to maintenance and gas and electrical installations. The expertise of T.M. Browne even extends to commercial work, with a wide range of services including surveying, contracts management and project management – and a large portfolio of offices, industrial sites and housing developments. From its extensive headquarters in Terrington St
Clement, T.M. Browne now works everywhere from King’s Lynn to Great Yarmouth and from Norwich to Cambridge – and even further afield. Typically, the company’s 60 vehicles will cover 100,000 miles and complete around 1,000 separate jobs every month. But at the heart of this family-run business are the traditional values of first-class workmanship, pride in a project well done, the value of training and apprenticeships, and a real passion for meeting (and exceeding) customer expectations. Whatever your property needs, T.M. Browne can offer you and your project the very highest levels of professionalism, integrity and workmanship. Please contact us using the details below or visit the website at www.tmbrowne-ltd.co.uk
Unit 3, The Mill, Market Lane, Terrington St Clement King’s Lynn PE34 4HR Tel: 01553 828050 Email: admin@tmbrowneltd.co.uk Web: www.tmbrowne-ltd.co.uk
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KLmagazine May 2018
Give your driveway the facelift it’s waiting for... Enjoy a complete professional service from start to finish with WN Surfacing ow the weather is brighter and warmer, it’s the perfect time to contact WN Surfacing and give your driveway a professional facelift, because it doesn’t matter the size of your property or the length of your drives and pathways, WN Surfacing has it covered – literally. With over 20 years experience in everything from new-build developments to grade listed buildings and from renovation projects to stately homes, WN Surfacing offers a comprehensive range of products – from innovative new resin-bound and resin-bonded surfaces to coloured asphalts and decorative chippings, surface dressing, block paving and home sports surfaces. If you’re currently building your own home, an expertly designed and installed resin-bonded driveway that’s also compliant with SuDs (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) will add the
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perfect and long-lasting finishing touch. But you don’t have to go to those lengths. “For older driveways that are simply looking a bit tired, there’s another solution,” says WN Surfacing’s Richard Moore. “For drives and pathways that simply need refreshing, surface dressing is the ideal answer, especially as it gives you a similar look to a resinbonded drive at a fraction of the cost.” Richard and his fully trained and accredited team can design and construct an eye-catching, hardwearing, cost-effective and practical surface that will meet (and probably exceed) all your expectations. “We really do offer a complete service from start to finish,” says Richard. “We’ll help design the drive in line with all current regulations and drainage requirements and we’ll even take away the old tarmac for recycling. A new driveway isn’t as major a job
people often think either – in fact in most cases it usually only takes around three days!” The team at WN Surfacing always provides excellent aftercare and support, and ensures that all sites are left neat and tidy on the completion of work. For high quality surfaces of all types, for all purposes and all properties (together with a professional service that’s second to none) contact WN Surfacing today for a free initial visit and a no-obligation survey.
Riverside Farm, Garage Lane, Setchey, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE33 0BE Telephone: 01553 601786 Website: www.wnsurfacing.com E-mail: richard@wnsurfacing.com
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History
OPPOSITE: Emmeline Pankhurst and her Women’s Social and Political Union are generally seen as heading the movement that gave women the vote, but 34 years before the first suffragette the people of King’s Lynn were already campaigning for ‘votes for women’
The story of women’s suffrage in King’s Lynn Everyone’s heard of the Suffragettes, but few know that the nonviolent Suffragists really made the difference. Alison Gifford looks at how the people of King’s Lynn helped give women the vote...
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t was a pleasant surprise to discover that in May 1869, King’s Lynn was the first Norfolk town to gather sufficient inhabitants (375 out of an electorate of 4,000 in fact) to sign a petition for women’s suffrage and present it to parliament. A year later, local voting citizens were again sufficiently aroused by the cause to send a petition with over 800 names to be presented to parliament by the radical P. A. Taylor MP. But the national parliament was not persuaded, filled as it was with Honourables, Baronets and other hereditary titled gentlemen who, two years before in 1866, had grudgingly
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passed a Reform Bill which still gave fewer than 60% of men the vote. Liberal MP’s were keener than Conservatives on a wider male franchise, and to calm fears reassured that “the middle classes, strengthened by the best of the artisans” would still have the preponderance of power. The philosopher, political economist and civil servant John Stuart Mill, an influential thinker in the history of liberalism, tried to change the wording in the Reform Bill from “man” to “person” – but without success. The real supporters of ‘votes for women’ were in regional and provincial towns and cities – where clergymen,
town councillors, owners of small businesses, church-going Conservatives and almost invariably non-conformist Liberals all backed an extension of the franchise to women who owned property and paid taxes. In 1871, King’s Lynn formed a committee in connection with the London Centre of the National Society for Women’s Suffrage. The members of the committee were Benjamin Birch, a brush manufacturer at 74 High Street; the Rev. Edward Bruce, a Unitarian minister; Mr and Mrs Grundy; and Mrs E. M Bruce, while the committee secretary was Miss S. A. Pung of North Wootton.
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A further petition to parliament was presented in February 1873 by Joseph Bright MP, a radical liberal Quaker politician who was a determined advocate of women’s suffrage. The first public meeting in King’s Lynn to discuss women’s suffrage was held in February 1873, and was addressed by Caroline Biggs and Emily Spender, who were touring towns in East Anglia – but the cause was boosted considerably thanks to John Dyker Thew. Town councillor, magistrate, printer, and publisher of the Lynn Advertiser and Norfolk and Cambridge Herald, Thew agreed to chair a meeting on 6th December 1875 at Lynn’s Music Hall. The speakers at the meeting were Lydia Becker and Miss Beedy, who were supported on the platform by physician and surgeon Dr John Lowe and the Rev. P. J. Rollo, minister of the Baptist chapel. Now the suffragists had the local press behind them, and John Dyker Thew was particularly eloquent on the subject: “Women only ask for the
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franchise as a privilege attached to a certain condition,” he wrote, “for which they possess all the qualifications required of male voters.” Here we see that for middle class men like Thew, it is the property qualification and the payment of taxes – not the gender of the voter – that matters. In reality, “Votes for Women” was really “Votes for Ladies.” The King’s Lynn committee continued and held the faith over many years with drapers, various non-conformist ministers, commercial travellers and their wives all coming and going – with the inevitable young single woman as secretary to do all the paperwork! In 1913 the secretary was Miss Ethel Hovell, who lived at 21 Guanock Terrace. She is not a footnote in the history of King’s Lynn, but laboriously copied and inscribed all the ledger stones and monuments in St Nicholas Chapel – which she later published in a book entitled the ‘Complete List of Inscriptions on the Slabs, Tablets and Monuments in the chapel of St. Nicholas, King’s Lynn, existing in the year 1937.’ The First World War changed everything. Suffrage demands for women were shelved for the duration of the conflict, while four years of attrition abroad and grief and hardship at home upset the political landscape. Most of the young men killed and maimed, and more importantly the young
men who returned, couldn’t vote. They could be, and had been, sacrificed without a voice. The modern version of the final success of “Votes for Women” was, of course, the Suffragettes – whose campaign of civil disobedience was the main force for eventual suffrage. It is stirring stuff, and there were women whose determination in the face of imprisonment and force feeding was truly heroic, but the truth is that the small politics of King’s Lynn and similar regional towns and cities and the horror of the trenches in Flanders, gave some women the vote at last. The Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed as men returned from the front; questioning, mutinous, perhaps even revolutionary. It gave the vote to all men over 21 – which extended the franchise by 5.6 million. Women over 30 were able to vote if they held property worth over £5 or had husbands who did. This extended the franchise further by 8.4 million. John Dyker Thew had seen the future in 1873. “We should perhaps hail the movement with satisfaction,” he wrote, “on the grounds that the Parliamentary enfranchisement of female householders and property owners would have a salutary effect in counteracting the radical tendency of male voters in the larger constituencies.” Letting women vote in 1918 wasn’t the radical step into the future it often appears to be, and actually maintained the status quo for the ruling elite – but it was the beginning of the universal right to vote, a right we all now take for granted. PICTURES: Leading lights in the suffrage movement were Lydia Becker (above), who spoke at a meeting in King’s Lynn’s Music Hall in December 1875; the radical Quaker Joseph Bright MP (left); and even editor John Dyker Thew, whose Lynn Advertiser and Norfolk and Cambridge Herald helped bring the notion of ‘votes for women’ to a wider audience.
KLmagazine May 2018
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KLmagazine May 2018
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system to safely restore heavily-soiled stone floors, tiles and grout to ‘as-new’ brilliance – and we can do it in a single visit too!” For more than 20 years, XtraClean has been offering a professional, friendly and fully-insured service that covers the whole of Norfolk (and even beyond) with a team of highly skilled, highly trained and highly knowledgeable technicians all dedicated to keeping your floors looking as bright as the day they were laid. Following an initial survey and test, Martin and his team will get to work (they’ll even move the furniture for you!) breaking down the ingrained dirt and loosening the surface soiling. Then XtraClean’s amazing turbocleaning capture system will thoroughly pressure clean the floor, using its own
water supply and capturing all the waste in the process. The results are spectacular, and are achieved without using invasive procedures such as grinding and resurfacing. “Once the floor’s been cleaned we’ll professionally seal it for added protection which will help retain its new looks for longer,” says Martin. ”We can even re-polish and buff highly-honed stone floors if required!” So what’s the secret to offering such a high quality service? “We simply use the most advanced technology and the most professional products on the market today,” says Martin, “and the results really do speak for themselves.” Discover the difference – and contact Martin and his locally-based team today!
Xtraclean
Unit 3, Jack Boddy Way, Swaffham PE37 7HJ Tel: 01760 337762 Web: www.xtraclean.co.uk E-mail: sales@xtraclean.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
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Books
“When I started to work on the book, I had three questions: why do the bees die, how does it feel to lose them – and how would the world be without pollinating insects?” – MAJA LUNDE
ABOVE: Norwegian author Maja Lunde, whose debut novel The History of Bees has become a bestseller around the world
The books you should be reading this summer... It’s difficult to believe UK publishers release 20 new titles every hour – and it’s even harder to know which ones are worth reading. Here’s our pick of the latest books you’ll find hard to put down
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f you’re looking for a book to read over the summer but can’t choose from the hundreds of titles currently available, then you’ve come to the right place. Below you’ll find reviews of the books that everyone seems to be reading at the moment – in genres such as fiction, non-fiction, thrillers, nature and children’s books. FICTION: THE HISTORY OF BEES Maja Lunde Finally we’ve got the chance to read the book that’s taken Europe by storm – spending an incredible 14-week run at
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the top of the fiction charts. This dazzling and ambitious literary debut by Norwegian writer Maja Lunde follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees, to their children, and to one another— all against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis. Haunting, illuminating, and very deftly written, The History of Bees is just as much about the powerful relationships between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity.
It covers a sweep of 250 years, and is an utterly chilling story of our civilisation’s near-ruin. From the home counties of England in 1851 to a future China at the end of this century, we witness the collapse of the bee – the prime pollinator and herald of life across the globe. Lunde presents this catastrophe through the lens of three parents, their lives shaped by the presence or loss of bees, and all in their way harbouring ambitions for their children’s future. However, circumstances cast an ever-deepening shadow – the small scientific obsessions of a Victorian KLmagazine May 2018
biologist ultimately eclipsed by 2098’s sheer need for survival. The human story, however, remains the same in this brilliant novel of intimate and sometimes frightening prescience. NON-FICTION: THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF GERMANY James Hawes In these Brexit-dominated days, a question has arisen that’s haunted Europe ever since Julius Caesar invented the ‘germani’ in 58BC – are the Germans really ‘us’, or ‘them’? By what miracle did a better Germany arise from the rubble of World War Two – and is the country now the last bastion of Western prosperity and rational politics, or are the EU and the Euro merely window-dressing for a new German hegemony?
KLmagazine May 2018
This fresh, illuminating and concise new history effortlessly makes sense of Europe’s most admired (and feared) country. At last, here is the real story of Germany. In a little over 225 pages, British novelist James Hawes manages to distill some 2,000 years of history into one exhilarating sprint through a country’s genesis and future. Far more than a simple overview of Germanic progress, The Shortest History of Germany serves as a virtual CV of Europe as well – from the shadow of Caesar’s Roman Empire to the schisms of Brexit, offering a real wealth of understanding to what both binds and divides us. Witty, opinionated, and almost roguishly confident, it’s a book that’s perfect for anyone looking to understand what makes Europe’s most powerful economy tick. And it couldn’t have been published at a better or more appropriate time.
THRILLERS: THE INVISIBLE GUARDIAN Delores Redondo Welcome to the Basque region of Spain – a land of secrets, mythology and superstition. There’s a killer at large in a remote valley, a detective to rival Silence of the Lamb’s Clarice Starling, myth versus reality, and masterful storytelling; it’s not surprising this Spanish bestseller has received such widespead critical acclaim. Shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger Award, it opens with the discovery of the body of a teenage girl on the banks of the River Baztan – the second in a month. Soon rumours are
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flying, and Inspector Amaia Salazar returns to the Basque country where she was born to lead the investigation. Facing the superstitions of the village, Amaia must fight the demons of her past in order to catch the killer – but what exactly is the dark presence she senses lurking in the shadows? Cautious and astute, Salazar is a woman of logic and reason, but as her investigation grows deeper, the ancient pagan belief of the local community begins to eat at her resolve: is she in the pursuit of a deranged ritualistic killer, or something even less human? This is an incredible thriller and the excellent translation will keep you turning the pages long into the night.
The uneasy balance between the two is shattered when Starr becomes the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend Khalil – by a white police officer. Now the young girl must fight for justice, using the most powerful weapon she has – her voice. But how she uses it could destroy her two carefully-separated lives, her family, and her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and unforgettable read, as Starr’s story exposes divisions of class, racial inequality and the misuse of power, opening up a fault line that lies at the very heart of modern society.
in the most demanding environments on earth, and this is their full story from one of our greatest nature writers. The Seabird’s Cry looks at the pattern of their lives, their habitats, the threats they face and the passions they inspire – and it’s all beautifully illustrated by artist Kate Boxer. Drawing on the most recent research, Adam Nicolson follows seabirds to the coasts and islands of Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and the Americas, celebrating the wonders of the only creatures at home in the air, on land and on the sea. He surveys 10 species of ocean-going birds, from the familiar puffin to the enigmatic, storm-riding fulmars – and fuses science and literature to find the essence of these fabulous animals. It’s both a revelation and a joy to read, but it also carries a warning – the number of seabirds has dropped by two-thirds since 1950. There’s a real danger that the grand cry of a seabird colony will become little more than a memory in our lifetimes. Better read it now.
NATURE: THE SEABIRD’S CRY Adam Nicolson Seabirds are master navigators, thriving
CHILDREN: THE HATE U GIVE Angie Thomas A truly ground-breaking work of fiction and sure to become a future classic, The Hate U Give (the title produces the acronym THUG) is a gripping, fierce and unflinching novel of one 16-yearold girl’s struggle for justice. Every day, Starr walks a fine line between the poor inner-city neighbourhood in which she was born and raised, and the wealthy suburbs where she goes to high school.
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KLmagazine May 2018
We are fast approaching the time for a
SPRING CLEAN & DE-CLUTTER! P start rices in £30 g from p mon er th
Rounce & Evans have teamed up with 24-7 Self Store, King’s Lynn’s newest self storage facility, to offer deals on all your storage needs. To check out what they can offer call or visit the website:
Quote Rounce & Evans for a discount on all new storage rentals!
Show off your clutter-free garage!
KLmagazine May 2018
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Book Reviews
Books for May – quite literally... MAY CONTAIN NUTS John O’Farrell Is Alice the only mother who feels permanently panic-stricken at the terrors of the modern world – or is it normal to sit up in bed all night popping bubble wrap? Her biggest worry is that her daughter may fail a crucial secondary school entrance exam, so she decides to take the test in her place. With his trademark comic eye for detail, John O'Farrell has produced a funny and provocative book that will make you laugh, cry and vow never to become that sort of parent. And then you can pass it on to your seven-yearold – because she really ought to be reading grown-up novels by now!
THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY H. E. Bates This 1958 classic is a delightful as ever, and it’s a great summer read. The Larkin family return from an outing for fish and chips and ice cream one May evening and discover a visitor – a tax inspector called Cedric. He’s there to find out why the junk-dealing head of the family hasn’t paid his tax, but nothing’s that simple at the Larkins. As Charley discovers in this charming book, he’ll soon be wondering whether it’s worth returning to the office at all.
MAY CAUSE MIRACLES Gabrielle Bernstein From the popular and exciting author of Spirit Junkie comes this practical and fun six-week diet of the mind for transforming fear into love and discovering true and lasting happiness. In this inspiring guide, Gabrielle offers a six-week plan to cleanse your spiritual system by tossing aside fear and living off the fine foods of gratitude, forgiveness, and love. All of which, ultimately, will lead to lives of abundance, acceptance, appreciation and enlightenment. Perfect for people looking to make a positive step in the right direction.
SIX MINUTES IN MAY Nicholas Shakespeare Selected as a Book of the Year by most newspapers in the country, this is a gripping story of Winston Churchill’s unlikely rise to power in May 1940. Uncovering fascinating new research and delving into the key players’ backgrounds, Shakespeare gives us a new perspective on this critical moment in our history – and it reads like a thriller. It’s hard to imagine the Second World War without Winston Churchill, but in this book Shakespeare shows how easily events could have been very different. 106
MAY Naomi Kruger Memories fade but a flame-haired boy remains. May can’t remember where she is or how she got there, but one thing she does know – he’s coming back and she has to be ready for him. In Naomi Kruger’s debut novel, it’s only by reliving the past that its secrets can be revealed. In a story that spans five decades, those closest to May revisit the definitive moments of their lives, and uncover a truth that has haunted May for most of her life. Who was the boy with hair like fire and what happened to him? This book is a poignant exploration of memory, history and the burden of the past. It’s a story that’s just as much about the things that stay with us as the things we forget.
KLmagazine May 2018
THE RUSTIC PLANK COLLECTION
INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED & HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE
Exclusive designs and superb quality from Bespoke Pine n Oak Over 1,000 pieces of hand-built solid wood furniture in more than 30 collections – all ready to take away today from Bespoke Pine n Oak! t Bespoke Pine n Oak, if you can draw it (or can simply picture it in your head) we can make it – but there’s a lot more to the company’s stunning showroom in King’s Lynn than beautifully and individually hand-crafted furniture. On display and ready to take away today is more than 1,000 pieces of fine furniture in every style and shape you can imagine for every room in your home – with over 30 collections that include unique and exclusive ranges such as the Rustic Plank furniture pictured above. Beautifully made in stunning Quebec
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IF YOU CAN DRAW IT, WE CAN MAKE IT!
yellow pine and infused with metal detailing and industrial touches, the heavy-duty Rustic Plank collection includes everything from beds, wardrobes, chests of drawers and bedside cabinets to solid dining tables with a range of seating options – benches, chairs and adjustable tubular stools. The collection also features dressers, desks and mirrors; together with contemporary cubed display units made to an original design by Bespoke Pine n Oak. And don’t forget that in the unlikely event your choice isn’t quite suited (or sized) to your liking, Bespoke Pine n Oak can
produce made-to-measure versions and variations specially crafted for your home. “There’s nothing quite like uniquely handcrafted furniture because it means you can have exactly what you’re looking for without compromising on anything,” says Bespoke Pine n Oak’s Kevin Berry. “But our off-the-shelf furniture is equally well designed and is made and finished to the very highest standards.” Bespoke Pine n Oak offers one of the biggest furniture choices for miles around – and if it’s not in stock and ready to take away today, they’ll handcraft it for you!
Bespoke Pine n Oak www.bespokepinenoakltd.com
KLmagazine May 2018
Unit 1, Hamlin Way Hardwick Narrows Estate King’s Lynn PE30 4NG Telephone: 01553 277515
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Quality in Craftmanship Since 1995
uPVC, Timber and Aluminium Windows | Doors | Orangeries | Conservatories | Roofline Flat Roofing Garage Doors | Glass Balustrades & Balconies | Aluminium Seamless Gutters
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Tel: 01553 829240 www.fenlandwindows.co.uk
Thurlow House, 71 Sutton Road, Walpole Cross Keys, King’s Lynn PE34 4HD
KLmagazine May 2018
Listers introduce another stunning local landmark Say hello to the new MINI convertible – a proud British tradition all by itself! ’m parked outside the gates of the Sandringham Estate with the roof down on the fabulous new MINI convertible, and I can’t help thinking that we British are a decidedly optimisitic bunch. Despite all the persistent wet and cold weather, we remain one of the biggest markets in the world for convertible cars. That may sound a bit odd, but you can hardly blame us when you have the opportunity to drive around the Norfolk coastline in one of the most enjoyable cars ever designed. Open-minded and outgoing, the new MINI convertible gives you a fresh perspective (literally!) of what driving should be all about. The quick steering makes it extremely agile – this new MINI convertible handles
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really well, and thanks to the turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine, driving actually becomes fun rather than a chore. In fact, tight corners have never been so enjoyable! Of course, the big test is how the new MINI convertible performs with the roof down. Perhaps unfairly, I waited to get past Hunstanton until doing so, introducing the car to the strong breezes coming in off the north Norfolk coast – and have to admit I was amazed at just how well the new MINI convertible isolates passengers from the wind. There’s nothing quite like the sense of on-the-road freedom this car delivers. It’s pretty special on the inside too. Full of soft-touch and piano black-accented details, it’s supremely comfortable and packed with quality, solidity and a
Listers King s Lynn
KLmagazine May 2018
general high-end aura. The 6.5in colour screen with Bluetooth is standard, and the ‘infotainment’ system is based on BMW’s iDrive, so the menus are easy to follow and operate. The MINI has always had plenty of charisma, but this new convertible is a car that treats you to the best of all worlds in all weathers – it’s a real joy to look at and a genuine pleasure to drive. Book your 48-hour MINI test drive at Listers King’s Lynn today and treat yourself to a unique motoring experience!
Hardwick Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4NA Tel: 01553 692244 Web: www.listerskingslynnmini.co.uk
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PICTURES: DEBBIE LYDDON
Local Arts
ABOVE: Debbie Lyddon’s Ground Work: Coil is a perfect example of her environmentally-based art, comprising linen, wire, hand-collected and hand-ground chalk and yellow clay, beeswax and sea water. Opposite is a detail of her fascinating work Chalk Ground
Art that’s inspired and created by the coast... Many local artists take their inspiration from the stunning Norfolk coastline, but Debbie Lyddon goes a step further – using the sea and sand to provide her raw materials, as Sylvia Steele discovers
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ith a portfolio of work so inspired by the coast, it’s no surprise that creative artist Debbie Lyddon has decided to make Wells-next-the-Sea her home. And though she was born in Essex, she’s no stranger to the area – having visited Norfolk for more than 30 years. “I can step out my door and be walking by the sea within minutes,” she says. “This is a beautiful landscape that’s ever-changing; a place that’s land for half a day and sea for the other half.”
KLmagazine May 2018
But for Debbie, there’s a lot more to her time at the coast than sheer enjoyment. “I walk the edge of the land, sail the tidal waters and I observe,” she says. “Sometimes I record these observations as quick pen sketches or written notes detailing the things I hear or see, interesting textures, or simply a movement caused by the wind or water.” This is the basis of Debbie’s work – and it’s a very hand-on approach. “I retrieve bits and pieces caught by the tide on the sand or marsh; maybe
old rope, bits of worn plastic and cloth or sea-smoothed wood,” she says. “These feed my work. I don’t aim to represent them literally, but they do give me a clue – a starting point to the form of the object I make.” Debbie’s aim is to evoke a multisensory interpretation of her surroundings. “I believe that my seeing sense is more prominent than the others,” she explains, “but sound is a close second.” That’s not so extraordinary when you consider that Debbie originally trained as a musician at the Royal Academy of
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Local Arts
ABOVE: Detail of Debbie Lyddon’s Ground Work Fold, a work created with linen, wire, handcollected and hand-ground seacoal, sea water, beeswax and found threads
Music for four years, after which she continued to play and teach the flute. “At school, it was always a question of whether to follow music or art,” she says. “At that stage, it was music that won. However, I’ve always loved drawing and painting. I come from a household where everyone knits or sews and, somehow, I’ve always seen playing the flute as an activity that went along with these creative occupations.” When asked what took her away from this musical path, Debbie’s happy to explain the transition was a simple one for her to take. “When I had my three children, it became impossible to pursue the musical career I was involved in,” she says. “It was a very short step to using my love of art instead. I started with adult education classes while putting one child or another in the crèche. The whole idea of my current career snowballed from there.” Debbie’s art features a combination of mixed media, cloths, sculpture, and
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drawing. Her inspiration comes from experiencing and paying attention to her surroundings – which often take her in new directions. “My current practice explores the processes of change,” she says. “I experiment with non-traditional materials that relate to a coastal environment such as salt, seawater, wax and bitumen to change the natural qualities of cloth and push the boundaries of this pliable material.” Debbie’s work has been reproduced in many diverse art publications from art-quilting, textile art, linking design to stitch and contemporary appliqué, and she’s exhibited her work in studios throughout the UK. Colour from the Landscape was a workshop she held during the Contemporary Textiles Fair at Teddington in March this year, which explored how to make paint using rocks and earth as a means to colour paper and cloth. “My workshop Making Paint grew
from my research using materials I’ve gathered from the landscape such as chalk, carbon and different coloured clays,” she says. “I show people how to grind the materials in a mortar and pestle and mix them with a medium such as gum Arabic, linseed oil and rice starch – making natural pigments to colour cloth and create paint. Finally, we grind them to a finer consistency with a glass muller and store them in a small container such as a watercolour pan or a seashell.” It’s a process that adds a uniquely local aspect to Debbie’s work; producing chalk and yellow ochre from West Runton, red clay from Cley, red and white chalk from Hunstanton, and sea coal from her home in Wells-nextthe-Sea. Debbie explains that observation and awareness are inherent in everything she does. “When you’re at music college, one of the things you are trained to do is to listen,” she says. “You can’t play in an orchestra without hearing and understanding what everyone around you is doing. Music remains one of the main influences in my work, and I think it’s made me quite obsessive in the manner I sample and often re-make work in the search for perfection.” Although a variety of textiles are central to Debbie’s work, it’s the traditional cloths of the sea that inspire her the most. “I’ve researched how these coastal cloths would have been preserved, and work with the relevant materials of wax, linseed oil, bitumen and paint,” she says. “Canvas and linen are very tactile and pliable, and I can manipulate them to create 2-D and 3-D works.” Whether working on her own projects, researching, or preparing for workshops, Debbie likes to do something with her creativity every day. “I like ideas to evolve naturally,” she says. “I often have pieces of work sitting around for months or even years as I try to resolve them!” For more examples of Debbie’s work and details of her talks, workshops and exhibitions, please visit her website at www.debbielyddon.co.uk
KLmagazine May 2018
The Last Word
WildWestNorfolk Michael Middleton’s
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ou may think there’s very little that connects a Sunday afternoon in the garden ticking off Mrs Middleton’s latest list of green-fingered chores with the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet (which is watched by around 40% of the world’s population) but I shall try to explain. Just as I was about to start cutting down another forest of stinging nettles, the neighbour’s dog Angus ran into our garden carrying something in his mouth. This was nothing particularly unusual as in the past this little wire fox terrier has been known to make special deliveries of everything from hedgehogs to highvisibility waistcoats. But this time Angus had managed to find a mysterious parcel carefully wrapped in newspaper and tied with string. The reason this struck a chord with me is that next month sees the start of the FIFA World Cup, and a similarlywrapped parcel and a small dog played a very important part in the 1966 competition. This was, of course, the one and only time England actually managed to lift the trophy (albeit thanks to a dodgy decision by a Russian linesman) – although at one point it looked like the winners would have nothing to lift at all. Designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur, the ‘old’ World Cup (better known as the Jules Rimet Trophy) was a thing of real beauty, featuring an Art Nouveau winged figure representing Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory. It was certainly a lot more attractive than the current World Cup, which looks remarkably like an ice cream cone that’s been dropped in the street, run over a few times, and then sprayed with gold paint. Even before 1966, the Jules Rimet 114
Trophy was no stranger to adventure. During the Second World War it was hidden in a shoe-box under the bed of FIFA vice-president Ottorino Barassi (Italy had won the competition in 1938) to prevent Adolf Hitler and his Nazis stealing it. Anyway, back to 1966. In January the trophy arrived in England and was kept under careful guard at the FA’s headquarters, apart from a couple of carefully-controlled publicity events. One of these was a stamp exhibition by the Stanley Gibbons’ company in March – the company having to guarantee the trophy would be under guard at all times and was insured for £30,000 – even though its actual value was only £3,000. Despite all the precautions, on Sunday 20th March someone managed to open the barred rear doors of the exhibition hall, remove the padlock from the back of the display case, and take the trophy without anyone noticing anything suspicious. The robbery made headlines around the world, and a bungled ransom delivery a few days later led to the arrest of a petty thief and used car dealer who claimed he was working for someone called ‘The Pole’ – whom he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) identify. Whoever was responsible for the theft of the trophy, perhaps the strangest fact about the whole thing is that the robber(s) set their sights on a sports trophy worth £3,000 and somehow ignored the £3 million worth of rare stamps that were surrounding it. There was no sign of the trophy until a week after it disappeared, when a man called David Corbett returned home from a walk with his dog Pickles, who began (as dogs do) to sniff at a stringtied, newspaper-wrapped parcel under
the garden hedge. It turned out, of course, to be the missing World Cup. Naturally, Pickles the dog became a national hero; appearing on TV, picking up a Silver Medal from the National Canine Defence League, and was even awarded a year of free dog food by pet food manufacturer Spillers. Unfortunately the mixed-breed collie didn’t have long to enjoy his fame. Pickles died the following year when his lead got caught on a tree branch while he was chasing a cat. As for the ill-fated Jules Rimet Trophy, it was eventually stolen again in Brazil in 1983 – and it hasn’t been seen since. So, had Angus brought me an item of sporting history that had been missing for the best part of 35 years? No. When I unwrapped the parcel, all it contained was a pair of black women’s shoes and a pink flannel. The shoes are size 39, don’t actually look as though they’ve been worn, and have three-inch heels. If you’re still looking for them, I’ll be more than happy to return them. Although if it’s alright with you, you can keep the year of free dog food.
KLmagazine May 2018
Introducing the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Its sharp, sporty looks and bold contemporary interior still defines the revived generation of Mercedes-Benz, and with five model lines and a choice of engines available it offers the perfect opportunity to reflect your true individuality.
Now with a larger media display, reversing camera with dynamic guidelines and CO2 emissions as low as 89 g/km, we understand the importance of detail.
Representative example A 180d Sport Edition
48 monthly payments of*(Term of agreement) On-the-road price
Customer deposit
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Manufacturer depsoit contribution 2SWLRQDO o QDO SD\PHQW†Total amount of credit
Total amount payable†â€
Option to purchase fee†Representative APR Fixed interest rate
£299 £21,932.42 £299 £1,113.21 £814.21 £9,650 £20,819.20 £25,125.21 £10 5.3% 5.12%
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Mercedes-Benz of Kings Lynn Beveridge Way, Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lynn PE30 4NB. 01553 777307 www.baronsgroup.co.uk/mercedes-benz