FOR WYMONDHAM, DEREHAM & WATTON
MAY 2012 • PRICELESS
IN PRINT
ONLINE
FACE TO FACE
Dispatch May 2012
www.DispatchMagazine.co.uk
News from across your region
Attached to this issue of Dispatch Magazine
May 2012 Issue 056
we are delighted to include the programme
O F F IC
IA L J U B IL
EE PR OG
RAMM
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of events for the Jubilee Celebrations in FOR W YMO
Wymondham.
NDHA
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Dispatch Magazine Queens House, Queens Square , Attleborough, Norfolk , NR17 2AE Tel: 01953 456789 www.DispatchMagazine.co.uk
Editor In Chief: Jonathan Horswell Advertising Manager: Jayne Ashby Advertising Sales: Gemma Fairweather, Kim Wild sales@DispatchMagazine.co.uk Design: Colin Jeffery. design@DispatchMagazine.co.uk
Editorial Submissions: For editorial submissions please contact one of our sales team on 01953 456789 or by email editorial@DispatchMagazine.co.uk
Distribution: www.DispatchDistribution.co.uk Š Dispatch Magazine Disclaimer: No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate, but the Publisher can not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.
Additional programmes will be available from outlets throughout the town and the Tourist Information Centre.
In this issue FEATURES
WYMONDHAM
DEREHAM
16
Homes & Gardens Looking After Your Property.
04
12
Social Media A Look Into Twitter.
06
Arts & Crafts Events & Ideas.
10
An Interview With Dy Fit For Life.
10
21 24 25
Week-End Wartime Extravaganza 4th - 7th May.
Music In Wymondham 17th Annual Music Festival.
Jubilee Street Parties Given A Boost In Breckland.
15
Mobile Hearing Care Tour Comes To Dereham.
Local Mayor’s Put Their Ears To The Test.
Easter Egg Competition Winners Community Group Seeks Treasurer.
Gemma Willett of Attleborough & B Drake of Wymondham
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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Deadline for all editorial and advertising submissions for the next issue will be:
May 14th 2012 Dispatch May 2012
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Welcome to
WYMONDHAM Operation Crossbow A gripping World War Two thriller, based on fact and partly filmed in Norfolk, is the Regal Experience’s next presentation on Sunday 20th May (2.30pm) at the Wymondham Ex-Services’ Club ( Regal Cinema).
Week-End Wartime Extravaganza 4th – 7th May 2012.
Operation Crossbow, made in 1964,tells how allied spies with the help of local patriots worked to destroy the Nazi rocket-making plant at Peenemunde on the German Baltic coast. Holkham Beach, complete with concrete bunkers, sentry boxes, barbed wire, German cars and a rocketlaunching pad, was the location for Peenemunde, while King’s Lynn, where a Swastika flew from the Custom House, doubled for a small town on the Dutch-German border. Made by MGM, the movie boasted a stellar cast which included George Peppard, Tom Courtenay, John Mills Trevor Howard, Richard
Dispatch May 2012
Todd, Sophia Loren and Jeremy Kemp of TV’s Z Cars fame. The supporting short documentary film War and Order was made as a morale-boaster in 1940 and shows how the police went about their business on the home front during the darkest days of the war. Tickets are available from Simply Cards, Market Street, Wymondham and from Maureen Dodman (tel: 01953 605593) or Michael Armstrong (tel: 01953 603246). They are priced at £5 (concessions £4).
Wymondham Abbey will be turn the clock back seventy years throughout the May bank holiday week-end for an “All Our Yesterdays Extravaganza”. From Friday to Monday, the church will host a unique free display of floral arrangements on wartime themes. These will incorporate a fascinating variety of historic World War II objects, from uniforms and gas masks to original posters and ration books. Saturday will feature a street fair with stalls and attractions, 1940s fancy dress and even a wartime tank in attendance. The big band sounds of the forties will ring out round the Abbey during the evening, with a concert by the acclaimed Norwich City Concert Band. Concert tickets are just £10, including drinks and nibbles, available from Reeves, Hair
Sense or 01953 604904. Sunday’s “bill of fayre” includes a 1940s themed lunch in the Abbey Hall with some surprise dishes from wartime cookery books. Lunch tickets £8 from 01953 604904. The afternoon continues with a special Songs of Praise service in the Abbey at 5.30. Bank holiday Monday features a family treasure hunt on foot round the town, starting from the Abbey Hall at 10am. Details from 604121. The event will raise funds for “The Abbey Experience”, Wymondham Abbey’s development project which aims to provide new facilities, displays and educational resources for the whole community.
News from across your region
Hearing Care Centre 7th - 13th May 2012 is this year’s National Deaf Awareness Week, which aims to highlight and raise awareness about all issues to do with hearing impairment. Research suggests that 1 in 6 people suffer from a hearing loss, but only a small percentage of people actually wear a hearing aid. We spoke to local Hearing Aid Audiologist Karen Finch RHAD FSHAA FRSA, from The Hearing Care Centre, to explain the problem and what can be done about it. Q. So why is there such a big problem in the UK? A. A number of reasons but because hearing loss is generally the result of advancing years, admitting you don’t hear as well as you used to is almost conceding you are getting old. It’s made worse because there’s still a belief that hearing aids don’t work very well, whistle all the time and are big and ugly – though nothing could be further from the truth. Modern hearing aids are much smaller than they used to be and in some cases almost invisible in use and because of digital technology the quality has improved in leaps and bounds. Experience shows that it takes about
seven years for someone to admit they have a hearing problem and for some people that delay may have damaged their general health and perhaps their relationships. Q. Can you explain that a little? A. Well, hearing loss isn’t just about not being able to hear the television as well as you used to, it affects your communication skills. In the early stages you truly may not realise you are losing your ability to hear and blame everyone but yourself. “They don’t speak clearly” is a common excuse, or “the music is so loud you can’t hold a conversation.” At this stage people try to compensate by turning up the TV or asking people to speak up but eventually, this isn’t enough. There’s now a real risk the person will try and avoid communicating, to stop taking part in conversations, and become withdrawn. There’s some evidence this can lead to depression and that it can
affect your work as well as your relations with those close to you. Q. What can be done? A. The first thing is to make an appointment for a hearing test. The Hearing Aid Audiologist will check if you have hearing loss and if you have will advise you on the sort of hearing aids you might use to give positive improvement. They will first have checked for any disease of the ear and if necessary refer you to a doctor or specialist. If all is well, in some cases, you can be fitted with hearing aids there and then, in other cases you will have an impression taken of your ear(s) so that the instrument(s) can be custom made to fit comfortably.
The Hearing Care Centre is offering Half Price Hearing Tests* to mark Deaf Awareness Week and the recent opening of its new branches in Norfolk. If you are experiencing hearing problems then book your hearing test today by calling 01473 230330. This special offer is available until the end of May 2012 at the following locations: Attleborough - Cecil Amey Opticians, 11 Church Street Dereham - Cecil Amey Opticians, 3 Church Street Harleston - Cecil Amey Opticians, 33b The Thoroughfare
Q. It sounds so simple. A. It is - this is my fourteenth year in business here in East Anglia and I’ve lost count of the number of patients who describe to me how improving their hearing loss has changed their life.
Wymondham – Cecil Amey Opticians, 8 Market Street For more information please visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk. *Hearing test offer price £10.00.
Dispatch May 2012
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WYMONDHAM News
Talking Newspaper Is Tops For Anniversary
Music In Wymondham 2012
Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspaper is marking its 14th anniversary with a request for plastic milk bottle tops.
The 17th annual Wymondham Music Festival, centred on Festival Fortnight, June 23rd to July 8th, but with events from the beginning of May, celebrates professional Norfolk and national musicians and showcases local talent in this historic Norfolk market town.
The first edition of the audio news and information for visually impaired people was produced on Good Friday, 10th April 1998. The service is funded by voluntary donations and the plastic milk bottle tops will be used as part of a fundraising stall at the Wymondham Fun Day at Ketts Park on July 1st. Participants in a “Tops in the Jar” competition will receive half price entry if they bring their own (washed) plastic milk bottle tops.
This is then copied onto memory sticks and sent to over 60 blind and partially sighted recipients, free of charge, using the special Royal Mail “Articles for the Blind” concession. The milestone 700th edition was dispatched at Christmas. The group also produces a monthly audio magazine and all of the recordings can be accessed via the organisation’s website: www.watn.org.uk
These will then be donated to the Plastic4Charity project, launched recently to raise funds for The Matthew Project.
W A T N secretary Georgette Vale said: “We will be asking our listeners and volunteers to collect milk bottle tops but donations from the general public would be appreciated.”
A team of almost 50 volunteers records a weekly digest of news, information and features from the local newspapers.
For more information about the Talking Newspaper service, contact Mrs Vale on 01953 605434 or visit the W A T N website.
The Festival’s programme promotes more than 90 events, many of them free, featuring Americana, classical, folk, world, jazz, swing, disco, funk, soul and early music in a range of venues across the town. There’s O Duo’s percussion extravaganza, the award-winning Demon Barber Roadshow’s high-energy mix of music and dance, jazz pianist Craig Milverton and the Cuban style of Cuarteto Guarachando. The Festival brochure will be launched in the Market Place on Saturday, May 5th at 10am with an open-air concert from Wymondham Area Schools’ Brass Band. Tickets also go on sale on May 7th at the Book Fountain Wymondham or email office@wymfestival.org.uk.
Full Festival programme details are at www.wymfestival.org.uk, Tel. 01953 601939. Early events Saturday 12th May Seriously Saxy, 10am to 12 noon, Wymondham Market Place. Saturday 26th May Town Busking Day, 10am to 12 noon. Saturday 2nd June Smokehouse Blue Marching Band, 10am to 12 noon celebrating the start of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend. Saturday 9th June Slow Gin, blues band 10am to 12 noon, Market Place. Saturday 9th June Norwich Baroque with Crispian Steele- Perkins, 7.30pm concert at Wymondham Abbey.
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Dispatch May 2012
News from across your region
Green Dragon The Green Dragon has had a successful start to 2012, from getting their building plans approved, to being featured in the Evening News as “Pub of the week” & most recently being awarded the CAMRA Rural Pub of the Year 2012 for the Norwich & Norfolk Branch. The presentation for this award will take place at the pub on Tuesday 12th June, around 9pm. Work has started on reinstating the function room upstairs. Opening at the end of May, this will hold around 60 people with bar and toilets, being added as quickly as possible. The room is available for anniversaries, weddings, wakes or any event you are organising and we also offer wedding photography opportunities for your special day, in the garden or as the historic inn as the backdrop. The 1st Beer Festival of the year is also coming up and is being run over the extra long jubilee weekend - Fri 1st to Tues 5th of June. As Wymondham Music Festival will be in full swing at this time, the guys at the Dragon will once again be supporting this with music planned over the weekend,
which will also feature a live session with Bill Downs, current contestant in this year’s BBC show – ‘The Voice’, on the Bank Holiday Monday.
A special thank you to everybody who attended on the day and put their back into it! The garden now looks fantastic!
BBQ’s are also planned for the weekend, weather permitting, so pray for the sunshine.... The beer garden will be open whatever the weather and the recently decked area is soon to have a new permanent roof structure in place too.
If anyone is interested in volunteering at Star Throwers, please contact them - even if you can only spare an hour or two, here and there.
David & Justin are also looking further ahead in the year when the South Norfolk Council launch their “Community Pub of the year” competition. “After coming 2nd for the first 2 years being here, we’re looking at taking the top spot this year”. Look out for any advertising and cast your votes..! A big thank you from Henry and his team at Star Throwers to everybody who attended the charity gardening and for the very generous donations of plants, shrubs and bulbs.
Dispatch May 2012
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WYMONDHAM News
Key Education
Kerry Butcher
Key Education Services provide quality, local teachers, to local schools.
Have you received your P60 yet from your job or if you were lucky enough to get some interest on your savings, have you received a certificate telling you how much you received and if you paid any tax?
We offer a first class service making sure that each teacher is placed appropriately, and whenever possible, with the necessary subject specialism.
independent schools please contact Debby on 01440 764430 or email debby.dyson@keyteacher.co.uk for a registration form.
We are passionate about education and offer an exceptional service to schools, and a supportive and effective service to teachers.
If you are looking for a new job, relocating to the area or would like to be kept up to date with long term or permanent vacancies, please send us your CV and a brief summary of what you are looking for and we will inform you of any suitable vacancies.
Key Education Services was established in April 2006 and in July 2009 were awarded the DFE/REC quality mark and are audited annually so far achieving 100% each year. For schools it provides both assurance and official recognition that the highest standards of recruitment practice are being adhered to; and Teachers will be confident that they have selected an accredited and reputable service that will add value to their experience as supply teachers. If you are a qualified and/or experienced teacher currently looking for teaching positions in and around Norfolk/Suffolk, in a variety of schools/PRU units/
Dispatch May 2012
Current vacancies are updated daily so please visit our website or check our facebook page. Supply teachers are crucial to the day to day running of a school. You will never be considered as just a number if you work with Key Education Services! We also give back to schools in the way of book tokens which has allowed the schools to give as prizes for competitions or to reward good behaviour etc.
If you have received either of these or both AND you have also been asked to complete a tax return - it’s probably best to get this sorted now. If you are anything like me, I put things in a “safe place” never to be seen again. But if you have been asked to complete a tax return, or you think you ought to - you will need this information to hand, not in that safe place that you can’t remember! Another good reason to complete your tax return early is that tax credit claims have to be estimated until you know what your final earnings are and usually this means that the figures are taken from the calculation on your tax return.
Why not come and have a chat and get any tax returns sorted early, who knows you may be lucky enough to receive a refund. If you are an employer and cringed when I said the words P60, don’t worry, you have until 19th May 2012 to get your P35 annual return to HMRC but if you would like a hand with this or any other payroll then we can help and it will probably cost a lot less than you think. So why not spend this month enjoying the weather and relaxing, don’t get caught up in paperwork. Go and enjoy yourself and call 01953 457173 or email: Kerry@kerry butcher.co.uk for that first free meeting instead.
News from across your region
Anglia Computer Solutions Ltd
Can We Help?
Based in Wymondham directly opposite Reeves the stationers.
This may be the case but there are several people that are very disgruntled over some of the announcements and the proposed changes that are seen as a ‘Granny Tax’.
It specialises in the sales of PC’s & Laptop’s from basic recon units to the latest cutting edge technology. All shops are fully equipped with a workshop for undertaking repairs and upgrades including: Laptop motherboard repairs, Screen replacements, Power Socket Replacements, PC hardware repairs, Software reloads and virus removal. All types of PC and laptop can be upgraded. In addition every shop stocks a wide range of both original and compatible ink cartridges, cables, accessories, various memory media and components. Our Wymondham branch also has a photo printer.
with the likes of Microsoft and will make a good show of making some kind of modification to your machine, often up to an hour. The rates seem reasonable, sometimes as low as £25 - its four months later the problems begin. Suddenly a couple of thousand can disappear. If you have experienced this recently then please contact your bank and get your card cancelled and changed. It is also a good idea to have your computer checked over.
Customer Warning
Anglia Computer Solutions offer this service alongside many others both in store or onsite in your business or home.
Recently many customers have been receiving phone calls informing them there equipment has a fault with it. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES allow them access to your machine or payment card details. They often claim to be affiliated
For any computer related need call today, we are here to help whether its one ink cartridge, rewiring your workplace with a new network & phones to creating full ecommerce websites. Call us today.
The Chancellor said in his last budget speech “The country borrowed its way into trouble. Now we’re going to earn our way out”.
Personal tax allowances for 2012/2013 are increasing each year and for those under 65 this will be increased by £630 to £8105. The basic rate tax band is currently 20% and the band at this rate is being reduced to £34,370. From 2013/14 the higher age related personal allowances will not be increased and their availability will be restricted to people born on or before 5th April 1948 for the £10,500 allowance. Freezing this allowance and restricting it to people born before 5th April 1948 is being seen as a tax on the elderly. Unless the Chancellor has a change of heart and when the budget changes become law many people may feel they are losing out. We would encourage all clients to plan their finances, for all clients to make use of all their tax allowances and for clients to maximise
the return they receive on their savings. This is where we look at assisting all our clients, whatever age they are. There are still investment products available that have the potential to produce good returns, some of which produce additional income. We look to assist clients and make the best use of the capital they have. So if you need help or if the budget will have a negative impact on you, please speak to us to see how we can help. David, Simon & Craig For more information please contact us: Telephone: 01953 711123 Email: info@mlfinancialassociates.co.uk Office: Suite 4, The Old Dairy, Elm Farm Business Park, Norwich Common, Wymondham, NR18 0SW.
Dispatch May 2012
www.wymondhamonline.co.uk
WYMONDHAM News
Community Group Seeks Treasurer. North Wymondham Community Association, which runs the community centre in Lime Tree Avenue, Wymondham, is looking for a new treasurer. Debbie Lee and Camilla Day were recently elected as the new Chairman and Secretary of the organisation but
the present treasurer now wishes to stand down. Debbie said: “We would be pleased to hear from anyone who is interested in taking on this important role.” For more information, contact Debbie Lee on 01953 605777.
Priory Insurance Brokers LTD Priory Insurance Brokers are a locally owned, independent, professional organisation who have been based in South Norfolk for over 35 years. We bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to solving your varied insurance issues and provide a dedicated Account Handler to all commercial policies.
give you their personal attention. This is surely a ‘must’ in this increasing technology driven age, particularly when dealing with what can be complex and confusing covers.
Please feel free to call into our Wymondham office, telephone or e-mail us and one of our fully trained local customer advisors will be pleased to
We feel it important to guide our customers rather than be at the mercy of a call centre operation, either in the UK or abroad.
Local Mayor’s Put Their Ears To The Test Staff at two new local hearing centres in Attleborough and Wymondham welcomed their respective Town Mayors this week in a bid to raise awareness about the importance of having regular hearing checks. Hearing specialists, The Hearing Care Centre, have recently opened private hearing care clinics in both Attleborough and Wymondham, in association with well the established local optical group, Cecil Amey. Karen Pettitt, Mayor of Attleborough and Neil Ward, Mayor of Wymondham paid a visit to mark the forthcoming National Deaf Awareness Week (7th13th May 2012), meeting the staff and see for themselves exactly what is involved in having a hearing test. One in six people in the UK experience hearing problems, but over 4 million people who could benefit from hearing aid don’t wear one. Hearing Care Centre Trainee Audiologist, Simon Myhill, based in both Attleborough and Wymondham, wants to help erridicate the stigmas attached with hearing loss: “Research shows that people avoid doing
something about a hearing problem for up to 10 years. People don’t like admitting that they don’t hear as well as they used to because they feel like they are conceeding to getting older.” “The truth is that if you cant hear and you are asking people to repeat themselves or you have the TV up too loud you appear much older than if you wore a discreet hearing instrument that could help you hear better.” As part of the awareness campaign generated by the Mayors, The Hearing Care Centre are offering half price hearing tests (£10), to anyone who feels that they may be experiencing hearing problems. The offer is available at their Wymondham and Attleborough branches until the end of May 2012. For appointments and for further information call 0800 096 2637.
Aroma Beauty Clinic Wymondham has been established for 14 years and provides ALL the basic beauty treatments but did you know they also offer… Crystal Clear IPL - Intense Pulse Light provides a gentle, non-invasive, long-lasting solution to unwanted hair. The latest must have treatment!
Decleor face and body treatments - keeps your skin looking beautiful! Crystal Clear Microdermabrasion - We can show you how to get gorgeous, glowing skin with ‘the celebrities’ favourite treatment. HD Brows - a girl simply must not live without! Get well groomed high definition brows. Let’s Go Lashes - Get the lash in a flash, instant natural, glamour and party looks. Calgel Nails - now regarded as a true product of distinction! Nail creations that last for up to 4 weeks. Semi permanent cosmetics - Do you want to feel more confident? Imagine waking up every day and looking your best. Morning, noon and night! So for Fabulous Feet, Glowing Skin.
10 Dispatch May 2012
News from across your region
Howard & Company
New Summer Events
Gary Howard is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, founder of Howard & Company, and author of “Why Businesses Stop Growing and What You Can Do About It”
The Pelican Inn Tacolneston.
May I firstly introduce myself to all Dispatch Magazine readers? I have been running an accountancy practice for over 25 years and over that time have advised all kinds of businesses with a variety of problems. What I would like to do over the next few months is to give business owners, who are looking to grow their business, some tax and business tips to help them achieve great things even in these difficult economic times. Let’s start covering three fundamental tax issues that you must get right in your business. If you get these wrong then your business will suffer year in year out and your cash will drain away! 1. Make sure your business is in the right structure for you. This could be a sole trader, a partnership, an LLP or a limited company. There are numerous factors to consider, not just tax, and you will need to look at your own personal situation and objectives. If you get this right you can choose how much tax to pay! Once you have got the structure right you will need to consider how you extract income from the business and some expert advice in this area is a must. 2. The second crucial issue for you to take on board and that is tax planning must be done in advance! Once a transaction has taken place, albeit the completion of a large, profitable contract or the sale on an asset or business, then
often there is little that can be done to mitigate the tax. My advice is always keep your accountant “in the loop” so you can get the advice you need. Do not wait until your “annual” meeting to discuss important issues. Send copies of your monthly management information to your accountant for review. At Howard & Company we actively encourage our clients can contact us as often as they like. They can do this without worrying about additional costs because we prefer to work on fixed fees!
The Pelican Inn, Tacolneston is celebrating its ‘award winning garden’ and new 60 seated ‘alfresco dining space’ with a bang this year!
Pimms and Strawberry Sundays, sausage and chutney tastings, hosting a range of live music on Sunday afternoons.
This amazing secluded sun trap, hosts a range of summer games for the children, as well as our new petangue (French bowls) pitch for relaxed summer Saturday afternoons.
With our new summer opening times; serving food and open all day Saturday and Sunday The Pelican Inn, Tacolneston is a great place to spend your time throughout the summer months!
Throughout May, June, July and August, we have a range of exciting summer events, from Live jazz and hand made picnics packages for two on the green, to summer BBQ, Beer festivals, and summer Reggae on Sunday evenings,
Beer festivals are held in May, June and October in 2012 see events calendar on main website for more details; www.the-pelican-inn.co.uk.
3. The third one is simple...just don’t take tax advice from the guy down the pub! His tax saving ideas are most likely to be a tax evasion, which is illegal, rather than tax avoidance which is legal! Seek professional advice and then you can sleep at night. There are so many legal ways to avoid tax that you don’t need to go down the other road. If anyone would like further help on saving tax then please get in touch. At Howard & Company we have a special 96 page report on “How to Pay Less Tax, Avoid and Deal With Tax Investigations - The Complete Guide For All Small Businesses”. Simply call us on 01284 704363 or email me at gary@gmhoward.co.uk. Please quote this article.
Dispatch May 2012 11
www.derehamonline.co.uk
Welcome to
dereham Jubilee Street Parties... Swantonosaurus ...In Breckland given a boost.
A Dino Day of Family Fun.
The celebrations may still be two months away but dozens of streets around Breckland are gearing up to stage Diamond Jubilee parties. Breckland Council has received and funded 46 applications to hold street parties in anticipation of the festivities, centred around June 2nd-5th, that will mark 60 years of the Queen’s reign.
community and celebrate. “We wanted to have a range of events that would appeal to lots of people in the community. “Breckland Council has provided funding to help community groups planning a celebration street party to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee over the June Bank Holiday weekend.
Banham is just one area getting into the jubilee spirit. The village has organised a 1950’s fancy dress street party, ‘traditional food’ of fish, chips, mushy peas and jelly and ice cream, music, races and games, sing-alongs and a Jubilee souvenir for the children.
Cllr Lynda Turner, Executive member for Community, Localism and Environmental Services said; “We’ve had a huge response to our Jubilee grant offer, it seems Breckland residents are well and truly ready to get out the flags and bunting and dust off their trestle tables. We are delighted to have been able to offer this support, which will give an extra boost to what promises to be a wonderful royal occasion - a celebration to remember for Breckland residents of all ages.”
“This is unique in our lifetime,” said Geraldine Sayers-Cowper, Banham parish clerk, “The last time this happened was during Queen Victoria’s reign and for us there is no better time to get together as a
12 Dispatch May 2012
Swanton Morley Village Hall, Manns Lane, Swanton Morley, NR20 4NP 20th May 10am - 4pm. Will see a prehistoric party in Swanton Morley when the Swantonosaurus comes to the village. This free and unticketed day of family fun is being run in conjunction with the Norfolk and Norwich Festival and headlining the event will be ‘Erth’ and their dinosaur petting zoo who are visiting from Australia. This unique show allows for plenty of interaction for both children and adults
as they take a tour through prehistory, and gives the opportunity to help feed, water and care for animals that were thought of as long since extinct. Also joining in on the day will be the Norwich Puppet Theatre who will be doing puppet making workshops with the children and also Dinosaur Adventure, who will be bringing some special friends to add to the entertainment. There will be plenty of other dino based fun, including a bouncy castle, dinosaur happy hoppers, plenty of dinosaur themed trade stalls and the chance to dine on ‘Brontoburgers’. For further information please contact 01362 637166 or parishclerk@swantonmorley.info.
www.derehamonline.co.uk
DEREHAM News
Mid Norfolk Builders
News From The MNR
We are a reliable and reputable family run company who have over 35 years experience in the building industry.
The Mid Norfolk Railway is pleased to introduce a NEW Local Resident’s Railcard.
We are fully insured company and offer an entire range of trades, so if it is required we can undertake a complete project from digging the first
The Railcard costs £10 per year and gives local residents reduced rate travel along the Mid-Norfolk Railway from Dereham to Wymondham and may be used on all operating dates, with the exception of the Santa Specials.
there are some great walks from our smaller stations.
Each Railcard holder can take themselves and 1 other person at the reduced rate, and up to 2 accompanied children for the Flat Fare of £2 Return, each.
You can purchase a railcard from any of our ticket offices, or get more information on our website at www.mnr.org.uk Leslie Dale Director & PRO said “MNR’s founding tenet was as a “Community Railway”; this innovative Railcard is a step in that direction. MNR links the rural villages along the B1135, something which no bus service currently does.”
shovel of soil to fitting the last light bulb. Please feel confident in contacting us for your free no obligation quotation.
In time we are looking at introducing other Benefits with the Railcard, as well as offering exclusive discounts to Railcard holders on certain special trains. Commenting on the introduction of the railcard, Derek Orr, Commercial Manger said “This Railcard is great news for local people living along the line. We really want to encourage the local people to use the trains we provide. We offer Free parking at Dereham Station. For those wishing a day out,
14 Dispatch May 2012
For those in the villages, we are directly across the road from Morrisons Supermarket, and are ideal for those wishing to do shopping”.
Further details of the MNR may be found on our website www.mnr.org.uk.
News from across your region
Hood Vores & Allwood Solicitors Offer fixed fees for family law services. We at Hood Vores & Allwood recognise that Separation and Divorce can be a painful and unsettling time for you and your children, both emotionally and financially. Many individuals are familiar with the Legal Aid, but are unaware that the legal costs incurred under this scheme are often repayable by you upon conclusion of your case, plus interest currently at 8%.
an affordable service without comprising your best interests. We offer fixed fees for the following service areas: • Divorce proceedings • Cohabitation agreements • Separation agreements
There is no way of knowing accurately how much these charges might be. We recognise that this gives cause for uncertainty. Hood Vores & Allwood understands that having to repay your legal costs from your divorce settlement can restrict your planning for the future and impact on your financial position after divorce. Family law work can be unpredictable in terms of legal costs, which is why, where possible, we have devised a range of Fixed Fee Services for certain areas of our work. Our Specialist Family Law Team is committed to helping you through this difficult time by offering
Mobile Hearing Care Tour Comes to Dereham. Free hearing checks will soon be available in Dereham, as part of a global initiative organised to mark the start of Deaf Awareness Week 2012. The free hearing checks will be provided by local specialists, The Hearing Care Centre, in a large purpose built mobile hearing unit. The Hearing Care Centre unit will be parked at Dereham Market (High Street), on Tuesday 8th May 2012 between 8.30am and 1.00pm.
• Pre-marital /nuptial agreements • Parental Responsibility agreements. For an appointment or more information please contact us by: Telephone on: 08453 724240 Or email: enquiries@hoodvoreslaw.co.uk Or visit our website: www.hoodvoreslaw.co.uk.
Specialists will be on hand to offer free advice on hearing related matters and well as offer a quick hearing check. The mobile unit cannot be missed as it features a giant portrait of musician Annie Lennox (cupping her ear), who is supporting a global initative called Hear the World, which aims to educate the public about the importance of hearing and the consequences of hearing loss.
Dereham based Audiologist, Jemima Phillpot said “Anyone who has been concerned about their hearing for a while but perhaps haven’t had the time to have it checked, should definitely pop along.” “One in six people in the UK experience hearing problems, and research shows that the longer you leave a hearing loss untreated, the quicker it will get worse.” The tour, which co-incides with Deaf Awareness Week (7-13th May 2012), is seeing the mobile unit travel all around Suffolk and Norfolk from as far North as Dereham, all the way down to Ipswich in the South. The Hearing Care Centre has recently opened a private hearing care clinic in Dereham, in partnership with family run optical group, Cecil Amey Opticians. For more information visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk/tour.
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Homes & Gardens Let J C Homeworks Transform Your Garden As Summer is fast approaching, it’s a good time to create your perfect outdoor living space. Garden patios and decking have never been more popular. There are now an increasing number of styles of garden paving and garden products dedicated to help you gain the maximum amount of use and enjoyment from your patio garden.
interest. Building a pergola in your garden can in its simplest form provide a focal point, however it can also provide an effective soft screen from the neighbours, additional shelter for a walkway or it can frame a view to another feature within the garden.
The biggest impact on patio gardens has undoubtedly been decking which is an easy to maintain area that provides an ideal surface for summer as the wood is near cold but at the same time never becomes excessively hot like some natural stone and manmade paving products. Whether you choose decking or cement, stone or paving slab patio depends on your site & style.
Custom made garden sheds are a perfect way to utilise an area within your garden that otherwise would be wasted.
When creating any area in the garden one of the first aims must be to add
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By having a garden shed made to suit the area, you are turning a once useless space into a useful storage or work area - half for storage and half as a summer house or maybe a shed and green house combination. Wood fencing helps to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home and garden as
well as adding essential privacy. The garden fence may be the first thing people see when they come to your house. Garden fencing needn’t be boring and can really add character, whether it be traditional or contemporary it can be in a range of styles and materials. Screening can be used to hide an unsightly area - bins compost etc. For more information or a free no obligation quote please contact Jason of J C Homeworks to transform your garden. On 01953 451169 or 07747 847606. Visit our website www.jchomeworks.co.uk.
News from across your region
Richard Allington Kitchens At Richard Allington Kitchens, we will provide you with a kitchen that functions as good as it looks. This can only be achieved by using the finest components. We work closely with world leading component and appliance manufacturers to ensure that your kitchen is as pleasing to use as it is on the eyes! Our kitchen ranges include contemporary, traditional, classic and shaker styles. In fact there’s a style for any home - from post-modernist, minimalism to rustic country living and everything in between. All kitchen cabinets are made to order and supplied rigid and not flat-pack.
or redundant holes. Each cabinet is fitted with soft close door and drawer dampers as standard. So come and see us in our showroom in Attleborough, or call us to arrange a free design and plan service. With no high pressure sales, as we believe your time is precious. We can do as little or as much as you require from supply only, to a full fitting service, including any building, plumbing or electrical works. It’s our commitment to you to create the kitchen you desire, of superior quality at Superstore prices. It’s the Richard Allington way.
They are factory assembled and supplied with doors, drawers and accessories fitted. Richard Allington Kitchens are manufactured in the traditional manner, glued and dowelled for strength to ensure there are no visible fixings
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Homes & Gardens Supreme Bathrooms
A C Washing Machines
Getting that new bathroom installed?
Now stocking Freeview TV’s and Freeview Boxes.
Whether you are thinking of just updating your existing bathroom or contemplating taking out your old existing bath and replacing it with a good sized shower enclosure and new shower, Supreme Bathrooms can take care of it all for you. From the plumbing to the tiling, the plastering and any electric’s, our installers take care of it all, and we can now lay our superb range of Karndean floor covering for all rooms in your house, with tile effect or wood floor effect, if you do not fancy ceramic floor tiles. With all work carried out to a very high level by our very own experienced installers, Supreme Bathrooms is the place to visit.
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With over 70 suites and showers to choose from,our showroom is one of the finest in Norfolk. So what are you waiting for, visit our showroom now on the Wymondham business park to pick out your new bathroom or shower!!
If you already have Freeview TV you would have had to re-tune your TV and/or Box or purchase new to keep receiving channels and services.
Machines, Cookers, Dishwashers, tumble Dryers, Vacuum Cleaners, Microwaves, small electrical appliances Including telephones, shavers, kettles, irons etc.
If you need to purchase new digital equipment to either upgrade or replace your existing Analogue TV we now have a selection in stock.
We also hold a wide range of electrical spares and accessories including a wide variety of electrical parts and a selection of Vacuum cleaner bags.
TV’s ranging from 15 inch to 32 inch all with integrated Freeview and DVD players. Prices start from just £89.99. Or to upgrade your analogue TV we have Freeview Set top boxes starting from just £16.99. 32inch LCD TV with Freeview £239. Of course we still have a huge range of Washing
Visit our showroom for all your electrical needs at Spur Road Industrial Estate, Wymondham or call us on 01953 606688. You will be surprised by the stock we hold.
News from across your region
Myhills Pet And Garden Paving The Way Myhill’s have been established as a major supplier of pet and garden products in Norfolk’s market towns for 75 years. They aim to offer a blend of competitive prices with great service. Their friendly, knowledgeable staff are always pleased to help you find what you are looking for, and if it is something that they do not already have in their extensive stock they will always do their best to obtain it for you. With the main garden season just around the corner, they are already gearing up to have everything that you may need ready for when you may need it.
This years “Top 100” garden offers, which they have run every spring for over 20 years, are available now and cover a wide range of products from chemicals to compost and wire netting to wheelbarrows. All of the products are at discounted prices and many have extra multibuy discounts as well. Myhill’s have branches at Attleborough, Dereham, Diss, Swaffham, Watton and Wymondham and their offers are available at all of their stores.
If you are looking to have a patio laid this Spring, then why not utilise the Norfolk based landscaping division of the UK’s largest supplier of paving stone, www.PavingSuperstore.co.uk. We have the widest choice of paving materials at competitive prices ensuring you obtain value for money and great service. Our landscapers are fully qualified in all aspects of hard-landscaping and have won many accolades for their work. At Georgina Read Design & Landscaping we specialise in transforming gardens and our flexible approach means we can always meet your requirements for all aspects of hard- landscaping.
summerhouses, log cabins, garden features, hot tubs, pergolas, fencing, water features and lots more, you can be sure all our materials are at online prices, offering great savings! So why not let our RHS awardwinning, fully qualified landscaping professionals encompass your needs by creating a garden to match your lifestyle - whether you prefer modern and contemporary or timeless and traditional, we can fulfil your requirements. Free Quotes
As we are also the driving force behind Paving Superstore (www.pavingsuperstore.co.uk) and Anglian Garden & Building Supplies (www.gardenandbuilding.co.uk), both selling huge volumes of hard landscaping materials across the UK, including paving from Marshalls, Bradstone, Brett, Stonemarket, Pavestone, Global Stone, Strata and Natural Paving, decorative stone, sheds,
Fully Insured References Available Contact Us Today on 01953 850802 to discuss your Landscaping requirements See examples of our work at: www.georginaread.co.uk.
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Homes & Gardens Lawn And Garden Care With Tiffey Valley Garden Services. As Spring begins to move into Summer, May is an important month for your garden.
When it comes to mowing the lawn, it’s safe enough to lower your mower blade cut by cut and you need to start
increasing the frequency of your mowing.
• Edging By the end of the month you should be at your summer cut height and ideally mowing once a week, or at least once a fortnight. Running along the edge of your lawn with a half moon spade can really smarten the appearance of your lawn too. May is also the best month to apply your chosen weedkiller and/or feed. Be sure to apply on a still day to minimise spread onto your beds. Remember to water in well if it doesn’t rain within a couple of days (but not with your hosepipe!) If you haven’t already, then think about aerating your lawn to get as much oxygen and water to the grass root. A regular lawn maintenance plan is the best way to ensure your own green space will be looking its best by mid-summer. Tiffey Valley Garden Services can offer regular garden maintenance or help you out with a one off garden tidy. Services include; • Lawn / turf mowing including scarification, aeration and seasonal fertilization
20 Dispatch May 2012
• New lawns and over seeding
• New flower beds / veggie patches • Hedge pruning • Leaf clearance • General garden tidy and spruce up • If required, I can offer a no-frills design service (I will not baffle you with technical drawings, just straight forward what you want and where you want it!) • Full disposal of green waste (if required) • Commercial / contract rates.
Call Tiffey Valley Garden Services on 01953 603220 or 07584 994396 or see our main advert below.
Social Media Twitter & What Is It All About As Twitter continues to be considered one of the most popular social media platforms available on the web, it becomes increasingly important to understand the usage of Twitter. Twitter started back in 2006 and was setup as a way of sending SMS type messages to groups of people. It is sometimes termed as Micro Blogging as the length of message is limited to just 140 characterís and allows people to send a ‘Tweet’ quickly about what they are up to, whereas a BLOG takes time to compose, compile and review. A ‘Tweet’ is a message sent by ‘Twitter’ and is defined as a short burst of information. The Twitter technology is fully integrated into
mobile phone technology and even the most basic phones can send an SMS message to a Twitter phone number that will post the update on your Twitter channel / stream. New Smart phones have fully integrated Twitter clients that allow both posting of new updates as well as browsing tweets from your connected followers. Like other social networking technologies it allows you to be part of a massive network, where you follow people you are interested in and people that are interested in you follow you. But unlike Facebook, where what you post is private and shared only with your preffered
Bio: Do you want to save money on ALL your Utility Bills, either at home or for your business? Get in touch: www.TheUKsCheapestUtilityBills.co.uk
@utility_bills
followers, Twitter is predominantly public. If you enter a username after the Twitter webpage, you can see every open post that has been sent and it also shows all the posts that account sent out on twitter. You can send Direct Messages to other users which are private between sender and recipient. One tool that is built into many Twitter APIís (application programming interface) is URL shortening.
it down into a few characters that doesn’t monopolise the 140 characters of your message. Retweeting is where you read a ‘Tweet’ posted by someone you are following and find it so interesting that you forward the message on to the people that are following you. It is very easy to search for People or Groups that you would like to follow on ‘Twitter’ by just typing in the name of the individual or group name and follow.
Basically this takes a WEB address, that can be quite long and squashes
Bio: Spider Solutions Web Design: We Build, We Maintain and We Host Websites. We build iphone Apps and we ensure your website is viewable on smart phones.
@sp1dersolutions
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Social Media Hashtags / strings prefixed by # are ways that people tag things for trending i.e. You might post a ‘Tweet’ all about Dispatch Magazine and place at # before the word Dispatch, so it looks like: #DispatchMagazine. This is tracked and trended throughout the ‘Twitter’ message world. Using Hashtags and having your ‘Tweets’ showing on your website (we can set this up for you) is a great way to help your website rank up the Google pages, as the Hashtags are seen as links and Google loves links! In September 2011 Twitter hit 100 million global active users who between them send a staggering 230m tweets a day and half the active user base accesses Twitter daily. Twitter’s website alone records 400 million monthly unique browsers, up 70% from the start of 2011, while 55% of active users are on mobile.
Tips When Using Twitter Keep it simple: Pick a Twitter name that is easy to find and remember (and that doesn’t take up too much of the 140-character limit you will have to make comments). It’s great if you can use your company’s name, but if you have to shorten it, pick something simple. So, for example, “Dispatch Magazine” becomes @Dispatch_Mag on Twitter. You can use your profile description to communicate the full name of your company (it will come up when someone looks at your profile). Use the description wisely to say what you want to say the most.
Share: Don’t forget to follow your employees, so that you can retweet them or mention them when they are talking bout things that relate to your business. It will make your company seem more human.
Listen: What you say is what you are. Take time to “listen” to other businesses like yours before you dive into making your own comments. Also be sure to look at the hashtags they are using, because you might want to use them, too.
Interact, don’t just broadcast: The best way to come to the attention of others is to participate in conversations they are having, if they are relevant. That means retweeting their comments, reply to things they might be saying about your business, or answering questions.
Establish frequency: There is no hard and fast rule about how often you should send out tweets. Some businesses schedule or time messages to go out over a period of time. Others only send out messages occasionally. The more frequently you tweet, the more likely you are to build a network of followers.
Be relevant and interesting: This is my favorite part of the Twitter guide, because it cannot be understated. The more you are willing to share with your followers, the more engaged they will become. I can say from experience that this is true. Sending photos (maybe of a new shop?) will inspire retweets and comments, as will relevant links to thought-provoking news articles and videos. Twitter is a great place to ask questions, because questions will almost immediately engage the reader. Offers and discounts are also likely to be passed along, which can help increase your Twitter following. Promote your Twitter identity in the real world. Include your Twitter Name on business cards, advertisements and even on your Website. Bio: Our Restaurant & Bar has great food, fantastic wines & quality beers to enjoy in a charming, relaxed environment. You can even stay in our Boutique Hotel. Enjoy
@the_mulberry Bio: Residential & commercial garden and landscape service. A former police officer turned green fingers!! An honest, reliable, professional and thorough service.
@CBignall
Bio: Specialising in Fascias Soffits & Guttering. However able to undertake all general property maintenance.
@Jc_homeworks
22 Dispatch May 2012
Social Media Twitter Glossary Twitter Terms Explained. Here are some common Twitter Terms that you might find helpful.
good alternatives to PayPal? via @eBay.
Twitterer/Tweeter: Someone who uses Twitter.
A twoosh: A tweet that is exactly 140 characters long.
Tweet: A post made on Twitter by a user.
Follow: If someone’s tweets appear in your stream then you are following them.
Tweeple: People who use Twitter.
Come along then, join the World of Twitter, follow us at: @Dispatch_Mag we will re-Tweet your tweets to our massive following, and it’s a great way of attracting new business.
ReTweet or RT: Reposting something that has already been posted on the Twitter stream. RT usually precedes the original poster to give credit. E.g. RT @dispatch_mag Dispatch Magazine is delivered to 52,000 homes and businesses. DM: This is a Direct Message sent to a twitter user. One has to follow you in order to DM them. DMs don’t appear in the public twitter stream but go directly to the receiver’s inbox. Via: This can sometimes be used in place of RT. E.g. What are some of the
Follower: Someone who is reading your tweets. Unfollow or De-Friend: This is when someone stops reading your tweets. @ Reply: The @ symbol is used to reply to a twitter user. E.g. @Dispatch_Mag. # (Hashtag): A hash symbol is used to comment about a certain topic in a tweet so that people searching for it can easily find it. Searching for #DispatchMagazine will give you all the tweets that contain news about Dispatch Magazine.
Tweeps: Twitter friends that one is constantly in touch with. Think about ‘Peeps’. Twitterati: A-list Twitter users or Twitter élite. These usually have a big number of followers and are somewhat famous and influential in Twitter circles. These include people like @chrisbrogan, @Scobleizer, @GuyKawasaki, @mashable, @aplusk and @tmsruge.
If you need any assistance in setting up a Twitter Account, Tweeting and getting your Tweets showing on your website, call us, we’re happy to help!!
Twittosphere: The collective group of people who tweet. Link: Including a URL in your tweet. Bio: Dispatch Magazine is YOUR Community magazine in: Attleborough, Bury St Edmunds, Dereham, Diss, Watton and Wymondham. We have 152,000 readers every month!
@Dispatch_Mag
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Arts & Crafts Sparkle & Flair ‘Wow’ | ‘I’ve never seen so many beads in one place’ | ‘I didn’t know shops like this existed!’ | ‘It’s just like a sweet shop!’ These are just a few of the regular comments we get every week. • Beautiful beads in a wealth of colours • Fantastic findings in six metal tones • Wonderful wires, thongs, cords and elastics for a host of projects • Terrific tools for ease of use All this and more. We offer beads and embellishments for all your crafting needs. Nestled in a back road of Harleston in Norfolk you will find friendly and helpful staff. You are welcome to browse at your leisure, choosing your own beads from the large array. We offer restringing and repairs wherever possible and undertake
Excellent service, competitive prices, wonderful choice. Please see our advert for contact details.
commissions to your requirements. Premade jewellery and kits are available, great if you are rushed for time, these also make fabulous gifts.
those extra beads should you require. For the special occasions in life we offer tailor made, bespoke jewellery and endeavour to colour match wherever possible.
We hold a variety of workshops in both beading and non-beading crafts and run regular school holiday workshops for all ages.
Mildenhall Craft & Gift Fayre
Our beginners beading workshop is very popular and for two hours of your time and a cost of £8 you will learn the basic techniques needed to make a necklace and earrings which you then take away with you. Offering birthday bead parties, hen parties or just as a sociable gathering with friends, we have a separate room allowing space for your creativity to flow, away from the main shop, but close enough to top up with
Jubilee Centre, Recreational Way, IP28 7HG. Saturday 19th of May 9:30am to 2pm Free Admission. Come and see a wonderful selection of locally hand made items and some quality gifts. Items on sale include cards, knitwear, wooden items, jewellery, toys, textiles and some unusual items as well. An opportunity to buy that special gift or to treat yourself. In aid of Macmillan Cancer
Care and Support. Refreshment with cakes, savouries and hot food will be served by the Thetford based charity ASD-Helping Hands who are there for adults and children living with Autism. Please come and have a coffee and support this good cause. If you require any further information please call Brenda on 07776 364456 or e-mail: wheelerevents@aol.com.
Needlecraft Are you looking for beautiful fabric in Wymondham? If you are then call in to Needlecraft today and we will gladly be of service to you. We provide a wide range of haberdashery for the Wymondham area and our large range of products means that whatever it
24 Dispatch May 2012
is you want, we are sure we can provide you with it. Address: 4 Town Green, Wymondham NR18 0PW, Tel: 01953 605699.
“
An interview with... Dy Fit For Life
One class I used to visit was run by a friend who was a former ballet dancer and teacher.
What if your health is poor?
At one point her classes changed quite dramatically and I discovered that she had done the Exercise To Music Course the YMCA had initiated.
Talk to your teacher or trainer who will understand what your problems are and work a fitness programme around your needs. Listen to your body and do what is appropriate. Above: Diane of Dy Fit for Life Why is it important to exercise as you get older? It’s good for the brain as well as the body! To exercise uses your brain, the cardiovascular system, it keeps the bones strong, the heart healthy, reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and high blood pressure. Being physically active (at whatever level) is good for mental health, can help you manage stress, anxiety and depression. Regular exercise keeps you strong, mobile and less dependent on others. It can help you achieve or maintain an ideal weight, and make you feel happier about yourself. Different types of exercise can also help with digestion and posture and with diabetes and lower back pain. What sort of exercises should you do?
”
are cardio-vascular, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and motor skills.
If you are over 65 how much exercise should you do a week to stay healthy? Several people come along to my classes twice a week, however there is no limit, you come as much as you want, or are able to do. Regular walking in daylight is recommended for good health too, to maintain good balance, bone strength and vitamin D.
It was a new system whereby people had to be trained before they could teach exercise. I was so impressed with the great improvement in the classes and decided I’d like to be qualified to teach exercise, so I trained in 1989. What should people wear to your classes? One of the most important things is to have decent shoes which support the arches and give feet lateral support. Shoe laces need to be tied so that they don’t trip you up.
I wouldn’t recommend bare feet as you never know what has been on the floor before you, for example mud or glass. Having layers of clothes to add or remove enables you to keep your temperature at appropriate levels. Exercise can make you hot! What qualifications do you have? I have the YMCA Exercise to Music, and 50+ qualifications. Can anyone join your classes? Absolutely; anyone is welcome in my classes, gentlemen, ladies, young people, older people. Besides your classes, how else do you stay fit? I walk and jog with my dog, eat a healthy diet.
I don’t think you can say exercise is age related as sometimes you find teenagers are less fit than someone who is much older. I think it depends on your lifestyle, for example how much you do at home, if you walk dogs, if you have open fires and of course if you live alone. It’s down to the individual. How long have you been running DY fit for life? I used to work as an administrator in the music business and back then I used to go to exercise classes myself.
You exercise within your capability! We do a gentle warm up to prepare our body so that the synovial fluid has lubricated the joints, and we prepare our brain for working harder and faster. Leg strength is crucial, so we can bounce our feet on the floor and the resulting shock waves increase bone density. Wrists can be prime fracture sites as the result of falling over, so it is important to increase wrist strength. In our harder classes we do press ups and in our easier classes we do these against the wall. We work on the FIVE components of physical fitness, which
Dispatch May 2012 25
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CARING FOR THE ELDERLY From The Field To The Freezer How Wiltshire Farm Foods’ carefully prepared frozen meals are helping people stay independent. For those who’ve worked hard all their lives, maintaining independence is particularly important - especially when it comes to mealtimes. Wiltshire Farm Foods is one company that’s keen to help those who can’t get out and about as much, so they can eat well and look after themselves. Established for more than 20 years, Wiltshire Farm Foods creates and delivers a delicious range of frozen meals that can be cooked in minutes. From the field, to the freezer, every detail is considered in order to offer nutrition, value, flavour and awardwinning personal service. Ingredients are selected from carefully approved suppliers and are then prepared by a
team of nutritionists and award-winning chefs in their Wiltshire kitchens.
Most dishes take 8-12 minutes in the microwave or 35 minutes in the oven.
Once cooked, the meals are placed into handy trays that fit easily into the freezer, then frozen almost immediately to lock in the freshness.
As they are cooked in their trays, there is no preparation, no pots and pans, just delicious meals that you can enjoy in your own time.
Convenience is a key part of the Wiltshire Farm Foods offering. All meals can be ordered over the phone or online.
Maintaining independence has never been easier.
They’re then delivered by a friendly, local delivery driver, who is always happy to put meals away in the freezer if preferred. With the freezer stocked up, you know that a hot meal is only ever a few minutes away.
For more information about Wiltshire Farm Foods in Norfolk and North Suffolk, you can call 01362 699049 or visit www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com for a free brochure.
Recently, national treasure Ronnie Corbett joined Wiltshire Farm Foods for a TV and magazine campaign promoting the delicious meals - and the independence they bring. The TV adverts also feature Edith and Eric, who talk to Ronnie about the benefits of the service. If you’ve not seen them yet, keep a look out.
Manor Court Day Care Manor Court Day Care Centre for the elderly is based in Griston, Norfolk. It is open 5 days a week Monday - Friday from 9am - 4pm. We have around 36 guests per day all aged 55+, with social services funded and private places available. Our service provides transport either by social services or our own transport for our guests. We specialise in Dementia care, with quality specialist care delivered by a
26 Dispatch May 2012
fully trained staff team who believe in promoting independence in all individuals. Reminiscence activities are available for individuals with dementia. Extend exercise classes, musical entertainers, singing, dancing, quizzes, table top activities. Freshly cooked meals which are cooked on the premises are also provided to our guests.
CARING FOR THE ELDERLY Older Person’s Forum Chair Appointed
NBR Scooter Brokers
Shirley Matthews from Swaffham has been appointed as the first Chairman of the newly formed Breckland Older Person’s Forum.
Their main objective is to provide impartial advice together with a friendly and efficient service!!
The Forum’s inaugural Annual General Meeting, held at the EcoTech Centre on 27 March, attracted a good attendance from across the district. There was plenty of enthusiasm amongst those attending to take an active role in the work of the new Forum; Christine Goddard from Well Family Swaffham was appointed as Vice Chairman and another eight volunteers stepped forward to offer their services on the new Committee. Roles and responsibilities within the committee will be determined later this month. Newly appointed Chairman Shirley Matthews said: “With an ageing population, it is increasingly important that the views of older people are represented both locally and nationally. Forums such as ours can harness the knowledge and experience of older residents and use these to help shape the services that every one of us will need at some point in our lives. I am delighted that so many people have demonstrated their
commitment and put themselves forward to take an active part in the new Forum” Speakers at the AGM included Rik Martin from the Norfolk Rural Community Council who spoke about the benefits of rural bulk buying fuel schemes, and Marian Morse of the Citizens’ Advice Bureau who gave practical advice on saving energy and reducing costs. The next Forum meeting is scheduled for July and the date will be published on the Breckland Council website nearer the time. The Breckland Older Person’s Forum is an independent body; Breckland Council assisted with its initial formation and will continue to support the organisation through the provision of meeting space.
NBR Scooter Brokers is a family run business which prides itself on their commitment to their customers (existing and new!!)
They offer the service of a free, no obligation, home demonstration for all of their products to ensure they are suitable for your needs. Whilst their core business is the supply of new mobility scooters, they also have a selection of pre-owned scooters as they offer a part exchange service.
• Adjustable beds • Bathlifts • 3 & 4 wheel walkers • Attendant and self propelled wheelchairs Apart from selling, they also offer a hire service, together with repairs, servicing and insurance work. NBR scooter brokers are accredited with Norfolk trusted traders which is organised by Norfolk County Council.
In addition to mobility scooters, they can also supply the following: • Stairlifts • Powered wheelchairs • Powerchairs • Rise & recline armchairs
For more information about the Forum contact Breckland Council Community Engagement Officer Laura Apps-Green on 01362 656870.
Is It Safe For Me To Exercise? It is safe for most adults older than 65 years of age to exercise. Even patients who have chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis can exercise safely. Many of these conditions are improved with exercise. If you are not sure if exercise is safe for you or if you are currently inactive, ask your doctor. How do you get started? It is important to wear loose, comfortable clothing and well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Your shoes should have a good arch support, and an elevated and cushioned heel to absorb shock. If you are not already active, begin slowly. Start with exercises that you are already comfortable doing. Starting slowly
makes it less likely that you will injure yourself. Starting slowly also helps prevent soreness. The saying “no pain, no gain” is not true for older or elderly adults. You do not have to exercise at a high intensity to get most health benefits. For example, walking is an excellent activity to start with. As you become used to exercising, or if you are already active, you can slowly increase the intensity of your exercise program. What type of exercise should you do? There are several types of exercise that you should do. Examples are walking, swimming and bicycling. You should also do resistance (also called strength training) 2 days per week.
Dispatch May 2012 27
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Reach over 61,000 potential customers HERE! CALL 01953 456789 NOW!
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S R U O Y Advertise YOUR Company HERE for only £20* per month 01953 456789 * If taking one advert in 3 issues for 12 months.
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S R U O Y Advertise YOUR Company HERE for only £20* per month 01953 456789 * If taking one advert in 3 issues for 12 months.
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Find The Businesses You’re Looking For Here, Or Online @ The Dispatch Directory. www.DispatchDirectory.co.uk Businesses - Reach New Customers HERE AND ONLINE For Only £30.00 Per Month For Both.
CALL US NOW FOR DETAILS 01953 456789
Or email: Sales@Dispatch-Magazine.co.uk
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