Good news from our region

EAST CARLETON STEPS UP FOR NHS

When Hilary Springett, from East Carleton, heard from a neighbour that staff morale at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital was low, she and her friend Jenny Cannon decided to do something to cheer them up.

“One email went out to the residents of East Carleton asking for donations of either personal care products or treats,” says Hilary. “These could be hand cream, body wash or shampoo, as nearly all the staff have a shower before going home from the hospital. The treats could be anything — as long as it was individually wrapped.

“Obviously, during these very difficult times, all this had to be done adhering to covid regulations. The response we had was amazing. A specific time and day was arranged to collect from doorsteps. My husband and I laughed and said we should take the wheelbarrow! Little did we realise how generous people were going to be. We staggered home with bags full of goodies and pockets full of envelopes containing cash.

“I had the job of shopping, this was made a lot easier by an online delivery and a click and collect. Everything was brought together on Jenny’s dining room table ready to be taken to the Norfolk and Norwich by the hospital fundraising coordinator.”

www.eastcarletonvillage.co.uk

Hilary Springett (left) and Jenny Cannon

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Paul Muncila

30 YEARS IN THE BAKING!

The Tudor Bakehouse, with outlets in Diss, Eye and Harleston, is celebrating 30 years of serving customers in South Norfolk and North Suffolk. The popular bakery was established in 1991 by Paul Muncila, who decided to start his own business after seven years’ working as a baker in Norwich. The first branch on the Market Place in Harleston is still thriving today, along with other bakeries in both Eye and Diss — all long-standing features of their respective towns. The Tudor Bakehouse also has a second bakery and coffee shop in Harleston.

Paul Muncila said: “Throughout our three decades, our motto has always been ‘baked fresh every day’, with the emphasis on quality products and as many local ingredients as possible. So many bakeries don’t bake fresh, so it’s essential that our customers know we do, and they are always guaranteed the freshest bread and baked goods when they visit us.”

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, The Tudor Bakehouse is both looking back and forwards. Throughout March, they will have a featured ‘bake’ each day for a special price of just £1.50. This will include many of their customers’ favourite cakes, savouries and bread products. During the month, there will also be some new recipes that they hope will become new favourites in the years to come.

Paul added: “The last year has been tough for everyone, but it’s great to have something to celebrate and we want to thank our loyal customers for supporting us, either part or all of the way through the last 30 years. We are also determined to continue serving you with freshly baked quality products long into the future.”

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LUCAS IS SUPER-MAN FOR COMIC RELIEF

Lucas Cooke, a six-year-old from Wymondham, has taken on a month-long charity dressing up challenge for Comic Relief and has raised £400 so far (as of 1 March). Caroline, Lucas’ mother, said: “The last time Comic Relief was taking place, Lucas was five and didn’t fully understand what it was all about. This year, he is taking more interest in helping others and wanted to do something to raise money, but didn’t know who for. “He has seen adverts on TV about charities in Africa providing safe drinking water and decided he wanted to do something to help. I knew Comic Relief was coming up, and that they do amazing work both in the UK and Africa, so I suggested he might like to raise some money for them.

“He liked this idea, so we got our thinking caps on and came up with the dressing up challenge. Initially, we thought maybe doing it just on Red Nose Day (19th March). Then, we thought about doing it the week leading up to Red Nose Day, but that wouldn’t be enough of a challenge, so we settled for a whole month — 19th Feb to 19th March.

“We are aiming for a different costume each day and walking around Wymondham (observing social distancing) to help raise awareness, and a smile, which is so important at the moment during the pandemic. Lucas has dressed as Mr Bean, Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter, Kylo Ren from Star Wars, a Storm Trooper and Spider-Man. We have raised £400 so far and the kind words and generosity we have received has been so overwhelming. I’d like to say a very big thank you to the local community for getting behind Lucas and supporting him. Our daily updates and new photos can be found on our just giving page.” www.justgiving.

com/fundraising/carolinecrednoseday21

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VILLAGE PEOPLE IS GROWING STRONG

At Village People, we are very excited to announce that we have added another 1,000 copies to our print run for every issue, increasing our coverage to a staggering new high of 62,000 homes across Norfolk and Suffolk!

During this tough year, small local businesses need us to buy their products and services more than ever. They make a positive impact on the local economy, as well as supporting local communities and providing local jobs.

At a time when many regional publications have cut their print run, and the ‘pick up’ method from various locations has not been possible due to lockdown closures, Village People has bucked the trend and increased its reach further than ever before.

How have we done this? Because as more homes are built we add them to our database, and ensure they receive a copy of the magazine. And of course we Royal Mail deliver Village People direct to every single one of those 62,000 homes, and print more copies of our magazines than all the other regional titles put together. Take a look at our handy chart to see for yourself.

So if you are a local business looking for new enquiries, Village People really is the best place to feature your business…an established, trusted magazine that’s growing with you.

Your advert will be seen for twice as long as a monthly magazine and eight times as long as a weekly newspaper! If you are looking to advertise, make sure you talk to us first about how we can help to grow your business this spring.

Village People - 62,000 (Royal Mail delivered) Suffolk Norfolk Life - 15,000 (bought) EDP Norfolk - 12,650 (bought) Let’s Talk - 8,775 (bought) Places & Faces - 8,000 (pick up only) Suffolk Magazine - 8,000 (bought) Vanilla Norwich - 5,000 (pick up only) Norwich Resident - no longer published Feast Norfolk - no longer published

IF YOU HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS TO SHARE EMAIL US AT editor@village-people.info

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The Germination game

Not confident about growing plants from seed? Don’t panic… these top tips will help you achieve success with your seedlings

Don’t over water

This can be so tempting when you first grow from seed. Make sure the soil is damp, but not soaking wet, because leaving seedlings drenched in water will not help them thrive and could kill them off. Water every 3-5 days, depending on where you live, the temperature and the time of year. It’s often better to water seedlings from the bottom by placing them in a tray of water, but don’t leave them to sit in it.

Lots of light

Your seedlings need plenty of light, especially those grown early in the season such as sweet peas and cosmos. Without enough light they will turn ‘leggy’, which means they grow really quickly towards the light because they’re not getting enough. This will create slightly less healthy plants than those which get enough light.

Pinching

This is not a universal rule, but some plants do well from being ‘pinched’. This is where you pinch off the top leaves just above a set of leaves to prevent the plant growing taller, instead creating branching for bushier plants with more flowers. Use your fingertips or a clean, small pair of sharp scissors or pruners to snip off the top of the seedling stem, just above the point where a leaf or set of leaves connect to it. Don’t pinch right at the point where the leaves connect, or you may remove the bud that will become a new branch. Pinching will activate little buds which will create new stems. The auxin hormones will redirect to these new stems, bringing on new growth. Seedlings that thrive from pinching include cosmos, sweet peas and dahlias.

Air circulation

If you’re new to gardening, you might think that sowing as many seeds as possible is a good idea, just in case some don’t grow. But it’s best to sow seeds thinly, giving them plenty of space to grow, enough nutrients, light, and air circulation. A lack of airflow creates several problems such as wet or damp foliage, spores settling on leaves and unnaturally stiff stems on seedlings. If you’re keeping your seedlings in a greenhouse, open the doors during the day occasionally to allow plenty of air to circulate, particularly on hot days.

Thin them out

Plants don’t like to be crowded, and it’s the same with seedlings, which need all the sun and nutrients that they can get. It’s often better to have fewer stronger plants than a lot of weaker, less healthy ones.

Handle with care

If you need to move your seedlings, be very careful with the roots. Never pull the seedlings up from trays by the stem, always use a leaf. This will prevent the stem from snapping.

Many thanks to Elizabeth Fox from @therosepressgarden

How safe is your ‘safe place’ for online shopping?

Parcels left outside your home in ‘safe places’ could be at risk from thieves during the huge growth in online shopping amid the pandemic. Homeowners unable to visit many shops during lockdown are now buying large numbers of items online for home delivery. Local business Malthouse Security has advised taking extra precautions to stop opportunist thieves stealing your eagerly awaited goods. A spokesman for Malthouse Security, based at Rickinghall near Diss, said: ‘‘The online shopping trend is here to stay, as it’s a convenient time and money saver. "However, the arrival of a courier’s van at your home is a giveaway to a criminal. They can watch where the courier hides your parcel, if you are out, and quickly swoop when the driver leaves. ‘‘Householders have perhaps become complacent with so many home deliveries, and parcels can be left at front and back doors and in unlocked garages and sheds. "Therefore, we advise that you tighten your security; consider installing CCTV to monitor the perimeter of your home, and you can control the cameras remotely when you’re out. ‘‘Courier firms usually send you a text or email giving a one-hour window when your parcel is going to be delivered. With CCTV, you can log into your camera and watch what happens when a delivery is left. Tightening up on your security can give you peace of mind and avoid all the heartache of trying to claim insurance on a stolen parcel.’’

Call Malthouse Security Ltd today on 01379 890 606, email sales@malthouse-security.co.uk or visit the website www.malthouse-security.co.uk for more details of how they can help.

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