ISSUE 108 Dispatch September 2010
NEWS FOR DISS AND ATTLEBOROUGH RESIDENTS
es i r e s Nur hools & Sc estrian qu E & ns e s d t r e a P &G s e Hom usiness b B e We & Th
www.dissonline.co.uk
www.attleboroughonline.co.uk
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
GENERAL News
Dispatch September 2010
News from across your region
Dispatch Magazine is owned and published by Spider Solutions Publishing Ltd. Director & Editor: Jonathan Horswell Queens House, Queens Square Attleborough, Norfolk , NR17 2AE. Tel: 01953 456789 Fax: 01953 451177 Email: sales@dispatch-magazine.co.uk Web: www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
27
Advertising: 01953 456789 Advertising Manager: Jayne Ashby Sales Team: Stephanie Lees and Lucy Olcot. Email: sales@dispatch-magazine.co.uk Design: Matt Bignell & Stuart Breens design@dispatch-magazine.co.uk
© Dispatch Magazine Disclaimer: No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate, but the Publisher can not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. Whilst reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements the Publisher will not accept any resulting unsatisfactory transactions. They will, however, immediately investigate any written complaints.
30 In this issue FEATURES
Diss
ATTLEBOROUGH
27
04
15
Nurseries & Schools Education For Little Ones.
30
Pets & Equestrian
35
Homes & Gardens Improving Your Property.
Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Looking And Feeling Good.
Deadline for all editorial and advertising submissions for the next issue will be:
41
Caring For The Elderly
September 17th 2010
44
Issue 108
Editorial submissions: T: 01953 456789 E: editorial@dispatch-magazine.co.uk Readers are invited to submit editorial. The Publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.
05
News And Advice.
Business Directory Local Businesses.
Waveney Talking Newspaper Goes Digital Last Audio Cassette Recorded Programme Of Local News.
07
Business & The Web Advice And Business Solutions.
40
The Closer You Get Diss Appears Art Trail Throughout September.
Looking After Your Pets.
32
September 2010
32
08
16
Attleborough Players Need Your Help Looking For Sponsorship.
19
An Interview With... Andrew & Graeme Of A&G Butchers.
20
Roll Up! Roll Up! Circus Mania The New Book By Local Author Douglas Mcpherson... - Special Offer For Dispatch Readers.
Diss And District Camera Club Summer Exhibition Themes Of Landscape, Colour, Close-Up And Wildlife.
14
September’s Update.
Diss Flower Club Diss Flower Club Was Formed In 1964 By Mrs Grace Vincent.
Town Council Noticeboard
21
Attleborough Festival Free Event For All The Family.
Diss Football Club 2010/11 Fixtures.
23
An Interview With... David And Hilary Of Nuts ‘N’ Bolts.
SPIDER SOLUTIONS
PUBLISHING LTD
This publication is designed and published by Spider Solutions Publishing Ltd
Tel: 01953 454455 www.SpiderSolutions.co.uk
Dispatch September 2010
www.dissonline.co.uk
Welcome to
diss
The Closer You Get Diss Appears Art Trail throughout September 2010 - Artists Collaborate With Shop Owners.
Above: The Vision of (Thomas) Paine – painted live at Diss Park Pavilion summer 2009 Last 4th May, Peter Allen, presenter of BBC Radio 5 Live’s 4pm Drive programme, asked of the whereabouts of Diss. A few minutes later a listener sent in an answer:
the Norfolk-Suffolk border. It will feature collaboration between local artists and business by placing artworks within at least 30 shop windows to highlight the art trail magic of getting closer as Diss appears: Art In The Old Stables Gallery - All September (reception Sat. 4th Sept) Art In Diss Shop Windows - All September
“It’s the only town in the UK where as you get closer Diss appears and as you leave, it Diss appears!”
Art In Artist’s Studios - Weekends 11/12 & 18/19 Sept.
This local adage with visual connotation is being adopted for September’s Art Trail 2010 by The Waveney Springs Art Collective: artists living within 10 miles of Diss along the Waveney Valley betwixt
When asked about the importance of art in the community, renowned art critic Brian Sewell associates the importance of local artists with the protection of national artworks within Welsh mines during World
Dispatch September 2010
War II: “Tell those who doubt the value of the Waveney Springs Art Collective, that I don’t know why art is necessary – only that it is. All who in the 1940’s braved bombs to see one painting in the National Gallery knew it too.” Brian Sewell Art Critic, Sunday 4th April 2010 Local MP Richard Bacon has agreed to walk part of the trail in September, to help highlight the local town and surrounding countryside. View the artists at www.waveneysprings.co.uk, visit their studios, the Old Stables Gallery and walk the art trail around shops in Diss. WS invite you to invite BBC Radio 5 Live’s Peter Allen on 0500 909 693, SMS 85058 or e-mail drive@bbc.co.uk to get closer to see Diss appearing. The concept conjures up the visual arts, science, space and time dimensions; theories of Hawking, Einstein and Nikola Tesla. If you doubt it, find WS member Ben Platts-Mills at Heaven and ask about conceptual time, the holographic universe and art awakening sleeping sections of the brain. Another WS member, Peter Knights, puts it this way: “I am enormously proud of ‘my’ Diss and have no desire to live anywhere else. So I say, let them talk about it, let them talk about us, let them argue for and against. While they’re talking about Waveney Springs, that’s good for us all and I will tell them with pride: when you leave Redgrave and Lopham Fen and travel eastwards
along the route of the River Waveney, THE CLOSER YOU GET, DISS APPEARS!” Ned Pamphilon Waveney Springs Art Collective 2010 PR representative Mb: 07522 032 765
Ned Pamphilon, Boudicca
Country Pine Interiors, Ben Platts Mills
Artist Jacqui Petrie outside Stylers shop window
Jane C Kelly, On The Sea Shore
News from across your region
News From The Library September is Local History Month in our libraries, when we make a feature of our collections of local books and material. This year our theme is ‘Working Lives’ and there are many events on all over Norfolk. At Diss, we are having a special display, courtesy of Diss museum, about the Roydon brush works, so do pop in and have a look. Children! Now the summer holiday is over, don’t forget in the rush to get back to school that you can still finish the ‘Space Hop’ summer reading challenge. We are having a presentation of certificates for everyone who completed the challenge at Diss library at 3.30pm on Tuesday 21st September with a special celebrity guest. To find out more about any of our events or services, look at the website www.library.norfolk.gov.uk or contact your library on 01379 642609.
Waveney Talking Newspaper Goes Digital Listeners to Waveney Words, the Diss based talking newspaper received their last audio cassette recorded programme of local news. of maintaining the recording equipment especially the copying machines was becoming frightening. Added to that cassette players are no longer produced.”
Above: Oliver Allen recording the first digital recording to be sent out. Since 1986 the fortnightly news roundup of stories gleaned from the local press; spiced with interviews and information items; has been sent on cassette to listeners locally and further afield. New editions will be arriving on a small capacity computer memory stick. The technicians, readers and editors have been getting to grips with digital technology to improve the quality of the service they offer to their listeners. Waveney Words secretary said, “We could still buy new cassettes, we used to replace them every year, but the cost
The talking newspaper returned to its roots, the Diss Rotary Club, who helped establish it originally. They were happy to help launch the new project with a donation. The Norfolk Community Foundation were then approached and made a link between Waveney Words and Lovewell Blake of Norwich. “We are most grateful to the Norfolk Community Foundation, they were most helpful and through them we received the funding from Lovewell Blake (chartered accountants) to buy all the memory sticks we need to service our listeners. We’re hoping they’ll last longer than cassette tape. They certainly sound far better.” Added Mr Freeborn.
which plays the memory stick with friendly controls ideal for the blind or partially sighted. Volunteers of Waveney Words have been busy distributing them around the county. However several listeners already had Boombox’s provided by other local talking newspapers that had already made the switch over earlier. We are already looking to the future, we’re even looking at publishing the programmes on the Internet” Anyone who knows someone who would benefit from receiving Waveney Words should contact Trevor Freeborn 01379 608774. didgihol@aol.com
All current listeners have been supplied with a small player called a Boombox,
Dispatch September 2010
www.dissonline.co.uk
DISS News
Report On Diss U3A August Meeting
Redgrave Church Heritage Trust Presents
At the August meeting the guest speakers where Rosemary and Peter Salt whose topic was “The Rise And Fall Of Costessey Hall.”
“Quasimodo” The Musical...
Their illustrated talk charted the history of the hall from Tudor times when in 1555 Sir Henry Jerningham was rewarded with Costessey Manor by Mary, the Catholic daughter of Henry VIII for supporting her in her successful claim to become the rightful Queen of England. Sir Henry built a Tudor manor house at Costessey which for many years and numerous generations of the Jerningham family remained largely unchanged. However, in the 1830’s Lord Stafford Jerningham embarked on an ambitious plan to enlarge and alter the hall. Sadly the new building with it’s collection of ornate gables, turrets and chimneys, elaborately decorated plasterwork and oak panelling proved to be a costly folly and was never fully completed. After 400 years in the same family, in 1913 following the death of the last Lord Stafford Jerningham, the contents of the hall were auctioned and sold off. The hall itself stood empty until WW1 when it was commandeered by the
Dispatch September 2010
war office who used it to house and train troops. In 1918 following years of neglect and damage the hall was demolished. Today little remains of Costessey Hall other than the Belfry block which stands on guard over the 18th fairway of Costessey Park Golf Club. By Maureen Gaynor (Publicity Secretary) For further information on Diss U3A please telephone: 01379 853134.
Diss W.I.
At St Mary’s Church, Redgrave from Wednesday 22nd - Saturday 25th September at 7.30 pm (2.30 pm Saturday matinee). Ticket Price: £12.50 Groups of 10 or more, £10 per ticket Box Office: 01379 898726. Tickets also available at Stodels Opticians, Diss. Quasimodo is based on Victor Hugo’s famous story of the deformed bellringer of Notre Dame and his hopeless love for the beautiful gypsy girl Esmerelda, the lyrics and adaptation are by Steve Humfress from East Harling (last seen in the church playing Thomas Beckett in “Murder in
the Cathedral”), with music by London composer/musician Andrew Rapps. Direction is by Felicity Humfress, who has assembled a talented local cast of 30 singers and actors, making this show a true community project. She says: “Redgrave Church makes an ideal backdrop to this story, adding hugely to the atmosphere of gothic melodrama”. The musical won the South East England Drama Festival, and was last performed at the famous Minack Theatre on the Cornwall cliffs.
August Meeting Our August meeting as in previous years was a garden party held in one of our member’s very lovely garden. It took place on a sunny summer afternoon and everyone had fun with competitions, stalls and enjoyed an excellent tea.
Very little business was discussed but members were reminded of the afternoon visit to the Electric Theatre at Southwold on 9th September and Lunch Club is being planned for 23rd September.
Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at Diss Methodist Church Hall and start at 7.30 p.m. New members and visitors are very welcome to join us.
News from across your region
Diss Flower Club
Comercrawley
Diss Flower Club was formed in 1964 by Mrs Grace Vincent.
Your questions answered…
She was inspired by attending a Constance Spry course in London, NAFAs had been formed at that time starting with East of England at which Diss is affiliated.
Question: My wife had an accident last year and is making a claim for compensation. She broke her right arm in the accident and as she is right handed there were lots of things that she found it difficult to do, particularly when her arm was in plaster. I took time off work to look after her and wondered if it was possible to make a claim for this. Please advise me.
Diss Flower Club grew from strength to strength holding monthly meetings involving demonstrators from all over East Anglia. The first club exhibition in 1977 was held in Kitchens Cars’ showroom (now Wallace King) supporting many local charities and churches with Flower Festivals, as a club have competed in the Royal Norfolk Show and R.H.S Chelsea Flower Show. We currently hold our monthly meeting in Roydon Village Hall on the last Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm where with a common
interest of flowers and gardening great friendships are formed. We have an interesting program of demonstrations and hands on workshops summer meeting takes us to a well known garden. Once again we are staging an afternoon demonstration at Howards Nursery in Wortham near Diss on Friday September 3rd at 1.00pm this is a lovely event with Robin White National Demonstrator from Kent’s ‘‘Monochromatic to Polychromatic’’. Tickets are £12.50 with proceeds going to Wortham Church. For tickets please call Jennie Labdon Tel. 01379 783598.
Mini-Market Saturday 18th September on Thrandeston Little Green There will be several stalls including plants and vegetables, nearly new clothes, books, puzzles and Traidcraft.
Refreshments will also be on sale. Proceeds to St Margaret’s Church, Thrandeston.
Answer: Yes, it is possible to include in your wife’s claim for compensation a claim in relation to the time that you spent looking after her. The claim would be for the help that you provided to your wife with tasks that she would normally do for herself but which she was unable to do following the accident because of her incapacity from the injuries. This would include help with getting washed and dressed, domestic tasks (for example, help with making meals and drinks) and gardening. If you suffered a loss of pay by taking time off work you can make a claim for that loss. This can be calculated either through your payslips or by a letter from your employer (I have assumed that you are employed; if you are self employed, the
calculation would be different). You can however make a claim for compensation even if you have not suffered a loss of earnings. The claim is termed voluntary care and assistance and will be calculated based on the number of hours that you spent in looking after your wife. The claim is based on an hourly rate that is equivalent to employing a paid carer but is reduced slightly to take into account the fact that the assistance was provided on a voluntary basis. A claim can be made for both loss of earnings and voluntary care and assistance. This applies where the relative is able to return to work but the person who has been injured continues to need help with some tasks (such as domestic chores and gardening). It is obviously important however to make sure that there is no duplication in the claim being made. If you have a question for our legal advice team you can submit it by email: enquiries@comercrawley.co.uk or in writing to: Chancery House, Victoria Road, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4HZ.
Dispatch September 2010
www.dissonline.co.uk
DISS News
Diss And District Camera St Mary’s Club Summer Exhibition The Church Of Song Come and enjoy more than 150 images created by photographers from the Diss and District Camera Club. The exhibition follows the themes of Landscape, Colour, Close-up and Wildlife and is hosted by the Redgrave and Lopham Fen Visitor Centre. The exhibition runs on 25th & 26th September, and 2nd & 3rd October 10am to 5pm. Refreshments available. You might also like a walk around the fen afterwards. The Club is a happy bunch of amateurs with an interest in photography. We share
our photographs, ideas, and techniques so we can all take interesting pictures and develop our pastime. For more information please visit our website: www.disscamera.org.uk. New members welcome. Redgrave and Lopham Fen are on Low Common Road, South Lopham, Diss, IP22 2HX. The centre is signposted and is often marked on leisure maps.
The Fledglings The Diss After School club finished the summer term with a party when they said goodbye to four regular members. Emily, Rebecca, Callam and Matthew were presented with engraved key rings. The Holiday Club was busy all during the summer break playing sport, paid a visit to the fire station and took part in many craft activities.
For more information on the club based at Diss Junior School contact the Manager on 07900 841409.
The Big Sing lifted our spirits was one of the many lovely comments after a packed St.Mary’s Church, Diss rang out across the town to the voices of people who came from far and wide to sing their top ten most requested hymns in August. The Salvation Army Band plus the Church choir and Organist were as always on top form and so were all who attended this annual event. The collection which totalled a grand £731 the highest ever raised was presented to the fire service for their Fire Fighters Charity by a well known Diss man Mr. Ray Mullenger. The top hymn was ‘Be
Gerry Hosking.
Hearts Security The Security Specialists Hearts Security has over 15 years experience of installing and servicing alarms and other security systems such as CCTV, fire alarms, nurse call systems and access control systems. Most of our installations have been on behalf of big companies which include Chubb, Shorrocks, Initial, Raise, MSS, Norwich Union and Camguard. Alongside the big contracts, we have developed a private customer portfolio of installs and service agreements. Over the years Hearts has provided a first class service to both private customers and sub-contract work to national security companies. However in today’s economic climate, customers are looking to save money and employ installers such as Hearts Security to provide the same high standards as any large national company, with the same equipment and quality workmanship, but at a more competitive price. Hearts can provide installation and maintenance of Intruder Alarms, Fire
Dispatch September 2010
Still For The Presence of The Lord’. Many thanks to all who helped me in any way to make this 6th event so successful. God willing the 7th Big Sing will be on Sunday 14th August 2011 at 6.30pm and I plan to make it as big as ever.
Alarms, CCTV, Access Control and Nurse Call Systems, and we are happy to provide service for your existing systems too. We are based on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and cover Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. For domestic or commercial, if you need a security system installed, or an existing system repaired and maintained… Call us and take your security to Hearts. Telephone: 01379 852092 / 07940 009230 or email us on info@heartssecurity.co.uk for more details and friendly advice.
News from across your region
Diss Area Country Markets
You’ve Got The Wheels Can You Help With Our Meals?
Diss Area Country Markets members celebrated their 30th Anniversary in August by having lunch at the Coach House in Thornham where they toasted themselves to another 30 years!
Do you have some time to spare?
Diss Farmers Market meets on the second Saturday of every month in Market Square, Diss between 9am and 1pm. There are a selection of stalls selling pork pies, cakes, savouries, crafts, eggs, fresh bread, plants and many more.
If you have produce or craft you wish to sell and would like a stall in the Market, please contact Diss Town Council on 01379 643848.
You can help WRVS in Diss with Meals on Wheels by giving as little as one hour a month on a regular basis. To do this we rely on male and female volunteer drivers and helpers. Together volunteers deliver far more than just a meal – for many individuals who receive Meals on Wheels the delivery is their main
social contact and they look forward to seeing a friendly face. Can you help provide this vital service for elderly and housebound people in your area, as a driver or helper? Mileage allowance is paid. Please call Zofia on 07714 898711.
A Tribute To Jonny Cash Lunchtime Concert By Roger Dean And The Lazy Boys When: Friday 12th November 7.30pm Where: Corn Hall, Diss Presents Roger Dean And The Lazy Boys With A Tribute To Johnny Cash Tickets: £16, £15 with a £1 off for Cons Tickets from The Corn Hall or 01953 600563 all profits to the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity number 1083876.
St. Mary’s Church Diss hosts another Lunchtime Concert on Friday 3rd of September at 12.30pm. Come along and listen to the ‘Fair Green Quartet’ something different for you to enjoy. This is as always followed by a Ploughmans Lunch for £3.50 each what a way to enjoy your lunch break. Gerry Hosking.
Dispatch September 2010
www.dissonline.co.uk
DISS News
Does One Size Fit You? Priya Nainthy, Employment Law Partner at Jackaman Smith & Mulley Solicitors discusses the issues to consider surrounding remote working.
Above: Priya Nainthy from Jackaman Smith & Mulley A “significant proportion” of UK professionals are still unaware that they may be able to work remotely. Continuing technological advances in online communications and working from home have made remote working much easier and more accessible. However, is it right for you as an employer or employee? Employees can request a homeworking arrangement and employers will need to consider such requests carefully. However, there is no automatic right to work from home. The Flexible Working Regulations 2002 originally gave employees the right to request flexible working if they had responsibility for caring for children under the age of six
or for disabled children under 18. These regulations were amended last year when they were extended to cover employees with children under 17 and employees with responsibility for caring for adult family members. The regulations still do not give employees an absolute right to work flexibly, instead those employees have the right to make such a request for the purpose of carrying out their caring responsibilities.
breach of the regulations. However, the remedy under the regulations for such a breach is limited to a possible direction to the employer to reconsider the application and compensation of up to 8 weeks’ pay. The regulations themselves, therefore, lack teeth to some extent. However, a refusal of a flexible working request may give the employee a discrimination claim which is likely to be a more fruitful route to pursue for an aggrieved employee.
Once a request has been received by the employer, the statutory procedure must be followed. In brief, this entails meeting the employee to discuss their request, considering whether or not it can be granted and, if it cannot, explaining to the employee why this is the case. If a request is granted, the new working arrangements constitute a permanent variation to the employee’s contract of employment.
Not all employees or jobs will be suitable for remote working. The type of work that lends itself to remote working includes work that can be done at home without adversely affecting any service to clients or customers. It should involve only limited administrative support and be capable of being serviced and supervised remotely. It will also usually be important to have performance measurement indicators inbuilt.
Employers must remember that there are specific grounds in the regulations on which requests can be rejected. If the rejection is not based on one of the specific grounds, the employer will be in
The remote worker will need to be selfmotivated, self-reliant, disciplined and able to complete work to scheduled deadlines. They may require greater than average initiative, flexibility, communication and time management skills and an abililty to cope with reduced social contact. Before requiring or permitting any significant amount of remote working, an employer should be satisfied that the employee has these characteristics. Employers and employees entering into homeworking arrangements will need to address a range of practical issues. These will include: tailoring standard employment contract clauses to encompass homeworking; reviewing the health and safety implications of the arrangements, which will include carrying out a risk assessment; deciding
10 Dispatch September 2010
whether any special equipment should be provided; and considering whether any special insurance or planning arrangements are required. It will often be sensible for there to be a trial period initially during which both parties can assess whether the arrangements are suitable. A right to require the employee to revert to office working at the end of the trial period should be included if, in the employer’s opinion, the arrangements are not working satisfactorily. However, this can be difficult to enforce and so any change should only be implemented after consultation and on reasonable notice. More employers and employees are coming to see the potential benefits of remote working. These may include environmental benefits, lower operating costs, increased efficiency and productivity and an improved work/life balance. Ever improving technology and leaps in online communication have made it easier than ever for employees to contact their offices remotely. However, while flexible working options can make good business practice for both large and small employers alike, it must always be remembered that both the role and the employee must be suitable if is to be a success. Priya Nainthy has acted over a number of years for employers involved in a wide range of businesses from small companies to large plc’s. He also regularly advises and represents employees. For further information about this article or any of the employment law services provided by Jackamans contact Priya Nainthy on 01379 643555 or at priya.nainthy@jsm.co.uk.
DISS News www.dissonline.co.uk
‘Able To Cook’ A celebration Cookery Book with recipes and stories from the ‘famous’ and the care staff of Able Community Care. Able Community Care was established by Angela Gifford in Norwich in 1980. The company provides live-in carer schemes throughout Great Britain and the Channel Islands, a true alternative to moving into a residential care setting. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company a cookery book, ‘Able to Cook’ has been published with funds raised from the book sales going to Age UK (Norfolk) and Connects and Co, a charity which supports young carers. Angela Gifford explains the idea behind the book: “Over the years many recipes have been passed down to us from care workers and our clients and when considering how to celebrate our ‘pearl’ anniversary a cookery book made up of our care workers and clients dishes came to mind. Later, to enhance this idea and to help raise funds for our chosen charities, we decided to seek recipes from famous people who had a link with Norfolk, and ask them for a reason why they liked to cook their chosen recipe.” The result is ‘Able to Cook.’
12 Dispatch September 2010
Recipes and stories are included from: Sir Richard Branson, Dame Judi Dench, Prunella Scales, Sir Ian Mckellen, Joanna Lumley, Sir John Major, Felicity Kendal, Joan Collins, Sir Michael Caine, Stephen Fry, Nicholas Parsons, Bob Flowerdew, to name but a few! The book enables cooks to have fun and cook with the stars whilst raising money for charity at the same time – the perfect combination! Cost per copy including delivery is £8 in the U.K. and £11.50 outside the U.K. (Please contact us regarding postage costs for multiple copies.) You can order online at uk-care.com/abletocook.html or by sending a cheque to the address below. Please make cheques payable to Able Community Care and send to The Old Parish Rooms, Whitlingham Lane, Trowse, Norwich, Norfolk NR14 8TZ. Telephone: +44 (0)1603 764567. Fax: +44 (0)1603 761655. Web: uk-care.com
News from across your region
Will Making A Risky Business? Panorama on Monday 9th August 2010 was about making Wills. It was a frightening report that ‘Will Writers’ are not regulated or compulsorily insured, and the programme highlighted some of the problems arising from such lack of regulation. They went on to explain that many ‘Will Writers’ have no legal qualifications, and are merely salesmen who are accountable to no-one and to no regulatory authority. They produced stories of clients who had found themselves in the hands of a salesman and ended up with a ‘package’ which they did not want, and certainly did not need, at considerable cost to themselves. They found themselves at the mercy of a ‘Commodity Industry’. The problems appeared to continue even after the death of the Testator. Where the ‘Will Writers’ were the Executors, there were considerable delays, and money went missing. The problems were that the ‘Will Writers’ had no insurance, so the beneficiaries under the Wills suffered considerable losses.
There are disciplinary procedures, and Solicitors who are in breach of the rules governing them can be ‘struck off’, which means that they can no longer practice in the Law. Thus instructing an experienced Solicitor to prepare your Will has many advantages (i) The professional expertise of those taking instructions. (ii) The costs will be set out clearly at the start, with no hidden expenses. (iii) Storage of Wills is normally free.
(iv) Solicitors are fully insured and regulated. Only Solicitors offer this level of protection.
For a change, Solicitors were praised!
(v) Sympathetic and skilled advice, distilled from many years of training and practice.
Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which requires that all Solicitors have full insurance.
(vi) A full understanding of the Tax Laws and the effects of Residential Home Care.
(vii) The complete freedom to choose your own Executors, unlike Banks which normally suggest that the Bank should be appointed as the Executor, resulting in greater costs on death.
If not, or you wish to change your Will, go to a qualified professional to ensure that you receive the best possible advice.
Apparently two thirds of the adult population of the UK has not made a Will – are you one of them?
The Norfolk One Act Playwriting Competition Garboldisham Amateur Dramatic Society are arranging a playwriting competition that is open to all Norfolk residents aged 18 and over. There will be cash prizes, certificates and a trophy for the winner. The 3 winning plays will be performed by The Society next year. The aim is to promote playwriting for the amateur theatre.
The closing date is the 31st of October. Typed entries preferred but legible, handwritten scripts will be accepted.
Dispatch September 2010 13
www.dissonline.co.uk
DISS FOOTBALL CLUB Diss Town ‘A’ Fixtures For 2010/11 Season Date
Competition
H or A K O
Wed 1st Sept
League
Away
Sat Sept 4th
Ben Smith Cup 2nd Round
Away 3pm
Opponents
6.15pm Mulbarton Wand Res Sporle
Sat Sept 11th Mervyn Lambert Home 3pm Cup 1st Round
Scarning
Sat Sept 18th League
Away 3pm
Beetley
Sat Oct 2nd
League
Away 3pm
Colkirk
Sat Oct 9th
League
Away 3pm
North Elmham Res
Sat Oct 23rd
League
Home 3pm
Mulbarton Wand Res
Sat Oct 30th
League
Away
2pm
Nostro Res
Sat Nov 6th
League
Away
2pm
Mattishall A
Sat Nov 13th
League
Home
2pm
North Elmham Res
Sat Nov 20th
League
Away
2pm
Shropham Res
Sat Nov 27th
League
Away
2pm
Rampant Horse
Sat Dec 4th
League
Home
2pm
Nostro Res
Sat Dec 11th
League
Home
2pm
Tugas
Sat Dec 18th
League
Away
2pm
Tugas
Date
Competition
H or A
KO
Opponents
Sat Jan 8th
League
Home
2pm
Shropham Res
Sat Jan 15th
League
Away
2pm
Scarning
Sat Jan 22nd
League
Home
2pm
Rampant Horse
Sat Jan 29th
League
Away
2pm
Dereham Cockers
Sat Feb 12th
League
Home
2pm
Tacolneston Res
Sat Feb 19th
League
Away
2pm
Weasenham
Sat Feb 26th
League
Home
2pm
Colkirk
Sat Mar 5th
League
Home 3pm
Mattishall A
Sat Mar 12th
League
Home 3pm
Scarning
Sat Mar 19th
League
Home 3pm
Beetley
Sat Mar 26th
League
Home 3pm
Dereham Cockers
Sat Apr 2nd
League
Home 3pm
Weasenham
Sat Apr 9th
League
Away 3pm
Tacolneston Res
Diss ‘A’ will play their home matches at The Village Hall, Shelfanger. Ring Diss Town Football Club on 01379 651223 for confirmation of any game. * Fixtures are subject to change
Player Of The Season Award 2009-2010
Congratulations to Stuart Garner who was voted Diss Town Supporters’ Club Player of the Season 2009-2010, after the home game with Ipswich Wanderers.
14 Dispatch September 2010
Welcome to
attleborough
Attleborough Town Council Noticeboard September’s Update. The New Clerk: The Town Council is looking forward to welcoming Mark Broughton as the new Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer. He will take up his post on Monday 1st November. Mrs Hilary Elias is leaving her post on Wednesday 1st September, but the Town Council’s office will be manned by Ms Heather Miller as usual.
charities and increasing some fees. Town Mayor Geoff Farrow stated, “We are faced with unpalatable choices, but the Town Council’s income has reduced, we are getting so little interest on our investments and the cost of our services has increased. We have had to take over services previously provided by Breckland and it has had an impact on our budget. We are trying to work for the benefit of our local tax payers by keeping costs down and increases to a minimum.”
Budget and Precept: Attleborough Town Council faces difficult choices in the coming financial years. At a recent meeting the Town Council discussed a range of measures to keep the precept increase to a minimum. These included reducing its contributions to the Christmas lights and local
Holly Court Spectacular: The picture shows Town Mayor, Cllr Geoff Farrow, with residents of Holly Court, the former
mayor Cllr Vera Dale, the Reverend Matthew Jackson and his wife. Cllr Farrow enthused, “I really enjoyed the entertainment at Holly Court with the residents” Festival: Don’t forget the Attleborough
Festival on Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th September – this year it has a 1940’s feel. There will be lots to do – free of charge from the Cyder Festival to the retro funfair. Events are taking place in the Town Hall, Connaught Hall and in the street so turn up and enjoy the fun!
Race Evening The Attleborough Summer Carnival Committee... Are holding a Race Evening at Connaught Hall on Friday 17th September tickets can be purchased in advance from The London Tavern Public House and cost £7.50 which includes entry to the event and a hog roast. The races start at 7.30pm why not save a bit of money
and get a table of 10 people together then you only pay £7 per person for a ticket. For more information please contact Jenny on 01953 454257.
Dispatch September 2010 15
ATTLEBOROUGH News www.attleboroughonline.co.uk
The Attleborough Players Need Your Help The ‘Attleborough Players’ amateur dramatic society has been entertaining people in the locality for more than 35 years with shows, pantomimes, plays, concerts and we are currently rehearsing a musical play to feature a group of our very talented younger members, to be staged in October. Since present day legislation has strict demands for separate changing facilities for adults and youngsters, we now have an additional burden on our already strained finances. The society is a registered charity and finances have been maintained at a respectable level by staging shows and our popular ‘Fish ‘n’ Quiz’ evenings on a regular basis; hopefully, we will be presenting another quiz in November. Ticket prices have been kept at a very competitive £5 for most of our shows, takings which go mostly towards running costs, the rest into a dwindling bank account. In these days of drastic belt tightening, we prefer to keep the cost of tickets low to benefit our audiences. This means of course that our pool of monetary assets has developed a steady leak. We are looking for any business or
individual willing to sponsor us. Sponsorship would guarantee programme and poster advertising to a negotiable degree, while private individuals would benefit by free tickets to any of our events of their choice.
With our ever increasing membership, particularly of teenagers, we think the ‘Attleborough Players’ is a worthwhile concern to keep running on an even keel. We hope you do too. Thank you for your attention,
Any business or private individual willing to help us in this way, please contact our treasurer; Anne Greenwood – Tel 01953 455022
Derek Tomlinson Deputy Chairman Attleborough Players. Tel; 01953 456444
Attleborough W.I. Our President, Betty Stacey, presented a cheque for £100 to the members of Attleborough Youth Football team. The speaker for the July Open Meeting was Peter Cook on Medieval Norwich, which was of great importance during Norman times. When it was built it had the second highest population next to London & was a busy trading centre, using the River Wensum to transport goods to Great Yarmouth & trade with Europe. After the enclosed fields were opened up sheep rearing led to a very successful wool trade. Many fine buildings remain, e.g. the Castle & the Cathedral are good examples of Norman architecture. The spire was added to the cathedral at a later date & is second in height to Salisbury Cathedral. The wall, which surrounded the old city, was two & a half miles long, with twelve different
gates, many of which still survive in good condition. Today the market & many of the city churches are part of Norwich’s medieval inheritance. Even though there were many disasters during medieval times; fires, The Black Death & rebellions, we are fortunate that so many fine buildings are still available for us to visit. Jean Hills thanked Peter for a most informative talk, which made us realise how fortunate we are to have such a fine city on our doorstep. The winner of the competition for the oldest newspaper was 1) Brenda Ramm 2) Betty Jenness.
Attleborough Pensioners The Attleborough Pensioners meet on the 4th Monday of the month in the Methodist Church Hall, London Road at 2 p.m. On the 22nd of July the members went on a Mystery Tour in a 1959 year old bus which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The meeting on the 26th was attended by 30 members and Dr. Tim Harrison from the British Trust for Ornithology (B.T.O.) a partnership of Bird Watchers and Professional Ornithologists, entertained us with a very interesting talk informing us how we can all help with information on the habitat of birds in our gardens. Illustrating the talk with lovely pictures of
16 Dispatch September 2010
local birds such as Bull Finches, Blue Tits, Gold Finch, Song Thrush etc. Members were able to identify them from experience in their gardens. New members are welcome to join us and further information can be obtained from Mrs. Doreen Parker on 01953 456958.
News from across your region
Macmillan Cancer Care Clothing & Accessories For The Discerning Woman The Macmillan Garden Party held on June 27th was a huge success and raised £1,134 for the charity. The Keith Skipper Evening on July 10th was also a great success and raised £340. The organisers would like to say thank you to all the supporters.
September 2010 from 9am to 12pm. There will be a cake and preserve stall, a tombola, raffle, grids, bric brac and much more.
The Biggest Coffee Morning will be held at the Town Hall, Attleborough on 24th
just10 At ABC How to live a fuller, happier life. J John’s just10 is at Attleborough Baptist Church this autumn. Based on the Ten Commandments, this ten week series is designed to help you understand God’s laws of love in a way you can easily relate to.
Pastor will be preaching through the Ten Commandments, along with thousands of other ministers across the nation.
In our various activities, including house groups, we are using the just10 teaching material to get across some important truths. During our Sunday services from 12th September, our
To keep in touch with all that’s going on at ATTLEBOROUGH BAPTIST CHURCH please visit www.attleboroughbaptistchurch.org
You and your family will be very welcome to join us at 10.30am every Sunday.
Norfolk based clothing retailer Artichoke has opened at The Old Garage, Hackford - a mile north of Hingham on The B1108 Norwich Road. Here you will find clothing and accessories to fit your budget, shape & lifestyle.
We prefer walking our dogs to shopping in the city so we offer doorstep parking.
Proprietor Sarah Simonds explains ‘The women who buy clothes from Artichoke are like the women who work here ....
We appreciate that we come in all shapes and sizes so stock items from size 8 to 24. We don’t want to bump into too many people wearing the same T-shirt as us so we don’t buy lots of duplicates.
We like good quality clothes that are suitable life in the country – The collection at Artichoke is fairly casual with the odd posh frock thrown in for that special occasion. We want to look reasonably smart without spending a fortune so our prices are similar to those of a good quality high street store. We don’t want to look like our daughters or our grand daughters but want our own sense of identity & style - our clothes are designed and cut for women of 35 plus.
We appreciate good service in an informal atmosphere - there is very often a lot of laughter in the shop – we do however want to help you in whatever way we can. ...We have solved our own shopping dilemma we hope to do the same for you... Please join us for a ‘cuppa’ and a browse...
Dispatch September 2010 17
www.attleboroughonline.co.uk
ATTLEBOROUGH News
A Vital Link In The Local Community Anglia Funeral Services has good links with the local community. These branches offer a service that provides much enjoyed entertainment for the residents (and staff) at homes and hospitals around our region.
8th 9th 15th
Above: Keith Thomas entertains Violet Gracly’s 102nd Birthday. They consider it an important part of their role to help with charity fundraising and local groups. The caring nature of their staff means that they automatically help people from all walks of life. Rackhams Funeral Service in Diss, R J Bartram Funeral Service in Attleborough, Dereham and Wymondham, and Breckland Funeral Service in Watton are all involved with helping the local community in many ways.
For many years now, Keith Thomas, Michael Jones and Laura Stevens produce ‘Sing-A-Long’ programmes of entertainment, where they go along to residential and nursing homes and local community groups and sing a variety of old favourites, from Frank Sinatra, Matt Munro, Perry Como & Nat King Cole to more modern classics. The residents are encouraged to sing-a-long and make requests. These events are sometimes tied in with a birthday celebration, and often requested. In September, as always, these events are fairly frequent, both in this area and further afield, but as we approach Christmas the performances are booked almost daily, sometimes with two bookings in a day. September Sing-A-Longs 3rd Studio Landia, Diss, 1.30pm 7th Brooklyn House, Attleborough, 2.00pm
23rd 28th 30th
Salvation Army Hall, Dereham, 2.00pm Hethersett Hall, Wymondham, 2.00pm Westfield House, Dereham, 2.00pm Paddock House, Diss, 2.45pm Thorp House, Watton, 2.00pm Griston Community Centre, Watton, 1.00pm for 1.30pm
If you would like Keith and his colleagues to host a sing-a-long, please call Keith on 077333 96649 or email: keiththomas.belapais@virgin.net
Poppy Appeal 2010 Poppies May Not Be Available In Attleborough This Year There is a grave possibility that poppies may not be available in Attleborough this November as there is no Poppy Appeal Organiser this year. Lyn Hatch, Community Fundraiser for the Poppy Appeal, said ‘We urgently need people to help us with the Appeal in Attleborough. Every year the general public want to remember those who gave their lives for their country and help provide services for those who have served in the armed forces and it is therefore crucial to have people in place to ensure that the public can get their poppies in time for Remembrance Sunday. We have had a very dedicated Organiser in Attleborough but the time has come for him to retire as he reaches his 80th birthday this year. The roles would involve co-ordinating the distribution of poppies and counting and banking monies. The role may suit newly retired people, someone leaving the forces, couples or younger people who want to do something worthwhile for their community. The Royal British Legion receives more than 300,000 requests for help every year and provides emotional and financial welfare support for ex-service people and their dependants. This includes helping people secure War Disablement and Pensions, supporting claims for compensation, day care and residential care, home adaptations and specialist equipment and advice on employment and retraining. Our welfare advisors are seeing more and more veterans and bereaved families from
18 Dispatch September 2010
Anglia Funeral Services hope that they can lend a hand to support your community and be there to help when you need them.
recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and without the funds raised from the Poppy Appeal we will not be in a position to help these people. If you think you might be able to help or would like to discuss how you can help please contact Lyn Hatch on: 01603 438132 or email: lhatch@britishlegion.co.uk Lyn Hatch Community Fundraiser
For more information on the Royal British Legion see www.britishlegion.co.uk
An interview with...
Andrew and Graeme of A & G Butchers aka Griff & Boog 3. How did you come to be a Butcher? A) It started as a Saturday job to save for a Motorbike, which progressed into a trade I enjoyed. At the time, the choices were hard, get a trade or join the forces. I’m glad I chose this career. Above: Griff (Andrew), Danny and Boog (Graeme) of A & G Butchers. 1. So, have you always lived around Norfolk? A) Yes, since I was a little kid, I like the area and have no intentions of moving away. G) I moved from London in the 70’s my parents came to the area for work purposes. 2. You both have quite a long standing history with this shop tell us about that? A) Yes, I have worked here for 23 years, I’ve seen a lot of changes over that time but we are looking to get it back to the excellent standard always expected of a Local Traditional Butchers. G) I started working here in 1981 when I left school, I trained with Geoff Ellis, worked at few other places but I always seemed to be drawn back here and now I’m back to stay!
G) It really was just one of those things, I started training when I left school and enjoyed it which is always a bonus. 4. The reputation of the Butcher shop has progressively grown over the years, there must be more you want to offer the customers in the future? This shop has been a Butchers since 1860, we just want to keep doing the best we can to provide a standard of service our customers deserve! We are always looking to provide the services and requirements needed by our customers so any suggestions are always noted and appreciated.
6. If the Dispatch could grant you one wish what would it be? To make the business as successful as possible, with a leading reputation for being ‘Traditional Butchers’ with high standards of customer service and quality products. 7. Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers? Thank you to all our customers for your continued support, we look forward to serving you for years to come. Remember with Autumn drawing in be sure to preorder for Christmas!!! 8. What are your opening hours? We thought that giving our customers longer hours to shop would give them as much opportunity as possible to get fresh quality produce, so they are never disappointed. Mon - Tues: 07:00 - 17:00 Wed: 07:00 - 13:00 Thurs - Fri: 07:00 - 17:00 Sat: 07:00 - 16:00
5. What do you do in your spare time? A) I enjoy Sports, I play League Table Tennis, I used to play Football too. G) I spend a lot of time with my Partner Sarah and my 3 Children, I also work part-time for Tottenham Hotspur as the Mascot -Chirpy, also I play Football for Rockland Vets.
The Attleborough Group Of The CSRF Meets at the Methodist Church Hall, London Road, Attleborough on the third Thursday of the month from 10 am to 12 noon, for coffee and a varied programme of activities. At the next meeting, on 16th September, an independent financial adviser, Gary Streeter, will speak about Lasting Powers of Attorney, and writing a Will.
full details of membership and future arrangements can be obtained from the Secretary, Mrs.D.Parker, telephone number 01953 456958.
Membership of the Group is open to all Civil Service, Post Office, and BT pensioners, and their partners and invited friends. New members are always very welcome to come to any meeting, or
Dispatch September 2010 19
www.attleboroughonline.co.uk
ATTLEBOROUGH News
Roll Up! Roll Up! The Breckland One Stop Bus – Your Mobile Council Office To save £5 on a great circus read
Did you ever dream of running away with the circus? Have you ever wondered what it’s like to drive the lorries from town to town, help put up the big top, sell candyfloss in the interval and then perform your daring deeds on the flying trapeze, high above the heads of an adoring audience?
trapeze artists, tight-wire walkers and tiger trainers about their lives, culture, superstitions and history.
Britain’s most famous circus showman Gerry Cottle described Circus Mania as “A passionate and up-to-date look at the circus and its people.” Essential reading for anyone who ever dreamed of running away with the circus, Circus Mania retails at £14.99, but Dispatch readers can buy it direct from Peter Owen Publishers at the special offer price of just £10 postage-free. Just send a cheque or postal order to:
Circus Mania, a new book by local author Douglas McPherson, reveals what life in the sawdust circle is really like, from the glitter and the glamour to the hard work behind the scenes. Included are indepth interviews with sword swallowers,
#
Peter Owen Publishers (Sales) 73 Kenway Road, London SW5 0RE.
Special Offer For Dispatch Readers
Circus Mania
Recommended Retail Price £14.99
Special offer price of just £10 (Postage-free).
20 Dispatch September 2010
#
Save £5 on the New Book by local author Douglas McPherson...
Bringing services to local communities Breckland Council on behalf of the Breckland Partnership are delivering a One Stop Bus which has now been in operation for a month travelling around the villages of the Breckland area meeting many of you and helping you with your enquiries. The team of advisors on board have enjoyed visiting the community and helping people who may otherwise not have been able to visit one of our mobile offices. Enquiries on board have been many and varied from completion of benefit claims, reports of abandoned vehicles, planning related matters and tree conservation through to general internet access and usage and much more. The team have been trained to assist you with enquires relating to all district council enquiries and in addition have links and knowledge in relation to other public services.
Check the schedule and come along when the bus is next in your area whether you have an enquiry, would like to access the internet or would like to discuss something with the team, this is a community project and is being delivered to you by the Breckland Partnership to make accessing our services easier for you. We’d also be interested to hear from you if you work in the area for the community, maybe we can help you and vice versas. If you have an enquiry relating to the bus you can call us on 07778 466652, 07778 467980 or 07778 476824 or alternatively email at bus@breckland.gov.uk Check the latest schedule online at www.breckland. gov.uk/onestopbus
ATTLEBOROUGH FESTIVAL 2010 Dispatch Magazine Is Pleased To Be Supporting The Attleborough Festival! Attleborough Festival is a mainly free event for the people in and around Attleborough. (Some activities may require a small fee). The event takes place over the weekend of 18th and 19th September. This year we have a 1940’s and 1950’s theme and there will be something for everyone during the weekend. Over both days at the Town Hall there will be an art exhibition and also a fantastic display from the town archives, starting at 10am. On Queens Square on the Saturday there will be Morris dancers and a children’s story time starting at 11am and on the Sunday we have performances from the High School with bands and singers. There will be a Coffee and Chat at
St Mary’s Church Hall on Saturday from 10.30am while at Connaught Hall the Heritage Group are putting on a wonderful display with a NAAFI style café area and some free quizzes to test your knowledge. Outside we have some old cars from the Old Timers Club based in Wymondham, some war time vehicles courtesy of local enthusiasts plus some old style tractors. We even have some old time fun fair rides such as swing boats courtesy of Larry Gray’s fun fair. On Saturday evening the Heritage Group have arranged a Cyder Heritage evening.
We have a VE Day children’s tea party on the Sunday, tickets are 30pence each and are available from the Tourist Information Centre, but places are limited so hurry or you will miss out. There will be lots of other activities for you take part in and don’t worry about getting from one event to the other as the Eastern Transport Collection are kindly providing us with some of their vintage buses again courtesy of Rosedale Funeral Homes. These will be running during the event taking people from Queens Square to Connaught Hall and back again.
Dispatch September 2010 21
www.attleboroughonline.co.uk
ATTLEBOROUGH News
Besthorpe W.I. Again this year the July meeting of Besthorpe W.I. was held at the Drury Room at All Saints Church, Besthorpe.
Mad Dogs And Englishmen
The speaker was Graham Knights whose talk was on ‘Footcare’, a subject of great interest to all present. Many of the problems which develop for feet are caused by unsuitable footwear earlier in life such as wearing stiletto heeled shoes or a callous on a foot caused by friction against ill-fitting footwear.
maintenance’. Mrs. B. Brown thanked Mr. Knights for his very helpful talk.
This professional company is based in Quidenham, and has a national reputation for its productions.
The business meeting followed and plans were discussed for the members’ meeting in August. Mrs. A. Furness, President outlined the details of the Guiltcross Group meeting in September at Old Buckenham.
Mr. Knights with the co-operation of one of the members demonstrated how to massage the feet to help circulation. Mr. Knights’ practice is a domiciliary one and he described his work as ‘foot
Flower of the month winner was Mrs. J. Bond with Mrs. B. Brown second. The competition for a pretty pair of socks was won by Mrs. P. Lee first and Mrs. M. Dick second.
The company comes to New Buckenham village hall every year, in September bringing us ‘The Magic Box’ - a true tale of John Joseph Mechi who was referred to by Charles Dickens as a magician. Mechi was an eminent Victorian who gained huge wealth through the development of his magic razor strop. He became an Alderman of London and was tipped to become Lord Mayor. His spectacular emporium in Regent Street sold new
Attleborough Bible Society Verse and Thought for the Month War “Fights and quarrels come from desires that battle within you. You kill and covet because you cannot have what you want” James 4: 1 -2
Why war? The Bible makes it plain: the answer lies in every human heart with its built-in desire to dominate, control and exploit others. This in turn leads to conflict between nations, bringing death and destruction on a tragic scale.What is the Biblical answer? As individuals, we
need to confess and say sorry to God for the envy and greed that are at the root of all conflict. We need a new heart at peace with God that seeks to promote harmony between individuals and in society at large. Only then can we work for peace in the world.
and wonderful works of craftsmanship, some being shown in the Great Exhibition in London and Paris. It seemed that everything he touched turned to gold. But then he turned to agriculture at a time of unrest in the countryside and his own personal dilemmas. Written by Mad Dogs’ director Ann Courtney, it was commissioned to be performed in this 150th anniversary year of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute, founded by John Joseph Mechi, so we look forward to a very special performance by this excellent company. For those who have not been to New Buckenham Village Hall before, it’s a fine modern hall with comfortable seating, plenty of parking and full disability access. Yes, there’s a bar! The Magician’s Box is on Saturday 18th September at 7.30pm. Tickets at £10 and £8 (concessions) are available at Cattermole Butchers in the village or call 01953 860216.
Attleborough Probus Club The first monthly meeting was attended by thirty two members and one guest to hear our friend and speaker Dr Patrick Thompson making his sixth visit and delivering another excellent talk, this time his subject was Osteoporosis. Being Chairman of the society Patrick gave us an insight into the disease that affects 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 costing the NHS many billions of pounds annually. Osteoporosis means brittle bones where the inside of the bone becomes porous like a Crunchie bar which leaves the skeleton becoming so porous that a minor knock or fall can break a bone, usually in the wrist, spine or hip. X Rays are unable to diagnose the condition which requires a DXA bone scan; the condition can be prevented by eating calcium rich food and doing weight bearing exercise such as brisk walking for a minimum of 20 minutes a day. People born 1938-1950 are far less liable to have the condition as the diet at that time was better (less fat and
22 Dispatch September 2010
fast food than today) and children had much more exercise, (they did not spend hours watching TV and playing computer games). Ralf Ramm our Social Secretary announced that our next ladies outing would be on 22nd September details were withheld as it is to be a Mystery Outing. The meeting closed with a very appreciative vote of thanks to our speaker for yet another absorbing talk on a subject which could affect many of our members; Patrick on this occasion was awarded Honouree Membership of our club having become a friend and a brilliant speaker. The Probus Club meets twice a month at the Connaught Bowls club in Station Road. Contact Stan Groom, Tel: 01953 454427.
An interview with...
David and Hilary of NUTS ‘n’ bolts as they celebrate 10 years of trading Have you always lived in the area? No, we were living in Cambridgeshire before and moved to Attleborough in order to run the business. What made you decide you wanted to run your own Business? We had wanted to run our own business for many years but were just waiting for the right time and opportunity. When we bought the shop it was a good time educationally for all five of our children to change schools. Did you have experience in this kind of business before your new venture? David had gained retail experience managing a similar shop for several years and before that he’d worked for a large builders’ merchants. However, his real expertise is in practical DIY as we have renovated, extended and rebuilt our three previous homes. David is a self-taught builder, electrician and plumber. Hilary originally had secretarial experience then spent the following 16 years raising the family and gaining many organisational skills working with voluntary groups and helping with the house projects. You say you’re a family business, what does this mean in practice? We run Nuts’n’Bolts as a business partnership and not a limited company. We enjoy working together and have complementary skills which help develop different aspects of the business. When we first moved here our three oldest children started work in the shop and Angus joined them a couple of years later. They have now moved away but Angus is still with us and our youngest, Heidi, has just started this summer. It’s good to be able to bounce ideas off each other but we are often guilty of ‘talking shop’ at home, not to mention those occasions when we’re sitting round the dinner table in matching maroon t-shirts!
How many staff do you employ? We have five main staff who have been with us for almost 25 years between them. We really value their loyalty and the shop is benefitting from the knowledge and experience they have acquired. We also employ several youngsters for Saturday and holiday work. Customers often tell us that all our staff are friendly and helpful. We certainly appreciate the way they work together and take on board each new initiative. You have grown so much since opening in 2000? What do you think has helped in this success? We try to listen to what our customers want and have often created new lines to cater for demand. However, we don’t want to diversify so much that we lose our specialism......and, as the staff often tell us, our shop is not a tardis so there’s a limit to what we can stock! We are also highly computerised, especially for a traditional Hardware and Ironmongers. David’s passion for DIY extends to building and maintaining computers so we have an EPOS system and handheld terminals which he continually updates and improves, enabling us to keep better track of our stock.
You are raising money in support of Chapel Road Special School, how will you be getting your customers involved in this? We will be challenging our customers to search their loose change and donate their 10 pences throughout our 10th Anniversary Celebration Week from 4-9th October. We intend to have a window display to indicate how our charity donations are growing.
Do you offer any services that the readers of Dispatch may not be aware of? Apart from our huge product range we also offer gift vouchers (for that hard-to-buy-for man in your life!). We operate a hire service for items such as carpet cleaner, wallpaper stripper, tile cutter and pressure washer. We also cut keys and sharpen shears etc.
RADING YEARS OF T OLTS ’ NUTS ‘N B
We have a paint-mixing machine which means we can offer a vast range of colours and finishes. We also stock Calor gas and Camping Gaz. We are happy to deliver heavy or bulky items locally for people who don’t have transport. What plans do you have for the future? Our next major step will be to develop a web presence and online sales - we have started but it’s not going to happen overnight because, in true DIY-style, it’s something else we want to tackle ourselves. Is there anything you wish to add? We would like to thank all our customers who have helped us grow Nuts’n’Bolts over the past 10 years. We would encourage people to support their local business community and ‘try us first’. You might be surprised at what we have tucked away on our shelves! It’s always worth asking if you can’t find something and many products which we don’t have room to stock can often be ordered from one of our large wholesalers.
This is your 10th Anniversary - what are you doing to celebrate? Our 10th birthday celebrations are taking place from 4th-9th October. We have various promotions for our customers which include 10% off any purchase with the coupon in our advert, a 2-for-1 offer on cylinder keys plus promotional key fobs and tape measures. We are planning a celebration evening for all our staff – both current and past. We also want to use this opportunity to give something back to the local community so we have chosen to support Chapel Road Special School.
Dispatch September 2010 23
www.attleboroughonline.co.uk
ATTLEBOROUGH News
Bar 33
Local Boy Band Concert
Bar 33 in Attleborough formerly known as ‘DJ’s Wine Bar’ is under new ownership and management.
Saturday 25th September 2010 7.30pm
With a newly refurbished bright and fresh bar side offering a wide variety of drinks there still remains the friendly, welcoming staff and atmosphere. New opening hours means you can relax after a hard days work during the week, party with us from lunch time at the weekend and recuperate all day on Sundays. Make the most of these last few summer evenings and relax with a nice cool drink in our new relaxed beer garden. Not only does Bar 33 provide an excellent music front, the bar has six new plasma televisions showing all the sport. If you have a special occasion coming up why not rent out the Bar and have it exclusively to yourselves. All types of private hire are available. Enjoy the last bank holiday weekend of the year with Bar 33 with our excellent summer feel Ibiza weekend, taking you to the golden isle right in the heart of Attleborough kicking off the Friday night with a sizzling ‘Beach Party’ and
24 Dispatch September 2010
cocktails with free admission for all ladies before 10pm. Saturday night takes you back through the last decade of music with DJ Gav (previous residency in ‘Optic’) and his legendary ‘Old Skool’ set. On the Sunday is a classic Ibiza chill out session where you can sit back, relax and unwind after what will of no doubt been an extremely eventful weekend. Don’t be afraid to fully get involved in the atmosphere and come in the relevant dress!!! The bar staff will be. With plenty of fresh ideas and new events coming soon, keep up to date with all our information with our facebook group ‘Bar 33’ and advertisement within the bar. We look forward to welcoming lots of new faces along with all our favourite regulars.
New Buckenham is to host its first ever Boy Band Concert at their Village Hall. All the youngsters taking part are from local schools in the area and enjoy some form of music either playing instruments or singing or both. The venture came about by some of the youngsters coming forward and offering to put on a concert for the charity; Macmillan Cancer Support. A date was fixed Saturday 25th September starting at 7.30pm There
will be a bar and nibbles, a raffle and all proceeds will be donated to help improve the lives of people affected by cancer. It is going to be quite a special evening as much of concert is the work of some of our talented youngsters. We hope people will come and support this new venture. You can obtain tickets from Simon at Cattermoles Butchers 01953 860264 or from Clive at Mill House Garage 01953 860572 Tickets are £5.00.
Autobiography By Faith Lawrence. Faith Lawrence, one of the Attleborough Writers Group, has written her autobiography – Today Not Tomorrow, published by Pen Press - £8.99. It will be available on Amazon and from bookshops after 1st October 2010. A Life spent in Antiques and the Theatre from the Great War and the roaring
Twenties to the early 50’s. A spoiled brat, ‘a tale of Riches to Rags and Tatters’. Monte Carlo and The Savoy to 3p tins of spaghetti split three ways! The Attleborough Writers Group will offer their anthology Dark Horses and Today Not Tomorrow in the Town Hall at the Attleborough Festival.
News from across your region
Keystone Development The World’s Biggest Trust Announces First Coffee Morning Set Of Community Grants
New Buckenham Village Hall. Friday 24th September 7am – 12 noon
Keystone Development Trust is delighted to announce that £2,200 worth of grants has been awarded to six community groups benefiting the Keystone area. This is the first of three rounds of funding allocated from the 2010 Keystone Community Grants scheme. Successful organisations include Community Spirit in Thetford, which has received £350 to host chill out sessions for young people who live on the Abbey Estate during the summer holidays. Others include summer after school music lessons from the Thetford Music Project, summer outings provided by Fulmerston Family Project and running costs for Thetford Community Ballpark. Thetford Community Association based on the Redcastle Estate will receive £300 to light the Thetford Community Ballpark enabling use in the evenings. The Ballpark offers local young people a place to play sports, stay healthy and socialise with their friends free of charge. Approximately 250 people, mostly aged 10-15, use the Ballpark each week. This funding will ensure use of the floodlights until March 2011. Town Councillor, Terry Jermy, on behalf of Thetford Community Association said: “We are delighted to receive this money which will ensure that we continue to provide a safe and accessible place for young people to take part in sporting activities free of charge on the Redcastle Estate.” Keystone’s experience shows that significant, innovative and valuable work can be achieved with a small grant (£500 or less).
Neil Stott, Chief Executive of Keystone Development Trust, said: “Thanks to our social enterprises we are pleased to invest in the work of local voluntary and community groups which will deliver projects that improve people’s quality of life.” Other recipients include the Thetford Players, a new group, who were awarded £500 to support the production of an amateur dramatic pantomime in Thetford and Moulton Village Hall Management Committee, who will run a community landscaping project during the summer holidays around their new village hall development.
Although this is entitled a Coffee Morning at New Buckenham you are able to go and have your breakfast here; they’re starting at 7am!
There will be plenty of staff on hand to serve you and if you have time you will have the opportunity of reading the newspaper while you enjoy your break.
Last year it was very popular as those people who lived locally and had to go to work popped in for a treat of croissants or toast and coffee or tea.
The important thing to remember is that all the money made on the day will go to help improve the lives of people affected by cancer: that is Macmillan Cancer Support Charity. Last year it was a great success raising just over £950.00.
What could be more inviting if you are driving through New Buckenham on Friday 24th September than to take a short break and treat yourself to a little light refreshment? Breakfast is from 7am – 9am and Tea Coffee and Cakes 9am – 12 noon.
We hope with your help we can do better so do put this in your diary and come and have a cuppa!
The Community Grants Programme adds to a package of small grant schemes that the Keystone Development Trust provides to support local people. These include the Fast Track Furniture Scheme which awards up to £100 to disadvantaged families and individuals to spend on furniture from the Green Ventures Shop. Local families experiencing difficult economic circumstances can also benefit from the Local Food Group Box Scheme which provides a weekly supply of seasonal vegetables, enabling those on a tight budget to eat healthily. This is available to fifteen families each quarter for twelve weeks.
Dispatch September 2010 25
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
Focus ON
Harleston & EYE
The Complementary Medicine Centre The Complementary Medicine Centre in Eye is holding an Open Day, ‘To Birth and Beyond’ on Saturday 18th September 2010, 10am-4pm. The Complementary Medicine Centre (CMC) is celebrating 10 years of delivering integrated health care in Norfolk and Suffolk. Based in at the Gilchrist Unit adjacent to Hartismere Hospital in Eye, CMC provides a wide range of complementary therapies and also offers expertise in family health. If you are planning a baby, are already pregnant, are about to give birth or are a parent or carer for babies and young children, this is the event for you. This exciting Open Day offers a unique opportunity for you to explore and experience a wide range of therapies, services and safe, non-toxic baby
26 Dispatch September 2010
products under one roof. There will be talks and workshops on many topics including The Foresight Programme, preparing your back for pregnancy, hypnobirthing, baby massage, homeopathy and reflexology. Our experienced complementary health therapists will also be on hand for advice as well as the Gilchrist Midwifery Team and NCT. There will also be refreshments, free samples and products to purchase. All proceeds raised will be donated to the East Anglian Air Ambulance. For more information, contact The Complementary Medicine Centre on: 01379 870707,
email: info@compmed.co.uk or visit our website: www.compmed.co.uk. Booking is essential to guarantee free entrance and to reserve workshop places.
Choosing Childcare
Merryfields
Do you remember your first day at nursery?
Merryfields is a traditional style group. We have been established in Diss Since 1989. We are a charity run group with a committee of dedicated parents.
Were you tearful and clinging to Mum’s leg, or did you wave goodbye without a backward glance? For many parents, one scenario can be just as painful as the other and both can result in more tears from Mum or Dad than from the child. Either way, it’s natural to want your child’s first experiences of school to be as good as, or better than your own. There are constraints on every family’s decision regarding pre-school education. Often it’s money, or rather the lack of it, that is the major consideration. But location is also important and if you live in the middle of nowhere, you may find your choices restricted. And your child’s age will also determine the type of nursery care your child needs. What Are The Choices? There are several different types of nursery care for children and it can be confusing. State-run stand-alone nurseries and those attached to primary schools tend to offer only half-day sessions, although there maybe some full days in the few months leading up to primary school. Day nurseries usually offer full and parttime places and tend to be run privately. If your child has been at a private day nursery there will probably be a provision for him to stay until he’s five, before he goes to “big” school.
Although seen as alternatives, both methods have shaped what we now perceive as “regular” teaching. In brief, Montessori encourages children to learn at their own pace (using specially designed equipment) while the Steiner schools advocate the spiritual development of children, encouraging emotional maturity and moral responsibility towards the earth and fellow humans. What To Ask For When Making A Decision 1. How long have you been working with children? 2. Have you undertake any training for your job? Any qualification? 3. Does your setting have a safeguarding policy in place? 4. Do you enjoy being with children and why? 5. Can I look around the building to see the rooms and outside play space? If there is no outside play space- how will you make sure my child gets the chance to play outside? 6. Where will my child rest? 7. What kind of food and drink will you provide? 8. What will my child do all day? 9. How do you encourage good behavior? 10. How will you make sure I know how my child is getting on? 11. Will my child be with a regular group of children? 12. How old are they?
Merryfields aims to provide for all children, parents and carers, a warm, caring and friendly environment for all children to experience new challenges and to gain confidence in their own abilities and their pace. We have both indoor and outdoor facilities for children to free flow in and out, at their choice.
Sue, Sharon and Helen would be pleased for you to call in and visit or telephone 01379 650001 (session times) or 01379 783784 for further details.
Our Curriculum covers all aspects of learning, using a wide range of adult and child lead activities. We monitor each child progress using the EFFS (Early Years Foundation Stages). Together with parents we aim to give support to each individual child to help them reach their full potential.
Finally there are also the Montessori and Steiner forms of nursery schooling.
Dispatch September 2010 27
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
Thetford Grammar Junior School Thetford Grammar Junior School is a place where learning is full of surprises! A co-educational day school located in East Anglia, the Junior School is an engaging, challenging and supportive learning environment committed to developing pupils’ individual strengths within a family community. Situated on the same site as our senior school, the Junior School pupils from Nursery to Year 6 enjoy a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in which many opportunities to mix with older pupils are provided. Academic success is at the heart of our activities and the development of the individual is central to our purpose. Small class sizes enable our dedicated staff to tailor learning to individual pupil needs. A broad curriculum is provided,
incorporating both creative play and an introduction to a more structured education, which includes specialist teachers for subjects such as Music and Physical Education. An education at Thetford Grammar Junior School encourages pupils to be creative, to develop their skills and to share their talents with others in a confident and caring manner.
How to Prepare Your Child for Nursery School Preparing your child for Nursery school may be a bit challenging for some and a breeze for others. Its all about the individual child. Listed are a few tips to help get you and your child started. Instructions 1. Separation: This may be especially challenging for some, parents and children alike. If your child is not already in a day care or other child care situation, it is important to practice separation. Leave the child with a trusted individual twice a week for an hour or two. 2. Following Directions: Nursery school is not especially difficult but if your child has difficulty following instructions it may be a bit challenging for your child. Practice by playing games such as “Simon Says”, “Freeze Tag”, “Chutes and Ladders” and “Candy Land”. 3. Arts and Crafts: Generally your child will come home with an arts and crafts project after each class. Start your child early with the basic skills by creating your own projects at home using glue sticks, crayons and pre cut paper. 4. Nap Time: If your child is still taking naps, it is a good idea to get them on a new nap schedule that will not interfere with their school schedule. If your child is cranky during school, he or she may not get the full experience of nursery school
28 Dispatch September 2010
that you would expect because they are too tired to learn. 5. Story Time: If you are not already reading to your child, you should start right now. Books are typically read in nursery school and your child will be expected to sit still and listen during this time. Some teachers will even ask the children to draw a picture about the story they just heard. Practice doing this at home. 6. Nursery Basics: Although your child will probably learn his or her alphabet and to count to 10 in Nursery School, it is really a good idea if you try to teach them before they get to school if you child doesn’t already know these basics. Many of the other children will already know how and many will not, do not worry if your child hasn’t learned them before school.
News from across your region
Hegarty School Of Dance Safe Hands Day Nursery Sam Watt teacher of dance at Hegarty School of Dance would like to say well done to all the dancers who performed at the Burston Fete. “It was brilliant to have so many young people taking part in the community event and they did a fantastic job.” She said.
The staff at Safe Hands are reflective practitioner’s working within the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The fete had a great turn out with lovely weather and some entertaining events such as The Dog Show and ‘Throw the Wellie’ offering a fun day out for all the family.
Gissing Children’s Centre The Pre-school, with our special “family” ethos, runs during term time, from 9.30 am to 12 noon and 12 noon to 2.30 pm each Monday to Friday inclusive; with the option of leaving at 1.15 pm each day. Early years funding can be used for both morning and afternoon sessions. We welcome children unaccompanied from 2½ years to 5 years of age from all backgrounds and abilities, including children with additional needs. Any families who would like to come along to see what we offer can call Linda Nash on 01379 652017 or email to lindamarynash@yahoo.co.uk to arrange a visit.
Safe Hands Day Nursery in partnership with parents, carers, staff and children is committed to providing high quality care and education for children aged from 3 months to 5 years in a homely and caring atmosphere.
Our Holiday Playschemes which include a range of craft and cookery workshops and facilitated indoor and outdoor play opportunities, runs from 10.00 am to 2.30 pm on selected days during school holidays for primary school age children. For further information, Contact Linda.
We offer a rich and varied environment that is tailored specifically to each individual child, encouraging young minds to reach their full potential. From September 2010 we will have spaces available for 3 and 4 year olds who wish to take their free 15 hours of nursery education. We offer the free 15 hour entitlement in flexible ways to meet parent’s needs; this can be taken term time only or spread over the whole year. If you would like more information on these or any other sessions please contact the nursery or view our website at www.safehandsdaynurserydiss.co.uk
Dispatch September 2010 29
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
PETS & Equestrian Charlie The Clever Canine Whistlers Dogs Trust Snetterton rehoming appeal Intelligent Elkhound crossbreed, Charlie, is looking for new owners who will be able to keep up with his thirst for learning. The 14 month old rescue dog is currently being cared for by staff at Dogs Trust Snetterton who have been amazed at Charlie’s enjoyment of reward based training. Dogs Trust Snetterton Supporter Relations Officer, Barbara Emons, comments: “Despite having spent his puppy years as a stray, Charlie is focusing his attention on learning new skills and enjoying his new life at the centre. However, we know he would love to join a family who would enjoy challenging Charlie and teaching
30 Dispatch September 2010
him new tricks.” Charlie’s new owners would ideally be around most of the time and be able to dedicate time to helping him settle in. Having another confident dog who can show him the ropes would also be a dream come true for this beautiful dog. If you would like to offer Charlie a new home or are interested in finding out more about rehoming a rescue dog, please call the Dogs Trust Snetterton Rehoming Centre, on (01953) 498 377. For further information please visit www.dogstrust.org.uk. Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and cares for over 16,000 stray and abandoned dogs each year through its network of 17 Rehoming Centres nationwide.
Whistlers is a family owned boarding kennels specialising in providing the highest levels of care for all our guests. Set within an extensive family run farm in the peaceful Norfolk countryside, offering a variety of off road walks. Whistlers is a newly custom built facility using the latest materials to ensure adherence to the latest kennel standards. The proprietors are mother and daughter Sue and Emma. They are both qualified in kennel management and have considerable experience in caring for dogs. They pride themselves in offering a personal service that will ensure all dogs enjoy an interesting yet stress free stay.
collections and drop off’s can be arranged but may occur an additional charge. Viewings are welcome by appointment. We are open all year round including Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays. Christmas day, Boxing day and New Years day are charged at double rate. We recommend that you book your dog in with us as soon as possible, as holiday periods can get very busy and we don’t want to disappoint you or your dog.
Times To minimise disruption to our guests our customer times are 1000hrs to 1200hrs and 1400hrs to 1600hrs.
Vaccinations On arrival a valid up to date vaccination certificate must be presented for every dog. This MUST include the annual vaccinations AND KENNEL COUGH vaccination.
The day of arrival and the day of departure are charged at full rate. Out of hours
We are unable to accept any dog that is not fully vaccinated.
News from across your region
Uplands Way Vets At Uplands Way Vets we have trained Pet Health Counsellors at all 3 of our branches. These counsellors run nursing clinics and offer services such as weight control, behaviour advice, youth club, post operative checks and nail clipping, to name a few. They also run Puppy Parties at our Attleborough and Stanton branches. These are socialisation classes for young pups, and include useful information for owners, basic training, freebies and lots of fun! Our counsellors are friendly and approachable and are here to help you with the day to day health and welfare of your pet. You can book an appointment with Lynsey or Kelly by calling any of the 3 surgeries. During the month of September the practice will be promoting Pet Smile Month. This is a nationally run campaign that aims to increase the awareness and importance of dental disease and the harm it can do to our pets. By encouraging better dental care we hope
to improve the health and well being of our pets. Uplands Way Vets are offering a free dental check by a vet or a nurse at any of our 3 branches. You will receive excellent advice on how to keep your pets teeth clean and healthy. To book your free Pet Smile check up, please call your nearest surgery. Uplands Way Vets Ltd is a mixed practice catering for all your domesticated pets, horses, farm animals and exotics. We are the vets of choice for Banham Zoo, Africa Alive, Dinosaur Park, Swallow Aquatics and the World Horse Welfare. For more information please look at our website www.uplandswayvets.co.uk
How To Maintain Your Horse’s Hooves There is a common misconception about what truly makes a horse. Some believe it is their kind and willing heart; some believe their massive muscles and strong body. Others believe it is their conformation. All of these are factors that make a horse great; but without healthy feet, none of these assets can benefit the animal. The horse’s hooves are one of the most important things to maintain to keep a healthy, happy and competitive equine.
basis and treat any weakness they might have. 4. Keep your horse on a proper diet. A healthy diet is an essential start to healthy feet. If your horse’s feet are weak, then add a supplement to your horse’s daily nutrition.
Tips For Maintenance: 1. Understand your horse’s feet. A good farrier and veterinarian can help you determine this. 2. Start by putting your horse on a regulated farrier schedule. Find a blacksmith that you feel comfortable with and schedule them to come trim or shoe your horse once every five to six weeks. 3. Maintain your horse’s feet no matter what the terrain is or what their job is. Be sure to visually evaluate the appearance of the horse’s feet on a day to day basis. Pick out your horse’s hooves on a regular
Dispatch September 2010 31
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
Homes & Gardens J&S Homeworks Garden patios and decking have never been more popular and are a great way to expand your living area into the garden Installing a deck or patio in your garden can be as rejuvenating to your house as building a new room. Similarly making improvements to your garden by laying new turf or revamping an existing patio area can open up your home, making it feel substantially larger, more social & accommodating. Solid structures give a garden a sense of both practicality and permanence. Whether you choose a deck or a patio depends on your site & style. A deck is ideal if your yard is sloped or has poor drainage; it provides a solid, level surface above uneven or soggy soil. A patio, in contrast, requires a level site for the cement, stone or paving slabs. Edge your patio with brick, stone,
32 Dispatch September 2010
metal or plastic. Whichever option you choose, use it elsewhere in the garden to link the areas together. With decking, balustrades can be added for safety & visual effect. Considerations to take into account when deciding whether to opt for a patio or decking & where to position it in your garden are; Review the advantages & disadvantages of placing your deck or patio in one area or another. Consider your climate, how it affects your use of the outdoors & what seasons you spend time outside. Think of how you like to entertain & for how many people. Keep your cooking style in mind, so that an often used BBQ isn’t inconveniently placed. Consider pet
requirements such as the need to keep a dog confined. Keep this list on hand as you make your decisions on design & material choices. For more information or a free no obligation quote please contact Jason of J & S Homeworks to transform your garden.
News from across your region
Attleborough & District Breckland Flower Horticultural Society And Garden Club On Saturday 11th September the Society present their Autumn Show at the Connaught Hall in Attleborough, commencing at 2pm. To exhibit at this show you do not need to be a member of the Society – for further details of the different entry classes and categories please contact the show secretary John Don on 01953 454848. Even if you are not minded to be an exhibitor why not come along and view what is sure to be a colourful and interesting range of flowers, vegetables and produce. On the following Wednesday (15th September) the monthly meeting of the Society takes place at the usual venue of Attleborough Junior School, commencing at 7.30pm. This month the guest speaker, Mike Flood, will be covering the subject of “Heavy Horses” – a topic that will be of great interest to a wide cross-section of people, not just horticulturalists – so again why not come along and enjoy a talk on these stately and much-loved animals.
Boxes, boxes and more boxes was the theme at August’s meeting.
In July members and guests very much enjoyed a talk by Rosemary Ward on “Plants for Autumn and Winter Colour”. She backed up her talk with many excellent photos and reminded us of the wide range of trees, shrubs, bulbs and flowers which can be utilised to give us that welcome colour during the short days of the year. The winners of the table competition for July were: Three stems of flowers – Jan Delaney; Five potatoes – Ron Brewer; Three beetroot – Sally Westrup; Plate of soft fruit – Sally Westrup.
Five committee members were each given a box of plant material and a container - all previously unseen - from which to create an arrangement. From a great variety of flowers and foliage five quite different designs - traditional and modern - were produced. The competition for an arrangement in a box - New Hands class was won by new member Susan Thurlow, second Janet Skidmore. Old Hands was won by Shirley Penfold, second Ursula Jackson and third Sylvia Briggs. The table show of three stems from the
border - first Shirley Penfold’s gladioli, second Sue Blackett and third Shirley Betts. Next month’s meeting will take place at Old Buckenham Village Hall on Thursday 9th September commencing 2p.m. when Nick Grounds’ demonstration title will be Flotsam and Jetsam and the competition title - A Seascape. The table show will be for any one flower, fruit of vegetable ‘harvested’ from the garden. Further information from Pat on 01953 457305 or Sally 01953 788712 - or just come along and visit - you will be made welcome.
Dispatch September 2010 33
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
Homes & Gardens Supreme Bathrooms At Supreme Bathrooms you can have your bathroom completely refurbished as they carry out all work including plumbing and tiling all under one roof. From your very first visit to the showroom you can view all products to get a feel for what’s now available in this vast and designer led industry. Once you have filled your mind with new images for your planned bathroom, then it’s time to organise their free of charge home survey. This allows Supreme Bathrooms to view the room in question and to get all information required to plan the perfect new bathroom, tailored to your every need. Then it’s back to the drawing board to design the room making sure everything fits and works accordingly. Once the plan is complete Supreme Bathrooms can then match their ideas with your needs and produce a quotation upon which they can arrange
34 Dispatch September 2010
a convenient time for your viewing. Once you have chosen and approved all products it just leaves them the fitting dates to organise, ready for their in house fitters to arrive and take care of everything, closely supervised by their project manager. It’s really that simple at Supreme! Visit their showroom off the London Rd Wymondham.
VPH Roofing & Scaffolding Ltd VPH Roofing has been trading for 20 years and grown over this time from a one man band Vincent Harwood to now employing over 23 people. The company offers competitive pricing of any types of roofing works with quality and satisfaction guaranteed. As with many other companies who may dismiss small or remedial jobs VPH Roofing is proud to offer everyone the same service. VPH Roofing does not only carry out roofing works but also offers sales of new and reclaimed roofing materials. For a free quote, please contact: Tel: 01953 888 605 Mob: 07788 135077
BUSINESS & THE WEB Kerry Butcher Accountancy Services
Save Up To 30% On Your Monthly Utility Bills
As the summer holidays draw to a close and life gets vaguely back to normal – I suppose it’s time we all look at that list of things we conveniently put to one side as “I will do that later!” Later has arrived.
With the Utility Warehouse Discount Club.
Hopefully you have renewed your tax credits as the deadline was back in July but you still have until 31st October if you want to submit a paper tax return and 31st January if you want to do this on line. Or even better, why not come along, have a free consultation with us and get us to do it for you. We complete self assessment tax returns for all kind of different people and I we can help you too. Don’t forget we also do payroll, company accounts and tax returns, bad debt
chasing and VAT to name just a few. Give us a call on 01953 457173 or email Kerry@kerrybutcher.co.uk. Put contacting us on the top of your to do list.
Would you like 5% Cashback on all your food and fuel at Sainsbury’s and over 25 other leading retailers, including M&S, Boots, Argos, Comet, Topshop, Halfords, Topman, B&Q and Homebase? Your Cashback will appear as a credit on your next month’s utility bill. This could give you up to a 30% saving on your bill. How good is that! My name is Peter Ragg and I am a local independent distributor with The Utility Warehouse Discount Club a top 250 UK plc. They operate a unique billing service putting all of your utilities onto one monthly fully itemised bill; that is home phone, mobile phone, broadband, gas and electricity. Their award winning customer services and
technical support are in the UK and they guarantee to answer over 90% of calls in 15 seconds. The Utility Warehouse also do not advertise so they are able to give you those savings back, typical annual household saving could be as much as £850 in addition to your monthly Cashback. The Utility Warehouse is so confident that you will like the services there is no minimum contract term on most of the services. If you are looking for hassle free utilities management then call me today for a free utility survey that’s: Peter Ragg on freephone 0800 458 3940 “Helping you to save your money”
Dispatch September 2010 35
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
BUSINESS & THE WEB The Importance Of Having A Website For Business The importance or significance of an internet presence through a website to the rapid financial growth and success of an individual or a company cannot be over-emphasised. An advantage that readily comes to mind is the greater market that the internet affords to everyone who is wise enough to exploit it to one’s advantage, especially now that the world has become a global village, whereby anyone can get access to the internet even in the remotest of all villages. The benefits of having a website are numerous. The internet gives you a 24/7 (24hrs a day / 7 days a week), 365/6 (365 or 366 days a year) access to everyone anywhere around the globe. And that means that even while a website owner may be sleeping, eating, playing or attending to the needs of the family, the website is always open for business and automatically attending to the demands of the site’s visitors without fail every single second, every single minute, every single
36 Dispatch September 2010
hour, every single day of every single year. With all these benefits, you would expect someone to incur a huge monthly bill as running cost and overheads, wouldn’t you? But, what do you actually incur as your “office” overheads or running costs? Nothing! All you spend in many instances is the time and cost of Spider Solutions building the website and hosting it on the internet on your behalf. At Spider Solutions our experience over the years has brought to the fore some reasons why many small businesses, do not have a website. Many of them may not yet be fully exposed to the internet. Additionally, they may know virtually nothing about the internet and, as humans, we tend to fear what we do not understand and hate what we cannot conquer.
Similarly, many small business owners are skeptical about the internet because, not only do they not understand how it works, but they equally see some site owners who appear not to have made any remarkable progress with their sites. Spider Solutions not only has extensive experience when it comes to designing and building websites, but they also offer the complete package including hosting of the site once built, domain name registration, email account set up and hosting and full maintenance of the website once it is live. Conclusively, having analysed the underlying causes of business stagnation and apparent lack of growth for many small businesses, Spider Solutions have highlighted the dire need of having a website as a huge boost for rapid growth
and financial success for small businesses. In order for any small businesses to embark on the road to sustainable growth and financial success and be well-equipped with the requisite “road map” blue-print for business success, it is imperative for such business to have a website. Bottom Line? Every business owner who decides to have a website built, hosted and maintained with an expert website building and hosting company like Spider Solutions, is destined for success even during these times of global economic recession. It costs nothing to chat, so call us to discuss your requirements: 01953 456789 www.SpiderSolutions.co.uk
News from across your region
Becoming A Limited Company
Anglia Computer Solutions Ltd
One trading option for a business is to operate as a limited company.
Has branches in Wymondham, Swaffham and Downham market.
This will provide access to a number of tax planning strategies and limited liability status. A limited company is a distinct legal entity that is able to enter into contracts in its own name. The fact that the company is a separate legal entity from its owners is very important as it means that all the company’s liabilities are the responsibility of the company - not that of the directors and shareholders! So what are the pros and cons of incorporating your business? Significant advantages: • Limited liability status - as explained above, the company is a separate legal entity and this can protect your personal assets from business creditors if for any reason the company is unable to clear all of its debts and has to cease trading. Operating as such is especially useful if there are significant risks associated with your business activity.
Significant disadvantages: • Possible double taxation - the company pays corporation tax on its profits and can only distribute the remaining profits, known as retained profits, to directors and shareholders. This can give rise to tax being paid by both the company and by the directors or shareholders when they extract money from the company. • More cost - the professional costs for setting up the company and for preparing company accounts and tax returns can be higher than those you would expect to pay if you were selfemployed. There are then additional costs involved with various Companies House requirements. • Audit requirement - If your company exceeds certain turnover limits, or is in a particular trade sector, an audit may be required thus incurring further costs. We can advise on this, but most small companies will be exempt from annual audits.
The company specialises in all aspects of computing and relating technologies supporting both homes and businesses. All branches are fully equipped to repair both PC and laptop units for all known faults from hardware failure to software issues and viral infection. Each store stocks a large range of inks, peripherals, cables, accessories, software as well as new & reconditioned PC’s and Laptop computers. Currently we have over 175 PC’s & Laptops in stock across 3 branches. If the problem is best dealt with in the home or the equipment is too bulky to carry in store, then we come to you. Out on the road engineers cover all of Norfolk and can deal with most issues on site. Simply give us a ring or send an email and we will get an appointment booked for you. The internet is our other speciality. We offer services from web and email hosting through to the creation of brand new websites. Many options are available from a few simple information pages to full blown online shops. If you already have a website, how well is it
work? Is it easily found on Google? If not we can help! If your website is search engine optimized it will come up higher on the page rankings and be found more, this translates to more hits and then more custom. Give us a call on 01760 751041 for a FREE quote on any web design or hosting requirements you might have. With the introduction of VOIP many options have been opened up for telephones. We can now have up eight lines coming down one broadband connection. These lines can have all the usual features such as voicemail but now also call forwarding if one line is engaged, call waiting, call recording (incoming and outgoing) as well a choice of phone number from anywhere in the UK. If you operate from Norwich but want a Kings Lynn telephone number this is easily accomplished, all calls can go to one location. For more information on any of our services please contact us anytime between Mon – Sat 9am – 5pm in store, or via the phone or via email.
Dispatch September 2010 37
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
BUSINESS & THE WEB Read Dispatch Magazine Online Whilst Dispatch Magazine is very much a print based product, and designed as a coffee table magazine, which you can pick up and read and put down having read a couple of pages throughout the month; we also understand the importance of being able to access Dispatch Magazine at anytime and from anywhere. We have therefore established Dispatch Magazine live on the internet, where you can access and read the very latest editions for all 3 editions we publish; Diss & Attleborough. Wymondham, Dereham & Watton and Thetford. Simply head to www.dispatch-magazine. co.uk  and choose the issue you would like to read live online. Dispatch will, without doubt, continue to be published, printed and delivered through your door on a monthly basis, however, we hope this enables more readers to enjoy Dispatch Magzine wherever you are.
38 Dispatch September 2010
For advertisers, this now opens the door to a far greater readership, which gives a massive increase in exposure for your business. For advertising information call 01953 456789.
News from across your region
DataTech DTP DataTech DTP offer a full I.T. and media support solution from their offices at 16 Mere Street in Diss. They can be found opposite the Waterfront Inn, through the blue door, on the first floor. A full in-house data recovery service is offered to rescue lost data from all source types including hard drives, memory cards and optical media. They can recover files both accidentally deleted and those lost due to hardware failure.
flyers, CD and DVD origination and duplicating, including Video Cassette to DVD conversion, together with full colour, high quality laser printing and duplication means that DataTech DTP are able to offer the complete I.T. solution.
A dedicated Internet and web-site department offers domain name registration, independent e-mail addresses, web-site design and web-site hosting on their own servers.
Proprietor Colin Buckenham and I.T. Manager Steve Chilvers each have over 25 years experience in the I.T. environment and together with Support Engineer Jesse Gregoire and their web design team they will be happy to discuss all your Data Recovery, I.T. support, Web-site, Printing and Publishing needs.
On-site support for internet connection, networking and wireless network issues is available for both home and business users. On-site and in-house I.T. support is also available for both business and the home user and in association with a local hardware supplier they are able to provide computer and I.T. equipment and systems to meet clients specifications. A full printing and publishing service for books, magazines, brochures and
They can be contacted at their main office on 01379 652053 or via their support line on 07941 853 426.
Free Website & Internet Business Health Check The internet has become an increasingly important factor for every business, bringing huge savings in costs and allowing highly effective marketing systems to evolve. Profile Websites are primarily a website design company that specialise in design and ecommerce. Our experience and fresh approach to website design ensures that all of the websites that we produce not only look great, but most importantly work hard for your business. Unlike most web design companies, we believe that we can offer our clients the complete solution, an innovative bespoke design that incorporates a user friendly layout, high search engine rankings and most importantly, great customer service. A successful website, whether the purpose is to sell, inform, promote, or entertain must be functional, entertaining, easy to navigate and engaging, with graphics that are eyecatching and memorable. A web solution should be well orchestrated, designed to serve the customer, promote the company and therefore generate new business.
Is your website attracting maximum search engine traffic? why not let us give your website or your online shop an entirely free of charge website health check. For your free evaluation report, email your web address to report@profilewebsites.co.uk and within 24hrs you will receive an in-depth health check on your site to cover your SEO score, how your competitors are doing, an analysis of your site and Green, Amber & Red listings to where your site’s strengths and weaknesses lie. For more details about the services of Profile Websites, call us free on 0800 756 6630 or email us on info@profilewebsites.co.uk and we will gladly reply with our services and price list.
Dispatch September 2010 39
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
Health, beauty & wellbeing Camberwell Dental Practice Camberwell Dental Practice was established and has served the community since 1987. In 2009, the Practice was taken over by Dr Alek Missankov who graduated in 1997 from Johannesburg, South Africa. Alek has worked in the UK since 1997 in London and Hampshire. He is married and has three children. Alek has a particular interest in Endodontics (advanced root canal systems) and cosmetic dentistry including beautiful white fillings, cosmetic crowns and veneers. The practice was renovated in 2009 to a high standard and is served by excellent staff who will be pleased to help with any dental treatment information you may require.
40 Dispatch September 2010
Please feel free to contact our friendly staff for an appointment on Tel: 01379 652 580.
Best Skin Care Routine Step 1: Cleansing Cleansing should be done twice daily, using a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser. Always use your hands instead of a washcloth. Washcloths can harbour bacteria and they’re too rough for sensitive skin. Skin shouldn’t be “squeaky clean” but should have some natural oils left behind.
If you don’t have problem skin use a lightweight moisturiser.
Step 2: Toning A good toner will remove any excess dirt or makeup left behind by your cleanser—the proof is in the cotton pad. It’s also a step too many women skip in their skincare routine. Regular use will refine and minimize pores and make skin feel fresh.
Step 4: Scrub/Exfoliate Exfoliating is a step that can be done about once a week.
Step 3: Moisturising Next to staying out of the sun, moisturising is the best step towards keeping skin looking young.
In fall or winter, you might want to switch over to something a little more substantial, but for the summer something light is best. Moisturiser should be applied twice a day.
Sloughing off dead skin cells will reveal younger, smoother skin beneath the surface. Use a skincare brush. You can use it with whatever cleanser is your favourite. The oscillating brush buffs skin to a healthy glow—but a good scrubbing cleanser or pad will also do the trick.
CARING FOR THE ELDERLY Able Community Care
Wiltshire Farm Foods
Celebrating 30 years of providing Live-in Care Schemes to Elderly and Disabled People throughout the U.K.
Wiltshire Farm Foods is the UK’s leading meals delivery service. Our meals are prepared in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, frozen the moment they are cooked, and delivered across the UK & Northern Ireland through a network of local outlets.
Above: Angela Gifford Able Community Care is a provider of long term, live-in, care services to people with high dependency care needs who wish to remain living in their own homes. The company was founded by Angela Gifford in 1980 and provides services nationwide from its office near Norwich. The success of the company is based on the trust and confidence that they generate with their clients, and their aim is to create an
environment where clients have choice, respect, independence and a secure service delivery. The live-in service is an alternative to moving into a residential care home for many older people and used as a way to remain living in the community for many younger disabled people. Able Community Care provides care to people from all age groups and backgrounds. New clients come to the company by recommendation from previous or existing clients, or via Social Services or Health referral. Each prospective client is visited to ascertain their individual situation and requirements on a domestic, personal and social care level. Many of the company’s current clients have been with them for periods in excess of ten years. The company is under the remit of the Care Quality Commission and the Scottish Care Commission.
How Wiltshire Farm Foods Can Help We can offer the perfect way for you or a relative to eat well, without having to worry about long trips to the supermarket, preparing food, or managing boiling pots and pans. Many of our customers have special dietary needs, so we work hard to make sure our meals and desserts meet the best nutritional standards. Our meals not only look and taste great, but they’re good for you too.
If you would like to discuss our live-in carer service or would like our current brochure then please call us on 01603 764567 or visit our website at www.uk-care.com
How We Deliver Wiltshire Farm Foods hand delivers our meals direct to your door. Our team of drivers head out from one of our 70 local outlets around the country, and we try to go to every UK address weekly, although for much more rural areas, this is fortnightly. We know you don’t want a stranger arriving at your door, which is why our drivers go through an extensive training program, as well as a police security check, to make sure they are someone can you can trust and rely on. We deliver, for free, everywhere in the UK. Each local outlet is situated to make sure we can reach everyone. We normally get around to every mainland Great Britain & Northern Ireland address either weekly or fortnightly.
Dispatch September 2010 41
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
CARING FOR THE ELDERLY NBR Scooter Brokers
Blue Badge Scheme
NBR Scooter Brokers is a family run business which prides itself on their commitment to their customers (existing and new!!)
About the Blue Badge Scheme
Their main objective is to provide impartial advice together with a friendly and efficient service!! They offer the service of a free, no obligation, home demonstration for all of their products to ensure they are suitable for your needs. Whilst their core business is the supply of new mobility scooters, they also have a selection of pre-owned scooters as they offer a part exchange service. In addition to mobility scooters, they can also supply the following: • Stairlifts • Powered wheelchairs • Powerchairs • Rise & recline armchairs
42 Dispatch September 2010
• Adjustable beds • Bathlifts • 3 & 4 wheel walkers • Attendant and self propelled wheelchairs Apart from selling, they also offer a hire service, together with repairs, servicing and insurance work. NBR scooter brokers are accredited with Norfolk trusted traders which is organised by Norfolk County Council.
The Blue Badge Scheme is an important service for people with severe mobility problems that enables badge holders to park close to where they need to go. The scheme operates throughout the UK, and is administered by local authorities who deal with applications and issue badges. The Scheme only applies to on-street parking. Badge holders may park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours in England and Wales, except where there is a ban on loading or unloading. There is no time limit for parking on yellow lines in Scotland. Where a time limit is in force, you must display both the Blue Badge and the blue parking clock, set to show when you arrived. Badge holders may park for free and
for as long as they need to at on-street parking meters and pay-and-display machines. While the scheme operates throughout the UK, there are small variations in its application in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Please see the relevant website for further information. The information on this page relates to England unless specified. The Blue Badge advice line can offer general information and advice about the scheme, as well as details about using the Blue Badge abroad, toll concessions and more. Telephone: 020 7944 2914 or 0161 367 0009 Email: blue.badge@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Brooklyn House Brooklyn House is just one of Caring Homes’ highly acclaimed modern purpose-built care homes. Our dedicated multi-disciplinary team is on call 24-hours a day and pride themselves on the high-quality care they offer. Our key focus is to provide a safe, homely and supported environment based on a positive, person-centred approach. The majority of the rooms have en-suite facilities and all of them have a ‘nurse call’ system and television point. Each en-suite has a shower/wet room which is ideal for people with mobility issues and there are assisted baths throughout the building so everyone can enjoy a choice of bath or shower. Specifically designed to care for elderly residents, Brooklyn House is equipped with every modern facility to ensure high standards of comfort. The landscaped gardens and patio areas are an additional venue for outdoor activities, such as sensory therapy, and are a calm and beautiful place just to relax in. Brooklyn House has a new sun room which enhances the communal accommodation and gives the residents an additional choice for somewhere to spend the day. The home’s central position means it is ideally suited for local amenities and public transport links. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide superior palliative care, offering 24-hour care to residents with serious illnesses to relieve their suffering and improve their quality of life, giving comfort to them and their families. Every resident is given a comprehensive, individual care plan, whether they are staying for a period of convalescence or are permanent residents. We also welcome visitors for a short respite, to simply enjoy a break or holiday at Brooklyn House.
We place a high emphasis on dining at Brooklyn House, serving traditional cooking and offering a varied choice at every meal. Our fully qualified chef carefully plans the menus to make sure all the meals are nutritionally balanced. We are very happy to cater for special diets and individual preferences and, as well as breakfast, lunch and supper, hot and cold drinks and a range of snacks are available throughout the day. Brooklyn House’s dedicated Activities Co-ordinator ensures there is always something going on so residents can enjoy a full and interesting lifestyle and continue with their hobbies. Our active residents’ and relatives’ committee plays a key part in helping to develop new ideas and suggestions as to how Brooklyn House is run and the type of services available. Residents can also take advantage of the home’s close links to various local groups. For more information, to request a brochure or to arrange a visit, please contact Brooklyn House on 0808 166 1347 or visit the website at www.caringhomes.org
part of the caring homes group
Dispatch September 2010 43
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
Reach Over 42,500 Potential Customers Low cost display advertising to meet the smallest budget. Reach over 42,500 homes and businesses in the Diss, Attleborough, Wymondham, Dereham, Watton and Thetford areas. From a single advert in one Dispatch Magazine, to a run of 3, 6 or 12 months in one or all three Dispatch Magazines.
PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN HERE - CALL 01953 456789 NOW! Call our Sales Team for more information today: 01953 456789
44 Dispatch September 2010
Or email: Sales@Dispatch-Magazine.co.uk
The Dispatch Business Directory
Dispatch September 2010 45
www.dispatch-magazine.co.uk
Motoring Advertising The Dispatch Magazine Tyre Tracks Section is designed to offer advertising for the motoring trade around the area. Low cost display advertising to meet the smallest budget. Reach over 42,500 homes and businesses in the Diss, Attleborough, Wymondham, Dereham, Watton and Thetford areas. From a single advert in one Dispatch Magazine, to a run of 3, 6 or 12 months in one or all three Dispatch Magazines. Sponsored by...
PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN HERE - CALL 01953 456789 NOW! Or email: Sales@Dispatch-Magazine.co.uk
46 Dispatch September 2010
Tyre Tracks - The Motoring Directory
Driving Abroad Don’t drive abroad unprepared – here are some tips for being prepared: Before You Go • Familiarise yourself with the driving laws of the country you are visiting – including local speed limits and which side of the road they drive on! • You should be aware that provisional licences are a national document issued within the framework of driver training and do not entitle the holder to drive outside the territory of the issuing member state. • Check with your insurance company that you’re fully covered to drive abroad including breakdown recovery and any medical expenses resulting from an accident. • Check whether you need a Green Card for the country you’re visiting – this provides minimum insurance.
• Check whether you need an International Driving Permit. • Check you can comply with the vehicle requirements of the countries you’ll visit.
• If you’re involved in an accident, contact your insurer immediately and take photographs of damage to your vehicle.
Find Out What You Need To Take: The regulations of what you need to carry with you in your vehicle when you’re abroad can differ very much from the UK. One example is your proof of vehicle ownership (V5 log book).
Driving Your Own Car You should have a GB sticker clearly visible on the back of your car if your number plate doesn’t include this information. You’ll also need headlamp converters if you’re driving on the right-hand side of the road.
In the UK, you are advised not to carry this in your vehicle, however in many European countries if you don’t then you could be subject to a fine. Whilst You’re Away: • Drive defensively and expect the unexpected – the local driving style may be different to that of the UK. • Don’t drive when you’re tired and take regular breaks on long journeys. • Don’t drink and drive – the alcohol limit may be lower than in the UK and in some countries there is zero tolerance for drink driving. • Don’t use your mobile whilst driving.
Hiring A Vehicle • Hire from a reputable company – the cheapest deal may not always be the best! • Insurance cover is often limited to the legal minimum of the country or state you hire in. You could be held personally responsible for any claim for injury or damage over this limit. • Ask your tour operator or insurer if they can provide top-up insurance to increase your cover. This may be cheaper than buying it abroad. Motorbikes • Make sure your travel insurance covers
you before you decide to drive or be a passenger on a motorbike. • Travelling by motorcycle, scooter or moped is significantly more dangerous than by car - if you’re not accustomed to riding a motorcycle you should not attempt to ride one for the first time abroad on unfamiliar roads. • If you do decide to hire a motorcycle or scooter, make sure you use a reputable hire company – check that they are licensed to hire bikes to tourists. • Always wear a helmet and protective clothing, whether you’re the driver or a passenger. • Never ride the bike when you have been drinking alcohol. • If you hire quad bikes check your travel insurance covers you for their use. Only hire them from a reputable company and find out whether it’s legal to ride them on the public road. • Ensure your insurance includes third party cover.
Dispatch September 2010 47