News
for 2008 | For previous years News |
| 12 May 2008 | Shopping tops the bill for Community Forum
meeting |
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| April | Meet the Authors Various aspects of Wymondham’s heritage, local sport and writing a fantasy novel are a few of the topics that will be explored at a local authors’ event on April 23. Arranged as part of the town’s St Georges Day celebrations, the evening will include presentations and readings by a number of local people who have had books published. Brenda Garrard will highlight Wymondham’s links with the Gild of St George and her husband Roger will relate the story of Wymondham College. Les King will reflect on the heyday of the Regal Cinema and will explain how he came to produce a series of books on local sport. Fantasy novelist Elliot Symonds will discuss the genre and give some tips on how to get a book published. Other contributors will include Ann and Adrian Hoare, Terence Burchell, Paul Cattermole, John Wilson and Mary Garner, Lilian Spencer and Norfolk’s very own poet, Tina Cattermole. After the presentations the audience will be able to meet the authors and purchase signed copies of the featured books. The event is sponsored by The Book Fountain in Whartons Court, Wymondham and takes place at the Abbey Hall, Church Street, Wymondham from 7.30pm. Admission and refreshments are free but a collection will be a made for a local charity. For more details, contact The Book Fountain on 01953 603663. Talking Newspaper Marks Tenth Anniversary Wymondham & Attleborough Talking Newspaper volunteers have celebrated the tenth anniversary of the service they provide for visually impaired people in and around the two towns. It was on April 10 1998 that the first edition of the audio news and information service was sent out. A total of 50 volunteers produce and despatch a weekly digest of news and features for almost 70 blind or partially sighted listeners. Items from the local newspapers are supplemented by the group’s own outside recordings, which has enabled them to build up an extensive sound archive. The anniversary celebrations will took the form of a buffet and social event at the Robert Kett pub restaurant in Wymondham on the anniversary date. W A T N chairman, Pat Crawford said: “The volunteers rarely get an opportunity to meet as a group and a social event is a good way for us to show that we are all part of a big team”. Whilst the group has a sufficient number of readers, they would like to hear from anyone who is interested in becoming a reserve editor or joining the administration team. Full training will be provided. For more details, contact the W A T N secretary on 01953 605434. Community Clean Up & Litter Pick  |
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| March | SYLVIA SYMS, STAR
OF SCREEN AND STAGE, VISITS WYMONDHAM
REGAL EXPERIENCE
GROUP On Sunday 9th March 2008 , we welcomed Sylvia Syms to the old Regal cinema, now part of the Ex-Services Club. She came to support the group's efforts to keep classic cinema alive in Wymondham and applauded everything being done by the group to enable this to happen. Before the screening of "Conspiracy of Hearts", in which she starred with Lilli Palmer and Yvonne Mitchell, Sylvia went up into the projection room to see the old 1937 Kalee projectors. She was absolutely amazed that they were still working and told projectionists, Michael Armstrong and David Oldfield that she was surprised anyone still knew how to work them.Sylvia entertained the audience for about 40 minutes, answering Philip Yaxley's leading questions about her long career in films and theatre. She is especially remembered for her starring roles in "Ice- Cold in Alex", "The Tamarind Seed" and more recently "The Queen", in which she played the Queen Mother.Our audience loved her down to earth approach. Sylvia stressed that we should not give up using our talents just because we get older! After her very interesting and informative interview, group secretary, Maureen Dodman presented her with a bunch of flowers.Sylvia is a very busy person and supports many causes. She also tutors in public speaking and drama alongside her work in films and theatre. Sylvia is a council member of RADA. We were very lucky that Sylvia gave up her spare time to visit us here in Wymondham. Sylvia Syms with the Regal group up in the Projection Room
GIG IN AID OF EAST ANGLIAN AIR AMBULANCE A GREAT SUCCESS.  On Saturday 1st March the SPIKEDRIVERS appeared
in the third concert at Ashwellthorpe to raise money for the
East Anglian Air Ambulance. The event was completely sold out
and many people had to be advised by telephone that the gig was
full or were turned away at the door.The event started with a great solo performance from Dean Powell formally a member of the ‘FingerstyleMonkeys.’ This was followed by two one hour sets from the SPIKEDRIVERS who played a variety of different styles of blues music, which it was obvious they really enjoyed performing. The packed hall responded enthusiastically to each song and after an encore in which members of the audience were invited to ‘shake with the band’, gave the SPIKEDRIVERS a standing ovation. During the interval refreshments were provided for a donation and there was a raffle with some great prizes donated by local businesses and members of the audience. Approximately £400 was raised for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, easily beating the previous figure of £333 raised in September 2006. There is a distinct possibility that the SPIKEDRIVERS will be invited to play again at Ashwellthorpe. Brian Mondin. |
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| February | Wymondham launches a new information
forum Wymondham is launching a new forum for sharing community information and opinions. The Community Forum for Wymondham will hold its first public meeting on Thursday 7 February at 7.30 pm in the Fairland Church Centre, and all Wymondham residents are welcome. If it is a success it is proposed to hold further meetings every three months. The purpose of the Community Forum is to provide informal community meetings for people living in the parish of Wymondham. The meetings will serve to exchange information about current local activities, projects and developments, act as a nursery for new ideas and provide a place for networking between individuals and organisations. Meetings will be open to all. Wymondham Community Partnership, which has performed a similar role since 1999, was wound up last year but at its final meeting it was agreed that with housing growth bringing major changes to the town, an informal community voice for Wymondham was still required. A steering group has been working to set up the new organisation, and the Partnership provided a small fund to cover its running expenses. Wymondham Town Council will provide the basic administration needed to convene and keep a record of meetings. A voluntary secretary will provide continuity, and at each meeting the chair for the next meeting will be elected. Communication will be by email, though a small postal list will be needed, and those who attend meetings will be invited to add their name to the list to receive details of future activities. Topics for the first meeting will include short presentations on the ‘Wymondham’s Future’ community consultation, Wymondham High School’s campaign to say no to plastic bags, and the Local Development Framework. There will also be an open ‘news spot’ item where individuals or organisations will be allowed two minutes to talk about forthcoming events, projects or issues. The inaugural meeting will be chaired by Horace Wilkinson, who strongly supports the venture. He commented: “In a growing town like Wymondham we need to use every possible means to spread information about what’s going on. Newspapers like the ‘Mercury’ and town newsletters play an important role here. But the new Community Forum will go further by offering people a chance to give their views on big issues, and also to say a few words about what their own organisations are doing for the community.” For More information contact John Wood on 01953 602051 ‘Retail Trade Group for Wymondham’ Starting the New Year on a positive note a new Retail Trade Group has been launched in Wymondham. The aim of the Association is to promote trade in the Town and have an active roll with businesses and customers in Wymondham, with the pretext to encourage people to shop locally. The formation of the Group was the idea of Michelle Fernandes of Fernandez Fashions, a long time resident and Proprietor in Wymondham. The initial meeting was held at The Consort Hotel courtesy of John Bryer the owner. Attendees included Hemstocks, Aroma Health and Beauty, The Book Fountain and Middletons. The Local Police and Editors of Dispatch magazine also attended as they are both keen to support the initiative. There was also support given by the following businesses who were unable to attend – Marola’s, Light Works, The Yard, Diva, The Marmalade Tree, Jasmin, Bossi Boots, The Coffee Shop, Needlecraft, Wymondham Health Foods and The Co Op Chemist. The general overview taken by all of those who attended was to bring the local businesses together for the benefit of the Town. Regular meetings have been planned by the committee which comprises Fernandez Fashions, The Book Fountain, Middletons, Hemstocks and Aroma, Any further businesses interested in supporting the group please contact any of the committee noted above. For the lastest go to www.wymondhamonline.co.uk/retailtrade. Talking newspaper reaches 500th edition Wymondham & attleborough talking newspaper will have some professional help when they produce the 500th edition of their audio news and information service next week. Anglia television presenter and newsreader, clare weller, is to host part of the milestone edition, which will be recorded in front of an audience of listeners, volunteers and supporters at the fairland hall in wymondham. The mayors of both wymondham and attleborough and the chairmen of south norfolk and breckland councils will also be present. Ms weller will conduct a parkinson-style interview with mercury associate editor, tim warner, about the future of local newspapers. She will also meet hethersett community stalwart george beckford, who was the winner in a 500 word essay competition launched by the talking newspaper, to mark the event. Through a combination of live interviews and extracts from the group’s unique and extensive sound archive, the audience in the hall and at home will be treated to a sound tour of some popular local events, including wymondham’s dickensian evening and attleborough’s christmas lights celebrations. Other events captured on tape include the day on which passenger services were restored on the mid-norfolk railway and when hundreds of people were invited to “hug the abbey” at the launch of the 900th anniversary celebrations. The idea of a talking newspaper for the two towns was initiated by wymondham lions club in september 1997. After a public meeting, a major fundraising drive was carried out to purchase the necessary equipment. The first edition was produced from the abbey school room in wymondham and the recording operation was transferred to the damgate rooms a year later. The recent sale of the building has necessitated another studio move for the group, which has fifty volunteers. Together they produce a weekly hour-long news tape, a monthly audio magazine and a quarterly local news review programme, for almost seventy visually impaired listeners. The group also records audio versions of the norwich diocese monthly magazine, the quarterly tenants’ magazine produced by saffron housing trust and audio book reviews for the norfolk library service. Changing technology and the likely demise of the audio cassette means that the organisation will soon have to switch to a digital recording system and plans are already in progress for this to take place. W a t n chairman, pat crawford said: “it is amazing what our dedicated team of volunteers have been able to achieve over the last ten years but it would not have been possible without the support we have received from the local community.” The talking newspaper service is free to the listener and further details are available from the w a t n secretary on 01953 605434. |
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| January | Wymondham children keep
Kett memories alive The children put flowers under the plaque at the library entrance
commemorating Kett's Rebellion in 1549, when Robert Kett with
his brother William led a protest against land enclosures and
other social injustices. The uprising was eventually put down
by the King's armies, but only after several weeks of struggle
in which the rebels held the City of Norwich. Robert Kett and
his brother were hanged as traitors, but in more modern times
their actions have been recognised as a brave bid for social
justice and reform. |
