CLASSIFIED ADS D.E.T T.V Service - Repairs to TVs, VCRs and Microwaves. Fast, reliable service. John Clifford 01842 878486. Static Holiday Caravan to let at Happis-burgh. Nice sea view, quiet site. Reason-able rates. Telephone Ed. On 728118 or Mobile 07775 741627 Feeling Stressed?.. Why not treat yourself (or someone else!) to a relaxing massage by a fully qualified therapist. Fully BABTAC recognised and insured. Gift vouchers available. Full body massage £17.50 (1 hour), back massage £12.50 (1/2 hour). Contact Shelly Farrow on 01366 328835 or 07881 904099.

Speedy’s Garden Services. Chainsaw and gardening work. Call Tim on 07818 636386

Woodside Gardens MUNDFORD ROAD, CRANWICH

TEL: 01842 878741

FOR YOUR ANIMALS

Layers Mash/Pellets ........ 25kg £6.00 Mixed Corn ..................... 20kg £4.50 Rabbit Pellets .................. 20kg £5.50 Bunny Brunch Mix.......... 20kg £5.50 Horse Cool Mix............... 20kg £6.00 Horse & Pony Nuts ......... 20kg £6.00 Hamster Mix ................... 20kg £7.00 Guinea Pig Mix ............... 20kg £6.50 Valumix Dog Food.......... 15kg £10.50 Norfolk Gold Dog Food .. 20kg £11.50 Hay ................................. Large Bale £2.50 Straw............................... Large Bale £1.50

WORKING DOG NUGGETS £9.25 (no V.A.T.)

FOR YOUR FAMILY

ALL OUR PRODUCTS ARE CHEMICAL FREE

FRESH FREE RANGE EGGS

Extra large £1.60 doz.

Large £1.50 doz. Medium £1.40 doz.

OVEN READY CHICKENS Home produced, freshly processed and frozen

Weights from 3-7lbs Chicken quarters also available.

STOP PRESS!

WE ARE NOW STOCKISTS OF HORSEHAGE HORSE FEED

FEED THE BIRDS

Nuts £1.20 kg Wild Bird Seed £0.75kg

Northwold Spiritualist Group

Meetings in Northwold Village Hall, alternate Fridays

at 7.30pm;-

19th Nov, Peter Fox 3rd Dec, Carol & Len Minnett

17th Dec, T.B.A.

Enquiries to: Eileen Cooper 01366 728289

Page 12

Letters.. Stray dogs

Since coming to live here, I have “Found” several dogs wandering about the village, having, for some reason or another, gone AWOL.

Some have had no collar or means of identification. I wonder if it would be a practical idea to have a “Dog Register” for those who would like to use it. I am willing to organise this, and all it needs, is for those who want to “Register” their dogs to give me (Either by phone or on a note through my door) the following information:-

Owner’s name. Dog’s name: Brief but useful description of the dog: Address, and/ or phone number.

Found dogs could then be identified from the register.

My address is 12, West End. Phone,, (01366)728921. (Visiting dogs could also be added to the register whilst they are here.)

Jane Luckman

[Thanks Jane, I wonder, would it be appropriate to add children and elderly relatives to the register? Ed.]

Northwold Common

Dear Ed,

I wish to thank Mr. Booty, for his reply to my question re the common.

He does not answer about the public foot paths, which are all I can use as Ozzie would love to "play" with the cows etc., chase rabbits. As I use an electric mobility scooter, this restricts where I can go. Would the parish

council look into making the bridge in common drove more accessible for the scooter? Many thanks again to Mr Booty, where is the information he has access to please, as I’d love to know more about my home surroundings.

Yours faithfully,

Jackie Hodges & Ozzie{dog}

P.S. Ozzie does not go near the cows the highland mums taught him that although the calves run and play he's not welcome to join in. I've told him that as well.

Tennis court Dear Editor,

I am writing with reference to the letter “Northwold & Whittington” Tennis Club in the September Village Life. In building the tennis court, the Parish Council has opened up a facility that the whole community can enjoy, as the annual subscription is very small. This fee I understand, goes towards paying off the loan to the social club and maintaining the court. If the court were made available for other sports, this would be compromised with members of the public being allowed to use and possibly not care for the facility, which can already be seen by the external fencing being climbed and used for cricket practice! Who would monitor the handing out of keys (and take responsibility for them being cut and therefore being used when wanted). Who would handle the bookings? The club has 80 members, this is not a very small proportion of the community, the adults provide free tennis coaching to juniors on club nights, surely this encourages the

whole community to benefit from this excellent facility without it being open to abuse.

If the court was available to other sports, the nets would end up being damaged from constantly being taken down and put up. The court is used all year round, would it not be more sensible to use the facilities of the local schools for netball etc.?

Beverley Young

Issue: November 2004 Copy date for the next issue (Dec&Jan) is;

22nd November copy@northwold.net Tel. 01366 728233

Charity Notices

EDMUND ATMERE CHARITY The Trustees would like to remind those residents in the Parish of Northwold, who are seriously ill or permanently disabled and might like some help from this ancient Charity at Christmas that they can apply to the Clerk who will put their application before the Trustees. Please apply in writing by the 25th November to Mrs. J. Norris 25 West End Northwold. ST THOMAS'S DAY DOLE This year the Dole will be paid on Saturday 18th December in the Northwold Church Vestry between 10.00 and 11.00 a.m. and in Roger Warner's yard at Whittington Hill at 11.15 a.m. Please collect the dole in person or arrange for someone else to collect it on your behalf. The Trustees will be unable to deliver cheques after the distributions in Northwold and Whittington. In the case of married couples cheques are made out jointly unless otherwise previously notified. Qualifications for eligibility are at least five years residence in the Parish and minium age of 60 for women and 65 for men. New applicants are invited to write to Mrs. J. Norris at 25 West End Northwold by 25th November.

The Norman Almshouses Charity

We have available a property in School Lane for a person in need. Apply to Mrs. J. Norris, 25 West End, Northwold. Tel: 728296

were building their home but have yet to install any heating or the young carpenter (this was a particularly poor family, below) who constructs doors

and windows in a small wooden hut, previously occupied by a goat, which is now his workshop.

Pam was warmly invited to visit Ivan and his family in Ukraine and I smiled to myself as I overheard her on the phone cite her age as a barrier. However, although the invitation was addressed to Pam, it would certainly apply to any of you knitters - you know who you are!

Roger Warner

[Roger and his wife make regular voluntary trips to the Ukraine with supplies. Ed.]

Much Appreciated Gifts On Saturday 28th October, Pam Eyles’ lunch was rudely interrupted by a phone call from Ivan in Novograd Volinski in Ukraine (Eastern Europe, 1700 miles from Northwold) thanking her and her “team” from the Northwold Produce Show “Knitting Division” for their wonderful wooly jumpers. There is probably nothing more appropriate for poor families who live in a country where winter temperatures can plummet to -20 degrees, than warm winter layers.

The accompanying photographs can only convey a hint of the appreciation we witnessed expressed by the young hardworking parents. The lovely couple with 3 children (below) who

Church Diary * marks Sunday school

at St. Andrew’s, Northwold

November

14th Remembrance Sunday 10.55am Service of Remembrance at

Wretton 3pm Service of Remembrance at

Northwold 21st Christ the King 8am Holy Communion at Northwold 9.30am Holy Communion by Extension at Whittington 28th Advent Sunday 9.30am Benefice Holy Communion at Wretton December

5th Sunday after Advent 9.30am Service of The Word at

Wretton *11am Holy Communion at Northwold

Northwold WI Bridge Drive

To assist them in the cost of refurbishment of the curtains in the Village Hall our W.I. recently organised a Bridge Drive drawing in players from a wide area. There were 9 tables in all with the winners being Shelia Dean and Jean Scowen , p layers f rom Swaffham and Downham who received a bottle of wine each.

There was a superb afternoon tea provided and donated by W.I. members together with a cake stall large raffle and bookstall. £213 was raised.

Remember there is a Northwold Bridge Club, which meets every Tuesday afternoon at the Sports and Social Club.

Verity Lynch

Father Christmas Rides Again!

Well, it turns out that Father Christmas enjoyed his trip

through the streets of Northwold so much last year that he’s coming back

again! He’ll be travelling through the village with his sleigh from 6pm on the night of Wed 22nd December, and plans to make home visits beforehand. See

Dec. Village Life for full details.

The Village Life Team

Editor Graeme Whiting

Manor Farmhouse 30 West End,

Northwold IP26 5LE editor@northwold.net

Tel. 727425 Fax. 386088

Deputy Editor Michael Parfitt

copy@northwold.net Tel. 728233

Advertising ads@northwold.net

Circulation Manager Mark Elwes

circulation@northwold.net Tel. 728795

Committee

Chair Carol Sharp Tel. 728227

Secretary Position vacant

Treasurer Geoff Bartram

Tel. 728673

The views expressed in submitted items are not necessarily endorsed by Northwold & Whittington Village Life. Whilst we endeavour to ensure that all information contained in the newsletter is correct, we cannot be held responsible for errors. The Editor reserves the right to refuse or omit items without explanation.

Gifts to the Ukraine Charity notices Church diary WI Bridge Evening

cover

Church bike ride Music Appreciation

2

Northwold News Riverside Group

3

Northwold Primary School 4 Eye on the door Parish treasure chest

5

Keith MacLeod’s report 6 Keith MacLeod’s report - cont 7 “My foot slipped...” 8 What the Doctor thinks 9 Rita’s Ramblings 10 St. Andrews, Northwold 11 Letters Classified advertising

12

Inside this issue:

Page 2

Grow your own?

Northwold Combined Charities have allotments available at £3-00 per

annum in Methwold Road. Applicants please apply to: 25 West End, Northwold

Concert, 14th Nov THETFORD SINGERS’ coming performance is an evening of music and words – a salute to the glorious spirit of Edwardian England and a nation’s sacrifice.

The concert ‘Spirit and Glory’ is to be given on Remembrance Sunday, 14th November, 7.30pm at St. Cuthbert’s Church, the Market Place, Thetford.

Works by Elgar, including the ‘Coronation Ode’ and ‘The Spirit of England’ and by Parry ‘Iwas glad when they said unto me’ will be performed. Tickets are £6 and there are concession prices.

For pre-bookings, phone 01842 890995 or 755070

It’s Adrian’s 40th Birthday on November 23rd!! Happy Birthday Adrian, with all our love from Mandy, Victoria, Emily, family and friends.

Record-breaking bike ride! An enthusiastic band of intrepid riders left St. Andrew’s Church on 11th September to raise funds for the Norfolk Churches Trust. This has become an important annual fund raising event.

The riders were Jenny Bunyon, Lindsey Boatman, Ed Dack, Peter & Veronica Hutchby, Graeme & Joseph Whiting and Mark Elwes.

A record-breaking £581 was raised (last year £436) and there will be more to come when we get back the Gift-Aid tax concession. Half of the money goes to St. Andrews and the other half to the Trust for churches of all denominations in need.

A big “thank you” to all the riders and to our generous sponsors. We look forward to next year and to breaking our record yet again!

Mark Elwes

Music Appreciation classes

Are you interested in classical music and want to learn more about it? A

music appreciation class is being held at 5-6.30pm every Tuesday at

Oxborough Village Hall.

A professionally trained musician will guide you through Opera, Chamber

Music, Symphonic Music and Jazz; all linked to Radio 3’s Composer of the

Week series.

This is a small, informal group, and all levels of knowledge are welcome, especially beginners! If interested, please telephone 01366 328676, or

email: oxborough24@hotmail.com.

23rd November, BYRD

30th November, NIELSEN 7th December, DEBUSSY 14th December, HAYDN

Ray Gribble

Antique Restoration & Traditional Upholstery All aspects of antique furniture restoration including French

polishing, cabinet repairs and traditional upholstery ------------------------------------------- Traditional Upholstered Furniture

Footstools, Sofas, Chairs made to commission -------------------------------------------

Picture Framing & Mirrors An extensive range of mouldings including hand painted

and gilded finishes Antique and Reproduction Prints for sale

Vine House, Church Road, Wereham, King’s Lynn 01366-500387

www.raygribble.co.uk

Page 11

01366 385885

Local Runs Airports, etc.

PAUL’S TAXI’S

A.M. Stannard Stoke Ferry

Bouncy Castle Hire

Suitable for ages 1-10 yrs

Tel. 01366 500675 Mob. 07748 412627

St Andrew’s Church, Northwold Church Bazaar

The Annual St Andrew’s Church Bazaar will be held in the VILLAGE HALL 0n Saturday,27th November. The Bazaar will be opened at 2.30pm by Mr Tom Shephard. If you can offer any help or donations towards the many stalls please let us know. We shall be having all our usual stalls and raffle as well as a special visitor for the children. Yes: Santa will again be making an early visit to the village and he tells us he is looking forward to meeting as many children as possible.

So please come and join us. We hope to have something for everyone – plants and books. Cakes and pickles, toiletries and gift ideas, bargains on the Bric a Brac and excitement on the Tom bola stalls. Also new this year is “Betty’s Tea Room” where you can enjoy a cuppa and a chat before finding out if you have won one of the many prizes in our annual raffle. We

St . Andrew ’s Church Bazaar

27th November The following stall holders would be grateful for any contributions.

Raffle Veronica and Peter Hutchby (728555)

Cakes Jackie Elliot and Chris Collins (728571)

Tombola John Haylock (728217)

Bric-a-Brac Julie Fox (728952)

Home Produce Brenda Ayres and Jenny Langley (728565)

Garden Produce Roy Akers and Michael Parfitt (727478)

Bathroom items Brenda Dent and Jo Collins (728582)

Books Jo and Jim Norris (728296)

Baskets Barbara Ayres (contact Brenda Ayres or Jane Luckman for information about this stall)

look forward to seeing you – remember everyone is welcome. If you have lived all your life in this special village or if you have only just moved in, please do come and join in.

Christmas Tree Festival

If you, your family or your friends would like to decorate you own tree in the church please let us know.

As well as any organisation having a tree we welcome any individual ones.

Last year we had 24 trees making a wonderful sight for our Christmas celebrations.

If you would like more information please contact.

Brenda Ayres on 728565 or Jackie Elliott on 728571.

Brenda Ayres, Jane Luckman and Jackie Elliott

NORTHWOLD NEWS DAILY DELIVERIES OF

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES FOR A FRIENDLY RELIABLE SERVICE

CALL DEREK OR CHRIS ON 01366728409 OR 07714588918

OR CALL IN AT: FIVE STAR FRUIT AND VEG,

BROOKVILLE

Page 10

Rita s Ramblings ’ Those of you who read my ramblings regularly will know that I spend a lot of my time planning for, and working in, my garden. At this time of year the seed catalogues have dropped through the letterbox and are awaiting my attention. I normally restrict myself to just four, but even then I am totally spoilt for choice!

I sit down at the dining room table and, filled with eager anticipation, I carefully go through the pages. They all seem to be filled with beguiling pictures of perfectly shaped and disease free varieties of vegetables and flowers. I then make a list of all those that will make my garden the envy of Alan Titchmarsh, Monty Don, and all the other television gardeners put together. It is normally at about this point that Nigel creeps up behind me to find out why I am so unusually quiet. When he sees the length of the list (and the figures on the right hand side) he candidly asks me how many seed packets I have left over from the current year. Sad to say, the honest answer is always well into double figures. I then try to modify my free-spending habits and go and check on what seed packets are lurking in the box in the utility room. At this point I find it difficult to understand why it is so full when I have sown hundreds of seeds this season!

My next job is to make a list of all

the seeds that I still have; I would like to pretend that it comes as a surprise how long that list is, but it is about the same size every year!!

Next, I consider which seeds will remain viable for a second season, which need new seed each season and which seeds are time-expired (by about 2 years!). This enables me to throw away about a dozen packets – great I am actually making progress.

Back at the table, I go through the original list and cross off all those seeds that I already have. Much to Nigel’s delight the new list is about a quarter of it’s original length. It is now time to elicit his input into the equation and I ask “What vegetables would you like me to grow next year, dear?” He has known me for long enough to know that a non-committal reply stating that he doesn’t mind is bound to be greeted with a few well chosen, grumpy words. Once he has given me his preferences, I double check by going through all the different crops – well, I would hate him to feel deprived – and he normally adds a couple of extras. Armed with this information I can then make the final revised list and it’s back to the catalogues; however, this is fraught with more problems. To give you an example: we always like to grow sweet corn, as we both love the sweet taste of freshly picked cobs put straight into the pan and eaten within 10 minutes of picking. Each catalogue has about 10 different varieties

(only half of them the same ones) and I try and make my selection from them all. Should I stick to the same variety year after year, or should I try the new one that sounds truly scrumptious and looks divine. This year’s crop was only average but was that due to the weather? This dilemma is repeated again and again as I decide which onions, potatoes, French beans, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower et al, to order. Inevitably there is always one crop that has done really well during the last season and is certainly on my ‘must have’ list – only to discover that it does not feature in any of my selected catalogues! Should I try another catalogue? Should I wait and see if it is available in the shops next year? Should I go back to a variety that I have grown in the past? Should I try something new?

Eventually, I have made my decisions and the orders are sent off and the catalogues are cleared from the dining room table into the box file.

Why is it that when you read the gardening books and magazines they always seem to suggest that this is a relaxing way to spend an evening by the fireside? Am I doing something wrong?

I will leave you to ponder that question - until next month, take care.

Rita

Northwold News

Page 3

Reports on activities, news and events in and around Northwold

BRIAN WATERS YOUR LOCAL MILKMAN

TEL : 01366 728024

DEPOT : 01284 754720

Northwold ~ Foulden Feltwell ~ Methwold

Methwold Hythe Mundford

MARK ROBERTS Plumbing & Heating

Plumbing & Heating • Boiler Replacement Central Heating Installation

Bathrooms/Showers • Water Softeners

ALL WORK & MATERIALS GUARANTEED REFERENCES AVAILABLE

Telephone 01366 727344 Mobile 07887 646587

Northwold Care Group annual report, October 2004

Our three activities are still going well.

The Lunch Club is held in the Village hall, second Monday in the month, cost £2, open to all elderly and disabled.

We have about 20 regular customers. Pam Eyles is responsible for the catering, with about six helpers, and two children from the School to wait at the tables.

Accounts: Income £ 504.00 Expenses: £ 390.81 Balance: £ 113.69

Car Scheme

We have about 12 drivers who give their time free but are paid 40p per mile, half paid by the passenger, half paid by the local councils. Lifts are available to hospital, doctor, dentist, optician, etc. This year 234 passengers have been carried 5894 miles, at a cost to the scheme of £1086, representing 417 hours of driver’s time.

Loans

A comprehensive store of nursing equipment is kept in the Village Hall loft, available on free loan. 47 items are in use at present. Contact Jim Booty if you are in need.

We have a general account, used to pay for insurance and repairs, with a balance of £167. 44p.

Once again all customers and drivers are invited to a free Christmas lunch on December 13th.

Thanks to all volunteers to the Council’s

and to Altmere’s Charity. Jim Booty

“Request for assistance”

Reading the item on page 4 of September Village Life I was surprised to learn that the Parish Council has made donations to Charities from their (OUR) funds. Whilst I do not know where the donations have gone I would like to be reassured that our monies are used only to provide services for our community - or am I wrong in thinking that was what rates were for? Before I came to Northwold I lived for seven years on the edge of a small town in Yorkshire. Practically every Friday evening, throughout the year, there was someone at the door holding a collection box. There were so many good causes though my donations varied from 6d to half a crown. *(see below for explanation). Looking back I see the similarity to a dripping tap - small amounts only make a good quantity when gathered together (- and it depends whether you are giving or receiving). Now I can be more selective with my giving and with the help of the government increase the total of my donations. Any taxpayer can use a Gift Aid Form and then every pound becomes £1.28. Having had the roof seen to the Village Hall Trustees are now working towards a new kitchen - relocated and with a serving hatch into the main hall. Ian Hay, chairman, has Gift Aid Forms for anyone who would like to join me with a donation. Please give it a bit of thought. * Explanation for readers under thirty-five years of age. Six pence and half

RIVERSIDE GROUP

Thursday, 18th November at Northwold Village Hall.

Talk by Tom Shephard - Tales out of School.

Meet at 10.30 for coffee Cost £2 All Welcome

Further information; Pam Eyles 728 208

a crown may sound rather mean but in the early fifties a postage stamp was three and a half pence so 6d was not quite double two letters -say 40 to 50p. Half a crown was two shillings and six pence or 30d and it would have been possible to but four large white loaves with that amount - so at about 75p a loaf now (times four) that come to £3. Put like that it doesn't sound quite the same. Times aren't quite the same.

For readers over thirty-five - have you tried adding up an old shopping bill? We did it but I am very thankful we don't need to any more. I am also very thankful we have gone decimal for weights when I am working out the cost of Lunch Club recipes. I have to admit I still use some old recipes (ounces etc) but have to go to the scales and convert. At the butchers I think of 100g per head instead of 4oz - and then have to add a bit more according to numbers.

Pam Eyles

Broadband/ADSL Internet access Northwold is scheduled to have

broadband available on 15th Dec 2004, far earlier than was previously

expected. This is great news for anyone wanting fast internet access.

Order yours now!

Page 4

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Many of our branded products are priced like your Supermarket

Special Offers on Beers, Wines & Spirits that change monthly

Xmas Club Open – Toy Catalogues Available

This column is kindly sponsored by COOKSON BUILDERS As I write this article the first half of the Autumn Term is drawing to a close and the plans we made at the start of the Autumn term (in a staff meeting) for the Christmas Productions, that seemed so far in the future then, will have to be implemented very soon.

Firstly I would like to start with a thank you to everyone who supported the charities morning we held in school on Friday 1st. We raised the magnificent sum of £160 which we shared equally between three charities, The Christian Aid Appeal for Sudan, Jeans for Genes and a local charity called the Olive Tree Project working with families, especially children. The

On the 5th of October some schools in Norfolk went to Ely Cathedral every person had an activity to do. In the Cathedral there were different pictures on the ceiling and on the windows. At the Cathedral we had some people performing their dance and sign language. We also had recorders playing a song and we also had an assembly at Ely Cathedral. There were some boys and girls dressed up in clothes to represent different countries around the world. The Cathedral is very big and very very tall and we all had a good time.

Stephanie Cobbin

On Tuesday the 5th of October the older children of Northwold School visited Ely Cathedral. The theme this year was countries of the world. Northwold country was Jamaica. When we arrived at the Cathedral lots of children from other schools were there. All the children had to walk around the Cathedral with a clipboard and paper to collect other schools’ countries. During the rest of our outing we went to all different workshops and made things or wrote prayers. We all had a packed lunch and sat with the rest of our school in the Cathedral. By the end of the day we had all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Karrianne Myhill

children enjoyed not wearing school uniform and buying and selling at the Bring and Buy Sale. This is part of our ongoing citizenship work and we would be delighted to see any member of the community on the morning of Friday 19th November for the next event which will again be a coffee morning with cake stall and bring and buy.

We were delighted to see many of you at our Harvest Festival in St Andrew’s Church and thank them for making us all very welcome.

The children in Years four, five and six enjoyed a day at Ely cathedral at the schools day, it was an excellent opportunity to meet with children from all over the diocese and to share in learning and worship activities together.

The next half term will be very busy, but exciting time for us as we officially open and dedicate the new building and prepare the school for Christmas.

Marion Dawe

Page 9

WHAT THE DOCTOR THINKS THIS MONTH... The great ‘flu vaccine debacle:

This year, we were rather well organised for the ‘flu vaccination campaign. We had produced lists of all the people (over 65, diabetes, asthma, heart problems etc) who needed a vaccination and we had organised clinics at convenient times to patients when, the day before the vaccine was due to be delivered, the Government withdrew the licence from our supplier, Chiron, in Liverpool.

Chiron supply 27% of the ‘flu vaccine used in the UK, so there is now a serious shortage of vaccine. We have struggled desperately to find another supplier and, eventually, we hope to obtain sufficient vaccines for our needs. However, we do not know the date of delivery so we cannot yet arrange our clinics.

As soon as we know what is happening, we will put posters in the village shops and outside Feltwell surgery and St George’s Hall in Methwold. Please keep an eye open for them.

The great National Patient Database debacle:

A few months ago, I started telling you about the Government’s grand scheme to put everybody’s medical records on to a national computer, where they could be accessed by hospitals, other surgeries, schoolboys and IT literate cleaners. I told you that the cost would be £2.7 billion. The Government has now admitted that the cost will be £31 billion, call it £30 billion. The population of the UK is around 60 million. In modern parlance, a billion is a thousand million, so, according to my calculations, this wonderful new system will cost at least £500 per man,

woman and child in the country; This is the equivalent of a two parent family with two children buying four home computer sets.

A financial analyst could work out how much this is going to cost each taxpayer in the country, but I don’t know the figures.

Even if we accept that the idea is good in concept, and I note that MP’s and government officials have not agreed to be the guinea pigs for a year to test the confidentiality of the system, it needs to be properly implemented and we all know how good the government is at that! We think of passports, child support, income tax and their new computer systems and quail.

Our local provider is a company called Accenture and the system they would like to install in all the surgeries is called Lorenzo! A Primary Care Trust in Derbyshire had agreed to be an “early adopter” of Lorenzo but, a month before “rollout” to the practices, they have pulled the plug because the new system is vastly inferior to the systems already in place. The GPs have told the PCT that they do not want to be guinea pigs using untested software and the whole pilot has been delayed until 2006.

At the moment, we have a wonderful computer system within our practice, totally confidential to ourselves. We are responsible for all the data held on the computer because we have entered it ourselves. It is dangerous to rely upon data entered by others, as would be the case if the National Computer happens. Let me tell you a story – A young mother was involved in a custody battle and I was asked to produce a report. I reported that she had asthma but, apart

from an overdose after a row with a boyfriend several years before, she had kept excellent health and was a superb mother. I took the overdose information from a computer printout from her previous doctor “Row with boyfriend- admitted with overdose- discharged from hospital next day”.

The patient was very upset because she had never taken an overdose and asked me to amend the report. When I delved back into her medical records and pulled out the hospital report, it transpired that she had rowed with her boyfriend, had an asthma attack and had inadvertently overdosed on her Ventolin inhaler, resulting in palpitations and a hospital admission. Needless to say, I was very embarrassed by this, apologised to the patient, who was very understanding, and issued a new report which ensured a happy outcome for the patient. If all and sundry are going to be able to enter data into the national patient record (eg young hospital doctors after a night in casualty, NHS staff with a limited command of English, etc) who will carry the overall responsibility for the accuracy of the data?

I will continue to keep you informed!

Gardening Section:

Avid readers will remember the definition of a weed – A plant in the wrong place – well, here’s another:

If you water it and it dies, it’s a plant. If you pull it up and it grows again, it’s a weed!

Best wishes to you all,

Ian G. Nisbet

Page 8

It’s good to put pen to paper. Have you ever thought how serious and complex life seems to be. The McEnroe catch phrase was “You cannot be serious”. The umpire was. Just the look on John’s face made you laugh and this is my theme. Where is the laughter these days? Where’s the ‘Squit’ and the ‘Jollity’ gone? Here’s a few of my own.

I have a habit of saying ‘Actually’ before I begin a sentence., something to do with a stammer I had. Anyway I have to dial a number. I say,” Actually Brian Hull calling”. He says “That’s a funny name, Actually Brian Hull”, so I say,” Let’s Start again” “What’s your name”? and he says, “Roly Cakebread.”

They say, If you laugh, the whole world laughs with you.

This impediment got me into a few scrapes, but I never minded. I worked as a waiter and the hotel director paid a visit to a dinner dance. Real posh Do. Unbeknown to me he had an impediment same as me. I think as a

wind up the put me on his table. I took all five orders not saying a word, until it was his turn. Scampi I thought, I waited and waited a minute went by and he was still on the “S” letter. Was it soup or what? Then I spoke and the table erupted. Just humour remember.

Don’t you just feel a fool sometimes? I went to a party, met a man for the first time. He says,” Peter” and I say “No Brian”. He says, “No, I’m Peter”, and I am thinking ,Where’s Paul.

I drive as I speak in fits and starts. Well I did when I had an old Ford Prefect. I took seven attempts at my driving test. I remember one reason for failure was a lady fell off her bike and this was 200 yards ahead of me. A n yw a y m y p a s s d a y w a s momentous,. The top instructor had just given me licence to drive and had barely got to the outer door of his office when he heard an almighty crash. Yes it was me. I reversed my car into a lamp post. Don’t worry I’ve got better.

This was my first and last day of

fishing. The event took place at Wissington Lakes some time ago. Just imagine bright blue skies and any amount of anglers dotted about, and me with borrowed tackle. I cast in, lost all I was holding. Clean went under the water. My mate couldn’t believe his eyes, gave me more of his borrowed tackle to fish the rest out. Guess what; my foot slipped and I ended four foot under the water. When I surfaced everybody cheered!

Brian Hull

“My foot slipped and I ended four foot under...”

Christian Worship

Services of worship will be held on the following days at 11am in

the Village hall.

Sunday, November 21st Sunday December 19th

Sunday, January 16th 2005

Everybody welcome

Brian Hull

Page 5

THE EYE ON THE DOOR When I started living in Northwold after I left the army in January 1956 I occupied a one-bedroom flat. I had one of the few TVs in the village and the local teenagers (and not-quite teenagers) soon started using my flat as a clubhouse. In April 1958 when I got married it was necessary to find them somewhere-else to use. I had an old cart-shed that the teenagers agreed to do-up and use as a club. They collected old furniture from their parents and friends and made the place quite comfortable. They also painted murals on the walls to provide some atmosphere.

The shed had a window facing in one direction along the road and large wooden doors in the other direction. In order that the teenagers could see in both directions I had a small window made in one of the doors. It occurred to me that this window was like an eye so I painted

the profile of a face on the door with long flowing hair. The club lasted a few years until the leading-light became too old for it and then it faded away. The door was not repainted for 40 years. Last year, feeling ashamed of the peeling paint on the door, I varnished over it. The face reappeared under the varnish.

I used to put on a bonfire and barn-dance every November the fifth which is my eldest son's birthday. The massive doors of the barn were opened at right-angles to the barn around a farm trailer. A tarpauline covered the doors and the trailer to supply a stage for the band. We had some very successful dances there for a number of years.

The dance I remember best is the one when someone flicked my eye during the dance and knocked my contact lens out. I shouted "Stop" and made everyone stand still and search the floor at their feet. The contact lens was found. Once,

in the woods, a branch flicked against my eye and knocked the lens out. I marked off a square about a metre wide, sat down, and spent about an hour searching the undergrowth and eventually found it.

I expect soon to get planning permission to build two dwellings on the site. The building that was used as a club was considered not worth restoring so I have got to knock it down and build a new house on the site. The barn and adjoining dairy and sheds will be converted into one house, far bigger and more expensive than we wanted, and the massive doors on each side will be converted into equally massive windows. Thus, the door with the eye that has been staring along the road for 40 years will be no more. (Written before my new house was built. The face you now see there is mine!)

Frank Fendick

A Parish Treasure Chest Sitting in a corner of the church’s vestry, old and unregarded, used as a shelf and an occasional bench, was a handsome but neglected chest. It dated from 1894, the year in which a Local Government Act created Parish Councils. For many years no one had bothered to ask what was inside it. But our churchwardens are blessed with a delight in good housekeeping, especially in the vestry. In search of more storage space they attempted to open the chest. Their curiosity was aroused. But where was the key? And if they opened it what would they find? Pandora of the ancient legend was not more inquisitive when she opened her box

The churchwardens asked a close neighbour for help. It is well known that Tom Shephard can turn his hand to anything - even to picking locks. He not only opened the chest and revealed many ancient documents; he restored it to its original state. The churchwardens carefully removed the documents and let me make a catalogue.

The oldest document was from Elizabethan times, a deed of 1595 relating to a transfer of land in Northwold. Unfortunately one corner had been much nibbled by insects or mice, making it unsuitable for public

inspection, but at least three quarters of it were intact, and it will be viewable on microfilm.

Anyone educated at the Norman School knows that as a leaving present every child receives a Bible. That practice has its origins in 1736, when Mrs. Bridget Holder of Northwold, with no surviving children of her own, bought a plot of four acres or so in the parish of Wretton and appointed Trustees to dedicate the income from it to the education of poor children in Northwold, with special attention to knowledge of the Bible. Here I found the original deed of gift, signed and sealed by Bridget Holder - showing some signs of age but as clear as if it had been written last week - with many other documents relevant to that charity over the years.

Another interesting find was the legal document confirming Mrs. Fendick’s gift of a plot for the village War Memorial in 1920. Yet other papers re la ted to the c rea t ion and consecration of the burial ground in School Lane in 1915; to Richard Oram’s gift of money for the church clock, willed some thirty years before l a w ye r s r e l e a sed i t t o t h e churchwardens in 1807; and to various other charitable gifts by village worthies in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The most interesting item was the original large enclosure map of the

parish of Northwold in 1798 , from the bridge at Whittington to the western boundary of Didlington. With it was the Act of Parliament which made the enclosure legal (if not popular). Of the ancient village common only Common Drove remains. The map identified the owner and boundaries of each piece of land covered by the Act and of many other village properties. Two main roads ran from Whittington; one was a turnpike establishing the line of the modern A134 and the other led to Brandon, just as it does today. At the point where motorists entering West End leave the “top road” there was a chalk pit on the left and a copse on the right. The Village Carnival procession still leaves from the long-since exhausted chalk pit, and the copse is still there. Many other recognisable features of our village can be seen on the map.

When I told Norfolk’s Chief Archivist (Dr. John Alban) about the discovery he said that I had made his day. The documents are now in his safe-keeping at the new Archives Centre opened by the Queen in February this year. There they supplement the already existing Northwold Archive. They are registered as a joint deposit of the Trustees of the Village Charities, the Parish Council and the Parochial Church Council.

Jim Norris

The Parishes of St.Andrews, Northwold, All Saints, Wretton with Stoke Ferry & Christ Church, Whittington

Reader: Keith MacLeod, West Barn, Ryston Road, West Dereham, tel. (01366) 500960 or 07766 766137, email: keith.macleod@virgin.net

Keith MacLeod’s monthly report

Page 6

Victims, Blame, Compensation . . .

We are famously (infamously!) in an age categorised as having a Compensation Culture. How has this happened; do we need to get out of it; how do we do so; what is it all about anyway? I think the problem comes down to the difference between Responsibilities and Rights. I hear people talking on the Radio and on TV about the need for people to recognise the responsibilities that go along with their new found or newly exercised rights. I do not argue with that, but it overlooks what is, I think, is the main area of concern, which is that we have increasingly in recent d e c a d e s t r a n s f e r r e d t h e responsibilities of some into the rights of others. Perhaps I can illustrate this best by the apparent introduction of Children’s Rights

When I was a child, my parents took time (from time to time) to remind me that I was not there of my own volition but by their choice. They made me fully aware of their responsibilities to me – to feed me, educate me and prepare me for life as an independent adult in due course. T ha t r e spons ib i l i t y was a n independent thing – it did not emanate from their love for me – it was a responsibility they adopted simply by virtue of their relationship to me as parents. I had no ‘rights’, that anyone bothered to enumerate. However, if they had chosen to abuse me or perhaps kill me, they would have been liable under the law in the same way as if they had done the same to someone else’s child or to another adult. In order to exercise their responsibilities, they had charge of me – if they had been unfit, I could have been removed from them and

cared for by the State. As a child, I was not regarded by my parents or by society generally or by the law specifically as having independent powers – my parents had to pay for damage that I caused and were punished for my public crimes and were responsible for disciplining me.

Nowadays, the parents seem to have no responsibilities (except residually in people’s minds, as we change our ideas slowly), but the children have rights. So, now, we have to have special laws to make parents punishable for their children’s truancy; children can go to the Doctor and obtain as serious treatment as an abortion, with no obligation to even inform the parents. Let alone seek their approbation. When an ill-informed (as ALL children are), immature (as ALL children are) feels aggrieved he can now apply for a ‘divorce’ from his parents. When any adult seeks to moderate the bad behaviour of children this is treated as common assault. If I bend down to help a small child who has fallen over, I (especially as a male adult) can be charged with child abuse and risk being put on the register of such abusers. Over the past quarter century, we have gone out of our way, as a society people, that all adults are potential attackers and abusers. Children have not developed a sense of proportion or of moral values, they have always screamed at the slightest slight or trivial injury and blamed whoever was within reach. Sensible adults have laughed at them and gradually taught them how to behave in a complex society where we are all dependent on our neighbours and families. But now, if anything happens, we are being trained to believe that someone must be at fault,

Sunday School – All Welcome!

There is a Sunday School during the main 11am Sunday services at St. Andrew’s Church, Northwold (except for Sunday’s with All Age Worship).

This is open to any school age child living in the villages of Northwold, Wretton, Stoke Ferry, Whittington and Brookville. If you are not able to stay with your child

please drop them off by 10.50 am and collect them by 12.15pm

that someone must be named and shamed and we, as victims must be treated with great sensitivity and compensated. So a substantial percentage of our NHS Budget now goes to paying compensation for imagined or accidental wrongs, instead of into the care of those who hurt or are ill.

A friend recently lost his father to MRSA. He was a man in his sixties, in reasonable good health, who went into the hospital for some relatively minor treatment – and he sadly died. My friend, within days, asked whether I thought he should sue the hospital. Although I said ‘No’, I believe he is still thinking of doing so. What a sad reaction. Certainly hew should ask for an explanation. But, if the system has resulted in these things happening – by accident – then what is the point of suing and thereby reducing the resources of the NHS Trust which is trying to resolve the problem. What is the point of identifying some nurse or doctor and trying to deprive them of their livelihood and the NHS of their services, because they failed to meet the highest standards, for who knows what good or bad reasons? This is not to say that we should not weed out bad apples, but who has not done bad work or some occasion.

When the crowd came to stone the prostitute to death, Jesus asked the one who had done no wrong to cast the first stone. When all had left without a word, Jesus simply asked

Church Rotas

Christ Church - cleaning & flowers Nov Mrs D Eves & Penny Dec Mrs S. Warner & Mrs J. Elsie

All Saints’ - cleaning & flowers Nov Mrs P Willis & Mrs H Durrance Dec Mrs P Willis & Mrs H Durrance

St. Andrews - cleaning Nov 12th Mrs Akers Nov 19th Mr & Mrs Cundy Nov 26th Mrs C. Sharp Dec 3rd Miss J. Luckman, Mrs C. Collins Dec 10th Mrs J. Bunyan

Page 7

DIDLINGTON NURSERIES

Visit our walled in garden nursery for your trees, shrubs, perennials and lots more.

In stock now - winter flowering pansies, violas, primroses, polyanthus, wallflowers and bulbs. Available from end November - a vast selection of fruit trees, ornamental trees and bare root hedging.

You can find us situated between Foulden and Northwold

Tel. (01842) 878288

GARY BOYCE QUALITY RETAIL AND CATERING BUTCHER, est. 1985

25, High Street (next to Fire Station) Methwold, Thetford, Norfolk

Tel 01366 728512 (or Fax 01366 728883 anytime)

Prime Barley Fed Beef (11/13 months old), Pork, Lamb, direct from the farm (locally). All our meat is prepared to the highest standard & cut to customer’s requirements. Norfolk pork sausages made by Mr Dennis Self, formerly of

Waters Butchers, Stoke Ferry.

We also offer a delicatessen counter of traditional cooked hams, also home cooked quiches, pork pies, Cornish pasties, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and much more. On the

sweet side of the pastries we offer a large selected of Curtis of Lincoln cakes. British bacon, unsmoked and smoked, dry

cured - no added water. A range of English and continental cheeses plus our

usual range of cooked meets, once again cut to your requirements by our team of

friendly staff.

Opening times are:

Monday 9am-1pm Tuesday 8am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm Wednesday 8am-1pm Thursday 8am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm Friday 8am-1pm, 2pm-5.30pm Saturday 7.30am-1pm Est. 1962

TPF Property Maintenance Services

Interior, Exterior Decorating, Carpentry,

Wall & Floor Tiling, Wooden & Laminate

Flooring

Call Tim

01366 728 881

Nija Levis Holistic Therapist

Treatment for Stress/tension - muscular

pain - headaches - fatigue - emotional stress - depression poor circulation - insomnia -

Relaxation etc.

Northwold 727243

IHBC IIHHT C&G BABTAC Over 17 YRS Experience

COMFORT INN NORTHWOLD

Sunday with Santa Every Sunday in December. Enjoy a 3 course sit down festive lunch for only £12.50 adults £6.25 children. And

a special visit from Father Christmas. With a gift for children.

CHRISTMAS DAY….. Enjoy a 4 course luncheon at £33.95 inclusive of buck’s fizz, party novelties & a special visit from

Father Christmas. Children half price. Book on 01366 728888

her to sin no more. Maybe we cannot meet his standards, but we should start trying. We are all prone to accident – real accident – someone is not always to blame – certainly not someone else – it is usually ourselves. What a sad five or six years my friend is going to happen as he becomes increasingly embittered ands does not grieve properly for his father, but becomes a victim himself (in his own eyes) as the lawyers and other vultures (Sorry lawyers!) move in.

Even where there is someone to blame, I am not sure that it is healthy to maintain a close relationship between the criminal and the victim – such as is now common. It is generally accepted that we have not always paid enough attention to the needs of victims of crime and clearly we need to rectify this failure. But what has that got to do with the criminal? We are now becoming inured to seeing weeping relatives paraded before us on TV (just like the hostages in Iraq!) to demand justice. When a criminal is sentenced, the reporters ask the victims if the

punishment was sufficient – of course it wasn’t – what more biased an opinion could we seek than that of the victims?

Is it not time that we started to behave with a little more dignity, reserving judgements for a little longer, allowing the judges and juries to get on with dealing with criminals in accordance with the law and practice, allowing that every Doctor is going to make a mistake at some time or other, which although it may be a tragedy to the particular patient and family, from an objective standpoint needs to be seen for what it is – a lapse – slap his wrist, fine him – don’t destroy him.

Reverting to where I started, with the reference to Responsibility and Rights, we have not just deprived parents of the ability and freedom to exercise proper responsibility, but all the professions also. One of the fundamental differences between the professional and the tradesman was not their skill levels, but their reliance on judgement. The tradesman applied known rules of thumb and of

measurement, honed by experience. The professional made judgements where measurements were not available – judgements of Solomon. The Doctor, the lawyer, the Bank Manager and so on were relied on to judge the best course of action, where no b luepr in t was ava i lab le . Nowadays, the accountant does not simply that the accounts he has prepared or audited give a true and fair view of the profits and state of the business – he writes pages of caveats in order to protect against a lawsuit. Again, responsibility held by one person has been ef fect ive ly transferred into the rights of the other.

What we need to do is to think about things, instead of simply reacting to them. What we need to do is to think where our own responsibilities lie, before we jump to blame others. We need to count the real cost of blindly seeking compensation for imagined or small wrongs. We need a little more charity towards all our neighbours.

Keith Macleod