KL Magazine January 2014

ISSN 2044–7965

ISSUE 28 JANUARY 2013 PRICELESS

magazine

NORTH & WEST NORFOLK’S PREMIER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

COVER IMAGE

Wisbech by Ian Ward

editorial 01553 601201

editor@klmagazine.co.uk

Eric Secker David Learner Holly Milston Ian Ward Kitty Leach Bel Greenwood Alex Dallas Graham Murray Christine Glass Michael Middleton

advertising 01553 601201 sales@klmagazine.co.uk

Laura Murray Grant Murray Nicky Secker-Bligh Becky Drew KL 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.

If you’d like to order prints of any photograph featured in KL magazine, contact us at the address below. Please note this applies only to images taken by our own photographers.

H

ello and welcome to 2013 – and we’d like to wish you all a very happy New Year. For King’s Lynn and West Norfolk it promises to be another great year, and we’re already excited about some of the events planned for the area over the next twelve months (but we’ll keep them under wraps for the time being).

Plenty of people are looking forward to the new year – whether they’re creating stunning works of art (such as Wayne Hart and Nigel Barnett) or going on the sort of grand adventures normally reserved for presenters of Top Gear (such as Rubbish Team Racing). You’ll find them all featured in this month’s issue.

Of course, January always brings thoughts of the future to the fore, and that’s one of the main features of our look at independent schools as they look to continue a remarkable Olympic legacy. You’ll find the Principal of Easton and Otley College David Lawrence has good reason to be looking forward with confidence too (see his interview on page 16).

And if you’re tired of making (and breaking) the same old resolutions and are looking for some life-changing inspiration, then David Learner has some great ideas for you.

Above all, have a very happy and prosperous New Year. Enjoy the magazine!

KL MAGAZINE

Contact us at KL magazine, 18 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JW Tel: 01553 601201 E-mail: features@klmagazine.co.uk Web: www.klmagazine.co.uk 4

KLmagazine January 2013

Contents

JANUARY 2013

7 & 11 WHAT’S ON Forthcoming events in West Norfolk 12-14 NEW YEAR, NEW DIRECTIONS 10 ways to change your life in 2013 16

THE BIG INTERVIEW David Lawrence of Easton & Otley College

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THEN & NOW The changing face of King’s Lynn

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16

24-26 MEETING THE SEALS OF MORSTON We get up close to these lovely animals 29

PETS Help and advice with local vet Alex Dallas

30-32 FASHION Keeping warm has never looked so good 38-40 A STUDY IN STONE We profile local stonecutter Wayne Hart 45-51 FOOD & DRINK Recipes, reviews and recommendations 53-62 INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS Building on the legacy of the Olympics

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68-70 EXPLORER This month, we’re visiting Wisbech 74-76 FORGING A NAME FOR HIMSELF We profile local craftsman Nigel Barnett 78-80 CREATING ART FROM HISTORY Re-working the wood of HMS Victory 82-84 A DRIVE FOR ADVENTURE Team Rubbish Racing sets out for Africa 86

STEPS TO SAFER WINTER MOTORING Simple steps to avoid trouble on the road

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MY KL The page made by KL magazine readers

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WILD WEST NORFOLK Michael Middleton’s lighter view of things

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82 5

5 Madeira

flying from Norwich Airport in 2013 7 nights half-board from £799 per person

A short flight is all it takes to transport you away to the subtropical haven of botanical beauty that is Madeira Island. Situated 400 miles off the coast of Africa, Madeira is an island of lush vegetation and sub-tropical gardens, which enjoy a year-round mild climate.

Atlantic Holidays is the largest independent tour operator to this Portuguese island and are offering holidays to the five-star Pestana Casino Park departing Monday 27th May, 17th & 24th June, 29th July, 26th August and 23rd September 2013.

Many more hotels available ask for details

Your package includes:

• Return flights from Norwich to Funchal, Madeira • Return transfers from Funchal airport to your hotel • 7 nights accommodation on half board basis at the 5-star Pestana Casino Park Hotel • FREE garden view room upgrade • Assistance by a resort representative

To book please call 01603 428700 or visit us at the Airport or the Mall, Norwich

JANUARY BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00 Tues 18 Dec 2012 – Sat 19 Jan 2013 ALADDIN Traditional family panto starring Graham Cole (The Bill), Lucy Dixon (Hollyoaks), Richard Gauntlett, Nick Aldis (Gladiators, Magnus – TNA) £5.50 - £20

Wed 9 January BEYOND THE BARRICADE Hit songs from great West End musicals £5.50 - £19.50 Mon 14 – Tues 15 January JETHRO Mischievous Cornish stand-up. 15+ £5.50 - £19.50

Fri 21 December UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GB One plucking thing after another £6.50 - £25

Book online: www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk 6

Sun 20 January CLASSIC ROCK SHOW Rock anthems from the Top 10 Albums of all time £5.50 - £21

Propeller (Tewlfth Night)

Prices are per person based on two adults sharing a twin/double room. Prices vary according to choice of hotel and departure date. Holidays are subject to availability. No fuel supplements. Prices may change without prior notice, please check at the time of booking. £150 deposit secures your 2013 Madeira holiday from Norwich Airport. Please note there is an Airport Development Fee (ADF) payable on departure at Norwich of £10 per adult. Under 16s are free. For more information visit www.norwichairport.co.uk/content.asp?pid=92.

Thur 24 January – Sat 2 February PROPELLER Award-winning, all male Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night £5.50 - £23

THEATRE STREET, NORWI CH NR2 1RL

KLmagazine January 2013

30 YEARS AGO: Although some people still forget, wearing seatbelts became compulsory in Britain for drivers and front seat passengers on January 31st 1983

January

starts Sunday 6th GAYWOOD LIBRARY TOWN READ Gaywood Library, Kings Lynn (10am) Gaywood Library is on a mission to see how many members of the local community they can encourage to read and share the same book at the same time. The chosen book is ‘Before I go to Sleep’ by S J Watson. Make a further date in your diary to join everyone for a Gaywood Library Town Read Coffee Morning on Thursday 7th March at 10.30am – and remember the Town Read runs until Sunday 10th March. For further information, please contact the library on 01553 768498.

Saturday 12th LIBRARY TASTER DAY King’s Lynn Library (10am–4pm) Come and spend the day with us the King’s Lynn Library, and discover there’s a lot more to do than borrow a book or two! There’ll be some fantastic activities such as Storytime, Rhyme Time, Children’s Knit and Knatter, Scrabble, Family and Local History, Speed Stacking, Computer Drop in, and Wii Games.

All activities are free and open to all ages and remember it’s a taster day – so you don’t have to be a member of the Library to take part. For further information , please contact the Library on 01553 772568/761393

Sunday 13th WEDDING FAIR King’s Lynn Corn Exchange (11am–4pm) If you’ve got a big day planned for 2013, this is a real must-visit event. Over 30 specialist stands will be featuring everything you could need for a fantastic wedding, including a stunning display of wedding gowns from the area’s leading outlets. Plus cakes, balloons, stationery, photography, video, flowers, menswear, limousine hire, jewellery, gifts, wedding favours, chocolate fountains and civil ceremonies – all gathered under one roof to help make your dream wedding a reality. For more details, call 01553 764864.

Sunday 20th AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DISHES King’s Lynn Corn Exchange (1:30–4pm) An ever-popular event that brings together a wide range of people living and working in and around King’s Lynn, providing the opportunity for different people from different backgrounds to share, learn and experience different foods, cultures and experiences. For more information, please call Marie Connell on 01553 760568.

Saturday 19th TRAVEL FAIR 2013 Norwich International Airport (9am–3pm) Norwich Airport’s popular Travel Fair returns to the airport terminal building, with free parking for all visitors in the short stay car park. Airlines and tour operators will be presenting their destinations, and travel experts will be on hand all day to chat with you about your holiday and flight plans, suggest options, offer first-hand destination and product advice and answer any questions you may have. There are also great opportunities to save money with exclusive offers – it’s a great way to start planning for your 2013 holiday! For further details please call 01603 428700.

Tuesday 22nd AN EVENING OF MEDIUMSHIP WITH TONY STOCKWELL King’s Lynn Corn Exchange (7:30pm) A fascinating evening with the famous psychic medium Tony Stockwell. Deeply compelling, often startlingly accurate and always humorous. He’s now one of the country’s most well-known and respected Psychic Mediums. For more information and tickets, call 01553 764864.

This month’s round-up of local events continues on page 11...

KLmagazine January 2013

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Whole lotta shaking going on in Bircham...

A sell-out series of nationally-themed evenings has been an astounding success. A night out at one of Norfolk’s favourite hotels has turned a village pub into a local must-go venue...

T

he theme nights at the Kings Head have tended to sell out as soon as they’re announced. I missed out on the Spanish and the Greek events so I was determined not to lose the chance to go to one of the American nights. Maybe it was the fake accent I put on to get a table for two, but whatever, I had the night of my life.

And as I waddled away, full, happy and determined to go on that diet I was convinced that personal is the way to go if you’re going to make a success of your hotel venture, and that personal was what Charlie and Holly Campbell had done.

The evening’s five-course menu at an astonishing £22 was the main event but the added extras turned a quiet invitation into a rip-roaring party.

American was what it said on the ticket – American is what it was. The hotel’s lavish restaurant had been seriously decked out in stars and stripes forever and the Elvis impersonator sang for the States, even if the occasional Ipswich accent gave the game away.

With the staff dressed for the event in

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a variety of costumes from Pocohontas burger with Monterey Jack and mini to Bugsy Malone the service was hot dog and there’s still the New York superb, attentive and bigger than the Baked Lemon Cheese Cake to go. And Rockies. The starter was sweet corn as the party moves into full swing and and clam chowder, then BBQ Pork Ribs the cocktails arrive the popularity of the with Boston Baked Beans, swiftly Kings Head becomes evident and good followed by Maryland Blue Swimmer cheer fills the packed room with the Crab Cakes with Chilli and Tomato. The sound of the west. Five stars and hotel’s now legendary kitchen was millions of stripes. running at full steam – 75 American night diners were supplemented by another 20 residents and visitors in another dining room – and the pace was fast and furious.

Many of the diners were local. Writer and award-winning blogger Alex Marsh is at an adjoining table. He’s written about the Kings Head (“the village pub”) in his book Sex & Bowls & Rock and Roll. “Charlie and Holly are good at not doing things by halves. It’s good value, the beer’s at normal pub prices and there’s a lot of energy and enthusiasm.”

We’ve moved on THE KING’S HEAD to the Great Bircham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 6RJ classic Tel: 01485 578265 | E-mail: info@thekingsheadhotel.co.uk American Web: www.the-kings-head-bircham.co.uk cheese

KLmagazine January 2013

Weddings, Airports, Restaurants, Concerts, Nights-out, Ports, Theatre, Horse Racing events… All occasions catered for.

THEME EVENTS DIARY 2013

King's Lynn office:

Hunstanton office:

01553 776499 01485 535555 w: www.guyan.org.uk e: enquiries@guyan.org.uk

Indian Nights Wednesday 16th January FULLY BOOKED Monday 21st January Wednesday 23rd January FULLY BOOKED

Best of British Nights Wednesday 6th February Wednesday 20th February

Jamaican Nights Wednesday 13th March Wednesday 20th March

Special Festival Days Monday 6th May May Day Bank Holiday Monday 27th May Spring Bank Holiday Lots of festivities and food all day – details to come

FAKENHAM

D STANDARD GOL

NEXT RACE MEETINGS NEW YEAR’S DAY

European Night Wednesday 12th June Enjoy a different dish from France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany For more details of any of our theme events, or regular events such as Quiz Night and Live Music, please check our website or call us at the King’s Head on 01485 578265

KLmagazine January 2013

Tuesday, January 1st | 1st race: 12.30pm Sunday, 13th January | 1st race: 12.40pm Thursday, 24th January | 1st race: 1.05pm ADMISSION: Adults from £8 17 years and under (accompanied by adults) FREE

Fakenham Racecourse Ltd, The Racecourse Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 7NY T: 01328 862388 E: info@fakenhamracecourse.co.uk W: www.fakenhamracecourse.co.uk

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There’s never been a more luxurious way to enjoy the magic of the movies...

luxurious leather seating throughout premier sofas with waitress service stylish & comfortable lounge bar mainstream, arthouse & classic films

this month’s must-see screenings at the luxe: Quartet | Les Miserables Flight | Seven Psychopaths

The Luxe independent cinema Alexandra Road, Wisbech Cambridgeshire PE13 1HQ Tel: 01945 588808 Book online: www.theluxecinema.com

ABACUS MARQUEES

Your special event is our special event.

Abacus Marquees provides both high quality frame marquees and traditional pole marquees, and have a wide range of furniture and accessories – including black Starcloth linings and Moroccan linings.

Great service, competitive prices, and the experience to make your dream day a reality!

Chalk Farm, Druids Lane, Litcham, King’s Lynn PE32 2YA Tel: 01328 701331 E-mail: info@abacusmarquees.co.uk Web: www.abacusmarquees.co.uk

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KLmagazine January 2013

January Sunday 27th

Tuesday 22nd BIRDWATCHING OPEN EVENING Dalegate Market, Burnham Deepdale (4–5pm) Just in time to prepare for RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch on January 26th-27th, The One Stop Nature Shop at Burnham Deepdale is holding a ‘From a Bird’s Eye’ open evening, giving you the chance to learn more about our local birds – and how to care for them.

There’ll also be plenty of help and advice on choosing the right bird feeders for your garden, and professional guidance on choosing (and using) binoculars and other birdwatching equipment. For more details, please contact The One Stop Nature Shop 01485 211223.

Saturday 26th GET READY FOR THE BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH IN HUNSTANTON! Hunstanton Library (10:30am–12noon) Come along for Storytime then join in lots of activities to get ready for the Big Garden Birdwatch! Places are limited, so booking is advisable. If you can’t make that, then join in the Hunstanton Town Read, which runs until Saturday 9th March. You can choose either ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes or ‘The Leopard’ by Jo Nesbo. For further information (or to book your place on the Big Garden Birdwatch morning), please contact the Library on 01485 532280

Saturday 26th ANDREW LAWRENCE – LIVE! Guildhall Theatre King’s Lynn Arts Centre (8pm) He’s coming to get you! Twice-nominated for Best UK Headline Act at the Chortle Awards 2010/11, and a former double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, Andrew Lawrence never fails to deliver an evening of top class stand-up. Tickets £13 and £11. To book, please call the Corn Exchange Box Office on 01553 764864.

ORCHARD PRUNING DAY Oxburgh Hall, near Swaffham (9:30am–1pm) Join orchard expert Bob Lever in the magnificent setting of Oxburgh Hall to learn specialist fruit tree formative pruning skills, with a chance for hands-on practice. Tickets £20 per person, with tea and coffee provided. There are limited numbers for this event, so booking is essential. For more details/bookings, please call 01366 328258.

Sunday 27th WEDDING FAYRE Ramada Hotel, King’s Lynn (11am–4pm) The Ramada in King’s Lynn is hosting a special Wedding Fayre, featuring a wide range of stalls covering all areas of wedding planning from bridal dresses to flowers to cakes. Free admission. For more information, please contact Kaylee on 01553 771707.

Saturday 26th to Sunday 27th PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION Ffolkes Arms Hotel, Hillington (starts 8:30pm) Once a popular coaching inn, the attic rooms of the Ffolkes Arms were used as an overnight gaol for prisoners on their way to Norwich, and there are plenty of ghostly traditions to investigate here. Please note that to attend the investigation, a deposit of £15 and menu choices need to be confirmed before Saturday 19th January.

Menus and further details can be obtained from Melanie at mhealing8888@gmail.com.

The evening will start at the hotel at 8:30pm (dinner at 8:45 pm) and the investigation will finish at 6am on Sunday 27th January.

Tuesday 29th CINEMA IN THE CREAKES North Creake Village Hall (7:30pm) The ever-popular Cinema in The Creakes starts 2013 with a screening of Hope Springs, starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones as a married couple who embark on a weeklong therapy course in an attempt to re-energise their relationship. Tickets (in advance only) are available by phoning 01328 738959 and cost £5. The price includes a complimentary drink from the licensed bar which opens at 7pm.

The Carpet Man! CARPETS AT TRADE Supplying Quality Floorcoverings to West Norfolk since 1969 PRICES

Derek Sellers Carpets

The Old Granary, Beach Road, Snettisham, Norfolk PE31 7QU Telephone: 01485 544413 Website: www.dereksellers.co.uk KLmagazine January 2013

DIRECT TO THE PUBLIC!

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LOCAL LIFE

10 different ways to start the New Year...

It’s that time of the year when we think of way to change our lives, either by stopping bad habits or starting good ones. David Learner offers 10 new ways to get 2013 off to a great beginning...

W

elcome to 2013 and a time of resolution. Or should that be revolution? Here are our own top ten tasks to start you thinking. Remember that festive dead zone we talked about last year? That bit between Christmas and New Year’s Day where nothing actually happens? It’s almost as if we’ve eaten some hallucinogenic stuffing with the turkey that has loosened our inhibitions and caused us to make promises we can’t possibly keep.

We need to keep a sense of balance and we need to maintain a sense of order. Here are ten new ideas for the new year to be used as widely, as originally or as simply as you want. And if you do just one of them, then you’ll

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have achieved something.

What’s the connection between the ten words? That’s part of the journey.

Boy voyage!

1: LEARN This is easy. A whole host of languages are vying for your attention. Remember that time you went to Barcelona and ordered the coffee and realised to your horror you’d ordered the squid? You ate it because you didn’t want to appear rude and promised to yourself you definitely learn Spanish, or even better, Catalan so that you could “blend in” with the locals.

Where can I learn?

Well, there’s the Spanish Academy in King’s Lynn. Harriet Tuckett will tell you

KLmagazine January 2013

3: DISCOVER

far more and can even offer a free trial at their base in Tilney St Lawrence. The Spanish Academy offers Spanish (Castellano) lessons to adults and children of all ages, from beginners to intermediate level in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Both adult and children's classes are offered in groups, or on an individual one-to-one basis, and are particularly suitable for those wishing to brush up on Spanish for holidays or business. Call Harriet direct on 07967 399335 or email her at info@spanish-espanol.com. Olé!

2: READ That Desert Island book you were given by mistake, the one about that brilliant woman who... hmm. Forgotten now, haven’t you? In fact, do you even know where it is? Dig it out, dust it off and find time for it. Time is the one thing we don’t allocate to books, only to find we’ve arrived on holiday without one.

E-reading is becoming more and more popular and enables you to take your entire bookshelf away with you as well.

Where can I read?

Libraries are the best places ever and we tend not to go into them. They’re not just book depositories any more and usually host a wealth of community events to keep the winter at bay. West and north Norfolk are dotted with libraries, and there’s even a mobile one for those tucked away villages. For full details head towards the libraries website via www.norfolk.gov.uk or contact the Library and Information Service directly on 01603 774775.

Happy reading.

“One of the advantages of being disorganised is that one is always having surprising discoveries.”

These words came from the creator of Pooh, AA Milne. What if you headed into the King’s Lynn Museum, rather than walked past it? This little treasure house finds you stepping into the lore of Seahenge, the astonishing Bronze Age timber circle which is the museum’s stunning centrepiece. Or you can ride on the magnificent gallopers in a Victorian fairground, or imagine what it’s like to be a pilgrim in Lynn’s thriving mediaeval port.

Where can I discover?

Chock full of interesting stuff the museum’s first port of call is via the national museums’ website at www.museums.gov.uk. Or call them on 01553 775001. Since they’re located at the bus station in King’s Lynn the best way to get there is... err, by bus.

4: FIND It’s always amazing to find a new part of west Norfolk. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Roydon Common is the largest remaining heath in west Norfolk. PreBeeching, passing steam trains would regularly cause fires in its eastern section.

Now, with its majestic views, walks along ancient droves and wild and windswept beauty it’s somewhere to allow the soul to unwind. It’s been long recognised for the importance for both its landscape and wildlife and if you’re lucky you might find hen harrier or merlin, as well as bog myrtle, cranberry and the wonderfully-named sheep’s sorrel.

Where can I find?

The common lies east of King’s Lynn.

Leave Lynn on the A149 out to Fakenham and turn off at the Rising Lodge roundabout. Along the A148, turn right to Roydon and you’ll find two car parks. You’ll have to imagine the train, unfortunately. You’ll find plenty more information about the common on the NWT’s website at www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk

5: UNCOVER “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there”.

That famous line from the beginning of The Go-Between, the Norfolk-based novel by LP Hartley, is often quoted as the cupboard is opened to peer at the family skeletons. Do we want to know the truth about our relatives? Do we want to live their lives again from the comfort of the present? Genealogy, the study of the past through our family’s

KLmagazine January 2013

names, has absorbed and interested us for centuries and can be a search undertaken lightly, or with the precision of a slide rule. In other words there’s always something new to find out about what, after all, makes us us.

Where can I uncover?

We’re back at the library for this one and your local will have plenty of information to get you started, and there’s plenty more news to be culled from www.norfolk.gov.uk including some brilliant links. You’ll also find there are local groups, including the Norfolk Family History Society which meets to share ideas and searches. Indeed the West Norfolk group is currently short of a voluntary organiser. Could this by you? Go to www.norfolkhs.org.uk to find out more.

6: INTRODUCE King’s Lynn is a historic, industrial town and the second largest urban area in Norfolk. But who’s your neighbour?

How are they getting on? Do they know you, and do you know them? In the winter it’s easier to remember to feed the birds than to check on our neighbours.

When those features turn up on Look East and a neighbour says of someone close to them, “Oh, they kept themselves to themselves” would it be more accurate if they said “No idea who they were. We never talked to them. We didn’t want to intrude.”

One can be a defence and the other may just be a life-saving introduction.

At the very least, you never know when you might need a baby-sitter, or a dog walker.

How can I introduce?

We don’t really need to say, do we?

Pick a quiet weekend, ring the doorbell during the daylight hours, stand back from the door so as not to appear pushy, and when the bell’s answered just say hi. Magic in the making.

Norfolk Constabulary is committed to enhancing the quality of life for everyone in Norfolk and you can find out far more about Safer Neighbourhoods by visiting www.norfolk.police.uk and following the links to your local team. By introducing yourself to your neighbours you’re immediately making allies who could be vital to you, even if you don’t like that colour they’ve used for the fence.

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on the Alpine Zip, or take the children on a Tree Top Junior Adventure? Stay at ground level then and enjoy the Go Ape Forest Segway. Silly but stylish.

How can I try?

Dead easy. Just click in to www.goape.co.uk and find out for yourself how trying really could turn you into a new person. For the new year. Your closest friends will never recognise you again. Tarzan? It could be you, whoever you are.

10: REVEAL

7: ANNOUNCE The big one. This is where you announce that you’re going to do something and stick to it. That new year’s resolution that isn’t the result of a drunken bet or a promise to your cat over a glass of wine, but a sincere wish to change something about yourself once and forever. Smoking often comes top of the list but here’s a little fact for you from Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of Maths at the University of Oxford – if you pick the numbers 1 to 6 for the National Lottery you’ll be sharing your jackpot with around 10,000 people.

Do not choose 1 January for your resolution. QED. How can I announce?

Don’t. Keep it to yourself. Whether you’re intending to begin that novel about the Crimean War in the style of Colin Dexter or aiming to lose a few pounds you’ll find the new year bombarding you with messages to detoxify, liberate, renew, move house or start a revolution. Don’t listen to them.

Instead, pick a moment that’s your own, pop a ring round it on your iPad, diary or memo board and jot down what it is that will see you going cold turkey, and succeeding. And as it says in the ad, willpower is required.

There’s even a mini GEAR of 1.2 miles.

Going for gold? Last year Tadele Geremew set a new course record of 30:18 minutes. Phew!

How can I launch?

The race’s website tells you all you need to know. If you’re 15 and over you can apply, it’s by online application only and the excellently resourced website provides a brilliant launch into your training from Paul Evans. Not only is he the Active Norfolk Development Officer but he’s twice an Olympic finalist in the 10,000 metres and three times Marathon competitor in New York, London and Chicago. Go to www.greateastanglianrun.co.uk for all you need to know.

9: TRY A bit more active, this one. Try Go Ape. Even on the bleakest day of winter the beautiful woodlands of Britain’s largest lowland pine forest can provide a breath of fresh air like no other but the added bonus is that Go Ape offers you the chance to unleash your inner Tarzan and try that little bit harder.

Don’t want to swing through the trees

There was a recent poll amongst Parisians that asked them whether they’d visited the Notre Dame. The city’s cathedral, sited on the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement, is on every foreign visitor’s list of top ten places to go when they’re in Paris.

Amazingly, less than half of its inhabitants had ever been inside. What better time could there be than 2013 to reveal King’s Lynn to its own people?

Yes, reveal this beautiful Hanseatic town to yourself to find out why it’s so popular to all our lovely visitors.

How can I reveal?

First port of call, the Tourist Information Centre. Again this sounds so peculiar – the name includes the word tourist, but I live here! So when was Lynn built? Tell us about the Hanseatic League. Where can I find the burial place of Robinson Cruso? Why is the Trinity Guildhall chequer-fronted?

And who exactly was George Vancouver?

On our own doorstep lies a wealth of history that’s fascinating, rich and revelatory. You don’t need a website for this one – all you need is a pair of shoes to take you to the Custom House. Where’s that? Maybe that’s the first thing you need to reveal for yourself.

8: LAUNCH If there’s a marathon inside you, that’s impressive. If there’s a half-marathon inside you, that’s equally impressive. For most of us though the sheer training necessary to launch yourself off on either of those challenges is a mountain too big to climb. But how about GEAR – the Bespak Great East Anglian Run on Sunday 15th May? Exactly ten kilometres (around 6.2 miles) it’s a one-lap course around the centre of King’s Lynn beginning and ending on Tuesday Market Place.

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KLmagazine January 2013

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

Last September, Easton and Otley colleges officially celebrated the merging of these two important local education facilities.

KL magazine talks to principal David Lawrence about the future...

KL MAGAZINE: Could you give us brief overview of Easton College and Otley College?

DAVID LAWRENCE: Easton and Otley College is very much a specialist vocational college – its core focus is agriculture and the land-based industries, but also has specialisms in sport and public services, construction and specialist engineering. We have around 2,000 full-time students, several thousand part-time students (many of whom are undertaking short courses for technical skills whilst in employment), around 600 apprentices and about 300 students studying higher education courses.

The college is based on two campuses; Easton near Norwich and Otley near Ipswich. The Easton site has extensive farming and sports facilities, and residential accommodation for students. Subjects range from Agriculture and Animal Care to advanced apprenticeships in Sporting Excellence in Tennis.

David Lawrence Principal, Easton & Otley College 16

KL: How does the college respond to the changing needs of agriculture and industry?

DL: We’re very much part of the industries we serve, and work closely with them to deal with the issues we collectively see on the horizon. The agricultural sector will be of critical importance in the next 50 years as the world population increases and demands for crops for energy and alternative uses force around a doubling of agricultural outputs.

The industry has an ageing workforce and has some very good career opportunities at all levels – it is and will be a very exciting industry to be part of in dealing with the food security challenge.

KLmagazine January 2013

KL: What does the merging of Easton and Otley Colleges mean for the future?

DL: Norfolk and Suffolk produce around 10% of UK agricultural output, and we must have a high-profile specialist landbased college to ensure we can have not just the most competitive but the leading agricultural sector.

This merger is all about delivering on this vision. It allows us to share very specialist staff and resources and has allowed us to absorb cuts in government funding through increased efficiency to keep as much money as possible focussed on students.

The merger very much makes us a strong regional and national player with a £27m budget and enhances the security we can provide for staff. We’ve been able to deliver this merger with no redundancies.

KL: Where do you see the college in five years time?

DL: Very much delivering on the agenda above. We’d like to see significant increases in recruitment to agricultural courses and particular to agricultural degree programmes.

We’re developing the Centre for Contemporary Agriculture in partnership with UEA, the John Innes Centre, the Innes Centre and NIAB/The Arable Group and the whole focus of this work is to more effectively combine our education work with applied science. If we get this right, we can be involved in leading the next agricultural revolution, and this is absolutely where we need to be as a county!

EASTON COLLEGE Easton, Norwich Norfolk NR9 5DX t: 01603 731200 e: info@easton-college.ac.uk w: www.easton-college.ac.uk

KLmagazine January 2013

KL: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

DL: Watching students (and staff!) progress their careers.

KL: What’s been your greatest achievement as Principal?

DL: Surviving the job for 20 years! I don’t feel it’s one thing – it’s great to lead a very effective team that has and continues to transform the college’s work.

KL: What have you learned from your work?

DL: You need to have a clear vision and a determination to achieve it despite many setbacks.

KL: What do you like best about West Norfolk?

DL: The landscape around Ken Hill – and bracing winter walks!

KL: In your free time, how do you like to relax?

DL: Spending time with my family and walking, gardening and playing the piano (very badly!)

KL: Who’s your biggest inspiration?

DL: Winston Churchill. He was a great strategic thinker who stuck to his strategy and won against all the odds.

KL: What’s the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

DL: Make sure you appoint the right people and then let them get on with it!

KL: Tell us something about yourself that would surprise people...

DL: I’ve had singing lessons as a tenor and sang Beethoven’s 9th at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a choir of a thousand voices!

OTLEY COLLEGE Otley, Ipswich Suffolk IP6 9NE t: 01473 785543 e: info@otleycollege.ac.uk w: www.otleycollege.ac.uk

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17

Classic style in a contemporary setting at ECOnomy Windows There are bold new projects at ECOnomy Windows for 2013.

KL Magazine caught up with business manager Jim McClure to hear about the first of them – ECOlite - with more to come!

T

he classical architecture and design of the orangery has been updated for a 21st century audience.

Exclusively, ECOnomy Windows is proud to be able to offer it to its most discerning customers in the area, retaining all its original intentions but with a thermal insulation which makes it available for use all year round.

Orangeries became popular in the 17th century. When Queen Anne moved into Kensington Palace her major project was the Orangery, built in 1704. It was intended to serve as a greenhouse for over-wintering exotic plant and citrus trees that ornamented the gardens in summer. Its accomplished interior decoration reflects the Orangery’s other uses as a ‘summer supper house’ and a place for entertainment, and it’s in that latter context that ECOnomy Windows are now offering their Orangery, as a room for all seasons.

Those original orangeries, which became the absolute must-have after their royal usage, rapidly became a status symbol amongst the wealthiest.

Today’s orangeries, and ECOnomy Windows’ orangery in particular, are elegant extensions with light flooding down from the roof and through tall glass windows to create a refined addition to any home.

The orangery – an elegant,

NEW CONSERVATORY SHOW SITE AND E DISTRIBUTION CENTR

comfortable room – a warm and bright space that’s the envy of all. Relaxation in style on warm summer days and the ultimate in comfort and warmth on long winter evenings. The ECOnomy Windows Orangery offers a unique multi-purpose living space for every home – as kitchen extension, living room, dining room or playroom. Using market leading products the ECOlite roof is expertly engineered with an internal pelmet framework. It is then plastered to provide a perimeter ceiling all the way round. Suddenly the options are obvious – downlighters, or audio speakers, and the opportunity to really personalise your room.

The external gutter line is hidden from view by a decorative cornice for a far more attractive view. If a fully glazed conservatory isn’t to their customers’ tastes then the combination of traditionally built features and the glazing of an orangery creates a substantial and exciting effect.

Self-cleaning and solar glass are just two of the options available for the roof but of course the best way to appreciate this stunning update to a classical style is to visit the Orangery Special Projects area at ECOnomy Windows Conservatory Showpark in Wisbech.

And if we thought that this latest innovation from ECOnomy Windows, delving back into Britain’s historic past,

was enough then there’s more to come - next month we take a look at the inspiration of the Italian Renaissance and how the conservatory has been redefined by ECOnomy Windows.

Victorian elegance - modern technology

CONSERVATORY SHOW PARK Elm High Road, Wisbech Cambridgeshire PE14 0DG Tel: 01945 588988 Web: www.economywindows.com E-mail: mail@economy-windows.co.uk

HISTORY

West Norfolk: Then and Now

Unknown

2013

A VERY WINTRY HIGH STREET...

Thanks to Simon Miller of South Wootton for sending this picture (top) of King’s Lynn High Street, which was obviously taken in the days before accurate weather forecasting! Simon doesn’t know when the original picture was taken, but it was clearly a colder

winter than 2012/13! Do you know any further details on when the picture was taken? For more photographs of how things used to be in King’s Lynn and the surrounding area, contact Picture Norfolk – at the Norfolk Heritage Centre, Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, The Forum,

Millennium Plain, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1AW. We’ll be bringing you another nostalgic look at West Norfolk next month.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

To view thousands of images of Norfolk’s history visit: www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk KLmagazine January 2013

19

New year, new Golf at King’s Lynn Volkswagen The new year launch of the new Golf is a time for celebration.

Branch Manager Austin Seales speaks to KL Magazine about their exciting plans to help you create your perfect car

T

he dynamism and appeal of the Volkswagen Golf is now legendary. Now its followers and fans have arrived at the point where it really is time to pop the corks – the launch of the Volkswagen Golf Mark 7 in January.

Austin Seales talks with exuberance and enthusiasm about a car which is ready to set the blood racing all over again.

“It’s your car,” says Austin. “That’s why we take time to talk through all the options with you. Colour, cloth, fittings, specifications, engine size, performance – they’re all important because it’s an important decision you’re making. We want to get it right for you. Your car, your way.”

As you head in to the plush showrooms on Bergen Way the first thing you’re likely to see is an iPad, set at a perfect height for you. The invitation is clear: Touch the Screen.

Then the world of Volkswagen opens

20

up and you can take the time to browse peace of mind. through the multiple options available And the cherry on top of the cake? to help you create your perfect car.

“The opportunity to win a new Golf “Volkswagen were the first Mark 7!” says Austin. “During our test manufacturer to introduce this drive weekend of 11 to 13 January, technology,” says Austin. “It allows you experience the new Golf Mark 7 for to make your own mark every step of yourself and get an opportunity to win the way.” one … with a roll of the dice!! You can During January King’s Lynn contact us now to book your test drive Volkswagen is likely to be very close to on 01553 778800.” you; there are plans to have the cars on If the new year represents a time for view outside Sainsbury’s in the change then it couldn’t be a better time Vancouver Quarter, offering the chance to change to a new Golf Mark 7. to experience first-hand, upfront and personal, what the impression and style of the range feels like. And that’s on top of the Ride and Drive events at the showroom which will offer all six of the new Golf Mark 7’s range, including an automatic, for test drives at a time to suit everyone.

When Volkswagen staff were whisked off to Zaragoza to experience the new Golf for themselves prior to launch they were amazed by its versatility and overall brilliance. “Now,” says Austin, “it’s your turn. And it’s affordable.”

Subject to status, a Solutions personal contract plan is able to offer a brand new Golf for as little as £189 per month and if ordered by 13 January comes with a 30,000 miles (or 3 KING’S LYNN VOLKSWAGEN years) Bergen Way, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2JG service Tel: 01553 778800 | Web: www.marriottmotorgroup.co.uk plan for

KLmagazine January 2013

Insurance Matters WITH ADRIAN FLUX

PH R K U X R \ I R UR S U WH LQ Z R W +RZ

I

f last winter is anything to go by, it’s time to prepare for the big freeze and that means getting your home ready for the dipping temperatures to come. Adrian Flux Insurance Services looks at easy ways you can winter-proof your home. :LQWHUêSURRo QJ \RXU KRXVH FDQ VDYH \RX money on energy and repair bills and ensure that you keep warm throughout the coldest months of the year.

7KH NH\ LV WR o QG DQG o [ SUREOHPV EHIRUH they are made worse by bad weather – you also need to check your buildings and contents insurance to make sure that you’re covered for every eventuality.

Adrian Flux covers all kinds of homes and tailors each policy to individual homeowners, meaning you have peace of mind that your house is covered should the ravages of winter force you to make a claim.

Before the cold snap really bites, check your roof for loose tiles and unblock your gutters, making sure you clear the ends of your guttering where debris often collects.

Icicles hanging from your guttering in the coldest weather are a giveaway as to where your gutters are blocked or leaking.

7KLV LV DOVR WKH WLPH WR FKHFN \RXU JDUGHQ for potential hazards.

Make sure that tree branches aren’t too close to your property where they could

cause damage and, if you have any creeping plants, check the brickwork underneath them for cracks which could house frozen water and worsen in freezing temperatures.

Water pipes are vulnerable in cold weather and you need to check that your lagging on pipes and cisterns is in place in

than pleasurable, so servicing your boiler before winter is a great plan, especially if you’ve ever had to pay the call-out fee for an emergency plumber.

Similarly, make sure any extractor fans in bathrooms or kitchens are working or FRQVLGHU KDYLQJ WKHP o WWHG WR FRPEDW WKH condensation build-up that accompanies

unheated areas such as your loft space.

Speaking of lofts, yours should have at least 270mm of insulation to ensure your KRPH LV HQHUJ\ HIo FLHQW 7KHUH DUH JUDQWV on offer to help you pay for loft insurance.

Visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for details.

Make sure you know where your stop taps DUH VR WKDW \RX UH SUHSDUHG LI \RX o QG yourself in a worst-case scenario, and repair any dripping taps.

If you plan to leave your home for a few days during a cold snap, leave your central heating on a low setting to prevent the pipes freezing (leaving the loft open slightly will also allow warm air to reach the space and prevent frozen pipes).

On the subject of central heating, a boiler breakdown in the depths of winter is less

winter - when condensation gathers, it can HQFRXUDJH SDLQW WR p DNH DQG PRXOG WR JURZ If you rely on a woodburner or open o UH PDNH VXUH \RXU FKLPQH\ LV FOHDQHG regularly: blocked chimneys are a o UH KD]DUG Small measures can save you heat and PRQH\ q VLPSO\ o WWLQJ GUDXJKW H[FOXGHUV to your doors and windows can keep the warmth in your house and the cash in your pocket.

And if you’re planning to go away over the festive period leaving your home unoccupied for more than 30 days, check with your insurer to make sure you have the right level of cover. Asking a friend to check your property regularly can also mean you’ve got a trouble-shooter on hand if there’s an emergency.

* Adrian Flux is one of the leading specialist home insurance brokers in the UK and can offer you the right cover, at the right price. For more information, call 0808 077 2266 or visit DGULDQĂ X[ FR XN

www.bodyworksfitness.co.uk

If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up!

The new Bodyworks Fitness Studio at Lynnsport is now open! A fantastic array of equipment and even more space is ready to help you make 2013 your fittest year ever!

F

ollowing a widely applauded Lynnsport fitness development it means there’s never been a better time to appreciate everything this brilliant local facility has to offer. The professional staff are always on hand to help you lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

In addition to the excellent facilities you would expect from a first-rate health club, Bodyworks highly qualified team will provide you with a personalised health assessment, ‘start up’ and ‘on track’ programmes throughout your training experience.

There are four great facilities to choose from:

The Borough Council Bodyworks Fitness Studios offer an individual approach to your health, fitness and wellbeing focused on helping to achieve your lifestyle goals.

LYNNSPORT An award winning service helping you to live life to the full. Exceptional leisure facilities, qualified staff and health professionals, all dedicated to your wellbeing aspirations. Check out our testimonials when you arrive!

The existing Performance Studio accommodates 43 pieces of equipment and an Indoor Group Cycling area while the new Bodyworks Fitness Studio offers more than 90 fitness stations including state of the art cardiovascular and resistance equipment.

22

DOWNHAM MARKET LEISURE CENTRE – a modern facility for the whole family! All the support you need for every step of the way – swimming, group fitness and much more. Make

sure you come along between January 4th–6th for FREE junior swimming, FREE group fitness taster sessions, zumba and roller skating parties and a quiz to win a whole year’s swimming!

ST. JAMES SWIMMING & FITNESS CENTRE – a lively, energetic atmosphere in the centre of Lynn suitable for everyone from complete beginners to Rebecca Adlington, whatever your age, fitness, ability or Olympic gold medals!

Bodyworks, swimming and group fitness – come on down!

OASIS SPORTS & LEISURE CENTRE – the amazing Fun Castle indoor play adventure area is just one reason to head to the Oasis. Swimming lessons for all ages, a modern air-conditioned aerobics studio and the brilliant 33metre aqua slide. Let’s go!

KLmagazine January 2013

Join Bodyworks now to receive rewards and benefits worth over £200! > ‘Start up’ programme – ensure you start your journey at the right level > Personal progress pack to record your achievements > Health assessment > Money back guarantee > FREE passes for friends and family > ‘On track’ programme – ensure you are on the right track to achieving your fitness goals > FREE access to NHS Health Trainer Service and NHS Norfok Pharmacies health checks (see below) JUNIOR BODYWORKS Juniors thrive on the Bodyworks experience; your Fitness Consultant will show you a fun and educational approach to fitness including ‘start up’ and ‘on track’ programmes based on what you want to achieve.

You can also enjoy exercising together with your friends and family in the dedicated circuit area, an all over express workout for all ages and abilities.

BODYWORKS TONING Toning chairs are a great way for people who are less mobile to become more active. The benefits include improving body tone, reducing inches and improving flexibility, circulation and fitness.

Members follow a phased ‘start up’ programme and can progress through the ‘on track’ programme into the main fitness studio. Friendly and helpful staff are available to offer guidance and support HEALTH TRAINER SERVICE The Health Trainer Service provides motivation, encouragement and support to people who want to make changes in their lifestyle. They will be available to provide help and advice on making healthier food choices and stopping smoking.

NHS HEALTH CHECKS NORFOLK PHARMACIES NHS Health Checks is a national programme for everyone between 40 and 74 years old. It will assess your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and type 2 diabetes and will support you to reduce or manage that risk through individually tailored advice.

FOUR GREAT SITES, ONE GREAT MEMBERSHIP! Lynnsport & Leisure Park 01553 818001 Oasis Sports & Leisure Centre 01485 534227 St James Swimming and Fitness Centre 01553 764888 Downham Market Leisure Centre 01366 386868

New Bodyworks facility now open!

KLmagazine January 2013

23

LOCAL LIFE

78

KLmagazine November 2012

ABOVE: The Sea Breeze peacefully moored at Morston, near to Blakeney Point.

Getting a clearer view of the seals of Morston What better way to start the new year than by enjoying the stark splendour of the north Norfolk coast and some newborn seal pups? David Learner wraps up warm and heads out to sea...

A

t the height of the season 900 people a day will take the trip to see the seals,” says Graham Lubbock.

“That’s when we’re busiest, but this is a beautiful time of year to go out.” As the winter months see the days shorter and the light diminished I need to be convinced – particularly as the instructions said it would be a good idea to wrap up warm because the North Sea didn’t come with heating.

Within an hour, however, I’ll have watched the north Norfolk coast unwrap, I’ll have seen new-born grey seals little more than a couple of hours old settling into their mothers and I’ll be convinced once again that we live in the most beautiful county in England.

“I sometimes go away to north Yorkshire,” says Graham, “but I always KLmagazine January 2013

come back. I couldn’t be anywhere else, not seriously.” Graham is a National Trust Coastal Ranger and his is a patch that extends along seven miles of exquisite coastline from Stiffkey to Salthouse.

During the summer he spends every last second with visitors, but on this quieter winter day he’s joined us for the trip out to the seals to ensure we open our eyes and learn just a little.

“Redshank!” he points. We aim a collective binocular towards a dun bird we’d have overlooked without him.

“The warden of the marsh.”

With its brown speckled back and bright orange-red legs the redshank loves nothing better than the saltmarshes, and has a predilection for molluscs and crustaceans.

Although the mussel population has

diminished over the years here, just off Morston Quay there’s a rich enough bed to satisfy both waders and diners – and the village’s Anchor Inn offers them as a permanent and delicious fixture on its menu between October and April.

The Anchor is where today’s adventure has started. Temples has its booking office here, and Jane Temple is happy to tell me about the surprising number of options available to the occasional seal watcher. With three boats to choose from, and with an expected party of around 15, we’ll be in the Morston Ferry. There’s also the spacious Four Sisters, holding around 50, and the newest addition to the fleet Lily-Too, for those summer months when it becomes especially busy and Graham’s NT knowledge is whipped out at every available opportunity from its 25

ABOVE: An inquisitive seal pup on Blakeney Point – as pointed out by Coastal Ranger Graham Lubbock (inset, above) and enjoyed by 4-month old Earnest, with his parents Amy and Max on Morston Ferry

visitor centre home close to the car park. Mind you, just a few doors up from the Anchor is another welcome sign advertising Beans Seal Trips. Jane tells me that there’s plenty of work now to satisfy both companies. It wasn’t always the case.

“Jim talks about the time when there were fistfights down on the quay,” she says. “Now the rivalry between the trips is strictly friendly, thank goodness.”

Jim is second generation Temple and the family’s been operating trips for well over 60 years. He comes from a time when seals didn’t enjoy the same protection they do now and it’s hard to believe they were commercially hunted until well into the 1960s. All has changed.

As we clamber on board the Morston Ferry to head out to sea the sky begins to change and a line of blue appears high above. Graham is reading my mind.

“It’ll be raining by this afternoon,” he says in answer to a question that was still seconds away from being voiced. I ask him how he knows.

“Localology”, he replies. He doesn’t need to say any more and I believe him completely.

As we begin to find our way through Scalp Run, the journey becomes just a little lumpier.

Very soon we’re passing the iconic Lifeboat House, formerly a lifeboat station decommissioned from the RNLI in 1935 and now providing a seasonal visitor centre. Approachable by foot from the beach at Cley, it was Graham’s first introduction to the sea around the 26

village he grew up in and instilled in him a love for the coast that has never loosened its grip.

Phalanxes of grey geese fly overhead as if to highlight the point.

“There’s always something to see,” and he points again, “as long as you know where to look.”

The grey seal numbers rise to close to 1,000 over the winter and as we cut back and forward along the sandbanks we see bulls watching aloof as the cow seals show a passing interest in their pups.

Still bearing the yellow sheen of birth, a young seal will grow rapidly for the first month and change little in size thereafter, though it will continue to gain weight for the first nine months. It can look forward to a lifespan of around 25 years. After three weeks its mother will have become far less involved in what its offspring is up to, and the bulls will have already begun their part in the business of childbirth without asking.

Lumbering up the beaches, basking, squabbling in the sea, howling in a dark and ghostly way or hiding modestly as they bob up just feet from the Morston Ferry, the seals are a microcosm of life off the Norfolk coast.

There’s so much more to see, and even the trip itself reaches into our seagoing, island-bound souls. There’s nobody on board here (including fourmonth old Earnest, snuggled deep into a winter coat and pressed against his own mum’s warmth) that won’t have been moved by the sight of the land from the sea and watched the coast

from a seal’s perspective.

Blakeney National Nature Reserve is the oldest nature reserve in Norfolk and allows us a collective sigh of appreciation for its snow buntings, terns and meandering creeks, its yellow horned poppies and sea-lavender and its miles of sand, sea and inlet.

Graham gives the last words to its grey residents which incidentally turn out, on the closer inspection that a seal trip offers, to shimmer in a dozen different colours.

“Seal of approval for the coast,” he says. He’s not wrong – and while the day may have started to darken and his promised rain starts to trickle down through our own sudden crevices, it belongs to us all.

Localology. He’s right, as ever, and that’s why he’s there.

> You can book a seal trip by calling Temples on 01263 740791 or see the website at www.sealtrips.co.uk > Or call John at Beans Boats on 01263 740505 or visit the website at www.beansboats.co.uk > For more about the variety of the north Norfolk coast see the website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk > Coasthopper buses run from Sheringham to Hunstanton – alight at Cley, Blakeney, Morston or Stiffkey. Call 01553 776980 or go to www.coasthopper.co.uk

KLmagazine January 2013

Things you didn’t know about Bearts

It’s January Sale time at the Hayloft – with fantastic savings on a huge range of quality country clothing...

F

rom the best range of country clothing in East Anglia to freshlymade animal feeds and pet foods, to an extensive selection of new and used horse boxes and trailers, Bearts of Stowbridge truly is the complete country store – if we haven’t got it, you almost certainly don’t need it!

the hayloft january sale now on!

Be quick before someone hogs all the special offers!

Brighton Mill, Stowbridge King’s Lynn PE34 3pd 01366 388151 | www.bearts.co.uk

Beautiful kitchens designed to last a lifetime Individual kitchens designed to suit your individual style | Complete bespoke design service Close attention to the finest detail | Unrivalled reputation | NEFF specialists for 40 years Kitchens expertly crafted and created to suit you, your home and your budget!

All kitchens supplied ready to install – or a fully-fitted service is available too

Bexwell Kitchens

Bexwell Aerodrome, Downham Market, Norfolk PE38 9LT tel: 01366 382064 e-mail: bexwellkitchens@aol.com web: www.bexwellkitchens.co.uk

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50

50 YEARS OF BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS

KLmagazine January 2013

PETS

AnimalMatters Our monthly look at the issues concerning you and your pets with Alex Dallas of the London Road Veterinary Centre...

A new year of care for pets!

2012 was a time of considerable change for many of you and for all of us at the practice, particularly with the vets. I know we’re not alone in this – many practices regularly undergo staff changes.

The good news for us is that I now have an outstanding veterinary team, all settled in well and working really well alongside our excellent nursing team.

What’s never changed is the same high level of care for your pets and an aim to offer high quality affordable veterinary treatment.

I’d like to thank everyone who supported us throughout 2012 and remind you that we’re here to help you (and your pets!) in 2013.

Happy new year!

P

erhaps in this new year you’ll be thinking about a new pet.

If you’re considering a puppy for 2013 then we offer help and advice for you even before you’ve decided what sort to have! It’s so important to select a dog that fits your lifestyle and fulfils your needs. Quite simply, if you get that wrong you’ll have problems – but get it right and the joy and fun are enormous.

I often see clients who’ve acquired a puppy following the loss of their previous elderly dog. It’s great to see these people with pleasure all over their faces, but I can often detect some trepidation too. After a long time with a dog that’s come to understand every routine, every mood and every tone in your voice, to be faced with this brand new character who is unaware of all these things is a shock.

In time, the new dog will learn and adjust and will becomes the friend and companion you hoped for.

Of course, you can opt to bypass the puppy stage by rescuing an older dog, but this isn’t always straight forward either. A dog brought up in some other home and then coming to you and your routines and noises and body language will be quite unsure for some time. I see people in this situation who are often worried that the dog hasn’t fitted in, but I’m aware that this settling in takes longer than you might imagine.

With time and comfort the dog can adapt and become as confident and happy as you hoped it would.

The situation is really much the same for cats – kittens take time, and rehoming an older cat also requires some patience and support to achieve the pet you wished for.

The message is whatever route you take – young or old – then with some good advice and with time and care you can have a friend to enrich your life and make you smile more than you ever thought.

Your pets Many thanks to Tony & Karen Stevens for this lovely picture of their Old English Sheepdogs Poppy and Sweetpea in the snow – they certainly look warm enough!

Don’t forget to keep sending me pictures of your pets to Animal Matters at KL magazine, 18 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JW or you can e-mail them to editor@klmagazine.co.uk

LONDON ROAD 25 London Road, King’s Lynn t: 01553 773168 e: info@lrvc.co.uk HOLLIES Paradise Road, Downham Market t: 01366 386655 e: hollies@holliesvetclinic.co.uk KLmagazine January 2013

29

fashion

Lola Faux Fur Jacket by Jack Murphy (£135) EVERYTHING OUTDOORS | Holkham 01328 712120

There’s no better time to snuggle up in this season’s luxurious and warm faux fur styles, keeping you toasty and looking great in January’s cold winter Norfolk days

Hamira faux fur jacket by Selected Femme (ÂŁ159) ANNA | Burnham Market 01328 730325

Chinchilla Headband (£20) and scarf (£20) by Dubarry LINGS COUNTRY GOODS | Great Massingham 01485 520828

00

KLmagazine September 2012

Bella Boo, beautiful dresses to charm both the prom and the pocket

B

ella Boo is a dazzle of colour. Its first-floor premises, carved out of a set of traditionally decorated Georgian rooms, are a welcome to opulence. Silks, moirés, taffetas and satins swish along the walls to offer a range of styles to suit everyone. “Our customers know that they’re going to receive an intimate and very personal service,” say the friendly staff. Available for both hire and purchase her prom gowns, evening dresses, mother-of-the-bride outfits

and accessories have been seen at the Fakenham and Newmarket racecourses and at some of West Norfolk’s most beautiful weddings. The prom season traditionally starts in the winter months and its wide range now takes pride of place in these Swaffham premises and certainly the majority of its business.

“For a one-off occasion hiring, at less than half the purchase price, can make you feel and look like a million dollars,

but often our customers will buy the dress outright once they’ve hired it.”

And alterations aren’t an issue: the shop has a resident seamstress to provide the odd nip and tuck to make a great fit even snugger and more comfortable to wear. The Boo in Bella Boo is a surprise: a welcome surprise that beautiful Swaffham is able to offer an equally beautiful range of dresses to charm both the prom and the pocket.

BELLA BOO First floor, Fitzroy House Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7QH Tel: 01760 725 238

Lings Country Goods for all your country pursuits SCHÖFFEL | DUBARRY MUSTO | LE CHAMEAU CHRYSALIS | HUCKLECOTE TOGGI | DEERHUNTER SEELAND | HARKILA

Also stocking Guns, Ammunition and shooting accessories Heath Farm, Great Massingham, King’s Lynn PE32 2HD www.lingscountrygoods.co.uk | www.mortonatv.com telephone: 01485 520828

Morton ATV all terrain and utility terrain vehicles

KLmagazine January 2013

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Coat by Joules (ÂŁ169) GODDARDS | King's Lynn 01553 772382

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KLmagazine November 2012

High chic at Allez Chic It’s not just the High Street where you can find designer clothing.

Cheryl Daubney talks to KL Magazine about her unique venture to bring it much closer to home..

C

heryl Daubney has discovered a gap in the market and she’s filling it with elegance and panache. Her hand-picked range of luxury knitwear and separates, mix and match outfits and exclusive dresses is available much closer to home than you thought possible.

Indeed, you can meet up with friends, enjoy a coffee and browse at your leisure through some stunning wear by Kello, Lisa Campioni, Pomodoro, Marble and much, much more.

“There are plenty of basics to be found in the chain shops,” she says, “but higher quality individual clothes are harder to find. At Allez Chic we’ve already done the work for you. All you need to do is turn up and enjoy.”

The beautiful 18th century Bank House in King’s Lynn is an excellent restaurant and hotel and today it’s playing host to Allez Chic. Those beautiful Georgian rooms are packed with more fashion than you can reasonably expect to see in a single visit to a High Street store, and Cheryl’s customers have plenty of space to choose, to try, to compare, to chat and to buy. “Using a venue like this means our customers have got a lovely place KLmagazine January 2013

to eat and drink. Shopping here means Cheryl’s flair for fashion combined it’s a social event as well. There’s no with down-to-earth pricing is her best pressure. How can anyone be frazzled calling card. That and tea, of course. by choosing something to wear in this There’s no better combination on the unique setting?”

High Street, that’s for sure.

Other venues for Allez Chic have included Grimston’s Congham Hall, and coming up in March is a fashion show for Macmillan Cancer Support at King’s Lynn Golf Club. And something else that sets Allez Chic apart – a percentage of the proceeds from its sales are contributed to a range of charities. Several have already benefited – the Prince’s Trust, St Nicholas’s Chapel and of course Macmillan itself.

“We also hold a raffle at our events,” says Cheryl. “They’re always popular and add just one more element to a lively, fun occasion that’s sociable, simple and hugely enjoyable.”

Allez Chic will bring their show to your event too. Maybe you’re a member of a social or charity group yourself. Daytime or evening events can be arranged for Mondays and Tuesdays and Cheryl’s collection can be viewed by ALLEZ CHIC arrangement at her Tel: 01553 630820 | Mobile: 07951930776 welcoming barn in Pott Website: www.allezchic.co.uk Row, just outside King’s Email: cheryldaubney@allezchic.co.uk Lynn.

35

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KLmagazine January 2013

4 Way Refrigeration Ltd brings air source heating in from the cold Rising energy costs can make us all hot under the collar.

David Learner takes a trip to see air source heating in action.

J

an and Roger Clarke are in buoyant mood. The kettle’s on, the dog’s dozing and the fen weather is about to blow up a storm outside. There’s a local phrase – a lazy wind – a wind that can’t be bothered to go round you so it just cuts straight through you, as cold as you like. Here in Nix Hill we’re as warm as toast. And that’s all down to air source heating from 4 Way Refrigeration Ltd. Wooh. Hold on. How does a company with the word refrigeration in its name get involved with heating?

Director Steve Simpson takes me outside and shows me a sturdy wall-mounted box which to my untrained eyes looks not unlike an air conditioning unit. The wind’s really thumping now. “Air source takes its heat from outside,” says Steve. “Think of this system as a fridge, but in reverse.”

For every kilowatt of energy taken in approximately four kilowatts is generated. In effect the owner is paying for one quarter of the energy that’s actually used.

Inside the house the heat pump simply sucks that heat in, condenses it, compresses it to a far higher temperature and supplies the hot water for use in sinks, basins and showers and also for the house’s heating system. In this case it’s under floor heating, newly KLmagazine January 2013

installed around a couple of years ago.

“No radiators,” says Jan, back in the heart of the house. “They can be overpowering. Here, the thermostats are set at 21 degrees and because there’s no heat loss into the ceiling area, and no radiators, it’s a constant temperature.” During its first winter in Nix Hill the temperatures outside went down to minus 15 degrees. “It’s always a nice gentle summer’s day in here,” she adds, “and that heat ripples through the entire house, even if we leave the doors open. I’ve even bought a new quilt for the bed with a lower Tog rating.”

For Roger, once the system had been recommended by friends who’d had a similar system installed there was no contest. “The cost of oil just keeps on going up,” he says. “And now we’re both retired we’re in the house far more. We’re really noticing the difference now. Steve gave us confidence; he bent over backwards to make sure the system was right for us, and we never felt that we were being pushed into a purchase we didn’t want to make.”

Outside, the horizon is about as far away as you can get and the winter winds are beginning to whistle again, just like that kettle. As snug as a bug in a rug. Ask Jan or Roger. And then ask Steve. Air source heating. Remember.

4 WAY REFRIGERATION LTD Unit 25, Bergen Way, North Lynn Industrial Estate, King's Lynn, PE30 2JG TEL: 01553 767878 E-MAIL: sales@4wayref.co.uk WEB: www.4wayref.co.uk

37

LOCAL LIFE

38

KLmagazine January 2013

OPPOSITE: Wayne carving on Nab Hill on the Stanza Stones project, and (above) a sandstone sphere by Wayne to celebrate a wedding

Wayne’s set on carving out a bright future...

His work has already been discovered by walkers, thinkers and the V&A Museum. David Learner speaks to King’s Lynn’s Wayne Hart, who holds the town very close to his heart

O

n July 1st 2009 Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe MBE, Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed by an explosion whilst on convoy along the Shamalan Canal, near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was an alumnus of Reading University. The memorial, commissioned by the university, was by another former student, Wayne Hart.

“The entire family was there,” says Wayne. “There was a highly moving speech from his Dad. The family asked if they could take pictures of me with him. It’s the highest tribute to my work I can think of.”

KLmagazine January 2013

His voice is soft, a stark counterpoint to the world of stone, just one of the solid media in which he’s carving out his future. His words are resolute though and he uses them with care.

Wayne Hart, lettercutter, is about to meet up with “someone in PR” to talk about his future and we’ve got half an hour to chat. By the end of that thirty minutes I’ll come away convinced, like so many others, that this young star of the new British school of artists has a very bright future ahead of him.

Born in King’s Lynn in 1986 Wayne comes from a background that urged the arts on him. One of his grandmothers was born in India where she was destined to become an opera singer, indeed was offered training in

London. The other one enjoyed, just for fun, calligraphy and it was a skill she passed on to her daughter, Wayne’s mum, who would create Christmas cards as an outlet for her talents.

Watching at the sidelines was Wayne.

“There were always paints and crayons in the house,” he says. “I knew really early on that I was going to be involved in the arts.”

Much encouragement came from his art teacher at Park High School, now the King’s Lynn Academy. She saw the spark that had already been kindled at primary school and whisked him off to a major art exhibition in Norwich, to get the measure of him and to observe a budding artist, observing the work of others.

39

“It was there that I really became interested in graphic design,” he says, “and it was during an amazing course in typography led by Chris Skinner at the College of West Anglia that someone recommended Reading.”

At Reading he would develop a much deeper interest in incised letterform. His course in Design for Graphic Communication was world renowned and it was while he was at Reading that he was able to secure an apprenticeship with Pip Hall.

The well-respected Pip Hall has been running a carving studio in Cumbria for more than 15 years. The small and intensely creative world she and Wayne inhabit sees them currently collaborating on a series of fifteen benches for the city of Sheffield.

“This is Kilkenny stone delivered by lorry,” says Wayne. “The designs are traced on and then the fine work with the chisel starts. There’s no room for error.”

Commissioned by Scottish Widows and intended to regenerate the Moor, an area that will provide a new home for Sheffield’s market, Wayne and Pip’s work will be on display for generations to come and Wayne is fully aware of the living heritage that his work will deliver. It was a baptism by ice though.

“I was carving outside in the snow at one point,” says Wayne. “It was freezing! I cycled nine miles to and from work every day through floods, snow, hail, the works.”

Along the Pennine watershed, deep in the Cumbrian hills, the Watershed Landscape Project has already enabled Wayne to make his mark. Poet Simon Armitage was commissioned to write a

40

series of six poems by the Ilkley Literary Festival; with funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund Wayne’s work in finding the Stanza Stones a home in the hills began in earnest.

The picture of him on page 38, standing upright, carving deep into the stone, is the result of a natural rift in the material which would eventually cause it to break in two. The work done, the stones were laid down to a final nestled position on Nab Hill overlooking Haworth, so that nature and words and art would meet as one in the bleak and beautiful landscape of the long path from Marsden to Ilkley.

What about the future?

“I’m very lucky,” says Wayne. “I’m part of a lovely, close-knit community of calligraphers, artists and lettercutters that shares ideas to keep it alive.

Richard Kindersley is a huge name; definitely one to watch. There are more carvers now than ever there were, but the opportunities are far more difficult to find.”

The three years Wayne spent working on his degree and then the three years of his apprenticeship with Pip Hall represent a possibility that’s now extremely difficult to find.

“You can learn as part of a masonry course,” he says, “but that’s about it.

Short courses aren’t a problem, but a longer dedication is.”

Wayne describes himself as a solid worker, from the moment he gets up in the morning to the moment his head hits the pillow. He’s establishing a new world for himself though from a Manchester base.

“I work mainly in stone,” he says, “but steel and wood also present brilliant

media. The choice of the north-west though is based largely on the fact that most of my work will come from that area. I come home when I can. I gave a talk about lettercarving at the King's Lynn Arts Centre in September 2011.

Train direct to Ely, then north to Lynn.

It’s perfect.”

Lynne Alexander, head of Communication and Marketing at Memorials by Artists says: “He is so very talented and incredibly supportive of the charity. He attended a symposium for Letter Carvers that we held at Snape Maltings recently. There’s no doubt he will be a big name in the future.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by the vicepresident of the Church Monuments Society.

“Part of the future of fine lettercutting will be in his hands,” says Dr Julian Litten, “though I very much doubt he has the slightest notion of this.”

West Norfolk can produce worldclass artists to take on all comers – and no more striking proof of this can be found than in the work of Wayne Hart.

Remember the name – it’s already known to the Sculpture Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

And if anyone knows, they should.

> For details on The Lettering and Commemorative Arts Trust, see www.memorialartscharity.org.uk > For further details on the Watershed Landscape Project and how to get there, see the website www.pennineprospects.co.uk

KLmagazine January 2013

KLmagazine January 2013

41

The Hythe Bridge Road Downham Market PE38 OAE 01366 384126 info@charmed-interiors.co.uk

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42

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KLmagazine January 2013

Inspirational interiors at MKM King’s Lynn It’s a local name that’s been trusted for years. As Director Damian Roach explains the best interior design service and the very best advice always begins close to home

A

s you head out of Lynn towards South Wootton you’ll see a sign that heads you right into the North Lynn Industrial Estate. It’s the first opportunity to pick up some speed, but to miss the turning is to miss the chance to find MKM King’s Lynn, a local source of bespoke kitchens and bathrooms that takes its customers seriously with a tailored service to ensure thorough satisfaction.

Nathan Stannage and his partners Damian Roach and Andrew Goakes have a combined industry knowledge that spreads over decades; for many years MKM King’s Lynn’s bread and butter has come from the continuing thirst for building materials, and bricks and blocks, landscaping, plumbing and heating essentials and more, neatly ranged and displayed in its Hamburg Way home.

“Lifestyle and home programmes have changed the perception of our trade,” says Damian. “Now the first thing you see here is not racks of nails and screws but beautifully appointed bathrooms and kitchens that show just KLmagazine January 2013

a hint of what we can achieve.”

You’ll also meet Dave Alexander, designer and showroom manager. His office is carved out of one of those showrooms and while it may appear inconsistent to the eye it shows someone who is quite literally at the heart of what he does. Twenty years’ experience in design and installation is more than enough to ensure that when the new customer arrives they receive an invitation to take a seat, have a cup of coffee and to explain all to someone who knows and understands the needs of the customer.

“Often our customers know the space they have to play with, but are still looking to be inspired.

That’s what we do,” says Damian.

“Working closely with the customer and their architects we offer a scheduling service to quantify every inch of the plan to ensure essential items aren’t overlooked.

Brick-matching, for example, to blend in with an existing extension or project.

The little things play a vital part.”

There’s so much to consider when you’re ready to start on your own Grand Design, and MKM King’s Lynn can offer a helping hand from start to finish. Traditional or contemporary, ultra-modern or classic styling, hand-painted or industrial chic – what’s

it to be? Tiling, accessories, fixings, fittings, insulation, décor, finish… the choices go on. The beautiful rooms that MKM King’s Lynn have created for their customers are a lasting memory that will continue to impress time and time again. Job done.

MKM BUILDING SUPPLIES Hamburg Way, North Lynn Industrial Estate, King’s Lynn PE30 2ND Tel: 01553 817830 Web: www.mkmbs.co.uk

43

FOOD & DRINK

Love of lobster...

W

ay down on the sea floor you’ll find the lobster, burrowing deep in crevices.

Having five pairs of legs makes you think they would trip up a lot, but they’re co-ordinated and quite compact, and all those legs have claws. Those are the bits that hurt.

Like many Britons they’re blueblooded – that’s due to the presence of haemocyanin, which contains copper – and like many of us they grow to impressive sizes, and ages that can see them blow out fifty candles, if they were on the surface of the water, and could breathe air, and celebrated their birthdays.

While they’re a little coy in their movement, preferring to amble rather than glide, they can pick up a heck of a lick in reverse by curling and uncurling their abdomens. Neat, particularly when you can reach speeds of more than 10 miles an hour. Stomachs don’t generally move that fast backwards, except possibly at Pleasurewood Hills.

If you’re a Salvador Dali fan you’ll

44

remember his Lobster Telephone and if you read Alice in Wonderland you’ll know all about the Lobster Quadrille.

Three years ago the papers ran a picture of what was purportedly the largest lobster ever to have been caught in our offshore waters. More than a metre long its startled Devon fisherman was able only to take a brief snap on his mobile of the creature before slinging it back into the sea. Just as well – its claws were more than 35cm long and over 15cm wide.

Enough, as they say, to take your hand off, but still not quite as big as the whopper that was caught off the coast of Canada in 1977 – weighing in at 44 pounds it was well over a metre long. A meal for two then, and a bit for the freezer. > When you buy a cooked lobster that’s been split in half, you can eat it as it comes – the simpler, the better.

It’s good cold with mayonnaise, as a lobster cocktail, or in a salad. To serve hot, grill flesh-side up in the half shell for five minutes, brushing

the exposed meat with melted butter before and during cooking. > Medallions can be pan-fried in olive oil and/or butter or used in stir fries.

They’re also good in curries. Allow 2-3 minutes’ cooking time – just enough time to heat the lobster through. > Marinate raw rock lobster tails in the fridge in olive oil, citrus juice and herbs or spices for up to 4 hours, then run a skewer through the flesh from the wide end to the narrow end, and cook with the flesh-side facing the heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the tail over and cook the shell side until it turns red – this will take around 4 to 5 minutes. > Lobster and pasta make a good team – either in a tomato or creamy sauce, or as a filling for stuffed pasta such as ravioli. > Turn the page for an easy way to cook the classic lobster dish – and impress your guests!

KLmagazine January 2013

DESIGNER, CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL

Our new showroom introduces our Everyhome kitchen and bedroom ranges Our new 1st floor showroom enables us to show you our fantastic new Everyhome range of kitchens and bedrooms.

Always known for our dream designer kitchens, we often get overlooked for our ranges of kitchens and bedrooms for Everyhome! With prices starting from about £10,000 for a fully-fitted German kitchen you really don’t have to go to the DIY warehouses. Get better quality, service and Style from a local family business.

We know Everyhome deserves one.

KLmagazine January 2013

9 High Street, King’s Lynn (next to Debenhams) t: 01553 767519 w: www.stylek.co.uk 45

FOOD & DRINK

Classic Lobster Thermidor

An easy way to make this fantastic dish...

INGREDIENTS 1 large lobster (about 1kg) 45g butter For the sauce 25g unsalted butter 25g plain flour 300ml whole milk A splash of dry sherry 75g crème fraîche 1tbsp Dijon mustard 1 red chilli, finely chopped 75g gruyère cheese salt and freshly ground black pepper 1tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve

METHOD 1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Place the lobster into the pan.

Bring back to the boil and cook for 6-8 minutes.

6 Add the chilli and half the gruyère and stir well until the cheese has melted.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2 Remove the lobster from the water and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle use a large sharp knife to cut it in half lengthways.

7 To finish the lobster, heat the butter in a frying pan. Once the butter is foaming add the reserved lobster meat and fry to heat through for 1-2 minutes.

3 Use a spoon to scoop out all the body meat out. Crack the claws with your knife and carefully remove the flesh.

Cut the lobster flesh into large chunks and set aside.

8 Heat the grill to its highest setting, and place the halved lobster shells on a baking tray. Spoon a little of the sauce into each shell, then add the lobster flesh. Pour over the rest of the sauce and top with the remaining gruyère.

4 For the sauce, melt the butter in a pan, then stir in the flour and cook for one minute.

5 Add the milk and stir over a low heat to bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sherry, crème fraîche and mustard and stir well.

46

9 Place the lobster halves under the grill and cook until the topping is bubbling and golden-brown. Place a lobster half onto each plate and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

KLmagazine January 2013

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Tel: 01485 534965 KLmagazine January 2013

KING’S LYNN FACTORY AND SHOWROOM 48 Bergen Way (next to Citroen) North Lynn Industrial Estate King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 2JG

Tel: 01553 762749 46

FOOD & DRINK

RestaurantReview

It’s one of the landmark buildings of King’s Lynn, but as one KL magazine reader discovers, the Duke’s Head Hotel is also home to a very special restaurant

F

ollowing a very enjoyable show at the Corn Exchange recently, we decided to finish with a meal at Turners Restaurant at the Duke’s Head Hotel – a choice largely influenced by where we’d parked the car. Shame on us! Thanks to its restrained decor and subtle lighting, the restaurant manages to have its own very distinctive identity that came as a very nice suprise – as did the attention we were given by the staff, who were impeccably mannered and very professional throughout.

It makes such a difference to feel genuinely welcome rather than being simply another customer.

The extensive menu was genuinely

48

mouth-watering (highlights include the extensive seafood choices and no less than six vegetarian dishes), and I particularly appreciated the comprehensive wine recommendations that were given for every dish.

For starters, we ordered the Balsamic Garlic Prawns; which came with a ragout of mussels, crab and cherry tomatoes, and the Chiftelute; pan-fried mini-patties of garlic-infused pork with a sour mushroom cream sauce.

Our mains consisted of Cod Royale; topped with a smoked salmon and horseradish crust, and served with swiss chard, sliced truffle and cauliflower puree, together with a beurre blanc, and the Baked Organic Chicken Breast; which was wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with escarole, raisins, pine nuts and mascarpone cheese, served on a bed on rice pilaf with a rosemary jus.

Finally, our desserts were a Zabaglione with macerated cherries and biscotti served with an orange-flavoured custard; and a lovely Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream – a perfect example of this English favourite with a

terrific touch of cinnamon.

Every dish of every course was a work of art in itself – it looked simply beautiufl on the plate, and the tastes were outstanding.

This wasn’t just fine dining – it was fantastic dining. Far from being a simple way of rounding off an enjoyable theatrical evening, our meal was a true virtuoso performance in itself – and well deserving of an encore.

Turners comes very highly recommended – and I can’t believe you’ll find a better dining experience in the centre of King’s Lynn.

FOOD

SERVICE

VALUE

9 9 9 10 10 10

TURNERS RESTAURANT The Duke’s Head Hotel, 5–6 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn PE30 1JS Tel: 01553 774996 Web: www.dukesheadhotel.com

KLmagazine January 2013

CaféReview T

he Village Deli in Thornham is situated on the A149 main road in the coastal village of Thornham, overlooking the village playing field. It’s a great showcase for local produce, but even though we’ve visited many times to pick up some locally-made delicacies, we had never eaten in the adjoining café.

Judging by how busy the café was as we entered, plenty of other people have discovered just how good the food is – and what a lovely place it is to have lunch.

The waitress who looked after us was very helpful and pleasant, and talked us through the many options available for lunch. There was a delightful selection of sandwiches and paninis with a wide variety of fillings, together with jacket potatoes, light bites such as paté, soups and salads, a choice of hot meals (including burgers and scampi) and some daily specials as well.

I ordered the Tuna Mayonnaise sandwich, while my husband opted for the Honey Roast Ham Ploughman’s.

Much to my husband’s delight, the ploughman’s lunch was very generous, with deliciously thick home-cooked

ham that he claimed was some of the tastiest he’d ever had. The bread was particularly fresh, and the meal was attractively served on a wooden board laden with salad and apple, and featured some very good pickled onions and gherkins (so good that we later bought some to take home!)

My sandwich was served on lovely home-made granary bread with a side salad and crisps and was thoroughly delicious.

For dessert, I ordered the Bread and Butter pudding, and my husband chose the Chocolate Brownie Sundae, which came in a tall glass complete with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chopped pieces of chocolate brownie and a toffee sauce. I was very impressed with my bread and butter pudding, which had a real home-made taste to it and came with a large jug of cream and a choice of custard or ice

cream. All our food arrived very quickly, but we never felt rushed and were made to feel very welcome.

Our total lunch bill came to just over £20, which we felt was excellent value considering the size of the portions and the quality of the food.

The Thornham Deli Café is well worth a visit (we’ll definitely go again!) – and don’t forget to take some of those tasty local treats home with you!

THE VILLAGE DELI AND CAFÉ High Street, Thornham, Hunstanton Telephone: 01485 512194 Web: www.villagedelithornham.com

Finally I have a kitchen that’s worthy of my cooking – thanks to Town & Country...

Everyone’s favourite kitchen.

Nelson House, Bergen Way King’s Lynn PE30 2JG Tel: 01553 766578 Web: www.towncountrykitchens.com

K I TC H E N S B E D RO O M S & B AT H RO O M S KLmagazine January 2013

49

FOOD & DRINK

LocalTastes Selected by David Learner

FERNDALE NORFOLK CHEESES www.ferndalefarmnorfolkcheeses.co.uk Hand-made and award-winning, supplied from a family-run farm in Little Barningham Ferndale Norfolk Cheeses offer the celebrated Norfolk Dapple, an unpasteurised, clothbound, hard cows’ milk cheese. Or there’s smoked Dapple, Carrow (containing mustard seeds) and Ruby Dapple, marbled with port.

CHALK AND CHEESE, SHOULDHAM www.chalkandcheesenorfolk.co.uk Andrew and Bridget Archibald proudly offer Mrs Temple’s cheeses as well as a wealth of superb local produce huddled into an erstwhile school looking on to one of the prettiest village greens in West Norfolk. Soups, jams and chutneys rub shoulders at a B&B, farmshop and gallery that frankly you’d be mad to miss.

WELLS DELI www.wellsdeli.co.uk The wide range of cheeses available at the Wells Deli encompasses Norfolk Dapple and Smoked Dapple, Lincolnshire Poacher and up to forty others from home and abroad. It’s a shopping trip that has you slavering. Since 2004 the Deli has provided more than just a cup of tea to the North Norfolk visitor, open 9 to 5 seven days a week.

N

orfolk abounds with local flavours. Rich sea-bound grass yields contented holiday makers and happy farm animals. All the more reason then to dive into one of our local cheese shops or contact one of our producers to discover all there is to enjoy about the very best we have to offer. Norfolk cheese, even tastier with a classic Norfolk ale.

50

BIRCHAM WINDMILL www.birchamwindmill.co.uk The sheep at Bircham just love to be milked. In return they provide Norfolk Charm, a Wensleydale-style cheese which is matured for three months. Millers Fancy is a little more yielding, more a Feta-type cheese with a creamy texture and yummy flavour. Just ask Steve or Ellie. Or Imogen, one of those happy sheep.

KLmagazine January 2013

10% OFF YOUR FOOD BILL!

THE HARE ARMS Traditional Country Pub & Restaurant

Available Mon-Thurs in the bar and restaurant throughout January Please bring this advertisement with you (no photocopies accepted)

Lynn Road, Stow Bardolph King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE34 3HT Telephone: 01366 382229 Website: www.theharearms.co.uk

Dining out Eat, drink & stay...

A traditional village inn, offering luxury accommodation and scrumptious meals – all freshly cooked using only the very best local produce.

THE

BERNEY ARMS

Church Road, Barton Bendish PE33 9GF Telephone: 01366 347995

www.theberneyarms.co.uk

Check the website for our forthcoming special nights in 2013!

If you’re eating out locally, here’s a selection of great places to try...

the village

Deli th rnham

café and store

Open Daily Extensive menu Children’s play area Lovely location Plenty of parking Telephone: (01485) 512194 Email: villagedelithornham@gmail.com

Boutique Hotel with Superb Restaurant

HOT DOG SPECIALS!

Spend £19.95pp on food and receive a FREE bottle of wine!

Enjoy a hot dog and a drink for only £7.50!

Available Mon-Fri

Offer available on Table d’hôte menu only Sunday–Thursday during January and February for minimum 2 people dining.

5-6 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn PE30 1JS Tel: 01553 774996 E-mail: reception@dukesheadhotel.com Web: www.dukesheadhotel.com

KLmagazine January 2013

The Kings Head

DUKES HEAD HOTEL

Excludes certain festive dates. Conditions apply.

H O T E L Great Bircham, Kings Lynn PE31 6RJ Tel 01485 578265 Web www.the-kings-head-bircham.co.uk

51

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KLmagazine January 2013

> Independent Schools

ABOVE: Gresham’s is just one of the independent schools across Norfolk justifiably proud of their sporting traditions – and achievements

Independent schools build on the Olympics...

Following our feature in September 2102 David Learner picks up the story where the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games left off to discover how sport in schools is responding to the future

T

he glory shown by Team GB in 2012 has led to calls to maintain the Olympic legacy to Rio and beyond, and much of that spirit will be shown and demonstrated by tomorrow’s athletes. Throughout north and west Norfolk our independent schools show they’re willing to rise to that challenge to ensure our superb third place in London for Team GB is just the start. In every sport, Team GB showed it can take on the world and win – and that endeavour starts at school.

In this two-part article we begin at the beginning, with the region’s independent schools. Then we take a wider look at what north and west Norfolk offers at secondary level and

KLmagazine January 2013

beyond.

How our local schools maintain a spirit that shone so brightly for much of the summer remains to be seen.

Although only around 7% of children in the country are privately educated, a third of Team GB went to independent schools, as did nearly 40% of British medal winners and 50% of gold medallists.

Focus on the school backgrounds of Britain’s successful Olympians has prompted an investigation into the condition of school sport in our comprehensives, and the continuum that will lead to success in Rio in 2016 is more than likely (given those vital statistics) to have begun in our private schools.

All the better then that we allow our

schools to speak for themselves. These pages are intended to showcase the best of availability and choice in the region. While it’s not comprehensive we hope we’ve offered a representation of the disciplines available and represented our schools fairly; every school was invited to offer a personal comment and we’ve been delighted by the two-way response to those calls.

A visit to the schools’ websites will allow you to assess for yourself the width of sports education that’s on offer; a visit to the schools themselves will allow the parent or guardian the chance to expand on that information so that they can enjoy the vibrancy and colour of our schools and how best they fit our unique children.

53

> Independent Schools

> WISBECH GRAMMAR Headmaster Nicholas Hammond quotes readily from a comment he received from prospective parents, seeking a school in the local area: “On visiting for the first time, our immediate impression was of a school where pupils showed a real sense of purpose and where they were clearly enjoying their lessons and activities.”

That sense of purpose is evidently extended into sport.

“We’re a community that values the lessons that sport teaches us,” says Nicholas. “From the personal challenge of individual athletic events, to the team work of hockey we believe all pupils should have the opportunity to play competitive sport. Not only are the physical benefits obvious, but the brain is improved too. In recognition of the importance of sport to our students the school has recently extended its playing fields to allow greater scope for our sports players, it has invested in a state of the art weight training facility and has a marvellous sports hall.

“We look forward to playing an exciting role in the development of future Olympians and are fortunate to have the facilities to facilitate their ambitions.”

Those facilities are excellent. The 21acre site gives students space and a place to breathe. The latest addition to the campus, the new Hazel Sixth Form Centre, opened in 2010. www.wisbechgrammar.com Tel: 01945 583631

54

> MAGDALENE HOUSE PREPARATORY SCHOOL Sporting opportunities abound at Magdalene House, the Preparatory School to Wisbech Grammar. Fixtures in Rugby, Hockey, Netball and Cricket are played at local and national level, with regular tours for Under 11 teams.

It probably helps that Headmaster Chris Moxon is a sports fanatic and has coached Rugby to a high level, numbering no less than four members of the famous 2003 Rugby World Cup Winning Team as his protégés.

“I encourage and challenge our children to be the very best they can be,” he says.

“Regular games sessions and matches here are full on, and whilst we are competitive and focus the children on achieving ambitious targets, we’re also inclusive – every child is given the opportunity to represent the school in a team at an appropriate level.

“Each week we celebrate the children’s sporting and academic achievements at our Star Assembly, when the team captains read out match reports they’ve composed themselves.

“Huge emphasis is placed on good sportsmanship and I insist that children, staff and parents set the highest possible standards of conduct on and off the pitch. I firmly believe that children perform best when expectations are high.

“Never before has society so desperately needed our young to be

well educated, and presenting them with opportunities in sport is a vital way of helping schools to create the world class people that we need in the future.

“How wonderful it was to listen to some of the successful British Athletes interviewed after their events last summer – whilst they were justifiably proud of their achievements and incredibly excited, they were also humble and grateful to those who had helped them along the way.

“It is now we, the schools, who are the real torch-bearers for sport. It is we who are responsible for producing the next generation of successful sportsmen and sportswomen. Here at Magdalene House we have already started that process.” www.magdalene.wisbechgrammar.com 01945 586780

KLmagazine January 2013

> Independent Schools

KLmagazine January 2013

55

> Independent Schools

> DOWNHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL & MONTESSORI NURSERY Principal Elizabeth Laffeaty-Sharpe offers a warm welcome on the school’s website. Here are her thoughts regarding the school’s accessibility to sports training.

“In early years sports lessons concentrate on co-ordination, ball skills and team games. In the Junior School (Class 2 and above) lessons are more structured. The rules of different sports are taught, e.g. soccer, rugby, rounders, hockey, netball, cricket and tennis. All sports are open to children of both sexes; many of the girls choosing to play soccer or touch-rugby. Pupils are taught to play as a team, to obey rules, to respect the umpire’s decision, to play their best, to accept defeat gracefully and to take pride in a match or game won. We take part in matches, games and tournaments against a variety of other schools.

“Swimming is taught from the start of year 1. Pupils have a lesson once a week throughout the year. The school uses the Kelloggs Swim-Fit awards.

Water confidence skills quickly lead to achieving the first award: one width of the pool with no swimming aids. Pupils are put into a swimming class according to their ability. They are taught water skills, correct strokes, style, diving, survival skills,water safety

56

and distance swimming. Many of our Year 6 pupils have bronze, silver and gold medals for survival skills as well as awards for diving and swimming a mile.

“Our aim is to teach children to swim as soon as possible, to be confident in the water, to behave in a responsible manner and to observe safety precautions. Swimming is an excellent aerobic exercise and children with physical disabilities can join in this sport with the rest of their peer group.

“Sports Day is held every summer for all the pupils. There are plenty of races where less able pupils can take part and win, such as team races and obstacle courses.” www.dpsmn.norfolk.sch.uk 01366 388066

> GRESHAM’S James Quick is the Head of Gresham's Prep School, an independent, coeducational boarding and day school for pupils aged 3-18 years located close to Holt’s town centre. As he rightly points out the Olympic legacy is about far more than sport.

“As a school where sport has been integral to life for many years and where we regularly achieve success at a national level, the Olympic spirit was easily taken on board in the run up to the London games last summer,” he says.

“Through various activities which illustrated our commitment to the Olympic ideal we were accepted into the ‘Get Set Network’ and were nominated as the school of the month for June. This entitled the school to a visit from Wenlock, the Olympic mascot (lucky us!), who joined us for the ‘Gresham’s Games’ at the end of June. The children left school for the summer holidays with the Olympics very much in their thoughts.

“Of course, in reality the London Games exceeded all our expectations and many children returned to school truly inspired by what they had seen and experienced. The euphoria that surrounded the games has helped reinforce our belief that sport plays a vital role in children’s education and well-being. At the highest level children

KLmagazine January 2013

> Independent Schools

Nobody does it better

The best teaching staff

The best facilities

The best range of courses

26 different vocational areas, 32 types of apprenticeship and 25 A level subjects Outstanding teaching from industry trained staff The first further education college in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to be rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

Changing lives through learning

Full information on

www.cwa.ac.uk

KLmagazine January 2013

57

> Independent Schools who are talented in sport have seen what can be achieved with hard work and determination.

“We are lucky enough to have outstanding sports coaches who give our pupils an excellent grounding and the Olympics have raised the children’s awareness of what can be achieved once they move on from our school. All children have seen how sport can bring great pleasure and a sense of achievement and this will be reinforced at school where we believe participation in sport at any level is important to a child’s wellbeing.

“The Olympic legacy is, however, about more than sport. The overwhelming success of the London Games proved just what can be achieved with ambition, high expectations, effective teamwork, imagination and a positive attitude. I hope that each child takes this as inspiration into every sphere of their lives.” www.greshams.com 01263 714557

> GLEBE HOUSE SCHOOL The headmaster of Glebe House School in Hunstanton is John Crofts BA (Hons), PGCE. Founded in 1874 Glebe House is a coeducational day and weekly boarding school for children from the ages of six months to thirteen years. Children can choose to become boarders from the age of seven years.

The Main Building adjoins twelve acres of delightful playing fields, which overlook The Wash and the countryside of North West Norfolk.

The aims and objectives of games and PE and how they are reflected in their pupils are laid out on the school’s website by Jon Turner.

– Experience achievement – Fulfil their potential – Develop positive attitudes – Adopt a healthy lifestyle – Enhance their self-esteem

58

– Develop their confidence “As a school, we want to enable the pupils to see that P.E. and Games provide a way to promote physical, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is a building block for bringing about fitness for life, both physically and mentally. It is a practical subject, which gives all pupils, irrespective of ability or gender, opportunities for participation, enjoyment and success.

The school’s Harry Basset is currently Eastern Counties Champion in gymnastic tumbling and team acrobatics, a title he has held for the past couple of years since old enough to compete at National level aged 8.

This qualified him to represent the East of England at the British National Finals at Stoke-On-Trent where he won the silver medal in the individual tumbling and a bronze medal in the men’s four acrobatics competition. He was chosen to compete in the National Team Tumbling competition in Wakefield. www.glebehouseschool.co.uk 01485 532 809

> SACRED HEART SCHOOL The Headteacher at Sacred Heart School, an Independent Day and Boarding School based in Swaffham, is Sr Francis Ridler. Sacred Heart’s mission statement is this – the Sacred Heart School is a community committed to the education of its pupils in a Catholic Christian ethos, where each person is invited to serve God and others, in faith, hope and love. The aims of the school are: – To foster spiritual growth in Christian faith and values – To value, appreciate and enjoy learning – To work for excellence – To further curiosity and creativity – To aspire to high ideals – To stimulate generous service of others On the school’s comprehensive website there is full detail about its many sporting activities and the part they play as part of its extensive curriculum. This is Miss Wilson’s report: “The house sporting events this year were extremely enjoyable for staff, pupils and spectators. All the events were led by the house captains, demonstrating how good the pupils organisation and leadership skills are.

The pupils were all more than willing to participate and showed team spirit throughout all the competitions creating a wonderful atmosphere throughout.” www.sacredheartschool.co.uk 01760 721330

KLmagazine January 2013

> Independent Schools

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> Independent Schools > FAKENHAM HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

ABOVE: Wynondham College’s Amy Ottaway (centre, front row) celebrates with her Paralympics GB teamates last year

One Step Further Beyond primary education the sporting journey becomes more exacting, and more exciting!

W

hen the first faltering jumps in the sand pit are lengthened into the loping strides of adolescence as they hurl themselves down the long jump track secondary and further education pick up the baton. North and west Norfolk are well represented by their facilities for the next stages in education and this section shows just a little of the wide range that’s on offer.

> WYMONDHAM COLLEGE Wymondham College is a unique state boarding school, located in the heart of Norfolk, just 20 minutes away from Norwich and an hour away from Cambridge. It has an excellent range of student facilities and extensive sports facilities, including games pitches, a sports hall and a heated indoor swimming pool.

Melvyn Roffe is its Principal and is delighted by the College’s royal nod it

60

received at the Paralympics. Here he talks earnestly about the College’s place in maintaining the Olympic spirit: “The Olympic Spirit was well in evidence at Wymondham College this summer. Not only did the College host local primary children for their own Olympics at the College, two College students Sasha Dyke and Ellen Parfait were selected as torch bearers for the run of the Olympic Torch through Norfolk.

“Then, to top it all, Wymondham College student Amy Ottaway represented Paralympics GB in the Olympic Goalball Competition, scoring a goal against Denmark and earning appreciative comments from Prince Harry.

"The Olympics have really energised this already sport-mad College. I am sure that we will build on this wave of enthusiasm to do even more and even better in future." www.wymondhamcollege.org 01953 609001

Headteacher Matthew Parr-Burman extends this welcome on Fakenham’s website.

“Choosing the right secondary school is one of the most important decisions a parent will make. At Fakenham High School we aim to provide a positive and a supportive environment where children achieve their potential and enjoy the engagement in learning.”

“Fakenham College offers a wide range of sporting activities designed to appeal to varying tastes and levels of competence. All students are encouraged to take part in a recreational activity of some kind be it trampolining, swimming, table tennis, croquet or kite-flying.

“We compete in local and national cup competitions. There are opportunities for students to represent the College at football, rugby, netball, hockey, cricket and basketball.

Individual success is also celebrated and the College is proud of the county and national representatives it has provided in team sports and athletics.

“For those who prefer more informal recreation, there are the swimming pool, tennis courts, croquet lawn and outdoor chessboard. Equipment for all activities is free of charge and students can also take advantage of discount rates in Fakenham for ten pin bowling, snooker and golf. Fakenham Leisure Centre is situated in Field Lane, a few minutes’ walk from College. It contains a wide variety of indoor sporting facilities and offers students exciting opportunities to improve their levels of fitness and take part in a range of recreational activities. The Leisure Centre also offers concessionary rates to Fakenham College students.” www.fakenhamhigh.norfolk.sch.uk 01328 851039

KLmagazine January 2013

> Independent Schools

Looking for an Outstanding School?

Wymondham College is a state boarding school offering a unique educational experience for boarders and day students alike.

Education at Wymondham College is free to all students. Our boarding fees, from ÂŁ2,631 per term, represent extraordinary value for money.

Full Ofsted Inspection (2007) Rated Outstanding Boarding Ofsted Inspection (2009) Rated Outstanding If your child is about to transfer to secondary school and you would like to find out more contact: Suzie Bunning, Registrar

T: 01953 609014 E: admissions@wymondhamcollege.org

Open Day: Sat 16 March 2013, 9-11am Visit our website to find out more information.

www.wymondhamcollege.org KLmagazine January 2013

61

> Independent Schools

> EASTON AND OTLEY COLLEGE Easton and Otley College is spread across two campuses: Easton, near Norwich, and Otley, near Ipswich. This focus looks at the Norwich campus but the colleges’ merger is an important one; in KL magazine this month you’ll find a separate interview with Principal David Lawrence (page 16). His resolution for the best for his students shines brightly.

Easton College is located seven miles west of Norwich, next to the Royal Norfolk Showground and near Longwater Business Park. It’s set in over 200 hectares of idyllic farmland and countryside. The main focus of the college is on vocational courses with qualifications such as First and National Diplomas, as well as Foundation Degrees. With vocational courses the main emphasis is on ‘hands-on’ practical work, combined with classroom-based activity. Work experience/placements form an integral part of the education and are undertaken in most of its curriculum areas. External trips linked to each area of study.

“At Easton College,” says David, “we have one simple goal – ensuring you achieve the best results possible in order to lay the best possible foundation for your chosen career.”

“Easton College has a long and proud history of providing quality courses for the agricultural and horticultural industries. This has been complemented over recent times with the development of a broader range of specialist vocational courses, ranging

from equestrian studies and animal care through to countryside management, sport studies and public services.”

“Everyone should have the opportunity to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential. There are many excellent facilities at Easton College that will enable you to do this and get the most from your time spent with us.” www.easton-college.ac.uk 01603 731200 www.otleycollege.ac.uk 01473 785543

> THE COLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA There was exciting news in the autumn as the College of West Anglia (CWA) announced a £2.5million investment at its King’s Lynn campus which will go towards a new creative arts centre specialising in TV, film and performing arts, as well as completion of landscaping of the campus. Principal David Pomfret said: "We are delighted with the news." He said the college was one of 56 nationwide to receive funding from the government's £110m Enhanced Renewal Grant scheme. It will be the latest in a line of refurbishments at the college - a new technology centre has opened on the campus and a £12.5m project to refurbish a nine-storey tower block is due to finish next summer.

Where does sport fit in to its future?

The college offers various full time and part time sport related courses in King’s Lynn, Isle and Cambridge (Milton). It also has a number of sports academies aimed at allowing talented young athletes the opportunity to develop

their sporting performance while achieving academic qualifications. The student experience is key and students are given opportunities to be successful with their education, their sport and their future study or work.

The COWA sports campus opened in September 2011 in partnership with the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk. The college’s King's Lynn sport courses are now based at Lynnsport and Leisure Park. The partnership has seen the college invest approximately £250,000 in developing new classrooms, sports science lab and student social spaces within the Sandringham suite, right at the heart of Lynnsport.

Finally, and shifting gears from sport to motorsport, the college’s Isle campus in Wisbech offers motorsport engineering courses with a difference: level 3 and foundation degree students have the chance to be part of CWA’s very own motor racing team, giving them invaluable experience of all aspects of the day-to-day running of a motor racing team. www.cwa.ac.uk 01553 761144 Whatever we wish for our children, however the Olympic spirit represents itself in the future, and in whatever field they strive to endeavour one thing is certain – north and west Norfolk offer room to breathe. Our sports facilities, both publicly and within our schools and colleges, are difficult to beat - our outstanding coast line presents the benefit of vigorous or calmer walking combined with parcel skies, forests and shores – our towns and cities have warmth, originality and content.

Norfolk is a county not just for sport, but for life. Welcome!

“It is hardly surprising that many Olympians were educated at independent schools, because many independent schools seek out the clever and the talented, and seek to develop them. ese schools are willing to be flexible and understanding, and to support young athletes as they support young musicians and budding mathematicians...”

CHRIS RAMSEY Headmaster, The King’s School, Chester August 2012

52

KLmagazine September 2012

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KLmagazine January 2013

63

At last – an effective answer to Visual Stress VDEX lens technology brings relief to sufferers of visual stress, and is now available from D A Seaman in Swaffham...

V

isual stress is a condition that often contributes to reading difficulties in adults and children. The condition is related to light sensitivity in disorders such as migraine and epilepsy. It causes distortion on the printed page when black print contrasts sharply with a bright background.

Visual stress is often a big part of the problem in dyslexia, but it can also affect other poor readers and may cause eyestrain and headaches in good readers.

Approximately 11% of the population is affected, and classic symptoms reported by those who suffer from visual stress are: lWords move around on the page lReading makes me tired lI can’t follow the lines and keep losing my place lMy eyes get red and sore when I read lReading gives me a headache The first course of action should be to have a full eye examination carried out by a qualified Optometrist who has a lot of experience with children and

64

understands the problems of visual relief of perceptual problems, such as: stress. This is very important as reading l Visual dyslexia problems and dyslexia are often l Migraine associated with other eye problems l Photosensitive epilepsy such as muscle balance, which may l ADHD need to be treated with spectacles or l Autism exercises.

For more information on this or any Many people already know that other eyesight-related issues, please fluorescent lighting and other lighting contact D A Seaman using the details can cause a variety of symptoms. The below. last decade has seen a growing body of evidence demonstrating that artificial light sources can have adverse effects on individuals.

The Orthoscopics System provides a technique for the Optometrist to prescribe VDEXtinted spectacles which “mask out” the specific wavelengths of light which are primarily responsible for an individual’s discomfort.

The VDEX lenses are a range of tinted lenses designed in conjunction with Orthoscopics, Clinical Director D A SEAMAN OPTOMETRIST Ian Jordan, 18 Plowright Place, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7LQ specifically for the Tel: 01760 722661 | Web: www.daseaman.org.uk

KLmagazine January 2013

You and your health DEBORAH TAYLOR Consultant Gynaecologist (BMBS, MRCOG, BSCCP) Miss Deborah Taylor is a Consultant Gynaecologist at BMI The Sandringham Hospital in King’s Lynn. In this article she discusses the treatment options available for women who suffer from heavy periods.

Women’s health

F

or most women periods are just a way of life. For others they can be a debilitating monthly event interfering with work, social life and holidays. Clinically, heavy periods are defined as total blood loss exceeding 80ml per cycle or periods lasting longer than seven days. However, it‘s seldom realistic or practical to actually measure the blood loss and so a description of a woman’s symptoms is quite adequate.

There are many causes of heavy periods – including fibroids, endometriosis and polyps in the lining of the womb. A hormone imbalance is often associated with irregular periods.

That said, in most women with heavy periods no cause is found.

WHAT INVESTIGATIONS MIGHT I NEED? Most patients require only a pelvic examination. Other baseline investigations will be dictated by your symptoms and your age. These may include a blood test, an ultrasound scan of your pelvis, a biopsy of the lining of the womb and/or a look around inside

the womb with a fine telescope – a procedure called a hysteroscopy.

WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS? Historically, hysterectomy was the mainstay of treatment for heavy periods. Many women do still undergo hysterectomy, but with modern gynaecology there are much less invasive treatments.

There are a number of oral medications which are effective, and most will reduce pain as well as menstrual flow. Hormone treatments include the combined contraceptive pill and the ‘mini’ pill. Progestogen (a female hormone) is frequently used to treat irregular heavy periods.

Non-hormonal treatments include tranexamic acid which is taken during the period and can lighten the flow by up to 50%. Non-steroidal antiinflammartory drugs (NSAIDs), such as mefenamic acid, are useful for painful heavy periods and can reduce blood loss by up to a third.

For women who wish to retain their fertility, another option is a hormonecontaining coil called a Mirena Intrauterine System (IUS). This coil is suitable

for most women and can be fitted in an outpatient clinic. It can reduce blood loss by up to 90% at six months after insertion. Many women will have no period at all with an IUS and in addition it’s an extremely reliable form of contraception.

For those whose family is complete, a more attractive option may be a daycase operation called an ‘endometrial ablation’. This involves passing an instrument through the cervix into the womb and destroying the lining of the womb. This operation has significantly reduced the need for a hysterectomy, with the majority of women seeing a substantial reduction in menstrual flow and 10-30% having no period at all following this procedure.

WHAT TREATMENT IS RIGHT FOR ME? It’s often difficult to talk about intimate problems such as heavy periods. At BMI The Sandringham Hospital we pride ourselves on offering a friendly, relaxed, personalised service.

The right treatment for you will depend on your symptoms, your investigations and of course what you feel is right for you.

The Sandringham Hospital For more information, please call BMI The Sandringham Hospital on 01553 769770 or visit us at www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/sandringham KLmagazine January 2013

65

Why suffer in silence?

Wise words from Sound Advice Hearing, King’s Lynn

P

aul Scigala has almost 20 years’ experience as an audiologist; Christmas, he says, brings out the hearing issues that we would like to ignore. “If someone in the family has a hearing problem then everyone in the family has a hearing problem.” His experience is Sound Advice’s best calling card. “If we’re hard of hearing we can feel alone in a crowd. Isolated.

Just by coming in to say hello you’re making a vital first step. Trust is important and we can offer that on a one-to-one basis.”

Sound Advice Hearing in King’s Lynn has now expanded into Norwich’s St John Maddermarket; it means the company now has a comprehensive service covering Norfolk with FREE no-obligation hearing assessments.

Paul is also delighted to be part of a new scheme being run in association with Help for Heroes which aims to

66

help those who have suffered a hearing impairment in Britain’s current conflicts and have been discharged as a result.

“It’s a chance to make a positive impact on the lives of our brave service men and women, and we welcome them to our centre,” he says.

Paul’s message rings in the New Year, that clearer hearing offers a better quality of life. If you’re hard of hearing, you’re not alone. Sound Advice Hearing really can help you hear the difference.

Sound Advice Hearing 101 High Street, King's Lynn PE30 1BW Tel: 01553 760250 Web: soundadvicehearing.co.uk

KLmagazine January 2013

HEALTH & BEAUTY

FeetFirst

with Elizabeth Dutton

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Get your feet off to the right start in 2013 – with a bit more care!

N

o doubt you’ll have already made your new year’s resolutions for 2013, but I do hope you managed to find some space for your feet! If not, then there’s still time to make caring for your feet one of your first steps in the new year.

We’re starting 2013 by looking at some increasingly common problems which affect people of all ages.

OSTEOARTHRITIS Osteoarthritis is a condition that can affect all joints in the body, and is caused by (among other things) general wear and tear. The protective cartilage at the ends of two bones slowly wears away, eventually leaving two ends of raw bone to rub together. As you can imagine, it can be incredibly painful – and one joint that can be particularly affected is the joint of the big toe.

This is because so much pressure is placed on the joint on a daily basis – through movement, tight socks and/or poorly fitting footwear.

The pain can be reduced by ensuring correctly fitting socks/stockings, and

KLmagazine January 2013

good leather shoes, which provide much-needed support and stop excessive movement of the joint.

Laser treatments, which reduce the swelling, also encourage tissue repair and provide effective pain relief.

BUNIONS A bunion occurs when the big toe isn’t straight but is turned inwards, thereby exposing the joint and causing it to become sore due to constantly rubbing against your shoes.

Bunions are caused by wearing shoes that are too tight or narrow, although it

has been found that some families are more prone to them than others.

Bunions can be eased by orthotics and padding, ensuring your footwear is correctly fitted and through laser treatments – which will reduce the swelling, encourage tissue repair and provide pain relief.

Continue to look after your feet in 2013, and you’ll certainly be avoiding a lot of problems in the future. And don’t forget THE FOOT CARE CENTRE is always here for help and advice – just contact us using the details below!

All you need to know...

ELIZABETH DUTTON is a qualified foot health care practitioner and trainer. Elizabeth and her qualified team offer treatments from THE FOOT CARE CENTRE, 4B Tower St, King’s Lynn, PE30 1EJ. For more information, details, help and advice please contact Elizabeth’s centre in King’s Lynn. You’ll find the Centre’s website at www.TheFootCareCentreKingsLynn.co.uk For details of how to train as a foot care practitioner please see the website at www.TheCollegeOfFootCarePractitioners.co.uk (note that the QR code on the right will also take you there) Finally, you can call us on 01553 768661 (clinic) or or send an e-mail to Elizabeth and her team at enquiries@thefootcarecentrekingslynn.co.uk

67

J A N UA RY S A L E N OW O N !

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KLmagazine January 2013

Start the year as you mean to go on!

I

’ve just had the most FAB Pamper Day at Reflections, and I do mean the WHOLE day! Bex and I arrived first thing in the morning to take advantage of ALL the facilities. We were given fluffy robes and shown our allocated places by the pool (boy, that’s warm enough to forget winter!) and shown the fully-equipped gym. Nice instructor! I was in and out of the water like a fish while Bex was thumping along on the gym’s treadmill. But the main event was the brilliant Elemis Aromapure Facial … like wow … how relaxing is that? A back and shoulder massage was included and we could have topped up with loads of other treatments as well – spraytan, Jessica Geleration nails, wash and blow dry. You name it! How much? £49 for the basic Pamper Day. Amazing! It was

KLmagazine January 2013

such a great deal, we decided to stay a bit longer and enjoyed a light lunch at the Country Club. Great choice – bagels, scampi, baguettes – hey we’d deserved it! Next time we’re going to make a weekend of it and stay! If there’s at least four of you, go for it! I know we will. See you there!

Reflections Hair & Beauty Salon 3 South Beach Road Hunstanton, King’s Lynn Norfolk, PE36 5BB Tel: 01485 536028

69

LOCAL LIFE

OUT & ABOUT:

Wisbech Pictures: Ian Ward Words: David Learner

68

KLmagazine January 2013

T

winned with Arles in France Wisbech’s bustle has been evident since William the Conqueror built a castle there. Further down the line, in Tudor times, the castle became a prison, achieving notoriety for its incarceration of political prisoners. Two of the key names in the Gunpowder Plot – Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham – were held there but its rebuilding in the 17th century saw it develop a softer side. It was redeveloped once more just after the Napoleonic Wars by Joseph Medworth who also created The Crescent.

If the area has an air of Dickensian familiarity then it’s almost certainly because it’s been used as a location for a range of costume dramas including ITV’s Micawber, with David Jason, and the BBC’s David Copperfield.

The Wisbech and Fenland Museum, very close to The Crescent, is a true local gem, coincidentally containing the original manuscript of Great Expectations. All the museum’s details are available on their website including access to be able to view that priceless document. The travel chest of Thomas Clarkson, the anti-slavery campaigner, born in Wisbech, can also be seen at the museum.

KLmagazine January 2013

71

P

eckover House has a silence and sobriety that’s all its own. Its 43 acres of gardens and estate were given to the National Trust 70 years ago by Alexandrina Peckover, the last descendant of Jonathan Peckover, the Quaker banker who had purchased the property in the last decade of the 18th century. It smacks of Jane Austen and a time of manners more than just about any other dwelling in the area.

When the diarist Samuel Pepys visited “Wisbeach” in 1663 the magnificent tower of the parish church of SS Peter and Paul was already a century old. It’s a grand, imposing, insular church with two naves, side by side, making the internal structure appear very broad. Some medieval fragments have been preserved and its central location is a pleasing escape from the sounds of the town.

Wisbech’s population of some 20,000 can still revel in access to a wider world while enjoying a historical association that sets it apart in the heart of the Fens.

72

KLmagazine January 2013

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LOCAL LIFE

78

KLmagazine November 2012

ABOVE: Nigel Barnett forging iron in his workshop in Great Fransham

Stepping out of a myth and forging ahead...

Norfolk never ceases to amaze. Deep in Great Fransham David Learner discovers a craftsman whose unique skills have never been in greater demand...

D

epends which story you believe of course, since there’s nobody to say you’re wrong, but it seems Hephaestus, the Greek god of blacksmithing, was uglier than a credit card bill in January. May have had a limp as well, which makes him the only Greek god with a disability. A bit of a moaner. Didn’t stop him being able to snap up Aphrodite, the goddess of love however, or carrying out a series of illicit affairs. Until he was found out. Oops.

Our image of a traditional blacksmith is... what? That bloke from Wagner’s Ring Cycle, all swarthy, dark and intimidating? Or something a little more

KLmagazine January 2013

rural perhaps – the village smithy who’d take a groat from you while he changes that shoe on your favourite nag before inviting you to meet his beautiful daughter to offer her hand in marriage?

Meeting Nigel Barnett changes everything. In the sweat and the dusk of his forge in Fransham on a cold Monday afternoon, the furnace is at its hottest, the powerful steam hammer with its guttural soundtrack is going full tilt and he’s thudding iron into plasticine with an unearthly ease.

That’s what it is – he’s unearthly.

We’ve joined an audience of a dozen or so, watching as if this creature has just stepped out of Middle Earth to bend metal to his will. The more adventurous

will be invited to pick up a hammer and slap it into hot iron – the brave ones.

The rest of the crowd is silent, galvanised by the sight and sounds of someone at one with their craft, refusing to let go until the moment is right, teasing his product into the easiest of shapes and, no word of a cliché, striking while the iron is hot.

He ranges past me and winks a good afternoon. I think Aragorn just said hello. On his return to the anvil with a cup of tea, he selects – as if from a row of gigantic devilish devices belonging to a Grimm’s dentist – a set of tongs.

There are dozens of them, ranging in size from a few inches to several feet; with the notable exception of the

75

ABOVE: Norfolk’s leading ironwork gallery with inspiring gifts to period ironmongery.

forge’s industrial Massey monsters, he’s made just about every tool we can see.

Then we’re off on a tour of his lair, extending through the Norfolk landscape and drifting through forest, river and woodland path. Nigel’s job has encompassed sculptures, architectural metalwork, ornate iron gates and traditional ironwork for a number of historic buildings – and samples and surprises litter the avenues. An outsized umbrella, gnarled twelve-foot flowers, precise heavy mobiles that require only the smallest breath to set them on their way...

The magnificent weather vanes on top of the Millennium tower on St Edmundsbury Cathdral – they were his.

When the National Trust needed someone to restore a fireplace at New Inn Stow Visitors Centre, part of an extensive project to restore a 18th century Buckinghamshire coaching inn, it was Nigel who took the call.

And when he got an e-mail from a towering restaurant in Saudi Arabia?

“To be honest I thought it was a joke,” he says. His style is direct, without compromise or a hint of arrogance, and with just enough of a smile to make you realise that in this neck of the woods he’s the one with the sledgehammer.

His wiry form and spider’s web tattoos belie any traditional image one may have ever had, but the fire that burns inside him never seems to diminish.

The previous night he’d finished work

76

at 1.30am but – keenly aware he was expecting a party of visitors from the Leiston Long Shop – he’d got up at 5.30 to make sure everything was ready and the fire was hot.

They asked for a reference from Saudi Arabia, from Tornado Tower to be precise. Still unsure whether this was all some sort of wind-up he requested that half his fee was put into escrow, to ring-fence it from both sides. The money appeared, together with details of the written reference the buyers needed, for their own satisfaction.

When a deal is being forged and there are several thousand miles between the parties it makes sense.

Nigel asked if Prince Charles was okay as a referee. He was.

That smallish job has become slightly larger as the scope of the work has grown. Bread bowls and napkin rings, light fittings and chandeliers for an upmarket restaurant may sound to be the sort of item you’d pick up in John Lewis – but when you’re handcrafting each piece and gold leaf is involved and when the weight of the item is serious enough to give the most dedicated of waiters a hernia, it’s Nigel Barnett you need, artist blacksmith to those with style and serous intentions.

We’re now well away from the road, such as it is in this quiet Norfolk vale, and in the deepest part of the grounds.

A gipsy caravan, made from scratch by Nigel, has been kitted out with a large sleeping area as a more traditional place to spend the weekend – selfcatering of course, although it does

come with electricity.

“You can spend a couple of days,” he says. “I’ll give you a taste for blacksmithing and you can find out for yourself what it’s like.”

Now that’s a heck of a present – original, unique and completely unexpected.

An O-level in metalwork: that’s what the artist blacksmith started with. That, and dyslexia. Luckily his Braintree school was next door to a steelworks.

He discovered coded welding and learned he could earn a lot of money, until a fall into Shotley Marina broke his back. It doesn’t seem to have held him back.

At last, in the forge’s shop, the heat is diminishing and he’s playing Danny Boy on a flute. It’s a whisper from Olympus that stops us breathing.

Hephaestus, with all his disabilities and neuroses and passions, has never been busier.

And in his human form, he’s called Nigel.

> For more details about Nigel Barnett, call 01362 687116 or see www.artist-blacksmith.co.uk > The gallery at Fransham Forge is open from Monday to Saturday (9am–5pm) at Fransham Forge, Cranes Corner, Great Fransham, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 2HX

KLmagazine January 2013

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KLmagazine January 2013

M I C R O P U B

77

LOCAL LIFE

84

KLmagazine January 2013

OPPOSITE: David Roger-Burton – craftsman and Nelson expert at the Art-next-the-Sea, which contains such remarkable items such as this tilting table (above) made from English oak, with the central feature crafted in oak from HMS Victory

Wooden creations with a real heart of history...

Who’d have thought it possible to own an original piece of art and a genuine slice of history in one carefully-crafted item?

KL magazine meets David Roger-Burton to discover more

A

s a boy, one of Norfolk’s most famous sons, Horatio Nelson, is reputed to have learned to sail in Wells Harbour at the bottom of Staithe Street in Wells-Next-the-Sea. Wander up the narrow pedestrian route today and you’ll come across the entrance to Art-next-the-Sea, a tucked away art gallery that opens up into a surprising exhibition space.

At first, it would be easy to think this is a simple seaside art gallery, offering contemporary works alone. Not so.

This gallery holds in its belly an unusual and remarkable collection of handcrafted items and historical artefacts all taken and fashioned from the salvaged wood and copper of HMS Victory, Nelson’s famous ship which led a small

KLmagazine January 2013

fleet to defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

It also holds a story of salvage and the efforts of a few men to make something out of the wood of battle.

The display of hand-crafted sculptures, tables and framed pieces of copper reflects the history of Nelson’s life and his battles in the material that’s used and in the way the material is worked. This is sea-caught timber which has been subjected to a four hour bombardment by 100 cannons and countless other skirmishes and engagements.

The smell of 1805 gunpowder can be released from the wood itself when it’s scratched before it evaporates like an invisible gas into the atmosphere. The wood is full of small bolts and scars,

layers of antique paint and thin, rolled sheets of copper which cradled the bottom of the ship to protect it from Teredo worms (small clams which could spawn a million eggs on a ship’s hull). In the past, vessels had a shortterm sailing life before they had to be refitted. The use of copper to sheath the bottom of the ship and protect it is the origin of the phrase ‘copperbottomed.’

The collection in the gallery is the work of David Roger-Burton who with his wife, Caroline Richmond, owns the gallery.

David – who is strongly influenced by William Morris and the Arts and Craft Movement – had to develop a way to use the wood in the light of its character and he found a way to

79

ABOVE: The gallery is packed with fascinating treasures – such as this section of HMS Victory (below) complete with treenail and copper pin

amalgamate pieces of wood splintered from the salvage timber and pieced together into a mosaic of textures and tones. Artefacts, pieces of wood that bear a mark of battle, layers of paint, or the runic etching of the timbermasters or the King’s mark are mounted and on sale as artefacts.

The historical value of the work has brought in some well-known names such as Jeffery Archer and historian and TV presenter Dan Snow. It’s impossible to divorce the knowledge of what the salvaged timber was part of from the object it’s transformed into.

A replica uniform of the one Nelson wore sits on a tailor’s dummy. Next to it is a life mask of Nelson’s face although how David managed to make this, he’s not about to reveal. Nelson has a strongly-featured face and on David’s life mask, the drooping right eyelid (the result of injury at the Battle

80

of Calvi) can be seen.

It’s not the only Nelson life mask on display – there’s another that uses wood from Nelson’s ship within the interior of the mask.

David was formerly a chef and diver in the Royal Navy and has an affinity with Nelson’s story. He often dons the admiral’s uniform and gives talks and lectures. He’s full of knowledge about the wood, the battles and the life of Nelson.

But where did all this wood come from? How did an art gallery in Wells acquire tonnes of salvaged timber from this most famous of vessels?

It’s a fascinating Norfolk story.

Once, ships of the fleet were refitted and modernised all the time. HMS Victory was about 40 years old at the famous Battle of Trafalgar and she’s still serving today as the oldest ship in the Royal Navy. She is the flagship of the Second Sea Lord and a Georgian naval museum at Portsmouth heritage dockyard.

It was the refit for this last role that resulted in the removal of heavier timbers to be replaced with lighter wood. This salvaged

materal was stored in Portsmouth. In need of more space the Navy put the salvage or ‘arisings’ of HMS Victory up for public tender.

What followed was an involved story; a gifted horologist called Nick Varley tendered for the material and three Norfolk businessmen – Jonathan Bowman, James Boddy and John Morgan – bought the salvaged timber and copper by acquiring his company.

It was very important to ensure the dignity and heritage of the wood was inherent in any use of the ‘arising.’

An idea was born to recruit top craftsmen to make 50 high quality items which would be sold. This was to be the 1805 Collection.

Enter David Roger-Burton, who became a part of the efforts to get the collection made and exhibited. The results were auctioned in 2005 to raise funds for the ongoing restoration of HMS Victory at Portsmouth. David then bought about a third of the salvage material and then last year another third of the original 34 tonnes of wood.

These days, David has about 12 tonnes of historic salvage left.

Fortunately, he also has a lot of energy and passion for Nelson. He continues to create unusual works of art and unique hand-crafted furniture that reflects the extraordinary, passionate and heroic legacy of the seafaring battles of the past and the courage of the men who sailed and fought.

KLmagazine January 2013

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LOCAL LIFE

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KLmagazine January 2013

ABOVE: The road to Timbuktu is paved with skulls and sand, but it should be no problem for Team Rubbish Racing

Team Rubbish Racing and a call to adventure Team Rubbish Racing will soon be setting out on a big desert adventure for charity. KL magazine finds out what inspired two local brothers to accept the challenge – and what lies in store...

I

t all began when Ferdie (short for Ferdinand Pick), was having a miserable Christmas and New Year. He’d just turned 32 and he was stuck at home with no invitations to New Year parties and only the dull, flat Fenland winter for company. His last foreign trip had been years earlier to Cyprus, and he knew he needed to do something.

A work colleague had said something that had struck him profoundly – he’d wondered aloud how many more summers he had to come before he died. It did nothing for Ferdie’s current mood.

Then by chance he watched a 2010 movie called The End of the Road, featuring two young stand-up comics (Alexis Dubus and Sy Thomas) with the combined mechanical ability of a sixyear-old but a desire to demonstrate they could take on a 4,000 mile banger

KLmagazine January 2013

road rally in a car bought for £100. In the film they crossed seven countries and a slice of the Western Sahara before arriving in The Gambia and auctioning off their car for charity.

It was the kind of epic adventure that Ferdie dreamed about. Suddenly he felt inspired – he’d just watched the Plymouth to Banjul Challenge unroll before him and it was exactly what he was looking for.

“It was all a bit surreal,” says Ferdie, “and I actually felt it was all falling into place. I thought this can’t still be running and did some internet research. The guy was still taking applications until the end of the month.

I needed a co-driver and was going to go in a banger worth no more than a hundred quid.”

The guy taking applications was Julian Nowill. Ferdie describes him as an ‘unorganiser,’ disillusioned with the

traditional Paris-Dakar rally which began in 1978 but had developed into a “millionaire’s race.”

Nowill, a stockbroker by day and rally organiser by night, ran the first of the challenges in 2002.

Ten years later, there are a number of challenges – none of which are for the faint-hearted and all of which encompass a charitable aim.

The Dhakla Challenge leaves in March and October and involves speeding through Morocco and crossing the Atlas mountains before driving off-piste through the sweeping sands of the Sahara.

The Banjul Challenge is a run through Morocco, the Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal before fetching up in The Gambia, leaving in December and January. Timbuktu teams set out with the Banjul Teams for a good part of this challenge before turning left to

83

ABOVE: Mali, the final destination of intrepid brothers Ferdie and Tolly Pick – the driving force (literally) behind Team Rubbish Racing

arrive in Bamako in Mali. The end of the race is now Djenne in Mali because the road to Timbuktu is a car-killer and not the safest place to be.

The Petra Challenge used to run through Syria, but driving through a war zone is never a good idea and the challenge offers two alternative routes through Iraqi Kurdistan or Turkish or Greek Cyprus.

Finally, there’s the Murmansk Challenge which sets off in July and involves ferrying over to France, driving through Sweden or Norway up to the Finnish Arctic Circle, crossing into Russia and exploring derelict settlements along the coast, and finally arriving in Murmansk where cars can be donated (or driven further down through the Baltic States).

The first thing Ferdie did was approach his 28-year-old brother Tolly, short for Ptolemy. For Tolly it will be a baptism of fire.

“I’ve never been abroad!” he says enthusiastically. If there was a measurable scale for enthusiasm both brothers would be pretty close to critical mass.

Tolly has a passion for motorbikes and is mechanically-minded. His wife is 100% behind him undertaking the

84

adventure, and for Ferdie it’s also an opportunity to have time with his brother and build on their shared experiences in childhood.

The escapade gene comes from their father, whom the boys came to live with in their early teens.

“We uncovered photos of him,” says Ferdie. “He just hitched lifts and chatted up a ship’s captain to go to Canada.”

“Our Dad has always given us a sense of adventure,” adds Tolly. “I can remember being on holiday and cycling to Skegness in a day.”

It’s not just a sense of adventure the brothers will need. They’ve had to raise substantial hard cash. There’s the entry fee of £375 for starters.

Ferdie and Tolly have bought a second hand Volvo S60 Turbo 2001 from Hylton Gott in Crimplesham.

They have to finance the cost of the fuel and all their needs. When they arrive in Bamoko the cars will be auctioned and the money raised sent to the Eden Medical Project in Dinfara. Then they fly home.

The brothers see it as an opportunity to transport other things to support NGO projects working in Mali. They’d like to take deflated footballs, pens, pencils and books for children.

Anyone who can help to donate footballs can still contact Ferdie.

They’re open to sponsorship and will bedeck their car in traditional Dakar rally style. Both brothers have been saving up between them to meet the costs before the big departure date of 4th January 2013 for the 2-3 week trip.

They’ve recently been joined by a

third co-driver in the form of old school friend Danny Eves who’d been following the brothers on Facebook – he couldn’t think of a better way to spend his annual leave.

“It’s called a rally but there’s no starting gun, no actual race, no trophy for coming first,” says Tolly. “If you break down in the desert then you help each other.”

There’s the beauty of it. The teams – some 30 of them on the Timbuktu challenge – cross to Spain and spend two nights getting to know each other.

It will be a good idea to make friends with those who have satellite phones and GPS systems – it’s a kind of offroad-bonding at a pre-departure party.

The whole ethos of this road trip is about everything barring competitiveness, money-grabbing and ego. It’s all about the human experience of travel.

The trek is not without its risks and involves negotiating minefields on the run down the coast of Mauritania, but the brothers won’t be driving alone.

They’ll be in a convoy of 5-6 cars, armed with guides and a handbook stuffed with 10 years of accumulated experience. They’re learning French to communicate better.

Ferdie and Tolly have called themselves “Team Rubbish Racing” – it’s one of those team names that could have come out of a Monty Python sketch or an Ealing Comedy. It fits entirely with the anti-competition ethos of the challenge even if it doesn’t do justice to the epic proportions of the journey of a lifetime.

You’ll be able to follow the fortunes of the team on Twitter – just log on to www.twitter.com/Rubbish_Racing

KLmagazine January 2013

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OPENING HOURS: Mon-Fri 8.00am–5.00pm (closed 12 noon–12.30pm) Saturday 8.00am–12noon

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LOCAL LIFE

Safety first on the road this winter Snow, fog and ice can make our roads treacherous at the best of times. With a little common sense however, the dangers of driving during winter months can be kept to a minimum...

O

of all the seasons, winter requires the most care and preparation if you’re to stay safe and avoid a breakdown. The number of breakdowns nearly doubles during particularly cold spells, and road conditions can be really challenging, particularly when snow and ice strike.

Here’s some of the best advice for safe and troublefree driving through the cold, dark months ahead: BEFORE YOU SET OUT > Allow at least 10 minutes to give you time to prepare the car. > Don’t drive off like a tank commander with a tiny hole cleared in the windscreen – clear all windows using a scraper and de-icer. > Use a cigarette lighter to warm keys for frozen locks – don’t breathe on the lock as the moisture will condense and freeze. > Plan routes to favour major roads which are more likely to have been cleared and gritted. > Put safety before punctuality and allow extra time for winter journeys

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DRIVING IN SNOW AND ICE > Gentle manoeuvres are the key – stopping distances can be 10 times longer in ice and snow. > Wear comfortable, dry shoes for driving – cumbersome, snow-covered boots will slip on the pedals. > Pull away in second gear, easing your foot off the clutch gently to avoid wheelspin. > When going uphill, avoid having to stop part way by waiting until it’s clear of other cars or by leaving plenty of room to the car in front. Keep a constant speed, choosing the most suitable gear well in advance to avoid having to change down on the hill. > When going downhill, reduce your speed before the hill, use a low gear and try to avoid using the brakes. > If you have to use brakes, apply them gently. Release the brakes and de-clutch if the car skids. > If you do get stuck, straighten the steering and clear the snow from the wheels. Put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give the tyres some grip. Try not to stop until you reach firmer ground.

> Remember to keep the windscreen and all other windows clear – if your vision is obscured through dirt, snow or even sticker-infested car windows, a hefty fine could be the least of your worries. Clear any snow from the roof as well, as this can fall onto the windscreen, further obscuring your view. It can be a hazard to other road users as well.

KLmagazine January 2013

The Mokka makes a great debut at Thulow Nunn...

Vauxhall’s latest stylish drive is now available in King’s Lynn

T

hurlow Nunn is delighted to announce the arrival of Vauxhall’s brand new sub-compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), the Mokka. A striking new model that combines bold and expressive design with advanced driving dynamics and technology, it’s a highly anticipated addition to the Vauxhall dealership on Campbells Meadow – where you can now see this practical, generous five-seater for yourself.

Priced from £15,995 and available to order now, the rugged and refined Mokka comes with plenty of space, economical engine options and offers a stylish yet comfortable driving experience.

“The Mokka is a refreshing addition to Vauxhall’s already broad vehicle range and we’re delighted to be able to showcase this fantastic new model to our customers,” says Gordon Mills, General Manager at Thurlow Nunn.

“Vauxhall are growing a compelling and diverse range of products that appeal both to retail and fleet customers, and the Mokka will complement this perfectly.”

Lifestyle enhancing Designed with active lifestyles in mind, the Mokka boasts strong capabilities in any environment – with the ability to be driven off-road when the need arises.

With many optional extras, the Mokka is perfect for drivers and families who want to balance their busy daily lives with actionpacked leisure activities.

payment term varying between 24 to 60 months, Flexible Finance makes it easy for motorists to buy their chosen vehicle at a cost that suits them.

And like all new Vauxhalls, the Mokka comes with a warranty which could now last a lifetime, so customers can be confident that they are getting the best possible aftercare and service, too.

Economical The Mokka comes with 6-speed or auto transmissions and a choice of engines, ranging in power from 115 to 140PS. Plus all engines come with Vauxhall’s fuel-saving Start/Stop technology as standard.

To find out more about the new Vauxhall Mokka and to book a test drive, please contact Thurlow Nunn at Campbells Meadow, Hardwick Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4YN. Alternately, call 0844 3725690 or see www.thurlownunnvauxhall.co.uk.

Affordable To make buying this new sub-compact SUV even more affordable, customers have the option to drive it away at a monthly payment to suit their budget, thanks to Vauxhall’s innovative 0% APR Flexible Finance scheme (not available on Tech Line models).

With no minimum deposit and a

NEW MOKKA

DON'T BLEND IN FROM £16,995

WARRANTY 100,000 MILE

Thurlow Nunn Kings Lynn 0844 7700 515

Campbells Meadow Hardwick Road King’s Lynn PE30 4YN

www.thurlownunn-vauxhall.co.uk

Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km).

Mokka Tech Line: Urban: 33.6 (8.4), Extra-urban: 52.3 (5.4), Combined: 43.5 (6.5). CO2 emissions: 153g/km.

Model shown Mokka Tech Line 1.6i 16v VVT (115PS) FWD Start/Stop £15,995 with Adaptive Forward Lighting £790 and Tri-coat premium pearlescent paint £995. Total OTR cost £17,780. Offer correct at time of going to press 05/12/12. Vauxhall Lifetime. Warranty covers lifetime ownership of first registered keeper, 100,000 mile limit. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/warranty

KLmagazine January 2013

87

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KL magazine has always been enormously successful, and by popular demand we’re now introducing a subscription service – which means you won’t even have to leave your home, as your very own copy posted direct to your door!

For £25, you can receive the next six issues of KL magazine, and £48 you can receive every issue for the next 12 months.

Please note that we can only deliver to UK postal addresses.

So, to make sure of your copy of KL magazine, please contact us on 01553 601201 – and thanks again for all your feedback!

To subscribe and for more details, please call 01553 601201

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Flour sales, local produce and great gifts in shop!

Baking Courses all year round!

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Always open for fresh coffee, warm bread & delicious scones!

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Sluice Road, Denver Downham Market Norfolk PE38 0EG Telephone: 01366 384009

www.denvermill.co.uk 88

KLmagazine December 2012

My KL

e page that’s

made by KL magazine readers...

Further to your piece on the missing skeletons of King’s Lynn last month, does anyone know what became of the town’s Lucky Stone? In 1949 it was described as “an immense boulder that stood by the causeway on Gaywood Road near the railway bridge.” Does anyone know anything at all about this rock – and where it is now?

JACKIE DRISCOLL King’s Lynn

A night with the stars...

If you’ve ever looked up at the night sky and wondered just what’s out there, then you’ll be interested in the King’s Lynn & District Astronomy Society’s ‘Night With The Stars’ event on January 12th, in conjunction with the BBC’s Stargazing Live 2013.

The event will be held at Tottenhill Village Hall, and activities are scheduled to run from 4pm to 9pm and will include both indoor displays and (weather permitting!) night time observing sessions.

Our goal is to create a family event to encourage and inspire people to learn more about Astronomy and provide them an opportunity to experience it for themselves firsthand.

We’ll be having hands-on displays of various types of binoculars and telescopes, with advice geared towards the novice observer; a demonstration of Stellarium, a great free computer planetarium software that helps you locate objects in the night sky; and a crafts table for children with colouring activities and a place to make their own cardboard tube rockets.

If the weather’s good enough, we’ll be venturing outside to take a look at Jupiter and its moons, the Orion Nebula, the Crab Nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy – the closest galaxy to our own.

Entrance to the event is free and light refreshments will be available for purchase. If your readers would like more information about the event, please call 01366 380780 for more details.

BILL MATHIS KLADAS Secretary

KLmagazine December 2012

In next month’s issue... > GALTON BLACKISTON: BBC TV’s successful Operation Hospital Food programme returns to our screens in February. We talk to the Michelin starred chef as he works on the current project at King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. > WEDDINGS: it’s that time of year again. Once more we show the best of what Norfolk has to offer – from charabancs to champagne and from nosegays to nuptial wear. > ANDY SCORDELLIS: Downham Market artist and cartoonist talks to KL Magazine about his work and why west Norfolk is so special to him. > STEVE WRIGHT: the name’s Craig, Daniel Craig. Norfolk photographer Steve Wright is in huge demand for his astonishing likeness to everyone’s favourite James Bond. He tells us of his many appearances as the spy, locally, nationally and internationally.

...and lots, lots more!

89

LOCAL LIFE

Michael Middleton’s

WildWestNorfolk

A

friend of mine has recently started keeping chickens in his back garden, and over Christmas I gave him a hand in putting some roofing felt over their little house (the chickens’, not my friend’s).

I’ve never really spent much time around chickens, and they’re odd little things when you get up close and personal with them – something that can’t be helped as they seem to have an insatiable appetite for wanting to stand exactly where you’re standing and investigating whatever you’re trying to do. Actually, I think it actually does have something to do with insatiable appetites.

Cutting roofing felt in the middle of winter when you’re surrounded by a load (brood?) of inquisitive chickens and the neighbours’ children are constantly trying to climb over the fence doesn’t come highly on my list of recommended activities for a weekend in December, but after a few hours the newly-renovated henhouse was really quite impressive.

As we were admiring our handiwork, watching the hens run about and dig incessantly into the ground, we opened up a couple of beers, which was – much to our amusement – called Old Speckled Hen, a beer first brewed in 1979 in Abingdon to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the nearby MG car factory (just in case if you were wondering).

Although it was just a happy coincidence, it started me thinking about just how many common and everyday sayings originated from the chicken community – who would have thought the lowly chicken was so finely

90

interwoven into our everyday lives?

We all know about being ‘catty’ or ‘dog-tired’ or having to do ‘donkey work’, but no animal seems to have worked its way into our vocabulary so throroughly as the humble hen.

For instance, we all know the inherent dangers of counting your chickens before they’ve hatched, and we’re always very careful not to put all our eggs in one basket. But it’s a lot more involved than a few old proverbs.

As far as money is concerned, for example, some of us coninue to stratch out a living and some of us will always get paid chicken feed, but we all like to feather our nest – and putting aside a nest egg is still a very good idea.

See what I mean?

As for people, you can have good eggs (and bad ones) and they can range from mother hens to cocks of the walk – and you can still sometime hear young women described as chicks (who, when they’re about to be married, inevitably go to a hen party).

Of course, among all these people someone always has to rule the roost – and it’s important to establish a pecking order. But wait, there’s still more.

People’s general behaviour can have all sorts of poultry-related mannerisms as well.

If they get up early, they’ll be up with the chickens, and when they’re not walking on eggshells they’re probably running around like headless chickens (which is a rather bird-brained thing to do). When they finally decide to leave, of course, they’ve flown the coop.

And I still haven’t finished.

People with a hard-boiled attitude are pretty tough characters,

so they’re unlikely to chicken out of anything – although if you annoy them enough you’ll probably be ruffling their feathers.

Once you’ve passed a certain stage in life you might find yourself described as no spring chicken, but you’ll probably have built up enough experience to hatch a good idea or two – and they’ll be sensible enough ideas that you don’t end up with egg on your face.

Even if you do, you’ll probably be mature enough not to brood over it.

Of course, at this stage in your life you may have to deal with empty nest syndrome – and if there’s anything a bit dodgy in your past you may well find your chickens coming home to roost.

See what I mean?

I thought I’d finally managed to exhaust my chicken-related phrases until I returned home to get a thorough telling-off for having spent most of the day standing around drinking beer and talking about chickens when there was ironing to do and guttering to be deleafed. It was then that another one occurred to me.

It was, of course, hen-pecked.

KLmagazine January 2013

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