Return to Village Life

Growing up in Needham was an idyllic life full of village fetes, jumble sales, Needham Shows full of jovial sketches and a certain buzz about the village that oozed community spirit. I grew up in the Old Vicarage in the 1980’s/1990’s with my family and remember before the by-pass when the High Road was the main road to Great Yarmouth.  It was noisy, busy and took forever to get out of your drive; a far cry from the peaceful road we have now. I have fond memories of playing pooh sticks at the mill and sledging with village friends on Mill Hill, an event that the snow this February allowed us to revisit.  The regular Needham Show seemed to bring a host of excellent (and some dubious) talent out from the woodwork. I remember taking part in a variety of sketches, from ‘Watch with Mother’ to ‘Allo Allo’ and even being a human cannonball in the ‘Circus comes to Needham’.   We moved from the village to central Norwich where, as a teenager, I enjoyed the thrill of city living but I always felt that village life was calling me back. 

So after nearly 20 years away from the village including living in Austria and Kent I find myself renovating my dear Grandmother’s bungalow and starting a new life here in Needham. It feels as though the village is blossoming again. In just one year of living back in Needham, we have seen a host of events including Cheese and Wine evening, the Summer BBQ, the Village Bunting project, a Christmas Quiz Night and a the Great Cake Bake. This summer we have the exciting Royal Jubilee party which promises to be a right royal knees up. 

I am so pleased to come back to my roots, and even more so because I bring with me my husband, Joe, and our baby son, Elliot who is just a few weeks old and who I know will love growing up in such a wonderful village. So, when my city friends ask me why we moved to the country, there is simply one answer …. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this wonderful community and I tell them how proud I am to be part of this village life too.

Helen Walker