Wednesday 1 July 2020
Needham Virtual Open Gardens 2020
One, if not the only, benefit of Lockdown was that we were able to spend time in our gardens. The beautiful April/May weather encouraged the growth of plants and, despite the lack of rain, many gardens looked wonderful by all accounts. Lockdown meant that we were not able to visit other gardens so a challenge was issued to the gardeners of Needham – send in photos of your garden so we can have a virtual Open Gardens this year and share your garden with others. Thanks to Georgina & Graeme, Janet, Ann & Keith, Ashleigh & Nathan and Helen & Andrew for sharing their gardens with us.
A Tribute to Ellen White (1924 – 2020)
Ellen moved to Needham in 1951 where she lived with her husband Dudley. Many will remember her from when she worked for many years as a dinner lady at Redenhall Junior School. She cycled to and from work daily and continued to ride her bike into Harleston into her 80s.
Ellen was Needham’s oldest and longest serving resident and much loved by all who she knew. She is survived by her son, David, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
I am sad to announce the passing of my mother, Ellen Maude White of Needham. Ellen passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday 17th June aged 96 years. She has been a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend to many. She will be greatly missed but never forgotten.
Ellen's funeral will be at St. Marys Church, Redenhall, with arrangements yet to be made.
Ellen's funeral will be at St. Marys Church, Redenhall, with arrangements yet to be made.
David White.
Editorial
As we start to emerge from Covid restrictions It’s obvious that many villagers have been busy catching up with domestic tasks as well as creating magnificent gardens. I’ve included some of the photos I’ve received but there are more to be found on the Link’s website. I have also have reports of kindness and support which has enabled more vulnerable members of the community to cope during the pandemic. We are now starting to see the beginnings of life returning to normality. The Red Lion will be operating again from 4th July, albeit in a somewhat different way. This will be a crucial time for them so I would encourage everyone to support them, as a pub is a key part of any community. Remember the slogan: ‘Use it or lose it!’
The progress we’ve seen at the Nook is truly impressive and I’d like to congratulate all those who have made it happen. Again, it will be important that it is used to capacity.
You will also read about the many improvements made to the Village Hall by our Parish Council. It is a huge asset for Needham and it will be good to see it fully operational soon.
I’m sure that many people will be mourning the loss of Ellen White (reported opposite) whose long and purposeful life was an inspiration to us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.There will be many challenges ahead but, as we’ve shown recently, we can survive and thrive when we all work together
Alan Jeffery
St Peters Church
Website - www.7churches.org.uk
Facebook - www.facebook.com/7churches.org.uk Administration - 01379 851148
Email: admin@7churches.org.uk
The church is to remain locked until such time it’s safe to reopen, but if anyone wants to have Private Prayers they need to contact Rev. Nigel Tuffnell to make an appointment beforehand.
Needham Parish Council
needhampc.org.uk
Because of the Covid-19 lockdown it was not possible to hold the Parish Council meeting scheduled for 23rd March. However, the Parish Council continues with its business: financing and monitoring the emptying of dog bins, footpath clearance, grass cutting and financing the publication of the Link as well as liaising with South Norfolk Council on highways and other issues. You may have also noticed the return of the Speed Awareness Machine that had been sent to the manufacturer for an upgrade. It now records the time and speed of vehicle, information that can be passed on to the Police. A Zoom meeting of Parish Councillors was held on 18th May to receive a financial report from the Parish Clerk and review actions taken during the lock-down.
Because of the Covid-19 lockdown it was not possible to hold the Parish Council meeting scheduled for 23rd March. However, the Parish Council continues with its business: financing and monitoring the emptying of dog bins, footpath clearance, grass cutting and financing the publication of the Link as well as liaising with South Norfolk Council on highways and other issues. You may have also noticed the return of the Speed Awareness Machine that had been sent to the manufacturer for an upgrade. It now records the time and speed of vehicle, information that can be passed on to the Police. A Zoom meeting of Parish Councillors was held on 18th May to receive a financial report from the Parish Clerk and review actions taken during the lock-down.
Andrew Major
Chairman
From Needham Parish Council Archives
In December 1939, at the request of a Mr Welham Clarke of Henstead Lodge, the Clerk of Needham Parish Council wrote to the Clerk of Weybread Parish Council to inform him that the bridge at Luck’s Mill was in an unsafe state and trusts that his Board will carry out the necessary repairs. The resident provides the information that a two arched brick bridge in good order was removed in 1923 and replaced with steel as part of State Aid Scheme for the relief of unemployment. Predictably, Weybread attempted to pass on responsibility to Norfolk County Council. They however wrote in 1941 to say that the matter had been investigated and it had been established conclusively that the ownership and repair did not rest with them.
As the problem now returned to Needham, the Parish Clerk escalated the matter by writing on the 14th February 1942 to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. A reply was received a month later stating that in the view of the Minister the bridge would appear to be in private ownership and consequently the responsibility of the landowner.
Nothing now remains of the Mill that was located some distance from the village centre but the bridge, as it happens, has just been repaired. What is striking from the correspondence is that the original complainant states that Where did children come from that children attending school cross the bridge daily, also many working people in the district use it. They made a long journey on foot across fields to the village school? It was a different world then.
Andrew Major
Phil Makes the Difference
Builder and carpenter Phil Spragg has being carrying out the repairs and redecoration at the Village Hall. He and his wife Jan lived in Brockdish between 1999 – 2013 where they ran the Post Office and General Store. You may remember them delivering your newspapers as part of their 23 mile circuit.
Phil has now returned to building work, with Jan also assisting with painting who has also run a mobile refreshments vehicle – the Snak Shak – and now works in a local chicken factory.
Enquiries: Phil Spragg, Tel: 07827 646661
Needham Village Hall
All Hall activities ceased at the beginning of March as a result of the lock-down and it has
not been possible to hold the Annual Meeting. This has provided the opportunity to carry out repairs and maintenance that might otherwise have been disruptive. Thank you to Diane and Gordon who have continued to make regular visits to the Hall and carry out cleaning jobs that would not otherwise be practical. Also, an upstairs storage room in the school house has been cleared and both this room and the downstairs front room are currently being re-decorated. It is also planned to redecorate the annex. There has already been interest in hiring the front room and it is hoped it will get wider use in the future. A new lock is to be fitted to the side door to provide separate access. The survival of the Hall depends on revenue from hiring to cover the running costs, so it must be hoped that it will not be too long before classes can resume at the Hall.
Andrew Major
News From The Nook
Needham Action Group are very pleased to announcethat during these weeks of lockdown and slow down, work at The Nook has been hotting up and new features are emerging! If you haven’t been down there recently, it would be well worth a look - though we ask
you to please respect the hazard tape whilst it is still in the build stage and do not climb just yet! Installed already (and with finishing touches happening as we go to press) is an adventure climbing area for children and young people... and even the odd adventurous adult! Meanwhile a shelter/bandstand is in the process of being erected, which we hope will be used and loved by all, and will be an asset for any outdoor community events. Over the coming months we have plans to add a swing and some football goals (all in keeping with the natural wood theme).
In other news, Needham Action Group were fortunate to be granted a second pot of money earlier this year by South Norfolk District Council which should see the project through to completion, and our great thanks go to Fleur Curson who worked hard to get the application completed on our behalf. We are also very grateful to Awards for All who have funded all of the lovely play equipment that is currently being installed, as well as the beautiful picnic bench and the bridge.
Many thanks to those of you who pass through and pull up the odd weed, or pick up stones and take them to the edge. As a recently worked field, stones will continue to push through to the surface, so please take care and continue to remove stones if you see them in order to protect both yourself and others who use the field.
We hope that this summer we will be able to hold a spatially distanced event to celebrate the completion of the project - so please keep your eye out for information, and get in touch if you are willing to help make this happen.
As always, very many thanks to all those who have made this project possible and who have supported the work of Needham Action Group.
In other news, Needham Action Group were fortunate to be granted a second pot of money earlier this year by South Norfolk District Council which should see the project through to completion, and our great thanks go to Fleur Curson who worked hard to get the application completed on our behalf. We are also very grateful to Awards for All who have funded all of the lovely play equipment that is currently being installed, as well as the beautiful picnic bench and the bridge.
Many thanks to those of you who pass through and pull up the odd weed, or pick up stones and take them to the edge. As a recently worked field, stones will continue to push through to the surface, so please take care and continue to remove stones if you see them in order to protect both yourself and others who use the field.
We hope that this summer we will be able to hold a spatially distanced event to celebrate the completion of the project - so please keep your eye out for information, and get in touch if you are willing to help make this happen.
As always, very many thanks to all those who have made this project possible and who have supported the work of Needham Action Group.
Fairlie Winship
News from North of the By Pass
Driving on our country lanes is something we’ve discovered since moving here, and as a family we now drive with more care, however we are still surprised by the speeding cars passing our gate! However we have noticed that others have slowed down and much appreciate it very much. For dog walkers you may have noticed that we have a little terrier, called Teddy. He runs up to you looks incredibly frightening but butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, so I have no fear.
Progress on the Hill.
Vicki and I are new to gardening. Two years ago we hadn’t got a clue and this is our second year. The success we’ve had is just amazing and every day we wake up, not only more weeds but some beautiful flowers and the selection of new vegetables. The walkers will have seen our rose garden which has surprised us, thinking that we wouldn’t see any flowers this year. They are quite beautiful! I believe the success has been learnt from the preparation from the start. Get that right and the results will follow. The enormous amount of patience that is required is another new hobby required for gardening!
The Future...
Coming out of lockdown is interesting from many different angles. Not sure whether we have rushed this yet, but very concerned for a second hit! I have only left here once to go to a meeting at Brockdish. With all the meetings that I’ve had on Zoom seems to have taught a few of us to keep meetings to the point and within an hour. Long may this continue. My business, thanks to Vicki, has ticked over, providing meals to the locals, as and when required. The hotel has had a ‘makeover’ in almost all areas. The future plans are to continue and develop the ‘takeaways’, have a menu for the children, open up for teas & coffees and to open up the accommodation. The bar I’m not rushing into, even if they relax the two metre distancing and looking towards Christmas. We do hope to open the restaurant, exclusive menu and very restricted numbers. Bookings only. Watch this space!
The answer to the .. how many screws did we use, on the fence? The best result was 16% off the total. Their guess was 540. Now, what was the actual answer?Robin Twigge
Taming the locks during Lockdown
Chris Poulter demonstrated his hairdressing skills during the Covd-19 crisis. Providing much need hair relief he was able to ensure that no-one in the house ended up looking like Worzel Gummidge! Although an engraver by training and trade, hairdressing is in his genes: his Father owned a prestigious hairdressing salon in St John’s Wood which was frequented by the rich and famous in pre-WW2 London. All was lost when, during the Blitz, a bomb destroyed the premises, along with the business. Still, as you can see, talent will out, and the wielding of the scissors continues to this day.Needham Property Burned Out
At Needham on Sunday morning for the third time in eight days, the Harleston Fire Brigade had to engage in a battle with the flames. A number of sheds on the side of the main road, standing between the (Red) Lion Inn and the Post Office, were involved in the outbreak and extensive damage was done
A garage containing a Morris Cowley two-seater was burned to the ground
and it was impossible to extricate the car which belonged to Mr F.C. Colls, the landlord of the (Red) Lion Inn. A large fattening coop, in which there were 500 chickens, estimated to be worth at least £100, was also attacked by the flames, and the chickens lost. In another fattening coop nearby there were 200 chickens but a number of these were saved. Other property destroyed included a barn, owned by Mr A Whurr and rented by Mr Colls, some crates, about 15 to 20 packing hampers, a small cart, and various utensils. Four incubators and several thousands of eggs were saved just in time.
A garage containing a Morris Cowley two-seater was burned to the ground
and it was impossible to extricate the car which belonged to Mr F.C. Colls, the landlord of the (Red) Lion Inn. A large fattening coop, in which there were 500 chickens, estimated to be worth at least £100, was also attacked by the flames, and the chickens lost. In another fattening coop nearby there were 200 chickens but a number of these were saved. Other property destroyed included a barn, owned by Mr A Whurr and rented by Mr Colls, some crates, about 15 to 20 packing hampers, a small cart, and various utensils. Four incubators and several thousands of eggs were saved just in time.
The fire was first reported by Mr C W Battell of the Post Office who was waiting for a call to be put through at the time. While he was waiting he was talking to a friend at the door. Suddenly the friend remarked that there seemed to be a bit of a blaze along the road. On going to have a look, Mr Battel noticed that the garage had caught fire. Realising the gravity of this he immediately informed Mr & Mrs Colls, who were just about to retire, and then phoned the Harleston Fire Brigade. That was at 10.55pm, and by 11.10pm the Brigade were on the scene; an amazingly quick piece of work considering that all the officers and men were scattered about the town and some of them in bed when the alarm was given. The Captain, Mr H.G. Denny, and Vice Captain, Mr J.W. Keeley, were highly praised for the way they handled the situation.
The nearest water was a beck about 300 yards away from the fire but it was only a matter of minutes before the Merryweather trailer pump (see below) was working and water being pumped on to the flames....
The petrol in the garage, and the wood many times covered with tar of which the buildings were constructed, burned with terrific intensity. It was not long before a large crowd of sightseers had gathered from all the neighbourhood.
All this time the fire seemed to grow in volume and burning pieces of timber were blown about by the breeze to the danger of the surrounding property. A wooden bungalow not far away became so hot that it was impossible to touch the walls. Mr Denny said that if the Brigade had been ten minutes later this, along with the Post Office and the Inn, would have been gutted.
After a time it became necessary to go half a mile away to the River Waveney to obtain water in sufficient quantity, but when this was done the firemen’s task was definitely easier and by midnight the outbreak was safely under control. Dawn was breaking before it was safe for the Brigade to return home.
The cause of the fire is somewhat obscure as no one was about at the time, and it is believed that it originally emanated from Mr Coll’s car which he had put away only ten minutes previously. The loss of the vehicle will be a great blow to its owner who had bought it only three months ago as an assistance to his poultry business and who was not covered by insurance. The garage belonged to the brewery.
Article taken from the Diss Express, 26th July 1935
CONNECTING WITH THE NATURAL WORLD IN LOCKDOWN
A greater connection with the natural world has been one of the few benefits of lockdown. We have spent more time in the garden and walking or cycling through the countryside. Springwatch has inspired many to notice the wildlife around us and Gardeners World has given us great ideas for our gardens.
Lockdown started in spring when we had glorious summer weather. We watched the trees turn green as their leaves came out and flowers blossomed. We had beautiful spring flowers, daffodils, tulips, muscari, etc. Those have now been replaced with beautiful roses and hoards of wild red poppies, among other things, in my garden. The flowers attract a wide variety of bees and flies, but sadly, not many butterflies. Now, after all the rain the grass is a lovely bright green having been quite brown.
The flock of sparrows with their young empty our feeders every day, while pigeons hang around beneath collecting up what they drop. This morning a kestrel came to the feeder, hoping to catch a sparrow, and we have had a spotted woodpecker and a jay there too. Other avian visitors include goldfinches, various tits, dunnocks, robins, collared doves. We see buzzards, gulls, oyster catchers and house martins flying overhead. And now there are skylarks in the fields. It is good to see swans nesting by the Waveney. Sadly we have not seen a barn owl this year.
After dark there is sometimes a deep call - not quite a bark, not a dog and too deep for a fox, coming from near the by-pass. I have concluded that it is a roe deer. Can anyone confirm this?
Georgina Frost
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