Village News Archive

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THE main building at the Hermanus is to close during the winter season in a bid to ride out the cost of living crisis.

The owners of the complex announced the area would shut from October 31 and none of the usual seasonal events would be held.

In a statement the business said: “Due to the ever rising costs it is not financially viable for us to open throughout the winter months unfortunately.”

Manager James Denton said: "It is with deep regret that we have had to make the difficult decision to close our main building throughout the winter months, due to the financial crisis. This decision has been made due to low footfall which has been monitored over the last couple of months. We know that everyone is feeling the pinch and trying to cut back on their luxury spending.

"We would like to reassure our customers, old and new that this is purely a pause, and we will be back bigger and better next season in time for our big 50th Birthday celebration - keep your eyes peeled!

"We will be keeping very busy throughout the winter period as we have plenty of renovations to do across the site.

He added: "We appreciate all your continued support and look forward to welcoming you back in the main building next year."

Soaring inflation, Brexit, Covid and the war in the Ukraine have all had an impact on the economy, creating stiff challenges for local businesses as highlighted in the July edition of the newsletter. Before the pandemic lockdowns it was not unusual for the Sunday carveries at the Hermanus to be packed with local people.

In June part of the main building finally reopened following months of work to revamp and repair the damage caused by a major fire in August last year.

The refurbishment will continue through the winter and the staff have been offered alternative job roles which have been accepted, including the head chef whose painting and decorating skills were appreciated during the last closure.

A planning application to rebuild and extend the gutted games room with a retro theme and add two holiday apartments on the first floor has yet to be decided.

Accommodation will still be available through the low season and guests can book online. See the advert for details of bar and dining area opening times during October.

PLANNING permission for changes to two new homes on the Caters garage site has finally been granted weeks after the buildings reached near completion and one was put on the market.

Approval was given last year for two chalet bungalows with garages. But in February an application was made to the borough council to build one with a living room instead of the garage. Since then both have been constructed that way.

But it was only last month that permission for the change was given, and borough councillor James Bensly has confirmed it applies to both.

In his report borough planning officer Rob Tate concluded: “The changes improve the appearance of the dwellings thanks to the loss of the garage.”

Planning conditions state they can only be occupied as a principal home and not as second home or holiday accommodation.

The parish council expressed concern at the impact on parking and the fact the work was done before it had permission.

THERE'S little appetite for wireless internet to installed in the village hall, councillors heard.

The parish was looking into the possibility of having a connection installed so hirers could make use of it but Cllr Marina Carr said: “My feeling is that we should probably not consider it at this time, bearing in mind we’re about to get hit with electricity price increases.”

Inquiries had been made and while the cost of installation was £10 the monthly charge for a fibre connection to the building would have been just over £50 a month and the council would have needed a laptop capable of running the system.

She added that when she went back with all the costings to all the people who had asked for it there was no response. “They have just melted away,” she said.

There was a mixed response from existing hirers and one group had their own mobile internet.

Councillors voted against going any further with the idea.

VILLAGE school caretaker Jacob Bell is showcasing his traditional carpentry skills in a Bake Off-style TV show dedicated to woodworking.

He’s one of 10 finalists from all over the country competing for the Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker crown.

Although filming ended in June we can’t say how Jacob did because the series is still being screened, but whatever the result the 23-year-old feels it’s given him new confidence as well as a taste for TV work.

And he’s stayed in touch with the other competitors. He said: “We’re all really good friends and we still talk in the group Whatsapp.”

Jacob’s been interested in woodworking since he was a child. He remembers his grandad pottering around in his shed and later on, helping his dad with DIY projects.

He had to wait until he reached college to start woodworking lessons and while the training would have been useful for a career as a carpenter in the building trade, he wanted to do something more creative. So he took up a furniture-making course, qualifying in 2018.

But it wasn’t until he moved from Canterbury to Winterton to be with girlfriend Boni that he was finally able to start turning a hobby into a trade. “Moving here was what helped kick start the whole making furniture and making money out of it thing.”

He began passing on some of his skills to pupils at the school in a woodwork club and took on the role of caretaker. “It’s amazing how much they love sanding wood,” he said. The job helps to pay the bills and allows him to buy what he needs for his woodwork projects.

Boni’s mum spotted the TV show when they were watching a YouTube programme. Instantly Jacob decided he was going to try for a spot in the second series. He put in his application with pictures of his work, but he’d almost forgotten about it until he got a voicemail from a producer months later.

Applicants had been whittled down from thousands to just 20 when he auditioned over Zoom for one of the 10 spaces. The birdhouse he made in just two and-a-half hours won him his slot.

PARTS of the Low Road byway are being damaged by drivers using it as a short cut.

Parish councillors from neighbouring Somerton have asked Winterton colleagues for help to tackle the problem following complaints from residents living close by.

Dawn Clegg told the September meeting: “They are having an awful lot of problems with people using it as a rat run between Winterton and Somerton.”

Householders at either end of the route were seeing drivers going into the track and then coming back out after turning round.

The route was resurfaced by Norfolk County Council’s highways department last year after complaints it had become a rutted and muddy path. It’s popular with walkers and as a restricted byway it is only supposed to be used by people on foot, with horses or on cycles.  

He was nervous when the cameras eventually started rolling but he soon relaxed. In fact he almost misses them since filming ended.

“We got so comfortable with it in the end it feels odd to be in the workshop on my own," he said.

The show follows competitors as they build their designs over two days. The first challenge was a table. Last week Jacob built a children’s toy woodworking bench complete with tools. It stands just 45cms tall and it’s his favourite piece. He was told by the show's experts it would be worth about £2,000 if it went on sale and it would probably be snapped up if he took the plans to toy retailer Hamleys.

But for the moment he’s content to broaden his range – although he wouldn’t mind another shot at doing TV in the future. In the meantime he’s thinking of making videos of his builds and posting them on YouTube.

Watch Jacob on Wednesdays at 8pm on Channel 4 or online on All 4.

But Cllr Clegg said the signage was too small and needed to be backed up with notices saying it wasn’t

suitable for vehicles.

County councillor James Bensly said he had been getting emails from people at the Somerton end. “It’s mainly delivery drivers following sat navs.”

He said he was planning to chase it up with highways and asked people to email him with evidence of the misuse.

A PROPOSAL for the parish council to take over responsibility for the Bush Road steps onto the dunes is to be revived.

Concern has been expressed about the poor state of the wooden flight and at the last full council meeting on September 28 members heard a previous council had been in negotiations with Winterton Valley Estate.

But chairman Mark Bobby said an agreement some years ago between the parish council and the estate was a work in progress and had never been signed. He wanted to know if colleagues wanted to carry on with the conversation with a view to potentially taking on the steps.

Dawn Clegg said: “I have reservations because of the state of them.” She didn’t feel the whole village would benefit and there would be a huge cost attached to repairing them.

But Marina Carr said WVE had its own access. “It’s people like me who live near there and walk their dogs that way to get onto the dunes.”

Marie Hartley said the document indicated there was an intent to take on the steps long term and asked what had changed since then.

Deputy chairman Nigel Coe the steps were in a poor state of repair and the issue of insurance worried him, but people on that side almost certainly used them because that was their only way to get to the beach.

“I think it would be tragic for the village to lose these steps,” said Cllr Emma Punchard. Attempts had been made over the years to repair

them but they were never very successful.

But she added: “It would be a good thing for the parish council to take up and there are grants we could apply for.”

Some residents in Bush Road felt they weren’t included in the village, Norman Parcell told colleagues. “This is an opportunity to make them feel included.”

Members decided to pursue the investigation.

HOPES are high that Winterton could finally get a direct bus service to Norwich.

Norfolk County Council has succeeded in winning almost £50m of Department of Transport Funding to improve bus services and facilities and now it is working out where the money should be spent, including new and expanded routes.

Cllr James Bensly told the parish council he was pushing for the route from Gt Yarmouth to be changed so it took in Winterton and the villages before heading to Norwich.

At the moment anyone wanting to travel by bus to the city faces a journey of at least an hour and-a-half and a change in Yarmouth. But Cllr Bensly said the area needed a service that people could use to get there for work and education.

There was a lot of support for a direct route when the bus improvement plan was out for consultation earlier this year. “I really hope we are in quite a good strong position for it,” he said, urging residents to contact him with evidence that it would be useful to them.

The council heard one parent was driving their child to school in Norwich every day.

He stressed he was talking about smaller buses like the old Flying Bananas rather than big double deckers. “I would rather have them too full so the service is expanded than empty double deckers.”

Around £12m of the funding is to be spent on new or expanded routes and the final details will be worked out in the coming months with bus operators using feedback from residents, councillors and parishes.

A final decision from council officers is not expected until early next year.