Tuesday 25 May 2021
Sunday 16 May 2021
Thursday 13 May 2021
Editorial
Welcome to the Spring edition of the Link. As you will see, there has been much going on in the village so I shall keep my contribution mercifully short! The tree planting in the Nook is a milestone and congratulations to all concerned. We are still living with COVID, although its impact is decreasing so we can start to plan for the future.
Our hearts go out to Sue Simmons and family who recently suffered a devastating fire at their home, the Old Fishmongers, but the reaction of villagers has been magnificent at this time of personal crisis.
Alan Jeffery
Geocaching in Lockdown
Lockdown 3.0 has been a lot harder than the first two lockdowns. Could it be lockdown fatigue or the fact that the days have been short, dark and cold?
Indoor activities continue to focus mainly on jigsaws. We have completed over a dozen puzzles of varying degrees of difficulty but all with 1000 pieces. At the time of writing we are attempting our most challenging jigsaw: a puzzle of 3000 pieces measuring 144cm by 68cm depicting Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica. This is by way of compensation for our cancelled trip to Madrid last year where we had hoped to see the real thing.
Outdoors, we have been more adventurous. We’ve continued with our government authorised outdoor activity of walking, although with reduced enthusiasm until we discovered Geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor activity using GPS on a mobile phone to look for hidden containers at specific locations. We’ve found it has given us an incentive to find new routes in the area and is a fun way to exercise both mind and body. Geocaching is a hobby with caches hidden worldwide. There is, however, no need to travel far as there are at least fifty hidden within walking distance of Needham and even some in the village. If you have a bicycle then there are hundreds to find locally. It’s like a treasure hunt except instead of a map where X marks the spot you use an app on your smartphone and your powers of observation. Instead of buried treasure you’re looking typically for a small waterproof container containing a ‘log’ and sometimes a pencil with which to sign and date the log as evidence of your find. It’s best to take one’s own pencil or pen though. Once you have found 20 caches you are then allowed to hide your own cache which we did at the beginning of April. We await with excitement reports of it being found by other cachers! It's an activity for all ages; friends of ours have found that it is a really good way to encourage their children to get extra exercise.
or download the app on your smartphone.
River Waveney
REDUCING POLLUTION IN THE RIVER WAVENEY
At the River Waveney Trust, we are currently undertaking a campaign to deliver advice and guidance to homeowners on best practice septic tank and sewage treatment system management, to help address pollution in the River Waveney catchment. Due to a lack of mains sewerage, Needham is one of the target villages for this project.
I hope many of the villagers will have received a leaflet introducing the campaign we are running in collaboration with Groundwork and the Environment Agency. While Covid restrictions remain in place we are limited in the further engagement we can provide, however we are currently able to test watercourses (drains, ditches, main river) for ammonium, and we hope to soon be able to visit each village to deliver information in person to the community.
Emily Winter 07788 419475
Web: https://www.riverwaveneytrust.org
Needham Parish Council
A meeting of Parish Councillors was held by Zoom on Monday 29 March. James
Macmillan was unanimously voted onto the Parish Council to fill the casual vacancy that had arisen.
The Parish Council had received complaints from several residents they had been asked by County Broadband to pay for the fibre connection to their home that was always understood would be free. Some of these charges were considerable. County Broadband were therefore asked: why had these charges been levied; would there be further charges to bring cable into the home; and who benefits from the Gigabit Voucher Scheme?
It has taken a lot of persistent questioning but County Broadband eventually supplied the following information: they provide a ‘standard’ installation that includes 15 metres buried fibre cable in soft ground and an additional 2 metres in hard ground or 55 metres overhead cable. Anything above that incurs a charge. However, County Broadband informed us they have recently improved their rates.
Of the 37 customers they have written to 9 are subject to excess installation costs. Five of these are overhead and will receive a reduced rate and three will be free. The Gigabit scheme is designed to cover the cost of a ‘standard’ installation. However, excess installation fees are still chargeable. It was confirmed that the whether free or charged for, there is no further fee for bringing cable into the house.
It was disappointing to learn that, despite assurances that every house in the parish could be connected, County Broadband have decided that some outlying properties will not now have that option.
County Broadband was left under no illusion that their manner created considerable ill feeling in the village. However, our approach to them seems to have made them change their attitude and any residents that turned down the option of being connected due to the charges being levied are urged to contact County Broadband to agree revised rates.
In other discussions it was reported that eight fruit trees have now been planted at the Nook. Also, the swing has received a safety check and can be used and the goal posts are complete.
A suggestion received that the Parish Council should organise a litter pick was warmly supported. Details of a date and a request for volunteers will appear in a future edition of the Link once the Covid restrictions have been lifted.
During lockdown Councillors have been able to meet successfully through Zoom due to legislation that was passed to allow this. This temporary legislation ends on 7 May. It was therefore decided to bring forward the date of the next meeting and the Annual Parish Meeting to Wednesday 28 April in order that it can again be held by Zoom.
Andrew Major, Chairman
The Needham Nook is complete
On a grey day in March, 12 members of the community gathered for a socially distanced tree planting day, creating Needham’s very own Orchard at The Nook. Eight fruit bearing trees can be seen in the Western most part of the field, lovingly planted and mulched in to give them the very best start. Some of those present have agreed to ‘adopt a tree’, committing to take care of it over the coming year or two, ensuring it has enough water during dry spells and nurturing it towards maturity. There are still a few trees that have not been adopted, so if you would like to take part, its not too late! Please contact Fairlie on greenigloos@gmail.com to arrange this.
Having a community Orchard was an important part of the original vision for the Nook, providing community food and adding a mixed environment to the project for all of the community to enjoy. The bench has been moved to achieve a better view of the area, and since the last edition, a pair of football goals and a large swing have also been installed.
With the completion of the installation stage of The Nook, Needham Action Group can now truly hand it over to the community to take care of and have pride in. It is extremely gratifying to see it so well used and enjoyed by many both from within the village and beyond, and many thanks for all of the encouraging comments and expressions of delight about it.
We hope that when the time comes for community outdoor events to be once again permissible, we will be able to hold a celebration event of this immense achievement for the whole community. If you are interested in helping to put on this event, please contact me at the address below.
Fairlie Winship: greenigloos@gmail.com
Please get in touch if you would like to Adopt A Tree
Fairlie
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's James in a Paramotor!
If you’ve heard a strange buzzing sound over Needham recently, you may have thought that we’re being invaded by a swarm of mosquitos or even the dreaded Asian hornets, but there’s a simpler reason and it’s closer to home.
James MacMillan so loves the scenery of the Waveney Valley he regularly takes to the sky in his
Paramotor which is essentially a parachute with an engine strapped to James’s back. He says that the view of Needham from the air is stunning and has shared with us two of his aerial photographs.
James has recently joined Needham Parish Council as a councillor. He said the he joined because he “would like to be more engaged in my local community. Sometimes we feel a bit out of it where we live on Upper Burnt House Lane. I was fortunate to grow up in a village where my mum was involved in lots of things. As a result it would sometimes take 45mins to buy a loaf of bread from the bakery 100 metres from our house. I miss that”
James has lived in Needham for over 11 years in what can be described as a multi-generational and multi-species household which comprises his parents and parents-in-law and includes Rose Martin (mother-in- law), a former Needham Parish Councillor. He is married to Gemma, has 2 children as well as 3 horses, 2 dogs, 4 cats and 2 ducks. COVID has made them realise how lucky they are living together, and are able to support one another through these times.
When he’s not Power Gliding James can be seen running, usually with his running partners – Bertie, a Border Collie and Nellie, a Jack Russell (shown above). He also swims and paddle boards down the Waveney. As a Business Development Manager for an Anglo/Swedish Company he travels around the UK (in non Covid times) and sometimes abroad. James is a very welcome and valued new member of the Parish Council.
The Environment
Hedgehogs
You may have noticed the sweet hedgehog signs in the High Road asking drivers to watch out for and avoid hedgehogs in the road. They are nocturnal so will be out after dark. They will be foraging along the verges and can cross the road at any point. As their numbers are declining rapidly it would be great if we can help them.
Birds
It is lovely that the swallows have arrived back for the summer, swooping over the water meadows to catch flies.
A kestrel dived into our garden the other day trying to get a sparrow but they were too quick for it. The kestrel chased them into a shrub but came out with nothing. I think we often take the birdsong for granted but it is such an important part of the countryside. We hear the skylarks, buzzards, robins, blackbirds, wrens, tawny owls and lots more, many of which are difficult to identify. There are some good links on the RSPB website. Have you seen any unusual birds?
Litter
Another litter pick in the village is planned for later in the summer when we have more clarification on the Covid restrictions. Some of you joined the last one which was over a year ago, when we collected quite a lot of litter, made up largely of drinks bottles and cans, sweet and crisp wrappers. It was part of a county wide scheme and we won £20 for the village, to use communally.
In the meantime, please look after our environment and do not throw out litter.
Georgina Frost
Fire at Old Fishmongers
On the evening of Wednesday 21st April it was noticed by a passer-by that smoke and flames were coming from the roof of one of Needham’s most historic houses – the Old Fishmongers.  Many of Sue’s personal belongings, including precious photographs were rescued, but items on the top floor were lost to the fire, including her clothes. Sue and her late husband David moved to the 17th century, timber-framed house in 1976; they raised their family there and made many improvements to their home. It is a landmark in the village and is an example of an historic public house, which was its previous use. Through the drama of what happened that night there is also a sense of relief that no-one was injured and that Sue has been supported by her family and friends – she is now living locally with one of her daughters. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. She asked if we could include a message from her to the people of Needham. Alan Jeffery |
The Old Fishmongers Arms, Needham Sue Simmonds and family would like to thank neighbours and villagers for the support and kindness shown to them following the dreadful house fire. |
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