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Friday, 1 May 2015

New venture for ex-Needham residents

Jonathan & Vicky Townley have swapped their home in Needham for the Old King’s Head in Brockdish.  Together with Jonathan’s sisters they are bringing a new dining experience to Brockdish.  At the moment they are serving stone baked pizzas using authentic freshly sourced Italian ingredients but very shortly they will introduce their new menu which will feature rustic Mediterranean foods, again with in-season and fresh ingredients. Freshly baked bread is for sale from early mornings.

Jonathan, who has a life long interest in fine food,  started working in kitchens at the very early age of 12 and his sister Louise’s CV is equally impressive as she was one of the  first prize winning team  in ITV’s ‘Taste the Nation’.  They describe themselves as ‘foodies without snobbery’.  

Vicky is leaving the cooking to Jonathan and Louise as she will be promoting the gallery which features local artists.  

They have worked hard to give the pub interior a fresh and contemporary feel but without compromising  the character of the old building.

The Townleys have exciting plans for the Old Kings Head but are introducing them in stages.  They hope to have regular acoustic music sessions (the first was on 23 April) and there will be Scrabble evenings on the last Wednesday of the month as well as art events throughout the year. 

We wish them ‘Good Luck’

For up to date information visit: www.kingsheadbrockdish.co.uk 
Follow them on twitter: @OKHBrockdish

Or ‘be friends’ on Facebook: 

May in the Garden

  • Watch out for late frosts - protect tender plants.
  • Earth up potatoes and promptly plant any still remaining.
  • Plant our summer bedding at the end of the month
  • Collect rainwater and investigate ways of recycling water
  • Regularly hoe off weeds - don’t let them get on top of you!
  • Open greenhouse doors and vents in warm weather.
  • Mow lawns weekly.
  • Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges.
  • Lift & divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils & other spring flowering bulbs
  • Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs.
Gardening Editor

Safer Neighbourhood Team

harleston SNT

PCSO Pete Williamson & I would like to introduce ourselves as your local Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).

We are hoping to post a regular article in your village magazine to keep you up to date with what’s going on in Needham from a policing perspective.

We will inform you of the crimes that have occurred in your area, offer crime prevention advice and answer any questions you may have.

If there is any information you would like to see from us on a regular basis please let us know and we will aim to include it.

March saw no crimes recorded in the village.

To contact Norfolk Constabulary Dial 101
Always dial 999 in an emergency

PC Jim Squires

Open Space Theatre

Four local actors are preparing to appear in a classic drama which is being toured in May by the locally based Open Space Theatre Company, which rehearses in Needham Village Hall.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee - a play adapted for a memorable 1960s film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton - will have eight performances in May at theatres in the Waveney Valley.
The cast include Yves Green, an experienced actress who has lived in Needham for the past 20 years and is a trustee of the theatre company.
Also acting in the play will be Peter Sowerbutts, who lives in Harleston, has a long and distinguished career in the professional theatre and is a former artistic director of the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich.
The play is set on a university campus where a naive young couple, Nick and Honey, find themselves marooned amidst the vicious, humiliating and cynical battlefield of George and Martha's marriage.
Yves and Peter will taking the roles of Martha and George. Nick will be played by Mike Davison, who is director of the Harleston Players youth group.
Honey will be played by Emma Martin who lives in Diss and is marketing manager of the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds.
Performance details and box office numbers are:

Friday, May 8 -             The Bank Arts Centre, Eye, tel. 01379 873495
Saturday, May 9 -         Fisher Theatre, Bungay, tel. 01986 897130
Wednesday, May 13 - St Edmunds Hall, Hoxne, tel. 01379 855101
Friday, May 15 -           Wingfield Barns, tel. 01379 384505
Saturday, May 16 -      Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft, 01502 589726
Tuesday, May 19 -       Diss Corn Hall, tel. 01379 652241
Thursday, May 21 -     Beccles Public Hall, tel. 01502 770060

Tickets are £10 and £8.50 (concessions). All performances start at 7.30pm

Harleston & Waveney Art Trail


16/17 May  23/24/25 May
Visit local artists’ studios & workshops


Needham artists will again be opening their studios/workshops. Be sure to visit Gill Levin in the Tithe Barn, Mill Lane; Rose Martin in Skeetsmere House, Upper Burnt House Lane and Vicky Townley in The Old King’s Head in Brockdish

Borderhoppa

do you, or someone you know, need help with transport?

Borderhoppa is a local community transport charity operating a door to door service in this area.  We currently have funding from the Big Lottery to provide transport for 16-24 year olds for travel to and from job clubs, job interviews, skill training etc.  If this applies to you please call 01379 854800 so that we can help.

Our Dial a Ride service is also open to anyone who does not have the use of other transport facilities.  To use our service you need to become a member & pay a membership fee.  Fares are then priced depending on distance travelled.  We can take people to local appointments at doctors, dentists, hairdressers, vets, to work, to visit a friend or relative or anywhere they wish to go within our catchment area.
We provide group hire for not for profit community groups & organisations with our 16 seater mini buses.  We also operate outings for our members throughout the year to pub lunches, seaside, boat trips, garden centres, shopping etc.
If you would like to make a booking or would like more information on any of the above, please call 01379 858800 or visit our website

Needham/Brockdish Defibrillator


Village Emergency Telephone System (VETS)

If you need to call for emergency assistance requiring the use of the defibrillator, follow the procedure shown below -:

ALWAYS call 999 ambulance first


Make call to VETS village helpers on 
01379 844005
(The caller is played a simple message before
VETS village helpers answer - 10 lines ring simultaneously)

VETS village helpers collect and bring the
defibrillator to patient

VETS Village Helpers
Andrew Major
Clive Read (Brockdish)
Del Snaith
Gill Powell
Helen Walker
Jackie Spooner (Brockdish)
John Morrish
Michael Massey
Scott Coleman
Yvonne Coleman

NOTE:  It is worth reiterating the information given in the last edition of The Link, advising that the system can also be used for any other non-999 emergencies, where family/neighbours/friends are not on hand to assist.  In this instance, ring the same number -  01379 844005 - to make contact with the VETS village helpers.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT 01379 844005 INTO YOUR TELEPHONE MEMORY.

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

May/June Edition

The May/June edition is being printed and should be with the delivery team soon.  The Link will be online to view on 1 May

Thursday, 5 March 2015





NEEDHAM VILLAGE LINK


MARCH/APRIL 2015



The newsletter for the villagers of Needham

@needham link

From the Guest Editor

I was pleased to be invited by Helen to become Guest Editor for this edition of the Needham Link.

How time flies - Del and I can't believe that we've lived in Needham for over 2 years now!  We moved here from Bedfordshire after I retired, in order to be closer to our son and his family who live in Stowmarket.  We are sure that moving to Needham was the right choice, as we immediately felt "at home" and very much appreciate the warm, friendly welcome that we have received.   I must add that Del couldn't believe his luck when we found a property that we really liked and which was only 150 yards from The Red Lion!

There are two important health-related articles in this edition that are essential reading.  "Don't Miss Life's Precious Moments" contains information on NHS health checks for villagers aged between 40-74 years of age.  The article entitled "Village Emergency Telephone System (VETS)"  details how to call for emergency assistance requiring the use of the defibrillator and also how to seek assistance with non-999 emergencies.

If you have any announcements or articles of interest that you'd like to share - eg reminiscences of times gone by; describing a hobby/particular interest; a memorable/funny experience that you've had, etc - I'm sure that Helen would be delighted to receive your contributions.

Celia

Car Crime

During the cold winter mornings, the Norfolk Constabulary has advised not to leave your vehicle on your driveway with the engine running in order to defrost it, as it is at risk of being stolen.


At the last Parish Council Meeting, we were informed by PC Jim Squires that several cars had recently been stolen in South Norfolk after their owners left their cars in this manner.