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Needham Village Link

May/June 2014

The newsletter for the villagers of Needham

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@needham_link 

From the Editor

Congratulation belatedly to Denis Tavener on the occasion of his 85th birthday on March 25th and thank you Denis for all the hard work you put in for the village.  There is a report of a chat our Features Editor had with Denis in this edition of the Link. And from one long term resident to a newcomer - I’m very grateful to Genevieve Bridgeman for her article.

A very warm welcome to Andrew & Debbie who have recently moved into what was Harry Peters’ house on the High Road

It can’t have escaped anyone’s notice that 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.  Forty-five men from Needham served in the First Great War. There is a plaque in St Peter’s Church in memory of the twelve men who gave their lives. Of those who survived three won special honour for ‘heroic service’. I should be really interested if you are related to or know anyone who knows of any of the forty-five  men.

Helen

And finally, thank you to our Art Editor for his latest cover for the Link.  Summer must be here as I saw four swallows over Priory Farm airfield on 15 April.

Helen

Letters to the Editor

It was exciting to see comments from Catherine (Née Foulkes) in the last edition of The Link.  I remember her family - her father, Robert, lives in Mexico and keeps in touch. Whilst in the British Army Bob was its youngest Captain.  Bob’s wife, Hazel, now sadly demised, was attractive and charming.  She had been a model when younger.  Catherine’s sister, Lydia, lives in London.

Just a few memories.

Derek Buttle

It’s very good to see that the two new dog waste bins provided by the Parish Council are being used.  Hopefully this will reduce the amount of dog poo on pavements and make walking for non dog owners and dog owners alike more pleasant. 

A dog walker

New to Needham

My introduction to Needham was fairly memorable.  I moved in over the weekend of 24/25 October 2013 and just two days later came the first storm of what was to be a very wet and windy winter.  Named ‘St Jude’ by the media, the storm rampaged across East Anglia on its route from the Atlantic and over the North Sea to mainland Europe.  The high winds arrived here early on the Tuesday morning as forecast by the Met Office.  The electricity failed soon afterwards and remained off for about 36 hours due to a tree falling on a nearby power line.  Inconvenient as it was, this did provide a welcome opportunity to meet my new neighbours who kindly came round to make sure I was ok and had a sufficient supply of candles.

With birding as a major interest it had always been my plan to move to this part of the country after a working life spent teaching science to reluctant London teenagers.  When the opportunity finally arrived it proved harder than expected to find the place I had in mind; a small house with a very large garden.  Eighteen months and 43 viewings later it suddenly appeared on the estate agent’s website; exactly what I had been looking for and within easy reach of the wetlands, heath, woodlands and coasts that I’d visited on so many weekend birding trips.  Needham, being in the Waveney Valley, is a prime birding spot and even before the summer migrants arrive I’ve recorded over 30 species in the garden here, including marsh tit, house sparrow and song thrush; all red-listed species which have declined dramatically in recent years.

The plan for the two acre garden is to develop it further as a wildlife habitat.  The pond, previously overgrown with trees, has been opened up to let in light and warmth so that water plants, insects, frogs and newts can thrive.  Mixed native hedging has been planted and in a few years time will provide additional food and habitat for the birds.  A wildflower meadow to attract bees and butterflies is the next step and may take some years to develop.  The recommended method is to collect wildflower seed from the local area, so if anyone in the village already has a wildflower meadow…… any offers of seed later in the summer would be most welcome!

Genevieve Bridgeman

Needham Parish Council

The meeting held on Monday 24th March was delighted to vote unanimously in favour of appointing Celia and Delwyn Snaith to fill the casual vacancies on the Parish Council.  A full list of Parish Councillors is given below.

It was reported at the meeting the two new dog bins purchased by the Parish Council have been installed at the corner of The High Road and Mill Lane and Upper Burnt House Lane and Mather Lane and appear already to be well used.  The meeting recorded its thanks to Chris Nicholson for installing them.

The Parish Clerk was requested to again notify the Highways Authority of potholes that remain unfilled since the end of the winter.  This is in addition to highway matters that have been raised on our behalf by our County Councillor.  The Parish Council have also requested South Norfolk Rangers on their next visit to clear brambles on local footpaths.  

The Rangers make periodic visits to help keep verges and footpaths clear.  Parishoners are welcome to bring to the Parish Council’s attention any problems they are aware of and these will be passed on.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 18th May in the Village Hall.  It will start at 7.00pm with the Annual Meeting at which the Parish Council will report on the previous years proceedings.   It is also the opportunity for the village community to report on its own activities and is therefore an ideal chance to come up to-date with village life.

Andrew Major                                   852958        andrewmajor@mac.com
Diane Clarke                                    852603
Rose Martin                                    854852        roseamartin1@gmail.com
Sylvia Miller                                    852059        georgeandsylvia@btinternet.com
Celia Snaith                                     851987        celia_snaith@hotmail.com
Delwyn Snaith                                  851987        delwyn_snaith@hotmail.com
Denis Tavner                                   854108


Philip Freeman (Parish Clerk)          783203         philip.c.freeman@btinternet.com
Jenny Wilby (District Councillor)    741504
Martin Wilby (County Councillor)

Recipe

lemon possett

This is a modern take on a traditional dessert and it’s delicious!

300 ml double cream

75g  caster sugar

finely grated zest of 1 small lemon

2 tbsp lemon juice (from above lemon)

• Combine the cream, sugar & lemon zest in a small pan over a low heat and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.  
• When bubbles start to form around the edges of the mixtures continue cooking without stirring for 2 minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a rolling boil.  
• Take the pan off the heat, add the lemon juice & stir in thoroughly. 
• Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug.

Pour into 4 small glass dishes or ramekins.  Cover them with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.

Cookery Editor

Open Farm Sunday

A Fun Day Out for all the Family!

8 June at Shotford Hall Farm, Harleston IP20 9QT  11:00am-5:00pm

Visit Shotford Hall mixed farm on Open Farm Sunday for a day of fun and discovery.  

Meet and touch the animals (milking from 2-4pm), take a close look at the farm machinery, enjoy a tractor and trailer tour, take a leisurely riverside walk, meet some food producers and find out where your food comes from.  

Free entry for everyone.

Refreshments are available - hog roast, cream teas, coffee & tea.

For more information contact Tim Lewis on 07767 708106.

An audience with Denis Tavner

It seems that Denis has always been at the heart of our village but in fact he moved here when he retired in 1995 to be near one of his three sons who lives in Norwich.  Whatever the village activity Denis seems to be in the thick of it.  He is a Parish Councillor and a member of the Village Hall Committee.  He also seems to have a great knack of winning raffle prizes at the Red Lion Coffee mornings.  However, Denis already knew East Anglia well as after leaving school at the age of 14 he worked for an electrical contractor in Catford in South London, and was responsible for getting the pay packets to the workmen on the many airfields in our  region.

School was in Brockley where Denis, with four sisters and three brothers, was born in 1929.  It was a happy childhood - although they had very little they wanted for nothing.  His father worked as a coal merchant but served as a special constable during the war.  Mr Tavner senior was also a member of the Great Britain gold medal tug o’ war team in 1934.  Denis recalls of his mother “she never had her hands out of water”.  He also remembers her coming to school to get her packet of ‘Players Weights’ that Denis had bought for her and inadvertently taken to school!

Being in London during WW2 was an experience for Denis.  He witnessed the daylight bombing of his local school that took the lives of dozens of children and teachers. He also witnessed the doodlebugs falling on nearby Lewisham & Blackheath. He remembers the rocket sites on Blackheath where, before the war, he had had fun at the travelling fairs. 

. 

As was usual in those days Denis was conscripted and chose to join the Royal Navy as a Seaman.  He served on HMS Superb, a cruiser and HMS Rocket, a destroyer.  His vessels worked as escorts for the carriers Implacable & Illustrious and he remembers seeing Barracudas, Sea Fires & Sea Furies taking off and landing on the decks.   He loved his time in the Navy and would have stayed in after his time as a conscript ended were it not for an accident which cost him the sight in one eye.  It seems that Health & Safety has come on a long way since those days!  After leaving the Navy Denis qualified as a Quantity Surveyor and joined Bovis.  On marrying he moved out of London to Badgers Mount in Kent where he built himself a house.  In those days a plot of land cost just £2500!

Denis recalls that he was an enthusiastic dancer spending time in the dance hall above Burtons in nearby Eltham or at the Thursday dance at Welling Embassy where he loved the swing bands - including the Billy Cotton Band.  He may not be cutting so many shapes on the dance floor now but an interest that has stayed with him all his life is breeding hens, especially show birds.  He has been a member of the Poultry Club of Great Britain for over 50 years and has in the past been a judge.  He still shows his birds at the Norfolk Show.  

It was a real pleasure to chat with Denis about his life and his memory is undimmed.  If you were ever a train spotter you will be impressed to know that he can name all 40 of the Southern Region Schools Class locomotives from 30900 Eton to 30939 Leatherhead!

Features Editor

Poem

I'm very well, thank you.

There is nothing the matter with me
I’m as healthy as can be.
I have arthritis in both my knees
And when I talk - I talk with a wheeze.
My pulse is weak and my blood is thin,
But, I’m awfully well for the shape I’m in.
And supports I have for my feet
Or I wouldn’t be able to be out on the street.
Sleep is denied me night after night
But every morning I find I’m alright.
My memory is failing, my head’s in a spin,
But, I’m awfully well for the shape I’m in.

My moral is this - as my tale I unfold
That for you and me who are getting old
It’s better to say “I’m fine” with a grin
Than to let folks know the shape we’re in.
How do I know that my youth is all spent?
Well, my ‘get and go’ and ‘got up and went’.
But I really don’t mind when I think with a grin
Of all the grand places my ‘got up’ has been.
Old age is golden, I’ve heard it said
But sometimes I wonder as I get into bed
With my ears in a draw, my teeth in a cup
My specs on the table until I get up,
‘Ere sleep overtakes me I say to myself
Is there anything else I could lay on the shelf?
When I was young my slippers were red
I could kick my heels right over my head.
When I was older my slippers were blue
But I could still dance the whole night through.
Now I am older my slippers are black
I walk to the shop and puff my way back.
I get up each morning and dust off my wits
And pick up the paper to read the obits.
My name is still missing so I know I’m not dead
And so I have breakfast and go back to bed.

By Beatrice Wigg, courtesy of Derek Buttle

(Beatrice Wigg taught many past residents of Needham.  Does anyone have any recollections of her?)

Needham Carpet Bowls Club

Since our last report we have played a home match against Occuld. and I am pleased to report that we won all the games. Unfortunately we were the losers in the next match away at Syleham.  The last match in the Winter series was away against Garboldisham.  The games were very close but ultimately we lost by 28 to 34 shots.

The AGM which was held on 19th March at the Village Hall was very well attended.  The committee elected for the coming year is:

Chair Person:            Frances Burton

Vice Chair Person:    Delwyn Snaith

Captain:                    Harold Jefferson

Vice Captain:            Brian Carlile

Treasurer:                  Jean Youell

We will shortly play the Club Singles, Ladies & Gents and Pairs Mixed with trophies for the winners.  These will be presented at our Annual Dinner.

We also hope to arrange friendly matches with local clubs.

We are a friendly club and pour members always enjoy matches and club evenings.  The latter are held each Wednesday in Needham Village Hall starting at 7:30pm.  Fees are only £1.50 per evening and this includes tea/coffee and biscuits.

It is a game for all ages and all equipment is supplied by the club.  Do come along and join us - new members would be most welcome.

Nudger

Open Space Theatre Company.

BORED VICAR’S WIFE!

Susan becomes so disillusioned by her role in life as a wife & mother that she begins to imagine an imaginary family.  Reality  and illusion eventually collide with hilarious & devastating results in this brilliantly crafted drama by one of Britain’s greatest playwrights.

While Ayckbourn, a prolific writer with nearly 80 plays to his name, is sometimes perceived as the doyen of light, middle class satire, some of his plays contain a very dark humour and this is certainly true of ‘Woman in Mind’. a play which enjoyed a long West End run in the 1980s.

This devastatingly funny play is being rehearsed in Needham Village Hall by the Open Space Theatre Company prior to an eight-venue tour in May. Local performances include Hoxne Village Hall on Friday, May 2 (box office 01379 855101, Wingfield Barns on Friday, May 16 (box office 01379 384505) and Fisher Theatre, Bungay on Saturday, May 17 (box office 01986 897130).

Tickets £9.50 and £8.50 (concessions)          Start 7.30pm

Approximate.running time 2hrs 15mins (including interval).

Red Lion Coffee Mornings

The monthly coffee mornings at the Red Lion continue to be a success with £110 being raised at the March event split in half for the Village Hall and Needham Church and £108 raised in April again split in half for Bullock Fair Charity Shop and Needham Church  

There is always a fantastic turnout of people who enjoy this really good social occasion.  The organisers would be very grateful for any contributions towards raffle prizes and if you’d like to bake a cake or biscuits they would be more than welcome.  

The coffee mornings are held on the first Tuesday of every month.  If you haven’t been yet do give it a go!

New Beat Manager

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as your new Beat Manger.

I come to the Harleston Safer Neighbourhood Team with 18 years police service in various roles. And in the last 8 years I have worked on South Norfolk Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

We still have PCSO Chris SHELLY on the team and I look forward to working with him and yourselves to continue the hard work that has built this community team.

So we can plan for the months ahead, as and when your dates are confirmed for any fetes, fun days or community engagements for the year, could you let us know so we can try and arrange to attend.

Over the next few months I will endeavour to visit you all, but in the meantime if you are passing the station and one of us is here the kettle is always on!

If there are any issue please contact us at Harleston Safer Neighbour Team on 101 or alternatively you can email us at harlestonsnt@norfolk.pnn.police.uk.

Pc 1224 Jim Squires

Beat Manager

Harleston SNT

Tel 101

Ext 3885 Fax 3880

Jim Squires                                                                 Chris Shelley

                                                   

St Peter's Church

4 May        Evening Service        6pm
11 May        Holy Communion   11am
18 May        Morning Prayer       11am

25 May        Holy Communion   11am
  1 June        Evening Service       6pm
8   June        Holy Communion   11am
15 June        Morning Prayer       11am
22 June        Holy Communion   11am
29 June        Brockdish H.C Benefice Service 10:30
                                                                                         



Friends of St Peter’s Church

The AGM of the Friends of St Peter will be held on 23 May at 7:00pm in the Needham Village Hall.

Sports News

Lucky escape for Lottie, the Red Lion cat!

There was a tense end to the Village Pétanque competition on Easter Saturday.  Members of the Carpet Bowls Team, Harold & Jean, found their skills on carpet were transferrable to the boules pitch but the eventual winners were Joe and Tim. Lottie insisted on supporting throughout and her trespasses onto the pitch nearly ended in disaster as she narrowly missed being hit by one of the boules - one of her nine lives used up!

 

May/June Edition of the Needham Link

The May/June edition will be on line from Tuesday 29 April.

It's a bumper edition with features, letters, recipes, sports news, poetry, all the news and much more!

Pétanque

There will be pétanque games on the Village Pétanque court at the Red Lion on the 19 April.  If you haven't played before, this link might come in handy! http://www.playaboule.com/Simple_petanque_rules.aspx

Open garden

Don't forget!

Open Garden

at

The Old Coach House

Brockdish  IP21 4JY

Sunday 6 April 10:00am - 4:00pm