Village News Archive

NEW raised planters have been installed on the village hall green at Winterton after a fruitful fundraising campaign generated more than £2,000 in the space of a few weeks.

The containers are part of a project by the In Bloom team aimed at helping disabled people get more enjoyment out of the floral displays created around the village.

Wheelchair user Terry Buckland was guest of honour at a launch ceremony on Monday with volunteers and donors.

Chairman of the group Claire Thompson said: “This has been such a positive achievement for our village and is bringing so much pleasure to so many.”

“We wanted everyone to enjoy the colour and positivity of the gardens after what has been a very difficult and frightening year.”

She praised members of the public who had boosted the appeal with donations while the Fishermans Return, the Winterton Holiday Home Owners group and the In Bloom supporters had paid for individual planters.

In Bloom would like to thank each and everyone. It shows what can be achieved.

The parish council gave permission for the planters, which will be part of a sensory garden devised with the help of residents of the three Mencap homes in the village.

Borough and county councilor James Bensly said it was a wonderful achievement and he knew those working on the displays had already benefited. “This has helped no end of people with their mental health and physical wellbeing and the positive emotions this brings out cannot be underestimated.”

“The In Bloomers, volunteers and parish council are the perfect example of local communities helping each other helping themselves.”

All the planters, beds and borders around the village are now planted and in a few weeks’ time there should be a riot of colour to cheer residents and visitors alike.

Bug hotels are now in place and look amazing. Hopefully they will soon be full of various insects. And a crab apple tree has been planted on the village hall green between the raised planters to commemorate national hero Capt Tom Moore.

Now it’s time to put the tools down, sit back and enjoy the garden!

Norfolk County Council launches new mobile coronavirus testing service

Norfolk County Council is asking people to climb aboard one of four new buses to get tested for COVID-19.  This can help to identify the one in three people who may have Covid without any symptoms so they can avoid passing the virus on to family, friends and colleagues.

The authority is the first in the country to commission and deploy multiple units of the specially converted mobile clinical buses, which are out and about in Norfolk from Monday (May 10). The buses are for people who aren’t showing any symptoms of coronavirus, to have rapid lateral flow device (LFD) tests.

The buses have been converted by Project MOVE, a scheme created to help provide mobile clinical services in more locations. The converted Oxford Bus Company vehicles will be operated by Norfolk Go-Ahead Group sister company Konectbus.

Each bus has the capacity to undertake up to 100 observed rapid tests a day.  Observed tests are where people swab themselves under the guidance of a trained operator who then processes the test, reads the result and records it.

News from the village, May 2021

© All content copyright 2021

People may want to get an observed test because:

     •     It is more likely to get an accurate result as a trained operator is present

     •     They're simple and supervised to help get it right

     •     People just need to turn up or book at a site

     •     The team register the test onto the national NHS Test and Trace system

Director of Public Health Norfolk, Dr Louise Smith said: “This is great news for our county and means testing is even more readily available. By identifying those who are carrying the virus without symptoms, we can help break the chain of transmission. Testing is one of the key ways to help us return to normality so it is imperative that people take regular tests, regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated.”

Norfolk County Council COVID-19 Mobile Testing Units will be in place at the following between May 10-15:

     •     Waitrose, Eaton Centre, Church Lane, Eaton, Norwich, NR4 6NU

     •     Next, Longwater Business Park, William Frost Way, New Costessey, Norwich, NR5 0JS

     •     Tesco Superstore, Thetford Rd, Watton, Thetford, IP25 6BQ

     •     Tesco Extra, Blue Boar Lane, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8AB

NO MEETING BEHIND GREEN DOOR: The parish council cancelled its annual meeting citing public safety issues after the High Court ruled local authorities could not continue holding virtual sessions.

Coronavirus legislation allowed authorities to meet remotely and many hoped to be able to carry on after it ended on May 7. Winterton councillors have been meeting on Zoom, But an application by Hertfordshire County Council, Lawyers in Local Government and the Association of Democratic Services Officers failed.

Usually the annual meeting in May is when a chairman and vice-chairman are elected and councillors are allocated responsibilities.

Some parishes including Filby, Thurne, Caister, Mautby, Ormesby St Margaret and Scratby, Rollesby and Fleggburgh held their May meetings in public spaces under coronavirus rules. Norfolk County Council held its first full meeting at the Norfolk Showground on May 24 and Great Yarmouth Borough Council streams its meetings on YouTube. But Winterton village hall is not equipped with broadband.

The hall reopened on May 17 and since then it has been used under Covid rules by 901 Troop, table tennis players and the sing and play group.

The National Association of Local Councils guidance is that councils should carry out a risk assessment of the venue and if it shows it “cannot hold a safe meeting and no other venue is available or there is no outside space, then the local council will need to take

appropriate mitigating actions including delaying meetings until after June 21.” It is not clear whether Winterton Parish Council carried out a risk assessment.

Nalc says the rule of six for indoor meetings does not apply to the council, but it does for the public. So a council of nine and its clerk and up to six members of the public could meet if the hall could accommodate them socially distanced.

In a statement posted on the council’s website it said: “In the interests of safety for the local community and based on the advice given, the parish council have given full consideration as to the next steps required in relation to holding future meetings and have cancelled the scheduled meeting in May.” But it is not clear how the council reached the decision because it had not met.

The newsletter approached vice chairman Mark Bobby but was told by the clerk he could not comment on behalf of the council and that it was the policy of the council to write statements only.

In a later statement to the newsletter the council said: “The village hall is not big enough to accommodate all of the council and the public under the current rule of six or with social distancing.  A meeting would not have been within the legal guidelines for Covid-19 for holding meetings where the public and press could attend.

“The hall is also lacking in the infrastructure and IT to enable people to attend virtually. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to secure a larger venue in time for the meeting agenda to be posted for May.  

“After full consideration of multiple scenarios, advice from NALC was to cancel scheduled meetings before June 21, so the view to protect the safety of local residents was taken first and foremost.”

The council says the June meeting will go ahead and the venue and format will be confirmed after the Prime Minister’s announcement.

PUPIL NUMBERS RISING AGAIN: This time three years ago the school was facing closure because of falling pupil numbers.

Now there are 60 children on the roll and nine more are due to join in reception this summer, assistant head teacher Hannah Waters told the village at the annual parish meeting.

And the field study centre, which was due to open in March, just before the Covid lockdown is preparing to welcome its first young guests this summer. “As a school we are test driving the residential centre and the children will be staying for a week at the end of June. They are understandably very excited to be able to stay overnight,” she said.

The centre offering pupils and groups from elsewhere the opportunity to study ecology, wildlife and coastal erosion, was developed by the Consortium Multi Academy Trust which stepped in to save the much-loved school.

Ms Waters said the trust’s chief executive Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne was currently acting

as head teacher. “That has been really positive. We have really been able to move the school forward with his help.”

A CHALLENGING YEAR: The marine cadets are on a recruiting drive after having to say goodbye to most of their band. It is just one of the challenges the unit has faced during the pandemic.

“This year has been very different for us. As soon as lockdown hit us we had to adapt and overcome,” said commanding officer Lt Rachel Tooke.

During the pandemic the school remained open for children of key workers, but the hope was it would be able to become more involved with the community once Covid restrictions were lifted.

“That’s something that we’ve missed as a school and we know a lot of other people have missed it too,” she added.

“We lost 80 per cent of our band – cadets moved on to college, university or the forces - but we will get there. We will rebuild it.”

When the first lockdown arrived the troop went online, holding Monday evening sessions virtually, while the volunteer staff filmed training videos for them.

After it ended last summer the troop was able to get back to some sort of normality for a little while, including an overnight exercise that proved to be a highlight for the cadets in a very difficult year, she said.

Cadets also played their part in the Covid jab programme, directing traffic and putting up tents at a vaccination centre.

The troop’s Ferret armoured car was refurbished by a specialist and, as reported in the newsletter, a very effective fundraising effort allowed it to replace its ageing minibus. In fact a combination of online donations and fundraising by the cadets themselves brought in just short of £10,000.

“We lost 80 per cent of our band – cadets moved on to college, university or the forces - but we will get there. We will rebuild it.”

When the first lockdown arrived the troop went online, holding Monday evening sessions virtually, while the volunteer staff filmed training videos for them.

After it ended last summer the troop was able to get back to some sort of normality for a little while, including an overnight exercise that proved to be a highlight for the cadets in a very difficult year, she said.

Cadets also played their part in the Covid jab programme, directing traffic and putting up tents at a vaccination centre.

The troop’s Ferret armoured car was refurbished by a specialist and, as reported in the newsletter, a very effective fundraising effort allowed it to replace its ageing minibus. In fact a combination of online donations and fundraising by the cadets themselves brought in just short of £10,000.

A grateful Lt Tooke told the annual parish meeting: “It’s nice to know we’ve got backing from people.”

The troop, which offers 10 to 21-year-olds lessons in fieldcraft and drill as well as adventure training, is now focussing on rebuilding numbers.

For more on joining or volunteering visit tsfearless.org.uk or call 07775 513688.

WELCOME BACK: Customers were allowed to step inside the village hostelries for the first time in months as coronavirus restrictions were eased.

The Fishermans Return, which underwent a revamp during lockdown, had a busy week after it welcomed visitors and regulars through the doors.

Manager Matt Nichols said: “We were very pleased with the revamp and being able to welcome customers back to the pub.”

Staff had missed seeing people and recognised it had been difficult for them not to be able to spend time with family and friends. “So what better way to catch-up, than over some delicious food and cold drinks in your local pub. Or even come in for breakfast June 21 when we will be serving from 8am to the public,” he said.

A welcome was waiting over at the Hermanus and the Highwayman.

Manager James Denton told the newsletter: “It's lovely to be open again and seeing the site full of life and character.

“It was a busy bank holiday with many regular faces that have been anxiously waiting to

return for their holidays and locals returning to a very family friendly, Covid safe environment.”

The lounge bar has been laid out to provide social distancing for diners. Food is being served in the beer garden where a marquee has been installed, and on Sundays a plated version of the popular roast lunch is back.

First through the door at the Fishermans Stewart and Irene Webster

The courtyard behind Poppy’s tearoom has proved popular in recent weeks. A large parasol was installed to offer shade and shelter to customers and now, with the lifting of the restrictions, they are allowed back indoors.

The village hall is also back in action for regular users and for hire with Covid rules and hygiene measures in place.

Under the current rules groups of up to six or two households are allowed inside pubs, restaurants and cafes. All customers over the age of 16 are expected to check in with the national track and trace scheme or provide their contact details.

They must order and consume their food and drink while seated at their tables and wear a face mask when being shown to their table or going to the toilet.

Customers enjoying the sunshine and a drink at the Hermanus

Gino, Becky and Jeanne Farace in the courtyard at Poppy's

DOUBLE ROLE: Borough councillor James Bensly is wearing two civic hats after being elected to Norfolk County Council for the East Flegg division.

The Conservative, who has represented the area on Great Yarmouth Borough Council for the past five years, was chosen by voters in the May local elections to step into the county seat vacated by fellow Conservative Ron Hanton.

He won 72 per cent of the vote with 1,975. Labour candidate Edd Bush was in second place with 384 votes, Hannah Gray, Green, took 328 and Nicholas Read of the Liberal Democrats took 43. Turnout was 34.5 per cent.