Monday 31 August 2009

Pick one up


Time to read all about it. The newsletter for September is out and about now.

Sunday 30 August 2009

September will be a busy month

Diary dates for September

Tuesday 1 Coffee and chat, Church Rooms, 10.30am to 12 noon
Wednesday 2 Luncheon Club coffee morning, Village Hall, 10am to 12noon
Wednesday 2 Women's Fellowship, Methodist Chapel, 2.30pm
Thursday 3 Parish Council, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Saturday 5 Village Fete, Village Hall, 2pm to 5pm
Saturday 5 Opening of Askew Agricultural Museum, Scales Farm, 2pm
Sunday 6 Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm
Monday 7 Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm
Thursday 10 Breckland Flower and Garden Club, Village Hall, 2pm
Thursday 10 Social and Wine Circle, Church Rooms, 7.45pm
Friday 11 Netgamers, Village Hall, 7pm to 9pm
Saturday 12 Sponsored cycle ride for local churches, from 9am to 5pm
Saturday 12 Garage sale, Karmel, The Green, 7.30am to 3.30pm
Sunday 13 Garage sale, Karmel, The Green, 7.30am to 3.30pm
Monday 14 Whist drive, Church Rooms, 2pm
Wednesday 16 Luncheon Club, Village Hall, 10am to 2pm
Thursday 17 WI Group meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Wednesday 16 Request Songs of Praise, Methodist Chapel, 7.30pm
Sunday 20 Wargames club, Village Hall, 2.30pm to 6pm
Monday 21 Monday Mardle, Church Rooms, 2.15pm to 4.15pm
Thursday 24 Women's Institute, Village Hall, 7.30pm
Friday 25 Mobile Police Station outside village shop, 9am to 10.30am
Friday 25 An evening with OB Players, Village Hall, 7.45pm
Saturday 26 An evening with OB Players, Village Hall, 7.45pm
Sunday 27 Village Garage Sale
Wednesday 30 Luncheon Club outing

Saturday 29 August 2009

Up and down the Nile


A Victorian tripper

Old Buckenham Women’s Institute held an open meeting in August and invited friends, neighbours and relatives to join them to follow the journey of an intrepid Victorian explorer down the Nile.
Lorna Oakes was the speaker for the evening and she has an impressive CV. Lorna is an expert Egyptologist who lectures at Birkbeck College in London. Lorna is a friend of one of the members and was asked to present a talk whilst visiting her friends in the country.
The subject of Lorna’s talk was a feisty and wealthy Victorian lady, who, not content with a life of domesticity embarked upon an adventure. Amelia Edwards set out to be a tourist in Egypt in 1872 when few people ever travelled further than the local market town. There was no tourist information office to organise her trip so everything had to be arranged locally by herself and her travelling companion. They charted a local vessel, hired help and set off on a thousand mile journey along the Nile.
Amelia recorded every incident in her diary and made sketches of all she saw. Many of the antiquities of ancient Egypt had already been plundered or spoilt by French and British tourists or by local poor inhabitants hoping to make a little money. It appeared that no one in authority was taking care of the treasures and this gave Amelia an idea.
On her return to England Amelia published her Nile memoirs ‘A Thousand Miles Up the Nile’ and gave lectures and talks both here and abroad, particularly in America. With the money she earned Amelia began the Egypt Exploration Fund in 1882. Now archaeologists could be sent to Egypt to help record, excavate and preserve the sites that had so enthralled Amelia.
Amelia donated £2,500 to found the first English chair of Egyptology at the University of London. This Chair is still in existence today. On her death in 1892 she left much of her collection of Egyptian artefacts to the University of London and much of her library to Somerville College, Cambridge.
Amelia Edwards was a determined woman with a passion for Egyptology. Her perseverance and thirst for knowledge is very much a role model for the WI member today.
After the talk and slide show, members and their guests enjoyed the hospitality of catering team and everyone was encouraged to visit the ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ table’. Here members were encouraged to donate unwanted items of food, still in date and fit for consumption, so that these items could then be purchased by other members. The money raised is then donated to the charity ACWW which helps women in developing countries.
The meeting concluded with the President reminding everyone of forthcoming events. September promises to be a very busy month for Old Buckenham WI members with the village fete and the village Produce Show being two of the main local items.

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Play the games



Interested in computer games?
Want more interaction with humans while playing computer games? Stuck in your bedroom playing on your own? Had enough competing against AIs? Then come along to Old Buckenham Village Hall on the second Friday of the month between 7pm and 9pm. There are eight computers networked together with a selection of games for LAN tournaments – come and join in and get to see who you are beating face to face.
You can play in teams of four on Battlefield 2 and CoD 4, all in and team battles on 40k Dawn of War or race against real opponents on Ford Racing 3 (manic but great fun). The group are a friendly bunch, help and advice is given on games you haven’t played before and, while everyone wants to win, the emphasis is always on fun.
There is also a Wii, a selection of board games and wargames boards along with a snack bar with drinks and a selection of eats. Non-gamers are welcome - feel free to use the club for meeting up with friends.
Meetings are every second Friday of the month starting at 7pm and finishing at 9pm. The next meeting is therefore on Friday 11 September. Entrance to the hall and use of the board games is free, use of the computers is £3.
The club would like to expand in different directions and are open to suggestions for things to do (Scalextrics is one of the things they are hoping to try in the autumn). So if there's something you would like to do, just let them know.
Please note the club is for over 12s only. For more information call Paul on 01953 860023 or visit www.banhamandthebucks.co.uk/
netgamers

Monday 24 August 2009

Moving on




Ziman farewell
The parish council organised an evening get-together in the Church Rooms to say farewell to Robert and Denise Ziman who are moving away from Old Buckenham. It was also an opportunity to say thank you to all those involved with the Community Car service that has been organised by Robert for all villagers over the last twenty years.
Robert and Denise were presented with a few gifts including a set of framed photographs of Old Buckenham scenes to remind them of their time here.
Having joked about “getting red carpet treatment”, they were given their own small piece of initialled red carpet during the presentation. Robert took the opportunity to thank all those drivers who had been so supportive and helpful, especially when asked to do journeys at short notice. He also felt thanks were due to the great majority of the customers who were appreciative of the service that they received when visiting the doctors or hospital. He officially handed over the £20.05 cash float that he had been given all those years ago and wished his successor, Mike Craven-Romain, all the best for the future.
The parish council members along with the community car drivers were then able to enjoy a buffet and drinks while passing on their own personal best wishes to Denise and Robert.

Thursday 20 August 2009

Perennial favourites



Breckland Flower and Garden Club
Members were welcomed to the August meeting to be entertained by Guy Barker talking about his 'passion for perennials' - a very knowledgeable young man who brought along some of his favourite plants for autumn.
The competition for a continental parallel produced a very colourful table. Janet Skidmore won the New Hands class and Marion Beesley won the Old Hands class as well as the Dorothy Jeffries Trophy for the most fun arrangement which included a pair of cheeky scarecrows.
Congratulations go to Christine Hewson and Joy Tunmore for winning the Club Class at the Royal Norfolk Show and to Joy for winning the Best in Show for her petite flower arrangement.
The outing to Hyde Hall and Braintree shopping outlet was much enjoyed and most people came home with a purchase or two.
Next meeting will be Thursday 10 September at 2pm in Old Buckenham Village Hall when J Baker will demonstrate 'Mad about Plant' and the competition will be for a Pot-et-Fleur. The Joan Fisher Trophy to be awarded for the best use of colour.
Visitors are always welcome, further details can be obtained from the chairman Pat on 01953 457305 or the secretary Sally on 01953 788712.

Monday 17 August 2009

What's hiding behind your garage door?


Village 'garage' sale
Sort out all your unwanted items and recycle them at the Old Buckenham Village 'Garage' Sale outside your own home on Sunday 27 September.
To reserve your pitch, which will cost just £6, please phone Liz on 01953 860709 or Carol on 01953 861480.
Maps identifying the location of all the houses taking part will be available at the Church Rooms on the Green between 10am and 1pm on the day of the sale.
So get sorting out your house, garden and garage now. The money you pay for your pitch will go to help the Recreation Project fund. Your takings will all go to you.
Last date for reservations will be Friday 11 September.

Saturday 15 August 2009

A new post about new posts


Now fenced in
At last you can see some progress with the Recreation Project on the land behind the village hall. The grass has been sown and local fencing contractors, Carriageman, have been busy this summer completing the first stage of the project by erecting the initial fencing.
The area will not be in use until the grass has toughened up and there is a good degree of growth. The next stage will be choosing the equipment and, with the help of the questionnaires received back from villagers, there will soon be some plans to show what is envisaged.
Come and visit the stall at the Village Fete on Saturday 5 September and give support to this recreation area project.

Wednesday 12 August 2009

United Eleemosynary Charities

Our own charity
Because Andrew Reeder in 1565 and Robert Laughter in 1622 made bequests in their wills to benefit the poor of the parish of Old Buckenham, and the Commons Commissioners in 1791 allotted land to the Overseers of the Poor, and the Fen as part of the arrangements for the enclosure into private holdings of all the land of the village, the United Eleemosynary Charities in Old Buckenham are still receiving rents for the benefit of those less fortunate than the rest.
The trustees of the charity will be meeting in November to allocate benefits and would like to hear from anyone who wishes to apply to be added (those who benefited last year do not need to reapply). There is a simple one page form to complete which can be obtained from the clerk to the trustees, Joan Jenkins, 49 Fen Street or one of the trustees, Bridget Burton, Amberly, The Green. Completed forms need to be returned by the end of October.
Although the trustees make their main allocation in time for Christmas each year they wish to stress that they do have money in reserve to enable them to offer help to anyone in need at any time of the year. It is also the case that the charities are for the less fortunate of any age, not simply the elderly. Circumstances may leave children needing help of one kind or another, or temporary need may arise from loss of a job or a home, or the stay of a relative in hospital. The trustees are willing to receive requests whenever they arise.

Sunday 9 August 2009

An evening with the Players


(just click on the picture to enlarge it and make the words easier to read)

Saturday 8 August 2009

Numbers Club results

More cribbing
At the August crib drive the winners were Helga Baggs, Bill Cheesley, Bev McAnulty, Eddie McAnulty and Olive Fuller. The winners in the numbers club draw made at the village hall that evening were Bob Garwood, Iris Lancaster, R George, Tommy Mack and Mike Bartlett who win £5 each with the £10 prizes going to Muriel Large and Michelle Brinded.
Would all cribbers please note that the next drive will be in October because in September the hall will be being prepared for the village fete.

Saturday 1 August 2009

Meet a policeman at the village hall

The local mobile is coming
You can meet your neighbourhood policing team in the mobile police station at Old Buckenham village hall on Monday 10 August between 6pm and 9pm . The dog warden will also be there to chip your dog(s) for the sum of £7.50 per dog.