A Tale of Two Gills

Needham boasts a highly accomplished musician – Gill Alexander – as well as an outstanding and acclaimed artist – Gill Levin – but they are one and the same person!

Gill Alexander:

Gill moved to Needham in the early 1980s following a four-day holiday in the area when she first saw the 18th Century Tithe Barn on Mill Lane and it was love at first sight. The property was soon purchased and arrangements made for Gill and her daughter to move from Putney to the wilds of Norfolk.

Money was tight so Gill began giving music lessons for children and later for adults. The classes were expanded over the years and music groups were organised, including a jazz band and a classical octet. The Barn soon became famous for its regular ‘Barn’ jazz concerts which are still run today. Gill is also a regular performer at The Kings Head, Brockdish, the Swan in Harleston and numerous other local venues. Later this year Gill will be appearing with her quartet at the Lowestoft Jazz Festival.

Many generations of people owe their introduction and subsequent success in music to Gill Alexander and her determination to bring this art form to Needham. Even at the age of 82 she continues to entertain, educate and inspire through her passion for music.

In order to find out more about the Barn Concerts and Art Exhibitions go to the website: www.gilllevin.wordpress.com




Gill Levin FRSA

Born in Hampton, Middlesex in 1935, brought up in Chelsea, Gill attended Chelsea School of Art 1951-56 on scholarships, studying Fine Art, Sculpture, Lettering, Printmaking and Graphic Art, majoring in Fine Art. She later worked for the Design Centre, Haymarket and also set up businesses producing silver jewellery and ran a shop selling her ceramics and paintings.

Her work can be classified according to four diverse themes: landscapes; grasses; my garden; and structures. The bold paintings of industrial structures of Battersea Power Station and Brighton West Pier are in direct contrast to the delicate landscapes and plants in her other works. More recently she has added mines as a source of inspiration for her painting.

Gill has lately formed a new group of painters called ’The Waveney Nine’ who are all trained and have extensive exhibiting and teaching experience. Their inaugural exhibition will take place later this year – see website for updates.: www.gilllevin.wordpresscom

NEXT TIME: learn about Gill’s involvement in HWAT – Harleston & Waveney Art Trail (https://hwat.org.uk)

Needham Parish Council

A recurring complaint we receive at Parish Council meetings is the impassable state of public footpaths.  Occasionally we are able to call on the local authority Rangers to carry out work, but they have limited time and resources.  Also, public spirited residents have carried out work, but we cannot rely on them to keep paths clear the year round. It was agreed, therefore, at the Parish Council meeting held on the 15th January, that the Parish should take on responsibility for some of this work.  In order to do this the precept, which is the money the Parish receives out of the Council Tax, should be increased.  This is the first time it has been increased in over ten years. 

 We are, therefore, putting out to tender the work of clearing a number of footpaths on a regular basis.  If you, or anyone you know, are interested in doing this, please contact me at the address below.  We do remind residents, however, that they are responsible for any of their hedges that overhang public footpaths.

Due to the resignation of one of our Parish Councillors, there is now a casual vacancy on the Parish Council.  Again, please contact me if you are interested.  We meet only every two months, but have an important and fulfilling role in supporting the community.

Finally, the Parish Council now has a web site.  This means that all documents such as minutes and accounts will be easily accessible, as well updates on local news and events.  It can be found at needhampc.org.uk.

The next meeting will be at 7.30pm on 12th March following a meeting of the NAG coordinating committee at 7.00pm.

  Andrew Major, Chairman

  andrewmajor@mac.com

  01379 852958

Borderhoppa

Need help with transport?  Borderhoppa buses are available to people of all ages who are unable to use ordinary bus services either because of mobility difficulties or because there isn’t a bus service for them to use.

Our door-to-door dial a ride service can take you shopping, to medical appointments (excluding hospitals), to visit a friend or relative or attend a local club.

Our regular members outings are very popular. We have trips to the seaside, garden centres, shopping trips, boat trips and pub lunches.

If you would like to find out more about the great service we provide please call us on 01379 854800 or visit our website www.borderhoppa.org

Bonfires - Fun or a Nuisance?

Bonfires can be great fun and are one way to dispose of garden waste. There are no laws against having a bonfire, but there are laws for the nuisance they can cause.

You can't get rid of household waste this way because it causes pollution which is illegal. Plastics are the most problematic as they may contain cyanide, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other halogenated (containing chlorine and fluorine) substances to name a few. Burning plastic smells really bad and can release extremely cancer causing dioxins into the air effecting wildlife and humans alike. Rubber and painted materials are equally as toxic when burnt, in fact burning anything adds to air pollution which is especially bad for asthma sufferers.

If smoke is allowed to drift across the road, you could be fined. Also an abatement order may be served if bonfires regularly cause a nuisance to neighbours followed by a fine of up to £5000.

So to have your bonfire and stay friends with neighbours, it's best to check the wind direction, don’t burn anything other than dry garden waste and always watch out for hibernating creatures.

Alternatively, and these are the best options by far, garden waste can be used to make wildlife habitats or turned into compost at home or via the council's brown bin collection.

  By a concerned neighbour

  (name & address supplied)

Needham Action Group's Village Green Update

Starting with a small seed, and a year

on we are ready to bring this idea to life!

Needham Action Group are thrilled to announce that we have recently been awarded funding to begin the long awaited community project of transforming the farm field behind the village hall into an accessible and attractive green space for the whole community. With this funding and all of the necessary paperwork approaching completion, we are very excited to be able to truly get started! Contact greenigloos@gmail.com for more information or to join the group (new members always welcome)

Many thanks to the Shelroy Charitable Foundation and Saracen’s Norfolk Fund for their generous grants as well as Norfolk Community Foundation for all of their support in helping us achieve this important goal and to our neighbours at Starston who have kindly shared their experiences in setting up their own Glebe Meadow Community project.

Red Lion

Coffee Mornings

As you can see from the photos below, the weekly coffee meetings continue to be very popular with

local residents as well as with people from  a wider area. Apart from the chance to indulge yourself with tea/coffee and great home made cakes, you will have a chance to make new friends in the village. The meetings take place on the first Tuesday of each month at 10.00am, so the next ones will be on: Tuesday 6th March and Tuesday 3rd April. See you there!

The Village Green Clearing Party

Please join us Sunday 4th March, 10-12am for free tea and cake with friends and fellow villagers and let us know what you think the field should be called! We will be working on opening up the entrance to the land, cutting back branches and clearing weeds to improve access, so please bring gloves, secateurs and gardening tools if you would like to get involved, and do dress warmly. Remember to look out for our poster and any updates on the village noticeboards!

Please get involved by baking a cake, making tea on the day, or just coming to take a look, we will welcome you warmly... the more community involvement in the project, the better! Volunteer time will be counted towards future funding bids, so your presence at this event will really help.

We look forward to seeing you! With warm wishes from Needham Action Group

                         Fairlie Winship

What's On

HARLESTON CINEMA: FILMS FOR MAR – APR  2018

THURSDAY, 22 MARCH 2018

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS PG 13 1hr.54m

A lavish trip through Europe quickly turns into a murder mystery. Hercule Poirot is there to interrogate all the passengers and search for clues before the killer can strike again.  An all-star cast including Derek Jacobi, Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer.  Directed by Kenneth Branagh.

THURSDAY, 26 APRIL 2018

GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN PG 1hr.47m

 

 This film provides us with a rare glimpse into the relationship between author A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired the magical world of Winnie the Pooh.. Directed by Simon Curtis and starring Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie and Kelly MacDonald.

Venue: Masonic Rooms, The Thoroughfare, 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 at 7.00p, film starts at 7.30pm.

U3A TALKS IN MARCH/APRIL 2018

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018

Peter Davidson - Ups & Downs: Barnardo's Foster Children in East Anglia 1890 – 1950. This talk tells the story of the thousands of children who were boarded in East Anglia during this period, many of whom were a long way from home.

WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2018

Tony Diamond – The Hoxne Hoard - is the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain with an estimated value now of some £3.5m. It comprises gold and silver coins and jewellery of the fourth and fifth centuries. Hear the fascinating story of its discovery

Meetings are held at the Masonic Rooms, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9EN at 2pm. For details phone Kim on 01986 788149 or www.u3a.org.harleston

Needham Carpet Bowls

The Waveney Winter League 2017/18 is drawing to a close, with the final home match scheduled to take place against Syleham on 5 March.  Matches have also been held with Brockdish, Wortwell and Occold.

The Club took part in the Norfolk Knock-Out Cup, but, unfortunately, were knocked out in the second round.

Club members are looking forward to a "friendly" home match against Rumburgh on 2 March.

Our Annual Dinner/Club Trophies' Presentation Evening took place on Saturday, 27 January, at the Needham Red Lion.  It was a very enjoyable evening, with lots of good food!  We were pleased to be joined on this occasion by Clare Lord (Secretary of the Waveney League) and her husband, Richard.  Clare kindly presented the Club trophies to the following winners:

Ladies' Singles:  Jean Gower

Gentlemen's Singles:  Brian Carlile

Pairs:  Dennis Taylor and Celia Snaith

The Mary Howlett Trophy:  Jean Gower

You'll know from previous editions of The Link, that our Club evenings are held at 7.30 pm every Wednesday at Needham Village Hall and we would love to welcome some new members! 

Previous bowling experience is not necessary and equipment is provided - just turn up. 

If you would like to try this fun sport (and make new friends), come along and have a chat with the members, who would be delighted to show you how the game is played and answer any questions you may have.  Be warned, it's a very expensive sport - free for the first evening and £1.50 a week thereafter! 

Give it a try - you'll be surprised how enjoyable bowling is for people of all ages - young and not- so-young.

  Celia Snaith

Parish Council Website

The Parish Council website is now live. You can keep up to date with PC news, agenda & minutes. 
www.needhampc.org.uk

Needham Village Link

January & February 2018

www.needhamlink.co.uk

needhamlink@gmail.com 

Editorial

Welcome to the latest edition of Needham Link which will also be the first for 2018. I should like to thank Helen Major for all her hard work in keeping the publication going over the past six years, as well as to her dedicated band of distributors who should be congratulated for ensuring that every house in the village received a copy. I am delighted that they have agreed to continue so that I can concentrate on collecting stories and producing the Newsletter. Thanks also go to Linda Barden from Harleston U3A for her help in the design of this publication.

I decided to take on the role of Editor because I was aware that Needham Link was in danger of disappearing which would have been a great loss to the village and its residents. When we moved to Needham last year we found the magazine a great help assisting us in getting to know who’s who in the community, and what events were available.

Such a publication is the lifeblood of a small village and helps to preserve a sense of community and belonging for those of us fortunate enough to live in such a pleasant and friendly environment.

Needham Link is your magazine and I hope that you will provide me with local information, news and views so that there’s always something topical and interesting to read. The deadline for receipt of material for the next edition is: Friday 16 February 2018.

Next time in the March/April Link:  Articles will include: a Poem for Spring; more heritage revelations and the visit of the Norfolk House Detectives to Needham; local news, events and people.  

All contributions welcome. 
Send material to needhamlink@gmail.com by:-Friday 16 February 2018

  Alan Jeffery

COMMUNITY HERITAGE PROJECT PROPOSED FOR NEEDHAM & BROCKDISH

When I moved to a beautiful 17th century cottage here in Needham last year, I was immediately fascinated to find out as much as I could about my predecessors who had lived in the property. As someone who has been involved in a lot of local history projects and had a number of books published on the subject, I wasn’t expecting to make much progress, given how small this settlement is. However, within a year I’d uncovered more than enough fascinating information to be invited to give a presentation at Needham Village Hall in October 2017 on the history of the village through to the Victorian period and reveal stories about the owners and occupants of my house going back as far as 1690. 

My talk, which contained historical material loaned by Sue Simmons, Pam Cossey, Delwyn Snaith and Pauline Spinlove, was very well attended by local residents past and present, some of whom brought along their own family photos, documents and artefacts. After I’d finished my presentation and we were all enjoying refreshments served by Diane Clarke, I was asked unanimously to come back and give a follow-up talk. There was also a great deal of enthusiasm for setting up a Community Heritage Project leading to the publication of a new book and six people volunteered to become actively involved in the research. 

I’ve recently met with the organisers of the new Waveney Valley Heritage Centre which is opening in Spring 2018 in what was Brockdish School who would like to offer us their practical support and extensive experience in raising grant money to get this initiative off the ground. I have agreed that it would make a lot of sense for us to work together with other local history enthusiasts in neighbouring Brockdish on a joint Heritage Project. Baroness Elaine Murphy, who recently wrote and published a book on her home, the Grange in Brockdish, has agreed to become patron for the new project.

I will be giving my next talk on Needham History 1800-1953 (followed by refreshments) at St Peter’s Church, Needham on Sunday 4th Feb 2.30pm. We’ll be announcing the first meeting for local volunteers who wish to get involved in the Needham & Brockdish Heritage Project – no experience necessary, just some spare time. We’ll arrange a public exhibition and talk on the historical material uncovered, followed by the launch of a website dedicated to Brockdish and Needham’s past, and finally produce a book on the history of the two settlements. 

If you can’t attend in February but wish to get involved, then please email me on  stephenjp@talktalk.net

                      Stephen Poulter


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Needham Parish Council

We welcomed two Parish Councillors from Brockdish Parish Council to the meeting held on Monday 27 November for a presentation by a representative of Saffron Housing Trust. Saffron build new homes and purchase new properties from developers, mainly for affordable rent, but with some as shared ownership properties. In 2004 they owned 4,300 properties and aim to reach 6,500 by 2018.  Built in villages these are in small groups of typically five houses.  The homes are always for local residents who are either unable to move or who have moved away due to a lack of available housing.

Saffron believes there is a lack of homes such as this in the villages of Needham and Brockdish and to identify the extent of the need, they propose to issue a questionnaire to every residence.  Both Needham and Brockdish Parish Council welcomed the interest from Saffron Housing Trust and look forward to being able to support them in strengthening the community with affordable homes.

The proposal to lease an area of field behind the Village Hall belonging to Needham Townsland Trust by Needham Action Group for use as a community play area was also discussed.  It was agreed the Parish Council should instruct its solicitors to draw up a lease. 

The next Parish Council meeting will be held at 7.30 on Monday 15th January 2018.  Meetings are held in the Annex at the rear of the Village Hall.

         Andrew Major  - Chairman

Meet the Reverend Nigel Tuffnel

I am the Rector of Needham and 7 other churches along the Waveney Valley, from Scole through to

Wortwell. As well as my ministry here, I have many interests; in fact life itself fascinates me, and is given meaning by an appreciation that there is a Creator within it all. This appreciation that there is a value to life and to the world has led me to be involved in environmental issues and practical care for the earth as a matter of Christian faith.

I am a bee-keeper. The complex lives of bees, and other social insects, have always intrigued me. I love to watch the way they live and work together, and even get honey as a reward. The fact that I am also helping to protect these important pollinators and so help the natural world is an added bonus!

I love reading and literature. There is so much knowledge out there, online and in books (physical and electronic), so much to learn and so little time in which to absorb it all.  If you ever visit me at the Rectory in Harleston, you will see that my study is lined with shelves and shelves of books. Christian and church books that I need for my work as a minister, but also books on science, poetry, fiction, humour, language, martial arts etc. etc.

I also like to feel alive and martial arts are one way that I can feel a little more alive.  I am currently too busy to train with an instructor, but I still try and keep up as much of the training and drills as I can.  I am not a violent person, but sadly self-defence is sometimes needed.  I simply see gaining these skills as part of my being a good citizen.  The training also helps to keep me fit!

Last but not least of my interests is motorbikes.  I got my first bike when I was 17 and only learned to drive a car when my daughter was born. I now ride a Kawasaki ZX900 which is not a hobby in itself but is certainly a very pleasurable way to get around.

As I seek to find what God's path is for me, I try to enjoy all that life brings to me, because life is a gift.  I contracted TB meningitis as a child and very nearly died.  So perhaps that is where I learned to appreciate each new morning, and not to take the next breath for granted.  But, whatever the cause I do see life as a gift; a divine gift to be accepted, lived to the full, and shared with others.  What better way is there to say thank you to the giver?   

 Nigel Tuffnell