Needham Village Link
September/October2019
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Editorial
Life in the village has been quite hectic this summer with still more events planned in
September and October. The Hawaiian party at the Red Lion was a great success and attracted many villagers and their families.
We still have the Village BBQ to look forward to where there will be food, drink and entertainment for villagers and visitors. This year we have received additional help from Robin Twigge who, through the Swan Hotel, has managed to negotiate excellent deals on food and drink which will benefit us all. There will be a new band at the party –
so do come along and join in.
An important development of late has been the offer by County Broadband to install hyper-fast cabling into the village which will be of major benefit for anyone who uses a computer, accesses on-line television programmes as well as using a land-line telephone. We need to have a positive response from 30% of residents for the scheme to be viable and I encourage everyone to look at their offers and visit their stand at the Village BBQ on 15thSept (see pp 6& 7)
We hear a lot on the news about rising crime rates which I know if a concern to all of us. You have an opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting with our local Beat Manager –see details below.
And finally congratulations to all involved in The Nook project for their successful bid to the National Lottery Community Fund for £10,000 which will help to realise the much-needed recreation space in Needham.
Alan Jeffery
MEET YOUR MAN ON THE BEAT
Sgt. Butler will be available to discuss any concerns you have over security and policing in the village. Wednesday 28thAug. 2019 12.30 –1.30 pm at the Village Hall
Needham Parish Council
As well as welcoming Martin Wilby our County Councillor to the meeting held on Monday 29th July we had our first meeting with our ‘new’ District Councillor, Jeremy Savage.
Due to the boundary changes brought in last year we now share two District Councillors with HarlestonTown Council and WortwellParish Council and look forward to working with them on matters of mutual interest. We continue to share the Speed Awareness machine with Brockdish.
At the Public Forum residents raised concerns at work being carried out on the nursery site. It was confirmed that South Norfolk Council have not informed the Parish Council of any planning application by the landowner for any new development on the site. As a Statutory Consultee the Parish Council would be formally notified if an application were to be made. It was also confirmed that Saffron Housing Trust have expressed an interest in purchasing part of the site adjacent to Burnt House Lane for the construction of a number of houses for part ownership and for let. This is as a result of a survey of housing needs of residents in Brockdishand Needham. However, after 18 months there has so far been no confirmation of a sale.
Needham Action Group, a sub-committee of the Parish Council, was congratulated on being awarded a grant of £10,000 from the National Lottery Fund to be spent on equipment for the Nook.
The next meeting will be held in the Village Hall Annex at 7.30 on Monday 23rd September.
Andrew Major, Chairman
Needham Village Hall
It may not be widely known that the Village Hall Committee pays for the bottle banks in the village to be emptied. The benefit to the village is that we can then claim recycling credits from Norfolk County Council. This can be worth over £200 a year so please continue to re-cycle your bottles in the bottle banks.The company that empties the banks has identified a risk from the overhead power linesand asked that the banks be moved. Fortunately the Red Lion has kindly agreed tohouse the bottle banks on behalf of the village. It is expected that the first of the banks will be relocated in September. The Village Hall will continue to pay for the banks to be emptied and continue to claim the credits; money that is then put towards organising events for the whole village such as the Summer Barbecue. This year the Barbecue will be held on Sunday 15th September at 1pm. As before, there will be music and a bouncy castle. We have also invited County Broadband, the company that would like to bring fibre optic broadband to the village, to be there to answer any questions on this project.
Andrew Major, Chairman
Needham Village Garage Sale
Pink Ladies' Tractor Road Run 2019
On Sunday 7 July I joined over 120 women dressed in a variety of outfits mainly in shades of pink who were assembled with their tractors, which were also dressed mainly in pink, at Thorpe Abbots Airfield before setting off on the 20 mile progress through the lanes of Norfolk and Suffolk. This was the annual Pink Ladies Tractor Road Run in aid of Cancer Research UK (CRUK). The weather was very kind to us this year as the sun shone but it wasn’t too hot. The crowds on the route were, as usual, amazing. I’m always impressed by the number of people who sit along the route outside their houses, decorated with pink balloons, their glasses raised as we drive past. The sight of the pavements in Harlestoncrowded with clapping and cheering supporters is an emotional experience which always brings a tear to the eyes of most of the tractor drivers! The picnic at the half way stage in the grounds of Gawdy Hall is also a very jolly occasion and a chance to rest one’s aching body after being bounced around in the tractor for the first half of the run before setting off for the final leg. It also gives friends and family the chance to climb aboard the tractors!
Helen Major
Needham’s ‘golden opportunity’ to join UK’s full fibre broadband revolution
Homes and businesses in Needham are being urged to seize a “golden opportunity” of connecting to UK-leading full fibre broadband after unique roll-out plans were unveiled by County Broadband at a meeting in the VillageHall last month: they are a specialist provider based in East Anglia.
In a major boost to Norfolk’s rural digital economy, County Broadband has initially identified over 20 villages including Needham where it aims to build its future-ready gigabit-capable full fibre network, offering ultrafast and hyperfastspeeds. The project is funded in part by a £46million private investment by Aviva Investors.
The village would have some of the fastest internet speeds in the UK, at up to 20 times the national average. The government pledged last year that the entire UK should have access to full fibre by 2033 to catch up with the rest of the world.
Full fibre broadband provides lightning-fast speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps) through FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) networks in which fibre optic cables are connected directly into properties and offices –even in difficult-to-reach areas. HD films can be downloaded in minutes and albums in seconds.
Such speeds are even 10 times faster than superfast broadband which in contrast relies on FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) infrastructure which, even though is promoted as fibre, uses copper elements dating back to the Victorian period to deliver the internet from green roadside cabinets to properties. Speeds halve approximately every 600 metres and connections can be unreliable in peak times.
Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband, said:“We are very excited to announce our full fibre rollout plans in Needham to help transform the county’s digital landscape and rural economies. Our investment in Norfolk’s infrastructure will not only make many forgotten villages fit-for-the future but will also place them in the top 7% for UK digital connectivity. Our all-new, future-ready full fibre networks will provide reliable access to modern services such as on-demand TV, video conferencing and innovative new technology.”
Residents and businesses in the village now have the choice of pre-ordering the new network or staying with their current providers. It is understood there are no other full fibre broadband providers planning to rollout in Norfolk currently.
At least 30% of residents and businesses must commit to pre-ordering to give the green light to start construction. The network would be installed in 2020 and be available to all premises.
St Peter’s Church Needham September & October 2019
Church Services
1st Sept No Service
8th Sept Morning Prayer 9.30am
15th Sept No Service
22nd Sept Holy Communion 9.30am
30th Sept No Service
6th Oct Harvest Service 4pm
13th Oct No Service
20th Oct No Service
27th Oct Holy Communion 9.30am
Contacts:
Rector: Revd Tim Rogers 01379 852166
Email: rector@7churches.org.uk
Website: www.7churches.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/7churches.org.uk
Administration: 01379 851148
Email: admin@7churches.org.uk
Dates for the Diaries
September 14th Annual Sponsored
Bike Ride from 9am til5pm. Sponsor forms at the church.
September 15th: Floral Exhibition in the church to coincide with Village Hall BBQ. If children would like to bring a wild flower arrangement or if anyone who would like to bring a flower arrangement along for this please bring it to church on Friday13th Septemberin between 2p.m -5p.m
October 6th:Harvest Festival at 4pm followed by Bring & Share Tea in the Village Hall.
November 16th: Annual Churchyard Tidy Up from 9.30am -weather permitting. There will be free refreshments available for the workers
I would like to send out a plea for volunteers to help with cleaning the church and l’m looking to form a rota for this. If anyone is kind enough to assist please contact Gill Powell regarding this or any of the above dates on 07545 396695 or gopowell45@hotmail.co.uk
We are hoping to have a key safe installed in the very near future.
Gill Powell
Waveney Heritage present:
A GUIDED TOUR OF BROCKDISH CHURCH
Local Historian, author and Brockdishresident Elaine Murphy will lead a tour of the interior and exterior of the village church recounting some of the interesting facts and stories about this historic local building.
Sunday, 22nd September 2.30pm
Tickets £5 (£4 WH members)
Free Parking at the church; refreshments provided.
Harleston & District Forget-Me-Not Dementia
Friendly Community & Cafe
The Forget-me-Not Café is open on the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Swift Piano Bar at the Swan Hotel, Harleston, 2 -4pm with our next session on: 19thSeptember contact Pat on 01379 676557 or email Patricia.simmonds@mail.com
NEEDHAM ACTION GROUP
£10K SCOOP FOR NAG!
£10,000!!!! Yes, it’s true! NAG has been granted £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to commission bespoke equipment for the Nook. This is very exciting news and completely reaffirms all of the hard work and time everyone in the village, especially Fairlie Winship, Andrew Major and Niki Stickells, has put in to bring this project to life. Thank you very much for all of your hard work and dedication.
We are already in contact with the tree sculptures and hopefully will have a piece or two completed for the village barbeque on September 15th. Please come and tell us what you think and join in the celebrations.
A culvert bridge is also in development to link the village hall with the Nook to make the space more unified. We are still in the process of raising funds for this and aim to complete it in the autumn if all goes according to plan.
Lastly, a dog bin will also be installed near the entrance of the Nook for dog walkers so please ensure you use it to keep the space clean and safe for everyone.
For anyone who hasn’t been down there yet, this is a lovely field with well-kept grass excellent for sports activities, having a picnic or simply somewhere to take a stroll. So please come and enjoy the new space and if you would like to get involved or tell us your views please contact me, Fariba on Faribahr@hotmail.com
Borderhopper vehicles are available to people of all ages who need help with transport. It’s a door-to-door service and we also provide outings for regular members.
Contact us: 01379 854800 or www.borderhoppa.org
What’s On
HARLESTON CINEMA: FILMS FOR SEPT 2019
THURSDAY 26thSeptember:
Fisherman’sFriends(12)
starringDaneil Mays &TuppenceMiddleton Dir.Chris Foggin.1hr52m
Ten Fishermen from Cornwall achieve a Top10 hit after they are signed by Universal Records for their talent of being able to sing a sea shanty or two. This film taps into the sense of close knit communities, middle age male obsolescence and the commitment of keeping traditions alive.
Venue:MasonicRooms,TheThoroughfare,Harleston
Tickets: £4: for further information and to book please ring Harleston Information Plus on 01379 851917.
Matinee: Doors open 1.30pm, film starts at 2.00pm.
Evening: Doors open 7.00pm, film starts at 7.30pm
U3A TALKS IN 2019
WEDNESDAY 18THSeptember 2019: Tales from the Bench
Graham Higgins relates local events particularly the role magistrates have played in this history. He also includes some of his more unusual experiences on the bench and finish with a brief opportunity for members to see what the role of a magistrate is today by listening to a very brief outline of a case for them to decide how they would sentence the defendant.
WEDNESDAY 16thOctober 2019: Two Teachers’ Ascent of Everest.
Amanda Richmond tells the story of two Suffolk teachers who climbed Mount Everest: the 6-year preparation, planning & hardships involved in tackling the formidable ascent. A lavishly illustrated talk with funds raised being used to support people who have been affected by natural disasters.
Please note: U3A Meetings are now held at St John’s Church, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9EN at 2pm. For details phone Kim on 01986 788149 or see: u3asites.org.uk/harleston
GILL ALEXANDER’S BARN CONCERT
Friday 6thSeptember –7.15pm
Gill will be hosting one of her celebrated jazz concerts featuring Mike Piggott, a jazz violinist in the style of Stephane Grappelli with his accompanist Martin Litton, a pianist of great renown, with Gill on double bass.
Tickets in advance only: £28.00 which includes a full meal.
Phone: 01379 852721
Venue: The Barn, Mill Lane, Needham. IP20 9LD
For listing of all Barn events: www.gilllevin.wordpress.com
Gill Alexander has been nominated as one of the 100 most inspiring women in Norfolk in an Eastern Daily Press initiative. The final results will be celebrated on 10thOctober at Brasteds restaurant
.See:https://www.edp24.co.uk/features/inspiring-women-of-norfolk-nominations-1-6157249
Red Lion Events
Red Lion Hawaiian Party