ISSN 2044–7965
ISSUE 72 SEPTEMBER 2016 PRICELESS
magazine
WEST NORFOLK | NORTH NORFOLK | COASTAL
COVER IMAGE Cley-next-the-Sea windmill by Ian Ward
meet the team MANAGING DIRECTOR Laura Murray MANAGING EDITOR Eric Secker DESIGN TEAM Amy Phillips Lisa Tonroe PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Ward SALES AND PROMOTION Daniel Thomas CONTRIBUTORS Clare Bee Richard Parr Paul Richards Sylvia Steele
contact 18 Tuesday Market Place King’s Lynn PE30 1JW 01553 601201 info@klmagazine.co.uk KL magazine is published monthly by KL Publications Ltd. The magazine cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and KL magazine takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.
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he wonderful picture of a brown hare hiding amongst some ox-eye daisies in a Norfolk field is a perfect example of the three P’s that contribute to a truly stunning photograph – patience, planning and perseverance. It’s the work of Norfolk-based David Tipling, who’s one of the world’s most widely published wildlife photographers. His amazing images have appeared in over 40 books and in travelling the world he’s experienced everything from Antarctic storms to tribal wars. From his home near Holt, David kindly found time to talk to us about his life and adventures, and you can read more about them on page 102 of this month’s magazine. Of course, with September comes Heritage Open Day, an annual invitation to explore local treasures of every age, style and function. It’s a marvellous opportunity to discover hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all free. Heritage Open Day is actually a national affair. It was established just over 20 years ago and has grown to become the country’s biggest festival of history and culture – involving over 40,000 volunteers nationally. Its founding premise is to raise appreciation for our rich and diverse cultural assets and the need for their care and protection, and it’s a principle very close to the heart of historian (and Director of the Landmark Trust) Anna Keay. For someone whose career has been dedicated to the conservation and preservation of historic buildings, Anna is perfectly placed to talk about the value of retaining our links to the past – especially as her family home of Clifton House is one of the most historically important buildings in King’s Lynn – and you can read her views on the subject on page 36. The summer may now be drawing to a close, but Norfolk is still packed with new things to see, new places to explore and new experiences to enjoy. Make the most of it – and we’ll see you again next month. KL MAGAZINE
KLmagazine September 2016
Contents
SEPTEMBER 2016
88
40
8 28 KLmagazine September 2016
102
6-13 WHAT’S ON This month’s diary of forthcoming events
61 YOU AND YOUR PETS With local vet Alex Dallas
8-10 A FEAST OF CLASSIC CARS A celebration of motoring heritage
62-71 FASHION The latest looks from our local boutiques
14 CORN EXCHANGE A new season packed with entertainment
72-74 EMILY BLAKE Norfolk’s supermodel reaches new heights
16-18 KING’S LYNN CIVIC SOCIETY How it brought the town back to life...
76-85 FOOD AND DRINK Reviews, recipes and recommendations
22-24 LAND OF THE WINDMILLS A look at the county’s iconic mills
82 RESTAURANT REVIEW The Chequers Inn at Thornham
28-30 THE LIFE OF OCTAVIA HILL A local heroine and a national treasure
88-90 JIMMY OSMOND The 1970s legend talks to KL magazine
32-34 EDUCATION: THE NEXT STEP Exploring the options at CWA
94-96 KING’S LYNN AND KING JOHN Paul Richards on the monarch’s local links
36 THEN & NOW The changing face of West Norfolk
98-100 BIG STORIES AND LITTLE LIVES A new exhibition at Lynn Museum
40-42 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND HEROS An interview with Anna Keay
102-104 DAVID TIPLING The work of the famous wildlife photographer
48-50 WILLIAM HYDE WOLLASTON Celebrating Norfolk’s forgotten scientist
108-110 ALEX BRUNDLE Racing his way from King’s Lynn to Le Mans
56-58 SAVING THE NORFOLK HORN... The survival of a very rare breed of sheep
114 MICHAEL MIDDLETON On the world’s most dangerous animal...
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KLmagazine September 2016
S September
S Saturday aturday 3rd 3rd - Friday Friday 30th 30th
S Saturday aturday 10th 10th & Sunday Sunday 11th 11th
S SANDRINGHAM ANDRINGHAM G GAME AME & C COUNTRY OUNTRY FAIR FA AIR Sandringham Park, Sandringham PE35 6EN (10am-6pm) Sandringham Game and Country Fair is one of our area’s biggest shows and a fantastic day out for the whole family! There’s areas devoted to falconry, fishing, wildfowling, archery and many other country sports and pursuits, together with lots of activities for families (and their dogs!). It’s a true celebration of country living! Tickets on the day: Adults £13, Over 65s £12, Children (15 and under) £4 (Under 5s free). To book tickets and for more information visit the website www.livingheritagecountryshows.com.
Friday Friday 23rd 2 3 rd
L LIVE IVE M MUSIC USIC A AT TC CASTLE ASTLE A ACRE CRE - M MAS AS Y M MAS AS Castle Acre Village Hall, King's Lynn PE32 2XB (Doors open 7pm) An outstanding hand-picked selection of Norfolk and East of England’s finest musicians, have been chosen to spearhead the new Live Music Castle Acre concert series this year. The beautiful and intimate setting of Castle Acre Village Hall, which sits on the moat, next to the captivating Castle ruins provides the perfect setting for an evening of fantastic entertainment. Mas Y Mas are a Latin acoustic power trio playing traditional and popular Latin songs and also original songs of their lead singer and guitarist. Strong influences include Latino, Flamenco and Afro-Cuban woven together by driving dance rhythms and rich vocal harmonies. Tickets are £10 for adults and £8 for under 15s. Tickets can be reserved by calling 01760 755319 or visiting the website castleacre-villagehall.weebly.com. KLmagazine September 2016
A ARTumn RTumn 1 16 6A AT TF FRAMIN’ RAMIN’ A ART RT 35 High St, Downham Market PE38 9HF Framin'Art is hosting its inaugural autumn exhibition of paintings by local and largely undiscovered artists. In addition, there is a wide range of activities available in the Framin’Art classroom: Throughout the Autumn, Watercolour for Beginners – Monday afternoons 13pm with Sheila O’Brien. Starting on 16th September and suitable for beginners, Abstract Arternoons - Friday afternoons 2.30-4.30pm with Becka Elliott for 12 weeks. Starting on 20th September, A Focus on Still Life for improvers – Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30pm with Beck Elliott for 6 weeks. Starting on 21st September, Drawing for Beginners – Wednesday evenings 6–8pm with Becka Elliott for 12 weeks. Coming up on 5th October, Working with Acrylics, Wednesdays 10-12pm for beginners and improvers with Lisa Taylor for 12 weeks. We’ve also got a fantastic variety of workshops on offer including: Wet Felting Workshop on Saturday 10th September, 101pm with Sue Welfare (which is currently full but waiting list for this or the next one in December). Sunday 11th September, Flower Arranging, 10-1pm with Katie-Marie Catterall. Saturday 24th September, Mosaic Making workshop, 9:30-1pm with Beck Elliott (currently full but waiting list for this or the next one in November) and coming on 1st October, Flower Arranging using Bark, 10-1pm with Katie-Marie Catterall. For more information about any of these activities please call Framin’ Art on 01366 382002 or email enquiries@framinart.co.uk.
1 14th, 4th, 21st, 21st, 28th 28th Sept Sept & 5th 5th Oct Oct LIVING LIVING WITH WITH OSTEOPOROSIS OSTEOPOROSIS COURSE COURSE London Road Methodist Church, County Court Road, King’s Lynn Research has shown that 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men will suffer a fracture due to Osteoporosis (porous bones) in their lifetime. Along with providing support to sufferers, raising awareness and fundraising, the King’s Lynn and district branch of the National Osteoporosis Society have been running extremely successful FREE courses. Each course will cover the basics, diet, pain management and exercise. The course is an hour long and runs from 10:30am11:30am. If you are interested in attending or would like more information please contact Edith on 01553 773309. 7
Triple celebration for local law firm Long-established solicitors Hayes + Storr go from strength to strength – with three new appointments and a seventh local office in the planning... hese are exciting times for Hayes + Storr. The local law firm has been established for almost 300 years, and already has a network of six offices across Norfolk – and plans are already afoot to open a new office in Swaffham in the coming months. Now a triple promotion is set to build on the company’s recent successes and continued growth, seeing three lawyers selected for the prestigious title of Associate – in recognition of their client care and commitment to customer-focused service. Chartered Legal Executives Mel Robson and Charlotte Bentley (from the firm’s King’s Lynn and Hunstanton offices respectively) join solicitor Rob Colwell, who’s head of Hayes + Storr’s K
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ABOVE: Charlotte Bentley, Rob Colwell and Mel Robson
Family Law department and advises clients in all six of the firm’s offices. “It’s an honour for us to be recognised for the hard work and dedication we’ve given all of our clients,” says Rob. “It’s a very exciting time to be part of such a respected and growing Norfolk law firm.” Indeed, the news reflects Hayes + Storr’s tradition of high professional standards and experienced staff. “These promotions underline our strategy of recruiting and investing in talented lawyers right across the firm,”
says Operations Director Alex Findlay. “We’ve always aimed to retain and develop the very highest calibre lawyers who can develop long-lasting relationships with our clients. That’s how we’ve maintained our reputation as one of the most respected firms in the area.” Hayes + Storr offers a full range of legal services in a number of specialist areas and provides tailored advice to both individuals and companies. For more details and information, please contact any of the local offices below.
Fakenham 01328 863231 Hunstanton 01485 524166 Sheringham 01263 825959
Holt 01263 712835 King’s Lynn 01553 778900 Wells 01328 710210
Web: www.hayesandstorr.co.uk E-mail: law@hayes-storr.com
SEPTEMBER BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00 Wed 31 Aug – Thur 1 Sept PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE Brand new live show from children’s favourite £7 - £16
Fri 2 – Sat 3 Sept GILBERT & SULLIVAN The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company with The Mikado (Fri) and Pirates of Penzance (Sat) £8 - £35
Pride and Prejudice
Sun 4 Sept SUE PERKINS Sparkling wit and great stories £7 - £24.50 Mon 5 – Sat 10 Septe THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT Ruthie Henshall and The Overtones star in celebration of music and dance from the 1940s and 50s £8 - £33
Sun 11 Sept ASPECTS OF ALICE Talented young people from the Chermond School of Gymnastics £7 – £17.50
Tues 20 Sept THE BLUES BROTHERS The finest soul, blues and rhythm ‘n’ blues revue around £8 - £25
Mon 12 – Sat 17 Sept THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW Favourite rock ‘n’ roll musical £8 - £37.50
Wed 21 – Thur 22 Sept DANIEL O’DONNELL Charming singing star £8 - £42.50
Sun 18 Sept JOAN COLLINS Stories and secrets £8 - £35 Mon 19 Sept SALLY MORGAN Star psychic £7 - £24.50
Sat 24 Sept DR HOOK All the hits £8 - £27.50 Tues 27 Sept – Sat 1 Oct PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Jane Austen’s ultimate romantic comedy £8 - £27.50
Book online: www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk T H E AT R E ST R E E T, N O RW I C H N R 2 1 R L
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KLmagazine September 2016
SSeptember
S Saturday aturday 24th 24th & Sunday Sunday 25th 25th
HOLKHAM HOLKHAM HALL HALL P PLANT LANT F FAIR AIR Walled Gardens, Holkham Hall NR23 1AB (10am-5pm) Plant nurseries from across East Anglia will come together for this two-day plant fair hosted in the walled garden at Holkham. September is a great time to stock up on plants for autumn planting. Find that special plant for a special spot and get advice and tips for selecting the right plant. Other gardening essentials such as pots, compost and labels will also be available, while a variety of craft and artisan stalls will have a range of hand-crafted garden accessories to tempt you. The Masterclass Talks are a great way to learn some useful tips from Holkham’s gardeners, with a bit of fun along the way! Plus exhibitors ‘The Farmer and the Florist’ will give an engaging flower arranging demonstration where you can learn the tricks of the trade! Entry is included in walled garden admission. Adult: £2.50, Child (5-16yrs) £1. For more information visit the website www.holkham.co.uk.
F Friday riday 30th 30th - Sunday Sunday 2nd 2nd October October KING’S KING’S LYNN LYNN P POETRY FESTIVAL OETRY FESTIVAL King’s Lynn Town Hall, Saturday Market Place PE30 5DQ The Poetry Festival presents some of the best contemporary writers in a congenial and informal setting. The authors read and discuss their work and will be available to chat and sign your purchases from the festival’s well-stocked book stall. You are welcome to join them and the festival organisers for lunch at restaurants near the festival venue - details given at the morning events. This years fantastic guests include Lachlan Mackinnon, Heidi Williamson, Kit Wright, Matthew Caley, Mel Pryor, Christopher James, Wendy Cope, Alan Brownjohn, Elaine Feinstein, Josep Lluís Aguil and Gavin Ewart. Tickets are £8.50 for single events and £37.50 for a season ticket, for students tickets are £1 (£5 BST). You can book your ticket by calling 01553 691661.
C Coming oming soon... soon...
Saturday Saturday 8th 8th October October
K KING’S ING’S L LYNN YNN S SINFONIA INFONIA P PRESENTS RESENTS C CHOIR, HOIR, ORGAN ORGAN & ORCHESTRA ORCHESTRA King’s Lynn Minster, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn PE30 5EB (7:30pm) The King’s Lynn Sinfonia is back again this October following the restoration of the Minster organ originally installed by John Snetzler. They will be performing the very popular “Requiem” by John Rutter and will accompanied by the Minster Choir and chorus members of the West Norfolk Gilbert & Sullivan Society with whom the orchestra is now associated. There will also be a guest appearance by the West Norfolk Jubilee Youth Orchestra who will be performing under the baton of Robert Galliard and amongst other pieces they will perform for the first time with the famous Minster organ. Tickets are £7 with children under 16 free of charge. For more information contact Michael on 07572 513512. KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
What’s On
ABOVE: The Classic Car Event returns to the Tuesday Market Place in King’s Lynn this month as part of the town’s Open Heritage Day
A classic celebration of motoring heritage... Over 200 vehicles from almost every decade of motoring history will be in King’s Lynn this month as the popular Classic Car Event returns as part of the town’s Heritage Open Day celebrations
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conic and vintage vehicles from virtually every decade of motoring history are revving their engines once again in preparation for this year’s Classic Car Event in King’s Lynn. The event – which takes place on the town’s Tuesday Market Place – has proved to be immensely popular in the past, and the Borough Council are delighted it will return as part of this year’s Heritage Open Day on September 11th. Over 200 vehicles are expected to take part in this year’s event, representing a glittering cross-section of motoring milestones that will impress any car enthusiast. “The Classic Car Event is one of the highlights of the Borough Council’s extensive programme of free events,” KLmagazine September 2016
says Cllr Elizabeth Nockolds, Borough Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage and Health. “And once again it coincides with Heritage Open Day – making this a real date for your diary. Every year there’s so much for people to see and do around the town centre, with lots of visitors coming along and a fantastic atmosphere.” Amongst many highlights already scheduled to make an appearance is a 1904 Oldsmobile Curvedash that once featured in the musical ‘Genevieve’ and has recently completed the world famous London to Brighton vintage car run. Alongside, there’ll be a display of vehicles that have become synonymous with the 1930s – including a Riley Monaco, a Morris Isis Coupe, and several other vintage Austin
Morrises, plus a variety of Fords from the era. Iconic examples from the 50s and 60s, such as Wolseleys, Vauxhalls, Singers, Hillmans and Sunbeams will also adorn the Tuesday Market Place for all to view their splendour. Many of the cars on display are now over 80 years old, and each one comes with a tale to tell. Stories of forgotten wrecks recovered from barns and painstakingly restored to their former glory, these are vehicles that pay testament to the passion and dedication of the car enthusiasts that care for them, making Classic Car Event a feast of motoring nostalgia. Once again the Les Daubney Memorial Trophy (personally sponsored by Councillor Nick Daubney in memory 9
What’s On
of his late father) will be presented to the car considered Best In Show, and the public will be invited to cast their vote too, by collecting a voting slip from the information tent on Tuesday Market Place. Heritage Open Day, organised by King’s Lynn Civic Society, celebrates local history and architecture and gives people the chance to explore a range of fascinating buildings and gardens, not usually open to the public. The full 2016 programme is available at www.visitwestnorfolk.com and will be available to collect from the Tourist Information Centre, Lynn Museum, Stories of Lynn, the Corn Exchange and at the Classic Car Day Information Point in the Tuesday Market Place on 11th September. “I hope Heritage Open Day has something for everyone,” says Alison Gifford, Chairman of King’s Lynn Civic Society. “It’s a celebration of our town’s past and present and a way of looking to the future with our wonderful heritage as inspiration. The Classic Car Event is an extra element in a diverse programme that appeals to visitors and residents who look forward to Heritage Open Day as a great day out.” New to Heritage Open Day this year is King’s Lynn’s newest attraction, Stories of Lynn, where local history is
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brought vividly to life. Medieval Lynn was a port of international importance and one of the largest port towns in England. Its status can be seen in the rich legacy of magnificent buildings and architecture, amazing collections of artefacts and comprehensive borough archives. Set within the magnificent, newlyrevealed vaulted undercroft of the 15th-century Trinity Guildhall, Stories of Lynn is a unique attraction. It combines the town’s fascinating collection of objects and brings them to life, in a fun and informative multi-media exhibition. Visitors can discover stories of the seafarers, explorers, merchants, mayors, magistrates and miscreants who have shaped King’s Lynn, over more than 800 years of history. Stories of Lynn is free of charge on Heritage Open Day, and invites everyone to tour the old gaol cells, try on the mayor’s robes, view the Civic Regalia collection, and see the magnificent King John Cup, which is among the most significant of King’s Lynn’s treasures. Very few examples of medieval cups of this age and type have survived – and almost all metal cups from the 14th century are plain gold or silver chalices which were used for drinking communion wine.
The King John Cup is different. The 15-inch-high cup is made from silver gilt and includes jewel-coloured enamel panels. It was probably made for the personal use of a king, prince or great baron – not for religious ceremonies. Late medieval rulers drank wine from cups like this at feasts and state banquets. The only replica of the cup, which occasionally graces the dining table at Sandringham, is owned by Her Majesty the Queen. Stories of Lynn is also home to one of the finest borough archives in the whole country. They contain documents dating back to the 13th century, which includes King John’s royal charter of 1204, and continue to the 20th century. The documents help to tell the story of Lynn as recorded in registers of freemen, accounts, minutes of the town’s governing body and court records, amongst many others. Taking pride of place in the archives is the Red Register, which dates from 1307, and is the oldest complete paper archival book in England. Heritage Open Day runs from 10am– 4pm on Sunday September 11th. For further information and full details of all events, please see the website at www.west-norfolk.gov.uk KLmagazine September 2016
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Mercedes-Benz of Kings Lynn %HYHULGJH :D\ .LQJV /\QQ 1RUIRON 3( 1% %HYHULGJH :D\ .LQJV /\QQ 1RUIRON 3( 1% ZZZ PHUFHGHV EHQ]RINLQJVO\QQ FR XN ZZZ PHUFHGHV EHQ]RINLQJVO\QQ FR XN KLmagazine September 2016
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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On
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KLmagazine September 2016
KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
Local Life
ABOVE: The Queen Mother visits King’s Lynn in 1954 on the 750th anniversary of the granting of the town’s Royal Charter to attend a special ceremony at the Trinity Guildhall, where she was awarded the Freedom of King’s Lynn – she was the first woman to receive the honour. Opposite is the town’s Hampton Court, the restoration of which led to the King’s Lynn Civic Society forming a trust to acquire and restore some of the town’s most important buildings.
The visionaries who restored Lynn’s civic pride As King’s Lynn gets ready to enjoy the town’s annual Heritage Open Day this month, Chairman Alison Gifford takes a look at the origins and the inspirational work of the King’s Lynn Civic Society
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he Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings has a bigger file on King’s Lynn than any other historic English town, but in 1945, after five years of war, the town was in a fairly sorry state. In common with the rest of the country, the efforts of King’s Lynn had been directed almost entirely to providing, supporting and paying for fighting men and machines embroiled in a worldwide conflict. With so many young men called up and women working full time for the war effort (with families to care for as well) not only had the cultural life of King’s Lynn faltered, but serious lumps
KLmagazine September 2016
had been bombed out of some streets and some of its fine historic houses were deteriorating. The treasury was empty and the townspeople were exhausted. But a group of dedicated individuals were determined to energise post-war King’s Lynn. By 1947, “a widely representative meeting, unanimously in favour of broad principles, decided at the Town Hall, Lynn, that a Civic Society should be formed in the town.” The aims were ambitious – the society planned to found a repertory theatre, a combined musical festival, lunchtime concerts, art exhibitions and dedicate itself to the preservation of
ancient buildings. “I want to make it clear from the start,” said Mr Bernard Bremner, the Chairman of the Inaugural Committee, “that this is not a ratepayers association which exists to worry the Town Council to cut down the rates.” True to its mission, the first activities of the new Civic Society were musical in nature, with profits to be allocated to building a new theatre – and its sights were set high from the start. In 1950, Isobel Ballie was invited to the Town Hall. She was the foremost soprano of her day and is now regarded as one of the 20th century’s great oratorio singers. She’d released 17
Local Life
ABOVE: The Guildhall of St George shortly before its restoration supported by the King’s Lynn Civic Society (and where the first King’s Lynn Festival was held in 1951); soprano Isobel Ballie, who appeared at the Town Hall in 1950; and Desmond Waite in front of some of the buildings he restored – he is now the Civic Society’s President.
her first commercial recordings in 1925 and her last (when she was 79) appeared in 1974. The event was a huge success, and according to reports at the time “every seat in the Assembly Room, Card Room and even the Stone Hall was occupied.” By 1950, plans were going forward to restore the Guildhall of St George as a theatre after it was saved from demolition by Alexander Penrose. In a New Year message in the Lynn News & Advertiser, Bernard Bremner (now the Chairman of the King’s Lynn Civic Society) wrote “here we shall hope to see our young people acting within the walls where Shakespeare’s contemporaries – and perhaps Shakespeare himself – played their parts.” With the support of HM The Queen (later the Queen Mother) and Lady Fermoy, enough funds were raised to hold the first King’s Lynn Festival in 1951. For several years the King’s Lynn Civic Society continued to arrange musical and theatrical events, but with decreasing success and profits, talk of closing down the Civic Society occupied its 1953 AGM with the question posed “is there only a handful of people in Lynn interested in the Arts?” Mr Bremner, however, proposed “with fear and trembling” that the Society would organise the 1954 Charter Pageant. The whole town came on board and a hugely successful pageant
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through the town and in the Walks was the result – an event which set the standard for the wonderful 800th Charter Celebrations in 2004 organised by the Borough Council. But where was the care for ancient buildings discussed at the inaugural meetings? “If that can be done,” declared Mr Bremner, buoyed up by the support for the Charter Pageant, “there must be great civic pride in the town, and it must not be thought we have been sidetracked into making it appear concerts are our only events.” A speaker was asked to attend the Civic Society on the subject of civic pride, and when it came to King’s Lynn he claimed “it is one of the dirtiest towns in England!” It was a massive wake-up call which set the Civic Society on a new track, with Miss Diana Bullock elected ViceChairman and Miss Keith as Secretary. In 1958 the Civic Society was offered the east and west wings of one of the town’s medieval gems, Hampton Court, and later the whole complex. The restoration of Hampton Court was so far outside the remit of the Civic Society that a trust was formed with the aim of acquiring and restoring buildings of architectural and historical significance in King’s Lynn. The Town Guides were started in 1977 when members of the Civic Society, under the guidance of the Rev George Bridge, started to give guided
walks. For many years Mr Desmond Waite has been a member of the King’s Lynn Civic Society and was very active on the Executive Committee – he successfully restored a whole street of houses where he lives and is now the Society’s President. After more than 60 years, the work of the Civic Society is now devoted to caring for the town, its buildings and its appearance – and campaigning to improve the quality of life for its citizens through civic pride. The membership comprises many people from King’s Lynn and its surrounding villages who appreciate this wonderful historic town – and an executive committee which looks at plans, advises on schemes to improve our public realm, and is consulted through the Conservation Consultative Areas Panel. The Society still enjoys providing fun and entertainment for the town, and the annual Heritage Open Day it organises (on Sunday 11th September this year) is the biggest family event of the year, supported by the Borough Council and many other partners. You can pick up a programme for this year’s event at the Tourist Information Centre at the Custom House in King’s Lynn. We have a wonderful historic town which we’re all very proud to show off, but naturally there‘s always more to do. If you’d like to join the Civic Society or would like more information about its work, please see the website at www.kingslynncivicsociety.co.uk
KLmagazine September 2016
KLmagazine September 2016
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D.A. A. SSeaman eaman Optometrists pt
KIDS GO FREE* this September at D.A.Seaman Optometrists. Contact the practice to arrange an appointment on: 01760 722661
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The h home of Castle Ris i ing Dental Surgery lies in two listed buildings that once belonged to Castle Farm and have played an important role in the ‘villagescape’ for almost 300 years. Built in 1785, the barn was used for an all manner of things, from a home to cattle to a bulb packing business!
www.daseaman.org.uk 18 Plowright Place, Swaffham PE37 7LQ
PAST
The barns in 1928
PRESENT
After its restoration the barns became home to Unique Gifts & Interiors and Castle Rising Dental Surgery (since 1996). The practice has evolved over the years, adding a second surgery (and becoming a training practice for new dentists) in 1998, and converting to mainly private treatment in 1999.
FUTURE
To T oday the practice is undergoing its expansion in order to provide an even better service to its patients. There will be more hygienist and dental appointments available and their expert dental care and variety of cosmetic treatments and therapies will continue to provide the very best and latest products.
Contact Contact us us to to fi nd o ut more more o n: find out on: Tel: 01553 631094 Address:
E Email: mail: iinfo@castlerisingdentist.co.uk nfo@castlerisingdentist.co.uk
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Not only have I lost half a stone with ease, I feel calm, relaxed and totally in control of my life. I’d recommend Nicki as an intuitive, friendly, easy person to be with – who gets results. – TRACY
I was slightly sceptical at first, as I find it hard to relax, but after just two sessions, I’d completely given up a 15-year smoking habit! Nicki is lovely and friendly but is also highly professional. – BECKY
Nicki has been running a number of corporate wellbeing workshops for us recently. These have given our staff valuable tools and techniques to manage stress levels and aid their relaxation. – ALEX TRIPLOW HR Manager, North Norfolk District Council
I went to The Wellbeing People for help with my concentration when playing snooker. After only two visits I made my highest-ever break twice in three weeks and then won a competition! Wonderful! – STEVE
Take control of your life: at work, at rest and at play! Discover how The Wellbeing People can help you get results... fully-qualified NLP practitioner and hypnotherapist registered with the Corporation of Advanced Hypnotherapists, Nicki Williamson has spent over 15 years helping people realise their true potential. Through The Wellbeing People, she’s now using hypnotherapy and NLP techniques to bring about positive changes in the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that impact on our lives and can hold us back – both at work and at home.
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WORKSHOPS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE AND SELF ESTEEM... Through the use of NLP, The Wellbeing People provides a range of useful tools and techniques to build confidence and self-esteem and (coupled with the ability to relax and think positively) deliver beneficial results. Workshops specifically designed for this purpose provide delegates with tools for relaxation and confidence-building as well as techniques for positive thinking to boost self-esteem.
CORPORATE WELLBEING WORKSHOPS... The Wellbeing People offers corporate clients tailor-made workshops to meet the wellbeing needs of their teams. Available as full or half-day sessions, the workshops give participants the tools and techniques needed to recognise and effectively manage the signs of stress, anxiety and depression – and reduce the likelihood of these conditions developing in the future. The workshops provide a proactive approach to emotional wellbeing and are delivered in-house.
1-2-1 HYPNOTHERAPY AND NLP SESSIONS... 1-2-1 sessions are provided for individuals with issues such as stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, depression and phobia – as well as weight loss, smoking cessation and addictions. These sessions also support individuals wishing to develop themselves in terms of sports performance, personal development or career progression. Combining NLP within hypnosis provides fast results, with most clients needing a maximum of three sessions – although further sessions are available should
KLmagazine September 2016
clients wish to continue and build on their personal development. Whether you’d like support to overcome a specific problem, or simply wish to experience a sense of balance, relaxation and general wellbeing, Nicki Williamson and The Wellbeing People can help you take control of your life – and you’ll be amazed at what you’re truly capable of achieving! NICKI WILLIAMSON
Telephone: 07568 145151 Website: www.thewellbeingpeople.co.uk E-mail: nicki@thewellbeingpeople.co.uk
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KLmagazine September 2016
Local Life
ABOVE: Norfok’s historic windmills are finding new life in the 21st century – such as the iconic guesthouse at Cley-next-the-Sea (above) and the bakery and tea rooms at Bircham (left), the only working windmill in the area still open to the public.
A celebration of the land of the windmills... At one time, there were almost 600 windmills in Norfolk. Falling victim to both stormy weather and changes in technology, there are now less than 100 remaining, as Sylvia Steele discovers
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eminiscent of a past age, one of the characteristic features of the Norfolk landscape is its windmills. Whether viewed over the undulating countryside to the sea or across open farmland, the sails of the windmill against the wide Norfolk sky are an iconic feature of many a painter’s canvas – past and present. Windmills have been synonymous with the Norfolk landscape since the earliest recorded working postmill in Waxham when, all the way back in 1190, it was given to Hickling Priory by Thomas of Thurne. Previously, Norfolk records show the county possessed some 580 watermills – but had no windmills until they began to gain
KLmagazine September 2016
prominence with their increased use in milling grain and pumping water. Strictly speaking, there was no single and typical windmill – each one was a genuine ‘one-off’ with its own unique character, and since the mill was usually the family’s dwelling place as well, milling was an occupation frequently passed from father to son. By the late 18th century, with new technology capable of efficient and faster production, windmills were fast giving way to roller-mill produced flour –and by the 19th century a vast number of mills had disappeared until only around 35 survived. Many of those remaining are now in private ownership, such as the charming windmill at Cley-next-the-
Sea. It first went on sale in 1819 and over the following 100 years changed hands frequently. After the First World War it fell into disrepair until in 1921 it received restoration and became a guesthouse. Burnham Overy Staithe’s tower windmill was built in 1816, and enjoyed magnificent views along the north Norfolk coast until it was ‘tail-winded’ in 1914 and ceased to operate. Restoration work went ahead in 1957 and it was presented to the National Trust in 1958. It is now a self-catering holiday establishment. Often at variance with the very power that it relied on to function, the Norfolk windmill was frequently at the mercy of the turbulent storms that hit the
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Local Life
ABOVE: Some of Norfolk’s remaining windmills, including the Tower Mill at Burnham Overy (left), Leach’s Mill at Wisbech and the windpump at Horsey (right), which is in the care of the National Trust.
exposed Norfolk coast, and many suffered lightning strikes and tailwinding as a result. Unlikely as it may have seemed, Sutton Mill was built in 1789 and was known as a ‘dinosaur of brick’ – it was the subject of two lightning strikes; one in 1875 and a second in 1941 when the sails caught alight. England’s biggest windmill at 80ft high, Sutton Mill, no longer used for grinding corn, was concentrating exclusively on producing animal feed but ceased to work from that time. Norfolk Windmill Trust is a registered charity established in 1963 to preserve and restore windmills, wind-pumps and watermills. It currently cares for 21 buildings across the county, 13 of which are owned and leased by Norfolk County Council. Much of their work is directed towards wind-pumps on the Broads. Attempts to drain the marshes go back a long way, but it wasn’t until the 18th-19th centuries windmills were used to pump water from the marshes into the higher dyked rivers. One such mill is the Stracey Arms Mill off the A47 near Acle. With a characteristic boat-shaped cap and four sails, the three-storey Broads tower mill was extensively modernised in 1912 and operated by wind power until the Second World War when an electric pump was housed in an adjoining building. During the war it was converted into a fortified pillbox
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with machine gun ports in the sides overlooking road and river. Taken out of service in 1946, Stracey Arms Mill is now maintained by Norfolk Windmill Trust whose vision is to see the mill’s sails turn again. With possible funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund the restoration project should start in 2017. “This is one of our most important mills,” says David Gurney, Norfolk County Council Archaeological and Project Manager. “Stracey Arms Mill is one of Norfolk’s real treasures.” With its exact origins shrouded in uncertainty, a thriving monastery once occupied an isolated spot on the River Bure. Now forming a strange double ruin, a windmill sits in the gatehouse of the ruined St. Benet’s Abbey. The structures formed part of a two-year conservation project in 2012-14 substantially funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Bought in 2002 from the Crown Estate, St. Benet’s Abbey is now owned by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust, and the gatehouse and mill were bought from the Diocese of Norwich in 2004. In 1937, Kelly’s Norfolk Directories listed eight tower mills still working by wind – but by 1950, the red tower mill on common countryside close to the A143 at Billingford was the only one still working by this means. It continued until 1956 when the mill closed having lost its grist trade through fowl pest. Various grants and donations supported
the restoration work (from 1962) when the mill was given over to the Norfolk County Council to be maintained by the Norfolk Windmill Trust. A frequent photographic subject is the time-honoured view of the windmill standing on one of the highest hills within the county and the narrow empty lanes leading to Bircham Mill. Built in 1846, the mill was worked until the 1920s when the tower was abandoned. Now completely restored and a popular bakery and café, visitors can climb to the top, stand outside on the fan deck and enjoy the unique vista of wide Norfolk skies. National Mills Weekend is an annual festival of UK’s milling heritage, and a fantastic opportunity to visit mills many of which are not normally open to the public. The next festival will be in May next year. Norfolk is a county known as ‘the land of windmills’, and it’s interesting to consider whether the wind turbines of today will ever be regarded with such nostalgia?
KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
when preparing the accounts and tax returns in order to claim the maximum tax relief available. l Many farms can utilise 100% of their AIA, at which point the rate of relief on additional capital expenditure falls to 18% per annum. However, assets using energy-saving technology could attract a 100% enhanced capital allowance – in some circumstances it may actually be worth paying a premium for assets on the Energy Technology List in order to accelerate the benefit of tax relief.
A crop of ideas for more tax efficiency... With the harvest season upon us, Claire Melton FCCA TEP of Stephenson Smart looks at various ways in which local farmers can re-invest in their business and minimise their tax liability ith profits dependent on yields, crop quality, selling prices and the costs of production, farmers across the county have important business decisions to make based on this year’s harvest and their expected trading results. If 2016 proves a poor season, sole traders and farmers in partnership may turn to ‘averaging’ as a form of relief for fluctuating profits. This is also useful if this year has been far more profitable than previous years, pushing income into the higher rates of tax. The practice allows farmers to average profits from the previous 1-4 years with this year’s to establish an average profit to assess on all years – the benefit being to avoid higher rates of tax in a year when the basic rate bands in another haven’t been utilised. If 2016 proves a profitable year, however, it may be time to reinvest in order to minimise the tax liabilities of the business. There are many opportunities available to the agricultural sector to achieve this:
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l All types of farming business are entitled to an annual investment allowance (AIA) – a 100% write-off against profits for qualifying capital
KLmagazine September 2016
expenditure. For the year starting 1st January 2016 this is £200,000, a large reduction on last year’s £500,000. Qualifying expenditure ranges from vehicles and implements to temporary grain silos and caravans for staff accommodation. l Since the abolition of agricultural buildings allowance in 2011 no tax relief is available on buildings, so although a new grain store may be desirable it’s not necessarily a tax-effective investment. Relief can, however, be claimed within the AIA for integral features or items within the building that can be deemed ‘plant and machinery’ – such as electrical systems, dryers, and automatic fire doors. It’s essential to have these items invoiced separately to ensure clarity
OUR BRANCHES
l Repairs to the farm and equipment are fully allowable for tax relief and some expenditure can receive tax relief at more than 100%. The cost of dealing with contamination (such as removing asbestos or tackling Japanese knotweed) receives tax relief at 150%, and expenditure incurred on research and development can attract a rate of 230% relief – in some circumstances this tax relief can even be encashed as tax credits to assist with cash flow. For farmers (as indeed for many other businesses) it’s therefore important to plan expenditure in advance to get the best possible relief available – and imperative to keep good records. If you’re looking to maximise profits and reduce your tax, Stephenson Smart’s expertise, excellent friendly service and in-depth regional knowledge offers the perfect solution. Over 100 years of successful practice can’t be wrong!
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KLmagazine September 2016
Local Life
ABOVE: The house in Wisbech where Octavia Hill was born is now a museum dedicated to her life and work. The social reformer was also one of the founders of the National Trust 1894. Her 1898 portrait (below) by John Singer Sargent is now in the National Portrait Gallery
From local heroine to national treasure... She was a moving force behind the development of social housing, coinced the term ‘greenbelt’ and helped co-found the National Trust. Sylvia Steele looks at the life of Octavia Hill
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iewed from across the River Nene as it flows into Wisbech is a terrace of early 18th century houses, and – rather fittingly – it’s a picture of historical grandeur. For it was here at 7-8 South Brink, overlooking the river where her grandfather plied his packet boat service between Peterborough and Wisbech, that Octavia Hill, co-founder of the National Trust, was born on 3rd December 1838. In 1994, the Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum (which is a registered charity) purchased part of the house, completing the first phase of the Octavia Hill Society’s endeavour of creating a national museum in her name. Fast forward to 2007 and the
KLmagazine September 2016
charity, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and a fundraising appeal, was able to purchase the remainder of the house. With enhanced displays and material, the museum reopened in 2008 to relate the story of a woman whose ideas were truly ahead of her time – and whose influence in many spheres still affect our lives today. At the museum door, you’re handed a guide which takes you on a journey through Octavia’s life. The Fenland Room (the former dining room) tells of her early life, introduces her family and their influences on her. Her parents Caroline and James Hill were both radical liberals, and as such they were often viewed with suspicion.
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Local Life
ABOVE: The recreation of ‘Little Hell’ at the Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House Museum in Wisbech. It was living conditions such as this that inspired Octavia to dedicate her life to improving the lives of the poor
When they bought the Wisbech Infants School as a service to children of the poor, for example, instead of being commended for their benevolence, their action was frowned upon. The story of the Hill family describes how by the couple’s philanthropy eventually led to the loss of their family home, with James suffering a breakdown from which he never fully recovered. The impoverished state in which Octavia’s parents found themselves was the prelude to a decade of hardship that led to their parting – but it prompted their daughter Octavia to continue their work, particularly in her pursuance of improvements to social housing management and her belief that open space for recreational use was vital to everyone’s well-being. By the time of Octavia’s tenth birthday, her mother had settled the family in the (then) rural area of Finchley, North London. The girls received their education from their mother and life was quite idyllic for the Hill females. A love of open spaces and gardens was nurtured and is what influenced Octavia’s later endeavours. When only 14 years of age, Octavia began working with girls from London’s Ragged School, tutoring them in her mother’s theories that individuals have their own strengths and aspirations. The Museum follows Octavia’s work among the poor in London that began with the family’s move from leafy Finchley. Whilst taking a walk exploring her new neighbourhood, Octavia ventured into Paradise Place. A courtyard of overcrowded cottages, it 30
was known locally as ‘Little Hell’, a rundown and unkempt area where single rooms were rented to whole families who, in turn, sub-let to lodgers. The Museum’s creation of a onebedroom apartment graphically demonstrates seven people living in the damp, filthy conditions that appalled the young Octavia – endorsing her earlier experience when working with the very poor of the Ragged School. Aged 25, Octavia began receiving tutorship from the famous writer and art critic John Ruskin and became aware that his sympathies, too, were with the poor. Shocked when confronted with the living conditions in Paradise Place, he bought the courtyard slum and appointed Octavia its manager. And so began her introduction into social housing management. “Ruskin showed me something else I would rather be than paint like Leonardo,” she once said, and this was her opportunity to put her beliefs to the test as she organised the clearance of a space. For the first time, ‘Little Hell’ had a garden with trees and plants which Octavia felt to be vital to everyone’s general well-being. She was the first person to coin the term ‘greenbelt’ as a practice of creating open space around cities, and her vigorous campaign to save our open spaces is well documented in the museum. In collaboration with Hardwick Rawsley and Robert Hunter, an old solicitor ally of the Commons Open Spaces and Footpaths Preservation
Society the fight against proposed developments in the Lake District succeeded and, in 1895, culminated in the founding of the National Trust. Mindful of her mother’s teaching, perhaps, “the purpose of education is to prepare the child for independent actions,” Octavia Hill never forgot the children – and formed the first independent cadet battalion in London. Room by room, the story of Octavia Hill unfolds until in a second-floor room a wall mural completes the picture clearly illustrating her life and work – focussing, too, on her personal struggle with illness and heartbreak when, having become engaged to be married the wedding was called off by dissent from her fiancés family. Part of the Museum’s 2007 project was the formation of an education centre that’s enjoyed a successful season of classes, seminars and meetings – and the museum has been enhanced by the addition of the works of the one-time Director of Housing in Lambeth. The Harry Simpson Library is wholly (and uniquely) devoted to housing subjects, and comprises about 12,000 books and publications now accessible to the public and students. In 2012, a plot of land adjacent to the Museum was purchased with funding by the National Trust, Fenland District Council and many generous donations for the creation of Centenary Green – which was launched in 2014 to commemorate the centenary of Octavia’s death in 1912. It’s a quiet, welcoming and reflective green space that signifies everything this remarkable woman stood for. For more information on the life of Octavia Hill and full details of the Museum’s opening times, please see www.octaviahill.org
KLmagazine September 2016
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To find out more visit: WisbechGrammar.com KLmagazine September 2016
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Local Life
The next step: exploring all the options at CWA... The choices facing local school leavers have never been more exciting, and they extend far beyond taking the simple step into sixth form, as the College of West Anglia continues to prove
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eaving secondary school is a significant milestone for any young person and their family. With governmental changes meaning it’s now the law to stay in education or training until the age of 18, the journey simply doesn’t end at the school gates, giving rise to the question “what’s next?” Inevitably, parents want the best for their child, and to many, studying at sixth form seems a natural progression after year 11 – but the College of West Anglia (CWA) continues to prove that it’s not the only option. The number of young people applying to study at university with qualifications other than A-levels is on 32
the rise. Although many young people think their only way to university is through sixth form education, this is, quite simply, wrong – a level 3 qualification from a further education college like the College of West Anglia is viewed by UCAS as the equivalent to A-levels. Many universities use a points-based system called the ‘UCAS Tariff’ to set their entry requirements, and this applies to a wide range of qualification types, including BTEC and City & Guild qualifications. The traditional path to university is changing – many students start sixth form without exploring their options, but unfortunately more than a few soon
realise they’ve made a mistake. Nicola Howling is currently planning a career in the RAF. She was encouraged to study at sixth form by family and friends who thought it was the best route for her – but on starting her studies, Nicola realised sixth form didn’t suit her style of learning and she’s now a level 3 uniformed and public services student at CWA King’s Lynn. “Teachers concentrate a lot on grades at sixth form and it’s a lot of stress,” she says. “I like the practical side of my course at CWA. We’re given a good amount of time to do the work – and help is always available.” Even if A-levels are your preferred route, it may be that your child wishes KLmagazine September 2016
PICTURES: COLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA
to study their academic subjects in a new and vibrant environment. The College of West Anglia offers a wide range of A-levels in subjects such as law, politics and photography. Ben Berwick, for example, went to sixth form after finishing his GCSEs as he was led to believe that students who attended sixth form achieved better results. He soon found sixth form to be stressful and he’s now studying A-levels at CWA in an environment he finds more motivating and with a greater chance for independent research. “Studying at CWA is more enjoyable than sixth form and I have made some great friends,” he says. “College courses are just as good as sixth form and I get to wear what I want!” The key message is that it’s important for your child to consider all options to find the best one for them. And it’s still not too late for them to change their mind – information about starting college this month is at cwa.ac.uk. DEGREES ON YOUR DOORSTEP Higher education isn’t just for school leavers, and King’s Lynn’s brand new university centre is your chance to study a degree whilst staying at home, enabling you to fit your learning around
KLmagazine September 2016
your home life and up-skill on your doorstep. The new university centre building is the only higher education teaching and learning facility currently available within a 35 mile radius of King’s Lynn. Brand new for September 2016, the centre will be delivering higher education programmes (accredited by Anglia Ruskin University) across a range of subjects including business, computing and childcare. At some 2,000m², the building – which can be found in the grounds of CWA’s Tennyson Avenue campus – is solely for higher education students and houses full and part-time higher level education and training. It has 14 digitally-enhanced classrooms, a 120-seat multimedia
With over 4,000 full-time students, the College of West Anglia is one of the largest providers of education and training in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire with an exceptional track record of developing the skills and talents of students. CWA has campuses in King’s Lynn, Wisbech and a land-based campus in Cambridge (Milton). l Student success rates for full-time courses is 84% (the national average is 80%) l 92% of all students passed their exams l 78% of our apprentices achieved their apprenticeship programme, well above the national average of 69% l State-of-the-art facilities l Excellent links with employers l Highly trained staff with industry experience
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PICTURES: COLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA
Local Life
ABOVE: An artist’s impression of the new university centre building, which opens this month
lecture theatre, offices, and a large ground-floor social space which includes a kitchen area for the exclusive use of higher education students. Katy Williams took a career break to have children. Now a single mum with two young children, she needs to be able to study close to home to achieve a healthy balance between her education and family life. Thanks to CWA, she’s now retraining in a way that suits her, working towards a BSc (Hons) in Business Management. “This is a local, cost-effective way of getting my degree but it does require a high level of commitment and dedication,” she says. “I’ve always worked but I took a break when the twins were born. This has allowed me to retrain ready to go back to work when the boys are older.” Higher education students studying
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with CWA achieve great things. Earlier this year, Ryan Seymour and Billy Hadlow – both second year BSc Computer Science degree students – secured £5,000 of funding in the Anglian Ruskin Big Pitch competition. The students’ concept, Carebind, is a web app designed to help carers keep up with their care plans whilst visiting clients in their homes. The pair are now getting set to kick-start their Carebind business with the help of their winnings. Over the next year, CWA will be expanding its offer of degree courses for West Norfolk and Fenland, whilst veterinary nursing degrees are also available to study at CWA’s land-based campus in Milton, Cambridge. Keep an eye on the CWA website at www.cwa.ac.uk/degrees to find out more about new courses.
Courses starting this month are open to apply for until Clearing closes on 20th September 2016. What are you waiting for? Start your journey to a new career today.
Dates for your diary... 20th September: Clearing closes 22nd September: CWA Open evening. There are also annual open days at all four CWA campuses at Cambridge, Wisbech and King’s Lynn in November 2016 and March 2017. To book your place, please visit cwa.ac.uk
KLmagazine September 2016
“I enjoy studying at CWA more than at sixth form” DAISY LEASK Went to sixth form as she was advised it was the best route to university Came to the College of West Anglia Studying sports science
Planning to study sports law at university
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West Norfolk: Then and Now
1965
2016
DEBATE ON THE HIGH STREET... At first, there were a few discussions as to where the 1965 picture of King’s Lynn (top) was actually taken, but thanks to the dcorative arch on the building that’s now home to Debenhams, we can safely locate it in the town’s high street. Mac Fisheries was a national chain of fishmongers,
founded by William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme just after the First World War. The gradual rise of supermarkets and frozen foods saw the eventual closure of all the stores in the mid1970s. You can enjoy thousands of images of Norfolk’s history on the website at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk or by visiting the Norfolk Heritage
Centre at the Millennium Library, The Forum, Norwich (or your local studies library). We’ll be taking another look back in time at the local area next month. IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Enjoy thousands of images of Norfolk’s unique history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk 36
KLmagazine September 2016
ODBYE SAY GO WDING O TO C R D TH E U O AR N M AS T CHRIS E! B A T L
MR AND MRS BINGHAM, THET
FORD
More room for the festivities thanks to ECOnomy Windows! Entertain all your family and friends in style this year with a new conservatory from the area’s most respected company... t’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas, especially when having more space for all those extra festive guests is towards the top of your Christmas list. The good news from ECOnomy Windows is that it’s not too late to treat yourself and your home to a new conservatory installed in time for Christmas – and you can start enjoying the year-round benefits now. A conservatory really can transform the way in which you use and enjoy your home (not just at Christmas!) and ECOnomy Windows offers a reliable and professional service with some of the most innovative products on the market – together with over 25 years’ experience in creating beautiful designs. At ECOnomy Windows, each and every conservatory is managed on a totally individual basis – every project is
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carefully managed and manufactured to meet specific requirements and unique customer expectations. They do have one thing in common, however: the difference they’ve made to people’s lives. Take Mr and Mrs Shippey of Upwell, for example. “ECOnomy Windows did a marvellous job,” they say. “We spend so much time in our new conservatory because it’s a real joy to be in. It’s exactly what we wanted and we wish we’d done it sooner!” Those are sentiments equally shared by Mrs Cocksedge of March. “I now spend nearly all my time relaxing in my new conservatory,” she says. “I’m absolutely over the moon with it. All the staff at ECOnomy Windows were very courteous, their products are first class, and the care and attention to
detail they gave MR AND MRS SHIPPEY us was second to UPWELL none.” These are just some of the thousands of satisfied local customers now enjoying more room to celebrate – thanks to superb quality and outstanding service. Say goodbye to the crowded Christmas table this year and contact ECOnomy Windows to discover what a difference a new conservatory can make to your home – with no deposit and nothing to pay until installation!
CONSERVATORY SHOW PARK OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK! Elm High Road, Wisbech, Cambs PE14 0DG Tel: 01945 588988 / 01553 777088 Web: www.economy-windows.co.uk E-mail: mail@economy-windows.co.uk
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Caring for your environment
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KLmagazine September 2016
Three local companies and one super-sized project... It’s one of the most energy-efficient logistics centres in the country – thanks to the design and technical expertise of 4 Way’s three divisions
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nowles Transport provides fast, flexible and cost-effective distribution solutions and offers some of the largest, hi-spec warehousing facilities in the UK. It’s also a company committed to minimising the environmental impact of the business – maximising energy efficiencies, producing their own renewable energy, and running a fleet of some of the most eco-friendly vehicles available. When Knowles recently purchased and refurbished a huge new logistics centre at Wisbech (comprising around 500,000ft2), energy conservation and sustainability were at the forefront of the company’s plans – as were the King’s Lynn based 4 Way group of companies. Knowles appointed the three divisions of 4 Way to develop and install appropriate designs
4 WAY
and products for all aspects of the necessary works, delivering a robust and flexible solution capable of future development and expansion. While 4 Way Energy used the advantageous location to design and install a 50Kw solar panel system, 4 Way Electrical concentrated on the mammoth task of lighting the site, designing an external array of low energy LED floodlighting to save energy costs and carbon emissions relative to traditional metal halide lights. Internally, 4 Way Electrical installed a specially-developed cabling system for all data and telecommunication needs, providing superfast data transfer speeds; used LED lighting with occupancy controls to offer lighting only when needed; and designed and installed a new
Refrigeration Ltd Electrical Ltd Energy Ltd
2MVA substation, metering point and private 500KVa transformer for the centre’s current and future requirements. Meanwhile, 4 Way Refrigeration designed, commissioned and installed a range of air-conditioning and heating solutions to provide a comfortable working environment – with minimal energy requirements throughout the year. Now complete, the site is both costand carbon-neutral, and the three divisions of 4 Way have provided a 4-for1 benefit for Knowles Transport: improved lighting, reduced energy costs, lower carbon footprints and long-life products for minimal maintenance costs. To discover how your business can benefit from modern technology and improved energy-efficiencies, contact 4 Way for more details and information. Unit 25, Bergen Way North Lynn Industrial Estate King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 2JG t: 01553 767878 w: www.4waygroup.co.uk e: sales@4wayref.co.uk
Recognised and accredited throughout the industry:
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Local Life
ABOVE: The remarkable Red Mount chapel in King’s Lynn. Built in the 15th century, it is “completely unique” and is Anna Keay’s favourite building in the town – apart from her family home of Clifton House.
History, heritage and long-forgotten heroes... As King’s Lynn gets ready to celebrate its annual Heritage Day, KL magazine talks to historian and author Anna Keay about architecture, safeguarding historic buildings and royal rebels...
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t’s fair to say that Anna Keay is a born historian. Her father John is one the country’s pre-eminent writers on the history of British India, while her mother Julia is the highly-acclaimed author of a number of studies of remarkable historical characters – from the 4½ft tall woman who saved the Mughal empire to the much-misunderstood Alexander Cruden, the man who ‘unwrote’ the Bible. After studying history (naturally) at Magdalen College, Oxford, Anna worked as a curator for Historic Royal Palaces, was Properties Presentation Director of English Heritage and is now Director of The Landmark Trust. Her
KLmagazine September 2016
husband is the historian Simon Thurley, and the couple’s family home is the nationally-important Clifton House in King’s Lynn. In the month that King’s Lynn Heritage Day (September 11th) sees the town’s most historic buildings open to the public, there’s no better time to learn more about our architectural inheritance – and no better person to ask. KL magazine: How did you first become interested in the country’s architectural heritage? Anna Keay: I think it started when I had a summer job during my holidays from university, working in a castle near my parents’ house in the west of Scotland. It had been built in the year the
Jacobite rebellion was defeated and was a vivid demonstration of how the buildings around us reflect lives and events on both a small and large scale. KL magazine: From 1996-2002 you were the curator of some of the most famous buildings in the country – from the Tower of London to Kensington Palace. How did that experience shape your career? Anna Keay: It taught me just how much there is to learn and understand about buildings. In this country we’re very fortunate in being blessed with extraordinarily complete archives – and putting them together with these fascinating buildings enables you to reach back into the past and summon
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Local Life
ABOVE: The Duke of Monmouth commanding the English against the Dutch in 1672 in a painting by the Dutch artist Jan van Wyck. Anna Keay’s new biography brings to life this little-known figure who was at one time, she says, “the most famous man in England.” Pictured left is Clifton House in King’s Lynn, the home of Anna and her husband, the historian Simon Thurley.
up people and places that would otherwise be lost to us. KL magazine: Did your decade as Properties Presentation Director for English Heritage change your views on historically-important buildings? Anna Keay: Yes definitely. The research English Heritage was doing was a massive eye-opener for me. It ranged from studies of historic shops and prisons to gunpowder mills and car showrooms. They all made me realise just how much interest and beauty can be found in things you might otherwise overlook entirely. KL magazine: For the last four years, you’ve been Director of The Landmark Trust. What’s the main focus of your (and the Trust’s) work? Anna Keay: Primarily, we’re focused on rescuing important historic buildings from dereliction. Thanks to our incredibly dedicated tribe of supporters, we’re actually able to save about two buildings every year. It’s a real privilege to play a part in that process. KL magazine: Many people think old buildings are of historical interest only – how important is the preservation of our architectural heritage for the future? Anna Keay: I think it’s essential. Old buildings are our memory. You wouldn’t throw out your photograph albums or letters from people you loved, and nor should we be allowing our special historic places to disappear. More than that, they add so much to
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the character and sheer beauty of life in this country. That’s the case today, and it’s something we really need to preserve for the future. KL magazine: So do you think the demolition of a 300-year-old building can ever be justified? Anna Keay: Very rarely. But I’ve learned there are few total absolutes and I can (just about!) imagine the circumstances in which it might be justified. KL magazine: For The Landmark Trust’s 50th anniversary, you co-wrote a history of Britain in 50 buildings. If your choice was limited to one, what single building would you choose to represent British history? Anna Keay: I may be biased, but I’d have to choose Clifton House in King’s Lynn, of course! It spans life in our wonderful town over the last 800 years and is an extraordinary window on mercantile life in Britain over almost a millennium. For a trading nation such as ours, that’s pretty important. And it’s my family home! KL magazine: How easy is it to balance your professional interests in history and architecture with family life at Clifton House? Anna Keay: It’s challenging, but it’s always worth it. It’s a great honour for us to be custodians of such an important building, but we’re always very conscious of the fact it is our home – which was, of course, it’s original purpose. KL magazine: Apart from Clifton House, what’s your favourite building
in King’s Lynn? Anna Keay: I think I’d choose the Red Mount chapel in the Walks. It was built in the 15th century and is completely unique – there’s no other building like it anywhere. KL magazine: Your most recent book ‘The Last Royal Rebel’ is a biography of James, Duke of Monmouth. Why did you choose such a relatively unknown subject to write about? Anna Keay: Precisely because he had been forgotten! He was the illegitimate son of Charles II, and led the unsuccessful Monmouth Rebellion in 1685, which was an attempt to depose his uncle, King James II – who was our last Roman Catholic monarch. His life is truly fascinating and it took place during the days in which the England we know was born. In his day, he was the most famous man in England if not the whole of Europe. KL magazine: Do you subscribe to the theory that he was the Man in the Iron Mask? Anna Keay: Not in the least! It’s a theory that dates from the 18th century and was based on unsubstantiated rumours and allegations that Monmouth’s execution had been faked. His life is interesting enough without the need to resort to invention. KL magazine: Have you any plans for your next book? Anna Keay: I do, but they’re not quite finalised yet, so I’d rather not give away too much at the moment!
KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
Letting Better Our monthly round up of the latest news and legislation concerning Landlords and Tenants in the private rented sector with Edmonton Estates Director D Damien amien S Simone imone
Independent Lettings & Property Management Specialists
S TS AC T FAC K F CK UIC QUI Q A record record h high igh o off 4 42,728 2,728 households households in in rrented ented accommodation were accommodation w ere evicted by 2015. evicted b y bailiffs bailiffs iin n2 015.
Why Should I Rent To Them? W
hether a new Buy To Let investor with their first property or an experienced portfolio landlord, one of the main concerns that landlords have when we meet them for the first time is what checks are carried out on the tenants that we source? Unfortunately the catalyst for this question is usually the result of either experiencing a rogue tenant or bearing witness to the shocking stories that are shown in the media. After an initial interview with one of our agents, if we feel they would be suitable for the property that they are interested in, potential tenants are invited to complete a formal application form. When received with a holding fee to show commitment to the property we then pass the application details to a specialist referencing company for processing. This process includes a credit check for every adult that will be residing at the property, as well as
contacting the potential tenant’s current landlord and employer to verify the information that has been provided. These checks assist us in establishing whether they are likely to be reliable in terms of payment, if they have overstated their income to obtain the property, and where there is a previous landlord reference, their general conduct during the last tenancy. We also take into account the number of times tenants have moved in the past and what the reasoning is behind this. It may be due to work placements or a previous property having been sold, but very occasionally it proves to be the result of something more concerning and we like to have this information in advance of granting a new tenancy. Only after satisfactory references have been received from the referencing company would we draw up a tenancy. As a company, for fully managed properties, we always provide
a 6 month Rent & Legal Protection Policy (RLP) within our initial set up fee to landlords. The basic overview of RLP is that it provides cover for between 4 and 6 months loss of rent and all of the related legal costs should the worst occur and your new tenant defaults on their rental payments. Fortunately due to the stringent checks that we apply during the application process our volume of cases that require the intervention of our rent protection insurers is exceptionally low. If you would like more information regarding our tenant checking procedures or have an existing tenant that you are concerned about and would like professional advice please speak to one of agents, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Edmonton E dmonton E Estates states L Ltd, td, S Stt A Ann’s nn’s H House, ouse, 118 8 St St Ann’s Ann’s Street, Street, K King’s ing’s L Lynn, ynn, Norfolk Norfolk PE30 PE30 11LT LT info@edmontonestates.co.uk 01553 0 1553 660615 660615 | www.edmontonestates.co.uk www.edmontonestates.co.uk | info@edmontonestates.co.uk
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Local Life
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Local Life
ABOVE: A 78g sample of rhodium, the metal discovered in 1804 by Dereham-born scientist William Hyde Wollaston (below), whose life is being celebrated in an exhibition at the town’s Bishop Bonner’s Cottage Museum (opposite). One of the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust, Rhodium comprises a mere 0.0002 parts per million – and over 80% of the world’s production is used in the catalytic converters of cars.
From Dereham to the pinnacles of science... You may not have heard of William Hyde Wollaston, who was born in Dereham 250 years ago, but his many scientific discoveries helped shape the modern world, as Richard Parr explains
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e’s known as Norfolk’s forgotten scientist, the man behind discoveries and inventions that are incorporated into the cars we drive, the cameras we use and the DVD players on which we play music and watch films. William Hyde Wollaston is a name you may not be instantly familiar with, but his various significant inventions have helped to shape our modern world. Continuing until October 1st at the Bishop Bonner’s Cottage Museum in Wollaston’s home town of Dereham is an exhibition telling the story of his life and marking the 250th anniversary of
KLmagazine September 2016
his birth. “He saw those simple things that you take for granted with clarity, and he saw that they were important,” says Sue Walker White, who’s chair of the Dereham Antiquarian Society and has been heavily involved in putting the exhibition together. She describes Wollaston as a ‘genius.’ The idea of marking Wollaston’s 250th anniversary originated with Dereham councillor Philip Duigan. “When you look for Norfolk scientists there aren’t many of them,” he says. “Wollaston deserves to be much better known than he is. He really was a top scientist.”
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Local Life Wollaston’s first major as large as the sun. success, which essentially In recognition of all he had helped fund the rest of his achieved in his specialist work during his lifetime, was fields of science and devising a method of astronomy, he was invested extracting highly sought after as a member of the Royal metal platinum from its ore. Astronomical Society just In 1802 he discovered the before his death and in precious metal palladium, gratitude at receiving such an followed two years later by honour he gave the Society a rhodium. These are most telescope that belonged to commonly today in catalytic his father. converters in older motor He died on December cars. One of Wollaston’s 22nd, 1828 and an autopsy renowned inventions was the revealed the cause of death camera lucida, a tool used for was a brain tumour. He never accurate drawing. Using a married and left no children. prism and a mirror, it created Although Wollaston was a magnified image, and recognised during his lifetime featured a principle later used as an important scientist, he in the development of never achieved the status of a photography – as was the household name as had some Wollaston lens he created for contemporary scientists of it. comparable status. Wollaston was regarded as He was, however, a master a somewhat reluctant and of chemical analysis – a talent reclusive scientist, but his that enabled him to discover careful work led to significant two elements (which he advances in many scientific named himself) and to fields. His observation of lines establish the existence of ABOVE: Wollaston’s depth of scientific knowledge led his friends to in the solar spectrum laid the call him the ‘pope of science,’ and the great English philosopher titanium. He was an inventor foundation for spectral and a painstaking researcher William Whewell said that a conversation with Wollaston was “like analysis, the basis for the whose analysis shed light on talking to pure intelligence.” discovery of many elements many fields, including and the establishment of crystallography, optics, and Royal Society, and a few years later quantum theory in the 20th century. electromagnetic phenomena. His invented a slide rule to help chemists Wollaston was born in Dereham, the methodology, once revealed, was compute the quantities of different son of the priest-astronomer Francis transparent and cold be easily chemicals that would combine with Wollaston and his wife, Mary. He was duplicated. one another. the second son of 17 children in the Appointed temporary President of the family, and studied at Caius College, Royal Society, Wollaston wrote a total Cambridge, from which he obtained a of 30 memoirs that were published by Medical Masters in 1787 and a the Society while several others were doctorate in Medicine in 1793 before he published in other journals. became a fellow of the College. It was at this time that Wollaston It was while studying that Wollaston became to suffer from bouts of developed a keen interest in astronomy temporary blindness which caused the and he was on friendly terms with some left half of images to be blotted out. It of the important astronomers of the was considered by those that knew him time. He further pursued interests in that this sight problem was the chemistry, crystallography, metallurgy beginning of the illness that took his life and physics. four years later. In 1789 he moved to live in Bury St In the final year before his death, Edmunds where he established a Wollaston realised he wouldn’t survive medical practice, but dissatisfied with long and dictated his memoirs that the level of success he achieved there were eventually published (and hoping to improve his chances of The exhibition on Wollaston’s life and posthumously. a medical career) he moved to London work can be seen at the Bishop He left £1,000 in his will to the Royal and applied for a position at St George's Society, the interest from which was to Bonner’ s Cottage Museum in Dereham Hospital. until October 1st on Tuesdays, be applied to encourage scientific Failing to get the post he’d applied Thursdays and Saturdays between experiments and which is still awarded for, he abandoned his medical interests 1.30pm and 4pm. Admission is £2 for under name of the Wollaston Medal. in favour of other pursuits. It was a adults and children (up to 16) In his final days he was well enough fateful decision – in 1803 he discovered to publish several papers – including accompanied by an adult are admitted the metallic element palladium and a free. Formed in 1953, the Dereham one in which he attempted to estimate year later, the closely related element, Antiquarian Society manages the the size of the star Sirius based on rhodium. Bishop Bonner’s Cottage Museum and estimates of its distance from the earth. In 1806 he became Secretary of the is a registered charity. He concluded that Sirius was 3.7 times
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KLmagazine September 2016
Discover the new SUV that re-writes the rulebook... SEAT’s new Ateca looks set to make September a month to remember aving brought SEAT back to King’s Lynn for the first time in over a decade, Duff Morgan are looking forward to the weekend of 10th11th September and the launch of the new SEAT Ateca: a sports utility vehicle so exciting it’s already an award winner. Combining distinctive and dynamic styling with Full Link Technology, a range of engine options and a huge amount of space, the SEAT Ateca (which starts from only £17,990) has exceeded every expectation – and even comes with a 2016 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. No wonder industry experts are recommending that people interested in buying an SUV wait for the release of the
H
KLmagazine September 2016
SEAT Ateca before they make their decision! You can enjoy a closer look at this fabulous new addition to the SEAT range at Duff Morgan’s stand at the Sandringham Game & Country Fair – which takes place on the same weekend as the vehicle’s launch. “There’s probably never been a better
time to discover SEAT,” says Sales Manager Martin Seal. “Book a test drive before the end of September and you can get an extra £500 off the price of a new car – which makes the new Ateca even more attractive!” If you can’t make it to the show itself, contact Duff Morgan now and book your test drive in the car that’s re-writing the rulebook on SUVs.
information
Duff Morgan SEAT 49 Bergen Way, North Lynn Industrial Estate King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 2JG Tel: 01553 770144 Web: www.duffmorgan.com/seat
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Although made to a national standard, Type 1 aggregates are naturally subject to regional variations based on geology – while most quarries in central Scotland produce it from grey whinstone, it’s produced from granite at quarries in Leicestershire and limestone in Derbyshire. The majority of FRIMSTONE‘s Type 1 aggregate is generally produced by recycling rail ballast, which is brought to us (fittingly enough) by rail. FRIMSTONE is actually the only company of its size in the UK to have its own railheads (one at Cambridge and one at Snetterton) – which saves on transportation costs and lessens our impact on the environment. If you need a solid, high-quality base for your next home improvement project, FRIMSTONE‘s Type 1 is the perfect place to start.
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NOT SUITABLE FOR... Don’t think you can use Type 1 for anything – it’s been carefully produced for a specific purpose. It’s designed to be covered, so it’s not very aesthically pleasing and contains a lot of dust – so it’s best left out of sight. Type 1 is also difficult to move, and FRIMSTONE wouldn’t recommend using it for mixing concrete. TOP TIP... Don’t use old bricks as a substitute for Type 1 – they’ll leave hundreds of voids and gaps into which finer material will fall, the surface will become unstable and paving slabs will eventually ‘rock’ on the high points. They won’t pass the frost test either, and will eventually ‘blow’, leaving you with a visibly uneven surface. Skimping on the sub-base is actually one of the best ways to shorten the life of a driveway. AVAILABILITY... Type 1 aggregate is available from all FRIMSTONE centres. There’s a handy aggregate calculator on our website at www.frimstone.co.uk to ensure you don’t order too little – or too much!
FRIMSTONE LTD
LOCAL CENTRES AT: SNETTISHAM | WATLINGTON | CRIMPLESHAM | WISBECH | BRISTON | CARBROOKE
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PICTURES: NORFOLK HORN BREEDERS GROUP
Local Life
ABOVE: Frenzy, Florin and Flax are just three examples of the survival of the Norfolk Horn – one of Britain’s oldest sheep breeds and one brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to the work of dedicated members of the Norfolk Horn Breeders Group
Back from the brink: saving the Norfolk Horn Norfolk Horn sheep once covered the fields of East Anglia, but by 1919, there was only one flock left. Richard Parr looks at the story of this remarkable animal and how it was saved from extinction...
W
hen people travel around Norfolk, whether on foot, by cycle or car, one of the finest and most traditional sights is that of sheep happily grazing in the fields. But how much do any of us really know about the many different breeds of sheep that are bred locally for their meat and wool – especially when the county is home to one very special animal? The Norfolk Horn is one of the oldest breeds of sheep in Britain, and is believed to be descended from the ancient Saxon blackfaced sheep once prevalent in Northern Europe. Although named after the county of Norfolk, the breed developed
KLmagazine September 2016
throughout the (then) relatively isolated East Anglia and was the prevalent breed in Norfolk, Suffolk, north Essex and south-east Cambridgeshire. The fine fleeces of the Norfolk Horn were used in the Middle Ages for the thriving worsted industry upon which much of the region’s wealth was based. Norfolk Horns were (and remain) wellsuited to poorer quality, lighter soils and flocks were historically concentrated in heathland areas such as the Breckland, North-West Norfolk and the Suffolk coastal areas. Before the late 18th century relatively little attention was given to breed development, and contemporary agricultural commentators didn’t hold the breed in high regard. Indeed, some
went so far as to state that the otherwise high quality standard of the livestock in East Anglia was let down by, as they saw it, the “mediocre” character of the indigenous sheep. Some did, however, comment on the excellent flavour of the meat produced by the Norfolk Horn. The Norfolk Horn is a medium sized sheep and mature ewes weigh about 70kg. Long in leg and body with narrow forequarters and alert and active in character, the Norfolk Horn has a relatively fine head with a long, straight profile. Both sexes are strongly horned, and the fleece should be short stapled, close white wool. Wool on the newborn lambs is invariably darker or mottled and this
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away as Scotland, most are still concentrated in Norfolk and Suffolk. In fact, interest in the breed rose to such a point that in 2005 the Rare Breeds Survival Trust felt confident enough to move the breed to Category 4 ‘at risk’ on their watchlist – although with relatively few individual breed lines, in-breeding remains a problem. Today Norfolk Horn breeders sell the sheep for pedigree breeding, meat and wool. The wool is of supreme quality, but they are also well-known for their delicious meat, which is particularly good as hogget (lambs between one and two-years-old). It has even been made into successful lamb burger enterprises by some breeders. The Norfolk Horn Breeders Group was established in 1994 at a meeting on Kerry Gibb’s farm in Anmer, where they were based at the time. Members are Norfolk Horn enthusiasts with the shared aim of promoting and raising awareness of the breed, maintaining breed standards, and being a source of information and advice about the sheep. Kerry is President of the Norfolk Horn Breeders Group, and both her and her daughter Zannah Coke, are both tireless champions of the breed. The group has 80 members (24 of whom are breeders in Norfolk) and stages an annual Open Day which offers other owners a great opportunity to meet up and see other flocks of these
PICTURES: NORFOLK HORN BREEDERS GROUP
changes to white as the lambs get older – although a limited amount of black fibres or black spots is permissible in the adult fleece. The black or dark legs and face should be free from wool. The feet should be black and the horns should not grow into the face or head. The Norfolk Horn is a hardy sheep, well adapted to the cold dry winters and hot summers of East Anglia – and they have good maternal instincts and excellent foraging skills. None of which, however, prevented the breed declining rapidly throughout the 18th and 19th centuries when it was replaced by more ‘productive’ breeds such as the Southdown. By the start of the 20th century there were only around 300 Norfolk Horn remaining, and it’s widely recognised that the survival of the breed is entirely down to one man, Mr J.D. Sayer. He started building a flock of Norfolk Horns from 1895 onwards – and in 1919 had the only known flock in existence. By the late 1960s, the Norfolk Horn was on the brink of extinction. To ensure the survival of the breed, careful crossbreeding with Suffolks was undertaken in the early 1970s and for the last 30 years the Norfolk Horn has been purebred and happily retains much of the character of its forebears. Today, there are around 2,500 pedigree Norfolk Horns in 79 flocks, and although some can be found as far
remarkable animals. The group also holds a biennial flock competition designed to be a fun way of showing flocks from around the country – and its annual breed sale is held as part of the Traditional Native Breeds National Show & Sale in Melton Mowbray, which takes place this month. The Norfolk Horn Breeders Group also holds purebred Norfolk Horn classes at nine local shows including the Royal Norfolk, Aylsham and Wayland shows. Zannah and her mother purchased their first Norfolk Horns back in 1987 when they were at Category 1 on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s ‘at risk’ watchlist and re-located from Anmer to their present base in Litcham seven years ago. At their peak, they had 110 ewes. “In 2011 we decided to sell the majority of our flock due to my health problems,” says Zannah, “but the next year we purchased our first two inlamb Borerays. It’s the rarest breed of sheep in the UK, and compared to the Norfolk horn they’re a lot smaller and easier to handle once you catch them!” This Autumn, at Litcham, where their flock lives, Zannah and her mother will be putting one old Norfolk Horn ewe and 18 Borerays to the ram, and continuing their dedication to the survival of our rarest breeds.
For more information on the Norfolk Horn Breeders Group, please see www.norfolkhornsheep.co.uk or contact Zannah Coke by e-mailing her at zannah24@gmail.com
KLmagazine September 2016
Maintain your garden this Autumn!
• Tool and plant hire for DIY, construction & landscaping projects
• Full range of garden machinery for sale ALL THE S OOL RIGHT T E FOR TH S! B RIGHT JO
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• Comprehensive workshop facility for repairs & servicing
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ŽǁŶŚĂŵ Ͳ WĞƚĞƌďŽƌŽƵŐŚ ĂŵďƌŝĚŐĞ Ͳ EŽƌǁŝĐŚ Ͳ ^ƚĂŵĨŽƌĚ ^ƵĚďƵƌLJ Ͳ ŽůĐŚĞƐƚĞƌ
Coffee Shop Indoor & Outdoor Plants Garden Accessories DIY Furniture Clothing Gifts Pet Supplies
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Email: dmgtimber@fsmail.net | Address: Merries Farm, Pullover Road, West Lynn, King’s Lynn, PE34 3LS KLmagazine September 2016
Pets
AnimalMatters Our monthly look at the issues concerning you and your pets with Alex Dallas of the London Road Veterinary Centre...
ITES SMALL BIT I
n previous years we have seen cases of Seasonal Canine Illness, a disease in dogs prevalent only in autumn conditions. Signs to watch out for are lethargy, loss of appetite, shaking, trembling, vomiting and diarrhoea. Symptoms usually occur following a woodland walk, dogs which we have seen with SCI in our area have often recently had a walk in the woods at Sandringham. As autumn is upon us, if you suspect your dog is suffering from Seasonal Canine Illness call for veterinary advice immediately – we are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Doggie behaviour A
fter the hustle and bustle of the summer holidays it can be a relief for some of us to get back in to a regular working pattern again! This can be a stressful time for our dogs though, having been used to having a number of family members at home over the summer, to going back to being left alone for longer periods of time can take a bit of getting used to again. Many dogs suffer from separation issues, any type or breed of dog can suffer and studies show that 20-30% of dogs may show signs of distress when being left alone. Dogs who struggle when being left may show signs such as barking when you leave or when you go into a room without them, damaging the house or furnishings, toileting inappropriately or greeting you excessively on your return. Many factors can affect the likelihood of a dog developing a separation related problem but because of the complexity of these issues the causes are still far from understood. Here at
London Road and The Hollies we have always advocated responsible dog ownership, one of the cornerstones of this is our popular puppy socialisation parties! The classes help puppies get used to not only being around other dogs, but also lots of different people, sights and sounds. Our puppy classes are run by two of our veterinary nurses and are a great start for a new puppy. It is also important to continue socialising your dog as they grow up, and gradually get them used to being left alone. We’re very lucky that one of our nurses is a qualified companion animal behaviour therapist, Simonne regularly sees owners whose pets have behavioural problems. One of the most common problems she sees in dogs is separation anxiety – she will help owners to tackle the root cause and identify what kind of separation problem the dog has. Each dog is an individual and what can help one dog may not help another, Simonne works
with owners to develop a tailor-made plan for their pet. If your dog is showing signs of separation issues or any other behavioural issues, seeking early help from a qualified behaviourist will greatly increase the chances of successful treatment.
L London ondon R Road oad V Vets ets
@ @LondonRoadVets LondonRoadVets
www.makeyourpetsmile.co.uk
L ONDON R OAD 25 25 London London Road, Road, King’s King’s L LONDON ROAD Lynn ynn telephone: t elephone: 01553 01553 773168 773168 e-mail: e-mail: info@lrvc.co.uk info@lrvc.co.uk H OLLIES P aradise R oad, D ownham Market Market telephone: t elephone: 0 1366 3 86655 e -mail: iinfo@holliesvetclinic.co.uk nfo@holliesvetclinic.co.uk HOLLIES Paradise Road, Downham 01366 386655 e-mail:
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fashion Fashion
Nothing New Seamakes son the end of the summer more bearable than the arrival of the Autumn/Winter collections, and this year is no exception. The weather may be getting colder and gloomier, but the best of our local boutiques are packed with bright new ideas and fabulous styles...
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Spiral Jacquard Dress & Waterfall Gilet by Pomodoro ALLEZ CHIC | Castle Rising 01553 631915 KLmagazine September 2016
Alyssa Coat by Lighthouse EVERYTHING OUTDOOR Holkham - 01328 712120 | Sandringham - 01485 298082 | Wroxham - 01603 777105 KLmagazine September 2016
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The Eyrecourt Bag in Black/Brown by Dubarry (£179) THE HAYLOFT at BEARTS | Stowbridge 01366 388151 64
KLmagazine September 2016
getting ready for those chilly evenings... T TEL: EL: 01366 01366 388151 388151 | Brighton Brighton Mill, Mill, Stow Stow Bridge, Bridge, King’s King’s Lynn Lynn PE34 PE34 3PD 3PD | W WEB: EB: www.bearts.co.uk www.bear ts.co.uk
Pain-Free, Hair-Free Pain-Free Laser Hair Removal Doctor Lead Clinic King’s Lynn 27 King Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1ET T: 01553 692531 E: cliniccosmetic@aol.co.uk
Peterborough 226 Dogsthorpe Road, DHC Business Centre Peterborough PE1 3PB T: 01733 310090 E: peterboroughcosmeticclinic@aol.co.uk
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Fashion
Tamara Scarf, Cameron Hat and Tanya Glove by Pia Rossini CINDYS | Sutton Bridge 01406 350961 66
KLmagazine September 2016
Autumn A Au uuttu tuum mnn m ARRIV VA ALS FFashion ashion S Show how For Mayors appeal, For the the M ayors charity charity a ppeal, Hill Mob TThe he LLavender avender H ill M ob Wed October, 7pm W ed 12th 12th O ctober, 7 pm a the To Town Hall £20 all | TTickets ickets £ 20 att the own H iinc nc w ine a nd c anapes wine and canapes A vailable ffrom rom A llez C hic Available Allez Chic
ttel: el: 0 1553 6 31915 01553 631915 o pen: M onday tto oS aturday open: Monday Saturday 10am-4.30pm 10am-4.30pm web: www.allezchic.co.uk www.allezchic.co.uk web:
TThe he O Old ld S School, ch o o l , C Castle astle R Rising, ising King's K i n g ' s Lynn Ly n n PE31 P E 3 1 6AG 6 AG
Cocktail C ocktail ddresses resses & ccruise ruise we wear ear are always always available available at... at... are
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Bespoke curtains and blinds for all your soft furnishing needs
Tel. 01553 776411 / 07920 747157
KLmagazine September 2016
ooff S Sutton utton B Bridge ridge
Sizes Opening S izes 1100 - 26 26 | O pening ttimes imes 99am am - 55pm pm Closed Wednesdays Sundays C losed W ednesdays aand nd S undays
1108 08 B Bridge ridge R Road, oad, S Sutton utton B Bridge ridge P PE12 E12 99SA SA Tel: Tel: 001406 1406 3350961 50961
www.cindysfashions.co.uk w ww.cindysfashions.co.uk
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Lyndon Fleece Gilet by Schoffel (£129.95) LINGS COUNTRY GOODS | Great Massingham 01485 520828 68
KLmagazine September 2016
Fine Interiors & design
VISIT OUR NEW SHOP IN S WA F F H A M TO W N C E N T R E !
Poppi In nteri terio ors rs
Tel: T el: 01760 01760 722541 722541 | 19a 19a market market place, place, Swaffham Swaffham PE37 PE37 7LA 7LA | www.poppiinteriors.co.uk www.poppiinteriors.co.uk
A Adult dult Superstore Superstore
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Lings Country Goods for all your country pursuits
Wide range of top brand country clothing • BARBOUR • DUBARRY • MUSTO • SCHÖFFEL • LE CHAMEAU • CHRYSALIS TOGGI • HUCKLECOTE • DEERHUNTER • SEELAND • HARKILA • ZOO Also stocking guns, ammunition & shooting accessories
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Unit 2 Beveridge Way, Hardwick Narrows, King’s Lynn, PE30 4NB OPEN: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
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KLmagazine September 2016
all terrain and utility terrain vehicles Heath Farm, Great Massingham PE32 2HJ www.lingscountrygoods.co.uk www.mortonatv.com | Tel: 01485 520828
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Everything Outdoor opens a new showcase for style... With stores already at Sandringham and Holkham, Everything Outdoor is now bringing distinctive fashions to another Norfolk destination t’s been a remarkable six years for Julie Garner. Starting with a simple website selling an American mosquito repellant she’d discovered, she found interest in her approach to customer service and high-quality clothing so great she eventually decided to open a physical store – and two years after opening the first Everything Outdoor store at the Sandringham Visitor Centre, she opened a second in the equally beautiful Reading Room at Holkham Village. Everything Outdoor offers a comprehensive range of clothing for men, women and children that ranges from hard-core country to on-trend lifestyle collections, all characterised by an emphasis on quality – and the two stores have gone from strength to strength. “Both stores have been doing really well and we’ve just had our best-ever month at Sandringham,” says Julie. “To
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be honest, the thought of expanding further and opening a third store really wasn’t part of my plans.” That was all to change, however, when Julie was approached by one of her fashion suppliers to oversee the buying for the fashion outlet at Wroxham Barns on the edge of the Norfolk Broads. The site had been a derelict farm when it was purchased by Ian Russell MBE in 1983, and over the next three decades it’s been transformed into an awardwinning centre for local crafts, showcasing everything from locallyproduced cider to jewellery and pottery. The junior farm, garden centre and 18hole minigolf course (home of this year’s British MiniGolf Championship) have turned Wroxham Barns into one of the county’s premier tourist destinations. “The first day I visited it was out of season, and it was a Thursday morning at 10am,” Julie remembers, “but there were already 50 cars in the car park! I
KLmagazine September 2016
realised there must be something very special here.” Indeed, the meeting of Wroxham Barns and Everything Outdoor was a meeting of kindred spirits. “At Sandringham and Holkham, we’ve been operating from two of Norfolk’s most distinctive locations,” says Julie, “and Wroxham Barns fits that perfectly. It’s a lovely family-friendly location and it’s a wonderful destination in its own right. It was a marvellous opportunity.” It was an easy decision to make, and Julie decided to take over the fashion outlet completely, opening a third Everything Outdoor store and bringing more style to a new part of the county. Everything Outdoor has already successfully re-introduced menswear to Wroxham Barns and is now looking to extend a unique approach to style in time for the 2016 Autumn/Winter collections. “I’ve always wanted Everything Outdoor to offer fashion in addition to more traditional country styles,” says Julie, “and this is the perfect setting in which to do that.” The fabulous space with its striking mezzanine gallery and old wooden beams is currently home to brands such as Joules, Sea Salt, White Stuff, Alice
Collins and Tulchan – but Julie’s hoping to bring names such as White Vanilla, Jack Murphy, Lighthouse and Kanyon Outdoor to the new store in the near future. The new store is already part of the Everything Outdoor loyalty card scheme – and the service of moving stock around the three stores to suit customers in different parts of the county is a real bonus that will be enhanced with the forthcoming introduction of a Click and Collect service. “That’s always been very important to us and it’s something that few people are able or willing to do,” she says. “Our entire stock will soon be online and people will be order the style they like and then specify the most convenient store to pick it up from!” Wroxham Barns holds two fashion events every year, and the next takes place at the end of this month for five days starting Tuesday 27th September. It’s a great opportunity to see the new Everything Outdoor range and enjoy a preview of the new collections. “One of the main reason we decided to open the store at Wroxham Barns was that the whole ethos of the site is very much like our own,” says Julie. ”It's
very customer-focused and nothing is too much trouble. That’s what really attracted me.” For high quality clothing, for individual styles that are perfect for you, and for friendly, personal customer service, there’s nothing quite like Everything Outdoor – beautifully distinctive fashions in truly distinctive locations.
Everything Outdoor
Web: www.everythingoutdoor.co.uk E-mail: info@everythingoutdoor.co.uk
HOLKHAM The Reading Room, Holkham Village, Norfolk NR23 1RG Tel: 01328 712120 SANDRINGHAM Sandringham Visitor Centre, Norfolk PE35 6EH Tel: 01485 298082 WROXHAM BARNS Tunstead Road, Hoveton, Norfolk NR12 8QU Tel: 01603 783762
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Fashion
ABOVE: Emily Blake (fifth from left) with fellow contestants at the United Nations Pageant in Jamaica earlier this year, where she was crowned Europe Ambassador for the United Nations.
The local beauty who’s on top of the world... Clare Bee talks to local model and presenter Emily Blake about her inspirational journey – from being bullied at school to being crowned Europe Ambassador for the United Nations
E
mily Blake is at last going places. As a little girl, all she wanted to do was sing and dance – she was always at her happiest when performing, either for her family or at school. She came from a creative family and was encouraged to follow her heart and do what came naturally. However, even at an early age in junior school, Emily stood out from the crowd due to her hair and skin colour – and the fact she was always happy. She became the target of bullying, something that followed her into secondary school, and it wasn’t until her Dad said to her that “words are only
KLmagazine September 2016
wind that will blow away” that she realised she didn’t have to be defined by bullying. Whilst at Springwood High School, Emily belonged to the Boomerang Theatre Group and was lucky enough to be chosen to go on tour with them to Australia in 2008. On her return she applied to the University of Bedford, the only place in the country to offer a course in media and performance. She’d been thinking about a course in journalism and drama and was thrilled to find this course would include scripting, TV presenting and radio directing. “As soon as I went there, I knew this
was the place for me,” she says. Emily went on to do a post graduate course in presenting before the camera and even considered applying to do a Masters. In fact, so impressed were the course leaders they asked Emily to talk to a panel about the viability of running a future Master course. However, in 2012, the death of Emily’s grandma had a profound effect on her. She’d been a huge part of Emily’s life, encouraging her and supporting her, and for a while she felt she lost her way. But the thought of how her grandmother had always been there for her somehow pushed her to turn her life around, lose some weight
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and start to feel good about herself again. A chance search online lead her to finding out about beauty pageants in the region. Miss Universe Norfolk was being held at Dunston Hall near Norwich, and on a whim, Emily decided to enter. “It was amazing, and I loved it,” she says. “Suddenly I was making new friends, getting my confidence back, and everything was shouting at me to do this.” More than that, she knew her grandmother would really have been proud of her. But this was more than a so-called beauty pageant: there were motivational talks, exercises for breaking through negative thoughts, and help in how to conduct yourself in interviews. Although Emily wasn’t placed in her first pageant, she did receive a great response from the audience and 74
postive feedback from the judges. On a high from this experience and wanting to keep it going, Emily spotted the Miss British Beauty Curve competition and thought “that’s me!” Discovering the winner goes on to present the pageant the following year, Emily entered in 2014, duly won it – and went on to present it the next year. In fact, she’s such a natural presenter that she’s now been asked to present it every year, and was excited to visit Brighton to present this year’s pageant at the end of July. Emily is keen to emphasise that bigger contestants can enter normal pageants, but on the whole don’t tend to. “Miss Beauty Curve is all about being accepted and having something in common,” she says. “Size should be about being the best you can be, being healthy and not having something forced on you. To love and accept who
you are is the key – as people can be so miserable when constantly trying and failing to be what they’re not.” Emily’s wins at Miss British Beauty Curve lead her into plus-size modelling, but more importantly to her, an invitation to represent Great Britain in this year’s United Nations pageant, which was held in Jamaica in July. Sponsored by Karen Messam Make Up Artistry, Emily was judged on a range of aspects, including sportswear, evening wear and national costume – as well as her work in the community and her ability to conduct herself in interviews. It was a full programme, with photo shoots and even a national cook-off – Emily chose to make two desserts she’d enjoyed at school! The contestants also spent their time helping at a local Christian Boys’ home, painting it and giving precious time to children who otherwise would have little connection with people from other walks of life. Emily was delighted to be crowned Europe Ambassador for the United Nations, and is keen to explain that this means she will always be an ambassador, as only one contestant can be crowned with the title. After this life changing experience, Emily now has plans to start her own foundation and possibly her own business. The support and confidence it has instilled in her have inspired her to help those who are struggling to cope, in ways that Emily herself recognises. Having been on the end of bullying herself at a younger age, she wants to create a programme of confidence workshops she can take into schools. “Children these days struggle with self esteem and unattainable lifestyles,” she says. “That’s partly due to the pressures of social media, and I think that sharing my experiences could help them feel more confident about themselves.” She also wants to stay in touch with the school in Jamaica and host a cosmetic line for her sponsor Karen Messam. Karen is herself from Jamaica and regularly provides makeup and beauty advice to pageant competitors, models and musicians. But more than anything, Emily wants to make a change. She’s proven you can rise above bullying and knocks to become confident and strive to be the best you can. “I feel truly lucky and blessed,” she says. “I was stuck for a while, but now I’m in a very good place, and I want to be a role model for others. I want others to think as I did – look at me, you can’t dim my lights. You can do it!”
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The
Coach & Horses Dersingham
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Knights K nigh htts Hill Hill Hotel Hotel & Spa Sp pa a South So S ou utth W Wootton, oo ottton, K King’s ing g’’s L Lynn, yn y nn, P PE30 E30 3 3HQ HQ 01553 675566 T0 1553 6 75 7 55 56 66 6 6 conference@knightshill.co.uk Ec onfe erren nce ce@k kn niig gh htttsssh hil h iilll..c co.uk
mb e r September 18th Septe ay 18th unday Sund 6th - S 16th riday 1 F Frida ciders ales & cider real ales off real tion o selection stic selec Fantastic • Fanta y a d day y r e v e music every Live music • Live etails details ore d more or m k ffor ok aceboo n ffacebo on us o find us or find website or ur websit our Visitt o
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Christmas Party Nights Limited space available on our very popular party nights 2nd December £38.00 per person 15th, 22nd December £35.00 per person 7th January 2017 £32.00 per person Includes 3 course festive menu and disco
New Year’s Eve Party Celebrate the New Year in style with our New Year’s eve party in the barn. 3 course dinner and disco £65.00 per person
www.thecoachpub.com 01485 540391 w ww.thecoachpub.com | 0 1485 5 40391 77 Dersingham, PE31 6LN 7 7 Manor Manor Road, Road, D ersingham, King’s King’s Lynn Lynn P E31 6 LN
KLmagazine September 2016
For more details visit www.abacushotels.co.uk for a copy of our Christmas brochure
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Food & Drink
Sausage Roast Serves: 6-8 INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS 1kg 400g quality sausage meat 3 garlic cloves grated 1 tbs fennel seeds (toasted until fragrant in a dry frying pan, cooled and ground to a powder) 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2 dried bay leaves toasted and ground to a powder 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 tbsp whole fennel seeds toasted until fragrant in a dry frying pan 1 tsp chilli flakes finely grated zest of 1 lemon 100ml white wine 50g butter softened 76
METHOD M ETHOD 1 Place sausage meat in a large mixing bowl. Add garlic, ground fennel, oregano, cayenne pepper and ground bay leaves. Get your hands in and start to work everything together. You need to knead it like dough for at least 5 minutes to stretch the protein, this forms a tighter mix that holds the shape better. 2 Next add the parsley, whole fennel seeds, chilli flakes, lemon zest and white wine. Mix together with your hands. 3 Rub one side of a large sheet of tin foil with the butter. Place the sausage meat on the foil and form into the shape of a log approximately 25cm long. Try to ensure the meat is quite tightly packed together.
secure the ends tightly, like a Christmas cracker. Place the roll in the fridge to firm up for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. 5 When you are ready to cook it preheat the oven to 180°c/gas mark 4. 6 Roast the sausage in its foil for 40 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven, unravel the tin foil and put the sausage back in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rich golden brown. 7 Serve with all your favourite traditional roast dinner accompaniments. This really is delicious!
Recipe by Van Pelt Butchers 4 Once you have made a giant sausage shape, roll the tinfoil over the top and
108 Norfolk Street, King's Lynn PE30 1AQ Tel: 01553 773536 KLmagazine September 2016
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Call us to discuss your plans on 01553 773536 Find us: 108 Norfolk St, King's Lynn PE30 1AQ Email: anthony.barton@ymail.com
Monday-Fr iday 12no on-2pm JUST £6.95 OR 2 for £12.99! Join us for a delicious carvery lunch during the week. Choose from either Beef or Turkey, accompanied by all of the trimmings!
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Christmas Menu 1 Nov-18 Dec, 12-9pm All group sizes welcome
Old Hunstanton Road, Old Hunstanton, Norfolk PE36 6HH t: 01485 533486 e: mail@caleyhallhotel.co.uk www.caleyhallhotel.co.uk
KLmagazine September 2016
Christmas bookings now being taken
Contact us for more details
Clenchwarton Road, West Lynn King’s Lynn PE34 3LW Web: brewersfayre.co.uk
Tel: 01553 772221 77
Food & Drink
Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 10 minutes Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS 250g lean pork 100g cut green beans 1 small onion sliced 1⁄4 red pepper coarsely chopped 1⁄4 green pepper coarsely chopped 20g thai basil leaves 4 thai bird’s eye chillis crushed for medium heat (more if hotter dish desired) 2 cloves of garlic crushed 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp water or pork stock 1⁄2 tsp sugar 1⁄2 tsp fish sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil 78
Pork Pad Krapow (Pork Stir Fried with Thai Basil Leaves) METHOD 1 Combine the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl and set aside. 2 Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan on a medium high heat. 3 Add the garlic and chillis, stir fry until fragrant.
6 Pour in the combined mix of the oyster and fish sauce, and the sugar and water. Stir until all of the ingredients are coated. You can taste sauce and adjust to your liking. 7 Lastly, add Thai basil leaves and stir in. 8 Serve on a warm plate with steamed jasmine rice. This dish is traditionally served in Thailand with a crispy fried egg.
4 Add the pork and stir until its no longer pink inside. 5 Then add the peppers, onion and green beans, and stir fry for approx 2 minutes until they are crisp and tender.
Recipe by Thai Royale 77 Lynn Road, Gaywood, King's Lynn Tel: 01553 760299 KLmagazine September 2016
Our local, tasty fish will make for the perfect warming fish pie this Autumn
Want to eat healthier? W hy not tr y our delicious, low calorie fish! Cockles in shells Tuna & swordfish now available! Lobsters & crabs Local oysters & shellfish Jumbo raw praw wns Fresh and smoked fish Free range eggs & local honey
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KLmagazine September 2016
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Food & Drink
Raspberry, Almond and White Chocolate Loaf cake METHOD METHOD 1 Prepare a 2lb loaf tin by greasing and lining it with baking parchment. 2 Cream together the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. IINGREDIENTS NGREDIENTS 150g butter 150g caster sugar 2 eggs zest of lemon 50ml milk 200g self raising 100g almonds 100g white chocolate 150g fresh raspberries
3 Beat the eggs and milk and add a little at a time to the sugar and butter mixing well to combine. Don't worry if the mixture curdles as it will come together again when the flour is added. 4 Finely grate and add the zest of a lemon. 5 Next, sieve the flour into the mixture along with the ground almonds and stir gently with a metal spoon or use a mixer on a low speed. Do not over mix as this can create a heavier cake.
6 Add white chocolate chips or a finely chopped bar of white chocolate along with 3/4 of the raspberries. 7 Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin smoothing the top and placing the remaining raspberries into the top. 8 Cook in a preheated oven at 160°c for 50-60 mins. Test the cake with a metal skewer, when it comes out clean your cake is cooked. 9 Leave to cool a little in the tin then turn out. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve for a fabulous autumn treat!
Recipe by The Folly Tearoom 4 Hopperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yard, Bull Street, Holt NR25 6LN Tel: 01263 713569 Web: www.follytearoom.co.uk 80
KLmagazine September 2016
A charming way to spend Enjoy a bite to eat in o
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KLmagazine September 2016
Sun:
SATURDAY 17TH SEPT, 8PM
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46 Market Mark e t Place, Place, LLong ong Sut Sutton t on PE12 9JF www .p almer slongsut t on. co .uk 01406 365554 www.palmerslongsutton.co.uk
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Food & Drink
RestaurantReview R estaurantReview
KL magazine visits The Chequers Inn...
S
tanding proud on the High Street as you drive through the lovely village of Thornham sits The Chequers Inn, a beautiful and historic 16th century pub that's recently undergone a quite stunning refurbishment. Along with its prime coastal location, the pub offers a variety of excellent locally-sourced menus, luxurious bedrooms, contemporary yet cosy interiors - it's definitely worth discovering! The interior of the pub has been completely revitalised and it's nice to see the history of the pub has been lovingly retained, with rustic and stylish furnishings balanced by a contemporary grey colour scheme. It’s probably one of the most attractive pubs I’ve visited in the area! In addition to plenty of outside seating in the courtyard, The Chequers offers a unique dining experience for large groups under the cover of elegant pavilions - which seat up to 14 and are perfect for parties. After selecting a drink from the wellstocked bar (which featured a fantastic
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variety of local ales, beers and spirits) we sat ourselves down at a table in the sunshine - a great spot in which to enjoy a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a refreshing Norfolk Gin and tonic. We were greeted personally by the manager Steven, who kindly offered us the menus and (as we felt rather spoilt for choice) gave us his recommendations. He said the pub is now offering its special ‘Norfolk Tapas’ as starters because they've proved so popular, and there was also a gorgeous-sounding selection of pizzas. These are authentically stone-baked with a selection of distinctive toppings which we felt could rival any pizza restaurant. To start we chose three dishes from the Tapas menu - the cider braised crispy pork belly with apple compote; the sweetcorn and coriander fritters with sweet chilli sauce; and the Wells crab and spring onion beignet with dill aioli. The tapas were served in locallyhandmade bowls on natural wooden planks, which looked beautiful. The crab really did shine, with both of us agreeing it was absolutely delicious; light and fluffy inside with a crisp coating and a fragrant flavour. The pork was lovely and tender and sprinkled with fennel seeds (a great combination) and although they could have been crispier, they were extremely tasty. The sweetcorn fritters were also fantastic, served hot with a lovely fresh, Asian inspired taste. For mains we really couldn’t decide, so after much deliberation Steven
kindly offered us a small-sized Devilled Wells crab with salt and pepper (samphire and rocket) pizza so we could try them along with the Moroccan spiced Westlake Farm lamb burger and a portion of the grilled fillet of smoked haddock. All the dishes were outstanding. The burger (served with red cabbage coleslaw, minted mayonnaise and Cajun fries) was big, juicy, pink in the middle and packed with flavour, while every element in the fish dish (chive mashed potato, wilted spinach, a poached duck egg and a parmesan cream sauce) worked together brilliantly, and offered a mouthwatering mix of textures. And (thanks to Steven) the pizza was outstanding, with fresh local crab offset by the peppery rocket and salty samphire, garnished with a delightful kick of red chillies. It was marvellous. Although we’d eaten far too much, we just couldn’t resist a dessert from the fantastic variety of puddings to choose from, so we opted to share the warm treacle tart with honey-roasted apricots. It was everything a dessert should be - sweet, moreish and featuring truly excellent pastry! Our whole bill totalled approximately £60, which we thought was great value for food of such quality. Whether you’re looking for some nibbles and drink, a unique party with friends, or a romantic dinner for two The Chequers Inn is an outstanding pub in a fabulous location. It really does tick all the boxes!
FOOD
9.5 9 .5
SERVICE
10 1 0
VALUE
10 1 0
THE CHEQUERS INN High Street, Thornham PE36 6LY Telephone: 01485 512229 Web: www.chequersinnthornham.com KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
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Food & Drink
Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream IINGREDIENTS NGREDIENTS 55g/2oz butter 170g/6oz muscovado sugar 3 eggs 1 tbsp golden syrup 200g/7oz self raising flour 200g/7oz pitted dates 1tsp bicarbonate soda FOR THE SAUCE F OR T HE S AUCE 110ml/4fl.oz double cream 55g/2oz butter 55g/2oz muscovado sugar
METHOD METHOD 1 Preheat oven to 200°c/400f/Gas 6 and line a deep baking tray with damp grease proof paper. 2 Cover the dates with cold water and golden syrup, boil gently until the water looks syrupy. 3 Cream the butter and muscovado sugar until pale and add the eggs one at a time, then add the flour in two halves and mix on a low speed. 4 Blend the dates and water until smooth then add to the cake mixture and combine
well. Sprinkle over the bicarbonate soda and mix until also well combined. 5 Transfer into a cake tin and bake for 30 mins until springy to touch. 6 Heat all of the sauce ingredients together until boiling, whist stirring. 7 Prick cake all over with a cocktail stick, pour over the sauce and leave to soak through. 8 Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top.
Recipe by Angela Thompson, Pastry Chef at The Berney Arms Church Road, Barton Bendish PE33 9GF Tel: 01366 347995 Web: www.theberneyarms.co.uk 84
KLmagazine September 2016
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Gate Gate Inn Inn
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H Hill ill Road, Road, Fair Fair Green, Green, Middleton, Middleton, PE32 PE32 1RW 1RW | Tel: Tel: 01553 01553 840518 840518
w www.thegatemiddleton.co.uk ww.thegatemiddleton.co.uk
We crea create rea ate te t e the r rooms roo ooms m y you ou will lL to o live ive in in! n n! LOVE OVE Et Fu Fullly ly fitted Kitchens fro from m just £
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KING’S LYNN 48 Bergen Way (next to Citroen) North Lynn Industrial Estate, King’s Lynn PE30 2JG Tel: 01553 762749
HUNSTANTON 2-4 Northgate Precinct (opp. Natwest, High St) Hunstanton PE36 6EA Tel: 01485 534965
Great Great fitted furniture furniture made locally for for you
www.kingsoakkitchens.co.uk KLmagazine September 2016
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B r i g ht e n
Have you r stea k co oke d just how you like it at you r t able wit h ou r f lambé stea ks! O u r à la ca rte menu offers a deliciou s s ele ctio n of aut hentic Italia n cuisi ne a s well a s Engli sh dis hes
Tel: 01945 880099 | www.lacapanna.biz S cho ol Ro a d, Ter rington St Joh n, Wisb e ch PE 14 7 S E O p en: We d - Sat 12 - 2pm & 6:30 - 9:3 0 Su n: 12:0 0 - 2:3 0
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Call us on: 01553 842255 204 Main Road, West Winch, King’s Lynn, PE33 0NP Open 7 Days a Week - 12noon-2pm & 5pm-10:30pm www.orientalpalacewestwinch.co.uk
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strattons hotel with self catering, restaurant and café deli
boutique luxurious classic contemporary heart of norfolk award winning restaurant afternoon tea cocoes café deli self catering Luxury without sacrifice to the environment ash close swaffham norfolk pe37 7nh 01760 723845 enquiries@strattonshotel.com www.strattonshotel.com
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Choice of four meats* and a vast selection of vegetables and accompaniments - for just £11 Available Th ur sd ay 12n oo n - 2p m and Su n da y 1 2 n oo n - 3 p m . B oo k i n g i s a dv i s e d. SENIOR CITIZEN CARVERIES Available on Thursday, just £9.50! * Subject to availability
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01553 811326 | www.theangelpub.webs.com | 41 School Road, Watlington, King’s Lynn, PE33 0HA KLmagazine September 2016
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Local Arts
J
immy Osmond needs no introduction. The youngest member of the 1970s superstar Osmond Family, he received his first gold record aged five and in 1972 became the youngest performer to have a No.1 single on the UK Singles Chart. As a solo artist, Jimmy has recorded six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums. He’s starred in feature films, TV shows (everything from I’m a Celebrity... to Come Dine with Me) and he’s even authored a semi-autobiographical children’s picture book about possums. Now he’s bringing his own inimitable style to King’s Lynn with a glittering tribute to the ever-popular singer Andy Williams. JR: Why are you celebrating your 50th anniversary in show business with a tribute to Andy Williams? JIMMY OSMOND: I actually began my performing career aged three singing with Andy Williams on his television series. My brothers were already on the show, so I started working with them – I was the little guy who’d run on and be goofy. I was the novelty guy, like a mascot. JR: What do you think made Andy so special as a performer? JIMMY OSMOND: He had such a smooth voice. You could tell he was a genuinely nice guy. I don’t think I could ever sound like him, but I can help celebrate his melodies together with an audience. The show is coming from a sincere place, and there aren’t many people who could pull it off because they wouldn’t have that connection with Andy.
He’s still smiling after 50 years...
JR: Your show is more than a tribute though, isn’t it? JIMMY OSMOND: Very much so. The Williams family has kindly allowed me to use clips of Andy featuring everyone from Dick Van Dyke to John Wayne. When I start singing You’re Just Too Good to be True you’ll see it being performed by Andy on the video walls. And when I do Love Story, Andy sings it with me on the big screen. It brings back great memories for thousands of people.
Celebrating half a century in showbusiness this year, Jimmy Osmond talks to James Rampton about his remarkable career and the special tribute show he’s bringing to King’s Lynn next month... 88
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our mother and were performing at the Royal Variety Show in Scotland. The Queen stopped in front of me and remembered my mom, who’d presented her with a copy of The Book of Mormon. I was really touched – what an amazing memory and so much compassion. One of those moments you never forget.
ABOVE: The Osmonds at the height of their fame in the 1970s. The television career of Jimmy Osmond (front row, right) spans some 50 years – from the Andy Williams Show (below left) to Masterchef (below right)
JR: What’s it like for you to sing these classic songs? JIMMY OSMOND: I’ve worked my whole life in showbiz and I have such fond memories of Andy’s show. When you sing a wonderful song so many times, it takes you back to your memories of growing up. These songs remind me of performing in Las Vegas – not just with Andy, but also with Frank Sinatra and Elvis. JR: What do you remember about working with Elvis? JIMMY OSMOND: We shared a dressing room at the Las Vegas Hilton. My parents thought it would be cute for me to do a number dressed as Elvis, but I was sick on stage. I threw up all over the front row! My brothers picked me up and I kept going, but I saw Elvis was watching from the lighting box. I was mortified about it.
seems to know all the words. It’s still the biggest-selling Osmond record ever. It sold close to two million copies – although I didn’t get a dime for it! I do a rocking version of it now with a flaming guitar. People love that because it’s me having fun with it. JR: When you look back over such a long career, is it possible to pick out the highlights? JIMMY OSMOND: Well, I have performed for The Queen twice – singing ‘that’ song on one occasion. I remember standing in the line after the show next to Roger Moore and Liza Minnelli, and as The Queen approached me I said “hello, Mrs Queen!” I think she saw the funny side! Much later on in life, we’d just lost
JR: How did your children’s book, The Awesome Possum Family Band come about? JIMMY OSMOND: The problem for today’s kids is a lack of self-esteem, so when I was asked to write a book I thought I’d write about my life, but I’d try to make it positive. If there’s a moral in the story it’s that you may be one of many (I was the ninth child in our family) but you can still make a difference. In the end, we all have value. JR: You’re also a very talented caricature artist. How did that start? JIMMY OSMOND: When I was young and we were on tour in the UK, we had police around us all the time to protect us from the crowds. I remember being rushed onto a plane with a policeman. I was sitting waiting for everyone else, and the officer drew half a character, asking me to draw the other half. “You’re quite good at this!” he said. I was just eight at the time, but he really inspired me. JR: You were a huge hit on I’m a Celebrity... but did you enjoy it as much as the audience? JIMMY OSMOND: I loved it. I sing all the time – I just can’t help it. My wife calls me the little jukebox. The producers of I’m a Celebrity didn’t want
JR: You’ve always had a special relationship with British audiences – can you explain that? JIMMY OSMOND: I’m really surprised the fans have stuck with us for so long, but I’m delighted by their loyalty. It’s special in the UK because it’s not just about me being an Osmond. It’s about me being me. I’ve done reality TV shows in the UK but they’re just for fun and not to sell anything. The British like that. They like people who can laugh at themselves – and there’s a lot to laugh at if you look at my history! JR: Talking of which, What do you think now of your record-breaking hit Long Haired Lover from Liverpool? JIMMY OSMOND: Everybody still loves that song! Everyone over the age of 20
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but I can make something out of nothing, and my kids love that. I created a dish called ‘tacone’ – I love ice cream and I love Mexican food, so I put them both together. My kids are constantly asking me for it. JR: Do you have a signature dish? JIMMY OSMOND: I have two. I have a killer fillet mignon with Jimmy’s special sauce, goat’s cheese and potatoes in balsamic vinegar. It’s simple, yet hopefully real yummy. The other is a macadamia-encrusted tilapia stuffed with peppers and asparagus on a bed of wild rice. JR: After 50 years in showbiz, you’re still very well balanced and happy. How have you managed it? JIMMY OSMOND: We were raised to look for improvements. When Long Haired Lover from Liverpool hit the top of the charts, I said to my father “Dad, isn’t that cool?” – and he just gave me a broom and told me to clean the yard! I think that approach saved us because it taught us not to believe our own hype. We could have gone off the rails, but my parents’ attitude helped us to keep our feet on the ground. We don’t put our gold records on the walls. It wasn’t ever about that. It wasn’t about accolades. It was about learning the craft. I’ve never taken myself too seriously – and that’s my secret to being happy! ABOVE: The Osmonds reunited for a special reunion show in Las Vegas earlier this year. Jimmy puts the family’s long and happy success down to the influence of their parents. “How we treat each other really matters,” he says.
to pay the clearance fees, so in the jungle we simply wrote our own songs. JR: You’re clearly a very close family off stage, as well as on. What’s the Osmond secret? JIMMY OSMOND: Because we were raised together, we learned to get over things very quickly. We still have scars, but we really love each other. We had fantastic parents who loved each other and gave us a great code of life. We always put family first. Some people think we’re crazy, but I believe in that philosophy. How we treat each other really matters. JR: Why are the Osmonds still so popular? JIMMY OSMOND: We’re still around because we haven’t burned any bridges. We’ve always tried to leave a little bit on the table. It’s such a greedy business, but if you leave a bit on the table, you’ll be asked back. It’s not about amassing loads of money. It’s about the experience. That’s why I love live events. You’re giving that unique experience to people.
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JR: How do you like to relax? JIMMY OSMOND: I like to fly remotecontrolled planes in Utah. I put cameras on them and photograph the landscape. I try to land them, but I crash them more often than not! We buy great planes and fight with them – and whoever loses has to do some major forfeit. JR: We know from Masterchef that you’re a keen cook. When did that start? JIMMY OSMOND: Very early! When I was a little boy Donny and Marie would pretend they had a hotel called Donmarie – and the only way I could play along was by opening Jimmy’s Restaurant. I had a padlock on the fridge and if the family wouldn’t pay me to make them food, I’d throw a tantrum! I had my first restaurant when I was 13, and I still own one. I was actually the first person to sell frozen yoghurt in Utah! JR: Do you cook at home? JIMMY OSMOND: Yes – cookery is a show in itself. My wife is a great cook,
JIMMY OSMOND: MOON RIVER AND ME King’s Lynn Corn Exchange Friday 28th October (7.30pm) For tickets, please call the Box Office on 01553 764864 or book online at www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk
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History
ABOVE: The present-day Trinity Guildhall and Town Hall of King’s Lynn dates from 1420s, but its origins lay in the granting of a borough charter to the town by King John (opposite) in 1204.
King’s Lynn and the legacy of King John... He died 800 years ago next month but he’s still one of England’s most controversial rulers. King John had an indelible impact on the country – and on King’s Lynn, as Paul Richards explains
L
ast year we were celebrating the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta as the beginning of the long march to parliamentary democracy in the Anglo-Saxon world, and 2016 is the 800th anniversary of the death of King John – the controversial monarch who died a year after putting his name to the famous document. During John’s reign (1199 -1216), Lynn arrived in the premier league of England’s growing towns. However, it remained subservient to the bishops of Norwich, the town’s ecclesiastical overlords, from whom its merchant rulers sought independence. The King’s grant of a borough charter
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in 1204 was simply a first but important step towards that political goal – it cost 100 marks (£33), which was a huge amount in 1204. Lynn was already a wealthy town as the king’s 1205 tax on imports and exports passing through England’s ports told. Only London, Boston and Southampton paid King John more! What difference did the royal charter make? The formation of a Merchant Guild was a genuine breakthrough for its merchants, who could use this civic and religious body to build a degree of self-government. Moreover, Lynn’s merchant rulers were given freedom from taxes and tolls throughout England (except for
London) and foreign travellers were assured of the security and safe passage required to boost the town’s commerce. Germans, Norwegians, Flemings and Frenchmen were already visitors to the Wash haven. In King John’s reign, merchants from northern German towns began sailing their ships to Lynn, not as members of the Hanseatic League (which didn’t yet exist) but as men of the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Trinity or Merchant Guild established in 1204 sprang from a meeting of Lynn merchants, probably in St Margaret’s Church as they had no hall as yet. They elected an alderman or headman to ensure the smooth running
KLmagazine September 2016
History
Foul as it is, hell itself is made fouler by the presence of King John... – Matthew Paris Benedictine monk, c.1230 of this Great Guild and various officers were appointed. He took the initiative in the development of town government, involving electoral machinery to appoint a Common Council with a Mayor. The 1204 Charter also granted Lynn a Borough Court to free it from the jurisdiction of the County Courts controlled by the Sheriff of Norfolk. We’re presently unsure when the Merchant Guild and Borough Council (they were virtually the same) were accommodated in a purpose-built Hall on the Saturday Market Place. Today’s Holy Trinity Guildhall (or Town Hall) is largely a rebuild of the 1420s. An archive relating to the management of the town by its merchant rulers grew over time – and such written records were critical to Lynn’s unfolding independence and civic status. Similar borough archives in town halls across Hanseatic Europe retain and uphold such urban identities and freedoms. In 1216, King John was still embroiled in Civic War as the baronial party opposing him was bolstered by the invasion of King Louis of France. The desperate English monarch travelled north and actually stayed in Lynn from 9th-12th October 1216, before riding to Wisbech, where he rested in the Bishop of Ely’s castle. Reputedly, John overindulged in eating and drinking at Lynn, almost certainly in Bishop John De Grey’s palace, which had an extensive wine cellar. The King departed Lynn with his entourage by road for Wisbech on 12th October 1216, but the heavy and slow moving waggon train took a short cut
Medieval monarchs were expected to be fierce, and John fulfilled those expectations. The ‘empire’ he inherited was increasingly ungovernable and his great achievement is that he held things together for as long as he did... – Graham Seel, Head of History St Paul’s School, London, 2015 KLmagazine September 2016
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History
ABOVE: King John presents his sword to the Mayor of King’s Lynn in a panel of the great west window of Lynn Minster. King John is alleged to have lost most of his wealth and belongings in an ill-judged crossing of the Wash a few days before he died. The famous and priceless King John Cup (left) is one of King’s Lynn’s greatest treasures, but apart form its name it has little to do with the controversial king.
to Lincolnshire across the Wash. Unfortunately, the person responsible for planning this time-saving but hazardous crossing had either misjudged the speed of the incoming tide or had failed to employ a local guide. The disastrous outcome was the loss of at least part of the waggon train and no doubt several lives by drowning. We don’t know whether or not King John lost any treasure in the Wash as legend tells. We do know the distressed King reached Newark (60 miles north of Lynn) where he died a few days later on 18th October. His body was taken to Worcester by mercenaries to rest at the Cathedral of his favourite Saint, Wulfstan. Almost 600 years later, an enthusiastic group of amateur archaeologists used crowbars to open
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up the tomb of King John. For a short time, they gazed upon the long-dead king before his body collapsed into dust. No doubt much to their disappointment, they found no jewels within the tomb. Before leaving King John in peace (finally!) they did note he was dressed in a plain monk’s habit, was about 5’4’’ in height and had perfect teeth –which they proved by taking two of them away, along with one of the king’s thumb bones. Lynn is famously the home of the King John Cup and the King John Sword – yet neither actually belonged to the monarch. The exquisite and famous King John Cup dates from the 1330s or 1340s and is widely regarded as being a true masterpiece of medieval European art. In 1548 it was in the possession of the Holy Trinity Guild, whose origin was the Merchant Guild established under
the 1204 Charter. King John was no doubt regarded as the founder of this Great Guild and hence the treasure’s name. On the west window of Lynn Minster King John can be seen presenting his sword to the town’s mayor. But the sword we have today is definitely the product of the 16th century, and was probably made to celebrate Bishop’s Lynn becoming King’s Lynn in 1537, although it was possibly modelled on the medieval sword carried before the mayor. A symbol of local authority, it still goes before the Borough Mayor on civic occasions. King John lived when English towns were rapidly emerging as major players in the nation’s affairs, led by a merchant class whose growing wealth attracted both Kings and bishops. His grants of charters to many English towns reflect their quest for status and independence within a realm where the landed aristocracy still reigned supreme. English towns would have ploughed a similar political path into the 19th century (and beyond) with or without King John. Yet how important is this Frenchspeaking English monarch to Lynn in particular? The town does seem to have a special association with John. So we should surely mark the King’s death in October 2016, 800 years ago at Newark, following an unhappy journey from our booming Wash port.
KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
What’s On
ABOVE: Assistant Curator Dayna Woolbright and Curatorial Trainee Imogen Clarke uncover a treasure trove of childhood memories as they prepare for Lynn Museum’s Little Lives exhibition, which opens later this month
Uncovering the big stories behind little lives As Lynn Museum prepares to open a new exhibition examining the experiences of childhood over the last 200 years, Richard Parr takes a look behind the scenes at the creation of the event
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ver the years, King’s Lynn Museum has featured many fascinating temporary displays shedding light on the town’s history, but while they’ve proved hugely popular, few people consider the work that goes into staging these events. On September 24th, a new exhibition opens, giving the visitor a look back at childhood in the King’s Lynn area spanning the 19th century to the present day. Little Lives: Snapshots of Childhood is a concept that’s been overseen – from idea stage to completed exhibition – by Assistant Curator Dayna Woolbright. However, she’s the first to admit she hasn't been working in isolation. She’s been assisted by Museum Curator
KLmagazine September 2016
Oliver Bone, Curatorial Museum Trainee, Imogen Clarke and Learning Officer Melissa Hawker – while a team of colleagues from the Norfolk Museums Service have been working hard on layout designs for the displays. Dayna says the exhibition’s theme reflects the extensive material available relating to local children and their activities among the museum’s vast collection of some 55,000 items. “The subject of childhood from the 19th century to the present day, means we can place some previously unseen items that have been in storage for some time on show to the general public,” she says. The main idea behind the exhibition is to tell the story of childhood through the eyes of children themselves – and it
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What’s On
ABOVE: The Little Lives exhibition at Lynn Museum explores the childhood experiences of four local families – including the four Breen brothers from the 1960s (left) and the 19th century Monement family, who owned the exquisite dolls house, a star object in the forthcoming display. Top right is the Ruskin School at Heacham, founded in 1900 by Harry Lowerison.
focuses on four families and their individual stories. “We discussed just how we wanted the finished displays to look,” says Dayna, “and these were then drawn-up digitally and we played around with them until we were happy with the finished result. We’re fortunate to work with a great team of creative graphic designers.” Dayna said that considerable thought and discussion always goes into every new exhibition. Various ideas are thrown into the mix. Some are incorporated into the overall design of the displays, and others will never see the light of day. These days, of course, people expect exhibitions to be of a high quality and so the museum staff have to meet these standards in the way they present the information and tell the story of childhood. “The exhibition is based on the experiences of children from four different periods of history,” says Imogen Clarke, “and over the last six months we’ve been researching and developing the best ways of telling those stories.” The exhibition begins with a look at the life of Beatrice Monement, a child who grew up in the 1850s and 1860s. One of the star objects of the
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exhibition is a dolls’ house owned by the Monement family. The Friends of Lynn Museum have kindly funded a new display case that houses this wonderful item. Another of the stories featured will look at the Ruskin School at Heacham – which was founded in 1900 by Harry Bellerby Lowerison. It was financed by public sponsors, and one of the unusual aspects of the privately-run school was that it was for both boys and girls in mixed classes. Mr Lowerison believed in enabling the children to enjoy sports activities and to make good friendships – although his school closed after only 26 years. Another display focuses on the Breen family of Gaywood. The Breens had four boys – Ian, Michael, David and Alistair – who all went to the town’s King Edward VII Grammar School. “The boys’ mother Sheila worked at the museum at one time, and she kindly donated her sons’ uniforms, school notebooks and exam papers,” says Dayna. “That’s really helped bring the exhibition to life. There’s a really lovely photograph of the Breen boys in their school uniforms as well as delightful pictures of the boys when they were babies.” The family lived on Gayton Road and the boys’ father served in the RAF
before working at Barclays Bank in King’s Lynn. “It’s fascinating telling the story of these boys,” says Dayna, “because they grew up in the days before the internet, before mobile phones, and before the now ubiquitous use of social media.” She also explained that the museum had managed to trace Michael Been to Korea (where he now lives) through a newspaper cutting – and he was happy to contribute some detailed memories of school life in King’s Lynn during the 1960s. Visitors to the Little Lives exhibition at Lynn Museum will also be able to enjoy contemporary stories and see some of the most popular toys and games from the last 20 years. It’s hoped the displays will evoke happy memories of visitors’ own childhoods. “I think the exhibition will appeal to all generations,” says Imogen. “We’re hoping people of all ages will take pleasure in exploring the displays and enjoy sharing nostalgic memories of their childhoods – and thoughts on how those early experiences have changed over the years.” The exhibition, which receives funding from Arts Council England, opens on September 24th and runs until summer 2017.
KLmagazine September 2016
KLmagazine September 2016
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Local Life
ABOVE: This image of a pair of puffins ‘billing’ was taken by David Tipling in the Shetland Islands. The birds use ‘billing’ (rubbing their beaks together) as a means of socialising and courting – and the action often draws an excited crowd of other puffins to watch.
Windows of wonder and a thirst for adventure... When David Tipling decided he wanted to become a wildlife photographer, he had little idea it would take him around the world – from storms in Antarctica to tribal wars in the Pacific...
T
he name David Tipling may not be immediately familiar, and you may not recognise his face (right) but you’ve almost certainly seen his work. A largely self-taught wildlife photographer, David has built an international reputation, having authored (or been the commissioned photographer for) more than 30 books, and his amazing images have graced over 500 book covers to date. Sir David Bellamy once described David’s photographs as “windows of wonder” and he won a European Nature Photographer of the Year Award for his
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work on emperor penguins. From his home near Holt, David managed to find time away from the camera to talk to us about his life and work. KL magazine: How did you first become interested in wildlife – and birds in particular? David Tipling: At school we had a bird table fixed to one of the classroom windows. I watched the birds feeding with a mild curiosity, when one day a bird with a bright orange breast, slate grey back and dagger-like bill appeared. It was so striking I wondered what it was.
KLmagazine September 2016
After asking my parents if they knew, they presented me with the Observer’s Book of Birds a week later. I was finally able to identify my mystery bird as a Nuthatch – and at the age of nine I suddenly became obsessed with identifying different birds!
KL magazine: It couldn’t have been that easy? David Tipling: It wasn’t – especially when I spent a lot of money on an MG Midget that turned out to be very attractive to girls but totally impractical for photography! But then I had an idea for a book on the best places to watch birds in Britain and Ireland – with pictures of the landscapes and birds at each site. Top Birding Spots in Britain & Ireland was published in 1995, but the pleasure of having my first book published was tempered by the fact the publisher managed to lose 350 of my best transparencies. It was a devastating loss, but it was a major turning point in my career. The money I received as compensation allowed me to buy a sensible car and the extra equipment I needed – but most importantly, it allowed me to join an expedition to Antarctica, camping on the sea ice next to an Emperor Penguin colony. KL magazine: You’ve worked on over 40 books since then, but ‘Birds & People’ (2013) was probably the most ambitious. Just how big a project was that? David Tipling: Birds & People was a collaboration between myself, author and naturalist Mark Cocker, BirdLife International and our publishers Random House. It also relied on people from all over the world contributing
KLmagazine September 2016
PICTURES: DAVID TIPLING
KL magazine: When did that interest translate into a photographic career? David Tipling: I caught the photography bug around 13 years of age when I started visiting Brands Hatch with schoolfriends and wanted to photograph the racing. I was already into birds and wildlife so it was a natural progression to start photographing birds. All these years later I still have a dream to be a sports photographer! When I left school there was no obvious path to a profession as a wildlife photographer, so I worked as a forester on an estate, and had a spell at Sainsburys and a bank before spending six years with a building society. When I was made redundant in 1992, it was the push I needed. I thought my redundancy money would see me through my first year until I started earning money from my pictures.
PICTURES: A brown hare (top) photographed close to David’s home in Norfolk – a very long way from Snow Hill Island in Antarctica, where he took this fabulous picture (above) of Emperor Penguin chicks during a hazardous expedition in 1998
their stories. In many ways it’s probably my magnum opus, and a huge amount of energy and time went into the project. After six years of dedicating most of our working lives to the project, we were both spent at the end. I visited over 50 countries photographing priceless works of art, remote tribes and bird spectaculars – from displaying Birds of Paradise in the forests of Papua New Guinea to vultures scavenging among people on one of the world’s largest rubbish dumps in India. KL magazine: You’ve been described as one of the most adventurous outdoor photographers in the world – what’s been your greatest adventure? David Tipling: Camping next to an
Emperor Penguin colony in Antarctica back in 1998 was both exhilarating and a really special photographic opportunity. That trip changed my life. We were battered by gale force winds and blizzards for three days, the sea ice we were camping on started to break up, and we had to save the aircraft (and ourselves) by taking off into a storm! The plane had little fuel, and we landed 13 miles from the nearest fuel dump on the Antarctic Plateau – we had to taxi across the ice to it! When I returned, the story of our survival on the ice and the pictures I’d taken generated a huge amount of publicity in the UK. The images of the Emperors in all weathers and brooding tiny chicks sold really well – and they continue to do so today 20 years later.
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Local Life
PICTURES: DAVID TIPLING
North Shields at the time, and while I’d moved up from Kent she was settled in the north east. I suggested Norfolk as it was halfway between the two, and to my surprise she agreed! There’s no better place in Britain to be based for photographing birds than here.
ABOVE: A male Nightjar in display flight over a heath in North Norfolk – David Tipling managed to take the very first pictures of displaying Nightjars. “you always know when you’ve taken a special image,” he says.
Those pictures catapulted my career, got me noticed and enabled me to go on and finance more trips. KL magazine: You’d think that photographing birds was a reasonably safe and peaceful endeavour... David Tipling: You’d be surprised! I was recently photographing Birds of Paradise in the Tari Valley in Papua New Guinea, when one evening the whole village in which I was staying went off to war with another clan! The battle left three dead and many houses and a school burned to the ground and I barricaded myself in my room in fear of the house being attacked. Happily, all the Huli (my hosts) returned unscathed, but it had been a big battle and an intriguing insight into life in the Papuan highlands – which is still a bit like the Wild West! KL magazine: Do you have a favourite image or one that’s particularly special to you? David Tipling: The first time I captured a displaying Nightjar at dusk on a Norfolk heath was very special – not least because pictures of displaying Nightjars hadn’t been taken before and it was a real first. You always know when you’ve taken a special image. It happens around two or three times a year for me, and I call those pictures my family jewels! KL magazine: What elements are the most important in taking a truly great picture? David Tipling: The three P’s – patience,
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perseverance and planning. Learning plenty about your subject can be put to good use in planning a shot, and the more time you spend in the field the more opportunities will come your way. Really great pictures need to be able to convey emotion and have a soul – and that’s why they don’t come along too often. KL magazine: What brought you to Norfolk? David Tipling: I’ve had a longing to settle here since visiting as a teenager on a school trip. One day I asked my partner Jayne if she fancied moving. We were living on the Fish Quay in
KL magazine: You run regular ‘photo safaris’ on the Norfolk coast – what’s the first thing you tell people wanting to photograph wildlife? David Tipling: Again, it’s all about patience, perseverance and planning – the more time you spend in the field, the better results you’ll get. I prefer to work on a one-to-one basis, but I will take two people on daylong photo safaris in North Norfolk. Whether people want to become a better wildlife photographer, understand how to use their camera or simply want to be in ideal situations to take great pictures of wildlife, I tailor these days to suit the participants. KL magazine: When you’re not travelling around the world with your camera, how do you like to relax? David Tipling: I love watching sport, not least Formula One motor racing, and I have a four-acre wood in which I do a lot of work. I like to consider it my outdoor gym. I also like to go birdwatching sometimes – without the camera! KL magazine: How does your photographic work support your interest in bird conservation and welfare? David Tipling: Birds and People was partly produced as a tool for conservation. The cultural significance of birds to local people can be a powerful weapon in persuading people to look after a species. It gives them ownership. I’ve done a lot of work on the illegal slaughter of migrant birds in the Mediterranean (both in Malta and on Cyprus) where I filmed scenes for a documentary called Emptying the Skies based on an essay by Jonathan Frantzen. Bringing images of dead and dying birds caught on lime sticks or being shot out of the sky while migrating across the Mediterranean helps illustrate an issue that has shamefully been ignored by Europe’s political class. David has two new books published this year; Seabirds of the World (published by Reed New Holland) and Britain’s Birds (published by Princeton) – for more details and information see www.davidtipling.com
KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
Audi Vorsprung durch Technik
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Kings Lynn Audi PE30 2ND 01553 779500 www.kings-lynn.audi.co.uk Official fuel consumption figures for the all-new Audi A4 Saloon range in mpg (l/100km) from: Urban 35.8 (7.9) – 62.8 (4.5), Extra Urban 52.3 (5.4) – 83.1 (3.4) and Combined 44.8 (6.3) – 74.3 (3.8). CO2 emissions: 144 – 99g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained under standardised EU test conditions (Directive 93/116/EEC). This allows a direct comparison between different manufacturer models but may not represent the actual fuel consumption achieved in ‘real world’ driving conditions. Optional wheels may affect emissions and fuel consumption figures. Image shown for illustration purposes only. More information is available on the Audi website at audi.co.uk and at dft.gov.uk/vca
KLmagazine September 2016
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KLmagazine September 2016
PICTURE: ALAN LEE/UBER LONDON
PICTURE: G-DRIVE RACING
Local Life
ABOVE: Alex Brundle, who’ll be racing for British team JOTA Sport for the rest of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship season and is hoping to follow in the illustrious footsteps of his father Martin – pictured opposite with his son at Silverstone in 2012
Alex Brundle: the road from Lynn to Le Mans... Two months after winning the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing driver Martin Brundle was celebrating the birth of his son Alex – who’s now taking the family’s sporting pedigree forward.
A
s a child as young as just two or three years old growing up in King’s Lynn, Alex Brundle followed his famous motor racing father, Martin, around the globe as he raced at some of the most famous tracks and events in the world, including the iconic Le Mans 24 Hour race, which he won in 1990 in a Jaguar XJR-12. Martin’s successes – which included winning the 1988 World Sportscar Champion with a record points score – meant a great deal to Alex and to the entire family, and it didn’t take long for the youngster to follow in his father’s footsteps.
KLmagazine September 2016
“I started off in the normal way most racing drivers do and started karting when I was about six years old.” he says. “I raced in Junior Max and Minimax before moving into Formula Palmer Audi when I was 16 years old.” This was just the start of Alex’s racing career, and he went on to achieve considerable success across Formula 2 and Formula 3 before making the transition to endurance racing at the age of 21. Since then, he’s competed in multiple FIA World Endurance Championships, the European Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 Hour race (once alongside his father!) – boasting an impressive array
of podium finishes. However, Alex hopes his greatest days in a race car are yet to come. “It was pretty special to race alongside my father at Le Mans and finish in 7th position,” he says, “but without a doubt my proudest achievement to date is finishing on the podium at Le Mans back in 2013. It’s by far the best race track in the world, and standing on that podium in front of the crowds was a really great experience.” Alex has now signed for British endurance racing team JOTA Sport (operating this season under ‘G-Drive Racing) and will race for the team for the remainder of the 2016 FIA World
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PICTURES: G-DRIVE RACING
Local Life
ABOVE: Alex Brundle during his debut for JOTA Sport at the famous Nurburgring in Germany in July
Endurance Championship season. “JOTA Sport have always been a team I’ve admired and a team I’ve always wanted to race for,” he says. “They won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 2014, and are one of the main contenders for this season’s FIA World Endurance Championships, so it’s a really exciting move for me.” For Alex, it’s the realisation of a longheld ambition. “I’ve known team co-owners Sam Hignett, Simon Dolan and David Clark for a number of years,” says Alex, “and I’ve always stayed in touch with them in the paddock. When the opportunity to race for them presented itself, I couldn’t refuse.” Alex made his debut for JOTA Sport on July 24th at the famous Nurburgring in Germany. After a promising start, however, the race ended in disappointment for the team. “The weekend started out so well and my new teammates Rene Rast and Roman Rusinov did a fantastic job of sealing pole position in qualifying,” Alex recalls. “Unfortunately, despite holding a commanding lead in the race, a gearbox failure ended our race and we were forced to retire.” Like all true
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sportsmen, Alex is already looking to the future. “It can happen to anyone,” he says, reflecting on the performance. “It was just one of those things – and we have to make sure we come back stronger for the next race.” Despite the setback, JOTA Sport currently lie in third place, battling it out for the FIA World Endurance Championship with five races remaining. The next race will be the 6 Hours of Mexico on September 3rd at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City. Alex, who now calls London his home, confesses he’s still very much a country boy at heart, and is quick to highlight his King’s Lynn roots, where his family still lives.
“It’s a very friendly and lively community and was a great place to grow up,” he says. “The local Park Farms and parks hold a lot of nice memories for me. The wider family also live nearby, so whenever the family got together in our ‘typically Norfolk’ garden they were always a highlight!” Alex naturally attributes his passion for driving to his father. But whilst the parallels are there for all to see, it’s his mother Liz who’s the unsung inspiration in her son’s career. In fact, Liz has been to almost every single ‘Brundle’ race, following Alex and her husband throughout their respective careers. Alex confesses that his mother is probably “the biggest racer I know!” and hopes she’s yet to see his best racing. Brundle junior hopes this season will lead to success for JOTA Sport. “We know that between our drivers we have the ability to go out and lead from the front,” he says, “and that gives us heart for the rest of the season.” Alex Brundle races for JOTA Sport (G- Drive Racing) in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). For more information, visit the website at www.jotasport.com
KLmagazine September 2016
KLmagazine September 2016
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JOBS FOR THE GARDEN in September
Start planting spring bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, snowdrops, irises & alliums. Remember the bigger the bulb, the better the flowers!
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& much much m more ore Stoke Ferry Timber
As summer bedding starts to fade, plant up borders with new season pansies and violas Re-seed any bare patches of lawn. Use lawn dressing if starting a new lawn or for larger areas Refill hanging baskets & containers with pansies, cyclamen, heathers & small shrubs as summer ones start to go over – don’t forget to under-plant with spring bulbs
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FFIND IND U US SA AT: T: School School Road, Road, West West Walton, Walton, Wisbech Wisbech PE14 PE14 7DS 7DS KLmagazine September 2016
Letters Write to KL magazine at 18 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1JW or editor@klmagazine.co.uk
DEAR KL MAGAZINE I loved the feature on the history of Wolferton railway station in August’s magazine, and was intrigued to read about the possible visit of the Russian mystic Rasputin to Sandringham by way of the station. However, in digging deeper, I’m afraid there seems to be no foundation for the story. The oldest reference to the visit I’ve been able to trace is in a 1990 book by the late John Timpson, who claims the “sinister monk” travelled to West Norfolk and demanded to see King George V – but was unceremoniously put on the next train back to London. DEAR KL MAGAZINE The closure of the King’s Lynn Arts Centre at the start of the year was a massive blow to the town (and the wider area) and I think that Veronica Sekules deserves everyone’s congratulations on her recent opening of the GroundWork Gallery in the town centre. My family have already visited the gallery several times and we love it! Not only has it totally transformed a building which was a bit of an eyesore (especially as it’s directly opposite the lovely old Custom House), but it’s also given us a much-needed venue in which we can appreciate modern art. There’s so much creative talent and enthusiasm here that it’s essential we have somewhere for artists to share their work with us. ANNE FRANCES Narborough
KLmagazine September 2016
However, there’s absolutely no evidence that Rasputin ever set foot anywhere in England, and since he was neither ‘sinister’ or a ‘monk’ I fancy the whole thing may simply be an invention. John Timpson’s book itself is a lighthearted account of his travels around the area, so I think the locals must have treated him to a bit of a tall story while he was visiting. I would love to know if anyone does have any further information on this story and whether or not it does have any basis in fact. MARK WELLER Dersingham
DEAR KL MAGAZINE You often hear the phrase that ‘things aren’t what they used to be’ – and after reading Lindsey Bavin’s account of the less savoury parts of the history of King’s Lynn last month I’m rather glad they’re not! I am surprised, however, that her ‘horrible history’ didn’t mention the case of 7-year-old Michael Hamond and his 11-year-old sister Ann, who were hanged at the town’s South Gate on 28th September 1709 for (according to some accounts) stealing a loaf of bread. It’s been suggested that they were the youngest children ever hanged in Britain, and it was reported there was a violent storm after the execution and that the hangman, Anthony Smyth, died within a few days of it. More recent research into parish baptism records has revealed that the pair were almost certainly 17 (Michael) and 20 (Ann) and had committed an ‘unspecified felony’ – but that doesn’t alter the fact that these were grim times indeed. MRS H STEVENSON Wisbech
DEAR KL MAGAZINE I thought you’d be intrerested to see what I found on a second-hand bookstall along the river Seine in Paris last month – a postcard from my home town! Sadly, there was no handwritten message on the back, but printed along the bottom it says: “this beautiful series of Fine Art postcards is supplied free exclusively by Christian Novels Publishing Co. For pure reading matter, ‘Christian Novels’ is the world’s best.” I couldn’t help bringing the postcard home – but I do wonder how it got to France in the first place! MIKE KNGHTS King’s Lynn
113
The Last Word
WildWestNorfolk Michael Middleton’s
S
ome friends of mine have just returned from a well-deserved holiday in Australia, and after they’d treated me to an interminable number of photographs of them holding koala bears, laying on beaches and enjoying mammoth plates of seafood, I asked if they’d happened to come across any of the country’s more worrying wildlife. Luckily they hadn’t had any close encounters with snakes or scorpions (they hadn’t even seen a kangaroo) but they did have some trouble with the most dangerous animal on the planet. You’ll be thinking they came uncomfortably close to a great white shark, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Last year, only six people around the whole world were killed by sharks – while in the USA alone, five times as many people were killed by dogs. The offending beast that bothered my friends was much, much smaller and considerably more deadly. It was, of course, the mosquito. Mosquitos are responsible for the deaths of millions of people every year. They transmit diseases such as malaria, West Nile, dengue, yellow fever, various forms of encephalitis, and – as you’ll know from recent news reports – the Zika virus. Despite all the warnings about cesspools and standing water, despite all the nets and repellants, it’s always been an uphill battle against the mosquito. And as people travel more, as the world gets warmer, it’s probably only going to get worse. However, it seems there is a solution on the horizon – even if it is a doubleedged sword. A new technology called CRISPRCas9 means that it’s possible to tweak 114
the DNA of mosquitos (or anything else for that matter) to eradicate their potential for spreading diseases. Scientists are now looking at the possibility of modifying mosquitos so they only bear sterile offspring. Another option is to change the mosquitos’ genetic code so they can’t give birth to females – which are the ones that bite. By doing so, these terrible diseases will hopefully stop spreading, and with it the mosquito itself will eventually die out. Depending on your point of view, this is either revolutionary good news for millions of people around the world or an extremely worrying instance of scientists playing God. Can we afford to deliberately wipe out an entire species, although that’s something that doesn’t seem to have bothered us much in the past? Actually, can we afford not to, as malaria alone kills a child in Africa every two minutes? There’s never going to be an easy answer to those questions. We’re much more aware of how tampering with nature can have unforseen consequences in the future, so what would happen if we killed off the mosquito? Many fish (and tadpoles) feed on mosquito larvae and plenty of birds, bats, spiders and grown-up frogs feed on the adults. Dragonflies love them. There’s even a fish called the mosquito fish (gambusia affins) that has a particular taste for them. What would the extinction of the mosquito mean for them? Not a lot, it seems.
Mosquitos don’t form a huge part of these creatures’ diets (even the mosquito fish doesn’t rely on them exclusively) and it seems they can easily be replaced with other flying insects in the food chain. And we’re not talking about wiping the mosquito off the face of the planet entirely. There are at least 3,500 known species of mosquito, but only a tiny number of them bite people – and very few species transmit diseases. So, we could happily see the end of mosquitos such as aedes aegypti (which is respsonsible for spreading yellow fever) and anopheles albimanus (malaria) and still have a couple of thousand species left to plague us – although they wouldn’t be quite as deadly. For some, tinkering with nature is a slippery slope indeed. Indeed, if we’re going to start looking at changing an animal’s genetic code to make the world a safer, happier, less dangerous and trouble-free place, it may be better to start by looking at the DNA of that deadly species known as homo sapiens. It’s a thought.
KLmagazine September 2016