FineCity Magazine - June 2015

Issue 43 June 2015

Actor Dean Chisnall talks to us about his West End show coming to Norwich

FESTIVAL OF SPEED

Motor-racing aficionado, Tony Cooper, reports on this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed

INTERVIEW

Martin Figura; an award winning poet, Pete Goodrum talks to him about it!

FINEMotors FINEplaces FINEpeople

PLUS

FINEarts

Holt Festival. The Full

FINELIVING

Line up is revealed.

NORWICH

16

Issue 43 June 2015

Actor DEAN CHISNALL talks to us about his West End show coming to Norwich

28 FINE places

FINE arts

INTERVIEW

Martin Figura; an award winning poet, Pete Goodrum talks to him about it!

FINEMOTORS FINEPLACES FINEPEOPLE

PLUS

FINEARTS

Holt Festival. The Full

FINELIVING

FINE people

Line up is revealed.

NORWICH

Issue 43

58

34

FESTIVAL OF SPEED

Motor-racing aficionado, Tony Cooper, reports on this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed

Your community magazine Cover image courtesy of Theatre Royal Norwich FineCity Magazine would like to thank all those who have contributed to this issue. This includes but is not limited to: Pete Goodrum, Stephen Browning and Tony Cooper.

FINE living

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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. The Publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

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2015 June | 03

Strawberry Time!

The latest news from Seven Acres Nursery Spring has been a mixed bag here at Seven Acres Nursery.

We’ve had some lovely warm days that would put some of our summers to shame, but we’ve also had some cold nights with late frosts.

The most challenging weather for me has to be the wind. With two large polytunnels made of thin plastic it’s a wonder they’ve not taken off just recently! It helps that the nursery is sheltered from the north and west by lovely, mature, native hedges which provide homes for many species of birds. But, when it blows from the south it can be damaging, only last week we had potted up some bamboos only

to have them frazzled overnight by a drying wind.

The strawberry tunnel is a place of sanctuary, warm and sheltered, a perfect place for bees.

Large bumble bees amaze me as they journey from flower to flower and then drink condensation from the underside of the tunnel cover.

We keep the tunnel closed up at night for warmth, so, one of the first jobs of the day is to open the sheeted doors, the smell inside is so fresh and earthy, wonderful.

Each row is watered by an irrigation pipe and now the strawberries are starting to set this is an essential daily job to ensure even and steady growth

It is certainly a satisfying sight to see the rows of bushy plants becoming more verdant and healthy as each day passes, each flower becoming a small fruit ready to swell and ripen with the onset of warm weather.

We were able to plant the strawberries early this year, so, they’ve had a good start and should be ready for sale at the beginning of May. I enjoy all the seasons but spring in the nursery is a lovely, manic, frantic time when all the plants, including the weeds, are growing at their fastest. A result of this, of course, is that watering becomes a permanent occupation!

Job satisfaction doesn’t get any better than working in the nursery with the warm sun on my face. Customers buying plants cannot resist the strawberries, usually returning from their car to

buy a second punnet after tasting them and exclaiming...

“The best strawberries I’ve ever tasted!”

Here at Seven Acres Nursery as well as our range of topiary we have seasonal vegetable and garden plants, shrubs, perennials, pots and planters, not forgetting, of course, delicious fresh picked strawberries!

Enjoy!

Sue Huckle, Posh Plants at Seven Acres Nursery, Common Road, East Tuddenham NR20 3NF Telephone: 07703 347014 email: sue@poshplants.com www.poshplants.com

Posh Plants

topiary, plants, shrubs and trees to hire or buy

Sue Huckle is the inspiration behind many award winning gardens, offering a professional and creative approach to the art and science of garden design.

At Seven Acres Nursery we have a range of lovely plants and containers for sale, as well as our beautiful collection of large topiary plants available to hire for weddings, parties and your workplace!

07703 347014 email: sue@poshplants.com website: www.poshplants.com

Posh Plants, Seven Acres Nursery, Common Road, East Tuddenham, NR20 3NF

04 | June 2015

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Feeling Lucky?

The Fire Fighters Charity and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service are holding a Casino Night at Sprowston Manor, Near Norwich on 6 June 2015 to raise funds for injured fire service personnel and their families.

The Charity Casino Night being held at this luxurious and prestigious venue will give all who come to the event a chance to win equally luxurious prizes in games of chance and luck, so if you’re feeling lucky, join us for this fun event raising much needed funds for The Fire Fighters Charity.

Event Organiser, Claire Boer explained, “This is sure to be a fun and entertaining event and is a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for such a good cause.”

The event is raising funds

for The Fire Fighters Charity – the official organisation which supports injured fire fighters.

Every year, fire fighters are injured whilst protecting the public.

Every 37 seconds in the UK, fire fighters are called to an incident, putting their lives on the line and sometimes sustaining physical injuries whilst carrying out their duties. The Fire Fighters Charity is here for fire fighters during their times of need, and assists thousands of individuals every year, by providing pioneering treatment and support services.

Laura Harden, Regional Fundraising Officer at The Fire Fighters Charity said “This event is sure to be a huge success and we’d like to invite the local community to come and join us and test their luck at our Casino Games which will include Roulette Tables, Play Your Cards Right, a raffle, plus other smaller games on the evening.”

or Claire.boer@fire.norfolk. gov.uk. Alternatively, check out www.firefighterscharity. org.uk/casinonightnorfolk.

The ticket price includes a sit down buffet, disco and $100 casino cash to start you off. There will be prizes on offer for the winners and a Winners table with more chances to win at the end of the night!

For further details or to purchase tickets at a cost of £25.00 per person, contact Claire Boer on 0300 1231248

Help at

the touch of a

button

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2015 June | 05

Fine City June 2015_Layout 1 21/05/2015 14:30 Page 1

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From nursery to sixth form, Hethersett Old Hall School is a friendly, high-achieving school where each child is individually nurtured within deliberately small classes, to reach their highest potential.

An easy ten-minute drive from the city, the school is set in sixteen acres of beautiful grounds attached to our lovely Georgian hall.

Why not visit and see for yourself what makes this such a happy place for your child to thrive?

www.hohs.co.uk I enquiries@hohs.co.uk I 01603 810390 Hethersett Old Hall School I Norwich Road I Hethersett NR9 3DW

New Anglia Growth Hub ‘Here to help’ – Business Support with Beverley Beverley Rayner is one of the ten Business Growth Advisers at the New Anglia Growth Hub, which offers free support for growing businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk. The Growth Hub was established in June 2014 by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and so far has engaged with over 3000 businesses. Bev’s patch includes Norwich and parts of South Norfolk, Broadland and North Norfolk. Businesses of all sizes and sectors can access this free support and it doesn’t matter whether they are pre-start or well established growing businesses.

The Growth Hub works with over 100 partners to provide a bespoke signposting and referral service, saving the business owner time and money.

“I have been with the New Anglia Growth Hub since December last year and since then, the phone hasn’t stopped

06 | June 2015

ringing. It’s so encouraging to see that thousands of businesses are investing in their growth. The team of advisers has a good cross-section of experience and skills. My background is in HR, having worked in financial services, retail and the voluntary sector.

The businesses that seek our support are not struggling. Far from it. We are aiming to engage with ambitious business owners who have plans to grow their company, employ more people and in doing so, add value to our thriving local economy.

The businesses I’ve visited vary greatly, from a woodland burial park to a sloe gin distillery, a motor vehicle repair company to a highly creative design agency and everything in between.

Norwich businesses are particularly pleased with the Government’s new Connection Vouchers programme to boost

broadband. Up to £3,000 is available to small and medium sized businesses within the Norwich City Council area to access superfast broadband.

As well as the Connection Vouchers, there are grants to support expansion, funding for training, access to sector specific expertise and much more.

The feedback from the clients so far has been very positive.

Many business owners are not aware of the range of support that’s available to help their business grow. I find that clients are receptive to having a face-toface conversation by talking to someone impartial yet focussed on the business’ needs and how to resolve them.

If you would like an appointment, please contact the hub by calling 0300 333 6536 or by emailing growthhub@newanglia.co.uk

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How Does a Small Business Get Money to Grow?

Many small and medium sized businesses say a lack of funding is the main barrier stopping them achieving their growth potential. But is this true and what can they do?

Firstly, it’s vital to know how much money you need. Grants providers, lenders and investors all want exact figures, so create a plan. It does not have to be complex but you should detail what you need, how you will spend it and the results you expect.

Ask yourself if you really need money. If it’s simply to survive, you should look hard at your business and consider whether a short term boost is masking the need for a longer term solution.

You might be able to reduce costs, address bad business

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habits or earn more from your existing customers.

If it’s money to grow, be critical and challenge your own thinking.

Sometimes expensive plans are a way of avoiding less enjoyable ways of growing business. Will a fancy new website create as many new customers as attending networking events?

Will new machinery help when it’s your customer service that needs improving? Write down your goal and consider if every new pound you spend will help you achieve it.

Look for grants. These are

typically for 50% or less of the overall project cost, so you will need a plan and an idea of where the remaining money will come from. Grants are there to stimulate things which otherwise wouldn’t happen and are often linked to job creation or energy efficiency.

Banks still lend millions of pounds to small and medium businesses each day. If your business is sound and your plans realistic, there is probably someone who will lend you money but interest rates will vary.

If commercial lenders won’t help, government backed business loans are also available.

Imagine a friend came to you in dire financial need. Before you lent them any money, you would probably expect them to consider sacrificing some of their pay, using their savings, increasing their mortgage or down grading their car. These are all ways you can invest in your own business if you have faith it can grow.

Banks may also look to see what sacrifices you are willing to make

before they lend to your business.

External investors expect a healthy return and some want control over how their money is spent. They are not right for every business but can help achieve quick growth. The issue is finding and attracting them. Again, you will need a robust plan and to demonstrate commitment.

Help is available to address these challenges.

Whether you need advice developing a growth plan, want to know if you qualify for a grant or require help approaching lenders and investors, a skilled adviser from the New Anglia Growth Hub can help you access a range of available support.

Call 0300 333 6536 or email growthhub@newanglia.co.uk to find out more.

2015 June | 07

Norfolk Accident Rescue Service Align Norfolk Lord as Patron NARS are delighted to announce that Lord Russell Baker of Little Moulton has accepted our invitation to become Patron of Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS).

Chris Neil, Chair of NARS said: “This is marvellous news. I have no doubt that Lord Baker will do a great deal to help raise awareness of NARS, and the work we do for the people of Norfolk. We wish him every success in his endeavours to help us.”

Lord Baker said: “This is a great honour for me personally.

I am delighted to be taking over from the Lord Lieutenant Richard Jewson as Patron of NARS, and I am looking forward to representing NARS actively by promoting NARS within Norfolk and the local communities, and indeed further afield to generate public awareness and business sponsorship support.”

NARS Doctors and Critical Care Paramedics volunteer their time to enhance the level of care provided for patients who suffer serious injury or acute medical illness.

NARS volunteers carry specialist equipment designed to cope with the most challenging of medical emergencies.

Colleagues in the ambulance service also call upon NARS to assist in the management of the sickest patients – at home or at the roadside. A new system has been put in place to allow crews to easily escalate and request Critical Care support.

Lord Baker said: “NARS currently have one emergency rapid response vehicle ‘Medic22’, and the aim is to try and acquire another two rapid response vehicles to give the people of Norfolk the additional strategic coverage and service required.

2015, and at that point NARS will be without one in active service. The loaned CPR unit has already saved at least one life, so NARS urgently need to purchase one of their own.

To try and mitigate this, NARS have entered into the Aviva Community Fund competition to win the £10,000 needed to buy one. But NARS need public votes to get the project through to the final. So NARS needs your help! Please vote for NARS now before the 30th May: https://community-fund. aviva.co.uk/voting/project/ view/1351/ Lord Russell Baker

NARS currently has a ‘Lucas 2’ automatic CPR machine on loan, but it is due to be returned at the end of May 08 | June 2015

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Celebrating 25 Years of Steam in the Bure Valley 11th & 12th July 2015 When British Railways closed the line from Wroxham to Aylsham in 1982 and the track was lifted in 1984, many thought this to be the end of the route as a railway. Through the vision and drive of a committed group of enthusiasts and collaboration with a supportive local authority, the 15” gauge Bure Valley Railway was opened on 10th July 1990. The railway had a fleet of new, high quality, purpose built coaches, but no locomotives to haul them. To overcome this problem, locomotives were hired in from the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent. Twenty five years after opening the Bure Valley Railway is steaming ahead and will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on 10th July 2015.

To celebrate this milestone the Railway will hold its Steam Back in Time event on Friday 10th July.

This event will see the return to Norfolk of Winston Churchill from the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, the locomotive which hauled the very first train. All passengers on this day only will travel at the same fares as when the Railway first opened in 1990 (Adults £5.50, Juniors £3.95 and Under 5’s Free).

The celebrations will continue over the weekend of 11th & 12th July with a Steam Gala including two engines visiting from the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway in Kent, In addition to Winston Churchill, Green Goddess will also make a return to Norfolk. They will be hauling trains alongside the home fleet

of Bure Valley Railway engines with an intensive service in operation on both days (Adults £12.50, Juniors £6.50 and Under 5’s Free).

Andrew Barnes, General Manager of the Railway, says “through the dedication and commitment of a small team of paid staff and active volunteers the Railway has developed into a thriving and self-sustaining tourist attraction for all ages.

The scale of our trains are very popular with the younger audience and our disabled coaches allow wheelchair users and able-bodied passengers to travel together.”

Trains are now operating daily to the end of October with special events throughout the year, including Santa and Mince Pie Specials. The railway also offers a very popular boat train which gives the opportunity for a journey by steam followed by a cruise on the Norfolk Broads.

For those who would like to realise their childhood ambitions

to be a train driver, Driver Experience Courses are available during off-peak periods. Facilities at the Railway include a café and a large shop selling model railways and gift at Aylsham with a souvenir shop at Wroxham.

The Whistlestop Café seats up to 80 people and can provide everything from a cup of tea to a full meal with a roast lunch on the menu every Sunday. There is free parking at both stations.

For further information contact: Susan Munday, Bure Valley Railway, Aylsham Station, Norwich Road, Aylsham, Norfolk, NR11 6BW, Tel: 01263 733858 Website: www.bvrw.co.uk Email: marketing@bvrw.co.uk

Old Buckenham Airshow 1st & 2nd August 2015

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THE GREATEST PILOTS, THE MOST FAMOUS AIRCRAFT, STUNNING AEROBATICS, THRILLING PARTIES, THE BEST FOOD, FAMOUS CLASSIC CAR DISPLAY, MILITARY DISPLAY & FUNFAIR. come and see why old buckenham has become ...

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10 | June 2015

1st & 2nd August

At few other events can you see the greatest pilots and aircraft flying at the limit, then take to the skies yourself in a WWII legend. But then, very few shows are like the Airshow. Often described as the perfect family day out, the show wins new fans each year amongst aircraft experts and people who’ve never been to an airshow before.

After a very successful 2014 show we’re planning an even bigger and better weekend on August 1st and 2nd. We keep innovating each year; in 2014 we launched the Food Village to universal acclaim. You won’t find a yellowing burger van on the site, but you will find an enhanced Beer Festival from Norfolk’s newest brewery, Taylor’s. In 2015 there will be four beers exclusively brewed for, and only on sale during, the Airshow. In 2014 beers commemorated aviation legend Brendan O’Brien and his stunning trailer- top landing (we’re

in the process of trying to get it recognised as a world record) as well as star-of-the-show, Staggerwing ‘High Maintenance’.

Speaking of commemoration, at this very special place, one group of people are honoured every day, the 366 USAAF servicemen who died serving from here in World War II. In 2015, 70 years after the Victory in which they played such an important part, we’re commemorating them and their colleagues by honouring their homeland, the United States of America.

You’ll have plenty of memories in early August when once again we will demonstrate why Old Buckenham is THE Norfolk Airshow.

Provisional Time Table: Saturday 1st August: Flying from 13:30 Sunday 2nd August: Flying from 13:00

19/05/2015 16:00

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2015 June | 11

Benson and RAF Cadets visit the Red Arrows On 18th May, nine Royal Air Force cadets accompanied by the Contingent Commander Squadron Leader, David Bailey and Benson the school Labrador, visited the home of

the Red Arrows for a tour and Aerobatic display.

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, is one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams and the visit was

arranged by Mr David Boyce who himself is an honorary member of the Red Arrows. During their visit to RAF Scampton, the cadets had a comprehensive tour of the engineering wing followed

by a photo shoot with the Red Arrows team.

A pilots briefing then followed which the pupils attended prior to the Red Arrows flying a full display programme.

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Aston Shaw Secure Partner Sponsor For Highly Anticipated Run Norwich 10k (East Anglia, April 2015) Aston Shaw, East Anglia’s fastest growing accountancy firm have become a partner sponsor on the inaugural Run Norwich 10k which will take place in the heart of the city on August 30th. As partner sponsor Aston Shaw are keen to help increase the awareness of this exciting event which will not only boost the local economy through increased tourism, but will serve to raise the profile of the city and bring the local community together.

The run, which is limited to 4,500 spaces is open to runners of all abilities, has been taken from concept to reality by Norwich City Community Sports Foundation (CSF) with support

14 | June 2015

from key organisations in Norfolk.

It is hoped that following a successful first year, Run Norwich can go on to become a long standing tradition in the city.

Aston Shaw Director, Mark Noakes said “Aston Shaw are extremely excited to be sponsoring the first Run Norwich 10K. Not only will it be a great day to showcase the wonderful landmarks in the city, but also Run Norwich is going to be a chance to demonstrate the benefits of our local community to everyone travelling down to run”.

Ian Thornton, director of CSF said: “We’re extremely grateful for the support from Aston Shaw, who are clearly as enthusiastic as we are about Run Norwich and

the benefits it will bring to our city.

Support like this in our first year is invaluable to make Run Norwich a success, and we look forward to a memorable day in August.”

The run is likely to be one of the biggest events in Norwich

this year. Over 1,000 people registered their interest on the first day of its announcement and thousands more are expected to visit Norwich on the day to watch the run.

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Hearing Care Centre 5 Signs That Your Partner May Have a Hearing Loss Hearing loss can occur so gradually that many people don’t even notice they have a problem. Very often, it’s actually the partner of the person with undiagnosed hearing loss who notices something is amiss. If you’re worried your partner could be suffering from hearing loss, familiarise yourself with these five signs that indicate it might be time for a hearing test.

1. “Would you mind repeating that?”

Miscommunication is the most obvious sign that there might be something wrong. If you find yourself repeating yourself a lot more than you used to, it is likely your partner has a hearing loss and is struggling to understand you.

2. The volume on the TV is turned up too loud If your significant other likes to have the TV turned up to a level that is uncomfortable for other members of the family, it is very possible that he or she has a hearing loss.

3. Distance in social situations If your once talkative partner has becoming increasingly quiet in social settings, it could be that they are having trouble hearing what others are saying. It is not uncommon for people with untreated hearing loss to become withdrawn and isolated as they deal with the stress and embarrassment of struggling to follow conversation.

4. Confusion Hearing loss does not just make sound quieter – it has a range of effects that can make conversation sound muffled or garbled. If you notice your spouse looking confused or disoriented in the midst

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of a conversation, smiling politely instead of laughing at a joke or misinterpreting what someone has said, hearing loss could be the root of the problem.

5. Frustration It is very normal for people with untreated hearing loss to become frustrated at those around them as they strain to understand what is being said. These feelings are understandable, as developing a hearing loss is a life-altering experience.

Living with an untreated hearing impairment takes a great deal of energy and patience, so it’s no wonder your partner feels frustrated.

Even though it’s hard, try not to take it personally if your partner takes out some of his or her frustration on you. Try to remember that it’s not actually you they’re frustrated with – it’s the fact they can’t hear as well as they used to.

If you recognise any of these signs in your significant other, it might be time to gently suggest that a hearing test is a good idea. This is a delicate topic though, and should be approached with care.

Karen Finch is the Managing Director and lead audiologist at The Hearing Care Centre.The multi-award winning, familyrun company has 20 centres across Suffolk and Norfolk, including locally in Dereham, Watton and Wymondham. For more information visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk or call 0800 096 2637.

2015 June | 15

The great novelist, Charles Dickens, had an idyllic young childhood exploring the wonderland of Rochester, the castle of which is seen here. He later returned and bought the home he cherished as a youngster which his father had said that he might be able to buy if he worked VERY hard in life

Those Long Lingering Summer Days Of Yore Did time really pass at a slower rate all those years ago? Was the sun warmer, the sea fresher and ice-cream tastier? Did the summer holidays go on for ever? Stephen Browning has been doing some research and chatting to a few locals. Most, but not all, of the tales are from Norfolk.

16 | June 2015

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FINEPLACES

F

Taking the waters in 1903

feature by:

Steve Browning Writer @returningperson

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or my new book, ‘When Schooldays Were Fun’, my publisher, Halsgrove, delivered 100 volumes of the fabulous ‘Community History’ series which detail life in specific communities over the centuries and are often written by the local history group. It was, apparently, ‘in case you need inspiration’.

My first thought of ‘what have I got myself into here?’ was rapidly dispelled as I opened one and then another: I became hopelessly hooked. What follows are a few extracts about school and summer days gone by taken from these volumes as well as some chats I have had with local people.

Getting to school. The following is from The Book of Blofield and Hemblington by Barbara Pilch. It is perhaps surprising that the speaker, Charlie Howes, survived his childhood!

Eric Bates’ journey to school from his home in Globe Lane was often exciting. Using his mother’s bike, he would gather friends as he went along, ending up with six boys clinging on. He would pedal the bike while David Rope sat on his shoulders, John Ward might be on the carrier, and three boys from Shiels Court Boys’ Home would take up positions on the pins at the front facing backwards, between the saddle and handlebars and making a second on the carrier. As they gathered speed down the hill, they hoped that the gate into the school playground would be left open!

Schoolday memories. David A Berwick is a noted Norfolk historian and author of ‘Beating the Bounds in Georgian Norwich’ and ‘The Divine Delinquent’. He told me the following wonderful tale of his time in the Bull Close Infant School, Norwich in the 1950s. He calls it The Jackdaw incident: One day, whilst us kids were all milling about in the playground during mid-morning break, some of us spotted a Jackdaw land on the guttering of a low roof just above the school entrance. One of my little friends, (don’t remember who) said something like “look at that big bird, will it hurt us?” For a reason I know not why I replied, “Oh no, it won’t do that ‘cos it’s tame, and it belongs to me!” This kid seemed to believe me and I thought that was that, but, oh no it wasn’t! When the bell was rung for return to classes this kid went to the teacher on duty, (Miss Lines, I believe) and pointed out the bird and told her it was mine! At this moment I felt I had strayed into a forbidden place in life. I had lied, and worse, there were going to be consequences, I just knew it. The teacher, who was definitely a very nice lady who I liked a lot, called me over. I should explain that, at this moment, all the kids on the playground were standing still and quietly waiting for the signal to go back into school. The teacher asked me if it was true that this bird was my pet. At this point I could easily have sorted the whole thing by saying something like, “Oh no, it isn’t my pet, I actually said I wish it was”. But I didn’t, and went on to compound the whole thing by saying that it was mine and that it had escaped its cage this morning before I left for school. Why oh why I did this I can’t even begin to explain.

It now got worse because I was asked why I had the bird in a cage in the first place. I said it was found injured by my dad, who built a cage for it to recover in. At which point the teacher, obviously utterly charmed by my story, decided to go public by shouting out the ‘facts’ so far to all the waiting kids. I was then invited to go forward to the bird and call it off the gutter as I said it answered to the name of ‘Jacky’ and would fly down and sit on my shoulder! Was there no end to my lying abilities? There was a murmur of excitement around me. I called the bird, which of course paid no attention to me whatever. I told the teacher that I thought it was nervous of all the children. At which point, incredulously, she told everyone to go in very quietly “while David waits here with me”. What had I got myself into? What was going to happen next? After the throng had gone into the school the teacher said what should we do now? Unbelievably, I replied that if I walked home, I thought it would follow me as I only lived down the end of the road on which the school stood. Can you believe it? The teacher

2015 June | 17

Above: Scouts at Blofield, Norfolk with Canon Shillito in July 1919 Left: Outing in Norfolk, 1914

actually said “OK, you nip home now and see if it will go with you, and come straight back”. So I went home where my mother was startled to see me. I had then to explain it all to her, and I don’t blame her for disbelieving every word! Mum could be strict, and gave me a sound and deserved telling-off, and sent me off back to school. To my utter delight, when I got back to the playground the bird had gone! The teacher asked me if the plan had worked and I said yes, it was back in its cage, and I would make sure it was only released when it was better! Happily, nobody ever asked about the bird again, and I don’t think Mum told Dad either!

Norwich schools and evacuees during the war, from The Book of Hempnall by Maureen P Cubitt Four new children arrived from Surrey in 1940. In January 1941 there were 18 evacuees and 58 local children on the register. The newcomers had their own teachers and were taught separately.

The following year the wall dividing the two playgrounds was taken down, allowing boys, girls and evacuees to mix at playtimes. January 1941 was bitterly cold with heavy snow. A measles epidemic brought attendance down to 17 in total. Jean Poyntz recorded the day an enemy plane flew very low and machine-gunned the school and children dived under their desks. Gerald Whiting, who remembers the same occasion, heard that the plane was shot down at Lowestoft.

Preparations for a particular family of evacuees involved renovating a cottage on the Greens and donating furniture, kitchen utensils and a pram. The family arrived and before long rumours circulated of coal being stored in the bath and good country food being shunned. That family returned to London. However, most of the new arrivals thrived.

They learned how to grow vegetables and an invitation to pick apples invariably caused a stampede. They made local friends and many continued to correspond for years after the war.

A party given to Norfolk children by the American airmen at Wendling Air Base, 1944

18 | June 2015

From The Book of Wendling, Longham and Beeston with Bittering

by Stephen Olley A party had been planned for 130 orphans and refugees from Dr Barnado’s Home for boys in Lexham and the Home Hale Village School children as well as those of our staff. The men on the base acted as hosts. The party was under Jane Mallory’s supervision and she related how it went: The children were taken to the Perimeter where they had the opportunity to see inside a Liberator. This was quite a thrill for most of them as it was their first close-up view of an aeroplane. The GIs had their hands full in keeping order among the kids. The children were piled back into the trucks and brought to the theatre, which is next to the aero club. They were greeted by the base orchestra which rendered several numbers. The children put on a programme of their own consisting of country dances, songs and recitations, and this really brought the house down. They did an excellent job and to see some of the smaller children breaking forth in song and dance, was a sight to behold. The children were shown several movie cartoons, which they just loved.

Throughout all this the children were climbing all over the laps of the GIs, and it tugged at my heart to see the expressions on the faces of the GIs. Perhaps the GIs didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly did move me greatly to see their reactions to these underprivileged children.

After the movies, the children were brought to the aero club and seated at long tables in the snack bar, which was decorated with packages of candy wrapped in red paper… We served tea, cakes and fruit jelly. We had planned to have ice cream but at the last moment the freezing unit broke down. These presents were bought with money donated by the GIs. There were 130 presents – one for each child. When we counted noses, however, we had 160 children, so we scurried around and made 30 extra presents.

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FINEPLACES The Punishment book. I am sure all of us remember our punishments! Here is a local record with the dates on the left hand side.

From The Book of Easton: Easton Village History Project Punishment book of St Peter’s School

DATE NAME AGE OFFENCE PUNISHMENT 4.10.1926 Arthur… 11 Insolence 2 strokes of cane 10.7.1930 Gerald…

8 rubbed hole in book and told 2 strokes untruth about it on hand 14.4.1931 Basil… 10 Stoning a beggar singing 4 strokes near school on hand 6.10.1931 Dick…

12 Cracking a nut in school 3 strokes on hand 25.11.31 Thomas…

8 and half Said he didn’t care after 1 stroke on coming in late hand 25.11.1931 Charles 8 and half Catching and kissing and slaps on otherwise annoying 8 girls buttocks 21.1.1932 Gerald/Gordon Treating girls disrespectfully 2 strokes each with stick 3.3.1932 Gerald 10 Cheating at sums 2 strokes of stick 17.7.1933 Tom 10 Putting pencil up nostril 2 strokes of and untruthfulness about it stick 10.9.1942 Lawrence Tore a double page from hi Scripture 1 stroke on book and stuffed it in the hedge each hand Whit Monday celebrations, the cricket match and evening fun and games. This is one of the most heart-warming descriptions of a cricket match and evening fun and games I have ever seen.

From The Book of Wendling, Longham and Beeston with Bittering On Whit Monday the Band of Hope Annual fete (or treat, as it was called) was held in a meadow adjoining the barn. Wendling boasted a vigorous Band of Hope and this treat was a highly organised affair. To begin with, the Salvation Army from Dereham headed a long procession of blue ribboners who marched and sang around the village. Hale and hearty fellows were those bandsmen, particularly the drummer who, in the pauses between playing, would take off his red cap and wipe his perspiring head. It so happened that he had a particularly shiny bald head and, much to the amusement of his pals, one of the small boys called out: ‘Coo look! Ole Harry ‘a bin usin’ metal polish’.

After the procession had returned to the meadow, an ambitious sports programme began. This included tug-of-war, pole-jumping, pillowfighting on a greasy pole, and egg-and-spoon races for the children.

Tea party, 1950

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‘You lookin’ at me?’ Three lads from The Street, Sculthorpe, Norfolk look fiercely at the camera in the 1930s

2015 June | 19

FINEPLACES At one side of the field a cricket match was held between teetotallers and beer drinkers.

The captain of the teetotallers was a tall and rather handsome young man called Fred Butcher.

Bill Bradley was the beerdrinkers’ captain (both on and off the field). These two wore cream shirts and trousers but most of the players were in their black Sunday suits, starched collars and bowler hats.

The beer drinkers won the toss and batted first. Bill Bradley took the first ball, which went miles wide of the stumps, beat the wicket-keeper al ends up and produced two easy runs.

The next ball was a full toss, which Bill swiped into the field with a resounding smack. It sped towards the fieldsman head high, and smashed into the bowler hat of a short, fat youth of 20, named Charlie. A roar went up from the onlookers. ‘Good ole Charlie.

Keep yow yar hat on bor.You’ll catch him out if he sends yow another like that there!’ And so the game went on: full of fun and everyone in a good humour.

At the end of their innings, the beer drinkers had managed to knock up 56 runs and by this time tea was ready in the barn.

Everyone in the village who could walk came to this tea. They sat on long wooden forms on either side of trestle tables covered with plates of ham sandwiches and fruit cake. The tea was free for all, provided out of the Band of Hope funds and, for the older folk, was the event of the day.

There they would sit and talk about their rheumatics to their hearts’ content. The children competed with one another in the number of sandwiches each could consume, dodging under the tables to avoid the restraining influence and admonishments of their parents.

When the tea was over, they rushed back to the meadow, most of them stealthily darting behind the bushes to prevent themselves from bursting with tea and lemonade. Games were resumed and the teetotallers began their innings of the cricket match. Five wickets fell for 14 runs and things looked bad. But

20 | June 2015

The under 15 football team at King Edward VII Grammar School, Kings Lynn – the author is the particularly gormless looking individual back row second left

at this stage Alfred Butcher and Maurice Carter made a stand, bringing the score to 38. Then the beer-drinking bowler took off his hat and coat, rolled up his sleeves and called out: ‘Yow’ve bin in there long enough together.

I’m agoin’ ter git one on yer out or I’ll eart my hat’.

So saying, he walked back about 20 yards behind the wicket and, turning round, loped back again, gathering speed all the time. His hairy arm went over and, an instant later, so did Aldre’s middle stump. It was soon all over after that and the honour of the beer drinkers was upheld by 13 runs.

By this time the evening shadows were extending from the towering elm trees and, over

the little stream which wound its way along the far side of the meadow, a film of mist was rising, forecasting a fine day on the morrow. As soon as the sun had set there was a sudden swish like the hissing of escaping steam and, high above the heads of the happy crowd, a cluster of multicoloured lights spread out like a gigantic fan. The firework display had begun. Children clapped their hands and danced with glee and old men stared with mouths wide open.

When the display was over, there were cries of ‘Come on Willie Harbut…..Gordie, thas time we wurra goin’ boom’ and, one by one, the little family groups disappeared into the quietness of the night. For youths and

maidens the fun was not yet over.

Linking their hands together, they formed a circle and began the age-old game of kissing in the ring. Three girls and three boys started walking round the ring, the boys in one direction and the girls in the opposite. Each had a white handkerchief and dropped it onto the shoulder of a willing victim. Then began the chase.

Girls ran giggling and screaming in all directions, each followed by an eager male. The first chase was a long one for as yet there was no competition. Each had chosen his or her favourite and the boys made sure that the girls reached the extremities of the meadow before they were caught. Then, with arms enfolded around each other, they kissed

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FINEPLACES

Above: Young lady pictured with a few teddy bears in Brundall and Braydeston, Norfolk 1970 Left: Sculthorpe School, near Fakenham, Norfolk around 1909. The headmaster, Mr William Fawcett, stands on the left

and sauntered back to the ring. From now on there was competition for the prettier girls and more handsome boys but, as time wore on, none was left out of the game.

The same book gives us a glimpse into the intensity of religious life in the village.

On Whit Sunday, the chapel held its school anniversary in a neighbouring barn. For weeks past the children had practised their songs and ‘pieces’, waiting impatiently for the day when they could put on their new suits and summer frocks and, standing in front of a platform made from sheep hurdles and wooden planks, display their knowledge of elocution.

Each year a favourite local

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preacher was invited to conduct the anniversary services. One year it was George Langdon, a huge, bearded man with beaming face and thunderous voice. He had walked some three or four miles from his little farmstead. On entering the barn, he removed his bowler hat. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he said how glad he was to be with his Wendling friends again and announced the first hymn. After the hymn, George knelt on the platform and prayed a long and ardent prayer and when he rose tears streamed down his face. For no good preacher could pray without emotion and the depth of his emotion was the standard by which he was judged.

Friendship 1920s and 30s.

This is not a Norfolk story in itself - it comes from Devon but the depiction of warmth and togetherness in a local community has universal appeal.

From The Book of Stourton Caundle by Philip Knott ‘Down on bridge’ as told by Frank Palmer.

Until the late 1950s, the main meeting place for the children and young adults of the village was on the bridge, opposite the Trooper Inn. It was a common site to see men and children of all ages sat along the entire length of the bridge on a summer’s evening. Everyone knew the place as ‘down on bridge’. Often there was not enough room for everyone to sit, and the younger children would hover between the

groups of young adults present to listen to the conversation and adult humour. The topics of conversation never really changed: one’s job of work, girls, risqué stories, local gossip and the catching of rabbits. There was always loud laughter, and we used to laugh along with the older men, even when we did not understand, or see the funny side of the story.

The younger children present also played various games in the street, until the arrival of the Police Constable from Stalbridge on his bicycle put a temporary halt to the proceedings. During the evening, with bedtime approaching for the younger children present, their mothers would arrive to collect them, hailing out from some distance to call them home, as they were too embarrassed to come too close for fear of some ribald comments from the young men congregated on the bridge. Football was also played in Ropers Field at the rear of the Trooper Inn. Men and boys of all age groups played until it was too dark to see the ball.

Do we ever forget youthful memories? I think not, although time seems to play tricks. In the words of the song ‘Could it be that it was all so simple then?’ I like to think so.

When Schooldays Were Fun is published by Halsgrove at £19.99 available from bookshops and Amazon etc. Norfolk Libraries also hold 10 copies which can be requested at any UK library. www.facebook.com/ stevebrowningbooks

2015 June | 21

FINEPLACES

EACH Friends of the nook Quidenham hospice, which is run by local charity East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), is a ‘lifeline’ for the hundreds of families who rely on their services in caring for a life-threatened child.

O

ne such family is Claire Skingley from Southwold who benefits from their support in caring for her son Archie Jinks, who was born in December 2013.

Archie was diagnosed with West Syndrome when he four months old. West Syndrome is the term used to describe a type of epilepsy which most typically starts in the first year of life, between four and eight months of age.

Archie’s condition means he suffers from seizures, and after undergoing MRI scans and

22 | June 2014

EEGs, he was diagnosed with Polymicrogyria; which means abnormalities of the brain.

He also has reflux and global developmental delay.

Claire and Archie began receiving care and support from EACH about two months after Archie was diagnosed.

Claire said: “Archie and I were spending a lot of time in hospital and the community nursing team from the James Paget Hospital spoke to me about Quidenham hospice.

“EACH provided a lifeline for my son and I. Due to Archie’s low immune system when he

was young, we were isolated and this was made worse by the fact I was unable to drive due to Archie’s seizures. Thanks to EACH we were able to receive invaluable help at home and this was put in place in a matter of days from discovering we were eligible to receive help.”

One of the most valuable services EACH provides for Claire and Archie is the overnight breaks; which ensures Archie gets the care he needs while Claire gets a well deserved rest.

Claire said: “We receive regular overnight stays at Quidenham. This is a huge help to both Archie and I as he requires 24 hour care and it’s lovely to visit and have a rest knowing Archie is cared for. I always stay with Archie as it’s lovely to watch him have so much attention and enjoy himself. It’s a break for both

of us and a way of creating magical memories.”

Quidenham hospice has dedicated family accommodation, which is cosy and welcoming, but it is limited due to size constraints. EACH needs a new hospice to meet the demand for their services in Norfolk. The charity has outgrown its current hospice in Quidenham which is a very old building over two storeys.

Accessibility and flexibility within the building is restricted and there isn’t scope to expand.

The charity has planning permission to build a new hospice on a five acre site in the parish of Framingham Earl, five miles south of Norwich. The hospice will be called ‘the nook’ and in November last year the nook appeal was launched to raise the £10 million needed to make the project a reality. www.finecity.co.uk

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At the nook there will be improved facilities consisting of three en-suite bedrooms, leading into a private and peaceful lounge area where family members can sit, eat and relax when they need some quiet time. Hospice kitchen staff provide family members with meals throughout their stay, but there will also be facilities in the family suite to make simple meals and refreshments.

Choice and flexibility is very important for families, so EACH works hard to accommodate these needs. Claire and Archie live in Suffolk, but due Archie’s healthcare needs and hospital appointments, Quidenham is their hospice of choice. As Claire explains: “It’s great that EACH offers families flexibility in the way they receive care. I live in Suffolk and access the Quidenham hospice in Norfolk. It’s been lovely to do this as Archie’s everyday www.finecity.co.uk

care and appointments are from the James Paget and Norfolk and Norwich University University hospitals. I like the fact we’re nearest the hospitals that treat Archie regularly when staying at the hospice, as I feel more relaxed.”

Claire and Archie also benefit from support from the wellbeing team to help with worries or concerns about Archie’s health, occupational therapy and music therapy. Quidenham hasn’t got a hydrotherapy pool. Sessions are offered at a pool elsewhere in the county, but these are limited and involve lots of travelling. The nook will have a hydrotherapy pool meaning greater access for families accessing EACH services in Norfolk.

Claire said: “We are also potentially looking forward to completing a course of hydrotherapy with the hospice’s

physiotherapist, and I’m very much looking forward to this as Archie loves being in the water.

“All the EACH services are so beneficial and all help tremendously in their unique way.

The staff are amazing and stay with Archie throughout the night, dealing with seizures when he wakes. I still like to know at the moment that I’m there for Archie, so the family room is perfect, and the care staff are great at keeping you informed with what happens. Knowing the staff will take care of Archie if he becomes unwell takes a huge pressure off during the night, so I can rest without worrying.”

Like Claire and Archie, EACH is special to so many families, and with fundraising support for the nook appeal, even better facilities can be provided for life-threatened children, young people and their families.

There’s many way you can support the nook appeal from signing up to an EACH event, to hosting your own fundraising event, to volunteering your time.

You could also sign up to the ‘Friends of the nook’ initiative.

EACH is looking for 250 people to join the initiative who are willing to give £1,200 a year for three years to help them reach a target of £900,000 to pay for all or part of the family suite at the nook and future services at EACH. As a friend of the nook donors can give £1,200 once a year or £100 per month over a three year period by direct debit, or a oneoff payment of £3,600.

To find out more visit: www. each.org.uk or contact Anna Goode, Norfolk Capital Appeal Co-ordinator on 01953 666773 or email anna.goode@each. org.uk 2015 June | 23

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Festival of Speed Motor-racing aficionado, Tony Cooper, reports on this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed

A

feature by:

Tony Cooper Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk

24 | June 2015

nd what a festival!

It’s unique! Held over the weekend of 25th-28th June, the Festival of Speed (FoS) - now in its 23rd glorious year - will see well over 200,000 visitors flock to Lord March’s vast country estate in West Sussex (near Chichester) from Norfolk and Suffolk and farther afield to witness a marvellous and entertaining event and to see the latest motoring marvels and the best super-cars in action from around the globe.

The world’s largest automotive

garden party, the festival’s setting is against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Richmond and Gordon, direct descendants of King Charles II. Well over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the phenomenal history of motoring and motor sport will take part with some of the most legendary figures from the sport as well as a host of international celebrities attending.

This year’s theme - Flat Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge

- pays tribute to the drivers and constructors throughout history that threw caution to the wind in pursuit of victory and glory.

Highlights include the Moving Motor Show presented by the AA in association with The Daily Telegraph. This event gives hundreds of visitors the chance to drive cars on a prescribed route around the Goodwood estate, which includes the fabled 1.16-mile hill-climb course, before the competition the following day. Last year’s rollcall of cars included the likes www.finecity.co.uk

FINEPLACES

of Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche.

The Moving Motor Show, on the other hand, is a direct response to the continued enthusiasm and demand from vehicle manufacturers and motorists alike for an annual motor show in Britain. By staging it at Goodwood, it enables car buyers to see and experience the latest models while giving car companies at the same time the opportunity to showcase their products in a stunning setting and a relaxed environment. www.finecity.co.uk

And for rally fanatics and newcomers alike, the Forest Rally Stage is an unmissable part of every FoS, combining icons of the sport past and present plus Goodwood’s own spectacular special stage in the woods - the FoS rally area - a self-contained ‘world-within-a-world’ devoted to everything rallying. A network of paths through the woods allows spectators to get up close to the noise and sideways fury of the cars as they tackle the special stage against the clock. The paddock area also provides a

great opportunity for enthusiasts to inspect the cars and meet the teams, including many famous drivers, in the friendly spirit that rallying does so well.

The Michelin Supercar Run this year is set to be the largest and most dramatic ever in FoS history. Last year’s Run was the first to be driven against the clock and resulted in victory for the Nissan GT-R NISMO ‘Time Attack’ driven

by Jann Mardenborough in a new supercar record for the Goodwood hill-climb. This year over 25 incredible supercars, including the all-new McLaren P1 GTR and the astonishing 1800bhp Koenigsegg Regera, will take part.

The Goodwood Action Sports (GAS) arena has also become as much a part of the FoS as the paddocks, hill-climb and Cartier style-et-luxe lawn. The list of athletes who took part in last year’s event reads like an international who’s who of action sports and included X Games gold medallist and Freestyle Motocross founding father, Spain’s Edgar Torronteras.

There’s a special celebration in store, too, at this year’s Cartier style-et-luxe concours d’elegance as the 80th birthday of Figoni et Falaschi will be celebrated along

with the 60th anniversary of the Citroen DS while the Bonham’s sale (a highlight of the weekend) includes the much sought-after ex-works 1935 Aston Martin Ulster, a group of cars owned by Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman and the last car ever raced by Sir Stirling Moss.

There’ll also be five current Formula One teams present including World Champion constructor Mercedes appearing in a revamped F1 paddock presented by Sky Sports F1. And joining the current superstars will be icons of the sport including former World Champions Damon Hill, Sir Jackie Stewart and John Surtees while Tony Brooks will get back behind the wheel of the Connaught in which he became the first post-war British winner of a grand prix in a British car 60 years ago while the McLaren MP4/4, as raced by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to title success in 1988, will also make an appearance.

And making his FoS début will be seven-time MotoGP superstar champion Valentino Rossi ‘The Doctor’ driving a Yamaha GP bike in celebration of 60 years of the Yamaha Motor Company while bike legends Casey Stoner, Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts and Giacomo Agostini will ride.

2015 June | 25

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Seven Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRs will also line up to mark the 60th anniversary of Sir Stirling Moss’s 1955 Mille Miglia victory while Derek Bell’s incredible career will be marked with special class of at least 12 cars including his first Le Mans winner, a Mirage GR8.

Despite its vintage, the Fiat S76 - unofficially the fastest car in the world in 1911 - boasting four valves-per-cylinder with a multispark overhead cam technology complementing its Spitfireeclipsing displacement of 28.5 litres - will have its first public run for 101 years.

And huge plaudits and congratulations are due to Bristol-based vintage-motoring

26 | June 2015

enthusiast Duncan Pittaway and his team for getting the S76 to the track. They’ve put in a massive effort and suffered many setbacks along the way to achieve their ambition to fire up this monster after such a long interval. It took ten gruelling years to restore and the S76 made an appearance as a static display at last year’s FoS and was fired up for the first time in a century last December.

Pittaway will be a proud driver when he takes it up the famous Goodwood hill-climb as part of a special category of earthshattering Edwardian leviathans.

There’ll also be an American invasion with a trio of NASCAR heroes such as Richard ‘The

King’ Petty and a Goodwood début for drag racing’s godfather, Florida-born Don Garlits, known as ‘Big Daddy’ to drag-racing fans around the world. Always a pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine ‘top-fuel dragster design’, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. Fans can expect lots of high-octane thunder and fun.

The Gerry Judah-designed central feature - a mammoth piece of sculpture reaching to the skies and commanding the front lawn of Goodwood House - will honour Mazda’s contribution to motoring and motor sport in the year in which the all-new version of the world’s best-selling sports-

car, the MX-5, will be launched.

And Klaus Wagger, the internationally-acclaimed Austrian-born automotive artist is the Festival of Speed’s poster artist for 2015. For his poster image he has chosen a man whose life sums up this philosophy better than almost any other motor-sport figure, Gilles Villeneuve, whose son Jacques 1997 F1 World Champion - often attends the event.

A technical illustrator by trade, Klaus - who takes over the reins from Peter Hearsey who retired after 22 years of service and who created every Festival of Speed poster since the event’s inception in 1993 - began painting racing cars in his spare time but sprang

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FINEPLACES to prominence when he won a contest to design the official poster for the Mille Miglia revival event in 2000 with his study of a Mercedes SSK at full speed.

Since then Klaus - who’s a member of the Automotive Fine Arts Society - has designed the official posters for the Daytona 500 NASCAR race and the Paris Retromobile, exhibited his work at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival as well as at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance events.

Klaus calls Villeneuve - one of the most spectacular drivers ever to climb into the cockpit of a racing car: ‘Formula One’s ultimate wild boy.’ This made him the perfect subject for the 2015 official event poster which depicts the Canadian in his 1979 Ferrari 312T sliding through the first corner of Goodwood’s iconic hill-climb.

Lord March enthused: ‘Right from the outset in 1993 our idea for the Festival of Speed poster was for a beautiful motor-sport painting rather than any hard

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sell. So we have always kept it simple and given the artist as much freedom as possible. Peter Hearsey famously succeeded in this for an incredible 22 years and the artworks he created for us are synonymous with the Festival of Speed. I am delighted to say that in Klaus Wagger we have found exactly the right man to carry on this great Goodwood tradition into 2015.’

And Klaus Wagger said: ‘In an age when many organisations are turning towards photography, it is people like Lord March who keep automotive art alive. Working for Goodwood is the pinnacle of the motoring art world and it’s very cool to have the honour to design this year’s Festival of Speed poster. Peter Hearsey has always done a fantastic job and his work has played an important part in my life and career, so it’s an honour to have this opportunity.’

And ‘showing off’ on the famous Goodwood hill-climb will be everything from early Grands Prix and endurance machines to off-road and contemporary racers and racing motorcycles.

In fact, the hill-climb is the Festival of Speed’s principal attraction. Taking place throughout the weekend, this challenging white-knuckle course starts as a tree-lined run through the southern corner of the Goodwood estate which then turns to sweep past the front of Goodwood House before climbing a steep and narrow estate road bordered by flint walls and dense woodland groves towards Goodwood’s equine racecourse on top of the magnificent South Downs.

The course rises over 300 feet from the start-line to the finish and is very technical and challenging, putting the skills of the world’s very best drivers and riders to the ultimate test of concentration and speed.

To stand alongside the hillclimb route, within feet of some of the fastest, finest and most famous cars and motorcycles as they hurtle up the track in a ‘no-holds-barred’ run, is to experience high-octane passion that fuels all that Goodwood stands for and something that

motor-racing fans will probably never experience anywhere else in the world.

Lord March, the inspiration and driving force behind the Goodwood Festival of Speed, says: ‘I’m really looking forward to having so many great cars and drivers at this year’s gathering.

For me it’s always magical to see so many of the world’s greatest drivers, riders and machines in action on Goodwood’s famous hill-climb.’

Tickets and further information can be found on the Goodwood website www. goodwood.com/motorsport or via the ticket hotline: Tel: 01243 755055 / Fax: 01243 755058 Email: ticket.office@ goodwood.com Online booking at: www. goodwood.com /fos Goodwood on Facebook: Festival of Speed: http://www. facebook.com/festivalofspeed Goodwood on Twitter: Festival of Speed: http:// twitter.com/fosgoodwood

2015 June | 27

Photograph by Sam Christmas

28 | June 2015

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Martin Figura Martin Figura is an award winning poet, successful photographer, ex soldier - and an accountant. Pete Goodrum talks to him about all of it!

I

know Martin Figura. We‘re on a committee together.

The two of us were recently on a radio show too. It’s become something of an ‘in joke’ between us that we regularly turn up dressed very similarly. Today we’re ten minutes or more into our conversation before we realise that we’re wearing identical black sweaters.

On reflection it’s not surprising that we didn’t spot it straightaway because when you’re really taking with, or listening to, Martin Figura you tend not to take in peripheral details. Because he’s intense.

You concentrate.

There is a levity, and a spirit of self deprecation about him, but he is a serious man.

We’re in a cafe, at lunchtime, and I’m keen to widen my knowledge of him. Regular readers of this column will know that I often share my surprise at how some of the people I interview are an unexpected mixture of contrasts. They have aspects of their careers or personalities that at first glance do not sit easily, or typically, together. With no disrespect to any of my previous subjects I’m bound to say that, now I’m talking to Martin, ‘you ‘aint seen nothing yet!’.

Try this. Retired army major, poet, accountant, spoken word performance artist, professional photographer. See what I mean?

To begin at the beginning (and why wouldn’t I quote another poet?), Martin was born in Liverpool, in 1956. A working class boy who, leaving the city with his family when he was just two, was brought up ‘all over the north west’.

He left school at fifteen and joined the army. ‘It was’, he says, ‘that traditional route to regular food, accommodation and taking responsibility for himself’.

Responsibility though did not come easily. By his own admission he was rebellious and remained as a junior soldier, earning the

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dubious distinction of becoming one of the army’s longest serving apprentices, as a direct result of his not being promoted in line with expectations.

When he did become part of the ‘grown up army’ he changed. He settled into it, and liked it. He was not, as he says, a conventional soldier, but feels that ‘the army quite liked ‘characters’, within reason’.

He did tours in Germany and Cyprus, and despite, or perhaps because of, his lack of convention his career progressed. Commissioned at thirty, he’d made the rank of major by thirty six. Even so he’d always felt that there was ‘a life outside the army’.

‘I remember going to Ireland and staring at the sea for a week.

I came away having decided that I had to make a living other than being a soldier’. He left when he was forty.

There were good reasons to believe he could make his way in the civilian world. Whilst in the army he’d qualified as an accountant and, in the first of those intriguing incongruities, he’d also established himself as a photographer. In fact he’d not only released a book of photographs (This Man’s Army) but he’d had pictures published in The Telegraph magazine.

If he’d had any doubts about who he was, and recognising the conflict between some of his views and the army’s views was part of that, he now found himself experiencing another set of emotions. ‘I was a working class boy, born in 1950s Liverpool, and now, via the army, I was part of what I suppose one has to call the ‘arts’ world. I was meeting famous people. Even now find myself talking with famous writers and not quite believing it’.

The reality was that civilian life was ‘not quite what I’d expected’. But, his unconventional attitudes aside, an accountant’s mindset and

a natural, organised, prudency meant that with paid for work and an army pension he was ‘in quite a secure place’.

It’s important to understand what it meant for him to feel secure; to be ‘in a good place’.

Martin Figura’s childhood, his prearmy existence, was not easy. It centres on an event, which even though I know about it, I now approach with nervousness.

When he was nine years old his mother died. His father killed her.

I hope never to write a darker pair of sentences in these pages,

feature by:

Pete Goodrum Writer, broadcaster @petegoodrum

2015 June | 29

FINEPeople and I’ve no intention now of elaborating on the details, which are recorded elsewhere. What I can do, with Martin’s generous blessing, is look at some of the aftermath. It still won’t make for easy reading.

With his father in Broadmoor, Martin is sent variously to a children’s home and boarding schools. He’s painfully aware of being among people that he doesn’t relate to. He’s also disoriented. Used to being near the top of the class he’s now up against new competition.

‘I knew from the outset it was going to be tough’, he says.

‘They did things like Latin, and on day one there was a French test.

I’d not done French. I got half a mark out of twenty. And that was only because I knew that the French for yes was ‘Oui’. I think they made it half a mark because I spelled it ‘Wee”.

He leans against the cafe wall, tipping his chair back onto two legs. Pushing his coffee cup around he says, ‘I don’t think I recovered from that, and I left school at 15 with no qualifications’.

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The incongruities begin to pile up. Good at creative writing he’s also good at maths. He’s trying hard but his position in class is nevertheless slipping down because of the new level of competition. He’s also filling some of his lonelier moments with experiments in shoplifting. “I tried to encourage it with classmates.

It did me no favours’.

Life was not about to do him any favours either. As a half term arrived his aunt and uncle ,who had become his guardians since his mother’s death, simply did not turn up to collect him. They’d left.

For Canada. Without telling him.

Alone at school on that half term the little boy set about his own packing. ‘It consisted of my pyjama top and one Wellington boot’.

Foster parents would take him in, and it was from their home, in 1972, that he left to join the army.

Which is where we rejoin him, at the age of 40, about to embark on the next phase of his life.

It was 1997 when he left the army. He set up home in Cambridge with his wife, who he’d married while still in the services.

‘We’d met when I was twenty one, and she was eighteen. She was a soldier’s daughter. We had two children and were together for twenty five years before we separated in 2002’.

By now Martin was often in Norwich. He had work here.

Impressive work. He was commissioned by the city to be its photographer for ‘The Millennium’, he worked for the Arts Council and was the first Artist in Residence at The Forum.

It validated his thinking that, with the Telegraph publishing his pictures as a catalyst, he ‘always was driven towards the arts, and would be able to make a living from them’.

Martin Figura gives his all to what occupies him at any one time. He freely admits it and like photography, and poetry, football became a consuming passion.

He is a more than competent goalkeeper. Happily, he got the job as official photographer for the Norwich City Football Club Centenary.

‘It was during that time, when I was in Norwich, that I decided to move here’ , he says. ‘There

was an exhibition at the Castle, where I’d been working on pictures of the refurbishment. The Queen was about to visit it. It was a sunny day, and on the walk from the Castle to a pub to meet a friend for lunch I just thought, this is it. I belong here. I walked in to the pub and said to my friend ‘I’m going to move to Norwich’.

I put the house in Cambridge on the market the next day’.

It was around this time too that something else began to form. He told his story, and in particular the events concerning his mother’s death, to Magda Russell who was the Norfolk Literature Officer.

‘I’d never actually talked about it much, but the reaction I got was that I should write about it’.

As well as being a photographer, he was by now a writer, and poet, but he felt that he wasn’t good enough to tackle it. ‘I actually approached another writer, and asked them to do it, but was told to write it myself’.

With characteristic application what he did was set about equipping himself to write the story. He went to writing workshops, and in 2004 started

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FINEPeople Photograph by Suzanne Fossey

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an MA course at the UEA. ‘All sorts of things began to happen at the same time. I was at the UEA studying under George Szirtes, I began writing the story as part of my course, and I met Helen.

Helen is the Bloodaxe published, and acclaimed poet, Helen Ivory. They would marry in 2005. He sings her praises fulsomely.

Suitably equipped now, and honing his work, Martin Figura would complete the writing of his

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story. He called it WHISTLE. This stunning piece of work would, after the rejections that are a fact of life for the professional writer, be taken up

by Arrowhead Press within a day of their reading it. By 2010 it was out. Fully formed as both a book and a performance piece WHISTLE would meet with universal acclaim. It made the shortlist of the 2010 Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. ‘Victor’ a poem from the collection won the Poetry

Society’s 2010 Hamish Canham Prize, and in 2013 WHISTLE won the Saboteur Best Spoken Word Show Award.

Reviewers were ecstatic.

The Independent on Sunday proclaimed “Profoundly honest and at the same time joyfully entertaining”. Robert McCrum in The Observer said, of another of his performances, “Figura was a revelation – funny, sharp and on top form.”

He’d proved what he’d always thought. He was a writer.

In the same year Nasty Little Press published Figura’s ‘Boring the Arse Off Young People’. By the time this different and more light hearted collection was on sale he was performing WHISTLE at the Ledbury Poetry Festival and the Freeword Flow Festival. By 2011 he was touring the show.

Although he’d been published before WHISTLE, the game now changed. By the end of 2011 the work had received a major Arts Council Award allowing it a full run at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Dates for a regional tour were booked for months in advance.

But, wherever he travels, for Martin Figura Norwich is home.

He’s happy here. And he’s busy here. He is the chair of Cafe Writers, a ‘Live Literature group which he says he ‘comperes with varying degrees of incompetence in Norwich every month’. He is Financial Manager of The Writers Centre, where he works for three days a week. Performances and photography and writing all somehow fit into the day to day life of this excitingly talented, but grounded, man.

I ask him what ambitions he has now. With no pause at all he says, ‘To do ambitious work’.

As to his current plans he tells me of the new show he’s putting together. ‘It’s vague still’, he says.

‘And I’m anxious over pulling it together, the funding, the staging, not to mention the writing of it’.

That said, he then sets off on an articulate and thorough run down of his ideas, inspirations and plans for the piece which, to me, suggest his anxiety is groundless.

He adds, ’Oh, and I have an idea for a choral piece. It’s based on the history of accountancy’.

Had I mentioned surprising incongruities?

I’ll go there again. The writing aside Martin Figura is a consummate performer. I’ve seen him deliver WHISTLE. He does the entire piece from memory. He does it with style, and confidence. And yet, in talking to him you discover a trace of insecurity, a self doubt that conditions his thinking. ‘I would like’ he’d said, ‘to do more photography, but I’m not sure I’m ready to prove myself again in that area’. As a writer, and as a person, he says that his biggest challenge, which he claims is in stark contrast to his wife, is that he ‘struggles with going from A to B. I can get tied to narrative and locked into an A to B logic, which doesn’t make for good poetry.

I find it difficult and most of my writing effort goes into escaping that and into the imagination’.

He plainly succeeds in escaping into his imagination. In writing about WHISTLE, the multi award winning Scottish poet Jackie Kay said, ‘Martin Figura’s riveting sequence of poems about his childhood, his father killing his mother, and the consequences of that upon the whole family is remarkable for the story he doesn’t tell, as much as for the story he does’.

See what I mean?

We’re nearly done, and the coffee cups are empty. As we leave Martin and I talk about Norwich. We’d both been asked recently, in the radio show, about why writers come to, and like, the city. He has firm views about why he’s here. ‘ I’d spent all my life up to that point trying to belong somewhere. I made that decision on the walk to pub and I’ve never regretted it for a moment. I’ve never been more comfortable anywhere in my life.

I’m happy here’.

I think Norwich should be happy that he’s here. We’re a city of writers. And among them Martin Figura stands tall as a man of talent, creativity, innovation and, for all the challenges life has thrown at him, humour.

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2015 June | 33

Shrek From the glittering lights of London’s West End to inhabiting what is arguably the bestknown swamp in theatrical history, Dean Chisnall enjoys a varied career.

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B

raving hours of make-up before heading the cast of a high-energy show, he is taking on the iconic role of Shrek in the smash-hit UK musical heading to Norwich Theatre Royal.

Prior to donning the costume and persona of the grumpy ogre who finds the true meaning of friendship and love, John Bultitude caught up with Dean to find out what it is like playing a character beloved by millions.

When you have seen pictures of the green-faced grump Shrek, it is quite a culture shock to see the man behind the mask (and the huge ogre costume) face-to-face. He may play a larger-than-life (and larger-than-most of his fellow cast) character but meeting Dean in the flesh prior to him starting his transformation, you find a hard-working performer who boasts a personality with an enviable mix of modesty and dedication.

In fact, his current role in one of the country’s largest touring musicals is a world away from his early life growing up in a village a few miles from Ormskirk in Lancashire. “I’ve really got no idea how I got into this business. When you are growing up in Lancashire, one of the popular things to do was pantomime with the local village group.

I did a bit of singing but nothing that I ever thought would lead to a career,” said Dean.

But his flair for performing led him to London and he was fortunate enough to win a place at the prestigious Arts Ed School in Chiswick, although he found London life a stark contrast to his upbringing.

“When I first moved there, I hated it. I was born and brought up in a quiet sleepy village so it was a complete and utter contrast. Six months to a year in, you really start to embrace it.”

Dean’s career continued on an upward trajectory as he was offered a part in the ensemble of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical the Woman In White before he had even finished drama school, which was an enviable position to be in. As Dean said, “Getting into the

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2015 June | 35

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ensemble of a West End show for your first job is success in itself.

Just working in this industry can be classed as success.”

From there, he moved on to Evita and then he took on the ‘Gary Barlow character’ in the Take That musical Never Forget which was a role he really enjoyed. Dean said: “It was absolutely brilliant because it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was just a scream. Gary Barlow is seriously talented and is the best songwriter we have had for years.”

But for the last four-plus years, Shrek has been a big part of his life.

He originally joined the West End cast in March 2011 doing 12 months as understudy before taking on the lead role a year later. After a short break, he was then back with the show on tour.

And, as well as the singing and dancing, one of the most intense parts of the show is the two-hours-plus needed in make up before each days performance. Dean explained: “Shrek has the most detailed make up in musical theatre history, even more so than The Phantom of the Opera. At first, it is a bit freaky. It is daunting but you eventually just zone out and the make up just becomes part of the process. The fact is that I start work about two and a half hours before curtain up and I don’t finish until 10pm.

“After the show, by the time I have got from my dressing room to the stage, I have ripped the entire face and head off because it comes

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“It isn’t remotely glamorous but it is a really nice job to have. I know thousands of people who would want to do it and I am very fortunate to have it.

I remind myself of that on a day when it is very hot.”

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“Everybody also knows deep down that Shrek is a good soul.

It is a love story at the end of the day.”

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off quickly enough. The makeup girls take off the gluey and gunky bits which take about 20 minutes. It is such a relief especially on a two show day because it all has to stay on from 11am until 10pm.

“It is quite claustrophobic when you first put it on. The only thing that is still you, once the process is completed, is your eyeballs and your lips. Every other part of your skin is covered in the silicon. You feel very detached from the world. If you think about it too much, it becomes very scary.”

With the show taking to the stage at Norwich Theatre Royal on June 9-28, the hot summer weather (if the city is graced by any) could make Dean’s temperature rise inside the costume and under the silicon mask, but he is prepared. “We opened this tour on the hottest week of the year in 2014 right in the middle of a heatwave. You can’t take the head off in the interval or the costume off because it takes too long. I drink about 8 litres of water during the show alone. That gives an idea of how hot it is. It can be even more than that in the summer.

“It isn’t remotely glamorous but it is a really nice job to have. I know thousands of people who would want to do it and I am very fortunate to have it. I remind myself of that on a day when it is very hot.”

While Shrek is beloved by a young audience, Dean said the broad appeal of the show is also strong with people from eight to eighty all enjoying it. “Everyone can relate to it. Even my grandparents know what it is. They have great grandchildren so they know what it is about.

“Everybody also knows deep down that Shrek is a good soul. It is a love story at the end of the day.”

One thing that is very important for Dean is his downtime which means he heads back to North London to spend time with his girlfriend Jenna Lee-James (who graced the Norwich Theatre Royal stage last year in Rod Stewart-inspired musical Tonight’s The Night) and his Parsons Terrier called Arthur. Dean said: “It is nice to have

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a couple of nights back in your own bed and have a touch of reality before you go back to work. It is nice to just walk the dog, have some fresh air, see some friends and play some golf. All the things that keep you normal.”

And he is looking forward to heading back to Norwich after just one previous soccer-related visit. “I am a big Blackpool fan and we played Norwich in the FA Cup a few years back. I was there very early so I walked up to the Castle. I just thought it was a very beautiful place and I am looking forward to being back,” said Dean.

With that, our chat has to come to an end as it is time to apply the make-up ready for an evening performance at Birmingham Hippodrome, or as Dean says in true Shrek-style: “Ogre and out!”

Listing: Shrek The Musical, Tuesday 9-Sunday 28 June.

Performances on Tuesday-Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 2.30pm and 7pm, and Sunday at 1pm and 5pm EXCEPT Thursday 25 June at 2.30pm only and Sunday 28 June at 1pm only. Please note there are no Monday performances. Tickets £8-£45.

Discounts for Friends, Corporate Club, Over-60s, Under-18s, Schools and Groups. Signed Performance on Saturday 20 June at 2.30pm. Audio-described performance on Saturday 20 June at 2.30pm. Captioned performance on Thursday 25 June at 7pm.

To book, log onto www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk or call the box office on 01603 630000.

2015 June | 39

Full line up revealed for North Norfolk’s Holt Festival The waiting is over, Holt Festival, North Norfolk’s award winning international festival of music, drama, visual art, literary giants, talks, dance and comedy, has announced its full programme for 2015, its seventh year.

New announcements that complete an exceptional line up for new artistic director Charles Pugh’s first year include an exciting new theatre production, risqué cabaret, top London comedians, poetry, flamenco and exhibitions, including work from world renowned artists rarely seen in the UK. Charles Pugh commented ‘For my first Festival here in Holt I wanted to ensure quality arts and entertainment across a range of styles and disciplines throughout the week. I like to think we’ve achieved that and if the reactions to the shows we have already announced are anything to go by it would appear that our audiences, both new and existing, agree. I’m especially excited to be bringing innovative new work such as The Spruce Goose and Seastar Opera’s Hello Mr Gershwin to Holt alongside some daring cabaret and big names and personalities like Steve Harley, Jenny Eclair & Margaret Hodge, Steeleye Span, Geno Washington, Jeffrey Archer

40 | June 2015

and Blofeld & Baxter.’

Theatre The Spruce Goose (24 July) is the new play from acclaimed writer and director Ncube. Set in 1947 as Howard Hughes’ eponymous airplane made its first and only flight a Hollywood director faces the greatest challenge of his career when his latest masterpiece is slammed by studio executives. Unswerving period detail and jazzy musical interludes illustrate the timeless battle between creative, political and moral ambition and the tough, commercial reality of the film industry.

Cabaret London’s premier cabaret company Cirque du Cabaret prides itself on no two shows ever being the same and have created a bespoke show just for Holt (23 May). Expect an array of circus skills, burlesque striptease, live music and possibly some fake German accents! With a stable of performers hailing from Moscow to Hull, this unique Cirque du Cabaret event

promises to put variety back on the map and put a smile on your face. This is definitely a show for the over 18’s!

Music With four albums under their waist-cinching belts and a fifth one under way, the world’s leading close-harmony group The Puppini Sisters (19 July) count Prince Charles, The Manhattan Transfer and Michael Bublé amongst their fans. They bring their new show to Holt featuring classics like ‘Mr Sandman’, ‘The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’, and Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen’ alongside their own material and very individual renditions of pop classics like ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ and Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’.

A flamenco workshop (21 May) will get you in the mood for that evening’s selection of joyous music and dance from The Valencia Flamenco Troupe, who arrive in north Norfolk direct from Valencia’s renowned Café del Duende, the city’s ‘temple’ for aficionados of this much loved Spanish art form.

Newly announced classical music includes the exciting pairing of rising new Mezzo Soprano Charlotte Tetley and Japanese born virtuoso pianist Maki Sekiya (21 July). They will take the audience on a musical tour through Europe, Russia, Japan and the UK with virtuoso piano solos by Tchaikovsky and Debussy and arias by Rossini and Bizet. Meanwhile The Kosmos Ensemble (23 July) redefine the relationship between classical and world music. Their unique programmes, inspired by music from all around the globe, see wild Gypsy fiddling rubbing against classical composers such as Brahms and Sarasate and taking in emotive Jewish and Greek music, hot-blooded tangos and interpretations of Japanese

and Polish songs. This will be their first time in Holt following outstanding appearances at London’s Southbank Centre and Institute of Contemporary Arts, Leeds International Concert Season and live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM Music of a very different kind comes from Norfolk’s own Holly Lerski (20 July). The honey voiced former Angelou leader and singer-songwriter releases her latest album in June and her appearance in Holt will be a rare opportunity to see her in the county as she embarks on a national tour of summer festivals.

Talks & Literature An increasingly popular strand of the Holt Festival is the programme of talks and conversations by people who are leading authorities in their field.

Behavioural neurologist Professor Michael Trimble, an expert on the relationship between music and the brain, is joined by composer and Radio 3 broadcaster Michael Berkeley to explore our emotional responses to music (22 July). They will measure the audience’s emotional response to different types of music in what is sure to be an enlightening and entertaining event. Emotion is also at the heart of Poems that Make Grown Men Cry (22 July) as Sir John Hurt and John Harrison introduce poems from the anthology of the same name

by Tony Holden and Son – will there be a dry eye in the house?

Chairman of Penguin Ransom House John Makinson shares his informed and perceptive view of the value of the creative sector to the UK (20 July) and Norfolkbased award winning writer and conservationist Simon Barnes talks about the astonishing variety of life to be found in Norfolk and the importance of maintaining our natural habitats (23 July). Author and former

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2015 June | 41

FINEARTS Guardian crime correspondent Duncan Campbell will look at the world of the crime reporter and why we have such an enduring fascination with crime (21 July).

Visual Art The annual Holt Art Prize has just been announced and once again many of the town’s art galleries will be taking part in the art-trail. There are two great free art exhibitions, with works drawn from public and private collections, running throughout the Festival. Pop Goes Art is a celebration of Pop Art featuring 1960’s and 70’s works drawn mainly from private collections.

It includes sixties drawings by David Hockney never exhibited in the UK before and rarely seen 60’s drawings by Peter Blake. Together with works by Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Allen Jones, Colin Self, Patrick Caulfield and Gilbert & George this is a must see show for fans of modern art. Meanwhile Bloomsbury brings together original works from the evocative Bloomsbury group, centred on Duncan Grant and his friends.

There’s also a Fringe programme that includes a full day of family activities at Voewood,to be opened by Sir John Hurt, and a talk from Radio 4’s Reverend Richard Coles about his remarkable life that has taken him from chart topping pop stardom with The Communards to his present position as Britain’s

42 | June 2015

most famous vicar, and beloved host of Radio 4’s Saturday Live.

Charles Pugh said ‘I’m proud of all the programme, but some personal favourites include Lorraine & Alan which is so vivid I thought I could smell the sea off Blakeney Point, The Puppini Sisters which is for who like close harmony this is a must. But also for those who like sassy stylish theatricality laced with glamour and humour - not to mention a fashion parade. Cirque du Cabaret is definitely naughty yet definitely nice and I have chosen to sponsor The Spruce Goose myself as, in my opinion this piece of new writing has all the old fashioned virtues of gimmick free drama; compelling dialogue, strong characterisation

and above all a terrific story entertainingly told.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Adney Payne added ‘This is the seventh year of the Holt Festival and it’s exciting to have a new artistic director Charles Pugh. Charles has put together a wonderful programme that builds on the successes of the past while introducing new innovations. I would like to thank him, along with the committee, supporters and volunteers for the time and hard work they put into making the Holt Festival what it is. Also, in particular, thanks must go to Gresham’s School and the Holt Parish Church for the support they provide to us.’

Tickets for the new shows are on sale now to members of the Holt Festival Friends Scheme with general booking opening on 1 June via 01603 598699 or for details of all these and other Holt Festival events, and to book, visit www.holtfestival.org Many of the artists and performers are available for interview. For images, interview requests, review tickets etc contact: Steve Forster, sfp communications ltd 01603 661459, 07939 221192 steve@sfppr.co.uk Sunday 19 – Sunday 26 July 2015, Holt, North Norfolk www.holtfestival.org Box Office 01603 598699

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Full Festival event listings

Monday 20 – Saturday 25 July 10.30am FREE

CHILDREN’S STORYTELLING WITH AMY FINEGAN (childrens) Songs and tall tales for children

under seven.

Under the leadership of its new artistic Holt Festival at the Holt director Charles Pugh the 7th Holt Festival Bookshop, Appleyard, Holt, continues to punch above its weight and NR25 6AR Monday 20 July 4pm £10 bring top quality entertainment to North JOHN MAKINSON Norfolk. The Georgian town becomes a hotbed (talk) of artistic activity for people of all ages and With a career spanning journalism, investor relations and tastes with international music, drama, visual two years as managing director art, literary giantsdance and comedy. of the Financial Times, Chairman Monday 20 – Sunday 26 July 11am – 5pm FREE

HOLT FESTIVAL ART PRIZE EXHIBITION (exhibition)

All the shortlisted entries from this prestigious art prize, judged by Colin Self, Nic Tyler and Amanda Geitner. The winner receives £1,500 and work will be shown at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre Foyer, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Saturday 18 - Sunday 26 July 11am – 5pm FREE

BLOOMSBURY (exhibition)

Original works by significant English painters Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Roger Fry and other members of this popular and influential group.

Holt Festival at The Garden House Studio, Station Road, Holt Saturday 18 - Sunday 26 July 11am – 5pm FREE

POP GOES ART (exhibition)

Original paintings and sculpture by key figures of the Pop Art era including Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Gilbert and George, Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton, Claes Oldenberg and others.

Holt Festival at The Meeting Room, St Andrew’s Church, Church Street, Holt NR25 6BB Saturday 18 – Sunday 26 July 11am – 5pm FREE

ART TRAIL (exhibition) 44 | June 2015

Discover an eclectic variety of historic, modern and contemporary art and photography at Holt’s many art galleries.

Holt Festival at various galleries around Holt town centre Saturday 18 July FREE

REV RICHARD COLES ‘From Pop to Pulpit’ (Festival fringe) (talk)

Britain’s best loved media vicar, also former pop star (The Communards), presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live, and prolific tweeter, looks back at his colourful and eventful life in an entertaining and thoughtful evening.

Holt Festival at St Andrew’s Church, Church Street, Holt NR25 6BB Sunday 19 July 6pm FREE

THE JEFFORD BROTHERS (jazz music)

Jazz with its heart in the Bebop era from former Gresham boys.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Sunday 19 July 8pm £22

THE PUPPINI SISTERS (music)

Effortless harmonies from renowned stylish trio who add a modern twist to 1940s swing and a retro charm to modern pop.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA

of Penguin Random House John Makinson shares his informed and perceptive view of the value of the creative sector to the UK. Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Monday 20 July 6pm FREE

THE JEFFORD BROTHERS (jazz music)

Jazz with its heart in the Bebop era from former Gresham boys.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Monday 20 July 8pm £22

DR. JOHN COOPER CLARKE with special guest MARTIN NEWELL (poetry) The original punk poet, comedian, movie radio and rock star. TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator and legend, the bard of Salford

is joined by Essex’s inspirational wordsmith Newell.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Monday 20 July 9pm £5 (on the door)

HOLLY LERSKI (gig/ music)

Achingly gorgeous vocals and memorable catchy tunes from Norfolk based former Angelou singer songwriter showcasing songs from her new album as well as playing old favourites.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Tuesday 21 July 10am FREE

Gallery talk: 18th CENTURY LIVING (talk)

Free: reserve a place by email arttalks@holtfestival.org Holt Festival at Anthony Fell, Bull Street, Holt, NR25 6HP Tuesday 21 July 2pm £15

TOM PARKER BOWLES & LOYD GROSSMAN (talk)

Original Masterchef presenter, entrepreneur, writer and all round foodie in conversation with Mail on Sunday and Esquire restaurant critic. Culinary chat from two of the UK’s best-known food experts.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Tuesday 21 July 4pm £10

DUNCAN CAMPBELL (talk) Former Guardian crime correspondent and author of The Underworld on the world of the crime reporter and why we have such an enduring fascination with crime.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Tuesday 21 July 6pm £15

CHARLOTTE TETLEY AND MAKI SEKIYA (classical music)

Japanese virtuoso pianist Sekiya and mezzo soprano Tetley

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Holt Festival at St Andrew’s Church, Church Street, Holt NR25 6BB Tuesday 21 July 7.30pm £5

FLAMENCO WORKSHOP (dance)

A one hour workshop with Debbie Warren Green to get you in the mood for the Flamceno performance at 9pm.

Holt Festival at Holt Community Centre, Kerridge Way, Holt NR25 6DN Tuesday 21 July 9pm £20

THE VALENCIA FLAMENCO TROUPE (music/dance) Enjoy the drama and passion of this traditional Spanish dance with musicians and dancers from Valencias leading flamenco venue the Café del Duendo.

Holt Festival at Holt Community Centre, Kerridge Way, Holt NR25 6DN Tuesday 21 July 9pm £16

STAND UP COMEDY (comedy) With acclaimed London comedians Jimmy McGhie, Kevin Shepherd, Pierre Novellie and Maff Brown.

Holt Festival at the Feathers Hotel, Market Place, Holt NR25 6BW

Bloomsbury exhibition.

Free: reserve a place by email arttalks@holtfestival.org Holt Festival at The Garden House Studio, Station Road, Holt Wednesday 22 July 2pm £15

PROF MICHAEL TRIMBLE AND MICHAEL BERKELEY: The Act of Creation: How Composers Create Emotion (talk/ classical music) Emeritus Professor Michael Trimble and composer and Radio 3 presenter Michael Berkeley explore our emotional responses to music. With musical accompaniment by Charlotte Tetley and Maki Sekiya and audience participation to measure emotional response.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA

Wednesday 22 July 4pm £10

TONY HOLDEN AND SON: Poems that Make Grown Men Cry (poetry)

With John Harrison and readings by Sir John Hurt. Poems about love, mortality, loss and the beauty of nature are included in this anthology of poems that have made grown men cry.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Wednesday 22 July 6pm £20

Wednesday 22 July 10am to 6pm £10 (under 5s FREE)

VOEWOOD CHILDREN’S SUMMER FESTIVAL (children’s)

A family-friendly day of fantastical fun in the woods and gardens of Voewood to be opened by Sir John Hurtand featuring adventures by BeWILDerwood.

Holt Festival at Voewood, Cromer Road, Holt, NR25 6QS Wednesday 22 July 10am FREE

GALLERY TALK: BLOOMSBURY (talk) Nic Tyler and James Glennie talk about the work in the

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MARIANO MANGAS (classical music) UK Premiere One of the world’s greatest classical guitarists, a professor of the instrument in his native Spain and Chair of Flamenco at the Conservatory of Rotterdam.

He comes to Holt for his very first UK appearance following performances all over mainland Europe and the USA. Holt Festival at St Andrew’s Church, Church Street, Holt NR25 6BB Wednesday 22 July 6pm FREE

THE JEFFORD BROTHERS (jazz music)

Jazz with its heart in the Bebop era from former Gresham boys.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Wednesday 22 July 8pm £25

BLAKE (classical music/opera)

Brit Award winning harmony trio singing eclectic classical music and pop songs. They have sold over a million albums, topped classical charts around the world and appeared on more than 150 TV shows worldwide.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Thursday 23 July 10am FREE

Gallery Talk: SIXTY YEARS AT THE CUTTING EDGE (talk) With printmaker HJ Jackson Free: reserve a place by email: arttalks@holtfestival.org Holt Festival at The Bircham Gallery, Market Place, Holt, NR25 6BW Thursday 23 July 2pm £15

MICHAEL BUERK & ERNIE REA: From Jehovah to Jihadi John – a discussion (talk)

One of the UK’s best known broadcast journalists and writers, Buerk has won a multitude

of awards for international TV reporting. He will discuss Islamic fundamentalism with radio presenter and former BBC head of religious broadcasting Rae. Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Thursday 23 July 4pm £15

SIMON BARNES: Biodiversity in Norfolk (talk) Award-winning writer and conservationist Simon Barnes talks the astonishing variety of life to be found in Norfolk and the importance of maintaining our natural habitats.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Thursday 23 July 6.30 pm £15

KOSMOS ENSEMBLE (classical music) Kosmos redefines the relationship between classical and world music. With dazzling virtuosity and impeccable musicianship they glide seamlessly from wild Gypsy fiddling and hot blooded tango to interpretations of Japanese and Polish songs.

Holt Festival at St Andrew’s Church, Church Street, Holt NR25 6BB

2015 June | 45

FINEARTS Thursday 23 July 9pm £22

CIRQUE DU CABARET (cabaret)

Bespoke cabaret show from London’s premier cabaret company created especially for Holt Festival. Circus skills, burlesque striptease and live music and performers hailing from Moscow to Hull!

Holt Festival at Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA

6BS Friday 24 July 4pm £20

JENNY ECLAIR AND MARGARET HODGE (talk) The inimitable comedienne Jenny Eclair and MP for Barking Margaret Hodge in a unique conversation. Discussing people, politics, power, petticoats, performance and passion, growing old gracefully or disgracefully and the challenge of carving out careers in fields where women were rare and men often try to wield inappropriate power.

Holt Festival at Theatre in the Woods, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Friday 24 July 6pm £20

THE SPRUCE GOOSE (theatre)

Thursday 23 July 10pm FREE

THE JEFFORD BROTHERS (jazz music)

Jazz with its heart in the Bebop era from former Gresham boys.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25 6BS Friday 24 July 10am FREE

Gallery Talk: POP GOES ART (talk)

Colin Self, one of the artists in Pop Goes Art, in conversation with James Glennie.

Free: reserve a place by email: arttalks@holtfestival.org Holt Festival at The Meeting Room, St Andrew’s Church, Church Street, Holt NR25 6BB Friday 24 July 2pm £15

DAME STELLA RIMINGTON in conversation (talk/ literature) The first female Director General of MI5, now a successful novelist, talks about her creative life and career with Daily Telegraph critic Jake Kerridge.

Holt Festival at the Lawns Hotel, Station Road, Holt, NR25

46 | June 2015

Set in 1947, the year Howard Hughes’ eponymous airplane made its first and only flight. A Hollywood film director faces the challenge of his career when what he considers to be his latest masterpiece is slammed by the studio executives.

Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Friday 24 July 9pm £18

GENO WASHINGTON and the Yos Yos (gig/ music) Living legend and the UK’s godfather of soul, rhythm and blues brings his world class show to Norfolk.

Holt Festival at Theatre in the Woods, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA

Globetrotting reminiscences and hilarious (occasionally outrageous) anecdotes from belovedly bubbly and boisterous Test Match Special commentator Blowers and his long time (and long suffering) producer Baxter.

Holt Festival at Theatre in the Woods, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Saturday 25 July 6pm £20

HELLO MR GERSHWIN (musical theatre) World Premiere

World premiere of a brand new musical from Seastar. A musical journey through George Gershwin’s remarkable life and tragically early death, featuring British pianist and composer Michael Finnissy’s arrangements, a jazz band and a cast of rising stars from the top conservatoires, devised and directed by composer and director Susie Self.

Holt Festival at Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Saturday 25 July 9pm £30

STEVE HARLEY & Cockney Rebel (gig/ music)

Pop music pioneer Steve Harley has written and recorded eleven albums in a prolific career covering four decades. He has enjoyed chart success with Top 20 hits including Judy Teen, Mr Soft, Mr Raffles, ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and the number 1 Make Me Smile (Come Up & See Me).

Holt Festival at Theatre in the Woods, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Sunday 26 July 4pm £15

Saturday 25 July 12.30pm FREE

Gallery talk: CRICKETING MEMORIES (talk)

With Jocelyn Galsworthy Free: reserve a place by email arttalks@holtfestival.org Holt Festival at Anthony Fell, Bull Street, Holt, NR25 6HP Saturday 25 July 4pm £20

BLOFELD & BAXTER: Rogues on the Road (talk)

JEFFREY ARCHER: Life, Literature & Politics (literature/ talk)

Holt Festival at Theatre in the Woods, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Sunday 26 July 6pm £20

LORRAINE & ALAN (theatre) Original, award-winning, playful re-telling of the Scottish Selkie myth set on the North Norfolk coast featuring live sound design and several hundred plastic bottles. A Marine Biology graduate falls in love with a mysterious young woman he discovers lying amongst the seals and their lives become irreversibly entwined Holt Festival at the Auden Theatre, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA Sunday 26 July 8pm £25/

STEELEYE SPAN (gig/folk music)

Folk rock pioneers with a new live show. Singer Maddy Prior leads a line-up featuring faces old and new performing the classics that established their reputation alongside newer songs from their 2014 album Wintersmith, a collaboration with Sir Terry Pratchett.

Holt Festival at Theatre in the Woods, Cromer Road, Holt NR25 6EA

Many performers/artists are available for interview; contact Steve Forster at sfp communications ltd 01603 661459 07939 221192 steve@sfppr.co.uk Saturday 18 – Sunday 26 July 2015, Holt, North Norfolk www.holtfestival.org Box Office 01263 711 284

Lord Archer is the author of 33 published books which have sold over 270 million copies in 97 countries and been translated into 37 languages.

The former MP and Chair of The Conservative Party will talk about his extraordinary life, his books and his career in politics and invite questions from the audience.

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Holt Festival Art Prize 2015 announced Cash prize and Sainsbury Centre exhibition for winner

H

olt Festival is delighted to announce that entry is now open for this year’s Holt Festival Art Prize.

The Holt Festival Art Prize is open to artists everywhere. In past years artists from all over the UK have submitted work. There is a cash prize of £1,500 and in addition the winning artwork will be exhibited at Norwich’s prestigious Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in the autumn.

The deadline for entries is midnight Sunday 28 June.

Judges will select a shortlist of 20-30 that will be exhibited at the Auden Theatre, Holt from 20-26 July.

The winner will be announced at a private view on 19 July.

The exhibition is part of the Holt Festival Art Trail that also takes 48 | June 2015

in other galleries and exhibition spaces around the town.

Last year’s competition attracted another extremely high standard of entries. The winner of the prize and its attendant cheque for £1,500 was Norfolk born Francesca Perkins with her oil on board painting Taking Water Home. At the time actor Sir John Hurt, one of the 2014 judges said ‘This is a very painterly work by a very fine artist who is undoubtedly going to increase in stature. I expect her reputation to grow and spread, her work is already of the very highest standard.’

This year’s judges are Amanda Geitner, Chief Curator at The Sainsbury Centre, art dealer Nic Tyler and Norfolk ‘Pop’ artist Coilin Self. Colin was hailed as one of the most original Pop Artists when he arrived on the international

scene in the early 60s. He not only celebrated modern consumer culture but addressed the darker side of the Swinging Sixties, cold war politics.

International Art Appraiser and Holt Festival Art Prize organizer James Glennie commented ‘Last year I was once again delighted at the standard of entries which really does seem to get higher each year. It will be a tough job for that standard to rise even higher this year but I’m really looking forward to seeing the entries’.

Entry forms can be downloaded from www.holt festival.org/art_prize The 2015 Holt Festival runs from 19 – 26 July and is acknowledged as the leading new festival in north Norfolk.

The charming Norfolk Georgian country town comes alive for an

exuberant week of international music, drama, visual art, dance, comedy, cinema, kids shows and workshops. The full programme will be announced later this month.

The Holt Festival Art Prize: Closing date for submissions midnight Sunday 28 June, Winner announced on Sunday 19 July at The Ben Nicholson Gallery, Cromer Rd, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6EA Winners and shortlisted entries will be exhibited 2026 July Holt Festival 2015, Sunday 19 – Sunday 26 July www.holtfestival.org Media contact: Steve Forster, sfp communications ltd 01603 661459 07939 221192 steve@sfppr.co.uk

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FINEARTS

When Holmes Got Mad Narrated by John H Watson MD

I

could never maintain that Holmes was an easy man to live with. His moods went up and down, partly dependent on the state of his cases, sometimes out of pure boredom if the criminal classes were behaving themselves too much and sometimes, I am afraid to say, as a result of artificial stimulants - a habit I was desperate to eliminate - or exhaustion caused by hard work and often not eating for days at a time. I would not, though, call Holmes a mean or angry man and his acts of kindness were sometimes enough to bring a tear to my eyes.

There was one occasion, however, when he became very angry, indeed. It was approaching Christmas 1902 and Mrs Hudson had been out shopping in Oxford Street, buying all manner of things for her sister in Hove, with whom she planned to spend Christmas, provided Holmes and I had no objections and could find our own meals - which really meant eating out as neither of us was any use whatsoever in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it was early in the day and our landlady was approaching Selfridges with a full purse when she was knocked down and robbed.

feature by:

Steve Browning Writer @returningperson

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The medical side of things I could easily take care of, but the psychological impact on the kind lady was much worse. She wouldn’t leave the house without one of us being with her and she cancelled the trip to her sister’s.

For several days Holmes was incandescent with rage, white faced and tight-lipped and had several meetings with Wiggins, the ‘leader’ of the Baker Street Irregulars.

Then one day – it was a Wednesday morning exactly two weeks after the mugging, and one before Christmas itself – Wiggins came bounding up the stairs, which always caused Mrs Hudson much annoyance, opened the door to our rooms and panted: ‘Ere, Mr ‘Olmes, I’ve got it!’ The scruffy lad was proudly holding a red leather purse which he passed over.

Mrs Hudson shrieked, Sherlock beamed the biggest smile I had ever seen and I thought that this is, indeed, the best Christmas present possible. Holmes passed the purse over to our landlady.

Suddenly she said: ‘But Mr Holmes, there must be five hundred pounds in here! I only had fifty when I was robbed!’

‘Well, well,’ he replied. ‘If you don’t want it all, why don’t you give me £250 as I have something very special to do with Wiggins this afternoon! And, why don’t you just keep the rest and buy something special for yourself and sister!’

It is true to say that Mrs Hudson idolised our great lodger and, without any thought at all, she took out the money requested and passed it over.

Holmes then said ‘Come on Wiggins. We have an important mission today. Back for dinner, Mrs Hudson, Watson!’

Left alone I could only hug Mrs Hudson after which she plumped onto the fireside chair in a state

of disbelief. I only learnt later that what had happened was this.

Holmes had employed his best Irregulars and Johnston Bull, whom he had previously ‘got off’ a murder charge by proving that he was robbing a bank at the time, to put the word about to the criminal classes that he was furious. This, and the fact that the massive and terrifying Johnston Bull was leading the recovery, had led to its anonymous return and the stuffing of it with a king’s

ransom in money. The thieves hoped that the matter would now be dropped, which it was, as Holmes was, as I have said, never a vindictive man and regarded justice as having been served.

Exactly why Holmes needed the money from Mrs Hudson’s purse and what his mission with Wiggins is will be revealed in Wiggins’ Tale, one of eight new stories to be published in a forthcoming book by Stephen Browning called Forever Sherlock.

2015 June | 49

FINEARTS

Theatre’s youth company presents summer sequel If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the characters in Peter Pan when you finish reading JM Barrie’s classic novel, or when the final curtain comes down on a panto production of the classic children’s story, then now you can find out.

N

orwich Theatre Royal Youth Company is all set to take audiences on a return trip to Neverland with its summer sequel to the theatre’s 2014-2015 Christmas pantomime in a show offering perfect family entertainment for the start of the summer school holidays.

Peter Pan Return To Neverland sees Wendy grown up and happily married with daughters of her own. Peter Pan is worried that children are being mysteriously kidnapped and, with the Lost Boys scattered around London, the pair need to join forces to find out what is happening and discover whether the evil Captain Hook is back.

This brand new show, with script, music and lyrics by Theatre Arts Course Director David Lambert, takes to the stage at Norwich Theatre Royal

50 | June 2015

on July 29-August 1 and features a cast of young performers drawn from the theatre’s own Theatre Arts Courses, which trains young people in acting and performing.

As well as classes, the Youth Company presents a number of productions at The Garage in Norwich and a lavish annual summer production. Famous former students of the courses include Hunger Games star Sam Claflin and his brother Joe from Game of Thrones, and Jack Bannon who appeared in the Brad Pitt movie Fury, ITV’s Inspector Morse spin-off Endeavour, and most recently in the biopic of Alan Turing ‘The Imitation Game’.

Heading up the cast for Peter Pan Return To Neverland is Sam Todd as the boy who never grew up. Joe Darbyshire takes the role of Captain Hook who

has mysteriously escaped the crocodile, Molly Cook is Wendy, Toby Smith is her husband Fred Crighton, and Alex Bannon, who is following in her brother Jack’s footsteps, will be flying around the stage as Tinkerbell.

Mr Lambert said his ‘completely new’ Peter Pan story had drawn inspiration from the various versions of the books that J M Barrie wrote. “There are lots of suggestions in the books and loads of unpublished bits to draw from – and I felt it was really important to be faithful to the spirit of the original and to the book and the author,” he said.

The production has been two months in the writing and Mr Lambert hopes it will delight audiences as much as last year’s The Wind in the Willows. “That sold well because it is one of the favourite stories of all time and we had course alumni Sam and

Joe Claflin and Jack Bannon in it, making cameo appearances, so the atmosphere in the theatre was electric,” he said.

Part of the challenge with this year’s tale is incorporating flying into the production. Both Sam Todd as Peter Pan and Alex Bannon as Tinkerbell will be taking to the air.

This is the fifth arts course production that Mr Lambert has written solely himself - from book to music to lyrics - while he has collaborated on many others.

Over 200 public productions have been presented by the Theatre Arts Courses since 1989.

They include 17 Shakespeare plays, 39 musicals including 19 written or co-written by David Lambert, four pantomimes, ten New Year Old Time Music Halls and many other productions.

Listing Peter Pan Return To Neverland runs from Wednesday 29 July to Saturday 1 August at 7pm, with a matinee on Saturday 1 August at 2pm.

Tickets £9 and £7.

Under-three’s free. BOX OFFICE 01603 630000.

For more info or to BOOK ONLINE www. theatreroyal norwich. co.uk

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FINEARTS

Norfolk hosts exhibition by leading artist James Turrell World-renowned American artist James Turrell, who specialises in interpreting light and space, is all set to turn the Norfolk skyscape into a dramatic canvas for his dynamic modern lightworks with a major exhibition at Houghton Hall this summer.

A

n eclectic range of his work, titled LightScape: James Turrell at Houghton, displayed in the hall, stables and grounds, opens to visitors from June 7 until October 24, running from Wednesdays to Sundays, and on August Bank Holiday Monday.

The centrepiece is a specially created illumination of the entire west façade of the hall. The spectacular light display, which will run on Friday and Saturday evenings, will be visible from dusk until an hour after dark and will provide a unique experience as an exciting climax for visitors to the exhibition.

Further exhibition highlights are two major Turrell works which are already in place at Houghton Hall - the Skyspace ‘Seldom Seen’ is a wooden viewing chamber rising into the canopy of surrounding trees with a square aperture open to the sky, while St Elmo’s Breath, a space division construction, is housed in an 18th century Palladian water tower.

Other exhibition works include the artist’s iconic light projections created in the 1960s, holograms, a series of prints and a ‘Tall Glass’ work, as well as a selection of photos illustrating Mr Turrell’s Roden

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Crater in Arizona – a 30-year project in which he is transforming a natural cinder volcano on the edge of a desert into a large-scale artwork from which to view celestial phenomena.

Owner of Houghton Hall, The Marquess of Cholmondeley said mounting an exhibition of Mr Turrell’s work was “the fulfilment of a long-held dream”.

“I am extremely grateful to him for his active participation, and especially for creating an exciting new light piece for the front of the house.” He added that visitors did not need a deep knowledge of the arts to enjoy the lightworks as “you react with pure emotion. All ages, from children to adults, can enjoy them.”

Mr Turrell said he was delighted to be staging an exhibition in an English rural setting: “It’s a treat. It’s great to celebrate this part of England too. The history of collecting art here at Houghton Hall is extraordinary - and this exhibition is a continuation of collecting that is rarely done.”

The new exhibition follows on from the huge success of 2013’s Houghton Revisited, an event which saw a stunning collection of paintings amassed by Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, transported from Russia’s St Petersburg Hermitage to be reunited with their original surroundings at the stately home he built in the 1720s.

Tickets for LightScape: James Turrell at Houghton are on sale now from www.turrelllightscape.com, or by calling (01603) 598640.

Listing The exhibition LightScape: James Turrell at Houghton is open from Wednesdays through to Sundays, and August Bank Holiday Monday, and runs from June 7 until October 24, 2015. Tickets for adults range in price from £10 to £19.50, with concessions for children, family tickets and group bookings. Ticket options include: Garden and Grounds / Hall, Garden, Grounds & LightScape Exhibition / Hall, Garden, Grounds, LightScape Exhibition & Illumination / Illumination Only. Please note the Illumination happens on Friday and Saturday evenings only.

Tickets are available on the day at Houghton or in advance online at www.turrelllightscape.com or www. houghtonhall.com, by calling 01603 598640 or in person at Norwich Theatre Royal box office.

2015 June | 51

FINEARTS

Jeff Koons Norwich-based arts writer Tony Cooper views iconic Fifties-born American artist Jeff Koons’ exhibition at Norwich Castle

T

hrough his early use of everyday items such as vacuum-cleaners and basketballs and later by creating over-sized kitsch objects, Jeff Koons - widely regarded as one of the most important, influential and controversial artists of modern times - focuses his work upon the power of consumer industries and the aesthetics and culture of taste. He makes use of the kind of references reminiscent of Pop Art in its use of popular imagery and in his means of production with multiple assistants working alongside him in his New York City studio.

Drawing together a range of styles and spanning a broad chronology from the early-1980s

to the late-1990s, the works in ARTIST ROOMS (currently showing at Norwich Castle Museum) highlight some of Koons’ most important series while exploring many of the key themes of his illustrious and ground-breaking career: commerce, class, celebrity and the concept of value.

In New Hoover Convertibles, for example, Koons (whom you either love or hate!) preserves a banal household object as a new commodity in perpetuity making its function obsolete while setting this most basic of household goods in large acrylic display cases amplified by white fluorescent tube lighting to mesmerising effect. And the idea of protected perfection lies at the heart of Encased emanating from the artist’s famous series

of basketball works in which he sought to achieve constant equilibrium by suspending the balls in liquid while Winter Bears - crashing into your vision bang in the centre of the Norwich Union Gallery - first saw the light of day in Koons’ landmark exhibition Banality in 1988 which made Koons the art superstar he is today. The carved wooden figures, deriving from popular figurines, are blown up to exaggerated proportions thereby creating a sculpture that is at once familiar but utterly grotesque.

Koons’ fascination with kitsch and baroque styles is selfapparent in Mound of Flowers, a striking and colourful work that wouldn’t look out of place in a confectioners’ shop window.

Sugary and sweet-looking to the core, it automatically attracts the eye over and over again. Heavily inspired by the ornamental designs in rococo churches, Koons uses a motif commonly used to symbolise spiritual and physical love while he cites a fresco by the Italian Early Renaissance artist Masaccio, Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, as one of the sources for the work. He also states that

feature by:

Tony Cooper Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk

Mound of Flowers - made by traditional glassworkers from the island of Murano, Italy - is an external image but also indicates the surface of a mental landscape.

But dominating the entrance to the Bernard Matthews Gallery, Bourgeois Bust (originally created for the Made in Heaven exhibition), shows Koons exploring the concept of love in relation to his own marriage (of seven years’ standing) to Hungarian-born, Roman Catholic porn star/politician/singer, Ilona Staller, widely known by her stage name, Cicciolina.

Represented as a marble

Mould of Flowers, 1991

52 | June 2015

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FINEARTS

Caterpillar, 2003

Bourgeois Bust, 1991

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portrait bust, the couple are depicted within a traditional baroque-style sculpture that draws inspiration from antique classical ideas. With her plaited hair and string of pearls, Staller appears like Venus, the Greek goddess of love, declaring sensationally ‘We’ve become God’. Their spiritual and physical union seemingly elevates the pair to a higher realm of idealised existence and ecstasy.

And in the same gallery comes a bit of fun, too, depending, of course, on your idea of fun! Here the walls are splashed with large ornamental-coloured mirrors shaped as cartoon animal heads coming from Koons’ Easyfun collection and sitting comfortably with them is a showpiece like no other, Caterpillar Chains, a recreation of an inflatable toy made from a polychrome aluminium-coated-steel chain and deriving from his Popeye series which he started working on in 2002 and first seen at London’s Serpentine Gallery in 2009. This was his first-ever major exhibition in a public gallery in the UK. Throughout his career Koons - who demands total perfection from specialists in each chosen medium while his work is manufactured with extraordinary detailed precision - has pioneered new and imaginative ways of using everyday objects in his work. By combining popular culture with art historical references and deploying hand-crafted techniques with industrial-based manufacturing, he has tested what an artist can be within a time of ubiquitous celebrity culture.

Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp are obvious antecedents to Koons’ artistic vision but his frank and unashamedly iconic works are distinctively his own, tackling head-on the vital questions of art.

The exhibition (running to 6th September) is a real coup for the Castle Museum offering a rare opportunity to view Koons’ work as Harriet Loffler, curator of the exhibition, explains: ‘Koons says he wants to tell a story in his work that’s easy for anyone to enter into and on some level

enjoy. Staged as part of this year’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival, the exhibition is a first for the museum, the city and, indeed, the region.’

Accompanying the exhibition and as part of the extensive public programme, staff at Norwich Castle Museum are working in tandem with Young Norfolk Arts Festival on a project focusing on a team of young people using the themes of Koons’ work to engage and develop young audiences, a key objective of ARTIST ROOMS programme. Therefore, since January, a dozen 16-25-yearolds - who have been enjoying intensive professional training in all aspects of staging events in a large museum/gallery meet weekly as the ‘Koons Collaborative’ devising and delivering Koons-inspired events at Norwich Castle and will be doing similar stuff at Young Norfolk Arts Festival coming up in the summer running from 26th June to 5th July.

The works on display in ARTIST ROOMS - an inspirational collection of modern and contemporary art - were acquired for the nation by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland through the generosity of Anthony d’Offay with additional support coming from funders such as The Art Fund. Supporting the tour of ARTIST ROOMS - now in its seventh year and visiting 17 museums and galleries across the UK - is the National Lottery through Arts Council England and through the continued support of The Art Fund.

Information on both the ARTIST ROOMS collection and the touring programme can be found at www. artistrooms.org. Further information can also be sourced by visiting www. artfund.org/artistrooms

2015 June | 53

FINEARTS

What’s on at Maddermarket Coming up this month at Maddermarket Theatre

Jaleo Flamenco

Jaleo Flamenco Mon 01 June 7:30pm In a scintillating fusion of heartwrenching vocals, explosive footwork and virtuoso guitar playing, Jaleo return to Britain with their latest new stage show ‘A Compás’, brimming over with the intoxicating rhythms, palpable energy and joie de vivre which has become synonymous with the company.

‘A Compás’ (in rhythm) charts an evocative musical journey through the diverse flamenco regions of Andalusia in which some of Spain´s finest awardwinning artists combine their talents in a mesmerising tour de force to produce a unique spectacle of universal appeal which encapsulates the very essence of flamenco.

Tickets £17.00

Marina Laslo In Dietrich Letters. A 54 | June 2015

Tribute To Marlene Dietrich Tue 02 June 7:30pm Marlene Dietrich, the German born actress and singer, has long been an icon of all that is sultry, talented and glamorous.

Her life and film appearances are legendary, from ‘Falling In Love Again’, the song from The Blue Angel that shot Marlene to stardom, to ‘The Boys In the Back Room’ from Destry Rides Again and from ‘I Wish You Love’ to ‘La Vie En Rose’...

Marlene transcended her material, imbuing each song with a passion and meaning that touched hearts across the world.

Marina Laslo, the Russian born singer, has firmly established herself on the international music scene through her captivating artistry and unique, ethereal qualities. Praised by the critics she is an extraordinary talent. She has played the Barbican, the Royal

Festival Hall and Ronnie Scott’s, achieving platinum record sales in her home country. Marina’s beautiful voice has impressed the likes of Simon Cowell and JeanChristophe Novelli!

Combining sumptuous, rich and tender vocals with intense, touchable emotion, Marina Laslo has a wealth of material to draw on... and who better to reinvent it than she. Marina takes on the music Marlene made famous.

Dietrich Letters is the stunning collection of songs by legendary Marlene Dietrich showcased by a timeless performer whose beautiful voice continues to captivate.

Inspired by the glamour of the 1930’s, her love of jazz and the countless live music venues of London, Marina has emerged as an incredibly confident performer, whose dramatic stage shows, impeccable voice and outspoken personality, have gained her notoriety from many of the top national broadsheet newspapers, including The Times and The Daily Telegraph.

The show features various archive material, personal objects and letters from the Marlene Dietrich’s estate. Special thanks to Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin, Deutsche Kinemathek.

The special effects, projection and lighting design are created

by Rob Halliday (award winning shows including My Fair Lady, Equus, Hello Dolly).

It showcases the best of young British jazz talent in a 7-piece band, under the direction of Rob Barron (Ronnie Scott’s All Stars).

The music is wonderfully nostalgic, and carries a distinct

theatrical hue.

To paraphrase Marlene’s own final words in Touch Of Evil – “It’ll be some kind of a show.”

Tickets £18.50

The Searchers - In Concert Thu 04 June 7:30pm The Searchers are one of the few British pop groups who have maintained their position at the top for well over 45 years.

Second only to the Beatles as Liverpool’s finest 60’s group, their hits include ‘Sweets for My Sweet’, ‘Needles and Pins’, ‘When You Walk in the Room’, ‘Sugar and Spice’, ‘Love Potion No. 9’ and ‘Don’t Throw Your Love Away’ Don’t miss this legendary band at the Maddermarket Theatre!

Tickets £20.00

T.Rextasy Fri 05 June 8.00pm T.Rextasy have now been performing around the world for over 20 years, a career that ironically out lives Marc’s very own T.Rex. The band is now accepted as the world’s only official live tribute band dedicated to Marc Bolan & T.Rex, and the only band endorsed and approved by Marc Bolan’s family, estate, original exmembers of T.Rex, and Bolan’s catalogue management. The band has been described by many as ‘beyond the boundaries of tribute’.

Truly a rock’n’roll concert for all ages - If you would like to know exactly what a Marc Bolan concert was like in the 1970s, this show is for you!

Tickets £19.00 www.finecity.co.uk

FINEARTS some of her favourite standards.

Already established as one the country’s leading jazz vocalists, Jacqui’s live concerts showcase her unique versatility and effortless mastery of a wide spectrum of genres, drawing on jazz, folk, soul and blues, as well as her acute sensibility as a songwriter and lyricist.

Tickets £18.00

Lonnie Donegan Jnr’s Skiffle Party

Steemy Dan Sat 06 June 7.30pm Whilst listening to the ‘Nightfly’ album during a late night party in the spring of 2008 a friend of Bob Cushing suggested that he should form a Steely Dan tribute act. Having been a life long admirer of ‘The Dan’, Bob decided to accept the challenge and over the following year assembled a line up of top musicians capable of doing justice to his favourite music.

Steemy Dan thus became one of only a few bands to perform the beautifully crafted tunes of Becker and Fagan live on stage.

Having received much critical acclaim including being described as “the closest you could get to the real thing”, the dynamic ten-piece band have also been endorsed by legendary session guitarist Elliot Randall, who performed the well-known guitar solo on the original recording of ‘Reelin’ in the Years’. This, alongside many other classics such as ‘Do it Again’, ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number’, ‘Haitian Divorce’ and ‘F.M. etc, will have you rocking during their return to the Maddermarket Theatre!

The band’s current line up: Bob Cushing – Bass Guitars and Lead Vocals David James – Keyboards Ian Jacobs – Lead Guitar Barry Fogg – Alto and Tenor Saxophones Martin Ward – Drums Mark Reynolds – Rhythm Guitar Pete Edwards – Trombone Dave Guest – Trumpet Jess Edwards – Backing Vocals, Flute, piccolo, Melodica Kate Curtis – Backing Vocals, Flute, Percussion Tickets £14.00

www.finecity.co.uk

Vintage And Retro Sale Rail Tue 09 June 4:00-6:00pm Free of charge

Elaine Delmar And Todd Gordon Sing ‘Frank & Ella’ Wed 10 June 7.30pm Celebrating 100 Years since Frank Sinatra’s birth!

Two of the country’s most outstanding artists perform a sincere homage to the musical genius of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Featuring classic somgs from the peak of their careers including Lady Be good, Witchcraft, manhattan, The Summer wind, They Can’t Take that Away from Me, Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye and New York, New York.

Tickets £18.50

Jacqui Dankworth Thu 11 June 7.30pm Jacqui Dankworth - the imaginative, moving, and adventurous vocalist - in concert with her stellar group of musicians In these very special and intimate concerts, audiences will be treated to a selection of songs from her highly praised studio albums – including her most recent, critically acclaimed album ‘Live to Love’, alongside new selfpenned material and a selection of

Fri 12 June 7.30pm Lonnie Donegan Jnr pays homage to his late great father.

Skiffle is very much back in vogue with the younger generation.

Come and enjoy ‘The Lonnie Donegan Jnr Skiffle Party’.

Featuring all the hits - My Old Man’s A Dustman, Cumberland Gap, Battle of New Orleans, Have A Drink On Me, Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavour, Gambling Man, Putting On The Style, Pick A Bale Of Cotton, Rock Island Line, and many more.

A great evening of 50’s and 60’s music that inspired The Beatles and other groups of that generation.

Visit Lonnie Donegan Jnr on Facebook Tickets £17.50 (£15.00 Concessions)

The Nook Variety Show - In Aid Of Each Sat 13 June 2.30pm/7.30pm The Acafellas present not one, but two shows featuring some of the best local and national talents and variety acts!

Comedy, Music and Magic...

The Evening Show features The Acafellas, Pat Nearney, Luke Cook, Kieran Powell & Miss Nina Taylor.

The Matinee Show features Kieran Powell, Luke Cook and beatboxer Lee Gibling + Guests.

All proceeds from the event will go to the EACH’s Nook Appeal.

The Nook Appeal aims to raise £10m to build a much needed state of the art children’s hospice on the outskirts of Norwich. For more information please visit www.each.org.uk.

THE ACTS The Acafellas - Acapella with a twist. They bring 5 fantastic

singers and a vocal percussionist / beatboxer to create some unbelievable music of well known songs from all eras and genres.

Pat Nearney - “The Norfolk Nut” and compère of the show.

Pat is a great comedian and cabaret performer and has performed in theatres, clubs, and holiday centres across the East.

Luke Cook - Luke discovered magic at the very young age of 6 and hasn’t looked back since.

He has performed locally as well as internationally with Luke being a regular face at the ‘Thursford Christmas Spectacular’. His stage illusions will leave you pleasantly baffled!

Kieran Powell- From Gloucestershire, Kieran is a very talented singing ventriloquist.

Over the past few years he has been busy performing his popular ventriloquism all over the country in his highly imaginative and varied act, winning awards and talent competitions.

Miss Nina Taylor - Miss Taylor is a Norwich based actress, singer and when she’s feeling really brave, dancer. With a Femme Fatale persona and a sultry yet powerful voice to match, she tries to embody the glamour of old school Hollywood.

She regularly performs at the Maddermarket Theatre and you’ll be blown away by her voice.

Tickets 7.30pm show £16, 2.30pm show £8

Just So With Robert Powell Sun 14 June 7.30pm Robert Powell, one of the country’s most celebrated actors, brings this spellbinding show about Rudyard Kipling to the Maddermarket Theatre.

The extraordinary life and times of Rudyard Kipling from idyllic earliest memories of India to the horrors of the First World War. Rudyard Kipling is one of the most intriguing and controversial of all our great writers. We explore the many different worlds inhabited by this great storyteller and poet through his autobiographical writings, stories and verse, (all interwoven with music of the period) including his traumatic childhood years at the hands of a cruel foster-mother, 2015 June | 55

FINEARTS seven years hard in India as a journalist learning the writer’s trade, early years of married life in Vermont, where he observed America and the Americans with an increasingly ironical eye, his time as a war-correspondent in his beloved South Africa, and, finally, settling in his dream house in Sussex, where he became obsessed with English history, taking an enormous pride in our heritage, which he illuminated with poems and verse on themes from Roman times to his own day.

At the same time he was becoming increasingly concerned with the fragility of the English way of life, which he, with chilling accuracy, foresaw as being threatened by a terrible Armageddon approaching.

When his fears were realised in the outbreak of the First World War, Kipling became one of the great chroniclers of that time, in his moving, often painfully eloquent stories and poems.

He was the great spokesman for his age, a time dominated by a sense of imperial destiny, which was soon to be destroyed forever.

Tickets £18.50

Norwich Jazz Club Mon 15 June Norwich Jazz Club has been established in the city as a place to hear great live jazz every Tuesday night since 1989.

Our programme continues to feature jazz to suit a wide range of tastes, from mainstream through to the most exciting contemporary projects, featuring local, national and international artists alike.

Why not come down to the Maddermarket Redwell bar

and enjoy good music, great conversation with friends and a jam with the trio. £5 On the door

Redwell Maddermarket Bar Tickets £6.00 (Includes workshop if you wish to participate)

A French Cafe Evening - A Tribute To French Cafe Music

A Night At The Musicals

Tue 16 June 8.00pm Come back in time to our Parisian Café.

Join Pip Jenkinson, Adrian Turner and Christopher Speake in a tribute to that French café music we all know and love.

Songs and sounds made famous

by Josephine Baker, Cole Porter, Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, and many others. Enjoy a welcoming glass of French wine and canapés to get you in the mood!

Performance takes place in the Redwell Maddermarket Bar and Gallery Bar Events sponsored by Sonkai Jewellers Tickets £10.00 (Ticket includes a glass of wine and canapes)

Intellectual Hooligans - Improv Comedy Sat 20 June Workshop 7-8pm, Performance 8.30pm The Intellectual Hooligans are a group of top notch improv comedy performers led by Daniel Taylor (founder of UEA Headlights Comedy Society) and Rob aka Will Turner (creator of Reynard City). The show will consist of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” games based on audience suggestions. Prior to the show, there will be a one hour workshop open to anyone wishing to try their hand at improv.

This event takes place in the

Sun 21 June 7.30pm Four in a Bed Theatre Company are four aspiring musical theatre performers from Norfolk. In this concert style performance, the outstanding vocalists will present some of the best loved songs from the shows, old and new, guaranteed to make you smile, shed a tear, laugh out loud and tap your feet.

Come and enjoy your local talent and support the hopeful West End stars of the future.

Presented in the Redwell Maddermarket Bar Tickets £7.50

What The Butler Saw Thu 25 Jun - Sat 04 Jul 7.30pm (2.30pm Matinee on 4th July 2015)

By Joe Orton Dr. Prentice, a psychiatric doctor in an exclusive, private clinic, is attempting to interview (and seduce) an attractive would-be secretary, Geraldine.

Unwttingly surprised by his wife, he hides the girl. The affairs multiply as Mrs. Prentice, being seduced and blackmailed by young bellhop Nicholas Beckett, has promised him the secretarial post. When a government inspector arrives, chaos, underpants and cross-dressing lead the charge. The final tableau reveals “the missing parts of Winston Churchill” held aloft as the curtain falls.

Directed by George Norton Tickets £8.00 - £12.00 (Student discount available)

Songs In The Wrong Order

Lonnie Donegan Jnr’s Skiffle Party

56 | June 2015

Sun 28 June 7:30pm in the Redwell Bar Sound Ideas are a fresh and innovative theatre company based in Norwich, dedicated to bringing you the very best of obscure musical theatre. Four of Norfolk’s upcoming, young and most talented performers present to you an evening of outstanding

vocals in this concert style performance. With a selection of little known gems, this show promises to have you laughing out loud and tapping your feet.

Come and enjoy this onenight-only treat for an evening you won’t forget.

Tickets £7.50

Box Office Our box office is situated in the foyer area, opposite the coffee shop.

Box Office opening hours Normal Open Hours Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm.

On Show Days Monday to Saturday 10am - 7.30pm Sundays 5pm - 7.30pm Booking Tickets Tickets may be booked in person, by telephone or online.

Box Office: 01603 620917 office@maddermarket.org www.maddermarket.co.uk

www.finecity.co.uk

Spiritual Flow Spiritual festival at St. Andrews Hall, Norwich

T

he Spiritual Flow Events team are back at ‘The Halls’ in Norwich for another amazing show that seeks to inspire and interest with a programme that features 28 demonstrations and 70 exhibitors throughout the weekend of 13th & 14th June. This amazing festival makes full use of the beautiful St Andrews hall, the adjoining Cloisters and Crypt.

There will be a charge of £2.50 to gain entry to the festival that will get you free access into all the demonstrations and workshops. You do not need to pre-book, just turn up on the door and relax and enjoy your visit. Doors open at 10am both days and close at 5pm both days. A full list of all the demonstrations and workshops can be found on line at www.spiritualflowevents.com/norwich.htm.

Once again both days will feature high class demonstrations including Laughter Yoga, Gong baths, Chakra Balancing, The Balance Procedure plus 4 demonstrations of mediumship as well as many other useful workshop activities. The exhibitors will be eager to please as they offer Massage therapies, Reflexology, Reiki healing plus many other sampler and full treatments. Plenty of readers to keep everyone occupied with Mediums, Tarot, Palmistry, Astrology, Numerology and Past Life regression. A lovely collection of spiritual gifts including the Angel figurines, Crystals in all shapes and sizes to suit everyone’s pocket, candles, soaps and suds, Jewellery, incense cones and sticks and the wonderful instruments including the singing bowls from Tibet.

Perhaps we should focus on Nepal for a while and consider the level of destruction this region has suffered. Many generations of families perished in the earthquakes, including a well-known supplier of singing bowls. Our exhibitor Lucy Chapman had a consignment of Nepal singing bowls shipped out just two days before the earthquake struck, Lucy then subsequently heard, the supplier, his wife and family died

58 | June 2015

in the disaster. By way of a tribute to Nepal, Lucy has donated one of these bowls to raise funds to help the rebuild programme. This bowl will be in a special draw to be held on the Sunday afternoon. So far we have collected £400 at two events and will be looking to double if not reach a thousand pounds by Sunday close. Alongside this we will also be running a high quality tombola as well as a number of collection points around the venue to give, for those wishing to help. Plus the Norfolk Healers will be on hand to offer healings with any donations further helping the Nepal fund.

We had a marvellous time in March when many of the visitors sat in the pop up Café and took in the energy. Well, the Café is back again, so come along and be inspired.

Enjoy your Journey Steve Hudson www.spiritualflowevents.com

MIND BODY SPIRIT EXHIBITIONS & FESTIVALS If you can’t make it to the Norwich Festival, perhaps one of the other Spiritual Flow Exhibitions in East Anglia will be more suitable and listed below are a few more that may whet your appetite.

• • • • • • •

Sat 20th June Your spirit guides Workshop in Castle Acre Sat 4th, Sun 5th July Hunstanton Town Hall Sat 11th July Holt Community Centre Sat 18th July Downham Market Town Hall Sat 15th Aug Swaffham Assembly Rooms Sat 29th Aug Dereham Memorial Hall Sat 12th Sept Kings Lynn Corn Exchange

All this information and more can be found on our website.

www.finecity.co.uk

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www.finecity.co.uk

2015 June | 59

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Buy British Beds this June Did you sleep well last night?

Do you feel refreshed and ready to start the day?

F

or most of us a third of our life is spent asleep, meaning the wear on our mattress over time is considerable, yet a staggering 25% of people wouldn’t consider changing their mattress – even after more than 10 years.* It is hardly surprising then that 58% of the population complain of waking feeling stiff and achy.* How do you know if you need to replace your bed?

• • • • • •

Is your bed more than 7 years old?

Is it uncomfortable? Or when you sleep in someone else’s bed, does that feel better than your own?

Do you wake in the morning with a painful back or stiff limbs?

Can you feel the springs beneath the surface of the mattress?

Do you and your partner roll together?

Is your mattress just generally warn and discoloured?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then it could be time to invest in a new bed!

One of the keys to having a healthy and happy life is SLEEP! Sleep is required to allow our bodies to recover, help our brains work correctly and can even help you lose weight.

The right environment is essential for a good nights sleep, your room should be dark, quiet and warm. Remember to turn off those mobile phones, vibrations and flashing lights can disturb your sleep.

At Sound Sleep, we are mattress specialists. We have an extensive range of mattresses suitable for any budget. With a huge range of open coil, pocket sprung, traditional mattresses, eco memory, latex and memory foam, we are positive we have a mattress for you. All of

our beds and mattresses are National Bed Federation approved and are all made in the UK. At Sound Sleep, we stock a variety of brands and different types of mattresses, for example pocket sprung, memory foam, latex and so on. Each manufacturer has different mattresses that offer different levels of support and comfort. When mattress shopping, it is essential to ask for help. We are highly trained mattress specialists and are on hand to advise you, not to high pressure you in to buying something that may not be suitable.

When you have chosen a new mattress, don’t forget that pillows are very important too. A cheap, unsupportive pillow can cause neck and back problems. These are just as important as your new mattress.

For more help and advice, visit our in store Mattress Specialists who can talk you through all the pros and cons of various mattresses.

We also pride ourselves on having the most up to date mattress technology.

At Sound Sleep we have now taken the decision to offer 0% interest free credit, this allows our customers to be able to have the bed and mattress they need for comfort and support with the option to pay monthly. This service we offer is completely free of charge, there are no added charges, our prices are not inflated to compensate for the finance and our mattress specialists do not earn a commission for selling a product with finance like many of the big bed retailers do. We are even able to offer finance without you visiting our store, we can do this over an email or text link and you can complete and pay the deposit on your PC or smart phone without leaving the comfort of your home!

Representative Finance Example Product Price £700.00 Deposit £175.00 Finance amount £525.00 Cost of credit £0.00 12 Monthly Payments £43.74 Finance subject to acceptance. Minimum spend applies. *Research by British Chiropractic Association and Sealy 201

60 | June 2015

www.finecity.co.uk

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Come and visit our huge showroom at Aloe Farm - Mile Road - Winfarthing - IP22 2EZ Between Diss & Attleborough on the main B1077 - Look for our bright yellow sign!

For mattress advise please call 01953 861177 Open Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00

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Able Community Care The Alternative to Moving into a Care Home

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etting older sometimes means that a person needs to be cared for twenty four hours a day. Such care can be provided in a care home or in a person’s own home.

Given the choice, many people would prefer to stay in their own home and Able Community Care has enabled thousands of people to exercise this choice.

Our experience has shown that having a regular rota of experienced carers in your own home is often a much happier alternative than moving into a care home.

Able Community Care has been providing an alternative choice to moving into a care home since 1980 by providing Live-in Carer Schemes

www.finecity.co.uk

throughout the UK. Our live-in care staff have enabled thousands of disabled and older people to remain happily within their own home.

The role of our live-in carers is to provide domestic, personal and social care tailored to each individual’s needs and wishes.

One of our clients is Kate.

Kate was born in 1919 and in 2006 as a result of arthritis and too common falls, Kate and her family had to make a decision as to how Kate wished to be cared for. Her own wish was to remain living in her own bungalow, to keep up her social activities and to maintain her hobbies.

Kate and her family decided to try a Live-in Carer Scheme and since 2006 a continuous, regular, rotational system of liked live-in

care workers have supported Kate, now aged 95, and who continues to live happily in her own home.

Kate wrote the following comments with reference to the care she received in 2014 on our Customer Satisfaction Form: “The live-in care workers carry out the tasks that are important to me.”

“I feel comfortable about contacting my Care Manager” (whom she has met).

“I am happy with the service I am receiving.”

“The responsiveness to ‘out of hours’ contact is satisfying and responsive.”

Live-in Carers are special people. Whilst living for weekly or fortnightly periods in a client’s home they provide domestic support, personal care and offer companionship. Each of our clients has an individual ‘job description’ and it is the objective of our Care Managers to provide our clients with a regular rota of liked live-in carer workers and also to find for our care workers, clients for whom they have the skills to care for.

One of our live-in care workers is Lorna who has been with us since 2011. Before joining Able Community Care, Lorna was a care worker for her County Council where she gained experience and care certification including attaining NVQ Level 3 in Social Care.

Lorna is one of Kate’s two regular live-in carers and is a driver and non-smoker.

In addition to providing professionally managed live-in care at home on a long term basis, Able Community Care can also provide the following care packages: Respite care for family carers who need a well-earned break.

A Carer to accompany a person who wants to go on holiday or to visit relatives.

Long term care to a person who wishes to share the care.

For example, Able can provide one or two weeks of care, then the family the next period etc. on a flexible, rotational basis.

A “Home From Hospital” care package offering convalescent live-in care at home.

Able Community Care currently provides Live-in, Carer Schemes in over 50 counties and our

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clients range in age from early twenties to over one hundred years of age.

Some of our clients have been with us since the 1990’s and their care packages have been continuous. As a result we have a reputation for reliability.

A large number of our care workers have been with us for over ten years and some for over fifteen years.

Able Community Care’s website www.uk-care.com provides comprehensive information, including many moving and heartfelt client comments. There is also an option to sign up for our free email Newsflash, written by the MD. Angela Gifford each week, to keep up to date with the latest care information and news which may affect you or your family.

Angela Gifford formed Able Community Care in 1980 and as Managing Director she continues to benefit this successful company with her long experience of the care sector. Angela is highly regarded as an expert in the field of home care and also consults at an international level on many aspects of care provision.

If you have any questions about our Live-in Care Schemes please contact us on 01603 764567 or email to ablemg@aol.com.

For a Free Information Pack, please don’t hesitate to contact Able Community Care on 01603 764567 or email ablemg@aol.com.

Alternatively you can visit our website for more information at www.uk-care.com

2015 June | 63

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Swagger & Jacks

Mach3® Shaving Set includes a crafted handle designed to be used with Gillette® Mach 3® Turbo blades. When combined with Gillette®’s triple blade system, the elegant, solid handle provides the shaver with excellent control, guaranteeing a very smooth, comfortable and safe shave.

RRP for three-piece set, including razor, shaving brush and stand: £95 All of these products are available individually at £40 each, finished in solid chrome with either ivory colour or light horn colour.

Complementing each of the shaving sets is the Swagger & Jacks Porcelain Shaving Bowl, used to mix and create shaving lather.

Available in a rich ivory colour. RRP £25.

Swagger & Jacks has a range of shaving products to complement its professional shaving tools; these provide the essential building blocks for a perfect wet shave. All Swagger & Jacks products are paraben free and contain natural ingredients suitable for even the most sensitive of skins.

NEW: Swagger & Jacks Classic Shaving Cream is for gentlemen who prefer the luxury of a traditional, rich and creamy shaving lather prepared with a brush. The cream produces a protective barrier over the skin, preventing razor burn, nicks and ingrown hairs.

Presented in a large tin – for mixing with the new badger hair shaving brush – and scented with the traditionally masculine fragrance of sandalwood. RRP £14.95 NEW: Swagger & Jacks Classic Shaving Oil, This nourishing oil contains a protective blend of vitamins and essential oils to ensure the most comfortable shave even on very sensitive skin, infused with the traditional masculine fragrance of sandalwood. It can be used on its own or layered underneath Swagger & Jacks Classic Shaving Cream to provide even more protection and lubrication during the shave on extra sensitive skin RRP £14.95

British grooming brand launches range of professional shaving tools in time for Father’s Day

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entlemen’s grooming brand, Swagger & Jacks, is proud to announce the launch of its range of professional shaving tools to help discerning gentlemen achieve the best possible shaving experience outside of the barber shop. The range offers the perfect gift solution for Father’s Day. The Swagger & Jacks brand effortlessly blends classic, vintage inspired elegance with cool, contemporary styling. Based in Norfolk, and a proudly British company, all Swagger & Jacks shaving tools are designed by master barbers and made in Sheffield.

The Classic Swagger & Jacks Shaving Set features a doubleedge safety razor. The original design was created in the 1890s and, more than 100 years on, is still the shaving purist’s razor of choice.

The flat stainless steel blade, sharpened on both edges, offers a precise single cutting action equal to that of a cutthroat razor. The smooth, well-weighted handle is comfortable in the hand, making the razor precise and easy and to use.

The set also includes a Swagger & Jacks Shaving Brush, made from quality badger hair, which is the benchmark for handmade shaving brush manufacturers. When used with Swagger & Jacks Classic Shaving Cream, the fine tip of the brush hair creates a rich lather, which helps the razor to glide smoothly across the skin. The natural fibres of the badger hair gently exfoliates the skin and lifts the bristles in preparation for shaving The Swagger & Jacks Shaving Stand provides a stylish display and storage solution, to allow the shaving brush and razor to naturally dry, keeping them in optimum and sterile condition. RRP for threepiece set: £95 For a more contemporary shaving solution, the Swagger & Jacks

64 | June 2015

Classic Shave Oil and Cream

www.finecity.co.uk

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Swagger & Jacks Shaving Products Range

Alternatively the Swagger & Jacks Ultimate Shave Cream can be applied directly to the skin without a brush and has a non-lathering formulation. Ideally suited for daily shaving when time does not allow for the preparation of shaving lather. The luxurious shaving emulsion ensures a smooth and comfortable shave, producing a protective barrier over the skin for improved razor glide. RRP £14.95 Swagger & Jacks Ultimate Shave Oil nourishes and replenishes the skin with a balance of essential oils and vitamins. It can be used on its own or underneath Swagger & Jacks Ultimate Shave Cream for the optimum shaving experience. RRP £14.95 Swagger & Jacks Post Shave Moisturiser is the perfect end to a shave, featuring soothing Aloe Vera, Vitamin A and essential oils to re-balance and hydrate the skin. With a naturally light and fresh fragrance, it leaves a matt, oil free finish to the skin. RRP £14.95 To celebrate Father’s Day on 21 June, Swagger & Jacks has put together a wide range of gift set ideas, which are available at www.swaggerandjacks.com/shop.

Full Shave Set, with Porcelain Bowl and Razor

www.finecity.co.uk

2015 June | 65

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Throwers Norwich-based food writer dines à la carte with bosom friends at Throwers pop-up restaurant, Hethersett

C

ooking is an art.

Full stop! You either have the knack or you don’t. However, if you fall into the latter bracket, a series of cooking lessons should do the trick. It certainly did for me. I’ve never had any of my dinner-party guests complain.

Well, not to face, anyway!

But like any art form there’s always something new to learn as in life in general and cooking, of course, is no exception. And at Throwers pop-up restaurant in Hethersett - personal invitation, may I add, as the establishment’s only reserved for close friends of Jon and Kelly Thrower - I learnt how to prepare and carve a traditional roast sirloin of beef.

But the only way to enjoy a good roast (the most splendid of all feasts!) is to start with a good joint in the first place. Elementary, dear boy, I hear you say! The cook is, of course, at the mercy of his/her supplier but Jon and Kelly have got that well and truly sorted. They swear by their butcher, DJ Barnard of Shropham near Attleborough.

I took great interest in the cooking process especially when Jon took the joint from the oven placing it on the carving-board to let it ‘rest’ for a suitable period to allow time for it to settle to the right temperature in which to carve. Throughout this process Jon monitored the temperature with a meat thermometer which he suggested is the easiest and most accurate way to see if a roast or, indeed, a steak is ready for the table.

There’s quite a science behind the degrees of ‘doneness’ of meat, I found out. It all comes down to internal temperature. For the juiciest result, Jon explained, you need to take the roast out of the oven just short of the temperature goal as the internal temperature of the meat rises

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considerably as it rests. Jon used an instant-read thermometer, which had a thin probe, for the job. He inserted it into the thickest part of the meat away from any bone and took two or three readings before declaring the joint the right temperature in which to carve. If your likeness is for a medium well-done joint the temperature needs to be around 70ºC while rare comes in at 60ºC and well done at 75ºC. A mind of information, Jon further explained that the resting period allows most of the juices which have risen to the surface of the meat to seep back into it thereby firming up the meat to make it easier to carve. When Jon did the honours I realised the science of cooking a good joint.

It carved beautifully - like a knife through butter!

But while all this was going on there was the first course to deal with and Kelly came to the table serving up a wonderful starter comprising thinlysliced salmon served on white bread generously covered with mayonnaise with the bread freshly baked by Kelly on the day of the supper. What a girl!

The dish was finished off with a mixed salad dressing spiced up with all sorts of tasty bits and pieces that I - together with the other guests Natasha and Eugene - was extremely complimentary about. A perfect start to what turned out to be a perfect meal. And I say that most sincerely.

When the main dish came to the table, served on rainbowdecorated square-designed plates purchased from Jarrold’s of London Street, Norwich, it was a treat for the eyes and proof, if one is needed, that one eats with their eyes. Whether it’s consciously or subconsciously, I believe we use our five senses

feature by:

Tony Cooper Writer tc@tony-cooper.co.uk

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in obtaining essential food information. For instance, the sight, taste, odour and even the sound of food can all play their part in how we like (or choose to eat) certain food.

The beef, served with baked garlic mushrooms, gratin dauphinois (a traditional regional French dish based on potatoes and crème fraîche), roasted red cabbage (seasoned with balsamic vinegar) and petit pois à la français plus an added treat underwriting Kelly’s ancestry, maple-syrup glazed carrots.

Kelly’s a Canadian girl coming from near Edmonton and, of course, Canada’s by far the largest producer of maple syrup in the world. The country’s national flag, of course, is known as the Maple Leaf as it consists of a red field with a white square

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at its centre in the middle of which is featured a stylised, 11-pointed, red maple leaf.

Let me tell you, the beef was as succulent, tasty and tender as ever I’ve eaten and that includes dining in such well-appointed and splendid London establishments famed for their meat dishes, especially beef, as Simpson’s in the Strand and Simpson’s Tavern, Cornhill and not least by dining at Butcher’s Hall, headquarters of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, one of the seven oldest city of London livery companies.

And giving that necessary enjoyment to the meal Jon provided a good bottle of red wine decanted at table with the decanting process aided by a gadget aeration funnel decanter.

The appliance of science, eh!

He diligently poured the wine

through the funnel which allowed it to breathe and oxidise itself in a natural way. The process, in actual fact, releases the wine’s aromas to the air thus bringing out the wine’s true flavour and characteristics.

A healthy and elongated interval occurred before we even thought about or considered dessert during which time the table was alive with stories going to and fro in the usual after-dinner manner with Eugene, a raconteur with a penchant for dramatising things to comic effect, held court like no other. He harbours an individual, wry and intelligent humour that could possibly yield him a second career as a standup comedian should he feel the urge.

When pudding eventually came it proved a winner all round - tarte tatin - the ‘upside-down’ pastry

in which the fruit (usually apples, in this case Braeburns) are caramelised in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. It was scrumptious to the core! As with the main course I had second helpings and even had an Oliver Twist moment come over me and thought about going for a third.

Greedy boy, I hear you say! Fill your boots while you can, I say!

We retired to the lounge and drank coffee spoiling ourselves rotten on Bendicks chocolatecovered mints while Eugene went into overdrive before driving me and Natasha safely home.

Entertaining at home doesn’t come any better than this. Thank you Jon and Kelly for a wonderful supper! Bon appétit!

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A Brush with the Broads 24-28 September 2015

T

he inaugural A Brush with the Broads took place in September 2014, plein air artists from local amateurs to internationally recognised professionals, many of whom had never visited Norfolk previously painted within the Broads area over four days at the end of September. Most were staying at Clippesby Hall Holiday Park where they attended along with the public, evening demonstrations, there were also watercolour and brush making demonstrations.

In September 2015 as well as painting out in the Broads National Park, on Friday and Saturday there will be more painting demonstrations at Clippesby Hall, Linda has engaged Abanji Alade an Associate of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, ever popular Haidee-Jo Summers is returning, and local war artist Douglas Farthing MBE will be talking about painting whilst on tour with the Parachute Regiment in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, with Two Rivers paper company from Somerset, and Rosemary & Co Brushes from Yorkshire demonstrating paper making and brush making respectively.

Lincolnshire artist Mo Teeuw will be leading a free ticketed painting

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workshop for the public, in the marquee at Sea Life Centre Gardens on Marine Parade Great Yarmouth on Sunday 27 September, prior to the participating artists taking part in a “Quick Draw”.

“The artists draw their brushes from their quiver as an archer would his arrows, and paint a masterpiece in 2 hours. Its exciting and fun to see the different interpretations and styles, far more interesting than watching paint dry”!

The Quick Draw paintings will be displayed on the artists easels in the marquee when the painting time is finished.

These paintings along with the others produced over the festival by the artists will be on exhibition for sale on the evening of Monday 28 September at The Boathouse on Ormesby Broad.

Where 10% of all sales will go to Nelson’s Journey Norfolk’s charity for bereaved children, last year A Brush with the Broads raised nearly £500.

Linda intends A Brush with the Broads not only to attract artists to the Broads to paint, every year, continuing the legacy of the Broads inspiring artists but hopes that the finale exhibition will also attract art buyers to visit the

Broads National Park “ With the caliber of artists attending, it is too good an opportunity to miss.”

Artists can register to take part at abrushwiththebroads.co.uk as well as a whole festival pass there are Day passes, Demonstration only and Quick Draw only tickets available. Participating artists will be recognisable by their red , last year it was blue, baseball caps with the A Brush with the Broads logo on.

The event will take place at: Clippesby Hall Holiday Park,

Great Yarmouth NR29 3BL. Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth NR30 3AH and The Boathouse on Ormesby Broad NR29 3LP For more information contact: Linda Matthews. Broad Skies Gallery, Ludham Bridge, Norfolk NR29 5NX Tel: 01692 630485! email: linda@broadskiesgallery .co.uk Website: abrushwiththebroads. co.uk

2015 June | 69

FINELIVING Castlemeadow Care The stress free retirement you deserve is the promise from the Woodgate Park Retirement Village at Swanton Morley, near Dereham.

Spacious two bedroom bungalows are now available at this village style development which promotes independent living with care on hand if and when needed. The new bungalows build on the success of the first phase of Woodgate Park.

The retirement village is fully wheelchair accessible, and being in Swanton Morley village itself you will be able to take advantage of the many facilities it has to offer that include a traditional pub, general store, bakery and award winning butchers.

The unique retirement village development, brought to the mid Norfolk countryside by Castlemeadow Care, is designed to deliver peace of mind for its residents. The picturesque surroundings and traditionally designed bungalows are complemented by a range of top-quality services and facilities ranging from care support to GP medical care.

The aim at Woodgate Park Retirement Village is to ensure residents are offered just the right amount of support to help them live an active and enjoyable life, while enjoying safety, support and peace of mind.

Each bungalow has a generous open plan living space, underfloor heating, solar panels, kitchens and bathrooms designed for easy access and comfortable bedrooms with spacious fitted wardrobes.

Each has patio doors leading to a private terrace and garden, all have views across the landscaped village gardens and several have garages available too.

In this retirement village the exclusive Club House is the social hub, allowing residents to dine together when they choose, meet for coffee mornings or congregate for events and activities.

There is a hair salon and nail bar on site if you need a little pampering plus an award winning GP Surgery with pharmacy.

The village also has an on site care home, wi-fi in communal areas, fibre optic broadband available, a dedicated care and support service, domestic help and 24/7 nurse alarm call system.

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The village is within easy reach of many of Norfolk’s attractions from the shops, attractions, arts and history of Norwich to the beautiful mid and north Norfolk countryside, the stunning beaches and the Norfolk Broads with its scenic waterways and rare wildlife.

For those individuals or couples who are considering downsizing or beginning to worry about coping with everyday tasks or their general well being, Woodgate Park may be the key to an enjoyable new chapter in their lives.

In the words of Gwyneth, a retired pharmacist and a resident of Woodgate Park. “I wanted to be able to stay in my own home, feel safe and secure and be reassured that I could rely on trained staff when I needed it. Woodgate Park ticked all the boxes for me. As a bonus I have made new friends and enjoy the social activities that take place in the Club House. I have been recommending Woodgate Park to all my friends!�

To find out more call: 01362 620016 or visit:www.castlemeadowcare. co.uk Woodgate Park, Woodgate Road, Swanton Morley, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 4NU

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FINEARTS motors

Hagstrom Saab As you will see we are passionate about Saabs, and with good reason

A

s an independent specialist and now an Authorised Saab Repairer and Parts Supplier, we have a wide range of Saabs for sale and offer servicing, repairs, spares, accessories, MOTs, power upgrades, modifications,

air-conditioning and friendly advice! We have a Gargantuan supply of s/h mechanical parts in stock not yet listed on our accessories/parts page. We are situated just south of Norwich in Norfolk, East Anglia. We have Tech II diagnostic equipment.

Courtesy cars are provided

where necessary and every tradein proposal is considered. We accept most credit cards, online bank transfers, payment via paypal and orders may be placed by phone and posted internationally.

We are open Monday-Saturday and Sundays by appointment.

Browsing through our Facebook page, Hagstrom Saab: Independent Saab Specialist, Norfolk, will give you a flavour of what we’re about!

We have a particularly good stock of new parts for the Saab 96 and Saab 95

which are often difficult to find.

Looking for a SAAB? If the model you’re searching isn’t listed, we may be able to source it for you through our web of connections. We can also provide a home to any retired or surplus Saabs you have with a view to keeping them on the road.

We have an extensive range of literature and what has been described as an Aladdin’s Cave of accessories and parts. We look forward to meeting you. ❏ Tom Hagstrom

aab 9-3 Anniversary S Convertible - £3995

Saab 9-3 1.9 Turbo Diesel Sport Wagon

£2795 Saab 9-3 1.9 Sedan Turbo Edition

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Hagstrom Saab Authorised Saab repairer and parts supplier We have a great variety of Saabs for sale

£6200 Saab 9-3 Vector Convertible Auto

Contact information We offer: Servicing • MOT • All repairs Tech II diagnostics • Key programing • Air con Advice and courtesy cars available

www.hagstromsaab.co.uk

72 | June 2015

Hagstrom Saab, Unit B Gale Business Park, Ayton Road, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 0QQ. Only 2 minutess drive from the A11, 5 minutes walk to Wymondham Station.

Mobile 07946 467654 Landline 01953 602754 info@hagstromsaab.co.uk www.hagstromsaab.co.uk

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SAAB SPECIALIST FOR ALL YOUR SAAB NEEDS Sales, servicing, parts, diagnostics and Saab repairs undertaken.

Loan cars available.

01603 722811 Wood Green, Station Road, Salhouse NR13 6NS www.saab-specialist.co.uk

INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW XC90.

WELL WORTH THE WAIT. If you are looking for great savings on quality used cars in the Wymondham area, then you have reached the right place. Brent Lennon Cars are a specialist used car dealer based in Norfolk. We are proud to offer you a first class customer service and very competitive pricing, so please browse our stock list. At Brent Lennon Cars we stock a range of used cars to suit all budgets and lifestyles so we are sure to have the right car for you. www.brentlennoncars.co.uk

Register your interest for our exclusive reveal event on June 12th at Holden Motors.

Contact us

Email jennifer_sutton@holdengroup.co.uk

Avenue Road, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0QF 01953 600704 | 07771 544620

Holden Motors

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Barker Street Norwich NR2 4TQ Call 01603 756655 www.holdengroup.co.uk

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Shop with us: in centre | at home | on the go

27th-28th JUNE Come to our big FREE summer party!

For all the details visit intu.co.uk/chapelfield